Sniper OCC Need Feedback.

[Nomadic]

Sniper O.C.C.


A sniper is a highly trained marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles.

Snipers are often known to trust their weapon beyond most soldiers. It is said that a sniper without a rifle is just another man with a gun, they are very aware of this and give a high priority to the upkeep, maintance, and upgrades of their rifles. Their rifles are quite often modifed by either themselves or well renowned weapon techs. Scopes are often a must and in many spectrums. The sniper is able to hide and stay out of sight better then most any other trained soldiers can think of.

The Snipers prefered rifle is modifed to keep his position concealed. Reduced muzzel flashes, sound supression are among the basic of these modifications. Though in rifts earth there are many accomidating rifles. The modifications do not affect the damage capability of the rifle in any way, and in some cases make the rifle easier to move. These modifications are subject to GM approval

The sniper often uses the Called Aimed shot which takes three melee actions as he sites in to the target. A spotter may reduce this time by calling the range with the use of a range finder by one action. The spotter must be monitoring their range constantly and is unable to make other attacks or actions, except perception checks. They are often the sniper's extra eyes.



Rifle Bonding

The Sniper often bonds with his rifle, the marines of prerifts earth would state that "this is my rifle, there are many like it but this one is my own." They still carry this creed and often name their rifles. This process is not taken lightly, a gun is not just a gun to the sniper, it is his life and his love. The bonding process takes a matter of weeks to complete as they spend much time doing target practice, taking the gun apart and putting it back together, carrying it everywhere and anywhere they go (yes even to the bathroom). They are often known to be found talking to their rifle's holding conversations with themselves and the rifle (Note Character starts with this bond for one weapon).
This process takes 1d4 weeks, and 1d12 clips of ammo. Snipers can only bond with rifles capable of single shots and favor guns of extreme range and power. During the bonding period they learn the weapon so well that they opt at the end of the period to perform the personal touch (see sniper weapon modifications). At the end of this process the sniper is attached to the gun rather obsessivly and cannot and will not let anyone else tend thier rifle, much less fire it or even handle it.
It may also be noted that the rifle's name will often be etched, carved, or somehow permenantly upon the weapon somewhere. The rifle is always refered to as it's name by the sniper and they are known to get defensive when the gun is not called by it's name and will immediatly correct someone on it's name.

"Thats a nice gun ya got there."
"You mean little Betsy here? yeah she can pack a punch"

To bond to a new rifle before level 6 or 12, the original rifle has to be destroyed or completely discarded. This can happen for several reasons.
1. The weapon is destroyed in combat and is beyond repair
2. The weapon constantly fails the sniper.
3. Some other tragic loss of the rifle.

These reasons and others that the GM decides are prudent can bring about the bonding of a new rifle, however the loss of the old rifle is similar to a severe breakup or the loss of a loved one. It is not unheard of for a sniper to avenge the death of their rifle. However many snipers who loose their bonded rifle must go through a mourning period of 1d10 days. With the intimate knowladge of the rifle the sniper also gains an additional +1 with called or aimed shots from his bonded rifle and an addtional bonus at level 3,6,9 and 12.


Attribute requirements
IQ 11 , ME 13 , PP 10


Alignment (usually Aberrant, somtimes anarchist and unprincipled)

O.C.C. Bonus
+3 initive
+2 Perception

Double Critical strike range when using a rifle (to the required role (20 would now = 19 , required roll of 19 would now be 17+, etc...)

Once the sniper reaches level 10 he gets x4 damage on a nat 20. The Sniper knows all the noocks and crannies of armor and with an exeptional shot (nat 20) the blast hits one of these weak zones.

Snipers mark, +1 to aimed shot for level's 1,3,6,9,12


Snipers Attunement 'the psy sniper'

The Sniper Attunment. Make it a % roll change of 30% or a player can elect to become psy with GM Aprroval.

This attunment takes a 1d4 weeks and the sniper can only be attuned to one gun at a time. At level 6 add one additional weapon and again at level 12. This time can be combined with the time of rifle bonding but may exceede it. example, a roll of 2 weeks on rifle attunement and a roll of 4 weeks on rifle bonding will be 4 weeks of time total, but the attunement will be done at 2 weeks and bonuses there will apply. Powers of attunement are as follows:

Extreme precision - Reduce the miss chance down to 4 while a party member is engaguged in hand to hand melee as the sniper is using his psy powers to hone in on the target. (3 isp per shot)

In essence the bullet fired from a snipers gun wizzes right by the ear of this party member striking the target.


Sixth Sense - as described in the RUE (same cost)

See Invisible - As R.U.E.

Total Recall - As R.U.E.

Suppress Fear - As R.U.E.

if the sniper is a psy sniper then they get 3d6 isp +ME +1d6/level
Note that the psy abilities of the psy sniper can only be activated if the attuned rifle is at the ready in the sniper's possession.


Snipers weapon Modification "The Personal Touch"

Snipers have to know their gun, how it works. This bonus can only be givin to a bonded rifle, the weapon's upgrade happens on the last day of the bonding, the upgrade is completed and known as the sniper's personal touch.
(Pick one of 4)

1 - Increased range by 50%
2 - Increased Clip Size by 50%
3 - Increased damage by 2d6 or +10 for Guns that use a Multiplier Such as 2d6x10 would be 2d6x10+10. Where a 3d6 would become a 5d6.
4 - Increased accuracy. +3 to aimmed shots.






O.C.C. Skills



Camouflage (+15%)
Concealment (+20%)
Detect Ambush (+10%)
Detect Concealment (+10%)
Land navigation (+17%)
Literacy : choice of one (+10%)
Parachuting (+12%)
Prowl (+20%)
Radio:Basic (+10%)
Radio: Scramblers (+5%)
Recognize weapon quality (+15%)
Sniper
Spelunking (+10%)
Tracking (+15%)
trap/mine Detection (+10%)
Wilderness Survival (+20%)

W.P. Rifles (All)
W.P. Sharpshooting
W.P. Trick Shot (cost of one skill selection)
W.P. (one of choice)
W.P. (sidearm of choice)

H2H : Expert (can be changed to commando/martial arts for 1 skill selection ; or upgraded to assasin {if evilish} )



O.C.C. Related

-Select 7 other skills. Plus select 2 additional skills at level three, two at level 6, one at level 9, and one at level 12.

Communications : Any (+10%)
Domestic : Any
Electrical : Any
Espionage : Any (+15%)
Mechanical : Any
Medical : (first aid, paramedic only) +5%
Military : Any
Physical : Any
Pilot reltated : Any
Rogue: Any (+10%)
Science : Any (+5%)
Technical : any (+5% most, +10% on language & Literacy)
Wilderness : any (+5%)

Secondary Skills :
Select 6 secondary skills from the previous list, these are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuse listed. All secondary skills start at the base skill level. Skills are limited (any, only, none) as previously indicated in the list.



Standard Equipment:
A suit of mega-damage body armor (usually light)
A Ghillie suit (+? to concealment?)
Military Fatigues (standard unit uniform)
several sets of camouflage clothing (for various terrain types)
dress clothing (uniform)
a small wardrobe
Laser rangefinder (can be built into binoculars)
Gas mask and air filter
tinted goggles
Tactical web-gear
Binoculars
A Modified (see occ description) rifle of choice (including CS, Triax, or Contraband Items)
+ Scope of choice
twelve extra ammo-clips
Survival knife
-(a side arm)
-
-
Robot medical kit and IrmSS
Knapsack
Backpack
Canteen
appropriate gun cleaning kit
and some personal items

Money : 3d6 x 1000 in credit, and black market items worth 1d6 x 1000 credits.

Cybernetics : Choice of 3 optic upgrades (often telescopic, and two imaging spectrums like nightvision and IR)

as well as 1d3 cybernetic implants


Psy-Snipers get no cybernetic implants


Some Notes as to why:
the extended critical range is to make up for the extreme damage and ruthlessness of the snipers strike. I made this decision on counter to giving the sniper an increase strike bonus.

The spotter is to verify the range so the sniper may make the adjustments without taking the time to calibrate for the range.

Sharpshooting and trickshot are to reflect the snipers keen attunement with his weapon.

Radio skills are standard training for the snipers covert insertion and call for retrieval)

Rifle bonding
this takes away the ability to modify any/everyone's guns. they don't call it the Personal touch for nothing.

[Natasha]

Will such a thing be used against the PCs as well?

A silencer will reduce effective range of a typical rifle and they will probably reduce accuracy to some degree as well but who cares, right. But in an urban battlefield that might be acceptable since the engagement ranges are generally quite small. It's all moot anyways, they're going to be using energy weapons.

I like the of spotter reducing attacks for called shots but would suggest that the time saved is time used communicating the information to the shooter. So it would still be three shots but I would definitely give a strike bonus to the next attack since the spotter should be able to adjust the shooter's fire; and might even go so far as to say that the second shot only costs 2 attacks since most of the hard work has already been completed.

I don't really care for the bonding one way or the other. The psychic stuff seems alright, especially since he has to be using his rifle at the time.

I would give the Detection skills a bonus when doing long range surveillance. The sniper team's capabilities make it well suited for observation missions. I see no reason for an initiative bonus. I would not giveSpelunking, Tracking, Trap/mine Detection, and Wilderness Survival as O.C.C. skills although should be selected by the character. The H2H is alright but probably Basic would do as they're not really commandos or melee fighters. Maybe not so many cybernetics as well, but if they're part of the military why not.

[Dog_O_War]

Some Notes as to why:
the extended critical range is to make up for the extreme damage and ruthlessness of the snipers strike. I made this decision on counter to giving the sniper an increase strike bonus.

The spotter is to verify the range so the sniper may make the adjustments without taking the time to calibrate for the range.

Sharpshooting and trickshot are to reflect the snipers keen attunement with his weapon.

Radio skills are standard training for the snipers covert insertion and call for retrieval)

Rifle bonding
this takes away the ability to modify any/everyone's guns. they don't call it the Personal touch for nothing.

I'm not sure as to your goals with this class.

Also, your limiting of the classes' ability to modify weapons for anyone doesn't make any sense. The first two items have every bit to do with hardware and nothing to do with the weapon itself, and 3 & 4 could be conceived as hardware properties as well. An alternate limitor could be a time factor; say it takes 1d6 hours of tweaking to set the rifle up, and after a period of 24 hours that contained a combat the rifle must be tweaked again. That way, if the group had an extended down-time, the sniper might do this for everyone, but on a regular combat basis he's likely only modifying his own weapon.

The Rifle-bonding seems miss placed. You're offering that it gives bonuses with called and aimed shots, then you're giving the class a generic bonus to aimed shots, then you're giving them sharp-shooting, which is additional bonuses to called and aimed shots, and then you're giving them the actual Sniper skill, which is a bonus to aimed shots. All told, that's +4 to aimed shots before WP, weapon, and sharp-shooting are factored in at level 1.

Yet when they fire regular shots they are apparently garbage?

I have some ideas, but first I would like to know what your goal is with this class.

[Nomadic]

My Goal was to build a class that got bonuses to firing from distance. I've looked at all the OCC's and haven't found one that gets a bonus to AIMed shots. While also trying to hold true to the sniper mentality. I'm looking at it from the 3 or 4 snipers I've talked to.
Basicly I didn't like how the Sniper Skill could be taken and turn someone into a sinper. I wanted an OCC that was dedicated to sniping and if they wern't 3000FT away they didn't feel at home.

But I didn't want the sniper to become a technical class and take away from weapon engineer or be stacked with other mods. hence the limiters on modding other weapons.

Why would a sniper get a bonus to non aimmed sniper shots?

I wanted a class that RIFTS sniper. Shooting the wings off a fly, etc. The mile long shot that hits the fan blades as soon as a sammus pops up.

[jaymz]

I think in some ways its OK but in others its....a bit overkill. Mostly in the various ways to give them aimed shot bonuses. Example by 12th level the above OCC has a +12 to strike on aimed shots and that doesnt take into account sharpshooting, WP, rifle and scope. That is overkill even for Rifts.

They don't need sharpshooting or trick shot. or extra for bonding with the rifle.

I think you;d be better serve to create and MOS sniper for an already existing class (Special forces etc) and a skill called WP SNiper used in place of the normal sniper skill. This can give them the aimed bonus as well as additional skills related to being a sniper (prowl, tracking etc) Also it may be a good idea to instead of having SO many strike bonuses, nerf them and maybe allow a lowering of the called shot base. say 12 to start and -1 at level 5, 10 and 15. So at level 10 a sniper only needs a 10 to strike on a called shot, etc.

[Nomadic]

I think in some ways its OK but in others its....a bit overkill. Mostly in the various ways to give them aimed shot bonuses. Example by 12th level the above OCC has a +12 to strike on aimed shots and that doesnt take into account sharpshooting, WP, rifle and scope. That is overkill even for Rifts.

They don't need sharpshooting or trick shot. or extra for bonding with the rifle.

I think you;d be better serve to create and MOS sniper for an already existing class (Special forces etc) and a skill called WP SNiper used in place of the normal sniper skill. This can give them the aimed bonus as well as additional skills related to being a sniper (prowl, tracking etc) Also it may be a good idea to instead of having SO many strike bonuses, nerf them and maybe allow a lowering of the called shot base. say 12 to start and -1 at level 5, 10 and 15. So at level 10 a sniper only needs a 10 to strike on a called shot, etc.

Yes very ture... and to hit a sammus for example who is level 9 traveling at full speed has a +16 or higher to dodge. So it's not really OP.

[Nomadic]

Case in point I have a level 4 with +20 to hit in melee.

[Dustin Fireblade]

H2H : Expert (can be changed to commando/martial arts for 1 skill selection ; or upgraded to assasin {if evilish} )

Commando and Assassin should cost at least two skill selections to make the class fit in better with other OCC's. Personally I might even have it cost 3 skill selections.

Also on skills -

Radio:Scramblers has been replaced by ECM

Secondary skills use the Secondary skill list on pg 300 of RUE.

[Nomadic]

H2H : Expert (can be changed to commando/martial arts for 1 skill selection ; or upgraded to assasin {if evilish} )

Commando and Assassin should cost at least two skill selections to make the class fit in better with other OCC's. Personally I might even have it cost 3 skill selections.

Also on skills -

Radio:Scramblers has been replaced by ECM

Secondary skills use the Secondary skill list on pg 300 of RUE.

Rgr. I used the Bounty Hunter as a base template. And I agree with the 3 skills. It effectivly gives autododge.

[Dog_O_War]

My Goal was to build a class that got bonuses to firing from distance. I've looked at all the OCC's and haven't found one that gets a bonus to AIMed shots. While also trying to hold true to the sniper mentality. I'm looking at it from the 3 or 4 snipers I've talked to.
Basicly I didn't like how the Sniper Skill could be taken and turn someone into a sinper. I wanted an OCC that was dedicated to sniping and if they wern't 3000FT away they didn't feel at home.

But I didn't want the sniper to become a technical class and take away from weapon engineer or be stacked with other mods. hence the limiters on modding other weapons.

Why would a sniper get a bonus to non aimmed sniper shots?

I wanted a class that RIFTS sniper. Shooting the wings off a fly, etc. The mile long shot that hits the fan blades as soon as a sammus pops up.

Okay, from the mechanical perspective you have the following;
Sniper: +2 aimed and called shots
Sharpshooting specialty: +X for a PP of 18 and over
WP: (e) rifles +2 for aimed shots, plus a generic level bonus

You've added;
Rifle Bonding: +1 aimed and called shots at levels 1, 3, 6 ,9, and 12
Snipers' Mark: +1 aimed shots at levels 1, 3, 6 ,9, and 12
Personal Touch: possible +3 aimed shots


In Rifts though, the number of attacks a character has determines how good a shot they actually are; your class adds only 1 (from sharpshooting) for using the same weapon the entire round. This is a problem because the class is based off of using aimed and called shots; this requires two and three attacks at a time, respectively.

The class starts with Expert; that's 4 attacks, meaning that this class is only making 21/2 aimed shots if it uses a rifle the entire time. This is a problem because while a sniper in real life may live by the creed, "one shot, one kill" this is a game where that is most certainly not always possible. The average CS grunt has 70 MDC helmets, so when using a typical rifle (3d6), even when using the increased damage mod., you're looking at 17-18 damage per shot - or about 4 shots to kill a single grunt.

My suggestion here is to remove the generic aimed strike bonuses from bonding and snipers' mark, and instead allow the OCC to make aimed shots with a single attack. Called shots still require two actions, but this asserts both an excellent shot in-game, and provides a character that isn't simply out-gunned by virtually every other OCC.

[Nomadic]

And you don't think this will make it OP? Because that is what I wanted to do to start with but was talked out of it.

[Dog_O_War]

All you have is a character that is good at making accurate, single shots with a rifle.

The alternative could be a character making 30 burst-attacks per round with a pair of rifles, except that he doesn't have like +10 to hit.
(exaggerated)


As for "OP", well it could be a Glitterboy pilot, right?



All I'm saying is that this guy is about as powerful as a 'borg, headhunter, or PA pilot to start, instead of a generic low-equipment merc or a rogue-scientist or something. You may want to restrict race as well, but generally every race is "more powerful" than humans so that comes with it's own seperate flaws.

[Nomadic]

done and done. anything else to add?

[Shorty Lickens]

Given that one hit kills are very unlikely in an MDC world, I dont see a professional sniper being too useful in Rifts. Occasionally it would be used inside cities where folks dont run around with heavy armor. But out in the field it wouldnt do much good. The sniper skill is only useful to get an extra hit bonus under the right circumstances. No need for a whole OCC dedicated to it.

OUTSIDE Rifts this would be very helpful, but again does not need a whole OCC. If you look at modern armies and private professional killers, most of them are soldiers or ex-soldiers who specialize in sniping. Its just one of their many skills and not a whole job unto itself. I would just have them as a soldier OCC with specialization in long range weapons, to include the sniper skill.

BUT, if OP likes his new class, I think he should go for it.

[jaymz]

I was just chceking thru the Rifter index elsewhere on this site and low and behold.....an article about sniping. How to create snipers as an MOS and thigns about Target Acquisition Groups. Pretty good article too....and of course I now forget which issue it was in

[Nomadic]

Currently Being Game Tested, and the role he has filled is a techinal Shooter. It's not killing the person in the armor, altho with a crit he can one shot a sammus. 2d4x10+20(Doubled) Mostly it's being used to take out senor optics, hit fast moving targets. Shooting Guns of other people slagging them. As far is NEEDED well there are crap tons of OCC's not Needed in Rifts, but people still play them for fun.

2d4x10+20 to your head each action is pretty hard to beat.

[Dustin Fireblade]

I was just chceking thru the Rifter index elsewhere on this site and low and behold.....an article about sniping. How to create snipers as an MOS and thigns about Target Acquisition Groups. Pretty good article too....and of course I now forget which issue it was in

Rifter #23.

I had the pleasure of playing in a game written by the author of that article. Lasted for several years, and was one of the best games I've ever played in. Met some of the best gamers ever in that game too. And it was all on-line too.