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Volley fire


aknaton

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I may be a bit daft but I don't really get how volley fire functions compared to "normal fire". :confused:

I was writing up some miracles (that is spells) for my fantasy campaign Acquisition (a house campaign, no plans to publish). And I was considering to do a spell that increased the rate of fire of thrown and missile weapons. So I started to read in the rulebook what it said.

So can someone please explain how many shots, with what skill, and on what DEX ranks a DEX 16 character can launch the following projectiles with "normal fire" and with volley fire:

Thrown rock: 2 Attk.

Blowgun: 1 Attk.

Light crossbow: 1/2 Attk.

Arbalest: 1/3 Attk.

Light pistol: 3 Attk. (It's not going to be in my fantasy campaign, but is included here for the sake of argument)

All help appreciated.

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I noticed this too.

IMHO I think the Volley Fire spot rule is unclear at best, and needs clarification.

Here's my take:

  • Volley Fire allows you to make a missile attack action every 5 DEX Ranks.
  • Whatever that action is, it is Difficult.
  • The definition of that action is "whatever you would normally be able to do with a missile weapon in 1 Combat Round".
  • So, taking a Long Bow: normally you can loose 1 arrow in a CR at full attack chance. Using Volley Fire, you can do this every 5 DEX Ranks; your attack chance is Difficult, and you lose twice Fatigue Points - you can probably keep going for a couple of minutes at most.
  • Second example: Thrown Rock. You can usually throw 2 rocks each CR, at full chance. Using Volley Fire, you can throw 2 rocks every 5 DEX Ranks, each attack being Difficult and Fatigue loss doubled.
  • Third example: Light Crossbow. This is usually 1 attack every 2 CR (ie every two attack actions). Using Volley Fire, these two attack actions would equate to two lots of 5 DEX Ranks, ie 10 Dex Ranks. This would mean that every 10 DEX Ranks you could reload and fire (wildly!) your light crossbow. Attack chance is Difficult, you tire yourself out. Unless your DEX is above 20, you can still only loose 1 quarrel per round.

That seems to make sense to me, though i.) my own experience with bows would tend to suggest that making the roll "Difficult" might be a bit generous (!), and ii.) Jason would be the ultimate arbiter!

Hope that helps,

Cheers,

Sarah

"The Worm Within" - the first novel for The Chronicles of Future Earth, coming 2013 from Chaosium, Inc.

Website: http://sarahnewtonwriter.com | Twitter: @SarahJNewton | Facebook: TheChroniclesOfFutureEarth

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Hmm... this isn't directly responsive to the topic, I know, but I would call that "rapid fire" rather than "volley fire". As far as I know, "volley fire" is a lot of missiles being discharged at the same time to maximize the effect, and so it should be slower than normal fire, as you have to wait until everyone has finished loading and aiming. Which could easily be handled by a different spot rule, of course...

(I'll be considerate and not get into the appropriateness of "fire" as a verb applied to non-firearms such as arrows and slings... it's way too late for that one.) :innocent:

- QV

Rule #1: Amuse the GM.

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In Elric! / Stormbringer the Volley Fire spot rules allows those using missile weapons (thrown axes, spears, bows, slings etc) to discharge an extra shot per round against massed targets, or to pin down defenders. It reduces their chance to hit (to 2/3rd's normal) and requires a CON roll to sustain for any length of time. Call of Cthulhu 5.6 allows "unaimed" shots with a firearm - the character gets DOUBLE the rated number of shots per round, but (without advanced sighting aids anyway) their chance to hit is reduced to 1/5th normal. This rule is reproduced in BRP on page 254.

So I'd house rule it as follows: Volley Fire can be used at mass targets or to pin down defenders. It is only applicable with primitive and historical missile weapons (not firearms or high tech missile weapon). It adds an additional attack per round but the 5 DEX rank separation remain sin force, so a DEX 9 character still can't hurl more than two rocks per round. And it makes all shots hard. Volley firing muskets or more advanced missile weapons should use the "unaimed" shot rule.

Cheers,

Nick

Edited by NickMiddleton
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So I'd house rule it as follows: Volley Fire can be used at mass targets or to pin down defenders. It is only applicable with primitive and historical missile weapons (not firearms or high tech missile weapon). It adds an additional attack per round but the 5 DEX rank separation remain sin force, so a DEX 9 character still can't hurl more than two rocks per round. And it makes all shots hard. Volley firing muskets or more advanced missile weapons should use the unaimed shot rule.

Hi Nick,

So, are you saying Volley Fire should give you just one extra attack, regardless of the initial ROF of the missile weapon. So, a long bow gets 2 shots total, a thrown rock gets 3? (Rather than 4) Also, that *all* attacks are 5 DEX rank divided (so you need DEX 11+ to throw three rocks)? Also, what would you do with crossbows - 1 attack per CR?

Cheers!

Sarah

"The Worm Within" - the first novel for The Chronicles of Future Earth, coming 2013 from Chaosium, Inc.

Website: http://sarahnewtonwriter.com | Twitter: @SarahJNewton | Facebook: TheChroniclesOfFutureEarth

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So, are you saying Volley Fire should give you just one extra attack, regardless of the initial ROF of the missile weapon. So, a long bow gets 2 shots total, a thrown rock gets 3? (Rather than 4) Also, that *all* attacks are 5 DEX rank divided (so you need DEX 11+ to throw three rocks)? Also, what would you do with crossbows - 1 attack per CR?

Yes to all, pretty much. Volley fire (certainly as described in Elric! / SB5) is as much about massed bows a la Agincourt as it is Legolas-the-Ninja-elf-but-cuter (sorry, I got increasingly annoyed with him in Jackson's trilogy...). So whilst adding a single shot may seem a bit stingy for an individual character, with a block of 20 archers it is highly effective.

Actually, now I think about it, I might drop the diffciulty penalty as the target is a mass of people / area - so you get the extra attack for free when the target is "that block of pike-men", and volley fire is just not possible against individuals. Maybe a separate "rapid shot" spot rule that allows the extra shot (or an extra shot for every 50 points of skill?) against specific targets, but all shots that round are one step more difficult?

Cheers,

Nick

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The thing with volley fire is that you are sacrificing accuracy for speed.

When you have 100 archers firing, they don't all aim carefull at an opponent, instaed they aim generally for an area, get as many shots off as they can and hope that between them they hit the things in the area.

Look at films such as Hero for excellent representations of volley-fire in action. The final scene shows why you can sacrifice accuracy if you are firing a lot of arrows.

Simon Phipp - Caldmore Chameleon - Wallowing in my elitism since 1982. Many Systems, One Family. Just a fanboy. 

www.soltakss.com/index.html

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Hmm... this isn't directly responsive to the topic, I know, but I would call that "rapid fire" rather than "volley fire". As far as I know, "volley fire" is a lot of missiles being discharged at the same time to maximize the effect, and so it should be slower than normal fire, as you have to wait until everyone has finished loading and aiming. Which could easily be handled by a different spot rule, of course...

(I'll be considerate and not get into the appropriateness of "fire" as a verb applied to non-firearms such as arrows and slings... it's way too late for that one.) :innocent:

- QV

Yeah, when I hear "volley fire" I think of massed groups of men with muskets, ready to fire all at once. The tactic was used to INCREASE accuracy since as little as 15% of individual shots fired ever hit their target.

Seems like we are talking more about "covering fire" or just a "harassing fire" to keep an enemy off balance and their heads down.

BTW, slingers tend to get overlooked and underappreciated, but read up on Xenophon and his march to the sea and just how accurate some of those slingers could be. Especially when they had lead bullets. An ounce of lead at 100 mph has to be respected. :eek:

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