New Styles: Outlaw Tactics

Following up yesterday's post on ranged martial arts appropriate to military type characters, I have a series on "Outlaw"tactics, which represent the sort of tactics that criminals, bandits or lawmen might wield, with a primary focus on blaster pistols, blaster rifles and plasma shotguns.

This post does not include the additional rules from yesterday's post.  See that post if you need a reference to an unfamiliar perk.

Pistol Tactics

This style represents common combat tactics with pistols, including how a lawman might fight (especially someone inspired by a police officer or intelligence agent), or how a criminal might fight, all combined into a single "style." I wrote this style as a compilation of useful pistol techniques and perks, derived from Modern Pistol from Tactical Shooting, and as a placeholder for common pistol tactics.  I don't intend it to be taken as an actual style (but feel free!)

Skills: Fast-Draw (Pistol), Beam Weapons (Pistol)

Techniques: Close-Quarters Battle (Pistol), Immediate Action (Any), Quick-Shot (Pistol), Retain Weapon (Any)

Perks: Armourer’s Gift, Barricade Tactics (Cover is worth -3 rather than -2), Battle Drills, Cool Under Fire, Grip Mastery (Pistol), Intuitive Armorer (Pistol), Lightning Fingers (Stun vs Blast), Motorized Training, Standard Operating Procedure, Sure-Footed (Unven), Tap-Rack-Bang (Pistol), Trademark Move, Weapon Bond.

Optional Traits: Acute Vision, Combat Reflexes, Fearlessness,

Optional Skills: Brawling, Law (Law Enforcement), Savoir-Faire (Police), Wrestling

Signature Moves

Combat Assault: While holding the pistol in two hands (reduce bulk by 1), make a Move and Attack. Move up to your full movement and roll Close-Quarter Battle-2 (or -0), using full RoF 3. Successful hits strike a random hit location and deal deal 3d(5) burn. You may dodge, but you may not retreat or drop.

Fire From Cover: Momentarily come up out of cover (Pop-up fire, -2 or -0) and, while firing one-handed, make a sighted (-4 if masked) All-Out (Determined, +1) attack at the torso (-0) of your opponent using full RoF 3, and then return to full cover. Roll Beam Weapons (Pisol)-1 (or+1). Hits deal 3d(5) burn. You may not defend. Attacks made against you while you’re out of full cover still count as partial cover: -2 to hit you (-3 with barricade tactics). Setup: You began the turn in full cover.

Quick Shot Tactics: While firing two-handed, make an unsighted Quick Shot (Pistol-6 or -3) with the pistol raised at chest height at up to two targets. Roll a random hit location. Hits deal 3d(5) burn. You may defend normally.

Fast-Draw Fire: Draw your weapon one-handed and immediately fire it from a hip-shooting position. Roll Fast-Draw (Pistol) +3, then make an unsighted hip-shot (Beam Weapons (Pistol) -0) at the torso (-0). Deal 3d(5) damage. You may defend normally. Setup: Your weapon is holstered.

Immediate Action: If you critically failed a roll, your blaster pistol might be jammed. Roll Armoury (Small Arms), IQ-based Soldier, or IQ-based Beam Weapons (Rifle) at -4 to clear the jam. If you fail, it’s worse than a jam and won’t fire again without being dismantled and rebuilt. Tap-Rack-Bang make this a free action. Setup: You rolled a critical failure last turn.

Grapple Shot: Make an All-Out Attack (Double). First, grapple your opponent (DX or a grappling skill). Then make a close-combat (-2 or 0) Beam Weapons (Pistol) shot at +4 by placing the weapon in full contact with your opponent’s vitals (-3) and firing full RoF (+0). Roll Beam Weapons (Pistol) -1 (or +1) to hit. Opponent may parry as well as dodge, but both parry is at -0 and dodge is at +1. Success deals 3d(5) burn damage, tripled after DR. This is a preferred tactic for assassination and holdout blasters (2d(5) burn damage). You may not defend. Setup: You’re in close combat.

Pistol Whip: Make an All-Out Attack (Determined+4) and roll DX or Brawling to strike your target in the head (-5). Success deals thr-1 + (1 for holdout blaster, 2 for pistol, 3 for heavy pistol) crushing damage. Any shock causes a HT roll or stunning.

The Way of the Galaxy

The Way of the Galaxy, which might have some different name, works exactly as described in Gun-Fu.  It's a fine style, and fits, though definitely consider adding several of the optional techniques (Close-Hip Shooting) and perks (Bank Shot).  This is definitely a style worth taking.  With additions like Meditation and bringing Blindfighting and Zen Marskmanship up to the fore, it can even gain as much spiritual resonance as a typical Force Sword technique.

Signature Moves

Shoot First: While your weapon is holstered, make a Fast-Draw (Pistol)+3 roll for an unsighted hip-shot, with any bonus you have from Fastest Gun in the West in case of contests. Make an unsighted hip-shot attack with your Beam Weapons (Pistol) (+0). If you have the Quick Sheath perk, you may make another Fast-Draw+3 roll to return the weapon to its holster. Offer to pay for damages. You may defend normally. Setup: Your weapon is holstered.

Mercy: Make a sighted (-4 if masked) all-out attack (determined) (+1) beam weapons (pistol) shot for the target’s weapon (-3 to -5). Success disarms opponent. You may not defend.

Double Trouble: Make an unsighted, hip-shot (+3 fast-draw/cascading waits) dual-weapon (-4 then -8) attack against two separate targets.

Skipshot: With a blaster rifle, make a shoulder-fired, sighted bankshot (-2) with All-Out Attack (Determined) (+1) for someone in cover.  You may strike them even behind full cover.  Roll a random hit location.  You may not defend. Setup: Your target is in full cover.

Burn Cover: With a plasma shotgun, make a shoulder-fired sighted All-Out Attack (Determined) (+1) for the top of someone’s cover (+4 for targeting a point). Roll Beam Weapons (Rifle)+5. Success means the character is not directly hit, but is caught in the explosive radius. Apply damage without an armor divisor. If the character has Cinematic Knockback (Plasma), apply it to double the knockback and throw the target out of cover.

Huntsman Tactics

Star Wars draws a lot of its inspiration from old Wild West films, and the Way of the Galaxy represents how a cowboy fights.  Well, what about how an "Indian" fights?  The Apache were lethal warriors with their rifles, skilled at mounted shooting, ambushes and sniper tactics.  The same sorts of tactics have been used by snipers and hunters for eons.

The following style represents the tactics a character might use if he focused on a more primal connection with the wild in addition to his training with a rifle.  It borrows from some of the optional skills of Sniper and from the Rifleman style of Tactical Shooting, creating an amalgamation that relies on fewer attacks, careful care of the weapon, and outsmarting one's opponent.  It's a good style for any hunter, but given that the average "Core" character is very urban, this better represents characters from the Rim who have either gone native, or were "native" to begin with.

The style differs from region to region, depending on the demands of the area.  Characters from mountains will learn different Survival skills and Sure-Footed perks than characters from the desert, and on worlds were domesticated riding beasts are more practical/available than vehicles, they may well learn riding and cavalry techniques.

The Tacticool perk represents the tendency among such characters to personalize their weapon.  Consider allowing its bonuses for things like cloth-wrapped butts, dangling talismans and intricate runic carvings too.

Skills: Beam Weapons (Rifle), Camouflage, Observation, Survival (Any single), Stealth

Techniques: Immediate Action (Rifle), Masked Shooting (Rifle), Quick Shot (Rifle), Retain Weapon (Rifle) Targeted Attack (Rifle/Skull or Vitals)

Cinematic Techniques: Disappear

Perks: Armor’s Gift (Any), Bank Shot, Battle Drills, Cool under Fire, Dead Eye, Intuitive Armorer, Lightning Fingers (Rifle), Sure-Footed (Any!), Skip Shot, SOP (Back to the Wall, Cleaning Bug, Move under Cover, On Alert), Tacticool (Talismans), Tap-Rack-Bang, Weapon Bond

Optional Attributes: HT

Advantages: Danger Sense, Enhanced Dodge (Dive for Cover), Gunslinger, Night Vision, Language (One appropriate to the local natives)

Optional Skills: Armoury (Small Arms), Knife, Riding, Spear, Staff, Tactics, Tracking, Traps

Optional Techniques: Cavalry Training, Cavalry Riding, Motorized Combat, Mounted Shooting, Quick Mount, Staying Seated

Optional Perks: No Nuisance Rolls (Riding, for spooking mount with shot)

Signature Moves

Lethal Shot: While braced either in a prone position or with your weapon resting on cover, make an aimed (-4 if in a mask) attack at a target’s vitals(-3). Roll Beam Weapons (Rifle)+11. You may add +5 to subsequent shots on the same target without aiming. You may defend normally, but doing so ruins your aim or follow-up shots. You are -2 to hit with ranged fire if prone or behind cover (-3 if behind cover with Barricade Tactics). Setup: You aimed a braced weapon.

Vanish!: Make a movement action for new cover, (different from the one you’re in). If you can reach cover, roll Disappear (Stealth-10). This means nobody in the field knows where you are currently located. Setup: You’ve been spotted!

Fire From Cover: Momentarily come up out of cover (Pop-up fire, -2 or -0) and, while shoulder firing, make a sighted (-4 if masked) All-Out (Determined, +1) attack at the torso of your opponent using full RoF 3, and then return to full cover. Roll Beam Weapons (Rifle)-1 (or+1). Hits deal 5d(5) burn. You may not defend. Setup: You’re in cover.

Cavalry Charge: While your mount moves, make a shoulder-fired sighted (-4 if masked) all-out Determined (+1) cavalry attack (-4). Make a Beam Weapons(Rifle)-3 roll. Success hits your target and inflicts 6d(5) burn. You may not defend (but your mount may!). Setup: You’re on a horse (or the alien equivalent). See the optional techniques and skills below!

Situational Awareness: Make a Concentrate maneuver and make a Perception roll (+2 if you have Combat Reflexes, plus additional modifiers as deemed appropriate by the GM). You can attempt to spot hidden opponents, or sudden changes in the battlefield.

Spotting: Make a Concentrate maneuver and make an Observation roll as a complementary roll to an ally’s aimed attack. If you had Dead Eye, you can pass that benefit on to an ally if your Observation roll is successful. Setup: You have an ally preparing to make an aimed shot.