D&D 3.5 Moving Targets?

[Mr. X]

A question for the Well Educated in the Playground, are there any special modifiers for hitting a moving target? (i.e. Shooting a mounted rider as he gallops full speed down a street, or jumping from a ledge onto a passing wyvern.)

It seems like there should be, but I can't seem to find any rules anywhere.

I appreciate any advice,

Yours,

X

[Flickerdart]

No. In fact, it's easier to hit a creature moving at a dead run because (without the Run feat) it loses Dexterity to AC.

[Mr. X]

Wow, I find that... Odd. But fair enough, thanks for the help.

[Flickerdart]

There's nothing odd about it. It's a lot easier to predict the trajectory of someone going very quickly in one direction that it is for someone going less quickly, but spinning and dodging and weaving and generally making a nuisance of themselves. When people are changing directions, it's impossible to lead your shot for more than a fraction of a second, whereas if they're running straight, you have all the time in the world to line it up (until they're out of sight, anyway).

[SciChronic]

when a target is moving at full speed its easy to lead a target with an attack because you know they can't go any faster, and its really hard for them to quickly slow down. Try sprinting down the street and try to come to a full stop as fast as you can.

[Evolved Shrimp]

Then again somebody moving fast does not really move in a straight line. At the very least, they bob up and down in an unpredictable manner.

IRL, hitting moving targets is harder than stationary ones, so it seems indeed curious that there is no rule reflecting this. Could be an oversight.

A DM wishing to change this could conceivably apply circumstance modifiers to hit rolls for ranged attacks on moving targets (perhaps -2 to -4?)

[SciChronic]

In combat it's not a still target, Still targets are Flat-footed. Normal AC means actively trying to evade attacks.

[Mr. X]

I'm inclined to agree with both angles... Drawing your bow and nailing a purse snatcher before he ducks into an allyway, and picking off a rider as he sails across an open feild are hardly the same situation, so a single 'Moving Target' ruling couldn't really be applied to both.

At the same time, I tend to like high drama in my games, and so dropping the effective DC of an attack because the target is moving quickly away doesn't feel quite right either.

So I think I'll use both: Negating the target's Dex bonus to AC because of their stable trajectory, while adding circumstance bonuses/penalties to the attack and/or the target's AC depending on what the dramatic circumstances of the scene call for.

(My rule of thumb: The Hero should always be capable of succeeding, but it should [almost] never be easy.) :-P

[Flickerdart]

Then again somebody moving fast does not really move in a straight line. At the very least, they bob up and down in an unpredictable manner.

IRL, hitting moving targets is harder than stationary ones, so it seems indeed curious that there is no rule reflecting this. Could be an oversight.

A DM wishing to change this could conceivably apply circumstance modifiers to hit rolls for ranged attacks on moving targets (perhaps -2 to -4?)
It's much easier to hit a stationary target, as it has no Dexterity bonus to its AC, and also suffers an additional -2. Plus, you can take a full round action to aim for +5 more. A creature standing in its combat space is not stationary.

Furthermore, nerfing ranged combat even more than it's already nerfed is a terrible idea.

[Evolved Shrimp]

A creature standing in its combat space is not stationary

Yeah, you're right - I hadn't thought about that.

[Big Fau]

Plus, you can take a full round action to aim for +5 more.

[Citation Needed]


The Skirmish class feature of the Scout, several maneuvers and stances in the Bo9S, and a rare few others are currently the only rules for gaining a bonus to AC by moving (other than the obvious Dex to AC).

[Knaight]

A question for the Well Educated in the Playground, are there any special modifiers for hitting a moving target? (i.e. Shooting a mounted rider as he gallops full speed down a street, or jumping from a ledge onto a passing wyvern.)

No. For one thing, the way the turn structure works basically prevents the whole concept of a moving target from existing in the game, outside of a few niche cases with readied actions and similar.

[hamishspence]

[Citation Needed]


It applies to ranged attacks against objects:

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm#rangedWeaponDamage

Objects are easier to hit than creatures because they usually don’t move, but many are tough enough to shrug off some damage from each blow. An object’s Armor Class is equal to 10 + its size modifier + its Dexterity modifier. An inanimate object has not only a Dexterity of 0 (-5 penalty to AC), but also an additional -2 penalty to its AC. Furthermore, if you take a full-round action to line up a shot, you get an automatic hit with a melee weapon and a +5 bonus on attack rolls with a ranged weapon.

[DeltaEmil]

[Citation Needed]You can find it here on http://www.d20srd.org/srd/exploration.htm#armorClass

[Fyermind]

Targets moving at a run lose their dexterity bonus, but do gain a +4 bonus to AC against ranged attacks. This is to simulate that they are moving too fast to dodge but are still harder to hit than something that isn't moving at all.

[hamishspence]

Is that a houserule?

[Flickerdart]

Targets moving at a run lose their dexterity bonus, but do gain a +4 bonus to AC against ranged attacks. This is to simulate that they are moving too fast to dodge but are still harder to hit than something that isn't moving at all.
[Citation needed]

[hamishspence]

I've found a couple of ways of "taking a full-round action to aim" at a creature rather than an object- but they only grant a +2 circumstance bonus.

One is a piece of equipment in d20 Call of Cthulhu- the bipod.

Another is the Dead Aim feat in D20 Modern.

[SciChronic]

I've found a couple of ways of "taking a full-round action to aim" at a creature rather than an object- but they only grant a +2 circumstance bonus.

One is a piece of equipment in d20 Call of Cthulhu- the bipod.


that's funny, when you look through complete scoundrel at the surprise weapons section, the crossbows have bipods on them.