Tactical SWADE – Modern Gun Options

Table of Contents Tactical SWADE makes this sort of customization

Introduction .........................................................1 possible, with new gear and ammo options. It also
offers the GM advice and optional rules to handle
Tactical Accessories .............................................1
firearm-related situations that often come up in play.
• Aiming Aids ........................................................1
• Silencers ..............................................................2
Tactical Accessories
• Other Gear ...........................................................2
Assume that every pistol comes with a holster and
Special Ammo ......................................................2
every other firearm comes with a sling, for basic
• For Most Firearms ...............................................3 carrying purposes. This is already included in the
• For Shot Shells ....................................................3 weapon’s weight and weights 0.5 lb. on its own.
New Rules .............................................................4 For the new keywords “Fragile” and “Bulky,” see
• Hearing Gunshots ................................................4 the optional rules on p. 6.
• Concealing Firearms ...........................................5 Installing Accessories
• Acquiring Special Ammo....................................5 Adding an attachment to a firearm requires a Repair
• Optional Rule: Bulky ..........................................6 roll at +2. It takes approximately 15 minutes, or twice
• Optional Rule: Fragile .........................................6 that for an aiming aid (as the gun must be sighted in).
Accessory rails change this, allowing accessories to
be removed or added with a single action (no roll
Introduction required). This only works for aiming aids if they
Ask what guns the heroes want, and you’ll find that were sighted in previously! Many guns feature
there are two kinds of players. integral rails; if not, adding them is $100 and uses the
rules above. They have negligible weight.
“An assault rifle.”
“An assault carbine converted to folding stock, with Aiming Aids
reflex sight and detachable night scope, on a three-
point sling that also holds two clipped-on mags of AP Red-Dot Sight*: A small frame to help the shooter
rounds and one of hand-matched.” line up the target with a small red dot in the middle of
the display. +1 to Shooting at Short and Medium
There’s nothing wrong with declaring all of that
Range. Common types include “reflex” and
detail to be “flavor” and using the stats as written.
“holographic” sights. ($150, Fragile)
After all, Savage Worlds should be quick and easy.
But for many players, tricking out their gun is a huge Scope: Cancels 2 extra points of penalties when
part of what makes a modern setting fun. And since aiming. Weight is 1 lb. for a pistol/SMG scope;
there’s no extra work on the part of anyone but that double that for a long arm. (1 or 2 lbs., $100, Bulky,
gun-loving player, these tactical options can be added Fragile)
while keeping the game fast, fun, and furious! Scope, Night-Sight: As above, but it also ignores
the penalty for Dim or Dark illumination (when
Written By: Jason “PK” Levine aiming), at the cost of colorblindness. (1 or 2 lbs.,
Revision 1.0 $500, Bulky, Fragile)
Tactical Light: A small, powerful flashlight that
Savage Worlds License Agreement illuminates the target. Eliminates all illumination
This game references the Savage Worlds game penalties to see or shoot the target – for every shooter,
system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group at not just you! – but also does the same for anyone
www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated
shooting at you. (0.5 lb., $50, Bulky, Fragile)
logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle
Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle Targeting Laser, Visible*: +1 to Shooting at Short
makes no representation or warranty as to the quality, and Medium Range. However, the target and those
viability, or suitability for purpose of this product. nearby may spot the dot (Notice roll), ruining

1
surprise. A built-in laser has negligible weight; the 1 every shell matters. (1 lb, $30, Bulky, or Bulky 2
lb. version from Savage Worlds is designed to attach when full)
to an accessory rail. (neg. or 1 lb., $150) Extended Magazine: Increases a weapon’s Shots
Targeting Laser, Invisible*: An infrared or by 50% (round up). Cost equals 10% of the weapon’s
ultraviolent version of the above. You must be base cost. (1 lb., $varies, Bulky)
wearing night-vision goggles or similar gear to see Folding Stock: On a shotgun or rifle, the fixed
the dot (and get its benefit), but so must the targets! stock can be removed and replaced with a wire
(neg. or 1 lb., $500) folding stock. This gives +2 on Thievery rolls to
conceal the weapon (see p. 5) and reduces its weight
* You can get the benefit of a red-dot sight or a slightly. (-0.5 lb., $200, Fragile)
targeting laser, but not both.
Muzzle Brake: An attachment that adds weight to
the barrel while also loudly venting the gunpowder
Silencers gases to the side. Reduces Min Str by one die type; if
These are properly called “suppressors,” but this Min Str is already d4, instead reduce the Recoil
supplement sticks with common parlance. See penalty to -1. However, others have +2 to Notice rolls
Hearing Gunshots (p. 4) for their specific effect, as to see and/or hear the gun in use. A gun can have a
well as an important campaign decision about muzzle brake or a silencer attached, never both. (1 lb.,
whether silencers will be realistic or cinematic. $150, Bulky)
The lack of an improved shotgun silencer is Undercover Holster: Stays concealed beneath
intentional, as is the lack of any silencers for clothing and flattens out any “gun bulges,” giving you
revolvers. +2 on your Thievery roll to conceal the weapon (p. 5).
A silencer requires two actions to screw on or off However, drawing the weapon becomes a full action
the gun barrel, which must have been modified to instead of a free action. (If using Readying a Bulky
accept it; see Installing Accessories (p. 1) for how. Gun, p. 6, instead add 3 to the weapon’s effective
Bulky level.) Available for pistols and some small
Basic Silencer, Semi-Automatic Pistol or SMG: SMGs (GM’s call). (1 lb., $80)
(1 lb., $100, Bulky 2, Fragile)
Basic Silencer, Shotgun: (2 lb., $500, Bulky 2, Special Ammo
Fragile)
Many of these options are not available on the open
Basic Silencer, Rifle: (2 lb., $200, Bulky 2, Fragile) market! See Acquiring Special Ammo (p. 5) for
Improved Silencer, Semi-Automatic Pistol or suggested rules.
SMG: (1 lb., $500, Bulky 2, Fragile) Some ammo types can realistically be combined
Improved Silencer, Rifle: (2 lb., $1,000, Bulky 2, (like armor-piercing overpressure rounds, known as
Fragile) AP+P). Others cannot (e.g., you cannot make armor-
piercing hollow-points). Due to the potentially infinite
Other Gear number of combinations, this can’t be boiled down to
Accessory Rails: See Installing Accessories (p. 1). a simple rule; instead, the GM can check the Internet
(neg., $100) for the viability of any proposed combo. In all cases,
the cost multipliers are cumulative; e.g., that AP+P
Ammo-Crafting Kit: Funnels, tongs, molds, etc., ammo is ×6 to cost.
necessary for Crafting It (p. 6). Not part of the gun,
just a separate bag of stuff. (5 lbs., $150) For convenience, these are the base ammo costs
from Savage Worlds, converted to per-cartridge price:
Bipod or Tripod: Takes an action to deploy or fold.
Negates Recoil and Min Str penalties. While Bullets, Small (.22 to .32): $0.20 each
deployed, you cannot move on the same turn you fire
Bullets, Medium (9mm to .45): $0.40 each
the weapon. (2 lbs., $100, Bulky 2)
Bullets, Large (.50 and up): $1 each
Brass Catcher: A bag that collects spent shell
casings, for when it’s critical that none be left behind Shotgun Slugs: $0.80 each
as evidence, or in post-apocalyptic settings where Shotgun Shot Shells: $0.60 each

2
For Most Firearms Silver: If you’re playing in a supernatural game, this
does whatever the setting says. If not, it’s a heck of a
The following options are available for bullets as way to flaunt your wealth! Either way, -1 to Damage
well as shotgun slugs. against normal targets. (Cost ×50)
Armor-Piercing (AP): Better penetration, but Tracer: Some of the cartridges contain incendiary
leaves less of a wounding channel. Gives -1 to material on a brief delay, designed to flare up after
Damage, but also AP 2 (or +2 to existing AP). (Cost being fired. This turns a stream of bullets into a bright
×2) streak. Gives +1 to Shooting when firing at RoF 3+,
Discarded Sabot: A high-end military round, but adds your RoF to others’ Notice rolls to see where
designed to penetrate vehicular armor; examples you’re shooting from. (Cost ×3)
include APDS, depleted-uranium, and SLAP.
Damage gains AP 3 (or +3 to existing AP) and HW. For Shot Shells
Cannot apply to small bullets. (Cost ×100 on the Standard shot can also have the rubber, silent, or
black market – or cost ×25 if requisitioned by an silver options from For Most Firearms, above.
official military team)
More so than for any other firearm, vendors offer a
Hand-Matched: A cartridge crafted to perfectly fit
vast array of unique ammo options for shotguns...
one particular gun. The combination gives +1 to
most of which is gimmicky garbage. For game
Shooting when making aimed shots. (Cost ×5) purposes, treat things like “bolo rounds” and “triple
Hollow-Point (HP): Expands drastically upon threats” as overpriced slugs.
contact, which is good if it hits flesh directly, bad if
anything else gets in the way. Gives +1 to Damage Dragon’s Breath: Spews a gout of sparks and weak
but Armor is doubled. (Cost ×2) flame out of the barrel, doing 1d6 fire damage in a
Cone template. In a cinematic game, these rounds
Incendiary: Contains a small amount of white instead do 2d6 fire damage, turning a shotgun into a
phosphorus behind the head, designed to start fires. mini-flamethrower. (Cost ×5)
Use the rules for Fire from Savage Worlds. (Cost ×3)
Explosive†: Rare on the open market and tricky to
Liquid: Hollow-point ammo (see above), but with make. Damage becomes 2d8 in an SBT. (Cost ×50)
some sort of liquid in the head. In addition to the HP
effects, the target is subjected to a partial dose of the Gas/Smoke*: Fills an SBT with gas (effect varies)
liquid. For most poisons, the Vigor roll is at +1 for or smoke (-4 to vision). (Cost ×3 plus cost of any gas)
each bullet fewer than four which hit. In a Flechette: Fires tiny blades instead of tiny pellets.
supernatural game, adding holy water may let the Gives -1 to Damage, but the target is at -1 on all
bullet affect evil spirits. The specifics are, necessarily, Bleeding Out rolls. Rather gruesome; if you use these
up to the GM. (Cost ×4 plus cost of the liquid) rounds to kill a foe, take +1 to Intimidation with any
Overpressure (+P): Overloaded with gunpowder, of their allied Extras who witnessed it. (Cost ×2)
for increased power, kick, and muzzle blast. Gives +1 Rock Salt: Doesn’t wound, just really hurts! If
to Damage but also adds +2 to Notice rolls for Damage exceeds Toughness, a living target must
Hearing Gunshots (p. 4) and increases any Recoil make a Vigor roll, at -2 for each Wound they would
penalty by -1. (Cost ×3) have suffered had this been lethal, or be Stunned;
Rubber: Less-than-lethal rounds. Damage is at -2 even on a success, they are still Shaken. (Cost ×1)
for most guns, -3 for shotguns (for slugs, these are Stun*†: A mini-flashbang! Targets in an SBT must
known as “beanbag rounds”). Using these on Extras make a Vigor roll (at -2 on a raise) or be Stunned.
allows them to be defeated non-lethally. Against Wild (Cost ×50)
Cards, the first Wound inflicted with each rubber
ammo attack is actually Fatigue (bumps and bruises); * If fired from both barrels of a double-barrel
e.g., if you inflict 3 Wounds, they would take 1 shotgun, these rounds affect an MBT instead of an
Fatigue and 2 Wounds. (Cost ×2) SBT. (Other types of ammo instead gain +4 damage,
as per Shotguns in Savage Worlds.)
Silent: Subsonic ammunition for covert ops.
Gives -1 to Damage but see Hearing Gunshots (p. 4) † Loud! Gives +8 to Notice rolls for Hearing
for benefits. (Cost ×10) Gunshots (p. 4), negates the effects of a silencer, and
cannot be combined with the silent option.
3
 Also apply any bonus listed for noisy gear or ammo;
New Rules a penalty for background noise (GM’s call); and +4 if
These guidelines cover fairly niche situations, but several shots were fired (+8 for full-auto).
they’re exactly the type of niche that pops up in
modern action games. Suppression Initial Notice Per
Most of the time, these rules won’t be necessary; the Level Realistic Cinematic Area
GM will make an on-the-fly judgement call (“Roll None +10 +10 -1
Thievery at -2 to hide that gun”) and the game moves
on. But when the GM isn’t sure what’s fair, maybe Low +8 +6 -2
because the situation is weird or unfamiliar, it’s nice Moderate +6 +2 -3
to have ready-made rules and modifiers to fall back
on. High +4 -2 -4

Hearing Gunshots What’s an Area?

Sometimes you need to be sneaky, or at least not Outside, an “area” is a short residential block (a
alert the enemy to your exact position, even when stretch of about 5-10 houses), a small neighborhood
using your guns. These detailed rules are helpful park, about a quarter-mile of open air, or about 100
when the adventure hinges on whether a shooter can yards of forest.
evade detection – a situation that heroes may find Inside, an “area” is a few rooms connected by open
themselves on both sides of! doors or halls. Any room with all the doors and
Realistic vs. Cinematic Silencers: The GM and windows closed is its own area, no matter the size!
players will need to decide early on whether the The gunshot sound may traverse both indoor and
campaign uses real-world sound suppressors (which outdoor areas.
somewhat muffle the shot) or action-movie silencers Example: Ada fires a gun in her kitchen, and it’s
(which can reduce it to a whisper). This can be a important to know whether her neighbor Bob heard
separate decision from the realism level of the game the shot. The sound will travel from her bedroom (all
as a whole! Consider watching some Internet videos doors closed, so an area), through her kitchen, hall,
to compare the two. and living room (no closed doors, so all one area),
How Loud Is It? outside and across the street, and into Bob’s living
room. Bob is therefore three areas away from where
First, determine your “level” of sound suppression: the shot was fired.
• None: No silencer, normal ammo. Ada has a basic silencer (low suppression) in a
• Low: A basic silencer or no silencer with silent realistic game, so Bob’s initial Notice bonus is +8,
ammo. but he’s three areas away (-6), so the GM rolls Bob’s
• Moderate: An improved silencer or a basic Notice at +2 to see if he heard anything.
silencer with silent ammo. Result of the Notice Roll
• High: An improved silencer with silent ammo. • Success: The listener hears a loud, sharp noise that
Then use the table below. may get their attention, but they aren’t certain
“Initial Notice” is the bonus to the Notice roll of whether it was a gunshot. Most people will think it
anyone in the same area as the shooter; use either the was a fender-bender or something heavy being
“Realistic” or “Cinematic” column based on the dropped. Anyone expecting gunshots will likely take
decision made above. it seriously; e.g., an alert guard may warn the other
guards and have someone check it out. Regardless,
“Per Area” is essentially the range penalty.
they have only a vague idea of where it came from
Multiply it by the number of areas that the sound
(“to the east”).
must travel to get from the shooter to the listener.
• One Raise: That was definitely a gunshot! The
Example: With realistic silencers, if a gunman has
listener also has a better idea of where it came from
moderate suppression (+6), a listener three areas
(“somewhere behind that building”).
away (-9) would roll Notice at -3 to hear the shot.

4
 • Two or more Raises: They know the shooter’s Racial Size
position and can return fire if possible. Unless they For nonhuman races, Size may apply as well, since
can see the shooter (see below), this attack is at -8 for obviously it’s easier for an ogre to hide an SMG than
Near Total Cover (see Cover & Obstacles in Savage a pixie! If the weapon has been adapted for the race to
Worlds), even if the shooter is out in the open. Each use, then Size cancels out; an ogre hiding an ogre-
Raise past two lowers this effective Cover penalty by sized SMG is just as hard as a human hiding a human-
one step (to a minimum of the actual Cover penalty). sized one. If that isn’t the case, apply racial Size as a
Spotting the Shooter modifier.
If the shooter is also within line-of-sight, the listener At the GM’s option, this can apply to Size acquired
uses both hearing and sight to detect them; this is still via Brawny or Obese.
just one Notice roll (as above) but with an additional Method of Detection
bonus of +4, along with any visual modifiers (e.g., for
tracer rounds, p. 3). If the shooter made a successful • +0 to fool vision
Stealth roll, each success and raise reduces this visual • -2 to fool a casual pat-down
bonus by 1, to a minimum of +0. • -4 to fool a very thorough pat-down
• -8 to fool a strip-search
Concealing Firearms The GM should apply from +4 to -4 based on how
Anyone trying to detect a concealed gun on a focused, overworked, etc. the opposition is.
subject must win an opposed roll of Notice versus In general, high-tech scanners (e.g. X-ray or MAD)
Thievery. The person hiding the weapon has to make defeat concealment. The heroes may have to sabotage
the Thievery roll (how you walk and shift your weight the equipment, find a countermeasure, etc., at which
matters) but another person can Support their rolls (in point the rules here apply; note that guards used to
advance) by overseeing the initial concealment. relying on scanners are probably not very focused on
This Thievery roll takes the following modifiers: spotting visual clues.
Weapon Size
Acquiring Special Ammo
• +2 for a Derringer or similar tiny holdout pistol
The usual limiter on Special Ammo (p. 2) is cost. In
• +0 for a typical pistol games where money is no object and/or the GM
• -2 for a huge pistol (Desert Eagle, Ruger) or small wants to make the heroes jump through a few extra
SMG (Uzi or machine pistol) hoops, use the following guidelines.
• -4 for a typical SMG Some of the following rules refer to the “expense
• -8 for a huge SMG (Tommy Gun) or sawed-off modifier for the ammo,” which is based on the cost
shotgun multiplier for the ammo:
• -12 for a full-sized shotgun or typical rifle • +2 for Cost ×1 to ×3
• -16 for a huge rifle (Barrett .50) • +0 for Cost ×4 to ×9
For any of these, apply +2 for a folding stock or • -2 for Cost ×10 to ×24
undercover holster (p. 2). • -4 for Cost ×25 to ×50
Also apply the weapon’s Bulky penalty, if using that • -8 for Cost ×51 or more
optional rule (p. 6).
Buying It
Clothing
In a real-world campaign, a quick Internet search
• -8 for naked (it can be done, but only for a pistol) will tell you which types of ammo may be legally
• -4 for swimwear or a clutch purse (pistols only) purchased in a given country. In a fictional setting,
• +0 for most clothing or a full-sized purse it’s up to the GM to decide what rounds are legally
available.
• +2 for a thick jacket, unusually baggy clothing, or
small backpack When legal options just won’t do, of course, there’s
the black market or (if it exists in the setting) the Dark
• +4 for a trenchcoat or duffel bag
Web.
5
 Black Market: Use the Networking rules from Apply this as a penalty to Thievery rolls to hide the
Savage Worlds, with the modifiers below. weapon (Concealing Weapons, p. 5), to Agility rolls
Dark Web: This takes a few hours and a successful to run and reload (see Reloading in Savage Worlds),
Research roll, with the modifiers below. Hacking can and to any other tasks made difficult by having an
Support this via accessing closed-off channels, but awkward, off-balance weapon (GM’s call).
then a critical failure on either roll (Hacking or Readying a Bulky Gun
Research) will draw attention, complicating things.
Success is as for Networking. Normally, a hero may ready a gun as a free action
unless it’s in a difficult location; see Readying
Modifiers: +2 for the Streetwise Edge. Expense Weapons in Savage Worlds. But realistically, it’s
modifier for the most costly ammo, plus -1 per harder to fast-draw a firearm festooned with awkward
additional ammo type being sought. From -2 to -4 if accessories. In games where the GM wishes to
the heroes need a lot of ammo (GM’s call). enforce this, use these changes:
Requisitioning It Bulky 1 or 2: Readying it consumes both of your
In a military game, most ammo will simply be free actions.
provided to the team, but the commanding officer Bulky 3 or 4: Readying it is now an action.
may feel it necessary to requisition special ammo. Bulky 5 or 6: Readying it now takes up your entire
Treat this as a Networking attempt, but the available turn. Alternatively, you can roll Agility to do so as an
skills are Battle (since “general military knowledge” action. Failure wastes the action but you can try again
includes red tape) or Persuasion – no Intimidation! (if you declared multiple actions); critical failure
Apply the expense modifier for the most costly sends the gun flying d4” away.
ammo, plus -1 per additional ammo type being
requested. Bulky 7+: As above, but the Agility roll is at -2.

Crafting It Optional Rule: Fragile

Normal bullets are easy to make; anyone with the This keyword reflects stuff added to the gun that is
Repair skill, an ammo-crafting kit (p. 2), and fire can simply less rugged than the firearm itself. This
do it (no roll required). For more complicated stuff, doesn’t cause issues until the weapon is mistreated, at
make a Repair roll modified as follows. (At the GM’s which point the GM may roll a single die to see if
option, gunslingers may be able to substitute Shooting something breaks.
for Repair, at an additional -2 penalty.)
The die chosen depends on how badly the weapon
Modifiers: The expense modifier for the ammo. If was treated. Grab a d10 if it was merely dropped, a
an ammo-crafting kit isn’t available, -4 for d8 if it was used in melee combat, or a d6 if someone
improvised tools (plastic funnels and aluminum foil) directly attacked it.
or -8 for no tools (digging “molds” in the sand).
Add up the number of (unbroken) Fragile
The process takes about half an hour and requires accessories on the weapon. If the die rolls over that
some lead, gunpowder, and casings – as such, it’s number, it’s fine! Otherwise, that is the number of
usually assumed that the crafter will be upgrading Fragile accessories that break until repaired. The GM
existing rounds to new, improved ones. can determine the specifics or roll randomly.
Failure wastes time and half of the existing Example: Kitzia has a rifle with a red-dot sight,
supplies/rounds. Each success and raise produce scope, and tactical light. A mutant gets the drop on
about 50 small or medium bullets, 25 shotgun shells her and she butt-strokes it in the face with her rifle.
or slugs, or 10 large bullets. The GM rolls a d8. With three Fragile accessories, a
roll of 4+ means nothing happens – but the GM rolls
Optional Rule: Bulky a 1, which means one Fragile accessory breaks. The
Several of the Tactical Accessories (p. 1) have the GM rules that her scope is cracked.
Bulky or Bulky 2 keyword. Add up the number of
times this keyword appears, with “Bulky 2” counting
double, and put the total (e.g., “Bulky 4”) in its Notes.