III. Combat

Not every role-playing game will have fighting and combat, but many do. Similar to other games, combat in OS-SIX is managed in turns and rounds. But first, players will need to add some additional information to their character sheets, including hit points, weapons, and any other equipment that might help them in a battle.

Note: The Core Rules only contain some modern-day weapons and equipment tables. Additional options, such as fantasy weapons or sci-fi weapons, are included in the Free Core Modules.

Hit Points

Have players calculate their character’s maximum hit points (max HP) using the following formula:

• Roll Brawn +1 but add the dice rolls together rather than taking the highest.

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Example: Eric’s character has Brawn 2. He rolls 3D6, getting 3, 4, and 5. His starting max HP is 12.

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Mulligan (Optional Rule): You may allow players re-roll once when rolling hit points, but they must take the second roll.

Taking Damage

When a character takes physical damage, they lose hit points. If a character’s HP drops to zero, they fall unconscious.

If a character’s HP drops below zero, they must roll Brawn:

• Complete or partial success: Drop to zero
• Failure: Death

If a character with zero HP takes more damage, they die.

While a character has zero HP, they continue to roll Brawn on each subsequent turn.

• Failure: Death
• Partial success: Remain at zero.
• Complete success: Gain 1 HP and regain consciousness (but dazed - no actions for one turn).

At 1 HP, a character suffers a penalty to all actions.

Massive Damage

If a character's HP ever drops below zero by an amount equal to their max HP in a single turn, they are killed instantly (e.g. if a character's max HP is 14 and they drop to -15 HP, they die).

GM Tip: Make sure players understand that if their HP gets too low or they get into a fight with a powerful enemy, it could quickly go bad. Of course, players also have access to Luck Points that could save them from death at the last moment. Out of luck points? You can always “push your luck” and hope for the best! (See rules for Luck Points in How to Play).

Rest and Recovery

Recovering lost HP requires rest (no vigorous activity). Without food or drink, rest does not restore HP. After two days without water, a PC will start losing D6 HP a day. After 12 days, a starving PC begins losing D3 HP per day.

• Short Rest: Catching your breath for an hour and having a drink restores D3+1 HP.
• Long Rest: A meal and a full night’s sleep (6+ hours) restores D6+1 HP.

Medical Attention: If a character makes a successful Mind roll while using medical equipment or a first aid kit, they can stabilize an injured character and heal them D6 HP (or 2D6 HP if the character using the equipment has a medical skill). On a partial success they are healed half that much (rounded down). On a failure, though, the injured person not only doesn’t heal but could get worse.

Poisoned characters do not benefit from resting. See Conditions for more info.

Heavily bleeding characters do not benefit from resting and loses D6 HP every hour (or every minute in the case of extreme blood loss).

Note: There are no specific game mechanics for poison or bleeding in the Core Rules, so this is left up to the GM. Use common sense based on the situation.

Temporary Hit Points

Temporary hit points are separate from normal HP, providing a short-term buffer against damage and effectively allowing a character to exceed their max HP.

• Damage is always applied to temp HP first. Any additional damage carries over to normal HP.
• Healing does not restore temp HP. If you already have temp HP and receive more, you either retain the current amount or replace that amount with the new amount (they are not cumulative).
• If a character falls to zero HP, they cannot gain temp HP until they have at least one HP.
• Temp HP last until depleted or you finish a long rest.

Strain and Panic

Hit points are not the only vital stat to track in OS-SIX.

As situations grow more difficult and characters push themselves harder, they will develop Strain.

Unlike HP, which represent a character’s physical health, Strain represents the accumulation of significant mental stress.

Strain starts at zero. If a character ever reaches 12 strain, they become Incapacitated (see Conditions for details).

Characters may accumulate strain for the following reasons:

• They experience a highly traumatic event (roll Mind to resist)
• They encounter an extremely horrifying creature or entity (roll Will to resist)
• They gain the Terrified condition
• They get multiple ones (and no six) on an action roll (see Panic Rolls)
• They perform the Help action
• They “Push Their Luck”
• Certain enemies, effects, and abilities may also create strain

Panic Rolls

If you roll more than a single 1 on an action roll and nothing above a three (critical failure), immediately gain one Strain and make a Panic Roll to determine if your character loses their cool.

Roll 2D6:

• If the result is equal to or greater than your current strain, you don’t panic.
• If the roll is less than your current strain, you panic:
• Immediately gain two strain
• Your next action is made with a penalty

If a character witnesses another character panic during a high-stress situation, they must also make a panic roll. The GM may optionally have one or more characters make panic rolls if they come under extreme duress, such as encountering a horrific supernatural being, monster, or alien for the first time.

Becoming Incapacitated

If a character becomes incapacitated from reaching 12 strain, they require aid to be revived. Another character must make a Mind roll to help them:

• Full success: They regain consciousness and lose D3 strain.
• Partial success: They wake up, lose one strain, and gain a Penalty on their next action.
• Failure: They remain incapacitated.

A character cannot exceed 12 strain.

System Shock: If a character stays incapacitated from strain for one hour without aid, they begin losing D3 HP an hour until they receive medical attention.

Reducing Strain

When a character takes a long rest, they roll Will:

• Full success: Strain reduced 2D6.
• Partial success: Strain reduced 1D6.
• Failure: No strain reduction.

If another character with a skill like Psychology or Religion helps them calm down, they gain a Bonus when making their Will roll to reduce strain.

Combat Steps

When the player characters (PCs) enter a combat situation, the GM should follow these steps:

• Set the Stage: The GM describes the scene. Players describe where each PC is located and what they are doing. The GM then explains what the enemies do.
• Determine Order of Combat (Initiative): Each player rolls Agility. Whoever rolls highest goes first. If two or more players tie, they decide turn order amongst themselves. Then the GM rolls for any enemies.
• Begin First Round: Each PC and enemy takes a turn in sequence according to combat order. Once everyone has taken a turn, the round ends and a new round begins. Combat ends when no enemies or no PCs remain in the fight (either because they are incapacitated, dead, ran away, or stopped fighting for some other reason).

Taking a Turn

A turn is enough time to make an attack and traverse a normal-sized room (about 6 seconds). There are 10 turns in one minute.

Each turn, a player character may move (see Movement) and do one of the following:

• Move again (double move)
• Attack
• Use an object
• Take some other action

During combat, players roll for both their attacks and defense. During an enemy’s turn, the GM decides which player that enemy attacks and the player makes a defense roll. In other words, the GM does not roll dice for enemy attack actions (but does roll for damage if a character gets hit). Enemies attack once per round unless specified otherwise.

Player characters make the following combat rolls:

• To make a Melee Attack, roll Brawn.
• To make a Ranged Attack, roll Agility.
• To make a Defense roll, roll Agility to dodge or take cover; or roll Brawn to deflect or block. If you fail, the enemy hits you.

Attacking: Success and Failure

• Complete success: The attack does full damage.
• Partial success: The attack does half damage (rounded down).
• Failure: The attack fails (no damage).
• Critical success: Double damage.
• Critical failure: You drop your weapon, jam your weapon, trip and fall prone, or allow an enemy to make an immediate counter attack (up to the GMs discretion). Gain one Strain and make a Panic Roll.

Defense: Success and Failure

• Complete success: You avoid the attack and take no damage.
• Partial success: Take half damage (rounded down).
• Failure: Take full damage.
• Critical success: Take no damage and immediately make a counter attack.
• Critical failure: Take double damage, gain one Strain, and make a Panic Roll.

Special Actions

Grappling: To grab and hold a target, roll Brawn. The target cannot be significantly larger or heavier.

• Full success: The target is grappled (automatic success against an unconscious target). You and the target remain stationary until the grapple ends, but may still attack each other. You may end the grapple by letting go.
• Partial success: the target is grappled but immediately makes one melee attack against the grappler.
• Failure: the grapple fails.

A grappled target can use its action to attempt to break free. The player makes another Brawn roll to maintain the grapple. On a failure, the grapple ends. You can drag a grappled target, but your movement is halved, unless the target is much smaller.

Avoiding an Enemy Grapple: When an enemy attempts to grapple a PC, the PC rolls Brawn. If the grappler is much larger and/or stronger, the player rolls with a penalty.

• Full success: They evade the grapple.
• Partial success: They’re grappled but can immediately make one melee attack against the grappler.
• Failure: They are grappled, but may repeat the Brawn roll to break free on subsequent turns as an action.

Ram: As an action, you may charge and ram a similarly sized or smaller opponent, attempting to knock them prone (and giving allies advantage on subsequent melee attacks). Roll Brawn. On a success, the target is knocked prone. On a partial success, both the ramming character and the target are knocked prone. On a failure, only the ramming character falls prone.

Provide Aid: (See Damage and Recovery)

Take Cover: (See Cover)

Movement

Outside of combat, characters can move around freely. During combat, characters can move a limited distance each turn (refer to Base Movement Table). Moving can occur before and/or after taking an action. A character may optionally choose to “double move” (covering twice their normal movement distance), but must forego any other actions for that turn.