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I responded to those last two checks in PMs, rather than trying to spoiler an infodump in the thread.
Anyway, you guys can safely assume that all the civillians (or at least the civillians that can't/don't want to get involved) are safely stowed in the maintenance unit at the ship's rear. That leaves you (and the marshal) some leeway for positioning yourselves in preparation of being boarded...
What's the story with ammo and stuff? What do the guns even shoot? From a purely mechanical standpoint, do we need to track shots? Ammo reserves? Are we going to have to reload in combat or what?
The vast majority of guns are projected energy weapons: lasers, photonics (impure plasma), plasma, ion.
Photon weapons are the most common- a sort of middle ground between laser and plasma weapons, in the sense that in the setting they use an unfocused laser to heat air and then direct it with a magnetic field.
Lasers tend to be weaker, but still find use as they're very accurate and, true to real-life lasers, the beams are silent and invisible (although the guns themselves might make a sound as they charge).
Plasma weapons tend to be viewed as military-grade, as they pack more firepower and are far better at beating armour.
Ion weapons are as weak or weaker than lasers, but they take the usual sci-fi stance of dealing extra damage to mechanical targets.
All of these are available in bolt (single) or beam (continuous) fire modes.
Solid-projectile weapons or combustibles (what we'd call "regular" guns) are illegal in most of the galaxy due to a perceived notion that they're inhumane. That doesn't stop some people from using them...
Most weapons have a firing core and a reserve core: the former can be depleted, but can link with the latter to recharge. In practise, this mimics the magazine of a “regular†gun, in that once empty the user can pull back the recharge slider/press the recharge button and cause charge to transfer.
This means guns can’t be fired constantly, but that most have essentially limitless ammunition. The in-setting explanation for this that leaving a charged weapon unattended is very dangerous.
Heavier weapons sometimes have disposable charge cores, usually because firing them repeatedly steadily damages them due to the massive amounts of energy expended.
And, of course, some people might be able to afford weapons so advanced that they do away with the firing core and tap the reserve core directly- the military, for example, would have a great desire for a weapon that can lay down suppression fire for a solid 24 hours or something ridiculous. Of course, in that case, overheating would end up being the token mechanic to prevent overuse…
So I would assume it's safe to say that Cutter handed over a Photon gun. So, how many shots can be used in the firing core before needing to switch to reserve?
Do you have a lot of old tape around the handle or something? The capacity would be great detail to have. Would I be able to check/know off hand what it is given my familiarity with arms?
Also, how many shots can you make per round? If I were shooting at a target in a professional manner, I'd probably go for the 2 shots center, 1 shot to the head or groin (groin to disable, since no much walks w/o a functional pelvis).
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
Honestly, never gave the gun much thought. Cutter only has it for situations where getting close to use his "bat" would be either suicide or is impossible. Give me a bit to consider it. I'll respond in about 10 minutes with a description of what it looks like.
Bleh. Stupid internet at work was having problems.
Ok, the gun:
Picked up used from an old "aquaintance" of Cutters. Old grip removed and a custom one put on for Cutter's massive paw. Since he doesn't care for guns and is uncomfortable using one, he needed to make a grip to even allow him to hold it. The grip is the only new thing about the gun. It's old, possible first or second generation model - so I'll let you roleplay that if you want - but very reliable for someone that rarely uses it.
For attacks, generally everyone can only attack once per post (so to speak), but I should think you can fire/strike twice if you forfeit your right to move/dodge next time you're attacked. Attacking twice doesn't necessarily mean only firing twice: for weaker weapons, those two d20 rolls might actually be three or four shots in the setting.
Basically versus dangerous enemies you'd only roll once and stick to cover, but versus fodder the likes of Cutter would just barge into the open and keep attacking twice a turn.
That's why melee is still viable. If you've got the Strength to make your close-combat attacks damaging, you'll still be able to Block attacks, so giving up your right to an Evasion save doesn't mean very much.
The average small pistol would probably have 6 shots or so, and I imagine Cutter just bought and modified a cheap and functional, mass-produced weapon for his rarely-used backup, so I bet Dustin would know all about it (even though he wouldn't be prepared to admit it).
But the marshal's gun, incidentally, only has a 5-shot magazine. That's because the PG 375 is created for stopping power over all else. And yes, that's not such a bright weapon for a man to arm himself with on a fragile civillian craft.
Uh, I'm pretty sure it was DC9, unless Ryadic remembers better. Basically it's not going to do much damage unless the enemy fluffs their Health save, or you roll a natural 20 when you roll to hit.
"OH wait! Shouldn't we all move into some kinda positions and take cover and all? Like that one vid with the guys... you know... I mean, we're all just standing around! I'll wait in the back, see!" - Dustin
hehe. yea. =P
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
Seeing as I've just had a bunch of PMs about the damage system, I'm going to make it apparent here. My personal taste was to keep people in the dark for narrative reasons, but if you really want to know all about the mechanics I'll be applying, read the spoiler.
T refers to temporary damage (representing minor wounds and setbacks- bruises, staggering, winding) while N is normal damage (actual physical injuries). Temporary damage recovers very quickly outside of combat while normal damage will require medical attention and can be potentially fatal if it brings someone's Health below zero.
A critical hit (natural 20) in combat deals +10 on the damage roll and ignores Armour.
For example, a DC9 pistol would become a much more formidable DC19, and it’d bypass the target's Armour.
Within reason. I mean, setting-wise, I’d come up with some special rule excusing you from automatically bypassing the armour of a war mech or a battleship.
As far as specialities, anyone with Marksmanship (universal or a specific weapon) should be aware that its bonus applies to hit and to damage.
So someone who’s a damn surgeon with their puny handgun (DC9 and Marksmanship + 6 = 15) would actually be a greater threat than someone with a low-powered rifle (DC12).
A critical failure (natural 1) in a Health check is always 1. You could have a Health of 10 and it'd still be 1- no bonuses are allowed, although Armour still applies. So luck can help you fell very tough enemies.
Do we know where they'll be docking and entering from? So we can crowd around it in and attempt to ambush them. My guess is they probably don't expect a lot of resistance, though some. They probably don't expect a big guy like Cutter and a marshall and a few others with guns on board either.
Do we know where they'll be docking and entering from? So we can crowd around it in and attempt to ambush them. My guess is they probably don't expect a lot of resistance, though some. They probably don't expect a big guy like Cutter and a marshall and a few others with guns on board either.
There's just the one airlock: it's positioned halfway down the ship between the two main areas, just beyond the first class cabin you're all hanging around in. I think it was mentioned earlier, although I didn't make its location apparent.
Up to you fellas whether you're going to be waiting behind the door or hiding behind the seats or something
...dang, I was certain I posted this in the second IC post. What the hell is wrong with me? No wonder people wondered about the layout... Sorry about that.
I'll give people a little longer to get their plan/positions sorted out, and then stuff will happen. Regarding luggage, there'll be plenty in the overhead storage: but I don't imagine the ship is big enough/long ranged enough to warrant a cargo hold.
So, currently, most NPCs are hiding in Maintenance, Terrence and I guess Dustin now are at the back of the Economy section, and everyone else is still up front?
Yeah, I think Dustin is back there getting along with Terrence, or annoying him. Who knows, they both are "talky" fellows. "Hey Terrence! Pew, pew, pew!"
If there was a charisma stat, Dustin would be maxed out in it. :P
Also @ Grid - He's not pointing the gun at you intentionally. His PDA thing is strapped to his hand so it sees where he's aiming. Incidentally, he aimed the PDA at you...
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
I figured. Terrence knows how to deal with crazy people, so he's just going to try to get into Dustin's head. It may not work, considering his considerable PD rating, but Terrence doesn't know that.
The suggestion probably won't work, because when Dustin detects the psionic attempt he's entitled to a 1d20 (+5 +4) save. But the very act of resisting would probably alert Terrence to Dustin's real personality type... and Dustin is probably bright enough to realise what Terrence is trying to do...
Grid can take it further if he wants to, there're few wee things in the IC thread's spoiler there.
But seriously, I'd love to see PC on PC combat in one of my campaigns someday. Hell, you've got me on the verge of creating an Exigency Battle Arena thread :P
...but not now. High-grade telepathy/empathy versus a duo of pistols overlooked by a 6-foot-something giant with ludicrous Strength while you're a mere minute away from pirate-types docking with your ship... too messy!
I think Terrance should know offhand that as a Corporate spokeperson (ref my "I carry proprietary knowledge" rant) that I would have a little bit of defenses built up, it'd come with the turf for my job. :P
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
Just so you guys remember, the raiders won't necessarily come in all guns blazing- they're expecting compliant civillians ready to throw loot their way, although they'd react differently if the first thing they see are a bunch of armed men standing opposite the airlock.
Plus there might be a possibility of talking with them, but let's face it: that'd just be delaying the inevitable...
And I bet Dustin and Stephen will end up getting along like a house on fire.
People screaming, third-degree burns, obscene amounts of property damage...
So long as I'm not told whenever I call in to my boss (if possible) to plug him, or his file doesn't say "plug this guy if you see him", I think we should be good. :>
Sides, I think he has an earlier and less lethal version of Imogen, which only helps my claim that Imogen is harmless, and most importantly... is NOT a pistol. :}
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
So long as I'm not told whenever I call in to my boss (if possible) to plug him, or his file doesn't say "plug this guy if you see him", I think we should be good. :>
Sides, I think he has an earlier and less lethal version of Imogen, which only helps my claim that Imogen is harmless, and most importantly... is NOT a pistol. :}
However, once Stephen gets around to it he'll certainly start getting more hostile towards Dustin, but not so outwardly.
Also, Stephen's file is subject to change as more people at Duality become aware of his disappearance, but I'll leave those decisions up to edcrab.
If Terrence wanted to find out how many raiders are on the other side, what would the check be and what modifiers can he use?
Hah, now you guys are getting creative.
I guess simply sensing the presence of someone is a lot different than actually trying to affect their mind- i.e., it'd be a lot simpler.
So give me 1d20 + Willpower + Sense (usually it'd be Focus + Sense, but since you're a psychic and your WP is higher, might as well roll with that) and Terrence'll be able to at least tell who's there. Hell, roll high enough, and I'll let you know about every single raider, not just the blokes directly behind the airlock door.
Once that's determined, he can try any of his usual abilities on whoever he senses (without the + Sense bonus, obviously).
Yea. And if the order comes around to kill you, depending on how much hostility you've shown towards me, it would be a shame to have somehow lost track of you along the way.
Fortunately, my history of success in the past will far outweigh my oversight should such an incident occur. *cough*
tastydonuts on
“I used to draw, hard to admit that I used to draw...”
Posts
Anyway, you guys can safely assume that all the civillians (or at least the civillians that can't/don't want to get involved) are safely stowed in the maintenance unit at the ship's rear. That leaves you (and the marshal) some leeway for positioning yourselves in preparation of being boarded...
Photon weapons are the most common- a sort of middle ground between laser and plasma weapons, in the sense that in the setting they use an unfocused laser to heat air and then direct it with a magnetic field.
Lasers tend to be weaker, but still find use as they're very accurate and, true to real-life lasers, the beams are silent and invisible (although the guns themselves might make a sound as they charge).
Plasma weapons tend to be viewed as military-grade, as they pack more firepower and are far better at beating armour.
Ion weapons are as weak or weaker than lasers, but they take the usual sci-fi stance of dealing extra damage to mechanical targets.
All of these are available in bolt (single) or beam (continuous) fire modes.
Solid-projectile weapons or combustibles (what we'd call "regular" guns) are illegal in most of the galaxy due to a perceived notion that they're inhumane. That doesn't stop some people from using them...
Most weapons have a firing core and a reserve core: the former can be depleted, but can link with the latter to recharge. In practise, this mimics the magazine of a “regular†gun, in that once empty the user can pull back the recharge slider/press the recharge button and cause charge to transfer.
This means guns can’t be fired constantly, but that most have essentially limitless ammunition. The in-setting explanation for this that leaving a charged weapon unattended is very dangerous.
Heavier weapons sometimes have disposable charge cores, usually because firing them repeatedly steadily damages them due to the massive amounts of energy expended.
And, of course, some people might be able to afford weapons so advanced that they do away with the firing core and tap the reserve core directly- the military, for example, would have a great desire for a weapon that can lay down suppression fire for a solid 24 hours or something ridiculous. Of course, in that case, overheating would end up being the token mechanic to prevent overuse…
Also, how many shots can you make per round? If I were shooting at a target in a professional manner, I'd probably go for the 2 shots center, 1 shot to the head or groin (groin to disable, since no much walks w/o a functional pelvis).
Ok, the gun:
Picked up used from an old "aquaintance" of Cutters. Old grip removed and a custom one put on for Cutter's massive paw. Since he doesn't care for guns and is uncomfortable using one, he needed to make a grip to even allow him to hold it. The grip is the only new thing about the gun. It's old, possible first or second generation model - so I'll let you roleplay that if you want - but very reliable for someone that rarely uses it.
Basically versus dangerous enemies you'd only roll once and stick to cover, but versus fodder the likes of Cutter would just barge into the open and keep attacking twice a turn.
That's why melee is still viable. If you've got the Strength to make your close-combat attacks damaging, you'll still be able to Block attacks, so giving up your right to an Evasion save doesn't mean very much.
The average small pistol would probably have 6 shots or so, and I imagine Cutter just bought and modified a cheap and functional, mass-produced weapon for his rarely-used backup, so I bet Dustin would know all about it (even though he wouldn't be prepared to admit it).
But the marshal's gun, incidentally, only has a 5-shot magazine. That's because the PG 375 is created for stopping power over all else. And yes, that's not such a bright weapon for a man to arm himself with on a fragile civillian craft.
Ryadic/Ed: What's the DC on your/his gun? It's not listed on the sheet.
hehe. yea. =P
Seeing as I've just had a bunch of PMs about the damage system, I'm going to make it apparent here. My personal taste was to keep people in the dark for narrative reasons, but if you really want to know all about the mechanics I'll be applying, read the spoiler.
T refers to temporary damage (representing minor wounds and setbacks- bruises, staggering, winding) while N is normal damage (actual physical injuries). Temporary damage recovers very quickly outside of combat while normal damage will require medical attention and can be potentially fatal if it brings someone's Health below zero.
A critical hit (natural 20) in combat deals +10 on the damage roll and ignores Armour.
For example, a DC9 pistol would become a much more formidable DC19, and it’d bypass the target's Armour.
Within reason. I mean, setting-wise, I’d come up with some special rule excusing you from automatically bypassing the armour of a war mech or a battleship.
As far as specialities, anyone with Marksmanship (universal or a specific weapon) should be aware that its bonus applies to hit and to damage.
So someone who’s a damn surgeon with their puny handgun (DC9 and Marksmanship + 6 = 15) would actually be a greater threat than someone with a low-powered rifle (DC12).
A critical failure (natural 1) in a Health check is always 1. You could have a Health of 10 and it'd still be 1- no bonuses are allowed, although Armour still applies. So luck can help you fell very tough enemies.
There's just the one airlock: it's positioned halfway down the ship between the two main areas, just beyond the first class cabin you're all hanging around in. I think it was mentioned earlier, although I didn't make its location apparent.
Up to you fellas whether you're going to be waiting behind the door or hiding behind the seats or something
Peek-a-boo bitches.
Haha, nevermind.
I'll give people a little longer to get their plan/positions sorted out, and then stuff will happen. Regarding luggage, there'll be plenty in the overhead storage: but I don't imagine the ship is big enough/long ranged enough to warrant a cargo hold.
Also @ Grid - He's not pointing the gun at you intentionally. His PDA thing is strapped to his hand so it sees where he's aiming. Incidentally, he aimed the PDA at you...
But seriously, I'd love to see PC on PC combat in one of my campaigns someday. Hell, you've got me on the verge of creating an Exigency Battle Arena thread :P
...but not now. High-grade telepathy/empathy versus a duo of pistols overlooked by a 6-foot-something giant with ludicrous Strength while you're a mere minute away from pirate-types docking with your ship... too messy!
I think Terrance should know offhand that as a Corporate spokeperson (ref my "I carry proprietary knowledge" rant) that I would have a little bit of defenses built up, it'd come with the turf for my job. :P
Plus there might be a possibility of talking with them, but let's face it: that'd just be delaying the inevitable...
And I bet Dustin and Stephen will end up getting along like a house on fire.
People screaming, third-degree burns, obscene amounts of property damage...
Yes I stole that from Terry Pratchett
Sides, I think he has an earlier and less lethal version of Imogen, which only helps my claim that Imogen is harmless, and most importantly... is NOT a pistol. :}
Also, Stephen's file is subject to change as more people at Duality become aware of his disappearance, but I'll leave those decisions up to edcrab.
Hah, now you guys are getting creative.
I guess simply sensing the presence of someone is a lot different than actually trying to affect their mind- i.e., it'd be a lot simpler.
So give me 1d20 + Willpower + Sense (usually it'd be Focus + Sense, but since you're a psychic and your WP is higher, might as well roll with that) and Terrence'll be able to at least tell who's there. Hell, roll high enough, and I'll let you know about every single raider, not just the blokes directly behind the airlock door.
Once that's determined, he can try any of his usual abilities on whoever he senses (without the + Sense bonus, obviously).
Fortunately, my history of success in the past will far outweigh my oversight should such an incident occur. *cough*