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Tactics | Special Combat? >

Combat Primer

At its most basic, the GURPS Combat System is very simple. You make an Attack Roll and attempt to get a roll under your Effective Skill Level on 3d6. If you are successful, your opponent is allowed am Active Defense Roll against one of his Dodge, Parry, or Block defenses (unless you got a critical success). If your opponent fails this roll, you roll for damage. This damage is then compared to your opponents Damage Resistance from armor, cyberware, etc., and any remaining damage is modified by Damage Type and/or Hit Location and then applied to your opponents Hit Points as injury.

Within the boundaries of this rather simple system there are, however, many complications. The combat rules outlined here are described in more detail in GURPS Basic Set: Campaigns, as well as the supplements Martial Arts and High-Tech.

Every character in GURPS fits within the Turn Sequence, and acts within his individual 1 second Turn. A character's turn starts when you select a maneuver, and ends when you next have an opportunity to choose a maneuver. The sequence of turns is controlled by the Basic Speed of all the characters involved in the combat.

The groups general Turn Sequence is as followed: Sabine (8.25), Uziel (7), Carter (7), Adrian (6.25), Jean (6), Cherry (6), Gideon (4.25).

Maneuvers

The maneuver that a character takes defines what actions he'll take during his turn. A given maneuver affects your Active Defenses, your Movement, and the actual action that you take itself.

Free Action: You may, as a free action, perform any of the following while performing any maneuver: Talk (remember, a turn is just a second), Maintain Psi ability (as long as you remain active), Drop an item (any ready item at any point during your manuever), Crouch (If standing, and only at the beginning of your turn).

Do Nothing

• You're standing around doing nothing.
• You're forced to take this action if surprised or stunned.
• If surprised or stunned, you get an IQ or HT roll to snap out of it next turn.
• Movement: None.
• Defense: Any (-4 if stunned).

Move

• You're taking your entire action as Movement, allowing you to move your full Move rating.
• On and after the second consecutive turn running forward, increase Move by 20%.
• Also use this manuever to pilot a vehicle or ride a mount.
• Movement: See above.
• Defense: Any.

Change Posture

• You change your posture within the valid options defined within the rules.
• These include: standing, sitting, kneeling, crawling, lying prone, and lying face up.
• You cannot stand up directly from a lying position; change to Crawling, Kneeling or Sitting first.
• You can freely switch between "Kneeling" and "Standing" as the Step portion of any manuever that allows such.
• Crouching is a free action.
• Movement: None.
• Defense: Any.

Aim

• You spend the full turn aiming at a specific target with a specific weapon.
• If you follow an Aim action with an attack roll with that weapon at the target you aimed, you gain a bonus.
• This bonus is equal to the Accuracy of your weapon, as modified by any targeting systems (scopes, etc.)
• You gain a further +1 from a Braced weapon.
• Additional turns of aiming after the first add an additional +1 bonus, to a normal maximum of +2 after two extra turns.
• Additional turns aiming maintain any accumulated bonuses, or a Specially Trained sniper can try for even higher bonuses.
• Movement: Step. (Unless your using a Braced two-handed weapon).
• Defense: Any (but this spoils your aim; as does being injured unless you make a Will roll).

Evaluate

• The melee equivalent of Aim; you spend the turn studying an adversary in order to gain a combat bonus on a subsequent attack.
• Each turn you spend Evaluating an opponent gives a +1 bonus, to a maximum of +3.
• You can also use any accumulated Evaluate bonus to cancel out defense penalties caused by your opponent.
• You can add your current Evaluate bonus to notice anything unusual or dangerous about an opponent, but only while your taking this manuever.
• Movement: Step.
• Defense: Any (this doesn't spoil your Evaluation).

Attack

• You make an armed or unarmed attack in melee combat, or used a thrown or missile weapon in raged combat.
• The weapon must be ready.
• You must be within reach (melee combat), or Range (ranged combat).
• Movement: Step
• Defense: Any.

Feint

• You make a fake melee or unarmed attack that lowers your opponents defenses against an immediate attack.
• This requires a Quick Contest of Weapon Skill, though your target can instead use Cloak/Shield or DX if those are his best option.
• Subtract your margin from the Active Defense against your next attack, provided they occur in the next turn.
• A feint bonus is only good for one second!
• You may instead use a Feint Bonus defensively, lowering your opponents Weapon Skill for a second.
• Movement: Step
• Defense: Any.

All-Out Attack

• You attack a foe with a ready weapon, taking no effort to defend against enemy attacks.
• You must select one of the following options (melee combat):
  • Determined makes a single attack at +4 to hit.
  • Double makes two attacks against the same foe, with two weapons or one weapon that doesn't unready after an attack. Attacks made with an off hand are at the usual -4 unless you have Off-Hand Weapon Training, or Ambidexterity.
  • Long makes an attack with one extra yard of reach.
  • Feint makes a Feint, then an attack against the opponent. This consumes the Feint bonus.
  • Strong makes a single attack which does +2 to damage, or +1 damage per die if better. Muscle-powered weapons only.
• You must select one of the following options (ranged combat):
  • Determined makes a single attack at +1 to hit.
  • Suppression Fire takes the entire turn to spray an area with automatic fire. Requires a weapon with Ro F? 5+.
• Movement: Half your Move (forward only).
• Defense: None.

Committed Attack

• All-Out Attack Light; while focused on offense, you're not completely forgoing defense.
• You must select one of the following options:
  • Determined attacks give a +2 to hit.
  • Strong attacks give +1 to damage.
• This manuever is only for melee combat, not Ranged.
• Movement: Step, or two steps. A second step gives -2 to hit.
• Defense: -2 to any defense; cannot parry with the hand used to attack, block if attacking with a shield or cloak, or dodge if he kicked.

Move And Attack

• You move, as described under the Move Manuever, but during or after your move you make a single poorly aimed attack.
• If using a ranged weapon, the attack is at a penalty of -2 or the weapon's Bulk rating, whichever is worse. No Aim bonus applies.
• If you are making a melee attack other than a slam, you have a flat -4 to skill and the adjusted skill cannot exceed 9.
• Movement: As under Move, but -2 on any rolls due to falling, obstacles, etc.
• Defense:' Dodge or Block only. You cannot parry, or take the Retreat option.

All-Out Defense

• You spend your entire turn engaged in defense, without any offensive action.
• You may take one of the following options:
  • Increased Defense adds +2 to one active defense of your choice. This bonus persists for the turn.
  • Double Defense allows you to apply two different defenses against the same attack. I.e., if your Dodge fails you can try a Parry.
• Movement: Step (on Increased Dodge, move up to Half your Move).
• Defense: Any, with the selected bonus.

Defensive Attack

• A cautious "probing" attack made from a full guard position.
• He does -2 to damage, or -1 per die, whichever is worse. Active Defenses are improved.
• You must choose a defensive bonus:
  • If attacking with a balanced weapon, he may choose +1 to parry or block. He may select the weapon he used to attack.
  • If attacking with an unbalanced weapon, he may pick a +1 to parry or block, or to parry at no bonus with an unready weapon he attacked with.
  • If he kicks, he gains no defensive bonuses, but gets a +2 on rolls to avoid a Leg Grapple and or DX rolls to avoid falling.
• If you attempt a Defensive Grapple, the opponent gets a +1 to defend.
• This manuever is only for melee combat, not Ranged.
• Movement: Step.
• Defense: Any, with specified bonus.

Concentrate

• You spend the entire turn concentrating on a primarily mental task.
• This could be a psi ability, using a Neural Link to a Computer, making a Sense roll, a Leadership roll to give orders, or any similar IQ-based skill roll.
• Some actions might require multiple Concentration maneuvers, and might require Will rolls (possibly at a penalty) if injured or when forced to use a Defense.
• Movement: Step.
• Defense: Any, but see above.

Ready

• The primary use of Ready is to pick up or draw any item and prepare it for use. I.e., drawing a Force Sword or a Rifle.
• The Fast Draw skill allows this function to be performed as a Free Action, if the roll is successful. The truly skilled can even Fast Draw multiple items.
• This manuever is also used to turn "on" or "off" advantages that don't use Attack or Concentration, such as some granted by Cyberware.
• You also use Ready action to perform many physical actions, similar to how Concentrate is used for Mental actions.
• Some Ready actions might require multiple Ready maneuvers to complete.
• Movement: Step
• Defense: Any.

Wait

• Do nothing unless a particular event specified in advance occurs before your next turn, in which case you'll perform another action.
• The event being waited for can be as general or specific as you wish. "An enemy moves into range" is fine, as is "The man with no name moves into range."
• Your response, however, must be specific. You must name the manuever you'll be using, and which item or weapon you'll be using. Individual options like targets, hit locations aimed at, and so on, are not necessarily.
• Movement: None, until your Wait is triggered, then as per the Maneuver specified.
• Defense: Any. If you defend while waiting, you may not choose an All Out Attack.