Page 88 - Chronicles of Darkness

By stating her character’s intent, a player is setting out how are participating, they can use teamwork (see p. 72) on the
much her character is willing to hurt, or even kill, someone roll. Players can call for Down and Dirty Combat, with the
else in order to get it. If a character’s intent has nothing to Storyteller’s approval. Storyteller characters might deal dam-
do with hurting people and she ends up killing someone, she age as a result of a Down and Dirty Combat, but they can’t
loses a point of Willpower, in addition to probably suffering initiate one.
a breaking point (see p. 73). Dice Pool: Combat pool (Dexterity + Firearms, Strength +
Brawl, or Strength + Weaponry) versus either the opponent’s
Optional Rule: combat pool (as above) or an attempt to escape (Strength or
Beaten Down & Surrender Dexterity + Athletics). Ignore Defense on this roll.
Action: Contested; resistance is reflexive
Often, violent solutions to problems are grisly, ugly, and Roll Results
over fast. Using this optional rule, any character that takes
more than his Stamina in bashing damage or any amount of Dramatic Failure: The character’s opponent gets the up-
lethal damage gains the Beaten Down Tilt (see p. 280): he’s per hand in addition to dealing damage, as with failure. This
had the fight knocked out of him. He must spend a point usually includes the opposite of the character’s intent — if
of Willpower every time he wants to take a violent action she wanted to disable the guards so she could escape, she is
until the end of the fight. He can still apply Defense against stunned instead.
incoming attacks, Dodge, and flee, but it takes a point of Failure: The opponent wins the contest. If the opponent
Willpower to swing or shoot back. used a combat pool, he deals damage equal to the difference
However, he can instead surrender, giving his attacker in successes plus weapon modifier. Also, the opponent es-
what she wants according to her declared intent. If a character capes unless he wants to press the combat.
gives in, he gains a point of Willpower and his player takes a Success: The character wins the contest. She deals damage
Beat, but he takes no more part in the fight. If his opponent equal to the difference in successes plus her weapon modifier
wants to attack him, she’s got to spend a point of Willpower and achieves her intent. If her intent includes killing her
to do so, and probably suffers a breaking point. If everyone opponents, then she does so.
on one side has surrendered, the fight’s over and the other Exceptional Success: As a success, and the character also
side gets what they want. gains a point of Willpower from the rush of inflicting violence
If one side’s intent involves violence for its own sake, on an inferior opponent.
harmed anyway. If that’s the case, the aggressor’s intended Willpower
the other side can’t surrender — not without being killed or

victims don’t get the Beaten Down Tilt, and gain no benefits Violence is brutal; there’s no way around it. Sure, armor
from surrendering. When someone wants to kill you, the or supernatural powers can protect a combatant from the
only thing you can do is to try to stop her, whether you run worst of it, but one lucky hit can reduce anyone to a bag of
like hell or unload a shotgun at her. bones. In the Chronicles of Darkness, combat isn’t glorious
These rules only apply to people who would incur a break- or romantic. It’s a carnal thrill, bloody and rough, and the
ing point for committing (or attempting) “murder.” Creatures better you get at it, the more things out there will want your
that don’t have a problem killing people in general can ignore head.
surrender without penalty and don’t have the fight beaten Players should expect that in order to win fights, they
out of them like normal folks. usually need to spend Willpower (see p. 73). It takes a perfect
Down and Dirty Combat storm of skill, grit, adrenaline, and blind luck to walk out of a
skirmish in one piece, especially when deadly weapons are in-
volved. Willpower in combat represents the grit and adrenaline.
The Storyteller might decide that a player character can
get what she wants without focusing on the details of the Characters only fight when something’s important enough
to hurt someone over, so players should be willing to ante up
fight. Maybe she’s picking on people weaker than her. Maybe their character’s precious mental resources to come out on top.
she’s internalized the mechanics of violence to a degree that While a player has to monitor her character’s Willpower
far surpasses the average Joe. Maybe the fight’s not the most throughout the whole story, a Storyteller character won’t
important thing going on with regard to the character’s be present in most of the scenes, so it doesn’t matter if he
intent. In these cases, the Storyteller can opt to use Down blows more Willpower — he can regain it offscreen, and even
and Dirty Combat. if he doesn’t, it’s not like he’s going to spend it later. This
This system resolves the entire fight in a single roll. If
multiple player characters are involved and have separate is especially noticeable in direct conflict, when Storyteller
characters can spend Willpower to hurt characters who have
intents, such as one character trying to fight past a guard surrendered, enhance their attacks, and defend themselves
while another beats information out of a flunky, each intent with greater ability than the players’ characters.
is resolved as a separate Down and Dirty Combat action. If The Storyteller should reduce his characters’ available
the group only has one intent but multiple player characters
Willpower in each scene to reflect their “one shot” nature.

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Violence