The following page is a collection of optional rules and rules
clarifications. Please see the bottom of this page for official
revisions from the Alternity game
designers.
Using the standard rules, character improvement can be painfully slow. With this optional rule, when a character advances a level the Achievement Points he has earned are turned into two-times as many skill points, which can be spent on new skills, improving skills, or buying Achievement Benefits (at the same listed costs). A character still cannot improve a specialty skill more than one rank at a time, even if he has enough skill points to buy two ranks at once. Note: If using this alternate rule, do not use Official Optional Rule 2C (below) unless you want very fast improvement.
Using the standard rules, any time the control die results in a roll of 20 the character suffers a critical failure. With this optional rule, a roll of 20 results in a Critical Failure Threat: the character must make the same check again (at the same difficulty), and he suffers an actual Critical Failure only if he fails this second check or rolls another 20 (if he gets an Ordinary success or better, the original check is treated as a standard Failure). This optional rule does not apply to complex skill checks (Critical Failures work as normal). For example, a character with an Athletics-climb skill check score of 16/8/4 makes a climbing check at a -2 step bonus and rolls a 20 on the control die; he must roll d20 minus d6 a second time, suffering an actual Critical Failure only if the total is over 16 or if he once again rolls a 20 on the control die (if the total is 16 or less, the climbing check is considered only a standard Failure instead of a Critical Failure).
Alternate Character Creation - Specialized Skills
(optional rules revision):
Using the standard rules, it can be very expensive for starting characters to focus on raising a skill to higher ranks. With this optional rule, characters may specialize in a couple skills and raise them more easily. The character chooses a “primary specialized skill” and a “secondary specialized skill.” During initial creation and all later levels, the character may advance in ranks in his primary specialized skill for 2 points less than the skill would normally cost (as if he had been taught by a Good-quality teacher); he may advance in his secondary specialized skill for 1 point less (Ordinary-quality teacher). No rank advancement can be reduced to a cost less than 1. The Specialized Skills bonus stacks with the Profession bonus, but not with the Teach skill. Note: If using this alternate rule, do not use the Skill Training Kits optional rule.
Alternate Last Resorts (optional rules revision):
Last Resorts are not purchased with skill points. Instead, at the beginning of each new adventure a character starts with his full number of Last Resorts. They must last him through the course of the entire adventure.
When one combatant is ganged up on by a group of opponents, the standard rules are unclear about who receive what modifiers. Using this optional clarification, the combatant does not have a specific “facing” and automatically faces the optimal direction to deal with the attackers. The “main opponent” (who receives no bonus or penalty) is the opponent last attacked or currently being attacked by the combatant. If there are at least two opponents, one is the “flank opponent” (-1 bonus) and may be assigned at the GM’s discretion (within reason, as long as the opponent could reach the flank and is not blocked by obstacles like a wall). If there are at least three opponents, one is the “rear opponent” (-2 bonus); the rear opponent should always be the opponent most directly opposite from the “main opponent” (if the combatant’s rear cannot be reached within reason, like if his back is up against a wall, the GM may rule there is no rear opponent). There may be up to six total opponents (at +1, +2, and +3 penalty for the 4th, 5th, and 6th respectively), and the GM may assign them at his discretion. If the player-characters are ganging up on a foe, they must follow the rules above for “main opponent” and “rear opponent” and get to assign other positions at their own discretion (the players may work this out between each other).
This optional rule changes the Dazed penalties so that characters with many Fatigue and Mortal points do not suffer the same penalties as characters with fewer points. With this revised rule, characters do not suffer +1 step penalty for every point of Mortal or Fatigue damage. Instead, characters suffer a +1 step penalty at the first point of damage, another step penalty when they have lost over 25% of their points, another step penalty when they have lost over 50% of their points, and another step penalty when they have lost over 75% of their points; these penalties apply to both Fatigue and Mortal damage, and they are cumulative with each other and all other penalties. Furthermore, with this rule a character suffers a +1 step penalty when he has lost over one-third of his Wound points and another step penalty when he has lost more than two-thirds. The +1 step Dazed penalty for losing more than half of your Stun points still applies as normal. For example, a character with 5 Mortal points is hit for 2 points of damage, so he suffers a +2 step Dazed penalty (+1 for the first point of Mortal damage, and +1 because he has lost over 25% of his Mortal points); a character with 9 Mortal points hit for 2 points of damage would only suffer a +1 step Dazed penalty because the damage is less than 25% of his total Mortal points.
All actions in any single phase occur simultaneously. However, often it is advantageous for a character to base his action in response to the declared action of another character. The basic rules do not provide a mechanism for determining who declares their actions in what order. With this optional clarification, any character can “wait” to declare an action during a phase. Other characters may declare an action normally or they may “wait” as well. Any character who waits may declare a specific action in response to a declared action from another character. Furthermore, a character who waits may declare a specific action in response to an action declared by a character who was previously waiting as well, so there is value in waiting and watching longer than others. However, characters who “wait” until all other actions have been declared and still do not declare an action lose their action for that phase. Characters must also declare their movements at the same time they declare their actions. This optional rule definitely favors the side on the defensive, forcing the characters on the offensive to declare all actions first (otherwise the defensive characters would simply sit back and wait).
Alternatively, the GM may force characters to declare their actions (and movements) in reverse order of base Action Check scores (the Ordinary rating), so that characters with the lower ratings must declare their actions first and characters with higher ratings get to declare actions in response to the slower characters. If the Ordinary rating for Action Check scores is tied, then compare Action Check Bonus dice (for example, -1d4 gets to declare in response to +0); if Action Check bonuses are tied, compare Dexterity scores.
Important: These optional rules only affect the order in which actions are declared, not the timing of how they are carried out. All actions in the same phase still take effect simultaneously.
Degrading Damage and Attack Success (optional rules
revision):
When attacking enemies with extra toughness that degrades
damage, sometimes an Amazing hit (especially when degraded from mortal to wound
damage) can do less damage than a lower success. If a character hits an enemy whose toughness
will degrade the damage inflicted by the attack, the player may choose to roll
damage exactly as if he had rolled one success lower on the attack skill check
(so a player who scored an Amazing success may choose to roll Good damage
instead).
Hit the Deck (optional rules revision):
When damaged by an area-effect weapon, characters may give up their next available action (in this round or the next) to “hit the deck” by making a Dodge check, degrading the damage one degree (e.g., Amazing to Good) if successful. With this optional rule, characters may make a DEX feat check in place of a Dodge check. A character who makes a DEX feat check instead of a Dodge check is considered “off-balance” through his next action.
The standard rules do not provide clear methods of fighting on horseback. This optional clarification states:
Movement and Giving up Actions (optional rules
clarification):
If a character gives up his next available action (for example, Hitting the Deck or Reaction Parry), then he may not take any movement (sprint, run, walk, etc.) during that next phase.
Normally, the Parry maneuver can only be used against one attack in the same phase. However, the Double Strike and Multistrike Rank Benefits give the attacker a considerable advantage. To balance this, at Rank 6 in Melee Weapons skills a character can attempt to parry two attacks in the same phase and at Rank 9 three attacks in the same phase. The mechanics are handled using the normal Parry rules, except that a different situation die is rolled for each attack to be parried (at a +1 step penalty for the first attack, +2 for the second, and +3 for the third). If the degree of success achieved on a parry check equals or exceeds the success of the attacker, that attack is blocked. A character can combine Multiple Parry with Reaction Parry, but in return the character is so preoccupied with defending himself that he cannot attempt any melee-weapon attacks of his own for the rest of the round. All parry attempts require the character to use a full-sized hand weapon.
When using a shield, any character with at least Rank 1 in the appropriate skill can attempt to parry multiple attacks in the same phase: the skill check is handled as above with the same modifiers to the situation dice. Furthermore, a character with at least Rank 4 in the appropriate skill can combine Multiple Parry with Reaction Parry when using a shield, but in return the character is so preoccupied with defending himself that he cannot attempt any melee-weapon attacks of his own for the rest of the round. Normally, there is a +4 step penalty to skill checks made using the off-hand, but this penalty is ignored when using a shield and not attempting two actions at once (a character with a weapon in his right hand and a shield in his left hand attempting two actions at once still suffers the +4 step penalty to the off-handed action and a +2 step penalty to the other).
A character who parries with a bladed weapon or one requiring the Melee Weapons-powered skill, or with a shield, can inflict damage on an opponent who attacks him bare-handed. If a character successfully parries an Unarmed Attack (or Defensive Martial Arts) attempt, he automatically inflicts Ordinary damage (based on his weapon type) if his degree of success was equal to the attacker's degree of success and Good damage if his degree of success was better than the attacker's; the base damage is d4s or d4+1s for shields. This damage is treated as normal and can be reduced by armor.
Under no circumstances can the Parry maneuver be combined with the effects of Dodge in the same round. If the character attempts a parry he cannot also attempt to dodge (and gives up any previously rolled Dodge benefits that round).
Using the standard rules, all attack actions
in the same phase apply their effects simultaneously, even if one combatant is
using a longer weapon against a combatant with a shorter weapon. Using this optional rule, the “reach”
of an attack determines the order in which it is resolved during a phase. Actions are declared in appropriate phases as
normal. During a phase, after actions
are declared, attacks are resolved and damage applied in order of Reach
(Amazing reach attacks occur first, then Good, then Ordinary, then Marginal);
attacks of equal Reach take effect simultaneously. Characters attacking with shorter-reach
weapons suffer damage (and associated effects, such as Dazed
penalties) from longer-reach attacks before making their own attack
checks. A character can be incapacitated
or killed by a longer-reach attack before he even gets to make his own attack
check. Large pole weapons (including the
lance) have Amazing reach; oversized melee weapons (flail, great ax, quarterstaff,
spear, two-handed sword) have Good reach; most single-handed weapons with a
mass of at least 1 kg have Ordinary reach; small personal weapons (dagger and gauntlet)
and all unarmed attacks have Marginal reach.
A combatant wielding a spear or longsword can “lunge”
to upgrade the reach by one degree, but in return all attacks against the
character that phase receive a -2 step bonus.
Ranged attacks (including thrown weapons) disregard reach and always
occur first. Large or quick beasts with
natural weapons may also disregard reach.
Normally, reaction defenses (Reaction Dodge, Reaction Parry) use the character’s next available action. With this optional clarification, reaction defenses first use up the character’s unused actions that round. For example, a character with 3 actions per round gets an Ordinary action check; he can attempt a Reaction Parry in the Amazing or Good phase (using his extra unused action) and still take actions as normal in the Ordinary and Marginal phases.
The STR modifier adds to the damage of all unarmed and melee attacks. The STR modifier does not apply to area-effect weapons (like grenades), crossbows, or bows (although special bows designed with extra pull to take advantage of superior strength could be created, with GM permission). Thrown weapons and slings add the full STR bonus to damage at short range and one-half (round down) of the bonus at medium range, but the bonus is ignored entirely at long range; a penalty to damage for low STR is applied in full at any range.
When a character wields a melee weapon with two hands (even if the weapon normally requires only one hand), he upgrades his STR damage bonus to the next step (+1): for example, from -1 to 0 or from +1 to +2.
Occasionally characters may find themselves in command of a large number of NPCs (more than a half-dozen). In such cases, individually rolling out their actions can become tedious. Instead, use the Teamwork rules explained on page 49 of the Gamemaster Guide. The character in-command is the one who makes the skill check for the entire group, modified with a bonus based on the number of extra individuals he can command based on his Leadership rank. Alternatively, the character in command can make a Leadership skill check (in the same phase or in a previous phase that round) to appoint a subordinant character to make the group skill check. The group skill check is made during one of the phases in which the commander can act, or during the next possible phase in which the subordinant appointed to make the skill check can act. Although all damage rolls are Ordinary damage, the character in-command may decide which weapons among his group are used for the damage rolls (however, a weapon cannot be used to make more damage rolls than the total number of them being used by the group). For example, a ten-man squad armed with laser rifles and stutter pistols gets a Good success on the group skill check; the leader may decide to make all four damage rolls using the stutter pistol, or all four using the laser rifle, or a combination thereof. The character making the group skill check can shoot a burst or auto-fire: there is an additional -1 step bonus to the skill check if the members of the group firing a burst outnumber those who are not (-2 for auto-fire). Group attacks can be used both to Threaten and as Suppressive Fire (in which case the number of damage rolls becomes the penalty applied to the target, so in the above example the ten-man squad would impose a +4 step penalty); see page 50 of the Gamemaster Guide.
A character can use his Tactics skill (or Leadership) to send NPCs under his command to attack an area where he himself is not present. This is useful if the character wants to split up his team and accompany only one portion of it. First, determine the strength of the enemy defenses. There is a +3 step penalty for each defender armed with heavy weapons (or in a heavy vehicle), +2 for each defender armed with rifles/submachine guns that can inflict Wound damage (or in a light vehicle), and +1 for each defender more lightly armed (only +1 for every two unarmed defenders, round down). There is also a penalty for the quality of the defensive position: +6 for an Amazing position (well-constructed fortress), +4 for a Good position (reinforced bunker or pillbox), +2 for an Ordinary position (trench or barricade), and +1 for a Marginal position (high ground or a fox hole). Second, determine the strength of the force the character sends on the mission. There is a -3 step bonus for each attacker armed with heavy weapons (or in a heavy vehicle), -2 for each attacker armed with rifles/submachine guns that can inflict Wound damage (or in a light vehicle), and -1 for each attacker more lightly armed (only -1 for every two unarmed attackers, round down). The Gamemaster may also allow an additional attacker bonus of -1 to -3 based on successful use of surprise, reconnaissance, high ground, or flanking fire. The total modifier is applied to the Tactics skill check (or, alternatively, to the Leadership skill check with an additional +1 step penalty), and the result determines the outcome of the mission:
Amazing: Target is overcome in a number of rounds after beginning the attack equal to 1 plus the total modifier to the skill check (ignore if -1 or better); one attacker at random suffers one roll of Ordinary damage from the defending side's most powerful weapon (the rest of the attackers do not suffer any Fatigue damage).
Good: Target is overcome in a number of rounds after beginning the attack equal to 2 plus twice the total modifier to the skill check (ignore if -1 or better); 20% of the attackers (round up) at random suffer one roll of Ordinary damage from the defending side's most powerful weapon (only these injured attackers suffer 1 point of Fatigue damage).
Ordinary: Target is overcome in a number of rounds after beginning the attack equal to 3 plus three-times the total modifier to the skill check (ignore if -1 or better); 40% of the attackers (round up) at random suffer two rolls of Ordinary damage from the defending side's most powerful weapon (all attackers suffer 1 point of Fatigue damage).
Failure: Target forces attackers to retreat a number of rounds after beginning the attack equal to 2d4 minus the total modifier to the skill check (subtracting a bonus actually adds to the result, and there is a minimum result of 2 rounds); 60% of the attackers (round up) at random suffer two rolls of Ordinary damage from the defending side's most powerful weapon (all attackers suffer 1 point of Fatigue damage).
Critical Failure: Target overwhelms the attackers and forces them to surrender in a number of rounds equal to 2d4 minus the total modifier to the skill check (subtracting a bonus actually adds to the result, and there is a minimum result of 2 rounds); 80% of the attackers (round up) at random suffer two rolls of Ordinary damage from the defending side's most powerful weapon (all attackers suffer 1 point of Fatigue damage).
Defeated Soldiers: What happens to defeated soldiers depends on the commander's orders. If the commander orders no prisoners, then they are massacred; if the commander orders no quarter, then they suffer high casualties and run away (unless trapped); if the commander permits the taking of prisoners, then they suffer lower casualties (most of them lay down their arms and surrender).
Example: Lieutenant Sai Rivven commands a squad of twenty space marines. He leads half of them personally, and sends the other ten to destroy an enemy bunker blocking their advance. The Gamemaster decides the enemy bunker is a Good position (+4 penalty) and is occupied by two soldiers with charged heavy machine guns (+3 each) and six with charged rifles (+2 each); the total step penalty is +22. Of the ten marines dispatched to attack the bunker, two are armed with bantam launchers (-3 each), five are armed with laser rifles (-2 each), and three are armed with laser pistols (-1 each); the Gamemaster gives them an additional -1 step bonus for slight surprise, so the total step bonus is -20. The final modifier to Sai Rivven's Tactics-land skill check is +2 (if he did not have Tactics and had to use Leadership-command instead the final modifier would be +3). Lieutenant Rivven gets an Ordinary success on his skill check: the ten marines march off and capture the enemy bunker 9 rounds after beginning their attack; four of the marine suffer two rolls of Ordinary damage from the charged heavy machine gun, and all of the soldiers suffer 1 point of Fatigue damage automatically.
(courtesy of http://alternity.cjb.net)
Official Optional Rule 1: Upgrading Your Firefight
Are your heroes getting a bit too fearless in combat? Are you tired of them charging every machine gun emplacement? Are they blithely catching bantam rockets in their teeth? Try out these optional rules (designed by the Alternity team for their home campaigns) and watch your firefights dish out some real damage!
Note that these two optional rules need not be used simultaneously. If you like one and not the other, feel free to ignore the one you don't like.
Optional Rule 1A: Each point of mortal damage causes one wound point and one stun point as secondary damage. This rule replaces the rule under Secondary Damage on page 53 in the Player's Handbook. Under the old rules, an injury that inflicted 4 points of mortal damage would inflict 2 points of wound and stun damage as secondary damage; under the upgraded rule, an injury that inflicts 4 points of mortal damage also inflicts 4 points of wound and stun secondary damage.
Optional Rule 1B: If a weapon's Firepower rating exceeds the target's Toughness rating, the primary damage inflicted is upgraded one class before secondary damage and armor are applied. Stun damage upgrades to wounds, wounds upgrade to mortal, and mortal damage upgrades to double the listed die range for that weapon.
This rule replaces the optional rule for upgrading damage that appears on page 52 in the Gamemaster's Guide. Previously there was no official rule for upgrading the effects of Good and Amazing firepower weapons against weaker targets. Under this rule, a fragmentation grenade (Good firepower) that inflicts 6 points of wound damage would upgrade to 6 points of mortal damage against a target wearing armor of Ordinary toughness, such as a CF coat. Be warned: This rule makes weapons of Good firepower exceedingly dangerous against lightly armored targets. (Unarmored targets are considered to be of Ordinary toughness.)
To upgrade mortal damage, simply double the dice without doubling any added damage. For instance, the tracer grenade would upgrade from d4+2 mortals to 2d4+2 mortals against a target of Ordinary toughness. Exceeding the target's toughness by two firepower grades does not upgrade the damage twice.
©1999 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.
Web Site Author's Commentary: Personally, I find Rule 1B extreme. It nearly guarantees lethal injury for characters too poor to buy powered armor if they are unlucky enough to run up against heavy weapons. I prefer simply to add +1 to the damage roll for each degree that the weapon's Firepower exceeds the target's Toughness (e.g., A versus O adds +2).
Official Optional Rule 2: Skill Selection and Improvement
These optional rules (designed by the Alternity team for their home campaigns) balance out starting skill points and broad skills between heroes of differing Intelligence. In addition, Optional Rule 2C makes it easier for your heroes to aspire to higher skill ranks by flattening the cost of skill improvement. Note that if your heroes use these rules, you may want to adjust the skills possessed by Supporting Cast Members to reflect their new starting skill points and skill improvement costs. Future Alternity products will continue to use the standard rules.
Optional Rules 2A and 2B should be used together, although Optional Rule 2C can be used separately.
Optional Rule 2A: In addition to the free broad skills determined by race selection, a new character has a number of skill points equal to 30 plus 3 times his Intelligence score available to purchase skills during character creation. Human heroes receive a special bonus of 5 additional skill points at character creation.
This replaces the skill point allocations indicated on Table P5 in the Player's Handbook. Under the old system, an alien hero with an Intelligence score of 9 received 40 skill points for initial skill purchase; under the upgrade, he receives 30 + (3 x 9) or 57 skill points. A human hero of the same Intelligence score would begin with 62 skill points if using this optional rule.
Optional Rule 2B: During initial skill purchase, a character may not learn more than six additional broad skills, not counting his racial broad skills. Modify this number by the hero's Intelligence-based resistance modifier.
Since low-Intelligence characters receive a much greater number of skill points in this upgrade, the limitation on purchasing new broad skills is relaxed somewhat. This replaces the limits given on Table P5. Previously, a character of Intelligence 6 would be able to purchase no more than 3 broad skills during initial skill purchase, but this upgrade increases that number to 5 (6, less 1 for his -1 Intelligence resistance modifier).
Optional Rule 2C: The cost to purchase rank 2 or higher in a specialty skill is either the list price or the list price -1. The number of ranks a character currently possesses in the specialty skill does not increase the cost of advancing that skill.
This replaces the second bullet point under Cost of Skills on page 61 in the Player's Handbook. As originally written, advancing a specialty skill from rank 4 to rank 5 (for instance) would cost a number of skill points equal to the original purchase price +4. This upgrade changes the advancement of skills so that a character simply buys the skill again at its normal purchase price in order to advance his skill rank.
Note that a hero may not begin with a specialty skill rank of more than 3 at character creation, and that a character cannot improve a skill rank more than once per achievement level.
©1999 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.
Web Site Author's Commentary: Optional Rule 2C makes skill rank advancement much faster, so it can be very unbalancing when combined with the Specialized Skills or Skill Training Kits optional rules. Also, 2C makes buying rank benefits instead of actual higher ranks almost completely worthless. Personally, my gaming group plays with 2A and 2B but not 2C.