La Defensoría del Pueblo da cuenta de la existencia de 56 conflictos latentes durante el mes
CUSCO Distrito de Quellouno,
Handheld flaming death! The Blazer is small and easily portable. Used heavily during the Az-Am War to root out Amazonian guerillas, the Blazer has found its way into the standard arsenal of many mercenary and spe- cial operations units around the world.
WEAPON ACCESSORIES
Got a gun? Great. Is it just like it was when you bought it,the same model any schmuck can buy in their neighbor- hood Lock ‘n’ Load? Then you’re doing it wrong. You’re not some ordinary, off-the-shelf person, right? You’ve got your own skills and characteristics, the things that make you different from anyone else, the things that give you your edge. Your character’s weapon should re- flect that—it should have qualities that accentuate your strong points and mitigate your weaknesses.
Let’s start with the basics of how you’re going to add stuff to your weapon. When you want to add something to your weapon, it’s going to go into one of six places. 1) One top of the weapon; 2) Underneath the barrel of a weapon; 3) On the side of a weapon; 4) Internal to the weapon, meaning it is built into the weapon and integral to its systems; 5) Replacing or adding to the barrel; 6) Replacing or adding to the stock.
Some accessories are easy to add—a snap-on part here, a screw there, and boom, it’s done. Other parts are a little more complicated and should only be put on by someone who knows what they are doing.
Given that you want to do something to modify your weapon—because we just told you that you do—we should talk about what you might do to your weapon. So here are the mods, and what you need to know to get them in place.
Advanced safety system (modification): It’s always
good to make sure your weapon only goes off when you want it to. The advance safety system works along with
your smartlink (meaning that you need a smartlink to have one of these) to make sure only an authorized user fires the gun. There are a few ways to pull this off—one is to have biometric scanners in the grip or butt of the weapon, or the system can scan for an authorized RFID tag or PAN within 1 meter of the weapon. (This works similarly to a maglock card reader, system, p. 363, SR5.) If the authorized user(s) is present or holding the gun, it’ll be ready to fire. If not, no dice. These systems have a default Device Rating of 3.
The basic system keeps unauthorized users from firing the gun, but you can put on a few extras to make things a little more interesting for people trying to mess with your stuff. The immobilizer locks everything up so that it will take more than a biometric scan to get it going again; instead, you need an Armorer took kit and an Armorer + Logic (12, 5 minutes) Extended Test to get it working again. Self destruct bricks the thing but good, damaging the internals beyond repair. Explosive self destruct is the next step up, blowing the weapon up with 14P(f) damage (AP –5 for the person holding the weapon, +4 for anyone else) and a –2/m blast radius. Electro shocker delivers 5S(e) damage to the miscreant using your weapon; it can go off three times before it needs to be recharged. You can only have one extra deterrent as part of your safety system. The system, whether it’s the basic one or a fancier version, can only go in the internal slot.
Bayonet (accessory): Some people think the bayonet
charge became obsolete around the time of the Amer- SHIAWASE BLAZER
FLAMETHROWERS
SHIAWASE BLAZER
ACC DV AP MODE RC AMMO AVAIL COST
6 10P –6 SA/BF/FA — 4(c) 16F 2,200¥
Replacing the fuel tank requires a full Combat Turn.
ican Civil War. Some people are not creative enough. A blade on the end of your firearm means more options, and in the shadows, this can be a very good thing to have. Bayonets can be fixed to the top or underneath slots of rifle-sized or larger weapons (though honestly, fixing one on top of your HMG is not going to be terribly useful). When attached on a weapon, it has Reach 2, DV (STR +1)P, and AP –1; it has the same stats when de- tached, only its Reach is 0. In either case, use the Blades skill when attacking with it.
Concealed quick-draw holster (accessory): What
more do you want a holster to do? You get to reduce the Concealability modifier of your weapon by 1 while the threshold to quick-draw a holstered weapon drops by 1. It won’t fire the thing for you, though, so buckle down and do it yourself. The holster does not take any slots in your weapon. Please excuse our compulsion to point out fairly obvious stuff like that.
Extreme environment modification (modification):
When you need to keep the cold from freezing the lubri- cants in your machinery, or when you want to keep sand from getting in every nook and cranny and gumming up the works, this is what you need. This won’t make a weapon work in a place where the basic laws of physics say it won’t function—your flamethrower’s not going to work underwater, no matter how much you tinker with it. There are different levels for this upgrade: Level 1 allows for normal use in polar or desert climates; Level 2 allows
for use in all extreme environments. When used in normal atmospheric conditions or underwater, weapons with the Level 2 modification have all range levels cut in half. They also need to be serviced after every 100 rounds fired. This takes 500 nuyen worth of materials and requires an Armorer + Logic (12, 1 hour) [Mental] Extended Test.
This modification does not take up any slots in the weapon and requires a tool shop to install.
Flashlight (accessory): Because, well, light helps
you see. This light is designed to point where your gun is without being obvious; a recessed light source makes it tough for outside observers to see exactly where the light is coming from. Unless you’re directly in its path, in which case you see it to well. If the light’s shining right at you and it’s the type of light that would normally help you, then you get a Weak Glare modifier (p. 175, SR5).
There are three kinds of flashlights. Standard flash- lights provide Partial Light; low-light flashlights uses a soft red light to help people with low-light vision, mov- ing them up one row on the Environmental Modifiers chart (p. 175, SR5); it is useless to characters without low-light vision. Infrared flashlights work similar to low- light flashlights, only for characters with infrared vision instead of those with low-light vision. They move the modifier one row up the chart, and they do nothing for people without infravision.
Folding stock (modification): This is a stock. That
folds into the weapon. Got it? It provides 1 point of re-
MODIFYING WEAPONS
Each accessory in this section is classified as an “accessory” or a “modification.” An accessory can be installed with little difficulty by pretty much anyone onto the top, bottom, or side slots. Just buy it, snap it on one of your available mounts, and you’re off and running. Note, though, that these accessories cannot be snapped on and off in a short amount of time (unless you have a slide mount, p. 52). Assume swapping them on and off takes at least five minutes while sitting still, making it impractical to do while in the middle of a firefight.
In case it needs to be said, you can’t install the same modification or accessory twice and expect to double the benefits. If you really want to, you can install the same modification in two different spots, but you’ll only get the benefit once, so you’ll be wasting a slot. You also can only have one modification per slot. Some types of weapons have further limitations—for example, light pistols can only take top and barrel-mounted accessories, while hold-outs can’t take accessories at all.
If you add an accessory to the stock, barrel, or internal slots, or add a modification, a little more work is needed. Here’s what to do.
1) Make sure you know what to do. Make a [Type of Weapon Knowledge skill] + Logic (4) [Mental] Test to see if you know
how to make the necessary modification. If you want a little help on the test, you can search for plans that might provide guidance. This can be a Matrix Search (Computer + Intuition [Data Processing]) with a threshold based on the availability of the modification (see Matrix Search, p. 241, SR5). Restricted mods should have a threshold of at least 3, and forbidden items should have a threshold of at least 6. Players can also ask their contacts for plans; use the basic legwork rules (p. 387, SR5) to discover if the contact knows what to do and is willing to share it with the player’s character. If you are able to find plans, add 6 dice to your test to see if you know how to make the modification.
2) Prepare the proper tools. Unless otherwise noted, a kit is sufficient to attach accessories to the top, underneath, or side slots, while a shop is needed for internal, barrel, or stock modifications.
3) Roll the test. For weapons modifications, this is generally going to be an Armorer + Logic [Mental] Extended Test, with thresholds and intervals determined using the guidelines on p. 48, SR5.
coil compensation—but only, of course when it is out and braced against the user’s shoulder. It must be in- stalled in the stock slot and requires a Simple Action to move in or out; there is a motorized version that makes folding and unfolding it a Free Action.
Foregrip (accessory): This is a handle you put on in
the front of the weapon to give you a sturdier grip. It can only be mounted on the barrel, and it cannot be used on Pistols and Hold-outs. It provides 1 point of Recoil Compensation and adds 1 to the Concealability of the weapon to which it’s attached.
Gecko grip (modification): Have trouble holding on
to your gun? Then maybe you shouldn’t have one. But if that’s not an option, then try gecko grip, which makes your piece stick in your hand like, well, a gecko hanging on a wall. This gives your grip a bunch of tiny fibers that are awfully clingy to just about anything. The fibers can be turned on and off via wireless command if you have a smartgun—if not, pressing two buttons at the same time does the trick. The mod gives a +6 bonus on any tests to see if a character keeps grip on the gun. This can go on any weapon with a grip, whether they have a stock slot or not; if they have a stock slot, this takes it up.
Guncam (accessory): The device that launched a
thousand stupid-ass MeFeed videos. Whatever the gun is pointing at, it records. Yeah, you don’t always want a record of what you’re about to shoot, but sometimes that footage is invaluable—whether you need to show Mr. Johnson what you managed to pull off, review foot- age to help you plan your next move, or doctor what you filmed to make you look good, the video you film has plenty of possible uses. Its Device Rating fills in for any necessary stats. Guncams can be installed in the Top, Underneath, Barrel, Side, or Internal slots.
Hip pad bracing system (accessory): Some weapons
are, quite simply, a huge load. This system allows you to move some of the weight of the weapon to your hip, distributing the weight more and letting you brace it bet- ter. The end result is that the user gets 1 point of recoil compensation. It uses the stock slot.
Improved range finder (accessory): Laser range
finders are standard equipment on smartlinks, but if you have the scratch you can make its range calculation functions even better. It combines three technologies— microwave, laser, and radar—to give you an extreme- ly accurate calculation of range. The effect of this is to reduce range modifiers by 1. This only can be used in weapons that have a smartlink; it can be positioned in any slot besides the one that has the smartlink. This bo- nus cannot be combined with any bonuses from image magnification on the weapon.
Peak-discharge battery packs (accessory): For
weapons that need a power source, this is it. It does not take up a slot; weapons that need it already have a spot for it. It charges at a rate of 1 power unit per 30 minutes. The number of power units used per shot is listed with each weapon.
These packs come in three forms: power clips, which hold 10 power units and fit into a weapon like a clip would; satchel power packs that hold 20 power units, are about the size of a canteen, and are usually attached to belts, and power backpacks, which hold 30 power units and are worn on the back, of all places. Satchels and backpacks are attached to weapons with a self-recoiling cord that requires a Simple Action to attach.
Many hundreds of hours have gone into testing and refining the makeup of these batteries to make it so they are not susceptible to explosions. So no, you can’t use one as an improvised explosive device.
Safe target system (accessory): The goal of this sys-
tem is to avoid those situations where your mates are chewing you out for accidentally shooting them in the hoop. Using information about your teammates’ ap- pearance and the electronics in their PAN, this system attempts to recognize when you are aiming at any spot within 1 meter of a friendly target. In these situations, the system locks the trigger, preventing you from firing. Once the friendly target isn’t at risk anymore, you can start fir- ing again. Note that the system interprets risk broadly—if there is something between you and a friendly target, the system will lock you out, unless that “something” is an entire office building or Mt. Rushmore or something.
The basic system can mark up to 10 RFID profiles (or GPS coordinates if you want to designate fixed locations as “safe”); for a few extra nuyen you can add more pro- files. If you want a little more accuracy, allowing you to easily shoot the drekhead who stole your buddy’s com- mlink without difficulty, then upgrade to the image rec- ognition system. You’ll need a guncam or smartlink to use this function. The base image recognition allows you to enter up to 10 different visual profiles, which can be as broad as “anyone wearing the Ancients’ logo” or as narrow as precise scans of members of your team. As with the GPS/RFID system, you can spring for extra pro- files if you need them.
The safe target system can be mounted on any loca- tion besides the stock.
Slide mount (accessory): By installing this on the
top, underneath, or side slots, you can make it much easier to install and remove items in these locations. Items may be taken on or off using a Simple Action.
Sling (accessory): For Special Forces troops, this is a
sturdy piece of mesh or canvas custom-fitted to the user and positioned on the weapon in a way to ensure it can be readied as quickly as possible. For guerilla warriors, this might be a piece of rope, and old belt, or anything else that can be rigged up to help them keep from drop- ping their weapon. No matter how complex or simple, the function is basic—it makes sure your weapon doesn’t fall to the ground when you’re running or diving from an explosion or in the middle of being shot or whatever. It may be shot out of your hands, but getting it ready again is a Simple Action. The sling does not take up any slots on a weapon.
Tracker (accessory): This is a customized RFID tag
that combines the functions of security and stealth RFIDs, giving you the chance to track down your weap- on if for some reason you don’t know where it is. Use the rules for RFID tags, p. 440, SR5; assume the tracker has the function of a security tag and a stealth tag. The tracker does not take up any slots in a weapon.
Underbarrel bola launcher (modification): Would
your weapon be enhanced by the ability to throw out two balls connected by a thin rope that can entangle and trip up your opponent? If your answer is “no,” please go back and read the questions again. As the name indicates, this goes on the underneath slot, and it can only go on weap- ons rifle-sized or larger The launched bola works in the same way as a regular bola (p. 27) as thrown by someone with Strength 5. It uses Heavy Pistol ranges, and wielders fire it with the Exotic Ranged Weapon (Bola) skill.
Underbarrel chainsaw (modification): Very useful in
case you need to chop wood for a campfire while out on a run, or cut some lumber to repair floorboards.
Ha! Who are we kidding? This is there for those times when you might want to use a bayonet but would prefer something louder and messier. If you don’t know what times might require that, you haven’t been in the shadows long enough. Use the Exotic Melee Weapons (Chainsaw) skill for this; when used against a barrier, double its Dam- age Value. It can only be mounted on the underneath slot and must be used on rifle-sized weapons or larger. Sorry for killing your dreams of a chainsaw pistol.
Underbarrel flamethrower (modification): We’ve
known runners so fond of fire that they might mount one of these on an actual flamethrower. This can go on the underbarrel slot of a rifle-sized weapon. For rules cover- ing flamethrower use, see p. 49.
Underbarrel grapple gun (modification): It’s a grap-
ple gun mounted on the underneath slot of a rifle-sized weapon or larger. No muss, no fuss. For grapple gun rules, see p. 449, SR5.
Underbarrel grenade launcher (modification): Give
yourself the ability to lob grenades out there with your weapon. It can be mounted (say it with us now!) on the underneath slot of a rifle-sized weapon or larger. See p. 434, SR5, for more information on using grenade launchers.
Underbarrel weight (accessory): It may be a crude
way to reduce recoil, but it still works. By placing some weight in the underneath slot of a weapon, you prevent the kick from being as severe as it would be otherwise. This provides 1 point of recoil compensation when us- ing the weapon in Full Auto mode.
Weapon commlink (accessory): Once you get over