House Shotgun Rules.
One thing that bugged me the most about FNFF since I first read it at age 10 was the lack of functioning shotgun rules. What is presented in FNFF is both broken and too Hollywood. Below I present a wall of text to vent my frustrations with the system and show how I solved these problems.
Problem 1. Spread.
The spread on any shotgun is 1m at short(12.5m), 2m at medium(25m), and 3m at long range(50m) with any pellets and choke. While I accept that these rules were meant to be simple, they just don't represent any real shot spread shy of super cut down shotguns which in turn have their own ranges and pattern rules (nobody likes you Crusher SSG! Not even your mum!). Your typical combat shotgun has an 18-20 inch barrel and an open choke.The spread from a combat shotgun firing 00 defensive shot is about 1" for every 10feet (or 1" for every 3m). To reach a 1m. spread (~39in), that short barreled shotgun has to be firing at a target about 390 feet or 130meters To achieve the full 3m. spread a range of almost 400meters is needed, which rifle range. Shot barely carries energy past 50meters, this is pure Hollywood.
Fix: Splashy spread.
Spread is a nasty thing to face as a target, its harder to avoid being hit by nine to fifteen 32 caliber chunks of lead then it is to avoid one slug , but it isn't a door filling cloud of death. Instead of an AoE, the damage of the shot is divided by range and applied to multiple adjacent locations, representing the potential of a shot to cover more then one location. This reduces the effectiveness against armor at a range, but also accurately represents armors ability to soak up lots of small projectiles (even class IIA body armor is rated for buck shot).
At point blank, maximum damage is applied to one location, like any other gun.
At short range, rolled damage is applied to one location. At 13m. a combat shotgun only has a spread of 4".
At Medium range, rolled damage is divided by 2, and location is rolled, results of a limb (head counts as a limb) cause the second grouping to hit the torso otherwise a second roll is made. If both shots hit the torso, damage is added together as one hit.
At Long range, rolled damage is divided by 3 and applied to a rolled location, if a limb is hit, the second grouping strikes torso and the third is rolled. If first group hits torso, the second is rolled; if second is a limb apply third to torso, otherwise roll third. Its hard to keep a 15" pattern inside a persons core. As above, multiple damage rolls applied to the same location add together.
As usual, intervening terrain/people that provide cover to a location hit take the damage instead.
Problem 2: All the autofire rules.
This was my biggest issue, its a giant pile of mess. According to the rules you roll to hit for each shot, taking 2 off your roll for each shot after the first (-8 for 5 shots) but that shots must be within 1m of the last shot, and patterns (seem to but it is never directly stated) place hit or miss. This means that someone firing a high rate shotgun like the Hurricane or Ragnarok are taking up to 38 points off of 20 rolls creating an impossible mess and huge pile of rolls. The example given in the book states that the shots still place despite the roll (Ripper Jack placed his shots 1m apart, turning the 5meters of hallway into hamburger heaven). If the shots still place and create an area of effect, why roll to hit? If you roll to hit, how can your shot automatically place? Do the shots scatter like grenades? This is never stated. It makes slightly more sense if your auto-firing slugs, since they don't place and create an AoE, but if that's the case then nobody would use an auto-shotgun because who the hell can hit with a -38 to their roll even with a +2 for firing 20 rounds in short range or less?! Even if you do hit, the odds you have more than 1 shot land are slightly above the odds that someone will roll a solo with ref as its dump stat. I don't even want to math hammer it.
MATH HAMMER
Using a high end solo with a ref and rifle of 10 each and a smart/target linked hurricane shotgun we have an attack roll of 23+d10. Firing a full burst from the shotgun at minimum range generates a penalty of -36 (-38 for shots fired, +2 for 20 round burst). At this point the solo would need to ambush the target (+5) and roll a 10 to get a roll of 2, which is 8 shy of hitting at point blank. On a 20 round burst you would normally see 2 10's rolled, which reroll and add the result to the 10, so out of 20 rounds 2 have a 20% chance of hitting someone our solo is standing right fucking behind. Meanwhile firing two shots (rof is 2/20) generates a -2 to the 23+d10+5. You would have to fumble to miss.
Fix: New rules entirely!
With the removal of shotgun AoE the rule fix becomes much easier. Treat auto-shotguns like any other auto-fire weapon. After some testing it was determined that the procedure had to be modified for the lower rate of fire that shotguns have. Realistically it would be easier to hit anything with an auto-shotgun than with an SMG at the same range (precision not being a factor) since pattern spread does make it easier to hit (though not as easy as pointing towards enemy and shouting 'Alan Bourdillion Trahern!')
Burst Fire.
Given that regular auto fire is 10 rounds per point of modifier, giving a typical range for SMG's and rifles of +1 to +4, dividing the number of rounds required to gain bonus by 2 generated the same range with the shotguns in game. In essence 5 rounds for every modifier (as opposed to the+2 available for the fastest shotgun not used by cyborgs under normal rules). Since this creates a potentially high MoS with a lower output of rounds, it was deemed necessary to give an additional round hit for every 2 points of Margin of Success (round to screw) instead of one. Apply spread as per range.
Cover Fire.
Using the same process as above, if you take the number of rounds fired, divide it by the space covered in meters, and multiply that by 2 you have a workable if not somewhat less effective set of cover rules. Given that the number of rounds required to reach a difficulty rating is now half what it is for a regular cover fire shot, the number of hits on a failed roll should be 1d6/2. its easier to get past so few rounds, but if you get hit you are fucked. Apply spread as per range.
3-round burst.
If you can find a damned shotgun that can do 3 roundies, then really you deserve your +3 at sht/med 1d6/2 number of hits. There are three of them, only one directly states it can do 3 roundies. Apply spread as per range. You monster.
Problem 3: Shotgun AP
I don't think Maximum Mike Pondsmith actually knows what a slug is, or in the future all slugs are sabotted fin stabilized pieces of tech swag. Traditional shotgun slugs are simply big fucking plugs of lead, usually with a lightly rounded business end and rifling cut into the sides so that air pressure in the barrel causes it to spin, imparting some amount of stability. When fired from a smooth bore they fly fairly well up to 100m. but when fired from a rifled barrel (an option for almost all production model shotguns. On the list of things for me to buy for my 88) the round can be accurate at up to 300m (hello new sniper rifle).
By the rules, soft armor is cut in half, along with the slugs damage. Hard armor is cut in half, but damage is full. I can kind of see the point to this. Soft armor absorbs kinetic energy and spreads it through several layers of cloth, hard armor ablates the energy, forcing the round to strike off (or in the case of ceramics, absorbs the energy completely shattering in the process). Damage can penetrate soft armor without breaking it, the concussive force causing harm, but not a fatal wound (most energy absorbed by the multiple layers of cloth like a net). Hard armor either deflects the shot, or it punches through, turning the metal armor into shrapnel and causing the massive wound that getting bitch slapped by hunk of lead can do. My problem with this is that ANY heavy enough slug should have this effect. The kinds of slugs put out by some sniper rifles in CP 2020 are on par with a shotgun slug, and even some very heavy handguns put out huge (though smaller) chunks of lead at such speed as to carry comparable kinetic value. Having fired slugs through hard and soft targets I can say a shotgun slug could probably punch Metal Gear and cause severe injury. On the other hand most armor vests get obliterated by a 12 ga slug too.
Ultimately the penetrative value of a shotgun slug is represented by the huge amount of damage it does. The differences between a 12 ga slug and a comparable size bullet is minimal. If anything shot slugs should simply be armor defeating(AD), doing full damage after AP no matter what if the physics of it deem that the slug can punch out any armor.
Fix: Slugs are Bullets! *edited*
A slug is a bullet, just a really huge one. As such it does a profound amount of damage, but shouldn't cause any amount of armor penetration then any other chunk of lead that does as much damage. On the other hand, since a slug is just a bullet, it means slugs can be made into specialty rounds at listed price modifiers like any other bullet. You want AP? Buy AP slugs.
Ideas?
One thing that bugged me the most about FNFF since I first read it at age 10 was the lack of functioning shotgun rules. What is presented in FNFF is both broken and too Hollywood. Below I present a wall of text to vent my frustrations with the system and show how I solved these problems.
Problem 1. Spread.
The spread on any shotgun is 1m at short(12.5m), 2m at medium(25m), and 3m at long range(50m) with any pellets and choke. While I accept that these rules were meant to be simple, they just don't represent any real shot spread shy of super cut down shotguns which in turn have their own ranges and pattern rules (nobody likes you Crusher SSG! Not even your mum!). Your typical combat shotgun has an 18-20 inch barrel and an open choke.The spread from a combat shotgun firing 00 defensive shot is about 1" for every 10feet (or 1" for every 3m). To reach a 1m. spread (~39in), that short barreled shotgun has to be firing at a target about 390 feet or 130meters To achieve the full 3m. spread a range of almost 400meters is needed, which rifle range. Shot barely carries energy past 50meters, this is pure Hollywood.
Fix: Splashy spread.
Spread is a nasty thing to face as a target, its harder to avoid being hit by nine to fifteen 32 caliber chunks of lead then it is to avoid one slug , but it isn't a door filling cloud of death. Instead of an AoE, the damage of the shot is divided by range and applied to multiple adjacent locations, representing the potential of a shot to cover more then one location. This reduces the effectiveness against armor at a range, but also accurately represents armors ability to soak up lots of small projectiles (even class IIA body armor is rated for buck shot).
At point blank, maximum damage is applied to one location, like any other gun.
At short range, rolled damage is applied to one location. At 13m. a combat shotgun only has a spread of 4".
At Medium range, rolled damage is divided by 2, and location is rolled, results of a limb (head counts as a limb) cause the second grouping to hit the torso otherwise a second roll is made. If both shots hit the torso, damage is added together as one hit.
At Long range, rolled damage is divided by 3 and applied to a rolled location, if a limb is hit, the second grouping strikes torso and the third is rolled. If first group hits torso, the second is rolled; if second is a limb apply third to torso, otherwise roll third. Its hard to keep a 15" pattern inside a persons core. As above, multiple damage rolls applied to the same location add together.
As usual, intervening terrain/people that provide cover to a location hit take the damage instead.
Problem 2: All the autofire rules.
This was my biggest issue, its a giant pile of mess. According to the rules you roll to hit for each shot, taking 2 off your roll for each shot after the first (-8 for 5 shots) but that shots must be within 1m of the last shot, and patterns (seem to but it is never directly stated) place hit or miss. This means that someone firing a high rate shotgun like the Hurricane or Ragnarok are taking up to 38 points off of 20 rolls creating an impossible mess and huge pile of rolls. The example given in the book states that the shots still place despite the roll (Ripper Jack placed his shots 1m apart, turning the 5meters of hallway into hamburger heaven). If the shots still place and create an area of effect, why roll to hit? If you roll to hit, how can your shot automatically place? Do the shots scatter like grenades? This is never stated. It makes slightly more sense if your auto-firing slugs, since they don't place and create an AoE, but if that's the case then nobody would use an auto-shotgun because who the hell can hit with a -38 to their roll even with a +2 for firing 20 rounds in short range or less?! Even if you do hit, the odds you have more than 1 shot land are slightly above the odds that someone will roll a solo with ref as its dump stat. I don't even want to math hammer it.
MATH HAMMER
Using a high end solo with a ref and rifle of 10 each and a smart/target linked hurricane shotgun we have an attack roll of 23+d10. Firing a full burst from the shotgun at minimum range generates a penalty of -36 (-38 for shots fired, +2 for 20 round burst). At this point the solo would need to ambush the target (+5) and roll a 10 to get a roll of 2, which is 8 shy of hitting at point blank. On a 20 round burst you would normally see 2 10's rolled, which reroll and add the result to the 10, so out of 20 rounds 2 have a 20% chance of hitting someone our solo is standing right fucking behind. Meanwhile firing two shots (rof is 2/20) generates a -2 to the 23+d10+5. You would have to fumble to miss.
Fix: New rules entirely!
With the removal of shotgun AoE the rule fix becomes much easier. Treat auto-shotguns like any other auto-fire weapon. After some testing it was determined that the procedure had to be modified for the lower rate of fire that shotguns have. Realistically it would be easier to hit anything with an auto-shotgun than with an SMG at the same range (precision not being a factor) since pattern spread does make it easier to hit (though not as easy as pointing towards enemy and shouting 'Alan Bourdillion Trahern!')
Burst Fire.
Given that regular auto fire is 10 rounds per point of modifier, giving a typical range for SMG's and rifles of +1 to +4, dividing the number of rounds required to gain bonus by 2 generated the same range with the shotguns in game. In essence 5 rounds for every modifier (as opposed to the+2 available for the fastest shotgun not used by cyborgs under normal rules). Since this creates a potentially high MoS with a lower output of rounds, it was deemed necessary to give an additional round hit for every 2 points of Margin of Success (round to screw) instead of one. Apply spread as per range.
Cover Fire.
Using the same process as above, if you take the number of rounds fired, divide it by the space covered in meters, and multiply that by 2 you have a workable if not somewhat less effective set of cover rules. Given that the number of rounds required to reach a difficulty rating is now half what it is for a regular cover fire shot, the number of hits on a failed roll should be 1d6/2. its easier to get past so few rounds, but if you get hit you are fucked. Apply spread as per range.
3-round burst.
If you can find a damned shotgun that can do 3 roundies, then really you deserve your +3 at sht/med 1d6/2 number of hits. There are three of them, only one directly states it can do 3 roundies. Apply spread as per range. You monster.
Problem 3: Shotgun AP
I don't think Maximum Mike Pondsmith actually knows what a slug is, or in the future all slugs are sabotted fin stabilized pieces of tech swag. Traditional shotgun slugs are simply big fucking plugs of lead, usually with a lightly rounded business end and rifling cut into the sides so that air pressure in the barrel causes it to spin, imparting some amount of stability. When fired from a smooth bore they fly fairly well up to 100m. but when fired from a rifled barrel (an option for almost all production model shotguns. On the list of things for me to buy for my 88) the round can be accurate at up to 300m (hello new sniper rifle).
By the rules, soft armor is cut in half, along with the slugs damage. Hard armor is cut in half, but damage is full. I can kind of see the point to this. Soft armor absorbs kinetic energy and spreads it through several layers of cloth, hard armor ablates the energy, forcing the round to strike off (or in the case of ceramics, absorbs the energy completely shattering in the process). Damage can penetrate soft armor without breaking it, the concussive force causing harm, but not a fatal wound (most energy absorbed by the multiple layers of cloth like a net). Hard armor either deflects the shot, or it punches through, turning the metal armor into shrapnel and causing the massive wound that getting bitch slapped by hunk of lead can do. My problem with this is that ANY heavy enough slug should have this effect. The kinds of slugs put out by some sniper rifles in CP 2020 are on par with a shotgun slug, and even some very heavy handguns put out huge (though smaller) chunks of lead at such speed as to carry comparable kinetic value. Having fired slugs through hard and soft targets I can say a shotgun slug could probably punch Metal Gear and cause severe injury. On the other hand most armor vests get obliterated by a 12 ga slug too.
Ultimately the penetrative value of a shotgun slug is represented by the huge amount of damage it does. The differences between a 12 ga slug and a comparable size bullet is minimal. If anything shot slugs should simply be armor defeating(AD), doing full damage after AP no matter what if the physics of it deem that the slug can punch out any armor.
Fix: Slugs are Bullets! *edited*
A slug is a bullet, just a really huge one. As such it does a profound amount of damage, but shouldn't cause any amount of armor penetration then any other chunk of lead that does as much damage. On the other hand, since a slug is just a bullet, it means slugs can be made into specialty rounds at listed price modifiers like any other bullet. You want AP? Buy AP slugs.
Ideas?