From:	Steadfast laughingman@*******.de
Subject:	Concealing Stuff
Date:	Thu, 25 Feb 1999 03:35:11 +0100

And so it came to happen that Robert Watkins wrote in reply to Paul J Adam
(no relation to Adam J):
schrieb:

> > The Neo-Anarchist's Guide to Real Life expanded on this.
>
> *bleah* It's been too long since I looked at NAGRL... I'll check it out.
>
> > Basically, the concealability listed is for a 6-20 second patdown
> > search, by a trained (Professional Rating 3 or 4) individual.
> >
> > A cursory search by an average/amateur searcher (Professional Rating 1)
> > adds +4 to the Concealability of the weapon: and that's a search where
> > the investigator gets to _touch_ you.
> >
> > I'd say +4 for a visual check at distance, and that the weapon goes
> > unnoticed unless the player flashes it or someone is actively looking
> > for it. No "walk through a room, and everyone there gets to roll
> > Intelligence to see if they point at you shouting 'Gun! Gun!'"
> >
> > In real life, do _you_ stare at every person you pass to see if they've
> > secreted a weapon about their person?
>
> Nope but I'm not a security guard, either. Hmm... okay, take a
> Concealability 10 weapon. Add +4 for the visual check. That's a TN 14.
> Hmm... average joe has a bit less than a 5% chance of spotting.
>
> Assume 2 guards. Assume 6 runners. Okay, that gives us about a 40% chance
> that at least _one_ guard spots at least _one_ weapon. Those still aren't
> good odds.
>
> And I won't even get into things like metal detectors which make the life of
> those guards so much more 'interesting'...
>
> So, to recap my earlier question: who here puts faith in concealing their
> weapons?

I agree that the conceilability rules are rather, say loosy, but than, what
to do? After beeing in some bars for my 27 years I can assure you that I
only once had the chance of bringing a weapon isnide an establishment and
that was because I knew the guy who checked the people. Fact is that most of
the weapons would be detected if someone makes a pat down, and even today I
say it is most unusual to _not_ get your normal pat down when you enter an
establishement. Maybe it is because Berlin here is not that safe a place in
the world, but I personally think that this is not the fact. What did I
wanted to say?
Yes, the whole conceilability stuff is made (IMO) for the roleplaying lot
that is not giving a damn about realism, cause if you would, than you would
ask yourself how someone could notice that you have a weapon under your axle
in a holster under your duster. Sorry, but I say a lot of expirience is
needed for that, aka training. Training is expansive, so most of the
establishments and corps would rely on metal detectors and stuff and there
it is most likely that your Savalette Guardian(tm) will blink healthily and
ring an alarm.
Annyway, the concept of different 'Thresholds' for weapons seems a nice
enough idea, maybe 2 success for a heavy pistol and 3 for a light pistol
anything greater would be seen as normal. Metal detectors reduce the
Threshold by one success needed, that is only the fact when the weapon is
not made entirely out of plastic.
--
__________________________________________
---> Steadfast
Selfproclaimed protector of Gerber
BABY's
Mmwahahahahaar...
"I have 'grosse bumm' in my Pocket!
Yes, a real 'GROSSE BUUMM'!"
German translation for Savalette Guardian.
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