Hunter-Killer Grenades: Also known as HK grenades or "spider grenades", this modification to the normal grenade is a curious and insidious one. Related to Smart Mines (p. 163 X-Risks), but much more portable and flexible, this system is basically a little four-legged drone which can mount a standard grenade to it. This enables the grenade to be moved around and placed without just needing to throw it, and more precision than seekers at close range. The drone can walk up walls using grip pad material, and can detonate via any normal grenade methods, and be controlled either by a primitive AI or by remote. This AI can be told to do a variety of things, such as "search and destroy", move to specific locations, wait for someone to approach, etc. Additionally, due to the grip materials, the HK grenade doubles as a Sticky Grenade. [Low], plus Payload cost.
Activating a HK grenade is as simple as triggering a regular grenade. Just dropping one on the floor is a Simple Action, but throwing it is an attack roll as normal. The drone then moves at a rate of 4 meters per round, and detonates when it is triggered remotely or otherwise meets it's detonation condition. If attempting to latch on to a specific person or object, the Grenade can make one Unarmed check to grapple per Action Turn at a rating of 40. One can shoot an HK grenade, and they do not dodge, but do count as Very Small targets (-30). Dealing any amount of DV to the drone will cause it to explode where it is currently. The drone is armed with a basic microphone and 360 camera to navigate with. The drone only has enough battery life for 24 hours, and then will need to be replaced or linked to wi-tricity.
HK grenades are not necessarily more effective than throwing regular or sticky grenades, but are more intimidating, and offer more opportunities to be clever. Some one perfectly skilled in lobbing grenades will not get much use out of them, but those who set traps or maybe need some help getting grenades on target may find them useful. Due to their propensity for use in sabotage or covert attacks, HK Grenades are illegal in most habs.
Showing posts with label grenades & seekers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label grenades & seekers. Show all posts
Saturday, November 11, 2017
Tuesday, October 10, 2017
Freezing Foam Grenade
The Freezer (p. 341 EP) is a pretty common weapon platform for crowd control, less-lethal action and generally trying to make sure people don't bother you. Their main drawbacks are that they are somewhat bulky, being two-handed, and they have a somewhat limited range of effect, at best working at up to 50 yards. But, the quick-hardening foam they use is a relatively in-expensive chemical compound, and can be re-packaged into other delivery systems with relative ease for additional options.
Freezing Foam Grenade: A type of grenade or seeker loaded with an aerosolized variant of the same quick-hardening foam used in a Freezer. When it detonates, it sprays the foam in a wide area, causing all in that area to need to make REF x3 tests or become trapped and unable to move, and makes this at a -30 if the attacker scored an Excellent Success. Like normal, the foam is permeable and allows those stuck to breathe if covered, but will block vision. Similar to a regular freezer, the grenade may also be laced with a contact toxin or drug to affect the targets, though many find Splash or Gas grenades more effective in that regard. Unlike a Freezer however, the grenade is too haphazard and short-lived to use to construct barricades or cover using the foam. The foam degrades over a period of 12 hours like normal. [Low]
Freezing Foam Grenades see a lot of use loaded as anti-riot rounds in large seeker weapons on vehicles, or occasionally as an alternate for Ego Hunters or cops to other methods of suppressing groups. They also make handy booby traps with various grenade triggers, and have the advantage of keeping the target around to examine or interrogate later. They might also be scaled appropriately and used from significant range to trap and disable armored vehicles which resist conventional projectiles, but paralyze their weapon and mobility systems. Due to their non-lethal nature, they're fairly easy to procure in most polities. Some people do not necessarily understand the nature of the grenade - and people have mistaken them for fire suppressants at inopportune times. The fact that the foam is not air tight means it does little to stifle most fires.
Freezing Foam Grenade: A type of grenade or seeker loaded with an aerosolized variant of the same quick-hardening foam used in a Freezer. When it detonates, it sprays the foam in a wide area, causing all in that area to need to make REF x3 tests or become trapped and unable to move, and makes this at a -30 if the attacker scored an Excellent Success. Like normal, the foam is permeable and allows those stuck to breathe if covered, but will block vision. Similar to a regular freezer, the grenade may also be laced with a contact toxin or drug to affect the targets, though many find Splash or Gas grenades more effective in that regard. Unlike a Freezer however, the grenade is too haphazard and short-lived to use to construct barricades or cover using the foam. The foam degrades over a period of 12 hours like normal. [Low]
Freezing Foam Grenades see a lot of use loaded as anti-riot rounds in large seeker weapons on vehicles, or occasionally as an alternate for Ego Hunters or cops to other methods of suppressing groups. They also make handy booby traps with various grenade triggers, and have the advantage of keeping the target around to examine or interrogate later. They might also be scaled appropriately and used from significant range to trap and disable armored vehicles which resist conventional projectiles, but paralyze their weapon and mobility systems. Due to their non-lethal nature, they're fairly easy to procure in most polities. Some people do not necessarily understand the nature of the grenade - and people have mistaken them for fire suppressants at inopportune times. The fact that the foam is not air tight means it does little to stifle most fires.
Thursday, June 22, 2017
Web Grenade
Area denial is an interesting area in AF10. While landmines are still made (and due to less issue of lasting injury, slightly less stigmatized) they can present issues in tight spaces of transhuman construction, and risk infrastructure or even depressurization in enclosed habs. A mantrap can block a door or other route - but only covers a single surface. To this end, there is some desire for a device which can offer an expanded area of coverage to block doors and halls and hopefully cause less destruction than explosive traps. Luckily, materials science has solutions.
Web Grenade: While coming in grenade form, this device is more like a container for spools of carbon nanomaterial fibers, which end in grip head micro-anchors. When detonated (ideally in an airburst) the coils fly out in all directions to a maximum length of about 1.5 meters and anchor to surfaces, creating a web of black coils. These strands impede visibility, and are strong enough to be impossible for a morph to break under their own strength - they have to be cut with a tool, or the core grenade found and dismantled so the webs lose their anchor. Such a process can take several minutes, buying valuable time in a pursuit or security situation. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius of a Web Grenade takes 2d10 DV with an AP of -5, and will effectively be grappled to the web grenade until they can extract themselves. This can be done as a Complex Action with a SOMx3 test, but causes 1d10/2 DV which ignores armor as the anchors are ripped out - or can be done as a more delicate proceedure over about 5 minutes (possibly requiring some form of Medicine test). This is available both as a minimissile and a grenade, but not as micromissiles, standard missiles or minigrenades. [Moderate]
Web Grenades are often used by scavengers and zone runners to keep away hostile exsurgents, TITAN bots or just fellow scavs by blocking narrow access points and delay long enough to escape. Some criminal operations (especially smugglers) also occasionally use them to delay rivals or law enforcement so they can get away. Military and security forces are also known to carry them, however, should they need to improvise security on a location with methods less permanent.
Addendum 2E: If converting to the 2E playtest, count the Web Grenade as Moderate Complexity. It still inflicts 2d10 DV, and applies Grappled status to anyone hit with it, and inflicts a d6 of DV which ignores armor if ripped out. They probably shouldn't be restricted, and also note the lack of the "Armor Piercing" trait. Any other aspects of Seekers and Grenades normally applies.
Web Grenade: While coming in grenade form, this device is more like a container for spools of carbon nanomaterial fibers, which end in grip head micro-anchors. When detonated (ideally in an airburst) the coils fly out in all directions to a maximum length of about 1.5 meters and anchor to surfaces, creating a web of black coils. These strands impede visibility, and are strong enough to be impossible for a morph to break under their own strength - they have to be cut with a tool, or the core grenade found and dismantled so the webs lose their anchor. Such a process can take several minutes, buying valuable time in a pursuit or security situation. Anyone unfortunate enough to be caught in the blast radius of a Web Grenade takes 2d10 DV with an AP of -5, and will effectively be grappled to the web grenade until they can extract themselves. This can be done as a Complex Action with a SOMx3 test, but causes 1d10/2 DV which ignores armor as the anchors are ripped out - or can be done as a more delicate proceedure over about 5 minutes (possibly requiring some form of Medicine test). This is available both as a minimissile and a grenade, but not as micromissiles, standard missiles or minigrenades. [Moderate]
Web Grenades are often used by scavengers and zone runners to keep away hostile exsurgents, TITAN bots or just fellow scavs by blocking narrow access points and delay long enough to escape. Some criminal operations (especially smugglers) also occasionally use them to delay rivals or law enforcement so they can get away. Military and security forces are also known to carry them, however, should they need to improvise security on a location with methods less permanent.
Addendum 2E: If converting to the 2E playtest, count the Web Grenade as Moderate Complexity. It still inflicts 2d10 DV, and applies Grappled status to anyone hit with it, and inflicts a d6 of DV which ignores armor if ripped out. They probably shouldn't be restricted, and also note the lack of the "Armor Piercing" trait. Any other aspects of Seekers and Grenades normally applies.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Splinter Grenade
Scientists have been studying and sampling the exoplanet known as Wonderland for beneficial research and technology. So far, not very much has come back, but some genehackers and specialists in organic construction have been able to develop a rough analog to the defense mechanisms of the local fungus - integrating the large, fruit-like growths which explode into sharp spines with electronic components which can mimic a conventional grenade. This showcases Pathfinder's mentality very strongly, efforts to make profit from a planet any way possible. Rumors and development of a conventional ranged weapon which can fire the splinters have so far led nowhere due to such designs being "impractical".
Splinter Grenade: This heavy, spined fruit-looking explosive is derived from the defense mechanism of a macro-scale fungus on an Exoplanet. It has a hardened, almost chitinous shell covered in sharp, micro-barbed spikes. Inside is a chemical compound which explodes in reaction to electricity, and a small interface has been inserted into it so it can be utilized like a normal grenade. When it explodes, it does 3d10+4 DV with an AP of -4 in an area of 5 meters. While not necessarily more effective than other grenades, the weapon is very unusual and surprising, and some scanners may not be able to identify it as a weapon. This type of weapon is only available as a grenade, not a seeker. [Moderate]
Splinter Grenade: This heavy, spined fruit-looking explosive is derived from the defense mechanism of a macro-scale fungus on an Exoplanet. It has a hardened, almost chitinous shell covered in sharp, micro-barbed spikes. Inside is a chemical compound which explodes in reaction to electricity, and a small interface has been inserted into it so it can be utilized like a normal grenade. When it explodes, it does 3d10+4 DV with an AP of -4 in an area of 5 meters. While not necessarily more effective than other grenades, the weapon is very unusual and surprising, and some scanners may not be able to identify it as a weapon. This type of weapon is only available as a grenade, not a seeker. [Moderate]
Friday, October 14, 2016
Penetrator Seekers
Kinetic penetrators have a long history with heavy munitions. While HEAP rounds (p. 340 EP) mix explosives with hot, melting metals to produce a great penetrative force which still maintains some area-effect as a consequences, Kinetic Penetrators (typically using discarding sabots, though some are just slugs of metal with gyrojet engines on them) discard any ability to affect secondary targets (except perhaps an unfortunate target immediately behind the first) for slight edges in armor penetration. They make an ideal mix with accushot smart ammo (p. 338 EP) and armed with stabilizing fins, but proximity or homing ammunition is also possible.
Penetrator: This type of seeker (not grenade) utilizes a single, solid kinetic penetrator with a drive encased in a discarding sabot, which maximizes the force of the Seeker Weapon into a small, dense package. These penetrators are made of dense, heavy metals similar to AP ammo in regular kinetic weapons. They produce no area effect, but strike single targets with great penetrating force. This does mean, however, they tend to cause overall less damage to a target. While nothing special in most Seeker weapons, full-size weapons or vehicle mounts often find this greater penetration useful due to their larger projectiles. [Moderate]
AP -9 3d10+4 DV, K Armor
Penetrator: This type of seeker (not grenade) utilizes a single, solid kinetic penetrator with a drive encased in a discarding sabot, which maximizes the force of the Seeker Weapon into a small, dense package. These penetrators are made of dense, heavy metals similar to AP ammo in regular kinetic weapons. They produce no area effect, but strike single targets with great penetrating force. This does mean, however, they tend to cause overall less damage to a target. While nothing special in most Seeker weapons, full-size weapons or vehicle mounts often find this greater penetration useful due to their larger projectiles. [Moderate]
AP -9 3d10+4 DV, K Armor
Friday, September 23, 2016
Dual Purpose Grenades
Dual Grenades
Also called "Dual Phase Grenades" or "Dual Purpose Grenades", these munitions take advantage of minifacturing technology to allow a single standard-sized grenade shell to hold the payload of two minigrenade types. These grenades come with both physical and wireless-activated switches, allowing one to pick which type of payload to detonate easily in the moment, and combine with any number of detonation options. Purchasing this addition combines two types of minigrenades into a single device the size of a standard grenade, and may not be added to extant minigrenades without being completely disassembled and rebuilt in a fabber. Only the DV and effects of one minigrenade type are used when it is detonated, but which is detonated can be changed at any time before it actually goes off. Dual Grenades can also be Sticky (p. 341 EP). [Low] (plus cost of the minigrenades)
Dual Grenades have many uses and combinations. A standard military loadout mixes Concussion minigrenades with Frag minigrenades, allowing one to pick a situation where stunning force is better, or to inflict lethal harm. Riot police may mix CR Gas or Smoke charges with an Overload charge, depending on which option may be more appropriate to control or disperse a crowd as needed - especially in polities who are concerned with civilian's rights. Anti-Nanoswarm DP grenades often carry EMP/Plasmaburst charges, to cripple and disorient nanotech then have the option to cleanse the area with heat.
Also called "Dual Phase Grenades" or "Dual Purpose Grenades", these munitions take advantage of minifacturing technology to allow a single standard-sized grenade shell to hold the payload of two minigrenade types. These grenades come with both physical and wireless-activated switches, allowing one to pick which type of payload to detonate easily in the moment, and combine with any number of detonation options. Purchasing this addition combines two types of minigrenades into a single device the size of a standard grenade, and may not be added to extant minigrenades without being completely disassembled and rebuilt in a fabber. Only the DV and effects of one minigrenade type are used when it is detonated, but which is detonated can be changed at any time before it actually goes off. Dual Grenades can also be Sticky (p. 341 EP). [Low] (plus cost of the minigrenades)
Dual Grenades have many uses and combinations. A standard military loadout mixes Concussion minigrenades with Frag minigrenades, allowing one to pick a situation where stunning force is better, or to inflict lethal harm. Riot police may mix CR Gas or Smoke charges with an Overload charge, depending on which option may be more appropriate to control or disperse a crowd as needed - especially in polities who are concerned with civilian's rights. Anti-Nanoswarm DP grenades often carry EMP/Plasmaburst charges, to cripple and disorient nanotech then have the option to cleanse the area with heat.
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