⚔Combat Mechanics

Combat in the Wasteland is dangerous, tactical, and lethal. This page provides an overview of how combat works and a detailed guide for resolving attacks.

For vehicle-specific combat rules, see 🚓 Vehicle Combat.

Starting Combat

When hostilities begin, combat proceeds in rounds. Each round, every character and NPC takes a turn in order of their ⏱ Sequence.

Sequence

Sequence = 10 + 👁 PER MOD + 🏃 AGI MOD + 👄 CHA MOD

Characters act from highest to lowest Sequence. Ties between players can be negotiated. Ties between NPCs are resolved by the GM. A player with the same Sequence as the next character must complete their turn before the next character acts.

Sequence is a static value — it does not change between rounds unless modified by status effects, perks, or abilities (such as Cautious Nature, which grants +5 Sequence).

Surprise

A Surprise Round is triggered when a character lands a successful Sneak Attack at the opening of combat (the attacker’s side goes first; the victim’s side gains the 😲 Surprised debuff for one round), or when the party succeeds on a PER + 🏕 Survival spot check during a 🗺 World Map random encounter. See 😲 Surprise for the full rules.

Turn Structure

On your turn, you have ⚡ Action Points (AP) and ⚡ Movement Action Points (MAP) to spend on actions.

Maximum AP = 8 + (🏃 AGI MOD / 2) rounded down MAP = 0 by default (increased by milestones, perks, and abilities)

MAP is spent first on ⚡ Movement Actions. If you run out of MAP, you may spend AP on movement instead.

AP and MAP replenish at the start of your turn. Your 😮 Reaction and 😮 Free Reactions also replenish at this time.

Action Categories

You may perform actions in any order and any combination, as long as you have the AP to pay for them. Final Actions must be performed last (they end your turn).

Some actions are ⚡ Overflowable — their AP cost can be split across two turns.

How to Attack

Attacking is the most common combat action. The resolution flows through 4 phases:

1. Setup — declare the attack, verify it’s possible, pay AP
2. Resolve the Roll — hit/miss, CRIT/CRITFAIL, hit location, Glancing
3. Apply Damage — Cover, damage calculation, apply to HP and Cripple Threshold
4. Aftereffects — weapon effects, stray shots, triggered Reactions

The phases are a map for the rules, not a checklist you read aloud at the table. Once the math is familiar, an attack is fast: roll the d20, compare to two thresholds (Evasion, Glancing), roll damage, subtract DT, write down the result.

Phase 1: Setup

Declare the Attack

Choose:

• Weapon — which equipped weapon you are using
• Target — which enemy you are attacking
• Attack Type:
  • Standard Attack — target a random limb
  • Called Shot — target a specific limb (+1 AP, Accuracy penalty)
  • Burst Fire — fire multiple shots (+1 AP, Burst Fire Penalty)
  • Called Shot + Burst Fire — combine both (+2 AP, both penalties)
• Sneak Attack — if you are 👥 Hidden or 👥 Undetected and the target is unaware

Check Range and Line of Sight

Verify that the target is:

• Within your weapon’s range (Close, Medium, Long, or Extreme)
• In your line of sight — you can see them or know their position
• Not blocked by Cover that you cannot fire around (you may need to Peek from Full Cover)

Each weapon has an optimal range. Attacks beyond optimal range may suffer Accuracy penalties.

If you are in Full Cover and the target is blocked by your Cover Object, you must Peek to fire. Peeking is free but downgrades your Full Cover to Half Cover for the duration of your turn. Peeking may trigger Overwatch Attacks and 🤺 Opportunity Attacks.

Pay AP Cost

Phase 2: Resolve the Roll

Roll to Hit

Roll a d20 and add your modifiers:

d20 + SPECIAL Modifier + Weapon Skill + 🎯 Accuracy

Compare the total to the target’s Evasion. You must exceed the Evasion to hit.

Evasion = 10 + 🏃 AGI MOD + 1 every 4 levels (starting at Level 4)

Common Attack Modifiers

Evasion Modifiers on the Target

Check for CRIT / CRITFAIL

Compare your natural d20 roll against your 🎯 CRIT Range and ⭕ CRITFAIL Range:

On CRIT:

• The attack automatically hits regardless of Evasion
• Roll CRIT Dice (determined by weapon) for bonus damage
• CRIT Dice are exploding — if you roll the maximum, roll again and add
• CRIT Dice damage bypasses DT but is reduced by DR
• See 🎭 CRITS and CRITFAILS for full details

On CRITFAIL:

• The attack automatically misses regardless of your modifiers
• The weapon loses 1 Condition
• The GM may determine additional consequences (weapon jam, hit an ally, etc.)
• See 🎭 CRITS and CRITFAILS for full details

Determine Hit Location

Standard Attack (no Called Shot): Roll a d20 on the Hit Location Table:

Called Shot: The attack hits the declared limb. No Hit Location roll needed.

Burst Fire: Each shot that hits rolls independently on the Hit Location table. Shots in a burst may hit different limbs. If the Burst Fire is a Called Shot, all shots target the declared limb (no Hit Location rolls).

Check the Glancing Rule

Compare your attack roll total (d20 + all modifiers) to the Glancing Threshold:

Standard Attack:

Glancing Threshold = Target’s Evasion + 10

Called Shot:

Glancing Threshold = Target’s Evasion + (Accuracy Penalty as positive value)

If attack roll total > Glancing Threshold: Solid Hit — full damage to 💔 Cripple Threshold.

If attack roll total ≤ Glancing Threshold: Glancing Blow — half damage (rounded down) to Cripple Threshold.

HP damage is always full regardless of Glancing. The Glancing Rule only affects Cripple Threshold damage.

The Glancing Rule does not apply to explosives or damage-over-time effects.

Phase 3: Apply Damage

Check Cover

If the hit strikes a Covered Limb (the target is behind Cover), compare the attack damage to the Cover’s resistance:

• D = attack damage
• R = 💎 Hardness (Physical) or ♨️ Energy Resistance (Energy)

If the hit strikes an Uncovered Limb (Called Shot targeting an exposed limb, or flanking), Cover is bypassed entirely.

Calculate Damage

Single Fire

1. Roll weapon damage dice
2. Subtract target’s DT (🛡️ Physical, ♨️ Energy, or ☢ Radiation, matching the 💥 damage type). If DT is equal to or greater than the damage, the attack is fully mitigated.
3. If CRIT: add CRIT Dice result (bypasses DT)
4. Apply target’s DR (percentage reduction) to the total
5. Result is final damage

Burst Fire

1. First shot determines CRIT status for all shots in the burst. If the first shot is a CRIT, all shots automatically hit their target.
2. Roll to hit for each shot individually (unless CRIT — all shots auto-hit)
3. Each shot that hits rolls on the Hit Location table independently (unless Called Shot, in which case all shots target the declared limb)
4. For each hit: roll damage dice, subtract DT (fully mitigated if DT ≥ damage)
5. Sum all post-DT damage from all hits
6. If first shot was CRIT: add 1 CRIT Die result to the first shot’s damage only (bypasses DT)
7. Apply DR to the grand total
8. Result is final damage

Note: If subsequent shots in the burst happen to roll within CRIT or CRITFAIL range, they are treated as normal rolls — no additional CRIT Dice, no weapon Condition loss. The first shot is the only roll that can produce CRIT or CRITFAIL effects during a Burst Fire attack.

See Burst Fire for the complete resolution sequence.

Sneak Attack

Add your 👤 Sneak skill level as bonus damage. This is added before DR is applied.

See Sneak Attack for full details and perk bonuses.

Apply HP and Cripple Threshold Damage

HP Damage: Apply the full final damage to the target’s Hit Points.

Cripple Threshold Damage: Apply damage to the hit limb’s 💔 Cripple Threshold:

• Solid Hit: Full damage applied to Cripple Threshold
• Glancing Blow: Half damage (rounded down) applied to Cripple Threshold

If the limb’s Cripple Threshold reaches 0, the limb is Crippled and gains an Injury:

• Damage equal to or below the limb’s max threshold → Minor Injury
• Damage above the limb’s max threshold → Major Injury (can be reduced to Minor with an END + Survival Test, DC 10 + damage above threshold)

If the limb is already injured and takes further damage, the Injury Escalation rule applies.

Phase 4: Aftereffects

Apply Weapon Effects

Weapon effects (🩸 Bleed X, Embed X, 🔥 Burn X, 🌩 Shock X, etc.) are applied once per attack (not per hit for Burst Fire).

Effects trigger if the attack dealt damage (at least one hit connected).

The target may resist certain effects with the appropriate Test (see individual effect pages).

Creature Cover and Stray Shots (Burst Fire Only)

If the attack was Burst Fire, any shots that missed the primary target may continue to creatures behind the target along the line of fire. For each missed shot, check creatures behind the target in order (nearest to furthest). If the shot’s attack roll exceeds that creature’s Evasion, it hits them. If not, the shot continues to the next creature or is lost.

Additionally, if any creature was standing between the attacker and the primary target, shots that fell in the Creature Cover window hit that creature instead of the primary target.

The Trigger Discipline trait prevents stray shots from hitting allied creatures.

See Creature Cover for full details.

Resolve Triggered Reactions

After your attack resolves, check for triggered 😮 Reactions and 😮 Free Reactions:

• 🤺 Opportunity Attacks — if you attacked with a ranged weapon while in an enemy’s melee reach, they may Opportunity Attack you (if they have the Melee +3 milestone)
• Overwatch Attacks — your attack may have been preceded by an Overwatch Attack if you Peeked from Cover (Overwatch resolves before your attack)
• Riposte — if an enemy missed you with a melee attack earlier, you may have already Riposted

Attack Resolution Summary

The 4 Phases of an Attack:

1. Setup — declare weapon/target/attack type → check range and LoS → pay AP
2. Resolve the Roll — d20 + mods vs Evasion → CRIT/CRITFAIL → Hit Location → Glancing
3. Apply Damage — Cover penetration → damage calc (roll − DT, +CRIT Dice, ×DR) → apply to HP and Cripple Threshold → check Injury
4. Aftereffects — weapon effects → Burst Fire stray shots / Creature Cover → triggered Reactions

Melee and Unarmed Attacks

Melee and Unarmed attacks follow the same resolution steps as ranged attacks with the following differences:

• Range: Must be adjacent to the target (1 tile). One-handed melee and unarmed attacks reach the 4 cardinal directions only. Two-handed melee weapons also reach diagonally (8 directions).
• No Creature Cover stray shots: Melee attacks do not generate stray shots.
• No Bracing: Melee weapons do not require Bracing.
• Bonus Melee Damage: Added to melee and unarmed damage (derived from STR or alternative attribute via martial arts).
• Opportunity Attacks: Melee-range enemies may trigger 🤺 Opportunity Attacks and Riposte against you and each other.

Explosive Attacks

Explosives follow a different resolution than direct-fire attacks. See 💣 Explosives Attack for the complete system.

Key differences:

• Target a tile/location, not a creature
• Roll against Throw Difficulty, not Evasion
• Damage affects all creatures in blast radius
• Damage is split evenly across all 6 limbs for Cripple Threshold
• Total DT (sum of all limb DT) is used instead of per-limb DT
• Glancing Rule does not apply
• Cover uses blast attenuation rules instead of penetration rules

Defending

If you have AP remaining after your actions and don’t want to enter Overwatch, you may use the Defend action as a Final Action:

• Spend 1-3 AP (all remaining AP, up to 3)
• Gain +1 Evasion per AP spent until the start of your next turn
• The Dodger perk (Rank 1) grants an additional +2 Evasion when Defending

Defend ends your turn.

Overwatch

Instead of Defending, you may enter Overwatch as a ⚡ Final Action:

• Choose a firing mode (Single Fire or Burst Fire)
• Declare your Overwatch Zone based on your weapon
• Your Overwatch Attack allowance = (Remaining AP ÷ Firing Mode AP) + 1
• You will fire on enemies who move through or attack from within your zone

Overwatch consumes your entire reactive capability — no 😮 Reactions, 😮 Free Reactions, or 🤺 Opportunity Attacks while in Overwatch Mode.

See Overwatch Mode and Overwatch Attack for full details.

Status Effects in Combat

Combat involves many Status Effects that modify how characters fight:

Debuffs

Injuries

When a limb’s 💔 Cripple Threshold reaches 0, it gains an 🤕 Injury:

Injuries escalate if the limb takes further damage (see 🤕 Injury Escalation).

Reactions and Free Reactions

Between your turns, you may respond to enemy actions using 😮 Reactions and 😮 Free Reactions:

Reactions (1 per round):

• Warden swap (Melee +10)
• Hit the Deck (Perk)
• Snap Shot (Gunslinger Tier II)
• Evasive Maneuvering (Pilot +7)

Free Reactions (separate limits per ability):

• 🤺 Opportunity Attacks (1/round, or 2 with Zone of Threat)
• Riposte (1/round, Melee +7)

Overwatch Attacks consume your entire reactive capability while in Overwatch Mode.

See 😮 Reactions for the full system.

Death

When a character’s Hit Points reach 0, they are knocked out and begin 💀 Dying. They must be Stabilized or they may die.

The 🍀 Cheat Death Lucky Ability allows spending 🍀 Luck Points to reroll death resistance Tests, with escalating cost.

Abilities that prevent dropping to 0 HP:

• Deal With the Reaper (Ghoul Trait) — drop to 1 HP instead, once per Long Rest
• Too Stubborn to Die (Survival +10) — drop to 1 HP instead, once per Long Rest

Quick Reference Card

Your Turn:

1. Replenish AP, MAP, Reaction, Free Reactions
2. Perform actions in any order (spend AP/MAP)
3. End with a Final Action (Defend or Overwatch) or just end your turn

To Attack — the 4 Phases:

1. Setup — declare, check range, pay AP
2. Resolve Roll — d20 + mods vs Evasion → CRIT/CRITFAIL → Hit Location → Glancing
3. Apply Damage — Cover → damage (roll − DT, +CRIT, ×DR) → apply HP and Cripple Threshold
4. Aftereffects — weapon effects → stray shots → Reactions

Key Numbers:

• Evasion = 10 + AGI mod + 1 per 4 levels
• AP = 8 + (AGI mod / 2)
• Must EXCEED Evasion to hit (not meet)
• DT reduces each hit (fully mitigated if DT ≥ damage)
• DR is percentage, applied last
• CRIT Dice bypass DT, reduced by DR