Industrial-Era Weapons

Chainsaw

Not intended for use as a weapon at all, the chainsaw (and other, similar power tools) can be used by the very strong with terrible effect.

The chainsaw uses Strength or Martial Arts to attack, whichever is less. It does damage Strength +10.

Cigarette Rocket

Negligible Slick

This tiny rocket-bullet can be placed inside a cigarette; it is ignited by lighting the cigarette. A fuse placed in the tobacco fires the rocket, which explodes from the lit end of the cigarette. It is necessary that the smoking material be removed from the mouth immediately after ignition to avoid disfiguring burns.

The weapon has a damage value of 11 but suffers range penalties at half the usual distances. If fired by an unwitting character lighting up what he thinks is an ordinary cigarette, it causes damage to him, and each damage point inflicted indicates one lost shot. Noticing the danger required a Perception or Fix-It roll of 10.

Flame-Thrower

Unconcealable

A heavy, backpack connected to a hose for spraying jellied gasoline, the flame-thrower is almost as dangerous to you as it is to the enemy.

Flame-throwers do damage 12, but armor, cover and active defense is not effective against it. People in enclosed spaces are actually more vulnerable, and may suffer reverse cover modifiers at the GM's discretion.

Flame-throwers affect a small area. When calculating the effect of an area attack, make but a single roll. Consider the initial attack roll to be the effect against the most vulnerable target, and each successive target gets a +1 bonus to their Dodge rating. Targets get to decide which of them is most vulnerable. If targets are densely packed, an attack bonus might be appropriate; +3 per 10 targets is about right.

If you are hit while wearing a flame-thrower, make a Fortune roll. On a fumble, the flame-thrower explodes, doing damage 15 to a number of people nearby equal to your negative result, starting with you.

Flame-throwers have a limited range (about 20 meters) and ammo for 30 shots of use. Hi-tech flame-throwers are smaller and easier to carry, but use the same rules.

Hand Grenade

Jacket

A hand grenade is a small explosive device with a chemical timer. Much safer than earlier models with a fuse, the explosive power is only slightly increased. The damage rating is 13.

It is easy to throw such a grenade over and behind cover, ignore any cover between the impact point and the target. It can also be thrown from full cover, or around corners and through openings into adjacent rooms.

When calculating the effect of an area attack, make but a single roll. Consider the initial attack roll to be the effect against the most vulnerable target, and each successive target gets a +1 bonus to their Dodge rating. Targets get to decide which of them is most vulnerable. If targets are densely packed, an attack bonus might be appropriate; +3 per 10 targets is about right.

Fragmentation grenades are real chancy and should be avoided. They do normal explosive damage as outlined above, and also throw out shrapnel, randomly hitting anyone nearby. Anyone in the vicinity must make a Fortune roll, with a bonus for cover and a further bonus of +1 for every ten meters away they are. On a fumble, they are hit by shrapnel for 10 damage plus their own negative result.

Grenades at higher technology levels are smaller, but have the same effect.

Halothane Lighter

Negligible Slick

Identical in appearance to one of James Bond's standard Dunhill cigarette lighters, this handy instrument contains four doses of the anaesthetic halothane. The lighter has sufficient pressure to squirt the halothane liquid up to a foot and a half. Closer ranges are recommended, as the liquid becomes gaseous quickly, followed by targets quickly becoming unconscious.

The device is not designed for general combat, and requires some sort of surprise to work. If this is achieved, targets must make a Constitution or Medicine roll against your Deceit, or fall unconscious.

Machine-Gun

Nonconcealable

A hopper or belt fed machine-gun has a high rate of fire, and can hose down a large area very effectively.

Typical machineguns have a damage rating of 13, but there are both heavier and lighter variants available.

Machineguns can cover large areas. When calculating the effect of an area attack, make but a single roll. Consider the initial attack roll to be the effect against the most vulnerable target, and each successive target gets a +1 bonus to their Dodge rating. Targets get to decide which of them is most vulnerable. If targets are densely packed, an attack bonus might be appropriate; +3 per 10 targets is about right.

Pen Pistol

Pocket Slick

The pen does write, as well as shoot. It is, however, a bulky implement, even for a fountain pen. The pistol is fired in a manner analogous to the use of a syringe. Holding the pen base against the palm of his hand, with the pen protruding between the index and middle fingers, the agent fires by pulling his fingers back toward his palm. The grip and the weapon were not intended for great accuracy. The preferred calibre for the device is 9mm Parabellum. It fires only one shot, and has a damage of 10.

Shave Canister Flame-Thrower

Jacket Slick, Charges

The shaving canister flame-thrower is simply a miniaturised version of the standard infantry weapon. The canister contains enough fuel for 12 seconds of flames, which may be used in one burst or a series of bursts. The range of the weapon is extremely limited, being effective to no more than three feet. Q Branch versions of the weapon do have enough real shaving cream for a few shaves, before or after using the flame-thrower.

The flame-thrower has twelve shots worth of fuel, which can be used in one or more bursts. The base damage is 8. It ignores cover and cannot be dodged.

Special Ammo

Pocket

Characters who master the art of adapting their ammo to their target will do increased damage. As long as you encounter the expected type of target, you add one to the damage rating of your firearms for each Special Ammo schtick you know. If you encounter a somewhat unexpected target, you will have to spend three shots digging up the right ammo. Against a totally unexpected type of target, you must return to home base to use this schtick.

“Normal” types of special ammo includes hollow-points, armour-pierces, flechettes, duplex and Teflon-coated. More exotic variants (used by characters with several schtick picks) include:

Exploding: Careful insertion of explosives into each bullet creates a powerful exploding weapon.

Incendiary: Lightweight bullets filled with an incendiary compound (for instance, barium nitrate and magnesium). Such bullets must be individually loaded; they should not be kept in the gun for long as the risk of explosion is high.

Smart: A bullet that can change direct it's own flight to strike a pre-programmed target. Programming a bullet requires computerised equipment and half an hour, as well as normal and thermal photographs of the intended target.