GURPS - Basic Set 3r..

Adverse Combat Conditions:Hit PenaltiesMany things can make it harder to hityour foe. Each one has a "hit penalty"which is subtracted from your skill beforeyou roll.Bad light: -1 to -9Total darkness: -10Bad footing: -2 (more, at GM's option).Exception: If you are firing a missileweapon, taking time to aim will also eliminatethis penalty!Attacker is standing in water (kneedeepor more): see p. 91Attacker is swimming: -6, or Underwaterpenalty (p. 91).Attacker is in a strange position: -2 ormore (GM's decision - see p. 123)Blind: -6. Blinded suddenly: -10One eye: -1 for hand weapon attacks, -3for ranged attacksClothes are on fire: -2Crawling: -4Crouching: -2Sitting: -2Off-hand attack: -4 (no penalty ifAmbidextrous)Shield: -2 to attacks if using a largeshieldST under minimum ST for thatweapon: -1 for each point of differenceWounds: Penalty equal to hits you tookon preceding turn. If you are using amounted weapon with an electronic sightingmechanism, this penalty is halved.High Pain Threshold advantage eliminatesthis penalty.GMs may add or change modifiers asthey see fit!Critical HitsA "critical hit" is an especially goodblow. It automatically hits home - yourfoe does not get a defense roll. On anattack roll of 3, you do not roll for damage -your blow automatically does the mostdamage it could do. For instance, maximumdamage for a ld+2 blow would be6+2, or 8 hits.A roll of 4 is also a critical hit, but itdoes normal damage.A roll of 5 or 6 may be a critical hit,depending on your skill. If your effectiveskill is 15, then a roll of 5 or less is a criticalhit. If y our effective skill is 16 or more, thana roll of 6 or less is a critical hit. Thismeans that a bonus to hit (e.g., when youmake an all-out attack) will increase yourchance of getting a critical hit. However, anatural 3 is still the only roll that automaticallydoes maximum damage.The maximum-damage rule is a substitutefor the more complex Critical HitTables. Do not use both!for success rolls, and p. 201 for combat modifiers.) Then roll 3 dice. If your roll is less thanor equal to your "effective" skill, you have rolled well enough to hit the foe, and he mustroll to defend. Otherwise, you missed!No matter what your skill, a roll of 3 or 4 always hits, and is a "critical hit" - seesidebar. A roll of 17 or 18 always misses.DEFENSEIf you make your attack roll, you have not (yet) actually struck your foe (unless yourolled a critical hit). You have thrown a blow that is good enough to hit him - unless hedefends.Your foe's defense is equal to the total of his passive defenses (armor, shield and/ormagic) and his active defenses (dodge, block or parry). Passive defenses always protect,but active defenses must be specifically chosen from those that are "legal" at themoment. This depends on the maneuver he chose on his last turn - see above.The defender rolls 3 dice. If his roll is less than or equal to his total defense, heblocked the blow (or dodged it, or whatever). Otherwise, his defense was ineffective andyour blow struck home. If your blow hits your foe, you can roll for damage.A defense roll of 3 or 4 is always successful - even if your total defense was only 1 or2! A roll of 17 or 18 is always a failed defense.Your foe does not get to attempt a defense roll if you rolled a critical hit against him.Active DefenseThere are three active defenses that can protect you against an attack. Each of thesedefenses is calculated in advance. When you are attacked, you may choose one activedefense as part of your total defense roll. (If you took Ail-Out Defense, you may maketwo separate defense rolls, using different defenses.)Your active defense will depend on your situation - especially the maneuver youchose last turn. Some maneuvers limit the active defenses you can make. A stunnedcharacter's active defense is at -4.Sometimes you will have no active defense. A stab in the back from a "friend," asniper's shot or a totally unexpected booby trap would be attacks against which no activedefense is possible.The Combat Reflexes advantage gives a +1 to each of your active defenses.DodgingYour Dodge defense is the same as your Move score. Dodging is often the bestdefense when you are not skilled with your weapon and you have no shield.You may dodge any attack, except one that you did not know about! There is nolimit to the number of times you may dodge in one turn.If you have the Acrobatics skill, you may try an "Acrobatic Dodge" (p. 48).An animal's Dodge score is half its Move or half its DX, whichever is better - up to amaximum of 10.BlockingYou must have a ready shield, which you use to "block" the attack. Your Blockdefense is 1/2 your Shield (or Buckler) skill, rounded down. In general, you can blockany blade weapon, club, axe, spear, polearm, etc., whether swung or thrown. You mayalso block arrows, quarrels, slung stones and similar low-tech missiles. You cannotblock bullets or beam weapons . . . these come too fast to be stopped with a shield.(However, the shield's passive defense helps against all missile weapons - see p. 99.)