Topic: Space Master Unified

[Hurin]

Yes, it isn't a perfect solution. I guess though it depends on whether you just want a system to play right now or if we are talking about a future edition of Spacemaster. If the latter, you can develop entirely new attack tables that might give some room to maneuver.

Another option I thought was to say that higher tech weapons ignore or reduce some types of lower tech armor. You could say for example that ballistic weapons ignore any light or medium armor, treating the opponent as AT 1. A leather jacket doesn't stop a bullet.

Or, you could make a more specific system by saying that high tech weapons ignore a certain # of armor levels. So, using a Ballistic weapon on archaic scale armor (AT 7) reduces the armor to the effectiveness of AT 5. Different weapons could be given different reduction values.

[Hansuke]

There is some related information in Privateers Equipment Manual (page 98) that gives some quick conversion charts for Weapon Law and Arms Law. The Privateers Blaster Law Manual provides attack charts for lasers, blasters, plasma weapons and stunners against all types of armor.

[deer_buster]

Archaic Weapons are already limited in SM2 against futuristic armor types by the maximum results (e.g. Tables 15.1 and 16.1) of Tech Book.  I personally think that works fine as is.

[jdale]

In the context of extending RMU rules to SM, an alternative route would be to make certain technological armors Proof against archaic attacks. Proof means that the wearer can take hits but not criticals. So for example an armor might be proof against attacks that are not armor-piercing, or proof against attacks that are not energy weapons.

[Hansuke]

I like that approach direction. Some bulletproof vests are proof against non-AP attacks, but not against high density AP attacks. And Duritium® Level IV+HS plate claims it is resistant to AP rounds so that plate would be proof against AP rounds also. I haven't ever thought about this approach but it sounds promising.

[EvilWilliam]

I've been thinking on this subject, largely from a contemporary horror setting POV, and the simplest approach seems to me, like Cyberspace (as mentioned above), rate any armour 1-4 in terms of bullet resistance, and that rating reduces the *size* of the attack.  So, we keep the archaic armour (yes, plate won't stop a bullet head on, but it will reduce knicks and glances) 1-10, but add this other dimension.  Additionally, the bullet resistant armour could change the critical type from puncture to impact, which would also cut out a lot bleeds.

I'm inclined to just use the sling table for bullets: start at medium for a modern pistol, large for a rifle and very large for a .50 machine gun.

This would also reflect that some types of bullet resistant armour aren't brilliant against other types of attacks.