Neural Weapons

Neural Weapons

These weapons use precisely-focused pulsed electrical or radio-frequency beams to affect the brain or nervous system at a distance. They are superscience weapons, but may be explained as improvements on electrolasers and microwave MAD beams. They only work on beings with a functional nervous system. Someone with Injury Tolerance (Diffuse, No Brain, Homogenous, or Unliving) or the Machine meta-trait is immune. A neural weapon won't affect giant blobs, plant-creatures, silicon-based entities, and so on.

A neural weapon designed to affect terrestrial life may have an unpredictable effect on aliens, and vice versa. Depending on how alien they are, they might receive a HT bonus (e.g., +3 to resist), be unaffected, or may be affected differently. For example, a pain beam may cause the effect of an ecstasy beam.

Neural beams are silent and invisible. There are two categories: neural disruptors and mind rippers.

Neural Disruptors ("Nerve Guns") (TL11^)

This family of weapons stimulates the nervous system, causing pain, pleasure, seizures, or other effects. They are popular for covert operations, as self-defense or dueling weapons, or as coercive weapons for slavers, prison guards, and security forces.

Neural disruptors project ranged cone attacks – see Area and Spreading Attacks. The beams are ranged contact agents – ignore DR unless the target is sealed, in which case there is no effect. They deliver an affliction attack. The victim gets a HT roll to resist, at a penalty dependent on the weapon. Add +3 to resist beyond 1/2D range. Failure means the victim suffers a particular affliction for minutes equal to the margin of failure. The affliction suffered depends on the type of beam fired:

Agony: The victim suffers the Agony incapacitating condition*. After recovery, he suffers Moderate Pain for an equal length of time.

Ecstasy: As above, but the victim suffers Ecstasy* followed by Euphoria.

Neural Stun: The victim suffers the Unconsciousness condition.

Paralysis: The victim suffers the Paralysis incapacitating condition.

Seizure: The victim suffers the Seizure incapacitating condition.

*If struck by an Agony or Ecstasy attack, a failure by 5+ causes a Heart Attack mortal condition.

Tunable Weapons: Each extra setting after the first adds +50% to cost. Changing settings is a Ready maneuver.

Personal Neural Disruptor Weapons

Most neural disruptors are personal weapons that require Beam Weapons (Projector) skill to use.

Holdout Neural Disruptor (TL11^): An easily-concealed pocket-sized nerve gun with no handgrip. Depending on the weapon setting, it may be popular as an interrogation device or recreational toy.

Nerve Pistol (TL11^): The most popular neural weapon. In some cultures, these may be the standard weapons of police and security forces, supplanting sonic stunners. Also called a neural disruptor pistol.

Nerve Rifle (TL11^): A powerful neural disruptor sometimes used as a police sniper weapon.

Tactical Nerve Disruptor (TL11^): A large semi-portable weapon, usually vehicle- or tripod-mounted. It is often deployed in prison guard towers or police vehicles. It requires Gunner (Beams) skill to use.

Death Beam Setting (TL12^)

At this setting, any failed resistance roll causes the Heart Attack mortal condition. Add +1 to the TL of neural disruptors with death beam settings.

Tunable: A death beam may have nonlethal neural disruptor settings such as agony or paralysis. Add +50% to cost for each setting.

Mindrippers (TL12^)

These weapons are closely related to neural disruptor and ultrascanner technology. They perform a high-energy neurological scan of a single target that may simultaneously record and fry the target's brain. They're useful because they simultaneously destroy and capture an opponent.

A mindripper functions exactly like a mind disruptor, except that failure to resist causes the Coma mortal condition. Failure by 5+ results in a permanent Total Amnesia disadvantage even after the subject recovers.

A mindripper also uploads the subject, storing a copy in its internal database. This copy is enough to make a low-res "fragment" mind emulation if the subject failed by 1-4, or high-res if he failed by 5+. Less invasive ways of making a mind emulation exist, but they require special medical equipment and can't be performed over a distance!

Weapons

Long-Range Mindripper (TL12^): A semi-portable weapon, sometimes built into vehicles or robots, or tripod-mounted.

Short-Range Mindripper (TL12^): A bulky pistol-type weapon.

Neural Weapon Table

BEAM WEAPONS (PROJECTOR) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
11^	Holdout Nerve Disruptor	HT-2 aff (1 yd)	3	10/30	0.3/B	1	22(3)	3	-1	1	$500	4
11^	Nerve Pistol	HT-3 aff (1 yd)	6	23/70	1.8/C	1	66(3)	4	-2	1	$2,600	4
11^	Nerve Rifle	HT-4 aff (1 yd)	12	40/120	5/2C	1	56(3)	5†	-3	1	$8,000	4
12^	Short-Range Mindripper	HT-2 aff (1 yd)	6	4/12	5/2C	1	56(3)	7	-3	1	$40,000	1

BEAM WEAPONS (PROJECTOR) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
11^	Tactical Neural Disruptor	HT-8 aff (3 yd)	18	160/480	70/Dp	10	100(5)	18M	-8	1	$130,000	1
12^	Long-Range Mindripper	HT-4 aff (1 yd)	18	70/200	70/Dp	10	100(5)	18M	-8	1	$700,000	1