452 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
452 lines
29 KiB
Plaintext
Executable File
=== GNOMISH WEAPONS ===
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The first thing to realise is that, outside of weapons produced for the military,
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most gnomish devices are highly individual, and are made per-piece by individual
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gnomish craftsmen. You may find devices that are outside the scope of this description,
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or which function slightly differently, or differ cosmetically.
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Gnomish Handgun
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---------------
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A device consisting of a short handle protruding below a rotating cylinder.
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The rotating cylinder is mounted inside of a vertical frame (on the same axis as the
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handle), and holds 6 gnomish brass powder/ball cartridges. The cylinder rotates behind
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a long tube, usually around 8 inches long, which is mounted into the frame also. A
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small spurred metal protrusion (the "hammer") is pulled back for each shot, which
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rotates the cylinder, ensuring that the cylinder and tube are lined up. Once this is
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done, a small metal protrusion falls from the bottom of the frame, against the user's
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finger. The weapon is ready to fire at this point. TO fire it, the user simply depresses
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the metal protrusion (the "trigger"). Once this is done, the hammer will fall, firing
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the brass cartridge behind the tube. At the next operation of the hammer, a fresh
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brass cartridge is rotated in front of the hammer and behind the tube for firing. Most
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people can only fire a handgun once per round; but the gun can discharge its full
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cylinder in succession within the space of one round if the user is fast enough.
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Reloading the cylinder with fresh brass cartridges takes a full round for most people,
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though special devices exist which speed up the process.
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Gnomish Handcannon
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------------------
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A device consisting of a long stick (the "stock") with one end carved into
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a handle. A hammer and trigger are fitted to the stock, similar to the handgun,
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as well as a barrel tube. A latch behind the hammer allows the barrel to pivot
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forward, exposing the breech end. A single gnomish brass cartridge is loaded into
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the breech, and then it is closed again. Once the hammer is pulled, the weapon is
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ready to fire, and works similarly to the handgun. Handcannons fire a much more powerful
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round, but can only be fired once per round, due to how slow they reload. Hand cannons
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generally have longer barrels, around 12 inches long. Reloading the device is part of
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the attack action that fires it, making it ready for the next round.
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Gnomish Machine Pistol
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----------------------
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A device that resembles a handgun slightly, with some exceptions. It has a
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wooden stock like the handcannon, but the grip protrudes down conspicuously like in
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a handgun. The barrel is mounted further forward at the end of a long metal tube,
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that extends forward from the grip (the "receiver"). Extending through a hole in the
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bottom of the stock, is a long metal stick (the "magazine") that holds numerous
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gnomish brass cartridges (usually 30). Out of the receiver, a small handle protrudes.
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The stock may or may not extend behind the grip so that the device can be mounted against
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the shoulder (like a crossbow), or it may be omitted to save space. The barrel can be
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any length, but they are usually handgun length (8 inches). To operate the weapon,
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a magazine is inserted through the bottom of the stock until it clicks against a catch.
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Then the handle on the side of the receiver (the "operating handle") is pulled fully
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to the rear, and allowed to travel back forward under the weight of a spring behind it.
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The operating handle is attached to the "bolt", a moving breech face inside of the
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receiver tube. The forward motion of the bolt strips a brass cartridge from the top
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of the magazine and moves it into the chamber. The weapon is then ready to fire. Once
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the trigger is depressed, the cartridge fires, blowing the breech back. The spent
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brass cartridge is ejected out the side of the receiver, before the process repeats itself.
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The weapon will continue firing as long as the trigger is held down, or until the
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weapon runs out of ammunition in the magazine. The weapon has a cyclic rate of fire of
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approximately 600 rounds per minute. Changing out a spent magazine takes between 2 and 6
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segments, depending on the skill of the operator; and except in extreme circumstances,
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the operator carries at least a small supply of spare pre-loaded magazines for such an
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occasion.
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Gnomish Light Rifle
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-------------------
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A device that resembles a cross between a handcannon and a machine pistol.
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The weapon has a long stock which is fired from the shoulder, and a very long
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barrel like the hand cannon; usually between 20 and 36 inches. It has a receiver tube
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like a machine pistol, and a magazine. Unlike the machine pistol, however, the magazine
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is built into the stock and cannot be removed without special tools. The receiver tube is
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slightly different in that the operating handle and bolt are not on a spring; rather,
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they are much heavier and thicker, and operating in a camming action. The operating
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handle, by default, rests in a cutout of the stock just above the trigger mechanism.
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To open the breech, the operating handle is rotated up, unlocking the bolt from the
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breech face. The bolt/operating handle are then pulled straight back; the bolt comes
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to rest behind the magazine. The bolt is pushed back forward, which strips a round from
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the magazine, and pushes it into the barrel. The operating rod handle is rotated
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back down, locking the bolt to the breech. The gnomish light rifle fires a highly
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accurate round with a far greater range than the machine pistol, handgun or hand cannon.
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Its drawback is its increased size and slower reload times; operating the action
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to fire, eject, and chamber a new cartridge is done in the same round as the firing.
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Re-charging the empty internal magazine is a full round action, though special devices
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exist that speed up this process.
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Gnomish Long Range Rifle
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------------------------
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This device is identical to the Gnomish Light Rifle, with the exception that
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the weapon - overall - is heavier and has a much "beefier" feel. It also has an integral
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set of adjustable-length steel legs attached to the stock at the fore-end by a swivel
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base (the "bipod"). The stock may also, on higher end models, have adjustable pieces on
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it to provide for a better fit with the individual rifleman. The main operating difference
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however, is that this weapon fires a much larger cartridge at much greater ranges. It
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is not unusual for rifles of this type to be employed at ranges of a half a mile,
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and hits have been reported on man-sized targets at ranges up to a full mile! To assist
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in this greater range, a Gnomish Telescopic Sight of extremely high quality is generally
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mounted to the rifle, and used in favor of its built in metallic sights, in combination
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with the bipod. The barrels on these weapons are also generally excessively long;
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it is not uncommon to find a 48 inch barrel on a gnomish long range rifle, making it
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quite cumbersome to pack around.
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Gnomish Assault Rifle
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---------------------
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This weapon resembles a cross between the Gnomish Light Rifle and the Gnomish
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Machine Pistol. The weapon is long like a light rifle, but has an action almost identical
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to the gnomish machine pistol. The round it fires (and thus the magazine) is much bigger
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than the machine pistol; in fact it fires a round somewhere between the light rifle
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and the long range rifle in power. It is identical in operation to the machine pistol.
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The assault rifle, however, has numerous points for attaching different varieties of
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accessories (such as different grips, sighting systems, or even additional add-on
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weapons to supplement the rifle's own ability). The stock, unlike that on the light
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rifle, is made of a high strength metal tubing folded into shape. By pressing down on
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a detent on the top of the stock, the stock may be rotated to the side, to lay flat
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against the side of the stock body, thereby shortening the overall length of the rifle
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and allowing it to be more comfortably shot from the hip. The Gnomish Assault Rifle
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also features a quick-change barrel that may be rapidly changed out (a trained rifleman
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can do this, presuming he has a separate barrel, within only one turn) in case of
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extreme use which results in excessive heat. The barrels are interchangable and come
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in many different sizes for different applications; the barrel on a gnomish assault rifle
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may range anywhere from 30 inches (for weapons that have been forced into service as a
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long range rifle) down to 12-14 inches (for weapons that have to be used in extremely
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tight quarters). The barrels on gnomish assault rifles feature a special device on the
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end that, when attached properly, reduces the felt recoil of the weapon as well as
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helping to eliminate the flash produced by the firing brass cartridge (this is the
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"flash hider / muzzle brake" device). Just behind the flash hider / muzzle brake,
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a nub protrudes from the barrel, to which a specialized gnomish knife (the "bayonet")
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can be affixed, turning the weapon (effectively) into a fighting short spear, and even
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allowing it to still be fired in this configuration! The Gnomish Assault Rifle was
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developed by the clan technicians to provide their field reconnaisance troops with a
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weapon that could provide a high volume of accurate fire on heavy enemy troop
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concentrations, with numerous tactical options for its employment. Changing the
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magazine on a gnomish assault rifle takes from 2-6 segments depending on the skill of
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the operator, and except in extreme circumstances, the operator carries at least a small
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supply of spare pre-loaded magazines for such an occasion.
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Gnomish Fragmentation Grenade
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-----------------------------
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This device consists of a small cast iron ball with notches formed into its
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circumference, from the top of which protrudes an arming device. The ball is filled
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with a compound that explodes violently; the result is that metal shrapnel is thrown
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in all directions, seriously wounding or killing nearby personnel. The device is
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employed in boobytraps or against troop formations, or built up positions against which
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rifle fire has proven ineffective. The arming device can take many forms; a simple
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fuse that is lit before throwing is quite common, while some are more elaborate. (Some,
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for example, consist of a complex system involving a metal lever and a retaining pin;
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pull the pin while holding down the lever, and when the device is thrown, the lever
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is allowed to swing free. This starts an internal fuse burning that will continue -
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even underwater - until the device explodes.) These devices generally have a delay time
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of 3-5 seconds, though this can be (and often is) reduced for various purposes by troops
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in the field. The device deals the full damage out to 10 meters, 1/2 at 20 meters, 1/4
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at 30 meters, and no damage beyond that.
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Gnomish Incendiary Grenade
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--------------------------
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This device is identical in form to the gnomish fragmentation grenade, with the
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exception that it has a flat bottom, so that it may be rested on top of something,
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rather than thrown. ANd instead of being filled with an explosive, it is filled with
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an incendiary compound that burns with an intense white heat. Metal slag is produced in
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high quantity, and is almost guaranteed to ignite flammable materials in the range.
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One of these device is sufficient to burn through 2 inches of mild structural steel
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(depending on the rule system you're using, and the proper placement of the device). The
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device does full damage at 0 meters, half damage at 1 meter, and 1/4 damage at 5 meters.
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Gnomish Chain-drive Sword
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-------------------------
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This device resembles a basket hilt broadsword, but only slightly. The blade itself
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is short and blunt - only around 16 inches long, with a rounded tip. Around the axis
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of the blade, in a small channel where the edge should be, rests a very small chain
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from which protrude numerous small blades. Where the basket would be on a normal sword
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hilt, this sword has a small gnomish internal combustion engine. Starting the engine
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rotates the chain at extremely high velocity, spinning the small blades along with it,
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along the axis of the sword blade. The effect is similar to a small, wieldable Blade Barrier
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along only one axis, and is devastating against all organic matter (and some matter that
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isn't organic!). The weapon ignores armor bonuses granted by any armor that is
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not metallic in nature (plate, chain, banded, etc). Further, after 2 or 3 successful
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attacks against such armor will generally destroy the armor. Magical armor is not
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subject to such treatment. The chain-drive sword carries enough fuel in its internal
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tank to operate for 5 turns consecutively. If the sword's engine is out of fuel, the
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weapon will only do 1d3 damage, and is 75% likely to somehow deform or break on each
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strike that the engine is not running. If this happens, the operator may or may not
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know it; attempts to start the weapon after that without repair have a 50% chance to
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make the device explode, inflicting 3d6 points of damage to the operator. Even if the
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device does not detonate, it does not operate. Due to the nature of the sword, and
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the odd balance it keeps, it is not possible to effectively use this device untrained,
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and any person doing so is 50% likely every round it is used running, to inflict 1d6
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points of damage upon themselves through ignorance of its functioning.
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Gnomish Cannon
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--------------
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This device is essentially nothing more than a gigantic rifle barrel (~4 feet
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long) mounted on an elevation and windage carriage, with a hole to drop in a fuse.
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A minimum crew of no less than 3 trained personnel is required to fire this weapon
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with effective speed. The cannon is made ready to fire by drawing it (by horse)
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into position to point at the target. The crew leader then uses the weapon's
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elevation and windage indicators to ensure that it is pointing in the right
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direction and at the right elevation. Once this has been done, the powder man
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retrieves one of the numerous casks of gunpowder from the rear of the gun carriage,
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and pours a predetermined amount down the barrel. The rodman then comes to the front
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of the cannon and uses a long rod with a fuzzy tip at one end to push all the powder
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down into the end of the cannon, and loosely pack it. The gunner and powderman then
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retrieve a ball from the ammunition box at the end of the carriage, and put it into
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the bore. The rodman then uses the other end of his rod, which has a hard metal
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disc on it, to force the ball to seat down against the powder at the end of the
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barrel. Once this is done, the gunner checks the sights again, and makes any final
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adjustments necessary. Then he uses a pick to ensure that the flash hole on the
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cannon is clear, before inserting a fuse. The gunner calls for the rest
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of the crew to stand clear before lighting the fuse and stepping back. The weapon fires.
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The rodman comes forward and uses his brush/mop to clear out any remaining burning
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gunpowder embers from the barrel, and the entire process repeats again. The gun
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must go silent every ten rounds, in order for the rodman to swab out the barrel with a
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wet rod, and then dry it, to ensure it does not get too hot and that it does not
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begin building up residue that could cause a misfire. The weapon has a maximum rate of
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fire of once every turn. For this reason they are usually employed in batteries of ten,
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so that at least one cannon will fire every round.
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When the weapon is fired, all members of the crew make a wisdom check to ensure
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that they did not forget or mess up a step of the process. IF any crew member fails their
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check, roll % on the following table to see the result:
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roll Effect
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01-40 Misfire. The round failed to fire; 5 full turns must now be spent
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removing the powder charge and ball from the barrel, swabbing out
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the barrel, and making it ready to fire again.
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40-70 Short round. The powder charge was insufficient to go to the
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desired range, and will instead fall at a random point between the
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origin and the destination.
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70-90 Cook off. The barrel was so hot that the powder ignited prematurely.
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Anyone in front of the barrel will take the full damage of the
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impact, and the ball will continue on in a random trajectory. Anyone
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behind the carriage will take 2d6 points of damage and will most
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likely suffer broken legs.
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90-00 Ruptured barrel. The powder charge was too great, or the cannon was
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damaged previously, causing the barrel to rupture. All personnel within
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20 meters will take 5d6 points of damage. There is a further 50% chance
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that the powder casks will detonate, doing an additional 10d6 of damage
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to all within 20 meters. There is a further 50% chance that the
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ammunition magazine will detonate, causing a further 2d100 points of
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damage to all those within 20 meters. A ruptured barrel is a huge,
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huge, huge disaster.
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The Gnomish Cannon fires at terrain, not objects. The gunner makes an attack roll
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(modified by his wisdom) against armor class 10, modified as follows:
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Condition Effect
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For every 100 yards beyond 1000m -2
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Low visibility -2
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Cannot see target (e.g. firing over a hill) -2
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Missing elevation and windage indicators -5
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Not trained in the usage of this model of cannon -4
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If the round misses, use standard deviation to determine where the round goes.
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Further, the round has a 50% chance of rolling on impact, and skimming over the ground in
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its original direction of travel, rather than exploding on impact (in which case
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the ball will roll for an additional 3d100 yards before coming to rest, doing 3d6 damage
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and decapitating/removing limbs as a sword of sharpness to all in its path).
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A cannonball that explodes does 10d6 within a 20 foot radius. The cannonball's
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explosion is a magical function, and therefore can be negated by an antimagic field.
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An untrained crew can attempt to use a cannon, but all their wisdom checks to
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handle the weapon are at a -5, as well as the noted -4 to attack for being untrained.
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Gnomish Artillery Gun
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This device is similar to the Gnomish Artillery Cannon, except that it has
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an even longer barrel (about 8 to 10 feet) and is loaded from the rear with gigantic
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gnomish brass cartridges. This allows the gun to be reduced to 2 crew members
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(eliminating the powder man) and allowing for a wider variety of ammunition to be fired
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from the gun at longer ranges, and at much greater rapidity. The process of operation
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is almost identical to the gnomish cannon except that the gunner sights the gun and
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opens the breech plate at the back of the gun before the second crew member helps the
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gunner load the large brass round into the gun. THe breech is closed, the crew is told
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to stand clear, and the round is fired. The aiming process is different from a cannon;
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oftentimes, the target is so far away that the gun crew could not possibly see it.
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Therefore the modifiers To Hit are different than the gnomish cannon, as follows:
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Condition Effect
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For every 100 yards beyond 3000m -2
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Target within visual but low visibility -2
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Cannot see target (e.g. firing to map coords) -2
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" " and do not have map or map compass -5
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Missing elevation and windage indicators -5
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Not trained in the usage of this model of cannon -4
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There are numerous types of ammunition available for this weapon, listed below:
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Ammo Type Effect
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--------------------------------------
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High Explosive 10d6 damage in a 20 foot radius, 3d6 damage beyond
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that out to a 50 foot radius
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Anti-Armor This round will penetrate up to 3 feet of wet packed
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earth, 2 feet of wood, 1 foot of stone, or 6 inches of
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mild steel before detonating. When it does explode,
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it does 6d6 damage in a 20 foot radius, and 2d6
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beyond that out to a 50 foot radius. The reduced damage
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is a result of extra mass built into the projectile.
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Smoke Upon hitting the ground, these rounds will fill a 9000
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cubic meter area with thick colored smoke within 3
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rounds. No damage is dealt unless the round actually
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impacts someone, in which case the damage is 4d6.
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Illumination This round doesn't actually impact the ground;
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at a height of 25 meters above the ground, it bursts open
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into a phosphorescent, brightly burning ball. It will
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drift slowly to the ground over the next turn, effecting
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the 60' radius around the round as if by a Daylight spell.
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Blank This round is used in training. It contains no
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lethal explosive; it contains a small bursting charge and
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a large chamber full of flour, which bursts into a white
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puff on impact. As with smoke rounds, damage is only
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done if someone is impacted by the round, which does
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4d6 by itself.
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There are further two varieties of all the listed ammo types (with the exception
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of blank rounds): magical, and non-magical. Non-magic rounds are used when firing into
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an area under an Antimagic Field, while magical rounds are used otherwise. The magical
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rounds are cheaper for the gnomes to manufacture. None of the rounds fired by the
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gnomish artillery gun will "skate" across the ground as a gnomish cannon ball will.
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The gnomish artillery gun is far safer than the gnomish cannon. To address
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the issue of a "cook off", the gnomes added a magical cooling system to the device;
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a cook off is now impossible outside of magical means. Further, the device has a
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Wall of Force between the operators, the ammunition storage and the weapon, that the
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gunner brings up when he fires the gun, in case the barrel ruptures. Gun crews will
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also use this in the event that their fire base is in danger of being over-run; it
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provides perfect cover for the gnomes to fire at oncoming enemy. The following are
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the results of a failed wisdom check of the operators:
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% roll Effect
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-----------------------
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01-90 Dud round. 5 rounds must be used to wait on the round to hang-
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fire, before clearing it from the breech, so that
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loading can begin again (thus making it one full turn before
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another round can be fired).
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91-95 Hot round. The round was loaded with too much gunpowder
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at the factory, and the barrel ruptures. The gunner remembered
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to bring up the force shield.
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95-00 Hot round. As above, but the gunner forgot to raise the force
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shield, exposing the crew to the effects of the gun's rupture.
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(Treat this as a gnomish cannon barrel rupture, with all damage
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dice doubled.)
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Gnomish Mortar
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--------------
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The gnomish mortar was designed to strike at near targets with indirect fire.
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The gnomish cannon and artillery gun can only strike by direct trajectory. Using a
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mortar, a crew can "lob" a round up and over an enemy's defenses from a medium range.
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The weapon has a short barrel, usually 3 feet, attached to a thick baseplate and a bipod.
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The firing sequence is similar to the gnomish cannon, except that the gunner uses a
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special variety of self-propelling gnomish brass cartridge dropped in from the muzzle.
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The sighting system is also vastly different (relying on maps and aiming sticks, since
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the target is rarely ever visible). The weapon can be crewed by only a single person
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if necessary, but the weapon is usually served by a crew of 2 (a single person fires at
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a rate of 1/3, whereas a full crew of 2 fires at 1/2). The to hit modifiers for this
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weapon are:
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Condition Effect
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--------------------------------------------------------------
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For every 100 yards beyond 3000m -2
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Target within visual but low visibility -2
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Cannot see target (e.g. firing to map coords) -2
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" " and do not have map or map compass -5
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Missing elevation and windage indicators -5
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Not trained in the usage of this model of cannon -4
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This weapon fires the same variety of rounds as the gnomish artillery gun,
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with the following differences:
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Ammo Type Effect
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--------------------------------------
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High Explosive 5d6 damage in a 20 foot radius, 2d6 damage beyond
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that out to a 50 foot radius
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Anti-Armor This round will penetrate up to 2 feet of wet packed
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earth, 1 feet of wood, 6 inches of stone, or 1 inch of
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mild steel before detonating. When it does explode,
|
|
it does 3d6 damage in a 20 foot radius, and 1d6
|
|
beyond that out to a 50 foot radius. The reduced damage
|
|
is a result of extra mass built into the projectile.
|
|
Smoke Upon hitting the ground, these rounds will fill a 3000
|
|
cubic meter area with thick colored smoke within 3
|
|
rounds. No damage is dealt unless the round actually
|
|
impacts someone, in which case the damage is 2d6.
|
|
Illumination This round doesn't actually impact the ground;
|
|
at a height of 25 meters above the ground, it bursts open
|
|
into a phosphorescent, brightly burning ball. It will
|
|
drift slowly to the ground over the next turn, effecting
|
|
the 30' radius around the round as if by a Daylight spell.
|
|
Blank This round is used in training. It contains no
|
|
lethal explosive; it contains a small bursting charge and
|
|
a large chamber full of flour, which bursts into a white
|
|
puff on impact. As with smoke rounds, damage is only
|
|
done if someone is impacted by the round, which does
|
|
2d6 by itself.
|
|
|
|
Gnomish mortars may or may not have a magical cooling system like the gnomish
|
|
artillery gun (50%; many mortars were made before that advance was discovered).
|
|
If the crew fails their wisdom checks at any point in the firing process, the
|
|
following effects are possible:
|
|
|
|
% roll Effect
|
|
-----------------------
|
|
01-90 Dud round. 5 rounds must be used to wait on the round to hang-
|
|
fire, before clearing it from the breech, so that
|
|
loading can begin again (thus making it one full turn before
|
|
another round can be fired).
|
|
90-95 Cook off. The round fires before the gunner is entirely clear of
|
|
the barrel (and there is a further 10% chance that the round
|
|
detonates prematurely as in a Hot Round, below). If the mortar
|
|
is equipped with a cooling system, ignore this result and re-roll.
|
|
95-00 Hot round. The round detonates before it leaves the area, or
|
|
when it is dropped into the barrel. Treat this as a gnomish
|
|
cannon barrel rupture of half damage dice.
|
|
|
|
Gnomish Antipersonnel Mine
|
|
--------------------------
|
|
The gnomish antipersonnel mine is the result of gnomish recon operatives
|
|
asking for a perimeter defense and command-detonated ambush weapon capable of taking
|
|
out large groups of troops, much like a fragmentation grenade, but more effective and
|
|
with a more certain detonation method. The result is the gnomish antipersonnel mine.
|
|
The device consists of a layer of scrap iron over a layer of explosive, sandwiched
|
|
between two specially carved concave layers of stained wood, on top of two small
|
|
sets of sharp legs that fold back against the body. There are two versions of
|
|
the device; the magical and non-magical versions, as with many other gnomish devices.
|
|
The magical version is far less expensive and thus more common. The weapon is set up
|
|
to cover the path of advancing troops from the flank, at a distance of 6-10 meters
|
|
away from the expected location of troop movement. When the device is detonated,
|
|
the explosive propels the scrap iron like a fragmentation grenade, forward into the
|
|
troops. The detonation occurs in an acute plane 90 degrees wide, from the point of
|
|
detonation, out to about 20 meters before losing lethality (in other words,
|
|
affecting a cone 8"Wx5"H at the base to ~10 meters wide x 1 meter high at the end of
|
|
the range).
|
|
The non-magical and magical versions of the device vary in functioning. The
|
|
magical version can be set to trigger automatically when a given condition is met.
|
|
The condition must be simple and pertain directly to the device's function and the enemy.
|
|
For example, "Detonate when a column of enemy soldiers passes in front of you" is ok;
|
|
"Detonate when the first soldier of an enemy column in front of you is approximately
|
|
20 feet to your right" is too complex. Magical versions of the device can distinguish
|
|
between gnomish personnel and enemy personnel (all non-gnomish personnel are
|
|
hostile to the device unless the gnomes provide a special version of the device!). The
|
|
magical version of the device can also be detonated remotely at a range of up to 40
|
|
meters by means of speaking a command word (usually "detonate" or "boom").
|
|
The non-magical version of the device can be activated by a tripwire, or
|
|
command-detonated remotely by the use of a small lever attached to a gnomish battery,
|
|
which is in turn connected to the mine by means of a long length of thin steel wire.
|
|
The device is clearly marked, in gnomish, on the front side.
|
|
|
|
MINE
|
|
ANTI-PERSONNEL
|
|
THIS SIDE TOWARDS ENEMY
|
|
( MAGICAL or MECHANICAL)
|