10-09-2019, 03:37 PM | #131 | |
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
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I'm working on a post with some energy weapon write-ups. Depending on how long it takes, I may be breaking it up into several posts. A lot of the details on the 'Phaser' section are already done, but not enough to post it here, yet (because there are a lot of settings, and thus more details are needed).
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10-09-2019, 03:48 PM | #132 | ||
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
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10-10-2019, 01:40 AM | #133 | |
Join Date: Dec 2006
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
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They don't have to be actual lasers, I meant that as a catch-all "tech-based ray guns", as long as there's some distinction from the scary peeps who use the psi-guns.
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10-12-2019, 07:00 PM | #134 |
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
OK, I'm splitting the Energy Weapons article up, because the phasers section, while probably complete, is too long, while the others are pretty short (and are not complete).
Phasers Phasers are multi-power, weaponized psychotronic generators, effectively the Swiss Army knife of energy weapons. Many modern (TL11^) personal phasers, particularly the common military and police models, are modular, with the larger versions consisting of components added on to a smaller model. Likewise, they have an adjustable beam-width, from a narrow beam that hardly spreads at all by the time it dissipates, to a shorter range cone that can be quite wide. Type 1 (Holdout) Phaser The base form of the phaser, with a reflex sight and no grip, about the size of some early-21st century cellphones, and powered by a single size-B power cell. Beam Weapons (Pistol)/TL11^ Acc: 3+1; Range: 50/100; Weight: 0.35/0.05; RoF: 1; Shots: 100(3); ST: 3; Bulk: -1; Rcl: 1; Cost: $250; LC: 3 Beam Weapons (Projector)/TL11^ Range: 16/33; otherwise as above. Type 2 (Pistol) Phaser A pistol mount that the Type 1 is inserted onto, powered by the Type 1's B cell and a single size-C power cell of elongated form with an oval cross-section, acting as the grip of the pistol. The reflex sight of the Type 1 is also used for the Type 2. Beam Weapons (Pistol)/TL11^ Acc: 5+1; Range: 100/400; Weight: 1.8/0.5; RoF: 3; Shots: 1,100(3); ST: 4; Bulk: ; Rcl: 1; Cost: $500; LC: 2 Beam Weapons (Projector)/TL11^ Range: 33/132; otherwise as above. Type 3 (Rifle) Phaser Replacing an older, bulkier model that predates the Type 1 and Type 2, the Type 3 consists of an emitter extension and foregrip on the front of the Type 2, and a butt-stock on the rear, the latter containing two more size-C power cells. The operator may use the existing reflex sight, or add various accessories such as a telescopic sight, holographic wide-spectrum targeting scanner, and so forth, as well as other items that may be connected to hardpoints on the weapon, such as a small flashlight, or a retaining strap. Beam Weapons (Rifle)/TL11^ Acc: 12+2; Range: 250/1,000; Weight: 7/1; RoF: 10; Shots: 3,100(3); ST: 6; Bulk: ; Rcl: 1; Cost: $1,200; LC: 2 Beam Weapons (Projector)/TL11^ Range: 83/333; otherwise as above. Settings: 1 Light Stun/Daze Damage: HT-2 aff; Power: Ergokinesis Shots per use: 1 This setting is roughly equivalent to the Confuse ability (Psionic Powers pp32-33) with the Blue Screen and Daze techniques on. The effect will bypass a P-web Shield unless the beam hits the P-web directly. Weapons that can only produce a Light Stun effect are unregulated self-defence tools (LC4) on many planets. 2 Moderate Stun Damage: HT-4 aff; Power: Ergokinesis linked Damage: Will-4 aff; Power: Telepathy Shots per use: 4 Moderate and Heavy Stun both combine Confuse with the Telepathic Sleep ability. 3 Heavy Stun Damage: HT-6 aff; Power: Ergokinesis linked Damage: Will-6 aff; Power: Telepathy Shots per use: 6 Heavy Stun also does 1 point of burn damage out to 1/2D range, but none thereafter. It is sometimes used to start fires or reheat food. 4 Thermal A Damage: 3d(2) burn; Power: Psychokinesis Shots per use: 6 5 Thermal B Damage: 5d(2) burn; Power: Psychokinesis Shots per use: 10 Both thermal settings may be used for cutting, drilling, or welding, as well as heating up rocks for warmth in conditions where a campfire would be difficult or less useful. 6 Disruption A Damage: 6d(2) cr; Power: Psychokinesis Shots per use: 12 Disruption uses a psychokinetic beam or field to alternately push and pull the target at a high frequency and with significant force. Weapons which only or primarily do this are generally known as disruptors, although they are distinct from the telepathic mind disruptors used by the Vulcanians. 7 Disruption B Damage: 8d(2) cr; Power: Psychokinesis Shots per use: 16 8 Disruption C Damage: 10d(2) cr; Power: Psychokinesis Shots per use: 20 9 Dematerialize Damage: 2d+120 cor; Power: Teleportation Shots per use: 50 The dematerialize setting causes each atom in the target to teleport a semi-random distance and a semi-random direction from its starting location, thus turning the target into a very diffuse, hollow cloud roughly centred on the object's last coordinates. Use of this setting on radioactive material is not recommended. Overload This setting effectively turns the weapon, or rather the power cell(s), into a bomb. The force of the explosion depends on how much power is left; specifics will be worked out when we discuss grenades. Thoughts?
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life. "The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates." -- Tacitus Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted. |
10-13-2019, 08:47 AM | #135 | |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
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My main concern is that the group will need to remember all 10 settings in play. Even with cheat sheets, 10 different settings may lead to analysis paralysis. You may want to include simpler weapons for players that don't want to deal with this complexity. |
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10-13-2019, 09:03 AM | #136 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
Up thread, I expressed concerns that there are too many phaser settings. Here is how I would reduce the number of phaser options.
Emerald Cat's Phaser Settings: Stun Damage: HT-2 aff; Power: Ergokinesis Shots per use: 1 This setting is roughly equivalent to the Confuse ability (Psionic Powers pp32-33) with the Blue Screen and Daze techniques on. The effect will bypass a P-web Shield unless the beam hits the P-web directly. Weapons that can only produce a Light Stun effect are unregulated self-defence tools (LC4) on many planets. Tactical Stun Damage: HT - Shots aff, to a maximum of HT-6 (tentative); Power: Ergokinesis linked Damage: Will - Shots aff, to a maximum of Will-6 (tentative); Power: Telepathy Tactical Stun combines Confuse with the Telepathic Sleep ability. Thermal Damage: 1d(2) burn per 2 shots spent, up to 5d; Power: Psychokinesis The thermal setting may be used for cutting, drilling, or welding, as well as heating up rocks for warmth in conditions where a campfire would be difficult or less useful. Disruption Damage: 1d(2) cr per 2 shots spent, up to 10d; Power: Psychokinesis Disruption uses a psychokinetic beam or field to alternately push and pull the target at a high frequency and with significant force. Weapons which only or primarily do this are generally known as disruptors, although they are distinct from the telepathic mind disruptors used by the Vulcanians. Dematerialize Damage: 2d+120 cor; Power: Teleportation Shots per use: 50 The dematerialize setting causes each atom in the target to teleport a semi-random distance and a semi-random direction from its starting location, thus turning the target into a very diffuse, hollow cloud roughly centred on the object's last coordinates. Use of this setting on radioactive material is not recommended. Overload This setting effectively turns the weapon, or rather the power cell(s), into a bomb. The force of the explosion depends on how much power is left; specifics will be worked out when we discuss grenades. This way, the number of settings is reduced from 10 to 5 (or 6 if we include Overload). That is a little more manageable. On the other hand, this requires the players to determine how many shots to spend every time they fire. So it may make the analysis paralysis worse. What do you think? |
10-13-2019, 09:09 AM | #137 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
My problem with insta-kill weapon settings is that they will be used on the Big Bads and the PCs, and that's just boring.
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10-13-2019, 11:25 AM | #138 | |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
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On the other hand, there are settings that can easily do lethal damage for far fewer shots. So it may not make sense to use the Dematerialize setting in every situation. |
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10-13-2019, 06:19 PM | #139 | |
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
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Personal force-fields are something I've been thinking about, which may get a Question post (probably not a 'yes/no,' but rather a 'which of these options feels best to you?'). They didn't use them in canon because it was a TV drama, so the writers et al were in control over what happened (and a limited special effects budget). A game has different needs, so a wearable EK Shield generator makes sense. EDIT: It would need to be a very powerful shield, though, and it would need to be anti-psionic, as well (because Teleportation, Telepathy, and PK, as well as powers other polities use for their weapons). In general, like a lot of other GURPS, the players should take the lethality of combat as encouragement to solve problems without violence, and if they want to go 'Fully Cinematic '60s Hollywood Action,' they should include rules that make the PCs and important NPCs less likely to be hit by death rays.
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life. "The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates." -- Tacitus Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted. Last edited by Prince Charon; 10-13-2019 at 06:56 PM. |
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10-16-2019, 05:21 PM | #140 |
Join Date: Dec 2012
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Re: [Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding
Just an FYI, I will be going to NecronomiCon this weekend, and thus my time spent online will shortly be somewhat limited. Also won't have my own computer with me, so the amount of work I'll be doing will likewise be limited.
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Warning, I have the Distractible and Imaginative quirks in real life. "The more corrupt a government, the more it legislates." -- Tacitus Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted. |
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psionics, space, star trek, world building |
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