• COMBAT

    Let’s get ready to rumble…

COMBAT BASICS

Every attack in Critical Beatdown is either a strike, grapple or rush.

A strike is an attempt to hit your opponent with part of your body or an object.

  • Strikes use your REFLEX stat.
    • Basic strikes get a bonus from your Quick perk to hit.
    • Targeted strikes [i.e. attacks aimed at the groin, eyes, throat, etc.] get a bonus from Precise.

A grapple is any attack that requires you to grab your opponent.

  • Grapples use your BODY stat.
    • Grapples get a bonus from your Strong perk.

A rush is any attack in which you launch your entire body at an opponent.
[jump kicks, tackles, etc.]

  • Rushes use your REFLEX stat.
    • Rushes get a bonus from Quick perk.

FIGHT!

Roll initiative to see who acts first. Roll 2d6 [one positive. one negative.]

  • Add this result to each fighter’s REFLEX [+quick]. The highest number acts first.
  • In the event of a tie, the fighter with the highest REFLEX [+quick] wins.
  • Whoever wins initiative chooses an action. An action can be making an attack, using an ability, drawing a weapon, getting up, etc.
  • You get one action for every 3 points of REFLEX [+quick] you have. Once you’ve used up all your actions, your turn is complete.
  • Then your opponent takes his turn and uses all his available actions.
  • Once all combatants have completed their respective turn, the round is complete.

MAKING ATTACKS

To make an attack, decide which move you want to use, and combine that move’s Fighting Style Rank + the corresponding Biometric Stat + corresponding Perk + any applicable bonuses. This number is your Attack Number.

Example:

Tyson is a Boxing Master [giving him a rank of 6]. One of his signature moves is Punch [which gives him a +3 bonus]. His REFLEX is Very Good [5] and he has the Quick Perk [which is a +2 bonus]. Combine these numbers for a total of 16.
His Attack Number for Punches is 16.

  • Roll 2d6. One die positive. One die negative. This normally results in a number between -5 and +5.
  • Add this result to your Attack Number. If the number equals or exceeds your opponent’s Defense Number, the attack is successful.
  • There are two exceptions: Snake Eyes and Double 6’s.
  • Snake Eyes is a Botch. You’ve completely missed your chance to attack. 
    • Automatic failure.
    • Instantly ends turn.
    • Opponent gets automatic uncontested attack. Some styles get specialized attacks against botches.
  • Double 6’s is a Critical success. 
    • Double damage. [Don’t double the Skill Level bonus on moves that get that bonus.]
    • Roll 2d6 [both positive] and add that number to the damage.
    • If you roll a Critical on a stunning move, your opponent is automatically Stunned.

Uncontested Attacks

There are some situations where it’s all but impossible to miss. [while your opponent is Stunned, Knocked Down, Grappled, etc.] In these cases, roll 2d6 [one positive. one negative.]

  • If you roll Snake Eyes, you’ve Botched the attack, and allowed them to recover, escape, get up, etc. 
  • If you roll Double 6’s, Critical hit! Double damage + 2d6 bonus.
  • Any other roll is an automatic hit. If the result is positive, add those points to damage.

DEFENSE

Just like there are Attack Numbers, There are also Defense Numbers. Your Defense Number is a combination of your highest Biometric and Perk combination that pertains to that type of attack [see chart above] + any bonuses granted by Fighting Styles, Abilities, etc.

You have strike defense, grapple defense and rush defense. This measures your skill at defending against each different type of attack. These are determined by your Biometric stats and bolstered by your Perks… and can be further enhanced by certain fighting styles, abilities, etc. 

The higher these numbers are, the harder you are to hit with that type of attack, but remember… this game is primarily about offense, so only the attacker gets a dice roll. The Defense Number is a static number that has to be met or exceeded for an attack to be successful.

There are two styles of defense: Brutal and Slick. Your style is determined by your Biometric stats and Perks. Whichever combination of these is higher is your style of defense for that type of attack.

Strike Defense Grapple Defense Rush Defense
Brutal
BODY[+tough]		 Brutal
BODY[+strong]		 Brutal
BODY[+strong]
Slick
REFLEX[+quick]		 Slick
REFLEX[+precise]		 Slick
REFLEX[+quick]

Brutal Defense

for fighters with higher BODY stat and Perks.

Brutal Defense is ugly but effective. It’s covering up and bracing for impact. 

  • When knocked down, mounted or grappled, Brutal defense automatically absorbs BODY stat number [+ Tough perk, when applicable].
  • Successful defense against blunt weapons and unarmed attacks by fighters with Superhuman strength, absorb your BODY[+tough] damage.
  • Successful defense against edged weapons and Tooth + Nail attacks absorb your BODY damage. These attacks ignore Tough perk.

Pro: Brutal Defense automatically kicks in when you’re knocked down, mounted or grappled.

Con: You often take some damage even when your Defense is successful.

Slick Defense

for fighters with higher REFLEX stat and Perks.

Slick Defense is technical and graceful. It avoids attacks altogether when possible. 

  • Slick Defense cannot be used while knocked down, mounted or grappled. 
  • Attacks against Slick fighters in these states take full damage.
  • However, successful defense against weapons, Tooth + Nail attacks and Superhuman strength attacks, take NO damage.

Pro: Slick Defense is useless when knocked down, mounted or grappled.

Con: Successful Defense completely nullifies weapon, Tooth + Nail and Superhuman strength attacks.

DAMAGE

As mentioned above, an Attack has to equal or exceed the opponent’s Defense Number for that type of attack [strike, grapple, rush]. For instance, if your opponent has a Strike Defense of 15, you have to roll a 15 or better to hit them with a strike.

  • If you match the number exactly, the attack does its regular amount of damage.
  • If you exceed the number, you get an extra point of damage for every point over the Defense Number.

This can lead to pretty substantial damage in some cases which brings us to…

Damage Effects

  • Stun: if a single attack does Stun damage to your opponent, they are stunned. You get an immediate uncontested follow-up attack. If you already had an additional action, that action is now uncontested… if you didn’t have an additional action, you get a free one.
  • Knockdown: if a single attack does Knockdown damage to your opponent, they are knocked down. All attacks against knocked down opponents are uncontested [to varying degrees of effectiveness, depending on their Defense Style]. They cannot perform an action until they get back up. Getting up takes one action.
  • Break: if a single attack does Break damage to your opponent, they are injured. An injured opponent suffers a -3 penalty to all rolls (including initiative rolls). Once injured, each subsequent injury reduces your rolls by an additional -1.

GRAPPLING

  • You can escape a choke, hold, lock or mount using your Grapple Defense. / BODY[+strong] for Brutes or REFLEX[+precise] for Slicksters / vs. the grappler’s BODY[+strong]

  • You escape clinches automatically, but it takes an action to break the clinch.

  • You can still attack while grappled. You just make your attack vs. the Attack Number of the Grappling move instead of your opponent’s Defense Number.

  • If you’ve got your opponent in a grapple/clinch and want to attack them, treat it as an uncontested attack. Brutal Defense gets to use their BODY[+tough] to absorb damage. Slick Defense does not.