Gaming The Difference

8+1 in an M&P 45C vs 12+1 in an M&P 9C.

Acc 2 vs Acc 2.

ST 10 vs ST 9.

Rcl 3 vs Rcl 2.

2d-1(0.5) pi++ vs 2d+1(0.5) pi+.

Skill, as determined from bowling pin shoots: Guns/TL8 15.

Pull the pistol and start firing at the bad guy at 7 yards.

Acc doesn't matter because we're not going to give the perp a chance to use their full move of 5 to reduce the range to 2 while we aim.

7 yards is -3 to hit dropping our skill to 12 to hit the torso.

Fire the full RoF of 3...

3d6 will average a roll of 10, so with an average roll we will land one round with .45 and two with 9mm.

Damage dealt with hollow points of each against our t-shirt wearing assailant will average out to 12 points for .45 and 10 each for the 9mm for 20.

In both cases, the assailant has received a major wound (Basic Set p.381) and will have to make a HT roll for every bullet that hit to avoid being stunned and knocked down.  The .45 requires them to make a consciousness check against HT.  The 9mm requires two consciousness checks and a death roll against HT.

To continue their assault, they have to make an additional consciousness check at the beginning of their turn or black out.

It's not a picnic to be hit by either round.

If they do manage to stay awake and really want to keep coming, their move just got cut in half from the wounds and they advance 2 yards at us, bringing the range down to 5 yards.  That's -2 for range bringing our skill up to 13.

Three more shots.

On average we hit with two rounds with either gun.

12 each from the .45 and 10 each from the 9mm (on average, always on average).

Our stupid assailant has to make the same rolls as before for major wounds.  Consciousness check for each round.  Two death rolls for 45 now that they're at -26 HP and two more for 9mm now that they're at -30.

They make all these rolls, don't take the hint, and keep coming!  Two more yards, range 3, skill 14.

Two hits with the .45, three with the 9mm.

-50 HP for the .45 and auto dead.  -60 for the 9mm and auto dead.

Nine shots expended for both guns.

5 hits with .45, 7 for 9mm.

The .45 is locked to the rear, the 9mm still has 4.

But what if we aimed and fired at a range of 2?

+2 for Acc, no range penalty.  Skill 17.

Both guns will land all three shots.

12 damage three times for .45, 10 damage three times for 9mm.

Three major wound checks each.  Three consciousness checks each.  Two death rolls each.

With a HT of 10, on average, they will make all of those and will advance to close combat the next round.

In my experience, though, a 10 HT and having to make 8 rolls to keep going means they aren't going to keep going no matter what the averages say.

Likewise, if the .45's single hit rolled max damage at 7 yards it'd do 20 points, major wound, consciousness and death.  If we rolled minimum for the nine's two it'd do a mere 3 hits per shot for 6 total.  A single major wound roll only.

On the flip side, the .45 could only do a single point of damage, barely impeding our villain and the 9mm could max out for 18 points per round dropping the bad guy to -26 and scoring two major wounds, two consciousness, and two death rolls.

I've seen both scenarios happen!