A New Look at Combat (Example 2)

For my second example, I’m going to use the more detailed tactics in a gritty game. The system resolves tests with dice pools, with the result of one roll determining both the offensive and defensive success for the opponent. Ties resolve in favor of offense (both combatants get hit). With ranged weapons, both the distance to the target and cover that the target has subtract from offense. The combat begins with Nick in the hallway of an apartment where he’s making a buy. The dealer suspects Nick of being an undercover cop (which he is), and so has his henchman greet Nick in the hallway. The henchman says he wants to show Nick this beautiful new pistol he got, and pulls it out to test his reaction. Nick senses the henchman’s bad intent, gets nervous, and goes for his own gun.

The henchman wants to fill Nick full of holes before he can draw (Overwhelming Offense). Nick attempts to back up and get around a corner to take cover while drawing his gun (Defensive). They roll, and the henchman gets only 1 success, while Nick gets 5. Nick is able to create distance before the henchman starts squeezing off shots. A Defensive protagonist against an Overwhelming Offense results in no net bonus or penalty, so Nick escapes the hail of gunfire unscathed as he ducks around a corner and draws his pistol.

The henchman, now caught in the open with a very-much-not-dead cop around the corner wanting to kill him, wisely decides to back up to the doorway while emptying the rest of his magazine at the corner Nick ducked around, hoping to pin him down while he gets behind a wall and gets a new weapon (Cover and Move). Not knowing the henchman’s plans, Nick intends to pop his head out and back quickly to draw fire, then get low and return fire (Draw and Counter). They roll, and the henchman gets only 1 success again, while Nick gets 2. Draw and Counter against Cover and Move gets Nick a -1 to offense (for a total of 1), and a +1 defense (for a total of 3).  Nick’s defense plus cover is more than enough to avoid getting shot (the henchman also has a penalty to his offense for distance, making his total 0).  Nick’s offense is down to 1, which would normally hit the henchman’s defense of 1, but again, the distance gives a -1 penalty, meaning that Nick’s return fire just missed, and the henchman makes it to the doorway.

Having seen the slide of the henchman’s pistol locked back, and hoping to catch him reloading, Nick charges down the hall, intending to come around the corner and order the henchman to surrender… but secretly hoping he has an excuse to shoot (Overwhelming Offense). The henchman drops his empty pistol inside, and grabs a ready shotgun to put an end to this (Direct). They roll, and the henchman gets 3, while Nick gets 2. Due to Nick’s Overwhelming Offense, his offensive total is 4 (+2 bonus), which is enough to get past the henchman’s defense of 3, so the henchman gets shot. Unfortunately, Nick’s defense is lowered to by 2 due to his tactic (bringing it to 0, against the henchman’s offense of 3), and he also gets shot.

Fortunately, Nick wore a concealable vest, which is probably the only reason he’s alive and sucking wind after what felt like a mule kick to the chest. The henchman had no protection and took a serious wound, but hasn’t given up the ghost. They both try to regain their bearings, and the henchman feels his arms losing strength, so he decides to just shoot the cop in the legs (Target Extremities). Nick knows he got lucky, and is in no shape to run away, so tries to get close and knock the shotgun out of the way so that he can put the henchman down (Beat the Weapon Aside). They roll, and both get 2 successes. Normally they would both shoot each other again, but since Nick chose to Beat the Weapon Aside, and the henchman chose to Target Extremities, Nick gets a +1 to both offense and defense. Nick is able to knock the shotgun aside just before it goes off, then presses the muzzle of his pistol against the henchman’s chest and injects some bullets, finally taking the fight out of him.

A New Look at Combat (index)