Basic Ranged Maneuvers
Ranged Combat Maneuvers
Aiming
Most folks, in a firefight, place more importance on cover than on accuracy. For those characters who take the time and effort to aim correctly, though, the results are more effective.
In game terms, an aiming character must remain more or less still… perhaps striding forward with Terminator menace but otherwise motionless. For each turn spent aiming, add one die to your appropriate attack dice pool, up to a maximum of your character’s Perception rating.
A scope adds two dice to that attack roll as well; this bonus, however, applies only to a single shot. Each new shot must be aimed again using the scope in order to get the full bonus and effect.
In order to aim properly, a character must have at least one dot in either Firearms (to aim guns), Energy Weapons (to employ energy weapons), or Archery (in order to use bows).
Automatic Fire
The shooter empties the entire clip at a single target. Magazine/Clip must be at least half-full to use this attack. Recoil makes it a bitch.
Roll: Dexterity+Firearms+10
Diff:Weapon +2
Damage: As per a single shot with the gun.
Strafing
Like full-auto, with one difference. The attacker divides the successes on the attack roll between all the targets in a designated area no larger than three yards. If only one target is in the area, then only half the successes affect him. If fewer successes are rolled than there are targets, then 1 success is assigned per target until out of successes to assign. Then damage is rolled on each target hit after dodge attempts. Dodge rolls against Strafing are at +1 difficulty.
Roll: Dexterity+Firearms+10
Diff: +2
Damage: As per a single shot from the gun.
Three-Round Burst
Uses 3 shots from the clip.
Roll: Dexterity+Firearms+3
Diff: Weapon +1
Damage: As per a single shot from the gun.
Two Weapons
A shooter who employs two guns at once needs to divide her Dexterity + Firearms dice pool between both weapons.
Roll: Dexterity+Firearms
Diff: +1 to off-hand
Damage: As per gun.
Dragon's Breath
It can only be used by pump action or breach shotguns (or the double barrel shotgun). It is a gout of flame 100 feet long (although not very wide, regardless of choke). It does 6 damage dice if it hits of fire. Furthermore, if the damage is not soaked, it does one level of fire damage per unsoaked damage (so if three dice got through armor the first hit, it would do three levels of fire damage the next round) until the magnesium shards are removed. Which would be a dexterity + medicine roll diff 8 per shard. One has to make an immediate Courage diff 6 roll for Rotschreck, if a vampire.
The bad news - unless the barrel is specifically designed by a gunsmith (not easy, and not inexpensive). firing five Dragon's Breath rounds ruins the barrel, and the gun can no longer be operated. Also, semi-automatic or automatic shotguns can only fire one shell before breaking (the low pressure of the round prevents the round from ejecting, and destroys the firing pin).
Bows
In the hands of a skilled archer, bows have several advantages over firearms. They’re quiet, accurate, and powerful – you can shoot a stake through a vampire’s heart at 100 paces if you’re a would-be Katniss Everdeen. To accomplish that feat, the archer needs to score at least five successes and must also inflict at least three health levels (after soaking) in order to pierce the monster’s chest and bring his undead dominion to a splintery halt.
Roll: Dexterity+Archery
Diff: Per weapon
Damage: Per weapon