Shotgun Gaming

In calculating the stats for the #4 birdshot I hit the point in GURPS that so turns off most players.  Complicated math that needs to be massaged to match published values.

It's like reading stereo instructions written by a liability attorney.

The good news, you can generate the game effect of any size shot.  The bad news is it's irritating.  It's not immediately clear that the damage from the smaller shot is different from the 00 in the weapon stats.  You first need to calculate the damage for a slug, then apply the shot-shell modifiers to that damage to get the final per pellet effect.  And I found a "fudge" when converting from 12ga.  A 12ga slug is 5d, but the math doesn't match for the default 00 Buck until you make it 4.25d.

What they really should have done is made a table with the common shot sizes listed.

Like this?

12ga 2 3/4"

000 Buck, 1d+2 pi; 50/900; Shots x8
00 Buck, 1d+1 pi; 40/800; Shots x9
0 Buck, 1d+1 pi; 40/800; Shots x12

#1 Buck, 1d(0.5) pi-; 40/800; Shots x16
#2 Buck, 1d-1(0.5) pi-; 30/700; Shots x20
#3 Buck, 1d-1(0.5) pi-; 30/600; Shots x24

#4 Buck, 1d-1(0.5) pi-; 30/600; Shots x27 [SEALs in Vietnam says 1d(0.5) pi- but it predates the rules in High Tech.

F Bird, 1d-2(0.5) pi-; 30/600; Shots x42
T Bird, 1d-2(0.5) pi-; 30/500; Shots x54

BBB Bird, 1d-3(0.5) pi-; 20/500; Shots x65
BB Bird, 1d-3(0.5) pi-; 20/500; Shots x75
B Bird, 1d-3(0.5) pi-; 20/400; Shots x89

#1 Bird, 1d-4(0.5) pi-; 20/400; Shots x108
#2 Bird, 1d-4(0.5) pi-; 20/400; Shots x131
#3 Bird, 1d-4(0.5) pi-; 20/400; Shots x164

#4 Bird, 1d-5(0.5) pi-; 20/300; Shots x203
#5 Bird, 1d-5(0.5) pi-; 20/300; Shots x255
#6 Bird, 1d-5(0.5) pi-; 10/300; Shots x338

# 7 1/2 Bird, 1d-5(0.5) pi-; 10/300; Shots x525
#8 Bird, 1d-5(0.5) pi-; 10/200; Shots x617
#9 Bird, 1d-5(0.5) pi-; 10/200; Shots x878

Oh, wait, I see why it's not tableized now...