FATEwiki - Grenade Rules

Just my own Home Brew thoughts, based on our experience thus far.

Grenade attacks are:

Attacker: Throwing skill + modifiers

Modifier Type	Modifier
C4-based gadgets, CS gas	+3
Magnetic Flask/Shaped Charges	+2 to people, +3 to items they're properly installed on
Grenades (frag, flash-bang)	+2
Multiple targets	-1 per target > 1

The explosive Superior Weapons modifier is based on the type of explosive we're talking about. (This is an exception to the normal "Superior Weapons is just +1" guideline).
The multi-target effect/damage works differently than a normal One-on-Many Combat situation damage.

Defender: Dependent on the action being taken:

Action/status	Modifier
Diving out of the way	Roll a Defensive Fighting roll (straight Acrobatics, etc., or else combat skill +1; no damage done to the thrower if succeed).
Attacking back	Roll a normal combat skill comparison; if the defender succeeds, the damage done might be from being shot, from having to drop or misthrow the grenade, etc. A tremendous success might lead to something amusing going on with the grenade.
Surprised or unaware folk	Either of the above, but at the base of their Alertness or Mediocre (-1) (see Surprise Rules).

Other situational modifiers (closed space, armor) apply.

(The above based on suggestions by Landon Darkwood [1], further expanded at length by Doyce Testerman).

Now, you may say, "How do you target just one person with a grenade?" or "Why are you at a disadvantage in attacking four people with a grenade as opposed to one?"

One one level it doesn't matter. It's the outcome you're looking at, not the process (cf. the Golden Rule Of FATE). "I want to take out that group of mooks with a grenade" or "I want to drop that on his lap and blow him to flinders." The mechanics get explained after the fact ("You drop the grenade behind him so that it goes off between him and the wall, blowing him out into the middle of the room").

The same is true for "How can you equate a frag grenade with a flash-bang?" The outcome is that the target is disabled, either from physical damage or from overwhelmed senses. You might argue that after the scene is over, the flash-bang's effects (even if "Hurt") will be gone -- or even maybe not (burst eyedrums, long-term retinal damage). But the effect for the purpose of the combat is disabling, even if the lethality may be different. Remember, the "Take Out" result isn't necessarily dead, it's just disabled for the rest of the scene ...

Finally, you might say, "But what about the blast radius?" Well, again, it's the desired outcome that's important. The particular should be the number of folks targeted (think of blast shadows, etc.). If it's a matter of saying, "If I throw a grenade here, how many people can I affect," use common sense as to who can be reached (or who gets a "situational advantage" of distance).

More Grenade Rule Thoughts

Combat Rules