Scatterguns

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by M. Jason Parent

It’s believed that both vrusk and humans brought scatterguns to the frontier, but every race is known to use them now. In fact, the scattergun is such an appealing design that some other weapons have been modified to work in a manner similar to the conventional ballistic scattergun (such as the Humma Rafflur M-4).

Scatterguns are at heart a very simple projectile weapon, similar in design to autorifles. However, instead of firing a single slug from each casing, a scattergun fires a cluster of 8 to 12 pieces of ‘shot’ or ‘flechettes’. Humans called their modern scatterguns shotguns, but the general term of scattergun is used in most instances on the Frontier for these weapons, particularly for the military automatic scatterguns.

Scatterguns are popular hunting weapons because they provide somewhat better accuracy than a typical projectile firearm because of the number of projectiles launched at the target. In military roles, they are seen as antipersonnel support weapons, typically used by lower-tech militaries and in house-to-house fighting environments where the shorter range and increased effective rate of fire can be a double benefit. Skeinsuits and Inertia Screens absorb half the damage from scatterguns. There are three base models of scatterguns seen on the Frontier.

Contents

Pump Action Scattergun

Pump Action Scattergun

Cost: 200Cr
Weight: 3 kg
Damage: 2d10
Ammo: 5 shots
Rate: 2
Defense: Inertia
Range: 5/15/40/75/150
Ammo Cost: 10Cr (20 loose Shotshells)
Skill: Projectile Weapons

The most common civilian model is the pump action scattergun. This model does not automatically load a round into the chamber after a round has been fired, but instead requires that the user ‘pump’ the weapon (slide the fore- grip back and then forward again) to load another round into the chamber.

Pump action scatterguns do not use a conventional magazine, but instead hold their rounds internally. Because of this, the weapon must be reloaded manually instead of changing magazines. A character can load up to half his Initiative Modifier worth of rounds into a scattergun in one round. These scatterguns are typically used as personal defense weapons by frontier settlers, and as hunting firearms.

Autoloading Scattergun

Autoloading Scattergun

Cost: 400Cr
Weight: 4 kg
Damage: 2d10
Ammo: 10 shots
Rate: 3
Defense: Inertia
Range: 5/15/40/75/150
Ammo Cost: 10Cr (10-shot Scattergun Shotclip)
Skill: Projectile Weapons

An upgrade in usability from the pump action system is a scattergun that automatically loads the next round into the chamber after each shot. These scatterguns are typically used as longarms by police, security and military forces, although some are also used for hunting and home defense.

Assault Scattergun

Assault Scattergun

Cost: 600Cr
Weight: 5 kg
Damage: 2d10/5d10
Ammo: 10 shots (2 bursts)
Rate: 3(1)
Defense: Inertia
Range: 5/15/40/75/150
Ammo Cost: 10Cr (10-shot Scattergun Shotclip)
Skill: Projectile Weapons

The assault scattergun is the merger of the technologies of an autorifle with the design of a scattergun. Although able to operate as an autoloading scattergun, the assault scattergun can also fire bursts of shots, spreading projectiles over a large area and shredding any soft cover in the area. Assault scatterguns are only usually seen in the hands of military forces and some raiders and pirates.

Scattergun Ammunition

A box of 10 scattergun rounds, loose for manually loading into pump action scatterguns. The rounds are interchangeable with autoloading and assault scatterguns, but do not include a magazine.

Scattergun Shotclip

A shotclip is a plastic, spring-loaded rack of 10 scattergun rounds. Because scatterguns fire a cluster of small pieces of shot or flechettes, attacking with a scattergun is very similar to using a burst attack with an autoweapon. Each ‘shot’ from a scattergun contains 10 projectiles. A shot can be aimed at up to five adjacent characters in an area up to 5 meters wide, or at just one character. Only one die roll is needed to hit all the characters aimed at. Because of the number of projectiles fired, the shooter gains a +10 bonus on the hit chance. If the shot is aimed at one character it causes 2d10 points of damage. If it is aimed at more than one character, it causes 2d10 points of damage plus 1d10 for each additional target. These points are divided as evenly as possible among all the targets. Any leftover points of damage are lost.

EXAMPLE: Dai Hulad, the yazirian gangster, fires his scattergun at a group of four Star Law Vice officers charging toward him. All four are hit, so the player rolls 5d10 for damage (2d10 for the first target, +3d10 for three additional targets). The result is 29 points of damage. These are divided evenly among the officers, resulting in 7 points of damage to each. The extra damage point is lost.

Area of Effect. Assault Scatterguns are even more effective against groups – being able to fire up to five shots at a time, similar to the burst attack of an autoweapon. Each burst from an assault scattergun contains 5 shots, or 50 projectiles. A scattergun burst can be aimed at up to ten adjacent characters in an area up to twenty meters wide, or at just one character. Only one die roll is needed to hit all the characters aimed at. Because of the number of projectiles fired, the shooter gains a +20 bonus on the hit chance, and any benefits of soft cover are lost. If the burst is aimed at one character it causes 5d10 points of damage. If it is aimed at more than one character, it causes 5d10 points of damage plus 2d10 for every additional target. These points are divided as evenly as possible among all the targets. Any leftover points of damage are lost.

BEHIND THE SCENES - The math behind the shot and burst mechanics is based on those of the burst fire weapons from the Alpha Dawn set. A shotgun will fire roughly 10 pieces of ‘shot’ with every attack, therefore being basically as effective as an autoweapon. However, these individual shots are less potent than a regular bullet, and they cannot be aimed into a spray as effectively as an autoweapon can be, thus reducing both the base damage and the maximum number of targets as well as the fire zone of the weapon. On the other hand, the automatic scattergun’s numbers are almost identical to those of an autoweapon burst. Assault shotguns generally have a much lower rate of fire than a typical assault weapon, so we reduced the number of shots in a burst from 10 to 5, thus halving the normal bonuses for firing a burst.