Star*Drive Saturday: Heavy Range Weapons

Last week I covered the lesser category of range weapons, Small Range Weapons, this week it is:

HEAVY RANGE WEAPONS

For destructive power, heavy weapons are unmatched. This category of weapons are generally military grade, and almost always illegal for civilian use (except maybe for within Austrin space). Their advantage is in the ability to penetrate armor and general stopping power, but they are heavy, cumbersome, expensive, and impossible to conceal on a person.

Heavy weapons cover indirect fire (like bantam and grenade launchers), and direct fire (like cannons and heavy version of the standard range.) These weapons cannot be concealed, they require 2 hands to use, and generally have limited load capacity. The load capacity is described in the Load line, and is how many shots the weapon can take before it needs to be reloaded. Generally players with this sort of firepower aren't going in with at least a few other loads strapped allover their body, and wont bother to hide it anyway. The Special line describes any rules unique to the weapon.

Flamethrower
Cost: 800 cr
Range: Short
Damage:V
Load: 10 (cannot reload, backpack needs replaced)
Special: Ignore up to 50% cover on targets of flamethrower attacks.
Commonly referred to as 'Flamers' in slang. It's fuel tank is worn as a backpack unit, and its high volume, high pressure discharge can ignite even the most flame-resistant objects and personal armor. While it doesn't have the range of many other heavy weapons, in close quarters there are few weapons that match the sheer terror and destructiveness.

Grenade Launcher
Cost: 800 cr
Range: Long
Damage: as grenade type
Load: 5
Grenades are small explosive or utility devices. They can either be thrown, or launched from a grenade launcher. The type of damage and effect of the round depends on the type of grenade loaded and what the character brought. It takes a full round to switch to a different grenade type. All grenade types below are not assumed to always be readily available on the launcher, as the player has to buy and load them separately. NOTE: The following grenades can be thrown by a character. They are activated on a 3 second timer by simply popping a cap and pressing a button.

• Frag Grenade - Damage: X Special: Deals X damage to all within Short range of target. Cost: 30 cr for a load of 5
• Designed to explode into lots of tiny deadly pieces of deadly shrapnel.
• Concussion Grenade - Damage: V Special: The target and all within Short range of target get knocked down. Cost: 30 cr for a load of 5
• It doesn't have any fragmentation pieces but its an explosive tightly wrapped, granting an explosion of concussive force.
• Plasma Grenade - Damage: V Special: Everything within Short range of the target that can ignite on fire does. Cost: 50 cr for a load of 5
• Contains a highly combustible chemical that ignites and throws shrapnel which continues to burn. 
• Gas Grenade - Damage: -- Special: Fills an area around the target with a Short radius of toxic gas that incapacitates unshielded or unprotected targets. Cost: 40 cr for a load of 5
• Considered a crowd control weapon, the gas grenade is filled with some sort of tear gas or irritant that has adverse effects to those not properly protected in sealed suits or masks.
• Smoke Grenade - Damage: -- Special: Fills an area around the target with a Short radius of thick smoke, providing 75% cover. Cost: 30 cr for a load of 5
•  A unique blend of chemicals ignite, not to deal damage, but provide a thick plume of smoke. Often used for quick cover or getaways.
• Stun Grenade - Damage: X (non-lethal) Special: Deals X (non-lethal) damage to all within Short range of target. Cost: 40 cr for a load of 5
• Releases a concussive wave of compressed air or special gas that has the capability of instantly knocking targets out without a lethal explosion.
• Pulse Grenade - Damage: -- Special: All electronics within Short range of the target get knocked out unless they are properly shielded against electromagnetic pulses. Cost: 60 cr for a load of 5
• Also known as an EMP grenade, it contains a powerful electromagnetic capacitor that releases a wave that's deadly to electronic equipment.
• Tracer Grenade - Damage: V Special: +2 to attack roll and deals V damage to all within Short range of target. Cost: 80 cr for a load of 5
• Known as a smart grenade. When launched it immediately seeks the nearest moving target and explodes like a frag grenade.

Bantam Launcher
Cost: 600 cr
Range: Extra Long
Damage: as load type
Load: 4
This portable launcher fires miniature bantam rockets. It is braced on the shoulder and is lightweight and easy to use. It contains 4 chambers to be loaded with any type of rocket, and the pistol grip contains 4 triggers. It can be loaded with a variety of different rockets, which need to be purchased separately. With a laser-guidance system, this weapon is accurate at long ranges.

• Anti-Air - Damage: X vs vehicles and extra heavy armor, but fatal against personnel. Special: +2 to attack rolls vs aircraft. Cost: 70 cr per rocket
• Contains additional lift and guidance systems to follow and attack low-flying aircraft. It can be either laser or heat guided.
• Anti-Personnel - Damage: V to personnel, and ineffective against vehicles, aircraft, and structures. Special: Hits all creatures within a Medium radius of target. Cost: 80 cr per rocket
• This rocket deals a low level radiation burst designed to inflict maximum damage on people while leaving buildings intact.
• Anti-Vehicle - Damage: X vs vehicles and extra heavy armor, but fatal against personnel. Special: +2 to attack rolls vs vehicles and structures. Cost: 70 cr per rocket
• Designed to destroy vehicles, but can also be used against bunkers and other hardened installations.

Heavy Charge Machine Gun
Cost: 700 cr
Range: Long
Damage: V
Load: 10
Special: -1 to attack rolls unless it is using the tripod mount.
Taking standard charge weapon technology and increasing its firing rate with a higher caliber shell makes this a deadly suppression weapon.

Arc Gun
Cost: 900 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: X
Load: 5
Special: Usable only in atmosphere. +2 to attack rolls against grounded targets.
This weapon is capable of delivering a powerful electrical shock in the form of a lightning bolt. It uses a built in low-power laser beam to ionize the air between the weapon and its target, creating a path for the electrical arc.

Stutter Cannon
Cost: 800 cr
Range: Medium
Damage: V (non-lethal)
Load: 5
Special: All within Short range of the target are also effected. +1 to attack rolls when it is using the tripod mount.
A heavy weapon designed to disperse or handle a crowd without the use of lethal force. It produces compressed sonic waves that deliver hammerlike blows against targets.

Mass Cannon
Cost: 1,000 cr
Range: Long
Damage: X
Load: 5
Special: Targets hit are stunned for a round. +1 to attack rolls when it is using the tripod mount.
A much larger version of the mass rifle. Has a longer range and more powerful shot.

Plasma Gun
Cost: 1,200 cr
Range: Long
Damage: X
Load: 5
Special: Ignites the target on fire regardless of any damage dealt. +1 to attack rolls when it is using the tripod mount.
Using a powerful electromagnetic accelerator, it throws blasts of superheated plasma generated by the delivery of an electric shock to a large electrochemical shell.

Quantum Mini-Gun
Cost: 2,000 cr
Range: Extra Long
Damage: X
Load: 5
Special: +1 to attack rolls when it is using the tripod mount.
Where most heavy weapons are larger versions of their counterparts, this is a miniature version of a ship mounted particle beam. It uses a small accelerator to fire subatomic particles at a target.