Sonic Weapons (Blaster Skill)
Sonics have been used by docs for centuries as an alternative to X-rays or surgery. But "screamers" also make a hell of a weapon, firing a concentrated beam of sound waves at a target (and it's hell to get killed by something you can't even see). The beam penetrates clothing and does large-scale tissue and bone damage.
While deadly, screamers have their drawbacks. For one thing, they can't be fired in a vacuum, because sound needs a medium to travel through. And, since sound dissipates faster in a thin atmosphere, they lose something in range under those conditions. They're murder underwater, though. [Halve sonic weapon ranges when in thin atmospheres. Double medium and long ranges when underwater.]
The other slam against screamers is that the beam only moves at the speed of sound. That means, at long range, there's a lag between when you fire and when you hit, and kiss accuracy goodbye.
Screamers affect armor just like Blaster Skill do, except for Reflec, which is of no use against a sonic blast. They're powered by cells or power packs.
Weapon Type | Type | Fire Rate | Fire Control | Damage | Range - S/M/L | Ammo | Price | Ammo Price |
Sonic Weapons | ||||||||
Furtherman Personal Sonic Defender | HoldOut | 1 | 3D | 3-5/20/ 30 | 100* | 138 | 6 | |
Tracer "High C' | Pistol | 1s | -1D at Long range | 5D | 3-10/ 40/50 | 120* | 500 | 15 |
Tracer "Crusher' Sonic Rifle | Assault Rifle | 5fa | -2 at Long range | 6D+1 | 3-15/50/75 | 150t | 500 | 20 |
Tracer S20 | Assault Rifle | 5fa | -1D at Long range | 5D+2 | 5-30/75/300 | 200t | 750 | 30 |
Tracer S15 | Civilian/Sniper | 1s | -1D at Long range | 5D+2 | 5-50/200/800 | 150* | 800 | 40 |
* - Runs off of disposable cells |
t- Runs off energy packs and/or body armor packs. |
Furtherman Personal Sonic Defender (Holdout)- The Furtherman Personal Sonic Defender is a classic case of cynical marketing by an arms company. The Sonic Defender was originally designed for home and personal defense. Its major selling point was that while it was capable of stopping an intruder with several shots, a single shot (such as from an accidental discharge, children playing with the weapon, etc.) would most likely not kill. It even had a governor built into it that allowed only a short burst of sound per pull of the trigger, meaning that "hosing" an area with sound wasn't possible. The result of this ad campaign was that security restrictions were pretty much absent on this baby - the idea was that if somebody wanted to be armed, better that they be carrying something relatively non-lethal.
What Furtherman didn't bother to talk about was how easy the Sonic Defender is to soup
up. Once mercs started doing this, a lot of Inner Rim found their markets flooded with
easy-to-get weapons that could do tremendous amounts of damage. Furtherman has so far
avoided the blame for this fiasco. [Add +1D to Blaster Repair checks to modify this
weapon.]
Type: Sonic Holdout
Scale: Character
Skill: Blasters
Tracer 'High C" Sonic Weapon (Pistol): The High C screamer
looks like a large microphone with a handle and power pack, and is meant to be a sidearm.
This weapon can do substantial damage at close range, however it lacks the power to be
effective over 50 meters.
Type: Sonic Pistol
Scale: Character
Skill: Blasters
Tracer "Crusher" Sonic Rifle (Assault Rifle): The "Crusher"
is basically the "High C" with a larger power pack and a stock for more control
at long range. The "Crusher" has gained some notoriety as a roomsweeper, as
people tend to use the weapon exactly as they would a sawed-off shotgun. Unfortunately for
its targets, the "Crusher" does a damn fine job in that capacity.
Type: Sonic Assault Rifle
Scale: Character
Skill: Blasters
Tracer S20 Assault Rifle (Assault Rifle): The S20 is a standard sonic assault
rifle. It is quite effective close up, but lacks the range and stopping power of other
weapon technologies at long range. This compact (90cm) weapon is rugged, durable and
reliable. Tracer is relatively new to the megacorporate scene, but is rapidly cornering
the market on sonic technology.
Type: Sonic Assault Rifle
Scale: Character
Skill: Blasters
Tracer S15 Sniper Rifle (Civilian/Sniper): The S15 sonic sniper rifle is
something of a joke among those who make their living by "see the target, shoot the
target." While it does have respectable range, the lag time between firing and
actually hitting the target allows your intended victim to "catch a good vid"
before he goes down. Useless for a sniper, the S15 has gained some acceptance as a
civilian hunting weapon, however, especially among hunters who want pelts. The beam is
tightly focused and can kill without damaging the skin too much. Like its cousin, the S20,
the S15 is compact for its class (120cm) and rugged enough to be appealing to Rim hunters.
Type: Sonic Assault Civilian/Sniper
Scale: Character
Skill: Blasters