ExMod/LiteDramaFirearmsSystems

Firearms, "Fast-and-Simple"

by JC McCormick (Balthasar)

Being what it is, the title summarizes this document well. If you find that this system is easy, fast, and appropriate to your games, use it. Otherwise, other systems on the matter have been written. You can find one such system at /CrunchyFirearmsSystem, written by DariusSolluman. While very superficially similar, there are a few key differences: Foremost, the other system is not meant to be rules-light. However, I think you'll find that if you adopt this system, it can adequately handle most firearm engagements you may have, with minimal worry.

Example Modern Firearms...

 Name              Acc  Dmg   Rate   Range   Class   Area   Cost
 ---------------------------------------------------------------
 Assault Rifle      +2   3L      2     150    Full      -    ***
 Grenade Launcher   +0   7L      1     100  Launch      3   ****
 Heavy Pistol       +1   5L      1     100    Semi      -     **
 Pistol             +2   3L      2     100    Semi      -     **
 Rocket Launcher    +1   6L      1     150  Launch      3  *****
 Shotgun            +1   7L      1     100  Single      -     **
 Sniper Rifle       +4   4L      1     250  Single      -    ***

The various new ranged weapon statistics...

• Class is a measure of what category of weapon a firearm falls under. This descriptor concerns itself with the four basic 'final effects' of the (broad) variety of actual firearms in existance today. In no particular order, these four classes of weapon are: Single - a weapon which, under no circumstances, can fire more than its rate per round (if you desire to place bows and arrows under firearms, bows are considered to be of the single class); Semi - denotes a weapon class which may fire in either single shot mode, or in burst mode; Full - denotes a weapon class which may fire in either burst or strafe mode; Launch - denotes a weapon class in which the projectile fired deals damage in an area, otherwise identical to single class firearms.
• Area is specifically meant for special fire or launch class weaponry. It is the radius in yards that the projectile effect covers. Everything within this range is subject to the damage and/or other debilitating effects of the projectile fired by a launch weapon.
• Special Note: The raw damage for Firearms is based Perception + Damage, not Strength + Damage, as for hand-to-hand or archery attacks.

Special Modes of Fire

Every firearm in Exalted: Modern is capable of at least one mode of fire, and sometimes, several. Typically, a weapon has no more than two adjacent modes of fire. For these firearms, switching between modes of fire is a reflexive action, but reduces the firearm's rate by one point that turn.

Each mode has benefits, and drawbacks. Typically, firearms using non-single fire modes may cover more targets, but at a less accurate rate than a precisely fired single shot.

• Single fire works exactly as ranged weapons normally do. You may not fire more in one turn than the weapon's rate statistic. There are no penalties to this mode, although it does open up the option to Aim. Aiming delays an attack for a number of rounds in exchange for improved accuracy for the weapon. Each round spent aiming improves the shot's accuracy by one die, to a maximum of the character's Perception Attribute. Single-shot mode is available to most Single and Semi class weaponry.
• Burst fire is a short, controlled spray of fire. It is not precisely as dangerous as automatic fire, but is far easier to control. Burst fire may be used once per rate point, usually by Semi and Full class weaponry, but subtracts three dice the firearms roll. However, this one roll is applied to up to (the character's Dexterity/2, rounded up) targets, all of whom must roll to dodge or parry independently. Damage is rolled once for each target.
• Strafe fire is a steady stream of fire. It is inaccurate and haphazard in untrained hands, but lethally effective for those practiced in holding such powerful weapons in reign. Strafe fire may be used once per rate point, usually by only Full class weaponry. It subtracts six dice from the firearms roll. However, this one roll is applied to up to (the character's Dexterity + Firearms + Specialty/2, rounded up) targets, all of whom must dodge or parry independently. Damage is rolled once for each target.
• Splash fire is only useable by Launch class weaponry. Splash fire deals the damage (or special effects) of the weapon in a radius equal to the weapon's area. Area is also the difficulty to dodge the attack without Charms or stunts; for example, dodging a rocket launcher is a difficulty 3 roll. Damage is rolled once for each target. Storytellers are encouraged to automatically terminate Extras who are the recipient of such an attack - rarely do mere mortals survive the likes of rocket launchers or anthrax cannisters.

Firearms utilize a symbolic ammunition system. The base ammunition in a clip is reliant on the sort of class the weapon is, but the exact amount is irrelevant to the system. For the sake of notes, the amounts are as follows: Single and Launch weapons have twelve shells in a clip, Semi-automatics have twenty five and Full-automatics have fifty.

Single and Splash fire may be used twelve times per clip. Burst fire may be used six times per clip. Strafe fire may be used three times per clip.

Simple(r) Cover System

In the interests of an even simpler time hiding from overpowering, incoming fire, here are some simplified cover rules. Describe an attempt to hide, and what you are hiding behind, to the Storyteller. The Storyteller must then decide if the player has described inadequate, decent, good, or full cover: all of the associated penalties are then applied to anyone attempting to use a ranged attack on the character while he is so concealed. The only way to fully bypass most cover is to use a splash attack. Splash attacks ignore every type of cover except for Full (or, if you're using the more complex published cover system, 90% cover).

• Inadequate cover generally is the type of cover that, for some reason, makes the Storyteller laugh at you. No bonuses are associated with this cover, though it was nice of you to try. This level of cover has no effect on splash attacks, which must still be dodged.
• Decent cover probably won't save your life. But, it may buy you some time to find a way to get back to your weapon. This level of cover increases the difficulty of ranged attacks made against the character by 1. This level of cover has no effect on splash attacks, which must still be dodged.
• Good cover is sometimes the best you can do. If you're hiding from a maniac with an uzi, it probably could be a little bit better. This level of cover increases the difficulty of ranged attacks made against the character by 2. This level of cover has no effect on splash attacks, which must still be dodged.
• Full cover really is the best you can do. They can't see an ounce of you, and any attempt to take your cover out of the way automatically fails. You can still be hit, but the chances are slim. This level of cover increases the difficulty of ranged attacks made against the character by 4. This level of cover prevents damage from splash attacks completely, but is unable to stop any special effects associated with it (such as a grenade launcher firing sleeping gas).

Fast Point-based Firearm Construction / Customization

Resources / Firearm Construction Points:

• 1: 7
• 2: 10
• 3: 13
• 4: 16
• 5: 19

Points may be spent on a 1-for-1 basis for...

• Accuracy
• Damage (lethal only)
• Rate
• Area
• 50 yards of Range (base 50 is free)

Class upgrades cost two points each: Single is free; it costs two points to upgrade from Single to Semi; two more to go from Semi to Full; and last, two more to upgrade from Full to Launch.

Customizing Firearms

1. Describe to the Storyteller the modifications you wish to make to your Firearm. He will tell you if it is permissable or not, and the firearm creation points required of your proposed modification. Every three firearm creation points raises the Resources cost of the weapon by one.
2. Raising the Resources cost of the weapon (and thus, giving it an extra three points from your modifications) costs the difference in old and new Resources, plus one.
3. Therefore, giving your new sniper rifle a scope (improving its Accuracy by +1, range by 100 yards) would cost Resources ** (Resources **** for the scope-modified sniper rifle, minus the Resources *** of the base rifle, plus Resources * for the modification price).
4. Without ridiculous amounts of money (such as the sums provided in the Salary background), no modern-day firearm may exceed Resources ***** with modifications. With aforementioned riches, it is still impossible for mortal craftsmen to exceed Resources ****** weaponry.

The final product...

 Name                      Acc  Dmg   Rate   Range   Class   Area   Cost
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 Modified Sniper Rifle      +5   4L      1     350  Single      -   ****

---

Comment: you end up with a clipping shot from a Heavy Pistol doing more damage than an Assault Rifle or a Sniper Rifle. The damage numbers seemed low until I saw you intended them to be added to Perception. Now they seem appropriate, just confusing. I just imported Trinity's firearms rules to my game, with the addition that bullets cannot be parried without a Charm or Stunt -- this doesn't slow down the PCs, but does make it harder for NPCs to parry. Mooks with Full Auto are not enough to really hurt the PCs, but they do scare them.

To Anonymous: A single shot from a .50 caliber weapon is enough to kill any man-sized being instantly, when applied to most parts of a mammal's body. A heavy pistol is easier to adequately aim. I thought a large damage was a given, if you wanted to sacrifice a few other virtues that the other two weapons possess. I also thought it seemed more cinematic.  :-) A few other points to illustrate how what numbers wound up where:

• A sniper rifle is built expecting the sniper in question to aim his shot. So doing, it relies more on accuracy than direct damage. I'm certain you'll find that with a Perceptive sniper, and a few rounds spent in concentration on the shot, in addition to any Firearms Charms the sniper may possess, a single bullet from the sniper rifle has the potential to vastly overstep a similarly aimed shot from a heavy pistol. The shot from the heavy pistol must also be made from over 150 yards closer.
• An automatic rifle is a tool of mass warfare. The weapon is not even in the same attack class as either a sniper rifle or a heavy pistol, as both of those have only a single shot potential. Unless you upgrade your pistols and rifles regularly, you'll hardly ever see a sniper rifle that assaults 3-5 targets every shot, and is capable of doing so three to four times in a round when used by an experienced gunman.

I hope this clears up some of your misconception. - Balthasar