Combat (Daze)

## Initiative

Every character can take a single action per turn. The order in which they take their actions depends on their Initiative. Their Initiative score is determined by their Agility + Focus. However, certain circumstances can modify a characters Initiative. Examples of these include:

* **Vunerable Positioning**- As combat is initiated, the character is in a bad position to smoothly enter the fight. For the first round their Initiative is reduced by - 1 up to -5.
* **Planned Positioning-** When preparing an ambush or planning out an attack, characters in a good position can add between +1 and +5 on their Initiative for the first round of combat.
* **Stunned-** Be it through a wound, a shock or an explosion- the character is not able to react as quickly as usual. Their Initiative is reduced between -1 and -5 until the effect ends.
* **Blinded-** Characters can be blinded through fleshbangs or wounds. A blinded character has an Initiative of 0.
* **Custom-** Depending on specific circumstances the Storyteller can choose to freely modify Initiative to make combat more dynamic and fluid.

## Movement

When taking an action characters may move up to 3 meters directly as long as it helps them perform that action. This could include a charge or a quick jump to get into cover. When wishing to move further, the movement will take up the characters action for this round- allowing them to move up to 10 meters. They can choose to run further when making a Sprinting Roll, but will be able to move 10 meters should they roll below a 10. When moving under fire, players are allowed to use their Evasion against shooting attacks.

## Ranged Combat

In order to fire a ranged weapon, a character has to make a roll on the respective subskill (Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns, Crossbows, Throwing Weapons). When firing a character has two modes to choose from:

* *Single Shot:* The Weapon is fired normally. When hitting its target it causes damage equal to the attackers Weapon Damage + Margin.
* *Burst:* The Weapon reduces its range to Short and the character may decide how many bullets they want to fire; although they can never fire more than the weapons Firerate. When hitting its target, divide the rolled margin by 2 to determine how many bullets hit the target; each causing the weapons damage. Excess bullets miss their targets; while excess margin causes no additional damage.

The difficulty to hit a target is determined by their position:

* **Open Standing Target:** A target that is not moving and has no cover can be hit on a Difficutly of 1.
* **Open Moving Target:** A target that is moving and has no cover can be hit on a Difficulty equal to the characters **Evasion**.
* **Target in Cover:** A target in half- or full cover is hit on a Difficulty determined by the respective cover.

There are factors that can further increase the Difficulty to hit:

* **Long Range:** While it is not possible to shoot further than the weapons max range, the Storyteller can choose to adjust the difficulty if the shot is taken from very close or very far away.
* **Obstructed Vision:** Bad lighting, dust or distracting effects can increase the Difficulty to hit. Darkness can increase the Difficutly to hit by up to 10. Fog can increase it up to 5. Should a target not be visible it can not be target.
* **Lacking Skill:** When trying to fire a ranged weapon without the required subskill the Difficulty to hit is increased by 5.

### Reloading

Once a firearm has emptied its Magazine, it needs to be reloaded. Doing so consumes a characters action for the round.

## Melee Combat

During Melee combat characters have to make attacks with their respective melee subskills (Brawl, Blades, Blunt Weapons). When engaged in melee, both sides make a contested Roll against each other. The winner causes damage equal to their Margin + Weapon Damage.

However, characters can choose to purely defend themselves instead of attacking back. When doing so they may add the result of their Roll onto their Evasion. The difficulty to hit them equals the combined result.

## Firefights

Firefights are unique but not uncommon combat situations during which most or all characters are engaged in a shootout. During a Firefight certain rules of combat are modified:

* **Movement:** During a Firefight, movement must be declared before the round begins. Should a character have to move out of cover at any point during their movement they are moved to that position and others can attack them freely during their turns. Only when the characters turn comes up are they allowed to move.
* **Shooting out of cover:** During a Firefight, any character that chooses to shoot while in cover must declare it before the round begins. They are considered in Half cover for the rest of the round.
* **Dynamic Combat Rounds:** Storytellers can choose to initiative Dynamic Combat Rounds. During these all characters that wish to shoot roll simultaneously and the Storyteller declares damage and casualties on both sides in order to save time during drawn out engagements. This is especially good when a single character tries to make their way to the back lines while the rest of the group acts as a distraction.

## Cover

There are two ways in which Cover can apply to a character:

* Full Cover: The character is fully covered and tries their best to remain behind the cover. The Difficulty to be hit equals the Full Cover Value.
* Half Cover: The character is not fully covered, for instance through shooting or lack of space. The Difficulty to be hit equals the Half Cover Bonus + Evasion.

There are different types of Cover, differing in how much they can conceal and protect. Every cover has a Full Cover Value and a Half Cover Bonus. The common types of Cover are:

* **Lying on the Ground [4/+1]**
* **Loose Cover** **[6/+1]**- *High Grass, Shrubs, Brushes*
* **Soft Cover [8/+2]-** *Furniture, Cars, Thin Walls*
* **Hard Cover [10/+2]-** *Solid Walls, Concrete*

## Damage

When successfully hitting a target the damage is then compared to their targets Toughness:

* **Lower than Toughness**: The damage is ingored
* **Equal or higher than Toughness:** A single wound is caused
* **2x (+) the Toughness:** A single wound is caused. Additionally either custom wound effect is applied to the target (*eg. overwhelming pain, heavy bleeding, breaking a bone, severing a limb, blindness etc*.); or a second wound is caused.
* **3x (+) the Toughness:** Two wounds are caused. Additionally either custom wound effect is applied to the target or an additional wound is caused.
* **4x (+) the Toughness:** Three wounds are caused. Additionally either custom wound effect is applied to the target or an additional wound is caused.

Should a characters Health be reduced to 0; or should too many wound effects apply at the same time; the character will not be able to continue fighting. They will require immedeate medical attention; although Vamps can hold out far longer than mortals when lethally wounded. Any further attack will directly result in death.

### Wound Effects

Whenever a Wound Effect is applied, the character looses a point of **Vitality**. Listed below are a couple examples of how wounds effects can function:

* **Stunned-** Delivering a blow against the victims nervous system; their Initiative is reduced by -5 for the rest of the round.
* **Extreme Pain-** Suffering from unbearable pain, the victim looses 1-3 points of Vitality.
* **Crippled Arm-** One of the victims arms can no longer function, meaning it can no be used for any action. When forced to use their off-hand the victim applies a -2 to any further attack.
* **Crippled Leg-** Forced to limp, victim halves its Movement and can no longer perform dodge actions.
* **Blinded-** Either through extreme physical trauma, bloodloss or damage to their eyes; the character will no longer be able to see and apply a -5 to any attack roll and reduce its Initiative to 0.
* **Extreme Bleeding-** Having damaged an artery, the character will contiue to bleed out and face death if they are not provided medical assistance as soon as possible.
* **Concussion-** The character falls unconcious for a full round