Some simple rules for firefights. The goal isn’t to turn Space Crawl into a tactical skirmish game as much as give an advantage in a firefight to those with an appropriate background (as well as explain how 0-level grunts can be effective enough to form the bulk of the military), without being monsters in personal combat. Available to anyone with an appropriate background: Army, Marines, Navy (if been through a Boarding Action), and possibly Police with the Judge’s permission. Crime does not typically give the kind of training and fire discipline to employ these tactics. Characters without the appropriate background follow the usual DCC/MCC rule of only rolling a d10 on the action. Also, these are meant to be used in “Theater of the Mind” style, with a good deal of leeway for the Judge to determine when and if they’re appropriate.
Suppressive Fire
Suppress an area by firing into it, preventing enemies from moving/firing through the area or taking action within it. Requires being able to fire at least 9 times a round into an area: e.g. a single machine gun capable of full-auto, or three+ guns capable of rapid fire (ROF 3+), or nine+ guns firing single shots. The area, such as a street, court-yard, or field, becomes too dangerous to do anything but take cover; heavy cover such as walls or dense woods blocks suppressive fire into/past it (but counter-fire from the edge is still suppressed). Roll all the attack rolls (without any mods) at once, but keep them hidden; NPCs must make a Will save to even attempt any action other than taking cover with the DC = the highest roll among the attackers. Anyone taking an action or moving (PC, or NPC who made the save) immediately gets attacked by one of the shots. Each attack uses up one of the rolls, going from best to worst, until they’re all used up. Each round of suppressive fire uses up the normal amount of ammo for making that number of attacks, regardless of whether anybody actually gets attacked. Attackers using suppressive fire may not move. Suppressive fire is not effective against enemies with armor of high enough Tech Level that that they can ignore the attacks.
Laying Smoke
Smoke interferes with Suppressive fire; roll an opposed roll: a d20 for the suppressors vs. d10 (grenade)/d14(shell from mortar or artillery)/d20(generator) x number of rounds fired. E.g. 3 smoke rounds from grenade launchers would roll 3d10 vs the single d20 representing the attackers trying to suppress. Success with the smoke ends suppression while the smoke lasts. Smoke also decreases the die size for any ability trying to spot the enemy through the smoke by -1d/-2d/-3d. Sensors with high enough Tech Level can ignore lower Tech Level smoke.
Enfilading Fire
Attack down a line of foes one behind another, increasing the chances of hitting someone. Enfilading fire must be set up before contact, or against enemies whose movement is suppressed. Does not require a roll, but does require a leader with the appropriate training to recognize and set up the correct positions. When attacking down a line, the attacker rolls once to hit the first person and if that misses each successive person down the line is attacked using the same roll but at +1 per person until either someone is hit or the shot missed all of them. Typical situations where enfilading fire is possible: the enemy is advancing/retreating down a road directly towards/away from the firing position, the enemy is blocked by an obstacle such as a wall or fence that they are scaling and the attacker is positioned so as to fire down the length of the obstacle. (You could roll for each target separately as per normal DCC/MCC rules for missing a target, but that’s a lot of rolls if there are several attackers and many targets; OTOH a single normal roll to hit would mean that missing the first target in line misses all of them.)
Defilade
Use natural or artificial cover to prevent enfilading fire, or take a position shielded by a hill or depression that can’t be targeted by direct fire from beyond the barrier. Like Enfilading Fire, Defilade must be set up before contact or while the enemy’s movement is suppressed, or under the cover of smoke. Defilade negates enfilade and requires direct fire weapons approach to within short range in order to attack.
Overwatch
Forces can take an overwatch position where they can see the terrain ahead of friendly troops and provide suppressive fire as needed. Again, this isn’t an action that requires a roll, but requires a leader with the requisite training. A force in overwatch can interrupt an enemy that’s beginning fire on the friendlies, initiating suppressive fire and forcing them to make their Will saves before their actions are resolved.
Space Crawl 