Sniper

[New Hero]

Hi!

 

I'm building (or trying to, at least) a sniper. I'm using the 5th Ed Rev rules. I use the 200/150 pts for creating toons. 60 Active Points limit per power.

 

I need a high-powered sniper rifle (obviously) but don't see any on the Firearms Table in the book. What I want is a One Shot, One Kill . . . Any Questions? type of sniper rifle. All rounds are Armor Piercing. I wouldn't think that a Sniper would have different types of rounds for a Multipower, but I am open for suggestions.

 

Also, I'm thinking of having a Multipower for his grenade arsenal. I'm thinking of a Glue Grenade (Entangle), a Flash Grenade (Flash), a Smoke Grenade (Change Environment?), a Concussion Grenade (not sure, but maybe with 2x Stun), and a regular C4 Grenade (just kidding, but a regular RKA Explosion Grenade). Any other types of grenades that I missed?

 

If the target happens to be indoors, he can get inside (impersonating whomever he needs to), poisons them, and gets out unnoticed. What does he need?

 

These are the powers that I'm getting stuck on.

 

Any help building these powers for my hero is greatly appreciated.

 

And any help with the 150 pts of Disadvantages would also be appreciated.

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Sniper

 

Instead of building the individual weapons I would recommend using the "Weapon of Opportunity" focus concept here.

 

The character still needs to carry the actual specific weapons (a sniper rifle, grenade launcher, pistol, etc..) but build the abilities of all the weapons in one big Multipower.

If he doesn't have a specific weapon on hand (grenade launcher) then he just can't use that slot.

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

First thigns first:

Do you use hit locations in your campaign, or not?

This is the most important question for any "Sniper".

[Greywind]

Re: Sniper

 

Not true. Mentalists often fall into the category of "sniper". They just need to see their target.

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

Not true. Mentalists often fall into the category of "sniper". They just need to see their target.

Mental Hit Locations from APG?

 

Also, he made clear that he wants a Sniper in the nomral meaning: Take a Gun and Shoot people on Distance.

[New Hero]

Re: Sniper

 

We do not use Hit Locations.

 

Actually, there is another type of round that the Sniper could use: Armor Piercing, Explosion.

 

Also, I thought of another type of grenade: Tear Gas (Probably a Flash: Sight/Smell/Taste Group, right?) Flush 'em out into the open and then aerate their brains.

 

Maybe have one Multipower for the Ammunition, and another for all the different types of grenades he/she will use. There will 2 types of the regular grenades. The type you throw, and the type you fire from the grenade launcher that is attached to the underside of the rifle.

 

And while I'm thinking about it, let's say that there are 4 of each type of grenade (Charges: 4). When I use the last one of a certain type, do I need to buy the power again, or do they just magically reappear after each game session downtime?

[Martin2]

Re: Sniper

 

We do not use Hit Locations.

 

Actually, there is another type of round that the Sniper could use: Armor Piercing, Explosion.

 

Also, I thought of another type of grenade: Tear Gas (Probably a Flash: Sight/Smell/Taste Group, right?) Flush 'em out into the open and then aerate their brains.

 

Maybe have one Multipower for the Ammunition, and another for all the different types of grenades he/she will use. There will 2 types of the regular grenades. The type you throw, and the type you fire from the grenade launcher that is attached to the underside of the rifle.

 

And while I'm thinking about it, let's say that there are 4 of each type of grenade (Charges: 4). When I use the last one of a certain type, do I need to buy the power again, or do they just magically reappear after each game session downtime?

 

I sounds like a MP with lots of ammo options. One for all of the suggested options.

 

The sniper has a well adapted rifle for the various bullets or as suggested a suitable weapon (grenade launcher etc) for the rest.

 

Possible one for a sniper is the NND highest RKA attack you can have for your MP active points. The defence would probably be less than a certain amount of resistant armour on the head and a very long time setting it up. Possibly 2 or 3 phases. This will mimic the sniper finding his target having a bead on him for several seconds and then shooting him in the head.

 

It would be useless in HTH combat but if you want to take out one target in one shot that would be the one.

[Lucius]

Re: Sniper

 

Hi!

 

I use the 200/150 pts for creating toons.

 

There are rules specifically for creating toons?

 

You'd need Regeneration with Resurrection obviously....toons are always getting smashed and blown up and then they're fine in the next scene.

 

Maybe a Variable Power Pool with a Limitation, Only When It's Funny.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Riding a palindromedary to Toontown

[New Hero]

Re: Sniper

 

There are rules specifically for creating toons?

 

I'm using the table in the 5th Ed Rev book on page 28 which states that new heroes are built with 200 Base Pts and 150 pts of Disadvantages. It's the way we've always created our heroes.

 

You'd need Regeneration with Resurrection obviously....toons are always getting smashed and blown up and then they're fine in the next scene.

I didn't mean toons as in 'Toon: The RPG' or whatever it was called. I guess that I should have just said hero, and been done with it.

 

Maybe a Variable Power Pool with a Limitation, Only When It's Funny.

As for 'Only When It's Funny', why am I hearing Roger Rabbit's voice say that? Oh yeah . . . It's a classic line from a classic movie.

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

Most I say now is true for 6E, no idea how much that fits for 5E.

 

We do not use Hit Locations.

No hit locations makes everything a lot more difficulty. The doubleing for head or vital shots makes insta kill so much easier. You have to ask your GM what is the acceptable damage.

The best and easiest way would be if he would allow you to use the rules for hit locations, at least when the target is Suprised and out of Combat, or only Suprised.

 

Using the NND from Martin2 is one way to build a headshot without needing Hit Location Rules.

Here are others:

- Make a Attack with twice the allowed DC, apply Reduced Penetration (this comes close to the "doubling after armor" for head-/vitalshots), extra time (at lesat one full phase), Concentration (0 DCV level), and maybe a -4 OCV penalty (i have no idea how to do that as a limitation, however). Downside would be, that this is needed for every single attack (ammunition type) you can make with the rifle.

- Using Weaponmaster (a form of Limited CSL's, only to add damge; GM approval), only with guns and only when having suprise against the target. Maybe add a required roll. Upside would be that you only need it once and can use it with every rifle. I asume this or hit locations are allowed for the following considerations:

 

Your best bet is to put all your attacks (rifle and grenades) in one big Multipower and apply charges to each slot with limited amunition seperately. You will need at least 60 Pool MP for that, maybe more (sometimes charges is an advantage...). And bear in mind that even 4 charges is only a -1, so even with the division from the Multipower Slots the costs will sum up greatly.

PSL vs. range, or Limited OCV, only to offset range. I am certain there should be something in the book for that.

Hero System martial Artist 6E has rules for "Ranged Martial Arts". You can do things like tripping shots. And some maneuvers even give you a bonus vs. Range penalties. Perhaps the 5E Martial Artist book has something too...

Doesn't 5E had something called "Find Weakness"? Could that somehow be adopted to target the "weak spots" of the target?

I would not make all rounds AP. After all, that will cost you some dice (counts both against DC and AP limit) and against unarmored targets that means they are less effective.

 

For the entire sneak-into buildings thing:

Linguist and a lot of languages (at least at minimum level). Maybe even Universal Translator.

Mimikri, Acting, Disguise or their 5E counterparts.

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

Another way to add the extra punch to the shoot:

Aid. When you want a "take one phase aim, then shoot" you coud use:

Aim for the Head:

Aid, Extra Time (Full phase), Only Self (-1), Only specific Enemy (-1/4 acording to HSMA 6E), Power is only good for on phase (-3, maybe less; Time Limit from 6E1 346).

 

When you want Aiming and Shooting to occur in the same phase, there is a way to buy Aid down from Attack Action to half phase with the 6E trigger:

Trigger ("Willing it to happen"; Trigger Requires Half Phase to reset; Trigger expires at end of phase; +1/4)

[New Hero]

Re: Sniper

 

Another way to add the extra punch to the shoot:

Aid. When you want a "take one phase aim, then shoot" you coud use:

Aim for the Head:

Aid, Extra Time (Full phase), Only Self (-1), Only specific Enemy (-1/4 acording to HSMA 6E), Power is only good for on phase (-3, maybe less; Time Limit from 6E1 346).

 

When you want Aiming and Shooting to occur in the same phase, there is a way to buy Aid down from Attack Action to half phase with the 6E trigger:

Trigger ("Willing it to happen"; Trigger Requires Half Phase to reset; Trigger expires at end of phase; +1/4)

 

Thank you. Again, I'm using 5th Ed Rev Rules, not 6E. Would this be the same in 5th Ed Rev Rules?

 

Also, I'm using HeroDesigner v2.37 to build the character. I never could get the math to work out right by hand.

[Orion]

Re: Sniper

 

And while I'm thinking about it' date=' let's say that there are 4 of each type of grenade (Charges: 4). When I use the last one of a certain type, do I need to buy the power again, or do they just magically reappear after each game session downtime?[/quote']

 

You could build them as single use foci if you wish, but the standard assumption with charges is that that automagically refresh during the downtime. Basically, it is assumed that you just get more of them, and that this is not difficult for you to do. Whether this is because you "found" a couple cases laying around, are issued them by UNTIL, or buy them on the black market, is basically just the special effect. With something like pistol ammo, I just assume players can get plenty. Grenades are harder to get, so they have to keep an inventory, and getting more when that supply runs low may or may not be easy for them.

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

With something like pistol ammo' date=' I just assume players can get plenty. Grenades are harder to get, so they have to keep an inventory, and getting more when that supply runs low may or may not be easy for them.[/quote']

Ammo for a Gun could easily be recoverable charges (when you can just go and buy it or scanvenge from the enemy). The same is true when you cars trunk holds additional amunition or the weapon is recoverable (arrows, throwing weapons).

[New Hero]

Re: Sniper

 

OK. Exactly how do I build these things? I've been trying for a month now, but no luck.

 

I is

[Greywind]

Re: Sniper

 

The Equipment Guide lists firearms and accessories.

 

Start with RKA with whatever size you choose. Adjust for advantages and limitations to taste.

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Sniper

 

Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengeance is a great resource for Sniper Archetypes.

 

First, Look closely at the Combat Modifiers Table and reverse engineer from there.

 

Second, determine Power Skill: Sniper Tricks (Bounced Shots, Two In One, and Focus Destruction).

 

Third, Campaign Setting. Snipers often double as surveillance and fire support.

 

Remember the most common response to Snipers on the Modern Day Battlefield is Artillery, Air Support, or Vision Blocking Effects (Smoke, Darkness, and etc...)

 

Snipers are also loner types. They make work with the team, but they rarely party with them.

 

jmtc

 

QM

[New Hero]

Re: Sniper

 

Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengeance is a great resource for Sniper Archetypes.

 

Sadly, I do not own that book. Sounds cool, though.

 

 

First, Look closely at the Combat Modifiers Table and reverse engineer from there.

Please forgive me, but I never went to college. What does 'reverse engineer from there' mean?

 

 

Second, determine Power Skill: Sniper Tricks (Bounced Shots, Two In One, and Focus Destruction).

Sounds awesome. I'll look into that.

 

 

Third, Campaign Setting. Snipers often double as surveillance and fire support.

It'll be an Urban setting.

 

 

Remember the most common response to Snipers on the Modern Day Battlefield is Artillery, Air Support, or Vision Blocking Effects (Smoke, Darkness, and etc...)

Gotcha. Can Nightvision goggles see through smoke? (I know they can't see through the Darkness Power).

 

 

Snipers are also loner types. They make work with the team, but they rarely party with them.

Copy that, Red Leader.

 

 

jmtc

It took me a couple of minutes to figure out what that meant. (just my two cents)

 

 

QM

Thanks, QM! (May I call you QM?)

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Sniper

 

Sadly' date=' I do not own that book. Sounds cool, though. [/quote']

Borrow a copy or buy it. Very good read... One of Steve Long's passions too...

 

Please forgive me' date=' but I never went to college. What does 'reverse engineer from there' mean? [/quote']

Find what Modifiers are likely to be applied against a Sniper Shot and Buy Combat Skill Levels or Penalty Skill Levels to counter them. Also look

 

It'll be an Urban setting.

Dark Champions: Heroes of Vengeance, Hudson City: The Urban Abyss, and Predators are great resources for a Urban Setting. Also Urban Fantasy (Vampires, Werewolves, and Faerie. Maybe a Wizard or and X-Files.

 

RDU Neil’s Dark Champions: Secret Worlds Thread Really well Written.

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12191&page=3&pp=30

 

Cyber Hero Resources related subjects.

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1419371#post1419371

 

Gotcha. Can Nightvision goggles see through smoke? (I know they can't see through the Darkness Power).

No, but Thermal Vision can see through both.

 

Copy that' date=' Red Leader. [/quote']

Nope, just a Red Head.

 

It took me a couple of minutes to figure out what that meant. (just my two cents)

LOL, I still have that problem.

 

Thanks' date=' QM! (May I call you QM?) [/quote']

Anytime...

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

No' date=' but Thermal Vision can see through both.[/quote']

Doesn't that depend on how the Smoke/Darkness is Defined?

At least in 6E it's pretty easy to define smoke/darkness that blocks the entire sight group - no matter if normal sight, IR, UV, or Nightvision.

You could build something unusual like "Active Sonar Visor" or "Microradar System" to see through any smoke that does not also block hearing or radio group respectively (or Active Sonar/Radar).

 

Grenades with contact explosion are build as normal attacks (RKA or Energy Blast), with Area of Effect advantage (in the Explosion variant; in 5E that should be a seperate "Explosion" advantage).

Timed grenades can be build with Trigger (Time Delay in 5E?).

In either chase consider adding a low level indirect, since you can circumvent barriers/Cover

 

I try to give you some examples (for 6E again, but I think they did not changed that much from 5E to 6E and you can Reverse Engineer them with the Core books):

Smoke grenade Mk1 from 6E1:

Darkness to sight group 6m radius (30 active points); oaF (-1), 8 continuing charges lasting 1 turn each (removed by winds or rain; -0), range Based on str (-¼). total cost: 13 points. (this are 8 grenades, each making cover for one turn).

Stun Gas grenade:

Drain stun 3d6, nnD (defense is life support [no need to Breathe]; +0), area of effect (9m radius; +¾) (52 active points); oaF (-1), 4 charges (-1). total cost: 17 points.

That is one way to build them. Drain has advantages (can't be recovered easily; Power Defense is two steps closer to NND defense) and disadvantages (Posibilly lesser effect then Energy Blast NND for the same AP)

 

The book at least has Glue Grenades, 40mm Frag Grenades, Kontakt Knockout Gas Grenades, Acid Mini grenades and Smoke grenades Mk 2 too. Are you certain the 5E Core books have no examples of grenades? Or don't you have to books and need complete writeups for those grenades?

[TheQuestionMan]

Re: Sniper

 

Armor Piercing and Penetrating are essential.

 

IMOHO

 

QM

[New Hero]

Re: Sniper

 

Here is the Hand Grenade Multipower:

 

 

Hand Grenades: Multipower, 52-point reserve

 

2u 40mm Fragmentation Grenade: RKA 2d6 (standard effect: 6 BODY, 18 STUN), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Explosion (+1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), 6 Charges (-3/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4) [6]

 

 

2u Glue Grenade Mk II: Entangle 3d6, 3 DEF (standard effect: 3 BODY, 3 DEF), Explosion (-1 DC/2"; +3/4) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), 6 Charges (-3/4), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4) [6]

 

 

2u Smoke Grenade Mk II: Darkness to Sight Group 3" radius, 6 Continuing Charges lasting 5 Minutes each (+1/4) (37 Active Points); OAF (-1), Range Based On STR (-1/4) [6 cc]

 

 

2u Flash Bomb Mk II: Sight Group Flash 7d6 (standard effect: 7 Segments), Explosion (+1/2) (52 Active Points); OAF (-1), 6 Charges (-3/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4) [6]

 

 

2u Tear Gas Grenade Mk II: Sight Group, Normal Smell and Normal Taste Flash 5 1/2d6 (standard effect: 6 Segments), Explosion (+1/2) (51 Active Points); OAF (-1), 6 Charges (-3/4), Range Based On STR (-1/4) [6]

 

Question: Should the Tear Gas grenade be NND? Trust me . . . I've been there. You can cover your eyes, nose and mouth all you want to, but it doesn't help.

[Christopher]

Re: Sniper

 

Question: Should the Tear Gas grenade be NND? Trust me . . . I've been there. You can cover your eyes' date=' nose and mouth all you want to, but it doesn't help.[/quote']

I personally see NND's as an "absolute vs Normals, but some Supers may be immune for only 5 Points".

 

I think a NND, not vs LS: Self Contained Breathing would be fitting. Especially since the Gas Mask is build as LS: Self Contained Breathing and afaik it help against it.

 

Note: Some settings work different. Here Poison and that stuff work vs. Power Defense (are not build as NND's) and the same could perhaps be true for Tear Gas. But overall the NND is the normal way.

[Greywind]

Re: Sniper

 

Question: Should the Tear Gas grenade be NND? Trust me . . . I've been there. You can cover your eyes' date=' nose and mouth all you want to, but it doesn't help.[/quote']You could always be Cadet Zed and be naturally immune to tear gas.

[freakboy6117]

Re: Sniper

 

i guess i should ask what kind of game is the sniper for because that will effect the build.

 

i guess the first thing to say is if this is a player character then a sniper may not be the most interesting character to play for a covert ops team the sniper would be a support role setting up on a high vantage to watch the surroundings and take out guards etc while other specialists go in and do the actual infiltration. in a super heroic game again your going to be stuck in the back lining up a shot while the brick player goes hand to hand .

 

so for a super-heroic game it might be better to think of a deadshot style character or Green Arrow and Hawkeye but with guns and trick ammo instead of a bow you can create a lot of powers based on amazing accuracy drains based on disabling limbs or stunning shots etc

 

if your playing more of an agent combat type game i would suggest instead of being a straight sniper going for the designated marksman on the team you still go in with the main team but your the one with the scoped assault rifle and when there's a tough shot to take your the guy with the skill to make that shot while the rest of the team lay down covering fire

 

for my own snipers I've designed a few i think the two most important things when it comes to snipers is accuracy and flexibility

 

Seraphim my black ops hero teams sniper is a psychic who uses remote viewing and telekinesis to guide her bullets to targets making impossible shots and watching over her comrades shes there guardian angel.

 

for her a used a couple of naked advantages indirect to swerve bullets around targets Armour piercing for guiding bullets to weak points etc the built her ammunition as a VPP to let her have custom designed bullets for taking out supers. one other thing i gave her that hasn't been mentioned is a armored trench coat that featured chameleon properties snipers tend to be specialists in camouflage as they often have to lie in wait for hours for a shot.

 

for my scientific operations (Sciops) sniper a super agent team who deal with super scientific and xeno-tech threats i went with two multi powers one for weapons a side arm a marksman assault rifle and a single shot high caliber rifle. the second pool is for scopes( that would require gm approval as it includes senses and skill levels). this acts as a quick way to select various mission load outs so low-light for night ops, thermo-graphics for shooting through walls(or vampire hunting) the marksman rifle for close work and the big 50 cal for long range. again because its a super-heroic setting i went with variable special effect for the bullets to reflect the fact that depending on the foe the bullets might be silver or incendiary electrical or cryo tipped for even more flexibility you can add variable advantage for AP area effect etc