Defensive Attack (Ranged) for non-throwing weapons

Plane · 01-01-2020, 11:45 AM

The first I can find of Defensive Attack (Ranged) is under T Bone's "Hurling" (page 27 of Pyramid 3/34, one of the "Ten Tweaks to Customize Combat") where he proposed allowing it if a thrown weapon not only takes a penalty to damage, but also a penalty to range.

This was a compliment to the idea of allowing AOA (Ranged): Strong for a damage/range bonus (instead of just Determined for a bonus to hit) and also Committed Attack.

If allowing this (sounds reasonable) it seems wrong to not also have a version for non-throwing weapons (where you can make inferior ranged attacks and get a defence bonus). Allowing the expanded maneuvers in GURPS Martial Arts makes ranged combat more interesting too! Cole ran well with that in 3/77's "On Target" by also approaching Committed Attack (Ranged) but in the "Determined" rather than "Strong" sense.

But... applying a damage/range penalty to guns (or even bows/crossbows: you spent readies drawing them back!) doesn't make conceptual sense.

MA100 noted for grapples (since there was no damage to penalize) that instead of a damage penalty, a defensive grapple attack was +1 to defend against.

Is it fair to do that, or should it maybe be something like -2 to hit instead since it's easier to make surprise attacks with ranged weapons?

01-01-2020, 11:45 AM	#1
Plane Join Date: Aug 2018	Defensive Attack (Ranged) for non-throwing weapons The first I can find of Defensive Attack (Ranged) is under T Bone's "Hurling" (page 27 of Pyramid 3/34, one of the "Ten Tweaks to Customize Combat") where he proposed allowing it if a thrown weapon not only takes a penalty to damage, but also a penalty to range. This was a compliment to the idea of allowing AOA (Ranged): Strong for a damage/range bonus (instead of just Determined for a bonus to hit) and also Committed Attack. If allowing this (sounds reasonable) it seems wrong to not also have a version for non-throwing weapons (where you can make inferior ranged attacks and get a defence bonus). Allowing the expanded maneuvers in GURPS Martial Arts makes ranged combat more interesting too! Cole ran well with that in 3/77's "On Target" by also approaching Committed Attack (Ranged) but in the "Determined" rather than "Strong" sense. But... applying a damage/range penalty to guns (or even bows/crossbows: you spent readies drawing them back!) doesn't make conceptual sense. MA100 noted for grapples (since there was no damage to penalize) that instead of a damage penalty, a defensive grapple attack was +1 to defend against. Is it fair to do that, or should it maybe be something like -2 to hit instead since it's easier to make surprise attacks with ranged weapons?