Have you ever been running a relatively good game when, suddenly, a rabid panther crashes through a wall and devours a majority of your players?

Neither have I, which is why this article is about dealing with heavy weapons, Panther Cannons included, and not the fur covered feline variety. (I apologize for the bad opening, but I was attacked by an sudden urge to be cheesy). Specifically, I’m going to present several reasons why you won’t usually see heavy weapons as standard equipment in most shadowrun groups (100% merc groups excluded).

Collateral Damage

It is important for both PCs and GMs to remember that heavy weapons generate significantly more collateral damage than their lighter counterparts. Most gamemasters tend to ignore the collateral damage done by stray light fire (I usually do), but it is extremely unrealistic to do the same for heavy weapons.

Security forces working in the interior of labs, facilities, plants, public places, etc. will almost never be armed with heavy weapons. A corporation isn’t interested in arming security forces so heavily that they destroy a location while in the process of protecting it. A stray assault rifle bullet may poke some holes, but a loose HMG round will poke a hole, continue into the next room, and possibly strike a gas line, data junction, or scientist Mike McKeege, the target of the runners’ extraction. And that’s just an HMG round. Panther rounds that stray into the wrong spot could bring down an entire building.

Heavy Weapons Are Not Socially Acceptable

Heavy weapons are SCARY, and toting them around like you would a side arm is a really good way to chase people away. In addition, having a member, or members, of a shadowrun team that extensively uses or displays their heavy weapons may give employers and Mr. J the impression that the team isn’t slick enough to handle situations with any degree of finesse. Would you send a team to steal a delicate bio-sample if you knew they had a missile fetish? Neither would I.

Samurai/Shadowrunner Honor Is Nearly Impossible To Maintain

Most Street Samurai (and many shadowrunners in general) follow (or should follow) a moral code which prohibits them from using a weapon possessing greater overall power than that of their opponent in a normal one on one fight. This means that a Sammy is sometimes obligated to holster his gun, retract his spurs, and fight bare fisted if his or her opponent doesn’t possess a weapon unless extreme aggravating circumstances prevent it. Likewise, they shouldn’t return light pistol fire with a grenade or nail somebody with an SMG if they’re armed only with a club. (Of course, all bets are off if the opponent doesn’t play by the same rules or the Sammy is fighting vastly superior numbers.)

A Sammy armed with a heavy weapon will almost certainly outgun just about everybody they would encounter on a typical shadowrun, minus a Lone Star response team or a heavy contingent of Renraku Red Samurai. Simply by possessing a heavy weapon, the Sammy displays a lack of conviction to his creed.

PCs Usually Only Need Heavy Weapons If They Screw Up

Since one of the primary goals of a shadowrun is usually to get in and get out of a location undetected, they a team won’t be needing any big bangs unless they screw up during the penetration process. While the interior of most locations is devoid of heavy weapons, the perimeter of larger locations may be loaded with them because the only thing a stray bullet has to hit is dirt. Runners tend to be pretty careful not to alert external, APM equipped guards and, if they do, the smartest solution is usually to get the hell out and try again another day. If heavy security is alerted, and the runners decide not to run, it is sometimes necessary for them to use the heaviest guns they’ve got in order to complete the run. Unfortunately, the number of heavy guns the runners have may not even come close to the firepower of the guards. In other words, don’t tip off security.

If PCs Use Them, So Will The NPCs

One of the first thing my PCs learn is that I can always outgun if I feel the need. This isn’t just a aggravated response to the heavy weapons annoyance, it’s the way escalation works in the real world. In reality, the cops don’t call in a SWAT team until they find that their opponent is armed with something warranting such a call. In Shadowrun, you usually won’t see a Lone Star response team until the normal cops feel the need to call them in, such as when they see that you have a Ballista system strapped to your back. In other words, you usually won’t need a heavy weapon if you don’t bring one along in the first place.

If The PCs Will Need One, They Will Usually Know In Advance

A runner can usually tell by the description of the run whether or not they’ll be needing any heavy firepower. Although I’ve spent the last few minutes bashing the heavies, even I create the occasional run that involves situations that are best dealt with through the use of AVMs. Sometimes this eventual need is obvious (“You’ve been hired to eliminate Jack Mercenary and his team of Crazed MMG Murderers”) but other times the runners may have to make a judgment call as to whether or not the risk of transporting and using the weapon counters the risk of simply being creative with lighter firearms.

In addition, it’s a good idea for teams to recon a location before actually attempting to run it in order to gain insights as to exactly how heavy the defenses are. If the runners discover that the corp has - despite the collateral risks - hired a team of mercs to defend the inside of one of their weapons plants, it might be a good idea to bring along something that will get through their military grade armor.

If A PC Is Carrying A Heavy Weapon, They Shouldn’t Use It Until They Need To

If a PC insists on bringing along a heavy weapon (perhaps the PC is an ex-merc) they shouldn’t use it until they need to. This is just plain common sense. If you’re being rushed by a group of guards that can be dealt with using an assault rifle equipped with a sound suppresser, there’s no need to whip out the MMG just to make your job easier. Heavy weapons are loud and you’ll end up with more corporate heavies than you can count is less time than it takes you to spit. Using the AR or the SMG may be more difficult, but the benefits of not being chased by fifteen men armed with lasers may outweigh the sacrifice. (One of my PCs always carried a small LAW on his back, just in case. He never had to use it.)

Let me conclude by saying that I’m not out to ruin anybody’s fun. I realize that many high-octane campaigns view heavy weapons as being standard equipment for everybody, including grandmothers, and if the game’s running well, and you’re enjoying your high caliber fun, then more power to you. Just watch those overhead gas lines next time you fire your Panther.