Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="kronos182" data-source="post: 6990583" data-attributes="member: 6668634">Some new combat options, skills and feats.Indirect FireWeapons such asmortar and artillery have many unique advantages, but require a special set ofskills to use correctly. Indirect Fire ignores all cover bonuses lessthan Full or 90%cover. Since the rounds come from above, cover such as sandbags, foxholes,walls etc. provide no protection. Indirect Fire attacks also sufferno range penalties,allowing these weapons to be used at extremely great distance with little lossin accuracy. Range FindingIndirect Fireattacks start at –10 to hit. Every round that is fired decreases this penaltyby one, until after 10 attacks, the operator is able to attack at his full BaseAttack Bonus. Manyfactors can help the operator negate this penalty more quickly:Equipment: Modernartillery pieces, even those as small as the mortar have very sophisticatedsights and range finders, granting a bonus to hit (which of coursenegates some of theinitial penalty). Use of an artillery sight requires an attack action, unlessthe character firing the weapon has the Target Acquisition feat.Reconnaissance:Scouting can greatly increase artillery accuracy. Either by land (forwardobservation), air, or satellite (requiring a recent satellite pass), on asuccessful Spotcheck (DC 20) the character receives a +2 to hit.Computer Targeting:Very sophisticated artillery pieces (such as the Paladin self-propelledhowitzer) grant an even greater reduction in Indirect Fire to hit penalties.Laser Targeting: Ifthe artillery piece is using smart ammunition that has laser ridingcapabilities, laser designators grant their bonus to these munitions. Artillery CrewsEqually vital tosuccess of an artillery attack is the crew loading the weapon. The base firingrate of artillery pieces is several rounds, but each character on theartillery crew withthe Teamwork feat reduces this loading time by one round to a minimum of oneround per attack. Counter ArtilleryIf an area struck byindirect weapons fire has indirect weapons of its own, a Spot check (DC 15)will allow those forces to return fire at +2 to hit. This allows theinitial attacker tomake his own Spot skill check to gain a +2 to hit, which in turn allows furtherSpot checks for bonuses to hit from the other side. This process isknown as theartillery duel, and is generally considered a very bad idea for the artillerycrews involved. Immunity from counter artillery (through firing from adifferent position each time) is one of the key advantages of mortar andself-propelled artillery (such as the Paladin) over stationary Howitzers. Minimum RangeIndirect fireweapons can only be used against targets one range increment away or further. BombingBombs work much likeconventional attacks, except that they have no maximum range, and areunaffected by a character’s skill. Regardless of the Base AttackBonus of thecharacter dropping the bomb, the base attack bonus of a bomb is +0, modified bythings like Bombing Run (see aerial combat below), and “smart”bomb technology. Thebomb keeps falling until it hits the ground. If an attack roll with a bomb is anatural 1, that bomb is a dud, and does not explode. It will need to be foundand defused after the battle. Bombs ignore allcover less than 90%, and all concealment. Concealment might affect the abilityto find the target and recognize it as valuable enough to bomb, but once thebomb flies, there is no miss chance from concealment.Bombs have twoattack rolls, the initial check to determine how close it landed to its target,and the detonation check. Use the grenade-like missile rules todetermine where abomb lands that misses its target. A bomb does full damage to whatever it hits,and then damage to everything around it. When a bomb strikes, it makes separateranged touch attack rolls on all targets within one range increment at full damageand a Base Attack Bonus of +10. These attacks continue out to additional rangeincrements, with the bomb losing –2 Base Attack Bonus and 2 dice of damage, andcontinue until the bomb’s damage, modified for range, would be 0. Flying StuntsNap of Earth Flying(DC 20): A very dangerous way to fly. By flying at extremely low altitudes, thecharacter can avoid being detected by radar. If any unexpectedobstacle appears inthe character’s path, this check must be made again to avoid a sudden landing(called a crash).Wingover (DC 15):This maneuver allows an aircraft to make an extra 90-degree turn.Loop the Loop (DC20): This maneuver allows the character to turn the tables on a trailingopponent.A successful checkallows the character to make an attack of opportunity against a trailingopponent, and immediately roll a skill vs. skill check to begin trailinghis pursuer as well.If this check fails, the pursued craft gets an attack of opportunity againstthe character. This stunt is an attack action.Bombing Run (DC 15):By flying steady and still while releasing bombs, an aircraft can greatlyincrease the accuracy of those attacks, gaining a +1 to hit foreach round itperforms a Bombing Run (so if the aircraft performed this stunt for 6 roundsbefore releasing bombs, it would gain a +6 to hit). However, this alsomakes the craft veryvulnerable to incoming fire. The craft loses all defense bonuses gained fromspeed, and cannot perform any stunts while executing thismaneuver.Radar OperationYou are skilled atoperating radar systems.Effect: You makeSpot skill checks normally to perform Radar Operation.Normal: Characterswithout this feat suffer a –4 penalty to Spot skill checks to perform RadarOperation. Sonar OperationYou are skilled atoperating sonar equipment.Effect: You makeListen skill checks normally to perform Sonar Operation.Normal: Characterswithout this feat suffer a –4 penalty to Listen skill checks to perform SonarOperation. GrenadierYou are skilled atusing grenades and grenade launchers in combat.Prerequisite: ExoticFirearms Proficiency (Grenade Launcher).Effect: You gain a+1 bonus to attack rolls, and +50% range bonus, to all grenade attacks, whetherthrown or with a grenade launcher. MarksmanYou are skilled atlong-distance accuracy with one weapon.Prerequisite: WeaponFocus (one ranged weapon), Spot 5 Ranks.Effect: You may useup to one-half your Spot skill to offset attack penalties due to range with oneranged weapon (effectively allowing you to ignore one penaltyfor range per 4Ranks of Spot). This feat may be taken multiple times. Its effects do notstack. Each time the feat is taken (requiring Weapon Focus to be taken again),it applies to adifferent weapon. Mortar/Indirect Fireweapons (Exotic Firearms Proficiency)You understand thebasics of indirect fire and can fire them without penalty.Effect: You makeattack rolls with the weapon normally.Normal: A characterthat uses a weapon without being proficient takes a –4 penalty to hit.Special: Charactersserving as the crew of an artillery weapon (as opposed to the character firingthe weapon), do not need this feat.  New SkillParadrop (Dex)Armor PenaltyAirborne insertionsare a powerful military tool for inserting soldiers behind enemy lines forscouting, surprise raids, and special operations. In modern warfare, heavilyfortified positions can be bypassed, encircled, and defeated with far lesscasualties than were taken in past conflicts. This skill allows a character toland precisely where she wishes to, and also allows parachuting under less thanideal conditions (from a very fast-moving craft, a low-flying craft and soforth). This skill also covers preparing equipment to be dropped.  Failing this check means the character lands100 yards off target for every two points by which his roll missed the DC.Failing a check by more than 5 means the character has landed somewheredangerous (depending on the situation, a dangerous landing could be inproximity to enemy soldiers, power lines, dense foliage, etc).Failing the check tosafely land in dense foliage such as a forest means the character has becomefouled in the brush 10-100 feet above the ground. Getting downusually involvesclimbing or simply cutting yourself free and falling the remaining distance.Failing the check from a high speed or low altitude insertion results in 1-4points of damage per 2 points by which the character missed the DC (in additionto possibly landing off target, and landing somewhere dangerous). The charactermay attempt either a Reflex save (DC 20), or a Tumble check (DC 15) to reducethis damage by half.Forces on the groundneed to roll a Spot check (DC 10) to detect incoming paratroopers 1-6 rounds(50-300 ft) before landing. Paratroopers in the air are extremelyvulnerable to enemyfire, being treated as flat-footed both while in the air, and for 1-4 roundsafter they land (while the soldiers get free of their heavy parachuteriggings). Asuccessful Paradrop skill (DC 15) will allow a character to get clear of hisriggings in the minimum time (1 round).For these reasons,soldiers will only be dropped into a hostile landing zone when absolutelynecessary. Often Special Operations forces will be sent in first, to makesure an area issecure (neutralizing any enemy forces encountered) before more conventionaltroops are paradropped in.For specialoperations, the HALO, or High Altitude Low Opening method of deployment isconsidered the ideal. Troops are dropped from extreme altitude, makingthe presence ofaircraft harder to detect. The soldiers so deployed then wait until they areextremely low before deploying their parachutes. HALO landings are onlyspotted by forces onthe ground on a Spot check of 20 or higher, and if a HALO drop is spotted,forces on the ground only have 1-2 rounds at which to attack theincomingparatroopers. LALO, or LowAltitude Low Opening method of deployment is also very popular, used whenaircraft must come in under the radar of a potentially hostile group,or to avoid adiplomatic incident. LALO insertions are risky, as the soldiers are pulled fromthe craft, their chute opens, and they hit the ground, all in under a minute.Ona LALO jump,characters receive 2d6 points of subdual damage from the stress and impacts ofthe jump.[TABLE="width: 1"] [TR]  [TD]  Sample Actions  [/TD]  [TD]  DC  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  Land within 100 ft  of target  [/TD]  [TD]  15  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  Land within 100  yards of target  [/TD]  [TD]  10  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  Paradrop Safely  through dense Foliage  [/TD]  [TD]  25  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  HALO  [/TD]  [TD]  +5  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  LALO  [/TD]  [TD]  +5  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  Paradrop Equipment  [/TD]  [TD]  20  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  Clear Riggings in  1 round  [/TD]  [TD]  15  [/TD] [/TR][/TABLE]Special: Characterswith 5 or more ranks in Tumble receive a +2 Synergy bonus on paradrop checks.Characters with theParatrooper feat gain a +2 bonus to Paradrop checks.  Listen (Wis)New UseSonar Operation:Sonar operators use what is known as passive sonar to detect enemy vessels onmost occasions. Passive sonar gives the best of detecting yourenemy without aidinghis efforts to detect you. Sonar operators have finely tuned senses of hearingcapable of discerning minute differences in pressure and motion inthe waters aroundtheir ship. These natural capabilities are backed up by computers sophisticatedenough to identify submarines by name by the sound they makewhen moving throughthe water. This skill is opposed by the Drive skill of an enemy submarine insubmarine warfare. See the new combat rules section on submarinewarfare for moreinformation. Active Sonar grantsan operator a +10 to his skill check, but grants the same bonus to any enemy inthe area to detect him. Thus, this method of sonar detectionis often only usedby surface vessels and aircraft that have a clear advantage over any submarinein terms of weaponry and speed.Characters withoutthe Sonar Operation feat take a –4 penalty when making Listen checks for SonarOperation. Spot (Wis)New UseRadar Operation:Even with modern advanced adar systems, the eye of the operator is still key indetermining the difference between a large cloud bank and a squadron ofincoming fighters. A successful spot check will allow the operator todistinguish natural phenomena from aircraft at a range of several miles.Characters withoutthe Radar Operation feat take a –4 penalty to Spot checks for Radar Operation.NBC Detection: ManyNuclear Biological and Chemical weapons have subtle effects in their earlystages, or in the case of many biological weapons may be difficult to detectunder any circumstances. A Spot check (DC 10 for a nuclear/radiological weapon,DC 15 for a chemical weapon, or DC 20 for a biological weapon) will alert acharacter to the presence of dangerous materials in time to don protective gearwithout needing to make a Saving Throw (assuming the character has the rightNBC gear handy). This use of the spot skill takes a –4 penalty unless thecharacter has the NBC feat.Reconnaissance: Akey use for special operations forces is reconnaissance. Knowing where yourenemy is, in what numbers, how he is defended, and where he is going arecrucial to formation of a plan for attack or defense. Besides providing theinformation above, a successful reconnaissance skill check will grant thefollowing bonus to Knowledge (Tactics) if brought the attention of a friendlyforce within 24 hours.[TABLE="width: 1"] [TR]  [TD]  Check  [/TD]  [TD]  Bonus  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  15  [/TD]  [TD]  +2  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  20  [/TD]  [TD]  +3  [/TD] [/TR] [TR]  [TD]  25  [/TD]  [TD]  +4  [/TD] [/TR][/TABLE]Special: If acharacter can requisition a satellite map of an area, she gains a +4 bonus toher Spot skill for reconnaissance purposes. If a character can requisition asatellite pass over an area, a Reconnaissance check (Spot Skill +20 againstmoving targets, Spot Skill +10 against stationary targets) can be made withoutever setting footin the area.</blockquote>

Verification