The Conclave

The Ordos Majoris - Hobby, Painting and Modelling => Inquisitor Game Discussion => Topic started by: Lord Borak on November 10, 2016, 08:09:18 AM

Title: Power Maul
Post by: Lord Borak on November 10, 2016, 08:09:18 AM
Hello chaps,

I was just wondering what rules, if any, people are using for power Mauls (Not shock mauls). Would a safe bet be to use the rules for power hammers? I was thinking of downing the damage of a Power Hammer but giving them the 'shock' rule as well to represent the concussive force. Something like....

Reach 2.    Dam 2D10 +2.     Parry Pen  -20.        Shock Weapon.
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: TallulahBelle on November 15, 2016, 01:47:04 AM
Id say halving a power hammer seems a good base bearing in mind most mauls seem to be single handed weapons and have smaller striking areas with less powerful tech fields.

Iv always toted with the idea of some sort of 'sub' damage type effect/option for them to have a stunning effect ala necro to represent their use as a weapon wielded by arbites and bounty hunters to subdue an adversary to be brought in for questioning rather than intending to cave their skull in
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: MarcoSkoll on November 15, 2016, 03:00:52 AM
Personally, I'd do a power maul as able to switch between a power hammer (or possibly 2D10+2, with PP -20) and a shock maul - sort of "High" and "Low" settings. High damage or shock, but not both at the same time.

The shock effect is actually very powerful in its own right, so stacking it with power weapon damage seems a little excessive!
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: Lord Borak on November 15, 2016, 10:54:11 PM
That seems like a good idea. I just wanted the Power Maul to be something other than a 'pants' Power Hammer. Maybe I could remove the 'double knockback' for shock rule? Or am I just trying to make rules where there doesn't need to be any? I could just use the rules for a Power Hammer and be done with it.

I was just trying to think of something to represent the 40k 'concussive' rule. I know 40k is not exactly realistic but I wanted to have some rules to make the weapon distinctive.

Marco, did you have anything in your armoury? I haven't had a look at the armoury yet as I can't open .doc files.
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: MarcoSkoll on November 16, 2016, 04:14:41 AM
Quote from: Lord Borak on November 15, 2016, 10:54:11 PMMaybe I could remove the 'double knockback' for shock rule?
That's not exactly an even trade-off.

I still say that the stunning effect is actually pretty mean in its own right - stunning is up there for one of the nastier damage results, and a shock weapon has a pretty high chance of stunning - any location can be hit for any damage, no matter how armoured or uninjured it may be, and it's still just down to a toughness roll.

An already nasty weapon doesn't need that kind of boost.

QuoteI was just trying to think of something to represent the 40k 'concussive' rule.
As far as I actually know the latest terminology, isn't that normally used for thunder hammers? Are there even shock weapons in WH40k at the moment?

QuoteMarco, did you have anything in your armoury?
The Armoury is currently focused on ranged weapons and explosives. That's partly because I don't think I'm particularly well qualified on the subject (although I have tried to read up on it now I'm working on IRE), partly because the melee weapons characteristics don't suit themselves to the same kind of project.

QuoteI haven't had a look at the armoury yet as I can't open .doc files
Is PDF any better?

http://www.mediafire.com/file/3p64y6z16w0dbno/Revised+Inquisitor+Armoury+v5-6-1.pdf

That's actually a micro revision I hadn't got around to publishing before - it's got the new rules for the Fused characteristic (previously Fused weapons increased cover by half, representing the warhead potentially detonating on impact with cover - I first used it to help rein in bolters a bit, but it's since been used for other weapons. I've now changed it to +D6, effectively making cover "special armour" against Fused weapons in the same way as things like Reflec armour and Las weapons).
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: Lord Borak on November 16, 2016, 10:30:54 PM
Not played many/any games with shock weapons so I'll take your word on that. The current 40k ruleset has Power Mauls/Crozius Arcanum (same stats) and Thunderhammers as 'Concussive'. All of these drop the opponents init own to 1 when wounded to represent the force of the Impact - Mauls/Arcanum have a serious strength boost but lack the AP of a sword/axe. There are no rules for power hammers as such in 40k (40k doesn't differentiate between thunderhammers and Power Hammers) so maybe the rules the Power hammers (knock back) could better represent the Power Mauls anyway.

PDF helps greatly, thanks.
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: MarcoSkoll on November 18, 2016, 05:42:44 AM
Quote from: Lord Borak on November 16, 2016, 10:30:54 PMNot played many/any games with shock weapons so I'll take your word on that.
Well, one or other combatant getting stunned often decides the combat, and shock weapons tend to stun about every two or three hits (even if those hits don't wound).

Personally, I'd stick with the idea of "High" and "Low" modes. That way it sort of still does everything without being too over the top. (And it is canonically established that at least some power mauls do indeed have such settings).

QuotePDF helps greatly, thanks.
No problem.
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: TallulahBelle on November 21, 2016, 02:02:53 PM
Just to clarify my idea was that the shock effect stun would be something that does no no permebant damage so either your swinging to hurt or swinging to disable not both.

Sub in LARP rules usually describes a form of none lethal knockout type damage vs actuallyactively wounding someone.

My idea was swinging on to knock someone out/stun someone would require a different type of swing to to try and cave someone's head in so maybe some sort of negative modifier to represent the difficulty of doing a blow without permanent  harm. Remembering what little baton training iv had swinging to disable without permanent damage is allot more challenging than actively aiming to [EXCOMMUNICATE] someone up because there's areas you cant strike and types of strike you cant really do.
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: Lord Borak on November 21, 2016, 11:08:57 PM
I can't see a marine hitting someone with a Metal pole, even if it was gently, not doing any serious/permanent damage. I do like the idea that he can swap between 'power' levels though. So maybe it can flip between a shock maul and a Power Hammer? Or a Lesser version of a Power Hammer anyway. In all seriousness though, I can't see myself using it as anything other than the 'high' level settings in anything but the most plot-specific ways.

Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: MarcoSkoll on November 22, 2016, 03:26:10 AM
Quote from: Lord Borak on November 21, 2016, 11:08:57 PMIn all seriousness though, I can't see myself using it as anything other than the 'high' level settings in anything but the most plot-specific ways.
I tend to make a point of writing such rules anyway. As long as they're not a) entirely forgotten or b) actually getting in the way, it doesn't really hurt. As it is, some of my favourite special rules are fairly low-powered rules I originally threw on as afterthoughts.

Sgt Kronen, for example, has a rule that lets her halve visual penalties for darkness. I originally thought that this would be somewhat secondary to her various alacrity based skills as establishing her as a renowned tunnel fighter (she's from the Mordant 303rd "Acid Dogs", a night/subterranean world regiment active during the 13th Black Crusade*), but it really really isn't.

That she's got quick reactions may be more generally useful, but the fact she can fight in low light really sells the character.

* Back in WD 284, there was a fluff article (by Andy Hoare and Graham McNeill, with some lovely illustrations from Paul Jeacock) about several of the regiments called up for the defence. It's the only time when I've actually outright stolen so judiciously borrowed canon material for a character.
Title: Re: Power Maul
Post by: TallulahBelle on November 22, 2016, 10:40:30 PM
it's something I have thought would be useful for extracting hostile targets for torture/interrogation where hurting them badly would cost valuable time and for bounty hunters needing to capture live targets.

I need some sort of rules for a set of flexcuffs/cuffing a conscious target for a character soon.