A new player of mine has brought up an interesting idea - of customizing a collapsable staff which has electrical stun damage.
Kinda reminds me of the stun/saber staff of Star Wars Episode III that those droids used, but I think it could be created using two AZ-150 stun batons in a staff.
However I have no idea how to go about creating those things, or any other bizarre melee weapon, and I was wondering if there were melee weapon construction rules (like the oft criticized firearm creation rules in CC). If so, can you point me at it - if not, how would one go about creating such a thing - prices, availability, damage....
Full Version: Customized Melee Weapons
More like someone's read too much Moon Knight. Use the hidden item rules in SOTA 64 with two stun batons into an extendable staff. If he really wants to make it himself, have him do a Pole Arms/Staffs(B/R) test against a target number equal to the availability.
Or use telescoping staff + shock damage. Make some sort of merge between the two items for cost/avail.
Or use the Firearms Creation rules, and the Secondary Weapon customization option in particular to determine the costs for modifying a Telescoping Staff into a shock weapon (with the assumption that it shocks opponents instead of unauthorized users).
To save time, here's what the stats would be:
Conceal 5/2, Reach 2, Damage (STR+2)M Stun/6S Stun, Weight 3.5, Avail 8/48 hrs, Cost 2,350 nuyen, Street Index 1, Legality 8-C, and enough juice for 3 shock attacks before recharging is needed.
To save time, here's what the stats would be:
Conceal 5/2, Reach 2, Damage (STR+2)M Stun/6S Stun, Weight 3.5, Avail 8/48 hrs, Cost 2,350 nuyen, Street Index 1, Legality 8-C, and enough juice for 3 shock attacks before recharging is needed.
Using the gun rules is pretty silly if you ask me. I would just rule it as 10S+str-1(M) stun damage, with double the number of maximum charges. To make the two shock-ends share one large battery instead of two small ones (and therby improve capacity), the character could pay 200 nuyen and make an Electronics test with a TN of 4 and a base time of two hours. This would improve the total number of charges to 3x normal.
So, you're saying that baton-sized item that has to find the space within itself to not only store its telescopic parts but now also has to fit in all the hardware and batteries/capacitors should have twice (err, thrice??) as many charges and be just as potent as a standard stun baton? While the staff part itself is significantly underpowered in comparison? Okay...
| QUOTE (Doctor Funkenstein) |
| So, you're saying that baton-sized item that has to find the space within itself to not only store its telescopic parts but now also has to fit in all the hardware and batteries/capacitors should have twice (err, thrice??) as many charges and be just as potent as a standard stun baton? While the staff part itself is significantly underpowered in comparison? Okay... |
First, I was simply assuming that this would be slightly larger than two AZT-150's stuck together at the ends. Since you'd only be hitting someone with one side in a given attack, only one charge would be used. Therefore, you get double the number of charges. Alternately, one could simply use one stun baton connected to contacts on both sides, as only one would be likely to hit anyone anyway. This effectively just gives you a REALLY big stun baton.
Secondly, the whole "3x base charges" thing is entirely rational if you've ever mucked about with batteries. 2 AAA cells weigh about as much as a single AA cell, but a good NiMh AAA cell has about 800mah, wheras a good AA cell has 2400 mah. The same applies to modern lithium-ion-polymer cells; two 2x340mah packs of Kokam HD cells in tandem have about the same weight as a 1300 mah Thunder-Tiger cell, with exactly the same voltage and an almost identical max discharge rate. In other words, two small batteries will usually have less capacity than one large battery. (This goes double if you rule that high-voltage capacitors are used instead of a battery which continuously charges a few repeatedly-used capacitors.)
Thirdly, I was assuming that the extendable baton would be hollow, much like those plastic swords found at cheesy carnivals anywhere in the US. Although it would likely be weighted at the tips, it would still be less effective than a solid iron rod. Str-1 M is a bit low, I would admit; perhaps STR+1 or STR+2(M) stun might be more appropriate.
Hmm... I think the concept of the staff as just a big stun baton isn't what he was going for, I think he wanted the collapsable staff stats with a punch added to it...kinda like shock gloves.
Besides, I would think that creating such a custom item would raise the availability of the item...
So nobody's created a system for creating custom melee weapons? If no, then I'm on my own.
Hmm...wonder what kind of reaction I would get if I used some of AH's enchanted artifacts as a flaming staff (kind of like those hawaiian fire jugglers!) and presented it saying "Magical staff".
Besides, I would think that creating such a custom item would raise the availability of the item...
So nobody's created a system for creating custom melee weapons? If no, then I'm on my own.
Hmm...wonder what kind of reaction I would get if I used some of AH's enchanted artifacts as a flaming staff (kind of like those hawaiian fire jugglers!) and presented it saying "Magical staff".
If the weapon were truly custom, you could just have your PCs make the thing themselves. They'd have to first machine the parts for the extending staff out of the alloy of their choice, and then make a rather difficult electronics B/R test to make the whole thing work. (The TN could be lowered by using pre-made circutry).
| QUOTE (SpasticTeapot) |
| If the weapon were truly custom, you could just have your PCs make the thing themselves. They'd have to first machine the parts for the extending staff out of the alloy of their choice, and then make a rather difficult electronics B/R test to make the whole thing work. (The TN could be lowered by using pre-made circutry). |
That's probably how I'll eventually work it if he chooses to go that way. He's going to be an adept, so it may morph into a weapon foci instead. Or both...oy.
| QUOTE (DocMortand) | ||
That's probably how I'll eventually work it if he chooses to go that way. He's going to be an adept, so it may morph into a weapon foci instead. Or both...oy. |
If you want to be a truly vile individual, make him procure a printed circut board for the shocker...with the contacts made out of orichalcum. It'll be a pain in the rear end to do and require an insane amount of time and money, but it would certianly make for an effective weapon. If it's just going to be an ordinary extendable staff, make him weight the ends with orichalcum.
I would be hesitant to allow a collapsible staff with shock contacts at both ends, a collapsible staff is hollow but you’re going to have to fill up most of that with electronics, if only one end was charged then you could collapse the other end down but conceal ability would not improve buy as much as normal.
As to making a weapon focus, why the /requirement/ of oricalcum, as I recall the focus creation rules it was not required, it just made the task easier, of cause this would have an OR of 8 and weapon foci are not easy to make so it may be advisable but not required.
Edward
As to making a weapon focus, why the /requirement/ of oricalcum, as I recall the focus creation rules it was not required, it just made the task easier, of cause this would have an OR of 8 and weapon foci are not easy to make so it may be advisable but not required.
Edward
| QUOTE (SpasticTeapot) | ||||
If you want to be a truly vile individual, make him procure a printed circut board for the shocker...with the contacts made out of orichalcum. It'll be a pain in the rear end to do and require an insane amount of time and money, but it would certianly make for an effective weapon. If it's just going to be an ordinary extendable staff, make him weight the ends with orichalcum. |
A PCB is little much for a stun weapon.
A battery compartment, a transformer, a capacitor, and a button that completes a circuit between the capacitor and the contacts are really all that is needed.
Heh...that's nothing compared to finding notes on a rumored ancient artifact staff that has a free fire elemental caged inside it...
But even if I had the simplified components of a shocker made out of orichalcum, it'd still be evil.
Either way, it's going to be fun to roleplay - assuming he makes it out of the Arcology Shutdown...
But even if I had the simplified components of a shocker made out of orichalcum, it'd still be evil.
Either way, it's going to be fun to roleplay - assuming he makes it out of the Arcology Shutdown...
what electronics would you need to fill the staff with? all you need is a battery and taser guts. tasers ain't all that big.
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