Return of the MNSH (Murderous Ninja Sniper Halfling)

[RobW]

The 40pt version:
ST4 DX23 IQ13
Talents: Tactics, Strategist, Running, Thrown weapons, Sha-ken, Weapon Mastery (Sha-ken)
Inventory: Bags of sha-ken
Armour: none

Shrewdly throws 12 sha-ken each turn.
adjDX before range = 23 + 2 (thrown weapons) - 8 (for 12 sha-ken) - 4 (shrewd) = 13

Damage for each sha-ken = 1d-2 + 2 (mastery) + 1d+2 (shrewd) = 2d+2

At a range of 3 hexes, expected chance to hit per sha-ken = 50% = 6 successful strikes per turn
Expected damage per strike = 9

Expected damage per turn:
If target has 0 armor = 54 damage taken per turn = dead
1 armor = 48 = dead
2 armor = 42 = dead
..
6 armor = 18 = dead
7 armor = 12 = dead, OR knocked down and dead next turn
8 armor = 6 = don't care about MNSH

Note this doesn't count possibility of 2x and 3x damage, which is significant when you have 12 chances to hit. Yet critical misses have no more impact than a regular miss.

[larsdangly]

I believe we previously established that you can't make an aimed shot with more than 1 Sha Ken. I haven't checked the wording in the book, but I don't need to in order to know I would rule by the transitive property of sane rulings the same applies to shrewd attacks.

[RobW]

Originally Posted by larsdangly

I believe we previously established that you can't make an aimed shot with more than 1 Sha Ken. I haven't checked the wording in the book, but I don't need to in order to know I would rule by the transitive property of sane rulings the same applies to shrewd attacks.

Aimed attacks are explicitly limited to single sha-ken. However, shrewd attacks are not limited in this way, although obviously we are all welcome to our house (sanity???!!) rules. Note that the current top build in the 40pt category in the 1-v-1 sim is a fencer who makes two shrewd attacks per turn.

[Skarg]

The anti-MNSH house rule response that comes to my mind is about like:

* I think neither "master" talents nor "shrewd" attacks are available for ranged attacks. The "mastery" available for ranged attacks is not "Sha-Ken Master" but Thrown Weapons and Missile Weapons, not both. (A GM might decide they do want to allow that, but I'd hope they'd require serious in-play time & training to get there, NOT "my character starts with IQ 13 and already has thrown weapons, sha-ken, and expert and master sha-ken").

* I would add a maximum amount of injury resulting from a sha-ken hit anyway (especially when thrown in handfuls), probably 1 point of injury. Roll damage to see if it gets past shield/armor, but no more than 1 damage per sha-ken.

* I'd want players to explain/demonstrate to my satisfaction how they are carrying/wearing and quickly readying 12 sha-ken at a time.

[hcobb]

Page 41: "Expertise applies only to hand weapons, but see the Missile Weapons skill. ... Bonus to damage. An Expert does +1 damage with weapons of the type, including thrown attacks if the weapon is throwable."

I.e. only the +1 damage applies to thrown attacks.

[Skarg]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Page 41: "Expertise applies only to hand weapons, but see the Missile Weapons skill. ... Bonus to damage. An Expert does +1 damage with weapons of the type, including thrown attacks if the weapon is throwable."

I.e. only the +1 damage applies to thrown attacks.

Yes, and Sha-Ken is not a hand weapon, so whether there even is an Expert or Master talents available for it seems dubious to me.