Ranged weapons. How do you handle near/far arrow(etc) shots?


#1

Are FAR shots HARD? Are CLOSE shots HARD(a la 5e). How do you adjudicate ranged attacks in general?

Any pointers would be great. :smiley:


Shooting far is a HARD attempt
#2

Far shots are HARD unless the weapon has the FAR tag or a Milestone is in play that says otherwise.

Unless the GM says otherwise, thereā€™s no penalty for shooting CLOSE or through friendlies etc. in ICRPG.

I always call FAR attempts HARD when I GM unless the things I mentioned above are in play.


#3

First, thanks for the quick reply!

Second, a followup question: What do you consider ā€œout-of-rangeā€? Anything further than 2 nanners?


#4

I donā€™t usually make FAR shots HARD unless there is some extenuating circumstance. Most ranged weapons work best at range so they are explicitly intended to threaten targets farther away than CLOSE.

Iā€™ll sometimes make a CLOSE shot HARD, if I feel the circumstances warrant it, again because ranged weapons are designed for ranged combat.

As for ā€œout of rangeā€, itā€™s a judgement call. Since ICRPG distances are all fuzzy, it depends on the narrative. DOUBLE FAR is very probably ā€œin rangeā€ for a rifle or a long bow, but not so much a thrown spear or a slingshot. CLOSE and FAR generally have more to do with character movement than weapons, so the notion of ā€œfar awayā€ from a character might still be well within threat range of a ranged weapon.


#5

Anything not on the battle board.


#6

I agree with @skippy hereā€¦ FAR shots are not HARD as a rule, unless circumstances state otherwise.

Also agree with CLOSE shots can be HARD!

I reverse the rules with pistol type weapons (FAR/HARD, CLOSE/NORMAL) .

ā€¦ Game On!


#7

Great stuff. Thanks.


#8

Itā€™s all GM calls. This is DIY.

But, if you allow that FAR shots are not HARD, what do you do for the choosable range weapons with the FAR tag? I interpret them as allowing for far shots as normal.


#9

Actually, to be clear, pretty much all bows in ICRPG DO have the FAR tag, so yeah, not HARD by default to shoot FAR. Whereas a DAGGER has the THROWN tag but not FAR, so something like that I would make HARD to attack FAR. Then thereā€™s the LONG BOW with the note IMMENSE RANGE. that I would award the benefit of shooting beyond FAR (assuming a map with such distance) with no penalty.


#10

I would also personally consider pretty much any ranged sci-fi weapon in Warp Shell to have immense range unless it is stated otherwise. Anything can be targeted with a sci-fi weapon as long as line of sight can be maintained IMO.


#11

Not necessarily, consider a rifle with open sights vs the same rifle with optics, IE a hunting or sniper rifle. Distant shots are distinctly less difficult in the latter case. IMO the same principle could be applied in to Warp Shell weaponsā€¦ you donā€™t necessarily need to assume all of them are IMMENSE. Iā€™d assume the opposite unless otherwise stated, the weapon is normal unless it is specialized to fire at long range. And FWIW, Iā€™d penalize those same weapons when firing at CLOSE range.


#12

I really suggest using the system as is. Donā€™t over complicate it until you need to.

Optics vs iron sights have nothing to do with distance, until 400+ meters, it has to do with target acquisition.

We donā€™t need to get into the weeds there.

If you need more distances, very far and distant can fit.

With Icrpg if played as it, I am always amazed how well it works as is.

You should start from thereā€¦then add complexity as needed to add feel to the game.


#13

To parrot what others have said: your table, your rules.
At my table:
FAR is HARD unless you have a tag (although I generally allow ā€œa bit more than NEARā€). This makes long bows (and rifles) cool! Makes slings/shortbows/thrown items be discreet but limited.
With FAR tag, beyond far (within reason, like 2x far) is HARD. Ooh now we can have specialist weapons or augmentations! Sniper rifle, scope, reflex bow kit, Giant bow, etc.
Firing when foe is CLOSE to you is HARD. Maybe even make you EASY to be hit on your turn (maybe thrown weapons are exception). This means positioning and melee classes matter more! (I also make certain spells HARD to cast if foe is close)
I donā€™t allow shooting through PLAYERS. Or they can try, but itā€™s hard and if they hit 12-14, they hit their ally (or maybe that should be 1-3 Nat roll?). Friendly fire is on! Range is so advantages and often straightforward, I donā€™t see a reason to remove tactics and positioning aspects.

Of course no rule is set in stone and it all depends on the fiction:
Did a PC take the high ground to get a better shot? Nice! That Far shot isnā€™t hard!
Are the foe CLOSE but slow/frail? Oh those zombies are too slow to stop you fire first turn, but if you stay in melee next turn they are all in your face!
That monkey demon is in your face! What spell do you cast? ā€œFORCE BURST, a wave of force instantly bursts from my mind!ā€ OK 100% legit spell to cast in CLOSE range, normal roll.
Hmm your shooting at a foe your ally is blocking, but you are Just behind your ally (close)? Yea thatā€™s EASIER. Or itā€™s still HARD but no chance of hitting ally. Whatever matches the fiction :slight_smile:

Donā€™t have iron rules, flexibility allows rules that match the fiction.

Edit: in retrospect, making far hard for short bows or spears is too harsh. Iā€™d just make hits beyond that 20 to hit. For ā€œFARā€ weapons itā€™s hard. Special ā€œsnipingā€ weapons or augments make it easier to hit beyond FAR or/and have rules like ā€œif you donā€™t move, shot is EASY. If you aim for one turn, next turn shot hits on 2+ for max damageā€.


#14

If an enemy is fighting with you in Melee, it is HARD, to hit, but if youā€™re flanking him and shooting point-blank, it is easy! Always go with the fiction to rule this.

Out of range is generally not a concern during my games tho.


#15

I guess I hadnā€™t thought about it. I usually let ranged weapons shoot up to a far but I donā€™t let them shoot close. I figured at mele range it would be near impossible to shoot since the opponent could block or grab the weapon and disrupt the shot.

Game mechanic wise the no close rule offset the fact that ranged weapons can shoot at range. As in a mele fighter has an advantage on a ranged fighter if they get in close offsetting the fact that a ranged fighter has the advantage further out.

This has made me think though. Things like a pistol or the assassins crossbow, which is very small, could shoot as mele range without to much trouble. How ever those same weapons would have a hard time shooting out to far. I wonder if I should rethink how I stat them and say they can shoot close to near.


#16

You guys make ranged attacks Hard?

Lol. I donā€™t even fool with it unless someone makes a called shot or tries to hit a tiny target.


#17

Since I use Boons/Banes for difficulty, I find it pretty easy to let people just increase the amount of banes they get in exchange for increasingly cool effects (I used easy/hard in my comment to appeal CORE mechanics haha):

  • I want to shoot an arrow to the bandit. Just roll.
  • I want to shoot an arrow to the banditā€™s hand to disarm him. +1 Bane roll.
  • I want to shoot an arrow and disarm the bandit without harming him. +2 Bane roll.
  • I want to shoot an arrow, disarm the bandit and make his sword hit the pressure plate behind him to activate the fire trap! OMG roll +3 Banes but please succeed!

Itā€™s really fun once players start to get the hang of it, it becomes a constant bargain with the GM with interesting resluts haha.


#18

I really like this. Its like shooting a target at center mass vs. hitting it between the eyes.


#19

I love a good devilā€™s bargain.