Fast Draw, Point Shooting, and some other stuff

[Leitz]

The thread on fanning a six gun some time back had me thinking. It took a while for things to process, but I wanted to throw out some ideas for feedback.

In game combat you use a Skills, Stats, and other stuff for modifiers. Things like moving or snap shots give negative modifiers to hit. While respecting Rule 6-8-A I want to look at making gun skills more useful, but not over powering. Here's the first draft for critique.

Effective Skill: Defined as the Skill level plus or minus Stat modifiers for regular characters or just the modifier from Striker. For example, Kel has Energy Weapons-1 and a +2 for a High Dex. Her Effective Skill is 3. Jones is a Striker character with a Veteran Morale, her Effective Skill is 2.

Trained Skill: Sort of an "all or nothing" option. If the character has a skill level of 1 or greater in the skill, their Trained Skill is equal to their Effective Skill. Otherwise it is 0. Kel, above, has Energy Weapons-1 so she is trained. Her Trained Skill is the same as her Effective Skill, 3. She has Flintlock Rifle-0, so her Trained Skill in Flintlock Rifle is 0.

Snap Shot: Quick shot from the hip or unaimed. Modifier is -4 for up to close Range. Past that it is -8. A person choosing a Snap Shot in combat goes first, unless another character also chooses Snap Shot. Then both shoot at the same time.

Point Shot: A fairly quick shot based on muscle memory. Available to characters with a relevant Trained Skill 1+. Modifier is 1/2 that of a Snap Shot. A character choosing a Point Shot goes after any Snap Shots but before regular fire. Opposing characters doing Point Shot shoot at the same time. Yeah, we can argue the existence of Point Shooting elsewhere. I'm using the phrase in its common sense.


Addendum: This becomes redundant with the Bolded change to "Point Shot".
A character with a Trained Skill of 1+ halves negative modifiers. Half a point or less rounds to the favor of the shooter. A negative modifier of less than 1 is 0. Thus Kel can do a Shap Shot at Close range for a total of +1. Snap Shot at -2, Trained Skill of +3.

Addendum: Change this to "A Character with a 3+ skill takes Snap Shots at no penalty."
A character with a Trained Skill of 3+ quarters negative modifiers. A negative modifier of less than 1 is 0.

Addendum:
For those who doubt the ability of a well trained person shooting very fast and very accurately, I recommend you look up Jerry Miculek.

 

[kilemall]

What I have going on is 4 categories of guns- pistols(4), carbine/light rifle(3), rifle/crew weapon(2), heavy weapon(1). They go in order. If someone wants to jump the order, they take away from their + mods (DEX + SKILL) 1 for 1, reducing their probability to hit by the degree they 'hurry'.

Of course, pistol guy could hurry too and stay on top.

May go with a modified version of the Striker melee initiative system, but modified for guns.

 

[CosmicGamer]

As always, just throwing out some ideas for folks to think about. Trash what you don't like without trashing me. Use what you like and give me all the credit

One can go to the extreme of breaking down skills as "I practice drawing a pistol fast and shooting stationary targets", "I practice taking my time, controlling my breathing, using support for my long arm, and shooting accurately", "I practice shooting an object thrown in the air", "I practice mostly close range, knocking down doors and clearing confined spaces", "I practice taking out targets at long range", and so on.

Perhaps one does have these as individual skills. Maybe it could be something like specialties in MgT. Perhaps it is traits that can be chosen from as one levels. Whatever the case, one would need to figure the bonuses and penalties for each verses using the default assumption that this is already represented by a rounded individual who can perform each of the tasks better based on skill and dex.

Jerry Miculek is a world record shooter. Is Jerry faster at getting a shot off than everyone else - more of an initiative thing? Is it that Jerry is extremely accurate at the fast shot compared to his competition - more of a skill and raw ability thing? Both? Real high Dex and perhaps level 5 or 6 skill or some such? Best of the best. Is designing a combat system around this appropriate or should the system be designed around the more "everyday" shooter? One could also suggest that a combat system should not be based on a competition shooting style.

What about that really fast guy who doesn't have a good snap shot. They throw a grenade or maybe they just jump for cover instead of trying to outdraw someone? If one were to start with the premise that all shooters are trying to dispatch the enemy without getting shot and shoot as fast as they possibly can based on their raw ability (Dex) and how practiced they are in speed shooting (skill)... maybe one would like an initiative system to decide the order that people will be acting in. Who gets off their shot first? Or are you bold, daring, and calm under fire; taking your time to aim and be more accurate as the bullets whiz by?

 

[kilemall]

What about that really fast guy who doesn't have a good snap shot. They throw a grenade or maybe they just jump for cover instead of trying to outdraw someone? If one were to start with the premise that all shooters are trying to dispatch the enemy without getting shot and shoot as fast as they possibly can based on their raw ability (Dex) and how practiced they are in speed shooting (skill)... maybe one would like an initiative system to decide the order that people will be acting in. Who gets off their shot first? Or are you bold, daring, and calm under fire; taking your time to aim and be more accurate as the bullets whiz by?

I've often read that the deadliest Western gunfighters didn't take the first shot, they just coolly took the last.