Animal Stun trait

[arcador]

The text states that animals with the bioelectricity trait deal an additional amount of damage with the stun trait.

So, if an animal deals 2D and has Bioelectricity +3, I guess it will work like this: It deals 2D +3 while only the last 3 are STUN. So if it rolls 7, it will deal 7+3 = 10. Someone who has armor 8 (improved cloth) will take 2 damage and be stunned for 2 rounds. Effect will add to the normal dmg, not the stun.

I.e. when accounting for armor, first comes the normal damage and later, the stun damage. Of course, this is only my interpretation of the rules.

[arcador]

Thinking about that again, perhaps the resolution should come after the type of animal and the referee's interpretation of it.

Sometimes the animal might just deal STUN damage, and nothing else. Giant jellyfish.

Or sometimes the STUN damage might come as a secondary attack to the normal attack (i.e separate dmg rolls, armour reducing both). Giant jellyfish which can slam.

Maybe it tries to pierce and then to electrify - then normal damage, and afterwards stun damage. (electric stingray?)

[ShawnDriscoll]

It's up to the Referee, depending on each situation. I've used it at times as:

Animal does its normal damage against something, followed by an additional stun attack based on their Bioelectricity rating. So two separate attacks.

[Condottiere]

Is there some way to negate the electrical charge with the use of fibres that direct it away from the body?

Would work on stun guns as well.

[arcador]

I would say armour that negates energy damage would do.

[Linwood]

I’m going to allow my players to buy armor like that. It will have modest ballistic protection (+3 or +4) and decent protection against stun (possibly +6) but no additional benefit against other energy weapon damage. It’s a nice fit for civilians with personal protection licenses on a high-law level planet.

Otherwise I agree - any armor that negates energy weapons would be effective against stun weapons as well.

[arcador]

Keep in mind in Traveller very different weapon types can have the STUN trait.

Electrical shocks do, of course,

But so do stun grenades, rubber shells and some weapons (the famous sap).

I assume such armour would protect only against the electrical shocks.