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Beam Weapons
Beam weapons are energy weapons, generally
characterized by the emission of a free flow of energy or
particles. The beam itself may be a continuous and maintained
stream between weapon and target, as in the case of the
Disruptor, or the beam itself may be a "pipe" that conducts a
blast or stream of particles or energy, as in the case of the
Penetrator piping antimatter through a gravitic beam.
The numbers indicate a "tech level"
corresponding to the History
section.
| Disruptor |
2 |
The "rupture" became a
favourite weapon almost as soon as the first one was built and
remains a very
common weapon, particularly with the empires of the
Prodigal Void.
Disruptor cannons came to be during the early development of the
quantum field generator and resulted more from failed experiments
than successful ones. Early attempts at manipulating the quantum
states and dimensions of matter resulted in often unpredicted and
destructive results. Even before the quantum field generator was
fully harnessed, it was discovered that great damage could be done
to a target with a wildly modulated quantum beam. Focusing the
quantum field through a Condenser
Ring Matrix, the beam could be focused on a target and its
molecular structure could be randomly strained and manipulated,
causing heat and random shearing on the molecular level. The disruptor creates a
relatively weak beam that is energy
efficient to maintain. The beam duration can be maintained,
generally for a few seconds until internal heat shuts the system
down for a similar cooling period, and the beam swept to intercept
smaller or moving targets or to act as its own tracer. Disruptors
lend themselves well to use in co-ordinated batteries in order to
maximize the intensity and duration of their collective firepower. General ship power is used to fuel the
disruptor beam, being buffered through a capacitive network that
ups their current to levels suitable for initiating and
maintaining the
firing reaction. Higher tech level designs
transfer energy more efficiently through the Condenser Rings,
packing more punch or allowing for a longer beam
duration. |
| Modulation Cannon |
3 |
The "mod cannon" is an
extension of the disruptor beam, which uses
ships sensors to intelligently modulate the disruptor as it impacts
a target. It detects and maximizes the quantum field to maximize
molecular upheaval while harmonically exciting the localized area of impact. If the
modulation is effectively achieved, extreme damage results as small areas of
the target essentially tear themselves apart. |
|
Grapro |
3 |
| GRAvity PROjector, used in pushing and pulling
objects in space. Based on the work of
Zyrne and Pattonetti,
the Grapro emits a beam that stimulates the
Elegant emission of gravites
in the target object, subjecting it to directional gravity.
Simply put, the beam lifts objects by creating spots of
negative gravity. |
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Gravite Cannon |
3 |
Multi-point gravity projector. Multiple,
coordinated
projectors can provide more push or pull to manipulate objects in
space or can be used offensively to create tearing and shearing
stress in enemy hulls.. |
|
Ripsaw |
4 |
Another variation of the grapro
intended strictly as an offensive weapon or high-powered cutting
tool. Two tightly spaced,
parallel grapro beams are fired projecting intense gravity fields in
opposite directions in a very small area. The effect causes tearing at a localized spot on the target. The
beam is often swept to produce a slashing cut. |
| Particle Beam |
2 |
Essentially, the
particle beam or "ion cannon" launches an intense stream of
ionized hydrogen atoms at a target. Simple particle beams are
a crude
old technology abandoned by most users by the end of the Archaic
period, with the exception of the Vrudok who still employ them. It
does decent damage but requires large capacitor banks and
enormous voltages and currents, as well as suffering from
limited range due to beam spread.
Damage results from a combination of molecular impact and electrical heating. |
| Penetrator Beam |
4 |
An antimatter based weapon, the
Penetrator fires a weak, steady-state gravitic beam through which
antimatter is piped, causing immense damage at
the molecular level. The penetrator was developed in the early
Ancient era
by the Skalds, originally a
close-range bolt-type weapon that used an electro-magnetic containment field
projectile. The penetrator
spread rapidly through the
Farrago as the high-damage weapon of choice, evolving a longer
range, higher energy beam weapon version. |
| Punch ring |
3
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| This is a mounting methodology (like
a turret or pintel is) rather than an individual weapon. Used
primarily with beam weapons, the punch ring is a set of weapons
that fire alternately to supply a dispersed,
area-of-effect beam attack or to provide steady
state fire where some weapons are firing while others are cooling.
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A single power line is run to the
typical punch ring and a single set of fire control resources
dedicated, simplifying both design and use in combat as opposed to
the same number of singular weapons.
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| Neutrino Tube or Starstream |
5 |
A burst of highly unstable, rotated
neutrinos are fired at the target. The neutrinons travel in a
straight line, reverting back to normal neutrinos and releasing
bursts of energy as they do. The rate and distance at which the
neutrinons revert to neutrinos can, to some extent, be controlled
prior to firing with adjustments to the quantum field used to
manipulate and launch the particles. Many of the neutrinons will have
penetrated to within the target when the they begin releasing
energy. In addition to being subject to random bursts of high
energy, a great of deal of electrical static is given off by the
beam. Scattered, random damage is done to the hull, crew, and
systems of the target. Its flashing, glittering beam gives the weapon its Starstream moniker.
The Starstream was developed by the
Kharkosanth Empire and is a favourite heavy weapon, though the
rotated particle ammunition generally precludes it as the sole
weapon type on a ship. |
| Black Lance |
5 |
A beam-type weapon using rotated
neutrinos. The neutrinos Blind dimension is drained of energy,
resulting in rotated neutrinos referred to as "nontrinos". The
nontrinos are quite stable but desperately want to absorb enough
energy to shift out of their rotated state. A quantum pipe is
established between the weapon and target and a blast of nontrinos
are released. They pass through the regular matter of the target
until they hit a source of energy, at which point they absorb the
energy and spin back into a Tangible state of being. The primary
function of the Black Lance is to disrupt and drain energy sources,
though as the nontrinos revert back to Tangible neutrinos, they
careen off on wild, unpredictable tangents of their previous motion
disrupting electronic circuits and creating frictional heat. Black
Lances are used to cripple ships and their systems, baffle scanners
and sensors, and knock ships out of skip warp. The effects of the
Black Lance are seen as a "black flash" in its center, where energy
is being absorbed, surrounded by a wavering gold aura from the
energy of escaping neutrinos. |
| Tach Lance or Tacton
Cannon |
5 |
A tacton beam that
creates a quantum pipe of rotated tachyons. The approximate
reversion delay from tachton back to tachyon can be controlled somewhat
by a combination of regulating the energy to the quantum containment
field maintaining the tacton supply and by closely regulating their
velocity at emission. Damage is done by both particle impact
and the energy of tachtons reverting to normal tachyons. |
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