Troll-Sized Firearms, -When 'Metahuman Adjustment' just doesn't cover it.- Options

[Cheshyr]

Mass product? No. But one-off specialty products aren't unheard of. I'd say that a higher availability rating would account for the smaller production runs.

[Tachi]

I like... I want... but it might be a touch unbalanced. Assume AV rounds (which my troll uses standard), and a moderate dice pool (12). 3 hits would be... 12P -5AP, twice an IP. Compare this to an Ares Vigorous. 3 hits would be... 13P -6AP, once an IP. This is stock, mind you... we could modify the weapons accordingly afterwards. I would LOVE to have this weapon! In terms of game balance though, I might suggest 7P and SS as the baseline. Just a slight kick up from the stock Super Warhawk. Metahuman Modification required. After that, standard mods would still make it SA, 8 ( c ), etc, anyway.

I'm going to go drool now.

Game Balance was absolutely NOT one of my concerns while creating this pistol. I'm allowing it in my games as edited below. While you're trying to rationalize decreasing the damage code, keep in mind that this would be a 1000gr 28 millimeter slug that, with approx. 200 grains of powder and only an 8 inch barrel, would be traveling about 1500 feet per second. I made it an automatic on purpose, with the appropriate very large slide return springs it wouldn't be a single shot weapon, it would be a semi-automatic worthy of a troll. The caliber would properly be called a .700 Supermagnum, or just a .700 Supermag. You want balance? Fine, it uses heavy pistol range and the ammo costs are quadrupled.

Blame the system, not the weapon. It is a pistol firing rifle-caliber ammo (Africa-scale ammo, mind you). I don't have a problem with it doing rifle-scale damage.

The Desolation will have to be the size of a SMG just so a troll can conveniently manipulate it (compared to the tiny little buttons & levers of a normal gun). It will have a distinct sound that will carry for blocks. And the magazines will be HUGE!

Yes, it would be about the size of an SMG. The magazines would be approx 5 inches tall, 4 inches wide and an inch deep. Large? Yes. But, well within reason to fit inside a troll's pistol grip.

The Ares Vigorous isn't a rifle, it's an assault cannon. The weapon being proposed outperforms the Thunderstruck, Shadowrun's first man-portable gauss weapon. I don't blame the weapon, I just blame the system and the people who write the weapons despite knowing what the system is. If it's going to have that kind of damage code, then it shouldn't be compatible with the fancier ammo types.

The Thunderstruck has fairly extreme penetration capabilities, the Desolation does not without special ammo. The Thunderstruck has a very long range, the desolation would use heavy pistol ranges. Personally, I think the Thunderstruck is underpowered. As to the unavailability of alternate ammo types, well, it's your game, they're available in my game.


I've thought about it, and I'm making a few minor edits to the Desolation, as well as adding a SMG version. Reprinted here for convenience.

(Troll Pistol)
Ares Desolation .700 Supermag (Named for the feeling you get looking down the barrel.)
Dmg: 9p
AP: 0
Mode: SA
RC: 4
Ammo: 6 ( c )
Avail: 12R
Cost: 8,000 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif)
The Ares Desolation comes with an Internal Smartlink, Extended Heavy Barrel, and Gas Vent 3. All ammo costs are quadrupled. The Desolation uses Heavy Pistol ranges, +10%. Double all uncompensated recoil modifiers as with heavy weapons. Adding a Stock and Metahuman Customization allows the Desolation to be used by non-trolls.

(Troll SMG)
Ares Desolation .700 SuperSMG
Dmg: 9p
AP: -1
Mode: SA/BF
RC: 5(6)(Folding Stock)
Ammo: 20 ( c )
Avail: 15R
Cost: 12,000

The Desolation SuperSMG comes with an Internal Smartlink, Extended Heavy Barrel, Gas Vent 3, Folding Stock, and Foregrip. All ammo costs are quadrupled. The SuperSMG uses SMG ranges +10%. Double all uncompensated recoil modifiers as with heavy weapons. Adding Metahuman Customization allows the SuperSMG to be used by non-trolls, though firing in burst fire mode causes uncompensated recoil to triple instead of double, and any non-troll must resist 1S damage each time they (inadvisedly) fire a burst.

[AngelisStorm]

The bummer is that Trolls can't conceal larger weapons any better than shorter folks can (bigger people = longer trenchcoats), that the writers didn't include an option to mod weapons from barrel/tube magazines to clips (and vice versa), and extending/reducing the barrel doesn't change the ammo capacity of magazine weapons. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/frown.gif)

(... and chopping your barrel shorter takes a customization slot?)

[Saint Sithney]

Dmg: 9p
AP: -1

That really doesn't account for comparative damages.
For instance, an LMG running 5.56 does no less damage than a .50 cal HMG. Both are 6p with the only difference being their penetration.

Extending that logic, a Troll HP should make that same kind of relative (non)sense when compared to a regular HP. Just more penetration. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ohplease.gif)

[Cheshyr]

Don't get me wrong... I'd love a 9P weapon. I also completely understand your real-world rationale for giving it the numbers you did. Unfortunately, the game mechanics don't support realism, and something that isn't in line with the game world needs some sort of balance. I think the increased ammo cost is a good start... they did the same with Bioware. I still think that 9P for a pistol is a touch too much. Examples of other ~9P weapons:

- Melee weapons when character has 10+ Strength
- Barett Model 121 Sniper Rifle
- Mossberg AM-CMDT Shotgun (f)
- Remington 990 (f)
- Thunderbolt Gauss Rifle
- Ares Vigorous Assault Cannon
- Panther XXL Assault Cannon
- Ares Heavy MP Laser
- High Explosive Grenade at Ground Zero (10P)

I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm just saying that each of the above weapons has limitations that keep the damage potential in line. Your new weapon costs and ammo costs might do that, actually. I'm still having trouble with a pistol that can do more damage than pretty much every other firearm on the market.