Special Weapon Qualities are the result of (relatively) common manufacturing processes, be they Human in origin or Xenos. They are inherent, rather than being the results of upgrades or customization (qv: Customized; see below). I have scoured the Core Rules of all five game lines in search of these Special Weapon Qualities, revised or otherwise defined them so they might be better understood, and now provide them to you in one collection.
I firmly believe that much of the confusion that arises from the Warhammer 40K RP Core Rules is a result of limited page space. The developers, layout artists and graphic designers have included brilliant artwork, rich flavor text, and quality rules, but in the interest of producing a manageable page count to cost ratio it is impossible for them to comprehensively detail each and every rule while continuing to provide flavor text and descriptions of the people, places and things within each setting.
Of course there are some frivolous misuses of page space, such as page-framing art. Don't misunderstand me, I like the framing art to the outside of each page, but it could be more narrow, and there is at least one half inch combined between the top and bottom of each page that is essentially wasted space due to the framing art fouling the page corners. And it wouldn't detract at all from the production value of their publications to thoroughly consider color contrast and a larger font size when numbering the pages. Simply my observations and suggestions...
I, on the other hand, suffer from no page space limitations. By way of example...
Weapon Craftsmanship-
Where I feel it appropriate to do so, I will note any special (not obvious) considerations with regards to Weapon Craftsmanship. Otherwise, use the Weapon Craftsmanship rules found on pg 167 of the Only War Core Rules.
Weapons Special Qualities
In the interest of providing a complete list in one place, I will include all Weapon Special Qualities, even in cases where the game mechanics have remained unchanged, and these I will direct with page numbers and volume of work. Where I have introduced "new" Qualities they will be proceeded by an asterisk (*).
All bonuses and penalties to Tests, Damage, etcetera, assume the weapon having the Quality in question is actually being used; PCs cannot receive a bonus/penalty just because they are equipped with/carrying a weapon.
Accurate-
When firing a single shot (Standard Attack Action), for each 2 DoS beyond the initial success calculated on the to-hit roll, weapons with this Quality will generate an additional d10 Damage. Pistol weapons with the Accurate Quality may add up to one (1) extra d10, Basic weapons with the Accurate Quality may add up to two (2) extra d10, and Heavy weapons with the Accurate Quality (improbable, but not impossible) may add up to three (3) extra d10. These extra Damage dice cannot generate Righteous Fury/Zealous Hatred/Fury of the Mook.
Additionally, weapons with this Quality receive a further +10 to hit if fired when using an Aim Action.
*Alien/Xenos Manufacture-
Weapons of Xenos manufacture are constructed from a completely "alien" perspective. The purpose of such weapons may be (relatively) obvious to a Human, but their use and function are unlikely to be completely intuitive.
Tau physiology is generally similar to that of a Human, but the specific differences in the number of digits and bone structure of a Tau's hand make the use of their weapons "fiddly", or awkward. In comparison, Dark Eldar weaponry is of sleek and slight construction, and Humans will be naturally inclined to misjudge the weight and recoil (or lack thereof) of such weapons. Additionally, these weapons are adorned with all manner of razor sharp edges, hooks and barbs, making it difficult to maintain a grip without uncomfortable (oftentimes painful) distraction.
The Weapon Training (Exotic) Talent allows a PC to be reasonably capable of and utilizing weapons of Alien/Xenos Manufacture (suffering only a -10 to either WS or BS, as appropriate). PCs without the Weapon Training (Exotic) Talent suffer a -30 penalty to WS or BS when attempting to use such weapons.
At the GM's discretion, weapons of Alien/Xenos Manufacture may be "Tinkered" (see below) to make them more accommodating to Human use. Tinkering an Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapon in this manner requires a PC to have the Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Skill and to perform a Very Hard (-30) Tech-Use Test. If the Test is successful the inherent penalty resulting from this Quality (-10 WS/BS) is negated, but only when used by the person for which it was specifically "Tinkered". If the Test is failed (to any degree), the inherent penalty resulting from this Quality remains in effect, and the weapon gains either the Unbalanced or Unreliable Quality as appropriate. If an Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapon is fitted with any Upgrades that are of Alien/Xenos Manufacture (such as a Fire Selector or Sight) these Upgrades must also be "Tinkered" before they are of any use to the weapon's user, and again, only when used by the person for which they were specifically "Tinkered". The Adeptus Mechanicus consider the tinkering of Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapons and gear to be of use by Humans as a heresy punishable by Servitorization or Death.
This Quality includes all weapons (and Upgrades, Armour, and Gear) of Alien/Xenos Manufacture (whether their nature is obvious or not), and should not be confused with the Counterfeit Xenos Weapon Upgrade (Hostile Acquisitions, pg 56). Counterfeit Xenos Weapons appear "exotic" but lack a truly alien perspective in the construction and their use is (relatively) easily intuitive.
Unless the GM determines otherwise, all Alien/Xenos Manufacture weapons are treated as being of Common Craftsmanship when used by anyone other than their intended users; a confusing weapon remains confusing, regardless of its Craftsmanship.
Balanced-
Weapons with this Quality provide a +10 bonus to Parry Tests. This bonus may only be used once per Round, even if the PC has Step Aside (Talent) and/or is wielding multiple weapons with this Quality.
Blast (X)-
Weapons with this Quality must be targeted to hit a specific opponent or target (meaning they cannot be targeted to land "in the open" where their AoE will affect more targets). When determining Damage caused by a weapon with the Blast (X) Quality, (X) equals the number of meters radius the weapon affects, and additional targets within this AoE are automatically hit. All targets may attempt to Dodge ("Jink") as normal.
Weapons with the Blast (X) Quality may also possess one or more additional Qualities (at the GMs leisure), including but not limited to Flame, Hallucinogenic, Scatter, Smoke, Spray, Toxic, etc.
Note: Weapons with the Blast (X) Quality are considerably more hazardous to densely packed, target rich environments, and those confronted with such weapons should be aware of the obvious risks. It is their responsibility to disperse themselves when confronted with Blast (X) weapons to mitigate the carnage. Likewise, those using weapons with the Blast (X) Quality are well aware of the death and destruction they can cause, and are trained to choose their targets wisely. It is these two points that factor into the reasoning behind requiring such a harsh targeting requirement.
Concussive (X)-
There are three broad categories of Concussive weapons: Civilian, Military, and Astartes/Legion.
Concussive weapons create a deafening shock wave when they strike and may cause a target to become Stunned. Targets hit with Civilian Concussive weapons must make a Toughness Test with a penalty equal to -5 times the weapon's rating (X), and targets hit with Military or Astartes/Legion Concussive weapons must make a Toughness Test with a penalty equal to -10 times the weapon's rating (X). If the target of any Concussive weapon fails its Toughness Test, it is Stunned for 1 Round, +1 Round per DoF.
Additionally, targets taking Damage (not Wounds) in excess of their combined SB and TB totals (including Unnatural Characteristics modifiers) will be knocked Prone.
Note: The Concussive weapons listed throughout the various game lines have already been assigned a Quality rating (X). However, as a general rule, Civilian and Military Concussive weapons will have a rating of 1-3 (with 1 or 2 being the most common), with Astartes/Legion Concussive weapons then adding +1 to their rating. A notable exception to this general rule is the Demolisher Cannon, which is Concussive (5).
Corrosive-
Corrosive weapons utilize extremely caustic reactive chemicals/compounds (and can include acidic spittle, fiendishly tainted blood or bile, etc) or are constructed from materials that are anathema to common organics and elements. Corrosives may also appear as powders and crystals.
If a target is hit by a weapon with the Corrosive Quality any Augmetic, Cover, Natural, Personal, and/or Vehicle AP values are reduced by d10+1 points. The Corrosive Quality has no affect on Field or Psychic AP values, though these values still provide their protection. Naturally, the foremost AP value is affected first, and further hits from Corrosive weapons will continue to reduce this AP value, quite possibly "moving onward" to the next foremost AP value, and so on. The notable exception to this is Corrosive weapons that also possess the Spray Quality (qv: Spray; see below). Of important note, the Corrosive Quality is applied first, and once its effects have been determined the weapon's Penetration value (if any) is applied to any remaining AP values, then Damage is calculated. In the event AP is defeated by the Corrosive Quality alone, or the target simply is not protected by any AP, Corrosive may cause additional Damage (which may translate to Wounds), but this effect is applied last in the order, and the Daemonic Trait and Unnatural Toughness do not reduce Corrosive Wounds. Confused?
An example:
Myok Voy, an Apostate (TB3), has narrowly escaped the clutches of the Adeptus Arbites by crawling into a storm drain. Carried along by the flush, he is eventually deposited into a long-disused Underhive cistern. Soaked with filth and other indescribable effluvia, bleeding profusely, Apostate Voy attempts to navigate his way back to the surface streets where he might locate a back-alley Medicae.
Apostate Voy does not take more than ten steps when he realizes he's disturbed the carrion nest of chemical-mutated Maw-Flukes (Creatures Anathema, pg 60). Ducking behind the shattered remnants of a pier piling (AP 6), he frantically searches for an alternate means of egress.
Several Maw-Flukes are heard making sharp, wet huffing noises as they expel their digestive bile at his hiding location (Bile, Range 5m, S/-/-, d10+2, Pen d5, Clip -, Rld -, Spray, Corrosive). Myok Voy heedlessly appeals to the Ruinous Powers to spare him one more day, and he is suddenly infused with the vigor of the Warp (temporarily gaining the Daemonic Trait +3)
- The bile attack does d10+1 Corrosive points to the pier piling (6+1 = 7, reducing the pier piling to bubbling sludge, but since Voy is not within a completely enclosed environment he takes the full force of the Corrosive Quality due to the Spray Quality)
- As there is no Cover AP remaining, and poor Voy was caught unprepared during his demagoguery (not wearing/carrying Personal AP), the attack's Penetration value is ignored, leaving 7 excess Corrosive points
- Damage is rolled for the attack (6+2 = 8, reduced by the Daemonic Trait +3 to 5, then the 7 excess Corrosive points are applied, which are not reduced by the Daemonic Trait, meaning Myok takes a total of 12 Wounds
- As Myok Voy was already suffering a -6X Body, Blood Loss Critical Injury, the Maw-flukes have done for him, and they savagely devour his still-twitching corpse...or he permanently reduces his Infamy to survive this unfortunate encounter, and holds the Adeptus Arbites accountable for the entire debacle
AP values may be restored through repair.
Repairing Augmetic AP requires the removal of burned or necrotic/infected flesh in preparation; a successful Challenging (+/-0) Medicae Test clears the way for Augmetic AP repair. Once this has been done, a successful Difficult (-10) Tech-Use Test repairs 1 Augmetic AP. Repair of Augmetic AP may only be attempted once within a 24-hour period, and may only be repaired to its starting value.
Repairing Cover AP requires a Difficult (-10) Tech-Use Test if the starting AP value was 8 or less, and a Hard (-20) Test if the starting AP value was 9+. Trade (Armourer) and Armour Monger (Talent) each provide a +10 bonus to Tests made to restore Cover AP.
Natural AP will "heal" over time, the creature recovering 1 AP for every full 72-hour period of recovery, or it can be restored through the benefits of Regeneration (Trait) with the number AP points restored being equal to the Regeneration rating (X) for every full 24-hour period of recovery. PCs with the Medicae Skill may attempt to aid a creature's recovery, but only if he/she also has Scholastic Lore (Beasts). This is also the case if attempting to restore Natural AP that has been gained through mutation.
Personal, and Vehicle AP values require a Hard (-20) Tech-Use Test, with Trade (Armourer) and Armour Monger (Talent) each providing a +10 bonus to Tests made to restore Personal and Vehicle AP. The number of AP restored is equal to 1 for a successful Test, +1 point per DoS. Armour Monger (Talent) may be used to further bolster Personal and Vehicle AP by +2, but this may not be done if the AP value in question previously benefited from this Talent; see below:
- Flak Armour (AP 6) that has previously benefited from Amour Monger (now AP 8) may be restored to AP 8, not AP 10.
Crippling-
If a target suffers at least 1 Wound from a weapon with the Crippling Quality it is considered "crippled" until all Wounds suffered from Crippling weapons have been healed (including any Wounds suffered as a result of the Crippling Quality). Crippled targets taking more than a Half Action in their Turn will take Type Rending Wounds equal to the weapon's rating (X). These Crippling Wounds are suffered only once per Turn, though the amount of Wounds suffered will be equal to the highest rating in the event the target was wounded by weapons with varying Crippling Quality ratings.
Wounds suffered due to the Crippling Quality are not reduced by any AP values, TB, or Unnatural Toughness. Creatures with the Daemonic Trait are immune to Crippling, unless the weapon is also Blessed/Holy/Sanctified.
*Customized-
Weapons with this Quality exhibit temporary or permanent additions/alterations. These may be in the form of various (and sundry) weapon Upgrades, or the specific Weapon Customization choices found on pgs 190 and 191 of the Only War Core Rules. In all instances, the benefits and limitations of these additions/alterations are exactly as outlined in their particular entries.
For all intents and purposes, weapons with the Customized Quality are viewed as "non-standard" weapons, and PC cannot simply purchase, requisition, or otherwise acquire a Customized weapon without investing additional time and effort (Inquiry and Thrones, Profit Factor/Infamy/Influence Acquisitions, Requisition, or Logistics).
Customized weapons should not be confused with "Tinkered" weapons.
Deadly Natural Weapons-
While this is a Trait rather than a Weapon Special Quality, I believe it bears some mention in this list.
Deadly Natural Weapons (Trait) conform to all the rules for Natural Weapons (pg 156, Only War) but are not considered to have the Primitive Quality (see below). Deadly Natural Weapons never have additional Weapon Special Qualities, though the creature itself may have other Traits that behave in a similar manner to them.
Defensive-
Weapons with the Defensive Quality provide a +15 bonus to Parry Tests, but suffer a -10 penalty to WS when used to make Attacks. As with Balanced weapons, this bonus to Parry Tests may only be used once per Round, even if the PC has Step Aside (Talent) and/or is wielding multiple weapons with this Quality. Weapon Craftsmanship will affect the Defensive Quality.
Devastating (X)-
If the target of a Devastating weapon is a Horde, its Magnitude is reduced by a number equal to the weapon's rating (X) for each hit scored, though Damage must still be calculated to determine if these hits result in further reduction to the Horde's Magnitude.
Note: Yes, a Devastating weapon need simply hit a Horde in order to reduce its Magnitude. Hits that score further reduction to a Horde's Magnitude are icing on the cake.
Fast-
Weapons with the Fast Quality are always Melee weapons, and they are harder to Parry and Dodge. Tests made to Parry or Dodge Fast weapons suffer from a -20 penalty. Defensive, Unbalanced and Unwieldy weapons may not possess the Fast Quality (and vise versa). A rare few blades are both Fast and Balanced.
Felling (X)-
When calculating Damage reduction ("soak") resulting from Unnatural Toughness, Felling weapons first reduce Unnatural Toughness by a number of points equal to the weapon's rating (X). The reduced Unnatural Toughness (to a minimum of zero) and any AP values are then used when calculating total Damage reduction.
The Daemonic Trait is immune to Felling, unless the weapon is also Blessed/Holy/Sanctified.
In no way does Felling interact with or affect the benefits of True Grit (Talent).
Flame-
If a target is hit by a weapon with the Flame Quality, the attacker determines which Location was hit by rolling d100 and consulting the Location Chart (see Character Sheet).
Targets hit with a weapon possessing the Flame Quality (even if zero Wounds are caused by the hit) must succeed on a Challenging (+/-0) Agility Test or they suffer from Being On Fire. Targets that are on fire may do nothing but run about and scream (this is treated as a Full Move Action, and the direction of their Movement is randomly determined by consulting the Scatter Diagram) unless they succeed on a Difficult (-10) Willpower Test, and even then they may do nothing other than attempt to douse the flames unless they have a Willpower score of 40+.
To douse the flames, the target must succeed on a Hard (-20) Agility Test. Up to two (2) persons may assist in dousing the flames, reducing the Difficulty of the Test by 1 Step per person. Other mitigating factors may make it easier or harder (at the GM's discretion) to douse the flames, such as there being a nearby water source or high winds, but this will not affect the amount of Damage caused by Being On Fire.
A PC the may "do nothing" does not participate in dousing flames. In this case use the highest Agility of any assisting PCs.
The Damage caused by Being on Fire as a result of weapons with the Flame Quality is equal to the Damage listed in the weapon's profile. If any targets catch fire, this Damage (Type Energy) is rolled just once (separately from the Damage caused by the hit), representing random target saturation, and is applied to each target at the end of each Round (meaning PCs/NPCs may have a chance to douse the flames prior to taking Wounds) until the flames are extinguished.
The only category of AP that provides protection versus Being On Fire is Augmetic (see various Talents/Implants in a later post). Additionally, the Ceramite Armour Upgrade will reduce Wounds caused by Being On Fire by 3, but this Upgrade must be on the Location hit/aflame. Additionally, the target's TB, Unnatural Toughness, and/or Daemonic Trait will reduce Wounds suffered from Being on Fire, to a minimum of 1 Wound.
Note: There has been a lot of contention on the internet regarding Personal AP not providing protection versus Being On Fire. Personally, I have no issue with the concept. Fire is dangerous and unpredictable. Fire represents the righteous cleansing of the Emperor. If someone catches fire they probably deserve their fate.
Flexible-
Flexible weapons lash about unpredictably when used to attack and therefor may not be Parried. Attacks from Flexible weapons may still be Dodged, as normal. Some Flexible weapons may also possess the Snare Quality (qv: Snare; see below).
Some examples of Flexible weapons are flails, nets, scourges, and whips.
Force-
Okay, here we go...
Please remember, these rules have been tweaked, refined, and play tested over a lengthy period of time. Additionally, much of what follows regarding weapons with the Force Quality is intended to maintain game balance as well as being reasonable. With that out of the way...
If a weapon possessing the Force Quality is used by a PC without a Psy Rating it behaves as a normal version of its analog, meaning a Force Hammer in the hands of any PC without a Psy Rating is simply a Hammer...that is resistant to the Power Quality (qv: Power; see below).
A Note to GMs: This is the perfect way to disguise Force weapons. They don't all have to be of remarkable Craftsmanship, audacious design, liberally studded with jewels and displaying obvious signs of Psy-reactive micro-circuitry. Perhaps a particular Force weapon was dutifully constructed by a Templar Calix of the Scholastica Psykana who followed the ways of a impoverished warrior-monk aesthetic, and the weapon is a direct reflection of his/her lifestyle.
In the hands of a wielder with a Psy Rating, weapons with the Force Quality become far more powerful than their analog. First, for every point of Psy Rating the wielder possesses the weapon adds +1 to both its Damage and its Penetration value. This benefit is automatic and does not require a Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian to make a Focus Power Test.
Additionally, if the wielder of a weapon with the Force Quality wounds a target he/she may, once per Turn, as an Evasion Action (aka Reaction), channel psychic force and killing will through the weapon in an attempt to cause additional Wounds. As doing so involves a Focus Power Test using Opposed Willpower, and as the intent is to kill, this channeling of psychic force and killing will must either be done as an Unfettered or Push Level Focus Power Test. For each Psychic Power being Sustained during an attempt to channel psychic force and killing will the wielder suffers a -5 penalty to his/her Focus Power Test.
The Player must choose before making the Focus Power Test roll whether the Focus Power Test will be Unfettered or Pushed. Channeling killing will at the Unfettered Level will cause Psychic Phenomena on any Opposed Willpower Test roll resulting in doubles (11, 22, 33, and so on), whether successful or not. Channeling killing will at the Push Level automatically result in Psychic Phenomena. Wounds caused by killing will varies, depending on the Power Level chosen.
Once the Power Level decision has been made, the wielder makes a Focus Power Test against the target using Opposed Willpower. If the wielder's Test is successful and he/she wins the Opposed Willpower "contest", the Player and GM calculate the Degrees of Difference (from here on out shown as DoD).
- If killing will is channeled at the Unfettered Level, the wielder causes an additional d5 Wounds per DoD to the target
- If killing will is channeled at the Push Level, the wielder causes an additional d10 Wounds per DoD to the target
Back to the contest of wills...
It should be obvious the intention is that killing will be used on significant peers or rivals in power, gargantuan monsters, or Daemonic nightmares. That being said, these opponents are not just going to lay down and die, they're going to resist with every iota of will they possess. They will likely have as many (if not more) Fate or Infamy Points as the PCs (or they will simply be unbelievably huge and resilient) and they will use them to re-roll gaffed Tests or achieve an additional DoS in an attempt to resist or overturn the killing will. Even so, things can end in remarkable results for the PCs, and spin horribly Klybo for their opponents, and vise versa, and thus we come to DoD.
The introduction of DoD raises the threat notch. You want to be Darth Vader and gak an old man into the next world? You want to be Shea Ohmsford and cast the Warlock Lord Bremen from the deepest of shadows and into the light of oblivion? Then save it for the foes that matter, 'cause they're out there, somewhere.
Onward with Force...
Channeling psychic force and killing will...into Hordes. This is even more simple.
Using the rules for Attacking Hordes:
- The Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian determines the number of Force Weapon hits caused by his/her attack
- The Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian rolls Damage for all Force Weapon hits
- If at least one (1) hit from a Force Weapon causes reduction in the Horde's Magnitude then he/she may, once per Turn, as an Evasion Action (aka Reaction), attempt to channel killing will by making a Focus Power Test at the Unfettered Level using Opposed Willpower
- Focus Power Tests (successful or not) resulting in doubles (11, 22, 33, and so on) will generate Psychic Phenomena
- If the Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian succeeds on the Test and wins the Opposed Willpower "contest", the Psyker/Sorcerer/Librarian may further reduce the Horde's Magnitude by 1 for each DoD
Getting late. I have some finishing touches to put on my game for tomorrow.
The Auditors (Acolytes) are on a bleak and barren planetoid that has an extremely thin atmosphere and poor gravity. They, along with other investors, are "buying a front-row seat" in the Cold Trade. Their quarry is the ruthless and elusive gone-Rogue Trader, Ozrus Quip. They've just been shown "the find of the millennium." There are several thousand lives at stake (in the immediate area). To say that letting Master Quip's endeavors come to fruition could spell Imperium-wide disaster would be cliche...but it's true.
I'll be adding to this post until completed. Keep your eye on the subject line, as I'll be changing the date with each update.
Happy gaming, everyone!
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