Hitting the wrong target.

[Gollum]

I searched in the Basic Set to find the rule "Hitting the wrong target" (which was page 117 in the Third Edition) and I have not found it...

Did I miss something or did this rule disappear?

[Ogbendog]

Page 389.

not in the index, annoyingly

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by Ogbendog

Page 389.

not in the index, annoyingly

Neither in the contents...

Thank you very much for this quick answer.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, just a question about this rule.

Why not using it for melee attacks?

Indeed, in the french GURPS forum, we are discussing about a problem: when to or more characters are attacking the same foe, they can easily hit the wrong target... They must be very cautious, especially when they use swinging attacks...

So, why not using this rule: in this case, when you miss and when your friend is just near you, you roll under 9 to see if you hit him...

[Ogbendog]

sounds like a reasonable house rule.

although what if the person swung from overhead... I'd be tempted to say that this rule only kicks in if they miss by a lot, maybe if they miss by 1 less than a fumble

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by Ogbendog

sounds like a reasonable house rule.

although what if the person swung from overhead... I'd be tempted to say that this rule only kicks in if they miss by a lot, maybe if they miss by 1 less than a fumble

To my mind, this rule can be used as it is written for ranged weapons, i.e. only when the GM think that there is a good chance that someone else can be hit (ooops... I don't know if this sentence is comprehensible). Mainly with horizontal swings, for instance.

[Ogbendog]

but how do you know if someone is swinging horizontally?

[Gollum]

Originally Posted by Ogbendog

but how do you know if someone is swinging horizontally?

First, I ask often ask my player how they exactly do what they do (especially when it is important, of course).
Second, it depends on the limb which is aimed at. A vertical swing, for instance, cannot hit the ribs or a leg...

[Nikolai]

Originally Posted by Gollum

Why not using it for melee attacks?

Originally Posted by Gollum

So, why not using this rule: in this case, when you miss and when your friend is just near you, you roll under 9 to see if you hit him...

Have you seen the official rule for Hitting the Wrong target when striking into close combat from outside close combat? That covers much of what you want. I don't have my books with me, but it should be on the last page of the tactical combat chapter (I believe that is p. B392).

[HeroPenguin]

Originally Posted by Nikolai

Have you seen the official rule for Hitting the Wrong target when striking into close combat from outside close combat? That covers much of what you want. I don't have my books with me, but it should be on the last page of the tactical combat chapter (I believe that is p. B392).

You beat me to it, and that is indeed the correct page number. For long weapons, I don't think it'd be a stretch to use the same sort of rules for firing past other targets, allowing the penalty to be (at least partially) bought off with a technique. The big difference, of course, is the hard cap on the reach of the attack.

[Black_Jack]

Gollum, quelle est l'adresse du forum français de gurps, merci.