Internal Fragmentation?

[Tallor]

In a setting like Reign of Steel, you fight a lot of armor, and you do your best to punch through it and hit the soft stuff inside. APHEX rounds in particular would be quite effective, since they can explode inside the robot after penetrating armor.

My question is, however--how many fragments actually "hit" in an internal explosion? I would guess "all of them"...

[Nereidalbel]

They still have a skill of 15 for hitting targets. I'd just treat a frag going off internally as if the die result were a 3. So, a LOT of hits on the poor sap, who will also act as cover DR for everybody else who should be taking fragmentation.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Tallor

In
My question is, however--how many fragments actually "hit" in an internal explosion? I would guess "all of them"...

Sure, but we are not told how many fragments "all of them" is.

Trying to look at this from basic principles the thing that catches my eye is than in an internal explosion situation the concussion wave and the fragments have little or no opportunity to separate. The fragments are simply propelled at the edge of the wave.

So for my own House Rule I would just use the Concussion damage and then modify it for the possible benefits of the fragments.

In an elastic tissue situation the fragments are inflicting Cutting damage at the edge of what would otherwise be only a temporary cavity.

In an Unliving target the fragments give the explosion hard objects to try and push through resistant surfaces.

Something as simple as taking the Concussion damage (x3 for internal explosion) and multiplying it x 1.5 for Cutting might cover these effects adequately.

[sir_pudding]

You could treat it as a contact firearm shot, and roll versus skill +4 (so 19?) with no range modifier (but no increased critical chance), or even +8 (since it is also technically All-Out; with +4 counting towards critical hits).

[Tallor]

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

They still have a skill of 15 for hitting targets. I'd just treat a frag going off internally as if the die result were a 3. So, a LOT of hits on the poor sap, who will also act as cover DR for everybody else who should be taking fragmentation.

A crit hit of 3 vs 15. That could work as a good model! According to Campaigns p.415, fragments have Rcl 3, so that would be... 5 hits?

That's a lot of hits! And with a minimum 1 cutting for each bit of damage, that's a ton of destruction! o:

[sir_pudding]

I would be extremely reluctant to give away free critical hits (especially on something that already is doing internal explosion damage!).

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I would be extremely reluctant to give away free critical hits (especially on something that already is doing internal explosion damage!).

Only the first fragment gets the bonus from a critical hit. The rest roll damage normally. Of course, there's no dodging the internal fragments...