[Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding

[Prince Charon]

Other Energy Weapons

Vulcanian Mind Disruptor

This telepathic device has been the standard Vulcanian personal weapon since before First Contact with Terran humanity. They are normally worn as headgear, and have telepathic controls (it would be difficult for a non-telepath to use them at all, or impossible with most models), but are otherwise game-mechanically similar to the Mind Disruptors in GURPS Psi-Tech p27, albeit usually smaller. The skill is 'Beam Weapons (Headgear)/TL [IQ/E].'

The Holdout Mind Disruptor is normally disguised as a hair decoration, hidden in a wig, hat, or behind a layer of false skin, or even implanted beneath the user's scalp (generally requiring the removal of sections of bone, a fairly dangerous operation). The equivalent of the Mind Disruptor Pistol is a circlet or headband, though it is sometimes built into a helmet or large-enough hat; unlike other Mind Disruptors, the Mind Disruptor Headband is LC3, so long as it doesn't have a setting that is further restricted (see below). The Mind Disruptor 'Rifle' is routinely built into a helmet, and would be rather difficult to disguise as anything else. The Heavy Mind Disruptor is a backpack attached to a modified Mind Disruptor Helmet via a reinforced cable. A Tactical Mind Disruptor is not usually something you wear, although it can be built into a larger backpack, rather than being part of a vehicle; the user interface is normally a helmet, but the emitter is generally separate from the user.

The various types of Mind Disruptor on p27 (Death Beam, Hypnagogic Beam, Insanity Beam, and Neutralizer Beam) are all available, though weapons capable of using the Insanity Beam are more heavily restricted, being LC1, and the Death Beam is always LC2. In addition, Mind Disruptors capable of imitating Instill Fear, and the effects of the various Neurological Damage options in GURPS Psionic Powers p65, are available, though Agony, Hallucinating, and Seizure are LC1. Some Mind Disruptors are capable of multiple settings, others (especially the Holdout models) have only one.

Vulcanians also make some use of Psychokinetic Disruptors, below, against robots and other targets that will not be affected by Telepathy. These are likewise usually built into headgear and telepathically operated, as it's what they're used to. In some cases, the Mind Disruptor and the Psychokinetic Disruptor are built into the same device, though these tend to be bulkier than the standard weapon of the same levels of power.


Psychokinetic Disruptors

These weapons are common to many races, including the Andorians, Klingons, Orions, and Kaa. In general, they function much like Pizard's Space Fantasy Disruptor Beam Weapons, save that they use psychokinesis, rather than some sort of gravitic effect. A few disruptors have less-lethal settings, by turning down the force of the attack, generally while using higher frequencies. The effects are somewhat similar to the sonic nauseators and sonic stunners in GURPS Ultra-Tech (pp124-126), save that they still work in a vacuum, and will do about 1d-3 cr damage as well... more or less, depending on the range, and the specific model and size. Thelev Industries disruptors, for example, are notorious for doing more than the average amount of damage for their size on less-lethal modes, though due to quality control issues, how much more varies from weapon to weapon, even within the same model (they're cheap weapons in both senses, and thus are depressingly common; more convenience store robberies are done with Thelev Industries products than any other variety of disruptor).


Tellarite Biokinetic Rays

These ray-guns normally do toxic damage using biokinetic effects. This may be general damage, or it may imitate some specific poison, depending on the model (or setting, if that model has multiple settings). Statwise, biokinetic ray-guns are functionally very similar to the High-Energy Lasers from GURPS Ultra-Tech pp114-116, with certain modifications: They obviously do not have the Infrared, Blue-green, nor Ultraviolet options, damage is tox, and the armor divisor is changed to (∞) for physical, inanimate armour, as the rays do not interact with non-living things. Living armour, or armour that uses psi-tech to have a sort of pseudo-life, is fairly common among the Tellarites, and treats biokinetic rays as if they had no armor divisor. Vehicular and building force shields, as well as many natural psionic defences, likewise treat these weapons as if they had no armor divisor.

Some biokinetic rays have a stun setting which is functionally similar to the Sleep ability from Psionic Powers p49. In general, treat the number in front of the 'd' on the stats for that weapon as the HT penalty (e.g. a Biokinetic Crystal would do HT-1 aff if built for stunning, the Heavy Biokinetic Pistol would do HT-4 aff, the 'Dinosaur' (colloquial translation, actually refers to megafauna still extant on Tellar) Biokinetic Ray does HT-8 aff if given a stun setting at all, and so forth).

Tellarites also use ordinary lasers for non-living targets. Most such lasers have a photokinetic 'beam-jacketing' feature, to avoid damaging the eyes of observers (and targets who aren't hit in the face). They are also quite fond of normal firearms, at least when on a habitable planet.


Ergokinetic 'Zap Guns'

Similar to Pizard's Remote Electroshock Weapons, save that they use an ergokinetic effect to carry the current (effectively imitating the Lightning ability from Psionic Powers pp33-34), rather than lasers. Weapons of this type were very common in the Solar Cooperative before first contact, and remain so in some areas as a cheaper alternative to phasers.

Outside of museums and personal collections, firearms are rare on this Earth.


Thoughts?