Heavy Weapons

This broad skill provides a character with training in the use of

heavy weaponry that isn’’t part of a ship or vehicle, including

mortars, grenade and rocket launchers, shoulder-fired missiles, and

heavy firearms. Weapons that are part of a large ship or a

single-operator vehicle require the use of [System

Operation](/skills/system-operation/) or [Vehicle

Operation](/skills/vehicle-operation/), respectively. Heavy weapons

are listed on [**TABLE P40: HEAVY

WEAPONS**](/equipment/weapons/#heavy-weapons).

Weapon Technical Knowledge: Characters who operate heavy weapons —

soldiers, combat engineers, and weapons specialists — inevitably

absorb a working technical understanding of their ordnance. They learn

how propellants, warheads, and firing mechanisms work, what can fail

under field conditions, and how to prevent or correct it. As well as

keeping informed of what heavy hardware has to offer. A character with

the Technical Science broad skill

can use the appropriate Heavy Weapons specialty skill for checks that

involve knowing the existence of a particular weapon system,

customizing ordnance and munitions, as well as recognizing, repairing,

and maintaining heavy weapons in the field.

Each heavy weapon has a set of range figures. Situation die modifiers

for range, as shown below on [**TABLE P21: HEAVY WEAPONS RANGE

MODIFIERS**](#table-p21-heavy-weapons-range-modifiers), may apply when

a certain type of heavy weapon is used against a target or a location

that lies within a particular range category.

In addition, the accuracy of an indirect-fire weapon depends on the

range between the shooter and the target location as well as the type

of success achieved, as shown on [**TABLE P20: ACCURACY BY

RANGE**](/skills/athletics/#accuracy-by-range).

A few direct-fire heavy weapons (as well as some rifles and all

submachine guns) are [**automatic

weapons**](/skills/modern-ranged-weapons/#automatic-weapon-attack-modes)

capable of firing multiple rounds of ammunition in every attack.

TABLE P21: HEAVY WEAPONS RANGE MODIFIERS

| Range | Direct | Indirect |

| :— | :— | :— |

| Short | -1 step | +2 steps |

| Medium | None | -2 steps |

| Long | +1 step | None |

Direct fire

This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency

with direct-fire heavy weapons. These weapons work just like

normal firearms, requiring the user to aim them at a target.

Direct-fire heavy weapons include heavy-caliber firearms, plasma

guns, and raiders.

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Indirect fire

This specialty skill allows a character to improve his proficiency

with indirect-fire heavy weapons. These weapons can fire over or

around obstacles; they deliver an area effect

attack instead of an attack against a specific target. Indirect-fire heavy weapons include grenade launchers, rocket launchers, shoulder-fired missiles, and mortars.

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