Collateral damage

[Spartan159]

All those missed rounds gotta go somewhere. I'm using MgT rules, the fight is taking place on a street with parked cars lining the road, night time but well lit from businesses and clubs, with light traffic either way. Opponents are diagonally across the road, at this point everyone is snuggled up to a vehicle except for one poor slob who decided to let rip with an ACR in hope of getting a hit on the heroes before they scattered. Most of the rounds went into a parked van, but what are the chances he hit a passing vehicle? who would you do crits on something not aimed at, ie what chance of that van exploding if the fuel tank goes? other DMs or boon/banes I should use here?

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

My thoughts...

All those missed rounds gotta go somewhere. I'm using MgT rules, the fight is taking place on a street with parked cars lining the road, night time but well lit from businesses and clubs, with light traffic either way. Opponents are diagonally across the road, at this point everyone is snuggled up to a vehicle except for one poor slob who decided to let rip with an ACR in hope of getting a hit on the heroes before they scattered. Most of the rounds went into a parked van, but what are the chances he hit a passing vehicle? who would you do crits on something not aimed at, ie what chance of that van exploding if the fuel tank goes? other DMs or boon/banes I should use here?

Passing traffic, not likely once shooting starts but likely if there already was traffic present.

Modern vehicles are not that prone to explosions Hollywood's portrayals aside, so mostly unless someone ignites the fuel with an incindary round not that likely at all.

Also vehicles make for crappy cover except for the engine block, modern ammunition goes right through sheet metal and plastics. So, unless they are behind the engine block someone is catching rounds, best have body armor on.

And last the higher the law level the sooner and harsher the local police or equivalent arrive and hose everybody.

 

[pendragonman]

Vehicles make excellent CONCEALMENT, since the target is unseen. So minuses to hit do apply.

As for cover, the vehicles will not in most cases protect from a round that will hit the target, but may lessen the damage as passing thru anything slows the round and thus lowers the kinetic energy.

Modern gasoline cars are do not explode very well, but natural gas/hydrogen powered vehicles will when/if the pressured fuel tanks get punctured.

In the far future, cars are likely to be fusion powered. Hydrogen fuel cells again plus a nice fusion bottle to collapse. Big Bada boom.

 

[Spartan159]

Passing traffic, not likely once shooting starts but likely if there already was traffic present.

Modern vehicles are not that prone to explosions Hollywood's portrayals aside, so mostly unless someone ignites the fuel with an incindary round not that likely at all.

Also vehicles make for crappy cover except for the engine block, modern ammunition goes right through sheet metal and plastics. So, unless they are behind the engine block someone is catching rounds, best have body armor on.

And last the higher the law level the sooner and harsher the local police or equivalent arrive and hose everybody.

Bad guys have 2 laser carbines and a laser pistol, along with the ACR and SMG, they are wearing "street clothes" cloth armor. Good guys have gauss pistols and tailored vacc suits. Law level is 0, someone's gonna get involved, just not sure who.

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Ooo, lasers!

Bad guys have 2 laser carbines and a laser pistol, along with the ACR and SMG, they are wearing "street clothes" cloth armor. Good guys have gauss pistols and tailored vacc suits. Law level is 0, someone's gonna get involved, just not sure who.

Well, the ACR and SMG won't cause explosions, but the lasers...those might.

At LL-0, it will be the locals on that street and they may be better armed than everyone else. Depends on how wild and wolly the world is. If there is a lot of sketchy stuff happening, maybe the local mob may not like having things disrupted and could fall on whomever they feel started the fight.

Your players picked the wrong people to start stuff with. Their enemy is way better prepared and armed.

On the other hand, if the players on smart they'll shoot under the vehicles and go for the enemy's ankles. Not that many good one legged fighters. :smirk:

 

[whartung]

Modern gasoline cars are do not explode very well, but natural gas/hydrogen powered vehicles will when/if the pressured fuel tanks get punctured.

In the far future, cars are likely to be fusion powered. Hydrogen fuel cells again plus a nice fusion bottle to collapse. Big Bada boom.

Then they won't be in cars in the future.

"A Ford Pinto-3000 lost containment today in the downtown district when it was accidentally rear ended by a Chevy Zoltar coupe. Three spacescrapers, and an arcology, including 2200 children at James DiGriz Elementary, were destroyed in the blast."

If starships "can" spontaneously explode, they won't be allowed anywhere near a population center. It simply won't be allowed. "Do without."

 

[pendragonman]

Then they won't be in cars in the future.

"A Ford Pinto-3000 lost containment today in the downtown district when it was accidentally rear ended by a Chevy Zoltar coupe. Three spacescrapers, and an arcology, including 2200 children at James DiGriz Elementary, were destroyed in the blast."

If starships "can" spontaneously explode, they won't be allowed anywhere near a population center. It simply won't be allowed. "Do without."

Killjoy

 

[pendragonman]

Well, the ACR and SMG won't cause explosions, but the lasers...those might.

At LL-0, it will be the locals on that street and they may be better armed than everyone else. Depends on how wild and wolly the world is. If there is a lot of sketchy stuff happening, maybe the local mob may not like having things disrupted and could fall on whomever they feel started the fight.

Your players picked the wrong people to start stuff with. Their enemy is way better prepared and armed.

On the other hand, if the players on smart they'll shoot under the vehicles and go for the enemy's ankles. Not that many good one legged fighters. :smirk:

We don't know that the party picked the wrong bunch, what is the party armed with and do they have grenades (Jane...)

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Oh come on....

We don't know that the party picked the wrong bunch, what is the party armed with and do they have grenades (Jane...)

Of course the players started it, they always start it. Okay, mostly...there was that incident in Mos Eisely Downport, but then one shouldn't start stuff with a Psionic Knight.

Also, as noted above PCs have Gauss Pistols, but no mention of grenades and yep, just like the former Rent-a-Cop pointed out, this does seem like a really good time for grenades.

 

[Spartan159]

TL 8 world, 3112 Nutema/Spinward. Started of as a random encounter that evolved into the bad guys actively looking for the heroes. weapons were random. There *is* an alley way right beside the good guys. And a passing motorcycle just lost it's hull in the opening burst. Driver is one lucky individual, rolled an 11 to get off. he was going about 25kph. Don't think he'll be happy with the bad guys once he stops sliding.

 

[Spartan159]

Nope, no grenades on either side. Unless the cyclist has one.

LOL no grenades but he *does* have an SMG

 

[Magnus von Thornwood]

Commo time.

Nope, no grenades on either side. Unless the cyclist has one.

LOL no grenades but he *does* have an SMG

But does he have that most dangerous of weapons, commo to call more friends with better or more gear, if so I think we know who is going to intervene...

 

[pendragonman]

Gauss pistols? Then start putting HiVee darts in everyone else armed. Weakest shot to lead the way down the side street. Any Marines to provide cover of the withdrawal.

Gauss pistols won't set off any vehicles anyway.

 

[Timerover51]

Bad guys have 2 laser carbines and a laser pistol, along with the ACR and SMG, they are wearing "street clothes" cloth armor. Good guys have gauss pistols and tailored vacc suits. Law level is 0, someone's gonna get involved, just not sure who.

If the bad guys are using lasers, then vehicle offer a lot of cover, as each laser shot is hitting and burning a hole in a hew spot on the vehicle. As the Tech Level is 8, you are looking at most likely petroleum-power vehicles, so someone behind an engine block is going to be just about impossible to hit. Against that, you might be able to set an engine of fire by repeatedly hitting it with the laser.

If the law level is "0". and the bad guys are using lasers, they are likely to get the attention from the locals, under the "high tech guys are not wanted" view.