Standard Issue Sidearm

[Edsel]

I am converting one of my old games to OVA. The setting is borrowed and is called Shadows Angelus. I’d recommend Googling that name if you want an interesting read about a really neat anime game setting.

As part of my efforts I have to design a standard issue side arm that members of XSWAT are issued. I am thinking that best way to do this is simply construct the weapon like this.

C-60 Maser Pistol
Attack Level 3, Accurate (+5), Armor Piercing (+5), Ranged (+0), Ammunition x1 (-5), Weapon (-5).

End result is a weapon that is pretty darn lethal, accurate and able to punch though the tough hide of some of the horrid entities that XSWAT must deal with. At the same time the high-energy maser will exhaust its power after about 10 shots. Since it is a weapon you are always in danger of getting it knocked out of you hand in combat, haveing it stolen, or perhaps malfunctioning. Being a standard issue sidearm for the characters (XSWAT officers) this is probably a weapon that will cost them no Abilities of their own to carry.

This is my first effort at running an OVA campaign. Does my thinking above sound logical and consistent with the rules?

One more question, the C-60 is supposed to have a lesser attack, anti-personnel, while the attack show above is intended to be anti-entity. In fact it is against regulations to use the anti-entity setting against normal people. I guess it is perfectly allowable to say that that a weapon can strike with a lower DX if the character so chooses?

[Chris Brady]

Ooo, a player of Kazei 5? I would love to play in this (alternate) setting in the same world.

If it actually jams, then maybe add a flaw, Jams? Maybe it could have another flaw where it shuts down when pointed to any normal person?

But I'd like to see more ideas and conversions of this HERO System game...

I can already think up character ideas.

[Clay]

Sounds good to me!

As for handling your damage issue against personnel, you could just hand wave “lower your DX if you want.”

...But you can also make a separate Attack entirely, make it Ineffective, and load up on another perk...like, say, Impairing. This way your attack isn’t doing as much damage, but Players don’t feel like they have to give up doing something meaningful with the attack.

You can also make use of things like Mark or Submission Attack.

[Edsel]

Yep, making a two Attack Suite for the gun is what I did.

Here are the write-ups I will use for the XSWAT weapons in my game.

C-60 VARIABLE MASER PISTOL
The C-60 is the standard sidearm for XSWAT Officers. It has two settings: the "normal" setting fires a maser (microwave-guided laser, a.k.a. millimeter-wave beam) powerful enough to injure or kill most normal humans. The high-power setting (colloquially referred to as the "creature setting" among XSWAT) is powerful enough to damage even power armor with a lucky shot. The C-60 has a high-density battery clip that holds enough power for 12 shots on normal or 6 shots at high power.

Normal Power Setting
Attack Level 2 (DX 3) Accurate (+5), Ranged (+0), Ammunition x1 (-5)

High Power (Anti-Creature) setting
Accurate (+5), Effective (+5) (DX 4), Ranged (+0), Ammunition x2 (-5), Weapon (-5)

As I understand it a Flaw can only grant -END once per weapon so I gave -5 END for the second Ammunition Flaw since Ammunition x1 had already been used. I also put the Weapon Flaw in the High Powered attack in order to the END to balance out to zero.

C-90 "DRAGON" HEAVY MASER
The Dragon Heavy Maser Gun is a hefty, high-power weapon specifically designed to battle the various extraordinary threats to Angelus's survival. Designed for use by combat cyborgs and power armored units, the Dragon is too heavy and awkward for normal humans to operate. The power cell holds enough power for 5 shots.

Attack Level 4 (DX 5), Accurate (+5), Armor Piercing x1 (+5), Area Effect (+10), Ranged (+0), Ammunition x2 (-10), Unique Flaw (-5), Weapon (-5).

Unique Flaw: The weapon counts as having Unwieldy x3; however each level of Strength ability reduces that Flaw by one level. Mounting the weapon on a stable platform (or tripod) will eliminate this Flaw.

STUNSTICK
The XSWAT Stunstick is a combination nightstick and stun gun. It can also be used as a normal nightstick. The Stunstick works quite well on humans, but is of little help against supernatural creatures, automations and many cyborgs.

Attack Level 1 (DX 2+), Stunning (+10), Affinity—Electricity (+0), Cancel (-5), Weapon (-5).

[Chris Brady]

So I looked through the setting, which is pretty cool, if completely finished, and I do have a question on the gear, I'm assuming that the characters were mostly wizards and telekinetics? Because the amount of fire arms listed is too small for a full Tac Op police division. And where's the power armour?

Not to mention there are at least seven other squads, right?

Also, I got the impression there were more types of entities. Can you give a break down?

I want steal and twist (I'm going to rewind the clock a bit) the setting for a OVA demo game.

(FYI: you don't want to fire a maser at human being. It'll cook the target in seconds, it's like a directed microwave oven.)

[Edsel]

Yep, all the XSWAT operatives were selected due to their "special" talents; magic, mental powers, cyborgs, clades (human-animal hybrids) or perhaps a normal that was just darn good (Captain America or Batman good).

There were numerous squads of XSWAT troopers. I never defined how many. The city of Angelus is a mega city (in the mega Toyko sort of way), a huge artificial, semi-mobile island.

The Entities come in a practically limitless variety of forms. XSWAT classifies them by levels. Level 1 Entities are the most common and least powerful. I've never gotten far enough along to make many of them.

In addition to Entities there are paranormal criminals and the occasional powered-armor pirates to worry about.

[Chris Brady]

If you don't mind, I'm going to steal the setting wholesale. And I'm going to expand a bit on the last three types and the XSWAT mainly because, we're older types with plenty of old anime knowledge. Psychics and Magic Users would likely be issued the standard firearm, and be done with it. They have their own firepower after all.

Cyborgs and Power Armour pilots would be among the most common type of agent, thus XSWAT, being a police agency, are likely mandated and supervised be the U.S. Government (When it lists itself as a 'City State', I'm under the impression that it's like Washington D.C. A state, that's one whole albeit massive city) and as such will have standardized paramilitary gear, bordering on all out military class gear.

So I'm going to go whole hog here and detailing things like typical power armour, and weapons systems. Cyborg class heavy weapons, like rail guns, anti-matter pistols and energy pulse cannons. The last type, Captain America/Batman types, who are pure training, and peak physical and mental conditioning are likely the rarest of agents, but even they would get specialized Anti-Entity weaponry.

As for Entities, I see you have a couple of drawings, but were the like real demons? With emotions, motives and plans? Or were they typical mindless ravagers?

[Edsel]

It is a second hand setting even to me. However I have the blessing of the creators to use Shadow Angelus and share it freely. If you want more background here is a Dropbox link to my own campaign background, this is still under development, but fairly complete.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ozseeh8vag8m ... 4uURa?dl=0

Next on my agenda is tackling my first Mecha builds. The Blue Steel Special is the XSWAT standard Mecha. Akin to the power armor seen in anime like Deus Ex Machina. There will also be the Crusader Mecha used by The Order of Enoch (Catholic Church sponsored organization).

[Chris Brady]

Some ideas for weapons, and one player character's 'toy'. It was suggested to me that A.D. Police would be a good thing to crib from.

Anyway, the cyborg's sidearm:

The Colt AMPX 88
This is the new standard anti-Entity weapon currently being issued to cyborgs as a back up. Its an experimental .88cal three shot revolver, with specialized load outs. Its reload mechanism forward breaking barrel which ejects the cylinder. It's currently being field tested by the XSWAT rapid response team 7 member Harvey 'Hellhound' Richards.

Attack +4, Armour Piercing (5), Unique Perk (can choose any one effect up to cost +10, 10), Requirement (Cyborgs only, +3 strength -5), Weapon (-5), Unique Flaw (reloading or switching payloads requires one turn, -5)

(The Unique perk and flaw combo is to simulate things like explosive or fiery bullets, so on and so forth.)

And a special weapon:

The Crown Arms AMR-400 'Gatecrasher' Railgun
This 3m (10ft) long, fold out anti material cannon is too large, heavy and bulky to carried or used by most non-augmented humans. The sheer power and force of this semi-automatic weapon capable of firing 30mm slugs at a near Mach 5 has a tendency of blowing out windows for miles and is rated for Class 3 Entities or higher. Firing this weapon within city limits is also highly restricted.

Attack +5, Accurate (5), armor piercing (5), barrier buster (5), ranged (0), strike though (5), build up (-5), requirement (cyborg or power armour w/strength 3+, -5), unwieldy (-5), weapon (-5)

*the requirement flaw is only worth five due to the prevalence of power armour and cybernetically enhanced individuals in the force.

Those are my two designs so far, I'm going to readapt the Master Pistol into firing bullets, simply because we cannot wrap our heads around masers being safe within city limits. (This is for this campaign, not a statement against or for anything else.)

[Edsel]

Shadows Angelus (both the original and my variation) borrow shamelessly from a myriad of Anime and Manga sources. My goal is to have a setting open to as many different anime tropes as possible while still maintaining a controllable campaign. This allows the players to have the maximum amount of freedom in character creation.

A campaign in Neo Angelus doesn't have to be XSWAT. You could have a mercenary campaign, a vigilante crime fighter campaign, etc.

[Edsel]

By the way I'll have to do a bit of tweaking to some of my Attack suites (the c-60 Maser for instance). I'd been operating under the misconception that a Flaw could only be used on a a single slot within an Attack suite. My mistake on this matter has been corrected.

[Chris Brady]

By the way I'll have to do a bit of tweaking to some of my Attack suites (the c-60 Maser for instance). I'd been operating under the misconception that a Flaw could only be used on a a single slot within an Attack suite. My mistake on this matter has been corrected.

Actually, you'll also have to change the Ammunition Flaw, as reloading will take at least a day, according to the rules.

Oh, right, I want to do a police campaign as it will provide structure for a demo game. After that, gloves come off. And I meant that my players who want me to demo this game want me to steal from A.D. Police. Sorry.

[Chris Brady]

Downtown Shadow Angelus at night?

(These images are from the lead matte painter of Guardians of The Galaxy, Oliver Pron. His website is here.

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/ima ... fbz9ec.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/ima ... q53loz.jpg

[MikeOlson]

Actually, you'll also have to change the Ammunition Flaw, as reloading will take at least a day, according to the rules.

I'm struggling with this myself. If we're talking about a firearm, five shots/day seems overly restrictive, to say the least.

Specifically, I'm trying to make a standard sci-fi blaster, powered by an energy cell, with "kill" and "stun" settings. I'd think I'd do this by making a suite of two abilities, each with different perks and flaws, and powered by an END Reserve, all under the Gear ability. Except... if I were to buy Attack and END Reserve outside of Gear, I could stick Weapon on the Attack and Focus on the END Reserve and in so doing both save some points and reduce the END cost of the Attack.

So if Gear not only doesn't get me a point discount and precludes END-conserving Flaws... why would I ever get it? And since it isn't giving me any kind of advantage, why can't I combine Gear with Weapon or Focus?

[Chris Brady]

The Ammunition flaw is NOT actually supposed to be used for ammo in a weapon. Honestly, I have no clue as to what it's for, but it's not for weapons outside of big starship weapons, or some such, which should not have stats in the first place, because they're plot devices, not actual levels of gear.