The Effects Of Other Ammo Types In Game

[swaghauler]

I was thinking about how to integrate other ammo types into the game without extensively modifying the game. Here are a few ideas that I have about other ammo types. Please feel free (AND FULLY ENCOURAGED) to post your own "house rules" for other ammo types in the game. These rules are for the version 2 or 2.2 rules. I would appreciate it if someone with more experience using the version 1 rules would jump in as well.

Some ammo types can be combined together to create new ammo types. For example, Hollow Point ammo [HP] can be combined with Match ammo to create Match Hollow Points. Ammo that can be combined will be listed in the descriptions.

At the end of each description is an Ammo Cost and Availability. The Cost is the amount that normal ammo costs are multiplied by to get the cost of the specialty round. The Availability is the number of LEVELS that the ammo's Base Availability is reduced by. For Example, an ammo that is Very Common will be reduced by 2 Levels to Scarce when looking for that ammo in Armor Piercing configuration.

Ammo Types:

1. Full Metal Jacketed Ammo [FMJ]: I'm listing this out of order because it is the "default ammo" in the game. All statistics assume the use of FMJ. FMJ may be combined with High Velocity[+P], Match [MTC], Target [TG], and Low-Velocity [P-] ammo types.

2. Armor Piercing Ammo [AP]: This ammo is designed to penetrate even hardened targets. Armor Piercing ammo REDUCES the Penetration Number of the ammo by 1. Thus a rifle with a PEN of 2 will have a PEN of 1 while using AP ammo. However, AP ammo is not as effective as FMJ at creating wounds. Each DAMAGE DIE is reduced by 2 (with a minimum of 1 point of damage per die) when using AP ammo. For example, an M4 does 2D10 dice of damage at Short Range. Each D10 roll would be reduced by 2 points (with a 1 point minimum damage) resulting in the rifle only doing 2 to 16 points of damage at Short Range (instead of 2 to 20). An AK-47 (7.62mm X 39mm) doing 3 to 30 points of damage at Short Range would only do 3 to 24 points of damage using AP ammo. AP ammo can be combined with High Velocity [+P], Incendiary [INC], Match [MTC], and Tracer [TR] ammo types.
Cost: 4 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 2 levels rarer.

3. Explosive Tipped Ammo [EXT]: This ammo is exactly what it claims to be, explosive tipped. The most common "civilian" version was the Devastator round which was made by embedding one or more primers in the nose of a hollow point bullet. The premier military round would be the MK211 Raufoss round for the .50 Caliber. Newer rounds using a core of PETN explosive and an incendiary igniter compound also fall under this ammo type. Explosive Tipped ammo adds 1/2 the DAMAGE DICE to the round's base damage (rounding down). For example, a .50 Caliber BMG Raufoss round will add 4 dice to the damage of a Barrett M82. In addition, the explosion will injure people or damage equipment within 1 meter of the target (an assistant gunner, for instance). the power of this combined blast and fragmentation effect is dependent on the size of the round:
.30 Caliber or less= Dam: 1/2D6, PEN: 2
.31 Caliber to .49 Caliber= DAM: 1D6, PEN: 2
.50 Caliber or more= DAM: 1D10, PEN: 2
Explosive tipped ammo may be combined with high Velocity [+P], Incendiary [INC], Low Velocity [P-], Match [MTC], and Tracer [TR] ammo.
Cost: 5 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 3 Levels rarer.

4. Frangible Ammo [FRG]: This ammo is designed to fragment and even disintegrate in a target. It is most often found in handgun rounds but does exist in rifle rounds as well. The most common frangible round is a hollow point design filled with a fragmenting medium like birdshot. The most common version of this round is the Glaser Safety Slug followed by the MagSafe round. Another version of the frangible is the split round. This round is designed to uniformly break into several smaller sections INSIDE the target. The Triton Quickshok or the G2 RIP ammo are examples of this type of frangible. Frangible ammo increases the damage roll OF EACH DIE by 3 BUT the damage CANNOT EXCEED THE DIE'S MAXIMUM DAMAGE ROLL. For example, a 9mmP normally doing 2D6 Damage (for 2 to 12 points of damage) would do 8 to 12 points of damage. There are TWO issues with frangible ammo, though. The first is that this ammo has great difficulty in penetrating anything due to the huge expansion that it produces. This results in an INCREASE in Penetration of 2 Levels. So a rifle with a PEN of 2 is increased to a PEN of 4. The second is the lighter than standard bullet weights of frangible's results in reduced range. The bullet simply lacks the momentum to hold a reliable trajectory. This is manifested in a reduction in a given weapon's Base Range. This range reduction is Pistols= -1m, SMGs= -3m, Rifles= -5m. Frangible ammo is only combined with High Velocity [+P] ammo.
Cost: 4 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 3 Levels rarer.

5. Hollow Point Ammo [HP]: Hollow point ammo is designed to expand inside a target. This expansion is much less than the expansion of frangible ammo but hollow point ammo also penetrates deeper than frangible ammo. This ammo is more common in pistols but also appears regularly in rifle ammo. This is the primary ammo type for security and law enforcement officers in the US. The typical modern hollow point will expand to 150% of the bullet's original size while penetrating MUCH DEEPER than a frangible will. The hollow point will INCREASE EACH DAMAGE DIE BY 2 POINTS. This is in addition to the damage roll. For Example, a 9mmP (doing 2D6 damage) will do 6 to 16 points of damage using hollow points. The disadvantage is that penetration is increased by 1 level with hollow points. Thus, a rifle with a PEN of 2 would have a PEN of 3 while using hollow points. Hollow points may be combined with High Velocity [+P], Incendiary [INC], Low Velocity [LV], Match Grade [MTC], and Tracer [TR] ammo types.
Cost: 2 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 1 Level rarer.

6. High-Velocity Ammo [+P] & Very High-Velocity Ammo [+P+]: This ammo has been loaded to higher chamber pressures in order to boost the round's velocity. Pushing the bullet faster increases the round's energy, and by extension, the damage the bullet can do. High-Velocity ammo INCREASES EACH DAMAGE DIE BY 1 POINT. This damage is in addition to the damage roll. For example, a 9mmP (doing 2D6 damage) will do 4 to 14 points of damage while using high-velocity ammo. The downside is that the weapon's Recoil is increased by 1. Thus a pistol with a RCL of 2 would increase its RCL to 3 when using high-velocity ammo. High-velocity ammo may be combined with Armor Piercing [AP], Full Metal Jacket [FMJ], Frangible [FRG], Hollow Point [HP], Incendiary [INC], Tracer [TR], Soft Point [SP], and Wadcutter [WC] ammo.
Cost: 2 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 1 Level rarer.
*6A. Very High-Velocity Ammo [+P+]: This behaves the same as +P but is MUCH MORE POWERFUL. It adds 2 to RCL and 2 to EACH DAMAGE DIE just like +P. It also has another major disadvantage. +P+ ammo is rated at higher pressures than are recommended for a given caliber. This means that damage to a weapon can occur. If the shooter rolls an 18 or greater on a To Hit roll, they must immediately roll OVER the weapon's current Wear Value or the weapon suffers a catastrophic failure (ie an "explosion") that causes 1D10 damage (for rifles) or 1D6 damage (for pistols) to the shooter.
Cost: 3 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 2 Levels rarer.

7. Incendiary Ammo [INC]: This ammo is capable of igniting flammable materials as well as providing the shooter a minor "tracer-like" effect. This ammo provides additional damage based on the size of the round (and therefore the amount of the incendiary material in the round). The incendiary damage is:
Up to .25 Caliber= 1/2D6 BURN DAMAGE
.26 Caliber to .40 Caliber= 1D6 BURN DAMAGE
.41 Caliber and up= 2D6 BURN DAMAGE.
[/I] Incendiary ammo is combinable with Armor Piercing [AP], Hollow Point [HP], High Velocity [+P], Low Velocity [P-], and Tracer [TR] ammo.
Cost: 4 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 1 Level rarer (Military), or 2 Levels rarer (civilian).

8. Low-Velocity Ammo [P-]: This ammo comes in two forms. The first is a reasonably good quality factory ammo that has reduced velocity, and therefore, reduced recoil. The second type is ammo containing "home made" powder that suffers from reduced velocity due to the poor quality of the round's powder charge. This ammo reduces a weapon's RECOIL by 1. It also reduces a round's DAMAGE by 1 PER DAMAGE DIE (with a minimum damage of 1 per die). Thus, an M4 Carbine doing 2 to 20 points of damage at Short Range would do 2 to 18 points of damage with low-velocity ammo. Low-velocity ammo may be combined with Explosive Tipped [EXT], Hollow Point [HP], Incendiary [INC], Match [MTC], Soft Point [SP], Target Grade [TG], Tracer [TR], and Wadcutter [WC] ammo.
*8A. Very Low-Velocity Ammo [-P-]: GM's may want to include Very Low-Velocity Ammo as well. This ammo is ALWAYS "home made" and reduces damage by 2 per die. Additionally, whenever an 18 or higher is rolled on a To Hit check using a semi-auto or autoloading weapon, you must roll OVER the weapon's Wear Value or the weapon jams due to the low power of this ammo.
Cost and Availability are the same as the base ammo's cost and availability.

9. Match Ammo [MTC]: This ammo has been crafted to provide superior accuracy and consistency. Match ammo provides an INCREASE TO BASE RANGE for the weapon using it. This bonus is equal to +1m for pistols, +2m for SMGs, and +3m for Rifles. Match Ammo may be combined with Full Metal Jacket [FMJ], Hollow Point [HP], Low Velocity [P-](but NOT Very Low Velocity), Soft Point [SP], and Wadcutter [WC] ammo.
Cost: 3 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 1 Level rarer.

10. Soft Point Ammo [SP]: This ammo comes in two main types. The first type of this ammo is basically unjacketed ammo. This ammo is designed to deform and was a common loading for revolvers. It also includes cast hardened, but unjacketed, lead bullets which will be a common bullet for "home grown" ammo factories. The second type is the "expanding non-hollow point" type as typified by Federal's Guard Dog brand of ammo. This round will deform on impact and that causes increased damage to the target. This round adds 2 TO THE DAMAGE ROLL FOR EACH DAMAGE DIE BUT THE DAMAGE ROLL CANNOT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM DAMAGE PER DIE OF A NORMAL DAMAGE ROLL. For example, a .38 Special snub-nosed revolver does 1D6 Damage on a hit with normal ammo. Using SP ammo, the maximum damage is STILL 6 points, but the MINIMUM DAMAGE will be 3 points. Another disadvantage of soft point ammo is that it increases the Penetration of a given round by 1, just like hollow points. For example, an M14 using soft points will have a PEN of 3 at Short Range (instead of a PEN of 2). Soft Point ammo may be combined with High Velocity [+P], Low Velocity [P-], and Match grade [MTC] ammo.
Cost and Availability is the same as Full Metal Jacket ammo.

11. Sabot Rounds [SBT]: These rounds use a "sub penetrator" to increase the round's speed and range. Sabot round's add +2m to pistols, +3m to SMGs, and +5m to rifles. The recoil and damage remain basically the same for small arms rounds. This ammo type may be combined with Armor Piercing [AP], High Velocity [+P], Incendiary [INC], Match [MTC], and Tracer [TR] ammo.
Cost: 4 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 3 Levels rarer.

12. Target Grade Ammo [TG]: This ammo is like match ammo but taken to the extreme. It is often hand loaded and is VERY expensive. It also usually comes only in an FMJ configuration. Target Grade ammo increases the Base Range of the weapon using it. This bonus is equal to +2m for pistols, +3m for SMGs (due to open bolts being less accurate), and +5m for rifles. It also provides a bonus of 1 to your To Hit roll (ie a To Hit roll of 14 becomes a 13). This ammo may be combined with Low-Velocity ammo [P-].
Cost: 5 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 2 Levels rarer.

13. Tracer Ammo [TR]: This ammo is used to "mark" targets and to visually track where automatic fire goes. It gives anyone observing its path a BONUS of 1 on any SUBSEQUENT TO HIT ROLL AFTER THE TRACER IS OBSERVED HITTING THE TARGET. IF a second tracer is fired at the target and hits, the firer may gain a bonus of 2 to his To Hit roll (the maximum possible bonus). Using tracers in suppressive fire adds an ADDITIONAL Threat Condition to an enemy's CUF. This round is often loaded into belted ammunition and will provide the same benefits to a machinegunner provided, 1 tracer is loaded in at least every 5th position in a belt (some armies load 4 to 1 or even 3 to 1). Anyone using a tracer round can be detected with an EASY:Observation test.
Tracer ammo may be combined with Armor Piercing [AP], High Velocity [+P], Hollow Point [HP], Incendiary [INC], Low Velocity [P-], Soft Point [SP], and Wadcutter [WC] ammo.
Cost: 2 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 1 Level rarer.

14. Wadcutter Ammo [WC]: This ammo is very much like Soft Point ammo but has a very large and flat bullet face. This category also includes the newer "cutter" type bullets made by Ruger (the ARX) and Lehigh Defense (the Cavitator, Penetrator, and Defender rounds) that have cutting flanges which "cavitate" to cause damage. Wadcutters cause damage EXACTLY like a Soft Point but that damage is 1 point instead of 2. The damage still cannot exceed the maximum damage of the die rolled (just like Soft Points). Wadcutters (and semi-wadcutters) DO NOT suffer from the loss of Penetration that soft points do, however. They can still penetrate like an FMJ. In fact, Lehigh and Ruger both claim that their "cavitating" rounds are "barrier blind," and there is plenty of evidence to support this. The newer "cavitating" rounds (like the Cavitator and Defender) are also designed to feed in autoloaders where a traditional wadcutter round might jam (they were designed for revolvers). Wadcutters may be combined with High Velocity [+P], Low Velocity [P-], Match [MTC], and Tracer [TR] ammo.
Cost: 2 X Base Ammo Cost, Availability: 1 Level rarer.

These are my initial ideas on how these ammo types should be implemented into the game. Opinions would be appreciated as well as your own versions of these ammo types.

Swag.

[James Langham2]

Excelent article. I'm not sure however how common some would be by 2000. Can I suggest that tracer gives the bonus as well as long as 1 round in a burst includes it. Another use for tracer is the last few rounds in a magazine to let you know you are running out (Nel Grant's Osprey book on the SA80 has some good examples of British practice here). Also shouldn't tracer have a minimum range to take effect?

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by James Langham2

Excelent article. I'm not sure however how common some would be by 2000. Can I suggest that tracer gives the bonus as well as long as 1 round in a burst includes it. Another use for tracer is the last few rounds in a magazine to let you know you are running out (Nel Grant's Osprey book on the SA80 has some good examples of British practice here). Also shouldn't tracer have a minimum range to take effect?

I was pretty tired when I rolled into town yesterday but I couldn't sleep so I posted the stuff above while I was not fully alert. I have made some changes to correct errors and omissions (including the ones you brought up) in the post.

I also made some modifications to the ammo types (most notably Explosive Tipped, Soft Points, and Wadcutters) to better reflect their "real world" performance.

As I have said before, feel free to post your rules for these ammo types. I would very much like to see how other forum users handle them.

Otherwise, use what you will and ignore the rest.

Swag.