. . . Climate makes the constant foe.

Bring the excitement of environmental uncertainty

to the gaming table with GURPS Tactical Shooting:
Extreme Conditions! Building on the foundation of
GURPS Tactical Shooting, this guide provides flavorful
insight and rules for wielding and maintaining arms in
the most inhospitable habitats: dune-strewn deserts,
photogenic jungles, or wintry wastelands. Take your
cold-iron companion into even less-inviting realms, in
the skies, seas, or space. Reward your rugged readiness
with new gear and character options.
Although focusing on firearms in fairly realistic
recent-history TL5-8 campaigns, many issues herein
can provide consequential complications for any type
of combat – past, present, or future!

GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions

requires the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition.

By Hans-Christian Vortisch
Additional Material by Roger Burton West,
Timothy Ponce, and William H. Stoddard
Cover Art by ArteIndex, BinGoTinGo, Blanca Estela, and MoreThanPicture
Illustrated by 80’s Child, Algol, inv.amin baktash, Liu zishan, and MoreThanPicture

1st Edition, 1st Printing

Published 2023
P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760
SJG 01-6177

Printed on
Demand
. . . Climate makes the constant foe.
Bring the excitement of environmental uncertainty
to the gaming table with GURPS Tactical Shooting:
Extreme Conditions! Building on the foundation of
GURPS Tactical Shooting, this guide provides flavorful
insight and rules for wielding and maintaining arms in
the most inhospitable habitats: dune-strewn deserts,
photogenic jungles, or wintry wastelands. Take your
cold-iron companion into even less-inviting realms, in
the skies, seas, or space. Reward your rugged readiness
with new gear and character options.
Although focusing on firearms in fairly realistic
recent-history TL5-8 campaigns, many issues herein
can provide consequential complications for any type
of combat – past, present, or future!

GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions

requires the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition.

By Hans-Christian Vortisch
Additional Material by Roger Burton West,
Timothy Ponce, and William H. Stoddard
Cover Art by ArteIndex, BinGoTinGo, Blanca Estela, and MoreThanPicture
Illustrated by 80’s Child, Algol, inv.amin baktash, Liu zishan, and MoreThanPicture

1st Edition, 1st Printing

Published 2023
P.O. Box 18957, Austin, TX 78760
SJG 01-6177

Printed on
Demand
 Tactical
Shooting TM

E xtreme C onditions TM

Written by
HANS-CHRISTIAN VORTISCH
Edited by
NIKOLA VRTIS
Cover Art by ARTEINDEX, BINGOTINGO,
BLANCA ESTELA, and MORETHANPICTURE
Illustrated by 80'S CHILD, ALGOL,
INV.AMIN BAKTASH, LIU ZISHAN, and MORETHANPICTURE
Additional Material by ROGER BURTON WEST,
TIMOTHY PONCE, and WILLIAM H. STODDARD

GURPS System Design z STEVE JACKSON Chief Executive Officer z MEREDITH PLACKO
GURPS Line Editor z SEAN PUNCH Chief Operating Officer z SUSAN BUENO
GURPS Project Manager z STEVEN MARSH Managing Editor z ALLISON PAGE
Production Artist and Indexer z NIKOLA VRTIS Director of Sales z ROSS JEPSON
Cover Design z ALEX FERNANDEZ Page Design z PHIL REED and JUSTIN DE WITT
GURPS FAQ Maintainer z ­­­Art Direction, Additional Art, and Prepress Checker z
VICKY “MOLOKH” KOLENKO NIKOLA VRTIS

GURPS, Pyramid, Warehouse 23, the pyramid logo, Tactical Shooting, Extreme Conditions, and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are
trademarks or registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions is copyright © 2023
by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. All rights reserved. Some images used under license from Shutterstock.com. Printed by KDP.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this material via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please
purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

STEVE JACKSON GAMES

Softcover: stock # 01-6177 • ISBN 978-1-63999-045-0 • PDF: stock # 37-0163 • Version 1.0 – November 2023 ®
 Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Other Annoyances: Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Recommended Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Rocket Launchers and
Publication History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Recoilless Rifles in the Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3. Desert War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
1. Shooting in Extreme Conditions . . . . . . . . 5 Desert Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Will to Survive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Desert Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Extremely Dodgy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Desert Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Dodge Restrictions Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Carrying a Firearm in Extreme Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Reduced Vision Due to Precipitation or Vegetation . . . . . 6 Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Precipitation Range Increment Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Fog and Haze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Desert Madness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Rainfall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Sandstorms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Health Hazards: Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Vegetation Range Increment Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Shooting in the Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Shooting in Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Desert Shooter Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Shooting in Thin Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Firearms in the Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Shots in the Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Optics in the Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Crossing Over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Ammunition Issues in the Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Other Annoyances: Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
2. Winter War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Water-Cooled Guns in the Desert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Winter Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
It’s Freezing! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4. Jungle War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Bundling Up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Green Hell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Cold and Wet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Forests without Rain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
In the Snow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Jungle Fever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Jungle Heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Health Hazards: Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Smell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Shooting in the Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Cold Shooter Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Undergrowth Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Don’t Get Shot! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Health Hazards: Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Advantages of the Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Shooting in the Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Cold Firearm Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Jungle Shooter Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Ammunition Issues in the Cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Firearm Problems in the Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Black Powder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Ammunition Issues in the Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Projectiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Advantages of the Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Burn Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Other Annoyances: Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Optics and Other Accessories in the Cold . . . . . . . . . 12 Black Powder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Water-Cooled Guns in Winter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Optics in the Jungle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Explosive Warheads and Grenades in the Cold . . . . . 13 Explosive Warheads and Grenades in the Jungle . . . 21

In the third week of November, in the year 1895, a dense yellow fog settled down
upon London. From the Monday to the Thursday I doubt whether it was ever possible
from our windows in Baker Street to see the loom of the opposite houses.
– Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Bruce-Partington Plans” (1908)

Lead Playtester: Douglas H. Cole

Playtesters: Roger Burton West, S.A. Fisher, Jeffrey Head, Bobby Krbachian, Lyndon McIntyre,
Benjamin Ng, Christopher R. Rice, Andrew Rivett, Michael Roy, and Emily Smirle

2 Contents
5. Water War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Tunnel Exploration Kit (TL7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
On Water and Underwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Rifles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Cutting Corners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Underwater Vision Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Submachine Guns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Handguns Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Rifles Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Health Hazards: Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Submachine Guns Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Machine Guns and Autocannon Table . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Shooting into or Underwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Firearm Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Water Shooter Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Winter Trigger (TL6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Problems of Firearms near Water or Underwater . . . . . 24
Traveling through Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Appendix: Extreme Conditions
Ammunition Issues near Water or Underwater . . . . . 25
in Films and TV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Projectiles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Fighting the White Whale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Optics and Other Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Explosive Warheads and Grenades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

6. Underground War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Underground Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Underground Dangers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26
26
About GURPS
Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support
Hearing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 of GURPS players. We can be reached by email: info@
Fear of the Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 sjgames.com. Our address is SJ Games, P.O. Box
Health Hazards: Underground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Resources include:
Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Shooting Underground . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 New supplements and adventures. GURPS contin-
The Subterranean Shooter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 ues to grow – see what’s new at gurps.sjgames.com.
Warehouse 23. Our online store offers GURPS print
7. Aerial Combat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 items, plus PDFs of our books, supplements, adventures,
Shooting while Flying . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 play aids, and support . . . including exclusive mate-
Aerial Shooter Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 rial available only on Warehouse 23! Just head over to
Shooting inside a Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 warehouse23.com.
Shooting while Parachuting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Pyramid (pyramid.sjgames.com). For 10 years,
Health Hazards: Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 our PDF magazine Pyramid included new rules and
articles for GURPS, plus systemless locations, adven-
8. Space War . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 tures, and more. The entire 122-issue library is avail-
Space Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 able at Warehouse 23!
Health Hazards: Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Internet. To discuss GURPS with our staff
Shooting in Different Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 and your fellow gamers, visit our forums at
forums.sjgames.com. You can also join us at
Shooting in Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 facebook.com/sjgames. The web page for GURPS
9. Extreme Shooters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions can be
Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 found at gurps.sjgames.com/extremeconditions.
Soldier/TL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Store Finder (storefinder.sjgames.com): Discover
Survival . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 nearby places to buy GURPS items and other Steve
Perks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Jackson Games products. Local shops are great places
Naval Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 to play our games and meet fellow gamers!
Sea Legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Bibliographies. Bibliographies are a great resource
Sure-Footed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 for finding more of what you love! We’ve added them
Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 to many GURPS book web pages with links to help
Corner-Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 you find the next perfect element for your game.
Shooting into Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us –
Work Underwater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 but we do our best to fix our errors. Errata pages
Zero-G Shooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 for GURPS releases are available at sjgames.com/
errata/gurps.
10. Extreme Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Rules and statistics in this book are specifically for
Clothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 the GURPS Basic Set, Fourth Edition. Page references
Gloves (TL1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 that begin with B refer to that book, not this one.
Mittens (TL0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Extreme Firearms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Handguns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Contents 3
 Introduction
Shooting in combat is difficult under the best of cir- With minor adaptation, you can use Tactical Shooting:
cumstances, but it becomes much more demanding in the Extreme Conditions with GURPS Third Edition supplements
extreme environmental conditions in which adventurers such as GURPS Cops, GURPS Cyberpunk, GURPS Old
often operate – in dark dungeons, in the ice-cold Antarctic, West, GURPS Reign of Steel, GURPS Special Ops, GURPS
or under the sea! SWAT, GURPS Technomancer, GURPS Transhuman
GURPS Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions adds Space, GURPS Traveller, or GURPS WWII.
further detail to GURPS Tactical Shooting and, thus, the
GURPS Basic Set. It supports believable campaigns involv-
ing the use of firearms in extreme conditions such as during Recommended Books
winter, in the desert, underwater, underground, and even This supplement builds on the rules and equipment found
in space! in GURPS High-Tech and GURPS Tactical Shooting. Players
Like Tactical Shooting, this supplement is primarily serious about their shooting gear might also want to look at
intended for fairly realistic TL5-8 campaigns using settings GURPS High-Tech: Adventure Guns for TL5-6 firearms and
like GURPS Action or GURPS SEALs in Vietnam. However, at GURPS High-Tech: Pulp Guns for TL6-7 weaponry. Some
it can also be applied to fictional or downright unrealistic specific TL7 military hardware and more on jungle and swamp
TL4-9 settings, including GURPS After the End, GURPS conditions can be found in GURPS SEALs in Vietnam.
Horror, GURPS Infinite Worlds, or GURPS Monster
Hunters. In fact, many of the issues are present in all TL0-
10 settings and could influence all types of combat, not just Publication History
shooting firearms. Some rules were adapted from Hans-Christian Vortisch’s
GURPS SEALs in Vietnam. A few pieces of equipment
originate in GURPS Low-Tech by Peter Dell’Orto,
Dan Howard, Matt Riggsby, and William Stoddard.
Some of the rules for underground operations have
been adapted from those in William Stoddard’s
GURPS Underground Adventures. Several of the
underwater rules are based on Roger Burton West’s
article “GURPS Fathom Five” in Pyramid #3/26:
Underwater Adventures. A few other mechanics
first appeared in Hans-Christian Vortisch’s article
“Tactical Shooting: Tomorrow” in Pyramid #3/55:
Military Sci-Fi. Some rules were adapted from
Timothy Ponce’s article “The Emerald Hell” in
Pyramid #3/95: Overland Adventures.

About the Author

Hans-Christian “Grey Tiger” Vortisch, M.A.,
began writing for GURPS as a freelancer in 2001. He
is the author or co-author of GURPS Covert Ops,
GURPS Gun Fu, GURPS High-Tech, Fourth Edition,
GURPS Modern Firepower, GURPS Special Ops,
Third Edition, GURPS Tactical Shooting, GURPS
WWII: Motor Pool, and many Warehouse 23 pub-
lications on martial topics. He wrote additional
material for numerous other GURPS books. He
authored, translated, edited, or contributed to sev-
eral American, British, and German Call of Cthulhu
products (including the Investigator Weapons
series) and Delta Green: Agent’s Handbook. He also
published many articles in American, British, and
German gaming magazines. Hans has been an avid
gamer since 1983. His non-gaming interests include
science fiction, history, cinema, and punk rock. He
shoots in Berlin and hates all extreme conditions,
especially the cold.

4 Introduction
 Chapter One

Shooting
in Extreme
Conditions
An ideal environment for shooting includes perfect light- concentrating on anything else. For example, in the cold, the
ing, even footing, mild temperature, and a lack of precip- victim of it just can’t get out of the sleeping bag. On any failure,
itation and wind (Tactical Shooting, p. 9). Unfortunately, they are also Unaware for the purposes of Threat Recognition
combat usually occurs under less-than-ideal conditions. (Tactical Shooting, p. 33).

Will to Survive Extremely Dodgy

I rolled over in the mud to see my men, knotted in their Dodging means not being where the opponent thinks
cloaks, cowering abandoned against the beasts’ flanks. On each the target will be when their attack lands (p. B374). This
man’s face weighed the most dolorous expression of resigned almost always requires movement of some sort, although
despair . . . here in the mist they had made up their minds . . . even the most minute move may be enough (Tactical
that death was upon them . . . Shooting, p. 17).
– T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1922) Although Dodge is based on Basic Speed, the relation
between Move and Dodge is well-established; if you’re encum-
Stressful situations can require a Will roll to stay ready
bered, your Dodge suffers as well (p. B17). Bad footing can
to perform. Many extreme environmental conditions are so
also reduce Active Defenses, including Dodge (p. B549). In
physically overpowering that the mind has trouble coping
effect, this means that if you can’t move properly, your Dodge
with them. Obviously, these also prevent effective shooting
receives a penalty. An appropriate specialization of the Sure-
and other combat. Depending on the environment, the GM
Footed perk (p. 34) can cancel that out.
could require a Will or Will-based Survival roll when the con-
A restriction on movement can come in forms other than
dition is first encountered, or once per day if it is endured for
encumbrance or uneven ground, however. It can also be the
longer periods of time.
result of standing in a narrow trench, low tunnel, or aisle
Modifiers: ‑2 if an appropriate Soldier-2 or Survival roll was of an airplane. The blanket ‑1 to defense rolls when under-
failed; ‑2 if alone or ‑1 if in a small group (less than 10 people); ground (Underground Adventures, p. 11) is appropriate in
‑2 if stranded accidentally in the environment and/or did not these conditions, too.
voluntarily go there; +1 for suitable clothing, +1 for survival Whenever movement is hampered in any way, Dodge suf-
kit like matches, fishing gear, or a weapon; +1 for food and/or fers as shown on the table below. Penalties are cumulative
water; +1 for shelter. but cannot reduce Dodge below 1 (p. B17).
On a success, the person may act normally. An ordinary
failure results in a short-term penalty of ‑1 to all tasks that Dodge Restrictions Table
are not directly related to the condition. For example, in the Condition Penalty
cold, the adventurer would be at ‑1 to Guns or Driving, but Light Encumbrance -1
at no penalty to build a fire or construct a shelter. Further, Medium Encumbrance -2
the unfortunate soul has a penalty to Fright Checks (Tactical Heavy Encumbrance -3
Shooting, p. 34) and to self-control rolls for Paranoia, Pho- Extra-Heavy Encumbrance -4
bias, and similar disadvantages equal to halve the margin Very Bad Footing -1
(minimum of ‑1 unless the shooter succeeded by 3 or more   (slippery ice, hip-deep snow, or water)
on this Survival roll). Confined Space (narrow hallway, aircraft aisle) -1
Critical failure renders the person so occupied with their Very Confined Space (low tunnel, crawlspace) -2
own uncomfortable state of being that they have difficulty

Shooting in Extreme Conditions 5

Carrying a Firearm in see, before any other Vision penalties due to darkness, Cam-
ouflage, etc.
Extreme Conditions This has implications on shooting as well, as it is difficult
Prevent the working parts from coming in contact with snow to shoot what can’t be seen. Once the target is spotted, the
if possible. It is a serious enemy to the correct functioning of all maximum penalty is ‑4 (per p. B394), as the shooter knows the
small arms, especially L.M.Gs. position of that foe within one yard.
– War Office, Small Arms Training, Precipitation frequently poses problems for optics. Fog or
Pamphlet No.4, Light Machine Gun (1942) rain on a lens still allows the optic to be used, but effectively
robs it of its Acc bonus. Protect the lenses with flip-up covers.
Mud, snow, ice, sand, or even just a drop of water in the These come as standard with TL8 good-quality optics, but can
barrel of a firearm can result in a burst barrel. For unpro- be retrofitted to others at $20. Flipping them up requires two
tected guns, worsen Malf. by ‑1, treating the first result as an Ready maneuvers.
Explosion (p. B407). Most TL5-9 weapons are sturdy enough The open construction of TL8 single-lens reflex sights
to not injure the shooter, but the firearm is ruined, often from (High-Tech, p. 156) and micro reflex sights (Tactical Shooting,
a burst or otherwise damaged barrel. p. 74) means that the light dot reflected onto the lens can be
Handguns should be either kept in a military holster (High- interfered with by rain drops or snowflakes. This makes them
Tech, p. 154) closed with a flap or carried under outer clothing. completely useless, not only eliminating their Guns bonus,
However, the former gives ‑2 to Fast-Draw rolls, and the latter but preventing anything but Unsighted Shooting (Tactical
typically makes getting them out impossible. When a Fast- Shooting, p. 13)! Often it helps to employ a collimating sight
Draw is possible, double the time it takes to draw, with a min- instead. Improved TL8 double-lens reflex sights are sealed and
imum of one Ready maneuver. Expecting a gunfight, a tactical therefore immune against scatter.
shooter typically opens the coat or jacket to ease drawing – but Targeting lasers (High-Tech, pp. 156-157) and laser range-
clothing unsuited to the weather can be a giveaway for observ- finders suffer from precipitation like fog, rain, or snow as
ers trying to spot someone carrying a gun (+1 to Perception or the water molecules in the air diffuse the laser beam, ren-
Observation rolls). dering them ineffective. The GM should reduce the range for
An alternative to carrying the gun in a normal concealed which the laser’s bonus is granted depending on the sever-
holster such as a belt holster, shoulder holster, or undercover ity of the precipitation – in heavy precipitation, the effective
holster (High-Tech, pp. 153-154) is a pocket holster (Tactical range may even become zero.
Shooting, p. 72), which permits carrying the weapon in a
pocket of the outer clothing.
Long arms should be kept in a scabbard (High-Tech,
p. 154), long arm holster (Tactical Shooting, p. 73), a gun
case (High-Tech, p. 160), or a drag bag (High-Tech, p. 161). If
long arms have to be carried ready for use, employ a leather
or plastic muzzle cap to prevent snow, dust, sand, water, etc. Precipitation Range Increment Table
from entering the barrel. The latter can be improvised with Condition* Range Increment
a condom (WWII: Dogfaces, p. 33), an empty photo roll con-
tainer, or tape (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 20). Most of these can Fog and Haze
be shot through, but many TL6 military rifles are fitted with Haze 200-550 yards
a metal cap. At the bare minimum, carry the weapon muzzle Mist 100-200 yards
down to prevent precipitation from entering, but take care Fog 70-100 yards
to avoid dipping the muzzle into the snow, sand, mud, water, Dense Fog 45-70 yards
or whatever when kneeling, jumping, or performing similar Pea-Soup 10 yards or less
activities. If the muzzle isn’t protected, the GM can require
the occasional DX roll to see whether it remains free from Rainfall
water, snow, or mud.
Light Drizzle 90 yards or more
Drizzle 45-90 yards
Reduced Vision Due to Heavy Drizzle
Light Rain
25-45 yards
15-25 yards
Precipitation or Vegetation Rain
Heavy Rain
8-15 yards
8 yards or less
Intervening terrain and/or precipitation often decreases the
line of sight, making Vision rolls more difficult. The severity
of the impairment is modeled with Range Increments. These Snow
are of variable length depending on the specific environment. Very Light Snowfall 45-90 yards
Each multiple of a Range Increment results in ‑1 to Vision. Light Snowfall 25-45 yards
Moderate Snowfall 15-25 yards
Example: Dense jungle has a Range Increment of 2-4. This Heavy Snowfall 8-15 yards
means that every two, three, or four yards (depending on the Blizzard 8 yards or less
GM’s decision) of jungle terrain between an adventurer and
something they want to observe results in ‑1 to Vision. An * Use these figures for open terrain. Double them while
enemy combatant just 10 yards away might thus be at ‑5 to beneath heavy vegetation.

6 Shooting in Extreme Conditions

Vegetation Range Increment Table leads to reduced drag and in turn to increased muzzle veloc-
ity. In such atmospheres, multiply Dmg by 1.04. This may
Vegetation Range Increment
cancel out a Dmg reduction due to reduced propellant burn
Sparse 11 yards or more rate (see p. 12). See Adjusting Damage (High-Tech, p. 166).
Normal 8-10 yards
Thick 5-7 yards Example: A Remington M24 sniper rifle (High-Tech, p. 116)
Dense 2-4 yards has Dmg 7d pi. In the mountains, Dmg increases to 7d × 1.04
Impenetrable 1 yard or less = 7.28d, or 7d+1 pi.
Shooters have to adjust for a thin atmosphere. This is a
‑2 familiarity issue (p. B169). The Precision Aiming technique
(Tactical Shooting, p. 45) is likewise penalized at ‑2 until the
shooter has become familiarized.
Thin atmosphere induces various problems for the eyes,
especially the retina. Vision rolls are at ‑1 without eye pro-

Shooting in Wind tection (p. B429). This also affects natural night vision, mak-
ing it more difficult to see in the dark. Double the Darkness
Bullets can be affected considerably by windy conditions. Penalties (Tactical Shooting, p. 18) in thin atmosphere,
While winds from the rear or front are negligible, winds from up to a maximum of ‑9. In these situations, eye protection
the sides (crosswinds) can push a projectile so far off course doesn’t help.
that even an otherwise perfectly aligned shot can miss.
The effect of a crosswind on a shot gets larger as the
distance to the target increases. A 10-mph crosswind
that moves treetops can push a heavy 7.62×51mm
NATO match bullet (High-Tech, p. 165) about 1” off
S hots in the ark D
The girl and Kilcourse had been looking into the glare of a pow-
at 100 yards and some 7” off at 300 yards. At 500 erful light. When that light suddenly died, and the weaker ones
yards, the wind drift is almost 2’; at 700 yards, it’s around it went, too, they were left in pitch unseeing blackness,
4’; and at 1,000 yards, it’s a full 3 yards. A whistling which must last for the minute or longer that their eyes would
20-mph crosswind doubles the drift! need to readjust themselves to the gray-black of the night.
A shooter who correctly “reads” the wind can com- – Dashiell Hammett, “The Girl with the Silver Eyes” (1924)
pensate either by aiming off to the side or, more accu-
rately, by adjusting the sights. Most telescopic sights The most common extreme condition is darkness. See
and some mechanical open rear sights have wind- Shooting in Darkness (Tactical Shooting, pp. 18-20) for detailed
age adjustments that allow just this. A wind gauge rules. Reduced visibility can make an easy shot on the range
can only measure the wind at the shooter’s position; difficult to impossible. It is worse for shots that are addition-
in order to gauge the wind at the target’s position, the ally problematic because of weather, terrain, etc. Darkness is
shooter needs to observe the target’s surroundings, the underlying reason for many of the issues in underground
such as flags or swaying vegetation. Both assassins shooting (pp. 26-29); it is also common underwater (pp. 22-25).
and counter-snipers sometimes use inconspicuous
wind markers to help with that.
In an adventure, wind effects only come into play C rossing ver O
when shooting at extended ranges, at over 300 yards. Armed forces expressly prepared for employment in any given
The penalty increases with the range. Each successful environment normally function less well elsewhere until they com-
Precision Aiming roll (Tactical Shooting, pp. 26-27) plete time-consuming and costly transitions. They must become
reduces the total windage penalty by ‑2. familiar with new topography, climatic conditions, and social sys-
tems, modify their techniques, then tailor weapons, equipment,
Modifiers: ‑1 per step on the Size and Speed/Range clothing, and supplies to suit the situation.
Table (p. B550) beyond 300 yards, or ‑2 per step for – John Collins, Military Geography for
particularly strong winds (for instance, 1,000 yards is Professionals and the Public (1998)
three steps, giving ‑3 in any significant wind or ‑6 in
strong wind). Tactical Shooting: Extreme Conditions examines various
environments and their impact on combat individually and
Wind can happen along with many other extreme neatly divided into separate chapters. However, the truth is that
conditions. It is especially prevalent in winter, desert, many of the conditions can apply simultaneously or at least in
and near or over bodies of water. rapid sequence.
A summer blizzard on the American plains or Siberian tun-
S hooting in dra can create winter conditions when the PCs don’t expect it.
In the Arabian deserts, hot days are often contrasted with cold
T A
hin tmosphere nights, which can even require winter gear. Spelunking in a
dark cave system, the PCs can come upon an underground lake,
Operations in high mountains (8,000’ and
creating water or even underwater conditions. A successful tac-
higher) – or on planets with a thin, very thin, or
tical shooter has to be prepared for these changing situations.
trace atmosphere to begin with (p. B429) – have to
deal with reduced air pressure and air density. This

Shooting in Extreme Conditions 7

 Chapter Two

Winter War
The snow had stopped and I felt horribly conspicuous in the rolled head over heels down the hillside for 100 feet or more.
bright moonlight. It was bitterly cold and when I drew my pistol Nobody came back to look for me and all I wanted was to go to
my skin stuck to the metal . . . I was very near exhaustion and sleep in the snow where I lay.
I was lagging fifty yards behind when I slipped on some ice and – Peter Wilkinson, Foreign Fields – The Story
of an SOE Operative (1997)
Combat in the cold of winter in temper-
ate climates can already be challenging. Arctic
conditions such as found in Alaska, Canada,
Scandinavia, Siberia, or the polar regions are
worse – and it gets really bad if winter conditions
are encountered in mountainous areas such as
the Alps, the Himalayas, the Rocky Mountains,
Antarctica’s Mountains of Madness, on terrafor-
med Mars – or the planet Hoth.

Winter Conditions
At the beginning of December 1941, 6th Panzer Division heat loss – particularly feet, hands, head, and neck. If there
was but 9 miles from Moscow . . . when a sudden drop in tem- are missing items, the GM may penalize HT rolls with the ‑1
perature to ‑30°F., coupled with a surprise attack by Siberian per item recommended on p. B345.
troops, smashed its drive on the capital. Paralyzed by cold, the Winter or arctic clothing is heavy enough to provide lim-
German troops could not aim their rifle fire, and bolt mecha- ited protection against weapons: DR 1 vs. cutting.
nisms jammed or strikers shattered in the bitter winter weather.
Machine guns became encrusted with ice, recoil liquid froze in Bundling Up
[artillery and tank] guns, ammunition supply failed. Mortar
Multiple layers of ordinary clothes (High-Tech, p. 63) or
shells detonated in deep snow with a hollow harmless thud, and
even just assorted furs (Low-Tech, p. 104) or blankets (High-
mines were no longer reliable.
Tech, p. 56) can be worn in order to substitute for actual
– U.S. Army Center of Military History, Effects of Climate
winter wear. Two layers reduce the penalty for wearing ordi-
on Combat in European Russia (1952)
nary clothes in cold weather (p. B430) to ‑3, and three layers
Combat in winter conditions is hampered by many differ- reduce it to ‑1. Layers are never better than ‑1 because real
ent climatic effects, which sometimes appear individually and winter clothing is waterproof or at least water-resistant and
often all at once. These include cold, precipitation, ground usually capable of dealing with increased sweating, which
coverage, and lighting. bundled ordinary clothing isn’t. Furthermore, the rules for
Combining and Layering Armor (p. B286) apply: ‑1 to DX

It’s Freezing! and DX-based skills, including Guns, for three layers or
more. Bundling up works reasonably well to protect body
Cold: Is a much greater threat to survival than it sounds. It and limbs (e.g., by layering coats), but it’s more difficult to
not only lowers your ability to think; it also tends to lower your layer protection on the head, feet, and hands. For example,
will to do anything but get warm again. Cold is an insidious wearing several layers of socks in a pair of boots of normally
enemy; at the same time that it numbs the mind and the body, it appropriate size makes for such a tight fit that blood flow is
numbs the will to survive. reduced; this gives ‑1 to HT rolls to avoid frostbite!
– Anonymous, U.S. Navy SEAL Combat Manual (1974)
Low temperatures impact a shooter’s overall performance Cold and Wet
considerably. Unless properly clothed, a person quickly loses Most cold weather hazards are worsened if the victim is
FP – see Cold (p. B430). Winter clothing is the absolute mini- wet. Cooling by evaporation and increased heat loss make sur-
mum, and at subzero temperatures, arctic clothing is required vival in such a state nearly impossible. Remember that effec-
(High-Tech, p. 63). It must protect the whole body against tive HT rolls to survive are at ‑5 if wet (p. B430)!

8 Winter War
In the Snow Modifiers: +1 for Robust Vision (Tactical Shooting, p. 40);
+5 for Protected Vision (p. B78); +5 for snow goggles (Low-
. . . realize that everything takes longer in winter – whether Tech, p. 99), sunglasses (High-Tech, p. 71), or glacier goggles.
moving cross-country, cooking chow, or loading your rifle.
– John Plaster, The Ultimate Sniper (2006) Clear air and few landmarks, as are typical in polar and sub-
polar zones, make eyeballing distances above 300 yards more
Winter conditions can have severe impact on the senses, difficult. This gives ‑4 to Observation rolls for Rangefinding
movement, and overall performance of shooters. To know (Tactical Shooting, p. 27). The roll must be made in secret by
about and avoid these problems where possible, make a the GM. Any failure means the range is judged to be shorter by
Soldier-2 or Survival (Arctic or Mountain) roll. 1d×10% than it really is.
Example: Sergeant Max Sommer has Observation 12. In
Vision the Arctic, his modified skill is 8. If the GM rolls 10, Sommer
Line-of-sight weapons, such as tube-launched, optically estimates the range to a target to be 1d×10% shorter than it
tracked, wire-guided (TOW) antitank missiles, are worthless really is. If the GM rolls 5 on the second roll, a 500-yard target
where visibility is very limited. Exhaust plumes that follow would appear to Sommer to be at 250 yards.
TOWs moreover form ice fog in cold, damp air, which conceals
targets from gunners even on clear days, and reveals firing posi- Camouflage is particularly important in winter condi-
tions to enemy sharpshooters. tions, at least where there is snow. Dark uniforms and dark
– John Collins, Military Geography for firearms contrast suspiciously against the white snow. White
Professionals and the Public (1998) clothing – often “overwhites” that are little more than thin
white covers over the actual clothing – and weapons painted
Winter conditions can make Vision rolls (p. B358) more white or wrapped with white cloth or tape are common
difficult. Rain, snow, sleet, and wind can reduce visibility con- with winter warriors since at least WWI (see WWII: Frozen
siderably. Night-vision optics and thermographs (both High- Hell, p. 30).
Tech, pp. 47-48) receive the same penalties as unaided vision.
The number of daylight hours during winter is much Modifiers: ‑1 to ‑3 to Camouflage when not properly whit-
less – during the darkest months in the Arctic (December and ened in snow-covered broken terrain like woods; double the
January in the northern hemisphere), daylight is often never penalty in completely white surroundings.
better than twilight (‑2 or ‑3 to Vision), and can last as little Exhaled breath and vapor steam from the skin, especially
as four hours. This means many operations need to be per- from bare heads, become visible at low temperatures (always
formed during darkness (Tactical Shooting, p. 18). below 5°F, at higher temperatures up to 60°F only if the air
Modifiers: ‑1 to ‑9 to Vision (light rain/snowfall to blizzard). is very humid), which may reveal a concealed shooter. Simo
Häyhä, the Finnish sniper ace of the Soviet-Finnish Winter
Another vision hazard is the possibility of snow-blindness: War (1939-1940), put snow into his mouth to avoid the breath
a white surface reflects ultraviolet light, which can result in plume. Vapor steam can be prevented by wearing a head cover
a “sunburn” of the eyes. Make a HT roll after 1d+1 hours like a watch cap.
of daylight activity in snow- or ice-covered outdoors. Failure Weapons firing shotgun, musket, rifle, MG, or cannon
results in a Moderate Pain affliction (p. B428) as well as tem- ammo (High-Tech, pp. 176-177) at ‑35°F or below produce ice
porary Blindness (p. B124). Snow-blindness disappears after vapor clouds, which both restricts the shooter’s vision and can
2d+24 hours. act as a target marker for opponents! This can’t be countered.

Health Hazards: Cold

Cold conditions come with a number of health haz- (Arctic or Mountain)+2 roll avoids frostbite. Covering the
ards, which can reduce a tactical shooter’s capabilities. skin with animal fat, Vaseline, or frostbite cream gives +1
to this roll.
Common Cold. Although the viral infections generally
Trench Foot. Cold and wet feet, combined with insuffi-
known as the “common cold” aren’t directly linked to cold
cient hygiene, can cause a non-freezing cold injury – bet-
conditions, the latter drive people indoors where a cold is
ter known since WWI as “trench foot” – in less than
more easily spread. Also, most cold viruses survive longer
a day. A successful daily Soldier or Survival (Arctic,
in cold air. A daily HT roll avoids infection. There is no
Island/Beach, or Mountain)+2 roll avoids trench foot.
toxic damage. Infection results in Coughing and Sneez-
The condition causes the foot to feel both numb and
ing (both p. B428), which are problematic in an ambush,
painful, resulting in Moderate Pain (p. B428) and halv-
sniper hide, or similar situation. In WWII, well-supplied
ing Move. Rest as well as drying and rewarming the foot
special forces like the American OSS Operational Groups
cures the symptoms, although complete recovery can
would carry cough drops to prevent revealing noises.
take months. Those who suffer trench foot must roll
Frostbite. A typical result of incomplete winter clothing
vs. HT at +5, with failure meaning the tissue and nerve
such as missing gloves or unsuitable footwear is frostbite
damage becomes so severe that gangrene sets in. This
(High-Tech, p. 63). A successful daily Soldier-2 or Survival
requires amputation, or it will lead to death.

Winter War 9
The muzzle blast from firing guns close to snow-cov- Hearing rolls (p. B358) in winter conditions can be more
ered ground can throw up a snow plume and thus betray a difficult. Precipitation tends to muffle sounds. This is espe-
shooter’s position. Avoid this by using a ground cover or by cially true for heavy snowfall or winter storms. Even soft snow
tightly packing or artificially icing the snow under the gun’s on the ground can dampen sound considerably, especially that
muzzle (Tactical Shooting, p. 41). The muzzle blast will also of movement (including motor vehicles).
blacken snow beneath it, which is more difficult to avoid.
Modifiers: +1 to Hearing in still weather, or ‑1 to ‑9 in bad
Modifiers: ‑1 to Camouflage due to breath vapor (a Breath weather (from rain to howling blizzard); ‑1 to ‑3 to Hearing for
Control roll can prevent this for some time, but not indefi- winter headwear covering the ears, such as a woolen cap or
nitely . . .); ‑2 to Camouflage due to ice vapor; +1 to Camou- arctic headcover including cap and hood (High-Tech, p. 158).
flage due to measures avoiding a snow plume. ‑1 to Gunner
Stealth rolls can be made easier or more diffi-
and Guns for the shooter due to ice vapor after the first
cult depending on the conditions – walking over crunching
10 shots.
snow is noisy. Generally, the lower the temperature,
the louder the crunch. Snow near the melting tem-
perature doesn’t crunch. Heavy arctic boots or
other travel gear can make the sounds worse.
Modifiers: +1 to +3 to Stealth for soft snow; ‑1
to ‑3 to Stealth for crunching snow; ‑1 to Stealth
for arctic boots (High-Tech, p. 68) or snowshoes
or skis (both High-Tech, p. 56).

Movement
Movement over snow takes much longer
than normal. Ankle-deep snow halves Move,
while deeper snow or sheer ice divides Move
by 4 or more (p. B351). Movement is also very
tiring, even with snowshoes (High-Tech, p. 56).
The best option short of a motor vehicle or an ani-
mal-powered sled or sleigh (Low-Tech, p. 135) is skis
Hearing (High-Tech, p. 56).
Tracking in winter conditions is normally at ‑2 (p. B226).
The still, cold air of the North carries sound much farther
However, moving in the snow leaves easily followed tracks – as
than in temperate climates. All sounds must be kept to a min-
long as no fresh snow has fallen in the meantime, Tracking
imum. Noise caused by motors, men coughing, and skiers
rolls are at +4. Often even people without Tracking can fol-
breaking through snow crust may warn the enemy of activity at
low the trail. This can impede escape and evasion, but also
extreme distances.
ambushes (Tactical Shooting, p. 21). Use Tracking to cover
– U.S. Department of the Army,
the signs of movement.
FM 31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual (1968)

Shooting in the Cold

Jan squeezed the trigger. The pistol clicked. It was full of ice. Shooting, p. 28). Due to the various visibility problems (p. 9),
Twice more he tried, but it would not work, and the men were engagement ranges are often shorter than normal. This means
within three paces. He ejected two cartridges, and it fired. He weapons with short effective range, like carbines and subma-
shot the Gestapo officer twice and he fell dead in the snow . . . chine guns, can be useful.
– David Howarth, We Die Alone (1955) Facing into a cold, biting wind is distracting and can lead
to the eyes tearing up when no goggles are worn. Apply a pen-
As if movement or even mere survival in winter conditions
alty of ‑1 to ‑2 to Vision or ranged combat skills if a shooter
weren’t tough enough, fighting is worse.
has to face into the wind without protection. A winter-savvy
tactical shooter who makes a Quick Contest against Tactics,
Cold Shooter Problems Soldier-2, or Survival (Arctic/Mountain)‑2 will try to attack
with the wind at the back to take advantage of this.
An insignificant difference, perhaps, but I think you’ll find
Tracer rounds (High-Tech, p. 175) may be difficult to see
the operational characteristics of the M16 indicate that a bullet
against the snow. This is especially the case for white or yel-
will decelerate as much as 40 feet per second per second faster in
low-whitish tracers, such as those used by the Soviet army
these climate conditions. It’s denser air, you know.
during WWII. In order to profit from the tracer bonus, make
– David Jones, in Ice Station Zebra (1968)
a Vision-2 roll. Tracers with distinctive colors (especially red)
In winter conditions, difficulties in locating and acquir- like those used by the U.S. and German militaries, work nor-
ing targets affect the actual shooting considerably (Tactical mally. The Soviets switched to green after WWII.

10 Winter War
 Winter and arctic clothing, not to speak of improvised Don’t Get Shot!
bundled-up clothing (p. 8), often has negative effects on
Low temperatures, which inhibit clotting, cause wounds to
shooter performance. Its weight can result in higher encum-
bleed more freely, and severe shock due to slow circulation sets
brance and thus lower Move (p. B17) and Dodge (p. 5). Bulky
in early unless treated expeditiously. U.S. medics armed with
clothes can make a proper long arm stance difficult, result-
morphine for that purpose once kept syringes in their armpits so
ing in ‑1 to Guns unless the weapon has an adjustable-length
they would be warm enough to work when needed.
shoulder stock (Tactical Shooting, p. 12). Snipers staying
– John Collins, Military Geography for
motionless in position for a long time need to overdress in
Professionals and the Public (1998)
order to stay warm.
Most gloves and mittens make operating a firearm more At subzero temperatures, rolls for Bleeding (p. B420)
difficult (p. 36) since they provide Bad Grip 1 (p. B123) for are at an extra ‑1. It is difficult to impossible to use blood
‑2 to Guns and Gunner and Ham-Fisted 1 (p. B138) for ‑3 to transfusions or intravenous fluids (High-Tech, p. 220). This
Armoury and Fast-Draw. Most firearms can’t be operated at makes treatment of gunshot wounds in the cold particularly
all with mittens, and many can’t be fired with gloves, simply problematic.
because the trigger can’t be reached! This problem can
be overcome with modified handwear (such as trigger
finger mittens, fingerless gloves, or tactical gloves; see
p. 36) or a winter trigger (p. 40). The Precision Aiming
technique (Tactical Shooting, p. 45) requires the full
Advantages of the Cold
Winter conditions are not all bad for a well-trained
tactile sensitivity of the trigger finger; roll at ‑2 unless
shooter. There is also one advantage.
the hand is ungloved or wears a fingerless glove.
Cold hands can cause the shooter to accidentally Cover. A tightly packed snow wall provides DR 0.4*
drop the hammer on a weapon with an exposed hammer per inch of thickness (Tactical Shooting, p. 29). Ice offers
while trying to cock it – single-action revolvers espe- DR 0.8*, and “icecrete” (a frozen mixture of water and sand
cially but also single-action pistols and shotguns. This or gravel poured into wooden forms) gives DR 6*. Snow walls
can be dangerous, since most of these weapons lack a are typically at least 1’, often much thicker.
positive safety; slipping the hammer then results in an
unintended shot! In cold weather, a hammerless shotgun
or other weapon with a positive safety is preferable.
Heavy exertion like moving through snow or skiing quickly
drains FP (p. B351). At 1/3 FP or less, ST is halved (p. B426). Cold Firearm Problems
Use an alpenstock or ski poles as impromptu shooting sticks . . . extreme care must be exercised in touching cold weapons
(High-Tech, p. 160) to brace the firearm during Aim (p. B364) with bare flesh because the flesh may freeze to the metal. Gloves
from any of the standard shooting stances, including stand- or the trigger finger mitten should always be worn when han-
ing, kneeling, or lying prone. This also overcomes the ST pen- dling weapons during periods of extreme cold.
alty for purposes of using a gun. – U.S. Department of the Army,
The prone shooting position is difficult in snow over 1’ FM 31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual (1968)
deep, as the elbows – and a bipod, if the gun has one – sink in;
this prevents the shooter from properly bracing (p. B364) the Harsh temperatures, snowfall, and the likelihood that
weapon. The best position is kneeling (p. B364); this is more snow on the ground gets into contact with the weapon means
comfortable while on cross-country skis or snowshoes. that it’s advisable to keep the gun protected until the moment
Guns that require effective use from a bipod or braced it is needed (p. 6). Ice or snow on the sights means that sighted
position, such as a light machine gun, should have their bipod shooting (Tactical Shooting, p. 13) is impossible. Snow on the
fixed on a snowshoe, wooden plank, etc., in order to avoid action can eventually form ice in the action, further worsening
sinking in the snow. An improvised support such as a back- Malf. by one step. The typical result is a stoppage (p. B407).
pack works in a pinch. The entire weapon can be mounted In cold conditions, gear must make one HT+4 roll per day
lengthwise on a one-person sledge (Low-Tech, p. 133), such to avoid breakdown. See Slime, Sand, and Equipment Failure
as the Finnish ajak used by the Finns and Germans in WWII. (p. B485). In the cold, a firearm must receive constant pre-
There are even built-in solutions, like the skis on the bipod ventive maintenance (including disassembly, inspection, and
of the Finnish VKT-Lahti Pstkiv/39 antitank rifle (Tactical cleaning) for about 30 minutes at least once per day. This gives
Shooting, pp. 61-62). +1 to the HT roll. If routine protective measures like laying
a rifle off the ground while resting or protecting the
action with an oil-soaked cloth are not taken, apply ‑1
to all HT rolls.
Ordinary lubricant is typically effective down
Aha! Oho! A trail in the snow! Whose to 10°F. In subzero temperatures, normal firearm
is this trail and where does it go? lubricants freeze or gum up. Worsen Malf. by ‑2, the
typical result being a stoppage (p. B407). The only
– Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler, remedy is to completely disassemble the firearm
The Gruffalo’s Child and remove all traces of lubricant. This requires an
Armoury (Small Arms)+2 or IQ-based Gunner or
Guns roll. The gun can then be used non-lubricated.

Winter War 11
The latter is no problem for many weapons, especially simple fresh cartridges and use the questionable ammo only in train-
bolt-action rifles and rugged designs such as the Kalashnikov ing. Otherwise, check each cartridge using an Armoury (Small
series (High-Tech, p. 114) and its derivatives, like the IMI Arms), IQ-based Guns-2, or Soldier-2 roll per 500 rounds, and
Galil series (High-Tech, p. 117). Other firearms are less reli- discard damaged rounds. This takes at least 30 minutes and
able if non-lubricated, a prime example being the Colt AR-15 should be done during downtime, between operations.
series (High-Tech, pp. 117, 119) and all its variants. For ones
like these, worsen Malf. by ‑1. At TL7, special cold-climate Black Powder
lubricants become available and should be used exclusively; Black powder in TL3-5 guns is susceptible to drawing
they allow normal performance, but are only effective to ‑10°F moisture if brought from the cold into a warmer environment.
or so. If these aren’t available, ordinary sunflower seed oil or A damp charge worsens Malf. by ‑1, with the typical result
petroleum may be used – this was found out the hard way by being a misfire (p. B407).
the German army in the bitter Russian winter (GURPS WWII: All TL3-4 ignition systems – anything but a percussion
Iron Cross, p. 15). cap – are extremely unreliable in cold weather. The cold wors-
At subzero temperatures, the materials used in firearms, ens Malf. by ‑2, with the typical result being a misfire.
including steel, can become brittle. Combined with the
extreme temperature increase during firing, this often results Projectiles
in breakage of parts such as the firing pin, sear, bolt, operating Some projectiles won’t work as expected at cold tempera-
rod, etc. Worsen Malf. of automatic weapons by one step. The tures. This particularly applies to explosive ordnance that use
typical result is a mechanical problem (p. B407).This problem time pencils (see p. 13). A less obvious problem is faced by
can’t be prevented other than by constantly checking compo- hollow-points (High-Tech, p. 166): The typically heavy cloth-
nents and replacing them in time if necessary. ing worn in cold environments can literally plug the projec-
Cold steel is uncomfortable to the touch. At subzero tem- tile’s nose cavity with material, preventing expansion so that it
peratures, contact between naked skin and metal can actually works only as an ordinary ball round. The round only expands
result in injury. Roll 1d-5 burn damage. Wear gloves or mit- on a roll of TL-4 or less on 1d.
tens (p. 36) and cover metal shoulder stocks with a piece of
cloth, a sock, or something similar to prevent the cheek from Burn Rate
freezing to it. Cold temperatures have considerable impact on propellant
Firearms and other metal weapons, such as knives, that are burn rate, which in turn reduces muzzle velocity and thus both
brought from the cold into a warm shelter like a building, tent, Dmg and Acc. All firearms damage given in GURPS assumes
or igloo will start to “sweat,” meaning water condenses on and an ambient temperature of 60°F. For each decrease by 40°F,
in them due to the temperature difference. This can quickly reduce Dmg by 4%, to a maximum reduction of 88%. See
lead to corrosion (Tactical Shooting, p. 76) and even freeze Adjusting Damage (High-Tech, p. 166). Firearms with Acc 5 or
it shut. A frozen gun won’t fire at all! Frozen guns can’t be more also suffer ‑1 to Acc. All Precision Aiming rolls are at ‑4
unfrozen by force. Make an Armoury (Small Arms), IQ-based unless the shooter had an opportunity to re-zero the weapon
Guns-2, Soldier-2, or Survival (Arctic or Mountain) roll to (see Adjusting Sights, Tactical Shooting, p. 41).
think of the following solutions: Warm the weapon up slightly,
for example by keeping it beneath body-warmed clothes for Example: A Remington M24 sniper rifle (High-Tech, p. 116)
a time, and slowly move the action to unfreeze it. Remove all has Dmg 7d pi and Acc 6+3. In arctic conditions of ‑20°F, it
visible snow and ice and slowly cycle the action until it works suffers an 8% damage reduction; Dmg falls to 7d × 0.92 =
again. A quick-and-dirty solution is to urinate on the action; 6.44d, or 6d+2 pi. Acc goes down to 5+3.
the warm liquid usually is enough to thaw the weapon. Avoid
“sweating” by keeping the weapon outside in the cold. A porch,
awning, or similar protected place is best. If a gun has to be A quick-and-dirty solution is to
taken inside, wait about an hour until condensation stops, and urinate on the action.
then thoroughly clean it.

Ammunition Issues in the Cold Optics and Other Accessories in the Cold
[The outside-lubricated .44 Smith & Wesson Russian car- We could not use hand flashlights because the cold stopped
tridge,] in a Smith & Wesson revolver, in cold weather, if shot chemical action of the dry batteries.
slowly out of doors, will foul a revolver to such an extent as to – Richard Byrd, “The Conquest of Antarctica by Air” (1930)
disable it.
Most lens-based optics – including telescopic sights, col-
– Arthur Gould, The Modern American
limating sights, and night-vision sights (High-Tech, pp. 155-
Pistol and Revolver (1888)
156) – are susceptible to “fogging” in winter conditions. This
Cold conditions have numerous detrimental effects on means condensation on the lens which prevents the optic
ammunition. A winter-savvy military organization expects from being used – the attacker can’t rely on Sighted Shooting
its ammunition expenditure to increase by half to achieve the or Aimed Shooting, let alone Precision Aiming (all in Tactical
same effect! Shooting). Reflex sights (High-Tech, p. 156) don’t suffer from
Any unfired ammunition brought back from an operation this. Experienced shooters use back-up iron sights, although
in subzero temperatures needs to be checked for ice damage to optics cannot always be mounted in a way that allows iron
the cases or primers. The safest way is to swap out all of it with sights to be used concurrently.

12 Winter War
 Internal fogging means water got inside the scope. This so that the target gets showered by fragments. “Cook off” hand
can’t be wiped off and typically obscures the optic for at least grenades (High-Tech, p. 190), and throw them in the last sec-
15 minutes. It’s a common problem with TL5-7 optics. From ond of their fuse delay so that they’ll detonate in the air.
1947, internal fogging can be countered by filling the scope On ice and frozen ground, ice shards can actually increase
with nitrogen gas. At TL7, only good-quality optics have this the fragmentation effect. In such circumstances, the GM may
feature; at TL8, only cheap ones lack it. decide to increase fragmentation damage by 1d to 2d.
External fogging is the result of a temperature difference When hand grenades are used, especially those with a
between the lens and the environment. It occurs when the metal body, a critical failure on the Throwing roll can mean
optic has been stored in a warm shelter, vehicle, or even just that the grenade sticks or freezes to the thrower’s glove . . .
under the arm. The condensation can be wiped off
(requires three Ready maneuvers and a suitable
wiping cloth), but returns after 2d seconds, until
the lens has reached the ambient temperature. This
takes about 15 minutes. At TL5-8, the lens can be
O A
ther nnoyances :C old
treated with soap before use; at TL8, there exist The cold impacts virtually everything, usually to an adven-
special anti-fog solutions. The simplest remedy is to turer’s disadvantage. The following is an assortment of prob-
keep the weapon in the cold so that it has the same lems that may inconvenience people in some way or another.
ambient temperature. Adhesives. Most adhesives – such as those on duct tape (High-
Precipitation is another problem for optics in Tech, p. 26), C4 blocks (High-Tech, p. 186), or adhesive bandages
winter situations; see p. 6 for details. (High-Tech, p. 221) – don’t stick in subzero conditions.
Batteries. Batteries of TL5-8 electronic accessories (such as
Water-Cooled Guns in Winter vehicle batteries and battery-powered reflex sights, night-vision
Our machine guns, being water-cooled, required sights, thermal imagers, targeting lasers, and tactical lights) drain
the use of anti-freeze to keep the water from freezing. much more quickly at subzero temperatures. Reduce endurance
We were out of anti-freeze, so we had filled our guns to 50% in 15°F, 30% in ‑20°F, and 10% in ‑30°F (High-Tech,
with schnapps from a barrel in the basement to tide us p. 13). Good-quality equipment (and good-quality batteries, such
over until new supplies arrived. as all TL8 lithium types) give better results, but still suffer a 50%
– Albert Brown, World War II Memoirs (2004) reduction. This can be avoided or delayed by carrying batteries
close to the body to warm them.
At TL5-6, water-cooled machine guns are prob- Explosives. Many explosives are less effective in the cold.
lematic in winter operations, as water is often fro- Nitroglycerin (High-Tech, p. 184) and dynamite (High-Tech,
zen and has to be thawed before water jackets can pp. 184-185) freeze at 40-50°F, which desensitizes it – meaning it
be filled. One TL6 answer is to add alcohol-based won’t blow up. Plastic explosives (High-Tech, pp. 185-186) freeze
antifreeze (High-Tech, pp. 15-16). Another practi- in subzero conditions, which makes them harder to detonate
cal solution to this is the TL6 “snow cap” – a larger- because a blasting cap can’t be inserted or the explosive block
than-normal opening to fill the water jacket with shatters harmlessly upon detonation of the blasting cap – Explo-
snow instead of water (High-Tech, p. 129, and WWII: sives rolls are at ‑4. Early TL7 plastic explosives like PE1 or
Frozen Hell, p. 34). The heat of firing quickly melts Nobel’s No. 808 freeze at 0°F, use TNT (High-Tech, p. 185) or
the snow to water. The Finnish military was the first military dynamite instead. Improved compounds like C4 can be
to introduce this with its Tikkakoski-Maxim KK/32- used down to ‑40°F. Detonating cord (High-Tech, p. 187) stiffens
33 medium machine gun, a variant of the Russian and often breaks. Time pencils (High-Tech, p. 188) are highly
TOZ-Maxim PM-1910 (High-Tech, p. 130). During temperature-sensitive. Calibrated for 60°F, their delays are
WWII, the Russians copied the Finns and modified lengthened by 1.5× at 40°F, doubled at 0°F, and tripled at ‑40°F.
their PM-1910 accordingly.

Explosive Warheads and

Grenades in the Cold Rocket Launchers and
Snow, even of the lightest variety, has a tremendous smother- Recoilless Rifles in the Cold
ing effect on fragmenting munitions. Even a few inches of light These types of weapons suffer from slow propellant burn
snow can drastically affect the lethality of this type munition. rate in subzero temperatures. In rocket launchers, this means
– U.S. Department of the Army, that propellant is still burning while the rocket leaves the
FM 31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual (1968) launcher, resulting in 1d-3 burn to the shooter unless the per-
Fragments from exploding warheads are “soaked up” by son wears a facemask and gloves. Double the backblast area
snow-covered ground. Halve all fragmentation damage for (High-Tech, p. 147).
ground-level bursts. Worsen Malf. of grenade launchers by In recoilless rifles, the slowed propellant burn rate means
one step. The typical result is a misfire (p. B407), representing that firing gases remain in the weapon for up to 60 seconds
the fuse’s failure to activate against the snow’s surface. after firing, preventing a new round from being loaded.
This can be avoided by employing airburst munitions If a shell is loaded anyway, roll 3d: an 18 means the round
(High-Tech, pp. 174-175). When lacking airburst fuses, fire explodes in the weapon! Recoilless rifles also have their back-
explosive rounds at objects slightly behind or above the target blast area doubled.

Winter War 13
 Chapter Three

Desert War
The sand of the desert is sodden red – well as climatic realities make com-
Red with the wreck of the square that broke; bat, especially with guns, extremely
The Gatling’s jammed and the Colonel dead, difficult. At the same time, some of
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke. these areas have been fought over
– Henry Newbolt, “Vitaï Lampada” (1892) again and again in history. Similar
problems would be encountered on
The world’s dry deserts present another hostile
alien planets such as Arrakis, a colo-
environment to a tactical shooter. Geographical as
nized Mars, or Tatooine . . .

Desert Conditions
But the worst o’ your foes is the sun over’ead: been no sight, only pain in his eyes. The sun-blink had burned
You must wear your ’elmet for all that is said: them out.
If’e finds you uncovered ’e’ll knock you down dead, – T.E. Lawrence, Seven Pillars of Wisdom (1922)
An’ you’ll die like a fool of a soldier.
Desert conditions can make Vision rolls (p. B358) more dif-
– Rudyard Kipling,
ficult. Sandstorms can form (and disappear) rather suddenly,
“The Young British Soldier” (1895)
severely limiting visibility.
Desert conditions can have severe impact on the senses,
Modifiers: ‑1 to ‑9 to Vision (dust clouds to sandstorm).
movement, and overall performance of shooters. To know
about and avoid these problems where possible, make a Another vision hazard is desert glare: the lack of shade and
Soldier-2 or Survival (Desert) roll. the sunlight reflected from the sand can result in a “sunburn”
of the eyes much like snow-blindness (p. 9).

Desert Heat Modifiers: +1 for Robust Vision (Tactical Shooting, p. 40);

+5 for Protected Vision (p. B78); +5 for snow goggles (Low-
Scorching heat makes armored vehicles too hot to touch
without gloves, reduces sustained rates of fire for automatic Tech, p. 99) or sunglasses (High-Tech, p. 71).
weapons, artillery, and tank guns, and renders white phospho- Hot deserts often create mirages: the layer of air close to the
rus ammunition unstable. hot ground results in a heat haze. Everything up to a height of
– John Collins, Military Geography for about 1,000’ (like the foot of a mountain) seems to shimmer.
Professionals and the Public (1998) Smaller objects disappear entirely in the haze: objects of Size
While not all deserts are hot deserts, many are. Shooters Modifier 0 or +1 can only be seen up to 300 yards; SM +2 up
must deal with heat (p. B434), which drastically affects the to 500 yards; SM +3 up to 1,000 yards; and SM +6 up to 2,000
performance of the human body. Above 80°F, make a HT yards. Even if an object can be seen, it will appear to be some-
or HT-based Survival (Desert) roll. Note that the encum- where other than it really is due to light refraction. This gives
brance level acts as a penalty, meaning effectively that a ‑4 to Guns, Gunner, etc. All optics-based target acquisition sys-
person can’t – or shouldn’t – carry as much equipment in tems are fooled by this, including telescopic sights, etc. Heat
the desert. haze occurs about two hours after sunrise until about one
hour before sunset. Heat haze and a general lack of landmarks
make eyeballing distances greater than 300 yards more diffi-
Desert Operations cult. Use the same rules as in winter conditions (p. 9). Mirages
can be “read” – an experienced shooter can compensate for
Environmental conditions in the desert can often make
it difficult to see a target and severely impair movement, the effects due to high skill.
although they’re favorable to certain modes of transportation. There are several ways to deal with heat haze. The first is
to close in; targets the size of an average adult human can be
made out without problems at distances closer than 300 yards.
Vision The second way is to get at a higher vantage point, allowing
I made him lie down, and felt that he shivered as if cold; but the shooter to look down on the target from a hill or aircraft;
all he could tell me was that in the night, waking up, there had even just 30’ up often does the trick.

14 Desert War
 To avoid the oppressive heat, the sun glare, and the
mirage effects – as well as for reasons of operational
security due to the impossibility of unobserved daytime
travel in a featureless desert – many operations are bet- Desert Madness
ter performed during nighttime. See Shots in the Dark A mental problem that many shooters unaccustomed to a
(p. 7). This in turn leads to other problems, as desert desert environment have to deal with is a feeling of loneli-
nights can become surprisingly cold and often require ness and Agoraphobia (p. B150). This is usually a mere dislike
winter clothing! See Shooting in the Cold (pp. 10-13). (p. B164) and can be overcome over time. In hot deserts, the
heat can also paralyze the will of new arrivals, leading to apa-
thy. See Will to Survive (p. 5).
Hearing
Hearing rolls (p. B358) in the desert are often eas-
ier due to unobstructed flatness of the terrain and
the atmospheric stability. Noise discipline (Tactical
Sandstorms
Sandstorms, like the often days-long ghiblis, can be
Shooting, p. 28) is essential for the desert shooter. extremely dangerous. Visibility in the swirling dust is often
Modifiers: +1 to Hearing in still weather, or ‑1 to ‑9 under three yards. This not only severely reduces Vision
in a sandstorm. (see p. 14), it can injure the eyes and damage optical equip-
ment, including scopes (p. 17). Apply 1d-5 damage to these
vulnerable parts. Protect the eyes with goggles (High-Tech,
Smell p. 71), preferably tinted tactical goggles that also double as
Smell rolls (p. B358) in the desert are often easier sunglasses. Optics need to be protected with lens covers or
since the desert itself smells clean and empty. This can taken off and carried in a pouch. Shooting in Wind (p. 7) often
allow detection of a trail or ambush. In turn, the des- applies in such situations.
ert requires fragrance discipline that shuns fire, certain
foods, and perfume (see Rice, SEALs in Vietnam, p. 23,
and Cover and Concealment, Tactical Shooting, p. 28). Health Hazards: Desert
Modifiers: +1 to Smell rolls in still weather, or ‑1 to Desert conditions come with several health hazards,
‑9 in a sandstorm. which can reduce a tactical shooter’s capabilities. All of
these can typically be avoided with a Soldier-2 or Survival
(Desert) roll.
Movement
Movement over loose sand such as found in dunes Dehydration. While a person can dehydrate in most cli-
takes longer than normal and is very tiring. Soft sand matic conditions, it is especially quick and common in des-
divides Move by 5 (compare p. B351). erts. See Dehydration (p. B426). Whenever FP or HP are lost,
Some deserts feature flat, hard surfaces that rival dehydration leads to afflictions (pp. B428-429) unless a HT
roads, making riding animals or armed fast attack vehi- roll is made. The worse the HT roll is failed, the worse the
cles and similar wheeled transport especially beneficial. affliction, ranging from Nauseated to Retching, Moderate
In sandy deserts, every step stirs up dust that can Pain, Daze, and Unconsciousness.
be seen for a long distance, betraying any movement. Sunburn. Intense sunlight and a lack of shade in barren
Vehicles churn up dust clouds that can be seen farther deserts can quickly lead to sunburn (p. B434). Whenever HP
and longer, making concealed movement during day- are lost, sunburn results in afflictions unless a successful
light difficult. HT roll is made. The higher the HT roll is failed, the worse
Tracking in desert conditions is normally at ‑2 the affliction, ranging from Nauseated to Moderate to Severe
(p. B226). However, moving in sand often leaves eas- Pain, and Unconsciousness.
ily followed tracks. As long as the sand isn’t disturbed Sweat Rash. Heat, sweat, and sand often combine to cause
by wind or rain, Tracking rolls are at +4. Often even skin problems like blisters and sores, especially in the foot,
people without Tracking can follow the trail. This groin, and shoulder areas. If the Soldier-2 or Survival (Desert)
can impede escape and evasion, but also ambushes roll is failed, apply the Itching and Moderate Pain afflictions.
(Tactical Shooting, p. 21). Use Tracking to cover the
signs of movement.

Everything in the desert is farther or greater than in other

environments. Movement rates are faster . . . visibility is farther;
and shooting distances are longer . . . Dust is a never-ending problem.
– John Plaster, The Ultimate Sniper (2006)

Desert War 15
 Shooting in the Desert
After a thirty-mile ride through clouds of alkali dust, at least range as well as telescopic sights. At the same time, vari-
nine out of ten [Colt M1911] pistols were found useless, without ous Vision problems (pp. 14-15) can make estimating range
a thorough taking apart and cleaning of the mechanism . . . more difficult; those long-range shots are less likely to hit.
– Fred Clark, letter to Outdoor Life (1917) Shooters armed with handguns, carbines, shotguns, subma-
chine guns, or light antitank weapons can find their options
Hostile desert conditions often affect not only the shooter
quite reduced.
but also weapons and shooting.
Facing the sun is distracting and can lead to the eyes tear-
ing up when no sunglasses are worn. Apply a penalty of ‑1 to
Desert Shooter Problems ‑2 if a shooter has to face the sun without protection. A tactical
shooter who makes a Quick Contest against Tactics, Soldier-2,
Firearms can get too hot to touch simply from being
or Survival (Desert)‑2 will try to attack with the sun at the
exposed to the sun for long periods. Firing them only further
back to take advantage of this.
heats them up. This gives ‑1 to Guns. Desert shooters often
have to wear gloves (p. 36).
Cover and concealment (Tactical Shooting, pp. 28-31)
are difficult to find in most deserts, especially flat, sandy
Firearms in the Desert
The greatest problem for firearms in deserts is the sand.
deserts. However, many areas that seem visually flat aren’t
Sand and dust will eventually creep into every crevice of a
actually entirely so. A modest depression can provide con-
weapon and can lead to various malfunctions, especially
cealment or cover from a certain angle. Even landmarks
a stoppage (p. B407). Guns in the desert should be carried
like a dry river bed may be difficult to spot immediately. To
well-protected (p. 6).
profit from such a feature, a desert shooter can roll against
Many stoppages are failures to feed, resulting from accu-
Area Knowledge, Cartography-2 (many maps won’t show
mulated material in the magazines, which are especially vul-
small details), Geography (Regional)‑2, Geology-4, or Sur-
nerable. At TL7-8, magazines sealed with a dust cover – or
vival (Desert).
less practically, carried in zipper bags – appear to address
Due to the lack of concealment and the resultant visi-
this problem. Some magazines, like those of the Izhmekh
bility, engagements are often at much longer ranges than
PM (High-Tech, p. 100) or Molot APS (Tactical Shooting,
normal. This means that desert operations invite the use
pp. 55-56), have large openings in the magazine side that
of high-powered rifles and machine guns with substantial
allow dirt to simply drop out.

16 Desert War
 Failures to eject are also common. In the Sudan in 1885, Ammunition Issues in the Desert
even the single-shot Martini-Henry Mk I rifles (Adventure
Rim-fire cartridges can be spoiled by placing them . . . where
Guns, p. 29) of the British Army would jam after the heat
great heat can reach them, or even by placing them . . . where the
and the sand would fuse the fired case in the chamber. Dust-
sun strikes them; and ammunition which would shoot well on
clogged barrels can even lead to in-bore detonations. Use
leaving the factory, from the causes mentioned, would be liable
the rules for Explosion (p. B407), but note that most TL5-8
to either miss fire or shoot wild.
barrels are sturdy enough to prevent injury to the shooter.
– Arthur Gould, The Modern American
Modifiers: Worsen Malf. by ‑1 in the desert unless gun and Pistol and Revolver (1888)
magazine(s) are protected as outlined above.
High temperatures have considerable impact
In desert conditions, gear must make on propellant burn rate, which increases muzzle
one HT+4 roll per day to avoid breakdown. velocity and thus damage. All firearms damage
See Slime, Sand, and Equipment Failure given in GURPS assumes an ambient tempera-
(p. B485). A firearm must receive constant ture of 60°F. For an increase by 40°F, multiply
preventive maintenance (including disas- Dmg by 1.04. See Adjusting Damage, High-Tech,
sembly, inspection, and cleaning) for about p. 166.
30 minutes at least once per day. This gives
Example: A Remington M24 sniper rifle (High-
+1 to the HT roll. If routine protective
Tech, p. 116) has Dmg 7d pi. In 100°F desert heat,
measures like laying a rifle off the ground
Dmg increases to 7d × 1.04 = 7.28d, or 7d+1 pi.
while resting or protecting the action are
not taken, apply ‑1 to all HT rolls. Use as While this sounds like a desirable advantage,
little lubrication as possible, as oil attracts the increase in pressure is actually a problem
and then binds sand. However, some weapon for many guns. This higher pressure can lead to
designs need to be well-lubricated to run reli- erratic performance (‑1 Acc) and decreased reliabil-
ably, such as the Colt Government series (High-Tech, p. 98) ity (‑1 Malf.), typically resulting in a stuck cartridge – treat
and Colt AR-15 series (High-Tech, pp. 117, 119). This is a as stoppage (p. B407) – or even an explosion (p. B407).
disadvantage in desert conditions. Shooters who have the Avoid this by using a cartridge that is only loaded to mod-
option typically pick a different gun for a desert operation. erate pressure, for example one of the many old-fashioned
By TL8, special desert lubrication is available. large-caliber elephant cartridges with their large-volume
Many deserts develop condensation in the morning due to cases (see Adventure Guns, p. 32, and Pulp Guns 2, pp. 7,
the temperature difference between the warm air and weapons 10, 12, 13).
still cold from the night. Condensation can lead to
rust and will attract dust and sand. This is another
reason for frequent “maintenance checks.”

Optics in the Desert Other Annoyances: Desert

The desert negatively affects more than just guns and gunning
Swirling airborne sand can damage optics. At
. . . The following is just a sample of issues that may impact a tacti-
TL5-6, scopes are typically taken off their rifles
cal shooter in some way or another.
when not in immediate use and carried in a pro-
tective case on the shooter’s belt. This, of course, Adhesives. Most adhesives – such as those on duct tape (High-
means that they can’t be used in a hurry. At TL7- Tech, p. 26), on the back of C4 blocks (High-Tech, p. 186), adhesive
8, most good-quality or rugged (High-Tech, p. 10) bandages (High-Tech, p. 221), etc. – don’t work well or even at all in
telescopic sights have lens covers for protection hot and dusty conditions.
when not in use. Despite the best protection, Explosives. Time pencils (High-Tech, p. 188) are highly tempera-
blown sand eventually degrades the optics per- ture-sensitive. Calibrated for 60°F, multiply their delays by 0.8 at
formance due to pitting and scratching on the 80°F and by 0.6 at 100°F.
lenses, which reduces the Accuracy bonus by at
least ‑1. Optics must be regularly given a “mainte-
nance check,” since accumulated dust on the lens
can lower a scope’s performance, especially in low-
light conditions, negating the usual bonus against darkness Water-Cooled Guns in the Desert
penalties (see Telescopic Sights, High-Tech, p. 155). Water-cooled TL5-6 machine guns are problematic in
Tactical considerations require optics to be fitted with sun extended desert operations, as water is scarce and there are
visors, since otherwise the sunlight reflected from a scope can more important uses for it. Furthermore, the high ambient
betray a shooter’s position, giving others +2 to spot the shooter temperature brings the cooling medium quicker to the boil,
(see also Countersniping, Tactical Shooting, pp. 27-28). This which then negates its advantages (High-Tech, p. 86).
is another reason for having the sun at the back (see p. 16). It’s common to substitute other cooling liquids in the barrel
Remembering to do this requires a Camouflage or Soldier-2 jackets, such as light hypoid oil. During WWII, this was used
roll. Commercial sun visors are available for many TL8 scopes by the British Army’s Long Range Desert Group (WWII: Hand
($15), or can be easily fashioned out of cardboard, tape, and of Steel, p. 12) in their Vickers Mk I medium machine guns
similar materials if not available. (High-Tech, p. 131) and similar weapons.

Desert War 17
 Chapter Four

Jungle War
Formations optimized for warfare in rain forests prepare to The jungle, any of the evergreen rainforests of the world,
cope with heat, humidity, leeches, and insects. Dehydration is well-known to be adverse to the unwary traveler, and lit-
and tropical diseases may cause more casu- erally a green hell to any combatant,
alties than enemy ammunition if troops even those who know it well. From
fail to take proper precautions. Poorly Amazonia, Burma, and the Congo
maintained weapons malfunction from to the Everglades, Indochina, and
rust and molds. Foot soldiers in light- the Chaco Boreal, jungles are
weight uniforms that blend well with inhospitable and dangerous, and
surroundings take precedence over make poor battlegrounds. This
tanks and trucks, aerial reconnaissance does not stop people from fight-
is severely restricted, small unit tactics ing in and over jungle territories.
predominate. The same applies to planets like
– John Collins, Military Geography Dagobah or Venus as depicted by
for Professionals and early science-fiction authors like
he Public (1998) H.P. Lovecraft.

Green Hell
It’s amazing how often in the [Mekong] Delta [in South canopies that prevent even rays of light from touching the
Vietnam] that would happen: we wouldn’t hear, see, or smell ground, and frequent rainfall make it difficult to see or hear
anything until we were right on top of it. It was as if the jungle a target, to approach a target, often also to shoot a target (see
were divided into rooms separated by invisible walls. pp. 6-7). To know about and avoid these problems where pos-
– Richard Marcinko, Rogue Warrior (1992) sible, make a Soldier-2 or Survival (Jungle) roll.
The vegetation of dense jungle is often impenetrable – lit-
erally to the eye and only somewhat less to person or missile.
Numerous thick trees, undergrowth of every kind, multiple
Jungle Heat
Jungle shooters must deal with heat (p. B434), which
drastically impacts the performance of the human body.
Above 80°F, make a HT or HT-based Survival (Jungle) roll.
A person’s encumbrance level acts as a penalty, meaning
Forests without Rain effectively that they can’t – or shouldn’t – carry as much
Many of the challenges of jungle fighting also equipment in the jungle.
arise in less-exotic woodlands, such as the dense pine
woods of the Belgian Ardennes or Finnish Karelia, or
the primeval forests of North America or the forest Vision
moon of the planet Endor. While less claustrophobic The dense foliage greatly restricts all observation. In many
than most tropical rainforests, these environments cases visibility is limited to as little as 20 feet . . . It increases
impose similar tactical considerations, such as con- the opportunities for ambush and the achievement of surprise
siderably reduced lines of sight. small-arms fire. The difficulties of observation greatly restrict the
use of supporting units and weapons.
Jungle Fever – U.S. War Department, FM 72-20 Jungle Warfare (1944)
The oppressive closeness of the jungle fills many The jungle makes Vision rolls (p. B358) much more diffi-
people with Claustrophobia (p. B149) and/or Para- cult. Rain and mist can further reduce visibility considerably
noia (p. B148). Its varied fauna can trigger Arachno- (p. 6). Night-vision optics and thermographs receive these
phobia, Entomophobia, or Herpetophobia (p. B150). same penalties (High-Tech, pp. 47-48)!
New arrivals often suffer from apathy due to the
humid heat. See Will to Survive (p. 5). Modifiers: ‑1 (sparse vegetation) to ‑6 to Vision (impenetra-
ble vegetation); ‑1 (haze) to ‑6 to Vision (heavy rain).

18 Jungle War
 The number of daylight hours in the jungle is often uncertain), possibly revealing an ambush. Fragrance disci-
greater, and there is very little twilight – complete darkness pline is important (see Rice, SEALs in Vietnam, p. 23, and
falls almost immediately. Due to multiple canopies, jungles Cover and Concealment, Tactical Shooting, p. 28).
are often rather lightless at the ground level even in the mid-
Modifiers: ‑1 to Smell rolls per full yard; +1 or more to
dle of the day (‑3 to ‑5 Vision). This means many operations
detect those who don’t shun fire, certain foods, and perfume.
need to be performed under dark conditions. See Shooting
in Darkness (Tactical Shooting, p. 18).

All equipment was Movement

Hearing bound with ordnance
Movement in jungle is often
challenging. Even blazed trails,
Hearing rolls (p. B358) in the jungle conditions
are often more difficult. Vegetation and precipita-
tape to keep it quiet . . . clearings, and sparse under-
growth halve Move, while ordi-
tion tend to muffle sounds, as does the cacophony – Darryl Young, nary jungle divides Move by
of animal noises. The Element of 5 (p. B351). Needing to hack a
Modifiers: ‑1 (sparse vegetation) to ‑5 (impene- Surprise (1990) new path through impenetra-
trable vegetation) to Hearing; ‑1 (light rain) to ‑9 ble vegetation divides Move by
(tropical thunderstorm) to Hearing. 10. Further halve Move if the
underlying terrain is rugged or mountainous. Movement is

Smell also very tiring, especially when the PCs have to create their
own route with machetes.
Smell rolls (p. B358) are impractical at any distance – but Helicopters, let alone other aircraft, are often unable to
in jungle, failed Vision and Hearing rolls can mean pass- land, requiring personnel to rappel down (High-Tech, p. 55)
ing within arm’s length of concealed foes (1d-1 yards, if or use extraction rigs (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 40).

Undergrowth Table
Vegetation Movement*
Sparse Move × 0.8. No additional rolls required.
Normal Move × 0.5. While running, roll against the better of DX or DX-based Running every 100 yards to avoid
falling.
Thick Move × 0.3. While running, roll against the better of DX-1 or DX-based Running-1 every 100 yards to avoid
falling.
Dense Move × 0.2. While walking, roll against DX or DX-based Hiking every 50 yards to avoid minor mishaps
like a conspicuous sound or weapons or equipment getting caught. While running, roll against DX-2 or
DX-based Running-2 to avoid falling.
Impenetrable Move × 0.1. While walking with a machete or similar tool, roll against DX-2 or DX-based Hiking-2 every 50
yards to avoid minor mishaps.
* Smaller beings are less bothered. Shift one step up the chart per -1 SM; up past Sparse, ignore the vegetation. Larger beings
can crush some vegetation but are affected more by ungergrowth they can't crush. At SM +2, Normal and Sparse are Sparse,
Thick is Dense, and Dense and Impenetrable are Impenetrable. At SM +3, Thick through Sparse are Sparse, but Dense and
Impenetrable are Impenetrable. At SM +4, Dense through Sparse are Sparse; Impenetrable is unchanged. At SM +5 or more, all
vegetation is Sparse!

Health Hazards: Jungle

Operating in a jungle comes with several hazards that antibiotics cure the symptoms, although complete recov-
can impact a tactical shooter’s capabilities. ery can take months. Those who suffer jungle rot must roll
vs. HT+5, with failure meaning the tissue and nerve dam-
Dehydration. Although jungles are always wet, dehydra-
age becomes so severe that gangrene sets in. This requires
tion is a real danger due to the high perspiration and the
amputation, or it leads to death!
difficulty of acquiring uncontaminated water. See p. 15.
Sweat Rash. The heat in tropical jungles can cause skin
Jungle Rot. More accurately called tropical ulcer, this is
problems. See p. 15.
a skin infection common in jungles, swamps, etc. It typ-
Tropical Diseases. Jungles are festering with an
ically starts in a small cut or other damaged skin area in
alarmingly wide range of dangerous diseases (compare
the lower extremities. A successful daily Soldier-2 or Sur-
pp. B442-444) that are transmitted by the local fauna,
vival (Jungle or Swamp) roll avoids jungle rot. The condi-
food, or water, ranging from dengue fever to leprosy and
tion causes pain, resulting in a Moderate Pain affliction
from malaria to typhus fever.
(p. B428) and halving Move. Rest, adequate nutrition, and

Jungle War 19
 Shooting in the Jungle
The jungle provides ideal concealment for both offensive An ambush can be mounted virtually anywhere and can
operations and for defensive positions. For this reason, sur- unexpectedly shorten the distance to an opponent even fur-
prise is always possible. The undergrowth and the dim light ther, to as close as touching distance, requiring Shooting in
favor stealthy movement of attacking forces to assault posi- a Melee (Tactical Shooting, p. 25). Close-quarter techniques
tions. Similarly, exact “fixing” of enemy defensive positions is such as Close-Hip Shooting, Close-Quarters Battle, and Retain
most difficult. Weapon can be essential (Tactical Shooting, pp. 43-45).
– U.S. War Department, FM 72-20 Jungle Warfare (1944) Due to the short engagement ranges, Fast-Draw is essen-
tial to complete reloads or bring out back-up weapons in
The close ranges in the jungle make submachine guns, car-
time before the opposition has closed in. A tactical shooter
bines, hand grenades, and even handguns and shotguns viable
expecting jungle combat should invest in suitable training and
weapons, and restrict the effectiveness of heavier weapons,
equipment. A bayonet or ordinary blade (High-Tech, pp. 196-
including machine guns and grenade launchers. Vehicles and
198) may come in handy, as might some other close-quar-
artillery are often useless.
ters weapon such as brass knuckles, a machete, an
entrenching tool, etc. In a pinch, the gun itself can
be used as a melee weapon (Tactical Shooting,
p. 26).
At TL6, submachine guns and shotguns were
considered to be ideal for jungle warfare, being
short and handy (low Bulk). Their limited effec-
tive range is rarely a problem in view of the
reduced engagement ranges. However, at TL7-8,
assault carbines have overtaken these roles com-
pletely, offering better penetration and wound-
ing capabilities (higher Dmg).
The opposition can often not be directly seen.
Shooters may need to fire at muzzle flashes, mov-
ing vegetation, dust clouds, sounds, etc. Treat
shooting at muzzle flashes as a shot through
light concealment, at ‑2 (p. B548). Shooting at
moving brush or dust is a case of “Attacker can-
not see his foe, but knows his location for sure,”
at ‑4 (p. B394). Shooting at sounds requires a
Hearing-2 roll to notice the sounds. On a success,
it’s a case of “Attacker cannot see his foe, but can
see his other surroundings,” at ‑6 (p. B394).

Firearm Problems
in the Jungle
Jungle Shooter Problems The damp heat of jungle areas requires that special care be
given to all weapons and other non-rustproof equipment in
Because of the undergrowth and rugged terrain, good fields of daily or frequent use. The humidity, the mud, and the frequent
fire are seldom obtained. Ideal firing positions are almost never shortage of oil and other materials necessary for cleaning weap-
to be found. Machine guns and automatic rifles seldom have ons combine to make weapon maintenance in the jungle par-
fields of fire extending more than 100 yards; about 50 yards may ticularly difficult.
be considered the average. Fields of fire for individual riflemen – U.S. War Department, FM 72-20 Jungle Warfare (1944)
are even more restricted.
The frequent rain and humidity mean that it’s advisable
– U.S. War Department, FM 72-20 Jungle Warfare (1944)
to keep guns protected (p. 6). In jungle conditions, gear must
Difficulties in locating and acquiring targets considerably make one HT+4 roll per day to avoid breakdown. See Slime,
affect the actual shooting (Tactical Shooting, p. 28). Due Sand, and Equipment Failure (p. B485). A firearm must receive
to the various visibility problems (pp. 18-19), engagement constant preventive maintenance (including disassembly,
ranges are almost always shorter than normal. Shooting inspection, and cleaning) for about 30 minutes at least once
in the jungle means short to very short ranges – typically per day; in rainy weather, as often as two or three times a day.
25 yards but as short as seven yards and below is possible This gives +1 to the HT roll. If routine protective measures
(Tactical Shooting, p. 10). Even machine guns are seldom like laying a rifle off the ground while resting or protecting the
effective beyond 50 yards. action are not taken, apply ‑1 to all HT rolls.

20 Jungle War
 One problem in the jungle is that guns can get
caught in vines, twigs, etc. This is more pronounced
the longer the weapon is, but there are also other con-
siderations. The GM could ask for infrequent DX rolls
Advantages
to avoid a weapon from getting caught, especially when of the Jungle
the shooter is in a hurry – while running or during a Jungle conditions are not all bad for a well-trained shooter.
Ready maneuver to bring the weapon up. The Klutz There is one advantage.
disadvantage (p. B141) should increase the frequency
of these rolls. Camouflage. It is very easy to hide in the jungle. Camou-
flage and Stealth rolls are always at +3 or more (p. B222).
Modifiers: A basic +3; Bulk; 0 to ‑2 for weapon’s exter- Ambushes (Tactical Shooting, p. 21) are the favorite tactic of
nal configuration (0 in most cases, ‑1 for less-stream- jungle fighters (SEALs in Vietnam, pp. 51-52).
lined, troublesome weapons, or ‑2 for the most
accident-prone designs like a machine gun with dan-
gling belt). Other Annoyances:
Excessive protrusions on a gun make a mishap
more likely, something that is mentioned in connec-
Jungle
tion with TL5-6 shotguns with exposed hammers and The heat and humidity of the jungle also affects other
less-streamlined weapons like the Auto-Ordnance equipment carried by a tactical shooter.
M1928A1 and M1 Thompson submachine guns (both Bandages. White bandages (High-Tech, p. 221) are
High-Tech, p. 122). An open-pronged flash hider like extremely obvious in the jungle, giving ‑2 to Camouflage.
the one on the original Colt M16 assault rifle (High- From TL7, many militaries issue bandages in subdued colors.
Tech, p. 117) is also disadvantageous. Belt-fed machine Explosives. Time pencils (High-Tech, p. 188) are highly
guns should have their belts in a carry container, as temperature-sensitive. Calibrated for 60°F, multiply their
an open belt is liable to pick up leaves and such or delays by 0.8 at 80°F and by 0.6 at 100°F.
get caught in the brush (see introduction to Light
Machine Guns, Tactical Shooting, p. 65). Unsecured
safety levers and rings of hand grenades are also known
troublemakers (see SEALs in Vietnam, p. 20, for a real-life Black Powder
example of this). Black powder in TL3-5 guns is susceptible to drawing
If the DX roll fails, roll 2d. A result of 2-8 means the moisture from the humid air. A damp charge worsens Malf. by
weapon got caught. A Ready maneuver is required to untan- ‑1, with the typical result being a misfire (p. B407).
gle it. A roll of 9-11 means that plant material gets caught All TL3-4 ignition systems – anything but a percussion
in the mechanism or ammunition and two Ready maneuvers cap – are extremely unreliable in the jungle and worsen Malf.
are required to clear it. A 12 results in a catastrophe: the by ‑2, with the typical result being a misfire.
trigger gets pulled by accident, resulting in an accidental dis-
charge if the weapon is not on safe, the safety ring of a hand Optics in the Jungle
grenade gets pulled, etc. Precipitation (p. 6) is common problem for optics in the
Example: Private Marvin Palm is issued an early M16. Due jungle.
to its Bulk ‑5, he suffers 3 ‑ 5 = ‑2 to the DX roll. The GM might
want to further penalize this by ‑1 for the open flash hider. Explosive Warheads and
Grenades in the Jungle
Heavy vegetation degrades the effects of all types of munitions.
More firepower or alternative fuze action is normally required to
Unsecured safety levers and achieve effective results . . . The heat and humidity of tropical
areas speeds the deterioration of all types of ammunition.
rings of hand grenades are also – U.S. Army, FM 90-5
Jungle Operations (1982)
known troublemakers.
Tree limbs may block or deflect mortars bombs, grenade
launcher rounds, and hand grenades. While the general prob-
lem of missing the intended target is covered by the Range
Increment penalties (p. 6), the – not unheard of – sheer fluke
Ammunition Issues in the Jungle of having a grenade bounce back at the thrower is probably
Any unfired ammunition brought back from an operation best modeled by the Unluckiness disadvantage (p. B160).
in the jungle needs to be checked for corroded primers or Fragments from exploding warheads are “soaked up” by
other issues, much like ammunition in the cold (p. 12). The vegetation and soft ground. Halve all fragmentation damage
safest way is to swap out all of it with fresh cartridges and for ground-level bursts. Worsen Malf. of grenade launchers
use the questionable ammo only in training. (See SEALs in by one step. The typical result is a misfire (p. B407), repre-
Vietnam, p. 50, for a real-life example of this problem.) senting the fuse’s failure to activate against the vegetation.

Jungle War 21
 Chapter Five

Water War
I have coursed many creatures in many countries during my scenario, but often more complicated than it appears even if
checkered career, but never did sport give me such a wild thrill as the shooter is on dry land. Shooting into water is remarkably
this mad, flying man-hunt down the Thames. Steadily we drew difficult even if the target is just below the surface. Shooting
in upon them, yard by yard. In the silence of the night we could out of or underwater is seldom done even by combat divers,
hear the panting and clanking of their machinery . . . [Sherlock] and presents unique problems. Even just extended stays near
Holmes had already drawn his revolver, and I whipped out mine the water, such as on a boat or ship, can result in difficulties
at the sight of this savage, distorted creature . . . We were within for guns and gun use.
a boat’s-length by this time, and almost within touch of our Whether a privateer on a pirate ship in the Spanish Main,
quarry . . . Our pistols rang out together. a U.S. Navy sailor on a patrol boat of the “Brown Water Navy”
– Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four (1890) in Vietnam, or a tourist on a yacht repelling a modern pirate;
whether a U.S. Navy SEAL, a coast guard officer, or a detec-
Shooting into, out of, under, over, or even just near the water
tive on Hawaii, adventurers may have to deal with the unique
is often quite difficult due to the specific properties of that
conditions of shooting around water.
medium. Shooting over water is perhaps the most common

On Water and Underwater

I consoled myself with the knowledge that firearms didn’t penalty. Obscuration by stirred-up silt can persist for one
work underwater. If anyone was gonna try and hurt me they hour or more, unless a strong current brings in clear water.
would have to get close enough to use a spear gun. Judging distance is particularly challenging; make Vision
– Thomas Magnum, in Magnum, P.I. #2.2 (1981) rolls for this purpose at an extra ‑2.
Water is often so cold as to require an insulating wetsuit Modifiers: ‑2 if the looked-at target is under the water; ‑2 if
(High-Tech, p. 76), including diving gloves (p. 36) if any the one looking is underwater, unless a dive mask (High-Tech,
length of time is spent in it. When in water colder than a per- p. 71) is worn; turbidity results in an additional ‑1 (for even
son’s comfort zone, roll as for cold (p. B430) once per minute the clearest seawater) up to ‑10 (where a silty bottom has been
to avoid losing 1 FP. This assumes the individual is wearing stirred up).
a wetsuit. A dry suit gives +5; a heated dry suit gives +10; a
Another problem for vision underwater is that darkness
normal swimming costume gives ‑5. For sudden immersion,
intensifies with depth. Turbidity and darkness combined make
see Thermal Shock (p. B430).
it exceedingly difficult to see. On this table, find the turbidity
penalty. The penalty increment indicates at what depth see-
ing becomes difficult. For every penalty increment descended,
assign a darkness penalty of ‑1, to a maximum of ‑9. Beyond
this relative maximum distance, vision is useless.

Underwater Vision Table

Vision Turbidity
Penalty
Penalty
Increment
Total-Darkness
Depth
Vision rolls (p. B358) on and near the water follow the
normal rules. Water bodies often generate fog, which reduces -1 45’ -150 yards (450’)
visibility to between 1,000 yards and effectively zero. Fog typi- -2 30’ 100 yards (300’)
cally occurs in spring and fall, but can be encountered in most -3 21’ 70 yards (210’)
temperature zones, even in some deserts. -4 15’ 50 yards (150’)
-5 10’ 30 yards (90’)
Modifiers: ‑1 (light fog) to ‑9 (thick smog, “pea soup”) for -6 6’ 20 yards (60’)
fog density. -7 4.5’ 15 yards (45’)
Vision rolls into water or underwater are more difficult. -8 3’ 10 yards (30’)
Even in crystal-clear water, spotting a target is at ‑1 to the -9 2.1’ 7 yards (21’)
Vision roll. Most water is murky enough to incur a turbidity -10 1.5’ 5 yards (15’)

22 Water War
 Example: At a turbidity penalty of ‑5, a diver encounters
total darkness at 30 yards (90’) down. The darkness penalty Movement
starts at ‑1 at 10’ and gets worse by every increment of 10’ the Movement in deep water typically requires Swimming.
diver goes deeper; the penalty ranges from ‑2 at 20’ to ‑9 at 90’. Sloshing through water that is less than the shooter’s height
Beyond that, no Vision roll is possible. is possible. Even just ankle-deep water is Bad terrain, while
deeper water is at least Very Bad; multiply Move by 0.5 or 0.2

Hearing
(p. B351), respectively. The shooter should carry the gun in a
waterproof container or at least hold it up over the head to
Hearing rolls (p. B358) on and near the water follow keep it dry.
the normal rules. Water often generates back-
ground noise; a quiet stream is about as loud
as a “normal conversation,” while ocean surf
often equals a “noisy office”; both can be much
louder. Sound travels better over water, while
ealth H H
azards :W ater
fog can attenuate sound. Being in or on the water for some time comes with a few health
hazards, which might reduce a tactical shooter’s capabilities.
Modifiers: +1 to +5 if sound source and
hearer are both near the water, ‑1 to ‑5 if sound Seasickness. This form of motion sickness is common (p. B436).
and hearer in a fog. You must roll vs. HT+5 as soon as you are aboard, +7 on a large ship
with SM +10 or better. On a failure, you suffer from the Retching
Hearing rolls underwater are more compli- affliction (p. B429) and are at ‑5 to all DX, IQ, and skill rolls for the
cated. Sound travels much faster in water, so rest of the journey. On a success, you suffer from the Nauseated afflic-
it’s hard to tell the direction it’s coming from. tion (p. B428) and are at ‑2 to DX, IQ, and skill rolls. With a success by
This is possible only if the listener succeeds at 5 or more, or a critical success, you suffer no ill effects at all. Roll daily
a Hearing roll by at least 4. Speech in water is on long journeys. By TL7, it can be combated with drugs that have to
not normally possible, though advanced diving be taken at least 30 minutes if not several hours earlier.
masks – that enclose a bubble of air in front Sunburn. There’s often little shadow on the sea or seaboard.
of the mouth rather than relying on a mouth- See p. 15.
piece – allow it from TL7. Multiply the dis-
tances on the Hearing Distance Table (p. B358)
by 10 for detecting sounds underwater.

Shooting into or Underwater

Water rapidly reduces the velocity of a bullet of any caliber of choppy seas or a full-blown storm. For an occupant of a
fired into it. A [.30-caliber] high powered military rifle will have water vehicle like a canoe, boat, or ship, see Weapon Fire from
the velocity of the ball reduced to a harmless figure by a penetra- a Moving Vehicle (p. B469). In particular, this caps the com-
tion in water of about 7 feet. A .22 [S]hort will penetrate about bined aiming bonuses (p. B364) of an unstabilized gun at the
25 inches. The average revolver bullet is rendered harmless by a SR of the vehicle. The following cumulative modifiers apply
thickness of [4] feet of water. for handheld weapons:
– Julian Hatcher, Textbook of Firearms
Modifiers: ‑1 for handheld firearm (p. B548); ‑2 or
Investigation, Identification and Evidence
a penalty equal to Bulk for the operator of the vehi-
(1935)
cle (see Attack, p. B469-470); ‑3 due to movement in
Water is much denser than air, which has calm water, ‑4 in rough water, ‑5 in stormy water, or
severe impact on bullets traveling through it. ‑6 in a typhoon (compare penalities under Attacking
This is aggravated by various other issues hav- from Moving Vehicle or Mount, p. B548).
ing to do with target acquisition, shooter posi-
The sea and the coast are often very windy. Wind
tion, mechanical properties of the gun, etc.
doesn’t only stir up the water; it also has more direct
effects on shooting. See Shooting in Wind (p. 7).
Water Shooter Problems Aiming from outside the water at a target underwater is
difficult due to the refraction and optical illusion created by
SEAL snipers on the U.S. destroyer Bainbridge freed Capt.
the water. Usually, the shooter has to aim considerably lower
Richard Phillips by picking off three Somali pirates with simul-
than where the target appears. This is part of the ‑4 pen-
taneous shots from 100 feet away in rolling seas as the sun
alty for shooting into the water (High-Tech, p. 85). It can be
went down.
completely bought off by the Shooting into Water technique
– Stephanie Gaskell, New York Daily News (2009)
(p. 35). The technique is mainly appropriate for combat div-
An obvious problem of shooting while floating on the water ers, but also for fishermen and whale-hunters, using spear,
is that the water is almost never still. Even the slightest slosh bow, or harpoon gun (such as the Greener Light Harpoon Gun
can spoil a shooter’s aim and/or move the target, not to speak Mk II, Pulp Guns 2, p. 12).

Water War 23
 Shooters frequently operating near or on the water should to the HT roll. The best protection can be had by having the
wear a life jacket (High-Tech, p. 59) or other flotation aid. gun in a watertight gun case (High-Tech, p. 160). If routine
Even excellent swimmers can’t stay afloat if weighed down protective measures are not taken, apply ‑1 to all HT rolls.
with heavy weapons and ammunition (see SEALs in Vietnam, At some point, however, the gun has to be exposed. A cor-
pp. 20-21, for real-life examples); SEALs sometimes wore two rosion-resistant finish is essential. The rust-brown weapons
life jackets to offset the weight of their gear. wielded by the infamous Somali pirates were so heavily cor-
Underwater, shooters who are swimming must roll against roded that it’s a wonder they shot at all – but then, many pirates
the lower of Guns or DX-based Swimming. Shooters who favor Kalashnikov patterns (High-Tech, p. 114), which can
stand on the bottom shoot at no further penalty. take more abuse than most guns and still fire. Some firearms
Diving gloves (p. 36) can pose problems while operating a are made of stainless steel to prevent this. For example, the
firearm. Many guns (see pp. 36-40) that have been specifically SIG-Sauer MK 25 MOD 0 pistol – a minor variant of the P226
designed to be used in or around water have enlarged trigger (High-Tech, p. 102) adopted by the U.S. Navy SEALs – uses
guards to accommodate gloved fingers. a blackened stainless-steel slide. Others are nickeled, such
Underwater shooters are often hampered by wearing a dive as the Mossberg Model 500 Mariner shotgun, a variant of
mask (High-Tech, p. 71). A dive mask allows the user to see the Model 500ATP6 (Gun Fu, p. 38). More advanced corro-
normally underwater, negating the ‑2 to Vision rolls underwa- sion-resistant, water-repellant finishes also exist, like on the
ter (p. 22). Outside of the water, it doubles the penalty to ‑4. H&K MK 23 MOD 0 pistol (Tactical Shooting, p. 58), another
Dive masks usually prevent a proper cheek weld, so sighted pistol specifically developed for the U.S. Navy SEALs.
shooting with a long arm is at ‑4 (Tactical Shooting, p. 13) Most firearms suffer a temporary Malf. reduction
both under and outside of the water, making the Masked after completely being submerged. Worsen Malf. numbers
Shooting technique (Tactical Shooting, p. 44) advisable. (p. B407) by ‑2 for automatic and semi-automatic weapons,
and by ‑1 for all other weapons (High-Tech, p. 85).
While some just need the water to be drained out
of the barrel, others won’t tolerate water in the
mechanism. Retain the Malf. penalty until all
water has been removed, usually by stripping and
cleaning it using an IQ-based Guns, Armoury
(Small Arms), or Soldier roll. The most problem-
atic condition isn’t a barrel full of water, but a
barrel half full of water. Any malfunction results
in a projectile getting stuck in the barrel, typi-
cally bulging the barrel so that it can’t be used
any longer even if the bullet can be removed.
From TL7, guns can be designed to drain easier
and faster, making the maintenance roll unnec-
essary. Probably the first one specifically devel-
oped for this was the Colt MK 4 MOD 0 assault
rifle (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 27), a variant of the
M16A1 (High-Tech, p. 117). More recent ones
include the Glock 17 pistol with maritime fir-
ing pin cups (p. 36) and the H&K HK416D10RS
assault carbine (Tactical Shooting, pp. 63-64)
with over-the-beach package.
To prevent water entering the barrel, shooters
cap the muzzle (p. 6). An especially elaborate water-
Problems of Firearms near proofing kit was developed for the S&W MK 22 MOD 0
“Hush Puppy” pistol (SEALs in Vietnam, p. 26). It comes
Water or Underwater with a muzzle cap (for either the pistol muzzle or the
attached suppressor) and a breech plug. Thus, waterproofed
Then I went below and got out the pump-gun and the
down to 200’, all it requires to be put into action is to retract
Winchester .30-30 that I always had below in the cabin . . . I
the slide to eject the breech plug and chamber a live round.
keep them in those full-length, clipped sheep’s wool cases with
The muzzle cap can be shot through.
the wool inside soaked in oil. That’s the only way you can keep
Malf. gets worse in the surf zone, where the water contains
them from rusting on a boat.
a high percentage of swirling sand, algae, and other particles,
– Ernest Hemingway, To Have and Have Not (1937)
which can clog the weapon’s action. Guns with loose toler-
Water spray or the occasional immersion in water is hard ances work best in such an environment, being able to ignore
on firearms. Around water, gear must make one HT+4 roll the foreign material in the mechanism. Typical weapons
per day to avoid breakdown. See Slime, Sand, and Equipment include the Colt Government pistol (High-Tech, p. 98), Glock-
Failure (p. B485). A firearm must receive constant preventive series of pistols (High-Tech, pp. 100-101), SIG-Sauer P226
maintenance (including disassembly, inspection, and clean- pistol, IMI Uzi submachine gun (High-Tech, p. 125), and any
ing) for about 30 minutes at least once per day. This gives +1 Kalashnikov variant.

24 Water War
 The unpredictable movement of the sea can result in or beeswax that they actually can function even submerged.
shooters dropping their weapons, especially because of Worsen Malf. by ‑2 regardless.
Klutz (p. B141) or Unluckiness (p. B160). In 1886, a Royal
Navy lieutenant was killed when he dropped his Enfield Projectiles
Mk I revolver (Adventure Guns, p. 16) on the deck and it Many projectiles do not work properly in water. Hollow-
accidentally fired. A pistol lanyard or rifle sling (both High- point ammunition will expand in the barrel, jamming and
Tech, p. 154) prevents such a mishap or losing the weapon often damaging the gun (see Firing Underwater, High-Tech,
to the deep blue, but can be dangerous itself. Lanyards have p. 85).
long been made of sturdy woven material or even telephone At TL7, underwater dart ammunition (High-Tech, p. 169)
cords, but by TL8, some have a breakaway feature. In 1999, is available, in which case underwater distances may be mul-
a Boeing CH-46E Sea Knight helicopter crashed into the tiplied by only 25. This effective distance increase also applies
sea, taking several U.S. Marines down with it as it sank. to shots fired in air as the dart is not held sufficiently stable by
One Force Recon Marine only survived because his break- air pressure. Double cost per shot.
away lanyard snapped as intended, his pistol having become At TL8, supercavitating rifle and autocannon bullets
caught in the helicopter. become available, which multiply effective distances to tar-
gets underwater by 50 and in air by two. Double cost per shot.
Traveling through Water
Any shot that has to travel through water suffers
from extreme range reduction. Multiply all distances
in the water by 1,000; round 1/2D range down and Max Fighting the White Whale
range up (High-Tech, p. 85). When firing into or out There is no available record of a firearm actually having
of water, prorate the penalties: A shot from a rifle that been used in real combat underwater. Perhaps the closest
travels 5 yards in water and 1,000 yards in air is a 6,000- anybody ever came to this was when during WWII, downed
yard shot for purposes of 1/2D and Max. Shots through pilots had to fend off sharks in the Pacific with their pis-
the water surface are at ‑4 (High-Tech, p. 85). The pen- tols. So why then all the effort to design underwater guns of
alty can be completely bought off by the Shooting into ever-increasing effectiveness (see pp. 36-38)? Well, the situa-
Water technique (p. 35). tion could always come up some day. Perhaps it already has,
and the records just haven’t been declassified yet . . .
Ammunition Issues near
Water or Underwater
The condition of the atmosphere noticeably affects the course Optics and Other Accessories
of the bullet. The more moisture there is in the air, the less eleva- Optics and other targeting aids work normally above water.
tion required. The bullet is frequently noticed to fall immediately Water spray on the lenses of scopes or reflex sights can be
after a rain. Warm air offers less resistance to the bullet than a problem; compare Reduced Vision Due to Precipitation or
does cold air. A fall of 20 degrees in temperature will cause the Vegetation (pp. 6-7).
bullet to lower ten to eleven inches at 300 yards range. In firing Underwater, most targeting aids can’t be used. This includes
over water the elevation must be increased, in consequence of telescopic sights, targeting lasers, thermographic sights, etc.
the lower temperature of the air over the water. Only weapon lights work at all, but have their beam length
– Edward Farrow, American Small Arms (1904) halved. At TL5-7, these accessories need a HT-5 roll to avoid
Ammunition used near water or underwater should be being ruined. At TL8, most of these accessories are waterproof
water-resistant. Most TL5-8 metallic cartridges (High-Tech, down to a certain diving depth. The reason for this is so that
p. 164) are sealed, but it’s better to test it or have it made to combat divers can safely take them on a dive, but they are for
specifications. Other types, such as caseless cartridges (High- use at their destination, outside of the water.
Tech, p. 164, and Ultra-Tech, p. 135), may not be suitable for
long-term immersion. Explosive Warheads and Grenades
Any unfired ammunition brought back from an opera- Shockwaves from explosions travel farther through water.
tion in a water mission needs to be checked. The primers can Underwater, divide rolled damage by range in yards rather
corrode, reducing Malf. by several steps, usually resulting than using 3× range in yards (p. B415). At the same time,
in a misfire (p. B407). The safest way is to swap out all of it fragments are slowed down just like bullets (see above); the
with fresh cartridges and use the questionable ammo only in maximum range of fragments is just one yard, no matter
training. (See SEALs in Vietnam, p. 50, for a real-life exam- how big the explosion.
ple of this problem.) Otherwise, check every cartridge using For normal explosive-energy projectiles (High-Tech,
an Armoury (Small Arms), IQ-based Guns-2, or Soldier-2 roll pp. 169-170), worsen Malf. by ‑1. The typical result is a mis-
per 500 rounds, and discard damaged rounds. This takes fire (p. B407), representing the fuse’s failure to activate.
at least 30 minutes and should be done during downtime, A number of explosive ordnance devices are designed spe-
between operations. cifically for underwater use. Many, like depth charges, are
Firing a gun that doesn’t use sealed cartridges and prim- only for use against submarines, while limpet mines and
ers – such as a black-powder weapon – always results in sea mines are aimed at large surface vessels. However, sev-
a misfire. However, the loads of TL5 caplock weapons are eral munitions are purpose-designed for use against combat
often tamped so tightly into the barrel or (in the case of cap- divers, both in grenade form and for firing from grenade or
lock revolvers) have their chambers sealed off with grease rocket launchers.

Water War 25
 Chapter Six

Underground
War
The only weapon the tunnel rats ever agreed about was the Firing underground may become necessary when a shooter
army’s standard-issue Colt .45. Nobody wanted it, and few used enters an enemy-occupied tunnel system, cave, or even cel-
it. It was too big, too cumbersome, and too loud. Choosing lar. Many issues are similar or identical to those encountered
your own pistol was a tunnel rat privilege and each sought the indoors, but underground settings pose their own particular
weapon he felt comfortable with. They disagreed about silencers. problems as well.
Some would not fire a pistol without one because the deafening Although a decidedly low-tech approach, underground
roar of the shot; others wouldn’t use a silencer because the added fighting actually sees an increase as TLs advance, the primary
. . . length made a quick draw awkward and hindered maneuver- reasons being artillery and, increasingly, aerial bombardment.
ability within the tunnel confines . . . The more advanced the opponent and the more absolute the
– Tom Mangold and John Penycate, air superiority, the safer it is to literally dig in. In order to flush
The Tunnels of Cu Chi (1985) out a dug-in target, someone will have to enter those under-
ground positions . . .

Underground Conditions
Connant stopped at the bend in the corridor. His breath hazard in badly ventilated underground locales – typically
hissed suddenly through his throat. “Great God –.” The revolver in artificial shafts and tunnels rather than natural cave sys-
exploded thunderously; three numbing, palpable waves of sound tems – is carbon monoxide gas (“white-damp”), which is poi-
crashed through the confined corridors. Two more. The revolver sonous (see p. 27). The only ways to avoid this are quickly
dropped to the hard-packed snow of the trail, and Barclay saw leaving the area or employing a gas mask with appropriate
the ice-ax shift into defensive position . . . filter or your own air supply (High-Tech, pp. 72-76).
– John Campbell, Who Goes There? (1938) Mines, especially coal mines, can contain flammable gases
such as methane (“fire-damp”). Treat these as suffocating
Underground settings share many concerns with indoor
atmosphere (p. B429). Methane is highly flammable (p. B433)
areas, notably a lack of natural light. Bunkers, caves, cellars,
and can be ignited by open flame (including gunshots!) or
dungeons, sewers, tunnels, and so on often also suffer from a
unshielded electrical equipment. In the right concentration,
lack of space, both vertical and horizontal. Yet other problems
it can even be explosive. Explosive force varies with concen-
are unique to these environments, and include bad air, limited
tration; at a minimum inflammable concentration, each cubic
communications, and cave-ins.
yard of gas does 5d ex cr damage.

Underground Dangers Vision

You brought a gun into a mineshaft? . . . You shoot that . . . I armed myself with those pearls of wisdom, a .45 auto-
thing off here with some of these fire-damp that have been buil- matic, a combat knife, and a flashlight that I had no intention of
din’ up, some of these gas pockets for God knows how long, turning on. That was because sight was the last of the senses a
I tell you what’s gonna happen. We’re gonna go up like the tunnel rat relied on to find and kill his enemy. By the time I made
Fourth of July. the second turn in the tunnel it was pitch black. I felt like I was
– Zachariah Randolph, in Justified #6.6 (2015) trapped in a narrow sewer pipe . . . Then, as slowly as I could,
I gathered myself onto my knees and unsheathed my combat
Environmental conditions underground are usually
knife. The .45 was cocked and locked, but I was afraid to use it
different than even directly above ground, and are often
because I thought the sound of unsnapping the holster or taking
extreme – dark (p. 7) and either cold (pp. 8-13) or hot
the safety off would give me away.
(pp. 14-17), with the attendant issues.
– James Gilam, War in the Central Highlands of
Subterranean structures sometimes have hazardous atmo-
Vietnam, 1968-1970 (2006)
spheres (see Underground Adventures, p. 13). A common

26 Underground War
 Vision rolls (p. B358) underground follow the normal
rules. The initial problems with shooting underground
are general orientation and specific target identification. A
tunnel or natural cave is usually completely dark, with not
Fear of the Dark
Operating underground is likely to trigger Phobias
even the occasional ray of natural light. This makes Vision
(pp. B148-150), especially Scotophobia and Claustropho-
rolls impossible, and all visually guided actions, including
bia. These might be mere dislikes (p. B164), but Claustro-
shooting, are at ‑10 (p. B548).
phobia in particular is rather common among humans,
Going underground or emerging above ground requires
with more than one in 20 suffering from a severe version
the eyes to adjust to the dark or light. The former can take
of it. See Will to Survive (p. 5).
20 minutes or more, while the latter usually takes about five
minutes. See Light Adaptation (Tactical Shooting, p. 18).
Due to the lack of natural light in subterranean situa-
tions, shooters must bring their own light; alternatively,
Health Hazards:
they might use electronic vision aids. They might even rely Underground
on the target to bring a light. Artificial light sources such as Operating underground can come with several hazards
burning torches, candles, or flashlights illuminate a radius that can reduce a tactical shooter’s capabilities.
or project a beam. Either form eliminates or reduces Vision
penalties in the area it brightens, but leaves the explorer Carbon-Monoxide Poisoning. Carbon monoxide is an
blinded to anything outside that region. See Shooting in area-effect respiratory agent whose deadliness depends
Darkness (Tactical Shooting, pp. 18-20) for how to prop- on its concentration in air. Treat it as a toxic atmosphere
erly rely on flashlights and night vision equipment. (p. B429) requiring a HT-2 roll every minute to avoid 1
Treat the light as in plain sight to distant observers who point of toxic damage. Even just a wood fire in an unven-
have a clear view of it: +10 to Vision rolls to see it (p. B358). tilated confined space requires a HT-5 roll; failure results
However, they’re at ‑7 to see anything outside its radius. in the Daze, Moderate Pain (Headache), and Nauseated
The ability to see infrared, typically using an active IR afflictions (p. B428) after a two-minute delay. It can’t be
light source with an image-intensifying system (High-Tech, detected by smell.
pp. 47, 156) or passive thermal-imaging gear (High-Tech, Trench Foot. This is common in wet tunnels, sewers,
pp. 48, 157), allows vision in lightless environments. Most etc. See p. 9.
underground environments are in thermal equilibrium, so
seeing most inanimate objects is at ‑2 because of low con-
trast. Human beings and other heat sources often stand out: unbearable loud, and appear even louder underground: apply
+10 to Vision rolls to detect them. ‑5 to Hearing rolls after gunshots underground (Tactical
Shooting, p. 34).
Additionally, sound carries farther in narrow tunnels
Dark Holes. These are poorly lit areas or tunnel-like caves. In wide passages (the range in yards
exceeds the width of the tunnel), the penalty to Hearing
into which you cannot see without the rolls is ‑1 for each two steps on the Hearing Distance
Table (p. B358).
aid of a low-light tool. All dark holes Stone surfaces reflect sound efficiently, creating
represent a potential threat until you echoes. Hearing rolls to locate the source of a sound, or
to perceive and analyze its details, are at ‑2.
determine otherwise. The sound of movement, like other sounds, travels
– Andy Stanford, abnormally far in a tunnel or cave. Treat walking at half
Move or less as equivalent to “quiet conversation” on the
Fight at Night (1999) Hearing Distance Table. Faster movement corresponds
to “normal conversation.” Combat in which blows are
struck is analogous to “loud conversation.”
Hearing Someone who attempts to move silently can treat this as a
Quick Contest of their Stealth skill against a Hearing roll for
He drew a revolver and motioned me to silence, then stepped
the person they are trying to sneak past (or an Observation roll
out into the main cellar and closed the door behind him . . . After
with hearing modifiers, if the other is actively listening). Melee
that followed a sharp grating noise, a shouted gibberish from
combat is difficult to keep quiet – both Stealth and combat
Pickman, and the deafening discharge of all six chambers of a
skills are at ‑2 when trying to be silent.
revolver, fired spectacularly as a lion-tamer might fire in the air
Communication underground is often challenging, espe-
for effect. A muffled squeal or squawk, and a thud.
cially with allies above ground. Radio systems (High-Tech,
– H.P. Lovecraft, “Pickman’s Model” (1927)
pp. 37-39) suffer massively reduced range or do not work.
Hearing rolls (p. B358) sometimes work differently in Mobile phones also don’t have service beyond the immediate
underground environments. Caves are often almost com- entrance area. At TL6-7, the preferred method is a landline
pletely silent; any sound stands out, giving +4 to Hearing telephone (High-Tech, p. 37), self-deployed by the under-
rolls to notice a sound. Unfortunately, this amplification of ground explorer from a reel. This, in turn, limits the move-
sound also applies to gunshots, which are usually already ment underground in its own way.

Underground War 27
Movement A low ceiling, such as found in many natural caves and
primitive tunnels, requires the occasional DX roll to avoid
Movement underground is primarily hindered by light-
bumping the head. Low ceilings also reduce Move in the same
ing. It can be further hampered depending on ground condi-
way as for bad footing. This is one reason why many tactical
tions, such as in a cave with an uneven ground from rubble,
shooters operating inside confined spaces wear TL8 skate-
or the tracks and electric rails in a subway tunnel. This can
board helmets (High-Tech, p. 70).
require DX rolls to avoid falling, tripping over obstacles, etc.
A shooter with no light source can find a path by touch,
(compare p. B366).
either keeping one hand on a cave wall (full Move) or crawl-
Obstacles and bad footing frequently reduce Move
ing (1/3 Move). Either requires a roll vs. DX-6 per 10 yards
(p. B367); treat as bad terrain, costing +1 movement point
traveled; failure means encountering a hazard. Spending extra
per hex (Underground Adventures, p. 11).
time by moving slowly (p. B346) provides bonuses that offset
the penalty.

Shooting Underground
At such close quarters, the SAS teams [sic – actually it Reduced vision due to the darkness underground (pp. 26-
was the SBS] were taking head shots – they couldn’t risk that 27) severely hampers shooting (see Tactical Shooting,
the enemy were on drugs or wearing body armour. They used pp. 18-20). It is prudent – but often impractical – for a tac-
ceramic [sic – actually powdered metal] ammunition which tical shooter to pause up to 30 minutes (!) after entering an
shatters on impact to avoid ricochet injuries from your own underground area in order for the eyes to fully adapt (see
fire – first developed for action aboard ships and oilrigs. p. 27). Artificial light from handheld flashlights (High-Tech,
– Andy McNab, “Firefight at Tora Bora” (2002) pp. 51-52) or tactical lights (High-Tech, p. 156) can be effec-
tive, but these pose their own problems (Tactical Shooting,
Combat underground poses numerous problems. Most are
p. 19). Image-intensifying night sights (High-Tech, p. 156)
the same as in other confined spaces, including lack of light-
are useless unless employed with an IR source (High-Tech,
ing, loudness of shots, difficulties with weapon bulk, and short
p. 47); thermal-imaging sights (High-Tech, pp. 157-158) are
engagement ranges.
preferable. In unlit underground areas, muzzle flashes are
very distracting (Tactical Shooting, p. 35). The Work by
Touch technique (Tactical Shooting, p. 45) is especially use-
ful for the subterranean fighter. A pistol lanyard or rifle sling
Shooting in confined (both High-Tech, p. 154) can be practical to prevent loss of a
firearm in the dark or while traversing chasms.
spaces means short to Underground shooters are well-advised to use sound sup-
pressors (High-Tech, pp. 158-159, and Tactical Shooting,
very short ranges. pp. 70-71) or silent ammunition (High-Tech, p. 165) when-
ever possible. There are even some specially designed
guns available for this, like the AAI Quiet Special-Purpose
Revolver (pp. 37, 39).
Uneven ground (with loose rocks, fissures, stalagmites,
The Subterranean Shooter and similar obstacles), a low ceiling, or stalactites can
severely hamper combat. Attack rolls are at ‑2, and defense
[Underground] networks allow small units to move unde-
rolls – including Dodge – are at ‑1 (per Underground
tected by aerial sensors and emerge in unexpected locations to
Adventures, p. 11). This represents the many ways the envi-
launch surprise attacks and then essentially disappear. For an
ronment makes it difficult to take a proper shooting position.
invader who does not possess a thorough map of the subterra-
Tactics are similar to those in Urban Combat (Tactical
nean passages, this can present a nightmare scenario, leading
Shooting, pp. 23-25), possibly involving turning corners, door
to massive personnel losses, plummeting morale and an inabil-
breaching, and entering through doors. Shooting in confined
ity to finish the conquest of their urban objective – all factors
spaces means short to very short ranges. Turning a corner
that may have factored in [Vladmir] Putin’s decision not to send
or being ambushed from a hidden alcove can unexpectedly
troops underground in Mariupol [Ukraine].
close the distance to an opponent even further, to as close as
– Paul Springer, “Going Underground” (2022)
touching distance, requiring Shooting in a Melee (Tactical
Underground shooters benefit from carrying guns that are Shooting, p. 25). Close-quarter techniques such as Behind-the-
short and handy (low Bulk) and have a low sound signature Back Shot, Close-Hip Shooting, Close-Quarters Battle, and
and as little muzzle flash as possible. This means handguns Retain Weapon are essential (all Tactical Shooting, pp. 43-
and submachine guns. Shotguns work well with the short 45). Corners can require Shooting Around Cover (Tactical
engagement ranges but are typically louder and more visible Shooting, p. 28) or the Corner-Shot technique (pp. 34-35).
than pistol-caliber weapons. The longer and much louder car- Due to the short engagement ranges, Fast-Draw is essen-
bines and rifles are at a disadvantage and provide no benefit tial to bring out back-up weapons or complete reloads in time
from their better ranges. before the opposition has closed in.

28 Underground War
 The tight confines mean that shootouts often devolve into Explosions are more effective and considerably more lethal
melees. A tactical shooter expecting underground combat as they are channeled in confined spaces. See Explosions in
should invest in suitable training and equipment. A bayonet or Enclosed Spaces, High-Tech, p. 181.
ordinary blade may come in handy, as might such close-quar- Grenade rounds and rifle grenades are typically useless,
ters weapon as brass knuckles, blackjacks, or expendable not the least because most of these ordnance types have a
batons. In a pinch, the gun itself can be used as a melee minimum range (p. B270) and are not armed unless they have
weapon (see Tactical Shooting, p. 26). traveled a certain distance – which quite often is longer than
Unlike in artificial structures above the ground (where bul- the distance that is available underground.
lets often lodge into or penetrate the walls) misses can ricochet A popular technique to flush an opponent out of an under-
off hard cave or bunker walls, with dangerous consequences ground retreat is to use tear gas or a similar chemical agent,
for friend and foe. If the conditions are such, any result of a either in hand-grenade shape (High-Tech, pp. 192, 193, and
14 on the 3d roll on the Critical Miss Table (p. B556) result in a Pulp Guns 2, pp. 30-31) or from a spray (High-Tech, p. 180,
ricochet that does 1d cutting damage per full 2d of the original Pulp Guns 1, p. 10, and Pulp Guns 2, p. 29). This solution
bullet. The GM determines who is closest to the intended tar- or hazardous natural conditions (p. 26) that require the
get; if there are more than one, determine randomly. Use the use of a gas mask or air support make the Masked Shooting
random Hit Location Table (p. B552). technique (Tactical Shooting, p. 44) essential.
Smoke or colored smoke grenades (High-Tech, p. 192,
Example: Special Agent Jane Blue of the FBI SWAT fires
and Tactical Shooting, p. 68) can be used to mark exits and
her Colt M4A1 assault carbine (High-Tech, p. 119) at a ter-
entrances, or to find a way out of a maze by following the draft
rorist in an underground tunnel. Her Guns roll results in a
of air.
critical miss, and the roll for the Critical Miss Table is 14. A
Flamethrowers (High-Tech, pp. 178-180, and Pulp
hostage is hit. He suffers 4d+2 / 2d = 2d cutting damage from
Guns 2, pp. 31-32) are perfect to fight an opponent
the ricochet.
entrenched in a bunker or cave. In addition to their devas-
Savvy underground shooters employ frangible bullets tating incendiary effect and the flame jet that can splash
(High-Tech, p. 167), which don’t ricochet since they disinte- back and forth inside an enclosure, flamethrowers also
grate on impact. Alternatively, the famous Vietcong tunnels in insert hazardous smoke and deplete oxygen. However,
southern Vietnam were dug into clay, which could easily soak this means that the shooter also should be outside of the
up stray bullets. underground structure. Using a flamethrower in a cave
can be quite dangerous to the user and their team as well.

Underground War 29
 Chapter Seven

Aerial Combat
The ranges at which fighting takes place may vary from 400 shots difficult. Balloon-riders, aircraft observers, parachutist
yards to 4 yards. It is very hard to approach a machine to within agents or soldiers dangling under their canopies, and spe-
100 yards without being seen. Hundreds of rounds are fired cial-ops operators or SWAT officers riding in helicopters may
every day at machines at ranges estimated at 50 yards or less all face situations where they need to deploy handheld fire-
without doing any damage. At 200 yards one may expect to get arms and shoot while in the air. The same can apply to jet-
hits and I have taken that as the normal fighting’s range. pack operators or scout troopers firing from speeder bikes . . .
– Lionel Rees, “Fighting in the Air” (1917) Note that the following rules only concern themselves
with manually aimed small arms, not built-in vehicular
Shooting while airborne is challenging, because the dif-
guns.
ferences in altitude, speed, and vector make calculating

Shooting while Flying

The door gunner must understand the challenges of firing
An airborne attacker may be at the same height as the tar-
a machine gun from a helicopter in flight. These challenges
get, but frequently the shooter is higher or lower, making the
include variable airspeeds, ranges, firing angles, and ballistics.
rules for Firing Upward and Downward (p. B407) relevant.
– U.S. Department of the Army,
Distances in aerial combat involving small arms up to
FM 1-140 Helicopter Gunnery (1996)
and including machine guns are often remarkably low.
The airborne shooter faces numerous specific technical During WWI, many shooters opened fired at only 25 yards,
problems. while in WWII, 100 yards was considered effective in
a dogfight.

Aerial Shooter Problems Taking up a handheld firearm onto an aircraft to

fire from it while flying is an old idea. Prior to WWI, the
Wind whips at the shooter and the rifle, air turbulence can Germans experimented with the Mauser JB71 bolt-action
bounce the aircraft without warning, and the helicopter natu- rifle (Adventure Guns, p. 29) that was rechambered to fire
rally vibrates, making aiming difficult. Both eyes need to be open the 12×80mmR Lentz incendiary bullet (High-Tech, p. 175)
to provide the shooter with a wide field of view, and that is why and then known as the Ballongewehr Modell 71 or BG71. In
a non-magnifying optic is better than a magnifying scope. There 1912, the U.S. Army trialed a handheld Lewis Automatic
is a lot of sensory input to process in a short time while remem- Machine Gun (Pulp Guns 2, p. 19) on a Wright Model B
bering where to aim and when to press the trigger. biplane, arguably the first time a machine gun was deployed
– Doug Larson, “Sniper Training: Aerial Gunnery” (2013) from an aircraft.
Shooting from and at flying targets effectively requires
Shooting from an aircraft has special challenges. Many
elaborate sights. Reflex sights (High-Tech, p. 156) and tele-
aircraft are unable to hover; quite a few of them have to
scopic sights (High-Tech, pp. 155-156) were introduced for
maintain considerable speed to stay airborne. This in turn
machine guns in WWI.
may prove disadvantageous to the shooter because of the
During WWI, most belligerents experimented with small
speed penalty (p. B550). Further, any movement can spoil a
arms, including handguns, rifles, and even double-barreled
shooter’s aim and/or move the target. For an occupant of an
shotguns. In the fervent first years of WWI, they designed
aircraft like a helicopter or airplane, see Weapon Fire from
special ammunition for these to take down aircraft – incen-
a Moving Vehicle (p. B469). In particular, this caps the com-
diary bullets for .450 Martini-Henry lever-action carbines
bined aiming bonuses (p. B364) of an unstabilized gun at the
(Adventure Guns, p. 29, and Pulp Guns 2, p. 12), .45-90
SR of the vehicle. The following cumulative modifiers apply
Winchester Model 1886 lever-action rifles (Adventure Guns,
for handheld weapons.
p. 32, and Pulp Guns 2, p. 12), and 12-gauge shotguns (Pulp
Modifiers: ‑1 for handheld firearm (p. B548); ‑2 or a pen- Guns 1, p. 23); tracer rounds (High-Tech, p. 175) for .351
alty equal to Bulk for the operator of the vehicle (see Attack, Winchester Model 1907 semiautomatic rifles (Pulp Guns 2,
p. B469-470); ‑3 for handheld firearm due to movement in pp. 9-10, 12); or chain-shot (Pulp Guns 1, p. 23) for shot-
light turbulence, ‑4 for handheld firearm in medium turbu- guns. In 1916, the mounted machine gun became a viable
lence, ‑5 for handheld firearm in heavy turbulence, or ‑6 for weapon and replaced all of the handheld options.
handheld firearm in severe turbulence.

30 Aerial Combat
 In 1968, CIA contractor Glenn Woods, flight mechanic on Shooting while Parachuting
an unarmed Air America Bell 205 utility helicopter (p. B465),
The parachutists will use tommy guns [sic], rifles, or gre-
shot down a North Vietnamese Antonov An-2 biplane with his
nades while they are descending . . . The Germans cannot aim
Uzi submachine gun (High-Tech, p. 125), one-handed while
effectively while they are descending.
leaning out of the cargo door!
– U.S. Military Intelligence Bulletin,
When shooting from aircraft, a particular issue is spent
“Parachutists (German)” (1942)
cases. Early TL6 planes are so flimsy that they can be dam-
aged by ejected cases. Propellers or engine intakes at all TLs Firing a weapon while dangling from a parachute is
can be damaged if a case gets sucked in. Finally, ejected cases exceedingly difficult. Use the lower of Parachuting or Guns
can hurt or distract fellow crewmembers aboard an aircraft; (High-Tech, p. 61). In addition to the typical descent rate
most combat aircraft have tight confines. (Move 7) increasing the speed/range penalty (p. B550), a
For these reasons, guns used from aircraft are usually fitted shooter is required to take a Move and Attack maneuver,
with a way to catch or deflect the cases to render them harm- for at least ‑2 (p. B548). Of course, the weapon cannot be
less. Most are fitted with a brass catcher (High-Tech, p. 161). braced and often only hand is available to fire it. On the plus
For example, in 1916, the Royal Naval Air Service issued a side, the person can take advantage of the Firing Upward and
clip-on wire cage – and a 16- or 20-round extended maga- Downward rules (p. B407).
zine – with the Colt Government pistols (High-Tech, p. 98)
supplied to its observers. Today, many anti-terrorist units
employ a clip-on catcher with a zippered nylon bag on a
semiautomatic marksman rifle for sniper support from
helicopters. Similarly, door guns like the GE M134 mini-
Health Hazards: Air
gun (High-Tech, pp. 135-136) are usually fitted with a thick Many people get sick while flying. This can seriously
chute to funnel off the many cases. reduce a tactical shooter’s capabilities.
Airsickness. This common form of motion sickness uses
Shooting inside a Plane the same rules as seasickness (p. B436). You must roll vs.
Shooting at someone while inside an aircraft can be HT+5 as soon as you are in the air, +7 on a large aircraft
extremely dangerous to both the shooter and everybody with SM +10 or better. On a failure, you suffer from the
else on board. The fuselage skin of TL6-8 aircraft is usu- Retching affliction (p. B429) and are at ‑5 on all DX, IQ,
ally made of 0.05” light alloy (DR 1). Together with struc- and skill rolls for the rest of the journey. On a success, you
tural elements, insulation, and interior paneling, this suffer from the Nauseated affliction (p. B428) and are at ‑2
barely provides DR 5, often less (p. B465). Windshields on DX, IQ, and skill rolls. With a success by 5 or more, or a
on TL7-8 planes, proof against bird strikes, are usually critical success, you suffer no ill effects at all. Roll daily on
about 2.5” thick and made of a plastic/glass laminate long journeys. By TL7, airsickness can be combated with
(DR 30), while pressurized cabin (side) windows are drugs that have to be taken at least 30 minutes if not sev-
made of 0.5” plastic laminate (DR 7). Passenger seats eral hours earlier.
provide DR 1. Cold. Even TL5 balloons and TL6 open aircraft often
It is advisable to employ frangible ammunition (High- reach heights at which it’s freezing (see p. 8). Early pilots
Tech, p. 167). Before the latter’s widespread adoption at had to wear thick winter clothing because of this, includ-
TL8, some shooters prepared for combat aboard aircraft by ing goggles, heavy gloves, and mittens (p. 36). Aircrews at
using low-powered .22-calibre handguns like the Beretta TL5-6 are often shooting in the cold (see pp. 10-13).
Mod 70 semiautomatic pistol (Tactical Shooting, p. 56).

Aerial Combat 31
 Chapter Eight

Space War
Few strategies, tactics, organizations, weapon systems, At TL7-8, space travel is extremely restricted and unlikely
equipment, and little training designed for use by armed forces to involve real combat, especially with firearms. It is not
on Earth would be suitable for military operations in space. unthinkable, however, especially as technology progresses
– John Collins, Military Geography for into early TL9.
Professionals and the Public (1998)

Space Conditions
Space and most other planets are particularly unhealthy impact shooting. It also imposes long-term problems on the
environments for humans. human body. A potentially unfamiliar gravity is a typical
Living in a different gravity (p. B350), while not in itself condition with combat on spacecraft or on planets different
dangerous, comes with numerous side effects, some of which from Earth.
If atmospheric pressure (pp. B429-430) is differ-
ent from Earth, it can seriously affect performance
of fighters. Mountain shooters may be familiar
H ealth H azards :S pace with thin atmosphere (p. 7), but still thinner atmo-
spheres exist, as do denser ones.
In addition to all the other hazards of the void, adventurers Hazardous atmospheres (p. B429) require envi-
might need to contend with “space sickness.” ronmental suits, whose gloves (p. 36) and enclosed
Space Adaptation Syndrome. This is a common form of motion helmets penalize shooters (compare Sighting
sickness (p. B434). You must roll vs. the higher of HT or Free Fall Shooting in Tactical Shooting, p. 13).
as soon as you enter free fall. On a failure, you suffer from the Other planets may also be cold (p. B430) or
Nauseated affliction (p. B428) and are at ‑2 on DX, IQ, and skill expose shooters to heat (p. B434).
rolls. With a success, you suffer no ill effects at all. Vacuum (p. B437) is, of course, the ultimate
extreme condition and comes with a combination
of problems.

Shooting in Different Gravity

Spin gravity as found in some space stations and space compatible with either them or flash hiders. Zero-g compen-
ships gives ‑2 to Guns. This, however, is only a familiarity issue sators cost $250 and weigh 0.5 lb.
(p. B169). Instead of practice, it requires a HT roll to adapt. The range of firearms is increased in low gravity and
For every G-Increment of difference – or two full decreased in high gravity. For simplicity’s sake, multiply both
G-Increments, for those who have the G-Experience 1/2D and Max by the ratio of 1G to local gravity. Neither gun
advantage (p. B57) – between the home gravity and the local nor shooter can counter this, and the shooter has to under-
gravity results in ‑1 to Guns (see Different Gravity, p. B350). stand the phenomena to deal with them. Even medium-dis-
Minimum ST increases by +1 for per loss or gain of 0.2G. tance shots can require extreme compensation. This is a ‑2
In microgravity or zero gravity, use the lower of Free familiarity issue. The Precision Aiming technique (Tactical
Fall and Guns for all firearms with Rcl 2 or higher, includ- Shooting, p. 45) has to be adjusted for every 0.2G step of grav-
ing shotguns (as per Free Fall, p. B197, and Different Gravity, ity. This is also a ‑2 familiarity issue.
p. B350). The Zero-G Shooting technique (p. 35) is useful to
Example: A TDI Kriss Super V submachine gun with Range
avoid any penalties. Furthermore, unless the shooter is fully
150/1,600 and ST 7† (Tactical Shooting, p. 65) would, if fired
braced against an immobile object, guns fired in microgravity
in microgravity, get its range multiplied by 1 / 0.1G = 10, for
are more affected by recoil – increase minimum ST by +5 and
1,500 / 16,000. On a high-gravity planet with 1.25G, it would
add +1 to Rcl. Firearms designed to be used in microgravity
get its range multiplied by 1 / 1.25G = 0.8, for 120/1,280. In
or zero gravity are fitted with special zero-g compensators at
microgravity – almost five increments of 0.2G below 1G – ST
the muzzle, which direct the firing gases in a way that these
would be increased by 5 to 12†, while in 1.25G – two incre-
effects are negated. These don’t provide the advantages of
ments of 0.2G above 1G – it would be increased by 2 to 9†.
ordinary compensators (Tactical Shooting, p. 76), and aren’t

32 Space War
 Shooting in Space
Any firearm can be fired in space – even TL5-8 metallic quality-control issues of weapon and ammunition doomed the
cartridges contain their own oxidizers. However, ordinary project – plus of course the fact that actual space flight so far
lubricants quickly vaporize in vacuum. The firearm needs to hasn’t had much use for weapons in space. At more advanced
be designed to need little or no lubrication, or to be used with TLs, the technology might see a renaissance (see Ultra-Tech,
special vacuum-proof lubricants. Either has no effect on cost p. 144, and Transhuman Space, p. 155).
or weight, but must be in the design from the start. A gun that The only weapon that has actually regularly been in space
is not lubricated properly has its Malf. worsened by ‑1 or more is the TOZ TP-82 drilling (High-Tech, p. 108). It was carried
(per High-Tech, p. 80). Consequently, all TL5-8 automatic fire- as a survival gun on all Russian spacecraft between 1988
arms are reduced to Malf. 14 in space (per High-Tech, p. 85). and 2007.
The chief issue in firing a gun in vacuum is the extreme The only gun that has actually been fired in space so far is
temperature change. Space can be extremely cold or hot the Tulamashzavod R-23 autocannon (pp. 39, 40). This was
(see Vacuum, p. B437). As soon as the gun is fired, even for mounted on the Salyut-3 space station and trial-fired in 1975.
a few shots, the action and barrel heat
up considerably and expand. Extreme
temperature fluctuations negatively
impact precision (reduce Acc by ‑1),
lead to jams (worsen Malf. by ‑2),
and can ultimately result in a cata-
strophic explosion (p. B407) due to
material fatigue. In space, gear must
make one HT+4 roll per day to avoid
breakdown. See Slime, Sand, and
Equipment Failure (p. B485).
In those TL9 societies that fea-
ture frequent space travel, guns may
be space-proofed. Space-proof guns
need especially efficient ways to
dissipate heat. They also need to be
built from materials that can take the
temperature fluctuations. Multiply
cost and weight of the gun by 1.2.
Guns designed to be fired in space
need an oversized trigger and trigger
guard to accommodate the gloves
used with environmental suits, vacc
suits, space armor, and battlesuits.
Otherwise, the trigger can’t be pulled
at all. Even with an appropriate trig-
ger, all Guns rolls are at ‑2 due to
the reduced manual dexterity while
wearing gloves.
The lack of air pressure in space
has no significant effect on muzzle
energy and thus damage. It does the-
oretically increase range to infinite
if there’s no gravity as well as no air
pressure – if there’s gravity, then pro-
jectiles that don’t escape it eventually
are stopped by something.
The one real, historical firearm
that is best suited to use in space is the
MBA Gyrojet Mark I Model B pistol
(High-Tech, p. 99). Its gyroscopically
stabilized 13mm rocket projectile is
almost recoilless and thus perfect
for firing in a vacuum. NASA was
one of the customers specifically
targeted by the manufacturer, but

Space War 33
 Chapter Nine

Extreme
Shooters
Characters trained for extreme conditions have access to Sure-Footed (Slippery): Mud.
specialized skills and techniques. Sure-Footed (Snow): Snow, loose or packed.
Sure-Footed (Uneven): Rocks, etc.

Skills Sure-Footed (Water): Water no more than waist-deep.

Sure-Footed (Zero-G): Zero gravity using magnetic boots.
Shooters in extreme conditions need not only to be able to
The GM may offer other versions based on possible envi-
shoot, but also to cope with the specific environmental condi-
ronments in a campaign. Sure-Footed doesn’t aid DX in gen-
tions of their extreme environment.
eral, or Move. For that, buy Terrain Adaptation (p. B93).

Soldier/TL
see p. B221 Tape the muzzle of your weapon to keep
Well-trained military personnel with the Soldier skill out water and dirt . . . Replace the cartridge
know about and can perform the routines to avoid or in the chamber of your weapon each morning
reduce penalties due to extreme conditions. Since this isn’t
a primary component of the skill, rolls are usually at ‑2. “quietly.” Condensation may cause a
malfunction. Oil the selector switch on your
Survival weapon daily and work the switch back and
see pp. B223-224 forth, especially during rainy season. This
Survival clues the shooter in on the numerous small will prevent the common occurrence of a
routines to avoid or reduce penalties due to a specific envi-
ronmental condition. stuck switch . . . To improve noise discipline,
tape all sling swivels or remove them from
Perks weapons.
A number of perks are particularly useful in extreme – Project (B-52) Delta Headquarters,
conditions. A perk marked with † requires specialization. Special Forces Combat
Recon Manual (1970)
Naval Training
You’ve trained at fighting on a rocking ship or boat.
You may ignore the ‑2 to attack and ‑1 to defend for bad foot-
ing under those circumstances.
Techniques
The following shooting techniques are quite specialized,
but both realistic and useful in certain severe situations.
Sea Legs A technique marked with † requires specialization.
You have +3 to resist Seasickness (p. B436) and any similar
form of motion sickness.
Corner-Shot†
Sure-Footed† Average
Default: Guns-2.
You’ve studied low, stable stances for fighting on unfavor-
Prerequisite: Guns; cannot exceed Guns.
able ground. This lets you ignore the ‑2 to attack and ‑1 to
defend for a specific type of bad footing: This technique enables you to buy off the ‑2 to
Guns when firing around a corner (see Using Cover in
Sure-Footed (Ice): Frozen puddles, lakes, etc.
Tactical Shooting, p. 28 at a target that you can see
Sure-Footed (Sand): Beach or desert.
by way of an optical, electronic, or other aiming aid.

34 Extreme Shooters
Long arms, but not handguns, suffer additional penalties Work Underwater
due to the awkward unsupported stance (Tactical Shooting,
p. 12); these can’t be bought off. You must specialize. Hard
Default: prerequisite skill‑4.
Prerequisite: Any DX-based skill normally not performed
Shooting into Water underwater; cannot exceed prerequisite skill.
Hard
This technique allows you to buy off the basic ‑4 penalty
Default: prerequisite skill-4.
for non-Amphibious (p. B40) people to perform normally non-
Prerequisite: Any ranged combat skill; cannot exceed pre-
aquatic DX-based skills underwater. In the context of Tactical
requisite skill.
Shooting: Extreme Conditions, this particularly applies to
This technique allows you to buy off the basic ‑4 penalty DX-based Explosives and to Fast-Draw rolls. It does not apply
for shooting or throwing from outside the water at a target to DX-based combat skills, including Guns.
underwater (see p. 23).
Zero-G Shooting
The water all around appeared alive Hard
with sharks . . . Rifles were got out from Default: Free Fall.
their cases, but though many a bullet Prerequisites: Free Fall and Guns; cannot exceed Free
Fall+4.
ploughed the water on apparently
This technique represents training at shooting in low to
the very spot where the great fish showed no gravity (p. B350). It doesn’t cover the actual shooting – for
themselves, this method of securing that, improve Guns – but where the rules limit Guns skill to
them was . . . unsuccessful. Free Fall (p. B197), your limit is Zero-G Shooting instead.
Zero-G Shooting never aids ordinary Free Fall rolls, but
– Florence Dixie, In the Land you may use it instead of Free Fall if the GM requires a
of Misfortune (1882) roll against that skill to handle the effects of discharging
a firearm.

Extreme Shooters 35
 Chapter Ten

Extreme Gear
Extreme conditions require extreme equipment. A variety for most guns, since they generally don’t allow squeezing the
of specialized guns and gear supports the tactical shooter. trigger of a firearm at all, unless the weapon has either no
More can be found in High-Tech and Tactical Shooting. trigger guard, or an exceptionally large one, such as the Steyr
AUG A1 assault rifle (High-Tech, p. 118), or if it has a winter

Clothing trigger (p. 40). DR 1* vs. cutting. $40, 0.7 lb.

Trigger Finger Mittens (TL6). These are mittens with a sep-
Most extreme conditions are too extreme for the unpro-
arate trigger finger to allow squeezing the trigger of a fire-
tected human body to function perfectly. Adequate clothing
arm – but they are still at ‑2 to Guns and ‑6 to Fast-Draw. The
protects people and allows them to shoot anyway.
finger is too thick to insert into the trigger guard of many
guns, especially pocket pistols. $45, 0.7 lb.
Gloves (TL1)
Gloves are a requirement of winter clothing. Fingered
gloves hamper dexterity, giving the wearer Bad Grip 1 Extreme Firearms
(p. B123) for ‑2 to Guns and Ham-Fisted 1 (p. B138) for ‑3 to This section describes guns optimized for use underwater,
Fast-Draw. Gloves make it impossible to squeeze the trigger underground, or in winter or desert warfare.
on guns with small trigger guards, such as the FN-Browning
Mle 1906 semiautomatic pistol (High-Tech, p. 97) or the orig- Handguns
inal Nambu Taishou 14 Shiki semiautomatic pistol (High- Some handguns have special features that improve perfor-
Tech, p. 99). DR 1* vs. cutting. $15, 0.2 lb. mance under extreme conditions.
Good-quality TL8 gloves made of thin leather or synthetics, A special run of the Colt Model 1878 Double-Action Army
often called “mechanics’ gloves” or “shooting gloves,” provide revolver for the U.S. Army, the M1902 “Alaskan” (Adventure
good grip and tactile sensitivity, yet protect the hands against Guns, pp. 15-16) – as well as all post-1939 production samples
abrasion, minor cuts, and freezing fast to metal. They reduce of the Nambu Taishou 14 Shiki pistol (High-Tech, p. 99) – have
the DX penalties, especially for Guns and Fast-Draw, to only an enlarged trigger guard that allows use while wearing gloves.
‑1. $30, 0.2 lb. The H&K MK 23 MOD 0 pistol (Tactical Shooting, p. 58)
Fingerless Gloves (TL5). Also known as “recon gloves” (see likewise has an enlarged trigger guard, although its primary
SEALs in Vietnam, p. 22), these are gloves with most of the intention is to permit shooting while wearing diving gloves.
fingers cut off. As a compromise, they don’t give the wearer Glock has offered firing spring cups ($15) that improve
Bad Grip 1 and Ham-Fisted 1, but also protect only the hand maritime use for its 9×19mm semiautomatic pistols (High-
and knuckles, not the fingers. This counts as an item missing Tech, pp. 100-101) since 1993. Installation requires an
from winter clothing (see It’s Freezing!, p. 8). $15, 0.15 lb. IQ-based Guns+4 or an Armoury (Small Arms)+4 roll and
Diving Gloves (TL7). These then allows firing the pistol without Malf.
rubber or synthetic gloves pro- reduction immediately after surfacing from
tect the hands against cold Gloves should always swimming or even while underwater.
water and abrasions from cor- be worn in low-light
als or cave walls. They are part VKT-Lahti L-35, 9×19mm Parabellum
of a wetsuit (High-Tech, p. 76) operations, to both hide (Finland, 1936-1951)
and thus only good to about and protect the hands. Designed by Aimo Lahti for the Finnish
35°F. They share all the prob- military, this hammerless pistol is uniquely
lems of normal gloves. DR 1* – Andy Stanford, adapted for service in winter conditions. Since
vs. cutting. Cost and weight Fight at Night (1999) cold reduces the propellant pressure (see p. 12),
are included in the suit. semiautomatic weapons can suffer from jams.
The Lahti pistol features a bolt accelerator to
Mittens (TL0) ensure reliable functioning. Oddly, the L-35 has a trigger
guard that is difficult to use with gloves. As the Pist/35, it
Mittens with fur or wool liners are optional for winter
saw heavy use with the Finnish army during the Winter War,
clothing if gloves are available, but they’re a requirement for
Continuation War, and WWII (WWII: Frozen Hell, p. 32).
arctic clothing. Mittens are clumsy, giving the wearer Bad
It was also licensed to Sweden, where it was built as the
Grip 1 (p. B123) for ‑2 to Guns and Ham-Fisted 2 (p. B138)
Husqvarna m/40 (1940-1946); same stats. The armies of both
for ‑6 to Fast-Draw. The penalty for Guns is merely theoretical
Nordic countries used the pistols well into the 1980s.

36 Extreme Gear
AAI QSPR, .40 QSPR (USA, 1969-1973)
A tactical tool for a unique situation, the Quiet
Special-Purpose Revolver (QSPR) or “tunnel weapon”
was designed by the U.S. Army’s Limited Warfare
Tunnel Exploration
Laboratory (LWL) for use by “tunnel rats” investi- Kit (TL7)
gating the vast underground systems of the Vietcong In 1966, the U.S. Army Limited War Laboratory (LWL)
during the Vietnam War. The tight confines called for assembled the Tunnel Exploration Kit (TEK) for use by “tun-
a small weapon with reduced firing signature – flash nel rats” in South Vietnam. This costs $4,500. It consisted of
and noise of ordinary firearms are almost unbearable three major components:
in tunnels (see Hearing, p. 27).
Hand-built by Aircraft Armaments Inc. (AAI), • A field cap with a miner’s lamp on the bill and an on/off
the QSPR is based on the S&W Model 29 revolver switch operated by biting on it. It weighs 1 lb.
(High-Tech, p. 96). The barrel is replaced by a 1.4” • A communication assembly consisting of an experimen-
smoothbore barrel, the sights are removed, and the tal ear microphone system (High-Tech, p. 39) with earpiece
cylinder is prepared to accept the .40 QSPR cartridge and a bone conductor microphone, usually plugged into a mil-
(10×48mmR, CPS $70, WPS 0.04). This is an experi- itary telephone with an 880-yard communications wire (High-
mental captive-piston silent round (High-Tech, p. 165) Tech, p. 37) on a spool carried on the back of the belt.
firing a birdshot load (High-Tech, p. 173) with 15 tung- • A S&W Model 10 revolver (High-Tech, p. 95) with a
sten pellets. Ten revolvers were shipped to Vietnam for detachable pistol baffle sound suppressor (High-Tech, p. 159)
trials. It was issued with a shoulder holster (High-Tech, and small tactical light (High-Tech, p. 156) mounted on top, in
p. 154) that had two pouches on the straps for an odd a military holster (High-Tech, p. 154). This was supposed to be
seven spare cartridges each. Although the “tunnel rats” used with subsonic ammunition (High-Tech, p. 165).
liked its reduced sound signature (“like a cap gun”), the A mere six of the kits were trialed in 1966, but proved inef-
shotload proved not effective enough, and the expen- ficient. The headlamp was awkward and its bite switch unre-
sive custom ammunition suffered a high rate of mis- liable. The communication equipment was immature, being
fires (p. B407). All 10 were withdrawn only six months essentially a TL early. Unsurprisingly, the suppressor didn’t
after issue. AAI continued to tinker with the design but work properly on a revolver, and the subsonic ammunition
eventually gave up in 1973. Some 17 were built in all. never reached the troops in Vietnam. Still, the TEK shows
The weapon features in Frederick Forsythe’s Avenger. what’s required in the way of equipment in tunnel fighting.
TsNIITochMash SPP-1, 4.5×39mmR SPS
(Russia, 1971-1979)
The Spetsialnyj Podvodnyj Pistolet-1 (“special underwater Rifles
pistol-1”) is a four-barreled, double-action-only hammerless The double barrelled rifle is the ideal jungle weapon for big
pistol developed for Russian navy Spetsnaz (Special Ops, game. If made by a good maker it has the “ feel” of a well bal-
p. 40). The action breaks open to load a clip of four car- anced shotgun . . . and is superior to any other type of weapon
tridges. Its 4.5×39mmR SPS ammunition (CPS $1.50, WPS for snap-shots at moving game or for a quick “right and left.”
0.039) fires a blunt-tip, cavitation-stabilized underwater dart It also has the advantage of being noiseless when being opened
(High-Tech, p. 169). At its maximum operating depth of 30’, or closed.
multiply distance to the target by 25 rather than 1,000 to see – The Times of India, “Useful Shikar
whether it’s in range – see p. 25. Hints for Novices” (1933)
The modernized TOZ SPP-1M (1979-) has improved func-
tioning and an enlarged trigger guard for use with div- A number of rifles have been designed or modified with
ing gloves (p. 36); same stats. The Russians even use it for extreme conditions in mind. During WWI, the Winchester
patrolling the sewers below the Kremlin. Model 1907 semiautomatic rifle (Pulp Guns 2, pp. 9-10)
The SPP-1M is issued with a military holster (High-Tech, was fitted with an enlarged trigger guard and cocking piece
p. 154) and four clips. It is copied in China as the NORINCO to improve handling with the heavy gloves worn by Royal
QSS05 (2005-); same stats. Flying Corps aviators in their cold open cockpits. These also
had extended 10-round magazines to avoid frequent mag-
azine changes and brass catchers to prevent damage to
the flimsy aircraft (see p. 31). The Steyr AUG A1 assault
. . . one of the Tunnel Weapons was rifle (High-Tech, p. 118) has a trigger guard that is so large
that it accommodates the entire hand – perfect for shoot-
reported lost in Vietnam. This weapon was ing with gloves or mittens (p. 36) in the Alpine winters.
later recovered in California where it had The Accuracy International AW sniper rifle (High-Tech,
been used as a suppressed weapon in a pp. 118-119) was originally developed for the Swedish
army and is, as its Arctic Warfare (AW) designation sug-
murder. gests, optimized for use in subzero conditions. Its special
– Kevin Dockery, “Tunnel Weapon: features include a bolt that has slots to prevent freezing
and problems with precipitation, as well as enlarged con-
The Bang in the Dark” (2002) trols like the magazine release and trigger guard to allow
use with gloves.

Extreme Gear 37
 The TsNIITochMash APS assault rifle (High-Tech, p. 117) weapon’s maximum operating depth of 130’, multiply distance
was specifically designed for underwater use. The H&K to the target by 25 – not by 1,000 – to see whether it’s in range
HK416-series of assault rifles (Tactical Shooting, pp. 63-64) (see p. 25). Like the APS, the QBS06 has a very limited barrel
is available in an over-the-beach configuration that is opti- life before Acc is reduced by 2; it can only fire about 200 shots
mized for amphibious landings. It has drain holes in the bolt in air and 2,000 shots underwater before being worn out. Due
carrier, buffer tube, and buttstock to ensure fast drainage of to the long cartridges, the magazine is rather unwieldy. The
water after submersion. QBS06 has a retractable stock.

NORINCO QBS06, 5.8×42mm DBS06 TsKIBSOO ADS, 5.45×39mm (Russia, 2013-)

(China, 2006-) The Avtomat Dvukhsrednyy Spetsial’nyy (“special amphib-
This is a Chinese copy of the Russian TsNIITochMash APS ious assault rifle”) was developed as a fully amphibious
but chambered for the standard Chinese 5.8×42mm cartridge weapon to arm combat divers. Conventional rifles have seri-
firing a long, cavitation-stabilized dart with acceptable per- ous drawbacks when fired underwater or from the water,
formance in air and reasonable results underwater. At the while dedicated underwater guns like the TsNIITochMash
APS or NORINCO QBS06 are next to useless outside the
water, their special underwater ammunition (High-Tech
p. 169) lacking punch, accuracy, and range in the air.
The ADS is a multipurpose weapon chambered for
C utting orners C the 5.45×39mm M-74 cartridge, using standard AK-74
Shooting around corners while retaining the benefit of magazines (High-Tech, p. 114). In addition to normal
cover (Tactical Shooting, pp. 28-29) has always been desir- bullets, it can also fire a cavitation-stabilized under-
able, but early attempts like the curved barrel attachments water round (Dmg 3d+2 imp, Acc 2, Range 750/3,200);
for the Haenel StG44 assault rifle (High-Tech, p. 115) weren’t its long bullet is telescoped backwards into the case
successful. In 2003, the CornerShot CSM was introduced. to keep the cartridge’s length in check. The shooter
Designed by Israeli anti-terror specialists, this is a rifle-like has to switch the gas regulator to either the “air” or
frame hinged in the middle, allowing the front half mount- “water” setting. This takes one Ready maneuver. At the
ing a pistol to swivel to the left or right. It has been adopted weapon’s maximum operating depth of 130’, multi-
by a number of special units and copied in China, India, ply distance to the target by 25 – not by 1,000 – to see
Pakistan, and South Korea. whether it’s in range (see p. 25).
The front half accepts a pistol (model specified by the The ADS ejects the cases forward, making it ambi-
buyer) which is fired via a trigger extension. Mounted below dextrous despite being a bullpup. The carrying handle
the muzzle is a detachable digital camera (High-Tech, p. 43) includes an integral accessory rail (High-Tech, p. 161)
as well as a 25-yard tactical light (High-Tech, p. 156) and to mount optics.
200-yard red targeting laser (High-Tech, pp. 156-157). The There is a muzzleloading underbarrel grenade
front half swivels 60° to the left or right by operating a lever launcher permanently integrated into the handguard,
below it that swings it around and locks it (takes a Ready with a separate trigger inside the rifle trigger guard.
maneuver). This fires the same 40mm VOG-25 grenade rounds as
The rear half features a pistol grip, trigger, folding stock the KBP GP-25 (High-Tech, p. 142); same stats. The
(High-Tech, p. 160), and fold-out color video screen that dis- grenade launcher can’t be used underwater.
plays the image from the camera. A video port can feed the The rifle was trialed by Russian navy Spetsnaz
image to a recorder or upper echelons for real-time supervi- (Special Ops, p. 40) from 2007, adopted in small num-
sion. An accessory rail (High-Tech, p. 161) on top of the rear bers in 2013, and put into full production in 2018.
half can mount a sighting device for straight shooting. The
battery pack contains 8×XS batteries that power the entire Submachine Guns
unit for 2.5 hours. In the wilderness of the north, where the fire fight is
The CSM costs $7,500 and weighs 8.5 lbs., excluding the usually carried on at close range, a high cyclic rate of fire
pistol. Change the pistol’s effective Bulk to ‑5*! The entire in small arms is more important than accuracy. The sub-
setup can be fitted with a bipod (High-Tech, p. 160). LC2. machine gun is ideal for arctic combat.
The video receiver and large monitor comes in either a back- – U.S. Army Center of Military History, Effects of
pack ($500, 13 lbs.) or a hardcase (DR 2, $500, 15 lbs.). Climate on Combat in European Russia (1952)
Shooting straight requires unmodified Guns (Rifle)
skill. Shooting around a corner or barricade employing the Some SMGs are better suited to certain extreme
video screen is at ‑1 to skill – but receives all the advantages conditions. For example, the Australian Lysaght Owen
offered by the tactical light and laser, if engaged. Reloading Mk I (Tactical Shooting, p. 64) is designed for jungle
takes an extra second. warfare. Instead of having the magazine well under or
The CSM can be seen in Flashpoint #1.9 (mounting a to the side of the gun, the magazine is inserted from
Glock 17), and Wanted (mounting a compensated Safari the top. This ensures high reliability and might prevent
Arms .45 Matchmaster pistol similar to the AMT .45 Hard- it from snagging in underbrush (see p. 21). Most Owen
baller Longslide). guns are spray-painted in a jungle camouflage pattern
from the factory.

38 Extreme Gear
Handguns Table
See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.

GUNS (PISTOL) (DX-4 or most other Guns at ‑2)

TL Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC Notes
6 VKT-Lahti L-35, 2d+2 pi 2 160/1,800 2.8/0.5 3 8+1(3) 9 -2 2 $500/$26 2
9×19mm
7 AAI QSPR, .40 1d-3(0.5) 0 20/380 2.4/0.24 3×15 6(2i) 10 -1 1 $1,600 2 [1, 2, 3]
QSPR pi-
7 TsNIITochMash 1d+1 imp 1 400/1,700 2.3/0.2 3 4(3) 9 -2 2 $500 3
SPP-1,
4.5×39mmR

Note
[1] No lanyard ring (High-Tech, p. 154).
[2] Unreliable. Malfunctions on 16+ (see p. B407).
[3] Fires only silent ammunition (see p. 37 and High-Tech, p. 165).

Rifles Table
See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.

GUNS (RIFLE) (DX-4 or most other Guns at ‑2)

TL Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC Note
8 NORINCO QBS06, 5d imp 2 750/3,200 9.7/2.8 10 25+1(3) 9† -5* 2 $750/$33 2 [1]
5.8×42mm
8 TsKIBSOO ADS, 4d+2 pi 4 440/3,000 11.3/1.2 13 30+1(3) 9† -4 2 $750/$28 2 [1]
5.45×39mm

Note
[1] Performance in air; see description for underwater performance.

Submachine Guns Table

See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.

GUNS (SMG) (DX-4 or most other Guns at ‑2)

TL Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC
8 H&K HK54A1, 3d-1 pi 4 160/1,900 9.4/2.8 13 50+1(3) 8† -4* 2 $3,500/$300 2
9×19mm

Machine Guns and Autocannon Table

See pp. B268-271 for an explanation of the statistics.

GUNNER (MACHINE GUN) (DX-4 or other Gunner at ‑4)

TL Weapon Damage Acc Range Weight RoF Shots ST Bulk Rcl Cost LC
7 Tulamashzavod R-23, 5d×3 pi++ 5 1,500/5,500 129/Var. 43 Var. 24M -9 3 $25,000 1
23×260mm CTA
follow-up 3d [1d+1]
cr ex

The rushing water passing under a guarded bridge was sufficient to

cover the low noise a suppressed [submachine gun] gave out . . .
– Timothy Mullin, Special Operations:
Weapons and Tactics (2003)

Extreme Gear 39
H&K HK54A1, 9×19mm Parabellum belts (66 lbs. for 100 rounds). Its main round is SAPHE-T
(Germany, 1983) (in table).
This is a variant of the H&K MP5A3 (High-Tech, p. 123) It holds the distinction of being the first gun to be fired
designed for special-ops users; the requesting (and only) cus- in space – it successfully destroyed a target satellite at 3,300
tomers were the U.S. Navy SEALs (Special Ops, pp. 30-31). It yards range on January 24, 1975. An R-23 was installed along
offers single shots, 3-round limited bursts (RoF 9), and full-au- the axis of the Salyut-3 space station, with a 32-round belt. The
tomatic fire. The HK54A1 has a retractable stock and can use whole craft had to be pointed in order to aim the weapon, and
a 50-round plastic drum (in table), in addition to the 15-round had to use its main propulsion unit to counteract the recoil
and 30-round magazines employed by the MP5-series. It has generated by the gun. This was computer-controlled. Western
an enlarged trigger guard to accommodate diving gloves and analysts suspect that the orbit was considerably changed by
similar handwear. The HK54A1 can take most accessories the firing.
developed for the MP5A3. For use in space combat, treat it as a 2cm very rapid fire
The major difference between the HK54A1 and earlier conventional gun (Spaceships, pp. 27-29) in a fixed mount.
types is that it is uniquely prepared for sound-suppressed use.
The barrel is perforated, and the user can open or close the
holes by pressing a button. Closed, the gun fires supersonic
Firearm Accessories
(in table), but if opened, it fires subsonic (‑1 Hearing, Dmg Many TL8 firearm designs feature especially large trigger
2d pi, Range 120/1,400) by bleeding off firing gases. A detach- guards, and sometimes also large controls such as safeties, to
able baffle sound suppressor can be slipped over the barrel allow easy operation with gloves.
(‑2 Hearing, ‑1 Bulk, $500, 0.9 lb.). Finally, the shooter can
activate a bolt-lock (‑1 Hearing, RoF 1). Winter Trigger (TL6)
A few prototypes were used by U.S. Navy SEALs in com- A gloved trigger finger often can’t be inserted into the
bat during Operation URGENT FURY on Grenada in 1983, trigger guard. Mittens without a separate trigger finger com-
but the HK54A1 was too specialized. The SEALs eventually pletely prevent firing the gun. Some firearms have built-in
adopted the simpler MP5-N instead. solutions to this. The lower part of the trigger guard on the
Colt AR-15 series (High-Tech, pp. 117, 119) can be folded
Machine Guns and Autocannon down to allow use with mittens. The trigger guard of the
Machine guns are important small-unit fire-support weap- Steyr AUG A1 (High-Tech, p. 118) is so large that the entire
ons, but extreme environmental conditions often make their hand can be inserted.
use difficult because of their Bulk or the weight of their Modifications similar in effect include the removal of
ammunition. the lower part of the trigger guard (which is permanent and
therefore not normally recommended) or the installation of
Tulamashzavod R-23, 23×260mm CTA a TL7 winter trigger, a small accessory ($15, neg.) fitted to
(Russia, 1964-1971) the normal trigger that extends beyond the guard. An acces-
sory winter trigger can be installed with an Armoury (Small
The Rikhter 23mm, designed by Aron Rikhter, is a light-
Arms)+4 or IQ-based Guns roll. This typically takes at least
weight revolver autocannon intended as an aircraft arma-
10 Ready maneuvers.
ment. The cannon was primarily used as a defensive gun
This is available for the Mauser Kar98K (High-Tech,
with a 500-round belt in the tail turret of the Soviet Tupolev
p. 111; from 1942), Springfield M14 (High-Tech, p. 115),
Tu-22 bomber.
H&K G3A3 (High-Tech, p. 116) and other H&K long arms,
The R-23 is chambered for the 23×260mm cased-tele-
ERMA MP40 (High-Tech, p. 124; from 1942), Rheinmetall
scoped cartridge (CPS $15, WPS 0.6) and uses disintegrating
MG42 (High-Tech, p. 134), and many other firearms.

40 Extreme Gear
 Appendix

Extreme
Conditions in
Films and TV
The listed films and TV series can help with visualizing the in his mittens to operate his Mauser C96 pistol (Adventure
problems and procedures discussed in this supplement. Guns, pp. 19-20). Bounty hunter “Loco” keeps his Colt SAA
Artillery revolver (Adventure Guns, pp. 14-15) warm under
Alien vs. Predator (Paul Anderson, 2004). Set in 2004, this
his fur robe. Inexperienced sheriff Gideon Burnett suffers
displays many of the movement and visibility issues with
his Winchester Model 1866 carbine (Adventure Guns, p. 28)
being underground, even using powerful TL8 lights.
freezing shut.
Aliens (James Cameron, 1986). Set in 2179, this shows
Ice Station Zebra (John Sturges, 1968). Set in the Arctic in
some of the problems of shooting and setting off explosions in
1968, this discusses some of the effects of the climate on fire-
narrow underground ventilation shafts.
arms and shows snow goggles and mittens in use.
Band of Brothers (Tom Hanks and Erik Jendresen, 2001).
Inception (Christopher Nolan, 2010). On the “winter for-
The episodes set during the winter of 1944/1945 show many
tress” dream level, both Dominick Cobb and Eames use cam-
aspects of the hardships of winter warfare, including the lim-
ouflaged weapons (Tactical Shooting, p. 76).
ited visibility.
Beneath Hill 60 (Jeremy Hartley Sims, 2010). Set in 1916,
this follows Australian Army Diggers into the tunnels beneath
the trenches of the Western Front. It shows Webley Mk VI I can wholeheartedly endorse the new
revolvers (High-Tech, p. 96) and Lee-Enfield SMLE Mk III breed of Austrians. Glock 34 and 26. Re-
rifles (High-Tech, p. 112) being used underground, the latter
sawed off (Tactical Shooting, pp. 69-70) to reduce Bulk in the
contoured grips. Flared magwell for easier
tunnels. reloads. And I know you’ll appreciate the
Captain Phillips (Paul Greengrass, 2013). Set in 2009, this custom porting.
shows U.S. Navy SEAL snipers from DEVGRU firing head-
shots with their sound-suppressed KAC MK 11 MOD 0 rifles – Sommelier, in John Wick:
(Tactical Shooting, pp. 62-63) while both they and their tar- Chapter 2 (2017)
gets float on the sea.
Death Hunt (Peter Hunt, 1981). Set in 1932, RCMP Sergeant
Edgar Millen wears snow goggles, mittens, and gloves with
John Wick: Chapter 2 (Chad Stahelski, 2017). This features
cut-off trigger finger. It shows the problem of frozen dynamite,
extensive underground combat and shows how quickly this
but the method depicted for thawing it over a fire is the one
can devolve into close combat, including close-contact shots
to never use.
(Tactical Shooting, pp. 25-26).
The Descent – Part 2 (Jon Harris, 2009). Set in 2005, this
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (Chad Stahelski, 2019).
shows the danger of shots leading to cave-ins.
A thug fires an H&K MP5A3-type submachine gun underwa-
Fargo #1.6 (Colin Bucksey, 2014). Set in 2006, this aptly
ter, only to find that his bullets are stopped short.
demonstrates the effects of a “whiteout” on a shootout during
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (Jan de Bont,
a Minnesota blizzard.
2003). Archaeologist Lady Lara Croft uses an H&K P11 pistol
The Four Feathers (Zoltán Korda, 1939). Set in 1895, British
(High-Tech, pp. 91-92) underwater.
Army Captain John Durrance is blinded by sunstroke in the
Lethal Weapon 4 (Richard Donner, 1998). Set in 1998,
desert of the Sudan.
LAPD detective Martin Riggs uses an AKMS-type assault rifle
The Great Silence (Sergio Corbucci, 1968). Set during the
(High-Tech, p. 114) to shoot an adversary point-blank while
“Great Blizzard” of 1899, this shows many details of win-
underwater.
ter combat. Gunslinger “Silence” wears fingerless gloves

Extreme Conditions in Films and TV 41

 Live Free or Die Hard (Len Wiseman, 2007). Set in 2007, this Sicario (Denis Villeneuve, 2015). Set in 2015, this shows
depicts a lot of gunfire from a helicopter, showing – among some of the issues of underground shooting, including the
other things – the use of a brass catcher on a hit man’s Colt lack of cover.
M16A1-type assault rifle (High-Tech, p. 117) and why it is Sniper (Luis Llosa, 1993). Discusses the difficulty of mak-
important (or in this case, not!) to use a harness to prevent the ing a precision shot from a helicopter and the importance of
shooter from falling from the helicopter. keeping the weapon from submerging.
The Mechanic (Michael Winner, 1972). Set in 1972, The Sopranos #3.11 (Steve Buscemi, 2001). Even the New
hit man Arthur Bishop wraps his sawed-off Remington Jersey winter can slow a shooter down, as this episode in the
Model 31 pump-action shotgun in watertight plastic before Pine Barrens shows. Tracks in the snow are more difficult to
SCUBA-diving. follow than commonly imagined, and the cold conditions have
Mindhunters (Renny Harlin, 2004). FBI agent Lucas Harper a considerable psychological impact.
fires a Beretta Mod 92-type semiautomatic pistol (High-Tech, S.W.A.T. (Clark Johnson, 2003). Set in Los Angeles in 2002,
p. 100) underwater, only to find that his bullets are stopped this film shows some of the communication and visibility
short. issues with being underground, even with modern radios and
Nine Lives (Arne Skouen, 1957). Set in 1943, this film tactical lights.
recounts the true story of Norwegian SOE agent Jan Baalsrud. Tears of the Sun (Antoine Fuqua, 2003). Set in Nigeria in
It shows many issues of winter warfare, including the effects 2002, this shows the short distances of jungle warfare.
of frostbite and snow blindness. Terminator Salvation (McG, 2009). Set in 2018, this shows
No Country for Old Men (Ethan and Joel Coen, 2007). Set both the limited visibility in underground structures and that
in 1980, Vietnam veteran Llewelyn Moss shows how to quick- an H&K HK416D145RS assault rifle (Tactical Shooting,
drain a Colt Government pistol (High-Tech, p. 98) after a pp. 63-64) fires after submerging it.
swim. The Thing (John Carpenter, 1982). This shows snow and
Platoon (Oliver Stone, 1986). Set in 1967, this shows U.S. glacier goggles in use in Antarctica. Shooting is depicted as
Army Sergeant Elias Grodin using his Colt M1911A1 pistol being unhampered, but mostly occurs inside a science station.
(High-Tech, p. 98) in tunnel fighting during the Vietnam War. The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949). Set in 1948, the desper-
The Rat Patrol #1.1 (Tom Gries, 1966). U.S. Army soldiers ate manhunt in the sewers shows the visibility and hearing
during WWII use muzzle covers to keep the North African problems of an underground gunfight.
dust and sand out of their Browning M2HB machine guns Total Recall (Len Wiseman, 2012). Set in 2084, there is a
(High-Tech, p. 133). scene showing some of the issues of using a TDI Kriss Super V
Red Dawn (John Milius, 1984). Set in the 1980s, both the submachine gun (Tactical Shooting, p. 65) in zero gravity.
guerrillas and the Soviet Spetsnaz demonstrate many of the Tour of Duty #1.2 (Bill Norton, 1987). Set in South Vietnam
problems of winter warfare, making extensive use of Camou- in 1967, this shows the advantages of short guns like a Colt
flage for reconnaissance and ambushes. The Wolverines show M1911A1 pistol or sawed-off Ithaca Model 37 shotgun in a
ghillie suits (High-Tech, p. 77), camouflaged weapons, and tunnel fight, as well as the application of CS hand grenades.
trigger-finger mittens. Jed Eckert keeps his Colt SAA Civilian Where Eagles Dare (Brian Hutton, 1968). Set in 1944, this
revolver (High-Tech, p. 95) warm under his coat. Robert Teas- shows SIS and OSS agents wearing finger mittens and glacier
dale protects his Remington Model 870 Wingmaster shotgun goggles, but they make several operational mistakes that could
(High-Tech, p. 105) with a long-arm scabbard. easily lead to trouble, e.g., they frequently let their unpro-
Seraphim Falls (David Von Ancken, 2006). Set in the win- tected ERMA MP40 submachine guns (High-Tech, p. 124) dip
ter of 1868, this has some interesting scenes highlighting TL5 or even fall into the snow. And just pulling on a blanket after
issues of the First Aid, Survival (Mountain), and Tracking a bath in an ice-cold mountain stream is quite unrealistic . . .
skills. Whiteout (Dominic Sena, 2009). Set in Antarctica in 2009,
Shooter (Antoine Fuqua, 2007). This shows the use of wind U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko shows the Harries stance with a
markers for a long-distance shot. It demonstrates the effec- Glock 27 pistol (High-Tech, p. 101), but the emphasis is on the
tiveness of winter ghillie suits, weapon camouflage, and fin- visibility issues during a snowstorm and the injuries possible
gerless gloves. from touching metal with bare hands.
Shoot to Kill (Roger Spottiswoode, 1988). FBI agent The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles #2.2 (Simon Wincer,
Warren Stantin shoots a perpetrator point-blank with his 1992). Set in 1916 during the Battle of the Somme, this shows
S&W Model 586 revolver (Tactical Shooting, p. 55) while how quickly an underground gunfight can turn into a melee.
underwater.

It’s kinda strange, isn’t it? How the mountains pay us

no attention at all. You laugh or you cry, the wind just
keeps on blowing.
– Jed Eckert, in Red Dawn (1984)

42 Extreme Conditions in Films and TV

AAI QSPR, 37, 39.
Index
Fast-Draw skill, clothing and, 6, 11, 36; Haze, 6, 13, 18; heat, 14.
Adhesives, 13, 17. necessary in jungle, 20; necessary Health hazards, air, 31; cold, 8, 9, 11;
Aerial shooting, see Aircraft. underground, 28; related technique, 35. desert, 15; illness, 9, 19, 27; jungle, 19,
Aiming, at underwater target, 23; cold, 12; Firearm accessories, 40; see also Lasers, 20; motion sickness, 23, 31, 32, 34;
Corner-shot technique, 34; Precision Optics. sandstorms, 15; space, 32; underground,
Aiming technique, 7, 11, 12, 32; thin Firearm problems, clothing, 6, 11, 12, 27; water, 8, 23.
atmosphere, 7; while in aircraft, 30; while 36; cold, 11-13; darkness, 7; desert, Hearing rolls, desert, 15; jungle, 19; near
on water, 23; wind, 7. 16-17; gloves and mittens, 11, 24, 32, water, 23; sound-suppressed firearm, 40;
Aircraft, dodging in, 5; jungle conditions, 19; 33, 36; jungle, 20-21; space, 32, 33; underground, 27; underwater, 23; winter,
shooter problems, 30-31; shooting inside, thin atmosphere, 7; underground, 29; 10.
31. underwater, 24-25; water, 24-25; wind, 7; Heat, ammunition issues, 17; firearm
Airsickness, 32. see also Shooter problems. problems, 16, 17, 33; gear problems, 17,
Ammunition issues, cold, 12; desert, 17; Firearms, for corners, 38; new, 36-40; 21; haze, 14; loss of, 8, 22; seeing sources
jungle, 21; underwater, 25; water, 25; see preventive maintenance, 11, 17, 20, of, 27 ; shooter performance, 14, 18; skin
also Explosive Warheads, Projectiles. 24; proper carrying, 6; sweating, 12; problems, 15, 19.
Atmosphere, space, 32; thin, 7, 32; unprotected, 6; see also Burn Rate, Helicopters, see Aircraft.
underground, 26, 27. Optics, Temperature. Ice, see Cold, Winter.
Autocannon, new, 39, 40. Firing spring cups, 36. Injuries, see Health Hazards.
Bandages, 13, 21. Flamethrowers, underground, 29. Jungle, advantages, 21; annoyances, 21;
Batteries, 13. Fog, 6, 13, 22, 23. conditions, 18-19; shooting in, 20-21;
Black powder, 12, 21, 25. Forests, see Jungle. rot, 19.
Burn rate, cold, 12, 13; desert, 17; thin Fragrance discipline, 15, 19. Lasers, batteries, 13; precipitation, 6;
atmosphere, 7. Freezing, see Cold. underwater, 25.
Camouflage skill, modifiers, 9, 10, 21. Frostbite, 9. Line of sight, see Range for Engagement.
Carbon-monoxide poisoning, 27. Gear, problems for, 13, 17, 21; see also Machine guns, new, 39, 40.
Clothing, 36; camouflage, 9; cold weather, Clothing, Firearm Accessories, Firearms, Mirages, 14.
8, 9, 11, 15, 31; firearm use and, 6, 8, Gloves, Lasers, Mittens, Optics, Time Mittens, 36; as protection, 12, 31, 36;
11, 12, 36; Survival modifier, 5; water Pencils. firearms use, 11, 36; see also Clothing,
conditions, 22; see also Gloves, Mittens. Gloves, 36; as protection, 9, 12, 13, 16, 22, Gloves.
Cold, advantages, 11; aerial health hazard, 31, 32, 36; firearms use, 11, 24, 32, 33, Movement, desert, 15; jungle, 19;
31; annoyances, 13; clothing and, 8, 9, 36. underground sounds, 27; underground,
11, 15, 31; firearms problems, 11-13; Gravity, problems, 32, 33; related perk, 34; 28; water, 23; winter, 10.
performance and, 8; wet and, 8; see also related technique, 35. Naval Training perk, 34.
Winter. Grenades, catching on plants, 21; cold, 13; NORINCO QBS06, 38, 39.
Common cold, 9. jungle, 21; underground, 29; underwater, Optics, cold, 12-13; desert, 17; flip-up covers,
Corner-Shot technique, 34-35. 25; water, 25. 6; jungle, 21; precipitation, 6, 13, 21, 25;
Corners, firearms for, 38; Attack modifier, 34; Gunner skill, weapons for, 39. sandstorms, 15; underwater, 25; water,
technique, 34-35. Guns skill, techniques, 34-35; weapons for, 25; wind, 7; see also Lasers, Vision rolls.
Cover, desert, 16; snow, 11. 39. Parachuting, 31.
Darkness, desert conditions, 15, 17; general GURPS, 12, 17; Action, 4; After the End, Perks, 34.
conditions, 7; jungle conditions, 19; 4; Basic Set, 4; Cops, 4; Cyberpunk, Phobias, triggered by environment, 15, 18,
phobia, 27; thin atmosphere and, 7; 4; High-Tech, 4, 6-15, 17-31, 33, 36-42; 27.
underground, 26-28; underwater, 22-23; High-Tech: Adventure Guns, 4, 17, 25, Planes, see Aircraft.
winter conditions, 9. 30, 36, 41; High-Tech: Pulp Guns 1, Precipitation, protecting firearms, 6; range
Defense rolls, see Dodge. 29, 30; High-Tech: Pulp Guns 2, 17, increment table, 6; reduced hearing, 10,
Dehydration, 15, 19. 23, 29, 30, 37; High-Tech: Pulp Guns, 19; reduced vision, 6; see also Optics,
Desert, annoyances, 17; conditions, 14-15; 4; Horror, 4; Infinite Worlds, 4; Low- Snow, Water.
glare, 14; madness, 15; shooting in, Tech, 4, 8-11, 14; Monster Hunters, 4; Precision Aiming technique, 7, 11, 12, 32.
16-17. Old West, 4; Reign of Steel, 4; SEALs Preventive maintenance, 11, 17, 20, 24.
Dive masks, effects, 24. in Vietnam, 4, 6, 15, 19, 21, 24, 25, Projectiles, cold, 12; gravity, 33; water,
Dodge secondary characteristic, clothing 36; Special Ops, 4, 37, 38, 40; SWAT, 25; see also Ammunition, Explosive
penalties, 11; encumbrance and, 5; 4; Tactical Shooting, 4-7, 9-12, 14-17, Warheads.
environment penalties, 5; underground 19-21, 24, 27-29, 31, 32, 35, 36, 38, 41, Pyramid #3/26: Underwater Adventures, 4;
penalties, 28. 42; Technomancer, 4; Transhuman #3/55: Military Sci-Fi, 4; #3/95: Overland
Encumbrance, Dodge and, 5. Space, 4, 33; Traveller, 4; Underground Adventures, 4.
Environmental conditions, multiple, 7; see Adventures, 4, 5, 26, 28; WWII, 4; Rainfall, see Precipitation.
also Aircraft, Cold, Desert, Jungle, Space, WWII: Dogfaces, 6; WWII: Frozen Hell, Range for engagement, desert conditions,
Underground, Water. 9, 13, 36; WWII: Hand of Steel, 17; 16; gravity and, 32, 33; in water, 25;
Explosive warheads, cold, 13; jungle, 21; WWII: Iron Cross, 12;. jungle conditions, 20; precipitation, 6;
underwater, 25; water, 25. H&K HK54A1, 39, 40. underground, 28; vegetation, 6, 7; wind,
Explosives, 13, 17, 21; see also Burn Rate, Handguns, from other supplements, 36; new, 7; winter conditions, 9, 10.
Explosive Warheads, Grenades. 36-37, 39. Range Increments, 6-7, 21.

Index 43
Recoilless rifles, cold, 13. Sure-Footed perk, 34. Tunnel exploration kits, 37.
Reflex sights, batteries, 13; fogging, 6, 12; Survival instinct, rules, 5. Underground, conditions, 26-28; dodging in,
precipitation, 6, 25. Survival skill, 5, 14, 18, 34; mitigating 5; exploration kits, 37; shooting in, 28-29.
Rifles, from other supplements, 37-38; new, desert problems, 14, 16; mitigating health Underwater, see Water.
37-39. hazards, 9, 15, 19; mitigating jungle Vehicles, firing from, 23, 30-31.
Rocket launchers, cold, 13. problems, 18; mitigating winter problems, Vegetation, general conditions, 6, 7;
Sandstorms, 15. 9, 10, 12. undergrowth table, 19; see also Jungle.
Sea Legs perk, 34. Sweat rash, 15, 19. Vision rolls, cold wind, 10; desert, 14-15;
Shooter problems, aircraft, 30-31; cold, 10- Tables, dodge restrictions, 5; handguns, fog, 6, 22; haze, 6, 13, 18; jungle, 18-19;
11; desert, 16; jungle, 20; parachuting, 31; 39; machine guns and autocannon, 39; precipitation, 6; sandstorms, 15; snow,
thin atmosphere, 7; underground, 28-29; precipitation range increment, 6; rifles, 6; thin atmosphere, 7; tracer rounds, 10;
water, 23-24; see also Clothing, Darkness, 39; submachine guns, 39; undergrowth, underground, 26-27; underwater, 22-23;
Firearms, Gravity, Wind. 19; underwater vision, 22; vegetation, 7. vegetation, 6, 7; water, 22-23; winter,
Shooting into Water technique, 35. Targeting aids, see Optics. 9-10; see also Optics.
Sickness, see Health Hazards. Techniques, 34-35. VKT-Lahti L-35, 36, 39.
Size, heat haze and, 14; movement and, 19. Temperature, ammunition performance, Water-cooled guns, 13, 17.
Skills, 34; techniques, 34-35. 12, 17; concealment and, 9; gear Water, conditions, 22-23; shooting in, 23-25;
Smell rolls, 15, 19. performance, 13, 17, 21; optics techniques, 35; see also Precipitation.
Snow, blindness, 9, 14; cover, 11; see also performance, 13; shooter performance, 8, Weapons, see Firearms, Explosives,
Cold, Winter. 11; stealth and, 10; weapons performance, Grenades, Optics, Warheads.
Soldier/TL skill, 34; mitigating desert 11-13, 17, 33. Will attribute, roll to stay ready, 5, 15, 18, 27.
problems, 14, 16, 17; mitigating health Time pencils, problems for, 12, 13, 17, 21. Wind, cold, 9, 10; general conditions, 7;
hazards, 9, 15, 19; mitigating jungle Tracking skill, 10, 15. sandstorms, 15; water, 23.
problems, 18; mitigating winter problems, Trench foot, 9, 27. Winter triggers, 11, 36, 40.
9, 10, 12. Tropical diseases, 19. Winter, advantages, 11; annoyances, 13;
Space, conditions, 32; shooting in, 32, 33. TsKIBSOO ADS, 38, 39. conditions, 8-10; shooting in, 10-13;
Submachine guns, new, 38-40; from other TsNIITochMash SPP-1, 37, 39. see also Cold.
supplements, 38. Tulamashzavod R-23, 39, 40. Work Underwater technique, 35.
Sunburn, 9, 14, 15, 23. Zero-G Shooting technique, 32, 35.

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