Table of Contents
Commonly Available Gear
These are some commonly available items spoken of in slightly more detail than in the Equipment for Sale page. Ideally, this will eventually replace the Equipment section.
Weapons
Ammunition Types
Most ammunition is available in several standardized calibers:
Handgun
Handgun rounds are labeled as HG, and are rounds with a low length-to-width ratio. They are the easiest to acquire legally.
5mmHG: This is a small, short round that is meant for low-noise operation and commonly used in suppressed firearms. It is typically not very useful against armored targets.
7.5mmHG: An intermediate round considered an ideal balance between portability and penetration.
10mmHG: A bigger handgun for those who actually want to hurt somebody.
15mmHG: A much bigger handgun round for those who want to rip large holes in people nearby.
Rifle
Rifle rounds are labeled as RR, and are rounds with a decent length-to-width ratio.
6mmRR: The standard low-caliber rifle round, this relies on high-powered propellant to launch its payload at damaging velocities.
12mmRR: A large round for putting bigger holes in people from a longer distance away.
18mmRR: The most powerful practical long-range round in existence that doesn't use magnetic velocity.
25mmRR: These are usually payload-based rifle rounds used at very low rates of fire (read: sniper rifles), but some machine guns use them for annihilating anything in front of them… as do a few odd handguns used by crazy people.
Magnetically Accelerated
Rounds used in needlers and railguns are known as MA rounds, and generally are not packaged with propellant; magnetic force is the only propulsion involved.
2mmMA: These 2mm magnetic-accelerated flechettes are designed to shred through targets.
7mmMA: These larger magnetic-accelerated flechettes are designed to create larger holes in targets.
20mmMA: These thumb-sized rounds usually deliver explosive payloads at high velocity over long distances. Often at high rates of fire.
44mmMA: These are your classic grenades delivered in a not-so-classic magnetically accelerated package.
Gyrocs
Gyroc rounds are propelled by internal rockets, allowing them to self-correct in flight.
9mmGY: These are the smallest gyroc rounds in common use, capable of fairly flat trajectories and moderate self-guidance to target. Generally used as antipersonnel weapons.
16mmGY: These large gyroc rounds are designed to put humanoid targets down or punch through vehicles.
27mmGY: These are considered high-end and usually fired from single-shot pistols or heavy rifles, and usually contain a payload and advanced guidance features.
60mmGY: These are the modern equivalent of rocket launchers, and hit just as hard.
Shotgun Shells
Shotgun shells are favored by handloaders because they are easily manufactured and reloaded; they are also perfectly functional in compatible weaponry from the 19th and 20th century.
10mmSH: A small shotgun shell designed for sport hunting, based on the .410 shotgun round.
15mmSH: A fairly small shotgun shell used for hunting and basic defense, based on the 20-gauge hunting round.
18mmSH: A medium-sized shotgun shell designed for crowd suppression, based on the common twelve-gauge combat round.
20mmSH: This is a large shotgun shell designed to rip apart unarmored targets, based on the popular ten-gauge combat round.
Propellant Types
Caseless Propellant (CP): Caseless Propellant weapons use bullets encased in their propellant, typically resembling a small crayon with a bullet as the point and a protective outer coating. They are in common usage and are relatively easy to manufacture with the right equipment. Any weapon can be made in a CP style for normal cost, or adds 20% if a traditional weapon is remanufactured to take CP rounds.
Hard-Case Propellant (HCP): Hard-Case Propellant rounds use bullets with a rigid polymer casing to contain the propellant; this ensures that the round retains full velocity (as the propellant doesn't have any risk of being scraped away), is viable for longer periods of time, and is harder to detect (as the propellant doesn't 'leak' out of the casing, providing traces to chemsniffers, as readily as Caseless rounds.) They also remain compatible with older firearms of the same caliber or with conversion kits. Any weapon can be made in a HCP style for normal cost.
Liquid Propellant (LP): Liquid Propellant weapons use external tanks of propellant to fire the round, allowing the user to vary their projectile's velocity by changing the propellant mix used. This is very popular amongst do-it-yourselfers and snipers. Weapons designed to take liquid propellant use two propellant tanks (each of which weighs half as much as a normal magazine), as well as a magazine of ammunition that holds 1.5x as much ammunition as a standard magazine with the same weight.
Electrothermal-Chemical Propellant (ETCP): ETC Propellant weapons augment the raw chemical energy of propellant with electrical power from a power cell, sold separately. ETC rounds fire electronically, allowing for much higher rates of fire than traditional weapons at almost no extra cost. Typically, the power cell is stored in the weapon stock so as not to significantly impact the operation of the weapon.
Each caliber of standard bullet (not magnetic or gyroc) is available in these four round types. Gyrocs have self-contained propellant (they are basically Hard-Case), and magnetic flechette rounds use magnets (and power) instead of propellant, with much of the weight of the magazine being taken up by the power cell.
Cell Types
Power cells are typically designed to store a given amount of power, with each cell being equivalent to ten of the next smaller size in terms of capacity. They do not lose power when in storage, can be recharged in roughly one hour from a standard-quality charger, can be discharged in up to one minute, and can be recharged an nigh-infinite amount of times without losing duration. For purposes of example, a standard C cell weighs 0.5 lbs, costs $10, can power a personal (desktop) computer of the same tech level for 20 hours, and is insufficient to fire any weapon that gets fewer than 60 shots on a C cell (but see high-discharge options).
Standard: These standard power cells are designed to discharge and charge at a 'standard' rate. This does not affect cost, weight, discharge rate, recharge weight, or storage capacity.
Budget: These cheap 'dollar store' grade cells tend to hold less power, recharge more slowly, and/or suffer memory effects over time/are less reusable. If it matters, roll 1d: on 1-2, cell holds 50% normal power, on 3-4, cell takes twice as long to charge, on 5 cell has an effective Malf of 16 and stops recharging when it malfunctions, and on 6 the cell works normally. The user will not be made aware of this fact, although brands that always have the same problem will likely be determinable via a bit of market research. Cost is half normal.
High-Capacity: These cells hold more power in the same space, but have no adjustments to charge/discharge rate. Cost is 2x normal for 50% extra capacity, 3x normal for 100% extra capacity, or 5x normal for 150% extra capacity.
High-Power: These cells are capable of discharging and recharging much more quickly than standard cells, but do not have a higher capacity. In short, these cells can be discharged in as little as one second if necessary, and recharge in 50% less time if used with an appropriate charger. Cost is double normal.
Heavy Duty: These cells hold more power and can be used in High-Power discharge applications; however they recharge more slowly. In short, they can discharge entirely in one second, and hold 100% more power than standard cells, but take twice as long to recharge. Cost is increased by a factor of 3.
Max Discharge: These cells are designed to be capable of discharging completely in a very low timeframe without affecting the battery's ability to be recharged, but have only 'standard' storage and recharge capacity. They can discharge completely in less than a second, which may be hazardous if done improperly, and cost twice as much as normal cells.
Fast Charge: These cells have a high recharge rate, but standard capacity and discharge rates. Double cost for 2x normal charge rate, quadruple cost for 3x, and multiply cost by 10 for 4x.
Premium: These cells combine high capacity and high recharge into an optimum performance package, but maintain 'standard' discharge rates. Quadruple cost for 2x charge rate and capacity, or multiply cost by 10 for triple charge rate and capacity.
Hotshot: These cells are the budget equivalent of Max Discharge cells; they can empty rapidly, and capacity is normal, but their recharge rate is slow and they tend to suffer from memory effects. If it matters, they have an effective Malf rate of 16, recharge in double the normal time, and can discharge completely in one second. Cost is 80% normal.
Bulk Capacity: These cells are the budget equivalent of high-capacity cells; they hold more power, but charge more slowly and may suffer from memory effects. Effective Malf is 16 and charging takes twice normal time, but double capacity costs only as much as a normal battery, and triple capacity costs only three times as much.
Zapper: These cells are the budget equivalent of fast-charge cells; they can recharge quickly but tend to break down faster. This gives them a Malf of 16, normal capacity and discharge rates, and doubled recharge rate for only 80% of the cost of normal batteries.