Missile Weapon penalty for firing vs prone target?

[John.A.Hanna]

A question was posed recently by a player who only had the Melee rules:

What is the penalty of a missile weapon user against a prone target?


I am interested in everyone's perspectives and their associated reference...

[hcobb]

If they don't have cover then the limited mobility exactly counters the reduced profile.

[Kale]

The target is harder to hit, but also gets a lower dodge roll because they are on the ground if already prone. A target that drops to the ground to dodge gets +3 to dodge on the turn they dropped, but after that they defend as prone against all attacks. This means unless you drop behind something for cover, you're pretty much done for in subsequent rounds.
I dug out my quick combat sheets and looked up the numbers:

While prone: -4 attack, -3 defense for the prone character

Attacker's ranged roll is -2 if the prone target has no cover at all, otherwise depends on degree of cover, typically -6 to hit for good cover, or -4 if the cover is small enough that the shooter can mostly guess where the target is behind cover. Partially see-through cover like a sparse bush is -2.
So shooting a prone (-2) character behind a bush that can be partly seen through (-2) is -4 total. A character standing behind a small door would be -4 for small but decent cover, or -6 if they were prone behind it. Shooting through a wall would be -6, or -8 if the target was also prone.

Note that whenever you can't see the target due to cover skill caps out at 9.

[Jeff Lord]

Huh? Is this GURPS?

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by John.A.Hanna

A question was posed recently by a player who only had the Melee rules:

What is the penalty of a missile weapon user against a prone target?


I am interested in everyone's perspectives and their associated reference...

The DX adjustment is -4. This is under "Concealment" ITL p 122 and repeated on the GM screen.

[hcobb]

ITL 122: "-4 if your target is half-hidden, or prone{{,}} or kneeling behind a body."

Does anybody else see the comma that isn't there?

[Chris Rice]

Originally Posted by hcobb

ITL 122: "-4 if your target is half-hidden, or prone{{,}} or kneeling behind a body."

Does anybody else see the comma that isn't there?

True. It's clearer on the GM screen