Originally posted by kaladorn:
In all fairness though, the combat rules could use some streamlining... rolling bursts from weapons of varying accuracy ratings against targets in varying amounts of cover or with movement and then factoring in wounds, etc... you could end up rolling a lot of d100% vs. differing target numbers. It was not the fastest resolving combat system.
I liked the original game (disliked the second cut at it muchly, mind you).
It sounds like you're speaking of the first edition Top Secret game. I think TSSI was a great improvement over the thick game mechanics evident in the 1st game.
Gun combat scenarios are fast and easy.
Take, for instance, Mike Danvers, the NPC I use in the first post of this thread.
Mike Danvers
DEX 50
Pistol (2)
Because of his skill level, Mike throws 55 or less on d100 when he fires his pistol.
Simple.
In a game session, you simply modify the roll froom that point, based on the conditions.
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">+10 Braced Shot
+5 Short Burst
+10 Extended Burst
1/2 Easy Called Shot
1/4 Hard Called Shot
1/2 Target using cover
1/4 Target using cover and almost completely covered
-20 1-Hand firing
-30 Off Hand use
-10 Slow Movement
-25 Medium Movement
-40 Fast Movement
+5 Prepared (aimed) shot
+30 Point Blank Range
+10 Short Range
+0 Medium Range
-40 Long Range
-30 Rapid Fire
+25 Telescopic Sight</pre>[/QUOTE]Mike simply starts with a score of
55 (his base to-hit number), and adjusts that number based on the factors of the shot.
Also remember that in TSSI, the single to-hit roll gives you success/failure of the hit PLUS the hit location (the hit location is the "ones" digit of the d100).
Your example above
"rolling bursts from weapons of varying accuracy ratings against targets in varying amounts of cover or with movement and then factoring in wounds" is actually quite simple (and quick) to achieve in TSSI.
So that we can have some burst fire for your example, let's change Mike's Pistol skill to a Submachine Gun skill. Everything else stays the same (So Mike is DEX 50 with SMG (2)).
A couple of notes--
--doubles thrown on an attack roll that hits is a
Critical Hit. Critical Hits will immediately destroy whatever bodypart they hit.
--a
Short Burst fires 8 bullets from the weapon, allowing for a +5 mod to hit. If a hit is achieved, damage is rolled a +1.
--an
Extended Burst fires 16 bullets from the weapon, allwing for a +10 mod to hit. If the hit is scored, damage is rolled at +2.
--when a hit is achieved, a character can
Bump the hit location, up or down, a number of places equal to that character's skill level.
Let's give Mike an H&K MP-5 for his weapon.
H&K MP-5: Range 45/150/450, Damage 1d6
Let's say Mike is firing at a walking target, at 102 feet, in a parking lot behind a car (the car providing cover for the target for 1/2 the target's body).
Here's how to roll this shot:
</font><blockquote>code:</font><hr /><pre style="font-size:x-small; font-family: monospace;">55 Mike's Base Target
28 1/2 for Target's half cover
18 -10 for Slow Movement
28 +10 for Extended Burst
28 +0 for Medium Range</pre>[/QUOTE]See, it's simple. Start with your base, modify it for the circumstances, then roll d100. Boom, you're done.
Like any game, you'll learn the modifiers once you play it a couple of times (for example, it will be easy to remember that short bursts provide a +5 to-hit, while extended bursts provide a +10).
In this example, Mike is squeezing the trigger and letting the bullets fly. Bullets are shattering glass and punching holes all over the car and around the target.
In order to hit the target, Mike has to roll a 28 or less on d100.
If a 22, 11, or 00 is thrown, then Mike will score a Critical Hit, destoying the body part it hits. Mike can even bump the hit location up or down 2 points because of his skill (having some control over where he hits).
If Mike rolls 00, it's a Lucky Break. A perfect hit. If Mike rolls 04, 03, 02, or 01, then he hits with a lesser Lucky Break.
Let's say the actual roll is a total of 26. Mike hits, barely.
He'll do 1d6 +2 damage (weapon damage of 1d6 plus 2 points for the extended burst).
The ones digit of the to-hit roll is "6", indicating hit location "6" was hit (the target's right hand). Since Mike has Submachine Gun (2), Mike can "bump" that hit location one or two points, up or down, at his option. So, he can decide to hit location 5 or 4 (Left Arm or Right Arm), or he can decide to bump it to location 7 or 8 (Left Hand or Right Leg).
I think it's a very simple system to use.
You see the character's base number, modify it based on circumstance, then roll d100.
That d100 roll tells you if you hit and where you hit. If you do, you roll damage and move on.
See, TSSI is a much streamlined game over the original Top Secret.
