|
Some weapons, primarily shotguns and grenade
launchers, can fire rounds that consist of many smaller
antipersonnel projectiles that spread out in flight to increase the
chance of hitting. Such rounds fired by shotguns are called
buckshot. Those fired by grenade launchers and some heavy guns are
called flechette (or sometimes "beehive," for their distinctive
sound), and consist of many small darts.
Shotguns may fire either slugs or buckshot
rounds. Slugs are fired in the same way as any other small arms fire
using the ratings provided with the weapon. If the shotgun fires
buckshot, however, the rules below apply.
Buckshot and flechettes behave as follows.
At short range, they are treated as normal
single-shot weapons with their listed short-range damage, as the
pattern of buckshot or flechettes has not yet spread out.
At medium and long range, each shot is treated as
a multi-round burst using the automatic fire rule, including the
reduction of dice rolled for hits for recoil and range. Most shotgun
and flechette shots are rolled as 10-round "bursts," but three- and
five-round "bursts" are also possible. The number of dice rolled for
the shot is indicated parenthetically with the weapon's ROF. For
example, SS (10) is a single shot weapon firing a 10-dice burst,
while SA (5) would be a semiautomatic weapon rolling five dice per
shot. Each rolled hit does damage as indicated in the damage column.
Some shotguns or flechette-firing weapons are
capable of automatic fire. The listed burst size of the weapon is
the number of multi-dice "bursts" of buckshot or flechettes that are
actually fired. At short range the player rolls a number of standard
direct fire tasks (as modified by recoil) equal to the burst size,
with each hit doing the indicated short range damage. At medium or
long range use the range rule from automatic fire to calculate the
number of dice rolled for hits based on the appropriate burst size
(i.e., subtracting one die per range band from a three-round burst,
two dice from a five-round burst, etc.). This shows the number of
multi dice bursts to be rolled for at that range. Each of these
bursts must also have its number of hit dice reduced for range and
recoil.
For example, an automatic grenade launcher firing
a five-round burst of flechette, each rolling 10 dice (listed in the
ROF column as "5 (10)") would roll five dice for hits at short
range. At medium range, there would be only three flechette bursts
to roll for (because a five-round burst loses two rounds per range
band), and each of these 10-round bursts would be reduced to seven
dice rolled for damage (because 10-round bursts are reduced by three
dice per range band). At long range, there would only be one
flechette burst left (the five-round burst has lost two more rounds
for the next range band), and that burst would be further reduced to
only four dice rolled for hits. For simplicity, this example did not
include the effects of recoil, which would further reduce the number
of dice.
Buckshot and flechette differ in that flechette
darts are more aerodynamically shaped, and therefore have better
range performance. Buckshot can fire out to only medium range (no
effect at long or extreme), while flechette can fire out to long
range (no effect at extreme). Flechettes also often have better
penetration performance. Penetration for both buckshot and
flechettes is listing in the penetration rating column of the House
Rules Performance section of each weapon page.
Bursting Flechette Rounds: The above rules apply to
flechettes that are fired shotgun-style from small arms. Larger
weapons, rockets, and missiles fire bursting flechette warheads
which are fired as single warheads but which explode at a certain
distance. The flechettes fly outward in an advancing cone from the
exploding warhead, then stabilize to form a wide cylinder or disk of
flechettes travelling along the path on which the round was fired.
Bursting flechette rounds can be recognized in
the weapons listings because they are rated with a danger zone of a
certain width in meters × a certain length. This danger zone is the
round's primary danger zone, the secondary danger zone has the same
width and length, and begins at the end of the first danger zone
(along the path of flight). Within these danger zones, whose width
is centered on the line along which the round was fired, all targets
roll as if they were within the primary (if in primary danger zone)
or secondary (if in secondary danger zone) burst radius of an
artillery shell. Each flechette hit in the primary danger zone does
2D6 points of damage with a penetration rating of 1, each hit in the
secondary danger zone does 1D6 points of damage with penetration
rating of Nil.
When firing a bursting flechette round, the
firing character or crew must make a normal direct fire to-hit roll
using the appropriate skill (depending on whether the weapon is a
large-bore gun, rocket or missile launcher, etc.), and incorporating
all normal modifiers. Success indicates that the warhead bursts so
that the selected target is exactly at the midpoint of the primary
danger zone, in length and width. If it misses, roll 1D10. 1
indicates that the round burst high, firing over the target (no
damage), 2 indicates a low burst, firing into the ground (no
damage), 3-4 indicates that the round burst off to the left, 5-6
burst off to the right, 7-8 burst short (farther in front of the
target), and 9-10 burst long (farther beyond the target). Roll 1D10
for the number of meters left, right, long, or short, using the aim
point to measure from (multiply number of meters by 5 if
catastrophic failure was rolled). Once the danger zones are
established, roll normally for any targets that may be in the
deviated danger zones.
The centerline of the danger zones is always the
line drawn directly from the firing unit to the adjusted burst
point.
Bursting flechette rounds may only be fired as
direct fire, never as indirect fire.
Shotgun and Small Arms Flechette Danger Zone:
Small arms flechette rounds (i.e., non-bursting flechette rounds)
and shotguns firing buckshot have danger zones like those described
in the Automatic Fire rules, except that shotguns and small arms
flechettes do not create a danger zone at short range, because they
are treated as single shots at this range: Either they hit their
target or they don't. Large caliber flechettes do create a danger
space at short range.
| Type of Round |
Maximum Range |
Danger Zone
Begins |
| Shotgun Buckshot |
Medium |
Medium |
| Small Arms Flechette |
Long |
Medium |
As with the automatic fire danger zone, dice that
do not hit their targets are rolled against other targets in the
danger zone and against other targets that move through the danger
zone during the turn.
|
