Weapons Locker info

[d4]

Heh. And I found it just as silly when the SW A&E Guide came out and had a big list of various blaster pistol makes and models. d20M at least has genre justification for getting all gunophillic (modern action, modern military, etc.). Differentiating between gun models in SW is just plain pointless.

yeah, i felt the same way. i was pretty let down by SW's A&EG -- it seemed like it was 90% blasters and droids, and there wasn't IMO enough variation between the various models to justify them.

here's an actual example from the book: the only difference between the BlasTech DL-18 blaster and the Merr-Sonn Model 44 blaster is that the DL-18 has a Break DC of 15, and the Model 44 has a Break DC of 14. all other stats are exactly identical. did they really need separate stat blocks?

Han Solo could surely tell you the make and model of that heavy blaster of his, and why he carries it vs. any other weapon.

not if he's using the A&EG. for the most part, the stats just aren't granular enough or different enough to even make a distinction. IMO, something like "this weapon does +1 damage but weight half a kilo less and is -1 on the Stun DC" just isn't enough difference to justify being there.

now, they could have thrown in a lot of variation between the different models and made it meaningful. i just don't think they did. they could've changed crit ranges (instead of having all blasters have the same), added reliability and accuracy stats, etc. but they chose not to add that much detail, which means i'm left wondering why they bothered making stat blocks for all the different models at all.

It reminds me of one criticism I heard made about SWd20 in comparison to the old D6 version: that you have to count your ammo in SWd20.

not in my campaign. the way i run SW is that you don't have to worry about accounting blaster ammo -- but if you roll a 1 when shooting a blaster, then you are empty or it misfired and you have to spend an attack action next round reloading or whatnot.

 

[Lizard]

Heh. And I found it just as silly when the SW A&E Guide came out and had a big list of various blaster pistol makes and models. d20M at least has genre justification for getting all gunophillic (modern action, modern military, etc.). Differentiating between gun models in SW is just plain pointless.

I humbly disagree.

To me, what makes the SW universe 'real' is just such details. "The BlasTech 44-DL? Yeah, it's OK, but it pulls to the left and there's a nasty short in the phase coupler 'cause they use deoxygenated dicarbonite in the coolant feeds. What you really want if you're going to Tatooine is an Incom B12...the vents on the barrel reduce heat stress, and the focusing ring is 0.01 microns tighter, which makes a big difference, let me tell you!"

 

[d4]

To me, what makes the SW universe 'real' is just such details. "The BlasTech 44-DL? Yeah, it's OK, but it pulls to the left and there's a nasty short in the phase coupler 'cause they use deoxygenated dicarbonite in the coolant feeds. What you really want if you're going to Tatooine is an Incom B12...the vents on the barrel reduce heat stress, and the focusing ring is 0.01 microns tighter, which makes a big difference, let me tell you!"

except the SW A&EG didn't give us that. it just spent several pages giving us a bunch of blasters with essentially the same game mechanical stats.

your quote above is Star Wars-y, but can't be replicated with what they gave us. my argument was that they should've either made real differences in the different models, or not bothered at all. as it is, it's a waste of space.

 

[Dana_Jorgensen]

except the SW A&EG didn't give us that. it just spent several pages giving us a bunch of blasters with essentially the same game mechanical stats.

your quote above is Star Wars-y, but can't be replicated with what they gave us. my argument was that they should've either made real differences in the different models, or not bothered at all. as it is, it's a waste of space.

You know, it's the rollplayers who only care about what numbers they can take a bite out of and crunch. It's the roleplayers who enjoy all the fluff and flavor that fuels imagination.

 

[Katowice]

I couldn't agree more. One of my players' has a character with two nickel-plated Desert Eagles. There's no mechanics involved, but it sounds cool.

You know, it's the rollplayers who only care about what numbers they can take a bite out of and crunch. It's the roleplayers who enjoy all the fluff and flavor that fuels imagination.

 

[bubbalin]

CAn we talk about guns now?

I agree, and more specifically about this particular book if anybody has it yet...
Can anybody tell us details that have yet to come out elsewhere?

 

[buzz]

To me, what makes the SW universe 'real' is just such details. "The BlasTech 44-DL? Yeah, it's OK, but it pulls to the left and there's a nasty short in the phase coupler 'cause they use deoxygenated dicarbonite in the coolant feeds. What you really want if you're going to Tatooine is an Incom B12...the vents on the barrel reduce heat stress, and the focusing ring is 0.01 microns tighter, which makes a big difference, let me tell you!"

None of the above necessitates what's in the A&EG. Mechanically, d20 doesn't care about anything you've mentioned above... which is fine (foolish roll/roleplayer comments aside). Players/GMs who add this kind of detail to their games should be commended, and if the A&EG adds to this kind of enjoyment, then more power to them. I still don't find it particularly necessary, though.

So, anyone have d20WL yet?

 

[Arani Korden]

You know, it's the rollplayers who only care about what numbers they can take a bite out of and crunch. It's the roleplayers who enjoy all the fluff and flavor that fuels imagination.

Or perhaps it's people who are interested in guns who enjoy having lots of gun fluff and flavor, and people who aren't interested in guns who just want to know what the thing does. Just a thought.

 

[Dana_Jorgensen]

Or perhaps it's people who are interested in guns who enjoy having lots of gun fluff and flavor, and people who aren't interested in guns who just want to know what the thing does. Just a thought.

No. I've been thanked many times for writing a line of books that puts the average GM on the same level with the local gun nut, and provides an ever-thickening book to beat them into submission with. Those GMs haven't been particularly interested in guns and are now quite happy to have all that fluff and flavor.

 

[Arani Korden]

No. I've been thanked many times for writing a line of books that puts the average GM on the same level with the local gun nut, and provides an ever-thickening book to beat them into submission with. Those GMs haven't been particularly interested in guns and are now quite happy to have all that fluff and flavor.

So you are sticking with the theory that anyone who isn't interested in the fine details of assorted firearms is a "roll-player" and not a "role-player"?