Sitting, Kneeling, and Lying Prone

Characters may sit, kneel, or fall prone as a no-move action. Getting up from sitting or kneeling is considered a half-move action, so a character can stand and still fire a missile or make an attack. Standing up from a prone position is treated as a full-move action, so the character can do nothing else in that round except rise.

Sitting or kneeling characters are slightly harder to hit with missiles or thrown weapons; they gain an Armor Class bonus of –1 against any ranged attacks. However, they’re at a disadvantage in melee. Anyone making a melee attack against a sitting or kneeling character gains a +2 bonus to hit them.

Prone characters present very small missile targets and gain an AC bonus of –2 versus ranged attacks. However, they are very vulnerable to anyone close enough to threaten them. Melee attacks against prone characters gain a +4 bonus to hit.

Kneeling characters can use any weapon with no penalty. Sitting characters can only use crossbows without a penalty; with any other weapon, they suffer a –2 penalty to their attack rolls. (Note that characters on horseback are mounted, not sitting!) Prone characters can only use crossbows or size S weapons while they’re on the ground. A prone character firing a crossbow attacks at one-half the normal rate of fire and makes any melee attacks with a –4 penalty to hit.

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