Suppressive fire is like a ranged intimidation attack. I would use weapon skill vs. cool or disciple depending on the career. If the weapon has autofire then it could affect an area instead of 1 target. I would limit it to short range.

SUPPRESSIVE FIRE

Can NOT combine with the AIM action. As an Action you can:

Each success = 1 setback die which would last until the beginning of the attackers next turn

Each advantage = 1 Strain

Triumph = hit by attack as normal

Threat could equal strain attacker takes, or boost dice to attack the attacker since he has to be more out in the open, 3-4 threat out of ammo,etc.

Despair could be out of ammo, or attack left himself exposed, etc.

I think 1 setback die per success is a tad much.

I'd perhaps go for per 2 additional successes as +1 setback die.

Advantages could cause strain, but could also increase number of targets, or area covered.

Using a Triumph for a hit could work, but I'd make it a non-modified hit, so weapon base damage only, no adding successes.

I like it though.

Suppressive fire is like a ranged intimidation attack. I would use weapon skill vs. cool or disciple depending on the career. If the weapon has autofire then it could affect an area instead of 1 target. I would limit it to short range.

SUPPRESSIVE FIRE

Can NOT combine with the AIM action. As an Action you can:

Each success = 1 setback die which would last until the beginning of the attackers next turn

Each advantage = 1 Strain

Triumph = hit by attack as normal

Threat could equal strain attacker takes, or boost dice to attack the attacker since he has to be more out in the open, 3-4 threat out of ammo,etc.

Despair could be out of ammo, or attack left himself exposed, etc.

I like this. Very simple. I would allow suppresive fire beyond Short range though. Difficulty should absolutely increase, but if the bullet/blast can reach you, it is still intimidating to you. Now how to do this when the difficulty of the task is determined by the target's Cool/Discipline? Upgrade difficulty dice? '

What about multiple targets when you are attacking an area? Which Cool/Discipline do you use? The highest? The results (setback, strain, etc) apply to everyone?

I like this. Very simple. I would allow suppresive fire beyond Short range though. Difficulty should absolutely increase, but if the bullet/blast can reach you, it is still intimidating to you. Now how to do this when the difficulty of the task is determined by the target's Cool/Discipline? Upgrade difficulty dice? '

What about multiple targets when you are attacking an area? Which Cool/Discipline do you use? The highest? The results (setback, strain, etc) apply to everyone?

I use this same mechanic for other checks like an NPC trying to sneak up on the party or ambush the party. I roll one negative result and then the players compare their positive check against it.

The reason I said cool or disciple depending on career was just to me a common sense thing. I would use which one is considered a career skill for the character. A soldier for example would make more sense, to me, to have Disciple under fire. Were a smuggler might be Cool under fire.

If I was going to allow it to be used over longer range I would add a setback die per range, since it's an opposed check.

Just thinking about this. Another completely different option would be to use a very similar mechanic as Scathing Tirade. But I prefer the opposed skill check, I think it's too strong if it's not opposed.

I think 1 setback die per success is a tad much.

I'd perhaps go for per 2 additional successes as +1 setback die.:

Using a Triumph for a hit could work, but I'd make it a non-modified hit, so weapon base damage only, no adding successes.

Yes, I like this

Fair point on the setback dice to success ratio.

Likely, if FFG chooses to make a writ-up for this, we'll probably see it as part of a ranked talent.

I like the idea, but is this a maneuver all can do and therefore a combat action, or a talent because you need to be trained to do something like this properly?

I've been thinking on this for bit now and I'm not sure that a separate Suppression rule is something we actually need in this system. Now I understand the desire for a codified suppression maneuver/action but I think it's something that in a way already exists.

Keep in mind a few things: 1) a combat round is around a minute. 2) an Attack roll represents the end result of as many or as few individual shots/swings as you want within that minute. 3) you don't have to hit to gain the benefits of rolling Advantages. 4) the structured narrative style of combat allows you to do and describe things with your Attack roll in a way that other games don't.

Currently if you roll an Attack and get enough Advantages, whither you hit or not, you can add a Setback die or multiple Setback dice to an Opponent(s), any opponent(s) even one(s) you are not specifically rolling your Attack against. That Setback die can represent anything but essentially it's something that disrupts the target from being able to take a clean shot, which is basically what suppression does, it keeps their head down so they can't shoot effectively. So you already can suppress an opponent with a normal Attack roll if you generate enough Advantages.

I understand that on a battlefield suppression fire is extremely effective in keeping an enemy pinned down and unable to effectively return fire. However we're not really dealing with battlefield conditions in EotE it's more small group firefights where your basically shooting to hit. You can still Suppress or use Covering Fire already by spending Advantages with normal Attack rolls, so the option is there, it's just not a discrete action that you announce prior to the roll (well at least not until the Covering Fire Talent becomes available in AoR).

Anyway for my group I'm going to hold off on House Ruling Firing to Suppress until I see what the Covering Fire Talent in AoR states because whatever house rule one develops for a combat action that any PC can do should not be as effective as a Talent you have to buy with EXP. Until then we'll just go with the RAW with "Suppression" being the result of Advantages from normal Attack rolls.

I thought about that but it's an opposed check and you are not doing damage, really, unless you get a triumph. So to give up 8-12 damage for 1-2 setback seems too weak. Giving up 8-12 damage for 2-4 setback seemed better.

I haven't had time to follow the thread closely but generally a normal attack (bar talents or abilities) hits just one target. The point of suppressive fire is to suppress an area and multiple enemies at the same time.

The trade off should be between permanently taking out one enemy or to temporarily take out many.

I'm with Greg 100%. Either you are shooting at your target in which case you use the existing advantages from the attack roll and/or any appropriate talents, or you are not shooting "at" them and not trying to hit them but just trying to scare them, in which case it's Coercion check, and using things like auto-fire weapons will just get you bonuses.

Don't reinvent the wheel guys, the systems pretty sound as is...

I'm with Greg 100%. Either you are shooting at your target in which case you use the existing advantages from the attack roll and/or any appropriate talents, or you are not shooting "at" them and not trying to hit them but just trying to scare them, in which case it's Coercion check.

Using Coercion means that the nice and charming but very competent rebel soldier over there suck at giving suppressive fire to his buddies.

I thought about that but it's an opposed check and you are not doing damage, really, unless you get a triumph. So to give up 8-12 damage for 1-2 setback seems too weak. Giving up 8-12 damage for 2-4 setback seemed better.

I haven't had time to follow the thread closely but generally a normal attack (bar talents or abilities) hits just one target. The point of suppressive fire is to suppress an area and multiple enemies at the same time.

The trade off should be between permanently taking out one enemy or to temporarily take out many.

Buying Setback dice with Advantages can be spent on any opponent regardless of who your Attack was made on, or even if you hit, and if you earn multiple Setback dice you can place them on multiple opponents. So if you have 4 Advantages you can place two Setback dice anywhere you want.

You sure can Furiousgreg, and I think you have a point about suppressive fire having more of a role in actual warfare, but we're trying to come up with a good stand-alone rule for suppressive fire.

I'm with Greg 100%. Either you are shooting at your target in which case you use the existing advantages from the attack roll and/or any appropriate talents, or you are not shooting "at" them and not trying to hit them but just trying to scare them, in which case it's Coercion check.

Using Coercion means that the nice and charming but very competent rebel soldier over there suck at giving suppressive fire to his buddies.

Ummm no.

If he's suppressing Stormtroopers it means he's shooting at them, you use normal shooting rules, he applies advantage to increase the difficulty of the Stormtroopers, and if he hits a Stormtrooper and kills one.. good.

If he's suppressing say... some civilians for whatever reason, then he uses Coersion, get's boost die for being armed, a boost die for using a heavy rifle on auto-fire, and the base difficulty of Easy because the civilians are unarmed civilians...

You sure can Furiousgreg, and I think you have a point about suppressive fire having more of a role in actual warfare, but we're trying to come up with a good stand-alone rule for suppressive fire.

I get what you're going for, I'm just thinking it may not be necessary. That said I'm curious about the Covering Fire Talent in AoR and would recommend using it as a basis of any Suppression Fire House Rule for the reason I mentioned earlier (that the House Rule which would be available to any PCs not be as effective as a Talent you have to pay EXP to get).

It´s a storytelling dice mechanics. Those roll/rôle aren't pertinent here or in some fate rpg. We're not discussing à new useless mechanic like grapple in dnd

I would rule it on the fly like that :

Ranged shot vs cool or discipline of every enemy adjacent in the same engagement (to limit it)

Success = upgrade the ranges difficulty by one per success to the enemies until next suppressing pc round (for a party who likes it bloody) or offer a free maneuver per success to your party (they manage that as they want or lead) as to get out of this mess and flee to their transport

Advantages and threats = same as ordinary shot (advantage, setback, free maneuver)

Triumph = the enemy cover is destroyed, or an ally get a free immediate shot action

Despair = the enemy manage to get out of the suppressed engagement by a free maneuver while (Classic) the suppressing weapon run out of ammo... Or (mirror of triumph) an enemy outside of the engagement takes a free shot on the suppressing... Or (vicious) every enemy will attack the suppressing Pc that catches so much attention on their next action with a White die.