Rules questions: Assault Cannons, Condition Monitors, etc. Options

[Quake]

Hey there, I have a few SR5 questions:

• 1. Can you use a Krime Cannon or Panther Assault Cannon if you're an Ork with a Strength score of only 5 ? I mean: without a weapon mount, tripod or gyromount. Just "two-handed", like you would an Assault Rifle. There seems to be no rule against it, despite MMGs and LMGs requiring Str 8+ and 10+ respectively.
• 2. Besides taking a mount, is there any difference between adding an external versus internal smartgun to a weapon? It seems you would never, ever get an internal smartgun on a Krime Cannon for 22F avail. and +21K nuyen... The external version seems much more worthwhile (since most mounts on an assault cannon will be empty anyway).
• 3. When you get the Bone Lacing or Bone Density Augmentation, do you count the additional "body for the purpose of damage resistance" as counting for the calculation of the Physical Condition Monitor track? Until I re-read the ware's descriptions, that's what I did, but now I'm doubting its legal, even if it sounds "legitimate". If it only increases damage resistance, why not call it "armor" or just "damage resistance dice" instead of the confusing "body term" that you don't know if it stacks or not, is capped at +4 bonus or not, and stuff...

Also, this is more of a YMMV question: why wouldn't people be using Assault Cannons more? 16-17P damage, -6 AP, extremely long range. In SR4A ACs weren't that much more powerful than ARs, except for the Ares Thunderstruck Gauss Rifle for it's AWESOME AP score and high rate of fire. The Panther XXL was single shot, a complex action, and you could get more damage out of Full Auto Bursts at +9 DV than with ACs, without having to deal with the police/military backlash of owning an AC.

[Jack VII]

1) I think anyone can use a Krime Cannon, they just take the penalty for it not being sized appropriately for them unless they are a troll. They probably should suffer a bigger recoil modifier than merely double uncompensated, but they don't (then again, the KC is the only Semi-Auto AC)

2) Nope, other than externals can be removed. Only difference in the smartgun chain is between "internal" (CyberMod/+2 dice) and "external" (Imaging Device/+1 die) smartlinks. Smartgun systems work the same regardless of whether they are internal or external.

3) It doesn't add to condition monitor as far as I am aware. They don't call it "Armor" because Armor Penetration doesn't work against it. They could probably call it "Dice for Damage Resistance Tests" but still have to include the caveat that it only helps with Physical Damage.

The main reason they aren't used as much is that they are universally Forbidden and pretty difficult to hide for day-to-day use (in addition to being fairly expensive). Their ammo is also fairly expensive.

[SpellBinder]

To add to 2 : An external smartgun could be targeted for an attack, just like the scope of a sniper rifle. As an accessory it also could take the place of something else, though options are kinda limited until a book like Arsenal is released.

But then, if you can see the person shooting at you you're more likely to be shooting the person instead of the bling on their guns.

[Dolanar]

my 2 nuyen on #2: an internal doesn't use up one of your upper or lower slots on your weapon, so when we get more weapon accessories & people want scopes & other such things loaded on the top & bottom the internals will be more useful so they have the slots open.

Also Jack, the +2 dice only comes from having the Smartlink paid for with essence like in a Cybereye, the Smartlink bonus on your weapon has nothing to do with whether the weapon has an internal or external smartlink.

Edit: To spellbinder: If you're going to brick something, bricking the gun is better, likely the same damage track either way, same would go with aiming to shoot it with a gun, I'd actually think it would have a higher penalty shooting for the smartgun system than just shooting the gun out of their hand because of A. Smaller Target. B. The gun would in most cases be in the way of actually getting a clear sight on the Smartlink

[Jack VII]

Also Jack, the +2 dice only comes from having the Smartlink paid for with essence like in a Cybereye, the Smartlink bonus on your weapon has nothing to do with whether the weapon has an internal or external smartlink.

I thought I was very particular about my use of SmartLINK and SmartGUN, but I must have failed somewhere along the way, LOL. A SmartLINK is an enhancement to cybereyes/eyes or imaging devices. A SmartLINK is a component of the SmartGUN chain (since a SmartGUN doesn't do much without a SmartLINK receiving information). The SmartGUN is in/on the weapon. I believe what I wrote is correct. That's why "internal" and "external" are in quotation marks, clarified parenthetically, and clarified in the final sentence.

[Dolanar]

my mistake, I have seen lots of debate on that info elsewhere & just wanted to make sure, I'll blame it on my lack of sleep today, perhaps my reading comprehension is suffering some lol

[Jack VII]

No worries, I think the SmartGUn chain thing was not exactly clear. Hopefully my clarification helped.

[Quake]

Another question:

I never understood sustaining rules, and the way I read them makes absolutely no sense.

Interpretation 1. First, you cast a spell. To sustain it, you take a -2 penalty on all your dice pools afterwards.
This means there is absolutely no point in casting a single buff spell like Armor or Increase Willpower if all your actions are taking a -2.


Interpretation 2. Is it rather that sustaining a spell incurs a -2 penalty on your SPELLCASTING dice pool ?
That would make a lot more spell, representing spell energy invested in sustained spells limiting further castings and mana investments.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Another question:

I never understood sustaining rules, and the way I read them makes absolutely no sense.

Interpretation 1. First, you cast a spell. To sustain it, you take a -2 penalty on all your dice pools afterwards.
This means there is absolutely no point in casting a single buff spell like Armor or Increase Willpower if all your actions are taking a -2.


Interpretation 2. Is it rather that sustaining a spell incurs a -2 penalty on your SPELLCASTING dice pool ?
That would make a lot more spell, representing spell energy invested in sustained spells limiting further castings and mana investments.

It is Interpretation 1. And that is why they make Sustaining Foci. The concentration required to maintain the spell impacts every active thing you do.
Note: Damage Resistance tests NEVER suffers the degraded DP caused by Sustaining, so your Armor spell is golden (or sparkly, if you prefer)... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)