Gun to the head...

[Xynar]

Use leathality rules from the Spec Force book. They pretty much cover everything there.
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Xynar
The Great Adventurer

[Aardon24689]

Again, hate to bring back an old topic, but I've got a question about this one. Are you discussing walking up behind someone, pointing the gun at their head and immediatatly pulling the trigger? I'd certainly allow the PCs to do that if they could succeed, but I'd never do it to them. I like to have my campaign set like someone could watch it as a movie. And I don't recall that ever happening in a movie. Once the gun is against the head, then the conversation starts. Not that it won't still end with a blaster bolt to the head, but not from the start.
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"You can't take the sky from me..." Wait wrong forum.

[Xynar]

I use the lethality rules just to show great skill, it never really turns the tide in a fight except with minor NPCs.

BTW: I use the +1 damage for every 5 over the target number option rule.
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Xynar
The Great Adventurer

[garhkal]

[Aardon24689]

If his sole intent is to murder the PC sure. And in real life if you really wanted to kill someone thats what would happen. But in even a slightly cinamatic campaign its going to go more like Greedo and Han in ANH (pre Han shooting first) if Greedo just wanted to kill Han he could have easily. Or Scout Trooper and Leia in RotJ. Gun to the head. "Freeze"

EDIT: Let me add to this a bit more. If it did come up, the trigger was pulled without the victim having any idea I wouldn't allow a dodge. I'd have to double check what it says for placed shots but double damage sounds about right. We tend not to use character points for extra dice or force points in our game. But I would defenitaly remind the victim of this option.
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"You can't take the sky from me..." Wait wrong forum.

[Xynar]

True. For Star Wars, the baddie will always banter with the PCs before and during the fight.
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Xynar
The Great Adventurer

[garhkal]

[Camero]

You all seem too pesimistic about avoiding getting hit with the shot when the gun is against your head (or pressed against your body). To me it depends on a lot of things. But first, any smart baddie (in real life) shoots his target before he gets right up on him (gun to the head) unless he wants to talk or intimidate his target. Putting your gun physically on your target is a dumb tactical move. Once the gun is touching them they have partial control of the gun as well.

In game - if the baddie walked up the character and stuck the gun in his face I would allow a brawling parry to knock the gun away. If the baddie's intent is to actually put the gun to his head but is willing shoot the character if he sees him move before he gets the gun to his head then it is a skill and initiative situation.

Here is a fun test you can try at home to see what I am saying. Get a cap gun or any TOY gun that makes a 'bang' noise. Have your buddy hold it to your head, back, chest, or whatever then tell him to shot you as soon as he sees you move. You (unless you are rather uncooridinated) will be able to knock the gun off target (and maybe even disarm him) before the bang noise is made - if you don't at first you can with a little practice. It is just about muscle and neuro spead, if you already have your parry / dodge planned and the other guy has to wait to see you move to start his then he is likely going to lose the race even if his move seems smaller (pulling a trigger).

In game - If the baddy really got the drop on the character and was behind them when they put the gun to the characters back, the moment the gun touches the character then should be allowed to react. Maybe roll initiative, and or assign a penalty to the surprised person, but if the character is trained to parry then -even if surprised - they can win that raise. In such a situation a dodge is actually less effective than a good spinning parry.

Most Cops / Military / etc have been trained to do just that. React fast with a parry to disarm, especially if they are talking because their brain will be even slower since it was doing something else besides shooting (it was working on speaking too). Putting a gun / blaster against someone is just dumb - they are ranged weapons

That is my two cents, it may not be totally on topic, and you may not agree, but I thought it would be fun to share
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"What a wonderful smell you've discovered"

[Gry Sarth]

That was very well formulated opinion, and quite convincing too.
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"He's Gry Sarth, of course he has the stats for them."

[Aardon24689]

Great post Camero. I've wondered about this and like your test. I may have to get some friends together and we'll try some gun dodging. Maybe in the front yard to make it interesting.

I guess thats part of the reason I don't think I'd ever do that to a character. It just doesn't make a lot of sense to do if your sole intenet is murder. But in a story setting its a great tool for suspense. For some reason my mind keeps going to James Bond movies. Look at the villans there. Bond could be dead many, many times over. But isn't because the villans there know how to build suspense and put on a show. Thats what I'm going for in my campaign. There will be some pure murders but there would have to be a very exceptional set of circumstances for me to give them a free uncontested head shot on a PC.
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"You can't take the sky from me..." Wait wrong forum.

[Krayt]

One of my favouiteexamples of this is in RESIDENT EVIL, when Wesker holds Jill at gunpoint. Instead of shooting her, Wesker takes his sweet time doing the usual evil-villan blabbering. And because he stalled, Barry comes in and shoots him.

So, one of my favourite things to do is to have a baddie put a gun to a PC's head and have something distract them enough to alow the PC to do something or another PC to act.
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"Your lack of faith disturbs me." - Vader

[Kayle Skolaris]

Another example is any given Steven Seagal movie. Bad Guy puts gun to Steven's head. Steven freezes momentarily, lulling Bad Guy into false sense of security. Steven proceeds to sidestep, swing around, grab the man's gun arm, and BREAK said gun arm.

I've seen it in other movies, too. Which isn't to say it's the least bit realistic, but I have heard of a situation where a disgruntled former employee walked into his former place of work and took hostages. One of the hostages had the barrel of a shotgun literally duct taped to his head while the grip was taped to the gunman's hand so he could neither drop his weapon nor (so he thought) lose his hostage. When he eventually exited the building, which was by now surrounded by police, there was a moment when the gunman was distracted and his hostage wrenched away from the gun, ripping the tape loose and giving the police a clear shot. End result? Despite having a gun barrel literally taped to his hand, the hostage walked away without a scratch!

[garhkal]

[Dooku]

I do not like the "gun to he head" type actions. The only non-player characters in my game who would do that are stupid thugs, and they do not know enough of the real villain's plan to spill it anyway. I enjoy heroics, but not heroic stupidity. I suppose, though, that it might be interesting to have a villain who lies to the player characters about his plans, so that in the off chance that they do escape, or whatever, they are off chasing a wild bantha rather than interfering with his plots.

As to the actual mechanic, I should say that some bonus to hit would be in order, but I should not deny the other character a dodge (or the opportunity to use a Force point if they so desire).

[Aardon24689]

Now talking about Bond I didn't mean to the (I have you captive, let me tell you all my plans then leave the room) extreme. More just the fact that if they would never just walk up and shoot Bond in the head from behind.
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