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Watch for falling Drop pods!

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tolson_carde
Jun 27, 2009 13:39:19 How much damage would a 40+ ton Orbital Droppod cause? I mean already i have decided that anything less than a tank will be a creamy paste, but lets say my guys get inventive and use the droppod to crack open a bunker. How much damage could that pod do?

My first thought was overcome any DR the material might have and then 50d6, but I would like a second opinion incase that might not be enough or too much.
#2
narukagami
Jun 27, 2009 13:54:10 This seems like one of those things thats better treated by narrative than mechanics. Just say, yes, the 40+ ton drop pod cracks open the bunker unless its heavily protected against just such a situation.
#3
DwarfFighter
Jun 27, 2009 15:00:45 A simple GM'ing tip:

* If you think it will hapen then it happens.
* If you think it won't happen then id doesn't happen.
* If you think it might happen then it's 50-50.

-DF
#4
dbay
Jun 27, 2009 15:17:08 1d6/200 lbs +20d6 falling damage, from the book. If it's specifically designed to bust through stuff, I'd boost the damage die up a few steps to d10's or d12s or so (depending on how important to the designers it was that this thing could take out bunkers- which is kinda cool, to be honest) and ignore hardness. If its rocket powered, like the WH40K ones are, then it never hits terminal velocity, right? so the falling damage doesn't stop adding. Figure out approximately how far it fell and divide by 10 feet, I think. Maybe only however long it was accelerating for. If the drop pod is fired out of something, I'd make it work like one of the starship guns, like a mass driver (if you were using starship rules).

Of course, this is only if it is actually necessary to calc damage. As a DM, I would if it was the PC's plan or the PC's bunker, or else I'd be railroading, even if only a little bit.
#5
backstabbist
Jun 28, 2009 0:27:48 Most of us have seen solid lead bullets splatter themselves against steel plate,
while the steel core ones can penetrate it.

Same goes for the drop pod. It was not designed to be a ultrahigh KE impactor, it will splatter itself against a sufficiently durable target... not a farmhouse or tank or 'artileryproof' bunker, but bunkers built out of feet thick Vanadium to survive nearby nukes might do the trick

When you say 'bunker'
are you talking a bunch of sandbags and timbers,
or are you talking cheyenne mountain?

Also,
what is the motivation for the ground batteries, to choose to not blast it out of the sky when it gets to 8000'?
One can only assume a bunker of sufficient import to draw that kind of fire
would have onsite AAA / AntiOrbital Battery to shoot something basicly coming right at the guns

When discussing how one can attack a planet from orbit,
one will have to admit the planet will likely be able to attack its orbit with ground batteries.... which is something RAW doesnt do well (or at all), a space battleship guns cant reach a planetfrom orbit

I think it was Azisien that did an orbital bombardment / planetary batteries write up a while back... Rods from the Gods stuff
#6
para_gunner
Jul 03, 2009 15:49:52 yeah - against a hardened bunker its just going to go splat and knock over any esternal comms / sensors and stuff that get in the way

not an exact comparison - but i have seen a 25 ton ` conex ` shipping container fall 40m following a catastropic failire of the grab

it made one hell of a mess - but when all the crap was cleared it left < 30 cm depression in the reinforced concret foundation for the crane

it left a lot of cracks - but no significant penetration

spo i think the best you can hope for with droip pods vs bunkers is persuading the DM to knock some DR off the bunker for the next attack
#7
Ragitsu
Jul 03, 2009 16:02:25 Don't worry, you can make a Reflex save to halve the damage .
#8
backstabbist
Jul 03, 2009 22:57:21 My robo-bunkers have Evasion chip,
so they take no damage
#9
Ragitsu
Jul 04, 2009 5:21:20 So Fast Hero bunkers are better than Tough Hero bunkers?
#10
backstabbist
Jul 04, 2009 9:40:11 A bunker with no defensive fire base is a tomb waiting to be sealed.
The best defense is a strong offense,
so the Str/MA 'sniper' bunker would be best ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tolson_carde Jun 27, 2009 13:39:19	How much damage would a 40+ ton Orbital Droppod cause? I mean already i have decided that anything less than a tank will be a creamy paste, but lets say my guys get inventive and use the droppod to crack open a bunker. How much damage could that pod do? My first thought was overcome any DR the material might have and then 50d6, but I would like a second opinion incase that might not be enough or too much.
#2 narukagami Jun 27, 2009 13:54:10	This seems like one of those things thats better treated by narrative than mechanics. Just say, yes, the 40+ ton drop pod cracks open the bunker unless its heavily protected against just such a situation.
#3 DwarfFighter Jun 27, 2009 15:00:45	A simple GM'ing tip: * If you think it will hapen then it happens. * If you think it won't happen then id doesn't happen. * If you think it might happen then it's 50-50. -DF
#4 dbay Jun 27, 2009 15:17:08	1d6/200 lbs +20d6 falling damage, from the book. If it's specifically designed to bust through stuff, I'd boost the damage die up a few steps to d10's or d12s or so (depending on how important to the designers it was that this thing could take out bunkers- which is kinda cool, to be honest) and ignore hardness. If its rocket powered, like the WH40K ones are, then it never hits terminal velocity, right? so the falling damage doesn't stop adding. Figure out approximately how far it fell and divide by 10 feet, I think. Maybe only however long it was accelerating for. If the drop pod is fired out of something, I'd make it work like one of the starship guns, like a mass driver (if you were using starship rules). Of course, this is only if it is actually necessary to calc damage. As a DM, I would if it was the PC's plan or the PC's bunker, or else I'd be railroading, even if only a little bit.
#5 backstabbist Jun 28, 2009 0:27:48	Most of us have seen solid lead bullets splatter themselves against steel plate, while the steel core ones can penetrate it. Same goes for the drop pod. It was not designed to be a ultrahigh KE impactor, it will splatter itself against a sufficiently durable target... not a farmhouse or tank or 'artileryproof' bunker, but bunkers built out of feet thick Vanadium to survive nearby nukes might do the trick When you say 'bunker' are you talking a bunch of sandbags and timbers, or are you talking cheyenne mountain? Also, what is the motivation for the ground batteries, to choose to not blast it out of the sky when it gets to 8000'? One can only assume a bunker of sufficient import to draw that kind of fire would have onsite AAA / AntiOrbital Battery to shoot something basicly coming right at the guns When discussing how one can attack a planet from orbit, one will have to admit the planet will likely be able to attack its orbit with ground batteries.... which is something RAW doesnt do well (or at all), a space battleship guns cant reach a planetfrom orbit I think it was Azisien that did an orbital bombardment / planetary batteries write up a while back... Rods from the Gods stuff
#6 para_gunner Jul 03, 2009 15:49:52	yeah - against a hardened bunker its just going to go splat and knock over any esternal comms / sensors and stuff that get in the way not an exact comparison - but i have seen a 25 ton ` conex ` shipping container fall 40m following a catastropic failire of the grab it made one hell of a mess - but when all the crap was cleared it left < 30 cm depression in the reinforced concret foundation for the crane it left a lot of cracks - but no significant penetration spo i think the best you can hope for with droip pods vs bunkers is persuading the DM to knock some DR off the bunker for the next attack
#7 Ragitsu Jul 03, 2009 16:02:25	Don't worry, you can make a Reflex save to halve the damage .
#8 backstabbist Jul 03, 2009 22:57:21	My robo-bunkers have Evasion chip, so they take no damage
#9 Ragitsu Jul 04, 2009 5:21:20	So Fast Hero bunkers are better than Tough Hero bunkers?
#10 backstabbist Jul 04, 2009 9:40:11	A bunker with no defensive fire base is a tomb waiting to be sealed. The best defense is a strong offense, so the Str/MA 'sniper' bunker would be best ;)