From:	"Bruce H. Nagel" <NAGELBH@******.ACS.MUOHIO.EDU>
Subject:	Re: [SR3] Magical Magic
Date:	Wed, 9 Jul 1997 23:22:18 -0500

You wrote:
> I have a problem with that, if you are going to use variable staging it
> needs to be on both ends of the weapon. Typically the shooter will have
> lower target numbers then the target already so they would have the
> advantage. ie: Guy shooting pistol with damage code of 6M3 gun is smart
> and he is at short range shooter needs 2's and the target needs 6's. If
> shooter only needs 4 successes to hit for D and the target needs 3 to get
> it back down then it could be slightly overbalanced IMHO.
How does this make him 'smart'? My reasoning behind 2 Staging to raise damage
and variable to resist is that generally all weapons require a similar degree
of skill to wield (with some exceptions, primarily projectile or other
non-firearm weapons). OTOH, it is certainly much harder to take a MMG round
and live than a .22short pistol round. Variable staging helps model that
effect irl. Otherwise, I high body gives at least a chance of garnering the
successes to withstand that level of damage, regardless of the seriousness of
the damage. Coupled with good armor, a high body attribute goes a long way to
countering firearms. Whereas, if you had to get 1.5 times as many successes,
even with a high body you cannot as easily get the successes to resist a MMG or
high-power rifle as you can a pistol. It doesn't really matter how tough you
are if hit by a MMG round, though theoretically a pistol wound can be coped
with better by bigger, tougher individuals. I would really recommend that Body
dice to reduce damage be eliminated (they're called Soak Rolls in Storyteller
and Ars Magica, and I think they're just a way to let characters survive things
that ordinary humans cannot survive). But that's just me, and I know I won't
see that in SR, so I'll stop blathering now.

losthalo

> -Caric

> "If a man talks in the forest, and there isn't a woman around to hear him,
> is he still wrong?"