Re: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons

----- Original Message -----
From: Izenberg, Noam <Noam.Izenberg@jhuapl.edu>
To: 'FT List' <GZG-L@csua.berkeley.edu>
Sent: Monday, February 12, 2001 1:59 PM
Subject: [FT] WotW 2: EMP Weapons

This Weapon of the Week forum is for multiple weapons, actually, but the
same game mechanic: the EMP.

There are several EMP direct fire and other weapons in the archive so
far.
Several make a case for beign viable direct fire EMP systems. Those
rusty on
MT2/More Thust should remember that the commonality in all these weapons
is
that they cause threshold checks rather than physical damage.

This discussion could evaluate each system independently or as a group.
If
we could come up with a "most favored direct fire weapon, or a hybrid of
several of the presented ideas as a new system, that would be pretty
cool.
Since I'm putting in several, some may get short changed on the
discussion.
We'll see how a multiple system WotW discussion goes.

Noam

EMP Weapons:

=============
Ion Cannon [Dean Gundberg] (Star Ranger's Crossover Web Page)

Mass and cost same as Class 2 Beam. Symbol is Beam symbol with "I"
instead
of number. Range 0-10" roll 2d6, 10-20" roll 1d6 - beam dice. Each "hit"
is
not marked off the damage track but instead is the number of threshold
rolls
the target ship must perform. All  Ion Cannon hits from a firing ship
are
resolved one ship at a time. The threshold roll number is the same as
the
target ship's next threshold level.

Threshold rolls are made for the following systems in this order:
Screens
Special Electronics (Sensors, ECM, etc.)
Fire Controls
FTL Drive
Main Drive
(Back to top of list)

-I like this, due to the simplicity of use, although is it balanced (if
it
is, leave it alone)-
============
EMP Mine [Paul Wellman] (Sam Penn's Website)

Mass: 3, Cost: 10

These release an enhanced electro-magnetic pulse (EMP) on detonation,
and
are intended to scramble a ships electronics and systems without causing
structural damage. Roll one die, and subtract 1 for each level of
screens
the ship has in use. The final score gives results as follows:

 1 - 2	    No effect.
 3 - 4	    Roll for every system on the ship. Systems are knocked out
on a
roll of 6.
 5 - 6	    As above, but systems are knocked out on rolls of 5 or 6.

The detonation range of a mine is 3" any enemy vessel that enters this
radius at any point in its movement will cause the mine to detonate. EMP
mines are strictly one shot weapons.

-Good for static defence, but how often does that occure? (meaning the
cost
should be cheap for effects)-

==============
on Pulse Cannon [Paul Wellman] (Sam Penn's Website)
MASS: 16 (Capital ships only), Cost 3xMASS

The Ion Pulse Cannon is a spinal mount - it can only be fitted to fire
through the F arc of ships large enough to carry it. The cannon has a
range
of 54" and does threshold roles to ships hit, as shown below:

  Range 	To Hit		     Effect
  0" - 18"	   3+		   Target ship makes a threshold roll
for
every system on board. Systems are knocked out on rolls of 4, 5 or 6.
 18" - 36"	    4+		     As above, but systems are knocked
out
on rolls of 5 or 6.
 36" - 54"	    5+		     As above, but systems are knocked
out
on rolls of a 6 only.

The pulse of the ion cannon is powerful enough to overcome any screens
the
target ship has, so screens have no effect against the blast.

Comments:
(Noam) I suggest decreasing mass, and possibly range, and allowing
screens
to modify threshold rolls by -1/level.
(Oerjan) Yet another basic EMP gun; this time long-ranged. Mass and cost
for
FT2, not FBx.

-Too complicated, and range is too great (from me, the person who likes
LONG
ranged missiles), also a wave gun only has a range of 36 MU for a mass
of
20, this has 54 MU range for a mass of 16-

===============
Scrambler Pulse [Noam Izenberg]

MASS: 4+1/arc (max 3 arcs), Cost 12+3/arc
Range: 18"
Effect: As EMP Missile. Can target Missiles and Fighters in intercept
mode
as PDS. EMP backwash on firing ship for targets within 6" - Roll 1d6, On
a 5
or 6, Firing ship Thresholds at 6.

Comments:
(Oerjan) Another possibility for a "standard" EMP gun, instead of using
one
of the various Ion Cannon mechanics.

-Seams a longer ranged version of the ion cannon at the start of the
list,
but with different hit rolls-

===============
EMP effects:

Temporal Distortion Gun [Noam Izenberg]

MASS: 4+1/arc (max 3 arcs), Cost 3xMass
Effect: target ship takes threshold check at current level with range
modifiers. Failure means system is "slowed" and does not work for the
rest
of this turn (if it has not operated yet) and next turn (Slowed Main
Drive
produces ½ thrust next turn, but movement is completed normally this
turn).

Range modifiers:
0-6"	     +2 to thresh level (i.e. thresh level 2 = thresh level 4 =
system slowed on 3+
6-12"	    +1
12-18"	   0
18-24"	  -1
24-30"	  -2
30+"	-3 (ineffective range; i.e. ship on last damage row still needs
a
7+)

Effective range is +2" vs. Screen 1, +3" vs. Screen 2

Comments:
(Oerjan) Extra paperwork to keep track of which systems are downed
temporarily and will "autorepair" at the end of the *next* turn.

-TOO much paperwork-

=================
Powerleech Missile [Noam Izenberg]

MT Missile version:
Mass 2: Cost 8
Hit causes 1d6/2 system threshold checks, round up.

Up to 3 systems total can fail. threshold order dictated by firing
player -
stop check when total is reached. Even if no threshold fails, the
threshold
level of the target is increased by 1. I.e. if the 1st row of boxes is
finished, roll threshold as if the 2nd row had been finished.

SM version:
Mass/Cost as SM-ER round, but range as standard round. Number of system
thresholds equals number of missiles that hit. Threshold level increases
if
3 or more missiles hit.

Comments:
(Oerjan) The MT version causes an *automatic* increase in threshold
level if
it hits? That is very, *VERY* powerful, particularly against large
ships;
easily worth 15-20 pts of damage on a capital ship. The SM version is
considerably weaker.

-Yes, very powerful, but does it also allow you to intercept with pds
before
it hits, and does it effect only one target, or all targets within 6
MU?-

================================================

BIF
"yorkshire born,yorkshire bred,
strong in arms, thick in head"

My comments with a -   -