Tranq Against Animals

[tbeard1999]

Mercenary left out rules for Tranq rounds. The most canonical source for Tranq rules (IMHO) is Snapshot:

Tranq is a drug injected by a special cartridge and may or may not be in
sufficient dosage to affect an individual. The target, when hit, must throw his
endurance or less to avoid being affected. If the throw fails, the target is immediately
rendered unconscious

This rule is clean, but I don't like it -- it makes high endurance characters nearly (or actually) immune from Tranq. Also, it doesn't really help with animals.

So here's my proposed change.

Tranq vs Characters: 2d save -- 8+ or fall unconscious. DM +1 if END 9+; DM +2 if END 11+

Tranq vs Animals: 2d save -- 8+ or fall unconscious. DM -1 per size less than 7 (so a 6kg animal [Size 3] will need a 12 to avoid unconsciousness); +1 per size greater than 7. (Alternatively, it can be expressed like this -- Save 15+; DM +Size). The Referee may make certain animals more or less susceptible to tranq by changing this modifier.

Stronger tranq rounds can be purchased (usually for use against animals). Normal tranq is Strength 0. More potent stuff is Strength 1, 2, 3, etc. Each level of strength imposes a -1 DM to the unconsciousness roll. If this stuff is used on humans, the target must make a second roll to avoid death if he/she falls unconscious. Roll is 2+ to avoid death; DM -Strength of Tranq Round.

 

[Major Matt Mason]

I am here since this thread is an outgrowth of my CT tranq thread.

The application for animals looks good, albeit highly specialized for a "zoo hunter" scenario or campaign.

On the human-targeted side, I agree that Snapshot's tranq rule allows for high END persons to be nearly immune (END 11) or completely immune (END 12) to tranq rounds, and that this is a problem (even though such high END is probably a small segment of the population). But the proposed solution looks to me like it takes a nice bell curve (END ranging from 2 to 12, averaging at 7) and sharpens it into a narrow spike. That is, by making it a basic 8+ roll, the lower END characters are effectively boosted up to END 7. The modifiers allow a further boost up to END 9, forming an effective cap so that nobody is guaranteed to be immune.

Put another way, the 8+ roll means that the tranq effectiveness is 58% =at best=. This is perilously close to 50%--half the time you hit, it has no effect. The maximum modifiers bring it down to a 6+ roll, which is 28%. These are not the sort of weapon effectiveness figures that inspire confidence.

Granted the problem of the tranq round--it removes the target from combat, or it has no effect. That is quite powerful. In the Snapshot rule, this is compensated by the unknown factor. That is, while seeing that a target is wearing Reflec would probably cause the seasoned adventurer to respond by selecting from his arsenal a rifle rather than a laser, there is no easy indicator for the hidden "armor" of END versus a tranq round. Even in a case where an adventurer knows what the target's END is, in most cases it would be average END and probably worth a shot.

In any event, I think that the problem of tranq immunity could be solved with a simple cap. So in the Snapshot rule, a cap might be placed at END 9 or 10, meaning that higher END would not have any further edge. Granted, this means truncating the benefits of higher END in this one application, and thus cutting one end of the bell curve, but it leaves the other end alone.

 

[beowulf2044]

What about penatration factor of the tranq needle? Ablat armor might have a particular benefit due to its bulk, etc.

 

[sabredog]

There already is a substantial -DM for tranq used against just about any kind of armor.

Maybe a better thing to do is to consider modeling a high penetration tranq round that causes minor physical damage but can get through the tougher armors to deliver the dose. A low caliber / high velocity round that after it penetrates dissolves into the medication? Hard armor would keep it out, but it could be treated like a flechette type round of the dissolving chemical capped with a ceramic or metal AP tip.

Say, 2D6 physical damage with a 3 or 4D6 vs. END(-) to save against immediate unconsciousness?

Though I would say the snub pistol rocket round might also answer well to the problem if you upped the velocity and used a thicker, tougher needle.