Combat rules:
The combat rules cover the armed, ranged, combat as well as the armed close combat and unarmed combat. That is, to put it mildly, a ton of rules.
The rules are mostly simple, and once one is a bit familiar with them, nearly self-explanatory.
None the less it is recommeneded, especially for beginners, to just use the most basic, non-optional rules of the ranged combat.
Don't be scared off by the multitude of rules. Start small and add some rules with each adventure.
Dice rules:
These rules might be filled under the combat rules, but apply equally to all tests. Since combat is especially test heavy, these rules are written here.
The dice:
For the Fallout Pen and Paper you need at least one dice going from 1 to 10 and one going from 1 to 100 (or two D10, of which one shows the numbers in steps of ten). Further, to calculate damages, you will also need at least one D6 and one D20.
In case you, as the authors did and do, use two D10, one of which counts in steps of ten from 00 to 90, the following applies:
00 on the one and 0 on the other is equal to 100.
00 on the one and 1 on the other is equal to 1.
Fundamentals:
Fundamentally, each roll of a dice is test on a skill or a statistic. If the dice show below the
effective value of the testing character, the test succeeded.
If the dice show more than the
effective value, the test is considered failed.
The efective value:
Most of the time a test is not just a dice roll, that must hit below or above the value written on paper.
We must also consider the circumstances of the test. It's easier to hide in the dark, but more difficult to pick a lock. A test on bodily strength in the bright desert sun is more difficult than in the cool shade … you get the principle.
Unless there are clear rules for handicaps and bonuses (and those pretty much only exist in combat, and even there, some more can be freely added), there is only one rule that applies always and all the time: the master decides on the handicaps and bonuses as he (or she) sees fit.
Critical hits and critical fails:
Critical hits and lucky tests respectively or critical fails mean, that a test has been passed especially well – or that the test failed especially spectacular. With tests on the main statistics (Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck and Courage) this means, that, as long as the tested stat is above 1, that a 1 with the D10 is a lucky test and therefore not only just passes, but passes extraordinary well.
With a ten on the D10, we speak of a critical fail. The test has not only failed, it failed catastrophically, unless the stat tested upon is at least 10.
When testing on skills (and that should be most tests, since the main stats should only be tested upon, if there really is no skill to cover what the character tries to do), the luck value is most important.
All tests with the D100 from 1 up to the value of luck, are lucky tests or critical hits.
All tests from 95 to 100 are critical fails.
Super-Mutants, Ghouls and animals:
Whenever the main statistics are tested for a Super-Mutant or a Ghoul, the minimal value of the stat is added to the result of the dice roll (if the minimal value is higher than 1). Is the maximal value less than 9 points higher than the minimal value, a roll on which the dice show the exact maximal value counts as critical fail.
Rolls that show more than the maximal value (for example a charisma roll for a Ghoul, that shows a 9) are repeated, since the maximum a Ghoul can have for Charisma is 8. If such a roll would count as failed, the probability of failing rolls would become too high.
Example 1 : Perception test on a Ghoul:
Ghouls have in their main stat rules perception values that lie between 4 and 13. Between minimal value and maximal value lie therefore 9 points. Let’s say the tested character has perception 12. In that case, for the following dice rolls this is the effective value:
| Dice result: | Effective value: | Passed: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Yes, extraordinarily well |
| 2 | 6 | Yes |
| 3 | 7 | Yes |
| 4 | 8 | Yes |
| 5 | 9 | Yes |
| 6 | 10 | Yes |
| 7 | 11 | Yes |
| 8 | 12 | Yes, barely |
| 9 | 13 | No |
| 10 | 14 | Critical failure |
Example 2: Intelligence test on a Super Mutant:
Super Mutants have in their main statistic intelligence somewhere between 1 and 8. That is, only 8 points lie between minimal and maximal value. Let’s say the character has intelligence 5. Therefore:
| Dice result: | Effective value: | Passed: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Yes, luckily |
| 2 | 2 | Yes |
| 3 | 3 | Yes |
| 4 | 4 | Yes |
| 5 | 5 | Yes, barely |
| 6 | 6 | No |
| 7 | 7 | No |
| 8 | 8 | Critical failure |
| 9 | - | Roll must be repeated |
| 10 | - | Roll must be repeated |
Example 3: Strength test for a dog:
Dogs have strength between 1 and 4. Here, for a dog with strength 3, that would mean:
| Dice result: | Effective value: | Passed: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Yes, luckily |
| 2 | 2 | Yes |
| 3 | 3 | Yes, barely |
| 4 | 4 | Critical Failure |
| 5 | - | Roll must be repeated |
| 6 | - | Roll must be repeated |
| 7 | - | Roll must be repeated |
| 8 | - | Roll must be repeated |
| 9 | - | Roll must be repeated |
| 10 | - | Roll must be repeated |
Optional rule: Many animals have values between 1 and 5. So that there is not a more than 50% chance to have to repeat rolls, one can just divide the result of rolling the D10 by two and work with half points. The table for the strength roll of the dog with Strength of 3 would then look like this:
| Dice result: | Effective value: | Passed: |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0,5 | Yes, luckily |
| 2 | 1 | Yes |
| 3 | 1,5 | Yes |
| 4 | 2 | Yes |
| 5 | 2,5 | Yes |
| 6 | 3 | Yes, barely |
| 7 | 3,5 | No |
| 8 | 4 | Critical failure |
| 9 | 4,5 | Roll must be repeated |
| 10 | - | Roll must be repeated |
With this trick there are only two rolls left, that would result in the roll having to be repeated.