Combat Rules

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## **The Combat Round**

Most of the time, game play is relaxed and casual. The GM sets the scene, and players take turns describing what their characters are doing. When the situation calls for it, the GM has the players make die rolls (skill checks or ability checks) to determine the results of their characters’ actions. But when a scene involves combat or the imminent threat of combat, a structured sequence of combat rounds governs play. In a combat round, each character gets to do something. A round represents 6 seconds in the game world, regardless of how long it takes the players to complete the round. At the start of a battle, each player makes an initiative check for his character, and the GM makes initiative checks for the opponents. The character with the highest result acts first, followed by the other characters in order (from highest result to lowest result). This order of play is used in every round until the battle ends. When your turn in the order comes up, you perform all the actions you are entitled to in the current round. There are four types of actions: attack actions, move actions, full-round actions, and free actions. In a round, you can do one of the following things (but see Chapter Five for additional information).

* Attack and move
* move and attack
* move and move again
* perform a full-round action
* Attack and attack again

### **Attack Actions**

An attack action lets you do something. You can make an attack, use a skill or a feat (except those skills and feats that require a full-round action), or perform an equivalent action. You can perform an attack action and a move action, in either order, in a combat round. Or you can perform two attack actions in a round, using a second attack actions in place of a move action.

### **Move Actions**

A move action lets you move your speed in a round to perform an equivalent action. Equivalent actions include climbing, drawing or loading a weapon, opening a door, and picking up an object. You can move and attack, in either order, in a round. Or you can perform two move actions in a round, using a second move action in place of an attack action.

### **Full-Round Actions**

A full-round action consumes all your effort in a round. Attacking more than once (if you are of sufficient level to do so) or using a skill or feat that requires a full round to employ is considered a full-round action.

### **Free Actions**

Free actions consume no time or effort. Over the span of a round, the impact of these types of actions is so minor that they are considered to be free. Speaking to an ally or opponent, dropping an object, or turning on a computer are all examples of free actions. You can perform a free action in addition to performing other actions in a round, though the Gamemaster can place limits on how much you can reasonably do for free in a given round.

### **Reactions**

Some skill checks are instant reactions to specific events, such as making a Spot check when the GM calls for one. A reaction takes no time and isn’t an action.

### **Attack**

In combat, the most prevalent standard action is an attack. You can move your speed and make an attack in a round. Making a ranged attack provokes attacks of opportunity from opponents that threaten you (see below). Making an attack is a standard action.

* *Melee Attacks:* With a normal melee weapon, you can strike any opponent within 5 feet. (Opponents within 5 feet are considered adjacent to you.) Some melee weapons have reach, as indicated in their descriptions in Chapter 6: Equipment. With a typical reach weapon, you can strike opponents 10 feet away, but you can’t strike adjacent foes (those within 5 feet).
* *Unarmed Attacks:* Striking for damage with punches, kicks, and head butts is much like attacking with a melee weapon, except for the following:
* *Attacks of Opportunity:* Attacking unarmed provokes an attack of opportunity from the character you attack, provided she is armed. The attack of opportunity comes before your attack. An unarmed attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity from other foes, as shooting a bow does, nor does it provoke an attack of opportunity from an unarmed foe. You provoke the attack of opportunity because you have to bring your body close to your opponent. An unarmed character can’t take attacks of opportunity (but see “Armed” Unarmed Attacks).
* *"Armed" Unarmed Attacks:* Sometimes a character’s or creature’s unarmed attack counts as an armed attack. A character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat and a creature with claws, fangs, and similar natural physical weapons all count as being armed. Note that being armed counts for both offense and defense. Not only do they not provoke an attack opportunity when attacking an armed foe, but you provoke an attack of opportunity from them if you make an unarmed attack against her.
* *Unarmed Strike Damage:* An unarmed strike from a Medium character deals 1d3 points of damage (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). A Small character’s unarmed strike deals 1d2 points of damage, while a Large character’s unarmed strike deals 1d4 points of damage. All damage from unarmed strikes is nonlethal damage. Unarmed strikes count as light weapons (for purposes of two-weapon attack penalties and so on).
* *Dealing Lethal Damage:* You can specify that your unarmed strike will deal lethal damage before you make your attack roll, but you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll because you have to strike a particularly vulnerable spot to deal lethal damage. If you have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat, you can deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike without taking a penalty on the attack roll.
* *Ranged Attacks:* With a ranged weapon, you can shoot or throw at any target that is within the weapon’s maximum range and in line of sight. The maximum range for a thrown weapon is five range increments. For projectile weapons, it is ten range increments. Some ranged weapons have shorter maximum ranges, as specified in their descriptions.
* *Natural Attacks:* Attacks made with natural weapons, such as claws and bites, are melee attacks that can be made against any creature within your reach (usually 1 meter). These attacks are made using your full attack bonus and deal an amount of damage that depends on their type (plus your Strength modifier, as normal). You do not receive additional natural attacks for a high base attack bonus. Instead, you receive additional attack rolls for multiple limb and body parts capable of making the attack (as noted by the race or ability that grants the attacks). If you possess only one natural attack (such as a bite—two claw attacks do not qualify), you add 1–1/2 times your Strength bonus on damage rolls made with that attack. Some natural attacks are denoted as secondary natural attacks, such as tails and wings. Attacks with secondary natural attacks are made using your base attack bonus minus 5. These attacks deal an amount of damage depending on their type, but you only add half your Strength modifier on damage rolls. You can make attacks with natural weapons in combination with attacks made with a melee weapon and unarmed strikes, so long as a different limb is used for each attack. For example, you cannot make a claw attack and also use that hand to make attacks with a longsword. In addition, all of your attacks made with melee weapons and unarmed strikes are made as if you were two-weapon fighting. Your natural attacks are treated as light, off-hand weapons for determining the penalty to your other attacks. Feats such as Two-Weapon Fighting and Multi-attack can reduce these penalties.
* *Attack Rolls:* An attack roll represents your attempts to strike your opponent. Your attack roll is 1d20 + your attack bonus with the weapon you’re using. If the result is at least as high as the target’s AC, you hit and deal damage.
* *Automatic Misses and Hits:* A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on the attack roll is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a hit. A natural 20 is also a threat—a possible critical hit (see the Critical Hits).
* *Damage Rolls:* If the attack roll result equals or exceeds the target’s AC, the attack hits and you deal damage. Roll the appropriate damage for your weapon (see appropriate weapons table in Chapter 6: Equipment). Damage is deducted from the target’s current hit points. If the opponent’s hit points drop to 0 or lower, he’s in bad shape (see Injury and Death).
* *Shooting or Throwing into Melee:* If you shoot or throw a ranged weapon at a target engaged in melee with a friendly character, you take a –4 penalty on your attack roll because you have to aim carefully to avoid hitting your friend. Two characters are engaged in melee if they are enemies of each other and either threatens the other. (An unconscious or otherwise immobilized character is not considered engaged unless he is actually being attacked.)If your target (or the part of your target you’re aiming at, if it’s a big target) is at least 3 meters away from the nearest friendly character, you can avoid the –4 penalty, even if the creature you’re aiming at is engaged in melee with a friendly character.
* Precise Shot: If you have the Precise Shot feat, you don’t take this penalty.
* *Fighting Defensively as a Standard Action:* You can choose to fight defensively when attacking. If you do so, you take a –4 penalty on all attacks in a round to gain a +2 dodge bonus to DC for the same round. This bonus stacks with the DC bonus granted by the Combat Expertise feat. When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from your square to the target’s square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn’t adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks.

## **Initiative**

At the start of a battle, each combatant makes an initiative check. An initiative check is a Dexterity check (1d20+Dexterity modifier). The GM finds out what order characters are acting in, counting down from highest result to lowest, and each character acts in turn. In every round that follows, the characters act in the same order (unless a character takes an action that results in his or her initiative changing; see Special Initiative Actions). Usually, the GM writes the names of the characters down in initiative order so that on subsequent rounds he can move quickly from one character to the next. If two or more combatants have the same initiative check result, the combatants who are tied act in order of total initiative modifier (highest first). If there is still a tie, the tied characters should roll again to determine which one of them goes before the other.

* *Enemy Initiative*: Typically, the GM makes a single initiative check for all enemies and then an initiative check for Each individual enemy to determine in what order they act on the GM's turn. That way, each player gets a turn each round and the GM also gets one turn. At the GM’s option, however, he can make separate initiative checks for different groups of monsters or even for individual creatures. For instance, the GM may make one initiative checks for an alien overlord and another check for all seven of her guards. Either way works so the choice is really a matter of preference.
* *Flat-Footed*: At the start of a battle, before your first regular turn in the initiative order, you are flat-footed. You can’t use your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) while flat-footed. Characters that have the uncanny dodge feat allows them to avoid losing their Dexterity bonus to AC due to being flat-footed. A flat-footed character can’t make attacks of opportunity.
* *Inaction*: Even if you can’t take actions (for instance, if you become paralyzed or unconscious), you retain your initiative score for the duration of the encounter. For example, when paralyzed by drugs, you may miss one or more actions, but once the drugs wear off or an antidote is administered, you may act again on your next turn. Here are ways to change when you act during combat by altering your place in the initiative order.
* *Changing Initiative / Holding Action*: In combat a character may chose to forgo action on their own turn until after an event happens, or another character or creature takes their turn in the initiative. After the character decides to act they take their turn as normal and their place in the initiative order now changes to when they acted after holding their action.
* *Vehicles and Initiative*: Initiative works exactly the same as usual with the exception that for vehicles with multiple crew. In cases of vehicles with multiple crew you roll initiative first for the vehicle itself using the averaged initiative modifier of everyone on board then your roll separate initiative checks for each character on board to figure out in witch order they will act on the vehicles turn.

### **Surprise**

When a combat starts, if you are not aware of your opponents and they are aware of you, you’re surprised.

* *Determining Awareness*: Sometimes all the combatants on a side are aware of their opponents, sometimes none are, and sometimes only some of them are. Sometimes a few combatants on each side are aware and the other combatants on each side are unaware. The GM determines who is aware of whom at the start of a battle. He may call for Listen checks, Spot checks, or other checks to see how aware the adventurers are of their opponents.
* *The Surprise Round*: If some but not all of the combatants are aware of their opponents, a surprise round happens before regular rounds begin. Any combatants aware of the opponents can act in the surprise round, so they roll for initiative. You can also take free actions during the surprise round, at the GM’s discretion. If no one or everyone is surprised, no surprise round occurs.
* *Unaware Combatants*: Combatants who are unaware at the start of battle don’t get to act in the surprise round. Unaware combatants are flat-footed because they have not acted yet, so they lose any Dexterity bonus to DC.

## **Attacks of Opportunity**

During combat, you threaten all squares adjacent to yours, even when it’s not your turn. An opponent that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. An attack of opportunity is a free melee attack that does not use up any of your actions. You can make one attack of opportunity per round. Actions that provoke attacks of opportunity include moving. You provoke an attack of opportunity when you move out of a threatened square, except:

* If you withdraw (a full-round action), opponents don’t get attacks of opportunity when you move from your initial square. If you move into another threatened square, however, opponents get attacks of opportunity when you leave that square.
* If your entire move for the round is 1 meter (a 1 meter step), opponents don’t get attacks of opportunity when you move. The melee combat rules assume that combatants are actively avoiding attacks. A player doesn’t have to declare anything special for her character to be on the defensive. Even if a character’s miniature figure is just standing there on the battle grid, you can be sure that if some orc with a falchion attacks the character, she is weaving, dodging, and even threatening the orc with a weapon to keep the orc a little worried for his own hide.

Sometimes, however, a combatant in a melee lets her guard down. In this case, combatants near her can take advantage of her lapse in defense to attack her for free. These free attacks are called attacks of opportunity (see the diagram on the next page).

* *Threatened Squares:* You threaten all squares into which you can make a melee attack, even when it is not your action. Generally, that means everything in all squares adjacent to your space (including diagonally). An enemy that takes certain actions while in a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity from you. If you’re unarmed, you don’t normally threaten any squares and thus can’t make attacks of opportunity (but see Unarmed Attacks).
* *Reach Weapons:* Most creatures of Medium or smaller size have a reach of only 1 meter. This means that they can make melee attacks only against creatures up to 1 meter (1 square) away. However, Small and Medium creatures wielding reach weapons (such as a longspear) threaten more squares than a typical creature. For instance, a long spear-wielding human threatens all squares 3 meter (3 squares) away. In addition, most creatures larger than Medium have a natural reach of 3 meter or more; see Big and Little Creatures in Combat.

*Provoking an Attack of Opportunity:* Two kinds of actions can provoke attacks of opportunity: moving out of a threatened square and performing an action within a threatened square.

*Moving:* Moving out of a threatened square usually provokes an attack of opportunity from the threatening opponent. There are two common methods of avoiding such an attack—the 1-meter-step and the withdraw action.

*Performing a Distracting Act:* Some actions, when performed in a threatened square, provoke attacks of opportunity as you divert your attention from the battle. Attacking with a ranged weapon, for example, is a distracting action. Table (): Actions in Combat notes many of the actions that provoke attacks of opportunity. Remember that even actions that normally provoke attacks of opportunity may have exceptions to this rule. For instance, a character with the Improved Unarmed Strike feat doesn’t incur an attack of opportunity for making an unarmed attack.

*Making an Attack of Opportunity:* An attack of opportunity is a single melee attack, and you can only make one per round. You don’t have to make an attack of opportunity if you don’t want to. An experienced character gets additional regular melee attacks (by using the full attack action), but at a lower attack bonus. You make your attack of opportunity, however, at your normal attack bonus—even if you’ve already attacked in the round. An attack of opportunity “interrupts” the normal flow of actions in the round. If an attack of opportunity is provoked, immediately resolve the attack of opportunity, then continue with the next character’s turn (or complete the current turn, if the attack of opportunity was provoked in the midst of a character’s turn).

*Combat Reflexes and Additional Attacks of Opportunity:* If you have the Combat Reflexes feat, you can add your Dexterity modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make in a round. This feat does not let you make more than one attack for a given opportunity, but if the same opponent provokes two attacks of opportunity from you—such as by moving out of a threatened square and then firing a ranged weapon in a threatened square—you could make two separate attacks of opportunity (since each one represents a different opportunity). Moving out of more than one square threatened by the same opponent in the same round doesn’t count as more than one opportunity for that opponent. All these attacks are at your full normal attack bonus.

**Attack Roll**
An attack roll represents your attempt to strike your opponent on your turn in a round. When you make an attack roll, you roll a d20 and add your attack bonus. (Other modifiers may also apply to this roll.) If your result equals or beats the target’s Armor class, you hit and deal damage.

*Automatic Misses and Hits:* A natural 1 (the d20 comes up 1) on an attack roll is always a miss. A natural 20 (the d20 comes up 20) is always a hit. A natural 20 is also a threat—a possible critical hit.

**Attack Bonus**

Your attack bonus with a melee weapon is:

**Base attack bonus + Strength modifier + size modifier**

With a ranged weapon, your attack bonus is:

**Base attack bonus + Dexterity modifier + size modifier + range penalty**

*Strength Modifier:* Strength helps you swing a weapon harder and faster, so your Strength modifier applies to melee attack rolls.

*Dexterity Modifier:* Dexterity measures coordination and steadiness, so your Dexterity modifier applies to attacks with ranged weapons.

*Size Modifier:* The smaller you are, the bigger other creatures are relative to you. A human is a big target to a Ewok, just as an Elite (Halo) is a big target to a human. Since this same size modifier applies to Armor class, two creatures of the same size strike each other normally, regardless of what size they actually are.

*Range Penalty:* The range penalty for a ranged weapon depends on the weapon and the distance to the target. All ranged weapons have a range increment, such as 3 meters for a thrown dart or 33 Meters for a longbow. Any attack from a distance of less than one range increment is not penalized for range, so an arrow from a shortbow (range increment 20 Meters) can strike at enemies up to 20 Meters away with no penalty. However, each full range increment causes a cumulative –2 penalty on the attack roll. A shortbow archer firing at a target 66 Meters away takes a –6 penalty on his attack roll (because 66 Meters is at least three range increments but not four increments). Thrown weapons, such as throwing axes, have a maximum range of five range increments. Projectile weapons, such as bows, can shoot up to ten increments.

**Shooting or Throwing into a Melee**
If you shoot a ranged weapon or throw a weapon at an opponent that is adjacent to one or more of your allies, you take a -5 penalty on your attack roll. This penalty accounts for the fact that you're trying not to hit your allies. If a ranged attack into melee misses there is a 50% chance the attack will hit someone else involved in the melee, first roll percentiles if the result is lower than 50%, a new attack is rolled at a character in one of the adjacent squares around the targets square. Roll on the Table 9-15: Grenade deviation to see which 1 meter square the attack goes toward. If the square is occupied then the new attack roll is directed against that character. If the square is unoccupied then the attack misses harmlessly.

**Precise Shot:** If you have the Precise Shot feat, you don't take this penalty.

**Damage**
Damage is a way to apply how much harm you inflict upon your enemies with your weapon. All weapon damages presented in this book are set for Medium size category creatures. If a weapon is larger or smaller than it is normally, you naturally change some of the weapon’s stats. When your attack succeeds, you deal damage. The type of weapon used (see appropriate weapons table in Chapter 6: Equipment) determines the amount of damage you deal. Effects that modify weapon damage apply to unarmed strikes and the natural attack of creatures. Damage reduces a target’s current hit points.

***Minimum Damage:*** If penalties reduce the damage result to less than 1, a hit still deals 1 point of damage.

***Strength Bonus:*** When you hit with a melee or thrown weapon, including a sling, add your Strength modifier to the damage result.

***Off-Hand Weapon:*** When you deal damage with a weapon in your off hand, you add only 1/2 your Strength bonus.

***Wielding a Weapon Two-Handed:*** When you deal damage with a weapon that you are wielding two-handed, you add 1-1/2 times your

Strength bonus. However, you don’t get this higher Strength bonus when using a light weapon with two hands.

***Multiplying Damage:*** Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. Roll the damage and add all modifiers you multiply that number by the multiplier indicated.

***Exception:*** Extra damage dice over and above a weapon’s normal damage, such as that dealt by a sneak attack, are not multiplied.

***Critical:*** When you hit an opponent with an attack sometimes you hit a weak or vulnerable spot or you catch them just right with it or maybe hit far harder than you normally do and in any of these instances you do a lot more damage in a single hit than normal. Instances such as this are called critical hits.

When you make an attack roll and get a natural 20 (the d20 shows 20), you hit regardless of your target’s armor class, and you have scored a threat. The hit might be a critical hit (or “crit”). To find out if it’s a critical hit, you immediately make a critical roll—another attack roll with all the same modifiers as the attack roll you just made. If the critical roll also results in a hit against the target’s AC, your original hit is a critical hit. (The critical roll just needs to hit to give you a crit. It doesn’t need to come up 20 again.) If the critical roll is a miss, then your hit is just a regular hit. A critical hit means that you multiply the damage rolled by the critical multiplier. Unless otherwise specified, the threat range for a critical hit on an attack roll is 20, and the multiplier is ×2.

* *Exception:* Extra damage over and above a weapon’s normal damage, such as that dealt by a sneak attack or the special ability of a weapon, is not multiplied when you score a critical hit.
* *Increased Threat Range:* Sometimes your threat range is greater than 20. That is, you can score a threat on a lower number. Longswords, for instance, give you a thread on a natural attack roll of 19 or 20 (meaning when the d20 comes up a 19 or 20). In such cases, a roll of lower than 20 is not an automatic hit. Any attack roll that doesn’t result in a hit is not a threat.
* *Increased Critical Multiplier:* Some weapons, such as battleaxes and arrows, deal better than double damage on a critical hit. See Table (): Weapons and the Critical section of Weapon Qualities.
* *Multiplying Damage:* Sometimes you multiply damage by some factor, such as on a critical hit. You roll the dice once and add any modifiers, then multiply the total by the multiplier appropriate for the weapon. Note: When you multiply damage more than once, each multiplier works off the original, unmultiplied damage (see Multiplying, page 304).

**Ion Damage**
Some weapons and attacks deal ion damage through bursts of high electrostatic energy that can disrupt and disable droids, vehicles, cybernetic prosthetics, and other various electrical devices in much the same way stun weapons do to living creatures. When you make a successful attack with a weapon that deals ion (damage from attacks that hit but are absorbed by shields are not considered successful) damage against a non-living technological target (such as a droid, vehicle, or electrical device) the weapon deals damage normally, then regardless of whether or not the damage meets or exceeds the targets damage threshold, the target must make a fortitude save versus going down one on the condition track rating as if the had attack had met the targets damage threshold. The TN for the fortitude save is calculated normally. If the damage from the attack dose in fact meet the damage threshold the target must in fact make a second fortitude save versus going down one step on the condition track rating. This means a non-living technological target (such as a droid, vehicle, or electrical device) has the potential to have to make two separate fortitude saves from a single attack. Against living creatures ion weapons only deal half damage, and have no additional effect outside of a normal attack unless the creature has cybernetic implants or prosthetics. If a living creature targeted by a weapon that deals ion damage has cybernetic implants or prosthetics and the attack is successful the damage is still halved and calculated normally then additionally the creature must make a fortitude save for each cybernetic implant or prosthetic that they may have TN = Damage dealt x3, or the cybernetic implant or prosthetic is disabled and rendered unusable until it can be repaired. The repair check to repair ion damage has a TN 15 (this only reactivates disabled systems and restores condition track ratting damage and does not restore hit-points). (Note: the TN for saves made for called shots or strikes made with a weapon that deals ion damage against a non-living technological target go up by +5.)

**Stunning**
Some weapons have a stun setting. When you make a successful attack with a Stun weapon you roll the damage as normal and then the damage gets a bonus of +10 but the damage is only rolled for purposes of seeing if you meet or beat the characters damage threshold to force the target down on their condition track rating. The damage roll ignores DR from armor and natural abilities, this damage is also not applied to the targets hit-points. Then regardless of whether or not the damage meets or exceeds the targets damage threshold, the target must make a fortitude save versus going down one on the condition track rating as if the had attack had met the targets damage threshold. The TN for the fortitude save is calculated normally. If the damage from the attack dose in fact meet the damage threshold the target must in fact make a second fortitude save versus going down one step on the condition track rating. This means a living target has the potential to have to make two separate fortitude saves from a single attack. Stunning has no effect on non-living technological target (such as a droid, vehicle, or electrical device).

**Very Small Creatures and Attacks**
Tiny, Diminutive, and Fine creatures have no natural reach. They must enter an opponent's squares (and thus be subject to an attack of opportunity) in order to attack that opponent in melee unless they are armed with weapons that give them 1 meter or reach. Because Tiny, Diminutive, and Fine creatures have no natural reach, they do not normally get attacks opportunity. Specific creatures may be exceptions, and some may carry reach weapons that do threaten adjacent squares.

**Damage Threshold**

Attacks that deal massive damage can impair or incapacitate you regardless of how many hit points you have remaining. Your damage Threshold determines how much damage a single attack must deal to reduce your combat effectiveness or, in some cases, kill you. Your damage threshold is calculated as follows:

**Damage Threshold = 1/2 Constitution Score + 1/3rd Character Level or Hit Dice Rounded Down + Size Modifiers**

**Damage threshold for Mecha, Droids and, Vehicles.**

Just like with biological creatures mechanical vehicles creatures and other such things all have a Damage Threshold that works exactly the same way the damage threshold for biological creatures. The difference comes in how the damage threshold is calculated.

**Droid or Robot Damage Threshold = 1/3rd Character Level Rounded Down + Hardness of Frame Material+ Size Modifiers**

**Vehicle Damage Threshold = 10 + Hardness of Frame Material+ Size Modifiers**

**Death, Dying, And Healing**

**Injury and Death**

Hit points measure how hard a character is to kill. Hit points mean two things in the game world: the ability to take physical punishment and keep going, and the ability to turn a serious blow into a less serious one.

**Effects of Hit Point Damage**

At 0 hit points, a character is disabled.

At from –1 up to 1 short of –(Con Score) hit points, a character is dying.

At –(Con Score) or lower, a character is dead.

**Nonlethal Damage / Subdual Damage**

Nonlethal damage is dealt by unarmed attackers and some weapons. Melee weapons that deal lethal damage can be wielded so as to deal nonlethal damage, but the attacker takes a –4 penalty on attack rolls for trying to deal nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. A ranged weapon that deals lethal damage can’t be made to deal nonlethal damage (unless it is used as an improvised melee weapon). Nonlethal damage does not affect the target’s hit points. Instead, compare the amount of nonlethal damage from an attack to the target’s massive damage threshold. If the amount is less than the target’s massive damage threshold, the target is unaffected by the attack. If the damage equals or exceeds the target’s massive damage threshold, the target must make a Fortitude save (TN 15). If the target succeeds on the save, the target is dazed for 1 round. If the target fails, he or she is knocked unconscious for 1d4+1 rounds.

**Disabled (0 Hit Points)**

When a character’s current hit points drop to exactly 0, the character is disabled. The character is not unconscious, but he or she is close to it. The character can only take a single move or attack action each turn (but not both, nor can the character take full-round actions). The character can take non-strenuous move actions without further injuring his or herself, but if the character attacks or perform any other action the GM deems as strenuous, the character takes 1 point of damage after completing the act. Unless the activity increased the character’s hit points, the character is now at –1 hit points, and is dying.

Healing that raises the character above 0 hit points makes him or her fully functional again, just as if the character had never been reduced to 0 or lower.

A character can also become disabled when recovering from dying. In this case, it’s a step up along the road to recovery, and the character can have fewer than 0 hit points (see Stable Characters and Recovery).

**Dying (–1 up to 1 short of –(Con Score) hit points)**

When a character’s current hit points drop below 0, the character is dying. A dying character has a current hit point total between –1 up to 1 short of –(Con Score) hit points inclusive. A dying character immediately falls unconscious and can take no actions. A dying character loses 1 hit point every round. This continues until the character dies or becomes stable naturally or with help (see below).

**Dead (–Con hit points or lower)**

When a character’s current hit points drop to –(Con Score) or lower, he or she is dead. A character can also die if his or her Constitution is reduced to 0. Different characters have different tolerances to physical punishment a character is not dead until the reach negative hit points equal to their constitution score.

**Condition Track**

All characters, creatures, droids/robots and, vehicles lose combat effectiveness as they take damage and as a battle goes on. Whenever a character, creature, droid/robot and, vehicle takes damage from an attack that meets or exceeds the damage threshold of that character, creature, droid/robot and, vehicle they must make a fortitude save (or in the case of a vehicle a piloting check) TN = damage dealt, or go down one step on the condition track.

 Helpless (unconscious or disabled)

**Removing Conditions**

All characters and, creatures can go up one step in the condition track by resting by taking no actions for a full round and making a fortitude save TN = constitution score. Resting or sleeping allows a character or creature may go back up on the condition track. Droids/robots and, vehicles cannot go up the condition track without being repaired.

**Stable Characters and Recovery**

A dying character (one with –1 up to 1 short of –(Con Score) hit points) is unconscious and loses 1 hit point every round until he or she becomes stable or dies.

**Recovering without Help**

Each round, a dying character makes a Fortitude saving throw (TN 20). If the save fails, the character loses 1 hit point and must make another save on his or her turn the next round. If the save succeeds, the character becomes stable. A stable character stops losing hit points every round, but remains unconscious. If no one tends to the stable character (see below), he or she remains unconscious for 1 hour, at which point he or she makes a Fortitude save (TN 20). If the save succeeds, the stable character regains consciousness, becoming disabled (see above). The character’s current hit point total remains where it is, however, even though it’s negative. If the save fails, the character remains unconscious. An unaided stable, conscious character who has negative hit points (and is disabled) doesn’t heal naturally. Instead, each day the character makes a Fortitude save (TN 20) to start recovering hit points naturally that day; if the save fails, he or she loses 1 hit point. Once an unaided character starts recovering hit points naturally, the character is no longer in danger of losing additional hit points (even if his or her current hit point total is still negative).

**Recovering with Help**

A dying character can be made stable by the use of the Treat Injury skill (TN 15). One hour after a tended, dying character becomes stable, he or she makes a Fortitude save (TN 20) to regain consciousness. If successful, the character becomes disabled (see above). If the character remains unconscious, he or she makes the same Fortitude save every hour until he or she becomes conscious. Even while unconscious, the character recovers hit points naturally, and he or she can return to normal activity when his or her hit points rise to 1 or higher.

**Healing**

After taking damage, a character can recover hit points through natural healing (over the course of days) or through medical technology (somewhat faster). In some campaign settings, magical healing is also available. In any case, a character can’t regain hit points past his or her full normal total.

**Natural Healing**

A character recovers 1 hit point per character level per evening of rest (8 hours of sleep). A character undergoing complete bed rest (doing nothing for an entire day) recovers 2 hit points per character level.

**Healing Ability Damage**

Ability damage returns at the rate of 1 point per evening of rest (8 hours of sleep). Complete bed rest (24 hours) restores 2 points per day.

**Temporary Hit Points**

Certain effects can give a character temporary hit points. When a character gains temporary hit points, make a note of his or her current hit points before adding the temporary hit points. When the temporary hit points go away, the character’s hit points drop to that score. If the character’s hit points are already below that score at that time, all the temporary hit points have already been lost, and the character’s hit point total does not drop. When temporary hit points are lost, they can’t be restored as real hit points can be, even with medical treatment or magic.

**Increases in Constitution Score and Current Hit Points**

An increase in a character’s Constitution score—even a temporary one—can give the character more hit points (an effective hit point increase), but these are not temporary hit points. They can be restored through normal healing. When a character’s Constitution drops back down to its previous score after a temporary increase, the character’s full normal hit points go down accordingly.