Combat

ForeSight (1986), pp. 43–56 — a best-effort cleanup of the machine-extracted original; expect residual OCR noise. Compare with the source PDF. About this restoration.

[4.0] Combat

Designer's Notes: the FS combat system is designed, as are many wargames, to use a hex-grid to regulate movement, and determine ranges. Players may use miniatures, counters, dice, or whatever, to indicate their characters' positions and facings on the hex-grid, assuming you use a full-sized hex-grid. The problem of course is that most people aren't going to bother with the hex-grid, and will resolve combat by having the GM keep a rough record of what is going on, and essentially "wing it". This is okay, since the hex-grid is provided more as a method of giving a person reading these rules an idea of how the system works, rather than to force users of the system to lay out a hex-grid for every combat.

There is an intermediate possibility: the GM can record the terrain, and the positions and facings of the combatants on a grid of very small hexes (or squares, if preferred), and alter them as combat proceeds.

[4.1] Set-up

Procedure: Combat in ForeSight is generally the result of previous actions which have placed the involved parties in a combat situation. A combat will have some sort of setting: a building, cave complex, forest, or whatever. The GM must decide how this is to be represented on a map which is tiled with hexagons (to regulate movement, and assist range-determination), each representing an area approximately equal to one square metre (ie. they are one metre across). In FS the setting is expressed in terms of blocking, half cover, three quarter cover, and open hexes; if the GM wishes to incorporate elevation and so forth into the system, she/he may do so in the obvious way. A half cover hex has some sort of cover, eg. a bush, cactus plant, or table, in it. A character may enter it normally, and is treated as having half cover when kneeling, or prone in that hex.

A three-quarter cover hex has some fairly prominent sort of cover, eg. part of a tree, a pillar or doorway, in it. A character must spend an entire move action (see below) to enter such a hex, but is treated as having half cover when standing, and three-quarter cover when kneeling, or prone in that hex. A line of sight may not be traced through such a hex; nor may a prone character in such a hex trace a line of sight out of it. A blocked hex contains some impenetrable obstacle eg. a brick wall, tree trunk, or boulder, and may not be entered, nor may a line of sight pass through it.

A character has a line of sight from point A to point B if he/she could see point B from point A. Often the presence or lack of a line of sight will be a matter for the GM to decide, so specific rules are not provided (eg. a thick glass wall would form blocking hexes for purposes of movement and missile fire, but not for line of sight (it would stop [most] lasers since the vapourised glass would absorb and refract the beam).

The GM should also decide where the characters (player and non-player) are located, and which direction they are facing, using events leading up to the combat as a guide. Sometimes it will be stated that one side or the other has been surprised, in which case that side automatically has worse initiative in the first turn than any unsurprised side (but determines initiative with regard to other surprised sides normally), and none of its members may attempt to find cover before combat.

Finding Cover Before Combat

Procedure: a character who finds him/herself about to become involved in a combat will probably try to get behind some sort of cover. Any character in an unsurprised side at the beginning of a combat may attempt to find cover: he/she makes a Scan roll and then consults the following table.

*A * means the character ends up adjacent to (not in) such a hex. SUburban and URban areas sit on a higher row — easy to move through, but full of ready cover (see the Vehicle rules on Terrain values). A character may choose any result under a higher (ie. worse) Quality Rating than the one they achieved.

[4.2] Combat Resolution

Procedure: Combat in FS is divided into turns, each representing three seconds of time in the GameWorld, and ceases when all sides have agreed to cease hostilities, or only one side remains functional. Each turn is divided as follows into segments, which are resolved in the order described:

[i] Initiative Determination Segment: each side determines its initiative. A representative of each side makes an Initiative roll (modified for armour visibility and wound status, etc.). A character with raised hands, or some such impediment, is assumed to automatically have QR 10 initiative.

[ii] Declaration Segment: The sides declare the actions of their constituents in order of descending QR of their representatives' initiative rolls (in the case of ties, in the order of ascending Initiative PCS).

[iii] Action Segment: players resolve the actions of their characters, which must either correspond to those declared by them in [ii], or be pass (or in-) actions, in descending order of their adjusted speeds (or in order of agility if equal). Note that the point in this segment during which a given character performs his/her actions is referred to as that character's action pulse.

Definition — Action Points: a character (who is not performing all or part of a pulse action) has a number of action points to spend in his/her action pulse equal to his/her net speed, if it is greater than 2, and 2 otherwise. If a character has fractional adjusted speed, then ignore fractions of less than one half, and allow fractions greater than one half to be treated as whole for determining when the character acts, and discount it for purposes of action points, or vice versa (player's choice) eg. a character with adjusted speed 2.5 could act at the same time as characters with speed 3, and spend 2 action points, or wait until speed 2 and spend 3 action points - effectively fractional speeds lower than 2 are rounded off). Characters performing a pulse actions round off their speeds for purposes of deciding when they act. Net Speed: Total the armour Spd rating for all limbs (also see rules the for exoskeletons. below) and fill it in the appropriate box. Add one eighth of the character's EVA skill level, and fill this in under Armour Speed Modifier (unless it is greater than zero, in which case replace this value with zero). Determine the effect of the weight (mass times gravity) the character is carrying on his/her speed (see [2.1], but it should be recorded on the character sheet), note this modifier in the box labelled Speed under encumbrance on the character worksheet. Add this to the Armour Speed Modifier to yield the character's net speed modifier. The character's net speed equals his/her speed plus this modifier (the "+ G" has been written in for your convenience). Procedures: The actions a character can perform in combat are procedures which alter his/her position, condition, or whatever. There are two sorts of actions in FS, categorised by the time it takes to perform them. Action Point Actions cost the character a number of action points to perform. Pulse Actions take a character a number of action pulses to perform. In one of his/her action pulses a character may either [1] perform action point actions costing action points s his/her available APs; [2] perform anyone action point action (ie. as a 1-pulse action); or [3] perform one pulse worth of pulse actions (eg. complete a 1-pulse action, or a third of a 3-pulse action).

Action Point Actions

Move (Costs 1 Action Point): a character (who is standing) may be moved into one of his/her front hexes (without altering his/her facing) one, two, or three times (at most two in HY gravity, at most one in EX). A Move action costs the character performing it 0.5 Fatigue points. A prone character may Move into a front hex without altering his/her facing. Optionally: a character reduces his/her speed for purposes of determining when his/her pulse occurs (only) by the number of Move actions he/she took that pulse. A character may attempt to jump (using the Jump skill at + the character's current speed modifier) the hexes between his/her initial and destination hexes (the latter of which must be a hex he/she could have moved to with that action normally), and succeeds on a QR 3 (4 if the previous action the character took was also a Move action).

Turn (Costs 1 Action Point): a character (who is standing) may alter his/her facing by 60°, and then be placed in a front hex; be placed in a front hex, and then alter his/her facing by 60°; or have his/her facing altered by up to 180° (120° in HY gravity). In EX gravity a turn action only allows a 60° change of facing by the character. A prone character may alter his/her facing by 60°. Any Parry or Dodge action performed immediately after a Move or Turn action incurs a -2 modifier.

Combat Move (Costs 1 Action Point): a standing character may be moved one hex in any direction without altering his/her facing (only into front hexes in HY/EX gravity). This may be taken as an opportunity action.

Combat Turn (Costs 1 Action Point): a standing character's facing may be altered by 60°, or 120° (60° only in HY/EX gravity). This may be taken as an opportunity action.

Aim (Costs 1 Action Point): a character may negate the unaimed shot penalty for an immediately subsequent shot at a target in a legitimate target hex. This may be taken as an opportunity action, but then costs 2 action points.

Fire (Costs 1 Action Point): a character may fire one shot (unbracketed under ROF) at a target in a legitimate target hex. Unless fired at a target aimed at, or successfully struck by an immediately prior fire action (ie. his/her previous action, which was a fire action, with that same weapon), or immediately previously fired at without the unaimed penalty, the fire action accrues the unaimed penalty. This may be taken as an opportunity action.

Fire Burst (Costs 2 Action Points): as for fire action but fires weapon with bracketed ROF. The target in this case may be a group of objects. This may be taken as an opportunity action. A character (with an appropriate weapon) may also fire a burst at an area which must comprise a number of contiguous hexes not exceeding the number of shots fired; the QR of the burst determines the number of shots which hit someone or thing (eg. QR 4 indicates half the shots hit something). each takes damage determined by a random QR and the weapon's DC (when not firing bursts; or the normal DC-2 if no "single shot" DC is given). Area fire is performed at + 1 - (the number of hexes in the area), and uses the worst size and profile modifier of any of the targets the firer desires to hit; area fire never incurs the unaimed penalty.

If a percentage of a shot is given as hitting a target, then that is the percentage chance of one [additional] complete shot hitting: eg. a QR4 five-shot burst would

result in two bullets hitting a target, and a 50% chance of a third hitting one as well.

Drop (Costs 1 Action Point): If a character is standing he/she may adopt a kneeling or prone posture. A kneeling character may become prone. A character struck by fire may immediately take this action (which may, or may not, affect subsequent actions). This may be taken as an opportunity action.

Discard (Costs 1 Action Point): A character may release the contents of one or both of his/her hands into the hex he/she currently occupies, or an adjacent one.

Recover (Costs 1 Action Point): A character may nullify previously incurred penalties for recoil and/or movement.

Attack (Costs 1 Action Point): A character may attack a target in a legitimate melee target hex. An Attack action costs the character performing it 0.5 Fatigue points.

Opportunity Attack (Costs 1 Action Point): A character may attack a target in a legitimate melee target hex immediately after that target has performed some part (or the whole of) his/her/its pulse. This is solely an opportunity action. An Opportunity Attack actions costs the character performing it 0.5 Fatigue points.

Parry (Costs 1 Action Point): A standing or kneeling character may elect to attempt to parry anyone attack against him/her originating from a legitimate target hex, using the modifier for close attacks if the attacker is close, and for normal attacks if the attacker is at normal or reach range. This is solely an opportunity action. A Parry action costs the character performing it 0.5 Fatigue points.

Note: a given prepared weapon may be used for (at most) one Attack, one Parry, and one Opportunity Attack action in a single pulse. A person's body counts as two weapons for these purposes (but note that a person may not parry unarmed without the Defensive field of knowledge).

Dodge (Costs 1 Action Point): A standing character may elect to attempt to dodge anyone attack originating from one of his/her legitimate target hexes, before that attack is resolved. This is strictly an opportunity action, and it may not be taken more than twice per pulse by any (human) character; it costs the character performing it 0.5 Fatigue points.

Draw Weapon (not applicable): this is a rather strange action, rules-wise: a weapon whose Dr (draw) value is of the form #S may be drawn at a cost of # action points (or as a turn action). A character wishing to perform a draw action reduces his/her speed (and action points) for that action segment by #. So, eg., a weapon with a Dr value of 2S, is drawn by a characters with adjusted speed 4, who (for that segment only) acts at speed 2 with 2 action points. The weapon is thereafter considered prepared. A weapon requires a certain number of hands to have prepared, and a character may not have prepared more weapons than she/he has hands to hold.

Cache Weapon (Costs # Actions Points where weapon has Dr = #S): a character may cache a weapon in some appropriate sheath, or pocket, on his/her person. The weapon is no longer prepared.

Reload Weapon (Costs # Action Points where weapon has RL = #S): a character may reload a weapon which has expended all of its ammunition. This comprises attaching a fresh power source to a weapon with Ammo = #P, and feeding a new clip, or more bullets, into a weapon with Ammo = #.

Opportunity Actions: an opportunity action is taken during a character's pulse, but its effect is delayed as follows: at any time immediately after some other character has completed an action, and any other preconditions of the delayed action have been met, the opportunity action may be resolved normally. Eg. a character takes an opportunity fire action, and waits for someone to move into line of sight before firing. Any number of actions may be performed thus (in order of descending speed, if necessary), but an opportunity action must be expended before the opportunity acting character's next action pulse, or it is lost. Furthermore, any opportunity actions taken in "response" to a given action are resolved before any further actions are resolved.

Pulse Actions

Bead (Takes 1 Pulse): a character may take a bead on a character he/she could fire at without unaimed penalty. The first fire action at that target taken as the first action in the character's next pulse will receive the bead bonus if that target is still in some legitimate target hex, and has been in the intervening time.

Evade (Takes 1 Pulse): a character taking an evade action may alter his/her position and facing as if by expending half his/her action points (round down) on move and turn actions, and is considered to be evading until his/her next action pulse, or until he/she elects to, or is forced to cease, evading. An Evade action costs the character performing it 0.5 Fatigue points.

Draw Weapon (Takes # Pulses where weapon has Dr = #T): allows the character to prepare the weapon for use.

Cache Weapon (Takes # Pulses where weapon has Dr = #T): a character may cache a weapon in some appropriate sheath, or pocket, on his/her person. The weapon is no longer prepared.

Reload Weapon (Takes # Pulses where weapon has RL = #T): a character may reload a weapon which has expended all of its ammunition. This comprises attaching a fresh power source to a weapon with Ammo = #P, and feeding a new clip, or more bullets, into a weapon with Ammo = #.

Emplace (Takes 1 Pulse): a character may emplace for use a prepared weapon, in his/her hex, which has Use ... E.

Unemplace (Takes 1 Pulse): a character may pick up, unemplace, or demount (as applicable) an emplaced weapon in his/her hex.

Rise (Takes 1 Pulse): the character may rise to kneeling or standing.

Recover From Stun (Takes 1 Pulse): a character may be stunned as a result of damage taken, and may only take these actions thereafter, until unstunned. This action allows one attempt to become unstunned. A Pain Resistance roll is made (adjusted for Wound Status) and if QR 4 or better is achieved, the character is unstunned.

Any Action Point Action may be performed in a pulse, as a (one) pulse action.

[4.3] Combat Procedures

Fire [Fire Combat] Resolution

The shaded hexes in the following diagram are legitimate target hexes for the character, provided he/she can see into them. The effect of this is to say that a character cannot shoot backwards (at least with an accuracy) bar in exceptional circumstances (to be determined by the GM).

[Diagram in the original — see the source-PDF page link above. A clearer replacement is planned.]

A weapon is fired as follows: applicable modifiers are added to the character's appropriate BEF. The BEF used is that indicated by the weapon's use. Weapons with use H require Handguns; L require Longarms; R require Mechanical Ranged Weapons; M require Melee Weapons; E require Heavy Weapons. Fire is resolved normally. A hit occurs on a QR 1 to 4, a miss on a QR 7 or 10. If a fire action's die roll falls in the range Jam # to 99, then the weapon is jammed, and must be unjammed before being used again. This is the equivalent of a Reload action, and requires a QR 3 or better (unadjusted) roll against the appropriate weapon skill (or repair, if weapon systems is possessed by the character).

A fire action resulting in a QR 10 indicates the character has shot entirely the wrong thing, or ruined his/her weapon.

Attack [Melee Combat] Resolution

[Diagram in the original — see the source-PDF page link above. A clearer replacement is planned.]

The above diagram explains which hexes constitute legitimate melee target hexes, which performance and damage class modifiers are used at each range for attacks and parries. A character in an unlabelled hex may not be attacked, and if he/she attacks the character, the character may not parry the blows, and dodges at -2. An attack is resolved as follows: applicable modifiers are added to the character's appropriate BEF, including the PM modifier for the hex the target occupies. The BEF used is that indicated by the weapon's use. Weapons with use H,L,R,M, or E require Melee Weapons; UC requires Unarmed Combat.

An attack may be parried, in which case the target, if eligible to parry, declares before the attack is resolved that he/she will parry. The attack is then resolved. The parry is conducted at EF = QR (of attack) modified by the PM appropriate to the hex occupied by the attacker using Melee Weapon skill. A QR1 to 3 parry negates the attack parried (ie. it becomes a miss). A QR10 parry allows the attacker either to choose the location he/she strikes (rather than roll for it), or increase the DC of his/her attack by one. An attack may be dodged, in which case the target, if eligible to dodge, declares before the attack is resolved that he/she will dodge. The attack is then resolved. The dodge is resolved at EF = QR (of attack) using Unarmed Combat Skill or Agility (defender's choice). If QR 3 or better is achieved, then the defender is automatically missed, and is placed in a rear hex without altering his/her facing. If a QR 10 is achieved, then the defender falls down, otherwise the attack is unaffected. An attack which achieves QR 10 causes the attacker to have to make a (unadjusted) roll against the appropriate weapon skill or drop or break his/her weapon (defender's choice) on a QR 7, or do both, on a QR 10". If he/she achieves QR 4, then he/she must either drop or break his/her weapon (his/her own choice). If he/she achieves QR 3 or better, then the

weapon is neither dropped, nor broken. (Optionally the GM may rule that he/she hits him/her self at random QR.) Finally, an attack achieving QR 4 or better is described as having hit, while an attack of QR 7 or worse is described as having missed. Thrown Weapons: weapons with use M, which have ratings for use as fire weapons, use the lower of Throwing and Melee Weapon skill PCSs when being "fired", and do not run out of ammunition but are themselves expended (although they can usually be recovered later); to "reload" another must be drawn.

Damage Resolution and Effects

If a fire action or attack action has hit some one or thing, then he, she, or it may be damaged. The most important thing about the attack in this step is the damage class (DC) of the weapon, a number followed by a letter (the number adjusted for range), or a modifier, which is added to the attacker's Unarmed Combat Damage Class, both of which may be modified (see relevant tables), and the QR of the shot or attack.

Armour Protection

[Diagram in the original — see the source-PDF page link above. A clearer replacement is planned.]

The damage is first allocated to one of the target's locations. Human characters, for example, may be hit in one of seven different locations (see the character worksheet). Roll D10 to determine the location (the parentheses contain the D10 roll resulting in a hit to that location); this roll may be altered if, for example, a specific shot was taken. In the case of a shot, if the location was protected by some other object, then that object, instead, is damaged (unless flimsy enough to be ignored). Eg. a character crouching behind a empty barrel is harder to hit, but is not protected by the barrel from damage, whereas a character behind a boulder could ignore "hits" to his/her legs and abdomen. The damage inflicted by the attack is determined by finding the result listed under the attack's net DC (ie. adjusted for any appropriate armour protection, range, etc.) for the QR of the attack. This damage is then reduced by the number of "A"s in the appropriate armour protection rating (zero becomes an "S" result, anything less equals no effect). See [4.4] for details of weapons, including their DCs, and armour types, including their protection ratings versus various types of attack.

The resultant damage (again, "S" counts as zero) is added to the Wound Level of the target (ie. damage to individual locations is important only with regard to special effects and armour protection; the actual damage counts, regardless of location). Note that depending on the location damaged, special effects, as cited on the character worksheet, including increased damage, may accrue. These special effects apply only if some damage actually got through, of course. If the character suffered an "S" result, or an increase in Wound Level, then he/she must then immediately make a Pain Resistance (or PR) roll (ie. achieve QR4 or better) or become stunned. A QR10 PR roll indicates that the character faints from pain (ie. falls prone, and can only perform Recover from Stun actions which are successful only on a QR2 or better). A stunned character may perform only Recover from Stun actions. Note that the modifiers for being wounded apply to the EF of PR rolls too (and a character with abdomen wounds suffers an additional negative modifier). Note also that stun weapon (with damage class suffixed by an "S") hits are affected by impact protection, and any resultant damage stuns the target, rather than increasing his/her wound level. Stun weapons will stun a human for the "damage" inflicted in hours; mammals will be stunned for a greater or lesser period, inversely dependent upon mass (as a guide, divide period for humans by animal's DT value). A living human being may be in one of six wound levels, corresponding to one of six wound status brackets as follows: [0]: Okay; the person is not currently injured, except, perhaps, superficially.

[1]: Light Wound; the character is injured, and receives a -1 modifier to all resolution attempts, and Speed. Base Recovery Time: 24 hours.

[2]: Medium Wound; the character is injured, and receives a -2 modifier to all resolution attempts, and Speed, and a -1 modifier to UCDC. Base Recovery Time: 5 days.

[3]: Heavy Wound; the character is injured, and receives a -3 modifier to all resolution attempts, and Speed, and a -2 modifier to UCDC. Base Recovery Time: 30 days.

Definition — Base Recovery Time: functions as follows. After a character with a given wound status spends the base recovery time resting (if outdoors, he/she must also make a survival roll) he/she should make an EF3 (no modifiers) EN roll. QR1-4 indicates his/her wound status is reduced by one. QR10 indicates it is increased by one.

[4]: Incapacitated 4; the character is injured and in shock, and is incapable of action for a number of hours equal to the QR of a Pain Resistance roll (normal EF), after which time Wound Level drops by one (to 3). If a QR 10 is achieved, then the character's Wound Level increases by one in ten hours. Any other actions the character may be forced to take are at -4.

[5]: Incapacitated 5; the character is injured and dying, and must make a (normal EF) pain resistance roll once per hour, or die. If a QR 1 is achieved, then the character's Wound Level drops by one (to 4).

[6]: Dead; a character with damage level six or more is dead, and, unless ghosts or whatever function in your campaign, may take no further action. Note that a character's wound level/status may be the result of smaller wounds taken in different locations (eg. one point of damage in the arm, and another in the leg, would give the character wound level 2, or medium wound status). Various non-human game objects/creatures have different damage tracks (DTs) to those of humans. These are of a form giving the Wound Level (number of damage points so far received) which brings on a given Wound Status (the effect of that damage). A piece of equipment may have a damage track, in which case it is spoken of as having a Damage Status, rather than, but corresponding to, a Wound Status, and any modifier to 'all actions taken .. .' applies to anyone using the item. Inc 4 for equipment and vehicles is treated as Partially Destroyed, and Inc 5 for equipment and vehicles is treated as Destroyed; some devices, especially delicate ones, will cease to function at all once damaged, in which case the degree of damage is important only with regard to the difficulty of repair. See the Appendix for a comprehensive listing of damage tracks.

Fire Combat Modifiers

Target Motion (in and since his/her/its previous action pulse; use the worst applicable)

Note: strictly speaking, the motion referred to should only apply if it was across the firer's field of vision.

Target Size

Target Profile (modifiers are cumulative)

Target Range (modifiers are cumulative)

Note: • the range increments for handguns, and firearms used one-handed in general, are halved (eg. handguns suffer a -1 modifier at 25-50m).

Melee Combat Modifiers

Target Size

Damage Table

Quality Rating × Damage Class → the Damage Result. Reconstructed from the original pixel-art grid (the column-crop scramble it replaced is in git history).

DAMAGE = DC × (Yield% for QR) ÷ 2 — round off on QR1–2, round down on QR3–4. A result of zero becomes S; exception: QR4 at DC 0 = no effect.

Key to Damage Table & Formula (An entry is referred to as the Damage Result, or simply as the Damage)

#: increase in wound level of target; target must make PR roll or be stunned

S: target must make PR roll or be stunned

• A stunned character may only perform Recover from Stun actions.

• A character achieving a QR10 Pain Resistance roll faints from the pain, and recovers from stun only on a QR2 or better.

Fire Combat Damage Class Modifiers (These alter the DC column used)

Melee Combat Damage Class Modifiers (These alter the DC of the attack)

Damage Modifiers (These modify the actual damage suffered)

Important Note: for purposes of damage arithmetic: 1 - 1 = S; S - 1 = no effect.

Hit Location Special Effects (These are also noted on the Character Worksheet.)

Optional "Critical" Damage: hits doing positive damage (ie. ~1) do one point of extra damage on a D10 roll ~ 2.

[4.4] Combat Equipment

Designer's Notes: the ForeSight Master Weapons Chart completely describes each of a number of weapons in terms of the combat system; eg. firearms are also rated as melee weapons (ie. for use as clubs). No detailed descriptions of the weapons are given in ForeSight, but a brief description of nonobvious weapons from the chart is given below:

SDH Cone Rifle: the Self-Designating Heavy Cone Rifle fires small rocket propelled grenades at whatever target is designated by its inbuilt laser target designator, and incorporates a telescopic sight.

Protein Disruptor: a high powered maser (a sort of pointable microwave oven); this weapon is highly illegal.

TD - : target designating laser weapons fire low-intensity UV beams when the trigger is slightly depressed, and fire a higher intensity, damaging beam when the trigger is fully depressed. Each such weapon includes a telescopic, light-intensifying, UV sight.

Projac: is the name of the company which first produced multi-wavelength coherent light weapons. Projac lasers have less difficulty burning through wavelengthspecific reflective and ablative surfaces. Projacs have all the features of TD weapons.

SL - : a Self-Loading ("Automatic" or "Semi-automatic") weapon. Each pull of the trigger fires one shot (although the weapon may require cocking for a first shot). Weapons equivalent to these, but weighing 50% more, and with half the ammunition capacity, are available at TL 4 with a rate of fire of [1] and a jam rating three lower, and at TL4.5 with a rate of fire of 1 and a jam rating one lower.

Needle Pistol: fires a dose of some drug into any target suffering S or higher damage from it.

DEXAX Needle Pistol; DEXAX Needle Rifle: DEXAX weapons fire slivers of DEXAX at their targets (via an efficient electromagnetic railgun system). These weapons can also fire non-explosive ammunition, in which case their DCs drop to 5I for the pistol, and 10I for the rifle. With non-explosive ammunition, the pistol is almost silent; only rifles with a select-fire mode, allowing subsonic projectile fire, and reducing DC to 5I, can be fired silently (such weapons are usually illegal).

Stun - : stun weapons knock out their targets with tightly focussed sonic shock-waves. The stun-rifle is designed as a riot control weapon, and to be used as a melee weapon. Of course neither will function at all in trace atmospheres and vacuums. Optional: TLS stun weapons are somewhat superior to their TL7 brethren, and have [fire; not melee] PM, DC, Draw, and Con values one better; they cost 50% more.

SUAuto - : the SL carbine/Auto carbine stats are statistics for the same weapon set for single shot and automatic fire. Similarly for the SUAuto rifle. Often these weapons will not be available in a configuration

allowing automatic fire, but such weapons will cost as much as those which are. Weapons equivalent to these, but incapable of automatic fire, weighing 50% more, and with half the ammunition capacity, are available at TL4 with a rate of fire of [1], and at TL4.5 with a rate of fire of 1.

ML pistol: this is the abbreviation of Muzzle-Loading Pistol, chosen for lack of space.

Bare Hand/Fist, KneelKick, Slap: these are unarmed attacks, which may be made by any character using unarmed combat skill (and with an appropriate limb no more than lightly wounded).

Sandblasters: these are sample alien weapons. The sandblaster charges small particles of detritus with electricity, and then accelerates them electromagnetically; the weapon is a utility device, used much the same role as a shotgun. There is no reason why humans couldn't build them at the stated TL.

Weapons Chart Headings & Abbreviations

Recoil Boxes: the small black boxes accompanying the names of some weapons are their recoil boxes.

PM: Performance Modifier: used as a modifier whenever the weapon is used (properly) in a Fire action.

Ammo: Ammunition. If this is a number, then that is the number of shots the weapon may fire before it must be reloaded (to be fired again). Roughly speaking, a clip of ammunition for such a weapon is assumed to weigh one tenth as much as the weapon it is for, and cost (DC+ TL)xAmmo/100 svu; better yet, assume that barring special circumstances, characters will have three to five reloads available. If the weapon's ammunition is expressed in the form 'mP' then the weapon is electrically powered, and requires a "standard" (ie. TL8) battery of mass (n+ 1)m grams to power it for n shots. (See [5.0] for the costs and masses of various batteries & generators.)

ROF: The number of shots the weapon may fire at a time. If square bracketed, then the weapon fires bursts of that many shots.

DC: Damage Class. A quantification of the damage the weapon does when it hits (this can be modified). If suffixed by a 'B' then the target is protected by the Beam ratings of any armour he/she may be wearing; if the suffix is an 'I', or an 'S' use the Impact ratings; and if there is no suffix, use the Melee ratings. A modifier (of the form ±n) is added to the user's Unarmed Combat Damage Class to give its DC. A weapon which is rated at DC 2xN (whatever N is), inflicts DCN at whatever QR was achieved (this may be random), and an additional DCN at a randomly determined QR.

Close: the weapon's close range for fire combat, a target inside this range is said to be at close range.

Long: the weapon's long range for fire combat. Targets beyond this cannot be fired at successfully.

Con: the weapon's concealment rating determines how easy the weapon is to' conceal on one's person against cursory inspection. Anyone looking at a character with a concealed weapon receives a Scan roll (modified by the Con rating of the weapon - if several weapons are possessed, then use the highest modifier for those carried), and if QR 3 or better is achieved, a weapon is detected by the character, QR 1 reveals how many and what kind; weapons with an adjusted Con rating of +S or more will only be overlooked on a QR10. This modifier assumes that the character uses wears sufficient apparel to cover the weapon (eg. characters wearing bathing suits may have problems).

Dr: the Draw rating of the weapon quantifies the ease and rapidity with which it may be prepared. See the Draw action.

RL: the Reload rating of the weapon reflects how quickly the weapon may be reloaded. See the Reload action.

Jam: the lower this number, the more frequently the weapon jams, so this reflects the weapon's reliability.

Close/Reach: the weapon's facility for melee combat, and explained fully thereunder.

Wgt: the weapon's mass in kilograms.

Use: the skill appropriate to the weapon (any number indicates the number of hands required to use the weapon, one and a half indicates that the weapon may be used one or two handed, but that it does more damage two-handed).

TL: the (Hard) Technological Level required to construct such a weapon.

Cost: the cost of the weapon in SVU (c: multiply by 100, k: multiply by 1000).

ForeSight Master Weapon Chart

Reconstructed from the original pixel-art chart into filterable data + cards (toggle Summary/Cards, filter by text or era). DC = damage class (+letter: I impact / B beam / S stun); ranges in metres or ST-multiples; melee pairs are PM/DC as a club at close/reach/long-reach. Verify against the original — corrections welcome.

[Sample terrain maps in the original — two hex-grid diagrams (a temperate outdoor scene and a small apartment interior) illustrating blocked / half-cover / three-quarter-cover hexes. See the source-PDF page link above; a clearer replacement is planned.]

Armour Protection

*Armour in ForeSight is constructed for individual locations on a character's body (costs are in SVU). Protection is by damage type — Melee, Impact/stun, Beam — where an A/AA suffix is the armour's absorb rating.*

• Melee / Impact / Beam — protection against melee / impact-and-stun / beam damage. A concealed beam value is reduced by two damage classes (minimum 1 or A), since the covering material soots the reflective surface; beam protection combines reflection and ablation.
• Speed — speed reduction per limb protected. Con — concealability (works as for weapons). Vision — the Initiative / Search / Scan modifier when a helmet of this armour is worn.
• Mass — kg to protect one location (double for a leg); total across locations for Mass of Armour. TL — tech level to produce it. Cost — SVU per location (doubled for a limb or the head).

Exoskeletons

Some heavier armour is too heavy to lug around (a full invulnasuit weighs 27 kg) and is best mounted on a powered exoskeleton — which may also be used without armour.

• EVA SL — minimum EVA skill to use it; a wearer improves their armour speed modifier by ¼ the difference between their EVA SL and the exoskeleton's SL (so at high EVA skill, exoskeletons are advantageous).
• Move — a Move action counts as this many. DC — bonus to melee damage class. ST — strength increase (affects everything but Unarmed Combat DC, which DC covers). Power — Combat Turns of power; when spent, DC/ST drop to 0 and Move to 1 (batteries recharge after combat).
• Mass — kg (ignored for encumbrance unless carried rather than worn). TL — tech level to build. Cost — SVU (c ×100, k ×1000).

Environment Suits

Environment suits shelter their wearer partially or entirely from their environment. They can be built into a suit of armour or used independently.

• Speed — add to total Spd for armour. Vision — as for armour, cumulative with any such modifier. Endurance — how long the suit provides protection (may be increased). Extension — the additional mass to extend Endurance by the time given. Mass — add to Mass of Armour. TL — tech level to construct. Cost — SVU.
• A Breathing Mask uses bottled air; NBC gear uses advanced filters to remove noxious substances; SCUBA mass excludes weights (nullified underwater anyway) but includes fins etc.; a Thermal Suit lets the wearer shift the outer temperature bracket by one (eg. CD→NL), or two — but two quarters End; a Vacuum Suit is self-contained and has a thermal suit's properties.

[4.5] Optional Combat Rules

Grenades

Grenades are used via two new pulse actions.

For specific grenade types see Equipment. No grenades of the latter two sizes are given in ForeSight; rules for them may appear later.

Prepare Grenade (takes 1 pulse): a character may prepare a grenade, which takes up one of their hands, from which it must subsequently be thrown. The only way of freeing the hand is by throwing the grenade or discarding it — in which case it detonates in the hex it was discarded into.

Throw Grenade (takes 1 pulse): a character may throw a grenade (or another item) held in a hand at a target hex. If the hex is not a legitimate target hex there is a −2 penalty (grenades may be tossed over obstacles and through holes, but not through walls or around corners). Grenade tosses are modified for range, the 'worst' (for the thrower) cover in any hex in between, and the 'Firer' modifiers; they may be 'beaded', and are resolved using Throwing skill.

• QR 3+ — the grenade detonates in the target hex.
• QR 4 — it detonates in a hex adjacent to the target (use a D6; the GM decides whether a particular result is possible, and substitutes a reasonable one if not).
• QR 7 — it detonates D6+1 hexes away (determine the first hex randomly with a D6, then restrict the remaining scatter to that direction and 60° clockwise of it).
• QR 10 — the thrower has fumbled and discards the grenade (per the discard action — which won't help much).

Results of Grenade Detonation

Once a grenade detonates in a hex, its results are resolved after characters take any opportunity actions. A character making a scan roll may fall prone at this point, but loses their next pulse. Characters cannot tell what sort of grenade is about to detonate (unless they know by other means).

HE (high-explosive concussion): explode, attacking anyone/thing in the detonation hex at some DC (given in the equipment rules) with a random QR; adjacent hexes are attacked at DC−1, two hexes away at DC−2, and so on. In a confined space (eg. a building), increase the grenade's DC by three. Kneeling characters reduce DC by 1; prone characters by 4.

Frag (fragmentation): works exactly as HE, but the DC decreases half as fast (round up).

Smoke: smoke grenades fill up the hex they detonate in, and any hexes within three hexes of them with smoke, which blocks line of sight, but provides no cover. At the end of each initiative segment thereafter, the cloud of smoke from a given grenade has a chance of dispersing, equal to (nearly) zero in still air, one in ten in a breeze, two in ten in wind, or more in worse conditions. The GM may alter smoke clouds to taste, or for wind, as he/she desires. When it is determined that the cloud disperses, it modifies all fire, or melee actions through or from within it by -2 for the rest of the following turn, and disappears altogether at the end of it.

"Realistic" Damage

I have received some complaints about the way damage (to characters) works in ForeSight. Since I dislike introducing special cases, rather than change the damage system I include the following optional rule. which can also be used for non-player characters and creatures by a sufficiently masochistic GM.

If a character is struck in a location not containing vital organs (ie. a limb) then if the damage from the blow exceeds the character's current wound level. then current wound level becomes the damage sustained to the limb, otherwise subtract two from the damage suffered (but do not reduce it below zero) and apply it normally (including special effects). So, in effect, in becomes harder to kill a person incapacitated by a blow to the head or trunk by hitting him/her in the arms or legs. Eg. a character currently suffering a heavy wound (wound level three) is hit by another blow (to a leg) for three damage. This does not exceed his/her wound level. so two is subtracted from the damage before it is applied, leaving one point of damage to incapacitate the character. Now if the damage had been suffered in reverse order (supposing the earlier wound had been taken in the chest), the character would instead be dead (this is not unrealistic, since shock causes a person's blood to withdraw into his/her head and trunk, so that a major limb wound inflicted on a healthy person will have a greater relative effect on his/her overall health, than the same wound inflicted on a person in shock) Masochistic GMs Only: for creatures and characters not having DT1, replace 'wo' with the amount of damage necessary to cause the creature/character to enter wound status two (medium wound). Also, for creatures and characters without specified hit locations, make a hit location roll anyway. and if the location rolled would have struck a human in a limb, then the target is treated as having been hit in a limb.

Additional Rules for Melee Combat

Combat Harness

While exoskeletons give their wearers artificially augmented strength and mobility, they are not wholly optimised for combat. As armour becomes stronger, more powerful weapons are required to punch through it. and some weapon technicians feel that powerful close combat weapons are the answer to this problem. A combat harness fits onto the arms (and, to a lesser extent, legs) of a full exoskeleton, and involves a battery of industrial lasers, high-tech glove guns, and sharp projections. When a character with combat harness makes an unarmed melee attack against somebody, he/she may use either the melee DC modifier (on top of that for the exoskeleton, and his/her own UCDC), or the beam, or impact. DC ratings of the harness used. The combat harness is, obviously, extremely deadly. For all other purposes (eg. encumberance) it counts as part of the exoskeleton it is attached to.

Combat Harness Characteristics:

Minimum Strength for Weapon Use

A person may not easily use a melee weapon if the mass of the weapon (in kg) plus five (rounded off) exceeds his/her ST; if this is the case, then he/she suffers an EF penalty equal to his/her ST minus the mass of the weapon, minus five (eg. a ST 8 person using a 5kg weapon suffers an 8 - 5 - 5 = -2 EF penalty when using said weapon).

Parrying

In the melee rules above, a successful parry action entirely negates a melee attack. While this is reasonable in many cases where it occurs, it falls down, eg. when a person with a dagger completely fends off a broadsword attack. The following rule serves to combat such discrepancies.

Procedure: the EF of a parry attempt is reduced if the total DC of the attacking weapon exceeds that of the parrying weapon by 2 or more. The modifier is -(The difference in DC)/2, rounded down.

Special Melee Actions

The following actions are special cases of the Attack action (unless otherwise specified), applying to characters who are armed with specified weapons, or at least have specified limbs free, and use the skill appropriate to the weapon used.

Trip: (-1) requires a polearm or leg. Target must make an EF = QR AG (or Acrobatics, target's choice) roll to avoid falling over. If the roll fails target drops to kneeling on QR 7, prone on QR 10, and must make a PR roll (or be stunned).

Knockout: (requires QR 2 (3 if from behind) for success) may be performed with any weapon, or unarmed, and if successful is considered to have struck the target's head. If the required QR is not achieved, the blow is assumed to miss altogether. A result which does less than a light wound (ie. an S if the target is human) is treated normally; While a result equal at least to a LW (for humans, any # result) knocks the target out (for at least the duration of the combat), in addition to scoring the indicated damage.

Entangle: requires an appropriate weapon (lasso, bola, net, etc.). Target must make EF = QR AG roll or fall prone. The target must, in any case, perform three recover actions, or sever the entangling weapon (specific blow) before performing any further actions. Note that no statistics for entangling weapons are given, but the rules are: grounds for a sequel

Grab: this is a special Attack action involving the attacker grabbing something held by another character in his/her or an adjacent hex. The usual modifier for the target's size applies. If successful (and the attack is not dodged or parried) then the attacker and target make EF7 ST rolls. If the attacker's QR is strictly better, then he/she gets the object, if the QRs are equal, or the defender's is better, he/she retains the item.

Disarm: a Parry, or immediately after it has been stated that it will be parried an Attack, action may, when it is performed, be declared to be a Disarm; it is then performed normally, but any result other than a QR1 or 2 is treated as a failure. If the disarm action achieves a QR1 or 2 (and, in the case of a disarm attack, the target fails to parry), then the target is disarmed; ie. the weapon whose attack was parried (in the former case), or the weapon used to parry, is lost (dropped, or in the case of a limb or extremity, numbed; numbed limbs have their DC reduced by 1, and incur a -1 modifier to hit; numbing lasts for [QR of EF5 EN roll] hours).

Restrain: (-2, 0 if attacker has Capture field) attacker must be close to target, and have both hands free. Several attackers may combine, and each receives a separate attempt. Attackers' combined ST must exceed target's, unless target is entangled. Target may not perform any action except attempting to break the restraint (takes 1 pulse), which requires an EF = QR Unarmed Combat or ST (target's choice) roll. Note that once they have restrained a target, other attackers in the hex may (while contributing their ST) attempt to improve their hold on the target, so long as the attacker whose QR is currently being applied refrains.

Knockback: performed at close range. If the damage result (which is not adjusted by armour, and is not inflicted) exceeds (is strictly greater than) the defender's UCDC (x his/her DT if he/she is nonhuman), then the defender is forced into the hex directly behind him/her, and must make an EF 5 + [his/her own] UCDC - damage result AG or Acrobatics roll, or fall kneeling (on a QR 7) or prone (QR 10). Knockback attacks may not be parried normally (although they may be dodged). Instead, a parry of a knockback attack is resolved as an opportunity attack (necessarily at close range) before the knockback is resolved. (This parry cum opportunity attack may not itself be parried, nor may it be a knockback attack.)

Throw: This operates as a special case of the Dodge action, performed at -1, except that the attacker must be close (or at normal range if he/she is using a pole-weapon); if successful the attacker is thrown into an adjacent hex of the throwing character's choice. It may also be performed at close range as an Attack (at -2). Throws do the same damage as a kick, ie. using DC - UCDC+1 (location being determined normally).

Strangle: (-3, -1 if attacker has Capture field) attacker must be close to target, and have both hands free. If successful, the attack is treated as a successful restrain action, but the target will be unable to breathe (see asphyxiation in the appendices) until the restraint is broken. Strangles are less effective against targets with armoured necks; (in general) they will have no effect if the strangle attack would not have penetrated the worst of the target's head and chest armour, had it been a normal attack.