Ammunition, Reloading and the Fast Reload Stunt

[Ihadris]

Hi guys,

Ive been going through the use of guns and the gun stunts in game with one of my players and he asked a lot of questions that I felt myself unable to answer.

Firstly regarding the Fast reload stunt:

Fast reload: Provided you have a supply of ammunition, reloads are rarely an issue. You take no penalty when reloading as a supplemental action (page 213); if you're in a race to see who reloads first, or anything else having to do with your speed or ability to reload, gain a +1 on the roll.

- emphasis is my own.

No where else in the rule book does it mention supplies of ammunition or whether or not there would normally be a penalty for reloading. Indeed I see nothing for keeping track of ammunition. Now I love the simplicty of this system so I dont want to over complicate things but one of our characters is carrying a revolver, one throwing knives and another one of the players wants to make a character based on Kincaid.

Im certain that under normal circumstances that the knives would run out far sooner then any rifle Kincaid might carry and that the revolver would frequently have to reload. I hadn't even considered this anything other then perhaps narrative colour till the player pointed out the details of this stunt.

Also, in the books character sometimes carry custom ammunition.

(click to show/hide)

Such as when Murphy threatens the gruff with steel jacketed rounds.

- Small Favour spoiler.  How would you handle this? A fate point decleration? A custom built stunt?

Any help you guys can give is greatly appreciated.
-Ihadris

[Deadmanwalking]

Well, normally it would be only a supplemental action to reload...so a -1 penalty to your attack once every six rounds at most. It's not a big deal, but it can come up. The stunt prevents that. If you don't feel like keeping track of it, well, ignore it and scrap the stunt. It's hardly a big deal.

Oh, and look up throwing knives on Google. They aren't just knives that you happen to throw, and you can casually carry a ridiculous number of them if you secret them in various areas about your person. They're basically flat and you can fit four or five flat together in the space one knife with a conventional hilt would take up.


On the issue of custom ammo: If they prep for it (ie: "We're hunting Fae, so I go out and buy some steel-jacketed rounds."), they just need the Resources to buy it. If they're suddenly saying they have it, that's probably a Guns or Resources Declaration (no Fate Point inherently necessary).

[Ihadris]

Thanks Deadmanwalking,

I think Im likely to handwave it. It isnt something that any of us would find entertaining keep track of. Didnt realise about the throwing knives though! Thats what I get for not checking up on things (or at least thinking with Hollywood sterotypes).

Yeah, the Kincaid guy is really interested in having specialised ammo. In fact, so interested that he asked about taking ritual so he could enchant his own bullets.   

[Biff Dyskolos]

I think the reload rule are a little light. As Deadmanwalking says you could have a reload ever x rounds rule (magazine size varies) or reload after an attack on an entire zone. Personally, I prefer the rout that Diaspora took. Every firearm has an implicit Reload aspect. Your opponent can compel that aspect to force you to take no action for around. I can't remember right now but it may only work after a zone attack.