Radiation damage

[Libris]

Radiation damage seems quite impressive.

Radiation: When a Radiation weapon is fired, anyone close to the firer, target and the line of fire in-between the two will receive 2D x 20 rads, multiplied by 10 for Vehicle scale weapons and 100 for Spacecraft scale weapons. This effect extends from the firer, target and line of fire a distance in metres of ten times the number of dice the weapon rolls for damage. If the fusion weapon is Destructive, this distance becomes a hundred times the number of dice rolled for damage.

This would seem to imply that a vehicle fusion gun (3D D damage) does 400-2400 rads within 300 metres per shot. Ouch! Since a starship only provides 500 rads protection this suggests the firing crew would be toast within a couple of shots. Even a battledress equipped marine would likely be killed instantly if within 300 metres of the line of fire.

 

[allanimal]

Radiation: When a Radiation weapon is fired, anyone close to the firer, target and the line of fire in-between the two will receive 2D x 20 rads, multiplied by 10 for Vehicle scale weapons and 100 for Spacecraft scale weapons. This effect extends from the firer, target and line of fire a distance in metres of ten times the number of dice the weapon rolls for damage. If the fusion weapon is Destructive, this distance becomes a hundred times the number of dice rolled for damage.

Instead of the "fusion" that I have emphasized, should it not be "Radiation"?
I can imagine radiation weapons that don't involve fusion...

 

[Libris]

Radiation: When a Radiation weapon is fired, anyone close to the firer, target and the line of fire in-between the two will receive 2D x 20 rads, multiplied by 10 for Vehicle scale weapons and 100 for Spacecraft scale weapons. This effect extends from the firer, target and line of fire a distance in metres of ten times the number of dice the weapon rolls for damage. If the fusion weapon is Destructive, this distance becomes a hundred times the number of dice rolled for damage.

Instead of the "fusion" that I have emphasized, should it not be "Radiation"?
I can imagine radiation weapons that don't involve fusion...

I can't think of anything that produces this amount of radiation damage that wouldn't be destructive! Which brings me back to the point that the amount of radiation damage seems a tad excessive.

 

[grauenwolf]

I like that fusion weapons are ridiculously dangerous to use, but that is a bit over the top.

 

[Samcollins]

This can't be right. If it is then it's broke and needs fixed

 

[Nerhesi]

This can't be right. If it is then it's broke and needs fixed

Agreed. This needs to be looked at after we fix I think the root cause, which is the scaling of damage across the traveller-vehicle-starship tiers.

Considering the particle turret only does 1d6xeffect in rads to the crew members, the vehicle weapons are way out of whack at the moment (both within their own tier, and when you move tiers)

 

[MongooseMatt]

x2 for vehicles, x5 for spacecraft scale?

 

[theodis]

This can't be right. If it is then it's broke and needs fixed

Agreed. This needs to be looked at after we fix I think the root cause, which is the scaling of damage across the traveller-vehicle-starship tiers.

Also, there is no way that a FGMP spills out deadly radiation to anyone within 200 meters.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_power_(particle_radiation)

kind regards,
Stephan

 

[MongooseMatt]

Reducing radiation range by a factor of 10.

 

[Rikki Tikki Traveller]

Also wouldn't the radiation be primarily in the direction of the barrel/nozzle, not in every direction?

 

[theodis]

Reducing radiation range by a factor of 10.

That sounds sensible. It also happens to be in the same ballpark as the safe zone for some real life man-portable heavy weapons.

Kind regards,
Stephan

 

[theodis]

Also wouldn't the radiation be primarily in the direction of the barrel/nozzle, not in every direction?

That depends on the kind of radiation and the method the FGMP uses to push through the atmosphere. If it doesn't use some kind of evacuated tunnel, then radiation (actually thermal radiation too) is likely to expand in every direction and the effect would amount to the wielder holds one end of a dynamite stick and the target the other.

Although the last part is ignored for some 38 years now, so... ;-)

Kind regards,
Stephan

 

[Libris]

Reducing radiation range by a factor of 10.

I'd suggest range and damage. Even at that rapid pulse fusion y-guns will be scrambling DNA left, right and centre.

 

[Meeko100]

Best get popping those Rad Pills

Extra-Strength Boys!