Essentials of Ranged Combat

[g3taso]

I was thinking of a "back to basics" approach to ranged combat in terms for  characters, sort of a "you need these" for ranged combat bad-assery.  Was hoping others might chip in  with suggestions. I was thinking in terms of ranged weapon combat, although this is hardly necessary. Here's my contributions to a ranged combat character.

 

06  +2 with Range Modifier with all Attacks

16  +2 Ranged Combat

05  Rapid Autofire

12 Penalty Skill Levels:  +4 vs. Rapid Fire with All Attacks

 

 

I was thinking for a weapon I'd use WidowMaker:  +40 STR, 2 clips of 12 Charges (+0), Autofire (3 shots; +1/4) (50 Active Points); Only For Throwing (-1), OAF (; -1), No Figured Characteristics (-1/2)    (and assorted effects in a multipower)

[dsatow]

I have a character called Calamity Jane, descended from the Calamity Jane.  She has the naked advantage +1/2 on up to 60 active points in RKA Guns.  It allows her to easily fan pistols accurately, simulate headshots by increasing stun multiples, NRM, etc.

 

Most ranged characters fly or have some other movement power to keep themselves at range.

Depending on your edition, missile deflection can also be useful.

Flying dodge is one of the most useful maneuvers in martial arts (5th and 6th).  Its essentially a way to defend against most attacks.  It increases your DCV and aborting to it allows you to make a full move without dropping your DCV.  Going to be hit with an AoE = flying dodge.  Targeted = flying dodge.

Several ranged martial arts can also be useful, especially ranged disarm and ranged trip.

 

Note that penalty skill levels are only applicable to the penalty imposed by an attack and does not grant an effective OCV bonus.  So, that +4 I assume is for things like skip over fire and the like.

[Surrealone]

A few things that come to mind off the top of my head ... and the rationale for why:

• Fast Draw ... because you can't shoot very effectively while your firearm is holstered or your bow is slung;  it also helps with reloads
• Telescopic Vision (offsets sight PER roll range penalties) purchased at a level to match whatever PSL's one has to offset range mods with ranged weapons ... because you can't hit what you can't see/perceive
• Defensive Attack, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders someone -2 DCV instead of half DCV during Ranged Multiple Attacks
• +2 DCV, Only Usable With Ranged Multiple Attacks (1) ... because it renders someone at full DCV while performing a Ranged Multiple Attack when combined with Defensive Attack  
• Two-Weapon Fighting, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders the first two attacks of a Ranged Multiple Attack at no OCV penalty (instead of each being at -2 OCV) when using two ranged weapons (one in each hand) to Multiple Attack
• Rapid Attack, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders Ranged Multiple Attacks a half phase action (instead of a full phase action) ... allowing someone to shoot&scoot more effectively
• At least 25m running if the character is not a flier ... to allow for shoot&scoot half moves of 13m ... as well as 25m strafes.  This is also especially important when shooting from behind cover and moving from one form of cover to another 
• PSLs to offset cover penalties of your targets ... to simulate being good at taking out opposition that is behind cover
• PSLs to offset placed shot penalties if your game uses placed shots ... to simulate being able to take head, hand, leg, or other wounding shots with ease
• Multiple levels of Weaponmaster  ... to simulate being able to make the most out of your ranged weapons (of group thereof)

 

Obviously, I consider Multiple Attack a BFD in 6e, as it allows multiple shots to be taken in a Phase ... without needing Autofire.  Throw Autofire and the associated Autofire skills into the mix (by Multiple Attacking with an Autofire weapon) and it gets quite nasty very quickly in 6e.

[g3taso]

54 minutes ago, dsatow said:

I have a character called Calamity Jane, descended from the Calamity Jane.  She has the naked advantage +1/2 on up to 60 active points in RKA Guns.  It allows her to easily fan pistols accurately, simulate headshots by increasing stun multiples, NRM, etc.

 

Most ranged characters fly or have some other movement power to keep themselves at range.

Depending on your edition, missile deflection can also be useful.

Flying dodge is one of the most useful maneuvers in martial arts (5th and 6th).  Its essentially a way to defend against most attacks.  It increases your DCV and aborting to it allows you to make a full move without dropping your DCV.  Going to be hit with an AoE = flying dodge.  Targeted = flying dodge.

Several ranged martial arts can also be useful, especially ranged disarm and ranged trip.

 

Note that penalty skill levels are only applicable to the penalty imposed by an attack and does not grant an effective OCV bonus.  So, that +4 I assume is for things like skip over fire and the like.

NA of what for 1/2?

[Surrealone]

4 minutes ago, g3taso said:

NA of what for 1/2?

Given that he said "It allows her to easily fan pistols accurately, simulate headshots by increasing stun multiples, NRM, etc. " ... it sounds like a Variable Advantage total of +1/2 .... usable on 60AP of power?

 

I say this because NRM is +1/2, Increased Stun Multiplier is +1/4 (and you could buy 2 of those ... meaning +1/2 total), etc.

[dsatow]

1 hour ago, Surrealone said:

 

• Defensive Attack, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders someone -2 DCV instead of half DCV during Ranged Multiple Attacks

 

Can you give me a volume and page number on this?  I don't remember anything which alleviates the DCV penalty and I am curious.

[g3taso]

1 hour ago, Surrealone said:

 

• Defensive Attack, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders someone -2 DCV instead of half DCV during Ranged Multiple Attacks
• +2 DCV, Only Usable With Ranged Multiple Attacks (1) ... because it renders someone at full DCV while performing a Ranged Multiple Attack when combined with Defensive Attack  
• Two-Weapon Fighting, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders the first two attacks of a Ranged Multiple Attack at no OCV penalty (instead of each being at -2 OCV) when using two ranged weapons (one in each hand) to Multiple Attack
• Rapid Attack, Ranged Multiple Attacks Only (-1) ... because it renders Ranged Multiple Attacks a half phase action (instead of a full phase action) ... allowing someone to shoot&scoot more effectively
• Multiple levels of Weaponmaster  ... to simulate being able to make the most out of your ranged weapons (of group thereof)

Sorry. Defensive attack? limited 2weapon fighting and others? Is that 6e? Are there 5e equivalents?  I would totally love to have an penalty rather than halving my DCV!

[dsatow]

Two weapon fighting is the ability to fight with two weapons, one in each hand. (6e2pg92)  It was originally designed for Heroic level games to make two bladed or two pistol packing heroes but works ok for superheroic level games.  It costs about the same as +2 OCV but is limited in scope.

 

Weaponmaster is a talent (6e1pg116).  It also was designed for Heroic level games though I don't generally don't suggest it for Superheroic games as it seems to bypass the number of advantages on a power.  The 'concept' is that it is in effect buying 6 levels with the limitation that they are only to be used for damage (using the rule that two levels can be used to make 1 DC).

 

I've never heard of Defensive attack.  Surrealone needs to answer that.

[Surrealone]

1 hour ago, g3taso said:

Sorry. Defensive attack? limited 2weapon fighting and others? Is that 6e? Are there 5e equivalents?  I would totally love to have an penalty rather than halving my DCV!

Make the switch to 6e.  (Multiple Attack is specific to 6e.) I was quite hesitant to go to 6e 2-3 years ago ... and am playing in one 5er game and one 6e game at present ... and I find after a year of 6e play that I prefer 6e despite my earlier hesitation.  Tasha touted the high degree of flexibility afforded by the removal of figured characteristics and I've found that to be true.  I also think the addition of Multiple Attack and the retooling of Missile Deflection to be Block-based are rock solid.  There are a host of other sane changes/fixes too ... not the least of which entails addressing how badly Regeneration was bungled (by making it a subset of Healing) in 5er.

 

See below for where Defensive Attack is from...

 

 

1 hour ago, dsatow said:

Weaponmaster is a talent (6e1pg116).  It also was designed for Heroic level games though I don't generally don't suggest it for Superheroic games as it seems to bypass the number of advantages on a power.  The 'concept' is that it is in effect buying 6 levels with the limitation that they are only to be used for damage (using the rule that two levels can be used to make 1 DC).

 

I've never heard of Defensive attack.  Surrealone needs to answer that.

Weaponmaster has its place in Superheroic games if the objective of its use is to represent someone who is deadly with pretty much any ranged weapon s/he uses.  (It's a great way to represent hyper-accuracy, for instance ... without having to introduce placed shots or the mechanical slowdown associated with the use of placed shot rules.)  I do, however, tend to agree that it's best used on unadvantaged powers from a balance standpoint ... for precisely the reason you point out.  The sane GM will likely enforce something similar if using Weaponmaster at the Superheroic level.

 

As for Defensive Attack, check out APG1 p38.

[g3taso]

Surrealone, I looked it up and I thought it was entirely awesome. However, I don't know if our game master is up on 6e. How would you explain this to him?  Is it really as simple as "spend 10pts to Rapid Fire at -2DCV penalty rather than 1/2DCV"?

 

I'm not up on 6th, but I will be. If this applies to sweeps and stuff from 5th, please let me know. 

[Surrealone]

I wouldn't try to backwind Defensive Attack to 5er (or explain it to your GM) because it is an optional combat skill designed solely to reduce a penalty imposed by Multiple Attack ... which is a (game-changing ... in a good way) 6e combat maneuver that has no 5er equivalent of which I am aware.

[Hyper-Man]

5e has a ranged version of Sweep that was combined into 6e Multiple Attack. 

 

Here is a link to my 6e version of John Wick which has copious examples of ranged combat skills.

 

http://www.herogames.com/forums/topic/91791-john-wick-keanu-reeves-for-6e/