🔫 Weapons & Gear
“A gun is a tool. Knowing what ammo to load, which scope to mount, and when to hide the damn thing — that’s the craft.”
This page covers everything about how your weapons and gear work in play — quality, concealment, ammo types, smartguns, and special weapons. For buying gear, see Money. For repairing gear, see Repair & Crafting.
⚡ Quick Reference
Gear Rules At A Glance
Question Quick Answer What does weapon quality do? Poor: -1 attack. Excellent: +1 attack Can I hide my weapon? Only if it’s listed as “Concealable” in the weapons table What ammo should I buy? Basic is free with the weapon. AP is best vs armored targets How do Smartguns work? Weapon + Smartgun Link attachment + Neural Link + Interface Plugs/Subdermal Grip = +1 to hit How do scopes work? Sniping Scope: +1 to hit at 51m+. Targeting Scope (cyberware): +1 to Aimed Shots
⭐ Weapon Quality
Every weapon has a quality rating that affects your attack rolls:
| Quality | Attack Modifier | How You Get It |
|---|---|---|
| Poor | -1 to attack | Looted from corpses, cheap knockoffs |
| Standard | ±0 | Default for all purchased weapons |
| Excellent | +1 to attack | Tech Upgrade, or bought at higher price |
Poor Quality Weapons
Looted weapons are often Poor Quality. That -1 adds up fast — against DV 15, your hit chance drops from ~50% to ~40%. Get a Tech to upgrade it or replace it.
🔒 Concealment
The “Conceal?” column in the weapons table matters more than you think.
A concealable weapon can be hidden on your person — under a jacket, in a boot, inside a Hidden Holster cyberware. A non-concealable weapon (rifles, shotguns, Very Heavy Pistols) is visible and draws attention.
| Situation | Concealable Weapon | Non-Concealable Weapon |
|---|---|---|
| Walking into a bar | No one notices | Bouncer stops you |
| Corpo meeting | Hidden if you pass Conceal check | Not getting in |
| Surprise attack | Can draw and fire same turn | Already visible — no surprise |
| Police checkpoint | Passable with Conceal/Reveal check | Immediately flagged |
Key rules:
- Drawing a concealed weapon is a Free Action (same as drawing any accessible weapon)
- Concealing a weapon uses
INT + Conceal/Reveal Object + 1d10vs observer’sINT + Perception + 1d10(or Conceal/Reveal) - Hidden Holster cyberware (500eb, HL 7) auto-conceals one weapon inside your body
- Tech Upgrade can make a one-handed non-concealable weapon concealable
💊 Ammunition Types
Basic ammo comes with the weapon (10eb per box of 10). Non-Basic ammo changes how your weapon interacts with armor, targets, and the environment.
Exotic Weapons
Most Exotic weapons cannot use Non-Basic Ammunition unless their description specifically says otherwise.
Combat Ammo
| Ammo Type | Cost/10 | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 10eb | Standard damage and ablation | General use |
| Armor-Piercing | 100eb | Ablates armor by 2 instead of 1 | Heavily armored targets |
| Incendiary | 100eb | If damage penetrates → target is On Fire (2 HP/turn until extinguished) | Soft targets, area denial |
| Expansive | 100eb | Foreign Object crits → roll twice, keep worse | Unarmored targets |
| Rubber | 10eb | Cannot reduce target below 1 HP. No crits. No ablation | Non-lethal takedowns |
Tech Ammo
| Ammo Type | Cost/10 | Effect | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smart | 500eb | Requires Targeting Scope cyberware. On a miss by 4 or less (single shot only), get a second chance: roll 10 + 1d10 vs same DV | Precision hits |
| EMP | 500eb | Grenade only. 10×10m area. DV15 Cybertech check or 2 cyberware pieces disabled for 1 min | Borgs, heavily chromed targets |
Tactical Ammo (Grenades)
| Ammo Type | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke | 50eb | 10×10m area. Blocks line of sight for 1 minute |
| Teargas | 50eb | 10×10m area. DV13 Resist Torture/Drugs or Damaged Eye (1 min) |
| Flashbang | 50eb | 10×10m area. DV15 Resist Torture/Drugs or Damaged Eye + Damaged Ear (1 min) |
| Biotoxin | 500eb | Grenade only. 10×10m area. DV15 resist or 3d6 direct to HP |
Ammo Strategy
AP ammo is the most universally useful non-basic ammo — doubling ablation melts armored targets fast. Against unarmored enemies, basic ammo is fine. Rubber is essential for jobs where the client says “alive.”
🎯 Smartguns
A Smartgun is any ranged weapon with a Smartgun Link attachment installed. The system uses guided ammunition and a neural interface to provide targeting assistance.
To use a Smartgun, you need ALL of these:
| Component | Type | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smartgun Link | Weapon attachment | 500eb | Installed on the weapon |
| Neural Link | Cyberware (Neuralware) | 500eb | Foundation for all neuralware |
| Interface Plugs OR Subdermal Grip | Cyberware | 500eb / 100eb | Connection method |
Result: +1 to Ranged Attack rolls from the Smartgun Link attachment.
Interface Plugs vs Subdermal Grip
- Interface Plugs (500eb, HL 7): Plug in when drawing. Unplugs if disarmed, reconnects free. Also needed for Netrunning.
- Subdermal Grip (100eb, HL 3): Connects automatically when held. Can’t be disarmed. Cheaper but only works for Smartguns.
Most characters pick Subdermal Grip unless they also Netrun.
🔭 Scopes & Targeting
| Equipment | Type | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sniping Scope | Weapon attachment | +1 to hit at 51m+ | 500eb |
| Targeting Scope | Cybereye option | +1 to Aimed Shots (head/held item) | 500eb |
| Teleoptic | Cybereye option | See clearly at extreme range (no combat bonus) | 500eb |
When Scopes Matter
The Sniping Scope only helps at 51m+ — that’s Sniper Rifle territory. Inside a building, it does nothing. The Targeting Scope (cyberware) is more versatile since Aimed Shots work at any range.
🏹 Special Weapon Rules
Bows & Crossbows
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Skill | Archery (not Shoulder Arms) |
| Damage | 4d6 |
| ROF | 1 |
| Hands | 2 |
| Ammo | Arrows (reusable if you recover them) |
| Quality | Standard only (can’t be Excellent) |
Bows are silent, arrows are reusable, and they use their own skill (Archery). They’re the stealth option — no muzzle flash, no gunshot sound.
Grenades
Thrown grenades use DEX + Athletics + 1d10 vs DV (same as Grenade Launcher range table). They affect a 10m × 10m area — everyone in the zone takes full damage. If you miss, the GM decides where it lands (it still explodes).
See 🪓 Thrown Weapons for full throwing rules.
Exotic Weapons
Exotic weapons (Stun Gun, Dartgun, Microwaver, etc.) have unique rules per weapon. Key differences:
- Average Quality only — can’t be upgraded to Excellent
- Incompatible with attachments and Non-Basic Ammunition (unless stated otherwise)
- Each has a unique mechanic (electricity, poison delivery, EMP, etc.)
See individual weapon pages in the Database for specifics.
❓ Quick Answers
Do I need special ammo to fight armored targets?
Not required, but AP ammo helps enormously. Standard ammo ablates SP by 1 per hit. AP ablates by 2. Against SP 11 armor, that’s the difference between 11 hits to strip armor vs 6.
Can I use a Smartgun without cyberware?
No. You need Neural Link + Interface Plugs or Subdermal Grip. Without those, the Smartgun Link attachment does nothing.
Does weapon quality affect damage?
No. Quality only affects your attack roll (±1). Damage dice stay the same.
Can I switch ammo types mid-combat?
Yes, but Reloading is an Action. You spend your turn swapping magazines instead of shooting.
🔗 Related Topics
- Combat — Combat overview and turn structure
- Ranged Combat — Range DVs, fire modes, weapons table
- Melee Combat — Melee weapons and martial arts
- Armor and Cover — How armor interacts with ammo types
- Attachments — Full attachment catalog with slot counts
- Repair & Crafting — Fixing and upgrading weapons
- Cyberware — Smartgun cyberware requirements
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 340-353)