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Old 06-05-2018, 03:14 AM   #82
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: (Unofficial) FAQ of the GURPS Fora

Q: I'm confused about how various conditions affect explosions (contact, internal etc.). How is explosion damage modified depending on the situation?
A:
Here's Kromm's view summary of explosion conditions:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
At any rate, do note the progression:
  • At distance: Damage is ×1, divided by (10 × distance in yards) in vacuum, (3 × distance in yards) in air, (2 × distance in yards) for FAE in air, or (distance in yards) in water. Use this for distant combat explosions.
  • At touch on exterior: Damage is ×1. Use this for direct hits in combat.
  • Tamped or shaped on exterior (High-Tech, pp. 182-183): Halves explosive weight needed. Effectively, damage is ×1.4. Use this for most demolition.
  • Fully contained on exterior (p. B415): Maximum damage. Effectively, damage is ×1.7. Use this for demolition where explosive is in gap or applied over full surface of object.
  • Internal (p. B415): Wounding, and effectively damage, is ×3. Use this for explosive bullets in flesh, for instance. In the head (e.g., cyberpunk brain-bombs), use ×4! For targets with No Vitals or Homogenous, treat as tamped (×1.4) only.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kromm View Post
Yeah, in the brain, use ×4. And no, don't use maximum damage for this. The ×3 or ×4 for being inside someone is instead of that. "Maximum damage" is just a way to avoid saying "×12/7."
The thing that eluded me for a while was that when some books say 'in contact', they actually mean 'in contact with both the target and another surface on the opposite side from the target side' ('fully contained on exterior').
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Last edited by vicky_molokh; 06-05-2018 at 03:17 AM.
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