From:	Dodge d7582@*****.com
Subject:	things that go boom in the night!
Date:	Tue, 02 Mar 1999 16:17:41 -0800

Neil Clark wrote:
>
> this is a pretty short question: I have a group of runners that are
> intent on using grenade launchers to blast away all opposition, and as a GM,
> my sense of balance is disturbed--the rules for if launched minis go off on
> contact are vague, but SR3 seems to suggest that they explode on impact. I
> don't want to play the escalation game with them. any suggestions to
> dissuade them from this?

As a player in Neil's game, I must point out that not ALL of us want
grenade launchers. The real issue was that in the last run (Universal
Brotherhood)...Oh wait a minut

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In that run we were going into the octagon after a friend that had gotten
nabbed by the brotherhood people. We sort of knew what to expect after
talking to that chick in the hospital, so we loaded up on grenades. We
went in and as expected things turned ugly quick. We were in a tunnle
with 5 or 6 warriors zipping after us, and some grenades down the passage
looked like a good idea. This is where game play hit a snag. We knew that
a thrown grenade can be picked up and tossed back with a quickness TN 7
test (I think that's what it was) and those bug spirits are quick. So we
wondered about grenades exploding on contact so they can't be thrown
back. Our troll had a grenade launcher, and even SR3 says that grenades
can be set for timed or contact. But where are the rules for contact? The
debate had started to slow the game down so we abandoned the idea and
just delt with them normaly. We lost our adept to poison and barely saved
our troll. It was a wonderful game, and now in Bug City, a pistol mini
grenade launcher for our street sam might just keep some of the pressure
of in a tight spot.
>
> perhaps house-rule it, and assign a lesser damage code to the
> minigrenades, given that they're "mini"?

Sounds like a good idea, GM,s descretion.

cause dire consequences to fall
> upon them for using such a conspicuous, attention-grabbing weapon?

In Bug City? Well, maybe if all the other people all wanted our launcher.

or use
> the setting, Bug City, as a keep-away device?

Looks to be your best bet.
>
> advice appreciated, thanks,
>
> -