Moxiane/ACME

Abstract Combat & Movement Engine

Design

• Uncontested movement has little or no tactical value. Therefore movement without tactical value (i.e.: with no mechanical effect) should be free.
• All movement actions are Speed 3 (possibly excepting Reposition).
• Movement & position should involve minimal bookkeeping, and allow for free flowing movement.

Requirements

• For ACME to work any battlefield needs to be vividly described.

Mechanics

• Timing: Weapon actions (Aim, Attack, Guard, Use Charm or Combo, most Miscellaneous actions) are considered to occur at the start of their Speed. Movement actions (Close, Intercept, Reposition, Withdraw) are considered to occur at the end of their Speed.
• Range: Melee, Close, Moderate, Distant & Horizon.
  • Melee: Martial Arts or Melee attacks default to this range. Archery & Thrown attacks are also viable.
  • Close: The default distance between participants in a combat. Attacks using Martial Arts or Melee can occur at this range when boosted by Charms (i.e.: Iron Raptor Technique) or with some rare weapons. Archery & Thrown attacks are without penalty.
  • Moderate: Mid-Essence Martial Arts or Melee Charms can strike out to this range. Mundane Thrown attacks suffer a -3 internal range penalty. Archery attacks are without penalty.
  • Distant: High-Essence Martial Arts or Melee Charms can strike to this range. Thrown attacks require Charms to attack. Archery attacks suffer a -2 internal range penalty.
  • Horizon: High-Essence Martial Arts or Melee Charms can strike to this range. Thrown attacks require Charms to attack. Archery attacks suffer a -4 internal range penalty.
    • Range is often commutative - if Rose and Star are in Melee range of Horse then they are also in Melee range of each other. This principle also applies at Close range.
• Movement actions: Close, Intercept, Reposition & Withdraw
  • Close (3 / -0): Characters use this action to reduce the range between themselves and another character and/or group of characters. This action must be used to initiate combat. The character rolls (Dexterity or Wits + Athletics) against his target(s)' (Wits + Athletics) - success reduces the range between character and target by one level. Characters using Dexterity on this gain an additional +3 dice to the roll, but they suffer from a -2 DV penalty that persists until the end of their next action.
  • Intercept (3 / -1): Characters use this action to prevent an opponent from completing a movement action, typically the target(s)' are enacting a Close on a person they are protecting. This action can be used outside the normal tick sequence (see Timing above as to how); doing so adds 3 ticks to the time until the character can next act and applies an additional -1 DV penalty until his next action. The character rolls (Wits + Athletics) and is opposed by his target(s)' (Wits + Awareness), success indicates that he intercepts the target(s)' and prevents them from completing their movement action.
  • Reposition: Characters use this action to gain tactical advantage. Advantage is usually expressed as a penalty to all opponents in Melee range. Reposition defaults to an opposed roll of both sides' (Wits + Athletics), but almost any combination of Attribute and Ability that makes sense can be used. Success applies an external penalty to his opponents equal to the extra successes on the opposed roll on all attacks against the character. This penalty persists for a number of the opponent's actions equal to the character's Wits, or until another successful Reposition changes the tactical landscape - only one such action can apply to any group of combatants at a time.
  • Withdraw (3 / 0): Characters use this action to increase the range between themselves and another character and/or group of characters. This action is also used to end a combat. The character rolls (Dexterity or Wits + Athletics) against his target(s)' (Dexterity + Athletics) - success increases the range between character and target by one level. Characters using Dexterity on this gain an additional +3 dice to the roll, but they suffer from a -2 DV penalty that persists until the end of their next action.