Area Effect

An Area Effect is an attack with a weapon (such as Grenades or a Shotgun) or spell that instead of directly affecting a single target will cover a designated open area with its damage or effect.

Normally a character aims at a specific 1 Meter Area that they want to place/fire the effect into. If they miss their target area roll then they will generally hit an adjourning 1 Meter Area instead.

On missing a d10 is rolled (GM chooses if it is to be a PC or GM roll) to determine where it hits instead. If a normal grid (3x3 square) is assumed:

A 9 or 0 result is a misfire. Misfires vary based on weapon:

Shotgun : 9 = Dud ammo, no shot fired. 0 = Weapon explodes in users hands and does DMG x 1

Grenade : 9 = Dud ammo, lands at X and does nothing. 0 = Bad fuse, Weapon Explodes in users own space.

Grenades that missed their target on the throw do damage outward from their new location at DMG x 1.

(Most spells do not require a space targeting roll, and are assumed if the casting roll was effective that they strike the intended location of effect centering).

Shotguns generally only affect targets within the target meter that they hit. Grenades have a value of how many hexes outward they effect.

The roll to hit target is compared to each individual creature/being within the area's base defense (Dexterity, if mobile and conscious, plus any modifying traits like combat luck - no skills apply vs Area Effects) seperately and damage applied based on the result. Armor applies against the damage of shotguns and grenades, of course.

If the throw/fire missed target then treat the result for where it did end up as if it was a 50% success on the Action Table for calculating targets hit and damaged received.

Non-Damaging AEW:

Smoke grenades are a non-damaging AEW. They spread their effect into the hexes outward, but there is no damage effect or checking against targets within the area.