Some House Rules, revisions

[thormagni]

Whoops. It is a +4 (everybody at 5th level is a +4 by coincidence.) But he is in the first, slow column, because of his 1d10 HD.

What is the side-step bonus for a 5th level Rowdy? I didn't see that class on the chart.

 

[Fyrestryke]

Deadlands characters can make attacks of opportunity at range. The reach of a firearm and its threat area is anything within its first range increment. Any actions that would normally draw an attack of opportunity within a weapon’s first range increment are eligible for getting’ a cowpoke lit up like a Christmas tree. Penalties for cover apply normally and you have to see your opponent to shoot ‘em (DC 10 Spot check, modified by cover, Hide, etc. Note that characters who are involved in combat are distracted for the purpose of the spot check and receive a –5 to their roll.) which is why so many folks get to hidin’ when the lead gets to flyin’.

Example: Johnny Gunn shoots Black Bart, wounding him in the leg. About 30 feet down the road, Ed Evil decides to come out from behind a wagon and dart into the saloon, to get a better shot at Johnny. Johnny gets a Spot check against Ed to see if he notices the movement. It’s a DC 10 check, with –8 to the roll because of the distance and because Johnny is distracted by combat. He rolls a 19, meaning he can take an attack of opportunity at Ed as the outlaw moves. Johnny waits until Ed gets into his second square of movement, in the middle of the open street and out of the half cover of the wagon and the nine-tenths cover of the saloon and shoots.

You contradicted your rule in the example. According to the rule, Ranged AoOs are only viable in the first range increment. Meaning that Johnny CAN'T shoot at Ed Evil because Ed isn't within Johnny's first range increment. He does however know that Ed is on the move and should be able to take a crack at him on his next turn. However, if Johnny does that, ol Black Bart might get a crack off at him. Sounds like it's time to take cover.

Nice rule tho.

 

[thormagni]

Hmm. I should have been clearer about what weapon Johnny was using. With a Spencer Carbine with a range increment of 45 feet a guy 30-feet away would be in his first range increment, so he could get his Ranged AoA. Now, even with a pistol such as a Colt Peacemaker, the range increment would be 30-feet so Bart would be right at the outer limits of a Ranged AoA if he dashed into the saloon. If Bart ran away from the fight, moving to 35 feet, he would be out of range for a Ranged AoA from a pistol. And of course, if Johnny was using a Sharps Carbine, he couldn't get an AoA either, because it only has one shot in the tube and he can't reload and then take an AoA.

One question I did come up with though, is if Johnny had Quick Load feat, shoots a Sharps Carbine and then reloads as a move equivalent action, could he then shoot someone else with an AoA, if the opportunity presents itself? I would be inclined to say yes. So there is an incentive to standing still, shooting and reloading.

You contradicted your rule in the example. According to the rule, Ranged AoOs are only viable in the first range increment. Meaning that Johnny CAN'T shoot at Ed Evil because Ed isn't within Johnny's first range increment. He does however know that Ed is on the move and should be able to take a crack at him on his next turn. However, if Johnny does that, ol Black Bart might get a crack off at him. Sounds like it's time to take cover.

Nice rule tho.

 

[Fyrestryke]

One question I did come up with though, is if Johnny had Quick Load feat, shoots a Sharps Carbine and then reloads as a move equivalent action, could he then shoot someone else with an AoA, if the opportunity presents itself? I would be inclined to say yes. So there is an incentive to standing still, shooting and reloading.

If there's already a bullet in the chamber when the AoO occurs, you can shoot.

 

[thormagni]

So, it is decided. We rule it to be so. Making house rules is fun

One other thing bothering me, in the Deadlands book, a shotgun blast actually gets a better chance to hit ya the further away you are. I realize their rationale, it is a cone attack and the further away you are, the harder it is to get out of the cone. However, the blast gets less dense the further away you get, which means that hitting someone with a shotgun from 90 feet away actually is harder than hitting someone point blank.

So, I am tending to revise that revision on shotguns and scatter guns. Maybe a shotgun should get a +2 to hit in the first increment, a 0 in the second and a -2 in then third. And a scatter gun should get a +4 point blank range (say within 5 feet) a +2 in the first, a 0 in the second and a -2 in the third. Adding in the range increment penalties of -2 per range increment (right? I don't have my book in front of me) then we would have:
Shotgun - +2/-2/-4.
Scattergun - +4/+2/-2/-4

The cone beneft comes from you rolling to hit anybody in the blast's cone, friend or foe, out to the maximum range of 3 range increments.

If there's already a bullet in the chamber when the AoO occurs, you can shoot.

 

[thormagni]

I think I will take a look at the Spycraft and D20 Modern rules when I go home tonight and see what they have to say about shotguns. The official Deadlands D20 and Sidewinder rules just don't feel right to me.

One other thing bothering me, in the Deadlands book, a shotgun blast actually gets a better chance to hit ya the further away you are. I realize their rationale, it is a cone attack and the further away you are, the less likely you are to be hit.

 

[thormagni]

Am I driving everyone crazy with these house rules? I've been known to go overboard.

 

[Fyrestryke]

Am I driving everyone crazy with these house rules? I've been known to go overboard.

Nope, I like house rules. I'm just looking forward to having fun tomorrow.

 

[thormagni]

Nope, I like house rules. I'm just looking forward to having fun tomorrow.

Oh, fun. Now where did I put that rule?

 

[Odovacar's Ghost]

Am I driving everyone crazy with these house rules? I've been known to go overboard.

Uh, I haven't red them there rule stuff yet. I tend to skip them, until I understand the basic rules. Then I still skip the house rules, unless the GM remembers to put them in the game.