Actions in combat

[wyrmwood]

Hey, I think I found a slight flaw, at least in my interpretation. I ran a play test using "canon" rules (plus errata).

Scene: several "pouncers" are attacking the intrepid adventurers.

Adventurers have M-2s, pouncers have melee strikes.

The players were able to let the pouncers use their action to move, then use their own action to conduct walking (or trotting) Area Fire, always forcing the pouncers to use their action to move (since they don't have ranged weapons).

Am I missing something or is there a rule somewhere that states you can move and melee strike in the same action. The closest I could come to this was a "diving blow" - but that is restricted to opponents within 2 meters (as are all melee actions).

I can always house rule some kind of charge or pounce or something, but I'm just trying make sure I haven't missed something in the existing rules set first.

 

[epicenter00]

This sounds like you're using the 2300 combat rules, which is what I use.

And while I rarely use melee rules, occasionally I do and this situation has come up.

I've always played it where if your movement brings you within 2m of a target at any time, you are eligible to make a melee attack (armed or unarmed). Given stock 2300's deadliness of fire weapons (especially how easy it is to hit with them given their extremely high ranges), I see nothing wrong giving melee attacks this small advantage - I find it a little hard to believe that animals of any kind lived through a round of autofire from players using M-2s. DPV 2 is nasty, especially when the opponents are armored with "fur" or "hide."

Myself, I've modded 2300 so it's more difficult to hit with weapons and I've reduced the range on a lot of guns. Likewise, I've restricted unarmed melee attacks to a diving blow (which I interpret as a tackle) if both targets are moving at a run. I treat small or short-ranged melee weapons as being unarmed in this case (stuff like brass knuckles, knives, and cyberweapons that short ranged like that). Longer ranged melee weapons can make an attack anytime you're in 2m as per usual, regardless of movement.

 

[wyrmwood]

Thanks for the advice Epicenter. So it sounds like the answer to the question is no, I'm not missing something.

BTW, they were 300kg hunters, so they had CL 10, LL 12, two attacks per action (one blunt), a DPV of 0.8 and an AV of 1.8
(using the original Referee's guide to make a "quick" encounter).

You know, if you interpreted that "additional blunt melee attack each action" as covering all actions (including a move) for animals larger than 150kg... this would only be an issue with small animals. It kind of makes sense that a melee opponent is at a marked disadvantage against someone with a firearm! Surprise attacks would likely be the only time they could attack well armed adventurers. And, like the video that was going around the net a while back, even well armed adventurers need to be careful when hunting large carnivores!

 

[wyrmwood]

This sounds like you're using the 2300 combat rules, which is what I use.

If by this you mean, as in "as opposed to 2320"? Yes. I have the 2300 canon CD and the original boxed set, "Traveller 2300". I forget the 2300AD forum is now synonymous with the 2320 forum

Speaking of d20, I don't know if this is modified in 2320, but according to d20 Modern, if I'm understanding it correctly, a Katana does as much damage as a 9mm and firing a 9mm when you are within 5' of a Katana wielder grants him an "attack of opportunity" before your shot goes off.

yeah, I think the original 2300 makes much more sense

I should point out, when Jonathan Tweet did the d20 version of Gamma World, he removed the AoO for firing "modern" weapons.

 

[epicenter00]

Yeah, sorry. To sum up the answer to your question: No, there is no mechanism in 2300 to prevent your players from doing what you're talking about. As for your argument about small creatures ... it only works somewhat. For instance, I think it'd be very cinematic to for the players to be attacked by the outer-space version of a rat swarm. They have creatures like that in the Aurore Sourcebook, but unfortunately, players can evade them pretty easily.

I get the impression 2300's creators meant to say that a Diving Blow can be attempted by a creature at any time their movement brings them within 2m of their target, but they never point it out.

If by this you mean, as in "as opposed to 2320"? Yes. I have the 2300 canon CD and the original boxed set, "Traveller 2300". I forget the 2300AD forum is now synonymous with the 2320 forum

Yeah, most people will discuss the D20-based 2320 on here. A big problem with 2300's rules is that (as you're noticing) they're incomplete and poorly balanced at times. I sometimes wonder if GDW even playtested the game at all. Despite this, I've been playing 2300 since it first came out (off and on, mind you) so I continue to use the rules because I'm familiar with them.

I've just had to make a lot of modifications.