Ranged Attack Modifiers

When making a ranged attack, figure your effective skill by:

1. Taking your base skill with your ranged weapon.

2. Applying the target’s Size Modifier (SM).

3. Modifying for the target’s range and speed; see Size and Speed/Range Table.

4. Applying the relevant conditional modifiers below. 

Modifiers are cumulative, but combined visibility penalties cannot exceed -10.

If any modifier marked with an asterisk (*) applies, adjusted skill after all modifiers cannot exceed 9. 

A roll of this number, or less, is a hit. 

If using rapid fire, you score one extra hit for every full multiple of Recoil by which you make your attack roll.

ATTACKERS MANEUVERS

• All-Out Attack (Determined): +1

• Move and Attack: -2 or -Bulk of weapon, whichever is worse Attacker’s Situation

• Affliction (coughing, retching, etc.): see Afflictions 

• Bad footing: -2 or more (GM’s option)

• Close combat: If using a ranged weapon in Close Combat, ignore the usual speed/range penalty and apply the weapon’s Bulk statistic as a penalty to hit.

• Damaged weapon: -HP of injury received last turn (maximum -4)

• Major distraction (e.g., all clothes on fire): -3 or more (GM’s option) 

• Minor distraction (e.g., part of clothes on fire): -2

• Shock: -HP of injury received last turn (maximum -4)

• ST below that required for weapon: -1 per point of deficit 

• Attacking from Moving Vehicle or Mount If weapon is not in a stabilized mount, the combined bonus for Accuracy, Aim, bracing, and targeting systems cannot exceed the vehicle’s SR.

• Air vehicle: -1 if handheld weapon, 0 otherwise Exposed rider hanging on side of vehicle/mount and shooting over/under it: -6

• Ground vehicle, good road: -1 if hand-held weapon, 0 otherwise Ground vehicle, bad road: 0 if stabilized turret or stabilized open mount; -1 if fixed mount, hardpoint, or carriage; -2 if external open mount; -3 if handheld weapon 

• Ground vehicle, off-road: -1 if stabilized turret or stabilized open mount; -2 if fixed mount, hardpoint, or carriage; -3 if external open mount; -4 if handheld weapon 

• Space vehicle: 0 Turning in exposed saddle/seat of vehicle/mount to fire at foe behind: -4 Vehicle/mount dodged last turn and you’re not operator/rider: -2, or -4 if flying Vehicle/mount failed control roll: penalty equal to margin of failure Water vehicle, calm water: 0 if stabilized turret or stabilized open mount; -1 if fixed mount, hardpoint, or carriage; -2 if external open mount; -3 if handheld weapon Water vehicle, rough water: -1 if stabilized turret or stabilized open mount; -2 if fixed mount, hardpoint, or carriage; -3 if external open mount; -4 if handheld weapon 

Other Actions by Attacker

• Aim for one turn: +Accuracy of weapon

• Braced weapon: +1 if stationary and took a turn to Aim

• Dual-Weapon Attack: -4/-8 with primary/off hand (-4/-4 w. Ambidexterity)

• Extra Aim: +1 for 2 seconds, +2 for 3+ seconds 

• Off-hand attack: -4 (no penalty w. Ambidexterity)

• Pop-up attack: -2, and no Aim possible 

• Rapid fire: 0 if 2-4 shots; +1 if 5-8 shots; +2 if 9-12 shots; +3 if 13-16 shots; +4 if 17-24 shots; +5 if 25-49 shots; +6 if 50-99 shots; +7 if 100-199 shots; etc. 

Target (choose one) Hit location: 

• 0 for torso 

• -2 for arm or leg 

• -3 for groin 

• -4 for hand or foot 

• -5 for face 

• -7 for skull 

• impaling and piercing attacks can target vitals at -3 or eyes at -9

• Hit location, through chink in armor: -8 for torso, -10 anywhere else (e.g., eye slits)

• Weapon, to damage: -5 to hit a reach “C” weapon (e.g., knife) or pistol; 

• -4 to hit a reach 1 weapon (e.g., broadsword); 

• -3 to hit a reach 2+weapon (e.g., spear) or rifle Weapon, to disarm: as above, plus an extra -2 if not using a fencing weapon

Cover

If the target has cover, you can either choose to take no penalty and roll hit location randomly (shots that hit a covered location always strike full cover, and hit partial cover on 4-6 on 1d) or target an exposed hit location (add an extra -2 if only partly exposed). 

• Shooting through light cover: -2

• Target behind someone else: -4 per intervening figure

• Target crouching, kneeling, sitting, or lying down: an extra -2 to hit torso, groin, or legs 

• Target only partly exposed: -2

Targeting Systems

• Laser sight: +1

• Scope: +1 per second of Aim, to a maximum of the scope’s bonus

• Vehicular targeting system: +1 to +3 if shooter took a turn to Aim

• Unfamiliar weapon or targeting system: -2

Visibility

• Blind, target completely invisible, or in total darkness: -10*

• Cannot see foe: -6, or -4 if you know his location to within 1 yard*

• Partial darkness, fog, smoke, etc.: -1 to -9 (GM’s option)

• Target has light concealment (e.g., bushes): -2

Opportunity Fire

If you have a ranged weapon, you may watch a specified area and attack as soon as a target presents itself. This is called “opportunity fire.” 

To use opportunity fire, you must take the Wait maneuver. You must stand still and watch for a target in a specified area. You must face the area you are “covering.” You may do nothing else.

If a target appears in the specified area, you must attack it (you can try to discriminate, but this will give a penalty to hit – see below). Your attack takes place immediately. If two or more people are taking opportunity fire at the same target, assume that their attacks are simultaneous.

If no target appears, you simply wasted your turn!

All of the area to be “covered” must be within your arc of vision. The larger the area you have to watch, the greater the penalty when you attack:

Hexes Watched 1 2 3-4 5-6 7-10 11+
Attack Penalty 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5

You may also specify a single straight line, and say that you will fire at the first target that crosses the line. 

The penalty for this kind of opportunity fire is only -2.

When you attack, apply the appropriate penalty above as well as all relevant ranged-combat modifiers. You cannot claim any of the bonuses listed for the Aim maneuver.

Exception: If you watch a single hex (only), you can Aim and Wait. Each second you wait for a target also counts as an Aim maneuver, and you will get the normal bonus for that amount of aiming when you finally attack. 

The GM should make sure that players carefully specify the area they are watching for opportunity fire. In conflicts between PCs, the players should tell the GM in secret so that their opponents do not know where they are planning to fire. 

Target Discrimination:
Normally, when you take opportunity fire, you must attack the first target that appears in the designated area – friend or foe! You are free to specify that you are not attacking automatically, usually to avoid shooting a friend. If so, the GM will make a Vision roll for you when a target appears and tell you whether you think it is friend or foe. However, you have an extra -2 to hit because of the time you spent deciding.

Pop-Up Attacks

A “pop-up attack” is a special Attack maneuver in which you emerge from cover, move no more than one hex, make a ranged attack, and return to cover – all in the space of one turn! Examples include ducking around a corner or a tree, or out of a trench. This is possible with any thrown weapon, firearm, or crossbow, but not with a bow or a sling. You cannot aim a pop-up attack. In fact, there is an extra -2 to hit because you couldn’t see your target at the beginning of your turn. 

Note that when you emerge from cover to attack, anyone targeting your hex with opportunity fire can attack you. If so, your only legal defense is a dodge.