I've been looking at weapon and weapon attachments for a new game I am in. I'm playing an engineer so looking forward to updating attachments with mods and like.

One question I've run in to recently was for you gm's out there.

How long would you put the actual process of adding an attachment? In particular sites and barrels. If ever have the funds it would be nice to have multiple barrels and/or sights for different situations instead of trying to lug around an arsenal of weapons. So that led me to wondering the time frame to attach, remove, and attach a different weapon attachment in combat time. Would you allow it a all? Would it take multiple rounds?

What do you guys think?

(PS: I know actually doing the 'mod' part of attachments is more of sit in the workshop thing so this is just strictly putting an attachment on and off.)

Not in combat for most, some maybe, depends on the attachment.

Probably an entire round with 2 strain:

1 Maneuver to get out the new attachment

1 Action to swap them

1 Maneuver to put the old attachment away.

But this is well into the house rule territory. I would only allow it for a very solid narrative reason, not every character can do this.

also depends on the attachment obviously, a filed front sight is very permanent, Superior is not coming off, but potentially different scopes could be changed (real world they would then need calibrating, but for narrative feel i would probably let it slide.) So look at each attachment separately and have a chat with your GM about the concept, try to come up with a list of things that can be swapped.

Not in combat for most, some maybe, depends on the attachment.

I also thought it should vary by attachment. Pulling off a scope and replacing it with a different scope should be simple enough, but other attachments could be removed only by destroying the item. Snippet from Sturn's Locker:

For me, it depends on the attachment. Some are meant to be permanent changes, like swapping out a regular barrel for a marksman barrel.

Some might be able to be changed in combat, if you have the right type of mounting rails on both the weapon and the attachment (like you might get with certain types of sights or other devices to assist with aiming a weapon).

However, even in that case, you would be at a disadvantage with the swapped-in component, until you’ve had a chance to get it into an appropriate workspace and firing range so that you can make all the fine tweaks that are required to make it fully operational.

If you’re talking about something like fixing a bayonet to the barrel of your rifle so that you can use it as an improvised spear/melee weapon, then it would be specifically designed to be changed in combat and that would be a part of the basic description. But that would be pretty rare.

Give me a specific case or set of cases, and I can be more specific in my response.

It would really need to be cases by case, I wouldn't be willing to say yes/no all/nothing. Probably not any kind of sight, they need to be tweaked when installed. Something like a taclight, that would be fine. Nothing that had been modded likely. A bipod/tripod/sling I'd be ok with. It really just depends.

Like others have said, depending on the attachment, and if I allowed it I would only allow it in narrative time. I'd also warn you that if there are plot-points in the story that can change based on how long the group is taking, changing them will be a factor. In most cases taking longer will change future encounters to the detriment of the group.

I've always found it funny that Superior is an Attachment. Come up with a plausible explanation for popping that on and off a piece of gear.

It should be something that is only available to purchasing a new weapon or making yourself a weapon. You can't turn a box store cordless drill into a Festool...

I've always found it funny that Superior is an Attachment. Come up with a plausible explanation for popping that on and off a piece of gear.

Better quality parts that are less customizable? I mean, you're swapping parts for attachments most the time anyways.

But yeah, I get what you mean. Scopes/underbarrel weapons and different firing components, really don't seem like they should be in the same category. Gear isn't as bad as starships though.

As others have said it would be case by case.

I would be inclined to say no to most mods however; with guns you can't just change a sight and expect it to work the same and you certainly couldn't remove a serrated edge for a vibro blade on the fly.

However in rebels we see Kanan take his lightsaber apart regularly so I'd be happy to allow a player to switch between a regular and a training emitter for their lightsaber.

also detaching a heavy repeating blaster from a weapon harness and fixing it to a tripod so that you can better set up a defensive position

I would still only allow this in narrative time however not structured.

I've always found it funny that Superior is an Attachment. Come up with a plausible explanation for popping that on and off a piece of gear.

I wouldn't. At my table, once it's installed Superior is a permanent part of the weapon.

I've always found it funny that Superior is an Attachment. Come up with a plausible explanation for popping that on and off a piece of gear.

I wouldn't. At my table, once it's installed Superior is a permanent part of the weapon.

One of my players sarcastically referred to this a "big brand-name tag" that you can just slap on and suddenly the item functions better just because the advertising has made people believe that the big brand-name goods are better.

There are attachments that I could see being easy enough to remove that you can do it during structured time, such as a weapon sling, but there are few attachments that I would allow to be applied in structured time, so I don't know why someone would want to remove their attachment in the first place. I suppose a Despair-driven narrative effect like "Your weapon is caught in the gears and will pull you in by the strap if you don't remove it tout suite" could prompt something like that, but that's a very unlikely corner case (though more likely now that I've thought of it and verbalized it).

I've always found it funny that Superior is an Attachment. Come up with a plausible explanation for popping that on and off a piece of gear.

I've always found it funny that Superior is an Attachment. Come up with a plausible explanation for popping that on and off a piece of gear.

For a blaster, do really want to rely on the standard particle coil, when you can replace it with the TaggeCo. DT-76 coil with built in cooling unit?

That vibro blade would be improved by attaching a sub-sonic resistance sheath to the grip.

Now, as to changing the attachments in combat? No way. Perhaps if every attachement and the gun was designed for quick changes - that alone should be a special weapon quality, similar to the clone commando weapons, but swapping out a scope or other piece required tools, and likely small pieces. Not to mention disastererous results to an energy weapon should something git into the workings while trying to change pieces with blaster bolts firing above you, or shrapnel and debris falling around you.

I was thinking about this and I'd say there could be some kind of attachment itself that acts as a quick release attachment. It would need to be a separate HP and attachment specific, like one for sights, one for barrels etc. I also wouldn't allow swapping modded parts. To me modding represents a level of tweaking and finessing of a part once it's on the weapon/armor. There would have to be some kind of limitation or this just gets to video game/OP to quickly imo.