Post by wayne on Mar 19, 2004 20:52:35 GMT -5
Alright folks, some of you might think this is in complete violation of the spirit of Marvel, but that's OK... this is just something I'm tossing out (and which I've tested) to address some issues. I tried to keep it as simple as I could even at that.
This ruleset is related to the growing complexity of our group's in-game combat. But there's more to it as well. Basically, the fact that firearms combat isn't very well fleshed-out means that gun-wielders (a) are directed toward a certain set of choices, and (b) get more out of their stones than standard heroes. I've noticed this in our games, and thought some about it. In seems that in trying to keep things simple, the game lets firearms have a bit too much power.
For example, there's no downside to buying a +4 gun over a +1 gun. Even 1 white stone worth of Wealth (level 3, or a net worth of $250k) means that the cash difference between them is fairly insignificant. So why bother? Yet in the real world, not everyone with money just buys the biggest gun they can find. And what about shotguns? They're really not addressed much at all in the books.
These rules are intended to address some of the lopsidedness and lack of depth of firearms, while still recognizing the fact that, in modern society, guns ARE just flat superior to swords. Using these rules adds extra work for the GM and/or players, and many won't want that, but I think many will find the payoff to be worth it.
Comments always welcome.
----------------------------------
FIREARMS COMBAT RULES
First, your rounds (bullets) must be kept account of. Without this, guns are made considerably stronger in the game than they are in real life. Mainly, this is because in real life stronger guns usually mean bigger cartridges, and bigger cartridges mean smaller clips. This gives us a balancing point--an incentive to purchase and use a gun of a smaller caliber. Below is a table of maximum load sizes for handguns, machine guns, shotguns, and rifles, depending on Modifier Number. Note, I'm familiar with guns, but not THAT familiar... if some of this seems a bit off, just chalk it up to attempting to balance them all. Or better yet, just adjust things as you see fit.
MAX ROUND TABLE
HANDGUNS (Semi-Autos):
+1 --> 24 rounds max
+2 --> 18 rounds max
+3 --> 12 rounds max
+4 or more --> 6 rounds max
HANDGUNS (Revolvers):
+1 --> 8 rounds max
+2 --> 7 rounds max
+3 --> 6 rounds max
+4 or more --> 5 rounds max
MACHINE GUNS:
+1 --> 30 rounds max
+2 --> 25 rounds max
+3 --> 20 rounds max
+4 or more --> 15 rounds max
SHOTGUNS:
+1 --> 9 shells max
+2 --> 6 shells max
+3 --> 4 shells max
+4 or more --> 2 shells max
RIFLES:
+1 --> 8 rounds max
+2 --> 6 rounds max
+3 --> 5 rounds max
+4 or more --> 4 rounds max
ROUND USAGE
In addition to the actual carrying limits of each firearm, other related factors now come into play:
The optional rule from the Avengers book applies. Unless your Ranged Combat (or equivalent Action) is level 7 or higher, you must apply 1 red stone toward reloading when necessary. (Optionally, a Fast-Draw of level 3 or better will also allow a character to waive this requirement.)
Each bullet fired can generate at most MN+1 stones of effect (excluding Targeting stones) where MN is the modifier of the gun. In other words, if you have a +4 gun, every 5 stones spent into firing it takes at least one round. If 6 to 10 stones are spent firing it, then at least 2 of your rounds must be used to do so. Spending 11 stones requires at least 3 rounds, and so on. If the gun is only +2, every 3 stones require a round... an 11 stone attack would then require that at least 4 rounds be used. In this manner, you're forced to use a realistic amount of rounds to make large attacks, unless it's your Targeting that delivers the punch. The MOST rounds you can use during an attack is the number of stones spent, again excluding Targeting... with an 11 stone attack from a +4 gun, you can choose to use from 3 to 11 rounds to generate the attack. (GMs should take into account the use of excess rounds when determining Sit Mods.)
If firing at multiple targets, each target requires at least 1 seperate round to be spent toward it. Again using a +4 gun as an example, even if you're only putting 5 stones into firing it, if you're splitting them toward two targets, you must use at least 2 rounds.
RECOIL
The recoil of the firearm should be taken into account. You must have an Action Number equal to or higher than the Modifier Number of the gun you're using in order to control the "kick". At GM discretion, depending on the disparity between the two numbers, using a firearm that's too strong for you may result in reduced accuracy, being knocked back, or even having the weapon fly out of your hands!
REVOLVERS
Revolvers are generally less efficient in combat than semi-auto handguns, but they have the advantage of simplicity, and hence require much less maintenance. If you have weapons hidden around your secret pad (that you almost never come to), you might want to make sure that they're revolvers, unless you want to risk one of them jamming. In addition, a revolver can generally fire any round up to it's specified size... a semi-auto pretty much demands one specific caliber. When you're scrounging for ammo (or sharing it), this can make a difference.
MACHINE GUNS
All machine guns have the "collateral damage" disadvantage, but now there's an upside too--larger clips. In addition, large (2-handed) machine guns allow the character to generate an area attack at will. However, the area is constant: it's the Modifier Number of the gun (up to 4), and extra stones must be applied to decrease or increase the area.
SHOTGUNS
Shotguns act like handguns and rifles up to range 2. At range 3, they generate an area effect of size 1, and at range 4, their max, they generate an area effect of size 2. This area effect can be neither reduced nor increased, but it also doesn't drain any stones to generate the effect. If the shotgun is sawed-off, it acts like normal up to range 1, generates a size 1 area effect at range 2, and so on up to range 4.
RANGES
Finally, the standard ranges for firearms are detailed in the books, but listed here for the sake of completeness (which includes giving shotguns a range):
Small Handgun --> 2
Semi-auto Hangun --> 3
Colt .45 --> 3
Cheap Rifle --> 3
Standard Rifle --> 3
Winchester Rifle --> 4
"Assault" Rifle --> 4
Hunting Rifle --> 5
Recoilless Rifle --> 5
Submachine Gun --> 3
.50 cal. Machine Gun --> 4
Shotgun --> 4
-----------------------------------
Minor Closing Note: I tried these with our group, with the exception of the latest tweaks (shown in yellow), trying to be fair with it and ask questions. One player (who makes use of two +4 guns with a Ninja-like power) found them to be acceptable... another (who doesn't really make use of guns too often) didn't like the tradeoffs. So, YMMV. Personally, I'll try it a few more times and get input from our third player before deciding on its place in my missions.
-Wayne
This ruleset is related to the growing complexity of our group's in-game combat. But there's more to it as well. Basically, the fact that firearms combat isn't very well fleshed-out means that gun-wielders (a) are directed toward a certain set of choices, and (b) get more out of their stones than standard heroes. I've noticed this in our games, and thought some about it. In seems that in trying to keep things simple, the game lets firearms have a bit too much power.
For example, there's no downside to buying a +4 gun over a +1 gun. Even 1 white stone worth of Wealth (level 3, or a net worth of $250k) means that the cash difference between them is fairly insignificant. So why bother? Yet in the real world, not everyone with money just buys the biggest gun they can find. And what about shotguns? They're really not addressed much at all in the books.
These rules are intended to address some of the lopsidedness and lack of depth of firearms, while still recognizing the fact that, in modern society, guns ARE just flat superior to swords. Using these rules adds extra work for the GM and/or players, and many won't want that, but I think many will find the payoff to be worth it.
Comments always welcome.
----------------------------------
FIREARMS COMBAT RULES
First, your rounds (bullets) must be kept account of. Without this, guns are made considerably stronger in the game than they are in real life. Mainly, this is because in real life stronger guns usually mean bigger cartridges, and bigger cartridges mean smaller clips. This gives us a balancing point--an incentive to purchase and use a gun of a smaller caliber. Below is a table of maximum load sizes for handguns, machine guns, shotguns, and rifles, depending on Modifier Number. Note, I'm familiar with guns, but not THAT familiar... if some of this seems a bit off, just chalk it up to attempting to balance them all. Or better yet, just adjust things as you see fit.
MAX ROUND TABLE
HANDGUNS (Semi-Autos):
+1 --> 24 rounds max
+2 --> 18 rounds max
+3 --> 12 rounds max
+4 or more --> 6 rounds max
HANDGUNS (Revolvers):
+1 --> 8 rounds max
+2 --> 7 rounds max
+3 --> 6 rounds max
+4 or more --> 5 rounds max
MACHINE GUNS:
+1 --> 30 rounds max
+2 --> 25 rounds max
+3 --> 20 rounds max
+4 or more --> 15 rounds max
SHOTGUNS:
+1 --> 9 shells max
+2 --> 6 shells max
+3 --> 4 shells max
+4 or more --> 2 shells max
RIFLES:
+1 --> 8 rounds max
+2 --> 6 rounds max
+3 --> 5 rounds max
+4 or more --> 4 rounds max
ROUND USAGE
In addition to the actual carrying limits of each firearm, other related factors now come into play:
The optional rule from the Avengers book applies. Unless your Ranged Combat (or equivalent Action) is level 7 or higher, you must apply 1 red stone toward reloading when necessary. (Optionally, a Fast-Draw of level 3 or better will also allow a character to waive this requirement.)
Each bullet fired can generate at most MN+1 stones of effect (excluding Targeting stones) where MN is the modifier of the gun. In other words, if you have a +4 gun, every 5 stones spent into firing it takes at least one round. If 6 to 10 stones are spent firing it, then at least 2 of your rounds must be used to do so. Spending 11 stones requires at least 3 rounds, and so on. If the gun is only +2, every 3 stones require a round... an 11 stone attack would then require that at least 4 rounds be used. In this manner, you're forced to use a realistic amount of rounds to make large attacks, unless it's your Targeting that delivers the punch. The MOST rounds you can use during an attack is the number of stones spent, again excluding Targeting... with an 11 stone attack from a +4 gun, you can choose to use from 3 to 11 rounds to generate the attack. (GMs should take into account the use of excess rounds when determining Sit Mods.)
If firing at multiple targets, each target requires at least 1 seperate round to be spent toward it. Again using a +4 gun as an example, even if you're only putting 5 stones into firing it, if you're splitting them toward two targets, you must use at least 2 rounds.
RECOIL
The recoil of the firearm should be taken into account. You must have an Action Number equal to or higher than the Modifier Number of the gun you're using in order to control the "kick". At GM discretion, depending on the disparity between the two numbers, using a firearm that's too strong for you may result in reduced accuracy, being knocked back, or even having the weapon fly out of your hands!
REVOLVERS
Revolvers are generally less efficient in combat than semi-auto handguns, but they have the advantage of simplicity, and hence require much less maintenance. If you have weapons hidden around your secret pad (that you almost never come to), you might want to make sure that they're revolvers, unless you want to risk one of them jamming. In addition, a revolver can generally fire any round up to it's specified size... a semi-auto pretty much demands one specific caliber. When you're scrounging for ammo (or sharing it), this can make a difference.
MACHINE GUNS
All machine guns have the "collateral damage" disadvantage, but now there's an upside too--larger clips. In addition, large (2-handed) machine guns allow the character to generate an area attack at will. However, the area is constant: it's the Modifier Number of the gun (up to 4), and extra stones must be applied to decrease or increase the area.
SHOTGUNS
Shotguns act like handguns and rifles up to range 2. At range 3, they generate an area effect of size 1, and at range 4, their max, they generate an area effect of size 2. This area effect can be neither reduced nor increased, but it also doesn't drain any stones to generate the effect. If the shotgun is sawed-off, it acts like normal up to range 1, generates a size 1 area effect at range 2, and so on up to range 4.
RANGES
Finally, the standard ranges for firearms are detailed in the books, but listed here for the sake of completeness (which includes giving shotguns a range):
Small Handgun --> 2
Semi-auto Hangun --> 3
Colt .45 --> 3
Cheap Rifle --> 3
Standard Rifle --> 3
Winchester Rifle --> 4
"Assault" Rifle --> 4
Hunting Rifle --> 5
Recoilless Rifle --> 5
Submachine Gun --> 3
.50 cal. Machine Gun --> 4
Shotgun --> 4
-----------------------------------
Minor Closing Note: I tried these with our group, with the exception of the latest tweaks (shown in yellow), trying to be fair with it and ask questions. One player (who makes use of two +4 guns with a Ninja-like power) found them to be acceptable... another (who doesn't really make use of guns too often) didn't like the tradeoffs. So, YMMV. Personally, I'll try it a few more times and get input from our third player before deciding on its place in my missions.
-Wayne
