Magi Chronicles RPG (4e Sourcebook)/Weapons

Within a world of technology, one would expect to see an overarching number of ranged weapons-- more specifically firearms-- prevalent. In this world, however, the melee weapon is just as effective as the ranged weapon, and some classes benefit more from melee weapons as do other classes with ranged weapons. It's also nice to have a back-up weapon just in case your primary is sent out of reach.

Weapons
Below are lists of weapons most commonly found in the civilization-- sorted by weapon type and weapon groups. Simple weapons are easy to use, while the superior weapons require more training to handle. Certain classes have certain proficiencies with weapons-- the most common is simple weapon proficiencies.

Melee Weapons
These weapons are mainly used for close ranged combat, although some can be thrown fair distances and count as ranged weapons as well. Most melee weapons uses a character's Strength to deal damage.

Simple Melee
One-handed Two-handed

Military Melee
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Superior Melee
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Improvised Melee
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Ranged Weapons
These weapons are use for long range combat-- either on land or in the air. Many ranged weapons and firearms are useful in many different situations. Bows and medieval weapons are used for semi-long range combat, while firearms are used for more modern long-range combat. Some firearms have explosive ammunition-- useful for tight-fitting groups or against heavy artillery such as tanks and other armored vehicles.

Simple Ranged
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Military Ranged
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Superior Ranged
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Improvised Ranged
One-Handed

Two-Handed

Weapon Categories

 * Axe: A weapon usually defined as having a heavy, blunt cutting head and a large handle. Axes can come in many different varieties, such as battleaxes, thrown axes, and two-headed waraxes. Most axes are martial and superior weapons. A few other weapons fall into the axe category, such as the halberd. Axes are built to deal sufficiently large amounts of damage.
 * Bow: A bow is a shaft of long, supple material with a string tied to both ends. A bow is a projectile weapon used to fire arrows at long distances. A bow usually requires training to use, but can be deadly when put into expert hands.
 * Crossbow: This weapon is a cross between a bow and a firearm. A metal bow is mounted on a stock and equipped with a mechanical trigger. The pull of the metal bow gives it significant power, but lags in range. Crossbows shoot smaller, dart-like bolts with metallic tips.
 * Explosive: A type of weapon that holds a volatile substance within a small, pressurized capsule. When triggered, explosives can do substantially massive damage over a small area. Explosives can either be placed or thrown. Some firearms, such as the rocket launcher, counts as an explosive weapon.
 * Firearm: This group of weapons is classified as a small or large barrel fitted with a mechanical hammer that ignites a jacket filled with a combustible substance that propels a tiny metallic bullet at extremely long ranges. Firearms range from handguns to blaster rifles, and even rocket launchers. Crossbows are not considered as firearms.
 * A firearm uses your Dexterity for attack and damage rolls.
 * Flail: This weapon is usually fitted with a flexible material, such as a chain link, that separates the handle from the damage-dealing part of the weapon. A whip is considered a flail.
 * Hammer: A hammer has a blunt, heavy head with one or more striking surfaces attached to a haft. Their heavy weight makes them extremely powerful, but their weight also reduces accuracy.
 * Heavy Blade: Blades are balanced edged weapons. Heavy blades share common traits with light blades and axes, and are used primarily for slashing cuts rather than stabs or thrusts.
 * Light Blade: Light blades reward accuracy as much as force. Many light blades are used for piercing thrusts, calculated stabs, and tactical defenses.
 * Mace: Weapons that are similar to hammers, but sport a much heavier head. These weapons are more balanced than hammers, and can deliver crushing blows.
 * Pick: Weighted on the end like a mace or an axe, picks have long, pointed heads made to pierce and inflict deep wounds.
 * Polearm: Polearms are weapons mounted on top of long hatfs. All polearms also fall into another weapon group, such as an axe, heavy blade, or spear. Polearms are reach weapons.
 * Sling: Slings are leather jackets used to hurl stones or metallic pellets. Slings are projectile weapons.
 * Spear: Weapons that have a stabbing head at the end of a long shaft—great for lunging attacks.
 * Staff: In its most basic form, a staff is a long shaft of wood or light material usually the same diameter along its whole length.
 * Unarmed: When you punch, kick, elbow, knee or even head butt an opponent, you are making an unarmed strike. These types of attacks are considered improvised attacks. Creatures that have natural weapons such as claws or bite attacks are proficient with those natural weapons.

Weapon Properties
Weapon properties define additional characteristics shared by weapons that might be in different groups.
 * Area burst: Most explosive weapons have an area of effect when they hit a target or hard surface. All squares in the burst receives the weapon’s damage, as normal.
 * Brutal: A brutal weapon’s minimum damage is higher than that of a normal weapon. When rolling the weapon’s damage, reroll any die that displays a value equal to or lower than the brutal value given to the weapon. Reroll the die until the value shown exceeds the weapon’s brutal value, and then use the new value.
 * For example, the execution axe has a brutal value of 2. If a fighter were to attack with this weapon, it would deal 1d12 damage, rerolling all 1’s and 2’s until he gets a damage value of 3 or more. This does not include critical damage provided by specialized or magic weapon enhancements or any other effect.
 * Defensive: A defensive weapon grants you a +1 bonus to AC while you wield the defensive weapon in one hand and wield another melee weapon in your other hand. Wielding more than one defensive weapon does not increase this bonus. To gain this benefit, you need not attack with the defensive weapon, but you must be proficient with it.
 * Guide: A weapon with the "guide" property lets you steer the weapon as if it were a creature. The projectile in this case would have clumsy movement, so it cannot make sharp turns. With this type of weapon, you do not need line of sight to your target, but you must be in a location where you can hit it by guiding the projectile in one piece. You can even guide it toward aerial targets within range.
 * Heavy Thrown: You hurl a thrown weapon from your hand, rather than using it to loose a projectile. A ranged basic attack with a heavy thrown weapon uses your Strength instead of your Dexterity for attack and damage rolls.
 * High Crit: A high crit weapon deals more damage when you score a critical hit with it. A critical hit deals max weapon damage and an extra 1[W] at 1st-10th levels, an extra 2[W] at 11th-20th levels, and an extra 3[W] at 21st-30th levels. This extra damage is in addition to any critical damage the weapon supplies if it is a specialized and/ or magic weapon.
 * Light Thrown: A ranged basic attack with a light thrown weapon uses your Dexterity. Light weapons don’t deal as much damage as heavy thrown weapons do, but some powers let you hurl several of them at once or in rapid succession.
 * Load Free: Ranged weapons take some time to load. Weapons with the “load free” property lets you draw and load ammunition as a free action, usually as part of the action used to attack with the weapon.
 * Load Minor: Ranged weapons take some time to load. Weapons with the “load minor” property lets you draw and load ammunition as a minor action. If a power allows you to hit multiple targets, the additional load time is accounted for in the power.
 * Load Standard: Ranged weapons take some time to load. Weapons with the “load standard” property lets you draw and load ammunition as a standard action—usually after you have attacked with the weapon. Certain powers let you load such weapons quicker.
 * Off-Hand: An off-hand weapon is light enough that you can hold it and attack effectively with it while holding a weapon in your main hand. You can’t attack with both weapons in the same turn, unless you have a power that lets you do so, but you can attack with either weapon.
 * Reach: With a reach weapon, you can attack creatures up to 2 squares away from you as well as adjacent creatures, with no attack penalty. You can still make opportunity attacks only against adjacent enemies. Likewise, you can flank only an adjacent enemy.
 * Small: This property describes a two-handed or versatile weapon that a Small creature can handle. A Snow Elf can use a shortbow, for example, even though they can’t use two-handed weapons.
 * Versatile: Versatile weapons are one-handed, but you can use them two-handed. If you do, you deal an extra 1 point of damage when you roll damage for the weapon.
 * A small character such as a snow elf must use a versatile weapon two-handed and doesn’t deal extra damage.

Weapon Descriptions
This section describes a few weapons and their special traits.
 * Assault Rifle: This firearm shoots several small bullets at a high rate of fire. You can attack up to a number of targets in a single standard action equal to your Dexterity modifier. A single magazine for an assault rifle can hold up to 24 shots, and it takes a standard action to draw and load a new magazine.
 * Blaster Rifle: This firearm is the most commonly used gun in the military. It is reliable and it can target enemies afar. Certain powers let you shoot multiple targets, but usually you can shoot one creature per turn as a standard action. A single magazine for a blaster rifle can hold up to 16 shots, and it takes a standard action to draw and load a new magazine.
 * Boomerang: This uniquely shaped weapon is also used as recreation. When in skilled hands, the boomerang can return to its owner’s hands, provided it has enough range to make the entire distance. Once it leaves the wielder’s hand, the boomerang can only fly the specified distance or else it will have to be picked up from the ground.
 * Chakram: This uniquely shaped weapon looks like a large shuriken with several protruding blades on the outside with a handle in the center for its wielder to hold it by. This weapon can be thrown, and it has a similar property like that of a boomerang when in expert hands. This weapon can also be used defensively.
 * Gauntlet: A leather glove covered with metal plates, it is an effective weapon that can improve your unarmed attacks slightly. Unlike other weapons, the gauntlet occupies your magic item hands slot when enchanted.
 * Gatling Gun: An improved version of the assault rifle, the gatling gun can inflict much more damage to a wide area of fire. Certain powers let you attack more targets per turn, but you can attack a number of targets in a single standard action equal to your Dexterity modifier. A single magazine for a gatling gun can hold up to 36 shots, and it takes a minor action to draw and a standard action to load a new magazine.
 * Handgun: The most basic firearm available. It fires one shot as a standard action. You can wield two handguns, but you can only attack with one per turn—unless you have a power that lets you attack with both weapons. A single magazine for a handgun holds 6 shots, and it takes a minor action to draw and load a new magazine.
 * Hybrid Pistol: Hybrid pistols are common amongst most marines—mainly because they sport a small blade to attack adjacent creatures. Treat the melee and ranged attacks separately. Certain powers enable you to fire at more than one creature in a single standard action. A single magazine for a hybrid pistol can hold up to 12 shots, and it takes a minor action to draw and load a new magazine.
 * IRM Launcher: The arm & hammer of the military, IRM (Infrared Rocketeered Mortar) Launchers are a staple for many vanguards due to their destructive capabilities. Their ability to lock on to individual targets allows them to target weak spots in tight defenses. An IRM Launcher can fire up to one projectile at a time, and it takes a standard action to reload. You can choose not to lock on to a specific target, but lock-on generally requires line of sight to the target.
 * Lance: A lance is a long polearm that you can use to throw at creatures. When you use the lance for melee combat, it must be held with two hands. You can hurl it with one hand, but if you hurl it with two hands, you can add your Dexterity modifier to the weapon’s damage roll if it hits a target.
 * Missile Launcher: Nimble yet fearsome, missile launchers represent a perfect example of complete customization of weapons systems and the ability to use different projectiles for different jobs. Many missile launchers fire projectiles in a straight line, unless the wielder enables lock-on, which requires line of sight to the target. Some missiles can actually be ‘guided’ to their target without the requirement of line of sight. Missile launchers can hold up to 2 non-guided missiles or 1 guided missile, and requires a standard action to reload with each.
 * Sniper Rifle: The most prized weapon of snipers, the sniper rifle is the javelin of all firearms. One shot from this weapon can bring a creature to its knees. You can attack once per turn with a sniper rifle. A single magazine for a sniper rifle can hold up to 6 shots, and it takes a standard action to draw and load a new magazine.
 * If you score a critical hit with a sniper rifle, you can roll the attack roll again to inflict double the maximum damage to the target. If you happen to get a nat 20 on your reroll, you deal triple the maximum damage, meaning that you have scored a critical hit on the creature’s weak spot—you cannot inflict damage higher than that. This bonus to damage is in addition but does not apply to the sniper rifle’s high crit property or any other additional damage values, such as those provided by specialized or magic weapons.
 * Spiked Gauntlet: These gauntlets are specially fitted with metal spikes. Unlike other weapons, the spiked gauntlet occupies your magic item hands slot when enchanted.
 * Viper Pistol: A step up from the handgun, viper pistols shoot at a high rate of fire. You can attack up to 2 creatures in a single standard action. You can wield two viper pistols, but you can only attack with one per turn—unless you have a power that lets you attack with both weapons. A single magazine for a viper pistol holds 10 shots and it takes a minor action to draw and load a new magazine.
 * War Lance: A war lance is a more specialized lance that can effectively take out enemies. When you use the lance for melee combat, it must be held with two hands. You can hurl it with one hand, but if you hurl it with two hands, you can add your Dexterity modifier to the weapon’s attack and damage roll.

Back to Index