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Random Ammo useage


mayapuppies

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Hello all,

 

New to the board and to the 5th Edition. I'm getting ready to start a "cinematic" cyberpunk/post apocalyptic style game with characters at the "Powerful Hero" level.

 

One of things I want to simulate is how the characters in movies like Time Cop, Blade, Underworld et. al. always seem to reload their weapons at very random times. One moment their blasting away with hundreds of rounds from a 15 round clip and the next their reloading after 6 or 7 shots fired.

 

I want this to be a standard component of every gun in the game world and was wondering how I would write that up.

 

Equipment is going to be handled with a free Equipment Pool in the same manner that KillerShrikes GM handled their Omega Team campaign. Each player will be given a 20-30 point perk that translates to 5 points of gear per point of perk.

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Re: Random Ammo useage

 

Characters will often reload before they're empty if they think they'll need it, or if they have a few seconds to do it easily. No real need for a game mechanic.

 

If you want the characters to never know how much ammo they've got, you could always institute a randomizer on burst fire, ie, a five round burst might actually fire off four rounds, and might fire off six. A character in combat would be unlikely to notice the differences, so you don't have to tell them...

 

And of course, using the randomizer would just encourage your players to reload more often, even if they're not empty.

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Re: Random Ammo useage

 

I was hoping for a more random element to determine when a character runs out of ammo. Perhaps if I add an Activation 15- or something similar to all guns...?

 

The players won't actually have clips for extra ammo, it's basically unlimited ammo but they may occasionally have to "reload".

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Re: Random Ammo useage

 

I don't remember the game but many years ago I played an RPG that handled reloading something like that. The character made a roll against skill, perception or somesuch, failure resulted in an empty gun. Interesting idea but I don't know that it is really required or adds much and is likely to irritate your players. Dirty Harry would have been a very differant movie if Clint didn't count right.

 

I think such a rule would be most appropriate for a character without skill in the weapon, most training includes shot control and reloading when your magazine is getting low. Perhaps you could add in the random element through he use of fumbles (18 might be a jam or maybe the gun just ran out of ammo).

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Re: Random Ammo useage

 

It's not really annoying if the players like it as well. The thing is, I'm trying to simulate the apparently random number of rounds that are contained in most movie guns.

 

This is a "feel" thing for a cinematic game. Reality holds no sway here. The other aspects of the game will be a toned down "wire fu" in line with the previously mentioned movies.

 

The overall goal is to have larger than life heroes with little to no concern about real things, such as ammunition, physics, etc. (unless dramatically appropriate :D ). Goons will be swatted like flies and in droves, while the major bad guys will give the group a severe pummeling (even when using the same equipment as the goons.. :think: ).

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Re: Random Ammo useage

 

Well, if you want to actually stat out this effect, I'd look at the existing Modifiers that come closest to what you want, and work from there. Let's see... having to stop to reload sounds like Clips of Charges (takes a full Phase to reload), but there's no randomness to it. OTOH not having the gun work on occasion would seem to be some variant on Activation Roll. If "needing to reload" is just the SFX of not being able to fire on a particular Phase, but the act of reloading takes no time (i.e. the gun can fire on the following Phase if the roll is made), I'd say a normal Activation Roll is good enough.

 

However, if you want the characters to actually have to use up an action changing clips, that would be an Activation Roll that requires the character to do something to get the gun firing again. Hmm... "Jammed" (additional -1/2 Lim added to Activation Roll) allows GM's discretion as to how the gun can be unjammed, but the implication is that it would take a relatively long time. I think as GM I would allow a "Jammed" variant at the -1/4 level where the character has to "unjam" the gun by taking a full Phase to reload, as with changing Clips.

 

So, if I've got what you're trying to do, my suggestion would be to buy the guns at 0 END Cost (to simulate limitless ammunition), take the level of Activation Roll you want, and then add a -1/4 Jammed Lim for having to take a full Phase to reload when the gun Jams/ammo runs out.

 

How does that sound?

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Re: Random Ammo useage

 

So, if I've got what you're trying to do, my suggestion would be to buy the guns at 0 END Cost (to simulate limitless ammunition), take the level of Activation Roll you want, and then add a -1/4 Jammed Lim for having to take a full Phase to reload when the gun Jams/ammo runs out.

 

How does that sound?

This is perfect! Exactly what I was looking for.

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