• Summary of Melee Combat
• Summary of Fighting Maneuvers
• Other Combat Situations

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Summary of Melee Combat

1. Establish the order of attack: Rank all characters in DEX order—highest goes first.

Surprise attacks: Allow a skill roll to determine whether the target anticipates the attack (Spot Hidden, Listen, Psychology). If successful, switch to the usual DEX combat order. Otherwise the attack automatically hits or gains a bonus die.

2. Each character gets one action: Any action a character can make in a combat round—attacking, dodging, fighting back, fleeing, casting a spell, etc. Note: some NPCs and monsters have multiple actions.
3. Determine the intention of the action: Is the intention to cause damage, dodge or perform a maneuver?
4. The target of an attack may fight back, dodge the attack or attempt a maneuver of their own.
5. Both sides make a skill roll. If the character chooses to fight back, use the target’s Fighting skill to oppose the attacker’s Fighting skill.

If the character chooses to dodge, use the target’s Dodge skill to oppose the attacker’s Fighting skill.

If the target is neither fighting back nor dodging, refer to Combat-Fighting Maneuvers: Striing the first blow.

6. Determine who was successful.
   • Attacking a target that is fighting back: The side with the better level of success avoids being harmed, and inflicts damage on the opponent. In a draw the character initiating the attack beats the character that is fighting back. If both fail, no damage is inflicted.
   • Attacking a target that is dodging: If the attacker gains a higher level of success, the attack is successful and the attacker inflicts damage on the loser. Otherwise the attack is dodged and no damage is dealt. In a draw the character dodging wins and evades the attack. If both fail, no damage is inflicted.
   • Combat rolls cannot be pushed.
7. Roll damage for successful attacks (see Weapons, or 1D3 for unarmed human attack). If the attacker gains an Extreme level of success (not if fighting back) greater damage is inflicted:

If the attacker is using an impaling weapon: maximum damage (maximum damage plus maximum damage bonus) plus roll weapon damage.

If the attacker is using a non-impaling weapon (e.g. blunt): maximum damage (maximum damage plus maximum damage bonus).

Summary of Fighting Maneuvers

If the goal is something other than simply inflicting physical harm (e.g. disarm), resolve it with a maneuver.

1. Compare Builds of the character performing the maneuver and the target: If attacker is smaller then they take 1 penalty die for each point of difference in Build. If difference is 3 or more, the maneuver is impossible.
2. Make the attack roll: Same as for a regular Fighting attack (Brawling or appropriate fighting specialization skill). The opponent should choose to either dodge or fight back as they would for a normal attack:
   • If the target is dodging: Roll Fighting skill vs. Dodge skill. If the character performing the maneuver achieves a higher level of success than the character dodging, the maneuver is successful (if tied, the target is able to dodge the maneuver).
   • If the target is fighting back: Roll Fighting skill vs. Fighting skill. If the character fighting back achieves a higher level of success, the maneuver fails and the opponent inflicts damage on the character performing the maneuver (if tied, the maneuver is successful).
   • The target of an attack may use a maneuver of their own: Resolve as for fighting back, but apply the effect of their maneuver instead of inflicting damage.
3. A successful maneuver allows the character to achieve one goal (refer to Fighting Maneuvers).

Other Combat Situations

Outnumbered

Once a character has either fought back or dodged once in the present combat round, all subsequent attacks on them are made with one bonus die.

Characters and monsters that have more than one attack per round may also dodge or fight back that number of times before the bonus die is applied. Note that some Mythos entities can never be outnumbered by investigators.

Ranged and Thrown Attacks

Ranged missile attacks (such as bows) are treated like firearms (target has the option of Diving for Cover, see Firearms: Firearm Attack Modifiers).

Thrown weapons may be opposed with the Dodge skill in the same way as Fighting attacks (see Combat-Fist Fight: Resolving a Fighting Attack Made Against a Target that is Dodging).

A character may not choose the option of fighting back against a ranged (missile) or thrown weapon attack unless he or she is already within close physical proximity to the attacker (within a fifth of their DEX in feet).

Half the attacker’s damage bonus is applied to thrown weapons and missile weapons which rely directly on the user’s strength. Thus this applies to bows and slings but not to crossbows.

To resolve a ranged or thrown attack, the Keeper should set a difficulty level as for a firearm attack (see Combat-Fight Maneuvers: Range and Thrown Weapons).

Escaping Close Combat

On their turn in the order of combat, providing a character has an escape route and is not physically restrained, their action can be used to flee melee combat.

Armor

Armor reduces the damage received: deduct the number of armor points from the damage.

Armor	Point
Heavy leather jacket	1
WWI helmet	2
1" Hardwood	3
Present U.S. Helmet	5
Heavy Kevlar Vest	8
Military Body Armor	12
1.5" bulletproof glass	15
1" Steel plate	19
Large sand bag	20

• Summary of Firearms Combat
• Firearms Difficulty Levels
• Firearm modifiers
• Full Auto Burst Fire

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Summary of Firearms Combat

To resolve a firearms attack, make a 1D100 roll and compare the result with the attacker’s Firearms skill (using the appropriate specialization). The firearms roll is not opposed. The difficulty level is determined by the range, with various other factors granting either penalty or bonus dice. A failure never deals damage.

Readied Firearms: Shoot at DEX + 50.

Firearms Difficulty Levels

The difficulty level of a firearms skill roll is always set according to range.

• Within base range: Regular difficulty level.
• Long range (up to twice base range): Hard difficulty level.
• Very long range (up to four times base range): Extreme difficulty level.

Any further modifiers use bonus or penalty dice.

Note: At very long range, when only an Extreme success will hit the target, an impale only occurs with a critical hit (a roll of 01).

Firearm modifiers

Once the difficulty level of a firearms attack has been set, all other factors that lend a distinct advantage or disadvantage are taken into account.

• Target is diving for cover (Dodge roll success): one penalty die.
• Target is partially concealed: one penalty die.
• Point-blank range (within fifth DEX in feet): one bonus die.
• Aiming (for one round): one bonus die.
• Fast-moving target (MOV 8+): one penalty die.
• Target is small (Build –2): one penalty die.
• Target is large (Build 4+): one bonus die.
• Loading 1 bullet and shooting in same round: one penalty die.
• Firing 2+ shots from a handgun in one round: one penalty die on all shots.
• Firing into melee: one penalty die.

Aiming: Must be declared on the character’s turn in the order of combat. The shot is taken on the same turn in the order ofcombat on the following round. If the aiming character takes damage or moves while aiming, the advantage of aiming is lost.

Firing into melee combat: A fumble indicates an ally has been hit. If multiple allies are in the line of fire, the one with the lowest Luck score is hit.

Reloading Firearms: One combat round to load two shells into any handgun, rifle or shotgun. Allow one round to exchange a clip. Allow two rounds to change a machine gun belt.

A Summary of Firearms Modifiers: Bonus and Penalty dice

Difficulty Level	Bonus Die	Penalty Die
Regular: Normal range	Aiming for 1 round	Target diving for cover
Hard: Long range	Point blank	Fast-moving target (MOV 8+)
Extreme: Very long range	Large target (Build 4+)	Partial (50%+) concealment
		Small target (Build –2)
		Multiple handgun shots
		Loading and firing one shot in a single round
		Firing into melee

Full Auto Burst Fire

Player declares the number of bullets to be fired before rolling dice. Full auto fire is divided into a number of volleys; each volley requires a skill roll. Divide firer’s skill by 10 (round down) to determine how many bullets are in a volley (regardless of skill, a volley is never less than 3 bullets). The attacker must make a fresh attack roll for each volley of shots or whenever they select a new target. Burst fire is a single skill roll (a single volley).

Ammunition is expended when moving between targets (one bullet per meter/yard).

Rolling to Hit with Full Auto/Burst Fire: First attack roll: set difficulty by range and then apply any modifiers.

Second and further attack rolls: add one penalty die (or remove a bonus die) for each additional attack roll. If this would incur three penalty dice, stick with two penalty dice and raise the difficulty level by one step.

Resolving each attack roll:

• If the attack roll is successful: half of the shots fired hit the target—roll damage for half of the shots (round down, minimum of one). Subtract any armor from each shot.
• If the attack is an Extreme success: all shots fired hit the target, the first half (round down, minimum of one) of which impale. Subtract any armor from each shot. As for all firearm attacks, if the difficulty level of the shot was Extreme, the best possible result is a successful hit and not an impale.

Malfunctions: Any attack roll result equal to or higher than the firing weapon’s malfunction number indicates that the weapon malfunctions and does not fire.

• Establishing the Chase
• Cut to the Chase
• Pedal to the Metal
• Monsters in Chases
• Vehicular Collisions
• 5 Step to Setting Up a Chase
• Vehicle Reference Charts

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Establishing the Chase

Decide whether fleeing characters/vehicles are heading in same direction or splitting up. If splitting up, decide which pursuers are chasing which characters/vehicles. If you have multiple groups, treat each one as a separate chase.

Speed roll: All participants make a skill roll: CON (if on foot or other self-propelled mode) or Drive Auto (for vehicles).

• If passed: MOV remains unchanged.
• If an Extreme success: MOV +1.
• If failed: MOV –1.

Order each group separately in order of MOV.

Fleeing characters/vehicles with a speed greater than any of their pursuers may escape completely.

Pursuers with a speed that is lower than the slowest fleeing character are completely out of the chase.

Cut to the Chase

Place the pursuers: Place pursuers in order, slowest at the rear, others a number of locations ahead equal to their difference in MOV.

Place the fleeing characters: Place the fleeing characters/vehicles in order, slowest at the rear (2 locations ahead of the lead pursuer), others a number of locations ahead equal to their difference in MOV.

Position hazards and barriers.

Allocate each participant a number of movement actions: Every character and vehicle gets one movement action by default. To this is added the difference between their movement rating (MOV) and the movement rating of the slowest participant in the chase.

Determine DEX order

Hazards: Make a skill roll to move through a hazard. If the skill roll is failed, the Keeper may inflict damage (see Table III: Other Forms of Damage, page 124, or Table VI: Vehicular Collisions, page 147) and delay (1D3 movement actions).

Cautious approach to hazards: 1 or 2 movement actions may be spent to buy 1 or 2 bonus dice for the skill roll to negotiate a hazard.

Barrier: Either a barrier must be broken down or a skill roll must also be made before a character/vehicle can move onto the next location. If appropriate, the Keeper may wish to inflict damage and delay as for a hazard.

Breaking down barriers: Vehicles inflict 1D10 damage for each point of their Build. If a vehicle attacks a barrier and fails to destroy it, the vehicle is wrecked. If the barrier is destroyed, the vehicle suffers an amount of damage equal to half the barrier’s hit points prior to impact.

• Internal door or thin wooden fence: 5 hit points.
• Standard back door: 10 hit points.
• Strong domestic external door: 15 hit points.
• 9” brick wall: 25 hit points.
• Mature tree: 50 hit points.
• Concrete bridge support: 100 hit points.

Attacks: Cost 1 movement action to initiate (except if ranged). Resolve as regular combat.

Vehicles in combat: Substitute Drive Auto for both Fighting and Dodge skills. A vehicle can be used as a weapon (1D10 damage per listed build point). Whenever a vehicle is used to inflict damage it also suffers an amount of damage equal to half (round down) that which it delivers, but never enough to cause it to lose a greater amount of build points than the thing which it hit originally possessed. Each full 10 hit points of damage decreases a vehicle’s build by one point (round down); damage below 10 points is ignored.

Random locations: Roll 1D100:

• 01-59 = 1 open location
• 60+ = 1 Regular hazard
• 85+ = 1 Hard hazard
• 96+ = 1 Extreme hazard

Environment is especially hazardous: add a penalty die.

Environment is unlikely to have any dangers or delays: add a bonus die.

Sudden hazards: Once per round there is the option to call for a group Luck roll. Winner (Keeper or players) gets to place a regular hazard where they wish. Keeper and players must alternate in who calls for a sudden hazard.

MOV	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
MPH	3	4	6	8	12	18	27	40
MOV	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20
MPH	60	90	135	200	300	450	675	1000

Pedal to the Metal

A driver can elect to move 2 or 3 locations with one movement action. Any hazards encountered have one penalty die applied to the skill rolls.

A driver can elect to move 4 or 5 locations with one movement action. Any hazards encountered have two penalty dice applied to the skill rolls.

One passenger can assist the driver with navigation and spotting ways to negotiate hazards. With a successful Spot Hidden or Navigate roll, on the vehicle’s next move, the vehicle can accelerate once with 1 fewer penalty die.

Firearms: Penalty die while moving. No penalty die if remaining stationary and spending 1 movement action.

Tires: Penalty die to target tires. Armor:3. Hit points: 2 (only damaged by impaling weapons). Destroying a tire reduces vehicle Build by 1.

Driver damage: If the driver of a moving vehicle takes a major wound he or she may lose control of their vehicle and must roll immediately as for a Hazard at Hard difficulty level.

Switching between being running and driving: Make a fresh speed roll. Recalculate movement actions.

Monsters in Chases

Where the monster or non-player character has an implied aptitude, use their DEX in place of the skill.

Where the monster or non-player character has an implied ineptitude, use one-fifth of their DEX in place of the skill (or simply rule the attempt to be an automatic failure).

Where the monster or non-player character has neither implied aptitude nor ineptitude, use alf of their DEX in place of the skill.

If other skills are required, the Keeper might use a similar approach, using what he or she feels to be the most appropriate characteristic from which to derive sk bnvill values.

Vehicular Collisions

Incident	Damage	Examples
Minor incident: Most Regular Hazards. May be cosmetic damage only, possibly something serious.	1D3–1 Build	Glancing blow from another vehicle, grazing a lamp post, hitting a post, colliding with person or similar-sized creature.
Moderate incident: Most Hard Hazards. Might cause major damage. Might wreck a car. .	1D6 Build	Hitting a cow or large deer, collision with a heavy motorbike or economy car.
Severe incident: Most Extreme Hazards. Likely to wreck a car outright.	1D10 Build	Collision with a standard car, lamp post or tree.
Mayhem: Likely to wreck a truck outright. Almost certain to wreck a car.	2D10 Build	Collision with a truck or coach or a mature tree.
Road kill: Most vehicles will be little more than scattered debris.	5D10 Build	Collision with a juggernaut or a train, hit by a meteor.

5 Step to Setting Up a Chase

To sum up, there are five steps for the Keeper to perform when setting up a chase:

• Place the pursuer.
• Place the fleeing character.
• Position hazards and barriers.
• Allocate each participant a number of movement actions.
• Determine DEX order.

Vehicle Reference Charts

The following vehicles use the Drive Auto skill.

Vehicle	MOV	Build	Armor for people	Passengers
Car, economy	13	4	1	3 or 4
Car, standard	14	5	2	4
Car, deluxe	15	6	2	4
Sports car	16	5	2	1
Pickup truck	14	6	2	2+
6-ton truck	13	7	2	2+
18-wheeler	13	9	2	3+
Motorcycle, light	13	1	0	1
Motorcycle, heavy	16	3	0	1

Vehicles on the following chart use the Pilot skill. Many require a substantial crew.

Air Vehicles	MOV	Build	Armor for people	Passengers
Dirigible	12	10	2	112+
Propeller plane	15	5	1	4+
Bomber plane	17	11	2	10+
Jet plane	18	11	3	50+
Helicopter	15	5	2	15+

Vehicles on the following chart require specialist training to operate; the skill Operate Heavy Machinery might be substituted.

Heavy Vehicles	MOV	Build	Armor for people	Passengers
Tank	11	20	24	4
Steam train	12	12	1	400+
Modern train	15	14	2	400+

Vehicles on the following chart use the Ride skill.

Other forms of transport	MOV	Build	Armor for people	Passengers
Horse (with rider)	11	4	0	1
4-horse carriage	10	3	0	6+
Bicycle	10	0.5	0	1

Vehicles on the following chart use the Pilot skill. Many require a substantial crew. The armor value is for those on deck.

Water Vehicles	MOV	Build	Armor for people	Passengers
Row boat	4	2	0	3
Hovercraft	12	4	0	22
Bicycle	14	3	0	6
Cruise ship	11	32	0	2200+
Battleship	11	65	0	1800+
Aircraft carrier	11	75	0	3200+
Submarine	12	24	0	120+

Key

MOV: A rating of the vehicle’s speed and maneuverability in chases. These ratings are for modern vehicles and may be reduced by around 20% for 1920s vehicles (though there were cars in the 1920s that could exceed 100 MPH).

Build: A rating of the strength and size of the vehicle. When reduced to zero, the vehicle is out of action. Each full 10 hit points of damage decreases a vehicle’s build by 1 point (round down); damage below 10 hit points is ignored.

If a vehicle’s build is reduced to half (round down) of its starting value or lower, it is impaired; one penalty die is applied to all Drive Auto (or appropriate skill) rolls.

If a vehicle takes damage equal to its full build value in one incident, the vehicle is completely wrecked in an impressive manner. It may explode, burn, roll or suffer some combination thereof. All occupants of the vehicle are likely to die. Whether or not investigators have a chance of survival is up to the Keeper: Luck rolls may be allowed. Those who are fortunate get thrown free, though it is recommended they take at least 2D10 damage.

If a vehicle’s build is otherwise reduced to zero by cumulative damage (i.e. in increments of less than the vehicle’s starting build value), it becomes undrivable, grinding to a halt. Depending on the situation (and perhaps a Luck roll) this may lead to an accident resulting in 1D10 damage for the driver and each passenger.

Armor for people: The armor rating is for the passengers and driver, reflecting the number of points of armor the vehicle provides against external attacks.

Passengers and crew: The number of people that can be accommodated.

• The Phases of Insanity
• The Side-Effects of Insanity
• Recovery
• Getting Used to the Awfulness
• Bouts of Madness—Real Time (roll 1D10)

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The Phases of Insanity

A bout of madness: either "real time" (1D10 rounds) or "summary" (1D10 hours); Keeper amends one backstory detail (phobia, mania, etc.)

Underlying Insanity: any further Sanity loss results in another bout of madness; the investigator is prone to delusions.

The Side-Effects of Insanity

1. Phobias: while insane, must fight/flee or take a penalty die on skill rolls.
2. Manias: while insane, must submit to mania or take a penalty die on skill rolls.
3. Delusions and Reality Checks: make a Sanity roll to test for delusions:
   • Failure: lose 1 Sanity point (and undergo a bout of madness if insane).
   • Success: dismiss delusions.
4. Insanity and the Cthulhu Mythos: add 5% Cthulhu Mythos skill with first bout of madness inspired by a Mythos-related event. Add 1% on subsequent occasions.

Recovery

From temporary insanity: after 1D10 hours or a good rest.

From indefinite insanity: roll at the end of each month of treatment; Keeper may allow automatic recovery during the next investigator development phase.

Treatment with private/home care (roll 1D100 per month):

01–95: success (or under psychoanalysis skill); add 1D3 Sanity points. Make a Sanity roll—if successful, insanity is cured.

96–100: failure; lose 1D6 Sanity points.

Treatment at institution (roll 1D100 per month):

01–50: success (or under Psychoanalysis skill); add 1D3 Sanity points. Make a Sanity roll—if successful, insanity is cured.

51-95: no progress.

96–100: failure; lose 1D6 Sanity points.

Getting Used to the Awfulness

The player records the cumulative Sanity points lost to a given Mythos entity (e.g. deep ones); the cumulative loss should not exceed the maximum amount for a single encounter with that entity. Lower the recorded cumulative loss by 1 with each investigator development phase.

Bouts of Madness—Real Time (roll 1D10)

• Reading Roll
• Increasing POW

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Reading Roll

Printed within the last century and in good condition: Regular difficulty.

Handwritten (especially if old): Hard difficulty level.

Most challenging of ancient, moldering tomes: Extreme difficulty level.

Full study of a tome: an initial reading must first be completed; no reading roll required; see Table XI: Mythos Tomes (page 237) for study time; results in Sanity point loss (if a believer); if the tome’s Mythos rating is greater than the reader’s Cthulhu Mythos skill, the reader gains the full Cthulhu Mythos benefit; if Cthulhu Mythos skill is greater than tome’s Mythos rating, gain only half Cthulhu Mythos benefit; each subsequent full study doubles in study time.

For details of tomes see Chapter 11: Tomes of Eldritch Lore and Forgotten Secrets.

Initial reading: Reading roll may be required. Keeper decides on time required. Roll for Sanity loss and increase Cthulhu Mythos skill by tome's CMI value.

Using a tome as a reference book: must have completed a full study; 1D4 hours; roll less than or equal to the book’s Cthulhu Mythos Rating.

Magic points, overspending: take additional Magic points from hit points.

Magic points, recovery: 1 Magic point per hour (more if POW is over 100).

Learning a spell from a Mythos book: complete an Initial reading; variable duration (hours to weeks at Keeper’s discretion, typically 2D6 weeks); make a Hard INT roll (optional).

Learning a spell from another person: as from a book, but faster.

Learning a spell from a Mythos entity: very fast; INT roll to retain spell.

Initial casting of a spell: make a Hard POW roll; either Push or fully relearn spell; failing the Pushed roll allows the spell to be cast but costs 1D6 x MP and Sanity points, and incurs other side-effects.

Casting time and spells in combat (see Chapter 12: Grimoire): instantaneous—on the user’s DEX+50; one round—it activates on the user’s DEX in the present round; two rounds—it activates in the following round on the user’s DEX, and so on.

Believer: while a nonbeliever, gain Cthulhu Mythos skill but do not lose Sanity points for reading tomes; with first loss of Sanity points to direct experience of the Cthulhu Mythos, also lose Sanity points equal to Cthulhu Mythos skill.

Increasing POW

A spell requiring an opposed POW roll to affect a target is successfully cast (the opposed roll is won)—roll 1D100; if greater than POW (or roll 96 or greater), POW increases by 1D10 points permanently.

A Luck roll result of 01—roll 1D100; if greater than POW (or roll 96 or greater), POW increases by 1D10 points permanently.