[safisher]

Originally Posted by Captain Joy

So, my question is, what is the reasoning behind the -4 for Beam Weapons, when it's only -2 for Guns. Beam Weapons seems quite analogous to Guns otherwise.

Basic Set says: "These specialties default to one another at -4. Treat specific beam types (blaster, laser, stunner, etc.) as familiarities. Other modifiers are as per

Guns. In settings with both beam and projectile weapons, the Pistol and Rifle specialties of Beam Weapons default to the similarly named Guns specialties at -4, and vice versa."

So, Beam Weapons (Pistol, Blaster) defaults to Guns (Pistol, .45 ACP) at -4. If the Space Patrol agent is forced to use Beam Weapons (Rifle, Blaster) at default from his Beam Weapons (Pistol, Blaster) he'll be at -4 for not having the specialty and -2 for not having the grip, for a total -6. If he was using a laser rifle, that would be another -2, for -8 total.

It appears to me that the -4 Default is folding in, so to speak, the Guns action/caliber penalty and replacing it with a generalized extra -2 for different wattages and so forth. I may be off on this, but I think that's what is going on. In other words, I think the Beam Weapons and Guns skill specialties and familiarities are sufficiently commensurable.