In Nomine Gameplay
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The d666
This works as written, except for the following minor changes:
- You cannot attempt a roll unless your target number is at least a 2.
- A roll of 12 automatically fails, regardless of your skill. However, a target number of 12+ is still useful, as you may add (target number - 11) to the check digit of a successful roll.
- You may spend Essence for a bonus either before or after rolling the d666. If you spend it in advance, each +1 to the target number costs 1 Essence. If you spend it afterward, each retroactive +1 costs 2 Essence.
Disturbance
Disturbance is generated as per In Nomine (pp. 54-55).
Disturbance is additive when it comes from the same source (i.e., the same celestial). It "clings" to the celestial for minutes equal to the total disturbance level; this produces a faint echo which other celestials can use to track the disturber, and also means that future destructive acts continue to accumulate until it's all died down. Example: Sade blows up a car (8 disturbance), an act that will "cling" to her for eight minutes; when she runs a few blocks away and spends 1 Essence on an important skill roll, this rings out for 9 disturbance, not 1!
Anyone symphonically attuned right next to a disturbance may roll Perception at a bonus equal to the disturbance to hear it. Past that, this roll is at -1 for every full (disturbance x 5) yards of distance. If multiple people are causing disturbances, treat it all as one big disturbance equal to (highest disturbance) + (all other disturbance totals)/5, rounded up. For how much information the listener learns, see What Happened? (In Nomine, p. 55).
Example: Sade's second action generates 9 disturbance. Any celestial next to her can roll against Perception + 9 to notice it, with the target number dropping by 1 every (9 x 5) = 45 yards. The nearest celestial is about 500 yards away, for (500 / 45) = -11 to the roll. If he succeeds at a Perception - 2 roll, he hears the disturbance.
Anyone who hears the disturbance can follow it until the echoes fade. If the original disturber has left the area, pursuers can try to track them down. Roll as above every minute, but at an extra -2 and at -1 per minute since the subject last made any sort of symphonic disturbance. If the pursuer has the Tracking skill, he may use its bonuses to offset this penalty.
Jarring Noise: For every full 20 points of disturbance generated (by any number of celestials) in about a one-block area or the equivalent, all d666 rolls to use songs, attunements, sorcery, or similar supernatural abilities are at -1. This fades as the disturbance ceases to "cling" to the disturbers (see above).
Combat
At the beginning of a fight, the GM establishes an order of initiative based on the situation. For a random determination, everyone rolls 2d6 + Tactics (just the skill, no Intelligence) with the highest total going first; break ties with Agility, then Perception, then Intelligence. Either way, this is a fixed order for the entire combat, though anyone can willingly delay their action to effectively shift down the initiative list (for the rest of the fight, not just for one action). Each combat round is about 5-10 seconds of action; if explicit timing really matters, assume there are eight rounds per minute.
Attacks are straightforward: the attacker rolls to hit, the defender rolls to defend, and injury (if any) is assessed. The rules below focus on Corporeal combat, but work identically for Ethereal and Celestial combat; all that changes is the skills (which shift to new characteristics, as per In Nomine Skills) and whether the available weapons work in that Realm.
Attack: Roll against the appropriate attack skill: Fighting, Guns, Missile Weapons, or Throwing. When making a ranged attack, you're at -1 for each full Range increment; e.g., with Range 10, you're at -1 to hit a target 10-19 yards away, -2 to hit one 20-29 yards away, and so on. If using a song that lists an Accuracy, apply that modifier as well.
Defense: The target may roll against Dodge, or if the attacker is within reach, against an applicable Fighting skill.
Damage: Add the attack's Power to the check digit, then subtract the check digit of a successful defense roll and the Protection of any armor the target is wearing. If at least 1+ hit remains, it comes off of the target's body hits.
Weapon and Armor Stats
Ignore the tables in In Nomine. They're unnecessarily complex, and Accuracy and Armor Modifier really downplay the power of talismans! (Songs like Numinous Corpus still have Accuracy.) Use the following, simpler rules:
Fighting (Unarmed): Power equals your Corporeal Forces, at -1 unless you have a fist-load, brass knuckles, boots, etc. This is cumulative with songs of Numinous Corpus; add your Corporeal Forces to their listed Power.
Fighting (Light): Power equals your Corporeal Forces; these weapons are fast, not potent.
Fighting (Heavy): Power equals twice your Corporeal Forces.
Throwing: Power equals your Corporeal Forces for thrown weapons. Explosive grenades instead have Power +2d6 against everyone within five yards, then half damage against everyone within 6-10 yards -- but collateral damage adds (damage before defense)/2 points of disturbance for celestials; round up. Either way, Range equals Strength.
Missile Weapons: Power equals your Corporeal Forces for bows and similar "fast" weapons. For "slow but strong" harpoons, crossbows, etc., Power equals twice Corporeal Forces, but these weapons require a full turn to reload each time. Either way, Range is (Strength x 5).
Guns: Use the list below.
- Pistols: Power +2, Range 20.
- SMGs: Power +3 (burst), Range 10.
- Shotguns: Power +6, Range 10 (5 if sawed-off).
- Assault rifles: Power +4 (burst), Range 50.
- Hunting Rifles: Power +5, Range 100.
Burst: Any gun with "(burst)" can fire several bullets at once. Burst firing at a single target doubles the weapon's Power. Alternatively, you can "spray and pray" at multiple targets (with normal Power); make each attack separately at a penalty equal to the total number of targets. (Also, if your total Guns skill is 11+ before that penalty, reduce it to 10.) Either way this adds (damage before defense)/4 disturbance for celestials, as stray bullets hit things; round up.
Burst Example: Tarvos has Agility/8 and Guns/4 (total Guns 12), so she normally has a target number (TN) of 11 and +1 to the check digit of a successful roll. She burst-fires an SMG at one demon; her TN remains 11 and if the attack is successful the damage is the check digit + 1 (high skill) + 6 (effective Power). She then burst-fires at three demons; her effective skill is first dropped to 10, then she takes a -3 penalty, so her TN for all three attacks is 7. Each time she hits, the damage is the check digit + 3 (normal Power) as she lost her high skill bonus.
Improvised Weapons: Either treat these as a fist-load for Fighting (Unarmed), or use the most applicable combat skill at -1 to hit and -1 to Power. For example, thrown rocks use Throwing at -1 to hit and Power equal to Corporeal Forces - 1.
Armor: Thick leather gives Armor 1. Old-school chainmail has Armor 2 (only 1 vs. guns). Kevlar is Armor 2. And steel plate provides Armor 3. These are all obvious. Truly concealable "microweave" armor is expensive, rare, and requires GM permission; it gives Armor 1 (but 2 vs. guns).
Special Combat Moves
Aim: Do nothing except aim a ranged weapon. If you attack with it next turn, its Range is tripled. However, if you make a defense roll between now and then or take injury in excess of your Will, you lose this benefit.
All-Out Attack: Give up your defense rolls until your next turn, in exchange for making an attack at +2 to the target number and check digit.
All-Out Defense: Do nothing except defend this turn. Your defense rolls are at +2 to the target number and check digit.
Knockout Blow (Corporeal combat only): If you're unarmed or using a blunt weapon, you can roll at -2 to hit the head, solar plexus, etc. If your attack costs the foe at least 1/4 of his current (not total) body hits, he must roll against Strength + Toughness or fall unconscious. This roll is at +2 if you inflicted less than 1/2 of his current hits, or at -2 if you cost him 3/4 of his current hits or worse. (If you cost him all of them, he's at 0 HP and passes out without rolling!)
Songs and Combat
With rare exceptions (e.g., Numinous Corpus), songs don't use the combat rules. Except where explicitly stated otherwise, their effects ignore Armor (Protection), cannot be dodged or parried, and have their own rules for determining damage. Some can be resisted, others (e.g., the Celestial Song of Light) cannot and simply inflict damage when used.
Hit Points and Injury
Calculate body hits as Total Forces + Corporeal Forces + Strength + (Toughness x 5). At 0 body hits, you fall unconscious (automatically, no roll). At -(Corporeal Forces + Strength + Toughness) body hits, you die.
For most celestials, Toughness equals vessel level. For kyriotates and shedim, Toughness equals their host's Corporeal Forces. For mortals, Toughness is bought explicitly, as a resource.
Calculate mind hits as Total Forces + Ethereal Forces + Intelligence + (Ethereal Toughness x 5). At 0 mind hits, you fall unconscious and gain one level of an Ethereal discord.
Calculate soul hits as Total Forces + Celestial Forces + Will + (Celestial Toughness x 5). At 0 soul hits, you permanently lose a Force!
(Note that Ethereal Toughness and Celestial Toughness are rare! Don't be surprised if a character lacks them.)
Movement
Combat Move: Each round, characters can move up to (Agility) yards in addition to taking an action (like attacking, aiming, or all-out defending). If someone does nothing but move on their turn, they can move (Agility x 4) yards.
Non-Combat Move: At a full sprint, a person can travel (Agility + Athletics) yards per second. (Double this to get miles per hour.) Celestials and immortals can keep this up indefinitely, but mortals drop to half this speed after (Strength + Athletics) x 5 seconds. Most four-legged or winged creatures are 1.5x to 2x faster.
The GM should reduce the speeds above by 25%, 50%, or 75% for bad, terrible, or nigh-impassable terrain.
In the Marches, replace Agility with Precision; also, distance is subjective, so what a "yard" is may change! In Celestial form, replace Agility with Perception.
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