Thompson Sub Machine Gun M1928A1
by Donald Eric Kesler
The Thompson Sub Machine Gun is a two handed missile weapon. It has an encumbrance of 110 coins. Add one coin for each bullet carried. Example: A Thompson SMG with 100 round drum would have a 210 coin encumbrance.
It fires a huge .45 ACP bullet. The M1928A1 used a 20- and later 30-round box magazine, or 50- and 100-round drums (the drum magazines were rarely used in combat situations because of their tendency to rattle).
Primary: All
| Mastery | To Hit Bonus | Damage | Range* | Special Effects |
| Basic | +4 | 2d10 | 60/120/240 | - |
| Skilled | +5 | 2d12 | 120/240/480 | 2x Damage (19-20) |
| Expert | +6 | 2d12+2 | 180/360/500 | 3x Damage (19-20) |
| Master | +7 | 2d12+4 | 240/400/500 | 4x Damage (19-20) |
| G.Master | +8 | 2d10+8 | 300/400/500 | 4x Damage (17-20) |
On a hit roll of 16 or greater, the victim may be stunned. The victim is allowed a saving throw vs. Death Ray to avoid this effect. The stunned victim rolls a saving throw vs. Death Ray each subsequent round. The stun effect continues until one is successful.
On a hit roll of 20, the victim may be instantly reduced to zero hit points. The victim is allowed a saving throw vs. Death Ray to avoid this effect. If the saving throw is successful the victim still takes normal damage and is automatically stunned for 1d10+5 rounds.
It takes a single combat round to change a clip. Due to the bulkiness of a drum, it takes two rounds to change.
Full Auto
The Thompson Sub Machine Gun has a full auto option. This allows the wielder to fire twenty bullets in a single burst that lasts only half a combat round. Only one such burst may be fired in a round.
When rolling the attack roll, roll once to represent the first four bullets in the burst. The Hit roll for each subsequent group of four shots is automatically one higher that the previous number. Roll again for each new burst.
Example: If on a To Hit Roll one rolls a 16 for a burst of twenty bullets then the first four bullets would use the 16, the next four a 17, the next four a 18, and the final four would use a 19.
*Range - The range I have assigned to the Thompson SMG is far less than the recommended ranges provided by Frank Mentzer in IM1 The Immortal Storm. I believe that the ranges I have provided are far more accurate. According to Wikipedia the Thompson SMG has an effective range of 75 m (83 yd) and a maximum range 150 m (165 yd). I read effective range as being the range within which one does not suffer a penalty on the To Hit roll.