To Aim or Not Aim

[George Kelln]

I have a rules question for you regarding laser sights. In the Core Rulebook (hardcopy p. 74 of the updated edition or p. 72 of the old edition) under “Common Modifiers” for combat, it states laser sights provide DM +1 “if aiming”. In the Central Supply Catalogue (p. 144) entry for laser sights, it says they “grant DM+1 to any attack made at ranges of less than 50 metres”, but it says nothing about aiming.

Must you aim to use a laser sight?

 

[Reisender]

Well, normally the advantage of a simple laser dot (usually found on pistols) is that it displays very quickly where you will hit, so it reduces the time to aim. In combination with some form of scope/optics it might be a different matter. Even if the laser is in the visible spectrum a scope/optics might be necessary to see the dot in certain lighting condition and/or range. In that case the aiming comes from the usage of the scope/optics but not from the laser pointer.

 

[Condottiere]

Context.

It's even mentioned in the original Mercenary that you could use the laser carbine to paint a target.

So it's a laser pointer, presumably can't be discerned by the human eye further than fifty metres.

 

[Saladman]

I believe those are simply completely different, unrelated takes on laser sights by two different authors, not really meant to be used in tandem. So I would choose one or the other for my campaign and stick to it.

As it happens I ran 1e mostly out of core, with some house rules as time went on, so I never even caught the CSC version. I have no complaints about the original version, but haven't tried the CSC rule to compare.

 

[NOLATrav]

It sounds like the laser sight can save you a minor action (aiming) against targets at 50m or less.

Whether that can stack with additional aiming minor actions, I’d say would have to be taken on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Condottiere]

 

[Yatima]

I believe those are simply completely different, unrelated takes on laser sights by two different authors, not really meant to be used in tandem. So I would choose one or the other for my campaign and stick to it.

In Mercenary, the use of the Laser Carbine to 'paint' a target is to mark it for artillery, aircraft-delivered bombs or ordnance dropped from orbit – it's used in combination with the Forward Observer skill. So the laser hits the target, reflects into the sky, and that beam guides artillery shells, laser-guided bombs etc onto the aim point. As you say, this is a completely different use of a laser and nothing to do with aiming the laser carbine for some sort of shot from the carbine.

Hope that helps.

 

[Arkathan]

I am using both. It provides an additional +1 when aiming, and a +1 without aiming at the shorter range.
You can see that you are on the target and fire, or you can move the dot to a vital area and fire better.