Descriptions of some duelists describe them as being able to put down a foe with a single shot. However, even the most powerful dueling pistol is not capable of this feat except under rare circumstances. Therefore, I am considering applying a weakened version of the extra damage basic accurate weapons get:

When aiming, accurate pistols get an extra d5 damage for every 2 degrees of success to a maximum of two extra d5s.

Does this seem fair?

In our group, we ruled that Pistols with the Accurate quality get +1d10 like Basic weapons, but only a maximum of +1d10. Your method sounds just as good, if not better.

(We've agreed to that only to keep Basic and Pistols different, though we really see no significant unbalancing effect from just granting the regular Basic Weapon damage to all weapons with the Accurate quality. One good example: the Neddle Pistol. It has accurate, but would not normally do any extra damage on an Aim action. We felt this significantly underpowered it.)

We also use the 1d10 method...2d10 with special exotic ammo made for accuracy

Santiago said:

Mental note to bring this up with the GM before our next game...

I was going with a maximum of +D10 for pistols from accurate damage, but the +2d5 idea is one I'll consider. Thanks for sharing.

I made a sort of one pistol duellist in Rogue Trader. The weapon I used was the Ripper Pistol. With mighty shot it is 1d10+5, Pen 7 with Toxic (also had Pistol Mastery giving me 1d10+7, but that isnt available for Dark Heresy). That is fairly unpleasant to any normal characters. Big things (Big orks and the like) are not going to get put down by that, at least in one shot.

borithan said:

Thats not a bad thing IMO. Bolters also don't put things down in one shot. You don't want to be any more effective as there will more guns putting down PC's in one shot.

andrewm9 said:

A bolter round that just hits someone doesn't put a person down, no. However, an accurate bolter can already easily kill in one hit due to the extra damage rules. This represents the idea that the firer is aiming at a specific weak point with his accurate weapon (the accurate bolter could be putting a round through a man's heart rather than just hitting him in the side). Given that, I find it very reasonable that a duelist's pistol could kill a person with one hit. There are quite a few dueling pistols in DH and most of them are useless in duels and real combat if they can't kill in one hit.

I can only imagine the embarrassment of two nobles dueling with such pistols. Each hits his mark with his dueling laspistol yet both of them manage to limp off with just heavy damage and scorched clothing.

You have to be consistent. From a point of view, having a hunting rifle do considerably more damage than a bolter is lunacy. However, the rules allow for just such a circumstance.

EDIT: Oh yeah, Orks. If you are facing targets with unnatural toughness you shouldn't expect to put them down in a shot!

I've always made them the sasme as accurate basic weapons but I think d5 might be better.

For duels I use these rules I picked up on the forum from someone, I think they're pretty cool.

Dueling
Each player gets a dueling laspistol, or possibly a less deadly weapon if the matter is not to the death. If you want to be nasty, make the society use flintlock pistols for ritualised duels, the Pistol (primitive) talent is pretty rare with most players... Maybe make the hunt for a willing teacher before dawn tomorrow be a sidequest in itself? Overcharged plasma pistols will also shake things up a bit.
At start of the duel, both duelants players set aside a D10, they may choose what side is up and should keep the die hidden under a hand or similar. This die represents how much they hurry their shot, lets call it the Hurry-Die. Once both duelants have placed their Hurry-Die, they lift their hands at the same time to reveal their number.
The duelants initiative will be their usual modifiers (including appropriate talents and similar) but instead of the random D10, they will get the number of their Hurry-Die.
The duelants will roll to hit using their basic BS, no bonus for range, no aiming action allowed etc. The duelant add + 5 to their BS for each step below 10 that their player set their Hurry-Die for. So, lower Hurry-Die means a more precise shot, to the level of a nearly guaranteed hit for a good shooter. This is pretty much as it should be when you use a properly made pistol on a human sized target at a range of roughly 15 meters to make a rather unhurried shot.
Any Dodge action, armour or energy fields might be considered cheating and cowardice depending on culture and thus forfeiting the duel dishonourably.
Any hit will do damage directly to the critical table, after reduction for TB. Fury of the Emperor should probably be available even for NPC duelants. Talents that modify crit damage or general damage are applied.
Hit location is determined as usual.
A Called Shot is the only alternate action allowed. It reduces your initiative by 5 steps, as well as modifying your BS as usual.
After hits and damage are completed, the duelants will be given reloaded weapons and start over again if both are in unhurt condition or still able to stand up depending on the rules of the duel. The duelants may also be given a chance to surrender, apply bandages or maybe even stimpacks and other combat drugs, as appropriate of course. In a duel to the death the option to spare a disabled opponent may or may not be available.
This system should give the player a measure of choice over the situation. It leaves most combat talents and BS useful, makes even the first shot potentially deadly and removes many of the softer, random elements of a more mobile combat with cover. It should make for a tense scene.

I wouldn't allow accurate to allow such huge bonus dmg in this case though, maybe reduce it to +1/2DoS

with concern to the duel, accruate should not be an issue as there is no time to aim

i too have been using a maximum of 1 d10 but the d5 is a great option as 2d5 has a higer average, greater chance for RF and rewards a very good shot without overpowering a pistol

Up to 2D5 extra for Accurate Pistols, just like Accurate Basics give up to 2D10 extra, is a very common Houserule.