Re:[FT]WotW Needle beams

In message <001701c0a1cc$c385cca0$a2b0893e@inty>
	  "Bif Smith" <bif@bifsmith.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

> Charles Taylor wrote-
> 
> >I have considered that Needle Beams (and PDS) are in fact Laser
weapons
> >- this would explain the ability of both weapons to ignore screens
> >(which are designed to stop particle beams - using the traditional
> >Tuffleyverse PSB).
> 
> I use the same thought as in the starfire novels as for the PSB for
needle
> beams, that they are actually VERY tightly focused partical beams (or
in FT
> terms, beam bats). I prefere this, as it opens up posibilities for
different
> weapons or systems (like the focusable Cl.3 bat). just my oppinion
(however
> misguided<G>).
> 
> BIF
> "yorkshire born,yorkshire bred,
> strong in arms, thick in head"
> 
Well, that works as well, with FT, you can attach whatever PSB you
like to each weapon system, for instance, my KV 'sniper gun' is (in
one version) simple a needle beam with a different PSB (highly
accurate light kinetic energy weapon). One question - why did you choose
class 3 batteries to have the 'focusable' capability?

On the subject - another idea (loosely inspired by Ian M. Banks) IIRC I
suggested this before - but I've revised it a bit.

Effector Beam
This uses a highly sophisticated directed electronic warfare system to
knock out the control electronics of the target system. Roll a number of
d6's equal to the class of the Effector, if any dice rolls 4+ (5+ if
target has level 1 screens, 6 if target has level 2 screens), then the
target system is knocked out (main drive is reduced to 1/2 by 1 hit,
knocked out by 2+ hits).
Unlike Needle Beams, this weapon does no hull damage, and knocked out
systems can be re-activated on a successful damage control roll.
Weapon range is 18 mu per class, but loses 1 dice per 18 mu of range
The effector requires 1 dedicated fire control per 18 mu of range.

Class	   MASS  COST
1 (1-arc)    2	  24
1 (3-arc)    3	  36
1 (6-arc)    4	  48
2 (1-arc)    4	  48
(extra arc) +1	  +6
3 (1-arc)    8	  96
(extra arc) +2	 +12

Each additional class is twice the mass of the previous, and has a COST
equal to 6 times the MASS

Fairly nasty, but its supposed to be a bit of ultra-tech gear (hence
the high COST/MASS ratio), the MASS and COST values are largely
guesswork.