The Modern Armory · Chapter 11

Launchers and Flamethrowers

Weapons that deliver an explosion or a fire at a distance. Every entry is Military, every launcher is slow, and the damage is the highest in the book.

Three rules apply across the chapter.

Breach is how a person on foot hurts a vehicle. A launcher with Breach X deals its damage times X, divided by 10, as Hull damage, and ignores X points of Armor. Against a person it deals its printed damage. The Heavy Armory has the procedure.

Backblast X is defined in Chapter 3. Rocket launchers vent behind the firer.

A near miss still explodes. When an attack with a Blast weapon fails, the attacker may spend 3 Boons from the failed check to apply the Blast damage to the target and everyone Engaged with it.

Skill: Gunnery. At tables using a single Ranged skill, use Ranged.

Grenade Launcher, Single-Shot

M79, M203, GP-25, 37mm riot gun

A break-open launcher firing a 40mm grenade, as a standalone weapon or slung under a rifle barrel.

It throws a grenade to Medium range, which no arm can. Limited Ammo 1: it is reloaded after every shot. It fires any 40mm round in Chapter 16; the stat line assumes high explosive.

Grenade Launcher, Revolving

Milkor MGL, China Lake pump launcher, RG-6

A six-chamber revolving launcher for 40mm grenades.

Six shots at Long range before reloading. It needs Might 3 and weighs as much as a machine gun.

Rifle Grenade

Energa, M9A1, Gewehrgranate, cup dischargers

A grenade fired from the muzzle of an ordinary rifle, using a cup, a spigot, or a blank cartridge.

It is the cheapest way to put an explosion at Medium range. Prepare 1 covers fitting it, Inaccurate 1 covers aiming a rifle at forty-five degrees by eye, and the rifle cannot fire bullets until the grenade is gone.

Disposable Rocket Launcher

Panzerfaust, M72 LAW, AT4, RPG-18

A single anti-armour rocket in a tube that is thrown away after firing. One soldier carries it in addition to a rifle.

Damage 12 with Pierce 4 at Medium range, once. Backblast 4: anyone Engaged with the firer and behind the tube takes 4 damage, and so does the firer if the weapon is fired from inside a room or a vehicle.

Reloadable Rocket Launcher

M1 Bazooka, Panzerschreck, RPG-7, Carl Gustaf

A shoulder-fired tube that launches a rocket or recoilless round and can be loaded again. The bazooka, the Panzerschreck, and the RPG-7 are the same idea in three decades.

Damage 14 with Pierce 5 at Long range. It needs Might 3, Prepare 1 to load, and it has Backblast 4. A second crew member who spends a maneuver loading removes the Prepare.

Guided Missile Launcher

FIM-92 Stinger, FGM-148 Javelin, M47 Dragon, 9K32 Strela

A shoulder-fired missile that steers itself to an aircraft or a vehicle.

Damage 18, Crit 2, Extreme range, Pierce 6, Guided 3. It is the highest damage in the book. Prepare 2 covers acquiring the target; the missile will not launch at a person on foot.

Flamethrower

M2 flamethrower, Flammenwerfer 35, LPO-50

A tank of thickened fuel, a tank of propellant, and a wand with an igniter.

The damage is modest. Burn 3 is the weapon: spend 2 Boons and the target suffers 3 Wounds at the start of each of its turns until someone spends an action putting it out. Blast 3 catches those standing with the target. It needs Might 3 and holds five bursts. On a Calamity, the GM may rupture a hose: the wearer suffers the weapon's Burn.