Hey all,

I'm giving RT a spin for the first time as a GM and have myself a player who wants to do up a sniper type. This eventually lead me to wonder if or how one remains concealed after firing their first shot into combat. This in turn lead me to the silencer which lead me to a dead end. It says that one suffers -20 to the awareness check for hearing a gunshot and can only make the check at half the "normal range," but I have no idea where the rules for what that "normal range" are. I've scoured the core from cover to cover and can't find it anywhere. I assume I'm just blind and keep missing it since nobody else seems to have this issue, but I'm confused all the same! Any help?

I don't think there are any rules for that. I would say that for SP, bolt etc. weapons, normal shots can be heard from about 1km, energy weapons probably 50 meters max. A silencer would render an energy weapon (I'm thinking about lasguns here, can't possibly imagine a silencer for a plasma- or meltagun) completely silent, while a projectile weapon would probably make enough noise to be heard in 20-50 meters depending on the type.

(note that bolt shells explode on impact, so a silencer would only work for hiding the firing location.)

DH2 came up with hard stats for hearing range of weapons.

I don't think there are any rules for that. I would say that for SP, bolt etc. weapons, normal shots can be heard from about 1km, energy weapons probably 50 meters max. A silencer would render an energy weapon (I'm thinking about lasguns here, can't possibly imagine a silencer for a plasma- or meltagun) completely silent, while a projectile weapon would probably make enough noise to be heard in 20-50 meters depending on the type.

(note that bolt shells explode on impact, so a silencer would only work for hiding the firing location.)

The stats for the silencer at least say it only works on the long-las as far as las weapons go, nothing about it working for bolt weapons (rest are just stubbers and needle weapons). Its stats just seem so specific for rules not existing for it, though, but I'm not actually seeing anything other than that about the rules existing, so inclined to agree with you!

The silencer rules in question:

"Silencers lower the noise from a weapon’s discharge, preventing detection of the shot. Awareness Tests to hear shots made with a silenced weapon suffer an additional –20 penalty and can only be attempted at half the normal distance."

DH2 came up with hard stats for hearing range of weapons.

Assuming that means they're new in DH2? Poo! Have to see if I can glance at someone's DH2 book then.