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Plasma rules from Challenge 76

N

nek

SOC-2
Hey gang,

I just picked up an old copy of Challenge 76 which contains an FFS revision entitled "Putting the Heat back into Plasma." Has anybody else read this, and more importantly, is anyone using this errata?

I like most of the changes proposed by the article - such as making the plasma bazooka not suck entirely anymore, but I'm a bit torn on others. The revised damages for the PGMPs and FGMPs range from 23 to 37d6! I haven't played other editions of Traveller, but are these things supposed to be that lethal? I think that kind of limits their use against players a little. Battledress shmattledress, one shot one kill. Any thoughts?
 
That the players better not get hit by a plasma burst?


Seriously, it is talking about 'plasma' and 'fusion' guns here, not some squirrel rifle. If I remember right, in that article the author said that he really didn't think that the plasma guns needed up-gunning but that the customers were demanding it.

If your players are drooling at the thought of bigger guns, do a test-drive. Issue them a couple of stock NPCs and some 'improved' weapons, let them carve their way through some bandits, and then have them get ambushed by other bandits using the same guns that they have. If they're up for the increased degree of difficulty, then great - you warned 'em.
 
Well I am using it. All my handheld and vehicle mounted plasma guns were built using this. The later TNE books such as Striker II (where the article is reprinted) have amendments for all the plasma and fusion weapons.

These weapons are incredibly lethal but the ranges are poor.

This seems to be the trend in TNE the better the range for a weapon the poorer its damage

Laser - PA - Meson - Plasma/Fusion
 
I was one of the guys critizing the high energy eweapons back when FF&S was released. The main complaint was that a TL10 4cm grenade launcher outperformed a TL 15 fusion gun in all matters. With the capability of the energy weapons presented in FF&S, they would barely be used for support purpose. They could hardly penetrate a battledress. Ammunition capacity was low (4 shots or so) weighting a lot, limiting the number of magazines carried.

In CT and MT the FGMP has much better performance. The public demanded more bang for the buck. I think the TML archives holds the discussion about the matter.
 
I use the revised version simply because it is the most up to date design sequence - plus, as Zpakz says, it makes high energy weapons in TNE a bit nearer to their CT counterparts.

You can do some interesting designs with the revised design sequence... ;)
 
OK, guess that answers part of the question for me. I had never played CT or MT, so was unsure just how lethal these things should be. If making them MORE lethal brings them in line with previous editions, then I guess I'll give it a try - just make them REALLY rare!

Thanks,

nek
 
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