Special Sniper Rifle Rounds (3.5e Equipment)

There are many different types of munition for guns of all sort, the sniper rifle is no exception, including armor piercing rounds, incendiary rounds, wounding rounds, and even explosive rounds. The standard munition for a sniper rifle, of course, are rifle cartridges, and the munition listed herein are purely secondary to these cartridges.

Long Cartridges
In contrast to the normal rifle cartridges, which only hold 5 shots per cartridge, the long cartridge holds 15 shot apiece. The expanded clip length, of course, comes at a price, for the extra crafting for the contraptions necessary to make sure that, even at such a length, the next round will pop into the chamber seamlessly. When loaded with a long cartridge, a sniper rifle can fire off up to 15 shots before needing to be reloaded as a full round action which provokes attacks of opportunity. A fully loaded long cartridge weighs around 4 pounds, with the magazine making up about 1 pound of that weight.

Long cartridges are sold in secure, metal containers containing 20 preloaded long cartridges, which amounts to about 300 rounds, in total. Such an ammunition box weighs 112 lb. and is valued at 700 gp. (~2 gp/round). Other types of munition, detailed below, can also be produced in long cartridges. The price and weight for such a special order would be ascertained by multiplying the original price and weight of the munition each by 3.5.

Armor Piercing Rounds
Armor piercing rounds are the most common type of special munition used, for good reason, as, when a weapon is loaded with armor piercing rounds, they find they have a much easier time boring through tough armor or hide, which allows armor piercing rounds to bypass damage reduction as though they were piercing, and to also ignore half of a target's armor or natural armor bonus to their AC, rounded up (so, a +5 armor bonus to AC would become +2).

A standard cartridge of armor piercing rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Armor piercing rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 28 lb. and is valued at 4,000 gp.

Ballistic Tip Rounds
Ballistic tip rounds are a very useful type of munition, as when a weapon is loaded with ballistic tip rounds, the shots it fires result in deafening concussions upon impact, allowing the shots to bypass damage reduction as though it were bludgeoning, and also blowing the opponent away partway, forcing them to make an attempt to resist a bull rush made by the ballistic tip round (the shot's modifier being your BAB + the enhancement on the weapon). If the shot wins this bull rush attempt, the target is knocked prone.

A standard cartridge of ballistic tip rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Ballistic tip rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 36 lb. and is valued at 4,000 gp.

Flayer Rounds
Flayer rounds are a very dangerous type of ammo, as the shots are flat and extremely sharp, being able to slice through flesh with little pressure, and allowing the shots to bypass damage reduction as though it were slashing. Not only this, but Flayer rounds are so thin and streamlined, that they are capable of passing through a body without even hinting at any impact, making it so that the target of the round isn't even aware they've been shot at all unless they succeed on a sense motive check (DC 10 + your BAB) to notice the slight pain in their body.

A standard cartridge of flayer rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Flayer rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 32 lb. and is valued at 4,000 gp.

Cyro Rounds
Cyro rounds, as their name would suggest, freeze a target on a hit, causing hypothermia and frostbite unsettlingly fast. A weapon firing a cryo round unleashes a blast of almost absolute zero upon the target, dealing 6d6 points of cold damage and forcing the target to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half your HD + your Dex mod) or be affected as thought by the slow spell (this is an extraordinary effect) for 1d4 rounds.

A standard cartridge of cryo rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Cyro rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 38 lb. and is valued at 6,000 gp.

Incendiary Rounds
Incendiary rounds, as their name would suggest, incinerate a target on a hit, dealing grievous damage upon the target. A weapon firing an incendiary round inflicts a blast of focused flames onto the target, dealing 6d6 points of fire damage and forcing the target to make a Reflex save (DC 10 + half your HD + your Dex mod) or catch fire. The flame burns for 1d4 rounds, dealing 1d6 damage each round. A burning creature can take a move action to put out the flame.

A standard cartridge of incendiary rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Incendiary rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 38 lb. and is valued at 6,000 gp.

Injection Rounds
Injection rounds are a type of munition which is shaped similar to a syringe for the express purpose of injecting fluids into a target upon a successful hit. There are many different types of injection rounds, from acid injection to silver nitrate injection, which are all detailed below. Injection rounds are also known as 'darts' in most cultures.

A standard cartridge of injection rounds, regardless of type, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Injection rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 50 lb. and is always valued at 8,000 gp.

Acid Injection
Acid injection rounds carry within them a strain of sulfuric acid which is pumped straight into the target's bloodstream, causing immense pain and internal damage. Anyone struck by an acid injection round immediately takes 1d6 acid damage without a saving throw, and at the beginning of each round for 1d10 rounds after that, takes another 1d6 acid damage as it burns under their skin.

Irradiated Injection
Irradiated injection rounds carry within them a fluid compound that emits intensely focused UV rays, glowing like a flame in any conditions, marking a creature's position for all to see. To begin with, anyone shot by an irradiated injection round immediately starts to emit light, granting shadowy illumination in a 5 foot radius around themselves, and marking their location for all to see. In addition to this, if the target of the shot has some form of vulnerability to sunlight, the irradiated fluid burns them from the inside like a sun was in their gut, The target being treated as though they were exposed to bright sunlight each round for five rounds.

Silver Nitrate Injection
Silver nitrate injection rounds carry within them a fluid compound containing silver, which serves as a potent poison, not to mention it's other uses. To begin with, anyone shot by a silver nitrate injection round must make a Fortitude save (DC 20) or take 1d6 points of Con damage. In addition to this, if the target of the round has damage reduction that would normally be bypassed by silver or some form of silver allergy, the silver nitrate sticks around, and causes intense suffering as it's pumped throughout their bloodstream. For five rounds after being shot with a silver nitrate injection round, if the creature has damage reduction, then all attacks bypass it. Not only this, but the target it also is also treated as being exposed to and touching silver at the beginning of each of those rounds.

Tranquilizer Injection
Tranquilizer injection rounds carry within them a mild tranquilizer which is capable of bringing down anything alive, given enough time. Anyone struck by a tranquilizer injection round immediately falls under it's effects, becoming dazzled for one round without a save, and, if they fail a Fortitude save (DC 20), becoming dazed for one round as well. If the target was already dazed when they were shot, they must instead make a DC 20 Fortitude save to avoid falling unconscious for the next hour.

Stun Rounds
Stun rounds are a type of munition that is intended to merely stun a target, instead of mortally wound them. Stun rounds contain a super charged plasma fluid, which, upon impact, converts itself to energy as the bullet/container shatters, overriding the target's nervous system with uncontrolled energy for a few moments. On a successful hit, a stun round deals no damage, but forces the target to make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + half your HD + your Dex mod) to avoid being stunned for the round. Being stunned for three rounds straight by stun rounds actually results in paralysis, which lasts for one hour.

A standard cartridge of stun rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Stun rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 30 lb. and is valued at 8,000 gp.

X-blast Rounds
X-blast rounds contain two separate compartments, each filled with a fluid that, upon contact with the other, reacts violently, causing an explosion. Upon impact, these two separate compartments are smashed together, causing a large explosion which deals damage identical to to the weapons base damage, to all creatures within 30 feet of the target. There is no saving throw to ignore part of this damage, as the explosion is extremely sudden and powerful, expanding out before anything can react.

A standard cartridge of x-blast rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. X-blast rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 40 lb. and is valued at 12,500 gp.

Homing Rounds
Homing rounds are a very strange type of munition which seeks heat, UV rays, even simple motion, with unerring accuracy. Homing rounds are shocking in how accurate they can be, even bending around corners to hit their target. A homing round ignores all forms of concealment and all forms of cover other than total cover. Not only this, but a homing round cannot even be deflected, intercepted, or blocked. Any attempt to do so, whether to catch it, deflect it, or reflect it, automatically fails, regardless of who is making the attempt.

A standard cartridge of homing rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Homing rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box weighs 50 lb. and is valued at 16,000 gp.

Mile Rounds
Mile rounds, are an experimental type of munition which is, as the name suggests, intended to extend the range of a sniper rifle out to a distant of 1 mile (5,280 feet), with minimal drift. Mile rounds are extremely shaky and fragile, as a result, and require very specific production methods, driving the price sky high. Keep in mind, of course, that these type of rounds only allow the gun to be accurate out to a mile in distance, it might still be quite difficult to see that far.

A standard cartridge of mile rounds, like a normal cartridge for a sniper rifle, contains 5 rounds. Mile rounds are sold in sets of around 20 prearranged magazines contained within long, metal containers, with a total 100 rounds ready to be fired. Such an ammunition box is extremely lightweight, being only about 10 lb. and is valued at 20,000 gp.