Submachine gun
) 
| |
|---|---|
| Name | submachine gun |
| Appearance | submachine gun |
| Damage vs. small | 1d2 |
| Damage vs. large | 1d2 |
| To-hit bonus | -1 |
| Weapon skill | firearms |
| Size | one-handed |
| Base price | 250 zm (+10/positive enchant) |
| Weight | 25 |
| Material | iron |
A submachine gun is a firearm introduced in SLASH'EM. It is often found on soldiers and their senior officers. It is one-handed and fires bullets.
Select fire
A submachine gun is set on fully automatic mode by default, but can be set to burst mode (rate of fire cut to 1/3) or single-shot mode by applying it.
Rate of fire
In fully automatic mode, the submachine gun's rate of fire depends on its enchantment and skill of the user.
| Enchantment | Unskilled/basic | Skilled | Expert |
|---|---|---|---|
| -7 to -6 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| -5 to -3 | 3 | 3 | 1d2+2 |
| -2 to +2 | 3 | 1d2+2 | 1d3+2 |
| +3 to +5 | 1d2+2 | 1d3+2 | 1d4+2 |
| +6 to +8 | 1d3+2 | 1d4+2 | 1d5+2 |
| +9 | 1d4+2 | 1d5+2 | 1d6+2 |
Generation
Submachine guns are found on 50% of soldiers and 50% of lieutenants, making them the most common firearm.
Strategy
Along with the assault rifle, the submachine gun is one of the most practical firearms in SLASH'EM. It is very light (25), is one-handed, and has a good rate of fire. A well-enchanted submachine gun combined with a stack of several hundred well-enchanted bullets (use a bag of holding to store all but two or three dozen of them, stopping to "reload" by taking more out of the bag) is an excellent way to clear a path to the high altars on the Astral Plane.
Real life
Submachine guns were originally developed as a "trench sweeper" during World War I: a small automatic weapon that could deliver a hail of fire in close-quarters fighting in trenches. They usually fire pistol rounds, and have a magazine that often (but not always) acts as a foregrip. They typically have a folding buttstock.
While submachine guns saw common use during both World Wars, they have largely been supplanted by assault rifles in modern armies. They are still used by police and special forces who expect to engage in close-quarters combat, as their size makes them easier to handle than assault rifles in such circumstances, and their low-power rounds are less likely to penetrate walls and cause collateral damage.
