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Old 05-30-2016, 10:29 PM   #1
Tallor
 
Join Date: May 2016
Default How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Simply put, I'm not sure how to convert a bullet from "7d pi, solid" into a LE, HE, HEAT, etc round.
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Old 05-30-2016, 10:47 PM   #2
Kale
 
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Explosive rounds do some version of pi damage then have explosive damage as a follow-up attack. The amount of explosive damage depends on the caliber of the bullet. You really only get useful amounts of explosive with something as fat as a shotgun slug though; most small arms are going to be doing 1d or less explosive damage. For targets resistant to pi, however, the extra bit of exp can make a big difference. In living targets it also counts as a vitals hit so the explosive portion of the damage is x3.
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Old 05-30-2016, 10:48 PM   #3
Ulzgoroth
 
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallor View Post
Simply put, I'm not sure how to convert a bullet from "7d pi, solid" into a LE, HE, HEAT, etc round.
You can't. There's not really any way you ever could.

The good way to get stats for an explosive bullet is to find it in High Tech.

The less convenient but okay way is to find its real-world stats, and determine game stats accordingly. There exist formulas to get damage from ballistic info, and the stats will include the weight and type of explosive which you can plug in to the usual formulas to determine the explosive damage. Note that fragmentation damage is consistently 1d/20mm diameter.

The terrible way is to find the weight of the solid bullet from a real source (since HT has weight per shot, not projectile weight), multiply by a percentage explosive guessed to fit the parameters on HT169-170, figure explosive damage from that, fragmentation damage per my note above if appropriate, and ballistic damage by the directions for the type. For SEFOP, HEAT, or HESH, the instructions are even less useful and you have no real option but to look for real stats.
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Old 05-30-2016, 10:56 PM   #4
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

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Originally Posted by Kale View Post
In living targets it also counts as a vitals hit so the explosive portion of the damage is x3.
No restriction to living targets, it certainly also counts in unliving targets without No Vitals. It might count even against targets that don't have vitals. The rule text does suggest it shouldn't, but the reality of blowing solids apart by planting explosives in them (reenforced in High Tech's section on demolitions) makes that odd.
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Old 05-30-2016, 11:08 PM   #5
Tallor
 
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

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Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth View Post
You can't. There's not really any way you ever could.

The good way to get stats for an explosive bullet is to find it in High Tech.

The less convenient but okay way is to find its real-world stats, and determine game stats accordingly. There exist formulas to get damage from ballistic info, and the stats will include the weight and type of explosive which you can plug in to the usual formulas to determine the explosive damage. Note that fragmentation damage is consistently 1d/20mm diameter.

The terrible way is to find the weight of the solid bullet from a real source (since HT has weight per shot, not projectile weight), multiply by a percentage explosive guessed to fit the parameters on HT169-170, figure explosive damage from that, fragmentation damage per my note above if appropriate, and ballistic damage by the directions for the type. For SEFOP, HEAT, or HESH, the instructions are even less useful and you have no real option but to look for real stats.
I'm confused why there's a cornucopia of explosive bullets in the book with no way to use them... :/
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Old 05-30-2016, 11:10 PM   #6
Calvin
 
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallor View Post
Simply put, I'm not sure how to convert a bullet from "7d pi, solid" into a LE, HE, HEAT, etc round.
You need the high tech book, but it contains everything you'll need.

First step is to pick the type of explosive round from the ammunition section. Each one states how much of the projectile by mass is taken up by the explosive filler. It also includes the other statistical information you'll need.

Second is to determine the mass of the projectile. The easiest way to do this is look up the specific round on wikipedia. The projectile weight is usually easy to find in the sidebar.

From there you figure out how much explosive that gives you to work with. If the projectile weighs 10 grams, and the type of explosive ammo allows for 15% explosive filler then you can have 1.5 grams of explosive. (These weights are just an example, and are probably on the low side)

Fourth is to pick the type of explosive from the explosives section of the book. Ideally you just pick the one with the highest available REF (Depending on TL and LC)

Finally, you just figure the explosive damage for that weight of that specific type of explosive. Write it down as a linked or follow up attack depending on the type of explosive ammo and you're done.
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Old 05-30-2016, 11:16 PM   #7
Tallor
 
Join Date: May 2016
Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Calvin View Post
You need the high tech book, but it contains everything you'll need.

First step is to pick the type of explosive round from the ammunition section. Each one states how much of the projectile by mass is taken up by the explosive filler. It also includes the other statistical information you'll need.

Second is to determine the mass of the projectile. The easiest way to do this is look up the specific round on wikipedia. The projectile weight is usually easy to find in the sidebar.

From there you figure out how much explosive that gives you to work with. If the projectile weighs 10 grams, and the type of explosive ammo allows for 15% explosive filler then you can have 1.5 grams of explosive. (These weights are just an example, and are probably on the low side)

Fourth is to pick the type of explosive from the explosives section of the book. Ideally you just pick the one with the highest available REF (Depending on TL and LC)

Finally, you just figure the explosive damage for that weight of that specific type of explosive. Write it down as a linked or follow up attack depending on the type of explosive ammo and you're done.

I'll make a spreadsheet!
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Old 05-30-2016, 11:26 PM   #8
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallor View Post
I'm confused why there's a cornucopia of explosive bullets in the book with no way to use them... :/
The reason is that examples of all these explosive rounds are in there and need rules.

Most of these are not explosive "bullets" but artillery projectile options or rocket warheads. You can't simply apply them to small calibre rounds. Look at the descriptions, I've made sure to include "minimum calibre" in each and every entry. Worked examples can be found in High-Tech, High-Tech: Adventure Guns and High-Tech: Pulp Guns. By and large, those are the only ones that actually exist.

Cheers

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Old 05-30-2016, 11:30 PM   #9
Ulzgoroth
 
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Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tallor View Post
I'm confused why there's a cornucopia of explosive bullets in the book with no way to use them... :/
There's a cornucopia of actual explosive shells, and occasionally bullets, in the weapons sections.

The list of projectile types is primarily descriptive. The provided rules text is only sometimes usable, and if the projectile you're modeling actually exists you probably shouldn't use the text even if you could.
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Old 05-31-2016, 12:13 AM   #10
Tallor
 
Join Date: May 2016
Default Re: How Do I Calculate Explosive Bullet Damage?

Quote:
Originally Posted by HANS View Post
The reason is that examples of all these explosive rounds are in there and need rules.

Most of these are not explosive "bullets" but artillery projectile options or rocket warheads. You can't simply apply them to small calibre rounds. Look at the descriptions, I've made sure to include "minimum calibre" in each and every entry. Worked examples can be found in High-Tech, High-Tech: Adventure Guns and High-Tech: Pulp Guns. By and large, those are the only ones that actually exist.

Cheers

HANS
Oh wait you're the Hans. Well I feel silly!
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