A Question on Laser Range in 2300AD

[PFVA63]

Hi,

In discussing the new 2300AD rulebook on another board, a question came up about the range of starship weapons.

In the new book it indicates that the rules for starship combat are updated from the Core Traveller rulebook, including redefining the combat range bands as follows:

Range - Range Bands - Distance (kilometers)
Close <1 <300,000
Short 1–2 300,001–600,000
Medium 2–5 600,001–1,500,000
Long 5–10 1,500,001–3,000,000
Very Long 10–16 3,000,001–4,800,000

It then goes on to note that:

"The longest ranged weapons have a range of only three light seconds or Medium Range."

Looking at the Core Traveller Rulebook it suggests that

Pulse Lasers have a maximum range of "Very Long" and Beam Lasers have a maximum range of "Distant" which is defined in the Core Rulebook as "25,000km to 50,000 km" and "50,000km+" respectively, and a Table is provided on pg 148 which gives DM for these (and other weapons) out to the different range bands defined in the Core book.

What's confusing me is that, since all the weapon ranges (in "kms") in the Core rulebook appear to be far less than the "revised 2300AD" medium range of "600,001 to 1,500,000km", but in terms of "range bands" all the weapons (except the pulse lasers) can fire out to "Distant" range.

As such, its unclear;

(a) where the "Medium" range band limit listed in the new 2300AD rules comes from
(b) whether this "Medium" range band limit is for all weapons, or whether some weapons (like lasers) may be shorter ranged than other weapons
and (c) what DMs should be used

If anyone has any thoughts, or if I've missed something in the books, I'd appreciate any comments.

Thanks.

Pat

PS. As a side note, looking through the original GDW 2300AD rulebook, it appears that Lasers are limited to a one hex range, which in that game was 600,000 km, which would equate well with Lasers being limited to a "Short" range band in the new 2300AD rules.

 

[GJD]

I'd be inclined to ignore the core rulebook range table all together. 2300AD doesn't use missiles, pulse or beam lasers from the core rules, but instead uses it's own weapon systems.

All beam weapons have the same effective range in 2300AD, regardless of laser or particle accelerator. Missiles are more like small craft than the missiles of the core rulebook, so tend to maneauver into range for them to deploy their own beam weapons, either as an autonomous gun platform or as a detonation laser. So, you are unlikely to be rolling for the missile itself to get a hit, more likely the remote operator will be rolling a task to hit with the missiles laser.

Bearing in mind that the original 2300Ad range of one hex meant in reality either the same hex or the adjacent hex, you had a theoretical maximum range of 900,000km - from the middle of your hext to anywhere in the next hex (although you could say it's 1,200,000 Km, i.e the distance from the far edge of one hex, to the far edge of the adjacent hex - but i would invoke the pointy stick rule). Three light seconds is about 900,000Km, which puts it into the medium range band. The reason ranges are limited to about 3 light seconds is because the ships in 2300AD are moving far, far faster than in CT. Stutterwarp speeds and speed of light targetting, mean that the probability cone for interception from any point gets too large to cover with a weapon when the distance is greater than 3 light seconds, there's just too many potential paths that the target could follow in the 2 or 3 seconds it will take your energy weapon to track and hit them.

The sensors rules apply the range band as a -DM, and I'd be inclined to do the same with shooting, so up to 1 light second, <300,000km, is -0, 2 light seconds, 300,000 - 600,000, is -1 and 3 light seconds, 600,000 to 900,000, is -2 with energy weapon fire ineffective beyond that.

G.

 

[PFVA63]

Thanks

Pat