Box: Hey, who’s been messin’ with my medpack?
Are you just going to stand there, or do something?
It’s not just about moving and shooting; ARC – The Underworld’s characters may also perform several critical activities that contribute to the outcome of the scenarios.
Hiding
Characters may try to hide. Hidden Characters may not be targeted by Ranged Combat. Yes, the Character is still located on the game map, but once hidden, the Character has a significant tactical advantage.
It isn’t an automatic process except for ARC Operators wearing woodland or urban Ghillie Suits. It requires a successful challenge roll to successfully hide. The denser the cover, the easier it is to hide.
Of course, on the other side of the coin, hidden Characters are revealed if they move and may be revealed if they shoot. Careful consideration is essential as it’s easier to reveal a hidden Character than for one to become hidden.
Searching
This is a crucial ARC action because it’s the only way to identify the active REZ access points squares across the different levels. Access points allow the REZ to move between levels, and they are how ARC will eventually reach Crawford’s sewers and ultimately the REZ liar.
Equipment Exchange
This is the method Characters use to trade, transfer, and outfit Characters during play. ARC Operators may also exchange with Civilians. Hey, Jay, would you like a Frag Grenade?
Pickup and Drop
This is different from an exchange as it only relates to a single Character’s action. This is the method Characters utilize to create or draw from Stashes, access supplies from a Weapon Cache, or an ERAP/A (Enhanced Rocket Assisted Projectile/Asset).
Manhandle
It may come as a surprise, but there are situations where it becomes necessary to pick up and transport Characters. This could include picking up and moving an incapacitated friend to safety or a not-so-friendly Character for who knows what.
The REZ faces a greater challenge due to the size differences between its characters. You’ll never see a Scout with a Guard slung over its shoulders, or even a human Civilian, for that matter.
Healing
Hits (wounds) may be removed through the use of ARC Medkits and REZ Poultices. A new ARC banner details this healing process. Needless to say, healing is a critical game process.
Ranged Weapon out of Ammo Reload
With the expenditure of ammunition, ranged weapons require reloading (reference the InsideGMT article on Combat Mechanics). Each weapon counter graphically indicates the number of movement points (MPs) from 1 to 4 that must be expended to reload the weapon. Careful, stunned Characters must expend an additional MP to reload.
For example, the ARC HK MP5SD6 to the right requires two MPs to reload, as indicated by the two bullet icons at its bottom center.
Ranged Weapons Out of Action – Weapon Repair
Not only do ranged weapons unload at the most inopportune time, but they may, unfortunately, also malfunction, placing them temporarily out of action. How could this happen? Aren’t these weapons meticulously maintained?
Through the play of Malfunction or Out OF ACTION cards, or through weapon Pressing, Ranged Weapons may malfunction, requiring repair. This is another Challenge-Response check that starts as a d10 vs. d10. With Challenge checks, ties fail, so this isn’t a 50-50 proposition.
Luckily, with each failure, subsequent weapon repair attempts become easier. Characters learning from their mistakes. After the first attempt, it becomes a d10 vs. d8 challenge, then a d10 vs. d6 challenge, and finally a d10 vs. d4 challenge. It doesn’t become any easier than a d4.
The ARC Armorer and the REZ Wizard skills both add +2 to the Challenge die roll result.
Reading this discussion has more than likely raised another question: what is Pressing? Look for a future InsideGMT article describing Pressing.
Previous ARC – The Underworld InsideGMT Articles:
ARC – The Underworld: Combat Mechanics
ARC – The Underworld: Character Skills
ARC – The Underworld: Movement and Attributes
ARC – The Underworld: Civilians
Author: James M. Day
