Tag gun

[Anakin]

Tag gun

This is a nice little gadget that I invented when I GM´d my friend Jesper. His character Heqle Razzie had the doubtable pleasure of being pursued by Coruscants military police for the minor offense of falsifying authority ID, infiltrating the military research department and stealing highly sensitive military information… When fleeing into a subway train he was hit by their fire. Once aboard he noticed that the wound was not burnt or blown, which is the normal look of an injury caused by laser. He had nearly got off the train when he saw guards that obviously headed towards him. He didn´t bother to ask. He flew aboard another train, just to find more guards at the next stop… Eventually he left the subway, and went into the air vents. After some wandering about he met police men in the air vents! And they chased him. It continued like this until the police men had chased him to the lower levels of Coruscant where a criminal with some medic skills could get the projectile, that he had been shot with, out of him (for a “few” credits). Once the projectile was out they lost him…

As you have probably figured out, Heqle was shot with a projectile containing a homing beacon. This gun is off course used to tag the target so that the user don´t have to keep him in line of sight to get him. The gun uses air to send away the projectiles, that are electronically activated just before they are fired. The projectiles are technologically very advanced, using very minimized components and special materials. The caliber is 7mm and the length of the projectile is 15mm. The tip is made of a softer material that flattens and widens when the projectile hits something, so that it stops before it gets to deep. When the tip meets resistance eight needles protrudes in all directions. These needles also makes the projectile stop before it gets to deep into the target (to avoid killing it) and makes it get stuck (to hinder handy targets from getting it out) and they also serve as antennas. The projectiles built in beacon has a range of 500-5000 meters, depending upon its price. Sometimes the projectiles are prepared with paralyzing poison. A slight drawback with this weapon is that the projectiles minimized technology makes them both expensive and fragile.

Model: Prax Arms SYV-66 Tag Rifle
Scale: Character
Skill: Missile weapons
Range: 3-10/35/125
Damage: 3D+2 Se "Note"
Ammo: 15
Cost: 450. Projectiles: 75-200 each. Receiver: 75-150.

Note: The projectiles are made to penetrate enough to get stuck. When rolling damage use this chart instead of the normal:
Damage beats Effect on
strength with: character:
0-4 Stunned
5-15 Wounded
16-22 Incapacitated
23-26 Mortally wounded
27+ Killed

When damage is rolled, roll 2D to see if the projectile gets stuck in or on the target. 5 or less indicates that it passed through or bounced off. 6 or higher indicates that it got stuck. For each degree of injury beyond "stunned", add +1 to this roll.

Since the projectile is quite fragile, a roll is made to see if it breaks when it hits. Roll 2D. 2-11 indicates that it does not break. 12 or higher indicates that it breaks, and will not send any signals. For each degree of injury beyond "stunned", add +1 to this roll. If the target is armored with scales, add +2 to this roll.

If the projectile got stuck, but the damage it caused was only "stunned", the projectile is considered to be stuck in the clothes, and will easily be removed when discovered. If the damage was "wounded", a First Aid roll of 15 or a Medicine roll of 5 is required to remove it. If the damage was "incapacitated", a First Aid roll of 25 or a Medicine roll of 10 is required. "Mortally wounded": a First Aid roll of 35 or a Medicine roll of 15. "Killed": What´s the point?

Is it to detailed?
_________________
If you fall seven times, get up eight times.

[cheshire]

Yeah, it's too detailed in the mechanics, but the idea is fantastic. A little revision and you'll have a neat little gadget on your hands. Geez... I was going to be doing an article on technology for the new D6 Magazine, and I switched it to fantasy items rather than Sci-Fi. If I hadn't, I would ask you if I could credit you on this in the article.

Anyhoo... I would ditch the damage roll altogether. If it's a nonlethal round, then just don't roll damage. Rather, roll 2D. Compare the result to a chart:
2-3 - Round was damaged and is unrecoverable.
4-6 - Round glanced off, or did not penetrate, though is recoverable.
7-12- Round stuck to the target, and you can trace them normally.

With this chart you've at least got a 50-50 chance of getting your mark, and it still incorporate the fragile and not always dependable result. It saves you from a damage roll (which is not really designed to damage the person), and prevents you from having to roll too many times in one round (which I know can slow things down from my own personal experiments in playtesting other gadgets).
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[CRMcNeill]

Very nice concept. I've always felt that this would be one of the reasons why slugthrowers have persisted in a high-technology world where energy weapons predominate; the ability to use specialized ammunition loads, like explosive tips, tranquilizers, tracking tags, homing micro-rockets, etc.

The detail on the damage might be a bit much. Might be easier to say that it imbeds in the character's clothing on a Stunned result, and their actual skin on a Wounded result, but doesn't actually inflict damage unless someone hits and confirms a Wild Dice result.

Also, what sort of range does the tracking tag have, and what sort of bonuses does it confer to the tracker?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[cheshire]

I'm not sure that it should depend on a damage roll to embed. If I were to shoot a vehicle with one, rather than a person, then it would be a lost cause. Though with the "needles" explanation it seems reasonable that it shouldn't be able to embed.

Perhaps a magnetic tag version would be in order? Yeah... that's what I want. Anakin, go and invent a magnetic homing round. Don't come back until you've got a prototype!
_________________
__________________________________
Before we take any of this too seriously, just remember that in the middle episode a little rubber puppet moves a spaceship with his mind.

[Anakin]

[garhkal]

I'm with the others.. Do away with the damage roll and go with 2d. 2-5 it breaks. 6-11 it hits and embedds. 12 it hits but bounces off and is reusable.
_________________
Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Bren]

2 bounces off and is usable (and easily findable by the target)
3-5 bounces off, broken or lost
6+ hits (imbeds, sticks*, is magnatized, whatever)
As usual one die is wild. Use the number rolled (or maybe 2x #) as a negative modifier on target's chance to spot or notice the tag.

* Personally I would use an adhesive rather than a needle or a magnet. Less likely to injure the target and thus be noticed and you don't need to worry about penetrating armor or bouncing off vehicles.

EDIT - based on Random's reply - the needle is fine as is. I guess I was looking for something where the target is unaware he's even been hit. Sort of like something Batman would use.

[Random Numbers]

From the original idea I don't see any reason NOT to have it some kind of needle. You are not concerned about the target noticing he is being hit. After all he is hit by a projectile coming from a rifle. Gas propelled or not. The point being that the beacon shouldn't be easy to remove once it hit. For speeders I can understand the magnet or something like it.
_________________
Random is who random does...

[Anakin]

Tag gun

Model: Prax Arms SYV-66 Tag Rifle
Scale: Character
Skill: Missile weapons
Range: 3-10/35/125
Signal range: 1000m
Damage: 3D+2 Se "Note"
Ammo: 15
Cost: 450. Projectiles: 75-200 each. Receiver: 75-150.

Note: The projectiles are made to penetrate enough to get stuck. When rolling damage use this chart instead of the normal:
Normal Effect on
damage: character:
Stunned: Bounced off
Wounded: Stunned. Projectile stuck in clothes.
Incapacitated: Wounded. Stuck in victim.
Mortally wounded: Wounded. Stuck in victim. Dif +5 to remove.
Killed: Incapacitated. Stuck in victim. Dif +10 to remove.

Since the projectile is quite fragile, a roll is made to see if it breaks when it hits. Roll 2D. 2-11 indicates that it does not break. 12 or higher indicates that it breaks, and will not send any signals. For each degree of injury beyond "stunned", add +1 to this roll. If the target is armored with scales, add +2 to this roll.

If the projectile got stuck in the clothes, it will easily be removed when discovered. All effects above that requires A first aid roll of 15 or a medicine roll of 5 to remove. Add Dif modifiers.

If projectile is prepared with poison, it will have effect if damage is "wounded" or higher.

Better?
Magnetic homing beacon is on the way...
_________________
If you fall seven times, get up eight times.

[CRMcNeill]

I'm still interested in seeing exactly how the tag can be tracked. How far does its signal carry? Does it provide a simple bonus to any relevant skills, or is it like a GPS homing beacon that broadcasts its exact location to some central location?
_________________
"No set of rules can cover every situation. It's expected that you will make up new rules to suit the needs of your game." - The Star Wars Roleplaying Game, 2R&E, pg. 69, WEG, 1996.

The CRMcNeill Stat/Rule Index

[Anakin]