Destruction Measurement

Disclaimer: The Destruction Measurement is NOT a system use to pit damage versus defense versus so on and so forth. It is a writing guideline for technology and play, and is thus subject to interpretation and revision by a Player, Storyteller, or Game Master.

Destruction Measurement is a method of measuring the effective level of havok a singular weapon can wreak. It is a very loose method, and is not based on damage over time or singular rounds, but the amount of damage it can do to a single generic, unaltered human (and the collateral, if applicable). It exists to give writers an easy way to gauge how destructive a gun or bomb is without having to understand the physics behind the weapon, and in cases of idle browsing save the time of pouring through the whole article.

Apply common sense in dealing with the destruction a weapon can do. A pistol is not going to pierce the armour of a tank, but the right rocket sure will! Additionally, when factoring in DM for cybernetics or sturdier races, again use common sense. Most things will not shrug off a rocket to the face, but a person made of metal will be able to take anything under a 4 no problem.

StageLevel of Destruction to PersonMaterials Penetrated/DestroyedUsual Causes
UUnique. Used for specialized weaponry that has strange effects, such as irradiation-based weapons.
Can be used in conjunction with the below stages.
VariesTasers, dirty bombs, flamethrowers, molotov cocktails, concussion grenades
0It is effectively like firing foam darts at the person, not even bruising their skin.
Congratulations, it's a toy!
Someone's feelingsA foam dart gun, a water pistol, strong language
1Can cause slight bruising. Maybe even give a black eye.Paper, glass1)A slap, a thrown baseball
2Heavy bruising or skin-breaking.Thicker glassA good punch, a paintball gun
3Will cut deep or cause large amounts of traumaPlaster or drywall, plastic, eighth inch of wood, common fabrics, soft leatherA baseball bat, a pistol, a submachine gun
4Likely will cause a person to pass out entirely from trauma/blood lossHouse wall with insulation, hardened leatherA small caliber rifle, a knife, a magic missile, a string of firecrackers
5Has the potential to outright kill a person on contactDense plasticA standard rifle, a shotgun at medium range with spreadshot, a small fireball, a frag grenade's shrapnel, a fireworks explosion
6Will definitely kill a person on contact, body intactQuarter inch of hardwood, ballistic fabrics, thin sheet of HelleniumA sniper rifle, a battle rifle
7Person is dead, body is a bit mangled, warped, or otherwise damagedLayered/quilted ballistic fabrics, reinforced glassA shotgun at close range with spreadshot
8Person is dead, body is heavily destroyed.Ballistic ceramic plates, a thin treeA chainsaw against flesh2), an anti-materiel rifle
9The person's body is gibbed and there's a great big mess of things.Dirt/earth, eighth inch of Hellenium, a treeA diamond-toothed chainsaw, a frag grenade at immediate range
10There's gibs and a small craterA quarter-inch of Hellenium, stone, a thick treeA TNT charge at close range, an explosive fireball
11There's no body, just a crater or a smoking pair of shoes.Concrete, sandbags, asphaltA rocket launcher
12Whatever has killed the person has taken a wall with it.
13And there goes the small cottage the person was standing in
14The cottage is now a crater
15The cottage is destroyed and the surrounding buildings have taken heavy damage.
20If the cottage had been a city block, the that entire city block is reduced to rubble.
25An entire town is wiped off the map. If in a city, it's an entire district. A small nuclear bomb
30An entire city is gone A heavy nuclear bomb.
35An entire region is laid to waste.
40A whole continent has been cleansed.
42Whatever has been destroyed is basically so destroyed that their soul has witnessed life, the universe, and everything in their final moments.
45A weapon of such magnitude that not only is the person wiped from existence, but so is their whole planet. A Murderball
50This weapon has wiped out the entire star system a person was in. Star-exploding weapons.
51+Congratulations, you ruined it for everybody.The admin's patience.No.
1)
Made of Soda-Lime, the most common civilian mixture.
2)
Groovy~ Try not to think too hard about the chainsaw gumming up.