10-30-2019, 04:53 PM | #11 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: (Semi-)plausible plasma weapons, plasma powers, and plasma damage?
It is moving at around 0.05c, so it cannot really spread out that much over 100 km (it has around 66 milliseconds to spread). It uses an effect similar to the shape charge used for the nuclear bombs of the Orion drive. Instead of focusing it on a 60-degree arc, it focuses it on a 1-minute arc, which allows the explosion to do damage at a distance.
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10-30-2019, 05:06 PM | #12 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: (Semi-)plausible plasma weapons, plasma powers, and plasma damage?
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
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10-30-2019, 05:30 PM | #13 |
Join Date: Feb 2016
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Re: (Semi-)plausible plasma weapons, plasma powers, and plasma damage?
Oh, I agree about most designs. It is just that most of the concerns take a backseat when a fusion bomb is the ammunition. Of course, this requires a 10cm munition at TL9, but it should be more effective than a X-ray warhead (Proximity damage from C-range).
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10-30-2019, 05:33 PM | #14 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: (Semi-)plausible plasma weapons, plasma powers, and plasma damage?
Sure it can. If 10% of its velocity is off-axis, it will spread 10 km.
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10-30-2019, 07:49 PM | #15 | |
World's Worst Detective
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Re: How to create/justify a "realistic" firebending power? Fire, plasma, etc.?
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Generating it could involve ionization powers that excites electrons to ionize atmosphere into plasma (though, is that just electron manipulation because ionization is a process?), heat powers to sufficiently heat up atmosphere into plasma, electricity powers to "excite" (if that's the right term) atmosphere into plasma, air powers to super-compress atmosphere into plasma, or magnetism powers to... well, they do something that I don't understand too well still. I guess another option would be nuclear fusion powers, but that seems like it could be used for way more impressive things than generating plasma. Containing or shaping it could involve plasma powers themselves (like plasma-limited telekinesis with a perk like Hydrokinesis to allow telekinesis to act as a container), or either air powers or magnetism powers to influence plasma. Directing it could involve plasma powers themselves again (manipulating it into a self-containing toroid or spheroid should be possible), air powers could produce similar effects, or magnetism powers could do the same or contain it through a magnetic bubble (which apparently exist?). I'm more than fine with plasma-limited telekinesis as a way of containing it and directing it, but I guess I'm still a bit tripped up on the best way (for my wants) to justify generating/acquiring plasma. Plasma-limited telekinesis could also pull plasma from the upper atmosphere, which, if I understand correctly, is pretty abundant. Though, that would require a long range and some high speeds. There don't seem to be very many other terrestrial plasmas readily available. I like the ionization power for also generating particle beams. (It could also work for that, right?) The combination of an electricity power with plasma-limited telekinesis also works for guiding something like an electrolaser. Both would fit with firebenders being able to generate "lightning", which would be a huge bonus and nice plus. My biggest worry about electricity powers is that, if the super has those, why wouldn't they opt for more primary applications of electricity instead of generating plasma. Maybe limiting the electricity power to small enough effects would stop them from overshadowing the plasma stuff. That makes sense, right? How much electricity do you need to generate enough plasma from the atmosphere to use it as an attack? A spark? Enough for a small arc (like a plasma torch)?
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Raekai's links: My blog about conlanging, GURPS, and other stuff! — Using Knowing Your Own Strength with Conditional Injury Simulating multiple attacks Wildcard Power Pool: a flexible magic/powers system Magic to RPM complete conversion v2 (incomplete) Perussinexian Magic 2 (outdated) |
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10-30-2019, 08:04 PM | #16 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: How to create/justify a "realistic" firebending power? Fire, plasma, etc.?
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I'm not sure you really understand what a plasma is though so I think this article might help. https://www.livescience.com/54652-plasma.html It also gives some other inspirations for a super.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
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10-30-2019, 08:09 PM | #17 |
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Berkeley, CA
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Re: How to create/justify a "realistic" firebending power? Fire, plasma, etc.?
Enough that you might as well use it as an attack. I mean, a lightning bolt that doesn't go through someone does cause plasma burns, but that's generally less damaging than having it go through you.
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10-30-2019, 08:17 PM | #18 | ||
World's Worst Detective
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Re: How to create/justify a "realistic" firebending power? Fire, plasma, etc.?
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That's exactly what I was worried about, though Refplace's suggestion seems to help me work around that. I know plasma isn't the best choice for a weapon, but I'm pretty set on trying to make this super concept (and the super group concept) work.
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Raekai's links: My blog about conlanging, GURPS, and other stuff! — Using Knowing Your Own Strength with Conditional Injury Simulating multiple attacks Wildcard Power Pool: a flexible magic/powers system Magic to RPM complete conversion v2 (incomplete) Perussinexian Magic 2 (outdated) Last edited by Raekai; 10-30-2019 at 08:20 PM. |
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10-30-2019, 08:41 PM | #19 | |
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Yukon, OK
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Re: How to create/justify a "realistic" firebending power? Fire, plasma, etc.?
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Plasma really is not a property of heat, its more a side effect in that heating up the gas excites the electrons. So a plasma doesn't have to be actually very hot, thats just the easiest and most common method in the real world. If I wanted to create a super who creates and controls plasma I would consider several special effects. Magnetic or electrical powers could create and control. Heat could create, but not control. Vibration powers could also create, as could that hypothetical exciting electrons. A limited TK could also do this, especially if the limitation was based more on the mental concept by the super than a power limitation/special effect. One nice effect could be a extended level explosion taking advantage of the improved wave effect.
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My GURPS publications GURPS Powers: Totem and Nature Spirits; GURPS Template Toolkit 4: Spirits; Pyramid articles. Buying them lets us know you want more! My GURPS fan contribution and blog: REFPLace GURPS Landing Page My List of GURPS You Tube videos (plus a few other useful items) My GURPS Wiki entries |
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10-31-2019, 09:46 AM | #20 | |
World's Worst Detective
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Columbus, Ohio
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Re: How to create/justify a "realistic" firebending power? Fire, plasma, etc.?
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Also, I really appreciate that succinct explanation of how you would use those powers. I think that pretty much gives me all that I need!
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Raekai's links: My blog about conlanging, GURPS, and other stuff! — Using Knowing Your Own Strength with Conditional Injury Simulating multiple attacks Wildcard Power Pool: a flexible magic/powers system Magic to RPM complete conversion v2 (incomplete) Perussinexian Magic 2 (outdated) |
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Tags |
plasma, plasma arc, plasma jet, plasma weapon, powers |
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