Construct-A-Blaster: How to Construct a Blaster
- Thread starter Jeph
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APPENDIX ONE: MORE POWERFULL BLASTERS
What?!?!? More powerfull?!?!
Yes, actually. Looking over the rules for blasters i whipped up, and the rules for Firearms at Sleeping Imperium, and the blaster weapons from Dragonstar, I noticed that firearms were more powerful than blasters. Oops. So here is an option: More powerful blasters (and other energy weapons).
The first big change is Damage. Instead of refferring to the table wehre it gives the dice of damage for each power level, instead the base damage is the (Power + 1)d8. So, a whopping huge military plasma rifle (power 4) would deal 5d8 damage, while a civilian stungun would deal 2d8. So, even the weakest blasters can take out many civilians in one hit. And the biggest can take out a 5th level fighter in 2. Sounds about right.
Then comes a new mechanic: Accuracy. Your total accuracy detemines the base bonus a blaster has to hit. I know, I know, adding a flat out bonus to attack rolls is bad, but it does make sense.
To determine accuracy, you must determine recoil. A weapon has a base of 1 point of recoil per die of damage it deals. Increase this number by 1 for Light Pistols, and decrease it by one for Rifles and heavy Rifles. Increase it by 2 for blasters, 3 for Burst and Repeating blasters, and 1 for Ion Blast weapons. Decrease it by 1 for Phasers, and 2 for Particle Beams. Then reference the final number with the table below to determine a weapon's base bous to attack rolls.
Recoil-------- To Hit
0 or less ---- +2
1-2 ----------- +1
3-4 ----------- +0
5+ ------------ -1
And then comes the increase of criticals. Pistols become 19-20 / x2, and rifles 18-20 / x2.
If you use these rules, be sure to make your PCs pay dearly (in gold or credits) for their big guns, as the guns will be, erm, well . . . big.
What?!?!? More powerfull?!?!
Yes, actually. Looking over the rules for blasters i whipped up, and the rules for Firearms at Sleeping Imperium, and the blaster weapons from Dragonstar, I noticed that firearms were more powerful than blasters. Oops. So here is an option: More powerful blasters (and other energy weapons).
The first big change is Damage. Instead of refferring to the table wehre it gives the dice of damage for each power level, instead the base damage is the (Power + 1)d8. So, a whopping huge military plasma rifle (power 4) would deal 5d8 damage, while a civilian stungun would deal 2d8. So, even the weakest blasters can take out many civilians in one hit. And the biggest can take out a 5th level fighter in 2. Sounds about right.
Then comes a new mechanic: Accuracy. Your total accuracy detemines the base bonus a blaster has to hit. I know, I know, adding a flat out bonus to attack rolls is bad, but it does make sense.
To determine accuracy, you must determine recoil. A weapon has a base of 1 point of recoil per die of damage it deals. Increase this number by 1 for Light Pistols, and decrease it by one for Rifles and heavy Rifles. Increase it by 2 for blasters, 3 for Burst and Repeating blasters, and 1 for Ion Blast weapons. Decrease it by 1 for Phasers, and 2 for Particle Beams. Then reference the final number with the table below to determine a weapon's base bous to attack rolls.
Recoil-------- To Hit
0 or less ---- +2
1-2 ----------- +1
3-4 ----------- +0
5+ ------------ -1
And then comes the increase of criticals. Pistols become 19-20 / x2, and rifles 18-20 / x2.
If you use these rules, be sure to make your PCs pay dearly (in gold or credits) for their big guns, as the guns will be, erm, well . . . big.
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APPENDIX TWO: EXAMPLE CUSTOM MODIFICATIONS
Here are some example custom modifications for your weapons.
Laser Targetting:
The weapon illuminates your target wiht a laser pointer. This provides a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack rolls with the weapon (providing that you can see the dot -- does no good if you're blind).
Scope:
Firing through a scope is a full-round action, but lets you ignore half of the penalty to you're attack due to range.
Decreased Particle Drift:
Your weapon is state-of-the-art, designed to take more advantage of phase fuccussers to decrease particle drift. Your weapon's range increments are increased by half, but it fires out to only 10 range increments. (If you'll notice, this does not actually change the range of your weapon. Instead, it makes the penalties from range lighter.)
Infrared Targetting:
You can target any warm object as if it had full concealment by looking at a small screen on your weapon. Basically, you know which 5' square the target is in, but not *exactly* where they are.
Here are some example custom modifications for your weapons.
Laser Targetting:
The weapon illuminates your target wiht a laser pointer. This provides a +1 circumstance bonus to your attack rolls with the weapon (providing that you can see the dot -- does no good if you're blind).
Scope:
Firing through a scope is a full-round action, but lets you ignore half of the penalty to you're attack due to range.
Decreased Particle Drift:
Your weapon is state-of-the-art, designed to take more advantage of phase fuccussers to decrease particle drift. Your weapon's range increments are increased by half, but it fires out to only 10 range increments. (If you'll notice, this does not actually change the range of your weapon. Instead, it makes the penalties from range lighter.)
Infrared Targetting:
You can target any warm object as if it had full concealment by looking at a small screen on your weapon. Basically, you know which 5' square the target is in, but not *exactly* where they are.
APPENDIX THREE: SAMPLE ENERGY WEAPONS
Here are some sample energy weapons.
Military Heavy Blaster Rifle
Damage: 5d8+2
Critical: 18-20 / x2
Accuracy: +0 (-1 recoil, +1 laser targeter)
Fire Rate: 1
Settings: Normal, High, Overburn, Charge Shot (special, see text)
Range: 75', max of 15 increments
Type: Electric
Energy per Shot: 9
Power Source: Self-Recharging Energy Cell, 130 Energy, recharge 1/20 min.
Modifications: Laster Targeter
Size: Large
This is the dream footsoldier weapon. Recharging energy cell, requires little to no skill to use, deals a tremendous amount of damage and creates a truely massice explosion. This is one of those rare modells where the burst deals damage minus 2 dice to the surrounding area. In addition, a Charged Shot can be fired. If the soldier spends a move action (that can be combined with an actual move) charging for fire, the attack deals tripple damage (but costs quadruple energy). If the spend a full round charging, it deals quadruple damage, but costs quintuple energy. These imprssive weapons are also equipped with a laser targeting device, basically a rich government flexing it's economic muscles. Don't think you can pick up one of these babies at your local hunting store, military issue only. Then there's the black market. I'd say AT LEAST 15,000 credits.
And on the opposite end of the scale, we have the . . .
Civilian Defense Stungun
Damage: 2d6 Subdual
Critical: 19-20 / x2
Accuracy: +0
Fire Rate: 1
Settings: Stun
Range: 40' max of 15 increments
Type: Electric
Energy per Shot: 1
Power Source: Nuclear Battery, 30 energy
Modifications: Stun Only, Decreased Fire Rate
Size: Tiny
The complete opposite of the aforementioned baddass blaster cannon. This little pistol stuns only, and is meant for military defense. You can pick em up at a thrift shop for about 20 cr, or at the army surplus if you live in a more reputable area. The main roleplaying advantage to a gun like this is similar to that of a quarterstaff: Everyone has one, and they're not much of a threat anyway, so go ahead, take it into the ambassador's chamers.
Long Range Sniper Rifle
Damage: 4d8
Critical: 18 - 20 / x2, Vital Scanning (see text)
Accuracy: +2 (+1 recoil, +1 targeter)
Fire Rate: 2
Settings: Medium, Stun
Range: 150', max of 10 increments
Type: Fire
Energy per Shot: 5
Power Source: Liquid Gel (8 liters), 160 energy, recharge 2 / 7.5 min
Modifications: Decreased Particle Drift, Laser targeter, Increased Crit, Infrared Targeter, Scope
Size: Large
The LR Sniper is the perfect example of a sniper rifle: Increased range, method of targeting vital areas, low recoil. If the sniper makes a Spot check DC 15, and spends a full round action firing the sniper rifle, they may treat the critical as being 15-20 / x3. Good for assasinations and covert opps, this rifle is also purely army issue, but would probably fetch a price of at least 4,000 cr on the streets.
Here are some sample energy weapons.
Military Heavy Blaster Rifle
Damage: 5d8+2
Critical: 18-20 / x2
Accuracy: +0 (-1 recoil, +1 laser targeter)
Fire Rate: 1
Settings: Normal, High, Overburn, Charge Shot (special, see text)
Range: 75', max of 15 increments
Type: Electric
Energy per Shot: 9
Power Source: Self-Recharging Energy Cell, 130 Energy, recharge 1/20 min.
Modifications: Laster Targeter
Size: Large
This is the dream footsoldier weapon. Recharging energy cell, requires little to no skill to use, deals a tremendous amount of damage and creates a truely massice explosion. This is one of those rare modells where the burst deals damage minus 2 dice to the surrounding area. In addition, a Charged Shot can be fired. If the soldier spends a move action (that can be combined with an actual move) charging for fire, the attack deals tripple damage (but costs quadruple energy). If the spend a full round charging, it deals quadruple damage, but costs quintuple energy. These imprssive weapons are also equipped with a laser targeting device, basically a rich government flexing it's economic muscles. Don't think you can pick up one of these babies at your local hunting store, military issue only. Then there's the black market. I'd say AT LEAST 15,000 credits.
And on the opposite end of the scale, we have the . . .
Civilian Defense Stungun
Damage: 2d6 Subdual
Critical: 19-20 / x2
Accuracy: +0
Fire Rate: 1
Settings: Stun
Range: 40' max of 15 increments
Type: Electric
Energy per Shot: 1
Power Source: Nuclear Battery, 30 energy
Modifications: Stun Only, Decreased Fire Rate
Size: Tiny
The complete opposite of the aforementioned baddass blaster cannon. This little pistol stuns only, and is meant for military defense. You can pick em up at a thrift shop for about 20 cr, or at the army surplus if you live in a more reputable area. The main roleplaying advantage to a gun like this is similar to that of a quarterstaff: Everyone has one, and they're not much of a threat anyway, so go ahead, take it into the ambassador's chamers.
Long Range Sniper Rifle
Damage: 4d8
Critical: 18 - 20 / x2, Vital Scanning (see text)
Accuracy: +2 (+1 recoil, +1 targeter)
Fire Rate: 2
Settings: Medium, Stun
Range: 150', max of 10 increments
Type: Fire
Energy per Shot: 5
Power Source: Liquid Gel (8 liters), 160 energy, recharge 2 / 7.5 min
Modifications: Decreased Particle Drift, Laser targeter, Increased Crit, Infrared Targeter, Scope
Size: Large
The LR Sniper is the perfect example of a sniper rifle: Increased range, method of targeting vital areas, low recoil. If the sniper makes a Spot check DC 15, and spends a full round action firing the sniper rifle, they may treat the critical as being 15-20 / x3. Good for assasinations and covert opps, this rifle is also purely army issue, but would probably fetch a price of at least 4,000 cr on the streets.
Buddha the DM
Explorer
Very cool stuff. Is there any way for me to get a copy of this in a word file for offline viewing?
I have a file in Appleworks that I can convert into a .pdf. It might not be *exactly* the same, I don't think I have the Appendices on it. I might add them before I post the .pdf (if I ever do . . . sadly, I have no idea how. I shall have to consult my father).
I'll edit the original post to include the .pdf at the beginning, and post an update, when I get around to it.
I'll edit the original post to include the .pdf at the beginning, and post an update, when I get around to it.
Buddha the DM
Explorer
Yep. It works. 
Thanks!
Thanks!Buddha the DM said:Yep. It works.
*flourishes elegant bow* many welcomes!
I'm looking for feedback on which you prefer: the normal blaster rules, or the more deadly varient I added in an "appendix." Which do you think is more realistic? More balanced? More fun for the PCs (and I don't mean Pirate Cats)?
Thanks in advance for the in-depth and helpful answers,
-Jeph
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