[UA] Kids, Hastur, Blades and Kevlar

[Ryan Fitch-Davis]

Well, it really depends on the weapon, doesn't it?
A high-powered bow is about on scale with firearms damage, as is an 
atlatl (those javelin throwing sticks)

A frind of mine had what was about five years ago a top-of-the-line 
compound bow. The thing had a 120lb draw... he and I were the only 
people around who could even draw the thing, and even then I couldnt' 
fire it because the draw was too long for my arms. He had to make his 
own arrows for the thing because the stock ones were too short.

The effects on targets were remarkably similar to bullet damage.
You typicly had a release velocity roughly a third that of a pistol 
round, but a projectile about three to five times as massive.
----
On the kevlar-versus-knives thing, the matter is somehat blurry.

If you are wearing one of those shirt type things designed to be 
concealable and worn under a jacket, they arn't going to be much use. 
The knife will cut the fabric. Those things arn't designed to prevent 
anything but the worst effects of damage... they keep the bullet away 
from your organs but don't blunt the impact much. basicly, you won't 
loose the last 10% of your wound points while wearing one... at least 
not from a single shot.

A proper vest, though, is something else. Those typically contain 
layered armor, with resin-stiffend Kevlar plates and/or metal plates. 
You can tell instantly, if you know what to look for, if someone is 
wearing one. These will turn a knife... or a hatchet or a sword for that 
matter.

What you are dealing with is a complex interaction between pressure and 
mechanical advantage.

Pressure is force-per-unit-area. This is why stiletto heels hurt so much 
more than running shoes when they step on you.

With a bullet, the pressure exerted at impact is really big, though it 
is finite.

A knife point is, theoretically, exerting infinite pressure: A finite 
force distributed across an infintesimal area.

There are fewer strands of the extremely strong kevlar fiber to cut at a 
given instant.

A good example of how this all works can be done at home with some 
simple objects. Take a knife and try to stab through a telephone book.

Try again with a BB-gun or .22

That is how a kevlar vest works, in a nutshell.

For the kids out there, adult supervision is a good idea. Odds are 
they've already done some stupid things and survived, so they can 
probably save you from a trip to the hospital.

--- Ryan. (physics-geek-wanna-be)

Dylan Craig wrote:

> Speaking of which, how do people on this list handle non-firearm missile
> weapons? I've been running them as melee weapons with range, keeps things nice
> and simple, but if there are any other interesting schemes out there it would be
> good to hear about 'em. +6 and +9 weapons like crossbows get to do firearm-style
> on a match, of course. Bullet-proof vest effects are beyond me, though. Is the
> RPG truism about blades and kevlar true? Should the vests be less effective
> against bolts, or what? What if you knife someone wearing a vest? Half damage?
> 
> Dylan
> (Whose uncle recovered, by the way)
> --
> "I don't need an education / I learnt all I need from you"
> Contact Details: http://www.eyeballkid.co.za/contact.html
> 
> _______________________________________________
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> UA at lists.uchicago.edu
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