Original document by Todd Branch, Kevin Millard, and Ree Soesbee.

Introduction

This guide is intended to clarify the combat process used in the Camarilla Fan Club’s ”’Masquerade”’ genre.

Types of Tests

There are three types of tests that can be used to resolve actions:

• Contested Challenges (or Tests)
• Static Tests
• Simple Tests

Contested Tests

When you attempt a contested challenge, you are directly challenging another character in a way that allows them to resist. For example, let’s say that you are going to punch your opponent.

For a Physical Challenge, you must declare your target, bid a trait, and then define the action you intend (your victory condition) “Punch Joey in the face.” Your opponent, Joey, will then bid a trait of his own and name his victory condition. Once you’ve both bid, you throw RPS to see who is successful. The winner’s victory condition happens, and the loser’s victory condition does not happen. If you tie the RPS, you must compare traits. The character with the most traits wins. If you both have equal traits neither victory condition occurs (no one wins).

Mental / Social Challenges

Contested mental and social challenges use the same rules as you would for a Contested Physical challenge but Mental and social challenges are resolved individually. If you use a social challenge on a character that is also targeting you with a social power you should each run your own test. Remember that a character can only be targeted with one mental and one social challenge per round.

• The target of a Mental or Social challenge may spend a point of Willpower to get a retest. The character initiating the challenge may not.
• If you target another character with a mental or social challenge and fail you must wait at least five real-time minutes before repeating the failed challenge. If your challenge is successful but the target resists in some other way this limitation doesn’t apply.

Bidding Traits

When biding traits in a challenge of any sort, the first trait you bid determines the type of challenge you are attempting, as well as what powers and merits you may use during the challenge. If you bid more than one trait in a challenge, only the first trait matters for these purposes.

Example: A mob comprised of two people is attacking Billy. In this challenge, Billy declares that he is ‘Brawny’ enough (a strength-related trait) to strike his first opponent. As he must continue to bid enough traits to cover every attacker in the mob, Billy is also ‘Quickly’ dodging the second attacker. Since he bid the ‘Brawny’ trait first, Billy is relying on his strength. He will be able to retest with Might and benefit from Puissance. Billy cannot use the Celerity power ‘Fleetness’, as he did not lead with the dexterity related trait. He can still benefit from other Celerity powers, such as the extra actions from ‘Swiftness’ and ‘Legerity’, as those powers do not require you to bid a trait in order to use them.

Static Tests

Static Tests are used when you are trying to perform an action that isn’t targeting another character, or when you are performing an action that is not actively resisted (note that another player automatically has active resistance; you can’t sneak up and static test them in the face). Static Tests are assigned a difficulty rating in traits by the ST. A low-difficulty challenge will probably have very few traits, while a more demanding challenge will have a greater number of traits.
When making a Static Test, bid a trait and RPS against the ST or a nearby player. If you win, you are successful in your action. If you tie, you must compare your traits to the test’s difficulty. If you have more traits that the test is difficult, you succeed.

Simple Test

When making a Simple Test, you don’t need to bid a trait, and your action will succeed if you win or tie – no matter how many traits you have. You may not retest if you lose a Simple Test.

By default, you succeed in a Simple Test on a win or a tie; however, some specific mechanics require you to win (not tie) a Simple Test in order to succeed.

Retests

When involved in a contested challenge, either party may retest after the initial throw with an appropriate ability, power, merit, or an attempt to overbid. Each of these retests are resolved one at a time, although retests may be “blocked” by canceling with opposing retest from the same category; in this case, no new test is thrown for the challenge. The character who initiates a Static Test may retest with an applicable Ability Trait. Static Tests do not receive defensive retests against you but the ST may choose to Overbid if applicable. It is not possible to retest a Simple Test.

Example: After failing his initial attack test, Billy tries to retest with the Brawl ability. Jeff decides to cancel with one of his Dodge abilities.

In a given test you may call on one retest from each applicable category (Ability, Power, and Merit). You may not retest with two Abilities but you may retest with one Ability, one Power, and one Merit. Note that some retests, like Might, specify that they are the last retest used in a challenge. After you use ‘Might’, you may not use other retests, even if you have not yet attempted ability retests or overbids.

Example: After having his Brawl retest canceled Billy may not attempt to retest with another Ability but he may use the ‘Might’ retest.Miscellaneous

Retests

Unlike other categories of retests, you may use any number of miscellaneous retests as long as they’re applicable. For example, a single challenge may benefit from both an Overbid and a Willpower retest.

• Darkness: The Darkness retest isn’t resolved like a normal retest. If you attempt a physical challenge against a target that you can’t see, resolve the test normally. If you win the challenge you must make one more test (a Darkness retest). You may expend one level of the Blindfighting Ability to negate this forced retest. If both you and your target are equally affected by the darkness, you may use your opponents forced retest to cancel your own.
• Overbid: To use the Overbid retest you must bid an additional trait and ask your opponent if you may overbid. If you have twice as many traits as your opponent (or more) you may retest. If you don’t, your attempt to Overbid fails and you lose the trait you bid (even if you later win the challenge). You may also attempt to overbid the Static Test’s difficulty rating (as it is given in traits). You may not overbid a Simple test.
• Willpower: You may spend a point of Willpower to retest any time you’re targeted with a Mental or Social action. Only the defender may use Willpower to retest. You may not use Willpower to retest a Static or Simple test.
• Surprise: You gain a surprise retest when performing a challenge your opponent is unaware of or is unable to respond to. For more information on see Surprise below.

Taking Actions

On your turn you may do all of the following:

• Attempt one action that requires a test
• Take up to three steps (approximately three yards)
• Take any number of actions that do not require tests, so long as you can fulfill their other costs.

Test (or Challenge)

On your turn, you may attempt one action that requires a test you are actively participating in, whether that test is Contested, Simple, or Static. If another character uses a power or takes an action that requires you to make a test it doesn’t count towards your action limit unless you actively participate. It is possible to passively participate in several tests as long as only one comes from an action you’re attempting.

Example: Frank is trying to punch Billy. If Billy responds with an attack of his own it will count towards his one action limit. If Billy simply tries to avoid being hit without attacking back he’ll be able to initiate a test of his own later in the round.

If you don’t have an available action, or you don’t have a way to counter attack your opponent, you must use passive resistance (or relent). For example, if someone with multiple actions attacks you after you’ve run out of actions, you may quickly dodge him or try and resiliently absorb his blow, but you may not counter his attack with a punch of your own.

A given character can only be targeted by one Physical, one Social and one Mental challenge per round.

Relenting

Anytime you are targeted with a test you can choose to relent. If you relent you don’t have to bid a trait and your opponent automatically wins (inflicting his victory condition). If you target a character with an action that requires a test and he relents you’ve still used your action for the turn. The fact that your target isn’t resisting does not allow you to take another action that requires a test.

Multiple Tests

Actions that require multiple tests don’t necessarily take multiple turns. For example, you might need to make a Social Challenge to defeat someone’s Majesty before you can punch them. Even though this action will require two tests (one Social – to defeat his Majesty, and one Physical – to perform the punch) doing so will only require one turn of action. Similarly, powers that require you to touch your opponent before using them often involve two challenges; one to touch your opponent, and one to activate the power. These do not take multiple turns to perform, unless you are attempting to get more than one benefit. For example, if you try to touch someone in order to Quell their beast you could attempt both the touch and the Quell as a single action. If instead you try to grapple someone and Quell your beast it would require two rounds of action, one to Grapple and one to use Quell.

Miscellaneous Actions

On your turn, you may perform any number of actions that don’t require tests, so long as you can spend everything that is necessary for each action. Disciplines normally require blood or willpower while mundane actions require a free hand.

Example: Sam wishes to punch his opponent, draw a gun, activate Feral Claws, and heal one point of lethal damage.

“Punching his opponent” is the only action that requires a test. The other actions (drawing a gun, activating Feral Claws, and healing one point of lethal damage) can be performed in the same turn so long as Sam has the following: a free hand to draw his gun; a point of blood to activate Feral Claws; a point of blood to heal, and the ability to spend at least two points of blood during one round.

When performing miscellaneous actions you may only use each resource once per turn. Using a free hand to draw a gun doesn’t prevent you from using that hand to shoot (i.e. take an action that requires a test) but you may not perform multiple miscellaneous actions with the same hand on the same turn.

Example: Sam wishes to draw two pistols, pass a stake to Jeff, and shoot at an angry Anarch.

Only one of these actions requires a test (shooting at the Anarch) but Sam doesn’t have enough hands to do all of these things at once. Sam must choose to either; draw a stake with his right and hand pass it to Jeff with his left or draw a gun with each hand and shoot at his opponent.

Movement

On your turn, you may take up to three steps. If you aren’t attempting an action that requires a test you may take up to six steps and your physical traits will determine your initiative for the purposes of movement (see Order of Actions, below). If you move (or intend to move) more than one step, you are down one trait in all Physical Challenges for that round. Standing up form a prone position reduces the number of steps you can take by one.

Movement Powers

Instead of taking your normal steps, you may use a power that allows you to move. Examples include Shadow Step, Relentless Pursuit, and Pounce. If a movement power also requires a challenge (like Shadow Step) you may not take another action that requires a challenge.

Full Round Actions

The description of Thaumaturgy says that it takes a full turn to perform and may not be sped up with Celerity. When using Thaumaturgy (or another action that requires your full turn) you cannot move, talk, or take other actions that require the use of your hands. Additionally, your initiative is not increased by Alacrity. It is possible to take actions that don’t require tests while attempting a full turn action as long as they don’t require you to move, use your hands, or speak. For example, you may spend blood to heal or activate Celerity to gain extra physical actions.

Note: By default Thaumaturgy requires your full round to perform but some specific powers say that they may be used instantly. These powers do not require your full turn.

Order of Actions

Actions happen in initiative order. Your initiative is based on the trait category that corresponds to the type challenge you’re performing.

When determining who goes first, compare only a character’s base traits. With the exception of Alacrity, traits gained from powers, specialties, merits or weapons do not add to the initiative total. If two characters have the same number of traits, their actions happen simultaneously, and the ST must choose which one resolves first. It does not matter if your challenge is a Contested or Static; only the number of traits being bid in that challenge matter. If you are not taking an action that requires a challenge your initiative is based on your Physical Traits.

The player who can declare the highest number of traits in the challenge he’s performing goes first, followed by the next highest and so on. On your turn you may perform one action that requires a challenge, move up to three steps, and take any number of action that don’t require challenges (as long as you have the resources).

Example: Jimmy declares that he will attack Frank and activate Feral Claws. Frank declares that he will use Dread Gaze on Jimmy. Jimmy is bidding 9 physical traits for this action, plus 3 from his weapon. Frank is bidding 10 Social traits, plus 2 for having a ritual that adds social traits to his maximum. Because weapons and rituals do not matter for the purpose of initiative, Frank’s 10 base traits beat Jimmy’s 9 base traits, and Frank’s Dread Gaze challenge will resolve first. On initiative 9 Jimmy will be able to attack Frank (assuming he’s resisted Frank’s Dread Gaze), take up to 3 steps, and activate Feral Claws. Jimmy may resolve these actions in any order he wishes.

Initiative Exceptions

Some actions say they can be used (or activated) “Immediately” or “At any time”. These can be used anytime you wish (even before your initiative). Some actions always happen at the end of the turn. These actions are resolved after everyone’s initiative but before extra actions (from Celerity or Black Metamorphosis). Still other actions have specific qualifiers telling you when they can be used like “When performing another action”.
If an action or effect isn’t immediate and doesn’t specify when it happens, resolve it on your initiative.
Celerity powers are another exception to the Initiative rules. You may activate Celerity powers instantly at any point during the round. This doesn’t allow you to take extra actions out of turn (see Multiple Actions below).

Multiple Participants

When characters with different initiatives participate in the same Physical challenge, the test is resolved based on the fastest character’s initiative. Each involved character may take up to 3 steps either before or after the challenge is performed. Other actions are resolved on the character’s respective initiative.
Example: Mark plans to draw a sword and hit Joe. Joe is trying to draw a gun and attack Mark. Mark has 9 physical traits and Joe has only 3. Normally, Joe would act on three but because he is counterattacking Mark, his attack is resolved on 9 in an opposed challenge with Mark.

Multiple Tests

If a single action requires multiple tests from different trait categories, it is resolved based on the traits in the lowest of your trait categories. For example, if you must test to break your target’s Majesty before you can punch him, your action’s initiative will be based on the lower of the two – your Social or Physical traits.

Multiple Actions

At the end of the Everyman round, after you’ve resolved all other “end of turn” actions, you may take additional actions granted by powers like Celerity and Black Metamorphosis.

When you take a Celerity action you may move up to three steps and perform one physical action (or six steps if you don’t make a test). You may not activate mental or social powers using a Celerity action (you may only take physical actions). This is also true for the action gained from Black Metamorphosis, but it is even further restricted in that you can’t move, and you must perform your extra action with your Black Metamorphosis tentacles (i.e. you may not use weapons, Feral Claws, etc.)

When resolving additional actions, count the number of extra actions each character can take and resolve them in order. Everyone who has one extra action will get to act at the same time, regardless of the extra action’s source.

Example: Dana has Legerity. Petra has Swiftness and Black Metamorphosis. Since both characters have two additional actions, they will both be able to act three times. Both will act simultaneously on the first extra action, drawing on Swiftness. Thereafter, Dana’s Legerity action will be resolved at the same time as Petra’s Black Metamorphosis action.

Grappling

Instead of doing damage with a physical attack, you can choose to grapple your opponent. By making a Physical Challenge, you grab hold of your victim. If successful, the victim becomes incapable of physically attacking anyone but you, and may not move away from you until the grapple is broken.
Your grapple is broken if you let go, move away, take a physical action targeting anyone but the character you’re grappling, or if your victim beats you in a physical challenge.

Example: Maria tries to grab Fred. If she wins, Maria won’t inflict damage, but she will grapple Fred and prevent him from escaping. On the following round, Fred may try to punch Maria in the nose. If he succeeds, he’ll injure her and also escape from the grapple.

Dragging Opponents

If you have more Physical Traits than the character you are grappling, you may move one step per round and drag him with you. If you have more Potence than your victim, you may drag him two steps per round. If you have both, you may drag your victim a total of three steps per round.

Physical Traits and Blood

When you spend a point of blood to get a bonus Physical Trait, you must decide if the temporary Physical Trait is Strength, Stamina, or Agility related at the moment you gain it.

If the Physical Trait doesn’t bring you over your generational maximum it lasts for the scene. Otherwise, it lasts for one challenge.

Surprise

If you challenge your opponent and he doesn’t respond in a reasonable amount of time he is considered to be surprised. Some powers cause your opponent to be surprised even if he responds to your challenge in a timely manner. If you’ve surprised your opponent you get a free retest to affect him (a Miscellaneous retest).

You may only be surprised on the first round of combat. Once you are on your guard you are not subject to the surprise retest even if an attacker appears suddenly
behind you.

Range

If you make a physical attack against an opponent who can’t respond he is considered Surprised even if he knew the attack was coming. This is an exception to the rule that you may only use the surprise retest on the first round of combat. In order to get this retest your opponent must be incapable of responding. If he is capable of shooting back but chooses to do something else instead (like make a social or mental challenge) you do not get the ranged retest.

You may only use this retest if your opponent can not retaliate against you or anyone loaning you a trait. For example, if you shoot at an unarmed character you may use the Surprise retest. If your target is within reach of someone loaning you a trait, you may not benefit from this retest.

Stacking Effects in Combat

When using multiple powers that increase your damage or add special effects to an attack things can sometimes get confusing. In general there are three different ways powers can modify an attack.

Additional Damage

Powers or effects that cause additional damage can be stacked without restriction. For example, if you may combine the effects of Puissance and Force to inflict two additional point of damage.

Note that some powers have their own restrictions. For example, Imprint inflicts an additional point of damage but only when grappling or biting. It will stack with Puissance when grappling but not when punching.

Attack Modification

Some powers modify an attack without increasing its damage (or in addition to increasing its damage).  For example, once you’ve activated Feral Claws your hand to hand attacks cause aggravated damage.

You may stack multiple effects that modify an attack but you cannot benefit from two different effects that modify an attack in the same way. For example, you can stack a power that converts your hand to hand damage into Agg and a power that causes anyone you hit to lose a physical trait but combining two powers that convert your hand to hand damage into Agg has no additional effect.

Special Attacks

Some powers replace the normal attack rules with special mechanics. For example, Acidic touch (Thaumaturgy), Atrophy (Thaumaturgy), and Gentle Rebuke (Potence) all cause a negative effect when you touch an opponent. You may not combine a special attack with a normal attack unless the power in questions specifically says it can. For example, you may not punch someone for 2 lethal and use Gentle Rebuke at the same time.

Mob Challenges

If two or more characters target the same person with a Mental or Social Challenge, the character with the highest initiative goes first and may resolve their challenge. If, when your initiative occurs, your target has already been affected by the category of challenge you intended, you may select a different target (with the ST’s permission).

If two or more characters target the same person with a Physical Challenge, each must each declare a victory condition and bid an appropriate trait(s). Thereafter, the group must choose one person to act as the champion for the combined challenge. If the group can’t decide on a leader in a reasonable amount of time, the ST may choose someone to lead the challenge.

The champion of a mob runs a challenge as normal, but receives 1 bonus trait for every other character helping him (up to a maximum of +4). Characters assisting (or “lending to”) the leader bid their Physical Trait normally plus any additional bids required by Negative Traits, weapon Negative Traits, or being wounded. The target of the mob’s physical action must risk one trait for each person in the opposing group (up to a maximum of 5).

If the mob leader wins the Physical Challenge, he may choose his own victory condition or the victory condition of anyone who loaned him a trait. Only the chosen victory condition affects the target.

Example: Andrew, Bob and Charlie attack Zach. They each bid their appropriate Physical Trait and declare their victory condition. Zach bids three Physical Traits (normal one, plus one for each additional attacker) and declares his victory condition to strike back at one of his attackers. Bob is chosen to champion for the attacking group. He and Zach resolve their challenge normally. If the result is a tie, Bob may add +2 Traits to his total from the lending attackers. If Bob wins the challenge, he may choose the victory condition from Andrew, Charlie or himself to apply to Zach.

When two opposing groups attack each other, the combat should be resolved using as few challenges as possible. The challenges should be resolved in the appropriate initiative order as needed.

Example: Andrew, Bob and Charlie are attacking Zach. Xavier, Yolanda and Zach are attacking Charlie. Each combatant bids their traits as normal and declares their victory condition. Zach and Charlie must each bid two more traits due to the additional attackers targeting them. Each team must choose a champion.

If a character is being attacked, and is attacking a separate target that is not involved in a mob along with his own attacker, he may need to engage in separate physical challenges to resolve the attack against him and his own attack.

Example: Andrew, Martin and Zach are involved in a frenzied combat. All three declare their attack and bid a physical trait. Andrew is Ferociously punching Martin, Martin is Dexterously kicking Zach, and Zach is trying to grapple Andrew in his Potent grasp. As there are no instances of an individual being challenged by multiple attackers, each challenge must be resolved separately. Each combatant must bid an additional trait to respond to the challenges. Andrew is Robust enough to avoid Zach’s grapple, Martin is Quickly dodging Andrew’s punch, and Zach is Tough enough to shrug off Martin’s kick. In a scenario such as this and depending on the results of the RPS, it is possible to both damage your opponent, and be damaged by an attacker during the same round.

Multiple Tests

For the purposes of Mob combat every action must fall into one (and only one) of the three trait categories (Physical, Social, or Mental). When an action requires multiple tests its type is determined by the test that causes an effect. For example, you may have to touch your victim before using Quell the Beast but the effect comes from the social challenge. Therefore, quelling someone’s beast is considered a social action. Using it on someone doesn’t contribute to or benefit from a physical mob and it counts towards the number of social actions that can target your victim (one per round).

Similarly, it may require a Social test to hit a character using Majesty but the action’s type isn’t determined by your target’s defensive power. It’s determined by what you’re trying to accomplish. Attempting to punch someone using Majesty will require a social challenge but it is still a physical action since the effect will be coming from the punch and not the social test. The punch can be combined into a mob challenge and it won’t count towards the number of social actions that can target your victim.

Mixed Challenges

Sometimes the rules call for a mixed challenge; one where the attacker uses one trait category, and the defender uses another. For example, several Thaumaturgy powers require Mental vs. Physical challenges.

When participating in a mixed challenge each character should bid an appropriate trait and may use powers and abilities based on the trait they’ve bid.

Example: Billy is attempting to dodge a Flame Bolt aimed at him by an angry Tremere. Since Billy is Quick enough to dodge he’ll be able to use the win-all-ties power gained from Fleetness but he won’t be able to retest with Willpower (since he didn’t bid a Social or Mental trait).

Mass Rules

When using a mixed challenge in mass combat the defender’s trait category determines the challenge’s type.

Example: A Mental vs. Physical challenge is considered a physical challenge for the purposes of mob combat because the defender must bid a physical trait.

Multiple Mixed Challenges

If two or more characters target each other with Mental vs. Physical challenges they must each bid a Mental trait to initiate the challenge and a Physical Trait to resist it. The first trait a character chooses to bid will determine which powers and retests he may use.

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