Gunplay is meant to be a fast set of generic skirmish rules for simple tabletop skirmish games. These rules can also be used as a fast combat system for convention games, or as a simple replacement for overly complicated combat rules in your otherwise favourite game.
This is just one of several sets of intermediate modules. Add the parts you like to the basic rules and ignore the rest. For the basic rules click HERE.
In the basic game the initiative shifts back and forth between the players as they activate their characters, alternating activations one at a time until all characters have had a chance to move and/or fire. With the expanded Initiative module players have the chance to retain the initiative and to activate more than just one character at a time. To do this the player must roll to activate each character before moving, and depending on how well they succeed, the character may be permitted different numbers of actions, and the player may retain the initiative instead of passing it to his opponent.
When a player has the initiative (it's their turn) they choose a character to activate and, using the Difficulty Levels, rolls a die adding/subtracting relative modifiers with the following results;
The player only rolls once for this test and checks the result. If they passed a Hard test then the character rolled for receives 2 actions and after moving/firing the player may activate another character. If their roll would have failed a Hard test but passed an Easy test then the character receives 2 actions but after activating the initiative passes to their opponent. If they did not pass an Easy test then the character receives only 1 action and the initiative passes to their opponent. If they do not even pass a Trivial test then the attempted activation is treated like a failed Flinch test with the appropriate results.
This goes back and forth until all characters have been activated.
The rules for Flinching are used almost as written except that the Activation Test takes the place of a separate Flinch Test.
The rules for Overwatch are used almost as written except that the overwatching character must pass an Activation test when attempting to take an action due to being on Overwatch. If the overwatching character passes a Hard test, then they may take one action and return to being on Overwatch. If they fail an Easy test they may not react this time but remain on Overwatch. Otherwise they take one action, and are marked as having "activated". A character may not spend more than two actions on Overwatch per turn. This Activation roll counts for the purposes of Flinching and removing Flinch markers.
The ease and speed that a weapon can be placed on target will effect how quickly a character can react during the turn. A pistol can be fired at a new target much quicker than a heavier weapon can be placed on the same target. For this reason, weapon speed becomes an Activation dice modifier.
Positive Dice Modifier - character currently wielding pistol
Negative Dice Modifier - character currently wielding heavy weapon
Everytime a character is fired upon, but not hit, they receive a "Flinch" marker for each incoming shot. These markers represent how heavily that character is under fire. When the character next activates they must take a Flinch test to see if they stand up to the incoming fire, or if they flinch. If they fail the test and flinch, then they drop back into cover (hiding if possible), or drop prone (if in the open) as their first action.
The Flinch test begins as an Easy Difficulty Test. The character receives a negative dice modifier for each Flinch marker and another for each wound they have. Markers are not placed if the shooter had no chance of hitting the target.
All Flinch markers are removed once the character activates, or if they get hit by enemy fire (and fail the the toughness test and go down). A Down character does not receive Flinch markers.
Hardened - character gains a positive Difficulty Level shift whenever taking a Flinch test (or Activation
test)
Timid - opposite of Hardened, character gains a negative Difficulty Level shift whenever taking a
Flinch test (or Activation test)
The purpose of the Overwatch rule is to limit abnormal game results (compared to real life) caused by the artificial Sequence of Play. It is just a game after all, and games require a certain structure to be playable. This can cause what seems to be unrealistic events if you were hoping the rules would at least resemble descriptions of actual gunplay (without the blood of course).
Procedure - At the beginning of each turn, once Initiative has been determined, there is now an Overwatch phase. Each player (in initiative order) declares how many figures they intend to place on Overwatch. Then, in initiative order, each player marks one figure with an Overwatch counter until all figures on Overwatch are marked. These figures may not be activated normally during the current turn, their entire job for the turn is to be on Overwatch. If you wish figures to remain on Overwatch for multiple turns, you must mark them again during each Overwatch phase.
A figure on Overwatch has been ordered or has decided not to move for this turn but instead will keep watch for enemy activity. If they see any enemy figure move or fire then they may interupt that enemy's turn at any point in their movement or after firing in order to fire once at that enemy (the overwatch character gets just 1 action). The overwatch figure is then marked as having "activated".
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