Fist vs Tentacle

There comes a time when book smarts aren’t enough and you just got to plant a fist into something’s squishy face. And that brings us to combat.

The Basics

The Hit Threshold is the number to beat to connect with your target. For Investigators, their HT is 3, but if their Athletics skill is 8 or higher, the HT increases to 4.
Just because a character doesn’t have a particular skill doesn’t mean they can’t use it. No rating in Firearms? No problem. You can still shoot a gun. You just won’t do as much damage. In fact, you do -2 to all damage rolls and that’s on top of the bonus/penalty for whatever you’re using. This rule applies to Firearms, Scuffling, and Weapons.
Firearms goes to firearms.
Scuffling goes to fists, feet, and things like knuckle dusters.
Weapons are for things like swords, knives, maces, etc.

Mano-a-Mano

Whoever picks the fight, start the fight. Doesn't matter if you're shooting, stabbing, punching; the person that starts the fight gets to go first.

Ex. 1

Keeper: Tony "The Rat" Wilkins is standing directly in your path. There's no way he's going to let you through the door.

Stingray: I punch him in the face.

Keeper: Roll to see if you hit.

Ex. 2

Keeper: Tony "The Rat" Wilkins is standing directly in your path. There's no way he's going to let you through the door.

Stingray: I shoot him in the face.

Keeper: ...roll to see if you hit.

Ex. 3

Keeper: Tony "The Rat" Wilkins is standing directly in your path. There's no way he's going to let you through the door.

Stingray: I stab him in the face.

Keeper: ...roll to see if you hit.

Battle Royale

When you have 3 or more combatants, things change a bit. The fighters declare their actions and turn order for the entire fight is determined by the skill rating associated with the action.

Example

Detective Almonds is going to shoot (Firearms 12)
Junior Detective Robinson is going to punch some biscuits (Scuffling 5)
Cultist Pete is going to stab the Junior Detective (Weapons 7)

So the turn order is

1. Detective Almonds
2. Cultist Pete
3. Junior Detective Robinson

After the first turn, the players are free to choose a different combat action but the turn order won't change. Even if Almonds decides to sword fight the cultist (Weapons 0) on the next turn, he would still go first. Turn order is determined on the first round and won't change for the rest of the fight.

And the rest is done like a standard contest. Spend points from skill to hit, roll, if hit roll for damage, add/subtract modifiers.

This could be the penultimate Trail post! It depends on whether or not I need to explain hit points. Which I probably do so this isn't the penultimate post.

C'est la vie.