In the world of Shadowrun, combat is an inevitability. At some point the talker will run out of words, the sneaker will get spotted, and the fight will be on. Shooting, stabbing, blowing things up, drive-bys, car chases, breaking things, and healing wounds will be covered in this chapter.
Shadowrun assumes we’re all past the “I shot you!”—“You missed me!” arguments of childhood. Combat is governed by rules and procedures designed to keep the action clear and flowing. In Shadowrun everyone in the game quickly learns whether your axe-toting troll whacks the obnoxious elf ganger or if that elf is just too damn fast. We’ll open up the Combat rules lessons with the basics: Who goes first? Where can I go? What can I do? Then we’ll ground you in the general concepts you’ll need to understand before we get into the more in-depth stuff.
Things happen fast in combat. To keep those things straight, Shadowrun breaks each encounter into three-second chunks called Combat Turns (20 Combat Turns = 1 minute). Each Combat Turn follows a set sequence to resolve issues such as who acts first, who’s faster on the draw, what happens when one character punches another, and so on. During the Combat Turn, players act in an order determined by their Initiative Score (see p. 159); each player describes their character’s action, then rolls dice to see how well the character performs. The gamemaster describes the actions and reactions of the non-player characters, as well as the final outcome of all actions.
Combat Turns are broken up into a series of Initiative Passes, which are further broken down into Action Phases allowing player characters (PC) and non-player characters (NPC) to take actions sequentially during the Combat Turn. This allows combat to flow smoothly from character to character without clogging up on the actions of a single player. Things can happen quickly; one of the gamemaster’s jobs is to keep players engaged and ready for their next Action Phase.
Determine Initiative Scores for all the characters, critters, spirits, sprites, intrusion countermeasures (IC), and anything else involved in the fight (see Initiative, p. 159). The order in which things happen during the Action Phase is determined by Initiative Scores, going from highest first to lowest last. Initiative is fluid and changes both within a Combat Turn and between Combat Turns. Note that wound modifiers affect the Initiative Score (see Changing Initiative, p. 160) as soon as the wound is inflicted.
The character with the highest Initiative Score in the combat takes their Action Phase first. This character is the acting character. If more than one character has the same Initiative Score, compare Attributes according to Initiative Score ( p. 159) to determine who acts first. Alternatively, the gamemaster can simply determine that all actions occur simultaneously.
The acting character declares and takes his actions, according to the steps below. If another character has delayed an action (see Delaying Actions, p. 161) and wants to act during this Action Phase, he must declare it here. That character chooses whether to act before, after, or at the same time as the current acting character.
The acting character declares his actions for the Action Phase. He may take two Simple Actions or one Complex Action during his Action Phase. Action types are further detailed in the Actions section ( p. 163). Alternately, the character can choose to delay his action until a lower Initiative Score in that Combat Turn (see Delaying Actions, p. 161). The character may also declare one Free Action during each Action Phase in the Combat Turn. Likewise, any character who has already acted in the Combat Turn prior to this Action Phase and still has his Free Action left may declare it at this point if he chooses.
Resolve the actions of the acting character.
Once the character with the highest Initiative Score has acted, move on to the character with the next highest Initiative Score and repeat Step 3 until all characters have acted in the Initiative Pass. Once all characters have acted, subtract 10 from all characters’ Initiative Scores and return to step 2 for all characters with an Initiative Score greater than 0. If a character was wounded previously, wound modifiers may affect his Initiative Score on this and any subsequent Combat Turns. Once all characters have an Initiative Score of 0 or less, move to Step 5.
Begin a new Combat Turn, starting again at Step 1. Continue repeating Steps 1 through 4 until the combat ends.
Initiative determines the order in which characters act, as well as how often they act during a single Combat Turn. Initiative is based on three factors: Initiative Attribute, Initiative Score, and Initiative Dice.
The Initiative Attribute is a derived attribute used to measure the speed, perceptiveness, and reaction rate of a combatant. See the Initiative Attribute Chart to determine Initiative attributes for different types of combatants (Physical, Astral, Matrix, or Rigging) and their Base Initiative Die.
To determine a character’s Initiative Score, make an Initiative Test rolling the character’s Initiative Dice and adding the total to your Initiative attribute—this total is your Initiative Score. Edge may be used on this test to roll the maximum of 5D6 for a single Combat Turn. The gamemaster records the score for each character, from highest to lowest. The character with the highest score goes first and the others follow in descending order during each Initiative Pass.
If there is a tied Initiative Score use ERIC (Edge, Reaction, Intuition, Coin toss) to break the tie, comparing Attributes in that order, with the character with the higher Attribute going first. If you’re still tied after comparing all three tie-breaker Attributes, flip a coin. Alternately, at the gamemaster’s discretion, both characters can act simultaneously.
How many times a character can act during a Combat Turn is determined by the Initiative Test. Every character starts out with a base Initiative die of 1D6. Some characters may spend Edge or have magic or implants that increase their Initiative dice total, allowing them to roll more dice and potentially perform more actions than their non-enhanced associates.
The Combat Turn is divided into Initiative Passes. Everyone gets to act during the first Initiative Pass (in order according to their Initiative Score). At the end of each Initiative Pass the gamemaster subtracts 10 from all characters Initiative Score. Characters with an Initiative Score higher than 0 get to go again during a second Initiative Pass. This process is repeated until all characters have an Initiative Score of 0 or less, the Combat Turn ends, or the combat ends.
A character with an Initiative Score of 0 or less can only take one Free Action during an Initiative Pass. However, a character with 0 or less Initiative is allowed one Free Action. She can also respond to attacks by dodging or defending herself.
In some cases, a character’s Initiative Score or Base Initiative Dice may change in the middle of a Combat Turn. A player might gain Initiative by activating an augmentation, for example, or could receive a boost from a drug or spell or other enhancer. Conversely, a character who is wounded or whose vital equipment (weapon, augmentation, etc.) takes damage might lose Initiative.
If a character’s Initiative attribute changes, immediately apply the difference as a positive or negative modifier to the character’s Initiative Score. This new Initiative Score applies to all remaining actions in that Combat Turn. So a character with Initiative 8 and an Initiative Score of 11 who activates an implant that changes his Initiative to 10 (+2) immediately raises his Initiative Score to 13 (11 + 2).
If the number of Base Initiative Dice available to a character increases, that character immediately rolls the extra Initiative Dice and adds the sum to their current Initiative Score for that Combat Turn. So a magician with 1d6 Initiative dice who takes his first action to astrally project (2d6 Base Initiative Dice) gains the die (and the change in Initiative) for their Astral Initiative during that Combat Turn. (In this case, the magician would also replace their Reaction + Intuition for Physical Initiative with Intuition x 2 for Astral Initiative.)
If the number of Initiative Dice available to a character decreases, then that character immediately rolls the number of lost dice and subtracts the total from their Initiative Score (along with any decrease to their Initiative Attribute).
Initiative also changes when a character or NPC is injured. Wound modifiers are applied directly to the character’s Initiative attribute. These changes are made immediately after the injury occurs and can affect the initiative order even within the same Initiative Pass. These changes do not allow the character to act again; they simply change their Initiative score.
If a character enters combat after it has already begun, they should roll for their Initiative Score as normal and then subtract 10 for each Initiative Pass that has already occurred. This means they may get an Action Phase during the current Combat Turn or they may not, but at least they have a chance.
There are times when a player wants to see how others act and what happens before making his move; choosing to wait is called a Delayed Action. A Delayed Action must be declared during Step 3A of the Combat Turn Sequence (see Declare Actions, p. 158). A player can declare a Delayed Action on any of his Initiative Passes and can continue to delay action until a later Initiative Pass. When the character decides to act, he replaces his normal Action Phase for that Initiative Pass with the Delayed Action and then acts on an Initiative Score lower than their own.
During the Declare Actions part of that Initiative Pass, the character must declare that he is intervening at a specific Initiative Score. He can make that declaration when it is time for players with that score to act. Characters who have a Delayed Action and intervene in this manner can choose to go before, after, or at the same time as a currently acting character who would normally take his action on that Initiative Score; any actions they take receive a –1 dice pool penalty. If multiple characters delay their actions until the same Initiative Score, they break the tie in the same manner as Initiative (p. 159).
Characters delaying an action in this manner keep their initial Initiative Score. If the character does not act before the end of the Initiative Pass, they incur the standard reduction of 10 at the end of the Initiative Pass.
Players can also decide to go after the last player’s Action Pass. As long as the character acts before that Initiative Pass ends and the next one begins, there is no problem. If more than one character wants to act last in a Initiative Pass, they act in the reverse order of their Initiative Scores; the character with the highest score goes last. In the event of a tie the characters must either act simultaneously or continue delaying their actions into the next Initiative Pass.
A character can delay his action into the next Initiative Pass and be the first to act. He must still use his own Initiative Score to determine the Action Phases he has for the Combat Turn.
Some items, such as grenades, explosive devices, timed traps, and so on, go off after a certain preset interval. In most situations, these items do what they do based on the character’s current Initiative Score during the next Combat Turn. If there are no more Combat Turns, the item activates as the gamemaster sees fit.
If an item has a timer set by a player character, that character can decide for how long to set the timer, but he must declare this when the item is activated. It’s usually best to have such items go off during the character’s Action Phase on a predetermined Initiative Pass or at the beginning or end of a three-second Combat Turn. Timed items always go last in the case of tied Initiative Scores. In the case of radio-detonated items, the character spends their Action Phase performing a Use Item action.
Getting from one place to another, especially from one piece of cover to another or closing the distance on an opponent, is important. Characters in Shadowrun have three types of movement: Walking, Running, and Sprinting.
A character’s movement for an entire Combat Turn (meaning total movement for all Initiative Passes, not for each Initiative Pass) is based on their Run rate, which is determined by metatype. Walk rate determines the farthest a character can move during a Combat Turn before they are considered to be Running.
It’s important to point out that “run” does not mean bolt as fast as you can; that’s sprinting. Think of running as a trained combat hustle or a jog, something to get you to another point quickly but still leave you able to perform other actions, albeit with a penalty. Sprinting is exactly that, running as fast as you can from point A to point B.
The Movement Rates (Walk and Run) for each metatype are noted on the Movement Table. This is the dis- tance the character can move during their Combat Turn. As soon as the character exceeds their Walk rate, they are considered Running until the end of the Combat Turn and incur any penalties or benefits of running. Running characters must use a Free Action in each Initiative Pass they are considered running.
Characters cannot exceed their calculated Run Rate in a Combat Turn without making a Sprinting test.
Characters may attempt to increase their running distance by performing a Sprint Action during their Action Phase. In this action, they make a Running + Strength [Physical] Test. Each hit increases the distance a character can move in a Combat Turn by either 1 meter (for dwarfs and trolls) or 2 meters (for elves, humans, and orks). Characters are allowed a maximum number of Sprinting tests equal to half their Running skill per Combat Turn, minimum of 1. Sprinting characters also suffer fatigue (see Fatigue from Running, p. 172) if they sprint for too long.
Characters who are running take a –2 dice pool modifier to all actions performed while running (except for Sprinting). Characters charging into melee combat gain a +4 dice pool modifier (making a net bonus of +2 when combined with the general penalty) when running into melee combat. Characters making a ranged attack against a running opponent suffer a –2 dice pool penalty to their attack test. Characters making a ranged attack against a sprinting opponent suffer a –4 dice pool modifier to their attack test.
When a character’s Action Phase arrives, she must decide what she’s going to do. She has many options to choose from: fire a gun, cast a spell, activate a computer program, and so on. Each of these actions falls into one of four categories: Free, Simple, Complex, or Interrupt. During her Action Phase a character can perform two Simple Actions or one Complex Action. The character may also take one Free Action at any point in the Initiative Pass (either during her own Action Phase or at any later time). Interrupt actions are a little different as they can be taken at any time in a Combat Turn, even if it is not the acting character’s Action Phase.
The Combat Actions Table lists common actions in each category. Note that actions possible while rigging or in the Matrix are detailed in the Matrix section (p. 214); magical actions are detailed in the Magic section (p. 276). A complete list of actions can be found at the back of this book.
When it’s your turn to act, you must declare the actions that you will perform during the Action Phase. While you generally may take your actions in any order during your Action Phase, sequence can sometimes be important; like drawing your weapon before you fire it.
Many of the combat actions a character might take in Shadowrun are described below. Gamemasters must determine on the fly whether any action not listed that a character wants to take would be Free, Simple, or Complex by comparing it with actions that are listed and considering the effort the action would take.
Movement is declared and taken into consideration during the declare actions phase of the Action Phase. Once declared, a character cannot increase the distance they wish to move but can decrease the distance or change the direction if they run into unforeseen obstacles. The same movement penalties and bonuses apply regardless of whether the character moves their full distance.
Free Actions are relatively simple, nearly automatic actions that require little effort to accomplish. Examples are saying a word, dropping an object, gesturing, or walking.
A character may take one Free Action during his own Action Phase or at some later point in the Initiative Pass. A character may only take a Free Action prior to his first Action Phase in the Initiative Pass if they are not surprised (see Surprise, p. 192). Only one Free Action is normally allowed per Initiative Pass, but multiple Free Actions could be allowed by the gamemaster if the situation seems reasonable (dropping an object and speaking a phrase). Free Actions generally require no Success Test, though special circumstances may warrant one.
A Simple Action is one step more complicated than a Free Action and requires more concentration to attempt. During his Action Phase, a character may take two Simple Actions, though only one can be an attack action. A character may also take a Free Action with the two Simple Actions.
A Complex Action requires intense concentration and/ or finesse. Only one Complex Action is possible per Action Phase. A character may also take a Free Action in the same Action Phase as a Complex Action.
There are times when a character is permitted to take an action outside his allotted Action Phase. Such rare instances are called Interrupt Actions and are clearly identified in the rules. When a character uses an Interrupt Action, such as Full Defense, he takes an action out of turn, but only if he has enough Initiative Score left in the Combat Turn to pay the price for the action. Interrupt Actions occur outside the normal course of the Combat Turn and do not cost the character their Action Phase (unless they reduce their Initiative Score below 0 with their actions). The Initiative Score reduction occurs at the time of the Interrupt Action. A character may only take an Interrupt Action prior to their first Action Phase if they are not surprised (see Surprise, p. 192).
All weapons have an Accuracy score that acts as a Limit for that weapon. Accuracy scores reflect the quality and craftsmanship of a weapon and determine the number of hits that can be used in a skill test.
Melee weapons, those that were made for combat, have an average Accuracy of 5. Improvised weapons— items that can be used, however awkwardly, to inflict damage but are not designed for combat, such as a golf club or frying pan—usually have an accuracy of 4. Random objects used as weapons that are very unwieldy or heavy (like a chair, barstool, or refrigerator) generally have an Accuracy of 3. Standard Weapons that are in poor condition or broken can have their Accuracy reduced by 1.
Unarmed attacks use the Inherent Limit [Physical] as determined by the Attributes of the character and do not have an Accuracy rating. Items used as part of the Unarmed Attack, also use the Physical limit.
Most basic ranged weapons have an accuracy of 4 or 5. Specialized ranged weapons, like some sniper rifles, have an accuracy of 6 or higher. Improvised ranged weapons have an Accuracy of 3, and broken, old, damaged, or otherwise flawed ranged weapons can have their Accuracy reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1. This includes items that have been damaged through Matrix Combat.
Armor is used with Body to make damage resistance tests (see Step 3: Defend, p. 173). The armor rating is modified by the attack’s AP value (see Armor Penetration, p. 169).
Good armor protects a character from serious physical harm. If the modified Damage Value (DV) of an attack causing Physical damage is less than the APmodified armor rating, then the attack causes Stun damage instead of Physical damage.
If a character is wearing more than one piece of armor at a time, the value of the highest armor piece applies for determining Armor. All the other pieces do nothing but add a lot of bulk; too much can make Joe Shadowrunner look like the SoyPuff Marshmallow Man, slowing him down more than the protection is worth.
Armor accessories, items listed with a “+” in front of their rating, add to the character’s Armor for the purpose of Damage Resistance tests. The maximum bonus a character receive from these items is limited to their Strength attribute. For every 2 full points by which the bonus exceeds the character’s Strength, the character suffers a –1 penalty to Agility and Reaction.
Standard armor is generally not designed to protect against electricity, fire, and other special damage types and thus suffers greatly when faced with attacks of this nature. But fear not, good shadowrunner, you have options. Any clothing item, including Armor, can be modified with a number of additional features that help protect against other forms of damage. This additional protection is used along with the modified Armor values to determine total Armor against an attack. Specialized armor values can be combined on a single piece of armor, but the sum of the ratings cannot exceed the capacity of the armor (p. 436).
Certain weapons are better at punching holes in armor than others. A weapon’s Armor Penetration (AP) represents this penetrating ability. AP modifies a target’s Armor rating when he makes a damage resistance test. Some weapons fare poorly against armor, and so actually raise the value of the armor. If the target is not wearing armor, this bonus does not apply. If a weapon’s AP reduces an armor’s rating to 0 or below, the character loses all his armor dice on his damage resistance test but does not subtract from his Body.
Shadowrun includes four types of combat: ranged combat (p. 173), melee combat (p. 184), astral combat (p. 315), and cybercombat (p. 226). All combat, whether it involves firearms, knives, astral attacks, or attack programs, is resolved in essentially the same manner.
Combat is handled as an Opposed Test between the attacker and defender. The exact skills and attributes used depend on the type of combat, method of attack, and style of defense, as described in each section. Various modifiers may also apply to both attack and defense rolls.
If the attacker scores more hits than the defender, the attack hits the target. In the case of a tie the defender usually wins, with the exception of a grazing hit (p. 173). Otherwise, the attack misses.
Use the procedure outlined below to resolve combat. You can use the mnemonic device “DADA” to quickly recall the sequence.
If the result of the Opposed Test is a tie, the attack is considered a grazing hit. A grazing hit does not do any damage, but the attacker makes contact. This allows certain contact-only attacks (poisons, shock gloves, touch-only combat spells, etc.) to still do damage.
Ranged combat is determined with an Opposed Test between the attacker’s Weapon Skill + Agility [Accuracy] vs. the defender’s Reaction + Intuition. Net hits are applied to the weapons DV or used to reduce scatter in the case of thrown weapons and launched weapons. The attack and defense rolls are modified by environmental, wound, recoil, and situational modifiers as appropriate to the attack.
Ranged combat in Shadowrun is not like a trip to the shooting gallery. Numerous factors plot against the runner making her shot. Four modifiers—environmental, recoil, situational, and wound—impact the runner’s chances of hitting her target.
Like the name implies, environmental modifiers reflect the conditions surrounding the action. The environmental conditions for both the attacker and defender should be considered before the modifiers are applied. For example: If an attacker is standing in the broad daylight when he lobs a grenade into a pitch-black cave with nothing to negate the light penalty, the Total Darkness –6 modifier applies even though he’s standing in bright light. Conversely, if the attacker throws his grenade from inside the pitch black cave at a target standing in the sunlight, there is no lighting penalty because the target is fully illuminated.
To determine the Environmental modifier, take only the most severe environmental condition and use the associated modifier. If there are two or more environmental modifiers tied for most severe, bump the modifier up a category. Note that Range is an environmental modifier.
Environmental condition modifiers can be ameliorated by employing appropriate systems, accessories, and/ or spells. Modifier compensation is a tool of the player, not the gamemaster. The gamemaster presents the modifiers and players are expected to understand the capabilities of their systems, accessories, and spells and know when to use what to best effect.
Each system mitigates one or more of the modifiers to help determine what modifiers remain and to what degree they impact the action. The table below gives a quick reference for which systems affect which modifiers.
Sailors have long feared the fog not only for the ghostly presences they claim to see but for the real-world issue of visibility and the ability of pirates to use the fog as cover. Runners should fear the fog for much the same reason—you never know what lurks in the mist. Whether it’s natural rain, fog, smoke from natural sources, or smoke screen of some type thrown up for cover, they all block line of sight. Visibility modifiers are mitigated in all conditions by ultrasound vision systems; thermographic vision compensates in all cases except for thermal smoke.
The concept of sight has expanded on the mean streets of 2075. Vision enhancement systems and variations in natural sight have made the idea of “seeing” taking on different meanings. There are a variety of methods a runner can use to mitigate Light modifiers. Ultrasound eliminates the penalty in any light (but only within 50 meters), thermographic compensates to a degree in all light conditions, flare compensation or sunglasses assist when the light is too bright, and low-light vision is helpful in partial or dim light situations.
A light breeze might not throw off a shot, but the stronger the wind the more a shooter is going to have to com- pensate. Compensating for wind is tough because you can’t see it without some kind of indicator, such as blowing leaves, a flag flapping in the wind, or a coat pressed hard against the target. Wind categories are generalized and left up to the gamemaster’s discretion instead of giving hard numbers for wind speed. Wind speed can be a factor at the shooter’s position, the target’s position, and any position in between. Wind modifiers are mitigated by smartlink accessories that calculate adjustments before the shot and alleviated by tracer rounds that let the shooter see how to adjust her aim for the next shot.
Distance to target is always a factor when firing or throwing a weapon. Ranges for all weapons, grouped by type, are listed in the Range Table (p. 185). Standard weapons use the range listed for their category. Certain weapons and weapon modifications may change the category that is used. Changes like these will be listed in the description of the accessory or weapon in the Street Gear chapter (p. 416). Range modifiers are mitigated by the Image Magnification modification and tracer rounds.
Recoil is the effect firing a gun has on the weapon and the wielder. Muzzle rise, wrist strain, body shifting, and other factors caused by repeated firing of a weapon are all factors in recoil.
Recoil becomes more of a strain the more bullets you shoot. If you are firing two guns at the same time, shots from the one affect the other, so bullets from each gun add to your total recoil value.
To figure out your recoil penalty, start with the amount of recoil compensation you have. You get 1 free point anytime you start firing, then you add your Strength/3 (rounded up) and the recoil compensation of any guns you are prepared to shoot (that means loaded and in your hands; if you have to put bullets in it or draw it from a holster or do anything of the sort, you’re not ready to shoot that weapon). Then subtract any bullets you’re about to fire. If the number is a negative number, that’s your recoil penalty; subtract the penalty from your dice pool before you roll for the attack.
When making multiple firearm attacks in a single Action Phase, calculate the total recoil penalty based on the bullets to be fired that round and remove it from your dice pool before splitting the pool for the multiple attacks.
Recoil accumulates with every bullet fired until the attacker stops firing to bring the gun (or guns) back under control. Recoil penalties are cumulative over every Action Phase and Combat Turn unless the character takes, or is forced into, an action other than shooting for an entire Action Phase. Recoil is cumulative to the character, not the weapenvironmental on he’s firing. Recoil accumulates from every shot the character takes, not just from the firing of the same weapon.
Single Shot (SS) weapons have the disadvantage of not being able to fire multiple rounds in a single Action Phase, but they have the advantage of not suffering from cumulative recoil when fired in single shot mode. It is assumed to be taking time to chamber the next round or otherwise make the SS weapon ready to fire again; this pause between shots means characters using these weapons do not suffer from progressive recoil. Recoil penalties apply when using the Multiple Attacks Action.
Vehicle and Drone mounted weapons have the advantage of a sturdy platform from which to fire. The vehicle itself has enough mass to absorb the bulk of the recoil created by the weapon. Mounted weapons have Recoil Compensation equal to the Body of the vehicle plus any built in Recoil Compensation of the weapon.
Basically, everything else. These modifiers cover things the character may be doing while firing and also effects the character might be under (spells, special damage, etc.) when they attack.
Blindly firing around a corner is no longer necessary with 2075 technology and imaging devices. A shooter can fire their camera or smartgun equipped weapon by simply sticking the gun around the corner and looking through the imaging system to see where it’s aimed. This isn’t easy to do, for numerous reasons, but at least it keeps most of you safely out of sight while putting lead downrange.
Car chases are fun and exciting, but trying to line up a shot on a bumpy road while the car is avoiding obstacles and other vehicles is not easy. This modifier applies whenever a character fires an unmounted weapon from a vehicle.
Trying to get a clean shot off while someone keeps swinging a bat at your head is no walk in the ballpark. Because a certain amount of your attention is assumed to be focused on the melee it’s hard to make a good shot, even when the guy swinging the baseball bat is right in front of you. This modifier applies to any characters trying to make a ranged attack while in melee combat. Remember if they try and break off the melee they are risking an Intercept action and a cheap swing by their opponent as well as risking not getting out of melee if they get tagged.
Moving quick does not mix well with trying to shoot a gun or throw a weapon. Anytime the attacker makes a move that puts him in his running movement rate he suffer the Running penalty on all ranged attacks.
Making faraway targets look closer (and bigger) makes it easier to use the old “aim small, miss small” mantra your sniper school instructor whispered in your ear. Image Magnification reduces Range modifiers when used properly. In order to use an image magnification system the attacker needs to use the Take Aim action to gain the benefit of the system. This includes both accessories, such as scopes, as well as cybereye enhancements.
Trying to throw, shoot, or even pick your nose with your off-hand just feels plain awkward. Any time a character tries to make an attack with their off hand, either due to injury, angle, or trying to re-enact the latest scene from the Ares blockbuster series, they lose some precision. This modifier also applies to the attacker’s total dice pool if they are trying to fire two weapons at once.
Wounds are distracting, and Wound modifiers apply to any and all ranged attacks. If you don’t want this penalty you can get a Pain Editor. Or just not get shot.
Whether due to darkness or cover, if the shooter doesn’t know where the target is, they apply the Blind Fire modifier. This modifier is the same as the Total Darkness modifier and as such is not cumulative with it, but if strong winds or extreme range are also involved an additional -4 penalty can be applied. Some additional rules apply if the attacker is shooting through cover (see Shooting Through Target Barriers, p. 197).
Sometimes we want our shots to count a little bit extra. Any time a character wants to make a Called Shots (p. 195) apply this modifier. Called Shots also require a Free Action to perform along with their basic attack action (p. 163).
Actually taking a moment to really line up the sights and assess the target can mean the difference between a solid hit and a solid miss. Taking a Simple Action to Take Aim before their shot adds a bonus to the Attacker’s dice pool or Accuracy.
A wireless smartgun connection provides an assortment of bonuses, but this table only provides the bonus you get while using it to attack. When aiming (using the Take Aim action) with a smartgun system the shooter gets both bonuses with each action of aiming.
Guns, guns, guns!!! Firearms come in a variety of shapes and sizes but they all do pretty much the same thing: throw high-velocity projectiles designed to damage whatever they hit. Whether this is spraying lead downrange or firing a single high-precision shot, the results can be deadly. Which, generally, is the plan.
The first thing we need to look at when it comes to firearms is the firing mode. A weapon’s firing mode determines how quickly each round is ready to fire, how quickly you can pull the trigger, and what happens when you do. Each mode description includes a few examples so that a gamemaster can assess and classify any weapon not included in the descriptions below or the Street Gear chapter (p. 416).
Firing a Single Shot (SS) weapon uses a Simple Action that cannot be combined with any other attacking Simple Action in the same Action Phase. SS weapons can take advantage of the Multiple Attacks Free Action if the attacker is wielding two such weapons. Single Shot weapons include bolt-action rifles, single-action revolvers, pump-action shotguns, lever-action rifles, and some large weapons that need extra time to chamber a fresh round due to the cartridge’s size.
Single Shot fire assumes another round is readied with each shot as long as rounds are available in the gun.
Semi-automatic weapons fire a round every time the trigger is pulled and automatically chamber a fresh round after each shot. Semi-Automatic weapons fire a single round with a Simple Action but cannot combine that with any other attack Action in the same Action Phase. Semi-automatic weapons can take advantage of the Multiple Attacks Free Action if the shooter has two semi-automatic weapons. They also have the option of using a Semi-Automatic Burst (see below).
See Firing Mode Table (p. 180) for attack information.
Semi-Automatic Burst mode is three semi-automatic shots taken in quick succession. Semi-Automatic weapons can fire a burst of three rounds with a Complex Action. With more shots going downrange they increase the chance that a bullet will hit. Semi-Automatic bursts can take advantage of the Multiple Attacks Free Action to fire at multiple targets with the same burst.
See Firing Mode Table (p. 180) for attack information.
Burst Fire (BF) weapons are usually SMGs or assault rifles, but some pistols and shotguns can be modified for this mode. In burst-fire mode a gun rapidly fires three bullets every time the trigger is pulled. Firing a weapon in Burst Fire mode is a Simple Action that cannot be combined with any other attack Simple Action in the same Action Phase. Burst Fire weapons can take advantage of the Multiple Attacks Free Action to fire at multiple targets with the same burst.
See Firing Mode Table (p. 180) for attack information.
Long Burst (LB) mode is really just quickly firing in Burst Fire mode. In this mode, a gun fires two three-round bursts in rapid succession. Firing a weapon in Long Burst mode is a Complex Action. Long Burst weapons can take advantage of the Multiple Attacks Free Action to fire at multiple targets with the same burst. See Firing Mode Table (p. 180) for attack information.
Weapons that can fire in Full-Auto (FA) mode can throw bullets for as long as the attacker keeps the trigger pulled and the rounds last. Full-Auto weapons can be fired as a Simple Action, firing 6 bullets, or a Complex Action, firing 10 bullets. Full-auto weapons can take advantage of the Multiple Attacks Free Action to fire at multiple targets with the same burst.
See Firing Mode Table (p. 180) for attack information.
Suppressive fire takes a Complex Action, uses twenty rounds of ammo, and ignores recoil. Though it may appear as a “spray and pray” technique it is in fact a combination of controlled and fully automatic bursts focused over a narrow area and directed at anything that moves. A character can suppress a triangular area projecting from the shooting character outward up to a distance of his choosing, up to the maximum range of the weapon, with a width of 10 meters at its end and a height of 2 meters. Make a (Weapon Skill) + Agility [Accuracy] Test, including bonuses for smartlink, laser sight, tracer rounds, and other gamemaster-approved modifiers, and record the hits. The suppressive fire zone lasts until the end of the Combat Turn as long as the firer does not move or commit to any other action.
Anyone in the suppressive fire zone or immediately adjacent to it takes a dice pool penalty to all actions equal to the shooter’s hits, unless they are completely unaware of it (a magician using astral projection, for example).
Any character who is in the suppressed area (but not behind cover or prone), or who moves into or out of the area before the end of the suppressive fire, risks catching some flying lead. That character must make a Reaction + Edge Test (+ any dice they may get as a result of choosing to use Full Defense) with a threshold equal to the hits scored by the suppressing attacker. Note that in the test, you use your full Edge rating, regardless of whether you have spent points during the session (though you do not, of course, use burned Edge points). If the test fails, the character is hit, suffering damage equal to the weapon’s base Damage Value modified by any special ammunition being fired. Characters in the suppressed area who remain behind full cover or drop prone are not at risk (though they suffer the normal modifiers for being prone; see Melee Modifiers, p. 187, and Ranged Modifiers, p. 173). Characters may choose to avoid rolling and use their Free Action to go prone and avoid getting hit. If a character does not have a Free Action remaining she may use the Hit the Dirt Interrupt Action and go prone instead of getting hit. Any character who stands up or moves again before the suppressive fire stops must make a test to see if she is hit.
If multiple suppressive fire actions occur covering the same area, only the highest dice pool penalty counts against targets in or near the suppressed area, but targets must make a Reaction + Edge test against all overlapping zones, taking damage from the ones missed. Reaction + Edge Tests in this situation are subject to the diminishing pool effect of being shot by multiple attackers in a single Action Phase. After each roll apply a –1 die penalty to the defender’s dice pool.not enough bullets If the firing character is short on ammo, reduce each of the modifiers applied by 1 for each bullet they are short. If an attempt at Suppressive Fire doesn’t have enough bullets, the width of the suppressed area is reduced by 1 meter for every 2 bullets the attack is short. For example, Wombat attempts to fire Full Auto (Complex Action) but his Ares Alpha only has 7 rounds left. 10 bullets needed minus 7 bullets left is a 3 bullet shortage and a 3 point reduction in the –9 defense modifier, making it a –6 on defense. Full Deck fires a Long Burst that empties the last 5 rounds from his Uzi V. Since he is 1 round short he only imposes a –4 defense penalty to his opponent. Wombat wants to rock and roll: he uses Suppressive Fire to keep a pack of 405 Hellhounds at bay. Problem is the gun only has 13 rounds left. That is 7 rounds short and reduces the width of the suppressed area by 3 meters (7 divided by two, rounded down) at the end, making it only 7 meters.
Shotguns described in the Street Gear section (p. 429) fire slug rounds. Characters can load them with shot rounds, but shot rounds have little effect against 21st-century body armor. To determine the damage done by shot rounds, apply the flechette ammunition rules to the Damage Value indicated for the weapon.
Shot rounds spread when fired, creating a cone of shot extending outward from the shotgun’s muzzle. This allows the shot to hit multiple targets, but with reduced effectiveness due to the spread of the shot pellets over a wider area. The mechanism that controls this spread is called the choke.
The shotgun user can set his weapon’s choke for a narrow spread, medium spread, or wide spread. Changing the choke setting requires a Simple Action (or a Free Action if the shotgun is smartlinked).
The target gets –1 dice pool modifier for defense at all ranges.
At short range, you get –1 DV, targets get –3 defense, and up to two targets within a 2-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. At medium range, you get –3 DV, targets get –3 defense, and up to three targets within a 4-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. At long range, you get –5 DV, –1 Accuracy, targets get –3 defense, and up to four targets within a 6-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. At extreme range, you get –7 DV, –1 Accuracy, targets get –3 defense, and up to six targets within a 8-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. Medium spreads cannot be used with Called Shots.
At short range, you get –3 DV, targets get –5 defense, and up to two targets within a 3-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. At medium range, you get –5 DV, targets get –5 defense, and up to three targets within a 6-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. At long range, you get –7 DV, –1 Accuracy, targets get –5 defense, and up to four targets within a 9-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. At extreme range, you get –9 DV, –1 Accuracy, targets get –5 defense, and up to six targets within a 12-meter spread can be targeted using the same roll. Wide spreads cannot be used with Called Shots.
Ranged combat rules also apply to bows and throwing weapons. Some special rules also apply. Thrown weapons Thrown weapons are used for a variety of different purposes. Knives, hatchets, and shuriken are intended to injure a target on impact and thus act just like projectiles in terms of attack rules. Thrown grenades are a little different and as such they have some extra rules for determining how they work.
When throwing a grenade, choose a location as a target. Use a Throw Weapon Simple Action and make a Throwing Weapons + Agility [Physical] (3) Test modified for range and all the usual conditions. Success means the grenade lands right where you wanted. If you don’t meet the threshold, the grenade scatters. The gamemaster determines scatter by consulting the Scatter Table (p. 182). Three hits on the test means no scatter, but it is still possible to hit the target if the scatter roll is low and the thrower got some hits (see Determine Scatter, p. 182). This all goes back to the old saying: “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Grenades are small, self-contained explosive or gasdelivery packages. They may come with a built-in timer to detonate after a pre-set amount of time (usually three seconds), a motion-sensor set to detonate on impact, or a wireless link set to detonate upon remote command. The type of detonation device determines the special rules and timing of grenade explosions.
Built-in Timer: This detonation method uses the attacker’s Initiative Score as the determining factor for detonation. The grenade is thrown during the character’s Action Phase and detonates in the next Combat Turn on the Initiative Score in which it was thrown minus 10, regardless of any additional changes to the thrower’s Initiative Score.
Motion Sensor: Grenades using a motion sensor are extremely dangerous. Once armed (about a second after the sensor is activated) the grenade explodes after any sudden stop or change in direction, meaning hitting the wall, floor, or target. This method uses the standard Ranged Attack rules but adds an extra step if it misses the target (no net hits on the attack roll).
After a failed attack roll, the thrower must roll for scatter and the grenade scatters the full amount before exploding immediately. A glitch on the attack roll means the grenade does not detonate on initial impact but instead doubles the scatter distance and explodes. A Critical Glitch means the thrower waited too long, and the throw sets off the grenade. The grenade detonates immediately, affecting the attacker and those around him. (Warned you it was dangerous.)
Wireless Link: This is the safest way to throw a grenade in some aspects, but it also comes with some risk and effort. The thrower (or anyone else who has a mark on the grenade) can detonate it by a wireless link. This requires the attacker to have a direct neural interface to the linked device and use the Change Wireless Device Mode Free Action. This method also reduces scatter. Without a DNI the attacker must use the Change Linked Device Mode Simple Action in their next or any of their subsequent Action Phases to detonate the grenade and scatter is not reduced.
Occasionally, characters get their hands on military- grade hardware, like grenade launchers, missiles, and rocket launchers. Resolving a launched grenade, rocket, or missile attack is a two-step process. The first step determines where the projectile ends up in relation to the target (see Determine Scatter, p. 182). The second step resolves the effect of the projectile’s explosion (see Blast Effects, p. 182).
When you fire a grenade, rocket, or missile you use a Fire Weapon Simple Action and roll a Heavy Weapons + Agility [Accuracy] (3) Test modified for range and all the usual conditions. Success means the launched weapon hits right where you wanted. If you don’t meet the threshold, the projectile scatters. The gamemaster determines scatter by consulting the Scatter Table.
Much like thrown grenades, projectile explosives have a variety of triggering mechanisms. Timers, wireless detonators, and impact triggers/motion sensors can all be used with projectile explosives. All methods still utilize the scatter rules (if a bit modified for the motion sensor) since these weapons all have some inherent level of inaccuracy.
Built-in Timer: This detonation method uses the attackers Initiative Score as the determining factor for detonation. The weapon is launched during the characters Action Phase and detonates in the next Combat Turn on the same Initiative Score in which it was fired minus 10, regardless of any changes to the attacker’s Initiative Score.
Motion Sensor: Projectile explosives using a motion sensor or impact trigger are extremely dangerous. Once armed (after the projectile has traveled 5 meters unless the safety features are disarmed), the projectile explodes after any sudden stop or change in direction, meaning hitting the wall, floor, or target. This method uses the standard Ranged Attack rules but adds an extra step if it misses the target (no net hits on the attack roll).
After a failed attack roll, you must roll for scatter and the projectile scatters the full amount before exploding immediately. A glitch on the attack roll means the projectile does not detonate on initial impact and scatters further, double the scatter distance. A Critical Glitch means the arming mechanism misfires and the explosive detonates immediately, affecting the attacker and those around him. (Did we mention these things are extremely dangerous?)
Wireless Link: This is the safest way to launch a weapon but requires a little extra effort. The firer (or anyone else who has the projectile subscribed to their PAN) can detonate the projectile wirelessly. This requires the attacker to have a direct neural interface to the linked device and use the Change Wireless Device Mode Free Action. This method also reduces scatter. Without a DNI the attacker must use the Change Linked Device Mode Simple Action in their next or any of their subsequent Action Phases to detonate the projectile, but the scatter distance is not reduced.
If the attacker misses their intended landing spot, the gamemaster must determine the projectile’s scatter. The gamemaster determines the direction of the scatter by rolling 2D6 and consulting the Scatter Diagram. The 7 arrow indicates the direction of the launch, so a result of 7 means the projectile continued on past the target, while a result of 12 or 2 means the projectile scatters back in the direction of the attacker.
Having determined the direction of the scatter, the gamemaster calculates the distance. The Scatter Table indicates a number of dice rolled based on the projectile, which is reduced by the number of hits the attacker rolled. This is used to determine the final scatter distance. If the scatter distance is reduced to 0 or less, the projectile hits the target exactly. (Note that additional hits do not add to Damage Values).
Grenades, rockets, and missiles are area-effect weapons, meaning that their blast affects a given area and any targets within it. The farther away the target is from the explosive’s final location—the blast point—the less damage it takes, because distance reduces the effect of an explosive’s blast.
Different grenade, rocket, and missile types lose blast effect at different rates. Consult the Grenades/ Rockets/Missiles Table (p. 435) to find the projectile’s Damage Code and Damage Value reduction rate.
When a grenade detonates in a confined space, such as a hallway or room, the gamemaster must first determine whether any barriers (usually walls) stood firm against the explosion. Consult the Destroying Barriers rules (p. 197). If the walls or doors hold up, the blast is channeled. Otherwise, determine blast effects normally.
If the walls hold, the shock wave reflects off of them, continuing back in the direction from which it came. If this rebounding shock wave maintains enough Damage Value to reach a character, that character is subject to the appropriate blast effect. If the character is struck a second time by the shock wave (once as it headed out and again as it rebounded), the Damage Value of the blast is equal to the combined Damage Value of the two waves.
Theoretically, a detonating explosive’s blast could rebound repeatedly off each of the six surfaces in a small, well-built room, raising the effective Damage Value of the blast to a value far higher than the original damage of the grenade. This is known as the “chunky salsa effect.”
When multiple explosives detonate at once the effects are similar to those of a blast in a confined space (more chunky salsa). When two explosions occur on the same Combat Initiative Score and both blasts effect the same character add half the value of the lower DVs to the highest DV and apply it all as a single modified Damage Value for the purposes of Damage Resistance tests. For AP calculations, use the best AP and improve it by 1 for every additional explosion.
A bow can be straight, recurve, reflex, or compound, and they can be made of anything from wood to spring steel to the most modern composites.
Bows have minimum Strength ratings that indicate the minimum Strength a character must have to use that weapon. When attacking with a bow, a character whose Strength is less than the Strength minimum suffers a –3 dice pool modifier per point below the minimum; this penalty reflects the difficulty he would have in pulling the bow and nocking an arrow. The weapon’s minimum Strength rating is also used to determine the weapon’s range and damage. Calculate base damage using the lower value of either the bow rating or the arrow rating.
Modern crossbows are equipped with automatic reloading devices to allow for faster firing rates (reloading doesn’t require a Ready Weapon action, unless you happen to be using a museum piece). Crossbows also feature internal magazines (m) holding up to 4 bolts. Available in Light, Medium, and Heavy sizes.
The rules and modifiers for ranged combat apply to vehicle- mounted weapons. Vehicle-mounted weapons are fired using Weapon Skill + Agility [Accuracy] for manual operation, like door guns on mounts, or Gunnery + Logic [Accuracy] for remote operated systems. A Complex Action is required for shooting weapons mounted on a vehicle in any firing mode. Characters shooting handheld weapons follow the normal rules for ranged combat and suffer a –2 dice penalty for firing from a moving vehicle. Stationary vehicles do not confer any of these effects, though they may inflict the Firing from Cover modifier.
Drones attack using their Pilot + [Weapon] Targeting autosoft rating (p. 269), limited by Accuracy. Drones must have an autosoft appropriate to the weapon they are wielding in order to attack. They cannot fire a weapon untrained.
To detect a person, critter, or vehicle with sensors, the character/vehicle must make a successful Sensor Test. Characters roll Perception + Intuition [Sensor], vehicles roll Pilot + Clearsight [Sensor]. If the target is trying to evade detection, make this an Opposed Test versus the target’s Infiltration + Agility [Physical] (metahumans, critters), Infiltration (Vehicle) + Reaction [Handling] (driven vehicles), or Pilot + [Model] Stealth [Handling] (drones). Since vehicle stealth is limited by the driver’s ability, the dice applied for Infiltration skill should not exceed the driver’s appropriate Vehicle skill. Sensors are designed to detect the “signature” (emissions, composition, sound, etc.) of other vehicles, so modifiers from the Signature Table apply to the detecting vehicle’s dice pool.
A character can use the vehicle’s Sensor Attribute to help with Gunnery and has two options for doing so: passive targeting and active targeting. Both options can be used to help make the weapon more accurate and get a better lock on the defender, making it harder to avoid an incoming attack.
In passive targeting, the vehicle’s Sensor attribute substitutes for the Accuracy of the weapon as the advanced targeting system makes up for any flaws in the weapon design. The attacker rolls Gunnery + Logic [Sensor]. The target’s Signature modifiers are also applied as a dice pool modifier.
Active targeting uses a vehicle’s Sensors to lock onto a target. To use active targeting, the character/vehicle must first make a Sensor Test to lock onto a target. This requires a Simple Action. If the character/vehicle wins the test, the net hits are applied as a negative modifier to the Defense Test on the attack. If no hits are achieved, the sensors fail to lock onto the target, and an active targeting attack cannot be made. Once a target has been locked onto, active targeting can be used against it without requiring additional Sensor Tests.
If the target vehicle somehow breaks sensor contact, a new target lock must be acquired. This can be done by using an action to Evade Detection, which is an Opposed Test using the appropriate Sensor Defense Test (see Sensor Defense Table).
Let’s get ready to rrrrumble! Melee combat, in all its sword-slashing, head-bashing glory, is decided by an Opposed Test between the attacker’s Combat Skill + Agility [Accuracy] vs. the defender’s Reaction + Intuition. Special defense options for melee attacks are described below. Net hits are added to the attack’s DV. Attack and defense rolls are modified by Combat and Wound modifiers as appropriate. Situational modifiers can be applied by the gamemaster in special circumstances, but since melee combat is supposed to be a fluid battle between two close combatants, many modifiers are not necessary as they’d just hinder both equally, so save yourself the extra calculations.
Certain weapons (or the arms of a troll) are longer and allow an attacker to hit a target from a greater distance, giving him a slight edge in melee combat. Weapons with this feature have a Reach rating between 1 and 4. When one melee fighter has a reach advantage over his opponent, compare the Reach of the two opponents and calculate the difference; this difference in Reach is applied as a modifier to the defender’s dice pool, whether positive (defender has longer Reach) or negative (attacker has longer Reach). Reach does not make you better at hitting someone but it definitely makes it harder, or easier, to defend. Trolls have a natural Reach of 1 that is cumulative with weapon Reach.
Sometimes all you have is a sword and you want to knock out your opponent and not kill them. In these circumstances your options are limited, as most lethal melee weapons are not designed for non-lethal attacks. When desired, the characters can use the Called Shot (p. 195) option to transfer damage types if the opponent is armored. If the opponent is unarmored, the attacking character can use the weapon in question as a club (with the Clubs skill) with an Accuracy of 3. Blades used as a club lose all Reach due to the need to hit with the pommel to be a club.
Running towards a foe makes it a lot more complicated to read just how your attack is going to land, and it puts a little extra force behind any strikes you do make. This bonus is gained on any melee attack made while the attacking character is considered running (see Movement, p. 161). Along with receiving this bonus, attackers can ignore the customary –2 penalty to skill checks made when running.
Fighting from down in the dirt ain’t impossible but it ain’t easy either. There might be good reasons for hitting from below, but if you don’t stand up first, you suffer this –1 dice pool penalty. Of course, if your opponent is also on the ground, your two modifiers cancel each other out.
This penalty applies any time a character chooses to use one of the Called Shots (p. 195) options on their attack. Making a Called Shot also requires a Free Action.
Whether it’s sitting over an opponent’s back in a grapple, attacking from behind, attacking from above, or attacking from stable ground while the enemy fights to stay standing, having the better position is an advantage in any fight. Whenever the attacker has a significant advantage in footing, perception, or mobility, grant this +2 dice pool bonus.
Using anything in your off-hand can make you feel like a clumsy oaf but sometimes it just needs to be done. Apply this penalty to any attack made with the characters non-dominant hand. For folks who don’t put that kind of information on their character sheet assume it is the same as the player’s. If the character took the Ambidextrous quality (p. 71) they don’t have an off-hand and therefore never suffer the embarrassment of an off-hand action.
The only columns from the Environmental Modifiers Table (p. 175) that are used in melee combat are Light and Visibility. If both combatants have the same vision systems and applicable penalties the gamemaster can decide to ignore all Environmental Modifiers and call it a wash or figure out the value and apply it universally. The gamemaster has the power.
Having a buddy or a couple of buddies around to worry your opponent is worth something in a fight. Whenever an attacker has at least one other person in the melee with them, they gain a +1 dice pool bonus. The bonus does not increase based on the number of friends. A second option when friends are present is to use Melee Teamwork (p. 188). This option offers a variable bonus (from zero to Attacker’s Skill rating) but takes up the actions of teammates.
Kicking someone when they are down may not be nice but it sure is effective. Besides, whoever said shadowrunners are nice? If an opponent is knocked prone, chooses to go prone, or gets subdued (see Subduing, p. 195) the attacker gains a +1 dice pool bonus.
If the intention of an attack is to simply make contact, whether to discharge a spell, plant a RFID tag, or just playing tag, than the attacker gains a +2 dice pool bonus. Additionally, if all that is needed is contact, the attacker and not the defender succeeds on a tie.
Unarmed melee damage is (STR)S. All other Damage Values are listed as part of weapon statistics.
Sometimes attackers prefer to strike with numbers on their side. When this happens the attackers have a few options for utilizing their advantage.
The simplest option is for an attacker to take the Friends in Melee modifier. This modifier provides a +1 dice pool bonus for the attacker as long as they have an ally engaged in the same melee. This is a single bonus, no matter how many allies are in the fight. For a chance at a better bonus you need to use Melee Teamwork (below).
The rules for teamwork can be used by a group of attackers to bring down a more powerful or more highly skilled foe. On their Action Phase, an attacker can choose to aid her allies. The attacker takes a Complex Action and makes an Opposed Test using her Combat Skill + Agility [Accuracy] with all appropriate modifiers, including the Ally in Combat modifier, against the opponent’s Intuition. Hits from this test are added as a positive dice pool modifier for the next ally to attack the same opponent. The next ally can also use these hits as a bonus on their own teamwork test, hoping to build the amount of hits they are passing on to the eventual attacker. Three teamwork attacks can be made before a standard attack must be made.
Regardless of whether they’re being shot at or are locked in a knife fight, characters usually have a chance of avoiding or defending against incoming attacks before they connect—unless of course they are caught by surprise (see Surprise, p. 192). This section offers a few extra options to avoid getting bloodied or bruised in such situations.
Note that even stationary or inanimate targets may have a defense dice pool if they have Partial or Good cover.
A defender has two choices for defending against ranged attacks. The defending character can perform the standard Reaction + Intuition Test for free. The defender can also choose to go on Full Defense (p. 191) and decrease his Initiative Score by 10 to gain a bonus on their Defense Test equal to their Willpower for the whole Combat Turn.
See Active Defenses (p. 190) for example.
A defender has five choices for defending against melee attacks; one is free; three are Interrupt Actions that reduce his Initiative Score by 5; and one is an Interrupt Action that subtracts 10 from his Initiative Score.
The character can perform the standard Reaction + Intuition Test for free.
If the character has a melee weapon in hand, he can Parry (p. 191) the attack and roll Reaction + Intuition + appropriate Melee Weapon Skill [Physical] as his Defense test. If his hands are empty and he has the Unarmed Combat skill, he can Block (p. 192) and roll Reaction + Intuition + Unarmed Combat [Physical] as his Defense test. Or he can Dodge (p. 191) and roll Reaction + Intuition + Gymnastics [Physical] as his Defense test. These three, Parry, Block, and Dodge, each reduce his Initiative Score by 5 and only work for one defense test.
If the defender chooses to go on Full Defense (p. 191), he subtracts 10 from his Initiative Score to boost his Defense test by an amount equal to his Willpower for the Combat Turn.
Full Defense and Block, Dodge, or Parry can be used in conjunction with each other.
See Active Defenses (p. 190) for example.
If the defender is inside a moving vehicle he gains +3 dice to his defense.
Characters who are on the ground have a more difficult time getting out of the way and suffer a –2 dice pool modifier. This modifier does not apply to defending against ranged attacks unless the attacker is extremely close (5 meters or less).
If the defender is unaware of an incoming attack (he does not see the attacker, the attacker is behind him, or he is surprised), then no defense is possible. Treat the attack as a Success Test instead. This does not apply to defenders who are already engaged in combat (see Character Has Superior Position, p. 187). If the defender is behind cover, the defense dice pool is determined by the cover, according to the Defense Modifiers table.
Wound modifiers apply if the defender has taken damage (see Wound Modifiers, p. 169).
The net Reach difference, after comparing that of the attacker and defender, acts as a negative modifier for the Defense test.
The net Reach difference, after comparing that of the attacker and defender, acts as a positive modifier for the Defense test.
If the defender has a Delayed Action to use against a charge they gain a +1 to his defense against a charging attacker (see Attacker Making Charging Attack, p. 186).
If a character has defended against at least one other attack since his last Action Phase, apply a –1 cumulative modifier for each additional defense roll.
The wider the spray of flechettes thrown at a character, the harder it is to avoid them. This keeps things relatively concentrated, though, so defending characters suffer a –1 modifier if the attacker is using a shotgun set on narrow spread.
This widens the spread of ammo out a bit, making them even more difficult to avoid. Defending characters suffer a –3 modifier if the attacker is using a shotgun set on medium spread. Medium spreads cannot be used with Called Shots (p. 195).
With this setting, ammo fills the air, making it a challenge to escape unscathed. Defending characters suffer –5 modifier if the attacker is using a shotgun set on wide spread. Wide spreads cannot be used with Called Shots (p. 195).
The more bullets thrown at a character, the harder it is to avoid them. Defending characters suffer a –9 modifier against ten-round Full-Auto bursts.
Just what was said above, though fewer bullets in the air decrease the stress and likely blood loss on a runner. Defending characters suffer a –5 against Long Bursts and Full-Auto (Simple).
The number of bullets drops again, but the challenge to not let them hit you remains. Defending characters suffer a –2 dice pool modifier against Burst Fire and Semi-Auto Bursts.
When a defender is putting all his attention on the attacker trying to take him out up close and personal, he loses perspective on incoming ranged attacks. This means a –3 dice penalty to his Defense test due to the distraction.
Serpentine! If the defender is currently considered running, i.e., if they ran in their previous action, they gain a +2 bonus to their Defense test.
If the Defender uses a Take Cover action to get behind something where more than fifty percent of the defender’s body is obscured by intervening terrain or cover, he gains a +4 dice pool modifier to his Defense roll against any attack. This modifier can also apply to prone targets that are at least twenty meters away from their attackers. This modifier is applicable to both Ranged Combat and Spellcasting. Note that this modifier does not negate the Blind Fire modifier the attacker suffers. Both the modifiers to the attacker and to the defender would apply when firing at a target that is totally concealed (one hundred percent behind cover).
If the Defender uses a Take Cover action to get behind something where more than twenty-five and up to fifty percent of the defender’s body is obscured by intervening terrain or other forms of cover such as brush, foliage, or various obstacles (crates, windows, doorways, curtains and the like), he benefits from a +2 modifier to his Defense Test. Note that this modifier applies to all Ranged Combat tests and also against incoming Indirect Combat Spells that allow a Defense Test.
Dodging explosions is not as easy as it seems in the movies. Apply a –2 modifier when trying to defend against weapons like spells, grenades, rockets, or missiles with a blast or area effect.
If you attack someone in cover and you tie in the Opposed Test, you hit your target through the cover she’s using. If you penetrate the barrier (see Barriers, p. 197), you can still do damage to your opponent.
Sometimes you want to do a little more than duck and weave to avoid incoming attacks. For those times characters have one extra option for ranged attacks and four options for melee attacks, all of which reduce the defender’s Initiative Score.
A character may increase their focus on defense against any form of attack at any point in a Combat Turn, so long as the character is not surprised (see Surprise, p. 192). This means a character does not necessarily need to declare Full Defense in advance— he can instead declare Full Defense when attacked, even if it is not yet his Action Phase in the turn. Going on Full Defense is an Interrupt Action and gives the defender a bonus to his defense dice pool equal to his Willpower. The action immediately reduces the character’s Initiative Score by 10, possibly preventing future actions. Dice gained from being on Full Defense last for the entire Combat Turn.
Any character, armed or unarmed, looking for a quick, short-term boost to his melee defense can use a Dodge Interrupt Action against an attack at any point in a Combat Turn, so long as the character is not surprised (see Surprise, p. 192). A Dodge action allows the character to roll Reaction + Intuition + Gymnastics [Physical] as his Defense test. Note that since a skill is introduced to the Defense Test, a limit is introduced as well.
This boost only deducts 5 from his Initiative Score, but it only lasts for a single Defense Test.
A character armed with a melee weapon and skilled in its use can gain a quick, short-term boost to her melee defense by using a Parry Interrupt Action against an in- coming melee attack at any point in a Combat Turn, so long as the character is not surprised (see Surprise, below). A Parry action allows the character to roll Reaction + Intuition + (Melee Weapon) [Physical] as a Defense test. In order to use the Weapon Skill for the Defense Test, the defender has to have that type of weapon in her hand. As with Dodge, bringing a skill into the mix also means the Physical limit is applicable.
This boost only deducts 5 from her Initiative Score, but it only lasts for a single Defense Test.
A character skilled at Unarmed Combat looking for a quick, short-term boost to her defense can use a Block Interrupt Action against an incoming unarmed or melee attack at any point in a Combat Turn, so long as the character is not surprised (see Surprise, below). A Block action allows the character to roll Reaction + Intuition + Unarmed Combat [Physical] as her Defense Test. In order to use Unarmed Combat in this way, the defender needs to be empty handed. The introduction of a skill to the Defense Test also brings in the Physical limit.
This boost only deducts 5 from her Initiative Score, but it only lasts for a single Defense Test.
Sometimes things happen when you least expect them; this is doubly true in Shadowrun, and that can be a problem— the unexpected has a tendency to mess things up. Sometimes it’s deliberate, such as an ambush on your way to a supposedly friendly meet. Sometimes it’s accidental, like ducking into an alley and landing in the middle of a pack of devil rats. There’s no sure way to be ready for the unexpected (if you were prepared for it, it wouldn’t really be unexpected, would it?) Surprise simulates those moments you didn’t see coming, and the rules of Surprise apply to all characters and critters. (Non-sentient objects like astral barriers, foci, programs, IC, and bricks, cannot be surprised. Which should not come as a surprise.)
A surprised character is caught off guard and can do little except watch events unfold. Surprise occurs on a character-by-character basis. A character walking into an ambush set by two opponents, for example, may be surprised by one of his enemies but not by the other, and not all characters in a shadowrunning team may be surprised by the same events.
Surprise normally occurs at the beginning of combat, but it is possible for it to happen within a Combat Turn if an unexpected force enters the fray.
Surprised characters are unaware that the fecal material is about to hit the air-circulation device. This normally occurs either because they failed to perceive something (e.g., they didn’t get enough hits to notice the concealed sniper) or because the gamemaster decides that they didn’t have a chance to perceive it (e.g., they blithely walk into a supposedly empty room and come nose-tomuzzle with a dozen smiling and heavily armed guards).
In some circumstances, gamemasters may wish to give a character the chance to be alerted that something is about to happen. The best way to do this is to make a secret Perception Test for the character. If the character is lucky, he may, for example, hear approaching footsteps, notice the smell of nic-stick vapor as he approaches the corner, or just get that tingly feeling that someone is behind him. A character who succeeds in the Perception Test is alerted in some way and receives a bonus on his Surprise Test (see below). Note that anyone enjoying the protection of a Combat Sense spell or Adept power always gets a Perception Test (secret or not), but they can still be surprised if they don’t receive enough hits.
The surprise rules below apply to all situations, whether all the parties involved are caught off guard or whether one or more parties are intentionally ambushing others.
To resolve surprise situations, all participants must make a Surprise Test, rolling Reaction + Intuition (3). Characters who have been alerted in some way receive a +3 dice pool modifier on this test. Surprise Tests do not have a Limit. Success means individuals get to act normally. Failure means characters lose 10 from their Initiative Score (either when Initiative is rolled or immediately if it occurs in the middle of the Combat Turn) and they are considered surprised until their next Action Phase. Surprised characters get no Defense Test when attacked. This can be avoided by spending a point of Edge to avoid surprise. They still lose the Initiative Score points, but they can at least use their defense rolls. Characters who glitch on their Surprise tests may still react appropriately, but they startle in some way, such as jumping, knocking into something, or dropping something they were holding. The gamemaster determines the exact effect of the glitch.
A critical glitch on a Surprise Test means the character is completely stunned and does not act for the first Action Phase. If they are able to enter combat after that, they receive a –10 penalty for failing the Surprise Test, as well as the –10 penalty for entering combat in the middle of the fight.
Characters who plan an ambush and delay their actions while they lie in wait for the arrival or appearance of their targets receive a +6 dice pool modifier on the Surprise Test. Ambushing characters are automatically not surprised by the characters they are ambushing—assuming they are aware of the movement and actions of their target(s), such as an ambush on open terrain. If the ambusher is unaware of his prey’s activities (for example, he is waiting for someone to enter the room, waiting for the target to exit a bank, watching for a spirit to materialize, etc.), the ambusher still receives the +6 modifier, but he must check for surprise as well, as he may not be ready or may be temporarily distracted when the target comes into sight.
Note that if an ambushed character manages to come through the Initiative roll with a higher score than those who set the ambush, they can get the drop on their ambushes and act first.
Surprise may also occur within a combat that has already started. A runner team may, for example, get chased into an alley where a pack of barghests are happily dining on their latest victim. Whenever new characters are unexpectedly introduced to a combat situation, the gamemaster should order a Surprise Test for all characters, both those already engaged in combat and the ones just entering. If any characters are surprised, adjust Initiative Scores, return to the regular Combat Turn, and remember that surprised characters cannot make defense rolls during this Action Phase.
Characters who are surprised cannot take any actions that directly affect, impede, or counteract characters who are not surprised. This means surprised characters cannot attack the non-surprised characters, nor can they dodge or defend against attacks from those characters; the surprised character cannot react to the other characters’ actions in any way. The surprised character can, however, carry out other actions that are not specifically directed at any surprising characters, such as dropping prone or readying a weapon (but not firing it).
Note that this affects would-be friendly actions, too. A character caught in an ambush situation may not react to his friend’s warning to duck, for example, if they failed their Surprise Test.
If movement takes a character within one meter (+1 meter per point of Reach) of an opponent, and the character attempts to pass by without attacking that opponent, that opponent can use an Interrupt Action and voluntarily decrease their Initiative Score by 5 to make a melee attack. This rule also applies to characters who are attempting to move out of melee combat. If the opponent has a melee weapon ready, he uses his normal melee weapon skill rating; otherwise, he uses the Unarmed Combat skill. If the character is wielding a firearm they may choose to use the weapon as a club and attack with the Club skill. This attack follows all of the normal rules for Melee Combat (see p. 184).
If, after their Resistance Test, the character attempting to pass takes damage equal to their Body, he is intercepted and cannot continue his movement.
Prone combatants cannot intercept.
With a little room to move, agile characters can avoid the Interception attempts of their opponents without engaging in combat. Using a Complex Action with their movement, they can make an Agility + Gymnastics (1) [Physical] Test. Each hit above the threshold allows the character to move past one opponent.
Characters who take damage may be knocked down by the attack or its staggering effects. If a character takes a number of boxes of damage (Stun or Physical, after a Damage Resistance Test) from a single attack that exceed his Physical limit, then the attack automatically knocks him down (this acts as a forced, free Drop Prone action). Any character who takes 10 or more boxes of damage after a Resistance Test in a single attack is always knocked down.
Certain less-than-lethal weapons are specifically designed to knock a target down. Gel rounds, for example, reduce the Physical limit of a character by 2 when comparing it to the DV to determine knockdown.
A character making a melee attack may attempt to intentionally knock his opponent to the ground by using a Called Shots (p. 195).
Sometimes, characters need to subdue an opponent without beating them into unconsciousness. To do so, the attacker must engage in subduing combat.
To subdue a character, resolve melee combat normally using the Unarmed Combat skill. If the attacker successfully hits, compare his Strength + net hits to the defender’s Physical limit. If the attacker’s total exceeds the defender’s Physical limit, the attacker grapples and immobilizes the defender. This subduing attack causes no damage to the defender.
To break out of the lock, the defender must take a Complex Action and succeed in an Unarmed Combat + Strength [Physical] Test with a threshold equal to the net hits scored on the attacker’s original grappling test. Otherwise the defender remains subdued and cannot take any actions requiring physical movement. Consider the subdued character to be prone for any attacks made against him. The grappling character does not need to make any tests to maintain the grapple, but he must spend a Complex Action on each of his Action Phases to hold the position. The grappler may also choose to do one of the following on each Complex Action he spends to maintain the grapple:
Sometimes, just taking a normal shot isn’t enough, and an attacker wants to do something specific with their attack. This section offers different options for calling a shot, though gamemasters can choose which of these options to allow in their game.
All called shots incur a –4 dice pool penalty and cost a Free Action in addition to their basic attack action.
Blast out of Hands: You knock an item out of your target’s hand, but the target takes no damage. Attacks intended to disarm suffer the normal –4 dice pool modifier for Called Shots as well as any other situational modifiers that apply such as wounds, lighting, or range. The defender rolls as normal. The item can be sent flying, coming to a rest (net hits - 1) meters from the defender. The item should travel in a direction away from the shooter.
Dirty Trick: Whether it’s shooting the plasterboard to kick up dust or actually kicking dirt in your opponent’s eyes, there are all sorts of dirty tricks you can do to get an advantage in a not-so-fair fight. If the attack succeeds with even a single net hit, your opponent takes a –4 dice pool modifier on his next action due to the distraction or disturbance.
Harder Knock: Whether it’s shooting a gel round into an opponent’s face or punching someone in the throat with your fist, sometimes you want an attack designed to do Stun damage to do Physical instead. This Called Shot changes the damage code on Stun-based weapons to Physical with no other change to the DV.
Knock Down (Melee Only): An attacking character may attempt to knock his opponent to the ground by bowling him over, sweeping his feet out from under him, pulling him off balance, or any similar maneuver. The attacker must declare his intention to perform a knockdown attack during the Declare Actions part of the Action Phase. The attacker makes a melee attack as normal. If he scores more hits than the defender, compare the attacker’s Strength + net hits to the defender’s Physical limit. If the attacker’s total exceeds the defend- er’s Physical limit, the attacker knocks the defender to the ground. This knockdown attack causes no damage to the target (except maybe to their pride).
The attacker chooses whether to follow the defender to the ground (a free Drop Prone action) or stay on his feet—unless he glitches, in which case he falls as well. On a critical glitch, the attacker falls down while the defender stays standing.
Shake Up: Sometimes you just need to slow down an opponent and keep them out of the fight. These shots represent the intentional shot past the ear or skipping rounds off the ground to keep an opponent on their toes and on the run. This shot makes the target lose 5 from their Initiative Score along with their normal damage. If his Initiative Score is dropped below 0, he loses his last Action Phase for this Initiative Pass. Even if the defender completely resists all damage, as long as the shot hit, they still lose the Initiative Score.
Splitting the Damage: Sometimes an attacker really just wants to put the hurt on an opponent instead of outright killing them. If this is the case the attacker can choose to call a shot to split damage between the damage tracks. Shots like this represent things like intentionally shooting the trauma plate on an armor jacket or shooting for the thicker padding on armor clothing.
To make a Split Damage attack, the target has to be wearing armor and the attacker’s AP needs to be less than that armor. So you cannot use this attack when shooting APDS at someone in armor clothing—in that situation, you just can’t keep the bullet from drawing blood. If the attack is successful the damage is split between the two condition monitors; if the damage was an odd number, make the Stun Damage the higher value. If the modified total Damage Value of the attack is less than the modified Armor Value of the defense, the attack ends up doing only half damage, all of it applied to Stun.
Trick Shot: Sometimes you just need a good trick shot to make someone rethink their current life path. Shooting a nic-stick out of someone mouth, tacking an opponent’s sleeve to a wall with a knife, or slicing that playing card in half in midair are all good examples that might help to get the point across that you are not one with whom to trifle.
The attacker gains a bonus on Intimidation rolls after this shot. Making an attack like this usually requires some kind of set up, so it can’t happen in the middle of combat. No one is paying that much attention to whether you shot their hat off intentionally or just missed their braincage. These attacks suffer the standard –4 dice pool modifier and any other situational modifiers. Note the number of hits scored on the test. Those hits act as a positive dice pool modifier for an Intimidation Test made by the attacker or a known ally of the attacker after the shot is made.
Vitals: Standard ranged attacks are assumed to be aiming center mass (human torso, car engine, etc.) to allow for maximum chance to hit while also focusing on vital areas for damage. Calling a shot to increase damage means the shooter is aiming for a particularly vital area of the body, such as the brain, heart, or major arteries. These areas, when struck, tend to cause more serious wounds but they are smaller areas and harder to hit. Targeting a vital spot with a called shot gives you an extra +2 DV on the attack.
Characters sometimes want to really put on the hurting in a single Action Phase and can choose to attack more than once in a single Action Phase by using the Multiple Attacks Free Action. This action represents both attacking multiple times from a single melee weapon and attacking with two different weapons (firearms or melee). The attacker’s dice pool is calculated with all modifiers (Wound, Environmental, Situational, and the full recoil of all attacks if it’s a ranged attack) and then split as evenly as possible between all attacks, and each attack is handled separately. (Keep in mind as the dice pool gets smaller the chances of a glitch rise.)
Edge spent on this test adds into the pool before it is divided.
The total number of attacks you can make in a single Action Phase is limited to one-half the attacker’s Combat Skill
A character may invoke the Dead Man’s Trigger rule to perform one final action before dying or falling unconscious. For the character to do so, all three of the following conditions must be met:
People and vehicles have Body and Armor, while barriers have Structure and Armor. Barriers have a number of boxes in their Condition Monitor based on their size and Structure rating. Every square meter (of about 10 centimeters thickness) of material has a number of boxes equal to the Structure rating of the barrier.
If an attacker wants to shoot through a barrier and hit a defender on the other side, a few things need to be determined. A defender using the barrier as cover receives a defense bonus for cover. If the defender is completely hidden behind the barrier, the attacker suffers a –6 Blind Fire dice pool modifier for not being able to see his intended target, but the hidden defender is considered unaware of the attack. If the barrier between the attacker and defender is transparent, like bullet resistant glass, there is no cover or obstruction to sight, but the attack must penetrate the barrier to reach the defender (see Penetration Weapons, p. 198).
If the barrier takes the hit first, the gamemaster rolls Structure + Armor to resist the damage, and the structure takes any unresisted damage. If the Structure rating is exceeded by the damage it suffers, any remaining damage is transferred to the target behind the barrier.
If the weapon’s modified Damage Value does not exceed the barrier’s Armor rating (modified by the weapon’s AP), then the weapon is simply not strong enough to pierce the barrier, and the attack automatically fails.
If a character intends to destroy a barrier (or knock a hole in it), resolve the attack normally. Since barriers can’t dodge, the attack test is unopposed. The purpose of the attack test is to generate extra hits to add to the Damage Value. If a character got no hits, then only apply the base Damage Value. The only way a character could “miss” is if he got a critical glitch on the attack test, thus proving themselves literally unable to hit the broad side of a barn. A character may use Demolitions as the attack skill if he has the proper materials and time to set charges.
Before rolling the barrier’s damage resistance test, adjust the modified Damage Value to reflect the type of attack, as noted on the Damaging Barriers Table.
Resolve the Damage Resistance Test by rolling the barrier’s Structure + Armor. Barriers ignore Stun damage.
Apply the remaining DV as damage to the barrier. If the total boxes of damage are greater than or equal to the Structure rating, the attack has made a hole in the structure. Each hole is one square meter per increment of Structure rating. For example, an attack that dealt 30 net points of damage to a Structure 15 barrier would create a 2-square-meter hole.
If the weapon you’re using is primarily a penetrating weapon, like a firearm or a pointed sword, then the barrier takes 1 box of unresisted damage (or no damage at all at the gamemaster’s discretion), allowing the rest to transfer to the target behind it. When multiple rounds are fired at a barrier, the damage increases to 2 boxes for 3 bullets, 3 boxes for six bullets, and 4 boxes for 10 bullets. Subtract this from the damage done to anyone on the other side of the barrier. This is only true for weapons whose modified DV exceeds the Armor rating of the barrier. As above, if the modified DV is less than the Armor, the attack is stopped dead with no damage to anything.
Someone, at some time, is going to want to use a body, living or dead, as cover or a barrier (this is experience talking). In these cases, use Body in place of Structure. Armor acts the same. Apply damage to the body before moving on to the intended target. Also of note is the difficulty of lugging a body around as a shield, as they tend to be heavy and awkward. Apply an Agility and Reaction penalty equal to the difference between the holder’s Strength and the shield body’s Body attribute while the metahuman shield is carried.