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Ranged Attacks

Ranged Attacks is the common term referring to attacks over a long distance, including projectile and energy weapons, and those Powers that allow the inflicting of damage over a distance. Captain Marvel's energy attacks, the Hulk's rock-throwing, Storm's lightning bolts, and Captain America's shield are all examples of ranged attacks.

Characters do not have to be adjacent in order to make ranged attacks. In general, ranged attacks start at the attacker and proceed in a direct line to the target (yes, Captain America has on many occasions bounced his shield off several targets to hit someone from behind, but this is a Power Stunt using his abilities).

When using area movement, range is determined by the number of areas the missile, energy blast, or whatever passes through from start to finish in a straight line. If the missile passes through a corner of another area, that area is counted. In addition, each floor of elevation is counted as an area.

When using ranged movement, treat the missile, energy blast, etc., as a moving character for purposes of determining range. Doorways would not cost extra (bullets do not stop, open doors, and pass through), but may stop a missile attack. Count each floor of difference as an area, but for firing from a high place to a low place, range can be extended by using the diving option.

Whether ranged or area movement is used to determine the range of a power or weapon, a direct line is taken from attacker to target. That line may pass through intervening structures, such as walls, windows, doors, and other obstacles. The question of whether a given substance will deflect a bullet or let it pass through is fraught with peril, but use common sense and the following general guidelines:

• A higher material strength will pass through a lower material strength (a lead bullet through a glass pane).
• An energy beam will inflict damage on the intervening structure first, then on those areas behind (an Un(100) energy beam hits a brick wall---Gd(10) Material (100-10=90)---90 points of energy passes on).
• Physical weapons will lose momentum as they pass through physical material. Treat this as for movement through that material for normal characters.
• Both physical and energy weapons lose their accuracy as they pass through intervening material. Any weapon passing through an intervening structure suffers a -2CS (shooting an executive through a window will have this effect, as will tossing rocks through a curtain at an unseen adversary).

Ranged attack is resolved on the Universal Table using the attacker's Agility ability. The result is then noted on the Effects Table.

There are 5 different types of ranged attack listed on this table:

Shooting (inlcluding most projectile weapons)Edged ThrowingBlunt ThrowingEnergy PowersConcussive Powers (Force Attacks)

Body Armor, force fields, and use of Powers may affect the ultimate success and damage of a ranged attack.

Modifiers to ranged attacks can be found here.