Hi all!

So I was wondering if there was any specific way that you measure range bands. In the rulebook there are several examples of possible situations, but I was wondering how you handle range and distance in your games.

P.S. - I know the range band system is abstract, but still.

Thanks!

I went the unpopular route of (loosely) defining my range bands using the following points, assuming trained (but not exceptional skill) and no optics:

A grenade should have ~15ft radius (engaged)

A pistol should max out at ~100feet (medium range)

A rifle should max out at ~900 feet (Long range)

Extreme and Short ranges are a bit harder, but I've gone with "extreme" being less than 8000ft (longest recorded sniper kill) and short being ~30feet for that "reflexive fire" feel.

A grenade should have ~15ft radius (engaged)

Meaning blast radius? Out of curiosity, do you have mini-grenades, like the Dutch V-40?

and short being ~30feet for that "reflexive fire" feel.

ISTR that the average gunfight these days happens at less than 6ft away. And Han was what … maybe … 3ft away?

We use the scale: Whisper, talk quietly, talk loudly, yell, megaphone. (All assumed in calm weather)

I'd love a foot yard or meter conversion too

Maybe 15 meters, 30 meters, 60+ meters as a range band?

I just describe it narratively in our games using the guidelines they gave in the book.

One thing I try to do is refer back to the relative ranges as I'm describing things.

"So the Stormtroopers are at Long Range from you, firing their rifles at you. The terminal you're trying to reach is at Medium Range from you."

Then somebody might move up to the terminal and I keep referencing the changed ranges to help everyone remember.

"You're engaged with the terminal now, and the Stormtroopers are at Medium Range from you."

A grenade should have ~15ft radius (engaged)

Meaning blast radius? Out of curiosity, do you have mini-grenades, like the Dutch V-40?

Yeah, in this system the blast radius of everything from grenades to proton torpedoes is Engaged, so that band is pretty big when it needs to be.

The v-40 might be a little beyond the scope of the game. The range band system keeps things fast and flowing, but you lose the ability to do things like the V-40 without the weapon having some crazy special rules.

A grenade should have ~15ft radius (engaged)

Meaning blast radius? Out of curiosity, do you have mini-grenades, like the Dutch V-40?

and short being ~30feet for that "reflexive fire" feel.

ISTR that the average gunfight these days happens at less than 6ft away. And Han was what … maybe … 3ft away?

I was using the "lethal radius" of a grenade, not total distance shrapnel is dispersed, or total radius for casualty production.. This number is based on the "official" distance for the US Army as per FM 3-23.30. I chose the smallest number for grenades to also reflect that Engaged is the distance of melee, and since this system does not have the damage drop off over distance of say, Shadowrun, where you can reflect the impact point differently than 45 feet out.

Edit: I also don't believe the standard grenade of FFG's Star Wars is equivalent to a modern day grenade, be it fragmentation or high explosive; as written a stormtrooper, a minion who can take less damage than even the frailest of starting characters, can hold a grenade in his hand mouth as it detonates and still be A-OK.

I'm not sure the point of the second comment is in regards to short range! Are you suggesting the short range band should be six feet?

I'm not sure the point of the second comment is in regards to short range! Are you suggesting the short range band should be six feet?

No, I was really more interested in learning how you handle certain kinds of doesn’t-quite-fit type situations.

The way you explained your damage bands lead me to believe that you might have some former military experience, and I wondered how that might color your game.

I don’t have any former military experience myself, but I did work as a government civilian employee in the Pentagon for a number of years, and I’ve had a number of friends over the years who were either currently in the military at the time, or who had previously been in the military.

Just curious is all.

I'm not sure the point of the second comment is in regards to short range! Are you suggesting the short range band should be six feet?

No, I was really more interested in learning how you handle certain kinds of doesn’t-quite-fit type situations.

Ah! So my information may be out of date, but I was under the impression the average handgun shooting took place at about ~20 feet; I believe this was the median value not mean, and taken from Law Enforcement Agencies. The Han shooting Greedo example I feel is a definite example of the engaged range band - either party could have leaned forwards and punched the other. Most muggings also probably fall into the engaged range band.

That said! My short range band is based less on that and more of the "point and shoot" mechanic of reflexive fire where you don't have time to aim. It's been some 8 years since I last did that course, but I (possibly incorrectly) remember the standard as hitting a (verified enemy) torso sized target at ~10 yards without aiming in a very short span of time.

If one of my players spoke up about a distance and presented an argument, either temporarily or for all future games, I would be inclined to side with them - if they cared enough to speak up about it there's probably something wrong with how I'm interpreting something!

The problem with assigning cut-and-dry "distances" to range bands is the timing of structured play. If a character takes no "move" maneuvers for a whole round of combat, are we to assume that he's got his feet planted firmly in his 1.5-meter fighting space for nearly a minute's worth of combat?

The answer is "no." The range bands are flex-y, like combat turn timing is flex-y, because they need to be for the narrative to flow properly. The descriptions in the core rulebook should be all you need to run your game. And if you need to come up with a specific range for something, then make a ruling on the spot, but my advice is to not be tempted to create a house rule for hard distance conversion rates.