Construct-A-Blaster: How to Construct a Blaster

[Jeph]

This thread, entitled "Construct-A-blaster," Will show you how to construct a blaster. Or laser. Or phaser. Or Ion Wash Particle Beam Cannon. Or Anti-Personell Long Range Sniper Phased Particle Wash Projector. Or whatever the heck you want.

This system is based off of the d20 firearms rules at www.sleepingimperium.rpghost.com, but I think that site is down right now. Keep in mind, these rules will completely change your campaign if you don't put price limitations on, I've given a guide to price based on the Credit (assume 1 cr = 1 gp).

There are 6 basic steps to making an energy weapon:
1- Choose Mount
2- Choose Power Level
3: Choose Possable Settings
4: Choose Weapon Type
5: Choose Power Supply
6: Add Custom Modifications.

The rules will be delivered in 6 installments; 1 for each section. Note that all energy weapons can fire out to a maximum of 15 range increments, but the increments themselves are relatively short due to particle drift.

SECTION ONE: CHOOSE MOUNT

The first step is to choose your weapon's mount, or base, or stock, or size, or whatever. There are five basic sizes: Small Pistol (Tiny), Pistol (Small), Large Pistol (Medium), Rifle (Medium, -4 Atk if you only use with one hand), and Heavy Rifle (Large).

The size of your gun determines the base range, the maximum power, and the critical:

Mount-----MaxPwr--Range--_Critical___--Base Cost
S. Pistol-- 1---------- 40'---------- 20 / x2---30 cr
Pistol----- 2---------- 50'---------- 20 / x2---45 cr
L. Pistol-- 3---------- 60'---------- 20 / x2---60 cr
Rifle------ 3---------- 70' ----- 19-20 / x2---80 cr
H. Rifle--- 4---------- 80' ----- 19-20 / x2---100 cr

End of Enstallment 1.

 

[Jeph]

SECTION 2: CHOOSE POWER LEVEL

The power level of your weapon determines the base damage. It also determines the base energy that the weapon drains from a pack per shot. (see CHOOSE POWER SUPPLY for details).

Power Damage Energy
1------ 2d6------ 2
2------ 2d8------ 3
3------ 3d6------ 5
4------ 3d8------ 7

End of Enstallment 2.

 

[Jeph]

SECTION THREE: CHOOSE POSSABLE SETTINGS

A weapon's current setting will have some impact on it's fire. Not all weapons have multiple settings. All weapons have the "normal" setting, and assume that a character's weapon is set to normal unless he states otherwise. Many weapons have Low and High power for a bit of flexability. Many also have a Stun setting. Weapons on Stun deal dice of damage 1 category smaller (d8 to d6, d6 to d4), deal Subdual damage, and require a Fortitude save (DC see table) on a successful attack. If the save is failed, the target falls unconcious for 1 minute. many military models have an Overburn setting, which drains massive nergy and increases recoil for a stupendously powerful shot.

The setting will affect the damage, rate of fire (see section 4), range, and energy per shot.

Setting - Damage ------ Stun DC ------- Fire Rate ---- Energy ------- Range
Low--------1 less die ---- Damage +5--- Unchanged-- -1 per shot -- -5'
Normal---- Unchanged-- Damage +8--- Unchanged-- +0 per shot-- +0'
High------- 1 extra die--- Damage +11- 1 lower------- +1 per shot-- +10'
Overburn- double-------- Can't Stun---- change to 0- x2.5 per shot- +20'

 

[Jeph]

SECTION FOUR: CHOOSE WEAPON TYPE

The weapon type determines the basic properties of the weapon. The weapon types are:
Laser
Laser, Repeating
Blaster
Blaster, Burst
Blaster, Repeating
Paricle Beam
Phaser
Ion Blast

Their descriptions:

Laser:
Lasers are the standard weapon. they fire linear bursts of foccused energy. Lasers deal fire damage, and have a Fire Rate of 4

Laser, Repeating:
Repeating Lasers are Lasers built for rapid fire. Only Large Pistols, Rifles, and Heavy Rifles may be Repeating Lasers. Repeating lasers deal fire damage, and have a Fire Rate of 5.

Blaster:
Blasters fire superheated globs of plasma, or some similar ammo. Blasters have their Range decreased by 10 feet, deal an extra 2 damage per hit, and have their Energy per shot cost increased by 1. Blasters deal electric damage, and have a Fire Rate of 2.

Blaster, Burst:
Burst Blasters cause a cuncussive, fiery burst on impact. Their range is decreased by 5'. They deal full damage on a direct hit, and damage minus 1 die to other objects in the 5' square that is struck. Some military moddels deal damage minus 2 dice to the surrounding 5' squares. Objects caught in the burst (not struck directly) get a Reflex save (DC 12 + power) for half damage. Burst Blasters deal electric damage, and have a Fire Rate of 1.

Blaster, Repeating:
Repeating Blasters are Blasters built to fire rapid volleys. Their range is decreased by 10'. However, they can get overheated, and have a 10% chance to become inoperable for a full minute after every round when fired at Fire Rate 4. Repeating Blasters deal Electric damage, and have a Fire Rate of 4.

Particle Beam:
Particle Beam weapons shoot a constant ray of superheated plasma. If you hit with the weapon, you make an opposed roll with the target (their reflex vs your attack). If you win, they take damage again, minus 1 die. Repeat this process until either they succeed at a save or your weapon is down to 0 dice of damage. Particle Beam weapons deal Fire damage, and have a Fire Rate of 1.

Phaser:
Phasers are long-range, condensed ionized electron beams. They have their range increased by 20 feet (or 30 feet for Rifles and Heavy Rifles). Phasers deal fire damage, and have a fire Rate of 2.

Ion Blast:
Ion Blast weapons are built for scrambling circuitry. They shoot a ray of ionized particles. They only deal damage against mechanical objects, and treat the damage as Subdual damage. In addition, the target must make a Fortitude save as if you had shot a Stun weapon. Ion Blasters deal electric damage, and have a Fire Rate of 3.

So, you've heard all about fire rates, so you might want to know what they are. A fire rate is a weapons rate of fire . Big surprise. A description of each level (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5) is provided here:

0:
Fire Rate 0 means that the weapon has massive recoil and long cooling time. The weapon can only be fired once per round, regardless of how many attacks the operator may recieve.

1:
Fires as fast as a standard bow. 1 shot per attack.

2:
Accelerated fire. you may take 2 shots per attack, at a -2 penalty to each shot made for a split attack. If you aim the 2 shots from a single attack at different targets, each shot suffers an additional -4 penalty. (example: Jo has a weapon with Fire Rate 2, and has an attack bonus of +7 / +2. He splits his first attack, firing at +5 / +5. He als osplits his second attack, using the first shot to finish off the original target, and the second to take aim at a closing pirate. he shoots his second shot at -4 / -4.)

3:
You may make 3 shots per attack, but at a -4 penalty to each shot made for a split attack. Aside from that, as above.

4:
You may fire a 5-round burst. This uses the Energy for 5 shots. For every 4 points by which you acceed the target's AC, you hit with an additional shot, to a maximum of 5 hits. (Example: Jo shoots at a goblin, with attack bonus +7. The goblin has AC 15. Jo rolls a total of 24, dealing tripple damage. The goblin turns into a slice of swiss cheese.)

5:
You may lay down suppressive fire. Doing so is a full-round action. When you do, you use up 25 times the energy for a single shot. Suppressive fire is an area affect, either a con as wide and long as your first range increment, or a line 10 feet wide out to your second. All in the area must make a Reflex save against your attack roll. Those that fail take damage. Those that pass through or enter the area between the time that you fired and the start of your next turn must also save or be hit, but they get a +4 bonus to their saves. You may only score up to 25 hits in this fassion. Creatures closer to you save first.

End part four.

 

[Jeph]

SECTION FIVE: CHOOSE POWER SUPPLY

The power supply of your weapon determines how much energy it has, and how fast (and if it recharges).

Nuclear Battery: A nuclear battery is the smallest and least powerful of the power supplies. The nuclear battery supplies 30 energy to a weapon, and then becomes useless.

Energy cell: the standard power supply. An energy cell built for a pistol contains 120 energy, and one built for a rifle, has 150. A cell hooked up to a power grid recharges at a rate of 1 energy per minute.

Energy cell, self-recharging: These cells are just like standard ones, but hold 20 less energy, and recharge 1 energy per 20 minutes. when hooked up to a power grid, they recharge 1 energy per 5 rounds.

Hard Fuel, Gas: Gas is the least reliable, most combustable. least convenient, and most importantly, least expensive, fuel. Gas provides 10 energy per cubic decimeter. A standard tank straps to the back, weighs 25 ish pounds, and holds about 180 energy worth of gas. If the tak ever explodes, it deals 5d8 damage in a 30 foot radius.

Hard Fuel, Liquid Gel: Gel is the highest tek, most up-to-date, most expensive fuel, in stark contrast with its other hard fuel cousin. Gel provides 20 energy per deciliter, and recharges at an astounding rate: 1 per liter per half hour. Most pistols hold 3 to 4 dicis, and rifles can hold around 9, some bulkier modells containing up to 11.

End part 5.

 

[Jeph]

PART SIX: ADD CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS

Basically, this means make your pea shooters as pimped-out as possable. As long as you pay for it. And don't think the black market will help you here! Cause if you do, they'll know you want it more, so charge you more. Supply and demand, man. .

So, how ya'all like this here varment?

-Jeph

 

[Ace]

Excelent Work. I am going to look this over and see it I can use it in my campaign

 

[Jeph]

Sweet! What kind of campaign are you running?

I'd be interested in the types of space operas others run, this was designed for a kinda dark futureistic thingummy . . . Characters have really low HP (using another Sleeping Imperium system really a shame that site is down now), but get a few more defensive options, like Parrying, Rolling with the Blow, and armor provides DR. On the play-test, I didn't let the characters make really suprepowerful weapons, so they just beat the crud out of a few mercenary cops and stole them. Stupid PCs! Always being creative!

-Jeph

 

[Wolf72]

I'm gonna just snip this anyway ... just incase I ever get to play/DM in a sci-fi setting (plus I like reading about rules ideas, and your's seems to follow my main criterion, KISS ... ie I can follow these without going bug-eyed!)

 

[Wolf72]

question/observation ... you write split attack ... what is this exactly? The name sounds like it means attacking two targets (which I don't think it is b/c you specifically state that if you do it's an addtional -4).

If you just meant that you can make two attacks per BAB then just say so ... ie: You can make X attacks per BAB, each attack is at -Y ...

just an idea,

was split attack modeled after the split arrow attack feat thingee?