D6 Space Combat Rules


 * -|The Combat Round=

A combat round lasts five seconds. Players first determine initiative, then declare the number of actions they will be taking that round and resolve them in initiative order.


 * Determine Initiative
 * Declare Actions
 * Resolve Actions

=Surprise=

If characters are caught by surprise, their attackers receive a free round of actions during which the surprised side cannot take any actions (including using defensive skills).

When setting an ambush, each ambusher make a Sneak check. The lowest score is recorded. Immediately before the ambush is sprung, each victim performs a Search check. The highest score is recorded. If the highest Search result equals or exceeds the lowest Sneak result, the ambush is spotted and the combat proceeds as normal.

=Initiative= The participants are divided into 'sides' representing their allegiance in the fight. The character with the highest Perception attribute on each side rolls and the winner decides whether their side acts first or last in that round. (Re-roll in the event of a tie.)

Rolling for initiative does not count as an action.

A character may not spend a Character Point to improve the initiative roll, but penalties for being wounded) apply.

=Multiple Actions=

For each action after the first a character wishes to take in a round, all checks they make during that round are reduced by -1D. So if a character proposes to take three actions, regardless of what they are, all their actions suffer a -2D penalty.


 * -|Attacks=

The difficulty to hit a target with an attack is primarily based on
 * Range
 * Relative Scale of the combatants
 * Fire Control of the weapon
 * In the case of torpedoes, missiles and bombs; the speed of the target.

=Range=

Range increments are determined by weapon in question.

=Scale=

The difference between the modifiers of two scales is the Applied Modifier.


 * A larger scale combatant uses the Applied Modifier as a penalty to hit a smaller opponent and as a bonus to inflict and resist damage against them.
 * A smaller scale combatant uses the Applied Modifier as a bonus to hit a larger opponent.

=Fire Control=

Starship weapon systems have a Fire Control value. This is added to the attacker's Gunnery skill.

=Target Speed=

=Reaction Skills=

Characters may use an action to react to an attack, replacing the difficulty number assigned to the attack against them with the result of their check for the rest of the round, hopefully improving their chances to avoid harm.

The most common reaction skills Starfighter Piloting, Starship Piloting, Capital Ship Piloting and Deflector Shield Operation.

Reactions taken to avoid an attack use the Starship's Maneuverability score as a modifier to the check.

A character may wait to be attacked before declaring that they will use an action as a reaction. They may choose to sacrifice an earlier declared action, or take an extra action and roll it, and all further checks for the remainder of the round, at the new multiple action penalty.

When a Reaction Skill is used to avoid an attack, the score rolled replaces the difficulty otherwise required to hit.

If a character chooses to forego all other actions during the round (including using other reaction skills!) they add the result of their check to the difficulty required to hit them.


 * -|Damage=

When a starship is hit by an attack, the attacker rolls the weapon's damage dice, contested by the defending starship's Hull Code.

=Deflector Shields=

A starship may also have deflector shields. Deflector Shields may be deployed as a Reaction Skill. The total number of Shield dice the starship possesses are distributed between the vehicle's facings (front, back, left, right) as the defender wishes and the Shield Operation skill is rolled.

A starship is hit on a facing it has deflector shielded adds the shield dice applied to that facing to its Hull Code to resist damage.

Starships also have particle shields which ward off interstellar debris and maintain integrity. In order to launch or receive physical objects, the starship must lower its particle shields. If a starship has landed or launched craft, bombs, missiles or torpedoes in this round, its Hull Code is reduced by -2D.

=Damage=

Lost Moves are cumulative and have the following effect

=Ion Weapons=

Ion Weapons ignore deflector shields, and use a different damage table


 * In accordance with Star Wars MUSH's consent policy, player characters may not be killed unless they have consented to the possibility of character death.