Silly "Cannon" Fix

[Azaireal]

Cannon: Same as now but...

Each time the cannon fires, place the small template over the cannon. Everything underneath takes a strength 5 hit and all units within 6" must check for panic.

Each time the cannon misfires, place the large template over the cannon. Everything underneath takes d3 strength 10 hits, all units within 6" of the template must check for panic.

A cannon may never re-roll a misfire result.

This fix is designed to make the battlefield more dynamic by having cannons explode with every shot. At S5, the cannon has a 1/6 chance of wounding itself each time it shoots, more accurately representing the casting technology used to make Renaissance fire-arms. Its also a risk for engineers who stand too close to the cannon. As long as crew remain part of the profile their is no issue with killing off the crew.

The large template is designed to show the catastrophic outcome of a cannon failing. It will hurt nearby artillery as we as engineers. With the changes to re-rolling misfires, engineers probably wont die as much, but a cannon battery could go from fully operational to severely damaged in a single shot. With a chance to injure themselves with every shot, a 4 wound cannon would be hesitant to fire with 1 wound remaining.

It will make castling more hazardous as well.

What do you think?
I think I'm being too soft on cannons.

EDIT: special racial traits or items could allow for re-rolled misfires.

[Dalamar]

The problem with cannons is not that they don't explode, they do, and they do it often. The problem with cannons is that they are more accurate than sniper fire.

10" from the back of target's base means almost certain hit unless misfire is rolled at any point.

My solution is to introduce the scatter die into cannon shots.
After you declare the point where the cannon is aiming, roll scatter die and move the target d3" in the rolled direction, then roll for distance.

This will make cannons wildly inaccurate when shooting at single models, somewhat less accurate when shooting at large monsters, and almost no difference when shooting at units.

[Azaireal]

Cannons don't explode, they dissolve. Explosions have templates.

The use of scatter dice is a good/valid idea. It does curtail cannon sniping rather effectively.

My idea was aimed at directly influencing gun-lines (consequently cannon sniping) and the implications of having tightly packed formation of war machines surrounded by infantry. A single cannon exploding should be a credible threat to most of the machines around it, unless they are safely spaced apart.

[Prince of Spires]

I think a scatter is a pretty decent idea. Personally I would also make all warmachines use BS to determine if something is hit. There isn;t realy any difference between a boltthrower and a cannon fluff wise. You point the pointy bit at whatever you want to kill. Your skill should determine how accurate you are.

I would also turn cannons into doing only D3 wounds, not D6. That way, there is actually some point in fielding a single model monster against gunlines.

Rod

[Peepster1976]

Great ideas, I alway have thought canons were to hard hitting. Indeed more precise that a "sniper".
the bounce is okay, I think it a realistic (stange word in a fantasy game) way of doing damage. But it needs a scatter. Now it's to dangerous for a single model. Where on a battlefield it's probably impossible to hit a single person. 1d6 is I thing a "realistic" amount of damage if one gets hit by a iron ball. AN Elephant shot by one brobably doen't survive.
The scatter already diminishes the change of hitting, and so surviving, a single model. so less "sniper" effect of canons.

Too bad GW is never gonna do somthing about it.

GRtzz

[Jimmy]

I think perhaps misfires to be way more fatal when gunpowder is included, like a 50% chance it self destructs.

Wounds = D3 or give monsters 7 wounds prevent one shots.

[Prince of Spires]

I think perhaps misfires to be way more fatal when gunpowder is included, like a 50% chance it self destructs.

Wounds = D3 or give monsters 7 wounds prevent one shots.

Or perhaps give the option to either do D3 or D6 wounds, but let misfire results depend on your choice. So if you go for D6 wounds (ie, use more gunpowder) you have a 50% chance to selfdestruct on a misfire, while with D3 wounds you only have a 25% chance.

And don't allow rerolls of misfires on the to hit roll. If your cannon explodes, the isn't anything an engineer is going to do about it...

Rod

[Jimmy]

I like that Rod. Great suggestion. "Have your cake, but its going to blow up"

[Musashi]

The rules surrounding cannons have always been too simplistic, with good reason.

Cannons could be accompanied by their manufacturer, and depending on how much skill he has and how much care he expended in making it, that's the chances it would go boom.

[endontoddy]

I think a scatter is a pretty decent idea. Personally I would also make all warmachines use BS to determine if something is hit. There isn;t realy any difference between a boltthrower and a cannon fluff wise. You point the pointy bit at whatever you want to kill.

I think this hits the nail on the head. Cannons should require a BS check like other ranged weapons, with scatter applied on a miss.

[Dalamar]

There isn;t realy any difference between a boltthrower and a cannon fluff wise.

Properly fletched bolt in a bolt thrower can hit a bullseye 10/10 times when fired by a skilled archer (I'd call rank and file High elf good enough to hit the target 8/10 times.

Cannon shooting a smooth iron or stone ball, with a barrel that's not bored will start veering off target as soon as it leaves the muzzle. Cannons were never used as sniper weapons, they were used for their psychological impact of ground exploding around you, and potential impact of a cannonball flying through your buddy next to you. They were fired at large regiments and hoping to hit something.
Only later they became more accurate to actually start sniping at enemy artillery encampments (still with pretty bad accuracy but it didn't take much to disable a cannon... a hit next to one would open a hold in the ground and a cannon would slide in... and good luck pulling it out in a timely manner)