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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.

==Pump Action Scattergun==
{| align="right" style="width:300px; border:thin black solid; margin:0 0 0 5px;"
|-
|[[File:VruskPumpActionShotgun.png|300px]]
|- style="background:#eeeeee;"
|'''Pump Action Scattergun'''<br />
Cost: 200Cr<br />
Weight: 3 kg<br />
Damage: 2d10<br />
Ammo: 5 shots<br />
Rate: 2<br />
Defense: Inertia<br />
Range: 5/15/40/75/150<br />
Ammo Cost: 10Cr (20 loose Shotshells)<br />
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.
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==Autoloading Scattergun==
{| align="right" style="width:300px; border:thin black solid; margin:0 0 0 5px;"
|-
|[[File:AutoloadingShotgun.png|300px]]
|- style="background:#eeeeee;"
|'''Autoloading Scattergun'''<br />
Cost: 400Cr<br />
Weight: 4 kg<br />
Damage: 2d10<br />
Ammo: 10 shots<br />
Rate: 3<br />
Defense: Inertia<br />
Range: 5/15/40/75/150<br />
Ammo Cost: 10Cr (10-shot Scattergun Shotclip)<br />
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.
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==Assault Scattergun==
{| align="right" style="width:300px; border:thin black solid; margin:0 0 0 5px;"
|-
|[[File:AssaultShotgun.png|300px]]
|- style="background:#eeeeee;"
|'''Assault Scattergun'''<br />
Cost: 600Cr<br />
Weight: 5 kg<br />
Damage: 2d10/5d10<br />
Ammo: 10 shots (2 bursts)<br />
Rate: 3(1)<br />
Defense: Inertia<br />
Range: 5/15/40/75/150<br />
Ammo Cost: 10Cr (10-shot Scattergun Shotclip)<br />
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.
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==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.

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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.
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Scatterguns - Revision history

Terl obar: Created page with ' Top:Star Frontiersman main page | Up: Star Frontiersman Issue 4 main index | Up: Equipment m…'

Terl obar: Created page with '
Top:Star Frontiersman main page | Up: Star Frontiersman Issue 4 main index | Up: Equipment m…'