Kit Version 5.0 ©
The Fuzion Group, 1997
No matter what level of Fuzion you will be using, you will encounter the following definitions and terms:
No matter what level of Fuzion you will be using, you will encounter the following definitions and terms:
Action Value [AV]: The total of a Characteristic and a Skill. Also
known as an Attack Value.
Action Total [AT]: The total of your Action Value plus a die roll.
Also known as an Attack Total.
Attack Roll: Rolling dice and adding them to your Attack (or Action)
Value to determine whether or not you succeeded.
Characteristic: (aka Stat) A number that shows your character's ability
in an area, compared to everybody else. Characteristics determine how strong,
smart or agile the character naturally is. The higher the number, the more
powerful the characteristic.
Example: Strength is a Characteristic; Strength 8 is stronger than Strength
3.
Characteristic Points [CP]: These are used to buy the basic Characteristics
of the character.
Campaign Options: These are Skills, Talents, Traits, or Equipment
with which characters can fight, protect themselves and generally adventure.
These may also include Powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men.
Complications: Situations, Campaign Elements, or personal limitations that
enhance the roleplaying aspect of the character, generated as part of the
Lifepath process (below). Some problems are external; enemies or physical
liabilities; others are internal qualities of the character; these can be
good, bad or mixed.
Dice: Throughout Fuzion, three standard six-sided die (plural: dice)
is used as the default. As an option, the GM can decide to use a 10-sided
die for task Resolution rolls (instead of the 3 6-sided dice), but 6-sided
dice are always used for damage.
Difficulty Value [DV]: The number you need to meet or beat in order
to succeed at a task. Also known as a Defense Value when comprised of a
Characteristic plusa Skill.
Energy Defense [ED]: Your ability to shrug off energy-based attacks,
measured as an "armor" that reduces this kind of Stun damage.
Gamemaster [GM]: The person who runs the Fuzion game, playing the
parts of all characters not taken by the Players.
Hits: An arbitrary measure of "life energy". When you have lost
all your Hits, you are dying.
Killing Defense [KD]: Armor. Also the ability to shrug off all types
of Killing damage. Usually subtracted from the amount done.
Kills: A larger scale of damage used when attacking military (or huge) vehicles
and structures. Things that do damage in Hits or SDP cannot damage things
with Kills.
Killing Damage: Physical, deadly wounds, subtracted from your Hits.
NPC: A Non-Player Character portrayed by the GM.
Option Points [OP]: These are points used to buy the "stuff"
the character owns, knows or can do, such as Skills, Talents, Perks, or
Powers.
Perk: A useful privilege or contact a character has special access
to.
Power: An innate, superhuman ability that cannot usually be learned
or taught, usually quite powerful. An example might be the ability to fly
or fire bolts of energy. Purchased from a separate pool of Power Points.
Skill: An ability that can be learned or taught, such as playing
an instrument or using a weapon.
Structural Damage Points [SDP]: Damage to structures and vehicles
Stun Points: A measure of consciousness or awareness. When your Stun
Points are at 0, you are unconscious.
Stun Damage: Shocks to your consciousness, subtracted from Stun.
Stun Defense [SD]: Your ability to shrug off shocks to your consciousness,
measured as an "armor" that reduces Stun damage.
Talent: An innate ability, (but not necessarily superhuman) that
can't be learned or taught; i.e., a bump of direction or ability to see
in the dark.
Task: A thing that you do, such as picking a lock or firing a gun.
Any use of a Skill or any Attack is a Task. See Task Resolution.
Task Resolution: The way you figure out whether or not you succeed
at a task you attempt, in Fuzion
| LIFEPATH |
This is the first step of creating a character; getting a concept and history established. Lifepath is a special flowchart of events, personality quirks and plot complications, which are used to give a character roleplaying depth and complexity. In effect, the Lifepath is your character's "origin story," telling where he came from, what he's done and what he's like. To use the Lifepath, simply follow the instructions in each box of the chart, rolling a die or making a choice as instructed.
As part of the Lifepath process, you may also elect to take a few Complications: Situations, problems or personal limitations that enhance the roleplaying aspect of the character, and (coincidentally), generate extra Option Points to be used in the creation of the character later.
Note: Complications are not just window dressing; a big part of getting more Option Points is roleplaying your complications.
Along the Lifepath you'll see certain events marked with symbols. They are a signal that this particular event is a good place to link up to a possible Complication. For example, Parents Murdered would be a great place to take on a Responsibility, such as a Dependent (your baby sister), a Vow (to fight Evil) or a Code of Honor (Never Harm an Innocent).
START LIFEPATH
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Now move on to Early Background and
Childhood Events (Roll for all of these):
What was your early upbringing like, economics wise?
Note: this has no effect on your current situation
Roll 2D6 and find out...
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| CHILDHOOD EVENTS |
A crisis in your early youth! ....then roll 1D6 for the rest of the story: 1-3 Enemies
4-6 Secrets
Go To LIFE EVENTS |
| LIFE EVENTS |
| Roll 2D6+16 (or choose) to determine your age. For each year over 16, roll once below and go to the appropriate table: 1-2 Good with the Bad 3-4 Friends and Enemies 5 Love and War 6 Nothing Happened that Year. When you have completed all the years up to the present, Go to CURRENT SITUATION to see where you are now. |
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| GOOD WITH THE BAD (roll 1D6) |
1-2 Something Good: (roll 1D6)
3-6 Something Bad: (roll 1D6)
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| CHARACTERISTICS |
Characteristics (also called Stats) are NUMBERS that describe your character's ability as compared to everyone else in the universe. All people and creatures can be described (or written up) using Characteristics; this lets you compare one person to another, which is often important in the game. For instance, a person with a Strength Characteristic of 5 is stronger than a person with a Strength Characteristic of 4, but not as strong as a person with a Strength Characteristic of 6.
WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN
Characteristics define the basic structure of a character, and the numbers
show how good a Characteristic is relative to other people. But before we
can go on to actually constructing that character, we'll need to know something
about the type of character it will be. Is he an everyman who finds himself
suddenly catapulted into a life of adventure? Is he a seasoned veteran who
is trained to face danger without flinching? Is he an idealistic crimefighter
granted strange superhuman abilities that have allowed him to fight against
Evil? And what numbers best represent a character?
Here's a handy set of descriptions that can be applied to numbers for each
Characteristic. We've also included descriptions for Skills as well, to
give a total perspective of character scale.
-CHARACTERISTIC-
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-SKILL-
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CAMPAIGN REALITY LEVELS
One of the advantages of Fuzion's various Dials, Switches and Plug-ins
is that it allows Referees to "custom tailor" the reality level
of their campaigns.
One way to do this is to place implicit maximum levels on character Characteristics.
Another way is to use a Dial to alter the "reality level" of majority
of the campaign; for instance, in a Superheroic setting, it may be common
for people to lift a ton and dodge machinegun bullets, but in Everyday life,
you'd better dial that Strength way down and the accuracy of Uzis way up.
Heres' a few examples of campaign reality levels:
| Everyday [realistic] | Characteristic |
| This is reality on the mundane side. People here are generally out of shape, unremarkable, and not super bright, but they get along in everyday life just fine. At this level, adventure is something that happens to others; your idea of action is visiting Denny's at midnight. | Max 7 |
| Competent [semi-realistic.] | |
| This a reality many of us live in; the closest thing to a hero is a good cop, fireman, soldier, or other dedicated citizen. Campaigns in this kind of reality rarely if ever encounter supernatural powers or feats; a bank robbery would be a lot of excitement at this reality level. | Max 7 |
| Heroic [Elite, TV show] | |
| This is the reality that only a few of us live in-Green Beret combat specialists, SWAT team members, FBI agents and spies. Most people in this kind of campaign are equivalent to the TV heroes; better looking, more competent, and with stuntmen. A typical adventure at this reality level would be a drug sting, a hostage rescue, or a rugged trip into the jungle. | Max 7 |
| Incredible [Olympics, movies] | |
| Save for the feats of Olympic athletes, gorgeous supermodels, top sports stars, world leaders, and Nobel Prize winners, you have now left reality altogether. This is also the realm of low budget action films; where the heroes battle international gangsters and invading aliens. Typical Incredible reality adventures are much like Heroic ones, but with bigger weapons and world-spanning plots. | Max 9 |
| Legendary [Action blockbuster] | |
| This is the realm of Hollywood blockbusters, where characters fight aliens on top of helicopters and save the world regularly. Most "animé heroes" or "realistic" superheroic campaigns fall into this reality; you probably won't ever find "real people" at this level, unless they are Albert Einstein, Carl Lewis, or Helen of Troy. | Max 10 |
| Superheroic [comic books, myths] | |
| This is the reality level of most four color comics or mythology. Superpowers or superhuman skills are common, and adventurers regularly save entire Galactic Empires and thwart demigods. | No Limit |
PRIMARY vs. DERIVED CHARACTERISTICS
There are two kinds of Characteristics in Fuzion. Primary Characteristics
are "bought", using a pool of points which we'll discuss below.
A good example of a Primary Characteristic would be a character's BODY characteristic,
used to judge how tough he is. Derived Characteristics are created by applying
a simple mathematical formula to a specific Characteristic. A good example
of a Derived Characteristic would be a character's STUN, which is figured
by multiplying his BODY by 5.
Both Primary and Derived Characteristics will vary from campaign to campaign,
so for right now, we'll just discuss the basic method of buying characteristics
in all cases.
CHARACTERISTIC POINTS: The Power to Buy
The power to buy your Primary Characteristics comes from a pool of points
called Characteristic Points (CP), given to you by the GM when you make
your character.
But how do you determine that value? The best option is for the GM to multiply
the number of Primary Characteristics by the average value the GM wants
the characters to have; this will give you the starting Characteristic Points
for the campaign.
Example: In a Fuzion campaign with 10 Primary Characteristics, the GM wants
to have Heroic characters; he gives them (10 x 5 =
50) Points.
Referees should consider this simple guideline to determine the number of
Characteristic Points to give beginning characters:
Campaign Style Pts. per Characteristic
| Everyday [realistic] 1-2 pts. |
| Competent [elite, semi-realistic.] 3-4 pts. |
| Heroic [TV action show] 5-6 pts. |
| Incredible [olympics, action movie] 7-8 pts. |
| Legendary [blockbuster action movie] 9-10 pts. |
| Superheroic [comic books, myths] 10+ pts. |
Buying Characteristics
Primary Characteristics are purchased at a ratio of 1 Characteristic Point
[CP] for one level of ability. Example: I want to have a Strength of 5.
I pay 5 CP. You must put at least one Characteristic Points in each Characteristic;
the maximum level you can buy in any one Characteristic is normally 7-8
for a normal human; however, if you are creating a Superhuman
(or your GM allows it), you can put as many points into a single
Characteristic you want.. The GM may also set his own limits on the value
of any or all Characteristics.
PRIMARY CHARACTERISTICS
Now that you have an idea of what the Characteristic and Skill ranges are
for different kinds of characters, it's time to actually construct one.
Total Fuzion's flexible structure allows you to build a character with lots
of depth and fine tuning, as well as giving you the ability to add new Characteristics
or remove them as a campaign demands.
Typical Primary Characteristics
In a typical Total Fuzion campaign, characters will have 10 Primary Characteristics,
arranged into four groups:
Mental Group
| CREATING A CHARACTER |
To create a Fuzion character, you'll need some CHARACTERISTIC POINTS (pg. 113 sec). Primary Characteristics are purchased at a ratio of 1 Characteristic Points [CP] for one level of ability in the Characteristic. You must put at least one Point in each Characteristic. In general, the maximum amount you can put in any one Characteristic will be 8 for humans; however, if you are creating an alien or other superhuman (or your GM allows it), you can put as many points into a Characteristic as you want.
Key Idea: Adding/Removing Characteristics
Fuzion's design allows Referees to change, add, or remove Characteristics
for your individual campaigns. All you have to do is create the new Characteristic,
assign it to one of the four groups and grant the player points for it based
on the average level for Characteristics in the game. Example: in a Heroic
campaign, the average pt. range is 5-6 points per Characteristic. To add
a new Characteristic, you'll give your players 5-6 extra points and allow
them to re-arrange them as desired throughout the whole group.
Referees should always emphasize the importance of all Characteristics in
their Campaigns (since the cost will be the same anyway).
Don't let your players get away with just having good combat abilities;
make them deal with problems too!
DERIVED CHARACTERISTICS
Derived Characteristics are characteristics that are created by performing
some kind of simple mathematical operation on a character's already existing
Primary Characteristics.
The following Derived Characteristics are common to most Fuzion campaigns.
If your character does not have the exact Primary Characteristic the Derived
Characteristic comes from, you can either use the Characteristic's group
value or a one determined by the GM of your campaign:
OPTIONAL DERIVED CHARACTERISTICS
Optional Derived Characteristics are Characteristics that may not be present
in every Fuzion campaign. In an Old West campaign, for example, you may
not ever need to have a Derived Characteristic for defense against lasers.
But because these are derived from Primary Characteristics, you can always
generate an Optional Derived Characteristic when you need one, allowing
you to transfer characters between genres. Although these will vary from
campaign to campaign, a few typical Optional Derived Characteristics are:
It is possible to increase the value of a Derived Stat beyond its starting value. The chart shows what you get for each 5 Option Points spent. Of course, you can also use Character Points to buy up Derived Stats as well. In general, however, you'd be better served just to increase the Primary Stat from which the Derived Stat is figured, unless there is some reason why you can't (or shouldn't.)
Note that normal humans have stat maximums for Derived Stats, much as they have Stat maximums for Primary Stats. In the case of Derived Stats, these maximums are figured from the maximum value of the Primary Stat(s) involved. For example, the maximum stat for a normal human in the Champions: New Millennium campaign is 7. The maximum Derived Stats for that normal human would be SD & ED of 14, SPD of 4, RES of 14, REC of 14, END of 70, STUN of 35, and HITS of 35. A character may buy his Derived Stats up beyond this maximum, but he must have some kind of reason (super-powers, magic, etc.) to exceed those numbers.
For 5 Option Points or 1 Character Point, you can increase your Derived Stats by choosing one of the following:
Increasing or Decreasing Characteristics (Primary or Derived)
Characteristics generally may not be increased or decreased directly. However,
certain Talents or Powers that may or may not be available in your campaign
setting may allow you to increase a Characteristic, either temporarily or
permanently. Certain Complications may also decrease a Characteristic. Or,
as last resort, you may attempt to convince your GM to allow you to use
Option Points in increase a Characteristic at a ratio of five OP for every
point of Characteristic increase.
CAMPAIGN OPTIONS
In any campaign, characters will need to get the basic Skills, Talents,
& Perks and Equipment with which to fight, protect themselves, and generally
adventure. These Campaign Options are usually specific to a style or genre
of game; what works in a science fiction adventure from the far future would
be mind-bendingly out of place in a medieval fantasy setting. The precise
list of campaign options available in a particular campaign will always
vary according to each GM's decisions. But as a general rule, they all break
down into Skills, Talents, & Perks, Equipment, and Powers; all of which
are purchased using Campaign Option Points [OP].
OPTION POINTS
When starting a new character; everything he/she owns or knows is purchased
with Option Points (OP). Why is this? The main reason is that it allows
players to accurately scale characters; everything costs Option Points,
and you know what you're getting in relation to something else. This also
makes it harder for players to create characters who are unfair or unbalanced
in relationship to other characters; as long as you have similar levels
of Option Points, you know that any two characters will be relatively similar
in terms of what they have, know or can do. Option Points are given to Players
by the GM at the start of character creation (still
more points will come from Complications and experience awards).
The following point values are merely guidelines based on the style of the
campaign. Individual campaigns may have very different numbers.
After character creation, all remaining Option Pointscan be converted to
money units on a 100 money units to 1 OP basis (whether
gold, credits eurobucks, yen, zolotnies, whatever).
Trading Option Points for Characteristic Points (Primary or Derived)
Option Points are not normally interchangeable with Characteristic Points (which are used only to buy Characteristics) However,
in certain situations (such as superheroic games or
where a character has undergone some sweeping or fundamental change),
you can use Option Points to raise a Characteristic at a ratio of five Option
Points to one Characteristic Point. These improvements must be granted by
the GM of the particular game you are in.
Inherent Options, Gadgets, & Bought Options
Inherent options are things that are part of the character; they are as
much a part of him as his Characteristics. They cannot be taken from him
(under most circumstances), but they also cannot
be used by anyone else. Inherent items usually include Skills, Talents,
Perks and (where applicable) Powers, and are
always purchased with Option Points.
In contrast , a Gadget (sometimes called a Focus)
is something that is bought with Option Points just like a Power or Skill,
but is a distinct, separate thing from the person that created it. This
allows it to be used by others, but also means it can be destroyed or otherwise
taken away. When this happens, the points used to construct the Gadget are
not lost per se, but the Gadget must be then re-acquired or rebuilt via
roleplaying. (A quest for a lost Gadget is a gold
mine for any enterprising GM!). Good examples of Gadgets are magical
items, special weapons, or superpowered equipment that is integral to the
character (like a utility belt, armor suit or power
source).
Bought Options are things that can be constructed and paid for in money.
Bought items most often include vehicles and equipment. Unlike Inherent
options, bought options can be used by others. They can also be destroyed
or taken away from a character and must be replaced by using money or new
Option Points gained through Experience.
Buying Powers with Power Points (PP)
Because Powers can inherently unbalance most games, you should provide players
in superheroic or magical settings with a separate pool of Points just for
buying initial Powers. This not only gives the GM a better handle on controlling
the effects of Powers on his game, but also makes it easier to improve these
Powers by adding new points to this separate pool.
Important: If allowing players to put extra Option Points into this separate point group, remember that 5 OP= 1 Power Point.
Can't Find the Power You Want?
Maybe you're looking in the wrong place. Many superheroic Powers are actually
superhuman Characteristics instead. If you really want to build a guy with
a STR of 25, get your GM's permission to exchange some of your Power or
Option Points for Characteristic Points. Power points interchange with Characteristics
on a 1 to 1 basis; Option Points on a 5 to 1 basis.
Not Enough Power Points?
With the permission of the GM, you can add Option Points to your Power pool
at a ratio of five Option Points to one Power Point.
Buying Complex Things with Power Points
While Option Points can be translated into money with which to buy equipment,
complex things (like vehicles) can also be
rated in points independent of their monetary value. After all, a tractor
might cost $50,000.ºº, but how useful would it be to your character?
It's not worth 500 OP, that's for sure!
For this reason, most vehicles, mecha and large weapons in FUZION will have
a Power Point value listed separate from their monetary cost, based on the
same 5 to 1 ratio used to buy Powers So if a GM wants his players to buy
their own Big Hardware, he should make sure to give them an extra 100~150
OP to play with!
COMPLICATIONS
One way to get more Option Points when creating a character is to take on
a few Complications-social, mental, physical, or emotional situations/problems
that define and enhance your character; they can also be linked to various
Lifepath events to add to a character's background. Complications will vary
depending on the campaign. The Value of a Complication is based on its Frequency,
Intensity and Importance:
Frequency
Just how often does your problem impact your life? The answer is the problem's
Frequency; how often the GM can inflict it upon you as part of the trade
for those extra OP. This table works for all complications:
Intensity
Intensity reflects how hard it is to overcome the complication, or just
how much it affects you. Each Complication has its own Intensity rating
written in parenthesis ( ) right after it, but we also provide you with
a handy table of general roleplaying guidelines:
Example: Stubborn: Risk incarceration, bodily harm or financial/ social ruin [10] means the Intensity of this Complication will get you 10 points.
Importance
Importance rates how important the Complication is to the character and
the Campaign. For example, taking Foreigner in a place where everyone is
from another place is pretty valueless, but in a xenophobic environment,
it takes on major importance. Another measure of Importance is its effect
on your character's survival; if it can kill you, it's generally more important
than something that may complicate your roleplaying.The final application
is up to the GM.
To Determine a COMPLICATION'S Value
To determine the value of a Complication, add together the Frequency Value,
the Intensity Value, and multiply the resulting total by the Importance.
Example: I take Responsibility as a Complication. I decide that this affects
me Frequently (10), and I decide I'm responsible
for the care of my aged Aunt Meg. Since she is very old, she's considered
to be Challenged (Intensity 10), but since
I'm not in any danger and my skills aren't affected
(divide by 5), taking care of my aged aunt is worth (10+10)/5
= 4 Points. But if Aunt Meg was constantly exposed to extreme danger
that I had to rescue her from, I could milk the situation for up to 20 points!
Good ol' Aunt Meg!
| PSYCHOLOGICAL COMPLICATIONS These involve your Mental Problems and flaws: |
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| Absent Minded | You have strange lapses of memory. You often: Forget generally known facts (5). Forget friends, family (10). Forget your own identity (15). |
| Bipolar | You are a classic manic/depressive, prone to fits of erratic, up moods punctuated with severe terrifying depressions. You are often: Moody (5). Liable to lie around and mope (10). Liable to run around frenetically risking life and limb or sink into a miserable stupor (15). Suicidal (20). |
| Delusions | You believe things that are not real. You may hear voices, think aliens are after you, or that you are God. You will: Risk ostracism, embarrassment (5). Risk hospitalization, bodily harm or financial/social ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15) . |
| Masochist | You hate yourself, and will go out of your way to injure yourself. To do this, you may: Seek verbal abuse (5). Seek minor physical abuse (10), Seek major physical abuse (15). Seek life threatening abuse (20). |
| Phobia | You have a phobia; and unreasoning fear of some common thing, such as dogs, heights, sounds or color. When faced with your phobia, you feel: Discomfort (5). Paralyzing Fear (10). Berserk Terror (15). Catatonic (20). |
| Paranoia | (just because you think they're after you...). You think you have enemies, everywhere. Sometimes you are focussed on one foe, other times, there may be legions. You react to your paranoia by: Incoherently ranting (5). Compulsively working on defenses against Them (10). Risking incarceration, bodily harm, social or financial ruin to stop Them (15). Risking life & limb (20). |
| Split Personality | You're two, two, TWO people in one! [GM controls this personality, has character sheet for it, etc.]. Your other self: Likes you (5). Is neutral to you (10). Hostile to you (15). Dangerous to you in actions (20). |
| PERSONALITY TRAITS It's the little things that count; your good & bad habits, basic traits and characteristics. |
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| Airhead | Oh Wow! You're just naturally spacy. In general, you: Misplace minor, trivial things (5). Misplace or forget to do important things (10). Misplace or forget to deal with dangerous things (15). Dangerously oblivious to everything; the GM never asks you to make a perception roll unless you request it (20). |
| Bad Tempered | You're just irritable, all the time. When your temper flares: You'll risk embarrassment, or financial loss (5). You'll risk incarceration, bodily harm or financial/social ruin (10). You'll risk life & limb (15). |
| Coward | You lack nerve, especially in combat. When faced with danger: You tremble at anything you imagine as danger (5). You freeze up and can't react (10). You try to run as far away as possible (15). |
| Obsessed | You just can't get that special (to you) person or thing out of your mind. You: Talk about it all the time and will risk embarrassment, or financial loss over it (5). You'll risk incarceration, bodily harm or financial/social ruin over it (10). You'll risk life & limb over it (15). |
| Shy | You hate dealing with others. You: Refuse to speak to new people (5). Avoid all interactions with new people (10). Will physically remove self from situations involving new people (15). |
| Stubborn | You just hate to give in-to anyone. To prove you're right: You'll risk embarrassment, or financial loss (5). You'll risk incarceration, bodily harm or financial/social ruin (10). You'll risk life & limb (15). |
| Berserker | You can't control your fighting rage- you rabidly: Attack whatever set you off (5). Attack anyone within range except friends (10). Attack anyone in range (15). Attack anyone in range and won't stop until subdued forcibly or exhausted/stunned (20). |
| Unlucky | Things never go your way; you have constant disasters. Travel and adventure only hold for you: Inconvenient misfortunes (5). Costly or dangerous misfortunes (10). Very costly or dangerous misfortunes (15). Deadly, life threatening dangers (20) |
| PHYSIOLOGICAL LIMITATIONS These are Physical problems you must cope with: |
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| Age | You are either younger than usual or older; this is reflected in your characteristics: Very old/young: Reduce any 2 Characteristics (except Mental Group) by 2 (10). Extremely old/young: Reduce Reduce any 3 Characteristics (except Mental Group) by 3 (15). |
| Dyslexia | You see letters and numbers as a jumble, or reversed. This means you: Read very slowly (5). Cannot read or write (10). |
| Epilepsy | You fall into convulsive fits that incapacitate you. What sets off the fit (as determined by the GM) is: Uncommon (5). Common (10). Very Common (15). |
| Missing Limb | Ouch! That hurt! You're missing: 1 or more fingers (5). A hand (10 each). An arm (15 each). |
| Reduced Hearing | You are hard of hearing. Generally, to make a hearing based Perception check, you will need: To beat a Target Number 4 points higher than everyone else's (5). A Hearing aid just to hear at all (10). New ears; you're totally deaf (15). |
| Reduced Mobility | You are unable to get around normally. Your Movement: Is reduced by quarter (5). Is reduced by half (10). Is reduced to dragging by arms at a MOVE of 1 (15). Nonexistent; you're a total quadraplegic; unable to move below the neck (20). |
| Reduced sight | your eyesight is impaired in some way. You: Are color blind (5). Need glasses (10). Are nearly blind or one-eyed (15). Are totally blind (20). |
| Uncontrollable Change | You are prone to uncontrollable changes; these may be physical or mental (depending on what you negotiate with the GM). What sets off the change is: Uncommon (5). Common (10). Very Common (15). |
| Vocal Impairment | Your voice is somehow damaged. When you speak, you can: Only whisper, stammer or stutter (5). Only make sounds, but cannot speak (10). Cannot make a sound (15). |
| Vulnerability | You're susceptible to a certain situation or substance and take extra damage when exposed to it. The substance or situation is: Uncommon (5). Common (10). Very Common (15). |
| Susceptibility | You are harmed or take damage from a certain situation or substance that is harmless to most people. The substance or situation is: Uncommon (5). Common (10). Very Common (15) |
| SOCIAL COMPLICATIONS These are things with serious Social and Societal consequences for you: |
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| Public Figure | You are a figure in the media limelight; you can't make a move without getting attention: You are newsworthy and your activities rate an article if a reporter is nearby (5). You frequently make headlines and people always notice your actions on the street (10). Your every action makes news and you have reporters following you everywhere (15). |
| Bad Rep | People "know" about you. At least, everyone's heard a story or two, even if untrue. When you are mentioned or seen, you are: Frequently recognized (5). Always recognized (10). |
| Secret Identity | You are trying to hide your activities under a secret identity or other smokescreen. You currently are: Living a normal life, unnoticed by anyone (5). Are bothered by a single person trying to uncover your real identity (10). Everyone's trying to uncover your real identity (15). |
| Poverty | Money is hard to come by for you, harder than for most. You are, financially- wise: Poor, with just enough for a bed and a few meager meals (5). Dead Broke and probably on the street with barely enough to eat (10). In debt, with others actively seeking to collect what little you have (15). |
| Personal Habits | People just can't stand you. Maybe it's the bad breath or the nose picking, but they find you: Annoying (5). Disgusting (10). Horrible (15). |
| Oppressed | You are part of an oppressed or otherwise downtrodden group. In your society, you are: Snubbed; others ignore or refuse to deal with you (5). Oppressed; there are laws controlling where you live, work or can travel (10). Outcast; you're a total non-person (15). Enslaved; you're treated as property and can be sold or mistreated at will (20). |
| Distinctive Features | You stand out and are noticed in any crowd, with features that are: Easily concealed (5). Concealable with Disguise or Performance skills (10). Not concealable (15). |
| Outsider | You're not a local, and stand out like a sore thumb, attracting attention both unwelcome and possibly dangerous. You are obviously: From distant place (5). From very distant place (10). Never before seen in these parts (15). |
| ENEMIES: Hunted and Watched These are forces which are actively working against you. Your Enemy's value is determined by three things: their Capabilities, their Extent, and their Intensity of enmity against you: |
|
| Capabilities | What can they do to you? Are they: Less powerful than you? (5). As powerful as you? (10). More powerful than you? (15). Have access to powerful weapons, powers or hardware? (20). |
| Extent | How far can they reach? Are they: Limited to single town or area? (5). Limited to a single country? (10) Worldwide in their influence? (15) Interdimensional or Galactic (20) |
| Note: Instead of using the normal Intensity table, use the following scale: | |
| Intensity | What do they want from you? Are you: Being watched? (divide by 5). Being hunted for capture or imprisonment? (divide by 2). Marked for death? (1). |
| RESPONSIBILITIES These are things you have chosen to deal with, no matter how much trouble they cause. Codes of Honor, Family Matters; these are all Responsibilities: |
|
| Code of Honor | These are the personal rules you will not break, no matter what. A Code of Honor might be a code against killing, never attacking from behind, or never suffering an insult without an answer in blood. To keep your Code, you will: Risk expulsion or embarrassment (5). Risk bodily harm or financial ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15). |
| Sense of Duty | You always do the Right Thing, and follow a higher Moral Code towards those you feel responsible for. You will do this: For your friends (5). For a special group/organization (10). For all Humanity (15). For all Life Itself (20). |
| Vow | This is a promise you must keep, no matter what. It could be to protect someone, follow an ideal, or just get that stupid Ring into that distant volcano. To fulfill this promise, you'll: Risk Expulsion or embarrassment (5). Risk bodily harm or financial ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15). |
| Dependents | These are those who need your protection and help. They could include children, family, or friends. Generally, they are: Equal to you in abilities (5). Challenged, or otherwise weaker than you (10). Have special problems, requirements or dangers associated with them (15). |
| COMPULSIVE BEHAVIORS These are behaviors you must act upon; you just can't help yourself. |
|
| Addiction/dependence | You must have a particular substance or situation or you will suffer severe mental or physical duress. The substance/situation you need is: Common (5). Uncommon (10). Rare (15). Very Rare (20). |
| Honesty | You always tell the truth, even if it hurts. To be honest, you'll even: Risk expulsion, embarrassment, or financial loss (5). Risk bodily harm or financial/social ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15). |
| Impulsiveness | You just can't help yourself; you always jump into things without thinking. To follow a whim, you'll: Risk expulsion or embarrassment (5). Risk bodily harm, social or financial ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15). |
| Intolerance | You're bigoted and intolerant of those who are different from you. When you encounter them, you are: Civil but distant (5). Rude and verbally abusive (10). Violently abusive (15). Abusive even at risk of life and limb (20). |
| Jealousy | You are jealous to the extreme. Towards the one you "love", you are: Obsessed and watchful (5). Confrontative and accusatory (10. Physically violent (15). |
| Kleptomania | You steal things compulsively. You can't help it; you'll even: Risk arrest or embarrassment (5). Risk bodily harm or financial/social ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15). |
| Lecherous | You can't resist grabbing or pawing someone you find attractive, or at least making lewd comments. You'll even: Risk expulsion, embarrassment, or financial loss (5). Risk bodily harm or financial or social ruin (10). Risk life & limb (15). |
| SKILLS |
The first thing most characters will want to buy with their Option Points
are Skills. Skills are things the character knows or can do; they represent
his or her level of knowledge and accomplishment. Skills are normally rated
from one to ten, and are used in game play by adding the level of the Skill
to the level of the most applicable Characteristic the skill is related
to.
The good news is, every character gets a free starting group of skills to
begin with, so that he won't be totally helpless in his new environment:
Everyman Skills.
EVERYMAN SKILLS
Everyman skills are things generally known by everyone in all specific cultures
or time periods: Perception, Concentration, Education, Persuasion, Athletics,
Teacher, Local Expert (Knowledge of your area), Hand-to-Hand, and Hand-to-Hand
Evade. These are given free to all characters by the GM, and have an automatic
starting level of 2; about what the average person would know about his
world. Each can be improved by adding Skill levels on an individual basis.
An individual GM may wish to add or remove skills from the Everyman category
to suit his particular game; in a far future setting, for example, everyone
may use computers, but only special people may have any athletic skills.
The Everyman skill category gives you the flexibility to tailor the level
of your culture as desired.
GENERAL SKILLS
Unlike Everyman Skills, General Skills are purchased at the cost of one
Option Point for every level of skill; for example, to have 4 levels in
Firearms would cost 4 OP.
Buying a skill generally gets you the ability to do pretty much everything
described by that skill. However, some campaign settings may require that
you specify how a skill will be used (for example, picking what kind of
Scientist (Physicist, Chemist, etc.) you intend to be. In these cases, you
may need to take additional "specializations" of that skill to
be able to use it in other ways (for example, Scientist [Physicist] and
Scientist [Chemist].
The list of possible skills one could encounter in a Fuzion game is as wide
as the possible campaign settings.
What's compiled on the next page are typical skills applicable to many superheroic
settings or modern action genres. Feel free to use these as a guideline
for your adventures as each Fuzion campaign will usually have its own list.
| GENERAL SKILLS EXPLANATION | |
ACROBATICS The ability to perform flips, jumps, and rolls like a circus acrobat. You can also jump and flip over an obstacle, landing on your feet, ready to fight. (DEX) ACTING The ability to act; to assume a role or character. Someone who is skilled in this can fake moods or emotions, or hide his true identity. (PRE) ANIMAL HANDLER The skills of animal handling, training, and care as applicable. (INT) ATHLETICS Basic Athletics skills; dodging, escaping, throwing, swimming. (DEX) AUTOFIRE WEAPONS Use of machine-guns. full-autofire weapons and attacks, etc. (REF) BRIBERY A character with this skill knows when to bribe someone, how to approach him, and how much to offer. (PRE) BUGGING The ability to properly implant and operate listening, visual, or other sensing devices ("bugs.") (TECH) BUREAUCRATICS You know how to deal with bureaucrats, cut out red tape, who to talk to, how to reach them, and how to extract information from bureaucracies. (PRE) BUSINESS Knowledge of basic business practices, laws of supply and demand, employee management, accounting, procurement, sales, marketing. (INT) CLIMBING Ability to climb unusually difficult walls, trees, and buildings, as long as there are handholds. The basic climbing speed is 2 m/y per phase. (STR) COMPUTER PROGRAMMING The ability to program and operate computers. (TECH) CONCEALMENT You can hide things and find things that other people have hidden - like important papers, weapons, jewels, artifacts, drugs, and so forth. (INT) CONCENTRATION The abilities of focus and mental control. This would encompass feats of memory, recall, physiological control, and Mental Powers. (WILL) CONTORTIONIST The ability to manipulate your body to get out of ropes and similar bonds. You may also contort your body to fit into generally inaccessible places or spaces. (DEX) CONVERSATION This ability allows you to extract information from people with careful conversation. The use of this skill takes time, and if the roll is missed, the subject realizes he is being pumped for information. (PRE) CRIMINOLOGY You know how to look for clues, dust for fingerprints, examine evidence, do ballistic tests, examine records, search through files, and so on. (TECH) CRYPTOGRAPHY The ability to solve simple ciphers and encrypt or decode messages. (INT) DEDUCTION This is the art of taking several facts and leaping to an inobvious conclusion. This skill should be used sparingly. (INT) DEMOLITIONS The ability to properly use, handle, set, and defuse explosives (TECH) DISGUISE The ability to change a character's appearance through makeup, costumes, body language, and facial expression. (TECH) DRIVING Driving cars, motorcycles, jeeps, trucks, tanks, hovercraft, and other ground vehicles. Generally, this skill must be purchased for one class of vehicles. (REF) EDUCATION General knowledge, such as math, history, science, trivia, or current events. (INT) ELECTRONICS The ability to identify, understand, repair, and rewire electronic devices. (TECH) EXPERT Any one field of knowledge: stamps, gardening, Bay City Police Department, paranormal law, and so forth. This can be a hobby, or an in-depth knowledge of a specific field or area. (INT) FIREARMS Firing semi-automatic pistols, revolvers, rifles, shotguns, and crossbows. (REF) FORENSIC MEDICINE This skill lets the character make inferences from a corpse about the cause of death, how long the corpse has been dead, and so forth. (TECH) FORGERY The ability to create false documents, identification, currency, and so forth. (TECH) GAMBLING The ability to win gambling games that require some skill, such as blackjack, poker, and more exotic games. A character may also use this skill to cheat. (TECH) GUNNERY Firing vehicle-mounted weapons, mecha weapons, ship-mounted weapons and artillery. (REF) HACKING Skills of electronic intrusion into computer systems, including illegal entry and virus code writing. (TECH) HAND TO HAND Basic skill at fighting with your hands. Adding Martial Arts (page 133) allows the character to use Martial Arts maneuvers and actions. (REF) HAND TO HAND EVADE Basic skill at getting out of the way of someone who is trying to hit you. This skill is used for defense when you are being attacked by someone using the Hand-to-Hand Skill. (DEX) HEAVY WEAPONS Use of military weapons such as RPGs, mortars, rockets, hand-held missiles, etc. (REF) HIGH SOCIETY The knowledge of upper-class culture: what clothes to wear, what are considered sophisticated drinks, and how to mingle with royalty and other VIPs. (PRE) INTERROGATION The ability to forcibly extract information from people. The character knows how to avoid leaving marks, can judge how close a victim is to death or breaking, and is an expert at manipulating subjects into revealing desired information. (PRE) INVENTOR This skill enables the character to design and construct new devices. To use Inventor, the character needs the complementary science skills in the field he is working in. (TECH) LANGUAGES Must specify one particular language group (or dialect, computer code, type of sign language or hand signals). Must specify primary language (see chart) in the family; all others in that group are at 1/2 of primary. (INT)
|
LIP READING This skill enables the character to read someone's lips in order to tell what he is saying. The character must be able to see his target's mouth clearly. (INT) LOCAL EXPERT Knowledge of an area; who's who, where things are, general customs, schedules, and peculiarities of the environment. (INT) LOCKPICKING This skill allows the character to open key, combination, electronic, and magnetic locks. (TECH) MECHANICS Skill with mechanical devices and the knowledge of how to repair, replace, and build them. (TECH) MELEE WEAPONS Using all different types of melee weapons, such as knives, clubs, axes, swords, spears, etc. (REF) MELEE EVADE Basic skill at getting out of the way of someone who is trying to strike you with a weapon. This skill is used for defense when you are being attacked by someone using the Melee Weapons Skill. (DEX) MIMICRY The ability to perfectly imitate someone else's voice. (PRE) NAVIGATION Knowing how to take sightings, use maps and charts, plot courses, work from wind, weather, and other guides. (INT) ORATORY The ability to speak to an audience and to deliver a convincing presentation. (PRE) PARAMEDIC This skill enables the character to stop bleeding, repair damage, and generally keep someone alive. (TECH) PERCEPTION The skill of observation, perception and spotting hidden things (like clues), detecting lies and emotions. PERSUASION The ability to convince, persuade, or influence individuals. (PRE) PILOT Flying prop aircraft, civilian jets, military jets, helicopters, etc. A specific class of vehicle must be chosen for this skill. (DEX) PROFESSIONAL The ability to perform a certain profession (such as artist, actor, doctor, hockey player, mason, secretary, taxi driving, etc.) Obviously, certain other skills will greatly enhance the character's ability to practice his profession. (INT) RANGED EVADE Basic skill at getting out of the way of someone who is trying to shoot you with any type of ranged weapon, be it a pistol shot, an energy blast, a thrown car, or whatever. This skill is used for defense when you are being attacked by a ranged attack. (DEX) RESEARCH Skills in using libraries, databases, records, as well as uncovering information from obscure or uncommon sources. (INT) RIDING This skill enables a character to ride a living creature under difficult circumstances. The type of animal (usually horse) must be specified when this skill is purchased. (DEX) SCIENCE Knowledge of lab techniques, how to design experiments, how to write scientific papers, test hypotheses, etc. for your appropriate field of science. Must specify your area of study when this skill is purchased. (INT) SECURITY SYSTEMS The ability to recognize and evade various types of alarms and traps. The character also knows how to set up alarms and traps, given the proper time and equipment. (TECH) SEDUCTION The ability to gain others' trust by offering companionship or favors. (PRE) SHADOWING The ability to subtly follow someone. Also the ability to spot and lose a tail. (INT) SLEIGHT OF HAND The ability to palm items, fool the eye, perform magic tricks, etc. (REF) STEALTH The ability to hide in shadows, move silently or avoid detection in combat situations. (DEX) STREETWISE This skill gives the character knowledge of the seamy side of civilization: he knows how to find the black market, talk to thugs, gain information, and so on. (PRE) SURVIVAL This skill enables the character to live off the land, find food and water, identify dangerous plants and animals, and so on. (INT) SURVEILLANCE The ability to set up a static surveillance of a subject without having it detected. (INT) SYSTEMS OPERATIONS This skill allows the character to operate sensing and communications devices. The character should choose what type of system he knows how to operate (such as Radar, microwave transmitters, LANs, etc.) (TECH) TACTICS The ability to fight effectively and efficiently. A character with this skill is an expert at combat, and usually knows what must be done to win a battle. (INT) TEACHING The ability to impart information or skills to other. (PRE) TRACKING The ability to follow a trail by observing tracks, marks, broken twigs, and so forth. (INT) TRADING The ability to strike a good bargain with a merchant or customer. (PRE) USE POWER The ability to use a paranormal power or supernatural skill. This must be bought for the various groups of powers the character might have, such as his attack Multipower, his flight, and so forth. Generally, this skill can be bought for any group of powrs that are connected by a common special effect. This skill is used with attack powers to make attacks, to operate certain powers (for example, Use Flight would allow a character to make radical flight maneuvers, etc.) and is also used when trying to use a power in a clever way (for instance, varying the frequency of your force field to match another force field, or similar pseudo-science). The Technique Characteristic should be used when making Skill Rolls for Use Power, though other Stats may be used if the GM decides the situation warrants (for instance, using Will in a contest of Power versus Power in a classic comic book or magical confrontation). The Power Points in the Power could even be used as the "Characteristic" if the GM feels the situation is appropriate. (Varies) VENTRILOQUIST The character can make his voice sound as if it's coming from somewhere other than himself. (PRE) WARDROBE AND STYLE A grasp of fashion, wardrobe, and personal grooming. A character with this skill knows how to show off clothes and look his best. (PRE) WEAPONSMITH The character knows
how to build, maintain and repair weapons of various types. The class of
weapon |
TALENTS
Talents are an innate ability, (but not necessarily superhuman) that cannot normally be learned or taught, such as a bump of direction or the ability to see in the dark. The list of Talents below is a general one; which ones are available depends on each GM's decisions about the campaign setting. Each one of these Talents costs 3 points each. If levels (indicated by a :) can be taken in the Talent, each additional level will cost another 3OP:
| Talent Name |
Description |
| Acute Senses: | One of your five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste) is extremely acute. If the sense is touch, you can read print with your fingertips, feel tumblers moving in a lock, and determine subtle differences in materials by feel. If the sense is smell, you can instantly detect people or substances by scent alone and can track them like a bloodhound. If the sense is sight, you automatically gain a +1 bonus in all sight related Perception checks, and treat all ranged attack modifiers as being 2 points less than normal. If the sense is taste, you can perceive subtle additions to food and detect harmful substances with the barest taste. |
| Ambidexterity: | You can use tools and weapons with either hand at no penalty (normally -3 for using off-hand). |
| Animal Empathy: | Animals like you; they will never harm or attack you unless severely provoked. You always seem to attract whatever animals are common to the area, and they will immediately gravitate to your side, although they may not necessarily do what you ask them to. |
| Beautiful/ Handsome: | You are extremely good looking; people will automatically stop and stare at you when you pass, and you are generally surrounded by admirers. In addition, you automatically have a +1 bonus to your Persuasion, Performance, and Ward-robe/Style skills for each level taken. |
| Blind Reaction: | You can counterattack (in hand to hand only) with no negative modifiers for darkness or being obscured (-4), even if you can't see or hear your opponent. |
| Combat Sense: | Your reflexes are keyed for danger; you automatically react faster to danger than anyone else; for every level taken (up to 5) you may add +1 to your Initiative rolls (in combat only). |
| Common Sense: | You always look before you leap; the GM must give you warning whenever you're about to do something particularly foolish, even if there are no perceptible clues present. He doesn't have to specify the danger, just that "this might not be a smart idea..." |
| Direction Sense: | You are never lost; always know where North is and can orient yourself easily without any external cues. |
| Double Jointed: | You can bend your limbs and joints in impossible ways. You can fit into any space equal to half your height and width and it is impossible to tie you up or entangle you with a single rope; you can only be restrained using restraints like cuffs, shackles, or nets. |
| Eidetic Memory: | You never forget anything you have read, seen, heard, smelled, or touched. |
| High Pain Threshold: | You are especially resistant to pain and shock. When wounded, you will reduce the amount of STUN taken by 2 points each time and the effects of Impairing wounds (when used) by -2. |
| Immunity: | You are immune to the effects of one specific poison or disease group (must specify). |
| Intuition: | You have an uncanny feel for hunches; the GM will give you a chance to make a Perception roll whenever he thinks you might get a hunch, even if there are no perceptible clues present. |
| Lightning Calculator: | You can automatically do complex mathematical operations in your head without using any aids. |
| Light Sleeper: | You wake instantly from even the lightest touch or smallest sound (no Perception check required). |
| Longevity: | You are extremely long lived, but do not show any appreciable signs of aging. No matter how old you are, you always look and feel as a person half your age. |
| Night Vision: | You can see in all but absolute darkness. |
| Perfect Pitch: | You always know if something's in tune, and automatically gain at +3 bonus in any musically related task (singing, playing instruments, etc). |
| Rapid Healing: | You heal extremely fast, recovering an extra 3 Hits per time unit in addition to your normal healing rate. |
| Schtick: | A schtick is a special habit or personal affectation that has little or no actual effect on skills or combat abilities. Examples might be: always having a wind wafting your hair or cape dramatically, always having dramatic lighting striking your face, being able to toss your hat on a hook when you walk in; always having a cigar hidden somewhere on your person, etc. Schticks must be okayed by the GM and should never have an important combat or skill application-always shooting the gun out of the bad guy's hand would be a very dangerous schtick to allow. |
| Simulate Death: | You can lower your heart rate and breathing to such a low level that it is a Legendary Difficulty to tell whether you are dead or not. |
| Speed Reader: | You can read one page of any normal text that you are familiar with in three seconds (you can read a 200 page book in 10 minutes). |
| Time Sence: | You always know what time it is, always know how much time has elapsed between the present and the last time you checked. |
PERKS & PRIVILEGES
Perks are useful items, privileges, or contacts a character has access
to in a campaign. Perks can be special licenses or symbols of authority,
friends, favors or fringe benefits accruing from a profession. They are
purchased with Option Points just like any Skill, and function as a value
gauge of how powerful the Perk is (1 being lowest,
10 being best-the GM is the final arbiter of a Perk's worth on the 1~10
scale); level 8 or 9 should really mean something!
Perks are extremely campaign dependent and should be created for each campaign
individually. Many Perks have mixed benefits, both good or bad, and game
play should reflect this. Think about it: A "Mafia Godfather"
Contact might require a favor of you someday too!
Once the GM has established the level of the Perk, he must decide just how
much impact that perk has on the world; for example, in a superheroic game,
being the head of a huge corporation would be a character affectation; in
a cyberpunk campaign, that same status would have serious impact. The impact
is matched to the chart below and the basic cost for the Perk (listed below)
is multiplied by the value indicated. This will be the final cost.
Campaign Style Multiply Perk By
| Very High Impact | x4 |
| High Impact | x3 |
| Moderate Impact | x2 |
| Little or No Impact | x1 |
| Perk Name |
Cost per Level |
Description |
| Membership | 1 per level | You can call upon the resources of an organization, person, government, or group-but you also have responsibilities. The level of Membership represents your character's status in the organization, not the influence of the group (that's what the multipliers above are for). For example: A Membership of 1 at in the FBI would make you a janitor, but at 10 you're the Director's right-hand man. A version of this is Authority, in which the character is an agent of the law and has the power to arrest, detain and use deadly force. |
| License | 1 per level | The character has a legally sanctioned right to do things that would normally be considered illegal (license to kill, to collect taxes, hunt criminals, etc). Licenses are individual cases, granting you authority rather than "loaning" you use of the authority of a group (as above)-you get no resources, but you also don't have so many responsibilities. By example: a license to sell arms might cost 2; A Private Investigator's license 4; a Bounty Hunter's license might cost 6; a CIA or secret service agent's license 8, a Federal Marshal's license costs about 9, and having an unconditional license to kill might cost 10. |
| Contact | 1 per level | You know someone who can (and generally will) help you through money, power or sheer skill, and this help is usually "off the record." A mercenary who'll occasionally back you up in a fight costs 3, a local Yakuza Boss costs 6, the head of the FBI costs 9. Remember that the level of the contact is based on several factors: a student's not much, but a student who's willing to die for you |
| Favor | 0.5 per level | A one shot Contact; you can make use of this contact only once, but they MUST do what you ask (as long as its appropriate). Note: that it's often useful to have favors from a lot of people in different areas rather than one contact who does everything. |
| Renown | 1 per level | Your reputation, usually in a favorable light. People go out of their way to curry favor with you, or to at least avoid getting on your bad side. At 3, most local people know you; at 6 you're nationally known; at 9 you're an international figure. |
| Wealth | 1 per level | Characters are assumed to be lower middle class, but wealth boosts your lifestyle. Spending 1 OP places you comfortably in the middle class, capable of buying common things and living in a decent place. Level 2 is upper middle class; you can buy most everyday things and live in a very nice place. At levels 3~4, you are well to do and have more than enough money to support yourself; you need work only occasionally, can afford costly hobbies, and have an expensive home. At 6 you're rich; you don't have to work at all, can afford large purchases like cars or vacations, and live in a very expensive home. At 9, you're a millionaire, can live anywhere and buy almost anything you want. The GM might let you exceed Wealth 10, making you a billionaire! |
Money in Fuzion
Generally, players with wealthy characters are discouraged from keeping track of their money directly-it's a lot of tedious bookkeeping. However, there may be times when you'll absolutely need to know if you can buy that Caribbean island. In this case, you might use the following rule: At Wealth 1, the player has a disposable income of $1,000 per week; this value doubles for each additional level of Wealth-this means at Wealth 10, you could spend over 2 million dollars a year! Referees should be really careful letting this rules cat out of the bag!
GEAR & EQUIPMENT
Gear is just one more thing your character will need to adventure. The list
below is a sample of types of personal hardware used in the Champions setting;
it is by no means exhaustive. Note: The values
given here are in Option Points; to derive money costs, multiply the OP
cost by 100 monetary units. Also note some costs are in 10th points.
| HIGH TECH OP | SUPERTECH OP |
Binoculars 1 "Bug" 6 Bug Detector 9 Camera 1 Camouflage Coverall 2 Camp stove 1 Canteen 0.1 CD player 1 Cell Phone 3 Diving Gear 5 Dried Food (week) 1 Electrician's Tool Kit .05 First Aid (Modern) 0.1 Flashlight 0.1 Geiger Counter 9 IR Goggles & Flash 5 Jammer 6 Lantern 05 Lighter 0.1 Mechanic's Tool Kit 1 Wrenches, pliers, screwdrivers, etc. Required for Mechanical tasks. Movie Camera 1 Nylon Rope 1 Personal Computer 10 Radio 1 Skates 1 Skis 2 Snowshoes 1 Tape Recorder 1 Tent (nylon) 1 Toolknife 05 Utility Belt .02 Video Camera 3 Wristwatch 0.5 |
Analyser 10 Antigravity Module 10 Communicator 1 First Aid Kit (Future) 05 Food Packs (week) 1 Gill Mask 5 Holochips (10) 1 Holorecorder 2 Inertial Compass 3 Macroglasses 1 Medical Scanner 3 Music Synthesizer 2 Power Cells (6) 1 Respirator 1 Sneaksuit 3 Survival Dome 3 Technical Scanner 5 Universal Translator 12 Video Commo 3 |
| EXPERIENCE |
IMPROVING YOURSELF
Sooner or later, you will want to improve your Skills, Characteristics
or Powers from the levels at which you purchased them at. There are several
ways in which to do this:
Study & Practice:
You get a how-to book and start reading/practicing. Study is the hardest
method, you have no idea of where to begin and no one to correct your mistakes.
In general, it takes about 1 month of study to gain 1 point. The biggest
limit to this method is that you can only improve your skill to a level
of 3.
Being Taught:
Superior to book learning. The teacher must have a higher level of
skill than the student and must have the time to teach (how long this takes
is up to the GM). But even the most knowledgeable teachers may not be any
good at transferring their knowledge; that's where the skill of Teaching
comes in. The teacher averages his skill in the subject to be taught with
his Teaching skill; he may then teach the student up to that level of skill.
How long this takes is up to the GM, who can award points over the passage
of time (usually 1-2 points per month).
Experience:
Still the best teacher. Whenever you do something really well, the
GM may award you with 1-2 Option Points right on the spot. The problem
is that these points are applied to the skill you were using to get the
award. Therefore, if you want to get better in a skill you should use it
very chance you get.
Another way to improve Characteristics, Skills and other Campaign Options
comes into play AFTER character creation; winning Option Points through
adventuring with the character. There are two major ways to gain these
points:
Roleplaying:
While it isn't exactly part of the game reality, Referees should always
reward their players for how well they play the character; after all, that's
why we're doing this. Here are a few suggestions:
-Roleplaying Award-
Player was clever, inventive, or roleplayed well 1, 2 pts.
Player solved a mystery or major point of plot 1 pt.
Adventure was resounding success 2,3 pts.
Base points for being in scenario 1, 2 pts.
Assigning Points:
The GM can also give out points for specific skills or attributes, or even
assign those points to a particular Skill, Power or Perk as a bonus over
and above the regular points for a session. We like to call this the "Radiation
Accident Gives Player New Powers Rule," because it is best employed
whenever a player undergoes a particularly meaningful adventure that may
well change his life
Buying Stuff with Your Points
So the GM just dumped a whole load of points on you-great! But how do you
use them? Much like real currency, all Option Points need to be cashed
in to buy or improve Skills, Powers and Gear (even Characteristics with
your GM's agreement)
It's Christmas Time!
Experience is one of the most problematic parts of running a campaign.
Too little, and your players become frustrated at not accomplishing anything;
too much, and they become jaded because everything is too easy.
One trick to maintaining both balance and excitement is to use the "Christmas"
theory of experience; keep the awards relatively small from game to game,
with a large award at the end of an entire adventure arc. The award should
be in a discreet "Christmas Present"-a coveted vehicle (or points which can only be used to create a vehicle),
"Special training" (where Skill points
must go to a specific Skill area), or a "Radiation Accident"
that provides points that create or improve specific powers.
THE RULE OF X
This is a very important option for Referees who want more control over
their campaign's growth. The Rule of X is a simple way to set the overall
power of the campaign, and to keep it at that level.
Simply, the Rule of X limits how powerful characters can start off at in
a campaign. (Well, the GM can of course break this
rule for the Non-Player Characters, but the players must stick to it.)
Here's how it works.
The value of X depends on the power level you want for the campaign. For
instance, a superhero campaign might start with the Rule of 20. A character
with a STR of 12, and a Reflex of 6, could have no more than a Skill of
2 with his hand-to-hand attacks (12 + 6 + 2 = 20).
A martial artist with 40 Hits and a Dexterity of 7 could have no more than
a 5 Skill with his martial attacks ([40/5] + 7 +
5 = 20). Some suggested values for the Rule of X are.
| Campaign Style Rule of X | |
| Everyday [realistic] | 14 |
| Competent [elite, semi-realistic.] | 16 |
| Heroic [TV action show] | 18 |
| Incredible [olympics, action movie] | 20 |
| Legendary [blockbuster action movie] | 22 |
| Superheroic [comic books, myths] | 24 |
| SUPERPOWER PLUG-IN |
Powers are abilities far beyond those of mortal men-for example, flying or firing bolts of energy. The Powers listed in this section can be used to simulate the powers of a superhero, the spells of a sorcerer, or even the abilities of an alien.
Could it be Magic?
Well, yes, it could be. Any ability sufficiently advanced can be construed
as magic instead of superpowers. An Energy Blast can be called a laser bolt
or a sorcerous fireball-depending on what you want to call it. The beauty
of the Fuzion system is that it simply defines the game effect of a power;
you get to decide how it was created and what it looks like-in short, its
Special Effects.
Special Effects (SFX) in Champions
Special effects (SFX) are very important in superheroic adventures. The
special effects of a power define what it is and how it's created, and help
distinguish one power from another power. For instance, three different
characters could all have 12 dice of Energy Blast, but each might have different
SFX: One is fire, another uses electricity, and the third fires a sonic
attack. Each type of special effect can have extra benefits or limits beyond
the basic power description; exactly what is up to the GM. Most powers should
have some special effect designated for the power.
Each of these categories is very general; within each category there can be many types of special effect, related but different. The only limits are your imagination.
| Common SFX in Champions: The New Millennium |
Description |
| Biochemical: | This category includes acids, venoms, poisons, diseases, drugs and other chemicals. Biochemical attacks can often be unusual ones, such as Drains. Biochemical attacks are sometimes manifested as gasses, which might be affected by high winds or extreme temperatures. |
| Cold/Ice: | Everything related to extreme cold, including freezing blasts of supercold materials, ice, or other such effects. Cold attacks can work against physical or energy defenses, depending on what you decide when you buy the power. Cold powers are usually less effective in high-temperature environments. |
| Electricity: | The classic electrical bolt, lightning, sparks, and zaps. Any combination of amperage and voltage would be in this category. This is the classic attack against energy defenses. Electrical powers may have greater effect against delicate electronics, and less effect against well-insulated targets. |
| Gate Key Power: | This fundamental force indirectly powers many other effects, but some rare items, people or phenomena tap it directly. This power is rarely seen in its raw form, but when it is, it's unlike anything else. |
| Heat/Fire: | Everything connected with high temperatures, such as flames, hot metal, or hot gasses. Fire can start fires in flammable materials, which is sometimes handy and sometimes can cause excess property damage or threaten innocent lives. Heat powers are usually less effective in low-temperature environments. |
| Kinetic: | This category includes all physical force, such as punches, clubs, rocks, chunks of ice, or anything that creates a solid thump on target (works against Stun Defense or Killing Defense rather than Energy Defense or Energy Killing Defense). This can include force-blasts or telekinetic attacks if you choose to define them that way. |
| Light: | This category is electromagnetic radiation in the visible or near-visible spectrum, from infrared to ultraviolet. This includes lasers, high intensity flashes, and similar effects. VIPER and UNTIL blasters fall into this category. Light attacks are often less effective in very dusty or smoky environments. |
| Magic: | A catch-all term to describe mysterious forces used to produce a wide variety of effects. It's important to note that magic can be used to create many different special effects; for instance, magic could be used to create a lightning bolt. That bolt should be considered Lightning, not Magic, in terms of special effects. |
| Magnetism: | This covers magnetic and paramagnetic effects, and is often connected with force fields and telekinesis. Magnetic attacks often work against physical defenses rather than energy defenses. Magnetic powers are often less effective against non-metallic substances, and more effective against magnetic materials such as iron. |
| Psionics: | This force is psychic power or mental forces; the raw power of the mind. Mental powers are usually (but not always) created by psionics, and have a psionic special effect. Psionic attacks usually work against mental defenses. |
| Radiation: | This includes ionizing radiation such as gamma rays, and radiation from radioactive materials, as well as more bizarre forms of radiation emanated by comic book materials. Essentially, all short wavelength electromagnetic radiation falls into this category. Radiation attacks most often work against energy defenses. |
| Sonics: | Pressure waves of all varieties (including infrasound and ultrasound) are in this category. This category of effects would not work at all without a medium of transmission, so it won't function in a vacuum. Sonics would generally be less effective in a low pressure environment, and more effective in a high-pressure environment. Usually Sonic attacks affect Stun Defense or Killing Defense. |
Handling SFX
Special effects can and should be used to make adventures more dramatic,
and sometimes to help characters overcome problems. It's a classic comic
book bit - the hero manages to defeat the villain's plot by tuning his energy
blast to just the right frequency to deactivate the force field, or some
such pseudo-scientific explanation.
Special effects can let a character do a little bit more than the basic
power description suggests, or sometimes they can restrict a power somewhat.
For instance, sonic effects just won't work in a vacuum, but the GM may
let you do some extra damage with a sonic effect under water. It's up to
the GM how much or how little SFX can affect a power. The GM can have the
player make a Power Skill roll to see if special effects can be used to
help; this is often based on Technique, but can be based on other stats.
If you want to make a raw power vs. power contest, you can base the Power
skill on the number of points in the power instead of on a characteristic.
Designing New SFX
The list of SFX provided is a basic one which the GM can add to if needed.
A new character invented by the GM may have completely new special effects;
the Power Cosmic, for instance, which is unlike any other power. Or existing
special effects categories can be split into two or more categories. Magic,
for instance, is very broad, and might be easily split into two or more
different types of magic.
The Fuzion Power Plug-in is designed to create simplified superpowers that
can be converted in and out of the HERO System. While not intended to have
all the sophistication of its "parent" system, this plug in allows
Referees and players to easily create superpowers for their Fuzion campaigns.
Important!: This is a powers list, not the full HERO power construction system. All of the powers in this Plug-in were created by dividing their HERO System cost by 5; we tried to avoid fractions wherever possible, which is why some of the powers, like the Explosive Blast, have costs like 3 points for 2 dice of effect. Not all the Powers are included here, and in the interest of simplification, we have also ignored Advantages, Limitations and other more specialized systems. If these are important to you, you can construct the entire Power as in 4th Edition HERO and convert it to Fuzion as desired.
The Plug-in Powers List is organized by functionality. Each power is organized by type, such as attack, defense, movement, etc. This makes it easy to find the type of power you want. Within each power group, the powers are organized alphabetically.
From Champs 4th Edition to Fuzion and Back Again
To create your own 4th Edition powers for FUZION, follow the steps below:
Build the power as per the 4th Edition HERO System Rules on pages 51 thru 89. (That's basically what we did.)
Divide the real cost by 5. Try to avoid fractions in your final cost; if you end up with a fraction, increase the effectiveness of the power to get an even number or round the fraction up (this is one reason improving powers costs 5 to 1-to match 4th ed powers later on).To convert Fuzion Powers to HERO
Multiply the final cost by 5. Then factor in any Advantages, Limitations or other systems to fully convert the power.
HOW MANY POINTS FOR POWERS?
As a rule Referees should always give points for powers to characters
as a separate pool. This allows greater control over the power level of
the campaign and helps focus the effect that paranormal abilities have on
the game universe. The Dial at left is a good way to determine the extent
of powers on a campaign by providing guidelines for their frequency and
impact on everyday life.
| Power Level of Universe Points | ||
| Powers Unheard of | Almost Reality | 5-10 |
| Powers Uncommon | Paranormal is known about | 10-20 |
| Powers are Special | Heroes are rare | 20-30 |
| Powers Common | Typical Comic Book | 30-40 |
| Powers are Everyday | A Power-based Society | 40-50 |
| Cosmic Powers | Off the Scale | 60+ |
Not Enough Power Points?
With the permission of the GM, you can add Option Points to your Power pool
at a ratio of five to one Power Point.
Can't Find the Power You Want?
Maybe you're looking in the wrong place. Many superheroic Powers are
actually superhuman Characteristics instead. If you really want to build
a guy with a STR of 25, get your GM's permission to exchange some of your
Power (or Campaign) points for Characteristic Points. Power points interchange
with Characteristics on a 1 to 1 basis; Option Points on a 5 to 1 basis.
Unusual Uses of Powers
Unusual uses of Powers in Fuzion can be determined by using the Use
Power skill in conjunction with the most appropriate Characteristic. Attack
and Movement Powers are generally used with the REF or DEX Characteristic;
Defensive, Adjustment, and Sensory Powers with INT, Size powers with CON.
However, the most appropriate Characteristic to use (if a roll is required)
is up to the GM of your campaign.
**Power Building 101: An Example**
Let's say we want to build Fuzionman, the Master of Nuclear Force. We first should decide exactly what Fuzionman's powers are. We settle on the following:
- Fuzion Power Blast (equal to the power of a cannon).
- Fuzion Power Shield (Can stop anything up to a heavy handgun).
- Electron Speed (Allows Fuzionman to fly as fast as a supersonic jet).
- Nuclear Vision (Fuzionman can see through almost any material).
Now let's build Fuzionman's powers. We'll start with the Powers List. Fuzion Power Blast is an Attack Power-the closest thing we can find is an Energy Attack. We decided that a cannon is equal to DC16. At a cost of 1 pts. per 1DC, this means his Atomic Power Blast costs 16 pts. Its range is 10 times the cost-160 m/yds.
The Power Shield is a Defensive Power; we decide it's best described as a Force Field. We decide that since a handgun can deliver an average of 20 pts. of damage; Fuzionman's shield must stop this much at least. At 1pt. per 5 pts. of resistance, the Power Shield will cost us 4 points.
Electron Speed is a Movement power. We decide Supersonic Flight is the best way to do this-if our jet plane can move at Mach 1, then 2 points buys us that one Mach. Plus, since Supersonic Speeds are only for non-combat movement, we 'll also buy Flight for 10m/yds per phase plus an extra Non-combat multiple. The final cost will be 4+2+1 =7pts.
Finally, the Enhanced Sense of Nuclear Vision translates nicely as N-Ray vision, with a base cost of 4 pts. Fuzionman's total powers will cost us 16+4+7+4=31 points.
So much for Fuzionman in Fuzion. But how about in HERO? Simple: converting this value to HERO will cost us 5 times as much, raising this total to 155 points (which we can buy down with various Limitations and Frameworks available in the full HERO system).
Endurance Costs
The END Cost for Powers is 1 END per 2 Power Points in the Power per phase.The END Cost is calcuted after all Adders, but before any Limiters. END Cost for STR is 1 END per 2 points of STR Used.
| Power |
Description |
| Affects Desolid | This is an Energy Blast that can hit targets that are desolid (see Other Powers) as well as normal targets. Affects Desolid attacks follows all of the normal rules for buying an Energy Blast. Affects Desolid Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of damage, subtract 2D6 from the final total. Costs END. |
| Area Attack | This is an Energy Blast that affects an circular area. Area Attacks follow all of the normal rules for buying an Energy Blast, but use the Area Affect To-Hit rules. (See Ranged Attacks.) Area Attack Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 damage in a 1m radius, subtract 4D6 from the final total. Costs END. |
| Armor Piercing Blast | This is an Energy Blast that cuts through the target's defenses. Armor Piercing Blasts follow all of the normal rules for buying an Energy Blast. However, when a target is hit with an AP Blast, his defense is halved (See Damage.) Armor Piercing Blast Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of damage, subtract 3D6 from the final total. Costs END. |
| Darkness | With this power, the character can create a field that is impervious to one sense (usually normal sight). This can be centered around the character, or at range as an attack action. A character who cannot perceive his opponent is 1/2 DEX, 1/2 REF in Hand to Hand, and 0 REF in ranged attacks. If the character can make a Perception Skill roll against a Target Number of 20 he becomes -1 DEX and 1/2 REF in all cases. Darkness Cost: 2 pts. for a 2m/yd radius Darkness Field to one sense, +1 per each additional sense, +2 per each additional sense group, +1m radius for +1 pt. A Constant Power (stays up as long as you spend END on it). |
| Energy Blast | A character with this power can make a ranged STUN attack up to 10m/yds for every point spent on the power (Example: spending 20 points gives you a 200m/yd ranged energy blast). The exact nature of the energy in the blast is left up to the player. The nature of the attack must be determined when the power is purchased; it can be lighting, a blaster bolt, lasers, sonics, a magic blast, or anything else. It does not even have to cause any Collateral or SDP damage at all. Energy Blast normally affects ED (if that optional Characteristic is being used), but it can be designated to affect SD, depending on the special effect. Once again, this must be determined when the power is purchased and cannot be changed later. You must make a Ranged Attack to hit with this attack. Energy Blast Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of damage. Costs 1 END per point used. |
| Entangle | Entangle: This Power can be used to restrain an opponent or create a barrier. An Entangle can be webbing, ice bonds, turning the ground to mud, or anything else the player can think of. An Entangled character can use his STR or any other non-Focused attack to break out of the Entangle. Entangle Cost: 1 pt. per 1d6 of SDP. +4 SD & ED for +1 pt; +3 KD & EKD for +1 pt. Entangle costs END. |
| Explosion | This is an Energy Blast that explodes. Explosions are more effective at the center, and get less powerful as you move away from the origin point. When determining damage for an Explosion, remove the highest die of damage for each 2 meters from the center the target is. Explosion attacks follow all of the normal rules for buying an Energy Blast, but use the Area Affect To-Hit rules. (See Ranged Attacks.) Explosion Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of damage, subtract 2D6 from the final total. Costs END. |
| Find Weakness | This power acts somewhat like a skill; it is the ability to strike at the weak points of a target's defenses. A successful Find Weakness check (1 Action) against a Target Number of 20 will automatically cut the target's defenses in half. This power can be used more than once on the same target, but each successive roll raises the Target Number by +2. If you miss a Find Weakness check on a target, you may not use Find Weakness on him against for that battle. Find Weakness is normally purchased for a single kind of attack. Find Weakness does not use any Characteristic when making a skill check; it is resolved by rolling 3D6 and adding that to the Find Weakness skill. Find Weakness Cost: 2 pts. for a base value of 10; add +1 to your roll for each additional 1 pt. To use Find Weakness on a group of related attacks costs an additional +1 pt. for each. To use it on all your attacks costs +2 pts. |
| Flash | This power allows the character to "flash" an opponent's senses, rendering them unuseable (as in the Power Darkness) Flash normally affects a single sense; additional senses and sense groups may be purchased. Flash is resolved as a normal Ranged Attack, but it ignores normal defenses (see Flash Defense.) Flash Cost: 3 pts. per 2 Phases of Flash of a single sense. To affect additional senses costs +1 pt. per sense; sense groups costs 2 pts. per sense group. |
| Ranged Killing Attack | This allows the character to make a Killing Attack at range. (See Ranged Attacks.) Like an Energy Blast, the special effects of a Killing Attack can vary from a bullet to a laser beam to whatever else the player might desire. Killing Attacks are resolved against the Defense value of the target (See Damage.) This Power can also be defined as a Hand to Hand Killing Attack; in these cases, the character trades range for a damage bonus of 1 additional die for every level of Strength, up to a maximum of twice the number of dice originally generated by the attack. Killing Attack Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of damage, subtract 2D6 from the final total. Costs END. |
| Telekinesis (TK) | A character with this power can manipulate objects at a distance and exert a STR at range. The TK STR is separate from the character's STR, and is defined when this power is purchased. TK can be used to punch or squeeze, but there is no action/reaction with this power; a character could not use his TK to grab a flying character and be dragged along, for example. TK can also move objects at a speed equal to what could be moved at that STR level normally (1/4th of weight maximum at that STR). Telekinesis Cost: 3 pts. per 2 STR; +2 pts. for the ability to make fine manipulations with that STR. |
| Defensive Powers | Note: Any power that gives your character Killing Defense can be defined as giving your character Stun Defense instead. This must be determined when the power is purchased. If Energy Defense is being used, then Armor, Force Field, and Force Wall provide an amount of Energy Killing Defense equal to the Killing Defense provided. If such powers are defined as providing Stun Defense, then they also give an additional amount of Energy Defense equal to the Stun Defense provided. Remember: you will always use the highest value of either Stun Defense or Killing Defense (respectively) in combat. |
| Armor | With this power, the character has some kind of inherent physical defense against Killing and Stun Attacks; thick skin, armor plates, etc. Armor doesn't need to be "turned on"; it's always in effect (aka a Persistent Power). Armor Cost: 1 pt for +2 Killing Defense. Armor uses no END. |
| Danger Sense | This power gives a character a "sixth sense" about danger. At its most basic level, Danger Sense will prevent the character from being surprised in combat, while at more powerful levels, Danger Sense can alert the character to any threat to his person, or even his world. Normally, Danger Sense just gives the character the "feeling" of being in danger. If the hero reacts, he is allowed his full DEX+Skill; he could also attempt to dive clear of a trap, etc. If the characters rolls 12 more than he needs to succeed, the true position and type of danger are known.Danger Sense checks are make automatically, at the request of the GM. The character must make a successful Danger Sense check against a target number of 20. Danger Sense Cost: 2 pts. for a base value of 10, +1 to your roll for each additional 1 pt.; +1 additional pt. to have the power work out of combat against attacks he could normally sense; +1 additional pt. to allow the power to work against any attack. Sense Danger in the immediate area for +1 pt; Sense Danger in the general area for +1 additional pt.; Sense Danger over any area for +1 additional pt. Uses no END. |
| Flash Defense | This power lessens the effect of a Flash attack. Each point of Flash Defense subtracts one Round from the duration of a a successful Flash attack. Flash Defense only affects one sense group; to cover other senses, the points from this power must be allocated among the six sense groups as desired. Flash Defense Cost: 1 pt. for 5 pts. of Flash Defense. Uses no END. |
| Force Field | This power creates a field around the character that can absorb damage. A Force Field provides defense against Killing Attacks. Force Field Cost: 2 pts. for 5 pts. of Killing Defense. Force Field costs END. |
| Force Wall | Force Wall: The ability to project a barrier at a distance. This barrier acts like a wall and has SPD (C:NM, page 150;3). A Force Wall may or may not have a Stun Defense, a Killing Defense, and/or extra area. Force Walls stop damage as per a normal wall. However, if the Force Wall's SDP is reduced to zero (or below), the Force Wall is destroyed and must be re-erected. A Force Wall can also be used to support a weight equal in STR to the number of Power Points invested in SDP Dice and Defenses. Example: a 3 point Force Wall could be used to support 100kg (assuming an Incredible level campaign).
Force Wall Cost: 1 pt. per 1d6 of SDP in a wall 2 m/y wide. +4 SD & ED for +1 pt; +3 KD & EKD for +1 pt; +4 m/y width for +1 pt. Minimum SDP is 1d6. Force Wall costs END each Phase. |
| Invisibility | This power can be used to turn invisible to one sense (usually normal sight). Invisible characters have a "fringe effect" around them. An invisible character with a fringe can be spotted with the affected sense at a range of 2 m/yds or less. In combat, Invisibility often makes the character harder to hit. If an opponent cannot make a successful Perception check, then he is at 1/2 (REF + Levels) in hand-to-hand, and 0 (REF + Levels) at range vs. the character. If the opponent can make a non-targeting PER Test, he is at 1/2 (REF + Levels) in both hand-to-hand and ranged combat. If the Invisible character is making a visible attack, the attackers only takes a -1 to his REF, even at Range. Invisibility Cost: 4 pts. to be invisible to one sense, +1 pt. for each additional sense; +2 pts. for each additional Sense Group, +2 pts. extra for No Fringe Effect. Invisibility costs 1 END each Phase. |
| Knockback Resistance | A character with this power takes reduced Knockback from attacks. Each point of Knockback Resistance subtracts 5 meters of Knockback from all attacks. Knockback Resistance Cost: 1 pt. for -5 meters of Knockback. Knockback Resistance uses no END. |
| Lack of Weakness | It is much harder to spot a weakness with Find Weakness on a character with this power. Each point of Lack of Weakness adds to the Target Number for Find Weakness Skill Checks. Lack of Weakness Cost: 1 pt. to raise the Target Number of Lack of Weakness Rolls against the character by 5. Costs no END. |
| Life Support | This power allows the character to operate in unfriendly or deadly environments without harm.Life Support Cost: See the list below. Life Support costs no END.
|
| Mental Defense | Characters who are resistant to Mental Powers use this power. A character with Mental Defense can resist some of the effects from Ego Attack, Mental Illusions, Mind Control, Mind Scan, and Telepathy. See Mental Powers for more information. Mental Defense Cost: 1 pt. per 5pts. of Mental Defense. Mental Defense costs no END. |
| Missile Deflection & Reflection | A character with this power can block incoming ranged attacks. (See Ranged Combat and Actions.) The Block is made as per the normal blocking rules; use the character's DEX plus any Skill Levels with Missile Deflection he might have. To Reflect an attack, first make a successful Block, and then a standard to-hit roll against the target. Missile Deflection Cost: Check the table below. Missile Deflection and Reflection costs no END to use.
|
| Power Defense | A character with this power is especially resistant to Drain, Transfer, and Transform attacks. Subtract the character's total Power Defense against any incoming offensive Adjustment power before dividing the Attack's die roll. Power Defense Cost: 1 pt. per 5 Power Defense. Costs no END to use. |
| Movement Powers | Movement Powers are those Powers which help the character get from place to place. All characters start with running, sprinting swimming, and a running leap; see Characteristics (pg. 116) for details. These movement powers can supplement those starting values, or add new modes of movement. There are two types of movement: a Run ( (or Combat Movement), and a Sprint (or Non-Combat Movement)). The former involves ducking, weaving, and watching out for enemy attacks. It is normally equal to two times your current MOVE Characteristic (in m/yds). A character has no penalties to his DEX or REF when Running. A character may also move as fast as he can, in a Sprint (aka Non Combat Movement). This has the advantage of increasing the character's running speed, but halving his DEX +Skill levels as well as reducing his REF to 0 at the same time. Your basic Sprinting speed is calculated when you create your character, and is normally 3 times your current MOVE (in m/yds) A character can also increase his non-combat speed by buying Non-Combat Movement Multiples (NCMs). Each NCM costs 1 point and doubles the non-combat speed of a specific type of movement. Example: Speeder has a MOVE of 20, giving him an Sprint (Non-Combat Move) of 60 (or three times his MOVE). He decides to buy two levels of non-combat movement multiples for his Sprint. His non-combat move jumps to 120 (60x2), then 240 (120x2). |
| Clinging | This power allows the character to cling to walls and sheer surfaces and move on them as if they were level. A character with Clinging subtracts 1D6x2 in meters of Knockback, so long as he is in contact with a level surface. Moving along a surface is always at your normal Running movement. Clinging Cost: 2 pts. for Clinging. Clinging uses no END. |
| Faster-Than-Light (FTL) Travel | This movement power allows the character to travel faster than light in space, but not in atmosphere or planet surfaces. Life Support works well with this power. FTL Travel Cost: 2 pts. for the ability to travel 1 Light Year (LY) per year; 3 pts. to travel 8 LY per year (about two a season); 4 pts. to go 32 LY per year (about one a week); 6 pts. to travel 1000 LY/Year (about 3 LY a day). No END cost. |
| Flight | With this the character can fly through the air. With Flight, the character can hover in place, gain altitude, etc. Flight Movement is not derived from your regular MOVE and begins at 0. A character may make a Sprint of 1.5x his Flight Movement. Flight Cost: 1 pt. per 5 m/y of Flight Movement; +1 pt. per x2 NCM. Flight costs 1 END per every 10 m/y moved. |
| Gliding | A character with this power can glide through the air. A Gliding character has some control over his movement, but not the total control provided by Flight. A Gliding character must drop 2 meters per Phase to maintain his forward Gliding Velocity. Gaining altitude is under the Ref's control; doing it slowly by using thermals is usually easy. Gliding Movement is not derived from your regular MOVE and begins at 0. A character may make a Sprint of 1.5x his Gliding Movement. Gliding Cost: 1 pt. per 10 m/y of Gliding Movement; +1 pt. per x2 NCM. Gliding costs no END. |
| Running | A character with this power can run faster than normal. It does NOT add directly to the character's MOVE characteristic. Instead, Running increases the character's figured Run and Sprint stats. Running Cost: 1 pt. per +5 m/y of extra RUN and +7.5 m/y of extra SPRINT; +1 per x2 NCM. Running costs 1 END per each 10 m/y moved. |
| Superleap | This power supplements a character's natural leap. Superleap Cost: 1 pt. per 10 m/y of extra Leaping; +1 pt. per x2 NCM. Superleap costs 1 END for each 10 m/y leapt. |
| Supersonic Flight | This power allows a character to fly (non-combat only) at Mach speeds (>750mph). Acceleration is at a rate of 200mph/phase. Supersonic Flight Cost: 2 pts. for each Mach level, up to Mach 4 (atmosphere) or Mach 10 (space). Flight costs 1 END for each 100km of Flight. |
| Swimming | This power allows the character to swim faster than normal. It does NOT add directly to the character's MOVE characteristic. Instead, Swimming increases the character's figured Swim characteristic. Swimming Cost: 1 pt. per 10 m/y of Swimming Movement; +1 pt. per x2 NCM. Swimming costs 1 END for each 10 m/y swam. |
| Swinging | A character with this power can swing great distances from a line. The character can also swing up to a certain location by attaching a line. To use Swinging the character must be able to attach his swinglines to high buildings, trees, cliffsides, or other high things. Swinging starts at a 0 move. Swinging Cost: 1 pt. per 10 m/y of Swinging Movement; +1 pt. per x2 NCM. Swinging costs no END. |
| Teleportation | A character with this power can disappear from one point and appear at another, without traveling i -between. He can prepare one extra phase to teleport 2x his base distance; this distance can be increased by purchasing Non-Combat Multiples. He may also increase the amount of mass he can take with him. Teleport Cost: 1 pt. per 5 meters of Teleport; +1 pt. per x2 Distance (requires an extra Phase to use), +1 pt. per x2 his Mass (requires an extra Phase to use), 1 pt. per 5 memorized locations; 1 pt. per 1 floating location (i.e.; a location that can be changed by taking at least one Round to memorize a new location). |
| Tunneling | Tunneling allows the character to move through the ground by creating a tunnel roughly his own size. The tunnel is normally left open behind the character; closing it is an option, listed below. Tunneling begins at a 0 Move. This distance can be increased by purchasing Non-Combat Multiples. Cost: 1 pt. per 2 meters of Tunneling through a DEF of 1. +2 DEF for +1 pt.; fill tunnel in behind you for +2 pts. Uses 1 END per 10m/yds travelled. |
| Adjustment Powers | Adjusting a Fuzion Characteristic or Power is done in multiples of 5; you must roll at least 5 pts. on your dice to have any effect. The Characteristic that the Adjustment Power affects must be chosen when the power is purchased. Example: Draino hits Strongman with his amazing STR Drain power; Draino rolls his 5D6 and comes up with a total of 17. 17/5 is 3 and some fraction. Draino drops the fraction, and Strongman subtracts three points from his STR. Power or Characteristic points gained or lost via an Adjustment Power return to their previous value at the rate of 1 Power or Characteristic point a Round. This rate can be adjusted up the Time Table (see Using Your Skills) for the cost of a 1 Power Point per level. Thus, to have a Drain that returns at 1 pt. per hour would be 4 steps up the Time Table, for a total of a x1, or 4 pts. a die. |
| Absorption | The ability to absorb part of an attack and increase your own power. This does not act as a defense. To determine the power of an attack, count the number of dice rolled. To determine your Absorption threshold for that round, roll the number of dice indicated. Absorption effects will fade at a rate of 1 level per Round. Absorption must be designated as working against either Physical Attacks (SD & KD) or Energy Attacks (ED & EKD) when the power is purchases. We accidently left that out of the original write up. Also, Absorption should be limited by special effect. In general, people who absorb energy from all energy or all physical attacks should be rare. Far more common are those people who can absorb energy of a given special effect. This would be a Power Limiter, depending upon the commonality of the special effect in the campaign. Absorbing from a Common Special Effect would be a -1 Limiter. Absorbing from an Uncommon Special Effect would be a -2 Limiter. Absorping from an Extremely Rare Special Effect would be a -4 Limiter. Example: Meteor (my generic example character; coming soon to a book near you!) wants to buy absorption limited to Heat/Flame attacks. Well, those area pretty common in the New Millennium universe, so she gets a -1 Limiter. If she wanted to absorb against Biochemical Attacks, that would be Uncommon, and she would get a -2 Limiter. If she wanted to absorb against Gate Key Energy Attacks, she would get a -4 Limiter as such manifestations are extremely rare. Absorption Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of Absorption threshold. Uses no END. |
| Aid | The ability to temporarily raise your (or someone else's) Characteristic or Power. If Aid raises Characteristic above its starting value, the additional Aid will fade at a rate of 1 level per Round. Aid that restores a Characteristic to its normal levels does not fade. The maximum number of points that can be added through Aid is equal to the highest value that could be rolled on the die in one roll. Aid Cost: 2 pts. per 1D6 of Effect; No Range (touch only). Cost= 1 END per pt. |
| Drain | The ability to temporarily lower one of your target's Characteristics or Powers. Drain effects will fade at a rate of 1 level per Round. Drain Cost: 2 pts. per 1D6; No Range (touch only). Cost= 1 END per pt. used. |
| Transfer | The ability to temporarily lower one of your target's Characteristics and Powers, and transfer it to one of your Characteristics or Powers. The Characteristic or Power lowered does not have to be the same as the Characteristic or Power increased. Transfer effects will fade at a rate of 1 level per Round. Transfer Cost: 3 pts. per 1D6. No Range (touch only). Transfer costs 1 END per pt. used. |
| Ranged Aid | The ability to temporarily raise your (or someone else's) Characteristic or Power. Unlike normal Aid, this is usable at Range. Ranged Aid Cost: 3 pts. per 1D6 of Effect. Ranged Aid costs END to use. |
| Ranged Drain | The ability to temporarily lower one of your target's Characteristics or Powers: Unlike normal Drain, this is usable at Range. Ranged Drain Cost: 3 pts. per 1D6. Ranged Drain costs END to use. |
| Ranged Transfer | The ability to temporarily lower one of your target's Characteristics and Powers, and transfer it to one of your Characteristics or Powers. The Characteristic or Power lowered does not have to be the same as the Characteristic or Power increased. Unlike normal Transfer, this is usable at Range. Ranged Transfer Cost: 9 pts. per 2D6. Ranged Transfer costs END to use. |
| Size Powers | Growth The ability to grow bigger. In general, Growth doubles your height, width and mass for every point invested. (This is a simplified formula; see the table on Page 72 of the Hero System Rulebook for more precise information about this power). Characters who have Growth should be easier to spot. So when other people are making Perception Skill Rolls to see a character who is Grown, they will get a bonus of +2 to their AV for every 3 pts. of Growth the target character has. Example: Meteor is searching the battlefield for Giant, the Growing Man. Giant has 8 pts. in Growth, making him quite tall. Meteor gets a +4 Bonus to her AV when making her Perception Check. Growth Cost: Each 1 pt. gets you +1 STR, x2 Mass, -1" Knockback, +1 BODY, +1 STUN. Each 3 pts. of Growth also gives you -2 DEX for Combat Purposes, x2 Height and Width, x2 Reach. Growth costs 1 END per point used. Shrinking The ability to get smaller, which also gives you several advantages. (See the Shrinking table on Page 84 of the Hero System Rulebook for more information, but note that in Fuzion the rate at which you get smaller has been doubled) Shrinking Cost: 2 pts. gets you 1/4 height and width, 1/16th Mass, +2 DEX for Combat Purposes, -2 to all PER Rolls made against you, +6 meters Knockback when you are attacked. Shrinking costs END to use. |
| Enhanced Senses | These powers give a character the ability to sense things beyond the range of normal human senses. A character can buy several Enhanced Senses to reflect a wide array of sense. For ease of organization, all the senses have been grouped into Sense Groups. These groups can also affect some of the other powers, like Darkness and Flash Attacks. |
| Sense Groups |
|
| Active Sonar | The character emits high-frequency sound that bounce off nearby objects and return to him. This allows the character to sense nearby objects, and can compensate for normal blindness. However, the character cannot "see" fine detail, like print on paper or colors, and the high-frequency "pings" can be heard by anyone with Ultrasonic Hearing. Active Sonar is a targeting sense. Cost 3 pts. |
| Discriminatory Sense: | The character can make a Perception check to absolutely identify and analyze an object with a certain sense. Cost 1 pt. |
| Enhanced Perception: | +3 with one sense for 1 pt.; +2 with all senses for 1 pt. |
| High Range Radio Hearing: | The character can hear and transmit up and down the radio and television communications bands. Cost 2 pts. |
| Infrared Vision: | The character can see heat patterns and traces. The character has normal Perception checks at night, but can only perceive outlines of people and objects. Cold objects will be very dark while hot things may be blindingly bright. Cost 1 pt. |
| Mental Awareness: | The character can sense the use of Mental Powers. A character with this sense can "see" both the user and the target of Mental Attacks that are used in the character's line of sight. Cost 1 pt. |
| Microscopic Vision: | The character can view nearby objects at 10x magnification. This power may be purchased more than once; the second time allows 100x magnifications, the third time 1000x, etc. Cost 1 pt. per level. |
| N-Ray Vision: | The character can make normal sight Perception checks through most materials. The character must define a reasonably common substance that his N-Ray Vision cannot see through. Cost 4 pts. |
| Radar Sense: | The character emits radio waves that bounce off nearby objects and return to him. This allows the character to sense nearby objects, and can compensate for normal blindness. However, the character cannot "see" fine detail, like print on paper or colors, and the high-frequency "pings" can be heard by anyone with High Range Radio Hearing. Radar is a targeting sense. Cost 3 pts. |
| Radio Hearing & Transmit: | The character can hear and transmit on local AM, FM, and Police band signals. Cost 1 pt. |
| Range: | This allows a character to use a non-ranged sense at range. For example, a character who bought this for his sense of taste would be able to taste objects at range. Cost +1 pt. |
| Spatial Awareness: | The character can sense his surroundings without having contact with them. A character with this sense can operate normally in total darkness or when blinded, but cannot sense fine details. Spatial Awareness is a targeting sense. Cost 5 pts. |
| Targeting Sense: | The character can use a non-targeting sense (like smell or hearing) as a targeting sense to locate targets in combat. Targeting Sense can be bought with any normal or special sense. Cost 4 pts. |
| Tracking Scent: | The character can track someone or something by scent with a successful smell Perception check. Cost 2 pts. |
| Ultrasonic Hearing: | The character can hear very high and very low frequency sounds. Cost 1 pt. |
| Ultraviolet Vision: | The character sees at night as well as he does during the day (no night penalties are taken). This assumes there is some UV light coming from the stars. If there is no UV light (such as in the power Darkness) then the character gains no advantage. Cost 1 pt. |
| 360 Degree Sensing: | The character can make a Perception check against any point around him; this makes it much more difficult to surprise the character. Cost 2 pts. for one Sense Group; 5 pts. for all Senses. |
| See in the Dark: | The character can see in total darkness (including the Power) as though it were normal daylight. Cost 2 pts. |
| Other Powers | This is a catch-all category for powers that don't fit into any other categories. Change Environment A character with this power can make minor changes to the surrounding environment. The character could, for example, make it rain, create light, create an intense (but non-damaging) magnetic field, or the like. The environment create must be chosen when this power is purchased. Change Environment Cost: 1 pt. gives you the ability to change the environment for two m/yds, x2 Radius for +1 point. You can vary the environment for double the cost of the power. Change Environment costs 1 END per point per Phase to use. Clairsentience This power makes one of the character's senses (usually normal sight) work at a distance. It generally works as if the character were standing some distance away from his current position. The maximum range the character can project his senses is the points spent on the power x 50 m/yds. Clairsentience Cost: 4 pts. gives you a PER Roll with one sense, +1 pt. per additional Sense; +2 pts. per additional Sense Group. See in the future is +4 pts.; See into the Past is +4 pts.; See into other dimensions is +4 pts. Double Range for +1 pt. Clairsentience costs END to use. |
| Change Environment | A character with this power can make minor changes to the surrounding environment. The character could, for example, make it rain, create light, create an intense (but non-damaging) magnetic field, or the like. The environment create must be chosen when this power is purchased. Change Environment Cost: 1 pt. gives you the ability to change the environment for two m/yds, x2 Radius for +1 point. You can vary the environment for double the cost of the power. Change Environment costs 1 END per point per Phase to use. |
| Clairsentience | This power makes one of the character's senses (usually normal sight) work at a distance. It generally works as if the character were standing some distance away from his current position. The maximum range the character can project his senses is the points spent on the power x 50 m/yds. Clairsentience Cost: 4 pts. gives you a PER Roll with one sense, +1 pt. per additional Sense; +2 pts. per additional Sense Group. See in the future is +4 pts.; See into the Past is +4 pts.; See into other dimensions is +4 pts. Double Range for +1 pt. Clairsentience costs END to use. |
| Density Increase | With this power, the character may become stronger and physically tougher by increasing his density. This increased density does not alter the character's appearance. Density Increase Cost: 1 pt. gives you 2x Mass, +1 STR, +1 PD, +1 ED, -2 m/y Knockback. Density Increase costs END to use. |
| Desolidification | Allows character to become insubstantial and walk through walls and ignore attacks. A character buying this power must choose the special effects of a reasonably common group of attacks that will affect him while he is desolid. Mental Attacks still affect the character unless he buys extra points of this power. Desolidification Cost: 8 pts. to become desolid, +4 pts. if it affects Mental Powers as well. Desolidification costs END to use. |
| Extra Limbs | A character with this power has one or more extra limbs. These limbs can be extra arms, a prehensile tail, or anything else. Extra Limbs have no effect on combat, but can have other uses in the game. Extra Limbs Cost: 1 pt. for any number of extra limbs. Extra Limbs costs no END. |
| Instant Change | A character with this power can instantly change from on identity to another and back again. Instant Change Cost: 1 pt. for the ability to change to your costume; 2 pts. to change to any set of clothes. Instant Change costs no END. |
| Stretching | A character with this power can stretch parts of his body, attack at range (2m/yds per point spent) and reach for things at long distance. Stretching Cost: 1 pt. for 2 meters (4 meters of non-combat) Stretching. Stretching costs 1 END per point used. |
| Multipowers | Because characters use only one attack Power at a time, you can buy Multiple Attack Powers (or Multipower) at a reduced cost. A Multipower costs as much as the largest attack power in the group. Each power in the group also costs 2 points. Only one of the powers in a Multipower may be active at any time. On the character sheet, list the cost of the largest attack power in the Multipower slot, and list the cost of each power in the multipower as "2m".
|
| The Weatherman | The Fireball | The Brick | The Energy Blaster | The BugMan | The Big Claw |
Create Fog [Darkness] Tornado [Telekinesis, Area Effect] Wind Riding [Flight] Weather control [Change Environment] |
Fire Blast [Ranged Killing Attack] Fireflight [Flight] Heat Attack [Energy Blast] Fireball [Explosion] Fire Body [Desolidification] |
Tough Blue Skin [Armor] Really Tough [Knockback Resistance] Spends rest of Points increasing STR, BODY, STUN |
Optic-Laser Stun[Energy Blast] Optic-Laser Blast [Ranged Killing Attack] Optic Deflection [Missile Deflection] |
Insect Wall-walk [Clinging] Webslinger Action [Swinging] Insect Spring [Superleap] Danger Sense [Enhanced Perception] |
Unobtainium Claws [Killing Attack] Unobtainium Body [Armor] Regeneration [Buy up REC w/ Ref's OK] Superstrength [Buy up STR] |
| MENTAL POWER PLUG-IN |
Mental Powers are still another kind of superhuman ability. However, since (unlike flying, energy blasts or invisibility) they are often encountered in science fiction and (or at least some people believe) real life settings, they rate their own special Plug-In.
Mental Powers are all based on a character's mental, rather than physical abilities. They directly affect the target's mind, ignoring conventional defenses. Mental Powers are targeted with the mind, using WILL + Use Power Skill to target instead of REF or DEX.
All Mental Powers are invisible to characters who don't themselves have a Mental Power or Mental Awareness. However, the target of a Mental Power can sense the source of the attack and the identity of the attacker. This identification occurs immediately for Ego Attack or Mind Scan; for Telepathy, Mind Control, or Mental Illusions it occurs after the Power is no longer affecting the character.
| Power |
Description | ||||||||||
| Mental Attack | The ability to directly attack another mind. Mental Attacks are Stun only, have no effect on inanimate objects, and have no knockback or Stun Rollover. Mental Attack Cost: 2 pts. per 1D6 of damage. Uses WILL to target. Ego Attack costs END. | ||||||||||
| Mental Defense | Characters who are resistant to Mental Powers use this power. A character with Mental Defense can resist some of the effects from Mental Attack, Mental Illusions, Mind Control, Mind Scan, and Telepathy. Note: Mental Defense is bought as a Power Mental Defense Cost: 1 pt. per 5 Mental Defense. Mental Defense costs no END. | ||||||||||
| Mental Illusions | The ability to project illusions directly into the target's mind. These illusions seem real to the target, and can even do damage. The subtler the illusion, the more likely it is to affect the target. Mental Illusions Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of effect. Uses WILL to target. Mental Illusions costs 1 END/Phase. For every 1 pt. spent in the illusion, you can do 1D6 STUN. or for every 3 pts., you can do 1D6 Killing. | ||||||||||
| Mind Control | This power can take control of a character's mind, and thereby his actions. Once again, the subtler the control (you must issue verbal commands), the more likely it is to affect the target. Mind Control Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of effect. Uses WILL to target. Mind Control costs 1 END per Phase. | ||||||||||
| Mind Link | This variation of telepathy sets up a two-way mental link, within the area of one planet, allowing instant mental communication. Both ends of the link must be willing in order for a Mind Link to be established. Mind Link Cost: 1 pt. per one specific mind; +1 pt. to for a related group of minds, one mind at a time; +1 more pt. for any one mind; +1 pt. for 2x the number of minds; +1 pt. for any distance; +1 pt. for any dimension. Mind Link costs no END. | ||||||||||
| Mind Scan | The ability to establish a line of sight to a target via your tremendous mental powers. The LOS is a two-way connection; the target will know where the attacker is and can use Mental Powers to defend himself. Modified by number of minds in scan area (see table) Mind Scan Table Number Mod
Mind Scan Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of effect. Uses WILL to target. Mind Scan costs 1 END/Phase. | ||||||||||
| Telepathy | This power allows the character to read or send thoughts. Surface thoughts are relatively easy to read; deeper thoughts or the subconscious take quite a bit more effort to reach. Telepathy Cost: 1 pt. per 1D6 of effect. Uses WILL to target. Telepathy costs 1 END/Phase. |
RESOLVING MENTAL POWER USE
Resolving Mental Attacks:
Resolving all other Mental Powers:
With the exception of Mental Attack, Mental Powers are resolved as
follows:
| Mental Illusions Result |
Effect |
| >than Resistance | Attacker can make cosmetic changes to setting |
| 10 >than Resistance | Attacker can make major changes to setting |
| 20 >than Resistance | Attacker can completely alter setting |
| 30 >than Resistance | Target no longer interacts with real environment |
Modifiers (subtracted from Effect Number) can be applied at any level):
+10 Target can take STUN from illusory attacks
+20 Target can take Killing Damage from illusory attacks
| Mind Control Effect |
Effect |
| >than Resistance | Target will perform action he is inclined to perform anyway. |
| 10 >than Resistance | Target will perform actions he wouldn't mind doing. |
| 20 >than Resistance | Target will perform actions he is normally against doing |
| 30 >than Resistance | Target will perform actions he is violently opposed to doing. |
Modifiers (subtracted from Effect Number)
+10 Target will not remember actions performed while Mind Controlled
+20 Target will remember actions and will think they were natural
-5 Order is worded in exceptionally convincing manner.
+5 Order is poorly conceived or contradictory.
| Telepathy Effect |
Effect |
| >than Resistance | The telepath can read or send surface thoughts. |
| 10 >than Resistance | The telepath can read deep, hidden thoughts. |
| 20 >than Resistance | The telepath can read into the target's memory |
| 30 >than Resistance | The telepath can read into the target's subconscious. |
| Mind Scan Effect |
Effect |
| >than Resistance | Attacker can establish Mind Link or use first level of Telepathy (communication.) He also knows the direction of the target. |
| 10 >than Resistance | Attacker can use all Mental Powers on target, and can estimate general distance to target. |
| 20 >than Resistance | Mentalist can attack with all types of attacks, mental or otherwise. (Mind Scan as a Targeting Sense). He knows the exact location of the target. To hit with a non-mental Power, the attack must be able to reach the target. Remember that Mind Scan works both ways. The target will receive all of the benefits the attack gets from the use of this power. |
| 30 >than Resistance | See above |
| MARTIAL ARTS PLUG-IN |
Martial Arts. Kung Fu kicks, Karate chops-or, at the most esoteric and powerful levels, Ki strikes that slam an opponent with the force of the master's sheer will. As a Martial Artist, you have had training in a specialized Martial Art, allowing you to use Martial Arts techniques, as well as perhaps building your own Martial Arts style of combat with new techniques if your GM (and campaign) permits.
How Common Are Martial Arts in Your Campaign?
Don't just assume everyone in your game is a Streetfighting, Mortal-Buttkickin'
Ninja Teenager. Remember, up until the 1960's, almost no one in Western
culture knew anything about Martial Arts; there were few schools and what
few there were didn't often admit non- Asians. By the mid 80's, Martial
Arts schools (thanks to guys like Bruce Lee) were
pretty much everywhere. Yet over in the far East, there were literally thousands
of martial arts schools, sub-schools and styles.
| Campaign Style |
Cost of Martial Arts |
| Martial Arts are very rare | x3 |
| Martial Arts are Uncommon | x2 |
| Martial Arts are common | x1 |
| Chinese Action Theatre (Everyone has Martial Arts) | x 0.5 |
The Martial Arts Multiplier (above) reflects this by allowing you to set the cost of buying Martial Arts in your campaign; you can make them cheap or expensive, depending on the setting and availability. Here are a few guidelines:
Very Rare: Settings like the Old West, Victorian England, Pre- Industrial Europe.
Uncommon: Settings like Post WW II America, Victorian Far Eastern Colonial settings (Hong Kong, India, Singapore, Macao, Shanghai, Manila), or in any place where Martial Arts are restricted by ethnicity, culture, military or religious reasons.
Common: Today's Western cultures; all Asian cultures throughout time, most science fiction settings, or in any setting where Martial Arts training is commercially available to everyone.
Chinese Action: Everyone not only has martial arts, but everyone is a would-be kung-fu master. Examples would be any Chinese action flick styled campaign, any samurai film-styled setting and most animé campaigns.
To determine the OP cost to buy Martial Arts training, simply multiply the overall cost of the training (next page) by the multiplier for your campaign setting. Example: buying Karate has a base cost of 9 in a Martial-Arts common culture (like 1990s California). However, in a Martial Arts Uncommon setting (like 1870s Tokyo, where few schools will teach non-Japanese), the price would double to 18.
Pick a School
Once you establish your campaign's Martial Arts level, the next thing is
to pick what kind of schools of Martial Arts will be available. The list
below are of the most common types of martial arts studied today:
Aikido: This is a Japanese art founded in 1942 by Morihei Uehiba and derived from the earlier Aikijutsu. It stresses discipline and a nonviolent attitude. The art, as practiced in combat, concentrates on balance, rhythm and use of an opponent's force against himself. It largely involves redirecting an opponent's energies, especially in throws and takedown maneuvers.
Kung Fu: Kung Fu, in Chinese, simply means "hard work" or "skill." Kung Fu is a very fragmented art, with innumerable different styles and techniques. The Kung Fu style listed here is a "generic" style, concentrating on strikes (both hand and feet) and specialized weapons.
Karate: Karate was developed from the same ancient traditions that led to the development of Kung Fu. By the fifth century AD, on the Okinawa Islands, a weaponless combat style called te ("hand") had developed. Later, when the teachings of the Shaolin Temple in China were carried to Okinawa, some of the Shaolin techniques were infused with the te art. Karate is much like Kung Fu, but has fewer techniques.
Judo: This Japanese art grew out of the integration of the weapons techniques of katori shinto ryu and grappling techniques during the 15th century. The usual Judo technique involves bearing an opponent to the ground and then pinning him there or rendering him unconscious. The art utilizes hip throws, shoulder and neck locks, and a sacrifice body drop.
Wrestling: Wrestling, as a martial art, dates back into prehistory. In history, famous examples of wrestling arts include the wrestling practiced in Greece, China, and India from their earliest recorded histories. Wrestling continues today as a popular collegiate and professional sport.The version here can be defined as either realistic wrestling or the showier style of TV's "pro" wrestling.
StreetFighting: This a generic martial art practiced by many superheroes and Hollywood Tough Guys. It can be used to simulate someone who learned to fight on the streets.
Can't Find Something You Like?
Get creative! You can either rename an existing school to make it sound
more interesting, or even build your own using the various techniques listed
on the next page (each technique costs 1.5 points).
Example: Chas wants to build a futuristic fighting form called MoK-To, based on the planet Aldebaran. He builds it using Martial Block, Martial Dodge, Nerve Strike, and Ki Strike; his total cost is 6 Option Points. His GM further rules that since MoK-To is restricted to only the Shadow Monks of Aldebaran, Chas must either adventure there to convince the monks to teach him, or spend the multiplier for Uncommon (x2) raising the overall cost to 12 points.
Fist of the- What?
In animé, video games and some martial arts films, martial arts
also include incredible feats of levitation, energy blasts and mind control.
These are better simulated by using the Powers and Mental Powers plug-in's
of Fuzion to create powers which are then grouped and purchased (on
a point basis) like regular Martial Arts training.
What Do I Get for the Points?
In addition to the techniques of their schools (you
can take more than one), all characters with Martial Artists abilities
may increase the power of their attacks by taking the option of Extra Damage.
This allows the character to do more damage with martial arts maneuvers
than his Strength might otherwise indicate. Each level of Extra Damage purchased
adds +1D6 damage or +1 STR to the effect of the maneuver, as appropriate.
Extra Damage Costs 2 Option Points per level.
| Actions |
Description | Aikido | Kung Fu | Karate | Judo | Wrestling | Street fighting |
| Basic Strike | Add 1D6 to your normal STR-based damage, +2 to DEX | * | * | * | |||
| Breakfall | Take 1/2 normal falling damage, regain feet as a Free Action | * | * | * | * | ||
| Defensive Strike | Strike. Adds +1 to REF, +3 to DEX | * | * | ||||
| Ki Strike | Ranged HTH attack at -2 REF. Damage as normal, or trade 1D6 for each successive m/yd of distance from target | * | |||||
| Killing Strike | Ranged HTH attack at -2 REF. Damage as normal | * | * | ||||
| Martial Arts Weapons |
Trained in the use of all hand to hand martial arts weapons (tonfa, nunchaku, sai) | * | |||||
| Martial Block | Blocks all but bladed weapons, adds +2 to DEX, REF | * | * | * | * | * | |
| Martial Disarm | Disarm, with a +2 to STR during the maneuver. | * | * | * | * | ||
| Martial Dodge | Adds +5 to DEX for dodging purposes that phase | * | * | * | * | ||
| Martial Escape | Adds +3 to STR for escape purposes | * | * | * | |||
| Martial Grab | Adds +2 to STR for purposes of the Grab | * | * | * | |||
| Martial Throw | +Target knocked prone, takes damage, must spend 1 Action to get back up again. | * | * | * | * | * | |
| Nerve Strike | Does 2D6 damage, no Stun Defense; -2REF | * | * | ||||
| Offensive Strike | Adds +2D6 to basic strike, at -2 REF, +1 DEX. | * | * | ||||
| Sacrifice Throw | with +2 to REF, Target and Attacker both knocked prone. | * | * | ||||
| Point Totals: | 16 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 16 |
Basic Strike: The character has been trained in how to deliver an attack with greater force than a normal punch. They add 1D6 to their normal STR-based damage, +2 to DEX.
Breakfall: The character has been trained how to fall without hurting himself, and can roll to his feet from most falls.
Defensive Strike: This attack is more of a probe than a full-out attack. It can represent a jab, a quick strike, or any other attack where the attacker is more concerned about defending himself than really damaging his opponent. Adds +1 to REF, +3 to DEX.
Ki Strike: With the proper training, and proper strength of will, some characters can make hand-to-hand attacks at range. As it is difficult to project your ki over a great distance, the damage of this attack decreases with distance.
Killing Strike: This attacks allows the character to do killing damage attacks without using a weapon. A Killing Strike can be striking a limb to break it, a throat or kidney punch, the classic "karate chop," or any other appropriate type of blow.
Kung Fu Weapons: The character is trained in the use of martial arts weapons, and can use these weapons with his martial arts Actions.
Martial Block: This is a trained block. A character with this maneuver is very good at blocking melee attacks. Adds +2 to DEX, REF
Martial Disarm: The character has been trained to knock weapons (and other objects) out of his foes' hands. A disarm will only affect items that are held with one hand; two-handed objects must be grabbed away. +2 to STR during the maneuver.
Martial Dodge: You've practiced getting out of the way of attacks. This dodge will work against ranged as well as melee attacks. Adds +5 to DEX for dodging purposes that phase
Martial Escape: You've been taught how to get out of even the strongest grab or hold, adding +3 to your STR for escape purposes
Martial Grab: The character has been trained on how to grab and hold his foes.
Martial Throw: Instead of striking, a character with the Martial Artist Talent may declare he is throwing his opponent. The attacker makes a normal attack. If it is successful, he throws the target to the ground and does his normal Strength Damage. After being thrown, the defender is prone, and must act after the attacker next round regardless of their Initiative rolls. A thrown target may not use his Athletics skill to automatically roll to his feet; he must spend one action instead.
Nerve Strike: This is a strike targeted at the vulnerable nerve clusters of the human body. As such, the target does not get his SD versus this attack. Since a good deal of accuracy is needed to land these blows, the attacker must spend at least one round aiming at his target before using this attack. Does 2D6 damage, at -2REF
Offensive Strike: This is an all-out attempt to mangle your target. An Offensive Strike covers a flying kick, a full-out haymaker punch, or any other full out style attack. Adds +2D6 to basic strike, at -2 REF, +1 DEX.
Sacrifice Throw: This maneuver represents any move where the attacker falls to take down his opponent. It can be a judo throw, a sliding takedown, a football tackle, or any other move where both the attacker and his target end up on the ground. Martial Throw, with +2 to REF, Target and Attacker both knocked prone. If this attack missed, the attacker is on the ground at the feet of his opponent anyway. Not a good place to be.
| MEKTON PLUG-IN |
Vehicles. Planes, trains, automobiles; they're easy to classify. But
what about space stations, cosmo ray-beam projectors, giant robots or sexy
skintight powered armor suits? Where do they fit in? Are they Vehicles?
Gadgets? Armor? Inventions? Luckily, the Japanese, who love technology,
have given the lexicon of high tech the perfect term: Mecha. Derived from
the word mechanism, mecha are any complex machine, generally requiring some
type of pilot or operator. Mecha include cars, planes, helicopters,ships,
spacecraft, giant robots, powered armor, and more.
In general, since mecha are pretty much always superheroic vehicles, they
are purchased like other kinds of superpowers. (in
fact, GM's can elect to allow players in superheroic settings to spend points
on mecha instead of powers, or a combination of both).
Fuzion and Mekton Z
Fuzion's Mecha Plug-In allows the creation of simplified mecha that
are fairly compatible with the MEKTON Z RPG. While not intended to offer
all the powerful features of its "parent" system, this Plug-In
allows Referees and players to easily create new vehicles for Fuzion campaigns.
The Fuzion Plug-in differs from its MEKTON Z parent in the following ways:
- Spaces: Space are ignored in Fuzion. If you plan to convert back to MEKTON Z (which uses Spaces), assume 1 space per each Kill in your mecha, with each weapon/thruster using 1 space per point. Wheels and Treads neither contribute nor use spaces.
- Servo/Torso Kills: In Fuzion, Torso Kills are assumed to be 2 per level. Servo Kills in Fuzion are generalized to be 1 per level; in MEKTON, arms and legs are really 1+(1 per level); other parts remain the same.
- Movement: To convert MEKTON movement to Fuzion, multiply your MA by 5. To get MA from Move reverse the process, dividing MOVE by 5 to get MA.
- Weapons: All FUZION weapons are designed as generic, using the projectile weapon construction rules from MZ+ (to get exact matches for other types, you must use each specific case from MZ+).
BASIC GENERIC MECHA CONCEPTS
Although these rules don't deal with the actual process of constructing specific mecha (this may vary from campaign to campaign) all "mechanism" designs involve the same elements:
- Armor: Most mecha have armor to provide physical or other types of defense. Example: The Mega-Rapier assault mecha has a Killing Defense of 100 in it's mighty armored hull plates
- Kills: A measure of very large scale damage or the ability to take large amounts of damage. Example: The Mega Rapier's 100 PD translates to 2 Kills. See the Damage section for more on Kills.
- Maneuver value [MV]: How responsive the mecha is to its pilot or operator. The MV value is applied to the pilot's REF (& DEX for Powered Suits) whenever Actions are taken or Initiative is rolled.
- Movement: The way the mecha gets around (if it can). Usually expressed as a MOVE characteristic, but different types of Movement may be employed by the same mecha; these are detailed in their descriptions. Example: The RoboBike can drive like a motorcycle (Surface MOVE 25), fly like an aerodyne (Flying MOVE 2) and run like a person (Running MOVE 20).
- Sensors: Vehicles with transparent canopies usually don't rely on computerized information, but machines whose cockpit is enclosed by armor needs sensor systems. If such a machine loses its sensors in battle, its pilot suffers -4 to all combat rolls.
- Structure: Being inanimate, mecha record their damage as either Structural Damage Points (SDP); particularly large or tough mechanisms use Kills, a way of measuring BIG damage.
- Style: A cool-looking enough mecha can actually add to its operator's Presence Characteristic in much the way that a Ferrari can enhance anyone's coolness. Such Styling is always expressed as a bonus to the pilot's PRE characteristic.
- Weapons: Many mecha have built-in or carried weapons. These operate much as other weapons do, but due to their large size and awesome power, their capability to do damage is often measured in flat KILLS rather than DICE of damage.
- Weight: Most mecha, being complex machines, weigh a fair amount. This is usually measured in kilograms or metric tons.
- Special Systems:
These are special systems that are unique to certain mecha designs. If present, they are always outlined as part of the mecha's description for the individual campaign.- Transformation: Certain types of mecha can change from one form to another, or otherwise vary their configuration to achieve different effects. This takes 1 Action and is usually part of the mecha's description; the transformer's abilities are also usually listed with this description.
- Automated or Intelligent systems: These are highly advanced computers that can operate the mecha independent of a human pilot. These are generally described as one or two characteristic "characters" (INT and REF for example), unless they are intended to be fully realized artificial intellects.
- Synchro-Systems: These are systems that react or interface with their human operators to a level where they actually enhance their performance. Synchro systems usually give a bonus to their pilot's REF and/or DEX characteristics or WA.
STEP ONE: CHOOSE A FORM
- What is your mecha going to look like? Is it a giant robot, a crimefighter's car or maybe a super jet? In general, there are five common types of mecha, each with its own special abilities:
- Humanoid: This is the form used to create the "giant robot" of Japanese animé. In smaller forms, it can be used to create power armor or personal fighting armors. Abilities: +3 to MV; this is the only form that can use hand weapons.
- Vehicle: This is the form used to create cars, tanks, boats and submarines, In general, this form consists of a main body and some type of movement system on the underside, such as wheels, treads, props, thrusters or ground effect (GEV) systems. Abilities: Surface Move +3, -1 MV.
- Animorphic: This is the form used to create animals of all types, from giant tigers to spiders. The animorphic form usually consists of a main body and two or more pairs of legs; a tail is optional. Abilities: +2 Surface MOVE. +1 SDPs or KILLs (as applicable) to melee damage.
- Aircraft: This is the form used to create all types of flying vehicles, including spaceships. In general, this form consists of a main body and two or more paired wings; although an aircraft doesn't require wings in many cases. Abilities: Thruster speed doubled, -2MV.
- Bases: This is the form used to create non moving, protected places. The form consists of a main body (in this case, the largest" room" and several extremities (or subrooms/ passages). A Base cannot be moved.Abilities: +2 Armor SDPs or KILLs (as applicable), 360º firing arc.
BUY THE PARTS
Decide how big the main body (aka the torso) of your vehicle is. The examples on the table will give you a few ideas of rough sizes; pick the closest approximation. Now, buy your main body. If you have heads, arms, legs, wings, tentacles, wheels, treads or other extremities (aka servos) attached to the main body, buy these next. Extremities may not be more than 1 level greater than the Main Body and Servos with SDP may not be combined with Kills.
Level Example mainbody PP weight extremeties
armorPP weight Microlight 1 light body armor 10sdp 0.3 10kg 5sdp 0.1 0.1 5kg Microlight 2 hvy body armor 20sdp 0.4 22kg 10sdp 0.2 11kg Microlight 3 cycle, small car 40sdp 0.5 .4ton/400kg 25sdp 0.3 .3ton/300kg Microlight 4 car, copter, power armor 60sdp 0.8 .6ton/600kg 35sdp 0.4 .4ton/400kg Microlight 5 big car, small truck 80sdp 1.0 .8ton/800kg 45sdp 0.5 .5ton/500kg Microlight 6 truck 2k 1.5 1ton/1000kg 50sdp 0.6 .6ton/600kg Superlight small plane 3k 2 1ton 1k 0.7 .5tons Lightweight apc, armored car 4k 4 2ton 2k 1 1tons Striker fighter jet 6k 6 3ton 3k 2 1.5tons Medium Striker tank 8k 8 4ton 4k 3 2tons Heavy Striker cargo jet 10k 10 5ton 5k 4 2.5tons Mediumweight small giant robot 12k 12 6tons 6k 5 3tons Light Heavy jumbo jet 14k 14 7tons 7k 6 3.5tons Medium Heavy typical giant robot 16k 16 8tons 8k 7 4tons Armored Heavy big giant robot 18k 18 9tons 9k 8 4.5tons Superheavy small ship, spaceship 20k 20 10tons 10k 9 5tons Megaheavy huge giant robot 22k 22 11tons 11k 10 5.5tons BUY ARMOR
This is the Phyiscal Defense (PD) of your vehicle. You'll use the same column of the table as you did for Extremities.The PD level of armor on the table above is as listed for that level; the OP cost is the PD multiplied by the number of extremities and your main body combined. You may not armor a mecha higher than 2 levels over its Main Body level, all areas must be armored at the same level, and you may not combine SDPs with Kills.Choose Weapons (if any):
Using the weapons table below, choose how you want to arm your mecha. Weapons are purchased by their damage classes, not by any specific weapon; the weapons listed are only examples. Feel free to invent the effects and style of the weapon you want. Weapons are constructed by buying the basic DC or Kills of the weapon, then buy the range and accuracy of the weapon. Note: The largest weapon you may place on any Microlight main bodied mecha is 3K .
- DC Typical Weapon Example Base Cost
- dc 7 light rifle 5
- dc 8 heavy rifle 8
- dc 10 50 cal machinegun 10
- dc 11 man portable howitzer 11
- dc 12 15mm cannon, man portable laser cannon 12
- dc 13 20mm cannon 13
- 1k railgun, 30-50mm cannon, lt. beam gun 14
- 2k 60-80mm cannon, rocket pod, beam sword* 15
- 3k 90-100mm cannon, mecha machine cannon 16
- 4k 120-140mm cannon, beam cannon 17
- 5k 150-200mm cannon, mecha melee weapon* 18
- 6k hvy. autocannon, missile pod, hvy. beam gun 19
- 7k 300mm cannon 20
- 8k hvy. beam cannon, 21
- 9k Artillery Cannon, mecha howitzer, 22
- 10k Large Artillery Cannon, mega beam cannon 23
- 11k battleship cannon 24
- 12k Cruise missile, 18in battleship cannon 10
- *Range is automatically 1
- Ranges & WAs
- The Base Range for a ranged Weapon is 200m/yds; you'll add+1 for every doubling of range. Weapon Accuracy (WA) is purchased at +1 point for each additional level over a starting base of +0.
- Get a Final Total of SDP or Kills)
- Now, add the SDP (or Kills) of your main body, all extremities, all armor and all weapons together. This is the total SDP or Kills of your vehicle.
- Buy Thrusters
- Thrusters allow your mecha to fly. To determine a cost, multiply your total weight (by x 0.0075 for mecha a ton or more, or 0.125 for mecha under a ton), then multiply that result by the MOVE you want as your top flight speed and round off. Example: For a 76.5 ton mecha to fly at a MOVE of 100 would cost 57 OP (76.5 x 0.0075=0.57; 0.57 x100=57.3 rounded down to 57.)
- But even with a MOVE of 100, our mecha barely gets over 400 mph. So how do we get faster mecha? We get around this by using a game convention called The Afterburner Rule. With this rule, you can buy the Option (below) to move at one Mach level (@750mph) for every 100 MOVE of thrusters purchased. This Mach Speed is only useable in high speed, straight line, non-combat movement.
- Buy Options
- Now decide what options you want to add to your mecha. Options (like hands, computers, etc.) are purchased as add-on parts. (Note: that hands, claws, talons etc.must be bought for each extremity they'll be used on. Body Armors don't need hands; the operator's hands will do). Buy these options separately from Cost Multipliers (below).
- Cost Multipliers are options applied overall to your mecha to get the effects you want. Choose the Cost Multipliers you want, add them together to get one Cost Multiplier number, then apply that to your mecha's Cost. Add that result to the mecha's Base Cost to get its Total Cost.
- Options
- Hand 2ea Security system 0.5
- Claw 4ea Escape System 1
- Talon 2ea Pincer 2ea
- Sensors 4ea Weapon Linkage 1ea
- Computer 1 per level of INT Containment Facilities 1per person
- Laboratory 1 per type of speciality Storage 0.1 per 50kg
- Cost Multipliers
- Auto systems x0.1 for each level of INT, REF, DEX +5 skills at +5 each
- Land Speed x0.05 per +5MOVE, no max.
- Faster Than Light Speed x1.25
- Mach Speed x.25
- Maneuverability 0.1 per +1MV, up to max of 0.
- Scale up Kills by factor of 10 (weight goes up x10) x25
- Scale up Kills by factor of 100 (weight goes up x1000) x500
- Stealth or Cloaking Field (defined by GM) x0.3
- Style x0.01 for each +1 bonus to Pilot's PRE, to a max of +3
- Sublight speeds (escape velocities, up to 1AU per day at GM's choice) x0.75
- Synchro Systems x0.5 for +2 to Pilot's REF & DEX, +1 to all WA's
- Transformation Total Cost x 0.3 for every form taken
- Water Propulsion x0.025 for every +5 MOVE
Calculate Your Surface Move & MV- Add up the weight of all the parts of your mecha to determine it's total weight. Then check below to determine its MOVE and its Maneuver Value (i.e., how maneuverable it is-MV reduces your REF, and thus your piloting/driving skills).
- Example: Our 76.5-ton Beastmecha has a MOVE of 15 and an MV of -7.
Weight MOVE MV Mph/Kph <1 ton 35 -0 to REF 70/105 01-19t 30 -1 to REF 60/90 20-29t 25 -2 to REF 50/75 30-39t 25 -3 to REF 50/75 40-49t 20 -4 to REF 40/60 50-59t 20 -5 to REF 40/60 60-69t 15 -6 to REF 30/45 70-79t 15 -7 to REF 30/45 80-89t 10 -8 to REF 20/30 90-99t 10 -9 to REF 20/30 100t + 10 -10 to REF 20/30
EXPERIENCE IMPROVING YOURSELF
Sooner or later, you will want to improve your Skills, Characteristics or Powers from the levels at which you purchased them at. There are several ways in which to do this:Study & Practice:
You get a how-to book and start reading/practicing. Study is the hardest method, you have no idea of where to begin and no one to correct your mistakes. In general, it takes about 1 month of study to gain 1 point. The biggest limit to this method is that you can only improve your skill to a level of 3.
Being Taught:
Superior to book learning. The teacher must have a higher level of skill than the student and must have the time to teach (how long this takes is up to the GM). But even the most knowledgeable teachers may not be any good at transferring their knowledge; that's where the skill of Teaching comes in. The teacher averages his skill in the subject to be taught with his Teaching skill; he may then teach the student up to that level of skill. How long this takes is up to the GM, who can award points over the passage of time (usually 1-2 points per month).
Experience:
Still the best teacher. Whenever you do something really well, the GM may award you with 1-2 Option Points right on the spot. The problem is that these points are applied to the skill you were using to get the award. Therefore, if you want to get better in a skill you should use it very chance you get.
Another way to improve Characteristics, Skills and other Campaign Options comes into play AFTER character creation; winning Option Points through adventuring with the character. There are two major ways to gain these points:
Roleplaying:
While it isn't exactly part of the game reality, Referees should always reward their players for how well they play the character; after all, that's why we're doing this. Here are a few suggestions:-Roleplaying Award-
Player was clever, inventive, or roleplayed well 1, 2 pts.
Player solved a mystery or major point of plot 1 pt.
Adventure was resounding success 2,3 pts.
Base points for being in scenario 1, 2 pts.Assigning Points:
The GM can also give out points for specific skills or attributes, or even assign those points to a particular Skill, Power or Perk as a bonus over and above the regular points for a session. We like to call this the "Radiation Accident Gives Player New Powers Rule," because it is best employed whenever a player undergoes a particularly meaningful adventure that may well change his lifeBuying Stuff with Your Points
So the GM just dumped a whole load of points on you-great! But how do you use them? Much like real currency, all Option Points need to be cashed in to buy or improve Skills, Powers and Gear (even Characteristics with your GM's agreement)
- To buy up Skills: ONE point for each LEVEL of the new skill . Example: To buy a skill from 3 to 4 would require 4 Option Points.
- To buy up Characteristics: FIVE points for every one point of Characteristic improvement, plus the permission of the GM. Example: to improve your REF from 5 to 6 would require 5 Option Points and your GM's agreement.
- To buy up Powers (if applicable): FIVE points for every one point of Power improvement, plus the permission of the GM. Example: to improve your Energy Blast from DC3 to DC4 would require 5 Option Points and your Ref's agreement.
- To generate Cash: 1 Option Point equals 100 dollars (or other money unit, plus the GM's permission. Example: to gain $500.ºº would require 5 OP and your Ref's OK.
It's Christmas Time!
Experience is one of the most problematic parts of running a campaign. Too little, and your players become frustrated at not accomplishing anything; too much, and they become jaded because everything is too easy.
One trick to maintaining both balance and excitement is to use the "Christmas" theory of experience; keep the awards relatively small from game to game, with a large award at the end of an entire adventure arc. The award should be in a discreet "Christmas Present"-a coveted vehicle (or points which can only be used to create a vehicle), "Special training" (where Skill points must go to a specific Skill area), or a "Radiation Accident" that provides points that create or improve specific powers.
THE RULE OF X
This is a very important option for Referees who want more control over their campaign's growth. The Rule of X is a simple way to set the overall power of the campaign, and to keep it at that level.
Simply, the Rule of X limits how powerful characters can start off at in a campaign. (Well, the GM can of course break this rule for the Non-Player Characters, but the players must stick to it.) Here's how it works.
The value of X depends on the power level you want for the campaign. For instance, a superhero campaign might start with the Rule of 20. A character with a STR of 12, and a Reflex of 6, could have no more than a Skill of 2 with his hand-to-hand attacks (12 + 6 + 2 = 20). A martial artist with 40 Hits and a Dexterity of 7 could have no more than a 5 Skill with his martial attacks ([40/5] + 7 + 5 = 20). Some suggested values for the Rule of X are.
The Rule of X primarily is used to set the initial power level of a campaign, and is not generally used to limit characters after their creation (although it's a good idea to keep it in force all the time when running superheroic games). Instead, the GM should use the Rule as a guide for handing out experience or powerful "goodies"that might unbalance the campaign.
Campaign Style Rule of X Everyday [realistic] 14 Competent [elite, semi-realistic.] 16 Heroic [TV action show] 18 Incredible [olympics, action movie] 20 Legendary [blockbuster action movie] 22 Superheroic [comic books, myths] 24
The Rule of X can be changed during the course of a campaign to let characters become more powerful, if the GM so desires. This current Rule of X should also be applied to all new characters entering the campaign.
TIME, TURNS & SPEED Now that you've created a character, its time to use him or her in the gaming environment. This means learning how Time (and Turn Order), Facing, Distance and Movement work in the Fuzion system.
It's FUZION TIME!
Fuzion uses two ways of measuring time. The first, Roleplaying Time, works just like it does in real life; dividing reality into seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, etc.The Time Table
1 phase = 3 seconds
1 Round=12 seconds
5 Rounds= 1 minute
5 minutes
20 minutes
1 hour
6 hours
1 day
The second way, Combat Time, is far more exacting. In Combat, time is divided into 3 second combat PHASES. (Note: In HERO, this is roughly equivalent to Speed 4.) Anything that takes longer than a phase is considered to be a long action, and will take at least 12 seconds to complete. In extreme cases, you may even want to use minutes or hours to describe especially long actions.
Who Goes First?
Each Phase, every player (who isn't unconscious or otherwise out of the fight) gets to do something during the phase. But who goes first? This is decided by determining initiative. There are two Switch Positions for determining initiative:Switch 1: (better for group of characters vs. Ref-run melees.) The character with the highest REF always acts first in a phase. They may also be allowed to hold their action (see Wait under Advanced Actions) and act later in the phase. The character with the next highest REF score acts next and so on. If the characters are still tied, then roll a die to break ties at the start of combat; the higher number goes first.
Switch 2: (best for Character vs. Character melees) At the beginning of each phase, each character rolls 3 dice and adds their REFLEX Characteristic. The character with the highest total acts first for that phase (they are also allowed to hold their action and act later in the phase.) The character with the next highest total acts next and so on. Roll an additional die to break ties; high number goes first.
Once the phase order has been determined, each character takes their TURN. Then the next character gets a chance to do their action, until all characters have had their chance to act. Then the sequence begins again with a new phase.
So It's My Turn. Now What?
Once your turn comes up in the phase, you can start taking ACTIONS. Actions are basically things you can do within the span of a few seconds, like use a weapon, dodge, or even start an Action that may stretch over several phases (like picking a lock).What Can I Do As An Action During My Turn?
You can do one thing each Phase. This could include:ATTACK MOVE DODGE NON-COMBAT ACTION
Each one of these things would be considered an Action.
Free Actions
These are things you can do automatically, without spending any of your Actions. An example would be standing up, using Breakfall, maintaining a Power (Darkness, Telekinesis, Force Field and Invisibility to name a few) that's already been turned on, or any power that doesn't require a roll. To be sure, ask the GM of your campaign what Actions are free in his game.Speed
In order to give the proper flavor to superheroic combat, we've added the Speed Characteristic to this rev of Fuzion. A character's Speed is the number of Phases the character may act in one Round. Normally in Fuzion, every character gets 4 Phases in each Round. When using the Speed characteristic, each Round is divided into 12 Segments of 1 second each. Refer to the Speed Chart to find when your character takes a Phase. The character's Speed is across the top of the chart, and the Segment is listed along the left; each X indicates when a characters gets a Phase. For instance, a character with a Speed of 5 gets to act on Segments 3, 5, 8, 10, and 12.Each Round, the GM should begin by counting off the segments ("Segment 1, segment 2...") until a Segment is reached where a character has a Phase. All characters with a Phase in that Segment get to act, following the usual rules for determining who goes first. Combat usually begins on Segment 12, giving everyone a chance for an action and then a free Recovery (at the end of each Segment 12, all characters get a free Recovery without having to use a Recovery Action). Targets that are surprised would not act in Segment 12.
Characters can choose to act at a lower Speed in a Round (thus saving Endurance). The character's acting Speed must be chosen before Segment 1, and the character must stay at that lower Speed for the entire Round.
Character's Speed Phase 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 19 11 12 1 - - - - - - - - - - - X 2 - - - - - X X X X X X X 3 - - - X X - - X X X X X 4 - - X - - X X - X X X X 5 - - - - X - - X - X X X 6 - X - X - X X X X X X X 7 X - - - - - X - X - X X 8 - - X - X X - X X X X X 9 - - - X - - X X - X X X 10 - - - - X X - - X X X X 11 - - - - - - X X X X X X 12 X X X X X X X X X X X XAn Alternative to Speed
A shorthand way to deal with reaction times is to give players extra actions instead of using a Speed chart. For every 4 points of Speed (or 8 pts of REF) the character has, he gets one additional Action each phase (essentially Speed 4 in the HERO system).
Character Speed 1-4 5-8 9-10 11-12 13-16 17-18
Actions each Phase 1 2 3 4 5 6
DISTANCE & MOVEMENT Facing
Facing is the direction you are pointing. Since many Fuzion games are played "in head" (without maps), the rule is that you can face anything positioned forward of your shoulders.
When using a standard gaming hex map, characters can normally "face" through any three adjacent sides (not corners) of the hex they are standing in.A Note about Using Figures
One reason we've used the meter-yards formula for computing distances in Fuzion is that it corresponds pretty well with a generic 6 foot character (ok, a meter isn't exactly 6 feet, but for convenience's sake, it works well enough). This allows you to use almost any size of figure in play-the actual figure becomes a useful 2 yard "yardstick" to measure distances. Army men, action figures, even fashion dolls-anything can work with this simple scale system.Line of Sight and Firing Arc
Facing is only part of the story. The other part is whether or not you can actually see (and attack) your intended target. This is called Line of sight.Shooting Blind
When something is between you and your target, it blocks your line of sight. You may still shoot at it (assuming your weapon can penetrate the obstacle), but will have to attack blind (making a Perception Roll with a Difficulty Value determined by the GM. A successful roll allows you to shoot at a -2 to your REF; an unsuccessful roll increases this to -4.)Partial Cover
An obstacle may also only partially block your line of sight, allowing you to try and shoot around it. Determine how much of your target is exposed, then reduce your Attack roll as below:DISTANCE & MOVEMENT
Distance in Fuzion can be measured in either meters or yards (we admit to fudging the numbers a bit to allow us to use the same values for each; in reality a meter is slightly longer). Measurements will always be listed in both, usually with the abbreviation "m/yds". Either way, you should pick one unit of measure and stick with it.
Movement is the distance a character or vehicle can move in a phase-this value is always determined by your MOVE characteristic. As a rule, there are two scales of Movement used in Fuzion. The first scale is Figurative Movement; the raw MOVE score compared to another MOVE to see which is faster overall. This is best for simple speed decisions.
The other is Literal movement; a measurement of actual distance. This is best for realistic distances. As a general rule:
Multiply the MOVE of the character or mecha by 2 m/yds per phase to determine its "combat" or "running" distance.Multiply the MOVE of the character or mecha by 3 m/yds per phase for it's non-combat or sprinting distance.Hint: We don't really recommend even bothering with literal movement above speeds of 50. Most of the time, you'll want to just use a general speed, determined as below:
- To get KPH ground speeds, multiply the non combat or combat move of the object by 3 kph. Example: with a non combat move of 18, I run at 54 kph.
- To get MPH ground speeds, multiply the non combat or combat move of the object by 2 mph. Example: with a non combat move of 18, I run at 36 mph.
Special Case: Mach Airspeeds
To get most KPH airspeeds, you'll multiply the combat move of the object by 3 kph. However, if the vehicle is especially fast, it may be able to apply the Afterburner Rule which allows it to increase it's non-combat velocity to Mach values (@1125kph) for every 100 points of MOVE. Example: at a MOVE of 250, my jet moves at an "afterburner" move of Mach 2 (roughly 2,244 kph).
To get combat MPH airspeeds, you'll multiply the non combat or combat MOVE of the object by 2 mph. Applying the Afterburner Rule to those with that option will allow them to move at a non-combat velocity of Mach 1 (750mph) for every 100 points of MOVE.Example: at a MOVE of 200, my jet moves at a non-combat "sprint" of Mach 2 (roughly 1,500 mph).
Movement Rules
A few basic rules govern how you move during a phase:In Fuzion, objects accelerate or decelerate at a rate of 10 MOVE per phase.
You may not move (or shoot) through any solid person, object or thing (see illustration above).
Your movement will be slowed by the type of terrain you cross over. Terrain is rated as Easy, Rough and Very Rough and reduces your overall MOVE characteristic in the following manner:
Note: that the roughness of the terrain doesn't mean that it's full of rocks; just that it's hard to cross. Rough terrain could include choppy waves, turbulent air, or light brush. Very rough might be mud, snow, ice or thick brush. Easy would be grass, sidewalks and open skies.
The terrain type is decided on by the GM, and is based on the majority of terrain you will be crossing over that phase. For example, if you ran over 4 m/yds of Easy terrain and 6 m/yds of Rough, the GM would probably rule that you were moving through Rough Terrain that phase.
TAKING ACTION
Whenever your character tries to do something (called taking an Action), there's always the question of whether he'll succeed or fail. Sometimes the task is so easy that it's obvious; for instance, taking a step forward without falling down. In those cases you'll just tell the GM what you're doing, and no die roll is needed.But if you're trying to take a step on the deck of a ship pitching wildly in a driving rainstorm, walking might be very difficult indeed. That's where TASK RESOLUTION comes in. All tasks in Fuzion are resolved with the same formula: take the relevant CHARACTERISTIC and add to it the relevant SKILL, resulting in an ACTION VALUE [AV] Then add a die roll to your AV to create an ACTION TOTAL [AT]. Compare the resulting AT to a Difficulty Value. If you equal or exceed the Difficulty Value, you succeed!
The formula is:
Your AV (CHARACTERISTIC+SKILL) + a DIE ROLL
vs. the DV (DIFFICULTY VALUE) + 10 (or a DIE ROLL)
WHICH CHARACTERISTIC DO I USE?
Usually common sense will tell you what Characteristic to use:
- INTELLIGENCE Memory, problem solving
- WILLPOWER Ability to face danger, fear, stress
- PRESENCE Interactions with others.
- TECHNIQUE Manipulating tools, instruments
- REFLEXES Fighting and driving/control skills
- DEXTERITY Physical Abilities. Dodging, athletics
- CONSTITUTION Resistance to pain, disease, shock
- STRENGTH Muscle mass and physical power
- MOVEMENT Running, swimming feats
...or the GM can decide if it's in dispute.WHICH SKILL DO I USE?
The GM will usually decide which Skill fits the task best. Example: when attacking with a weapon, use the Weapon Skill for that weapon or Hand to Hand if you're using your fists. If Driving a car, use your Driving Skill instead, and so on.WHICH DIE ROLL?
This is one of the basic decisions you have to make before you begin playing Fuzion: what Dice should you use? While standard 6-sided dice are always used for damage, in Fuzion, you can use either 3 six-sided dice (the HERO Option) or one 10-sided die (the Interlock Option) for resolving actions. The GM should decide at the start of the campaign what kind of dice will be used; this will then be in effect for all characters within that campaign.WHAT'S THE DIFFICULTY VALUE [DV]?
The DIFFICULTY VALUE [DV] is a number you must roll equal or higher than with your combined ACTION VALUE and a DIE ROLL. DIFFICULTY VALUES come in two flavors: OPPOSED and UNOPPOSED:Opposed:
When attempting a task against another character, such as attacking someone, the DIFFICULTY VALUE (aka DEFENSIVE VALUE) is determined by the CHARACTERISTIC+ SKILL of the character opposing you.Unopposed:
When attempting a task involving non-living objects or an ability, the DIFFICULTY VALUE is given to you by the GM, based on how tough he thinks the task is. These DVs do not add die rolls or a value of 10. They are determined by using the Universal Difficulty Value Table below:
Description DV Description DV
Challenged 10 Exceptionally superheroic 42 Everyday 14 Incredibly superheroic 46 Competent 18 Legendarily superheroic 50 Heroic 22 Cosmic 54 Incredible 26 Competently cosmic 58 Legendary 30 Exceptionally cosmic 62 Superheroic 34 Incredibly cosmic 66 Competently superheroic 38 Legendarily cosmic 70 In general, if a character has a Heroic Characteristic and an Heroic Skill, he has about an even chance to succeed at a Heroic task. GMs should use these values as guidelines; feel free to use Modifiers to make it more or less difficult.
Difficulty Values, The Easy Way
If the GM doesn't have the Universal Difficulty Value Table handy, there's an easy way to get the right Difficulty Value: Ask the player for their Action Total, then assign a Difficulty Value in relation to that total: A really easy task adds -4 or -3 to the DV, an easy task adds -2 or -1, a tough task adds +1 or +3, and a really tough task adds+5 or +6.A DIE ROLL OR STRAIGHT 10?
Fuzion's unusual "parentage" offers you two ways to resolve the DV side of the outcome. The first is the HERO Option (from the Champions side of the family), which uses a straight value (10) instead of a die roll. This option gives your campaigns a more predictable feeling; once your skills are high enough, you can depend on almost always making the grade. Remember; when using this option, the Attacker should roll three six sided dice.
The second is the Interlock Option (named after RTG's core system used in Cyberpunk and Mekton ), in which a 1D10 die roll is added to the Difficulty (aka Defensive) Value of the Defender. This option tends to give your campaigns a more unpredictable flavor; even the toughest characters will have to depend on Luck against an equally skilled opponent. Remember, when using this option, the attacker should always roll a single ten sided die. Either option works equally well and both are scaled to fit the Difficulty Value Table at leftOr Do You Even Need to Roll at All?
The GM can also choose to automatically count as a success any task where the player's Characteristic+Skill total already meets or beats the Difficulty Value.USING YOUR SKILLS
Using your Skills is the most common kind of Action outside of Combat. The first step in using a skill is determining what Characteristic you're going to use and what Skill to pair it up with when you do something:WHAT CHARACTERISTIC DO I USE?
In general, common sense should tell you which Characteristic to use for a particular task, or the GM of your campaign can decide if there's a dispute. However, the following guidelines will usually apply in almost any case:
The most important thing is to look at the type of task you're trying to perform first. This will determine the most applicable Characteristic upon which to base your Skill. One side effect of this method is that you may often find the same Skill being combined with different Characteristics, depending on circumstances and the way in which you want to use that Skill. For example, if you're playing a piece of music and trying to make it technically perfect, you might use your Technique characteristic in combination with your Performance Skill. But if you were trying to sway an audience to tears with the beauty of your playing, you could use your Personality Characteristic in combination with your Performance Skill instead. Each uses the same Skill, but each choice stresses very different aspects of using that skill!WHAT SKILL DO I USE?
The overriding rule here is that the GM will always be the final arbiter of what Skill should be used to make an attempt at a task. Beyond that, common sense is the best guideline. If you're using a weapon, your Skill choice may be pretty simple; use the Skill that describes the weapon best. But if it's an interpersonal issue, you may be able to convince your GM to give you a lot more leeway; maybe your Social Skill may be far more useful in convincing the gang leader to release the hostages than your Persuasion, especially if you can call upon a little known gangland code that requires he honor your request! The ability to bend Skills around to fit circumstances allows you to use one of the best strengths of the Fuzion system: flexibility.When You Don't Have a Skill
Sometimes, you just don't have a Skill to use. In these cases, there are two options the GM can use. The first is the Outta Luck option: you just don't get a Skill to add to your characteristic. You just don't know anything about what you have to do, and you're totally relying on a Characteristic and dumb luck (a good time to use that LUCK you've been hoarding).
The second route is the Cultural Familiarity option. In most societies, there are very few things that can be done that aren't described in some manner or other; people shoot guns in movies; legends describe how the hero used his sword, Tom Clancy novels tell all about how submarines work. Cultural Familiarity assumes the more widely educated you are, the more chance you may have run across something relating to what you're about to attempt. Therefore, whenever you don't have a Skill that will apply, you can gain one point for every three points of Education you currently have. And since most people start with at least 2 points of Education, one point of ADDITIONAL Education may be enough to get you a start. Use of the above rule is, of course, subject to the decision of the GM.IMPROVING Skill Use
Besides the basic ways of using skills, there are a few other variations that can improve your chances:Trying Again
If you fail a Skill Check, you can't try again until your check has improved for some reason; you took longer, used a better tool, or made a complementary Skill Check.Complementary Skills
A Complementary Skill Check is where the use of one skill directly affects the use of a subsequent skill. For example, if you were a singer and needed to sway a crowd, a very good Performance check would make the swaying (Persuasion) a lot easier. As a rule of thumb:1) At the GM's discretion, a good roll in one skill may have a bonus effect on the subsequent use of a related skill. This bonus will be in a ratio of +1 additional bonus point for every 5 points the related skill succeeded by. Example: Sue wants to convince Bob to go out with her (Persuasion). By making a really good Wardrobe and Style roll, she could increase her Persuasion by dazzling Bob with her sexy wardrobe.
2) As a rule, this bonus will usually only affect a subsequent attempt once. One really high Wardrobe and Style roll won't allow Sue to convince Bob to marry her; it just helps get her the date. The rest is up to fate.
3) As a rule, this bonus should only involve the interaction of one skill attempt on one other Skill attempt.
Taking Extra Time
Taking extra time can also give you a bonus to your Skill Roll. For every level on the Time Table used beyond the amount of time the GM assigns to the task, add +1 to the Skill Roll. Example: The GM says a task will take 1 minute. If the character takes 5 minutes to perform the task, he gets a +1 bonus to the Skill Roll.
- The Time Table
- 1 phase = 3 seconds
- 1 Round= 12 seconds
- 5 Rounds= 1 minute
- 5 minutes
- 20 minutes
- 1 hour
- 6 hours
- 1 day
Critical Success
A critical success is when you get lucky and manage to succeed at something you normally would have no chance in Hades to accomplish. In game play, this is simulated by allowing you to roll additional dice which are then added to the original roll to enhance it's effects. The rules for this depend on which dice option you are using:
- If you're rolling D10: On a natural roll of 10, you've scored a critical success. Roll an another 1D10 and add the result to your first roll. If you roll another 10, you may not score another critical success.
- If you're rolling 3D6: On a natural roll of 18, roll two additional D6's and add this result to your original roll.
...and Critical Failure- Sometimes even the best of the best have a bad day.
- If you're rolling D10: On a natural roll of 1, Roll an another 1D10 and subtract the result from your first roll.
- If you're rolling 3D6: On a natural roll of all 1's, roll two additional D6's and subtract the result from your first roll.
Performing Actions
In Fuzion, each player can perform one action per phase. But what kind of actions can you perform when your chance comes up? And how do they all work together? In general, there are two kinds of Actions in Fuzion: Basic Actions, which are simple descriptions of tasks you'll want to perform during your turn, and Advanced Actions, which represent more sophisticated maneuvers that add strategy and tactics to your game play. Both have advantages; Basic in speed, Advanced in subtlety.The following section discusses Basic Actions a character can perform, each explained. Advanced Actions are described on the following page in their own section. Both also have useful summary pages to recap what each action means.
Basic Action SUMMARY
Actions Notes
Attack (Shoot Make Attack (optionally, add modifiers); autofire
or Strike) attacks count as one Action. Kicks do +1D6 at -1 to hit.Block Stops any one attack with a successful Defensive Roll vs the Attacker's Attack roll. You attack first next phase Dodge Makes you harder to hit against all attacks this phase-adds +3 DV, but you cannot attack Get Up Get up from being prone Grab -2 to perform; grab target or gadget; -3 Defense for both Run Move up to your full Combat Move (a Run). Sprint Move up to your full Non Combat Move at 1/2 DEX, 0 REF [or Use a Skill] reloading, mounting a vehicle, changing weapons, etc. Other Action Any single action not otherwise specified, such as
Throw Throw one object (-4 if not made for throwing).
BASIC ACTION
DESCRIPTIONS Attack: Use a weapon, power or physical combat skill to harm an opponent. There are many modifiers that can affect your chance to do this Specific weapons may have other modifiers to take into account as well. Block: (or Parry) Use this Action to deflect attacks. In general, this means stopping a specific Melee or Hand to Hand attack in addition to your normal Defense Value. When Blocking an attack, make a Hand to Hand Defense or Melee Defense roll against the roll which your attacker already got past your defense roll. If the roll is successful, the attack is blocked. After being blocked, the attacker is put off balance, and must act after the target next phase regardless of normal turn order.
This is a good time to introduce the Rock, Papers, Scissors Rule of Blocking. As a general rule, certain defenses can be used to physically block certain kinds of attacks; against other attacks, these defenses are worse than useless. (You could lose an arm!)As a rule of thumb, always remember:
- Wood damages Flesh
- Metal damages Wood
- Energy damages Metal
Dodge:
Use this Action to make yourself harder to hit. Instead of attacking, you may declare that you are actively dodging and gain +3 to your Defense Value against all attacks that Phase. Get Up: Use this Action to stand up after being knocked down. Grab: Use this Action to get a grip on an opponent, a weapon, a gadget, or something else. A successful Grab allows the attacker to hold, pin, choke or throw his opponent; he may also attempt to grab a weapon from his opponent's grasp. Use an Opposed Skill check to see if you can break out of a Grab (use STR Characteristic plus Hand to Hand, Athletics or Martial Arts whichever is highest); the attacker suffers -2 to his roll. When Grabbed, both grabber and grabbee are -3 DEX to all other attacks. The grabber can choose to do his full STR in damage to the grabbee each turn. Run (Combat Move): Allows character to move up to their full Running Characteristic that phase. Sprint (Non-Combat Move): Use this Action to move faster each phase-up to your full Sprint speed, but at 1/2 DEX and 0 REF while doing so. Other Action: Use this Action for anything not covered by other Actions, like reloading, taking off your shirt, opening a door, or anything else you can think of. How long an Other Action takes is up to the GM; they may well decide that what you describe takes several rounds to perform, or it may have modifiers on your DEX. Some common Other Actions: drawing a weapon, getting into or out of a vehicle (or mounting or dismounting from a horse), transforming, and clearing a jammed weapon. All of these Actions take up your full phase. Throw: This allows the attacker to use a thrown weapon (grenade, bottle, mug, small car). The object must be liftable by the character, and may be thrown using the character's Athletics Skill. Improvised, non-aerodynamic objects can be thrown at at -4 penalty. If the character is throwing something larger than 4 square m/yds (roughly 2x2), it can be treated as an area attack. TURN SEQUENCE SUMMARY
Each Phase, roll one die and add your REF. During this 3-second segment, do the following:[A] Choose Your Action You have 1 Action each Phase. These actions can be Attacks or involve other types of activity. If attacking go to [B]; if not, skip down to [D].
[B] Check Line of Sight You can attack anything positioned forwards of your shoulders, as long as nothing else is in the way.
[C] Check Range Each attack has a range, listed in meters/yards. If using figures, assume one figure is equal to 2 meters (or @6 feet) of range from top to base. If you are in range, you can attack.
[D] Resolve Action See Taking Action [pg.141]. In general, roll 1die and add to your Characteristic+ Skill. If the action was an Attack, go to [E]. If not, go on to NEXT PHASE [F].
[E] Resolve Damage If you hit, roll a number of 6-sided dice equal to the Damage Class.
[F] Go to Next Phase Start again with the process.
ADVANCED ACTIONS
These are other Actions you can take besides the Basic ones. Remember that even this list is only a fraction of the possible maneuvers you may want to invent or add to your campaigns.Advanced Action SUMMARY
Actions
Notes (Dodge, Block, Dive for Cover), at cost of your upcoming action this phase. Abort Interrupt opponent's turn to use a Defense
Aim Each phase taken Aiming adds +1 to Attack, up to +3; no other Action possible Choke Hold A Grab at - 4 REF. 2D6 Killing Attack. And you can't talk while being choked. Disarm Knock opponent's weapon from hand. Dive for Cover Avoid an area attack. Defender makes REF + Athletics (or combat) skill roll vs 8, +1 difficulty per each extra meter/yard dived. Draw & Attack Draw weapon and attack in one Action. -3 Penalty to attack. Entangle Immobilize opponent until he can make a Escape. Escape Escape from Grabs or Entangles, using STR+Athletics (or combat) skill vs opponent's STR+Athletics (or combat) skill. Haymaker +3 dice damage, with -3 to REF. Move This action allows you to move up to half your Run (or other Combat Movment power) distance, and perform one other action, except for Run, Sprint, Move By, Move Thru, Recover or any action the GM rules to take a Full Action (or longer.) Move By Full Move and HTH attack during movement with a -2 penalty. to REF & DEX. Damage = half of STR + 1 die for every 10m/yds moved. You will also take one third of that damage yourself. Move Thru Full Move and HTH attack at end of move with a -1 penalty for every 10m.yds moved and a DEX penalty of -3 total. Damage = STR + 1 die for every 5m/yds moved; you will also take one half of that damage yourself. Recover -5 to Defense Value, get Recovery back in Stun All Characters should get a free Recovery at the end of every Round. If the game is not using the Speed Chart, then the characters should get a free Recovery at the end of each 4 Phases.
Sweep/Trip Opponent falls; takes -2 penalty to his REF next phase, must spend an Action to get back up. Wait Wait for a chance to take your action or hold an action til later. Advanced Action Descriptions
Abort: Characters who are being attacked, and who have yet to take their turn, may 'abort' to a defensive maneuver (Block, Dodge, or Dive For Cover) using their upcoming action. Characters continue to do this defensive action until they can act again in the next phase. Aim: This action allows you to improve your chances to hit with a ranged weapon (only). Each action taken aiming adds +1 to your attack, up to three actions total. Aiming assumes a steady, braced position, no movement, and a clear chance to track your target. Choke Hold: A two hand or one arm Grab maneuver (unless you're really big and your GM allows you to use one hand or arm). Once a successful Choke hold is established, the choker will do 2D6 in killing damage unless the Choke is broken by the victim. Disarm: On a successful Attack roll, you have a chance to knock something from the opponent's hand at no penalty. The attacker gets a STR + Hand to Hand roll versus the defender's STR + Hand to Hand roll; if the attacker wins, the defender drops the weapon. Use the area effect table to determine where the weapon falls, with your opponent in the center. Dive For Cover: This action allows you to get out of the way of explosions and area effect attacks. You make a Defense roll (using an appropriate Hand To Hand or Athletics roll if allowed by the GM), against a Difficulty Value based on the distance (base of 8 for 1m +1 difficulty for every extra 1 m/yds). If the roll is failed, you didn't dodge fast and/or far enough and were caught by the attack effects. Diving for cover can be performed by holding an action (just in case) or by aborting to your next action if you have not yet taken your turn. Draw & Attack: By declaring this action at the start of the round, you are effectively trying to "fast draw" on your opponents. This allows you to draw and use a weapon in one action, instead of the normal two, but imposes a -3 penalty on your attack. Entangle: This allows the character to use any entangling type of attack (whips, nets, tentacles, etc) to immobilize an opponent. The attack is made using the skill for that weapon against the target's defense roll. An entangled character must act as though a Grab has been made; he can't move or attack until he escapes. Escape: This is the action of freeing yourself from physical holds, chokes, entanglements or simple traps (like snares or nets). This requires a separate roll using your STR+ Athletics (or Hand to Hand skills) against the holder's Athletics (or Hand to Hand) skills plus their Strength. Example: Although Fox's Athletics is 7, her STR is only 3. Brick's Athletics is only 3, but his STR is 10. The extra 3 point edge easily allows Brick to hold Fox immobilized. If pitted against a trap, you will use your STR+Athletics Skill against a Difficulty Value set by the GM. On a successful roll, you are free of the hold and may move again. Hand to Hand or Tech-based Skills may also be used in default of Athletics if the GM agrees. Haymaker: You throw caution to the wind and put everything into a single full-out physical move (a swing, punch or blow). This gives you a damage bonus of +3 dice, but imposes a -3 penalty to hit (because you're not worrying about keeping your balance or aiming, etc.). Move: This action allows you to move up to half your Run (or other Combat Movment power) distance, and perform one other action, except for Run, Sprint, Move By, Move Thru, Recover or any action the GM rules to take a Full Action (or longer.) Move By: This action lets you use up to your full Move and make a Hand-to-Hand or Melee attack (only) at any point along that movement, at a penalty of -2 to your REF and DEX. You do your half STR damage plus 1 die for every 10m/yds moved. You will also take one third of that damage yourself. Move Thru: This action lets you use up to your full Move and make a Hand-to-Hand or Melee attack (only) at the end of that movement, at a REF penalty of -1 for every 10m/yds moved and -3 to DEX. You do your STR damage plus 1die for every 5m/yds moved. You also take half that damage yourself. Recover: Recovering gives you back Stun (and Endurance, if using that Derived Characteristic) equal to your Recovery score. If you choose to Recover for your action, you can do nothing else that phase. If you suffer damage while recovering, you may not recover Stun points that phase. You are at -5 DEX while Recovering. Sweep/Trip: You put out a foot and send him sprawling. On a successful Hand to Hand roll, the attacker is knocked to the ground. He will be -2 to his next attack, you will gain +2 on your next. Wait: Allows you to interrupt another player's actions during their turn. Waiting is best used when you want to wait until an opportunity exposes itself. To Wait, you must announce, when your part of the phase comes up, that you are planning to Wait. The important word to include in this announcement is until, stating what condition must be met before you will act. An example might be, "I wait until Bob moves." or "I wait until I can see the whites of his eyes." If the conditions of your wait are not met, you must stand there, waiting, until the next round. When the specified condition has been met, you can elect to interrupt someone else's action immediately; after all, this is what you have been waiting for. An example would be: "I wait until my opponent pops his head up from behind the wall, then I'll shoot." The moment your opponent pops up to shot at you (his action), you could then interrupt and fire. You need not roll to interrupt; it's automatic. This can also be used to cover an opponent-i.e.; hold a ready weapon on him-you interrupt his action (BANG!) if he attempts to escape. LIFTING & THROWING
Strength FEATS
One action that doesn't fall into the realm of the everyday in Fuzion are feats of strength. This is one place where reality must compromise with fiction, since many Fuzion settings deal with superheroes as well as more realistic types.
For most characters you can simply use one Strength scale to determine one's might. But how do you explain the abilities of most superheroes? How can a well built (but not exceptionally so) hero,-or a shapely fashion model with a thong and no visible muscles at all-lift a battleship and throw it a mile? Even if a human could lift a battleship, the distribution of weight around him would either (a) drive him into the ground like a nail; (b) punch a man-sized hole through the hull of the battleship, or (c) break the battleship in half. After all, what's holding up the parts of the battleship where our hero's hand's aren't?
It's pretty obvious that "entertainment" physics isn't like regular physics. That's why the Strength table (below) can be "dialed" to suit the reality level of your campaign. That way, characters with incredible Strength can lift the amazing tonnages that they do in comic books and manga; even though reality doesn't support this concept (or them).
Campaign Style Modify current STR by: Everyday [realistic] -3 Competent [elite, semi-realistic.] -2 Heroic [TV action show] -1 Incredible [olympics, action movie] +0 Legendary [blockbuster action movie] +1 Superheroic [comic books, myths] +2 The Strength table below is for deadlifting the weight to waist (or dragging it). Pressing it overhead would be half of your Lift, carrying (at 1/2 normal MOVE), pushing or lifting it for throwing would be reduced to one fourth of the listed weight.
If STR is above 34, double the previous value for each additional level
STR Lift in Kilograms Lift in Pounds Example .5 36kg/72lbs Small Child 1 50kg/110lbs Child 2 72kg/158lbs Adult female 3 100kg/220lbs Adult male 4 144kg/317lbs 5 200kg/440lbs Lion 6 288kg/634lbs Motorcycle 7 400kg/880lbs 8 575kg/1,265lbs Small Car 9 1.15tons/1.265tons Large car 10 2.5tons/2.75tons Small Semi-truck 11 5tons/5.5tons Light Tank 12 10tons/11tons Small Jet 13 20tons/22tons Battle Tank, Whale 14 40tons/44tons Large jet 15 80tons/88tons 16 160tons/176tons Small Freighter 17 320tons/352tons 18 640tons/704tons Destroyer 19 1.25kilotons/1.375kilotons 20 2.5kilotons/2.75kilotons 21 5kilotons/5.5kilotons 22 10kilotons/11kilotons Building 23 20kilotons/22kilotons Loaded Train 24 40kilotons/44kilotons 25 80kilotons/88kilotons 26 160kilotons/176kilotons 27 320kilotons/352kilotons 28 640kilotons/704kilotons Battleship 29 1.25megatons/1.375megatons Nuclear Submarine 30 2.5megatons/2.75megatons Aircraft Carrier 31 5megatons/5.5megatons 32 10megatons/11megatons 33 20megatons/22megatons 34 40megatons/44megatons Mount Everest Pushing
In a campaign like Champions, where Endurance is used, the GM may allow characters to exert extra effort in emergencies; this pushing allows the characters to increase their STR up to a maximum of two additional levels. Pushing costs 5 points of END per phase for every extra level of STR you are calling upon; when you run out of END, you burn STUN points instead, until you pass out. The GM may even allow greater pushes (over 2 extra STR) in extraordinary circumstances, by requiring a successful WILL + Concentration roll be made at the time.Throwing stuff
Another area where the everyday goes beyond reality in some Fuzion settings is throwing. For when superhumans and demigods start tossing cars around, throwing stuff can get a lot more interesting:1) Compare the weight of the object to the closest approximate weight on the Weight Modifier table.
Important: You must be able to lift the object in order to throw it (no cheating!).
2) Subtract the Throw Modifier value from your current Throw (STR+4). Add +1 if the object is aerodynamic; also add +1 if it's balanced for throwing. Find your new Throw on the Distance Table (below) to determine how far you can throw the object. If the Throw is below .5, you can't throw it.
Throw Table .5 2m 11 240m 22 491km 1 6m 12 480m 23 983km 2 14m 13 960m 24 1,957km 3 24m 14 1,920m 25 3,932km 4 36m 15 3,840m 26 7,862km 5 50m 16 8km* 27 15,725km 6 66m 17 17km 28 31,450km 7 84m 18 31km 29 62,899km 8 104m 19 61km 30 125,798km 9 125m 20 123km 31 251,597km 10 150m 21 246km 32 503,194km*Km values rounded to nearest .5 decimal place. To get miles from km, divide by 1.5
Throw Modifier Table
Weight (Kg) Weight (Lbs) Example Modify ThrowLess than 2 kg Less than 4lbs Baseball -0 2kg/4lbs........................................-1 4kg/9lbs........................................-2 9kg/20lbs.......................................-3 18kg/40lbs......................................-4 36 kg/72lbs Small Child...............-5 72 kg/158lbs Adult Male,Lamp post......-6 143 kg/317lbs Manhole Cover.............-7 287 kg/634lbs Motorcycle................-8 575 kg/1,265lbs Small Car.................-9 1.15 tons/1.265tons Large car................-10 2.5 tons/2.75tons Small Semi-truck.........-11 5 tons/5.5tons Light Tank...............-12 10 tons/11tons Small Jet................-13 20 tons/22tons Battle Tank, Whale.......-14 40 tons/44tons Large jet................-15 80 tons/88tons..................................-16 160 tons/176tons Small Freighter...........-17 320 tons/352tons................................-18 640 tons/704tons Destroyer.................-19 1.25 kt/1.375kt.................................-20 2.5 kt/2.75kt...................................-21 5 kt/5.5kt......................................-22 10 kt/11kt Building..................-23 20 kt/22kt Loaded Train..............-24 40 kt/44kt......................................-25 80 kt/88kt......................................-26 160 kt/176kt....................................-27 320 kt/352kt....................................-28 640 kt/704kt Battleship................-29 1.25 mt/1.375mt Nuclear Submarine.........-30 2.5 mt/2.75mt Aircraft Carrier..........-31 5 mt/5.5mt......................................-32 10 mt/11mt......................................-33 20 mt/22mt......................................-34 40 mt/44mt Mount Everest.............-35
MELEE & HAND-TO-HAND ATTACKS
Strike-this basic Attack Action includes punches and kicks, as well attacks using swords, clubs, knives and other melee weapons. In general, a strike can be defined as any attack made with a body part or that is powered by the strength of the body. The simplest Attack, it involves only four steps: Facing, Range, Line of Sight and Modifiers.FACING & RANGE
Facing is the direction you are pointing. Since many Fuzion games are played "in head" (without maps), the standing rule is that you can clearly face anything that is positioned forward of your shoulders. When using a standard gaming hex map, characters "face" through any three adjacent sides of the hex they are standing in.Range:
Can I Reach Out and Smack It?
As a rule, Melee attacks can hit any target within 4m/yds of you; this defined as MELEE RANGE. Polearms and other long melee weapons can hit anything within 6m/yds of you; this is Extended Melee Range and is applicable only to these weapons.Line of Sight:
What's in the way?
Line of sight deals with whether anything's between you and your target.
Line of sight can either be:
- Clear There's nothing in the way; go ahead and swing.
- Obscured There's something that may block a clear view, but won't block a swing, such as smoke, or darkness. You can't see who you're fighting (the enemy is invisible, in darkness, in ambush or because you're dazzled), each phase you must make a Perception Roll (GM sets the Difficulty Value) If the roll is successful, the penalty is --2 to all subsequent Attack and Defense Valuesthat phase. If the Perception roll is unsuccessful, the penalty increases to -4.
- Blocked There's something in the way that you can't get through. Or, if the target is only partially blocked, swing at what you can reach. Determine how much is exposed, then modify your roll .
Cover Modifier
- Half Body -1
- Head and Shoulders Only -1
- Head only -2
- Behind someone else -2
Modifiers:
What Are My Chances to Hit?
Combat Modifiers take into account the conditions of the battle. Modifiers are always applied to Offensive Rolls. You may use some, none, or all of these rules:Situation Modifier
Moving target -1 per 10m/yd target moves Aimed body shot chest [-1], vitals, head [-6] , legs, hands, feet [--4] stomach [--5] arms, shoulders, thighs [--3] Blinded by light, dust -4 Tiny Target (bullseye, 1-3") -3 Small Target (1 foot or smaller) -2 Improvised weapon (rock, bottle, small girder) -2 A Special Modifier:
Surprise! It's an Ambush!
An attack that surprises the target, such as an ambush or a backstab, gives the Attacker a +5 Offensive bonus for that attack (but no initiative bonus).To lay an ambush requires the following conditions:
- The opponent is unaware of your location and intention to attack. He may only detect you with a successful Perception roll.
- The opponent's attention is distracted or focused on another situation, such as another attack or a difficult task.
Making The Attack
In combat, the Attacker combines his Skill in his chosen Weapon or Hand to Hand skill with his REF and a die roll to create an Attack Totall. He may also have to add or subtract certain modifiers from this Attack Total to determine the final outcome. Example: an attacking character with a REF Characteristic of 5 a Hand to Hand Skill of 6 and a die roll of 6 has a Attack Total of 17. A -2 mod for an aimed shot in turn brings this down to 15.The Defender combines his DEX, Athletics (or another skill like Fencing or Hand to hand if GM permits) skill and a die roll (in HERO, a flat value of 10 can be substituted for the roll) to produce a comparable Defense Value. Example: a character with DEX of 4, an Athletics skill of +6 and a die roll of 3 has a Defense Value of 13. The two rolls are compared; if the Attack Total is equal or greater than the Defense Value, you hit!
A Built-In Modifier: Weapon Accuracy
Weapon Accuracy [WA] reflects the difference in quality between weapons, and their effect on their user's abilities; the better and easier to use the weapon, the better you use it (and the worse the weapon...). WA's are not always used in Fuzion games, as their use varies from campaign to campaign. When they are brought into play, you will always find them listed in the description of the weapon. To use them, just apply the WA to your Attack roll as with any other Modifier.GENERIC MELEE WEAPONS LIST
Following is a list of typical weapons found in many adventuring genres. including Cost, Damage Class (how many 6 sided dice it throws for damage), Accuracy Modifier, and the Minimum Strength required to use the weapon.
Archaic/Fantasy Melee Weapons
Type Cost DC Accuracy Min.STR Notes Battle Axe 5 6 -1 5 2h Hand Axe 2 2 +0 3 1h Quarterstaff 3 3 +2 3 2h/Stun Spear 4 2 +2 2 2h Polearm 5 5 +2 3 2h Mace 4 5 -1 4 1h Club 1 1 +0 1 1h/Stun Broadsword 4 4 +0 5 2h Short Sword 3 2 +1 3 1h Dagger 1 1 +0 1 1h Knife .05 1 +0 1 1h Whip 1 1 -1 1 1h Javelin 3 2 +1 3 1h Rapier 5 3 +2 2 1h Saber 5 3 +2 2 1h Katana 6 4 +2 2 2h
High Tech Melee Weapons Type Cost DC Accuracy Min.STR Notes Cyber Hand Blades 6 3 +1 1 AP Energy Saber 5 4 +1 2 2h Monoblade 3 2 +1 2 1H, AP
RANGED COMBAT
Ranged Combat occurs whenever you shoot at something. Any ranged weapon or attack can be "shot"-energy beams can be shot from a superhero's hands, bullets can be shot from a gun, stones can be shot from a sling. In general, if it strikes the target from a distance, it's Ranged Combat.
Line of Sight:
Is there anything in the way?Line of sight deals with whether anything's between you and your target.
Line of sight can be:
- Clear There's nothing in the way; go ahead and shoot.
- Obscured There's something that may block a clear view, but won't block an shot, such as shrubbery, smoke, or darkness. If a character can't see who they are fighting ( enemy is invisible, in darkness, behind cover, in ambush or the character is dazzled), each phase they must make a Perception Roll (Difficulty Value determined by the GM) On a successful roll, the penalty is -2 to all Attack and Defense Values that phase. This increases to -4 with an unsuccessful roll.
- Blocked There's something in the way that you can't shoot through. If the target's only partially blocked; you can try to attack what you can reach. Determine how much is exposed, then reduce your Attack Total:
Cover Modifier Half Body -2 Head and Shoulders Only -3 Head only -4 Behind someone else -4 Target prone -2 Target crouched or kneeling -1RANGE:
Is it Close Enough to hit?
In Fuzion, "shooting" ranges aren't based on how far the gun can shoot, but on how easy it is for a marksman to clearly see a target (if you can't see it, you're firing blind no matter how far your gun reaches).This means that weapon ranges tend to overlap until they reach their Extreme ranges; as reflected in the table below. The Modifiers for each range are listed in [brackets] as well:
Melee [ +0] Within4m/yds or less of the target. This is also basic Melee and Hand to Hand range.
Close [ -2 ] Within 10m/yds of the target.
Medium [ -4 ] Within 50m/yds of the target.
Long [ -6 ] 51m/yds up to the listed range of the weapon.
Extreme [ -6, plus -1 for every full 50m/yds past listed Range. If listed range is < 50m/yds, -4 applies to distances between Close range and listed range.] This can be "bought down" by aiming, using scopes, bracing and other things. Example: a rifle has a listed Range of 400 m/yds. If I shoot something at 600m/yds, that raises the range modifier from -6 to -10).
NOTE: Mecha multiply above ranges by 10; i.e. 10m/yds=100m/yds.
NUMBER OF SHOTS & RATES OF FIRE:
Unlike Melee weapons, most ranged attacks have a limited number of Shots (arrows, bullets, charges, etc.); this will usually be listed in the attack's description.Rate of Fire [ROF] is how many times the attack can be "shot"in a 3 second phase. Most ranged weapons have an ROF of 1 or 2, but others may have the capacity for automatic fire and ROFs of 20 or more. Like Shots, this will also be listed in the attack description.
Modifiers:
What Are My Chances to Hit?
Combat Modifiers take into account the conditions of the battle. Modifiers are always applied to Attacks. You may use some, none, or all applicable modifiers to make the combat in Fuzion more exciting and realistic.
Situation Modifier Moving target -1 per 10m/yd target moves Target silhouetted +2 Vehicle mounted, no turret -4 Aimed body shot chest [-1], vitals, head [-6] , legs, hands, feet [-4] stomach [-5], arms, shoulders, thighs [-3] Firing shoulder arm from hip -2 Aiming +1 per phase, up to +3 max Braced +2 Tiny Target (bullseye, eye, vital area) -6 Small Target (less than 1m/yd, head, limb) -4 Large Target (trees, cars, large animals, etc.) +2 Very Large Target (trucks, planes, walls, side of barn) +4 Surprise Attack +5 Target Prone -2A Built-In Modifier: Weapon Accuracy
Weapon Accuracy [WA] reflects the difference in quality between weapons, and their effect on their user's abilities; the better and easier to use the weapon, the better you use it (and the worse the weapon...). WA's are not always used in Fuzion games, as their use varies from campaign to campaign. However, when they are in play, you'll find them listed in the description of the weapon. To use them, just apply the WA to your Attack roll as with any other Modifier.Making the Attack
In combat, the Attacker combines his Skill in his chosen Weapon with his REF and a die roll to create an Attack Total. He may also have to add or subtract certain modifiers (such as range, cover, etc.) from this Attack Total to determine the final outcome. Example: an attacking character with a REF Characteristic 5 a Firearms Skill of 6 and a die roll of 6 has a Attack Total of 17. A -2 modifier for range in turn brings this down to 15.The Defender combines his DEX, Ranged Evade skill and 10 (or a die roll i h the Interlock option) to produce a comparable Defense Value. Example: a character with DEX of 4, an Ranged Evade skill of +6 and a die roll of 3 has a Defense Value of 13. The two; Attack Total and Defense Value, are compared. If the Attack Total is equal or greater than the Defense Value, the attack succeeds.
Vehicles: When attacking a vehicle, the attacker will use his skill with the appropriate vehicle weapon or vehicle attack skill (such as Gunnery or Heavy Weapons). He attacks as usual, opposing his target's skill in controlling the vehicle (such as Driving or Piloting). The resolution is completed the same as all other Combats.
Targeting Against Range: Sometimes, you need to hit an apple, or a tree or something else without Skills or Characteristics. In these cases, the GM will set a Difficulty Value based on the range.
Melee (4m/yds or less) 4 Close (10m/yds or less) 8 Medium (50/yds or less) 12 Long (out to listed range of weapon) 16 Extreme (beyond listed range) 16, +2 per +100m/ydsSPECIAL ATTACKS
Area Effect Attacks
Area Effects are attacks (Energy Blasts, Shotguns, Flamethrowers, Stun Fields, Gas and other effects) that strike an area rather than a character. The area affected depends on the kind of attack made and will always be described as part of its description or construction. The outcome is determined by each defender in the area defending against a single attack total; those who fail take damage.
Explosions
For these, the attacker rolls against a Difficulty Value assigned by the GM (see ). Characters take the damage in the ratio of 2 less points for every m/yd they are away from the center of the attack.Typical Area Effects Effect Radius Shotgun (per barrel) 1m/yd Grenade (per die of damage) 1m/yd Explosive (per die of damage) 1m/yd Flamethrower (per die of damage) 1m/yd Heavy Weapons (per Kill of damage) 4m/ydsIf the character fails the Attack Roll, the center of the attack shifts 1 m/yd for every 1 point the Attack Roll was missed by, up to a maximum of 1/2 the total range to the target. Roll 1D6 to see which direction the center of the attack scatters and consult the table above. Then roll 1D6 to determine how many meters/yards the round fell in that direction.
GENERIC RANGED WEAPONS
Here are a few classic ranged weapons found in most common genres. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but can serve as a benchmark with which to establish your own guidelines.
Ranged Weapons Range (M/Y) DC ROF Colt Revolver 50 4 1 Light Pistol 50 2 2 Medium Pistol 50 3 2 Large Pistol 50 4 2 Magnum Pistol 50 5 2 Bolt Action Rifle 100 6 1 Shotgun (12-ga.) 40; Area Affect 5 2 Shotgun (10 gs.) 40; Area Affect 6 2 Magnum Hunting Rifle 700 10 2 Submachine Gun 200 3 20 Assault Rifle (5.56mm) 300 6 25 Assault Rifle (7.62mm) 400 9 20 Machine Gun 800 10 10
Autofire Attacks
Shooting a lot of something (bullets, fireballs, etc.) in one attack is called autofire. Many guns, superpowers and other ranged attacks have the possibility of using the autofire option (this is defined by the weapon or power used). In autofire, the weapon (or attack) fires as fast as it can in a 3 second turn. This is called a "rate of fire" [ROF] and is usually defined as part of the weapon or attack.Autofire allows for a wide variety of combat techniques:
Burst: A burst is a limited autofire attack, usually 3 shots. Since the weapon isn't bucking around as much, there is no attack penalty. Make an Attack roll; if the defender fails his roll, he takes 1D6/2 bullets.
Hosing Them Down: When using autofire against a single target,a normal Attack is made. To determine how many shots hit, use the Autofire Ratio listed below. For every X points the Attacker's AV exceeded the Defender's DV by, one additional round hits the target, up to the maximum number of shots fired.
Campaign Style Autofire Ratio Everyday 1 Compentent 1 Heroic 2 Incredible 2 Legendary 3 Superheroic 4 Example: The Autofire Ratio is set at 2. This means for every 2 pts. I roll over what I need to hit, 1 shot hits. Round the fractions up.
The Catch? There's a 1 point attack penalty for every 10 shots fired (your gun is jumping around).
Another Example: Jake Gronski is using a M-16 to hose down an evil cult. Jake is from a Legendary campaign with the Autofire Ratio set at 3. Jake, being a talented shot, has a AV of 12. (He's got a REF of 7, an Autofire Weapons skill of 5, a WA [Weapon Accuracy Bonus] of +1, and a -1 modifier for firing 10 shots; we haven't rolled the dice yet.) His target has a DV of 8 (a DEX of 6 and a Ranged Evade Skill of 2 + 10 [using the HERO Option]). Jake, on his 3d6 roll, scores a 12, so his total AV for this attack is a 24. The AV of 24 minus the DV of 18 results in a difference of 6. Jake hits. The Autofire Ratio is 3, so we divide that result of 6 by 3, for a total of 2. Jake will hit the cultist with 2 shots.
Multiple Targets: An autofire attack can also be directed against several targets at once. The attack must be directed into an area called a fire zone, and the width (in meters) of the fire zone must be specified at the time of the attack. The total ROF of the attack is divided by the total number of m/yds in the fire zone (round down), and this becomes the total number of rounds that can possibly hit a target in that zone.The attack is made as above, with each target using itsDefense Value against the attacker's single Attack roll. To determine how many shots hit, use the currently dialed Autofire Ratio above- for every X number of shots in this ratio, one round hits the target, up to the maximum number of shots fired. Example: I fire into a 10 meter area with 30 rounds. (30 divided by 10 = 3). Sue, Bob and Harry each make a Defense against my Attack roll of 12 totalling 13, 11 and 7 respectively. Sue is missed, Bob takes 2 rounds, and Harry (although he loses by 5), only takes 3 because that's all that's entered his part of the fire zone.Archery Attacks
Bows are a special category of ranged attack because they're Strength-based ranged attacks. Bows do 1D6 of damage and have 20m/yds of range for every 1 point of STR, to a maximum STR of 7. Compound bows and longbows have a maximum STR of 10. Crossbows work like normal firearms.Energy Blasts, Spells & Mental Attacks
Energy Blasts are made much in the same way as other ranged attacks, taking range and skill into account with other modifiers. The range of these attacks is based on the number of Power points spent on the attack: For every point spent on the power, you'll increase the range by 10m/yds (Example: spending 20 points gives you a 200m/yd ranged energy blast). To hit, you will use REF+Use Power Skill.
In most cases, Mental attacks have no range limitations; they are simply direct line of sight-if you can see it at all, you can hit it, no matter how tiny it is. The exceptions are Mental Attacks based on CON; these operate with the same range determiners as Energy Blasts; and Mind Scans, which do not require line of sight to be effective. To hit, you will use WILL+Use Power Skill.Presence Attacks
A powerful personality can have a strong effect on other people by words, actions, or sometimes by their mere presence. We call this effect a Presence Attack. A Presence Attack can be many different things, depending on the intent of the attacker: Fear, awe, surprise, surrender, rage, courage, hope, commitment, or other emotions or actions.
Making a Presence Attack does not require a combat Action, though sometimes performing a combat Action makes a Presence Attack more powerful (see Presence Attack Modifiers table). Usually a Presence Attack consists of a well-chosen phrase, such as "Surrender or die!" or "Champions to the rescue - follow me!" or even just "Stop!" Roll 1D6 for every 1 point of PRE; you may add or subtract dice depending on the GM's judgement (see the Presence Attack Modifiers table for suggested modifiers). Total the dice and compare the total against each target's Resistance value to find the effect.
Presence Attacks depend heavily on the circumstances, so the GM should feel free to modify the number of dice in the attack. The table below has some suggested modifiers:
The modifiers and the effects of Presence Attacks really depend a great deal on exactly what's happening and what is intended. The GM should use Presence Attacks to increase the drama of a situation or make things more interesting.VEHICLE/MECHA ATTACKS
In general, mecha combat is considered Ranged Combat [pg.43] and follows similar rules.The one exception is missile combat; missiles are defined as any weapon that can follow its target independently. How good it is at this job (and thus the Difficulty Value to beat when avoiding it) is based on how smart it is; does it just sniff a heat signature or is it smart enough to outthink you?
Missile is
Dumb
Smart
Brilliant
Genius
Difficulty
8
12
16
20
To avoid a missile hit, you must make a Piloting+REF+Die roll for at least 1D6/2 consecutive rounds. This can be modified by the use of countermeasures, which add +2 to your Piloting rolls. Make the rolls, you're clear; miss, and you're hit. In the case of clusters of missiles fired at one time, one missile roll is made once for all missiles fired, with one missile hitting the target per point by which your Defense failed. Example: 10 missiles are fired at a jet. The jet fails its roll by 7, so 7 of the 10 missiles hit.
Maneuvering
Any time you try to make a vehicle do something unusual, you'll need a Maneuver roll. This is done by combining your REF+Piloting (or appropriate Skill for controlling the mecha), and a die roll vs a roll and a difficulty based on the type of maneuver you're making (see below), plus any appropriate modifiers for weather, driver or road conditions.If the maneuver isn't described above, pick the closest appropriate one to work from. If the roll is successful, you will be able to pull the maneuver off. If not, you will lose control. In a walking unit, you'll just fall over; you must then get back up. In a ground unit, this will be a skid (miss by 4 or more and you'll continue straight for 1D6 meters per 10mph) or spin (miss by 4 or less; treat as a skid, but roll 1D6 to determine new facing: 1=backwards. 2=forwards. 3-4=facing right. 5-6=-facing left.). In an aircraft, you will probably stall (miss by less than 4) or spin (miss by 4 or more). Both require a roll be made to regain control. It's a Difficulty Value of 18 to Regain Control from a spin, and look out for that ground thing coming up at you !
Dogfighting
Sometimes, the best option is to outfly your opponent with a combination of skill and ability to maneuver. Start by determining the position of the combatants at the start; is one closing on the other, or are they headed right at each other? This intercept can be determined by making a Perception roll on either side with the high roll choosing positions, or at GM's discretion.
To find out the result of an aerial or space dogfight, each participant rolls their Piloting Skill+REF+Roll plus their vehicle's Maneuver Value. The player with the highest roll has the Advantage position, based on how many points they won the roll by. The result is compared with the chart on the left; the player who has won can shoot or flee at his option. The key position is the Tailing one; because it adds +2 to your Attack roll that phase.
To break off a dogfight requires either mutual agreement, or one player making an escape. The player with the current Advantage announces his intention to break off combat at the start of the Round, and must maintain his Advantage for as many Rounds as the GM determines at the time intention is announced.DAMAGE
So far, we've been concentrating on how to do things in Fuzion. Now, we're going to tackle stuff you won't want to do; like get hurt, knocked out, or even killed-in short, Damage.DAMAGE AND DAMAGE CLASSES (DCs)
Damage is an abstract measure of how much something can be harmed before it is either killed, destroyed or bludgeoned into unconsciousness.In Fuzion, most damage is measured in six sided dice, with each "D6" representing a unit called a Damage Class (or DC). Example: 1D6 is Damage Class 1 (or DC1).
Each point of DC represents one six sided die when rolling for damage. You roll the specified number of dice, add the results together, and the total is the amount of damage done to your target: Example: I have a DC3 handgun. I roll three dice and get a 5, a 6 and a 3. I do 14 points of damage with that attack.
Determining the DC of an Attack
With the exception of bows and spears, ranged weapons always do Damage based on the DC of the weapon. However,Damage caused by any part of the body is determined by the Strength of the attacker, with fists doing one DC of Stun damage for each point of Strength the attacker has (a kick does an extra DC on top of your STR, but suffers a -1 Attack Total penalty). Example: my Strength is 5; this means I do 5 dice (DC5) with fists, 6 for a kick.Minimum Strength
This is the minimum STR at which you can use a melee weapon with no penalty. Below this level, you take a -1 Reflex penalty for every -1 STR and a -1 die damage penalty as well Example: Aunt Meg, STR 2, tries to use a Battle Axe with a 5 STR Min. She'll only do 2D6 Killing damage when she hits, and takes a -3 REF penalty.Extra Damage
Strength based attacks using weapons have a damage each weapon can do. This value is equal to the weapon's listed Damage Class (DC). For every point of STR you have above the minimum STR required to wield the weapon, you will do one additional die of damage, up to twice the weapon's listed Damage Class.Example: Bob, STR 5, wields a dagger (STR minimum of 1). Bob had 4 more STR than he needs, so he expects to gain 4 extra dice on his attack. But since the dagger's maximum damage is only twice it's listed DC (1x2=2), Bob only gains 1 extra DC. On the other hand, Grog the Barbarian, STR 10, wields a battle axe (STR min. 5). Grog gains 5 extra dice, and since 2x's the Battle axe's listed DC (6) is 12, he gets to use all of his extra dice.
Damaging People: Hits & Stun
But what is the damage taken from? That's where Hits and Stun come into play.
In Fuzion, all living things have Hits; points which represent how much damage they can take. A character generally has as many Hits as his BOD characteristic x5. One point of damage from a weapon or attack will remove one Hit.
Living things also have Stun points; a measure of how much damage they can take before they pass out from pain and shock. One point of damage from a body blow or stunning weapon will remove one point of Stun.Damaging Objects: Structural Damage POINTS (SDP)
"Soft targets" like living things take damage differently than "hard targets" (structures and vehicles). So in Fuzion, inanimate structures, vehicles and other non organic objects (commonly called "hard targets") have Structural Damage Points instead of Hits or Stun. SDP is different from Hits, but works the same way-one point of damage will remove one SDP.
KILLS: Let's talk Big Guns. Really, Really Big Guns.
|In Fuzion, really big weapons do such staggering amounts of damage that they are measured in a larger scale called Kills, to represent the kind of massive forces associated with military level hardware, very large objects or extremely powerful attacks. Conversely, very large or tough things (tanks, giant robots, aircraft carriers, etc.) are also defined as having Kills of structure or armor to represent the huge amounts of punishment they can take.
Unlike DCs, Kills represent whole values rather than numbers of dice; a way of simplifying the bucketfulls that such attacks would normally require. So when attacking objects with Kills with weapons that do Kills, you will simply subtract the damage done from the Kills remaining, instead of rolling dice for damage.Kills vs Hits & SDP
But there's a catch to the above: really big guns are designed to hit and damage really big targets. It's nearly impossible to apply the full force of a huge attack to a small target (like a man) because the majority of the damage just doesn't have a big enough surface area to expend itself on. Really big damage is also more likely to expend its force by hurling a small target out of the way than directly applying all of its force to the target. By contrast, it takes a lot more force to move a large object and it has a lot more surface area to absorb that force, so it stands there and takes it all.Therefore, in Fuzion, small targets (things with damages measured in Hits and SDP) are damaged differently by large scale attacks. Small Targets (a.k.a. people, cars, motorbikes, etc) do not take the full force of Kill rated attacks. Instead, they scale down the huge damages done by Kills into smaller, dice based Hits or SDP, representing the results of this effect. As a rule, the first Kill of a Kill-rated attack will always be equal to 14DC. Each additional Kill of damage adds only 1D6 to the base 14D6, because the remaining damage effects just don't have a big enough surface to expend themselves on.
The Bad News: All that force didn't just vanish, you know. It's just been converted into Knockback. And since knockback subtracts the BODY (or Kills) of the target from the TOTAL DC done, chances are you still got blown several meters away. Ouch.
Example: A tank shoots a 4-Kill shell at a man wearing 45KD armor. The attack will do 14D6 for being a Kill or more, plus another 3D6 for each additional Kill; the armored fellow winds up facing DC17. The average is 60 points of damage, which is 15 points of damage after armor. He might even survive; once he gets done flying through the air from knockback.
note: this convention more closely mirrors the effects of big weapons in most common roleplaying genres (science fiction, animé, superheroes, action movies), where characters are more likely to be maimed and/or hurled through the air by blast, fragmentation, or overpressure effects rather than just obliterated on the spot.)
SUPERDAMAGE
or "Then There's Those Pesky Superheroes..."So far, so good. But what if you had small objects that could deal out superpowerful attacks? As a rule, small objects that can do Kill-scale damage (superheroes, power suits, etc.), can apply all of their damage to a very large target, simply because it's so big. So when a very powerful superhero punches a tank, all of his force ends up expended right on the tank. Therefore, whenever a small object delivers more than 13 DC in an attack on a large object, we scale its damage up to the Kill level, with the first 14DC representing one Kill, and each additional DC representing one additional Kill of damage.
However, when superheroes bash each other, the damage remains measured on the DC scale instead of shifting up to Kills; even if Superguy can deliver the power of a tank to his enemies, it doesn't mean they can absorb it from him any better than they could from the tank!
Note: This scaling up isn't entirely realistic; but it does closely mirror the abilities of superheroes and other godlike beings as depicted in comics, movies and animé. It's also self limiting, because only superheroes or other non-realistic people will ever be able to do this sort of damage; in a realistic genre, they won't exist and in a superheroic genre, they're supposed to hammer tanks apart with their bare hands. If it makes you feel better, simply think of Superguys' mighty fists as paired HESH or KEAP anti-tank rounds-they're about the right size!
Damaging People
There are two kinds of damage that you can take from an attack; Stun Damage and Killing Damage. Stun Damage is damage that creates pain and shock, but not serious injury. It's "fistfighting" damage, impacts done with the parts of the body, such as hands, feet, head (or if you have them, tails, tentacles and other blunt body parts). As a general rule, if it's part of the body and isn't sharp, it does Stun damage (the exception to this rule is futuristic "stun" weapons or "stunning" attacks).
Stun damage is always subtracted from your character's pool of STUN points, after being reduced by the higher of either your character's SD or his Armor. When his STUN points are at 0, his body will react by shutting off the pain-and passing out.
Killing Damage, on the other hand, is serious injury that can maim or kill. Anytime you are hit by a weapon, even if it's just a club, you will take Killing damage. In addition, any sharpened part of the body (fangs, claws, horns, etc), can also do killing damage.
Killing damage is always subtracted from your character's pool of Hits. When this is reduced to zero, your character is dying.
Important Tip: Avoid Dying. It really puts a crimp in your roleplaying.
Collateral Damage
Since killing damage also causes a fair amount of pain and shock, you'll take 1 point of STUN for every 1 Hit you lose, until you run out of Stun points. (Note: you don't get your SD!) And sometimes a Stunning blow is powerful enough that a small amount of serious damage is also done, equal to 1 point of Killing damage for every 5 STUN that penetrate.Stun Rollover
When you have lost all of your Stun points, any subsequent Stun damage you take will continue to convert into Killing damage at the 1/5th rate, reducing your remaining Hits-If you're beaten senseless and the beating continues, you could well be beaten to death!Stunned
If you take more than 1/2 of your total Stun in one attack, you are Stunned. A Stunned character cannot act in the next phase and is -5 to all Primary Characteristics. He can't move, and he may take no other actions. He will remain stunned for 1 phase, becoming "unstunned" next phase.Knocked Out
Your character is knocked out whenever your Stun is reduced to 0 or below: you are automatically unconscious. You are effectively knocked out, but will regain consciousness once you have recovered enough Stun to put you back over 0 again (see side table for how long this takes).
Stun level Recover Stun 0 to -10 Every Phase -11 to -20 Every Round -21 to -30 Every Minute >30 Up to GM(a long time)
Impairing Wounds
Whenever your HITS have been reduced enough, you will become impaired. At half of your total Hits, all of your Primary Characteristics will be reduced by 2; at 1/4 of total, they will be reduced by 4 points: a Characteristic cannot, however, be reduced to less than 1.DEAD. Mort. Finito.
When you reach 0 Hits, you are dying. You will be able to keep moving if you've still got Stun left, but you'll be at -6 (GM's Option) to all Primary Characteristics. You will also lose 1 additional Hit (in shock and blood loss) per round (4 Phases)-when you lose up to 2x your BODY Characteristic, you are dead.
Applying Damage to Objects
You can't stun an inanimate object. Therefore, objects will always take both Stunning and Killing damage the same way, subtracting it from their SDP.Hit Locations
Where you hit can often be just as important as whether you hit. While Fuzion usually uses a single pool of points to determine how much damage or stun your character can absorb, individualized hit locations do play a part in determining the severity of that damage (getting hit in the head, for example, is far more lethal than being hit in the arm). Hit locations also help determine if armor is being worn over a particular area or not; useful if you neglected to wear your power armor's helmet this morning! They are also used to determine the Hit Modifiers for attacking a specific area (or you can choose a location by using the Modifiers on the right). Warning: This rule makes dying a LOT easier!When using the Hit Location Charts below, roll three six sided dice and modify damage as appropriate. Note: damage is multiplied AFTER penetrating armor:
Roll3D6 Location Hit Effect (after armor) Hit Modifiers
3-5 head double damage -6 6 hands/forepaws* 1/2 damage -4 7-8 arms/forelimb* 1/2 damage -3 9 shoulders* 1x damage -3 10-11 chest 1x damage -1 12 stomach 1.5 x damage -5 13 vitals 1.5x damage --6 14 thighs* 1x damage -3 15-16 legs/hindlimb* 1/2 damage -4 17-18 feet/hindpaws* 1/2 damage -4 * if it isn't obvious, roll 1die: even=right, odd=leftVehicle Hit Locations
Vehicles are especially vulnerable to being hit in critical places. The following table lists most of the locations to be hit on typical vehicles (Animorphics and Humanoids have their own Hit Location table). To use this table, roll dice based on orientation to the target:
- Attack from side: Roll 3D6 ·Attack from Front: Roll 2D6+1
- Attack From Rear: Roll 2D6+6
Vehicle Hit Table ROLL Ground Vehicle Aircraft Boat Effect (after armor) HIT MOD 3-6 Front Wheels (5%) Flaps (5%) Bow 1x damage -6 7 Controls (5%) Controls (5%) Controls (5%) 1x damage -4 8 Engine (10%) Engine (10%) Engine (10%) 2x damage -3 9- Body Fuselage (20%) Hull (20%) 1x damage -3 10 Body Cargo Cargo 1/2damage -1 11 Fuel Fuel Fuel 2 x damage Ý -5 12 Weapon Weapon Weapon 1/2 damage --6 13 Crew** Crew** Crew** Damage to pilot only -3 14 Cargo Propeller (5%) Rudder (5%) 1x damage X 15-18 Rear Wheels (5%) Rudder (5%) Prop/jets (5%) 1/2 damage -4 * if it isn't obvious, roll 1die: even=right, odd=left If location not there, rollagain. Ý if Fuel is flammable, this is 3x damage * *if shot penetrates armor
Humanoid/Animorphic Mecha Hit Table [Roll 3D6] 3D6 Location Hit Effect (after armor) Hit Modifiers 3-5 head double damage -6 6 hands/forepaws* 1/2 damage -4 7-8 arms/forelimb* 1/2 damage -3 9 Torso 1x damage -3 10-11 Torso 1x damage -1 12 Weapon 1/2 damage -5 13 Powerplant 2xx damage --6 14 Pilot** Damage to pilot only -3 15-16 legs/hindlimb* 1/2 damage -4 17-18 feet/hindpaws* 1/2 damage -4 * if it isn't obvious, roll 1die: even=right, odd=left. If location not there, rollagain. *if shot penetrates armorKnockback
Such mighty blows are delivered in some types of combat (especially between superheroes, giant robots and kung-fu action heroes), that the combatants are often knocked all over the battlefield. This phenomenon is known as Knockback (in its realistic form, it becomes Knockdown).
To determine the amount of knockback taken, subtract the BODY characteristic (or KILLS) of the targeted character from the total DC (or KILLS) of the attack plus 1D6. For every DC remaining, the character is knocked back one knockback "unit." The unit of measurement is determined by the style of campaign, then applied by moving the character that far straight back from the impact.
Campaign Style Knockback Unit in m/yds Everyday [realistic] Just Knocked Down Competent [elite, semi-realistic.] 1/2 Heroic [TV action show] 1 Incredible [olympics, action movie] 2 Legendary [blockbuster action movie] 3 Superheroic [comic books, myths] 4 In the event that some-thing's in the way, move on to Collisions and see how badly you were hurt. Note: If using Kills vs Body, convert Kills to DC at a ratio of 1Kill=14DC, plus 1 for each additional Kill; if it's DC vs Kills, there is no effect until you reach 14 DC, then add 1 Kill for each additional DC.
Critical Effects
A vehicle need not be totally destroyed to make it non-functional. (You don't have to actually destroy an entire battleship to stop it. You only have to put a big enough hole in the bottom) One way to do this is to use the critical effects rule on the Vehicle Hit Location Tables below. Boldfaced listings signify critical hit locations; the value in parenthesis (X%) is the percentage of overall SDP that must be destroyed to incapacitate the vehicle:
In general:
Destroying controls, engines, rudders, props or jets will automatically render a vehicle immobile or uncontrollable.
Destroying up to a 20% of the hull of an aircraft or water vehicle will cause it to either sink of break up.
Example: The Quadracer Z is a superpowered speedboat with 80SDP. Its engine is worth 10% of the total (8SDP), and its hull is worth of 20% (16SDP). A 8SDP hit on on the engine will render the Quadracer immobile; 20 or more points of damage will sink it.
DEFENSE & ARMOR
So how do you avoid getting knocked out or killed? The first way is to just stay out of the way; use your Skills and Characteristics to ward off the attack. But if that doesn't work, you've still got another option: a DEFENSE.
|A Defense is anything that gets between you and the Damage first; clothing, armor plates, scales; even energy fields that deflect or absorb damage. All defenses have a value which is subtracted on a point for point basis from damage before it is taken from your Hits or Stun;
Armor is the best line of defense, you use that whenever possible. While most Armor provides Physical Defense, other types can protect against energy attacks (EKD) or even Mental attacks! Armor reduces damage just like any other defense, and will stop both Stun and Killing damage.
Your natural physical toughness (the Stun Defense on your character sheet) is your next defense, but will only stop Stunning Damage. You'll use this as a last resort, and mostly in fistfights and other non-lethal engagements. Example: My CON is 5, giving me a SD of 10. If 15 points of Stun hit me, only 5 (15-10) would get through.IMPORTANT: If stopping Stun damage, always take the higher of either the armor's PD or the character's SD. If stopping Killing damage, use only the highest Armor PD.
GENERIC ARMOR LIST
Following are typical Armors found in many genres. The table not only lists the Armor's Physical Defense (PD), but also its defense against Energy Attacks [EKD], just in case. Armors with are at 1/2 against bladed weapons.Fantasy, Archaic & Natural Armors Type PD/Cost EKD Description Heavy Cloth, Soft Leather, Fur 2 NA Thief Gear Heavy Leather, Padded Cloth 4 NA Animal Hides, scales Boiled Leather, Curi-bolli 6 NA Barbarian Armor Heavy Animal Hide 6 NA Tough Animal Hides Brigantine, Ring Mail 8 NA Bardic Chain Scale Mail, Bezainted 9 NA Dragon Scales Chain Mail, Laminated 10 NA Samurai armor Plate & Chain, Plate Mail 11 NA Field Plate 12 NA Typical Knight Modern Armors Type PD/Cost EKD Description Light Kevlar 6 NA Armored Clothing Skin Weave 12 NA Subdermal body armor Kevlar 14 2 Lt. Armorjackets Medium Kevlar 16 5 Med. A.Jacket Flack 18 5 W/inserts, cable weave Metalgear Plate 25 10 Plastic/Kevlar plate Futuristic Armors Type PD/Cost EKD Description Space Suit 5 5 Light skinsuit Industrial Space Suit 8 5 Hvy. metallized fabric Military Space Suit 10 10 Metal fabric w/Plates Body Armor 18 25 "Stormtrooper" plate Personal Force Screen 10 25 Against Stun damage Advanced Force Screen 14 30 Against all damage
SPECIAL ARMOR RULES FOR MECHA
The weaponry and armor used by mecha are subject to a few special cases. Take note that ALL of these special cases are OPTIONAL.
Special Case 1: Staged Penetration
In combat, attacks on mecha will always be subtracted from armor, then from the mecha's SDP. However, even the heaviest armored machines will become vulnerable after a long fight. To represent this, Kill-rated (i.e., mecha) armor uses the idea of Staged Penetration. Each time any area of Armor is penetrated by an attack of one Kill or greater, that area loses armor protection.Special Case 2: Chinks in the Armor
Almost every kind of mecha has a weak spot somewhere, and in combat, it's possible for you to hit that weak spot. When making an attack, if you beat your Difficulty Value by more than 10, your attack ignores the PD of the mecha's armor. In the case of autofire attacks, only those hits which beat the Difficulty Value by 10 or more will ignore armor.Special Case 3: Powered Armor Damage
Powered Armor (i.e., armor worn by a character which has SDP as well as PD) has a very spread-out structure which is tightly integrated with its pilot. Therefore, any damage which gets through Powered Armor's PD is divided by two; one half affects the Powered Armor's SDP, the other half is applied to the wearer's Hits. All Powered Armors use this rule.Special Case 4: Structural Integrity
Whenever a hit penetrates mecha armor, roll 1D10: If the result is greater than the number of fractional kills remaining, the mecha (or the location taking the hit) is destroyed! For example: 1.1K get through to a K mecha; with 0.5K remaining, on a roll of 6+ on 1D6 it's scrapped.
THE ENVIRONMENT
Guns and swords aren't the only thing that can hurt you. The world is full of potential dangers; falls, illness, drowning, even being hit by lightning. All of this falls under the heading of the Environment:Cumulative Environmental Effects: Shock, Poison/Drugs, Burns, Disease & Asphyxiation.
Each of these are effects of the environment that harm you through accumulation; shock and poison by continual damage to your body or will, asphixation through accumulated lack of air.
Electricity and Fire are always ranked by intensity of the effect (GM's decision), with damage occurring each phase you are exposed to the source.
Type Mild Intense Deadly DC DC1-4 DC5-10 DC11-20 Electricity Battery Wall socket Lightning Bolt Fire Wood Fire Gasoline Fire ThermiteLike electricity, Poison & Drugs are ranked by the power of the drug or poison. Damage effects occur each minute, not phase, while Illness takes place over days, weeks or even months (Ref's choice).
Type mild strong Powerful DC DC1-4 DC5-10 DC11-20 Poison Belladonna Arsenic Stonefish Venom Drug Alcohol Sodium Pentathol LSD Illness Measles Pneumonia PlagueA drug or poison need not be fatal; sleep or "truth drugs" also work by accumulation; "damage" is subtracted from different point pools depending on the type of effect. Example: Morgan administers a strong dose of Mind Control Serum (DC5) to Jake, hoping to find out the Cyber Cabals' secrets. Each turn, the drug does 5 to 30 points to Jake's Resistance. At 0, he gives in.
Asphyxiation: This does 3DC per Phase, taken from your Hits. Sitting quietly, you can hold your breath up to 1 phase for every 2 points of Endurance (a tough character could hold his breath for about two and a half minutes.). If activity, such as swimming or running is required, this rises to 4 pts.
Falling & Collisions.
These are all types of damage that come from hitting something at high speed.Falling: Using the table at right, compare the closest approximate weight of the object to the closest distance fallen (shaded top portion of the table). The result is how many DC are taken (1K=14DC, plus 1DC per additional KILL added). Note that at terminal velocity, you will have no increase in speed or damage.
0-10 11-30 31-60 61-100 101-150 Terminal Veloc. <50 lbs 1 2 4 6 8 10 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 50 lbs 2 4 6 8 10 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 100 lbs 4 6 8 10 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 200 lbs 6 8 10 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 400 lbs 8 10 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 800 lbs 10 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 1600 lbs 12 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 1 ton 1K 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 2 tons 2K 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 4 tons 3K 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 6 tons 4K 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 8 tons 5K 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 10 tons 6K 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 16K 20 tons 7K 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 16K 17K 40 tons 8K 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 16K 17K 18K 80 tons 9K 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 16K 17K 18K 19K 100 tons 10K 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 16K 17K 18K 19K 20K +100 tons 11K 12K 13K 14K 15K 16K 17K 18K 19K 20K 21K NOTE: 1K=14DC. Each additional Kill adds 1 DC.Collisions: Compare the weight of the object to its closest approximate speed. The result is the DC .
Ramming: If head on, add the speeds of both objects together and compare the weights of each to that speed; the result is the damage done to the opposing object. If a side ram or swipe, treat as a collision (above). If rear ended, subtract the speed of the object in front from the speed of the trailing object, then treat as a head on ram.
RECOVERY
Getting Better:
Recovering from Stun, Wounds & DeathAssuming you aren't reduced to vapor in an unfortunate accident, the next step is to get better. That's where RECOVERY comes into play.
Stun
Recovery from Stun Damage: Your Recovery Characteristic determines how fast your character recovers Stun points He will get back this many Stun points each phase he rests.Waking Up: Once you're knocked out, you may stay that way for only a few moments or for a long time. You will regain your REC in stun points based on how far below zero you are:
Stun level Recover Stun 0 to -10 Every Phase -11 to -20 Every Round -21 to -30 Every Minute >30 Up to GM(a long time)A simpler option is to make a CON+Concentration roll equal to the number of Stun you've taken beyond your total: if successful, you will wake up with one Stun.
Wounds (Lost Hits)
Recovery From Killing Damage: Your Recovery Characteristic also determines how fast you regain Hits. For every 24 hours you spend resting and with medical care, you will recover as many Hits as your REC score. Example: I take 30 hits. My Recovery is 10. I will be back to my full hit level in 3 days.Optional Rule:
Realistic Recovery rates:
Though this isn't as much fun, realistically it should take much longer to heal back from serious injury. In this case, a realistic rate would be to recover your Recovery rate in Hits every week that you are laid up; the above example would take three weeks of medical care.Death
Saving a dying character is still possible. Another character, making a successful Physician or first aid skill roll can stabilize you at any point beyond 0. The Difficulty for this task is 2x the number of Hits beyond 0. Example: Lazarus, is now at -7 Hits. To save him, Fox must make a Medical skill roll against a Difficulty of 14 (2 x 7).