The Weapon is extremely accurate and gives the character a minor edge (1 assignment) or major edge (2 assignments) on attack rolls (see page 189). Normally only assigned to Items.

The Weapon automatically affects anyone who merely touches the character’s body (ie. no attack action is needed). An example might be a character that is sheathed in flame or electrified. Aura may not be combined with the Range Enhancement.

Counts as 3 Enhancements (Attribute effectiveness reduced by 3 Levels). The attack consists of a burst of multiple shots like a machine gun or rapid sequence of energy bolts. This allows multiple hits to be scored on a successful attack roll. The character scores a number of hits depending on how successful the attack is: one hit if the attack roll total exceeds the target’s defence roll total by 0-3; two hits when exceeding the defence roll by 4-6; three hits when exceeding the defence roll by 7-9; etc. Each hit delivers separate damage, which is important when considering Armour Ratings.A Weapon with Autofire can also be used to spray an area, sweeping it back and forth. When doing so, the Weapon loses the usual benefit of Autofire and instead gains one assignment of the Spreading Enhancement. An Autofire Weapon that has the Ammo Limiter can conserve ammo by firing single shots, which eliminates the Autofire benefits.

The target will suffer double damage (or double effect, when relevant) from a Blight attack if they do not make a successful Body Stat roll to resist its effects. If the roll is successful, the target only suffers one-fifth damage.

This Enhancement represents Weapons that might not fully affect the target even when the attack is successful, such as a poisonous attack to which the target could exhibit resistance. The Target Number for the Body Stat roll depends on the number of times Blight is assigned: Average (TN 12) for 1 assignments; Difficult (TN 15) for 2 assignments; and Challenging (TN 18) for 3 assignments. A target’s Immutable Attribute (page 99) adds a bonus to resist the effects of Blight.

The Weapon – usually a poisonous liquid or plant – delivers damage through mere contact with the skin that can sometimes even affect animals with thick skin or hide (ie. skin that provides an Armour Rating). One assignment indicates that the target must have extended contact of several minutes with the substance; two assignments delivers its effect with only brief contact.

This Enhancement is often associated with the Blight or Drain Enhancements, or the Toxic Limiter.

The attack’s damage or other effects will be passed on to others who touch or otherwise contact the target. Anyone affected by the Contagious Weapon may negate the contagion and stop them from spreading it to others by making a successful Average Stat roll (Target Number 12), with no modifier (one assignment), a minor obstacle (two assignments) or major obstacle (three assignments) on the roll. The Stat roll is normally checked against the Body Stat but magical or cybernetic contagion may use Mind or Soul as appropriate. Contagious is often combined with the Toxic Limiter.

This represents poison, pools of acid, flaming liquid, or similar sticky attacks that deliver lingering damage over several rounds. If the initial attack damage penetrates the opponent’s Armour Rating, the target will take extra damage over time. At the end of each subsequent round following the attack, the character will suffer a loss of Health Points equal to one-fifth the original damage

**WEAPON**
ENHANCEMENTS Enhancement Ranks Enhancement Ranks Accurate 1-2 Insidious 3 Aura 1 Linked 1 Autofire 3 Multidimensional 1 Blight 1-3 Muscle 1 Contact 1-2 Penetrating 1+ Contagious 1-3 Piercing 1+ Continuing 1+ Psychic 4 Drain 1-3 Quake 1-4 Enervation 1+ Reach 1 Flare 1-3 Selective 1 Flexible 1-3 Spreading 1+ Helper 1 Stun 1 Homing 1-2 Tangle 1+ Incapacitating 2 or 4 Targetted 1-3 Incurable 1-3 Trap 1 Indirect 1 Unique 1+ Irritant 1-3 Vampiric 2 or 4 Inconspicuous 309 05: ATTRIBUTES05: ATTRIBUTES inflicted. Armour Rating does not protect against this. This continues for one round for each assignment of the Continuing Enhancement until the effect is somehow neutralised (GM’s discretion; it should depend on the type of attack and may require several rounds for full neutralisation). This type of Continuing effect only applies to the Weapon’s damage and not to the special abilities from other Enhancements.

Alternatively, Continuing can be defined as an hourly effect which inflicts the same damage as the original attack every hour after the attack, or a daily effect which inflicts the same damage every day. This variation is only ever one assignment and may best represent a disease or a slow poison attack.Unlike a regular Continuing attack, the hourly and daily damage will continue until the victim is dead or makes a successful Difficult (TN 15) Body Stat roll. The check is made with a major obstacle (page 182) on the Stat roll every hour (for hourly effects) or a minor obstacle every day (for daily effects). This type of Continuing attack applies to both damage and the special effects from other Enhancements such as Drain, Enervation, etc. Until the victim is cured of the Continuing attack, they normally cannot heal the damage related to this attack using any method (GM’s discretion).

The Weapon causes the victim to lose Points from one Stat (specify Body, Mind, or Soul when designing the attack). A loss of Body may represent decrepitude, disease, rot, poison, or rapid ageing; a loss of Mind can represent insanity, a tranquilliser, or psionic blast; a loss of Soul can represent despair, fear, torment, or corruption.

In addition to any Health Points lost, the specified Stat is reduced by 1 for every assignment of the Drain Enhancement (maximum of 3 assignments total).

For example, Weapon (Drain 2: Mind) would reduce the victim’s Mind Stat by 2 with a successful attack in addition to the normal attack damage. Defences that reduce the damage delivered by a Weapon with Drain (such as Armour and Force Fields) offer limited protection against the Drain effect as well: for every 5 damage the protection provides against the attack, one Enhancement assignment is negated. To design an attack that only reduces Stats values without physical injury, create an effective Level -1 Weapon. The drained Points return at the rate of one every hour. Losing Stat values will require the Combat Value to be recalculated appropriately but not other Derived Values (page 168). A character reduced to 0 Body is paralysed and cannot move. A character with a 0 Mind is “mindless” and will act in an illogical, primal, or animalistic manner. A character reduced to 0 Soul is “broken” and lacks all drive or volition.

The Weapon drains away the victim’s personal energy supply, causing them to become fatigued or despondent. The attack results in a loss of 5 Energy Points every assignment of the Enervation Enhancement, which is in addition to the normal attack damage. Armour, Force Fields, and related Attributes offer protection against Enervation, reducing the Energy Points lost the same way they reduce damage inflicted to Health Points. To ignore ordinary Armour and Force Fields, also assign the Insidious or Psychic Enhancements. To design an attack that only reduces Energy Points without physical injury, create an effective Level -1 Weapon.

If the target is hit and looking in the direction of the attack they may be blinded. The target may resist by succeeding with an average Body Stat roll (Target Number 12) with no modifier (one assignment), a minor obstacle (two assignments), or major obstacle (three assignments) on the roll. The target may also add their Immutable Attribute bonus as appropriate. If the target character fails the roll, they are blinded for a number of rounds equal to amount by which the roll failed. To design an attack that blinds without inflicting other types of damage, create an effective Level -1 Weapon. Flare can also be generalised to cover other sense-overloading attacks (for example, an acoustic attack that causes deafness). A separate Flare Enhancement must be assigned (maximum three assignments total each) for each sense (usually sight or hearing).

For example, a moderately blinding and somewhat deafening attack that causes no other damage could be described as Weapon Level 2 “Cracker” (Flare: Sight 2, Flare: Hearing) for 4 Character Points (with an effective Level -1).

This Weapon represents long, flexible, or extendible attacks such as a prehensile whip, energy-lash, razor-ribbon, or similar attack mode. A successful attack can trip or disarm an opponent in lieu of delivering damage, with the character suffering a major obstacle (one assignment), minor obstacle (two assignments), or no modifier (three assignments) on the attack roll to reflect the high degree of difficulty and great skill required to execute accurately.

Weapons with the Helper Enhancement are usually installed in (or carried by) mecha and vehicle Items. Helper allows passengers to fire the Weapon instead of just the driver or pilot (or a single designated person).

For example, a spaceship Item with four different manned gun stations with the Helper Enhancement assigned to each of the Weapons allows multiple attacks each round. If Helper is not assigned to the Item Weapons, a single character (often the driver or pilot) must fire the Weapon themselves and cannot delegate the task to anyone else.

The Weapon fires a projectile or energy burst that can track and follow its target, with the character gaining a minor edge (one assignment) or major edge (two assignments) on the attack roll.

Additionally, if the attack misses by a margin of failure that is no greater than the number of Homing assignments, the Weapon will return to try again one final time in the next combat round. Homing Weapons should specify one type of sense or detection technique it uses to track the target (one that the GM agrees is appropriate to the setting).

For example, many Homing missiles use radar, infrared, or (for torpedoes) sonar, but other options are certainly possible such as magical Weapons that attack metaphysical qualities such as “life force” or “evil” (which would limit their utility to certain targets but be harder to counter). If the target has an appropriate form of the Undetectable Attribute (page 131), they are protected from the attack since the Weapon cannot detect the target to activate homing.

Similarly, an appropriate Sensory Block Attribute (page 119) provides some protection against the attack as well. The GM must approve any unusual type of Homing to ensure it is not unbalanced.

Counts as 2 or 4 Enhancements (Attribute effectiveness reduced by 2 or 4 Levels). Incapacitating represents any form of attack that can instantly immobilise a target regardless of the amount of damage inflicted, such as putting an opponent to sleep or turning them to stone. The target must make an average (Target Number 12) Body or Soul Stat roll (whichever is higher) to resist, with a minor obstacle (two assignments) or major obstacle (four assignments) on the Stat roll. The Immutable Attribute (page 99) can provide a bonus to resist. When designing the attack, specify the form of the Incapacitating Weapon: asleep, awake but paralysed, turned to stone, transformed into an inert doll, etc. The immobilisation normally lasts for only 1 round (two assignments) or 1 minute (four assignments). To design an attack that incapacitates the target without inflicting other types of damage, create an effective Level -1 Weapon.

Counts as 3 Enhancements (Attribute effectiveness reduced by 3 Levels). Most Weapon attacks have a visible component that makes it easy for targets to determine who is attacking them. An attack with the Inconspicuous Enhancement provides no such indication that it is about to strike and does not reveal the identity of the attacker. This may result in the attacker gaining surprise, which prevents the victim from making a defence roll (page 192). If the target knows they are under attack, however, a defence roll can still be made with a minor obstacle (page 182) on the roll. Inconspicuous is most often associated with non-physical attacks such as ones with the Drain or Psychic Enhancements

The Weapon produces wounds or other effects that are difficult to treat. One assignment means that the Health Points lost due to this attack cannot be restored using the Healing or Regeneration Attributes (or accelerated by drugs or technological aids) but can otherwise recover naturally or be repaired normally. Two assignments means that additionally natural healing recovery (page 195) is also slowed to a weekly rate instead of a daily rate. Three assignments means that no healing or other recovery is possible at all until some exotic event or treatment has occurred (the nature of which is specified during character creation and subject to GM approval).

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An Indirect Weapon can fire shots in a high ballistic arc and is only assigned in conjunction with the Range Enhancement (page 147).

**Examples**
include Items such as grenade launchers and trebuchets, or a power or spell that summons lightning, a storm of ice, or a meteor swarm down from the sky above. Indirect allows the attacker to shoot at targets hidden behind buildings, hills, or other obstacles, or even shoot over the horizon if the Range Enhancement is sufficiently high. Indirect fire is tricky, however, and imposes a minor obstacle (page 182) to the attack roll. To effectively fire at an indirect location, the attacker must be able to locate the target in some way (sensors can be used) or someone else must spot the target and relay their position to the attacker.

Counts as 3 Enhancements (Attribute effectiveness reduced by 3 Levels). Insidious Weapon damage completely bypasses any normal Armour Rating (use discretion with extremely large objects, such as mountains and planets), though the Immutable Attribute still provides an Armour Rating of 10 per Attribute Level against it. It is usually applied to exotic physical attacks such as poison gas or radiation, often in conjunction with the Toxic Limiter. It may also be appropriate for attacks such as death spells, ageing curses, or other paranormal abilities that affect the body while ignoring normal physical barrier protections. Insidious Weapons cannot usually have the Contact or Psychic Enhancements or the Ingest Limiter.

Irritant can represent pepper spray, a skunk’s musk, an itching spell, or similar effect. Whether or not damage penetrated the target’s Armour Rating, the target must make an average (Target Number 12) Body Stat roll to resist, with no modifier (one assignment), a minor obstacle (two assignments) or major obstacle (three assignments) on the Stat roll. The Immutable Attribute (page 99) can provide a bonus to resist. Failure results in partial blindness or distraction, imposing a minor obstacle on all Stat and Skill rolls until the effects wear off after one minute or dramatic scene. Irritant is often taken in conjunction with the Toxic Limiter to simulate an attack against which a gas mask may offer protection. To design an attack that irritates the target without inflicting other types of damage, create an effective Level -1 Weapon. Multiple Irritant effects against the same victim are not cumulative. If combined with the Incurable Enhancement, Irritant lasts indefinitely until an appropriate cure is found.

An attack with this Enhancement is attached to one of the character’s other Weapons (the “master” Weapon). If the master attack is successful, this Linked attack automatically hits as well with no defence roll allowed; if the master Weapon misses or fails to penetrate Armour Rating, the linked attack automatically fails too. If the master attack hits and delivers enough damage to successfully penetrate the target’s Armour Rating, then the Armour Rating does not provide any protection against the Linked attack. Massive Damage, Superstrength, extra damage from the Attack Combat Value, and similar damage bonuses only apply to the master attack, though, and not to the secondary Linked attack. A Weapon with the Linked Enhancement may not be given the Accurate or Range Enhancements or the Inaccurate Limiter since its range and accuracy are dependent solely on the master Weapon. A Weapon can usually only be a master to one other Weapon and a Weapon is rarely both a master and a Linked Weapon.

This Weapon can reach across dimensional boundaries and consequently can affect individuals as normal who are in an incorporeal or energy state (see the Change State Attribute, page 82). If the attack can only affect such incorporeal beings and not normal targets, also assign the Exclusive Limiter.

The Muscle Weapon gains the Damage Multiplier benefit of Superstrength (page 124). Typical melee and thrown ranged Weapons also normally gain that benefit without the need to assign the Muscle Enhancement. Characters do not gain the Superstrength Damage Multiplier bonus when using Weapons at Level 0 or -1, or those with the following Enhancements, unless the Muscle Enhancement is also assigned: Contagious, Flare, Indirect, Irritant, Insidious, Psychic, Range, Tangle, and Trap.

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The Armour Attribute does not stop damage from Penetrating attacks as efficiently. The Armour Rating of Armour is reduced by 10 against such Weapons (to a minimum of 0) each time Penetrating is assigned.

For example, two assignments of Penetrating reduces the amount of damage the target’s Armour stops by 20.

The Force Field Attribute does not stop damage from Piercing attacks as efficiently. The Armour Rating of Force Fields is reduced by 10 against such Weapons (to a minimum of 0) each time Piercing is assigned.

For example, three assignments of Piercing reduces the amount of damage the target’s Force Field stops by 30.

Counts as 4 Enhancements (Attribute effectiveness reduced by 4 Levels). A Weapon with the powerful Psychic Enhancement is a mental or spiritual assault rather than a physical attack. The attack ignores the Armour Ratings of Armour and Force Fields and it affects individuals as normal who are in an incorporeal or energy state (see the Change State Attribute, page 82). If the Weapon also has the Flare, Incapacitating, or Irritant Enhancements, the target’s Mind Shield Attribute – rather than the usual Immutable Attribute – provides some protection against the Weapon’s effects (5 Point of “Mental Armour” for each Level of Mind Shield).

A Quake Weapon creates a linear shock wave in the ground that causes rumbling and fractures as it heads towards the target. Quake can only be used on a solid surface (which may be earth, sand, cement, or asphalt), and isn’t usually combined with the Aura Enhancement. Since this type of attack is difficult to execute precisely, the target gains a major edge (page 182) on their defence roll. The Quake “fault” will only be large enough for one person to fall into unless it is combined with the Area Enhancement as well, though nearby non-targetted people can avoid falling into the fissure with a successful Body Stat check. The depth of the fissure depends on the number of Quake assignments: up to 2 metres for one assignment; 5 metres for two assignments; 10 metres for three assignments, 30 metres for four assignments; and continuing upwards (100 m, 300 m, 1 km, 3 km, etc.)

If a long melee Weapon can strike opponents who are beyond the reach of normal attacks such as sword swings or spear jabs, it can offer significant advantages in combat – especially when charging.

**Examples**
of Reach Weapons (with a reach of three to five metres) include: tourney or war lance, pike or poleaxe, longspear, whip, etc. If a character with a Reach Weapon is confronting an opponent with a shorter melee Weapon, the character with the longer Weapon will always attack first, regardless of the combatants’ Initiatives. If both opponents have a Reach Weapon, Initiative is resolved as normal. If an opponent ever gets past the end of a Reach Weapon and moves closer to the wielding character, though, the Reach Weapon cannot be used against that opponent. When appropriate, keeping the opponent at a distance (so the Reach Weapon can be used) requires the character to make successful attack rolls with a minor or major obstacle, as appropriate (page 182).

Selective is only assigned to Weapons with the Area, Aura, or Spreading Enhancements. Instead of potentially affecting everyone and everything within the attack’s effect area, the user may select who is and is not affected.

This type of attack spreads to cover an expanding area, such as a cone of energy or a spray of energy bolts or projectiles (such as a shotgun blast). The target suffers a major obstacle (page 182) on their defence roll due to the wide attack spread. Additional nearby targets in the Weapon’s attack spread may also receive damage if they are lined up or in a dense formation. The number of additional nearby targets that may be hit equals the number of Spreading assignments.

A Weapon with this Enhancement inflicts only temporary damage such as an unarmed melee attack or an electric shock. Lost Health Points from the Weapon attack are recovered at a rate equal to the character’s Body Stat every hour. Stun damage cannot kill. Although it may seem odd that a nonlethal attack is an Enhancement and not a Limiter, such Weapons have the advantage that they may be used to incapacitate foes without the risk of killing them. Stun is not often assigned to Weapons with an effective Level 0, but can be in some instances (such as with normal unarmed attacks).

Weapons that can Tangle the victim may include an assault that freezes the target in ice or traps them in the branches of an animated plant, or simple webbing that immobilises the target. The physical entanglements produced by these Weapons have 5 Health Points for each assignment of the Tangle Enhancement. If a target does not successfully defend against a Tangle attack, they are trapped until sufficient damage is delivered to the entanglement to reduce its Health Points to zero and destroy it. An entangled character has restricted movement and performs any movement-related activities (such as attacking, defending, gesturing, etc.) with a major obstacle (page 182) on the appropriate dice roll. A victim who has partially destroyed an entanglement may regain some body movement (GM’s discretion), reducing the major obstacle to a minor obstacle on dice rolls. A Tangle attack also inflicts regular Health Point damage as well. To design an attack that Tangles the target without inflicting other types of damage, create an effective Level -1 Weapon.

The Weapon must be specified when it is designed as being Targetted against a specific individual or group.

For example, the Weapon might use good energy (extra damage to evil creatures) or life energy (extra damage to undead creatures), or have a “trollslayer” enchantment (extra damage against trolls), or be an electromagnetic pulse (extra damage against robots and cyborgs). Against the Targetted opponent type, the damage the Weapon inflicts is doubled as are the additional effects of Enhancements such as Drain, Flare, Incapacitating, Irritant, and Tangle. Targetted is assigned once if it affects only a single individual (such as the red dragon Emberfang) or a specific title-holder (perhaps “the Demon King”), twice if it affects a specific group or relatively uncommon race (for instance, all dragons or all members of the royal army of Ikaris), or three times if it affects a common race or condition (such as all elves, all robots and cyborgs, all evil creatures). The GM may forbid Targetted Enhancements that affect an extremely common race or condition (for example, all humans or anyone with eyes). Add the Exclusive Limiter for a targetted attack that only affects a small set of opponents, with no damage delivered to other opponents.

The Weapon lays a mine, booby trap, or some other similar device that “sits and waits” until someone triggers it. The Weapon cannot be reused until it has been triggered. If someone blunders into a Trap, no attack roll is needed, but a successful difficult Mind Stat roll (Target Number 15) will reveal the trap’s presence to the target before it activates and give the target time to avoid it. Trap is usually assigned without the Range Enhancement to simulate a device that must be carefully planted. If Range was added as well, the Weapon can be deployed to attack anyone nearby, with a successful attack roll indicating that the Trap was fired or tossed into the correct area. The Area Enhancement is commonly added to enable a Trap to affect multiple foes.

The Weapon has some other unspecified ability that is not listed and is subject to GM approval.

**Examples**
can include an attack that alters the target’s memories, one that affects the appearance of the target, and many more. The number of Unique Enhancement assignments required is determined by the GM based on the benefit the Unique Weapon provides.

Upon a successful Vampiric attack, the lost Health Points, Energy Points, or Stat values (as appropriate) are transferred to the attacker. Any values or Points in excess of the user’s normal Level fade at a rate of 10 Health or Energy Points or one Stat Level per minute. Vampiric is not usually combined with the Area, Autofire, or Spreading Enhancements. Vampiric must be assigned two times if it can only restore lost Health/Energy Points or Stat values to their normal level, or four times if it can increase such Points or values even higher (to a maximum of twice their normal level).

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