Butschi
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue 25 Sep 2018, 17:28

Re: Stun Gun Question

Thu 17 Jan 2019, 22:00

To be honest, the way stun guns work seems pretty OP and also somewhat non-sensical to me.

The fact that MPs are WIT + EMP means, that e.g. soldiers or strong creatures are much more affected than weak but smart and emphatic characters. It doesn't help that stress ignores armour...
As an example, my group encountered a Nekatra. What could have been a tough fight was cut very short by my PCs by using a stun gun. Nekatra have 11 HP but only 4 MP. Two hits and the beast was down.

Stun weapons are described to affect their target through electrical pulses. Why should an electrical pulse affect someones mental state? What's more MP recovery works differently than HP recovery. Why would someone who was hit by a taser get PTSD or something (at least it should be more likely than when someone is attacked with lethal weapons, right?)?

Any suggestions how to deal with this?
 
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9littlebees
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Re: Stun Gun Question

Fri 18 Jan 2019, 16:04

My houserule for stun weapons is that a success causes... Wait for it... The stunned effect (bottom of p94). 1 turn per success, up to a number of turns equal to the damage rating of the weapon.
I make YZE games (https://drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matt%20Kay) and produce predominately Free League content on my YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@3skulls)
 
Butschi
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue 25 Sep 2018, 17:28

Re: Stun Gun Question

Mon 21 Jan 2019, 23:00

My houserule for stun weapons is that a success causes... Wait for it... The stunned effect (bottom of p94). 1 turn per success, up to a number of turns equal to the damage rating of the weapon.
That sounds like a good idea. I'm currently thinking about modifying your rule slightly: I'd make the stun effect duration consistent with regular weapon damage (i.e. succes => stunned for dmg turns plus extra successes) but include armor etc (armor made of iron was quite fashionable in the middle ages but I guess modern armor should also help against electrical pulses...). In addition (somewhat D&D-like), a stunned character can, at the start of the turn, make a Strength check. If successful the stun effect ends.
The reasoning behind the strength check is that it should be way easier to stun an Ekilibri than, say, a Desdemodu.
 
LionOfComarre
Posts: 1
Joined: Sun 10 Nov 2019, 23:58

Re: Stun Gun Question

Mon 11 Nov 2019, 00:00

The description of Stun on page 125 says its available "as an add on to all thermal weapons". I can't see stun addons listed anywhere, but if they work by just adding the "Stun" feature, then you could use one to convert a Thermal Rifle to Stun 5. That would be a devestatingly effective weapon for crowd control. Or a Thermal Carbine.
Can we get an official word on this? Does the add on convert the thermal gun into a stun weapon, and if so what are the rules and costs for this? If it's just an underslung stun gun you can fire without swapping weapons, why is it only for thermal weapons?

Also, I'm wondering about this: " This process requires huge amounts of energy, which means that some thermal weapons even require fusion batteries."
Which ones require fusion batteries and which don't? Do you require a heavy battery backpack to use the light thermal cricket, as well as the advanced reloads for the hydrogen? Do zap weapons require fusion batteries or just advanced reloads?
 
Mufasa
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon 05 Dec 2022, 22:27

Re: Stun Gun Question

Mon 05 Dec 2022, 23:03

To be honest, the way stun guns work seems pretty OP and also somewhat non-sensical to me.

The fact that MPs are WIT + EMP means, that e.g. soldiers or strong creatures are much more affected than weak but smart and emphatic characters. It doesn't help that stress ignores armour...
As an example, my group encountered a Nekatra. What could have been a tough fight was cut very short by my PCs by using a stun gun. Nekatra has 11 HP but only 4 MP. Two hits and the beast was down.

Stun weapons are described as affecting their target through electrical pulses. Why should an electrical pulse affect someone's mental state? What's more MP recovery works differently than HP recovery. Why would someone hit by a taser get PTSD or something (at least it should be more likely than when someone is attacked with lethal weapons, right?)?

Any suggestions how to deal with this?
Sorry for the Necro on the post - but I feel this question needs an honest answer attempt, even if it is house rules. The whole concept of "Stress" and Mind Points for me, is more on the lines of mental anxiety, PTSD, Psychotic Breaks, and emotional breakdowns. Supernatural elements and Mind Memes, or even mind-altering drugs could be a candidate to affect MP and cause Stress. Seeing one's buddy gets knocked down in a fight, and seemingly responseless, could hit someone for a point of stress. Getting hit by a real-life stun gun is more akin to being physically "Broken" vs a Mental "Breakdown". Similar to having the "Wind" knocked out of you. I am really rethinking how being "stunned" works in this game. The concept of non-harming damage in Coriolis is already present - if you are physically "Broken" per RB Page 93, that is sufficient. If you suffer a "Breakdown" due to MP going to zero, that is something different.
In conclusion, I change the concept of Stun to mean "Physically Stunned". I expand on existing rules and change some core ones to allow a more reasonable and realistic approach for "physical Stuns", as follows:
- All Stun weapons and grenades do HP damage - a Crit means automatic #11 - Wind knocked out, or #12 - Disoriented - for 1D6 Turns (number of turns stunned can be subject to GM whim based upon type of weapon, etc.)
- Extra 6's cause additional HP damage, not MP damage

I am reserving my "Stress" and MP to be delivered for more narrative reasons - Real Mental Stress.
 
niftycotton
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri 12 May 2023, 12:24

Re: Stun Gun Question

Fri 12 May 2023, 12:24

As for grenades, the damage caused depends on the Blast Power (listed for each grenade on page 129). Blast Power is explained on page 98. Stun grenades cause stress instead of damage (see page 127), and they don't crit.
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