"Starport Scum. How to build GUNS" Topic

Space adventure requires plenty of firepower to survive and Starport Scum will let you build most any gun you can think of (mostly).

So here's how it works:

We start with the "basic firearm". This can be more or less anything that will kill enemies at a range in a modest fashion. A basic carbine, pistol or laser gun.

Nothing special, nothing exceptional. The basic firing rules assume this is what you have.

Weapon tags:
Like a character, a weapon can have any number of Tags. These give bonus dice, basically translating into a higher chance of killing your target.

Each Tag gives an extra die but ONLY when used by a character that is an Ace or Hero.
Giving a regular Goon the expensive hardware is a waste (the "Storm Trooper" effect).

So our hero may have a ACCURATE blaster pistol with a CUSTOM POWER PACK, giving him 2 extra dice.
If a random grunt picked it up, they'd get no benefits from it though.

Can we do something fancy?
We can!
So the rules include 11 (currently) Effect Tags. These are specific rules effects a weapon may have.
Unlike the normal Tags, these do apply to a goon using them.

Examples of Effect Tags include a weapon having PIN POINT accuracy, letting it ignore cover or a FORCE BACK, pushing the target 2" away.

So let's create a squad support weapon.
We give it HEAVY CHARGE as a regular tag and the QUICK SHOT effect tag.
Now our gun fires twice per turn, and if used by an Ace or Hero, it'll get a bonus firing die.

Okay, so talk dirty:
Alright, so like character traits, any tag we apply can be given conditions to modify it.

Currently, there are 8 such conditions and we can apply any of them to any Effect Tag or regular Tag.

For example, see that custom blaster pistol above?
Lets apply CLOSE RANGE to the ACCURATE tag, limiting it to within 12".

If we want to make it a bit more personal, we can give the entire gun the SIGNATURE condition, letting the bonuses only apply when used by a specific character (no doubt a space smuggler).

What about that squad support weapon?
Lets limit it a touch to represent how heavy it is.
So the QUICK SHOT is now STATIC, applying only when stationary.
If we want to be more tricky, maybe we can apply BURST to the HEAVY CHARGE bonus die, limiting it to only apply against targets in the open.

So that's all sorts of stuff we can build!
It is, the goal is to be able to quickly put space guns together, lego-style.

Oh did I mention you can build gadgets and drugs too?
Fancy a stealth cloak?

What kind of drug is a "stealth cloak?"

Gadgets and drugs ;-)

Though I could totally see "stealth cloak" as a nickname for some hallucinogenic.

Kinda like the "Cloth Invisible" from Eric the Viking

If you misplace a "stealth cloak", how do you find it? ;-)

I like how you've built the storm trooper effect into your rules.

Ok, I get I can create a Star Wars blaster. But what about a Judge Dredd Lawgiver or Star Trek phaser? Stun settings?

Surely they install "clapper" tech, or something similar, so it chirps, or turns off, and you can see to find it, right.

Not to do so would seem rather silly, and no doubt costly too. Just don't tell the bad guys, or they'll learn how to defeat them.

Star Trek phaser – We have an option for Stun attacks with a different set of effects (Suitable for monster-safari's too).

Any weapon can be set up as a "Combination weapon", which lets you have two different sets of tags, each of which can have their own conditions.

So a phaser (which can switch between lethal and stun) or a rocket launcher with multiple ammunition types for example, isn't a problem at all.