Question about range band difficulty

By briansz, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

I'm sorry if this is a very obvious part of the rulebook. I swear I found it once, but am unable to find it at all again, and it is driving me crazy.

If a weapon has a range of "Medium", what happens when they try to fire on a target at that is at range of "Long"? Is it a simple addition of a difficulty die? What is they are trying to fire on a target that is at "Short" range with a "Medium" range weapon?

Again, sorry if it is a silly question, but I, for the life of me, cannot find the answer anywhere. If there is a corresponding page number, that would also be appreciated. Thanks.

A (unmodded) weapon with a range of Medium cannot hit a target at Long (or Extreme) range. If it's firing at Medium range than the difficulty is Average/two difficulty dice, if it's at Short than it's Easy/one difficulty dice.

Basically; a weapon's listed range is an absolute limit, and the difficulty increases depending on the range, independently of a weapon's range (without mods or certain talents in play). Short/Easy, Medium/Average, Long/Hard, Extreme/Daunting.

Note that if you are Engaged with your target than Ranged Light attacks are Average, Ranged Heavy attacks are Hard and Gunnery attacks are impossible.

This is on page 205.

Edited by Rationalinsanity

Much appreciated. You've saved me a huge headache for tomorrow!

Just to add: you can shoot beyond a weapon's listed maximum range but it requires something like the the "Sniper Shot" talent to do so.

Under otherwise normal circumstances though the listed range is the max.

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

Our group had a case where they woke up in the forest and a creature was at Long Range from them. One character had a blaster pistol with a maximum range of Medium, but I allowed him to shoot at the creature.

The shot wouldn't do damage, but he would be able to use Advantage and Triumphs to possible startle or affect the creature or aid their allies.

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

Short range isn't just a few feet. That is engaged. Short range is still pretty far... about as far as you can hustle in a bit of time (since rounds can be as short or as long as needed for the situation). Figure it is, at most, the distance to run across an 8 lane freeway...

Even Engaged range is a pretty good chunk of ground. Since that's the minimum for melee people tend to compress it down to a few feet, but remember Engaged is also the area of effect for a blast weapon, which means it's more then just a few feet... unless your blast weapons are smaller then mine...

Edited by Ghostofman

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

Short range isn't just a few feet. That is engaged. Short range is still pretty far... about as far as you can hustle in a bit of time (since rounds can be as short or as long as needed for the situation). Figure it is, at most, the distance to run across an 8 lane freeway...

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

I like this idea. You're right, it doesn't make much sense for an energy weapon bolt to simply arc to the ground (slugthrower weapons, yes). I'll definitely be using some form of this in my campaign now.

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

I like this idea. You're right, it doesn't make much sense for an energy weapon bolt to simply arc to the ground (slugthrower weapons, yes). I'll definitely be using some form of this in my campaign now.

It isn't that it arcs to the ground, but that the beam disperses over some distance.

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

I like this idea. You're right, it doesn't make much sense for an energy weapon bolt to simply arc to the ground (slugthrower weapons, yes). I'll definitely be using some form of this in my campaign now.

Actually,

Energy weapons sort of behave the same way....

In star wars energy weapons are not "Lasers" per say. IF you look around you will se that enery weaponsin star wars are actually charged tibanna gas that is accelerated and "Fired" once they have sufficient charge. The Size of the weapon is directly related to how much gas is charged and how long it can hold that charge.

After effective range you may get hit with the blaster round.. but the stored energy in the tibanana gas shield has dissipated.

meaning no damage.

SO hand blasters shooting toothpick size charged gas shards at a range with finite distance.. all they way up to Turbolasers with a planetary range firing Energy rounds the size of Yugos...

Edited by Atraangelis

I houseruled this since some of my players really didn't like weapons having range limits like short where after several feet the shot just kinda goes limp or veers way off taget. So basically our houserule came up as you could attempt any shot but it would require a triumph on the roll per range band you wished to extend the shot (with normal difficulty for the range they where attempting to fire) making such shots very unlikely or at least far weakened (since those triumphs are not spent on cringing or other effects) than they would be otherwise

I like this idea. You're right, it doesn't make much sense for an energy weapon bolt to simply arc to the ground (slugthrower weapons, yes). I'll definitely be using some form of this in my campaign now.

Actually,

Energy weapons sort of behave the same way....

In star wars energy weapons are not "Lasers" per say. IF you look around you will se that enery weaponsin star wars are actually charged tibanna gas that is accelerated and "Fired" once they have sufficient charge. The Size of the weapon is directly related to how much gas is charged and how long it can hold that charge.

After effective range you may get hit with the blaster round.. but the stored energy in the tibanana gas shield has dissipated.

meaning no damage.

SO hand blasters shooting toothpick size charged gas shards at a range with finite distance.. all they way up to Turbolasers with a planetary range firing Energy rounds the size of Yugos...

True, but the point of the houserule was that triumph would be sufficient cost to say this was one of those rare shots that just made it, that despite all the factors against it just happened to have that extra umph or accuracy to actually do something. The lessened damage is represented not only by the extra difficulty for the increased range, but also simply because the triumph are being spent on range instead of giving it that extra power. It was just the difference between making it impossible (which the raw has without mods/talent) and merely unlikely (the houserule). Nothing wrong with the way the RAW has it, just did it since my players where unhappy with that one bit of the rule and it seemed like a very easy way that gave them that small chance of hitting at further ranges while still making the vast majority of shots just miss if fired beyond their range band anyways.

To me, the ranges in RAW have always been "Maximum Effective" range versus "Maximum Range". Maximum effective range in firearms terminology means the distance at which you have a reasonable chance to hit a target. Maximum range is the physical maximum range the round could be flung if you aimed your weapon up in the air at say a 45-degree angle and pulled the trigger. A .45 has a maximum effective of possibly 100 yards. It can probably fling a bullet 500 to 600 yards, but you aren't going to even attempt to shoot at a target at that range.

I like the Triumph idea listed above for shooting one range band beyond the weapon's effective range.