SpecForce Sniper

[vanir]

I use other specforces for the role simply because the problem with a specialist sniper is that specforces are grouped by terrain to spread skill requirements, so a sniper as a universal attachment is going to have prohibitive attribute/skill requirements in order to function equally in wilderness, urban or troop support environments.

On this basis my wilderness warriors tend towards sniping behaviour, so do my infiltrators, typically one of each from the squad tailor their CP awards towards developing sniper skills.

I find important skills are of course a weapon specialisation (blaster rifle or sniper firearm) to make the most of character points.
Hide is very important, sneak less so. Skill in mechanical sensors is important (even good macrobinocular sets have a universal sensor array for generalised information about vector, conditions, etc. can be used as either perception enhancement holographically or as a simple sensor array mechanically), same with communications including encryption and concealment (tight beam, signal masking, etc.).

Due to independent nature and the nature of Player groups as fast moving assault teams or mobile panzergrenadiers, more mechanical skills in vehicle operations, especially speederbike or airspeeders are important to egress the combat zone smartly and regroup for extraction.


If you were going to make a specialist Sniper SpecForce Trooper, which I rate approximately as a variation on a Pathfinder really

You need 1-2 high DEX skills, 1-2 average.
blaster: rifle or firearms: rifle or missile weapons: railgun (these do not have recoil, their representation as firearms in some supplements is inaccurate, functioning as a recoilless rifle ergo a missile weapon)
general blaster, grenade, missile weapons all secondary

You need 2 high PER skills, 1 average.
Hide, Search.
Sneak secondary.

You need 3 high MEC skills, 1 average.
Communications, Sensors, Repulsorlift operation.
Jet/rocketpack operation secondary (for insertions, I combine this skill to a single fyi as splitting them is ridiculous when things like repulsorlift applies to airspeeders and heavy trackers)

You need 1-2 average TEC skills.
First aid, computers, demolitions, blaster/firearms repair, all secondary but useful.

The interesting thing is DEX and MEC are the two that need the highest average among the most skills, so those two attributes should be highest for a sniper, rather than PER which sort of reflects the higher technological age.

[Fallon Kell]

[vanir]

[Downstrike]

[garhkal]

[Bren]

Like vanir, I would include snipers as members of existing Spec Forces units.

[Downstrike]

So a whole nother skill? Dang It!
I think I'm going to switch to just firearms skill and have a armorer skill that allows you to take off the safety, load the thing and clear jams. But point and shoot is just line up the iron sight.

[Bren]

I would assume that the firearms skill covers all facets of operating the weapon: aiming, firing, safety on and off, clearing simple jams, etc.

Firearms repair covers: maintenance of the weapon, modifications to the weapon, and repair of any actual damage to a weapon.

In the short term all you need is firearms skill to be able to shoot. But over time, especially in a hostile environment, you would need to be able to perform minor cleaning and maintenance (which is likely an easy task) to avoid weapons malfunctions, so you need at least 2D or 3D in firearms repair.

Similarly for blaster and blaster repair or for other weapons with moving parts.

[ZzaphodD]

[ZzaphodD]

[Jedi Skyler]

[garhkal]

[Bren]

My rule:
[*]Operating = weapon skill
[*]Repairing, fixing, modifying, changing = repair skill

Attaching scopes, silencers, suppressors, stocks etc. to a weapon that is designed to accomodate them would fall under firearms I guess though I don't know that regular folks learn to use anything except the former. But it's Star Wars, I don't really want a new skill for using silencers/suppressors.

Some sight enhancement and targeting devices might actually be sensors which might then require the sensor skill, but a simple macroscope would fall under the firearm, blaster, missile weapons, skill.

Modifying the weapon to accomodate a different stock, or scope, or what have you I'd but under the appropriate repair skill. Custom loading I'd put under the repair skill. Pretty much anything a typical gun afficianado can do at home in the basement goes under the appropriate repair skill. Stuff beyond that is some sort of advanced skill in weapon design, ballistics, or what have you.

Cleaning a weapon probably should be a repair skill. It just should be an easy or very easy skill roll for most weapons so even a character at base is likely to succeed. If one wanted that level of detail, one could assign sturdy weapons like a blaster carbine an easier cleaning and simple maintenance roll than for a more finicky weapon like say a repeating blaster.

[garhkal]

For weapon cleaning, i have my own rules set... well for slug throwers..

Cleaning and repair.
Cleaning kit. 800 credits. Lasts for 200 weapon cleanings, or 35 weapon repairs
Cleaning solution. 100 credits per liter. Lasts for 60 cp worth per liter.

Cleaning point cost.
Weapon / Cost per cleaning.
Pistol;
small and medium 1 per
heavy 2
Rifles;
regular 3
Longtom 5
God gun 7
Shotgun 4
Automatics;
SMG 4
Assault rifle 5
LMG 6
MMG 7
HMG 8

Difficulty to clean for all is V.easy (5) except shotguns (7), Light machine guns (8), Medium machine guns (9) and Heavy machine guns (10).
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[CRMcNeill]