[Ultra-Tech] Non-lethal non-superscience beam weapons

[Crystalline_Entity]

I was looking through Ultra-Tech and I'm curious whether I'm missed some errata or not. Neither Sonic Stunners (UT125) nor Omni-Blasters (UT124) have the superscience ^ symbol.

I can just about accept the idea of a charged particle beam being able to reproduce the effect of an electrolaser, but I'm not convinced by sonic stunners. Are these both plausible technologies or are they really superscience and just errors in my pdf copy?

[Varyon]

For omniblasters, my guess is that the beam involves fewer particles and/or a lower velocity, but is highly electrically charged to sort of "zap" the target. It might not be superscience, but I wouldn't object to calling it such, or at least noting it's probably cinematically effective. I'm pretty certain the sonic stunners are based on current understandings of the effects of sound waves on the nervous system; they probably lean toward cinematic, but I wouldn't call them superscience.

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Varyon

For omniblasters, my guess is that the beam involves fewer particles and/or a lower velocity, but is highly electrically charged to sort of "zap" the target. It might not be superscience, but I wouldn't object to calling it such, or at least noting it's probably cinematically effective.

I agree. If you want more realistic rules, the electrolaser is probably the best place to look.

I'm pretty certain the sonic stunners are based on current understandings of the effects of sound waves on the nervous system; they probably lean toward cinematic, but I wouldn't call them superscience.

I'm less convinced, but I can understand not calling them superscience. Right now I think its in the category of "Biology with less than a 50% chance of working". Investigations of the "Brown Note" haven't turned up much, and while there is something funny going on, the chances of being able to reliably weaponize it look slim. Even if the tech works, I suspect its highly variable on individual and maybe even posture.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Crystalline_Entity

I was looking through Ultra-Tech and I'm curious whether I'm missed some errata or not. Neither Sonic Stunners (UT125) nor Omni-Blasters (UT124) have the superscience ^ symbol.

I can just about accept the idea of a charged particle beam being able to reproduce the effect of an electrolaser, but I'm not convinced by sonic stunners. Are these both plausible technologies or are they really superscience and just errors in my pdf copy?

Sonic Stunners should be TL^, sound simply doesn't do that. Incorporating an electrolaser into a blaster should be straightforward, but it should have the same limitations as an electrolaser.

[Fred Brackin]

Probably some of the subtler overlooked things in UT. Also note that all sonic weapons are LC4 regardless of whether they are stunners or screamers. If I were restricting weapons I'd go for screamers early in the process.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by Anthony

Sonic Stunners should be TL^, sound simply doesn't do that. Incorporating an electrolaser into a blaster should be straightforward, but it should have the same limitations as an electrolaser.

The fact is that any disabling weapon that is both reasonably effective and reliably non-lethal is probably a fantasy. We really want them to exist because being able to stop determined foes without killing them is a really desirable ability in real life, and probably even more useful in the context of a story, but they probably don't.

I've pointed out before there is a STRONG selective pressure to narrow the gap between unconscious/disabled and dead - because in the real world things attacking you are usually looking for a meal, and if they can successfully disable without killing you they are going to go on to kill you anyway. An exploitable pathway that renders you unable to continue the fight before the damage is so bad you are going to die anyway is an evolutionary flaw. Resources that went into whatever it is that keeps you alive after you've been disabled are wasted, you should have died at the moment you became disabled, having spent those resources on something reproductive before that instead.