Lasers

Lasers

Lasers are among the most versatile of beam weapons, with a wide range of offensive and defensive applications.

Laser weapons can be broadly classified by the effect on their target:

Dazzle lasers cause temporary blindness.

Blinding lasers cause permanent damage to eyesight or optics.

High-energy lasers blind, and inflict physical burn damage.

Chemical lasers are obsolete at TL10 – it is assumed that all lasers are solid-state, using a solid crystalline material as the lasing medium. They require no hazardous chemicals and are compact, light, and easy to use. Another option is the free electron laser, usually found on vehicle systems – see X-Ray Lasers.

Laser Dazzler (TL9)

A laser dazzler is a low-energy laser that fires a wide beam of coherent light. Dazzlers temporarily blind eyes and optical sensors, and are designed for personal defense and riot control. They also have a more sinister use: if the beam blinds someone performing a dangerous activity such as operating a vehicle or climbing, the target could suffer an accident. If the accident is fatal, there will be no evidence of the assault...unless the victim had laser sensors and recorded the attack.

A laser dazzler delivers a Vision-based affliction attack against anyone struck. To be affected, the target must be looking at the laser. The victim gets a HT roll to resist, at the penalty noted on the weapon table; add +3 to HT if he is beyond 1/2D range. DR has no effect, but Protected Vision adds +5 to resist. A Nictitating Membrane adds +1 per level. Failure to resist inflicts Blindness for minutes equal to the margin of failure.

Laser dazzlers deliver cone attacks – see Area and Spreading Attacks.

Weapons

Dazzler Carbine (TL9): A long-range dazzler weapon, most often used for police or covert operations (disrupting crowds, blinding suspects, causing vehicle accidents).

Penlights, Flashlights, and Searchlights (TL9): Ultra-tech flashlights have a "laser dazzle" setting; see Flashlights for descriptions. The combat statistics are presented below.

Dazzle Mode

Any high-energy laser may be designed with a dazzle mode. Switching to or from this mode takes a Ready maneuver. When in dazzle mode, the laser fires a low-power laser beam that is identical to the effect of a dazzle laser, except that it does not have a cone effect – it must strike the target's face or eyes. A HT-5 roll is needed to resist the affliction. Dazzle mode uses up negligible power. The setting adds +10% to laser cost.

Blinding Lasers (TL9)

These weapons emit a medium-power laser beam that can cause permanent blindness, or fry optics, without burning flesh. The beam is wide enough that it need only be aimed at the target, not the eyes.

Dedicated blinding lasers are rare at TL9+, since more effective high-energy lasers are also available. However, military active sensors, targeting systems, and electronic warfare systems that utilize lasers often incorporate a "high-power optical countermeasures" mode that is designed to blind sensors, including eyes.

A blinding laser delivers a Vision-based affliction attack. Anyone hit who is looking toward the laser can be affected. The victim gets a HT-10 roll to resist (HT-7 past 1/2D range). Protected Vision adds +5 to resist; a Nictitating Membrane adds +1 per level.

Failure to resist inflicts crippling Blindness.

Weapons

Blinding Mode: A high-energy laser (below) may be designed with a Blinding Mode, enabling it to fire a medium-power laser beam. Modify the laser's statistics as shown on the table below when using this mode. Changing to or from this mode requires a Ready maneuver. This mode adds +10% to cost.

Military Ladar: These are military sensor arrays that can focus laser energy into a beam powerful enough to function as a weapon. The weapon statistics of these arrays are given here; the sensor statistics are covered in Sensors and Scientific Gear.

Dazzle Laser Weapons Tables

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

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC	Notes
9	Dazzler Carbine	HT-5 aff (3 yd)	6	1,500/4,500	5/C	1	9,000(3)	6†	-2	1	$500	3	[1]
9	Laser Penlight	HT-4 aff (1 yd)	6	100/300	0.1/A	1	900(3)	1	-1	1	$3	4	[1]
9	Mini Laser Flashlight	HT-5 aff (1 yd)	6	170/500	0.25/B	1	3,600(3)	1	-1	1	$10	4	[1]
9	Heavy Laser Flashlight	HT-5 aff (1 yd)	6	330/1,000	1/2B	1	3,600(3)	1	-2	1	$20	4	[1]
9	Laser Searchlight	HT-5 aff (2 yd)	12	7,000/20,000	10/C	1	1,800(3)	1	-5	1	$500	4	[1]

[1] Projects a cone with the specified width at maximum range.

High-Energy Laser (TL9)

Chemical Infrared Lasers (TL9)

A few early TL9 high-energy lasers are chemical lasers, as noted in their descriptions. They are continuous-beam weapons powered by highly reactive, energetic and corrosive chemicals – usually hydrogen-fluorine or oxygen-iodine. Chemical lasers should be issued to robots or troops in sealed suits, as fumes from the exhaust inflict 1 HP of toxic damage per second to anyone within a yard of the weapon. Carrying a man-portable chem-laser poses similar risks to a flamethrower – if the chemical tank is damaged, the spill can injure the wielder.

The generic laser weapon is assumed to be a high-energy laser. It emits near-infrared or visible coherent light in a narrow, tightly-focused beam that can burn through armor or explode flesh into steam. The beam usually has a duration of only a few microseconds; lasers cycle multiple times per second.

Lasers inflict lower damage than equivalent-sized projectile weapons, particle beams, or plasma guns, but they're far more accurate and completely recoilless. High-energy lasers are available in different sub-types depending on the frequency of light used: infrared, blue-green, ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray. All inflict tight-beam burning damage, but with various armor divisors and damage modifiers.

Laser eye injuries are especially dangerous. If an eye takes enough laser damage to cripple it, the result is always permanent crippling (giving the victim the One Eye disadvantage, or if he only has one eye, Blindness).

High-energy laser beams are silent and invisible, but in dusty air, there will be a slight glow from incinerated dust particles.

Rain, fog, smoke, snow, and similar weather or atmospheric conditions interfere with all high-energy lasers, adding extra DR to the target equal to the vision penalty (per yard). Thus, if a yard of smoke would be -10 to vision, then each yard gives DR 10; if every 100 yards of haze gives -1 to vision, then 1,000 yards provides DR 10. A high-energy laser beam can pass through material transparent to its particular frequency of light, which includes most glass, plastic canopies, etc. Increase the laser's armor divisor to (10) when it strikes glasses, visors, windows, etc. unless the material was specifically designed to be laser-resistant. Assume that TL9+ transparent armor is laser-resistant.

Mirrored surfaces are not effective against a high-energy laser: any laser powerful enough to inflict damage destroys the mirror, ruining its reflectivity. In cinematic games, however, a shield-sized mirror will provide its Defense Bonus vs. a visible-light laser.

High-energy lasers inflict tight-beam burning damage with a (2) armor divisor.

Infrared Lasers (TL9)

IR lasers emit a coherent beam of near-infrared frequency light. They are the most common high-energy laser at TL9, as they are more efficient to generate than other frequencies and propagate well in both air and space. IR lasers inflict tight-beam burning damage with a (2) armor divisor. They can't penetrate more than a few inches of water, which reduces their underwater Range to 0/1.

Option: Blue-Green (TL9)

The standard laser light frequency for high-energy laser weapons shown on the weapon table is red or near-infrared light, but there are other alternatives. One of the most popular is the shorter blue-green wavelengths. Blue-green lasers require more power to generate, but permit greater ranges, and can also propagate underwater.

Any high-energy laser except a chemical laser can be designed to use a blue-green wavelength. Blue-green lasers inflict the usual tight-beam burn damage with the (2) armor divisor. Double the Range, but halve the RoF; treat each shot as consuming two shots for purpose of power drain. Blue-green lasers can fire underwater.

A blue-green laser's underwater range depends on the water's clarity. The maximum Range can never exceed 150 yards in crystal-clear water, 60 yards in average water, or 15 yards in murky water. It is possible to fire into or out of water (out to normal ranges) as long as the maximum range through the water is not exceeded.

Option: Ultraviolet (TL9)

Some high-energy lasers fire a beam in the near-ultraviolet wavelength. An ultraviolet laser has superior range (in vacuum) compared to infrared or blue-green lasers, but its beam is rapidly absorbed by atmosphere. The beam is invisible, but it ionizes air molecules when fired in atmosphere of greater than trace density, producing a visible green glow along its path.

An ultraviolet laser has triple the usual Range, but due to its lower efficiency, its Damage is halved. Treat half-dice as a +2 modifier, e.g., 5d(2) becomes 2d+2(2). UV lasers are mainly used for space combat and on airless worlds. In atmosphere, the Range cannot exceed 500 yards divided by atmospheric pressure.

Mounted Lasers

Area Defense Laser (TL9): This is built to engage lightly armored targets, such as TL9 spacecraft and ballistic missiles, at a range of a few hundred miles.

Point Defense Laser (TL9): This is a vehicle-mounted system. It is designed to destroy soft targets like missiles, aircraft, and personnel at a range of several miles, with minimal collateral damage.

Semi-Portable Laser (TL9): This continuous-beam chemical-powered weapon is the size of a heavy machine gun. Its chemical tank is separate, and has SM-2, DR 10, HP 12. If disabled, the chemical splash inflicts 2d corrosion damage over a 2-yard radius.

Laser Cannon (TL10): A large vehicle-mounted weapon. It is a standard spacecraft and air defense system.

Strike Laser (TL9-10): A smaller version of the laser cannon, often used by fighter aircraft, and as a defensive weapon for armored vehicles or spacecraft.

Gatling Laser (TL10): A rapid-fire laser weapon. Infantry use these on a tripod; they're also often vehicle mounted or used as "small arms" by powered troopers.

Laser Pistols

Heavy Laser Pistol (TL10): A bulky but rapid-firing military-style laser sidearm, often used as an alternative to a machine pistol.

Holdout Laser (TL10): A favorite of spies and assassins, this is a tiny weapon disguised as an innocuous object, such as a wrist communicator or pen. Its mechanism uses nonmetallic ceramics and exotic composites, so with the power cell removed, an ordinary scanner cannot distinguish it from a civilian electronic device.

Laser Pistol (TL10): The basic laser sidearm. On some worlds, it may be as ubiquitous as six-guns in the Old West.

Laser Crystal (TL11)

An 1/8-inch-diameter solid-state laser projector with an integral one-shot power cell. It is surgically inserted just under the skin; this takes only a minute in an automed. Firing is triggered by a specific nerve impulse – if implanted in a finger, it might be fired by clenching the fist while pointing at the target. When fired, it burns through the skin (a thin enough layer that no damage is taken). It's possible to equip multiple fingers and fire them simultaneously; treat this as a single attack with a RoF equal to the number of laser crystals.

Laser Rifles

Assault Laser (TL9): This is an early-TL9 chemical-pumped laser. It is most often used for microgravity combat. If its chemical power pack is attacked, it has SM-4, DR 10, HP 7; if disabled, it inflicts 1d corrosion damage in a 1-yard radius.

Laser Sniper Rifle (TL9): A bulky but accurate chemical laser rifle, used as a battlefield sniping weapon. Its backpack chemical tank has the same vulnerability as the chemical laser carbine.

Dinosaur Laser (TL10): A big laser sniper rifle, capable of stopping a battlesuit or a dinosaur (hence its nickname). Also called a "heavy laser." These are mostly military weapons, but are sometimes used as an "elephant guns" for big game.

Laser Carbine (TL10): A compact "assault" version of the laser rifle, favored by vehicle crews and special ops teams. Its low bulk makes up for its lack of range.

Laser Rifle (TL10): The standard infantry combat laser, capable of full automatic fire. In some settings, it may be as ubiquitous as the flintlock rifle was in its day.

Survival Laser (TL10): A carbine version of the heavy laser pistol. Survival lasers are designed to be broken down into four pocket-sized components, which take one minute to assemble or disassemble. Although the survival laser is not very powerful, it is a good choice as a survival weapon due to its excellent accuracy (useful when shooting small game) and the modest drain it imposes on power cells. It is also a favorite weapon of assassins.

Blinding Laser Table

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

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC	Notes
9	Blinding Mode	HT-10 aff	var.	var.	var.	var.	10×	var.	var.	1	var.	var.	[1]
9	Military Ladar	HT-10 aff	24	×0.1/0.3	–	1	–	–	–	1	–	–	[2]

[1] Use the high-energy laser's statistics for everything noted as var., with the exception that each shot in blinding mode counts as one-tenth of a normal shot (i.e., it has 10 times as many shots).

[2] Multiply range shown by the sensor system's detection range, e.g., a ladar with a 100-mile range has a blinding laser range of 10/30 miles.

High-Energy Laser Table

BEAM WEAPONS (PISTOL) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Pistol)-4

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
10	Heavy Laser Pistol	4d(2) burn	6	300/900	3.3/2C	10	56(3)	6	-2	1	$2,400	3
10	Holdout Laser	2d(2) burn	3	100/300	0.35/B	10	22(3)	3	-1	1	$300	3
10	Laser Pistol	3d(2) burn	6	200/600	1.5/C	10	33(3)	4	-2	1	$1,100	3
11	Laser Crystal	1d-1(2) burn	3	15/45	–	1	1	0	0	1	$100	2

BEAM WEAPONS (RIFLE) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Rifle)-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
9	Assault Laser	4d(2) burn	12+1	700/2,100	10/4p	1	40(5)	7†	-5	1	$10,000	2
9	Laser Sniper Rifle	5d(2) burn	12+2	1,100/3,300	20/4p	1	20(5)	10†	-8	1	$20,000	1
10	Dinosaur Laser	8d(2) burn	12	1,300/3,900	19/Dp	1	35(5)	10†	-5	1	$19,000	1
10	Laser Carbine	5d(2) burn	12	500/1,500	5.6/2C	10	28(3)	5†	-3	1	$4,600	2
10	Laser Rifle	6d(2) burn	12	700/2,100	8/Dp	10	83(5)	7†	-4	1	$8,000	2
10	Survival Laser	4d(2) burn	12	300/900	3.3/2C	6	56(3)	6†	-3	1	$2,400	3

GUNNER (BEAMS) (DX-4, or other Gunner-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
9	Area Defense Laser	6d×5(2) burn	18	36,000/110,000	8,000/10Fp	1	83(5)	200M	-10	1	$2,000,000	1
9	Point Defense Laser	3d×5(2) burn	18	9,000/27,000	1,000/Fp	1	66(5)	70M	-10	1	$250,000	1
9	Semi-Portable Laser	6d(2) burn	18	1,400/4,300	70/Ep	10	100(5)	18M	-8	1	$32,000	1
10	Gatling Laser	6d×2(2) burn	18	2,900/8,700	70/Ep	4	100(5)	18M	-8	1	$70,000	1
10	Laser Cannon	6d×10(2) burn	18	72,000/220,000	8,000/10Fp	1	83(5)	200M	-10	1	$4,000,000	1
10	Strike Laser	6d×5(2) burn	18	18,000/54,000	1,000/Fp	1	66(5)	70M	-10	1	$500,000	1

Rainbow Lasers (TL11)

These weapons fire powerful nanosecond pulses of laser light. The light's interaction with the atmosphere does most of the work of focusing the beam, so that laser needs only a small lens. A rainbow laser beam is polychromatic, appearing as a needle-thin line of blue-white light.

A rainbow laser inflicts burning damage with a (3) armor divisor. It is effective in atmospheres with a density ranging from very thin through superdense. In vacuum or trace atmospheres, the laser defocuses. Its range is divided by 10, and its damage loses its armor divisor. Rainbow lasers have an underwater range of only two yards.

Weapons

Rainbow lasers come in similar varieties to visible light lasers. At TL11, rainbow lasers may be used in conjunction with blasters as standard military weapons – they have less penetration, but superior accuracy, range, and RoF.

Rainbow Laser Table

BEAM WEAPONS (PISTOL) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Pistol)-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
11	Heavy Rainbow Laser Pistol	4d(3) burn	6	900/2,700	3.3/2C	10	56(3)	6	-2	1	$2,400	3
11	Holdout Rainbow Laser	2d(3) burn	3	300/900	0.35/B	10	22(3)	3	-1	1	$300	3
11	Rainbow Laser Pistol	3d(3) burn	6	600/1,800	1.5/C	10	33(3)	4	-2	1	$1,100	3
12	Rainbow Laser Crystal	1d-1(3) burn	3	50/150	–	1	1	0	0	1	$100	2

BEAM WEAPONS (RIFLE) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Rifle)-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
10	Dinosaur Rainbow Laser	8d(3) burn	12	4,000/12,000	9/Dp	1	35(5)	7†	-5	1	$9,000	1
10	Rainbow Laser Rifle	6d(3) burn	12	2,000/6,000	8/Dp	10	83(5)	7†	-4	1	$8,000	2
10	Rainbow Laser Carbine	5d(3) burn	12	1,500/4,500	5.6/2C	10	28(3)	5†	-3	1	$4,600	2
11	Rainbow Survival Laser	4d(3) burn	12	900/2,700	3.3/2C	6	56(3)	6†	-3	1	$2,400	3

GUNNER (BEAMS) (DX-4, or other Gunner-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC
11	Rainbow Gatling Laser	12d(3) burn	18	8,000/24,000	70/Ep	4	100(5)	16M	-8	1	$70,000	1
11	Rainbow Laser Cannon	6d×10(3) burn	18	200,000/600,000	4,000/10Fp	1	83(5)	45M	-10	1	$2,000,000	1
11	Rainbow Strike Laser	6d×5(3) burn	18	50,000/150,000	500/Fp	1	45(5)	27M	-10	1	$250,000	1

X-Ray Lasers (TL11)

These free-electron laser weapons use a particle accelerator to generate a beam of coherent, deep-penetrating X-rays. They inflict tight-beam burning damage with a (5) armor divisor and the surge damage modifier.

If an X-ray laser had the same diameter lens as an ordinary laser, its range would be thousands of times greater! But it's difficult to build large X-ray lenses, so practical weapons have tiny focal arrays. The range is still great...in vacuum. X-rays are quickly absorbed by atmosphere; Range drops to 7/20 yards in a standard atmosphere. (For thinner or thicker atmospheres, divide this range by the relative air pressure.) X-ray lasers have no range underwater.

This minimal atmospheric range means X-ray lasers are best used as space combat weapons, or for boarding actions and close-range assassinations. To mitigate this, superscience X-ray lasers are often field-jacketed. A field-jacketed X-ray laser is a terrifying weapon, with tremendous range and penetration in all environments.

X-Ray Laser Weapons

These weapons are available in the same models as TL10 high-energy lasers, but they appear one TL later.

X-Ray Laser Table

BEAM WEAPONS (PISTOL) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Pistol)-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC	Notes
11	Heavy X-Ray Laser Pistol	4d(5) burn, sur	6	17/50 mi.	3.3/2C	10	56(3)	6	-2	1	$4,800	3	[1]
11	Holdout X-Ray Laser	2d(5) burn, sur	3	1/3 mi.	0.35/B	10	22(3)	3	-1	1	$600	3	[1]
11	X-Ray Laser Pistol	3d(5) burn, sur	6	5.5/17 mi.	1.5/C	10	33(3)	4	-2	1	$2,200	3	[1]

BEAM WEAPONS (RIFLE) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4, or Guns (Rifle)-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC	Notes
11	X-Ray Dino Laser	8d(5) burn, sur	12	72/220 mi.	19/Dp	1	35(5)	10†	-5	1	$38,000	1	[1]
11	X-Ray Laser Carbine	5d(5) burn, sur	12	27/83 mi.	5.6/2C	10	28(3)	5†	-3	1	$9,000	2	[1]
11	X-Ray Laser Rifle	6d(5) burn, sur	12	40/120 mi.	8/Dp	10	83(5)	7†	-4	1	$16,000	2	[1]

GUNNER (BEAMS) (DX-4, or other Gunner-4)

TL	Weapon	Damage	Acc	Range	Weight	RoF	Shots	ST	Bulk	Rcl	Cost	LC	Notes
11	Semi-Portable X-Ray Laser	12d(5) burn, sur	18	160/480 mi.	70/Ep	10	100(5)	18M	-8	1	$130,000	1	[1]
11	X-Ray Laser Cannon	6d×10(5) burn, sur	24	4,000/12,000 mi.	8,000/10Fp	1	83(5)	200M	-10	1	$8,000,000	1	[1]
11	X-Ray Strike Laser	6d×5(5) burn, sur	24	1,000/3,000 mi.	1,000/Fp	1	66(5)	70M	-10	1	$1,000,000	1	[1]

[1] Range cannot exceed 20 yards in a standard atmosphere unless field-jacketed^.

See Also

• Electrolasers