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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Jerry Hill <agh60070@*******.CC.UCF.EDU>
Subject: Re: Glass Weapons (was re; Cyberware Detectors?)
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 09:54:08 -0400
>I was thinking more of volcanic glass like Raven from Snow Crash uses.


Volcanic glass is obsidian... not really glass at all if I recall correctly,
it's actually a stone. If you want to include this with the rules I wrote,
I'd probably give some "base" rating to the weapon... say, base rating 4.
(So, you'd roll 4 + Successes on B/R roll vs Impact armor rating).

I suppose these rules could fairly easily be extrapolated into a general
rule for fragile weapon breakage if anyone was interested.

But, at this point we are talking about runners using stone weapons, and,
realistically, when is this ever going to happen? I mean, there are very
good reasons that people use weapons made out of steel, plastics or ceramics
these days.

Also, with the Snow Crash reference.. I know at one point or other Raven
talks about his father using the shards of a window pane to make his knives.
I guess I always just assumed Raven used standard plate glass or something
to make his weapons with. If there was a reference to volcanic glass, I
guess I missed it.


Jerry Hill
--------------------------------------------
'Rome wasn't built in a day
but it didn't take long to go up in flames'
- Electric Hellfire Club
Message no. 2
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Glass Weapons (was re; Cyberware Detectors?)
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 19:42:40 EDT
In a message dated 4/21/98 9:00:27 AM US Eastern Standard Time,
agh60070@*******.CC.UCF.EDU writes:

> Volcanic glass is obsidian... not really glass at all if I recall correctly,
> it's actually a stone. If you want to include this with the rules I wrote,
> I'd probably give some "base" rating to the weapon... say, base rating 4.
> (So, you'd roll 4 + Successes on B/R roll vs Impact armor rating).
>
uh, just one thing to point out. ALL GLASS is STONE actually. Natural glass
is anyway...

-K
Message no. 3
From: Jerry Hill <agh60070@*******.CC.UCF.EDU>
Subject: Re: Glass Weapons (was re; Cyberware Detectors?)
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 23:13:43 -0400
>uh, just one thing to point out. ALL GLASS is STONE actually. Natural
glass
>is anyway...


Er, right. I just wasn't thinking right. I guess what I was thinking is
that Obsidian wasn't a silicate. I'm not really sure that it matters
though. I really have no intention of seeing my PCs with stone (or glass)
weapons. Not that I'd really try to stop them, I just don't really see it
happening. If a PC needs a weapon that is not going to be picked up on a
metal detector or whatever they are much more likely to go with a ceramic or
plastic weapon.


Jerry Hill
--------------------------------------------
'Rome wasn't built in a day
but it didn't take long to go up in flames'
- Electric Hellfire Club
Message no. 4
From: Mike Elkins <MikeE@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Glass Weapons (was re; Cyberware Detectors?)
Date: Wed, 22 Apr 1998 09:59:49 -0500
Obsidian is just as brittle as normal glass. Don't try to parry with glass
weapons (Raven never does, IIRC), they will break. I'd rule that you
have to use unarmed combat skill to counterattack and only do your
unarmed damage during counterattacks.

Double-Domed Mike
Message no. 5
From: Paul Gettle <pgettle@********.NET>
Subject: Re: Glass Weapons (was re; Cyberware Detectors?)
Date: Tue, 21 Apr 1998 10:36:00 -0400
-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

At 09:54 AM 4/21/98 -0400, Jerry Hill wrote:
>Volcanic glass is obsidian...

I can relate, from direct experience, that Obsidian is almost as
fragile if not as fragile as glass. I've had several pieces of
obsidian in my rock collection, and I've actualy had one chunk break
just because I held it too tightly. I've had another piece break from
dropping on the floor from a height of 3 feet.
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--
-- Paul Gettle (pgettle@********.net)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:11455339 (RSA 1024, created 97/08/08)
625A FFF0 76DC A077 D21C 556B BB58 00AA
Message no. 6
From: Jessica Grota <grota@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: Glass Weapons (was re; Cyberware Detectors?)
Date: Wed, 29 Apr 1998 02:25:53 -0400
Paul Gettle wrote:
>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
>
> At 09:54 AM 4/21/98 -0400, Jerry Hill wrote:
> >Volcanic glass is obsidian...
>
> I can relate, from direct experience, that Obsidian is almost as
> fragile if not as fragile as glass. I've had several pieces of
> obsidian in my rock collection, and I've actualy had one chunk break
> just because I held it too tightly. I've had another piece break from
> dropping on the floor from a height of 3 feet.



Jett has a crossbow that's made of wood and ceramic. However, it's
hanging in her study as a decorative piece rather than a true weapon.

--Jett

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