Beginners Guide to SCP Combat

To help get players (and Directors) a basic understanding of the flow of combat, this PDF will provide
a basic example and reference the SCP TTRPG pages.

The example is simple and involves two characters. James (the player) Soldier 1.
Soldier 1 is standing right next to James. James will use a knife and attack Soldier 1.
Soldier 1 will then attack James, who will dodge the attack.
James will then shoot Soldier 1 with a handgun and miss.
Soldier 1 will run away.
James will switch to a sniper rifle, and shoot Soldier 1, killing them.
This example shows the very basics of combat mechanics on how the SCP TTRPG deals with
combat encounters.

Step #1: Initiative (SCP ttrpg Page 43)

Combat begins with all characters involved rolling Intelligence + Initiative.

Each character will have dice listed for Intelligence. Players take up to four of those dice and roll them,
then add the top two dice. Finally, Initiative is added to this result.

The dice are rolled and turn order is determined as James, then Soldier 1.
Combat Round 1
James Action #1: Attack with Knife (SCP ttrpg Page 46)
The Melee Action states the character rolls Dexterity plus the skill listed with the weapon. The Knife
lists the skill “Melee.” James has a Melee skill of 1.3
James rolls his Dexterity, adds the top two dice and gets an 11, then James adds his Melee skill of 1.3
Melee weapons also have a “To-Hit” modifier. The modifier for the knife is +1
His final result is 13.3
This score is compared to one of two numbers.
If Soldier 1 doesn’t dodge, this score is compared to Soldier 1’s “Reaction Defense”
If Soldier 1 chooses to dodge, this score is compared to Soldier 1’s “Dodge Score”

(Reaction Defense and Dodging can be found in the SCP ttrpg on page 45)
Solder 1 chooses to not dodge so that he can perform two actions when his turn comes up.
Soldier 1 has a “Reaction Defense” of 7.5
This number is determined at Character creation and can be increased by buying more dice in
attributes or increasing skills.
Since 13.3 is higher than 7.5, James successfully stabs Soldier 1 with his knife
To determine damage, look at the stats of the Knife.

Survival
Knife A small concealable all-purpose knife.

Skill Recoil Melee Hip Ready Aim Clip Size Base Damage X Damage Element Range

Melee - +1 - - - - 1D8 1D6 Slash 1*

There are two aspects to rolling damage. The Base Damage, and the X Damage.

(See also Calculating Damage in the SCP ttrpg on page 52)

James’s character has a Melee Multiplier of x3. This is determined during character creation and can
be increased by buying more Strength dice.
First James gathers all Base Damage dice. In this case that’s 1D8
Then you gather all X Damage dice, but this is multiplied by James Melee Multiplier of x3
In this case James would gather 3D6
Finally all the damage dice are added together. James rolls 1D8 + 3D6, adds all the dice together,
and gets a 15.

This means James deals 15 damage to Soldier 1.

James Action #2: Defense (SCP ttrpg Page 48)
James decides to use his second action on Defense. This will be important later in case he gets
attacked later on in the round.

Soldier 1 Action #1: Attack with Fists (SCP ttrpg Page 46)
Soldier 1 then attempts to punch James. Just as before he rolls Dexterity plus Melee. Soldier 1
scores a 9.5

James has previously spent an action on Defense, so this means he can roll to try to dodge the
attack. James rolls Dexterity plus Dodge/Block and scores a 12.3

This means James successfully avoids the attack.

Soldier 1 Action #2: Move (SCP ttrpg Page 47)

Soldier 1 misses the attack and decides to back away. Characters may only use a Melee attack one
time per combat round. When you use the Move action you can move a number of meters equal to
your Move Speed, which is on each character sheet. Soldier 1 has a Move Speed of 2, so he steps
back and moves 2 meters away from James.
Combat Round 2
After all characters are done with their actions and the last player acts, the next combat round begins
and the process is repeated.

James Action #1: Pull out handgun (SCP ttrpg Page 47)
James decides that the knife isn’t doing the damage he needs and spends one action to put away the
knife and pull out a handgun. Here are the stats for this handgun.

M1911
Skill Recoil Melee Hip Ready Aim Clip Size Base Damage X Damage Element Range

Handgun 1 - -1 +1 +2 7 2D8 1D10+3 Impale 5

Remember how the knife gave James a +1 to hit? Guns do this as well, but you can spend additional
actions to increase this modifier.

When James pulls out his M1911, he is holding it at his side, or his “hip”. This means James is in the
“Hip Stance.” If you look at the stats above, this gives James a -1 modifier to hit with the gun.

If James chose to, he could aim the gun more carefully at Soldier 1 and be ready to fire. This would
increase his modifier to +1. In other words, James could spend a combat action to go into the
“Ready Stance”.

James decides that it would take too long, and decides to fire the gun immediately after pulling it out.

James Action #2: Fire handgun (SCP ttrpg Page 50)

To fire a gun, it’s performed the same way as when using a knife. The only difference is that with
guns, you use your characters Projectile Multiplier instead of your Melee Multiplier.

James rolls Dexterity plus Handgun (all weapons will list what skill to use with Dexterity in their stats)
then he will apply the -1 modifier for being in the “Hip Stance.”

James rolls the dice and scores an 11.3

Soldier 1 chooses to dodge this attack and scores an 11.5

This means the Soldier dodges the shot.

Soldier 1 Action #2: Move (SCP ttrpg Page 47)
Soldier 1 only gets 1 action this round because he spent one earlier to dodge. Soldier 1 decides to
run as fast as he can and uses all future actions on “Move.”

Combat Round 3

James Action #1: Pull out Sniper Rifle (SCP ttrpg Page 47)
James decides that if this Soldier is going to run, he will pull out a Sniper Rifle and take his time to
aim, then fire.

PSG1 Keyword: Sniper Rifle

Two-handed weapon
Skill Recoil Melee Hip Ready Aim Clip Size Base Damage X Damage Element Range

Hunting/Sniper Rifle 1 - -5 -3 +6 5 3D6 3D12 Impale 25

James Action #2: Change Stance (SCP ttrpg Page 50)

James has the PSG1 in the “Hip Stance” since he just pulled it out.
James spends one action to go into the “Ready Stance.” This means he raises the rifle up and gets
ready to fire.

Soldier 1 Action #1 and 2: Move (SCP ttrpg Page 47)

The Soldier keeps spending his actions to run away He manages to get 10 meters away from James.
Combat Round 4

James Action #1: Change Stance (SCP ttrpg Page 50)

Sniper rifles usually have negative modifiers for both Hip and Ready. If James were to fire at the
start of the third round, he would have a -3 to his to hit roll. James decides to spend another action
to further aim the gun into the final stance, “Aim”. The PSG1 gives a +6 to James’s to hit roll!

James Action #2: Fire Sniper Rifle (SCP ttrpg Page 50)
Just as before James rolls Dexterity. This time he adds Hunting/Sniper Rifle to the dice roll. Then he
adds +6. James final score ends up being 20.3

The soldier does not dodge this attack, and James hits his target.

The PSG1 has a base damage of 3D6. James gathers those dice. James has a Projectile Multiplier
of x2, so he looks at the stats for the PSG1 and sees the X Damage is 3D12. Since the X Damage is
multiplied by James’s Projectile Multiplier, this means he gets to grab an additional 6D12.

James rolls 3D6+6D12 and adds all the dice together for damage. He rolls the dice and gets a 49.

Soldier 1 takes 49 damage.

One more rule to note! If your to hit roll ever gets twice as high as what your opponent rolls, you
score a Critical Hit! Critical Hits deal double damage. James got a critical hit against the soldier (who
wasn’t dodging) and actually deals 98 damage! (Typical characters have around 30-40 Hit Points)

Soldier 1’s head explodes.

Combat has ended. Let’s hope James can sleep well tonight after such a merciless kill.

Combat in the SCP Tabletop RPG can be quite deadly. This PDF touched on the basics. For more
complex and narrative examples See page 83 in the SCP ttrpg. It provides an entire chapter
with an example of play.
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