Scaling Weapon

What is your weapon? Often, it can prove helpful to create a short description of the weapon’s appearance or concept in 25 words or less, as doing so can guide your design and help you convey your fun ideas to others.

Each weapon belongs to a category based on how it inflicts harm; choose one and choose the damage type (or the combination of damage types) available in that category. The category and damage type(s) determine not just whether the weapon targets EAC or KAC (per page 169 of the Core Rulebook), but they might also affect other statistics and which perks can be applied to the weapon. If a weapon targets EAC, reduces its damage die size by one. If a weapon deals only energy damage, it uses a battery as ammunition (unless otherwise noted). If a weapon deals a combination of energy damage and kinetic damage, it might use a battery (such as a cryo weapon that freezes and flings icicles) or suitable physical ammunition (such as a shock weapon that fires electrified flechettes).

Choose one of the following weapon categories. Any melee weapon belonging to a category marked with an asterisk (*) gains the powered weapon ability.

Cryo*: The weapon deals cold damage, or it deals cold damage combined with bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Disintegrator*: The weapon deals acid damage.

Flame*: The weapon deals fire damage, or it deals fire damage combined with bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. Flame weapons often use petrol as ammunition.

Laser (ranged only): The weapon deals fire damage and increases its range increment by 50%.

Plasma*: The weapon deals a combination of electricity and fire damage.

Projectile (ranged only): The weapon deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, or it deals a combination of acid and piercing damage.

Shock*: The weapon deals electricity damage, or it deals electricity damage combined with bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Sonic*: The weapon deals sonic damage, or it deals sonic damage combined with bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Uncategorized: The weapon doesn’t fit cleanly into one of the categories above. Typically, uncategorized weapons deal bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage, though they might use or combine other damage types at the GM’s discretion.

A weapon’s type defines many of its key characteristics, such as the number of hands required to wield it, its bulk, and (for ranged weapons) its range increment. The type also sets the weapon’s starting damage die size, which other abilities might increase or decrease. Choose one of the weapon types— advanced melee, basic melee, heavy, longarm, small arm, or sniper—and note its base statistics found on the Weapon Base Statistics table, applying any die size changes.

Two-Handed Weapons: If you want an advanced or basic melee weapon that requires two hands to wield, increase the number of hands to 2, and increase the weapon’s damage die size by one step.

Sniper: A sniper weapon gains the sniper (250 feet) weapon ability. If it uses a battery, the weapon’s usage doubles. If it uses other ammunition, reduces its capacity by half.

Whereas most weapon abilities require you spend a perk, a handful cost no perks because their advantages are counterbalanced by a different cost. You can add or remove these abilities when creating or upgrading a weapon.

Analog: The weapon gains the analog weapon special property. This is typically appropriate for weapons that don’t rely on advanced technological mechanisms and that deal only bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage.

Nonlethal: The weapon gains the nonlethal weapon special property.

Operative (one-handed melee only): The weapon gains the operative weapon ability, and its damage die size decreases by one step. An operative weapon can’t also have the unwieldy ability.

Unwieldy: The weapon gains the unwieldy weapon ability, and its damage die size increases by one step. It’s rare for one-handed weapons to have the unwieldy ability.

All ranged weapons use ammunition, and melee weapons with the powered weapon ability require batteries to operate. These scaling weapons have a starting ammo capacity and usage values based on the type of ammunition used. These values sometimes increase at higher item levels, representing the weapon’s larger magazine or more intense energy needs. In addition, the weapon’s type, perks, and drawbacks can affect these values.

Batteries: The weapon has capacity 20 and usage 2, requiring a battery to operate. At 7th level, the capacity increases to 40, and the weapon requires a high-capacity battery. At 12th level, the capacity increases to 80, the usage increases to 4, and the weapon requires a super-capacity battery. At 17th level, the capacity increases to 100, and the weapon requires an ultra-capacity battery.

Mini-Rockets: The weapon has capacity 6 and usage 1. At 3rd-level and every 3 levels thereafter, the capacity increases by 1. These values are typically appropriate for flare and shell ammunition, too.

Petrol: The weapon has capacity 20 and usage 2. At 7th level, the capacity increases to 40.

Rounds: The weapon’s capacity is based on its weapon type: 2 for sniper weapons (already factoring in the reduced capacity applied to sniper weapons), 8 for small arms, 16 for longarms, and 32 for heavy weapons. At 7th level, you can increase the weapon’s capacity by 50%. The weapon’s usage is based on its weapon type, too: 4 for heavy weapons, and 1 for other weapon types. Other physical ammunition like darts and flechettes typically use these same values.

It’s time to personalize your weapon, giving it special abilities! Weapon perks grant special bonuses and effects. Optionally, you can add flaws that inhibit some part of the weapon’s performance but grant you additional perks.

Flaw (Optional): A weapon perfect for some tasks might require sacrificing other features. When creating or upgrading your weapon, you can choose for it to have one flaw. A flaw provides some penalty, but in return, you gain an additional Build Point you can use to buy perks.

Perks: By spending Build Points, you can apply various perks to enhance your weapon. Except where noted, weapon perks each cost 1 Build Point to acquire. Exceptions list the cost in BP alongside the perk’s name. Except where noted, you can’t purchase and apply multiple copies of the same perk to a weapon.

Unwieldy: Several flaws and perks give a weapon the unwieldy special property, which often counterbalances especially potent abilities. You can apply only one flaw, perk, or other effect that adds the unwieldy ability to a weapon.