Feb 2021 Campaign Q&A
Why is it on a nat one you call a dice roll (d6 or d8) and the round hits a character even when they are no where near them?
This is a good question! So, I think in general in D&D ranged nat-ones are usually punctuated by a bowstring snapping or something like that. To me, that means a ranged character doesn't get to do their thing for the next round while they re-string a bow. In Dark Matter we have cool guns. I guess I have a few options. Currently, if a ranged attacker is shooting into melee I assign two numbers to each character around the target, and a final pair of numbers to a blank square for a complete miss. Then, I call for that d6, or d8, or d10. You get the picture. I would refer to that as Version 1. Alternatively, I could also increase the odds of missing by accounting for blank spaces on either side of the scrum and call that Version 2.
Both are completely optional, but so far I've taken some sick pleasure in it. Alternatively, I could have guns jam for a round and it take an action to un-jam them the next round. I could also say a Bonus Action Technology Check with a certain DC could clear the fault, which means a player still has an Action but they have the option to try to clear the issue if they don't have a better use for their Bonus Action on their turn. Then I'd have to decide if the Bonus Action is used to clear it out faster, and it'll fix itself next turn magically (which would make more sense after Level 5 when you get more attacks) or if it won't clear until that Technology check is passed. Alternatively, I could flip a coin between the friendly fire possibility or the clearing-the-malfunction possibility.
What's your opinion? As for characters being nowhere near the target, I guess that depends. If you're shooting a carbine, a bullet can wound at 5 feet or 60. When melee characters crit fail I tend to have them fling the weapon wildly in any direction, if that's similar.
After reading both versions, I think you are using Version 1 as a "magic bullet", the other characters still have an AC, which is currently getting ignored with version 1. Sure friendly fire can be funny at times if used right or it can force RP, if you want the party to be on edge with one another and at each others throats since they got shot from someone on their team.. I think a better way to do Version 1 would to be to still do the random dice roll and then have the shoot make another attack roll to see if they can meet or beat the targets AC. Version 2 is a logical way to do it. However, since we are in space, are these energy rounds? actual rounds? I get how an actual round jams, I am unsure how and energy round would. Maybe a loose wire or short somewhere, which would push them to do a tech check to see what went wrong. You can make the tech DC higher or lower with how long they have had the weapon, if its their main weapon, or if they just bought it at the shop and haven't spent time to learn the ins and outs of it. Having a sword or melee weapon swing wildly isn't realistic and is hard to imagine in the mind theater, unless the player says "im gonnna close my eyes and swing wildly". Just a few options i've used and seen others use are: Having them over swing making them off balance, getting the weapon stuck in the enemies shield, or the weapon slip because the characters hands are sweaty from fighting.