Ultra Tech Stingrays and Surge

ericthered · 07-13-2018, 02:08 PM

I'm running a game all about ultra tech people fighting robots with robots around robots and alongside robots. I'm encouraging 40mm warheads, and we're trying to determine if Stingrays are effective or not, as well as how to actually use them.

The robots are electrical, but that only seems to matter if the PC rolls a critical hit with the attack, in which case any round would probably take them out. Does surge only apply to critical hits?

Does armor block the electrical damage? Does its composition matter? How conductive is modern ceramic armor?

Would you use stingrays in this situation? what would have to change about stingrays for you to do so*?

*as a note, we're using high tech weapons, not ultra-tech, with the exception of the non-explosive warheads.

Anthony · 07-13-2018, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

The robots are electrical, but that only seems to matter if the PC rolls a critical hit with the attack, in which case any round would probably take them out. Does surge only apply to critical hits?

Changed in the FAQ.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

Does armor block the electrical damage? Does its composition matter? How conductive is modern ceramic armor?

Yes unless the armor specifies that it doesn't, no, not at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

Would you use stingrays in this situation? what would have to change about stingrays for you to do so*?

I can't think of any situation in which I would use stingrays.

~~evileeyore~~ · 07-14-2018, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

I'm running a game all about ultra tech people fighting robots with robots around robots and alongside robots.

I was going to make a comment that some of us are flying warbots... then I realized I forgot to put Accounting on my Character sheet!

ericthered · 07-14-2018, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Anthony

Changed in the FAQ.

Yes unless the armor specifies that it doesn't, no, not at all.

I can't think of any situation in which I would use stingrays.

Thanks! thats useful!

So you can force a knockdown roll at 1/3rd damage rather than 1/2. You can also ignore armor, but you only do 2d. That's... not great compared to a 7d(10) TBB. The armor piercing is about the same, and you do three times as much damge with the HEDP.

I could see stingrays used in places where a hull breach is a really bad idea.

~~evileeyore~~ · 07-15-2018, 12:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

I could see stingrays used in places where a hull breach is a really bad idea.

Or where collateral damage would be bad. Or with a mixed target environment, bot and meat, and you're not allowed to just smoke the meat.

starslayer · 07-15-2018, 11:33 AM

Can you define stingray for your usage?

Stingrays are transmission interception devices that let you MITM supposedly encrypted comms.

That has a lot of applicability for fighting robots that use omnidirectional radio comms, but does not seem to be what your are taking about...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_phone_tracker

Fred Brackin · 07-15-2018, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by starslayer

Can you define stingray for your usage?
]

He may haver thought that the "Ultra Tech" in the thread title was enpough but I'mm pretty sure that he meant the standard ammp type on p.156 of that book.

ericthered · 07-15-2018, 01:18 PM

Yes, it's the warheads on page 156.

Loading a cell phone interceptor into a grenade launcher sounds fun, but I'm not sure if that really increases range much.

Kelly Pedersen · 07-15-2018, 01:45 PM

Don't forget that stingrays do lethal electrical damage (Ultra-Tech specifically references the Basic section that covers this, too), which has its own consequences independent of whether it's a robot you're hitting or not: they have to make an HT roll, at a penalty based on the damage inflicted, or be stunned (I'm assuming that a stingray counts as "localized" damage). So against a robot, any damage will call for an HT roll to avoid stun, 1/3 or more of its HP requires a roll to avoid shorting out and being disabled, and a critical hit will knock them unconscious with no roll to resist. All that's pretty worthwhile, I'd say, especially if you can get rapid-fire weapons and fire bursts of stingrays, requiring the above HT rolls for every bullet that hits.

~~evileeyore~~ · 07-15-2018, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ericthered

Yes, it's the warheads on page 156.

Loading a cell phone interceptor into a grenade launcher sounds fun, but I'm not sure if that really increases range much.

When you absolutely have to lob it over into the next block...

07-13-2018, 02:08 PM	#1
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Ultra Tech Stingrays and Surge I'm running a game all about ultra tech people fighting robots with robots around robots and alongside robots. I'm encouraging 40mm warheads, and we're trying to determine if Stingrays are effective or not, as well as how to actually use them. The robots are electrical, but that only seems to matter if the PC rolls a critical hit with the attack, in which case any round would probably take them out. Does surge only apply to critical hits? Does armor block the electrical damage? Does its composition matter? How conductive is modern ceramic armor? Would you use stingrays in this situation? what would have to change about stingrays for you to do so? as a note, we're using high tech weapons, not ultra-tech, with the exception of the non-explosive warheads. __________________ Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one!

07-15-2018, 11:33 AM	#6
starslayer Join Date: Dec 2006	Re: Ultra Tech Stingrays and Surge Can you define stingray for your usage? Stingrays are transmission interception devices that let you MITM supposedly encrypted comms. That has a lot of applicability for fighting robots that use omnidirectional radio comms, but does not seem to be what your are taking about... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stingray_phone_tracker

07-15-2018, 01:18 PM	#8
ericthered Hero of Democracy Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: far from the ocean	Re: Ultra Tech Stingrays and Surge Yes, it's the warheads on page 156. Loading a cell phone interceptor into a grenade launcher sounds fun, but I'm not sure if that really increases range much. __________________ Be helpful, not pedantic Worlds Beyond Earth -- my blog Check out the PbP forum! If you don't see a game you'd like, ask me about making one!

07-15-2018, 01:45 PM	#9
Kelly Pedersen Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Saskatoon, SK, Canada	Re: Ultra Tech Stingrays and Surge Don't forget that stingrays do lethal electrical damage (Ultra-Tech specifically references the Basic section that covers this, too), which has its own consequences independent of whether it's a robot you're hitting or not: they have to make an HT roll, at a penalty based on the damage inflicted, or be stunned (I'm assuming that a stingray counts as "localized" damage). So against a robot, any damage will call for an HT roll to avoid stun, 1/3 or more of its HP requires a roll to avoid shorting out and being disabled, and a critical hit will knock them unconscious with no roll to resist. All that's pretty worthwhile, I'd say, especially if you can get rapid-fire weapons and fire bursts of stingrays, requiring the above HT rolls for every bullet that hits.