Ultra-Tech: New (Actually Old) Projectile Weapon Options

Ultra-Tech: New (Actually Old) Projectile Weapon Options

One of the commenters on this blog pointed out that some things from the 3e Ultra-Tech were not properly updated to 4e, such as the HV-guns and Crystal Guns from the "Lasers? We don't need no stinkin' lasers!" article. Why not update them then?

 

 

Hypervelocity Guns

 

Guns (Pistol) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2)
TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
11^	Crystal Pistol	6d(0.5) pi++	2	300/1,000	3/0.2	3	20(3)	8	-2	2	$400	3
11^	HV-Pistol	4d(5) pi++ inc	2	1,000/3,000	4/0.4	5/12#	100(3)	9	-3	2	$5,000	3
Guns (SMG) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2)
11^	Crystal SMG	6d+2(0.5) pi++	3	500/1,600	4.8/0.3	6	30(3)	8†	-3	2	$2,200	2
Guns (Rifle) (DX-4, or most other Guns at -2)
11^	Crystal Carbine	7d(0.5) pi++	4	600/2,000	7/0.5	12	60(3)	11†	-4	2	$3,200	1
11^	HV-Rifle	7d(5) pi++ inc	5	2,000/5,000	15/1	7/16#	200(3)	12†	-4	2	$18,000	1

 

At TL11, magnetic acceleration allows hand-held weapons to shoot projectiles at almost relativistic speeds. At those velocities, even a relatively small projectile has both great penetration and damage. The speed that allows these weapons to defeat heavy armor also cause massive hydrostatic shock in human beings. The results are not pretty.

These weapons fire small missiles; thus, they can hold large amounts of ammunition.  Hypervelocity guns can hold their own against most beam weapons, and are not affected by the countermeasures that work against lasers. The fact that they do not use chemical propellants makes them immune to chemscanners.

 

Crystal Guns: This civilian weapon is designed to insure maximum lethality on unarmored humans or animals while keeping penetration of walls and armored personnel to a minimum. They are popular aboard starships. Crystal guns (crysguns for short) fire magnetized crystal beads at hypersonic speeds. The beads do massive damage to human flesh – a torso shot is almost always lethal; limb shots usually cripple the target. Furthermore, the beads will not penetrate any target with rigid armor greater than DR 5 (including solid walls); the glass bead shatters against those targets, doing [1d-4] cutting fragmentation damage to any person within 2 yards of impact. If the target had rigid DR 1-4 or any flexible DR, then overpenetration does not occur (p. B408). Crystal guns are powered by power cells. The weapon’s power cell provides enough energy for firing its specified number of Shots, and is included in the weight. Crystal pistol is powered by a B cell, and all other weapons are powered by a C cell.

HV-Guns: Hypervelocity guns fire metal slugs at enormous speeds. They offer almost as much penetration as a solid burst from an X-ray rifle. If the gun penetrates a metal wall (the side of an armored car, for instance), it will cause fragmentation when it comes out, due to its high speed: [1d-2] cutting in a 3-yard radius. Inside a vehicle, this fragmentation can damage systems and injure the crew. HV-guns are powered by power cells. The weapon’s power cell provides enough energy for firing its specified number of Shots, and is included in the weight. HV-pistol is powered by a C cell, and HV-rifle are powered by a D cell.

HV-guns are able to fire high-cyclic controlled bursts (p. HT83). HV-pistol fires bursts of three rounds, and HV-rifle fires bursts of four rounds.