Indirect Missile Fire

[Scott]

Any suggestions on indirect missile fire? I’m assuming the standard rules cover individuals aiming at specific targets, but what about a mass of archers firing at a mass of infantry?

[geneweigel]

Well, I've been using dice assignments to select "targets" forever with various factors even when it has nothing to do with missile fire. Here's a rough example of how I use selection elswhere really slowed down:

Example, factor CHA ability scores into dice rolls. Each CHA point is worth 4% (Based on god max of 25 x 4 = 100%) to "see what PC the NPC's secret is told to". A 6-sided is roughly 16%-16%-16%-16%-16%-16%. There are 4 players: A,B,C & D. "A" has 18, "B" has 16, "C" has 9 and another "D" has 12. Take the highest "18" and the difference is 9 (36%) to the lowest "9". Chop "C" percentage difference too large for even a pip. "18" to "12" is 6 (24%) difference. Chop "D". "18" to "16" is 2 (8%). Good. 2 more than 1 = 3 slots latogther. 6-sided chopped into 3 slots is 1,2/3,4/5,6 therefore "16" =1,2 "18" = 3,4,5,6.

Of course, this is just specifically writing it down something more intuitive at this point. Pulling it out in 3 seconds it may be a little rougher. I don't know how many weird selections I've "pulled" using this weird number play!

In ahuge melee, for every missile-into-melee "to hit dice" I throw an assigned "selection dice" of the same or similiar color and if I don't have enough or can't find a good match I'll spread the rolls across the table separately.

The selection dice assigned #s will depend on the sizes of the targets and the number in melee per DMG. Roughly S = 1target, M =2 targets and L =3 targets. (Or if in a rush [and/or drunk]throw a d6 with each and figure it out with a couple more rolls (good/bad, which half of room, etc.)

NB: I also use a 30-sided too for big groups.

[Scott]

Would you assign a penalty to hit? Base the AC on the targe being the unit, instead of a character?

[geneweigel]

"To hit" and "armor" increments of "1" are roughly equal to "5%" so I suppose one could figure it out fom there:

Hitting a kobold in this (S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-S-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-L-L-L-L) would be a 2% chance =-98% = 5/98 = 19.6. round up to 20

So it would be a minus of 20 on a "to hit" roll for a "called shot" on the kobold. If it were the other way it would be a bonus of 20 on the armor (The kobold's AC 7 would become an impossible shot of AC -13).

Hitting an orc in this:
(S-S-S-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-M-L-L) would be a 6% chance = -92% = 5/92 =18.4 round down to 18

So it would be a minus of 18 on a "to hit" roll for a "called shot" on the orc. If it were the other way it would be a bonus of 18 on the armor. (The orc's AC 6 would become an impossible shot of AC -12)