Combat

## Hexes

All ranges are tracked in Hexes. When counting distance, only count the Hexes between you and a target.

Conceptually all ranges are tracked in Hexes that each player group could adapt as to their needs. If you prefer to play more-abstractly, Hexes may be a guideline to augment Zone-based maps.

The assumption is that all settings are handled using BattleTech Maps (or similar hex-grid maps) as terrain.

## Character's Turn

When a character is active during the turn, they can generally do three things in any order:

* **Move**: Characters have an opportunity to move based on their available Propulsions
* **Action**: Each character gets to undertake a single endeavor each turn, typically involving a Tech Spec roll to resolve an effect
* **Transform**: A Transformer may transform once at some point during their turn

Generally speaking, characters are allowed to **Banter** openly with themselves and others in the scene. If a character is trying to directly influence another in a way that requires a Tech Spec roll then it should be resolved as an Action (even if the free Banter strongly played into the roll).

Characters may also take a **Supplemental Action**, which is anything small that a character might be able to do in tandem with another action (such as retrieving or storing items, making quick observations, etc).

## Initiative

Each character in a conflict gets an opportunity to act, starting whichever one has the highest Initiative. In the case of a tie, whoever has the higher Speed Tech Spec wins. If those are tied, both actions happen at the same time.

While characters generally handle all of their actions on their turn, sometimes things will be resolved moments afterwards. When handling these cases, refer to the delay in when the action is resolved using a unit of measurement called a **tick**. Each tick represents a single count of the Initiative sequence for a round. For abilities which resolve after a few ticks, use the character's normal Initiative to determine when their delayed action will end up occurring.

It works best to use playing cards to track what a character's initiative is for the round, flipping each card over as that character's action is completed.

## Stealth

When characters do not want to be observed -- and have some premise for how they might avoid being observed -- they may roll Stealth to determine how effectively they hide from others. Those looking (both casually or actively) for hidden characters oppose this attempt using their Awareness.

## Scanning

Transformers can take an action to use scanners against a specific target, allowing them to assess one or more Aspects. The scanning Transformer rolls Awareness, and is either opposed against a target's Stealth. For each success achieved, the scanning Transformer may get to know one specific Aspect of the target.

Scanning Range is at a range equal to a character's Awareness in hexes.

When using scanners on locations, generally Transformers can access one Aspect of a scene per two successes achieved.

### Broad Scans

It is also possible for Transformers to scan an area for a specified subject, such as Energon sources, active Sparks, other lifeforms, or even specific known characters. The difficulty of these rolls will vary based on how hard it is to find the subject in a given area. Success means that the subject's current location in a scene is known to the scanning Transformer.

### Scanning Ranges

The range of such scans is based on the character's Awareness, and each point being on a different scale depending on the granularity of the scan. The farther out a scan goes, the less information is available on it.

Scanning Ranges and Available Details
 Hexes
Presence of specified Equipment on target
 Neighborhood
 Cities
 Counties
 States

## Attacks

Characters can inflict harm on one another using Weapons, operated with their Accuracy to determine how effectively they hit their mark.

### Brawling

Anytime a character is fighting with their body instead of a Weapon, they are Brawling. Larger and stronger characters have a notable advantage in Brawling, but smaller characters may still hold their own with enough Strength and Skill. All Brawling attacks made at 0 Hex range are opposed using a target's Brawling.

A character's Size applies in the amount of effect they inflict when Brawling damage. This heavily favors larger opponents, while smaller ones suffer a penalty to the effect of each hit they land.

1. Attacker's Brawling Roll - Defender's Roll = Initial Successes
2. If Initial Success is less than 0, the attack misses
3. If Initial Success is 0 or greater, add in the attacker's Size Modifier to the End Effect
4. Resolve option from Brawling Results, applying effects until you have used all of the End Effect:

### Kinetic Weapons

Some weapons are powered using arms and body force instead of propellants and energies. These weapons use Brawling to resolve attack rolls, with the target using Brawling if the attack is made at 0 Hex range, or Defense if farther away (in the case of thrown Kinetic weapons). Like any other Brawling attack, apply your Size as a modifier to the End Effectiveness of the attack.

### Touch Attacks

Touch Attacks are any physical roll which applies an effect without factoring in Armor. Target may defend normally, but does not apply Armor against the result. Typically such attacks have some additional Effectiveness they must achieve to apply their effect.

### Aiming

Characters may give up their Movement for a turn to Aim, granting a +2 bonus on an Accuracy roll.

### Strafing Run

In place of Aiming, characters may increase their accuracy when moving by performing a Strafing Run, gaining a +2 bonus on an Accuracy roll against a single target. To execute a Strafing Run, follow these steps:

1. At some point in your movement, designate your Strafing Run target
2. The target must be directly in front of you when beginning a Strafing Run
3. Move directly forward at your designated target for 4 hexes
4. Make your Accuracy-based roll against the target with a +2 bonus
5. Complete any remaining movement

### Called Shots

When attacking with an Accuracy roll a character may suffer -2 to the attack to choose a specific Equipment on a target to be damaged. If the attack hits, resolve the damage as if the target had chosen to have the chosen Equipment damaged instead. Any access Stress inflicted back what the Equipment can suffer is lost.

### Area Attacks

Some effects distribute their impact over an area rather than on just a single target. This is most common with Weapons, but also can apply with some Equipment. When resolving these attacks, it's more a matter of whether the target was able to see the attack in time to move than whether they were hit by the effect; as such, these attacks are defended against using Initiative Derived Spec instead of Defense. Attacker still uses Accuracy or Brawling to make the attack, as normal.

#### Explosions

An **Explosion** is a generic Blast with a Hex Radius and Physical Stress equal to the rating of the Explosion. Unless otherwise noted, treat Explosions as if they had rolled a result equal to their rating.

Energon being damaged is a semi-common source of explosive power on the battlefield. Each Energon involved in an Explosion adds 2 to the rating.

## Defense

Most attacks are typically opposed using Defense Derived Spec. Different Weapon Types and Equipment will call out if they are defended against using a different Tech Spec of Derived Spec.

## Facing

Characters can normally only interact with things in their front facing, which is defined by Mode.

### Back-Strike

When a character is being attacked outside of their front facing, the attacker gains +2 on the attack as a Back-Strike bonus.

### Prone

Being prone grants a +2 bonus when defending against made using Accuracy, but suffers a -2 penalty when defending against attacks made with Brawling.

## Combat Conditions

This is a list of common Combat Conditions which characters may experience. It is not an exhaustive list of possible Conditions, but rather a basic set to enable meaningful interactions with Terrain. Each bonus is treated as a Scene Aspect, except that it can be tagged repeatedly until the circumstances themselves providing the Condition are countered.

* **Cover**: you have material between yourself and an attacker to potentially absorb an attack on your behalf
* **Aim**: attacker move action to line up their shots
* **Charge**: attacker moved straight at the target for at least 3 hexes before making an attack
* **Crouched**: may use a move action to prepare against incoming attacks by being a smaller target
* **Prone**: attacking a target who is on the ground and not prepared to react
* **Back-Strike**: attacking a target from outside their line-of-sight
* **Higher Ground**: target is significantly below the attacker (including when defending Brawling attacks when Prone)
* **Entrenched**: environment has been prepared
* **Concealed**: environment partly hides you from an attacker
* **Out of Range**: incoming Accuracy-based attack originates from beyond the attacker's normal range
* **Unaware**: target is unaware of the origin of the attack
* **Flank**: target has already been attacked using Brawling this turn, and the attacker is still in a position to attack again next turn
* **Concentrated Fire**: target has already been attacked using Accuracy this turn, and has not moved afterwards

## Stress

When characters engage in a conflict with one another, they are often inflicting **Stress** as a result. Mark off the Stress Box with the value equal to the Stress taken. If that box is unavailable, mark off the next higher Stress Box. If no Stress Box is available, the character must suffer **Damage** equal to the amount of Stress not marked.

### Weapon Rating

Weapons have a Rating which adds to the effectiveness of the attack if it is successful. When an attack misses, this Weapon Rating is of no value.

### Armor

All Physical and Mental Stress will Armor applied against the Result, reducing the Effectiveness of the overall attack. Other attack options will specify what to use as Armor against the end effect, if applicable. Social Attacks normally do NOT have Armor applied to the Stress inflicted (though this may occur as a result of Stunts).

## Damage

If a character does not have the Stress boxes available for the damage they suffered, they must either lose access to Equipment or suffer a Consequence to handle the overflow amount. In either form, this assigned Stress is called **Damage**, and represents a loss of functionality due to the conflict. Damage can be divided up between **Equipment Damage** and **Consequences** as the player sees fit, and may suffer these in place of some Stress if desired. The amount of Damage that can be assigned to each varies:

When suffering Damage, they may opt to be taken out of the conflict, gaining 1 Energon per Consequence they have suffered. When taken out of a conflict, characters cannot continue to be part of the scene, either because they left the struggle or are now knocked out.

## Consequence Examples

This is a list of potential Consequences a character might suffer based on type of Stress inflicted and severity. While this list is not extensive or definitive, it should serve as a guide for how bad actual damage might get:

### Taking Consequences

When a character suffers a Consequence, it shakes their will to remain in the conflict. With each Consequence, a character must make a Tech Spec Roll equal to rating of the Consequence to remain part of the fight. Most often, this roll is made using Endurance for Physical Damage and Courage for Mental Damage. For Social Conflicts, such rolls may be made using Rank, Intelligence, or Courage. In all these cases, the Tech Spec required could vary based on the circumstances at play around the suffered Consequence.

## Repairs and Recovery

As Transformers are being with mechanical bodies, they typically do not recover from Stress and Damage on their own. Instead, a character must make a Repair roll for a character to be fixed. The difficulty to do each sort of Repair varies with the severity of the injury. Any rolls made to Repair yourself suffer a -2 penalty.

Physical Stress and Damage are repaired using Articulation Rolls. Mental Stress and Damage are repaired using Intelligence or Courage rolls. Additional parts for Physical Repairs may also be required (especially for Severe or Extreme Consequences).

Damage Repair rolls typically take a scene to resolve, requiring both the one making the repair and the one being repaired to take no other major actions during the process. Multiple Stress or Damage may be repaired in single repair scene. Stress Repair rolls are much quicker, requiring just an action to complete.

Social Consequences are discussed under Social Conflicts.

### Repairing Stress

Removing Stress requires a Tech Spec roll and a scene spent handling the repairs. Each Stress to be removed requires a number of successes equal to the Stress Box value. (Example: with a repair roll of 7 a character could repair both a 4pt-stress box and 3pt-stress box.)

### Repairing Damaged Equipment

Restoring damaged Equipment also requires a Tech Spec roll and a scene to resolve. Each Equipment requires a number of successes equal to its point cost. A single roll may be divided up to affect multiple Equipment at a time.

### Repairing Consequences

Repairing Consequences requires a Tech Spec roll against a target number equal to the severity of the Consequence, and takes a scene to resolve. Many Consequences will require additional parts and components, and will be even harder to do if there are significant pieces of the character missing.

## Death

Given their mechanical nature, Transformers can live for millions of years with proper care and maintenance. However, some trauma is even too much for Transformers to suffer. If a Transformer needs to suffer damage and cannot do so (because they have no undamaged Equipment or unused Consequences), they are **Dead**. Characters cannot be killed by Social Stress.

For Transformers, Death is not always a permanent thing. As long as their Spark still functions, Transformers could theoretically have their body (or mind) repaired and live once more. However, there is always a price: each time a character returns from the dead they must change one or more of their Aspects in some way. Characters can return from death multiple times, but they must change an additional Aspect beyond the number they changed last time they died (i.e. 1st death requires one Aspect change, 2nd death requires two Aspects be changed, etc). Eventually, if a character has to change ALL of their Aspects when they return from death then they have suffered too much from the trauma and finally must rest at last.

Characters need to summarize the details of any Death they suffer on the back of their character sheet. This serves as a permanent reminder of the event, and can also be treated as a potential Aspect to be compelled (or potentially invoked) under the right circumstances.

## Social Conflicts

Largely speaking, most Social Conflicts between Transformers are opposed attacks made using Authority Derived Spec against either Authority, Courage, Rank, or Intelligence, then inflicting Social Stress based on the number of successes achieved. As a rule, characters can only make Social Attacks when they can be heard and paid attention to; in most cases, this should be at a hex range equal to the attacker's Authority.

Typically, with Social Conflicts come to an end as soon as an individual suffers a Social Consequence. When exiting the Social Conflict, characters may immediately remove that Social Consequence if they carry out some specified behavior (representing that the character gave into whatever the attacker was insisting upon).

Characters can continue Social Conflicts if necessary when they suffer a Social Consequence; if this is the case, they must recover these Consequences as oer standard Fate System rules.