Multiple Targets

Multiple Targets was a nerf introduced for 4E in 2007 on the right column of page 127 of GURPS Martial Arts, with two examples of applying it on the left column of page 128.
==Placement==
It is part of the Multiple Attacks section that began on page 126 (following Feints and Multiple Attacks and preceding Grappling and Multiple Attacks), and the "Multiple Attacks" section precedes the Chambara Fighting rules on page 128. Both are part of the Cinematic Fighting section.
This rule actually makes fighting LESS cinematic, since it slows down people with Multiple Attacks from using them to fight off groups of foes, forcing them to focus on either a single foe or foes who are a certain distance together, to avoid losing attacks.
==Rule==
It applies whenever there are 2 or more MELEE attacks during a maneuver and reads:
:He can alternate between opponents in any order he wishes – but each full yard (hex, on a battle map) he skips between targets “wastes” one attack.
It is vaguely worded and it is not initially clear what it means to "skip" a "full yard" between targets. Reading the examples is essential to understanding how to apply it.
==Examples==
The two examples given include:
*Example 1: An attacker with two attacks
*Example 2: Someone who has three attacks
===Example 1===
Ex1 is specified:
*"can only attack adjacent targets"
Ex1 is then disclaimed:
*"If he tried to attack two opponents with a gap between them, he’d lose an attack"
The disclaimer "gap" is vague. After all, unless opponents are grappling, there will always be SOME degree of gap between them.
"Gap" must be implied as being a LARGE gap: specifically one which creates a situation where targets are no longer considered "adjacent".
HOW LARGE is clarified by the parenthesis following the term adjacent:
*"in adjoining hexes, on a map"
===Example 2===
Two bits of phrasing are used to communicate the idea:
*If his enemies were one full yard apart, he could only attack each of them once
*skipping a yard would use up an attack
When compared to Ex1, Ex2 shows that being in adjacent hexes (even though the centers of those hexes IS one full yard apart) does not mean the targets of those hexes are one full yard apart.
As explained in the following section, due to the combined factors of targets having thickness (not being a one dimensional point in space) combined with fluctuating position within a hex, means that the potential for targets in adjacent hexes to be less than 1 yard apart (even though the midpoints of the hexes themselves aren't) cannot be ignored.
The only guarantee of being 1 full yard apart is being in different NON-ADJACENT hexes. IE your hexes can both be adjacent to the same 1-2 hexes, but not to each other.
The confusing part of this is basically that "ADJACENT HEXES" and "ADJACENT TARGETS" do NOT mean the same thing.
Targets are considered adjacent in two situations:
*when they share the same hex (maximum distance apart less than 41.6 inches)
*when they share adjacent hexes (maximum distance apart could be ~77 inches)
Neither case has a minimum distance. Minimum distances only apply when a hex neither target occupies in any way exists between them.
ATTACK IS ONLY LOST WHEN THAT MINIMUM DISTANCE EXISTS
==Understanding the Tactical meaning==
When this parenthesized statement is used to evaluate the rule on MA127 it produces this conclusion:
*when alternating between targets are in adjoining hexes, a "full" yard is NOT skipped
This is potentially confusing to some readers, because as Tactical Combat on B384 specifies:
*"One hex on the combat map represents one yard of distance."
Gamers tend to, for simplicity, think of targets in adjacent hexes as being 1 yard (3 feet) apart, meaning that if you were switching between targeting those targets in adjacent hexes, that you would be skipping over a 1 yard (3 feet) gap when targeting one or the other.
Skipping between two targets sharing a hex, conversely, would be seen as skipping less than 1 yard.
The problem with this simplification has to do with 2 things:
===Targets have thickness beyond their center===
The distance between their closest outermost extremities will always be less than where they are center. For example: spheres with a radius of 1 foot (diameter 2 feet) can fit within a 1 yard hex. The center is 1.5 feet (18 inches) away from the six midpoints of each of the edges of that hex. The 6 points on that sphere's edge/circumference closest to those edges would be a mere (18 minus 12) 6 inches away from those edges.
If two spheres are centered within adjacent hexes, the distance between the midpoints/centers of those spheres will be 3 feet (36 inches).
However: the 6 points on the surface of those spheres (1 foot away from the center) closest to the line of demarcation with an adjacent hex would be 1 foot closer, so instead of being 3 feet (36 inches) away from the center of an adjacent hex it would be merely 2 feet (24 inches) away from it.
*this also happens to be the sum of the 6 inch distance from the edge of the sphere to the edge of it's hex and the 18 inches it takes to travel from the midpoint of the edge of a hex to the hex's center.
The distance between the EDGES of a pair of 1ft-radius (2ft diameter) spheres is even less than 18: since both are a mere 6 inches away from the midpoints of their edges (when centered) the distance between them is only 12 inches (1 foot).
If these were 1.5 foot (18 inch) radius (3ft/36 inch diameter) spheres, being in adjacent hexes would mean their edges were touching.
By comparison: the average adult male has a shoulder width of 16 inches. Keep in mind however that normal "facing" (without using GURPS Martial Arts: Gladiators) tends to assume that the shoulders would probably be oriented in the longest possible distance in a Hex: that between opposing vertices.
Using a hexagon calculator, the GURPS application of 1 yard (3 feet / 36 inches) is the "side to side" length, which is also the distance between the midpoints of hexes as they are arranged on a hex map.
The term "Apothem" refers to the distance between the middle of a hex to the midpoint of a face, and is HALF the side to side length. The APOTHEM is 18 inches in GURPS.
In a hexagon, which can be divided into six equilateral triangles, the "side length" and "center to vertex length" are the same numbers. In the case of an 18-inch apothem, the side length is roughly 20.7846 inches.
*the "Vertex to Vertex Length" is roughly 41.5692 inches.
===Targets are not centered in a hex===
Throughout the shuffle of combat, whether leaning back/aside/forward to dodge hits or make attacks, the center of a target cannot be assumed to be perfectly centered within the hex at all times. Although portions of the target are not considered to EXIT the hex (meaning they still remain moderately centered) some variation may mean, using the sphere example, that rather than always remaining at least 6 inches away from the edges of a hex, that the 1ft radius (2ft diameter) sphere might actually fluctuate so that it is 5/7 or 4/8 or 3/9 or 2/10 or 1/11 or even 0/12 inches away from opposing edges.
This concept works against attackers in 4E (punches were reduced from 3e's reach 1 to reach C) because even though a target might be closer to the edge your two adjacent hexes share: they also might be further away from it.
===Understanding with the pistol-parrying semantics===
B376 allows parrying ranged weapons when the weapon (or arm holding it) is within reach of a melee weapon. In the example used (a pistol, which only occupies the hex of the wielder) the example is given of "slapped his arm or gun".
This is reach C for punches: so that must be sharing the same hex.
This is, however described as "if an attacker
fired a pistol at you from only one yard away"
CLOSE COMBAT (sharing the same hex) is the closest guarantee that a distance is (AT MOST) "only one yard away". The "side to side" distance is 1 yard. Although it is possible for 2 things within the same hex to be more than 36 inches apart (the vertex-to-vertex length of >41.5 inches, aka VTV) that would be unusual and is ignored.
REACH 1 (your hexes are adjacent, not the same hex, their centers are 1 yard apart) is not a guarantee of that because off-centeredness (the potential that either target may be leaning away from the edge the hexes share) means that targets in ADJACENT hexes can be MORE than one yard apart.
Even only looking at the distance between the midpoints of the furthest-apart edges, this is up to 6 feet (2 yards or 72 inches) apart, and the potential is actually greater when using the furthest-apart vertices (though it is less than the doubled VTV distance)
==See also==
*Area Effect
Category:Rules