Combat

Combat in the universe of Sojourner is brutal, fast paced, bloody and extremely dangerous. It is often more advisable to avoid combat through negotiation, stealth, subversion or otherwise entirely negating the possibility of combat. A single gunshot wound from a relatively low power weapon will usually not kill an enemy even unarmored. Most firearms, however, will incapacitate several unarmored targets in short order provided that the weapon hits the target. For example, an Mk3a1 (which is a fairly common assault rifle) has the capacity to output seventy-two damage in a single turn assuming that every shot hits the torso of the target, and the target is not wearing armor. Most individuals in Sojourner only have approximately ten health.

Most combat in Sojourner is not two parties moving against one another in known locations. Instead, most combat involves subversion, deception and creating a grossly unfair fight. Pirates do not march in neat, shoulder-to-shoulder lines to the sound of a fife and drum but instead are more prone to filling an area with bullets and grenades then asking questions afterwards. Marines may lay down suppressive fire in the hallway while other units move around the flanks to surprise and confuse their enemies. Likewise, a special team (such as mercenaries) which operate in small numbers will find it most useful to plan ahead if at all possible, to engage enemies as effectively as possible. Such could include frontal assaults, though more commonly it will involve outmaneuvering and outsmarting enemies.

Disciplined soldiers as opposition are more likely to put up a fight than pirates or raiders. The latter often are more inclined to engage in skirmishes while their leaders flee from the battlefield to avoid capture. Some pirates are the exception though it is far more common to see a disciplined soldier laying down suppressive fire while his allies move in to flank their enemies where they cannot take cover than it is to see a disciplined soldier that sprays wildly in someone's general direction while being rushed down and killed with a sword.

Perhaps most importantly, every weapon in Sojourner has a unique role on the battlefield. In Sojourner, damage is not damage and doing the most damage is not often advisable. Pistols, for example, are best used at controlling swarms of lightly armored targets due to their extreme capabilities at attacking many different things at one time. However, pistols do poorly (in general) against armored targets due to their low armor penetration values. Rifles do a little of everything but are masters of none while heavy weapons are uniquely suited to either dealing massive damage over a broad area or engaging single targets which they can readily kill quickly.

The most dangerous enemies in Sojourner, as far as NPCs are concerned, are not NPCs that are equipped with the best weapons by default. Though the most dangerous enemies do usually have better weapons and armor, their main strength is that they are often smarter and more experienced than lower 'level' NPCs. These enemies, depending on the group they belong to, may not have a problem shooting the wounded in order to ensure that particular mercenary cannot get back up to engage them again nor will they have qualms against shooting medics when they're busy trying to save lives.

### **Actions**

The first step of any combat encounter is to know the number of Actions a character has. Each Action can be used to move, shoot or perform an action that would take a considerable amount of time such as hacking a computer, picking the lock on a door or using medical supplies to heal the wounded. Characters have two actions per turn and may expend 2 stamina in order to gain a third action once per turn. Most weapons will use a single action to perform their base number of attacks. Most heavy weapons require two actions to perform an attack. All weapons require an action to reload provided they are firearms. Some typical actions uses are detailed below. You can find out how many actions it takes to use an item on the page where you purchase or learn it, weapons, hacking, psionics, martial arts, etc.

 Firing a Heavy Weapon
 Initiate a Grapple
 Movement
 Performing Medical checks (in combat)
 Picking a Lock (in combat)
 Reloading a Firearm
 Reloading a Heavy Weapon
 Use explosives (grenades)

Additionally, stamina may be sacrificed for additional Actions. The rule is two stamina per action with a maximum of one additional action per turn being possible. Another way of phrasing this statement is that a character may sacrifice two stamina for one additional action once per turn. Naturally, running out of stamina has other effects listed in this book.

### **Attacking**

An attack action is a straightforward action that requires a dice check against the opponent’s defense. Certain things will affect this outcome such as the shooter’s skill, the skill of the opponent, cover, terrain and other such effects.

Every attack requires a skill check aside from weapons like grenades. A skill check is a 1d20+skill level.

* For example, if a player’s character has a +5 in their pistol skill and shoots with a pistol type weapon, their roll to hit would be 1d20+5.

Each attack also requires a skill check against the target’s defenses. For most attacks this will be against the target’s reflex score. Each attack made must roll against the target’s defenses even if that attack is made against the target on the same Action.

* Other weapons that cause effects such as poison may have a roll made against the target’s fortitude.
* Stealth attacks do not automatically count as critical hits but do provide advantage on the roll (roll twice, take the higher number).

When you roll a Critical Failure on an attack check (a 1 on a d20) the attack automatically misses. The weapon used may have an additional consequence:

* Ranged Weapons will jam and will require an action to unjam in order for it to be fired again. This does not apply to rocket launchers and sniper rifles.
* Melee Weapons provoke a counterattack. The defender rolls 3d10 and if the result is 20 or higher they may make a single attack (not a full attack action) with a weapon they have equipped.

Most attacks have some sort of terrain or bonus against that type of attack.

* For example, an enemy in cover, regardless of skill, is better protected against targets that are not in cover. Typical bonuses and debuffs are detailed in the chart below along with examples of what may constitute such a bonus.
* There are many other bonuses and debuffs that can constitute additional penalties as well such as exhaustion, sickness, insanity and more. A character trying to sneak through an area while a spotlight is over their position will probably fail a stealth check provided they have nothing to counter the light.

 Medium Cover (behind sandbags, behind a structural wall of a building, car engine)
 Heavy Cover (in a bunker, behind a dirt mound, in a trench, behind a thick wall)
 Prone
 Darkness (negated if the Percepting character does not have the ability to see in the dark or a flashlight, etc.)
 Extremely Noisy Environment
 Silence
 Height Advantage (all defense and offense)
 While Swimming (except Raji)

### **Damage**

Most weapon damages are stated in their stats. Certain weapon damages can be very situational and may not be stated or may have several damage statements with their appropriate conditions listed. Regardless of the weapon’s capabilities there are set rules for how damage is applied. Limb damage functions similarly to health damage but has a different effect based on the limb that was stricken. Health is an overall measure of the character’s health, but any character will die if their head health reaches zero.

* For non-player characters (NPCs), damage is typically counted as health damage to avoid overcomplicating and to streamline the game. However, for more important NPCs (boss enemies, named NPCs, etc) limb damage may also apply.

* For player characters, most damage is rolled to see which limb is stricken. These rolls are done via a 1d8. The chart below shows how this roll occurs any time a player character is hit.

 Left Arm
 Right Arm
 Left Leg
 Right Leg

Armor Rating is a last resort to avoid damage to a character’s body. When a character is hit the appropriate armor piece is compared to the Armor Piercing of the weapon or psionic ability in question. If the Armor Piercing is within one of the Armor Rating (ie; the weapon has 6, 7 or 8 against an armor rating of 7) then the weapon deals full damage to the armor. If the weapon is below this range it deals only half damage before armor effects. If it is above this range the weapon deals full damage to the armor and health.

For most cases a weapon will only deal damage to one area of the body at a time. Weapons such as explosives are the exception to this rule which deal their damage to every portion of the body. All weapons when striking a limb (arms, legs) deal halved damage to the overall health of the character while dealing full damage to the limb. When striking the head, the weapon deals full damage to health and deals five times the normal amount of damage assuming the weapon deals health damage in the way. When the torso is struck the weapons deal full damage to health and torso damage.

**Armor Damage**

 +2/3 vs AR
 +/-1 vs AR
 -2/3 vs AR
 -4 vs AR
 -8 or less vs AR

#### **Limb Health**

For most cases a weapon will only deal damage to one area of the body at a time. Weapons such as explosives, burst and automatic weapons are the exception to this rule which deal their damage to three portions of the body. All weapons when striking a limb (arms, legs) deal halved damage to the overall health of the character while dealing full damage to the limb. When striking the head, the weapon deals five times its normal damage to character health and normal damage to head health. When the torso is struck the weapons deal full damage to health and torso health.

Limb damage affects more than health however. A character with a broken arm is not as useful in combat as a character without. Limb damage becomes significant once a limb has taken twenty-five percent of their limb health in damage. At this stage major bruising is to be expected on the limb in question but nothing too significant. However, once a character’s limb damage reaches fifty percent then the limb is expected to have fractures or even breaks. At seventy-five percent the limb is often so damaged that it is no longer functional; leading to a variety of effects. When a player’s limb health is at zero the limb has been severed. The severing effect is not applied to the torso unless the damage is caused by an explosive or a significantly damaging event.

* Consult the Cheat Sheet for more information about critical injuries and how they affect the character.

### **Overwatching Actions**

On the character's turn, an Overwatch action can be made with a specific trigger and a specific action. Using the word 'or' in the trigger is allowed as well as the word 'and' though within reason. These actions can be movement, attacking actions or any other typical action used on their turn. If the trigger set forth does not happen, the action never happens. Ammunition, psionic energy, etc. is still expended when doing this. A stamina burned action can never be used for an overwatch action however both normal actions can be used for overwatch.

* One example for overwatch is a group of mercenaries that are getting ready to breach a door. Rather than go through as individuals, they overwatch their actions until the last person of their fireteam has taken their actions with "my character will move into the room and do X when Y character moves into the room". Overwatch actions happen before any other actions, ergo any enemies that would have shot at the first character entering the room are instead attacked first even if it is their initiative. The idea is that these actions are prepared and thus the character is waiting on the moment's notice that the trigger occurs. For psionic techniques that are overwatched, they spend psionic energy even if the psionic technique never occurs.

### Counter Attacking / Parrying

When a character is the defender of an attack while in melee and the attacker critically fails, or when the defender critically succeeds, they can attempt to make an attack of their own.

To attempt a counterattack the defender rolls (3d10) and if the result is 20+ they may make a single attack of their own (Not a full attack action). This counterattack can be done with any weapon the defender is currently wielding including ranged weapons.

### Grappling & Pinning

To initiate a grapple as an attack action the attacker makes a contested check between the attacker's melee skill vs the defender's reflex or melee. If the attacker is successful, the defender is grappled. If the attacker scores a critical success against the defender, the defender may instead be pinned. You can only initiate a grapple against a target that is one size larger than you or smaller. If the target is larger than you, you make your checks while in a grapple at disadvantage. You cannot grapple vehicles or gargantuan targets.

While in a Grapple/Pin:

* The defender moves with the attacker.
* The attacker may freely end the grapple at any time.
* Weapons that require two hands are unable to be used in a grapple or pin by the attacker; the defender may use them at disadvantage.
* The attacker and defender are still free to attack one another otherwise normally.
* The attacker requires at least one hand to initiate, maintain, and take actions for the grapple. This can all be done with the same hand.
* All actions taken by attackers and defenders in a grapple/pin must declare which attacker or defender they are targeting.
* When an attacker pins a defender, that defender is considered pinned by all attackers.
* A defender attempting to break a grapple or pin affects all attackers at once; making a single melee check to set the melee DC for all attackers to maintain the grapple against.

#### In a Grapple

The defender has the grappled condition applied to them. On their turn the defender can use an action to attempt to:

1. Break the grapple by succeeding on a contested melee check.
2. Reverse the grapple and switch attacker and defender roles by following the same rule to initiate a grapple.

The attacker can use an action to:

1. Equip the defender as a shield. When this is done, any attacks that would target the attacker instead targets the defender; the defender rolls their saves at disadvantage. An equipped defender is still considered in the grapple, as is the attacker. If someone attacks the grappler with a sniper rifle and aims at their head, saves are rolled as usual (the target being the initial attacker in the grapple rolling their saves).
2. Pin the defender. The attacker makes a contested melee check against the defender's melee. If the attacker is successful, the defender is pinned. If the attacker critically fails against the defender, the defender may either break or reverse the grapple as a result.

#### In a Pin

The defender has the grappled and restrained conditions applied to them. They can use an action to attempt to escape the pin by making a contested melee check against the attacker. If successful, the pin returns to a grapple, but they remain the defender. On a critical success the defender may additionally chose to reverse or break the grapple or even reverse the role of attacker and defender in the pin.

The attacker can use an action to:

1. Permanently restrain the defender by using rope or chain and making a successful Survival DC: 15 skill check. Alternatively, they may use handcuffs without a skill check. The defender remains restrained and can't move on their own if the grapple or pin ends until they break the restraints or when freed.
2. Take one of the actions they could while in a grapple.

### **Stealth**

Combat in Sojourner usually involves an ambush rather than a direct conflict. As such, stealth is an important skill and a major upper hand to have in the world. Being able to sneak past an enemy, disable them without killing them or otherwise gain an advantage upon foes without the need for a direct confrontation leaves many enemies killed before a fight even begins; or potentially party members if the reverse is true and the enemy is sneaking about.

There are many factors to sneaking, however. A mere rolling of the dice is not enough to implicate a stealth advantage. Characters must follow these rules to be unseen:

1. A character cannot be in line of sight of another character without cover or concealment and remain unseen. Certain items and equipment negate this.
2. A character cannot make noise in order to remain unheard and thus undetected. This means speaking primarily, or using a weapon even if that weapon is a melee weapon or suppressed. They may still use items such as medical equipment however or other ‘quiet’ actions.
3. Gunfire with a suppressor still negates stealth unless that gunfire is at least 20 meters away from any unit with a handgun or 40 meters with a rifle. Certain exceptions apply. This applies to the Crossbow as well. Each time a character fires a weapon while using stealth the enemy gains a +2 to their perception checks to find the shooter. The shooter must relocate at least 30m from their previous location to avoid this penalty.

When sneaking, a character gains a number of advantages.

* They roll with advantage against that target or targets.

## **Enviornmental Damage**

There are plenty of ways to get hurt other than getting shot, kicked, or stabbed when on the job. The various races of the galaxy have come up with a wide variety of ways to hurt one another and are always coming up with more. A smart mercenary will use her environment to her advantage.

### Falling

It is a common misconception that falling hurts you. In reality it is the sudden stop at the end that causes all the damage. For every 5m fallen the character will receive 1 point of direct damage. When receiving fall damage, a character must succeed on a Reflex Save (DC 5 + meters fallen) or they will take the Broken Limb critical injury to one of her legs. If the fall is 15m+ they will also take the Broken Spine critical injury on a failure. Falling 50m+ always results in death.

## Death and Dying

Death and dying happens in any tabletop game and Sojourner is no different. The difference from Sojourner to other games is the weight that a character's death carries. In other games such as Dungeons and Dragons death is a mere hiccup or bump in the road. A cleric can resurrect the dead, necromancers can raise them, and spells can bring them back entirely. In Sojourner, with very finite exceptions, death is forever and the end of that character's story as far as their interactions with the world are concerned.

Death does not have to be the complete end of a character's story, however. The effects of their death, especially if the character is particularly famous in the world or infamous, can be felt in the story through the reminders that they are gone and the effects that their death had. For example, a character that sacrificed themselves for the greater good of their team might have left behind contingency plans and hidden caches that can assist their party members even after their death. Likewise, some of that character's friends and even family may come to pay their respects at a funeral or even be accompanied by crowds of people for the same. A particularly infamous character might have their sympathizers hunted down and exterminated when their followers commit actions good or bad in their name.

### How do Death Saves Work?

When you are reduced to 0hp, you begin to make death saving throws using your Fortitude modifier. There is no penalty for rolling a natural one (save that you are most likely dead) and there is no benefit to rolling a natural twenty. There is no 'close enough' for a death saving throw or 'too much'. You will either meet the DC or you will not. Every successful saving throw raises the DC by five and your first saving throw starts at a DC of ten. Each time that you take damage while at 0hp, from any effect or from direct attacks from enemies or even environmental damage, you make another death saving throw and your DC goes up if you pass it.

### Is there a way to die without Death Saves?

Yes. Suicide is one method though typically that only happens to a character that has reached 0 sanity (at the GM's discretion). Another method involves the Psionic Brain Death that occurs when a character reaches 0 Psionic Energy through the use of their own skills. Finally, a character that attacks themselves (suicide at the player's discretion) does not incur death saves. Additionally, if the character's head is reduced to 0 limb health, the character is decapitated and there are no death saving throws necessary to be made.

Lastly, the rule of Common Sense applies. If a character falls from orbit and does not have a parachute or another way of mitigating the damage, then they will die, and death saves need not be rolled. If a character is struck by an artillery shell that rips their body apart, then again, they need not roll death saves and are simply dead. These instances are extremes and are unlikely to be encountered in a typical game of Sojourner but are mentioned as examples of "massive damage" that there is simply no recovering from.

## Conditions

Some weapons, abilities and low stats can cause a Condition in Sojourner. Typically, conditions are not permanent though with certain Conditions such as Blind they can be long lasting. Certain Conditions will require the GM to take temporary control over a player character while other conditions might be immediately detrimental to the health of a character such as the Burning condition which depletes their health over time. The Cheat Sheet has a list of all conditions in the game though they are not fully explained there. Instead, Conditions are fully explained below.

### Berserk

Characters that are berserking are most commonly affected by psionic attacks from the telepathy school. Less commonly, these characters have suffered a full loss of Sanity and are no longer playable by the player. When a character is berserk from a loss of sanity, there is no coming back though they could, potentially, be sedated rather than necessitating killing them.

In this state, characters are more likely to snarl or roar (if their species permits it) than to speak. Some of them will adopt more animalistic postures as they attack, others (especially 'smarter' characters) will behave with much more cunning and may even flee combat if it gives them an advantage. All berserk characters, however, cannot distinguish friend or foe anymore and the nearest creature becomes their target until it, or they, are dead. If the target creature is killed, then the berserk character will simply target the next closest creature if possible. If the berserk character cannot detect any creatures because they are hidden or because there are none nearby, then the character will begin to look for them.

Of a particular note, berserk characters typically (though not always) do not use ranged weapons. Berserk characters that do use ranged weapons tend to be smaller in stature or smart enough to realize that their hands, even in their berserk state, are not going to be effective enough to cause as much damage. No berserking character has a regard for their own self-preservation and some characters will even use explosives on themselves if it means damaging someone nearby.