Special AttacksThe following special attacks can be performed by any character. They require no special training to perform, but, like grappling, tripping, and other special attacks described in the PHB, a better trained individual can make better use of them.
Table: Special AttacksSpecial Attack | Brief Description |
Aid another at range | Grant an ally a +2 bonus on attacks at a distance |
Autofire | Ranged attack applies in a 5-foot radius |
Suppressing fire | Grant an enemy a -2 penalty on attacks for 1 round |
Aid AnotherIn ranged combat, you can help a friend attack by distracting or interfering with an opponent. If you’re in position to make a ranged attack on an opponent that is engaged by an ally in melee or ranged combat, you can attempt to aid your ally as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10, applying penalties for range, firing into melee against the opponent, and other factors as normal. If your target has cover, this also applies, increasing the AC to 14 (or 18 with improved cover). If you succeed, your ally gains a +2 bonus on his next attack roll against that opponent, as long as that attack comes before the beginning of your next turn. Multiple characters can aid the same friend, and similar bonuses stack. Like all ranged attacks, this use of aid another provokes an attack of opportunity. This is an additional use of the aid another action.
Just like in melee, if you have a Base Attack Bonus of +5 or better, then for every 10 points by which your attack roll exceeds AC 10, the bonus granted increases by 1 (as expanded in Complete Adventurer).
AutofireAs a ranged attack, you may attempt to fire at multiple opponents with an automatic weapon. If you would normally make multiple attacks, you can make multiple autofire attacks in a round. You can only attempt to autofire with with automatic ranged weapons. Other ranged weapons simply don't have the necessary rate of fire to spray an area. To make an autofire attack, choose a corner of a space within range and make an attack roll with a -4 penalty (the Autofire Proficiency feat negates this penalty). Compare this attack roll to the Armor Class of each creature and unattended object in a 5-foot radius burst around that point to determine whether or not they are hit. Determine cover, concealment, range increment penalties, and other factors independently against each subject of your attack, and from your position, not from the center of the burst. Autofiring takes as much ammunition as 10 normal attacks (regardless of the number of targets affected).
When autofiring using weapons that produce effects that affect subjects other than the primary target of an attack, such as splash weapons, metal storm bolter rounds, and Spell Storing ammunition with area spells stored, subjects are affected by each such additional effect only once per autofire attack, regardless of how many attacks may have included them in their areas.
When autofiring using multiple types of ammunition, the attack functions as though using the least effective of the ammunition fired when determining any aspect of the attack. For example, a bolter autofiring a mix of normal, metal storm, and inferno bolter rounds would deal damage as a weapon 1 size smaller (as per metal storm and inferno rounds), and would have a -4 penalty on the attack roll (as per metal storm rounds), but would not have the metal storm's splash damage, nor the inferno's fire damage and chance to ignite, and would be stopped by damage reduction as the weaker of piercing and slashing damage.
Suppressing FireIn ranged combat, you can impede a foe's ability to attack by distracting or interfering with an it. If you’re in position to make a ranged attack on an opponent, you can attempt to lay down suppressing fire as a standard action. You make an attack roll against AC 10, applying penalties for range, firing into melee against the opponent, and other factors as normal. If your target has cover, this also applies, increasing the AC to 14 (or 18 with improved cover). If you succeed, the opponent suffers a -2 penalty on his attack rolls for 1 round. Multiple characters can provide suppressing fire against the same foe, and similar penalties from different characters stack (although the same character laying down suppressing fire on the same target multiple times in a single round provides no extra benefit). Like all ranged attacks, suppressing fire provokes an attack of opportunity.
If you use weapon with which you can perform autofire attacks, you can combine the two to lay down suppressing fire in an area. Make an autofire attack. Instead of the normal effects of the autofire attack, you compare the attack roll against AC 10 as though laying down suppressing fire against each creature in the area, applying penalties as appropriate. Combining autofire with suppressing fire takes the longer action of the two (usually a standard action).
If you have a Base Attack Bonus of +5 or better, then for every 10 points by which your attack roll exceeds AC 10, the penalty imposed by suppressing fire increases by 1 (similar to Aid Another as expanded in Complete Adventurer).