Chapter 10 - Technology ======================= 10.1 Introduction =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- The technology of the Imperium is advanced, more advanced than that in the "real world" (that is, toward the end of the Second Millenium). However, it is nothing compared to the technological knowledge Mankind once enjoyed. The story of how that knowledge came to be lost, in the period of legend referred to as the Age of Strife, will be covered in another chapter. Suffice to say here that once the Imperium stored this data in a vast computer system of Standard Template Constructs, or STCs. Unfortunately, much of the STC system was destroyed in the Dark Age of Technology, and only the more "basic" technologies, those in common use by the common people of the Imperium, survived. Much of the more advanced knowledge was rarely used, and therefore copies were only kept in the STC databanks, which were lost. It is the Holy Grail of the Adeptus Mechanicus of Mars, the Tech-priesthood of Mankind, to find a working STC system, or sufficient information to rebuild the lost databank. The Imperium of Mankind at the current time has all but lost any creative or design impetus, any push to allow Mankind to redevelop the lost information. Those that come into contact with technology use it with reservations and a reverence that is almost religious. The Space Marines, for example, treat all their equipment and armour as if it were imbued with a will of its own - a fine chest plate, well looked after and constantly maintained may reward its wearer by saving his life, whereas a Space Marine who neglects his equipment may be struck down by a leaking suit or malfunctioning weapon. Such is the will of the Gods. Almost all of the knowledge currently known is how to *repair* things, and some technology is so advanced that without the missing STC data, it cannot be repaired. It falls into disrepair and disuse. The Departmentorum Biologis of the Adeptus Mechanicus hold some secrets of genetic manipulation and the inner workings of the human body still, but much scientific knowledge on this subject was also lost in the Dark Age of Technology. Some aspects of the known technology of the 41st Millenium are described below. In addition, please refer to other background chapters such as the Eldar and Tyranids for information on technology or weaponry specific to these races. Much of the knowledge that wasn't lost concerns various nasty ways to hurt another living being, from the primitive bow and Stub Gun to the Multimelta and the Rapier Laser Destroyer. Note that the weapons described here are described in rules terms in the Wargear chapter - you are referred there for the damage, range, special rules, etc. that apply to these weapons. 10.2 The Adeptus Mechanicus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.2.1 Introduction -------------------- Mars is the planetary realm of the Adeptus Mechanicus, the home and domain of the Tech-Priests of the Cult Mechanicus. The Red Planet is acclaimed as one of the wonders of the Galaxy, the workshop of the Imperium, the forge-world, the maker of ships, and the guardian of secrets. It is the Adeptus Mechanicus who furnish the technical knowledge of the Imperium, preserve the scientific secrets of former times, and who explore the new sciences of the 41st millennium. 10.2.2 The Cult Mechanicus --------------------------- The Cult Mechanicus, or Cult of the Machine God, acknowledges the Emperor as Master of Mankind but does not recognise the authority of the official Imperial Cult or the Ecclesiarchy. Instead, the Adeptus Mechanicus follows its own dark and mysterious strictures. According to the Adeptus Mechanicus, knowledge is the supreme manifestation of divinity, and all creatures and artefacts that embody or store knowledge are holy because of it. The Emperor is the supreme object of worship because he comprehends so much. Machines which preserve knowledge from ancient times are holy, and machine intelligences are no less divine than those of flesh and blood. A mans worth is only the sum of his knowledge - his body is simply an organic machine capable of preserving intellect. The Adeptus Mecahnicus controls the entire governmental, industrial and religious affairs of Mars. In its broadest terms, the population is divided into two parts. The greater mass of Martians are worker-slaves called Servitors. Servitors are not really fully human, but half-man half-machine constructs whose minds have been partially programmed to perform specific duties. The Servitors are slaves to the ruling priesthood of Tech-Priests who form a hierarchy of technicians, scientists and religious leaders. The Tech-Priests provide the Imperium with its engineers and technical experts. 10.2.3 Organisation -------------------- Fabricator General | Ruling Cult Members +--------+-------+-------+---------+ | | | | | Magos Logis | Genetor Artisan | Ordinary Cult Members +----------+-----+------+------------+-----------+ | | | | | | Electro- Rune | Engineer Trans- Lex- -Priest Priest | -Mechanic -Mechanic | Servitors The leader of the Adeptus Mechanicus is the Fabricator General of Mars. He is a High Lord of Terra and also the head of the Cult Mechanicus in his capacity as the Magos Mechanicus. A Magos is a master of technological achievement, of which there are are many divisions, such as Magos Technicus, Magos Physic, Magos Biologis, etc. A Logis is a logistician, analyst and statistician, whose job is to predict future trends and make forecasts about expenditure and needs. They are regarded as prophetic figures. Genetors are genetic scientists. Artisans, or Constructors, design and oversee the building of machines, buildings, spacecraft, and military hardware. They control the vast labour forces of Servitors. Electro-Priests are fanatic warriors of the Cult Mechanicus. They travel on board spacecraft and support the Tech-Priesthood in battle. The Electro-Priest turns himself into a crackling fount of electrical energy, destroying everything he touches before he collapses from the strain. Engineers are highly trained agents of the Cult Mechanicus, often assigned to duties in the Imperial Guard or other parts of the Adeptus Terra. There are specialties of Trans-Mechanic, specialists in communications technology, and Lex-Mechanic, computer workers. Lex-mechanics compile, enter and analyse data in a central computer system. They work with computer speed and accuracy, assembling battlefield reports, economy statistics, planetary reports, and so forth. Any Engineer can use his 'techno-empathy' to interface his mind directly to a computer to track down malfunctions, access a database, or reconstruct a program almost instantly. Servitors are mindless slaves machines of living flesh and metal - creatures with no individual mind who obey their programming without question. Servitors make up the bulk of the Martian population, and there are many kinds from heavy mining cyborgs to Holomats (holographic recorders). The most severe punishment for a criminal is to be turned into a Servitor: mind-wiped and re-programmed to perform some rudimentary function. Ex-wrongdoers wear a brass plaque round their necks proclaiming their crime as a warning to all who would cross the Tech-Priests of Mars. 10.2.4 Mars ------------ Mars itself has changed enormously since Man first set foot on its barren, arid surface. In the early 22nd century it became the first world to be terraformed. It was given an atmosphere and its deserts were turned into fertile soil. However, agriculture was never very important on Mars - its main source of wealth lay below its surface in the form of gems, minerals and metal ores. Once terraformed, Mars was settled by industrial cartels and their workforces, and soon grew into the first human hive world. Mars became a centre for industrial production and research, and its very name has become synonymous with technical expertise and scientific exploration. Mars became the hub for further exploration throughout the solar system. Today Mars has evolved into the workshop of the Adeptus. Its factory hives produce the bulk of all technical equipment used in the Imperium. Spacecraft and other large specialised constructs are fabricated in the orbital factories that spin around the equatorial belt. Ships of the Warfleet Solar are based in the huge floating docks, and other craft from all over the Imperium visit what are the largest man-made objects in the entire Galaxy. As the first hives ever built, the Martian factory hives are ancient and all are at least partially ruinous. Some areas are well maintained, and there are many new areas of building. Areas that are no longer used are simply allowed to rot. A journey through the internal travel tubes would take a person from extremes of new construction to ancient industrial wastes. The travel lines weave between shining new building piles with their nets of steel bracing like the rigging of a sailing ship, passing into older darker areas where broken condensation traps spill their vapourous contents and enmesh speeding tube liners in a perpetual fog. Wastelands cover vast parts of the cities, deserts of broken plasteel slabs and twisted girders, with the occasional solitary tower pointing purposely towards the pink Martian sky. 10.2.5 The Titan Legions ------------------------- Mars endured long centuries of isolation while anarchy tore at the ancient world of Earth. When the Emperor drew Mars back into the fold of the unified Imperium, it had long since become a society very different to that of Earths. One of the most important and enduring differences was the development of the huge fighting machines known as Titans. These vast constructions were unlike anything ever seen on Earth. Massive humanoid- shaped piloted robots powered by fission reactors and bristling with mighty cannons. On a world as barren as Mars the Titans could stride effortlessly over the hostile landscape where mere troopers would be engulfed in the poisonous wastes and choking dust of the Martian deserts. A Titan is a gargantuan land-battleship powered by advanced technology. Its armoured carapace is capable of withstanding heavy damage, whilst its armaments can level whole cities. The Titans are one of the most potent weapons in the arsenal of the Imperium. Within each Titan a crew of dozens, or even hundreds, or individuals scurry about their tasks, propelling, refuelling and maintaining the giant machine, manning its mighty weapons and guiding it over the battlefield. When the Emperor led Mankind on the Great Crusade the Titan Legions marched alongside the Space Marines. As the Imperium expanded the Adeptus Mechanicus took many worlds for themselves, planets which they settled and turned into the Adeptus Mechanicus Forge Worlds. These became the bases for the Titan Legions throughout the Galaxy, so that today the Titan Legions are spread across the Imperium, where they defend the scatters Forge Worlds of the Adeptus Mechanicus. 10.2.6 The Quest For Knowledge ------------------------------- The Adeptus Mechanicus is driven by the quest for knowledge. This quest takes many forms, including research and exploration, but its ultimate embodiment is the search for ancient STC systems. STC systems were created during the scientific high point of the Dark Age of Technology. During this time thousands of human colonies were founded on distant worlds. Many of these colonies failed to survive, some were lost, and of those that survived most achieved only a subsistence level economy. Yet almost all of these colonies managed to retain a high level of technology thanks to the huge base of computerised information carried from Earth. This massive computer databank was known as the Standard Template Construct (STC) system. The STCs are often said to embody the sum total of human knowledge. This is probably true as far as technical accomplishment goes. Although most colonists required little more than designs for agricultural machinery, programs were included for all sorts of advanced constructions such as nuclear power grids and nuclear fission. However, the early colonists needs were simple and were met by conventional energy forms and relatively low level technology. Today there are no known surviving STC systems, and only a very few examples of first generation print-outs. On some worlds information about the ancient STC systems is holy and design copies are guarded as secret and sacred texts, housed in the inner sanctums of temples. For thousands of years the Adeptus Mechanicus has persued all information about the STCs. It is their lost bible, Holy Grail and Cup of Knowledge. Any scrap of information is eagerly sought out and jealously hoarded. Any rumour of a functional system is followed up and investigated. By their efforts much information has been retrieved or can be reconstructed by the vigourous analysis and comparison of copies. Yet the most technically advanced knowledge eludes the Adeptus Mechanicus, for the early colonists were mostly simple folk with practical needs. Only rarely did anyone bother to take copies of the theoretical and advanced work which the STC contained. 10.2.7 Adeptus Mechanicus Profiles ----------------------------------- Tech-Priest M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 4 33 25 3 3 6 30 1 40 29 50 40 30 30 Engineer M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 4 33 25 3 3 6 40 1 50 29 40 30 30 30 Electro-Priest M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 4 41 25 8 3 6 30 1 40 66 40 40 30 30 Servitor M WS BS S T W I A Dex Ld Int Cl WP Fel 4 33 34 3 4 6 40 1 40 29 30 30 30 30 10.3 Hand to Hand Weapons =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.3.1 Chain Weapons - the Chain Sword and Chain Axe ----------------------------------------------------- Members of the Chain weapons family are common and popular. They come in a range of forms, all of them close combat weapons. The most common form is the Chain Sword, a popular weapon with officers in Imperial Guard forces, boarding parties and close assault troops. The powered chainsaw edge is studded with sharp monomolecular teeth capable of slicing through armour and steel bulkheads. The chainsword makes an angry buzzing noise as its razor-edged teeth spin around, intensifying to a high pitched scream as the weapon bites. A less common form is the Chain Axe, a heavy axe whose blade is replaced by the whirring monomoleculer edge of a rotating chain. 10.3.2 Chainfist ----------------- The Chainfist, a variant and combination of the Chain weapon family and the Power weapon family, is designed for use by Terminator Space Marines. It is primarily used for cutting holes through heavy bulkheads doors and walls, but it also an awesome weapon in close combat. The Chainfist is essentially a Power Glove (see below) incorporating a Chainsword (see below). The cutting edge is encased in a power field which crackles and glows with energy. This power field discharges energy as soon as the Chainfist strikes, striking the target with flashing bursts of energy. Crawling forks of blue lightning crawl over the targets surface and shatter it, and the whirring teeth chew through armour and flesh with equal ease. With three or four well placed cuts, a warrior can cut a hole in a bulkhead large enough for even the bulk of a Terminator to step through. The weapon is no less deadly in combat against the enemy, and is powerful enough to cut through vehicles and Dreadnoughts. Its only disadvantage is its considerable bulk, but when fitted to Terminator armour this is compensated for by the power of the suit itself. 10.3.3 Power Weapons --------------------- The family of Power weapons includes the Power Sword, Power Axe, Power Glove, Power Fist, Power Maul, and a host of other variants, such as the Crozius Arcanum carried by Space Marine Chaplains as a mark of office and the Lightning Claws fitted to some close assault Terminator suits. As a rule, each member of the Power weapon family incorporates a hazy blue power field, crackling with energy and shaped by a magnetic field. When it gets to a surface, armour or flesh, small lightning flashes of energy break away from the main energy field, crawling over the target and tearing it apart, exposing and burning flesh as they go. The field also has the effect of disrupting the surface of solid matter it comes into contact with, making it easier for it to inflict damage. In general game terms, this means that depending on the weapon type, the weapon deals damage with a S equal to either 5 or the users own strength, whichever is higher. The Power Sword and Power Axe are similar in shape to their regular cousins, but as a rule larger. The Power Axe in particular is usually a two-handed weapon. The Power Fist takes the form of a heavy armoured gauntlet. It is an awesome weapon and amongst the most potent a warrior can carry, but the hand wearing the Power Fist cannot hold any other item unless the power field is first switched off, lest the object be damaged. Most Terminator suits incorporate a Power Fist as standard for their close assault weapon. It takes a round to reactivate the energy field of the Power Fist once switched off. The Power Maul is a variant used by the Adeptus Arbites. It is shaped like a police baton, with controls to activate the power field and modify its intensity. Depending on the setting of the Power Maul, it can do anything from administering a stunning blow to bashing a hole in a plasteel wall. It is always held in one hand, allowing the other to hold a pistol, shield or other weapon. Lightning Claws are a special variant of the Power weapon family used by Space Marines in Terminator armour. They consist of a pair of heavy armoured powered gloves with long slashing talons sheathed in a rippling blue power field. They are normally worn in pairs, and are a very difficult weapon to master, requiring an individual style of fighting in which the long claws are used to cover against attacks as well as to slash against the opponent. When the blades rake across armour or flesh they discharge crackling energy like small lightning strikes over the target, tearing it apart and exposing flesh and bone to burns and further assault. 10.3.4 Force Weapons --------------------- The family of Force weapons includes the Force Sword, Force Axe, and other forms of the weapon. All share the ability to channel psychic power into combat to cause extra damage. The weapons behave like normal non-force weapons in the hands of a non-psyker. In the hands of a psyker, however, it is able to cause extra damage equal to the number of Psy Points the psyker spends that round. 10.3.5 Rough Rider Hunting Lance --------------------------------- The Hunting Lance is used by the Rough Rider units of the Imperial Guard. These tough, frontier horse-soldiers are much valued as scouts and foragers. They also make excellent front-line troops, often using the Hunting Lance which they use to hunt big game on their native worlds. The Lance is tipped with an explosive charge which blows on impact, smashing the target and shattering armour and flesh alike. It is essentially a one-hit disposable weapon, but that hit is fully capable of taking out an armoured man. The Hunting Lance must use the same rules as the Lance as covered in the WFRP rulebook - its user must still possess the Specialist Weapon - Lance skill. 10.3.6 Thunder Hammer ---------------------- This is a weapon used by Terminator Space Marines. It is based on the Power weapon family of weapons, and normally used in conjunction with a Storm Shield. It is a large hammer with a power generator which energises only when the hammer strikes its target. This allows the weapon to store a tremendous amount of energy and release it only at the moment of impact, producing a blast of energy and a sound not unlike a crack of thunder. Were it not for his Terminator armour the wielder would probably be knocked over by the impact! 10.4 Hand Held Missile Weapons =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 10.4.1 Autogun, Autopistol, Autocannon and Assault Cannon ---------------------------------------------------------- The Autogun, and its smaller cousin the Autopistol, is a rapid firing automatic weapon which shoots short bursts of caseless ammunition. Both forms of the weapon are cheap and easy to construct, easy to use and especially popular with hive gang members, low tech frontiers-men and Gretchin (see the Orks chapter). The Autogun is similar to a 20th century machine gun in appearance, while the Autopistol is a pistol form of the weapon. The Autocannon is a much larger version of the Autogun, used in a support role with a longer range. The Assault Cannon is a self-loading machine used by Terminator Space Marines. It has six separate barrels which are rotated by a motor, allowing the weapon to spit out a hail of shells which can easily tear a man-sized target apart and throw it several metres. The Assault Cannon combines high penetrating power with a fast rate of fire. The astoundingly loud noise it makes is enough to encourage any sensible troops to keep their heads down. Although made from a special heat resistant ceramite alloy, the hundreds of shells fired every second can easily cause the weapon to overheat. This high rate of wear has little initial effect, but quickly leads to weapon jams if the weapon is kept in service. 10.4.2 Boltgun, Bolt Pistol, Heavy Bolter and Storm Bolter ----------------------------------------------------------- The Boltgun or Bolter is the standard armament of Space Marines and the favoured armament of Orks. It is a short, compact weapon that fires a small missile or bolt considerably larger than an ordinary bullet. The bolt contains an armour piercing tip, an explosive, and a mass reactive detonator. It is shot from the barrel under low velocity, its own propellent igniting once the missile is clear of the barrel. The explosive detonates only when it has pierced armour. Any sudden increase in local mass activates the explosive and blows the target apart from the inside. Bolt guns are noisy and their effects are visibly devastating. Effective range is not great, and they are ideally suited to a shock/assault role. The Bolt Pistol is a smaller version of the Bolt Gun, with the same ammunition. It lacks the range of the Bolt Gun but is a more handy weapon with the same penetrating power, popular with the street gangs of hive worlds and pirate raiders - individuals that prefer ugly, cumbersome weapons that make a lot of obvious noise and damage. The Heavy Bolter is a larger form of the Bolt Gun, which packs more punch but is heavy and *very* cumbersome, used primarily in a support role. It is usually carried by Space Marines with their powered armour, or stood on a tripod and used from a stationary position. The Storm Bolter is a specially modified pair of bolt guns which have been re-designed for use by Terminator squads of the Space Marines. Terminators wear very bulky, powered suits, and any equipment they use has to be specially adapted to fit their armour. The Storm Bolter consists of two ordinary Bolt Guns fastened together so that they fire in unison. The weapon is clumsy, but in the servo-assisted hands of the Terminators such considerations are of no concern as the powered suits make light work of such cumbersome equipment. 10.4.3 Hand Flamer, Flamer and Heavy Flamer -------------------------------------------- Flamers come in three sizes: the Flamer, Hand Flamer and Heavy Flamer. Apart from their size, all three operate in a similar fashion. A spray of volatile liquid is fired, which ignites on contact with the air, with the result that it sprays a wide cone of liquid flame at the enemy. The Flamer family of weapons are also known as Burners. The Flamer is the main version used, while the Hand Flamer is a smaller more compact pistol version and the Heavy Flamer used in a support role. 10.4.4 Laspistol, Lasgun, Lascannon and Multilaser --------------------------------------------------- The Lasgun (or laser gun) is the standard armament of the Imperial Guard and the most popular weapon among human forces. It fires an explosive energy blast, or laser shell, with a similar effect to a bullet or small shell. A lasgun may not be the most effective weapon in the Galaxy, but it is easy and cheap to manufacture, easy to maintain, and very reliable even under the toughest battlefield conditions, largely because of its lack of moving parts. The Lasgun is powered by rechargable batteries, but carries a residual supply and can be recharged using its own solar conductor. The Laspistol is a smaller version of the Lasgun, and enjoys the same reputation for ease of manufacture, use and reliability. It is one of the most common of all weapons carried by the Adeptus on Earth. However, along with its larger cousin, it has the problem that the laser energy is rapidly dispersed into the atmosphere, an effect exacerbated by environmental conditions such as mist, fog and rain. This means that at long range shots tend to be much less accurate than short range fire. The Lascannon is a larger support version of the Lasgun. The laser chamber is larger, the power-builder heavier, and the shot a single cannon blast rather than a machine-gun like hail of lower intensity laser blasts. It is designed to knock out armoured vehicles and in this role it is so effective that it is often known as the 'tank buster' or simply 'buster'. Lascannons are often carried by infantry squads to deal with attacking tanks and Dreadnoughts. Many Imperial vehicles such as Predators and Land Raiders mount Lascannons as their main armament for fighting in tank battles where its massive armour piercing punch is invaluable. It can also be used against single heavily-armoured foot troopers where the laser will easily penetrate armour. However, its tight focus and slow recharge capacity make it a poor anti-personnel weapon compared to a Heavy Bolter or Autocannon. The Multilaser is a rapid firing laser that uses a multiple barrel configuration to reduce a standard laser charge into a series of rapid pulses. The result is a weapon which retains some of the renowned penetrative power of the Lascannon but which can engage a series of targets in rapid succession. It produces a series of distinctive pulsing blasts when fired, followed by explosions as the laser energy shells strike the target and explode. 10.4.5 Needle Pistol and Needle Sniper Rifle --------------------------------------------- The Needle Sniper Rifle is a snipers weapon used by Space Marines, Eldar Scouts, and Ratling Snipers of the Imperial Guard. The rifle fires small darts made from a deadly neuro-toxin chemical. The liquid chemical is frozen into a dart or sliver by the gun before it is fired. Refills of the chemical are available when the weapon runs out. Unerring accuracy is afforded by a low-power laser sight which drives and guides the chemical to its target. If the target is armoured the laser sight beam automatically pulses when the rifle is fired, punching a tiny hole which allows the toxic dart to penetrate. The Needle Pistol is a smaller pistol version of the Sniper Rifle, less powerful but no less deadly. Physically it is based on the same design as the Laspistol and fires bursts of energy which propel tiny toxic darts into the target. 10.4.6 Plasma Pistol, Plasma Gun and Heavy Plasma Gun ------------------------------------------------------ The Plasma Gun fires energy shells of bright glowing plasma. When a plasma shell hits tremendous heat and energy are released, destroying the target in an almighty explosion. A target hit by a plasma shell suffers the dual effects of searing heat and explosive shock as its substance is instantly energised into boiling plasma. Though the plasma gun is highly effective, it loses accuracy over long range, and requires a massive amount of energy to power it. This is provided by an internal rechargable battery pack. The Plasma Gun takes considerable time to recharge after firing, unless an external battery pack is available or the user is prepared to use all the stored power at once without waiting a round or two for the Gun to recharge, in which case the internal battery pack will quickly run out. The Plasma Pistol is a smaller pistol version of the Plasma Gun, and obviously less powerful, simply because its internal battery pack is necessarily smaller. Its power use follows the same rules for recharging and running out as its larger cousin. The Heavy Plasma Gun is a larger, support version of the Plasma Gun. Because it is larger, with more power available to it, it is more powerful and capable of more damage. It is also called a Sun Gun. It can be set to fire on a number of power levels, with varying degrees of damage. 10.4.7 Stub Gun, Shotgun and Heavy Stubber ------------------------------------------- The Stub Gun is a primitive hand gun firing solid bullets, usually one at a time. It is essentially the same as a 20th Century revolver or automatic. These pistols are common on industrial worlds where incessant gang warfare and institutional urban tribalism have created armed populations and a common acceptance of low-level weaponry [consider 20th century America - ed.]. On such worlds these weapons are blessed with a variety of local names such as sluggers, smokers and shooters. The Shotgun, or smooth-bore combat shotgun, fires a massive low velocity shot which fragments in flight into several pieces of spinning metal or plastic. Although the weapon has only a short range it is quite dangerous against unarmoured targets. Combat shotguns have magazines of shells and rarely need to be reloaded. They are strongly made, simple weapons ideally suited to brave or not very intelligent troops. A special feature of the shotgun is its ability to fire different kinds of special shot, including solid shells and loose scatter shot. It is closely related to the smaller Stubgun. The Heavy Stubber, or Heavy Stub Gun, is a heavy and old-fashioned weapon affectionately known as the 'big stubber'. It rattles off a hail of heavy weight bullets sufficient to stop a man dead in his tracks. To all intents the heavy stub gun is similar to a 20th century heavy machine gun in appearance and effect. It is especially effective when deployed against massed formations of lightly armoured troops. 10.4.8 Web Pistol and Heavy Webber ----------------------------------- The Web Pistol, also called the Webber or Glue Gun, is an unusual weapon not frequently seen on the battlefield. It is mostly used by institutional forces for crowd control and suppression and its effects are usually debilitating rather than deadly. The pistol is bulky with a cone-shaped nozzle and a distinctive underslung canister. This canister contains the weapons ammunition: a special gluey chemical called web-chem. When the Pistol is fired a dark mass of tangled threads is thrown forward over the target. As the threads are exposed to the air they expand and solidify, quickly forming a dense web of entangling sticky threads. The web contracts and binds the victim tightly, preventing all movement and action. The harder a victim struggles the tighter the web becomes, and if the victim continues to struggle the web will eventually crush him. The Heavy Webber is a larger version of the Web Pistol. Because it is larger it is able to enmesh larger targets like vehicles and the like, and the force of the contracting web is easily able to crush an unarmoured vehicle. 10.4.9 Bow, Crossbow and Handbow --------------------------------- There are many primitive planets where modern weaponry is completely unknown. Bows are very common on these worlds, and are used for hunting as well as for war. This is the traditional, "real life" bow, that fires arrows. Crossbows are also used on some primitive worlds where more sophisticated weapons are unknown or rare. Thay are not weapons commonly seen on the 41st Millennium battlefield, though they sometimes appear in local uprisings and the like. They are typically contructed from wood, or high tensile plastics. All versions are aided by an automatic mechanical draw, the power of such a weapon can rival that of more modern armaments. Its chief disadvantage is that it is slow and difficult to reload. The Handbow is a pistol version of a Crossbow. It is made from modern composite plastics, drawn by automatic servos, and is every bit as powerful as a larger Crossbow. It can be fired in one hand, but suffers from a certain amount of recoil and is still needs a little time to reload. 10.4.10 Musket --------------- Muskets, like Bows and Crossbows, are primitive weapons used on feral or primitive planets by their local inhabitants. They are slow, clumsy and inaccurate weapons which use exploding gunpowder to propel a solid metal ball. 10.4.11 Graviton Gun --------------------- The Graviton Gun is a development of the gravitic reaction used in such vehicles as the Imperial Land Speeder. It affects the local gravity field and changes the weight of objects making them far heavier or lighter than normal. The Graviton Gun is useful for demolition and siege work, as it is most effective when employed against massive structures such as buildings. The effect against living targets is variable: the stresses of increased weight may kill a large individual, but most targets will be merely immobilised. When it is fired the Gun emits a bass rumbling noise which grows louder as its weight distorting rays affect the air pressure in front of it causing the air itself to vibrate. 10.4.12 Melta-Gun and Multimelta --------------------------------- The Melta-gun is also known as the 'melter', 'cooker' or 'vape gun'. It works by sub-molecular thermal agitation in a manner comparable to microwave irradiation. The target gets very hot and eventually cooks, melts or just evaporates. A Melta-gun can melt plasteel or plascrete, and its effects upon living tissue are impressive to say the least. The weapon has only a short range, so it is used mostly for close assault and support. It makes no noise when fired, but the super-heating of the air produces a distinctive hiss which becomes a roaring blast as living targets are hit and their bodies moisture vapourises explosively. The Multi-Melta or Thermal Cannon is a larger version of the Melta-gun, and named on account of the multiple barrel-elements used on some models. It is also known as 'hotstuff', 'hells breath' and 'hells halitosis' - its crewmen being noted for their sense of humour as well as the permanently stained condition of their uniforms. 10.4.13 Ogryn Ripper Gun ------------------------- The Ogryn Ripper Gun is a drum-fed automatic combat shotgun developed by the Imperium for issue to Ogryn units in the Imperial Guard. The weapon is of suitably large large dimensions and is constructed as solidly as possible because Ogryns have a tendency to use their weapons as clubs. The trigger mechanism incorporates a burst limiter that prevents the firer shooting off the entire drum at once - an entertaining possibility that would appeal to Ogryns and very quickly leave them out of ammunition. 10.5 Missiles and Missile Launchers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.5.1 Missile Launcher ------------------------ The Missile Launcher is one of the most common and highly favoured weapons in the Imperial arsenal. The concept is universal, and versions are produced all over the Galaxy by humans, Orks and Eldar. Missile launchers are sometimes fitted onto vehicles and Dreadnoughts. The Imperial version carries a missile-magazine containing individual self-propelled missiles, and can fire a variety of missile types. The most usual missile type is the Krak armour penetration missile, specifically engineered to 'crack open' armour. Also popular is the Frag missile, designed to cut down exposed foot troops. 10.5.2 Cyclone Terminator Missile Launcher ------------------------------------------- The Cyclone is designed to overcome the mechanical restrictions of the tactical dreadnought suit (aka Terminator armour). The suits are so cumbersome that it is extremely difficult to carry heavy weapons. Beacuse the Terminators are an elite force, intended to undertake the toughest and most dangerous missions, various modified support weapons have been created to provide additional fire support without compromising mobility or accuracy. The Cyclone is ideally suited to this purpose. It has been developed from salvo firing ship-to-ship short range killer missiles. It is loaded with 12 Krak missiles, each primed for maximum concentration of fire effect. These can be fired singly or in massed salvos of flaming destruction. 10.5.3 Missiles ---------------- Missile types vary from race to race. Those available to the Imperials are: * Super Krak - designed to crack open heavily targets, the standard anti-vehicle missile * Frag - explodes upon impact scattering shrapnel over a wide area. Lightly armoured troops are easily scythed down by the fragments. * Melta-missile - on impact undergoes a sub-atomic reaction releasing a blast of intense heat. This missile is capable of melting away vehicles and buildings. * Blind - a sophisticated form of smoke screen which produces broad spectrum-wide electro-magnetic interference as well as dense smoke * Anti-plant - a defoliant to clear areas of vegetation that could act as cover to enemy troops. Has no other effects. * Plasma-missile - converts matter to plasma during flight, exploding in a plasma blast on the target 10.6 Grenades and Grenade Launchers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.6.1 Grenade Launcher ------------------------ A grenade launcher is a simple light tubular launcher capable of firing most grenade types with a compressed gas or electromagnetic charge. While grenade launchers can carry and fire most of the more commonly available grenade types they are almost universally loaded with either Frag and/or Krak grenades. 10.6.2 Auto-Launcher --------------------- The Auto-Launcher is a vehicle mounted launcher used for close-in defence or laying protective smoke screens. It is a simple six-barelled grenade launcher fixed to the hull of the vehicle. When it is triggered it fires off three grenades in a preset pattern. It carries six grenades, all of the same type, which are fired off in two salvoes of three. It can be loaded with either Frag, Blind or Krak grenades. 10.6.3 Auxillary Grenade Launcher ---------------------------------- The Auxilliary Grenade Launcher is a tubular device that fixes onto another weapon - many Imperial weapons are designed to take them. Pistol weapons are generally too small to carry grenade launchers, but Bolters, Lasguns and Autoguns are sometimes fitted with these devices. The launcher fires pre-primed and preloaded grenades. The most highly favoured type is Krak, providing extra short range firepower and vehicle-busting capacity. When the trooper wishes to use a grenade he throws a catch on the weapon which de-activates the normal firing mechanism and activates the grenade launcher. When he pulls his trigger a grenade is blasted out of the launcher, hopefully hitting the target and exploding with a devastating boom. It is usually loaded with Frag or Krak grenades. 10.6.4 Grenades ---------------- There are many types, including: * Choke - a non-lethal gas grenade making it difficult for targets to breathe * Frag - explodes upon impact scattering shrapnel over a wide area. Lightly armoured troops are easily scythed down by the fragments. * Hallucinogen - releases a hallucinogenic gas * Melta-bomb - on impact undergoes a sub-atomic reaction releasing a blast of intense heat. This missile is capable of melting away vehicles and buildings. * Photon Flash Flare - creates a blinding flash. Has no other effects * Blind - a sophisticated form of smoke screen which produces broad spectrum-wide electro-magnetic interference as well as dense smoke * Anti-plant - a defoliant to clear areas of vegetation that could act as cover to enemy troops. Has no other effects. * Plasma - explodes with a ball of flaming plasma * Rad - creates a radioactive area * Scare - nerve gas creating feelings of anxiety and apprehension. Has no other effects * Smoke - smoke cloud * Tanglefoot - small but powerful magno-gravitic reactor, creates field at and just above ground level, impeding movement. It is like a field of invisible trip wires, called a tanglefield or tripfield. * Haywire (Scrambler) - emits powerful burst of eletro-magnetic interference which scrambles delicate curcuits and overloads instruments. Disrupts anything electronic and electrical in the area and drains power. Armour is no defence. Very rare grenade. * Stasis - creates zone in which time stops. Very rare * Toxin - cloud of potentially deadly toxin(s). Very rare * Virus - deadly virus which rapidly mutates to become harmless. Very rare * Vortex - creates hole to the Warp(!!) - very rare and much larger than normal grenades. Cannot be fired from a launcher. Extremely rare 10.7 Heavy Support Weapons =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 10.7.1 Battle Cannon --------------------- A very large version of the Autocannon which fires an even bigger shell and is correspondingly more powerful. It is among the largest and most destructive of battlefield weapons. It is far too large to carry, but must be mounted on either a building or vehicle. It often forms the main armament for vehicles such as the Imperial Baneblade and the Ork Gobsmasha. 10.7.2 Conversion Beam Projector --------------------------------- The Conversion Beam Projector, or Beamer, projects a high intensity energy beam which converts matter to energy. As fitting Einsteins famous equation, E=mc^2, the denser the matter hit, the more energy created from it and the greater the explosion. (for the benefit of the maths buffs, c is the speed of light, m is the mass, and E the energy produced. c is constant so the energy produced is proportional to the mass converted...) The main disadvantage of the Beamer is that the beam takes a little time to build up, so a fast moving target may be able to get safely away. The Beamer is exceptionally large and bulky, requires a huge source of power, and is usually mounted on a self propelled wheeled carriage. It can only move under its own power. Its operating crew operate it from a safe distance by remote control. 10.7.3 Rapier Laser Destroyer ------------------------------ This is a mobile anti-tank weapon mounted with a four-barelled laser called a rapier. It has four separate laser chambers are designed to focus with precision accuracy at a single point. A tremendous amount of laser energy can be directed against the target, making it far more powerful than the Lascannon. The Rapier is very heavy and bulky, and is transported on its own motorised track unit. It can only move under its own power. It is operated by remote control from a distance. 10.7.4 Mole Mortar ------------------- This is a weapon originally invented by the Squat Engineers Guild, copied by the Imperium and adopted by the Imperial Guard. It fires a sub-surface shell, which burrows under the ground straight toward its target, where it surfaces and explodes. The result can be an airburst, where it explodes in the air as it surfaces, a surface burst just as it surfaces, a ground burst while still partially embedded in the ground, or a sub-terranean burst while still deep underground. 10.7.5 Tarantula ----------------- The Tarantula is essentially a remotely-controlled anti-gravitic base on which up to two other large weapons may be mounted. The most common armament is a pair of Lascannons. 10.7.6 Thudd Gun ----------------- The Thudd Gun is another Squat invention adopted for Imperial use. It fires a series of four linked rockets. The first explodes on the designated target, which sends the missile hurtling in a random direction, where the second rocket detonates, and so on until all four rockets have exploded. It is so called becuase of the thudd-thudd-thudd-thudd pattern of noise it makes when fired. 10.8 Armour =-=-=-=-=-=- In the 41st Millennium the diverse lethality of weaponry is matched only by the myriad forms of protection created to counter it. Personal armour comes in many forms, with varying levels of protection. All body armour is usually fitted as standard with equipment such as respirators, infra-red visors, anti- glare goggles, etc. where appropriate. 10.8.1 Primitive Armour ------------------------ Primitive armour is still common in many parts of the Galaxy where technology has regressed to medieval levels, or not yet progressed beyond it. Primitive armour is made of plates or rings of ferrous metal or sometimes reinforced animal hide. The protection it offers against advanced weaponry is minimal, but it can hold its own against primitive weapons such as bows and crossbows. 10.8.2 Flak Armour ------------------- Flak armour comprises several layers of different ablative and impact absorbent materials which should absorb the majority of the energy from a shot or blow. The protection it offers against a direct hit is somewhat questionable at the best of times but it is more effect against proximity blasts and the shrapnel from explosions. Flak armour does have the advantage of being vastly cheap and easy to produce, requiring a very low technological base. 10.8.3 Mesh Armour ------------------- Mesh armour is formed from tens of thousands of individual pieces of thermoplas bonded together to produce a tightly woven material rather like reptile scales or archaic chainmail. When struck the mesh becomes momentarily rigid, spreading the impact across a larger area. The thermoplas material also disperses heat very rapidly, giving reasonable protection against energy weapons. 10.8.4 Carapace Armour ----------------------- Carapace armour is simply made up of large rigid plates of armaplas or ceramite moulded to fit parts of the body. It may take the form of a complete armoured suit like those worn by the Adeptus Arbites or separate parts such as chest plates, helmets, etc. It is commonly found in all the military arms of the Imperium such as the Imperial Guard and Navy. Indeed, the Carapace breastplate worn by Imperial Guard officers is as much a badge of rank as a piece of armour. Carapace armour offers good protection but can be tiring to wear in extended battles. 10.8.5 Ork 'Eavy Armour ------------------------ This is made of thick armour plates covering the whole body, some of which may actually be rivetted to the Ork himself! 'Eavy armour is immensely varied as each suit is kustom built to the specifications of the Ork who pays for it, though the Mek may decide to include various extra features such as spring-loaded spikes, Squig cages, built in weapons, and so on. Few of these extra features work properly of course but that doesn't stop the Mekboy charging extra for them anyway. 'Eavy armour is often, though not always, powered in some way with an assortment of cogs, wheels and drive belts supplying extra power from a backpack engine to the suits limbs. While somewhat eccentric in its manufacture 'eavy armour is effective and commonly worn by Ork Nobz or other Orks who can afford it. 10.8.6 Eldar Aspect Armour --------------------------- Eldar Aspect armour is a unique product of their highly advanced technology in the realm of psychic engineering. It is constructed of a psycho-sensitive material which reacts to movements of the wearer, moulding and reshaping itself to fit like a glove as the warrior fights and moves. Like Mesh armour, Aspect armour stiffens with the impact of a blow to spread the energy of the hit across the body of the wearer, though the armour also incorporates rigid plates to further reinforce it. 10.8.7 Eldar Rune Armour ------------------------- Rune armour is used only by the mystic Eldar Warlocks and Seers, powerful psykers who use their highly developed abilities in support of the terrifying Aspect Warriors. Rune armour is specially constructed of Wraithbone, a material conductive to psychic energy. The protective psychic energy in the armour deflects a shot before it even touches the Warlock. 10.8.8 Power Armour -------------------- This is a completely enclosing suit of armour as worn by the Space Marines of the Imperium. It is made from thick ceramite plates and would be heavy and cumbersome were it not for the electrically motivated fibre bundles implanted in the armour to replicate the movements of the wearer and supplement his strength. Power armour is fully sealed to provide protection against gas weapons and hard vacuum and it also commonly includes numerous auxiliary systems such as communicators, auto-senses, etc. Early Power armour had many exposed power cables, which made it vulnerable. In later versions these were provided with their own armour and covered over by a chest plate which usually bears the symbol of the Imperial Eagle. This has given it the alternative names of Eagle Armour or Armour Impetus. 10.8.9 Eldar Holosuit ---------------------- The Holosuit (Eldar: 'dathedi', meaning "between colours") is a programmable hologram field which breaks up the outline of the wearer as he moves. Every time the wearer moves his outline appears to explode into a cloud of tiny, multi-coloured fragments and when he stops his image coalesces back into a solid image like the pieces of a jigsaw. For this reason the Holosuit is also known as a jigsaw or domino field. The faster the wearer moves the more widely dipersed his image becomes. Whenever he stops the suit mimics the nearby terrain so that he seems to fade out of view. While strictly speaking a Holosuit is a form of personal force field, it is included in the armour category because it is normally used instead of armour and may be combined with a personal force field. Unlike most armour the Holosuit works by making the wearer harder to hit instead of directly protecting against damage. In hand to hand combat it is extremely difficult to locate an opponent in a Holosuit amongst the shifting cloud of coloured shards. Holosuits are used exclusively by the Eldar Harlequins. Holofields that mimic the effects of a Holosuit are also fitted to some Eldar vehicles and all Eldar Titans. 10.8.10 Terminator Armour -------------------------- Terminator armour, or Tactical Dreadnought Armour as it is more correctly known, is without doubt the toughest armour in the Galaxy. The armour is massively bulky and contains a full exo-skeleton of fibre bundles and adamantium rods to support the heavy gauge plasteel and ceramite plates which form the outer carapace. The Adeptus Mechanicus has designed a number of particularly devastating weapons to be used in conjunction with Terminator armour including Storm Bolters, Heavy Flamers, Assault Cannons and the deadly Cyclone Missile Launcher. Terminator suits are valuable and often very old so they are reserved for use by proven veterans of the already highly trained Imperial Space Marine Chapters. In addition to its considerable protective value Terminator armour is equipped as standard with a number of other devices. It always includes a Targetter which is linked to whichever ranged weapon is carried and a Teleport Homer to assist in teleport operations. Extensive communications gear and sensory apparatus is also fitted. 10.8.11 Squat Exo-Armour ------------------------- Squat Exo-armour is very much like Terminator armour in that it combines a mobile exo-skeleton with heavy armour plating. The Squats developed Exo-armour from the sealed environment suits they used in asteroid mining operations and other hostile surroundings such as plasma core reactor chambers and chemical storage tanks. As the Squats were forced to defend themselves during the Age of Isolation they converted much of their civilian equipment into efficient wargear, with Exo-armour becoming one of the most abiding creations from that period. Squat Exo-armour is lavishly decorated with precious metals and embellished with traditional designs or runes declaring the accomplishments, wealth and lineage of the wearer. 10.9 Force Fields =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.9.1 Refractor Field ----------------------- A Refractor field is an energy field projected by a small generator no larger that a pistol holster. It operates by dispersing the energy of incoming shots and blows over the total area of the field. One unfortunate side effect is that when the field is switched on it produces a hazy band of light around the subject which makes it impossible to hide. 10.9.2 Conversion Field ------------------------ A Conversion field converts incoming energy from shooting and close combat hits to light - the more energy the brighter the flash. This can quite easily momentarily blind anyone near. Conversion field generators are built into the Rosarius' carried by Space Marine Chaplains. A Rosarius takes the form of a gorget or amulet. They typically bear the symbol of the Imperial Eagle or a Terminator cross, and are the Chaplains "soul armour" bestowed upon him by the Ecclesiarchy. 10.9.3 Displacer Field ----------------------- A displacer field is in fact a miniature Warp drive mechanism with a proximity detector which picks up incoming shots, psychic attacks or close combat blows. The Displacer field is very reliable, and instantly shifts the wearer 2D6 yards in a random direction, out of the way of the attack. A safety mechanism prevents the wearer from appearing in a solid object such as a wall, vehicle or or in the same spot as another person, though there have been rare cases where this has failed and the wearer has been transported into a solid wall, where the overlap of matter produced an almighty explosion. Imperial scientists are still working on harnessing the effect to use as a weapon... A displacer field will not work against a Vortex grenade at all - the wearer is instantly sucked into the Void as the field activates! 10.9.4 Power Field ------------------- A Power field is an invisible bubble of pure energy created by a large, cumbersome generator. Power fields work by deflecting and absorbing the energy of shots. As soon as the 'skin' of the field is broken it increases its energy potential at micro-second intervals to push out into its normal spherical shape again. To save energy and permit the wearer to fire the field flickers on and off in a rapid cycle. Personal power field generators are barely man-portable and are normally only used in siege work and space ship boarding actions. Very large Power fields are used to protect Ork Gargants, installations, space ships, and other objects with a big enough power source to energise the generator. One drawback is that in hand to hand combat the Power field offers no protection as an opponent can easily get his weapon inside the Power field and strike the wearer. In addition, the bulk of the generator often encumbers the wearer in combat. 10.10 Shields =-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.10.1 Storm Shield --------------------- A Storm Shield is a large plasteel plate which contains a small but potent Power field generator, and because of this they are also known as Power Shields. Once activated, the Storm Shield is surrounded by a glowing blue field of energy which emits crackling lightning when it is used to parry a blow. Terminator close assault squads often include Space Marines equipped with Storm Shields and Thunder Hammers, an awesome combination which makes them almost unstoppable in combat. 10.10.2 Suppression Shield --------------------------- The Suppression shield is similar to a Storm shield but replaces the Power field generator with an electro-shock unit. The electro-shock unit builds up a powerful electrical charge which is discharged into the first unfortunate individual the shield contacts squarely. Suppression shields are designed for crowd suppresion and riot control so the electrical discharge is more debilitating than fatal but it is still distracting to even the most hardened rioter or opponent. 10.11 Other Equipment =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- 10.11.1 Bionics ---------------- Bionics are technological replacement parts for biological limbs or organs. Most races are capable of producing bionic parts which may or may not be cosmetically designed to match the original organs depending on which race produced them. For example, Eldar bionics are often impossible to detect visually, but Ork bionics tend to look like bits ripped off machines and rivetted into place - which they frequently are... The recipient of a bionic replacement generally gains a limb or organ which is stronger, more durable and frequently more effective than the original. They are also expensive and normally only available to higher ranking officers, invaluable veteran warriors or wealthy individuals. One of the most common is the bionic eye. 10.11.2 Cameleoline -------------------- Cameleoline is a rare artificial substance which can be woven into the structure of most fabrics. Morphic polymer chains in the material automatically take on the colours and textures of their surroundings. The result is that after a second or two motionless the wearer appears to fade into the background. the effect this has in the game depends on the degree to which the wearer moves around. The less mobile s/he is, the more protection is gained. The GM should decide this on a case by case basis, but a recommended average is a -10 penalty for others to see the wearer, or +10 on Concealment tests. 10.11.3 Combi-Weapons ---------------------- Combi-weapons, or combination weapons, are just that - two or more weapons combined into one. The most common combinations are a Boltgun linked to a Meltagun, Plasma Gun or Flamer. Another common one is the linking of two Bolters to create a Storm Bolter. Almost any combination, however, is possible. 10.11.4 Communicator --------------------- Communicators are multi-purpose transmitters with an audio or audio-visual pick-up. The device may be a separate hand held instrument or built into a helmet or wrist strap. Communicators this size will have a range of over a hundred kilometres, more than enough for squads to keep in contact with their HQs. Larger Communicators which are capable of communicating planet wide or with ships in orbit tend to be backpack sized or larger. This latter type is often used by the Imperial Guard for ground forces to keep in contact with orbital battle barges. 10.11.5 Frenzon ---------------- Frenzon is the generic name for a number of drugs used to induce psychological effects in the recipient. These are usually injected via a dispenser device strapped to the wrist or throat or, in some cases, implanted into the heart of a subject. The family of Frenzon drugs can cause the equivalent of Fear, Terror, Stupidity, Frenzy, Hatred, and many other psyhological states. Repeated use is often addictive and dangerous to the subject. Frenzon is used extensively in the Penal Legions, Imperial Guard units made up of the criminals, cutthroats and other misfits of society. 10.11.6 Jump Pack ------------------ A Jump Pack is a small anti-gravity pack which negates some of the weight of the wearer and one or more rocket motors or turbines that give the wearer an extra boost when s/he leaps in the air. The result is that troopers wearing Jump Packs leap forward in long, bounded curved paths skimming over intervening obstacles faster than a man can run. Though Flight Packs exist they are rarely used and it is almost impossible to fly one and fight at the same time. It is relatively easy to train troops to use Jump Packs and they are comonly used by assault troops throughout the Galaxy. Characters equipped with a Jump Pack may double their M score and bound over any ground obstacle in their way. 10.11.7 Medi-Pack ------------------ A Medi-Pack is an advanced automated medical machine packed with sensors, probes, drugs and chemicals. With its aid almost anyone can apply first aid care. A character who is injured or has suffered Wounds, and who is administered to by someone using a medi-pack has twice the normal chance of survival or being healed, as appropriate. 10.11.8 Scanner ---------------- The Scanner, or Multi-scanner, is used to register energy emissions throughout the electro-magnetic spectrum. It can detect heat, radiation, and most forms of energy given off by vehicles or living creatures. The scanner may be a separate handheld device like a small view screen or pair of binoculars, or it may be built into the head-up display of a helmet, as in the case of Terminator armour. 10.11.9 Servo-Arm ------------------ Imperial Tech-Marines, Adeptus Mechanicus and Servitors are often equipped with a special auxillary servo-arm fitted onto a harness. The servo-arm is linked to the users neural interface to become, in effect, an additional limb for an experienced operator. Servo-arms are equipped with a number of different attachments: lastorches, vibrosaws, power drills, and so on, but by far the most common are manipulative claws or grabbers. With the aid of a claw-equipped servo-arm and specially reinforced legs a user can carry exceptionally heavy items of equipment and lift objects weighing several tons. The game effects of a servo-arm are as deemed appropriate by the GM for the task in question. That may mean a bonus to S, or possibly Dex. 10.11.10 Targetter ------------------- Targetters are devices which combine various optical and electronic sights together with guidance systems for missiles and missile weapons. A targetter not specifically linked to a fired weapon, for example a targetter in a bionic eye, gives the firer a +10 to BS. A targetter fitted and linked specifically to a weapon gives the firer a +20 bonus to BS. The two bonuses are not cumulative. 10.11.11 Teleporter -------------------- A teleporter is a huge device which must be built into a spaceship or building with a considerable power source to operate it. Teleporters can transport material from ship to ship, ship to planet, and vice versa. Teleport beams work in straight lines and can only penetrate about five metres of solid matter so the curvature of a planet makes it impossible to teleport from one part of a planet to another. The most common use for Teleporters is to place squads of warriors directly into battle from ships in orbit. Even at the best of times Teleporting can be dangerously unpredictable but many commanders consider the surprise and confusion it causes amongst the defenders to be well worth the risk. Teleportation causes those transported to spend a brief second or two within Warpspace, albeit protected within a similar energy bubble to that which protects ships travelling through the Warp. Occasionally, just as sometimes the force bubble around a ship fails, so sometimes it fails in teleportation, the teleporter loses its lock on the subjects and the unfortunate subjects are lost in Warpspace - likely to be torn apart by the energy currents if not immediately consumed by some warp entity... Occasionally teleport lock is re-established and the subjects pulled out again just in time. One or more of the subjects carrying a Teleport Homer (see below) greatly increases the chances of re-establishing teleport lock. 10.11.12 Teleport Homer ------------------------ A Teleport Homer is a transmitter which gives out a constant coded signal for teleporters to lock onto, making it easier to teleport creatures close to an active teleport homer. Within 10 yds is usually sufficient. 10.11.13 Grapple Gun --------------------- Despite its name, this is not so much a weapon as a tool. It fires a strong, thin thread with a reactive coating. When the end of the thread strikes something it sticks to it like glue, with a strength that only the strongest chemicals or the Grapple Gun itself can undo. The user of the Grapple Gun can then use its custom grip and power haul-in functions to pull themselves over to where the Gun was fired, before releasing the bond on the surface with a simple switch on the Grapple Gun. Fired with the right marksmanship skill this makes it a virtual replacement for the traditional grappling hook, giving the Grapple Gun its name. Because it is fired as a gun, it needs some weapon like statistics to define it in game terms. It has short/long range of 48/72 yards, to-hit modifiers of 0/-10 and causes no damage. --------------- Sources: Wargear book (1993) Codex Imperialis (1993) (pp. 41-45) Codex: Necrons (2002)