# Ammunition

*The Modern Armory, Firearms, Explosives, and Ammunition for Exodus NDS, 1939 to Today. Source: https://exodusnds.com/sourcebooks/modern-armory/ammunition*

Changing what a gun fires changes what the gun does. This chapter lists twenty-five loads, and none of them adds to a weapon's damage.

<img class="framed" src="https://exodusnds.com/assets/sourcebook/modern_armory/modern-armory-ammunition.jpg">

## The Three Rules

**1. A load is one purchase.** A load is enough ammunition of one kind to last a scene. Nobody counts cartridges. A load of ordinary ammunition is included in the price of the weapon and costs the following to replace:

| Weapon | Price of a load |
|:--|--:|
| Handgun, submachine gun | 20 |
| Shotgun | 25 |
| Rifle, carbine | 40 |
| Machine gun, .50 rifle | 100 |

A special load costs that figure times the multiplier in its entry.

**2. One load at a time.** A weapon holds one kind of ammunition. Mixed magazines are not modelled.

**3. Switching loads is a maneuver.** A character carrying armour-piercing in one pouch and hollow point in another chooses between them with the maneuver they would have spent moving.

When a weapon runs dry (Chapter 2), the load in it is used up. A weapon with **Limited Ammo** may be reloaded with any load its owner carries.

## Bullets

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Ball

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">No change. This is what every stat line assumes.</span>
<span class="acost">x1</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Every firearm.</span>

Full metal jacket, lead round-nose, or whatever the armoury issues. It feeds reliably and behaves as printed.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Hollow Point

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Vicious +1. The target's armour counts as 1 higher against the hit.</span>
<span class="acost">x1.5</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Handguns, submachine guns, rifles.</span>

A bullet built to expand. It does more harm to an unprotected body and less to a protected one.

This is the ordinary police and self-defence load, and it is **Common**. It is the right choice whenever the opposition is not wearing armour.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Armour-Piercing

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Pierce +2 against armour and cover only. Crit rating worsens by 1.</span>
<span class="acost">x3</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Service pistols and larger, all rifles, machine guns.</span>

A hardened steel or tungsten core. **Military.**

The added Pierce applies only to Resistance that comes from worn armour, cover, or vehicle Armor. It never reduces the Resistance a target has from Might. Against an unarmoured target this load is worse than ball: it adds nothing, and the weapon's Crit rating is 1 higher.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Subsonic

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Damage -1. Range one band shorter, to a minimum of Short. A Suppressed weapon firing it counts as Silent.</span>
<span class="acost">x1.5</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Handguns, submachine guns, rifles.</span>

A heavy bullet loaded below the speed of sound, so that it makes no crack in flight. **Restricted.**

Without a suppressor it is only a weak load. With one, the weapon is **Silent**.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Match

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">After an aim maneuver, the next shot gains Accurate +1.</span>
<span class="acost">x3</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Rifles.</span>

Ammunition made to tighter tolerances for target shooting. **Common.**

The bonus applies only to a shot that follows an aim maneuver in the same turn.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Tracer

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Allies attacking the same target this round add 1 Boon Die. The shooter's position is revealed.</span>
<span class="acost">x1.5</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Weapons with Auto-Fire.</span>

Every fifth round burns in flight. **Military.**

It shows the shooter where the burst is going. It shows everyone else where it came from: no check is needed to locate a character firing tracer, and Suppressed and Silent do not apply.

##### <span class="ammo-bar fire"></span>Incendiary

<div class="ammo fire">

<span class="adjust">The weapon gains Burn 1.</span>
<span class="acost">x4</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Rifles, machine guns, the Anti-Materiel Rifle.</span>

A bullet with an ignition compound in the tip, made for fuel tanks and aircraft. **Military.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Frangible

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">The target's armour counts as 2 higher. Cannot damage cover, walls, hulls, or vehicle Armor.</span>
<span class="acost">x2</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Handguns, submachine guns.</span>

A bullet of compressed powder that breaks up on anything hard. **Restricted.**

It is loaded where a miss must not go through a wall: aboard an aircraft, inside a ship, in a crowded building.

## Shotgun Shells

A shotgun's profile changes more with the shell than with the gun. The Light Shotgun applies each adjustment to its own lower numbers.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Buckshot

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">No change. This is what every shotgun stat line assumes.</span>
<span class="acost">x1</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Every shotgun.</span>

Nine to fifteen lead balls.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Slug

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Range becomes Medium. Loses Blast. Gains Pierce 1.</span>
<span class="acost">x1</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Every shotgun.</span>

One heavy projectile. It turns a shotgun into a short-range rifle.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Birdshot

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Damage -3. Add 1 Boon Die against small or flying targets.</span>
<span class="acost">x0.5</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Every shotgun.</span>

Hundreds of small pellets. It is the cheapest load and the least dangerous to a person in a coat.

##### <span class="ammo-bar crush"></span>Beanbag

<div class="ammo crush">

<span class="adjust">Stun Damage. Loses Blast and Vicious. Gains Disorient 2.</span>
<span class="acost">x2</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Every shotgun.</span>

A fabric bag of lead shot. **Restricted.** At Engaged range it deals its damage to Wounds as normal: it is less lethal, not harmless.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Breaching

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Destroys a lock or hinge at Engaged range with no check. Damage 4 against people.</span>
<span class="acost">x3</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Every shotgun.</span>

Compressed metal powder that spends itself in a door. **Restricted.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Flechette

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Gains Pierce 2. Loses Knockdown.</span>
<span class="acost">x3</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">12 gauge shotguns.</span>

Small steel darts in place of shot. **Military.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar fire"></span>Dragon's Breath

<div class="ammo fire">

<span class="adjust">Damage 5. Loses Knockdown and Vicious. Gains Burn 2.</span>
<span class="acost">x5</span>
<span class="aqty">load</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">12 gauge shotguns. Not semi-automatic or automatic actions.</span>

A magnesium load that throws a jet of sparks. **Rare.** It will not cycle a self-loading shotgun, and it sets fire to dry ground.

## 40mm Grenades

Both grenade launchers in Chapter 11 fire these. Each is bought singly and loaded singly.

##### <span class="ammo-bar blast"></span>High Explosive

<div class="ammo blast">

<span class="adjust">No change: damage 8, Blast 6.</span>
<span class="acost">50</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Both grenade launchers.</span>

The standard 40mm round. **Military.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar blast"></span>Dual-Purpose

<div class="ammo blast">

<span class="adjust">Blast 4. Gains Pierce 4.</span>
<span class="acost">80</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Both grenade launchers.</span>

A shaped charge inside a fragmenting case. **Military.** It is the round for a light vehicle or a wall.

##### <span class="ammo-bar ballistic"></span>Buckshot Canister

<div class="ammo ballistic">

<span class="adjust">Damage 8, Range Short, Blast 4, Vicious 2. Knockdown for 2 Boons.</span>
<span class="acost">40</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Both grenade launchers.</span>

The launcher becomes a very large shotgun. **Military.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar crush"></span>Sponge

<div class="ammo crush">

<span class="adjust">Damage 6, Stun Damage. Knockdown for 2 Boons. No Blast.</span>
<span class="acost">40</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Both grenade launchers.</span>

A foam-nosed impact round for crowd control. **Restricted.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar none"></span>Smoke, Tear Gas, or Stun

<div class="ammo none">

<span class="adjust">As the hand grenade of the same name, delivered at the launcher's range.</span>
<span class="acost">as grenade</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Both grenade launchers.</span>

Each is the grenade from Chapter 12 in a cartridge case.

##### <span class="ammo-bar fire"></span>Illumination

<div class="ammo fire">

<span class="adjust">No damage. Lights everything within Long range of the burst for three rounds.</span>
<span class="acost">30</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Both grenade launchers.</span>

A parachute flare. **Military.**

## Rockets

##### <span class="ammo-bar blast"></span>Anti-Armour

<div class="ammo blast">

<span class="adjust">No change. This is what every rocket launcher stat line assumes.</span>
<span class="acost">200</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Disposable and Reloadable Rocket Launchers.</span>

A shaped charge that burns a hole through plate. **Military.** A disposable launcher is bought with its rocket inside it.

##### <span class="ammo-bar blast"></span>High Explosive

<div class="ammo blast">

<span class="adjust">Damage -2. Blast 8. Pierce becomes 1.</span>
<span class="acost">150</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Reloadable Rocket Launcher.</span>

A fragmenting warhead for people and soft cover. **Military.**

##### <span class="ammo-bar fire"></span>Thermobaric

<div class="ammo fire">

<span class="adjust">Blast 10. Gains Burn 1. Pierce becomes 1. Indoors, its Blast ignores cover.</span>
<span class="acost">600</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Reloadable Rocket Launcher.</span>

A fuel-air warhead. **Rare.** From 1980.

##### <span class="ammo-bar none"></span>Smoke

<div class="ammo none">

<span class="adjust">No damage. As a smoke grenade, covering Short range around the point of impact.</span>
<span class="acost">100</span>
<span class="aqty">each</span>

</div>

<span class="ammo-fits">Reloadable Rocket Launcher.</span>

**Military.**

## Ammunition This Book Does Not Cover

**Poisons and sedatives** are delivered by the Dart Projector and the Tranquilizer Gun in Chapter 14. Use *The Apothecary*, or your Universe's own poison rules, for what the dart carries.

**Silver, iron, blessed, and other supernatural loads** belong to the Universe that needs them. They are applied on top of a weapon from this book, in the same way as any load here.