Converting 3e guns to 4e

[Anders]

Thank you both!

I especially like the Assault weapons in Cyberworld, which have Acc in the 500 to 1000 range. I suspect a typo. :)

[copeab]

Originally Posted by Anders

Thank you both!

I especially like the Assault weapons in Cyberworld, which have Acc in the 500 to 1000 range. I suspect a typo. :)

That could have been a formatting issue, with those being the 1/2D ranges. Check the number to the immediate left of these.

(i used to have Cyberworld but lent it to a friend and never got it back), so I can't look myself)

[Anders]

Yeah, it's a formatting issue.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Anders

Thank you both!

I especially like the Assault weapons in Cyberworld, which have Acc in the 500 to 1000 range. I suspect a typo. :)

I know it's a mistake, but you'd need a huge acc to shoot at the limits of some of the Ultra-Tech lasers like the heavy graser pistol with a range of 150 miles. :)

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

I know it's a mistake, but you'd need a huge acc to shoot at the limits of some of the Ultra-Tech lasers like the heavy graser pistol with a range of 150 miles. :)

Even with it's listed Acc 6, someone with reasonable (Beams-12) skill has about a one in four chance of hitting a 3-million ton spaceship with that pistol. They'd have no trouble at all with the graser rifle.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Rupert

Even with it's listed Acc 6, someone with reasonable (Beams-12) skill has about a one in four chance of hitting a 3-million ton spaceship with that pistol. They'd have no trouble at all with the graser rifle.

150 miles is at -31 according to the speed/range table (B550). How does somebody with a blog-standard graser heavy pistol with no other equipment hit a spaceship?

SM 15 brings it down to -16.

Acc brings this down to -10.

Their effective skill is 2. A handful of other modifiers might bring this up a bit.

2 more turns of aiming brings this up to 4.

I really can't see anything useful here. Besides, I was thinking of a smaller target. And an SM 15 ship has at least 500 points of DR.

[copeab]

Originally Posted by DangerousThing

I know it's a mistake, but you'd need a huge acc to shoot at the limits of some of the Ultra-Tech lasers like the heavy graser pistol with a range of 150 miles. :)

I'd like to see the telescopic sight required for that shot :)

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by copeab

I'd like to see the telescopic sight required for that shot :)

The Acc 6 indicates it would require a x64 scope to get the maximum of a further +6; such would probably be as large as, if not larger than, the grazer itself. Aiming for 3 seconds would normally get you to Acc+2; you need to Aim for at least 6 seconds for the full +6 of the scope, and a total of +14 (+6 Acc, +2 for additional seconds of Aim, +6 for scope). Spending a full 90 seconds aiming, and making all of the relevant rolls, can get you a further +5 for Precision Aiming, a total of +19. Optionally, a rangefinder could give a further +3, but really the grazer's Acc should already have the rangefinder accounted for (the weapon needs to know the range to focus the laser to be effective against the target). That drops the net penalty from -31 to -12; you'd need to be aiming at an SM+12 target to be able to roll at Beam Weapons +0. A vehicle of that size is likely to have DR 150 or more (probably more; 150 is for a streamlined spaceship with a single module of steel armor on each section, and I suspect most at TL 12 would be markedly better armored than that); considering you're beyond 1/2D at that point, you cannot get past even that modest armor without a critical hit. If you assume the +6 doesn't already take the rangefinder into account, that would drop the penalty to -9, so you could hit an SM+9 target at base skill; with DR of 50, you'll sneak a little damage past the armor with each hit (an average roll results in 2 penetrating damage), but will probably run out of ammo (and air) before you manage to do anything of note.

Note that, if you consider the +3 of the rangefinder as being included, the grazer pistol may only be able to mount a +3 (x8) scope, for a -15 to hit.

[DangerousThing]

Originally Posted by Varyon

The Acc 6 indicates it would require a x64 scope to get the maximum of a further +6; such would probably be as large as, if not larger than, the grazer itself. Aiming for 3 seconds would normally get you to Acc+2; you need to Aim for at least 6 seconds for the full +6 of the scope, and a total of +14 (+6 Acc, +2 for additional seconds of Aim, +6 for scope). Spending a full 90 seconds aiming, and making all of the relevant rolls, can get you a further +5 for Precision Aiming, a total of +19. Optionally, a rangefinder could give a further +3, but really the grazer's Acc should already have the rangefinder accounted for (the weapon needs to know the range to focus the laser to be effective against the target). That drops the net penalty from -31 to -12; you'd need to be aiming at an SM+12 target to be able to roll at Beam Weapons +0. A vehicle of that size is likely to have DR 150 or more (probably more; 150 is for a streamlined spaceship with a single module of steel armor on each section, and I suspect most at TL 12 would be markedly better armored than that); considering you're beyond 1/2D at that point, you cannot get past even that modest armor without a critical hit. If you assume the +6 doesn't already take the rangefinder into account, that would drop the penalty to -9, so you could hit an SM+9 target at base skill; with DR of 50, you'll sneak a little damage past the armor with each hit (an average roll results in 2 penetrating damage), but will probably run out of ammo (and air) before you manage to do anything of note.

Note that, if you consider the +3 of the rangefinder as being included, the grazer pistol may only be able to mount a +3 (x8) scope, for a -15 to hit.

Just the graser. I wouldn't allow precision aiming for a pistol without a tripod or such. Likewise no rangefinder. Gurps Spaceships gives 50 dDR for steel armor for an sm 15 ship; that's 500 real armor.

In a real game, I would just say there was no effect. Though, I'd hope a pc would choose a better weapon with which to assault a spaceship that large.

Unless it was one of the fleet from a story I once read as a kid. The fleet was designed to scare their enemies and and most of the ships were basically tin foil.