I'm fleshing out the first of eight episodes for this AP work-in-progress, and find myself cobbling together an abstract (non-gridded) aerial combat mini-game when the though crossed my mind that maybe someone has already done this!
I need to cover combats between all combinations of small ships, large ships, and ground based units.
If you have any ideas, let me know. Otherwise, I'll post what I've come up with for critique and feedback.
Mega dot, I want to see what people come up with, for my world-building mania
I can think of a few ways to handle it, but really only one way that does not change the standard rules of the game too much:
One flying thing is "running" (is ahead) and one flying thing is "chasing" (is behind). Each round, both flying things take their move actions to fly. Standard actions are taken as normal.
At the start of each round, subtract the runner's fly speed from the chaser's fly speed to see how much the distance between the two creatures changes (increasing or decreasing).
If the chaser overtakes the runner then their rolls switch.
All this is essentially an application of the normal movement speed rules with simultaneous movement.
Now the new pieces:
During the movement at the start of each turn, the runner may try to "lose" the chaser with fancy wingwork with an opposed fly check. By taking sharp and tricky turns, the "runner" may increase its effective fly speed by 10 feet on a success or it can lose 10 feet of expected fly speed on a failure. This distance increases by 10 feet for every 5 points the runner beats the chaser on this opposed skill check. Conversely, the runner's penalty to its effective movement is increased for every 5 points with which it fails this check.
The "runner" may also voluntarily fall back as much as it wants (a considerable advantage along with the option of attempting to "lose" the chaser)). Between the ability to "lose" the chaser and the ability to close distance whenever it likes, the "runner" is the one with the advantage in the dog fight.
Standard actions are taken as normal with initiative and all.
However, if either runner or chaser wants to try to use their standard action to pull ahead it must declare this at the start of the round (as it is obvious to both parties whether the other participant intends to fight or just go all out flying).
Passengers are treated as mounted for the purpose of ranged attacks and penalties to caster spells and the like. During evasive maneuvers riders must spend their move action holding on and casters increase the concentration check to cast (a-la casting while mounted) by 10 or conversely force the casting rider to ignore any feats, class features, or traits that would help him or her cast while mounted (whichever is worse as decided by the GM).
When the distance between "chaser" and "runner" is 0, then the flying things can make melee attacks against each other and passengers can attempt to jump from one flying thing to another by succeeding on an acrobatics check contested by a fly skill check made by the other flying thing.
When either runner or the chaser takes damage, the flying thing must succeed at a flying skill check against the damage or lose 10 feet from their effective movement speed next round as they falter and lose altitude unexpectedly.
How does that sound. Anything need clarification?
(This can be generalized to more than 2 flyers but it makes the wording a b!$&@ and forces you to have either a stylized "middle" point or forces every participant to keep track of their distance from the chase "leader")
One issue with that, it's not really a dogfight in that case
Yes it is? Dog fights are exactly a chase.
It is just that in magic fantasy land, dragons don't need to attack in their front arc.
I have absolutely no connection with this company aside from being a customer, but Geek Industrial Complex offers Companions of the Firmament: a Comprehensive Guide to Flying Companions. This book is basically all the PF rules on flying and falling compiled, many issues fixed and new rules on flight, plus rules on riding dragons, griffins, pegasi, etc. Especially helpful is individual monster sheets for all flying monsters in the first 3 bestiaries, and crib notes to show exactly what each can do in flight for GMs to more easily manage aerial fights with all PCs and monsters in the air at the same time.
Endzeitgeist listed this product as #2 in his Top 20 PF products for 2013. Unfortunately its not available in the Paizo store (why the link above points to DTRPG).
Still for what you're looking for, there's nothing better out there.
Any ideas on effective air-to-air weapons?
So far my list consists of
A)magic (magic missile is highly effective, fireball is great)
B)missiles (arrows/bolts/ballista/bullets)
As I plan on basing this around the Nex/Geb/Alkenstar/Mana Wastes area, I know I can fall back on magic, but I'm trying to think of somethings that approximate machineguns for dogfights and point defense, and flakk.
Maybe some sort of rapid fire flechettes or shuriken thrower for the MG...
Thrown or some how projected nets would be effective against winged flyers. A taut cable between two flying mounts in order to dismount an opponent might be too dangerous to attempt, but if it worked might be viable attack form.
Really though, aside from standard missiles and magic, I don't think there is anything else that replicates dogfight machine gunning.
I picture large vials of alchemist' s fire (or similar substances) can be released in a large radius behind the flyer to deter or counter being chased.
I imagine enchantment spells targeting mounts would be popular.
Well, I've read a few 3pp aerial combat rules (Aerial Combat: Sky Captain's Handbook, Blood & Guts, X-wing miniature game, etc.), and most of them are great for dedicated aerial combat or just cover a few additional rules to keep in mind for 3d combat.
As most of my planned aerial combats are going to be mixed with players in ground (e.g. normal minis & grid) combat, I've gone a different route.
Aerial combat will be mostly abstract; run in the mind and not on a map, but it will be able to interact with simultaneous mapped combat.
Flyers are classed as either fighters or capitals, which is to say small and fast or huge and slow.
Each fighter chooses a target. If the target is located on the surface or is a capital ship, the fighter uses a normal attack, strafe, bombing run, etc. and then must use the “Bring ‘er Around” maneuver detailed below for a number of turns based on their maneuverability.
If the target is another fighter, attempt an opposed skill check using any of Fly, Profession (pilot), or another appropriate skill.
The winner of the skill check is the Aggressor and the loser is the Defender. The Aggressor starts with Advantage
Aerial engagements begin at Long Range. For every 10 points the Aggressor’s skill check exceeded his opponent's, he may alter the starting distance by 1 category (Disengaged, Extreme, Long, Medium, Close, Point Blank).
1. The Aggressor can then attempt a maneuver.
2. The Defender may attempt to counter the maneuver.
3. The Aggressor may attack if he has a weapon with sufficient range.
4. The defender may attack if he has a weapon capable of defensive fire.
Until the Defender or Aggressor disengages or is destroyed, these 4 steps repeat each round.
Maneuvers:
Attack Runs (Move Action)
Dive Attack: Lose Advantage for +6 to attack roll (DC 12 + Defender's Maneuverability)
Hammerhead: Perform a Dive Attack without losing Advantage (DC 20 + Your Speed Modifier)
High-side Guns Pass: Basic attack, +2 with Advantage (DC 12 + Defender's Maneuverability)
Immelmann: Gain Advantage (DC 15 + Defender's Speed Modifier)
Ram: Point Blank attack (DC 10 + Defender's Speed Modifier & Maneuverability)
Yo-Yo: +2 Attack, +4 with Advantage (DC 15 + Defender's Maneuverability)
Bombing Run, frequency limited by maneuverability (DC 10 + Your Speed Modifier)
Strafe, frequency limited by maneuverability (DC 12 + Your Speed Modifier)
Surgical Strike: Allows attacks on specific parts of a vehicle (DC 18 + Your Speed Modifier)
Bring 'er Around: Used to line up an attack on a stationary or slow target (DC 10)
Evasive Maneuvers (Move Action)
Loop: Aggressor loses Advantage/Becomes defender (DC = Aggressor's Check +5/+10)
Tailslide: Aggressor immediately becomes defender (DC = Aggressor's Check +15)
Break: +2 AC/Increase distance by 1 category (DC = Aggressor's Check +0/+10)
Barrel Roll: +4 AC (DC = Aggressor's Check)
Scissors: +6 AC (DC = Aggressor's Check +5)
Defensive Spiral: +8 AC chance of both craft crashing (DC = Aggressor's Check +5, twice. If the first check is successful, the Aggressor must pass the second check or disengage. If either craft fails the second check, it crashes into the ground.)
Other Maneuvers (Swift or Move Action)
Accelerate (DC 10)
Decelerate (DC 10)
Air Brake (DC 20)
Steady Course (DC 5)
Reverse (DC 15)
Uncontrolled (No DC, Free Action)
Aircraft in Combat
Armor Class: An Aircraft’s defense is based on both its size and its speed while its composition may lend it some resilience in the form of hardness. The base AC is 10 modified by the normal size modifier (-1 for Large, -2 for Huge, -4 for Gargantuan, -8 for Colossal), with a dodge bonus of +1 for every 20 points its current speed exceeds its attacker’s (This is the speed modifier).
Saving Throws: An aircraft acts as an unattended object for effects requiring Fortitude or Will saving throws. It has a base Reflex save bonus equal to its driver’s Reflex save bonus or one half its driver’s piloting skill modifier, whichever is higher. This base save bonus is then modified by the vehicle’s size modifier.
Hit Points: Aircraft have hit points just as detailed for normal vehicles in Ultimate Combat. (As objects, vehicles take half damage from energy, just like all the other objects in the game since I enjoy internal consistency.)
I'm using the maneuverability modifiers described in the Fly skill and assigning each craft to a category. This and speed modifiers affect maneuver checks. The first couple tests have been hopeful. Some DCs definitely need adjusting...
Weapons:
Pneumatic, rapid fire blowguns
Sling bullet launchers (like tennis ball machines)
Net Guns (useful against winged creatures)
Pellet Grenades
Alchemist fire Flak (lots of small flasks wrapped around a grenade)
Acid flask Flak (more of the same)
Explosive Bolas
Chain shot crossbows
Flamethrowers (emulate dragons' breathweapons)
Lightning Generators
Wire-guided missiles (shoot the wired first, send a missile down the line)
Shard Gel launchers
Other Gear:
Deck Cleats (Keep your footing on air ships)
Cold-Weather Outfit
Diving Suit (for pilots)
Earplugs
Filter Hood