Other Rules Expansions and Considerations

Most of this comprises of a few simple rule omissions or clarifications I think I found throughout the rules that I felt could be easily addressed in a line or two.  The final part is bringing forward and obscure rule for shotguns going back to Dueltrack that I would like to present as a good a valid option to represent what a shotgun can do at a short distance.  If anyone knows anywhere else there is a rule or a clarification in an ADQ&A or something that relates to shotguns at point blank range, please let me know.

Overall, let me know what you think.  Would any of these ideas make it to your games?

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Other Rules Expansions

In the standard rules, it states that a hand weapon, used in its normal fashion (shooting in most cases) and targeting a stationary vehicle at point blank range, automatically hits for 1 point of vehicular damage even if the weapon itself only damage tires or pedestrians and not vehicular components.  I think this can logically be expanded that even if the vehicle is moving and you are within point blank range, you can still deliver a point of vehicular damage but a to hit roll with all relevant modifiers is required.

I believe not allowing hollow-point ammunition for the Machine Pistol and the Derringer is a simple error of omission.  I would allow it for both weapons.

The standard Telescopic Site at $150 should not be military restricted / illegal.  Any hunter may have this on their rifle.  The High-Res version or the vehicular one, might be restricted in the arena or in certain areas, but I don't see why they have to be illegal and military access only.

Shotguns at Point Blank range

In the Chassis & Crossbow section of Dueltrack, there is a small note on the Weapons List for Shotgun. “If you are at point-blank range and hit, roll one die; on a 6, you do double damage.”  I have not seen this particular rule anywhere else.  I have also never seen it countered anywhere either.  I would keep this rule for shotguns.  In my opinion, shotguns in Car Wars are very lacking when compared to rifles and other weapons, a scope and a folding stock are about it for options.  When shotguns are so much more versatile and can be devastating at short range.  I would say also that since this is a damage determining roll, the 6 would remove 1pt of armor.

Trying to work out the PB potential double damage rule coupled with the standard rule of doing a point of vehicular damage at point blank, I came up with these numbers:

            Single Barrel Shotgun Blast

•        Normal PB – 2/1 Buckshot/Birdshot both deal 1pt Vehicular damage

•        PB roll missed - 2/1 Buckshot/Birdshot both deal 1pt Vehicular damage

•        PB roll made – 4/2 Buckshot/Birdshot both deal 2pt Vehicular damage – removing 1pt Metal

The double-barreled shotgun gets more interesting when applying the rule

            Double-barreled Shotgun Blast

•        Normal PB – 4/2 Buckshot/Birdshot both deal 1pt Vehicular damage (the double blast gets one roll and is treated as 1 shot.

•        PB roll missed – 4/2 Buckshot/Birdshot both deal 1pt Vehicular damage

•        PB roll made – 8/4 Buckshot/Birdshot both deal 2pt vehicular damage – removing 1pt Metal

Note that the PB double damage rule for shotguns does not apply to shotguns firing slugs.  Slugs turn the shotgun into s heavy bullet, low velocity, shot range, smooth bore musket.  It hits hard, but does not have the blast that a shotgun would have.  Slugs do a simple 3/1 damage per barrel and the double barrel is treated as 2 separate 3/1 shots when assessing penetration.  At point blank range, slugs may roll the 1d6 to see if a point of metal is removed on a 6.  Double barrels are treated as single shot and get a single roll.  Penetration at point blank range is something I am still working though my thoughts on. 

 More Shotgun Options

Here is where I dive into less common options for the shotgun.  However, I can see the utility of them.  If you don't want the expense of an under-barrel gyroslugger or something more direct that the grenade launcher, the under-barrel shotgun may be a good fit.  Some people would have it to have the big blast to clear the field in an emergency, or the high stopping power of a shotgun slug when you need it.  Some may just keep a flare round in it for emergencies.  The under pistol shotgun is an option to create something like the cap and ball LeMat revolvers. I've always had a fascination for them and I admit, this is me trying to recreate it for Car Wars.  The under-barrel light shotgun, coupled with the light rifle, makes the perfect backwoodsman "game getter" gun and could find its way onto the highways of Autoduel America - and anything on the highways usually makes it way into the arena at some point.

Please let me know what you think and if these options would ever make it into your games.  Or are they too much, too esoteric or out of balance in some way I did not consider.

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More Shotgun Options

 Since there are under-barrel gyrosluggers and grenade launcher, I would propose adding under-barrel shotguns.  This has been done numerous times with rifles and even pistols, to give a single shot blast from the shotgun when needed.

•        Under-Barrel Shotgun (UBStG) – May be mounted under the barrel of any weapon that can mount a UBGS/GL.  1GE and it adds it's GE to the host weapon, cost $75, single shot. Individual rounds must be loaded between firings.  It takes 1 second to replace the spent shell.   Either the host weapon or the shotgun may be fired with an action, not both at once, CPS, to hit and damage are based on the shotgun ammunition selected. Maximum range with Birdshot or Buckshot is 15” (10” with Slugs)

•        Light Under-Barrel Shotgun (LUBStG) – May only be mounted under a Light Rifle.  $50, 1GE, may only fire Birdshot, otherwise preforms similar to the full size UBStG.  A folding stock on a Light Rifle / LUBStG combo becomes a 1GE item, remains a Two-Handed Weapon.

•        Under Pistol Shotgun (UPStG) – May only be mounted under a Heavy Pistol.  +1GE to the pistol.  Adds a single shot shotgun mounted under the barrel of the pistol, turning it into something like the old LeMat revolver.  Either the pistol or the shotgun may be fired in a turn. Reloading requires pressing a catch that opens a drop plate that swings open letting the spent shell fall to the ground.  A new shell is inserted and the plate closed.  The next shell is then ready to fire.  The UPStG may use Birdshot or Buckshot but may not use Slugs.  To hit and damage is determined by them ammo used, but range for either type of ammo is 5” maximum. The Heavy Pistol with UPStG may still fit in the pistol slot of a BV/ABV.

•        Shotgun Flare Round – Similar to RL Flare Round but with a lesser effect.  CPS $10, Cannot be loaded in a magazine, must be individually be loaded in the weapon to use.  Damage 1pt to pedestrians and tires, To Hit 10, Burn Mod 2/0, Only a 10” area is illuminated with penalties for darkness reduced to -1 for 5 seconds.  Range is 10” (5” horizontal in a UPStG)

 Light Weapons and Shotgun Ammunition

I'm sure everyone has some idea on what shotguns can or cannot do.  Some people consider them wonderous weapons capable of everything from spitting fire to blasting through car engine blocks with a single volley.  Others consider them little more than toys or bird guns that hold no light against a well balanced and powerful rifle.  I think I fall somewhere in the middle, leaning toward shotguns be awesome and versatile weapons.  I've come up with some basic ammo options for the shotgun that I believe will help the shotgun be more than the poor cousin of the rifle and shine in its own light.  I have tried not to give to much complication to an already over-complicated game.  It is very legitimate to dismiss this as only-more-thing in a game with way too many one-more-things.  In any event, I had fun penciling this all out and trying to make the numbers fit.  Let me know what you think and if any of this could find its way into you games?  Or is it too much and not worth the hassle?

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Light Rifle – The trusty squirrel gun.  Designed to fire Light Pistol ammunition and the ammunition is interchangeable.  Cost: $50, Dmg: 1pt., To Hit: 7. 10 shots, CPS: $1, 1GE, Loaded Cost: $60, Two Handed Weapon.  May not use a bayonet, rifle-launched grenades, or the Under-Barrel GS/GL.  May use any optics a rifle can (LTS, telescopic, etc.) May use Hollow-Point, AP ammunition, a folding stock or an extended magazine.  A folding stock does not make this a 0GE item.  It remains 1GE.

 

Shotgun Ammunition

Shotgun Ammunition comes in three basic forms:

•        Birdshot - Which is many small pellets that spread more like a cloud that makes hitting a target with at least some of the load easier at the expense of the amount of overall damage to the target because much of the delivered shot misses the target.

•        Buckshot – Is several large pellets that individually can deliver more damage and at shorter ranges, more pellets are likely to be delivered to the target, compounding the overall damage done.  This is the basic shotgun ammunition in Car Wars.

•        Slug – This is simply using a single, large projectile in place of the normal smaller shot pellets in the load. 

 Game Statistics for Shotgun Ammunition

•        Birdshot – CPS: $1, Dmg: 1pt., To Hit: 5, 20” max range, Area Affect

•        Buckshot – As per regular Shotgun ammunition, Area Affect

•        Slug – CPS: $3, Dmg: 3 (1 to vehicular components), To Hit:8, 10” max range, no Area Affect

 Although not explicitly mentioned, I believe shotguns when firing shot should have the Area Affect, allowing the wielder to decide if they are trying to hit a group rather than focus their fire on an individual.  Other hand weapons such as the SMG, AR and MP should also have this affect although not explicitly listed.  The Vehicular Shotgun has the Area affect listed for the weapon.  I would simply extend this to its smaller, hand-held versions.

 Light Shotgun – The rabbit gun, good for taking small, fast-moving game like rabbits and small birds without obliterating the target.  May only fire Birdshot ammunition.  May use any optics a rifle can.  May use the folding stock and the extended magazine.  Cost: $50, 1GE, 10 shots, To hit, damage and CPS are as per Birdshot, loaded cost $60, Two Handed Weapon.  A folding stock does not make this a 0GE item.  It remains 1GE.

 

Carbines and Derringers

I have been giving some thought recently to new options for hand weapons in Car Wars - nothing overpowering or truly exotic, just things that fill gaps, in my opinion, in what would normally be out there in Autoduel America.  Not that I think much of this would find its way into an arena.  However, I do not see where it would terribly unbalance things if it did.

The first things I thought of were Carbines, Shotguns, Derringers and light weapons.  This document starts with Carbines and Derringers.  Let me know what you think, please.  Would you consider these items in your games or are they too out there for common use?

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Carbine – Although a serviceable carbine can be made by using an extended folding stock on a Heavy Pistol, the Short-Barreled Carbine (SBC) is specifically designed for the role.  The carbine is designed for the vehicular crew member or the foot soldier in dense vegetation of other combat situation in confined areas.  The barrel is only 10” long, as long as some heavy target pistols.  The carbine fires a cartridge that is somewhere between a heavy pistol and a rifle cartridge.  The cartridge is not compatible with any weapon other than carbines.  The default magazine is 15 rounds and extended magazines are available. 

Short-Barreled Carbine (SBC) – Cost: $110, To Hit: 6, Dmg: 2, 2GE, 15 shots, CPS: $1, Loaded cost: $125, Two Handed Weapon, may use HP and AP ammo, may use any optics a pistol or rifle can (LTS, telescopic, etc.), Barrel can support a bayonet, but is not long enough or sturdy enough to use rifle-launched grenades or the Under-Barrel GS/GL.  May use a folding stock to full effect.  Also, with the stock folded, the SBC becomes a One-Handed Weapon.  Although it is one-handed, 1GE and has a barrel length equal to a heavy target pistol, the SBC with a folded stock cam not fit in the pistol slot of a BV/ABV like a normal pistol with a folded stock can.

 

Derringers

When derringers were first introduced in ADQ 6/3 p.7, it was not specified how many shots it had.  However, it had the cost of the derringer as $30, CPS as $1 and the loaded cost as $32, implying it had 2 shots.  In later books, like the UACFH, it states that it is a 1 shot weapon.  I would propose that there are three basic models of derringers floating around in Autoduel America:

•        Derringer 1H (one-shot heavy) - Fires a heavy pistol round and the ammunition is interchangeable with the Heavy Pistol and the SMG.  $30, 1 shot, CPS $1, dmg. 2 pts, all other stats as the derringer in UACFH 

•        Derringer 2L (two-shot light) Fires light pistol rounds and the ammunition is interchangeable with the Light Pistol and the Light Rifle (if allowed).  $30, CPS $1, dmg 1 pt, 2 shots, all other stats as the derringer in UACFH

•        Derringer 2H (two-shot heavy) Fires heavy pistol rounds and the ammunition is interchangeable with the Heavy Pistol and the SMG.  $50, CPS $1, dmg 2 pts, 2 shots, all other stats as the derringer in UACFH.  This is closer to what I think the original derringer was intended to be in the ADQ magazine. I made it more expensive though to balance it with the one-shot detailed in UACFH.

TwisterCon 2015 - My Pics

TwisterCon 2065

Right now, just the photos I took of the games.  I'll write a more detailed report later.

The Way We Used To Run Amateur Night Duels

We used to run Amateur Night  duels whenever only some of us showed up and others of our regular gaming group could not make it - or for whatever reason - it wouldn't make sense to continue the campaign.  That didn't matter to us; Amateur Night was fun.  On most nights, we chose Stingers, with any of their options.  In SHAAG duels*, you got 3D6x$100 over and above whatever the cost limit of the duel and you could use whatever money you saved over the base cost of a stock vehicle from the option you selected in the Stinger to add to you personal equipment total.  That generally made the Stinger the most popular Amateur Night vehicle in our group.  You could have a pair of MGs and trust your luck to the dice for personal weapons, you could swap for an RR or an RL and get more armor and more money, or you could trade one MG for an HR with some more armor and even more money.

Granted, these were our House Rules - We had played this way for years.

The arena was the Buffalo Municipal Arena (we never played that arena wide-open - one of our group was obsessed with populating it in every duel with every wreck counter, buses and all, in the most diabolic configurations).  We always welcomed it!  Honestly, I was glad, it made the wide open arena unique every time we duelled.

*  -  In SHAAG duels every arena also allowed every crew member to check out from the local armory a Light Pistol at no charge if needed - we wanted no one to be unarmed!