Friday, January 14, 2011

War....War Never Changes


One of the articles I'm working on for the first issue of The Jewel Throne is "War...War Never Changes," being a selection of Wasteland and Fallout inspired equipment, with a focus on firearms; a project I'm working on in preparation for running some Gamma World games.

My goals are twofold: as most of the players in our group are familiar with the Fallout series, this provides a certain "resonance" for the gameplay; secondly to provide a wider selection of firearms than that provided in Mutant Future including more lethal varieties. With Gamma World and Mutant Future PCs having significantly more hit points than beginning PCs, as well as the creatures in both games having, on average, more hit points than D&D monsters, I'm interested in gun having more "oomph" to them. With your average beginning Mutant Future Human PC having 47-48 hit points, it's going to take a fair amount of d12 damage assault fire rounds to take him down.

Anyways, here's some early drafts of some of the fictional firearms I'm working on for this article:
22-3 STRIKER
Effective Range: 400'
Maximum Range: 800'
Damage Inflicted: 3d6
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: .223
Capacity: 5 round integral magazine
Experience Point Value: 850
Based on a modified rifle design, the 22-3 Striker is a bolt-action pistol designed for hunting large game. Due to the weight and recoil a Physical Strength of 12 or higher is required to effectively use this weapon.

AK-57
Effective Range: 450'
Maximum Range: 900'
Damage Inflicted: 2d8
Shots per Round: 2
Ammunition Type: 7.62 mm
Capacity: 30 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 1300
The last descendant of the AK-47, featuring an integral folding stock, the AK-57 was manufactured by China but saw distribution throughout the globe. Thousands were smuggled into North America, many by fifth columnists.

M2049A1
Effective Range: 150'
Maximum Range: 300'
Damage Inflicted: 1d12
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: 10 mm
Capacity: 12 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 250
A durable, heavy frame autoloader resistant to harsh conditions, the M2049 was the standard US military sidearm as well as being used extensively by federal agents. A more reliable revolver variant, the M2050, holds 7 rounds in a side-loading cylinder.

M2039-ACR
Effective Range: 600'
Maximum Range: 1200'
Damage Inflicted: 2d8
Shots per Round: 2
Ammunition Type: 5.56 mm
Capacity: 40 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 1500
A descendant of the M16 featuring a gas-vent system and a integral optical sights, the M2039-ACR was the chief weapon of US marines.

VP41
Effective Range: 150'
Maximum Range: 300'
Damage Inflicted: 1d10
Shots per Round: 1
Ammunition Type: 9mm
Capacity: 18 round magazine
Experience Point Value: 150
A reliable West German pistol that was popular with survivalists due to it's high ammunition capacity.
 Also, here's a first draft of the first Jewel Throne cover:

12 comments:

  1. No Red Ryder BB Gun :)
    Cover looks fucking slick!

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  2. Standard guns only, or will energy weapons be included? Also, are you looking for any new weapons we (the readers, not some specific "Multiple people use this account" we; I'm the only one that uses it) can come up with, or do you prefer to simply make them all?

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  3. Is that a Bathory type full moon effect achieved by reflecting a ceiling light off of a black kitchen work surface?

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  4. @ JJ: Thanks; only the Girandoni Air Rifle is real!

    @ C'nor: I'm down with the GW/MF energy weapons as is, although the lasers will look and sound like the Fallout lasers. I'd love to see anything you come up with!

    @ Omlet: Of course! There's going to be plenty more easter eggs as well...

    @ Andrew: You pretty much nailed it; it's my beige linoleum kitchen floor with the ceiling light reflection, than the levels adjusted and desaturated in photoshop. The Bathory effect was unintentional however...I imagined it as a nebula or stellar cluster.

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  5. A-97 STUNLOCK
    Effective Range: 500'
    Maximum Range: 1000'
    Damage Inflicted: 1d4
    Shots per Round: 1
    Ammunition Type: SPEC*
    Capacity: 10 shot energy cell
    Experience Point Value: 425
    Special: Knocks out target on a 4
    The A-97 Stunlock was a standard police laser weapon, designed to incapacitate targets without seriously injuring them.

    *Standard Police Energy Cell

    Once I'm sure I haven't messed up too badly with the stats (I've never played Gamma World), I'll add the T51 Netshot.

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  6. Cool, it reminds me of a taser I read about that uses twin laser beams to conduct electricity!

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  7. Interesting. I didn't know about that. This was simply from wishing that there was a way to stun raiders and use the as guards. Same thing for the Netshot.

    Speaking of it:

    T-51 Netshot
    Effective Range: 500'
    Maximum Range: 1000'
    Damage Inflicted: 3d10
    Shots per Round: 1
    Ammunition Type: SEPNS*
    Capacity: 3 shot net canister
    Experience Point Value: 850
    Special: Knocks out target on a 10 or better.

    The T-51 Netshot is another police weapon, but was designed to prevent dangerous criminals from escaping whether or not they were killed.

    *Standard Electrified Police Net, Shotgun

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  8. I'm really digging these dystopian near-future police weapons!

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