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\lhead{High Cinematic Combat System}
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{\Huge High Cinematic Combat System}

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Brian Sniffen
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\section{Goals}
The Guild has several combat systems available. While each has its own
strengths, ranging from the simplicity of the Starlight system to the
strong discouraging of pure martial combat created by a Hit N/Block N
card system. None of these systems, however, is capable of properly 
modeling the entire spectrum of martial competence. Therefore, a new
system is needed. It's goals are as follows:
\begin{itemize}
\item {\bf Simplicity} -- For characters for whom martial combat is
unimportant, the mechanic needs to be simple to learn and use. 
\item {\bf Versatility} -- We want to be able to model fencers,
boxers, and office managers equally well.
\item {\bf Special Effects} -- The system should support a variety of
``neat tricks,'' ranging from techniques which work better in certain
situations or areas to ``I'm not left handed.''
\item {\bf Non-lethal combat} -- It should be possible for two people
to fight and make it perfectly clear that one is a better fighter than
the other, yet have both people walk away essentially uninjured.
\end{itemize}

\section{Terms}
The High Cinematic Combat System (HCCS) makes use of several terms
which have slightly different meanings than in common usage. Each
player has a set of {\bf card}s. These cards are carried around in a
pre-stacked {\bf deck}. The stacking order indicates the way in which
the character is prepared to respond to an attack. During a combat, the
player will pull off the top of the deck a {\bf hand}, from which he
will play an {\bf active card}. The active card represents the way the
character is engaging in combat at the moment, while the hand
represents what options he is considering. 

There are two numerical statistics which govern a characters martial
prowess: $\Delta$ (deck size) and $\eta$, hand size. $\Delta$ is
rarely referred to; it's merely there as a check to make sure that the
player has all of the cards he is supposed to. $\eta$, however,
governs several portions of the combat. No player may ever have more
than $\eta$ cards in his hand, defend against more than $\eta$ people
at a time, or attack more than $\frac{\eta}{3}$. Round
appropriately. 0 or 1 is 0, 2-4 is 1, 5-7 is 2, and so on.

\section{Cards}
Each card will appear something like \ref{card-example}. There is a
name, three numbers, and some special effects. Acc, Pow, and Spd are
arranged in a circle: Accuracy beats Power, Power beats Speed, and
Speed beats Accuracy. What this means is explained below.

\dofig{card-example.eps}{An Example Card}{card-example}

\section{Disadvantage}
As a combat proceeds, all the characters involved will accumulate {\bf
disadvantage} points. At any point when the rules indicate you should
change your disadvantage stat, you should call out what the new value
is. It's obvious how badly you're doing to everyone else in the fight
or watching it.

Any time you increase somebody else's disadvantage, you have the
option to burn some of their disadvantage to create an effect. For
example, if you cause someone's disadvantage to increase from 7 to 9,
you might burn 5 points to slash at his arm, doing a point of damage.
You'll have ability cards which tell you what sorts of tradeoffs you
can make.

\section{Play}
This is a non-simultaneous system. People play cards one at a time, in
something approximating the order in which they began combat (Whoever
said ``Martial Attack'' first goes first, and so on.). The effects of
order have been minimized as much as possible.

\subsection{Regular Combat}
Each time your turn comes up, you'll have in front of you a deck, a
hand, and the card you played last turn. You immediately have a choice
of whether to pull that card back into your turn, or put it on the
bottom of the deck and pull the top card from the deck into your
hand. Now you pick a card from your hand and play it, specifying which
people you're attacking and which stat you're using. For each person
you attack, the difference between the stat you're using and the one
it beats on their card is added to their disadvantage. So if you use
your Power 7 against two people, the only relevant number on their
cards are Speed. If one has a Speed 5, he gets 2 more disadvantage
points and you can do something nasty to him. If he has Speed 10, he
loses three disadvantage points, and you can't do anything.

Now you leave that card there, and turn passes to the next player. On
other people's turns, your disadvantage stat may change, and people
may trade in some of of your disadvantage points to do something nasty
to you. You defend against up to $\eta$ people, using whichever stats
on the card are appropriate. You can choose not to defend against
someone, in which case you have a stat of zero, but can use that
defence against someone later in the turn. 

\subsection{Initiating Combat}
The surprise rules in most combat mechanics are far too lenient. To
attack someone, you must have your pre-stacked combat deck in your
off-hand. You must walk to within ZOC of them, say ``Martial Attack''
in a clear voice, and put the top card from the deck onto a flat
surface (table, floor, whatever). You may not touch the deck with your
on hand until you've finished saying ``Martial Attack''. If your card
touches the surface before your target or targets, if you have a hand
size of at least 5, say ``Martial Defense'', then they are
surprised. If they are not surprised, they get to put the top card
from their deck down to use for defense. If they are suprised, then
they put down no card and defend with a stat of 0.

Once combat begins in either fashion, it proceeds through its normal
cycle. In a no-surprise case, order shouldn't matter too much.

\section{Weirdshit}
There are a few things which most players won't need to deal with, but
may be an issue for martial masters.
\subsection{Placeholder Cards}
There are some cards which cannot actually be played, but take up a
slot in your hand. For example, consider the card ``I'm Not Left
Handed''. It must be in your hand at the beginning of the combat, can
never be played by itself, but can be played with any other card to
reduce your disadvantage to zero. Some particularly effective styles
may also require you to have a filler card in your hand to use special
maneuvers within them (``Tai Kwon Leep Master: May Not Be Played'' to
use ``Eye Poke,' for example). All such cards will be clearly
indicated by the lack of Acc/Pow/Spd stats.

\subsection{Sequences}
Some cards may only be playable if you played other cards in the turn
previous. For example, the card ``Lyorn Trademark Precision Strike''
may only be playable following a series of three ``Watchful Defense''
turns.

\section{An Example}
I don't have an example yet; I need to make up some cards first.
\end{document}
