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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Water Bob" data-source="post: 6197829" data-attributes="member: 92305">I can't get this mechanic out of my head. I love graceful RPG rules. It's taken from the first edition of WEG's Star Wars game, otherwise known as D6 Star Wars.When a situation in a game devolves into a combat scenario, we, as gamers, are quite used to throwing initiative and resolving actions in order of the throws. Sure, there's a few variations on a theme, and not all games use initiative (like, um, Classic Traveller). But, the vast majority of games I've seen do use some sort of initiative system.The elegance of the 1E D6 SW system is that a Ref can just go from roleplaying scenes to tactical combat without the jarring demarcation line that splits roleplaying scenes from tactical combat. I remember in AD&D, when a character made an offensive action, that was the point at which the game moved from the free-flow give and take of GM-player interaction to structured, tactical combat (even if a grid wasn't used).With 1E D6 SW, the roleplaying scene contines. It doesn't matter who declares what combat action first. It flows organically.Like this--GM: You move down the corridor and come to a closed hatch.Player 1: I'll check to see if it's locked.GM: You can see the green tell-tale. If you get close enough, the door will automatically swish open at lightning speed.Player 2: I'm going through. "Let's Go!"GM: And you, Player 1?Player 1: I'll follow him, but I'm drawing my blaster.GM: Player 2, you approach the door, it opens, and beyond is the hangar bay. As soon as you step through, you can see several stormtroopers, here and there, standing in two's or threes. It's likely that at least one will notice you.Player 2: I'm drawing and blasting the nearest one!Player 1: When I see him do that, I'll step through, too, and back him up. I'll shoot at the closest one other than Player 2's target.GM: OK, roll attacks.Player 2: I've got 4D on my Blaster Skill, but I've got to draw. That penalizes me 1D, so I only throw 3D to hit. (Rolls Dice.) I got an 12.Player 1: I've also got 4D on my Blaster Skill, but I'll take two shots. That means I penalize both shots by 1D, so I'm rolling 3D twice. (Rolls both shots.) I got a 9 on the first shot and a 14 on the second.GM: There's only three troopers that can react this first round. Player 1 is shooting at one, and Player 2 is shooting at another. A third--an Imperial Officer, not in armor--isn't being attacked. The troopers have 3D Blaster skills, but I'm going to penalize them 1D for reaction time--two unexpected Rebels just popped through the bay door and starting blasting. That's a little startling. The two being fired at both have Blaster Rifles that they are holding in their hands, but the Officer has to draw his blaster pistol. That's another -1D penalty for him, for a total of -2D.Trooper One raises his blaster rifle and returns fire (GM rolls 2D). He gets a 7.Trooper Two returns fire as well (GM rolls 2D). Wow. Boxcars! He's got a 12.The officer is only throwing 1D. He got a 4.Normally, in a real game, as GM, I wouldn't address the rules like I did above. I did that to show you how the system easily integrates into a roleplaying scene, with no initiative thrown.But, with no initiative, how are events played out? Remember, in Classic Traveller, initiative doesn't matter because wounds are not applied until everybody has acted. In CT, you can't stop a foe in his tracks--he'll always get to shoot back, even if you killed him.No, 1E D6 SW is not like that.So, how is initiative decided again?It's the rolls. The actions rolls. Everybody decides what they are going to do organically as the scene plays out. When a throw is required (as when the dice will decide whether a character hits a bad guy with blaster fire), the character taking the shot simply rolls his dice.AFTER all dice are thrown for the round, the highest roll is taken first, then the second highest, then the third highest, and so on.In the scene above that I described--1. Player 2 will fire first. He rolled a 12 on this attack. This 12 will be compared to his target's defense to see if the attack is successful.2. Stormtrooper Two fires second. He also rolled a 12, but ties go to the player characters. He is the target for Player 2, so if Player 2 could have just killed or stunned or wounded him (which will effect the trooper's turn if the trooper is killed or stunned).3. Player 1 fires next. His first shot was a 9, so that's the one we address first. He's firing at Stromtrooper One, so there's a chance that Stormtrooper One is killed or stunned before he can react in the next step.4. If able, Stormtrooper One fires now, with his shot totalling 7.5. Then, the Officer fires at Player 1, with his total to-hit of 4 (which will probably be a wide miss).In the next "segment", we take care of any second actions. The only character to have a second action is Player 1, who fired twice. So, Player 1 takes his second shot now.6. Player 1 fires his second shot with a total of 14. The 14 will be compared to the defense of his target to see if a hit was made.I just love that system. The more highly skilled characters are likely to shoot before their less-advanced foes. Their totals will be higher, on average.And, penalizing is intuitive and a breeze. Just take away a die. Player 1 want to make two shots, so he was a -1D to both shots because he shot twice. Player 2 had to draw, so he was -1D. All three Imperials were surprised at the sudden attack, so that's -1D to all of them. In addition, the officer had to draw his weapon, so he's at a -2D penalty, leaving him with a single die in which to attack (which will probably miss, even if he rols a 6!)I just love that system.You make the rolls and play out the combat in a quasi-tactical, quasi-role played scene. The allows the action to be quick, and the GM can heighten the fun with his description.When in doubt, there's not a lot of fiddling with modifiers. Is a penalty is warranted, take away a die.Fun, fast, breathless action.</blockquote>

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