GEAR

“Marine—you are only as good as your wits and your weapon. Sometimes that weapon is your own foot, sometimes it’s your pulse riflfle and sometimes it’s a goddamn nuke. Whichever it may be, be sure to clean it regularly and stick it way up the enemy’s ass.”

—SGT. PHIL WLODARCZYK, 5TH COLONIAL MARINE SPECIAL OPERATIONS REGIMENT’S “SIN EATERS” CHARLIE TEAM

You are going into the shit—and what you carry in better be something that can help get you out. You don’t want to bring a knife to a gunfight, now, do you? You don’t step into the rain without your rubbers on and you don’t go to church with your fly open. So step-up, zip-up, and see what’s what, Marine—peruse these pages and get to know your own battlefield options—as well as what the enemy’s likely to bring along to fuck your day up. Assuming they aren’t sporting metal teeth and a spiked tail, of course.

If they are, screw it—just throw a grenade and run.

WEAPONS

PISTOLS

BIONATIONAL TX-9 CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL INJECTION AIR PISTOL: This short-range pistol fires darts that can be loaded with a variety of pharmaceuticals or toxins, including bioweapons in serum form. The pistol can also be used to deliver biochemical tracers. The tracer lasts for D6 days and can be detected with a CBRN kit from up to 30km away. Any AutoDoc can flush the trace elements out of your system, so find one and flush fast—who knows what’s tracking you out there. Armor is doubled against this weapon, and it can never cause more than one point of damage—which it also needs to do in order to deliver its payload.

VP-70MA6 SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL: This pistol is a time-honored weapon dating back nearly two hundred years. For nearly seventy years the VP70 series was only found in the hands of USCMC officers from key influential military families. Over the past decade, it has begun to supplant the outdated M4A3 as the standard Marine sidearm.

WEYLAND ES-4 SEMI-AUTOMATIC ELECTROSTATIC PISTOL: Developed a century ago, this electrostatic kinetic energy projectile weapon uses charged elements to fire high-speed armor piercing rounds. Each bullet carries a charge that has a stunning effect. Any human target that suffers damage from an attack must make a hard STAMINA roll (–2, doesn’t count as an action) or be stunned for one Round, unable to act.

The ES-4 has a tell-tale blue muzzle-flash when fired. While a quality weapon, the pistol fell out of use before the Weyland-Yutani merger due to its cost and upkeep requirements—if not cleaned properly each day (takes one Turn), a shot fired will sometimes—if two or more Stress Dice turn up facehugger symbol—stun the shooter as well.

While it can mostly be found in use amongst high level corporate security teams from the ICSC, a select number of colonial marshal offices are testing out a newer model as their standard sidearm on the Frontier—along with a pair of insulator gloves.

NORCOMM QSZ-203 SEMI-AUTOMATIC PISTOL: A short recoil operated weapon, this Chinese manufactured pistol has been the standard sidearm of the UPP since they absorbed the CANC in 2164. Rarely available for sale on the black market, the QSZ-203 fires 5.8mm rounds that have excellent armor piercing capabilities. Also the producers of the AK-4047 Pulse Rifle, Norcomm is the UPP firearms production division of the People’s Army. Like the 4047, the 203 can be thrown off a three-story roof and still function just fine. Norcomm builds them to last.

PISTOLS

WEAPON	BONUS	DAMAGE	RANGE	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
Bionational TX-9 Chemical and Biological Injection Air Pistol	+1	1	Medium	1/2	$300	Delivers toxins or bioweapons, armor doubled.
VP-70MA6 Semi-Automatic Pistol	+2	1	Medium	1/2	$250
Weyland ES-4 Semi-Automatic Electrostatic Pistol	+1	1	Medium	1/2	$1,000	Stun effect, armor piercing.
Norcomm QSZ-203 Semi-Automatic Pistol	+1	1	Medium	1/2	$400	Armor piercing.

RIFLES

ARMAT P9 S.H.A.R.P. RIFLE: The prototype Sonic Harpoon Artillery Remote Projectile is currently undergoing field trials by the USCMC. The P9 fires an array of dart types, including the 9X-E which releases a sticky explosive charge upon contact.

No roll is required to shoot a dart into a combat zone of the shooter’s choice. The charge will explode after one Round, triggering a Blast Power 9 explosion. If anyone or anything in the zone, except a fellow Marine (identified via their PDT), moves before the time runs out, the charge explodes immediately.

If the dart hits an enemy target directly (requiring a normal attack roll), it detonates within a fraction of a second. A target directly hit by the dart suffers two additional points of damage, and their Armor Rating is halved (rounding up).

NORCOMM AK-4047 PULSE ASSAULT RIFLE: The UPP equivalent to the M41A Pulse Rifle, the AK-4047 is a cheap and reliable substitute. As such, the weapon often winds up in the hands of mercenaries and insurgents. While not as accurate as the M41, the AK-4047 is sturdier than the USCMC weapon. An AK-4047 still works after being thrown off a cliff and left underwater for a month.

NORCOMM AK-104S PULSE ACTION SUIT GUN: This UPP weapon is a pulse grade AK-104 rifle reconfigured and built into an armored exoskeleton forearm and shoulder housing. Worn standard with the CCC5 Combat Compression Suit, this semi-automatic weapon is mounted on the user’s wrist to allow for flexibility in the field. An internal ammo belt feeds the gun from a stored ammo pack right next to the suit’s O2 tanks.

The ammo pack is the suit gun’s weakness. Take it out (–2 to hit) and you’ll not only ignite the ammo but feed the explosion with the suit’s stored oxygen, triggering a Blast Power 9 explosion and destroying both the gun and the suit.

RMC F903WE AUTOMATIC ASSAULT RIFLE: Another reliable gun that has been around for a century, the RMC F903WE was issued to Weyland-Yutani’s first major colonization efforts at the start of the century. Today it is often found in the hands of colonial militias or mercenaries. It was most recently made famous as the weapon of choice for the Australian rebels. The F903WE is not a pulse weapon, but don’t let that fool you. While its armor piercing abilities are limited, it can still fuck up your perfect composure.

WEYLAND-YUTANI NSG23 ASSAULT RIFLE: A successor to the old Weyland Storm Rifle of a century ago, the NSG23 or “New Storm Rifle” has a high capacity ammo drum and an underbarrel ID23 incinerator unit attachment. The primary assault rifle of the 3WE Royal Space Marines, the NSG23 is also sometimes used by W-Y troops. While the USCMC tested the weapon in the late 2170s, the corps decided to stay with the armor piercing M41Pulse Rifle—prompting W-Y to sell the design to the 3WE.

WEYLAND-YUTANI ID23 UNDERBARREL INCINERATOR UNIT: While it has a shorter range and reduced fuel supply compared to the M240, the ID23 flamethrower easily connects to the undercarriage of an assault rifle, making it convenient in the field. Any target hit by an incinerator unit also catches fire, Intensity 7.

RIFLES

WEAPON	BONUS	DAMAGE	RANGE	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
Armat P9 S.H.A.R.P. Rifle	–	Blast Power 9	Long	2	$15,000	Detonates after one Round, or when an enemy within the zone moves.
Norcomm AK-4047 Pulse Assault Rifle	–	2	Long	1	$500	Full auto.
Norcomm AK-104s Pulse Action Suit Gun	–	2	Long	–	–	Armor piercing, full auto, included in the CCC5 Combat Compression Suit.
RMC F903WE Automatic Assault Rifle	–	2	Long	2	$500	Full auto.
Weyland-Yutani NSG23 Automatic Assault Rifle	+2	2	Long	1	$1,500	Full auto, I23 Incinerator Unit included.
ID23 Underbarrel Incinerator Unit	–	2	Medium	–	$700	Fire Intensity 7, included in the N23 Assault Rifle.

“We got tactical smart missiles, phased plasma pulse riflfles, RPGs. We got sonic, electronic ball-breakers! We got nukes, we got knives, sharp sticks…”

—PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM HUDSON

HEAVY WEAPONS

ARMAT U4A2 REPEATING GRENADE LAUNCHER: Designed for CBRN sterilization teams, this rapid-fire dedicated grenade launcher is most often equipped with the U4 QTC Firebomb ammunition but it can also fire other varieties.

M5A3 RPG ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADE LAUNCHER: This shoulder-fired rocket launcher is equipped with a telescopic targeting sight.

NORCOMM RPG122 ROCKET PROPELLED GRENADE LAUNCHER: The 122 is a bare-bones rocket launcher without a sophisticated sight, that requires a reload after each shot. Armor piercing.

WEYLAND 72A LEW LIGHT ENERGY WEAPON: This portable directed energy cannon consists of a sighted shoulder-mounted weapon and a 15mW power pack. The LEW fires vaporized pellets of cadmium telluride. The LEW packs a serious punch at close range and slices through armor very well, but the damage done is reduced by one step for each range band beyond SHORT. It has several other disadvantages, including being cumbersome and having to recharge for two Rounds after each shot, effectively meaning it can only be fired every other Round.

M78 PIG PHASED-PLASMA INFANTRY GUN: The USCMC favors rocket launchers over light energy weapons, but do have their own model, the M78 PIG Phased-Plasma Infantry Gun.

UA-102-20 INDEPENDENTLY TARGETING PARTICLE BEAM PHALANX: The UA-102-20 is a close-in weapon system (CIWS) composed of twenty independently targeting particle beams working in close formation. Similar to starship-to starship combat laser arrays, the particle beam phalanx is a vehicle combat scale offensive/defensive solution to multiple incoming aggressors. The UA102-20’s computer module can instantly calculate the probability of the phalanx taking a target out, as well as what fire rate and pattern is needed.

Like a shipboard laser array, the Particle Beam Phalanx can also be focused to fire on a single target with devastating results—base damage is increased by 3 (to 7) and range to Extreme, but without the full auto option. The twenty independent particle beams are limited by their power source—on its own battery power or that of a vehicle, the PBP must recharge for two Rounds between firing cycles and cannot safely draw the power needed for a concentrated blast.

If the user attempts to do this anyway, the UA-102-20 starts to emit a high-pitched whine. Roll a Stress Die. On a facehugger symbol, the weapon explodes, triggering a Blast Power 12 explosion. If not, it fires as planned (STRESS LEVEL +1 for the user). Tapped into a city’s power grid, the 102-20 is nigh unstoppable.

You can’t buy one of these. They are illegal for civilians to own in all territories. As the firing signature of each 102-20 is unique and traceable, even the black market doesn't want to deal in them. Either your unit is assigned one or you steal it.

HEAVY WEAPONS

WEAPON	BONUS	DAMAGE	RANGE	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
Armat U4A2 Repeating Grenade Launcher	+2	Varies	Long	2	$1,100	Can fire different grenade types.
M5A3 RPG Launcher	+1	5	Extreme	2	$1,800	Single shot, armor piercing.
Norcomm RPG122	–	5	Extreme	2	$1,700	Single shot, armor piercing.
Weyland 72A Light Energy Weapon	+1	6	Extreme	3	$10,500	Armor piercing, damage reduced by 1 for each range beyond SHORT.
M78 PIG Phased-Plasma Infantry Gun	+1	6	Extreme	3	$9,000	Armor piercing, damage reduced by for each range beyond SHORT.
UA-102-20 Independently Targeting Particle Beam Phalanx	+2	4/7	Long/Extreme	–	$25,000	Armor piercing, full auto or focused attack with increased damage and range.

EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

ARMAT M40 HEDP GRENADES: Designed for the U1 and U4 grenade launchers, the High Explosive Dual Purpose M40 can also be used as a hand grenade. To use these U1 rounds as a thrown explosive, the red plastic cap must be removed and the trigger under it depressed. Three seconds later, the grenade will explode. The UPP has an equivalent made by Norcomm.

M72A1 STARSHELL FLARES: For the U1 and U4 grenade launchers. Fired straight up into the air, this intensely bright flare will illuminate one combat zone for D6 Rounds. If fired directly at a human target, any crit inflicted will be #15.

M230 BATON ROUNDS: For the U1 and U4 grenade launchers. These non-lethal rubber projectiles are for use in urban crowd control. Baton rounds can incapacitate without killing. Armor is doubled and any critical injuries from these rounds will be #16, #24, or #33 (equal chance of each).

M108 BUCKSHOT CANISTERS: For the U1 and U4 grenade launchers. These oversized shotgun shells can deliver a wallop at close range. They are favored by Colonial Marshals on remote backwater colonies.

U4 QTC FIREBOMB AMMUNITION: For the U1 and U4 grenade launchers. Designed for decontamination protocols, this quinitricetyline filled cartridge incinerates everything in the target zone with Intensity 12 fire.

ARMAT TYPE 4 ASSAULT BREACHING CHARGE: A focused, adhesive charge designed to breach a door or wall, the Type 4 can be detonated by timer or remote. The UPP has an equivalent made by Norcomm. The breaching charge has Blast Power 9. Against the immediate target, the damage is increased two steps and counts as armor piercing.

ARMAT M20 CLAYMORE MINE: This proximity (SHORT range) triggered anti-personnel mine has a laser tripwire that requires an OBSERVATION roll to notice, even when actively looking. These are readily available on the black market.

ARMAT M111 ANTI-VEHICLE MINE: These mines are pressure sensitive and can be triggered by personnel as well as vehicles. When something of a predetermined weight enters the mine’s proximity (ENGAGED range), the mine is activated. The mine has Blast Power 12. Against the immediate target, the damage is increased two steps and counts as armor piercing.

“Check it out. Independently targeting particle-beam phalanx. WHAP! Fry half a city with this puppy.”

—PRIVATE FIRST CLASS WILLIAM HUDSON

EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

WEAPON	DAMAGE	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
M40 HEDP Grenade	Blast 9	1/4	$60	For U1/U4. MEDIUM range when used as a hand grenade.
M72A1 Starshell Flares	2	1/4	$50	For U1/U4. Illuminates one zone. Any critical injury inflicted will be #15.
M230 Baton Rounds	3	1/4	$30	For U1/U4. Armor doubled. Any critical injury inflicted will be #16, #24, or #33.
M108 Buckshot Canisters	3	1/4	$30	For U1/U4. Armor doubled, SHORT range.
U4 QTC Firebomb Ammunition	Fire 12	1/4	$600
Armat Type 4 Assault Breaching Charge	Blast 9	1	$200	Against the immediate target, damage is increased by 2 and is armor piercing.
M20 Claymore Mine	Blast 9	1/2	$150	Triggered at SHORT range, OBSERVATION required to spot.
M111 Anti-Vehicle Mine	Blast 12	2	$1,000	Triggered at Engaged range. Against the immediate target, damage is increased by 2 and is armor piercing.

CHEMICAL WEAPONS

Chemical weapons have been banned on Earth by the Geneva Convention for over 250 years. However, legal precedent was set in the 2050s that clarified that those rules only applied to Earth. As such, chem-weapons are fair game on the extrasolar colonies.

CN-20 NERVE AGENT: This deadly nerve gas has lasting results on an enemy and anyone else unlucky enough to be within its range. When there are no other options, it’s time to roll out a canister or two. A single canister will affect everything within one zone. Roll a Stress Die at the start of each Round—on a [+], the gas dissipates.

In a contaminated zone, all humans without a hazmat suit must make a STAMINA roll with a –3 modifier each Round (before performing any actions). Failure means suffering one point of damage and STRESS LEVEL +1 now, and again in each following Round, even if the victim leaves the contaminated zone. If the victim is Broken while suffering the effects of a nerve agent, they must make a Death Roll every Round. The only way to save the victim’s life at this point is a hard (–2) MEDICAL AID roll.

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: This is mean stuff. Your lieutenant will only authorize the use of CN-20 as a weapon of last resort—unless he's a total dick. Nerve gas fucks with your neurotransmitters, telling them to coil up your muscles and not let go. Also, to shake a lot. You’ll start with a snotty nose and some heavy breathing, but by the time it’s all over you’ll convulse, piss, and vomit yourself into a coma or asphyxia. Keep it up and you’ll have chronic neurological damage to boot. Do yourself a favor and don’t do anything that will make someone want to use this on you.

QUINITRICETYLINE EXPLOSIVE ACCELERANT (QTC): Often called QTC for short, quinitricetyline is a volatile toxic chemical usually found in liquid form. Similar to twentieth century napalm, QTC is often mixed with a gelling agent and used to firebomb an area containing enemy forces, dangerous indigenous life forms, or infectious disease. In 2163, a single drum of QTC was dropped into a beachhead bunker during the Tientsin Campaign. The blast not only incinerated the bunker itself but put a nearby tug in drydock for four months with significant damage.

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: This shit’s incendiary potential is bad enough in liquid form—when gelled it sticks to everything and burns like a supernova. Only total immersion in water will put out the flame even temporarily—within one Turn of emerging from the water, the QTC will self-ignite. Only self-consumption, careful removal of the gel, or completely cutting off its oxygen supply will quench this flame.

EXPLOSIVES AND AMMUNITION

WEAPON	DAMAGE	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
CN-20 Nerve Agent Canister	Special	1	$1,000	See description for effects.
QTC Quinitricetyline Explosive Accelerant	Fire 15	1	$200/liter	Comes in 200-liter drums. See description for effects.

SUITS AND ARMOR

UNIFORMS

ACRYLIC “DOG TAGS” MILITARY ID KEY: Identifier tags issued to all branches of the UAAC (and therefore USCMC), these laser engraved clear memory-plastic tags can be encoded to allow a specific wearer access to a ship or installation’s command areas, armories, lockers, or more. They are read by swiping them through a sensor reader located at every USCMC door lock. Key tags are usually coded as per rank, so a private won’t be able to get into the officer’s mess on his own.

BATTLEDRESS UTILITIES (BDUS): These field uniforms come in colors and patterns appropriate for the mission’s operating theater. Camouflage themes include Woodland, Rain Forest, Desert Sand, Martian Plain, Arctic Glacier, Lava Flow, Deep Sea, Pitch Space, and more.

GHILLIE SUIT: A camouflage suit that is customized to a specific environment, a Ghillie suit can allow a sniper to effortlessly blend into the terrain. The suit is equipped with a portable heatsink that masks the wearer’s heat signature and protects them from infrared scanning. The suit gives a +2 bonus to MOBILITY rolls against being detected when in the proper environment.

M3B STANDARD BOOTS, M7 JUNGLE BOOTS, M8A2 THERMAL BOOTS, AND M11 PERFORMANCE ENHANCED PLATYPUS FINS: A Marine’s got to wear the right footwear for the right job. While M3Bs will do on the flight deck and in your everyday barracks, you’ll want a pair of M7s for a prolonged stay in a hot and moist environment (the alternative could be foot rot). Best strap up your M8A2s in cold weather scenarios, unless you like frostbite and aren’t too fond of keeping your toes (STAMINA +1 to resist cold). The M11s are the best if you’re going for a dip—they add +2 to underwater MOBILITY rolls.

UNIFORMS

FATIGUES	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
“Dog Tags” Military ID Key	–	$50	Contains owner's medical and personal data
BDUs	–	$55
Ghillie Suit	1	$1,000	Grants a +2 bonus to MOBILITY rolls against being detected when in the proper environment.
MB3 Standard Boots	–	$40
M7 Jungle Boots	–	$60
M8A2 Thermal Boots	–	$75	STAMINA +1 to resist cold.
Platypus Fins	1/2	$100	Grants a +2 bonus to MOBILITY rolls when underwater.

PROTECTIVE GEAR

LIFE VEST: An inflatable flotation vest included in many vehicular survival kits, a life vest will keep its occupant buoyant in most liquids. It includes a built-in flashlight and solar powered beacon transmitter that will broadcast PDT information over a two-kilometer radius.

COLD WEATHER PARKA: Sometimes it’s damn cold on whatever frigid ball you've been dropped on. Other times, your lieutenant is too cheap to warm up your frigate’s life support past bare minimums. In either case, wearing one of these heated hoodies gives a +2 bonus to STAMINA rolls made to resist the effects of severe cold.

MILITARY GRADE HAZMAT SUIT: This impermeable bodysuit acts as protection against hazardous materials. The suit protects fully against chemical and biological contaminants as long as no damage has pierced it. It also acts as armor against radiation. Each time you suffer a Radiation Point, roll six Base Dice—if you roll one or more [+], the Rad is absorbed by the suit. HAZMAT suits have a built-in comm unit and a limited air supply. They do not protect against the vacuum of space.

UDEP ULTRA DIFFUSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PONCHO: These camouflaged rain-coverings are worn to protect from the elements, chemical spills, and more. Treated with an infrared absorbing coating, these ponchos can also make a Marine nearly invisible in the rain (STEALTH +2 in wet environments). Often worn by CBRN specialists in the field, the poncho offers a +2 STAMINA bonus to resist chemical and biological contaminants as long as no damage has pierced it.

G-SUIT: This light pilot’s jumpsuit is standard issue to starfighter pilots. Pressure plates within the legs regulate blood flow. The helmet normally connects to the craft’s life support, but has a small compressed oxygen bottle that offers an Air Supply of 1 for limited independent use.

PROTECTIVE GEAR

FATIGUES	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
Life Vest	1	$65	Prevents drowning, when at the water surface.
Cold Weather Parka	1/4	$100	STAMINA +2 to resist cold.
Military Grade HAZMAT Suit	2	$1,000	Armor Rating 1, Air Supply 2. Built-in comm unit. Protects against chemical and biological contaminants and radiation.
UDEP Ultra Diffusive Environmental Poncho	1	$500	STAMINA +2 against chemical and biological contaminants, STEALTH +2 in wet environments.
G-Suit	1	$120	Air Supply 1.

BODY ARMOR

M10 BALLISTIC HELMET: Worn as part of the M3 Personnel Armor, the helmet is equipped with a full motion tactical camera system that transmits to the squad’s APC, dropship, or ground tactical monitoring station. The helmet mounts a passive infrared sight and an Identify Friend/Foe (IFF) transmitter that will prevent automated systems like sentry guns from killing you.

KEVLAR RIOT VEST: A relatively lightweight vest made of woven metal fibers, the kevlar riot vest is the personal armor of choice for law enforcement and security details throughout the colonies. It offers limited protection from bullets, knives, shrapnel and any kind of penetrating weapon.

ARMAT CM4 PLASTISTEEL RIOT SHIELD: This lightweight plastisteel shield is often used in urban warfare by Assault Marines as well as by Colonial Marshals. With a slow action, the shield will provide cover with Armor Rating 5, which is added to any body armor. If the user moves, the cover from the shield is lost.

6B90 COMBAT ARMOR: Bulky and heavier than its Colonial Marine equivalent, the 6B90 is the standard personal armor of UPP troops and protects the neck, shoulders, torso, and crotch of the wearer. The 6B90 is equipped with a full motion tactical camera system that transmits video and vitals to local command.

CCC5 COMBAT COMPRESSION SUIT: An armored compression suit similar to the Mk.50 Compression Suit, the CCC5 is less cumbersome than its USCMC equivalent but the helmet viewport is comparatively small and gives –1 to OBSERVATION rolls. Each CCC5 comes standard with an AK-104 attached.

BODY ARMOR

SUIT		ARMOR RATING	AIR SUPPLY	WEIGHT	COST	COMMENT
M10 Ballistic Helmet	–	–	0	–	Built-in tactical camera. Included in the M3 Personnel Armor.
Kevlar Riot Vest	4	–	1	$600	Built-in comm unit.
Armat CM4 Plastisteel Riot Shield	5	–	1	$300	Gives cover after a slow action.
6B90 Combat Armor	6	–	2	$1,000	Built-in comm unit and tactical camera.
CCC5 Combat Compression Suit	2	5	2	$15,500	OBSERVATION –1, AK-104 attached.