We use a grid for our game so you can actually see where everyone is.

Now the following situation three pc's attack one target, lets say there all in front of the target, one straight, one left and one right. All three are in melee combat range and can attack the target with a melee weapon.

Two pc's attack the target with melee weapons and one draws out a ranged weapon.

The target chooses to dodge one melee attacker and to attack the other melee attacker. The pc with the ranged weapon has not been attacked this round.

So the question rises: is that pc in melee combat??

Obviously he will be shooting into melee combat and thus gets a -20 penalty, but he's also at point blank range and thus gets a +30 bonus. Moreover he can use his e.g. shotgun, plasmagun or whatever.

I would rule "No". A long as no one attacks him with a melee weapon or he attacks someone with one.

The only definition of being engaged in melee combat is on p. 192 of the DH core whereby if you end your movement adjacent to an adversary you are engaged with that opponent. Generally being on an adjacent square on a 1m by 1m grid would place you in melee combat with an opponent.

So, even though the ranged PC hasn't yet been attacked they would still technically be in melee combat and would have to take a step back in order to use basic weaponary or gain a short range bonus.

My rule is that if there is something is close enough to attack you in melee, then you are in melee combat.

This does mean that if one person has a melee weapon with a long reach (the grox whip from Rogue Trader is a melee weapon with a 3m range) then anyone within range is in melee combat. But if his opponents aren't close enough to use their melee weapons then he isn't in melee combat.

Thanks!

The page 192 helps a lot, although my say is law within my game, however it still helps a lot when I have RAW to back me up. I too am of the opinion that you are engaged in melee combat as soon as your adjacent to the target but it still is a bit shaky.

Per example, one exception I would be willing to make is if the target is surprised or I guess even when you have initiative in the first round, basically as long as 'a fight has not broken loose' you can shoot someone in the back with a shotgun at 1m distance (sounds painfull).

Come to think of it: if target is surprised its pointblank range bonus. If target is not surprised but you have initiative no PBR bonus, but you can still shoot your basic weapon once.