Here are most of my house rules on combat- I've made many changes to make things more realistic (gun damage way up, armor protection way down).
OK. Here are most of my house rules on combat- I've made many changes to make things more realistic (gun damage way up, armor protection way down). Notice that Ceramsteel armor still gives 14d protection. This is not IMHO a big problem- it's second republic armor, and second republic weapons (which are about as common as it) can muster something that can get through it.
FB= firebird cost, TL= tech level
Melee Weapons Weapon Init Goal DMG STR SIZ Cost FB TL Notes Knife 3d 1 S 0 2 1 Dirk +1 4d 2 M 0 4 1 Main-Gauche+1 3d 2 M 0 10 2 +1 on parries, armor is 5d+VPs Rapier +2 5d 3 L 0 30 2 +1 on parries Broadsword +1 6d 4 L 0 35 1 Scimitar +1 6d 3 L 0 30 1 +1 on parries Two-handed +2 8d 6 XL 0 40 1 Sword Axe 7d 5 L 0 5 1 Club +1 4d 2 L 0 - 0 Mace +1 5d 3 L 0 10 1 Flail 4d 4 L 0 4 1 -1 to be parried Spear +2 5d 3 XL 0 1 0 Staff +2 4d 3 XL 0 - 0 Spring Knife 3d 1 S 0 10 3 Concealed Glankesh Sword6d 4 L 0 15 2 Kurgan Side Sword 6d 2 L 1 400 5 +3 vs. Disarm Whip +2 -1 3d 4 XL 0 3 1 Can Snare and Disarm Suresnake +2 +3 4d 3 XL 0 100 7 Can Snare and Disarm Whip Garrote-1 -1 3d 3 XS 0 5 1 Boarding Gun 3d 3 M 0 10 3 Attached to +1 5d/2d 3 L 6 50 6 Embeds in target, only 3 hits. gun Splinter Sword Frap Stick 6d(3d)3 L 6 40 5 Charge activates beneath energy shields, five charges Wireblade +2 7d 2 L 12 10000 7 Ignores physical armor Flux Sword +1 +1 9d 3 L 11 10000 7 Blaster leakage Mist Sword +1 +1 9d 3 L 13 30000 8 Blaster leakage, psychic bond Quicksaber +3 6d 2 L 4 1500 7 Can be used for same action Polar Blade +2 5d 3 L 1 45 5 +3 to Disarm Crucible +1 5d+2d 4 L 4 500 5 When active +2d leaks like Sword flamegun. Trick Blade +2 5d 3 L 1 50 5 +2 to Feint or Counter Parry Low-Tech Projectile Weapons Weapon Init Goal DMG RNG Shots Rate SIZ Cost FB TL Notes Hunting Bow 4d 20/30 1 2 M 0 5 1 1 action to load Long Bow 6d 40/60 1 2 L 0 10 1 1 action to load Target Bow 3d 30/40 1 2 M 0 7 1 1 action to load Hand Crossbow 3d 10/20 1 1 S 0 7 2 2 actions to load- STR 3 Med. Crossbow 6d 20/30 1 1 M 0 10 2 2 actions to load- STR 4 Hvy Crossbow 8d 20/30 1 1 L 0 15 2 2 actions to load- STR 5 Thrown Knife 3d 5/10 1 2 S 0 2 1 Thrown Star 2d 5/10 1 2 XS 0 2 2 Thrown Dart 2d 5/10 1 2 XS 0 2 1 Thrown Rock 1d-2d 5/10 1 2 XS-L 0 0 0 Slug Guns Gun Init Goal DMG RNG Shots Rate SIZ Cost FB TL Notes Derringer +1 -1 5+2d 5/10 4 2 XS 1 50 3 Lt. Revolver +1 5+4d 10/20 6 3 S 1 100 3 Lt. Autofeed +1 5+4d 10/20 13 3 S 1 150 4 Med. Revolver +1 5+5d 20/30 6 3 S 2 200 3 Med. Autofeed +1 5+5d 20/30 10 3 S 2 250 4 Hvy. Revolver +1 5+6d 30/40 6 3 M 3 300 4 Hvy. Autofeed +1 -1 5+6d 30/40 8 3 M 3 350 4 Assault Rifle 6+6d 40/60 30 3 (A) XL 7 500 4 Sniper Rifle -1 +1 6+6d 50/70 5 2 XL 6 700 4 SMG (.40) 5+5d 30/40 20 3 (A) L 5 400 4 Shotgun +1 5+8d 20/30 7 2 L 6 300 4 Groin Gun +1 -1 4+5d 5/10 4 2 XS 2 80 5 Concealed Quarry +1 +2 5+5d 30/40 6 2 M 3 300 5 Gun Gatling Shotgun +1 5+8d 20/30 12 2 (A) L 9 500 5 Machine Pistol +1 5+4d 10/20 13 3 (A) S 3 300 5 Rifle 6+6d 40/60 10 2 XL 4 200 3 Splinter Pistol +1 +1 5+4d 10/20 7 3 (A) M 5 300 6 Splinter Rifle +2 5+5d 20/30 13 2 (A) L 6 400 6 Sabot Gun +1 5+*d 15/30 20 2 (A) XL 9 2000 7 Energy Guns Gun Init Goal DMG RNG Shots Rate SIZ Cost FB TL Notes Palm Laser +1 5+5d 5/10 7 2 XS 3 200 6 Laser Pistol +1 +1 5+6d 30/40 15 2 S 5 300 6 Laser Rifle +1 6+7d 50/60 23 2 XL 7 500 6 Assault Laser +1 6+8d 40/50 20 2 (A) XL 11 700 6 Blaster Pistol +1 6+7d 30/40 10 1 S 7 700 7 Blaster leakage Blaster Rifle 7+8d 40/50 15 1 XL 9 1000 7 Blaster leakage Blaster Shotgun +2 6+10d 30/40 8 1 L 10 1200 7 Blaster leakage Screecher (Sonic)+1 +1 5+6d 30/40 15 1 S 5 300 6 Sonic Flamegun +2 5+5d 10/20 10 1 L 7 300 6 Flame leakage, 3d/turn Stunner +1 +1 5+4d 10/20 15 2 S 4 150 5 Stun damage Rocketeer -2 7+10d 40/50 5 1 XL 9 400 5 1m radius Eruptor Blast +1 6+8d 30/40 9 1 (A) M 9 850 7 Blaster Pistol leakage Blaster Axe 7+7d 40/50 15 1 XL 10 1200 7 Blaster leakage aa Axe: +1 7+7d (7d) 15 (-) 1 (-) STR 5 needed, Blaster leakage Jet Pistol +1 -2 6+5d 10/20 2 1 M 5 300 6 Blaster leakage 1m radius Cluster Gun -2 6+5d 10/20 5 1 XL 7 500 6 Blaster leakage 3m radius Fusion Gun +1 +1 10+11d30/40 20 1 XL 21 5000 8 Neural Disruptor +1 -3 10d 10/20 6 1 S 10 3000 8 Neural damage
It’s not that easy to dodge gunshots:
No cover available 6
Soft cover 4
Hard cover 0
Poking head out of emplacement +2
These penalties also apply to using bullet-proofed physical shields to block gunshots or other high-tech ranged weapon shots.
Armor Armor Defense Dex Vigor Cost FB TL Notes Padded Clothing 1d 0 Shield-compatible Heavy Clothing 2d 1 30+ 4 Shield-compatible (this is like kevlar in my world, btw) Leather Jerkin 2d 5 1 Studded Leather 3d 8 1 -1d vs. energy (metal) Studded Leather 3d 15 5 (plastic) Chainmail (metal) 4d -1 10 1 -1d vs. energy Chainmail (plastic) 4d 1 15 5 Scale Mail (metal) 5d -1 -1 1 15 1 -1d vs. energy Half Plate (metal) 5d -1 2 20 1 -1d vs. energy Half Plate (plastic) 5d 3 35 5 Half Plate 10d/6d -1 5 300 6 10d vs. bullets/energy weapons, (armorplast) 6d otherwise Plate Armor (metal) 6d -2 -3 2 40 1 -1d vs. energy Plate Armor (plastic) 6d -2 3 60 5 Plate Armor 14d/7d -2 7 800 6 14d vs. bullets/energy weapons, (armorplast) 7d otherwise Synthsilk 4d 7 300 5 Shield-compatible Stiffsynth 10d -1 6 500 6 Ceramsteel 14d -5 -5 4 700 6 Powered 14d 8 1000 6 Ceramsteel Polymer Knit 6d/2d 5 200 4 Shield-compatible. 6d vs. bullets, 2d otherwise Psi Cloak 10d* 10 3000 8 10d vs. psi attacks only NAS suit 3d -1 -1 5 200 7 Vacuum support Abar Leaf 9d -1 1 30 3 Suffocates after 30 turns Chameleon Suit 2d 7 300 7 +6/+4 Sneak Blur Suit 2d 8 500 8 -8/-2 Perception to see wearer Morph Suit 4d -1 ? 10,000 8 Can form items
Shields work in two ways. They give the wearer a “Passive Defense”- a flat penalty to be hit by hand weapons and arrows (but NOT by energy weapons and bullets unless the shield is bullet-proofed). Furthermore, the shield user can take an action to actively block attacks- Roll Dex+Melee+Active Defense. If you succeed, you may add the shield’s Armor rating to your armor. Normally, shields have ½ of their armor rating against bullets and other high-tech ranged weapons. However, if they are bullet-proofed, they use their full armor rating.
Buckler: Passive Defense 1, Active Defense 3, Armor 4d Large Shield: Passive Defense 2, Active Defense 4, Armor 6d, Dex -1 Bullet Proofing: Passive Defense applies to high-tech ranged attacks as well, shields defend against ranged attacks with their full protection.