Re: (TFT) Firing from behind a tree?

[Richard Walters <rick.walters@yahoo.com>]

Metagaming produced a "Fantasy Masters' Screen" which concicely lists a great many DX adjustments on the GM's side. Sgt Hulka lists three from the book, and the screen doesn't "always" agree with the books, but here is some of what is listed that I think might have berring.
 
Target's Environment:
    in Shadow Hex                                                            -4
 
Missile Combat Bonuses
    attacker half hidden                                                     -2
    target half hidden or target prone/kneel behind body      -4
    target has only head and shoulders showing                -6
    crossbow on support (supported)                                +2
    crossbow prone                                                        +1

I think it's important to note that neither the screen or the books seem to suggest what to do when you're not dealing with a missile weapon attack. I've seen GM's stick to the adjustments for missile weapons for swords, and I've seen others create their own adjustments according to the terrain based on common sense. 

It is also interesting to note that the screen puts all the adjustments above in the column "for fighter" and not in the column "for wizard".  But, even though this is the case, I've  never seen a GM give a missle weapon from a wizard special to hit consideration when the target is obscured.  There seems to be concensus that a missile is a missile.  

I included the shadow hex DX adjustment above because you're talking about trees and under a tree you can also have significant shading if the opponent is out in a sunny field 10 mega hexes away.

Personally, I like to do my own adjustments according to common sense.  Certainly the size of the target is important, but there is no DX adjustment for hitting a dwarf or gnome, a target nearly half the size of a normal sized human.   A person behind a tree hiding from a flail attack is making a miscalculation in my opinion.  A flail can hit you hiding behind most any shield, but there isn't a specified DX adjustment in the rules for the special nature of a flail to get around corners.  Jabbing weapons, on the other hand, might be harder to hit with if the target is half behind a tree. A sword swung horizonally would seem to suffer close to no DX adjustment against a target half hidden by a verticial tree.  Swing the same sword vertically, and it seems that the DX adjustment should exist.  

Hope some of this helps.

Good Fortune,
Richard



----- Original Message ----
From: Sgt Hulka <hulkasgt@yahoo.com>
To: tft@brainiac.com
Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 10:32:30 PM
Subject: Re: (TFT) Firing from behind a tree?

Page 22 of Advanced Melee has Dex adjustments for concealment. They break down to being:

-2 if YOU are vertically half-hidden (leaning out from behind a tree or a wall and firing)
-4 if your target is half-hidden 
-6 if only your targets head and shoulders are exposed

So firing at a guy behind a tree would be -4 adjDex, or -6 if you're also behind a tree.

I'm not sure if it says anywhere whether this adjDex effects initiative order and/or the number of shots you can take per round. 

--- On Fri, 9/26/08, joel siragher <joel.siragher@gmail.com> wrote:

> From: joel siragher <joel.siragher@gmail.com>
> Subject: (TFT) Firing from behind a tree?
> To: tft@brainiac.com
> Date: Friday, September 26, 2008, 3:36 PM
> Firing from behind a tree?
> 
> 
> half cover?
> 
> taking my queue from herogames that be something like being
> -2 DX to hit the
> covered person?
> 
> how do you handle it?
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