Combat



This page will explain how the combat mechanics work in the game of dust

SHIP COMBAT
In ship combat there are three types of weapons that behave in three different ways, these being Autocannons, Artillery, and Missiles, each with their own method of dealing damage.

Autocannon
The Autocannon uses burst shots when attacking, meaning that instead of determining if an attack hits a target or not, the DM rolls to see the percentage of rounds that hit in a burst.

Autocannon Formula 

1. Roll a D20

[Example: rolled a 15]

2. Number rolled is divided by 20 (since a D20 was used) to get a percentage

[Example: 15 / 20 = 0.75 or 75% of shots hit

3. Multiply the amount of shots in a burst by the percentage received to determine how many shots hit

[Example: Say the player used a 10 shot burst Autocannon, so 10 * 0.75 = 7.5 or 7 out of the 10 shots hit ( decimal places are always treated as glancing hits that did not penetrate)

4. Multiply the amount of shots that hit by the amount of damage each shot does to determine total damage given

[Example: The AutoCannon does 250 damage per shot and 7 out of the 10 shots hit so 7 * 250 = 1750 or 1750 total damage given

Artillery
Artillery works in a different way, they have a single shot firing system and a reload time. They also are not as restrained by the range at which they are shooting. While they do have a max range, they can shoot beyond that range, but by doing so, will receive a drop-off penalty determined by the individual weapon

Artillery Formula

1. Roll a D20

[Example: rolled an 18]

2. Number rolled is divided by 20 (since a D20 was used) to get a percentage

[Example: 18 was rolled, so 18 / 20 = 0.9 or 90%]

3. Subtract drop-off penalty of applicable

[Example: the ship is firing 3000m outside its artillery’s max range, with a -10% drop-off for every 1000m so their would be a -30% penalty, making the new percentage 90% - 30% = 60%]

4. Roll a D20 again

[Example: rolled a 9]

5. Number rolled is divided by 20 again to get a percentage, that percentage must be between a 1 and the original percentage for it to be considered a hit.

[Example: 9 / 20 = 0.45 or 45% and 45% is between 1% and the original 60% so the player does hit their target]

Missiles
Unlike the two previous weapons, a dice is rolled not to see if the player successfully aimed their missile correctly, but rather to see if the person they are firing at is able to outmaneuver it.

Missile Formula 

1. Find the missile’s percent chance of outmaneuvering

[Example: 45%]

2. Take the ship piloting skill of the person that is piloting the ship being shot, multiply that by 2, and add the missile’s percent chance of outmaneuvering by that number

[Example: The pilot has a ship piloting skill of 4, so 4 * 2 = 8. Add 45% by 8 to receive the new percent chance of outmaneuvering or 45 + 8 = 53%]

3. Roll a D20 and take the number rolled and turn that into a percentage, the number must be between 1 and the new percent chance of outmaneuvering for the person to outmaneuver the missile

[Example: An 11 is rolled, so 11 / 20 = 0.55 or 55%. Since 55% is not between 1% and 53%, the missile is not outmaneuvered and does damage to the ship]