Third Deck Games

This page has the Expanded and Revised Weapon Attack Attribute.

WEAPON ATTACK (OR SPECIAL ATTACK)
Cost: 2, 3, or 4 points/Level
Relevant Stat: None (uses Attack Combat Value)
Type: Universal

Some navigation links to help ease your search:
Description Alternate Attacks Different Gunners Hand-Held Weapons Personal Gear

Abilities Disabilites Tips, Tricks and Hints

Anime characters sometimes wield powerful offensive energies, such as electric zaps, magical fireballs, ki-powered martial arts strikes, or energy swords. Some characters, such as cyborgs or robots, as well as mecha, may have guns, missiles, or beam weapons built into their bodies. This ability is normally known as Weapon Attack when it is technological in origin and Special Attack when racial or paranormal. For simplicity, it will be referred to as Weapon Attack throughout this description.

Weapon Attack costs 2, 3 or 4 points per Level, and delivers 5, 10, or 15 points of damage per Level, respectively. To make it easier to notate, it can be written this way: #WAx#, where “#” is the point cost per level, and WA is short for Weapon Attack, and “x#” is the number of levels of Weapon Attack purchased.

Weapon Attacks may be further customized by assigning one or more attack Abilities from the list. Each attack Ability taken reduces the damage by 15 points but adds an additional capability. Attacks may also be assigned one or more attack Disabilities from the list. Each attack Disability increases the damage by 15 points but reduces the attack’s utility by imposing some form of limitation.

Both Abilities and Disabilities must be assigned when the Weapon Attack is designed. On the player’s character sheet, they are listed in parentheses following the attack’s modified damage. A Weapon Attack may be assigned a combination of Abilities and Disabilities that would reduce its damage to a minimum of 15. To create a “zero damage” Weapon Attack, one would select the No Damage Disability. For example, suppose a character has a Weapon Attack at Level 1. They must select one Disability to be able to assign the attack one Ability, which would result in an attack that delivered 15 points of damage. If the character wanted to purchase a second Ability, they must also assign a second Disability, which would keep the attack’s damage at 15.

A Weapon Attack should always be given a descriptive name such as “90mm Auto-Cannon” or “Raging Thunder Dragon Fist.” When designing the attack, the player (with GM input) should determine what Skill and specialization is appropriate for its use. For most magical or superpowered ranged attacks, it will be Thrown Weapons (Energy Blasts). For mecha Weapon Attacks, it is usually Heavy Weapons (Gunnery). For ranged weapons designed as Personal Gear, it is usually Guns or Thrown Weapon with an appropriate specialization depending on the description. Any weapon with the Melee Disability uses the Melee Attack or Unarmed Attack Skills depending on its description. For example, Melee Attack (Sword) is appropriate to an energy sword, while Unarmed Attack (Striking) would be suitable for a wraith that drained energy by its touch or a ki-energized martial arts strike.

Although a character or mecha often uses its most powerful “primary” weapon, different ones may also be possessed. The point cost of these additional “secondary” attacks are significantly lower than the cost of the primary attack: 2 points for each Weapon Attack at the same Level as the primary and 1 point for each one that operates at a lower Level. The primary attack is the only one that costs the standard 4 points/Level. Secondary attacks may each possess different damages, Abilities and Disabilities. If acquiring alternate attacks as Magical Powers the secondary attacks drain the regular number of Energy Points per Level, not 1 or 2 Energy Points.
Back to Top

If a mecha has the Weapon Attack ability, each armament is normally designed for use by whomever is controlling the mecha. An operator can only fire one of the weapons each round, unless he or she possesses the Extra Attacks Attribute (page 32). If the mecha carries multiple people, however, it may be designed with many independently operated weapons, each manned by a different character, which allows simultaneous attacks. If a weapon is created from this category, it should be noted as requiring a “Different Gunner” and purchased at an additional cost of 5 Mecha Points each.
Back to Top

Attacks usually emanate from the character or are built directly into a mecha, but they may be designated as hand-held. A hand-held weapon can be lost or grabbed by an enemy, and the character or mecha must have at least one hand to hold it. If a hand-held weapon is created as a Magical Power (which may be transferred to other characters), the sorcerer must pay Energy Points every minute to sustain its existence plus additional Energy Points whenever the character makes an attack using it. Consequently, it is rarely beneficial to create magical hand-held weapons unless it is intended for use by another character. Sorcerers can still create flaming swords, rifles, and longbows without paying the additional hand-held costs if the weapon cannot be transferred between characters (it looks like a hand-held weapon, but it is actually a “fixture” that cannot exist independently).
Back to Top

Handheld weapons that are built as Personal Gear are less powerful than ordinary Weapon Attacks. When they are created, they will inflict only one-third the listed damage (that is, only 5 points of damage per Level of Weapon Attack).
Back to Top

Navigate to: Back to Top Disabilites Tips, Tricks and Hints

The following Abilities may be assigned to a Weapon Attack. The GM may disallow any combination of Abilities that seems inappropriate. The effectiveness of the special effects of Drain (Any), Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, Linked (Attribute), and Tangle are determined by the basic damage of the attack only. Combat Value, Focused Damage, or Massive Damage are not included in the calculation. Neither Armour nor (except for Tangle) Force Fields will normally protect against these special effects.

Accurate Affects Incorporeal Area Effect Aura Auto-Fire Burning Concealable Contagious Drain Body Drain Energy Drain Mind Drain Soul Flare Flexible Homing Incapacitating Incurable Indirect Irritant Linked (Attack) Linked (Attribute) Long Range Muscle-Powered (Mecha Only) No Regeneration Penetrating (Armour) Penetrating (Force Field) Quake Returning (New) Soul Attack Spreading Stun Tangle Trap Unique Ability Vampiric Velocity (New)

The attack is unusually accurate giving a -2 bonus to Attack rolls (or Soul Stat checks if the attack has the Soul Attack Ability). This ability can be assigned two or three times for a -4 or -6 bonus, but may not be combined with the Linked (Attack) Ability.
Abilites

This attack will affect characters who are currently Astral or Incorporeal as if they were solid. This Ability is not appropriate for Personal Gear.
Abilites

This is an attack, like an explosive blast, that affects not only the direct target, but also anyone in the immediate area. All affected characters are allowed a Defense roll (diving for cover, swerving out of the way), but a successful Defense is not enough to escape completely. Unless the character has some way to rapidly escape the area of effect (such as Jumping or Flight), he or she still takes half damage from the attack (round down). Characters and mecha that can shield themselves with very solid objects or terrain in the vicinity may avoid damage completely (GM’s discretion) on a successful Defense roll. This represents the character ducking or moving behind cover. The GM will decide whether an object or person is within the area of effect, and may assume the area radius, in metres, is equivalent to one-third the weapon’s damage. Area Effect can be assigned multiple times. Each Ability doubles the area radius. In the alternative, a reduced Area of Effect can be made, with 1 point total reduction reducing radius from one-third to one-fifth, 2 point total reduction reducing radius from one-tenth, and a 3 point total reduction reducing radius to one-fifteenth.
Abilites

Rather than having to make an actual Attack, the character instead automatically damages anyone who touches his or her body. An example might be a character who was sheathed in flame or electrified. The attack delivers instantaneous damage to anyone who touches the character. If this Ability is combined with the Area Effect Ability, it automatically damages anyone in the designated area around the character. Aura counts as two Abilities. Aura is incompatible with the Backblast, Melee, and Short Range Disabilities.
Abilites

The attack consists of a burst of multiple shots like a machine gun or rapid sequence of energy bolts. Instead of scoring one hit when an attack is successful, the attacker scores hits equal to the difference between the attack roll and his or her Attack Combat Value (minimum of one, maximum of five). For example, if a character’s attack Combat Value is 7 and the player rolled 5 (after all modifications), he or she would score two hits. The defender’s chance to avoid the attack is derived in a similar way, however: a successful Defense roll will defend against a number of hits equal to the difference between the Defense roll and Defense Combat Value (with a minimum one hit avoided on a successful defense). Damage bonuses from Combat Value, Focused Damage, Massive Damage, Super Strength, and critical hit multipliers are only applied to the first hit in an Auto-Fire burst - all others only inflict the base damage of the attack. Auto-Fire counts as three Abilities.
Abilites

This represents acid, flaming liquid, or similar attacks that deliver continuing damage over several rounds. If the initial attack damage penetrates the opponent’s armour, the target will suffer an additional 1/10 of the basic damage for 5 rounds or until the effect is somehow neutralized (GM’s discretion; it should depend on the type of attack, and may require several rounds for full neutralization). Armour does not protect against the extra burning damage in subsequent rounds. Alternatively, Burning can be defined as a “slow burn,” in which case the damage is 1/5 of the basic damage rather than 1/10 but is applied on a daily basis (rather than round-by-round). This ability may best represent a disease or slow poison attack. Unlike a regular Burning attack, the slow burn damage will continue until the victim is dead or makes a successful check against the average of his or her Soul + Body (made on a daily basis).
Abilites

This option is only available for hand weapons, mecha weapons, or personal gear. Such weapons are normally assumed to be visible — a weapon built into a mecha has obvious barrels or gun ports, for example. A Concealable Weapon is not so obvious; it may extend out from the mecha or be disguised as something else. If built as a Hand Weapon or Personal Gear, this means it is small enough to be used with one hand and concealed under clothing. Most pistol-sized or knife-sized weapons are Concealable.
Abilites

Some or all of the attack’s damage or other effects will be passed on to others who touch (or otherwise contact) a victim. This counts as three abilities if mildly contagious or six abilities if highly contagious. If mildly contagious, not everyone will be infected; a prospective victim must fail a Stat roll at a -3 bonus to be affected. If taken twice, it is highly contagious; someone must fail a Stat roll (without modifiers) in order to be affected, or possibly contagion may be automated under some circumstances. The Stat check is normally a Body roll, but magical or cybernetic contagion may require a Mind or Soul roll. The GM should adjudicate Effects and countermeasures. The Ability is usually combined with the Toxic Disability.
Abilites

The attack causes the victim to suffer weakness and/or loss of coordination. The victim’s Body Stat is reduced by one for every 15 points of Damage the attack delivers. The Body Stat drain is in addition to any Health Point losses from the attack. To design an attack that only drains the Body Stat, but inflicts no other punishment, the No Damage Disability must also be assigned. Lost Body Stat points are recovered at one point per hour of rest. Losing Stat Levels will also lower the Combat Value, but Health Points and Energy Points will not be affected. The GM may rule that a character who is reduced to a 0 Body Stat is unable to move.
Abilites

The attack drains away the victim’s personal energy supply, causing him or her to become fatigued and/or despondent. In addition to the damage delivered to the victim’s Health Points, the attack causes the same loss of Energy Points. To design an attack that only drains Energy Points, the No Damage Disability must also be assigned. Lost Energy Points recover at their normal rate.
Abilites

The Attack causes the victim to lose his or her sanity. The attack may be a psionic attack, a tranquillizer or similar drug, or another form of attack. The victim’s Mind Stat is reduced by one for every 15 points of Damage of the attack. This Mind Stat drain is in addition to any Health Point losses from the attack. To design an attack that only drains the Mind Stat, the No Damage Disability must also be assigned. The GM may rule that a character reduced to 0 Mind is “mindless” and will act in an illogical and animalistic fashion, completely without reason. The drained points return at the rate of one every hour.
Abilites

The Attack affects the victim’s spirit. This attack may be a wave of fear, despair, or some other willpower- destroying emotion. Drain Soul is far more common as a Special Attack than a Weapon Attack. The victim’s Soul Stat is reduced by one for every 15 points of Damage of the attack. This drainage is in addition to any Health Point losses from the attack. To design an attack that only drains the Soul Stat, the No Damage Disability must also be assigned. The GM may rule that a character reduced to 0 Soul is “broken,” and lacks all drive or volition. The drained points return at the rate of one every hour. This Ability is normally not appropriate for Personal Gear.
Abilites

If the target is hit (or in the radius of an Area Effect weapon attack) the defending character may be blinded. Every target looking in the vicinity of the attack must roll a Body Stat check at a +1 penalty for every 15 points of weapon damage (ignoring armour). If a target character rolls greater than his or her Body Stat, he or she is blinded for a number of combat rounds equal to the difference between the Body Stat and the dice roll. Characters with appropriate Special Defenses (page 71) will not be blinded. Flare may be taken multiple times; each time it is taken, add an extra +1 penalty to the Stat check. Flare can also be generalized to cover other sense-overloading attacks. For example, the attack might cause deafness.
Abilites

This ability represents long, flexible, or extendible attacks such as a prehensile whip, energy-lash, razor- ribbon, or similar attack mode. The target defends at a +1 penalty. If the attacker is strong enough to physically lift the target, a successful attack can trip or disarm an opponent (snagging a hand-held weapon) in lieu of delivering damage. Such non-damaging attack stunts are made at a +2 penalty to the Attack roll since they require great skill to execute accurately.
Abilites

The attack or weapon fires a projectile or energy bolt that can track and follow its target. The character receives a -2 bonus to his or her Attack roll, and if the attack misses or the target successfully defends, the weapon will return to try again (only one more time) in the next combat round. A Homing attack is vulnerable to ECM missile jamming, however (see Electronic Counter-Measures, page 28). In a setting where ECM is not common (such as ancient Japan) Homing counts as two, rather than one, Abilities.
Abilites

This represents any form of attack that can instantly incapacitate a foe even if it does not inflict actual damage. This includes putting an opponent to sleep or turning him or her to stone. Regardless of whether the attack does physical damage, the victim must make a Stat Roll (either Body, Mind, or Soul — decide when the attack is designed) to avoid being completely incapacitated. The roll is made at a -4 bonus with a +1 modifier per 15 points of base damage at which the attack is rated. For example, an attack rated for 60 damage would require a Stat Roll at no penalty; one doing 30 damage would be made at a -2 bonus. When designing the attack, specify the form the incapacitation takes: asleep, awake but paralyzed, turned to stone, transformed into an inert doll, etc. The effects will wear off in several minutes, unless the Incurable Ability is also taken. To design an attack that only incapacitates the target, the No Damage Disability must also be assigned. Incapacitating counts as three Abilities.
Abilites

The attack produces wounds or other effects that do not heal naturally, and are incurable by normal methods. Rather than recovering at a normal rate or being amenable to medical treatment, recovery cannot take place until some exotic event or treatment has occurred. This requirement must be specified when the attack is designed, subject to GM approval. Incurable counts as two Abilities. It is not appropriate for Personal Gear.
Abilites

The weapon can fire shots in a high ballistic arc. Examples include grenade launchers and howitzers. This allows the attacker to shoot at targets hidden behind buildings, hills, or other obstacles (or even shoot over the horizon, if the Long Range Weapon Ability is also taken). Indirect fire is tricky, however. A weapon with the Indirect Weapon Ability can be used under normal mid-range conditions without any penalty. If it is used to make an indirect fire shot, the attacker must be able to “see” the target (sensors can be used), or someone else must spot the target and relay its position to the attacker. Indirect fire results in a +2 penalty to the Attack roll.
Abilites

This represents pepper spray, a skunk’s musk, an itching spell, or similar effect. Whether or not damage penetrated armour, the subject must make a Body Stat roll at +1 penalty for every 15 points base damage that the attack delivers. If the target fails, the character is partially blinded and distracted (+2 penalty on all rolls to do anything) for a number of rounds equal to the amount by which he or she failed the roll. Irritant is usually taken in conjunction with the Toxic Disability to simulate an attack against which a gas mask or the like offers protection.
Abilites

An attack with this Ability is “attached” to another primary attack. The primary attack may be an ordinary weapon (such as an item of personal gear like a sword), a natural weapon or unarmed attack, or a different Weapon Attack. If that attack is successful, this “linked” attack automatically hits as well (no Defense allowed), but if it misses or fails to penetrate armour, the linked attack automatically fails too (with full Energy Point cost, if applicable). If the primary attack hit and delivered enough damage to successfully penetrate armour, then the armour does not protect at all against the damage of the second linked attack. An attack with the Linked Ability may not be given the Accurate or Long Range Abilities or the Inaccurate, Melee, or Short Range Disabilities; its range and accuracy are dependent on the attack to which it is linked. Linked (Attack) counts as two Abilities. Linked (Attack) cannot be taken in combination with the Low Penetration Disability.
Abilites

An attack with this Ability is attached to one of the following Attributes, which the character must also possess: Dimensional Portal, Insubstantiality, Metamorphosis, Shape Change, Size Change, or Teleport. If the attack hits, a living subject will be affected by that Attribute provided he or she fails a Body Stat Check to resist. The check is made at -1 for every 15 base damage points the attack delivers. This Ability is often acquired in conjunction with the No Damage Disability (page 91).
Abilites

An ordinary attack is assumed to have an effective range of about 500 metres (10 km in space). This Ability extends the range to 5 km (100 km in space). Long Range weapons are typical of beam cannons on spaceships, guided missiles, or the guns of tanks or big robots. It can be assigned multiple times: see table for ranges.

Proposed

Abilites

The mecha or character may add any damage bonus from the Super Strength Attribute (page 74) to the attack’s basic damage. The Melee Disability is usually taken as well. If an A.I. mecha does not possess the Super Strength Attribute, its Body Stat is added to the delivered damage instead. Note that ordinary mecha melee weapons may rely on the user’s strength but might not have this ability because they are not durable enough for the user to take advantage of Super Strength (they will break).
Abilites

This is a lesser form of Incurable. The damage from the attack cannot be restored using the Healing or Regeneration Attributes but can otherwise recover or be repaired normally. It is not appropriate for Personal Gear.
Abilites

The Light Armour, Heavy Armour, and Shield Attributes only stop half as many (round down) damage points against an attack with this Ability. Penetrating may be taken twice. If so, armour stops no damage against the attack (this may represent poison gas, a high-energy gamma-ray laser, or a similarly insidious weapon).
Abilites

The Force Field Attribute only stops half as many (round down) damage points against an attack with this Ability. Penetrating may be taken twice; if so, a Force Field offers no protection against the attack.
Abilites

This attack causes a linear shock wave in the ground, causing the very earth to rumble and fracture. The quake “fault” will only be large enough for one person to fall into its depths unless it is combined with the Area Effect Ability. A victim may fall into the crevasse if he or she fails a Body Stat check (the Acrobatics skill will provide a bonus). The fissure will be approximately one metre deep for the first 15 points of damage and is doubled for every additional 15 damage points the attack inflicts. Thus a 30 damage point quake would create a fissure two metres deep, while a 60 damage point quake would create a crevice eight metres deep. This can only be used on a solid surface (which may be earth, sand, cement, or asphalt), and may not be combined with the Aura Ability.
Abilites

Representing a weapon like a boomerang or a knife that magically returns to its user. Counts as one abilities if the weapon can only return after it misses, two abilities if it can return after a successful hit.
Abilites

The attack is not a physical attack but rather is a contest of spirit or will. Instead of the attack requiring an Attack Combat Value roll, the character must roll a successful Soul Stat check for his or her character (though appropriate Skills can modify this). Likewise, instead of a normal Defense roll, the subject makes a Stat roll using the average of his or her Mind and Soul Stats to resist. Soul Attack ignores Armour, Shields and Force Fields, and affects Insubstantial or Astral characters normally. It counts as five Abilities unless the attack has the No Damage Disability, in which case it counts as two Abilities. It is not appropriate for Personal Gear.
Abilites

This type of attack spreads to cover an expanding area like a cone of energy or a spray of projectiles or energy bolts. The defender receives a +1 penalty to his or her Defense roll. Multiple adjacent targets in the attack path may also receive damage if they are lined up or in a dense formation, up to a maximum of one extra target for every 15 points of weapon damage. The Spreading Ability can be acquired multiple times; each one further penalizes the target’s Defense roll by +1 and doubles the number of possible adjacent targets.
Abilites

An attack with this Ability inflicts temporary damage such as an electric shock that shorts out electronics and renders people unconscious. Lost Health Points are recovered or repaired at one point every minute rather than the normal one per hour. Stun damage cannot kill. Although the attack does less damage than a regular attack of a comparable level, it has the advantage that it may be used to incapacitate a foe without the risk of killing him or her.
Abilites

Attacks that can entangle the victim may include a spray that freezes the target in ice, or traps him or her in the branches of an animated plant, or simple webbing. The entanglement has 10 health per 15 points of damage the attack delivers. If a target does not successfully defend a Tangle attack, he or she is trapped until sufficient damage is delivered to the entanglement to reduce its Health Points to zero or lower (at this point it is destroyed). A trapped character is unable to move, attack physically, or defend, but is usually able to speak and perform actions that do not require complex gestures. A victim who has partially destroyed an entanglement may regain additional body movement, however (GM’s discretion). A Tangle attack also inflicts damage as normal unless the No Damage Disability is also assigned to the attack. An “Incurable” entanglement can only be damaged by some special means (such as fire or water) defined when the Tangle attack is created.
Abilites

The attack lays a mine, booby trap, or some other similar device, which “sits and waits” until someone triggers it. A successful Mind Stat check will reveal the trap’s presence. The Trap Ability can be paired with the Melee Disability (page 91) to simulate a booby trap that must be carefully planted. Without the Melee Disability, the trap can be deployed at a range; a successful Attack roll indicates that the Trap was fired or tossed into the correct area.
Abilites

The attack has some other unspecified Ability that is not listed, and is subject to GM approval. Examples can include an attack that can track and follow its target, one that affects the appearance of the target, and many more.
Abilites

This Ability can be added to any attack that causes normal damage or one that drains Stat Points or Energy Points. Upon a successful attack, the lost Health Points, Energy Points, or Stat Levels are transferred to the attacker. Vampiric counts as a single Ability if the attack can only restore lost points or Levels (thus, the character could heal himself or herself), or two Abilities if the attack can actually increase the character’s values above their normal maximum values (Combat Value does not change). Energy Points or Health Points cannot exceed twice their normal maximum, however, and Stats cannot be increased beyond 12. Any values or points in excess of the user’s normal Level fade at a rate of 5 Energy Points or Health Points or one Stat Level per hour. This Ability may not be combined with the Area Ability and is not appropriate for Personal Gear.
Abilites

This represents how fast an attack travels along its path. Use the following speed chart.

Abilites

Navigate to: Back to Top Abilites Tips, Tricks and Hints

Backblast Direct Hit (New) Drop Shields (Mecha Only) Extra Energy Fixed (Mecha Only) Inaccurate Interceptable (New) Internal Limited Shots Penetration Melee No Damage Only In (Environment) Self-Destruct Short Range Slow Static Stoppable Time on Target Two Handed - Melee (New) Two Handed - Ranged (New) Toxic Unique Weapon Disability Unreliable Uses Energy

The attack produces some sort of backblast or other side effect that affects anyone or anything standing directly behind the attacker (within 1-2 metres). An example is a rocket launcher that produces a hazardous backblast to anyone standing behind the gunner, but some spells or other abilities might have similar risks. The damage of the backblast is normally one-fifth the damage of the actual attack. If this Disability is taken twice, it affects everyone in a radius around it.
Disabilites

This represents an attack that does its maximum damage to a single target. Taken on its own, Direct Hit adds a +1 penalty for every level taken up to 3. If the attack roll succeeds with this penalty, full damage is applied. If the attack fails BECAUSE of this penalty, only half damage is inflected. Example, a weapon attack has two levels of Direct Hit. The character would normally hit on anything 7 and under. They roll normally, then check what the roll would have been with the +2 penalty. They roll a 6, but with the +2 penalty it is an 8. The attack succeeds, but delivers half damage. If they had rolled a 5, it would have been full damage. If combined with Area Effect or Spreading, only the target directly hit takes full damage. All others take half damage (minus any defenses). This disability cannot be combined with the Accurate ability.
Disabilites

This Disability can only be taken if the character or mecha also has a Force Field. It requires the character to turn off all Force Fields before using the attack, and they must remain down until the character or mecha operator’s turn to act on the following round.
Disabilites

The gunner must expose himself or herself outside the mecha’s Armour on the round that the weapon fires (and stay exposed until his or her next action in the following round). An exposed character targeted for attack receives no protection from the mecha’s armour. An example of this Weapon Defect would be a machine gun mounted on a bracket atop a tank since the gunner must lean out of the hatch to use it. This Disability cannot be taken if the mecha has the Exposed Crew Defect and is not normally usable with hand-held weapons.
Disabilites

This is only appropriate for characters acquiring the attack as a Magical Power. The attack costs twice as many Energy Points as normal. Extra Energy can be taken multiple times, with each time doubling the Energy Points.
Disabilites

The weapon has a very limited arc of fire and must be aimed by turning the mecha rather than the weapon. For example, the weapon could be a set of fixed forward-firing guns on a fighter plane or a ramming prow on a galactic ship. In many battles, a manoeuvring enemy who has a higher Initiative score can move to a position that cannot be targeted by the Fixed weapon. A hand-held weapon may not be Fixed.
Disabilites

The attack is not as accurate as normal ones, and imposes a +2 penalty to all Attack rolls (or Soul Stat checks, if it is a Soul Attack). This ability can be taken two or three times for a +4 or +6 penalty.
Disabilites

This disability is similar to Stoppable, except it has no effect on the time it adds no time delay and only 1/15 the damage is needed to intercept it. The more levels of this disability taken, the easier it is to neutralize. One level has a +1 penalty, two levels is no penalty, three is -1 bonus, and four is -2 bonus. It is up the GM to decide what form this neutralization takes. Generally objects like missiles are detonated, while energy beams may be held back. This Disability is incompatible with the Concealable Ability.
Disabilites

The attack is only usable inside a specific mecha or other structure. This may represent a mecha’s built-in internal security systems or an attack for which the character draws power from a mechanism inside and channels it through his or her body.
Disabilites

The attack is only usable for a few combat rounds, after which it either runs out of ammunition or power or simply burns out. Assigning this Disability once means it can make up to six attacks; if taken twice, up to three attacks; if taken three times, only one attack. If the attack also has the Auto-Fire Ability (page 84), one “attack” means a single Auto-Fire burst (one combat round).
Disabilites

The attack has an inferior ability to penetrate armour relative to its damage. Examples include shotgun blasts, or hollow-point bullets. Any armour, Shield or Force Field Attributes stop twice the usual damage. This Disability is incompatible with the Penetrating Ability.
Disabilites

The attack is only usable against adjacent opponents and may require physical contact. An example of a Melee attack is a physical or energy sword or a touch that inflicts debilitating effects. The Melee Disability cannot be combined with the Long Range Ability or Short Range Disability. It is sufficiently limiting that it is equivalent to two Disabilities.
Disabilites

The attack does not deliver ordinary physical damage. This Disability is usually only taken if combined with Abilities such as Drain (Any), Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, Linked (Attribute), or Tangle that produce effects that do not rely on physical damage. The damage value of the attack is used only to rate the effectiveness of these special abilities — the greater the damage value, the more effective the attack.
Disabilites

The attack or weapon can only target objects that are on or in a particular limited environment, for example, “only in water” (representing a torpedo) or “only in space” (representing a powerful weapon that requires a vacuum to work). The environment should not be one that is ubiquitous in the campaign (for example, “only in air” is not valid unless a lot of the game action will take place in airless environments). If the environment is very rare in the campaign, the GM may allow this to count as two Disabilities.
Disabilites

Use of this attack destroys the user (character or mecha). It counts as four Weapon Disabilities. This Disability is usually combined with Melee and Area-Effect to represent an explosive self-destruct system. It may not be combined with Limited Uses.
Disabilites

This attack is only usable at fairly close range (effective range of about 50 meters). The Short Range Disability cannot be combined with the Long Range Ability or the Melee Disability.
Disabilites

The attacker must use one combat action to aim, charge, chant an incantation, load the weapon, or perform some other necessary activity before each attack. Someone with the Extra Attacks Attribute (see page 32) can use one of his or her extra actions to prepare the attack rather than wasting the entire round. The Slow Disability can be taken more than once to represent an attack that takes even longer to initiate. Assigning it twice increases the time to 10 rounds (about a minute); three assignments increases the time to two to six hours; four increases the preparation to days or weeks, and five can mean several years. This Disability may not be used with the Linked (Attack) Ability.
Disabilites

The attack cannot be used while the character is moving (or if a mecha weapon, while the mecha is moving under its own power). This could be due to a need for precise aim or total concentration. The weapon might also require all power to be diverted to its energy supply, or might be static because of recoil, or another reason. The character (or mecha pilot) may not even make Defense rolls on the round a Static attack is used; if he or she has already made a Defense roll, the pilot cannot attack with a Static weapon until the following round.
Disabilites

The attack fires a projectile or energy bolt that is massive or slow enough to be shot down and does not reach the target until Initiative zero. Consequently, the attack can be stopped in mid-flight. A cannon shell would probably not qualify, but a missile or plasma-ball might. Anyone with an unused combat attack action during the same round may make a ranged attack against the projectile. To stop the attack, a successful hit (or hits) must deliver at least one-third as much damage as that delivered by the Stoppable attack. Stoppable may not be combined with the Melee Disability. Stoppable may be purchased more than once to reflect an attack that takes even longer to reach the target. Each additional Stoppable rating grants one additional round where characters may attempt to intercept or otherwise stop the attack. Slow moving missiles and plasma bolts are examples of attacks that might have Stoppable two or three times.
Disabilites

Some weapons can be slow once fired, these weapons may or may not be stoppable but will take extra rounds to reach their target or apply their damage. This can represent missile with an incredibly long range or an energy blast that is slow to arrive at its maximum range. This defect requires the Long Range attribute in order to take it. At level one of defect for every three levels of Long Range it takes an extra round to arrive, at level two of the defect for every two levels of Long Range it takes an extra round to arrive, at level three it takes and extra round per level of Long Range.
Disabilites

The attack is a gas, toxin, biological weapon, sound, radiation, or other harmful effect that only damages living things and against which Life Support offers protection. Non-living material (such as most mecha) or characters who have Life Support (or are inside a mecha equipped with it) are immune to its effects.
Disabilites

It takes two hands to use the weapon to inflict full damage. Using it one handed reduces the damage it would normally do. For mundane personal weapons the damage is 2 for every 3. For minor personal weapons the damage is 3 for every 4. For major personal weapons and weapon attacks the damage is 3 for every 5.
Disabilites

It takes two hands to use the weapon at all, no one handed options available. This Disability does not add to damage but instead increases effective range by 150%. This is compatible with Short Range and Long Range.
Disabilites

The attack has some other unspecified limitation, which is subject to GM approval. Examples could include a weapon that fires in a random direction, one that is extremely costly to operate, an attack that drains Heath Points from the user, etc.
Disabilites

Any time this attack is used and the attack roll is an unmodified (or “natural”) 11 or 12, the attack fails to take place and the weapon or ability either burns out, jams, overheats, or otherwise malfunctions. The Weapon Attack will not work again until some condition is fulfilled. For example, repairing a mecha weapon requires a skilled individual to make a successful Mind Stat check (one attempt each round), and while the character is making repairs, he or she cannot carry out other activities. The same could apply to a magical attack with a Mind Stat roll needed to remember the correct words. Other remedies might be appropriate for recovering different attacks (for example, a dragon whose breath weapon has “burned out” might have to eat a hearty meal first).
Disabilites

The attack draws upon the user’s personal energy, each attack draining 5 Energy Points. This Disability can be taken twice, and, if so, it uses 5 Energy Points per Level. This Disability is not available for Magical Powers, which automatically Use Energy (see the Extra Energy Disability instead).
Disabilites

Navigate to: Back to Top Abilites Disabilites

This section is designed to help players design their weapon attack to fit their intent. It also help s to clarify in one place when it might be appropriate to choose one ability over another.

You can either return to the top, to abilities, or disabilities with these links. Flare vs Irritant

Incapacitating vs Stun vs Drain Body

What is the Range, again?

The player and the GM will need to discuss how distance affects the Weapon Attack. In general, the palyer determines the weapon's effective range with abilities and disabilities. The GM has final way on maximum range and penalties.

RANGE MODIFIERS The distances given for weapon ranges (see Melee vs. Ranged Attacks, page 142) are the effective ranges the weapon can shoot. Many weapons may be fired out to twice that range at +2 (0) penalty or five times the range at +4 (+1), although the GM may decide that the ranges given for some weapons cannot be exceeded. Note that the penalty is reduced to the value shown in parenthesis if the character has the Gun Bunny Ability, Dead Eye.