From: acgetche@taco.engr.ucdavis.edu (Adam)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc
Subject: Guns (Liquid propellant firearms) 2 of 5
Summary: Rules suggestions and LPFs
Date: 11 Nov 92 23:13:32 GMT
Organization: College of Engineering - University of California - Davis


	Advance attribution credit to Earl Hubbell for many of his "neat
tech toys" ideas.  I should also credit his collegue Trip who put together
the neat tech toys post (and contributed no few nifty ideas of his own).  
Also thanks to Earl and Trip for critiquing some of my ideas regarding
ammunition.

                      ************RULES************

	1.Armor:  Armor stacks.  If you wear an armor jacket (5/3) and a
ballistic long coat (4/2), your armor is, indeed, 9/5.  Heh, heh, you'll
need it chummer.
	1.a.  This stacking is subject to the rules on pp. 242 and 84 of
SRII.  For every point of ballistic armor over the character's Quickness,
the character takes a 1-die deduction from his Combat Pool.
	1.b.  If you want to be kind to your players, make it impact rating
instead of ballistic rating.

	2. Three-round bursts:  As per pg. 82, SRII, firing a burst counts
as a Simple Action.  The recoil modifier is +0 for the first 3rb fired and
+3 for the second 3rb/shot.
	2.a.  In other words, the recoil from the first burst DOES NOT
affect that burst, only subsequent ones.

	3. Recovering from Recoil:  Recovering from Recoil is a Free Action,
as per pg. 81, SRII.  Recovering from recoil erases the recoil penalties
from previous actions.
	3.a.  Example, if on Combat Phase 21 I fired a 7-round burst at
two punks (+6 recoil modifier) I could use a free action on Combat Phase 20
so that my next non-free action on Combat Phase 11 would not be subject to
a +6 recoil modifier.
	3.b.  Note that as per pg. 81 of SRII, a character may take a Free
Action on any Combat Phase even if he is not eligible for action, but cannot
take a Free Action before his first action.

                      ************LPF************

	Liquid Propellant Firearms:  Anything using liquid-propellant is
assumed to be milspec, and therefore is unavailable to the civilian populace
(theoretically).  Only specially licensed security companies can procure
the paperwork to carry such equipment; possession of milspec equipment is
automatically an M-class offense (see Shadowtech)
	"Standard" firearms can be obtained in milspec versions, but
can NEVER be modified from civilian models.  The weapon internal layout is
radically different, requiring industrial autolathes and other such things
no armorer in the street is ever going to have access to.
	[Well, I should never say NEVER ;-)  If you really want to, a hot
armorer with access to a mainframe, CAD/CAM and programmable autolathes
might be able to swing it.  If an enterprising decker ripped off the
digitized CAD/CAM specs from the manufacturer, it would be rather easier.
Such armorers are going to be very pricey; see below.  I personally do not
recommend proliferation of the weapons I list.  Of course, the Corps will
have this stuff ;-) ]
	The Street Index of a milspec version of a civilian firearm is
QUADRUPLED.  Thus a milspec Ares Predator is Street Index 2, not .5.
	The Availability target number and time is TRIPLED.  A milspec
Ares Predator has Availability 9/3 days.
	Milspec firearms always have Smartlink processing and recoil
compensation-2, if recoil compensation is not specified.
	Milspec firearms WILL NOT fire at Targets possessing the proper
IFF code.  This code is indecipherable without a cyberdeck, and is also
unchangeable (the code is firmware, changeable only by a special quantum
mechanical chip-burning "oven")  [This would not apply to street-manufactured
weapons.  But the armorer is going to charge even more.]
	Liquid-propellant firearms have DOUBLE magazine capacity within
same size.  The binary propellant bottle adds the equivalent of 10 rounds of
ammo to the weight of the weapon.
	In single-shot mode, LPFs add +25% to the power of the weapon
(round to nearest).  Burst fire mode remains unchanged.  In full autofire, LPFs
subtract 25% of the power of the weapon, but every point of power lost
counts as recoil compensation. (This behavior is computer-adjusted loadout
of propellant.  By changing software parameters, this behavior may be changed.
The parameters above are designed for field usage; SS mode is for "sniping",
burst fire is battlefield mode, and FA uses reduced propellant for 
controllability.)
	 A LPF can specify any number of rounds to be "burst fire", up to
six.  This burst is still treated as a 3rb in regards to Actions and
Recoil (recoil is not assessed at 1st burst), but the recoil modifier, power
level increase, and damage catagory may be different. (The rationale for this
is the weapon is adjusting its ROF so it can bang out up to six rounds before
the muzzle can lift in recoil.)
	 Example:  Blazer's got a milspec LP Beretta 200ST. Availability
is 15/3 days, Street index is 6, and magazine capacity is 46. Single shot 
damage is 8L (instead of 6L), he specifies 6rb with a damage code of 12S
(Base code 6L, +6 power, +2 Wounds) and a +6 to his second shot only.  If
the Beretta could fire full auto, firing 10 rounds would be (Base code is
6L, +10 power, +3 wounds, for 16D, minus 25% would be 12D with a recoil
mod of +9 {9 rounds past first shot} - 4 {25% of 16} -2 {Integral recoil
compensation} = +3 to shot)  Also, unknown to Blazer the lot his pistol
was produced in was made for Lone Star; his weapon will not fire at Lone
Star personnel.
	Rocket Fuel or other mixtures can be added to increase the
power of the LPF.  There are so many mixtures possible (and yes, even a
street armorer could make one) that the gamemaster should rule the effects
on cost, reliability, etc. separately.  As a suggestion, for every +2 in
power, increase recoil by +1.  Feel free to gum up and jam their nice
milspec weapon if they insist on using homebrew propellant (since where
are they going to get the issue propellant?)  You get the idea.
	Economics:  Milspec weapons are hard to come by and hard to
track.  Most of them have issue "tags" built in, typically a microwave
resonance pattern detectable by scanners to 50 meters or so (it goes without
saying that these patterns are going to be hard to crack, since if the 
opposition knows how to detect your weapons you are screwed).  At the same
time, such weapons will be more difficult for civilian weapon scanners
to spot (advanced composites and so forth, add +6 to Concealability for
scanners only).  Civilians that come by these weapons have a huge problem:
ammunition.  Don't think the Army boys don't guard this stuff heavily,
'cuz they do.  After all, it's where your tax nuyen go.
	Dishonest type folks are gonna have to make their own ammo.  Typically,
one buys standard ammo (caseless) and then washes the batch with solvent to
dissolve away the propellant.  (Better use the right solvent, chummer!)
The rounds themselves are hand- or machine-loaded into the magazine, and
the armorer then goes about the business of concocting propellant.  Unless
he's really slick (Chemistry Target number of 12) he isn't going to know
how to make binary propellant, although smart dishonest types save the original
propellant to do a spectroanalysis on.  Once he discovers a formula or reverse
engineers one, he's gotta get the resources to make the stuff.  Don't believe
any of that drek about "kitchen explosives", either.  Maybe for the old,
crude stuff -- not milspec-compatible liquid propellant.
	In sum, gamemasters should feel free to make the players jump through
numerous hoops to keep their LPF's working.  Chemistry may be fun, but it
certainly ain't intuitive.  Numerous research labs have put man-centuries
of labor into developing these formulas, so don't let some scruffy shadowrunner
tell you he can whip up a batch in a few days.  Null-prog on that, chummer.
Make them roll Chemistry tests, and consider successes generated to reflect
on the quality of the propellant and its likelihood of a)working b)jamming
c)catalyzing some unpleasant reaction.  And DON'T let them use Firearms B/R.

                      ************GUNS************

	Notes:  Stuff enclosed by [] denotes rules; numbers in () for fire
modes determine the number of rounds fired for burst fire and full auto.
In damage codes, e refers to exploding rounds, f to flechettes, x to
variable expansion rounds, a to APDS, and s to shotgun spread.  In damage
codes, the base is in (), then the SA/BF damage code (the FA damage code
can be determined from the BF damage code by figuring the difference in
rounds fired and applying SRII or Rigger Black Book rules. Remember to
subtract 25% off the power level and apply as recoil comp.)  The street
index for all weapons below is 4 and the availability is 24/14 days.

Enfield IWS Mark Five:  A tried-and-true design, this old warhorse has served
British Army units for nearly 50 years in one form or another, beginning
with the first model bullpup caseless model.  Firing a 4.87 mm Armor Piercing
High Explosive (APHE) round at 900 m/sec, the Enfield has among the lowest
recoil of any battle rifle made (the decision to use APHE resulted in less
stringent muzzle energy requirements).  Laser-ranging self-setting HUD
sighting [Smartlink], pneumatic recoil damping [recoil-3], and a 100 round
magazine and bipod [recoil-2 when extended] round out the Enfield's capacity.
Conc: 3  Mode: SA/BF(6)/FA(15) Damage: (8M) 10Se/14De Weight: 4.5 Cost:2000

Calico M955A2: A (then) revolutionary idea using the helical magazine, this
submachinegun is a favorite among special operatives everywhere.  Firing
a variable density 9mm Parabellum round [variable expansion ammo-see ammo
post] at controllable velocities, the Calico also includes a Smartlink and
pneumatic recoil system [recoil-2].  Comes in a 50-round machine pistol
version, a 100-round bodyguard version, and a 200-round security version.
The security and bodyguard versions also include an Inertia sling [recoil-2].
Conc: 5/4/3 Mode: SA/BF(6)/FA(10) Damage: (6M) 8Mx/12Dx Weight:2.5+ammo 1500Y

H&K vP-50z: A sleek design owing much of its heritage to the vP-70z model.
With four moving parts (and two of them only move during jams) and a completely
sealed casing, the vP-50z is the ultimate in reliable security pistols.  It
can be even fired in vacuum or underwater (at much reduced velocities) due
to its unique sealed firing chamber design and oxidizing fuel.  The weapon
reliably chambers a variety of special ammunition, and comes with an integral
Smartlink, pneumatic grips [recoil-2], ultrasound built-in ranging, and a
generous 50 round clip. A shoulder stock attachment is available [recoil-2]
Conc: 5 Mode: SA/BF(6) Damage: (8M) 10M/14D Weight: 2.5 Cost: 1000

Pneumatic Recoil System: An improved stock/grip mechanism, using a viscous
fluid and deformable memory-plastic grips to absorb recoil.  Must be tailor
made for weapon, street armorers charge 25% the price of the gun at the
weapon's Availability +2.  Generally, provides -2 recoil to pistol/SMG
format weapons, -3 recoil to carbine/rifle format.  Improved levels are
possible, but these are carefully engineered by defense contractors with
teams of researchers, not scruffy street-armorers or shadowrunners.

           -- Adam
+--------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|Adam Getchell |Surgery-Radiation Oncology    GETCHELL@radonc.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu|
| acgetchell   |ez000270@chip.ucdavis.edu        acgetche@taco.engr.ucdavis.edu|
+--------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp.misc