Ranged Combat

Instead of using Combat pool to dodge, a character with an athletics specialization in gymnastics or acrobatics may roll that specialization alone instead. No Combat Pool may be added to this role. This reflects a character using acrobatic flips, leaps, and rolls and relying solely upon his skill to avoid gunfire instead of upon his combat instincts. Using gymnastics or acrobatics to dodge will also allow a character to effectively move at a running rate while reducing penalty to his own target numbers to +2. The character's opponents still receive a +2 modifier to a running target. This reflects the fact that the character is in control of his movements through his skill, and thus can concentrate more on aiming while dodging than a character simply trying to get away from the gunfire.

Two Weapons & Ambidexterity

Instead of a restriction to what weapons you can or cannot use, I am introducing a sliding scale dependent upon a character's strength. This accounts for the artifically (whether cyber, bio or magic) enhanced nature of metahumans in the Shadowrun universe. The stronger you are, the less penalty there is for using a second weapon, although you will always have some penalty in using another weapon. The following table outlines the base penalty for the type of weapon, and the corresponding strength requirements that must be met to avoid additional penalties for using two weapons of the same type (i.e. paired pistols, paired SMGs).

A +4 penalty for firing a weapon in your off hand applies.  The edge Ambidexterity or the equivalent skill eliminates this penalty.  For every point of strength below the requirement add an additional +1 modifier.  If your Strength is less than half the required Strength you cannot fire both weapons in that mode, you'll simply hurt yourself.  If you really want to attempt it all standard penalties apply and you take a light stun wound for every two points of uncompensated recoil.  This is figured during every phase where you fire both weapons.

Example 1 (strength - two pistols)
Gabby (Str. 3) is using two SA pistols at the same time.  She has the Strength necessary to do this and suffers no additional penalties beyond a +1 per weapon, and a +4 to one weapon for firing with her off hand.

Example 2 (strength - two SMGs)
Later in the battle she draws two submachine guns to try and even the odds.  Unfortunately for Gabby, these SMG's don't offer SA.  Since her strength is lower than the required amount for BF or FA she suffers an additional penalty to each weapons target number.  She suffers a +4 penalty instead of the normal +3 penalty, in addition to all other modifiers.

Reloading a firearm is slightly more difficult when using two weapons so it takes both weapons complex action to reload one of them.  This time is the same whether or not the character has a smartgun installed.  The physical acts of putting your gun down, putting in the clip, and picking up the gun again are what eat up the time.

Installing a second smart-link system in the other hand allows a character to apply the -2 modifier even while using a second weapon. The second smartgun link superimposes a targeting crosshair in a different color than the other smartgun link. With a little practice the use of the two crosshairs (one paired to each hand) becomes as natural as a single crosshair paired to the dominant hand.

Ranged Weapon Maneuvers

The manuever system for martial arts introduced in the Cannon Companion adds a lot of detail and flavor to normal martial arts. So why not add that detail to gunfights? In the spirit of John Woo I present to you my own take on Ranged Weapon Maneuvers.

Each of these following maneuvers may be taken in the same way as martial arts manevuers. For every 2 points of a ranged weapon skill, one maneuver may be taken that applies to that specific ranged weapon skill. This applies only to the base ranged-weapon skill, not specializations. For example, a character with Pistols 5 can know up to 2 Pistol Maneuvers, such as Deliberate Aimed Snapshot and Hammer. Each Maneuver must be purchased at a cost of 2 Karma each. Characters may be allowed to purchase a second maneuver for every 2 full skill points, but only at the gamemaster's discretion at an increased cost of 4 karma.

During game play, characters can only learn maneuvers from an instructor who knows the martial arts discipline at a skill rating higher than the character and must know the maneuver. See p. 245 in SR3 and pp. 49-50 of the SRComp for rules for instructors and learning skills.

Each maneuver is directly linked to the Ranged Weapons skill with which it was learned. Characters cannot default ot maneuvers. For example, a character who learned the Hammer maneuver with his pistols skill cannot use it with a rifle.

Use of a maneuver must be declaired before the dice roll and modify the existing roll. They do not require a separate roll.

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