Sanctuary Chronicles: 20mm Sci-Fi Campaigns on the Planet Sanctuary

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d10 Gunfight

d10 Gunfight: Game Theory

d10 Gunfight is a skirmish game meant to capture the dynamics of small-scale gunfights.  Two things that define gunfights are:  (1) the balance between shooting fast and shooting accurately; and (2) shot placement serves as the chief determinant of a bullet's effectiveness.  In detail:


1.  "Fast is fine, but accuracy is final." - attributed to Wyatt Earp
Shooting a firearm, particularly a handgun, requires a balancing act between shooting fast and shooting accurately.  The Shoot statistic that each model uses represents the ability to shoot at combat speed, under stress, in a two-way live fire.  Accuracy can, however, be sacrificed for speed.  Whenever a model engages in combat, an opposed reaction roll determines the order in which actions occur, higher roll wins.  A model can, however, trade accuracy for speed.  To do this, a player declares that the model is trading up to 2 points of accuracy for speed, and adds 2 to the model's reaction roll.  The same model, however, whether it wins or loses the reaction roll, will subtract 2 from its to-hit roll against a range-dependent Target Number.  In other words, a model can shoot up to 20% faster for a 20% loss in accuracy.


2.  Shot placement is king.
The placement of a shot, more than caliber, determines the damage that it delivers.  The bullet is going to do what it is going to do; the only thing that makes it effective is where it hits.


In d10 Gunfight, to-hit rolls are made against a range-dependent Target Number.  Damage is constant for a weapon; if a shot hits, the Damage value for the weapon is added, but no additional damage roll will be made.  Damage is determined based on the Modified To-Hit Roll (MoTHR), created by the rolled d10 value as modified by the shooting model's Shoot value as well as reaction, cover, and movement modifiers.  If the to-hit roll is equal to or greater than the range-dependent Target Number, the Damage value of the weapon is added to the successful shot. 


Example:  Dirk shoots his 9mm pistol (Damage 2) at a target 12" away, which is at Medium range.  The Target Number is 7.  Dirk has a Shoot value of 3.  Dirk does not trade any of his Shoot value for increased reaction speed, and wins the opposed reaction roll.  Dirk rolls a 5, and adds 3 to the roll for a MoTHR of 8, one above the required 7.  Dirk then adds the pistol's Damage of 2 for a total damage of 3 (1 over Target Number plus 2 Damage value of the weapon).