House Rules: Weapon Design Quirks (Not Invented Here)

==House Rule: Weapon Design Quirks==
Devised by fan writer, acksed.
This list expands upon the Design Quirks section in Interstellar Operations, BattleTech Manual, and other books, as well as the added effects in Harebrained Schemes' BattleTech game, by adding weapon-specific Quirks that have additional effects in table-top play. (Basically, this is me taking some of the fluff written for this or that weapon through the years and making them real. I am also adding some of my own ideas.) While canon for Not Invented Here fanfic, it may only be applied with your GM's permission.
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==Overview==
Usage: "Design Quirk: Rugged Weapon (Holly SRM6), Variable-Rate Autocannon (Pontiac 100 AC/20)"
Optional Rule: If the manufacturer has been explicitly pointed out in the canon background information as producing the weapon with a stated effect that matches a Quirk (Accurate Weapon, Rugged Weapon etc.), a player may request a 1-point reduction in the cost of a Positive Quirk, or an extra point for the application of a Negative Quirk. The GM has the right to refuse this request without complaint.
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==Positive Design Quirks==
These are applications which are benefaction to the specified item when applied
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===Rugged Weapon===
The Rugged Weapon Quirk designates a particular brand of weapon as having exceptional durability. As such, it may resist the first critical hit inflicted on it. 
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Rules for the Rugged Weapons
While this Quirk can be applied to multiple weapons on the same unit, the cost of the Quirk must be paid for each different brand.
Points: 1 Quirk Point for every weapon system of the same brand.
Applicable to: AeroSpace Fighters, BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, DropShips, JumpShips, Small Craft, Space Stations, Support Vehicles, WarShips.
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===Variable-Rate Autocannon===
The Ultra AC/5 was a Star League-era innovation that doubled the rate of fire (ROF) to double damage, at the risk of jamming. To avoid this, they could instead be set to fire normally. Some autocannon, instead of firing a cluster of large-calibre explosive shells, fire great bursts of smaller-calibre shells at a high ROF to defeat armour. These ACs, when given the Variable-Rate Autocannon Quirk (abbreviated VRAC), have been modified with an electronic rate-reducer that allows the pilot or crew to reduce damage and heat to the next marque down, and increase range and accuracy accordingly:
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Rules for the Variable-Rate Autocannon
A burst-fire AC/20 may reduce ROF down to AC/10 damage, heat and range, but not down to an AC/5 or AC/2;
A burst-fire AC/10 may reduce ROF to emulate an AC/5, but not an AC/2;
An AC/5 may rate-reduce to an AC/2;
An AC/2 cannot be reduced further, and thus gains no benefit from the Quirk.
A unit fielding a VRAC that wishes to use this Quirk must declare it has had its rate reduced at the end of the combat phase. It may re-declare it increased to its base damage the next phase, but it must wait till the end of the turn.
A VRAC's ammo is now 40 shots per ton, subtracting 8, 4, 2 or 1 per salvo corresponding to the marque emulated e.g. an AC20 down-rated to AC10 fires 4.
Game Play & Construction Applications
Points: 2 per AC.
Applicable to: AeroSpace Fighters, BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, DropShips, JumpShips, Small Craft, Space Stations, Support Vehicles, WarShips.
Limited to: Autocannon described as "burst-firing" or "fires a burst".
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===Compact Weapon===
This weapons system is famed for its compact size. It occupies one less critical space in a BattleMech. It cannot occupy less than a single critical space.
Rules
Points: 2 per weapons system of the same brand.
Applicable to: BattleMechs.
Limited to: Weapons described as "compact".
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===Low-Maintenance Weapon===
A gun or launcher with this Quirk needs half the time usually spent on maintenance to keep it functioning. This cannot be taken with Salvaged Weapon.
Rules:
Points: 1 per weapons system of the same brand.
Applicable to: AeroSpace Fighters, BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, DropShips, JumpShips, Small Craft, Space Stations, Support Vehicles, WarShips.
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===Spectral Purity===
This laser has exceptional optics and a finely-tuned lasing chamber to create a tight, coherent beam, allowing it to be effective beyond normally accepted ranges. Its maximum range increases by 2.
Rules:
Points: 1 per laser system of the same brand.
Applicable to: BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles.
Limited to: Lasers.
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===High-Quality Conduits===
A technician or pilot may enable effects and tweaks in a weapon that would normally be locked behind safeguards. These are popular with pirates and the poorer mercenaries, but are normally applied to whatever they can scrounge up. 
Rules:
A weapon with the High-Quality Conduits Quirk has a robust power feed with excess capacity, which allows these tweaks to be used with less risk to the weapon and pilot than normal:
Specific Weapon Applications
*; PPC, Light PPC, Heavy PPC : if the PPC has been fitted with a PPC Capacitor, there is no effect on an Attack Roll of 2. It may use the "Disengaging Inhibitor" and "Overcharging" rules (Tactical Operations pg. 103) with less consequence, allowing the weapon to, once per combat, resist the first failed roll caused by particle feedback or overcharging. If they try a second time, it resolves as normal with these additions: a pilot or crew suffering an explosion only takes one hit and damage is halved, and the PPC is left with one critical. This stacks with Rugged Weapon, allowing them to resist a second failed roll before effects are felt, but the third failed roll resolves as per the modified rules. Pushing it beyond the second (or third, with Rugged) failed roll results in full weapon damage applied to the location it was mounted on the vehicle or 'mech after firing, two pilot hits and instant destruction of the weapon.
 
*; Gauss Rifle : The coils of the acceleration rail may be overcharged to fling its KEP quicker and further; the Gauss Rifle loses its minimum range and its maximum range increases by 2. Once fired, the rifle suffers a critical hit, but since it has discharged, it does not explode. If the weapon has had Rugged Weapon applied, this will be resisted as normal. At the beginning of the Combat Phase, a player may announce they are overcharging their Gauss Rifle before firing.
 
*; Lasers : The lasing chamber may be overcharged to increase the penetrating power and range of the coherent light. Its damage increases by 1, and its overall range increases by 1 (e.g. a ML would now do 6 damage and reach 4/7/10), but the laser suffers a critical hit and is disabled. Rugged Weapon resists these critical hits as normal. This stacks with Spectral Purity (e.g. an overcharged ERLL with Spectral Purity would do 9 damage and reach 8/15/23).
 
If the weapon is not maintained and/or repaired post-battle once these effects are used, it loses High-Quality Conduits, Low-Maintenance Weapon and Rugged Weapon if applied, and picks up Salvaged Weapon for no rebate. It requires manufacturer-level repair facilities to restore it.
Points: 2
Applicable to: BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles.
Limited to: Gauss Rifle, PPCs and Lasers.
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===Hyper-Velocity Missiles===
Taking inspiration from an obscure pre-spaceflight project from Ancient Terra (and a much later now-expired patent), missile systems with the Hyper-Velocity Missiles Quirk may launch projectiles tipped with a hardened penetrator, defeating armour through sheer kinetic energy.
Rules:
Mark the ammo down on your sheet with a (HV). Minimum range, if it has one, is reduced by 2, and Long range is increased by 3. Their cost per ton of ammunition is reduced by 20%. However, they lose the ability to be Hot-loaded (Tactical Operations pg. 103). Alternate ammo such as Inferno or normal HEAP may be used, but the launcher loses the Quirk while such is loaded.
Points: 3
Applicable to: AeroSpace Fighters, BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, Support Vehicles.
Limited to: LRMs (IS), SRMs, MMLs, Thunderbolt (Missile).
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==Negative Design Quirks​==
These are applications while not necessary helpful to the specified item when applied, it does free up room for Positive Quirks.
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===Salvaged Weapon===
This weapon was pulled from wreckage - ruined tank, a junk pile, crashed Aerospace Fighter that ate a kilometer of dirt - and though it has been repaired it still has some problems.
Rules:
After ten firings, it has a chance of something jumping out of alignment or shorting out; each time you fire it afterwards, roll 2d6. On a 2, it suffers a critical hit. If the weapon has not been destroyed, once combat is over and the weapon has been repaired/maintained, the counter is reset.
This Quirk may be taken in concert with Rugged Weapon on the same gun or launcher, but while the effects essentially cancel each other out at first, they do not negate the roll.
Points rebate: 1 per weapon.
Applicable to: AeroSpace Fighters, BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, DropShips, JumpShips, Small Craft, Space Stations, Support Vehicles, WarShips.
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===Faulty Capacitors===
An energy weapon with Faulty Capacitors has a persistent electrical fault. 
Rules:
The weapon has had its damage reduced by 1 to avoid it burning out completely. It still generates the full amount of heat.
Points rebate: 1 per energy weapon.
Applicable to: AeroSpace Fighters, BattleMechs, Combat Vehicles, DropShips, JumpShips, Small Craft, Space Stations, Support Vehicles, WarShips.
Limited to: Lasers and PPCs.
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===Bulky Weapon===
Whether due to less sophisticated materials or less streamlined design, this gun, launcher or directed-energy weapon is larger than it should be for its mass. It occupies one extra critical space.
Rules:
Points rebate: 1 per weapons system.
Applicable to: BattleMechs.
Limited to: Weapons described as "bulky" or "large".
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Category:House Rules
Category:Works by acksed