Surprise, Rounds, & Turns (11/9/13)

     Step 1- Determine Surprise
     If the GM rules that Surprise might play a factor in the opening stages of a Combat Encounter, each affected participant must make a Surprise Check (note the alternate terminology- this is not considered a Test). To make a Surprise Check, affected participants each roll 1d10- if the result of the die roll is =/< the participant's Awareness Bonus (AwarB) he/she is not Surprised. If the result is > the PC's AwarB he/she is Surprised.
     When a PC is Surprised, he/she reduces the number of AP that can be used during his/her first Turn as follows:

1. The PC rolls AP Dice as normal.
2. The PC subtracts his/her AwarB from the Surprise Check result.
3. The remainder is the number by which the PC's AP is reduced in his/her first Turn (to a minimum of 0 AP).

     Ex: Evan has an AgB3 and AwarB4. Unaware that three Thugs are hiding at the top of the enclosed stairwell he is ascending, the GM determines Evan must make a Surprise Check when one of the Thugs tosses a Frag Grenade down the stairs. Evan's Player rolls 3d10 for AP, resulting in 4, 7, and 8- each result of 5+ indicating +1 AP that Evan can use during his Turn- and adds +1 (standard), for a total of 3 AP. Evan's Player then rolls d10 for a Surprise Check, with a result of 6. Subtracting Evan's AwarB4 from 6 we see Evan reduces the number of AP he may use in his first Turn -2; when it is Evan's Turn he will have 1 AP.
    
     Regardless of bonuses, a Surprise Check result of 10 means the PC is automatically Surprised (minimum of -1 AP).
   
     It is entirely possible the GM may rule that an Action or event may trigger a Surprise Check during a Combat Encounter, such as the activation of a secret device or completion of a summoning ritual- if this is the case, determine Surprise as detailed above and apply the results to the Round immediately following the trigger Action/event.

     Paranoid
     Individuals with the Paranoid Trait add +1 to their AwarB when making a Surprise Check.

     Auspex/Motion Detector
     Anyone actively using an Auspex (range 50m) or a Motion Detector (range 35m) adds +1 to their AwarB when making a Surprise Check.

     Stealth, Screamers, and Stummers
     Successful Stealth Tests, Sneak Attacks, sniping, and any other Action which might occur while an opponent/target is Unaware will trigger a Surprise Check. It is important to note that the trigger Action actually occurs prior to the beginning of the Combat Encounter- this means an Unaware opponent/target may very well suffer the effects of the trigger Action and lose AP in his/her first Turn of the Combat Encounter due to Surprise. It is then worth noting the usefulness of "specialist" gear: Chameleoline Cloaks, Syn-Skin, Prey-sense Goggles, and etc.

     Screamers (10m sound/motion detection radius) are motion/noise sensitive alarms that are used to warn of danger encroaching through a specific area/perimeter by emitting a high-pitched, ear-piercing feedback squeal, and may be de/activated through the use of a linked remote that has a range of 1 km (included in Acquisition).
     Screamers work best when positioned relatively far away from their users- Screamers that are triggered within 30m of a user are of no benefit, while Screamers that are activated beyond that range result in a +1 AwarB when making Surprise Checks. The bonuses from Screamers and Auspex/Motion Detectors cannot be combined.
     If an individual is Unaware of a Screamer's presence when it is triggered (or if an individual triggers a Screamer), he/she must make a Surprise Check at -1 to his/her AwarB. If an individual is aware of a Screamer's presence (having set it, or via Auspex detection of energy emissions) "sneaking up" on an active Screamer imposes a -20 to Stealth Tests. Attempts to disable a Screamer without activating it impose a -20 penalty to Security Tests.
     Screamer remotes can be used to initiate Screamer tests, and thus cause a distraction (and perhaps Surprise).

     Stummers emit sub-sonic pulses, almost completely negating sound within 1m of them (+30 to Stealth Tests made to move silently). However, they are virtually useless against Screamers- unless the user of a Stummer is aware of a Screamer's presence he/she is likely to set it off via motion...and not hear its squealing alarm. While they can be useful, the usefulness of Stummers is situational at best (crawling through folded metal air ducts, walking across gravel, opening a rusty-hinged door, etc).

     Step 2- Determine Initiative

     Each participant in a Combat Encounter must determine his/her Initiative, the order in which they take their Turns during each Round- the Player rolls d10, adding the PC's AgB and any other bonuses/penalties derived from certain (few) Talents/Traits, Weapon Special Qualities, and etc, with the total result indicating the PC's Initiative "step" during each Round of the Combat Encounter.
     Each participant then takes his/her Turn, starting with the highest Initiative and "stepping down" to the next highest until all participants have taken their Turns, and starting the process again in the following Round.
     A Round is roughly equivalent to 5 seconds, while a Turn is a mere fraction of that time.

     Turns

1. At the beginning of his/her Turn the Player rolls AP Dice, calculating the number of AP the PC may use during his/her Turn.
2. The PC spends AP to take various Actions. When all AP have been spent the PC's Turn ends.

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