brpmechapreview

Basic Roleplaying
5. Combat
46
SIMPLIFIED MAPS AND ZONES
Some groups do not appreciate grid-based tactical play and will prefer to disregard precise evaluation of
range and movement. In order to grant a pleasant game experience to them, too, we have provided a
simplifi ed set of rules for range and movement. Unlike the rules for grid-based play, these are not just an
adaptation of standard Basic Roleplaying rules to a larger scale, but a totally new method for evaluating
range and movement allowance.
With this system, you may either use a map that is divided into zones, or run an “abstract” combat in which
you keep track of the relative distance at which the combatants are located.
When evaluating Mecha movement, consider that all movement within a zone costs nothing in terms of
tokens or DEX Ranks. It just takes place at the appropriate DEX Rank for the Mecha. Each Zone moved costs
the Mecha one white token, unless it has or uses some peculiar movement feature like charging. No Mecha
can move further than its basic MOV in zones.
The rules for statement of intent remain exactly the same as those used for grid-based movement, the only
change is in how maximum movement allowance and number of tokens picked is evaluated.
When evaluating range, each zone equals one range level: the same zone is Close range, one zone is Short
range, two zones are Medium range, three zones are Long range; after Long range, the range rating increases
by two zones per level so X-Long range is fi ve zones, XX-Long range is seven zones and so on.
For each zone beyond its standard range that a weapon is fi red at, the skill used to fi re it is halved, down to
one quarter of the base skill. For Long or further range weapons, skill is halved for each two zones or fraction
beyond normal range. If distance is such that skill would go down to one eighth of your normal skill, the
attack is considered to fail automatically. If the weapon is subject to damage halving for long range, which is
usually the case for all weapons except missiles, RPG launchers and fl ying fi sts, the halving occurs when the
weapon fi res more than one range level beyond its effective range, i.e. when skill is reduced to one quarter.
Thrown weapons cannot exceed Short range in any case.
In order to receive cover from a feature on a zone-based map, a Mecha must perform the specifi c action of
“taking cover” behind it. All fi re against it that takes place before the action is not infl uenced by the cover.
The terrain feature must also be big and sturdy enough to actually provide cover to the Mecha – although you
are allowed to use Fate to assert that it is, if the Gamemaster has not determined it before combat starts. If
you wish to take into account each individual tree and boulder on a map as cover, you should evaluate using
grid-based map combat.
As for grid-based battlemaps, zone-based air maps use zones that are the equivalent of an entire land-based
battlemaps. At most, if your land map is very big, you can divide it into two sectors and assign them to two
different zones in the air map.
STATEMENT OF INTENTS PHASE SUMMARY
Starting from the lowest INT or adjusted INT initiative, or in another order agreed beforehand, all player
characters and non-player characters do the following:
Determine their basic DEX Rank by reading it on their character sheet.
[Optional] You may apply the optional rule on page 188 of Basic Roleplaying and have each player
roll 1D10 and add it to the basic DEX Rank.
Declare to what square (or zone) their Mecha will move, up to its maximum movement
allowance, and what kind of attacks or other actions it will perform once it reaches its destination.
Determine how many tokens the Mecha must pick to execute the planned movement. If the
Mecha has any red/white tokens after this procedure, modify the DEX Rank accordingly.
Decrease the DEX Rank by fi ve for each preparatory action the Mecha will perform.
Record the fi nal value for the adjusted DEX Rank in that round, that will be used during the
Action Phase. If DEX Rank falls below one, this means that the DEX Rank becomes one and all
attacks will automatically fail.