Artefacts of War

Weapons of desperation both great and odd

“Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered
automatic weapons.”
― Douglas MacArthur

BY Michael “Mickio” Gagnon

™ & © 2022 GDW and Fria Ligan AB. Used with permission under the Community Content Agreement for Free
League Workshop. All rights reserved.
 As the third world war went from cold to hot to
dead, militaries the world over began unearthing more

and more desperate weapons to try and keep their
reinforcements with anything that could shoot. From
prototypes to cosmoline-coated remnants of the other
world wars. These weapons now litter the wastelands of
Europe and have been found in the oddest of places
whether that be the hands of warlords, bling-seeking
traders, or desperate survivors. All these weapons work
in ways unique to most of what modern militaries have
seen and have passed hands lord knows how many
times.
On the ammunition
Many of the weapons in this module use ammunitions
that are not in the Twilight 2000 rulebook. This can
make the unique ammunitions difficult to implement
since they only serve on one or two firearms. One of
the solutions that can be done is to change the caliber
of the firearm your players find to a more common,
similar one in the book. Of course, it makes sense rare
weapons will have even more rare weapons. It is
recommended that all of these weapons come with at

What Is This Module? least a few full magazines.

Players could be forced to craft more ammo at a
This book is in large majority a collection of odd workshop with the same resource as normal bullets
and unique firearms. Their function is similar to that of (spare parts and explosives in equal weight) with the
magical weapons seen in many other tabletop RPGs. unique exception of Gyrojet ammo which requires
They are rare and storied weapons with unique Alcohol fuel instead of explosive parts.
abilities and systems while still being based in history
and realism. As a referee you can include these
weapons in your campaign as a reward for players and
to provide some spice to your game. You can have
players find them at the end of an adventure or put
them in the hands of a prominent NPC as a way of
making them more unique and to make the fight
against them require some different strategies. Not all
artefacts are especially good or amazing of course, not
every experiment in warfare was a success of course
but all have their use or at least are worth quite a lot to
collectors.
The table below features all new weapons of this
module along with the description of their special
abilities and a number from 1-20 to roll if you want to
give a random weapon to your players.

You will also find two new grenade types with

mechanics you can apply to things such as gas attacks.
You will also find a list of gear that you can craft or find
to modify weapons on the field or to give to the enemy
and add some variety to encounters.
This module may also of use to your games if you wish
to do a campaign in another time or place as it
features a wide variety of eras and countries which
should be useful to create a good baseline of stats for
such things.

2
DIE WEAPON TYPE AMMO REL ROF DAMAGE CRIT RANGE MAG ARMOR WEIGHT PRICE ABILITY

1 Armalite AR-7 Hunting Rifle .22lr 5 2 1 3 5 15 +2 1/2 100 Modular

2 Civilian AR Sniper rifle 5.56x45 5 1 2 3 8 5 0 1 300 Straight-pull

Shotgun/Hunting 12 GA/ Select

3 Drilling rifle 5 1 3 4 2/9 2/1 0 2 350
rifle .30-06 Caliber

4 EM-2 Assault Rifle .280 british 5 5 2 3 6 20 0 1 500 Balanced

4.74x33
5 H&K G11 Assault Rifle 4 6 2 4 5 45 0 1 650 Hyper Burst
caseless

6 Groza rifle Assault Rifle 7.62x39 5 6 2 4 5 20 0 2 600 Modular

7 Gyrojet rifle Assault Rifle Microjet 3 4 2 4 4 12 +1 1/2 900 Gyrojet

8 Gyrojet pistol Pistol Microjet 3 2 2 3 3 6 +1 1/4 850 Gyrojet

9 HK51 Carbine 7.62x51 5 6 3 4 3 20 0 1/2 300 Concussive

Scratch-
10 Luty’s Lament SMG 9x19 2 5 1 3 2 15 0 1 50
built

11 M1 Garand Battle Rifle .30-06 5 2 3 4 8 8 0 2 450 En-bloc

Straight
12 Mannlicher Sniper Rifle 8x50mmR 3 1 2 4 12 1 0 1 800 Pull,
En-bloc
Martiny .577/450 Black
13 Sniper rifle 4 1 3 4 10 1 0 1 500
Henry Boxer powder

Rifle
14 Mas 49/56 Battle Rifle 7.5 French 5 2 2 4 6 10 0 1 400
Grenade

15 Ross Rifle Sniper Rifle .303 british 3 1 2 2 20 5 0 1 650 Straight-pull

Select
16 M1918 BAR LMG .30-06 5 3 3 4 7 20 0 2 550
automatic

Thompson
17 Pistol Any rifle 5 1 3 4 8 1 +1 1 250 Barrel kit
Contender

True
18 Welrod Pistol 9x19 4 1 1 2 3 6 +1 1/2 200
silencer
Advanced
19 XM8 Assault Rifle 5.56x45 6 6 2 4 5 30 0 1 500 sight,
Modular
FP-45 Clunky
20 Pistol 9x19 2 0 1 1 1 1 +2 1/4 15
Liberator System

3
WEAPONS
Armalite AR-7
The AR-7 is a small and portable rifle in a caliber meant
mainly for hunting small game and as a self defence
tool for paratroopers or isolated officers. Its main
advantage is the plethora of changes that can be done
to the framework as it is very common and made to be
modified to suit the needs of the environment.
 Modular: This weapon is made to be modified with
ease. Any rolls made to modify this weapon are
done with no negative modifiers and can be done
without a workshop.
Civilian AR
The civilian AR is an adaptation of the popular gun
platform by enthusiasts of it around the world
following acts to make the assault rifle illegal to own. It
features a special receiver that makes the bolt ejection
manual turning it into an odd sort of sniper rifle. In
addition to this, the magazines have also been bolted
to reduce the size to five rounds. While not as good in
most ways compared to the normal rifle, the custom-
built nature of the Civilian AR makes their appearance
very different from rifle to rifle and offers better build
quality than its mass produced brother.
 Straight Pull: This rifle uses a straight-pull system
instead of a normal bolt action. This gives more
control to the shooter. When you roll one ammo
dice with this weapon, roll an additional one and
choose which one to keep.
Drilling Rifle
The Drilling rifle also known as the combination rifle is
the weapon of choice of rich hunters all throughout
Europe. The weapon is quite simple as it consists of a
double-barrelled shotgun with an additional barrel
chambered in a rifle round with a scope mounted on
top. This allows the weapon to be useful in all kinds of
situation no matter the range or prey. You can also
completely change the calibers of the drilling rifle if
you want something different as some even come with
two rifle barrels and a single shotgun one for example.
 Select Caliber: This weapon has two sets of stats as
it can fire two types of bullets. You can reload both
types at once but cannot fire both types at once.
2
EM-2
This British assault rifle was created after World War 2
to adapt in the events of another conflict. While other
weapons ended up being more popular to unify NATO
weaponry, the British still kept a supply of them in case
of a major conflict. While this strategic choice did not
give them the advantage to win this war, their space
age rifle can be found in some places.
 Balanced: The EM-2 uses a caliber and form factor
more appropriate for an assault rifle without
needing extensive use of burst fire. This weapon
only gets a -1 to fire without aiming.
H&K G11
For years Germany has been regarded as having the
greatest technology in the field of warfare and while
this reputation has floundered over the years, this
Swiss collaboration was meant to return this
reputation in a big way. With its scope from a sci-fi
movie and caseless ammunition it seemed destined for
greatness. However, its overly complex mechanism
and difficulty to maintain on the field made it too
costly to field in great numbers when this war began.
 Hyper Burst: The intricate systems of the G11
allows it to fire in burst mode without recoil until
the last round is fired. If you roll one to three
ammo dice when firing, you can reroll a result of 1.
(you may still push afterwards but this is done
before.)
Groza Rifle
Created in 1999 as the ultimate weapon to finish the
war, the Groza only served for a few months before
the supply lines failed. Nevertheless, this durable and
modular rifle is raved about by Russian infantry thanks
to its usefulness and integrated GP-25 grenade
launcher (see page 102 of the player’s manual).
 Modular: This weapon is made to be modified with
ease. Any rolls made to modify this weapon are
done with no negative modifier and can be done
without a workshop.
Gyrojet (Rifle And Pistol)
One of the oddest experiments the American army
attempted before the war was to replace black powder
by jet fuel in order to create missile-like bullets. This
idea led to the Gyrojet platform in both rifle and pistol.
The expensive manufacture and slow bullet speed
made it not appropriate for warfare, but the weapon
was used during this war in order to save black powder
for other weapons and some soldiers did get to use
the infamous Gyrojet on the European front.
 Gyrojet: The caseless ammunition of Gyrojet
creates a low recoil weapon with decent fire-power
if enough time is given for the bullet to reach its
maximum velocity. If you roll two or more ammo
dice, you may reroll a result of 1. If you shoot at a
range equal to or greater than the Range, the
weapon’s armor mod becomes 0 instead of +1.
HK51
Created by the British war machine for the need of its
spooks, the HK51 is a weapon meant for very short
altercations where the important thing is to leave
someone absolutely dead, no matter the cost. Its small
frame and weight makes it easy to hide and its large
caliber makes it very dangerous for the the sunglasses-
wearing user as much as the target.
 Concussive: After shooting, you cannot use slow
actions for your next turn as you have been
stunned by the weapon. Enemies shot with a
Concussive weapon also have -1 to CUF rolls from
the insane noise and muzzle flash.
Luty’s Lament
They say a man in Britain once created a book
explaining how to make a simple SMG as a protest
against gun control rights recently enacted in his
country. His fate is unknown to most but his legacy
remains in the hands of many insurgents and civilians
throughout the wasteland of Europe. Though crude,
these books can be found in places and you can
actually give them the instructions instead of the gun
instead if you wish.
 Scratch-built: You can easily create this weapon
without special tools. This weapon can be jury-
rigged with one weapon or general spare part with
a +1 bonus to the roll. However a manual or
instructions are needed.
3
M1 Garand
The iconic rifle of World War 2 that broke Normandy
sadly did not win its third world war and yet overstock
of the classic semi-auto rifle was still given to troops
and civilians throughout Europe as the supply lines
began to break down. However its heavy and simple
design and big caliber still gives it great use today.
 En-bloc: Reloading this weapon is much simpler
than other firearms thanks to its en-bloc system.
You have a +1 bonus to reloading this weapon.
Mannlicher
An odd though effective bolt-action rifle was in service
until the 1950’s in its home country of Austria but it
remained popular until now with hunters and
collectors of all kind. With its quick reloading and
shooting, it is a sniper rifle perfectly made for quick
shooting.
 En-bloc: Reloading this weapon is much simpler
than other firearms thanks to its en-bloc system.
You have a +1 bonus to reloading this weapon.
 Straight Pull: This rifle uses a straight-pull system
instead of a normal bolt action. This gives more
control to the shooter. When you roll one ammo
dice with this weapon, roll an additional one and
choose which one to keep.
Martini-Henry
A weird sight in the 2000’s, the Martini-Henry Mark IV is
a breech loading rifle used by the British army until
1918 which was somehow given to a few snipers,
hoping its large caliber would make up for its aged
design.
 Black Powder: This weapon uses old black powder
rounds which explode into a screen of smoke when
fired. When you shoot with this weapon, place a
smoke token one hex in front of the shooter in the
direction fired. Remove that token at the end of the
next turn.
Mas 49/56
The prestigious predecessor of the FAMAS, the Mas
49/56 is the French battle rifle of choice amongst
hunters and shooters alike. Immediately recognized by
its pincer magazine and white plastic loading handle it
is still very popular among French collectors.
 Rifle Grenade: This weapon can fire Rifle grenades
which are constructed by jury rigging with a general
spare part and a hand grenade of your choice.
Loading a rifle grenade is done as a slow action and
is then fired like a normal rifle shot and explodes
using the stats of the hand grenade used. (The rifle
grenade ability is also on every other French battle
or assault rifle or any other gun that mentions rifle
grenades.)
Ross Rifle
The first Canadian-created rifle of its kind, the Ross
rifle served during world war 1 and a part of world war
2. Even now its prized for its immaculate precision and
speed of firing. However the Ross rifle is equally known
for how unreliable and easy it is to jam without
maintenance as even a bit of dirt will cause
malfunctions.
 Straight Pull: This rifle uses a straight-pull system
instead of a normal bolt action. This gives more
control to the shooter. When you roll one ammo
dice with this weapon, roll an additional one and
choose which one to keep.
M1918 BAR
This big brother of the M1 Garand is a unique machine
gun. Chambered in a massive cartridge and featuring a
unique system of two different full automatic speeds,
the BAR is adequate for many situations but is slightly
hampered by its large weight.
 Select automatic: This weapon has two speeds of
full auto fire instead of a burst mode. You may roll
up to three or six ammo dice with this weapon. If
you roll six, you must reroll a result of 6.
FP-45 Liberator
An American pistol created to help insurgents in
enemy territory, this weapon is not very good by any
metric. They are found in boxes containing the weapon,
a manual, ram rod and 6 bullets.
 Clunky System: This weapon’s odd reload
mechanism makes it impossible to reload as a fast
action.
4
Thompson Contender
The Thompson Contender is the ultimate hunter’s
pistol. It is a durable and stylish firearm equipped with
a scope and interchangeable barrels which allows the
Contender to fire most every rifle-grade ammunition
you can throw at it.
 Barrel Kit: This weapon comes with a kit of
interchangeable barrels. You can use a slow action
to change the barrel of the weapon to the rifle
caliber of your choice. You still need to spend an
action to reload afterwards as normal.
Welrod
Some regard it as the spy’s best friend or an assassin’s
dream come true. Either way the Welrod is a
marvellous british pistol. It uses a bolt action and
special silencer inserted into the pistol to provide the
most silent shot possible, vastly more silent than a
normal suppressor with the downside that it needs to
be changed often or else the silencer provides little
effect.
 True Silencer: This weapon’s internal silencer allows
the shot to be practically silent up to 30 meters.
This weapon makes absolutely no noise
whatsoever and cannot be detected. However,
after 12 shots have been fired from it, the silencer
is no more effective and must be replaced. The
silencer can be jury rigged at a workshop using one
weapon part.
XM8
Another legendary rifle by H&K, the XM8 is a sleek
assault rifle favoured by private military companies
and mercenaries who were hired by every side of the
war as troops began lacking and the XM8 was never
very far behind them. Using the latest technology in
optics, its modular design makes it perfect for the kind
of soldier who never knows where he is going next.
 Advanced Sight: This weapon counts as if it has a
Telescopic sight, granting you a +1 to aiming while
still rolling up to three ammo dice.
 Modular: This weapon is made to be modified with
ease. Any rolls made to modify this weapon are
done with no negative modifiers and can be done
without a workshop.
Gear and Crafting Crafting of weapon parts
Using the unique ability functions of the weapons Many weapons described here have the “modular”
described above, a few other pieces of gear with more ability which makes them much easier to modify.
specialised abilities have been included for the However the base game abstracts most of these with
convenience of your players (or their enemies). the exception of scopes and under slung grenade
launchers. As such, this section will add a few different
Stun Grenade pieces of gear that can change the statistics of
weapons. You can also have your players find these
Stun grenades explode into a blinding flash of light and
pieces of gear attached to weapons already or on their
sound. Anyone caught within the blast radius is
own.
concussed and can only use fast actions during their
Normally, adding these pieces of gear will require a
next turn. If the grenade explodes in the same hex as
workshop and a jury rigging roll as normal with the
someone, they instead skip their next turn as they are
exception of modular weapons. You cannot have more
completely blinded and stunned.
than 3 parts on a single weapon and failure on the
check to modify your weapon will cause one point of
DAMAGE CRIT BLAST RANGE WEIGHT PRICE
damage to its reliability.
- - C 3 ¼ 20 While every part does different things, they all add a
different weight to the weapon as well as have a cost
Tear Gas Grenade to craft with weapon parts and price in normal
currency. Note most of this gear will only fit on a rifle
As riots tore through Europe and the Geneva at the referee’s discretion.
convention was burnt along with the bodies of civilians,
militaries began using chemical warfare in many places DIE NAME WEIGHT PARTS PRICE
which lead to a proliferation of tear gas grenades of
1 Scope 1/4 1 20
high potency. These grenades almost instantly cause 2 Combat Scope 1/2 2 70
loss of sight and motor control though their effect can 3 Foregrip 1/4 1 15
be greatly reduced by eye protection (though 4 Long Barrel 1 2 40
inhalation is still dangerous). 5 Suppressor 1/2 2 50
Damage caused by tear gas (including the explosion) 6 Muzzle Break - 1 50
can be mitigated by rolling a Stamina check. 7 Flash light 1/2 1 10
The grenade’s explosion also causes a lingering cloud 8 Laser - 1 60
of gas to linger in its impact hex until the end of your
next turn (you can use a chem counter over a smoke Scope
counter) which blocks line of sight and causes 1
damage to those who pass through it unless they A standard scope or telescopic sight. Allows the Sniper
succeed at a Stamina check. aim action, giving you a +1 bonus or +2 if using a stable
Anyone damaged by tear gas cannot use slow actions platform to fire from but preventing you from using
during their next turn. ammo dice.

DAMAGE CRIT BLAST RANGE WEIGHT PRICE Combat Scope

1 2 C 3 1/4 40
A military grade high quality scope with advanced
features. Allows you to do the Sniper Aim action as a
fast action however the bonus is always a +1.

Foregrip
A vertical or slanted handle put on the front of the
firearm which allows for greater control and a more
comfortable position for your hands.
This allows you to shoot in close combat with a -1
modifier instead of -2.

5
Long Barrel
A barrel extension which makes the weapon much
more unwieldy and heavy but increase the precision
somewhat.
This increases the weapon’s range by 1.

Suppressor
An item attached to the top of the barrel which
somewhat muffles shots and helps to hide the muzzle
flash. Also note you cannot have a suppressor and
muzzle break on the same weapon.
Enemies roll with a -1 modifier to find the location or
hear shots made with this weapon.

Muzzle Break
A piece of metal with holes allowing gas to leave the
firearm in a way which can greatly reduce knockback at
the cost of a much louder sound and muzzle flash.
The weapon’s RoF is reduced by one, but you may
reroll a result of 2-5 on one ammo dice.

Flash light
A weapon-mounted flash light allows you to still fire it
normally whether it be at night or otherwise however,
this also applies to enemies trying to shoot you.

Laser
A laser dot sight attached under your firearm makes it
easier to hit enemies without taking the time to aim.
Quick shots with this weapon get a -1 modifier instead
of -2.

Credits
Design and writing: Mickio
Consulting: Montreal People (with guns) discord server
Proofreading: Takonas
Everything else: Fria Ligan