Boom rat-tat-tat

[afrodave]

So I have dropped the underbarrel grenade launchers from Cal IV to Cal III. So that for a Cal V gear pick my players can get an assault rifle and the underbarrel attachment. two Cal IIIs. Thoughts, issues, etc?
Is this maybe something that's been changed in the new book? 

[Crafty_Alex]

Nope.

40mm grenade launchers are good - VERY good if you consider the options presented by ammo types - so we didn't see fit to drop the caliber. Caliber is generally not an arbitrary thing, but rather a result based on damage output and capacity (ie explosive damage is "worth" more than lethal, automatic weapons are "worth" more than single shot, etc.). If a PC wants a trick assault rifle + grenade launcher, 2 picks is not really a big deal...at least, in the official opinion.

[TheTSKoala]

Like Alex said... USGLs put out a significant amount of damage in this game.  Espically if you have two or more players brandishing them.  (You could considerably clear an entire building of baddies with 2 or 3 salvos from 2 players.)  But, as always, it's your game.  Spycraft is just your suggested use.   

[Agent 333]

There's also the option of using the OICW presented in "BFOG: This Is My Rifle" if you really want a rifle/grenade launcher to be a single Cal V pick. It's only 20mm, but that's still some serious damage output... plus it looks cool :-p.

[Mister Andersen]

It's quite solvable: give the launcher the CUL (Military) quality.

[afrodave]

I just checked the soon-to-be-old book and the PDFs that's I've downloaded and can't find it.  So what's the CUL (Military) quality?

[Antilles]

From the wiki:

Cultural (CUL): This weapon is typically found in the possession of a particular culture or faction, who may requisition it at its listed caliber. Anyone who doesn't belong to the culture listed with this quality may purchase the item at one caliber greater than normal.

[Mister Andersen]

Though in this case you'd actually be giving the groups listed in the () a caliber discount.

But the idea is to allow people actually in the military who would have far easier access to such weapons than, well, spies who should be keeping a somewhat lower profile, would.