Artillery is a specialized subsection of guns. An artillery piece is nothing more than a big rifle with an area of effect. An artillery piece is an extremely dangerous piece of equipment. Unless the referee enjoys having her players roll up lots of new personas she will limit the presence of artillery in her campaign. The artillery in this chapter are based on the rifle types found in Chapter 46: Guns.
Building Artillery
Each artillery piece is adapted from a rifle that has had it’s statistics altered to imitate big guns. Table 43.1: Artillery Type is used to determine what kind of cannon the artifact will be. For convenience the changes have been made for all the appropriate weapons.
Table 43.1 Gun to Artillery Conversion
Artillery are just giant rifles.| Type: | Same as gun. |
| Range: | Minimum 1/10 gun range. Maximum 10 times gun range. |
| Area of Effect: | 3 times area of effect or 2-12 hexes random |
| Damage: | 3 times highest damage |
| Magazine: | Same as weapon type C=1; D=2; Flotto=15 |
| Wate: | Gun: 75 times heaviest. Ammo: % value or 50 times |
| Malfunction: | 1.5 times normal 4 times if unskilled gunners |
| EXPS: | Same |
| Value: | 100 times value for cannon and ammo |
Type
Artillery has the same rate of fire as the basic gun type rolled. Artillery modelled after a type D gun could fire twice a unit. Artillery modelled after type C would fire once a unit. Artillery modelled after ‘special’ would fire 15 rounds a unit, with the appropriate to hit rolls being made.
Range
Artillery has both a maximum range, and a minimum range. The minimum range of an artillery piece is 1/10 of the maximum range listed for the base gun type. An artillery piece’s maximum range is 10 times the maximum range of the base gun type. If the rifle had a range of 80 hexes, it would have a minimum range of 8 hexes and maximum range of 800 hexes. Minimum range is unique to artillery, and it means that it simply cannot attack anything closer than that. Most artillery would destroy itself, and its crew, if it were used even at the minimum range. Targets at less than minimum range and beyond the maximum range cannot be hit accurately, although the large area of effect may accommodate for the restriction. The minimum range is included in brackets beside the maximum range.
Area of Effect
The area of effect will be 3 times the listed area of effect, or a randomly assigned area of effect of 2 to 12 hexes. The value represents a radius of effect taken from the hex that the shell lands in. Those artillery listed with a ‘random’ area of effect will make a 2d6 dice roll to determine it.
Damage
The damage inflicted by the artillery will be three times that of the rifle that the cannon is modelled after. If only one damage range is shown on the base gun type, the artillery attack will inflict triple that damage. For instance a fission rifle inflicts 6 to 72 (6d12) hit points in damage. Artillery modelled after this gun would inflict 18 to 216 (18d12) hit points in damage to all targets within the area of effect. If the base gun has several damage types the artillery piece will inflict three times the highest damage type listed. The full automatic rifle’s damage is listed as 4-48, 4-32, 3-30, 3-24, 2-20. These damages are for different calibre guns. Artillery has its own calibre, and it is big. The artillery will inflict three times the largest caliber, or 12 to 144 (12d12) hit points in damage to all targets in the area of effect.
Accuracy
The accuracy statistic of the rifle does not apply to artillery. To be able to operate artillery the persona must make a successful Performance Table roll to understand the device, aim it, and then make a to hit roll. Misses with artillery are left to be decided by the referee. If a quick and dirty system is needed then consult the Grenade Miss table in Chapter 30: Grenade and Aerosol Combat. The listed table values are multiplied tenfold, of course. Personas without artillery skill cannot attack, other than randomly, with an artillery piece.
Magazine
Artillery has a magazine. The magazine size is equivalent to the highest rate of fire capable by the base gun type. An artillery piece modelled after a type C base gun type would have a 1 round magazine, so it would have to be reloaded after each shot. A fully automatic base weapon would yield an artillery magazine with a capacity of 15 rounds, if it were fired full-auto, it would need to be reloaded each round. Reloading of artillery depends entirely on the skill of the firers, but it can never get faster than 1 to 4 units per reload. Energy artillery that requires batteries will employ some power plant source, or use 20 times the number of batteries required by the base weapon type.
Wate
The artillery piece will have a WATE 75 times greater than the base gun type’s WATE. If the base gun type has several wates listed, the largest one will be multiplied by 75. Base gun types that have a % ammo system use the % ammo value for the WATE of their artillery shells. Artillery shells modelled after gun ammos which have a standard ammo WATE will be 50 times heavier than the base gun ammo. The wate of the ammo is shown in brackets.
Malfunction
Artillery is 1.5 times more likely to malfunction than the base gun type it is modelled after. Artillery being used by unskilled firers is 4 times more likely to malfunction than the malfunction chance listed for the artillery.
EXPS
Artillery weapons are worth the same amount of experience as the base gun type.
Value
The value of the artillery is equal to 100 times the value of the gun it was modelled after. The value of the artillery ammo, shells, pellets, or whatever is 25 times the value the base gun type’s. The Ammo Value is included in brackets.
Random Artillery
Roll on Table 43.2: Artillery Type to generate a random artillery piece to be found, to be built into a space vehicle or powered armour, or to assist in an expedition’s self destruction.
Table 43.2 Artillery Type
Artillery piece and it's diminutive rifle colleague.| Die Roll (1d100) | Artillery | Base Gun | Chapter 46 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | 1) | Annihilator | 4) | Antimat Rifle |
| 02 | 2) | Beehive | 5) | Bee Gun |
| 03-10 | 3) | Howitzer | 6) | Bolt Action Rifle |
| 11-13 | 4) | Glacier Gun | 7) | Cryo Rifle |
| 14 | 5) | Disintegrator | 10) | Disintegration Gun |
| 15-18 | 6) | Electron Cannon | 12) | Electon Rifle |
| 19-22 | 7) | Fission Artillery | 14) | Fission Rifle |
| 23-26 | 8) | Howglizter | 16) | Full Auto Lazer Rifle |
| 27-30 | 9) | Howblitzer | 18) | Full Auto Rifle |
| 31 | 10) | Nuk-O-Matic | 20) | Fusion RIfle |
| 32-35 | 11) | Mag Cannon | 22) | Gauss Rifle |
| 36-39 | 12) | Whale Gun | --- | Grapple Gun |
| 40-43 | 13) | Grav Cannon | 25) | Gravruptor Gun |
| 44-47 | 14) | Garbage Can On | 27) | Job Rifle |
| 48-58 | 15) | Lazer Cannon | 29) | Lazer Rifle |
| 59 | 16) | Missleaneous | --- | Miscellaneous Weapon |
| 60-63 | 17) | Immolator | 30) | Napalm Gun |
| 64-67 | 18) | Plasma Cannon | 33) | Plasma Rifle |
| 68-71 | 19) | Plastifier | 35) | Plastix Rifle |
| 72 | 20) | Muck Maker | 36) | Protein Disruptor |
| 73-76 | 21) | Radiator | 37) | Radiation RIfle |
| 77-80 | 22) | Slotto Cannon | 40) | Semi-Auto Lazer Rifle |
| 81-84 | 23) | Sotto Cannon | 42) | Semi-Auto Rifle |
| 85-88 | 24) | Rock On Cannon | 45) | Sonic Rifle |
| 89-92 | 25) | Whale Stunner | 45) | Stun Rifle |
| 93-96 | 26) | Mod Cannon | 49) | Variable Lazer Rifle |
| 97-99 | 27) | Water Cannon | 50) | Watergun |
| 00 | Ref's Own Table | |||
| Die Roll | Artillery | Base Gun | Chapter 46 |
1) Annihilator
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1500h (15h) |
| Area of Effect: | 75h |
| Damage: | 105-240 (90 + 15d10) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 375kg (0.5kg) |
| Malfunction: | 60 |
| EXPS: | 900 |
| Value: | 37 500 000 (1 500 000) |
The annihilator also completely destroys 600 kilograms of matter. Damage is rolled as 15d10 plus 90. The resulting explosion causes the area of effect attack. The artillery requires batteries. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46, Guns. A malfunction means this weapon will explode like an antimat rifle in the firing hex.
2) Beehive Cannon
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1500h (15h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12h (2d6) |
| Damage: | Death |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 150kg (5kg) |
| Malfunction: | 3 |
| EXPS: | 500 |
| Value: | 3750000 (1500000) |
The beehive cannon fires a hive of ferocious insects at its target. All must save versus poison attack or die. The poison intensity is a ridiculous 57 to 72. This is rolled on 3d6 plus 54. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
3) Howitzer
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1200h (12h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 12-144 (12d12) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 278kg (4.5kg) |
| Malfunction: | 15 |
| EXPS: | 400 |
| Value: | 50000 (100) |
This is the classic long gun. Fed by explosive shells and aimed by cranking furiously. For more detailed information see the base rifletype in chapter 46. A malfunction is a weapon jam.
4) Glacier Gun
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 100h (1h) |
| Area of Effect: | 6 hexes wide |
| Damage: | 12-72 (12d6) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 150kg (batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 45 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 600000 (batteries) |
The cryocannon freezes everything within its 6 hex by 100 hex area of effect. Each point of damage equals a % chance of being entrapped. So if the attack delivered 25 HPS of damage each target would have a 25% of being entrapped in the ice. The chance to break free is a Tough physical strength challenge. Trapped targets will be cold and trapped until the glacier melts. The glacier melts in 18 to 180 units (18d10). Damage is rolled on 12d6. This weapon is also called a Cryo Cannon.
5) Disintegrator
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1000h (10h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 24-192 (24d8)) |
| Magazine: | 15 |
| Wate: | 338kg (1.5kg) |
| Malfunction: | 30 |
| EXPS: | 900 |
| Value: | 50 000 000 (25) |
The disintegration cannon will disintegrate 3 to 300 kilograms of matter. There is a 1% chance per kilogram disintegrated that the attack will fail. Damage is rolled on 24d8, or with a direct hit 1d20 per kilogram destroyed.
6) Electron Cannon
| Type: | D |
| Range: | 1700h (17h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-150 (15d10) |
| Magazine: | 2 |
| Wate: | 315kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 15 |
| EXPS: | 750 |
| Value: | 2 000 000 (batteries) |
An electron cannon’s colourful bolt and area of effect can pass through force fields unhindered.
7) Fission Artillery
| Type: | E |
| Range: | 1100h (11h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 18-126 (18d12) |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 319kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 30 |
| EXPS: | 950 |
| Value: | 32 000 000 (Batteries) |
The damage is rolled on 18d12. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
8) Howglitzer
| Type: | C, F, Special |
| Range: | 1200h (12h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-150 (15d10) |
| Magazine: | 15 |
| Wate: | 308kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 45 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 12 000 000 (Batteries) |
The howglitzer can be used to blast the opposition into smoking chunks or fire straight up for a glorious light show. A more technical title would be a Full Auto Lazer Cannon or Flotto Lazer Artillery.
9) Howblitzer
| Type: | C, F, Special |
| Range: | 900h (9h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 12-144 (12d12) |
| Magazine: | 15 |
| Wate: | 293kg (4.3kg) |
| Malfunction: | 45 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 1 200 000 (25) |
The howblitzer is a rapid fire howitzer to blitz the enemy with long arcing carnage.
10) Nuk-O-Matic
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 900h (9h) |
| Area of Effect: | 9 hex wide |
| Damage: | See Table |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 600kg (1kg) |
| Malfunction: | 60 |
| EXPS: | 900 |
| Value: | 8 000 000 (200000) |
The fusion artillery blasts a 9 hex by 900 hex swath of incinerating death. There is a fusion backflash that inflicts 18-180 (18d10) hit points in damage to anything within 3 hexes of the cannon (excluding those armoured or shielded for firing the G.V.M.B). This cannon needs batteries to operate. A malfunction with the expedition eradicator will inflict 24-240 hit points of damage to all within 15 hexes. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
Table 43.3 Nuk-O-Matic Damage Table
The Nuk-O-Matic fusion cannon has both target area of effect damage and swath damage all along it's trajectory.| Target Size | Swath Damage | Hit Damage |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny | 24-240 (24d10) | Destroyed |
| Small | 24-240 (24d10) | Destroyed |
| Medium | 24-240 (24d10) | Destroyed |
| Large | 24-240 (24d10) | 54-540 (54d10) |
| Gigantic | 24-240 (24d10) | 48-480 (48d10) |
| Size | Swath | Hit |
11) Mag Cannon
| Type: | E |
| Range: | 1900h (19h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12h (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-180 (15d12) |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 281 kg (5.6 kg) |
| Malfunction: | 3 |
| EXPS: | 754 |
| Value: | 1 200 000 (500) |
The mag cannon is virtually silent when magnetically launching it’s payload. This artillery is also called a rail gun.
12) Whale Gun
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 150h (2h) |
| Area of Effect: | None. One target. |
| Damage: | 12-72 (12d6) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 226kg (special) |
| Malfunction: | 45 |
| EXPS: | 7oo |
| Value: | 400 000 (25) |
The grapple has a 5% chance per hit point of damage of sticking into its target. Damage is rolled on 12d6. The whale gun will be able to reel in its target at 5 h/u. Maximum wate for reeling in is 10 tonnes. For more detailed information see #11 Grapple Gun, in chapter 49, Miscellaneous Weapons.
13) Grav Cannon
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 300h (3h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | Special |
| Magazine: | 15 |
| Wate: | 293kg (4.3kg) |
| Malfunction: | 45 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 400 000 (25) |
The cannon delivers 3 to 12 (3d4) random gravities to the area of effect. Each gravity will inflict a d12 in damage. The attack will affect anything with a wate less than 1500 kg. There are also directional effects, and special effects in zero gravity. This is a zero gravity weapon designed to send opponents flinging off into space. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46, Guns.
14) Garbage Cannon
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1000h (10h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | Special |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 300kg (Special) |
| Malfunction: | 30 |
| EXPS: | 500 |
| Value: | 1 750 000 (None) |
The JOB cannon can launch 10 kg of anything up to its maximum range. If it is 10 kg of junk the kinetic attack will inflict 9 to 90 His in damage. The cannon could also launch 10 kg worth of grenades, or poison gas. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
15) Lazer Cannon
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1500h (15h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-150 (15d10) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 278kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 30 |
| EXPS: | 500 |
| Value: | 600 000 (Batteries) |
Zap zap. Boom boom.
16) Miscellaneator
| Type: | Special |
| Range: | Special |
| Area of Effect: | Special |
| Damage: | Special |
| Magazine: | Special |
| Wate: | Special |
| Malfunction: | 42 |
| EXPS: | Special |
| Value: | Special |
Miscellaneator is an artillery sized version of an appropriate weapon from the miscellaneous weapons chapter (49). Miscellaneator could be a huge black hole, a gigantic spinning wheel of death, or a flare cannon (for use when stranded on a planet). The referee should roll on the Miscellaneous Weapon Table until she finds an appropriate weapon. For instance, compucrafted sword would be inappropriate, but compucrafted crossbow might well be. As would rocket assisted weapons. The miscellaneator gets very insane very fast. If this type of weapon would imbalance a campaign or mess up a milieu simply ignore it. Story trumps die rolling chaos. For more detailed information see the base weapon type in Chapter 49: Miscellaneous Weapons. For scaling up weapons refer to Building Artillery in this chapter
17) Flame Thrower
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 150h (2h) |
| Area of Effect: | 3 h swath |
| Damage: | 30-300 (10d30) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 338kg (15kg) |
| Malfunction: | 38 |
| EXPS: | 900 |
| Value: | 1 200 000 (20000) |
This flame thrower, aka the Immolater, bathes everything in a 3 by 150 hex swath with sticky burning goo.
18) Plasma Cannon
| Type: | F |
| Range: | 1600h (16h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 12-144 (12d12) |
| Magazine: | 4 |
| Wate: | 300kg (1kg) |
| Malfunction: | 12 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 36 000 000 (3000000) |
This rapid fire high energy artillery piece rains plasma explosions down on targets. The plasma cannon requires batteries as well as a magazine of pre-cooked plasma shells.
19) Plastix
| Type: | E |
| Range: | 1200h (12h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 18-180 (18d10) |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 315kg (31kg) |
| Malfunction: | 18 |
| EXPS: | 600 |
| Value: | 850 000 (10000) |
Plastix artillery is the bane of all troopers stormin’ in plastix armour. Plastix artillery shells inflict double damage against targets wearing plastix armour.
20) Muckmaker
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 1250h (13h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-180 (15d12) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 315kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 15 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 1 100 000 (Batteries) |
The protein disrupter has no effect on inorganic targets, and is unimpeded by walls, force fields, or spacevehicle hulls. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
21) Rad Cannon
| Type: | E |
| Range: | 1500h (15h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | Special |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 293kg (500gms) |
| Malfunction: | 38 |
| EXPS: | 900 |
| Value: | 8 500 000 (25000) |
The radiation cannon inflicts 9-72 intensity radiation on everything within the area of effect. This is a universally lethal dose of radiation. There is no duration of effect, just one dissipating blast. See Saving Throws. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
22) Slotto Cannon
| Type: | C, D, E |
| Range: | 1250h (13h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-150 (15d10) |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 299kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 38 |
| EXPS: | 600 |
| Value: | 320 000 (Batteries) |
This lazer cannon can fire “once, twice three times a lazer.”
23) Sotto Cannon
| Type: | C, D, E |
| Range: | 1100h (11h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 12-144 (12d12) |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 298kg (4.3) |
| Malfunction: | 30 |
| EXPS: | 600 |
| Value: | 280 000 (2500) |
This artillery piece is capable of 3 round bursts that burst 4kg shells onto the targets. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
24) Rockon Cannon
| Type: | E |
| Range: | 800h (8h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 15-120 (15d8) |
| Magazine: | 3 |
| Wate: | 293kg (4.3kg) |
| Malfunction: | 60 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 800 000 (25) |
Destructive energy delivered in the form of an acoustic waveform. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
25) Whale Stunner
| Type: | D |
| Range: | 1300h (13h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | Stun see below |
| Magazine: | 2 |
| Wate: | 293kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 8 |
| EXPS: | 700 |
| Value: | 600 000 (Batteries) |
The whale stunner was initially developed to stun really large aliens. Any target in the area of effect must save versus stun attack. The stun is an intensity 12 to 72 (12d6). See Saving Throws. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
26) Variable Cannon
| Type: | D |
| Range: | 1300h (13h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | Special |
| Magazine: | 2 |
| Wate: | 315kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 30 |
| EXPS: | 780 |
| Value: | 3 600 000 (Batteries) |
The variable cannon is a lazer artillery device that can be set between 3 variables 1) giant non-destructive lazer light 2) a stun weapon with intensity 3 to 36. See Saving Throws. 3) Lazer area of effect damaging attack, doing 24d8 damage. For more detailed information see the base rifle type in chapter 46.
27) Water Cannon
| Type: | C |
| Range: | 500h (5h) |
| Area of Effect: | 2-12 (2d6) |
| Damage: | 9-54 (9d6) |
| Magazine: | 1 |
| Wate: | 56kg (Batteries) |
| Malfunction: | 15 |
| EXPS: | 500 |
| Value: | 75 000 (Batteries) |