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Message no. 1
From: TYGER@****.WINONA.MSUS.EDU
Subject: Dikoted Ammo.
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 93 04:13:48 CET
Our local group wanted to DIkote actual bullets (along with dusters, street
clothing, and so forth...) But I reminded them (Along with the local gun
guru) that bullets are tippeed with soft material that rips soft tissue
(read, skin) on impact. That's why hollowpoints arte so devastating in
real life.

As such, the dikoting process MELTS the bullet. (Hot plasma, I believe the book
said...) However, a tungsten, platinum, ore other (har har) dense, high
melting point metal works well, but at X7 the cost of normal ammo. AND DON'T
THINK OF DIKOTING EXPLOSIVE ROUNDS, EITHER!

-Tyger
(I'm getting the hang of this yet...)
Message no. 2
From: David Loewenstern <loewenst@*****.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo.
Date: Thu, 8 Apr 93 23:54:05 BST
>>>>>[
I don't know, Tyger, your ruling on dikoting sounds suspiciously like
you made it for reasons of play balance rather than world consistency.

First of all, the dikoting process only requires that the material be
able to withstand a great deal of heat. Just because bullets are
tipped with soft material doesn't mean they can't withstand heat --
lots of materials are soft but have high melting points. Modern
bullets may have low-melting point tips, but there's no obvious reason
that bullets _must_ have low melting points. Of course, if you dikote
a soft material, the resulting coating isn't soft anymore.

Secondly, lots of materials are able to withstand heat which don't
cost 7 times as much as soft composite materials. Some steels, for
example. Platinum's melting point isn't that much higher than iron's,
if I recall correctly...

The way we handled dikoting bullets was very straightforward:
1. There's a reason anti-personnel ammo is soft: to spread the kinetic
energy out, causing a larger wound.
2. Dikoting a bullet makes it _hard_. It therefore makes a smaller
hole.
3. Dikoting a bullet makes it hard enough to penetrate most armors.
4. Therefore: dikoting a bullet raises _lowers_ its power rating (I
forget how much) but also halves the effectiveness of ballistic armor
used against it.

BTW: I don't recall anyone trying it, but I don't see why you could
have dikoted explosive rounds. Of course, you'd have to dikote the
bullet _before_ adding the explosive charge.]<<<<<
-- Quincunx < 23:47:23 / Apr 8 2054 >
Message no. 3
From: TYGER@****.WINONA.MSUS.EDU
Subject: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 93 06:38:50 CET
The following is not a paid endorsement for the 'Big Green Clean Machine' thanx

As a GM in a town of torquers (Muchkin land? Nah!) I have to occasionally
put the size 12 boot down on some ideas that would overpower games. For
example, dikoting bullets. Quin caught me fair, I did make the ruling
harsh because I had to deal with my 'dice rollers' (Err, players.)

But, my argument is based in logic. 'lead' bullets melt in extreme heat.
Tungsten does not. (At least that's what I've been told...) Keep in mind
this is the same group that wanted to graft 'genetic material' from a vampire
to get the regenerative qualities. They argued (too much) that the book
'shadowtech' almost said it was possible. (I told them 'Almost' isn't good
enough...)

Hey, Quin, I like your reasoning. I'll probably show them the printout next
time we play. (And they present me with the latest, a dikoted, orichalcum
+10 weapon focus that they can explain by saying "We won the lottery, and
gave all the money to Trraker so he could have this sword!" Natch, I didn't
remember them buying a ticket, nor holding a drawing...)

(Sigh) Oh yah, BTW, why can't I see what I send out? All I get is the message
from the 'server saying it was sent out. Any way I can recieve my own
stuff?

-Tyger
(No sig, but I'm working on it...)
Message no. 4
From: David Loewenstern <loewenst@*****.RUTGERS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Fri, 9 Apr 93 02:12:20 BST
>>>>>[
Tyger, I understand just what you're going through...but there are
creative ways to handle munchkinism.

In my group, we defeated some ghouls, and one of the characters wanted
to do just what your group wants to do: graft genetic material to get
regenerative qualities. The GM handled it very well: he told the
character that no one knows how to do it. Not that it was impossible,
but that no one knows how -- scientists haven't been studying ghouls
for very long, and ghoul DNA is in short supply. Something about
"uncooperative test subjects".

The PC is now funding some university professor to the tune of some
10000Y/month. If it succeeds, of course, he'll be rich and/or
immortal, assuming some corp doesn't steal his talent away from him
first...or they don't run out of ghoul cadavers...or cash...

As for dikoted weapon foci: does anyone know what happens when you
stick a focus in plasma? Probably not: most enchanters don't keep a
plasma jet in the shop. (Can you imagine the scene? "You're gonna
take the focus I handcrafted from ore I mined myself with only
consecrated tools, which represents several months of my devotion and
even love, and you're going to BLAST THE FRAG OUT OF IT???")

Encourage your munchkins to buy a weapon focus, dikote it, and see if
it still remains a focus. Hint that there's probably some way to
do it, if they experiment a little. Maybe after they've destroyed a
couple of dozen foci they'll figure out how to do it.

Hey, that's the scientific method, right? 8^)

]<<<<<
-- Quincunx < 01:45:56 / Apr 9 2054 >
Message no. 5
From: Jerry Lee Perkinson <jlperkin@***.NCSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1993 11:41:21 EDT
> In my group, we defeated some ghouls, and one of the characters wanted
> to do just what your group wants to do: graft genetic material to get
> regenerative qualities.
That's odd, I don't recall ghouls having regeneration.
Perhaps, the PCs just want to graft genetic materials for the bad
breath and rotten flesh fetish.

>
> The PC is now funding some university professor to the tune of some
> 10000Y/month. If it succeeds, of course, he'll be rich and/or
> immortal, assuming some corp doesn't steal his talent away from him
> first...or they don't run out of ghoul cadavers...or cash...
10000Y/month. Isn't that just high life style. Maybe you could afford
to pay two "scientists" with that, but they wouldn't be tops in the field
and you wouldn't have the equiptment to do the research. Big labs
have multi million dollar equiptment. Simple things like GCs can cost 20 to
100K. Maybe 1,000,000Y/month. Then again, that would be chump change
for a corp. Besides, ghouls would have to have regeneration.


Killjoy.

Besides, ghouls aren't that bad, they just can't help the smell.
Message no. 6
From: David.Loewenstern@***.COM
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1993 13:35:26 EDT
... On Mon, 12 Apr 93 11:41:21 EDT, jlperkin@***.ncsu.edu said:

}> In my group, we defeated some ghouls, and one of the characters wanted
}> to do just what your group wants to do: graft genetic material to get
}> regenerative qualities.
} That's odd, I don't recall ghouls having regeneration.
} Perhaps, the PCs just want to graft genetic materials for the bad
} breath and rotten flesh fetish.

*shrug*. The GM called them ghouls, and they regenerated. Maybe they
were actually something else.

}>
}> The PC is now funding some university professor to the tune of some
^note singular
}> 10000Y/month. If it succeeds, of course, he'll be rich and/or
}> immortal, assuming some corp doesn't steal his talent away from him
}> first...or they don't run out of ghoul cadavers...or cash...
} 10000Y/month. Isn't that just high life style. Maybe you could afford
} to pay two "scientists" with that, but they wouldn't be tops in the field
} and you wouldn't have the equiptment to do the research. Big labs
} have multi million dollar equiptment. Simple things like GCs can cost 20 to
^^? garbage
collectors?
} 100K. Maybe 1,000,000Y/month. Then again, that would be chump change
} for a corp. Besides, ghouls would have to have regeneration.

One university professor. Not all research is big research.

} Killjoy.
Message no. 7
From: Jerry Lee Perkinson <jlperkin@***.NCSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 1993 14:58:25 EDT
> ... On Mon, 12 Apr 93 11:41:21 EDT, jlperkin@***.ncsu.edu said:
>
> }> The PC is now funding some university professor to the tune of some
> ^note singular
> }> 10000Y/month. If it succeeds, of course, he'll be rich and/or
> }> immortal, assuming some corp doesn't steal his talent away from him
^^ is there something that says that regeneration gives extended life?
Not a criticism, I simply am not aware of any comment either way.
> }> first...or they don't run out of ghoul cadavers...or cash...
> } 10000Y/month. Isn't that just high life style. Maybe you could afford
> } to pay two "scientists" with that, but they wouldn't be tops in the field
> } and you wouldn't have the equiptment to do the research. Big labs
> } have multi million dollar equiptment. Simple things like GCs can cost 20
to
> ^^? garbage
collectors?
^^ Gas
Chromatogram (used to analyze chemical compounds)

> } 100K. Maybe 1,000,000Y/month. Then again, that would be chump change
> } for a corp. Besides, ghouls would have to have regeneration.
>
> One university professor. Not all research is big research.

True, but I would venture to say, that this kind of research (independently
funded with no university knowledge) would be greatly frowned upon. If taken
on in spare time, there would be very little work done. If funding, means
full funding, without the university equiptment, then you are still talking
millions just to set up the proper lab.

I suppose what would be closer to the point I would be trying to make, is that
the kind of research suggested is not feasable work for a solitary college
professor, or at least not in a PC's lifetime. My assumption would be that
the corps have and are working on it already, with a lot better full time
staffs and far better equiptment.

While leaving open the possibility of the solitary professor making the
discovery, I would consider it highly unlikely.

Basically an interesting concept, but something that I (yes entering my
opinion only) would hesitate before allowing anyone to get, and almost
outright refusal to have a PC find out any more than rumors of its
possibility.

Killjoy
Message no. 8
From: TopCat <topcat@**.cencom.net>
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Fri, 24 Nov 1995 15:20:48 -0600
I know this may well be a moot point by now (I am catching up on almost two
weeks of backed-up mail), but dikoting has only one result on ranged weapons
and it is a rather meager one at that. Per Shadowtech, dikoting adds 1 to
the power of a projectile. No big deal.

Next, bullets could be dikoted simply because you don't coat a completed
round. You coat the bullet, then make the round. Not real difficult, fun
for kids of all ages.

As for the wear and tear a dikoted round would put on a barrel, why not
dikote the barrel? One of my favorite ideas is to have every miniscule part
of a weapon dikoted. Fast, perfect firing with less wear on the weapon
itself. This would also serve to lessen the amount of jams as well as
protect the weapon from the effects of the elements.


-- TopCat
Message no. 9
From: seb@***.ripco.com (Sebastian Wiers)
Subject: Re: Dikoted Ammo
Date: Sun, 26 Nov 1995 16:13:17 -0600 (CST)
> As for the wear and tear a dikoted round would put on a barrel, why not
> dikote the barrel? One of my favorite ideas is to have every miniscule part
> of a weapon dikoted. Fast, perfect firing with less wear on the weapon
> itself. This would also serve to lessen the amount of jams as well as
> protect the weapon from the effects of the elements.
>
>
> -- TopCat

Now that is the best idea I've come across in months. I've so far lost three
guns to spells and explosions, but my diacoted knife and katana, in use in all
the situatios, are going strong. Why, just yesterday, I was furiuosly cycling
the mechanism on my WA2000 after finishing off an aztechnology jaguar shaman
who, unfortunately, got off a final hell blast. Dumb luck resisted the spell,
but my custom remington did not fare so well (and I do mean luck- 5 bod, force
8 spell, and no magical assistance). Disposable weapons are nice,
like the ingram smartgun, but expensive/rare weapons deserve some field
protection.
seb

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