Weapons, Projectiles and Ammo

# Weapons Overview

For a technical description on how weapons work, see Wieldable.

**Weapons** in Ferrus: Commissar are differentiated based upon three categories: role, attack type, rarity. Each weapon can use different kinds of ammunition (within reason, of course), and are configurable to some extent - this is dependent on the specific weapon's design, obviously. As such, the selection of weapons in the game is intended to be small - a maximum of 12 - for the first version(s). Weapons can be looted and bought, but looting weapons requires the player to "hack" them - as all weapons, with the exception of a few exotic ones - are imprinted, meaning that they need to be either rewritten or have the genetic lock removed to make use of them.

Weapons can also be modified. As there is a small selection of weapons, the goal is to make individual weapons diverse in and of themselves to alter their behavior. The overall design goal is to achieve something along the lines of XCOM2 and Hard Reset (a single weapon with multiple switchable modes, with a variety of upgrade slots to modify it). Weapons also have their own statistics which define how they can be kitted out. The statistics are:

* **Power**: Most modern weapons use batteries or some other power source, as they come equipped with a myriad of complex electronics. This is balanced out by a supply.
* **Stability**: The better balanced a weapon's weight is, the more stable it is. This is also influenced by how well made the grips are. It is part of the math used to determine how much unwanted spread a weapon has, and how strong the recoil is. Vital for use with a character's Ballistic Skill.
* **Durability**: Basically, can you still use your weapon. Weapons suffer wear and tear over extended periods of use, and need to be repaired.

## Role overview

* **Side arm**, e.g pistols
* **Close Assault**, e.g shotguns, submachine guns
* **Rifle**, e.g snipers, assault rifles
* **Melee**, e.g stun prod, combat knife
* **Heavy**, e.g missile launcher, cannons

## Attack type overview

* **Beam**, e.g lasers
* **Explosive**, e.g grenades, rockets
* **Small Projectile**, e.g bullets, plasma bolts
* **Shard**, e.g flak, pellets

## Rarity overview

* **Legacy**
* **Military**
* **Civilian**
* **Exotic**

**Ammunition** in Ferrus: Commissar takes the form of stackable inventory items that can be lumped into stacks with a maximum of 250 units. Some types of ammunition can be applied to different weapons, while others are highly specialised for specific weapons. Ammunition can be manufactured, looted and bought.

**Projectiles/attack types** in Ferrus: Commissar are, as specified above, grouped into four general categories, each with their own specific properties. A weapon can fire more than one type of projectile/have additional attack types, depending on the weapon's design. These tend to either be dependent on the ammunition fed to the weapon, or how the weapon has been modified.

# Weapon Designs

## Legacy Weapons

### Colonial Plasma Shard Launcher

The Colonial Plasma Shard Launcher dates back to the mid-24th century, and is a venerable design still in use today by militias around the galaxy. The reason for this is simple: it's cheap to produce and easy to use, albeit difficult to maintain due to the complexity of the design. Classified as a magnetic accelerator, the CPSL works based on the same mechanisms as many of the weapons of the 24th century: a block of metallic alloy is housed within the chamber, off of which pellets are then chipped. They are lined up into a 6 by 6 grid, which then superheats them before passing them on to the magnetic railing in the barrel. This gives the weapon a fairly tight firing cone for the first 20 meters, after which the pellets spread out and as a result of continued degredation - at approximately 50 meters out - the pellets dissapear. As such, it's an excellent weapon for fighting in tight areas at short range.

### Sleeper Laser Rifle

Used by the Sleepers as their mainstay weapon throughout the Drudge Incursion during the start of the 23rd century, the Sleeper Laser Rifle fires a high intensity, repeating beam up to a distance of 150 meters. Having served as the basis for many of the galaxies weaponry, the SLR contains many basic design elements found in modern weaponry. Due to it being a laser weapon, the SLR bosts incredible stability and accuracy and as a result of advanced compacting techniques, it can unleash up to a thousand consecutive bursts before needing to be reloaded. However, the age of the design and its complexity mean it is both difficult to maintain and expensive to build - the currently remaining copies are either found in abandoned military caches, or in the hands of collectors.

### Sleeper Plasma Cannon

An experimental weapon at the time the Sleepers awoke, the SPC is as old as the SLR, and was considered to be one of the most devastating weapons unleashed during the Drudge Incursion. A hulking device rested on the shoulders of the wielder, the SPC unleashes an orb of superheated plasma, bound together by a heavy metallic, magnetised core. In essence, it is a shoulder-borne culverin. It is intended to be used from an isolated position, or from the very front of a field, as standing in front of the user is a sure fire way of being burned by the heat the projectile emits. Even so, the weapon served as the basis for all modern plasma weaponry, and is now only found in science labs or in the hands of collectors.

## Civilian Weapons

### Bulwark Self Defence Pistol

A very common design, the Bulwark SDP functions in the same way as do other widespread magnetic weapons: it contains a small block of metal off of which a pellet is chipped and placed into a guiding barrel. It is then accelerated to supersonic speeds, although this setting can be modified, which is where one of the strengths of the weapon lies. Due to the relative simplicity of its design, the Bulwark SDP is modifiable to the point where you will be hard pressed to find a stock design outside of a retailer's store.

### 76-Series Light Defense Rifle

Used by militia and private security alike, the 76 is a reliable workhorse found in every civilized place in the galaxy. Operating on the same basis as other modern magnetic weapons, the 76 prides itself in its modifiability and compact frame - after all, ergonomics were a core consideration in its design when first developed.### Convoy Guard's Baton

Intended to handle unarmed and unarmored individuals, the Convoy Guard's Baton is a compactable striking weapon that can deliver an electric charge on each hit if the wielder wishes to do so. While a strong enough user can use this weapon lethally, its intent was to be able to pacify someone with a light tap - instead electrocuting them. However, this has not stopped overly eager officers from using it to quell rowdier people through sheer blunt impact.

### Peacekeeper's Shock Pistol

A companion to the Convoy Guard's Baton, the Peackeeper's Shock Pistol can deliver a high voltage, low amperage electric shock to its target across a maximum distance of 10 meters. By using on board computers to communicate with the wielder's own electronics, the weapon analyzes its potential target and adjusts the shock as needed. Because of this, it is incredibly difficult to modify the weapon's potency, making it ideal for new officers and other individuals intent on maintaining peace.

## Military Weapons

### Federal Catapult Heavy Assault Rifle

A very long ranged weapon, the Catapult is the first of a new generation of standardised Federal weaponry, moving away from solid, magnetically propelled projectiles in favor of collections of ionised, high-energy particles that convert the air in a small radius around the weapon into plasma for a brief moment. Traditionally, it fires single shots, but can be switched to rapid fire mode on the fly to deal with opponents at shorter ranges. The stock variant comes equipped with an underslung markerlight.

### Federal Starshot Micro-missile Launcher

A venerable design, the Starshot is a dumb micro-missile launcher with a gravity-fed loading system. To simplify its operation, it comes built in with an array of recoil compensators and dampers intended on promoting a more mobile approach to battlefield tactics.

## Exotic Weapons

### Commissar's Plasma Pistol

A top of the line weapon, the CPP is awarded to proven Commissars as a way to circumvent the need for larger weapons in most situations. With a surprisingly small frame and short barrel, the pistol energises a path in front of itself up to its maximum range and unleashes a concentrated orb of plasma.

### Hand Lance

A weapon designed as a side arm for Moritamor scouts, the Hand Lance fires an intense laser beam across a short distance. Due to its status as a foreign military weapon within Federal space, it is both very rare and extremely expensive, but finds plenty of employment among the Commissariat.

### Tourney's Flak Cannon

An unusual weapon, the Tourney's Flak Cannon is a remnant of the gladiatoral arenas on Iirden. It fires a cloud of razor sharp shrapnel at a high velocity by detonating a directional explosive in its barrel by smashing it with a pneumatic hammer. The weapon is banned, but with a bit of luck (and connections), one can find this for a reasonable price.