The characters aren’t military types (except one), so the heavy weapons (the machine guns and the grenades) are meant to be in another league, something for when I need to pull out the stops. (“They have a fucking machine gun?!”)
As a separate point, I’m looking for advice on how to color the Maneuver Disarm effect in a firefight.
Against awkward weapons (grenades, emplacement- or vehicle-mounted weapons, machine guns), it’s easy - you use the terrain to make it hard to use the weapon effectively.
But against small arms, I have fewer ideas. It seems odd that by Maneuvering in a firefight you can deprive the other guy of his rifle. His gun can jam, or he can run out of ammo, but it seems weird to have your success cause bad luck for the enemy. Once in a blue moon you can just shoot the other guy’s gun, but not much more.
Good timing on this post, as modern weapons is something that I’ve been looking at as well for Army of Shadows.
I’ve deconstructed the Gear for Conflicts section in the Resolution chapter and found that weapons = holders for technology Traits that directly affect outcomes of Conflict actions. Since I don’t want to alter the fundamental core of MG, I’m looking at replacing or re-fitting those Technology Traits that exist such that modern weapons can be portrayed.
The modern weapons in the OP fit that bill, but how (or) are you going to naming the traits for colour?
Current Gear traits: Deadly (+1s after a successful attack) Slow (-1d to defend and feint) Missile (at short range a versus contest against attack & independent against maneuver) Hard to Defend (+1d to Attack versus a Defend) Long Range (+2d maneuver versus normal, spear or thrown weapons) Versatile (may be used as a spear or axe) Hooked (+1d to maneuver, +1s after a successful maneuver)
Unwieldy (-1d to attack) Short and Quick (-1d to attack) Thrown (Throwing a knife against a spear or normal weapon = versus Attack action against an opponent’s Attack and is independent against Maneuver) Heavy (-1D to Health tests to resist fatigue) Medium Range (+1D to Maneuver) Spear (Attack action a versus action against Attack, independent against Maneuver. Only versus spears and normal weapons. +1D to Maneuver versus normal weapons) Handy (+1D to Feint actions. May also be thrown) Useful (+1D to one action of your choice in a fight)
So, in modern terms, these are the Tech Traits I’ve been looking at (and stealing from BE), and have been in the process of working out how they work. Some are ideas that won’t get used, but are useful to play with to get the right feel.
Magazine
Revolver
Machine Gun
Garrote
Explosive
Cylinder
Rifle
Rapid Fire
Belt fed
Telescopic sight
Single shot
Weasel made
Small
Large
Very large
Long range
Short range
High rate of fire
More later, when not so pissed at having to blow out a game night for a frikin burst tyre on the car…
Thanks, yes I have those, it’s just … it seems weird.
“I’m maneuvering!”
“Hah, I’m attacking.”
“I boldly charge up the hillside, moving at a diagonal angle so I’m always moving laterally relative to your line of fire.”
“I’m taking my time, leading you slightly - a perfect shot is inevitable, and I squeeze off a round. Hm… three successes.”
“Four successes! My lateral advance works! You… er… run out of ammo!”
John, you’re taking a much deeper dive than I am it seems! I’m just trying to scrape something together for a game that’s already 90% burned rather than being comprehensive. I am thinking about doing a few vehicles, though. Not a general set of rules like in BE, but treating (say) a truck or biplane as two or three pieces of Gear which are all used simultaneously.