Range Bands

See also: Planetary Scale for Planetary Scale combat.

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About Range Bands

The distance between two points — people, objects, or adversaries — is defined by general range categories. These range categories are used to determine how far a ranged attack can reach, how far apart two people are from each other, how much effort is needed to move between two places, and so on. The most common ranges are Short, Medium, Long, and Extreme range. Another relative position exists — Engaged — to represent characters that are in extremely close proximity to each other.

Personal and Planetary Scale

The distances presented here are based on the Personal Scale for characters. Starships and vehicles use these Range Bands, but at Planetary Scale. Space combat is often at much larger distances and positions.

To accommodate a vehicle’s expanded range (and sometimes the expanded range of its weapons), there is a sixth range band, Strategic range.

1. Engaged

Two characters Engaged with each other are in very close proximity. For example, a soldier needs to be Engaged with a target to hit with a vibrosword.

Engaged is also used to indicate that a person is close enough to an item to use it. A slicer needs to be Engaged with a security terminal to attempt to hack it. A pilot needs to be Engaged with their starship to board it. A bounty hunter needs to be Engaged with a tree if they want to hide behind it for cover while stalking their prey. The Engaged status simply indicates that two things are Close enough to each other to directly interact.

The best way to consider Engaged is as a subcategory of Short range. Obviously, someone can be slightly further away if they're at Short range, rather than if they're Engaged with someone. However, the distance is relatively minor.

Movement

Spending one Maneuver to move to engage someone or something is as much a matter of moving into combat (or out of combat) cautiously enough to avoid a return blow — or flipping open and focusing one's attention on a device — as much as it is moving a physical distance.

Attacks

The difficulty of making Brawl/Melee combat checks while Engaged is Average ().

The difficulty of making ranged combat checks while Engaged is Average () with Ranged(Light) / one-handed weapons, Hard () with Ranged(Heavy) / two-handed weapons, and Gunnery attacks may not be made while Engaged.

2. Short Range

Short range indicates up to several meters between targets. Many thrown weapons and small firearms are most accurate at Short range. Two people in Short range can talk comfortably without raising their voices.

Movement

Moving to another spot within Short range is usually easy to do and generally only requires one Maneuver.

Attacks

The difficulty of making ranged combat checks at Short range is Easy ().

3. Medium Range

Medium range can be up to several dozen meters away. More reliable pistols can reach to Medium range. Few thrown weapons can reach this far. Two people in Medium range of each other need to talk loudly to hear each other.

Movement

Moving from Short range to Medium range takes little exertion, and generally requires one Maneuver.

Attacks

The difficulty of making ranged combat checks at Medium range is Average ().

4. Long Range

Long range is further than a few dozen meters. Blaster rifles, mounted weapons, and weapons that use the Gunnery skill can reliably reach this far without too much trouble. Two people in Long range of each other need to yell loudly to hear each other.

Movement

Moving from Medium range to Long range requires two Maneuvers, as it is more time consuming than moving between Medium range and Short range. This means that in most cases, a character cannot Close the distance between Short and Long range in a single round, as it would take three Maneuvers (one for Short to Medium, two for Medium to Long).

Attacks

The difficulty of making ranged combat checks at Long range is Hard ().

5. Extreme Range

Extreme range is the farthest range at which two targets can interact. High-tech sniper weaponry and some vehicle-mounted armaments may reach out to this range. Two people at Extreme range may not be able to hear each other even if they shout.

Movement

Moving between Long range and Extreme range can be time-consuming and exerting, and requires two Maneuvers. This means that in most cases, a character can move the entire distance between Long and Extreme range in a single round, but will suffer Strain or give up their action to do so.

Attacks

The difficulty of making ranged combat checks at Extreme range is Daunting ().

6. Strategic Range

Strategic range is a sixth Range Band that represents distances beyond Extreme range. At this range, people cannot see one another with the naked eye, nor can they interact without technological assistance — thus, it is not included in the standard five range bands. However, when you are using a vehicle, especially one with advanced sensors or other magnification technologies, this is the farthest range at which you can interact with targets. Vehicles can generally detect one another at Strategic range unless one or both are going out of their way to be stealthy, but they cannot pinpoint sentients at this distance without sensors, spotters, or similar assets.

Movement

Indirect-fire weapons such as artillery often function at Strategic range, as do self-guided weapons like homing missiles and torpedoes. However, most vehicle weapons do not function at Strategic range, and have ranges of Long or Extreme instead. As a general rule, we limit most weapons requiring direct line of sight to Extreme range.

Attacks

As Strategic range is the sixth range band, the difficulty of making ranged combat checks at Strategic range is Formidable ().