Combat using BoxCar is a little different from Fuzion. However, before we go any further, you need to know that it is 100% compatible with the Fuzion Powered rules. You can enjoy Mythic Steel and use Fuzion Powered rules with no modifications whatsoever. That said, I think you should at least try the BoxCar rules before making that decision. I ran a complete newbie, never even played an RPG before newbie, and he got it down after the first fight! It's a little intimidating at first glance but it is really easy after the first fight. Plus if you have questions feel free to Email Me and I will make it as clear as I possibly can.

BoxCar is essentially the same as Fuzion when it comes to determining AV. It is still Attribute + Skill. This is then added to dice and either compared to an opposed roll or a difficulty number.

The combat system hinges around the concept of Success Value, or the number you hit by. This number usually determines the result of your action. This covers such things as grappling penalties and damage delivered. Thus, the better your hero is at his skills, the more likely he will be successful in his actions. A good fighter is a good fighter after all.

Success Value is most commonly used to determine damage delivered. In Fuzion, weapons have a DC rating and that represents how many d6 the player rolls for damage when he hits. However, this means that no matter how well or poorly he hits his opponent, the damage is completely random. Thus a graze (hitting by 1) can deliver the same amount of damage as a solid hit (say, hitting by 5). With BoxCar, a good hit is a good hit. You will multiply the SV (up to 6, the same range as a d6) times the DC of the attack. Thus a solid hit (say hitting by 5), will deliver 5 times the DC of the weapon.

Example: Shark is a cutthroat pirate. He has an AV of 12 when wielding his sword. His opponent, Kali, has an AV of 10 when using her dagger. They square off with Shark as the attacker and Kali as the Defender. They both roll 2d6. Shark gets a total of 21 and Kali gets a total of 18. Shark has an SV of 3. His sword DC (including Strength modifiers) is 8. He will deliver 24 points of damage to Kali.

Perhaps the most dramatic change, damage is now more cinematic. It is both more forgiving and more brutal. The damage delivered is divided by the hero's Body. Argggg! Division, anything but that! Don't worry, it's all done on the Hero Sheet for you. You just look across your auto-calculated numbers and find the number of boxes you need to take. It's easy, you'll never have to do any division your self. The best part is that any numbers that are remainders, are thrown away. So, if your Hero has a 5 Body and takes 12 points of damage, that's 2 boxes of damage, the 2 extra points (12 - 10 = 2) are thrown away. Even better, until said hero takes 5 points of damage he will throw away what ever comes in. Thus, 4 points of damage does nothing, it is simply discarded.

Example: 12 points of damage is delivered to a Hero that has a Body of 5. Look at the first row of the table. This will automatically be calculated for you by the character sheet.

Go across the top row until the number in the box is higher than the damage taken (15). Go back one box (10) and drop down to the bottom row. The number in that box is the damage taken (2). The remainder of damage is thrown away.

Look back at the table again and do this for 4 points of damage. As you can see you don't even get to the first box. No damage taken. In actuality, the damage is taken but it is not considered to be enough to matter. Unless its enough to affect the Hero then it doesn't matter. This is the cinematic portion of the damage system.

On the Hero sheet you will apply your damage to the appropriate area and it will let you know if there are any secondary injuries to worry about (like a broken limb or a vital hit). Vital hits can result in instant death but always result in an eventually fatal wound if left untreated. This makes for a realistic but still cinematic and fun game. Plus, it allows for broken bones, severed heads and limbs, and all around brutal mayhem!

Most of all, it really adds to the combat experience. Every single play tester has loved this system. They find it a little bulky at first but after one battle, they completely get it and truly enjoy it. You can actually hear the flesh shredding and the bones breaking in your minds eye. It feels like real combat and moves very smooth and swift. In one play testing session, lasting about an hour, we managed to conduct 4 one-on-one combats between two heroes.

Detailed combat example coming soon...