The purpose of these house rules is to address the situations where ranged weapons are used in or into different forms of melee combat. There are very few "new rules" as such, mostly its minor changes, clarifications on what is possible and what is not and which skill (WS or BS) is used in which situation. Please do notice: These rules assume all Dark Heresy rules are in effect unless expressly stated otherwise.

Shooting in melee

• Pistol weapons can be used in melee and are treated as normal ranged attacks using Ballistic Skill (BS) with all ranged attack modifiers in effect. This simulates the ease with which small pistol weapons can be used in melee. Note: You still don't get Point Blank range bonus as stated in Point Blank rules.
• Basic weapons can be used in melee but are treated as melee attacks using Weapon Skill (WS) with all melee attack modifiers in effect. This simulates the fact that while you can get your barrel pointed towards enemy and shoot him the action is more like trying to stab someone with sword or small spear than target shooting. Basic weapon attack in melee can be parried.
• Bows, slings and bolas cannot be used in melee. They require room to operate.
• Heavy weapons cannot be used in melee.
• Grenades can be detonated in melee (its not advisable, but you can do it). Throwing grenades (or anything else for that matter) out of melee falls under the rules of “other actions while in melee”.

Other actions while in melee

• Character in melee with active opponent(s) is considered to be pinned into melee. He can attack his melee opponents, defend against them or try to move away but the active melee makes it hard for him to concentrate on anything outside melee. If character wants to make ranged attack or take any other action on target outside melee he must pass Willpower check as if being under Suppressive Fire. This is a normal Pinning test and affected by all Feats as usual. If you pass the pinning test you can shoot of take other actions targeting those outside melee but melee attacks against you are made with +10 bonus. You cannot use aim action out of melee without provoking an attack of opportunity as per Fleeing rules.

Shooting into grappling

• Shooting a grappling enemy from outside melee range is handled as Shooting into Melee regardless of weapon type.
• Shooting a grappling enemy from melee range is possible with pistol or basic weapons and used Weapon Skill (WS) test with the +20 bonus for attacking a grappling enemy. This assumes the shooter is not the one who is being grappled.

Shooting while grappling

• When grappled, you can shoot the enemy with a pistol. This is handled just before the grappling and is a Weapon Skill (WS) check. Shooting while grappling is a full action and prevents you from making a grappling check to escape grapple, wrestling away a weapon or do grappling damage later during the round.

Grasping a weapon while grappling

• When grappling an opponent with a weapon you can try to capture the weapon. This is an opposed strength check and is make instead of the normal grappling attack. If you succeed you can, instead of doing grappling damage, take control of the weapon.

Polaria said:

Are you kidding?! So I can melee with a pistol at +30% for point blank? Why in all the millions of the Emperor's worlds would anyone ever use a melee weapon? I can just burst fire a bolt pistol (at +40%!) into my foe and not bother developing that pesky Weapon Skill or buying all those expensive multiple attacks talents. If I put the appropriate optics on my bolt pistol I can push this up to +50%... Needs a SERIOUS rework to even be laughable.

Thanks for posting this, Polaria. But your house-rule does invoke a question. Since I do not read it in your version, can I assume that you have thrown out the provoked attack (with bonuses) of an opponent in melee that gets completely ignored by his counterpart?

While I have great respect for your ideas, I have to say that I'm a bit disappointed by that, if that is the case. JMHO.

@SisterCat: No, provoked attack still counts if you are trying to leave melee (flee) by using movement action. It does not count for shooting, throwing or using psychic powers to outside target while being in melee since you are still assumed to be denfending yourself. If someone wants to completely ignore opponent (for example do an aim action) without moving away you are free to give the opponent an extra attack as per Fleeing rules.

@ZillaPrime: As I noted in the start all normal rules are in effect unless stated otherwise... Thus: Point blank rule which expressly states that you do not get the +30 in close combat applies. If you want to enforce melee weapons on people, then you are free to remove aiming device modifiers from the BS check of pistol. However, thats not realistic in any way, but its your game so who am I to stop you

I edited the rules for clarity on those parts.

Okay, got it. Thanks.