[jerryme]

Hi guys,

i can't find an answer to this:
When you're in melee range and your opponent decides to rather shoot you, do you treat it as ranged or melee defense test?
Specifically do you get Rea+dodge+dodge on full defense, even when you sparring partner uses a gun?

I kind of expect the answer yes, because melee chars would have a bad time otherwise, but I can't find it in the rules.

Thanks for your help,

[Erling]

According to RAW it's a ranged attack anyway.

[emsquared]

I've never seen it interpreted any other way, if the Attacker is using a ranged weapon, its resolved as a ranged attack, no question or other option. Though keep in mind the Attacker has a -3 modifier to his attack for being engaged in melee (which, yes, is then mostly offset by the +2 bonus for point blank range, but I could see a House Rule that the point blank bonus does not apply if engaged in melee).

[Mirikon]

Ranged attack means defending against it as a ranged attack. Period. If your player tries to argue on this point, beat him with the phonebook until the stupid stops. If at any point he mentions D&D monks, use the hard edge of the phonebook.

[Kincaid]

iirc, there is a martial arts technique in Run & Gun that makes you more difficult to shoot while in melee combat with the shooter, which I took as your efforts to control your opponent's forearm/hand to prevent him from lining up a shot.

[eximius]

iirc, there is a martial arts technique in Run & Gun that makes you more difficult to shoot while in melee combat with the shooter, which I took as your efforts to control your opponent's forearm/hand to prevent him from lining up a shot.

In which case it is Specific vs. General, me thinks.

The problem with melee-blocking a ranged attack is you'd have to block it *before* the pulled the trigger... which is grappling or something and really not representative of a 'dodge'.

[Herr Brackhaus]

Parry? No. Clinch? Yes.

The Clinch martial arts technique states that the technique imposes a negative dice pool modifier to ranged attacks equal to the net hits of the clinch maneuver. A skilled martial artist could therefore make it very difficult to use a ranged weapon in melee.

[SpellBinder]

iirc, there is a martial arts technique in Run & Gun that makes you more difficult to shoot while in melee combat with the shooter, which I took as your efforts to control your opponent's forearm/hand to prevent him from lining up a shot.

Yes, and No.  Since it's SR4, you're wanting to look in Arsenal, not Run & Gun.  Martial Arts like Firefight, Krav Maga, and Sangre y Acero all have options that allow you to reduce the ranged combat "attacker in melee combat" penalty, and combined will negate it entirely.