Dark Frontier Seminar

Build in Progress

# Combat

 A shrill war
cry echoed throughout the valley. Cowboys and feather-clad warriors
faced off in a clash of weapons. The Cherokee, clad in skins and
war-painted faces, fought fiercely to defend their lands from the
unwanted trespassers. The cowboys wanted nothing more than to pass
through without incident, but they never suspected that their course had
 taken them across the ancient burial ground of the Cherokee. An arrow
buried itself in the tree next to a tan cowboy hat. The cowboy takes aim
 with his lever-action Spencer. A shot rings out. Neither side will back
 down now.

Combat
happens! At some point in Dark Frontier, you will probably be forced to
attack a foe or defend yourself from outlaws. You could always run away
or hide, but you still must be familiar with the combat rules if for no
other reason than to remain safe from injury. Where combat is concerned,
 safety is the most important factor of the game. As such, every player
must attend a Combat Seminar at the beginning of each game.

The Seminar
will detail the combat system, including proper and improper attacks,
the best method to control your fighting and the more specific function
of the Dark Frontier combat system. This section of the handbook will
focus on rules of safety, the basic nuts and bolts of the combat system
and the construction of Baffee weapons.

Think
theatrical! Think Spaghetti Western! Make the Combat part of the story,
not just a number crunching moment of counting hit points. We are all
here for a good story and a good show!

# Always remember Real World Safety!

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### The Mechanics of Combat

 All weapons cause 1 point of damage (unless otherwise stated by user at the time of the attack).

In Dark Frontier we are using a **Zone System**
 (as opposed the the Campaign style of Body-Wide Universal Hit Points).
The character is "divided" into 5 zones: Torso, Right Arm, Left Arm,
Right Leg, Left Leg. Each zone is assigned points.

All characters start with 2 Body Points (BP) for the torso and 1 BP for each limb.

When the
character has taken damage and their torso is reduced to 1 BP that
character is partially incapacitated and will start to bleed out. When
the character's torso reches zero BP torso the character falls
unconscious and continues to bleed out.

When a
character's Limb BP reaches zero the limb cannot be used. Arms cannot be
 used to carry things or fight. A leg at zero can be limped on but the
character cannot run or jump and can only move at a very slow walk. If
both legs are at zero, the character cannot walk at all.

Once the
character starts to bleed out, they cannot regain BP until someone stops
 the bleeding by the use of the Bandaging skill, or other method of
tending to the character's wounds.

Once torso
hits zero points, the character falls unconscious and continues bleeding
 out. After 10 minutes the character may regain consciousness but is
still bleeding out. After 30 minutes of bleeding out with no Bandaging
or greater medical skill applied to the character, the bleeding
character dies.

Another method
 of killing a character is to deliver a “Killing blow.” This is done by
repeating the term "Killing Blow" three times to an unconscious or
otherwise immoblizied character. The phrase must be accompanied by a
"killing action" (such as stabbing or shooting). The Killing Blow is
spoken aloud in a clear and loud voice to be overheard by other
characters. It should take approximately 5-8 seconds to complete.

Gun skill must be purchased to use a gun. Dual wield must be purchased for use of two guns simultaneously (think "gunslinger").

Derringer (one shot weapons- no skill purchase required)

BUT anyone can pick up a gun and shoot it ONCE.

Waylay = safe object to do knockout – same rules, 5 minutes unconscious

Showdown Rules

First, both
characters must agree to the showdown. The characters face each other.
All characters involved in the showdown are limited to one point per
zone. A hit to a limb incapacitates the limb. If gun arm is hit,
character cannot shoot gun. Off hand can shoot ONCE.

First hit to
Torso zone incapacitates character and that character is unconscious and
 bleeding out. In the event of a tie, both characters are only slightly
wounded and can continue to shoot until one character misses. In the
event that both characters tie 4 times and take 4 torso shots each both
characters fall unconscious and are bleeding out.

Healing

Once a limb (or torso) has lost all hit points it is useless until Bandages skill has been applied.

A character regains 1 HP per zone per 30 minutes IF bandaging has occurred.

### Weapons Check

 Before the
game begins there is a weapons check to make sure all weapons are
constructed properly. If you do not arrive in time for the weapons
check, you must find a GM or Safety Officer to approve your weapons. If
the game is already in progress, please accomplish this discretely. You
are not allowed to use weapons unless they are approved. Every weapon
must be approved before each game on which it is used. This includes all
 toy guns as well.

A safe firearm
 for Dark Frontier is not to be used itself as a baffee weapon unless it
 is constructed as a baffee weapon and approved. The projectiles are
soft – either rubber/gummy or nerf/foam.

A safe baffee melee weapon meets the following criteria:

1. It is made of a foam.

2. It is sufficiently rigid so that swinging and suddenly stopping it does not create a whipping effect.

3. Any bashing device (mace head, pommel, fake rock, attack mushroom) will be of a sufficient pillowy nature.

4. Large items (mauls, war hammers, great axes, etc.) when swung will not have the mass to knock the wind out of a target.

5. Striking
surfaces will be of a non gripping nature e.g. no sandpaper covered
blades, or certain types of unglossed latex that tends to stick to the
skin causing friction burns.

6. No sharp points or other potentially hazardous protuberances.

7. No weapons
that are designed to grab, entangle, snare or catch other players or
other weapons, i.e. flails, whips, shepherd’s crooks, etc.

### No Real Weapons

 No real
weapons may be used against another player for any reason, combat or
otherwise, at any time during Campaign. This is an important safety
consideration and as such, there are no exceptions. Violators will no
longer be able to attend any event - ever. You may, however, bring an
axe to chop wood or a knife and fork to eat with.

### Hold

 If you are
injured during combat or must stop for some non-game reason (lost
contact lens, asthma attack, unsafe ground, etc.) you should call out
"Hold". The game actions around you will stop until you are able to
continue or remove yourself from the scene in a safe, expedient fashion.
 Any person has the ability to stop or move a fight due to hazardous
circumstances. When conditions are safe again, the phrase “Game On in 3,
 2, 1” will signal to resume play.

### No Hand to Hand Combat

 Players may
not grapple in any way, as the risk for accidental injury is too high.
This includes grabbing another player’s weapon, or weapons that grapple
or wrap opponents or their weapons.

Staged
fighting is an exception that may be made during a game with the
approval of the players involved. All actions must be done safely and
announced moves are recommended.

### Legal and Illegal Hits

 A controlled
strike with a weapon causes damage when it makes solid contact with the
arms, legs, torso or back. Avoid thrusting because of the increased
possibility of injury. (Unless your weapon has been built with a
thrusting tip.) Dramatic half-speed skewering is acceptable. The
following list are considered to be illegal hits:

1. Head

2. Throat/Neck

3. Groin

### Control

 Attacks must
be controlled and safe. They should be dealt with enough force to
register, but not enough to hurt. Even a foam sword can hurt if swung
with too much force.

Control also
means no wild swings (nothing greater than 180 degrees) and no
“drum-rolling” attacks (rapid repetitive blows to the same target area).
 A good rule of thumb is to limit your blows to at least one strike per
second.

### Downed Characters

 A player
cannot be attacked if they are on the ground or postured with at least
one knee on the ground. This includes monsters as well as characters.
Using this action to avoid an attack, however, is considered extremely
bad form.

If you are the
 downed character and you choose to fight from this position for
dramatic purposes, announce to your opponent to continue the fight.
Half-speed actions are recommended.

## The System

 The Combat
system in Dark Frontier has been developed to be fun, dramatic, and
uncomplicated. The Body Point (BP) system is simple and healing is as
easy as keeping track of the time.

### Weapon Damage

 All weapons,
regardless of size, type, or frightening nature, cause one point of
damage. For each "hit" you receive from another player, you subtract one
 BP. If you have Armor Points (AP), subtract those before you begin to
subtract your BP.

### Armor

 AP are the
number of “hits” your armor will absorb before you begin to lose BP. In
other words, armor will only take so much damage before it no longer
protects its wearer. For simplicity, we have divided all types of armor
into three levels, 1, 2 & 3 representing the amount of protection
the armor provides to the zone that it covers.

The level that
 armor provides will be determined by the GM and will be relative to the
 type of material that it represents. For instance a tough leather hide
wrapped around your left arm would likely provide 1 AP to the left arm,
while a metal plate hung from a strap around your neck would provide 2
points to your torso.

The armor worn
 in Dark Frontier does not need to be real. In fact, most of the armor
used in game only represents armor. For example, Chain Mail can be
anything from a knitted sweater (dyed grey for effect) to a shirt made
with shimmery silver fabric. Likewise, Leather Armor can be constructed
from a suede vest and Plate Armor can be forged with sheets of foam and
grey duct tape.

To receive
full AP your armor should cover a majority portion of the zone to be
protected. AP will be assigned to your armor when it is pre-approved
during Weapons Check before a game.

On to Skills 'n such