Hand grenades and the (few) people who love them Options

[Berzerker]

I've been meaning to as this for a while now and just kept putting it off, however, another thread (discussion of Mongo) brought up a related idea so I figured I might as well post it.

Thrown grenades go off on the throwing characters next initiative phase. But does anyone allow their players to activate the grenade, then delay throwing it? Suppose I dont want to give Sam the security guard and all his buddies the chance to scatter when I throw the thing, so I pop the pin and wait to throw it till the last moment? Any thoughts.

Second, the BBB under the description of hand grenades say they can be set to explode on impact but it doesnt mention anything about that in the rules for using grenadse in combat. Thoughts?

[Capt. Dave]

If only you could have hand grenades with rangefinders...

I'd say if a PC had grenades that were set to explode on impact, then they would act as rangefinded mini-grenades, minus the reduced scatter.
No throwback test, and it explodes that initiative pass.

This type of grenade should probably cost more, and have a higher availability.

Edit: Or you may just choose to have it be a modification to the grenade, out of combat, like the 5m minimum range on a grenade launcher.

[BitBasher]

I allow the characters to cook off grenades, but there is the chance they will get shot, spelled, wounded or situations change in the intervening time. It can be a very very bad thing too.

[Kagetenshi]

It is rarely as important to maintain consciousness as it is when cooking off a grenade.

~J

[Capt. Dave]

Not to mention that if you see a guy holding a grenade and counting, that guy goes up the geeking priority list a few levels. If you can shoot him before he can throw it, you kill him, and as an added bonus, blow up anyone near him.

[Arethusa]

Indeed. It's dangerous, but the tactical benefits are often worth it. GMs, however, should keep flight times for hand thrown grenades in mind. Also, in general, a better rule than the (rather bizarrely) abstracted 'explodes on next initiative pass' rule is to just make grenades explode in exactly one combat turn, or three seconds. Also worth noting is that GMs should pay attention to rolling perception for noticing grenades.

[Mimick]

According to the gear section in the BBB, grenades can be set anywhere from 2 seconds to 2 minutes, or set to explode on impact.

Most often my players go with the impact option.

[Luke Hardison]

I also allow the cook-off option, and remind them that if anything goes wrong with them between now and then, they're at ground zero. It hasn't happened yet, but it does keep them throwing them on time the majority of the time.

One campaign I ran was a merc campaign, so it came up frequently. Shadowruns tend to use more flash and smoke grenades than anything else.

[Crusher Bob]

Most important inside buildings, in places like defended stairwells...

You could probably get 'smart' grenades that allow you to set the fuse time with your smartlink. Otherwise make it a simple? action to change the fuse time.

[Siege]

Add remote detonators to your grenades -- or proximity fuses. "When X distance from transmitter, detonate".

A Deadman's switch for grenades.

-Siege

[broho_pcp]

I like to pack my grenades in C-4, then throw them.

[BitBasher]

[Backgammon]

When we used to have grenades, they were by default on 3 sec timer. Switching them to impact cost a simple action. So, to throw a a grenade on impact, you'd need:

Free: drop gun you're holding (slings are usefull)
Simple: take grenade (Ready Weapon)
Simple: set to impact (Change weapon mode)

Simple: Throw grenade
Simple: pick up gun

So it takes 2 full passes to throw those grenades if you set them to impact. And if you're not careful, that grenade is going to be set to impact while the other guy is shooting at you.

[Jason Farlander]

You could, of course, simply have them pre-set to impact and keep them in an armored bag or something...

[mfb]

unnecessary. no matter what they're set to, you still have to arm them, usually by pulling the pin and releasing the spoon. they don't just do that for dramatic effect, y'know.

[Zeel De Mort]

Sounds good to me. A simple to ready and a simple to throw a grenade is just fine, whether they're set to impact or a timer or whatever. Taking two phases to do it is a bit harsh, if you ask me.

[Shrike30]

We just used weird pin/spoon designs.

There's a T-shaped disk-on-post (imagine the T spinning on the vertical part, with the flat part on top forming a disk) spoon, with a block underneath it that keeps it from moving. A pin through the top of the disk goes through the block and into the top of the grenade. Pull the pin out and shove out the block with your thumb, and the grenade is now good to go. Push down and twist left locks the disk down... a good solid tug will jerk it out and the grenade will go off immediately, good for booby traps. Press down and twist right, the grenade is fused for impact... throw it and take cover. Twist it before pressing down, and it *clicks* every 1/8 of a turn to the right, up to 6 clicks... when you press it down, it starts the timer, with each click representing a second.

Hey, it's 2063... i figure they've figured out niftier fusing arrangements than chemical fuses.

[Kesh]

I always figured that future grenades would look like an oversized ChapStik container. The 'cap' would be pinned to the uniform. Tug on the grenade-stick, and it comes free (with the cap still pinned to the uniform). That does the same thing as pulling the pin on a modern grenade.

With the cap removed, a thumb-button would be exposed. Pressing the button down would arm the grenade, releasing it would be the equivalent of releasing the spoon. If you changed your mind (while holding the button down) you could twist a ring on the bottom of the grenade-stick and put the cap back on. Obviously, twisting the ring after the button is let go would have no effect, since you don't want the enemy to just scoop it up and "turn off" the grenade.

The whole thing would use an electronic fuse, so it's precise (unlike chemical fuses). Plus, simply "pulling the pin" wouldn't be enough to kill you, since the button has to be pressed, rather than a spring-loaded spoon popping off by itself. Just don't drop it on its head! ;)

In the end, the actual shrapnel-metal would be shaped around it in a ball, just like most modern grenades. A stick isn't good for rolling through doors or bouncing around corners, and wouldn't hold enough metal casing to make much shrapnel. Sticks might be good for flash-bangs, though.

[Jason Farlander]

[theartthief]

I have always considered the grenades to be more like the "thermal detonator" that Leia uses in RotJ when she is in Jabba's palace. Flip the little switch one way and the things starts to tick, flip it the other way and dropping it makes it go boom.

Similar to the chapstick idea but bounces better.

- theartthief

[cutter07]

If you have an indoor standoff, Its fun to throw out smoke a round or two before you throw an IPE offensive. They never see where the nade lands, just the dreaded "tink, tink, tink" of it bouncing.

[Luke Hardison]

[cutter07]

Exactly. Game session before last some Lone star rolled up on a "protection" collection. I rolled out a nice IR smoke then paused a few seconds. After the smoke was nice and thick. I tossed a IPE offensive nade in between the two squad cars (no more the 2 meters apart and 3 metters from a brink wall). Between the wall bounce and the exploding cars the poor Lone Stars never had a chance. They might has ran if they could have seen where to run.

Also super flash nades are fun.