Vessel Combat

This is a guide on how to use vessels and beasts in Grid-Combat. For information regarding how to obtain or craft vessels, or how to upgrade them, refer to the GM Card Crafting: Vessels page.

## Combat Grid

When characters trigger PVP or PVE, several things are determined:

### Grid-Initiative or Turn-Order

Initiative of participating vessels & beasts are rolled, utilizing a D20 and adding the vessel's or beast's **Speed**. Each result is tracked on a Grid-Initiative.

### Grid Height

This determines how high the combat is taking place, which is important to establish the severity of falling overboard, or if a vessel begins to plummet and crash.

## Ship Actions

Players riding the same vessel or beast take their turns simultaneously and may choose one of the following:

* -Pilot the vessel, using its speed to move on the grid. Only one player may pilot a vessel during the vessel’s turn.
* -Roll a repair attempt
* -Roll Awareness to fire any of the vessel’s unfired guns. Normally, each of the vessel’s guns may not be fired again until the vessel’s next turn.
* -Roll to attempt boarding a vessel or beast sharing your vessel or beast's grid square
* -Roll to attack any vessel or beast sharing their vessel’s grid square
* -Activate one of the vessel's modules and use its effects
* -May perform a contest against another character on board the same vessel (shoving, pulling, restraining, grabbing, holding, etc)
* -May attempt to catch a falling character

(**GM Note to Staff**: Mobs prepared for Vessel Combat should have an exceptionally long reset timer to prevent premature resets)

## Repairing

Ships have a limited Repair Supply: **7 Repair Supplies**

Each successful repair consumes 1 Repair Supply.

Repairs are attempted by rolling a character's skill:

* -**Fitness** if using physical labor
* -**Knowledge/Faith/Nature** if using magickal mending

The DC is different for each vessel, and is determined when the vessel is constructed. Typically, larger, more technologically advanced vessels are more difficult to repair on the spot. Smaller, primitive vessels are easier to repair, and can usually suffice with shoddy, primitive repairs.

Once Repair Supplies are depleted, a vessel may not be repaired for the remainder of that combat scene.

## Boarding

When a character wants to jump from one ship to another, or leap onto someone's flying mount to disrupt the rider, they would make a boarding attempt.

At Range 0, for targets sharing your grid square, boarding is a DC 15:

* -**Fitness** if using physical prowess.
* -**Knowledge/Faith/Nature** if using magick.
* -**Awareness** if using a projectile, grappling hook, cannon, etc.

This DC increases by 5 for each additional Grid-Space Range above 0.

This DC decreases by 5 while above the target on the Combat-Grid.

This DC decreases to 0 if a pilot moves their vessel to the same grid square as another target vessel, and the target vessel's pilot consents to docking.

Characters with one wing or partial flight (i.e. Nephlings, Sylphs) reduce their boarding DC by 5.

Characters with wings may move freely on the Combat-Grid:

1. ★ Class: 1 Speed
2. ★★ Class: 1 Speed
3. ★★★ Class: 2 Speed
4. ★★★★ Class: 2 Speed
5. ★★★★★ Class: 3 Speed

Flying characters may carry another similar sized character, but their speed is reduced by 1. They must still roll to attempt catching falling characters, but the DC to do so decreases by 5 while in the same grid-square.

If characters from one vessel board a separate enemy vessel, all characters on the boarded vessel join a single PVP C.B.S. initiative tracker.

The PVP C.B.S. Tracker performs 1 round of combat at the end of the Grid-Initiative.

## Falling

If a character begins to fall, their turn ends. They continue to fall at the end of each of their subsequent turns:

* They fall 1 Grid-Square at the end of their first turn falling.
* They fall 2 Grid-Squares at the end of their second turn falling.
* They fall 3 Grid-Squares at the end of all turns after that.

Another character may spend their turn attempting to catch a falling character, at DC 15.

* -**Fitness** if using physical prowess to grab their hand or fly to catch them mid-air.
* -**Knowledge/Faith/Nature** if using magick, such as vines, tendrils, spirit-chains, etc.
* -**Awareness** if using a projectile, such as a grappling hook, rope, net shooter, etc.

This DC increases by 5 for each additional Gide-Space Range above 0.

This DC decreases by 5 while beneath the falling player on the Combat-Grid.

A falling character may likewise utilize these methods to attempt saving themself, as applicable. (ex: the falling character may have no access to projectiles nor magick, nor anything within reach to grab onto with fitness)

A character that reaches the ground as a result of falling is completely obliterated.

## Firing Weapons

Some vessels will have gun installed, or can ram other vessels. Some beasts have natural weapons, or ranged breath weapons.

Characters may choose a gun or weapon that hasn't been fired during a vessel's turn, and roll their Awareness to determine the accuracy of their shot.

Each vessel or beast has their own DC, determined when it is constructed or tamed. Smaller vessels are typically faster and harder to hit. Larger vessels are typically slower and easier to hit.

Some weapons can have multiple barrels, allowing them to fire multiple shots at the same time by the same player. Some beasts are agile, and can attack multiple times with their natural weapons.

Some weapons are designed to be more accurate than others, and provide an Awareness bonus.

There are no critical hits. All hits deal 1 damage.

Characters may choose to **Hold Fire**, allowing them to aim at a specific vessel or beast, and triggering their firing attempt to happen when that specific vessel or beast either enters their firing range, or tries to leave their firing range.

* No other character may use that weapon while a character is using it to **Hold Fire**.
* All triggered shots interrupt the target vessel's turn. Missed shots or damage from successful shots resolve before the turn continues.
* No other vessel or beast may be targeted until the gunner's next turn, as they are focusing their weapon.
* **Hold Fire** may be abandoned and the weapon fired normally when the gunner's next turn begins.

## Fleeing / Surrendering

During their turn, a pilot may choose to fly to the edge of the grid to attempt to escape the combat. At the start of their vessel's next turn, as long as there are no enemy vessels within range or speed of their own vessel, they successfully escape the scene.

During their turn, a pilot may choose to ground their vessel, removing them from Grid Combat. Other pilots, during their turn, may likewise ground their vessel in pursuit. If no pilots pursue for one entire round, the grounded vessel is considered to have escaped.

Once grounded, interactions for grounded vessels may include RP negotiations, surrender, arrests, C.B.S. combat, or escape.

## Destruction

The moment a vessel reaches 0 Hull, it begins to fall apart, either plummeting from the sky, sinking into the ocean, or otherwise crashing, burning, or exploding.

Players on that vessel have until the end of the destroyed vessel's next turn before it experience **Destruction**, as it erupts, shatters, or explodes.

### Down with the Ship

Those who choose not to abandon ship, and remain aboard, have limited options:

* Characters choosing to remain aboard may still perform most ship actions, such as firing unfired guns, boarding, catching, repairing, etc.

* Remaining Repair Supplies may be used to attempt postponing Destruction by 1 turn.
* If a Repair critically fails, the destruction timer depletes by 1.
* If the Destruction timer reaches 0, the vessel and everyone aboard is completely obliterated. (characters may respawn at attuned echo stones)
* If a Repair critically succeeds, the destruction timer is postponed by 2 turns instead of 1 turn.

* The vessel may be piloted to safety. (ex: air vessels reaching the ground, or water vessels reaching the shore)
* Flying vessels may not ascend, but may otherwise move normally.
* Flying vessels descend 1 Grid-Square automatically at the end of each of their turns, until they reach the ground.
* If the flying vessel reaches the ground on its own before it is piloted there, it collides violently, and the vessel and everyone aboard is completely obliterated.
* If the flying vessel is piloted to the ground, the pilot rolls a DC 15 Awareness to salvage the ship.

* Critical Success: The pilot expertly glides the ship to safety. The ship will need to be repaired for a fourth of its original cost before being used again.
* Success: The pilot manages to skid the ship to safety, somehow, The ship will need to be repaired for half of its original cost before being used again.
* Fail: The pilot mostly destroys the ship during landing. The ship cannot be salvaged, and all of its modules are destroyed.
* Critical Fail: The pilot smashes the ship into some surface, completely obliterating it and everyone aboard.

### Kamikaze

* Pilots may use their speed to ram another vessel.
* There is a contest between each pilot, Awareness vs. Awareness.
* If the defender wins, the pilot expertly maneuvers out of the way, and the kamikaze's turn is over.
* If the kamikaze wins, the kamikaze vessel and everyone aboard is completely obliterated, and the defending ship takes damage based on size:

1. Tiny Kamikaze - 1 Damage
2. Small Kamikaze - 1 Damage
3. Medium Kamikaze - 1 Damage
4. Large Kamikaze - 2 Damage
5. Gargantuan Kamikaze - 2 Damage
6. +1 Damage for each size smaller the defending ship is than the Kamikaze ship.

## Completely Obliterated

NPC's, such as villagers, that were riding on a vessel that becomes completely obliterated, will usually die outright, except those of exceptional power.

PC's are more heroic than most NPC's, and typically respawn at their attuned Echo Stone.

## Example Grid-Initiative

Participants:

* -Vessel 1
* -Vessel 2
* -Vessel 3
* -Vessel 4

Vessel 1 takes their turn, their pilot deciding to pursue vessel 2. Some of their players fire cannons at vessel 2.

Vessel 2 takes their turn, the pilot attempting to get out of range. Some of their crew attempts to fire back at Vessel 1, while some try to repair damage taken.

Vessel 3 pilots closer to Vessel 4, resulting in both Vessels sharing a Grid-Square, allowing some of the players from Vessel 3 to attempt boarding Vessel 4. This creates a CBS tracker, including all players engaged in PVP combat on the deck of Vessel 4. (C.B.S. combat would not initiate at this moment)

Vessel 4’s players may perform their **Ship Actions** as normal, and choose to pilot and fire cannons back at Vessel 3.

At the end of the Grid-Initiative, once all four vessels have gone, there is 1 round of C.B.S. Initiative, that includes all the players on Vessel 3 and Vessel 4.

C.B.S. rounds end when it returns to the top of the tracker's initiative, to the first player to act. Combat is paused.

(Basically, there are two separate initiatives. **Grid-Initiative** and **C.B.S. Initiative**)