[WEAPONS]
-Weapons are -2 to hit against armor that is higher TL. Weapons are +2 against armor that is 1 TL lower, and usually ignore armor that is 2 or more Tech Levels lower. (This an expansion of the rules to cover TL5 weapons interacting with TL3 armor)

-Spike Throwers are intended as assault weapons, to take out unprepared enemies in confined spaces. Note their very poor range. Additionally, they perform poorly against armor. When attacking any vehicle with an Armor rating, they deal only half damage. Damage is halved after applying armor.

-Void Carbines are intended to allow assaults on spacecraft, so that the crew can be killed while leaving the spacecraft intact. They rip vacc suits like the Suit Ripper on page 35. They are considered suspect weaponry, but are not a capital offense if a person is otherwise authorized to be armed.

-Mag pistols and mag rifles are the signature military technologies of humanity. They tend to mitigate the effects of cover. They subtract 2 from the armor rating of anything that can be damaged by non-gunnery scale weaponry (and that's at TL4, they may ignore the armor rating of objects below TL4.) They usually over-penetrate through hard cover, and penalties to attack targets behind cover are lessened unless the cover is extremely tough, if the attacker has a means of accurately determining the location of the enemy.


-Grenades are a topic of some concern for player characters, for obvious reasons (Hint: It's because player characters like to blow things up.)
>Each Readied grenade takes up 1 encumbrance by itself.
>Grenades deal 2d6 damage (as specified in the description)
>When stowed, grenades can be carried in packages. A package of grenades contains 3, so you can get three stowed grenades into one package for one encumbrance. However, it takes one round to remove the grenades from the package in addition to the round to un-stow them.


-Grenade Launchers can be equipped along with an appropriately modified firearm. They use combat/gunnery.
>A grenade launcher adds one encumbrance to the encumbrance value of a longarm.
>Thrown grenades and grenade launcher grenades are not interchangeable. You must specify which one you are carrying.
>They fire rounds which arm at 20 meters, and will not explode until they have flown at least that far (but beware ricochets...) and are pretty much direct-fire weapons with 50/150 meter ranges. Unlike thrown grenades, these detonate on impact rather than on a timer! The actual projectile can be fired out to 400 meters by arcing it, but they're wildly inaccurate at this range. I suppose under some circumstances you could find a use for that, but it wouldn't be any good for trying to pick off a specific enemy or group of enemies.
>Underslung grenade launchers have an internal magazine of three grenades.
>Launched grenades, unlike regular grenades, are loaded with high explosive warheads. They ignore the Armor of and can damage soft-skinned vehicles such as passenger cars.
>Also unlike thrown grenades, launched grenades deviate by 1d20 meters. Yes, they can bounce back at you.


COMBAT
-Longarms are the weapon of choice for most large-scale infantry actions, but other weapons have their uses. Specifically, melee weapons have an advantage in melee combat.
-Longarms cannot be fired into a melee without the risk of hitting the wrong target. If you are in melee with no other allies, and are attempting to fire a longarm at opponents who are in melee with you, you must take a penalty of -2 to hit, and opponents will receive +2 to hit you. On second and subsequent rounds of attempting to use a longarm in melee, you will automatically lose initiative.
-Pistols can be fired into a melee safely if the pistol-wielder is part of the melee. They do not receive a penalty to hit, but melee-armed enemies will receive a +2 bonus to hit the pistol-wielder.


NEW WEAPONS
Rail Rifle Dmg: 2d10 Range: 2,000/4,000 Cost: 600 Mag: 1 TL: 4 (TL4 Sniper Rifle)

Grenade Launcher Dmg: 2d6 Range:50/150 Cost: 400 Mag: 3/6 TL:3 (Stats for underslung or separate grenade launcher. Separate grenade launchers have a magazine of 6 grenades instead of 3)

Notes: Shamelessly stolen from The Wyzard's SWN game. These house rules are now in effect for testing. I like them on paper, but I need feedback.
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:32, Sat 02 Aug 2014.

New House Rules for Starships

[New Starship Defenses]
Thermablative Layering
Cost:50k*
Power:0
Mass:1#
Class:Fighter
Effect:Increase armor value by 50% (round down)
Edit: This is not available. Under review.


[New Starship Weapons]
Interceptor Missiles
Cost:50k/100
Damage:2d6
Power:1
Mass:1
Hardpoints:0
Class:Fighter
TL:4
Special:Flak, Ammo 2, Fighters only
Edit: This is not available. Under review.

Pulse Laser
Cost:100k
Damage:1d6
Power:3
Mass:1
Hardpoints:1
Class:Fighter
TL:4
Special:AP 5

[New Starship Fittings]
Advanced Fire Control System
Cost:100k
Power:1
Mass:0
Class:Fighter
Effect: Provides a +1 to hit and damage bonus to a single weapon when operated by a character with the Gunnery skill. This also may apply to the Auto Targeting System.
This message was last edited by the GM at 10:06, Fri 17 Sept 2021.

New cybernetics
Unlike many TL4 civilizations, the Hegemony has a long history of cybernetic augmentation for both utility and fashion. Despite the ability to regrow many organs with modern medical facilities and techniques, the older TL3 solution is still in circulation. The cybernetics presented are simply refinements of TL3 technologies. Cyberware from the core book is also available, but at half cost due to the advancements and popularity of cybernetics in the Hegemony.

Prosthetic Arm
Base cost: 2,000
Strain: 1 (for both)
This elegant almost perfect replica replaces a full or partially lost arm. It is sturdy and effective and replicates the user's original strength and dexerity, more or less. (Though endurance is often improved.) They provide simulated and realistic sensations. These limbs are indistinguishable from biological limbs except through medical examination.
Improvements:
Bundled Neomyosin Fibres (2,000c) Improves the base strength score of the character by 1. This can stack with a second improved arm.
Multitool (750c) This arm can act as a metatool.

Prosthetic Leg
Base cost: 2,000
Strain: 1 (for both)
Indistinguishable from the real thing, this mechanical substitute replaces as a healthy human leg quite effectively. They restore any lost mobility or speed from amputation to normal in the recipient. They provide simulated and realistic sensations. These limbs are indistinguishable from biological limbs except through medical examination.
Improvements:
Hydraulic Pistons (4,000c) Improves the land speed score of the character by 50% This can only be installed on someone with two prosthetic legs.
Over-boosted Actuators (10,000c) Once per hour, you can activate the Overboost function and reduce your AC by 1 for a single combat. Afterwards, you may not make double moves for 1 hour as your cyberware cools down from the increased stress. This operation costs one System Strain per activation. This can only be installed on someone with two prosthetic legs.


Cosmetic Cyberware
Base cost: 500
Strain: 0
This broad category of modifications are popular amongst every level of society in the Hegemony. From specialized metal dermal patches on the Takagaran Elite, the elationsense chip popular with the Vakagn and the golden hand filigree of certain Indaris nobility to a pirate's metal fangs, a miner's skullcrest or a teenager's skinlights, many people choose to have cosmetic implantation. This can be anything you can imagine: Pieces of metal, patterned lights, minor sense-sims, circuitattos, an extra finger, etc. Cosmetics can either be independant or attached to cyberware you already have, a marble sculpted arm, glowing cybereyes, reverse jointed legs and more.

The practical result of this is that each Culture/X has it's own cybernetic cosmetic style and if you have the style for that Culture (and only that Culture! No one likes a poser!) you gain a +1 Persuade bonus when dealing with anyone else from that Culture, whether or not they have Cosmetics. Having multiple Culture's cosmetics clearly visible gains no bonus, and in fact, a -1 Persuade penalty to most people you meet.
Improvements:
Extensive Modifications (2,000c) These much bolder versions of standard cosmetics significantly impress whatever Culture they represent, however, the extent of your changes are off putting to most other Cultures. +2 Persuade bonus with your chosen Culture and a -1 Persuade penalty to most other Cultures.


Integral Weapon
Base cost: 500
Strain: 1
Ths version of a body arsenal array trades subtlety for brute force, often projecting spikes, talons, elbow blades, and other large, sharp polyceramic implements. While the array’s existence is obvious to any close visual inspection or weapons scanner, it counts as a monoblade in hand-to-hand combat, and can be used with either the Combat/Primitive or Unarmed skills, adding the skill level to the weapon’s damage roll. Cyberclaws can affct targets in heavy armor, but they cannot be used while wearing any armor or vacc suit with an encumbrance value higher than 0.
Improvements:
Cybermauler 2.0 (1,500c) Instead of a smaller blade, this system replaces it with a larger more deadly weapon, folding monoblades, arm-length nanowire, fractal axes, and any number of other bloody implements. Not only can these not be concealed at all, but you look truly monstrous as much of your flesh or the core component of the attached cybernetic limbs must be modified and displaced to fit the weapon and it's deployment system. Thought not explicitly illegal, you may not be allowed in secure areas and you suffer a -1 Persuade penalty against anyone who isn't similarly armed, as few would understand why you need to have such a deadly weapon in your body at all times. You always count as being armed with a Greatsword, which you can extend or retract at will. They can be used with either the Combat/Primitive or Unarmed skills, adding the skill level to the weapon’s damage roll. Cybermaulers can affect targets in heavy armor, but they cannot be used while wearing any armor or vacc suit.


Dermal Armor
Base cost: 5,000
Strain: 1
Either subdermally attached or woven directly into the skin, this cyberware implant provides integral flexible armor over much of your body. Typically over the front of the arms, legs and front and back of the torso as well as a few shaped plates over the skull, it protects you from any thermal or physical trauma. While it proves useless against the cold, it does provide a re-roll against radiation poisoning as the material is thick enough to protect against most forms of radiation. Additionally, the armor provides a -2 AC at TL4 against any weapon. This armor stacks with worn armor.
Improvements:
Rhino Armor System (3,000c)
Additionally stacked plates of armor improve your already significant protection at further cost to your movement. An additional -1 AC at TL4 against any weapon is added to the base for a total of - 3 AC. An additional penalty of encumbrance is levied against the recipient equally a total of 1 encumbrance.
Ballistic Inserts (2,000c)
Special neoceramite plates are installed over the dermal armor to absorb the initial force of any attack. Gain an additional 15HP when installed. These bulky neocermaite plates cannot be worn with armor nor concealed. They cost 100c per HP to be replaced once damaged.

Ocular Implant
Base cost: 1,500
Strain: 0
Mechanical replacement eyes are able to handle the fidelity and accuracy of natural eyes in most cases. There is no loss of resolution or appreciable difference to the patient. There is no mechanical difference between cyber eyes and natural ones.
Improvements:
Broadspectrum Lenses (1,000c)
These augmentations to standard cybereyes allow you to see in a much broader spectrum of light. Stealth checks made against you are at a -1 penalty unless they are specifically designed to hide against thermal and infrared scans. You gain a +1 bonus to perception. (These bonuses are doubled with two eyes of the same type.)
Eyeshields (500c)
This smart augmentation automatically tints your corneas to protect you from bursts of light or other radiation. You cannot be blinded or startled by bright light.


Audio Implant
Base Cost: 1,000
Strain: 0
Cybernetic replacement hearing devices allow both ears to be replaced with effective replicas. There is no mechanical difference between audio implants and natural ears, however, as a free action, you can choose to turn off your audio implants and hear nothing. This implant always replaces both ears.
Improvements:
Ground-Penetrating Audio (2,000c)
This improvement includes a phased array of aural sensors which allow you to detect sounds through solid objects. Your hearing range is not improved, but no standard TL4 building materials will impede your ability to clearly hear what is on the other side. This will not allow you to hear through purpose-built sound-proof materials or through a vacuum.
Ultra-frequency Pickups (5,000c)
Incredibly complex and perceptive acoustic arrays and specialized microprocessors allow you to sense even minute vibrations well beyond the audible range in both directions with a high level of precision. The result is that you are aware of everything around you within 360 degrees at all times. This is limited to about 60 meters and cannot be used with Ground-Penetrating Audio. Physical barriers disrupt this, but even in complete darkness you know exactly where everything is and have a fairly accurate idea of what you are sensing. Unfortunately, you are vulnerable to intense noises. A sonic weapon, stun grenade, loud weapon fire, or similar noises will stun you for 1d3 rounds, leaving you effectively blinded and unable to act except for movement in a random direction. To avoid this, you may activate or deactivate this improvement as a free action.



I/O-Port
Base Cost: 600
Strain: 1
This implant allows you to connect directly with hardware via a cable that extends from part of your body, typically, the side of the head or back of the neck. Combined with basic software and brainware, this allows you to connect to any compatible network and view images, videos, read text, listen to audio and send/receive short private 'telepathic' messages to anyone else connected to the same network in this way. Connecting or disconnecting safely is a standard action. One popular option is to disguise this as several strands of hair or a braid.
Improvements:
Hakpak (2,000c)
Some serious brainware, this adds a whole suite of hardware and software effectively giving you a dataslab in your head linked to the I/O-port. Anything a dataslab can do, you can do with your I/O-port.  Due to the extensive integration with the neural tissue, anything which damages the Hakpak may cause damage directly to the recipient.
Telepresence (2,500c)
A dangerous upgrade favored by hackers, criminals and others who are willing to take risks to give themselves an edge, this adds a wireless transmitter/receiver onto the I/O-Port system. It can be disabled with a free action, however, if someone were to gain control of the Telepresence unit before you could shut it down, they would be able to feed you any visual, audio experience they wished. It is for this reason that only the bravest or foolish of tech-heads ever acquire this improvement.