Just some things I was thinking of as I was perusing my SR books.

1) In SR3 rulebook, under the section that says Recoil on page 111, it gives as an example firing two 5-round full-auto bursts - but as far as I can tell, a full-auto burst is a Complex Action, and as such, only one can be done per Combat Phase.

2) Is there a way to pop up from behind cover, fire off two shots (from say, a SA pistol) and then duck back down? The only thing that seems to fit would be the movement rules, but this isn't really moving across a distance. I guess one could walk pass a corridor, fire twice and move to the other end. But I'm not sure how well this would work.

3) In the SR3 companion (page 78), the Street Cop is listed as having a Firearms skill of 4. This looks like a throwback to SR2 that wasn't changed. I assume that this is supposed to be a Pistol 4 skill. Also, the Gang Leader and a few other templates don't have any gear listed. I haven't seen any errata for these yet. (I noticed these last few as I was working on a random NPC template that runners tend to run into.)

1. As far as I can tell, this is a typo or mistake of some sort.

2. Personally, I treat this as partial cover. SR's combat is turn-based, but being able to move 4 feet in an action doesn't make you invincible. Anytime you stick your head around the corner, you've got a chance of catching a bullet in it.

1) A gun in each hand.

2) Simple Action each to pop/duck.

3) ....

Sphynx

For #1, you can only fire one full-auto shot, but you can have that shot hit multiple targets, so five bullets of the ten-round full-auto shot were aimed at the first target and five at the second.

~J

No, you can fire 2 by using the rules for ambidexterity.

Sphynx

... but considering that the example given doesn't make any reference to the other effects of using dual weapons, and it's in the base book, whereas the ambidex rules are in the CC, it's pretty safe to assume this is a mistake.

Not really, you can fire full auto and spli the rounds between 2 targets, hitting each target with a 5 round long burst, perfectly legal. Just like you could fire full auto and shoot 4 people... with a three round burst at each of the first 3 targets and the one remaining bullet onto the 4th target.

Read page 115 of the main book.

Assuming Kanada added right hes correct. While you can only fire a single Full Auto attack for your complex action, you can divide the bullets amonst multiple targets. His example is sound. And for clarity yes, with ambidexterity you could fire two SMGs on full auto for one complex action.

For the second, you could fire twice as a simple action each, then drop prone with your free action. The catch is next turn you would have to get up with a simple action, then fire only one shot, and fall prone again to repeat the cycle. Its far better to use the partial cover rules and simply say that anyone firing from cover, peeking out and ducking back etc, is at +4 tn to shoot at for being in partial cover.

For number three, yea firearms is a typo. Just replace it with whatever gun skill is appropriate (pistols, shotguns, etc). The characters without gear are fine as is. The little "contact template" listings only give basic or needed gear in their listings, as a full gear list for each kind would take up far too much space. So they give a few gear hints occasionally and leave the rest up to "whatever the GM deems appropriate at the time".

In terms of 2)
You could handle this as movement and up the penalty to fire based on the movement modifier. Or you could use the Attacker in Cover penalties from CC p98 (basically whatever cover you receive when being shot at is applied at half rating to your own TN to attack, e.g. +4 cover protection adds +2 to TNs to attack from behind it).

The more cover you are in, the harder it is to shoot from behind it

Regarding number 2, technically movement in SR takes a whole action meaning if you across a corridor your movement will only be concluded at your next action phase. Or if you pop up, you only pop down completely at the beginning of your next action. Consequently cover should be calculated on the basis of the average cover you during the movement (ie. starting in full cover, diving across an empty corridor and landing in full cover would average at Partial Cover or +4)

I like the CC rules for cover with the notion that it's not just a "percent of the body covered", but a "percent of the body covered as a function of time". So someone who is popping up slowly gets a pretty decent shot (+1 TN to fire) but less cover benefit (+2 TN to be hit) while someone who is doing really fast popups sacrifices accuracy (+3 TN to fire) for better protection (+6 TN to be hit).

I wouldn't allow it simply because that's the definition of a burst, IMO; the bullets being directed at a single target. Otherwise the optimal solution would be, unless the target is capable of completely soaking all damage with body alone, firing those ten shots as ten one-round bursts. No one would do anything differently, and since I think FASA had thought of that they probably designed the rules the way they are because the other way was forbidden.


~J

Waste two bullets to "walk" the fire away and then back twice. 3,3,2 instead of the normal 10. Less of a rule abuse than the 4,3,2,1 so it would be easier to con a GM into accepting.

The ganger does have gear. All the missing info for the stock characters starts on pg. 326 of SR3.

question 2) your PC could stand up (simple action), fire 2 SA rounds (simple action), and then fall down (free action).

I'm pretty sure I read that on this board somewhere but can't remember who said it or in which thread.

You're off a bit, standing is a simple action, and firinf ONE shot is a simple action. Firing 2 SA shots is two simple action not one, for a total of three simple actions you used.