From:	Matb <mbreton@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject:	Re: Fixed-Fire Cannon combos?
Date:	Sat, 4 Apr 1998 12:54:24 -0800

Quicksilver wrote:
>
> At 11:38 AM 4/4/98 -0800, you wrote:
> >First, "silent" damage only matters on shadowruns; so let's imagine
he's
> >hunting Hellhounds on a Critter Hunt.
> >
> >In this case, the only damage that's silenced is the bow. Turbo deals
> >six damage from the bow alone, which is enough to crush the 'hound, so
> >he doesn't need to activate the cannons.
> >
> >If it's on, say, Up and Over, then the 'hound is an 8/8, and Turbo needs
> >to activate the cannons. The miniguns, though, aren't keyed as silenced
> >themselves, so the alarm goes off.
> >
> >> B) Same Turbo. He's heard rumors that there are some wimpy
> little deckers
> >> and mages holed up in a Safehouse nearby so he takes a detour through the
> >> Z-Zone and busts them up. He's out of arrows so he pulls his trusty Uzi III
> >> loaded w/ Flechettes and proceeds to chew them up with (5+3d6)x2 points of
> >> damage (assuming they have no armor).
> >
> >Only damage inflicting by the Uzi would be doubled: (5+1d6)x2 + (2d6).
> >There's no way to deploy Ammo on the Cannons, sadly.
>
> First off. I agree with you, this is how it *should* work, but...
> According to the rules, I believe you may be wrong.

> The Cannons are not 'miniguns', they aren't even classified as Weapons
> (according to the rules/keywords).

Well.. it got a bit boring typing Cannons every sentence, so I hope
you'll forgive my creative juices for getting in the way.

> Hmmmm, Ok, I'll concede the Silenced ruling. However, if the Harley were
> somehow silenced, the Cannons would be as well. ;)

Hmm. Aural Masking (from the old Rigger's Black Book)?

> Flechette Rounds (Unarmored targets struck by Flechetter Rounds take
> double damage) - the way I've understood it, everything the runner does is
> doubled. The cannons are not a weapon and rule-wise don't even use ammo.
> They simply add to the attack value. If it worked the way you imply, why
> would you double the attack value of the Harley itself, but not the
> accesories mounted on it?

Actually, I hadn't even considered the Harley's attack bonus -- I
actually thought I had made a typo. Sigh.

But this seems a point for clarification on the part of Flechette
rounds: I've always played it that a Runner using two guns (Flatline)
who had one with Flechette and one without, would double his base Attack
+ gun rating, and only then add in the other pistol. I think in any
situation the target is going to be dead, dead, dead (possible exception
-- pumped up Security Guards).

Burst Fire, however, only adds to the Attack Rating of the "target card"
(RBT, p. 37). Flechette Rounds only double damage for "unarmored
targets struck by Flechette Rounds." Since the Flechettes are only
deployed on the gun, only rounds shot from that gun would be doubled -
and the Harley's cannons wouldn't be affected.

Of course, using the Flechette Rounds with Fixed-Fire Cannons is, what,
a five card combo? (Runner, pistol, ammo, vehicle, cannons.) Doesn't
sound too likely to ever crop up in a game.. but that's usually the case
with odd rulings like this.

One solution may simply be to rule that Runners using Fixed-Fire Cannons
can't use other weapons, and leave it at that.


- Matt

------------------------------------
Beware the man who casts two shadows.

SRCard list.member.newbie
Teen Poets FAQ: http://pw1.netcom.com/~mbreton/poetry/poetfaq.htm
SRTCG Website: http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Station/2189/ccgtop.htm