D&D 5E Range/Move Redux

[Rod Staffwand]

I experimented with giving Large or larger monsters resistance to ranged attack damage (from Medium-sized or smaller attackers) in a limited-run campaign since I wanted a heroic melee warrior milieu of questing knights and such. I also did the same for full plate armor.

It worked well enough.

 

[Jester David]

Maybe when you get around to telling us about some of those marvelous NPC tactics for dealing with long range archers.....

Leaving is the tactic.
If the archer is 600 feet away, you move farther away.
And then hide behind full cover.

If you're being attacked by a sniper, the only sensible tactical option is to go to ground and get away.

 

[FrogReaver]

4e tried this, limiting longbows to 20/40 (or 100 to 200 feet). The problem was, historically English longbows could easily hit 100 to 200 yards, so it was a pretty hefty reduction of "realism" for the sake of game balance and making other tropes viable. It was nerfing Legolas so Gimli would be "balanced".

Adding an "aim" action might be one way to have balance. Slashing bow range when firing-on-the-run.
So you can make a snapshot at a close target at point blank range (within 60 feet) and then move. But if the target is farther away you need to stop an aim, which prevents movement (let's say within 200 feet). And any farther away and aiming is an action, as the arrow takes time to fly and you need to adjust for their movement during that time.

(Switching from bow to melee is easy, as you can hold the bow in one hand, and then draw a sword as your object interaction. Switching from melee to bow is harder as you need to drop that weapon.)

Now I'm no expert but I imagine a longbowman shooting at a target 600ft or even 300ft away will hit it far less often than if he shoots at it a target 100 ft away.

So IMO, we should worry about realistic ranges about the time we worry about realistic chances to hit the further ranges

 

[FrogReaver]

Leaving is the tactic.
If the archer is 600 feet away, you move farther away.
And then hide behind full cover.

If you're being attacked by a sniper, the only sensible tactical option is to go to ground and get away.

Sure. Leaving is a tactic. If enemies left when I attacked them at 600ft then I would get closer and attack at 300 or 400 ft. Let's see them leave then. I mean I guess they could leave upon seeing the players carry bows and getting closer than 600ft. But at that point I'm just going to retire that character and make an archer that is fast. Say hello to fighter/rogue wood-elf archer that bonus action dashes Now you will not ever run away from me again... (ironically this guy also makes the scout I was talking about earlier

 

[Corwin]

Sure. Leaving is a tactic. If enemies left when I attacked them at 600ft then I would get closer and attack at 300 or 400 ft. Let's see them leave then. I mean I guess they could leave upon seeing the players carry bows and getting closer than 600ft. But at that point I'm just going to retire that character and make an archer that is fast. Say hello to fighter/rogue wood-elf archer that bonus action dashes Now you will not ever run away from me again... (ironically this guy also makes the scout I was talking about earlier

IMO, you play a really fun version of the game, that's for sure.

 

[Horwath]

Now I'm no expert but I imagine a longbowman shooting at a target 600ft or even 300ft away will hit it far less often than if he shoots at it a target 100 ft away.

So IMO, we should worry about realistic ranges about the time we worry about realistic chances to hit the further ranges

This.

3.5e had range increments when you suffer -2 attack penalty per range increment

for longbows it was 100ft

every 100ft you got -2 attack penalty or -1 if you had taken "far shot" feat.

this is one way where binary application of advantage/disadvantage fails.

IMHO, longbow should have been 60ft range weapon that gets -1 attack penalty per 60ft. 61-120ft -1 penalty, 121-180ft -2,... 541-600ft -9 penalty.

Sharp shooter feat could reduce long range penalties by 5. that means that up to 300ft you would have 0 penalty and at 600ft you would have -4.


Also consider introducing "tower shield" or pavise to the game.

It would give normal +2 AC but when you take dodge action you gain full cover for ranged attacks in front of you:

CCC
NXN
NNN

that would give option to close to the ranged attacks.

 

[Greenstone.Walker]

I am in a party of four, where the other 3 are all DEX-based melee combatants. I made a STR-based Ranger, just so I get first dibs on the magical battle axes.

The character is, however, wearing medium armour. I have no plans to pick up heavy armour, and have grabbed the Medium Armor Master feat, for the sneakiness.

 

[FrogReaver]

IMO, you play a really fun version of the game, that's for sure.

It's not much of a game if all the enemies run from you and hole up at first sight...

 

[jodyjohnson]

I like from earlier:
1. Getting rid of Dex bonus to damage on Ranged weapons as default.
2. Changing Archery Style to: do dexterity damage with ranged weapons.
3. Changing Sharpshooter to a) Treat 3/4 cover as Half cover and ignore half cover within 30', b) Aim as a bonus action for an additional 1d4 damage on next attack, c) double short range on weapon attacks at range.
4. Get rid of Crossbow Expert but loosen up Two Weapon fighting to allow an offhand light crossbow and other light weapons. Bring back the playtest rule about multiple dice for an attack in place of multiple attacks for Extra Attack.

Introducing cover and long range as tactical considerations and then removing them as a single feat "pisses me off to no end."

"Is it too much to ask, Thunder? Kill him! For me!"

Queue most awesome thrown weapon attack sequence ever.

 

[guachi]

Anyone firing a two-handed ranged weapon on his turn has his movement reduced in half or his attacks are made at disadvantage.

Combine that with my other suggestion that for some number of turns per short rest (Con mod + 1, for example) all creatures may Dash as a bonus action if they also take Dash as an action and ranged characters won't be able to fire and flee pursuing creatures.

A human can now run 90 feet a turn and the kiting bowman can only move 15 feet a turn. The distance is closed 75 feet per round instead of 30 feet per round.