questions Firearms questions. 1/2 or 1/3 - How does it work?

[Keeper Bolog]

Hi everyone!

Some weapons have 1/2, 1/3: Can be accurately fired every second or third round.

How does this work? The first (or second for 1/3) attack with the weapon automatically misses or how should it work? I don't see any guidance of this in the book and since I am fairly new to Call of Cthulhu I can't seem to figure it out myself. I presume it's you fire 3 shots, or 3 molotov`s and only the 2nd or 3rd one actually works?

 

Some examples:

.56 Springfield Rifle has 1/4 Uses per round

Molotov Cocktail has 1/2 uses per round

Flare Gun 1/2

Grenade Launcher 1/3

and so on...

[Nozbat]

Firstly, I had always assumed MR are elastic. It is at least long enough for everyone to take an action (or dither). For those that need timings that means between 1-10 seconds.

In Combat MR everyone acts on highest DEX and completes an action. The delays you note in firing weapons would then be to reload, cock, aim and fire.

For example, you throw a Molotov cocktail, pick up another one (carefully), light the fuse, chose a target and throw it.. repeat. In the meantime your colleague with her .38 revolver has shot twice in the time you've taken to launch-prepare-launch the Molotov cocktail.

I'm not sure that it would make sense if you launched an area damage weapon and it didn't do something? Therefore 'missing' with intervening shots is unlikely.

IMO the main thing is the narrative rather than the mechanics but in combat (which should be avoided if at all possible), the mechanics are important because it is about survival. Players usually weigh up the costs of rate of fire/ damage done/ survivability

I'm sure others have an opinion which will also be useful

Edited March 20, 2023 by Nozbat
typos

[Keeper Bolog]

Now that you explained it so well to me it makes sense! Thanks a lot.

1/2,1/3,1/4 is now more clear to me! Very appreciated.