Stick-n-Shock Damage Modifier : –2S (e) Armor Penetration : –5 Availability : 6R Price : 80¥

Stick-n-Shock: Stick-n-Shock rounds deal electrical
Stun damage of equal to the damage of the base weapon
–2. They have a flat AP of –5 that replaces the weapon’s
AP instead of stacking with it.

Electricity Damage
A wide variety of nonlethal weapons are designed to
incapacitate targets with electrical shock attacks, including
stun batons, tasers, cyberware shock hands,
and similar electrically charged weapons. These weapons
rely on a contact discharge of electricity rather than
kinetic energy. Spells and critter powers such as Lightning
Bolt and Energy Aura cause similar effects.

Electrical damage is treated as Stun or Physical
damage depending on the source and/or target. The
Non-conductivity armor upgrade (p. 438) adds its full
rating to the Armor value. The gamemaster can also decide
which (if any) other factors may modify the target’s
damage, such as extra conductivity for a character covered
in water.
An Electricity attack that does damage can stun and
incapacitate the target as well, though if there is no
damage, there is no secondary effect at all.
Secondary effects for characters injured by Electricity
damage include a –1 dice pool penalty on all actions
and Defense Tests, but not Damage Resistance Tests,
for 1 Combat Turn and an immediate Initiative Score reduction
of 5. The dice pool penalty and Initiative Score
reduction do not accumulate with multiple attacks, but
the length of the penalty is extended by 1 Combat Turn
for each successful damaging attack while a character
is affected. If the character’s Initiative Score is reduced
to 0 or below, they lose their last action. If they have no
Initiative Score left the reduction comes on the start of
the next Combat Turn.
Electronic equipment and drones can also be affected
by Electricity damage. They never suffer Stun damage
so Electricity damage is Physical when used against
electronics and drones. They resist damage as usual and
suffer a secondary effect if they take even a single box
of damage.
The secondary effect for electronics and drones
damaged by Electricity damage is shorting out or overloading.
In game terms this is reflected as secondary
Matrix damage equal to half the Physical damage
rounded down.
Vehicles can be damaged by Electricity attacks but do
not suffer any secondary effects. Specific systems of vehicles
can be targeted by a Called Shots (p. 195).

Harder Knock: Whether it’s shooting a gel round
into an opponent’s face or punching someone in the
throat with your fist, sometimes you want an attack designed
to do Stun damage to do Physical instead. This
Called Shot changes the damage code on Stun-based
weapons to Physical with no other change to the DV.

So, given that the following is in the rules:










Free Action to Call A Shot, Simple Action to Fire Weapon. Stick and Shock does slightly (2) less damage, but with more AP than even APDS, and reduces the target's Initiative by 5 and Dice Pools by 1 for a combat turn plus 1 turn per subsequent damaging hit.

Why in the world would anyone not use Stick-n-Shock again?

Why even call a shot to do physical? most people have lower stun tracks, and you are less likely to be wanted for murder. I mean.... if you really have to eliminate them just go step on their trachia as they convulse on the ground.

Stick-n-shock was always good. Most of our runs packed it in light pistols because it use to have a flat damage code of 6s.

Mostly just to point out that it does better than APDS as a physical damage round. I wouldn't bother, myself, especially since electrical damage already does physical damage against drones without the called shot.

However I would probably argue against allowing it to it to change all of the damage to physical damage, the damage from the S&S is mostly the energy (the zap) which is sort of outside the normal remit of the Harder Knock I would wager. Now the damage that came from the gel portion of the round could be counted for physical. (maybe a shot to the groin or similar) but how do you divvy this?

What if i shoot him in the pace maker?

Also, Called Shots incur a -4 dice pool penalty. So it is -2DV and -4 dice.

Ah, there it is, on a table several back for no damn good reason.

I swear, the layout of this book is going to drive me up the wall yet.

Yeah, -4 to hit and -2 DV is not at all worth a flat -5 AP when most firearms already have -1 AP. Remember, each 3 additional points of armor penetration is (roughly) equal to less one point of enemy damage mitigation. So you're gaining an average of 1.33 DV going from -1 AP to -5, but then losing 2 DV and 4 hit dice, which also average 3:1 for damage. Net DV loss of 1.66, and you're more likely to miss.

Meanwhile you could just load up with Explosive Rounds for +1 DV and -1AP and then take a Vitals called shot for another +2 DV. Net gain of 3.66 DV that way, same chance to hit as the Harder Knock SnS.

~Umi

Yeah, -4 to hit and -2 DV is not at all worth a flat -5 AP when most firearms already have -1 AP. Remember, each 3 additional points of armor penetration is (roughly) equal to less one point of enemy damage mitigation. So you're gaining an average of 1.33 DV going from -1 AP to -5, but then losing 2 DV and 4 hit dice, which also average 3:1 for damage. Net DV loss of 1.66, and you're more likely to miss.

Meanwhile you could just load up with Explosive Rounds for +1 DV and -1AP and then take a Vitals called shot for another +2 DV. Net gain of 3.66 DV that way, same chance to hit as the Harder Knock SnS.

~Umi

If stick and shock had an AP-5, don't forget that armor can have up to rating 6 of nonconductivity upgrade which lead to an AP+1 finally.

If you have the dicepool for it always shoot at the vitals. Its a great jump in efficency.

Not so much, no. Remember that defense dice pools can be huge; you're increasing the chance your attack will be dodge entirely.

"called shot to the nuts!"

He did state "if you have the dicepool for it" if the enemy has a good chance to dodge then you obviously don't have the dicepool for it

That's a pretty common "if" in SR5, especially with interrupt actions. So I don't think it's unbalanced. A fair bit of extra damage payed with a serious increase in the likelihood you won't deal *any* damage.