Attack and Weapon Range

[Rockymountainnavy]

I invite all to carefully consider the following two sections:

Significant Actions - Attack (p. 71) states, "The Traveller declares he is going to attack and selects a target. The target may then chose a Reaction. The Traveller then makes an appropriate skill check and, as normal for any Average skill check, if he scores 8+, the attack is successful and damage is dealt to the target (see Damage on p. 73"

Weapons - Range (p. 73) defines ranges as follows:

Short Range: If a target lies within one quarter of a weapon's Range score, the attacker will gain a DM+1 to all attack rolls made with it as he will be within the weapon's Short Range.
Long Range: If a target is beyond the weapon's Range but less than twice the Range away, it is at Long Range. The attacker will suffer DM-2 when making an attack roll.
Extreme Range: If a target is beyond the weapon's Long Range but less than four times the Range away, it is at Extreme Range. The attacker will suffer DM-4 when making an attack roll.

Note that unless a weapon has the Scope trait (see page 75), all attacks made at a range greater than 100 meters are automatically considered to be Extreme Range. This assumes the Traveller is in a combat situation - if the Traveller is in a no-stress environment, the referee is free to increase this to 300 meters.

Using the 2E RAW, p. 71 specifies that all ranged attacks are "2D + Gun Combat (appropriate specialty) + DEX DM" against 8+ with DMs for Range (see also Boon/Bane, p. 61).

Scopes also become essential for combat beyond 100 meters. A review of Slug Throwers (p. 118) and Energy Weapons (p. 121) reveals that weapons with Range beyond 400 meters already have the Scope Trait. Note also that per Battle Dress on p. 97, "All weapons used while wearing battle dress count as having the Scope trait."

This is a MAJOR CHANGE from 1st Edition. I personally like it, but would like to see the "Common Modifiers to Ranged Attacks" missing from p. 71 (mentioned in another post of mine). In this case, Boon/Bane makes lots of sense since the Task Difficulty is set.