Overview
Welcome! It's time for that everpresent, ever-lovingly crafted bloodbath and ragelusty filled scene: Combat! Most players decide to pop their proverbial soda with what else but a combat scene. This is good. Combat is also a great method to familiarize many unwritten skills of GMing: Player Management, Scene Pacing, Mechanics vs. Story, Worldview Clarifying, and NPC Management to name a few. This isn't limited to GMs either. Players can use this tutorial as a reference for character interactions that involve physical conflict and violent contests wherever you may have need. Excited? Good. Nervous? Don't be! That said, let's dig our claws into this!
Glossary
Nd10: This game uses ten-sided dice and will be referred to with number of dice-d10. Example: 7d10 means to use seven 10-sided dice.
10-Again: When dice rolls result in 10, the player automatically re-rolls that die to see if they get extra successes to add to their original roll. If the player rolls the die and it shows 10, count another success and roll the die again. The cumulative successes continues until the dice no longer rolls 10. This is known as 10-again. Certain modifiers, such as Merits, Gifts, or other powers, can create situations where where a player rolls the dice again if they roll 8s, 9s or 10s (aka 8-again) or 9s and 10s (aka 9-again).
Modifier: A modifier changes the number of dice in a dice pool. For example, +3 Modifier means you add 3 dice to the number of dice being rolled. -3 Modifier means subtract 3 dice from the dice pool. You can have a modifier up to -/+5 depending on the situation. When determining how many dice to roll, add bonus mods first then subtract penalties.
Chance Die: If the modified dice pool drops below 1 die, the player can roll a die known as the Chance die. The chance die only counts 10 as a success. If the chance die rolls a 1, the result is a Dramatic Failure.
Turn: The period of play in which a character performs an action.
Round: The period of play which consists of multiple turns. A round ends when all players have taken their turn.
Success: Any dice that show 8, 9, or 10 are considered successes. A roll only needs one success to be considered a success.
Exceptional Success: Any dice roll resulting in 5 or more successes is an Exceptional Success. Some Merits or Gifts or other situations may create a scenario where a character only needs 3 or more successes for Exceptional Success to apply. Rolling an exceptional success results in the character getting something to benefit their success, such as a beneficial Condition, or performing a special move, or dealing additional damage on top of their original successes.
Failure: Any dice that roll 1 through 7 are not successful. Any roll that does not have one success is considered a failure.
Dramatic Failure: When the roll of a Chance Die results in 1, the character suffers a Dramatic Failure and can have other negative modifiers or unpleasant and unhelpful results against their original intention. They might take unexpected damage, or accidentally deal damage to an ally, or get a negative Condition.
Intentions
OOC vs IC
When starting a scene involving conflict, the first thing to do is to have players state their intentions. What is the goal they wish to reach? Is it reachable, or is the intended goal simply not possible or invalid at the time? By working out the intentions of the players in the scene, this will bring focus to work towards the resolution of combat. Players do not have to make florid pronouncements with their motivations - you could simply say: "Dottie is going to beat the stuffing out of that Mazeling." The resolution then presents the possible questions: Will Dottie succeed or fail in her intent to beat up the Mazeling?
As a GM, it is important to distinguish the player's intentions versus the character's intentions. Keep the OOC and IC separate please, and establish consent amongst the players before engaging in shenanigans that have potential to dramatically affect their characters.
GM Intention
The Setting Pose
The GM Setting pose is the first crucial step to combat scenes. In it should be a description of the scene. It should include the number of enemies visible and what they are each doing. It should include how many characters are able to reach which enemy in the round. The more clear description you provide, the more the players can determine what their characters will do.
In addition to the initial setting pose requirements are the frills of theme and mood. Establishing the mood of the combat scene such as a hectic frenzy versus ritualized klaive dueling may also influence what players will choose to do. In any high stress situations, frenzy and other relevant dice rolls might come into play. Modifiers, Conditions and Tilts might apply. It's up to the GM to describe this.
What's so important about having a well set setting pose? It helps to avoid confusion. But it also helps to describe what's going on, which is obviously the most important thing in a text-based game.
But be prepared - battleplans never survive beyond the first few rounds of combat…
Visual Aids
Since a text-based game has no miniatures or pictures to provide, it is not necessary to consider visuals. However, if you are the more artistically inclined and know your way around a bit of art program, sometimes it helps to prep a map or picture of what you'd otherwise describe in huge detail in your setting pose. Sometimes this helps the players and GM clarify where things are in a given scene. Prepping visual aids could save time and lots of pages. If you've got an artistic bent, sketch out a picture of your potential bad guys for that extra oomph of nasty mental image.
Player Intention
The basis of MU* Roleplaying is to create drama and story via text poses. For combat purposes, announcing a player’s intent can be done through a pose that reflects the intent through the character’s action. It’s as important as the GM’s role to provide clear setting, positions and the action in the environment so that the players can think of what they want to do. The player should expand as much as practically possible not just for the sake of statement of what the character is doing, but to help the GM out. And it’s just good storytelling!
Let's analyze an attempted action pose:
GOOD: Dottie calls upon the Essence of her being to shift to Crinos in an instant, waiting for her claws to coalesce before she can aim a focused swipe toward the oncoming Mazeling's menacing, crazed eyes.
BAD: Dottie shifts to Crinos, swiping at the Mazeling with her claws.
UGLY: Dottie shifts and attacks the maddened Mazeling.
As you can see, there is a marked difference in the amount of information contained in the attempted actions depending on what's described in a pose depending on how much description is given. But, you ask, in combat isn't brevity the soul of speedy scene-ing? Well yes, generally we don't need to expound in epic iambic pentameter on a 3-second span of action that happens per combat round.
In the "Good" pose, all actions are attempted actions, none of it decided. The "Good" pose also explains Essence and Willpower spenditures, what type of attack, and where the attack is to land, and throws in a bit of theme to go with it. The GM can properly, with this pose, determine the course of the action and its results.
In the "Bad" pose, the shifting to Crinos is assumed an auto-success but without an indication of Essence spenditure or a roll to shift, and that should be a no-no to assume even if later on the player pages the GM with the Essence spend. Even if the shifting comes as the most natural thing to almost every Garou, auto-successes should never be assumed on the player's parts. (Though, yes, we're all guilty of assuming automatic successes in a combat scene for shifting simply for the sake of scene speed.) The swipe of the claws is the actual intention here, but the player has failed to specify what she is trying to hit, leaving it too open to interpretation.
Aimed attacks are often made at increased difficulty and could result in dice pool modifiers, and this pose isn't clear enough to determine that. The player could let the GM determine whether things hit or not and where, but in order to give accuracy and a better description, this is where things need to be clear. As a GM, remind your players to be as specific as possible, and never assume anything is an automatic success in their attempted actions.
In the "Ugly" pose, well, it's just plain ugly. No specification of which form the Garou shifts to, an assumption of shifting success, and no detail of what sort of attack is being made or even what the character is attacking with. This is the kind of pose that makes a GM wonder, "Why are you on this story-focused game again?"
As you can see, without proper descriptive context a GM wouldn't have the information to calculate effect. This dilemma compounds for those who are freeform GMing, where everything will depend on description rather than dice to determine outcomes and next actions.
Action
Different types of actions are performed during combat rounds. Whether or not they take up a player's turn depends on the type of action.
Instant Action: The majority of in-game actions are instant actions, meaning they lasts a few seconds to perform one thing. In combat, an instant action happens in one turn. Sample instant actions: Punch, Kick, Dodge. Some instant actions come with requirements to perform - such as a Bite attack requiring a grapple in some circumstances.
Reflexive Action: A reflexive action is, as the name implies, part of reflex. These actions take no thought to do, and in combat do not use up the player’s turn. Most often this will apply in contested actions on the resistor’s part. Sample reflexive action: Resisting a contested roll, resisting a supernatural power, such as a Gift.
Contested Action: When two characters fight over a specific goal, the action is contested. Both players (or the player and the GM) roll dice pools. The challenger subtracts the resistor’s successes from their own. If the challenger has one or more sucesses, they win the contest. A contested action takes up the turn of the challenger. The resistor does so with a reflexive action and does not use up their turn.
Exceptional Success rules apply first - if you rolled 5 successes and the other player rolled 3, you still rolled an exceptional success but the total successes count is 2.
Extended Action: Extended actions require multiple turns and dice rolls. Each turn represents a step in the process over a period of time. Dice pool is determined as normal - Attribute + Skill + Modifiers. The max number of turns you can roll is determined by Attribute + Skill + Specialty (if any). The GM determines how many successes are required to succeed; most extended actions require between 5 and 20 successes.
Number of Successes |
Level of Difficulty |
5 |
Reasonable action, you got the touch, you got the power |
10 |
Difficult action, don’t try this at home, kids |
20 |
Very Difficult action even for skilled characters |
Initiative
Basic Initiative
The first thing after declarations of player intentions is determining Initiative, done in two steps:
1. Determine Initiative
Roll 1d10 + Initiative Modifier (Dexterity + Wits) - Weapon Initiative Modifier (if any)
2. Apply Weapon Initiative Penalty
Wielders of weapons will apply the item’s Initiative Modifier to their Initiative score when determining Initiative. The only change is if the character chooses to drop their weapon. This is a reflexive action. They must use their instant action if they want to pick the weapon back up.
Dual Wielders
Subtract the largest Weapon Initiative Modifier and reduce by an extra -1.
Example: Wielding a baton (Init penalty -2) and riot shield (Init penalty -4) results in a -5 penalty when calculating Initiative.
Surprise
In the case of a surprise attack, the target of the ambush gets a chance to detect the attack. The intended Target rolls Wits + Composure vs. Attacker’s Dexterity + Stealth.
If successful, proceed with normal Initiative. If failed, the ambushed victim cannot take any action (including Dodge) in that turn of combat and cannot apply Defense for that turn.
Second turn returns to normal combat rules.
Willpower
Willpower cannot be spent to add to Initiative.
Delayed Action
After Initiative order is determined, a player can choose to delay their action for that turn. This is often done so a character can survey what others will do and then act. A delayed action can be taken at any time during a turn of combat. When the delayed action is taken, that character acts in the same Initiative order for the rest of the fight. If the delayed action is held so long that the turn ends, the character may use their action in the next turn at any time, but their Initiative resets to the original order for subsequent turns.
Attack
Basic Attacks
When a character declares an attack, they use an instant action. The action uses their turn in combat. All dice pools are determined by Attribute + Skill (- Target’s Defense). Below is a chart for different attack types.
Attack Type |
Dice Pool |
Unarmed Combat |
Strength + Brawl - Target's Defense |
Melee Combat |
Strength + Weaponry - Target's Defense |
Ranged Combat |
Dexterity + Firearms |
Thrown Weapons |
Dexterity + Athletics - Target's Defense |
Willpower
A Willpower point may be spent to add +3 Modifier to the player’s attack dice pool.
Advanced Attacks
General Attack Modifiers
A player might choose to modify their attack to do any number of actions such as go on an all-out attack, or focus their strike on a particular body part to inflict a Tilt. Below is a list of applicable Modifiers.
Changing Position or Movement
In combat, characters that move across the field to change position, meet an enemy on the field, retreat, or any other sort of movement can:
* Move at Speed rating in a single turn and still take an instant action
* Double their Speed in a single turn and not take an action
During an attack action, a character can instead sacrifice their Defense to commit to an All-Out Attack, adding +2 to their attack dice pool. The sacrifice of Defense means for any subsequent attacks in the round, the character is Defense 0 and cannot Dodge.
When there is no cover on the battlefield, a character can Go Prone to make themselves a smaller target against Ranged attacks. Going prone has its advantages and disadvantages:
* Ranged attacks (Firearms or Thrown Weapons) have -2 modifier to attack the character
* Brawl or Weaponry users gain +2 modifier to attack the character
Going Prone takes up an instant action. Getting up from being prone takes another instant action.
A character can attempt to attack a specific part of their opponent in order to inflict a Tilt. The attack dice pool takes a penalty modifier reflecting the difficulty of hit. The strike must meet the requirements listed to successfully inflict the Tilt:
Strike Point |
Modifier |
Requirement |
Tilt |
Arm |
-1 |
Inflict Damage greater than target's Stamina |
Arm Wrack |
Leg |
-2 |
Inflict Damage greater than target's Stamina |
Leg Wrack |
Head |
-3 |
Inflict any Damage |
Stun |
Hand |
-4 |
Inflict any Damage |
Arm Wrack |
Eye |
-5 |
Inflict any Damage |
Blinded |
A character choosing to line up a Killing Blow does the following:
* Ignore victim's Armor and Defense rating
* Deal damage equal to Full dice pool + Weapons Modifier
* For humans (and possibly some Garou), inflicting a Killing Blow is a Breaking Point whether or not the victim survives
Unarmed Combat
Touch
Touch or tap the opponent and deal no damage. This could be used to plant a bug, tap a sparring opponent with a weapon, or establish physical touch as required to activate a supernatural power.
Roll Dexterity + Brawl or Dexterity + Weaponry. A successful roll deals no damage.
Bite
Attacking with teeth involves the Unarmed Combat attack including the possible requirement of a Grapple and Damage move. Some animals and Garou forms have added modifiers and no requirement for a Grapple move. See below table for examples:
Teeth of |
Weapon Damage Modifier |
Human |
-1, Bashing damage, Grapple required and use Damage move |
Glabro |
+0, Lethal damage, Grapple required and use Damage move |
Crinos |
+2, Lethal damage, No Grapple required, Can establish Grapple, increase Initiative +3 |
Hispo |
+2, Lethal damage, No Grapple required, Can establish Grapple |
Lupus |
+1, Lethal damage, No Grapple required |
Cow! |
+0 Bashing damage, No Grapple required |
Piranha! |
+0, Lethal damage, Grapple required and use Damage move |
Bear! |
+2, Lethal damage, No Grapple required |
Shark! |
+4, Lethal damage, No Grapple required |
T-Rex! |
+5, Lethal damage, No Grapple required |
Disarm
This takes a contested action to disarm an opponent of their weapon if it is possible to do so. You cannot, for example, disarm someone’s teeth (breaking them is a totally different action). But you can disarm them of the knife blade held in between their teeth!
Character rolls Strength + Brawl vs Opponent’s Strength + Athletics
Roll Outcome |
Result |
Success |
Character disarms the opponent who drops the weapon |
Failure |
Character cannot disarm the opponent |
Exceptional Success |
Character takes possession of the weapon |
Dramatic Failure |
Character takes damage equal to Weapon’s Modifier |
Grapple
Grappling can be considered a complex set of moves over a course of turns. To establish a grapple, follow these steps:
1. Grab the opponent: Roll Strength + Brawl - Defense. Success means the two characters are grappling.
2. Make a Move: Exceptional Success allows the character to perform a move from the table below. The move is considered reflexive and does not need an extra action.
3. The Next Move: In the next turns, the grappling characters act on the turn of the higher of the two characters’ Initiatives. They make a contested roll: Strength + Brawl vs Strength + Brawl. The winner picks 1 move from the move list. If the winner has an exceptional success, they pick 2 moves.
Grapple Move List
Move |
Description |
Damage |
Break Free |
Character throws off opponent and is no longer in Grapple. This is a reflexive action, so the Character is free to do a new instant action. |
No damage |
Control Weapon |
Character takes possession of the opponent’s weapon, such as drawing a gun from a holster or grabbing a sword. |
No damage |
Damage |
Deal Bashing damage to the opponent equal to the number of rolled successes. If Control Weapon was used earlier, you can add the Weapon Modifer. |
Bashing + any Lethal or Weapon Modifier if any |
Disarm |
Discards the opponent’s weapon from availability for use in the grapple. Must use Control Weapon move first. |
No damage |
Drop Prone |
Character and opponent both hit the dirt and use Going Prone rules. Break Free move must be used first to get up. |
No damage |
Hold |
Character holds the opponent in place. No Defense can be used by either side. |
No damage |
Restrain |
Opponent suffers Immobilized Tilt. Must use Hold move first. If equipment is used to Restrain the opponent, the Character can leave the grapple as a reflexive action. |
No damage |
Take Cover |
Use the Opponent as a Human Shield. Any ranged attacks automatically hit the opponent’s body. |
Damage from outside attacks |
Ranged Combat
Ranged Combat involves Firearms or Thrown Weapons. These attacks require a little bit of math, but if you're thus far dedicated, proceed! When figuring out roll modifiers, for a Firearms attack, you must consider:
1. What is the range of the weapon versus the Target's position?
2. Is the character going to focus their fire by Aiming?
3. Is the character under any cover or concealment?
4. If applicable, what firing method (Auto Fire) are they using?
5. What is the Weapons Modifier (to deal damage)?
Use this basic layout to determine your Ranged Combat dice pool:
Type |
Starting Dice |
Target’s Defense |
Range Mod |
Aiming Mod (optional) |
Cover Mod (optional) |
Auto Fire Mod (optional) |
Total! |
Firearm |
Dex + Firearms |
0 (Human), Variable (Supernatural) |
0/-1/-2 |
+1/+2/+3 |
0/-1/-2 |
+1/+2(-# of Targets)/+3(-# of Targets) |
|
Thrown |
Dex + Athletics |
-Target's Defense |
0/-1/-2 |
+1/+2/+3 |
0/-1/-2 |
0 |
|
The Firearms Chart is by no means a complete listing of all types of firearms weaponry in game. You can use the chart as a base for GMing and designing custom weaponry. When talking about Weapons Modifiers, this may refer to multiple items depending on what is being rolled.
Definitions:
Damage: Firearms have a Lethal Damage rating against ordinary opponents, and may vary against supernatural opponents. Also known as Weapons Bonus or Weapons Modifier.
Range: Range indicates how far a weapon can be fired. Depending on distance, apply the modifier.
Clip: How many shots a weapon can hold. The “+1” indicates a round can be held in the chamber. Auto Fire options may use up ammo more quickly.
Initiative: Penalty to Initiative. The bigger and bulkier the weapon, the larger the penalty.
Strength: Can you even lift that gun? Minimum Strength needed to wield the weapon properly. A character with lower Strength rating than needed suffers a -1 penalty to their roll.
Size: Size 1 = Weapon can be held in one hand and hidden in a coat. 2 = Must wield with both hands but can be hidden. 3 = Two-handed wielding, cannot be hidden.
Type |
Damage |
Range (S/M/L) |
Clip |
Initiative |
Strength |
Size |
Revolver, Lt |
1 |
20/40/80 |
6 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
Revolver, Hvy |
2 |
35/70/140 |
6 |
-2 |
3 |
1 |
Pistol, Lt |
1 |
20/40/80 |
17+1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
Pistol, Hvy |
2 |
30/60/120 |
7+1 |
-2 |
3 |
1 |
SMG, small * |
1 |
25/50/100 |
30+1 |
-2 |
2 |
1 |
SMG, large * |
2 |
50/100/200 |
30+1 |
-3 |
3 |
2 |
Rifle |
4 |
200/400/800 |
5+1 |
-5 |
2 |
3 |
Rifle, assault * |
3 |
150/300/600 |
42+1 |
-3 |
3 |
3 |
Shotgun ** |
3 |
20/40/80 |
5+1 |
-4 |
3 |
2 |
Crossbow *** |
2 |
40/80/160 |
1 |
-5 |
3 |
3 |
* Weapon is capable of Auto Fire in short, medium or long bursts
** Weapon has a 9-again quality
*** Crossbows take 3 turns to Reload. It’s a complicated weapon to wield but hey, it can shoot stakes (-3 penalty to attack; must deal 5+ damage in one attack).
Range
Every weapon has a listed Short, Medium and Long Range. Range in the described in number of yards/meters. The following chart shows dice pool modifiers when using ranged attacks:
Range Type |
Dice Modifier |
Short |
0 |
Medium |
-1 |
Long |
-2 |
And Beyond |
Roll Chance Die |
Firearms in Close Combat
A Firearm that is larger than Size 1 is too large to accurately fire in close combat. In close combat, the targets Defense against Firearms is the Firearm's Size +1. When using a Firearm larger than Size 1 as a bludgeoning weapon, treat it as a Crowbar-type weapon.
Thrown Weapons
A character can only throw an object with a Size no larger than his Strength.
A thrown object has the following range limits and dice pool modifier:
Range Type |
Determine Range |
Dice Modifier |
Short |
Strength + Dexterity + Athletics - Object Size x1* |
0 |
Medium |
(Short Range) x2* |
-1 |
Long |
(Short Range) x4* |
-2 |
And Beyond |
Chance Die |
0 |
* An Aerodynamic object doubles the multiplier, so Short Range has x2, Medium Range has x4, Long Range has x8.
Aiming
Aiming uses an instant action. For every turn spent aiming, add +1 to the dice pool for the next turn. The character can spend up to 3 turns aiming for a max +3 modifier. If at any time the character must use Defense, they lose their bonus modifier and must start over.
Cover and Concealment
A character can be hiding behind protective cover during combat. Attempts to shoot a concealed character take a concealment modifier penalty to the attacker’s dice pool. If a character attempts to shoot back from their hiding spot, they take a counterattack modifier 1 less than the cover level.
Cover |
Concealment Modifier |
Counterattack Modifier |
Example |
Bare |
-1 |
0 |
Behind an office chair, body mostly still exposed |
Partial |
-2 |
-1 |
Behind a car hood with upper body exposed |
Substantial |
-3 |
-2 |
Crouched behind a car |
Durability of Cover: A character under Substantial Cover gets the benefit of the object’s Durability rating using the following table:
Durability Rating |
Effect |
More than Weapons Modifier |
Bullets do not penetrate cover. No damage dealt to character. |
Less than Weapons Modifier |
Subtract Durability rating from Attacker’s damage roll. Object and character take the remaining damage. Cover’s Durability rating goes down. |
If Cover Is Transparent |
Subtract Half Durability rating (rounded down) from Attacker’s damage roll. Object and character take the remaining damage. Cover’s Durability rating goes down. |
Human Shields: Taking another person as a human shield treats them as Substantial Cover with a Durability rating of the victim’s Stamina + any armor. The victim takes all of the damage from any attack. Using a Human Shield who dies from an attack will most likely result in a roll for a Breaking Point (Resolve + Composure + Integrity modifier) with an added severe (-3) modifier.
Auto Fire
Certain weapons can automatically fire more than one bullet at a time. Auto Fire cannot be used when Aiming. Depending on the number of targets, the resulting dice pool may vary.
Duration |
Effect |
Short |
+1 Attack dice pool. Single Target only. Uses 3 bullets. |
Medium |
+2 Attack dice pool. Up to 3 Targets. If shooting more than one target, subtract number of Targets from the dice pool, then roll one attack per Target. Uses 10 bullets. |
Long |
+3 Attack dice pool. No limit to Targets. If shooting more than one target, subtract number of Targets from the dice pool, then roll one attack per Target. Uses 20 bullets. |
Reloading A Firearm
Reloading takes an instant action. If the character has to reload bullets separately, she cannot apply her Defense towards incoming attacks. If the character has a speed loader or magazine, she does not lose her Defense.
Crossbows
If the character needs to reload a Crossbow, they must take 3 turns to Reload. Reloading rules as above apply.
Defense
Basic Defense
Defense is calculated by the lower stat between Dexterity or Wits + Athletics. For Garou, Defense may increase in other forms.
Apply Defense when:
1. A character is aware of an attack. Characters who fail the Surprise roll cannot use Defense in that turn.
2. Subtract Defense from the Attacker’s dice pool in situations of Unarmed, Melee or Thrown Weapons attacks.
Firearms: Mortal, Kinfolk, Homid form Garou and Lupus form Garou do not apply Defense to attacks using Firearms. A Garou in appropriate shifted forms (Glabro, Crinos, Hispo) can apply Defense to Firearms attacks.
Willpower: Spend Willpower to increase Defense by +2, but only against one attacker.
Defense Against Multiple Attacks: In each turn, the character can use Defense against an attack. Their Defense lowers by -1 for every following attack in the same turn.
Split Defense: A character may choose to strategically not apply Defense to some attacks. However, it is important to note that even though you could split your Defense, the -1 multiple opponent attack modifier could accumulate drastically.
Example: Hero-A has Defense 5 and is facing off against 2 Goons and 1 Mini Boss. They may choose to let the 2 Goons get in their hits (effectively having Defense 0 against the two Goons) and instead apply their full Defense (5) against the Mini Boss attack. There is no penalty for using full Defense against Mini Boss even though the Mini Boss attack comes third.
Example 2: Hero-B has Defense 5 and is facing off against 1 Anklebiter, 2 Goons, 1 SuperGoon and 1 Mini Boss. If Hero-B applies his Defense to only part of the opponents (SuperGoon and Mini Boss) then his Defense rating becomes:
- 5 against Anklebiter
- 5 against Goon A
- 5 against Goon B
- 4 against SuperGoon (-1 mod)
- 3 against Mini Boss (-2 mod)
In this example, Hero-B can spend 1 Willpower to increase his Defense +2 against Mini Boss, bringing the Defense rating back to 5.
Dodge
Any time before performing an instant action, the character can choose instead to Dodge incoming attacks. This uses up the character’s action for the turn. If Defense does not apply, such as with Firearms attacks, the character cannot Dodge.
Steps for Dodging:
1. Double the character’s Defense for that turn. Do Not subtract the new Defense number from attack rolls.
2. Roll the new Defense number as a dice pool.
3. Subtract the number of successes from the attacker’s successes.
4. If the number of Dodge successes reduces Attack successes to 0, the attack does no damage. The number of Dodge successes is applied BEFORE weapon bonuses.
Dodging Multiple Opponents
1. For every extra attacker in the same turn, reduce Defense by one BEFORE doubling the number.
2. If the Defense pool is 0, roll a Chance die.
3. If the result is Dramatic Failure, the character is left off-balance and their Defense next turn is -1.
Example: Hero has Defense 5 and is facing off against 1 Anklebiter, 2 Goons, and 1 Mini Boss. Hero announces she's using her action to Dodge the incoming attacks. Her Dodge ratings against each opponent become:
- 10 (5x2) against Anklebiter
- 8 (4x2) against Goon A (-1 mod)
- 6 (3x2) against Goon B (-2 mod)
- 4 (2x2) against Mini Boss (-3 mod)
In this example, Hero can spend 1 Willpower to increase her Defense +2 against one opponent. She chooses Mini Boss. Defense 5 -3 modifier +2 from Willpower = 4. Doubling this number brings the Dodge dice pool up to 8.
Dodge and Defense In Tandem
BONUS ROUND! Ok, so you’re surrounded and it’s not looking good, but you say, you know what looks good? Me, Cool Badass, dodging and defending against all the Goon Platoon’s attacks during my turn. Like a Cool Badass. And here’s how you do it:
First, things to note:
1. Defense is a Reflexive Action so it does not take up your turn to defend against attacks (unless you’re up against Firearms attacks and you cannot apply Defense, you mere mortal.)
2. Dodge is an Instant Action and will take up the turn. You cannot perform other instant actions while Dodging.
3. When defending or dodging against multiple opponents, you must apply a -1 modifier per extra attacker.
4. You may choose to strategically defend or dodge against attacks.
5. You may spend only 1 Willpower per turn to add +2 to Defense dice only against 1 attacker.
Declare your intentions of who you will Dodge and who you will Defend against. However, once you start either Dodge or Defense in the turn, the multiple attacker modifier begins to apply.
Example: Dottie is surrounded. She’s got Defense 5, and she’s facing off against 3 Anklebiters, 2 Goons, 1 SuperGoon and 1 Mini Boss. It’s not looking good, Dottie! After assessing the threats, Dottie declares she will be Dodging in her turn, and forgoes any other actions such as an attack. She is not going to Defend against the Anklebiters, and only apply her Defense against the Goons. She declares Dodge versus the SuperGoon and Mini Boss. Her breakdown goes like this, assuming the Goon Platoon’s Initiative follows in the same order as listed:
Opponent |
Defense |
Dodge Pool |
Anklebiter 1 |
0 |
|
Anklebiter 2 |
0 |
|
Anklebiter 3 |
0 |
|
Goon 1 |
5 |
|
Goon 2 |
4 (-1 mod) |
|
SuperGoon |
|
10 |
Mini Boss |
|
8 (-1 mod) |
If in this scenario, Dottie decides to spend Willpower to add +2 to her Defense against Mini Boss, she instead gets a 12 Dodge dice pool: (((Defense 5 -1 mod) +2 from WP) x2)
Also, if in the scenario the Initiative order of attackers changed so the SuperGoon attacks before the Goons, this does not change the Defense/Dodge pool for Dottie. Defense and Dodge pool should be kept in separate modifier lists rather than an added cumulative.
Resolution
Determining Damage
Once the attack stage is passed, the last stage is resolution. Calculate the damage done by determining the following:
- How many successes were obtained?
- Add Weapons Bonus, if needed. All Weapons damage is Lethal. If no Weapon is involved, the damage is Bashing.
- Is the target wearing Armor? If so, subtract Armor rating from damage. The Armored Target always takes 1 Bashing level if the damage dealt has Lethal.
- Is there an applicable Tilt due to Specified Target?
Once you have determined these, add the Number of Successes and Weapons Bonus.
Types of Damage
Damage can be broken down into three types depending on the severity:
Bashing: The most common type of damage taken during unarmed combat. This type of damage knocks the character unconscious. Bashing Damage is marked in Health boxes with a backslash (\). Abbreviated to: nB (n = number of successes in attack)
Lethal: More serious than Bashing, this stuff will put you on the road to the Reaper. All Weapons do Lethal damage. Lethal Damage is marked in Health boxes with an X (X). Abbreviated to: nL (n = number of successes in attack)
Aggravated: The worst kind of damage, you're soon to be Knocking on Heaven's Door. Most don't come back from this without serious medical attention or healing. Even then, this type of damage leaves lasting scars. Aggravated Damage is marked in Health boxes with an asterisk (*). Abbreviated to: nA (n = number of successes in attack)
Weapons
Improvised Weapons
Wielding an Improvised weapon creates -1 penalty to attack rolls, cumulative to other penalties (such as off-hand or Strength wield penalties). In addition, the improvised weapon takes damage and reduces its Structure (the item's "Health" calculated by Durability + Size) equal to the number of successes on the attack roll. Once the weapon takes more damage (type does not matter in this case) than its Durability rating, the wielder suffers another -1 penalty. When the Structure of the weapon reaches 0, it is rendered unusable and destroyed.
To create an improvised weapon, there are two methods:
* Select a weapon type in the chart that is closest to the improvised weapon and use those stats
* Create stats for the item. The weapon does Durability-1 Lethal damage and has a Initiative Penalty and Strength requirement equal to the weapon's Size.
Durability / Size Chart for your pleasure (and reference):
Type of Material |
Durability Rating |
Size |
Example |
Wood, Hard plastic, Thick Glass |
1 |
1 |
Billy Club / Light Pistol |
Stone, Light Metal (Aluminum) |
2 |
2 |
Crowbar / Small Machine Gun |
Steel, Heavy Metal (Forged Iron) |
3 |
3 |
Broadsword / Rifle |
Reinforced Layers |
+1 |
4 |
Spear length |
Weapons Chart
When determining Damage, add the Weapon Damage Rating (aka Weapon Bonus) to a successful attack roll. Weapons always deal Lethal damage no matter if it's a blunt object like brass knuckles, or an edged weapon like a sword. In some cases, a Weapon has an added effect, such as establishing a Grapple on a successful attack. Note: This Melee Weapons Chart is by no means comprehensive and intended to be guidelines. GMs feel free to adjust as necessary to your scene.
Definitions
Type: The general class of weapon.
Damage: Upon a successful attack roll, add this number for Lethal damage, even if the damage is originally Bashing. Lethal Damage rating against ordinary opponents, and may vary against supernatural opponents. Also known as Weapons Bonus or Weapons Modifier.
Initiative: Penalty to Initiative. The bigger and bulkier the weapon, the larger the penalty.
Strength: Minimum Strength needed to wield the weapon properly. A character with lower Strength rating than needed suffers a -1 penalty to their roll.
Size: Size 1 = Weapon can be held in one hand and hidden in a coat. 2 = Must wield with both hands but can be hidden. 3 = Two-handed wielding, cannot be hidden.
Special: Some weapons have a special effect or requirement for wielding it, defined below:
Concealed: Using this item allows a character to take Cover with it.
Grapple: This weapon can establish a Grapple, and its damage rating added to successes when using the Damage move.
Stun: Halve the target's Size when aiming for the head to inflict the Stun Tilt.
Two-Handed: The weapon must be wielded with both hands, or add a -1 penalty for wielding the weapon one-handed.
Type |
Damage |
Initiative |
Strength |
Size |
Special |
Sap Gloves |
0 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
Stun |
Brass Knuckles |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
Uses Brawl to attack |
Baton / Club |
1 |
-1 |
2 |
2 |
|
Crowbar |
2 |
-2 |
2 |
2 |
|
Tire Iron |
1 |
-3 |
2 |
2 |
+1 Defense |
Chain |
1 |
-3 |
2 |
2 |
Grapple |
Shield, small |
0 |
-2 |
2 |
2 |
Concealed, substantial |
Shield, large |
2 |
-4 |
3 |
2 |
Concealed, full |
Knife |
1 |
-1 |
1 |
1 |
|
Rapier |
1 |
-1 |
1 |
2 |
Armor Piercing 1 |
Sword, one-handed |
2 |
-2 |
2 |
2 |
Armor Piercing 1, 9-again |
Sword, two-handed |
3 |
-4 |
3 |
3 |
Armor Piercing 2, 9-again, Two-handed |
Hatchet |
1 |
-2 |
1 |
1 |
|
Fire Axe |
3 |
-4 |
3 |
3 |
9-again, two-handed |
Stake1 |
0/5 |
-1/-4 |
1 |
1 |
Specified Target (Heart) |
Spear2 |
2 |
-2 |
2 |
4 |
+1 Defense, two-handed |
Stun Gun3 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Stun, deal only 1L damage |
1 A Stake listed on this chart that is targeting the heart (-1 Initiative and -3 penalty for Specified Target) deals at least 5 damage in one attack. Targeting other body parts results in 0L weapon bonus and -1 Initiative penalty.
2 The reach of a spear gives +1 Defense bonus against unarmed opponents or opponents wielding Size 1 weapons.
3 Stun guns only deal 1L damage and do not add extra successes to damage dealt.
Garou Damage Chart
With different forms, Garou gain special modifiers for Initiative and Attacks using their teeth or claws. An expanded chart can also be found in the
Werewolf Primer: Forms. In some cases, a Gift or Merit may negate or enhance the damage done by a certain form.
|
Homid |
Glabro |
Crinos |
Hispo |
Lupus |
Strength |
|
+1 |
+3 |
+2 |
|
Dexterity |
|
|
+1 |
+2 |
+2 |
Stamina |
|
+1 |
+2 |
+2 |
+1 |
Size |
|
+1 |
+2 |
+1 |
-1 |
Health1 |
|
+2 |
+4 |
+3 |
|
Initiative1 |
|
|
+42 |
+2 |
+2 |
Speed1 |
|
+1 |
+6 |
+83 |
+43 |
Bite damage |
-1 |
|
+2 |
+2 |
+1 |
Claw damage |
n/a |
|
+2 |
+1 |
|
Def vs Firearms? |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
1 Derived from the other stats, does not stack.
2 +1 from Dex, and +3 when using teeth or claws.
3 Includes a species speed factor of +3
Armor
Wearing Armor adds a layer of protection for characters from attacks. Each armor has two ratings: General and Firearms. If an armor has a number in both ratings, subtract damage from the Firearms rating first. When an armored character takes Lethal damage, they always take 1 Bashing level due to the shock of the hit.
Armor Piercing
Weapons that have an Armor Piercing quality subtract from the Firearms armor rating, then General armor rating. If a fight involving Armor Piercing weapons is in close combat (such as a sword duel or Control Weapon/Damage move in a Grapple), subtract only from General armor.
Definitions
Type: Class or description of the armor
Rating: Subtract the armor rating according to the provided number. Listed as General Rating/Firearms Rating.
Strength: Minimum Strength needed to wear the armor. If the character's Strength is lower than the requirement, the character suffers -1 to both Brawl and Weaponry pools.
Defense: The penalty on the character's Defense when wearing the Armor.
Speed: The penalty on the character's Speed when wearing the Armor.
Coverage: The parts of the character that can be protected by the Armor. If wearing a helmet, the coverage includes the character's head.
Type |
Rating |
Strength |
Defense |
Speed |
Coverage |
Reinforced Clothing1 |
1/0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Torso, arms, legs |
Kevlar Vest1 |
1/3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Torso |
Flak Jacket |
2/4 |
1 |
-1 |
0 |
Torso, arms |
Full Riot Gear |
3/5 |
2 |
-2 |
-1 |
Torso, arms, legs |
Leather (hard) |
2/0 |
2 |
-1 |
0 |
Torso, arms |
Chainmail |
3/1 |
3 |
-2 |
-2 |
Torso, arms |
Plate |
4/2 |
3 |
-2 |
-3 |
Torso, arms, legs |
1 The armor can be concealed, either as normal clothing (e.g.: biker leathers) or being worn under a jacket or baggy shirt.
Health and Consciousness
Basic Health
A character's Health rating determines how many levels of damage they can sustain before suffer from losing consciousness or in the extreme case, death. A character may have temporary Health boxes such as in the case of Garou forms. When marking damage, the levels are marked left to right with the most severe damage on the left. When healing damage, the levels are erased from right to left, healed from the least severe to most severe.
Staying Conscious and Death
When a character's Health boxes are filled with Bashing damage, they must make a reflexive Stamina roll at the beginning of each round to stay conscious. If they fail, they lose consciousness and cannot act in that round and subsequent turns until awakened.
If a character's Health boxes are filled with Lethal damage, they must receive medical attention or else suffer 1 level of damage per minute (GM's discretion how long said minute lasts in # of turns). Each level of damage taken upgrades the damage from Lethal to Aggravated.
If a character's Health boxes are filled with Aggravated damage, they are dead. :(
Advanced Health
Below are extra conditions pertaining to characters' Health and penalties suffered when they are injured.
Wound Penalties
When a character takes a lot of damage, they may suffer from Wound Penalties. This subtracts from their dice pools on all actions including Initiative rolls, but not on reflexive Stamina rolls to stay conscious.
Health Boxes Marked |
Penalty |
3rd to last |
-1 |
2nd to last |
-2 |
Last |
-3 |
Example: A character's Health rating is 5. They get into a brawl at a bar and have taken 4B (4 points of Bashing) damage. Their Health boxes look like:
The character now suffers a -2 penalty to all action rolls including Initiative.
If the character takes another point of Bashing and fills all their Health boxes, they must make a Stamina roll to stay conscious. The wound penalty does not apply to their Stamina roll.
Upgrading Damage
If a character's Health boxes are filled up, the next level of damage upgrades the leftmost box to the next severe type of damage. So if a character's Health is 5 and they already have 5B damage, if they take another 2B, the leftmost boxes upgrade in severity to 2L and 3B. If the character's Health boxes are filled with Lethal damage, then the next levels of damage upgrade the leftmost boxes to Aggravated damage. Remember, the character also suffers from Wound Penalties for Initiative and taking actions, and they must make a reflexive Stamina roll to remain conscious when their Health boxes are filled.
Example of Marking Damage
Dottie's fight with the Goon Platoon begins. She has 7 Health, giving her 7 boxes. After the 1st round, she takes a point of Bashing damage from the Anklebiter. She has 1B. Her Health boxes look like this:
After the second round, Dottie takes a point of Lethal damage. She fills in her Health boxes with the most severe damage on the left most box first. The Bashing damage is pushed to the right. Dottie now has 1L, 1B.
After the third round, Dottie takes a point of Aggravated damage, and again fills the boxes with the most severe damage on the left, pushing the less severe damage to the right. She now has 1A, 1L, 1B.
Temporary Health
Some characters, like Garou, gain extra temporary Health boxes. When a character takes damage in an enhanced form and then shifts to a form where the temporary Health wears off, the damage taken is marked by upgrading the leftmost boxes with the remaining damage, upgrading the damage as necessary.
Example: Dottie shifts to Crinos and has 11 Health boxes and sustains 9L. When she shifts back to Homid, her Health boxes drops to 7 (losing her +4 Health), all of them filled with Lethal damage. The remaining 2L will upgrade the 2 leftmost boxes to Aggravated damage, leaving her with 2A and 7L. (Dottie, please, get to a doctor!)
Human characters heal injuries from the right most Health box (the least severe injury) first. The damage type does not downgrade; treat each damage level as its own independent heal time. The speed of healing is noted with the chart:
Damage Type |
Heal Time |
Bashing |
15 minutes |
Lethal |
2 days |
Aggravated |
1 week |
So if Dottie's Health boxes from the Marking Damage example is 1A, 1L, 1B then her healing time becomes a little over a week and 2 days, with the Bashing damage healing first, then the Lethal, then the Aggravated damage. If a Tilt or Condition was inflicted, that is resolved with its own requirements.
Garou Regeneration
In Crinos form, a Garou regenerates all Bashing and Lethal damage in each round! In all other forms, the Garou heals the same time as humans.
Medical Care
Medical Care is an extended action requiring the number of successes equal to the patient's level of damage:
* In the field or ER, roll: Dexterity + Medicine, intervals of one minute per turn
* In the hospital or similar medical facility, roll: Intelligence + Medicine, intervals of one hour
Success: Restore 1 Bashing in addition to any healing done on the patient's own power
Conditions that are a result of failing these rolls usually afflict the patient rather than the physician.
Round-the-clock, Intensive Care can be applied to downgrade damage by one degree. Roll: Intelligence + Medicine in an extended roll with each interval taking one hour. The most severe wounds are treated first, so Aggravated damage is the first to be downgraded to Lethal, then Lethal to Bashing. No more than one wound may be treated per day of treatment. This treatment only downgrades wounds; it does not heal them. A patient must heal the downgraded wounds by themselves or seek another form of treatment.
Downgrade Type |
Successes Needed |
Aggravated to Lethal |
10 |
Lethal to Bashing |
5 |
Tilts and Conditions
Tilts
Tilts are specialized effects applied only during Combat. A character does not take a Beat if affected by a Tilt, but a Tilt can turn into a Condition after the combat ends. If a Condition isn't resolved before combat begins again, a similar Tilt may apply.
Tilts come in two forms: Personal and Environmental. Personal Tilts affect only the character and can be resolved. Environmental Tilts affect all characters in the scene and its effects can be mitigated depending on the actions and abilities of the characters.
Tilts List
Conditions
Conditions are applicable outside of combat and could become Tilts during combat. In addition, Exceptional Successes can add a beneficial Condition (most commonly the Inspired Condition).
Conditions List
Get Down and Get Dirty
Sometimes, initiating combat might be detrimental to the pacing of the scene or it is an incidental moment in the overall action. The GM may want to get through the fight as quickly as possible to move to the next goal. For this, there is the option of Down and Dirty Combat. This system shortcut resolves the fight in a single round of contested action rolls.
For the purposes of this roll, the GM decides what the dice pool will be. Each side rolls the determined dice pool. No Defense needs to be calculated when determining successes.
Combat Dice Pool Examples |
Typical Roll Results |
Bar Brawl: Strength + Brawl |
Dramatic Failure: The opponent gets the upper hand. |
Shootout: Dexterity + Firearms |
Failure: The opponent wins the contest. Deal damage equal to the difference in successes plus weapon modifier. The opponent also escapes unless they wish to continue combat. |
Sword Duel: Strength + Weaponry |
Success: The character wins the contest. Deal damage equal to difference in successes plus weapon modifier. Character achieves their intent. |
Harrowing Escape: Strength or Dexterity + Athletics |
Exceptional Success: The character gains a point of Willpower from the rush of inflicting violence on an inferior opponent. |
Set the Stage
A GM's Guide to Combat Scene Management
As noted above, there is listed three stages of combat:
1. Initiative
2. Attack/Defense
3. Resolution
While you can keep that in mind, the chart should probably look more like this:
1. GM Setting Pose
2. Player Attempt Poses
3. GM Panics, aka Stall Time
4. GM finally makes a decision, 10 minutes later, and actually reads the player poses.
5. GM figures out success or failure, with much GM failure to type.
6. GM starts to type GM pose that takes about 20 minutes.
7. Players go AFK to use the restroom. Or cook dinner. Or shower.
8. Players who need to work the next day page about puppeting and disconnect.
9. GM presses Enter and sends GM pose.
10. GM pages damage levels. 15 minutes later, after reading what they've written in the actual results pose.
11. Rinse, Repeat. Oh, don't forget, you probably should have showered before starting the scene, since by the end of it you'll be wanting to smash your face in a pillow for 8 hours.
Now don't be intimidated. There are ways for a GM to streamline the process of running a combat scene. It comes down to some hard decision making, sacrifices, compromises, willingness to go with the story flow and most of all the driving need to do just One Thing: HAVE FUN. In order to do this, first the GM must get a pair.
Of dice, silly.
No matter what kind of dice you have, the best kind are the ones you feel most comfortable using. You could use d10s like the system was designed to do. Or could you use d6s for an element of chance when freeform GMing that doesn't adhere to the system mechanics. What you're looking for is a system you're comfortable with, and as the Golden Rule states: Do whatever you want, just have fun.
Dice: Rolling In Your Grave
To roll dice or not to roll dice, that is the biggest question. For were we to suffer the slowness of combat rounds, and slog through pages and packposes, could we not as GMs simply freeform and end them… Ok enough of that. We're running a combat scene, not trying to be the next Bill Shakespeare.
In regards to whether or not to use dice, let's weigh our options here.
Option 1: Dice, No!
GMs are given a great opportunity to do the unprecedented act of throwing out the need for numbers and just going for guts and story. The option of freeform RPed combat has both advantages and disadvantages, in that You the GM get to decide the be all and end all of the results. But what about the stats? What about background info, Aspirations, Breaking Points, and, and…? What if the players organize a lynch mob to hunt you down and slay you for having their characters fail miserably? Well my friends, that comes with the territory of freeform RP.
As a GM doing freeform, you are wholly responsible for the scene's results because you're determining everything. Players put their faith and trust in you to act out your scene by your rules. The only thing is, when you're using your own rules, sometimes a little bit more than just a little bit of bias can creep into the scene itself. Keeping your OOC out of your IC can be difficult for a freeform RP, when a GM has certain things she wants to have done versus what the players are doing to influence the flow of the scene. For a GM to completely negate the player actions all in favor of having an event happen, especially when it makes no sense to anyone but the GM, things start to become less fun. And we don't like that, as players, and sometimes as GMs. It is a GM's duty and responsibility to ensure the flow of the scene makes sense, especially in combat. In order to do that, the GM who does freeform often must have copious notes (at the very least in their head), descriptive poses, a creative imagination and above all a willingness to work with the players in coming up with an awesome combat scene.
Freeform can be a great way to get through a combat scene without having to be bogged down by mechanics and dice. It's freeing to not have to worry about initiative rolls, attack rolls, dodge rolls, roflcopters, sushi rolls, or any other kind of rolling you can think of. All those mechanics often wind up bogging down a scene that is already slow enough, especially in a large combat arena. This is why stating the intentions at the beginning of the scene can often aid in leading to a resolution that can be simply RP'd out without the need for dice rolls.
There will definitely be times that you want to say, "SCREW THIS! I'll do it My way!" to game mechanics. Those times usually come oh, right around the 4 hour scene time mark. Or midnight, whichever comes first. But in order to avoid becoming a raging pumpkin with a player-mob chasing after you, you could choose freeform as the way to go to speed up a scene without thinking about the dice. But, for all that we like to give mechanics the finger, there is an important thing to remember about a dice system: Consistency.
Option 2: Dice, Yes!
The dice have spoken.
The wonderful faith in dice rolling stems from all those RP systems that use all sorts of dice and bank on the fact that for some reason, people are willing to put their faith in a set of carved inanimate 3D polygons. You really have to admire anyone who can come up with a system of dice rolling. Statisticians, actuaries, and AI computers would love you to GM for them if you stuck to purely using dice to determine your combat scene's outcomes. And in all reality, sometimes it is preferable to turn to the bones instead of having to use your brain. Oh but wait. You still have to use that brain. You still have to have procedurals. Why? Because using dice means using dice mechanics. Some people would rather you do the math.
To play out a combat scene using dice is a great option for those GMs who would like to keep things as fair as possible, where the story intended is in fact, open-ended with no perceivable outcome save the one that comes from players making their choices and the luck of the draw. ONS (One-Night Stand) scenes can be one kind of combat scene where people may want to stick strictly to dice, just to see on a small scale what sort of outcome they might get out of the whole shebang. Using dice in a scene could in fact, speed up a processing of a combat round because it saves the GM from having to make a decision where she might feel biased and wants to keep things fair. She could roll the bones, vowing to use whatever outcome happens, to determine whether a character hits or misses, soaks or explodes, lives or dies. Dice rolling though, is not for the faint of detail-oriented, mathematical heart. The system in all its glory can also be tedious. In any given scene of maybe 5 players and 1 GM, you could have at least 6 rolls to make (not to mention all the math involved) in a single combat round alone. And let's not forget the NPC enemies and their stats. A good dice-heavy GM has hopefully prepped all the necessary materials that go into dice rolling for a combat scene. Armed with her paper shield of character stats and a tube of 10d10s, she could fight her way through a combat scene and come out victorious, if brain tired.
What's the appeal? Control and the lack of it. With dice, even you-the-GM don't know what's going to happen and sometimes that's a good thing. Sometimes, it's good to let go and let the dice fall as they may. Dice are good for anyone. For the control freak GM there's a system in place and you can follow it step by step to the letter. For the control-phobic, indecisive GM, there's a spontaneous element of decision making that quite often will in fact surprise you when you roll dice. And do you really want to know the best thing about using all the dice as a GM? Botches. But most important about using dice is to remember: you control the dice. The dice do not control you. (Most of the time.) Remember the story, and don't get too caught up in mechanics.
Option 3: Dice, Maybe, IDK?
GMs who want to strictly use dice find the first thing that they hit their head against is the sheer amount of mechanics to juggle. For strictly freeform GMs, you have the issue of when you ignore stats, you miss certain things about certain characters that might influence your decision and poses, and the players who you miss might get angry with you if you ignore the specialties and go with your own flow. An ignorant, unacknowledging GM is a bad GM folks, and we don't want that.
So what is a GM who doesn't want to just use freeform or just use dice to do? We come up with the first decision of our GMing life. Compromise. A GM can choose to use dice in certain situations where she might find the decision is more up in the air than what she cares to imagine. And then she can cast away the dice on obvious decisions is going to be able to do so (unless of course, the story at hand has certain factors that /could/ make such decisions up in the air).
For such reasons of time, speed and decision-making, I find myself most often turning to this third option of dice usage. I even don't often use the strict system of d10s in dice rolling, and keep a pair of d6s handy for the sake of an 'odd or even' chance roll. It saves time for me, and it saves me from making a decision I might unwittingly feel bias for, so I keep my dice close to me when I'm running a combat scene just in case, but I don't break them out unless I really have to.
The Dice God is a Honey Badger (It Don't Care)
So that all said and done, it is up to you, GM, to decide which system is most comfortable for you. However. As a GM, you must recognize your responsibility to yourself, the players, and the game, in acknowledging that no system is absolutely foolproof. The human element must come in to play when you're running a combat scene, and in the end the players trust You to make the right decision. If you find yourself too biased in a scene, you might want to turn to dice. If you find yourself bogged down by the dice and want the players to be able to do something the dice say failure for, then go ahead, forget the dice and freeform it out. What you want to find is your comfort zone, where you can all settle in and enjoy the cathartic release of RPed combat.