Big Nasty Gun

[Edsel]

I noticed that this US Coast Guard weapon is not listed in the Dark Champions playtest manuscript. (Actually I think the Coast Guard is merely evaluating it). It it one of the standard issue weapons I am thinking about for my next DC game. The campaign will feature some monster hunts, so a weapon with knock down power is a big plus.

Anybody care to take a stab at building this weapon for Hero System?

A .50-calibur assault rifle!

EDIT: This may be of use it is a link to the Ammunition Specifications for the gun.

[Steve Long]

If I'd come across that in my research, or if I'd seen anyone post about it in the "We're Gonna Need Guns" thread, I'd've included it as an "NP" (not in production) firearm. Nice-looking weapon, with some unusual characteristics.

As it is, though, there are so many different guns out there, and so many sources of information about them, that I could spend a month just researching the subject and still not cover it all. But at least it provides fodder for future books.

[Edsel]

I blame myself for not bringing this to your attention in time.
Sadly I was pretty busy during the playtest evaluation of the DC rules and did not really get a chance to look at what I had downloaded until after the deadline for submissions was past. It was just stupidity on my part to not post about it on the "We're Gonna Needs Guns" thread.

I guess I'll look over the guide lines for guns in the DC playtest materials and the website data I posted, and try to do a write-up myself. I saw a brief demo of this weapon on a TV program (Discovery or some such channel) several months ago. Apparently the Coast Guard wants a gun that can shoot through a comercial ship's steel bulkhead and still have a controllable kick. This one supposedly meets those requirements.

[gewing]

Pretty easy to write up, imo.

Either 2d6+1 with a +2 stun mod, or 2.5 d6 with a +1. Cartridge is NOWHERE near as powerful as a .50 BMG, uses a 300 or so grain bullet at about 2200 fps instead of a 650 grain bullet at 2900 Fps. If reliability can be built in (not in early ones, according to some reports) it will be very handy for a barricade weapon, or disabling vehicles/boats (what they bought it for) or as a hunting rifle for heavy game such as bears at close ranges, say out to 150 yards. It will kill at much longer ranges, but hard to hit with.

The suppressed 500 grain bullets at 1000 fps would be useful too.


From what I have read, I think I would rather have the similar .458 Socom. thought he bullet is smaller diameter, weight and velocity are similar, so sectional density and penetration should be at least as good.
"Big" problem is that as a handloader there is not a ready availability of .458 down to .30 caliber or some such sabots, while I think a .50 BMG down to .30 would work in the .50 leitner-weiss gun. This would allow roughly the perfomance both in range and terminal effects of a .30-06, though accuracy would probably be slightly less than with a conventional bullet.

[Chiba Bob]

I don't know if anyone is interested? But I rate firearms a little differently for normal and heroic campaigns. I split damage and penetration up, nasty weapons can still puncture armor and unarmored characters have a better chanced of survival. The logic behind this method is that "dead is dead", and there is an upper of damage that a given round can inflict ... excess damage is wasted. Larger, more powerful weapons tend to blow through weak targets unable to transfer all their potential energy against a given target. Therefore, a firearm's damage is split into two values: one is penetration (the ability to blow through) and the other is damage (the ability to transfer damage). This method assumes the use of all Optional Damage Effects are being used on page 276.

I quick example using "The Mini 50":

LW 15.499 "The Mini 50", all slots OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), 12 Charges (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4)
1) Penetration: (Total: 58 Active Cost, 13 Real Cost) Suppress 2d6, [four powers] simultaneously (+1), Attack Versus Limited Defense (Lack Of Weakness; +3/4) (27 Active Points); OAF (-1), Instant (-1/2), Linked (Damage; -1/2), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Can Be Missile Deflected (-1/4), 12 Charges (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 6) plus Damage: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6-1, +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4) (31 Active Points); STR Minimum 13 (STR Min. Cannot Add/Subtract Damage; -1), OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-1/2), Beam (-1/4), 12 Charges (-1/4), Real Weapon (-1/4) (Real Cost: 7)


.

[Toadmaster]

I like piercing to deal with penetration vs damage, piercing is an old rule from 3rd edition, basically each level defeats one point of armor, so you can have weapons do similar damage but have better penetration of armor, then throw in the stun mod and the "damage" range really gets expanded nicely. For example we will take 3 weapons that are roughly equal,
The 5.7mm P90 which has good penetration but poor "stopping power", a 9mm MP5 smg and a .44 special revolver. The 5.7mm does 1d6 RKA with 2 levels of piercing, the 9mm does 1d6+1 RKA with no piercing and the .44 Special does 1d6 RKA with a +1 stun mod, so against unarmored critters the .44 Spl is the best (max 36 stun), the 9mm is close behind (max 35 stun) but better performance against armor (max 7) and the 5.7mm is a distant 3rd against an unarmored target (max 30 stun) but the best of the three against armor (max 8). Just adds a little more variety without much additional complication.



As to the Beowolf, I'd go with the 2d6+1 +2 Stun mod as Gewing said, its no better than a 7.62mm NATO rifle in penetration but does have quite a bit more "knockdown" if you believe in such a thing. My understanding is the Coast Guard was interested because it makes bigger holes (the better to sink you with) rather than the penetration and it all fits into the AR system instead of a large bulky weapon such as the Barrett (which uses the full size .50 Browning round Gewing mentioned) or even most 7.62mm rifles such as the M14. These large bore AR's seem to be getting popular in addition to the .50 Beowolf there a couple of other large bore semi-production rounds out there. Additionally there is the whisper line which uses the AR with larger caliber (but not >40 cal +) subsonic rounds for a more effective suppresed weapon than the typical 9mm SMG and much better than a suppressed 5.56mm weapon.

Lots of neat stuff out there, too bad DC missed some but hey, whats the fun if the game supplements take care of everything, we won't have anything to do .

[SCUBA Hero]

Apparently the Coast Guard wants a gun that can shoot through a comercial ship's steel bulkhead and still have a controllable kick. This one supposedly meets those requirements.

[Police Academy]
Yeah. . .I can see where that could be useful. . .
[/Police Academy]