Chapter 8: Sci-Fi Equipment

Laser Weaponry

Laser weapons tend to be heavier and bulkier than projectile weapons. However, they more than make up for this with increased precision and vast ammunition. They are also extremely expensive and prone to overheating except in a vacuum.

Changes from Equivalent Firearm:

1.   1d4 base damage die (from 1d6), but increase the damage bonus by +1
2.   Base cost is equal to the calibre's recoil (as if it were a firearm) times $1,000 instead of $100.
3.   Use the base recoil as the weapon‚s mass. Any modifications that affect recoil instead affect the weapon‚s mass. If a modification increases the recoil and the mass, use only the higher of the two increases.
4.   the recoil becomes zero
5.   Laser weapons can shoot out to five range increments instead of four (doubling the maximum range)
6.   Heat damage rather than Piercing
7.   The Blast modification, instead of adding a spherical explosion, adds a Line attack one square of the gun‚s scale wide and four long, originating on the first target hit.
8.   Semi rate of fire modification for free
9.   Cannot take the following modifications:
10.   Smoothbore
11.   Any magazine modification
12.   Shotgun
13.   Overheating: If a 1 is rolled to attack when firing on auto, reroll the die. Another 1 results in an overheat. An overheated laser weapon takes 1d10 rounds without firing to cool down. Firing an overheated laser before it cools destroys the weapon, and deals the weapon‚s damage -3 to the wielder.
14.   Power: Laser weapons do not require any ammunition, but instead draw power from a compact internal battery. The battery is roughly half the weapon‚s weight, and takes a full-round action to remove. The battery supplies enough power virtually forever. A laser weapon without a power pack must be connected to a larger power source (such as a vehicle at least 3 scales larger than the weapon) to operate.

Laser Modifications:

1.   Charge Circuit: With this modification, the weapon  can deliberately overcharge at low risk. This takes a 1s action to activate, but the gun takes 5s to charge. You can take other actions in this time. Once charged, the weapon can remain charged for 1 minute + 1d6 rounds (rolled secretly) before overheating. The first shot fired while charged deals +2 damage and, if the weapon has a blast area, it boosts the area by +1 scale. Charge circuits can be added to laser and plasma weapons, and increase the cost and weight by +50%. Plasma weapons take quadruple the ammunition to fire a charge shot. Charge shots cannot be fired on automatic or burst, or with double-tap or similar ability to increase rate of fire. The bonus from Charge Circuit does not stack with any bonus from overcharge or hypercharge.

Plasma Weaponry

Plasma weapons are even more expensive than Laser weapons, and fire slow-moving projectiles of superheated plasma at fairly close ranges. However, they do tremendous damage and their projectiles are much more explosive.

Changes from equivalent Firearm:

1.   Base cost is equal to the calibre's recoil (as if it were a firearm) times $2,000 instead of $100.
2.   1d10 base damage die (from 1d6)
3.   Use the base recoil as the weapon‚s mass. Any modifications that affect recoil instead affect the weapon‚s mass. If a modification increases the recoil and the mass, use only the higher of the two increases.
4.   The recoil becomes so low it is effectively zero
5.   Has a blast of the weapon‚s scale. The blast modification boosts this scale by +1.
6.   Halve the original base range increment
7.   Heat damage rather than Piercing
8.   Semi rate of fire modification for free
9.   Power and Ammunition: Plasma weapons require both ammunition (in the form of plasma flasks, which function like a box magazine) and power from internal batteries, like a laser. Firing a plasma weapon drains ammunition in the same way that a firearm does.
10.   Overheating: If a 1 is rolled to attack when firing on any setting, reroll the die. Another roll of 1 results in an overheat. If the weapon was firing on auto or burst, a result of 1 or 2 on the reroll overheats. On auto 2, a result of 1, 2, or 3 overheats, on auto 4; 1-4, etc.. An overheated plasma weapon takes 1d10 rounds without firing to cool down. Firing an overheated laser before it cools destroys the weapon, and deals the weapon‚s damage -3 to the wielder.

Plasma Modifications:

Most modifications that can be added to normal firearms can be added to plasma weaponry, with the following exceptions:

1.   Smoothbore
2.   Shotgun
3.   Box Magazine
4.   Cylinder Magazine
5.   Linked Magazine

In addition, any modifications to the ammo are intrinsic to the weapon, not the ammunition (a plasma cannon must be specially built to fire more explosive bursts, as opposed to firing special plasma). The following ammo modifications may be added to all shots the weapon fires:

1.   Burst
2.   Dragon

There are also a few modifications exclusive to plasma weaponry:

1.   Charge Circuit: With this modification, the weapon  can deliberately overcharge at low risk. This takes a 1s action to activate, but the gun takes a further 5s to charge (meaning it is ready for your next turn). You can take other actions in this time. Once charged, the weapon can remain charged for 1 minute + 1d6 rounds (rolled secretly) before overheating. The first shot fired while charged deals +2 damage and, if the weapon has a blast area, boosts the area by +1 scale. Charge circuits can be added to laser and plasma weapons increasing the cost and weight by +50%. Plasma weapons take quadruple the ammunition to fire a charge shot. Charge shots cannot be fired on automatic or burst, or with double-tap or similar ability to increase rate of fire. The bonus from Charge Circuit does not stack with any bonus from overcharge or hypercharge.
2.   Plasma Recharger: This device can slowly drain power from an external source to refill the plasma in the plasma weapon‚s flask. It can refill one round per three seconds active, and drains a power point of the weapon‚s scale to do so. Activating it or de-activating it is a 0SA. The plasma recharger weighs 1 kg and costs $750 at scale 0, and increased by the scale multiplier for higher scales.  The recharger need not be mounted on the gun, just plugged into it (or another plasma flask), so it does not necessarily need to increase the weapon effort.

Railguns

Railguns use super-powered electromagnets to propel solid tungsten slugs at tremendous velocities. This draws on a lot of power and requires an extremely strong barrel, or opposing pressure of the magnets risks causing the weapon to explode.

Changes from equivalent Firearm:

1.   +2 base damage
2.   Fires rounds of a calibre 5 times smaller, although for every other purpose are treated as firing the original calibre of weapon.
3.   Base cost is equal to the calibre's recoil (as if it were a firearm) times $750 instead of $100.
4.   Always fires Tungsten Flechettes, so always have smoothbore barrels. This results in +50% range and AP 2 rounds.
5.   Power and Ammunition: Rail weapons require both ammunition (in the form of heavy tungsten darts) and power from internal batteries, like a laser. Firing a railgun uses ammunition in the same way that a standard firearm does. The weight of the power cell in addition to the moving parts of a kinetic energy weapon increases the base weight of the weapon by +50%, however.
6.   Barrel Wear: Standard railgun barrels are made of high-quality steel. On an attack roll of 1, roll another d6. On another result of 1, the barrel is damaged to the point of being unusable. Firing the weapon with a damaged barrel destroys the weapon, and the damage -3 to the wielder. Replacing a barrel takes twelve seconds (faster with Rapid Reload and similar abilities). Replacement barrels cost the weapon‚s base (before being increased by turning it into a Railgun) cost divided by 2, and weigh 1/10 th of the weapon‚s base weight.
7.   Special Barrels: Titanium barrels cost ten times as much, but let you reroll barrel damage rolls. Adamantine barrels cost 250 times as much, and never damage themselves.

Sample Future Ranged Weapons

Here are a list of example futuristic laser, plasma, and rail weapons.

Future and Modern Armour

1.   Adamantine Armour: With metal as the new strongest material around, armour vaguely resembling archaic styles (although thoroughly modern in design) become more common among the extremely wealthy.
2.   Refined Steel Breastplate: This armour represents what the stats would be if someone in the modern era made a serious effort to create steel body armour mimicking archaic designs but using modern technology.
3.   Cerametal Armour and Vest: Cerametal is an advanced synthetic ceramic material that makes extremely strong, solid plates. Cerametal is also a very poor conductor of heat and electricity, so the wearer gains a +3 defence bonus (that stacks with the armour‚s regular bonus) against all energy-based attacks. Cerametal is the standard armour worn by soldiers in the future.
4.   Stab Vest: A stab vest is a light Kevlar vest worn by police officers to protect them from knives, and provide at least a modicum of defence against firearms. Stab vests sacrifice defence for mobility and comfort.
5.   Ballistic Vest: A ballistic vest is what most people think of when they hear the term "bullet-proof vest." It is worn by tactical units expecting danger.
6.   Combat Vest: A combat vest is an extremely heavy, uncomfortable piece of protective equipment worn by soldiers of wealthy nations. It is made mostly of Kevlar, like a Ballistic vest, but with added protection at the shoulders, neck, and groin. A Combat vest has heavy ceramic inserts over critical areas for increased protection.
7.   Riot Gear: This full-body gear comes with a visored helmet to protect against all manner of improvised projectiles. It is similar to a Stab Vest, except it covers the whole body. Riot gear is worn by police when they want to quell a particularly violent riot. In extreme cases, Riot Gear is worn with a Ballistic Vest.
8.   Space Skin : This futuristic space suit can be built into armour or worn by itself. This protects the wearer from the elements of space, grants a +6 equipment bonus to fortitude checks against temperature, and makes the wearer immune to dangerous gasses and dusts. The cost and weight do not include air tanks (see the modern equipment list) or common additions such as a thruster pack, radio, and flashlight. Such extra equipment is not included in armour effort (whether the armour is light or medium) calculations.

Other Future Weapons

Melee Weapons:

Beam Sword: This unusual weapon doesn‚t look like much (just a complicated metal handle) until it is activated. Activating it can be drawn while drawing, or as a 1s action (0SA with Quick Draw or a similar ability). Once activated, a beam sword appears as a glowing energy blade of any colour (varies from sword to sword). You do not add your strength to attacks with beam swords. Beam swords cannot be parried or blocked except by weapons or shields that can defend against energy attacks. Beam swords can be used to parry energy weapon attacks. Obviously, the weapon‚s material doesn‚t add bonus damage to beam sword attacks. The only advantage an adamantine beam sword has over a regular one is that it is harder to damage the handle.

Melee Modifications:

1.   Plasma Blade: This modification can only be added to slashing or piercing weapons melee. Plasma blades deal +7 points of Heat damage, which does not stack with any bonus damage from the weapon‚s material. Plasma weapons cannot be parried or blocked except by weapons or shields that can defend against energy attacks. Plasma blades can be used to parry energy weapon attacks (with the proper techniques, of course). Plasma blades cost one hundred times as much as the original.
2.   Sonic Weapon: This modification may only be added to slashing or piercing melee weapons. Sonic weapons vibrate at hypersonic frequencies. They make a characteristic loud and sharp screech whenever they hit anything (listen DC of -1). At the point of contact, they become superheated. Sonic weapons deal +5 damage, but cost ten times as much as the original weapon.

Modern and Future Special Materials

In general, gear such as weapons and armour is made of iron by default. This is by far the most common material in use.

Refined Steel

Although steel has been around since ancient times, at the advent of the industrial revolution, the quality of steel made a sharp jump. Steel prior to this era uses the same stats as iron due to its poorer quality.

Durability : 7
Armour Defence Bonus: : +2
Density Multiplier : 1x
Cost: $10/kg. Any item previously made out of iron is assumed to be made out of Steel in the modern era, and generally has no price increase.

Titanium

This lightweight metal is as strong as steel, while only weighing little more than half as much. Due to the decreased mass, bludgeoning weapons deal one die lower damage when made of titanium. Titanium piercing or slashing weapons deal +1 damage and become Armour-Piercing 1.

Durability : 7
Armour Defence Bonus: +2
Density Multiplier : 0.6x
Cost: $100/kg

Synth Diamond

Synthetic diamonds are created for industrial and military purposes, being extremely hard and capable of holding a razor sharp edge. Unlike natural diamonds, synthetic diamonds are black and opaque. Synth diamonds can be made to use any tool or weapon with an edge. Diamond piercing or slashing weapons deal +3 damage and become Armour-Piercing 2.

Durability: 6
Density Multiplier : 1x
Cost: $2,000/kg

Adamantine

Adamantine, is the strongest known substance in existence. It is a heavy, dark gray lustreless metal created artificially at prodigious expense on the plane of Æther. It is capable of holding an edge nearly as sharp as a diamond‚s. Adamantine piercing or slashing weapons deal +2 damage and become Armour-Piercing 2.

Adamantine is extremely difficult to work with, adding +4 to the DC to construct or repair anything created from adamantine.

Durability : 13
Material Bonus : +6
Density Multiplier : 1x
Cost: $25,000/kg

Cerametal

Cerametal is an advanced alloy of titanium, nickel, tungsten and steel in a super-strong synthetic ceramic material. Cerametal is extremely resistant to extreme temperatures. Unlike most special materials, Cerametal isn‚t used as a substitute for iron in armour or weapons, but instead is used to make its own type of armour (Cerametal vests and full armour).

Cerametal objects and creatures wearing cerametal ƒbased armour gain +3 defence against all energy damage types (such as heat, electricity, cold, etc.).

Durability : 9 (+3 vs. energy)
Density Multiplier : 0.75x
Cost: $50/kg