It seems logical that the various military (Marines, Army and Navy) and semi-governmental (Scouts and some merchants) will have their "signature" weapons, or atleast their own preferances in terms ofarmament and other equipment. CT cannon lists the Marines as having both extensivetraining with Battledress and a tendancy to use traditional or semi-traditional weapons (cutlasses and revolvers). So what are the weapon and equipment preferences of your Traveller Services (Navy, Army, Marines, Scouts, Merchantsand so on)?
Services and their Weapons
- Thread starter Golan2072
- Start date
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
Navy: laser pistols (no recoil, infinite power if you plug into a wall socket)
Marines: cutlass, gauss, fusion
Scouts: officially snub pistols, in practice shotguns or whatever they like best
Army: varies
Marines: cutlass, gauss, fusion
Scouts: officially snub pistols, in practice shotguns or whatever they like best
Army: varies
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
In MTU (heavily CT influenced) it varies a bit depending on TL (for specifics) but basically:
Navy: Laser Carbines and Laser Pistols
Marines: Rifles and Pistols
Army: Rifles and SMGs
Scouts: Body Pistols
Merchants: no standards at all
Navy uses light lasers for the zero-g aspect and because they always have a handy place to plug in. High TLs they don't need to plug in except to recharge the built in power pack.
Marines and Army share calibres at equal TLs to simplify logistics (Rifle to Rifle and Pistol to SMG). At Mid TLs it's conventional and at High TLs it's gauss.
Scouts are the special case IMTU. They don't want to appear armed most of the time, but still are, hence the Body Pistols. Often disguised as a simple piece of equipment or clothing. Of course the lockers will have survival rifles and shotguns, and possible a laser weapon, and of course blades.
Navy: Laser Carbines and Laser Pistols
Marines: Rifles and Pistols
Army: Rifles and SMGs
Scouts: Body Pistols
Merchants: no standards at all
Navy uses light lasers for the zero-g aspect and because they always have a handy place to plug in. High TLs they don't need to plug in except to recharge the built in power pack.
Marines and Army share calibres at equal TLs to simplify logistics (Rifle to Rifle and Pistol to SMG). At Mid TLs it's conventional and at High TLs it's gauss.
Scouts are the special case IMTU. They don't want to appear armed most of the time, but still are, hence the Body Pistols. Often disguised as a simple piece of equipment or clothing. Of course the lockers will have survival rifles and shotguns, and possible a laser weapon, and of course blades.
Surely that depends on the tech level of the opposition? A Battledress-cutlass charge might be quite effective in some situations! And certainly very messy... </font>[/QUOTE]Yes, and TL-6+ (keep in mind that I go with the GURPS TLs for 0-7) infantry can use the equivalent of RAM Grenades and batter them to death. That's why I give Marines Rifle-1 as well.
The Army uses rifles like it always dis, and the Navy doesn't generally train its spacers with hand weapons (those that are, are usually gunners or security troops.
I have to go with Jame.
IMTU, you rarely see the navy with small arms. Sure, there are a few laser rifle in the arms locker, and the occasional officer might have a revolver - perhaps with green bullets.
For Imperial troops, the standard long arms is the Gauss rifle per book 4 mercenary. When the battle dress gets put on, it's the big stuff.
Merchants are shotguns and SMGs. Both are weapons designed to compensate for poor training. SMGs have the advantage of not only being easy to shoot, but being very cheap. For military purposes, the SMG is pretty useless once assault rifles appear (around TL 5-6). Shotguns have sever range limitations.
Pistols are quite handy, concealable and useful if a deal goes bad and you can't carry a heavier weapon.
I don't agree about scouts and the snub pistol. The snub pistol is pretty useless at anything more than the length of a room. It's great for shooting across the parlor of a whorehouse, but anyone spending time on a primitive world, in the great outdoors, is going to find it totally worthless.
Naturally, the independant nature of the Scout service is going to mean scouts are going to carry whatever they feel like, but about the most useful small arms for a scout is probably going to be a medium bore, low tech rifle. Simnple, reliable and capable of dispatching a wide variety of game as well as overly agressive natives.
My vote would be something like a bolt action rifle with a composite stock. Serviceable down to very low TL, nearly indestructable and in a fairly substantial caliber (say 8mm). And something that will not be mistaken for a military weapon at anything over TL4 or so.
A further note about pistols.
I have noted that these are heavily favored in just about any RPG that has them, in preference to superior weapons. I assume this is due to the influenece of popular media where long arms are pretty rare. In my 20+ years of GMing, I have noticed that the players that pick long guns are their primiay weapon are usually either shooters or prior service.
Within the military services, handguns have a minimal role to play. Except in very specific situations, they are mostly just badges of rank, like swords or a swagger stick - and about as useful.
In the Army or Marine, the people who are going to have (official) side arms are going to be officers (sometimes) and MPs, or those strange SpecOps types that really don't count.
IMTU, you rarely see the navy with small arms. Sure, there are a few laser rifle in the arms locker, and the occasional officer might have a revolver - perhaps with green bullets.
For Imperial troops, the standard long arms is the Gauss rifle per book 4 mercenary. When the battle dress gets put on, it's the big stuff.
Merchants are shotguns and SMGs. Both are weapons designed to compensate for poor training. SMGs have the advantage of not only being easy to shoot, but being very cheap. For military purposes, the SMG is pretty useless once assault rifles appear (around TL 5-6). Shotguns have sever range limitations.
Pistols are quite handy, concealable and useful if a deal goes bad and you can't carry a heavier weapon.
I don't agree about scouts and the snub pistol. The snub pistol is pretty useless at anything more than the length of a room. It's great for shooting across the parlor of a whorehouse, but anyone spending time on a primitive world, in the great outdoors, is going to find it totally worthless.
Naturally, the independant nature of the Scout service is going to mean scouts are going to carry whatever they feel like, but about the most useful small arms for a scout is probably going to be a medium bore, low tech rifle. Simnple, reliable and capable of dispatching a wide variety of game as well as overly agressive natives.
My vote would be something like a bolt action rifle with a composite stock. Serviceable down to very low TL, nearly indestructable and in a fairly substantial caliber (say 8mm). And something that will not be mistaken for a military weapon at anything over TL4 or so.
A further note about pistols.
I have noted that these are heavily favored in just about any RPG that has them, in preference to superior weapons. I assume this is due to the influenece of popular media where long arms are pretty rare. In my 20+ years of GMing, I have noticed that the players that pick long guns are their primiay weapon are usually either shooters or prior service.
Within the military services, handguns have a minimal role to play. Except in very specific situations, they are mostly just badges of rank, like swords or a swagger stick - and about as useful.
In the Army or Marine, the people who are going to have (official) side arms are going to be officers (sometimes) and MPs, or those strange SpecOps types that really don't count.
A battledress charge with sabers?!?!?
Only an idiot takes a knife to a gunfight, even if it's a big knife. And that's all a sword is. A longer knife, giving you a farther reach.
Blades are for close combat when the long gun is no longer of use. And when you're going face-to-face, fisticuffing, even a sword is too long. That's what the knife is for.
Only an idiot takes a knife to a gunfight, even if it's a big knife. And that's all a sword is. A longer knife, giving you a farther reach.
Blades are for close combat when the long gun is no longer of use. And when you're going face-to-face, fisticuffing, even a sword is too long. That's what the knife is for.
At what TL do you think a laser will require only an internal power pack rather than a backpack power pack?
Still, I'd prefer a Gauss rifle with a bayonet, as it'll allow the Marine to shoot at a distant enemy and simply thrust the same thing if the enemy comes close.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
At what TL do you think a laser will require only an internal power pack rather than a backpack power pack?</font>[/QUOTE]Depends on the rule set, a little.
In mtu I have fudged internal magazines for the CT LBB 1 lasers, so they could be considered the same TL though I usually bumped it to about TL13. They do suffer in a reduced magazine capacity to keep the weapon weights reasonable though. I even fudged a pistol by just reducing the carbine a bit.
Later editions treated things differently and led me to accept a basic TL division for power derived items based on output improvements.
Basically it divides into three general TLs, low (about TL9-12), moderate (TL13-14), and high (TL15). The basic backpack lasers are low tech, powercell (magazine) lasers are mid tech, and while possible at high tech with more shots available or lighter weight the lasers are pretty much replaced by the advanced energy weapons (MP plasma and fusion) first introduced at mid tech.
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
"I have noted that [pistols] are heavily favored in just about any RPG that has them, in preference to superior weapons."
Well, they're light, easy to carry and conceal, can be fired one-handed, and you can usually get away with carrying one in situations where you'd never get away with carrying a rifle. Plus, they're cooler.
Well, they're light, easy to carry and conceal, can be fired one-handed, and you can usually get away with carrying one in situations where you'd never get away with carrying a rifle. Plus, they're cooler.
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
For a basic defence weapon I think the Scouts would favour a double weapon, with a shotgun for up close work and crowd threat, and a rifled barrel and scope for decent ranged defense. Something like the Baikal IZH94 or the Springfield M6.
Something like the M6 would be a pretty common ship's locker item as a basic survival tool. The stock inlcudes ammo storage.
Something like the M6 would be a pretty common ship's locker item as a basic survival tool. The stock inlcudes ammo storage.
A shotgun is actually not a very efficient weapon for multi-use, and I say that as a big fan of the shotgun. A shotgun is limited to about 30-50 meters with buckshot, perhaps 100 meters with a slug. It's great for wingshooting birds and such, but you can always shoot them on the ground with a rifle if you don't care about being a sportsman (hardly a concern in a survival situation).
A basic rifle in a moderate caliber can kill any game up to elephant sized with proper shot placement. Karamojo Bell killed over 1000 elephants with 7x57 Mauser, a relatively moderate round by 'modern' standards. A rifle is also typically much more robust than a shotgun - particularly those built in the fashion of military bolt action rifles. A modern version of something like a K98, built from high density polymer and corrosion resistant steel would be as close to indestructable as you could probably come in a repeating weapon. And the design is relatively simple so that many parts could be fabricated at very low tech.
The weapon is going to really depend on the application. In the case of a Scout, I assumed a weapon that would be used for hunting, protection from animals and protection from unpleasant sophs - not something for sport or for combat.
A basic rifle in a moderate caliber can kill any game up to elephant sized with proper shot placement. Karamojo Bell killed over 1000 elephants with 7x57 Mauser, a relatively moderate round by 'modern' standards. A rifle is also typically much more robust than a shotgun - particularly those built in the fashion of military bolt action rifles. A modern version of something like a K98, built from high density polymer and corrosion resistant steel would be as close to indestructable as you could probably come in a repeating weapon. And the design is relatively simple so that many parts could be fabricated at very low tech.
The weapon is going to really depend on the application. In the case of a Scout, I assumed a weapon that would be used for hunting, protection from animals and protection from unpleasant sophs - not something for sport or for combat.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Think of this scenario.
So, Marcus T.Scout is crawling through the jungles of 456-9087 when a critter leaps out at him.
Where does he shoot it to guarantee an incapacitating hit?
What looks like a head is just a sensory pod, it has five more.
Its torso contains multiple redundant organs and a low pressure circulatory system.
Its brain is actually five separate lobes spread out around its torso, it can easily loose a couple of them and still function.
Marcus needs an explosive projectile, with moderate armour piercing capability just in case.
Or there's always the TNE plasma/fusion carbine
So, Marcus T.Scout is crawling through the jungles of 456-9087 when a critter leaps out at him.
Where does he shoot it to guarantee an incapacitating hit?
What looks like a head is just a sensory pod, it has five more.
Its torso contains multiple redundant organs and a low pressure circulatory system.
Its brain is actually five separate lobes spread out around its torso, it can easily loose a couple of them and still function.
Marcus needs an explosive projectile, with moderate armour piercing capability just in case.
Or there's always the TNE plasma/fusion carbine
far-trader
SOC-14 10K
Marcus T. Scout makes first contact with a native lifeform. After engaging the alien with his MPPC-14* he collects the ashes for further study. This has been a successful first contact, by the standards of the individual Scout at least
* Man Portable Plasma Carbine-TL14
Hmm, gotta add an underslung grenade/net launcher to that double gun. Hey, maybe it could be used to launch a grapple hook too! That might be handy. I'm gonna get silly in minute so I'll bow out now
* Man Portable Plasma Carbine-TL14
Hmm, gotta add an underslung grenade/net launcher to that double gun. Hey, maybe it could be used to launch a grapple hook too! That might be handy. I'm gonna get silly in minute so I'll bow out now
Remembering I use Striker combat, three weapons are typical of Scouts IMTU. Indvidual scouts have been known to carry anything from dual body pistols to FGMPs.
TL13 Laser Pistol. Much more capable than TL 8-9 lasers.
Snub machine Gun. Our own design, a 2.5 Kg SMG firing 10mm snub ammo. Also popular with Merchants.
Advanced Hunting Rifle. Generally a semi auto rifle firing 9mm slugs from a 5 rd magazine. Change magazines and you have a semi-auto 9mm ACR.
BTW, Bell preferred the 7x57 Mauser, but more Elephants probably fell to the even less powerful 6.5 Mannlicher favored by many of his contemp-oraries. The trick was the very heavy (11-12 g) round nose full metal jacket bullets that just drilled deep, straight holes, even through bone.
TL13 Laser Pistol. Much more capable than TL 8-9 lasers.
Snub machine Gun. Our own design, a 2.5 Kg SMG firing 10mm snub ammo. Also popular with Merchants.
Advanced Hunting Rifle. Generally a semi auto rifle firing 9mm slugs from a 5 rd magazine. Change magazines and you have a semi-auto 9mm ACR.
BTW, Bell preferred the 7x57 Mauser, but more Elephants probably fell to the even less powerful 6.5 Mannlicher favored by many of his contemp-oraries. The trick was the very heavy (11-12 g) round nose full metal jacket bullets that just drilled deep, straight holes, even through bone.
mike wightman
SOC-14 10K
Which is fine if you know where the vitals are...
Otherwise the RAM grenade launcher may be a good choice for a personal firearm...
Otherwise the RAM grenade launcher may be a good choice for a personal firearm...
Andrew Boulton
The Adminator
A plasma gun in a *jungle*?!
