Topic: Empire Galactique JDR Non-Lethal Weapons and RMU criticals query

[Hansuke]

I am looking at two non-lethal(ish) weapons to convert to RMU. I am trying to decide which critical table to use for each. Advice requested.

Here are the descriptions from Empire Galactique:

Contact weapon
Stunner:
It comes in the form of a box equipped with a two-position adjustment button: in the “weak” position, the stunner stuns the victim up to 5 meters away; set to "strong", it kills her at the same distance and stuns her up to 10m. It is a weapon generally used by the police on the worlds of NT 5. A standard battery (see below) allows it to be recharged in one action sequence, after 20 weak or 10 strong discharges. Weight: 500g. Price: 5,000¢.

>>>In SM2 a stunner using the UNBALANCE critical table, so I feel pretty confidant about using the same table in RMU.


Ranged weapon
Paralyzer:
Based on the principle of infra-sound, this weapon acts directly on the victim's bones and internal organs up to 50 meters away. Like the stunner, the paralyzer has two settings: low to paralyze momentarily (5 minutes) or kill at close range (less than 10 meters); strong to kill. The low setting allows you to keep the warned opponent at too great a distance for close combat; this particularity makes the paralyzer the riot control weapon par excellence. Silent and harmless to equipment, it was often used to maintain order on the "generation ships" of the early interstellar age. It recharges on a standard battery in one sequence after 10 weak or 5 strong discharges. Weight: 1.5 kg. Price: ¢15,000.

>>>The paralyzer seems to be similar to the stunner except for range and price. I have looked at the UNBALANCE and SUBDUAL critical tables and wondering if I should use the SUBDUAL table just for differentiation on the paralyzer.

Any thoughts?

[Cory Magel]

Rolemaster Companion V, Section 12.7, Page 110 has a Stun critical hit table.  Only killing shot on the Table is 100E..
Maybe 'Grapple' or 'Nerve Strikes' table might work for Paralysis?

[jdale]

If you want the weapon to be reliably non-lethal, you could treat it more like a spell: target gets a RR, is paralyzed for 1 rnd / 5 fail. If that sounds good, but you want to keep an attack roll involved, just replace the crit with that effect, with a RR modification based on the crit (e.g. +10 per additional severity above A). (No chance of paralysis if no crit is achieved.)

The descriptive text for Subdual crits is not very appropriate here. Unbalancing represents a forceful impact which is prone to knocking things over/back, but can easily be lethal. That could be appropriate to include when using the paralyzer in lethal mode. If you want some danger when using it even in the stunning mode, you could reduce the critical severity or attack size in that mode (with the paralyzing effect via RR as above). You could even gate that by range, e.g. it makes a Tiny attack at 10+ meters but a Small one up to 10m, and a Medium attack in any case in lethal mode.

[MisterK]

The paralyzer is, according to the description, a lethal weapon. The stunner is not.

I would apply stunner effects in a way similar to what JDale describes : use stun effects. I would not use RR mods if there is an attack roll, however (after all, critical hit results do not call for RRs, even if they result in stun effects). I would simply apply a pyramidal effect according to critical hit inflicted (-25 to activity per crit level, reduced by 25 for each consecutive round of effect; If the modifier reaches 100 or more, the victim must make a RR or be shocked into unconsciousness). The RR level may depend on the weapon setting.

Paralyzer uses infrasound, which is very damaging and potentially lethal. I would use Disruption criticals (RoCo III p92).

[Hansuke]

Apparantly I was looking in SM1 in my original post. I went to the RMC as advised and then went to SM2 to see that chart also in SM2. After thinking about it more, I think I like the idea of RR test. And maybe not calling the stun weapons two different names. I'm not trying to mimic Empire Galactique; just got caught up in reading that old books and went off on a tangent. I think maybe there should be an early model stun gun, or stunner, which is mainly a close combat weapon and maybe has a level of 10 for the RR test. And then maybe a later version stun gun which has increased range. I'm not sure I like the idea of a stunner being able to kill as an option. Maybe that should be left to another weapon that carries that function as a primary, like a laser or projectile weapon. I appreciate the quick inputs.

My goal, over the holidays, was to come us with a bare bones pamphlet (or note pad) which would use the RMU Core Book as the be-all end-all rulebook, but add some extras would would allow for an evening or two of future adventures.

[Hansuke]

I agree with you MisterK that the paralyzer sounds like more than a stunner type weapon. I don't want someone shooting me with a paralyzer and then saying, "I thought it was just a stunner, I didn't know that it would smash your internal organs and grind up your bones!" Sorry mate. 

[Hurin]

Yes, and one thing to add is that RMU doesn't really have any non-lethal crit table. Unlike the old version of Subdual or the SM Stun table, every chart in RMU (including Subdual) has a significant chance of lethal results. So you might want to use RRs, as JDale suggested, or go back to the old charts.

[Hansuke]

I think that is settled in my mind. I do like the RR use.

Here is a basic skill list for my little exercise in quick RMU Sci-Fi extension: I hope I didn't miss too many skills.

Add-on Skills to RMU for Basic Sci-Fi
Environmental – Astronavigation [Re]
Medical – Emergency Treatment [Re]
Piloting – Aquatic Vehicle** [Ag]
Piloting – Atmospheric Craft** [Ag] (Airplanes, Helicopters, Blimps)
Piloting – FTL Ships [Ag]
Piloting – Ground Vehicles** [Ag] (Wheeled, Tracked, Walker)
Piloting – System Ships [Ag]
Ranged Weapon – Energy Pistol [Ag]
Ranged Weapon – Energy Rifle [Ag]
Ranged Weapon – Projectile Pistol [Ag]
Ranged Weapon – Projectile Rifle [Ag]
Ranged Weapon – Ship Gunnery [Ag]
Science – Anthropology [Re]
Science – Botany [Re]
Science – Chemistry [Re]
Science – Physics [Re]
Science – Planetology [Re]
Science – Psychology [Re]
Science – Zoology [Re]
Science – Biology [Re]
Technical – Computers** [Re] (Hardware, Software)