Force Fields
Force Fields
These superscience devices generate a protective energy field. Some force fields are effective against many types of attack, while others are more specialized.
Force Screens
A force screen is a general-purpose defensive field that can stop both solid objects and energy beams. Force screens may be related to gravitic or space-warp technology. They allow individuals, vehicles, or habitats to look unprotected while resisting enemy fire or hostile environments. A discreet shield belt is more elegant than a bulky armored suit, but may offer the same protection. Similarly, a Tudor mansion, complete with gardens, could sit on the Moon or the hellish surface of Venus.
A force screen provides DR that protects the user (or vehicle's) entire body, including the eyes. Its effects are applied before armor DR. Effects that rely on touch only affect someone protected by a force screen if carried by an attack that penetrates the screen's DR.
A force screen's Damage Resistance is semi-ablative: every 10 points of basic damage rolled removes one point of DR, regardless of whether the attack penetrates DR. A partially-ablated screen regenerates 1 DR per second for every 10 DR the field started with (minimum 1 DR). Thus, a DR 50-59 screen regenerates DR 5 per second.
A force screen does not normally impede the user's ability to attack, communicate, reach, or see out of the screen. This could represent either a one-way screen, or the user's ability to selectively open portals through it.
A force screen is normally sealed, and provides total pressure and vacuum support. It also provides a radiation PF equal to its DR. Since gases cannot pass through the screen, life support will be needed to avoid suffocation.
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(These advantages and limitations are ignored if the screen has the velocity or energy options.)
It takes a Ready maneuver to turn a force screen on or off. A force screen only provides DR when it is on. However, it may regenerate DR while it is off.
Barrier Screens (TL11^)
A barrier screen is a hemispherical or spherical shell that surrounds a screen generator rather than conforming to the user’s shape. It’s used by spacecraft, flying grav vehi- cles, or ground bases. Unless it is an energy or velocity screen, it won’t form if something solid is in the way. A barrier screen is effectively a solid object with a Size Modifier based on the screen’s diameter (+2 since it’s a sphere or hemisphere; see p. B19). The screen will function as cover and block movement into or out of it.
When targeting something protected by a barrier screen, use the normal SM of the target. If an attack miss- es by a margin of failure that is equal to or less than the dif- ference between the target’s SM and that of the screen, the shot hits the screen. Any penetrating damage that gets through will not strike the target unless the attack affects an area. On the other hand, this damage will reduce the screen’s semi-ablative DR, and if there are multiple occu- pants spread about inside the screened area (e.g., a force screen around a campsite) someone else could still be hit. Use the Occupant Hit Table on p. B555.
Heavy Force Screen (TL11^): A powerful barrier screen, used to protect fortified strong points, tanks, or warships. The standard field diameter is 15 yards (SM +7), but larger fields are possible at increased weight, cost, and power con- sumption; see below.
Medium Force Screen (TL11^): This screen is used by light armored vehicles, to defend secure buildings, and by combat or exploration vessels. The minimum field diame- ter is 10 yards (SM +6), but other sizes are possible.
Light Force Screen (TL11^): This screen is small enough to be (barely) man-portable, and is often used to protect light vehicles, such as grav cars, or to generate a hemi- spherical field suitable for campsite perimeter defense. The minimum field diameter is five yards (SM +4), but other sizes are possible.
Screen statistics are shown on the Force Screen Table. They may be adjusted for screen options.
Force Screen Table
| TL | Screen | DR | Cost | Weight | LC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11^ | Heavy Force Screen | 4,000 | $1,500,000 | 1,500 | 1 |
| 11^ | Medium Force Screen | 1,000 | $250,000 | 250 | 2 |
| 11^ | Light Force Screen | 200 | $25,000 | 25 | 3 |
The light, medium, and heavy force screens are barrier screens based on a sphere that is five, 10, or 15 yards in diameter, respectively; all use external power. For larger areas, multiply the weight and cost by the ratio of change. For example, increasing a medium force screen’s coverage from 10 to 30 yards triples the weight and cost.
If the screen size is increased, recalculate its Size Modifier using the diameter of the screen and the guide- lines on p. B19, i.e., use the Size Modifier Table but at +2 to SM due to the spherical or hemispherical shape. Thus, a 30-yard screen is SM +9.
Conformal Force Screens (TL12)
A conformal screen is somewhat form-fitting: it follows the user’s contours, but can be adjusted to flow over and protect worn or carried equipment, up to a maximum of extra-heavy encumbrance. (Once the screen is on, if the user picks up anything else, it will take a Ready maneuver to adjust the screen to cover it.) Conformal screens have the same SM as their intended wearer, or the object they are built to protect.
Personal Force Screen (TL12^): A belt-mounted screen, also built into some suits, robots, and small vehi- cles. Its power cell lasts for 15 minutes of continuous use.
Tactical Force Screen (TL12^): A powerful man- portable screen, often carried in a backpack or built into a robot. Its power cell lasts for an hour of continuous use.
Conformal Force Screen Table
| TL | Screen | DR | Cost | Weight | Power | LC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12^ | Personal Force Screen | 60 | $8,000 | 2.5 | C/15 min. | 3 |
| 12^ | Tactical Force Screen | 150 | $20,000 | 10 | D/1 hr. | 2 |
Force Screen Variants
Numerous types of force screen are possible; some examples are given below, and others can be created by the GM. It's possible that one of these variants might be the only type of screen available to a particular technology path.
Options can be combined, except where noted. Modifiers are cumulative.
Adjustable
The user can opt to reinforce half the screen, increasing its DR by 50%, at the expense of the other half (reducing its DR by 50%). For example, if the front half of the screen is reinforced, this multiplies its current DR by 1.5 against front attacks, but halves the screen’s DR against attacks from the right, left, and back; see p. B388 for a facing diagram. It takes a Ready maneuver to adjust the screen. +100% to cost.
Cloaking
Has the same effect as a TL12 invisibility surface (p. 100), except that the user is also invisible to active sensors such as ultra-scan, sonar, radar, and ladar. +100% to cost, and halves the operating duration due to excessive power drain.
Energy
This only affects energy attacks (beams, force swords, electrical attacks, energy explosions, fire, etc.). The screen is not sealed and provides no pressure or vacuum support. If energy screens are the only type available, guns will have an advantage over beam weapons. -50% to cost.
Kinetic
This screen only affects solid, liquid, or gaseous matter (bullets, fragments, punches, acid, falls, etc.), not energy attacks (see above). It does not protect against radiation, and may not be combined with an energy screen. If kinetic screens are the only type available, beam weapons will have an advantage over projectile weapons; -50% to cost.
Opaque
The screen is not transparent from the outside, although the occupants can see through it. Senses and sensors can- not detect anything in the screen unless they are only blocked by reality stabilizers and/or stasis fields. Its sensor- absorbing properties make it invisible to active sensors such as radar and ladar. The screen itself is a non-reflective black, which counts as camouflage in space or at night; it occludes other bodies, and is therefore not invisible. The screen does not block the other emissions of its user, so pas- sive sensors are unaffected. In the case of an opaque barri- er screen, there is no penalty to target the center of the screen, but other occupants cannot be deliberately attacked. They may be struck at random, as described in the barrier screen rules above. No extra cost.
Permeable
The screen is configured to allow air to pass through. This lets the user breathe, but removes the sealed advan- tage. It can be turned on or off with a Ready maneuver. +50% to cost; there’s no need for this option if the screen has the velocity or energy options.
Reality-Stabilized
This type of force screen includes the effect of a reality stabilizer (pp. 194-195), allowing it to block matter trans- mission and reality disruption attacks that would enter the screen. (It’s still possible to use these effects from within the screen, or against targets outside it.) Reality-stabilized screens may be a standard capability for force screens in settings where matter transmitters and reality-disintegrat- ing weapons are common. +100% to cost.
Safety Switch
A force screen may be fitted with a safety switch; it will detect any incoming attack slower than the speed of light and turn on the belt to protect the wearer. This conserves power, and helps protect against sneak attacks. It cannot react to beam attacks (other than sonic or plasma weapons) in time to stop them, but it switches on automatically after a beam attack is fired at the user, whether he is hit or not. +10% to cost.
Velocity
This screen only blocks fast-moving attacks, such as bul- lets, explosions, fragments, or energy beams. It won’t resist anything moving slower than 100 mph. In particular, it won’t protect against melee attacks, thrown weapons, or falls and collisions under Move 50. It will stop arrows, sling stones, crossbow bolts, bullets, and almost all explosions. (An explosion detonated in contact with the body will pen- etrate the screen – if a hand grenade goes off a few feet away, the user will be protected, but a limpet mine would still be effective.) The screen is not sealed and provides no pressure or vacuum support, but there’s no need to worry about suffocation. Velocity screens are a useful “swash- buckler option” for GMs who wish to combine swordplay and ultra-tech weapons. -10% to cost.
Force Screen Habitats
By generating a field over a city, it may be possible to dispense with solid domes or underground dwellings – and you won’t have to worry about bad weather, either. A home- steader could buy a smaller field generator and power plant and set up on the asteroid of his choice. With a sufficiently powerful force screen and contragrav generator (p. 223), a research station could be built deep within a gas giant’s crushing atmosphere, or even within a star. The engineer ing problems would be immense, but think of the view!