Topic: Personal Energy Shields (House Rule)

[Mungo]

Hi,

I want to have Personal Energy (Magnet-gravic) shields (PES) in my campaign. At the moment I have the following rules in mind:

- PES give DB (I would say between +0 and +100)
- The hit reduction due to the PES is applied to the PES (example: the character would have got 30 hits without PES, with PES he gets 10 hits -> the PES receives 20 hits).
- If in one round the PES receives more hits than it gives DB, it shuts down at the end of the round
- If in one round the PES receives double the hits than it gives DB, it is completely overloaded and destroyed.
- A PES that shuts down must make a mulfuntion roll, the range for a malfunction is increased by the number of hits it received more than the DB it gives (Example: Shield gives +40 DB and receives 50 hits -> Malfunction occurs on a roll between 01 and 15 (01 - 35 for a jury-rigged PES)).
- A PES that has shut down can be reactivated as a 0% action, but it takes one round to form -> the DB bonus will be available at the beginning of the next round (i.e. there is a minimum of one round in which the character has to live without the PES DB bonus).
- Melee weapons and PES ignore each other (i.e. no DB against melee, no hits to the PES due to Melee attacks).

What do you think?

BTW: The reason for introducing PES this way is that I want to generate a medieval atmosphere in my game world and I think this ruling leads to more Melee Combat (i.e. Medieval atmosphere) and more melee combat leads to the need for well trained fighters -> Feudalism more realistic -> more Mediaval atmosphere. I will also rule that only "Knights" (high ranking officers, aristocracy) have PES (due to their high cost), they are not available to the normal soldiers -> even more Medieval atmosphere....

BR
Juergen

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Hi,

I want to have Personal Energy (Magnet-gravic) shields (PES) in my campaign. At the moment I have the following rules in mind:

- PES give DB (I would say between +0 and +100)

You need to pick a value for each type of shield, and have trained / untrained DB values, so that people are encouraged to buy Shield Training.

- The hit reduction due to the PES is applied to the PES (example: the character would have got 30 hits without PES, with PES he gets 10 hits -> the PES receives 20 hits).

OK.

- If in one round the PES receives more hits than it gives DB, it shuts down at the end of the round

Fine, although this does have the consequence that people will want the bigger attack size weapons to shut down shields.

- If in one round the PES receives double the hits than it gives DB, it is completely overloaded and destroyed.

As above. Although unlikely to happen as the max hits delivered on any one strike is about 70-75.

- A PES that shuts down must make a mulfuntion roll, the range for a malfunction is increased by the number of hits it received more than the DB it gives (Example: Shield gives +40 DB and receives 50 hits -> Malfunction occurs on a roll between 01 and 15 (01 - 35 for a jury-rigged PES)).

Fine.

- A PES that has shut down can be reactivated as a 0% action, but it takes one round to form -> the DB bonus will be available at the beginning of the next round (i.e. there is a minimum of one round in which the character has to live without the PES DB bonus).

What's powering the PES and how long before the power cell needs replacing/recharging?

- Melee weapons and PES ignore each other (i.e. no DB against melee, no hits to the PES due to Melee attacks).

Fine.

BTW: The reason for introducing PES this way is that I want to generate a medieval atmosphere in my game world and I think this ruling leads to more Melee Combat (i.e. Medieval atmosphere) and more melee combat leads to the need for well trained fighters -> Feudalism more realistic -> more Mediaval atmosphere. I will also rule that only "Knights" (high ranking officers, aristocracy) have PES (due to their high cost), they are not available to the normal soldiers -> even more Medieval atmosphere....

You also need to ensure that weapons you don't want simply aren't manufactured any more. Designs deleted from the databases etc when the Old World Order took over the planet and sent it reeling back into the NeoMedieval Age.

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Mungo]

- If in one round the PES receives more hits than it gives DB, it shuts down at the end of the round

Fine, although this does have the consequence that people will want the bigger attack size weapons to shut down shields.

- If in one round the PES receives double the hits than it gives DB, it is completely overloaded and destroyed.

As above. Although unlikely to happen as the max hits delivered on any one strike is about 70-75.

Hi,

I has in mind that all attacks in one round are counted cumulative. So this heavy knights can soon become the target of a lot of attention..

Concerning power: I thought about number of max. rounds equivalent to number of shots in a weapon cell/pack.

And the universe has suffered a war against AIs, which involved a lot of computer viruses being launched -> most of advanced technology and nearly all databases were destroyed, humanity had to claw its way upwards again.

BR
Juergen

[Defendi]

Fine, although this does have the consequence that people will want the bigger attack size weapons to shut down shields.

. . .

I'm confused.  This seems to insinuate that there are players out there that DON'T want the biggest attack size weapon they can manage?  I can't be reading that right. 

[NicholasHMCaldwell]

Fine, although this does have the consequence that people will want the bigger attack size weapons to shut down shields.

. . .

I'm confused.  This seems to insinuate that there are players out there that DON'T want the biggest attack size weapon they can manage?  I can't be reading that right. 

I'm talking about people, not PCs, and how a watch needs to be kept to ensure that common sense does not dictate that populace start rebuilding forbidden tech simply to oust the neomedieval feudalists

Best wishes,
Nicholas

[Mungo]

Hi,

I will post more details about the setting after our first sessions, but the short answer is:

In the chaos following the 2 great wars (the second was the one against the AIs), people are back to religion and superstition. And the  2 rules that all religions now have in common are: Thou shalt not emulate or change God's creation (i.e. no genetic engineering) and Thou shalt not emulate God's spirit (i.e. no AIs).

If you violate those, you will find yourself very fast on the wrong end of a pyre... (the thing with a long stick in the middle and lots of fire wood around it...).

So there are quite a lot of obstacles (as in the middle ages...) for innovative scientists and people trying to recreate forbidden technology.

BR
Juergen