Encounter Test Package

Overview

This package provides compact encounter tests for the current TTRPG chassis.

These are not finished adventures. They are controlled situations meant to expose whether the rules create the right pacing, pressure, decisions, and outcomes.

Each test should be run more than once with different Talent tiers, equipment tags, and player choices.

How to Use These Tests

For each test, record the following.

Item	Record
Player Count	Number of participating player characters.
Talent Mix	Relevant Basic, Advanced, and Master Talents on each side.
Exchange Count	Number of exchanges before the scene is resolved.
Winner or Resolution	Who wins, escapes, captures, survives, retreats, or achieves the objective.
Wounds and Conditions	Final wounds, pressure, magical strain, and other Conditions.
Momentum Pattern	Whether momentum shifted clearly and fairly.
Friction	Any rule that slowed play, created confusion, or invited argument.
CRPG Readiness	Whether the encounter could be represented with clear states, triggers, and effects.

Item

Record

Player Count

Number of participating player characters.

Talent Mix

Relevant Basic, Advanced, and Master Talents on each side.

Exchange Count

Number of exchanges before the scene is resolved.

Winner or Resolution

Who wins, escapes, captures, survives, retreats, or achieves the objective.

Wounds and Conditions

Final wounds, pressure, magical strain, and other Conditions.

Momentum Pattern

Whether momentum shifted clearly and fairly.

Friction

Any rule that slowed play, created confusion, or invited argument.

CRPG Readiness

Whether the encounter could be represented with clear states, triggers, and effects.

For now, a standard duel should average roughly around 10 exchanges when opponents are evenly matched. Group and objective scenes may vary more widely.

Current automated tests put most equal-tier danger scenes around 5.5-9.1 exchanges or phases, with duels and group fights often closer to the high end. Treat that as a provisional pacing target, not a locked rule. During table play, record whether scenes feel too abrupt, too swingy, or too compressed for players to react, recover, reposition, or make meaningful choices before resolution. If scenes consistently feel too short, first test slightly higher objective or wound thresholds rather than changing success odds.

Test 1 Duel Calibration

Purpose: test baseline , Talent tier edge, wound pacing, and probability expectations.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	One PC with a melee combat Talent and ordinary weapon.
Opposition	One Standard Threat with a comparable weapon.
Starting Distance	`Near`, closing immediately into melee.
Momentum	Player side starts with momentum in half the runs; enemy side starts in the other half.
Objective	Defeat, disarm, force surrender, or drive off the opponent.

Player Side

One PC with a melee combat Talent and ordinary weapon.

Opposition

One Standard Threat with a comparable weapon.

Starting Distance

Near, closing immediately into melee.

Momentum

Player side starts with momentum in half the runs; enemy side starts in the other half.

Objective

Defeat, disarm, force surrender, or drive off the opponent.

Run this test with Basic vs Basic, Advanced vs Advanced, Master vs Master, Basic vs Advanced, and Advanced vs Master.

Watch for:

Even-tier fights should feel close, with a slight PC edge.
One-tier differences should be obvious but not hopeless.
Two-tier differences should feel almost unwinnable for the weaker side.
Wounds should accumulate without ending every fight immediately.
Momentum shifts should be easy to explain from the fiction.

Test 2 Five Against Five Melee

Purpose: test group pressure, spotlight rotation, assistance, cover, cohesion, and multiple threats.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Five PCs with mixed melee, support, and defensive Talents.
Opposition	Five Standard or Lesser Threats organized as a `Formation` or loose `Pack`.
Starting Distance	`Short`, closing through broken terrain or a defended doorway.
Momentum	Enemy side starts with momentum if defending; player side starts if ambushing.
Objective	Break enemy cohesion, hold the route, rescue an ally, or force retreat.

Player Side

Five PCs with mixed melee, support, and defensive Talents.

Opposition

Five Standard or Lesser Threats organized as a Formation or loose Pack.

Starting Distance

Short, closing through broken terrain or a defended doorway.

Momentum

Enemy side starts with momentum if defending; player side starts if ambushing.

Objective

Break enemy cohesion, hold the route, rescue an ally, or force retreat.

Use at least one ally action each run: Assist, Cover, Engage, Rescue, or Set Up.

Watch for:

Each participating PC should get a reasonable chance to roll.
Outnumbering should create pressure without becoming many NPC turns.
Group cohesion should matter before every foe is individually defeated.
Assistance should feel valuable because it creates shared risk.
Spotlight rotation should stay clear even when one side keeps momentum.

Test 3 Ranged Ambush

Purpose: test Ranged Combat and Distance, cover, exposure, closing distance, and suppression.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Three or four PCs crossing open ground, a street, a hangar, or a forest break.
Opposition	Two Lesser Threat shooters and one Standard Threat leader in `Partial Cover` or `Hard Cover`.
Starting Distance	`Long` or `Short`, depending on focus era and terrain.
Momentum	Enemy side starts with momentum.
Objective	Reach cover, flank the shooters, force surrender, or escape with a carried object.

Player Side

Three or four PCs crossing open ground, a street, a hangar, or a forest break.

Opposition

Two Lesser Threat shooters and one Standard Threat leader in Partial Cover or Hard Cover.

Starting Distance

Long or Short, depending on focus era and terrain.

Momentum

Enemy side starts with momentum.

Objective

Reach cover, flank the shooters, force surrender, or escape with a carried object.

Use focus-era variants: ME bow ambush, IN musket or rifle line, MO rifle fire, PM smart weapons or drones, ES hangar or shipboard fire, and FF resonant or exotic sensors.

Watch for:

Cover should matter more than raw wound trading.
Closing distance should be possible but not free.
Suppression should create pressure even without wounds.
Movement should use Step, Move, Rush, and Sprint clearly when the scene is mapped.
Targeting states should change visibly as smoke, cover, sensors, stealth, and smart weapons enter play.
Ready, Spent, Low, Empty, and Overheated or Unstable should matter only when tags or consequences call for them.
Reload, Limited, Precise, Smart, Area, Stealth, and Revealing tags should produce different tactical choices.
Shooting into a mixed group should create clear collateral stakes.

Test 4 Capture Missions

Purpose: test Nonlethal Combat and Capture, restraint, surrender, and taking a target alive.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Three PCs attempting either improvised capture or prepared capture.
Opposition	One Standard Threat target, two Lesser Threat guards, and possible bystanders.
Starting Distance	`Near` or `Short`, with partial cover and escape routes.
Momentum	Enemy side starts for improvised capture if the target is alerted; player side may start for prepared capture if the setup was successful.
Objective	Capture the target alive and leave with them under control.

Player Side

Three PCs attempting either improvised capture or prepared capture.

Opposition

One Standard Threat target, two Lesser Threat guards, and possible bystanders.

Starting Distance

Near or Short, with partial cover and escape routes.

Momentum

Enemy side starts for improvised capture if the target is alerted; player side may start for prepared capture if the setup was successful.

Objective

Capture the target alive and leave with them under control.

Include at least one risk that makes lethal fallout plausible: dangerous ledge, firearm, unstable magic, panic, poison, fragile hostage, or heavy weapon.

Run two variants.

Variant Baseline Meaning Target Calibration

Variant	Baseline Meaning	Target Calibration
Improvised Capture	The PCs are trying to take an equal-tier dangerous target alive without ideal tools, leverage, isolation, or custody control.	Hard baseline, roughly `30-40%` PC success.
Prepared Capture	The PCs brought meaningful restraints, ambush position, anti-escape tools, sedation, wards, backup, social authority, or exit control.	Planned route, roughly `55-70%` PC success.

Improvised Capture

The PCs are trying to take an equal-tier dangerous target alive without ideal tools, leverage, isolation, or custody control.

Hard baseline, roughly 30-40% PC success.

Prepared Capture

The PCs brought meaningful restraints, ambush position, anti-escape tools, sedation, wards, backup, social authority, or exit control.

Planned route, roughly 55-70% PC success.

Watch for:

Nonlethal intent should not feel like a free safety toggle.
Disarm, Pin, Stun, Restrain, and Force Surrender should feel distinct.
Capture should require control, safety, means, and a decision about custody.
The scene should create consequences after success.
Tools and position should matter more than declared mercy alone.
Story-critical capture should point players toward preparation routes rather than rely on the improvised baseline.

Test 5 Magical Hazard

Purpose: test Magic Under Pressure, backlash, maintained effects, warding, lifeforce risk, and magical threat templates.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Three or four PCs, including one caster or ritual specialist.
Opposition	A `Hazard` such as a resonance storm front, unstable ward, hungry shrine, curse field, or breached ritual circle.
Starting Distance	Scene-based; use zones such as safe edge, unstable center, protected anchor, and escape route.
Momentum	Hazard starts with momentum unless the PCs prepared the site.
Objective	Stabilize, escape, cleanse, seal, redirect, or retrieve something before the hazard escalates.

Player Side

Three or four PCs, including one caster or ritual specialist.

Opposition

A Hazard such as a resonance storm front, unstable ward, hungry shrine, curse field, or breached ritual circle.

Starting Distance

Scene-based; use zones such as safe edge, unstable center, protected anchor, and escape route.

Momentum

Hazard starts with momentum unless the PCs prepared the site.

Objective

Stabilize, escape, cleanse, seal, redirect, or retrieve something before the hazard escalates.

Include at least one maintained effect and one interruption risk.

Watch for:

Magic should feel useful but not consequence-free.
Method vulnerabilities should matter: gesture, voice, focus, symbols, ritual sequence, or environmental source.
Backlash should produce concrete Conditions or scene changes.
Warding and countermagic should target specific structures, not generic "cancel magic."
Lifeforce risk should feel different from ordinary exhaustion.

Test 6 Drone Pack

Purpose: test technological threats, networked enemies, range, group pressure, and CRPG-ready state tracking.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Three or four PCs with mixed combat, stealth, technical, or magical options.
Opposition	A `Pack` or `Drone Wing` using `Autonomous`, `Networked`, `Smart`, and `Limited` tags.
Starting Distance	`Short` to `Long`, with cover, vertical movement, or sensor blind spots.
Momentum	Drone side starts with momentum if the PCs are detected.
Objective	Cross the area, disable the control node, capture one drone, hide from sensors, or protect a vulnerable NPC.

Player Side

Three or four PCs with mixed combat, stealth, technical, or magical options.

Opposition

A Pack or Drone Wing using Autonomous, Networked, Smart, and Limited tags.

Starting Distance

Short to Long, with cover, vertical movement, or sensor blind spots.

Momentum

Drone side starts with momentum if the PCs are detected.

Objective

Cross the area, disable the control node, capture one drone, hide from sensors, or protect a vulnerable NPC.

Add one weakness: jamming, command breach, line-of-sight limit, battery limit, warded zone, false signal, or fragile control relay.

Watch for:

Networked pressure should matter without requiring many NPC turns.
Destroying drones should be only one possible solution.
Sensor, concealment, targeting, detection, and resource states should be clear enough to codify.
Magical counters and technological counters should both have room to work.
The control node or network weakness should create a meaningful objective.

Test 7 Force Battle

Purpose: test Scale Conflict and Vehicles, force qualities, battle phases, command, cohesion, supply, and PC turning-point actions.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	A friendly force with one advantage and one weakness, such as better position but lower supply.
Opposition	An enemy force with comparable quality but different assets, such as cavalry, drones, artillery, siege beasts, or battle-mages.
Scale	`Force`.
Starting Position	Defended ridge, river crossing, city gate, trench line, orbital landing zone, or broken street front.
Momentum	Side with stronger position or surprise starts with momentum.
Objective	Hold, break through, delay, rout, capture a commander, protect civilians, or preserve a ritual site.

Player Side

A friendly force with one advantage and one weakness, such as better position but lower supply.

Opposition

An enemy force with comparable quality but different assets, such as cavalry, drones, artillery, siege beasts, or battle-mages.

Scale

Force.

Starting Position

Defended ridge, river crossing, city gate, trench line, orbital landing zone, or broken street front.

Momentum

Side with stronger position or surprise starts with momentum.

Objective

Hold, break through, delay, rout, capture a commander, protect civilians, or preserve a ritual site.

Give the PCs three possible turning-point actions: rally a wavering unit, disable a special asset, protect command, seize terrain, disrupt supply, or counter a battlefield spell.

Run this in at least two focus-era profiles over time: a terrestrial ME, IN, or MO force battle and a higher-tech or magic-heavy PM, ES, or FF battle.

Watch for:

The battle should not require tracking individual soldiers.
Force qualities should change outcomes without becoming a separate war game.
PC actions should clearly affect force-scale position, cohesion, supply, or command.
Casualties should be described by battlefield effect, not counted body by body.
The table should know when to stay at force scale and when to zoom into personal or squad action.

Test 8 Siege Breach

Purpose: test fortified positions, scale mismatch, siege pressure, hazards, magic or technology at scale, and zooming between force and personal scenes.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	PCs are inside or attached to a defending force, assault force, relief column, or sabotage team.
Opposition	Fortified defenders, siege engines, warded walls, orbital blockade, ritual shield, or mechanized breach team.
Scale	`Force` with personal zoom points.
Starting Position	Gatehouse, wall breach, tunnel, shield generator, ritual anchor, bridge, or hangar door.
Momentum	The attacking side starts with momentum if the breach has begun; defenders start if prepared.
Objective	Open the breach, hold the breach, evacuate civilians, collapse the tunnel, disable the siege asset, or negotiate surrender.

Player Side

PCs are inside or attached to a defending force, assault force, relief column, or sabotage team.

Opposition

Fortified defenders, siege engines, warded walls, orbital blockade, ritual shield, or mechanized breach team.

Scale

Force with personal zoom points.

Starting Position

Gatehouse, wall breach, tunnel, shield generator, ritual anchor, bridge, or hangar door.

Momentum

The attacking side starts with momentum if the breach has begun; defenders start if prepared.

Objective

Open the breach, hold the breach, evacuate civilians, collapse the tunnel, disable the siege asset, or negotiate surrender.

Include at least one scale mismatch: personal characters under artillery, PCs sabotaging a vehicle, infantry facing a monster, or a vessel threatening a city.

Run at least one grounded siege variant such as ME walls, IN artillery, or MO fortified streets, and one advanced variant such as a PM shield node, ES hangar breach, or FF resonance barrier.

Watch for:

Fortifications should create permission and objective problems, not just higher wound capacity.
Siege assets should have clear vulnerabilities or counter-objectives.
Zoomed personal scenes should translate back into force-scale consequences.
Magic, wards, artillery, drones, or vehicles should reshape the battlefield without erasing PC agency.
Surrender, retreat, and evacuation should be viable outcomes.

Test 9 Vehicle Chase and Fight

Purpose: test vehicle-scale exchanges, scale mismatch, system damage, terrain, passengers, and personal actions aboard or around vehicles.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	PCs in or around one vehicle: wagon, boat, walker, car, aircraft, gunship, skimmer, or shuttle.
Opposition	One comparable vehicle, two lighter vehicles, or one heavier vehicle with a clear weakness.
Scale	`Vehicle`, with possible `Personal` or `Squad` zoom.
Starting Position	Road, river, rail line, desert, city street, canyon, storm deck, hangar, or low orbit.
Momentum	Pursuer starts with momentum unless the PCs prepared the escape.
Objective	Escape, disable pursuit, protect cargo, force surrender, board, ram, evade, or reach a destination.

Player Side

PCs in or around one vehicle: wagon, boat, walker, car, aircraft, gunship, skimmer, or shuttle.

Opposition

One comparable vehicle, two lighter vehicles, or one heavier vehicle with a clear weakness.

Scale

Vehicle, with possible Personal or Squad zoom.

Starting Position

Road, river, rail line, desert, city street, canyon, storm deck, hangar, or low orbit.

Momentum

Pursuer starts with momentum unless the PCs prepared the escape.

Objective

Escape, disable pursuit, protect cargo, force surrender, board, ram, evade, or reach a destination.

Assign each PC a role when possible: driver/pilot, weapons, lookout/sensors, engineer, guard, magic/resonance, or cargo support.

Use focus-era variants: ME wagon, chariot, or boat; IN train, steamship, or armored carriage; MO car, tank, or aircraft; PM walker, skimmer, or drone vehicle; ES shuttle or rover; FF exotic vehicle or autonomous platform.

Watch for:

Vehicles should use system damage and position, not ordinary wounds.
Terrain should matter: turns, cover, obstacles, weather, altitude, current, traffic, or gravity.
Passengers should have meaningful actions even when they are not driving.
Scale mismatch should become objectives: climb aboard, disable wheels, jam targeting, shelter from fire, breach armor, or rescue someone.
Vehicle combat should not collapse into only the pilot rolling.

Test 10 Vessel Against Vessel

Purpose: test vessel-scale exchanges, spaceship or ship combat, crew roles, spotlight cycling, system damage, boarding, and mission objectives.

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	One vessel with `3-6` PC crew roles assigned.
Opposition	One comparable vessel, a weaker vessel with better position, or a stronger vessel with a known system weakness.
Scale	`Vessel`.
Starting Position	Sea pursuit, airship duel, submarine contact, orbital intercept, asteroid field, blockade run, or deep-space anomaly.
Momentum	Side with surprise, superior position, or better sensor lock starts with momentum.
Objective	Escape, disable engines, force surrender, protect convoy, board, break blockade, survive anomaly, or deliver cargo.

Player Side

One vessel with 3-6 PC crew roles assigned.

Opposition

One comparable vessel, a weaker vessel with better position, or a stronger vessel with a known system weakness.

Scale

Vessel.

Starting Position

Sea pursuit, airship duel, submarine contact, orbital intercept, asteroid field, blockade run, or deep-space anomaly.

Momentum

Side with surprise, superior position, or better sensor lock starts with momentum.

Objective

Escape, disable engines, force surrender, protect convoy, board, break blockade, survive anomaly, or deliver cargo.

Use at least four crew roles if available: Helm/Pilot, Weapons, Sensors/Comms, Engineering, Command/Tactics, Boarding/Security, Magic/Resonance, or Medical/Crew Support.

Use focus-era variants: ME ship, IN ironclad or airship, MO submarine or patrol vessel, ES orbital shuttle or early starship, and FF mature starship, living ark, or autonomous vessel.

Watch for:

Momentum should belong to the vessel side, while spotlight rotates among crew roles.
Each participating PC should get roughly equal time over several vessel exchanges.
System damage should create different pressures depending on what is hit.
The best solution should not always be destroying the enemy vessel.
Boarding, breach, repairs, sensor locks, surrender, and mission objectives should create reasons to zoom into smaller scenes.
The encounter should be easy to describe as structured data: vessel systems, crew roles, system damage, objective progress, and momentum state.

Focused Ranged Subsystem Checks

Purpose: isolate Ranged Combat and Distance subsystems before folding them into full encounters.

These are small drills, not full scenes. Run each in 3-6 exchanges and record whether the rule state stayed obvious at the table and could be represented in a CRPG.

Check A Tactical Distance and Movement

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Two PCs crossing a mapped courtyard, corridor, hangar lane, or broken street.
Opposition	One shooter and one melee guard.
Starting State	PCs begin at `Long` or `Short`; one useful cover point is within `Rush`, another within `Sprint`.
Objective	Reach cover, close to `Engaged`, rescue an exposed ally, or exit the map.

Player Side

Two PCs crossing a mapped courtyard, corridor, hangar lane, or broken street.

Opposition

One shooter and one melee guard.

Starting State

PCs begin at Long or Short; one useful cover point is within Rush, another within Sprint.

Objective

Reach cover, close to Engaged, rescue an exposed ally, or exit the map.

Watch for:

Step, Move, Rush, and Sprint should be easy to apply on grid, hex, freeform, or CRPG-style maps.
Crossing exposed fire should feel like an objective, not free movement.
Reaching cover should leave a clear new cover, exposure, distance, and momentum state.

Check B Targeting and Detection

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	One stealth-capable PC and one support PC with `Revealing`, sensor, magic, or tactical light.
Opposition	One hidden shooter, drone, spirit, sniper, or veiled guard.
Starting State	Opposition begins `Concealed`, `Hidden`, `Locked`, or `Spoofed or Veiled`, depending on era.
Objective	Reveal, evade, lock, break lock, spoof, or attack from concealment.

Player Side

One stealth-capable PC and one support PC with Revealing, sensor, magic, or tactical light.

Opposition

One hidden shooter, drone, spirit, sniper, or veiled guard.

Starting State

Opposition begins Concealed, Hidden, Locked, or Spoofed or Veiled, depending on era.

Objective

Reveal, evade, lock, break lock, spoof, or attack from concealment.

Watch for:

Clear Line, Obscured, Concealed, Hidden, Locked, and Spoofed or Veiled should change through explicit actions or consequences.
Targeting state should be tracked per observer where it matters.
Stealth, Silent, Smart, Networked, Veiled, and Revealing should have distinct effects.
Attacking from Hidden or Concealed should create an advantage but usually change the attacker’s targeting state afterward.

Check C Resource Pressure

Element Setup

Element	Setup
Player Side	Two PCs using a `Reload`, `Limited`, `Volatile`, smart, magical, or charged ranged option.
Opposition	Several Lesser Threats, a moving target, or a defensive position.
Starting State	At least one player option starts `Ready`; one opposition tool may begin `Low` or `Overheated or Unstable`.
Objective	Suppress, breach, conserve ammunition, force reload, overload, or complete an objective before resources run out.

Player Side

Two PCs using a Reload, Limited, Volatile, smart, magical, or charged ranged option.

Opposition

Several Lesser Threats, a moving target, or a defensive position.

Starting State

At least one player option starts Ready; one opposition tool may begin Low or Overheated or Unstable.

Objective

Suppress, breach, conserve ammunition, force reload, overload, or complete an objective before resources run out.

Watch for:

Ready, Spent, Low, Empty, and Overheated or Unstable should create decisions without forcing full inventory accounting.
Reloading, cooling, or recharging under pressure should be a meaningful exchange intent.
Resource consequences should change position, targeting, pressure, stealth, or objective progress, not only mark a counter.

Current Automated Test Snapshot

This snapshot records the current automated calibration pass after Defense Breakthrough was updated to inflict a Minor counter or equivalent nonlethal counter-effect, after scale-conflict tests were added, and after the equal-tier encounter-tuning fixes were applied.

Simulation assumptions:

Baseline duel pool is 2 dice.
Combat pressure removes 1 die.
Minimum rolled pool is 1 die.
Player characters always roll.
Talent tier edge uses the current percentages in .
Duel cells used 30,000 simulated fights each for this package run.
Encounter tests used 500,000 simulated runs each.
Encounter tests used simplified objective, cohesion, exposure, network, formation, force, and system tracks.
Equal-tier encounter tests target roughly 50-60% PC success, with a slight heroic edge when the player side uses relevant counterplay.
Improvised equal-tier capture is an exception and targets roughly 30-40% PC success because taking a dangerous opponent alive adds constraints that defeat does not carry.
Trained formations absorb or reduce some ordinary hits until their position, leadership, or angle is compromised.
Ranged ambushes treat exposed movement through a kill zone as a staged objective, but relevant countermeasures can convert Clean Success into position progress.
Capture scenes require both control and custody before the target is safely removed; preparation can raise capture into the normal heroic-favored band.
Magical hazards pressure maintained effects directly.
Force, vehicle, and vessel tests apply ignored special assets, crew-role relevance, and system pressure as stateful scene pressure rather than flat damage.

Duel Win Chance

PC Talent Tier \ NPC Talent Tier Basic Advanced Master

PC Talent Tier \ NPC Talent Tier	Basic	Advanced	Master
Basic	`54.1%`	`21.4%`	`1.2%`
Advanced	`71.4%`	`54.1%`	`22.1%`
Master	`99.1%`	`71.8%`	`53.2%`

Basic

54.1%

21.4%

1.2%

Advanced

71.4%

54.1%

22.1%

Master

99.1%

71.8%

53.2%

Encounter Summary

Test PC Success Avg Exchanges or Phases Notes

Test	PC Success	Avg Exchanges or Phases	Notes
Five Against Five Melee	`51.19%`	`9.12`	Now close to parity; trained formation protection keeps equal groups from collapsing too quickly.
Ranged Ambush	`59.10%`	`6.79`	Dangerous but PC-favored when countermeasures such as smoke, suppression, speed, magic, or prepared cover are available.
Improvised Capture Mission	`32.96%`	`8.34`	Hard baseline; capture is less reliable than defeat when the PCs lack ideal tools, leverage, or custody control.
Prepared Capture Mission	`60.66%`	`7.12`	Prepared route; capture becomes viable when the PCs bring restraints, anti-escape tools, position, authority, or backup.
Magical Hazard	`55.81%`	`5.52`	Maintained-effect pressure brings specialist scenes closer to target while preserving magic’s usefulness.
Drone Pack	`57.26%`	`7.93`	In target band; network breakpoints still give the scene a clear turn.
Force Battle	`57.03%`	`7.65`	In target band; ignored special assets now produce meaningful phase pressure.
Siege Breach	`53.43%`	`7.57`	In target band; fortification and civilian stakes should still be checked at the table.
Vehicle Chase and Fight	`58.73%`	`6.95`	In target band; wrong-role action now creates enough pressure to matter.
Vessel Against Vessel	`53.69%`	`7.62`	In target band; system pressure now threatens roles without deciding every fight immediately.

Five Against Five Melee

51.19%

9.12

Now close to parity; trained formation protection keeps equal groups from collapsing too quickly.

Ranged Ambush

59.10%

6.79

Dangerous but PC-favored when countermeasures such as smoke, suppression, speed, magic, or prepared cover are available.

Improvised Capture Mission

32.96%

8.34

Hard baseline; capture is less reliable than defeat when the PCs lack ideal tools, leverage, or custody control.

Prepared Capture Mission

60.66%

7.12

Prepared route; capture becomes viable when the PCs bring restraints, anti-escape tools, position, authority, or backup.

Magical Hazard

55.81%

5.52

Maintained-effect pressure brings specialist scenes closer to target while preserving magic’s usefulness.

Drone Pack

57.26%

7.93

In target band; network breakpoints still give the scene a clear turn.

Force Battle

57.03%

7.65

In target band; ignored special assets now produce meaningful phase pressure.

Siege Breach

53.43%

7.57

In target band; fortification and civilian stakes should still be checked at the table.

Vehicle Chase and Fight

58.73%

6.95

In target band; wrong-role action now creates enough pressure to matter.

Vessel Against Vessel

53.69%

7.62

In target band; system pressure now threatens roles without deciding every fight immediately.

These results are tuning references, not final balance. The encounter simulations use simplified objective logic and should be checked through table play.

Calibration Controls

The current pass resolves the earlier result-note issues through the following controls.

Calibration Issue Current Control

Calibration Issue	Current Control
Equal-tier encounters should sit near parity	Equal-tier tests target roughly `50-60%` PC success, with a slight heroic edge when the player side uses relevant counterplay. Improvised capture is the deliberate exception.
Fights should not end too quickly or drag	Standard encounter tests now resolve around `5.5-9.1` exchanges or phases, with group fights and networked threats taking longer than single-objective hazards. This is a playtest watch item; if it feels too short, adjust objective or wound thresholds before changing success odds.
PCs should not win automatically	Trained formations, exposed fire, custody requirements, maintained-effect pressure, ignored special assets, and wrong-role vehicle or vessel actions all create persistent pressure.
PCs should not be locked out by equal opposition	Cover, countermeasures, control-node breakpoints, role-fit actions, Breakthroughs, and direct answers to special assets convert pressure into progress.
Ranged combat should not become raw wound trading	Crossing exposed fire is staged through position steps, while smoke, suppression, jamming, magic, shield advance, speed, and prepared cover provide explicit counters.
Magic should remain useful without dominating	Maintained effects create additional pressure points that hazards and enemies can attack, corrupt, overload, or interrupt.
Nonlethal play should not be a free safety toggle	Improvised capture is calibrated around one-third success against equal-tier danger. Prepared capture can enter the heroic-favored band when the PCs bring tools, leverage, isolation, restraints, or custody control.
Force battles should not feel abstract	Active special assets must be answered, ignored assets worsen the phase, and PC turning-point actions target named assets, command, supply, position, cohesion, or civilians.
Vehicle or vessel combat should not center on one PC	Crew-role spotlight rotation remains in place, and wrong-role action creates pressure that the correct role may need to stabilize.
System damage should not feel like hit points	Damaged systems create permission limits, persistent pressure, repair needs, objective changes, and role-specific emergencies.

Equal-tier encounters should sit near parity

Equal-tier tests target roughly 50-60% PC success, with a slight heroic edge when the player side uses relevant counterplay. Improvised capture is the deliberate exception.

Fights should not end too quickly or drag

Standard encounter tests now resolve around 5.5-9.1 exchanges or phases, with group fights and networked threats taking longer than single-objective hazards. This is a playtest watch item; if it feels too short, adjust objective or wound thresholds before changing success odds.

PCs should not win automatically

Trained formations, exposed fire, custody requirements, maintained-effect pressure, ignored special assets, and wrong-role vehicle or vessel actions all create persistent pressure.

PCs should not be locked out by equal opposition

Cover, countermeasures, control-node breakpoints, role-fit actions, Breakthroughs, and direct answers to special assets convert pressure into progress.

Ranged combat should not become raw wound trading

Crossing exposed fire is staged through position steps, while smoke, suppression, jamming, magic, shield advance, speed, and prepared cover provide explicit counters.

Magic should remain useful without dominating

Maintained effects create additional pressure points that hazards and enemies can attack, corrupt, overload, or interrupt.

Nonlethal play should not be a free safety toggle

Improvised capture is calibrated around one-third success against equal-tier danger. Prepared capture can enter the heroic-favored band when the PCs bring tools, leverage, isolation, restraints, or custody control.

Force battles should not feel abstract

Active special assets must be answered, ignored assets worsen the phase, and PC turning-point actions target named assets, command, supply, position, cohesion, or civilians.

Vehicle or vessel combat should not center on one PC

Crew-role spotlight rotation remains in place, and wrong-role action creates pressure that the correct role may need to stabilize.

System damage should not feel like hit points

Damaged systems create permission limits, persistent pressure, repair needs, objective changes, and role-specific emergencies.

Future Use

Later test packages should add social conflict, travel danger, investigation pressure, ritual negotiation, faction conflict, campaign-scale logistics, and mixed-focus-era equipment tests.

The current package focuses on combat, scale conflict, and immediate danger because those rules have the most moving parts.