Gunsmith

Gunsmithing is not only used to repair and maintain weapons. It can also be used to modify or customize weapons. These "House Rules" allow a character to modify different attributes to a weapon. Some of the most common modifications are Rate of Fire, Range (accuracy) and Weight/Bulk. Each weapon may only be modified 2 times. To limit the gunsmithing modifications, an additional weapon (same kind) is needed and rendered useless during the modification. For example, Danny Demolition wants to increase the range on his M4 carbine. He goes to Guenther the Gunsmith and asks him do make the modification. Guenther will need another M4 in working order to perform this task. While attempting the task, the additional M4 is scrapped and can no longer be used for anything. Whether the task is completed or failed, the "scrap weapon" is gone.

Some may feel that this is not realistic, that you may modify a weapon without another weapon. This is true, we merely use the second weapon rule as a side effect of weapon modifications. This is a rule that our campaign has agreed upon, you should consult your players on limitations within your campaign.

Different levels of a task require different difficulty levels. Listed below are a few possible modifications and their levels of difficulty with tools and with a machine shop.

Customized (this means the weapon is designed for one person and that person only. Everyone else attempting to fire the weapon will receive the negative modifiers listed below after the negative weight modifiers):

These are merely some ideas to get you going. We`ve used them and found them to be helpful and it gives people something to look forward to. One is reminded that percentages are incremental or "stack." In other words, if you want to modify the range of your weapon twice and you are successful you do NOT add 60%. You add 30%, then add another 30%. For example Sammy Sniper has a Barret .50 cal. The normal base (or short) range is 150 meters. Sammy gets lucky and comes across two more Barrets. He takes them to his Gunsmith buddy at the machine shop. Sammy asks Guenther Gunsmith to increase the range by 30% twice. His buddy is successful in increasing the range on both attempts (he`s good). The 2 additional Barrets no longer exist, and the range modifiers are as follows: 150 + 30% = 195 for the first modification. 195 + 30% = 253 for the second. Sammy is quite pleased. His Barret .50 cal now has a base range (or short range) of 253 meters.

Again, failures destroy the second weapon and there is a chance (depending on the degree of failure) that the original weapon may be damage or destroyed as well. We determine this by subtracting the actual target number from the roll. The outcome is the % chance of destroying the main weapon. For example:

Guenther Gunsmith has a gunsmith skill of 90. He is attempting a difficult task; his target number is 45. He rolls a 68. 68-45= 23%. There is a 23% chance the main weapon will be either damaged or destroy. Damaged weapons can be repaired with time and a little effort in many cases. To determine the amount of damage use the following table:

Weapon Damage Table:

* Referees should note that the first time a character is in an appropriate combat situation, the character WILL USE this weapon. For example if they had a pistol modified and the gunsmith fumble with a 100. The character doesn`t know there is anything wrong with the weapon. They think it looks great. Naturally, the character would not try to use it to hit someone 300 meters away, but the next time they are in a situation where a pistol would be appropriate, they MUST use it - after all they are anxious to see how their new weapon holds up.

Gunsmiths may also modify small arms ammunition. The same theory for weapon modification is used for ammunition: 1+1=1. Two bullets are used to create one special bullet. These tasks cannot be preformed without tools. Referees should have characters roll for every 25 rounds of ammunition (maximum) they attempt to modify. (Less may be attempted per roll.) Unlike weapons, ammunition may only be modified one time. And unlike weapons, upon failure ALL ammunition is rendered useless. On the plus side the fumbles are just as fun. There are four main categories of ammunition modification that have been determined: Power, Penetration, Accuracy and Subsonic.

Penetration (armor piercing, etc.)

(Please note that � is the lowest modifier allowed. Armor ratings are as follows: �x4, x3, x2, - , and �. So if you have a 9mm P round (x2 armor multiplier) modified with a -2 modifier, then a success would yield one 9mm P round with a � multiplier. Cool, huh?)

Accuracy (trim flaws, add powder, etc.)

+5%Range Difficult Average

Subsonic (use with sound suppressed weapons) - added to suppressor percentage against RCN rolls.

(please note that this modification is simply added to the suppressor modification - it is NOT incremental.)

Sound Suppressors

Sound Suppressors (a.k.a. Silencers) decrease the chance of being noticed. A basic suppressor gives a -30% to base RCN rolls for detection. Example: Elliot is using a silenced MAC 10. He shoots at a guard in an open area. The guard falls dead. The people around the guard that have a chance to see him fall may do a RCN check - (difficulty is dependent on the referee). For this example we will say that it is DIF:RCN because of the spacing and the fact that he`s using a silenced weapon. The guards have a 50 RCN. So they have a 25% chance of seeing their buddy fall (for now - they can notice him later.) If they succeeded they would then want to locate Elliot. But, Elliot used a sound suppressed weapon the guards` base RCN is at -30% (50-30% (or 50x.7)=35 - not 20) so the guards have a base chance of finding where the shot came from of 35. If it were determined to be a difficult task then they would have a 17%(35/2) chance.

Weapons like the MP5SD that have built in silencers give a -40%. Now let`s say Elliot used a MP5SD with the very best subsonic ammunition that would give his enemies a -55% to base RCN skill of detecting Elliot`s location. Using the same example the enemy would have (RCN 50 - 55% = 22 DIF = 11) an 11% chance spotting Elliot. Lucky guy.

Characters may use items (like plastic soda bottles) as one-time-use silencers. (Scrounging task.) The modifier for such make shift suppressors is -10% to -15%. Gunsmiths however, can make silencers. They must have access to a machine shop to do so and make or have someone make a successful Scrounging roll to locate materials. There are a few different types that can be made. For gaming purposes they have been broken into easy categories: One-time-use (described above), simple and complex / detached and permanent (barrel is suppressor). Failures are dependent on the type of suppressor attempted. Failure for "detached" simply means that you lost your materials and you have to find some more - and lose a good hour or two in the process. Failure on permanent suppressors means a loss of materials and the possibility of destroying the weapon (treat as if a weapon modification has failed.) Use the following chart to help make sound suppressors: