New House Rule: Attacking Prone characters

[Banzai Kamikaze]

This one might bring a bit of a talk, and I still hesitate to put it in. Normally, as soon as a character is prone, he gets +4 cover bonus and attackers get -4 to their attack. I don't think this should apply if the prone character is near the attacker, so here is my house rule:

---> A prone character gets a +4 cover bonus versus ranged attacks. If the attacker it at point blank range, there is no penalty for him. If the attacker is farther than point blank range, he gets a -4 penalty to his ranged attacks.

Please comment.

[Flax]

Wait a minute, its supposed to be +4 bonus to defense or -4 to the attacker, not both, right?
Or else the prone dude gets +8 def in all techniquely...

But for the rest I am in agreement.

[Archangel Zero]

It's fair. Except if a prone dude actually has +8.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Official ruling says that a character who is targeted by a ranged attack while prone gets a +4 cover bonus and a +2 cover reflex bonus. Later in the book, it also says that attacking prone characters with ranged weapons gives a -4 penalty. I don't know if they made another mistake, but it technically means the attacker has a -8 penalty to his attack rule, which I find absurd.

I think giving a -4 penalty to attacks is impossible, because why would an attacker fire less precisely, just because his victim is prone? I think the cover bonus is more than enough.

I read my house rule again and found it too severe. I'll change it:

----> A prone character gets a +4 cover bonus versus ranged attacks.

Simple no? Maybe that's what they meant in the book... Please comment.

[Archangel Zero]

Ok by me, partly: the reflex save bonus makes no sense because someone lying on the ground would actually have more difficulty moving than a character crouching or standing behind equivalent cover. If anything, there should be a reflex penalty.

[Flax]

But it says it in the rules, so it is there for a reason. For exemple if there is a explosion you are less affected if you're prone than standing. I have yet to see a situation that gives you a penalty on a save ( losing dex, con or wis does not count). So I say everithing is ok.

[Banzai Kamikaze]

It is a "cover" reflex bonus, which means it isn't used everytime. It will help to avoid an explosion, for example, but not for avoiding a metal spike falling from above. Any situation which denies cover bonuses (when the character is surprised for example) also denies this cover reflex bonus.

[Rouroux]

I agree with everything you said. the cover reflex bonus is good, and yes a +8 to AC is a little much uber:

Everyone would lie down and shoot while flat on the ground. Wouldn't that be considered being prone?

[Banzai Kamikaze]

Yes, lying down while firing puts you in a prone situation. That's why in real life warfare, soldiers usually fire while prone (more precision + harder to get hit). I agree that in Star Wars, it doesn't seem soldiers go prone to fight (remember attack of the clones where the clones run while firing...).

Another interesting thing about going prone is that it decreases range penalty by 2 when aiming (the aiming full round action described in the Heroe's guide).

[Rouroux]

that's cool

[LotrMinator]

Well, well, if it isn't my first message,

Here I will refer to the good ol' DnD where rules were made clear enough for all of us to understand.
A prone character gets +4 AC against ranged attacks (and there's nothing about point blank range, just plain ranged attacks); however, he has -4 AC against melee attacks (because of something like archangel said, he can't move well and is quite a sitting duck).

Hope it helps clear things out.

LotrMinator says to a rookie:
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[Aficenos]

Je suis d'accord sa fait du sens, mais une question plus imprtantes :

C'est quand la prochaine quete

merci

[Flax]

Why a character standing next to a prone character would have a -4 penalty on ranged attacks, remember he is using a blaster of some sort, not a bow?