Reading Rogue Trader, Part Fifteen

The next section of the equipment chapter is dedicated to grenades and missiles. Grenades are treated as ranged weapons in Rogue Trader and each has short and long ranges listed for thrown weapons (normally 4 and 8"). Grenade Throwers and Missiles are ranged per the launcher but there is a quirky fourth option - the sling. This primitive weapon may be used to lob grenades, but the rules are unclear. Under the sling it says the range listed is for normal stones, but in grenades it says ranges for weapon launched grenades under the appropriate weapon. Maybe there is another entry somewhere, but I didn't see it...

There are twenty-one different types of grenades that fall into three basic types:

Blast - Just what it sounds like - they explode.
Gas - Poison and chemical agents - the reason there is gear like respirators and the like, though some gases may be absorbed through the skin unless the target is in a fully sealed suit.
Field Effect - Energy field that causes localized disruption of various kinds.

Gas Clouds and Field Effect Weapons require a d6 roll each turn:
1 - Disperses - remove
2-5 - Remains
6 - Drifts D6" in direction of wind, determined by GM

Grenades are also all Slow weapons, meaning they are move or fire. May as well hit all of the grenades, though I'm not going to cover all of the stats. All of these are also available as missiles.

Anti-plant - How cool is that? The GM is instructed to remove appropriate scenery within the effected area, though this is only a 3" diameter. Depending on how your scenery is based, this may be hard to implement on the table. However, if you have a unit with these weapons you could probably remove a standard-sized terrain piece. Anyway, it would be interesting in some scenarios.
Blind - Pretty much an improved smoke grenade that blocks line of sight and psyker abilities.
Choke Gas - Lethal cloud that causes damage and may be ignored by models with respirators.
Crack - Devastating to armoured targets, but with half the range of most other grenades.
Frag - The humble anti-personnel grenade you know and love, though you may not expect to have a 3" radius template.
Hallucinogen Gas - Oh, this is fun. The targets suffer effects from a d10 chart. Example: You're sure you felt something drop onto your head! What is that tickling you neck? It feels like a spider... spiders... hundreds of 'em! Tear off all your clothing, discard all equipment and scratch. The model is totally immobilized and inactive until the next turn, and must then be rolled for again if it remains within the gas.
Haywire - These cause damage against living creatures (albeit with a STR2) but can be devastating to gear and vehicles. Roll a d10 - All technical equipment with a tech level higher than the number rolled is rendered inoperative. Vehicles get a save equal to it's basic armor.
Knock-out Gas - Nite, nite! When the gas dissipates models may recover on a 5+ on a d6.
Melta-Bomb - Pretty much what you'd expect, melting most targets into goo.
Photon - A brilliant flash that renders targets blind and destroys light sensitive equipment such as targeters and infra-red vision devices. Blinded creatures may recover their sight within d6 DAYS! Models affected are considered unconscious and may be removed from play at the GM's discretion. This is the reason many models have protective visors as standard equipment!
Plasma - Yet another death dealing heat weapon, this time in the form of a boiling cloud. It begins at 3" diameter and shrink 1" per turn, possibly drifting across the field.
Psyk-out - Basically causes d6 psi-point damage and the permanent loss of one psychic level to psykers. In addition, any psychic powers employed in the area are immediately cancelled.
Rad - Creates a radiation hot-spot that remains in place for the rest of the game. Roll (d6
+d4)/2 to establish the radius of the zone. Models passing through this area take an automatic hit with a Strength equal to the radiation level.
Scare Gas - Gas cloud that causes targets to test for fear.
Smoke - The humble version of line of sight blocking grenades. Troops may not fire through smoke unless they have infra-vision gear.
Stasis - Disrupts TIME, creating a field that weapons may not fire through and freezing models in the field. The effect lasts until the field disperses.
Stumm Gas - Causes Confusion.
Tanglefoot - Gravitoic distruption that causes half movement and a -1 to hit for troops firing into or out of the field.
Toxin Gas - No save, target is dead. One of the gas weapons that defeats respirators as contact with the skin is just as deadly.
Virus - Again targets hit are killed, but the virus may spread - roll to hit to other models within d6". This continues indefinitely until there are no targets within range or no hits on the follow up! The last sentence is fun - Although the effects of the virus are assumed to only last one turn, in fact there is a 1% chance of all uses it will break out again at random moment within the next 10 years.
Vortex - Basically a mini-black hole that destroys everything it touches. It is much harder to accurately aim, harder to dissipate (it may even split into two!), and seems to be frightening for both sides.

Whew! Finally, any of these weapons might also be found as mines. These devices are 'mico-mines', usually laid in clusters or scattered groups. Finding them is almost impossible - except by accident or use of any energy scanner, though with the latter, there is still a chance of being hit on a 6 on a d6 as the range is quite short. The GM is responsible for knowing where the mines are planted as they are not normally marked on the table unless they are to act as deterrents by those who place them (barbed wire, signs marking the minefields, etc).

I don't know that I would use some of these, but my games tend toward basic and close combat weapons. I would consider including a few of the stranger on a limited basis or to fit with a scenario.

Next time we're going to look at one more type of destructive equipment - Support Weapons - it may not be what you think...