Lets say that you have a sub-machine gun with gas vent 3 and an extended folding stock (ingrahm smart gun). Now say that you are at short range with a target number of four. No other modifiers other than recoil. You fire a three round burst. what is the target number?

I think I know, but want to prove a point to one of my players. And I may be wrong.

Thanos

The minimum TN is--AFAIK--always 2, no matter what. Under no circumstances may anyone reduce the target number for anything to lower than 2.

It's true that the minimum TN is always 2, but in this case, if the only modifier is recoil, it doesn't matter if you have recoil compensation A BAJILLION, your TN is four. Recoil compensation is like friction; it can only cancel things out, not change things itself.

~J

Shouldn't the target number be three? TN 4 + 3 recoil = TN7. TN7- 4 (3 recoil comp+1 for stock)= 3. Now take the same situation and only fire one round. What would the TN be then? If I'm right it should also be three. No recoil to compensate for so no modifier there. The only one that counts is the stock.

Thanos

No, the target number would still be 4. Recoil compensation is just that, compensation for recoil. It's not gonna change the base difficulty to hit, only a laser sight, smart goggles, smartlink, or taking the time to aim is gonna do that.

Recoil comp cancels recoil penalties. It does not act as a base TN mod.

In this case the TN is calculated as 4 (base) + 3 (recoil) - 3 (recoil comp) = 4. Had you fired a second burst that action the TN would look like 4 (base) + 6 (recoil) - 4 (recoil comp) = 6.

Having unused compensation doesnt lower the base TN like a smartlink would, it only negates the penalties.

All forms of recoil compensation act this way. There is no distinction between the gas vent systems or a stock or anything else such as recoil from high strength. Its just the total amount of recoil penalties you can negate when firing a firearm.

The only time I've had trouble with the concept of recoil comp was what happens if you fire a single shot and then a 3-shot burst?

The single shot had no recoil penalty, right? But the 3-shot burst has a +3 penalty?

Okay, so what if you fire a 3-shot burst and then a single shot? +4 on the second shot?

The 3-shot burst has +4. +1 for the single shot and then the usual for the 3-shot burst. 3-shot and then single-shot would be +3 for the burst and +3 for the single-shot as well.

~J

That certainly makes sense, I should have been able to figure that out myself. I hate it when simple things make sense AFTER they've been explained

Hate it when that happens

~J