Combat Rules

Combat in Planetfall is simulated using Live Action Combat Roleplay using contact by LARP-Safe weaponry, and verbal calls made to signify powerful abilities and effects. This page details the mechanics of those calls and, broadly, how to play a combat encounter. Players shouldn't worry about remembering everything on this page - it's always okay to ask if you're unsure!

To get started straight away, here's what you need to know!

• Everyone in Planetfall has a number of Body Hits.
• If you are hit with a melee weapon you lose a Body Hit.
• If someone calls YOU: PEW, you lose a Body Hit.
• Anyone can take Cover to gain the ability to call MISS twice.
• If you fall to zero Body Hits, you fall over and are Unconscious until you are healed or something worse happens to you.
• Anyone can spend 10s of uninterrupted roleplay to call HEAL on an Unconscious character.
• Anyone can spend 10s of uninterrupted roleplay to call EXECUTE on an Unconscious character, dealing them a Severe Injury.
• Anyone can wield melee weapons and strike once per second:
  • a one-handed melee weapon in one hand and (optionally) a dagger or shield in the other
  • a two-handed melee weapon in both hands
• Anyone can wield ranged weapons and charge it for 10s of roleplaying then spend 1s aiming to call YOU: PEW at a range of 10m:
  • a one-handed ranged weapon in either hand and (optionally) a melee weapon in the other
  • a two-handed ranged weapon in both hands
  • The roleplaying to charge a weapon can be broken up into smaller periods, it doesn't have to be uninterrupted.

These rules apply to everyone and form the basis of how combat works in Planetfall.

Anyone can:

• Cause damage with any melee weapon by striking the target.
• Block damage with a melee weapon or a shield.
  • Effect calls still affect you even if blocked.
• Call CLUNK on an unsuspecting individual who is out of combat.
• Call PING to CLUNK if they are aware or in combat.
• Call HEAL after 10s of uninterrupted roleplaying on an Unconscious character within reach.
• Call EXECUTE after 10s of uninterrupted roleplaying on an Unconscious character within reach.
• Charge a ranged weapon with 10s of appropriate roleplaying, then spend 1s roleplaying aiming and firing to call YOU: PEW.
• Take Cover to gain a pool of 2 MISS calls.
• You may only make one call at a time: particularly noteworthy with negative effects. If you call a negative effect you do not cause damage even with a melee strike.

• If something requires you to perform uninterrupted roleplay then you must perform appropriate roleplay uninterrupted for the duration. If you are interrupted, you must start again from scratch.
• You are interrupted if:
  • You suffer the effect of a Negative call (i.e. do not PING or MISS it).
  • You make a call or uncalled damage.
  • You take damage.
  • You stop the roleplaying.
• Some Abilities may allow you to ignore some of these interruptions.
• You may not start uninterrupted roleplay while under the effect of an ongoing call such as BURN.

• Anyone may take cover by crouching behind an obstacle at least waist high in order to gain a pool of 2 MISS to any “YOU” ranged call that originates from a direction you have cover from with the exception of BLAST.
• You do not have cover against YOU LOT calls and this immediately uses up your cover.
• You must be crouching to gain the benefit of cover even if the cover is above waist height.
• You do not benefit from cover that is not clearly between you and the source.
• If in doubt about whether someone is in cover, the person calling MISS is authoritative.
• You may refresh your cover pool by moving to a new position at least 5m away from the previous one.

• When you are reduced to 0 hits you are Unconscious.
• You cannot fall below 0 hits.
• With 10s of uninterrupted roleplay, anyone may call HEAL on an Unconscious character.
• With 10s of uninterrupted roleplay, anyone may call EXECUTE on an Unconscious character - this deals them a Severe Injury.
• You regain consciousness when you are on at least 1 hit¹⁾.
• You will only regain consciousness from healing, but will not bleed out except by intervention from enemies.
• While you are Unconscious you may not move or talk. It is advised OC you do not shut your eyes so you can continue to act for your safety.
• You are still subject to effect calls (where relevant) while Unconscious but cannot take further damage to your hits.

• Severe Injuries are painful effects left by near death experiences and confer a roleplaying effect or mechanical penalty.
• The effects of Severe Injuries are discussed with the Player to choose consequences that are thematic and fun.
• Characters may suffer a maximum number of Severe Injuries before death. If you suffer your final Severe Injury you are dead.
• Player Characters by default may suffer a maximum of 3 Severe Injuries before dying.
• Monsters and NPCs by default may suffer a maximum of 1 Severe Injury.

Reaction Calls must be made in response to receiving calls made at range.

• Your armour or some ability has deflected the damage.
• If you call PING to a call, you do not take it.
• In order to call PING to a call you must have a specific ability to call PING to that call.
• If you have Abilities that modify the duration that you suffer calls for, which reduce that duration to 0s, you should also call PING when you suffer (or, rather, don't suffer) that effect.

• The shot hit cover or otherwise went wide.
• If you call MISS to a call, you do not take it.
• MISS works generally against all YOU calls but does not work against MASS or YOU LOT calls.

• Something explodes!
• Call MASS STRIKEDOWN (which you must yourself take).

• At range, a target must be specified (e.g. “BREAK GUN”). In melee, the target is whatever is hit in melee (therefore, ranged weapons can only be BREAKed at range)
• If this hits a limb in melee, that limb is unusable for the next 10s.
• If this hits a melee weapon or shield in melee, that item is unusable until you spend 10s uninterrupted fixing it.
• If this hits your chest or is called at range without a target, pick the target you wish instead.

• You are on fire for 10s - you cannot make offensive calls or strike for damage for the duration.
• Roleplay accordingly.
• Inorganic characters reduce this duration to 5s.
• Various have their own modifiers that may change this and therefore count as Organic for the purpose of this rule.

• Non-lethal incapacitation damage.
• Only effective against unsuspecting individuals not engaged in combat who are not Incapacitated.
• If you take a CLUNK then you should fall over unconscious but are not bleeding out.
• You can be awoken again with appropriate roleplaying from other characters, or after an appropriate period of time as indicated by the GM.

• Something bad has happened.
• You are unable to regain hits above 1 for the rest of the encounter.
• If you receive a second CURSE during an encounter you will be subject to a deleterious effect. Find out what the effect is at the end of the encounter.

• Your energy is sapped.
• You may not use abilities for the next 10s.
• You may not charge a ranged weapon or fire a shot during this time either.

• You suffer the described effect for 10s, you must roleplay accordingly.
• E.g. “EFFECT: DEAFENED” - roleplay being unable to hear for 10s.
• These effects should be physical - they cannot be mind altering (EFFECT: FRIGHTENED is acceptable if the source of the fear is obvious).

• If you were Unconscious you suffer a Severe Injury.

• Your melee weapon has been knocked aside. Wave your arm back in an exaggerated manner.
• No effect if not against a melee weapon.

• You are pulled toward a source.
• Turn and move directly in a straight line toward the source or until you would hit a large obstacle or another character.
• Different sources of PULL may allow the caller to move but will specify if they can.

• You are flung backwards.
• Turn around and move directly in a straight line away from the source for 10m or until you would hit a large obstacle or another character.

• You are slowed down by some freezing force.
• For the next 10s you must move and fight at half speed and may only make a strike once every 2s.

• You are knocked to the ground.
• Part of your torso must touch the ground OR you must drop to one knee for 5s.
• You may choose to take this as a BREAK on a leg instead as you attempt to resist the impact.

• You are electrocuted for 5s - you cannot make offensive calls or strike for damage for the duration.
• Roleplay accordingly.
• Inorganic characters extend this duration to 10s.
• Various have their own modifiers that may change this and therefore count as Organic for the purpose of this rule.

• You are healed:
  • by 1 hit up to your maximum (HEAL)
  • by X hits up to your maximum (HEAL X)
  • to your maximum (HEAL FULL)

• You gain the ability to call X one time.
• The source should specify if this is by melee or ranged.
• You can only have one call from GAIN at a time.

• An item you are holding (weapon/shield/item) currently suffering from BREAK is immediately fixed.

• You have disappeared and nobody can see you. Put two fingers in the air.
• To reappear, drop your fingers and call WARP again.
• Other conditions may be specified by the ability that gives you WARP.

• The Various may harvest and assimilate biological and mechanical components into themselves.
• The character calling HARVEST will know what effect this gives them.
• This is generally horrifying to have happen to you if you're conscious: roleplay accordingly.
• Unwilling targets able to resist may call PING to this, reducing the effect.
• It is apparent to all those nearby that an aspect of the subject has been assimilated into the source.

• If you are within 10m of the source and match the qualifier (e.g. “Humans”, “Robots”, “Everyone”) then you must call out PING for free.
• If you are unsure if you register as that type, then call out PING.
• Some characters and creatures may be able to ignore the effect of SCAN.

• The <X> call applies to a specified target and is the standard way of specifying the target of ranged calls. “YOU” should be used when it is obvious to the target you mean them, otherwise a description of the target should be used, such as “YOU IN THE SHINY ARMOUR” or “MIKE”.
• Unless specified otherwise, YOU calls have a range of 10m.

• The <X> effect applies to everyone within 5m and within a 120 degree arc indicated by the arms of the person calling this.
• This also eliminates all remaining cover from a pool you are in if you are in cover.

• The <X> effect applies to everyone within 5m.
• <X> may never be BLAST.

• This affects everyone in the player party so long as they hear the call.

• This affects every Monster so long as they hear the call.

• This affects everyone so long as they hear the call.

• FATAL is a modifier on other calls (e.g. FATAL BURN). If you can PING the call <X> that FATAL is attached to then you may PING the whole call as usual. If you cannot PING the call then as well as taking the effect of the call you also take the effect of FATAL which drops you immediately to 0 hits.
• Example:
  • a character with a PING to STRIKEDOWN is hit by FATAL STRIKEDOWN; they use their PING and nothing else happens.
  • a character with no sources of PING PUSH is hit with FATAL PUSH; they are knocked unconscious at 0 hits and their body is flung 10m.

• Start roleplaying!

• Finish roleplaying!

• Freeze what you're doing, something is happening faster than we can represent so we need to describe it.

• A melee weapon is represented with a melee-safe weapon phys-rep approved as safe by the LARP Safety Official.
• All melee weapons can be used to strike for uncalled damage by default.
• Some weapons will allow you to make other calls. If you do not know what calls you can make with a weapon, assume only uncalled damage until you can confirm otherwise.

• A ranged weapon is represented with a strike-unsafe weapon such as an unloaded NERF gun, a coreless throwing weapon, or a stick.
• All ranged weapons must be charged or loaded.
• As standard, this takes 10s of appropriate roleplaying without engaging in combat.
  • Example roleplay: loading rounds, tweaking settings, inserting charge packs, winding up, etc.
  • The roleplaying to charge a weapon can be broken up into smaller periods, it doesn't have to be uninterrupted.
• Standing or crouching still for 1s with a charged/loaded weapon, you may call YOU: PEW at a target you can see within 10m.
• Some Abilities allow you to charge multiple shots to a weapon. You must still spend time aiming between each round.
• Safety note
  • You must never fight with a ranged weapon phys-rep in melee combat
  • When an enemy participant engages in melee combat with you, you must safely drop or holster the weapon (even if the weapon is a coreless throwing weapon)
  • All participants should be gracious in allowing this to happen so the game can progress safely (i.e. don't hit someone while they're putting down a phys-rep so they can fight safely)

• Grenades are physically represented by brightly coloured soft balls.
• All grenades are single use.
• If you throw a grenade and there is a target within 2m, call YOU: BLAST on the target.
• If you completely miss with the grenade, there is (usually) no effect and the grenade is not used up.

• Physical Shields can be used to block damage but not calls in melee or ranged damage.
• Any call that strikes your shield in melee does affect you.

Anyone can:

• Wield one of the following combinations at a time:
  • Up to two one-handed pieces of Equipment.
  • One two-handed piece of Equipment.
• Carry Equipment that you are not currently using and swap to it when out of combat. You do not need to physically carry it, it can be stored with the Monster crew:
  • Up to two one-handed pieces of Equipment.
  • One two-handed piece of Equipment.