Shotgun Houserules...

[Pbartender]

In my D20Modern game, I've got a fellow who's carrying around a shotgun. The trouble is, shotguns have no advantages whatsoever. Compare it with the Winchester hunting rifle... the Winchester does as much or more damage, has three times the range, holds as much or more ammo, weighs less and costs less. Plus, shotguns deal -1 damage for every range increment past the first. Who'd ever want one?

I'd like to give shotguns some advantage. Here are some of my current ideas...

1. When using solid slugs, shotguns deal listed damage at the listed range increment, but with a critical range of 19-20. (And no damage reduction with increased range.)

Shot shells deal damage to every target within a cone. Normal damage is dealt out to the first range increment, with -1 dice every range increment thereafter. Targets make a Reflex Save (DC = Attack Roll) to take half damage.

For example, a Browning 10-gauge shotgun would deal damage in a cone 60' long and 60' wide. Any targets within 30' would take 2d10 damage, between 30' and 60' they would take 1d10, with a Ref Save for 1/2 damage. Past 60' no damage is dealt because the shot has run out of damage dice.

2. Solid Slugs fire using the stats in the Rulebook, but with no damage reduction with increased range. Shot shells must use autofire rules, but only use up a single shell, instead of 10 bullets.

3. Similar to Spycraft, shotguns can hit two adjacent targets. A "wide" target which takes up two adject squares (a car, a horse, or a 10' wide door, for example), takes double damage.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

 

[Shadow64]

Those rules sound just about spot on to me. Although I might take the cone down a bit width wise, maybe to something like 1/2 of the range increment. If it has a 60' range increment I'd make the cone about 30'. A cone 60' long and 60' wide is fairly large for a damage area, at least IMHO.

 

[haiiro]

I agree with Shadow64: the width of the cone needs to be reduced, perhaps even to 1/4 of the range increment. IRL, shot doesn't spread out anywhere near that quickly. For example: I've fired my unchoked 12 gauge at a target about 30' away, using 00 buckshot (about 8-10 pellets/shell), and every pellet impacted within about a 1' to 1.5' diameter area.

I don't think a cone 60' long and 3' wide would very useful in a game, though.

I don't have d20 Modern, but I assume the rules abstract the differences between long and short barrels, choked and unchoked weapons, and the different types of shot -- as well as variances between gauges and brands. Taking those abstractions into account (if they exist! ), I'd say that a cone 60' long and 15' wide is perfectly acceptable.

 

[Mistwell]

Charles Ryan already commented on the cone myth for shotguns. Despite the misperception common in most roleplaying systems, shotguns do not spread that widely. The spread at moderate ranges is about enough to cover a dinner plate--NOT enough to hit several people.

 

[HellHound]

Dinner plate is even pretty big... at most ranges where you would use a shotgun it all lands within a coffee mug.

Honestly, a shotgun ISN'T any better than a powerful hunting rifle for most situations.

 

[Roland Delacroix]

1. When using solid slugs, shotguns deal listed damage at the listed range increment, but with a critical range of 19-20. (And no damage reduction with increased range.)

Shot shells deal damage to every target within a cone. Normal damage is dealt out to the first range increment, with -1 dice every range increment thereafter. Targets make a Reflex Save (DC = Attack Roll) to take half damage.

For example, a Browning 10-gauge shotgun would deal damage in a cone 60' long and 60' wide. Any targets within 30' would take 2d10 damage, between 30' and 60' they would take 1d10, with a Ref Save for 1/2 damage. Past 60' no damage is dealt because the shot has run out of damage dice.

2. Solid Slugs fire using the stats in the Rulebook, but with no damage reduction with increased range. Shot shells must use autofire rules, but only use up a single shell, instead of 10 bullets.

3. Similar to Spycraft, shotguns can hit two adjacent targets. A "wide" target which takes up two adject squares (a car, a horse, or a 10' wide door, for example), takes double damage.

Any other ideas or suggestions?

Think carefully about increasing critical range. Acording to many of C. Ryans posts on the WotC d20 Modern boards there were very good reasons almost all weapons have a crit of only 20. With the massive damage threshold so low, increasing crit to 19-20 basically means a PC has a 10% chance to kill anything outright. Add Rapid Shot, or worse Imp Two Weapon Fighting (which, BTW, Mr. Ryan has clarified as NOT stacking w/ Rapid Shot) and you have a real monster. Unless you like us dropping a few 20th level characters a round with no trouble This is also why there's no Imp. Crit feat.

The variable DC AOE ability also goes against the basic tenants of d20 Modern. All AOE weapons have a set DC, and rather low at that. Look to Autofire for an example, or grenades. A scaling DC for them means, again, dropping enemies left and right with massive damage rolls. It ain't hard to get an attack roll higher than most Reflex saves. Also, as mentioned, shotguns really aren't AOE weapons.

As you know I like the Spycraft version, but Hellhound has a point. You need to decide if you preffer the game more realistic or cinematic.

 

[Pbartender]

So, I drew out the cone, and you guys are right... It's huge. Even for a cinematic action movie scenario... It's huge.

I spoke to my wife, who comes from a family of notorious Northwoods Red-necks, and she agrees.

So really, the advantage to a shotgun is that with a coffee-mug to dinnerplate spread, it's easier to hit your target with bad aim. That, and makes a helluva lotta noise.

Really, I'm looking for something slightly cinematic, and a good reason for someone to buy a shotgun.

How about a variation on suggestion #2... Slugs work normally (like powerful hunting rifles, as HellHound said). When using shot, however, the attacker targets a 5'x5' square. He makes an attack roll against AC 10, to hit the square. Anything within the square takes full damage, unless it makes a Reflex Save DC 15 for half damage.

Just like autofire, but smaller and it only uses one shell.

It makes it easier to hit a single large target, or you could hit several closely grouped small targets (Tiny creatures standing in the same square). And it's the sort of weapon, your average Joe could reliably hit something with at short ranges.

 

[jonas889]

I ran into the exact same problem. No rules for shot guns. At least not in Modern. I recommend picking up Deadlands D20. I'm partial to the original but the D20 version has some very cool classes that can easily be made into advanced classes, and they have very good rules on how shotguns should work. Check it out.

 

[Desdichado]

Did the new ultimate firearms book from Green Ronin address shotguns at all? Did it add any flavor whatsoever?

 

[Plane Sailing]

How about a variation on suggestion #2... Slugs work normally (like powerful hunting rifles, as HellHound said). When using shot, however, the attacker targets a 5'x5' square. He makes an attack roll against AC 10, to hit the square. Anything within the square takes full damage, unless it makes a Reflex Save DC 15 for half damage.

Just like autofire, but smaller and it only uses one shell.

I think this sounds like a fine suggestion, and is probably the one that I would go for.

Cheers