Shock Gloves Options

[geshaw]

Im unsure how shock gloves are done properly. My character has a Str of 6. If I hit with a shock glove it does 5M Stun (punch) + 7S Stun (glove).

If I come out with more successes, say 3 more success; which damage category would I be allowed to increase? I would think the punch damage since it is the one you really get to control.

Is the stun damage from the shock resisted just like the damage from the punch?
Body test against 7 - 1/2 Impact armor worn and success can be used to stage down the damage category?

[GrinderTheTroll]

I don't think you combine the melee attack and the stun glove, IIRC. You either attack with the glove, or try a regular melee attack.

[geshaw]

Those damage codes are straight out of the SR3 book. Shock gloves do Str-1 M + 7S Stun

[Ol' Scratch]

Yep, that's how it works, Geshaw. They're insanely powerful even in the hands of a non-troll. Doubly so once you consider that you can use them with Ambidexterity using your Martial Arts skill (without having to buy maneuvers twice). So not only do you force two seperate Damage Resistance Tests, but you can get +50% dice and get tons of maneuvers when using them. So very broken.

Honestly, I'm surprised you don't see them mentioned whenever someone does a "check out my munchkin" thread around here.

[geshaw]

Add on top of that a stun test for being hit with a shock weapon; a +2 TN modifier for as long as your "stunned".

They do sound pretty nasty, glad I have one..

So am I correct that melee attack successes only stage up the punch damage not the 7S stun from the shock?

[JaronK]

Correct that you don't stage up the 7S stun. Are you sure about the ambidexterity thing though?

JaronK

[Ol' Scratch]

Positive.

[Backgammon]

[geshaw]

Are you guys familiar with the "stun" condition I asked about? Its under shock weapons in SR3. The wording is a bit fuzzy, it says any hit by a stun weapon causes this condition; but being under Shock Weapons I would think that only applies to Tazers, Stun Batons, Shock gloves not to stuff like clubs or saps..

[geshaw]

The weapon description in the back of SR3 makes reference to page 124 Shock Weapons. So I assumed that shock gloves apply.

[GrinderTheTroll]

I was thinking more of the Cyber-weapon equivilant, I think that uses the method I mentioned, anyone recall?

[Modesitt]

My #1 and #2 Least Favorite Items In Shadowrun are shock gloves and capsule rounds. Anything that allows you to do damage twice is very annoying.

The moment someone finds out about Shock Gloves, their very next question is "Can I use Killing Hands with this?"

Hate.

[Ecclesiastes]

[geshaw]

I'm not looking to exploit it, just to make sure I understand how its supposed to work so I dont inadvertantly exploit it.

It does so happen that my character is an Adept, but I do not have killing hands.

[kevyn668]

[Quix]

Hey quit reading my mind! :D So Killing hands with shock gloves would then do:
(STR-1) {killing hands damage code}+7S Stun

Does that look about right?

[toturi]

[The White Dwarf]

Plus its elemental dmg so hurts spirits... Sad thing is imagining all the runners walking around with a single white shock glove on... actually on second though thats hilarious.

[Cochise]

[Ol' Scratch]

Actually, I advocate allowing Unarmed Combat/Martial Arts to gain the advantages of Ambidexterity instead, reflecting even more coordination and ease at shifting between attacks. Let's 'em keep up with armed combatants better that way rather than forcing them to the wayside just because someone picked up two weapons instead of one.

[Cochise]

That's where the problem actually lies:

The abstract nature of SR melee already considers any attack as a series of punches / blows / strikes => the off-hand use is already part of the equation for any melee attack, but your generally considered to hit with your "primary" weapon.
Two weapons in the hand of a trained fighter do pose a higher threat when it comes to taking damage. So if you open up unarmed to the advantages of Ambidexterity, you'd

a) break the abstract nature
b) take away most partof the advantage of dual-wielded weapons
c) open yourself to the question why unarmed melee would provide the bonus only when the character is actually ambidextrous while melee weapons can be dual-wielded by anyone, even without that edge

[Ol' Scratch]

Yes, two weapons in the hand of a trained fighter do pose a higher threat. But it becomes less of a threat against an unarmed combatant who's trained in defending and fighting against two weapon fighters.

The abstract nature of the rules is already broken by Ambidexterity and other similar rules (bypassing armor with Called Shots, Dikote, etc.), so point A is kinda moot.

Point B is kind of moot since the advantages are balanced by an expensive Edge or skill that both parties had to purchase. The advantage comes from the edge/skill, not the dual-weapons (sadly). In fact, under the current rules, the only thing your second weapon gives you is bonus dice. Nothing else.

Point C is already a problem, just in reverse. Likewise, if you do allow Ambidexterity to be used unarmed, there's no harm offering a horribly named "Off-Hand Unarmed Combat" skill, too. It's kind of silly, though, since Ambidexterity should have been a skill to begin with, with an Edge that only enhanced it due to a natural ability.

[ShadowGhost]

I houserule on Ambidexterity and combining two weapons, i.e. 2 cyberspurs, 2 shock gloves/hands, etc give either the +50% dice bonus, *or* +50% damage bonus, but not both. Ambidexterity and plain unarmed combat give no bonuses. The player must declare which bonus he/she is using, and cannot change the bonus until they are out of melee combat.

And in the case of extra successes for shock hand/glove on top of melee, only the melee can be staged, not the shock glove/hand.

Of course, if you're GM, you can always make it rain, or have fire sprinklers go off.... electricity travels nicely through wet shadowrunners...

:grinbig:

[Cochise]

[Hague]