Decerning phaser setting.

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ericphillips
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Decerning phaser setting.

Post by ericphillips »

Do you think a character can tell the difference between stun, kill and disrupt settings on a phaser by seeing/hearing the shot? I would think so, but what would you roll (d20 version).

Mainly, this is to help warn the players of the severity of a scene, and to teach them that their choices illicit response, "They have shot at you at stun and missed. You set your phaser to kill and fire. Now, the return fire is set to kill."
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Post by Scoutdad »

I'll give you three answers... selet the one that best fits... :)

1) GM's perogative: If the adventure is enhanced by this ability, then yes - the setting can be discerned. Just remember to be consistent. If the setting can be discerned today, when it's beneficial - it can also be discerned next month, when it's not so beneficial...

2) Emperical data: Toy phasers have always played a different tone / sound when the setting knob is adjusted. Porting this feature into the game would indicate that yes, with experience one could learn to discern the various settings. Possibly allow a skill check to determine the relative sucess rate.

3) Poor memory skills: I seem to recall that the phasers used in TOS made slightly different sounds when used at differnet settings. See above for in-game effects.
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Post by djdood »

If I was GM'ing, I'd limit this skill to only those with military or police experience (i.e. they've been in combat or on firing ranges a lot).

Your average rogue-ish merchant wouldn't have heard enough phaser fire in their career to know the difference, in my opinion.
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Post by Scoutdad »

djdood wrote:Your average rogue-ish merchant wouldn't have heard enough phaser fire in their career to know the difference, in my opinion.
You've obviously never met some of my kin-folk.

They ain't never served in no military... but they done had enuff revenewers fire at 'em that they all reckon they kin tell a .45 from a 9 mil from a 30.06 just by the way the bullet whines as it passes 'em. :shock:

I'm relatively certain a rogue'ish enough merchant could perform similar feats of discerning with regards to the output of an energy weapon.
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Post by djdood »

True, but average towny couldn't.

My kin must be related to yer kin, since in Montana they use a rifle butt to swat yer behind when yer first born.
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Post by Scoutdad »

My out-laws... errr, in-laws; I mean in-laws... just pour a shot of moonshine down a newborn's gullet to kick start the motor... :wink:
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Post by terryoc »

When phasers are outlawed, only outlaws will have phasers.
When marriage is outlawed, only outlaws will have in-laws.
"Captain" Terry O'Carroll, fourteen papers published including six best of issue
"Man, Terry, you are like a loophole seeking missle!" - Mike West
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Post by djdood »

lol!
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