Because I find flipping about in the Big Black Book to be confusing I thought of another article that needs to be in the Gamemaster's Guide. Its not so useful for players, but Game Designers need to know how to make job lots of weapons.
In truth, Game Designers probably need a fifty page Book O' Weapons to be followed up by a sequel with more of the same.
How to Create a Weapon
By Eric R. Ashley
1. Name it.
2. Desribe its general effect. (Its a slashing sword or the gravity waves disrupt the balance of the at range target.)
3. Damage Category.
A. Annoying. Forex--caltrops. It hurts a lot.
B. Damaging. Forex--dagger. It can seriously injure a target.
C. Dangerous. Forex--longsword. It probably won't kill you, but it might with one shot.
E. Lethal. Forex--large shotgun. It might well kill you.
E. Fatal. Forex--C4 explosion. Hope your will is up to date.
F. Annihilating. Forex--Energy Pistol set on Maximum Disintegration.
G. Obliterative. Forex--"What happens when I press the red button on the nuclear bomb?"
4. Is it a ranged weapon? If so, choose the end-points measured in feet of each range category.
A. Point-blank.
B. Short.
C. Medium.
D. Long.
E. Extreme.
5. Repeat Factors or How Many Times in a Minute can an unskilled user use it?
6. Are there any Cabooses on the Damage, tagging along behind. If so, these are Damage Riders. One example is the explosion which does a certain amount of damage, and then the flames caused by the explosion.
7. Any sit-mods or situation modifiers or other dice roll modifiers can be put here.
That looks about it.
Eric
I don't know if I would use a dagger as the damaging category. I mean I don't know what the rules of Multiverser are, but I think anyone here will agree that even an unskilled person could easily kill someone with a dagger. A baseball bat would probably be more appropriate there. Of course, that and 69 cents will get you a cup of coffee.
Well, I kinda agree with you, but its in the rules.
But I also expect MJ could come up with a reasonable explanation. I'm not yet good enough of a system mechanic to decide whats awkward and whats not.
Eric
Again, I don't know what the rules of Multiverser are, but I think some of them may need to be revised. Some weapons, it doesn't matter what your skill level is, you could still kill someone quickly. I mean any fully automatic rifle at close range, all you need to know is "point it in their general direction and pull the trigger" and you could take out a dozen people on your first try. I took my mom to the pistol range last week. Her first time ever shooting a gun, at the distance we were shooting, all her shots would have been deadly. Of course, I do understand where skill comes in. All my shots drilled the 10 ring out.
Speaking of skill level. I'm wondering about something. With my Ruger P-89 that I have in the game, how does that work? I can take the gun completely apart, and put it back together, in less than 4 minutes, while blindfolded. I'm sure that tidbit would add to my skill with the weapon, but how? How can knowing how to disassemble and reassemble it blindfolded help you shoot the thing? Or is that just the multitude of skills with it?
That also kind of makes me wonder about police. I can disassemble and reassemble my gun blindfolded. How many cops can say the same thing about the duty weapon that they carry everyday? Kind of makes you wonder who is more qualified to carry the gun, ya know?
The police are notoriously poor shots. They don't have to be. In another reality they might spend less time with paperwork, and more time and the salary of the clerk who handles the paperwork in some benighted dimension at the gun range putting in a required three hundred bullets a week downrange.
I'll let someone else answer your skill questions. I'm still struggling.
World Design? I can help you. Books of Rules skeer me.
Eric
Using my WCC...And John's Weapon's List (what I haven't done of weapons yet).
Nine Millimeter: Gunpowder explosive propels small bullet with 13 bullets in clip: Dangerous: Its Ranged: 4 ft/10 ft./25 ft./55 ft./80 ft.: Repeat Factor 6: -5 on Dice Roll because its a lighter, faster weapon.
AK-47: Very rugged device using gunpowder explosive propels small bullet that is fully automatic (press the trigger down, and bullets spray out) with 30 bullets in the clip: Damaging: Its Ranged: 2 ft./8ft./20ft./40 ft./70 ft.: Repeat Factor is 30 (and Intrinsic limit is 60 since an expert can only fire and reload twice in a turn): -20 on Dice Roll as it rarely botches, but its not easily controllable (especially on full auto which is the only way the locals have their guns set up.)
Pump Shotgun
Longsword
.32 Revolver
.45 Automatic--more details please, John or anyone.
Tommy Gun
Rap: 9 mm pistols, AK-47s, Pump Shotguns
Praise and Worship: Swordsmen, Holy Magic, Modern Holy Crusader fighting style, Imagine the Crusades taking place now. Funded by local churches, Rival of Death Metal
60s rock: Psionic powers, defense bonus for being on drugs, 32 caliber revolvers (I know a former 60s drug dealer, that's what he carried) Defensive style of combat.
Jazz: I'm thinking Gangster style weapons, 45 automatics, Tommy guns, Ya know, the Tommy Gun hidden in the violin case?
Extreme: High-Yield explosives, martial arts,
Classical: High intellect, defense and attacks are well-planned, high psionic powers, aristocratic, air of dignity,
Well, first off, most 9 mm pistols hold 15, not 13, but I'll let you take that however you want.
Pump Shotgun 5-8 rds, point blank is 2 feet, max distance 75 feet, if shooting 00 buckshot.
.32 Revolver 6 shots almost the same specs as a 9 mm. A bit smaller though
.45 Automatic--more details please, John or anyone. 7-9 shots. Heavier weight bullet, slower bullet velocity. More knockdown than a 9 mm, but not as much penetration. Point blank 2 feet, max distance, 75-100 feet. At close range, it is devastating.
Tommy Gun 20-50 rd magazine. Double specs on the 45 pistol, as it shoots the same ammo.
The way we like to describe the difference between a 9 mm and a 45 is the 9 mm is like getting hit by a Volkswagen going 120, and the 45 is like getting hit by a Greyhound bus going 50.
I HAD the weapons done.
My computer ate them.
Aaaaaaargh.
Here's the only part that got saved. I'll do it later once I stop crying all over my keyboard,a nd install a new non-rusted keyboard.
.45 Automatic: Gunpowder explosive propels large bullet with 7-9 bullets in clip: Dangerous: Its Ranged: 2 ft./ 10 ft./ 30 ft./ 70 ft./100 ft.:
Well, are you going to leave it as 7-9, or are you going to fix it at one of the two? A Colt 1911 holds 7, a S/W 4506 hold 9, then there is the ever famous Glock 21, which holds 13. High capacity 45s are not too common though, as it makes a fully-loaded gun extremely heavy. High cap 45s also kind of defeat your purpose here. A 9 mm has more shots to compensate for the lack of power. Give the 45 equal shots, and it kind of defeats the purpose. Not sure how, but it does to me.
How about you trying to use my system, and making them up? :) :)
Eric
How about you ask me specific questions about what you need to know, and I'll try to fill in the blanks for you? I personally know 2 gunsmiths, so I can probably find out just about anything you would need to know about any common gun. That would work best for me.
.45 Automatic: Gunpowder explosive propels large bullet with 7 bullets in clip: Dangerous: Its Ranged: 2 ft./ 10 ft./ 30 ft./ 70 ft./100 ft.: Repeat Factor 4: +5 Dice Roll.
Pump Shotgun: Gunpowder explosive propels container of small beads with five shells in the gun.: Dangerous: Its Ranged: 2ft./ 8 ft./ 20 ft./50 ft./70 ft.: Repeat Factor 2: Dangerous Rider (Intrinsic) (If target is not wearing armor).
.32 Revolver: Gunpowder explosive propels small bullet with 6 bullets in cylinder: Dangerous: Its Ranged: 4 ft/10 ft./25 ft./55 ft./80 ft.: Repeat Factor 6: -8 on Dice Roll because its a lighter, faster weapon.
Tommy Gun: It shoots the same bullets as the .45 Automatic: Gunpowder explosive propels large bullet with 20-50 bullets in magazine: Dangerous: Its Ranged: 0 ft./ 10 ft./ 30 ft./ 70 ft./100 ft.: Repeat Factor 4 for aimed bursts of five bullets doing Lethal Damage or 20 at -15 Dice Roll doing Dangerous damage: +5 Situation Modifier if both hands are used; -5 Dice Roll if both hands are not used.
Longsword: Slashing and stabbing hand-to-hand combat weapon: Dangerous: Its NOT Ranged: Repeat Factor 3: +10 Dice Roll.
I think if you were to attempt to kill a wary target with a dagger, you'd need above average skill. Otherwise, you couldn't land more than cuts and punctures.
If you have above average skill, then you have a damage category bonus for it, which makes it dangerous--lethal, if you also have a 2@ strike value.
Some of the weapon examples were taken from standards in the role playing game world--what a weapon did in D&D, Star Frontiers, and other games, converted to Multiverser levels. It's not a direct conversion, but generally daggers do about half what swords do (or less), and swords rarely kill on a single blow in combat. In fact, in medieval combat, most of the disabled did not die for several days after they were eliminated from combat. Swords did not kill them, they just gave them sufficient wounds that the medicine of the age could not save them.
That idea of "how to create a weapon" is pretty good. There is an entire volume on world creation intended in this edition, but right now I'm working on core mechanics--the stuff you need to run the game, not the stuff you need to build worlds. I know that for Multiverser, building worlds is essential to running the game, but this was a logical way to divide the material.
The beauty of it will be that everything you need will still be in that single-volume first edition book (which we intend to continue making available), but each of the three volumes of the new set will have much to help with that, so referees actually will find value in owning all of them.
Of course, I still have to make it a reality.
--M. J. Young