Grenade Launchers and you, some rule clarifications Options

[GlassJaw]

Just a few questions related to grenade launchers:

Can you mount a GL on guns other than assault rifles (like shotguns)?

Can you add a smartlink to a GL?

If you have a GL mounted on a gun, does it need its own smartlink?

[Moon-Hawk]

1) I don't see any reason why not.
2) Yes. But I think those types of weapons only get a -1TN from a smartlinkII and nothing from a smartlinkI, and you need a rangefinder. The reason being that grenades are "lobbed" and follow much less of a straight path compared to bullets.
3) No. But see #2. Actually, the quote from the book I'm thinking of is talking about GL more in terms of #3 than #2, but I am interpreting it to apply the same way even if the GL is the only weapon present.

[Luke Hardison]

MoonHawk is correct. For reference for GL's on other weapons, see the vehicle rigger archetype in SR3 and his gear list in the back. He has a GL mounted under a Defiance.

[GlassJaw]

[blakkie]

It is important to note that you can drastically reduce scatter with the SL2-Rangefinder combo, down to 1d6 from 3d6, by having the SL2 time the grenade detonation to attempt to airburst immediately over top of the target.

[Moon-Hawk]

I think I agree with you GlassJaw, I think we're just looking at it slightly differently. It depends on whether you consider an assault rifle with an underbarrel grenade launcher one weapon or two.
Let me clarify my previous statement.
If the underbarrel GL comes equipped, as part of the price of the weapon, than equipping it with a smartgun system should account for "both" weapons.
If you're trying to add an underbarrel grenade launcher to a weapon that does not normally have one included in the price, then yes, I agree that the GL has to be equipped with the SG as well, so that all in all you've paid the right amount of money for the whole weapon.
Since the price of the SG is, for some incomprehensible reason, determined by the cost of the gun it is being placed on, this should have very little impact on things.

edit: Blakkie has an excellent point. Probably the single best reason to get a smartgun on a GL. The scatter makes launched granades marginally useless without the smartgun, but with it I rarely see more than a meter or two of scatter.

[RedmondLarry]

I think that a single Smartlink will be effective for both the Assault Rifle (or Shotgun) and underbarrel Grenade Launcher only under one condition...

... the Grenade Launcher has to be fastened onto the firearm and sighted such that it fires in the same direction.

If you wish the smartlink to control clip ejection, choke adjustment, SA/BF/FA fire selection, safety on/off for both devices, then I expect the player to pay more money. But still he should only need one smartlink connection in the grip.

[Bane]

[GlassJaw]

When defaulting to a weapon skill when firing a underbarrel GL, can you default to a specialization or is it the base skill only?

For example, you have Assault Rifles (AK-98) at 4 (6). If you fire the AK's GL, do you use a rating of 4 or 6?

[GlassJaw]

[Kagetenshi]

[GlassJaw]

[Kagetenshi]

I see. Arguable, but for non-post-manufacturing grenade launchers I’d tend to disagree.

~J

[GlassJaw]

[Westiex]

[Accel]

[Canid13]

To be honest, I'd say that the GL's smartlink circuitry is linked into the system for the main weapon. I see no reason to move your hand on an Alpha when firing a grenade like you would on a modern day M16/M203 combo. The induction pad would work for both.... which is where the "-1 TN for linked weapons" comes in in my opinion. I'd say that a GL doesn't get the full -2 from a Smartlink 2 system but the -1 mentioned for linked weapons.

To reduce the scatter to 1d6 you need to be firing air timed minigrenades. This means the Grenade Launcher must be Smartlink 2 equipped, and have a Rangefinder accessory and a Grenade Link accessory. The firer must also have Smartlink 2 cyberware with a Rangefinder. If one of these is missing, according to CC and M&M, then you don't get any TN bonuses and you still scatter 3d6 AND the grenade goes off in the Initative Pass after the grenade was fired. I can't give page numbers cos I don't have my books with me, but I can refer ppl to the errata for those books on the srrpg.com site.

Skills: a normal grenade launcher (take the MGL-12 for example), since it's a weapon on its own the only options are Launch Weapons and Intelligence. I'm not aware that you can use Gunnery for defaulting here, but I could be wrong (need my GM screen to look it up :o)). For an Alpha or even the Antioch mounted under a rifle, I'm not sure without Smartlink but you can use the main weapon's skill to default too. This may well apply when no Smartlink is present, I'm not sure.

Let's take the AK98 example mentioned above. If the weapon is Smartlink 2 equipped and has a rangefinder and a grenade link, and the firer has Smart 2 and a rangefinder, then you're looking a TN's for the rifle of Short: 2, Medium: 3, Long: 3 and Extreme:5. For the grenade launcher, I'm 99% sure it's Short: 3, Medium: 4, Long: 6 and Extreme: 6. This is how I do it for my players.

[Kagetenshi]

You can default to gunnery. Furthermore, if you stick it onto a vehicle you use gunnery as the main skill and can default to launch weapons.

~J