Mashu: A Non-Combat Combat System

Now, I know what you're thinking: Hard combat/non-combat split, right? And that's still correct. But there comes times when you don't really want to break out the full combat system - the police don't usually like it when you start throwing around mega-fireballs and hyper beams in a bar fight.

Instead, the Mashu system steps in! A quick and light skill-based combat system for all those minor scuffles where nopony really wants to kill the other. Damage in this is typically non-lasting, and any fight in the Mashu system can immediately be dropped to escalate into full scale combat at any participant's option. Just like in movies, the characters grit their teeth and get real, shaking off all the minor bumps and bruises from the low level fighting.

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Each round, characters describe a number of actions (normally max 5), describing different things they do in combat. These actions then get allocated to either attack or defence, at the free choice of the player.

Each of these actions elicits roll of the most relevant skill against a DC 20 difficulty. A pass counts as one success, while a critical success counts as an additional success.

Attempting specific stunts can have varying effects, from making the DC easier, by using something close at hoof, to (slightly) more difficult - but more difficult stunts provide bonus successes on a pass.

In all cases, you may opt to decline a more difficult stunt and resolve it at a normal DC, though you also forfeit any bonus successes you would have received.

Similarly, using your utility talents can provide bonuses, and even be incorporated into stunts.

However, there is a catch - nobody likes it when you're boring. Repeating attacks and reusing skills over and over makes you predictable, and you take a cumulative -3 penalty to actions using the skill for every time you've used that skill this round. Mixing it up with stunts from the environment and your talents can negate this.

One defence success defeats a single offence success directed at the defender. Any leftover offence successes costs the defender a Hit. When the defender has no Hits left, they are defeated and eliminated from combat.

Players have 4 hits by default. Opponents may have more, and various conditions may affect this.

Just exploring, and I find this. I think this is definitely going to fuel some ideas for the combat system that is going to be used in my TF2-style Loyalty campaign, since I was already going to not use the typical combat system. Very helpful ideas.