- who hits whom first.
Checked at the start of an encounter or if some significant
result causes a recheck.
DEX + relevant combat skill + 2d6 + Tactical mods
Highest goes first.
Tactical Modifiers: weapon, reflexes, fighting style,
etc. Call out anything you think relevant.
is resolved in rounds lasting few (deliberately unspecified) seconds.
Actions Within the round you can attempt a sequence of as many actions as you like, but each Nth action is at a modifier of N-1 to any roll. If you succeed in an action you can go on to the next, on failure you stop. Remember that on a bad failure (10 or less) things can go very wrong...
Actions are such things as Run, Jump, Fight, Stunt (yank carpet, swing on chandelier, etc). Announce them at the start of your turn. Things like loading a gun take several whole turns.
You can take a couple of steps and turn round for free if you are not doing anything else and you can defend yourself at your current N-1 action level without increasing the penalty.
Exchange of blows everyone alternates between attack and defence. The character with the higher Initiative chooses whether to attack or defend first.
Both sides roll 2d6 and add the result to the appropriate Attribute + Skill with the higher total succeeding either landing or blocking the attack as appropriate.
You're not limited to a combat skill as an attack or defence if the circumstances are appropriate. A flying kick while swinging on a rope is probably Seamanship or Acrobatics based.
Pistol at close quarters you fire a pistol as a melee weapon, using DEX+Melee rather than DEX+Firearms (which is for target shooting).
The defensive roll against this is to knock the barrel aside not to parry the ball, though do let me know if you want to try...
Whether the attack succeeds or fails the shot is spent - throw the pistol away or use it as a club hereafter.
Multiple opponents Of those surrounding you, you can choose any and only one of those you beat in the fighting to wound, unless you opt for a Sweeping Blow. All your opponents defences must be beaten, or there is no effect, but if they are each of them takes damage from the blow. Each body absorbs some of the impact though so whether it is a left or right sweep could be important.
Difficulty depends on range, cover, visibility (smoke etc) and incoming fire. If you get a successful result, the target gets a defence (dodge or whatever) unless they are not aware of you or have decided to ignore you.
Results of <10 will generally be misfires for guns. In some circumstances a separate misfire roll may be required before the actual shooting roll.