Automatic : Fire automatic bursts of
different length. Each automatic gun can fire a number of salvoes with a specific number
of
rounds per salvo, depending on the gun's actual rate of fire. Use Rapid % and add bonus in
brackets for each salvo
included in the burst beginning with the first. Chance cannot exceed 2 x skill. If
firing bursts at different targets
decrease ROF A by 3 per target change (it takes time to change aim). Roll attack for every
burst, not every salvo.
For every successful burst attack roll once for the # of hits, regardless
of the number of shots fired. This cannot exceed
the number of shots in the burst, of course. For each round that
hits a different hit location is rolled.
There is an additional chance of a single hit for every target within same or lower
Range level and 1 m on both sides
equal to the salvo bonus (may never exceed 80%), single hit chance is halved if
burst hit roll was unsuccessful.
Area fire possible, double single hit chance if burst hit roll was successful
(triple if Automatic Rifle fired from Bipod,
quadruple if Machinegun), normal single chance if hit roll was unsuccessful. Divide
this between number of meters
to be covered by the burst. Every target inside this area within the same or lower range
level (short/medium/long etc.)
may be hit with the same chance, halve single hit chance and double area width as range is
increasing.
POOOOH ! Does anybody understand this ? No ?
EXAMPLE : Harry Jenkins, Plumber & Investigator, finds himself in an
exchange of arguments with two deep
ones. Luckily, he brought his Tommygun. His AutoWeapon skill is 35 %, range is 15 yards
(short), targets non-moving.
Now, he can fire 10 salvoes of 4 rounds each. He decides to fire 2 bursts : One at Deep
One #1, consisting of 4 salvoes
and one burst at #2 with 3 salvoes. 3 salvoes are lost (not fired !) for changing the
target. 4+3+3=10 salvoes,
his maximum ROF. His chances are as following :
Deep One #1 : Skill (35) + Rapid% (-10) + 4 Salvoes (4x10) = 65 % (16 rounds are fired)
Deep One #2 : Skill (35) + Rapid% (-10) + 3 Salvoes (3x10) = 55 % (12 rounds are fired)
Assuming he hits both times, 2D4 rounds hit each target. For each round a different hit
location is rolled.
Instead, Jenkins could have fired 7 (10 - 1 x target change) short bursts at the two
targets, each with a single 4-shot-salvo :
35-10+10=35% each.
Or one long burst at only one target : 35-10+10x10 = 125%, but his chance cannot exceed 2
x skill, so this would be 70%.
Single hit chance : Assume the two Deep Ones stand close together (1 m). Harry
fires a 4-salvo-burst at #1. The salvo bonus
equals 40 %. If his burst attack roll succeeds, he has a 40 % chance to score a single
hit on #2. If the roll is unsuccessful,
the chance is 20 %. Even if you're not very good with automatic weapons you can spray your
enemies with such a lot of lead
that you'll hit something sooner or later (including bystanders, of course).
Area fire : After disposing of the first two monsters, Jenkins encounters another
five of them. Hmmm. He decides to empty
his drum in their general direction, hoping to hit as many of them as possible. He fires a
burst of 10 salvoes (40 rounds),
which gives him a hit chance of 35-10+10x10 = 125, but hit chance is resticted to 2 x
skill, so the chance is 70 %. He rolls
24, success. Single hit chance would be 80 % (10x10%, max. 80%), which is doubled because
the attack roll succeeded
(-> 160%). 160 divided by the width of the area (they outer Ones stand, say, 8 m apart)
finally gives a chance of 20 % to hit.
Five attack
rolls are made, one for each target. Each target can be hit by a single bullet only. Had
he missed the area fire roll
(the 70 %
chance), the hit chance would be only 10% for each target.
You see that automatic weapons tend to make combat rather short and
bloody. Any thug armed with a SMG could prove more than a match
for the whole party if he fires first. Remember, though, that SMGs and machineguns are not
available at your local gun dealer's, so any PC
wishing to buy one would have to depend on the black market. Besides, you can fire 40
rounds per turn with a Tommygun, while the standard
drum holds 50.
Note, after all,
that most of these rules have been devised by a perfectionist role-player who has modified
the TWILIGHT : 2000 AD game rules to incorporate
nearly every kind of firearm available in the late 20th century. If you think the rules
for automatic fire presented here are complicated stuff, try role-playing a
tank-to-tank engagement with him. Quite realistic rules. Takes hours and hours.