Alright, two quick clarifications: While not expressly stated, I’m assuming that "secondary targets" within the spread of a shotgun would only take 1/2 damage if the attack roll is high enough to hit them were they the primary target; i.e.  I roll a 24, everyone within the spread with a defensive rating of 24 or less suffers damage?

I’m pretty sure that must be how it’s intended, but just double-checking.

Second on the list - A "Spread 2" affects targets 2 SIM to the left and right of the primary target. Is that a strict L to R, or is it everywhere excepting DIRECTLY in front or behind? Or do some people treat the spread as a blast radius?

Not sure about that secondary targets one. It makes sense, don’t get me wrong, but does anything in the book back that up?

Yes, it is left to right, no behind. Think of it more as a cone than a blast radius.

the spread isn’t based on the target. Its a fixed cone, for every 10SIM away the spread is increased by the spread rating. so if it had a spread of 2 at 10SIM the effect area would be 5 wide (1 initial + 2 each side) and at 20SIM it would be 9.

[quote="kargenetic":7594b]Not sure about that secondary targets one. It makes sense, don’t get me wrong, but does anything in the book back that up?

Yes, it is left to right, no behind. Think of it more as a cone than a blast radius.[/quote:7594b]
That covers the "behind", but what about "in front"?  If I have four people standing in a T shape, with my target being the one at the junction of the T, what happens?  Do I ignore the one in front (the same way I would if shooting through him to the target behind)?  Does he get hit by the shot as well (making weapons with spread cone-of-effect weapons)?  If he gets hit, does he shield my actual target?  If those answers are "No, Yes, and No", why wouldn’t I always want to target the furthest reasonable target to get everyone in front of them?

If your target has a meat shield, that negates a line-of-sight, so you have to maneuver until you have a shot, or else take down the meatshield first.
Or, the GM could give the guy behind a cover bonus to his DR, and if the attack roll beats is, then some shot gets around the meat shield and does damage.

[quote="kargenetic":0a17c]If your target has a meat shield, that negates a line-of-sight, so you have to maneuver until you have a shot, or else take down the meatshield first.
Or, the GM could give the guy behind a cover bonus to his DR, and if the attack roll beats is, then some shot gets around the meat shield and does damage.[/quote:0a17c]
Do you have a page for where meat shields block line-of-sight?  I want to find said rule, but I haven’t seen it yet.

Not specifically, but 7.8.4 says "any opaque object blocks line of sight." In most situations, enemies are opaque.

In my games if you try to target a person behind a meat shield with a shotgun you treat that person as the primary target and add the appropriate cover bonus to the DR. The meat shield thus ends up in the spread area because shotguns fire like a cone. For the targets in the spread I check to make sure their DR is lower than the roll to hit the primary target and if so they take half damage. If there is a person behind your primary target I see if his DR with cover/range mods is still hit and if it is he takes half damage. Firing multiple shots is a bit harder since it only uses exertion rating, I just keep checking to see if the roll is high enough to hit all secondary targets with multiple shots and continue applying half damage as needed.

Here’s the issue with spread, as written:

[code:aae5b]
ooOoo
——

  x
[/code:aae5b]

o is a secondary target, O is primary.
- is a wall.
x is the shooter, assume at depicted range the spread is enough to effect all 5 targets

Given the above scenario, the Rules As Written (RAW) state that all 5 targets take damage.

[code:aae5b]
ooOoo
.*

  x
[/code:aae5b]

Under the above scenario, the * is never hit by the shotgun spread shrapnel, despite being closer to the shooter and within the "cone" of damage.  The period was used for spacing (1 space doesn’t do anything, two acts as two).

Spread is not a cone, it’s a T.

Yes, the rules as written say you discern the spread of a shotgun with a T to pick secondary targets. Like any rules they make certain assumptions that you will apply logical conclusions to those rules. In the situation with the wall I don’t know anyone who would rule that the secondary targets take damage because they are standing right at the branch of the T despite the concealment granted by the wall.

There are people out there to be quite rabid about playing by RAW, even if RAI are clearly discernible (as shown here).

RAW: Rules as Written
RAI: Rules as Intended

Draco18s - 14 August 2009 06:10 AM

There are people out there to be quite rabid about playing by RAW, even if RAI are clearly discernible (as shown here).

RAW: Rules as Written
RAI: Rules as Intended

Agreed, who would ever think that a shotgun blast should be a T shape instead of a cone? Come on people, the blast does not go out 10 SIM the kick out 90 degrees and hit the SIM 2 to the left and right. Shotgun blasts are a cone… try shooting one in real life sometime and see if it goes in a T.

This is definately an argument for RAI.

KaneSolo - 31 December 2009 12:50 PM

Draco18s - 14 August 2009 06:10 AM

There are people out there to be quite rabid about playing by RAW, even if RAI are clearly discernible (as shown here).

RAW: Rules as Written
RAI: Rules as Intended

Agreed, who would ever think that a shotgun blast should be a T shape instead of a cone? Come on people, the blast does not go out 10 SIM the kick out 90 degrees and hit the SIM 2 to the left and right. Shotgun blasts are a cone… try shooting one in real life sometime and see if it goes in a T.

This is definately an argument for RAI.

I own and shoot one and it is definitely a cone. It just does not spread as much as people think.  At most room distances the spreads not going to be more than a man size target. at least in my experience.

depends… bird shot, buck shot or slug?
bird shot is designed for more spread, to catch a bird in flight
buck shot is designed to have medium spread, to take down a bigger target through multiple impacts
slugs just hurt like hell in a handbasket lined with lemon coated razors

KaneSolo - 17 February 2010 08:19 PM

depends… bird shot, buck shot or slug?
bird shot is designed for more spread, to catch a bird in flight
buck shot is designed to have medium spread, to take down a bigger target through multiple impacts
slugs just hurt like hell in a handbasket lined with lemon coated razors

Also depends on choke.

Birdshot is REALLY NASTY at close range. Imagine making a fist sized hamberger hole.

well, a shotgun at close range, regardless of ammo, is a bad day waiting to happen