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[6e] Laser Weapons

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markelphoenix

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« on: <08-12-19/0847:07> »
Are they included in the CRB? Also, if they are included, do they fall under Firearms, or is there still an 'exotic' weapons list. If so, do you have to pick Exotic weapons as a group, or individually (i.e. I have Exotic Weapons 6, vs, I have Laser Weapons as an Exotic Weapon Skill at 6)?

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #1 on: <08-12-19/0929:26> »
There's still an Exotic Weapons skill, and it covers stuff like grenade launchers and monofilament whips.

There are no laser weapons in the CRB, so the skill you use isn't yet defined. Since they're so similar in operation to conventional guns, I wouldn't be surprised if they're Firearms skill. But safer money is probably on Exotics.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

markelphoenix

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« Reply #2 on: <08-12-19/1954:05> »
There's still an Exotic Weapons skill, and it covers stuff like grenade launchers and monofilament whips.

There are no laser weapons in the CRB, so the skill you use isn't yet defined. Since they're so similar in operation to conventional guns, I wouldn't be surprised if they're Firearms skill. But safer money is probably on Exotics.

So did Exotics become a group, or is it Exotic (monofilament whips), Exotic (grenade launchers), etc.

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #3 on: <08-12-19/1956:49> »
Most skills are what 5e called skill groups.  Firearms covers all guns, and if you specialize in SMGs you still are as good with all other guns as the base skill rating.

Exotic Weapons is an exception.  It MUST have a specialization, and the base skill doesn't convey any dice towards other exotic weapons.  For example, if you have Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) you're still untrained in Grenade Launchers.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

markelphoenix

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« Reply #4 on: <08-12-19/2005:37> »
Most skills are what 5e called skill groups.  Firearms covers all guns, and if you specialize in SMGs you still are as good with all other guns as the base skill rating.

Exotic Weapons is an exception.  It MUST have a specialization, and the base skill doesn't convey any dice towards other exotic weapons.  For example, if you have Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) you're still untrained in Grenade Launchers.

So, you're training a single individual weapon in Exotic Weapons. It's not like you train Melee, then Specialize in Exotic (Monofilament Whip). I.E. if I had 6 Melee with a Spec in Exotic (Monogfilament), I would roll 8 dice before adding my agility.

OR

Is it I would take an Exotic (Monofilament Whip) skill purchase, take it to say 6, then would be rolling 6 die before Agility?

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #5 on: <08-12-19/2011:15> »
Most skills are what 5e called skill groups.  Firearms covers all guns, and if you specialize in SMGs you still are as good with all other guns as the base skill rating.

Exotic Weapons is an exception.  It MUST have a specialization, and the base skill doesn't convey any dice towards other exotic weapons.  For example, if you have Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) you're still untrained in Grenade Launchers.

So, you're training a single individual weapon in Exotic Weapons. It's not like you train Melee, then Specialize in Exotic (Monofilament Whip). I.E. if I had 6 Melee with a Spec in Exotic (Monogfilament), I would roll 8 dice before adding my agility.

OR

Is it I would take an Exotic (Monofilament Whip) skill purchase, take it to say 6, then would be rolling 6 die before Agility?

Close Combat is the skill that covers blades, clubs, unarmed attacks, etc.  If you have Close Combat (Unarmed) 6, you roll 6+Agility dice for blades and clubs and 6+2+Agility for unarmed attacks.

Exotic Weapons works the same way inside its specialization.  If you have Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) 6 you roll 6+2+Agility when attacking with Monofilament whips.  If you pick up another weapon that requires exotic weapons, you're not trained in it unless you have another specialization in that one, too.  A quirk of the 6we rules is you can only ever have 1 specialization and 1 expertise in a skill, but due to the way Exotic Weapons skill works you're not limited in the number of specializations you may have.  So you don't lock yourself out of all other weapons by picking a specialization.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

markelphoenix

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« Reply #6 on: <08-12-19/2036:31> »
Most skills are what 5e called skill groups.  Firearms covers all guns, and if you specialize in SMGs you still are as good with all other guns as the base skill rating.

Exotic Weapons is an exception.  It MUST have a specialization, and the base skill doesn't convey any dice towards other exotic weapons.  For example, if you have Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) you're still untrained in Grenade Launchers.

So, you're training a single individual weapon in Exotic Weapons. It's not like you train Melee, then Specialize in Exotic (Monofilament Whip). I.E. if I had 6 Melee with a Spec in Exotic (Monogfilament), I would roll 8 dice before adding my agility.

OR

Is it I would take an Exotic (Monofilament Whip) skill purchase, take it to say 6, then would be rolling 6 die before Agility?

Close Combat is the skill that covers blades, clubs, unarmed attacks, etc.  If you have Close Combat (Unarmed) 6, you roll 6+Agility dice for blades and clubs and 6+2+Agility for unarmed attacks.

Exotic Weapons works the same way inside its specialization.  If you have Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) 6 you roll 6+2+Agility when attacking with Monofilament whips.  If you pick up another weapon that requires exotic weapons, you're not trained in it unless you have another specialization in that one, too.  A quirk of the 6we rules is you can only ever have 1 specialization and 1 expertise in a skill, but due to the way Exotic Weapons skill works you're not limited in the number of specializations you may have.  So you don't lock yourself out of all other weapons by picking a specialization.

Weird...yet interesting....

So, you have to Buy Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) to 1, then pay for Specialization immediately, then raise the skill normally?

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #7 on: <08-12-19/2043:34> »
Yes.

Of course, if you improve your Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) to 6, then when you buy (Grenade Launcher) or whatever, it's ALSO at 6 (before specialization bonus).
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Hephaestus

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« Reply #8 on: <08-12-19/2140:36> »
Yes.

Of course, if you improve your Exotic Weapons (Monofilament Whips) to 6, then when you buy (Grenade Launcher) or whatever, it's ALSO at 6 (before specialization bonus).

So that leads to a good question. How detailed are the specializations intended to be (not GM fiat, but RAW)? If I have a Street Sam that gets an MGL-12, is it intended to be Specialization (MGL-12) or just Specialization (grenade launchers)?

FastJack

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« Reply #9 on: <08-12-19/2215:36> »
Good question to pass on to Errata, I'm not sure Whip/Monofilament Whip falls under Exotic Weapons. It's grouped with the "Other" melee weapons in the gear chapter, and the heading text implies it's part of the Close Combat skill. I'll pass it on to Errata to see if we can get an official word on that.

As for the Exotic Weapons skill, it sounds like it is all ranged from the Combat section that lists off blow-guns, lasers, assault cannons*, and grenade/missile launchers as the Exotics. I believe it should be the "generic" type of the weapon as the specialization, since the archetype for the Weapon Specialist has Exotic Weapons (launchers)

*Which raises another point about Assault Cannons, since the Panther is listed under Machine Guns and not Exotics in Gear; passing this on to Errata as well.

markelphoenix

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« Reply #10 on: <08-13-19/0816:48> »
Good question to pass on to Errata, I'm not sure Whip/Monofilament Whip falls under Exotic Weapons. It's grouped with the "Other" melee weapons in the gear chapter, and the heading text implies it's part of the Close Combat skill. I'll pass it on to Errata to see if we can get an official word on that.

As for the Exotic Weapons skill, it sounds like it is all ranged from the Combat section that lists off blow-guns, lasers, assault cannons*, and grenade/missile launchers as the Exotics. I believe it should be the "generic" type of the weapon as the specialization, since the archetype for the Weapon Specialist has Exotic Weapons (launchers)

*Which raises another point about Assault Cannons, since the Panther is listed under Machine Guns and not Exotics in Gear; passing this on to Errata as well.

Yeah, kind of curious about this. Would love for it to be fleshed out. Would be quirky fun to play an Exotic Weapons Guru, with all the pain that comes with their weapons not being standard off shelf found everywhere normal.

markelphoenix

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« Reply #11 on: <08-13-19/0818:47> »
Back to Laser Weapons that started the whole thing, one of the main advantages of Laser weapons was armor reduction in prior editions, from what I recall. Given the lesser role Armor has to play in Soak (i.e. none), were Lasers updated to account for that? Do they still affect Armor, reducing the Defense Rating of target for Edge generation? Is that a surefire way to guarantee Edge from attacking against those in Cover? Does it bypass Hardened Armor (or immunity on summons)?

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #12 on: <08-13-19/0824:16> »
We'll see when the gun-book comes out if it contains Laser Weapons, and how they'll work. I'd expect a really high AR to represent bypassing Armor, not sure if it will impact autohits.
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FastJack

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« Reply #13 on: <08-13-19/0826:07> »
Lasers are not listed in the Gear for the CRB, so we don't have those answers yet.