Cover me!!!!

[candidus_cogitens]

“Cover me!” It is a cry heard in westerns and in just about any war movie you’ve ever seen. The idea, as I understand it, is to create a threat (usually with a ranged attack) that temporarily holds off any immediate attack from your foe, or at least discourages them from trying. Is there any way to do that in d20?

Here’s a related idea. Maybe you don’t prevent the foe from trying an attack, but you thwart his attack by interrupting it, just as you might interrupt the casting of a spell. Would it be possible to ready an attack against an opposing archer, so that you hit him at the very moment he draws his bowstring, causing his shot to go astray?

The only thing I can think of is the “Aid Another” action. But the gain from that action is relatively meager, if you ask me.

 

[Crothian]

Aid another is exactly what you are talking about. +2 is not that meager, but you can introduce a feat that bumps that to +4 like the one in OA if you want.

 

[Drawmack]

A row of archers (about 3 to 1 odds) with readied actions to shoot the first PC who comes over the rise (or out from behind cover), Here is the kicker they are using repeating cross bows.
Round 1) 1/3 fire 3 bolts
Round 2) 1/3 fire 3 bolts, the 1/3 from round 1 fire 2 bolts
Round 3) 1/3 fire 3 bolts, 1/3 fire two bolts, 1/3 reload
etc.

For higher level parties increas the number of archers but keep it to a ration divisible by three to make the math easy, 3/1 6/1, 9/1, 12/1 etc.

 

[candidus_cogitens]

Aid another is exactly what you are talking about. +2 is not that meager, but you can introduce a feat that bumps that to +4 like the one in OA if you want.

A feat "like" the one in OA? Is there a feat in OA that does exactly that, or just something like it?

 

[Rill]

AEG's d20 "Swashbuckling Adventures" book contains a feat entitled Suppressive Fire. It has worked well in our campaigns, and I can't count the number of times that book has helped add a cinematic feel to otherwise tired encounters. You may want to check it out next time you pass through your local gaming shop. = )


Suppressive Fire [Fighter, General]

Prerequisitees: Point Blank Shot, Combat Reflexes.

Benefit: As a standard action you may nominate a straight or diagonal line of squares. As long as you do not move, you may expend an attack of opportunity to fire your weapon at anyone crossing, enetering, or moving through that nominated line of squares. The number of squares in the line is only limited by the range increment of the ranged weapon.

 

[Crothian]

A feat "like" the one in OA? Is there a feat in OA that does exactly that, or just something like it?

There is a feat in OA (or was it Rokugen? I'm not sure which) that does incerase aid another to +4