Question about fire arms

[Nightmask]

Whatever your base number of attacks/actions is applies to use of firearms as it does hand-to-hand or use of melee weapons.

There isn't anything about applying IQ bonuses to things like firearms, also as you've noticed there is no difference between having WP Shotgun as a scholastic skill or as a secondary skill, your bonuses in using it are the same.

[JuliusCreed]

Hey there, in about a week my group will start playing Heroes unlimited for the first time and I have run into a two points of confusion. if there is already an FAQ that address this please point me there and I will close this thread.

Don't know of any FAQ's that address this and too lazy to look so I'll help any way I can

The first is about combat.

From what I have read all players start with 2 actions per round, so running, attacking, dodging, parrying, entangling all use a single action unless otherwise stated. However when reading about firearms I see nothing that increases actions per round and all of the physical ones like hand to hand and boxing surely wouldn't apply to shooting?

So how does a player get more actions per turn for shooting, because i strikes me as a little odd that there is no way to increase this aside from super powers that apply to all actions.

Actually, yes they do... the number of attacks you get in Hand to Hand combat is also the number of attacks you get if using firearms. Luckily, each and every single bullet you fire does NOT count as a single attack. Each attack with a firearm may be used to fire a single aimed shot, a carefully controlled burst of rounds, either long or short depending on how much of your ammo you put downrange, or just a wild spray and pray called shooting wild. Each of these methods of attack has particular associated perks and penalties (Aimed shot does less damage than a burst but has a better chance of actually hitting the target reflected in a +3 to strike compared to the burst having a +1)

The second question is about how skills apply.

If i take W.P. shotguns I get the listed bonuses for it as well as an IQ bonus? Do I have a % of firearms proficiency and if so how does it apply. it seems like this is two types of skills in the book and this is never really addressed, ones with a % which i assume you attempt to roll under to succeed and ones that just work because you them.

I thought that primary and second skills would cover this but what is the disadvantage of taking W.P. shotguns as a secondary skill if I get the full everything from it, or am I missing the point entirely?

IQ percentage bonuses do not apply to firearms in any way unless you house rule some kind of conversion for them (I only say that because I've seen a few do so) For all intents there is no real difference between taking a WP as a Related, Secondary or OCC skill because the bonuses will remain the same regardless of the type of 'training' you get. I realize this may not seem to make much sense in the grand scheme of things, after all someone who has formal instruction in the use of firearms from an elite military unit is likely to be a better shot than Joe Average who was just taught which way to point the shotgun by his Grandpappy while out squirrel hunting. But, from a viewpoint stressing game balance, it helps prevent people from making the min-maxed combat machines that can knock the wings of a gnat at 50 meters with a large caliber rifle and leave it twitching on the floor at first level.

Please if anyone can help clarify my confusion or knows a section, or FAQ that does please let me know.

Thank you very much.

Hope this helps you out. Good luck and great gaming!

[NMI]

OK so how do I apply the %'s from some skills to a d20? the book is startling short on examples of how to use skills. for example if I take the computer program with 1 year of college as my education level i get 10% towards basic electronics and 3 others. does this mean i get a +2 on those rolls or how does it apply?

For percentile based skills, you roll d00 or d%.

If your total skill rating in a skill is say 65%, then you need to roll d00 UNDER your skill rating - ie 01-65 is a success. You do not roll "d20" for percentile based skills. D20 checks is typically for Perception and combat and saving throws.

[drewkitty ~..~]

From what I have read all players start with 2 actions per round, so running, attacking, dodging, parrying, entangling all use a single action unless otherwise stated. However when reading about firearms I see nothing that increases actions per round and all of the physical ones like hand to hand and boxing surely wouldn't apply to shooting?

So how does a player get more actions per turn for shooting, because i strikes me as a little odd that there is no way to increase this aside from super powers that apply to all actions.

Attacks per Melee Round (APM): All HU chars get 2 APM for living. Then they get APM from their h2h (ususly 2), and then from skills (Boxing. phrasing to cover if there is another skill that gives APM), and then any from the Power cat.(most don't), and finaly from any super powers they might have (most don't, but a few do). Note that this description is specific to the HU setting.

Most often a char ends up with 4 APM to start. You use these for both melee and modern weapon attacks. This is following the K.I.S.S. principle. (Expansion: Keep It Simple Stupid).

End note: There are some Modern weapon combat skills that mirror h2h, in one of the earlier Rifter. But These are Optional once you get the hang of things.

The second question is about how skills apply.

If i take W.P. shotguns I get the listed bonuses for it as well as an IQ bonus? Do I have a % of firearms proficiency and if so how does it apply. it seems like this is two types of skills in the book and this is never really addressed, ones with a % which i assume you attempt to roll under to succeed and ones that just work because you them.

The IQ bonus only applies to skills with %'s.
With each modern weapon WP comes with "Reconize Weapon Quality" sub skill, which does get the IQ bonus because it is a % skill.

% skills the target number is Under the Skill %. Pass-Fail.
adv. note: You can adjust the relitive Quality of the passing or failing a skill based on what the number was rolled. So ending up with a 01 roll the skill was done High Quality work while if just barely under the target target number would be just passable work. And with just above the target number would be just barely not quite right, and a roll of 00 (100%) would be a crit. fail and "BAD THINGS" happen.

I thought that primary and second skills would cover this but what is the disadvantage of taking W.P. shotguns as a secondary skill if I get the full everything from it, or am I missing the point entirely?

With in the Game mechanics there is no devaluing of WP's as secondary skills.
Note: I end up sticking a good number of my char's WP's in their secondary skills.

[jaymz]

With ancient weapons you only get the bonuses from the WP for that particular weapon. However you DO also get to add in any bonuses from your Physical Prowess (if you have any) and your Hand To Hand skill training. At least you do this for ancient weapons. Modern weapons (Firearms etc) do not get to add these additional bonuses onto the bonuses you get from have the WP.

[NMI]

alright this is all starting to come together. I really like this the more I read but there are some real points of confusion.

If I take the ancient weapons proficiency and select my 3 weapons does that mean i get +3 to strike with each weapon? Each skill has plus 1 to strike so does it stack and apply to all weapons guns included or does it only apply to that weapon? I could see it making sense either way.

Also thank you everyone for being really helpful.

If you have WP Sword, Knife and Shield - you do NOT stack their bonuses with each other!

Bonuses for sword would be WP Sword, + PP bonus + Hand to Hand + any powers or special abilities to specifically say to.