Flamers in Traveller?

AlphaStrike said:
Are there any rules for flame-thrower type weapons in Traveller?

Thanks :)

Both Book 4: Mercenary and Supplement 4: Central Supply Catalogue have weapons that produce flame.
 
Only to the extent that won't count as saying too much. Certainly fewer details than you'd like.

Flamethrowers fire a compressed stream of burning liquid from a tank of fuel. That burning liquid spreads where it hits, to a 3m radius, and that includes anything that intercepts the spray.

The first round after the stream hits, damage is rolled in full; it is halved each round thereafter until it burns out or is extinguished somehow. Typical damage for a TL 8 flamethrower is 3d6+6 and it has the range table for an assault rifle. It doesn't puncture armour, but rather engulfs the target in flame and burning fluid.

That's as much as you'd need to know if your PCs saw some psychotic with a flamethrower waving the business end in their direction. Other details such as ranges, whether they do autofire, the recoil, the mass of these weapons, availability and cost may well require you to seek out the books.
 
I had to take a peek at this post after looking at the title just to see which of the three it was about. :lol:
 
Man I was really worried when I read the post title. Glad I was mistaken and I really dont like flame throwers never wanted to use one anywhere regardless or whether game or reality. Never wanted and instant BBQ on my back lol.
 
There are many people in the modern world that feel that Flamethrowers are too gruesome to use in combat (kind of like gas) and many groups are trying to get them banned.

If someone with a flamethrower shows up in a combat situation, he/she is going to be one of the prime targets for the enemy. Survivability of people using flamers is pretty low in most realistic combat situations.
 
Rikki Tikki Traveller said:
If someone with a flamethrower shows up in a combat situation, he/she is going to be one of the prime targets for the enemy. Survivability of people using flamers is pretty low in most realistic combat situations.

Not even counting the early ones that where dangerous to the operator or those nearby.
 
Yep, that big tank of highly flammable liquid on his back (that he just used to roast your best buddy)? TARGET!

Harry Turtledove in his "World at War" series about a re-imaged WW2 with the North against the South (US) he follows a platoon of soldiers on the Virginia front where they have a Flamethrower... the flamethrower goes through a lot of hands in a very short period of time.
 
I DON'T doubt it. That's why it's hilarious. Get it?

Could be worse. At least the TL6 and below use a shotgun range. I don't mind the high-tech version having assault rifle range, either, as it's a plasma weapon rather than the current 'napalm water pistol' style.
 
locarno24 said:
I don't mind the high-tech version having assault rifle range, either, as it's a plasma weapon rather than the current 'napalm water pistol' style.

Not according to Book 4: "A pressurised tank of combustible fuel attached to a projecting nozzle, the flamethrower shoots a long stream of burning
liquid and flame at its targets" ... "Due to the lack of penetration available to a flamethrower’s stream, armour values are doubled against flamethrower attacks."
 
DFW said:
locarno24 said:
I don't mind the high-tech version having assault rifle range, either, as it's a plasma weapon rather than the current 'napalm water pistol' style.
Not according to Book 4: "A pressurised tank of combustible fuel attached to a projecting nozzle, the flamethrower shoots a long stream of burning
liquid and flame at its targets" ... "Due to the lack of penetration available to a flamethrower’s stream, armour values are doubled against flamethrower attacks."
So as long as the napalm only touches the body parts covered by the armour, and the flames avoid the exposed face, hands and limbs, that's all right then. :)
 
Finish your quote:
As technology advances the type of fuel becomes more efficient, eventually reaching the heights of the blue-white plasma thrower at TL14

It obviously still works in broadly the same manner, but if it's genuinely using plasma it's obviously very different in its technical operation - which is why I don't mind it having (assault weapon) range.
 
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