Combat Options

Players sometimes want their characters to pull off fancy maneuvers during combat. This section offers guidance for several common options.

Acrobatic Tricks

Acrobatics can enhance brawling and melee combat attacks. The character must perform the acrobatics trick and the attack in the same turn. The gamemaster sets the acrobatics difficulty. If the acrobatics roll succeeds, add one-half the difference (rounded up) between the difficulty and the successful roll to the damage (not the combat skill roll). One acrobatics trick roll can affect one attack only.

Breaking Things

Use the demolitions skill guidelines in the "Attributes & Skills" chapter for determining the effect of damage on items.

Called Shots

Attackers can make a called shot against a small target—such as a specific body part or shooting a weapon out of a target's hand. Difficulty modifiers by target size Target 10–50 cm long: +1D Target 1–10 cm long: +4D Target < 1 cm long: +8D On a successful attack, the result depends on intent and situation.

Common outcomes: Knock an item out of the target's hand Grab a limb or pin a target Add +1D (or more, at gamemaster discretion) to the damage roll

Example: Thannik shoots a stormtrooper at medium range (Moderate difficulty, number 12). He calls a shot to shoot the blaster out of the trooper's hand (about 30 cm long), adding +1D. The gamemaster rolls 1D and gets 4. New difficulty: 16.

Modifiers for All Attacks

Entangle

A character throws an entangling weapon at an opponent. Make a successful firearms, missile weapons, or thrown weapons roll (as appropriate). On success, the weapon wraps around the target. Unless spiked/electrified/enhanced, it does no damage, but the target can only act to try to break free Breaking free (each attempt counts as an action): Snap the bonds: Strength or lifting roll ≥ weapon's damage total Slip free: Dexterity or acrobatics roll ≥ weapon's damage total

Escape

To break free from any hold: Make an opposed Strength or lifting roll versus the holder's Strength or lifting. This counts as an action.

Group Attack

See the command skill description in Chapter 3 ("Attributes & Skills").

Hit Locations

Hit locations are a special kind of called shot used to strike a specific point on a target's body. The table below assumes a Human-proportioned target. Note: Aiming at an arm or leg can cause less damage because the attacker is trying to hit a less vital area.

Lasting effects (gamemaster discretion): enough damage to a location can reduce use of that body part until healed. Except for chest blows, the modifier typically lasts until that portion heals (often a few days). First aid, (A) medicine, or healing effects can be applied to a specific location. Hit location modifiers are in addition to Wound level modifiers.

Suggested location effects Chest: character can do no more than passively defend next round. Foot/leg: −1 to acrobatics, sneak, movement, and initiative totals. Hand/arm: −1 to rolls involving the arm/hand (acrobatics, brawling, climbing/jumping, melee combat, missile weapons, pick pocket, thrown weapons, lifting, etc.). Head: −1 to Knowledge, Perception, and initiative totals.

Random Body Hit Location

To determine where a character was hit, roll 2D:

Knockout

This option does half normal damage, but can render a target unconscious. Requirements: A successful called shot to the head Using brawling or melee combat If, after resistance is subtracted, the target sustains at least two Wound levels, the target falls unconscious for: A number of hours equal to the difference between the combat skill total and the combat difficulty, or

Until awoken by an external force (whichever comes first)

The target receives only half the Wound levels inflicted (round down).

Multiple Weapons

One-handed, either-hand weapons (knives, most pistols) can be used at the same time in a round. Apply normal multiple-action penalties.

Prone and Crouching

Crouching targets Attacking a crouched target: +1D difficulty If crouched target is moving: +2D difficulty Target's Move (or running roll) is halved

Prone targets At point-blank or short range: −2D difficulty At medium or long range: +2D difficulty

Changing posture Voluntary: getting low or standing up can be a free action Forced prone (thrown, etc.): standing up takes one action

Quick Draw

Quick draw uses blaster (or appropriate specialization). Weapon must be suitable (blaster pistol, hold-out blaster, heavy blaster pistol, throwing knife, etc.). Restrictions Character may do nothing else that round, including dodge. Multiple quick draw shots are allowed, but: Additional −1D per target, plus all other penalties. Multi-action penalties apply to both speed and accuracy dice. How it works Split blaster skill dice into: Speed draw dice Accuracy dice

Each duelist rolls speed draw; highest fires first. The first shooter rolls accuracy to hit. Unlike normal rounds, quick draw duel actions are not simultaneous. If the first shooter wounds the opponent badly enough, the opponent may not be able to return fire. Injury effects during quick draw Stunned: loses −3D to all following shots that round Wounded or worse: too hurt/distracted to return fire

Example (duel): Han (8D) vs Gallandro (13D). Han splits 5D speed / 3D accuracy. Gallandro splits 10D speed / 3D accuracy. Gallandro wins speed and fires first; he hits and wounds Han, preventing Han from firing back.

Quick draw vs dodge (non-duel) Quick draw can be used against someone dodging/acting normally: Roll speed draw vs target's dodge If speed draw > dodge: shoot as if target did not dodge If dodge > speed draw: target adds dodge to range difficulty as normal. Quick-drawing character still can't take other actions.

Ready a Weapon

It takes one action per item to: draw a gun unsheathe a knife reload a rifle do similar weapon-ready tasks

Usually no roll is required, but the gamemaster may require one in stressful situations. Drawing and using the weapon in the same round incurs a multi-action penalty. The gamemaster may add modifiers for restrictive storage or unwieldy weapons.

Suppression Fire

Suppression fire forces enemies into cover rather than trying to eliminate them. Optional rule: Increase the opponent's difficulty to hit by +1 per shot fired.

Repeating blasters/firearms are better suited: With repeating weapons, each burst can raise the opponent's Difficulty by a full level (gamemaster discretion per burst mechanics).

Unwieldy Weapon

Weapons may be unwieldy due to: very long melee weapons (over ~60 cm) awkward objects to throw/grasp unfamiliar technology other hard-to-wield factors

These may incur +5 or more to the Difficulty Level. The gamemaster may reduce the modifier based on experience, strength, or weapon balance.

Martial Arts

The game includes brawling: martial arts (specialization of brawling). Some groups keep this loose, but the system below adds detail.

Learning Techniques

For every +1D increase in martial arts skill, the character may learn one technique. Increasing by pips (+1 or +2) does not qualify. Characters who raise martial arts during character creation may select techniques then. Declare which technique you're using before making the roll (unless stated otherwise).

Example: Nareel Dre'lara starts at 3D+2, raises to 5D+2 at creation → selects two techniques. Later she raises to 6D (not enough). She can't select another until she reaches 6D+2.

Techniques

Blindfighting Difficulty: Very Difficult Effect: If within striking distance and roll succeeds, ignore blindness effects. May be used as a reaction skill.

Disarm Difficulty: Moderate Effect: If attack succeeds (not parried/dodged) and roll meets difficulty, target drops weapon/object.

Elbow Smash Difficulty: Very Easy Effect: +1D damage if roll succeeds.

Flip Difficulty: Moderate Effect: Throw a grappler from behind; target takes 3D damage if not parried/dodged. May be used as a reaction skill.

Flying Kick Difficulty: Difficult Effect: +2D damage if roll exceeds difficulty. If not, attacker is off-balance; opponent gets an extra attack this round with no multi-action penalty.

Foot Sweep Difficulty: Moderate Effect: Target is tripped and prone for remainder of round.

Head-Butt Difficulty: Easy Effect: If roll meets difficulty, strike for STR+1D damage. Usable while bound/held; may be a reaction skill.

Hold/Grapple Difficulty: Moderate + Strength vs martial arts roll Effect: Must succeed Moderate martial arts to secure hold. Each round held: holder makes Strength/lifting roll. If target beats holder's martial arts roll (or Strength/lifting), target breaks free.

Instant Knockdown Difficulty: Moderate Effect: If attack succeeds (not parried/dodged) and roll meets difficulty, target is knocked down and must spend a round to stand or suffer multi-action penalties.

Instant Stand Difficulty: Moderate Effect: If tripped/knocked down, stand up without multi-action penalty on success.

Instant Stun Difficulty: Moderate Effect: If attack succeeds (not parried/dodged) and roll meets difficulty, target is stunned for 1 round.

Instant Wound Difficulty: Difficult Effect: If attack succeeds (not parried/dodged) and roll meets difficulty, target suffers a wound (cumulative).

Multiple Strikes Difficulty: Moderate Effect: Make a second attack with no multi-action penalties; second attack inflicts 3D damage.

Nerve Punch Difficulty: Very Difficult Effect: Render a specified limb unusable for 3D rounds; drops items held. Beat difficulty by 15+ → target unconscious.

Power Block Difficulty: Moderate Effect: Successful parry inflicts STR+1D on attacker. May be used as a reaction skill.

Reversal Difficulty: Opposed Strength or martial arts (whichever is higher) Effect: Use only while held. If you break the grip, you may hold the target or use another technique. May be a reaction skill.

Silent Strike Difficulty: Difficult Effect: Must successfully sneak to within arm's reach. Declare kill or stun before rolling. Success neutralizes target.

Spinning Kick Difficulty: Moderate Effect: +1D damage if roll exceeds difficulty; failure leaves attacker off-balance and grants opponent one extra attack this round (no multi-action penalty).

Shoulder Throw Difficulty: Moderate Effect: Throw target to the ground for 3D damage if not parried/dodged.

Weapon Block Difficulty: Opposed martial arts vs melee combat roll Effect: Successful roll blocks a melee attack without needing a weapon.

Martial Arts Options (GM Tools)

If martial arts destabilize the campaign, optional limits include: Basic Moves only: punch (STR+1D), kick (STR+2D), weapon block (opposed).

No Character Points on martial arts rolls (Force Points allowed). Style packages: limit techniques by style; out-of-style technique costs 10 CP and 3 weeks training. Parrying simplification: brawling: martial arts can both parry and attack; brawling parry can't be used to attack. Untrained use: allow some techniques at +1–2 Difficulty Levels if the character lacks the technique/specialty (GM discretion). Some (e.g., Silent Strike) may be disallowed without training.

Damage

When an attack hits, the attacker rolls damage. Ranged weapons: fixed damage (e.g., blaster rifle 5D). Melee weapons: often STR+X (e.g., STR+1D). If a maximum is listed (e.g., "max 6D"), that's the cap regardless of Strength.

Brawling: attacker rolls Strength. Natural weapons: claws, etc. may be STR+1D or STR+1D+2.

The target rolls Strength to resist. If Strength ≥ damage: no effect. If damage > Strength: use the Character Damage Chart.

Character Damage Chart

(Then apply the normal rules for stunned, wounded, wounded twice, incapacitated, mortally wounded, and killed as written.) Stun Damage: weapons set to stun roll damage normally, but any result worse than "stunned" becomes "unconscious for 2D minutes" (unless stated otherwise).

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Source: REUP