II: House Rules

I'll be writing about my house rules for gun combat and melee in this post as promised, but I'll also be discussing initiative as it exacerbated the gun combat problems.

Initially we played with a pretty solid take of GDW's gun combat.  Strength controlling recoil and a whole lot of attacks occurred during your one initiative step a turn.  Many times, this resulted in very short exchanges of fire since "kills" would be generated on most targets with a single shot or burst.  Also, the big guns were much more controllable, because of their weight and low recoil values, than assault rifles which were supposed to be more controllable.  Other than your load limit, there wasn't a reason not to carry an M60 over the M16. 

Between this campaign and the previous one we played with three iterations on combat.  The following still needs some tweaks, but has been solid for our games.

Initiative

On their initiative, each player gets one action; movement, a shot, melee attack, shouted order, or whatever.  They get to act again on their initiative-2, the initiative-4, and so on.  Since the players can't eliminate all the opposition in their first set of actions the combat rounds have more give and take.

Gun Combat

The numbers needed to hit are the same as tasks with the skill system.  The numbers given are for quick shots.  Spending a action to carefully aim nets a +5 to the attack.  Targeting a particular component of body part; truck wheel, pintle MG, head shot, nets a -5 to the attack.

Close 15+

Medium 20+

Long 25+

Extreme 30+

SMGs and Pistols, which I felt needed a bump, have a special range band of Point Blank (10+).  This range band is 1/2 the Close Range or character's Agility, whichever is less.

Extra Damage

Since the player's can now look at the chart and quickly compute how well they hit, I put in a few extra bennies for high success.  Every step above that needed to hit adds one D6 to the damage dice.  This reflects shots that are well-placed or hit weak points in protective gear.  Players get really excited when a single M16 shot cranks up from 3D6 to 5 or 6.

Fire Modes

As I said earlier, characters only get one action during their initiative step.  For gun combat they can do one of the following, based on their weapon type.

Single Shot – You fire one hastily aimed shot at a target. 

Any weapon can take a single shot.  This is the base attack.

Burst Fire – A hastily aimed burst of automatic fire.

While automatic weapons can be fired in single shot mode, most characters will fire a burst instead.  Characters expend a number of rounds equal to the bust size and make one attack roll.  If successful the target is hit by one, or more, rounds.  The damage for a burst is the base damage for the weapon plus 1D6 for each additional round.  For instance, the M16A2 has a 3 round burst.  It inflicts 5D6, 3D for the base damage plus 2D for the second and third rounds.  An AKM inflicts an additional 4D for the 5 round burst.  SAW's will chew you apart with a 10 round burst that inflicts +9D6.

Double Tap – You fire two quick rounds at one target.  Make one attack roll for both.

 This mode is for most pistols, semiautomatic rifles, and double-barreled shotguns.  One attack roll is made and the damage is doubled.  

Empty the Magazine (-5 to hit) – You wildly empty your weapon into one target.  Your attack is made at -5 and you score one point of extra damage for every round past the first.

The "Empty the Magazine" attack is  for that panicked moment when all you have is a pistol or lighter, small capacity semiautomatic rifle.  

Suppression Fire (-5 to hit) – You fire several bursts into a general area.  Any target taking in that area is attacked once at -5.  Anyone attempting to move into, or act in, a suppressed zone that is not in cover or would expose themselves to fire needs to make an Difficult – Initiative test or lose the action.

This mode didn't see much play at first, but my players are beginning to utilize it.  The size of the zone suppressed is based on the 8-meter outdoor square.  Ammo is expended at your maximum rate of fire; 5 bursts of whatever size or all the rounds in your magazine (for something like an RPK which would consume 50 rounds, but only has a 40 round mag).  I fudge the required rounds, but my rule of thumb is that you have to have at least 3 bursts left to use this mode.

Damage is as if they were hit by one round, but the initiative test is what really hurts.  Pinned opponents without a valid retreat route are stuck and can be flanked or fragged at less risk.  The last few foes are more likely to surrender if they are suppressed and outnumbered.

Wild Fire - I haven't worked out the details for Wild Fire yet. I intend it to be automatic attacks by under trained or panicked personnel with a hefty minus and low damage. 

Melee Combat

There are two types of targets in melee.   Those actively fighting you and melee and those who are doing something else.  

If your opponent is fighting you in melee the two characters make a melee combat test.  If the attacker scores higher they handed the blow.  If the defender scores higher they dodged or parried the strike.  I do allow characters to use Unarmed Combat to defend against Armed attacks and vice verse.

If your opponent did anything in their previous action, even shot at you, or is unresisting than the attacker needs to succeed at an Average (15+) Melee Combat roll.

Extra damage is generated in the same manner as Gun Combat.

Weapon damage is generalized by category and should be obvious with a little thought.

Improvised Weapons, one handed - 1D6

Light Weapons, 1H - 1D6 + 1/2 Strength

Heavy Weapons, 1H - 1D6 + Strength

Improvised Weapons, two handed - 2D6

Light Weapons, 2H - 2D6 + 1/2 Strength

Heavy Weapons, 2H - 2D6 + Strength

Next up- Healing and misc stuffs