chapter-9-gameplay

name	chapter-9-gameplay
description	Chapter 9 - Gameplay (Pg 135) - Features, combat, initiative deck, round sequence, actions, long rest, dying.

Gameplay

In Galactic Adventures, characters take different types of actions depending on the encounter deck. Action types are minor, major, heroic, bonus, and opportunity actions, as explained in the combat section below.

Features

Features can be one-time benefits to statistics, ongoing effects, reactions that can be used as described by the action, or actions that can be taken at various times depending upon the type of action.

When gaining a feature, write down the feature on your character sheet in one of the squares provided. As shown on the character sheet, you may have up to five heroic actions (listed on the bottom left) and five features of other types (listed on the bottom right).

You may not select a class or race feature that would give you more than five heroic actions. Additionally, you may not select a class or race feature that would give you more than five features of other types. This includes static bonuses, reactions, major actions, minor actions, bonus actions, and opportunity actions.

Combat

Combat begins when one or more creatures feel threatened by or begin attacking another group of creatures. Combat is started at the discretion of the game master.

Starting the Combat Round

Determine the creature level range for the encounter. If an encounter has creatures of varying levels, the game master uses their best judgment to determine the creature level range to use. A party of characters could have characters of varying levels and could be fighting weaker creatures or may be fighting creatures of higher level in a difficult encounter. Once the creature level range is determined, take the 10 initiative cards for that level range. These 10 cards form the encounter deck.

Five of these cards will be blue, indicating that the players can take actions on those cards. Four of these blue cards will indicate a range of initiatives. Players with those initiatives can take a major action on that card, and possibly a bonus action if it was the first card flipped or if the initiative range on that card is higher than the previous card. One of the blue cards will allow all players to take either a minor action or a heroic action.

Five of the cards in the encounter deck will be red. Four of these cards will have initiative ranges indicating that creatures with those initiatives can take a major action and possibly a bonus action. One of the red cards will allow all creatures to take a minor action or a heroic action.

If multiple enemy creatures have the same initiative, they activate all on the same turn, one by one. If multiple player characters have the same initiative, they take actions in clockwise order, or any order the players prefer.

To begin an encounter, shuffle the encounter deck and then place all miniatures representing characters and creatures on a battle map with appropriate terrain or markings for the landscape that is being fought on (e.g., a spaceship interior, a planetary surface, or a space station).

Round Sequence

To begin the round, shuffle the encounter deck. Now, flip a card from the encounter deck. The creatures with the shown initiative (the number in the middle of the card) may now take either a minor, major, or heroic action. Creatures can only take one major action per round.

Surprise

In some circumstances, one or more creatures in the encounter might be surprised. They may have been ambushed while exploring a derelict spaceship, attacked during a spacewalk, or otherwise were not expecting a fight. In this case, any surprised creature skips their first initiative card on the first round.

Heroic Actions

During a heroic action, a creature can make a major movement. After using a heroic action, the number of remaining heroic actions indicated on your character sheet should be decreased. Your remaining heroic actions reset after a long rest.

Stims allow characters to use heroic actions without decreasing their remaining heroic actions count. Some heroic actions will indicate other restrictions on when and how they can be used.

Opportunity Actions

If a threatened creature uses a major movement to leave a space that is within melee range, and the space they are moving into is the same distance away from you or further, you may take an opportunity action, even if it is not your turn. The most common opportunity action is an opportunity attack, which you can see below in the standard actions section. Minor movements do not draw opportunity actions. Any major movement that only moves a single space does not draw opportunity actions.

Bonus Actions

If the currently flipped card's number range is greater than the previous card's number range, then the activating creatures may take a bonus action. If the previous flipped card did not have a number range, then the creatures activating on the current card do not get a bonus action. If one of the 8 cards with a number range is flipped as the first card of the round, those creatures get a bonus action.

[Gameplay Insight]{.smallcaps}: The lowest initiative range has a 10% chance of getting a bonus action each round. The next initiative range has a 30% chance of getting a bonus action. The next initiative range has a 50% chance of getting a bonus action. The highest initiative range has a 70% chance of getting a bonus action.

Reactions

Some features are considered reactions. These actions can be taken when specified by the feature. However, each creature can only take one reaction per initiative card.

End of Round

After every card has been drawn from the encounter deck, the combat round ends. If the combat is not over, start a new combat round. Continue combat rounds until the combat ends.

Threatened

Any creature that is within melee range of an enemy is considered to be threatened.

Actions

When a creature's card is flipped from the encounter deck, that creature may take a major action. All humanoid creatures can take the standard actions shown in the Standard Actions section below.

Attack Actions

When a creature makes an attack, the attacker and defender both roll a d20.

Shields

If the defender is using a shield and the face value of the dice is equal to or less than their block, the attack misses. Shields are the most common way to get block but can only be used against attacks that target agility. Other effects such as abilities and features can provide block as well. Some attacks will say they ignore shields. For these attacks, you do not get to use your block value from shields. However, if you have gained a block value from another effect, such as an ability or cover, you would still get to use that block value.

Adding Modifiers

The attacker adds the indicated stat to the roll. If no stat is specified, weapon attacks use skill and ability attacks use intelligence. The defender adds their indicated stat to their roll. If not specified, weapon attacks target the defender's agility and ability attacks target the defender's willpower. If the attacker's modified roll exceeded the defender's modified roll, then the attack hits. Otherwise, the attack misses.

Weapon Training

Weapon training increases initiative for each point of training you have in that weapon category when using weapons within that category.

Advantage

Some situations and features will provide advantage to a dice roll. Any dice roll with advantage gains a +2 modifier in addition to any other modifiers you may have. If you have advantage from multiple sources, the modifier is still only +2.

Damage

If the attack hits, roll the damage dice for the attack and add together the result of all the dice. Melee weapon attacks add the attacker's strength to the damage total. Then, subtract the defender's toughness from the damage total. This is the total damage the target takes. Subtract the total damage from the defender's current health. Some attacks will specify that they ignore toughness, in which case the defender's toughness is not subtracted from the damage. Other attacks will specify that they ignore armor, in which case the defender's armor is not included in their toughness. With these attacks, toughness gained from other effects, such as abilities or features, would still apply.

Exploding Dice

Damage dice explode. This means that when rolling the maximum result on the dice, you roll that dice again and add the next roll to the total. You keep rerolling until you do not roll the maximum result of that dice.

Temporary Health

Some effects will provide temporary health. When taking damage, subtract damage from your temporary health before subtracting damage from your current health. If you gain temporary health while already having temporary health, do not add the temporary health together. Instead, take whichever is higher, your current temporary health or the new temporary health. Remove any temporary health during a long rest.

Ranged Attacks

Ranged attacks are performed just like melee attacks except that they draw opportunity actions from adjacent creatures and are aim vs. tactics opposed rolls. Most commonly, this means that if you make a ranged attack while an enemy is adjacent to you, they may make an opportunity attack against you. You may only shoot through friendly creatures if that friendly creature is adjacent to you.

If you are making a ranged attack against a creature and miss, all creatures, including allies, adjacent to the original target must make an agility roll. Compare the creature who rolled the lowest agility to your original attack roll. If the agility roll was lower than your attack roll, then they are hit by your attack, regardless of whether they were an ally or an enemy.

Cover

Terrain features in combat encounters can provide cover. This could be low walls, boulders, barrels, trees, fences, doors, protruding corners, rubble, a crashed ship, or any number of other things. Cover values act as a block to range attacks, meaning that if the defender rolls the cover value or less during their tactical defense roll, the attack automatically misses.

Some attacks will ignore cover. These are things like cover penetrating ammunition, flamethrowers, or other attacks designed to bypass cover.

Characters are considered to be in cover if they are adjacent to or in a terrain feature that provides cover, per the game masters discretion. However, if a ranged attacker has clear line of sight

[Game Master Suggestion]{.smallcaps}: Most encounters should have a lot of cover ranging from cover values of 4, 6, and 8.

Concealment

Terrain features in combat encounters can provide concealment. This could be bushes, gas, fog, thin walls, a bed sheet hung in a door frame, and other things that block line of sight to concealed targets but do not provide substantial resilience. Concealment acts as a block to range attacks, meaning that if the defender rolls the concealment value or less during their tactical defense roll, the attack automatically misses.

Some attacks will ignore concealment. This could be things like heat vision, infrared, grenades, and other attacks that can see beyond the concealment or do not require careful aim such as explosives.

[Game Master Suggestion]{.smallcaps}: Most encounters should have a lot of concealment ranging from values of 4, 6, and 8.

Obstacles

Terrain features in combat encounters can prevent movement and ranged attacks completely. These obstacles could be large boulders, walls that reach to the ceiling, caverns that are too wide to jump, and other terrain features that either prevent movement or line of sight entirely.

Obstacles block both movement and line of sight unless it is reasonable to allow a creature to move or see beyond the obstacle. For example, shelving in a storage facility might be labeled as an obstacle but you may allow a character to navigate through the shelving based on an action check or based upon their character features.

Firing Position

When entering firing position choose a side or corner of the space you end in. This side or corner defines your facing. You may only shoot ranged weapons in a 180-degree arc centered on your facing. If your facing is a corner, the 180-degree arc is inclusive of the spaces leading out from the diagonals to each side of you. If your facing is on a side, the 180-degree arc is inclusive of the spaces leading out from the sides to each side of you. Indicate your facing with your character model or some other token on the game mat.

While in firing position you may not move. You must exit firing position in order to move. See the Exit Firing Position minor action above.

While in firing position you may choose to gain +2 aim or +2 damage on any ranged attacks.

While in firing position, all terrain cover is increased by 1. If you are not receiving any terrain cover, gain +1 cover.

Exposed Targets

Any character that is being attacked with a ranged attack that is receiving no cover or concealment is considered exposed.

Any creature making a ranged attack against an exposed target may choose to receive +2 aim or +2 damage.

Taking Cover

Any character that is taking cover doubles the value of any cover that terrain is currently providing them. Characters that are taking cover can only move with the Cover Crawl minor action. You must stop taking cover with the Leave Cover minor action in order to move as normal.

Flanking

If you are attacking a creature and an ally is on the exact opposite side of that creature, then you have advantage on your attack. To be flanking, you must be exactly on the opposite side of the creature as an ally. This means corner to corner or edge to edge. (Examples remain the same as in the original rules.)

Movement

Movement is performed in a square grid with edge-to-edge movement and corner-to-corner movement both being considered 1 point of movement. If you move to an adjacent corner space without any open space on either side, you draw opportunity attacks against enemies in those spaces.

Example: If moving between two enemies or between an enemy and a terrain obstacle (like the edge of a spaceship corridor), you draw an opportunity action.

Opportunity Actions

During a major action, if a creature makes a major movement and leaves a space that is adjacent to another creature, that other creature may take an opportunity action. The creature that moved is called the "target." Some opportunity actions will mention the "target" of the opportunity. Some actions will say that they "give opportunity," in which case adjacent enemy creatures may take an opportunity action.

Dual Wielding

You may wield two one-handed weapons simultaneously. If doing so, the larger weapon is considered your primary weapon, and the smaller weapon is considered your secondary weapon. If both weapons are the same size, you must declare which one is your primary weapon and which one is your secondary weapon. When attacking, you may only attack with your primary weapon unless an action specifies otherwise. You only get the initiative bonus from your primary weapon. Race, class, and item features can provide benefits to dual wielding.

Standard Actions

Most creatures have some standard actions that are always available. Some non-humanoid creatures might not have access to some of these actions, such as a robotic drone that cannot use the throw action.

Minor Move: Minor action

Move a number of spaces equal to your minor movement speed. This movement does not draw opportunity actions.

Major Move: Major action

Move a number of spaces equal to your major movement speed. This movement draws opportunity actions.

Draw or Change Weapons: Major action

You may swap your active weapon profile. Your new initiative is taken into consideration at the start of the next round. You cannot take this action if you have already taken a bonus action this round. If you take this action, you cannot take bonus actions for the rest of the round.

All Out Defense: Reaction

Before making an agility defense roll, you may take this reaction as long as you have not taken a major action this turn. Gain advantage on the agility roll. You may not take a major action for the remainder of the turn.

Attack: Major action

Make a melee or ranged attack. You may move a number of spaces equal to your major movement speed before or after the attack. You may also split your movement and move some spaces before the attack and some spaces after the attack, but you may only move a total number of spaces equal to your major movement speed. This movement draws opportunity actions.

Heroic Attack: Heroic action

Take the attack major action.

Charge: Major action

Move at least 3 spaces in a straight line directly towards a target. Make an attack against that target.

Unarmed Melee Attack: Major Action

Make a melee attack. Damage is equal to your strength with no dice roll.

Unarmed Ranged Attack: Major Action

Make a ranged attack up to 6 spaces away that does 1d4 damage with no modifiers. This requires a throwable object to be in your hand or nearby (e.g., a tool or gadget).

Throw: Minor Action

Throw an object up to a number of spaces equal to 3 + your strength. Make a throwing action check against a difficulty of 10. If you make the check, the object lands on the target. If you fail the check, the object lands on a random space adjacent to the target.

Push: Minor action

Make an opposed strength check against a target within melee range. If successful, move the target 5 ft in any direction. The target falls prone if your strength check doubled their strength check. This action can only be taken once per round.

Grapple: Minor action

Make either an opposed strength check or an opposed skill check against a target within melee range. If successful, you and the target are grappled for the remainder of the round. Grappled targets cannot take move actions.

Opportunity Attack: Opportunity action

Make a melee attack against the target.

Bonus Attack: Bonus action

Make a melee attack against the target. You may move before and after the attack as normal.

Minor Action: Take Cover

You may start taking cover with a minor action. You may make a minor movement before taking cover, but you must end the movement with cover.

Minor Action: Leave Cover

You may stop taking cover with a minor action. You may make a minor movement after leaving cover. You still gain any standard cover benefit from the terrain that you are near, but you no longer receive the benefits of the Taking Cover rules.

Minor Action: Cover Crawl

While you are taking cover, you may make a minor movement. You must start and end with cover while taking this action. This is the only way to move while you are taking cover.

Minor Action: Enter Firing Position

You may enter firing position with a minor action. You can make a minor movement before entering firing position as normal. While in firing position you cannot move unless you take the Exit Firing Position minor action.

Minor Action: Exit Firing Position

You may exit firing position with a minor action. You may make a minor movement after exiting firing position as normal.

Minor Action: Turn Facing

While in firing position you may turn your facing by 1 position to the left or right. If your current facing is on a side, you may turn your facing to either corner of that side. If your current facing is on a corner, you may turn your facing to either side of that corner.

Long Rest

A long rest is 8 hours of continuous rest without interruption by hostile creatures. During this time, characters must spend 6 hours in stasis or sleeping. After a long rest, the character regains one health per level. In addition, they regain all their mana and access to their heroic actions. If you rested in a comfortable location such as a space station or ship with proper facilities, double the amount of healing you receive.

Consumables

You can keep at most 4 types of consumables available for use at any time, with a maximum quantity of 4 each. You can carry more in your inventory, but you cannot have more than 4 types of consumables ready to be accessed and used in combat at any one time. Each different type of stim, medkit, or other consumable is considered a different type and requires its own slot on your character sheet.

Most consumables are used with a minor action. When not in combat, you may refill your consumables slots from your inventory in a few minutes.

When you gain a consumable, write the name of the consumable in one of the four slots on the front of your character sheet in the consumables section along with the quantity. Any consumables that cannot be fit into this ready access section can be noted down in your inventory on the back of your character sheet.

When you take a minor action to use a consumable, reduce the quantity of the consumable in the ready access section. Some consumables can be used as a reaction. In either case, a single character can use at most one consumable per action. Consumables include stims, medkits, and other single-use objects.

Dying

When a character takes damage that takes them to zero health or less, but they are not reduced to negative 10 health or fewer, they are considered to be dying. Any other character with at least one expertise in healing can try to keep the dying character alive by spending 5 minutes applying first aid. That character can make a healing action check. If the result is 8 or greater, then that result is the number of hours that the dying character remains alive. Otherwise, the character dies.

A dying character cannot move or take actions by themselves. Medkits, abilities, and long rests do not give health to a dying character.

The main way to keep them alive is to take them to a medical bay. A character with three selections of the healing skill may attempt to revive a dying character per the medical bay rules, with a +1 bonus. A character with 4 selections of the healing skill gains +2 to the revive roll, and a character with 5 selections of the healing skill gains a +3 bonus. This revival check must be made in comfortable conditions such as a spaceship or space station and requires spending 100 credits on various supplies needed, such as medkits and medical equipment.

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