Saving / Loading the Game
Since this is an online-only multiplayer game, your progress will be consistently saved to a central server. When you are ready to quit the game, be sure to log out properly, using the Log Out button from the main menu, to avoid losing any progress.
Multiplayer Gaming
The wasteland is a harsh place, but you don’t have to traverse it alone. As you wander, you will meet other players on a similar journey. You can speak to them, exchange ideas and team-up against your enemies. If you have a good experience travelling with them, you can add them to your Friends List so you will be able to find them later. Or, if you choose, you may challenge them to a duel, or even an Arena battle, which is team-based player-versus-player combat.
Your Character
Your character is made up of a variety of characteristics such as abilities, skills, and powers. This, combined with your skill and personality as a player will make every individual character in the game unique.
Abilities
Each character, no matter which species, has six primary abilities.
Strength – Strength determines the physical power of your character. A high Strength improves melee attack power, carrying capacity, and your ability to perform Strength-based tasks like moving a large object or breaking through an obstacle.
Aim – Aim determines your chances of hitting a target with a ranged attack. Also, the higher your Aim, the more likely you are to score a critical hit for double damage.
Fortitude – Fortitude determines how hardy your character is. It directly impacts your Hit Points; every point you put into this ability raises your Hit Points by 1. Fortitude also affects your defenses against status conditions like Poison and Stun.
Dexterity – Dexterity determines how nimble and quick your character is. This impacts many different things, such as when you get to attack during a round, how fast you can move in combat, how likely you are to dodge an attack, and gives you a bonus in several different skills.
Intelligence – Intelligence determines how smart your character is. This ability allows you to see weak points in enemies, spot hidden objects, and gives you a bonus in several different skills.
Charisma – Charisma determines how personable your character is. The higher your charisma, the better chance you have of convincing an NPC to come around to your way of thinking. High scores in this ability will unlock many different dialogue options when conversing with NPCs.
Skills
Unlike Abilities, every character has a different selection of six skills available to them, determined by their species and class. A few lucky characters might be granted a skill from outside their normal species-defined skills. It is also possible to train with a master of a specific skill to unlock that skill for yourself. Skills help define your character’s role in the game.
Every point in a skill adds a 5% chance of success on that skill check. Every point in the skill’s associated ability also adds a 2.5% chance of success on the check.
Armorsmith (Intelligence) – This skill determines your ability to craft and repair clothing and armor.
Driving (Dexterity) – This skill determines your ability to pull off various maneuvers in the different vehicles available in the game.
Hacking (Intelligence) – This skill determines your ability to infiltrate the various computer systems in the game.
Machinery (Intelligence) – This skill determines your ability to repair, modify, and build various machines, such as vehicles, drones, turrets, and non-sentient robots.
Psionics (Charisma) – This skill determines your ability to connect with another creature’s mind to read and influence their thoughts.
Stealth (Dexterity) – This skill determines your ability to stay hidden and silent and go unnoticed by enemies.
Survival (Intelligence) – This skill is used for tracking, hunting, and collecting usable materials from your environment.
Weaponsmith (Intelligence) – This skill determines your ability to craft and repair weapons.
Powers
Your character’s powers are determined by their Class. For more information about specific powers, turn to the Classes section.
Gaining Experience & Levels
As you complete quests and kill enemies, you will gain experience points (XP). Gain enough XP, and your character will level up and gain new ability points, skill points, and powers.
Combat
Combat in Apocalypse 2020 is broken up into rounds. Each round, participants in combat will be granted two actions – a Move action and an Attack action. Throughout combat, they will take turns performing actions until one side is victorious.
Move Actions
Aim – You may choose not to move on your turn, and instead aim to get a bonus to hit on your next attack.
Hunker – If you are behind cover, you can choose to stay low and reduce incoming attack chances by 10% for the next round.
Move – Move a number of squares equal to or less than your speed.
Reload Weapon – Reload your weapon with an available magazine.
Swap Weapons – Change to a different weapon that you have available.
Use an Item – Some items are able to be used with a move action, while some require an Attack action.
Use a power – Some powers are able to be used with a move action, while some require an Attack action.
Attack Actions
Attack an enemy – You attack the enemy with your equipped weapon.
Overwatch – Choosing this action allows your character to hold an attack and wait for an enemy to move. During the next round, if an enemy moves through your attack range, you may take a single free attack against them at a -10% penalty.
Take another Move Action – If you do not wish to make an attack action in a round, you can take another move action instead.
Use an Item – Some items (such as grenades or medkits) require an attack action to use.
Use a Power – Some powers require an attack action to use.
Checks
When you perform any kind of action where there is a chance of failure, you will make a check. This could be an attack check (which is the most common type) or a skill check, or sometimes even an ability check.
Your chance to succeed is determined by a multitude of factors. When you make check all of these factors are added together and a randomized percentage is rolled to determine if your attack will succeed or not.
Some of the most common modifiers are listed below:
Concealment – If there is smoke, darkness, or anything else obscuring your vision you will get a penalty to attack rolls of 10-20%.
Gear Bonuses – Many weapons and armor give you a bonus to various ability and skill checks.
Large Target – Large targets grant bonuses to attack rolls, determined by the size of the target.
Surprise – If an enemy is not aware of your incoming attack, they cannot defend as well against it and you get a +10% bonus.
Taking Cover – Hiding behind cover grants anywhere from a -5% to a -20% penalty (depending on the type of cover) on attacks against you while you are behind cover.
Conditions
Bleeding: An character who is bleeding will take a specific amount of damage that cannot be prevented by armor at the beginning of every turn, until he heals any amount of damage.
Blind: A character who is blind treats every attack he makes as if the target is in total concealment (-50% Attack chance).
Burning: A character who is burning takes a specific number of damage every turn, along with severe durability damage to his armor, until he is soaked in water or takes a full round action to put himself out.
Panicked: Characters respond randomly to being panicked. Some will flee, while others will hunker down and hide. Still others will attack a random character (enemy or ally).
Poisoned: Poisoned characters take half of their current HP (rounded up) in damage at the beginning of every round, until they are cured.<
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Stunned: Stunned characters can take no actions.
Species & Classes
There are currently three different playable species available in the game. Your species will be determined when you start the game, based on the current demographics of the server.
Human
Humans are the most common species in the wasteland. They tend to rely on gadgets and weaponry in combat and have average stats in every category.
The human skillset is Armorsmith, Driving, Hacking, Stealth, Survival, and Weaponsmith.
Human Classes are Assassin, Gunslinger, Heavy, Sniper, and Techie.
Assassin
Assassins are close-ranged characters who specialize in sneaking through the battlefield until they can get close enough to kill their enemies with powerful attacks.
When you choose the Assassin class, you get a +1 bonus to Strength and Dexterity, and a +2 bonus to Stealth and Survival.
Powers
1st-Level Powers
Bleeder – Every time you hit with a bladed weapon, you cause your opponent to bleed for 1.
Phantom – Permanently increase your Stealth chance by 15%.
Run & Gun – You can move up to your speed and attack with a single Attack action.
Warrior – Increase your damage with all melee weapons by 2.
2nd-Level Powers
Deep Cover (Requires Phantom) – Whenever you Hunker, increase Stealth chance by 25%.
Like a Stuck Pig (Requires Bleeder) – Increase Bleeder damage to 3 bleed.
On the Run (Requires Run & Gun) – Every time you deliver the killing blow to an enemy, you are granted a free Move action.
Septic (Requires Bleeder) – When your attack causes an enemy to bleed, they are also sickened.
Shadow Walker (Requires Phantom) – Your movement no longer triggers Overwatch or traps.
Slice Through (Requires Warrior) – You may hit two adjacent enemies with a single melee attack.
The Best Defense (Requires Run & Gun) – If you moved more than one square this round, reduce all incoming attack chances by 10%.
Weapon Master (Requires Warrior) – Gain a permanent +20% chance to hit with all melee weapons.
3rd-Level Powers
Arterial Slice (Requires Like a Stuck Pig) – All Critical Hits with a bladed weapon now cause 6 Bleed damage.
Beheader (Requires Weapon Master) – Gain a permanent +20% chance to score a Critical Hit with all melee weapons.
Blade Fury (Requires Slice Through) – Make an attack with your melee weapon against every adjacent enemy. If any other enemy enters an adjacent square during the next round, you get an immediate free attack against them as well.
Disappear (Requires Deep Cover) – Immediately make a Stealth check to hide from enemies, even if enemies are watching you.
Fury (Requires On the Run) – Instead of a move action from On the Run, you now gain a free Attack action whenever you deliver a killing blow.
Not a Flesh Wound (Requires Septic) – When one of your attacks causes an enemy to bleed, they have a 50% chance of panicking.
On Your Toes (Requires The Best Defense) – Once every three rounds, you may take an extra Attack action.
Strike From Shadow (Requires Shadow Walker) – You gain a +50% chance to hit and a +15% Critical Hit chance when the enemy cannot see you.
Gunslinger
Gunslingers are fast and nimble, specializing in wielding a pistol in each hand and shooting on the run.
When you choose a Gunslinger as your class you get a permanent +1 bonus to Dexterity and Aim and a +2 bonus to Weaponsmithing and Survival.
Powers
1st-Level Powers
Covering Fire – Your Overwatch is triggered by any enemy action, not just movement, and you ignore the -10% chance to hit penalty.
Improved Critical – You get a permanent +15% chance to score a critical hit.
Rapid Fire – Using a single Attack action, make two attacks with your pistol at -10% chance to hit.
Return Fire – Once per round, when targeted by enemy fire, you get an immediate free pistol attack at the enemy.
2nd-Level Powers
Bullet-Time (Requires Return Fire) – The first time you are targeted by enemy fire in a round, that attack has a -20% chance to hit.
Critical Shot (Requires Improved Critical) – Once every three rounds, you may use an Attack action to fire a shot from your pistol. If this attack hits, it is automatically upgraded to a Critical Hit.
Devastating Critical (Requires Improved Critical) – All of you Critical Hits with pistols now do 3x Damage.
Guardian (Requires Covering Fire) – If you hit an enemy with your Overwatch shot, automatically re-enter Overwatch.
Lightning Hands (Requires Rapid Fire)– Once every three turns, you can make a single attack with your pistol as a free action.
Quick Draw (Requires Rapid Fire)– You can now attack with your pistol as a Move action.
Rapid Reload (Requires Return Fire) – If you did not use your Return Fire ability in a round, you may reload a pistol as a free action.
Vigilance (Requires Covering Fire) – If you do not attack during your turn, automatically enter Overwatch.
3rd-Level Powers
Always Prepared (Requires Rapid Reload) – If you did not use your Return Fire ability in a round, you get a free Attack action at the beginning of your turn.
Critical Barrage (Requires Critical Shot) – Once every five rounds, you may activate this power as a free action. For the rest of the round, every hit you make with your pistols is automatically upgraded to a Critical Hit.
Extreme Criticals (Requires Devastating Criticals) – All of your Critical Hits with pistols now do 5x damage.
Face-Off (Requires Lightning Hands) – Once every three rounds, you may use a single Attack action to fire a single pistol shot at every enemy within range.
Fan Hammer (Requires Quick Draw) – Once every three rounds, you can use a single Attack action to fire your pistol three times at a single target.
Locked On (Requires Ever Vigilant) – If your Overwatch did not trigger during the enemy’s turn, you get a free Attack action at the beginning of your turn.
Nobody Move (Requires Guardian) – Once every three rounds, you may enter Overwatch as a free action at the end of your turn. This Overwatch does not end until your next turn, granting you a pistol attack on every enemy that triggers it.
Swan Dive (Requires Bullet-Time) – When your Return Fire ability activates, instead of getting a free attack at the enemy, you get an immediate Move and Attack action.
Heavy
Heavies wear big armor and carry big weapons. They specialize in explosives and environmental destruction.
When you choose to be a Heavy, you gain a +1 bonus to the Strength and Fortitude abilities, and a +2 bonus to the Armorsmith and Driving skills.
Heavy’s also all get access to a Grenade Launcher at second level.
Powers
1st-Level Powers
Demolition – You are an expert in destruction. You may use an attack action to target a piece of the environment and destroy it.
Heavy Armor – You can now wear heavy armors.
Shred Armor – Your attacks with heavy weapons shred 1 point of enemy armor when they hit.
Suppression – When you fire at an enemy using your heavy weapon, whether you hit or miss, that enemy gets a -15% to all attack chances for the next round.
2nd-Level Powers
Blast Padding (Heavy Armor Required) – You take half damage from all explosions.
Full Spin (Suppression Required) – Make an attack against an enemy with your heavy weapon. If you hit, make another attack against the same enemy.
Launcher Proficiency (Demolition Required) – You can now launch grenades more proficiently. Gain a permanent +25% chance to hit with your grenade launcher.
Lock on Target (Suppression Required) – Your attacks with Heavy Weapons, whether you hit or miss, mark the
target, granting all attacks against the target a +15% chance to hit for the next round.
Mechanized Armor (Heavy Armor Required) – You can now wear Mechanized Armor.
Ravage Armor (Shred Armor Required) – Your attacks with heavy weapons now shred 2 points of armor.
Rupture (Shred Armor Required) – If you hit an enemy with your heavy weapon, you open up a wound that causes it to take an extra 2 damage from every other attack for the next round.
Salvo (Demolition Required) – You may launch grenades or fire heavy weapons as a Move action.
3rd-Level Powers
Destroy Armor (Ravage Armor Required) – If you hit an enemy with your heavy weapon, shred all of the enemy’s armor.
Improved Suppression (Lock on Target Required) – Your Suppression now gives the enemy -30% to all attacks for the next round.
Launcher Expert (Launcher Proficiency Required) – All grenades that you fire from your launcher deal double damage.
Meat Shield (Mechanized Armor Required) – If an enemy attacks and hits a teammate that is within two squares of you, you may jump in front of the attack and force the enemy to hit you instead.
Mow Them Down (Full Spin Required) – You may use an attack action to make an attack with your Heavy Weapon against everybody (including allies) in a 45-degree arc in front of you.
Protect the Vitals (Blast Padding Required) – All Critical Hits against you become normal hits instead.
Apocalypse 2020: A Wasteland LitRPG Page 38
