Under these rules, there are five basic classes of small arms for ranged attack.
- Muskets, Pistols, Bows (including the crossbows), Poison Dart Blowers and Thrown Weapons.
Poison Dart Blowers have a category to themselves because they don't fit into any other group, and yet they add a certain necessary frisson to jungle exploration.
Range
These are not at all proportionate to the actual range a weapon could make at a scale of 1"= c.6' but
- The relative distances are representational rather than to scale,
- Distances have been seriously truncated for the purposes of game play
- Pyrates may not have been the best of shots, or best equipped, so the tendency may have been to get as close as possible before firing, rather than long range sniping.
- muskets range 12 inches
- pistols range 8 inches
- bows (includes crossbows) range 8 inches
- poison dart blowers range 6 inches (note special rules)
- thrown weapons range 4 inches
In normal cases, to participate in the shootin' the shooter must be able to see a potential target, i.e. have a clear line of sight to a figure in the target unit. Targets for shooters are usually enemy units en masse, not individuals, (the exceptions are designated Sharpshooters, who can elect to shoot at individuals, or Opportune Shots at a designated figure). The leader can decide which shooters will shoot at which target if more than one presents itself, but each target will require its own initiative action.
The firing angle for small arms is 360°. The initial facing of the figure doesn't matter.
Who Shoots
The player nominates any figures they want to shoot at a given target. As with cannons, depending on the number of figures firing, a number of dice are thrown, (see table below). Again, for convenience, if the total number of shooters of any type at any one target exceeds five then it is broken down into firing sections of five figures, but all the figures are deemed to be shooting more or less in concert, so no fiddling the figures to maximise the number of dice rolled. Divide the total number of shooters by five and extras. E.g. A shootin' party of twelve divides into two fives and two extra, even if three fours would give better dice. If a Leader wants to split the firing up then they will have to use two, (or more), initiative actions.
- Figures in formation or on guard or on lookout duty count as two figures apiece
- Wounded figures count as half a figure, (rounded up), as do the otherwise incompetent.
- Exceptionally adept figures may count as more than one figure.
- Figures manning cannon, sailing a ship, rowing a boat, engaged, or burdened cannot shoot small arms.
- Figures that moved boldly cannot shoot.
If a figure is depicted with a pistol in each hand they can try to shoot both, (i.e. count as two shooters): d6:1..3 neither fire, 4..6 both fire. Or just fire the one pistol at a time.
Swivel Guns & Blunderbusses
A fixed Swivel Gun, usually attached to gunwale or rail, counts as three muskets, if a figure is designated to fire it.
Figures depicted with Blunderbusses, hand-ported Swivel Guns and similar exotic shooting irons can be treated either as a single musket figure, or as three muskets which can only be fired if the firer first throws a d6:4..6, (Shooting player must decide before chancing dice).
Small Arms Dice | |
| Number of figures shooting | Number of dice to roll + rerolls |
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 5 |
| 4 | 5+1 |
| 5 | 5+2 |
| DAMAGE ROLL | |
| Dice Roll | Casualties |
| Pair | 1 wound |
| Two pair | 2 wounds |
| Three of a kind | 1 knockdown |
| Full house (3 and a pair) | 2 knockdowns |
| Straight | 2 knockdowns & 2 wounds |
| Four of a kind | 3 knockdowns |
| Poker - Five of a kind | 4 knockdowns |
- If a target is in formation then any casualties inflicted are doubled.
Casualties for small arms fire are distributed by the target player from the figure nearest to the shooters, figure by figure, to the limit of the shooters range. Knockdowns are apportioned first, then wounds.
The hits must be distributed as far as possible, with figures only being given a second affliction once all eligible targets have been tapped. This represents the fact that the shooters were firing on mass and fairly indiscriminately and stops the unlikely event that everyone just happened to be aiming at the enemy Captain. The exceptions to this being Sharpshooters and Opportune Shots where the shooter gets to pick a figure in range before shooting.
If a figure could not have been targeted by any of the shooters, then it cannot be a casualty. If inside a structure then it is assumed that windows, doors, and loopholes do give some visibility, but that the figures inside are in serious cover.
As with cannon fire, a wound can be piled on a figure carrying a wound from earlier in the turn, or previous turns. Once casualties have been allocated, saving rolls are made.
Remember, a second unsaved wound is equivalent to a knockdown, and that Officers and Captains have an enhanced saving throw, (see Cannons)
Small Arms Saving Throw Modifiers
- Armoured or shielded +1, if the nearest shooter isn't using gunpowder +2
- Nearest Shooter's View Obscured +1
- Cover between self and nearest shooter, (a convenient tree, rock, barrel) +2
- Serious Cover between self and nearest shooter, (a convenient house) +3
Heavy armour becomes rare as gunpowder gains the ascendancy, and anyway is not so good for swimming in, but helmets, breast plates/cuirasses etc. are certainly contemporary with Drake and still common throughout the 17th and much of the 18th century, and are still found amongst effete cavalry types throughout the 19th century. This counts as armoured. If a figure is substantially encased in armour then give them an extra point, but note that they will sink like a brick, climbing may not be an option, and general movement may suffer.
Cover
Shooters can shoot past figures or obstacles in front of them, but their view may be obscured, giving a target more of a chance.
- To claim obscured view, (from e.g. intervening figures or obstacles, fog, smoke, cover of darkness), the shooter nearest to the target must be affected.
- To claim cover from an obstacle (e.g. tree, rock, barrel), the figure must be able to be actively using it as cover and it must be between the figure and the nearest shooter.
- To claim serious cover the figure must be below decks, within the structure or defended by it from the nearest shooter, (the shooters being al fresco, naturally). A figure in a window, loophole or doorway of a structure is still considered to be in serious cover.
- Figures on an enemy deck always count as being obscured - there is all that inconvenient rigging and timberwork - and may actively take cover if they can claim a handy barrel or mast, unless the shooters are in the rigging or tops whose elevated position is deemed to negate any deckside cover.
These are favoured by some rustic types, and have a 6" range. Dice for them as a unique action. They have a fairly fast acting poison but do not knock down the victim outright, however a mere scratch might prove fatal so:
Knockdowns are automatically saved and treated as Wounds and, along with any figures who fail to save a wound from a poison dart, casualties do not behave as if wounded in the Action phase, but mark them as such, perhaps using a green or blue blob instead of the red, because they must roll a saving throw without modifiers in the It Just Happens phase,
- d6:1..2=dies or at least becomes incapacitated for the remainder of the game
- d6:3..4 wounded, quite possibly seeing things that nobody else can
- d6:5..6 recovers
Grenades
These can be thrown or launched by figures thus depicted. Grenadiers cannot move boldly and launch grenades in the same turn. They are really quite unpredictable.
A target point between 2"& 4" away is nominated. Three d6 are thrown and d6:4..6 is a hit and the grenade explodes. If the target was a cannon then it is destroyed. If the target was a gate or door then it is breached. If the target was a ship/boat or structure (SBS) then it takes damage at 2d6 per hit. Any figures at the point of impact are knocked down and any figures within 1" take 1 wound, 2 wounds if a double hit, or a knock down if all three dice score. Saving rolls apply, friendly fire incidents are quite allowable.
If no dice hit the target then, if any ones are thrown then the grenade has exploded prematurely, or the recipient has chucked it back, knocking down the grenadier and wounding anyone within an inch, (saving throws apply), otherwise, (dice all twos and threes), the grenade failed to detonate, or exploded harmlessly. The number of grenades a grenadier carries may be limited by the scenario. Grenades can start fires.
Stinkpots
Rather than explosive grenades, a grenadier can be declared as throwing "stinkpots". These are effectively smoke bombs and are especially useful before a boarding action. Nobody is hurt and no damage is caused, but a thick choking blanket of smoke prevents any shooting in or out of a localised fog bank that envelopes the target SBS. The smokescreen will last for the remainder of this turn and all of next turn unless the wind is fresh, in which case the fug disperses. Stinkpots can start fires.
© Baggins Wood Ltd. 2009
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