Any portable object can be used as a weapon in a pinch. In most cases, an object can be wielded either as a melee weapon or a ranged weapon. A character takes a –4 penalty on his attack roll when wielding or throwing an improvised weapon. An improvised weapon is not considered simple, archaic or exotic, so these weapon proficiency feats cannot offset the –4 penalty. The Impromptu Weapon Proficiency does partially offset the penalty, by reducing it to –2.
Throwing: A character can effectively wield or throw
an object of his size category or smaller using one hand. A character can effectively wield or throw an object one size category larger than himself using two hands. An improvised thrown weapon has a range increment of 10 feet. Increase the range increment for creatures of Large size or larger as follows: Large 15 feet, Huge 30 feet, Gargantuan 60 feet, Colossal 120 feet.
Damage: Improvised weapons deal lethal damage based
on their size, although the Games Master may adjust the damage of an object that is especially light or heavy for its size. The wielder’s Strength modifier applies only to damage from Tiny or larger improvised weapons; do not apply the wielder’s Strength modifier to damage from Diminutive objects. The Improvised Weapon Damage by Size table gives the damage for improvised weapons of varying size. Improvised weapons threaten a critical hit on a natural roll of 20. Improvised weapons of Fine size deal no damage.
Unlike real weapons, improvised weapons are not designed to absorb damage. They tend to shatter, bend, crumple or fall apart after a few blows. An improvised weapon has a 50% chance of breaking each time it deals damage or, in the case of thrown objects, strikes a solid surface (such as a wall) or an object larger than itself.
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Improvised Weapon Damage by Size
Object Size Examples Damage
Diminutive Ashtray, CD disk case, crystal paperweight, glass shard*
1
Tiny Fist-sized rock, mug, screwdriver, softball, flashlight, wrench, broken bottle*, full soda can, buzzsaw blade*, heavy paperweight, water pistol*,
letter-opener, aerosol & lighter*
1d2
Small Bottle*, drill*, fire extinguisher, flower pot, helmet, metal hubcap, vase, lamp, dumbbell
1d3
Medium Bar stool, brick,
briefcase, bowling ball*, garbage can lid, hockey stick, nail gun*, electric sander*
1d4
Large Empty garbage can, guitar, television*, office chair, tire iron, hedge trimmer/lawnmower*
1d6
Huge 10-foot ladder, mailbox, oil barrel, park bench, sawhorse
1d8
Gargantuan Desk, dumpster, file cabinet, large sofa, soda machine, piano
2d6
Colossal Junked vehicle, shed, telephone pole
2d8
*See the description of this weapon for special rules.
Aerosol and Lighter
Everyone’s favourite home-made flamethrower. Only effective up to five feet, but deals 1d6 fire damage.
Bottle
If a bottle breaks, it becomes a broken bottle rather than useless.
Bowling Ball
If properly bowled (on an uncluttered, flat and hard surface) a creature hit by a bowling ball must make a Reflex save (DC equal to the attack roll) or be knocked prone.
Broken Bottle
These deal 1d3 damage. Any character with armour of any kind is dealt only 1 damage on a successful attack.
Buzzsaw Blade
A character using this weapon in melee takes 1d2 damage every turn. If thrown, this weapon deals 1d4 damage.
Drill
Critical hits with a drill inflict triple damage rather than double damage.
Electric Sander
This power tool ignores a creature’s natural armour (but not normal armour).
Hedge Trimmer/Lawn Mower
These deal 2d6 damage if powered, but only 1d4 if used without power.
Glass Shard
A character using this weapon in melee takes 1 damage every turn.
Nail Gun
A ranged weapon that normally has a range of 10 feet, deals 1d10 damage and normally has a ‘magazine’ of 50 nails. It can also be set to shoot on autofire.
Television
If this improvised weapon breaks, it will (if plugged in) deal and extra 1d6 electricity damage to the taregt as the electronics short out.
Water Pistols
Often stolen from small children to serve as holy water dispensers. A water pistol fires a 10-foot long line of water that deals no damage in itself, but will hit all creatures and objects in its path. No attack roll is necessary. Any creature caught in the line can make a Reflex save (DC 15) to avoid it completely. Creatures with cover get a bonus on their Reflex save.
Armour
Body armour comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, providing varying degrees of coverage and varying heaviness of materials. Two feats cover proficiency in the use of armour: Armour Proficiency (light) and Armour Proficiency (heavy).
On rare occasions in a modern game, a character may carry a shield of some kind into combat. This can either be considered an impromptu item, such as a trash can lid or other held object larger than one foot square, or a tactical item such as a police riot shield. In any case, an impromptu shield provides a +1 to Defence and carries an Armour penalty of -2, while a tactical shield designed for protection adds +2 to Defence and confers a -1 Armour Penalty because of its superior construction.
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Armour
Armour Type Equipment Bonus Nonproficient Bonus Maximum Dex Bonus Armour Penalty Speed (30 ft.) Weight Purchase DC Restriction
Light Armour
Leather Jacket Impromptu +1 +1 +8 -0 30 4 lb. 10 —
Leather Armour Archaic +2 +1 +6 -0 30 15 lb. 12 — Light Undercover Shirt Concealable +2 +1 +7 -0 30 2 lb. 13 Lic (+1) Pull-up Pouch
Vest Concealable +2 +1 +6 -1 30 2 lb. 13 Lic (+1) Undercover
Vest Concealable +3 +1 +5 -2 30 3 lb. 14 Lic (+1) Concealable
Vest Concealable +4 +2 +4 -3 25 4 lb. 15 Lic (+1) Chainmail
Shirt Archaic +5 +2 +2 -5 20 40 lb. 18 — Light Duty
Vest Tactical +5 +2 +3 -4 25 8 lb. 16 Lic (+1) Tactical Vest Tactical +6 +2 +2 -5 25 10 lb. 17 Lic (+1)
Heavy Armour
Special Response Vest
Tactical +7 +3 +1 -6 20 15 lb. 18 Lic (+1) Plate Mail Archaic +8 +3 +1 -6 20 50 lb. 23 —
Forced Entry
Unit Tactical +9 +3 +0 -8 20 20 lb. 19 Lic (+1)
Armour Traits
Armour is described by a number of statistics, as shown on the Armour table below.
~ Type: Armour comes in four types: archaic, impromptu, concealable and tactical.
Archaic armour is old-fashioned armour, such as
medieval chainmail and plate mail.
Impromptu armour includes items that provide
protection even though they are primarily constructed for non-combat activities, such as leather biker’s jackets and football pads.
Concealable armour is modern body armour
designed to fit underneath regular clothing. It can be worn for extended periods of time without fatiguing the wearer.
Tactical armour is modern body armour that fits over
clothing and cannot be easily concealed. Its weight and bulk make it impractical to wear all the time, and it is generally only donned when a specific dangerous confrontation is likely. Because it is worn over clothing in tactical situations, tactical armour often has pockets, clips and velcro attachment points for carrying weapons, grenades, ammunition, flashlights, first aid kits and other items.
~ Equipment Bonus: The protective value of the armour. This bonus adds to the wearer’s Defence.
~ Nonproficient Bonus: The maximum amount of the armour’s equipment bonus that can be applied to the wearer’s Defence if the wearer is using armour with which he is not proficient (does not have the appropriate feat).
~ Maximum Dex Bonus: This number is the maximum Dexterity bonus to Defence that this type of armour allows. Heavier armour limits mobility, reducing a character’s ability to avoid attacks. Note that even if a character’s Dexterity bonus drops to +0 because of armour, the character is not considered to have lost his Dexterity bonus.
~ Armour Penalty: The heavier or bulkier the armour, the more it affects certain skills. This penalty applies to checks involving the following skills: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently and Tumble.
~ Speed (30 ft.): Medium and heavy armour slows a character down. The number in this column is the character’s speed while in armour, assuming his base speed is 30 feet (the normal speed for most human beings).
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~ Weight: This column gives the armour’s weight. ~ Purchase DC: This is the purchase DC for a Wealth
check to acquire the armour. This number reflects the base price and does not include any modifier for purchasing the armour on the black market.
~ Restriction: The restriction rating for the armour, if any, and the appropriate black market purchase DC modifier. Remember to apply this modifier to the purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire the armour on the black market.
Leather Jacket
This armour is represented by a heavy leather biker’s jacket. A number of other impromptu armours, such as a football pads and a baseball catcher’s pads, offer similar protection and game statistics.
Leather Armour
This archaic armour consists of a breastplate made of thick, lacquered leather, along with softer leather coverings for other parts of the body.
Light Undercover Shirt
Designed for deep undercover work in which it is critical that the wearer not appear to be armed or armoured, this garment consists of a T-shirt with a band of light protective material sewn in around the lower torso.
Pull-Up Pouch Vest
This garment, consisting of a torso apron of light protective material held up by a loop around the neck, can be stored in an innocuous belt-pack. Deploying the apron is a move action. This garment provides no equipment bonus (and has no armour penalty or maximum Dexterity bonus) when undeployed.
Undercover Vest
Covering a larger area of the torso, this vest provides better protection than the light undercover shirt – but it is also more easily noticed. It is best used when the armour should remain unseen but the wearer does not expect to face much scrutiny, as it grants a +2 bonus on an opponent’s Spot checks to notice the armour.
Concealable Vest
Standard issue in many police forces, this vest provides maximum protection in a garment that can be worn all day long under regular clothing. While it may go unnoticed by a quick glance, it is usually visible to anyone looking closely for it, granting a +4 bonus on Spot checks to notice the armour.
Chainmail Shirt
This medieval-era armour is a long shirt made of interlocking metal rings, with a layer of padding
underneath. It is heavy, making it uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time.
Light-Duty Vest
A lightweight tactical vest designed for extended use by riot police and forces on alert for potential attack, this armour sacrifices a degree of protection for a modicum of comfort – at least compared to other tactical body armours.
Tactical Vest
The standard body armour for police tactical units, this vest provides full-torso protection in the toughest flexible protective materials available.
Plate Mail
This medieval-era armour consists of metal plates that cover the entire body. It is heavy and cumbersome compared to most modern armour, but it does provide a great deal of protection.
Special Response Vest
Built like the tactical vest, but incorporating groin and neck protection as well as a ceramic plate over the chest, this armour provides additional protection in battles against heavily armed opponents.
Forced Entry Unit
The most powerful protection available is built into this suit, which consists of a heavy torso jacket with ceramic plates over the chest and back, neck and groin guards, arm protection and a helmet. Heavy and cumbersome, this armour is generally only donned by tactical officers heading into a dangerous assault.
Vehicles
Vehicles are described by a number of statistics, as shown on the Vehicles table below.
~ Crew: The standard number of crew. In most cases, only one person is needed to drive the vehicle; other crew members serve as gunners or co-pilots.
~ Passengers: The number of passengers (in addition to the crew) the vehicle is designed to carry. Vehicles that carry passengers can use that space to carry additional cargo when passengers aren’t present. Each unused passenger slot allows the vehicle to carry an additional 100 pounds of cargo.
~ Cargo Capacity: The amount of cargo the vehicle is designed to carry. Many vehicles can carry extra passengers instead of cargo, but doing so is usually a cramped, uncomfortable, and often unsafe experience for those passengers. As a rule of thumb, one additional passenger can be carried for every 250 pounds of unused cargo capacity.
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~ Initiative: The modifier added to the driver’s or pilot’s initiative check when operating the vehicle.
~ Manoeuvre: The modifier added to any Drive or Pilot checks attempted with the vehicle.
~ Top Speed: The maximum number of squares the vehicle can cover in 1 round at character scale (with the number of squares at chase scale in parentheses). This is the fastest the vehicle can move.
~ Defence: The vehicle’s Defence.
~ Hardness: The vehicle’s hardness. Subtract this number from any damage dealt to the vehicle. ~ Hit Points: The vehicle’s maximum hit points. ~ Size: Vehicle size categories are defined differently
from the size categories for weapons and other objects.
~ Purchase DC: This is the purchase DC for a Wealth check to acquire the vehicle. This number reflects the base price and does not include any modifier for purchasing the vehicle on the black market.
~ Restriction: The restriction rating for the vehicle, if any, and the appropriate black market purchase DC modifier. Remember to apply this modifier to the purchase DC when making a Wealth check to acquire the vehicle on the black market.