Optimised rules
Write up #11 (7/09/03). This page deliberately lacks graphics to aid in printing.

Key
+ indicates rules from the book.
* indicates extrapolations from the book for information/rules that needed to be detailed but weren't.
? indicates a patch rule that replaces/fixes the game or just improve game mechanics.
means material that has been added/altered since the last write up.
Note: Rule numbers are listed in large increments to allow new rules to be inserted between them latter, if needed.

Number of Attacks
1010 : + Two base, plus hand to hand attacks (Characters usually start with four attacks)

Striking Rules
2010 Called shots : + Called shots require a 12+ to hit the called location, with all applicable bonuses halved. They use just one attack. Characters with the sharp shooter skill can do this normal called shot or they can do a special two attack called shot (as detailed in the skill). When doing this special called shot, bonuses aren't halved.

2020 : ? When halving the bonuses for a called shot, fractions are rounded down.

2030 : + Called shots to the head/limbs are -4 (This is from the Triax plain clothes description). That is unless the armour/PA the character is wearing specifies another modifier.

2040 : * Called shots to hands/feet are -6 to strike.

2050 : * On their attack a character can move at up to half their top speed without loosing that attack (But they will shoot wild). Moving any faster will mean forfeiting attacks. A character can shuffle at 1/10th their top speed during the attack and still fire normally.

2060 : + Moving targets have a strike requirement of 12+.

2070 : * The minimum speed required to be a moving target is speed factor 5 (3.5mph / 6kph).

2080 : * A penalty of -3 applies to targets moving at over 40mph.

2090 : + Wild bursts use up two attacks (sometimes three, as per HU rules). No change here, just noting it.

2100 : + Wild single shots use up one attack, but are -4 to strike, no bonus.

2120 : ? The current -10 (no bonus to dodge) rules are bypassed with the following: Once the combatant has declared his attack but hasn't rolled it yet, the target can declare a dodge, which is done at full bonuses, no penalty. This is like waiting to see the gunman turn his weapon toward you, but starting to dodge before the trigger is actually pulled. But it must be done before the strike roll is made!

Inflicting Damage Rules
3010 : * For armours that don't have MDC per location listed, the helmets MDC is 50% of the main body. Legs are 50%. Arms are 25%. This is roughly based on various armours that do give location MDC. Eg, Urban Warrior armour has 50 MDC, its helmet has 25 MDC, each leg has 25 MDC and the arms have 12 MDC each.

3020 : * The mega damage capacity of the hands/feet on armour is 1/4 of the armoured limbs normal MDC rating. Eg, Urban Warrior armour has 50 MDC, each leg has 25 MDC and the arms have 12 MDC each. Each gauntlet has 3 MDC. Each boot has 6 MDC.

Magic rules
4010 : + For spells from levels one to six, two spells can be cast per melee. The first spell uses up two attacks, the second uses up all remaining attacks (However, to avoid penalising those with more than four attacks the second spell happens on the fourth attack. Not on what is normally the casters last attack).

4020 : + For spell from levels seven to ten only one spell can be cast per melee, using all attacks. The spell happens on the fourth attack.

4030 : + For spell from levels eleven to fifteen only one spell per two melees is possible, using up all attacks. The spell happens on the fourth attack of the second melee.

4040 : + What a spell caster do defensively while casting a spell: Hide, Parry (if the spell doesn't require hand movements), Duck, move at normal to fast pace (but cannot run, half of top speed only). Anything that causes the caster to lose an attack or spend an action will disrupt the casting, as can serious injuries to his own body (not armour).

4050 : + Spells can be whispered while being cast (detailed in palladium fantasy).

Primary attributes
4510 Non Exceptional Attributes Bonus Chart
Special Notes:
Attributes between nine and eleven incur no bonus or penalty!
When a character has a negative trust/intimidate or charm/impress, they can still try to use these. However, they can/should attempt to improve circumstances in order to gain some sort of bonus from the GM. If the characters efforts aren't enough and the percentage is still a negative, it still gets rolled. This is in order to see if the exact opposite to the desired result occurs!
The damage penalty applies even when using MD melee & ranged weapons. The character just can't fight the weapons powerful kick and weight enough to do proper damage.
The MA bonus is assuming use of rule 9500 (Giving a bonus to save Vs Horror equal to normal ME bonus).

Striking Rules
4900 : ? To dodge the blast of thrown grenades, a normal dodge is made. However, to fully escape the blast radius as well, the dodge roll must be two points per meter of blast radius, higher than his foes strike roll.

4910 : ? To determine the bonus to strike with guns, rifles and heavy weapons add both the characters level plus their ME save Vs horror bonus. Then compare it to the usual formula, a bonus of plus one is gained once the total reaches 4, 7, 10 then finally 13.

4920: * Just like the natural weapons of creatures don't fire wild when they're moving, bionic forearm/shoulder mount weapons don't either.

Inflicting Damage Rules
5005 : When a weapons damage indicates multiple dice, the player can choose to roll normally or do the following: roll the size of the dice multiplied by the number of dice there should have been. So if a weapon does 4D6 damage, just roll 1D6 and multiply it by 4.

5010 : ? When a helmet has lost 50% of its MD, there's a 50% chance that the visor has become so scorched/scratched that it effectively blinds the wearer (same as blind spell). The wearer can take an action to remove the face plate (most armours allow it) but this leaves the suit unenvironmental, head shots have a 50% chance of directly striking the wearers own head and a critical will always strike the wearers own head.

5020 Humanoid knock down (simplified) : *
The MD inflicted is converted to percentage points (eg 16 MD means a 16% chance).
If the percentage is 5% or lower the character automatically passes.
If the percentage is over 60% then the character automatically fails and looses all remaining attacks that round.

5030 Bots, Borgs & the supernatural knock down rules (simplified) : *
The MD inflicted is converted to percentage points and divided by two. Then subtract 10% (eg 50 MD means a 15% chance)
If the percentage is 5% or lower the character automatically passes.
If the percentage is 100% or higher then the character automatically fails and looses all remaining attacks that round.

5040 : + For every 10 MD of explosive damage inflicted to body armour/power armour, the wearer takes one standard point of damage.

5050 : + For every 10 MD of kinetic damage (punches, vibro blades, etc) inflicted to body armour/power armour, the wearer takes standard one point of damage.

5060 : ? For every 10 MD of plasma damage inflicted to body armour/power armour, the wearer takes one standard point of damage.

5070 : ? For every 10 MD of electrical damage (ion blasts) inflicted to body armour/power armour, the wearer takes one standard point of damage.

5080 No MD Bursts : + The game masters guide cancels the ability to use bursts with MD weapons (Unless in their text description (not the ROF listing) it specifically says they can, eg the C-12). However, it does introduce a 'double pulse' rule in it's quick and dirty combat section. It's called double tap (suitably renamed by Dead Boy of the Palladium BB) in this set of optimised rules, see below.

5090 Double Tap : * Essentially the same as the double pulse from the GMG. Double tap means firing two blasts from the weapon to do double damage. It can only be done with pistols and normal rifles. Heavy weaponry like rail guns, plasma ejectors, pump pistol/rifles, forearm blasters, etc can only attempt heavy double taps (see below). When combining any double tap multiplier (x2 damage) and a critical hit (x2 damage), the final damage multiplier is x3 damage. Double taps can't be used with called shots. These last two rules apply to Heavy Double Taps as well.

5100 Heavy Double Tap : ? Heavy weapons have incredible kick and recoil, as well as slower blast cycling times. This makes it harder, but not impossible, to perform a double tap. With heavy weapons this is devastating! Note: Yes, even rail guns can perform a Heavy Double Tap, though it's more of a double burst.
To use: Find the characters applicable strength on the table below. Write down the number that's under their strength, next to the heavy weapons stats. Whenever the natural (before modifiers are applied) strike roll is equal to or higher than that number, the declared heavy double tap succeeds (double damage inflicted). If it's below, two shots are still spent but only normal damage is inflicted.
Note: As represented in the chart below, precision strength as found in bionics and robotics, has the best chance to perform a Heavy Double Tap.

* (Isolated augmentation) The bionic arm can either be the one holding the trigger grip or bracing it (two handed), like the Head Hunter pictured in the RMB would use.

5110 Heavy Melee Strike : ? Keeping MD melee weaponry pressed against the target for a few moments longer on a strike can inflict more damage. The mechanics work exactly the same as Heavy Double Tap except that no declaration needs to be made (all melee attacks are heavy strikes) and instead of double damage, only 1D6 MD is added. However, if the character is adding MD punch damage to the strike, they don't get this bonus (the added pressure of their strength is already being represented by the MD punch damage).

Magic
6010 Special casting rates : * Ley line walkers can cast two spells per melee from spell levels one to eight. Other spell casters can only cast two spells per melee from spell levels one to six, until that character has reached his fourth level of experience. At that point their range matches the ley line walker (it extends to level eight spells). This is an adaptation of an optional rule KS outlines in Federation of Magic, which normally applies to all spell casters equally. It's adapted here to give the masters of magic (line walkers) an appropriate edge.

Repair
7010 : * Repairing armour and bots: To find the exact cost of repair per point, simply take the armours/bots maximum MDC and multiply by ten. The number generated is the cost in credits per each point repaired.
Eg, Urban warrior armour has a maximum MDC of 50. So it costs 500 credits per point of MDC repaired.
Eg, The UAR-1 Enforcer robot has 350 MDC on its main body. So it costs 3,500 credits per point of MDC repaired.

7020 : * A 'borgs body costs twice as much to repair. However, borg armour is 1/4th the cost of normal armour repair.

Magic
9010 : * Spells that hit automatically can be used to make called shots, though a strike roll is required when using the spells this way. The bonuses to strike (already halved since they're called shots) are as follows; Called Lightening: +6, Fire Ball: + 3, Power Bolt: +4. These have already been halved like a normal called shot is.

9020 : * The sheltering force spell can be used as a protective 'cloak'. It stop 1D6 MD per attack, but obscures the users vision even after adjustment (-2 to strike). Only the spell caster himself can use it this way due to his mystical control. Only one sheltering force spell can be used like this at a time.

Psionics
9030 : ? Mind bolts are similar to the special called shots a sharp shooter can make. The bonus to strike isn't halved when making called shots (And it still only takes one attack to use the power).

9040 : * The 'Tissue Manipulation' option contained in the 'Bio Manipulation' power can be used subtly. Similar to the way the power 'Deaden Senses' can be used, it can be used on targets without alerting them. This rule is provided to allow more varied use of the bio manipulation power.

9050 : + The pyrokinesis power has been substantially upgraded to MD, with the release of the game masters guide. No change, just a benefit notification.

Miscellanous Rules
9500 : ? Characters with an exceptional ME attribute use that bonus against psychic attack and insanity. It is also used verses horror factor, now.

9510 : Armour Reconfiguration : ? All MDC armours can be re-configured (by any user) to provide more MDC protection at the cost of increased bleed through damage, by removing protective gear. The armours MDC is increased by +10 MDC, but any type of MDC attack (laser, explosion, plasma, etc etc) inflicts half the MD in SDC damage to the wearer. Beings who are naturally MDC and can wear armour usually can't use this option. They are still so bulky (due to their nature) that they need to remove the protective gear in the armour just to fit anyway (without gaining the MDC increase).