Combat Rules

or What To Do In Case of Conflict

(Not That There Will Be Any!)

How to Engage in Combat

Point at your Intended Victim. Say "Combat" and then count to three loud enough so that others around can hear you. In the time you are counting, others may join in by saying "Combat" and pointing. After "Three", no one else may join in.

How to Resolve Combat in a One on One Fight

Compare the combat ranking playing cards of both combatants. The combatant with the higher card wins. (Aces are high.) The winner gets to give one simple order that resolves the combat. If there is a tie value, then the combat is a draw. Neither side gets to give an order.

For example, Jeff decides to push Mike out of the Escape Pod. Mike refuses, fearing for his life. Jeff yells "Combat," points to Mike, and counts to three. If no one else joins in, it is a simple comparison of cards. If Jeff holds a Nine and Mike holds a Three, then Jeff wins. Jeff manages to grab Mike and throw him out of the Escape Pod. On the other hand, if Jeff holds a Nine and Mike holds a King, then Mike wins. Mike decides to stay put and tells Jeff to go bug someone else. Jeff leaves.

How to Resolve Group Combat

Decide who the main combatants are. These are the person who first yelled "Combat" and the person they are pointing to. After everyone has declared sides, the main combatants show their cards. Each main combatant takes the value of their card, adding one for each additional person in the combat on their side. The main combatants then compare their values as in a one on one fight. (See above.) The main combatant on the winning side gets to give one simple order (to the losing group) that resolves the combat. This is one order for the entire group, not one order per participant.

For example, Jeff and Mark decide they want Mike's High Tech Beef Jerky. Mike refuses. Jeff calls "Combat" and points to Mike. Mark also yells "Combat" and points to Mike. Jeff finishes counting to three. No one else wants High Tech Beef Jerky, so the combat begins. Jeff and Mike are the main combatants.

Suppose that Jeff holds a Nine, Mark holds a King, and Mike holds a Three. Since Jeff is the main combatant on one side, he gets to add one (for Mark's assistance) to his Nine to make Ten. Mike, the other main combatant, holds a losing Three. Jeff gets to order Mike to hand over the High Tech Beef Jerky. Note that Mark's King makes no more difference than if he had a Two. Jeff just gets to add one in either case.

Suppose instead that Jeff holds a Nine, Mark holds a King, and Mike holds a Jack. The main combatants are still Jeff and Mike. In this case, Mike's Jack beats Jeff's total of Ten. (Nine plus one for Mark) Mike wins, and can order Jeff and Mark to fall unconscious from being hit over the head by the High Tech Beef Jerky. He could not have ordered Jeff to fall unconscious and Mark to run away - the same result has to apply across the entire group.

To avoid complicated group combat, anyone other than the main combatants must choose one to support.

For example, Jeff decides that he must stop Mike from detonating a Quantum Bomb. Jeff yells "Combat" and points to Mike. During the count, Mark jumps in to help Jeff. Alexandra, meanwhile, sees her opportunity to attack Mark. However, this could be very messy. To join this combat and keep things simple, Alexandra must choose to support either Jeff or Mike. Since Alexandra wants to get Mark, she joins up with Mike. Combat is resolved as above, with Jeff and Mike being the main combatants. If Jeff holds a Nine and Mike holds a Three, then Jeff has a total of Ten (Nine plus one for Mark). Mike has a total of Four (Three plus one for Alexandra). Mark's Two and Alexandra's King are irrelevant to the totals. Jeff can order Mike to hand over the Quantum Bomb.

In any calculation, Jacks are worth eleven, Queens are worth twelve, Kings are worth thirteen, and Aces are worth fourteen.

But Wait, There's No One There???

Since we have a limited number of players and GMs, occasionally we may use a playing card in the place of a person or object. It may be necessary for a player to "defeat" this playing card in order to complete some task. Treat the card as a main combatant.

For example, Bob is looking for a nice, soothing cup of tea, but the Multifunction Teapot is busy with astrogation tasks. There is a card next to the Multifunction Teapot which represents the difficulty in convincing the Teapot to do anything. Bob says "Combat" at the Teapot and counts to three. No one else joins in, and combat ensues. If Bob wins, he can give the Teapot one simple order. If he loses, the Teapot will ignore him.

Any Questions?

Feel free to talk to a GM, or use the GM to resolve the situation. However, we encourage players to resolve their own combats in a dramatic and cinematic fashion.