IHMN Weapon modification

[Skrapwelder]

After watching the trailer for the upcoming VSF game called The Order: 1886 I started thinking about combination weapons and how to point them out.

Say you wanted a Military rifle with a shotgun mounted underneath the rifle barrel. Not really all that out of the ordinary in a hunting weapon but uncommon in a military firearm of the day. Points wise I was thinking that it would cost the higher cost of the two weapons and half (rounded up) the cost of the lesser weapon. Each weapon would retain its own distinct qualities when fired and they would not be allowed to fire both weapons in the same turn. If the shooter managed to roll a fumble result only the weapon being shot would cease to function. So a combination weapon as the one above would end up costing 12 points.

What say you good people?

[Dewbakuk]

Points sound fair to me, could be argued that you should pay for both weapons but with them both in the same gun then if it broke or was taken out somehow then you'd lose both. The only weapon that comes to mind in a period way would be the LeMat rifles and pistols (gotta love a pistol with underslung shotgun!). If that's your inspiration then I'd make the shotgun element need a turn to reload, the LeMat's held multiple bullets but only a single shotgun round which wasn't of course a shell at that time. Wasn't the easiest thing to reload in battle.

[Craig]

If you are going to get the full benefit of both weapons then you should pay for both. It is only an extra 2 points after all.

[Polkovnik]

Yes, but you can't fire them both in the same turn, so half the cost of the lower cost one seems reasonable to me.

[Smith]

By that logic, a character with any two weapons could pay half the cost of the cheaper one – at the extreme end of that spectrum, a character with the Strongman trait could theoretically take both a machine gun and a hunting rifle and only pay 24 points!

I'm most certainly with Craig here – if you're doubling the number of options for what you can fire in a turn (i.e. rifle or shotgun), you're essentially equipped with both a rifle and a shotgun.

For example, I was attempting to build a LeMat pistol, and reasoned that the best option was to combine a basic pistol with the one-shot blunderbuss option from the rulebook – instant LeMat: a regular pistol that packs a surprise buckshot punch for 8pts.

[Dewbakuk]

For example, I was attempting to build a LeMat pistol, and reasoned that the best option was to combine a basic pistol with the one-shot blunderbuss option from the rulebook – instant LeMat: a regular pistol that packs a surprise buckshot punch for 8pts.

Works for me, I love that gun

[Craig]

Yes, but you can't fire them both in the same turn, so half the cost of the lower cost one seems reasonable to me.

So if you arm a figure with a rifle and a pistol you want a discount on the pistol? 

Before we all disappear up our own indignance can I remind people that the points system is only advisory. Personally I hardly use it preferring to run with a narrative than labour to hit an arbitrary points target.

[Conquistador]

After watching the trailer for the upcoming VSF game called The Order: 1886 I started thinking about combination weapons and how to point them out.

Say you wanted a Military rifle with a shotgun mounted underneath the rifle barrel. Not really all that out of the ordinary in a hunting weapon but uncommon in a military firearm of the day. Points wise I was thinking that it would cost the higher cost of the two weapons and half (rounded up) the cost of the lesser weapon. Each weapon would retain its own distinct qualities when fired and they would not be allowed to fire both weapons in the same turn. If the shooter managed to roll a fumble result only the weapon being shot would cease to function. So a combination weapon as the one above would end up costing 12 points.

What say you good people?

Either

1) Pay full cost for both weapons.

or

2) When "it breaks" the whole combination weapon is useless.

And

Be sure your opponent is happy with it that way - this is not competition but everyone should be willing to allow an opponent to be comfortable with "house rules" before choosing to play the game (don't make it a case after setup of, "Oh, by the way...")

Gracias,

Glenn

[Skrapwelder]

I see the sense in the math for charging full for both. Its two weapons they just got stuck together in some mechanical Darwinian Maxim. That is the simplest way to do it.

Thanks

Now about that grenade launcher...

[workerBee]

<snip>

Now about that grenade launcher...

Boom!   

A miniature Dynamite gun (see the SAW cannon version) would be "in-period."      

Gracias,

Glenn

[Craig]

Now about that grenade launcher...

You mean the Congreve Rocket Gun?

[Skrapwelder]

A miniature Dynamite gun (see the SAW cannon version) would be "in-period."      

"The man with the bicycle pump follows the man with the dynamite gun! When the man with the gun is shot, the man with the bicycle pump picks up the gun and finds a man with a bicycle pump whose man with a gun has exploded" 

[Bullshott]

19th century continental double-barrelled 'over and under' hunting guns had one rifle barrel and one shotgun barrel.

[workerBee]

19th century continental double-barrelled 'over and under' hunting guns had one rifle barrel and one shotgun barrel.

A lot of my friends and co-workers second gun as a kid was a .22 caliber rifle and .410 shotgun combination in the late 1940s and 1950s.  Rabbits and snakes were "free game" targets then too.

When you were paying for your own ammunition you learned to be accurate early on.

Gracias,

Glenn

[Melnibonean]

For me, I'm in the same mind as the pay for both weapons school. A character with a pistol and shotgun would have to pay for both weapons but can't use both at the same time.

On the other hand, as Conquistador said: "When "it breaks" the whole combination weapon is useless." I think that would be grounds for the 1/2point cost.