Fusion Cannon: Art and extended description

[wbnc]

Working on resources material for my own games and future projects.

Fusion Cannon:
Background:
A powerful weapon based on plasma heated to near fusion temperatures and propelled at the target. The system uses intense artificially generated gravity fields and powerful electromagnetic forces to compress the superheated gasses within the weapons firing chamber.the charged plasma is split into positively charged and negatively charged plasma then fired down to parallel "barrels" then combined creating a neutrally charged plasma moving at high velocities inside a temporary point of intense gravity that keeps the plasma compressed until it collides with a substantial mass.

Fusion Guns can engage targets at great distances, but are most effective when firing at targets within 10,000km. This makes them well suited to use as an offensive weapon with upgraded version with far greater range being easily acquired to effectively engage targets as far away as 25,000km. The base range is inferior to particle weapons and high energy lasers but long range versions can match baseline alternatives.

Fusion cannons are energy hungry extremely complex weapons that require a substantial investment. They are usually mounted exclusively on military vessels due to the cost, the complexity, and the dangerous levels of radiation delivered to the target. Combined with The moral and legal issues of Radiological weaponry and the high initial cost associated with the weapon most civilian vessels make use of weapons that are Less taxing on their power supply, with fewer legal entanglements, and lower initial cost.

Operation and installation:
The weapon uses a powerful triggering system that feeds the plasma into holding vessels around the firing tubes. These reservoirs are kept charged and primed during combat situations allowing the weapon to fire rapidly or for extended periods.This type of weapon comes in sizes ranging from man portable systems, to massive ship mounted weapons that can reduce a city block to molten slag. Most ship mounted weapons are heavy turret/Babette mounted installations or large bays holding multiple weapons which fire in concert to increase the chance of successfully delivering damage to a target.

The most impressive Fusion Cannon based Weapons are as large as a small starship and can cripple light starships with a single blast. These massive fusion guns are mounted along the centerline of a starship or starships are built around the weapon itself, in a similar fashion to the behemoth Spinal mount weapons of heavy cruisers and battleships. Giving a smaller vessel the ability to carry a weapon as powerful as a much larger vessel.

In combat Fusion Cannons are most often used for heavy firepower against more heavily protected targets. The are unsuitable for point defense weapons and larger versions have difficulty tracking small agile targets. This makes it more effective to concentrate the weapons on larger less agile vessels to maximize their combat effectiveness leaving smaller lightly armored targets to turret mounted weapons.

They are most often employed as secondary batteries on destroyers and cruisers, and self defense batteries on Battleships. However, they are suitable for use as a primary battery for frigates, corvettes and smaller strike ships.

Occasionally barbette mounted fusion cannon will serve as a heavy weapon for civilian and mercenary vessels and can be successfully employed for a defensive battery to deter, or destroy fighters and smallcraft based attack craft on larger vessels.

Very rarely a barbette mounted weapon or weapon of similar performance may be mounted on small craft to give the craft the destructive power to engage larger vessels with heavier armor than the typical civilian, mercenary or criminal vessel. the power and tonnage requirements of these weapons however makes this an engineering challenge for the designers of small craft.

 

[Reynard]

Thanks for the detailing of the Fusion Gun. The unique features made me think about a creative design based on the iconic Romulan Warbird. A small close configuration, reinforced ship (100 dton) with high speed (7g), tough armor (4 plus armored bulkheads for the power plant, maneuver drive, fuel tanks and sensors), Emissions Absorption Grid for a form of cloaking and a Small Bay Fusion Gun. Improved sensor, holographic controls and Evade/1 plus Fire Control/2. Emergency power.Crew of pilot, Engineer, Gunner and sensor operator. These ships are brought in by a tender.

 

[wbnc]

Thanks for the detailing of the Fusion Gun. The unique features made me think about a creative design based on the iconic Romulan Warbird. A small close configuration, reinforced ship (100 dton) with high speed (7g), tough armor (4 plus armored bulkheads for the power plant, maneuver drive, fuel tanks and sensors), Emissions Absorption Grid for a form of cloaking and a Small Bay Fusion Gun. Improved sensor, holographic controls and Evade/1 plus Fire Control/2. Emergency power.Crew of pilot, Engineer, Gunner and sensor operator. These ships are brought in by a tender.

Ive thought about doing extended write-ups and artwork for most of the major weapons systems. I know I would love for a bit more detail and a pic I can show to a player and say..."okay that's what that thing is armed with..."

I do not tink I want to meet yer little birdie

However, a few of them would e a nice add to any strike package....or smuggle them into a system as part of a raid or preemptive strike.A good sized freighter could bring a batch of the in most light SDBs or frigates would be in for a nasty surprise when that bay cut loose.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Thanks for the detailing of the Fusion Gun. The unique features made me think about a creative design based on the iconic Romulan Warbird. A small close configuration, reinforced ship (100 dton) with high speed (7g), tough armor (4 plus armored bulkheads for the power plant, maneuver drive, fuel tanks and sensors), Emissions Absorption Grid for a form of cloaking and a Small Bay Fusion Gun. Improved sensor, holographic controls and Evade/1 plus Fire Control/2. Emergency power.Crew of pilot, Engineer, Gunner and sensor operator. These ships are brought in by a tender.

Is this a jump-capable craft? I ask since the description sounds like a jump/warp capable one would have to be bigger to have room for the star-drive.
Nice breakdown otherwise. I wouldn't mind seeing a few varieties of these statted out (e.g. larger, smaller, interstellar capable).

 

[Jeraa]

Thanks for the detailing of the Fusion Gun. The unique features made me think about a creative design based on the iconic Romulan Warbird. A small close configuration, reinforced ship (100 dton) with high speed (7g), tough armor (4 plus armored bulkheads for the power plant, maneuver drive, fuel tanks and sensors), Emissions Absorption Grid for a form of cloaking and a Small Bay Fusion Gun. Improved sensor, holographic controls and Evade/1 plus Fire Control/2. Emergency power.Crew of pilot, Engineer, Gunner and sensor operator. These ships are brought in by a tender.

Is this a jump-capable craft? I ask since the description sounds like a jump/warp capable one would have to be bigger to have room for the star-drive.
Nice breakdown otherwise. I wouldn't mind seeing a few varieties of these statted out (e.g. larger, smaller, interstellar capable).

Says they are brought in by tender, so they are not jump/warp capable. Originally, Romulans didn't have warp capability.

 

[Jame Rowe]

Thanks for the detailing of the Fusion Gun. The unique features made me think about a creative design based on the iconic Romulan Warbird. A small close configuration, reinforced ship (100 dton) with high speed (7g), tough armor (4 plus armored bulkheads for the power plant, maneuver drive, fuel tanks and sensors), Emissions Absorption Grid for a form of cloaking and a Small Bay Fusion Gun. Improved sensor, holographic controls and Evade/1 plus Fire Control/2. Emergency power.Crew of pilot, Engineer, Gunner and sensor operator. These ships are brought in by a tender.

Is this a jump-capable craft? I ask since the description sounds like a jump/warp capable one would have to be bigger to have room for the star-drive.
Nice breakdown otherwise. I wouldn't mind seeing a few varieties of these statted out (e.g. larger, smaller, interstellar capable).

Says they are brought in by tender, so they are not jump/warp capable. Originally, Romulans didn't have warp capability.

Didn't notice that, thank you.

 

[Reynard]

And I've seen a couple references they were heavily armored as an artifact of their earlier designs so yeah, tough little birds.

I can see squadrons of these could have a unique styled bird of prey on the underside to identify their unit.

 

[wbnc]

And I've seen a couple references they were heavily armored as an artifact of their earlier designs so yeah, tough little birds.

I can see squadrons of these could have a unique styled bird of prey on the underside to identify their unit.

I could definitely see the warbird paint scheme. they would have to be able to get in fast to avoid being torn up by missiles. but a good layer of armor and armored bulkheads might do the trick. sand and point defense wouldn't do any good as a defense and if they go into range any single ship would be in trouble from a squadron of these ships. They would need some sort of escort if the enemy had fighters but other than that the sheer speed armor and number in the air at once would be tough to deal with.

 

[heron61]

I didn't do the cost, but here's a 200 ton version (which I think works better, since it's jump capable, and has a fair amount of defensive capabilities, including a turret that has 2 lasers for missile defense and a sandscaster).

 

[Reynard]

"but other than that the sheer speed armor and number in the air at once would be tough to deal with."

And the victim(s) are forced to deal with multiple ships that move faster and maneuver better rather than targeting one ship with multiple fusion bays.

Heron, your TL 15 version are those green glowing ships from Next Generation.