Automatic Weapon Fire

If you want to fire many shots to improve your damage, see the rules for Bursts.

If you want to fire many shots to improve your chances of hitting, see the rules for Spraying An Area.

Bursts

The purpose of a burst is to hit a target multiple times, doing extra damage. Depending on the type of weapon, you may be able to fire a short, long or extended burst (see below).

If you do not have a weapon proficiency in the weapon, you cannot fire a burst (see Shooting Wild). If you do have the WP, a burst provides only a +1 to strike (plus an additional +1 at levels 4, 7, 10 and 13).

Weapons that require time to reload after each shot, such as single-shot shotguns and bolt action rifles, as well as bows and crossbows cannot be used in any burst. In addition, thrown weapons which must be thrown one at a time, like daggers, cannot be used in any burst.

Any ranged weapon that does not require a delay between firing can be used in a short burst. In my game, this includes revolvers, semi-automatic pistols and semi- or full automatic rifles. It also includes throwing stars, since most action martial arts movies and comics show trained martial artists throwing multiple shuriken at the same time.

Only fully automatic rifles and sub-machineguns can fire long or extended bursts.

Some weapons, primarily pulse lasers, may define another damage multiplier, often doing x3 damage for x3 ammo. In all other respects, including strike bonuses, use these burst rules.

Burst Type Damage Multiplier Ammo Used Actions Used
Short x2 x3 1
Long x5 x10 2
Extended x10 x30 4

Spraying an Area

The purpose of a spray is to hit multiple targets or improve the chance of hitting a single target. Depending on the type of weapon, you may be able to fire a short, long or extended spray (see below).

If you do not have a weapon proficiency in the weapon, you cannot fire a spray (see Shooting Wild). If you do have the WP, a spray provides the strike bonus listed below, plus an additional +1 at levels 4, 7, 10 and 13. This strike bonus must be divided among the targets you wish to hit, with a minimum of +1 each (and the ammo used must exceed the number of targets!). Each target can dodge against the single attack roll.

Weapons that require time to reload after each shot, such as single-shot shotguns and bolt action rifles, as well as bows and crossbows cannot be used in any spray. In addition, thrown weapons which must be thrown one at a time, like daggers, cannot be used in any spray.

Any ranged weapon that does not require a delay between firing can be used in a short spray. In my game, this includes revolvers, semi-automatic pistols and semi- or full automatic rifles. It also includes throwing stars, since most action martial arts movies and comics show trained martial artists throwing multiple shuriken at the same time.

Only fully automatic rifles and sub-machineguns can fire long or extended sprays.

Spray Type Strike Bonus Damage Multiplier Ammo Used Actions Used
Short +4 x1 x3 1
Long +6 x1 x10 2
Extended +8 x2 x30 4

Shooting Wild

There are two times the Shooting Wild rules are used. If a character with a WP chooses to fire a burst or spray without aiming, they receive NO bonus to strike but it uses no actions. Short, long and extended bursts/sprays are possible, based on the type of weapon as defined in those sections.

Alternatively, if a character without a WP uses a weapon, they have no bonuses on aimed shots. If they try to burst or spray, they will suffer a -4 to the strike bonuses normally provided by that attack (so a long spray would have a +2 to strike while a short burst would be at -3 but do double damage if successful).

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This page is copyright © 1998 by Jim Stoner
Last Modified August 4, 1998