Grenade launcher dispute, How good is your rules lawyer fu? Options

[ShadowDragon]

Hey all. I just GMed a game tonight and we had an issue when a PC used an Ares Alpha to fire a grenade. He doesn't have an airburst link. I was under the impression that without an airburst link, the grenade explodes on the next IP; refrencing page 145 "Timing Grenades." Two of the players adamantly claimed that it explodes immediately because of the description on page 313 that says "detonate on impact." I say this is fluff and unbalanced the way they interprite it (why have an airburst link, and why mention air burst grenades detonate on the same IP?), they say it's mechanics and illogical any other way :rolleyes: I see the abstraction of game rules, so logically I think it can go either way.

So who's right and why? If I'm right, can you give me a logical explanation for my players?

[edit] What the hell? No rolleye smily?!

[The Jopp]

The grenade would explode on impact but the grenade link removes the safety mechanism of the grenade that allows the shooter to either detonate it within the 5 meter safety distance or blowing it up in midair above a target.

So, without a grenade link it always explode where it hits and with the grenade link it can explode when the shooter shooses along the grenades trajectory.

[Cabral]

Looks like Detonate on impact, same IP is correct.

With the standard fair grenade, you don't have to shell out for any extra gadgets and it's fairly versatile. That means you can bank shots or just try to drop it in someone's lap.

Detonate on impact sacrifices some versatility for having it go off when it hits. There is appraently no cost for this.

Airburst is the best of both and better. You can do anything you can with a simpler variety, plus you can have the grenade detonate at a certain range, detonating over someone cowering behind cover, or eliminating rearward scatter by having it detonate when it travels whatever distance your target is. (Thus, the target dodges and instead of the grenade scattering 3d6 meters behind him, it blows up 2 meters to his right).

From the description, he'd would have to pick the detonation method for each grenade.

Would you like him to be limited to grenades that detonate one IP later or that he picked up an airburst link?