Shadowrun Projectile and Throwing Weapons
Projectile and Throwing Weapons
These weapons are man-powered, but may use simple mechanical assistance for additional distance or speed.
- Weapon Range Table
- Reach: All melee weapons have a Reach rating, an abstract value that rates the length of the weapon, giving its wielder an advantage over enemies with a lower Reach. This is added as a bonus modifier to Melee Combat / Melee Parry.
- Armor Penetration (AP): All weapons have an Armor Penetration value, indicating how they interact with armor. A positive value adds to the target’s Armor value, while a negative value reduces the target’s Armor value.
Bows: A traditional longbow of fiberglass or wood, or a modern compound-and-pulley bow. Reloading the bow takes one “Ready Weapon” Action. Bows have minimum Strength ratings that indicate the minimum Strength a character must have to use that weapon. When attacking with a bow, a character whose Strength is less than the Strength minimum suffers a –1D+1 modifier per "D" below the minimum; this penalty reflects the difficulty they have in pulling the bow and nocking an arrow. The weapon’s minimum Strength rating is also used to determine the weapon’s range and damage. Material science limits high-tech bows to a maximum Strength rating of 8D. The maximum Damage Value an arrow fired from the bow can inflict is equal to the bow’s rating x1.5.
Crossbows: Modern crossbows are equipped with automatic reloading devices to allow for faster firing rates (reloading doesn’t require a Ready Weapon action, unless you happen to be using a museum piece). Crossbows also feature internal magazines holding up to 4 bolts. Available in Light, Medium, and Heavy sizes.
Injection Arrows/Bolts: An injection arrow or bolt causes the same damage as a regular arrow/bolt, but an attack that inflicts at least 1 point of damage will also deliver one dose of whatever chemical substance the arrow/bolt was loaded with. This counts as an injection attack vector.
Shuriken: This multi-edged airfoil throwing blade is available in many different styles. A character can ready Dexterity ÷ 2 shuriken per Ready Weapon action.
Throwing Knife: Any of a variety of slim knives or spikes. A character can ready Dexterity ÷ 2 throwing knives per Ready Weapon action.
| Bows | Damage | AP | Availability | Cost |
| Bow | (STR Min +1D+1) | 0 | 1 | Rating x 100 |
| Arrow | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| Injection Arrow | - | - | 3R | 50 |
| Crossbows | Damage | AP | Availability | Cost |
| Light | 2D | - | 1 | 300 |
| Medium | 3D+1 | - | 1R | 500 |
| Heavy | 4D+2 | -0D+2 | 3R | 750 |
| Bolt | - | - | 1 | 5 |
| Injection Bolt | - | - | 3R | 50 |
| Throwing Weapons | Damage | AP | Availability | Cost |
| Shuriken | STR | - | 1 | 30 |
| Throwing Knife | STR+0D+2 | - | 1 | 20 |