Star Wars Campaign Blaster Technology

Blasters are ranged weapons which fire cohesive bolts of agitated particulate matter. For thousands of years, blaster technology has formed the basis of the galaxy’s most common, and deadliest, forms of armament. Blasters range from small personal defense weapons to massive battle munitions and even world shattering superlasers.

Blasters and lasers are terms that are often used interchangeably and in fact are functionally identical. They utilize a power source to activate and launch high-energy gases in the form of a short and brightly colored beam of force. These bolts displace matter on impact and the resulting friction generates heat causing some solids to melt and liquids to vaporize. Unshielded surfaces show blast points and other stress marks when subjected to blaster fire.

Common Blaster and Laser Descriptors: beam, bolt, concussive, energy, explosive, force, friction, gas, gear, heat, kinetic, particle beam, piercing, plasma, stun, vehicle

Note: Most blaster weapons will be purchased by characters as equipment or as part of a vehicle and will have all of the associated drawbacks. Only droid or cyborg characters would be likely to have ranks in any blaster based effect.

Blaster Pistol

◊Descriptors – bolt, energy, force

◊Effect – Inaccurate Extended Ranged Damage • 2 points per rank

Blaster Pistol (ranged Damage)

◊Modifiers – ranged: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 50/100/200 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

Blaster pistols are one of the most ubiquitous weapons in the galaxy and are commonly used by civilians and military personnel alike.

Blaster Pistols fire cohesive bursts of energy and can be found in a variety of sizes and styles. Some blasters are capable of firing a non-lethal force effect, while others can switch between a lethal setting and a stun setting (firing a beam of energy which disrupts the nervous system and may cause paralysis and nausea). A blaster equipped with a stun setting will have additional descriptors and usually include an Affliction as an alternate effect, while blasters that are simply non-lethal replace the heat descriptor with force and cannot cause a character to become dying (except in rare circumstances or if the user continues to blast an incapacitated target).

A typical Blaster Pistol has an effect rank of 4-6 with no special effect modifiers. Some versions are clumsier than others and apply 1 rank of the inaccurate modifier. More unusual or specially modified versions can have a variety of modifiers affecting range and accuracy. A few have an increased critical threat range. Other varieties of blasters may have additional or alternate descriptors.

Blaster Rifle

◊Descriptors – bolt, energy, force

◊Effect – Ranged Damage • 2 points per rank +1

Blaster Rifle (ranged Damage)

◊Modifiers – alternate effect: 1 flat point, ranged: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 50/100/200 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

Blaster rifles are larger and more powerful than other types of personal use energy weapons and are found in the hands of military units all across the galaxy.

Blaster Rifles have longer range, greater stopping power, and carry larger energy cells making them capable of extended use. These weapons are the standard personal energy weapon of countless modern and historical military forces. An alternate stun setting is standard with most models and some have a sting setting which launches a non-lethal force effect.

A typical Blaster Rifle has an effect rank of 8-10 with no special effect modifiers and an incapacitating Affliction alternate effect. If the effect hits, the target must make a Dodge check (DC 10 + the effect rank) or become dazed (one degree), stunned (two degrees), or incapacitated (three or more degrees). The target makes a Fortitude resistance check at the end of each of his turns to overcome the first two conditions. The stun effect is usually simple a ranged Affliction with the same effect rank that the Blaster Rifle damage effect, however some varieties have a diminished range or may be a close attack with the reach extra. Many stun settings include the cumulative extra.

           

Heavy Blaster Pistol

◊Descriptors – bolt, energy, explosive, force

◊Effect – Inaccurate Ranged Damage • 2 points per rank

Heavy Blaster Pistol (inaccurate diminished range dangerous Damage)

◊Modifiers – dangerous: 1 flat point, diminished range: -1 flat point, inaccurate: -1 flat point, ranged: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 10/25/50 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

Blaster pistols are one of the most ubiquitous weapons in the galaxy and are commonly used by civilians and military personnel alike.

Heavy Blaster Pistols provide the firepower of a blaster rifle in with reduced range, size and weight. Most of these weapons feature a stun setting with additional descriptors and an Affliction alternate effect capable of incapacitating a target. The dangerous modifier increases the critical threat range of these weapons by 1.

Heavy Blaster Pistols have an effect rank of 6-8. These weapons are often modified to have additional ranks in one or more of the modifying extras and flaws. Dangerous can be increased up to 4 ranks (for a critical threat range of 16-20) and diminished range can have up to 3 ranks. Some variations are more or less accurate and occasionally generate a close area effect (instead of the usual ranged effect or as an alternate effect) for models with a short range and especially wide beam.

These weapons may include a built-in or retractable stock (usually losing the inaccurate flaw and possibly allowing a close range alternate damage effect) and a few have the multiattack extra.

Hold-out Blaster

◊Descriptors – bolt, energy, force

◊Effect – Unreliable Ranged Damage • 1 point per rank -2

Hold-Out Blaster (diminished range unreliable Damage)

◊Modifiers – diminished range: -2 flat point, ranged: +1/rank, unreliable: -1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 5/10/25 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

This small personal defense blaster fits easily in the palm of a humanoid hand.

Hold-out Blasters are small, low-yield blaster pistols capable of firing 5 or 6 shots before depleting its energy cell. They are favored by civilians interested in personal defense in restrictive territories as well as by governmental or military agents interested in maintaining a low-profile or as backup weapon. Smugglers and other criminal types also keep these weapons on hand, sometimes quite literally.

A typical Hold-Out Blaster has an effect rank of 2-4 with the 2 ranks of the diminished range modifier and the unreliable flaw (allowing 5 shots before requiring that the energy cell be replaced. This effect is often modified with one or more ranks in the accurate extra (adding +2 to attack checks per rank), the concealable extra (providing a +10 circumstance bonus to Sleight of Hand checks to conceal the weapon) and occasionally it does not have the unreliable flaw, representing an unusually efficient model. Any of these additional features usually results in the weapon being considered illegal for civilian use.

Laser Cannon

◊Descriptors – concussive, energy, force, vehicle

◊Effect – Inaccurate Extended Ranged Damage • 2 points per rank

Laser Cannon (extended ranged inaccurate Damage)

◊Modifiers – extended range: 1 flat point, inaccurate 1: -1 flat point, increased range: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 50/100/200 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

Laser cannons are one of the most common types of artillery in the history of galactic warfare. They are found mounted on vehicles of all sizes. Smaller versions are carried by heavy weapons units and deployed with collapsible turrets or may occasionally by found on durable wardroids. Larger versions are used as point defense weapons on capital ships and as the primary offensive weaponry of starfighters.

Laser Cannons fill a variety of roles including area fire, counterbattery fire, covering fire, and point defense. A typical Laser Cannon has an effect rank of 8-9, although batteries of these weapons often have higher ranks.

Most examples have extended range, but are designed to fire at larger targets making them inaccurate. Gunners suffer a -2 penalty on attack checks.

Some versions have explosive force and add a burst Area while batteries include a Multiattack effect.

Quad Laser Cannon

◊Descriptors – concussive, energy, force, vehicle

◊Effect – Inaccurate Extended Ranged Damage • 2 points per rank -1

Quad Laser Cannon (extended ranged inaccurate Damage)

 

◊Modifiers – extended range: 1 flat point, inaccurate 2: -2 flat points, increased range: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 50/100/200 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

Quad laser cannons, or quadlasers, utilize four individual cannons which can be fired alternately, or in pairs, in rapid succession. These weapons are regularly mounted on starships of all sizes as point defense weapons.

A Quad Laser Cannon is a linked battery of four laser cannons operated by a single gunner and usually mounted on a turret. The four cannons alternate fire in an attempt to overload the target’s shields. A typical Quad Laser Cannon has an effect rank of 10.

Most examples have extended range, but are designed to fire at larger targets making them inaccurate. Gunners suffer a -4 penalty on attack checks.

Some versions may have a faster firing cycle and add either a burst Area or Multiattack effect.

Surface Defense Blaster Cannon

◊Descriptors – autofire, bolt, energy, force, kinetic

◊Effect – Ranged Multiattack Damage • 3 points per rank

Surface Defense Blaster Cannon (ranged multiattack Damage)

◊Modifiers – increased range: +1/rank, multiattack: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 25/50/100 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

This anti-personnel cannon offers considerable defense against hostile targets entering the area.

A Surface Defense Blaster Cannon is an anti-personnel weapon equipped on some vehicles as well as starships capable of entering planetary atmosphere. A typical example usually has 5-7 ranks of this power, usually enough to decimate ground troops but largely ineffective against shielded targets, armored vehicles and installations.

The autofire capability of this power allows the following options to be used by the gunner:

            •If an attack against a single target is successful, increase the Damage resistance check DC by +2 for two degrees of success, and +5 for three or more. This circumstance bonus does not count against power level limits.

            •The gunner can “spray” this Damage effect across an arc, rolling one attack check per target in the arc. The gunner suffers a penalty to each check equal to the total number of targets.

            •The gunner can provide cover for an ally, by taking a standard action and choosing one ally within line of sight and not engaged in close combat. The ally receives the benefit of total cover (attacks against the ally are made at -5) in your line of sight and in range of the effect. An opponent can            choose to ignore the cover provided by your covering attack at the cost of being automatically attacked by it; make a normal attack check to hit that opponent.

Some versions have the diminished range modifier and function only to slow boarding actions while the vehicle is immobile or grounded. Specialized mounting systems may provide extra stability and 1 rank of accurate modifier.

Turbolaser

◊Descriptors – concussive, energy, force, vehicle

◊Effect – Ranged Damage • 2 points per rank

Turbolaser (extended ranged inaccurate Damage)

◊Modifiers – extended range: 3 flat points, inaccurate 3: -3 flat points, increased range: +1/rank

◊Action – standard

◊Range – S/M/L 200/400/800 feet per rank

◊Duration – instant

◊Results – Damage

◊Resist – Toughness

Description

An incredibly powerful and massively scaled up laser cannon.

Turbolasers are commonly employed on capital ships and space stations. Depending on the effect rank, this ability can represent a single long-range weapon, or batteries of multiple cannons, turrets or defense towers. A powerful capital ship turbolaser battery usually has 12 ranks of this power.

Although they have an extended range, they are notoriously inaccurate when targeting mobile units. Gunners suffer a -6 penalty on attack checks.

Some turbolasers may have a greater or smaller extended range value and massive cannons targeting opposed ground forces or installations may have a burst Area as well and perhaps additional direct hit damage. Larger versions may have additional ranks of the inaccurate modifier as well

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