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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Max Belankov belank@***.ru
Subject: Ballistics and Mechanics
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 09:45:15 +0500
Hello!

I have a player who currently creating a Weaponsmith character. He took
Ballistics and Mechanics as Knowlege skills. Now I have a question:
Both those skills are pretty important for building a good gun.
What my player should use as complementary skill to <weapon> B/R? One
of skills? Both? An average of them?

--
Best regards,
Max mailto:belank@***.ru
Message no. 2
From: Herc airwisp@******************.com
Subject: Ballistics and Mechanics
Date: Wed, 6 Dec 2000 10:21:03 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: "Max Belankov" <belank@***.ru>


> Hello!
>
> I have a player who currently creating a
Weaponsmith character. He took
> Ballistics and Mechanics as Knowlege skills. Now
I have a question:
> Both those skills are pretty important for
building a good gun.
> What my player should use as complementary skill
to <weapon> B/R? One
> of skills? Both? An average of them?
>
> --
> Best regards,
> Max
mailto:belank@***.ru

Hello Max,

Actually, the Ballistics skills would be a
complimentary skill to B/R Firearms (or insert
type of weapon here) when the character is making
bullets and other types of projectiles.

A question of you though ... did he take Mechanics
as a skill also, or is it "Ballistics and
Mechanics"? It sounds like they are separate from
the tone of your words.

In all regards, these two skills would be
complimentary to any active skill usage with which
their knowledge would be useful in.

-Herc
Message no. 3
From: Max Belankov belank@***.ru
Subject: Ballistics and Mechanics
Date: Fri, 8 Dec 2000 12:53:44 +0500
Hello S O'Neill,

> IMHO, this depends a lot on what you mean to use Weapon B/R for...
> Ballistics and Mechanics are fine if you simply want to repair and modify
> firearms... maybe even overkill. Most firearms are relatively simply in
> terms of mechanical construction... the moving parts mostly have to do with
> getting the rounds into the chamber and ejecting spent casings.

Well, I'm afraid that there's a misunderstanding (my English is
rusty, I know...) My player took both Ballistics and Mechanics as TWO
different Knowledge skills.
I'm afrad of abuse, so I somewhat reluctant to allow several skills as
complementary; on the other hand, modification (and even repair) of
weapons need lots of knowledge. Currently I'm in doubt.

> If your guy's character actually wants to design and build firearms from
> SCRATCH, that's another story.

Well, thank you very much; you're answered my next question before I
even asked.

[eaten by mouse]

> Candidate should enjoy hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports.

Does shadowrunning qualify? :)

> Now it can be argued that in the 2060s, a lot of the technical stuff that a
> person didn't have could be addressed by sophisticated CAD systems and
> expert systems on a good deck. However, there's still no substitute for
> having the knowledge and experience about what works and what doesn't.
>
> In my games, I've never allowed characters to design firearms from
> scratch... it's just too much work and usually requires the expertise and
> work of more than one person for a modern weapon. It also requires
> 'FACILITY'-level B/R equipment. I don't care how smart a person is, they're
> NOT going to manufacture firearms out of the back of a van.

I wholly agree to you. If the char will want design his own gun, I'll
make that a run (or two, or ten), to acquire materials, data, access
to equipment and everything else.

> Assuming a facility is available, and the character plans to play someone
> who is more of an engineer than a shadowrunners, complementary skills too
> B/R Firearm could be:
> - ballistics and mechanics (as you mentioned)
> - engineering (mechanical - includes practical aspects of physics and
> chemistry)
> - physics
> - chemistry (ammo)

I think two-stage process (like one used in "Matrix" for programming)
is more suitable. Blueprints must be created first (player must roll
everything you mentioned), then <weapon> B/R roll must be made to
create actual prototype.
(I wonder if there is a some way to incorporate rules for "program
bugs" into weapon design? <evil GM grin>)

> This is probably way more than you need/want in terms of feedback for this,

That's exactly what I need. Just one question, though: how long can be
a design process?

--
Best regards,
Max mailto:belank@***.ru

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Thwap!