Weapon Abilities (Action)
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| Heroic Action Role-Play |
Weapons in Action generally have extra maneuvers available to them, and some have inherent effects; these are all explained here. Unlike item schticks, these are not equivalent to full feats but perhaps to half a feat.
Some abilities are noted as limitations. These always apply, training or not.
Area
Limit Break
You attack everyone in a globe with a diameter equal to your Reflexes in meters centered on the target point. Make a separate attack roll against each target, including friends and bystanders.
This commonly results from explosions and fully automatic weapons fire.
Boosted
Limitation
Also called power armor, this armor has servo-motors powering it, directed by sensors inside the armor so that it matches body movement. If the power fails, the armor turns rigid and it is time for emergency escape, there are manual explosive bolts that should remove the armor. Another danger is that the armor is computer controlled and can potentially be hacked or remotely controlled. A character with an Exo Link can ignore the Move and Hits limitations of boosted armor.
Disarm
Basic Action
Add +3 to Melee rolls to Disarm. If you are allowed to make a counterattack, such as the Intercept weapon ability or the Riposte schtick, you can opt to Disarm instead of making a normal attack.
Counter
Trigger Action
You can intercept opponents attacking you in Melee, striking would-be attackers that you manage to keep at bay. Whenever an opponent misses you with a Basic Action attack in Melee, you can use this weapon to make a Normal Melee Attack on them. This also keeps them at bay - if you are successful and using a Reach weapon, you prevent them from moving adjacent to you. On the other hand, if an opponent starts adjacent to you and there is no behind you, the GM may not allow you to use Counter.
Dual Damage
The does two or more types of damage. Against a target that has different soak values against the two types of damage, use the lesser soak value but decrease the damage by 2. Additional kinds of damage uses the lowest soak value among the types. See also Touch.
Entangle
Basic Action
You can do a Feint, Grab, or Wingclip stunt with a +3 bonus on your Melee or Shoot check (as appropriate).
Loud
Limitation
This gear makes a lot of noise and can be heard a good distance away, depending on its size. A loud weapon alerts neighbors but it is often difficult for witnesses to pinpoint where a ranged weapon is fired, as the trajectory makes as much noise as the weapon itself. Larger items generally make much more noise; a Small or smaller weapon is only audible nearby and dampened by a simple wall, a Medium weapon can be heard a cross a hall or through an interior wall, while a Large weapon is audible over a wide area, possibly kilometers away if conditions are right. Armor with this limitation continually makes noise. Any action that requires quiet or stealth is Stymied when using such gear.
Mirabilia
Inherent
A minor miracle, the power use version of Mundane. An item of power that is so common it is not an Item Schtick and instead considered everyday gear in a setting where this type of power is common. In settings where this kind of power is rare or secret, items that are Mirabilia don't exist.
Mundane
Inherent
This item requires an item schtick at the tech level it is introduced. One tech level later, the item is no longer an item schtick and is now normal equipment available to anyone.
Parry
Trigger Action
The weapon can be used to parry other melee attacks. Use it after an enemy hits you, giving a +3 Dodge bonus until you take your next action, but only against melee attacks.
Penetrating
Inherent
Against armor of its own tech level and lower, this weapon is soaked by Body rather than Toughness.
Powered
Inherent
A development of Boosted armor, power armor has all the advantages of Boosted armor, but also makes the wearer stronger and tougher, giving a +2 bonus to Action, which further increases Toughness beyond the protection provided by the armor. A character with Superstrength cannot benefit form this ability.
Rash
Limitation
The weapon prevents you from taking a Trigger Action until your next shot comes up. Example moves include the fleche, impale, or roundhouse blow. For a ranged weapon, this is an extended burst and the subsequent reload. When you make an attack you can chose to ignore this limitation, but doing so lowers damage by 2.
Reload
Basic Action - Limitation
The weapon is slow to reload (or otherwise prepare for a second use) and requires a Basic Action to reload before each attack.
Returning
Inherent
After you throw a weapon, you can use this to instantly retrieve it. It might be attacked to a string, bounce back to you, or naturally return to you like a boomerang does in movies.
Saturation
Inherent
The weapon saturates an area, making it immune to all effects of cover. A typical example is the flamethrower.
Scatter
Inherent
The weapon fires in a tight cone that widens lightly at range, like a shotgun or particle weapon. It does not lose accuracy over range, instead losing damage at the same rate. Apply any range penalties to damage instead of to the attack roll. A typical example is the shotgun, but most Saturation weapons have this ability too.
Slick
Inherent
The item does not look dangerous. It can be hidden in plain sight and can pass observation by all but the most astute observers. When required an opposed Charm against Charm or Create can avoid even close inspection.
Slow
Inherent - Limitation
The weapon is slow to reload (or otherwise prepare for repeated use). It cannot be used with schticks or powers combine several attacks into one action such as Combination Action, attacks that are Trigger Actions, or extra actions granted by abilities like Hands-on Leadership. The GM determines when this applies, but you should remind the GM in situations that might qualify.
Static
Inherent - Limitation
The weapon requires preparations to use or is very unwieldy, making it impossible to move in the same action you use it to attack.
Stowed
Basic Action
A stowed weapon is large and unwieldy and likely worn on your back to be out of the way. It is a Basic Action to draw such a weapon,
Stun
Inherent
This attack does not cause any direct injury on a Damage Setback, instead favoring stun, knockback, and other non-lethal effects.
Throw
Inherent
This weapon can be thrown as a ranged attack using either the Shoot or Melee skill. If it is a melee weapon it can also be used in close combat, but only the Melee skill applies there. If the weapon has no range category given for it, it has Close range.
Unreliable
Limitation
The weapon is mechanically unreliable and sometimes fails spectacularly. Treat any snake eyes roll using this weapon as a fumble, quite often breaking the weapon or harming the user. One tech level after they are introduced this limit disappears. Experimental and improvised weapons, as well as weapons you are unfamiliar with gain this limitation.