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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Tzeentch tzeentch666@*********.net
Subject: House Rulin' (was Re: Hello everyone)
Date: Tue, 29 Aug 2000 09:23:06 -0700
From: "Simon" <simonbio@*****.fu-berlin.de>
> OTOH making the weapons that deadly, would maybe make players more afraid
> of guns :)

I've never really like the current SR system in regards to weapons. It's
highly cinematic which is fine, but there is no real way to "tweak" the
system without wholesale changing parts of it like I did below for this
discussion.

One idea is to keep weapon power and armor the same but switch the TNs that
are resisted with Body and remove the significance of the Wound codes. Skill
would not increase the damage unless you wanted cinematic combat back (but
see Optional Called Shots, below)

In this system the TN that is resisted with body is based either a)on the
original unmodified Power of the weapon (representing bigger wound cavities
from higher calibres, "hydrostatic shock" - if you believe in that,
whatever) or b)on a TN based on the original Damage Level of the weapon,
with L being 2, M being 3, S equaling 6, and D being 10. This number is
unmodified (unless you can think of something that would modify it. Perhaps
dermal plating and the like don't stack with external armor but modify the
TNs of damage that penetrates?

Each success reduces the Power of the attack that made it through the armor
by 1, you then take as many boxes of damage as what remains.

For example, Bob the Vicious is wearing an Armor Jacket when he is hit
straight on with an assault rifle that does 8M. The jacket reduces the Power
of the weapon to 4 and bob rolls his Body of 4 against a TN of 8 (to use the
first option). Bob scores only one succcess so takes 3 boxes of damage.

Using armor rating as automatic successes essentially does the same thing.

OPTIONAL RULE: CALLED SHOTS
Players familiar with Deadlands or Blue Planet may recognize this mechanic.
I think it works great and is ultra-simple.

For called shots you intentionally raise your TN to hit in exchange for
increasing the Power of the weapon. Depending on the GM this can either be
2:1 or 1:1. This call must be made before the shot is taken.

Kenneth
"On two occasions I have been asked, 'Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the
machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?' I am not able to
apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a
question."
-- Charles Babbage
Message no. 2
From: Simon simonbio@*****.fu-berlin.de
Subject: House Rulin' (was Re: Hello everyone)
Date: Mon, 4 Sep 2000 17:07:37 +0200 (WesteuropÀische_Sommerzeit)
On Tue, 29 Aug 2000, Tzeentch wrote:

> From: "Simon" <simonbio@*****.fu-berlin.de>
> > OTOH making the weapons that deadly, would maybe make players more afraid
> > of guns :)
>
> I've never really like the current SR system in regards to weapons. It's
> highly cinematic which is fine, but there is no real way to "tweak" the
> system without wholesale changing parts of it like I did below for this
> discussion.
>
I only tried to make small adjustments. not change everything. We just got
a new player in our group and rearranging the Combat rules will hamper him
enough, if we only change the little things. A complete makeover will only
serve to completely confuse him.


> One idea is to keep weapon power and armor the same but switch the TNs that
> are resisted with Body and remove the significance of the Wound codes. Skill
> would not increase the damage unless you wanted cinematic combat back (but
> see Optional Called Shots, below)
>
Yes I want cinematic combat ! :)
Just want to try out somthing new/old once in a while.

> In this system the TN that is resisted with body is based either a)on the
> original unmodified Power of the weapon (representing bigger wound cavities
> from higher calibres, "hydrostatic shock" - if you believe in that,
> whatever) or b)on a TN based on the original Damage Level of the weapon,
> with L being 2, M being 3, S equaling 6, and D being 10. This number is
> unmodified (unless you can think of something that would modify it. Perhaps
> dermal plating and the like don't stack with external armor but modify the
> TNs of damage that penetrates?

a) seems more appropriate as there would a finer differntiation between
weapons, and it allows an easier way to resolve bursts.
I´d let Dermal plating unmodified. Maybe hardshell armour or barriers
change this number.

> Each success reduces the Power of the attack that made it through the armor
> by 1, you then take as many boxes of damage as what remains.
>
> For example, Bob the Vicious is wearing an Armor Jacket when he is hit
> straight on with an assault rifle that does 8M. The jacket reduces the Power
> of the weapon to 4 and bob rolls his Body of 4 against a TN of 8 (to use the
> first option). Bob scores only one succcess so takes 3 boxes of damage.
>
> Using armor rating as automatic successes essentially does the same thing.

Well, yes. Sort of. So I´ll take this one. :)
>
> OPTIONAL RULE: CALLED SHOTS
> Players familiar with Deadlands or Blue Planet may recognize this mechanic.
> I think it works great and is ultra-simple.
>
> For called shots you intentionally raise your TN to hit in exchange for
> increasing the Power of the weapon. Depending on the GM this can either be
> 2:1 or 1:1. This call must be made before the shot is taken.

Sounds good. We ware using a varaint where you get to ignore one point of
armour for every +1 you take. Works only in combination with aiming
though.


Simon

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