Underwater Combat
- Thread starter SgtHulka
- Start date
Depends what you call "official"... Gamelords as a licenced product came up with rules for the Undersea Environment. Marc at one time was talking about including these as part of FFE CT Reprints. They are currently still aviable off this site or if not come up frequently on eBay.
Depends what you call "official"... Gamelords as a licenced product came up with rules for the Undersea Environment. Marc at one time was talking about including these as part of FFE CT Reprints. They are currently still aviable off this site or if not come up frequently on eBay.
Thanks, Kafka, I'd seen the Undersea Environment booklet on Ebay, and I actually have a fondness for Gamelords because of their product "Thieves' Guild". But really I'm just looking for a paragraph of rules like the Snapshot rules for Zero-G combat, and then maybe a listing of which weapons work fully submerged. Since streamlined starship=submarine, and vacc suit=deep diving suit, there are actually a surprising number of old JTAS amber zones that take place under water.
Thanks, Kafka, I'd seen the Undersea Environment booklet on Ebay, and I actually have a fondness for Gamelords because of their product "Thieves' Guild". But really I'm just looking for a paragraph of rules like the Snapshot rules for Zero-G combat, and then maybe a listing of which weapons work fully submerged. Since streamlined starship=submarine, and vacc suit=deep diving suit, there are actually a surprising number of old JTAS amber zones that take place under water.
The Oz
SOC-14 1K
In JTAS #22 Marcus Rowland wrote up some rules for underwater combat in Classic Traveller. Basically what he says is that unless the weapon has been specially modified for underwater use (or was designed that way from the start) it will be of little or no use in underwater combat. The only exceptions are space combat missiles (which are still greatly reduced in range) and meson guns.
Of the personal weapons described in Book 2/Book 4 I would say that the rocket-powered weapons (snub pistol, accelerator rifle, RAM grenade launcher) would be the most use when unmodified, and even they would be greatly reduced in range. Laser weapons would work, but again be badly cut in range, and a laser's hitting power would also fall off rapidly underwater.
If a projectile weapon was modified to work underwater (I'm not sure how, one idea that comes to mind would be have a blast of high-pressure air that pushes the water out of the barrel right before the gun fires) then you could fire it, but you'll still lose range and damage quickly because of the resistance of the water.
So underwater combat is short-ranged unless you have weapons designed for underwater combat, and then you have the trouble of finding your target, for which you need special underwater sensors. Such sensors are mentioned in Rowland's JTAS article. Basically radar and other electromagnetic sensors won't work very well, you need sonar or high-tech sensors like mass detectors/densiometers.
Of the personal weapons described in Book 2/Book 4 I would say that the rocket-powered weapons (snub pistol, accelerator rifle, RAM grenade launcher) would be the most use when unmodified, and even they would be greatly reduced in range. Laser weapons would work, but again be badly cut in range, and a laser's hitting power would also fall off rapidly underwater.
If a projectile weapon was modified to work underwater (I'm not sure how, one idea that comes to mind would be have a blast of high-pressure air that pushes the water out of the barrel right before the gun fires) then you could fire it, but you'll still lose range and damage quickly because of the resistance of the water.
So underwater combat is short-ranged unless you have weapons designed for underwater combat, and then you have the trouble of finding your target, for which you need special underwater sensors. Such sensors are mentioned in Rowland's JTAS article. Basically radar and other electromagnetic sensors won't work very well, you need sonar or high-tech sensors like mass detectors/densiometers.
The Oz
SOC-14 1K
In JTAS #22 Marcus Rowland wrote up some rules for underwater combat in Classic Traveller. Basically what he says is that unless the weapon has been specially modified for underwater use (or was designed that way from the start) it will be of little or no use in underwater combat. The only exceptions are space combat missiles (which are still greatly reduced in range) and meson guns.
Of the personal weapons described in Book 2/Book 4 I would say that the rocket-powered weapons (snub pistol, accelerator rifle, RAM grenade launcher) would be the most use when unmodified, and even they would be greatly reduced in range. Laser weapons would work, but again be badly cut in range, and a laser's hitting power would also fall off rapidly underwater.
If a projectile weapon was modified to work underwater (I'm not sure how, one idea that comes to mind would be have a blast of high-pressure air that pushes the water out of the barrel right before the gun fires) then you could fire it, but you'll still lose range and damage quickly because of the resistance of the water.
So underwater combat is short-ranged unless you have weapons designed for underwater combat, and then you have the trouble of finding your target, for which you need special underwater sensors. Such sensors are mentioned in Rowland's JTAS article. Basically radar and other electromagnetic sensors won't work very well, you need sonar or high-tech sensors like mass detectors/densiometers.
Of the personal weapons described in Book 2/Book 4 I would say that the rocket-powered weapons (snub pistol, accelerator rifle, RAM grenade launcher) would be the most use when unmodified, and even they would be greatly reduced in range. Laser weapons would work, but again be badly cut in range, and a laser's hitting power would also fall off rapidly underwater.
If a projectile weapon was modified to work underwater (I'm not sure how, one idea that comes to mind would be have a blast of high-pressure air that pushes the water out of the barrel right before the gun fires) then you could fire it, but you'll still lose range and damage quickly because of the resistance of the water.
So underwater combat is short-ranged unless you have weapons designed for underwater combat, and then you have the trouble of finding your target, for which you need special underwater sensors. Such sensors are mentioned in Rowland's JTAS article. Basically radar and other electromagnetic sensors won't work very well, you need sonar or high-tech sensors like mass detectors/densiometers.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I would say the Journals would be the place to look. (Edit Doh! I type too slow, and Oz beat me to it! end edit) But, of course, you could get the "Through the Waves" Traveller's Aide from QLI - it's T20 with CT numbers. I don't have it, but the others are pretty good info.
Fritz_Brown
Super Moderator
I would say the Journals would be the place to look. (Edit Doh! I type too slow, and Oz beat me to it! end edit) But, of course, you could get the "Through the Waves" Traveller's Aide from QLI - it's T20 with CT numbers. I don't have it, but the others are pretty good info.
