Simple Movement rules and Missile ranges

This is an idea yoinked from Warhammer 3rd ed. essentially, all distances can be broken down into range increments:

Close range: a few paces away from a target - characters can easily talk to each other at this range. You can easily cover this distance and still attack a foe in one round.

Medium Range: This is several dozen paces away from a target. This is typically the distance across a small clearing or cave - characters may raise their voices to communicate.

Long Range: This covers a greater distance, and is reserved for long bows and crossbows. This is typically the distance across a large clearing or field, and requires shouting to communicate with someone at this range from you.

Extreme Range: This range is reserved for for siege weapons and other extreme range weapons - communication is not possible from this distance


All weapons are categorized as what range they work accurately. Firing beyond these distance is possible, but not effective. You can move to anywhere within close distance of you in one round, and still perform an action. To move up to medium range requires a round spent moving, and doing nothing else. It requires 2 rounds to move from medium to long, and 3 rounds to move from long range to extreme range.

You suffer -2 CS when firing, for each range greater than close range.

Weapon Ranges:

Close Range: Shuriken, thrown weapon, Bor Pistol, net
Medium range: Bor Musket, Bow, sling
Long Range: Longbows, Bor Long Rifle, crossbows
Extreme Range: Cannon, bombard, catapult

For example, Bright fox has a bow, and his target, a charging Gourgaz, is currently at long range. Bright Fox waits until he reaches medium range, and fires at -2 CS, while the Gourgaz reaches close range. He can fire again before his foe reaches him, although he may decide to use that action to draw a sword so he is armed. Had he been armed with a longbow, Bright Fox could have fired another couple of shots at -4 CS, as his foe charged from long to medium range.
 
phantomdoodler said:
I am interested in what you have come up with!

Just rough strokes at the moment. Working from memory, I believe my range categories were:

Personal (for up close and personal - wrestling, grappling, etc)

Melee / Point Blank (for a mix of melee and point blank/pistol shots)

Close (pretty much like you described)

Near (general skirmish ranges, large/decent sized rooms, clearings, caves, etc)

Medium (extreme short bow ranges, banquet halls, throne rooms, large clearings, caves, etc)

Far (extreme long bow and crossbow ranges, large fields, etc)

Artillery (siege weapon ranges, battlefields, etc)

Landmark (near navigational distances - eg, castles in the distance, etc)

Horizon (far navigational distances - eg, mountain ranges, etc)

... The idea being that with a few more ranges you could allow for more ranged exchanges (eg, for attacking Kraan vs archers), more variation in ranged weapons and their optimal ranges and firing limits, tactical maneuvers on the field of battle, etc.

So, yeah, not much different from what you have.
 
phantomdoodler said:
Nice work, Mr Code. I would shudder to think of what weapons could work to the horizon...

The extreme ranges are more to do with movement and godspear type weapons. I had some ideas about developing a system of warfare that could use them and wanted to have a unified mechanic. Never really developed it beyond the germ of the initial idea.
 
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