Ranged - Heavy

Combat Skill (Agility)

Heavy ranged weapons are those that generally must be wielded in or directed with two hands, such as a bowcaster, heavy blaster, or flame projector. Heavy ranged weapons also include larger thrown items, such as spears or throwing axes.
Using a heavy ranged weapon while engaged with an enemy increases the difficulty () of the check by two.
When firing upon a target from range, weapons that are held with two hands offer a more stable firing platform than those which are held in a single hand. These also often have longer barrels, providing a consistent fire pattern out to a much longer range. In the larger space required for such armaments, designers can often include a significantly larger ammunition reserve and may also make the weapon far more potent than smaller weapons. This combination can yield weapons that are substantially more deadly and more accurate.
There are countless varieties of rifles used throughout the galaxy. Some are simple slugthrowers, while common blaster rifles range in size from carbines to extended barrel sniper rifles. There are also a number of unique weapons, such as the Wookiee bowcaster. Any of these different weapons depend upon the Ranged (Heavy) skill in their operation.
In addition to combat uses, Ranged (Heavy) weapons are commonly used for hunting purposes. Because of this, these types of weapons are seen on frontier worlds far more frequently than Ranged (Light) weapons. Characters who are focused on their wilderness survival skills may prefer the additional range that a rifle offers when confronting predators.

• Ranged (Heavy) weapons inflict wounds upon targets by default. A subset of the weapons in this category may have a stun option, as do some specialized stun-only weapons.

Ranged (Heavy) check difficulties are determined by the distance to the target. The difficulty () may be modified by maneuvers the character makes and specific combat situational modifiers (see Conflict & Combat).

Visit the Combat Skills page for details on Combat Skills, or the main Skills page for a table of all skills.