Uncle Jimbo's End of Time Blues

"All that you see is not all that there is."


Bug Huntin' Home
Dark•Matter

As promised some time ago, here's my stats for antivehicle weapons in Dark Matter.

Rifle Grenades

These explosive devices have a similar size and effect to the thrown versions listed in the Player's Handbook, but the user fires the grenade from an attachment that fits a standard infantry rifle, using a blank round. Two general types of rifle-grenade launcher attachments:

Accuracy Range
Cup launcher (Energa) +1 40/80/160
Bullet-trap (MECAR etc.) +1 50/100/300

Anti-Vehicle Weapons

HEAT (High Explosive - Antitank) weapons, in use since the 1960s, use a shaped charge warhead which creates a focused blast of extreme heat that burns through armour with amazing ease. These shells cause En/G damage to the target, and apply standard armour-piercing rules (either halve the effectiveness of armour, or reduce armour roll by 2 points).

The weapon causes secondary blast and fragmentation damage (type HI/G) to targets within 6m of the point of impact.

Rocket Launcher, HEAT (M72A3, LAW-80)

Availability: Military
Mass: 2.5kg (complete unit)
Ammunition: HEAT rocket
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: En/G and HI/G (see above)
Damage: d6+1w (6m)/d6+3w (2m)/ d4+1m (Target)
Range: 200/400/1000
Hide: -
Clip: 1 (disposable)
Skill: Heavy Weapons - indirect

Light rockets in use at the dawn of the 21st century have a disposable launcher. Once the rocket is fired, the launcher is discarded.

These weapons have a large, highly visible, and very dangerous back blast. Any person standing in an area 8m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

[Note that the damage assigned to these weapons is intended to reflect the typical result of firing at light armoured vehicles, such as APCs. If fired at a Good-toughness creature, such as the demon prince detailed as the major villain of your campaign, the weapon as described will absolutely blast the crap out of it.

On the other hand, the weapon appears to be distinctly underpowered for its purpose of killing tanks. If it is intended to attack a PL 5 tank with this weapon, the vehicle's Amazing toughness should only apply in an arc 60 degrees to either side of its front facing, and drop to Good toughness from other angles of attack, including 60 degrees above.]

Rocket-Propelled Grenade, HEAT (RPG-7)

Availability: Military
Mass: 2kg (launcher)
Ammunition: HEAT grenade
Ammo mass: 1kg
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: En/G and HI/G (see above)
Damage: d6+1w (6m)/d6+3w (2m)/ d4+1m (Target)
Range: 150/300/600
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - indirect

This Soviet weapon, developed from captured examples of the WWII German Panzerfaust with the addition of an advanced shaped charge warhead, fires a large-calibre high explosive grenade using a rocket contained in the projectile from a light stick-like guide rail.

Any person standing in an area 8m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

Rocket-Propelled Grenade, Thermobaric

Availability: Military
Mass: 2kg (launcher)
Ammunition: Thermobaric grenade
Ammo mass: 1kg
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: En and LI/G (see below)
Damage: d4+1w (15m)/d6+2w (10m)/ d8+2w (2m)
Range: 150/300/600
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - indirect

These variant warheads for launchers such as the Russian RPG-7 and US SMAW, or dedicated weapons such as the Russian RPO-A Shmel, use the fuel-air explosive principle to cause massive blast effects, spreading and rapidly burning an incendiary fuel (whether in gaseous, liquid or slurry form) which then leaves a region of partial vacuum that implodes with highly destructive force. Their usefulness in urban warfare to destroy strongpoints and collapse buildings, or against unarmoured vehicles has been compared to medium to heavy howitzers.

The damage caused by a thermobaric warhead is of both En and LI type. Apply the target's lower armour value out of these two types.

Any person standing in an area 8m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

The RPO-A has a complete unit mass of 22kg consisting of two single-use launchers. Its maximum range is 1000m. The original load for the RPO-A was an incendiary rocket (as incendiary grenade with 10m damage radius) and smoke rounds are also available.

Rocket-Propelled Grenade, HEAT (RPG-29)

Availability: Military
Mass: 12kg (launcher)
Ammunition: 105mm HEAT grenade
Ammo mass: 8kg
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: En/A and HI/G (see above)
Damage: d6+2w (8m)/d6+3w (2m)/ d6+1m (Target)
Range: 200/500/1000
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - indirect

This advanced tube-launched antitank weapon, in service by Russia since 1989, has been passed on by third parties to groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and insurgents in Iraq. Its improved shaped-charge warhead is capable of defeating the frontal armour of top-of-the-line modern tanks.

The rocket grenade uses a tandem charge to defeat Explosive Reactive Armour (ERA). Any ERA used by the target deflects only 1 point of damage from the missile.

Any person standing in an area 8m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

The RPG-29 launcher can also fire a thermobaric anti-personnel warhead similar to those designed for the RPG-7 (see above) but with range of 200/500/2000 and damage/blast radii of d4+1w (15m)/d8+2w (10m)/ 2d4+3w (2m) En and LI/G.

Recoilless Gun, HEAT (M67, Carl Gustav)

Availability: Military
Mass: 15kg
Ammunition: 90mm or 84mm HEAT shell
Ammo mass: 1kg
Accuracy: 0
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: En/G and HI/G (see above)
Damage: d6+1w (6m)/d6+3w (2m)/ d4+1m (Target)
Range: 400/800/2000
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - direct

This man-portable heavy weapon fires a shell as large as many vehicle-mounted guns, venting the blast gases freely from the back of the gun to eliminate recoil. Because the shell is launched at a relatively low velocity, solid shot or APDS penetrators are not effective, and the gun has a short range. The M67 is a US design. The Carl Gustav is of Swedish manufacture and has been used to good effect by the British Army, US (officially MAAWS or RAWS) and many others. As well as the HEAT, fragmentation (below) and canister (below) rounds, recoilless guns can fire smoke and illumination (star) shells.

Any person standing in an area 20m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

The Soviet version of this weapon is sometimes seen mounted on a Somali 'technical' in place of the more usual .50 machinegun. This somewhat larger weapon (106mm) has range of 600/1200/3000.

Recoilless Gun, Fragmentation (Carl Gustav)

Availability: Military
Mass: 15kg
Ammunition: 84mm HE shell
Ammo mass: 1kg
Accuracy: 0
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: HI/G
Damage: d4+1w (24m)/d6+2w (12m)/ d8+2w (6m)
Range: 400/800/2000
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - direct

This high-explosive shell with a fragmenting pearlitic iron casing is designed for anti-personnel use. This is a standard round for the Carl Gustav, but very few 90mm HE shells were produced (treat as Restricted availability).

Any person standing in an area 20m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

Recoilless Gun, Canister (M67)

Availability: Military
Mass: 15kg
Ammunition: 90mm flechette
Ammo mass: 1kg
Accuracy: 0
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: HI/G
Damage: d4+1w (300m x 42m cone)/d6+2w (200m x 28m cone)/d4+1m (100m x 14m cone)
Range: 100/200/300
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - direct

This flechette round fires a cone-shaped blast of steel projectiles, expanding 7m for each 50m from the gun's muzzle to its effective range of 300m. All targets within 100m suffer Amazing damage (d4+1m). Targets from 101 to 200m away suffer Good damage (d6+2w). Targets from 201 to 300m suffer Ordinary damage (d4+1w).

Any person standing in an area 20m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

Recoilless Launcher, HEAT (Armbrust)

Availability: Military
Mass: 6kg (complete unit)
Ammunition: HEAT shell
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: En/G and HI/G (see above)
Damage: d6+1w (6m)/d6+3w (2m)/ d4+1m (Target)
Range: 150/300/600
Hide: -
Clip: 1 (disposable)
Skill: Heavy Weapons - direct

The German-made Armbrust weapon is a one-shot, disposable shoulder-fired recoilless gun. The design eliminates almost all of the back blast problems common to recoilless and rocket weapons by the use of a shredded plastic countershot. Any person in a line 4m directly behind the shooter may be struck by soft plastic flakes for d4s damage. As a side benefit, the weapon's firing makes only Ordinary noise (though the shell's explosion is as spectacular as any other).

Flame Rocket Launcher, M202 FLASH

Availability: Military
Mass: 5kg (launcher)
Ammunition: Incendiary rocket
Ammo mass: 7kg (clip of 4)
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F/B
Type/Firepower: En/G
Damage: d4+1w (15m)/d6+2w (2m)/ d6+3w (2m)
Range: 100/500/800
Hide: -
Clip: 4
Skill: Heavy Weapons - indirect

This US man-portable rocket launcher is lightweight, but considered accurate enough at close range for use against bunker apertures and moving vehicles, as well as filling the same roles as a flamethrower. The four rockets can be fired individually, or all four can be fired in rapid succession to produce the effect of burst fire (this consumes 4, not 3, rounds of ammunition).

Any person standing in an area 8m wide and 15m long, directly behind the shooter, suffers d4w of HI/O damage. This back blast can rebound on the shooter if blocked by a solid obstacle. The weapon causes Amazing noise and Good visibility when fired.

Mortar, 81mm

Availability: Military
Mass: 38kg (breaks down into 3 components)
Ammunition: 81mm HE shell
Ammo mass: 5kg
Accuracy: +1
Actions: 1
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: HI/G
Damage: d4+1w (24m)/d6+2w (12m)/ d8+2w (6m)
Range: (min 150)1000/3000/5500
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - indirect

A mortar fires high-explosive bombs in a high arc, easily clearing various obstacles and terrain. It cannot fire at targets closer than 150m. The three-man crew typically works in conjunction with a forward observer, who radios back corrections to the mortar's aim. This weapon creates Good noise and visibility when fired.

Rifle, 20mm

Availability: Military
Mass: 20kg
Ammunition: 20mm AP or HE
Accuracy: +0
Actions: 2
Mode: F
Type/Firepower: HI/G
Damage: d8+2w/2d4+3w/d6+2m
Range: 350/800/1800
Hide: -
Clip: 1
Skill: Heavy Weapons - direct

The Croatian RT-20 anti-materiel rifle (the designation stands for "hand cannon" in Croatian) was used successfully in the 1990s Balkan war to reduce the effectiveness of Serbian armoured vehicles by destroying night-vision equipment and in raiding airfields. Weapons of comparable calibre have been developed, but not extensively used, in South Africa, Finland and the US.

The rifle mounts a counter-recoil tube that channels firing gases to the rear to minimise recoil. While allowing repeated firing without injury to the shooter, this backblast creates Good visibility and can injure anyone in the area 6m deep and 4m wide behind the firer (d4-1w HI/O damage), including rebounding on the firer if blocked by a wall or similar obstacle. The weapon creates Amazing noise when fired.

If used for a called shot against a specific part of a vehicle, the GM may apply a +4 penalty to allow the attacker to damage a specific object (one step lower in Toughness, Durability 2 to 4, typically with the same armour value as the vehicle).

The South African NTW-20 rifle (also available in 14.5mm Russian calibre) has a clip of 3 rounds but weighs slightly more.