Before continuing to the weapon list, know that City Of Unity is NOT a combat RPG. We do NOT want characters who's only focus is combat. This is a game about character development and collaborative storytelling, not pointless fighting. So if you came to this section hoping to stock your character with weapons simply so they can be more powerful than other characters, you're joining the wrong game. This game isn't about "winning" or being more powerful than others, and we will not approve characters made for that purpose.
Think of it this way: in CoU, weapons and combat are like spice. The main dish is character interaction and story development. Sometimes it's nice to spice up the main dish. But too much spice can ruin a good meal, and there's some dishes that just don't need the extra spice.
With that said, we do certainly recognize the fun that can come from decent use of in-game weapons and action. And since CoU is set in a dystopia with a heavy focus on armed government oppression and organized crime, it's important to know what kind of weapons exist in this game setting.
Giving Your Character A Weapon
On Weapon Legality & Penalties
Giving Your Character A Weapon
If you haven't submitted your character yet, they may be submitted as already having a weapon, if you so desire. If your character is already approved and active in the RP and you want to give him or her an additional weapon, you need to Contact the game's staff, so that it may be listed in your character profile.
When you list out your character's weapon, be sure to include what sort of weapon it would classify as. Since we often make up fictional firearm names in City Of Unity, it helps to be given a brief description of its overall capabilities.
About acquiring Level 4 and Level 5 weapons: If you wish to give your character a Level 4 or Level 5 weapon (see the lists below), you must include in your profile a plausible explanation as to how your character acquired it, or if it's an already existing character who is acquiring one, send in a contact form entry asking for approval first. Since this isn't a game where you can just waltz into any old alley and get a sniper rifle, we require that players first demonstrate that they have a basic understanding of CoU's setting, by giving us a believable explanation for how they come across powerful weapons.
Due to the extremely high responsibility that comes with RPing a heavily armed character, newer players are strongly advised to avoid seeking to arm their characters with Level 4 or 5 weapons, or giving their characters excessive weapons.
Remember, the game staff reserve the right to restrict access to certain weapons, if it is deemed necessary. Some weapons simply won't come into the possession of most characters, and are listed here for reference only.
On Weapon Legality & Penalties
When you browse the list, here's the different legal possibilities listed for each weapon:
Legal - Anyone can legally own and openly carry these, purebred or hybrid. No legal hoops required.
UniClass With Permit Only - UniClass civilians (as in those who are not presently serving in the Ministry) who first pass a weapons license exam and a deep mental screening test to ensure they are model citizens by Ministry standards may possess and carry these weapons. Individuals applying for ownership of these weapons are EXTREMELY heavily screened by the Ministry, hence characters who do not meet the high standards for licensing criteria will be very unlikely to receive these weapons. Outer classers are not able to legally own these, and will be treated as an immediate threat to be killed on sight if caught by the Ministry. If you are sending in a UniClass character, you may apply with them already having a license if you wish. If your character is already in the game and you want them to apply for one, you must first Contact the game's staff to discuss the details.
Ministry Only - Strictly illegal outside the Ministry, even for UniClass civilians. Under normal circumstances, only the Ministry is able to legally possess these weapons. Exceptions, if and when they exist, are extremely rare.
For UniClassers seeking ownership of, it is possible to apply for a permit for some weapons, but it is a very complicated and expensive process requiring a lot of paperwork, background checks, and time. But it is possible for UniClassers who meet the Ministry's requirements for weapon permits, and many hybrids make use of this by hiring armed bodyguards for when they need to venture to the purebred parts of the city.
Outer classers, on the other hand, are never issued permits at all and are not legitimately allowed by the government to own anything outside 'Legal' status. This does not mean that illegal/unlicensed weapons don't exist among the outer class, but it does mean that the Ministry has orders to arrest or eliminate any outer classer caught with illegal weapons.
Generally there are 2 instances in which the Ministry will seek to punish (read: usually kill) criminals:
1) When the Ministry wishes to make a demonstration of authority
2) When the crime in question is a political rebellion or potential threat to authority.
Breaking weapon laws fall into the latter category, which makes this particularly serious. While this does not mean that an outer classer owning a firearm or other illegal weapon guarantees that the Ministry will always sniff it out and come after them, it does mean that the character can't just run around acting like Rambo without expecting consequences. If your character owns a weapon, you have a responsibility to play out their ownership of it in a believable, plausible manner, and accept IC consequences that may result from your IC actions.
So if your character brandished an illegal weapon right in front of a Ministry patrol in the Midcity, you are required to realistically RP out the consequences – and normally the consequence is death on the spot. Ministers are HIGHLY trained to kill such individuals on sight, without hesitation. Note that it might be possible to escape the Ministry a few lucky times, but the more serious the weapon threat, the more determination the Ministry will pursue you with, and it will be increasingly unlikely for you to escape. Regardless of how skilled your character may be, the Ministry is NOT easily outdone. If you own an illegal weapon and want to survive, play it smart. The bigger the gun, the more likely it is that the Ministry will notice it and kill you.
This just as strictly applies to UniClassers. While some weapons may be legally attainable for them by having a proper permit for them, if you play a UniClass character who possesses or otherwise deals in illegal or unlicensed weapons, you have to accept the risk that your character may be killed by the Ministry. UniClass corruption is punished just as harshly as any outer class threat.
Defensive body armor is treated as a slightly different matter from weapons. Technically, body armor has always been legal in Einheit City, but only in the sense that no actual laws were ever written to make it illegal. This means that the Ministry may treat it on a case by case basis when dealing with individuals in possession of body armor, or seeking to possess it.
As long as they have a clean record, UniClassers generally do not encounter many restrictions from the Ministry when it comes to acquiring personal armored vests and similar products, which is seen as a wise purchase for those hybrids who travel or conduct business outside the safety of the Toride. More powerful or potentially militarized types of armor, however, often require extensive Ministry interviews, paperwork, waiting periods, more interviews, polygraph tests, and waivers, and are not often seen in the hands of UniClass civilians unless it is a special exception.
For outer classers, the matter is slightly different. It is still nominally legal for outer classers to own and wear body armor, but the more militarized or combat-oriented the armor appears, the more likely the Ministry will be to stop and question the individual possessing it. And such routine "questionings" can often lead to confiscation of the armor, arrest under some other trumped-up charge, or sometimes even harsher punishment.
The heavier or more militarized the body armor owned by an outer classer, the more likely it will be to draw negative attention from the Ministry. For example, an outer classer wearing a light to medium-protection flak vest and perhaps some basic plating on his or her extremeties would not draw much attention, given that the rough environment of the world and Einheit City would make such gear practical and commonplace. On the other hand, an outer classer openly wearing a high-tech full body suit or some other obviously powerful armor which appears built for combat purposes would most certainly gain the Ministry's suspicion if detected, and thus put them at higher risk for being singled out. And being singled out by the Ministry is never a good thing.
So while personal armor may not be impossible or illegal to own, certain types of armor can result in undesirable treatment from the Ministry. Individuals in possession of such gear should exercise caution and subtlety if they want to stay out of trouble.
You'll notice that right now the weapons list is pretty basic. Think of this as just a sampler of sorts to give you a starting idea for what types of weapons exist in City of Unity, and remember that this is not a complete list of every weapon that might exist in the game's world. You're also free to make up weapons that are not listed here, just remember that the game staff do reserve the right to decide if certain weapons are suitable or not for the game.
The prices listed here represent a general idea of what to expect in terms of weapon costs if your character were to buy or sell the item in question. For example, a high-quality semi-automatic pistol might be worth around 1600 or 1800 creds on the black market, whereas lower quality one will go for around 800 or 900, or even below that. In general just use common sense - the better the weapon, the more likely it is to be very expensive, and the junkier it is, the more likely it is to be cheaply priced. But it also isn't unheard of for some dealers to set a high price for something just to give the illusion of higher quality to gullible buyers.
Another thing to remember is that the Ministry will practically always have superior quality in weapons. A black market assault rifle may indeed be a formidable weapon compared to smaller guns, but in most cases they will be old Species Wars models which will be junk compared to state of the art Ministry weaponry in those same categories.
As you'll notice on the list here, each weapon type has an availability level assigned to it. It's quite simple – the higher the number, the harder it is to acquire the weapon type in question due to any number of factors, such as price tag, overall rareness, and its legality.
Be aware that just because a weapon is listed here, that does not necessarily mean a character can always have it. Some Level 5 weapons are intended to be no more than "RP props" most of the time, in the sense that they are mostly background elements to the RP, but not intended to actually come into permanent character possession. An example of this would be a player describing their character seeing a Ministry patrol vehicle with a machinegun mounted. While such weapons do certainly exist in great numbers, it's very rare that anyone but the Ministry gets their hands on them, and very few exceptions are made for this.
Weapons are generally harder to acquire in the Midcity, due to the higher Ministry presence there, whereas the Undercity holds a thriving black market due to the much lower Ministry presence.
0 - Very easy to find, whether it's legal or not.
1 - Common, but might require some searching for a dealer. Not sold in just any old back alley.
2 - Not very easy to find. Requires some dedicated searching around, but a dealer can be found with enough effort, money, and/or knowing the right people.
3 - Hard to find. Not very many dealers carry this. Might require a risky trip into the Undercity to find someone selling it, but even then it could take a while to find the right dealer.
4 - Very hard to find, but not impossible. Requires a lot of money, connections, and luck to get a hold of if you're not in the Ministry. Illegally owned items in this category are often obsolete or ill-maintained Species Wars models which are inferior to currently used Ministry models. If you want your already existing character to acquire a Level 4 weapon, you must first Contact the staff for approval.
5 - EXTREMELY hard to find, perhaps even impossible. Usually only the Ministry has access to this kind of stuff. Every once in a while a powerful Undercity syndicate might somehow acquire a small number of Level 5 weapons left over from the Species Wars, but there are very, very few instances for character possession of these. If you want your already existing character to acquire a Level 5 weapon, you must first Contact the staff for approval.
Brass Knuckles
Legality: Legal
Availability: 0
Avg. Price Range: 20-30 Creds
A brawler favourite. Easy to use for anyone who can throw a half-decent punch.
Combat Knives
Legality: Legal
Availability: 0
Avg. Price Range: 80-120 Creds
Usually made of carbon steel or some other sturdy metal, and have been standard issue for militaries throughout history, the Ministry included.
Switchblade
Legality: Legal
Availability: 0
Avg. Price Range: 25-30 Creds
Also referred to as stilettos. A type of knife with a folding blade that springs out of the grip when a button or lever on the grip is pressed.
Telescopic Baton
Legality: Legal
Availability: 0
Avg Price Range: 30-50 Creds
Easy to conceal, and easy to bash with once it's unfolded. Favoured by both the Ministry and Underlord hitmen as a kneecap breaker.
Tazer
Legality: Legal
Availability: 1
Avg. Price Range: 100-150 Creds
Easily stored in a pocket. Delivers a muscle-disabling charge of electricity, more than enough to temporarily disable even the largest and strongest individuals when set to full charge.
Tesla Gloves
Legality: Legal (for nonlethal models. Lethal models are UniClass With Permit Only)
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 300-400 Creds
Gauntlets worn over one's hands which may be activated to release a high electrical charge. Most Tesla glove models are not lethal, and are made to deliver an only stunning jolt. Lethally high-charged models do exist, though require a UniClass permit. Tesla gloves are extremely dangerous to use without proper training, as it is very easy for them to harm the user.
Splitting Katar
Legality: Legal
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 300-900 Creds
A type of short punching sword, yet with a special spring mechanism that causes two additional blades to unfold out from the sides of the main blade. Requires considerable skill to use effectively. Ancient katars are a particularly sought-after collector's item.
Cane Foil
Legality: Legal
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 300-600 Creds
Basically a fencing foil hidden inside an inconspicious walking cane, with the cane's handle being the foil's hilt and the length of the cane serving as a scabbard. Discrete due to its disguised nature, a cane foil can be carried in plain view without drawing unwanted attention.
Gravmace
Legality: Legal
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 900-1000 Creds
Basically weighs and handles the same as a regular mace, though contains a small gravity-alteration motor which makes it far more lethal when swung at an opponent. A favourite for Undercity street gangs. Also used as a very powerful billyclub by some Ministers.
Shashka
Legality: Legal
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 7000-12000 Creds
An unusual cross between a traditional curved sabre and a straight-bladed sword. A single-handed, double-edged blade effective for both slashing and thrusting. Shashkas were introduced to Einheit City by wandering Kossaks soon after its colonization, though as the Kossak population was drastically thinned by Ministry persecution (due to their purebred culture), many of the now-ownerless swords ended up as collector's pieces, collecting dust in pawn shops, or carried by purebreds making dubious claims about Kossak heritage.
Katana
Legality: Legal
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 8000-16000 Creds
Exotic and highly sought after by wealthy collectors. Quality can vary greatly, though a master-forged katana can sell for a fortune. While the katana is an often romanticised and perhaps overhyped weapon, its legendary cutting ability is truly something to be feared when wielded by a skilled swordsman. Katanas are the only weapons High Ministers are known to carry.
Gunblade
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 12000-19000 Creds
A type of sword that has a trigger mechanism on the hilt. When the trigger is fired (usually just before landing a blow), the sword's special ammunition releases an ultrasonic shockwave through the blade, causing it to vibrate for a few seconds. These vibrations allow the blade to cause much more damage to organic tissue than it would without the vibration. Other types of gunblade ammo can be used for different effects, such as releasing an electrical charge and turning it into a temporary Tesla sword, or emitting a different blast which fires a highly concentrated sonic 'bullet' or directed wave from the blade, effectively turning a gunblade into a limited projectile weapon. Gunblades are available in either revolver or semi-automatic magazine-fed models, with the latter often being the more costly. For obvious reasons, gunblades are impractical as stealth weapons.
Chainsword
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 10000-18000 Creds
One of the deadliest mêlée weapons in existence. A combination of a hyperpowered chainsaw and a sword, as the name suggests. Rare, due to its legality and being very difficult to conceal and use. Commissioned officers in the Lower Ministry are the ones most commonly seen with chainswords, though many Underlords are skilled in their use as well. The loud screaming noise produced by the motor makes it impractical for stealth, yet serves as an impressive intimidation device.
Revolver
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 1
Avg. Price Range: 500-1300 Creds
Considered old-fashioned and obsolete by some, but are nonetheless rugged and affordable firearms that can last a while in harsh conditions.
Semi-Automatic Pistol
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 1
Avg. Price Range: 900-1800 Creds
Easily the most common illegal firearms in Einheit City, being usually capable of faster firing rates and greater ammo capacity than revolvers, though sometimes more prone to jamming or mechanical malfunction.
Shotgun
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 2
Avg. Price Range: 1100-1700 Creds
Devastating on flesh targets at close ranges, shotguns are often used by the Ministry when making forced entries. Most illegally-owned shotguns have shortened barrels and stocks, so as to make them easier to conceal.
Razorgun
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 1900-2100 Creds
The average razorgun is usually the size of a large SMG. Crude, terrifying devices crafted for psychological effect as well as physical damage. Razorguns fire small disc-shaped projectiles that spin through the air like airborne buzzsaws, and are devastating against flesh targets, yet mostly ineffective against hard surfaces. Very poor accuracy, yet have a high rate of fire. Razordiscs emit a distinct, sharp screaming sound as they fly through the air.
Gas Gun
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 800-4000 Creds
Also known as pneumatic guns. These use a canister of special hypercompressed gas to serve as a propellant to launch extremely sharp projectiles at supersonic speeds equal to that of regular chemically-propelled bullets. Gas gun projectiles vary depending on the model, but most are made to fire razor-sharp flechettes or spikes, which are found abundantly in most Undercity markets, yet can also be loaded with nails, glass shards or other unpleasant bits of sharp junk in a pinch. Since they require no explosive propellant, the shot of a gas gun is rather quiet and very easily surpressed. Excellent stealth weapons, gas guns are a favorite among gangsters and syndicate hitmen who need to make a quick kill in the Midcity without drawing Ministry attention. Gas Guns can range anywhere from cheap alley-smithed single-shot pistols, to rifles, to expert-crafted fully-automatic submachineguns, to shotguns, and so on.
Sub-Machine Gun (SMG) / Personal Defense Weapon (PDW)
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 6300-8500 Creds
SMGs usually fire handgun calibre rounds, though have longer barrels and typically have auto, semi-auto, and burst fire capabilities. Effective as squad weapons, though poor against armour, which is why the Ministry still permits them to licensed UniClassers. Most SMGs on the black market are left over from the Species Wars and usually inferior to current Ministry technology or licensed UniClass models, but are nonetheless formidable when in the right hands.
Hunting Rifle
Legality: UniClass With Permit Only
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 3000-9000 Creds
By Einheit City legal definition, 'hunting rifles' are not always literally manufactured for the purpose of wild game hunting, but as being low to mid-powered rifles available to licensed UniClass civilians. Hunting rifles are classified as those which are usually unable to penetrate Ministry armor, and are therefore legal for civilian UniClass possession with the necessary registration. Prior to the Ministry closing off all traffic to and from the the city walls, these were commonly used by UniClass civilians when hunting small to medium sized Nightlands creatures.
Sniper Rifle
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 9000-16000 Creds
Sniper rifles are those which, by Einheit City legal definition, are used strictly in Ministry applications. They have far greater range and penetration power than civilian-class hunting rifles, and are hence only legally found inside the Ministry. Not commonly seen outside the Ministry, though every so often they show up in the possession of Undercity syndicates. But like most illegal firearms, illegal sniper rifles are usually old ones left over from the Species Wars.
Assault Rifle
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 3
Avg. Price Range: 4750-9000 Creds
Rifles with extended magazines and automatic, burst, and semi-auto fire capabilities. Rarely seen outside the Ministry, though several old Species Wars models do wind up in the Undercity black markets from time to time. Assault rifles are usually standard issue weapons for Ministry troops.
Light Machine Gun
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 9000-11000 Creds
Heavy squad support weapons. Rarely seen outside the Ministry, though some old Species Wars models have been used in the various syndicate wars in the Undercity. Most commonly seen mounted on light patrol vehicles or lightweight models of Mechanized Combat Armor.
Very rare outside the Ministry. Their access is limited, and the Ministry are usually the only people to ever touch these things. And when any of these do somehow find their way into non-Ministry hands (typically the Underlords), they're usually old Species Wars models inferior to more current Ministry weapons. Handgun-sized and similarly concealable special weapons do sometimes show up here and there in the black market, though are very expensive, and only owned by a few individuals. Heavier special weapons, however, are practically unheard of outside the Ministry, and there are very few exceptions.
Plasma Pistol
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 8000-9500 Creds
The average plasma pistol shot is comparable to a large calibre pistol round, with a small one or two foot radius of additional thermal damage. Like with most plasma weapons, overheating is a danger when used without proper safety training, and may pose risk of an unexpected explosion-caused amputation when used unwisely. Usually used by the Ministry, though several older, shoddier models left over from the Species Wars exist in the Undercity black market.
Plasma Rifle
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 10000-12000 Creds
Very powerful incendiary weapon capable of blasting targetted body parts into clouds of cinders and ash. Rapid firing rate, though prone to overheating if fired constantly, which is why most reliable models use controlled burst fire. Used by the Ministry when Gauss or Laser weapons would be overkill.
Gauss Pistol
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 4
Avg. Price Range: 8500-9700 Creds
Packs the piercing power of a military-grade rifle, in the conveniently conceable size of a handgun. Considerably heavier than traditional guns, due to requiring a dense battery core. Easy to silence due to the projectile being launched solely by magnetic force, hence they are commonly used by Ministry commandos.
Gauss Rifle
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 5
Avg. Price Range: 13000-15000 Creds
Capable of shredding any body armour, severely damaging most heavy vehicles, and leaving flesh targets little more than red smears of gore. Versatile weapons which can be used in several different antipersonnel/antivehicle applications. However, their extreme penetration power can make them overkill in some situations.
Laser Rifle
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 5
Avg. Price Range: 40000-45000 Creds
Fires an intense laser beam capable of slicing through solid steel walls as if they were wet toilet paper. Energy is provided by a backpack-worn fuel cell linked via cable to the gun. Requires a very long recharge period after firing, often taking as long as thirty seconds between shots. Possessed by the Ministry, though usually only used as single-man long-range anti-armor weapons.
Electrostatic Monothread Spool
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 5
Avg. Price Range: 3000-5000 Creds
More typically considered a cutting tool, monothread - popularly known as nanowire, monofilaments, etc - has a wide variety of offensive uses. Getting entangled in loops of it is essentially lethal, despite the fragility of these threads. Capable of shearing through non-hardshell armours, by using electrostatic fields to extend a length of charged thread, a skilled user can entangle a nearby opponent with long spools of thread - like sticking staticky socks from a dryer on someone's back - and thus essentially reduce them to hunks of meat within seconds. Not advised for use by the untrained or those without electrostatic-variable armours. The thread is light enough to remain hanging in still air - like motes of dust - for hours, providing a lethal area denial method. Loose monothread is considered to be extremely hazardous if inhaled.
AbZero Launcher
Legality: Ministry Only
Availability: 5
Avg. Price Range: 50000-60000 Creds
Functions in a manner similar to the devices that ended the Colonies, though are made to neutralize areas of several square meters rather than whole cities. Fires a special grenade canister which, upon detonation, flash-freezes temperature within its blast radius to absolute zero by eliminating all thermal movement on a molecular level. Milliseconds later, a coldblast wave is released, causing explosive damage which shatters previously frozen targets into thousands of razor-sharp ice shards, providing additional shrapnel damage. Used by Ministry heavy weapons units.