Ultra-short duration pulse lasers

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by GURPS Fox

So, I've been investigating how GURPS treats pulse lasers and it has been enlightening, but sad. For one, there is no way to simulate pulse lasers at the micro to pico-second duration range and another has me finding out that it is spread over the overall output and not per-pulse. The only rules for pulse lasers are that if RoF is greater than or equal to 4 does the damage double and a change of damage type. Energy requirements stay the same, no additional modifiers, that sort of thing.

This is at odds with the pulse lasers that I've been planning to use in my future-history setting where they're triple-digit microsecond pulses, meaning that a 1GJ/pulse laser (the smallest anti-ship laser in one faction's arsenal) requires 4TW of electricity to function.

So how would I stat such lasers in this regard?

...Where are you finding the only rule you're finding?

You should also look at the rule on Ultratech p118-119.

However, the way you're describing it seems rather weird. A pulse laser isn't necessarily (or likely, I should think) emitting a pulse train with no breaks!

There are some sources (well, at least one) for probably more realistic treatments of lasers than GURPS standard, but I'm not sure realistic is what you're looking for here... EDIT: Though you would need to back-convert from material effects to GURPS damage.