High Guard Smaller Weapons

[MasterGwydion]

I thought that was the smaller missiles that are used on a planetary surface rather than in space.

It doesn't specify, but your assumption could be correct as most of the other entries refer to man-portable stuff.

Edit - Which means that everything is legal on starships, except nukes. Nowhere in Canon have I been able to find it saying differently. Can anyone else find this info?

 

[Arkathan]

HG22 pg 29

Barbettes are effectively heavy turrets. Barbettes are typically only for military use and not available for purchase by civilians except under unusual circumstances. However, there are unscrupulous ports where they can be obtained on the black market.

 

[tytalan]

Well Specialist Forces states this “
Legalities can be a problem for starmercs in some areas. A mercenary unit can stow its weapons in shipping crates but an armed ship is a different proposition. Proper licensing and documentation will reassure most port operators and security services but there will always be some unwilling to allow heavily armed outsiders to enter their territory.” And in the CSC a light anti-air missile is .25 tons for a single use missile. So what is a heavily armed Ship I suppose that up to the GM but since the CSC says missiles, Fusion, and Plasma are considered heavy weapons and some them are larger than ship missiles and turret weapons I’d have to say this is a good guideline. If port operators are reluctant to allow ships with heavy weaponry and any ship missile could be a nuke I would have to say missiles would qualify.

 

[tytalan]

HG22 pg 29

Yes but a merc cruiser is considered heavily armed and it does not have any barbettes so that can’t be the only consideration.

 

[tytalan]

Another thing to consider when we are talking about missile racks is the imperiums absolute ban on nuclear weapons. Merc are licensed and are looked at closely what about a civilian ship that has the capability to launch a nuclear missile?

 

[Terry Mixon]

My personal thought is that missiles on ships is an accepted thing in all versions of Traveller. They’re expensive, but nothing else seems to make them so restricted.

Edit: Though looking at the official ships, none but combat oriented ships seem to have them. Mongoose really should have made it clear.

 

[Condottiere]

Scale.

Chances are that onboard a spacecraft, fusion guns, man portable, aren't restricted; fusion gun, turret mounted, probably is.

Laser weapon system, turret mounted - okay; laser weapon system, barbetted - restricted.

 

[tytalan]

Scale.

Chances are that onboard a spacecraft, fusion guns, man portable, aren't restricted; fusion gun, turret mounted, probably is.

Laser weapon system, turret mounted - okay; laser weapon system, barbetted - restricted.

I agree kind of with this with the caveat that FGMPs are normally a restricted weapon so getting one to adapt to your ship is already going to be illegal. So is it legal to have a FGMP as a ship weapon probably but without a Merc license it’s not legal to own one in the first place since heavy weapons require merc license to purchase. One of those legal things.

 

[rinku]

From the point of view of a planetary authority, I don't see much difference between a missile launcher and a laser. Assuming they have typical defenses, the missiles will likely get stopped by point defense and they laser may be a bigger concern. Any Radiation weapon would be a legitimate concern, whether that be a fusion gun, particle beam or nuke. That's where I'd draw a line.

Ships in port or close to it are most likely required to switch off their fire control. Some planets will be more or less worried about that stuff.

If the planet is low tech without decent space defences, they probably put up with rude visitors; if it has good defenses the arriving ship is best advised to do what they ask.

 

[Condottiere]

You fire one at another spacecraft, it's damage potential would be the same as a pulse laser.

Radiation effect, I'm not to sure on the interior of the spacecraft.

 

[Arkathan]

Yes but a merc cruiser is considered heavily armed and it does not have any barbettes so that can’t be the only consideration.

It is the only restriction written in the rules that I am aware of, which was sort of the question asked. Edit: and not an absolute restriction even then.

IMTU, I add quad turrets to that list.
My players register as mercenaries to reduce the scrutiny.

 

[Arkathan]

My personal thought is that missiles on ships is an accepted thing in all versions of Traveller. They’re expensive, but nothing else seems to make them so restricted.

Edit: Though looking at the official ships, none but combat oriented ships seem to have them. Mongoose really should have made it clear.

Several free/far traders in PoD use missiles.

 

[tytalan]

A lot of this also depends on the setting. In Charted Space within the imperium it is absolutely illegal for anyone other the the imperium military and possibly some well trusted licensed merc to own nuclear weapons, breaking this rule can get whole planets visited by imperium marines with battle dress and FGMP 15s. So the ideal that the imperium doesn’t restrict civilian ships with the capability to launch those missiles is rather ludicrous. As for planetary defense where does it say that the typical imperial world has both the resources and is allowed to operate a planet wide anti missile system? And even if the world does there is a time requirement to use such a system, for example a freetrader coming in to land at the port pops off 6 nuclear missiles reasonable close to the ground it takes seconds for those missiles to destroy the port and and city near by.

Now all this said outside the 3rd imperium all bets are off depending on where you are. If your in Zho space you’ll be lucky to be allowed sandcasters, in Solemnity space it’s about the same as the imperium, Aslan their ideal of trade wars last generations and include lobbing missiles back and forth. Hiver and K’Kree I’m not sure everywhere else it depends on the area and the local government.

 

[tytalan]

Several free/far traders in PoD use missiles.

Yea but they operate in independent space and on the fringes of imperium space that’s a different case

 

[Condottiere]

Standard missiles with four damage dice seem kosher.

 

[tytalan]

It is the only restriction written in the rules that I am aware of, which was sort of the question asked. Edit: and not an absolute restriction even then.

IMTU, I add quad turrets to that list.
My players register as mercenaries to reduce the scrutiny.

The rules say heavily armed than lists the Merc cruiser with its 8 triple turrets as heavily armed. So either it’s the weapons (the original Merc cruiser had 4 triple missile and 4 triple lasers) or it’s the fact that it has triple turrets

 

[MasterGwydion]

Several free/far traders in PoD use missiles.

Not sure how Canon some of those ship designs are. I already know that the UWPs are not Canon.

 

[tytalan]

Standard missiles with four damage dice seem kosher.

Yes but the problem is that same launcher can also carry nuclear missiles. They see a missile rack they are going to assume that it’s carrying nukes it’s just common sense.

 

[tytalan]

Not sure how Canon some of those ship designs are. I already know that the UWPs are not Canon.

The UWPs are now since everything mongoose writes is official now that they own the game

 

[Arkathan]

The rules say heavily armed than lists the Merc cruiser with its 8 triple turrets as heavily armed. So either it’s the weapons (the original Merc cruiser had 4 triple missile and 4 triple lasers) or it’s the fact that it has triple turrets

While there may be an intent to restrict several weapon systems, MasterGwydion was looking for an example spelled out in the rule books.
That was the question I answered.