Panther Problems
Have you ever been running a relatively good game when,
suddenly, a rabid panther crashes through a wall and devours a majority
of your players?
Neither have I, which is why this article is about dealing with heavy
weapons, Panther Cannons included, and not the fur covered feline variety.
(I apologize for the bad opening, but I was attacked by an sudden urge
to be cheesy). Specifically, I’m going to present several reasons why you
won’t usually see heavy weapons as standard equipment in most shadowrun
groups (100% merc groups excluded).
Collateral Damage
It is important for both PCs and GMs to remember that heavy weapons
generate significantly more collateral damage than their lighter counterparts.
Most gamemasters tend to ignore the collateral damage done by stray light
fire (I usually do), but it is extremely unrealistic to do the same for
heavy weapons.
Security forces working in the interior of labs, facilities, plants,
public places, etc. will almost never be armed with heavy weapons. A corporation
isn’t interested in arming security forces so heavily that they destroy
a location while in the process of protecting it. A stray assault rifle
bullet may poke some holes, but a loose HMG round will poke a hole, continue
into the next room, and possibly strike a gas line, data junction, or scientist
Mike McKeege, the target of the runners’ extraction. And that’s just an
HMG round. Panther rounds that stray into the wrong spot could bring down
an entire building.
Heavy Weapons Are Not Socially Acceptable
Heavy weapons are SCARY, and toting them around like you would a side
arm is a really good way to chase people away. In addition, having a member,
or members, of a shadowrun team that extensively uses or displays their
heavy weapons may give employers and Mr. J the impression that the team
isn’t slick enough to handle situations with any degree of finesse. Would
you send a team to steal a delicate bio-sample if you knew they had a missile
fetish? Neither would I.
Samurai/Shadowrunner Honor Is Nearly Impossible To Maintain
Most Street Samurai (and many shadowrunners in general) follow (or should
follow) a moral code which prohibits them from using a weapon possessing
greater overall power than that of their opponent in a normal one on one
fight. This means that a Sammy is obligated to holster his gun, retract
his spurs, and fight bare fisted if his or her opponent doesn’t possess
a weapon unless extreme aggravating circumstances prevent it. Likewise,
they shouldn’t return light pistol fire with a grenade or nail somebody
with an SMG if they’re armed only with a club. (Of course, all bets are
off if the opponent doesn’t play by the same rules or the Sammy is fighting
vastly superior numbers.)
A Sammy armed with a heavy weapon will almost certainly outgun just
about everybody they would encounter on a typical shadowrun, minus a Lone
Star response team or a heavy contingent of Renraku Red Samurai. Simply
by possessing a heavy weapon, the Sammy displays a lack of conviction to
his creed.
PCs Usually Only Need Heavy Weapons If They Screw Up
Since one of the primary goals of a shadowrun is usually to get in and
get out of a location undetected, they a team won’t be needing any big
bangs unless they screw up during the penetration process. While the interior
of most locations is devoid of heavy weapons, the perimeter of larger locations
may be loaded with them because the only thing a stray bullet has to hit
is dirt. Runners tend to be pretty careful not to alert external, APM equipped
guards and, if they do, the smartest solution is usually to get the hell
out and try again another day. If heavy security is alerted, and the runners
decide not to run, it is sometimes necessary for them to use the heaviest
guns they’ve got in order to complete the run. Unfortunately, the number
of heavy guns the runners have may not even come close to the firepower
of the guards. In other words, don’t tip off security.
If PCs Use Them, So Will The NPCs
One of the first thing my PCs learn is that I can always outgun if I
feel the need. This isn’t just a aggravated response to the heavy weapons
annoyance, it’s the way escalation works in the real world. In reality,
the cops don’t call in a SWAT team until they find that their opponent
is armed with something warranting such a call. In Shadowrun, you usually
won’t see a Lone Star response team until the normal cops feel the need
to call them in, such as when they see that you have a Ballista system
strapped to your back. In other words, you usually won’t need a heavy weapon
if you don’t bring one along in the first place.
If The PCs Will Need One, They Will Usually Know In Advance
A runner can usually tell by the description of the run whether or not
they’ll be needing any heavy firepower. Although I’ve spent the last few
minutes bashing the heavies, even I create the occasional run that involves
situations that are best dealt with through the use of AVMs. Sometimes
this eventual need is obvious (“You’ve been hired to eliminate Jack Mercenary
and his team of Crazed MMG Murderers”) but other times the runners may
have to make a judgment call as to whether or not the risk of transporting
and using the weapon counters the risk of simply being creative with lighter
firearms.
In addition, it’s a good idea for teams to recon a location before actually
attempting to run it in order to gain insights as to exactly how heavy
the defenses are. If the runners discover that the corp has - despite the
collateral risks - hired a team of mercs to defend the inside of one of
their weapons plants, it might be a good idea to bring along something
that will get through their military grade armor.
If A PC Is Carrying A Heavy Weapon, They Shouldn’t Use It Until They
Need To
If a PC insists on bringing along a heavy weapon (perhaps the PC is
an ex-merc) they shouldn’t use it until they need to. This is just plain
common sense. If you’re being rushed by a group of guards that can be dealt
with using an assault rifle equipped with a sound suppresser, there’s no
need to whip out the MMG just to make your job easier. Heavy weapons are
loud and you’ll end up with more corporate heavies than you can count is
less time than it takes you to spit. Using the AR or the SMG may be more
difficult, but the benefits of not being chased by fifteen men armed with
lasers may outweigh the sacrifice. (One of my PCs always carried a small
LAW on his back, just in case. He never had to use it.)
Let me conclude by saying that I’m not out to ruin anybody’s fun. I
realize that many high-octane campaigns view heavy weapons as being standard
equipment for everybody, including grandmothers, and if the game’s running
well, and you’re enjoying your high caliber fun, then more power to you.
Just watch those overhead gas lines next time you fire your Panther..
Branson Hagerty (bhagerty@thunder.temple.edu)
|