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Old 06-23-2017, 05:19 AM   #1
vicky_molokh
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Default [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Greetings, all!

I remember that drills and rotary hammers treat wooden, brick and stone obstacles as [semi-]ablative. However, I do not remember any similar notes about gradually cutting metal obstacles, even for things like the plasma torch (which does burning damage). So my questions are:
  • Am I missing a rule about torches doing corrosion damage instead of burning when focusing on a single section of a hull/wall/door/etc.?
  • If not, how does one cut down through metal armour and doors, since those tend to have non-ablative DR that increases with thickness.

Thanks in advance!
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Old 06-23-2017, 06:21 AM   #2
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
(...)
  • Am I missing a rule about torches doing corrosion damage instead of burning when focusing on a single section of a hull/wall/door/etc.?
Not that I'm aware of.

Quote:
  • If not, how does one cut down through metal armour and doors, since those tend to have non-ablative DR that increases with thickness.
(...)
Cutting Cord?
Thermite?

(or UT-equivalents.)


ADDENDUM:

Found it. Pyramid #3/51: Tech and Toys III has REF values for ultra-tech explosives, and even Nanoscale Thermite in Ultra-Tech Too.
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Last edited by Imion; 06-23-2017 at 07:01 AM.
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Old 06-23-2017, 08:54 AM   #3
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Greetings, all!

I remember that drills and rotary hammers treat wooden, brick and stone obstacles as [semi-]ablative. However, I do not remember any similar notes about gradually cutting metal obstacles, even for things like the plasma torch (which does burning damage). So my questions are:
  • Am I missing a rule about torches doing corrosion damage instead of burning when focusing on a single section of a hull/wall/door/etc.?
  • If not, how does one cut down through metal armour and doors, since those tend to have non-ablative DR that increases with thickness.

Thanks in advance!
Ablative or even perhaps semi-ablative is implied in some descriptive text attached to such devices but never made into a general rule. I would make such a general rule.
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Old 06-23-2017, 08:56 AM   #4
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Given that these are tools, not weapons, it seems reasonable for them to treat metal as semi-ablative outside of combat, otherwise they would be useless as tools.
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Old 06-23-2017, 10:29 AM   #5
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Watch some videos of plasma torches piercing and cutting shapes in thick steel. The following is obviously not RAW - but should work:

Assign an AD to the torch and let damage accumulate for every second it is on the start point until it over comes the DR. Assign a speed the torch can move while it cuts through that thickness of steel in inches per minute. Roll a successful Operation roll to continue to achieve that rate of progress. Once the metal is pierced the metal adjacent to the hole is hot and the plasma does not have to work on much surface area to bring it to melting point as it travels.
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Old 06-23-2017, 11:06 AM   #6
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Realistically, there should probably be a general rule for drilling (and sawing) that applies to any damage type in situations where the weapon can be held in a constant position against the target (or if you can continually hit the same point, which is probably comparable to targeting chinks in armor); there's a minimum threshold below which you can't drill at all, but as long as you can damage the surface at all you'll eventually get through.
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Old 06-23-2017, 05:26 PM   #7
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
Greetings, all!

I remember that drills and rotary hammers treat wooden, brick and stone obstacles as [semi-]ablative. However, I do not remember any similar notes about gradually cutting metal obstacles, even for things like the plasma torch (which does burning damage). So my questions are:
  • Am I missing a rule about torches doing corrosion damage instead of burning when focusing on a single section of a hull/wall/door/etc.?
  • If not, how does one cut down through metal armour and doors, since those tend to have non-ablative DR that increases with thickness.

Thanks in advance!
Basic Set p.559:
"Repeated impaling, piercing, and large
piercing attacks against the same small spot
(an area with SM 0 or less) lower DR at that
specific point as if it were semi-ablative;
repeated burning, corrosion, crushing, cutting,
or huge piercing attacks at that same spot
reduce DR at that point as if it were ablative."
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Old 06-24-2017, 12:20 AM   #8
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Quote:
Originally Posted by safisher View Post
Basic Set p.559:
"Repeated impaling, piercing, and large
piercing attacks against the same small spot
(an area with SM 0 or less) lower DR at that
specific point as if it were semi-ablative;
repeated burning, corrosion, crushing, cutting,
or huge piercing attacks at that same spot
reduce DR at that point as if it were ablative."
That's an effect that applies to wood, stone, brick and concrete. I'm looking for cutting through huge metal obstacles.
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Old 06-24-2017, 05:59 AM   #9
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Quote:
Originally Posted by vicky_molokh View Post
That's an effect that applies to wood, stone, brick and concrete. I'm looking for cutting through huge metal obstacles.
Nothing in the text says that this only applies to wood and stone, only that wood and stone have a cap on how much DR can be ablated. The lack of a minimum DR for metals seems like an oversight, however.
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Old 06-24-2017, 07:47 AM   #10
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Default Re: [UT] Plasma Torch vs. big metal door on a spaceship?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nereidalbel View Post
Nothing in the text says that this only applies to wood and stone, only that wood and stone have a cap on how much DR can be ablated. The lack of a minimum DR for metals seems like an oversight, however.
That * sign in the beginning of the paragraph on page 559 is a footnote from page 558. Notice that the DRs of wooden, concrete, stone and brick objects come with an *.
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