Small Targets

[TippetsTX]

ITL pg 116 states...

Oversized Targets
Everything else being equal, a big target is easier to hit. Therefore, missile and thrown weapons, and missile spells, get a DX bonus when aimed at multi-hex figures.

So why isn't there a similarly uniform (but opposite) rule for small targets? Cats get a -3 DX advantage, but rats and scum bunnies don't.

Has anyone addressed this discrepancy w/ a house rule in their games?

[hcobb]

Making rats harder to hit would increase their FP.

Already the guidelines of "They are usually found in groups of at least 50 to 100," gives an even match for three to six competent adventurers.

2d6 rats per party member is more in line with a "Nuisance" encounter.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Making rats harder to hit would increase their FP.

I'm just using rats as an example. The point is that there are several small to tiny creatures that probably should be harder to hit in general. It just seems logical.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

It just seems logical.

Will you also increase Rat sprinting MA to the measured value of 44?

Mark their vision as limited to one hex?

Give them a spread disease effect of their bites?

Give them their acute hearing, keen nose and super diving talents?

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Will you also increase Rat sprinting MA to the measured value of 44?

Mark their vision as limited to one hex?

Give them a spread disease effect of their bites?

Give them their acute hearing, keen nose and super diving talents?

Those qualities are obviously beyond the scope of this discussion. I'm not interested in 'rat simulation', only whether it makes sense to add a general rule for attacking small targets.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

Those qualities are obviously beyond the scope of this discussion. I'm not interested in 'rat simulation', only whether it makes sense to add a general rule for attacking small targets.

Sure, -4 to attack Rat sized targets and +4 because they're crawling.

If you fire an arrow into a hex with a lot of rats then roll to hit each one (at -4 for size) until you hit one. On a roll of four you Shish kebab two on the same arrow. (Three for three of course.)

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Sure, -4 to attack Rat sized targets and +4 because they're crawling.

Again, we're only talking about a size-based modifier here. It won't matter if the target is moving or not.

My current thinking is to use the Halfling bonus against Giant attacks as a baseline. I'm assuming that a Halfling is something like a quarter of the Giant's size, so any target that is 20-30% of the attacker's size would be -2 DX to hit.

[hcobb]

The rat isn't bigger than your head (see page 122) but is less evasive so the -4 +4 applies.

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by hcobb

The rat isn't bigger than your head (see page 122) but is less evasive so the -4 +4 applies.

I thought about that, but I'm not convinced that the 'Aimed Shot' rules are the right analogue. Size of the target is not the only factor in hitting somebody's arm, for example.

[JLV]

Originally Posted by hcobb

The rat isn't bigger than your head (see page 122) but is less evasive so the -4 +4 applies.

I don't know about that...in real life I've seen a rat the size of a typical house cat or small dog. They're pretty scary.