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Ol' Scratch
Whether or not you choose to allow something like that (which would be about as practical as carrying around a metal credit card today), credsticks aren't Edged Weapons either. They're four-inch long cylindrical(sp?) tubes according to the Sprawl Survival Guide.
Shanshu Freeman
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
Dikoting your credstick, though, isn't the most massively off-the-wall idea. Screwy, yes, but cash-in-your-mattress screwy, not cash-hidden-in-living-bunnies screwy.

:lol:
Shanshu Freeman
QUOTE (Doctor Funkenstein)
Dikoting is really only useful on edged weapons. It doesn't increase the Damage Level for any other types of weapons, and I don't think a bent paper-clip would count as an edged weapon.

And how do you propose dikoting your credit card? The heat would destroy it before the dikoe even had a chance to touch it.

credit *cards* as we know them, today, using today's materials and manufacturing methods, yes.

cred*sticks* using SR tech, methods, materials, etc, why not?
Senchae
QUOTE (Kagetenshi)
Screwy, yes, but cash-in-your-mattress screwy, not cash-hidden-in-living-bunnies screwy.

That line belongs in a Dumpshock hall of fame somewhere.
Zazen
QUOTE (Doctor Funkenstein)
Dikoting is really only useful on edged weapons. It doesn't increase the Damage Level for any other types of weapons, and I don't think a bent paper-clip would count as an edged weapon.

That's why I specified that it was bent, to expose the sharp point on each end. nyahnyah.gif
Ol' Scratch
A mace has sharp spikey points, too, but it's still a Club. Just because a weapon has something you might call an edge doesn't make it an Edged Weapon.
Zazen
What sort of weapon is it, then?

Hint: Stab yourself hard in the hand with a paper clip a few times to help you make your determination. ohplease.gif
Siege
QUOTE (Zazen)
What sort of weapon is it, then?

Hint: Stab yourself hard in the hand with a paper clip a few times to help you make your determination. ohplease.gif

It's a piercing weapon!

Sorry, d20 moment. grinbig.gif

-Siege
Tanka
Well, apparently the velocity of a falling bullet that has just been fired from a gun isn't enough to kill somebody.

Does that make it a useless weapon?

(Article I based this randomness on here.)
Zazen
Isn't enough? It went right through the guys skull!
Tanka
Didn't kill him. Just did some serious damage.

QUOTE (CNN Source)
...critically injuring him, authorities said.


First paragraph. Big black bolded letters. Can't miss it.
Rev
I would also point out that knives are highly concealable melee weapons.

The str+2L survival knife in the main book has 6 concealability.

Also they make cheap weapon foci because they have no reach.

Together these attributes make them quite effective against spirits.

Finally they are not nearly the bullet magnet that a sword is smile.gif


Concealability is also the greatest part of missile mastery. An adept with missile mastery and high strength naked in an office building is surrounded by fairly effective ranged weapons.
Tanka
Exactly why pencils should be banned in school. You're never far from a weapon if you know what to do. wink.gif
Sahandrian
As for the suicide thing, we have a simple house rule for that one. The Point Blank Rule. Basically, firing a gun at someone at a range of under one meter has a TN of 2, with mods at the GM's discretion, usually none. So even if you're defaulting, shooting yourself in the head is already 9S, and so long as you get a pair of twos, you're at D, and rolling 9s on Body is unlikely.

Though that still means that a big slow guy will probably be unable to properly shoot himself in the head... though that could be explained as a lack of mobility preventing him from aiming properly...
Raptor1033
hehe too many muscles or fat to raise the arms above the head to put the pistol to the temple, gonna have to use a shotgun so you don't have to put your hands above shoulder level
krishcane
It happens sometimes in gun suicides that people flinch as they pull the trigger -- or they yank the trigger when they fire and jerk the barrel partially off-line. Though all good firearms experts are trained to gently squeeze the trigger, people about to commit suicide are frequently in an emotional state, possibly shaking with fear (or rage or frustration), and frequently drunk. Hence the 17% survival rate of gun-based suicide attempts.

Sadly, few people completely miss, so the survival cases are usually missing part of their face.

--K
gknoy
QUOTE (Austere Emancipator)
QUOTE
Example 2: I put a Colt Manhunter to my head and pull the trigger. I take a 9M. I say "Ouch!" and pull the trigger again.

With a skill of 1, you might even go through a mag of Heavy Pistol ammo without managing to kill yourself. TN 4 - 1 (Static target) + 4 (Called shot) = 7, Take Aim not possible and you need 2 hits.

With a shotgun, a laser sight and decent skill it's manageable.

Not to mention the +2 or +3 penalty for M or S damage when you first get hit ... your second shot might never land. wink.gif

"Yeah, we found a guy with a pile of empty clips and a bad concussion ..."

I guess that's why real suicidal runners use an SMG or AR for suicide. Or a sniper rifle, if you can pull the trigger with your toe. Or you could just walk into the local Stuffer Shack and start shooting. wink.gif
Phaeton
QUOTE (Siege)
It's not that the weapons are useless per se, but the rule system doesn't cover them particularly well.

Example: I cut a target's throat. I inflict (Str)L damage. I therefore have to saw through the target's neck repeatedly before the target dies.

Example 2: I put a Colt Manhunter to my head and pull the trigger. I take a 9M. I say "Ouch!" and pull the trigger again.

Suicide must be a bitch if you only have a skill of 1 or 2.

-Siege

You're forgetting the principle of called shots and using common sense to agree that they'd apply in this scenario, methinks. No offense...
Artemis
I... think that some things are called off of obvious results.

Such as when a person shoves a butter knife into your eye and through your brain. Obviously at such time the butter knife will have results far superior to that of a (STR-2)L. Even with a skill of Edged Weapons 1.
Phaeton
QUOTE (Rev)
I would also point out that knives are highly concealable melee weapons.

The str+2L survival knife in the main book has 6 concealability.

Also they make cheap weapon foci because they have no reach.

Together these attributes make them quite effective against spirits.

Finally they are not nearly the bullet magnet that a sword is smile.gif


Concealability is also the greatest part of missile mastery. An adept with missile mastery and high strength naked in an office building is surrounded by fairly effective ranged weapons.

Which leads me to ask the utterly insane following questions:

...Could you make a cyber-implant weapon into weapon foci?

If I have off-hand and normal edged-weapons, can I use forearm snap blades twice per turn?

*bow* Thank you all for your time. grinbig.gif
Ol' Scratch
Of course you can.
Phaeton
QUOTE (Doctor Funkenstein)
Of course you can.

Now the problem for the mage/adept/shaman/whatever in question to have the right connections to find a clinic. But that's a different story. biggrin.gif grinbig.gif nyahnyah.gif Furthermore, could I make a cyberspur or handblade the anchor for a "Laserblade"-type spell? biggrin.gif
Ol' Scratch
If you create the spell, you sure can.
Phaeton
And the last question I have is...Can you smartlink a crossbow? grinbig.gif
Fortune
There's no reason why not, since you can SmartLink a normal bow.
Zazen
What do you think about a blowgun, then?
Fortune
Yet another example of the need for a [not in my game] smiley. biggrin.gif
Zazen
Me either, I was just curious about where you draw the line with projectile weapons. I played in a game that had one and I thought it was pretty dumb.
Phaeton
QUOTE (Fortune @ Nov 25 2003, 09:43 PM)
Yet another example of the need for a [not in my game] smiley. biggrin.gif

biggrin.gif grinbig.gif biggrin.gif grinbig.gif rotfl.gif

...In all seriousness, though, does anyone think that smartlinking a grenade launcher would do anything? I think it would only matter if the grenades were definitely impact-activatable...
Fortune
IIRC, there are specific rules for how SmartLinks interact with Grenade Launchers.
Arethusa
They're called GrenadeLinks, and they allw you to time airbursts perfectly as opposed to worrying about impact detonation. They are rather sweet.
Phaeton
I thought Grenade Links just allowed you to fire an underbarrel grenade launcher and the weapon it's mounted on at the same time...Ah well. Mainly I was referring to whether you'd get a better target number with the launch. And if Smartlink II-ing a grenade launcher would be practical. I think it'd be hard to make a headshot with a grenade launcher...

Edit: Never mind. A friend explained what the grenade link does.
mfb
man, i wish. none of my characters would do anything in combat ever again, except simultaneously lay down suppressive fire and launch grenades.
The Jopp
How about this little useless toy then.

Bracer
Avail: 12
Cost: 1200
Damage: 6L
Ammo: 1
TN modifier: +1
Conceal: 7

The rules say No accessories. Does that include a SL that doesn't even take a mount? You have a base TN of 5+ and you can fire 1 round. I'd rather take the Puzzler with a SL2 and Hi-C rounds instead of the above toy.

So, does people ignore it when it goes through the MAD scanner and need a visual inspection with a TN of 7+ to see what it really is?

EDIT: I forgot, the damn thing needs a SEPARATE skill to use as well.
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