Random Weapon charts
Posted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 11:05 am
Here we go ahead, into Random Generation Table territory:
As always, constructive criticism/suggestions welcome.
Random Alien Weapons:
“Ewww....what’s that neat thingy in the back there? Can I see it?”
“Idiot! That’s the most powerful hand weapon in the galaxy! And the first thing you do is point it at your face?! Gimme that before you hurt yourself!”
“Now a REAL killer would have asked about the red button.”
----Jean Emmanuel Baptiste Zorg, The Fifth Element.
These are for the sort of weapons one might encounter in the hands of random D-bees or in a booth in a dimensional market. Not all possible properties have been considered or included, but hopefully, a fair spectrum of ordnance is possible here...
Not all weapons are created equal...and if a weapon the PCs have found seems unbalanced, like a plasma projector with all sorts of powerful gadgets tacked on, but obscenely short range, there could be a number of explanations for it; it could be a defective/experimental design, it could be designed for far different conditions than the PCs are used to(alien environment), or it could be damaged. Other weapons can be extremely specialized, or are actually one species’ tools that have been mistaken or adapted by others as weaponry.
Some adjustment might also be necessary if such a weapon becomes an unbalancing factor in the game. Also note that some rolls on the following charts may result in contradictory results(such as a Fragile weapon built into a combat mace); GMs, use your discretion and adjust as you see fit.
A) Class: How big(relatively) is it?
Note that this may be relative to the size of the intended shooter; a pistol meant for a Titan would be classed as a Heavy Weapon(or Artillery Piece) for a mutant mouse.
01-50 Pistol(Sidearm)(-20% on Damage Category Chart)
Weight-wise, these generally fall in the area of 1-5 lbs.
‘Submachine’ weapons fall into the upper range of this class(+20% on Rate of Fire Chart).
51-85 Rifle(Long Arm)(+20% on Range Chart)
Weight-wise, these generally fall in the area of 5-18 lbs.
86-00 Heavy---(+20% on Damage Category Chart)
Weight-wise, these generally fall in the area of 15-80 lbs.
B) Type: What does it shoot?
01-50 Projectile---Fires a solid projectile. Projectile weapons have the advantage of delivering kinetic force on target, and the ammunition can often be modified to deliver a variety of effects on the target(such as poison, or incendiary material, silver rounds, or wooden bullets). See Subchart A for what powers it.
51-00 Energy----Delivers a form of energy to the target, without a solid material component to the attack. The advantages of energy weapons are that they don’t, for the most part, require specialized ammunition, and their intensity can often be much more easily ‘dialed’ up and down.
Subchart A: Projectile Power Type: HOW does it shoot? Energy weapons will typically be powered by e-clips, batteries, or generators, but projectile weapons have a wider range of media powering/propelling them:
01-05% Tension-Powered---Powered by a bow or mechanical tension reservoir(like a wound-up runner band or spring)(-20% on Range and Rate of Fire Charts)
06-15% Pressure-Powered(compressed air, gas cartridge, pressurized water)(-10% on Range Chart)
16-75% Chemical-Propellant(conventional cartridge, caseless, rocket-powered projectile, or superheated plasma)
76-94% Gauss---Uses rail-gun-style magnetic coils to propel the projectile. (+10% on Range Chart)
95-00% Gravitic---Uses pulsed gravity waves to push the projectile(+5% on Range Chart, +10% on damage chart)
C) Projectile/Energy Type: Exactly WHAT does it shoot?
Projectile Weapons(Projectile)
01-03% Dart/Arrow(-10% on Damage Chart), 25% chance of the weapon being poisoned/envenomed(roll again on the Damage Charts).
04-39% Slug(solid bullet/ball)
41-60% Explosive Shell(+10% on Damage Chart, and blast radius of 1d4 ft x size class)
61-69% Flechette(shaped armor-piercing rod or dart)(+15% on Damage Chart)
70-79% Self-Propelled Rocket(+20% to range rolls)
80-84% Liquid----Acid or tear gas or other chemicals. 60% direct spray or stream(-25% to the range rolls), 40% encapsulated chemical that bursts on impact. 50% chance of having a Continuous Attack, burning for an additional 1d6 melees
85-90% Incendiary Fluid----(-25% to the range rolls)Does a Continuous Attack, burning for an additional 1d6 melees, and has a 50% chance of setting other flammables on fire.
91-00% Exotic (Monofilament streamer, spinning razor disk, constricting gel, giant insect, rubber-band-powered airplane bomb, gas vapor, etc.)
Energy Weapon(Energy)
01-20% Photonic/Laser(+20% on Range Chart)
21-40% Ion/Artificial Lightning(30% chance of having the Stun option)
41-50% Plasma(+10% on Damage Chart)
55-65% Particle Beam(-10% on Range Chart, +15% on Damage Chart)
66-70% Microwave---Penetrates soft/plastic/composite armors. Stopped by metal.
71-75% Hard Radiation---These weapons fire damaging radiation like gamma rays, that can have persistent effects on victims, such as inducing cancer(Hit Point damage).
76-78% Tachyons----These little-understood particles can pass effortlessly through most materials, but do little damage(-20% on Damage).
79-84% Sonic---Fires a beam of intense vibration that does HALF damage through body armor (30% chance of having the Stun option).
85-88% Kinetic Vortex---Delivers a ‘punch’ of kinetic force without a material component. Base knockback of 1d6 ft(x the Damage Category; so a weapon doing doing Light damage is x1, while a weapon doing HEAVY damage is x4).
89-90% Electromagnetic Pulse---Does little actual PHYSICAL damage(-50% on Damage), but is effective against electronics; use the amount of (base) damage inflicted against the target’s SDC/MDC as the percentile of the chance of shutting down electrical systems(DOUBLE it for unshielded civilian systems).
91-93% Gravitic Warp---Induces intense gravitational tidal forces that do material damage. Bypasses armor altogether, but stopped by forcefields and energy barriers.
94-99% Cryogenic----Produces intense cold(25% chance of having the Stun option)
-00% Phase Energy--Bypasses armor altogether.
D) Range: How far away can it hit something?
Note: The problem with extremely long range weapons is that their range may outstrip their sighting system, and they become extremely inaccurate at the upper limits of their range. Typically, at ranges over 3,000 ft, projectile weapons are -1 to strike(or more) as time-to-target eats into accuracy.
01-10% Pointblank( 1d8x10 ft)
11-25% Short (1d4 x100 ft)
26-60% Medium( 2d4 x100 ft)
61-80% Long(2d6 x1,000 ft)
91-97% Extreme Long(3d6 x1,000 ft)
99-00% Obscenely Long(4d6 x1,000 ft)
E) Damage: The real point of a weapon---hurting something.
Category
01-40% Light:
41-80% Medium
81-95% Heavy
96-00% Extreme
Damage:(Per Shot)
(Light)
01-40% 1d4
41-80% 1d6
81-95% 2d4(or 1d8)
96-00% 2d6(or 3d4)
(Medium)
01-10% 4d4
11-30% 3d6
31-50% 4d6
51-70% 5d6
71-90% 4d8
91-00% 6d6
(Heavy)
01-30% 1d4x10
31-50% 7d6
51-65% 8d6
66-80% 9d6
81-00% 1d6x10
(Extreme)
01- 30% 2d4x10
31-50%1d10x10
61-75% 2d6x10
76-90% 4d4x10
91-00% 3d6x10
F) Payload:---How many shots?
01-02%--- 1-4 shots(1d4)
03-08%--- 1-6 shots(1d6)
09-15%--- 1-10 shots(1d10)
16-40% ---6-30 shots(5d6 )
41-65%---10-40 shots(1d4x10)
66-79%---10-60 shots(1d6x10)
80-89% ---20-80 shots(2d4x10)
90-95%---20-120 shots(2d6x10)
96-98%---100-400 shots(1d4x100)
99-00%---Conditionally Unlimited----Energy weapon requires period of time to recharge itself; 1d6x10 minutes per shot.
Projectile weapon must be fed ammunition stock(scrap metal, rock, bone, megadamage materials) to make more ammunition.
Roll again for capacity before needing to recharge/make new ammo.
G) Sighting: How easy is it to acquire a target with the weapon?
01-02% None---The weapon has NO sighting mechanism, leaving the shooter to use trial and error to determine accuracy(-1 to strike).
03-50% Basic ----The weapon has only the crudest of physical sights, such as a ring and post or cloverleaf sight (no bonus)
51-75% Optical---(Roll 1d4 for number of types in the same scope mechanism)(+1 to strike regardless of type and how many are selected)
Telescopic---General range of 2d4x1,000 ft
Laser Ranging
Night Vision Optics(Lowlite)
Infrared
Thermo-Imaging
76-80% EM---Weapon uses invisible electromagnetic spectrum radiation(radar or microwave) to range find and target acquire. +1 to strike, but can be jammed deliberately(EW emissions, antiradar chaff) or by environmental hazards(string magnetic fields, natural radio emissions, very thick smoke or metallic dust).
81-85 % Sonar---The weapon uses sonic waves to ‘ping’ targets and fix their location. Beings with exceptional hearing can sense the sensor in action, usually as a sharp click or tinging noise. +1 to strike, but can be heard by those with advanced hearing/listening gear.
86-95% Smart-Porting---Hooks into existing cybernetics(headjack) and uses the user’s own HtH bonuses to strike.
96-00% Multiple---The weapon’s sights package several different types of sights in one package; roll 1d4+1 types, ignoring multiple rolls and None rolls.
H) Rate of Fire: How fast can this thing shoot?
(obviously some of these will not be possible with weapons with limited payloads)
01-02% Slow Action---Each shot requires +1d4 APMs to pull off.
03-44% Single Shot--Each shot requires 1 APM to pull off
45-60% Short Burst Capable---The weapon can fire single shot or fire off a short burst of 3 shots.
61-80% Long Burst Capable---The weapon can fire selectively, up to bursts of 10 shots.
81-00% Fully Automatic----The weapon fires as per Palladium rules for a ‘standard’ automatic weapon burst, making full-melee magazine-emptying bursts entirely possible.
I) Extras: Those little add-ons that can add to the utility or accuracy of a weapon. In general, a weapon has a 40% chance of having 1d4 extra features:
01-05% Continuous Attack---Damage persists(blazing fire, dissolving acid, radiation, gangrene-inducing garlic coating, drilling warhead, constriction, quantum disruption. etc.). Ignore if the Continuous Attack has already been selected under the Projectile Weapons Type Chart above.
06-10% Area of Effect---The blast or projectile burst ‘fans’ or ‘shotguns’ to do damage to an arc of effect. Reduce range by HALF, but affects a 2d4 ft wide area(x Damage category, so a Medium Damage does to a 4d4 ft wide area, Heavy to a 6d4 ft area, etc.).
11-20% Damage Enhancement: Armor-Piercing---+1d4 to damage or reduce target’s Armor Rating by -1d4 when attacked with this weapon.
21-25% Damage Enhancement: Concussive---Whether it’s a dumdum round or an expanding ‘flyswatter’ of plastique explosives, or the energy beam flash-vaporizes a sphere of superheated gas in contact with the target, the weapon produces a knockdown effect; targets must roll on a 20-sided and beat the attacker’s ‘to strike’ roll, or be knocked down and back 1d4(x the weapon’s Size class, so a medium weapon does 2d4 ft, a heavy 3d4, etc. ) feet, losing initiative and one APM getting back up.
26-30% Integral Melee Weapon---The weapon has a melee weapon(typically a bayonet) that folds/extends out, and can be detached and used separately.
31-40% Laser Spot---This is merely a tightly focused bright light that puts a visible dot on the target, allowing the shooter (and often the target) to know where their shots are likely to fall(whereas the laser sight above uses a nearly invisible frequency laser to range-find and lock on to a target); +1 to strike.
41-50% Exceptional Balance---The weapon is well-balanced for shooting(by its species): +1d4 to strike.
51-60% Reduced Recoil----The weapon is only -2 to strike when firing bursts thanks to careful design.
61-65% Advanced Recoil Control---The weapon is only -1 to strike when firing bursts thanks to advanced recoil control and compensation devices built into it.
66-85% Underbarrel Weapon----The weapon can have a second (ranged) weapon slung under its barrel. This weapon is generally a lighter weapon than the primary, or else is a heavier weapon with a very limited number of shots(roll again for the secondary weapon if so desired, and heavier weapons will be -50% on Payload Chart rolls).
86-90% Personal Coded Safety Lock System----Combination or biometric locking system that prevents anybody other than the weapon’s owner from using it. 15% chance of an anti-tampering system built in that destroys the workings of the weapon, usually by concealed binary explosive/corrosive, or (30% chance) detonating any remaining ammunition/overload charge left in the weapon.
91-95% Compact Design---Is quite light and small, or is designed to fold up for easy carriage/concealment(-10% to Find Contraband/Detect Concealment on casual inspection). Also less likely to get hung up in a quickdraw or in close quarters(like urban combat).
96-00% Elite Special---Weapon has extra-special features beyond the ken of most mundane weapons(see below)
J) Elite Special: Weapon has extra-special features beyond the ken of most mundane weapons
01-10% Stun/Reduced Lethality Setting---Default: Regard the weapon’s normal damage as VIRTUAL(does no real bodily damage); if 50% of the target’s Hot Points/SDC/MDC are depleted, the target begins feeling woozy(-1 to initiative, strike, parry, dodge, and roll), and at zero HP/SDC/MDC is knocked unconscious for 1d6 melees.
11-20% Damage Enhancement: Sure Shot---The weapon does Critical(DOUBLE) damage on a Natural(subtract 1d4 from 20; anything rolled above the remaining number is the Critical).
21-30% Recoil Negation----The weapon suffers NO recoil or burst-fire penalties.
31-35% Stealth Construction----The weapon is invisible to radar and weapons scanners. It also does not give off any distinctive odors(like gun oil) that might tip off dogs, sniffers, or molecular analyzers.
36-40% Imposing Design---There’s something just plain intimidating about the weapon; maybe its muzzle looks much larger then a weapon’s should be, or it looks particularly alien and menacing. Has a Horror Factor of 2d6.
41-50% Species Hunter---The weapon is optimized to do maximum damage to specific species. ONE particular species can be selected per roll of this option; the weapon does DOUBLE damage to that species.
51-55% Disguise---The weapon is disguised as (80%), or can morph into(20%), an innocuous device or object such as a cane, bracelet, camera, toy, etc. In the alternative, the weapon can be broken down easily into completely innocuous-looking components(like a cigarette lighter, pen, cufflinks, etc.). Inspectors are -25% to Find Contraband/Detect Concealment rolls for finding the weapon’s true nature.
56-60% Weapon draws power from its user(energy weapons only)
01-30% Vampiric---Draws on a person’s PE. Can fire off one shot per 5 points of P.E.(or 1 shot per 3 points of Superhuman P.E. or 1 shot per 1 point of Supernatural P.E.)
31-74% Psionic----Draws on ISP, Can fire off one shot per 10 points of ISP
75-94% Magical---Draws only PPE, Can fire off one shot per 5 points of PPE
95-00% Omni-Draw---Uses any/all of the above.
61-70% Ballistic Strike---The weapon can be used to deliver an indirect-fire attack, like a mortar, at 1d10 times its normal range. Note that unless the shooter has an appropriate skill in heavy weapons or indirect ballistic weaponry, normal bonuses to strike are negated.
71-80% Weapon is built into/is a fully functional melee weapon(glaive, sword, spiked club). DOUBLE the effective SDC/MDC of the weapon to reflect the sturdier nature of the melee weapon configuration.
81-85% Handy---The weapon is somehow molded/configured/attached(tentacle-wrapped to the body, attached to the underside of the forearm, built into a gauntlet or vambrace, harnessed to the shoulder) to the user’s body so as to be easier to use and aim with less encumbrance. +1 to Initiative when using the weapon, +1 to strike. Heavy weapons with this feature will only have HALF any encumbrance penalties(if the GM chooses to assign them).
86-90% Technology Disruptor---The weapon has a detrimental effect on technology that it strikes; typically overloading it, causing power loss, or even shutting it down altogether. Default: the resulting percentage of damage to the target location SDC/MDC is the chance of shutdown/disablement. All damage is cumulative. Damage in excess of 50% target MDC will require repair to make it functional; 75% or more damage will require replacement of the entire electrical system. Does double damage to non-shielded civilian systems. Bionics are -1 to dodge, roll, and strike for the affected limb/system, lasting 1d4 melees, non-cumulative, before the system resets itself.
90-94% Does FULL Damage to Supernatural Beings---Even beings normally not susceptible to physical damage like vampires and ghosts will be affected by this weapon.
95-97% Bonding---The weapon attunes itself to its owner...This can manifest itself as being operable ONLY by one particular person, the weapon physically merging with its owner when in use. +1 to Initiative when using the weapon,+1 to strike, and reduce any chance of the weapon jamming(if so rolled) by HALF. 25% chance of an anti-tampering system built in that destroys the workings of the weapon, usually by concealed binary explosive/corrosive, or (30% chance) detonating any remaining ammunition/overload charge left in the weapon.
98-00% Sentient Weapon----Whether a rune-like weapon or an artificial intelligence, the weapon is self-aware. Typically has an IQ of 3d6, and has the equivalent of 2d4 skills(at a 1d10 level of experience). Even if the weapon can’t physically perform those skills, it can still talk to its user about them and potentially instruct them in those skills.
K) Reliability: When I pull the trigger, how likely is it to actually WORK?
01- 05% Unreliable---The weapon critically fumbles (not just misses; it jams or refuses to work) on a roll of 1-9.
06-15% Poor---The weapon critically fumbles on a roll of 1-6.
16- 80% Good---No modifications(misses/fumbles on 1-5).
81-00% Excellent---The weapon is ruggedized for extreme abuse. Critical fumble for this weapon is actually only 1-3.
L) (Optional) Random Flaws: What could be wrong with this weapon?
01- 10% Fragile---The weapon’s structure is not particularly strong or resilient, and it only has HALF the SDC/MDC a weapon of its type/class normally has. Severe abuse (more than 50% damage to the weapon) has a 30% chance of rendering the weapon unable to fire until it is repaired(Ignore failure chance if the ‘Excellent’ Reliability score is rolled above).
11-20% Unbalanced----The weapon’s configuration tends to throw off the center of gravity of the shooter, pulling up or down on the barrel; -1d4 to strike.
21-30% Heavy Recoil---The weapon bucks hard, even if an energy weapon. Bursts are -4 to strike for light weapons, -6 for heavier weapons.
31-40% Sensitive to Temperature---The weapon is sensitive to extremes of temperature; cold climates may cause parts to cold-weld to each other(or the electronics to lose power), while hot temperatures may cause critical parts to expand or lubricants to dry out. 01-50% chance of the problem being cold(temperatures below freezing) or 51-00% being temperatures in excess of 96 degrees F. Under these circumstances, there is a 4d6% chance every time the weapon is fired of it jamming, until the action is reworked or the weapon is heated up/cooled down.
41-50% Sight Drift---The sighting mechanism is prone to drift off true, requiring frequent realigning to keep the weapon accurate. For every 30+3d6 shots fired, there is a cumulative 15% chance of the weapon sights drifting off true; -1d4 to strike anything beyond pointblank. Re-zeroing the sights will take 1d4 melees.
51-60% Dirt Magnet---The weapon seems to attract dirt in its workings and requires frequent cleaning. Failure to regularly clean the weapon(at least once a day) results in a 15% chance of jamming/misfiring, taking 1d4 melees to clean.
61-70% Frequently Jams/Misfires---On a roll of 1-7, there is a 4d6% chance the weapon will jam or misfire, requiring the operator to manually clear the jam or reset the energy settings, a task that will take one melee round.
71-80% Difficult Reload---The weapon’s poor or unusual design makes reloading a chore; instead of 2 APMs to change out a clip or load a shell, recharging the weapon takes 4 APMs.
81-90% Loud Report---The weapon gives off a distinctively loud report or twang(in the case of tension-powered weapons) that makes stealthy operation well-nigh impossible. In the alternative, the weapon can make a distinctive noise when the magazine runs dry(The American M-1 Garand had the unhealthy tendency to make a loud ‘ping’ when its clips ran out), potentially letting opponents know of the shooter’s vulnerability.
91-00% Bright Flash---The weapon gives off a particularly bright flash, spark, or muzzle flame when firing, that can temporarily blind the shooter and gives away the weapon’s position in darkness.
Random Weapon Template:
a) Class:
b) Type:
c) Projectile/Energy Type
d) Range:
e) Damage:
f) Payload:
g) Rate of Fire:
h) Sighting:
i) Extras:
j) Elite Features:
k) Reliability:
l) Flaws:
As always, constructive criticism/suggestions welcome.
Random Alien Weapons:
“Ewww....what’s that neat thingy in the back there? Can I see it?”
“Idiot! That’s the most powerful hand weapon in the galaxy! And the first thing you do is point it at your face?! Gimme that before you hurt yourself!”
“Now a REAL killer would have asked about the red button.”
----Jean Emmanuel Baptiste Zorg, The Fifth Element.
These are for the sort of weapons one might encounter in the hands of random D-bees or in a booth in a dimensional market. Not all possible properties have been considered or included, but hopefully, a fair spectrum of ordnance is possible here...
Not all weapons are created equal...and if a weapon the PCs have found seems unbalanced, like a plasma projector with all sorts of powerful gadgets tacked on, but obscenely short range, there could be a number of explanations for it; it could be a defective/experimental design, it could be designed for far different conditions than the PCs are used to(alien environment), or it could be damaged. Other weapons can be extremely specialized, or are actually one species’ tools that have been mistaken or adapted by others as weaponry.
Some adjustment might also be necessary if such a weapon becomes an unbalancing factor in the game. Also note that some rolls on the following charts may result in contradictory results(such as a Fragile weapon built into a combat mace); GMs, use your discretion and adjust as you see fit.
A) Class: How big(relatively) is it?
Note that this may be relative to the size of the intended shooter; a pistol meant for a Titan would be classed as a Heavy Weapon(or Artillery Piece) for a mutant mouse.
01-50 Pistol(Sidearm)(-20% on Damage Category Chart)
Weight-wise, these generally fall in the area of 1-5 lbs.
‘Submachine’ weapons fall into the upper range of this class(+20% on Rate of Fire Chart).
51-85 Rifle(Long Arm)(+20% on Range Chart)
Weight-wise, these generally fall in the area of 5-18 lbs.
86-00 Heavy---(+20% on Damage Category Chart)
Weight-wise, these generally fall in the area of 15-80 lbs.
B) Type: What does it shoot?
01-50 Projectile---Fires a solid projectile. Projectile weapons have the advantage of delivering kinetic force on target, and the ammunition can often be modified to deliver a variety of effects on the target(such as poison, or incendiary material, silver rounds, or wooden bullets). See Subchart A for what powers it.
51-00 Energy----Delivers a form of energy to the target, without a solid material component to the attack. The advantages of energy weapons are that they don’t, for the most part, require specialized ammunition, and their intensity can often be much more easily ‘dialed’ up and down.
Subchart A: Projectile Power Type: HOW does it shoot? Energy weapons will typically be powered by e-clips, batteries, or generators, but projectile weapons have a wider range of media powering/propelling them:
01-05% Tension-Powered---Powered by a bow or mechanical tension reservoir(like a wound-up runner band or spring)(-20% on Range and Rate of Fire Charts)
06-15% Pressure-Powered(compressed air, gas cartridge, pressurized water)(-10% on Range Chart)
16-75% Chemical-Propellant(conventional cartridge, caseless, rocket-powered projectile, or superheated plasma)
76-94% Gauss---Uses rail-gun-style magnetic coils to propel the projectile. (+10% on Range Chart)
95-00% Gravitic---Uses pulsed gravity waves to push the projectile(+5% on Range Chart, +10% on damage chart)
C) Projectile/Energy Type: Exactly WHAT does it shoot?
Projectile Weapons(Projectile)
01-03% Dart/Arrow(-10% on Damage Chart), 25% chance of the weapon being poisoned/envenomed(roll again on the Damage Charts).
04-39% Slug(solid bullet/ball)
41-60% Explosive Shell(+10% on Damage Chart, and blast radius of 1d4 ft x size class)
61-69% Flechette(shaped armor-piercing rod or dart)(+15% on Damage Chart)
70-79% Self-Propelled Rocket(+20% to range rolls)
80-84% Liquid----Acid or tear gas or other chemicals. 60% direct spray or stream(-25% to the range rolls), 40% encapsulated chemical that bursts on impact. 50% chance of having a Continuous Attack, burning for an additional 1d6 melees
85-90% Incendiary Fluid----(-25% to the range rolls)Does a Continuous Attack, burning for an additional 1d6 melees, and has a 50% chance of setting other flammables on fire.
91-00% Exotic (Monofilament streamer, spinning razor disk, constricting gel, giant insect, rubber-band-powered airplane bomb, gas vapor, etc.)
Energy Weapon(Energy)
01-20% Photonic/Laser(+20% on Range Chart)
21-40% Ion/Artificial Lightning(30% chance of having the Stun option)
41-50% Plasma(+10% on Damage Chart)
55-65% Particle Beam(-10% on Range Chart, +15% on Damage Chart)
66-70% Microwave---Penetrates soft/plastic/composite armors. Stopped by metal.
71-75% Hard Radiation---These weapons fire damaging radiation like gamma rays, that can have persistent effects on victims, such as inducing cancer(Hit Point damage).
76-78% Tachyons----These little-understood particles can pass effortlessly through most materials, but do little damage(-20% on Damage).
79-84% Sonic---Fires a beam of intense vibration that does HALF damage through body armor (30% chance of having the Stun option).
85-88% Kinetic Vortex---Delivers a ‘punch’ of kinetic force without a material component. Base knockback of 1d6 ft(x the Damage Category; so a weapon doing doing Light damage is x1, while a weapon doing HEAVY damage is x4).
89-90% Electromagnetic Pulse---Does little actual PHYSICAL damage(-50% on Damage), but is effective against electronics; use the amount of (base) damage inflicted against the target’s SDC/MDC as the percentile of the chance of shutting down electrical systems(DOUBLE it for unshielded civilian systems).
91-93% Gravitic Warp---Induces intense gravitational tidal forces that do material damage. Bypasses armor altogether, but stopped by forcefields and energy barriers.
94-99% Cryogenic----Produces intense cold(25% chance of having the Stun option)
-00% Phase Energy--Bypasses armor altogether.
D) Range: How far away can it hit something?
Note: The problem with extremely long range weapons is that their range may outstrip their sighting system, and they become extremely inaccurate at the upper limits of their range. Typically, at ranges over 3,000 ft, projectile weapons are -1 to strike(or more) as time-to-target eats into accuracy.
01-10% Pointblank( 1d8x10 ft)
11-25% Short (1d4 x100 ft)
26-60% Medium( 2d4 x100 ft)
61-80% Long(2d6 x1,000 ft)
91-97% Extreme Long(3d6 x1,000 ft)
99-00% Obscenely Long(4d6 x1,000 ft)
E) Damage: The real point of a weapon---hurting something.
Category
01-40% Light:
41-80% Medium
81-95% Heavy
96-00% Extreme
Damage:(Per Shot)
(Light)
01-40% 1d4
41-80% 1d6
81-95% 2d4(or 1d8)
96-00% 2d6(or 3d4)
(Medium)
01-10% 4d4
11-30% 3d6
31-50% 4d6
51-70% 5d6
71-90% 4d8
91-00% 6d6
(Heavy)
01-30% 1d4x10
31-50% 7d6
51-65% 8d6
66-80% 9d6
81-00% 1d6x10
(Extreme)
01- 30% 2d4x10
31-50%1d10x10
61-75% 2d6x10
76-90% 4d4x10
91-00% 3d6x10
F) Payload:---How many shots?
01-02%--- 1-4 shots(1d4)
03-08%--- 1-6 shots(1d6)
09-15%--- 1-10 shots(1d10)
16-40% ---6-30 shots(5d6 )
41-65%---10-40 shots(1d4x10)
66-79%---10-60 shots(1d6x10)
80-89% ---20-80 shots(2d4x10)
90-95%---20-120 shots(2d6x10)
96-98%---100-400 shots(1d4x100)
99-00%---Conditionally Unlimited----Energy weapon requires period of time to recharge itself; 1d6x10 minutes per shot.
Projectile weapon must be fed ammunition stock(scrap metal, rock, bone, megadamage materials) to make more ammunition.
Roll again for capacity before needing to recharge/make new ammo.
G) Sighting: How easy is it to acquire a target with the weapon?
01-02% None---The weapon has NO sighting mechanism, leaving the shooter to use trial and error to determine accuracy(-1 to strike).
03-50% Basic ----The weapon has only the crudest of physical sights, such as a ring and post or cloverleaf sight (no bonus)
51-75% Optical---(Roll 1d4 for number of types in the same scope mechanism)(+1 to strike regardless of type and how many are selected)
Telescopic---General range of 2d4x1,000 ft
Laser Ranging
Night Vision Optics(Lowlite)
Infrared
Thermo-Imaging
76-80% EM---Weapon uses invisible electromagnetic spectrum radiation(radar or microwave) to range find and target acquire. +1 to strike, but can be jammed deliberately(EW emissions, antiradar chaff) or by environmental hazards(string magnetic fields, natural radio emissions, very thick smoke or metallic dust).
81-85 % Sonar---The weapon uses sonic waves to ‘ping’ targets and fix their location. Beings with exceptional hearing can sense the sensor in action, usually as a sharp click or tinging noise. +1 to strike, but can be heard by those with advanced hearing/listening gear.
86-95% Smart-Porting---Hooks into existing cybernetics(headjack) and uses the user’s own HtH bonuses to strike.
96-00% Multiple---The weapon’s sights package several different types of sights in one package; roll 1d4+1 types, ignoring multiple rolls and None rolls.
H) Rate of Fire: How fast can this thing shoot?
(obviously some of these will not be possible with weapons with limited payloads)
01-02% Slow Action---Each shot requires +1d4 APMs to pull off.
03-44% Single Shot--Each shot requires 1 APM to pull off
45-60% Short Burst Capable---The weapon can fire single shot or fire off a short burst of 3 shots.
61-80% Long Burst Capable---The weapon can fire selectively, up to bursts of 10 shots.
81-00% Fully Automatic----The weapon fires as per Palladium rules for a ‘standard’ automatic weapon burst, making full-melee magazine-emptying bursts entirely possible.
I) Extras: Those little add-ons that can add to the utility or accuracy of a weapon. In general, a weapon has a 40% chance of having 1d4 extra features:
01-05% Continuous Attack---Damage persists(blazing fire, dissolving acid, radiation, gangrene-inducing garlic coating, drilling warhead, constriction, quantum disruption. etc.). Ignore if the Continuous Attack has already been selected under the Projectile Weapons Type Chart above.
06-10% Area of Effect---The blast or projectile burst ‘fans’ or ‘shotguns’ to do damage to an arc of effect. Reduce range by HALF, but affects a 2d4 ft wide area(x Damage category, so a Medium Damage does to a 4d4 ft wide area, Heavy to a 6d4 ft area, etc.).
11-20% Damage Enhancement: Armor-Piercing---+1d4 to damage or reduce target’s Armor Rating by -1d4 when attacked with this weapon.
21-25% Damage Enhancement: Concussive---Whether it’s a dumdum round or an expanding ‘flyswatter’ of plastique explosives, or the energy beam flash-vaporizes a sphere of superheated gas in contact with the target, the weapon produces a knockdown effect; targets must roll on a 20-sided and beat the attacker’s ‘to strike’ roll, or be knocked down and back 1d4(x the weapon’s Size class, so a medium weapon does 2d4 ft, a heavy 3d4, etc. ) feet, losing initiative and one APM getting back up.
26-30% Integral Melee Weapon---The weapon has a melee weapon(typically a bayonet) that folds/extends out, and can be detached and used separately.
31-40% Laser Spot---This is merely a tightly focused bright light that puts a visible dot on the target, allowing the shooter (and often the target) to know where their shots are likely to fall(whereas the laser sight above uses a nearly invisible frequency laser to range-find and lock on to a target); +1 to strike.
41-50% Exceptional Balance---The weapon is well-balanced for shooting(by its species): +1d4 to strike.
51-60% Reduced Recoil----The weapon is only -2 to strike when firing bursts thanks to careful design.
61-65% Advanced Recoil Control---The weapon is only -1 to strike when firing bursts thanks to advanced recoil control and compensation devices built into it.
66-85% Underbarrel Weapon----The weapon can have a second (ranged) weapon slung under its barrel. This weapon is generally a lighter weapon than the primary, or else is a heavier weapon with a very limited number of shots(roll again for the secondary weapon if so desired, and heavier weapons will be -50% on Payload Chart rolls).
86-90% Personal Coded Safety Lock System----Combination or biometric locking system that prevents anybody other than the weapon’s owner from using it. 15% chance of an anti-tampering system built in that destroys the workings of the weapon, usually by concealed binary explosive/corrosive, or (30% chance) detonating any remaining ammunition/overload charge left in the weapon.
91-95% Compact Design---Is quite light and small, or is designed to fold up for easy carriage/concealment(-10% to Find Contraband/Detect Concealment on casual inspection). Also less likely to get hung up in a quickdraw or in close quarters(like urban combat).
96-00% Elite Special---Weapon has extra-special features beyond the ken of most mundane weapons(see below)
J) Elite Special: Weapon has extra-special features beyond the ken of most mundane weapons
01-10% Stun/Reduced Lethality Setting---Default: Regard the weapon’s normal damage as VIRTUAL(does no real bodily damage); if 50% of the target’s Hot Points/SDC/MDC are depleted, the target begins feeling woozy(-1 to initiative, strike, parry, dodge, and roll), and at zero HP/SDC/MDC is knocked unconscious for 1d6 melees.
11-20% Damage Enhancement: Sure Shot---The weapon does Critical(DOUBLE) damage on a Natural(subtract 1d4 from 20; anything rolled above the remaining number is the Critical).
21-30% Recoil Negation----The weapon suffers NO recoil or burst-fire penalties.
31-35% Stealth Construction----The weapon is invisible to radar and weapons scanners. It also does not give off any distinctive odors(like gun oil) that might tip off dogs, sniffers, or molecular analyzers.
36-40% Imposing Design---There’s something just plain intimidating about the weapon; maybe its muzzle looks much larger then a weapon’s should be, or it looks particularly alien and menacing. Has a Horror Factor of 2d6.
41-50% Species Hunter---The weapon is optimized to do maximum damage to specific species. ONE particular species can be selected per roll of this option; the weapon does DOUBLE damage to that species.
51-55% Disguise---The weapon is disguised as (80%), or can morph into(20%), an innocuous device or object such as a cane, bracelet, camera, toy, etc. In the alternative, the weapon can be broken down easily into completely innocuous-looking components(like a cigarette lighter, pen, cufflinks, etc.). Inspectors are -25% to Find Contraband/Detect Concealment rolls for finding the weapon’s true nature.
56-60% Weapon draws power from its user(energy weapons only)
01-30% Vampiric---Draws on a person’s PE. Can fire off one shot per 5 points of P.E.(or 1 shot per 3 points of Superhuman P.E. or 1 shot per 1 point of Supernatural P.E.)
31-74% Psionic----Draws on ISP, Can fire off one shot per 10 points of ISP
75-94% Magical---Draws only PPE, Can fire off one shot per 5 points of PPE
95-00% Omni-Draw---Uses any/all of the above.
61-70% Ballistic Strike---The weapon can be used to deliver an indirect-fire attack, like a mortar, at 1d10 times its normal range. Note that unless the shooter has an appropriate skill in heavy weapons or indirect ballistic weaponry, normal bonuses to strike are negated.
71-80% Weapon is built into/is a fully functional melee weapon(glaive, sword, spiked club). DOUBLE the effective SDC/MDC of the weapon to reflect the sturdier nature of the melee weapon configuration.
81-85% Handy---The weapon is somehow molded/configured/attached(tentacle-wrapped to the body, attached to the underside of the forearm, built into a gauntlet or vambrace, harnessed to the shoulder) to the user’s body so as to be easier to use and aim with less encumbrance. +1 to Initiative when using the weapon, +1 to strike. Heavy weapons with this feature will only have HALF any encumbrance penalties(if the GM chooses to assign them).
86-90% Technology Disruptor---The weapon has a detrimental effect on technology that it strikes; typically overloading it, causing power loss, or even shutting it down altogether. Default: the resulting percentage of damage to the target location SDC/MDC is the chance of shutdown/disablement. All damage is cumulative. Damage in excess of 50% target MDC will require repair to make it functional; 75% or more damage will require replacement of the entire electrical system. Does double damage to non-shielded civilian systems. Bionics are -1 to dodge, roll, and strike for the affected limb/system, lasting 1d4 melees, non-cumulative, before the system resets itself.
90-94% Does FULL Damage to Supernatural Beings---Even beings normally not susceptible to physical damage like vampires and ghosts will be affected by this weapon.
95-97% Bonding---The weapon attunes itself to its owner...This can manifest itself as being operable ONLY by one particular person, the weapon physically merging with its owner when in use. +1 to Initiative when using the weapon,+1 to strike, and reduce any chance of the weapon jamming(if so rolled) by HALF. 25% chance of an anti-tampering system built in that destroys the workings of the weapon, usually by concealed binary explosive/corrosive, or (30% chance) detonating any remaining ammunition/overload charge left in the weapon.
98-00% Sentient Weapon----Whether a rune-like weapon or an artificial intelligence, the weapon is self-aware. Typically has an IQ of 3d6, and has the equivalent of 2d4 skills(at a 1d10 level of experience). Even if the weapon can’t physically perform those skills, it can still talk to its user about them and potentially instruct them in those skills.
K) Reliability: When I pull the trigger, how likely is it to actually WORK?
01- 05% Unreliable---The weapon critically fumbles (not just misses; it jams or refuses to work) on a roll of 1-9.
06-15% Poor---The weapon critically fumbles on a roll of 1-6.
16- 80% Good---No modifications(misses/fumbles on 1-5).
81-00% Excellent---The weapon is ruggedized for extreme abuse. Critical fumble for this weapon is actually only 1-3.
L) (Optional) Random Flaws: What could be wrong with this weapon?
01- 10% Fragile---The weapon’s structure is not particularly strong or resilient, and it only has HALF the SDC/MDC a weapon of its type/class normally has. Severe abuse (more than 50% damage to the weapon) has a 30% chance of rendering the weapon unable to fire until it is repaired(Ignore failure chance if the ‘Excellent’ Reliability score is rolled above).
11-20% Unbalanced----The weapon’s configuration tends to throw off the center of gravity of the shooter, pulling up or down on the barrel; -1d4 to strike.
21-30% Heavy Recoil---The weapon bucks hard, even if an energy weapon. Bursts are -4 to strike for light weapons, -6 for heavier weapons.
31-40% Sensitive to Temperature---The weapon is sensitive to extremes of temperature; cold climates may cause parts to cold-weld to each other(or the electronics to lose power), while hot temperatures may cause critical parts to expand or lubricants to dry out. 01-50% chance of the problem being cold(temperatures below freezing) or 51-00% being temperatures in excess of 96 degrees F. Under these circumstances, there is a 4d6% chance every time the weapon is fired of it jamming, until the action is reworked or the weapon is heated up/cooled down.
41-50% Sight Drift---The sighting mechanism is prone to drift off true, requiring frequent realigning to keep the weapon accurate. For every 30+3d6 shots fired, there is a cumulative 15% chance of the weapon sights drifting off true; -1d4 to strike anything beyond pointblank. Re-zeroing the sights will take 1d4 melees.
51-60% Dirt Magnet---The weapon seems to attract dirt in its workings and requires frequent cleaning. Failure to regularly clean the weapon(at least once a day) results in a 15% chance of jamming/misfiring, taking 1d4 melees to clean.
61-70% Frequently Jams/Misfires---On a roll of 1-7, there is a 4d6% chance the weapon will jam or misfire, requiring the operator to manually clear the jam or reset the energy settings, a task that will take one melee round.
71-80% Difficult Reload---The weapon’s poor or unusual design makes reloading a chore; instead of 2 APMs to change out a clip or load a shell, recharging the weapon takes 4 APMs.
81-90% Loud Report---The weapon gives off a distinctively loud report or twang(in the case of tension-powered weapons) that makes stealthy operation well-nigh impossible. In the alternative, the weapon can make a distinctive noise when the magazine runs dry(The American M-1 Garand had the unhealthy tendency to make a loud ‘ping’ when its clips ran out), potentially letting opponents know of the shooter’s vulnerability.
91-00% Bright Flash---The weapon gives off a particularly bright flash, spark, or muzzle flame when firing, that can temporarily blind the shooter and gives away the weapon’s position in darkness.
Random Weapon Template:
a) Class:
b) Type:
c) Projectile/Energy Type
d) Range:
e) Damage:
f) Payload:
g) Rate of Fire:
h) Sighting:
i) Extras:
j) Elite Features:
k) Reliability:
l) Flaws:
Another good idea for an advanced chart, but initially I figured it depended on where it was being sold, in what technological context. In a world where crystals dominated the local geology, lasers might be cheaper than chemical projectile weapons using scarce volatiles. Too many variables there.