Re: [FT] Wave Gun (was: OU & IC & FB3)

devans@uneb.edu wrote:
> 
> ***
> I think I remember somewhere in a EFSB conversion for Shadows (or
maybe it
> was B5 Wars)that they used the Heavy Beam weapon mechanic but with a
> massive
> charge, and you could fire that one beam at multiple targets, but it
cost
> you 1 die of damage to skip from the 1st to 2nd target, 2 dice from
the 2nd
> to 3rd, etc.	Those dice are then lost as they represent the beams
> continuous fire between the targets.	All targets must be in the same
arc.
> ***
> 
> THAT'S more like the Shadow beam I'd envision!
> 
> I'd probably try a relatively small damage, but rolls on threshold,
> including core, as the beam would cut ships; they gave relatively
localized
> damage, but right through.
> 
> I'm not saying it'd be easy to balance, but these boys are BAD.

Oh, no, these guys are *way* unbalanced! In the B5 universe their
main Achilles Heel were telepaths employed to 'jam' them. Since we
don't *have* this sort of 'system' in FT yet (no need for it overall;
this is more a genre-specific thing), one path one could follow to
develop defenses against Shadow ships is to have a 'system' called
'telepath' (as the Psi symbol - what else? :-) which could then act
like a jammer of sorts against Shadow operations. Each teep could
target one system (FTL, main drives, weaponry; there may be some
systems that are not targettable - FTL, FireCon) in order to "slow
them down" (Sheridan, "Shadow Dancing"). The idea I'm following along
here would require a bit more die rolling (horrors! horrors!!) as the
teep(s) would have to make a die roll in order to make a successful jam
roll (call it range 24 mu, on a 1-3 unsuccessful, 4-5 successful jam
of one system, and on a 6 successfully jam 2 systems (um, no reroll ;-).

To illustrate combating this by the Shadows, you could have the
teep and the targetted Shadow vessel could 'roll off' against each
other. If the Shadow rolls equal to or higher than the teep on a d6,
the jamming attempt is unsuccessful (the earlier roll meant that the
teep successfully *targetted* or found the systems they were attempting
to jam). Otherwise if the teep's roll is higher then the jam attempt
is successful and is implemented immediately. Reroll this 'combat' each
turn until either the Shadow vessel is destroyed or the Shadow breaks
free. Or the teep is killed (on a threshold check like ship systems).

If the main drives are targetted and a successful jam takes place, the
Shadow vessel stops moving (no inertia to carry it forward; it just
DON'T move!). 

There's a lot more that can be fleshed out here, but I haven't the time
right this moment to brainstorm more. But this should plant some seeds
for those who want to try this stuff out.