Damage From Small
Arms
Add-On Bipods
·
Many rifles have
designed for them simple “scissors bipods” which may be squeezed in
scissors-fashion, then placed on the barrel of a rifle and used to support the
rifle and let go, giving it an ad hoc
form of bipod-type extended range.
(The scissors bipod available for the M-16 series, designed primarily to allow
the M-16 to be used as a faux
automatic rifle before the M-249 was available, is the example which comes to
mind immediately.) Such a bipod adds 0.2 kg to the weight of the rifle and costs
$20. It adds 15% to the range of
the rifle when used and halves recoil (rounded up) when the weapon is fired from
the bipod. Whether or not such a
bipod can be attached depends upon the diameter of the rifle barrel (most such
bipods are designed specifically for a certain rifle, or at least for a rifle
with the same barrel diameter), and the exposed length of the barrel (this is
not easy to determine quickly without the GM researching the weapon, but in
general bullpup carbines, weapons with unusually-long handguards in relation to
their barrel lengths, and submachineguns cannot use scissors bipods).
An unfortunate side-effect of a scissors bipod is that they fit very
loosely, and therefore rattle around loudly when the shooter moves.
·
Other rifles,
particularly those with under-handguard MIL-STD-1913 rails or specific
attachments, can mount actual bipods. Adding one to a rifle with the appropriate
attachment interfaces on both the weapon and the bipod is an Easy: Small Arms
task or an Average: INT or EDU task. Characters with Gunsmith skill must only
roll a d20, with only a 1 indicating a failure to properly mount the bipod; if
they fail, another d20 is rolled, and a 1 indicates that they damaged the weapon
or bipod interface (GMs choice) and the interface must be repaired before
further attempts can be made.
Attaching a proper bipod increase the range of the weapon by 30% and reduced
recoil by half (rounded up) when firing from the bipod.
No tools are typically required beyond a screwdriver or tool of the
appropriate size.
·
Some real bipods
are designed to be attached to sling swivel attachment point; for this to occur,
the sling swivel itself must be removed, and the bipod attached to the swivel
attachment point. Removing the
swivel takes no skill; attaching the bipod is done at the same chance of success
as above as attachment to hard mount as above.
Such a bipod increases range when fired from the bipod by 25%, and cuts
recoil in half (rounded up). Normally, only a screwdriver or other tool of the
appropriate size is required, though sometimes the procedure is more involved.
The mount is not as stable as a hard mount as above, and the bipod will
probably rattle a bit when the shooter is moving.
·
A regular bipod
can be added to many rifles which do not have such rail or mount interfaces or
sling swivels; this almost always requires a weapon which has a solid fore-end
(whether wood or synthetic). This essentially required “drilling and tapping” of
a sort, making attachment holes to screw the bipod attachment points into.
Normally, this requires the services of a Gunsmith with appropriate tools
and is an Average skill for him, though a person with Small Arms skill may try
it, with a Formidable level of difficulty.
This sort of attachment is normally solid, though if the person who
attached the bipod rolls within one of the number below that needed for success,
the attachment is a little sub-par and the bipod tends to loosen gradually
(frequency and amount of loosening will be the GM’s call, but should be judged
partially on the skill level of the person who mounted it and partially on the
amount of abuse the weapon is put under).
Personnel Movement
and Combat
Weapon |
Crawl |
Walk (1/3 Move) |
Trot (2/3 Move) |
Run (Full Move) |
Automatic Pistol |
Formidable |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Revolver |
Formidable |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Special Purpose Handgun |
Formidable |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Submachinegun |
Formidable |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Assault Rifle |
Formidable |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Battle Rifle |
Impossible |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Lever-Action Rifle |
Impossible |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Sniper Rifle |
Impossible |
Difficult |
Impossible |
Impossible |
Sporting Rifle |
Impossible |
Difficult |
Impossible |
Impossible |
Automatic Rifle |
Impossible |
Difficult |
Impossible |
Impossible |
Machinegun |
Impossible |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Grenade Launcher |
Impossible |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Light Rocket Launcher (<5 kg) |
Impossible |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Medium Rocket Launcher (5-8 kg) |
Impossible |
Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Vehicle Movement and
Combat
Stabilization |
1/4 Move |
1/2 Move |
3/4 Move |
Full Move |
None |
Formidable |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Basic |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Very Impossible |
Fair |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Impossible |
Good |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Difficult |
Formidable |
Converting Weapons to Automatic Fire
Computerized Weapon Sights and Sniper Team
Spotters
·
Some weapons are
listed as specifically able to mount special computerized weapon sights; others
are capable of mounting them, particularly if they use MIL-STD-1913 rails or
special rails for such a purpose.
Some can also be mounted on standard sight rails, though this is rare.
(These weapons are normally rifles or grenade launchers.) These sights
add 20 meters to the short range of the weapon so equipped, and give the shooter
a +2 to hit in standard shots. For
aimed shots, they decrease the difficulty of the first three semiautomatic
shots, or the first automatic burst, by one level, and give him a +2 bonus to
hit. Computerized sights cannot be used while a shooter is moving.
These computerized sights’ weights vary, but for game purposes, add 4 kg
for an early-1990s computerized sight, 2.7 kg for a late-1990s to early 2000s
sight, and 1.3 kg for a mid-to-late-200s sight.
A computerized sight costs $2000.
·
In recent years,
sniper ballistic computers have become more common, though Barrett came up with
the first one in the mid-1990s, and DARPA was experimenting with them in the
early-1990s. These computers take
information about range, wind speed, and take into account whether the shooter
is firing down or upslope, as well as several other factors.
They essentially help the shooter of a sniper rifle put the “dope on the
scope.” Some of these computers are
mounted directly on the sight, and as such, cannot be used by the spotter during
firing. These computers make a shot one level less difficult, and give the
shooter a +1 bonus (+2 if the sniper has a spotter with him).
If the sniper is alone, he may use the ballistic computer for the first
five shots fired consecutively at short and medium range and the first three
shots fired consecutively before he must recalculate; this requires six phases
(30 seconds). If he has a spotter
with him, he may use the ballistic computer’s information for the first five
shots fired consecutively, and then the spotter must recalculate the
information, which may be done at the same time the shooter is firing at long
and extreme range and takes two phases (10 seconds, as he is working while the
sniper is shooting). The first
calculation for shooting takes 6 phases (30 seconds). Modifications may be made
by the GM for weather, wind, and target conditions. The ballistic computer
cannot be used while the sniper or sniper team is moving.
An early-1990s ballistic computer weighs 1.2 kg; a mid-1990s to early
2000s ballistic computer weighs 0.7 kg, and a mid-to late-2000s version weighs
0.4 kg. A ballistic computer costs
$2000.
·
A sniper team
normally consists of a shooter and a spotter (who take turns looking through the
sight and the spotter’s telescope).
The shooter actively looks through the weapon’s sight and does the shooting at
targets. The spotter uses a special
high-power telescope to give the shooter valuable information about his hits and
misses, how far off the mark he is or whether he is right on the money, and
information about weather conditions and wind where his target is.
He also gives the shooter tips on shooting in general.
Use of a spotter gives the sniper member a +2 to hit on his first two
shots and a +1 on follow-up shots, per target if shots are made consecutively at
the same target. Information flow
between a good sniper/spotter team is continuous, and no time in game terms is
required for the sniper to receive information about the target from the spotter
and improve his chances of hitting.
The spotter does, however, require one phase (5 seconds) to set up and the same
time as an aimed shot to get the first information about the target to relay to
the sniper. A spotter scope weighs
1.1 kg and costs $200.
Short-Barreled
Pistols Made From Rifles, Arm Braces, and Stocks
·
The current rage
about the pistols made by removing the stock and shortening the barrel and
sometimes removing the sights and muzzle device from an otherwise standard rifle
(usually a civilian version of an assault rifle) is ringing through law
enforcement and even the halls of Congress and the Senate of the US.
These “Pistol/Rifles” usually come with an arm brace that the shooter
straps onto his arm to steady his grip when he fires.
He straps in and then points his weapon at the target, usually steadying
his weapon further with his nonfiring hand.
·
That’s what
supposed to happen. However, lots
of shooters of Pistol/Rifles have found that one can use the arm brace as an ad
hoc (but somewhat uncomfortable) stock.
Now, in the US, this is patently illegal, but its done. And to an extent,
it works. When I stat a
Pistol/Rifle, that’s what I’m thinking of.
It you want your character to stay legal and use the arm brace properly,
multiply the range figure of your weapon by 0.8.
·
In many cases,
the connection of an arm brace to a Pistol/Rifle is just as good to connect a
stock. Connecting an actual stock
is also patently illegal in the US, unless you want to pay $200 to the ATF and
hire someone to help you do the mountains of paperwork necessary to legally own
a short-barreled rifle, or is you’re somewhat of a masochist and choose to do
the paperwork yourself. (I have a neighbor who legally owns a short-barreled
rifle (his is based on a US-made AK) and he told me that the weapon is fun, but
the paperwork was a nightmare.) If
your character has such a short-barreled rifle, multiply the range by 1.2, if I
have already done so on the stat table for your character’s weapon.
Attaching a stock to a Pistol/Rifle is an Easy: Gunsmith or average:
Small Arms (Rifle) task. Of course,
not all stocks can simply be fitted to all Rifle/Pistols; attaching a stock that
is not designed for quick mounting to a particular weapon is a Difficult:
Gunsmith or Impossible: Small Arms (Rifle) task.
·
Just to make it
more interesting, special ops units of several countries use such short-barreled
rifles, and even make limited use of properly used arm braces (such a weapon is
useful in CQB). And what’s more,
their Pistol/Rifles are often modified for automatic fire.
On the stat tables, I have statted a figure for automatic fire, sometimes
with a stock or arm brace.
Apparently, special ops units are finding that Pistol/Rifles or short-barreled
rifles, often modified for automatic fire, are quite useful in CQB.
Not all such weapons are used by the military, but I have found that some
are (sometimes it is a mere rumor or a blurb in an article or picture
description).