So a sniper is aiming at the party which is standing around.
One shot from the sniper and one person in the party is dead.
The sniper is in a tall building, completely hidden.
How the fuck do you make this scenario fair for the PCs without making the sniper retarded by firing a clear shot that misses?
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Real-world sniping does not work that way.
If it did, then all wars would have been settled by snipers by now.
We've had this exact thread before
Yeah, hate to say it, but that’s not how long-range marksmanship works in real life.
Long-range marksmanship (sniping), requires several things; a very good firearm (preferably with high grade ammo but not necessary) with a dedicated magnification scope, a solid vantage point, and most importantly it requires you to know exactly where the person is going to be at a specific time and a specific place. EXACTLY where, along with a good ability to gauge the weather on top of it. The level of complexity involved there is why nobody has been able to assassinate a President since Kennedy the same way; all you need to do is randomize a travel route, not let it be known where you’ll be ahead of time, and then stand somewhere without the vantage point.
Now, if you’re saying your system or game system can ignore this stuff, that’s fine too, but you also shouldn’t be surprised if it pretty much renders your entire post pointless.
>Real-world sniping does not work that way.
Bullets to the head don't kill people?
And what was the solution?
But aren't the conditions in the post perfect? Assume there is no crowd around them. Assume there is no wind or anything. The conditions are absolutely perfect for a head shot kill.
What conditions? You've told us nothing. How does the sniper know they'd be passing through near his building? Why does the sniper have a completely unobstructed view? What's stopping the party from passing by unnoticed because he stepped away from his rifle for two minutes to take a piss?
Sniping by its very nature is 'unfair' which is why snipers tend to 'never surrender' in combat.
Sniping is deeply personal as well, it is waiting and watching people for days at a time well waiting for the opportunity to strike.
What would be more sensible would be a designated marksman. Marksmen are still precise shooters with weapons usually tuned to long range combat, but they work as part of a squad instead of as a pair.
>How does the sniper know they'd be passing through near his building?
Radio.
>Why does the sniper have a completely unobstructed view?
Because there's no crowd or or cars on the street at the time? And the trees aren't obstructing his view.
>What's stopping the party from passing by unnoticed because he stepped away from his rifle for two minutes to take a piss?
Because the radio told the sniper that they are passing there minutes before, thus he would be at his spot waiting for them.
Again, assume absolute perfect conditions. How does a GM make it fair for the PCs so they don't instantly die?
Also, I seem to have made an error as snipers don't tend to shoot for the head, but the heart. The point still stands, however, if the party is just standing in place.
Would the PCs hire a sniper to kill an enemy? Then why are you doing it? It's not fair if the GM just guns one of them down with no chance to see it coming, but that's life.
So, murder a PC if you like. Or maybe don't use the sniper scenario. Or telegraph that a sniper is after them. Or make some high ranking NPCs near them be the primary targets, so they get a few warning murders.
Real snipers don't leave their rifle to piss user...
Snipers are super romanticized which is why op has such a huge misconception of them.
To be a sniper is to basicaly sit in a bush for between three days to a weeks, watching a group of people with your spotter, learning their habits and seeing when you can get the best shot at someone important, then blowing a massive hole in their skull and scooting out before you get caught.