Enhanced Tracking Stunt or New Technique

[Donny Brook]

I have a character with Enhanced Tracking and the Double Trouble Gun Fu Style.

I would like to build a new technique or a power stunt that would allow him to Aim without weapons in hand but have the Aim bonus for his next shot if he successfully Fast-Draws.

Any suggestions what that build would look like?

[The Benj]

Seems like it should maybe be a technique for Fast-Draw?

[Pursuivant]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I would like to build a new technique or a power stunt that would allow him to Aim without weapons in hand but have the Aim bonus for his next shot if he successfully Fast-Draws.

Realistically, this is exactly what "instinctive" shooters do. Visually acquire the target and track it as they bring their weapon to bear.

Getting actual Aim bonuses before Readying a weapon could easily be treated as a variant of the Evaluate maneuver, explained as very skilled "instinctive" range & speed discrimination based on experience, skill, and naturally good eyesight, or some sort of mojo.

I'd treat it as a leveled Perk, possibly with Weapon Master, Gunslinger, or Enhanced Tracking as a prerequisite.

Instinctive Targeting

For each Evaluate maneuver you take before you bring your weapon to bear you get a +1 Acc bonus, just as if you had taken an equivalent number of seconds to Aim. Maximum bonus is limited by your level of Instinctive Targeting. In effect, you "aim in advance" before Readying your weapon.

The only limitation is that you must be able to track the target, visually or otherwise, for the entire time that you "acquire" it. The GM can ignore very brief gaps in tracking as long as the target's speed and course are relatively predictable.

Bonuses from Instinctive Targeting are treated identically to Aim bonuses and follow all the rules for Aimed shots except for the need to focus on the weapon's sights. Bonuses from this perk and regular Aim maneuvers can be combined, ignoring intervening Ready maneuvers required to prepare the weapon for firing.

Increases in Acc due to Instinctive Targeting don't "stack" with bonuses gained from Precision Aiming, since they cover the same sorts of ranging techniques.

Instinctive Targeting can be combined with a Fast-Draw roll to ready your weapon but if you fail your roll you lose accumulated bonuses. You must start over or just use regular Aim maneuvers.

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by Donny Brook

I have a character with Enhanced Tracking and the Double Trouble Gun Fu Style.

I would like to build a new technique or a power stunt that would allow him to Aim without weapons in hand but have the Aim bonus for his next shot if he successfully Fast-Draws.

Any suggestions what that build would look like?

I'd call it a perk: "Rules Exemption (Can aim without a drawn weapon)"

[Farmer]

Are you talking about getting a +1, or getting the accuracy of the weapon? Why not Gunslinger, or a variation thereof? Effectively, you get the aim before you draw as you have it immediately upon fast drawing. If you want the shooter to take a second before drawing to get it, reduce the price of Gunslinger for the limitation?

[Donny Brook]

Thanks for the input all.

Here is what I have decided to pitch to the GM as a new Technique:


Unready Weapon Aiming (Hard)

Default: Fast-draw -2*
Prerequisite: Enhanced Tracking, Fast-Draw (Weapon)

A character with Enhanced Tracking can use this Technique to get the benefits of Aim Manouevers without having their weapon in hand. Effectively the character is using one of their Enhanced Tracking targets to track the location of their weapon while 'Aiming'.

To use the technique the character declares the Aim maneouver on a turn, tracking no more that one fewer target than her number of levels of Enhanced Tracking. As usually this accumulates the Acc bonus of the weapon. The character may continue to take the Aim maneuover on subsequent turns for the usual benefit of extra Aiming. If the character is prevented from maintaining Aim (e.g. changing maneuover, or losing perception of the target) the accumulated bonuses are lost.

On the turn the character chooses to fire, she first must use this technique to Fast-Draw the weapon. If the roll is successful she may then make an Attack with the weapon using the accumulated benefits from previous turns of Aiming.



[*Calculation:
-2 for minor distraction (B548)
-1 exemption to usual rule: weapon readiness (MA92)
+1 drawback: one less target for Enhanced Tracking (MA92)]