duct tape, when you've exceeded capacity... Options

[Laodicea]

So you've got a helmet that you've filled the capacity on....and you want a signal jammer....so you duct tape it to the exterior of the helmet. Does anyone see a problem with this or other similar situations?

Obviously duct tape isn't going to work for things that need to be internal to whatever system they're integrated on.

[Ol' Scratch]

Eh, if I bothered to follow most of the rules in the game, I'd just enforce carrying capacity if people really wanted to do things like that. (With the follow-up concept that the Capacity granted by things like armor and helmets doesn't count against your load.)

But if you're not doing something like that, and thus there's no real consequence for doing so, it can get out of hand really quickly. Sure it could be a laugh from time to time (I see lots of potential redneck jokes), but that humor would turn to eye-rolling munchkinism in a heartbeat.

[Hound]

as a GM, I'd think about allowing it. But I'd also make sure to point out that the character looks stupid. And maybe have the thing fall off. Heh, make the char roll a hardware+logic test to determine how well he secures the jammer on there, then roll against that every time he does something jarring.

But really, in the end, what's the big deal? I mean on glasses or whatever, something you want to be covert, I could see worrying about capacity more, but if you don't care about looks then really you can add all kinds of shit onto any particular piece of gear. And it's not like having a signal jammer on your helmet is really going to be that much better than having a signal jammer in your pocket.

[Ol' Scratch]

Where does it stop though? If you can do that, why can't you "duct tape" (using it as a general concept rather than literally duct taping something) a few extra turrets on your car, or "duct tape" a bunch of extra accessories on your assault rifle? If there's no consequence, there's no reason not to if you're so inclined.

[Yerameyahu]

I agree: looking stupid and having things imperfectly mounted/calibrated/secured are not trivial concerns in this situation, but a vest with lots of little pockets is just good sense. PAN means not worrying where anything is.

It does depends on the the mod. Duct taping a flashlight onto your gun is not the same as trying that with a UBGL, or a turret on a vehicle.

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

I agree: looking stupid and having things imperfectly mounted/calibrated/secured are not trivial concerns in this situation, but a vest with lots of little pockets is just good sense. PAN means not worrying where anything is.

It does depends on the the mod. Duct taping a flashlight onto your gun is not the same as trying that with a UBGL, or a turret on a vehicle.

Yeah, too bad the Union Aerospace Corporation had to cancel all duct tape shipment to their Mars facility because of cuts on the budget...

[CanRay]

Yeah, too bad the Union Aerospace Corporation had to cancel all duct tape shipment to their Mars facility because of cuts on the budget...

Yeah, those chainsaws they sent by mistake weren't cheap.

[Tanegar]

And it's not like having a signal jammer on your helmet is really going to be that much better any better at all than having a signal jammer in your pocket.

Fixed that for you.

But seriously, that's what standalone hardware is for. You can't incorporate it into a piece of armor, so you carry an extra gizmo around with you. I'm on board with enforcing carrying capacity for players who abuse it, though.

[Vegetaman]

Yeah, those chainsaws they sent by mistake weren't cheap.

Hey, at least they remembered to send gas! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/spin.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cyber.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Brazilian_Shinob...]

Yeah, those chainsaws they sent by mistake weren't cheap.

I would still prefer the duct tape though... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[ggodo]

I would still prefer the duct tape though... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Can't fix a leak with a chainsaw.

[braincraft]

Can't fix a leak with a chainsaw.

Then you're not doing it right.

[Vegetaman]

Can't fix a leak with a chainsaw.

Yeah, and you can't fix zombies with duct tape... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

[Mardrax]

Yeah, and you can't fix zombies with duct tape... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/grinbig.gif)

What you can do, however, is stick it to the man.

[capt.pantsless]

So you've got a helmet that you've filled the capacity on....and you want a signal jammer....so you duct tape it to the exterior of the helmet. Does anyone see a problem with this or other similar situations?

Remember that something external to the helmet/armor will be more vulnerable to damage. I.e. if a HE grenade goes off nearby, anything kludged to the outside will stand a good chance of damage, whereas internal stuff generally gets a pass.

[Game2BHappy]

I think the real limit for the gadget-themed character is the number of active commlink subscriptions you can maintain at once.

[TheOOB]

Capacity is a measure of how much of something can be built into something, duct taping something onto something isn't built in, but it does look ugly and is unprotected. Also, duct taping a flashlight to a gun barrel is questionable, from what I understand, gun barrels are hot, and duct tape fairs remarkably poorly to heat, having a build in flashlight would work better...and wouldn't risk falling off if you glitch.

[Yerameyahu]

While that could be true, we should also remember that 'duct taping a flashlight to a gun barrel' is just a metaphor covering a range of modifications. In that range, you'll find literal duct tape and literal gun barrels, but also gecko-grip, non-barrel gun parts, etc. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Ol' Scratch]

...and wouldn't risk falling off if you glitch.

Apparently our definitions of what kind of effects a glitch include are drastically different.

[Yerameyahu]

That's well within the normal bounds, especial of a critical glitch. Probably one of the least bad things that could happen, and who even needs a flashlight in SR? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[BookWyrm]

(Scene: a shadowrunner team starts gearing up for the run, when Sully the Dwarven Street Sam casually glances over at Bongo the Troll....& notices something odd....)

Sully: "Bongo?"
Bongo: "Yeah, Sully?"
Sully: "Is that....a roll of duct-tape on your belt?"
Bongo: "Yeah. Why you askin'?"
Sully: "Just thought it strange, even for you."
Bongo: "Well, like my granny used ta say, bettah t'have it an' not need it, then t'not have it an' want it."
Sully: "Same principle as a condom, huh?"
Bongo (confused): "Whut's a condom?"
Sully (bows & shakes his head): "Never mind, Bongo."

[TheOOB]

Apparently our definitions of what kind of effects a glitch include are drastically different.

A makeshift modification harmlessly falling off isn't glitch material for you? What is? Stubbing your toe? Glitches are supposed to suck, not be disastrous, but suck. I seem to remember a gun jamming and taking a simple action to fix is a glitch material, so a taped on item falling off would seem to fall in line with that. A critical glitch would be you shooting your foot while drawing the thing.

[Ol' Scratch]

Whoosh! That's the sound of my response flying over your head.

You have it ass-backwards; a flashlight accessory falling off a weapon is a possibility for a glitch. Hence, you know, me quoting that part of your comment. Glitches aren't limited to the redneckification of a weapon.

[Yerameyahu]

Sigh, always the needless condescension. In fact, TheOOB said "built-in" (in translation, heh). That's not a flashlight "accessory", and it can't fall off. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[CanRay]

Why are all the old tales of "Hillbilly Armor" for HMMWVs coming to my mind right now?