Fighting hand-to-hand or with non-ranged weapons is called melee. Characters must be within 2 meters of each other to engage in melee.

Basic Chance to Hit

Players can use either one-half of their Strength or one-half of their Dexterity, whichever is higher, as their basic chance to hit in melee. A player need not use the same ability all the time.

Melee Proeedure

1.	The basic chance to hit equals one-half of the attacking character's Dexterity or Strength (character's choice), rounded up.	1/2 DEX or STR
2.	Add 10%for each level of skill the character has for his attack.	+10% per skill level
3.	Add the weapon modifier, if a weapon is being used (see Melee Weapons Table).	+ weapon modifier
4.	Add 20 if the target is being hit from behind or is stunned.	Attacking from Behind Target is Stunned	+20 +20
5.	Add 20 if the attacker is a Yazirian in battle rage.	Battle Rage	+20
6.	Add 10 if target is encumbered	Target Encumbered	+10
7.	Subtract 10 if the attacker is encumbered.	Attacker Encumbered	-10
8.	Subtract 10 if attacker's Stamina is reduced to half or less by wounds.	Attacker Wounded	-10
9.	Subtract 15 if the target is defending itself.	Target Defending	-15

Number Of Attacks

A character gets one bare-hand attack for each arm-leg pair he has. Humans, Vrusk, Yazirians and Sathars always get to make two attacks. A Dralasite can attack twice if it has four or five limbs, three times if it has six or seven, etc. A character using a weapon in melee gets only one attack per turn.

Damage

The amount of damage a character inflicts with his bare hands (or claws or pseudopods) depends on the character's Strength score. The Punching Table shows the damage caused by characters with different Strengths. This damage is constant.

PUNCHING TABLE

Strength Score	1-20	21-40	41-60	61-80	81-00
Points of Damage	1	2	3	4	5

Knockouts. As in ranged combat, any roll to hit of 01-02 knocks a character unconscious. In additon, an opponent is knocked out if he was hit with a blunt weapon (including bare hands) and the number that was rolled ended with a 0. For example, a character is attacking with a club. He can hit his opponent with a roll of 35 or less. A roll of 01-2, 10, 20 or 30 will knock the opponent unconscious. A character that is knocked out will stay unconscious for d100 turns.

Stunning. Characters can be stunned with sonic stunners and electrostunners. A stunned character can not attack, move or defend himself for as long as he is stunned. Anyone who attacks him gets a +20 modifier to hit.

Melee Weapons

Many different weapons can be used in melee. The most common ones are described on the Melee Weapons Table. The referee can use these as guides if characters use other items as weapons.

The "Damage" column shows how many points of damage the weapon causes. The attacker's normal punching damage is added to the amount rolled. However, characters using shock gloves, sonic knives, sonic swords or stunsticks just roll damage, and do not add their punching score. The numbers under "Modifier" are added to or subtracted from the attacker's chance to hit.

Speeial Actions

Besides simply hitting an opponent, characters can try to pin him to the ground, take away his weapon or defend themselves from an attack.

Wrestling. A character can try to grab an opponent and pin him down by twisting his arm, throwing a headlock, etc. Wrestling is resolved after movement but before other attacks. The attacker can not use a weapon when wrestling. If the attack succeeds, the character can maintain his hold automatically each turn, and automatically inflict points of damage equal to his punching score each turn. A character can release a hold whenever he wants.

The character who was pinned can not do anything except try to break out of the hold. To do this he must wrestle his opponent; a successful roll means the character; has twisted free, but has not grabbed his opponent.

A character or creature can only wrestle opponents that are the same size or smaller than itself. Only one wrestling attempt can be made per turn.

HITTING A PINNED OPPONENT. A character who is being held can be hit by up to two other characters automatically each turn.

Disarming. A character who tries to force his opponent to drop a weapon must make a roll to hit with a -20 modifier. If the attack succeeds, the opponent drops the weapon but does not take any damage. Either character can try to pick up the weapon; doing so requires a d100 roll that is equal to or less than the character's Dexterity score.

Defending. A character who does not attack can defend himself. The player simply declares that he is defending himself, and anyone trying to hit, grapple or disarm him automatically has a -15 modifier on his chance to hit.

Battle Rage

Yazirians have the special ability to work themselves into a fighting fury, gaining a +20 modifier on their chance to hit in melee. A Yazirian must roll a number less than or equal to its banle rage score on d100 to enter banle rage. A Yazirian can try to enter battle rage once per combat.

Skills

There are two skills that apply specifically to melee: martial arts and melee weapons. These are explained in detail in the section on SKILLS.

Number Of Attackers

A character can be anacked by up to three opponents at once, if the opponents are the same size as the character. If the attackers are larger or smaller than their opponents, the referee must decide how many of them can anack at once.

Guns

A character who is involved in melee can shoot a pistol at an opponent that is in melee with him, but can not shoot at anyone that is not involved in the melee. Rifles also can be fired in melee, but there is a -30 modifier to hit.

Whenever a character in freefall anacks with a ranged weapon or in melee, he must make a Reaction Speed check. If he fails the check, the character has lost his balance and is spinning out of control. A spinning character can do nothing until he regains control.

To regain control, the character must pass a Reaction Speed check. The character can make a check at the end of every turn, starting the turn after he loses control. If he passes the check, he has regained control and can move and anack on the next turn.

Characters who are wearing magnetic or velcro-soled boots and characters who are firing beam weapons never lose control.

Animals

Combat with animals usually will start with ranged combat. If an animal has a special ability that lets it attack from a distance, it follows normal ranged combat rules. If the animal is still alive when it reaches melee distance, the normal melee rules are used. All animals are given an attack number, which is their basic chance to hit in melee or ranged combat.

Robots

A robot's basic chance to hit is 30% plus 10 x the robot's level. This number is used in both ranged combat and melee. A robot's Initiative modifier is its level plus three. Other modifiers apply as usual.

Remote weapon systems usually are controlled by computers using Robot Management programs. They have a basic chance to hit of 30%, plus 10 x the program's level. Their Initiative modifier is their level plus three.

More details on robots in combat is given under EQUIPMENT: Robots.

Damage lists the amount of damage the weapon causes.
Modifier is the number that is added to or subtracted from the anacker's chance to hit.
Ammo and Power show what type of ammunition or energy the weapon uses.
SEU lists the number of standard energy units used in one anack (if the weapon uses energy).
Rate is the maximum number of shots the weapon can fire in one turn. Numbers in parenthesis indicate a burst.1/2 means the weapon can be fired once every second turn.
Defense indicates what sort of suit, screen or action will protect the target from damage.
The ranges (PB, Shon Medium, Long, Extreme) are in meters.
Mass is the weapon's weight in kilograms.
Cost is in Credits, and does not include ammunition.