Combat
Glossary
- Turn: A turn in Combat is defined as an individual character’s first action. The end of a character’s turn is the end of their first normal “every man” action.
- Round: A Round is defined in combat as the collective total of all characters actions (including extra actions). End of the Round is when all characters have finished taking their actions.
- Action: An Action is defined when a character may act or use a power etc. When it comes to a characters turn, they will take all their actions one after the other immediately during their turn.
- Challenger: The aggressor character who is taking their action against another.
- Challenged: The Defender against the Challenger.
Combat Sequence
| Step Name | Definition |
|---|---|
| 1. Declaration | Challenger declares his action and bids a Trait. Defender
either relents, or declares her response and bids a Trait |
| 2. Expenditures | The Challengers and Defenders declare any Trait Expenditures such as blood etc |
| 3. Initiative | Each Character determines their order they will be acting. A Character Initiative is determined by the Character takes their Attribute Total (Named traits Only) for their declared action + Their level of the Celerity Discipline (1-5). In the case of a numerical tie, the Players roll 1 d10. Whoever gets the highest will go first. You may not contest actions. |
| 4. Determine Trait Pool for Ties | This is the total of the Character’s Base Attributes for the Challenge they are engaging in + Any Bonus Traits or Named Traits from powers then – Any Trait Penalties or Down Traits. After this Math is complete, the total max regardless is 30. |
| 5. Test | • The Challenger rolls a number of d3s equal to 1+ the Number of Retests they would have in the challenge. The Challenged Rolls a number of d3s equal to 1+ the number of retests they would have in the challenge.
• The players compare these two scores. 1 Equals a Success, 2 Equals a Tie, and 3 Equals a failure. Compare total number of Success to determine who won the challenge. The person with the most successes wins. In the case of any true ties in this number; the challenge is considered a draw and nothing happens. |
| 6. Lose Traits | The character currently in the losing position loses the Trait(s) they initially bid (in the case of a draw, both lose their bid Traits) or any traits lost from negative traits. |
| 7. Overbid | The loser of the test can attempt to overbid, depending on the characters’ relative Traits (They must be bidding double what the other character is bidding). This creates a New Test. Repeat Step 5. This may be done once. |
| 8. Resolution | Determine the results of the challenge. If the Challenger wins their victory condition is met. If the Challenged Wins their Victory condition is met. |
Conditions Trait Penalty or Down Traits
- If a character suffers a Trait Penalty or they are Down Traits this is a number that is applied to the math calculations of traits for the purposes of ties. This math is done before the 30 trait cap rule. Once the math is done, apply the cap of 30 traits in regards to bidding traits on ties.
Negative Traits
- If a negative trait is called against a character in a challenge and they lose that challenge; they will lose 1 additional trait from the their bids.
Ranged Combat
- Characters who make ranged attacks against others gains one Retest for the purposes of the number of d3s they roll IF the Challenged does not have a means of making a ranged attack in return.
Surprise
- Characters who gain the surprised condition on those the Challenged gain 1 Retest for their pool.
Line of Sight
- Unless a power or ability specifies otherwise in it, it requires Line of Sight to use on another character. Line of Sight is defined as the ability to see the target.
Fair Escape
- Characters with the Fair Escape Condition are allowed to leave the combat scene. This Condition can be gained in the following ways.
- Powers or abilities that allow the character leave the scene. Such as, but not limited to, teleportation or superior speed/movement
- Before any Declaration is made, a character may declare the fair escape condition and leave the scene.
Blind Fighting
- Those fighting in darkness are down 2 traits in all challenges and lose one of their retests from their test pool. This effect may be negated with Auspex 1, Protean 1, and Use of the Blind Fighting ability.
Grapple
- If a target is immobilized but still struggling, he must bid an additional Trait to enter a Physical Challenge.
Environmental
- A Storyteller may introduce any Penalties or Negative traits for acting in an environment to a character. This could include, but not limited to weather, terrain, or other such effects.
Carrier Attacks
- A Carrier Attacks is defined as any power or ability that has detrimental effect against another character. A Character may only use 1 Carrier Attack per action they have.
End of Round: The end of the round is after the end of everyone’s normal actions. Thus, all powers that activate at “the end of the round” happen at the end of normal actions, not at the end of all actions (including Celerity). For example, if Majesty is dropped, it will go up at the end of normal actions.
Order of Damage Applied: is always to armor (including supernatural forms) first, prior to being resisted with Fortitude or similar powers. You may not use powers to protect armor.
Dodging: Does not require a full action. A character may always Dodge an attack.
Environmental Penalties: The storyteller may decide any penalties caused by the environment in which a combat is taking place as needed to characters.
Feeding During Combat: You must establish a Grapple on a character with a contested Physical Challenge retested with Brawl. On your next action you may start to feed. A character may only take up to 3 blood traits a round in combat from a target.
Narrative Combat: For the ease of play and Discord combat the storyteller may invoke the Narrative combat rule. This rule is only ever be used in PVE situations. When invoked the rules combat change to as follows:
- Initiative: This equals your Total Traits bid in the challenge you intend to throw and your levels of celerity 1-5 to gain a number total. This is your Initiative number.
- Multiple Actions: When it’s your turn in the Initiative order you will take all your actions immediately one after another.
- Challenges: You will roll 1d3 in Discord. A 1 means a win, 2 means a tie, 3 means a loss
- Difficulty: The Storyteller will tell you the difficulty of the Challenge, this in case you roll a 2 in which case you must compare your trait totals for your action to the difficulty number set by the Storyteller.
- Retests: Determine the number of retests you would have in the challenge for the action you have chosen. When rolling for Challenge resolution roll a number of D3s equal to 1+ your number of retests. Keep track of wins/tie/loses. This retests are still lost as normal; so be sure to keep track of that as well in regards to this system when rolling further challenges.
- Rerolls: This is a number of D3s you must reroll upon a success. This represents the NPC using their retests or canceling yours.
NPC Combat Sheets: Some NPCs in Kings of New York do not have normal Vampire sheets. They will have specialized Combat Sheets created by the Staff. These sheets do not have things like Aegis and instead have a large number of Health Levels. They will also have special mechanics to better represent the NPCs needed that are unique to each. NPC Combat Sheets may also have multiple actions which the Storyteller can take at varying points of the combat outside the normal flow of Combat. The purpose of this is to help make every PC in a fight with these NPCs matter and create or a dynamic and dramatic fight for the player characters.