Mass Effect 5e - Player's Handbook
Combat
Combat is very similar to D&D 5th edition, with a few additional rules and defensive mechanics that add Mass Effect flavor to the system.
Shields are regenerating temporary hit points. When damage is applied it is subtracted from your shield points first, then from your hit points. Some abilities "bypass" your shields. In these instances, you subtract damage from your hit points leaving your shield points unchanged.
Shield Regeneration
Your shield points regenerate completely on a short or long rest or when combat or an encounter ends. However, in combat, you can attempt to regain shield points.
To regenerate shields during combat, a creature must do one of the following:
- Take the Hide action
- Take the Dodge action
- Have full cover at the end of its turn
Then, if the creature takes no damage until the start of its next turn, its shields begin regenerating. A creature with regenerating shields gains shield points equal to its regen stat. This effect continues until the shield points reach maximum capacity or the creature takes damage.
Why Don't Shields Recharge Automatically in Combat?
Our interpretation is that your armor's shields are managed by the on-board VI, which is taxed during combat as it manages other systems: your omni-tool or biotic implant, HUD, etc. Thus, once a threat is properly neutralized, or you are able to temporarily remove yourself from the fray, your VI can route power back into your shields for immediate regeneration.
Shield devices
All armor chest pieces come standard with 5 shield points and a regen of 5. However more advanced mods and armor sets can provided additional shields. Additionally, personal shield generators are available, which can provide shields without the character equipping armor.
Lightning Damage
All shields are vulnerable to lightning damage. In the event that a lighting attack removes all shield points, the following steps outline how to divvy up the damage:
- Double the damage.
- Subtract the shield points from the total damage.
- Reduce the remaining damage by half
- Apply the new amount to the target's hit points.
Melee Weapon Attacks
All damage resulting from a melee weapon attack by-passess shields. The Mass Effect codex explains that shields are "... repulsive mass effect fields projected from tiny emitters. These shields safely deflect small objects traveling at rapid velocities. This affords protection from bullets and other dangerous projectiles, but still allows the user to sit down without knocking away their chair." Therefore, melee weapon attacks move slow enough to by-pass a shield's protective barrier.
Walls, trees, creatures, and other obstacles can provide cover during combat, making a target more difficult to harm. A target can benefit from cover only when an attack or other effect originates on the opposite side of the cover. There are three degrees of cover. If a target is behind multiple sources of cover, only the most protective degree of cover applies; the degrees aren't added together. For example, if a target is behind a creature that gives half cover and a tree trunk that gives three-quarters cover, the target has three-quarters cover.-- 5th Edition SRD, (Player's Handbook, pg. 196)
- Half cover
- A target with half cover has a +2 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws.A target has half cover if an obstacle blocks at least half of its body. The obstacle might be a low wall, a large piece of furniture, a narrow tree trunk, or a creature, whether that creature is an enemy or a friend.
- Three-quarters cover
- A target with three-quarters cover has a +5 bonus to AC and Dexterity saving throws. A target has three-quarters cover if about three-quarters of it is covered by an obstacle. The obstacle might be a portcullis, an arrow slit, or a thick tree trunk.
- Full cover
- A target with total cover can't be targeted directly by an attack or a spell, although some spells can reach such a target by including it in an area of effect. A target has total cover if it is completely concealed by an obstacle.
Galaxy Masters should take note of the above rule. At minimum, creatures provide half cover, meaning if the trajectory of a player's attack passes through another creature (friendly or enemy), the target has half cover. However, you may use any or all of the following varient rules to add variety and clarification to your combat.
Variant: Additional Rules
- Size
- Size matters. If the target is one size larger than the creature providing cover, the target has no cover. If the target is one size smaller than the creature providing cover, ther target has three-quarters cover.
- High Ground
- Flying enemies or creatures on high ground are able to shoot over cover.
- Friendly Fire
- Don't hit your friends! If the creature providing cover is friendly and the attacking creature misses, the attack has a 50% chance to hit the friendly target. Roll a die and if the result is odd the attack hits, even the attack misses both creatures. Or you can use the friendly creature's AC to decide if the attack hits or misses.
When you take the Reload Action, you expend a Thermal Clip from your inventory and insert it into the weapon you're currently holding, returning the weapon's heat to its maximum value.
At the start of your turn, if you are holding only a single weapon, you may use a Bonus Action to attempt a Rapid Reload. Make a DC 15 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. On a success, you reload the weapon you're currently holding and may continue your turn as normal. On a failure, you must take the Reload action this turn. On a critical failure, the thermal clip drops from your hand, your weapon is not reloaded, and your lose your Action.
Why is this a variant rule?
Although there are class features and weapon mods that allow you to reload as a bonus action, we created this variant rule to give all classes a potential chance to reload as a bonus action. But this increases the potential rolls per combat, which can be cumbersome and distracting. So we leave it up to the GM and players to decide if this rule is right for their group.
Primers and Detonators add a combo-based mechanic to combat. However, they can also add an unwanted level of complexity to combat as well, as tracking which creatures are primed at any given moment can become cumbersome. As a variant, you may forego this rule and ignore any mention of the Primed condition or detonation effects.
Primed Condition
Some spells and attacks cause the target to become primed. When a primed target is hit with a detonating spell or attack the primed condition ends and the detonation causes an explosive effect. There are five primed types: Force, Necrotic, Fire, Cold, or Lightning, which correspond with the following explosions:
| Type | Explosion |
|---|---|
| Force | The primed target takes 2d6 force damage, is knocked back 6m and becomes prone. |
| Necrotic | The primed target takes 1d12 necrotic damage amd must pass a DC 13 Constituion saving throw or becomes stunned until the end of its next turn. |
| Fire | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, catch fire, taking 1d6 fire damage. Each creature continues to burn for 1 minute, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of its turn. A creature that is on fire can use its action put out the fire. |
| Cold | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, must pass a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save a creature is frozen until the end of its next turn. |
| Lightning | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, takes 3d4 lightning damage. |
A creature can suffer from multiple primed types simultaneously as long as each type is different. When detonated, all explosions happen at once centered on the location of the primed target.
There aren't enough spells and powers to justify making bonuses like "double damage to beast". In addition, many of the 5th Edition creature types don't make sense in the sci-fi setting (celestials, undead, fey, elemental, etc.). Instead there are only three creature types: Organic, Synthetic, and Synthorganic.
Synthorganic creatures are considered both synthetic and organic.
Since this is the future and there isn't really "magic", some damage types need to be re-conceptualized. If the damage type is not listed, its concept is unchanged.
- Force
- One of the primary biotic damage types. Mass effect fields that pummel, pierce, or apply pressure deal force damage.
- Lightning
- Shock damage. Any damage done by an electrical discharge or source. Deals double damage to shields.
- Necrotic
- The second biotic damage type. Necrotic damage uses dark energy and mass effect fields on a subatomic level.
- Psychic
- A shock to the nervous system, rather than fear or mental damage. But the latter is possible.
- Radiant
- Radiation or damage on a nuclear level, rather than divine light.
- Thunder
- Shockwaves and explosions. Thunder damage is primarily caused by grenades.
Blinded
- A blinded creature can't see and automatically fails any ability check that requires sight.
- Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage.
Charmed
- A charmed creature can't attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects.
- The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature.
Deafened
- A deafened creature can't hear and automatically fails any ability check that requires hearing.
Exhaustion
Some special abilities and environmental hazards, such as starvation and the long-term effects of freezing or scorching temperatures, can lead to a special condition called exhaustion. Exhaustion is measured in six levels. An effect can give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion, as specified in the effect's description.
| Level | Effect |
|---|---|
| 1 | Disadvantage on ability checks |
| 2 | Speed halved |
| 3 | Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws |
| 4 | Hit point maximum halved |
| 5 | Speed reduced to 0 |
| 6 | Death |
If an already exhausted creature suffers another effect that causes exhaustion, its current level of exhaustion increases by the amount specified in the effect's description.
A creature suffers the effect of its current level of exhaustion as well as all lower levels. For example, a creature suffering level 2 exhaustion has its speed halved and has disadvantage on ability checks.
An effect that removes exhaustion reduces its level as specified in the effect's description, with all exhaustion effects ending if a creature's exhaustion level is reduced below 1. Finishing a long rest reduces a creature's exhaustion level by 1, provided that the creature has also ingested some food and drink.
Frightened
- A frightened creature has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while the source of its fear is within line of sight.
- The creature can't willingly move closer to the source of its fear.
Frozen
- A frozen creature is incapacitated (see the condition) and can't move or speak.
- The creature automatically fails Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
Grappled
- A grappled creature's speed becomes 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed.
- The condition ends if the grappler is incapacitated (see the condition).
- The condition also ends if an effect removes the grappled creature from the reach of the grappler or grappling effect, such as when a creature is hurled away by the throw spell.
Incapacitated
- An incapacitated creature can't take actions or reactions.
Invisible
- An invisible creature is impossible to see without the aid of gadgets or a special sense. For the purpose of hiding, the creature is heavily obscured. The creature's location can be detected by any noise it makes or any tracks it leaves.
- Attack rolls against the creature have disadvantage, and the creature's attack rolls have advantage.
Lifted
- A lifted creature is restrained (see the condition).
- The creature is primed (force) (see the condition). Any detonating attack ends the lifted condition after resolving the detonation effect.
- Any lifted object has no mass and is dangled in the air by a temporary mass effect field. Thus, a lifted creature can be pushed, pulled, or otherwise manipulated for varying results.
Paralyzed
- A paralyzed creature is incapacitated (see the condition) and can't move or speak.
- The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
- Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
Poisoned
- A poisoned creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks.
Primed
Some spells and attacks cause the target to become primed. When a primed target is hit with a detonating spell or attack the primed condition ends and the detonation causes an explosive effect. There are five primed types: Force, Necrotic, Fire, Cold, or Lightning, which correspond with the following explosions:
| Type | Explosion |
|---|---|
| Force | The primed target takes 2d6 force damage, is knocked back 6m and becomes prone. |
| Necrotic | The primed target takes 1d12 necrotic damage amd must pass a DC 13 Constituion saving throw or becomes stunned until the end of its next turn. |
| Fire | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, catch fire, taking 1d6 fire damage. Each creature continues to burn for 1 minute, taking 1d6 fire damage at the start of its turn. A creature that is on fire can use its action put out the fire. |
| Cold | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, must pass a DC 15 Strength saving throw. On a failed save a creature is frozen until the end of its next turn. |
| Lightning | Each creature within a 4m radius, including the primed target, takes 3d4 lightning damage. |
A creature can suffer from multiple primed types simultaneously as long as each type is different. When detonated, all explosions happen at once centered on the location of the primed target.
Prone
- A prone creature's only movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up and thereby ends the condition.
- The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls.
- An attack roll against the creature has advantage if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature. Otherwise, the attack roll has disadvantage.
Restrained
- A restrained creature's speed becomes 0, and it can't benefit from any bonus to its speed.
- Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature's attack rolls have disadvantage.
- The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
Stunned
- A stunned creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can't move, and can speak only falteringly.
- The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
- Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
Targeting
- A targeting creature's speed is reduced by half.
- The creature automatically fails Dexterity saving throws. Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
- Targeting ends if one of the following occurs:
- The creature ends the condition as a reaction, which the creature takes when it sees another creature make an attack or cast a spell.
- When the creature gains full or three-quarter cover
- When the creature is knocked prone, lifted, or incapacitated.
Unconscious
- An unconscious creature is incapacitated (see the condition), can't move or speak, and is unaware of its surroundings
- The creature drops whatever it's holding and falls prone.
- The creature automatically fails Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
- Attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
- Any attack that hits the creature is a critical hit if the attacker is within 5 feet of the creature.
Unprotected
- An unprotected creature has no shield points and no barrier ticks.