Mythic RPG Project: Chapter 5b: Melee Combat Example

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When I sat down to write combat examples with Mr. Quin, I realized, that while piloting drones, has great potential as a combat prowess, it was perhaps a bit exotic for basic combat examples. Unless, you really want to see poor Mr. Quin smacked all over the pavement by a ganger. So, I am going to put some Merc muscle down below. A professional heavy we will call Gnasher, because I think it is a rough and tumble sort of name. I am going to design him off camera, as you have already seen character creation in action.

Concept

There are a lot of people who are forced out of the burbs and even out of archologies who end up on the Fringe, but since the big collapse of ‘05 there have always been Fringers, and in the 42 years that follow they have developed there own ecosystem of doctors, lawyers, diplomats, and lawmen. None of these things would necessarily be recognized by burb’inite, but in the Fringe is where life goes on. Hard life. Life with little luxury, but life none the less. And every one needs a little problem solved now and again. 

Gnasher, who despite his 6'6" height and 300lb weight, is a people person and liked to solve problems. He does this mostly by ramming problems repeatedly into a wall until they stopped wanting to be problematic. In a tiny world where have and have nots may be defined in calories, Gnasher's democratic view of problem solving (as he would work for nearly anyone with a problem, a little bit of cred, and perhaps a Hostess wrapped pie) makes him a popular people person indeed.

Summary:
“Gnasher is a semi gentle giant who will help settle the score for the little guy in exchange for a place to sleep and a really big meal. If you throw in some cred and a kind word you could have a friend for life. Sadly, Gnasher is not a great thinker or judge of character, and only has a few skills, but one skill he is very very  good at. That be fighten’ ”

Gnasher

Attributes
Strength Incredible
Agility Average 
Reflexes High 
IQ Low 
Intuition Low 
Willpower High 
Toughness Exceptional 

Abilities
Drive Rig Below Average
Brawling Incredible

Strengths
Local Hero (good for free beer and social rolls) +2RS
Luck of the innocent (bullet miss) +2RS

Weaknesses
Scorpion Troubles (a gang) -2RS
Big Hearted (hard to tell people no) -2RS
Felony Record and Tattoo (to all social rolls with corps and cops) -5RS

Scenario: A mom and pop grocery store, Tommy's Groceries,  got vandalized, and the local gang they pay for protection, Fat Cobra,  doesn't seem to be taking it very seriously. With an offer of 100 cred worth of groceries and an invitation to stay in the employee break room every night for a week Gnasher takes the "case". 

Gnasher goes to the nice man with all the drones, which remind Gnasher of toys from when he was a kid, and offers some free muscle over the next week or two if he can find the "spiky haired punk in the green jacket" (a direct quote from Mr. Tommy himself). As it happens, the semi hyper vigilant drone jockey has a few square blocks around his house bugged for video, and can provide a good picture of the jerk and this current residence, an alley on the boarder of Fat Cobra and Scorpion territory. Gnasher Thanks Mr. Quin and hurries to the location. 

The ganger in question is a drifter, but one that looks pretty hardcore, and he is sporting a little chrome so a small timers, like Fat Cobra, don't see enough reward for the risk. Fortunately for this demo, Gnasher doesn't think that far ahead. (If it should be necessary a few armed drones are following Gnasher, Mr. Quin likes him and is looking out for his investment).

Unknown Drifter

Attributes

Strength High (Exceptional with right cyber arm)

Agility Above Average

Reflexes High (hard wired, and he can't sleep)

IQ Average

Willpower Low

Toughness Average

Abilities
Knife Exceptional

Judo High

Machine Pistol High (and out of ammo)

Strengths
Nylon weave plating to ribcage (+1RS vs blows to central mass)

Cyber arm punch lethal damage

Weakness

Stress Hallucinations after 2 wound levels (-1RS to all mental tasks)

Setting

The stage for our pugilistic drama is a 20 wide dead end alley with a few trash bens and a strong smell of urine. There are a few intact beer bottle and liquor bottles and a very out of date band poster at mouth of the alley.

Is the drifter awake? (odds question) very likely as he can't shut off his enhanced Reflexes which gives him awful insomnia (High 75%, roll...25 Yes), he is slumped against the wall drinking the cheapest of strong booze trying to unwind enough to sleep.

There is no roll to see if he notices Gnasher coming down the alley, grabbing a full garbage bin along the way.

Gnasher plans to say hello by throwing a 50 pound garbage ben from around 10 foot away, this gives the drifter time to hop up to his feet. 

Does Gnasher go first? the intersection of Incredible to High is 75%...roll 37. Yes

Does Gnasher hit the Drifter? Same skills so same difficulty? 64. Yes

Does Gnasher Hurt the Drifter? Here we pit the damage of an aluminum garbage, say +1RS added to Gnasher' Incredible Strength, against the Drifters Average Toughness +1RS for his cybernetic enhancements. This is Awesome vs Above Average coming to an 85%....roll 50 Yes. (had it been an Exceptional Yes we could have tagged on that it knocks him back down or even tested to see if he was knocked out). From here out the Drifter has -1RS to all of his rolls

Gnasher follows the throw with a lumbering charge in hopes of body checking the Drifter, who is just now reaching or his combat knife in his jacket.

Does Gnasher go first? This pits Gnasher's Brawl (Incredible) vs the Drifters Knife fighting (Exceptional) with a -1RS wound penalty. Gnasher has a 75% chance of going first... roll 68, Yes

Does Gnasher hit? as the Drifter couldn't get his knife out he has to rely on his Judo score of High -1RS, while Gnasher is still Incredible, giving Gnasher an 80% chance...roll 61, Yes

Does Gnasher knock the Drifter down? I will say the Drifter has to pit his full Strength against Gnasher's, there is no way his chrome will help with this so it is Incredible Vs High -1RS.  The chance of success is 80%... roll 04, an Exceptional Yes. In this case we will tag on a second wound as well as being knocked prone. The wounds are up to -2RS and being prone (for which there are no guidelines) is worth another -1RS which can be cancelled if he can get up.

Gnasher intends to end this quick by giving the Drifter a swift kick to the head. The drifter at this point just wants to get away from this giant and will try to sweep his legs, but from this disorganized prone position the penalties to being prone still stand.

Does Gnasher go first? Gnasher has a wicked 95% chance...roll 52, Yes.

Does he hit the Drifter? Because he is aiming for a small area he has a -1RS,  so he is down to a 90% chance...roll 63, Yes

Does he Hurt the Drifter? having just taken a head shot gives Gnasher a +2RS to his Incredible Strength (Superhuman) vs the Drifters Average Toughness -3RS to Low, which gives Gnasher a 100% hit with a Exceptional Range of  20%...roll 13! This means in additional to getting another wound (-3RS) the damage is Full Effect, and as this is a blow to the head he is knocked out.

It is only then Gnasher remembers he forgot to tell the drifter why he was taking a beating... guess he will just have to wait till the drifter wakes up.