[MA] Silent Sentry Removal

[Xplo]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Speaking of grappling to silence, anyone got an estimate which line on the sound volume table is occupied by a human screaming/yelling, and a human muffled but trying to scream/yell?
Edit: oh, shouting is 90 dB(A) line. Still wonder what about a muffled shout.

I think people being stabbed tend to gasp, not shout... but someone trying to yell HMMMF HMM!! through someone's hand is probably a bit louder than normal conversation.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Tell us more? Or PM me if you don't want to discuss it in forum?

What do you want to know? The world is TL6ish but very much unlike ours. We are given 200 points, allowed moderate cinematic stuff, all trait restrictions as per RAW unless stated otherwise, homebrew magic system very vaguely based on Impulse Buys (and I'm not touching magic with a Reach 2,3 stick). Our characters are supposed to be elité specialists-for-hire, preferably with a cool reputation, some of them being mercenaries in the military sense. I went for high Per, HT, Stealth and some other stuff, and am refining the details. Having high Stealth, I figured I should get acquainted with the methods and chances of sentry removal, since it's one of the way in which I might be able to shine.
(Currently, a quiet shot from some distance, and a choke from up close, seem like the best methods, but having a modest Choke Hold 6 at the start of the campaign, I'll have to rely on sneaking up with an All-Out Telegraphic attack, and spend a use of Luck if the dice come up 15+. But I figure I can raise skills later.)

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

The world is TL6ish but very much unlike ours...

Sounds like fun. I am growing fond of TL5-7 as a period when one can have good equipment, and somewhat modern motivations, but technology is not so dominant. Will there be a session log or transcripts?

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by johndallman

Sounds like fun. I am growing fond of TL5-7 as a period when one can have good equipment, and somewhat modern motivations, but technology is not so dominant. Will there be a session log or transcripts?

We as a group found translating sessions somewhat straining to maintain. (Plus, frankly, I think that back in THS, the posted transcripts were interesting for too few people, and even occasionally annoying for some.)

Also, there's a chance that all the stuff we're discussing in this thread won't be ever played out in a second-by-second detail, and used as mere guidelines for figuring the good and bad outcomes for ad hoc quick-resolution rolls of some sort (it happened like that more than once in THS-Eggshell).

Of the traits of the world, some of it is pretty hard to accept without blinking:
The main part of the setting spans a North-America-sized archipelago of islands, with about 8 cultures, largely balkanized but with only rather small-scale wars (and pretty calm in the last few years).
Advanced gliders, but not full-fledged self-powered heavier-than-air craft. Zeppelins. Esoteric Medicine is a thing and it is even studied scientifically.
Races that (surely deliberately) look like mutually-compatible econiche parahumans.
Radio underdeveloped and constantly facing difficulties due to natural phenomena interference.

There's a TL7 state / cluster in the setting, but higher-tech export is very very restricted, so I only got TL7 clothes, a patrol sling, and a specialised medical item from them. So no, water-filled silencers aren't an option for me.

Oh, and yes, lack of mature TL6 radios seems like a good thing for sneaky sentry removal, since nobody gets to quickly report a missing guard.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

We as a group found translating sessions somewhat straining to maintain.

Perfectly reasonable.

Advanced gliders, but not full-fledged self-powered heavier-than-air craft. Zeppelins.

That does seem a bit unlikely, but it's off-topic for this thread.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

It seems reasonably straightforward with Sound Of One Hand Grappling (MA): since the penalty to initiate a lock or choke with one hand is -2, doing it with two arms but only one hand would be at -1 as the only possible mid-range value. The choke hold I know doesn't rely on the right hand having fingers*, so having them occupied by a knife doesn't seem to be a factor for the ST-based rolls to choke the target. (I'm talking about a right-handed attacker.) After initiating the choke - i.e. once the target started losing FP from suffocation, we don't try to do any MoS-based damage, and go for knifing. Sure, if we tried to choke, we'd be using half ST, so we just don't care. If the target tries to break free, we have to suffer a straight (one-handed) Quick Contest of ST adjusted for Wrestling and/or Power Grappling.

The question is whether the extra risk of breaking free on subsequent turns is worth the stab to the Vitals.

* == I suspect e.g. TKD can prove how little I know and give examples.

I'm referring to current grappling rules, i.e. GURPS Technical Grappling. While it provides new mechanisms for actual one-handed grappling, I didn't find anything about using the crook of the arm while holding a knife.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Speaking of grappling to silence, anyone got an estimate which line on the sound volume table is occupied by a human screaming/yelling, and a human muffled but trying to scream/yell?
Edit: oh, shouting is 90 dB(A) line. Still wonder what about a muffled shout.

I'd say that any grapple of the relevant area takes it down one level to 80 dB and then maybe every 2 CPs take it down a further level, down to a minimum of 60 dB.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Icelander

I'm referring to current grappling rules, i.e. GURPS Technical Grappling. While it provides new mechanisms for actual one-handed grappling, I didn't find anything about using the crook of the arm while holding a knife.

This is what Pass Limb is for, btw. Securing body parts while freeing hands.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by DouglasCole

This is what Pass Limb is for, btw. Securing body parts while freeing hands.

Yes, but what about initiating a grapple while carrying a knife in one hand, intending to stab with the knife in the next second? You're using more than just one arm to grapple, but you are missing the grasping appendage on one of them.

It ought to allow you to use higher ST than just one arm, but lower than two arms with grasping hands.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by Icelander

Yes, but what about initiating a grapple while carrying a knife in one hand, intending to stab with the knife in the next second? You're using more than just one arm to grapple, but you are missing the grasping appendage on one of them.

It ought to allow you to use higher ST than just one arm, but lower than two arms with grasping hands.

70% of two handed ST seems fair.