Well that was a productive weekend. I chipped away at a slew of sections in the emerging rulebook, and more importantly created the weapon and armor lists, which I’ll post in a sec. I still want to do some testing for balance (especially comparing some weapons, since I tried to make the stats balanced, but sometimes glaring flaws expose themselves once the dice start rolling). To that end I might write a simple script or program where I can input a weapon’s stat line and have it autoroll a bunch of combat simulations (different ranges, different target Armor Ratings, etc.) and then spew out a bunch of statistics.
I also added a series of “Quickstart Packages” used during character creation, since I find that new players have no idea what is considered a “good gun” until they’ve played through a few times. This way they can just grab “The Shooter” package, or “The Berserker” if close combat is more their thing, etc.
Anyways, here is the Weapons/Armor list as an ODT or PDF download:
And to complement those lists I figured I should post the related “What column means what” section from the rulebook as well as the common Special abilities (like Explosion, Hail of Bullets, etc.). Plus I filled in a general description for each weapon (like D&D did it) so that people know what exactly a Blastbow or Glowlash is (although most of them can probably figure out a Pump Shotgun…except it’s fun to know it fires a spread of plasma – hey don’t quote me on the science side haha). I did try to keep the armor materials relatively realistic without straying too far from a wild west feel (which is why most of them are called Shirts, like Biosteel Shirt, to avoid the whole power armored cowboys aspect).
I like how the Grenade type of weapon turned out. I still avoided individually tracking grenades by having them “Auto” reload, meaning after you throw one you have to spend another Action Phase prepping another grenade. And I made sure to have plenty of silly types of grenades, right down to the Defoliant Grenade (something they had in Warhammer 40k 2nd edition, but removed later because I guess it wasn’t “scary dark future, okay!!!” enough for them).
And please ignore any messy formatting or wall of text action going on below, as Open Office doesn’t exactly output the cleanest HTML, and I run out of energy to reformat it all myself.
Weapons and Equipment
Neodollars: The modern currency is called a "Neodollar", and uses the "$" sign or, rarely, "ND". Each bill is durable paper about 8" long and 3" wide, and marked with a variety of vistas from the Neotechnoist jungle. Although printing is controlled by the Neotechnoists, money still escapes into the poorer, surrounding wastelands.
Maximum Burden: Because of the proliferation of Dinomounts, tracking of item weight is not done. Instead the only limitations are based on size.
A character may carry a maximum of 2 Large weapons and 1 suit of Armor. Note that one Large weapon translates into 2 Medium weapons, or 4 Small weapons.
Improved Weapons: As a character explores they may come across improved version of the standard weapons they are accustom to. These improvements are marked in the name of the weapon as follows:
Weapon +XA: X may be any number from 1 to 5, and specifies how many bonus Attacks the weapon grants.
Weapon +XD: X may be any number from 1 to 5, and specifies how much bonus Damage the weapon does.
Special Abilities
There is a preset list of common Special abilities that are assigned to various weapons. The description for each follow, although more may be created at the GM's discretion:
Both Barrels: Mark a loaded weapon as requiring a Reload and add +2 Attacks for one Action Phase.
Hail of Bullets: Reroll a single Attack dice, keeping the second result.
Scoped: Ignore the +1 Armor Rating bonus provided to targets in cover.
Seeking: No attack roll (Step 1 in the Combat section above) is made, instead the target is automatically hit.
Fireline: Draw a straight line from the firer in the direction they wish to attack, up to the maximum range of the weapon. Any entity (friend or foe) the line passes over suffers an attack from this weapon.
Explosion: Resolve a normal attack against the target. If hit, any entity (friend or foe) within 2" take the base damage of the weapon.
Big Explosion: Same as Explosion, but with a 4" radius.
Knockback: On hit the target is moved directly backwards from the firer for 1D6 inches.
Blind: On hit the target is blinded and has -1 Attack (minimum 1) during their next Action Phase.
Stun: On hit the target is stunned and cannot make any attacks in their next Action Phase.
Web: On hit the target is paralyzed in place and cannot move in their next Movement Phase.
Cover Breaker: On hit remove 1 piece of vegetation based terrain (such as a tree). What constitutes a single piece is at the GM's discrection. Note trees use the default Armor Rating of 2.
Weapon Table Information
Over sixty weapons are outlined in the Items.odt file. This list can be considered a template, as even a simple weapon like a Pump Shotgun can vary between areas in the country.
The statistic columns of the chart are outlined below, as well as detailed descriptive text for each weapon:
Name: The common name or designation of the weapon.
Cost: The cost (in Neodollars) of the weapon. This price may vary between locations.
Short: The short range of the weapon. See the Combat section above for details on what Short range does.
Med: The medium range of the weapon.
Long: The long range of the weapon. See the Combat section above for details on what Long range does.
Attack: The number of Attacks the weapon uses.
Damage: The base damage of the weapon. This value may be 0.
Reload: The reload, jam, or overheat chance of a weapon.
If the value is None the weapon never needs to be Reloaded.
If the value is Auto the weapon must be Reloaded after each use (an example would be grenades or a single shot rifle).
Size: The size of the weapon, either Small, Medium, or Large.
Req: The level requirement to use the weapon. A character can still carry (in their inventory) weapons they don't meet the level requirements of.
Type: The category of weapon, either Energy, Projectile, Grenade, or Melee.
Energy weapons are most likely laser based, especially if the Name has a Kilowatt (KW) or Megawatt (MW) rating in it. Otherwise it could also fire plasma or energized particles.
Projectile weapons are likely gunpowder based and old fashioned, similar to the weapons of the 21st century. Typically these relics cost more than a comparable Energy weapon.
Grenade type weapons are manually thrown at an enemy, and will always have a Reload value of Auto. This represents grabbing another grenade from a bag or bandolier. Individual grenades are not counted or tracked, so think of each Grenade weapon as a collection or pack of weapons.
Melee weapons are used in close combat only, see the Combat section above for details.
Special: Any complex effects of the weapon. See the details above for each ability.
Weapon Descriptions
Six-Shooter : By far the most common ranged weapon the ubiquitous six shot revolver has, on the surface, remained unchanged since the old wild west. However now in the place of solid lead bullets, incredibly high density batteries are used as ammunition. Each contain enough energy to generate a single laser blast of Kilowatt power, a level of drain that only battleship size cannons could propel earlier in the 21st century. These high tech revolvers are a daily reminder of the advancements in technology.
Pistol : Although these handguns have greater range and accuracy, they remain less used than the classic revolver as they tend to break down in dusty conditions, and don't fit in with the idealistic cowboy image most of the population strive for.
Handcannon : Drawing from a linked set of battery ammo allows these large bore handguns to fire wide, thick laser beams.
Bow : By drawing and enhancing the frictional energy created by pulling and releasing a bow string, these weapons allow the firer to propel laser beams without having to worry about reloading.
Pump Shotgun : These common weapons have been updated to fire clusters of burning plasma at a target. The pumping motion of one model of shotgun regenerates the plasma cells in preparation for another shot. A second common model has two independently charged barrels, much like the double barreled shotguns of old. And finally the automatic shotgun, which is powerful but tends to overheat quickly.
Lever-Action Rifle : Like the classic six-shooter, the lever-action rifle has been updated to 2285 standards. Each pull of the lever will reload another high charge battery in preparation for another shot. The larger batteries and longer barrel allow greater range and impact that revolvers, and can even achieve Megawatt levels.
Twin Rifle : Similar to the lever-action rifle, this laser rifle has two vertically stacked barrels to increase firepower. Normally these come in a 200KW energy range.
Burst Rifle : By using smaller, lighter batteries the burst rifle trades penetrating power for a higher number of shots. Preferred by gunslingers who have poor accuracy, as the sheer count of laser beams being fired in a wild spray from this weapon is likely to hit something.
Rotary Rifle : Updating the gatling gun design from the old wild west, this modern rotary rifle can achieve the highest rate of fire of any weapon.
Scoped Rifle : Used by snipers and hunters, scoped rifles fire single condensed laser beams, relying on damage over a hail of shots.
Throwing Knife and Axe: These crude weapons are normally chosen for style over functionality, as even the most basic six-shooter outperforms these bladed weapons.
Stub Pistol : Commonly designed like the projectile slinging guns of the 21st century, the expensive and carefully crafted solid bullets can inflict far greater wounds than a laser beam from a comparable revolver.
Crossbow : Firing jagged and barbed bolts, this simple but effective weapon is capable of catching an unwary enemy off guard.
Sawed Off Shotgun : With a shortened barrel this shotgun is used to spray a dense cloud of metal shrapnel or pellets at a target.
Bolt Action Rifle : This single shot rifle is sometimes preferred by rich hunters and scouting parties of nobles for the loud report and bright muzzle flash. Unfortunately modern technology has outdistanced the large caliber bullets, and most scoped laser rifles do far better damage than this relic.
Assault Rifle : Complete with wooden stocks and curved magazines, these fearsome weapons are great for spooking dinosaurs and raiders alike.
Needler Rifle : A specialized rifle loaded with advanced self guiding bullets, this weapon is normally reserved for targets with otherwise impenetrable armor.
Bazooka : Comprised of a crude metal tube and heavy self propelled rockets, the bazooka is a crowd pleaser.
Rocket Launcher : The addition of a magazine of smaller rockets allows this weapon to fire a few times before needing to be reloaded, while still maintaining a relatively destructive blast.
Grenade Launcher : An elegant weapon to rapidly fire a stream of microgrenades at a target, with the benefit of showering the nearby area with razor sharp shrapnel.
Flamethrower : Uncommon and devastating, the flamethrower spews burning chemicals in a small arc around the user. Terrific at catching dinosaurs off guard, clearing bunkers, or starting a campfire for dinner.
Boom Grenade : The most common grenade, this weapon comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most are simple cylinders thrown by hand, but some may be tins of explosives stuck atop wooden sticks.
Kaboom Grenade : Similar to a boom grenade...just bigger.
Riot Grenade : These rubber tubes of stinging, compressed air blow opponents backwards upon explosion, and were used in some of the early food riots in Haven.
Dazzler Grenade : With a deafening sound these grenades exploded into light, temporarily blinding human or dinosaur eyes.
Stun Grenade : These grenades explode by thundering a low frequency pulse outwards, which momentarily stuns and incapacitates nerve endings.
Tangle Grenade : Commonly used to trap charging dinosaurs, these grenades shower a target with a chemical mix of fast bonding glue.
Defoliant Grenade : An improved herbicide spray that can be used to clear a swathe of thick vegetation. These were used during the early exploration of the volcano jungle.
Shank , Knife, Machete: Crude stabbing weapons used to slash at targets and sever limbs.
Sword s: Ranging from the length of a hand to the size of a man, swords have been common since the early centuries of mankind. Aside from improving the materials used in construction, little has changed in the design since then.
Motor Blade : Powered by a small battery cell, this thick steel blade is covered in numerous spinning micro-drillbits which carve human and dinosaur flesh with equal ease.
Axe : Savage and barbaric, the axe is a harsh reminder of a darker time in humanity's history.
Staff: An elegant wooden or steel rod, the staff can be deadly in skilled hands.
Spiked Flail : This weapon inflicts painful wounds through a heavy, spiked ball that is chained to a handle by incredibly durable, microscopic wire.
Hammer : Ranging from small one handed claw hammers to large headed sledgehammers, these weapons can cause enemies to flee in terror.
Club : Simple and effective, this weapon can be anything from a sturdy wooden plank to a reinforced crowbar.
Spear : Arguably one of mankind's first weapons, the spear is perfect for harassing dinosaurs at a safe distance.
Glowlash : A modern version of the whip, this sparkling length of controlled particles can rapidly be sliced across the surface of a target.
Electrolance : This weapon is a long steel lance tipped with a powerful electrical discharge unit.
Scorchlance : This weapon is a long steel lance that is sheathed in superheated energy.
Twinlance : Although heavy and slightly unwieldy, this double pronged lance can be devastating in the right hands.
Shudderlance : Vibrating several hundred times a second, the well known shudder lance can use stored kinetic energy to blast a target backwards.
Armor Table Information
A variety of armors are available for use from the Items.odt file. These range from a common cloth shirt to more advanced defensive sheaths necessary to withstand the fearsome blows of a dinosaur. Note that only the most common armors are listed, and other materials and types of armor may exist.
The statistic columns of the chart are outlined below, as well as detailed descriptive text for each suit of armor:
Name: The common name or designation of the armor.
Cost: The cost (in Neodollars) of the armor. This price may vary between locations.
Armor Rating: The equivalent Armor Rating of each piece of armor, up to a maximum of 6. Without armor a character will have an Armor Rating of 2, which is the default and minimum.
Armor Descriptions
Clay Plates : This armor is created by reinforcing superheated clay with soft layers of inner padding.
Woodward : Crafted from hardy jungle trees, this suit of armor involves strapping carved and fitted pieces of wood to key locations, normally under other clothes.
Bonestack: Made up of a variety of dense bones, this armor is crude by effective at reducing the pain of a dinosaur bite.
Dinohide : Painstakingly formed from a variety of tanned dinosaur pelts, this suit is extremely common for its ease of customization.
Mesh Shirt : Formed from links of durable metal or thick rubber, the mesh shirt is preferred by anyone with a flair for style, as it can seamlessly be worn under clothes.
Flak Covering : A bulky vest useful in protecting the wearer from shrapnel and teeth.
Metal Plates : Heavy and cumbersome, a solid sheet of metal protecting vital areas is great for peace of mind.
Ceramic Plates : Formed using modern mixing techniques, ceramic plating is useful for deflecting or absorbing weapon shots.
Kevlar Vest : Uncommon and outdated, 21st century kevlar is still sometimes found in law enforcement groups.
Vectran Vest : An updated version of kevlar for 2285, the vectran vest can stop most shots with only minor discomfort to the wearer.
Thermoplastic : Worn outside clothes like a type of carapace, thermoplastic armor is useful against most energy weapons and blunt trauma.
Biosteel Shirt : Woven from thin, lightweight fibers harvested from giant jungle spiders, biosteel is a perfect choice for maintaining mobility.
Kinetic Shirt : Based on a recent breakthrough in the realm of personal protection, a kinetic shirt basically reverses the energy of an incoming attack to deflect the blow.
STF Covering : Developed near the end of the 21st century, shear thickening fluid (STF) was assumed lost after Eruption Day. However a group of explorers uncovered the secrets to its production several years ago. The magnificent liquid instantly hardens a nanosecond before an attack penetrates to flesh, providing maximum protection without sacrificing weight.
Ferrobone Vest : Using rare ultradense bones reinforced with steel and biosteel, a vest of ferrobone can make the wearer nearly impervious to pain.
And thanks to the musical joy of Husky Rescue (especially their 2004 CD) and Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra for keeping my mind focused while filling in rows and rows of stats.
Dinosaur Cowboys - Tabletop Skirmish Game 