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Old 03-06-2016, 02:26 PM   #1
Ottriman
 
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Default Permeation (Metal) and metal armor

A quick question, Permeation in basic set says that commonality is based on how likely you are to encounter the material as a barrier, fair enough. However Metal is in the same commonality class as stone despite walls being almost never made of solid metal.

So I am wondering why the hell metal is described as being as common as stone and earth in this regard. I had the idea that barrier could also mean armor which would make a certain kind of sense, however the fact that this ability provides no protection from metal makes me less sure about that.
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Old 03-06-2016, 02:33 PM   #2
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

Concrete is often reinforced with steel rebar. Steel girders are fundemental to skyscraper construction, and walls tend to be laced with metal wiring and pipes.

Cars.

But leaving the mundane behind: steel doors. Steel safes. All kinds of hardened areas are steel plated.
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Old 03-06-2016, 02:58 PM   #3
Ottriman
 
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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Originally Posted by Bruno View Post
Concrete is often reinforced with steel rebar. Steel girders are fundemental to skyscraper construction, and walls tend to be laced with metal wiring and pipes.

Cars.

But leaving the mundane behind: steel doors. Steel safes. All kinds of hardened areas are steel plated.
reinforcing with metal does not make it a metal wall, you could only permutate through a tiny part of any sizeable wall, unlike stone.

and sorry if I didn't clarify this before but its for a low tech setting, where large metal items/barriers are even rarer than today.
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Old 03-06-2016, 03:28 PM   #4
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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Originally Posted by Ottriman View Post
reinforcing with metal does not make it a metal wall
Wrapping rebar in concrete doesn't make the rebar into concrete. If you can't get through the rebar before the concrete is poured, you can't get through it after the concrete is poured either.

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Originally Posted by Ottriman View Post
and sorry if I didn't clarify this before but its for a low tech setting, where large metal items/barriers are even rarer than today.
Then make it less common for your campaign. It would be barely even relevant in a TL 0 campaign, for instance.
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Old 03-06-2016, 03:40 PM   #5
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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Originally Posted by Ottriman View Post
and sorry if I didn't clarify this before but its for a low tech setting, where large metal items/barriers are even rarer than today.
Then price it differently. The GURPS Basic set assume ANY setting (including modern ones) so if your setting has next to no metal barriers it should probably be in a different class than stone.

Although to ad some more examples to Brunos, and with focus on low-tech:

Jail bars.
Portcullis. (I know I know, historically they where often steelreinforced wood, but in a lot of fiction -most movies- they are all metal).
Shackles.
An iron maiden.
Cage.
And in A LOT of fantasy games Iron-doors or gates are very common.
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Old 03-06-2016, 03:43 PM   #6
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

Btw. No this ability offers no protection against metal weapons but see Power Dodge in GURPS: Powers.
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Old 03-06-2016, 03:48 PM   #7
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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Btw. No this ability offers no protection against metal weapons but see Power Dodge in GURPS: Powers.
I know that, it just stumped me on how permeation(metal) would interact with metal armor.
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Old 03-06-2016, 04:32 PM   #8
Lia Valenth
 
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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I know that, it just stumped me on how permeation(metal) would interact with metal armor.
I could see the argument that it could make metal armor faster to don (assuming you have the Can Carry enhancement so you can bring the padding with you).
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Old 03-06-2016, 04:47 PM   #9
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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Originally Posted by Lia Valenth View Post
I could see the argument that it could make metal armor faster to don (assuming you have the Can Carry enhancement so you can bring the padding with you).
I think mail is mostly put on like regular clothes. But plate, I think, takes forever with all the fiddly straps and fasteners.
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Old 03-06-2016, 04:49 PM   #10
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Default Re: Permeation(Metal) and metal armor

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Originally Posted by Ottriman View Post
So I am wondering why the hell metal is described as being as common as stone and earth in this regard. I had the idea that barrier could also mean armor which would make a certain kind of sense, however the fact that this ability provides no protection from metal makes me less sure about that.
Gates, however, do tend to be metal. No jails for you! But yes, if you're in a setting where metal structures tend to be quite rare, feel free to make Permeation (Metal) drop down a commonality level or two.
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