Aberrant 2.0 Weapons Rules

Weapon Tags

• AA: Anti-aircraft tracking, can be fired at aircraft without any difficulty penalties. Missiles only, otherwise missiles suffer a +3 difficulty to hit helicopters and a +6 difficulty to hit any other aircraft type, above and beyond range. Guns only suffer range penalties.
• AP(X): Armor Piercing. Reduce target soak by (X).
• Area(X): Area of effect ordinance with rating X.
• AV(X): Antivehicle, suffers +X difficulty to attack human-sized or smaller targets.
• Burst(X): Fires (X) rounds per single attack rather than 1, allowing it to use autofire multiple-attack rules even with "single shots". Note that the Rate of the weapon is still the maximum number of rounds it fires. Burst weapons have a slash in their Rate stat, with their effective rate of fire following the unadjusted RoF.
• Exp(X): Explosive ordinance, with rating X. An attack which fails to hit has its damage reduced by this amount per margin of failure. Damage adds are lost first, then damage dice.
• Guided: Ignores first dodge success, reduces range penalty difficulties by 1.

Weapon Maneuvers

• Autofire: Instead of the burst/spray/full auto rules, automatic fire is now limited by weapon rate of fire, and does differing things depending on the number of rounds fired. Bursts add damage adds (if your bullets can't penetrate, firing off more is kind of pointless) or increase accuracy.
  • Short Bursts: +2 Accuracy or +[1] Damage, 3 shots/bursts worth of ammunition.
  • Medium Bursts: +4 Accuracy or +[2] Damage, 10 shots
  • Long Bursts: +6 Accuracy or +[3] Damage, 20 shots
  • Sustained Bursts: +10 Accuracy or +[5] Damage, 50 shots

• Strafing: Autofire against multiple targets subtracts 2 die from the attack roll for every target past the first but applies the results against all targets, which defend individually. Weapons with a Burst rating may attack up to that many targets. An attack may not target more enemies than it fires bullets, for obvious reasons. When making a strafing attack, a burst must be used to increase accuracy rather than add damage.

Example: Rambo, with Dexterity 5, Firearms 5 (Machine Guns + 3), and firing a Light MG (Acc +1 Dmg 10L) in long burst (Acc +6) has a total attack pool of 20d, but is facing down 8 mooks. He chooses to attack 8 targets with his long burst, subtracting 14 from his attack pool, leaving him with 6d. He rolls 2 successes on 6d which is applied to every mook. Of those targets, 7 are in the open, 5 are in light cover (+1 difficulty) and 2 are in heavy cover (+2 difficulty). The 7 mooks in the open take 11L and die, the 5 in light cover take 10L and also die, and the last 2, in heavy cover, are untouched.

Melee Weapons

Melee weapons have an accuracy, defense, damage, and strength minimum/maximum. Accuracy and Defense add or penalize the offensive or defensive ability of a weapon, respectively, while damage is the weapon's damage. For each point of strength below the minimum, a character adds +1 difficulty to attacking or blocking with a weapon. A character may not exert more than the maximum level of strength without damaging or destroying the weapon in question.

Each point of Mega-Strength is counted as 10 points of regular strength for minima and maxima.

Unarmed

Note that the damage from these has actually decreased significantly from the core rulebook. The unarmed damage boosters from body modifications are extremely powerful, after all. And there's always mega-strength.

• Light Attack: A fast kick, jab, or the like deals little damage but is fast and accurate.

Accuracy +1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 0B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)

• Heavy Attack: A slower, more powerful attack.

Accuracy -1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 2B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength (infinite)

• Disarm: When facing an armed enemy, turning the tables on the opponent by stealing their weapon is often advisable. A Disarm rolls Strength + Brawl versus the opponent's Strength + Might or Strength + Brawl (choose higher). If the character succeeds, the weapon is flung away from the opponent. If the character succeeds with 5 or more successes, she may immediately take possession of the weapon.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage N/A

• Grapple: A grappling attack. A successfully grappled character may attempt to escape or take control of the grapple, both sides making opposed Strength + Might or Strength + Brawl (choose higher) rolls. Each dot of Mega-Strength is 5 automatic successes to that roll.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage N/A

• Grappling Smackdown: Smackdowns require 1 WP to use and a turn to wind up, essentially being little more than over-the-top finishing moves. A successful grappling smackdown not only inflicts the damage listed and also puts them in a grapple which you control.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage Strength + 4B

• Striking Smackdown: Smackdowns require 1 WP to use and a turn to wind up. A successful striking smackdown knocks the target prone (unless they succeed a reflexive, opposed Stamina + Resistance roll with a difficulty of the attacker's strength) and deals the damage listed.

Accuracy +2, Defense +0, Damage Strength + 6B

Grappled Attacks

The controller of a grapple can initiate any of these attacks. All of these attacks halve enemy soak (rounded down), as the controller has an advantage in looking for weakpoints and exploiting them, and automatically hit. However, they can only be used once/turn.

• Pound: Pounding someone in a grapple is a great way to inflict damage. This may involve mounting someone and whaling on them, slamming their face into nearby hard objects, breaking joints, or other methods of causing pain.

Damage Strength + 2B

• Coup De Grace: Not actually a finishing blow, an edged weapon like a knife can be used in a grapple, being stabbed into weak points.

Damage (as weapon + 1)

Blunt Weapons

Normal

• Brass Knuckles: Brass knuckles (or the equivalent for kicking, steel-toed boots) provide additional striking power for unarmed attacks.

+1 damage to unarmed non-grappled attacks, Mass 1kg.

• Club (Improvised): Clubs are little more than heavy blunt objects weighted from hitting people on the head with. Improvised clubs are poorly balanced for combat but still are very good at beating people to death very quickly.

Accuracy -1, Defense -1, Damage (Strength + 3B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength 5, Mass 2kg

• Club (Riot Baton): Riot Batons are well-balanced clubs intended for bringing a quick and less-than-lethal end to disagreements about the proper function of government. High-strength and relatively light, they are an excellent tool for encouraging polite debate.

Accuracy +1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 3B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength 8, Mass 2kg

• War Hammer: War hammers are one-handed heavy hammers intended to injure armored knights.

Accuracy +0, Defense -1, Damage (Strength + 4B) AP:2, Min Strength 2, Max Strength 15, Mass 3kg

• Sledgehammer: Sledgehammers are large, heavy two-handed blunt tools which are excellent for demolitions or inflicting pain on opponents.

Accuracy +0, Defense -2, Damage (Strength + 6B), Min Strength 2, Max Strength 15, Mass 4kg

• Staff: Long staves are moderately useful offensive weapons that can be used as grappling aids with proper form, but are primarily useful for parrying the attacks of weapon-wielding opponents.

Accuracy +2, Defense +2, Damage (Strength + 3B), Min Strength 1, Max Strength 8, Mass 3kg.

Superhuman

Note that most of these have minimum mega- attributes listed-they cannot be wielded by human-size entities without the physics-violating properties of mega-attributes as effective melee weapons.

• Human Body: Beating someone to death with another person has never gotten old. Although soft and squishy they do tend to mass enough to make effective bludgeons for the superhumanly strong. The numbers before the slash are for a still-conscious human, who is probably squirming a lot and otherwise making it difficult to beat someone to death with. A few good whacks, though, and the second set of statistics comes into play, for a dead body.

Accuracy -2/+0, Defense -2/+0, Damage (Strength + 9B), Min Strength 6, Max Strength 10, Mass ~40-120 kg.

• Motorcycle: Although more commonly found as a method of transportation, a motorcycle makes an excellent shield or bludgeon if you don't mind the fact that it won't work afterwards. The number before the slash for Max Strength is how hard you can hit someone and still keep it functional.

Accuracy +2, Defense +3, Damage (Strength + 10B [1]), Min Strength 8, Max Strength 12/18, Mass ~150kg

• Lamppost: A method of illumination or for super-strength beatdowns, lampposts are multipurpose and found everywhere.

Accuracy +1, Defense +1, Damage (Strength + 12B [2]), Min Strength Mega-1, Max Strength 25, Mass ~250kg

• Car: Beating someone to death with a car is only really possible for the Mega-Strong or large machines such as mecha, as the problem of leverage comes up for human-sized entities attempting to commit bicep-assisted vehicular manslaughter.

Accuracy +3, Defense +3, Damage (Strength + 15B [5]), Min Strength Mega-2, Max Strength 20/33, Mass ~1000kg

• Semi Truck: You can use it like a seven-section staff. One with only two sections, sure, and it's about ten times your size, but when has that stopped Novas?

Accuracy +5, Defense +5, Damage (Strength + 20B [6]), Min Strength Mega-2, Max Strength 20/45, Mass ~5000kg

• Tank: For the exceedingly Mega-Strong, there is always the pure joy of beating someone to death with sixty tons of depleted uranium and steel.

Accuracy +3, Defense +3, Damage (Strength + 25B [10]), Min Strength Mega-4, Max Strength 60, Mass ~60,000kg

Edged Weapons

Normal

• Kitchen Knife: Although unbalanced and unweighted for combat, kitchen knives can inflict fatal injury.

Accuracy +0, Defense -1, Damage (Strength + 1L), Min Strength 1, Max Strength 4, Mass 0.5 kg

• Combat Knife: Combat knives are designed for actual combat. Modern ones are often nonmetallic, but even older steel ones can are no less effective.

Accuracy +1, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 2L) AP:1, Min Strength 1, Max Strength 15, Mass 0.5 kg

• Long Sword: About a meter long and 1.5-2 kg in mass, long swords come in various types, from European straight swords to Middle Eastern scimitars to Japanese katanas. All have approximately identical stats.

Accuracy +1, Defense +1, Damage (Strength + 5L) AP:1, Min Strength 1, Max Strength 20, Mass 1.5 kg

• Two-Handed Sword: Large, two-handed blades are the pinnacle of normal human swordiness.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 7L), Min Strength 3, Max Strength 25, Mass 3 kg

• Polearm: They're sticks with pointy ends on them. Fairly simple. Their long reach and haft make them excellent defensive weapons, provided that the opposition doesn't get past them.

Accuracy +0, Defense +2, Damage (Strength + 6L) AP:2, Min Strength 2, Max Strength 20, Mass 3.5 kg

• Whipsword: A monomolecular blade, the hypertensile fibers used in a whipsword provide incredible sharpness.

Accuracy +2, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 4L) AP:8, Min Strength 1, Max Strength 50, Mass 1.5 kg

Superhuman

• Klaive: A two handed sword on steroids, a klaive is basically a sharpened helicopter rotor mated to a superhumanly strong nova. The results tend to be gruesome, as with its absurd momentum it can tear through just about anything without slowing down.

Accuracy +0, Defense +0, Damage (Strength + 10L [2]), Min Strength Mega-1, Max Strength 35, Mass 50kg

• Daiklaive: Nobody knows who named this or which insane mind decided it was a good idea, but a "daiklaive" is roughly 2.5 meters and several hundred kilograms of sharpened composite with a depleted uranium core. In proper hands, it is quite capable of crushing through tank armor.

Accuracy -2, Defense +1, Damage (Strength + 15L [5]), Min Strength Mega-2, Max Strength 50, Mass 500kg

Small Guns

Small guns are the small arms you'd tend to see in the hands of regular people, rather than the oversized artillery-pieces-with-stocks-and-triggers that some Novas consider "guns". These weapons are generally the most common form of violence Novas and baselines may face.

Pistols and SMGs

• Light Pistol: Accuracy +0, Dmg 5L, Range 20, RoF 10, Magazine 20, Mass 0.5kg
• Light SMG: Accuracy +0, Dmg 6L, Range 30, RoF 40, Magazine 40, Mass 2.5kg
• Heavy Pistol: Accuracy +0, Dmg 6L, Range 30, RoF 5, Magazine 10, Mass 1 kg
• Heavy SMG: Accuracy +0, Dmg 7L, Range 40, RoF 30, Magazine 30, Mass 3 kg
• PDW: Accuracy +1, Dmg 5L, Range 40, RoF 50, Magazine 50, AP:3, Mass 2.5 kg

Shotguns

Shotguns may alternatively fire slug rounds, which remove their damage adds but add an equal amount of damage dice.

• Shotgun: Accuracy +3, Dmg 5L [4], Range 20, RoF 2, Magazine 8
• Semi-Auto Shotgun: Accuracy +3, Dmg 4L [4], Range 20, RoF 6, Magazine 8, Mass 4kg, Cost ***.

Precision Weapons

• Rifle: Accuracy +2, Dmg 8L, Range 150, RoF 1, Magazine 5, AP(2)
• Antimateriel Rifle: Accuracy +2, Dmg 9L [3], Range 300, RoF 1, Magazine 10, AP:3, Mass 10kg, Cost ***.

Military Weapons

• Flechette Rifle: Accuracy +1, Dmg 10L, Range 60, RoF 48/12, Magazine 48, AP:2, Burst:4, Limited Ammo Options (Multiplex/Hypercore only)
• Assault Rifle: Accuracy +0, Dmg 7L, Range 100, RoF 30, Magazine 30, AP:1, Mass 3kg
• Light Machine Gun: Accuracy +1, Dmg 9L, Range 150, RoF 60/20, Magazine 200, AP:1, Burst:3, Mass 10kg, Cost ****.
• Medium Machine Gun: Accuracy +0, Dmg 10L, Range 150, RoF 60/20, Magazine 100, AP:2, Burst:3, Mass 10kg, Cost ****.
• Portable Railgun: Accuracy +2, Dmg 10L [2], Range 400, RoF 6, Magazine 18, AP:3, Mass 10kg, Cost *****.

Heavy Weapons

• Flamethrower: Accuracy +4, Dmg 5L [4], Range 10, RoF 1, Capacity 30, Ignores unsealed armor, Incendiary (successful attack sets target on fire, doing 6L/turn until put out)
• Portable Laser: Accuracy +2, Dmg 14L [6], Range 400, RoF 1, Magazine 5, AP:3, Mass 30kg
• Grenade Launcher: Accuracy +0, Dmg 10L [4] or as grenade, Range 100, RoF 2, Magazine 1, Exp:3, Mass 3kg
• Multiple Grenade Launcher: Accuracy +0, Dmg 10L [4] or as grenade, Range 100, RoF 2, Magazine 6, Exp:3, Mass 6kg
• SAM: Accuracy +1, Dmg 10L [8], Range 1,000, RoF 1, Magazine 1, Guided, Mass 6kg
• Anti-Tank Missile: Accuracy +0, Dmg 15L [8], Range 500, RoF 1, Magazine 1, Guided, AP:5, Mass 10kg

Energy Weapons

• Electrolaser Pistol: Accuracy +2, Dmg 8S/16S/6L, Range 75/100/125, Magazine 200/50/10, RoF 20/10/5, Mass 1kg, Multiple Settings (low stun, high stun, lethal)
• Maser Gun: Accuracy +3, Dmg 10L, Range 750, RoF Special, Magazine 10, Mass 3kg, Continuous Beam (+1 accuracy per consecutive turn attacking the same target, may attack up to 5 targets per attack roll by sweeping the beam or attack 1 target up to 5 times, uses 1 charge/turn)
• Taser: Accuracy +2, Dmg 1L + 8B, Range 10, RoF 1, Magazine 1, Mass 0.5 kg, No range increments, armor with soak >1L or more renders the target immune
• HERF Rifle: Accuracy +1, Dmg 6E, Range 100, Magazine 40, RoF 2, Mass 4kg

Ordinance

Ordinance is the really heavy stuff, the fun guns that get broken out when you need to bring a Nova down. Or if you are a Nova and you need a toy to play with. Most Ordinance requires at least Mega-Strength 1 or 2 to use effectively, and requires Mega-Dexterity to aim. A Nova which seeks to make use of guided weapons may also wish to have Mega-Perception and some method to program weapons on-the-fly, such as Cyberkinesis.

Missiles and Bombs

Missiles
Each one of these options is assumed to take up 1 or more hardpoints. Cruise missiles are generally only found on bombers.

• Manportable SAM: Accuracy +0, Dmg 8L [8], Range 1,500, Rate 3, Magazine 3, AA, Exp:4, Guided,
• Light AAM/SAM: Accuracy +1, Dmg 10L [10], Range 5,000, Rate 1, AA, Exp:4, Guided
• Medium AAM/SAM: Accuracy +3, Dmg 13L [12], Range 10,000, Rate 1, AA, AV:1, Exp:5, Guided
• Heavy AAM/SAM: Accuracy +2, Dmg 20L [15], Range 15,000, Rate 1, AA, AV:3, Exp:5, Guided
• Cruise Missile: Accuracy +3, Dmg 40L [25] or nuclear, Range 20,000, Rate 1, AP:10, AV:5, Exp:5
• Light Antitank: Accuracy +2, Dmg 15L [8], Range 2,500, Rate 2, Magazine 2, AP:10, Guided
• Heavy Antitank: Accuracy +0, Dmg 20L [12], Range 3,000, Rate 1, AP:15, AV:2, Guided
• Rocket Pod: Accuracy -2, Dmg 12L [6], Range 500, Rate 20, Magazine 20, AP:2, Exp:4

Bombs
Each one of these options is assumed to take up 1 hardpoint. Tacnukes aren't common, though.

• Cluster Bomb: Accuracy +1, Dmg 12L [5], Range 800, Rate 1, AP:3, Area:10
• FAE: Accuracy -2, Dmg 20L [10], Range 1,200, Rate 1, AP:10, Area:20
• Microbombs: Accuracy -2, Dmg 15L [5], Range 1,500, Rate 3, Magazine 6, AP:4, Exp:5
• Unguided Bomb: Accuracy -2, Dmg 20L [10], Range 1,200, Rate 1, AP:10, Exp:5
• Guided Bomb: Accuracy +2, Dmg 20L [10], Range 1,500, Rate 1, AP:10, Exp:5
• Tactical Nuclear Bomb: Accuracy -2, Dmg 30A [10] + 60L [20], Range 500, Rate 1, Exp:5 (reduces both aggravated and lethal damage)

Guns

The minimum strength requirement for these weapons is when dismounted. One dot of Mega-Strength counts as 10 dots of regular Strength for weapons requirements.

Additionally, these weapons have 2 magazine sizes, separated by a slash. The first size is the magazine for a vehicle-mounted weapon, such as a coaxial MG, feeding from a large ammunition feed. The second size is for a weapon that is not mounted to a vehicle, but rather carried by hand or mounted on a pintle (note that some weapons expect backpacks or giant barrels full of ammunition) Finally, weapon masses are unloaded masses.

Smaller Guns

• Medium MG (M60, M240): Accuracy +1, Dmg 10L, Range 150, Rate 60/20, Magazine 2400/100, AP:2, Burst:3, Mass 12, Min Str. 3
• Heavy MG (M2, Kord): Accuracy +1, Dmg 10L [2], Range 300, Rate 30, Magazine 1200/150, AP:3, Mass 30, Min Str. 7
• Minigun: Accuracy +0, Dmg 10L, Range 150, Rate 300/100, Magazine 4000/2000, AP:2, Burst:3, Mass 15, Min Str. 6
• 30mm Autocannon: Accuracy +0, Dmg 12L [4], Range 300, Rate 25, Magazine 600/50, AP:5, Mass 60, Min Str. 12

Aircraft Guns

• 20mm Rotary Cannon: Accuracy +2, Dmg 12L [10], Range 300, Rate 500/20, Magazine 1500/1000, Burst:25, AP:3, Mass 100, Min Str. 20
• 30mm Rotary Cannon: Accuracy +1, Dmg 20L [12], Range 350, Rate 500/20, Magazine 1000/500, Burst:25, AP:5, Mass 400, Min Str. 25
• Tactical Laser: Accuracy +3, Dmg 15L [12], Range 500, Rate 5, Magazine 50/5, AP:5, Mass 150, Min Str. 15

Big Guns

• 105mm Cannon: Accuracy +0, Dmg 20L [10], Range 800, Rate 1, Magazine 60/1, AP:10, AV:4, Mass 1000, Min Str. 35

Canister: Accuracy +3, Dmg 10L [7], Range 400, Rate 1, AP:3

• 120mm Cannon: Accuracy +0, Dmg 25L [12], Range 1,000, Rate 1, Magazine 45/1, AP:15, AV:4, Mass 1500, Min Str. 40

Canister: Accuracy +3, Dmg 12L [8], Range 500, Rate 1, AP:3

• Tank Railgun: Accuracy +2, Dmg 30L [15], Range 1,500, Rate 1/2 (every other turn), Magazine 100/1, AP:20, AV:4, Mass 2000, Min Str. 60

Flechette: Accuracy +5, Dmg 15L [9], Range 800, AP:5

Launchers

• Vehicle Grenade Launcher: Accuracy +0, Dmg 10L [4] or as grenade, Range 100, Rate 9, Magazine 200, Exp:3, Mass 50, Min Str. 7

Weapon Options

Accessories

Accessories can be mounted on most firearms (i.e. small guns and ordinance-size guns), although most large weapons cannot support underbarrel options or suppressors for obvious reasons, and only small guns and dismounted ordinance weapons can mount extended magazines. Use common sense.

• Non-Magnifying Sight: Accuracy +1, first turn of aiming adds +3 versus +1 accuracy
• Magnifying Sight: -1 difficulty from range penalties, aiming adds +2 instead of +1 accuracy/turn
• Underbarrel Grenade Launcher: Accuracy -2, Dmg 10L [4] or as grenade, Range 75, RoF 1, Magazine 1, Exp:3
• Underbarrel Shotgun: Accuracy -1, Dmg 7L, Rng 20, RoF 2, Magazine 4
• Suppressor: Used with subsonic ammo, attacks do not break stealth unless opponents succeed on a Per + Awareness roll (difficulty 1 for damage of 8L or more, difficulty 3 for damage of 7-5L, difficulty 5 for damage of 4L or less) to locate shooter
• Extended Magazine: Doubles magazine capacity for weapons aside from pistols, which increase capacity by 50%, rounded up.

Ammunition

• Armor Piercing Ammo: AP:+3, Dmg(-1L or -[1] if weapon has damage adds)
• Beanbag/Rubber Bullet: Doubles armor/power-granted lethal soak, deals bashing damage past 5 meters.
• Flamethrower: Shotgun only, no range increments, successful attack deals no damage but sets target on fire (4L/turn until put out, unsealed armor does not protect)
• Frag: Shotgun only, Dmg 12L, Area:1, Blast Radius is actually 3m (not 10m).
• +P: Dmg(+1), Weapon breaks if more 1s are rolled than successes.
• Match: Accuracy +1, Rng +25% if aiming.
• Multiplex: Accuracy +2, Dmg(-3), Dmg Add +[2].
• Hypercore: Halved Enemy Soak (round fractional soak down).
• JHP/JSP/Other Antipersonnel: Dmg(-3), AP reduced to 0, Dmg Add +[3]. Minimum damage is 3L, weapons dealing 5L base damage or less add +[2] instead of +[3] to their Damage add.
• Subsonic: Dmg(-1) or (-2) if damage is greater than 8L, reduces weapon report (with suppressor), insufficient power to cycle weapon (RoF is reduced to 2 if normally higher than 2).

Grenades

Grenades are used in grenade launchers or thrown by hand.

• Frag: Dmg 10L [4], Exp:3
• Flechette/Buckshot: Dmg 6L [6], Range 30
• HEAP: Dmg 13L [5], AP:3
• Incendiary: Dmg 5L [4], Area:2, Incendiary (successful attack sets target on fire and ignores non-sealed armor, doing 6L/turn until put out)
• EMP: Dmg 10E, Area:2
• Gas: Dmg None, Area:2, Gas Payload (choose any airborne toxin to deploy)
• Stingball: Dmg 4B + [3]S, Area:2 (note: the damage add is in Stun, not Bashing, damage-all other damage is Bashing)
• Flashbang: Dmg 12S, Area:2, roll Stamina + Resistance at difficulty (+4) or be blinded and deafened for (2 + MoF) rounds.