Shadowrun: Combat Notes

Initiative

• Roll Initiative (Reaction + Intuition) and add hits to Initiative for total score.
• Re-rolled each combat turn
• Wound penalties are immediately applied to Initiative Score, even during the same combat turn.
• Glitch - does not go simultaneously in case of initiative tie
• Critical Glitch - goes last, loses 1 extra action (if any)

Ranged Attack Modifiers

• Weapon Range (Short +0, Medium -1, Long -2, Extreme -3)
  • No modifier if using Image Magnification
• Attacker running (-2)
• Attacker in melee combat (-3)
• Attacker in moving vehicle (-3)
• Cover (Partial -2, Good -4, Hidden -6)
• Attacker firing from cover (-1)
• Wound modifiers
• Laser sight (+1, not cumulative with smartlink)
• Smartlinked weapon (+2, not cumulative with laser sight)
• Using a second firearm (split dice pool)
• Off-hand Weapon (-2, unless Ambidextrous)
• Aimed shot (+1 per simple action)
• Called shot (variable, p. 149)
• Multiple targets (-2 per additional target in action phase)
• Trace rounds (+1 short burst, +2 long burst, +3 full auto)
• Gyro stabilization (reduces recoil or movement modifier)
• Recoil
  • Semi-automatic (-1 for second shot)
  • Burst (-2 first, -3 second)
  • Long burst (-5 first, -6 second)
  • Full auto (-9)
  • Heavy weapon (2 * uncompensated recoil)
  • Compensation (Reduces recoil modifier)
• Visibility (see visibility table p. 141)

Defense Modifiers

• Unaware of attack - no defense possible
• Wound modifiers
• Inside moving vehicle (+3)
• Defender has defended against previous attacks since last action (-1 per additional defense)
• Defender prone (-2)
• Ranged Attacks Only
  • Defender running (+2)
  • Defender in melee targeted by ranged attack (-3)
  • Attacker firing wide burst (-2)
  • Attacker firing long wide burst (-5)
  • Attacker firing full-auto wide burst (-9)
  • Attacker firing shotgun on medium spread (-2)
  • Attacker firing shotgun on wide spread (-4)
  • Attacker using area attack weapon (grenade, missile) (-2)

Full Defense

• Full Dodge: Add Dodge skill to dice pool
  • Against ranged attacks: Reaction + Dodge
  • Against melee attacks: Reaction + Dodge + Dodge or Reaction + melee combat skill + Dodge
• Full Parry: Roll Reaction + (melee combat skill * 2)
• Gymnastics Dodge: Add Gymnastics skill to their dice pool against ranged or melee attacks

Ranged Combat Summary

• Opposed Test
  • Attacker: Agility + combat skill +/- modifiers
  • Defender: Reaction +/- modifiers
    • Full Dodge: Reaction + Dodge +/- modifiers
• Damage Value (DV) modifiers: Net hits, ammunition, autofire
  • Autofire does not count when comparing the modified DV to the modified Armor

Combat Sequence

• Declare Attack
• Apply Situational Modifiers
• Make the Opposed Test
  • If attacking hits > defending hits, the attack hits
  • Ties are grazing hits, make contact but do no damage
• Compare Armor
  • Add net hits to base damage value (DV) of attack, this is modified Damage Value
  • Determine armor used to defend (Impact or Ballistic); apply Armor Penetration modifier to get the modified Armor Value
• If the attack causes Physical damage, if modified Damage Value does not exceed modified Armor Value, then the attack inflicts Stun rather than Physical damage
• Damage Resistance Test
  • Defender rolls attribute (usually Body) + modified Armor Value to resist damage. Each hit reduces the modified Damage Value by 1. If the DV is reduced to 0, no damage is inflicted
  • Wound modifiers do not apply
• Apply Damage
  • If damage taken in a single hit exceeds character's Body, the character is knocked down.
  • Taking 10 or more damage always results in knockdown.

Other Notes

• Armor encumbrance penalty if any armor ratings exceed Body * 2. -1 to Reaction and Agility tests for every 2 points that his Body is exceeded. If multiple pieces of armor, add them together.

Called Shots

• Calling a shot is a free action
• Target an area not protected by armor - negative dice pool modifier equal to the armor's rating. If hit, armor does not help protect from damage.
• Targeting a vital area to increase damage - increase DV between +1 and +4, receive equivalent negative dice pool modifier to hit.
• Knock something out of grasp - -4 dice pool modifier, if modified Damage Value exceeds the target's Strength, the target loses grip of the object.
• Other thematic uses - knocking someone of a ledge, shooting out a tire, blinding an opponent, etc.

Surprise

• Optional Perception Test (to hear footsteps, to be alerted in some way) If successful, +3 on Surprise Test
• All participants roll Reaction + Intuition. The surprised character must exceed the other character's score in order to act against him in the first initiative pass.
• Ambush: +6 modifier on Surprise Initiative Test.