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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Strithe" data-source="post: 2320530" data-attributes="member: 18813">Actually, shotgons ARE quite a bit more devastating than pistols.  Realistically, hanguns aren't all that effective as weapons.  The 82% rate of incapacitation for 9mm's is in fact more psychological than due to the power of a 9mm bullet.  Most people drop after a single shot from a pistol because they freak out, not becuase they've actually been injured that much.  A swing from a baseball bat actually deals more damage than what handguns dish out.Enraged or intoxicated assailants have proven very difficult to stop with handguns, even when fatally injured (it can take some time to bleed out).  The way to physically incapacitate a person with a single pistol shot is with a hit to the central nervous system which is very difficult to do in combat situations.  This is acutally modeled decently in d20 Modern with hit points, the critical hit rules and massive damage saves, etc.Shotgus, by contrast are far more nasty, especially in close quarters.  With 00 Buck in a 12-gauge shotgun, you're firing what is essentially a spread of multiple 9mm bullets at once.  This means that you don't have to place shots nearly as well to hit something vital, and at close ranges shotguns do much more damage than any pistol.I agree that the negation of Defense bonuses is a little over the top (perhaps a flat bonus to hit instead), but if anything the damage should either be higher OR the critical threat range should be expanded.Really, the only real advantage of handguns is portability and concealability.  They're great if circumstances don't permit you to carry a real weapon.</blockquote>

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