FAMAS in GURPS

FAMAS F1, 5.56×45mm NATO (France, 1979-1992)

The Fusil d'Assaut de la Manufacture d'Armes de Saint-Étienne was the standard rifle of the French army from its introduction until 2017. It was the first bullpup configuration rifle to be issued en masse by a national military. Use of a lever-delayed blowback action allowed the barrel to be free-floated and simplified the use of rifle grenades.

The combined safety and fire-selector switch is located inside the trigger guard, which can be rotated to allow access while wearing gloves. From 1981, a second control is added behind the magazine which allows the user to limit automatic fire to three-round bursts (RoF 9, two Ready manoeuvrers to switch).

The large carrying handle protects the day and improved-visibility (negate −1 in darkness penalties) sights and encloses the charging handle and flip-out grenade sight. It also serves as the mount for the integral bipod. All controls are ambidextrous, but as the ejection port is located in the stock it is necessary to swap some parts into a different configuration in order to shoot the weapon from the left shoulder. This is however a simple task which requires no special tools.

Standard accessories are a 0.6 lbs. patrol sling (GURPS High-Tech, p. 154), 1 lb. knife bayonet (Reach 1), gun-cleaning kit (GURPS High-Tech, p. 160), a handful of spare parts, and a bottle of oil (stored inside the pistol grip). Issued magazines were often cheap quality (GURPS Tactical Shooting, p. 74). Although it has no accessory rails (GURPS High-Tech, p. 161), there are after-market modifications such as the Poignee Garde-Main Polyvalante (“Multipurpose Handguard”) which allow them to be fitted. The French army issued these along with 0.8 lbs. Scrome J4F1 4× battery-illuminated scopes (+2 Acc and removes −1 in darkness penalties) to fire-team leaders.

The F1 can only use its own proprietary magazines and functions poorly with heavier bullets than those the French army issues. These issues were addressed by the FAMAS G2 (1994-2000), which increased the twist rate of the rifling and replaced the magazine well with one which could take the same magazines used by most NATO forces. Apart from the magazine well, it is easily distinguished by the enlarged trigger guard which encloses the entire hand. Wt. 9.7/1, Shots 30+1(3). The G2 was adopted only by the French marines.

Export versions of the F1 were available with G2-style barrels. A rare ‘commando’ version with a 15.7″ barrel, incompatible with rifle grenades, was sold to Brazil and Cyprus. Dmg 5d−1 pi, Wt. 8.1/1, ST 8†.

The rare civilian versions of the F1 had the recoil buffer, improved-visibility sights, and grenade-launching elements removed, and were restricted to semi-automatic only. The MAS 223 (1986-1989) is otherwise very similar to the original. RoF 3, LC 3. The MAS 222 (1986-1993) was chambered in .222 Remington, had a 20.9″ barrel, and a smaller magazine to comply with French laws. Dmg 5d−1 pi, Wt. 8.7/0.4, RoF 3, Shots 9+1(3), Bulk −5, LC 3.

In 2010, the French army first fielded its Fantassin à Équipement et Liaisons Intégrés (“Integrated Infantryman Equipment and Communications”) system, which included a modified version of the F1. This replaced the carry handle with an accessory rail (requiring the charging handle and sights to be modified, and removing the improved-visibility sights), moved and changed the shape of the bipod, put another accessory rail at the front of the weapon, changed the bayonet mount to an American-style one, and added a vertical fore-grip (GURPS Tactical Shooting, p. 75) which includes a control panel for the system’s sight. This sight, the Sagem SWORD, combined a 4× optical sight (+2 Acc), thermal imager (Infravision), and laser rangefinder (+3 Acc) into one chunky (1.2 lbs. adds −1 Bulk) package. A version without the fore-grip was named the FAMAS Valorisé (“Improved”).

GUNS (RIFLE) (DX−4 or most other Guns at −2)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
7	FAMAS F1, 5.56×45mm	5d pi	5	420/3,000	9.3/1	16	25+1(3)	9B†	−4	2	$2,000/$20	2

Rifle Grenades

Luchaire AC 58 F1, 58mm (France, 1979-)

The Grenade à fusil antichar de 58 mm Mle F1 PAB is a bullet-trap rifle-grenade, suitable for launching from any 5.56×45mm rifle with a standard NATO 22mm flash-hider. It is fin-stabilised and has an impact-fused HEAT warhead. The FAMAS grenade sights are designed for its trajectory (Acc 0 if launched from any other rifle).

APAV 40 F2, 40mm (France, 1979-)

The anti-personnel/anti-véhicule grenade uses a similar design to the AC 58, but with a HEDP warhead. The older F1 version (1960-1978) required the use of a blank cartridge to propel it.

GUNS (GRENADE LAUNCHER) (DX−4 or most other Guns at −4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	Bulk	Cost	LC	Notes
7	Luchaire AC 58	4d×5(10) cr ex	1	350	1.1	1	1(5)	−1	$40	1	[1]
	linked	8d cr ex
7	APAV 40	8d(10) cr ex	1	400	0.9	1	1(5)	−1	$30	1	[1]
	linked	6d [2d] cr ex

[1] Add grenade's bulk to rifle's Bulk.

Prehistoric bears in GURPS

Bears first emerged as a distinct family in early Miocene Europe. The earliest recognised species, Ursavus elmensis (sometimes assigned to the genus Ballusia), was tiny in comparison to its living relatives, resembling a wolverine. Other species of Ursavus lived throughout Eurasia and ranged from the size of a cat to that of a wolf.

The first major split in the family was between the ailuropodines and other bears. Although the only surviving ailuropodine is the herbivorous giant panda, the sub-family once included ferocious predators. Indarctos was a mid-sized omnivore with a wide distribution, found in Eurasia, North Africa, and North America from the middle to late Miocene. Its giant relative Agriotherium had long limbs and short, powerful jaws, suitable for grinding tough plants and bone. It lived in Africa and Eurasia during the late Miocene. Huracan was another large, long-legged ailuropodine with a strong bite, which lived in East Asia and North America from the late Miocene to early Pleistocene.

The next division was between the ursine bears and the tremarctine or short-faced bears of the Americas. The latter sub-family include the living Tremarctos ornatus, the spectacled bear, and its extinct relative T. floridanus, the Florida spectacled bear, which lived in the southern United States and northern Mexico during the late Pleistocene. They evolved from Plionarctus, which lived in the United States from the late Miocene to the early Pleistocene. Another of its descendants, Arctodus pristinus, the ‘lesser short-faced bear’ was about the size of a modern brown bear and lived in the grasslands and flatwoods of the eastern United States during the early Pleistocene. A trend towards greater size led to the evolution of the ‘greater short-faced bear’ A. simus which spread through North America during the middle Pleistocene, lasting until the late Pleistocene. In South America, Arcototherium followed an opposite trend, starting with the huge and highly predatory A. angustidens from the ‘southern cone’ of South America in the middle Pleistocene, and culminating in the smaller and more herbivorous A. wingei, which survived in northern South America and Central America until the early Holocene. Despite the name, the jaws of short-faced bears were just as long as those of other bears, but appear shorter due to being relatively deep.

The earliest known ursine was the small Aurorarctos, the ‘dawn bear’ (a name also sometimes used for Ursavus elmensis), from the Midwestern United States during the middle Miocene. It gave rise to Protarctos, a larger bear which spread across North America and Eurasia during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. Protarctos evolved into Ursus minimus, the Auvergne bear, in Europe. U. minumus in turn evolved into the middle Pleistocene Etruscan bear, U. etruscus, which thrived throughout Eurasia. U. etruscus was the ancestor of the modern brown bear (U. arctos), polar bear (U. maritimus), and late Pleistocene cave bears, U. spelaeus (sometimes interpreted as a species complex, adding U. rossicus, U. ingressus, U. kanivets, U. kudarensis, and U. eremus to the mix). These latter lived in Europe and were generally larger than modern bears. However, brown bears also attained larger sizes in the ice age, such as the ‘steppe brown bear’, U. arctos priscus, of central Europe. A single fragmentary bone from late Pleistocene England has been interpreted as a giant subspecies of polar bear, U. maritimus tyrannus, although it could also be from a huge brown bear.

Ursavus elmensis

ST 7; DX 12; IQ 4; HT 12.
HP 7; Will 11; Per 11; FP 12; Speed 6.00; Dodge 10; Move 6.
SM −1, 40 lbs.

Bite or Claw (14): 1d−3 cutting. Reach C.

Traits: Acute Smell 2; Born Biter 1; Combat Reflexes; Discriminatory Smell; DR 1 (Tough Skin); Night Vision 2; No Fine Manipulators; Semi-Upright; Temperature Tolerance 1; Ultrahearing; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-14; Climbing-15; Stealth-13; Survival (Woodlands)-12.

This profile works without modification for Aurorarctos. For larger species of Ursavus, like U. tedfordi (90 lbs.), raise ST and HP to 9, SM to 0, and damage to 1d−2. Small species, like U. orientalis (10 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 4, SM to −4, and damage to 1d−5.

Ursus spelaeus

ST 20; DX 11; IQ 4; HT 13.
HP 20; Will 11; Per 11; FP 13; Speed 6.00; Dodge 9; Move 8.
SM +1 (2 hexes), 1,000 lbs.

Bite (13): 2d cutting. Reach C.
Claw (13): 2d cutting. Reach C-1.

Traits: Acute Smell 2; Born Biter 1; Discriminatory Smell; DR 3 (Tough Skin); Enhaced Move 1 (Ground Speed 16); Night Vision 2; No Fine Manipulators; Semi-Upright; Temperature Tolerance 3; Ultrahearing; Wild Animal.
Skills: Brawling-13; Intimidation-12; Stealth-11; Survival (Plains)-12.

This profile represents a male. For a female (500 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 16, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d+1.

For a male Indarctos (600 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 17, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d+2. For a female (300 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 13, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d. Claw reach becomes C.

For a male Agriotherium (1,400 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 22 and damage with both bite and claw to 2d+1. Use the male U. spelaeus profile without modification for a female Agriotherium.

For a male Huracan (1,100 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 21 and damage with both bite and claw to 2d+1. For a female (900 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 19.

For a male Tremarctos floridanus (450 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 15, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d+1. For a female (350 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 14, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d. Claw reach becomes C.

For a male Plionarctus (320 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 14, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d. For a female (220 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 12, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d−1. Both have claw reach C, and change Survival specialty to (Woodlands).

For a male Arctodus pristinus (700 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 18 and damage with both bite and claw to 1d+2. For a female (500 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 16, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d+1.

For a male Arctodus simus (1,800 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 24, SM to +2 (3 hexes), DR to 4, and damage with both bite and claw to 2d+2. For a female (1,100 lbs) increase ST and HP to 21.

For a male Arctotherium angustidens (2,100 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 26, SM to +2, DR to 4, and damage with both bite and claw to 2d+3. For a female (1,500 lbs) increase ST and HP to 23, SM to +2 (3 hexes), and damage with both bite and claw to 2d+2.

For a male Arctotherium wingei (260 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 13, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d. For a female (180 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 11, SM to 0, DR to 1, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d−1. Claw reach for both becomes C.

For a male Protarctos or Ursus minimus (280 lbs.) reduce ST and HP to 13, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d. For a female (200 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 12, SM to 0, DR to 2, and damage with both bite and claw to 1d−1. Claw reach becomes C for all.

Use the Ursus spelaeus profiles for U. etruscus.

For a male Ursus arctus priscus (1,600 lbs.) increase ST and HP to 23, SM to +2, and damage with both bite and claw to 2d+2. For a female (800 lbs) reduce ST and HP to 19. Use these profiles for Ursus maritimus tyrannus if interpreted as a large brown bear. For a polar bear, increase Temperature Tolerance to 4, change Survival specialty to (Arctic), and add Swimming-13 to skills.