“Weapons, however highly ornamented,
are instruments of destruction. The wise man will have nothing to do with
them.”
-Mencius
The following is a list of 25 commonly-found handguns used
by Western forces during the Chinese conflicts of the pre-Republican era. The
list is chronologically ordered, under the headings of the various wars that
took place there at the time. Another list covering rifles will be provided at
a later stage.
Keepers setting their adventures in China at this time
should be aware of the current battles taking place and allow their players to
select from this list, if they so choose. Remember also that, while Chinese
forces generally chose to avoid the use of Western weaponry, other individuals
had their own views on the issue, so it is not out of the realm of possibility
that a Celestial might be packing ‘foreign heat’.
A
Note about Availability: This statistic shows the relative
scarcity of the particular weapon in China at the time period specified, not
its general availability worldwide. This status should be kept in mind if
players need to re-arm while adventuring in this locale. Otherwise, since guns
in Call of Cthulhu are more a
statement of style rather than capability, there is no reason to be overly
picky about granting access to any particular sidearm.
*****
The
First Opium War (1839-1842)
The
Taiping Rebellion (1850-1866)
The Second Opium War (1856-1862)
Flintlock
Pistol
Nothing exemplifies the uselessness of firepower in a Mythos
tale more than the flintlock pistol. All sorts of things can go wrong when
deploying these weapons in battle: the powder can get wet; it can trickle out
of the priming pan; the round can become dislodged and fall out through the end
of the barrel; the flint can come unscrewed and fall out; the hammer or trigger
springs can loosen or break. In fact, the best way to use these guns is to
grasp the barrel firmly and use the grip as a club (that’s the reason these
handguns have such large handgrips). Those who relied on these pistols often
carried a bunch of them (known as a ‘brace’) so that, if one misfired, another
one was ready, close to hand.
When your players are using these weapons, have them make Luck Rolls whenever it rains, or they
fall down, or are otherwise blown or buffeted about: if they fail, their gun
must be subjected to a Mechanical Repair
or Gun Lore roll to regain working
status.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D6+1
Range:
10m / 30ft
Shots/round:
1/4
Capacity:
1
HP:
8
Malfunction:
95%
Availability: COMMON
Chinese Revolts of 1865-1881
British
Bulldog .44 Revolver (UK, 1878-1939)
Dependable is as dependable does, and nothing is quite as
reliable as this gun. A trusty sidearm of the Victorian era, and a quantum leap
away from the fiddly percussion guns that preceded it, this weapon was also
modified to take .45 ammunition, although the higher recoil in the standard
frame impacted sharply on accuracy and range
Base%:
15
Damage:
2D6+2
Range:
30m / 90ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
6
HP:
12
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1880
British
Bulldog .45 Revolver (UK, 1878-1939)
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10+2
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1880
The
Tientsin Massacre (1870)
The Sino-French War of 1883-1885
Webley
.455 WG Model (UK, 1885-1912)
The pursuit of lucrative military contracts drove many
weapons makers throughout Europe and the US. This Webley model combines grunt
with dependability to good effect.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10+2
Range:
30m / 90ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from the 1880s to about 1915
The Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895)
Arminius
Model 10 (Germany, 1895-1945)
German weapon design in the lead up to, and into, the
Twentieth Century seemed to be all about streamlining the gun down to its bare
elements. This revolver is practically rococo compared to later models. This
aesthetic was in turn championed by the Austrians, whose arsenal contains some
of the most pared-down sidearms around.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
5
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Colt
New Navy/Army/Marine Revolvers (USA, 1889-1919)
Designing for the American military forces, Colt produced a
range of ‘meat-and-potatoes’ handguns that looked ferocious and met the
requirements. Mainly chambered for .38 ammunition, some of these were modified
to take higher, and in some cases lower, calibre rounds.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from the 1880s to around 1940
Colt
Pocket Positive (USA, 1895-1943)
Designed for use by security personnel and policemen, the
Pocket Positive is a trusty workhorse of a gun that you can easily conceal
about your person. It had just one teensy
problem that the next weapon addresses directly...
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1900 onwards
Forehand
& Wadsworth .38 Hammerless (USA, 1890-1902)
If you carry a gun in your pocket, there is a tendency for
the hammer to get caught on the fabric of your trousers, or on a belt loop, or
on the pocket mouth. This is a quick and effective way to shoot yourself in the
leg. If your players insist upon eschewing holsters as part of their gear, have
them make a DEX Roll every time they are required to hastily draw their guns
from their pockets, to avoid getting into a shemozzle. Guns without hammers like
this one, therefore, gained immediate endorsement by those who liked to mix
personal defence with discretion.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
5
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Iver
Johnson Safety Automatic (USA, 1894-1917)
...Or you could just make a gun with a safety mechanism
built in, like the Iver Johnson Safety Automatic. Whichever.
Make sure though, that your players clearly state those
instances when they engage and, more importantly, disengage their safeties,
otherwise that first volley of gunfire might become a mournful enfilade of
clicking hammers.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Nagant:
Russian Model 1895 (Belgium/Russia, 1895-1950)
A quirky little weapon that squeezes all of its components
together to make an airtight seal as the trigger is pulled. The idea was that,
by preventing gas leakage from the chambers and barrel, the round would be
expelled at a higher velocity. The results of this experimentation are marginal
at best, but the action means that gunpowder residue and cordite fumes hardy
ever get transferred to the shooter’s hands.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
7
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1900 onwards
Smith
& Wessen Safety Hammerless (USA, 1887-1940)
A gun for the extra-careful or the completely inept: a
manual safety release and no hammer.
One for the party klutz.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from the 1890s throughout the 20th
Century
The Boxer Rebellion (1900)
Colt
New Service Revolver (USA, 1898-1944)
No more messing about: Colt came out swinging for the new
century with a re-think design that was perfect for military and security
forces alike. This is a big barking hand-cannon that combines range,
reliability and “I’ll only say this once”, in one intimidating package.
Keepers may like to add +10% to a player’s Intimidation or Persuasion rolls whenever they wave one of these around.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10+2
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from the 1890s throughout the 20th
Century
Harrington
& Richardson .38 Auto Ejector (USA, 1897-1940)
In the heat of battle, having to pause and re-load is a
bother. There’s nothing more annoying that being pinned down by enemy fire
whilst delicately trying to pick the spent shells out of your revolver’s
chambers. Along comes Harrington & Richardson: opening the breech causes all of the spent shells to stand proud of their chambers, allowing them to be tossed out with the flick of a wrist. The pictured
model also comes with an optional folding push-blade on the end of the barrel,
should any impolite assailants try to bushwhack you as you’re counting
cartridges...
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
5
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from the 1890s throughout the 20th
Century
Smith
& Wesson Hand Ejector (USA, 1896-1942)
Channelling the same customer feedback that produced the
previous weapon, Smith & Wesson came up with a version of their own. The flick of a lever causes all of the spent shells to spring free from their chambers. This is
fine and the two versions work equally as well; just remember though, that the
sound of all those brass casings hitting the ground is perfect for revealing
your location to those who may have evil intentions...
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
5
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1900 onwards
Smith
& Wesson Military & Police (Model 10) (USA, 1899 onwards)
Vying for the same government contracts as Colt, Smith &
Wesson produced their own standard issue option – the Model 10. Holding one of
these whilst making some pointed suggestions might, at the Keeper’s discretion,
give a +10% bonus to any Communication
rolls that need to be made.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1900 onwards
Webley
.38 Pocket Pistol No. 3 (UK, 1896-1939)
British soldiers may have missed out on the Yank’s
intimidation factor to some degree in their government’s chosen weaponry, but
they more than made up for it in reliability and accuracy. The No. 3 may not
have had the glam factor that later Webleys demonstrated but, for some, that
extra shot each round counts for a lot.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1896 onwards
Webley
Mark IV Service Revolver (UK, 1899 onwards)
The Mark IV is the trademark weapon of the British military
officer and many of England’s retired soldiers kept their Webleys fondly in
their desk drawers, long after their need for them had passed ... paving the
way for many Agatha Christie novels to come. This is also the one gun that the
Brits made which, at the Keeper’s decision, allows for a +10% bonus to Intimidation or Persuasion Rolls whilst using it.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10+2
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1900 onwards
The Chinese Revolution (1911-1912)
Browning
1903 (Belgium, 1903 onwards)
The original and best: eschewing a chambered cylinder for a
magazine to gain a faster firing action, the Browning became firm favourite of the
gumshoe set. Notorious as a flashy villain’s gun, the 1903 is such a dependable
sidearm that it is still in production today.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
7
HP:
8
Malfunction:
99%
Availability: COMMON from 1900 onwards
Browning
1910 (Belgium, 1910 onwards)
...Although sometimes a perfect specimen deserves a wee bit more tinkering. By 1910, they
finally let the matter rest with only the most marginal of improvements.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
7
HP:
8
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from the 1910s onwards
Colt
M1911 / M1911A (USA, 1911-1990)
Rather than let the Belgians have all the fun with automatic
weaponry, Colt decided to come up with their own take on the format. The result
was the M1911 and the later M1911A (there is actually very little to
differentiate them). As usual, the Americans added a touch of glamour to the
final design, dangerously pushing that ‘Harley-Davidson, form-over-function’
line
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10+2
Range:
m / 45ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
7
HP:
8
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Hopkins
& Allen .38 Safety Police (USA, 1907-1914)
Designed exclusively for police forces, this is a work-horse
.38 made to please. Designed to slip into a pocket or an ankle holster, the
trade-off for a smaller weapon is one less round in the cylinder. And there’s
that pesky safety mechanism again to keep an eye on...
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
5
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Parabellum
P08 (Germany, 1908-1945)
Again, the Germans come up with something that, when
compared to everything else on offer, just looks whacky. This was the precursor
to the well-known Luger and the DNA is clear in the lines of this handgun.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
30m / 60ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
8
HP:
9
Malfunction:
99%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Savage
(USA, 1907-1928)
...And there was obviously something in the water at the
time because the Savage looks quite similar. Of course, the Savage company had
quite a few strong links with European gun manufacturers...
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
10
HP:
8
Malfunction:
99%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Smith
& Wesson New Century Hand Ejector (USA, 1907-1915)
As far as S&W were concerned, a new century meant a new
version of their company favourites, including the trusty Hand Ejector. This time,
with a bigger bang.
Base%:
15
Damage:
2D6+2
Range:
30m / 90ft
Shots/round:
1
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Steyr
1912 (Austria, 1912-1945)
If America was occasionally reckless in treading the line of
form over function, the opposite position quickly became the corner from which
the Austrians started, inheriting their aesthetics from the Germans. Frankly,
these guns look weird; but they work, and they work well.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D10
Range:
20m / 60ft
Shots/round:
2
Capacity:
8
HP:
9
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: UNCOMMON
Webley
.320 Pocket Hammerless (UK, 1901-1936)
Coming from a society where handguns were not commonly
available, the Webley people were late in coming to the party of concealable
weapons for extra-military purposes. Still, when they showed up, they made a
tidy little entrance. Before, they made guns with a little ring on the bottom
of the grip so you could tie your gun onto a lanyard; not anymore.
Base%:
20
Damage:
1D8
Range:
15m / 45ft
Shots/round:
3
Capacity:
6
HP:
10
Malfunction:
00%
Availability: COMMON from 1901 onwards
I have amended this list in light of current events.
Close readers of this material will see that, rather than being some kind of wish-list posted by a gun-obsessed nerd, it's actually a look at ways of monitoring their use in a roleplaying game and of adding some mechanisms to hamper those players who think that guns are the answer to life's problems. If you think that this list (and other previous ones) is obsessive, wait until we get to fashion and cosmetics!
I grew up surrounded by guns and I know firsthand the atmosphere of casual violence that they breed: my father used to randomly point pistols at my head when I was nine and pull the trigger. Guns are a sickness; Mencius knew that and talked about it while Western culture was still dragging itself out of the primordial slime. One of the reasons that I enjoy playing "Call of Cthulhu" is that it explicitly teaches us that guns are not the answer.
I know the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to bear arms - not "carry guns" but "bear arms". That's quibbling semantics, I know, but as a culture it's odd to see US law enforcement get flustered by a person openly carrying a sword whilst merely shrugging if someone drives down the street with a rifle in their truck's rear window (and my past experience in the SCA is showing itself here). If the Amendment gave the people a right to carry a Bec de Corbin, I wonder how many schools and fast-food outlets would have been as affected as they have been?
I've watched a lot of belly-aching recently about the proposed gun law changes about to be presented in America. All of it seems to be coming from white Americans, and I notice that the outrages that hit the media mostly seem to affect white Americans. It's interesting to me when most people who die in gun-related crimes in the US are black or Hispanic. This is a race issue, it seems, at its base and those who cry for their guns are blind if they think otherwise.
And I'm tired of that old chestnut about people killing people not guns: pencils are made to write and draw; cups are made to hold liquid; guns are made to kill people. Please stop fooling yourselves.
*****
I have amended this list in light of current events.
Close readers of this material will see that, rather than being some kind of wish-list posted by a gun-obsessed nerd, it's actually a look at ways of monitoring their use in a roleplaying game and of adding some mechanisms to hamper those players who think that guns are the answer to life's problems. If you think that this list (and other previous ones) is obsessive, wait until we get to fashion and cosmetics!
I grew up surrounded by guns and I know firsthand the atmosphere of casual violence that they breed: my father used to randomly point pistols at my head when I was nine and pull the trigger. Guns are a sickness; Mencius knew that and talked about it while Western culture was still dragging itself out of the primordial slime. One of the reasons that I enjoy playing "Call of Cthulhu" is that it explicitly teaches us that guns are not the answer.
I know the Second Amendment gives Americans the right to bear arms - not "carry guns" but "bear arms". That's quibbling semantics, I know, but as a culture it's odd to see US law enforcement get flustered by a person openly carrying a sword whilst merely shrugging if someone drives down the street with a rifle in their truck's rear window (and my past experience in the SCA is showing itself here). If the Amendment gave the people a right to carry a Bec de Corbin, I wonder how many schools and fast-food outlets would have been as affected as they have been?
I've watched a lot of belly-aching recently about the proposed gun law changes about to be presented in America. All of it seems to be coming from white Americans, and I notice that the outrages that hit the media mostly seem to affect white Americans. It's interesting to me when most people who die in gun-related crimes in the US are black or Hispanic. This is a race issue, it seems, at its base and those who cry for their guns are blind if they think otherwise.
And I'm tired of that old chestnut about people killing people not guns: pencils are made to write and draw; cups are made to hold liquid; guns are made to kill people. Please stop fooling yourselves.
*****
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