Automatic Weapons Fire - Attacking Unnamed Characters
In the rules as written, automatic fire is useless against unnamed characters. To correct that, for every nine bullets fired, the shooter gains a +1 to their AV against an unnamed character. The number of bullets fired must be specified in advance. For some of the rare fully-automatic weapons that have less than nine bullets, the shooter gains a +1 to their AV if they choose to empty the weapon at the unnamed opponent.
Called Shots and Stunts - Disabling Named Characters
Some called shots have the effect of practically rendering an opponent unable to fight, or possibly killing them outright. When using this to fight a named character, the following rules apply:
- The player must specifically declare that the character is using a called shot to achieve such an effect. Players may freely describe all manner of attacks without making such a declaration; in such cases this is assumed to be colorful narrative, and entails no unusual penalty or benefit.
- A called attack that can render an enemy at a significant and/or ongoing disadvantage is made at an AV of -5 or more.
- An attack that will leave an enemy unable to fight is made at an AV of -8 or more.
- An attack whose purpose is to do extra damage is made at an AV of -1 per 2 points of extra damage, rounded up, i.e. an attack that does 5 extra damage is made at an AV of -3.
- Attacks with lethal effects cannot be made against named characters; any lethal effect is modeled using damage alone. I.e. an attack that involves shooting an enemy through the head to kill them instantly is a normal attack that results in a head shot if and only if it does enough damage to force a death check which the opponent then fails.
- Using any of the above types of shots or stunts on named NPCs allows such NPCs to use them on PCs in turn. However, these tactics will be disallowed in the climactic fight of a story unless they have already been employed at least once before.
Called Shots and Stunts - Disabling Unnamed Characters
Called shots and stunts with the attempt to disable unnamed characters are made at no particular penalty. However, as with eliminating an unnamed character, such attacks must result in an Outcome of +5 or more (subject to modifiers based on the attack mode) in order to result in the desired effect.
Called Shots - Disarming
A disarming attack may be made with no penalty, as long as the attack is reasonably described as being of a sort that will cause disarmament. Only weapons can be disarmed; martial artists cannot have their unarmed attack disarmed, nor can a sorcerer have a spell disarmed; doing so requires a stunt and some other manner of attack. On an Outcome of +5 to +7, a weapon is knocked out of the opponent's grasp, provided it is not a signature weapon. On an Outcome of +8 or more, the weapon is also damaged.
Signature weapons can never be damaged by such attacks and can only be knocked out of a character's hand on an Outcome of +8 or more. A signature weapon can never be placed in a situation where it is practically impossible for the owner to retrieve it, i.e. knocked off a cliff or swallowed by a monster. Characters deprived of their signature weapon gain large bonuses, or at least the nullification of any penalties, associated with regaining the weapon.
Eliminating Unnamed Characters - Unconsciousness in Non-humans
When a character achieves an Outcome of +5 or more against an unnamed character, the player has the choice of knocking them unconscious or killing them outright. However, certain types of unnamed characters, usually monsters, cannot be knocked out; they can only be killed or destroyed by such an attack. Effects that specifically protect or reverse certain types of defeat, such as the creature power Inevitable Comeback, will overrule the player's choice in those circumstances.
Firing Two Guns - Attacking Named Characters
For characters that don't have the Two Guns Blazing schtick, they may still elect to fire two guns with pistol grips at once, one in each hand, as a stunt. However, this is simply modeled using the extra damage house rule described earlier and repeated here: the player specifies how much extra damage they wish the attack to do and takes a -1 to AV for every 2 points of extra damage or portion thereof.
Firing Two Guns - Attacking Unnamed Characters
A character who doesn't have the Two Guns Blazing schtick may attack unnamed characters with two guns by making two rolls, each with a -5 to the AV. This is a specific exception to the rule against making multiple attack rolls in one action. A character who does possess the Two Guns Blazing schtick may make the two rolls, but each with a -2 to the AV. Unlike situation when fighting named characters, taking multiple Two Guns Blazing schticks will not improve the AV above -2.
Hand-to-Hand Combat - Punches and Kicks
Rather than having punches and kicks do Strength +1 and +2 damage, respectively, unarmed attacks made when by characters who are holding something, balancing on something, encumbered by something, or who cannot otherwise use their whole body are at Strength +1. Attacks made by unencumbered characters with full freedom of movement are at Strength +2.
Multiple Attacks in One Action
A character who wishes to fire multiple shots in one action must have a weapon that facilitates this, such as a fully-automatic gun. Otherwise, sequential shots or attacks must be performed one action at a time, with the appropriate penalties for snapshots if desired. A character who makes multiple strikes with martial arts in one action is assumed to be making one attack composed of the sum effect of such strikes.
Multiple Attack Rolls in One Action
Unless specifically called for by a special circumstance (as described by the GM), a specific attack (see Firing Two Guns - Attacking Unnamed Characters, above), or a schtick, a character cannot make more than one attack roll in one attack action, even when firing multiple bullets, shooting two guns at once, or engaged in other, similar activities. One attack roll will determine the success or failure of all attacks made in a given action, even if that one roll has to be applied to multiple AVs or Difficulties.