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Plasma weaponry was abandonned by the Frontier races in favor of the more accurate and far more adaptable laser weapons. Plasma weapons are still in use however on some backwaters, and some more primitive spacefaring races still produce plasma guns and cannons.
In a plasma weapon, a small amount of hydrogen is heated by a very small laser until it each hydrogen nucleus is stripped of it's electrons, and then the hydrogen in this high energy state is released from the reaction chamber as a blast of plasma. On impact, this plasma blast is disrupted into a massive explosion, covering several meters.
Man-portable plasma weapons are only made in rifle sizes, as the pistol variations are unwieldly and of remarkably short range. The MPPR-1 (Man Portable Plasma Rifle) is the standard high-energy military version weighing in at 7kg, while the MPPR-2 is a slightly lighter, smaller weapon (4kg).
On reaching their target, plasma bolts explode into fireballs dealing half the standard damage of the weapon to everyon in the blast. If a shot misses it's target, the explosion will occur when the bolt hits the first solid object behind the target. Plasma Blasts deal structural damage equal to 8 points per d10 of damage normally dealt (128 or 64).
This collateral damage, as well as the weapon requiring two power packs (one for hydrogen, one standard SEU power coupling), and the inherent inaccuracy of a weapon that fires almost two full seconds after the trigger has been pulled all conributed to the plasma weapons replacement by laser and rafflur weaponry. Also laser weaponry proved to be much more adaptable, being capable of using up to 20 different settings for various threat responses.
Plasma weapons are immediately penalized 15% on their chance to hit (or a -2CS in Zeb's guide).
| Weapon |
Damage |
Burst |
Ammo |
Use |
Rate |
Range |
Defense |
Cost |
| MPPR-1 |
16d10 |
4m rad |
100SEU pack
10 shot H-Cell |
10 SEU |
1 |
C |
Gridsuit |
Cr1000 |
| MPPR-2 |
8d10 |
2m rad |
50SEU pack
10 shot H-Cell |
5 SEU |
1 |
C |
Gridsuit |
Cr700 |
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