Re: [DL] A few rules questions

["Nick Zachariasen" <zacharin@pluto.dsu.edu>]

> As for the Artillery: Gatling Gun vs Shootin': Automatics, I've had it
> explained to me by a friend who was an artillery officer in the military
> that the Artillery skill seems to be more strategic in nature, letting
> the character with that skill understand the capabilities of each weapon
> and where best to locate them on a battlefield for maximum effect.  The
> character actually manning the Gatling Gun would need the shootin':
> automatics skill to actually fire and reload the weapon.  Neither
> character would need to know how the other does his job.

Nope.  I know it's been said many times before that Shootin': Automatics
refers to the Gatling pistol whereas for the actual Gatling gun requires
Artillery: Gatling gun.  Basically, the rule of thumb (at least in the Weird
West as opposed to Hell on Earth when vehicles get into it) for Shootin' and
Artillery is that if you can hold it it's Shootin' and if sits on the ground
or is mounted on something then it's Artillery.  I think the distinction
really comes from the fact that it takes less hand-eye coordination to turn
a crank on a death-spittin' hunk o' carnage (like the Gatling gun or a
cannon) than it does to draw your pistol and fire it at something.  You use
much more of your body for Shootin' than you do for Artillery.

Nick Zachariasen
Editor Emeritus
Trojan Times