Sniping

[RangerWickett]

I'm trying to figure out a fair and simple way to allow sniping in 4e. Normally encounters occur at a range of 50 squares or less, but sometimes you just want to shoot something from way the hell over yonder, y'know?

How does this sound?

Telescopic Scope.
100 gp.

A rifle or superior crossbow can be equipped with a telescopic scope, which greatly extends its distance at the expense of mobility and close-range accuracy. Attaching and aligning a scope requires five full rounds. Removing it requires a standard action.

A shooter using a scoped rifle or superior crossbow takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls. However, a shooter can spend a move action to sight a target. This increases his weapon’s range to 150/300 until the beginning of his next turn or until he moves.

According to Wikipedia, a 19th century rifle had accuracy out to 500 yards, or 300 squares.

 

[JustKim]

I'd like to see it limited to once per encounter, so that you can't attach the scope at your leisure, then snipe every round until the enemy closes the considerable distance. That seems unfair. Maybe the lenses of the scope are jostled when the weapon is fired and it takes some time to clean and reorient them. The 5 round thing doesn't seem like much of a limitation if the enemy doesn't know you're there.

I'd like to see Perception play a part in a shot of that distance, but I don't know how. Would you consider a more severe penalty to the attack roll if the user isn't trained in Perception? Like -5 untrained, -2 if trained. Basically I think the penalty should be higher, but I understand the 4E math doesn't gracefully accommodate things like -10 penalties.

The whole idea of starting encounters at that distance makes me leery, but I trust you know what you're doing!

 

[LostSoul]

Quick thoughts -

Ranger power.

Martial Practice.

"Do you have the Feat for that?"

A new use for an old skill - Perception? Trained only? Roll to see how big the penalty is. Requires 5 minutes to set up. (This sounds like a martial practice.)

 

[JustKim]

I like the idea of making it a martial practice best of all.

 

[Jan van Leyden]

Using this sounds like a feat-thing to me. As long as the scope just enlarges your target, the shooter still has to correct his height for the distance. Getting this right should take some experience, thus a feat.

I don't see why the scope would affect close-range accuracy. Is this thing so damn big that the shooter can't look over it?

 

[Morrus]

Instead of 5 rounds to attach it (which is very 3E, not 4E), I'd say "Can be attached during a short rest".

I'd also make it a power - an encounter power. Lots of damage, but just once.

 

[RangerWickett]

I know game balance and reality don't get along too well, but the fact that even an old-fashioned rifle can shoot 1500 ft. if you know what you're doing makes the 200 ft. distance equivalent in 4e kinda pathetic.

I figure, if you've taken the superior weapon proficiency feat for rifle or superior crossbow, then you're trained in the weapon, and you don't need extra special training to fire the weapon long range.

I like the martial practice idea more than making it a feat, because this feels too niche to warrant its own feat. If you take Practiced Study, though, you get access to sniping and more. Situations where PCs could take advantage of this are limited in most adventures, and like most rituals, it's a flavorful way for dealing with a challenge (as opposed to the usual "rar charge!" technique), which I think should be commended.

The DM just needs to make sure he doesn't place all his encounters outdoors with huge sight-lines, at least not if he wants to have dramatic combat encounters.

So maybe something like:

Distance Marksman
You affix a telescopic sight to your weapon, adjust its settings for long-range fire, and ready your muscles and senses for precision aiming.

Level: 1
Category: Martial Practice
Time: 1 minute
Duration: 1 hour
Component Cost: 1 healing surge
Market Price: 50 gp, plus a 50 gp scope focus
Key Skill: Perception

While you are wielding a rifle or a superior crossbow with a scope, you can spend a move action to aim through the scope. This increases the weapon's range to 150/300 until the start of your next turn or until you move.



That's the simple version. The more complex but realistic version is something like:

While you are wielding a rifle or a superior crossbow with a scope, you can spend a move action to aim through the scope. If you do, choose a target you can see and make a Perception check. The result of your check determines your weapon's range while attacking that target. This increased range lasts until the beginning of your next turn, or until you move.

Check Result: Range:
9 or less ............ 50/100
10-24 ............... 100/200
25-39 ............... 150/300
40 or higher ....... 250/500

 

[S'mon]

If you're shooting at a static target, you should be able to hit it a long way off. But arrows move very slowly compared to bullets, and at longer ranges an individual moving target will have moved away before your arrow arrives, sniper scope or no.

 

[RangerWickett]

Hm. Fair point. I'm doing this for rifles; the superior crossbow thing was incidental. Even a slow bullet goes 4 or 5 times as fast as an arrow.

 

[aco175]

I like some of these points. I might add that a lot would depend on the technology of the weapon and scope. Modern computer produced technology is far better than individually produced craftpieces. What affects does magic play on the craftsmanship of the item?

In the millitary average shooters would hit 300 yards with a rifle, no scope, 20%. With a decent scope that would improve to over 50%. People with better training would double these. Call this distance 200 squares of movement. This is 14 rounds of run movement to get there, good thing there is no rules for being winded.

I would think about these distances and maybe adding a distance to longbow maximun distances. I'm not sure on your distances for firearms, but I trust you have this figured out.

Another idea is to take the maximun distances for the firearm and have the scope negate the distance penalty for long range, granted it is only -2. Maybe add another distance to the max range and have that at -2 for a scope. you may still get a range where it takes characters 10 rounds to get there. Of course I can always carry a rifle with scope and now we have a waiting agame where everyone is hiding behind superior cover waiting for sundown. Tense and fun for some, boring as hell for others.