Heavy Weapons (each requires a specific Exotic Firearms Proficiency feat)

Name Damage Critical Damage Type Range Increment Rate of Fire Magazine Size Weight Purchase DC Restriction
M2HB (heavy machine gun) 2d12 20 Ballistic 110 ft. A Linked Huge 75 lb. 22 Mil (+3)
M72A3 LAW (rocket launcher) 10d62 150 ft. 1 1 int. Large 5 lb. 15 Mil (+3)
M79 (grenade launcher) Varies2 70 ft. 1 1 int. Large 7 lb. 14 Mil (+3)
1 This mastercraft weapon grants a +1 bonus on attack rolls.
2 This weapon does special damage. See the weapon description.
3 See the description of this weapon for special rules.

The weapons covered in this section fall under the Exotic Firearms Proficiency feat. Someone who wields a heavy weapon without the appropriate proficiency takes a –4 penalty on all attack rolls with the weapon.

M2HB

This heavy-duty .50-caliber machine gun has been in service since World War II, and remains a very common vehicle-mounted military weapon around the world. The Exotic Firearms Proficiency (heavy machine guns) feat applies to this weapon.

M72A3 LAW

The LAW (light antitank weapon) is a disposable, one-shot rocket launcher. It comes as a short, telescoped fiberglass and aluminum tube. Before using the weapon, the firer must first arm and extend the tube, which is a move action.

When the LAW hits its target, it explodes like a grenade or other explosive, dealing its 10d6 points of damage to all creatures within a 10-foot radius (Reflex save DC 18 for half damage). Because its explosive features a shaped charge designed to penetrate the armor of military vehicles, the LAW ignores up to 10 points of hardness if it strikes a vehicle, building, or object. However, this only applies to the target struck, not to other objects within the burst radius.

The M72 has a minimum range of 30 feet. If fired against a target closer than 30 feet away, it does not arm and will not explode.

The Exotic Firearms Proficiency (rocket launchers) feat applies to this weapon.

M79

This simple weapon is a single-shot grenade launcher. It fires 40mm grenades (see under Grenades and Explosives). These grenades look like huge bullets an inch and a half across; they can’t be used as hand grenades, and the M79 can’t shoot hand grenades.

Attacking with an M79 is identical to throwing an explosive: you make a ranged attack against a specific 5-foot square (instead of targeting a person or creature). The differences between using the M79 and throwing an explosive lie in the range of the weapon (which far exceeds the distance a hand grenade can be thrown) and the fact that the M79 requires a weapon proficiency to operate without penalty.

The Exotic Firearms Proficiency (grenade launchers) feat applies to this weapon.