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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009856" data-attributes="member: 9860">This is not a playtest review.Ultramodern Firearms is a sourcebook on modern firearms for d20 Modern, and is published by Green Ronin. The book is written by Charles Ryan, and is an updated d20 version of a book originally written by the same author for the Millenium's End RPG.Ultramodern Firearms is a 160-page mono hardcover book and costs $27.95. Margins and font are fairly average. There is a great deal of white space in the book due to the nature of the content. Though this reduces the amount of possible content in the product, it does make for clear presentation of each firearm. The art is clear and helpful in understanding the look of each firearm. Writing style is excellent considering the subject matter - I really dislike the concept of guns and gun culture, but I found myself several times immersed in the text of the book, due to the interesting explanations and idiosyncrasies of each weapon. Editing is good though not perfect.Ultramodern Firearms is split into seven chapters covering pistols, assault rifles, rifles, submachine guns, machine guns, shotguns, and ammunition. All the weapons have stats covering caliber, length, weight, damage, critical, range increment, rate of fire, size, Purchase DC, and restriction rating (with a modifier to purchase on the black market). The weapons are listed alphabetically but have their country of origin listed also. Where appropriate, a weapon may have some specialised d20 rules applied to it, such as a penalty to conceal a particularly bulky weapon. Each weapon is accompanied by a picture of the weapon.What brings this product above the average is the tables and text before and after the entries, though the entries themselves are very readable and pertinent to creating a realistic feel for the weaponry. The introduction is a real eye-opener for those who know little about firearms. It discusses basic concepts such as what different weapons are designed to do, as well as misconceptions such as the word 'auto' (which actually refers to autoloader, not autofire) and silencing, which can be accomplished by the manufacturer at three different levels - the muzzle blast, the bullet breaking the sound barrier, and the mechanical noise of the wepaon's actions. These concepts are discussed intelligently and can have repercussions in game terms. Reliability is also discussed, and there are some optional rules given to represent environmental influences to the firearm. Rules for use with a Wound/Vitality point system are also given.There are also 10 new feats to enhance firearm use such as 'Hail of Bullets', which allows the use of autofire attacks using semiautomatic weapons due to a quick trigger finger. All firearm-related feats including the new ones presented are then presented in a table. There is then a table called a Features Index, which lists all the weapons and cross-references them with relevant features such as whether they are silenced, accurate, reliable, or inexpensive, as well as many other issues. This makes it very useful for players choosing firearms for their PCs to find a suitable weapon easily without having to read every single entry in detail and remembering enough to compare different models. There is also a page reference for each weapon included in the table.Each chapter begins with plenty more information about the weapon type in general, discussing the different options available along with some history of their development and usage. At the end of the book, there is more useful information. A glossary clearly explains the technical language surrounding firearms, where one learns what cold-loaded ammunition is and what a two-stage trigger does. Next up is a table entitled Weapons In Use, which gives a country-by-country breakdown of the weapons in common use by different services such as the army, police, and special forces in each respective country - though not definitive, it certainly helps GMs define what weapons PCs will see used locally.The book ends with over 300 entries giving a summary of the stats for each firearm and the various ammunition presented in the book plus a few other variations. The only downside for conversion to other game systems is that direct prices are not given. Not that this influenced my score, but a point to note. Conclusion:Ultramodern Firearms takes the equipment guide to a new level of organisation and interest in an easy-to-use, intelligently written guide to common firearms and ammunition currently used around the world. It will certainly satisfy all GMs and players who wish to know more about current firearms and bring a more realistic feel to weaponry in their d20 Modern game. For others, it's not absolutely essential, but makes a fine read and reference book anyway.</blockquote>

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