Penalty for for having to shoot down a tube?

[BraselC5048]

Shooting contest came up, and a quick question - one part calls for shooting down a tube without hitting the sides. Obviously as penalty, but how big? Leading possibilities (to me) are -6, -8 and -10.

Any quick opinions?

[Christopher R. Rice]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

Shooting contest came up, and a quick question - one part calls for shooting down a tube without hitting the sides. Obviously as penalty, but how big? Leading possibilities (to me) are -6, -8 and -10.

Any quick opinions?

I'd treat the penalty as -2 plus the pipe's size modifier. So a pipe that is 3.5” from side to side would be at -10 to shoot down (-2 + -8 for the pipe's size).

[acrosome]

Originally Posted by Ghostdancer

I'd treat the penalty as -2 plus the pipe's size modifier. So a pipe that is 3.5” from side to side would be at -10 to shoot down (-2 + -8 for the pipe's size).

Logically, assuming that you are standing pretty close to the near end of the tube, just look up the tube's inside diameter on the speed/range table, then look up it's length on the speed/range table. E.g shooting down a 7-yard long (-3) and 5" diameter pipe (-7) is total -10.

In other words, the feat you describe is mechanistically identical to hitting a target the same size as the tube dimeter at a distance equal to the tube length.

If you aren't standing within 2 yards or so of the near end of the pipe I might add a bit more modifier. Maybe I'd add the range modifier to the near end of the tube, too, or something, but not a bonus.

[BraselC5048]

Originally Posted by acrosome

Logically, assuming that you are standing pretty close to your end of the tube, justlook up the tube's inside diameter on the speed/range table, then look up it's length on the speed/range table.

In other words, the feat you describe is mechanistically identical to hitting a target the same size as the tube dimeter at a distance equal to the tube length.

If you aren't standing within 2 yards or so of your end of the pipe I might add a bit more modifier.

Range is likely going to be 5 yards. On the other hand, no aiming allowed, so you can't simply look down the sight to line yourself up with the end, you have to eyeball it. (Being directly out from the end of the tube, that is.) Failing to get exactly lined up would result in missing.

[whswhs]

What's the tube's diameter, what's its length, and how close to it are you? And can you see all the way down its length to the opening at the other end?

Bill Stoddard

[BraselC5048]

Originally Posted by whswhs

What's the tube's diameter, what's its length, and how close to it are you? And can you see all the way down its length to the opening at the other end?

Bill Stoddard

2" diameter, 20" length, dark on the far end, 5 yards from the end. (or more exactly, range is 5 yards.) It's hard to see the exact angle of the tube, but there's a short line in front of it to indicate straight down the tube.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by BraselC5048

2" diameter, 20" length, dark on the far end, 5 yards from the end. (or more exactly, range is 5 yards.) It's hard to see the exact angle of the tube, but there's a short line in front of it to indicate straight down the tube.

Okay. In effect, what you are trying to do is shoot the opening at the far end of the tube, which is 5 yd + 20 in away; that's 200 in. That's more than 5 yd, so the range penalty is -3. The diameter is 2 in, which would normally be -9; but it's perfectly symmetrical, rather than elongated in any direction, which is good for +2, so -7. As a cross check, it's roughly as hard as shooting someone in the eye, which is -9.

Summing up the size and range penalties gets between -10 and -12. I'd probably call it -10, or "impossible."

Or I might just say "you can do it on a critical success on Guns."

Bill Stoddard

[Icelander]

This might rate a penalty ranging from a small one to impossible for a method of attack which assumed an arcing shot.

For any kind of attack which assumed negliable variation from a more-or-less straight line to the target*, it wouldn't add any penalty apart from altering the situation from a zero stress situation to one where failure had consequences.

*Such as most uses of modern firemarms within a reasonable range for a combat situation from the target.

[Xplo]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Okay. In effect, what you are trying to do is shoot the opening at the far end of the tube

It's actually worse than that; not only do you have to shoot the opening at the far end of the tube, but you have to do it from a specific angle, and apparently you're not allowed to use the gun sights to look down the tube and make sure you're at that angle, either. I'm not sure what a physically-accurate modifier would be for that, but doubling the larger of the size and range modifiers might be reasonable.

Using your numbers, that would make the total modifier -17.

I might just say "you can do it on a critical success on Guns."

That seems to be about the size of it, unless the shooter is basically a god of shooting. Hope he has Luck; he'll probably need it.

[BraselC5048]

Well, -9 for target size, -2 for range, +2 for round target, that's -9. And that's what counts against the 22 + 2 x Acc limit. It's just at the limit of what the character can do, so -10 modifier on top of that would be pretty hard, too hard in fact. -8 is doable on top of that is doable, though. Just barely. So -17 (-8 on top of range/target size) is just within what the character can do with an acceptable target number to hit.

Of course, from Tactical Shooting, the character's getting +8 from non-combat bonuses, and of course +1 for All out Attack. Weapon Bond adds another +1.

Ok then, that's what I needed to know.