DIY Weaponry
An extension of Genesys' existing Improvised Weapons (found on page 109 of the Genesys Core Rulebook), this document introduces more varied stats for weaponry. These are generic templates of weapons which can be interpreted and narrated as various different tools, sporting goods and household items.
This document was originally sourced by ideas for a zombie apocalypse setting for Genesys, but could find purchase in most settings that leave the characters in an urban scenario without suitable equipment and scrambling for anything available to use for weaponry.
The Equipment
Close Quarters
An array of blunt or edged implements, grabbed from whatever was available at home or various stores in the immediate vicinity.
Blunt Brawl Weapon
Brass Knuckles, Boxing Gloves and similar, all assisting in beating others without hurting your own hands.
Bladed Brawl Weapon
Ranging from cobbled together sets of nails or glass to metal claws, these weapons can cause grievous injuries.
Blunt Wooden Weapon
One of the first things to grab in a hurry, these weapons are less powerful and sturdy, but in a pinch, they will always do. Any hh or d generated in combat checks with blunt wooden weapons may be spent to have them break, makign them useless in most cases.
Examples (One-handed): Nightstick, 2x4, Tableleg
Examples (Two-handed): Baseball Bat, Guitar, Pool Cue
Blunt Metal Weapon
Breaking bones accompanied by the the sounds of hollow banging, these tools are sturdier and heavier than wooden ones.
Examples (One-handed): Frying Pan, Crowbar, Wrench
Examples (Two-handed): Fire Extinguisher, Sledge-hammer
Sharp/Pointed Weapon
Ranging from sharpened tools to actual weaponry, these implements are likely to cause more grievous injuries.
Examples (One-handed): Broken Bottle, Scissors, Knife
Examples (Two-handed): Fireaxe, Pitchfork, Broad-sword
Powertools
Drill
While not easy to aim, when managing to strike a target with a running drill, the chances of breaking through their defenses are quite high.
Blowtorch
Be it a kitchen tool or an improvised combination of spraycan and lighter, it's bound to do some damage when brought close enough to your foe. Note that the blowtorch does not use the character's brawn for its damage but a flat damage value of 4 instead.
Chainsaw
A mainstay in many post-civilisation scenarios, this lumber tool is difficult to wield but devastating upon contact with most materials (including flesh and bone).
Similarly to ranged weapons a d generated on a combat check with the chainsaw may be spent to have it run out of fuel, rendering it useless.
Awkward Weaponry
This is where it gets odd. These can range from things that are just awkward to wield (like a chair, a garbage can or a pallet) or things that are odd or comical to look at (a swordfish, a cactus, an elk head trophy). While odd to use, they may prove effective...or are just the only thing available.
GENESYS
Table 1: Improvised Melee Weapons
| Name | Skill | Dam | Crit | Range | Encum | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brawl Weapons | ||||||
| Blunt Brawl Weapon | Brawl | +1 | 4 | Engaged | 1 | Stun Damage, Disorient 2, Knockdown |
| Bladed Brawl Weapon | Brawl | +1 | 3 | Engaged | 1 | Vicious 2 |
| One-handed Melee Weapons | ||||||
| Blunt Wooden Weapon | Melee (Light) | +1 | 5 | Engaged | 1 | |
| Blunt Metal Weapon | Melee (Light) | +1 | 4 | Engaged | 2 | Disorient 3 |
| Sharp/Pointed Weapon | Melee (Light) | +2 | 3 | Engaged | 1 | Vicious 1 |
| Powerdrill | Melee (Light) | +1 | 3 | Engaged | 1 | Pierce 2, Inaccurate 1 |
| Blowtorch | Melee (Light) | 4 | 5 | Engaged | 1 | Burn 1 |
| Two-handed Melee Weapons | ||||||
| Blunt Wooden Weapon | Melee (Heavy) | +2 | 5 | Engaged | 2 | Disorient 3, Knockdown |
| Blunt Metal Weapon | Melee (Heavy) | +3 | 4 | Engaged | 3 | Concussive 1, Cumbersome 3, Knockdown |
| Sharp/Pointed Weapon | Melee (Heavy) | +3 | 3 | Engaged | 2 | Pierce 1, Vicious 2, Cumbersome 3 |
| Awkward Weapon | Melee (Heavy) | +3 | 4 | Engaged | 2 | Cumbersome 2, Unwieldy 2 |
| Chainsaw | Melee (Heavy) | +3 | 2 | Engaged | 3 | Pierce 2, Vicious 3, Unwieldy 3 |
| Thrown Weapons | ||||||
| Disk | Ranged (Light) | +1 | 4 | Short | 1 | Limited Ammo 1 |
| Brick | Ranged (Light) | +2 | 4 | Short | 2 | Inaccurate 1, Limited Ammo 1 |
| Throwing Knife | Ranged (Light) | +1 | 2 | Short | 1 | Pierce 2, Limited Ammo 1 |
| Firework | Ranged (Light) | 3 | 4 | Short | 1 | Blast 2, Disorient 2, Limited Ammo 1, Prepare 1 |
| Molotov Cocktail | Ranged (Light) | 5 | 3 | Short | 1 | Blast 5, Burn 3, Limited Ammo 1, Prepare 1 |
Thrown Weapons
Not every foe is one you want to getup close and personal with, so grabbing something that allows engagements from a distance may be preferable. With the exception of Fireworks and Molotov Cocktails, these weapons still use the character's brawn for the calculation of damage, as the impact depends on the strength of the user.
Disc
This represents items like frisbees, vinyls, clay pigeons or even dinner plates. They usually have decent stability in air, but may not cause much damage on impact.
Brick
This profile also works for rocks, bottles, chunks of metal or anything else hard, heavy and unshapen which you would throw at someone. Their bad aerodynamics are represented by the Inaccurate quality.
Throwing Knife
While knife throwing is usually done with specialized, weighted tools, in most pulp media, any knife will do. They are a lot more lethal than blunt objects when thrown right, but also more precious to potentially lose.
Fireworks
While usually not powerful enough to cause injury unless in direct contact, these items have their uses none the less. Lighting them takes a moment, and their effective area is limited, but the bright lights and loud sounds can make for excellent distractions.
Molotov Cocktail
Like fireworks, these take a moment to ignite, but their effects are far more devastating. Shattering on impact and spraying burning liquid in all directions these are bound to cause havoc on groups of targets.
Molotov Cocktails are also reasonably easy to make, provided the character has access to their base components; a glass bottle, a piece of cloth and some gasoline or other liquid fuel.
GENESYS
Modifying Brawl and Melee Weaponry
In similar fashion to the optional ruleset for Item Attachments (page 206 of the Genesys Core Rulebook), this segment introduces some modifications to be made to the weapons described above, however relying on components availabe in the characters immediate surrounding, rather than premade, bought, attachments.
While the attachment rules usually rely on hardpoints, the following modifications are all assumed to be exclusive, making it impossible to attach two of them to the same weapon.
Electrified
By applying a current to a metal weapon, its victims are in for a shocking experience.
Components Required: Electrical components, battery and wiring
Use With: Any metal weapon
Modifiers: The weapon gains the Stun 3 quality or increases its existing Stun quality by 3.
Spiked
Hammering nails into a club, taping on blades or wrapping it in barbed wire can greatly increase the lethality of a blunt weapon.
Components Required: Nails, razorblades, barbed wire
Use With: Any blunt weapon
Modifiers: The weapon increases its damage by 1. The weapon gains the Vicious 2 quality or increases its existing Vicious quality by 2.
Flaming
By coating a weapon in flammable substances and then lighting it on fire, it becomes far more imposing and threatening, as well as painful to be struck by.
Components Required: Flammable substances
Use With: Any weapon that could benefit from being on fire and does not already possess the Burn quality
Modifiers: The weapon decreases its crit rating by one and gains the Burn 1 quality. If applied to a wooden weapon, the GM may spend hh on any rolls involving the item to have the fire spread down the length of the weapon, inflicting 1 wound to the character holding it and resulting in the weapon being dropped.
Weighted
Weights or heavy metal pieces strapped to a blunt weapon greatly increase the kinetic force it exerts on the target.
Components Required: Weights, heavy pieces of metal
Use With: Any blunt weapon
Modifiers: The weapon increases its damage by 1, and gains the Concussive 1 quality or increases its existing Concussive quality by 1. The weapon gains the Cumbersome 2 quality or increases its existing Cumbersome quality by 1.
Explosive
Strapping fireworks (or something more dangerous) to a melee weapon greatly increases its damage potential, at increased danger to its wielder.
Components Required: Fireworks, various explosives
Use With: Any blunt weapon
Modifiers: The weapon gains the Blast 5 quality (or a Blast quality of higher value depending on the explosives used, at the GMs discretion). After triggering the quality, this modification counts as being removed.
GENESYS