WH40K: Grenades

Grenades

Grenades are munitions which can either be hurled by hand (in the case of grenades) or launched from a grenade launcher. Both have a variety of effects and can stun, entangle or kill targets depending on the munitions used. Unless otherwise noted, any grenade may either be thrown by hand or fired from a grenade launcher.

Armor Penetration: Reflects how good the weapon is at cutting through armor. When a shot or blow from this weapon hits a target, reduce the target’s Armor by the weapon’s Armor Penetration, with results of less than 0 counting as 0 (i.e., the armor provides no protection at all). Then calculate Damage as normal. For example, if a weapon with an Armor Penetration of 1D hits a target with 2D Armor, the target will only count as having 1D Armor against any Damage the hit causes. Note that Armor Penetration has no effect on energy shields, but it does affect cover.

Name	Type	Scale	Skill	Availability	Weight	Blast Radius	Armor Penetration	Damage
Anti-Plant Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	0-1/2/3m	0D	7D+1/5D/2D+2
Blight Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	0-2/3/5/6m	0D	5D/3D+2/2D+1/1D
Blind Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	s	0.5kg	-	-	-
Fire Bomb	Grenade	Character	Grenade	2	.5kg	0-1/2/3m	1D+1	3D+1/2D+1/1D+1
Frag Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	3	.5kg	0-1/2/3m	0D	5D/3D+1/1D+2
Hallucinogen Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	0-2/3/5/6m	-	-
Haywire Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	0-1/2/3m	-	-
Krak Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	-	1D+1	6D
Legion Frag Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.7kg	0-1/2/3/4m	0D	5D+1/4D/2D+2/1D+1
Legion Krak Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.7kg	-	1D+1	7D
Photon Flash	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	0-3/5/8/10m	-	-
Smoke Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	3	.5kg	-	-	-
Stun Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	3	.5kg	-	-	-
Web Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	-	-	-
Astartes Blind Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.8kg	-	-	-
Astartes Frag Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.8kg	0-1/3/4/5m	0D	5D/3D+2/2D+1/1D
Astartes Incendiary Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	1kg	0-1/2/3m	0D	3D+1/2D+1/1D+1
Astartes Krak Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.8kg	-	1D+1	8D+1
Astartes Nova Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.8kg	0-1/2/3m	0D	2D+1/1D+2/1D
Astartes Plasma Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	2kg	0-1m	2D	5D+1
Astartes Stasis Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	1kg	-	-	-
Astartes Stun Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.8kg	0-1/3/4/5m	-	-
EMP Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	4	.5kg	0-1/2/3	-	-
Vortex Grenade	Grenade	Character	Grenade	6	1kg	-	-	-
Egerian Geode	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.5kg	0-1/2/3	1D	5D+2/3D+2/1D+2
Virus	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.5kg	-	0D	7D+1
Xeno Filament	Grenade	Character	Grenade	5	.5kg	0-1m	1D+1	11D

Anti-Plant Grenade

These explosives release a wide range of toxic and viral agents that quickly reduce almost any type of flora to a foul smelling muck, depriving the enemy of cover while not seriously harming other materials. Larger versions are also used to create improvised landing zones and clear foliage for quick camp sites or building locations.

Blight Grenade

Most commonly created using radioactive or biological waste, a Blight Grenade is a crude but deadly grenade which can poison an area and everything within it. These weapons are particularly popular among the followers of Nurgle, who delight in the use of poisons and contamination. These weapons ignore armor unless it is environmentally sealed. When used the cloud of noxious fumes and poisons remains in effect for 2D Rounds. Anyone entering the blast area takes 2D+1 damage. Again, this damage ignores armor unless environmentally sealed.

Also, anyone that suffers damage needs to make a Strength Test (Difficulty 15) or suffer an additional 2D+1 damage. This test is unaffected by armor.

Fire Bomb

A relatively primitive grenade, the fire bomb is normally a breakable canister of flammable liquid with a fuse made from cloth or other material that the liquid can soak into. Once the fuse is set aflame, the bomb is hurled at the enemy; the canister breaks open on impact to release the now burning liquid. A target struck by a fire bomb must make an Dexterity Test, Difficulty 15, or catch on fire. Targets on caught on fire suffer an addition 2D+1 fire damage each round until the fire is extinguished.

Frag Grenade

Fragmentation or Frag grenades are filled with shot, heavy wire, or metallic shards to create high-velocity shrapnel fragments when they explode, making them deadly when used against infantry.

Hallucinogen Grenade

Hallucinogen grenades induce a variety of short-lived psychological states and delusions in its targets literally making them go mad.

Hallucinogenic weapons use drugs or mind-altering exotic energy to disorient or disable their targets, often inducing a variety of short-lived psychological states and delusions. When a creature takes a hit from a Hallucinogenic weapon it must make a Strength Test (Difficulty 15) or suffer a temporary delusion and roll 1d10 on Hallucinogenic Effects.

Respirators and sealed armor provide a +15 bonus to this Test. The effects last for 1 round for ever 3 points they missed the difficulty by, minimum 1 round.

Hallucinogenic Effects

Roll	Effects
1	Bugsbugsbugsbugs! The character drops to the floor, flailing and screaming as he tries to claw off imaginary insects devouring his skin and flesh. In game terms, the character is Stunned.
2	My hands…! The character believes his hands have turned into slimy tentacles, or perhaps the flesh has begun to strip off the bone in bloody lumps. Regardless of the particulars, the character drops everything he is carrying and spends the duration staring at his hands and screaming. In game terms, the character is Stunned.
3	They’re coming through the walls! The character sees gruesome aliens bursting through the walls/ceiling/floor/bushes and opens fire. The character must spend each Turn firing at a random piece of terrain within his line of sight. Any creatures caught in the line of fire are subject to attacks as normal. Each round, choose a new target at random.
4	Nobody can see me! The character believes he is invisible and wanders aimlessly, making faces at those around him. He waddles about in random directions each round, using a Full Action to move. The character retains his Reactions.
5	I can fly! The sky looks so big and inviting, the character flaps his arms trying to imitate a pterasquirrel. He may do nothing but jump up and down on the spot. If he is standing above ground level, he may throw himself off in a random direction, with the usual consequences for falling—appalling Damage or death being the usual outcomes.
6	They’ve got it in for me… The character is overcome with paranoia, believing even his own comrades are out to get him. On the character’s Turn, he must move to a position of cover, getting out of line of sight from any other characters. He remains hidden until the effect ends.
7	They got me, mother… The character believes that the gas is toxic and collapses to the floor as if dead—he counts as being helpless. Any other character who sees him “die” must pass an Intelligence Test or they think the character is dead too.
8	I’ll take you all on! The character is filled with a burning rage and a desire for violence. The character enters a Frenzy and attacks the closest opponent.
9	I’m only little! The character believes he has shrunk to half his normal size, and everything else is big and frightening now. All other characters count as having a Fear Rating of 3 to the character.
10	The worms! The character desperately tries to remove a massive fanged worm he thinks is slowly winding its way up his leg. If holding a gun, he shoots himself with it, or if not, he hits himself in the leg with whatever melee weapon he is holding. If the character is currently holding no weapon, he draws a random weapon from those he carries and attacks himself with it. Randomly determine which leg the character believes to be trapped by the worm. The attack hits automatically and deals normal Damage.

Haywire Grenade

Designed to take out tech and vehicles, a well-placed haywire grenade shuts down electrical systems within its field of effect.

Haywire weapons make use of microwaves or electromagnetic radiation to destroy the inner workings of machines and tech. Everything within the field’s radius is affected. Roll 1d10 on the Table: Haywire Field Effects to determine the strength of the effect. As the field slowly dissipates, the strength lessens one step in severity each round until it becomes Insignificant (i.e., a result of Major Disruption would become Minor Disruption the following round and then cease to have an effect the round after that). Additional Haywire attacks in the same area do not stack but instead create a new effect that will either be ignored if lower than the current effect or replaced if higher.

Haywire Field Effects

Roll	Effects
1-2	Insignificant: There is no noticeable effect on nearby technology.
3-4	Minor Disruption: All actions utilizing technology, and any physical actions attempted while wearing power armor or employing cybernetics suffer a –10 penalty. The Base Movement of anyone in power armor is reduced by 1.
5-6	Major Disruption: All actions utilizing technology, and any physical actions attempted while wearing power armor or employing cybernetics suffer a –20 penalty. The Base Movement of anyone in power armor is reduced by 3. Melee weapons with technological components function as a non-powered weapon of the analogous type.
7-8	Dead Zone: Technology within the affected area completely ceases to function. Power armor becomes unpowered, reducing the wearer’s movement to 1. Characters with cybernetic replacements to any internal organ(s) suffer one level of Fatigue each round they remain in the Dead Zone. Melee weapons with technological components (i.e., power swords) function as a non-powered weapon of their type.
9-10	Prolonged Dead Zone: As Dead Zone (if this result is rolled, the field lasts for two rounds as it lessens to Dead Zone during the following round).

Krak Grenade

Krak grenades use concentrated explosives to punch holes in armored targets such as vehicles or bunkers. The shaped warheads makes them impractical for anti-personnel work.

Legion Grenades

A Traitor Legionnaire can carry larger and more potent explosive grenades than a regular human, though many of them utilize regular grenades when supplies are hard to find.

Photon Flash

Photon Flash grenades release a brilliant burst of light that blinds opponents. Everyone in the blast radius must make a Dexterity: Dodge (Difficulty 15) Test or be blinded for 1 round for ever 3 points they missed the difficulty by, minimum 1 round.

Smoke Grenade

Smoke grenades release a dense cloud that obscures vision.

These weapons throw up dense clouds of smoke to create cover. When a hit is scored from this weapon, it creates a smokescreen 5D meters in diameter from the point of impact. This screen lasts for 3D Rounds, or less in adverse weather conditions.

Stun Grenade

Stun Grenades use a combination of a loud explosive and flash of light to momentarily incapacitate targets.

• Concussive: When target is struck by a Stun Grenade, must take a Strength Test, Difficulty (15), or become Stunned, unable to take action for 1 round for ever 3 points they missed the difficulty by, minimum 1 round.

Web Grenade

Web grenades release a mass of tangled goo that envelops targets, literally stopping them in their tracks.

• Snare: On a successful hit, the target must make an Dexterity Test, Difficulty 15, or be immobilized.

Astartes Blind Grenade

Blind grenades explode with a burst of dense dark grey smoke including IR bafflers and broad-band EM spectrum chaff, all designed to block eyesight and even advanced visual detection. The effect is short-lived, but while it lasts provides excellent cover for advancing forces. The effects of this grenade last for 2D Rounds (shorter in conditions such as prevailing winds or industrial ventilation).

These weapons throw up dense clouds of smoke to create cover. When a hit is scored from this weapon, it creates a smokescreen 5D meters in diameter from the point of impact.

Astartes Frag Grenade

The Adeptus Astartes fill their large fragmentation (or frag) grenades with powerful explosives and aerodynamic metallic shards. The high velocity shrapnel created when they detonate is deadly against common infantry.

Astartes Incendiary Grenade

Incendiary explosives are commonly employed to flush out enemies entrenched behind cover. These projectiles contain slow-burning promethium distillate that ignites when the grenade explodes. Any target within the Blast radius must succeed on an Agility Test or catch fire. Furthermore, the area remains on fire for another 1D Rounds as the promethium continues to burn. Anyone remaining within that area must continue to take Dodge Tests or catch fire until the flames die.

Astartes Krak Grenade

Krak grenades and missiles use concentrated explosives to punch holes in armored targets such as vehicles or bunkers. The powerful detonations do not produce a blast effect however, making them impractical for use against most infantry or moving targets.

Astartes Nova Grenade

Photo-visors and similar ocular protection are common among the Deathwatch’s foes. This more powerful version of a flash grenade was designed to overpower standard input filtering. Each sphere contains a minute amount of plasma suspended in carbon gas. When ignited, the resulting fusion is similar to the effect of a collapsing star, and the emitted light achieves an extreme absolute magnitude. However, the ability to thwart auto-senses is a double-edged sword for Battle-Brothers, and nova grenades must be strategically utilized lest they blind their own forces.

In addition to taking damage from the shock wave, anyone within the Blast radius must make a Heroic (30) Strength Test or be Blinded for 2D Rounds. Photo-visors, autosenses, and similar vision protection decreases this Test (–10). Anyone within 20 meters of the detonation point must make a normal Strength Test or be Blinded for 1D Rounds (identical to a flash grenade—vision protection works normally).

Astartes Plasma Grenade

These highly lethal grenades use a deliberate plasma containment failure, erupting into blasts of white-hot energy. The dense plasma core of an Astartes plasma grenade is not fully consumed in the initial explosion and leaves a glowing, energized orb that continues to sear the area like a miniature sun. This tiny stellar body continues to do the plasma grenade’s full damage to the Blast area for an additional 1D Rounds after the Round it detonated.

• Volatile: Volatile matter is charged with potential energy, and reacts violently on a solid hit. If a 6 is rolled for Damage on any damage die, Righteous Fury occurs automatically, dealing another 1D points of Damage. If the second roll results in 6, further Damage is possible. This process continues as long at least one Damage die results in a natural 6.

Astartes Stasis Grenade

Stasis fields are used throughout the Imperium to hold time at bay, essentially trapping whatever is inside them in a single moment. Uses run from mundane food storage to the preservation of the Ultramarine’s Primarch. A stasis grenade is simply an impact triggered version of the same technology, most commonly used to temporarily neutralize a threat.

To call a stasis grenade rare and dangerous is a grave understatement. One may occasionally be distributed for a Mission if the Watch Captain deems necessary, but a stasis grenade may never be Requisitioned through the usual means.

The grenade generates a stasis field with a radius of two meters; it lasts for 1D rounds (which the GM should roll and reveal only when it expires). Everything inside this bubble is cut off from the normal flow of time. Anyone and anything inside the affected area does (and perceives) nothing until the field dissipates. Characters outside the stasis field can see the frozen moment but cannot interact with it in any way.

Astartes Stun Grenade

Stun grenades use a combination of a loud explosive and a flash of light to momentarily incapacitate targets without causing lasting injury before an assault is launched, making them an excellent opener in non-lethal engagements. Anyone caught in a stun grenade’s blast must pass a Moderate Strength Test or become Stunned for 2D rounds. Photo-visors and sealed armor provide a 2D bonus to this Test, while input filtering renders one completely immune.

EMP Grenade

A rare example of xenos technology employed in limited capacity by the Deathwatch, the exact form of such a grenade varies with its origin. The function of an EMP grenade is to generate a field of electro-magnetic static that interferes with most technology and generally causes machine spirits to malfunction. There are many appellations for this weapon: EMP, Haywire, Scrambler, and it takes many shapes including those found with the Tau and the Eldar.

EMP weapons make use of microwaves or electromagnetic radiation to destroy the inner workings of machines and tech. Everything within the field’s radius is affected. Roll 1d10 on the Table: EMP Field Effects to determine the strength of the effect. As the field slowly dissipates, the strength lessens one step in severity each round until it becomes Insignificant (i.e., a result of Major Disruption would become Minor Disruption the following round and then cease to have an effect the round after that). Additional Haywire attacks in the same area do not stack but instead create a new effect that will either be ignored if lower than the current effect or replaced if higher.

EMP Field Effects

Roll	Effects
1-2	Insignificant: There is no noticeable effect on nearby technology.
3-4	Minor Disruption: All actions utilizing technology, and any physical actions attempted while wearing power armor or employing cybernetics suffer a –10 penalty. The Base Movement of anyone in power armor is reduced by 1.
5-6	Major Disruption: All actions utilizing technology, and any physical actions attempted while wearing power armor or employing cybernetics suffer a –20 penalty. The Base Movement of anyone in power armor is reduced by 3. Melee weapons with technological components function as a non-powered weapon of the analogous type.
7-8	Dead Zone: Technology within the affected area completely ceases to function. Power armor becomes unpowered, reducing the wearer’s movement to 1. Characters with cybernetic replacements to any internal organ(s) suffer one level of Fatigue each round they remain in the Dead Zone. Melee weapons with technological components (i.e., power swords) function as a non-powered weapon of their type.
9-10	Prolonged Dead Zone: As Dead Zone (if this result is rolled, the field lasts for two rounds as it lessens to Dead Zone during the following round).

Vortex Grenade

his dreaded example of lost technology tears open the very fabric of reality, creating a rift into the warp. Needless to say, the results of such a desperate action are highly unpredictable and almost as likely to backfire on he who used it. For all the nightmarish stories of daemons crawling through the breach, and vortexes that still re-appear like phantoms on old battlefields, there is no better way to ensure a threat is utterly destroyed than to see it sucked into the immaterium.

The secrets of vortex grenades are jealously guarded by the Adeptus Mechanicus, and some question whether Forge Worlds capable of their manufacture still exist. Certainly, their supply in the Adeptus Astartes seems ever-dwindling, and it is a dire threat indeed that warrants their precious and perilous expenditure. Like stasis grenades, a single grenade may only be allotted at the Watch Captain’s option.

The vortex grenade has a radius of 3 meters. Anyone within this area can spend his Reaction to attempt to Dodge out of it before the rift fully forms. Those who fail, along with everything else in the area, are dragged into the warp, never to be seen again. Each Round, the capricious vortex winks in and out of existence. It has a 50% chance of closing permanently when this happens. Otherwise, it reappears 3D+2 meters in a random direction from its last manifestation.

Egerian Geode

Recovered from xenos crystalline maze-cities, these grenades are filled with compacted shards of diamantine glass. On detonation the area is showered with cutting projectiles, which can slide through most armor.

Virus

Virus grenades house powerful biological toxins which can break down biological systems in moments before leaping to neighboring creatures to infect them. They can quickly kill scores of people before mutating into a non-lethal strain or running out of victims near enough to be attacked. The toxins from virus grenades are often skin-transmitted and inhaled. Virus Grenades ignore armor. However, at the GM’s discretion, fully sealed armor such as sealed storm-trooper carapace with rebreathers or sealed power armor (or void suits) can allow an individual to be immune to the effects of a virus grenade.

• Anyone that takes Damage from a Toxic weapon after reduction for Armor and Strength must make a Difficult Strength Test with a –5 Penalty for every Point of Damage suffered. Success indicates no further effect from the weapon. Failure, however, deals an immediate 2D+1 points of Damage to the target with no reduction from Armor or Strength.
• If the grenade causes any Damage, then, each round after the first, check for another target at random (friend or foe) within 1D meters to see if any Damage is caused to them (rolling for a new Damage to represent the mutated virus). Continue until Damage is not taken or after 2D rounds have passed.

Xeno Filament

The exotic filament grenade carries compressed segments of monomolecular wire that expand into a cloud of deadly razor-sharp filaments on detonation, slicing through flesh and bone.

• Tearing: These weapons roll one extra die for Damage, discarding the lowest die rolled.

Sources

• Black Crusade - Core Rulebook (pages 159-160)
• Dark Heresy - Core Rulebook (pages 131; 136-137)
• Deathwatch - Core Rulebook (pages 150-152)
• Only War - Core Rulebook (pages 182-184)
• Rogue Trader - Core Rulebook (pages 125-127)
• Warhammer 40k Wiki: Grenades
• thedemonapostle