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  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.  
  System Rules Document Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams,
  based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.  
  Modern System Reference Document Copyright 2002, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Bill Slavicsek, Jeff Grubb, Rich
  Redman, Charles Ryan, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, Peter Adkison,
  Bruce R. Cordell, John Tynes, Andy Collins, and JD Wiker.
  Silver Age Sentinels d20 Copyright 2002, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Authors Stephen Kenson, Mark C. MacKinnon, Jeff
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  BESM d20 Revised Copyright 2003, Guardians of Order, Inc.; Author Mark C. MacKinnon, Ian Sturrock.
  
  140
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  Due to the difficult conditions, the speed of a chase in close terrain
  begins at one-half of the fastest mecha’s maximum speed (rounded
  down). The GM should roll 1d6 each chase round which occurs in close
  terrain — a result of 1 indicates an obstacle of DC 18 (see Obstacles,
  page 144).
  TIGHT TERRAIN
  This is the most dangerous of all terrain, filled with sharp drops and
  large, dense obstacles. Typical examples include stairways, corridors, busy
  highways, boulder-strewn areas, whitewater rapids, and aerial battles at
  treetop levels.
  In tight terrain, the speed of a chase begins at one-quarter of the
  fastest mecha’s maximum speed (rounded down). Such close quarters
  favour highly responsive mecha, and so if both predator and prey are in
  tight terrain, the mecha with the highest Manoeuvre value (or the mecha
  suit whose pilot has the highest Dexterity) gains an additional +1 speed
  modifier to all Drive checks.
  Tight terrain is unstable, and mecha in these areas should be
  prepared for anything. The GM should roll 1d4 each chase round that
  occurs in tight terrain — a result of 1 indicates an obstacle of DC 24 (see
  Obstacles, page 144).
  INITIAL LEAD
  The distance between mecha during a chase is called the “lead,” and
  is measured in lengths. In most cases, one length equals 10 feet. The GM
  should adjust the size of the length depending on the conditions of the
  chase. For example, a chase between two aircraft might use lengths of
  100 feet while a fight between two starfighters might be measured in
  1,000-foot lengths.
  At no time can the lead be less than zero or greater than 30. If any
  effect reduces the lead to less than zero, the lead becomes zero. Similarly,
  if any result increases the lead above 30, the lead becomes 30.
  Chases can start in a number of ways, but most boil down to one of
  two categories: predator-initiated and prey-initiated. This determines
  how much of a lead the prey has at the start of the chase. When the
  predator begins a chase, the initial lead is equal to 2d6+3 lengths
  (usually 50 to 150 feet). When a chase begins with the prey fleeing, the
  initial lead is 2d6+8 lengths (usually 100 to 200 feet). If there is no clear
  initiator in a chase, both sides roll Initiative and the highest result is
  considered to have started the chase.
  CHASE SPEED
  Chase speed is measured in miles per hour and is determined by
  terrain at the start of the chase. Chase speed changes throughout the
  pursuit according to the manoeuvres chosen by the mecha each round.
  Whenever the chase speed exceeds the maximum speed of one of
  the mecha at the end of a chase round, the mecha is dealt 1d6 damage.
  This damage is not reduced by Armour or other effects, and is in addition
  to all damage caused by manoeuvres, crash checks, and other effects. 
  CHASES: STEP BY STEP
  There are six steps to chases, which are explained in broad strokes
  here and then in detail in the following sections. These six steps continue in
  cycles until the chase ends — either with the capture or escape of the prey.
  STEP 1: CHOOSE MANOEUVRES
  Each mecha (or group of mecha) secretly chooses a manoeuvre from
  the list offered. Each manoeuvre has strengths and weaknesses, and is
  usually geared towards a specific goal.
  STEP 2: DRIVE CHECKS
  The mecha operators make opposed Drive checks (or other
  appropriate checks for non-mecha; Ride, Tumble, Swim, or Climb, for
  example). The winner’s manoeuvre succeeds.
  OPTIONAL RULES
  BESM d20 is arguably the most flexible d20 games available. The
  following rules give GMs the chance to make it more flexible still, by
  offering alternate ways to deal with specific situations and actions, special
  rules modifications for certain types of campaign, and many other
  options. Here you will find two separate sets of rules for mass combat —
  both of them quite simple and easy to use — as well as rules for chases,
  rules to give your campaign its own particular flavour, and a number of
  alternate combat rules. Each rule is intended to be truly optional — that
  is, you can pick and choose any or none of these rules for your own games.
  Several of these options given here can also work as occasional rules. For
  example, the extra detail for combat provided by such things as hit
  locations may be too involved and time-consuming for regular combat,
  but could prove ideal for a one-on-one duel between two old enemies at
  the climax of a campaign.
  CHASES
  Role-playing games regularly involve action and chases are a
  common occurrence. The following rules provide a dynamic mechanic for
  handling chases in a BESM d20 game.
  During a chase, one mecha (or sometimes one character) — the
  “predator” — is assumed to be trying to catch the other — the “prey.”
  The predator and prey may be flying, running, driving, swimming,
  or engaging in almost any other conceivable method of movement. For
  conciseness, the wording of these rules assumes that both predator and
  prey are in mecha, though it can apply equally to characters on foot or
  riding mounts of some kind. These rules work just as well for chases on
  horseback as they do for vehicle chases.
  TERRAIN
  The GM and players should have an idea of the terrain in which a
  chase is taking place before getting started. Terrain establishes the
  general conditions of a chase, as well as obstacles to be avoided.
  OPEN TERRAIN
  Open terrain is easy to traverse, with only slight changes in
  elevation and few imposing obstacles. Examples are: wide, flat plains;
  large, open areas with few obstructions; clear skies at high altitude; open
  seas; racetracks; highways.
  In open terrain, the speed of the chase begins at three-quarters of
  the maximum speed of the fastest mecha involved (rounded down). Open
  terrain chases in which one mecha’s maximum speed is less than three-
  quarters that of its opponent are usually over before they start.
  A mecha’s maximum speed is critical in open terrain, and the
  mecha with the highest speed receives a +2 speed bonus to all Drive
  checks. If only one mecha in the chase is considered to be in open terrain
  (either due to two or more types of terrain, Feats, or mixed movement
  types) then that mecha automatically receives the +2 speed bonus.
  By its very nature, open terrain contains few large, hard obstacles.
  The GM should roll 1d10 each chase round which occurs in open terrain
  — a result of 1 indicates an obstacle of DC 12 (see Obstacles, page 144).
  Even if a collision occurs in open terrain, mecha usually carry on
  with little or no damage. Critical failures in open terrain are particularly
  bad, however, as the mecha involved are typically moving as fast as
  possible.
  CLOSE TERRAIN
  Close terrain is generally narrow and filled with plenty of stuff to
  run into, clip, and burst through. Typical examples include narrow alleys,
  open areas with many obstructions, or air combat at low altitudes.
  
  141
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  STEP 1: CHOOSE MANOEUVRES
  The first step during each chase round is choosing manoeuvres.
  There are two types of manoeuvre: predator and prey.
  Due to the abstract nature of chases, the distance covered and the
  specific locations of each mecha are left up to the imaginations of the GM
  and players. What’s important is the distance between them at any given
  time. The initial lead is determined as part of getting started, but should
  be rechecked at the start of each round. Many manoeuvres may only be
  chosen by mecha with a certain minimum or maximum lead.
  Ultimately, the goal of the predator is to decrease the lead enough
  that it can perform one of the finishing manoeuvres (see below) and catch
  the prey, while the prey is trying to do a finishing manoeuvre that allows
  it to escape. Chases continue until either the predator or prey successfully
  performs a finishing manoeuvre, someone crashes, or one of the mecha is
  disabled (see Step 6).
  STEP 3: RESOLVE MANOEUVRES AND ADJUST LEAD
  The effects of the manoeuvre that succeeded are applied, and the
  number of lengths between the mecha is adjusted.
  STEP 4: OBSTACLES
  The GM rolls for obstacles.
  STEP 5: OTHER ACTIONS
  Assuming the chase continues, each passenger of each mecha may
  perform a full action or a move and a standard action. An operator may
  perform either a move action or a standard action in addition to operating
  the mecha, but receives a -4 penalty to the next mecha operation-related
  check or roll (such as a Drive check or attack roll) if he or she does so.
  STEP 6: DAMAGE AND COLLISIONS (IF ANY)
  If warranted, mecha operators make Drive checks to see if their
  mecha have collided with anything.
  
  142
  HERD
  Forcing the prey to make bad choices can be as effective as chasing
  him down. By keeping the pressure on and cutting off the prey’s options,
  the predator uses strategy and brute force to drive the prey into
  dangerous situations.
  Lead: 
  10 lengths or less.
  Success: The lead is reduced by one length and the prey is required to
  make a crash check, with a DC determined by the chase setting
  and increased by the difference between the Drive checks. The
  predator must also make a crash check this round (with no
  additional penalty).
  Special: By beating the prey’s Drive check by five or more, the predator
  may choose to reduce both the predator and prey’s crash check
  DCs by five to shift the terrain by one step at the end of the
  round (open or tight becomes close and vice versa).
  Alternatively, the predator may ignore the crash check.
  JOCKEY (VEHICLE ONLY)
  By carefully matching the prey’s movements, the predator can force
  the relative speeds of the two mecha down to almost zero, stabilising the
  chase so that others in the vehicle can attack.
  Lead: 
  10 lengths or less.
  Success: The lead is reduced by one length and the driver and all
  passengers in the predator vehicle gain half the difference
  between the manoeuvre checks (rounded down) as a bonus to
  their attack rolls targeting the prey.
  RAM (FINISHING)
  Ram is straightforward: the predator speeds up and slams into the
  prey, forcing it off the road. It’s dirty, but often gets the job done a lot
  faster than Crowd.
  Lead: 
  5 lengths or less.
  Success: The predator wins the chase, colliding with the prey. Both
  mecha are treated as though they failed crash checks (see Step
  6). They then come to a halt.
  REDLINE
  Redline is an advanced version of Gun It, during which the
  predator suddenly accelerates to and remains at its top speed. This causes
  incredible wear and tear on the mecha as its power plant literally burns
  up (or an animal strains itself, etc.).
  Lead: 
  Any distance.
  Speed:
  Increase the chase speed by 20 mph.
  Success: The lead is reduced by a number of lengths equal to twice the
  difference between the Drive checks. The predator is dealt 1d6
  damage (a vehicle can ignore this damage if it currently has a
  Booster activated; see page 167).
  SHORTCUT
  Shortcuts can be helpful in catching up with prey, especially in close
  quarters, where the prey cannot see what the predator is doing.
  Unfortunately, this generally means that the predator has reduced its line
  of sight as well, which can result in a nasty spill.
  Lead: 
  Any distance.
  Speed:
  The chase speed is reduced by 15 mph.
  Success: The lead is reduced by a number of lengths equal to twice the
  difference between Drive checks. The predator must make a
  crash check during Step 6.
  MANOEUVRE DESCRIPTIONS
  The following elements go into the description of each manoeuvre.
  The GM may modify or disallow certain manoeuvres depending on the
  specific circumstances of the chase.
  Lead: 
  Minimum or maximum distance between predator and prey
  required to perform the manoeuvre.
  Speed:
  Succeed or fail, both the predator’s and prey’s manoeuvres may
  modify the current chase speed. If both predator and prey
  choose manoeuvres that alter the chase’s speed, only the
  highest modifier (positive or negative) applies.
  Success: The effects of the manoeuvre, when the mecha that chose it
  wins that round’s opposed Drive check.
  Special: Any additional information or conditions.
  PREDATOR MANOEUVRES
  Each round the predator should write its manoeuvre down on a
  piece of paper and keep it secret. Predator manoeuvres are geared toward
  slowing down or catching the prey.
  BOX IN (FINISHING)
  It takes skill to trap an opponent with minimal damage. 
  Lead: 
  5 lengths or less.
  Success: The predator wins the chase, forcing the prey into a corner
  from which there is nowhere to run.
  CROWD (FINISHING)
  Crowding is getting right up into the prey’s backside and forcing it
  into a collision with the environment.
  Lead: 
  2 lengths or less.
  Success: The predator wins the chase by forcing the prey into an
  obstacle. If the predator’s Drive check exceeds the prey’s by at
  least five, the prey collides with an obstacle of the GM’s choice.
  The prey is treated as though it failed a crash check (see Step
  6). If the predator’s Drive check exceeded the prey’s by less
  than five, then the prey may still make a crash check to avoid
  a damaging collision, though the chase is still over as the
  vehicle is forced to stop to avoid the collision. The predator,
  regardless, stops safely.
  CUT OFF (FINISHING)
  Without warning, the predator speeds up and pulls out in front of
  the prey, cutting him or her off. The predator’s mecha becomes a barrier
  to stop the prey from escaping. 
  Lead: 
  0 lengths.
  Speed:
  Chase speed is reduced by 25 mph this round.
  Success: The predator wins the chase. If the prey fails its Drive check, it
  collides with the predator; no crash check is required. Damage
  is applied to both mecha, as per the Step 6 directions.
  GUN IT
  Gun It is the basic predator manoeuvre, in which the predator
  attempts to catch up with the prey in a straightforward manner.
  Lead: 
  Any distance.
  Speed:
  Increase the chase speed by 10 mph this round.
  Success: The lead is reduced by a number of lengths equal to the
  difference between Drive checks.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  
  143
  LURE
  In many ways, the prey controls the direction of the chase, and can
  lead the predator into all kinds of foolish situations.
  Lead: 
  Any distance.
  Success: The lead is increased by one and the predator is required to
  make a crash check with a DC determined by the chase setting
  and increased by the difference between the Drive checks. The
  prey is also required to make a crash check this round (base DC
  of the chase setting).
  Special: By beating the predator’s Drive check by five or more, the prey
  may choose to reduce both the predator and prey’s crash check
  DCs by five to shift the terrain by one step at the end of the
  round (open or tight becomes close and vice versa).
  Furthermore, if the prey beats the predator’s Drive check by 10
  or more using this manoeuvre, he or she may reverse the
  vehicles’ positions, becoming the predator until the end of the
  current round. The prey may attack the predator with forward-
  firing weapons during Step 5.
  PULL AHEAD
  This is the basic prey manoeuvre, attempting to get as far ahead of
  the pursuit as possible.
  Lead: 
  Any distance.
  Speed:
  Increase the chase speed by 10 mph.
  Success: The prey’s lead is increased by a number of lengths equal to the
  difference between the Drive checks.
  SET UP (MECHA ONLY)
  Instead of running, the prey leads the predator on a merry chase,
  usually while exchanging fire.
  Lead: 
  10 lengths or less.
  Success: The lead is increased by one and the driver and all passengers
  in the prey mecha gain half the difference between the Drive
  checks (round down) as a bonus to all their attack rolls
  targeting the predator.
  PREY MANOEUVRES
  Each round the prey should write his or her manoeuvre down on a
  piece of paper and keep it secret. All prey manoeuvres are geared towards
  escaping the predator.
  BARNSTORM (FINISHING)
  “Barnstorming”  is usually associated with planes, but any vehicle
  may attempt it. A car can storm a shopping mall, or a boat can storm the
  wreckage of an oil tanker.
  Lead: 
  25 lengths or more.
  Success: The prey wins the chase, barrelling through a cluttered area,
  throwing the predator if its trail in the chaos. The prey’s vehicle
  is dealt 3d6 damage. Both predator and prey must make crash
  checks during Step 6.
  BOOTLEGGER STUNT
  The prey brakes and turns hard to one side, suddenly changing
  direction. This can suddenly increase the prey’s lead.
  Lead: 
  10 lengths or less.
  Speed:
  The chase speed is reduced by 15 mph.
  Success: The lead is increased by twice the difference between Drive
  checks, in lengths. The prey must make a crash check.
  HAIRPIN TURN (FINISHING)
  Hairpin Turn forces the predator down an erratic path as both
  mecha speed around tight bends and whip around blind curves until one
  falls out of the race. Hairpin turns tend to be longer and far sharper than
  those taken with Zig-Zag, resulting in a much greater chance of crashing.
  Lead: 
  20 lengths or more.
  Speed:
  The chase speed is reduced by 25 mph.
  Success: The prey wins the chase, taking a turn the predator cannot
  manage. Both the predator and prey must make crash checks
  during Step 6.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  
  144
  STEP THREE: RESOLUTION
  The effects of the winner’s manoeuvre are applied to the chase.
  Remember that the lead cannot, at any time, be less than zero or over 30
  lengths. If the winner chose a finishing manoeuvre, then the chase ends
  after the remainder of this round’s steps are completed. If not, the chase
  will continue with a new round following Step 6, unless the chase ends
  because of obstacles, crash checks, or combat.
  STEP FOUR: OBSTACLES
  The GM may wish to throw in some obstacles to add to the action.
  These can range from an overturned petrol tanker and sections of heavy
  road construction (ground chases) to overhead power cables or a firework
  display (air chases) to a low bridge or coral reef (water chases) to a locked
  door or concealed rabbit-hole (foot chases). An obstacle typically requires
  either a Reflex save or Drive check against the obstacle’s DC. If the check
  fails, the mecha operator must make a crash check during Step 6.
  The prey makes his or her save or Drive check before the predator
  does. The base DC for avoiding an obstacle is determined by the terrain,
  but the GM may alter the DC by up to +/-2, depending on the size and
  complexity of the challenge.
  Obstacles are intended as spice, not the focus of chases, and can be
  ignored completely by the GM. If the predator and prey get stuck in a rut,
  the GM should use obstacles to shake things up. If the mecha are keeping
  things dynamic, the GM should reserve obstacles for a more effective time.
  The frequency that obstacles crop up is based on the local terrain.
  STEP FIVE: OTHER ACTIONS
  Whether the chase has ended due to a finishing manoeuvre or not,
  all passengers are allowed one full action or a standard action and a move
  action. Any mecha operator may take one standard action or move action
  at the cost of a -4 penalty to his or her next Drive check. In most ways,
  combat during a chase follows the basic combat rules presented in
  Chapter 12, with a few significant differences.
  ACTIONS DURING CHASES
  During chases, creatures act in Initiative order as usual, but many
  actions are restricted or illogical.
  Initiative: Initiative works normally during chases.
  Attack: A passenger in a moving mecha has a -4 penalty to his or
  her attack rolls. The operator of a mecha has a -8 penalty to his or her
  attack rolls. Furthermore, the operator and all passengers take an
  additional -2 penalty for every full 50 mph their mecha is travelling.
  Melee attacks can only be made if the prey’s lead is 0 and/or or the
  attacker is in or on the same vehicle as his or her target.
  Movement: Movement actions may be taken, but a Balance check
  is needed in most cases. A Jump check is required to leap between two
  moving mecha. Finally, if a character falls from a moving vehicle, he or
  she suffers 1d6 damage per 10 mph of the vehicle’s movement, but may
  make a Jump or Tumble check (DC 20, +2 for every full 25 mph the
  vehicle was travelling when the crash occurred) to halve the damage and
  convert it to stun damage.
  Other: Other actions may or may not be possible, at the GM’s
  discretion. In general, only Skills and Feats that don’t require movement
  remain unaffected.
  STUNT (FINISHING)
  Stunts are incredible feats of skill, such as leaping a car across a
  rising toll bridge or ducking a giant robot between the blades of a huge
  turbine. This sort of manoeuvre is usually just short of suicidal, and only
  the most talented, foolhardy, or desperate try such a “perfect” escape.
  Lead: 
  20 lengths or more.
  Success: The prey wins the chase, performing a stunt the predator just
  can’t manage. If the prey’s Drive check exceeds the predators by
  at least five, the predator must make a crash check in Step 6.
  VANISH (FINISHING)
  In a display of driving virtuosity and pure velocity, the prey leaves
  all pursuit behind, choking on dust.
  Lead: 
  30 lengths.
  Speed:
  Increase the chase speed by 20 mph.
  Success: The prey wins the chase.
  ZIG-ZAG
  Zig-Zag involves purposefully clipping neighbouring obstacles,
  terrain and even other mecha in an attempt to direct them into the
  predator’s path, slowing him or her down. Unfortunately, this increases
  the chance that one of the prey’s “clips” may become a collision.
  Lead: 
  Any distance.
  Success: The lead is increased by a number of lengths equal to twice the
  difference between the Drive checks. The prey must make a
  crash check during Step 6.
  STEP 2: DRIVE CHECKS
  The mecha operators reveal their manoeuvres. Determine any
  changes to the chase speed this round as a result of manoeuvres. Each
  mecha operator makes an opposed Drive check (or other appropriate Skill
  check such as Ride or Swim; an opposed Dexterity check can be made if
  on foot), applying the following additional modifiers:
  • The mecha’s Manoeuvre rating.
  • Any speed bonuses gained from the terrain.
  • Modifiers from Table A-1: Chase Manoeuvres.
  • Modifiers from appropriate Feats.
  • Modifiers due to one or other mecha being in a damaged Condition
  (see Step 6).
  If one mecha operator succeeds, the effects of his or her
  manoeuvre are applied during Step 3. If neither mecha succeeds or the
  opposed roll results in a tie, the effects of neither manoeuvre are applied,
  and the chase continues without any effect from the manoeuvre other
  than speed changes. If both mecha operators succeed, the effects of the
  manoeuvre taken by the operator with the highest check result are
  applied during Step 3.
  CHASE MANOEUVRE MODIFIERS
  Find the predator manoeuvre across the top of Table A-1 and the
  prey manoeuvre along the side. Cross reference to find the modifier for
  each mecha this round. The number before the slash is applied to the
  predator’s Drive check, while the number after the slash is applied to the
  prey’s Drive check.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-1: CHASE MANOEUVRE MODIFIERS
  Box In
  Crowd
  Cut Off
  Gun It
  Herd
  Jockey
  Ram
  Redline
  Shortcut
  Hairpin Turn
  -
  -
  -
  +0/-4
  -
  -
  -
  -2/+0
  +0/-4
  Lure
  +0/-4
  -4/+0
  +0/-4
  -2/+0
  -2/+0
  -
  +0/-2
  +0/-2
  +0/-6
  Pull Ahead
  -6/+0
  +0/-4
  -2/+0
  -
  -6/+0
  -2/+0
  -2/+0
  +0/-4
  +0/-4
  Set Up
  -2/+0
  -4/+0
  +0/-4
  +0/-4
  +0/-2
  -2/+0
  +0/-4
  -
  -4/+0
  Stunt
  -
  -
  -
  -2/+0
  -
  -
  -
  -4/+0
  +0/-2
  Vanish
  -
  -
  -
  +0/-4
  -
  -
  -
  +0/-6
  -4/+0
  Zig-Zag
  -2/+0
  +0/-6
  -2/+0
  -6/+0
  +0/-6
  +0/-2
  -4/+0
  -2/+0
  -
  
  145
  figures by 5. For faster-moving mecha chases, up to and including
  spacecraft, increase all mph figures by a factor of 2 or more. The
  suggested amounts are x2 for chases taking place at around 200-400
  mph, x5 for chases taking place at between 400 and 1,000 mph, and x10
  for chases taking place at over 1,000 mph. 
  Dramatic space flight should convert mph figures to percentage of
  light speed for chases, so a manoeuvre that would usually increase speed
  by 10 mph increases it by 10% of the speed of light (or 0.1 C) instead.
  Realistic or solar sail space flight games rarely use the chase rules, since the
  acceleration of the vehicles will likely be far too low in comparison to the
  distances between predator and prey — whichever vehicle starts to
  accelerate before the other will almost always win any “chase.” FTL games
  may convert the chase rules as appropriate to the typical speeds available.
  DAMAGE SAVES
  For some campaigns, you may wish to get rid of Hit Points entirely,
  replacing them with the Damage Save mechanic. This tends to make
  players more cautious about combat, since they know that one attack
  might be enough to take them out of the fight, even at high Levels. 
  Adding a Damage Save to your BESM d20 games does require a
  little conversion of some Attributes and other game statistics, but almost
  all Attributes remain viable, one way or another. 
  DAMAGE BONUS
  When your character hits with an attack, he or she potentially deals
  damage. Each attack has a Damage Bonus. 
  For melee attacks, the Damage Bonus is equal to the character’s
  Strength bonus. Ranged attacks use the attacker’s Strength bonus if the
  weapon is Muscle-Powered; non-Muscle-Powered ranged attacks do not
  usually have a Damage Bonus, but some heavier weapons do, according
  to Table A-3. 
  Convert Special Attack damage as follows: the first 1d8 damage
  confers no Damage Bonus (in effect, it merely allows the attack to
  potentially deal damage at all); each additional +1d8 damage beyond
  the first is converted to a +4 Damage Bonus instead. 
  Any applicable modifier from Massive Damage is also applied as a
  Damage Bonus.
  Certain attacks do stun damage only, as usual. The most common
  stun attack is the unarmed attack most characters will have, but some
  special attacks are also stun damage only.
  DAMAGE SAVES
  A target hit with a damaging attack must make a Damage Saving
  Throw (or Damage Save). A character’s Damage Save bonus is calculated
  as follows:
  Damage Save Bonus = Constitution Bonus + Armour Value +
  Damn Healthy! Ranks
  The DC of a Damage Save is equal to (15 + attack’s Damage
  Bonus).
  The target rolls his or her Damage Save against the Damage Save
  DC. The result of the Damage Save determines what sort of damage the
  target takes. If the Damage Save succeeds, the target suffers no damage.
  If it fails, the target suffers a hit. If it fails by more than 5, the target is
  also stunned. If it fails by more than 10, the target is unconscious (for a
  stun attack) or disabled (for a lethal attack). 
  STEP SIX: DAMAGE AND CRASHES
  The last step in every chase round is to apply damage (if any) to
  each mecha, and see if they have collided with the environment (or each
  other).
  CONDITION SUMMARIES
  There are four possible conditions that participants in a chase can
  be in.
  Mecha Okay: The mecha is only lightly damaged, still having over
  half of its original Hit Points. There are no modifiers to the Drive check
  (or other appropriate Skill check such as Ride or Swim; a Dexterity check
  can be made if on foot).
  Mecha Crippled: A mecha which has been reduced to less than half
  of its original Hit Points is crippled. Its Manoeuvre (or Dexterity
  modifier) is reduced by 5. The character must make an immediate crash
  check, with the DC increased by +5.
  Mecha Disabled: A mecha or creature that has been reduced to
  zero Hit Points either stalls and comes to a halt, or topples over (if a
  walking rather than wheeled mecha). The driver must make an
  immediate crash check, with the DC increased by +10.
  Mecha Destroyed: A mecha which has been reduced to a negative
  number equal to its maximum Hit Points has been completely destroyed.
  It rolls, skids, plummets, or stumbles to a halt, then falls to pieces,
  completely useless for any purpose (although it may now count as one or
  more Obstacles at the GM’s discretion). Occupants of the mecha when it
  is destroyed are damaged as though they had jumped out of the vehicle (see
  page 122) at the speed it was moving before it crashed; a successful Jump
  or Tumble check in this case means they jump free. Bear in mind that a
  Volatile mecha (see page 176) will explode shortly after being destroyed.
  CRASH CHECKS
  Crash checks should be made in three instances:
  • when the mecha operator fails a Drive check to avoid an obstacle.
  • when a successful manoeuvre calls for one.
  • when the mecha is dealt 30 or more damage in one attack, after taking
  into account its armour.
  A crash check is a Drive check (or other appropriate Skill check
  such as Ride or Swim), but a mecha operator makes only one such check
  each round. The base DC for a crash check is based on the terrain for the
  chase. If a mecha operator is required to make multiple crash checks in a
  round, he or she instead makes a single check, adding 5 to the DC for
  each additional crash check called for during the round.
  Whenever a mecha operator fails a crash check, his or her mecha
  collides with the environment (or the other mecha, if the successful
  manoeuvre calls for it). Damage to each vehicle (and occupant) equals
  1d6 for every 10 mph of vehicle speed, +1 point for every point by which
  the mecha operator failed his or her crash check (crashes at high speeds
  are often instantly fatal). 
  Each occupant of the mecha can make a Jump or Tumble check
  (DC equal to the DC of the failed crash check) to jump free of the mecha,
  reducing the damage by half and converting it to stun damage. 
  CONVERSIONS FOR HIGHER OR LOWER SPEEDS
  The chase rules reflect a typical mecha or modern vehicle game,
  where chases typically occur at around 80 to 120 mph. For a chase
  involving solely characters on foot, who do not have the Speed Attribute,
  when a manoeuvre calls for speed to change, divide all mile-per-hour
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-2: CRASH CHECKS
  Circumstance
  DC
  Open Terrain
  10
  Close Terrain
  15
  Tight Terrain
  20
  Every full 25 mph of speed
  +2
  Each check required in a round beyond the first
  +5
  TABLE A-3: HEAVY WEAPON DAMAGE BONUSES
  +4 Damage Bonus
  Heavy Assault Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Shotgun, Heavy
  Shotgun, Heavy Mini-Gun, or Machine Gun
  +8 Damage Bonus
  Concussion Grenade, Tear Gas Grenade
  +12 Damage Bonus
  66mm LAW
  +20 Damage Bonus
  Ordnance (Any)
  
  146
  Unconscious: An unconscious character suffers 1 hit and is knocked
  out and helpless. Further stun attacks against the character are treated as
  lethal attacks. 
  Disabled: A disabled character is conscious and able to act, but
  terribly injured. He or she may take only a standard or a move action
  each round. If that action involves any strenuous activity (including
  running, combat, or the use of special Attributes such as magic), his or
  her condition changes to Dying after the action is complete.
  Dying: The character is unconscious and near death. The player
  must make a Fortitude save with a DC of 10. If the save fails, the
  character dies. If the save succeeds, the character remains unconscious
  and dying. A dying character must make a Fortitude save every hour (DC
  10 +1 per hour of unconsciousness). A failed save means the character
  dies. A successful save keeps the character alive, unconscious, and dying
  for another hour. If the save succeeds by 10 or more, or the roll is a
  natural 20, the character stabilises and becomes unconscious and
  disabled. A character with the Medical Skill may attempt to stabilise a
  dying character with a DC 15 Skill check.
  RECOVERY
  A character can potentially recover from any injury, given sufficient
  time and/or medical attention. All recovery rates are doubled if the
  injured party is cared for by a character with Medical Skill.
  Hits: Stun hits recover at a rate of (1 + Ranks of Damn Healthy!)
  for every hour that passes, even if the character is performing other
  activity at the time. Lethal hits recover at (1 + Ranks of Damn Healthy!)
  for every full 24 hours spent doing nothing but resting. A character who
  is Disabled or Dying does not recover from stun or lethal hits until he or
  she is no longer Disabled or Dying.
  Unconsciousness: After one minute (ten rounds) of
  unconsciousness, a character may make a Constitution check (DC 10) to
  rouse him or herself. If the save fails, he or she may make another
  Constitution check to regain consciousness each minute, with a
  cumulative +1 bonus per attempt.
  Disabled: Disabled characters take some time to recover. After one
  day, the character may make a Constitution check (DC 20) to change his
  or her condition to Injured. If failed, each additional day that passes
  allows the character to make another Constitution check to change his or
  her condition to Injured, with a cumulative +1 bonus per attempt.
  FATE POINTS
  For certain types of campaign, the GM may allow characters to
  have Fate Points. These are best suited to highly heroic, almost super-
  heroic games, where all the characters are larger than life and capable of
  occasionally achieving truly incredible things, even above and beyond
  their “usual” magical or extraordinary powers.
  Fate Points are a narrative device enabling the players to have a
  minor input on the game, other than describing their own actions and
  throwing the dice. With Fate Points, you, the player, can alter the game
  world in some minor way so as to benefit your character. 
  In some respects, Fate Points cover similar ground to the Divine
  Relationship Attribute, though there are several major differences. The
  GM may wish to disallow Divine Relationship in a game which also uses
  Fate Points, or restrict Divine Relationship to a maximum number of
  ranks. This is not essential, but some GMs may prefer it.
  At character creation, you have 3 Fate Points (FPs). 
  These Fate Points are extremely precious, since they can save your
  character’s life. This is done by causing him or her to be “left for dead”
  rather than killed outright.
  They have four other uses as well — but saving the character’s life
  is definitely the most crucial one, so it is recommended that you always
  keep one or two FPs reserved for that purpose. Of course, the angle might
  be perfect for a Mighty Blow (see below) instead, even if that leaves you
  desperately short of FPs. 
  IMPOSSIBLE DAMAGE SAVES
  When a character could not possibly succeed at a Damage Save,
  even by rolling a 20, the Damage Save is still made to determine the
  severity of the damage. A natural roll of 20 on the Damage Save,
  however, means the character only takes a hit (Bruised or Injured),
  regardless of the DC.
  PULLING YOUR PUNCH
  An attacker can select a maximum effect for a particular attack
  before the Damage Save is made. Even if the save result indicates a more
  severe effect, only the maximum effect selected by the attacker is applied.
  An attacker using a Special Attack with the Maximum Force defect
  linked to it may not select a maximum effect.
  DAMAGING MOOKS
  Any character who is much weaker than the attacker (at least five
  Levels lower than the attacker’s Level) is a mook and does not suffer a hit,
  stun, or disabled result. Any time a mook fails a Damage Save, he or she
  is automatically Unconscious (for a stun attack) or dead (for a lethal
  attack), unless the attacker used the Pulling Your Punch rule (above).
  Furthermore, mooks do not benefit from the Impossible Damage
  Saves rule, above.
  CRITICAL HITS
  Any critical hit does not double damage as usual but instead grants
  a +5 Damage Bonus.
  SNEAK ATTACKS
  Sneak Attacks are still used with Damage Saves, but instead of
  increasing the damage dealt, a Sneak Attack increases the DC of the
  Damage Save by +3 for every Sneak Attack Feat the attacker has.
  DAMAGE AND INJURY
  Combat usually results in some damage or injury to one or both
  parties. A character who fails a Damage Save has been injured.
  DAMAGE CONDITIONS
  One or more of the following Damage Conditions can apply to a
  damaged character.
  Bruised (Stun Hit): A stun hit means the character has been
  damaged and bruised. Every stun hit a character has imposes a
  cumulative -1 modifier on the character’s Damage Saves against further
  stun damage. So the more stun hits your character has, the more difficult
  it becomes to resist stun damage and the more likely the character is to
  be seriously affected by it (stunned or knocked out). Stun hits do not
  affect Damage Saves against lethal damage.
  Injured (Lethal Hit): A lethal hit means the character has suffered
  some minor injury. Every lethal hit imposes a cumulative -1 modifier to
  the characters Damage Saves against all forms of damage — both stun
  and lethal — since it represents a more serious weakening of the
  character’s resistance. This penalty is cumulative with the penalty for
  stun hits with regard to stun damage. Thus a character with 3 stun hits
  and 4 lethal hits has a -7 penalty to Damage Saves against stun damage
  and a -4 penalty to Damage Saves against lethal damage.
  Stunned: A stunned result on the Damage Save causes the target
  to take 1 hit and become stunned for one round. The character cannot
  take any actions (including free actions), loses any bonus to Armour Class
  from Dexterity or Defence Combat Mastery, and may not make Defence
  Rolls. Attackers gain a +2 bonus to hit stunned characters.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-4: DAMAGE SAVE RESULTS
  Saving Throw...
  Stun Attack
  Lethal Attack
  Succeeds
  No Effect
  No Effect
  Fails
  Bruised (Hit)
  Injured (Hit)
  Fails by more than 5
  Stunned
  Stunned
  Fails by more than 10
  Unconscious
  Disabled
  
  147
  One good use of Destiny is when the players are at a dead end in
  an adventure — perhaps they have missed some crucial clue, or failed to
  puzzle out where to go next. A single FP in this case is usually enough
  for the GM to offer some kind of in-game hint. Preferably, this will not
  be so blatant as to have a friendly non-player character tell them the
  answer outright. Other methods of giving out background information
  should be used, perhaps taking a hint from comics or movies. For
  example, a dream or vision could reveal the past history of creatures and
  places crucial to the plot; or an ancient scroll could be uncovered that,
  with a Decipher Script check and a bit of logic, could provide a hint as
  to where to look next. 
  The GM will be more likely to accept proposed uses of Destiny
  which could plausibly relate to a character’s own future destiny, as
  reflected by his or her declared goals. 
  FATE POINTS AND DAMAGE SAVES
  Fate Points can make a useful addition to games that use Damage
  Saves. If the GM agrees, 1 FP can be used to reduce the severity of a
  Damage Save result by one level: for example, a Disabled result would
  become Stunned. This can provide something of a middle ground
  between Damage Save and Hit Point systems, in that the characters are
  no longer in danger of being felled by a single blow, at least until they
  run out of Fate Points.
  In a Damage Saves game, a Mighty Blow does not deal maximum
  possible damage but simply adds a +5 Damage Bonus.
  GAINING MORE FATE POINTS
  When you spend a Fate Point, it is gone forever. It does not recover
  with time, and nor do you automatically gain new FPs as you become
  higher Level. 
  Each time your character accomplishes a major goal, either
  personally or as part of an adventuring party, he or she gains from 1 to 2
  FPs, always at the discretion of the GM. Usually this will occur only at
  the successful conclusion of an adventure. An entirely unsuccessful
  adventure will tend to mean you do not gain any FPs as a result. 
  There is no relation between Fate Points and Character Points. You
  may not spend the FPs to gain extra CPs, or vice versa. 
  SCHOOL CAMPAIGNS
  A classic anime concept is that all the lead characters are
  schoolchildren. Something similar can be done with a more traditional
  fantasy campaign — perhaps all the characters are farm kids, or orphans
  taken in by a temple, or brothers and sisters out together to seek their
  fortunes. In an all-children campaign, it is suggested that the following
  rules be used to allow characters to be the type of children or high-school
  students who, though vulnerable in some respects, are still capable of
  taking on and defeating dangerous and fantastic opponents. Note that
  these rules are likely to unbalance a game that includes both children and
  adult characters, and so should not be used in such a case.
  Child characters are generated exactly as for adults, except as
  follows:
  • Subtract 2 from the character’s Strength.
  • Children are always one Size Category smaller than the standard for
  their race. In a school campaign, however, there are no ability
  modifiers for being smaller than usual, and so there is no CP bonus for
  the character’s small size. The bonuses to attacks and Armour Class
  apply as usual.
  • Character classes are limited to Magical Girl, Pet Monster Trainer,
  Sentai Member, Shapechanger, and Student, unless the Games Master
  grants special permission for another character class to be selected.
  • All children gain an Origin bonus chosen from the following list, just
  to give them a little extra help in the harsh world of adults. 
  USING FATE POINTS
  There are five standard uses for Fate Points: Left For Dead, Mighty
  Blow, Pushing It, Raw Power, and Destiny. Your GM may allow other
  uses — check with him or her before play. As with all other aspects of the
  game, the GM is always the final arbiter of whether or not a particular
  use of FPs is permitted, although the Left For Dead use should almost
  always be allowed if the character has an FP to spend on it.
  LEFT FOR DEAD
  When a character is reduced to the negative total of his or her Hit
  Points, by any means, he or she may spend 1 FP to avoid being killed
  outright. The character is instead “left for dead.”
  A character who is left for dead appears dead to a casual
  examination, though he or she still has a chance of recovering,
  particularly if quickly attended by a character with the Medical Skill or
  any kind of healing spell or potion. If at least 1 point of damage is healed
  within one hour of being left for dead, he or she is considered to be stable
  and at -1 Hit Points. If the character is not healed, he or she must make
  a Fortitude save (DC 20) after one hour. If successful, he or she stabilises
  and is at -1 Hit Points. If the save fails, he or she is finally and irrevocably
  dead — whether or not the character has any FPs left. 
  MIGHTY BLOW
  Rather than rolling the damage dice on any successful hit or
  damaging attack, you can elect to declare a Mighty Blow, at the cost of 1
  FP. A Mighty Blow always deals the maximum possible damage. This
  includes any bonus damage, such as that rolled for sneak attacks. Any melee
  weapon acquired through purchases or gaming always shatters irreparably
  when used to deliver a Mighty Blow. A melee weapon gained through ranks
  in Personal Gear has a 50% chance of snapping in two, but if it does, it will
  usually be possible to use the broken blade as an improvised weapon — it
  will not be completely destroyed. A melee weapon which is an Item of
  Power will never break, even on a Mighty Blow.
  PUSHING IT
  At a cost of 1 Fate Point, you may double your ranks in any one
  Attribute, for a duration of one round only. The Attribute chosen must
  be one which could reasonably be increased through sheer effort of will
  and determination. Almost all Attributes are fine for this, but those that
  rely on external objects, such as Own A Big Mecha, Item of Power, or
  most types of Armour, will usually be vetoed by the GM.
  RAW POWER
  Sometimes you just need power. By spending 1 Fate Point, you can
  regain 1d6 Energy Points, plus one Energy Point per character Level. 
  DESTINY
  You can at any time spend one or more Fate Points, with the
  agreement of the GM, to alter the world in some minor way. Essentially,
  this allows you the player to have some input into the story, over and above
  the actions of your character. This change must be one that is plausible,
  minor, and not overwhelmingly beneficial to the player characters. It may
  assist them to accomplish their goals, but they must still achieve those
  goals by their own efforts, not simply by spending Fate Points!   
  For example, a character captured and imprisoned by an arch-
  enemy might spend a Fate Point to have a chance at escape — a comrade
  or sympathiser smuggling in a dagger, or a drunken guard falling asleep
  nearby, or the discovery of a loose chunk of granite with which to smash
  open chains. It does not allow for escape to be handed to him or her on a
  plate by a sorcerer magically putting all the guards to sleep and bursting
  the door open. 
  Another option for this use of a fate point is to alter your own
  character in some minor way, by revealing a new facet to his or her past.
  This might include knowing a language that he or she did not know
  before, which is useful in his current situation — or having a contact in
  the area based on previous dealings in the region. 
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  
  148
  Leg:
  -1 Damage (minimum 1 point). The target must make a
  Fortitude save (DC 5 + half damage dealt) or fall prone.
  Arm:
  -1 Damage (minimum 1 point). The target must make a
  Fortitude save (DC 5 + half damage dealt) or drop whatever he
  or she is holding in that hand. An item specifically listed as
  being strapped to the arm or wrist (such as many shields) will
  not be dropped.
  Torso: 
  Resolve the attack as normal.
  Head:
  The target must make a Fortitude save (DC 5 + half damage
  dealt) or be Incapacitated for one round. After one round, he or
  she may act normally again.
  An attacker may choose to make a Called Shot (see page 116)
  against a specific hit location. This is made at a -4 penalty for a Called
  Shot against the torso, -6 penalty for a Called Shot against any limb, or 
  -8 penalty for a Called Shot against the head.
  NARRATIVE BATTLES
  For battles in which the characters are involved merely as part of a
  unit or even as an independent group thrust accidentally into the midst
  of combat, the Big Combats, Small Counters system (page 153) is
  probably inappropriate. It is preferable to simply calculate the likely
  outcome of the battle and determine what occurs to the characters
  caught up within it, rather than worry about the fate of individual
  counters and units.
  As for any other adventure, the GM will need to create certain
  statistics in advance of running a narrative battle. Typical members and
  leaders for each troop type of the opposing army must be fully detailed,
  as must both sides’ generals. Furthermore, the Army Strength (AS) and
  Army Quality (AQ) of each side must be calculated. AS and AQ will alter
  (usually by being reduced) as the battle rages, but these changes are easy
  to keep track of.
  The narrative battle system is intended for use predominantly in
  campaigns where hand-to-hand combat is more decisive than ranged
  combat. This can include the typical fantasy setting, where the longbow
  may cause many casualties but where the final result of the fight is almost
  always blade against blade; but it can also include many other anime
  campaign types, including futuristic settings that postulate super-
  powerful high-tech melee weapons, effective countermeasures against
  ranged weapons, or both.
  The philosophy behind narrative battles is that there is no real
  need to know that Unit A just charged Unit X in the right wing of
  the battle if the characters are all in the left wing. What matters is the
  way the battle is going overall, and what the characters encounter
  directly opposing them on the enemy side. Simplifying the game
  mechanics of the battle in this way allows the GM to concentrate on
  description and action. 
  ARMY STRENGTH
  Add up the simple numerical strength of each army. Cavalry and
  piloted mecha count double, so an army composed of 1200 infantry (AS
  1200) and 400 cavalry (AS 800) has an Army Strength of 2,000.
  ARMY QUALITY
  Take the average Level or Hit Dice of the troops making up the
  army, multiply by 2, and round the result up or down to the nearest
  whole number. This is the Army Quality. When two armies meet in
  battle, each adds its AQ as a bonus to all Battle Checks.
  Any mecha who make up part of the army are added to their pilot’s
  Hit Dice or Level as follows: +1 per rank of Own A Big Mecha. Thus an
  elite unit of mecha, with 5th Level Mecha Pilots each with Own A Big
  Mecha Rank 2, count as 7th Level characters for purposes of determining
  Army Quality.
  FARM KID
  You grew up on a farm, and have all the benefits of an upbringing
  dedicated to hard work in the great outdoors. Years of eating good farm
  cooking and rescuing lost sheep from crevasses by main force have given
  you steely thews and rosy cheeks.
  Bonus: Damn Healthy! Rank 1.
  MYSTERY KID
  You are orphaned or adopted, but with no idea of your true heritage
  other than hints that you are marked out for some kind of special destiny
  later in life. Perhaps you are the product of a weird alien experiment and
  your true parents will some day return to claim you, or you may be the
  last surviving full-blooded descendant of an ancient demon-slaying
  lineage. Your destiny affords you a certain degree of protection from the
  bumps and setbacks of everyday life.
  Bonus: Divine Relationship Rank 2.
  POPULAR KID
  Even in pre-school, you were the bossy one: maybe it was funny at
  the time, but you had just enough natural charm to pull it off. These days
  the other kids are at your beck and call, except for those whom you
  choose to exclude from your elevated social circle. You wield your
  popularity like a sword. You can easily make your friends feel almost as
  cool as you, or your enemies feel like the pariahs they so clearly are.
  Bonus: Flunkies (Non-combatant) Rank 2.
  RICH KID
  Although you personally may not have a great deal of cash, your
  parents sure do. Over the years they have given you whatever you asked
  for — whether a shiny new leather jacket and bass guitar, a high-tech
  computer, or top-of-the-line sports equipment.
  Bonus: Personal Gear Rank 1.
  STREET KID
  Your family never had a lot of money or status, and you learned the
  harsh lessons of the city streets. Perhaps the most valuable lesson was that
  the best form of defence is attack, a theory you have taken to heart in
  your day-to-day life.
  Bonus: Brawl Feat.
  HIT LOCATIONS
  For those who want an extra bit of flavour or realism to their game,
  the following system allows for attacks to hit a particular part of the body.
  Since none of the standard weapons in BESM d20 use a d12 for damage,
  a d12 is used for determining hit location, allowing it to be rolled
  simultaneously with the attack and damage rolls to save time if desired.
  Depending on the part of the body hit, there may be additional
  effects.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-5: HIT LOCATIONS
  1d12 Roll
  Location Struck
  1-2
  Left Leg
  3-4
  Right Leg
  5-6
  Left Arm
  7-8
  Right Arm
  9-11
  Torso
  12
  Head
  
  149
  Note: This system is intended predominantly to run battles with
  around Army Strengths of 1,000 to 10,000, but it can be easily adapted
  for more major or minor combats. The GM should modify the Battle
  Check Results for larger or smaller battle as follows. For battles with
  fewer than 1,000 participants, divide all the Army Strength losses by 10.
  For battles with between 10,000 and 100,000 participants, multiply all
  Army Strength losses by 10. For battles with over 100,000 participants,
  multiply all Army Strength losses by 100. Losses to Army Quality are
  always unaffected by the size of the battle. If desired, the GM may
  increase or decrease the time period for each turn, from its base of 30
  minutes to as much as one hour or as little as 10 minutes, since small-
  scale battles are likely to be over more quickly.
  An army whose AQ is reduced to 0 or below flees the battlefield
  immediately as best it can. It can be seen that in most cases a losing army
  will flee long before it sustains very heavy casualties, unless it starts out
  as an elite army or is very unlucky very quickly. An army defeated in this
  way cannot usually be quickly re-formed, however — a king or general
  will need to recruit it again from scratch, since most of the troops will
  have fled for home or run to the hills.
  A high-quality army can often defeat a far larger army of lower
  quality, simply by determinedly “soldiering on” when their opponents are
  ready to break and flee. Even the best troops will lose courage and flee
  eventually if the battle is going disastrously for them, however, and even
  before they flee they will be far more fatigued and downhearted than the
  winners.
  ENCOUNTERS AND ACTIONS
  DURING NARRATIVE BATTLES
  Assuming that characters are attached to a unit on the battlefield,
  they roll on the Encounter Table once during every half-hour of battle.
  The result gives the number and type of foes they must face, and the
  duration of that particular combat within the battle. A combat may end
  earlier, if the characters are able to defeat or rout their foes. 
  Just as no battle has every unit in constant conflict, so the
  characters’ unit will not always fight during every half-hour period —
  there will be times when they are kept in reserve, or are able to withdraw
  and get healed up, as well as times when they spend a full half-hour
  manoeuvring into position. Note that battles are dangerous situations
  even when one is not in the thick of it; it is likely that there will be minor
  skirmishes, injured enemies to slay, and periods of relatively ineffective,
  long-range missile fire during the battle. The GM is at liberty to throw
  in such additional, minor “encounters” at will for the purpose of
  enhancing the atmosphere of the game. 
  USING THE ENCOUNTER TABLE
  Table A-9: Encounter Table is used as follows. Roll 1d20, and add
  the difference between the two generals’ Battle Checks (if the characters’
  general won the check this round), or subtract the difference (if the
  opposing general won the check this round); also subtract the characters’
  average class Level, rounded down. 
  Mounts also add one-half their Hit Dice to their rider’s Levels for
  purposes of determining Army Quality, but only if the mounts are heavy
  war-horses or other creatures specifically bred and trained for battle. A
  group of cavalry mounted on ordinary light horses does not add one-half
  the HD of its mounts for purposes of determining AQ, but still counts
  double for Army Strength.
  Example: An army is comprised of 2,000 1st Level Samurai as infantry
  (AS 2,000), 500 2nd Level Samurai as cavalry mounted on 4 HD war-horses
  (AS 1,000), 1,000 nomad raiders treated as 1st Level Adventurers on light
  horses (AS 2,000), and 100 5th Level Mecha Pilots with Own A Big Mecha
  Rank 2 (AS 200).
  The army would have an Army Strength of 5200.
  It would have 2,000 + [1,000 + 1,000 for battle-capable mounts] +
  [1,000 + zero for non-battle-capable mounts] + [500 + 200 for rank 2
  OBM] = 5700 total Hit Dice; 5700/ 3600 troops = 1.58 average Hit Dice;
  1.58 x 2 = 3.16, rounded down to an Army Quality of 3.
  OUTNUMBER BONUS
  If one side has a higher Army Strength than the other, the general
  of the side with the higher Army Strength gains an Outnumber Bonus to
  all Battle Checks (see below). The Outnumber Bonus is dependent on
  how much larger his or her army is than that of the opponent.
  BATTLE CHECKS
  The general in overall command of the battle makes a Battle
  Check for every hour of the battle. Note that this assumes a half-hour’s
  worth of manoeuvring, skirmishing, and a certain degree of outright
  mayhem, but does not assume that every single soldier is directly
  involved in melee throughout the half-hour. Many battles may take all
  day long, particularly if both are large and the generals are closely
  matched in ability. 
  A Battle Check is made as a Knowledge (Military Science) check,
  but with the following bonuses:
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-6: OUTNUMBER BONUS
  O u t n u m b e r  
  Situation
  Bonus
  AS higher than opponent’s, but not twice as high
  +1
  AS between two and three times higher than opponent’s
  +2
  AS between three and four times higher than opponent’s
  +3
  AS between four and five times higher than opponent’s
  +4
  AS greater than five times higher than opponent’s
  +5
  TABLE A-7: BATTLE CHECK MODIFIERS
  •
  +1 per Rank in Aura of Command 
  •
  + Army Quality 
  •
  + Outnumber Bonus
  •
  +2 synergy bonus if the general also has five or more ranks of Knowledge
  (Area) for the area in which the battle takes place
  •
  + Player Success Bonus (if any; see Encounters, page 149)
  •
  + circumstance modifiers
  TABLE A-8: BATTLE CHECK RESULTS
  Opposed Battle Check
  Result for Winner
  Result for Loser
  Tied
  Lose 1d4 x 100 from Army Strength
  Lose 1d4 x 100 from Army Strength
  Won by 1 to 4
  Lose 4d6 x 10 from Army Strength,
  Lose 1d6 x 100 from Army Strength, 
  +1 circumstance modifier to next Battle Check
  -1 from Army Quality
  Won by 5 to 9
  Lose 3d6 x 10 from Army Strength, 
  Lose 2d6 x 100 from Army Strength, 
  +2 circumstance modifier to next Battle Check
  -1 from Army Quality
  Won by 10 to 14
  Lose 2d6 x 10 from Army Strength, 
  Lose 3d6 x 100 from Army Strength, 
  +3 circumstance modifier to next Battle Check
  -2 from Army Quality
  Won by 15 to 19
  Lose 1d6 x 10 from Army Strength, 
  Lose 5d6 x 100 from Army Strength, 
  +4 circumstance modifier to next Battle Check
  -2 from Army Quality
  Won by 20 or higher
  No losses, 
  Lose 8d6 x 100 from Army Strength, 
  +5 circumstance modifier to next Battle Check
  -3 from Army Quality
  
  150
  Note that the Encounter Table does not necessarily ensure the
  characters will be fighting a “fair” or “balanced” number of foes (though
  the GM should take their relative power into account when determining
  the composition of the enemy forces and especially leaders). If the battle
  is going badly, they may find themselves seriously outnumbered and even
  outmatched. Opponents will rarely fight to the death, however. Even if
  all the characters are defeated, they will at worst be captured by their
  foes, or at best be left for dead on the battlefield and wake up to find the
  enemy army victorious.
  Furthermore, if desired, the characters can agree to be glory-
  hunters; they may subtract a further -1 to -10 from the d20 roll. This
  represents them leading a charge or counter-attack, or simply heading
  straight for the biggest, meanest-looking enemies they can find. 
  In each case, the number of opponents indicated is that faced by
  each individual character; however, it is assumed that they are able to
  remain together and support each other, unless otherwise indicated. 
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-9: ENCOUNTER TABLE
  Modified 
  Combat 
  Player Success
  Experience Points
  d20 Roll
  Opponents
  Duration
  Bonus
  Gained
  Notes
  -31 or below
  1d3 Leaders 
  Until all enemies
  +4 if all
  Standard
  Characters are separated by the crush of battle;
  + 2d6 Special 
  defeated
  opponents defeated
  if desired, a character may take a full-round action to do
  nothing other than shove through the fighting throng to
  another specific character. Enemies will not rout. Roll 1d6;
  on a roll of 1-3, roll again on the Encounter Table with the
  same modifiers as before, and apply both results as
  separate fights during this half-hour.
  -30
  None
  -
  -
  150 xp
  Characters subjected to heavy missile fire; each must
  make a Reflex save (DC 25) or be dealt 6d8 damage. A
  successful Reflex save halves the damage. Armour
  protects as usual. Roll 1d6; on a roll of 1-2, roll again on
  the Encounter Table with the same modifiers as before,
  and apply both results as separate fights during this half-
  hour.
  -21 to -29
  1 Leader 
  Until all enemies
  +3 if all
  Standard
  Enemies rout only if their casualties reach 75%. 
  + 1d10 Special 
  defeated
  opponents defeated
  Roll 1d6; on a roll of 1, roll again on the Encounter Table
  with the same modifiers as before, and apply both results
  as separate fights during this half-hour.
  -20
  None
  -
  -
  100 xp
  Characters subjected to missile fire; each must make a
  Reflex save (DC 20) or be dealt 4d8 damage. A
  successful Reflex save halves the damage. Armour
  protects as usual.
  -11 to -19
  1 Leader 
  2d6+6 rounds
  +2 if all opponents
  Standard
  Enemies rout if their casualties reach 60%
  + 1d10 Standard
  defeated or routed
  -10
  None
  -
  -
  50 xp
  Characters subjected to light missile fire; each must make
  a Reflex save (DC 15) or be dealt 2d8 damage. A
  successful Reflex save halves the damage. Armour
  protects as usual.
  -1 to -9
  1d2-1 Leaders 
  3d6 rounds
  +1 if all opponents
  Standard
  Enemies rout if their casualties reach 45%
  + 1d6 Standard
  defeated or routed
  0
  None
  -
  -
  25 xp
  Manoeuvre and counter-manoeuvre; characters achieve
  nothing and risk nothing.
  1 to 9
  1d4 Standard
  2d6 rounds
  -
  Standard
  Enemies rout if their casualties reach 30%
  10
  None
  -
  -
  25 xp
  Lull in the fighting; characters have 30 minutes to reload,
  change weapons, adjust armour, etc.
  11 to 19
  1d2 Standard 
  2d4 rounds
  -
  Standard
  Enemies rout if their casualties reach 15%
  +1d2 Poor
  20
  None
  -
  -
  25 xp
  Characters attended by healers; each has one character
  with Medical Skill make a check to administer medical
  attention.
  21 to 29
  1d2-1 Standard 
  1d6 rounds
  -
  Standard
  Enemies rout as soon as they sustain a casualty.
  +1d2 Poor
  30
  None
  -
  -
  25 xp
  Booty: The GM should create a non-magical treasure
  according to the situation, the characters’ Level, and the
  style of the campaign. Often this will not be the usual gold
  or gems, but loot from the supply train.
  31+
  1d2 Poor
  1d4 rounds
  -
  Standard
  Enemies rout as soon as one of them is injured. You gain
  booty, as for entry 30 (above) if you kill or rout them.
  
  151
  OTHER BONUSES
  Skills, bonus Feats, and ability scores continue to increase just as
  they did for non-epic characters. Thus characters gain a bonus Feat at
  21st Level, 24th Level, 27th Level and so on, and a +1 to an ability score
  at 24th Level, 28th Level, 32nd Level and so on. 
  CLASS FEATURES
  Most class features stop accumulating after 20th Level. The
  following guidelines describe how the epic class progressions. 
  • A character’s base save bonuses and base attack bonus don’t increase
  after 20th Level. Use Table A-10: Epic Save and Epic Attack Bonuses
  to determine the character’s epic bonus on saving throws and attacks.
  This applies even if the character multiclasses into a new class at Epic
  Level. 
  • Characters continue to gain Hit Dice and Skill Points as normal
  beyond 20th Level.
  • Other class features do not increase, though most can be increased by
  spending Character Points. 
  TROOP TYPES
  The following different troop types can be encountered as
  opponents during narrative battles.
  Poor:
  These troops are always those of the lowest quality in the
  enemy army — perhaps peasant levies, or nominally non-
  combatant personnel such as a war machine’s crew. They will
  be little more than an annoyance to an experienced adventurer,
  never being higher than 1st Level and rarely having any useful
  combat Attributes.
  Standard:Standard troops are generic grunts or mooks, ordinary infantry
  soldiers. These will almost always be of the troop type that makes
  up the majority of the army, though at the GM’s discretion
  another troop type of similar power may be substituted.
  Special: Special troops are chosen by the GM or determined randomly
  from among the better quality regular troops in the army; this
  could include heavy cavalry, mecha, or powerful non-humans
  such as demon soldiers. Usually the characters will all face the
  same type of special troops, representing their unit being
  locked in combat with a special unit.
  Leader: Leaders are members of whichever unit they are found with,
  but represent its commanders and assistant commanders,
  rather than regular troops.
  PLAYER SUCCESS BONUS
  This bonus is added to the general’s next Battle Check. Note that
  it is easier for the characters to assist their general if they are willing to
  become total glory-hunters, throwing themselves into the deadliest part
  of the fray. It will also be seen that the characters have more of a chance
  to make a difference to the battle as a whole if they are subjected to an
  attack by large numbers of enemies, since this gives them a chance to
  show their true heroic qualities by vanquishing all comers.
  EPIC LEVEL
  CHARACTERS
  Some GMs may allow characters to progress above 20th Level in
  their games. Other games will not suit this style of play, and for many
  players achieving 20th Level is a good indication that it is time to retire
  a character anyway. For those who wish to forge on to 21st Level and
  beyond, the following rules may be used.
  Epic characters — those whose character Level is 21st or higher —
  are handled slightly differently from non-epic characters. While epic
  characters continue to receive many of the benefits of gaining Levels,
  some benefits are replaced by alternative gains. A class can be advanced
  beyond 20th Level. Once using epic rules, the character may eventually
  advance to any Level: 30th, 40th, 100th, or even higher still.
  EPIC SAVE BONUS
  A character’s base save bonus does not increase after character Level
  reaches 20th. The character does, however, receive a cumulative +1 epic
  bonus on all saving throws at every even-numbered Level beyond 20th,
  as shown on Table A-10: Epic Save and Epic Attack Bonuses. Any time
  a Feat or other rule refers to your base save bonus, use the sum of your
  base save bonus and epic save bonus.
  EPIC ATTACK BONUS
  Similarly, the character’s base attack bonus does not increase after
  character Level reaches 20th. The character does receive a cumulative +1
  epic bonus on all attacks at every odd-numbered Level beyond 20th, as
  shown on Table A-10: Epic Save and Epic Attack Bonuses. Any time a
  Feat or other rule refers to your base attack bonus, use the sum of your
  base attack bonus and epic attack bonus.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-10: EPIC SAVE AND EPIC ATTACK BONUSES
  Character Level
  Epic Save Bonus
  Epic Attack Bonus
  21st
  +0
  +1
  22nd
  +1
  +1
  23rd
  +1
  +2
  24th
  +2
  +2
  25th
  +2
  +3
  26th
  +3
  +3
  27th
  +3
  +4
  28th
  +4
  +4
  29th
  +4
  +5
  30th
  +5
  +5
  TABLE A-11: EPIC CHARACTER POINT BONUSES
  Character Class
  CPs/Level
  Adventurer
  +5 Character Points
  Dynamic Sorcerer
  +5 Character Points
  Giant Robot
  +4 Character Points
  Gun Bunny
  +4 Character Points
  Hot Rod
  +4 Character Points
  Magical Girl
  +4/+5 Character Points*
  Martial Artist
  +4 Character Points
  Mecha Pilot
  +4 Character Points
  Ninja
  +4 Character Points
  Pet Monster Trainer
  +5 Character Points
  Samurai
  +3/+4 Character Points*
  Sentai Member
  +4/+5 Character Points*
  Shapechanger
  +4/+5 Character Points*
  Student
  +4 Character Points
  Tech Genius
  +4 Character Points
  Barbarian
  +3 Character Points
  Bard
  +4/+5 Character Points*
  Cleric
  +4/+5 Character Points*
  Druid
  +4 Character Points
  Fighter
  +4 Character Points
  Monk
  +4 Character Points
  Paladin
  +4 Character Points
  Ranger
  +3/+4 Character Points*
  Rogue
  +3/+4 Character Points*
  Sorcerer
  +5/+6 Character Points*
  Wizard
  +5 Character Points**
  * Character classes with two numbers listed for Character Points
  per Level gain the lower number at each odd-numbered class Level, and
  the higher number at each even-numbered class Level.
  ** Note that the Wizard’s Class Skill Bonus each Level is still 0.5
  (see page 32) which is why the Wizard gains only +5 CPs per Level
  rather than +5/+6.
  
  152
  CHARACTER POINTS
  Instead of gaining new class features, all characters gain bonus
  Character Points at each Level beyond 20th, with virtually no restrictions
  on how these CPs are spent. Epic characters are not too far from being
  demigods. It is not unusual for a single epic character to be capable of
  achieving as much as, or more than, an entire lower-Level party. 
  The additional CPs gained are calculated as follows. It is assumed
  that each character gains a base 10 CPs per Level, reduced by the attack
  bonuses, save bonuses, Hit Dice and Skill Points as usual. Note that the
  Epic Save Bonus or Epic Attack Bonus gained each Level is always
  regarded as 3 CPs’ worth of Points (although a +1 save bonus is usually
  only worth 1 CP, the Epic Save Bonus applies to all three saving throws
  and so is worth 3 CP).
  The Table  A-11: Epic Character Point Bonuses (page 151) gives
  the bonus CPs gained each Level by character class, after these have been
  reduced by the attack bonuses, save bonuses, Hit Dice and Skill Points
  gained each Level.
  EPIC CHARACTERS ATTACKING
  MULTIPLE WEAKER OPPONENTS
  Any epic-level character can make a regular attack that
  automatically kills one low-HD opponent per epic Level he or she has,
  without needing to make a roll. For this purpose, a low-HD opponent is
  any creature at least 20 HD or Levels below the level of his or her attacker.
  For example a 25th Level epic samurai treats all characters of 5th Level or
  below, and all creatures of 5 HD or below, as low-HD opponents.
  The attack used could be magic, melee, sneakiness, psychic power
  or whatever means suits the character. No Energy Points or other
  resources need be expended to make this attack — the opponents are
  very nearly beneath the character’s notice, and are swept aside without a
  second thought. This can be especially useful when in a mass battle,
  whichever battle system is used to resolve the combat.
  Furthermore, the epic character may move at up to 2 x Base Speed
  while making these attacks, without penalty. Any low-HD creatures that
  would, at any time during the round, be close enough for the epic
  character to attack in melee, may be targeted. In effect, an epic character
  only attacking low-HD targets may virtually ignore their soon-to-be-
  ended existence. This only applies so long as all the attacks made are
  against low-HD opponents — a character wishing to use one or more of
  his or her attacks to strike more experienced targets must abide by the
  usual rules concerning the use of standard, move and full actions.
  For example: Hoshiko, a 25th Level samurai, could kill up to five
  mooks on each of her four attacks each round, for a total of 20 foes slain
  per round!
  MAKING 
  BESM d20 CLASSLESS
  Players and GMs may wish to remove classes from their BESM d20
  games which the game can easily handle.
  CHARACTER CREATION
  GMs should provide players with a number of Character Points
  (minimum of 40 for player characters) with which to make characters.
  Each 10 Points above 40 equals one additional ECL (Effective Character
  Level). For example, if the GM provides players 90 Character Points with
  which to make characters, the characters are ECL 5. 
  Players may spend Points to acquire or increase Attributes, modify
  ability scores, or acquire new Feats. Some notes:
  Ability Scores: If a player may improve his or her character's ability
  score(s) by 1 per 0.5 Point.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  
  153
  where the GM will prefer to use standard rules to resolve combat and
  Skill checks — the Unit Roster is used when large numbers of unit
  members need to perform one task at the same time.
  A sample Unit Roster Sheet, detailing the warriors of Nishihama, is
  shown below:
  RACE, CLASS, LEVEL AND CHARACTER POINTS
  Unit race and class are determined by simple majority. If a unit has
  3 elven samurai and 27 human fighters, then the unit will be noted as
  being human fighters. The level of a unit is the average Level of its
  members, rounded down.
  UNIT SIZE
  This records the number of counters that go to make up the unit.
  A single unit may not contain more than 30 counters, though an army
  may contain as many units as you wish.
  UNIT TYPE
  This is a reflection of how a unit operates upon the battlefield and
  what its especial competencies are. Types of unit may be found on page
  155.
  CREATURES PER COUNTER
  This simply indicates how many creatures each counter represents.
  This value is most commonly 10, but GMs can adjust this value if desired.
  COUNTER HIT POINTS
  Counter Hit Points are used to measure the damage a unit may
  sustain in combat before being defeated or even wiped out. Whenever a
  unit receives damage in excess of its counter Hit Points, one or more
  counters are removed and the overall size of the unit drops accordingly.
  Excess damage is recorded on the unit roster. For example, if a unit with
  8 counters and 10 counter Hit Points received 20 points of damage, it
  would lose two counters; if it received 14 points of damage, it would lose
  only one counter but the 4 surplus points would be recorded on the unit
  roster, so it would only need to sustain 6 points of damage on the next
  round to lose a further counter.
  Counter Hit Points are determined simply by working out the
  average Hit Dice of every unit member and multiplying this by the
  number of creatures per counter, modified as follows:
  Majority of unit has Constitution modifier +/-10% per Con modifier
  Majority of unit has 3 hp or less
  -25%
  INITIATIVE
  This is the Initiative modifier (calculated in the usual manner, using
  Dexterity modifiers, etc.) of the majority of the unit.
  Attacks, Damage, Armour Class, and Armour
  These are determined by simple majority — the weapons and
  armour the majority of the unit are armed with are assumed to be carried
  by all for the purposes of the Unit Roster and unit combat. The majority
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  Skills: All non-combat Skills are class Skills. All combat Skills are
  cross class Skills. If a player wishes to improve his or her character's Skills,
  he or she gains a number of Skill Points depending on the character
  Points invested: 
  2+Int modifier for 0.5 Point
  4+Int modifier for 1 Point
  6+Int modifier for 1.5 Points
  8+Int modifier for 2 Points
  Hit Points: If a player wishes to improve his or her character's Hit
  Points, he or she gains a hit die, the size of which depends on the
  Character Points invested:
  d4 for 1 Points
  d6 for 1.5 Points
  d8 for 2 Points
  d10 for 2.5 Points
  d12 for 3 Points
  Saving Throws: If a player wishes to improve his or her character's
  saving throws, each +1 costs 1 Character Point.
  Base Attack Bonus: If a player wishes to improve his or her
  character's base attack bonus, he or she should take the Attack Combat
  Mastery Attribute.
  Attributes and Feats: If a player wishes to improve or gain a new
  Attribute or Feat, it costs the same number of Character Points as it does
  during character creation.
  Unspent Points: Points (or partial Points) may be saved and spent
  at a later point.
  CHARACTER IMPROVEMENT
  At the end of each game sessions, GMs should award players 1
  Character Point to be used for improvement. GMs may wish to reward
  an additional Point for exceptional role-playing, at their discretion. For
  each 10 Character Points gained through adventuring (not spent —
  gained), the character's ECL increases by 1.
  Players may spend Character Points, between game sessions, for
  character improvement.
  BIG COMBATS,
  SMALL COUNTERS
  The Big Combats, Small Counters (BCSC) system is designed to
  provide a quick and reasonably simple system for resolving mass
  combats. BCSC is best used when at least one of the characters is a high-
  ranking general on one side. This enables the other characters to
  command units under him or her, or to form a powerful strike force on
  the battlefield, while the GM controls the opposition. 
  UNITS
  A unit is a group of individuals banded together to a common
  purpose on the battlefield. For the purposes of this system, every person
  within the unit has the same function, the same weapons, the same
  abilities, and the same Attributes. 
  A unit consists of one or more counters. Usually, each counter
  represents 10 individuals, though the GM may call for all counters to
  represent 20, 50, or even 100 individuals for a large-scale battle. Most
  units will contain between 5 and 20 counters.
  Units receive orders, move, fight, and react much as though they
  were individuals. 
  THE UNIT ROSTER
  Unit Rosters are made up in advance by the GM. The Unit Roster
  is used as a matter of convenience throughout these rules, from launching
  a devastating charge at an enemy to recording casualties when being shot
  through with ballista bolts. There are many circumstances in a game
  WARRIORS OF NISHIHAMA UNIT
  Race:
  Human
  Class: 
  Samura
  Level:
  1
  Character Points:
  40
  Unit Size:
  8
  Creatures Per Counter: 10
  Unit Type:
  Infantry
  Counter Hit Points:
  11 (+10% Constitution 12)
  Initiative:
  +4 (+4 Improved Initiative)
  Attacks:
  Long sword +1
  Damage:
  Long sword 1d8+3
  AC:
  0 (Dex)
  Armour:
  5 (Partial Metal Armour)
  Ability Scores:
  Str 16, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 14
  Saves:
  Fort: +3; Ref: +0; Will: +0
  Feats:
  Improved Initiative, Armour Proficiency
  (Light), Armour Proficiency (Medium).
  Attributes:
  Personal Gear Rank 1 (Long sword, partial
  metal armour, longbow, short sword, small
  art object or similar item of value)
  
  154
  full action, which may not be combined with any attacks or movement.
  The following round it must move away, or it is not considered to have
  successfully withdrawn and is still in combat.
  INDIVIDUAL UNIT MEMBERS
  Any unit member not actively engaged in unit combat may act as
  normal, following all the usual combat rules. This includes making
  attacks of their own, casting spells, or any other action permissible.
  DAMAGE
  Units are dealt damage in terms of Counter Hit Points, which are
  effectively the number of Hit Dice of each entire counter in the unit. A
  counter reduced to 0 Counter Hit Points is considered vanquished,
  though not all of its members are necessarily slain; a unit reduced to zero
  counters is similarly vanquished. 
  To calculate damage, roll the unit’s base damage a number of
  times equal to the number of counters that were involved in the attack
  and apply it to all the defending counters. For example, if there were 8
  counters attacking at a base damage of 1d6+1, you would roll 8d6+8
  to find the damage. It will be immediately apparent that a large force
  attacking a small one from all sides will quickly cut the smaller force
  to ribbons.
  At the GM’s discretion, not all of the members of the unit may have
  been slain, with most simply having fled the field — typically 50% to
  80% will have escaped, unless the enemy employs light cavalry to hunt
  them down as they flee. Survivors of a vanquished unit will not be
  available under any circumstances until after the end of the battle.
  Following an attack in which counters are lost, the attacker decides
  which of the defender’s counters to remove. He may only remove those
  counters that were in range of the attack. If more damage has been
  inflicted than there were counters in range to receive it, the additional
  damage is wasted. On the defender’s turn, counters may be moved into
  position to reform the face of the unit. 
  Counters that are removed are placed into the dead pile, or if you
  are not using physical counters or miniatures, keep tally of in the dead
  column. 
  OUTMATCHING
  When one unit heavily outmatches another, either in terms of
  numbers or ability, they inflict an incredible amount of damage upon
  their enemies whilst suffering very little in return. The table below is used
  to grant attack and morale modifiers to units who heavily outmatch their
  enemies, or are outmatched in return.
  To calculate the outmatching modifier for a given combat, look at
  how many counters from each side are within melee combat range of the
  other side. Assume that any counter that can attack does attack. Next,
  compare the number of attackers to the number of defenders and adjust
  the attack rolls accordingly. For example, if ten attackers are facing ten
  defenders, there will be no modifier, but if one side has surged over
  another so that there are three times as many attackers able to reach the
  enemy as there are enemy units, apply the suitable modifiers. 
  The morale modifier is handled differently. To calculate morale,
  compare the sizes of each army involved in the battle (i.e. the size of every
  single unit on the field).
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-12: OUTMACHING
  Outmatching
  Attack Roll
  Morale
  Group Size is...
  Modifier
  Modifier
  Ten or more times enemy’s
  +5 
  +5
  Five times enemy’s
  +3
  +3
  Three times enemy’s
  +2
  +2
  Twice enemy’s
  +1
  +1
  50% of enemy’s
  -1
  -1
  33% of enemy’s
  -2
  -2
  20% of enemy’s
  -3
  -3
  10% or less of enemy’s
  -5
  -5
  of the unit are also used to determine base attack bonus, Strength
  modifier to damage, and Dexterity modifier to Armour Class.
  FEATS, ATTRIBUTES AND CLASS FEATURES
  Any unit that has a majority of members with one or more identical
  Feats, Attributes, or class features will have them listed on its Unit
  Roster. The following Feats have no effect upon mass combat and so are
  never listed, however, no matter how many unit members possess them.
  Members of the unit may still use such Feats individually when not using
  the BCSC. Cleave, Dodge, Great Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved
  Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Mobility, Spring Attack,
  Whirlwind Attack.
  ABILITY SCORES & SAVES
  Once again, the ability scores and saves of the majority of the unit
  are noted down on the Unit Roster.
  RESOLVING UNIT COMBAT
  Unless otherwise stated below, all combat rules detailed in Chapter
  12: Combat apply equally to units. Unit combat occurs whenever two
  units meet in battle and engage in combat. A full summary of unit
  combat is presented here.
  ROUNDS
  Unit combat is broken up into 6 second rounds as usual.
  INITIATIVE
  Before the first round of unit combat begins, each unit involved
  makes an Initiative check. An Initiative check is a Dexterity check (1d20
  + unit’s Dexterity modifier). If the unit’s leader has the Aura of
  Command Attribute, a +1 bonus per Rank of Aura of Command is
  applied to the unit’s Initiative check.
  ATTACK OPTIONS
  When attacking, a unit has three basic options:
  Charge: A unit not currently engaged in melee combat may charge
  any enemy with this option.
  Attack: A unit may make either melee or ranged attacks. Units
  that can strike more than once each round may do so with this attack
  option.
  Withdraw: If involved in melee combat, a unit may attempt to
  withdraw.
  UNIT CHARGE OPTION
  Any unit not currently engaged in melee combat may charge an
  enemy unit. In doing so, the unit gains a +2 charge bonus to its attack
  roll. The unit will also suffer a -2 penalty to its Armour Class for one
  round, however. The charge option is the only way in which a unit may
  initiate melee combat with another.
  UNIT ATTACK OPTION
  Units may make a melee attack on every round in which one of
  their faces is in contact with the enemy. If the unit is using a weapon that
  allows it a long reach, then “in contact” means within weapon range.
  They may make a ranged attack on any round in which an enemy of
  which the unit is aware is within range of their weapons.
  When resolving ranged attacks, only those counters who have
  direct line of sight to the enemy may attack. The GM may allow certain
  weapons to attack by indirect fire, including bows (but not crossbows)
  and mortars. Counters armed with indirect fire weapons may attack even
  if they do not have direct line of sight to the enemy.
  The usual rules for attacking and defending apply, including Size
  Modifiers for attacking creatures of sizes other than Medium. There is no
  specific Size Modifier for the size of the unit, though this can be
  significant in Outmatching (see page 154).
  UNIT WITHDRAW OPTION
  A unit may choose to withdraw if the fight runs against them,
  either to regroup before launching another attack or to attempt to break
  off from combat altogether. The unit must declare it is withdrawing as a
  
  155
  Morale checks are made in unit combat in circumstances outlined
  in Table A-13: Morale Checks.
  * Morale modifiers may come from any source, not just those listed
  on the outmatching table above. For example, the bless spell grants a +1
  morale bonus to attack rolls — however, in unit combat, it will also grant
  a bonus to Morale checks.
  ** To be classed as elite, a unit must fulfil the following criteria:
  average member has Base Attack Bonus of +4 or higher; unit must have
  been together for at least one year; all members of the unit must be
  professional full-time soldiers; unit must have some in-character rationale
  for its elite status — perhaps it is the King’s personal bodyguard, or a
  heavy cavalry unit whose members are drawn entirely from a particularly
  military social class (e.g. knights or samurai).
  *** Includes any unit whose members have been forced into
  combat against their will.
  If a Morale check is failed, the unit automatically makes a withdraw
  action in its next round. Thereafter it attempts to leave the battlefield at
  maximum speed. A unit must pass a Morale check at DC 20 in order to
  rally and make another attack option in the following round. Characters
  are under no obligation to flee but from this point, they will be fighting
  on their own!
  UNIT TYPES
  There are four different unit types used in the BCSC to reflect
  differing capabilities and special skills upon the battlefield. The proper
  use of such units can ensure victory for a general, even in the face of
  overwhelming opposition.
  INFANTRY
  Infantry units form the core of most forces and comprise any units
  that do not meet the requirements to be archers, cavalry, or skirmishers.
  Such units receive no special bonuses or penalties within the BCSC.
  ARCHERS
  Any unit armed with a ranged weapon which does not have the
  Short Range defect, and not wearing heavy armour, is designated as an
  archer unit. Archer units are able to keep their distance from the main
  line of battle and rain missiles upon their enemies from a distance.
  CAVALRY
  Any unit riding any kind of mount into battle is designated as
  cavalry. Cavalry units are fast moving forces in the battlefield, able to
  attack enemy units almost at will. To calculate the counter Hit Points of
  cavalry units, compare the Hit Dice of the mount and the rider and add
  half of the lower rating to the higher. For example, a 2nd Level warrior
  mounted on a heavy warhorse would add half of the warrior’s Hit Dice to
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  SAVING THROWS
  You may need to use saving throws in the mass combat system for
  various different purposes, most commonly the avoidance of magical
  attacks. Saving throws work as follows: subtract the appropriate saving
  throw bonus from the DC of the saving throw, subtract one from the result,
  and multiply the total by five. The result is the percentage of the counters
  in the area of effect that failed their saving throws. No less than 5% and
  no more than 95% can fail, whatever the result of the calculation. 
  Example: A unit of 10 counters, each counter comprising 10 dwarf
  warriors, is affected by a fireball spell cast by Issa, a 7th Level Dynamic Sorcerer
  (Cha 19). The DC is 10 + 3 (fireball spell level) + 4 (ability bonus) = 17.
  The unit’s Reflex save bonus is +2. 17 — 2 -1 = 14; 14 x5 = 70%, so 7 of
  the 10 counters fail their saves and are dealt 7d6 damage; the remaining 3
  counters are dealt half damage.
  Issa rolls 25 points of damage. This deals a total of 175 damage (25x7)
  for the counters who did not save and 36 points (half of 25 rounded down and
  multiplied by 3) for those who did, for a grand total of 211 counter Hit Points.
  The dwarf counters each have 33 counter Hit Points, so Issa’s fireball incinerates
  6 out of the 10 counters completely. The remaining 13 damage (211 minus 6x33)
  is dealt to one of the surviving counters.
  If the creatures in the unit have armour that is effective against the
  damage dealt by the spell, deduct this from the initial damage (25 in this
  case), not the total. 
  MAGICAL ATTACKS
  Spellcasters on the field are always treated as individuals, never as
  units. You cannot have a team of ten sorcerers hurling ten fireballs at
  once. 
  A spell that successfully kills or incapacitates a single creature
  within a counter will reduce the Counter Hit Points by the number of
  HD the creature had.
  OTHER MAGIC IN THE BCSC
  Spells that cause effects other than damage (such as bless or bane)
  will only provide their bonus or penalty to a unit if the majority of its
  members can be affected. If only a minority are affected by the spell, it
  provides no benefit or penalty in unit combat. 
  Spells that produce effects other than damage can place a single
  unit member or a group of counters in the unit into a given condition.
  These conditions are applied on the battlefield as follows:
  Any spell that causes mass death, such as cloudkill or power word:
  kill, sends affected creatures to the dead pile.
  Any spell that renders the victims unable to defend themselves,
  such as sleep or stinking cloud, will kill the counters: though the
  individuals who make up the counters may still be alive, they do not
  represent any kind of threat for the remainder of the battle. At the GM’s
  discretion, for added realism crippled counters may be left on the
  battlefield, but turned upside down or otherwise marked; a unit may take
  a standard action to perform a coup de grace on any incapacitated
  counters within reach, adding them to the dead pile.
  Any spell that interferes with the victims’ ability to fight but does
  not leave them defenceless, such as entangle, confusion or power word:
  blind, causes the affected counters to become incapacitated for the
  duration of the spell. The GM should adjudicate these effects but a
  circumstance bonus of +2 to any attacks made against the incapacitated
  counters is a good rule of thumb. 
  Fear effects, as well as causing the affected counters to flee, prompt
  an immediate morale check from any members of the same unit.
  TURNING UNDEAD
  Clerics or other classes who can turn undead may do so normally.
  Calculate the total number of Hit Dice affected and deduct this total
  directly from the undead’s Counter Hit Points.
  MORALE
  Very few units fight to the death. As the enemy swarms over
  barricades and defences, long-time comrades start to fall and swarms of
  arrows rain down, many warriors choose to throw down their weapons
  rather than risk a cruel death.
  TABLE A-13: MORALE CHECKS
  Morale
  Morale Circumstance
  Check DC
  Unit Size reduced to half of original score
  15
  Unit Size reduced to one quarter of original score
  20
  Unit Size reduced to one third of current score in a single round
  10
  Unit suffers more damage in a round than enemy in melee combat
  15
  Unit is hit by enemy of three times or greater Unit Size
  15
  The following modifiers apply to Morale checks:
  Morale
  Modifier
  Unit Leader
  + Leader’s Charisma modifier
  Morale modifier*
  +/- Morale modifier
  Unit Leader with Aura of Command
  + Aura of Command Ranks
  Player Character actions
  See page 156
  Elite unit**
  +2
  Mercenary unit
  -1
  Enslaved unit ***
  -4
  
  156
  UNIT COMBATS
  Characters — and major NPCs — are never counted as part of the
  unit when calculating the Unit Roster. They always act independently,
  even if mere foot soldiers. Combat for characters in melee combat is
  handled in exactly the same way as presented in Chapter 12. They are,
  however, permitted to attack enemy units.
  If two units are in combat with one another, characters may choose
  to aid one side. To do so, they engage in combat with one or more
  members of the enemy unit, using the normal combat rules given in
  Chapter 12. Everyone involved in the combat acts in Initiative order, so
  the characters may have the chance to act before anyone else. If they
  manage to slay or subdue any of their enemies, however, then the Hit
  Dice of the creatures they overcome are immediately deducted from the
  Unit Hit Point score. 
  For example: whilst leading his heroic unit to attack the mercenary
  unit Blood Hammers in a desperate charge, Baiko the Samurai, rolling
  the highest Initiative of the combat, attacks a big mercenary as the rest
  of his men engage the rest of the enemy. The Unit Hit Points of the Blood
  Hammers (who are predominantly 4th Level samurai themselves) is 87.
  Baiko dispatches his foe in one round of combat. Thus, the mercenaries
  lose 4 Unit Hit Points immediately, bringing them down to a total of 83.
  The units now fight, in remaining Initiative order.
  UNIT MORALE
  Player characters are immune to the effects of unit morale, as
  detailed on page 155, though units are likely to take a dim view of
  characters who continue to fight as they try to surrender. However, many
  of a character’s actions in combat will have a direct influence on how his
  or her unit fights. The table below lists some of the more common actions
  a character may attempt to boost the morale of his or her unit. The GM
  is welcome to add others as the need arises; a character should always be
  awarded for bravery and will certainly earn the respect of the unit. The
  morale bonus earned applies to the unit’s attack and damage rolls for the
  rest of the combat, as well as to morale rolls made on the Table A-13.
  GAINING EXPERIENCE
  Experience point awards can be difficult to calculate in mass
  battles, so for simplicity the following system is used.
  Characters gain experience as normal for the creatures they
  themselves defeat. For example, if they personally lead a unit and end up
  slaying the enemy leader and six of his unit, they receive an experience
  award as normal based on the leader and six men, even if their own unit
  butchered everyone else in the unit.
  Story awards are given at the GM’s discretion to characters who
  lead entire units or armies and are victorious. 
  Note that defeating a unit does not necessarily mean slaying every
  last warrior. Capturing a unit without a single weapon being used will
  earn a story award, as will outsmarting or sneaking round an enemy. The
  GM should be flexible in granting experience points and reward
  characters for all their achievements.
  UNIT EXPERIENCE
  In a long-running military campaign, the GM should consider
  allowing units to gradually advance, perhaps at the rate of around one
  Level per five to ten battles, so long as the majority of each unit is
  brought through every battle alive.
  APPENDIX:
  OPTIONAL RULES
  TABLE A-14: MORALE MODIFIERS
  Character Action
  Morale Bonus to Unit
  Slaying enemy unit leader
  +2
  Slaying enemy officer/sergeant
  +1
  Destroying enemy war machine
  +1
  Fleeing battle
  -4
  Slaying 10% or more of enemy unit in one round
  +1
  those of the horse, as the horse has 4 Hit Dice. The counter Hit Points
  would therefore be a base of 4 for the horse’s Hit Dice plus 30% for its
  Constitution modifier (i.e. +1.2) plus 2 points for the warrior’s Hit Dice,
  then multiplied by 10 for the number of units in the counter, for a total
  of 72 counter Hit Points.
  Mecha suits costing 400 Mecha Points (OBM rank 1) or less and
  operating in units can usually be treated as Cavalry and count as a 1
  HD/100 Mecha Points “mount.” More powerful mecha do not usually form
  units and are dealt with individually (see Player Characters, page 156).
  SKIRMISHERS
  Any unit wearing no or light armour may be designated as a
  skirmish unit, taking to the field in a small dispersed formation that
  allows them to operate with great flexibility. Skirmish units must remain
  in skirmish formation at all times. A skirmish unit gains a +2
  competence bonus on all Initiative checks. No skirmish unit may have
  more than 4 counters at any one time. Cavalry units with light horses or
  warhorses wearing no barding may also be designated as skirmish units
  and gain these bonuses and penalties. Such units are known as
  skirmishing cavalry.
  WAR MACHINES AND MECHA
  War machines of all kinds, from catapults and trebuchets all the
  way up to sorcerous power armour and gigantic golems, are built with
  the mecha rules as usual.
  Usually each mecha should be treated as a separate entity on the
  battlefield, rather than being formed into units. This is a better reflection
  of the size and typical military function of mecha, which are more likely
  to fight individually than as units.
  It may be appropriate for certain mecha types to be treated as units,
  however, particularly if they are golems or other automata, or mecha suits
  that enhance the power of individual warriors rather than stomping
  about the battlefield taking on armies single-handed. Mecha units are
  treated as cavalry, though particularly slow-moving mecha (less than 30
  mph speed) should be treated as infantry. 
  SIEGE ENGINES
  Most mundane, medieval-style war machines cost 200 Mecha
  Points or less, and so can be bought with Personal Gear (two major items
  of Personal Gear). A ballista is given here as an example; generating
  similar statistics for catapults, trebuchets and cannon is simple enough if
  desired.
  PLAYER CHARACTERS
  The characters should always be at the centre of the action, in
  BCSC as much as in a regular game. Anything they can do in a standard
  combat round could also be done in a BCSC round. 
  BALLISTA ATTRIBUTES
  Size: 
  Large
  Hit Points:
  25 [30]
  Operator: 
  1 [10]
  Armour: 
  5 [25]
  Defence: 
  9 (1d20) [0]
  Land Speed: 
  2 mph [5]
  Handling: 
  -1/-1
  Defects: 
  Flammable [-5], Service Crew (two horses or four
  humans, required for any use of land speed) [-6],
  Open [-10], Road Vehicle [-1]
  BOLT
  Damage: 
  4d6
  Range Increment: 120 feet
  Notes: 
  Armour Penetrating, Crew Served, Slow Firing [14]
  Crew: 
  2 (one operator, one loader)
  Cost: 
  62 Mecha Points (1 major item of Personal Gear)
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM) (Tri Stat) [multi]/BESM d20/BESM d20 - Corebook - Optional Rules.pdf