Gravitic Slingers

Military Field and Technical Manual: GS Moonshot-09 Gravitic Slinger Sniper Rifle

Model: GS Moonshot-09

Weapon Type: Gravitic Slinger Sniper Rifle

Caliber: Lonsdaleite Rod, 5mm x 25mm

Maximum Effective Range: 12,000 yards (Earth gravity)

Manufacturer: Vandguard Dynamics

Issued to: Earth Defense Force

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1 Overview

The GS Moonshot-09 Gravitic Slinger Sniper Rifle is a precision long-range weapon designed to launch a sliver of lonsdaleite at extreme velocities using a gravitic pressor beam. This technology allows for unparalleled accuracy and range, making the Moonshot-09 a preferred choice for sniper operations requiring precise, high-impact engagement at distances up to 3,000 yards under Earth-standard gravity conditions.

1.2 Key Features

Pressor Beam Technology: Utilizes gravitic forces to accelerate a lonsdaleite sliver to hypersonic speeds, ensuring high-velocity impact.

Advanced Optics System: Integrated with multi-spectral imaging and distance calculation for optimal targeting at extreme ranges.

Recoil Mitigation: Gravitic dampening reduces recoil, allowing for more stable follow-up shots.

Modular Design: Allows for the attachment of various accessories, including enhanced scopes, suppressors, and stabilization bipods.

Chapter 2: Operation

2.1 Safety and Handling

Weapon Safety: Always ensure the safety is engaged when not actively firing. The GS Moonshot-09 is equipped with a dual-stage safety mechanism.

Pressor Beam Activation: The pressor beam will only activate when the trigger is fully depressed, ensuring no accidental discharge.

Lonsdaleite Sliver Loading: Slivers are loaded into the magazine with the sharp end facing outward. Ensure the magazine is securely seated in the weapon before operation.

2.2 Firing Procedure

Target Acquisition: Use the advanced optics to acquire and range the target. Adjust for gravity, wind, and other environmental factors using the onboard targeting computer.

Aiming: Align the crosshairs with the target. The optics system will provide real-time adjustments to compensate for distance and movement.

Firing: Depress the trigger fully to activate the pressor beam and fire the lonsdaleite sliver. The weapon will discharge with minimal recoil, and the targeting computer will confirm a hit.

2.3 Effective Use

Maximum Range: The GS Moonshot-09 is most effective at ranges up to 3,000 yards in Earth gravity. Performance may vary depending on gravitational conditions of other planets or moons.

Ammunition: Lonsdaleite slivers are highly durable and designed for maximum penetration. Ensure slivers are properly maintained and free from defects before use.

Maintenance During Operation: Regularly check the pressor beam emitter for alignment issues and the optics system for clarity and functionality.

Chapter 3: Maintenance

3.1 Routine Maintenance

Daily Maintenance: Clean the weapon after each use. Wipe down the exterior and ensure no dust or debris is obstructing the pressor beam emitter or optics.

Weekly Maintenance: Disassemble the weapon as per the manual’s instructions. Clean all components, focusing on the pressor beam emitter, optics system, and sliver chamber.

Monthly Maintenance: Perform a full diagnostic of the targeting computer and optics system. Calibrate the pressor beam emitter for optimal performance.

3.2 Pressor Beam Emitter Care

Alignment Check: Ensure the emitter is correctly aligned with the barrel. Misalignment can lead to decreased accuracy and range.

Power Supply Check: Verify that the power supply to the emitter is consistent. Fluctuations in power can affect beam intensity and sliver velocity.

3.3 Lonsdaleite Sliver Maintenance

Inspection: Regularly inspect slivers for any signs of wear or damage. Even minor imperfections can affect performance.

Storage: Store slivers in a secure, padded container to prevent damage. Avoid exposing them to extreme temperatures or magnetic fields.

Chapter 4: Troubleshooting

4.1 Common Issues

Issue: Reduced Range

Solution: Check the pressor beam emitter for alignment issues. Recalibrate the targeting computer and optics system.

Issue: Sliver Misfire

Solution: Inspect the sliver for damage or imperfections. Ensure the magazine is properly seated and the sliver is loaded correctly.

Issue: Optics System Failure

Solution: Reboot the targeting computer. If the issue persists, perform a full system diagnostic and replace any faulty components.

4.2 Emergency Field Repairs

Optics Calibration: If the optics system is malfunctioning, use the manual calibration dial to adjust focus and range. Recalibrate at the earliest opportunity.

Pressor Beam Reboot: In the event of a pressor beam malfunction, disengage the power supply, wait 30 seconds, and then re-engage to reboot the system.

Chapter 5: Operational Guidelines

5.1 Environmental Considerations

Gravity: The GS Moonshot-09 is calibrated for Earth-standard gravity. Adjustments may be necessary when operating in different gravitational fields.

Atmospheric Conditions: Heavy atmospheric interference, such as thick fog or dust storms, can affect beam performance. Use the weapon’s environmental adjustment settings to compensate.

Temperature: Extreme temperatures can affect the pressor beam emitter and optics system. Allow the weapon to acclimate to its surroundings before use in harsh conditions.

5.2 Tactical Deployment

Positioning: The GS Moonshot-09 is most effective from a concealed or elevated position, where the operator can take full advantage of its range and accuracy.

Target Prioritization: Ideal for high-value targets at extreme ranges. The weapon’s penetrating power makes it suitable for armored targets.

Fire Discipline: Due to the precision nature of the GS Moonshot-09, it is recommended to fire only when a confirmed kill shot is possible. Conserve ammunition for critical targets.

End of Manual

A Gun of the Previous Age

Gravity slingers are the signature weapon of the Solar Commonwealth and its successor the Reformed Solar Commonwealth, the latter of which was the polity that sent out the Cozine probes. Through no fault of their own, it was gravity slingers that fought the marching armies of Cozine-07 and have unfairly been associated with those failures. In truth, they fared fairly well in the early war, penetrating the Carbexene armor of the robotic invaders with decent efficiency and the piezoelectric surge that followed bricked their internals admirably. The problems with the weapons were simply in the scale of the conflict: a position of ten thousand men being relentlessly assaulted by millions of robots per day had some trouble acquiring enough rods to keep up with the demand. This situation only got worse as the Cozine forces conquered the fabricators that generated the ammunition. Late in the war, humanity had swapped out their gravitic slingers for older D-HEWs and simple Laser Weapons, neither of which were quite as effective but were able to cope with the societal collapse and disintegrating supply lines much better.

Sir Isaac Newton, the Deadliest Knight in History

Gravitic Slingers use a high-intensity flash of a pressor beam to launch an object (usually a Carbexene rod) at a target at roughly terminal velocity. The components required are among the most complex of mankind's weapons. The assembly requires a hopper or magazine to feed ammunition into the barrel, a pressor beam emitter, a gravity lens array, a QMB, and preferably a buffer spring assembly to deal with the recoil. The pressor is essentially harmless; it can do some real damage if the muzzle is pressed against a target's chest, but this is not a particularly effective method of combat and a bayonet would be preferable. The damage of the weapon is largely newtonian: something very hard moving very fast and hitting something else with a lot of force. The normally latent piezoelectric properties of Carbexene come into play, unleashing a burst of electricity when it impacts something hard (such as the internals of a robotic platform or the engine of a starship).

Anything Phallic in a Storm

One often underutilized feature of gravitic slingers is the fact that the pressor beam can launch anything. Most models have the ability to 'open up' the barrel, either separating in four directions at once or folding open from the top. Anything that fits in the resulting expanded barrel that can lay along it is a valid projectile, IE: anything long and relatively straight. Range is divided by 3, and the damage is 4d cr for blunt objects or 2d imp for something sharp, with no armor divisor.

This once led to the assassination of an OSC military governor on Mars being assassinated with a 'personal massager' launched from a sniper rifle at 1000 yards.

Gravitic Slinger Tables

Mini-Sling: A small holdout pistol.

Needler: A hypervelocity machine pistol with a rapid rate of fire

Sling Carbine: A modular heavy pistol with a forward grip, a rail system, and a collapsible stock.

Sling Rifle: A grav sling assault rifle, capable of turning a light armored vehicle into Swiss cheese with a single burst.

Railgun: A tank-sized gravitic cannon firing darts at near-light speed. External power.

Heavy Needler: A rapid-fire machine gun.

Macro-Sling: A long-barrel sniper rifle with a range so long that users often have a relay of drones between them and the target to calculate planetary curvature.

GUNS (PISTOL) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2)

Manufacturer(s)	Name	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	BC	LC	Notes
VD, GCT	Mini-Sling	4d(10) imp sur	1	50/200	0.1/0.03	4	8(3)	3	-1	3	$200	A	3

GUNS (SMG) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2)

Manufacturer(s)	Name	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	BC	LC	Notes
VD, GCT	Needler	4d(10) imp sur	5	500/1,500	1.5/0.5	8	15(3)	7	-2	3	$2,000	B	3

GUNS (RIFLE) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2)

Manufacturer(s)	Name	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	BC	LC	Notes
VD, GCT	Sling Carbine	5d(10) imp sur	8	1,000/3,000	3/1	3	30(3)	8	-2	2	$8,000	B	2
VD, GCT	Sling Rifle	8d(10) imp sur	10	2,000/6,000	6/1	10	30(3)	8	-4	3	$10,000	C	1
VD, GCT	Macro-Sling	10d(10) imp sur	11	20,000/64,000	10/1	1	30(3)	9	-8	3	$18,000	C	0

GUNS (LMG) (DX-4, or other Guns at -2)

Manufacturer(s)	Name	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	BC	LC	Notes
VD, GCT	Heavy Needler	5d(10) imp sur	10	4,000/12,000	20/4	100	4,000(5)	11	-8	3	$32,000	C	0

GUNNER (CANNON) (DX-4, or other Gunner at -4)

Manufacturer(s)	Name	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	BC	LC	Notes
VD, GCT	Railgun	6dx15(10) imp sur	15	10,000/30,000	1,000/10Fp	1	100(5)	34M	-10	5	$2,000,000	L	0

Grav Gun Ammunition Table

Manufacturer(s)	Ammo	WPS	CPS	LC
VD, GCT	5mmx25mm Carbexene Rod	0.01	$0.01	3
VD, GCT	Railgun	0.3	$30	2

Mods

Counterpulse Recoil Frame: Inverts recoil into a downward magnetic pulse. Reduces recoil penalties by 1. Enables more stable firing from unstable surfaces (e.g., mounted on drone wings or power armor shoulder rigs). Gives a satisfying THWUMP when fired. Cost: $2,500.

Ergostatic Bio-Carapace: Grows into shape with the user's muscle memory and heat signature. +1 Equipment Bonus to Guns skill after a week of use due to intuitive comfort. Will only function properly for the imprinted user unless reset. Used by elite Commonwealth commandos and paranoid governors alike. Cost: $450.

Handle Mods

Tempest-Feedback Grip: Wired directly into the user’s biomon or hand cybernetic. Fires only on skin contact + authorized biometric signal (reduces friendly fire/misfires). Increases draw time by 1 second unless paired with cybernetics. Has a hidden override pinhole, standard for military issue… unless filed off. Cost: $220.

Overgrip Slinghook: Designed for fast drops, rapid recovery. Grants Quick-Draw for slings when used with smart armor or combat vests. Includes two mounting rails for charm-tags or mission icons. Fold-out emergency blade hidden in grip—once used, can’t be reinserted cleanly. Cost: $350.

Barrel Mods

Resonance-Tuned Alloy Barrel: Dampens harmonics for better launch stability. Increases Accuracy by +1. Reduces range penalty by 10% at long range. The hum is often described as “hauntingly choral.” Cost: $2,800.

Coiled Rail Extension: Adds a spiral guide to stabilize irregular projectiles. Reduces penalties when firing unconventional ammo (see: Anything Phallic in a Storm). +1 damage when launching non-standard materials. Grows hot quickly—after 3 shots in 10 seconds, requires cooldown or risk a barrel failure. Cost: $3,400.

Pressor Lens Mods

Grav-Echo Diffraction Lens: Momentarily bends gravitational path for micro-adjusted trajectory. +1 to hit on moving targets. Cannot be used underwater or in thick atmosphere. Requires recalibration every 50 shots or it begins damaging the barrel. Cost: $800.

Burst-Focus Microarray: Momentarily amplifies beam strength for extra velocity. Increases base damage by 1d for purpose-built ammo. 1 in 6 chance per shot to require cooldown roll or lock out for a turn. Extreme risk of overpenetration. LC 1. Cost: $8,000.

Subspace Pressor Lens: The crystal lens is quantum-sunk into Redspace, causing the rod to be afflicted with odd Redspace energies. With every shot, there is a 1% chance of a Verminous RAI making its way into the world through the point of impact. This mod is highly illegal, even for study. This being is not loyal to the shooter. LC nil, Cost: $25,000.

Paraspace Pressor Lens: The crystal lens is quantum-sunk into Grayspace, reducing the friction experienced by the rod. The purple trace left by burnt fullerenes in the wake of the rod when fired in atmosphere is less obvious (-2 to detect with vision) and adding 150% to the range. Cost: $28,000.

Trigger Assembly Mods

Hairline Neural Sync Trigger: Activates at the thought of firing, not the act. First shot in a round is a free action. On critical failure, gun may fire on panic or hallucination roll. Used by dueling enthusiasts and assassins alike. Sometimes goes off during elevated emotional states. Cost: $8,000.

Scope / Sensor Mods

Deep-Penetrating Scanner: Projects a beam of gamma radiation and detects the reflection, allowing the user to 'see' through walls within 500 yards. Useful for snipers relying on a macrosling or railgun's deep penetration to shoot through walls. Requires a separate battery link of at least C-class. Cost: $18,000.

Ballistic Prediction Suite: Mark IX “Seer’s Eye”: Uses a bespoke SI to forecast likely dodge/movement patterns via microtwitches and environmental cues. +1 to hit per shot against humanoids in visual range. Can mark fleeing targets for team fire (+1 bonus for squadmates for 10 seconds). Occasionally offers unsolicited tactical advice. Cost: $25,000.

Related Items

• Gravitationally Excited Barium Accelerator

Critical Tables

Critical Hit Table

Roll	Effect
4, 5	Aggravated Exit Wound: The rod punches clean through, carrying a chunk of the target’s insides with it. x2 Bleeding, -1 HT check to stay conscious. On crit fail, the target’s guts are now outside.
6	Lightning in the Gut: The piezoelectric flash arcs through internal systems or organs. +1d burning surge damage; electronics take HT-4 to avoid shutdown. Living targets must roll HT or be stunned for 1d turns.
7	Spinal Shear: The rod impacts at such an angle that it skips along the spine before exiting. Target must roll HT-4 or lose control of limbs (roll randomly). Automatically falls prone. Permanent paralysis possible if failed by 5 or more.
8	Core Breach: The rod hits something vital and electric—like a synthetic's power cell or a human’s heart. Automatic Major Wound. On synthetic targets, 50% chance of explosive feedback (1d6 damage in 1-yard radius). On organics, HT-6 or instant cardiac arrest.
9	Rattle the Cage: The shot smashes through loadbearing structures and causes a sympathetic shock to nearby systems.: -4 DX and HT for next 3 turns. -2 to resist knockback. All movement halved until the wounds are healed.
10, 11, 12	Normal Hit
13, 14	Conductive Collapse: The impact flash jumpstarts or fries every nerve at once. Will-4 or target is paralyzed for 1d6 turns. If they scream, it's involuntary and blood-choked.
15	Double Tap, One Shot: The rod shears a sliver as it passes into him—twice the mess, one launch.Effect: Apply base damage twice to two random internal systems. -2 to all rolls due to shock and organ trauma.
16	Chain Reaction: The piezoelectric flash arcs to nearby tech, weapons, or implants. One carried device or cybernetic implant malfunctions or explodes (GM’s discretion). +1d burning damage to user and adjacent targets.
17, 18	Pin to the Wall: The sheer force embeds the target into a wall, vehicle, or other structure.Effect: Target is impaled and pinned. Escape requires ST vs 20 (or external help). If it’s a soft target, they’re half-dead already.

Critical Miss Table

Roll	Effect
4, 5	No Target, No Problem: The round zips clean past the target and slams into something fragile, expensive, or flammable. GM selects an unintended target (collateral object, ally, or background element). Cue alarms, explosions, or angry NPCs.
6, 7	Sir Isaac's Rebuttal: The buffer spring fails or the pressor overcharges—you get Newton'd. Shooter suffers 1d cr damage from recoil and is knocked back 1 yard. DX-2 for next turn from jolt.
8, 9	Premature Electrocution: The piezoelectric flash discharges inside the barrel—right as you pull the trigger. No shot. Gun smokes and sizzles. Shooter takes 1d-2 burn damage to hand or arm. Weapon requires 1 turn cooldown.
10, 11	Overpenetration: You miss... but the round punches through three walls, two bulkheads, and an airlock control. Structural damage. If in space or station, GM rolls for decompression. If planet-side, you might’ve just killed a dog three blocks away.
12, 13, 14	Normal Miss
15	Off the Rails: You clip a solid surface near the trajectory. The rod deflects wildly—like a railgun version of a bank shot. GM rolls to see where the ricochet lands. If lucky, it still hits your enemy. If not... well, the walls aren’t covered by warranty.
16	Pressor Misfire: Instead of projecting forward, the pressor beam warps unpredictably. Weapon jams. Requires a Repair roll to fix. Fails on critical fail: 1d electrical surge to the shooter.
17	Short Rod Syndrome: Improperly seated ammo or a snapped rod in the hopper. Muzzle spits out half a rod at low velocity—1d-4 imp damage at 1 hex. Everyone laughs. The rod bounces off the floor in shame.
18	Grav-Lag: Environmental interference scrambles the gravity lens at the moment of firing. Round leaves the barrel late and at a weird angle. Re-roll the original shot with -6. If it still misses, it’s gone forever (or until someone finds it in their spleen later).