Specialist Ammo

[SpanielBear]

As anyone who takes a quick glance at my modelling thread can tell, I have recently created a sniper rifle the size of a small las-cannon. This failure to accurately judge scale is presumably quite disconcerting for the poor (fairly short) model who is now doomed to lug the thing about.

I have no wish to imbalance any game Vasily is involved with by claiming the thing is as powerful as at first it looks. However, I am still quite attached to the basic concept- a double barrelled marksman weapon. So here's some tentative rules for it, and I'm interested to see what people make of them.

The Apollo Pattern Support Rifle

Type: Exotic Range: H Mode: Single Acc: +5 Dmg: 2d6 Shots: 20 rld: 3 Wt: 65

The above is the upper barrel, based on the standard long-las model. The lower barrel fires solid, specialist ammo, with the same range and accuracy modifiers. It takes an action to switch between barrels, and 2 actions  to reload the bullets (although there can be one round ready chambered). As for the ammo types, here's the ideas-

D3 Armour piercing – 2d6 damage, +1d6 damage to armour (roll for armour piercing is 2, the character has a temporary armour penalty of 2)

D3 Silenced – 1d10 damage, penalty to awareness checks to hearing the shot as per stalker bolter rounds.

1 Grappling hook delivery shell – d6 damage if fired at a character, -20 accuracy penalty, mainly used to make climbing easier/ less risky

1 Microphone round – This is the one I feel could be interesting, but needs work. Basically, if fired at a distant point, the character gets a bonus to hear what is being said/ is happening in that area. The round would need to make a toughness test to avoid breaking on impact (T:45), and an enemy would obviously have a chance of detecting it.

So anyway, these are my thoughts-  what do people think?

[Adlan]

Microphone round needs higher toughness, but sounds really fun. Even more fun would make it a microphone and a speaker, so someone with the right hand set could throw their voice. Some rules for it scattering if it misses would be good.

I personally would give it a negative penalty to accuracy unles rested or leaned on something (which is why it should have a bipod), it's gonna be very cumbersome. -10 if not supported, +10 when supported (+whatever aiming bonus for supporting on the bipod).

[SpanielBear]

Lots to think about here,

Microphone round:
Toughness- I deliberately made it low because I imagined that a) it would need to be fairly small so that anyone nearby didn't immediatly spot it therefore b) it would probably be exceedingly fragile, even if made for purpose. Perhaps 55? Over half chance then of surviving. The surface it strikes would make a difference too, I imagine.

Speakers- Interesting idea. When I thought about the bullet, I saw it very much as part of an infiltration kit- Sniper as overwatch, able to report on both enemy movement and conversation. "They know you're coming, abort, abort!" But other ideas I'd been playing with were a flare type round, and- did you ever play a computer game called Thief, in any of its incarnations? There was a 'noise arrow' the player could use to distract guards. Maybe something like that could be used in the same way.

Rifle:
Accuracy- Like I said in the modeling thread, I can see a bipod being essential. I had a go last night, briefly, and didn't get very far. I'll have another go soon. In addition to that, I reckon it would be necessary to take actions just to unlimber the thing and get it in position. This is not a move and fire weapon... say 3 rounds to make ready, instead of the usual 1? That's even before aiming time. I've used Vasily as a character before, and he plays quite statically anyway- find high-ground, then be ready to render assisstance to the insanity below him  .

[Damon]

I like the idea of the microphone round. I think the fragile nature of it makes it more realistic and exciting to use. I think 55 is better than 45 though.

The noise arrow idea sounds good too. The actual firing of it would need to be silenced and flash suppressed so as not to draw attention to the firing.

The main things I like abut your specialist ammo ideas is that you are steering away from the sniper rifle as simply an instrument dealing long distance death. The non-damaging ammunition such as microphone and noise arrow style ammo mean the sniper rifle is more interesting to use. I think that suits the ethos of the Inquisitor game more than simply a lethal long range weapon. But of course the lethal ammo has it's uses too