Weapons

Regardless of whether you're as fair and honest as merciful Buddha hisself or a dirty, rotten *wong ba duhn*, if you make your living on the Rim, you're eventually gonna need some hardware to put a hurtin' on someone. This is where you'll find such tools of violence.

Gun shops all over the 'Verse carry pistols, rifles, and shotguns, while military surplus stores often carry more unconventional - and typically a whole bunch deadlier - armament.

You should keep in mind that the Alliance strictly controls the sale of weapons on the Core. Permits are required for carrying weapons (especially concealed weapons) and many firearms and Newtech weapons are electronically tagged to make them traceable. Black markets exist on the central planets where you can buy illegal, untraceable firearms, but getting caught with such a weapon will land your *pi gu* on a penal moon faster than you can say "Is there a problem, officer?".

On the Rim, folk aren't near as picky. Gun shops are supposedly regulated, but, in truth, the government has better things to do than go around hasslin' gun dealers. There is also a black market for guns on the Rim and these dealers tend to carry weapons with a bit more bang for a bit more buck. 'Course, there's always a good chance their previous owners are looking for 'em, so you might want to keep your new toys under wraps 'til you're back on the ship.

There are so many makes and models of killing implements in the 'Verse, it's impossible to list 'em all here. Luckily, unless you're straying off into the realm of Newtech, most weapons tend to have generally the same effects and game statistics as their closer relatives, so what's listed here is a selection of generic weapon types.

## Ranged Weapons

### Bow

The bow has become a fashionable weapon of sport in the Core. The Alliance doesn't regulate the sale of bows and arrows, leastwise as of now. Learning to skillfully use the bow and arrow can be part of the training of a Registered Companion.

### Crossbow

A little more practical than the bow, the crossbow is a common hunting weapon, both for sport in the Core and for survival on the Rim.

### Crossbow, Powered

These high-powered, fancy-pants crossbows are used almost like sniper rifles by some, though they werer meant for hunting game, not people. They require special bolts that are more expensive than regular crossbow bolts.

### Derringer

Sometime's called a "lady's gun" because it fits nicely into those dainty little clutches popular with snooty women in the Core, derringers are small and concealable. It only holds two shots and don't have much for range, but it makes up for it by packing a wallop. Shooting one of these more than a couple times will make a hand mighty sore for a while. A derringer is designed for concealability, and Notice checks made to find a hidden derringer suffer a -2 penalty.

### Pistol, Light

These small pistols are a handy backup weapon, and are popular with competitive sport shooters, but they're a mite lacking on stopping power.

### Pistol, Medium

Most pistols in the 'Verse fall into this category, and thus you can find 'em in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Big fashion brands in the Core even make 'em in different colors to match your outfit. Most folk on the Rim are allowed to carry a pistol everywhere, as having a gun on your hip shows you've got some sense.

### Pistol, Heavy

This meaty, powerful pistol has some heft and looks awful intimidating. All that gun ain't for just show, neither, as they have just about as much punch as a rifle.

### Pistol, Laser

A highly coveted piece of Alliance Newtech, laser weapons are illegal for all except those on the central planets who can obtain special permits for them, which ain't exactly easy, even for them that can afford it. Laser pistols inflict a huge amount of damage for a weapon of its size, but they require extremely high-density batteries which are not only expensive but very difficult to find. Laser pistols don't sit on the black market for long.

### Rifle

Whether used for hunting or combat, the rifle is a very deadly weapon. Unfortunately, walking around with one is a mite conspicuous.

### Rifle, Assault

Carrying around a full-auto assault rifle is a good way to get all kinds of attention from the authorities, but the attraction of bein' able to saw a man in half is right strong in some. Most Feds carry a Newtech assault rifle as their primary weapon.

### Rifle, Sniper

Used by those who prefer to do their killing from the next town over, sniper rifles are precision weapons equipped with highly-tuned scopes. They can be a bit on the finicky side, so you best be careful with it.

### Rifle, Sonic

The standard issue weapon of choice for law enforcement on the central planets, the sonic rifle looks like a fancy shotgun with a couple of nested radio dishes about five inches across where the barrel ends. The rifle fires a burst of high-frequency sound that stuns the target, potentially knocking them on their *pi gu* or just plain knocking 'em out. Armor only works at half-effectiveness, an there's no risk of damaging any but the most fragile of goods. The sonic rifle has a short range, and it doesn't work in a vacuum. Like a laser weapon, it run on hard-to-find batteries, and - like most government equipment - is usually equipped with a transponder chip so it can be tracked.

### Shotgun, Double-Barrel

Two barrels of death, these mean weapons are dead simple, just being a couple tubes, a trigger, and a shoulder stock. If you're inclined to put a target down quick, you can fire both barrels at once. In this case, roll damage once and add +4.

Those who value concealability sometimes cut off most of the barrel and stock, making the shotgun into a big, nasty pistol referred to as a "sawed-off". Some double-barrels feature shortened barrels - either from the factory or cut down later - for better maneuverability in tight spaces. These models are called coach guns, as they were popular with stagecoach guards back on Earth-That-Was. A sawed-off shotgun has identical stats to a regular double-barrel, except that its range is reduced to 5/10/20 and it can fit under a coat. Coach guns have the reduced range, but aren't small enough to properly conceal.

### Shotgun, Pump

The *ker-chack* of a pump shotgun is a sound that has caused many a troublemaker to turn and run well before the first shot is fired. While you can't fire it as fast as a double-barrel, pump shotguns carry more shells and are a fair bit lighter.

### Stunner, Ranged

A short-ranged energy rifle capable of firing a coherent electric pulse, a ranged stunner is tuned to the same frequency as human brainwaves. In dummy-talk, this means a zap from a stunner can scramble a man's brains, stunning him for a moment or even knocking him unconscious. When hit with a ranged stunner, the victim must make a Vigor roll or fall prone and Incapacitated. At the start of each subsequent round, the victim makes a Vigor roll to revive. Success means they revive but are Shaken for the round and can recover on the next as usual. A raise means they revive instantly and are not Shaken.

### Submachine Gun

Submachine guns are popular in the criminal underworld. They eat ammo, but at least you can sleep better a night knowing your enemies are carrying around two extra pounds of lead.

## Ammunition

A gun's just a real expensive club if you ain't got ammo - and not a very good club at that.

* The batteries that power fancy shootin' irons like laser pistols cost ₡2 each, which typically last for about ten shots before burning out.

## Melee Weapons

### Baton, Security

This collapsible metal rod extends up to two feet when unfolded is used for beatin' on folk who tresspass where they ain't wanted. Usually has a rubber grip on one end.

### Baton, Stun

Similar to a standard security, but with more zap. When you smack someone with this, a battery in the handle discharges a fairly large jolt, enough to shock without doin' much real damage to the poor guy on the other end.

After a target is hit by a stun baton, they must make a Vigor roll or fall prone and Incapacitated. At the start of each subsequent action, they make a Vigor roll to revive. Success means they revive but are Shaken for the round and can recover on the next as usual. A raise means they revive instantly and are not Shaken.

### Brass Knuckles

This little piece of hand hardware converts a regular punch into nasty little surprise in a bar fight. A combatant using brass knuckles is considered to be an Unarmed Defender.

### Club

A good old-fashioned heavy stick. It's a bit more brutal than a baton, able to deal some serious damage. You can buy a metal one, but if you're okay with something a little less deadly, you can fashion one out of wood that works the same, but takes a -1 penalty to damage.

### Hatchet

One of the most versatile hurtin' tools ever invented, you can use it to cut down trees and chop firewood, or even upend it and use it like a club, so long as you're careful not to grab it by the sharp part. Some folk even manage to huck 'em a good distance (Range: 3/6/12).

### Knife, Combat

A combat knife typically has a 6"-10" long blade, and can be used to stab or cut, and can also be thrown with some accuracy if you practice at it (Range: 3/6/12).

### Knife, Utility

A kitchen knife or pocket knife *can* be used as a weapon, but aren't near as good as a real fightin' implement. Such blades are considered improvised weapons, and break on a roll of one on the Fighting die, regardless of the Wild Die.

### Machete

A broad, heavy blade used as both a tool and a weapon. Settlers on the Rim use machetes for chopping through brush.

### Sword, Combat

The art of swordsmanship is considered a gentlemanly sport in the Core and for the wealthy on the outer worlds, where some indulge in the tradition of dueling to the death.

### Sword, Gentleman's

Swords like this are all fancied up with extra frills and decorations, and are more prone to breaking. Many gentlemen wear these to fancy-dress shindigs, so as to show what bad taste they have in weapons.