CSC 2023 update, Plasma rifle damage

Lyrell'e

Banded Mongoose
When reading through the updated CSC I noticed the Plasma Rifle has a damage rating of 6D, as opposed to 1DD in the original 2E CSC. Now the description says that TL16 allows the reactor and plasma system of the PGMP series to be put in a smaller frame, and that it is a high-powered weapon intended for use against battle dress.

6D against battle dress might clean the dirt off the suit but not much else-it has no AP. So is 6D an error and should be 1DD like in the earlier printing? Or was the plasma rifle basically nerfed into oblivion?
 
Huh. In MGT1 CSC, the Plasma Rifle does 6D as well. Then 1DD in the original CSC and now back down to 6D again. I would personally stick with 1DD for more pew pew :)
 
It's technological level sixteen, unencumbered, and unlimited ammunition.

My guess is it's the new assault rifle.
Maybe have the rifle have 2 settings? 6D and 1DD? Kind of like an early version of the Droyne/Ancient plasma weapons in the Ancients campaign?
 
It's plausible you could delay and accumulate an energy build up, but that might depend on factors not illustrated, like how much energy and/or heat build up the plasma rifle can take.
 
I was working off the previous word document for the for the original 2nd edition book, which had it at 6D.
Apparently it was later edited to 1DD, but that wasn't reflected in the document and neither I nor an editor caught the discrepancy.
If you think about it, if a laser rifle is doing 5D+3, then the TL16 plasma rifle ought to be 1DD, but that's an opinion, not a ruling.
 
It's the unlimited ammunition part that seems off.
They all agree on that.
If you look at the PGHP-12 to 14 progression it goes from Very Bulky to Bulky to not, all at 10kg and 1DD. So I guess at TL16 and 6kg, I could make the argument for both 1DD and 6D. I'd really think 1DD is better. No plasma guns, except the cartridge ones I plucked from 2300AD have any AP or Blast. And for that matter the FGHP don't have AP of Blast either...

Taken in a clean slate rewrite, I would think they should both (plasma and fusion) have one or the other - maybe with reduced Blast and increased AP as they are better able to contain the stream at high TLs (or put in a slider bar to choose between 'birdshot' and 'slug' settings for the energy weapons, but I seem to get in trouble when I make things too complicated)
 
Toggling between energy output/effect is a science fiction trope.

You might need a minimum to keep the plasma cohesive, and let's say that the maximum is ten dice.

Since the assumption is that you need to balance between cost, rate of fire, encumbrance, effect, and technological level, it seems an editorial decision.
 
Toggling between energy output/effect is a science fiction trope.

You might need a minimum to keep the plasma cohesive, and let's say that the maximum is ten dice.

Since the assumption is that you need to balance between cost, rate of fire, encumbrance, effect, and technological level, it seems an editorial decision.
Oh no that is an interesting idea, toggle on the weapon to switch between damage, AP and blast.
4 points, so you don't go over 10.
Add 1d, add 1 AP or Add 1 to Blast.
 
I haven't gone through the grounded energy weapon systems design sequence, so not too familiar with customization there.

But, going by it's kinetic cousin, heat is going to be an issue.

And even if we go by a twenty four hour micro fusion reactor, rate of fire would be, or should be, limited.

Otherwise:


 
I haven't gone through the grounded energy weapon systems design sequence, so not too familiar with customization there.

But, going by it's kinetic cousin, heat is going to be an issue.

And even if we go by a twenty four hour micro fusion reactor, rate of fire would be, or should be, limited.

Otherwise:


Well, one solution going back to the high/low output idea of mine would be to have the weapon fire 6D every round, or 1DD every other round to allow for cooling. Although it should be noted that the standard PGMP does not have a fire rate reduction at all.
 
You might be forced to do that, because the energy might need to be accumulated first, for a more damaging shot.

The backpack tends to be larger than what I assume is whatever passes for a micro reactor on the plasma rifle.
 
You might be forced to do that, because the energy might need to be accumulated first, for a more damaging shot.

The backpack tends to be larger than what I assume is whatever passes for a micro reactor on the plasma rifle.
The plasma rifle reactor appears to be internal, based on this comment in the description. (CSC 2023 pg 152)

TL16 technology allows the bulky reactor and plasma
chamber of the PGHP (see page 163) to be made small
enough to fit into a rifle frame.

Now, the PGMP-14 costs 100,000 Cr as does the Plasma Rifle. Because of the compactness and advanced materials that implies, I can certainly see raising the cost of the plasma rifle to 150,000 or 200,000 Cr.
 
It's not using an anti matter generator.

In theory, you can only shrink by ten percent whatever fusion reactor they use for the fusion gun, man portable, fifteen.

You modify that in giving you whatever damage potential you want the plasma rifle to output in terms of energy, and let's say it's a quarter size for ten dice.

Which may or may not be too large for the rifle, in which case, let's divide by half again, and use some space saved for an accumulator, that would soak up the energy for two rounds, and release it as ten dice.
 
I was just thinking of it like an adjustable hose nozzle: you get 12 points - use them for damage dice, AP, or Blast. So it's like two slider bars or a joystick. Though at TL16, it more likely a HUD that reads your eye movements, and figures out what you want. Or a link to a neural comm that reads your thoughts. Bigger gun, more points; beyond effective range, less points. Overclock and you need a fusion turbo button (oops, wrong thread).

Edit: Even more fun: the power cell has 300 points. Roll 2D for each shot, DM+1 per 'extra' point above 12. Cool-down round needed on a 13+, muzzle damage on a 15+, blows up in your hands on a 17+ - half of points goes to damage dice, the other half to Blast . Also works as a bomb if set to discharge 25 or more (hopefully with a delay timer) - then all remaining charge goes a third each to D, AP, and Blast. Have a nice day! :)
 
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Pretty expensive booby trap.

It depends on how far you can manipulate the energy to create a specific set of effects.

I'd imagine it would be scaled up for spacecraft weapon systems.
 
I think I like a 6d plasma rifle with a number, say 50, shots as TL 13 or 14. Then the reason the CSC one is like it is is because of tech improvement.
 
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