Sniping
The sniping rules are a little unclear and confusing.
The sniping modifier applies only if the
shooter's weapon is resting on a solid support:
a rock or window ledge, for example, or even
across the saddle of a standing horse. This
bonus only applies to the first shot, however.
If that shot sets off a general gunfight, the
sniper loses his sniping benefit on any subsequent
shots.
It seems pretty clear that an essential part is that the weapon be resting on an object. Then, the sniping bonus ends a "general gunfight" starts. What if the target isn't firing back, or can't fire back. Trying to stay with the RAW as much as possible, let's just go ahead and interpret "general gunfight" lierally. Gunfight meaning "people firing guns at each other." If the target is taking other actions, such as running, getting behind cover, or galloping away, the modifiers for those will come into effect. Once the target(s) fires back at any character), the sniping modifier ends. Maybe this is because of the turmoil the sniper isn't able to take such careful, planned shots.
House Rules
Re: House Rules
PCs
Re: House Rules
That all makes sense. I think the term “General Gunfight” indicates anyone taking or potentially taking fire…from any other adversary.
It would also stand to reason that a shooter who has to reposition a weapon should not be permitted to snipe in that same round. Sniping, by definition, is a very carefully aimed shot; so it would make sense that shooting in one general area is all that could be done in a shootout or combat round with that bonus taken.
It would also stand to reason that a shooter who has to reposition a weapon should not be permitted to snipe in that same round. Sniping, by definition, is a very carefully aimed shot; so it would make sense that shooting in one general area is all that could be done in a shootout or combat round with that bonus taken.
Re: House Rules
Combat Turn (not Shootout Turn) actions
The options are:
-Shoot
-Move
-Shoot and Move
-Any other action, to be sorted out via a GM call.
A Combat Turn is the longer type, at 10 seconds. A character can take one or two Careful shots, then the other side take their one or two shots. Then movement happens. Some clarifications:
-Although shooting happens first, the actions happen simultaneously. Moving characters who lost Initiative must state how fast they're going. The modifiers for shooting or being shot at for walking, running or evading apply throughout the turn.
-There's also an option for delaying one's Shoot or Move action until after the char's spot in the turn has come up. As bluetongue has I think sensibly stated in the Comancheria thread, that's not a practicable option in PBP. Who can imagine if one more people did that held their posts and waited for everyone to post (including NPCs' posts), then decided how to post? I can't imagine that it would be good.
The options are:
-Shoot
-Move
-Shoot and Move
-Any other action, to be sorted out via a GM call.
A Combat Turn is the longer type, at 10 seconds. A character can take one or two Careful shots, then the other side take their one or two shots. Then movement happens. Some clarifications:
-Although shooting happens first, the actions happen simultaneously. Moving characters who lost Initiative must state how fast they're going. The modifiers for shooting or being shot at for walking, running or evading apply throughout the turn.
-There's also an option for delaying one's Shoot or Move action until after the char's spot in the turn has come up. As bluetongue has I think sensibly stated in the Comancheria thread, that's not a practicable option in PBP. Who can imagine if one more people did that held their posts and waited for everyone to post (including NPCs' posts), then decided how to post? I can't imagine that it would be good.
PCs
Re: House Rules
Dropping unconscious from a horse, wagon, train, saloon roof, etc.
P. 59 (bronco busting) has damage effects from being thrown from a bucking horse. Dropping in an unconscious state from any height will have similar effects. Modifiers based on height from the ground at the time of the fall, velocity, momentum, the rigidity of the ground surface, other factors of the law of physics will apply. GM's discretion (exact calculations will not be exposed).
P. 59 (bronco busting) has damage effects from being thrown from a bucking horse. Dropping in an unconscious state from any height will have similar effects. Modifiers based on height from the ground at the time of the fall, velocity, momentum, the rigidity of the ground surface, other factors of the law of physics will apply. GM's discretion (exact calculations will not be exposed).
PCs
Re: House Rules
Pocket Billiards (Pool, Eight Ball)
Pool tables are prevalent around the towns of the West, and the saloons in the bigger towns usually have at least one. Pool is a gambling sport, of course. Rules:
-Each player makes three rolls on Coordination. The character with the most successes wins the game. In a tie, the character's whose last roll best beat his Coordination score wins. For example, A and B both have Coordination 14. A rolls a 13 on his last roll and B rolls a 9. B wins.
-"Pool sharks" are common. These are very good players he intentionally lose the first few games (and smaller bets) to deceive the other player and hustle him into placing a large bet.
A successful Observation roll can make a character suspicious that pool sharking is going on. But a successful Observation (intelligence, acting) roll by the shark negates the suspicion. Characters with the Gambling skill add their level to Observation rolls. Because of the possibility of sharking, GM's rolls for NPCs won't be posted until after the last game is played.
-Many pool games end up in brawls. Something about the game tends to bring out cocky or belittling behavior in players.
-PCs can choose Pool as a work skill when leveling up. It works like at weapon skill (add 1 to Coordination per level of the skill). If anyone gets the Pool skill, then NPCs (some of them) will start having the Pool skill as well.
Pool tables are prevalent around the towns of the West, and the saloons in the bigger towns usually have at least one. Pool is a gambling sport, of course. Rules:
-Each player makes three rolls on Coordination. The character with the most successes wins the game. In a tie, the character's whose last roll best beat his Coordination score wins. For example, A and B both have Coordination 14. A rolls a 13 on his last roll and B rolls a 9. B wins.
-"Pool sharks" are common. These are very good players he intentionally lose the first few games (and smaller bets) to deceive the other player and hustle him into placing a large bet.
A successful Observation roll can make a character suspicious that pool sharking is going on. But a successful Observation (intelligence, acting) roll by the shark negates the suspicion. Characters with the Gambling skill add their level to Observation rolls. Because of the possibility of sharking, GM's rolls for NPCs won't be posted until after the last game is played.
-Many pool games end up in brawls. Something about the game tends to bring out cocky or belittling behavior in players.
-PCs can choose Pool as a work skill when leveling up. It works like at weapon skill (add 1 to Coordination per level of the skill). If anyone gets the Pool skill, then NPCs (some of them) will start having the Pool skill as well.
PCs
Re: House Rules
Stealth Movement Rate (Combat Turn)
4 yards (between Crawl (yds) and Walking (6 yds)).
4 yards (between Crawl (yds) and Walking (6 yds)).
PCs
Re: House Rules
Boot Hill doesn't break ammo down beyond the categories of Pistol, Rifle, and Shotgun. So a Rifle round can be loaded into a lever-action (Winchester, Henry, Spencer, etc.) or a single shot breech loader (Sharps, buffalo rifle, etc.) I suppose a muzzle-loading rifle as well. The same for Pistol and Shotgun rounds/shells. We could house rule that their are different rounds compatible with different firearms. Game-wise, I think that would make stocking up and restocking in towns more important, and looting in the field less beneficial. You're carrying a lever-action with 23 rounds and recover 48 Rifle rounds, but they're for a long-range Sharps breech loader. What do you do? Try to manage carrying the Sharps and its ammo, and backup for the lever-action? Abandon the lever-action and switch to the Sharps?Thumper wrote: ↑Thu Dec 19, 2024 2:04 am DT will ask for the Henry Rifle and all its compatible ammo (how many rounds is that? In return he’d offer his Lever Action Carbine and it’s 56 rounds to the sell pile.
He’ll also ask to hang on to one of Colt Single-action revolvers as a backup weapon until they get to Austin or wherever they will attempt the weapons sale.
What do you guys think? Two options.
a) Go hardcore "survival" mode and specify ammunition that's compatible by firearm type. If we do that, I'd need a volunteer or volunteers to give us information on the most common firearms of 1873. And it would require careful record keeping by the players on ammo types and inventories. (Realistically, there's no way GM could do that and keep the game moving at a reasonable rate). But it could be an interesting real Old West frontier challenge. Things aren't always conveniently available, when and where you want them and need them. (From my little reading, riding 60 or 80 miles or so to take care of some basic thing was common).
b) Stay with the RAW and just carry on with a more standard action-y RPG.
Kind of a choice between Lonesome Dove, Unforgiven and Outlaw Jose Wales vs. John Wayne, etc., the classic TV Westerns, and The Man Who Had No Name. A hard call! There's a middle ground, of course. What do you guys think?
PCs
Re: House Rules
Option one would definitely be very realistic, and require some forward planning. I would be happy to make a list of the common period ammo/weapon matches.
Re: House Rules
I fully understand wanting to keep calibers separate, but I dont want to do, or make the gm start counting how many .22 or 45 we have.
We could break it down to light, standard and heavy for each weapon style?
Just late night thinking
We could break it down to light, standard and heavy for each weapon style?
Just late night thinking
Re: House Rules
I can help Thumper with a list if he wants. Not really that complicated and in truth several pistol rounds were also rifle rounds.
Re: House Rules
Unladen horse movement rates
I'm going to say that an unladen horse moves at the next higher category. For example, a horse with 11-15 Strength moves at the 16-20 rate. Unladen means carrying nothing, a saddle, bridle, and empty saddle bags, or up to 35 lbs.
Conversely, a horse carrying a rider plus more than 35 lbs is heavily laden. (Yes, the dread -encumbrance- rules rear their ugly heads). The horse must make a Strength saving throw or its movement while carrying the load goes to the next lower category.
I'm basing this on something I read about Comanches changing horses during raids. The would ride Horse A on the way to the raid, leading Horse B. Before the attack, they would leave Horse B a ways back, held by junior or rookie warriors. After the attack, they would ride rested Horse B and lead unladen Horse A. They could cover up to 100 miles a day doing that.
I'm going to say that an unladen horse moves at the next higher category. For example, a horse with 11-15 Strength moves at the 16-20 rate. Unladen means carrying nothing, a saddle, bridle, and empty saddle bags, or up to 35 lbs.
Conversely, a horse carrying a rider plus more than 35 lbs is heavily laden. (Yes, the dread -encumbrance- rules rear their ugly heads). The horse must make a Strength saving throw or its movement while carrying the load goes to the next lower category.
I'm basing this on something I read about Comanches changing horses during raids. The would ride Horse A on the way to the raid, leading Horse B. Before the attack, they would leave Horse B a ways back, held by junior or rookie warriors. After the attack, they would ride rested Horse B and lead unladen Horse A. They could cover up to 100 miles a day doing that.
PCs
Re: House Rules
Dog owners and dogs
Dog owners, going forward, whenever your dog is with you in the scene, please state what your PC wants the dog to do. Heel (accompany), stay (in that spot), explore (with eyes, ears and nose), etc. Please also make a 1d20 roll to guide GM on relative the success of the command. I'll make an offscreen analog die roll for the dog's success at understanding, overcoming any natural urges, and complying (notwithstanding any plain foolishness or blind misunderstanding of the situation of the command).
-State the owner's desired behavior
-Owner roll and posts1d20
-GM rolls an analog d20 for the canine
-GM posts outcome
Dog owners, going forward, whenever your dog is with you in the scene, please state what your PC wants the dog to do. Heel (accompany), stay (in that spot), explore (with eyes, ears and nose), etc. Please also make a 1d20 roll to guide GM on relative the success of the command. I'll make an offscreen analog die roll for the dog's success at understanding, overcoming any natural urges, and complying (notwithstanding any plain foolishness or blind misunderstanding of the situation of the command).
-State the owner's desired behavior
-Owner roll and posts1d20
-GM rolls an analog d20 for the canine
-GM posts outcome
PCs
Re: House Rules
Using more than one skill per strategic movement turn
Normally a character can use only one skill per turn. All of his attention is needed to use that skill effectively. Or could try doing more than one, at -3 to each for two skills, -5 to each for three skills.
Normally a character can use only one skill per turn. All of his attention is needed to use that skill effectively. Or could try doing more than one, at -3 to each for two skills, -5 to each for three skills.
PCs
Re: House Rules
Movement at night (not walking or crawling)
New Moon - 20%
Quarter Moon - 35%
Half Moon - 50%
Gibbous Moon - 65%
Full Moon - 80%
New Moon - 20%
Quarter Moon - 35%
Half Moon - 50%
Gibbous Moon - 65%
Full Moon - 80%
PCs
Re: House Rules
Wagons' Movement Rate
Wagons move faster than walking men (2 mph) but slower than stagecoaches (4-5 mph). So 3 miles per hour.
Wagons move faster than walking men (2 mph) but slower than stagecoaches (4-5 mph). So 3 miles per hour.
PCs
Re: House Rules
Speaking during Shootout Turns
Shootout turns are of course one second long, divided into six counts. Speaking such as yelling a warning or command will take as long as counts or turns as it naturally takes to say the words. We'll use the "one one thousand, two one thousand..." method for determining how long it takes for the speech. That would mean 4 syllables per one-second turn. So each syllable takes 1.5 counts (round down, because in a shootout turn we're in a hurry and tend to talk fast). So completing a yell of "Watch out!" or "Drop it!" (2 syllables each) would be on count 3.
A character could simultaneously be doing an action, such as drawing a weapon (3 counts, if not Fast Draw) or taking Steady aim (3 counts) or Careful aim (6 counts).
For discussion: Should there be a penalty to the shot for speaking while drawing or aiming? One's attention would be divided, so it seems that efficiency would naturally go down. For reference, shooting while walking is -2 and while running/trotting/galloping is -4.
Shootout turns are of course one second long, divided into six counts. Speaking such as yelling a warning or command will take as long as counts or turns as it naturally takes to say the words. We'll use the "one one thousand, two one thousand..." method for determining how long it takes for the speech. That would mean 4 syllables per one-second turn. So each syllable takes 1.5 counts (round down, because in a shootout turn we're in a hurry and tend to talk fast). So completing a yell of "Watch out!" or "Drop it!" (2 syllables each) would be on count 3.
A character could simultaneously be doing an action, such as drawing a weapon (3 counts, if not Fast Draw) or taking Steady aim (3 counts) or Careful aim (6 counts).
For discussion: Should there be a penalty to the shot for speaking while drawing or aiming? One's attention would be divided, so it seems that efficiency would naturally go down. For reference, shooting while walking is -2 and while running/trotting/galloping is -4.
PCs