So I decided on using Hellscapes by Scrivened, LLC for my upcoming Post-Apocalyptic game, mostly because I, and more importantly my players, are pretty familiar with the 5e mechanics, which will make it much easier to transition to this game. I really love this source book. It’s well written by someone who obviously loves 5th edition and gaming in general, so if you have some extra cash, it’s well worth picking up. While I will probably use some things from Apocalypse World, what with all the neat mechanics it brings with it, the main thing I wanted to focus on is some of the weapons detailed in Hellscapes. While I think they’re great and someone obviously put a lot of time into them, I don’t necessarily agree with the mechanical portrayal. If you want to keep playing with those rules, please do! This is simply an alternate take based on my own, limited experience.
Also, the calibers listed below are obviously not exhaustive. I’m taking generals here for ease of use, but if you want to use a different type of round, I’d say find the closest type in size and use that as your base
Simple Melee
Roll Name Cost Damage Weight Properties Materials
| 1 | Brass Knuckles | 2 | 1d4 bludgeoning | 1 lb. | Light, special | Metal |
| 2-3 | Baseball bat/ staff | 1 | 1d6 bludgeoning | 4 lb. | Versatile (1d8) | Wood |
| 4 | Hatchet | 5 | 1d6 slashing | 2 lb. | Light, thrown (15/ 45) | Metal |
| 5 | Knife | 2 | 1d4 piercing | 1 lb. | Finesse, light, thrown (15/45) | Metal |
| 6 | Baton | 2 | 1d4 bludgeoning | 2 lb. | Light, finesse | Wood |
| 7 | Spear | 1 | 1d6 piercing | 3 lb. | Thrown (20/ 60), versatile (1d8) | Wood |
| 8 | Hammer | 1 | 1d4 bludgeoning or piercing | 2 lb. | Light, Thrown (15/ 45) | Metal |
| Unarmed strike | 1 bludgeoning |
Simple Ranged
| 1 | Crossbow | 25 | 1d8 piercing | 5 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/ 320) loading, two handed | Metal |
| 2 | Molotov cocktail (1 use) | 2 | 1d6 heat | 1/2 lb. | Thrown (15/ 45) burst | Chemical |
| 3-5 | Pepper spray (10 uses) | 5 | 1 poison | 1/4 lb. | range 10, blinding | Chemical |
| 6 | Slingshot | 2 | 1d4 bludgeoning | 1 lb. | Ammunition (range 30/ 120) two handed | Wood |
Martial melee
| 1-2 | Axe | 10 | 1d8 slashing | 5 lb. | Versatile (1d10) | Metal |
| 3 | Pick axe | 10 | 1d12 piercing | 9 lb. | Heavy, Two handed | Metal |
| 4 | Greatsword | 50 | 2d6 slashing | 8 lb. | Heavy, Two handed | Metal |
| 5 | Machete | 10 | 1d6 slashing | 3 lb. | Finesse, light | Metal |
| 6 | Sledgehammer | 10 | 1d12 bludgeoning | 10 lb. | Heavy, two handed | Metal |
| 7-8 | Crowbar | 5 | 1d6 bludgeoning | 5 lb. | Tool, versatile (1d8) | Metal |
| 9 | Sword | 20 | 1d8 slashing | 4 lb. | Versatile (1d10) or finesse (chosen on creation or discovery) | Metal |
| 10 | Pole arm | 15 | 1d10 slashing | 7 lb. | Heavy, two handed, reach | Metal |
Martial Ranged
| 1 | Bow, Compound | 75 | 1d8 piercing | 4 lb. | Ammunition (range 80/ 320) heavy, two handed | Plastic |
| 2-3 | Bow, traditional | 50 | 1d6 piercing | 3 lb. | Ammunition (range 60/ 240) two handed | Wood |
| 4-5 | Carbine | 150 | caliber | 6 lb. | Ammunition (rifle), loud, two handed, burst | Metal |
| 6-8 | Pistol | 100 | caliber | 2 lb. | Light, loud, ammunition (pistol) | Metal |
| 9 | Rifle | 200 | caliber | 8 lb. | Heavy, loud, two handed, ammunition (rifle), loading | Metal |
| 10 | Shotgun | 150 | Shell | 7 lb. | Heavy, loud, two handed, ammunition (shell) special | Metal |
| 11 | Submachine gun | 150 | Caliber | 5 lb. | Loud, burst, ammunition (pistol) | Metal |
| 12 | Machine gun | 200 | Caliber | 22 lb. | Loud, burst, emplacement, belt fed ammunition (rifle) | Metal |
What Ammo is used (rolled on discovery)
- Carbine D10
- 1-5: 5.56x 45mm
- 6-9: 7.62×51 mm
- 10: .22LR
- Pistol D6
- 1-3: 9mm
- 4-5: .45
- 6: .22LR
- Rifle d12
- 1-5: 5.56x 45mm
- 6-10: 7.62×51 mm
- 11: .22LR
- 12: .50
- Submachine gun D6
- 1- .22LR
- 2-5: 9mm
- 6: .45
- Machine gun d4
- 1-2: 5.56x 45 mm
- 3-4: 7.62x 51 mm
Firearm calibers
Discovery Roll Caliber damage range mag size properties
| 20 | .50 | 2d8 ballistic | 250/1000 | 10 | Rifle (rifle only) |
| 18-19 | 5.56x 45mm | 1d8 ballistic | 150/600 | 30 | Rifle |
| 16-17 | 7.62x 51mm | 1d10 ballistic | 180/720 (120/ 480 in carbine) | 30 | Rifle |
| 12-15 | 9 mm | 1d8 ballistic | 40/160 | 15 | Pistol |
| 10-11 | .45 ACP | 1d10 ballistic | 40/160 | 7 | Heavy, pistol |
| 7-9 | .22LR | 1d6 ballistic | 100/400 (rifle) 40/ 160 (pistol) | 15 | Pistol, rifle |
| 4-6 | 12 gauge buckshot | ballistic 3d4 up to 40, 2d4 up to 80, and 1d4 and advantage on attack roll up to 120 | 5+1 | Shell | |
| 2-3 | 12 gauge slug | 2d6 ballistic | 40/160 | 5+1 | Shell |
| 1 | beanbag | 1d8 bludgeoning | 40/160 | 5+1 | Shell, does not kill target on reducing it to 0 HP |
Special note on Shotguns: due to the amount of shot released, it’s actually much easier to hit something the farther out it is, so to represent that, shotguns firing buckshot have their ranges split into certain areas. In the first third, they do the full damage listed, while in the next third, they lose one damage die, while in the final third, they gain advantage on the attack roll, but only do one of their damage dice. Slug and beanbag rounds, being solid rounds, function as normal ranged weapons.
Properties
Ammunition. You can use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a ranged attack only if you have ammunition to fire from the weapon. Each time you attack with the weapon you expend one unit of ammunition. For bows, drawing the ammunition form a quiver, case, or other container is part of the attack (you need a free hand to load a one-handed weapon). With firearms, ammunition is most likely to come from a magazine. At the end of the battle, you can recover half your expended arrow or crossbow bolt ammunition by taking a minute to search the battlefield. This is obviously not true for bullets. If you use a weapon that has the ammunition property to make a melee attack, you treat the weapon as an improvised weapon.
Fire arms may only use the ammunition designated in the parentheses and must choose on particular type of ammunition upon discovery or creation. A fire arm may be modified to take a different type of ammunition with a successful DC 15 intelligence check with appropriate tools and parts equal to 25 percent of the cost
Belt Fed. Belt fed weapons use 10 times as much ammunition for each attack they are used, but deal an additional dice of damage. For example, 5.56x 45 mm machine gun (a Squad Automatic Weapon) would use 10 units of ammunition for an attack, but would deal 2d8 damage plus the attacker’s dexterity modifier. If the attacker has less ammunition available than required, the attack only does normal damage. Belt fed weapons do not conform to traditional magazine sizes, and typically have a 100 round drum to hold the belt
Blinding. Upon hitting the target, they must make a DC 10 Constitution save or become blinded for 10 minutes. At the beginning of the target’s turn, the affected target repeats this save, becoming able to see for that round on a success, but the effect does not end until 10 minutes have passed.
Burst. The attacker expends 10 units of ammunition and choose a 10 foot by 10 foot cube within their first range increment. All targets in that cube must make a Dexterity save equal to 8+ the attacker’s proficiency modifier+ the attacker’s dexterity modifier or take damage as if struck by the weapon. A successful save means the target takes half damage. Targets have advantage on the Dexterity save of the attacker is not proficient with the weapon or has disadvantage for any reason
Emplacement. Weapons with the emplacement property grant disadvantage on all attack rolls unless fired from the prone position or braced against cover. Does not apply to creatures of Large size or greater with at least 14 Strength
Finesse. When making an attack with a finesse weapon, you use your choice of your Strength or Dexterity modifier for the attack and damage rolls. You must use the same modifier for both rolls.
Heavy. Small creatures have disadvantage on attack rolls with heavy weapons. A heavy weapon’s size, bulk, or recoil in the case of ranged weapons make it too large for a Small creature to use effectively
Light. A light weapon is small and easy to handle, making it ideal for use when fighting with two weapons
Loading. Because of the time required to load this weapon, you can fire only one piece of ammunition from it when you use an action, bonus action, or reaction to fire it, regardless of the number of attacks you can normally make.
Loud. This item makes a great deal of noise when it is used. Firing it is audible to all creatures within 100 feet, and those within 300 feet may make a perception check against DC 10 to hear it.
If a loud weapon is fired next to the ear of a creature, they must succeed in a DC 15 Constitution save or become deafened for 10 minutes.
Range. A weapon that can be used to make a ranged attack has a range as well as the ammunition or thrown property. The range lists two numbers. The first is the weapon’s normal range in feet, and the second indicates the weapon’s long range. When attacking a target beyond normal range, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. You can’t attack a target beyond the weapon’s long range.
Reach. This weapon adds 5 feet to your reach when you attack with it, as well as when determining your reach for opportunity attacks with it.
Thrown. If a weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon to make a ranged attack. If the weapon is a melee weapon, you use the same ability modifier for that attack roll and damage roll that you would use for a melee attack with the weapon. For example, if you throw a hatchet, you use your Strength, but if you throw a knife, you can use either your Strength or your Dexterity, since the dagger has the finesse property.
Two-handed. This weapon requires two hands when you attack with it
Versatile. This weapon can be used with one or two hands. A damage value in parentheses appears with the property—the damage when the weapon is used with two hands to make a melee attack.
Tales from the Thief of Whispers 