Sci-Fi Archery

[cheshire]

Depending on what sort of penetration you're looking at, you just want to qualify that very carefully in the "Game Notes" section. I would hate to give someone with a bow the ability to do a standard 2D Walker scale damage. It seems unbalanced to let a character just vaporize targets with a silent weapon. IIRC many modern weapons that operate on small scale, but armor punching rounds (such as some depleted uranium rounds) hope to punch through the armor and the heat of the friction and the natural pyrophonic nature of the round do the damage to the personnel. An affect that wouldn't take place if it hit... say... an elephant.

If you're looking for armor piercing in terms of character armor, I would stat things much differently than I would for vehicle armor. The latter would be more expensive, more rare, and potentially have other side-effects. I.E., I wouldn't put those depleted uranium rounds in your front pocket for six weeks. 'cause.... ya know... you're gonna have a really bad time.
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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]

LOL, yeah, I bet. IMO, the best way to balance out such a powerful weapon would be to make it expensive, rare and illegal. It's one thing to have a really nice bow with some special trick arrows when you are going through Customs, but trying to sneak a proton-warhead arrow will be a lot harder to explain if you get caught. A lot of what I'm proposing at this point (as far as custom arrows) is just ideas for potential use far down the road if this gaming session turns into a campaign. Plus, my friend's daughter will be playing her first D6 game using this weapon, and I want her to be excited about the possibilities.
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"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]

And the occasional "tank buster" munition is something that you can selectively plant in the campaign for specific uses. More or less like a James Bond kind of toy. Bond always has some gadget that has one or two specific uses in the story he's in, and planting a consumable device in an adventure to be used in the near future satisfies that sort of satisfying effect. However, if the players have an entire starship full of bond gadgets it looses some of the challenge and thrill of figuring out how to use them to maximum effect without unbalancing the game. Also, given the fact that the character will not be able to carry six billion arrows in a quiver means they'll have to be a bit choosy about what they put into their bag. Kind of like having a club limit in golf
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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]

Exactly. It's the hidden downside to having a weapon with limited ammunition where ammunition can be chosen for specific effects; how do you choose the right effect? It's a similar quandary faced by D&D wizards making their daily spell selections.

Another fun high-tech idea from the Avengers film would be Hawkeye's smart quiver, allowing the archer to use voice commands to match up an arrow with a warhead for a desired effect...
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"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

[ZzaphodD]

I converted the 40K Vindicare Assassins to SW (souped up storm commandos with survival & sniper training). This included the Exitus rifle which really is a ott-sniper rifle with multiple operation modes (stealth (added by me), anti-personell, anti-vehicle and anti-forcefield).

As there is always a risk of this falling into the PCs hand one has to consider drawbacks. In this case size of weapon, illegal as hell, and rather hard to come by ammunition... Also, rather unpractical in close combat..

Id say that one drawback of the bow could be Rate of Fire... Drawing arrows from quivers, drawing the bow and releasing it should be two actions, automatically lowering risk of having a too destructive weapon with 'super arrows'..


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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[CRMcNeill]

[ZzaphodD]

If I recall there are some in the SW universe that are 'outside' the force... This discussion was also up long ago.

The idea was that the Empire somehow either had managed to generate this ability with some kind of produced mutation, or that the inquisition looked for these individuals as children and kidnapped them for the assassins.
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My Biggest Beard Retard award goes to: The Admiral of course..

[CRMcNeill]

[Esoomian]

Has anyone played Resident Evil Four, particularly the Mercenaries section?

I'd be tempted to treat a Sci-Fi bow and arrow situation like a RPG launcher in the same way that Krauser's battle bow was essentially an RPG launcher.

I tend to agree that while technology may have advanced a lot of technology will fall by the wayside as well (to use a modern example swords made with modern technology and metallurgy don't tend to be much more impressive than medieval swords). While I can't imagine a lot of technology will be easily adapted to making a better bow I'm sure there will be advances in the field of explosives that will make arrowheads with significant blast/damage potential. After all Star Wars does have the thermal detonator.
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Don't waste money on expensive binoculars.

Simply stand closer to the object you wish to view.

[CRMcNeill]

[Esoomian]

[CRMcNeill]

[vanir]

??

Sorosuub KT-1 Magnacast composite bow
Skill: bows
Fire control: 1D
Rate of Fire: 2
Range: 5-25/70/300*
Damage: 5D/4D/3D**

* cannot be used effectively at ranges closer than 5 metres
** inherent damage using standard graphite arrows, modified by arrowhead type

Notes: this composite bow uses miniaturised technology within the pulley system to provide a stronger release force than the pull strength required to draw the string, which is minimal. It is equipped with a sensors based targeting fire control suite with image enhancement and magnification, providing a bonus to the caster skill. Optional upgrades include night vision and motion tracking to further increase bonuses under specific conditions.
The standard graphite arrows are fitted with multiple, barbed hyperalloy blades which generate the listed damage. Specialised arrows are available but can be expensive:
Armour piercing razor repulsorheads, ignore up to 2D of character scale hard armour (eg. 2D+2 physical armour provides only 2pips protection, or 1D physical armour is ignored and character takes full normal damage).
Explosive rod and flachette warheads, +1D vs soft targets, blast radius 1-2/3/5 (5D/3D/2D).
Anti-vehicle shaped charge, speeder scale damage 3D/2D+2/2D


??

[CRMcNeill]

[Law]