My Assistant
Site Message
(Message will auto close in 2 seconds)
  |
 Barghests..., What a howl they have. |
 Jul 22 2006, 12:11 PM
Post
#1
|
|
|
Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: 12-July 05 From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Member No.: 7,496  |
In a couple hours iīll be GMing and iīve included a Barghest in the defenses of a corp lab. Being the lazy guy that i am, pre-session notekeeping was left to the last minute. As i read the critters powers description, iīve noticed that if a barghest howls in downtown, hundreds will die from heart attack.
Isnīt that way too deadly ? (the average willpower being 3, the average roll of 2d6 being 7, itīs quite possible that one fails to achive a six at least in one of the 7 rolls...) Will |
 |
 
|
|
Jul 22 2006, 01:02 PM
Post
#2
|
|||
|
Runner Group: Members Posts: 3,066 Joined: 5-February 03 Member No.: 4,017 |
No, but it is way to indiscriminate for defensive uses. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jul 22 2006, 01:44 PM
Post
#3
|
|||
|
Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
Well in SR4, the barghest's paralysing howl is Magic + Charisma vs. Willpower. So 7 dice, vs. 3 on average. It will only be one or two hits normally, which takes a point off Reaction for each. Even if Reaction should reach 0, it doesn't mean you stop breathing or your heart gives out. It passes eventually. You can also apply dice pool modifiers for sound dampening and background noise. So if it howls in downtown Seatle, it will have a short range due to traffic, people being indoors, obstructing buildings, etc. Give the security guards ear muffles, and it's probably fine for use as a guard dog. Swap in Hell Hounds if you want to, though. Similar power, with the same dual nature advantage. No indiscriminate attacks. Mind you, there's nothing in the description that I recall which says the attack has to be indiscriminate. It's magical and perhaps the barghest merely howls at its intended targets. Other people might just get shivers down their spine. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jul 22 2006, 08:47 PM
Post
#4
|
|
|
Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
That's kind of like asking "If a car bomb goes off downtown hundreds will die from the blast and shrapnel. Isn't that too deadly?"
Of course it isn't. And its great for defensive uses so long as you don't have any pitiful metahuman guards around. |
|
|
|
|
Jul 23 2006, 07:16 AM
Post
#5
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: 12-July 05 From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Member No.: 7,496 |
Well, the session is over by now and i told the players about the risk of dying to the howl and they made their best to avoid the barghest at all costs. The rest of the session went fairly well.
Regarding the bomb metaphor, i still think itīs silly for a stupid creature to be able to kill dozens in row just by howling. But still, itīs even sillier to make SR4 remarks when i am addressing SR3 rules, but i will assume it was just a way to show me that there are other interpretations of the paralyzing howl power. |
|
|
|
|
Jul 23 2006, 09:27 AM
Post
#6
|
|||
|
ghostrider Group: Retired Admins Posts: 4,196 Joined: 16-May 04 Member No.: 6,333 |
:rollin: For defensive purposes when there are pitiful metahuman guards around, I like hellhounds. Nice, targeted fiery goodness. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jul 23 2006, 02:33 PM
Post
#7
|
|||
|
Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
Well I'd worked out that you were using pre-SR4 rules, but the topic here is Shadowrun, not a specific sub-category like the SR4 section so someone might find it useful. But mainly, I was showing youhow you could keep some of the significance during the scope of the run, but not give it the precinct-devastating significance it has in ordinary life. You'll also notice two further suggestions that are compatible with pre-SR4, which is that you can apply modifiers for background noise, and that the attack could still be willfully targeted at particular victims even if it has an sonic vector. |
||
|
|
|
||
|
Jul 23 2006, 07:36 PM
Post
#8
|
|
|
Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 104 Joined: 12-July 05 From: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Member No.: 7,496 |
( I was a bit too sour in my reply, sorry. )
Well, i canīt quite figure out the effective range of the barghestīs howl, anyway, but iīve used the background noise argument to restrict it in yesterdayīs session. |
|
|
|
|
|
Lo-Fi Version | Time is now: 12th April 2022 - 04:53 AM |
Topps, Inc has sole ownership of the names, logo, artwork, marks, photographs, sounds, audio, video and/or any proprietary material used in connection with the game Shadowrun. Topps, Inc has granted permission to the Dumpshock Forums to use such names, logos, artwork, marks and/or any proprietary materials for promotional and informational purposes on its website but does not endorse, and is not affiliated with the Dumpshock Forums in any official capacity whatsoever.