The Gaming Den

Combat Example
In an almost empty Martian saloon, Space Ranger Gabby Wandburner has tracked down the Space Pirate Red Asme—it’s high noon on Mars, and a cold wind blows outside as the Ranger steps through the door, and calls her quarry out by name…

Combat Round 1
The gamemaster determines that initiative goes to Gabby, since she is starting the encounter. The characters are about four meters apart.
Declare Actions: Gabby’s player announces she will draw her wand (Draw action) and use the Level 3 Vril function Break Gate (Use Wand action) on Red Asme’s wand, and orders her to surrender (Talk). The gamemaster declares Red also draws both of her wands (Draw), fires a disruptor beam at the Ranger with the wand in her right hand (Shoot), and uses her remaining action point to move to cover behind one of the tables (Move, 2 meters).
Resolve Actions: As Gabby spent the initiative, she out-draws Red. Break Gate on a Rating 3 Space Pirate Special is a Visualization (3) Test—Gabby’s player spends 3 sagans and rolls 16 dice (Perception 8 + Visualization 4 + 2 bonus dice for being a member of the Solar Patrol), scoring four hits, shutting the wand down for 8 rounds—Red Asme curses as she raises one of her wands to shoot, but it clicks ineffectively. Quickly, the Space Pirate ducks behind a table for cover.

Combat Round 2
With Red Asme having the worst of the previous round, the gamemaster gives the initiative to Gabby again.
Declare Actions: Gabby’s player declares the Ranger will take a few steps back (Move, 1 meter) and use the Level 3 Orgone function Detonate (Use Wand) on the table that the Space Pirate is hiding behind. The GM declares Asme will break cover, sprinting away from the table to take cover at another one (Move, 2 meters), and fire a disruptor beam at the Ranger with her other wand (Shoot).
Resolve Actions: Detonate is a Visualization (4) Test; Gabby spends 4 sagans and rolls 14 dice (Perception 8 + Visualization 4), expending initiative for an automatic hit; she scores 4 hits. Red Asme feels the table heat up behind her and starts to move, but is still within the blast radius when the table explodes in a fireball of wooden splinters—Red takes 2 points of damage (⊙⊙→⊘⊘). The Space Pirate still manage to fire her disruptor beam at Gabby, burning full charge (6 sagans for the function); at short range, that only requires a Combatives (1) Test, and Red Esme has 9 dice (Courage 4 + Combatives 5)—converting eight dice into two automatic hits, the gamemaster doesn’t even have to roll; the Ranger takes six points of damage (⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙⊙→⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘), and Red takes an additional point of damage because her wand is Unshielded (total: ⊘⊘⊘), the wand itself alo starts to overheat, taking 1 damage (⊡→⊟). Red successfully make it behind the cover of another table.

Combat Round 3
Both characters are now hurt. Given that Gabby had the worst of it last round, and is still standing in the open, the gamemaster determines Red Asme has the initiative.
Declare Actions: The GM declares that Red Asme will remain behind cover, poking her head out to fire another disruptor beam at the wounded Ranger (Shoot); Gabby’s player declares she will take cover behind a nearby table (Move, 1 meter) and Detonate the Space Pirate’s wand in her hand when she tries to shoot (Use Wand).
Resolve Actions: As Red cannot see her foe, the GM decides Gabby successfully moves to cover. When the Space Pirate ducks out to take a shot, she finds the Ranger is waiting, most of her body concealed behind a table (75% cover). While still a short range shot, Red now takes a -6 dice pool penalty for the cover—she spends 4 sagans and rolls 3 dice (Courage 4 + Combatives 5 - 6 cover) for the Combatives (1) Test—but fails to roll a single hit; she expends the initiative for an automatic hit, and the beam hits and burns through the Ranger’s exposed shoulder, dealing 4 damage. With the damage Gabby has already taken, she runs out of unmarked health circles and takes two wounds, (⊘⊘→⊗⊗, total:⊗⊗⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘) Red’s wand takes another point of damage for exceeding its Rating (total: ⊟⊟).
As Red’s wand comes into view, Gabby tries to Detonate it; this is a Visualization (4) Test; Gabby spends 4 sagans and rolls 12 dice (Perception 8 + Visualization 4 - 2 for her wounds). She gets lucky, and rolls 5 hits. The already-damaged wand takes 4 points of damage, completely destroying it—and Red, who is holding it, takes 4 points of damage (total: ⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘). Gabby takes a point of damage from her unshielded wand, which gives her another wound as characteristic wand burn patterns form on her hand (total: ⊗⊗⊗⊘⊘⊘⊘⊘).

Weaponless, Red Esme could continue to fight against the wounded Space Ranger—but one good beam from the Ranger’s wand could also put a hole through her skull big enough to spit through. Shakily, the Space Pirate raise her hands in surrender, ending the combat.

To The Death?
Death is a fact of life—and sometimes it is the entire point of combat. But not every combat, or even most combats, need to last until one side or the other has completely filled in every health circle. Unless a character is particularly fanatical, suicidal, or willing to sacrifice their life at all costs, characters are wounded or severely outnumbered and outgunned (or who think they are) will take an opportunity to surrender, talk things out, or run away, if any such opportunities exist. Officially, Space Rangers prefer making arrests to making corpses, although they are permitted to kill in defense of themselves and others. Player characters too, need not fight to their last health circle—unless the enemy is obviously after their lives, which is often the case—and if the PCs have the worst of a fight, the GM might offer them to surrender or be captured rather than letting them die bravely and roll up new characters. Of course, whether or not the players accept this opportunity is up to them.

Ancient History wrote:Okay two hundred pages later...I declare it done. Bet fulfilled. Now what? I have no idea.

Ancient History wrote:Everything I touch seems to turn to shit these days.

Ancient History wrote:Last year in response to someone actually fulfilling my challenge to review all of Farcast, I agreed to write a complete RPG based around three keywords. Because I'm a fucking idiot. The "winner" was Vigil and the keywords were: atompunk, wands, Mythos.
... I'm digging this hole on my own and want to keep going until I hit bottom.