Plasma Damage type

[Krensky]

Ok, this is something I've been kicking around my head for a month or so and I thought I'd share and solicit opinions, commentary, etc. The point of this type is not to necessarily be universal or appropriate to all weapons described as plasma weapons. It is intended to give me (and anyone who like it) a way to replicate plasma weaponry as presented in a number of 'hard' military science fiction series, most particularly David Drake's Hammer's Slammers and the RCN series.

Note that this is a very powerful damage type, and GC's using it should be careful to cost weapons with it accordingly. I also realize this is a complex type, and am open to ideas to simplify. The essential features are that plasma weapons deliver essentially all of their energy to the first thing they hit with secondary damage due to thermal bloom and concussive effects. They are very good at defeating armor, but not penetrating it.

Plasma Damage
Plasma damage always has the armor-piercing (28) quality and does an additional point of electrical damage for every 5 points of damage rolled. Additionally, Plasma damage does not penetrate cover directly. After the primary damage is applied, determine explosion damage with a blast of 5 feet and a base of half the rolled damage, using the target as ground zero. This damage should not be applied to the target, but the rest of the square is subject to it. This damage will 'penetrate' objects destroyed by the initial damage. Per GC discretion, every important item within a square effected by the explosive damage must make a Damage save against the damage or catch on fire.

[Mister Andersen]

I'd just use the rules for Acid damage, apply to AP due to heat from Fire damage, and give it a blast increment based on the amount of damage (say, 1 sq per 4 dice)

[Krensky]

I'd just use the rules for Acid damage, apply to AP due to heat from Fire damage, and give it a blast increment based on the amount of damage (say, 1 sq per 4 dice)

Acid? Why?

None of the secondary effects represent anything other then caustic or corrosive effects. The weapon type I was describing might more 'accurately' be described as an ion beam or bolt weapon. I'm curious as tou your reasoning for weird use like that and not sure I can see it fitting narratively.

[Mister Andersen]

Plasma is hot. We're talking lava hot. That's going to do a lot of melting and igniting from simple residual heat effects.

[MilitiaJim]

I think that AP is way too high for man portable weapons, at least in the Hammer's Slammers 'verse.  The powerguns do horrific damage to flesh, but there is at least once when someone's armor blocks all the damage.

That said, the powergun's range is basically line of sight and the damage is going to be high, 4d6 or 6d4.  A critical hit against an unarmored target is going to score pretty high on the table of ouch, but I'm not sure about 28 points of armor penetration.  I do like the little blast radius if you miss your target.  Would it be worth the trouble to figure out where each shot in a burst goes and to have little blasts all over?  (I suspect it seldom will be.)

The RCN plasma is a bit different from the Slammers powerguns.  I am inclined to keep the damage high and cut down the AP.  Maybe 6d6 fire?  I don't recall reading about the effects of man portable plasma guns hitting people, but they might be more area effect weapons.  Blast, 5ft increment?

[Krensky]

Really I brought the two mostly because they both explicitly state that plasma bolts transmit all of their energy to the first thing they hit. And I don't seem to remeber man portable (semi-team portable, yes) plasma weapons in RCN. Something that shows up in When the Tide Rises?

If I wanted to run a Slammers game I'd represent Col Hammer's weapon of choice with a large amount of damage, a 1-3 error range, 19-20 threat range, long range increments, and a notation that powerguns can not penetrate cover. Rough off the top of my head.

If I was running a RCN game (which as I'm rereading the books has a certain temptation, although I think the books really only have two players ) I probably wouldn't stat plasma guns up unless I wanted to replicate the attack in the Seaside Garden since everyone seems to treat plasma cannon in that setting as a fight ender outside of space. In space their designed purpose is really issue pitting the attacking missileer's and the defending gunner against each other and might best be done as a defensive system or a bonus to the ships defense based on power and gunner skill.

The blast damage was less about what happens when it misses and more about representing the effect of thermal bloom and whatever was shot blowing up due to transfered energy. I agree the AP may be to high, but it is set based on the fire temperature table. If anything the AP on powerguns should be higher since they use copper plasma. But that becomes less workable.

Tangental as it's been a while, but don't the slammers use iridium breast and back armor? I remember the tanks and combat cars are armored with it, but I can't remember if the personal armor used the same material.

[Forcegypsy]

Isn't there a 2.0 conversion of the Stargate SG1 staff weapon around here somewhere? That might be a good place to start at least looking for ideas.

[Krensky]

The goa'uld plasma weapons just do straight lethal damage, which is appropriate for them since they're really just guns with glowing bullets and unlimited magazines on the show.

I was looking for something a little more scientifically 'accurate' (for certain representations in fiction). The primary things it needs to reflect is that a plasma bolt (ball, toroid, whatever) is made of charged particles at insanly high temperatures, moving at relativistic speeds that deliver all of their energy (thermal, electrical, and kinetic) to the first thing they hit.