Character Movement
Character Movement
Every character and creature has a Move score: the number of meters per round the character moves while walking. (Most humans have Move 10.)
Moving is an action, just like firing a blaster or dodging. A character can move once per round.
Movement Skills by Type
• Walking/Running: running skill (or Dexterity if not improved)
• Swimming: swimming skill (or Strength)
• Climbing: climbing/jumping skill (or Strength)
For unusual movement (swimming, climbing, etc.), Move is normally one-third normal Move (adjust as needed).
Movement Difficulty
Movement uses standard difficulty levels and numbers: • Very Easy: 1–5 • Easy: 6–10 • Moderate: 11–15 • Difficult: 16–20 • Very Difficult: 21–30 • Heroic: 31+
Procedure 1. GM describes terrain and sets difficulty + number. 2. Player chooses speed and rolls the appropriate skill/attribute. 3. Success: move normally. Failure: see Movement Failures.
Move Speeds
A character can only move once per round, but chooses one of four speeds:
1) Cautious Movement
A slow walk: Move ÷ 2 (Move 10 → 5 meters). • In Very Easy, Easy, Moderate terrain: free action (no roll, no multi-action penalty). • In Difficult, Very Difficult, Heroic terrain: roll running, but reduce terrain difficulty one level.
Example: Rhen (DEX 3D, Move 10) crosses an Easy stream bed cautiously. She moves 5 meters with no roll and can shoot at full dice. Later she crosses a raging river (Very Difficult), cautiously reduces it to Difficult (DN 17), rolls 17, and moves 5 meters.
2) Cruising Movement
Normal walking: Move (Move 10 → 10 meters). • Counts as an action. • Automatic in Very Easy, Easy, Moderate terrain. • Requires a roll in Difficult, Very Difficult, Heroic terrain.
Example: Rhen walks across Moderate terrain while firing: walking is an action, firing is a second action, so she takes −1D and rolls 3D to hit. Later she walks up a steep hill (Difficult, DN 16), rolls 16, and moves 10 meters.
3) High Speed
Running: Move × 2 (Move 10 → 20 meters). • Must roll running for Very Easy, Easy, Moderate terrain. • For Difficult, Very Difficult, Heroic terrain: increase difficulty one level • Difficult → Very Difficult • Very Difficult → Heroic • Heroic → Heroic +10
Example: Rhen runs across an open field (Easy, DN 8), rolls 10, moves 20 meters. Later she runs across rocky cratered ground (Difficult → Very Difficult, DN 24), rolls 16, fails, and checks Movement Failures.
4) All-Out
Sprinting: Move × 4 (Move 10 → 40 meters). • The character may do nothing else this round (no dodge/parry). • Increase terrain difficulty: • Very Easy/Easy/Moderate: +1 difficulty level • Difficult/Very Difficult/Heroic: +2 difficulty levels
Example: Rhen sprints across an Easy field (becomes Moderate, DN 11) and rolls 12 to reach the bunker. Later she tries all-out through dense forest (Difficult → Heroic, DN 34).
Partial Moves
After choosing a speed, a character may move anywhere from half to full distance for that speed.
Example: Move 10 at all-out allows 20–40 meters.
Acceleration and Deceleration
A character may change speed by up to two levels per round.
Example: Cautious → next round can be Stop, Cruise, or High Speed (not All-Out). All-Out → next round can be All-Out, High Speed, or Cruise (not Cautious or Stop).
Encumbrance (Optional)
Star Wars games usually ignore encumbrance, but if players try to haul excessive gear, use this guideline.
A character can carry one medium-sized object per pip of Strength. (1D = 3 pips.)
Example: Strength 3D+2 = (3×3) + 2 = 11 medium items.
Medium-sized items include: fatigues, boots, partial armor/helmet, primary weapon (rifle), ~3 grenades, 3 days rations, small tools/powerpacks, a secondary weapon (pistol/knife), backpack, automap/transponder, explosives, portable computer, comset, scanner, E-Web parts, medical backpack, etc.
GM has final say on what's reasonable. Overloaded characters may trigger long-distance movement and stamina rules.
Long-Distance Movement
All-Out (sprinting) • Make a stamina roll every minute. • First roll: Very Easy; increase one level each additional roll. • If failed: must rest twice as long as sprint duration.
High Speed (running) • Make a stamina roll every 10 minutes. • First roll: Very Easy; increase one level each additional roll. • If failed: must rest twice as long as run duration.
Long Marches (Cruising) • Very Easy stamina every 3 hours (assuming short breaks). Increase one level each roll. • If forced march with no breaks: check every 2 hours. • 1 hour of sleep per stamina check restores vigor. • Arduous terrain may increase difficulty (GM discretion).
Terrain movement checks
Also roll terrain movement checks every 3 hours (or 2 hours if forced march), to reflect hazards.
Terrain Difficulties
Pick the terrain difficulty and then set a difficulty number. • Very Easy (1–5): Flat, clear ground; clear walkways; calm water. • Easy (6–10): Uneven ground with minor obstacles; moderate currents or occasional obstacles in water. • Moderate (11–15): Rough ground with many obstacles; confined swim space (like a small tunnel). • Difficult (16–20): Dense crowd, thick forest, very rough ground, dark tunnels, falling boulders; rough storm or predators. • Very Difficult (21–30): Minefield, narrow crawl-way with hazards, starship breaking apart, clinging to a moving vehicle; dangerous storm with large waves. • Heroic (31+): Virtually impassable (avalanche, collapsing corridor, tidal wave/hurricane).
Maneuvers
The base movement difficulty assumes straight-line travel with simple turns. Add a modifier for stunts while moving: • +1–5: Minor coordination • +6–10: Moderate coordination • +11–15: High concentration; very difficult while moving fast • +16+: Extremely difficult while moving fast
If an action crosses into another skill (run then jump a ditch), roll movement, then roll the other skill separately.
Movement Failures
If the movement roll fails, find the margin of failure:
Failure Margin
| Margin | Result |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Slight slip: Complete movement, but −1D to all actions for rest of round. |
| 4–6 | Slip: Move half distance. −3D to all actions for rest of round, and −1D next round. |
| 7–10 | Fall: Fall halfway; ends kneeling. No actions for rest of round; −2D next round. |
| 11–15 | Minor tumble: Fall after one-quarter move; no actions this round or next. Take collision damage −3D (often 1D if all-out; none if slower). |
| 16–20 | Tumble: Full collision damage. |
| 21+ | Major tumble: Collision damage +2D. |
Collisions
Collision damage depends on speed:
| Speed | Damage |
|---|---|
| Cautious | 1D |
| Cruising | 2D |
| High Speed | 3D |
| All-Out | 4D |
Roll damage against Strength as normal damage resistance.
Example: Rhen runs at high speed and fails by 18 → Tumble. She takes 3D collision damage.
Source: REUP:`07