Weapon pentration system is wonky

[Olschoolgamer]

Hey all,
I have been reading thru the TNE main book and got to the combat section when I read that you multiply the armor value by the pentration for the range and realized that if you shoot some one with a plasma rifle at close range and they are wearing a flak jacket they will take no damage. How is the armor value and pentration suppose to work?

 

[Badbru]

Plasma rifle penetration is 1-2-10
Flak jacket is AV 1.
Short range is 1x1=1 dice lost from number of damage dice.
Medium is the same as the first penetration number applies to both close and medium range.
Long range 1x2=2 dice lost from number of damage dice.
Extreme range 1x10=10 dice lost from damage dice.

Pre upgrade plasma rifles did something like 9 or 10 damage dice or something(I never use them) but post upgrade the weakest one did 23 damage dice (why I never use them) so you must be doing something wrong as even a TL-12 Plasma rifle at extreme range will instant kill anyone in a mere AV 1 Flak jacket, as the average result from the remaining 13d6 will be somewhere in the 30 to 40 points range.

 

[Olschoolgamer]

Then my book is incorrect. My TNE book has the larger number first then scaling down to the smaller number. Is there a TNE errata out there?

 

[Zparkz]

You are probably confuses penetration rating with penetration value.

As Badbru mentions above. The High Energy Weapon design got fixed. You'll probably find an errata for FF&S if you google "FF&S errata".

Anyhow. The coloumn where the values decreases are the damage (penetration) against vehicles. While the damage rating is used against personnel (armored and unarmored).

 

[Badbru]

Yeah I think Zparkz has found your problem.
You've probably confused Penetration VALUE with Penetration RATING.
Lets use the upgraded TL12 plasma rifle as an example.
Damage is 23d6.
Pen Rating is 1-2-10
Pen Value is 23-23-12-2

So against someone in a flak jacket, AV 1 without inserts, you'd multiply the AV by the appropriate Penetration RATING for the range to find the damage dice lost. See my first post.

Against an air raft or G carrier you'd use the Penetration VALUE for the appropriate range and subtract the vehicles AV value from the weapons Penetration VALUE and take the resulting number to the Vehicle Damage Resolution tables.

Your original post sounds like you were multipling the Pen VALUE "23" by the Flak jacket AV value "1" and then subtracting that from the weapon damage "23" and comming up empty. Should have been using the Penetration RATING instead.
Easy enough mistake to make as it is a bit confusing.

 

[Olschoolgamer]

I think I see the main problem. I have the first edition of TNE. When I downloaded the PDF I see the difference.