Upgraded Weapons and Limited Ammo [Houserule]

By HappyDaze, in Star Wars: Edge of the Empire RPG

When using Upgraded Weapons to add weapons to a starship, both Concussion Missile Launchers and Proton Torpedo Launchers are listed as having Limited Ammo 3. Many of the launchers on starships in both EotE and the AoR Beta show Limited Ammo 6 (or, occasionally greater).

Is there a way to install these launchers with their larger magazines? Officially, no. However, it shouldn't be out of the question, so here's what I'm considering:

High capacity (Limited Ammo 6) versions of Concussion Missile Launchers and Proton Torpedo Launchers are available at a somewhat greater cost (+1/3 of listed price). So the Limited Ammo 6 version of the Concussion Missile Launcher would cost 10,000 credits while the Limited Ammo 6 version of the Proton Torpedo Launcher would cost 12,000 credits. This increased cost should be considered the base cost of the weapon if Linked versions of high capacity launchers are desired. Launchers with capacities in excess of Limited Ammo 6 are not available as a Customization.

You could also add a modification option of to missile weapon attachments: 2 Increase Weapon Quality (Limited Ammo +3) Mod ... or something. The cost would be 1000 credits and a Mechanics check.

You could also add a modification option of to missile weapon attachments: 2 Increase Weapon Quality (Limited Ammo +3) Mod ... or something. The cost would be 1000 credits and a Mechanics check.

I considered doing so, but the fact that there are so many launchers out there with Limited Ammo 6 suggests to me that there are baseline launchers built to that spec rather than all of those weapons being modified.

I do feel that there needs to be rules for modifying starship weapons beyond just sticking new ones on the hull. Uprgrading damage a point or two, adding a point or two of Breach, reducing Slow-Firing (for turbolasers), and much more could really stand to be covered.

True. Although I think its fine as is really.

Starships with attachments are not equivalent to factory produced starships with the same armament, but no attachments.

But some modification rules beyond adding new stuff, as in modification options for existing starship weapons, sure. Although I don't think its needed , I would be nice, but it takes away from gaming time :ph34r: Damage mods would be nice, Breach, perhaps for some weapons, reducing slow-firing... well. There was a good take on this - and I opposed it a lot when it was suggested, but I've come to like the idea - having two light turbolasers linked, but instead of receiving the linked quality, you remove the slow-firing 1. I still think this is a tad more powerful than linked 1, but its a good trade off.

Perhaps the smuggler and/or mechanic career book(s) will cover more stuff like this?

There's more I'd like, but I realise when playing that little time or effort goes into that area of the game, the players want to do stuff, heists, missions, hunts, cargo runs, that sort of stuff. Of course, that is my group of players, others will have other needs.

True. Although I think its fine as is really.

Starships with attachments are not equivalent to factory produced starships with the same armament, but no attachments.

But some modification rules beyond adding new stuff, as in modification options for existing starship weapons, sure. Although I don't think its needed , I would be nice, but it takes away from gaming time :ph34r: Damage mods would be nice, Breach, perhaps for some weapons, reducing slow-firing... well. There was a good take on this - and I opposed it a lot when it was suggested, but I've come to like the idea - having two light turbolasers linked, but instead of receiving the linked quality, you remove the slow-firing 1. I still think this is a tad more powerful than linked 1, but its a good trade off.

Perhaps the smuggler and/or mechanic career book(s) will cover more stuff like this?

There's more I'd like, but I realise when playing that little time or effort goes into that area of the game, the players want to do stuff, heists, missions, hunts, cargo runs, that sort of stuff. Of course, that is my group of players, others will have other needs.

While weapons added through Customizations certainly don't have to be the same as factory standard pieces, there's really no good reason that they couldn't be.

When you have a Pilot/Outlaw Tech in the party that loves to modify stuff, you get into some of the areas I bring up. My player keeps most of it to between sessions, but she spends a lot of her free time scheming. So does the guy playing the Trader, but on different things.

As for reducing Slow-Firing, I was only looking at something that would make the Heavy Turbolaser competitive with the Medium Turbolaser. As is, the Heavy gains only 1 point of damage and 1 point of Breach in exchange for having only 2/3 the RoF of the Medium. That's a crappy deal.

Reading over the descriptions of Concussion Missiles and Proton Torpedoes on page 229 of EotE, it says that Proton Torpedoes are larger and bulkier and that the launchers carry fewer rounds than equivalent Concussion Missile Launchers. Based on that, and to just keep everything simple, I'm just going to houserule that the Concussion Missile Launcher should have Limited Ammo 6 while the Proton Torpedo Launcher should have Limited Ammo 4. Costs and everything else per the book (although I don't believe that Concussion Missiles should be Restricted since the launcher is not).

Question though, for the ships that have "Limited Ammo 6" or number other than 3, how many of them also have the "Linked" quality?

I'm wondering if most of those instances that you're citing are ones where the craft in question has had multiple instances of the weapon installed, and them simply doubling the number listed for Limited Ammo, in much the same way a PC might stock up on grenades; if they have 4 grenades, they effectively have "Limited Ammo 4" for those grenades.

As for adding more missiles without having to buy another weapon, I agree with JegerGryte's suggestion that it simply be a one-time modification to change the weapons' listing to "Limited Ammo 6" for a single launcher.

Remember that the attachments are after -market modifications to an existing vessel, where the stock ships are intentionally designed with the launchers and extra capacity.

Many, but certainly not all, of the launchers listing Limited Ammo 6 also have Linked 1. I take this as there being twelve missiles total with each of the six uses of Limited Ammo being two missiles (as per Linked).

I also see that fighters cannot reload weapons such as Proton Torpedoes and Concussion Missiles while in flight for obvious reasons. However, this doesn't necessarily seem to apply to Silhouette 4+ ships. In such a case, the Limited Ammo 3 might just represent the ready load and an otherwise unoccupied crewman could reload the launcher while the ship is in flight. This, of course, assumes that extra missiles are in storage and that the launcher is taken offline (probably requiring a Maneuver from the one operating the weapon) during the turn of reloading. I would think that one Maneuver per missile would be reasonable, meaning that - if the loading crewman took no other Actions or Maneuvers, reloading a Linked 1 set of launchers would take three turns. Time consuming but possible.

I also see that fighters cannot reload weapons such as Proton Torpedoes and Concussion Missiles while in flight for obvious reasons. However, this doesn't necessarily seem to apply to Silhouette 4+ ships. In such a case, the Limited Ammo 3 might just represent the ready load and an otherwise unoccupied crewman could reload the launcher while the ship is in flight. This, of course, assumes that extra missiles are in storage and that the launcher is taken offline (probably requiring a Maneuver from the one operating the weapon) during the turn of reloading. I would think that one Maneuver per missile would be reasonable, meaning that - if the loading crewman took no other Actions or Maneuvers, reloading a Linked 1 set of launchers would take three turns. Time consuming but possible.

I think I'll go for two Maneuvers per missile/torpedo. The first to pick it up from a ready rack and the second to load it into the launcher. I won't require the weapon to be offline (adds an unneeded complication) and I like the idea of a character (probably an NPC) acting as a WWII loader slamming new ordnance into the firing chutes.

Many, but certainly not all, of the launchers listing Limited Ammo 6 also have Linked 1. I take this as there being twelve missiles total with each of the six uses of Limited Ammo being two missiles (as per Linked).

In contrast, I've been reading that as six separate attacks, with the added benefit of being able to score an extra hit; if you don't roll the necessary Advantage, that second shot is wasted. Whether you activate Linked or not, it's still 6 missile "attacks" rather than 12 missiles that are fired in pairs of 2 each time. Ultimately a minor quibble based upon individual PoV.

Many, but certainly not all, of the launchers listing Limited Ammo 6 also have Linked 1. I take this as there being twelve missiles total with each of the six uses of Limited Ammo being two missiles (as per Linked).

In contrast, I've been reading that as six separate attacks, with the added benefit of being able to score an extra hit; if you don't roll the necessary Advantage, that second shot is wasted. Whether you activate Linked or not, it's still 6 missile "attacks" rather than 12 missiles that are fired in pairs of 2 each time. Ultimately a minor quibble based upon individual PoV.

I'm not clear as to how that makes a difference. I'm certainly not suggesting that the twelve missiles can be fired independently (it gets six uses, but each use is two missiles). Under your reading, do you still have to pay for 12 missiles to refill Limited Ammo 6 on a launcher with Linked 1?

I'm certainly not suggesting that the twelve missiles can be fired independently (it gets six uses, but each use is two missiles). Under your reading, do you still have to pay for 12 missiles to refill Limited Ammo 6 on a launcher with Linked 1?

Truthfully, it's not come up as none of the EotE games I've run have been much more than one-shots, and the ships themselves didn't have missile launchers of any sort.

I'd probably go with needing to only purchase missiles equal to the Limited Ammo rating to fully restock. True, it gives the PCs a definite cost break, but seeing as how the GM chapter strongly suggests keeping the PCs with very little resources as the "status quo," I don't mind cutting them a bit of a break every now and again. Of course, finding someone who will sell them those missiles is another story...