Combat Order
Combat in Steam’n’Steel doesn’t run in fixed rounds, but follows a continuous tick system. This means: Each action costs a certain number of Initiative Points (IP), and faster characters can act more frequently than slower ones.
Determining Starting Position
At the beginning of combat, each combatant’s starting position is determined once:
Formula:
Starting Position = (1d6 × 2) - Reflexes
- The die roll provides tension and unpredictability
- High Reflexes mean a lower starting value = acting earlier
- Minimum is Tick 1 (even with negative results)
Examples:
- Reflexes 8, die roll 5: (5 × 2) – 8 = Tick 2
- Reflexes 4, die roll 3: (3 × 2) – 4 = Tick 2
- Reflexes 12, die roll 6: (6 × 2) – 12 = 0 → Tick 1
How Does Combat Flow?
After the starting position, the system counts up continuously: Tick 1, Tick 2, Tick 3…
At each tick, the character whose next action is due acts:
- Character chooses their action (attack, defense, movement, etc.)
- The action costs a certain number of IP
- The character’s next action occurs at: Current Tick + IP Cost
- The next character in line acts
There are no more rounds – combat flows continuously!
How Many IP Does What Cost?
The cost of actions depends on the character’s Reflexes:
Base Action Costs
| Reflexes | Base IP for Actions |
|---|---|
| 10 or higher | 5 IP |
| 6 to 9 | 7 IP |
| 1 to 5 | 9 IP |
Faster characters act significantly more often!
Attacks
Attacks cost Base IP plus a weapon modifier:
Attack IP = Base IP + Weapon IP
Weapon IP by weapon type:
| Weapon Type | Weapon IP |
|---|---|
| Unarmed | +0 |
| Short One-Hand (Dagger, Knife) | +1 |
| Standard One-Hand (Sword, Axe) | +2 |
| Hand-and-a-Half | +3 |
| Two-Hand (Battle Axe, Greatsword) | +4 |
| Firearms (Pistol) | +2 |
| Firearms (Rifle) | +3 |
| Thrown Weapons | +1 |
| Reloading | +5 |
Examples:
- Anna (Reflexes 10) with Sword: 5 + 2 = 7 IP per attack
- Boris (Reflexes 6) with Two-Hand Axe: 7 + 4 = 11 IP per attack
- Clara (Reflexes 4) with Dagger: 9 + 1 = 10 IP per attack
Defense
A defense always costs 3 IP – regardless of Reflexes.
Important: Defenses shift your next main action back!
Example:
- Anna is up at Tick 10
- She defends herself (3 IP)
- Her next main action is now at Tick 13 (instead of Tick 10)
- If she then attacks (7 IP), her next action after that is at Tick 20
Multiple Defenses
You can also defend multiple times – each additional defense costs another 3 IP and shifts your main action further back.
The disadvantage lies in time loss, not in worse dice rolls!
Example:
- Boris at Tick 15
- 1st Defense: +3 IP → next action at Tick 18
- 2nd Defense: +3 IP → next action at Tick 21
- 3rd Defense: +3 IP → next action at Tick 24
After three defenses, Boris has “lost” 9 IP – almost as much as two attacks! Sometimes it’s tactically smarter to take a hit.
Being Interrupted
What happens if you’re attacked while you’re performing another action (e.g., reloading, opening a door, etc.)?
You have two options:
Option 1: Take the Damage and Continue
You ignore the attack and simply continue with your action.
But: You must make a Self-Control check (Discipline) against the damage suffered.
- Check succeeds: You’re injured, but your action continues normally
- Check fails: Your action extends by as many IP as the check failed by
Example:
- Anna is reloading (normally 10 IP until Tick 20)
- At Tick 15 she’s hit and takes 4 damage
- She rolls Discipline (6 dice) against threshold 4
- Result: 2 successes → Check fails by 2
- Her action now takes 2 IP longer → Finished at Tick 22 instead of Tick 20
Option 2: Defend and Continue
You try to defend yourself AND continue at the same time.
This requires two checks:
- Normal Defense (costs 3 IP, shifts your action)
- Dexterity check against threshold 3
- Check succeeds: You can continue your original action
- Check fails: Your concentration is disrupted, you must restart the action
Important: This option doesn’t exist with two-handed weapons! Anyone wielding a two-handed weapon or rifle cannot simultaneously defend and continue another action.
Example:
- Boris (with Two-Hand Axe) is reloading a rifle
- He’s attacked
- He cannot defend (two-handed weapon in use)
- He must take the damage (Option 1) or abort the reload
Movement
Walking (slow):
- You can walk 1 meter per IP of the action during any action
- Walking consumes no additional IP
- Example: Anna reloads (5 IP) → She can walk up to 5 meters while doing so
- Example: Boris attacks (11 IP) → He can walk up to 11 meters while doing so
Sprinting (fast):
- Costs 1 IP per meter
- You additionally roll Athletics – each success gives you a bonus meter
- The Athletics roll costs no additional IP
- Sprinting IS your main action – you can’t do anything else in parallel
- Example: 5 meter sprint + Athletics (3 successes) = 5 IP cost, 8 meters movement
General Actions
Other actions (picking up an item, opening a door, etc.) cost:
Base IP + Game Master Modifier
Examples:
- Pick up item: Base IP + 0
- Open complicated door: Base IP + 2
- Pull lever: Base IP – 1
- Defuse bomb: Base IP + 5
Combat Example
Three combatants:
- Anna: Reflexes 10, Sword (Standard One-Hand)
- Boris: Reflexes 6, Battle Axe (Two-Hand)
- Clara: Reflexes 8, Dagger (Short One-Hand)
Starting Positions:
- Anna: (d6: 4 × 2) – 10 = -2 → Tick 1
- Boris: (d6: 3 × 2) – 6 = 0 → Tick 1
- Clara: (d6: 5 × 2) – 8 = 2 → Tick 2
Combat Flow:
Tick 1: Anna and Boris (both simultaneously)
- Anna attacks Boris → 5 + 2 = 7 IP → Next action: Tick 8
- Boris defends himself → 3 IP → Next action: Tick 4
Tick 2: Clara
- Walks 3 meters and attacks Anna → 7 + 1 = 8 IP (can walk 8 meters, uses only 3) → Next action: Tick 10
Tick 4: Boris
- Attacks Anna → 7 + 4 = 11 IP → Next action: Tick 15
Tick 8: Anna
- Defends against Clara’s attack (from Tick 2) → 3 IP → Intermediate: Tick 11
- Attacks Boris → 5 + 2 = 7 IP → Next action: Tick 18
Tick 10: Clara
- Attacks Boris → 7 + 1 = 8 IP → Next action: Tick 18
Tick 15: Boris
- Defends against Anna’s attack → 3 IP → Intermediate: Tick 18
- Defends against Clara’s attack (from Tick 10) → 3 IP → Intermediate: Tick 21
- Attacks back → 7 + 4 = 11 IP → Next action: Tick 32
You can see: Anna with her high Reflexes acts most frequently. Boris with his heavy weapon and many defenses rarely gets a turn!
Tactical Considerations
High Reflexes (10+):
- Act very frequently
- Can act multiple times while others act once
- Ideal for light, fast weapons
Medium Reflexes (6-9):
- Balanced action frequency
- Standard combatant
- Flexible in weapon choice
Low Reflexes (1-5):
- Act less frequently
- Every action must really count
- Heavy weapons make the problem worse
- Defensive play difficult
Weapon Choice:
- Light weapons (Dagger, unarmed): Frequent attacks, low damage
- Standard weapons (Sword): Balanced
- Heavy weapons (Two-Hand): High damage, but very slow
- Firearms: Fast, but reloading costs a lot of time!
Defense Tactics:
Especially important with slow weapons
Every defense delays your next action
Sometimes better to take a hit than to defend multiple times