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Firearms (Shadowrun 6th Edition)

Skills

Definition

Firearms is one rating covering the whole armory. Holdout pistols, heavy pistols, assault rifles, shotguns, and submachine guns all draw on the same skill, so a single investment arms the character for any range band. It is the most common combat skill in the Sixth World for a simple reason: guns end fights faster than anything else a mundane runner carries. Street samurai push it to the cap, and even faces and deckers keep enough ranks to be dangerous when the plan falls apart.

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How it works

**Linked Attribute**: Agility **Dice Pool**: Agility plus Firearms, rolled in d6s where each 5 or 6 is a hit. **Opposed Rolls**: Shots are contested by the defender rather than measured against a flat threshold. **Ratings**: 0 to 6 at creation. Combat specialists usually sit at 5 or 6 with Agility to match.

Tips

**Best for**: Street samurai first, and everyone else at two or three ranks as insurance. **Character concepts**: An ex-corporate security shooter, a gang enforcer, a sniper who prefers not to be in the building at all. **Synergies**: Agility drives it, smartlink chrome sharpens it, Perception finds the target, and Stealth decides whether you shoot first.

Frequently asked questions

Do rifles and pistols use separate skills?

No. One Firearms rating covers pistols, rifles, shotguns, and automatics, so you are not paying twice for range coverage.

How many ranks does a non-combat character need?

Two or three keeps a decker or face useful when the run goes loud, without stealing points from their actual specialty.

Further Reading

All Shadowrun Skills
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