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Great as I think "Fading Suns" is your beloved author has always been of the considered opinion that no set of rules is entirely perfect (a big shalom and "Sorry, but no!" to all those who think the Mosaic Laws are sufficient for a modern society). One area where "Fading Suns", as with many role-playing systems, falls down somewhat is in its' combat system. The basic system is fine for someone who wants to keep combat entirely abstract and stylized, but rather short-changes those who want a bit of 'heroic license'. I think that something of such immediate importance to a PC's future could do with some added depth. The file below is my humble offering to the world at large on this often fraught subject.

Initiative, going first, call it what you will. The way I see it the whole matter should be a little more random and risky than "...highest skill goes first.". No matter how skilled you are sometimes the other guy just gets the drop on you. This element of chance can be introduced into the game system in any one of several ways.

Method 1: Matt's 'Mechanics Pure' Method
Roll under the character Wits+[skill being used]. The more successes, the quicker you go. As usual a critical double successes. If the roll is failed negative successes are possible (ie if the goal is 10 and 15 is rolled then the initative is -5. A critial failure results in automatically going last. Ignore automatic failures, treat them as a normal roll of 19.
(This section was mercilessly torn from the nurturing bosom of Matt Seaborn's fine site. Sorry Matt. :-) )

Method 2: Smiley's 'Swashbuckler Frenzy' Method

Firearms, Fists and Fencing Modifiers It is perhaps noteworthy that this initiative system has a number range of 3-30, as opposed to the 1-10-ish of the core system. As such you might wish to consider doubling the initiative modifiers for the various firearms, fencing and martial arts actions given in the rulebook, as well as those weapons which have initiative modifiers. I have found tripling the numbers more than a little excessive however.

A little less in keeping with the existing system mechanics (in fact as my group worked through the new system it sometimes ran the risk of re-writing the combat system entirely!) but just as workable, is an open-ended method we've tried in my own group. This uses a roll of Wits+Dex+1d10 to determine initiative score. Actions are then taken in descending order of initiative. The Wits+Dex element of this roll is modified by the usual amounts for wound penalties, etc. and can usually be pre-calculated to save time and trouble in play.

A character is allowed one action per 10 segments/phases/tenths of a second (call them what you will) starting from the total initiative rolled for that round. In order to speed play, and to convey the urgency of combat, the GM should count down the phases with players calling out their actions as their initiative number comes up. Any faffing, hesitation or over-lengthy explanations from the player result in the character forfeiting their action as the character is deemed to be as flustered as the windbag of a player is (in-game dialogue is the exception here). A character with higher initiative may choose to reserve their action until another character (either PC or NPC) acts, they may then take their action simultaneously with the other character (this can be especially useful for dodging without subsequent penalties. For more on which see below...).
Note: If a player holds their first action until their next initiative number comes up they lose their first action from standing around and waiting. Biding your time is a fine art after all...

Multiple action penalties crop up if a player tries either to dodge before his initiative (a 'pre-emptive' dodge) or attempts to "jump the gun" by taking an action out of sequence. As in the existing rules a dodge may be taken at any time in reaction to another character's actions, this costs one action. If a character 'jumps the gun' on an action it may be taken up to 5 phases earlier than the phase when their second or subsequent action would normally fall. However acting so precipitously has it's penalties, I'd say a penalty of -4 for the first attempt at this in a round and -6 for the second.
Note: It is not possible to 'jump the gun' on your initial action in a round even though you may dodge freely using your first action. Sometimes the other guy just gets the drop on you and the best thing to do is dive for cover...

Actions taken after a character makes a pre-emptive dodge should suffer from a less severe multiple action penalty than for characters 'jumping the gun' as a dodging character is reacting to an occurring action, rather than instigating an act out of turn himself. I would say a post-dodge action should be -2 goal after the first pre-emptive dodge, -4 on the second out-of-sequence dodge. There is no penalty to later actions for dodges made using 'held' actions.
Note: If a character has no third action that round the -4 penalty falls on his first action next round. The character might enjoy the initiative and have a chance to go first, but he is still off balance from his earlier floor routine.

This system works out to be rather more 'generous' with actions than the official system, with multiple actions being the norm rather than heavily penalized, molasses-coated exceptions to the rule. The main reason for this change is that I do love a good swashbuckling fight scene and it's almost impossible to (for example) stab one enemy, grab the chandelier and then swing boots-first into the enemy mob as it stands there gawping under the current Fading Suns combat system. In fact, it's damn near suicide! Tried it once and thanks to nested multiple action penalties my character fell off the balcony, plunged through a table and got trampled on as the enemy mob charged over me. Arse! :-(

Worked Example:

Action Don Diego has been accosted by a mob of ruffians while sitting at the balcony of his favourite drinking pit and watching the dancing girls. Inevitably negotiations have broken down and the Don is forced to fight for the honour of his name and the integrity of his moneypouch. Stabbing one thug through the stomach with a hearty "Have at ye, stinking prole!" Don Diego notices out of the corner of his eye that the thug's three accomplices are bearing down on him, swords drawn. Deciding that discretion is the better part of valour Don Diego lunges over the balcony and grabs for the cartwheel chandelier so fortuitously hanging from the ceiling. Taking a bare second to catch his breath he notices that more unfriendly strangers have interposed themselves between himself and the door. Shouting a time-honoured Hazat warcry ("Aye Carumba!" or some such...) Don Diego takes one last swing and plunges feet-first towards the welcoming committee, barely avoiding a barrage of flying bottles, chairs and knives from his fanclub on the balcony as he lets go of the cartwheel.

Mechanics The player makes an initiative roll of 22 (high, but manageable under this system). His character takes actions in phases 22, 12 & 2. Action 1: The player first chooses to stab the nearest henchman (Thrust fencing action). Action 2: Attempting to avoid the other opponents charging towards him with weapons raised (for the record they are acting on phases 16 and 6) the player decides to 'jump the gun' for his next action and have his character leap off the balcony onto the nearby suspended chandelier. He takes this action in phase 17 (12+5), but his Dex+Vigour roll suffers a -4 penalty thereby. Assuming the character makes the jump the player has until phase 2 to hang around (sorry! couldn't resist it!), catch his breath, see the sights and decide on his third action. Action 3: The player, feeling cocky, chooses to jump the gun again and take his third action in phase 7, taking a hefty -6 penalty on his Dex+Vigour flying drop-kick into the waiting mob below (he decided to let go as the chandelier hit its backswing let's say). Just for fun the recently escaped henchmob on the balcony grab anything not nailed down and throw it at the character in phase 6. :-)

Speaking from playtest experience I have found that using a modified, multi-action initiative system results in faster, freer-flowing, more fun combats. If players are no longer afraid of losing their sole chance of acting in a round I have found that they are more likely to engage in daring acts ("...and then I'll 'jump the gun' to grab his wrist with my other hand."), bravura grandstanding ("I taunt their manhood, then make a pre-emptive dodge before they shoot me!") or crazy rescue schemes ("As the Cossack stabs at you the Amalthean beats him over the head with a chair...") than otherwise. In the words of my boss Clive: "It's all good, innit?!"

...make weapon damage deterministic, with Victory Points adding straight on (thus making the lucky shot with the .22 pistol potentially lethal)...

Under this system the damage from a shot or blow thus becomes VP (in points) + weapon damage (in dice). I have to say that this system appeals to me for a number of reasons.

• It cuts down on the number of dice flying about the table, meaning less counting up and less chance of losing one of the cursed things.
• It emphasises the relative importance of player action over gadgets that my own FS campaign leans towards by making weapon damage the 'icing on the cake' of player character-initiated action. The players gradually come to think of weapon damage dice as 'unreliable' in that they come up duff 1/3 of the time. In a playtest of this modification my players behaved (even moreso than normal) as if character's surroundings were sources of possible weaponry to boost the reliable 'core' damage provided by their VPs - whatdayaknow! Instant swashbuckler mentality impant!
• It prevents a bad handful of d6s from ripping off a player who has just rolled a critical at a dramatic juncture in a crucial firefight. Picture it: "You spear the archvillain upon the point of your sword, it's shining blade puncturing his black heart. He takes...(string of fives and sixes come up on the d6s for damage)...no damage at all from the blow!"
• It makes physical armour rather less effective than in the core rules (those of you who have looked at my modifications to physical shields may have already noted my thoughts on this matter) as the defensive capacity of armour is measured entirely in (unreliable) dice. The only way to decrease the number of points an opponent gains is to contest the successes of their roll with a parry, block or dodge.
• Conversely, with guaranteed damage from VPs, energy shields become a bit more valuable. The reason for this is that the points + dice total averages out very slightly higher than a straight dice roll (do the probability maths yourself though...) and is thus more likely to exceed the shield's activation threshold than the official system.

• Martial Artists are those characters who have chosen to learn an unarmed combat form. Anyone else is little more than an untrained brawler. Brawlers do not gain the bonuses shown below to their attacks, but nor do they suffer the penalties for against-type actions which martial artists suffer.
• Experience points cost for Martial Arts is a bit contentious 2xcurrent level to increase is what the rulebook says to increase Fight, how should this be modified by the martial art? Any suggestions? If so email me!
• Martial Artists may make a second punch attack in a round at a -2 penalty as opposed to -4 for a normal second action.
• Martial Artists with a Fight skill of 6 or more are allowed two punch actions per round at no penalty.

These modificiations are largely inspired by the martial arts rules in R. Talsorian's "Pacific Rim" sourcebook for the "Cyberpunk" game.

	Punch	Kick		Grapple				Charge	Dodge			Disarm
Martial Art		Kick	Sweep	Grapple	Throw	Hold	Choke		Dodge	Block	Escape
Shaidan	+4	-1	-1		-1		-1		+2	+2	+1
Iron Heel	+1	+3	+1	+2		+1	+2		+1			+1
Mantok	+2	+2		+1	+1		-1			+2
Koto	+2	+1	+2		-1				+3		+2
Graa	+2	+1	-1	+2				+3		-1	-1
Jox Kai Von	+2	-1	+2	+3	-1	+1	+1	-2	+2	+1	+2	+2
Vhemtaar'ullan		-2	+3	+2	+2	+3	-2	-2	+2	+3	+2	+3

Explanation of the Table Above
The numbers in the chart above are modifiers which are added to, or deducted from, the character's Dex+Fight score whenever a fighting action of this type is undertaken. For example: if a character with a Dex of 6 and a Fight of 6 and the Shaidan Martial Art punches someone he takes his basic Dex+Fight score and adds 4 (the Shaidan punch action modifier) to it, giving a usable goal of 16 or less. If, however, he were to attempt to kick someone in the ribs his Dex+Fight is reduced by 1 to 11 (Shaidan practitioners do not do anything so undignified as kicking!).

Explanatory Notes on the Martial Arts

Shaidan
This is the noble and ancient art of fisticuffs used by the higher orders (ie: the nobility) of the Known Worlds to "...teach uncouth blighters a lesson". The keynotes of this Martial Art are dignity, poise and an awareness of one's surroundings. For an idea of the physical style of Shaidan think a slightly more flexible form of Queensbury rules boxing.

Iron Heel
Iron Heel is the very practical Martial Art taught to both the mercenaries and Chainers of the Muster. It is designed for use in the trenches and alleyways in which so much Muster business is transacted and is about the most vicious, dirtiest form of fighting outside the Ukari homelands. It mixes kicks with grapples and vital point strikes to immobilize the opponent in the quickest, most painful manner possible. Visually it resembles real world Thai Kick Boxing, with a heavy leavening of street fighting.

Mantok
Mantok is the Martial Art of the Brother Battle order. This form utilizes the excellent physical abilities of the practitioners and, at higher levels, becomes an element in the Brother Battle theology of 'The Body as Instrument of the Will of the Creator'.  Mantok is partly a meditative technique, but in the main a working battlefield discipline.  At high levels of ability (Fight skill 8+) practitioners are able to spent Wyrd points to gain additional damage dice at a rate of 1 Wyrd per extra die upon landing a damaging strike. Visually Mantok resembles real world Jiujutsu.
note, June 2005: The reference to Wyrd above has long since been changed to Mana in my own campaign, see here for reasoning.

Koto
Popular amongst the Al-Malik, who are rumoured to teach it to the serfs of their lands, Koto is as much a philosophy as a martial art.  An integral part of the Al-Malik "Way of the Three Mountains" (see "Lords of the Known Worlds" for more on this and other aspects of Al-Malik culture) this art is tricky, elusive and often accompanied by movements which seem extraneous or overly flamboyant to the uninitiated.  There are rumoured to be as many styles of Koto as there are opinions.  Koto resembles many of the flashier styles of Kung Fu (Wing Chun, Animal Kung Fu, Jeet Kune Do, etc.) popularized by the Hong Kong film industry.

Graa
Graa, as explained in the Core Rulebook, is a Vorox only Martial Art which takes advantage of their natural physical advantages. They have four arms, each capable of dealing crippling blows to their opponent as well as claws, fangs and a homicidal frame of mind. A practitioner of Graa is able to make two punches in a round, at Fight 6+ this may be increased to four punches a round, all of which are at -2 to the Goal roll. In addition the great mass and musculature of a Vorox allows it to do horrible damage in a Charge attack. In game terms any charge made by a Graa practitioner uses the Banga! action's additional damage rule from the "Fading Suns" rulebook. Graa practitioners are not allowed to wear any armour heavier than leather , since the encumberance limits their natural abilities ("It don't feel right! *RIP*).

Jox Kai Von
The signiture martial art of the Ukar, this style evolved during the Clan Wars in the claustrophobic, pitch-black tunnels of Kordeth. As the Ukar have such a history of fighting blind they have developed a style that concentrates on keeping in contact with the opponent at all times.  Jox Kai Von allows the practitioner to nullify the penalties for fighting in darkness or other adverse visual conditions (blindness, chemical fog, etc.) through a successful Grapple roll.  The player can choose to deem that, instead of grappling or throwing his opponent, the Ukar has moved into constant contact with him.  The opponent is able to move out of contact with the Ukar if he makes a successful dodge or escape roll.  Jox Kai Von most closely resembles Pentjak Selat (a Phillipino fighting art) with an extra portion of savagery thrown in.

Vhemtaar'ullan
This Obun Martial Art reflects the cultural mores of the Obun as much as Jox Kai Von reflects those of the Ukar. Infused with the essence of Bintaru Vhemtaar'ullan does not work on violent action, as do human martial arts, but through the disruption of the balance of the opponent's kelanti (see "Children of the Gods" for more on Obun metaphysics, a subject far too complex and involved for me to go into in an aside).  Vhemtaar'ullan is famous for being a non-violent martial art, if the martial artist causes a lethal strike to his opponent he is unable to use his martial art again until he has undergone a process of self-exorcism similar to an Urge conflict.  The visual element of Vhemtaar'ullan looks like Tai Chi crossed with Aikido.

Anyone curious about how any of the real world martial arts forms I have mentioned above looks could do a lot worse than popping along to their local martial arts dojo for an afternoon. Go on, you might learn something!  Failing that try the truly sedentary amongst us might want to get hold of a copy of "The Martial Arts Explorer", an excellent information CD-ROM filled with Quick-Time movies, audio files and graphics.  You should be able to pick this little gem up for a nominal sum at your local computer supplies.

Is it just me, or are the Fencing actions in "Fading Suns" way too expensive for what they are? Along with the cost of raising one's Dexterity and Melee the poor fencer has to buy the 'tricks of the trade' on top! This adds up to a lot of experience (more than any player of my experience is prepared to fork over for the limited returns on investment). Although the experience costs in the 2nd Edition of the game has given Martial Artists and Fencers rather less cause for complaint than previously they are still not conducive to the sort of swashbuckling, "flashing blades and whirling cloaks" adventures that I like to run. With the interest of playability in mind I have instituted the following changes in my campaign:

Each fencing action cost a flat 1 Freebie Point (during character generation) or 2xp to learn. The actions learnt must be of a level equal or lower than the character's Melee skill.

This file last modified: 3/03/2001.