Stellar Swords
An OGL Resource for Space Fantasy Roleplaying

Equipment:
Simple Ranged Weapons

Weapon Cost Damage Critical Range
Increment		 Weight Type
One-Handed Weapons
Blaster pistol 600 cr 3d8 x2 100 ft. 3 lb. Electricity
   Minicell (30) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Espionage needler 500 cr 1d2* x3 5 ft. — Piercing
Firespray 250 cr 2d4* x4 10 ft.* 1/2 lb. Fire
Gyrojet pistol 400 cr 2d6 x2 300 ft. 2 lb. *
   Magazine (10) 20 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Heavy autopistol 400 cr 1d12 x3 200 ft. 7 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (20) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Holdout gyrojet 200 cr 1d12 x2 200 ft. 1/2 lb. *
   Magazine (3) 5 cr — — — — —
Holdout laser 200 cr 1d10 x2 75 ft. 1 lb. Fire
   Microcell (15) 10 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Holdout pistol 150 cr 1d8 x3 100 ft. 2 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (10) 5 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Laser pistol 500 cr 2d10 x2 100 ft. 2 lb. Fire
   Minicell (30) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Light autopistol 300 cr 1d10 x3 150 ft. 5 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (25) 10 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Railgun pistol 600 cr 2d8 x3 150 ft. 6 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (20) 30 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Screamer pistol 450 cr 2d6 x2 100 ft. 2 lb. Sonic
   Minicell (30) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Taser pistol 100 cr * * 100 ft. 1 lb. *
   Magazine (15) 10 cr 1d6 x3 — 1/2 lb. —
 
Two-Handed Weapons
Blaster carbine 900 cr 4d8 x2 150 ft. 9 lb. Electricity
   Minicell (25) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Blaster rifle 1,000 cr 4d10 x2 200 ft. 10 lb. Electricity
   Minicell (20) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Blunderblast 500 cr 3d10/2d10/1d10 x2 40 ft. 13 lb. Piercing
Crossbow, automatic 200 cr 2d6 19-20/x2 150 ft. 8 lb. Piercing
   Bolts (10) 5 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Gyrojet carbine 500 cr 2d10 x2 400 ft. 6 lb. *
   Magazine (20) 50 cr — — — 2 lb. —
Gyrojet rifle 700 cr 3d10 x2 400 ft. 8 lb. *
   Magazine (20) 100 cr — — — 2 lb. —
Hunting carbine 350 cr 1d10 x3 250 ft. 8 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (20) 15 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Hunting rifle 450 cr 1d12 x3 250 ft. 10 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (30) 20 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Laser carbine 700 cr 3d8 x2 150 ft. 7 lb. Fire
   Minicell (25) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Laser rifle 800 cr 3d10 x2 200 ft. 8 lb. Fire
   Minicell (20) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Longbow, compound 200 cr 1d12+4 x3 150 ft. 2 lb. Piercing
   Arrows (20) 5 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Railgun carbine 700 cr 2d12 x3 200 ft. 8 ft. Piercing
   Magazine (20) 30 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Railgun rifle 900 cr 3d12 x3 250 ft. 10 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (30) 40 cr — — — 1 lb. —
Screamer rifle 650 cr 4d6 x2 200 ft. 6 lb. Sonic
   Minicell (20) 15 cr — — — 1/2 lb. —
Shotgun 400 cr * * 50 ft. 10 lb. Piercing
   Magazine (15) 15 cr — — — 1 1/2 lb. —

About Personal Firearms

Several new weapon types are introduced Here. Individual weapons are listed separately.

GYROJETS

Gyrojet weapons are a somewhat antiquated technology that has mostly been replaced with energy weapons. Gyrojets fire miniature, self-propelled rockets instead of metal slugs or energy pulses. A gyrojet round is a small rocket with canted vents. As it launches from the barrel, the vents cause the rocket to spin, stabilizing the rocket and improving range and accuracy. Because the rockets are self-propelled, gyrojet weapons typically have better range than conventional slug throwers and even many light energy weapons. Gyrojet rockets deal half fire damage and half piercing damage.

RAILGUNS

These advanced weapons use powerful magnetic fields to accelerate metal slugs through the barrel. They are capable of both very high muzzle velocities and extreme rates of fire.

Weapon Descriptions

Arrows: Modern arrows are made from composites and carbon fiber. They are lighter, fly truer, and penetrate more deeply than their archaic counterparts. The damage die of a bow using a modern arrow is increased by one step. For example, an archaic longbow firing these arrows deals 1d10 points of damage, while a compound bow deals 1d12+4. An arrow used as melee weapon deals 1d6 points of piercing damage. However, all melee attacks with the weapon suffer a -4 circumstance penalty on attack rolls. Arrows come in lightweight, weatherproof quivers that hold 20 arrows. Modern arrows that hit their targets have a 50% chance to be destroyed. Arrows that miss their targets have a 10% chance to be destroyed or lost.

Automatic Crossbow: This is a semiautomatic heavy crossbow of modern design and construction that can fire up to six bolts without reloading. A long magazine snaps into the underside of the frame, and a new bolt is loaded into firing position automatically when the bow is redrawn. A small electric motor redraws the bow automatically after each shot. The motor is powered by a mircocell that slots into the weapon's stock, and the cell is good for 500 shots and redraws.

Blaster Carbine: This semiautomatic carbine is a lighter, compact version of the blaster rifle. A standard minicell is good for 25 shots with a blaster carbine.

Blaster Pistol: This semiautomatic handgun fires pulses of highly energetic ionized particles. A standard minicell is good for 20 shots with a blaster pistol.

Blaster Rifle: This semiautomatic rifle is the standard civilian-issue blaster weapon. It is used for a broad range of tasks, from hunting to home defense. A standard minicell is good for 30 shots with a blaster rifle.

Bolts: As with modern arrows, bolts are made from advanced composites and carbon fiber. The damage die of a crossbow using a modern bolt is increased by one step. For example, a heavy crossbow firing one of these bolts deals 1d12 points of damage. A bolt used as a melee weapon deals 1d6 points of piercing damage. However, all melee attacks with the weapon suffer a -4 circumstance penalty on attack rolls. Bolts come in lightweight, weatherproof quivers that hold 20 bolts. Modern bolts that hit their targets have a 50% chance to be destroyed. Bolts that miss their targets have a 10% chance to be destroyed or lost.

Blunderblast: Adescendant of black-powder shotguns, the blunderblast combines the force of a channeled explosion with the power of shrapnel. A shortened, smoothbore barrel flared outward at the muzzle sits atop a short stock with handgrip, trigger, and guard. A propellant cartridge slips into the handle and feeds into the main chamber. A small trap catch in the barrel keeps the shrapnel in place after loading. When the user triggers the weapon, the trap is released a millisecond before the propellant cartridge ignites and violently discharges material from the barrel.

The blunderblast gains a +2 circumstance bonus on attack rolls and deals 3d10 points of damage to a target in its first range increment. The attack bonus decreases to +1 and the damage drops to 2d10 against a target within the second range increment. At three range increments or more, the weapon gains no attack bonus and deals 1d10 points of damage. Since it requires significant energy to fully discharge everything from the flared barrel, the blunderblast only gets 30 shots out of its propellant cartridge.

The blunderblast uses shrapnel packs available in plastic pouches that clip to belts and bandoliers; they cost two credits each and take a move action to load. The weapon can also use improvised ammunition: small metallic parts, dry garbage, recovered shrapnel, broken personal equipment, even rocks gathered from the surroundings. Such makeshift ammunition takes a full-round action to load, though it still inflicts the standard amount of damage for the blunderblast. A blunderblast firing improvised ammunition does not gain an attack bonus.

Volatile materials (ammunition for other weapons, power cells, mini-grenades) loaded into the blunderblast explode upon discharge, dealing 3d10 damage to the wielder and 2d10 damage to anyone within 10 feet of him. This explosion also destroys the weapon.

The weapon is anything but silent. Discharge has all the subtlety of an exploding grenade. Depending on the ammunition used, it may leave an unpleasant burned chemical odor or a haze of foul-smelling, toxic smoke in the air.

The weapon maintains a crude reputation. Orc raider bands nicknamed the weapon "The Beast" for its power and savagery. Boarding parties and starship defenders use the blunderblast in hostile actions since the shot has a short effective range but proves highly efficient at cutting down personnel.

Compound Longbow: This recurved longbow is constructed using a cable and pulley system that creates more power and velocity even for archers not gifted with great strength. The archer gains a damage bonus of +4, just as if he were using a mighty bow and had a Strength bonus of +4. This weapon must be used with two hands, and it is too large to fire while mounted on an animal (it can be fired from a vehicle if sufficient space is available).

Espionage Needler: Needler pistols have rarely proven effective in open combat, but serve as useful tools for short-range, concealed work. One-shot needlers designed for espionage work frequently come in compact designs consisting of a short delivery tube, parallel gas reservoir, and a square, flat trigger assembly. One can strap the weapon to a hand or wrist or conceal it in a spring holster. Some operatives conceal them in sleeves or bracers.

Engineered to deliver a single, accurate shot at a short-range target, espionage needlers forego magazines of multiple slivers and noisy rapid-shot actions. The weapon relies on stealth to allow the user to approach a target, ejects the needle with a quiet compressed-gas discharge system, and damages the subject with a chemically enhanced sliver. Assuming the target realizes he's hit, he has little chance to spot his attacker in a crowd.

Given the needle's deadly contents, the trigger was intentionally designed with less sensitivity than conventional weapons. To fire, the user must deliberately use two fingers from an opposing hand, one to hold down the safety switch, the other to trigger the weapon. This is often done in an unassuming manner: adjusting one's sleeve, operating a hand-held device, pulling on a glove. Reloading an espionage needler takes a full-round action, not including the time required to remove the weapon from its concealed location. Although it doesn't have the capacity to use clips of sliver rounds, the needler comes with a separate metal case containing three needles treated with the same chemical compound.

Unlike the more aerodynamically engineered ammunition for other needler guns, the slivers for this espionage weapon are shorter, thinner, and unbarbed. They're designed for high-velocity, short-range delivery. Slivers typically pierce the target's skin, deliver their poison, and then fall off from the subdermal pressure when the target tenses his skin in reaction to the hit. Although effective at penetrating most skin types and light clothing, the needler has difficulty piercing armor: double the target's armor bonus and natural armor bonus when determining attack rolls against him using an espionage needler. The weapon must inflict damage on the subject to deliver its poison. If damage reduction reduces the damage to 0, the poison has no effect on the target.

Those working in intelligence circles have ready access to concealed, mission-specific weapons like espionage needlers. In open society, however, those caught carrying or using such covert devices fall under the suspicion of authorities. The average citizen seeking an espionage needler would have to cultivate contacts within the intelligence community, have access to a facility used by operatives, or heavily bribe someone with the proper connections before obtaining one and its specialized ammunition.

Needler Poisons

The slivers fired by needler pistols contain tiny chambers and inertial plunger systems that efficiently deliver chemical substances when they pierce a target. The poisons below represent the more common of those used in espionage needlers. Standard poisons from the DMG or other sources may be used as well.

Poison Type Initial
Damage		 Secondary
Damage		 Price*
* The price listed reflects the cost of three espionage needles containing the particular type of poison.
Kjanoth bile Injury DC 10 1d4 Dex 1d6 Wis 200 cr
Zygrad oil Injury DC 10 1d4 Str 1d6 Con 300 cr
Broadenbane Injury DC 12 1 Int 1d8 Int 250 cr
Spivven slime Injury DC 15 0 Unconsciousness 350 cr
Sithra extract Injury DC 15 1d6 Wis Paralysis 650 cr
Scimitar wasp venom Injury DC 17 1d6 Str 2d6 Con 500 cr
Rendenhell Injury DC 15 2d10 hp 1d4 Con 2,200 cr

Not all needles carry chemicals to impair or harm targets. Some slivers come specially designed to deliver tagging devices directly into the subject's system, such as the nano-tracker

Firespray: Firespray offers personal protection in an easily concealed package. Slightly larger than a minicell, this one-shot personal defense weapon delivers a single burst of flame aimed at an unsuspecting opponent. When threatened, the user presses the arming disk at one end, priming the igniter at the other end and sensitizing the trigger coils around the central chemical reservoir. Pointing the other end at the victim and squeezing the weapon's body discharges a conical jet of flame up to 10 feet from the tip. The user must still make a successful attack roll. A hit deals 2d4 points of damage and blinds the target for 1d3 rounds. A Fortitude save (DC 15) negates the blindness.

Although the firespray's limited range makes it effective only at distances appropriate for melee combat, the user applies her Dexterity modifier to all attack rolls with this weapon.

One disarms an unused firespray cannister simply by pressing the arming disk a second time. The weapon contains enough chemical accelerants in the reservoir for only one blast, and refills are not available.

Firespray is a popular personal defense item in urban settings on worlds with lax restrictions on concealed weaponry. Often the mere threat of firespray deters would-be thieves and petty thugs. Merchants frequently sell firespray with concealment packaging to make them appear as makeup, perfume, a minicell, or any other cylindrical product.

Gyrojet Carbine: The gyrojet carbine is a lighter, more compact version of the gyrojet rifle. A gyrojet carbine magazine holds 20 gyrojet rockets.

Gyrojet Pistol: A semiautomatic gyrojet weapon, this pistol is popular due to a combination of good damage and range. The 10 round magazine is pricey compared to other weapons, but the weapon itself, being little more than a launch platform, is cheap.

Gyrojet Rifle: This semiautomatic gyrojet weapon is popular among small militaries that cannot afford to equip their troops with energy weapons. It is a portable and cheap alternative to a rocket launcher. Though its use against vehicles or groups of targets is limited, it allows good projection of force from a safe distance. A gyrojet rifle magazine holds 20 gyrojet rockets.

Heavy Autopistol: This is a large-caliber, semiautomatic slug-thrower. It uses a binary chemical propellant to fire caseless ammunition. A standard magazine holds 20 rounds and a propellant cartridge is good for 500 shots.

Holdout Gyrojet: This is little more than a small launch tube and receiver for a three-round gyrojet magazine. Holdout gyrojets are more accurate over range than other holdout weapons, though they need to be reloaded after only three shots.

Holdout Laser: This is a concealable, semiautomatic laser pistol. It is typically used as a secondary weapon, concealed in an ankle- or forearm holster. A standard microcell is good for 15 shots with a holdout laser.

Holdout Pistol: This is a concealable, semiautomatic slug-thrower. It is typically used as a secondary weapon, concealed in an ankle or forearm holster. The holdout pistol uses a binary chemical propellant to fire caseless ammunition. A standard magazine holds 10 rounds and a propellant cartridge is good for 500 shots.

Hunting Carbine: This semiautomatic slug-thrower is a lighter, more compact version of the hunting rifle. Hunting carbines are extremely common in civilian use, especially on frontier worlds. It uses a binary chemical propellant to fire caseless ammunition. A standard magazine holds 20 rounds and a propellant cartridge is good for 300 shots.

Hunting Rifle: This semiautomatic slug-thrower is very common in civilian use, especially on frontier worlds. It uses a binary chemical propellant to fire caseless ammunition. A standard magazine holds 30 rounds and a propellant cartridge is good for 300 shots.

Laser Carbine: The laser carbine is a lighter, more compact version of the laser rifle, and is very common in civilian use. A standard minicell is good for 25 shots with a laser carbine.

Laser Pistol: This semiautomatic energy weapon is very common among civilians, law enforcement officers, and military personnel. A standard minicell is good for 30 shots with a laser pistol.

Laser Rifle: The semiautomatic laser rifle is used for a variety of tasks, from hunting, to home defense, to law enforcement and security. A standard power cell is good for 20 shots with a laser rifle.

Light Autopistol: This is a small-caliber, semiautomatic slug-thrower. It uses a binary chemical propellant to fire caseless ammunition. A standard magazine holds 25 rounds and a propellant cartridge is good for 500 shots.

Railgun Pistol: Given its modest barrel length, this weapon is at the low end of useful railgun technology. It is a semiautomatic long pistol. Though the rails are rather short, the weapon is still capable of firing projectiles at greater speeds than standard chemical firearms. A rail pistol magazine holds 20 rounds and sufficient charge for 20 shots.

Railgun Carbine: This semiautomatic railgun has a long profile, allowing for good acceleration of rounds. It is lighter and more compact than a railgun rifle, making the carbine attractive for light infantry. The long barrel allows the use of less powerful capacitors than either the rifle or pistol, helping on cost and maintenance. A railgun carbine magazine holds 20 rounds and sufficient charge for 20 shots.

Railgun Rifle: A semiautomatic railgun seen in both civilian and military use, particularly in hunting and special ops. Less noise and greater accuracy than chemical rifles make it a popular choice. A railgun rifle magazine holds 30 rounds and sufficient charge for 30 shots.

Screamer Pistol: This semiautomatic energy weapon is a bit more exotic than lasers and blasters, but still fairly common. A standard minicell is good for 30 shots with a screamer pistol.

Screamer Rifle: This semiautomatic weapon is no match for similar models of lasers and blasters, but it is sometimes used when the target is suspected of having protection from fire and electricity. A standard minicell is good for 20 shots with a screamer rifle.

Shotgun: This semiautomatic, binary-propellant weapon uses shells filled with small projectiles that scatter when it is fired. The shotgun does 3d6 points of damage to a target in the first range increment, 2d6 to a target in the second range increment, and 1d6 to anyone in a 5-foot-wide path beyond that distance out to maximum range. A standard magazine holds 15 shells. A propellant reservoir is good for 300 shots.

Taser Pistol: This diminutive weapon is extremely effective for its size. It is most often used as a self defense weapon or by law enforcement officers, as it can buy the wielder sufficient time to escape from a threat or to apprehend a criminal. A creature hit by a taser dart must make a Fortitude save (DC 15) or be stunned for 1 round. The darts do piercing damage, but the stun effect is electrical. Creatures immune to electricity are not harmed by this effect. A microcell is good for 15 shots with a taser pistol.