Space station armament

[cunningrat]

My players have designed a small space station (really just a fuel refinery at this point, with a few bells and whistles). The only part of it they haven't touched is the armament.
They want to put *something* on it to discourage possible pirate raids (i.e. not leave it completely unarmed), but also need to keep costs down.

I'm really not sure what to recommend to them, so I'm looking for ideas.

 

[paltrysum]

Long-range weapons like pulse lasers sound like a good idea. Fairly economical (unlike missile racks, which must be reloaded at great expense) and possessing of a decent range. If they can afford it, they can use the Primitive and Advanced rules to extend the range by an additional band. Keeping would-be pirates at 'arm's length' seems like a good idea. Some point-defense lasers seems important, too, to prevent missile users from pulverizing their nascent space station.

 

[Condottiere]

Depends.

Pulse lasers are probably the best buck banger, but if it's simple deterrence, missiles, since if you don't use them, you haven't expended them.

 

[PsiTraveller]

There can also be a tech level advantage in buying Advanced Tech Smart missiles. If your base is TL 12 and you buy TL 14 missiles your attack roll uses the TL 14 of the missile as a bonus to the attack. This could add a bonus when attacking a ship of lower Tech level. (pg 75 and pg 162 of the Core book).

 

[Arkathan]

There can also be a tech level advantage in buying Advanced Tech Smart missiles. If your base is TL 12 and you buy TL 14 missiles your attack roll uses the TL 14 of the missile as a bonus to the attack. This could add a bonus when attacking a ship of lower Tech level. (pg 75 and pg 162 of the Core book).

For those who have it, pg 79 and pg 173 in the 2022 Update.

 

[PsiTraveller]

Thanks for the updated pages! I don't have the update yet.

Are the rules still the same in the update?

 

[Arkathan]

Thanks for the updated pages! I don't have the update yet.

Are the rules still the same in the update?

I only have the old core rules on Fantasy grounds and it doesn't have page numbers there...
But the TL bonus for missiles is in both.

 

[Reynard]

First off, would a high priority, cost efficient target like that not be under an umbrella of protection deep within the 100 diameter range with mobile patrols so it can focus on collection, processing and storage? I'm assuming this a frontier installation or an automated harvester sending fuel to the homeworld.

 

[Condottiere]

Depends on how important the station is to either the owner, the local economy, or strategic value to system security.

 

[cunningrat]

First off, would a high priority, cost efficient target like that not be under an umbrella of protection deep within the 100 diameter range with mobile patrols so it can focus on collection, processing and storage? I'm assuming this a frontier installation or an automated harvester sending fuel to the homeworld.

Oh, it is within the 100D range. It's actually in orbit around the mainworld of the system. Problem is that at this time the 'mobile patrols' consist of a grand total of two armed Scout/Couriers.

 

[Galadrion]

I would say go with a point defense system, combined with a few turrets armed with sandcasters for defensive work. For offensive counterpunching - pirate deterrence - I would add a few triple pulse laser turrets, and maybe a particle beam barbette or two - that should be suitably horrifying to cause any small-scale pirates to flee.

Of course, if you want to go completely over-the-top intimidating, a missile bay doesn't even have to be fired to scare the gahoolies out of most small-scale ships - just track onto them with a suitable "warning" broadcast. Although if your bluff is called, firing that bay would be fairly expensive; best to reserve it for a credible threat.

 

[Condottiere]

Extensive mine field.

 

[PsiTraveller]

Particle beams or any radiation based weapon that will radiate a ship and crew is a good threat. I think the ra count has been lowered in the new edition though.

 

[Arkathan]

Particle beams or any radiation based weapon that will radiate a ship and crew is a good threat. I think the ra count has been lowered in the new edition though.

Updated Rads from space weapons is 60% of the old book.

 

[Galadrion]

Just means that you can get away with calling the first one a "warning" shot...

 

[cunningrat]

Particle beams or any radiation based weapon that will radiate a ship and crew is a good threat. I think the ra count has been lowered in the new edition though.

Updated Rads from space weapons is 60% of the old book.

From the point of view of the *characters*, nothing has changed. Everyone knows that getting hit with a particle beam has a significant chance of curdling your balls and making you vomit blood. The characters (PC or NPC) don't know exactly how significant a chance it is -- they don't know the underlying math. So particle beams are just as much a threat in-character as they ever were.

Not to mention that particle beams are Very Long range. Your average-ish Thrust 3 pirate ship would have to spend 8 turns (close to 50 minutes) crawling towards the station before they can reply with anything but missiles. That's a prospect that will give most pirates serious second thoughts.

I like it.

 

[Condottiere]

If it misses, it's a warning shot.