Weapons systems are pretty heavily regulated, with almost all of them restricted to military vessels only. For ranges, consult the table below.
| Type of Weapon | Point Blank (no penalty) | Short (-2 attack) | Medium (-5 attack) | Long (-10 attack) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railguns, Missiles, Plasma Supercasters | 0-3 Squares | 4-6 Squares | 7-15 Squares | 16-30 Squares |
| Pulse Lasers, Ion Encumbrance System | 0-1 Squares | 2 Squares | 3-4 Squares | 5-8 Squares |
| Nano-Missile System | 0-1 Squares | 2 Squares | 3-5 Squares | 6-10 Squares |
| Light Gas Guns | 0-4 Squares | 5-8 Squares | 9-20 Squares | 21-40 Squares |
| Ballistic Repeaters, Gatling Cannons | 0-1 Squares | 2 Squares | 3 Squares | 4 Squares |
| Howitzer | Cannot Fire | 5-10 Squares | 11-20 Squares | 21-30 Squares |
| Mining Laser | 0-4 Squares | 5-7 Squares | 8-16 Squares | 17-31 Squares |
| System | Damage | Emplacement Points | Availability | Size Restriction | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artemis-Class Bombardment Laser | 11d10x5 | 40 | Military, Energy Weapon | Colossal (cruiser) or larger | 2,000,000 Terran Alliance Credits |
| Ballistic Repeater, Light | 2d10x2 | 1 | Restricted | None | 4,000 Calengil Blood-Markers |
| Ballistic Repeater, Medium | 3d10x2 | 2 | Restricted | None | 6,000 Calengil Blood-Markers |
| Ballistic Repeater, Heavy | 4d10x2 | 3 | Military | Huge or larger | 8,000 Calengil Blood-Markers |
| Ballistic Repeater, Super-Heavy | 5d10x2 | 4 | Military | Gargantuan or larger | 10,000 Calengil Blood-Markers |
| Ballistic Repeater, Max | 7d10x2 | 5 | Military | Colossal or larger | 14,000 Calengil Blood-Markers |
| Ballistic Repeater, Supermax | 8d10x5 | 7 | Military | Colossal (frigate) or larger | 150,000 Calengil Blood-Markers |
| Docking Gun | By Weapon | 1 | By Weapon | None | Weapon Cost + 2,000 Credits |
| Fire-Linked Weapon, 2 | +1d10 | +1 | Military | None | x2 Weapon Cost |
| Fire-Linked Weapon, 4 | +2d10 | +2 | Military | None | x4 Weapon Cost |
| Fire-Linked Weapon, Optional | Special | +0 | Military | None | +2,000 to cost |
| Gatling Cannon | 3d10x2 | 1 | Military | None | 4,000 Terran Alliance Credits |
| Gun, Double | +1d10 | +0 or x1.5 | Military | None | x3 Weapon Cost |
| Gun, Quad | +2d10 | +1 or x2 | Military | None | x5 Weapon Cost |
| Howitzer | 7d10 | 2 | Military | None | 3,000 Credits |
| Ion Bomb | 5d10 Ion | – | Military | None | 1,000 Credits |
| Ion Bomb Rack | – | 1 | Military | None | 2,000 Credits |
| Ion Encumbrance System | Special | 2 | Military | None | 10,000 Credits |
| Ion Encumbrance System, Hive-Made | Special | 2 | Military | None | 40,000 Station Credits |
| Light Gas Gun | 9d10x5 | 15 | Military | Colossal (cruiser) or larger | 200,000 Terran Alliance Credits |
| Mining Laser, Light | 4d10x2 | 2 | Licensed, Energy Weapon | Colossal or larger | 10,000 Deep Ones Nodules |
| Mining Laser, Medium | 5d10x3 | 3 | Restricted, Energy Weapon | Colossal (frigate) or larger | 30,000 Deep Ones Nodules |
| Mining Laser, Heavy | 6d10x4 | 4 | Military, Energy Weapon | Colossal (cruiser) or larger | 60,000 Deep Ones Nodules |
| Missile Launcher, Light | By Missile | 2 | Military | None | 4,000 Credits |
| Missile Launcher, Medium | By Missile | 5 | Military | None | 7,000 Credits |
| Missile Launcher, Heavy | By Missile | 20 | Military | Colossal (frigate) or larger | 60,000 Credits |
| Nano-Missile System | 4d10x2 | 2 | Military | None | 30,000 Credits |
| Plasma Exhaust | 4d10x2 | 1 | Military, Energy Weapon | Gargantuan or smaller (Colossal vehicles with Combat Thrusters can mount it) | 10,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications |
| Plasma Supercaster, Ultralight | 5d10x2 | 1 | Military, Energy Weapon | None | 5,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications |
| Plasma Supercaster, Light | 6d10x2 | 2 | Military, Energy Weapon | Huge or larger | 10,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications |
| Plasma Supercaster, Medium | 7d10x2 | 3 | Military, Energy Weapon | Gargantuan or larger | 20,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications |
| Plasma Supercaster, Heavy | 8d10x2 | 4 | Military, Energy Weapon | Colossal or larger | 40,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications |
| Plasma Supercaster, Ultraheavy | 9d10x5 | 6 | Military, Energy Weapon | Colossal (frigate) or larger | 800,000 Fost Divine Sanctifications |
| Point-Defense Weapon | By Weapon | – | Military | Colossal or larger | +4,000 Credits to weapon cost |
| Pulse Laser Array | 3d10x2 | 3 | Military, Energy Weapon | Colossal or larger | 80,000 Terran Alliance Credits |
| Railgun, Light | 7d10x2 | 2 | Military | Gargantuan or larger | 8,000 Credits |
| Railgun, Medium | 9d10x2 | 4 | Military | Colossal or larger | 16,000 Credits |
| Railgun, Heavy | 7d10x5 | 10 | Military | Colossal (frigate) or larger | 140,000 Credits |
Artemis-Class Bombardment Laser (USERS: Terran Alliance)
The Artemis-class bombardment laser is a development of the orbital laser platforms developed during the 2000s and 2010s. While the idea of using lasers as anti-missile defense was rendered pointless by advanced missile technologies, development of orbital laser installations for bombardment purposes was continued after the end of the cold war. This led to the various orbital laser installations that were in place by 2012, when they saw their first use – one which had not been on the design board -by using the lasers to vaporize destabilized rock formations to prevent the creation of megatsunamis. The laser installations saw some use during WW3, but their tactical value was hindered due to their limited theater linger time, being orbiting platforms, as well as their long recharge times and lack of ability to rapid fire. More often, they saw use as orbiting command and control posts. The primary user of orbital weapons installations during the War was the United States, who used them to make up for the fact that their strategic arsenal was limited in the late 2000s when they lost access to uranium stockpiles in the wake of the Uranium Conflict. After the war, development of the laser technology has continued, leading to the Artemis-class of lasers. While the Artemis still suffers notable drawbacks (single-fire capacity, long recharge time, and extensive requirements for cooling and capacitor systems), it was built with the idea of building it into large vessels, allowing for more mobility than an orbiting platform.
The laser at the core of the Artemis-class is a deuterium fluoride (DFL) chemical laser, operating in the infrared range with a wavelength of around 3.8 µm. This wavelength grants the laser some immunity to atmospheric blooming, but it also means that the beam is invisible to the human eye. While immunity to blooming is what makes the laser effective as a ground-to-space weapon, the associated support systems for the laser and the difficulty in making beamguides that can transport a 3.8 µm beam without melting are what prevent the DFL laser from being used in Pulse Laser Systems for the time being.
An Artemis-class laser can fire once every five minutes dealing 11d10x5 damage. If allowed to charge for one hour, an Artemis-class laser can instead be fired in bombardment mode, which does 11d10x20 damage to a 20-square radius area (character scale) on a planetary surface, or 11d10x20 damage to a space target. When attacking a space target, this requires an attack roll, which takes a -20 penalty to attack a target smaller than Colossal (Station) due to the fact that it is aimed by turning the ship to face the target, and takes 2 rounds to initiate the firing procedure for bombardment mode (firing on the 3rd round). When used in standard mode, the laser takes a -20 penalty to attack targets smaller than Colossal (Cruiser). Damage from an Artemis-class laser completely ignores any Shield Rating that is not provided by an energy field or a system designed to impair directed-energy weapons.
Artemis-class Bombardment Lasers are directed-energy weapons.
Ballistic Repeaters [Light, Medium, Heavy, Super-Heavy, Max, Supermax] (USERS: Calengil Dominion, common with paramilitaries among other powers)
Similarily to the Gatling Cannons used by the Terran Alliance, Calengil Ballistic Repeaters do their damage through the use of chemically-propelled high-velocity slugs. Unlike Terran Gatling Cannons, however, they are single-barreled weapons that fire a single, larger-caliber shot for a standard attack. They are capable of autofire, in which case they target a single square (starship scale) or 4 squares (character scale), and use 5 rounds of ammunition per autofire attack. Light Ballistic Repeaters hold 500 shots, Medium hold 400, Heavy hold 300, and Super-Heavy hold 200. On vehicles of larger than Gargantuan size, their ammunition is instead treated as cargo – Light ammo is 0.4 KG each, Medium is 0.6, Heavy is 0.8, Super-Heavy is 1, Max is 0.5 tons, and Supermax is 5 tons.
Docking Gun
Docking Guns are character-scale weaponry added to vehicles, primarily for anti-personnel use. Any character-scale weapon can be mounted as a docking gun. Docking guns count as heavy weapons, regardless of their original category. If they require power, they draw it from the vehicle’s power systems, instead of requiring an energy cell or power pack. Docking guns have no effect in starship-scale combat.
Double/Quad Gun Mounts
Double and Quad versions of guns are available, creating weapons with higher rate of fire and damage potential. Double and Quad mounts for weapons requiring more then 4 emplacement points have different EP costs (double = x1.5 EP, quad = x2 EP).
Fire-Linked Weapons
Weapons of any type that deal damage can be fire-linked to increase their output, using up more space than a double or quad weapon, but costing less. With every attack, fire-linked missiles, torpedoes, and projectile weapons (that track ammunition usage) consume a number of shots of ammunition equal to the number of fire-linked weapons.
Fire-finked missiles can fire in autofire, using the normal number of shots for autofire.
Optional Fire Link: Some fire-linked weapons, such as missiles and torpedoes, are designed to have their link deactivated to conserve ammunition. The link can be turned on or off as a swift action, and the extra damage and ammunition consumption applies only while the link is activated.
Gatling Cannon (USERS: Terran Alliance)
Gatling cannons are the primary fighter-scale weapon in the Terran arsenal. Utilizing caseless, high-velocity rounds, fired from rotary-barrel cannons, they effectively have unlimited ammunition for the purposes of combat encounters. Gatling cannons fire in 5-round bursts, which target a single enemy (and do not count as autofire). For the purposes of carrying ammunition for long-duration missions, each 5-round burst weighs 1 KG, costs 25 credits, and should be treated as cargo. Gatling cannons can be used on autofire. On autofire, they target a single square (starship scale) or 4 squares (character scale), and use the standard autofire rules, except for the fact that they use 10 rounds. Gatling cannons are commonly found in dual-mount.
Howitzer (USERS: Calengil Dominion, Terran Alliance, common with paramilitaries among other powers)
A howitzer is an indirect-fire weapon which propels a variety of solid-shell ordnance in a parabolic arc towards its target. The method of propulsion varies, but it is usually either a chemical reaction or electromagnetic acceleration. The listed damage is for a ‘standard’ piece of ordnance, specialized rounds which have different effects exist and vary with power. A howitzer cannot fire at a target within point-blank range, and treats the weapon’s point of origin as being 100 squares (character scale) in the air for the purposes of determining line of sight and cover. Howitzers cannot be used in a microgravity environment, and have radically variable accuracy when used in any gravity other than the one that they were designed to be used in.
Ion Bombs (USERS: Calengil Dominion, Glorious Imperium, Lissonian Treeholds, Proximan Suzerainty, Terran Alliance)
Ion bombs are fin-stabilized weapons used to knock out electronics on the surface of a world. Because of their fin-stabilizing guideance system, they can only be used in an atmosphere, and attacks with them take a -5 penalty. Ion bombs may target a square directly beneath the ship that deploys them. On impact, they create a strong electromegnetic pulse that deals 5d10 points of ion damage in a 10-square radius. Ion bomb racks can hold up to four ion bombs.
Ion Encumbrance System (USERS: Calengil Dominion, Lissonian Treeholds, Terran Alliance. NON-USER DISTRIBUTORS: The Hive)
The ion encumbrance system fires a specialized slug that doubles as both a disabling weapon and tracking device. When using the ion encumbrance system, upon a successful hit it causes the target craft of Colossal or smaller size to suffer a -1 penalty to all defenses, attack rolls, ability checks and skill checks. Multiple hits from the system are cumulative up to a -5 penalty. The penalty remains in place until the ion sensor tags are removed with a Disable Device check of the Mechanics skill, DC 10, which requires you to be able to touch the sensor tag. Regardless of size, a successful IES hit gives the attacker a +5 bonus to attack rolls made with any missile launcher system tied to the IES. The attacker is also able to locate any tagged ship with a Use Computer check, DC 10. Ion tags further provide the attacker with technical data on any tagged ship, which imposes a -2 penalty to Deception checks made against the attacker by a tagged ship, and provides a +2 bonus to Pilot checks made in a dogfight with a tagged craft. A successful tag also allows the attacker to know the current Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence scores, along with hit points, damage reduction, shield rating, armor, weapons load-out, FTL drive, and speed of a tagged craft…or at least the best guess the computer system can make about the loadout of unknown vessels. The Ion Encumbrance System uses the same range modifiers as gatling guns. The ammunition capacity of an ion encumbrance system is limited to two-hundred fifty Ion Sensor Tags. Additional capacity may be added, increasing the cost by 25% for each additional fifty tags (up to a maximum of five-hundred tags). Hive-made IES impose double the normal penalties, and increase the bonus to missile attacks to +7.
Light Gas Gun (USERS: Terran Alliance)
A light-gas gun works on the same principle as a spring piston airgun. A large-diameter piston is used to force a gaseous working fluid through a smaller-diameter barrel containing the projectile to be accelerated. This reduction in diameter acts as a lever, increasing the speed while decreasing the force. The Terran Alliance utilizes three-stage light gas guns, which can propel a projectile to 10.5 kilometers per second. For comparison, the railguns utilized by the Terran Alliance accelerate projectiles to around 7.5 kilometers per second. The downside of the light gas gun is it’s considerable size, and slow reload rate. This limits its use to the largest of capital ships in the fleet. A light gas gun can fire every 3 rounds. Light gas guns are assumed to have unlimited ammunition. Light gas guns take a -20 penalty to attack targets smaller than Colossal (Cruiser) due to the fact that they are aimed by turning the ship to face the target. The current standard in Terran Alliance light gas guns is the Northtech-Microstellar 400mm methane combustion light gas gun.
Mining Lasers [Light, Medium, Heavy] (USERS: Deep Ones Mining Union)
Most definitely not designed for combat use, the mining lasers developed by the Deep Ones do have combat potential when their users are forced to turn them onto enemies. Tuned to carve out chunks of rock rather than punch through material, these are nonetheless deadly weapons. Mining Lasers completely ignore any Shield Rating that is not provided by an energy field or a system designed to impair directed energy weapons, and completely ignores all DR. When determining the amount of salvageable material in debris fields, debris clusters, mineral-rich planetoids, and metallic planetoids located through the exploration rules, increase the resulting tonnage by 25%.
Mining Lasers are directed-energy weapons.
Missile Launchers (USERS: Pretty much everyone)
Missile launchers come in three sizes, Light, Medium, and Heavy. For loadout options, see the Missile/Hardpoint Options section. The ammunition capacity of a missile launcher is dependent on it’s size: Light, 6; Medium, 16; Heavy, 30. Additional capacity can be added, increasing the cost by 20% for each additional missile (up to a maximum of double capacity).
Nano-Missile System (USERS: Calengil Dominion, Lissonian Treeholds, Terran Alliance)
Nano-missiles look almost identical to slugthrower cannon fire at a glance, but a closer look reveals what that they are actually small missiles. Nano-missiles are capable of tracking targets as normal for guided missile weapons. The system is not particularly popular because slugthrower cannons do comparable damage and are considerably cheaper. However, those that can afford it prefer the dead-on accuracy provided by the nano-weaponry. The ammunition capacity of a nano-missile system is limited to five-hundred nano-missiles. Additional capacity may be added, increasing the cost by 25% for each additional one-hundred nano-missiles (up to a maximum of one-thousand missiles). Additional missiles cost 100 credits each. Nano missile systems can load several different types beyond the standard nano-missile, affording a great diversity of capability when combined with the large storage capacity for missiles. Nano-missiles can be loaded onto standard hardpoints as well – four nano-missiles fit on one hardpoint.
- Anti-Missile Interceptors – Anti-Missile Interceptors have a smaller warhead than the standard nano-missile, but instead have larger thrust capability and higher maneuverability, perfect for taking out incoming missiles and cruise missiles. The crewman controlling the nano-missile system can make a number of intercept attempts per turn equal to the number of attacks of opportunity they can make – these intercept attempts are made when a missile attacks the vehicle. However, the crewman cannot make more intercept attempts than the amount of anti-missile interceptors that are loaded. To make an intercept attempt the crewman makes an attack roll, if their attack roll beats that of the missile, roll damage for the nano-missile as usual. If the damage is more than 10 points, the missile is destroyed – otherwise the attack misses and the missile may attack again as usual if it had lock-on. Anti-missile interceptors cost 300 credits each.
- Decoy Missiles – Decoy missiles remove the target target acquisition and lock systems and warhead of the missile and replace them with an array of signal emitters. When launching a decoy missile, the character firing it must make a Use Computer check. The decoy missile is programmed with a flight path chosen by that character as well, which it follows. When a character attempts to fire on the vehicle with any computer-aided weapon (meaning they’re not just looking out the window to pick their target), they must make a Perception check vs that Use Computer check. If they beat the Use Computer check, they can target the vehicle as normal, otherwise they hit the decoy missile. Decoy missiles are also effective against guided weapons that are attempting to attack after missing – their attack roll must beat the Use Computer check in this case. Any damage dealt to a Decoy Missile destroys it, they fly at a speed of up to 10 squares per turn and can move a total of 30 squares before exhausting their fuel. Decoy missiles cost 300 credits each.
- Fragmentation Missiles – Fragmentation missiles replace the standard explosively formed penetrator warhead of the nano-missile and replace it with a fragmentation warhead instead. High-explosive nano-missiles do one less die of damage, but count as an area-of-effect attack for a single starship square instead of a direct attack. High-explosive nano-missiles cost 200 credits each.
- Sensor Probes – Sensor probes replace the warhead of the nano-missile with a small sensor array similar to the standard array found on the vehicle launching it. These can move for a total of 30 squares at a rate of 10 squares per turn before exhausting their fuel, and allow the vehicle to make perception checks in remote areas. Once the fuel is exhausted the missile can no longer move, but it remains active and transmitting for the next 6 hours. Sensor probes cost 400 credits each.
- Variant Load – Nano-missiles can be purchased without a warhead, allowing a standard grenade to be modified and installed in place of the warhead. Doing so requires a DC 20 Mechanics check to properly install and fuse the grenade, this check takes 10 minutes or longer (GM’s discretion). While this does allow you to do strange things like install nonlethal baton grenades onto a missile, keep in mind that the missile itself has around 80 kilograms of mass and is travelling at a very high velocity – that baton grenade probably won’t be that effective as a nonlethal weapon. Empty variant load nano-missiles cost 50 credits each.
Plasma Exhaust (USERS: Devout Peoples of the Fost)
The Fost’s most deadly weapon for strike craft, the Plasma Exhaust is exactly what it says – an exhaust port for plasma. More specifically, it is a magnetically-steered output port for directing drive plasma onto enemies at point-blank range. Plasma Exhausts can only be used to attack an enemy that you are dogfighting with. Once activated, the Plasma Exhaust automatically attacks the target each round as a free action (using your bonus). For each consecutive round you successfully attack with a Plasma Exhaust against the same target without you or the target disengaging the dogfight, the damage increases by an additional die. However, each round you attack with a plasma exhaust reduces your vehicle’s speed by 1 square. If your speed reaches 0 squares, then the Plasma Exhaust shuts off. Speed lost in this fashion is restored at 1 square per turn.
A vehicle cannot have more than one Plasma Exhaust installed.
Plasma Exhausts are energy weapons, but are not directed-energy weapons.
Plasma Supercasters [Ultralight, Light, Medium, Heavy, Ultraheavy] (USERS: Devout Peoples of the Fost)
Based on the same plasma projection technology as the Fost’s Plasma Caster personal weapon, Plasma Supercasters propel magnetically-confined plasma at high velocity towards their targets. While the ‘more advanced’ powers view plasma technology with derision, considering it a mere stepping stone towards true energy weapons, it is a deadly weapons system. The Fost have no desire to move beyond plasma technology, considering mastery over ionized gas to be an art form.
Plasma Supercasters are energy weapons, but are not directed-energy weapons.
Point-Defense Weapon
Point-defense weapons can fire at targets smaller than Colossal size without penalty. Weapons that can only be installed on vehicles of Colossal size or larger cannot be made into Point-Defense Weapons.
Pulse Laser Array (USERS: Terran Alliance, Teuthidoid Peoples)
The only common energy weapon in the Terran Alliance arsenal aside from the Artemis-class Bombardment Laser and the DEW Wing component of the TARAWA System, pulse lasers fire for very short bursts (less than the amount of time it takes to blink your eye). This is to prevent overheating and to mitigate energy requirements. They are designed for use as projectile defense (and in that role they function as the vessels Shield Rating), but they can be used offensively. The emitters for the pulse lasers are scattered across the hull of the ship, with the laser generation being done at a central location. The beam is then guided along beamguide tubes to the emitter port to be used, where the beam is then aimed using a durable lens and accurate servomotors. Due to their fast firing times, they are commonly controlled by an AI. Pulse lasers suffer from atmospheric blooming, and therefore have reduced range in atmospheres. The most common pulse laser array used in the Terran Alliance Navy is the Pandyne Integration 1-megawatt system.
Pulse lasers completely ignore any Shield Rating that is not provided by an energy field or a system designed to impair directed energy weapons.
Pulse lasers can fire twice with a single standard action, either at the same target twice or at two separate targets. Additionally, pulse lasers can autofire, at a -5 penalty, filling 2 starship squares with fire – however this shuts the pulse laser system off for 3 rounds to allow the heat buildup caused by firing all the emitters to dissipate. During this time, the vehicle’s Shield Rating is halved.
Pulse Laser Arrays are directed-energy weapons.
Railguns (USERS: Terran Alliance, common with paramilitaries among other powers)
Railguns are the default shipboard artillery weapons used by the Terran Alliance. Since they aren’t legally classified as an energy weapon, they are also common among paramilitaries, bounty hunters, and mercenaries across space. Railguns are designed to fire in an arced trajectory when in an atmosphere, allowing them to strike at locations that direct-trajectory weaponry such as standard firearms are unable to reach. When in an atmosphere, enemies targeted by a railgun at long or medium range have their cover bonus reduced one step, except in the case of total cover, which remains unaffected. For instance, improved cover (+10 cover bonus) is treated as regular cover (+5 bonus) while regular cover is treated as having no cover at all. Railguns have a 1-square burst when fired at a character-scale target. The ammunition capacity of a railgun is determined by its size: light, 30; medium, 50; heavy, 75. Additional capacity can be added, increasing the cost by 20% for each additional 10 projectiles (up to a maximum of double capacity). A railgun may fire every other round. On ships of Cruiser size or larger, railguns are assumed to have unlimited ammunition. Even though they fire physical projectiles, railguns count as energy weapons, but are not directed-energy weapons. Examples include the Andromeda-type 128-megajoule railgun made by Turov-Barker Corporation (a Terran Alliance heavy railgun). Ammunition for railguns is relatively simple to make and can by made in the field if the proper materials are available.