Firearms, Automatic Fire, and Grenades
Feb. 6th, 2007 03:19 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alliancesjrParts taken from the d20 Modern SRD and the D&D SRD.
Rate of Fire: Some ranged weapons have a rate of fire of 1, which simply means they can be employed once per round and then must be reloaded or replaced. Firearms, which operate through many different forms of internal mechanisms, have varying rates of fire. The three possible rates of fire for handguns, longarms, and heavy weapons are single shot, semiautomatic, and automatic.
Single Shot: A weapon with the single shot rate of fire requires the user to manually operate the action (the mechanism that feeds and cocks the weapon) between each shot. Pump shotguns and bolt-action rifles are examples of firearms with single shot rates of fire. A weapon with the single shot rate of fire can fire only one shot per attack, even if the user has a feat or other ability that normally allow more than one shot per attack.
Semiautomatic (S): Most firearms have the semiautomatic rate of fire. These firearms feed and cock themselves with each shot. A semiautomatic weapon fires one shot per attack (effectively acting as a single shot weapon), but some feats allow characters armed with semiautomatic weapons to fire shots in rapid successions, getting in more than one shot per attack.
Automatic (A): Automatic weapons fire a burst or stream of shots with a single squeeze of the trigger. Only weapons with the automatic rate of fire can be set on autofire or be used with feats that take advantage of automatic fire.
Firearms
The most basic form of attack with a firearm is a single shot. One attack is one pull of the trigger and fires one bullet at one target.
The Personal Firearms Proficiency feat allows a character to make this sort of attack without penalty. If a character isn’t proficient in personal firearms, he or she takes a –4 penalty on attacks with that type of weapon. (Kevin's Note: In my campaign, most firearms are classified under the Martial Weapons category unless otherwise stated.)
A number of other feats allow a character to deal extra damage when he or she fires more than one bullet as part of a single attack at a single target. (If a character doesn’t have those feats, he or she can still fire more than one bullet—but the extra bullets don’t have any effect, and are just wasted ammunition.) (Kevin's Note: See Rapid Shot, below.)
As with all forms of ranged weapons, attacking with a firearm while within a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity.
Because of the weapon’s unwieldy shape and size, an attacker using a longarm takes a –4 penalty on attacks against adjacent opponents.
Autofire: If a ranged weapon has an automatic rate of fire, a character may set it on autofire. Autofire affects an area and everyone in it, not a specific creature. The character targets a 10-foot-by-10-foot area and makes an attack roll; the targeted area has an effective Defense of 10. (If the character does not have the Advanced Firearms Proficiency feat, he or she takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll.) If the attack succeeds, every creature within the affected area must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or take the weapon’s damage. Autofire shoots 10 bullets, and can only be used if the weapon has 10 bullets in it.
Autofire is not the same thing as burst fire, which involves firing a short burst at a specific target. Firing a burst requires the Burst Fire feat. If a character fires a blast of automatic fire at a specific target without the Burst Fire feat, it’s treated as a standard attack. The attack, if successful, only deals normal damage — all the extra ammunition the character fired is wasted.
Some firearms — particularly machine guns — only have autofire settings and can’t normally fire single shots
Laeric, add the following to your shopping list for later in the game. I'll look up or make up Craft DCs for each of these later.
40mm Fragmentation Grenade: This small explosive device must be fired from a 40mm grenade launcher, such as the M79. It sprays shrapnel in all directions when it explodes.
The 40mm fragmentation grenade has a minimum range of 40 feet. If fired against a target closer than 40 feet away, it does not arm and will not explode.
C4/Semtex: So-called “plastic” explosives resemble slabs of wax. Hard and translucent when cold, these explosives warm up when kneaded, and then can be coaxed to take various shapes. The information on the table represents a 1-pound block. Additional blocks can be wired together, increasing the damage and burst radius; each additional block increases the damage by +2d6 and the burst radius by 2 feet, and requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 15) to link them.
Although the damage statistics on the table represent a 1-pound block, C4 is sold in 4-block packages. The purchase DC given represents a package of 4 blocks.
C4/Semtex requires a detonator to set off. It is considered to be a moderate explosive for the purpose of using a Craft (explosives) check to manufacture it.
Det Cord: Det cord is an explosive in a ropelike form. Technically, det cord doesn’t explode—but it burns so fast (4,000 yards per second) that it might as well be exploding. Normally used to string multiple explosive charges together for simultaneous detonation (allowing a single detonator to set them all off), det cord can also be looped around a tree or post or other object to cut it neatly in half.
The information on the table represents a 50-foot length. A length of det cord can be spread out to pass through up to ten 5-foot squares. When this is the case, it deals the indicated damage to all creatures in each 5-foot square through which it passes.
It can also be doubled up; for each additional 5 feet of cord within a single 5-foot square, increase the damage by +1d6 to a maximum increase of +4d6.
Det cord requires a detonator to set it off. It is considered to be a simple explosive for the purpose of using a Craft (explosives) check to manufacture it.
Dynamite: Perhaps one of the most common and straightforward explosives, dynamite is very stable under normal conditions. A stick of dynamite requires a fuse or detonator to set it off. Additional sticks can be set off at the same time if they are within the burst radius of the first stick, increasing the damage and burst radius of the explosion. Each additional stick increases the damage by +1d6 (maximum 10d6) and the burst radius by 5 feet (maximum 20 feet).
It’s possible to wire together several sticks of dynamite for even greater explosive effect. Doing so requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10 + 1 per stick). If the character succeeds on the check, the damage or the burst radius of the explosion increases by 50% (the character’s choice).
Dynamite is sold in boxes of 12 sticks. It is considered to be a simple explosive for the purpose of using a Craft (explosives) check to manufacture it.
To set off dynamite using a fuse, the fuse must first be lit, requiring a move action (and a lighter or other source of flame). The amount of time until the dynamite explodes depends on the length of the fuse—a fuse can be cut short enough for the dynamite to detonate in the same round (allowing it to be used much like a grenade), or long enough to take several minutes to detonate. Cutting the fuse to the appropriate length requires a move action.
Fragmentation Grenade: The most common military grenade, this is a small explosive device that sprays shrapnel in all directions when it explodes.
Smoke Grenade: Military and police forces use these weapons to create temporary concealment. On the round when it is thrown, a smoke grenade fills the four squares around it with smoke. On the following round, it fills all squares within 10 feet, and on the third round it fills all squares within 15 feet. The smoke obscures all sight, including the darkvision ability granted by night vision goggles. Any creature within the area has total concealment (attacks suffer a 50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target). It disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds and a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses it in 1 round.
Smoke grenades are available in several colors, including white, red, yellow, green, and purple. As such, they can be used as signal devices.
Tear Gas Grenade: Military and police forces use these weapons to disperse crowds and smoke out hostage takers. On the round that it is thrown, a tear gas grenade fills a 5-foot radius with a cloud of irritant that causes eyes to fill with tears. On the following round, it fills a 10-foot radius, and on the third round it fills a 15-foot radius. It disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds and a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses it in 1 round.
A character caught in a cloud of tear gas must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be nauseated. This effect lasts as long as the character is in the cloud and for 1d6 rounds after he or she leaves the cloud. Those who succeed at their saves but remain in the cloud must continue to save each round. A gas mask renders the target immune to the effects. A wet cloth held over the eyes, nose, and mouth provides a +2 bonus on the Fortitude save.
Thermite Grenade: Thermite does not technically explode. Instead, it creates intense heat meant to burn or melt through an object upon which the grenade is set. Military forces use thermite grenades to quickly destroy key pieces of equipment.
White Phosphorus Grenade: White phosphorus grenades use an explosive charge to distribute burning phosphorus across the burst radius. Any target that takes damage from a White Phosphorus grenade is dealt an additional 1d6 points of fire damage in the following round and risks catching on fire.
In addition, a WP grenade creates a cloud of smoke. Treat a white phosphorus grenade as a smoke grenade (see above), except that it only fills squares within 5 feet of the explosion point.
Detonator: A detonator activates an explosive, causing it to explode. The device consists of an electrically activated blasting cap and some sort of device that delivers the electrical charge to set off the blasting cap. Connecting a detonator to an explosive requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 15). Failure means that the explosive fails to go off as planned. Failure by 10 or more means the explosive goes off as the detonator is being installed.
Blasting Cap: This is a detonator without a built-in controller. It can be wired into any electrical device, such as a light switch or a car’s ignition switch, with a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10). When the electrical device is activated, the detonator goes off.
Radio Control: This device consists of two parts: the detonator itself and the activation device. The activation device is an electronic item about the size of a deck of cards, with an antenna, a safety, and an activation switch. When the switch is toggled, the activation device sends a signal to the detonator by radio, setting it off. It has a range of 500 feet.
Timed: This is an electronic timer connected to the detonator. Like an alarm clock, it can be set to go off at a particular time.
Wired: This is the simplest form of detonator. The blasting cap connects by a wire to an activation device, usually a small pistol-grip device that the user squeezes. The detonator comes with 100 feet of wire, but longer lengths can be spliced in with a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10).
Rate of Fire: Some ranged weapons have a rate of fire of 1, which simply means they can be employed once per round and then must be reloaded or replaced. Firearms, which operate through many different forms of internal mechanisms, have varying rates of fire. The three possible rates of fire for handguns, longarms, and heavy weapons are single shot, semiautomatic, and automatic.
Single Shot: A weapon with the single shot rate of fire requires the user to manually operate the action (the mechanism that feeds and cocks the weapon) between each shot. Pump shotguns and bolt-action rifles are examples of firearms with single shot rates of fire. A weapon with the single shot rate of fire can fire only one shot per attack, even if the user has a feat or other ability that normally allow more than one shot per attack.
Semiautomatic (S): Most firearms have the semiautomatic rate of fire. These firearms feed and cock themselves with each shot. A semiautomatic weapon fires one shot per attack (effectively acting as a single shot weapon), but some feats allow characters armed with semiautomatic weapons to fire shots in rapid successions, getting in more than one shot per attack.
Automatic (A): Automatic weapons fire a burst or stream of shots with a single squeeze of the trigger. Only weapons with the automatic rate of fire can be set on autofire or be used with feats that take advantage of automatic fire.
Firearms
The most basic form of attack with a firearm is a single shot. One attack is one pull of the trigger and fires one bullet at one target.
A number of other feats allow a character to deal extra damage when he or she fires more than one bullet as part of a single attack at a single target. (If a character doesn’t have those feats, he or she can still fire more than one bullet—but the extra bullets don’t have any effect, and are just wasted ammunition.) (Kevin's Note: See Rapid Shot, below.)
As with all forms of ranged weapons, attacking with a firearm while within a threatened square provokes an attack of opportunity.
Because of the weapon’s unwieldy shape and size, an attacker using a longarm takes a –4 penalty on attacks against adjacent opponents.
Autofire: If a ranged weapon has an automatic rate of fire, a character may set it on autofire. Autofire affects an area and everyone in it, not a specific creature. The character targets a 10-foot-by-10-foot area and makes an attack roll; the targeted area has an effective Defense of 10. (If the character does not have the Advanced Firearms Proficiency feat, he or she takes a –4 penalty on the attack roll.) If the attack succeeds, every creature within the affected area must make a Reflex save (DC 15) or take the weapon’s damage. Autofire shoots 10 bullets, and can only be used if the weapon has 10 bullets in it.
Autofire is not the same thing as burst fire, which involves firing a short burst at a specific target. Firing a burst requires the Burst Fire feat. If a character fires a blast of automatic fire at a specific target without the Burst Fire feat, it’s treated as a standard attack. The attack, if successful, only deals normal damage — all the extra ammunition the character fired is wasted.
Some firearms — particularly machine guns — only have autofire settings and can’t normally fire single shots
| RAPID SHOT [GENERAL] Prerequisites: Dex 13, Point Blank Shot. Benefit: You can get one extra attack per round with a ranged weapon. The attack is at your highest base attack bonus, but each attack you make in that round (the extra one and the normal ones) takes a –2 penalty. You must use the full attack action to use this feat. Special: A fighter may select Rapid Shot as one of his fighter bonus feats. A 2nd-level ranger who has chosen the archery combat style is treated as having Rapid Shot, even if he does not have the prerequisites for it, but only when he is wearing light or no armor. |
Laeric, add the following to your shopping list for later in the game. I'll look up or make up Craft DCs for each of these later.
| Grenades and Explosives | ||||||||||
| Weapon | Damage | Critical | Damage Type | Burst Radius | Reflex DC | Range Increment | Size | Weight | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40mm fragmentation grenade | 3d6 | - | Slashing | 10 ft. | 15 | - | Tiny | 1 lb. | ||
| C4/Semtex | 4d6 | - | Concussion | 10 ft. | 18 | - | Small | 1 lb. | ||
| Det cord | 2d6 | - | Fire | See text | 12 | - | Med | 2 lb. | ||
| Dynamite | 2d6 | - | Concussion | 5 ft. | 15 | 10 ft. | Tiny | 1 lb. | ||
| Medium Fragmentation grenade | 4d6 | - | Slashing | 20 ft. | 15 | 10 ft. | Tiny | 1 lb. | ||
| Smoke grenade | - | - | - | See text | - | 10 ft. | Small | 2 lb. | ||
| Tear gas grenade | See text | - | - | See text | - | 10 ft. | Small | 2 lb. | ||
| Thermite grenade | 6d6 | - | Fire | 5 ft. | 12 | 10 ft. | Small | 2 lb. | ||
| White phosphorus grenade | 2d6 | - | Fire | 20 ft. | 12 | 10 ft. | Small | 2 lb. | ||
| Splash Weapons | ||||||||||
| Weapon | Direct Hit Damage | Splash Damage | Critical2 | Damage Type | Reflex DC | Range Increment | Size | Weight | ||
| Acid, mild | 1d6 | 1 | 20 | Acid | - | 10 ft. | Tiny | 1 lb. | ||
| Molotov Cocktail1 | 1d6 | 1 | 20 | Fire | - | 10 ft. | Small | 1 lb. | ||
| 1 This weapon cannot be purchased as an item; | ||||||||||
| 2 Threat range applies to direct hits only; splash damage does not threaten a critical hit. | ||||||||||
Grenades and Explosives
Many explosives require detonators, which are described in Weapon Accessories.40mm Fragmentation Grenade: This small explosive device must be fired from a 40mm grenade launcher, such as the M79. It sprays shrapnel in all directions when it explodes.
The 40mm fragmentation grenade has a minimum range of 40 feet. If fired against a target closer than 40 feet away, it does not arm and will not explode.
C4/Semtex: So-called “plastic” explosives resemble slabs of wax. Hard and translucent when cold, these explosives warm up when kneaded, and then can be coaxed to take various shapes. The information on the table represents a 1-pound block. Additional blocks can be wired together, increasing the damage and burst radius; each additional block increases the damage by +2d6 and the burst radius by 2 feet, and requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 15) to link them.
Although the damage statistics on the table represent a 1-pound block, C4 is sold in 4-block packages. The purchase DC given represents a package of 4 blocks.
C4/Semtex requires a detonator to set off. It is considered to be a moderate explosive for the purpose of using a Craft (explosives) check to manufacture it.
Det Cord: Det cord is an explosive in a ropelike form. Technically, det cord doesn’t explode—but it burns so fast (4,000 yards per second) that it might as well be exploding. Normally used to string multiple explosive charges together for simultaneous detonation (allowing a single detonator to set them all off), det cord can also be looped around a tree or post or other object to cut it neatly in half.
The information on the table represents a 50-foot length. A length of det cord can be spread out to pass through up to ten 5-foot squares. When this is the case, it deals the indicated damage to all creatures in each 5-foot square through which it passes.
It can also be doubled up; for each additional 5 feet of cord within a single 5-foot square, increase the damage by +1d6 to a maximum increase of +4d6.
Det cord requires a detonator to set it off. It is considered to be a simple explosive for the purpose of using a Craft (explosives) check to manufacture it.
Dynamite: Perhaps one of the most common and straightforward explosives, dynamite is very stable under normal conditions. A stick of dynamite requires a fuse or detonator to set it off. Additional sticks can be set off at the same time if they are within the burst radius of the first stick, increasing the damage and burst radius of the explosion. Each additional stick increases the damage by +1d6 (maximum 10d6) and the burst radius by 5 feet (maximum 20 feet).
It’s possible to wire together several sticks of dynamite for even greater explosive effect. Doing so requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10 + 1 per stick). If the character succeeds on the check, the damage or the burst radius of the explosion increases by 50% (the character’s choice).
Dynamite is sold in boxes of 12 sticks. It is considered to be a simple explosive for the purpose of using a Craft (explosives) check to manufacture it.
To set off dynamite using a fuse, the fuse must first be lit, requiring a move action (and a lighter or other source of flame). The amount of time until the dynamite explodes depends on the length of the fuse—a fuse can be cut short enough for the dynamite to detonate in the same round (allowing it to be used much like a grenade), or long enough to take several minutes to detonate. Cutting the fuse to the appropriate length requires a move action.
Fragmentation Grenade: The most common military grenade, this is a small explosive device that sprays shrapnel in all directions when it explodes.
Smoke Grenade: Military and police forces use these weapons to create temporary concealment. On the round when it is thrown, a smoke grenade fills the four squares around it with smoke. On the following round, it fills all squares within 10 feet, and on the third round it fills all squares within 15 feet. The smoke obscures all sight, including the darkvision ability granted by night vision goggles. Any creature within the area has total concealment (attacks suffer a 50% miss chance, and the attacker can’t use sight to locate the target). It disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds and a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses it in 1 round.
Smoke grenades are available in several colors, including white, red, yellow, green, and purple. As such, they can be used as signal devices.
Tear Gas Grenade: Military and police forces use these weapons to disperse crowds and smoke out hostage takers. On the round that it is thrown, a tear gas grenade fills a 5-foot radius with a cloud of irritant that causes eyes to fill with tears. On the following round, it fills a 10-foot radius, and on the third round it fills a 15-foot radius. It disperses after 10 rounds, though a moderate wind (11+ mph) disperses the smoke in 4 rounds and a strong wind (21+ mph) disperses it in 1 round.
A character caught in a cloud of tear gas must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be nauseated. This effect lasts as long as the character is in the cloud and for 1d6 rounds after he or she leaves the cloud. Those who succeed at their saves but remain in the cloud must continue to save each round. A gas mask renders the target immune to the effects. A wet cloth held over the eyes, nose, and mouth provides a +2 bonus on the Fortitude save.
Thermite Grenade: Thermite does not technically explode. Instead, it creates intense heat meant to burn or melt through an object upon which the grenade is set. Military forces use thermite grenades to quickly destroy key pieces of equipment.
White Phosphorus Grenade: White phosphorus grenades use an explosive charge to distribute burning phosphorus across the burst radius. Any target that takes damage from a White Phosphorus grenade is dealt an additional 1d6 points of fire damage in the following round and risks catching on fire.
In addition, a WP grenade creates a cloud of smoke. Treat a white phosphorus grenade as a smoke grenade (see above), except that it only fills squares within 5 feet of the explosion point.
Detonator: A detonator activates an explosive, causing it to explode. The device consists of an electrically activated blasting cap and some sort of device that delivers the electrical charge to set off the blasting cap. Connecting a detonator to an explosive requires a Craft (explosives) check (DC 15). Failure means that the explosive fails to go off as planned. Failure by 10 or more means the explosive goes off as the detonator is being installed.
Blasting Cap: This is a detonator without a built-in controller. It can be wired into any electrical device, such as a light switch or a car’s ignition switch, with a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10). When the electrical device is activated, the detonator goes off.
Radio Control: This device consists of two parts: the detonator itself and the activation device. The activation device is an electronic item about the size of a deck of cards, with an antenna, a safety, and an activation switch. When the switch is toggled, the activation device sends a signal to the detonator by radio, setting it off. It has a range of 500 feet.
Timed: This is an electronic timer connected to the detonator. Like an alarm clock, it can be set to go off at a particular time.
Wired: This is the simplest form of detonator. The blasting cap connects by a wire to an activation device, usually a small pistol-grip device that the user squeezes. The detonator comes with 100 feet of wire, but longer lengths can be spliced in with a Craft (explosives) check (DC 10).
