Barrier Ratings?, Break on through.... to the other side Options

[count_zero99uk]

Ok so ive just had a call from one of my players who is currently making a Minotaur Adept. He asks me whether he should take Smashing Blow or another level of killing hands, to take that up to Serious.

I suggest that the smashing blow sounds pretty cool, the ability to smash walls and doors down should grant surprise on occasions.

However.

I have read the rules on breaking down and through barriers and it seems that they seem to conflict. It states that barriers have twice there rating against ranged attacks as bullets are small, this makes sence. It then goes on to say that the barrier rating is also doubled against melee attacks and magic attacks. Doesnt this mean its just doubled against everything?

If someone could clarify this for me i would appreciate it.

Regards
Zero.

[Oenone]

I suspect it doesn't cover explosives.

[Pendaric]

Away from my books here but from memory you only double barrier rating against edged melee attacks. Which is why dikote is so useful. Never remember reading anything about magic having barriers being doubled.

Smashing blow is great for making holes in inanimate things. It is, well, smashing.

Had a troll adept with smashign blow and a specialisation of eight in unarmed combat, vehicle trashed or hole in wall needed, he's your man. Very nice to have someting that can avoid combat. Either for escape or sheer intimidation factor.

[Jhaiisiin]

I read it as double barrier rating against anything attempting to put a hole in it.

[Pendaric]

Having read up on this and consulted the errata, thats what it says except elemental manipulation spells dont have the doubling.

This is pure muppetry as far as rules go. By cannon it woud take a normal human three attempts to break a single pane glass window. Someone took their brain out this one.

May I suggest a house rule to ignore the pointless doubling and simply half the barrier rating for elemental manip spells.

[Stahlseele]

This is pure muppetry as far as rules go. By cannon it woud take a normal human three attempts to break a single pane glass window. Someone took their brain out this one.

ever tried actually getting your fist ON PURPOSE through a glass window?
or the window of a car?
not even security stuff and still, pretty much onbreakable for bare hands . .
ok, so this is magic . . but i don't really like magic, and especially adepts, so i will say:"meh, sounds abour right to me . . if you wanna make big holes in stone/metal, you're very well gonna need some frigging tools to do so . ."
other house rule would be to make this power be levelled at 1 point per level and every level lowering barrier-rating by one before doubling it?

[Pendaric]

Actually I have and no its not that hard.
The real trick with car windows is not punch through, just half an inch behind and they then are designed to shatter. Plate glass messes up your knuckles and if you punch through can seriously cut up your arm. Again 2 inch behind the target and a quick retraction to avoid falling glass. Stay away from double glazing and perspex, good way to break knuckles. Hope this helps. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)
Down sides of less sulbrious past life.

As to rules, still not impressed with the mechanics.