BlackSteel Corrupted Weapons

Factory #5 , aka the BlackSteel Citadel, also produces small arms for its more humanoid robotic minions, and like the robots, even the weapons are corrupted versions of the original, with some added element of malice in their capabilities.

These weapons can be used by non-robots, but the weapons have a sickly gray or oily sheen to their appearance, and somehow seem ‘off’. Their more cruel properties may be of interest to evil beings, but most others will want nothing to do with the weapons.

BlackSteel-corrupted weapons react adversely to being treated with either silver or holy magic. Fortunately, the amount of BlackSteel incorporated into the weapons is miniscule, so the more violent reactions are more subdued. In the case of silver, the weapon will take double damage, and on a critical strike of 19-20, will bubble, melt (doing 1d4 MD to anybody unlucky enough to be holding it), and dissolve into slag. Holy magic, such as an exorcism or immersion-wash in holy water will cause the tainted weapon to smoke with acrid black fumes, lose half its MDC and all extra properties, and become a rather shabby and heavily corroded version of its former self (GMs may want to choose or roll for random poor quality traits). Note however, that the black fumes may condense somewhere else into BlackSteel dust (another possible source of Red Scabber infections).

### BsL-22 Pulse Rifle

 Type
 Weight
 MDC of Weapon
 Range
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
 Original Tribe
 Special Note

This is a corrupted copy of the Arch-22 Pulse Laser, somehow modified to produce black beams of corrupted light that do additional damage to living beings.

The BsL-22 uses the same nonstandard e-clip/battery used by ARCHIE-3’s forces and cannot accommodate standard e-clips. The weapon can only be recharged by a BlackSteel robot, or by a necromancer channeling 60 PPE into the weapon.

#### Black Light Laser

Do 25% more damage to living beings, and direct exposure of the wound to sunlight (and Globe of Daylight spells) will cause the injury to become acutely photosensitive; victims must roll under their ME or be -1 on initiative, perception, strike, dodge, and parry due to the itching/burning sensations from the wound. The photosensitivity ends when the wound is healed.

Cost: Not for sale. The weapon is virtually impossible to recharge, and most dealers and soldiers, especially those of Good alignments, would want nothing to do with the corrupted weapons. To those of evil alignments, the weapon might be attractive and worth 50,000 credits or more.

### BsL-30 Variable Laser Rifle

 Type
 Weight
 MDC of Weapon
 Range
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
 Original Tribe
 Special Note

This weapon would be recognizable as a copy of the Mechanoid M-30 Robot Variable Laser Rifle issued to the Mechanoids’ robot hordes, ARCHIE-3 acquired the plans when the Mechanoids were attempting to retool his factories to build them a new robot army, and the schematics were in the database of Factory #5 when the BlackSteel took over.

Like the BsL-22, the original laser workings have been corrupted to produce an anti-life Black Light effect. Though shorter-ranged and less initially damaging than the BsL-22, the BsL-30 has variable settings that produce other effects, including inducing overall light sensitivity in its victims.

The BsL-30 uses the same nonstandard e-clip/battery used by ARCHIE-3’s forces and cannot accommodate standard e-clips. The weapon can only be recharged by a BlackSteel robot, or by a necromancer channeling 60 PPE into the weapon.

#### Black Light Laser

Do 25% more damage to living beings, and direct exposure of the wound to sunlight (and Globe of Daylight spells) will cause the injury to become acutely photosensitive; victims must roll under their ME or be -1 on initiative, perception, strike, dodge, and parry due to the itching/burning sensations from the wound. The photosensitivity ends when the wound is healed.

On an unmodified ‘to Strike’ roll of 19-20, organic victims must roll to save versus non-lethal poison or be afflicted with acute photosensitivity to their entire bodies, not just the wound site. Exposure to sunlight (and Globe of Daylight spells) will cause exposed skin to redden and blister, soft tissues like lips to crack and bleed, and eyes will become acutely sensitive to glare and bright light (not just sunlight); -8 to strike, parry, and dodge in bright light without eye protection, and DOUBLE the other penalties from the broader degree of skin sensitivity. Recommended remedies are all-covering clothing, and advanced protection sunscreens. The hypersensitivity will end when the wounds are fully healed.

Cost: Not for sale. The weapon is virtually impossible to recharge, and most dealers and soldiers, especially those of Good alignments, would want nothing to do with the corrupted weapons. To those of evil alignments, the weapon might be attractive and worth 45,000 credits or more.

### BsI-20 Ion Pistol

 Type
 Weight
 MDC of Weapon
 Range
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
 Original Tribe
 Special Note

This is recognizable as the Mechanoid M-20 Ion Pistol. In its original form, the M-20 really wasn’t anything exceptional; it was a small arm designed for mass production and use by cannon fodder robot drones. The BlackSteel version isn’t any more powerful, but has been modified to act like a high-powered neural blaster capable of stunning targets, and even outright killing through cardiac arrest.

The BsI-20 uses the same nonstandard e-clip/battery used by ARCHIE-3’s forces and cannot accommodate standard e-clips. The weapon can only be recharged by a BlackSteel robot, or by a necromancer channeling 40 PPE into the weapon.

#### Neural Blaster

Living targets must save versus non-lethal poison (16 or better; children and small animals need an 18 or better). On a successful save, the target is -1 APM from the jolt, plus takes damage. On an Unsuccessful save, augmented human(id)s are -5 to strike, parry, dodge, and loses initiative and 1 APM for 1d4 melee rounds. A successful save by UNaugmented human(id)s results in -10 to strike, parry, dodge, lose initiative and is reduced to 1 APM, skill performance is -80%, speed reduced 95%, and suffer painful convulsions doing 1d4 SDC per melee for 2d4 MELEES. There is also a 15% cumulative chance per additional strike of being rendered unconscious for 1d4 minutes. If SDC is burned through, the damage goes to Ht Points, and at 0 H.P. the victim goes into full cardiac arrest and will die unless immediate medical care is not administered.

Note: Works through most body armor up to 50 MDC. Those in armor protection of 51-80 MDC are +6 to save. Those in heavier armor, power armor, full conversion cyborgs, vehicles, robots, or who are MegaJuicers or Dragons are impervious.

Cost: Not for sale. The weapon is virtually impossible to recharge, and most dealers and soldiers, especially those of Good alignments, would want nothing to do with the corrupted weapons. To those of evil alignments, the weapon might be attractive and worth 25,000 credits or more.

### BsP-15 Plasma Rifle

 Type
 Weight
 MDC of Weapon
 Range
 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
 Original Tribe
 Special Note

This is recognizable as a ‘tainted’ copy of the Mechanoid M-15 Plasma Rifle, This high-end, for a mass-production robot drone sidearm, weapon is a very highly regarded weapon for both its range and damage, and has been copied by the EShemar. The BlackSteel also sensed its power, but has added its own diabolical taint to the copies it produces. In this case, the barrel of the plasma rifle features a reservoir under the barrel that holds a thick ichor that is vaporized by each plasma shot and propelled along the plasma stream. Upon contact, the ichor solidifies into a burning slag, like a lava bomb launched like a grenade.

The BsP-15 uses the same nonstandard e-clip/battery used by ARCHIE-3’s forces and cannot accommodate standard e-clips. The weapon can only be recharged by a BlackSteel robot, or by a necromancer channeling 80 PPE into the weapon.

#### Slag shot

Does 6d6 MD to a 5 ft blast radius on impact and does 3d6 MD per melee for 1d4 melees. The material can be scrapped off or extinguished with magic, or total immersion in water, but conventional fire extinguishing measures are useless against it.

The underbarrel reservoir holds enough ichor for 15 shots. The ichor has defied
chemical analysis and cannot be replicated by conventional chemical laboratories (a necromancer and alchemist might be able to intuit something of a process).

Cost: Not for sale. The weapon is virtually impossible to recharge, and most dealers and soldiers, especially those of Good alignments, would want nothing to do with the corrupted weapons. To those of evil alignments, the weapon might be attractive and worth 80,000 credits or more. Increase price by 20% if the slag-ichor reservoir is fully tanked up.

### ‘Grinder’ Rounds

Grinder Rounds are BlackSteel-produced railgun munitions apparently inspired by the pre-Rifts ‘Black Talon’ bullet that spread out to do more damage to the internal tissues of living targets they hit. The BlackSteel, apparently thriving on the idea of increased suffering, updated the concept to give the railgun ammo issued to its spawn even more ‘bite’.

Grinder rounds have 20% less range and 25% less initial damage than the railgun rounds they replace, but on an unmodified ‘to strike’ roll of 19-20. they lodge in the wound/hole and suddenly animate, rotating like a miniature buzzsaw, and burrowing into the wound, doing an additional 1d8 MD for 1d4 melees, before burning out and falling to pieces. Grinder rounds can be cut out of a living victim, and doing as little as 1 MD will destroy them, but such a procedure is messy and dangerous, and those without a Field Surgery skill will be -3 to strike the spinning munition (and a missed strike will likely do additional damage to the victim, as well as pushing the grinder further into them). A Disrupt Energy spell will also stop them dead for the duration of the spell, and afford others the chance to remove the round while it is inert.

Grinder rounds are NOT actual BlackSteel, and arguably can be duplicated by somebody unscrupulous enough (and advanced enough) to want to, but despite some spirited discussion, the EShemar have voted to BAN grinder rounds from consideration for continued production, after the fall of the BlackSteel Citadel. That having been said, any remaining unfired rounds that appear on the Black Market are likely to fetch at least 900 credits per round sold to the right (depraved) parties.