RPG/Weapons
If you want to prepare for battle, getting a good weapon to bring along should probably be one of the first steps. Here’s a list of the melee weapons commonly available in stores around the city. The list works as follows:
Weapon Name: The most commonly used name for the weapon. If it’s in bold, it means it’s a weapon group. After the list, the shopkeeper is going to tell you about each and every one of these.
Skills: The skills used when handling this weapon. Remember that you may choose either of the skills listed, and if the skill on this chart is marked with a -1, that skill is considered 1 lower when attacking with this weapon. It’s definitely preferred to choose a skill that is the specialty or one of the subjects of one of your facets, as if you choose a skill that is not, you cannot use attack stances (see below).
Stance: Whether the weapon can be used to make Fast, Precise, or Strong attacks. These are necessary to use particular stances. Weapons with an F in this category can be used with a fast stance. Likewise, if they have a P here, they can be used in a precise stance, and if they have an S, they can be used in a strong stance. Weapons can have more than one letter in this category, or even all of them. In order to use attack stances with the weapon, you must have at least one level in an active facet that has one of the weapon’s skills as its specialty or subjects.
Damage: The damage the weapon deals if it hits. Usually this has a stat in it, that’s the stat of the person using the weapon. Remember, use the highest die unless there is a + before the d in your die types. Note that this means that different die types are separated by + symbols and are therefore added. 2d6+2d10 means to roll two 6-sided dice and two 10-sided dice, take the highest of each set, and add them together.
Cost: How much the weapon costs. They’re not cheap, but the 500 dollars you start out with should be enough to get you something useful. That is, of course, assuming you didn’t already spend everything on armor.
Hands: How many hand actions using the weapon costs. If a weapon has a hands rating of two or more, you needn't spend these two actions consecutively, but both must be spent within the same encounter, and if you drop, sheathe, or otherwise lose your grip on a weapon, any hand actions spent on it are lost. You may also spend actions from different hands to use the weapon, and only if all of the actions spent are offhand actions does the attack suffer the usual offhand penalty. A weapon with a * next to its hands rating is so complex that it requires two hands to function, and the hand actions spent to attack with it must come from at least two different hands. If a weapon can be used 1-handed, you can spend a second hand action from a hand not holding it to gain a +3 on your rolls to hit.
Speed: How heavy and slow to use or light and quick to use a weapon is. Add the speed stat from your initiative roll when you're holding the weapon. Negative speed ratings on a weapon will lower your initiative rolls.
Contents
Melee Weapons
Slashy
| Slashy Weapons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Cost | Hands | Speed |
| Shortsword | Gym/His | F, P | 1dStr+1d4 | $75 | 1 | Spd+3 |
| Rapier | Gym/His | F, P | 1dStr+1d6 | $80 | 1 | Spd+2 |
| Longsword | Gym/His | F, P, S | 2dStr+1d6 | $100 | 1 | --- |
| Scimitar | Gym/His | F, S | 2cdStr+2d4 | $100 | 1 | --- |
| Broadsword | Gym/His | S, P | 2cdStr+2d8 | $150 | 2 | Spd-1 |
| Bastard Sword | Gym/His-1 | S | 2cdStr+1d12 | $200 | 2 | Spd-2 |
| Greatsword | Gym/His-1 | S | 2cdStr+2cd6 | $350 | 2 | Spd-3 |
| Ludicrous Sword | Gym | S | 2cdStr+2cd8 | $500 | 2 | Spd-3 |
| Tanto | Mar/His | F, P | 2dStr | $100 | 1 | Spd+2 |
| Wakizashi | Mar/His | F, P, S | 1dStr+1d4 | $100 | 1 | Spd+3 |
| Katana | Mar/His | F, P, S | 1dStr+1d8 | $150 | 1 | --- |
| Nodachi | Mar | S | 2cdStr+2cd10 | $600 | 2 | Spd-2 |
| Hatchet | Gym/Mar | F, S | 1dStr+1d4 | $100 | 1 | Spd+3 |
| Axe | Gym/Mar | S, P | 1dStr+2d6 | $125 | 1 | --- |
| Greataxe | Gym/Mar-1 | S | 3cdStr | $750 | 2 | Spd-3 |
| Scythe | Gym/Mar | P | 3dStr+2cd8 | $300 | 2 | Spd-2 |
| Glaive | Gym/Mar | S, P | 2cdStr+4cd4 | $125 | 2 | Spd-1 |
| Dagger | Gym/Mar | F, P | 1dStr+1d3* | $50 | 1 | Spd+3 |
| Ice Pick | Hom/Mat-1 | P | 1dStr+2cd4 | $125 | 1 | Spd+1 |
| Butcher Knife | Hom | F, P | 1dStr+2d2* | $125 | 1 | Spd+3 |
- =A d2 is half the result of a d4, rounded up. A d3 is half the result of a d6, rounded up.
Pokey
| Pokey Weapons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Cost | Hands | Speed |
| Lance | Gym/His-1 | S | 2cdStr+2cd6 | $400 | 2 | Spd--- |
| Trident | Art/Mag-1 | S, P | 2cdStrd+3d10 | $150 | 2 | Spd-1 |
| Giant Fork | Hom | S | 2cdStr+2cd8 | $300 | 2 | --- |
| X-actly Knife*** | Art/His | F, P | 1dStr+1d4 | $100 | 1 | Spd+3 |
| Chisel*** | Art | S, P | 1dStr+1d6 | $200 | 1 | Spd+2 |
| Spear | Gym/His | F, P, S | 2dStr+2d4 | $80 | 1 | Spd-1 |
- =This weapon functions as an artist's summoning tool as well.
Smashy
| Smashy Weapons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Cost | Hands | Speed |
| Hammer | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Mallet | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Warhammer | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Mace | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Flail | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Spatula | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Bonbori | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Reinforced Guitar | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
Smacky
| Smacky Weapons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Cost | Hands | Speed |
| Bo Staff | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Jo | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Blackjack | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Fan | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Billy Club | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Broom | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Shovel | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Microphone Stand | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Nunchaku | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Nunchaku | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Paintbrush | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Pencil | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Spoon | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
Punchy
| Punchy Weapons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Cost | Hands | Speed |
| Fist** | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Katar | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Boxing Gloves | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Brass Knuckles | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Giant Stone Fist | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Gauntlet | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
Tangly
| Tangly Weapons | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Cost | Hands | Speed |
| Whip | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Net | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Acrobatic Ribbon | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Chain | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Sai | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Garrote | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Yo-yo | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
| Chopsticks | / | F, P, S | d | $ | 1 | Spd |
Ranged Weapons
Ranged weapons work much the same as melee weapons with the following stats added:
Ammo: How many times the weapon can be fired(That is, used to make an attack) before its ammo is exhausted and you must spend a hand action to replenish it. This represents reloading a clip, nocking another arrow, replacing a cartridge, swapping a cylinder, feeding a new belt, or so on. A weapon with a * next to its ammo rating includes reloading as part of the action that fires it, and an extra action is not needed to reload. Ammunition costs $1 per 10, unless otherwise noted. Once used, ammunition for bow-type weapons can be recovered. To do so, spend 10 minutes and roll a Home Ec/Accuracy roll, the result is how many of your fired arrows are recoverable, up to the number you fired.
Range: The range at which is it most easy to hit a target with the weapon. You can fire at targets at a farther range, but for each increment of that range, the to-hit roll is -1.
Burst: Certain weapons can be fired in bursts. The burst rating defines how many shots can be fired with a single attack. You may take up to that many shots, but for each shot past the first one, you take a -1 to hit, adding +2 to damage per additional shot in the burst if the attack hits.
| Bows | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Burst | Cost | Range | Hands | Ammo | Speed |
| Shortbow | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Longbow | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Crossbow | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1 | Spd |
| Compound Bow | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Guns | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon Name | Skills | Stance | Damage | Burst | Cost | Range | Hands | Ammo | Speed |
| Pistol | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Rifle | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Shotgun | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| SMG | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Machine Gun | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Sandbag Gun | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Sniper Rifle | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Auto-Shotgun | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Revolver | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Holdout Pistol | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Assault Rifle | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
| Musket | / | F, P, S | d | N/A | $ | 30 | 2 | 1* | Spd |
Gun Tech Level
Guns have varying tech levels, which is a measure of how scientifically complicated they are. A gun's tech level determines its cost, damage, what skills it can be used with, and how difficult it is to create or repair.
| Level | Repair/Build | Hit/Damage | Skill | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primitive | -4 | -2 | Mat | -50% |
| Early | -2 | -1 | Mat/Sci-1 | -25% |
| Modern | -- | -- | Mat-1/Sci | -- |
| Future | +4 | Example | Sci | +50% |
Primitive weapons are some of the earliest guns, most of which use black powder to propel a bullet. Colonial and Revolutionary War-era weapons fit here. They are cheap but harder to use and have the fewest number of ammo types available. While historically, most of the weapon types did not exist for primitive types, gunsmiths have been able to concoct ones that use the equivalent level of tech, all of which resemble ridiculous, overwrought monstrosities.
Early weapons are from eras such as the frontier and first World War era, with lower costs than modern weaponry and more simplified, streamlined designs. Bullets for these guns are simple and don't require additional ingredients to function, and a few ammo varieties are available for these. Most societies were lacking a large number of the gun types from this list, but many societies with alternate fuel sources, particularly steam-based ones, have designed working weapons of all varieties at this tech level.
Modern weapons began to see heavy use starting with the second World War. They are the ones that most Altearthean humans are familiar with, and are the most commonly-seen ones at MSF high. Modern weapons still use bullets, but have a wide variety of ammunition types available.
Future weapons include both laser and particle weapons, most of which saw a rise to prominence around the time period of the formation of the Golden Alliance. Introduction of future-class weapons to primitive societies can unbalance civilizations. Future weapons are harder to build and repair, but are superior in most aspects save the general need for more specialized training to fire them. Future weapons have the widest array of ammo types available and are the costliest.
Ammo Types
By paying extra for your ammunition, you can purchase it in different types. Each ammo type has an increase in the cost and any additional effects listed, as well as the minimum tech level a gun must be to utilize that ammo type. Burst fire only applies the effects from any of their special ammo types once per burst(if there are multiple bullets with the same type at different levels, apply the highest), though this can allow a burst to have the effects from multiple ammo types. When a box of ammo has more than one type, apply each cost modification separately when calculating its cost.
Armor Piercing
Cost: +10%/Level, Max 5
Tech Level: Modern
Effects: Armor Piercing rounds are able to bypass armor more efficiently than other ammunition types. For every level of Armor Piercing a bullet has, it deals 2 additional points of damage to its target's soak. This damage to the soak is factored before any other damage is dealt, and if the target has no soak left, the Armor Piercing damage has no effect.
Hollow-Point
Cost: +30%
Tech Level: Early
Effects: Hollow-point rounds deform on contact, imparting their energy to a larger surface area. this deals much more damage to lightly-armored targets. When an HP round strikes a target, it deals an amount of extra damage equal to eight minus double the target's number of soak dice. If the target has 5 or more dice of soak, the bullet's effects will reduce the amount of damage it does.
Tracer
Cost: +500%
Tech Level: Early
Effects: Tracer rounds are crafted with materials that glow, causing them to light up as they streak towards the target and enabling the gun's user to aim their next shots better. On the round after a gun fires a tracer bullet, any shots fired with that gun gain a +2 bonus to hit their target. Firing a tracer round from a concealed position gives away that position.
Suppression
Cost: +25%/Level, Max 5
Tech Level: Modern
Effects: At some point in history, someone had the idea that it would be strategically valuable to have ammunition that weakened instead of wounded its target. This came in the form of poisonous darts and pellets that burst into noxious fumes. Rather than being dealt normal damage, a character hit by suppression rounds takes a -1 penalty to all actions that turn. Every consecutive initiative round a character is hit by a suppression round, they take another -1 in penalties, up to the bullet's level. For every initiative round a character is not hit, these penalties lessen by 2.
Nonlethal
Cost: +0
Tech Level: Early
Effects: Rubber bullets, tranquilizer rounds, or other stunning weaponry designed specifically to not kill an opponent. At MSF High, this isn't really an issue, but it's still a nice gesture. Nonlethal ammo functions similarly to normal ammo, with the exception that it cannot deal traumatic damage, and thus can never deliver a fatal blow. Responsible use of this ammo may be worth a karmic boon.
Laser
Cost: +5000%
Tech Level: Future
Effects: Laser rounds are beams of concentrated light that act similarly to bullets but with a few exceptions. Since they are created through energy, laser weapons can be recharged rather than having to replenish ammo. Clips for laser weapons can still be exchanged like normal weapon clips, but rather than having to buy new bullets, they can be recharged overnight for free(assuming there's an outlet) or recharged with batteries which have a cost of the normal ammo cost for that clip. Laser shots can also be reflected by mirrors, which can give them a tactical advantage in certain situations.
Paintball
Cost: -75%
Tech Level: Early
Effects: Paintball rounds are made for games rather than combat, and thus deal no damage. However, if they strike a completely unarmored target, roll a 1d4, and on a 4, it creates a level 1 bruising wound. They also mark their target with bright paint, which lessens their ability to hide by -2 for every paintball that has hit them until they spend 10 minutes washing them off. This effect can be lessened if the target is in an area that has been subjected to multiple paintball strikes.
Magic Paintball
Cost: +200%
Tech Level: Early
Effects: As the paintball, but enchanted for use by artists. Using these in a weapon allows an artist to cast their spells at range, though even with burst fire, only the first paintball that hits in any attack counts for the artist's spellcasting.
