Re: Plasma Torpedos (was Cosmic Balance + FT)

 
On 11/20/96 Chad Taylor wrote:

>This is what we are going to try for plasma torps in an upcoming 
>campaign:
 
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++ 
>General rules:
 >Each torpedo moves and attacks in the same manner as a missile.
>Damage from the torpedo ignores shields and Kra'Vak style armor.  The 
>torpedo has a seeking life equal to the number of dice of damage it has

>(so a type 'S' will last for three turns on the board).  At the end of 
>each turn the torpedo loses one dice in damage strength so that on its 
>last turn it simply fades away (so that on the first turn an 'S' torp 
>would do 3 dice of damage and on the third turn it would do 1 dice of 
>damage).  PDAF and ADAF offer no defense against the Plasma Torpedo, 
>rather normal battery fire can be used to reduce the damage.  A ship
(any 
>ship, at any range) may choose to devote some of its battery (AA,A,B,C)

>fire to destroy the incoming Plasma Torp.  For each point of damage
done 
>to the torpedo by the battery fire it will do one less point of damage 
>against any target it may hit.  The arming of a torpedo is handled in 
>much the same way as a Wave gun.  Each turn a dice is rolled for each 
>torpedo that is to be armed and a total is kept for each torp.  When
the 
>total is equal to the number of dice in that torpedo type then the 
>torpedo may be fired.	
 
 >Plasma Torpedo, type 'D':
>Mass: 1  Cost: 10, may only fire from 1 arc
 
>The type D is a short range weapon.  It has a beginning strength of
only 1 
>dice.	It may however target and destroy fighters and missiles.  If a 
>fighter or missile is within 6 inches of a type D then the torpedo may 
>choose to attack the missile or fighter(s).  A missile is automatically

>destroyed on a roll of 5 or 6 on d6, in the case of a fighter group the

>squadron will suffer d6 casualties (as per Kra'Vak Scattergun).  As the
D 
>has only 1 dice of damage no roll should be made for arming it, it may 
>fire each turn.
 
>Note: the type D can be death for fighter wings and missiles.	It is 
>designed for a race that would have no other defense against such
weapons 
>and this ability should probably be deleted for races that have access
 >to other tech (PDAF, etc).  If you go this route I suggest that you
allow 
 >the D to be given multiple arcs at a cost of +3 points per arc.
 
 >Plasma Torpedo, type 'S':
>Mass: 3  Cost: 20, may only fire from one arc 
 
>The type S torpedo has a beginning strength of three dice.  
 
 >Plasma Torpedo, type 'R':
>Mass: 5  Cost: 30, may only fire from one arc
 
>The type R torpedo has a beginning strength of 6 dice.  Only Capital
class 
>ships may mount a type R torpedo.  
 
>+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++
 
>I was thinking that the type R needs something to make it stand out. 
>Maybe the multi arc damage to armor that you mentioned.  Possibly 
>adding pseudo plasma torps is a thought also.
 
 >Chad Taylor
 
 This version if a plasma torpedo is very similar to the one I was
working 
 on.  I do have a few comments and changes that I think would make this 
 weapon more balanced.
 
 I think the type 'S' is with a mass of 3 has too much power for the
size.  
 It has 3 times the damage potential of a pulse torpedo out to 18" but
has 
 less mass and is almost as powerful as a wave gun.  The type 'R' is 
 definitely more powerful than a pulse torpedo so should not be the same

 mass, and should probably be more massive than a wave gun.  I would
change 
 their mass and cost as follows:
 
 Type 'S' - Mass 8, Cost 25
 Type 'R' - Mass 12, Cost 40
 
 The arming of a plasma torpedo seems a little quick with an 'S' being
able 
 to fire after 1 turn 67% of the time when a wave gun fires on the first

 turn only 17% of the time.  I would change the plasma capacitor to be
able 
 to hold 2 times the base dice of the torp (6 for the 'S' and 10 for the

 'R').	For each die damage of the torp when fired, 2 points from the 
 charge would be needed, meaning the strength of the torps can be varied
(4 
 charge pts = 2d6 torpedo, etc).
 
 Pseudo Plasma Torpedo
 Only the 'R' would be able to fire pseudos and would only have 3
pseudos 
 available.  To fire a pseudo torp, 1 charge point would be needed for 
 every 2 turns of life the pseudo torp would have rounded up (2 points =
3 
 or 4 turns, 3 points = 5 turns).  Pseudo torps may not be fired during
the 
 same turn a true plasma torp is fired, even if there is enough power
left 
 in the capacitor.  A pseudo torp acts as a true plasma torp until
revealed 
 as a pseudo plasma torpedo when it takes a single point of damage from 
 beam fire and is destroyed or when it attempts to attack a target and
does 
 no damage.
 
 
 Those are my modifications. I think a little more tweaking may be
needed, 
 like the number of pseudos available, but that is what playtesting is
for. 
 Chad's campaign should give more info on how these play.  Any comments?
 Would a painted cotton ball make a good plasma torpedo miniature?
 
 Dean Gundberg
 dgundberg@bcbsnd.com