[Psionics] [Space] Psi Trek - Worldbuilding

[Prince Charon]

T'Kon Curse Ray

Probability Alteration weapon

When people hear the phrase "T'Kon energy weapons," they don't think of the lasers, electron dampeners, or anti-proton accelerators that were made by that ancient empire. They think of the infamous Curse Ray. It was not the most common weapon used by the T'Kon Empire before its fall, but due to a quirk of design, more Curse Rays survived to the modern era in functional states (or states that could be made functional) than most other T'Kon equipment. Likewise, a 'bad luck gun' is so unexpected among the modern races that the fact that so many of them were made by the T'Kon tends to stick in one's mind.

At the lowest levels of effect, machines will malfunction, shut down, or need to reboot, and biological organisms are left stunned, and often dizzy and nauseous. At higher levels or closer ranges, this is accompanied by the ability that gives the Curse Ray its name, as the target becomes unlucky, sometimes extremely so, for some time after the ray hits.

(Affliction: Cursed or Unluckiness (both with Affects Machines) out to 1/2D. Affliction: Stun (with Affects Machines and sometimes Dizziness or Nausea) out to Max, still affecting those within 1/2D range in addition to the main Affliction.)

There is no 'standard' Curse Ray, as the surviving examples come in too many different versions. Thus, the template below is vague:

Beam Weapons (<type>)
Damage: HT-X aff; out to Max; Power: Probability Alteration
linked Damage: Will-X aff; out to 1/2D; Power: Probability Alteration
Cost: Often Not Available for Sale, or extremely expensive (varied widely in the T'Kon's era); LC: Varies.

In some cases, the Curse affliction will be based on Will, and the Stunning affliction will be based on HT. In others, both will be based on the same attribute; no known examples are resisted by traits other than either Will or HT. (EDIT: A possible malfunction of a Curse Ray would be to give the target good luck, or strange luck.)

The smallest working example was part of a Probability Alteration-based multitool built into a signet-style finger-ring, but the item was stolen from the dig site by unknown parties, before a full analysis could be made. The largest working example masses more than a tonne, and appears to be part of a ground-based defensive emplacement, able to disable large spacecraft out to nearly a light-second. The largest non-working example masses nearly twelve tonnes, and had a range and strength that xenoarchaeological engineers have yet to determine.


T'Kon Probability Shield

The other common survivor of T'Kon military technology, these devices grant those within their defensive radius Resistance to hostile Probability Alteration effects (or all Probability Alteration effects, if the device malfunctions in a specific way). How much Resistance varies, but large vehicle-mounted shields (Decade scale (Basic Set p470 text box) or bigger) effectively grant Immunity to personal-scale Probability weapons. As with the Curse Ray, these are rarely available for sale, and of great cost if they are available at all.

The smallest working example was part of the same multitool as above. The largest known example, which started working once power was applied to it during testing, masses over thirty tonnes; it provides effective Immunity (when at full power, which has not been done) to Probability Alteration effects of Decade scale or less, and +12 to resist PA effects at Century scale.


Attempts to reverse engineer this technology are ongoing. How successful this has been should probably be up to individual GMs, but I suggest that newly-built examples should be experimental tech that the PCs are assigned to field-test.



Thoughts?