Star Gate

[Khorod]

I read through, looks pretty cool. Did someone in the group do that patch image? Its a very nice game symbol.

It made me realize that there are indeed a few things that slipped my memory about the universe that a book might help. Or watching everything again while taking copious notes.

 

[C. Baize]

I read through, looks pretty cool. Did someone in the group do that patch image? Its a very nice game symbol.

It made me realize that there are indeed a few things that slipped my memory about the universe that a book might help. Or watching everything again while taking copious notes.

Yup. I'm about to rent the series from NetFlix... Going to end up renting the entire series that's out, so far... and I"m going to take notes.

 

[Kesh]

Zats become incredibly easy to make in d20 Modern. One successful hit by a Zat forces a Nonlethal Massive Damage Save (either leaving them dazed or unconscious). Two are instant death, three disintegrate. Simple.

I do want to get the Living Gods supplement, just for info on the various system lords. But I'd rather do the rest of the game with the standard Modern rules.

 

[haiiro]

I read through, looks pretty cool. Did someone in the group do that patch image? Its a very nice game symbol.

Our GM actually bought each of us one of those patches shortly after we started the game -- he rocks. I don't know what site they came from, but it was full of other SG gear (like patches for the other team numbers, etc.).

 

[swrushing]

Zats become incredibly easy to make in d20 Modern. One successful hit by a Zat forces a Nonlethal Massive Damage Save (either leaving them dazed or unconscious). Two are instant death, three disintegrate. Simple.

Simple? yes.

But is it reflective of the show? is it very playable?

in terms of the zat looked at alone? Sure. it mimics ths shows zat performance.

in terms of the zat looked at compared with other weapons, not so much.

In the show, the zat is not any more lethal than other weapons Sg-1 uses such as the ubiquitous P90 SMG. if you turn the corner in the show and see two jaffa, one of you hoses down the jaffa with the p90 while the other shoots with a zat, the p90 jaffa is NOT better off. odds are, both go down but one is dying from bullet wounds while the other is knocked out or at least writhing on the floor. Same with a goa'uld (if he doesn't get his shield up) or NID agent

In the show the principle difference between p90 and zat is not "zat drops 'em quicker" but "zat drops 'em without killing them." (Ok there is the lack of ammo and range too but thats not relevent to my point.)

if on the other hand you make zats in the game bypass hit points entirely and make any hit count as a KO (save for knockout or dazed) while you make the p90 apply its effects against the typical d20M wall-o-hit points, you rapidly get to the point where not only does the zat become the "zat drops 'em without killing" weapon of choice but also the "zat drops 'em quicker" weapon.

This is because you let the p90 work like "a DND weapon" and let the zat work like "a tv show weapon" in the same game.

I have gathered some of the SW guys might be able to talk about this type of thing.

this was one of the first things i changed about the AEG game for my stargate run, which did not have zats as powerful as you do but strill had the breakdown between "d20 game weapons" for their guns and "tv show weapons" for their zats.

basically, take a simple example in you d20 modern game. Put Say Cartber by season 7 30' away from you and have her being aware of you but not able to leave or charge. Take one character with a zat and have him try to kill her. have another comparable character with a p90 try and kill her. See who drops her first and by how much. odds are, its the zat guy since he did not have ro wade thru wall-o-hit points... all he needed was a second hit.

in the show, that wouldn't be the case, would it?

Simple, yes... but (and ymmv) not too good.

 

[Kesh]

Hm. A good point, though I do see the later seasons of SG-1 using the zats precisely because they're "drop 'em quick" weapons vs. the P-90.

Then again, I'd probably be switching to the True20 "damage save" system anyway, so hit points become irrelevant.

 

[swrushing]

Hm. A good point, though I do see the later seasons of SG-1 using the zats precisely because they're "drop 'em quick" weapons vs. the P-90.

Well, obviously out mileage may vary but i don't see this. SG-1 uses zats as sidearms as soon as they can get them, but its much more IMO a case of non-lethal. They don't want to kill people/jaffa unless forced.

if the zat was a quicker kill, then you would be seeing things like, oh say, sg-1 encounters a jaffa patrol at 100' or so and realizes their best bet is not to take cover and fire p-90s but to rush closer so they can get to zat range cuz they will drop the enemies faster with zats while their hp asborb staff blasts. Alternatively, reverse this and have the jaffa rushing the measnly hit point damaging p90s to get to zat range.

if you put p90s as d20 modern weapons doing say 2d8 of hit points, staff weapons at say 3d6 or such and the zat as the one-hit daze/two-hit kill, the above scene becomes reasonable IN GAME but remains ludicrous in show.

Then again, I'd probably be switching to the True20 "damage save" system anyway, so hit points become irrelevant.

thats for the most part what i did when i started my game about two years ago now and i haven't regretted it one bit.

 

[Khorod]

That's why the Zat does lots of nonlethal damage.

 

[Bagpuss]

Really too bad they didn't build it on D20 Modern.

In your opinion, others think that a blessing.

 

[C. Baize]

In your opinion, others think that a blessing.

Hello, Mr. Obvious.

Since I was the one posting, it should be glaringly obvious that was my opinion.

Those who feel differently than I are absolutely entitled to their wrong opinions.