Progress Level 8: Energy Age

Table: Starship Weapons
Weapon	Damage	Critical	Damage Type	Range Increment	Rate of Fire	Minimum Ship Size	Purchase DC	Restriction
Automaser	12d8 (54)	20	Energy	6,000 ft.	A	Colossal	40	Res (+2)
EMP cannon	8d8 (36)3	20	Electricity	4,000 ft.	Single	Gargantuan	41	Res (+2)
Kinetic lance	10d12 (65)	20	Concussion	3,000 ft.	Single1	Colossal	42	Res (+2)
Maser cannon	12d8 (54)	20	Energy	6,000 ft.	Single1	Gargantuan	40	Lic (+1)
Maser cannon, heavy	16d8 (72)	20	Energy	8,000 ft.	Single1	Colossal	44	Res (+2)
Mine, zero point	15d100 (825)	—	Energy	—	—	Colossal	48	Mil (+3)
Missile, nova burst	12d8 (54)	19–20	Ballistic/ Energy	—	Single	Gargantuan	452	Mil (+3)
Missile, starload	20d8 (90)	19–20	Energy	—	Single	Huge	452	Mil (+3)
Neutronium driver	12d12 (78)	20	Ballistic	5,000 ft.	Single	Colossal	42	Mil (+3)
Sliver gun	8d12 (52)	20	Ballistic	3,000 ft.	S, A	Gargantuan	39	Res (+2)
Zero bore	16d8 (72)	20	Energy	6,000 ft.	Single	Colossal	52	Mil (+3)
1With a successful Repair check (DC 30) and 1 hour of work, this weapon can be modified for semiautomatic or automatic fire mode. Resetting the weapon to its original configuration requires another check and another hour of labor. 2The purchase DC includes a basic launch system (missile rack or missile tube) and eight missiles with warheads. The purchase DC is 2 lower without the launch system. 3In addition to taking damage, the ship is dazed for 1 round (see Starship Condition Summary). 4This weapon’s damage ignores a ship’s hardness.

Automaser (PL 8)

The automaser uses multiple firing arrays to channel high-energy maser compressions into shorter pulse widths. This weapon fires only in automatic mode.

EMP Cannon (PL 8)

The EMP cannon induces an electromagnetic pulse effect similar to that of a nuclear explosion. This makes the EMP cannon especially effective against electronic equipment. In addition to taking damage, the starship is dazed for 1 round. Neither crew nor passengers are dazed, however.

Kinetic Lance (PL 8)

The kinetic lance creates a high-velocity stream of virtual particles simulating solid matter. The impact of these particles is quite destructive—rather like a collision with a solid object.

Maser Cannon (PL 8)

Maser cannons channel an enormous amount of power through a linear antenna array, creating a broad-spectrum blast of energy that devastates the target with heat, light, and intense radiation.

Maser Cannon, Heavy (PL 8)

The heavy maser cannon is a larger version of the maser cannon. With 1 hour of work and a successful Repair check (DC 30), a heavy maser can be reconfigured for semiautomatic or automatic fire mode. (Resetting the weapon to its original configuration requires another check and another hour of labor.) Increase the purchase DC of the modified pulse maser by +5.

Mine, Zero Point (PL 8)

This mine creates a spontaneous quantum fluctuation of energy—the same energy as the Big Bang, though obviously on a smaller scale.

Missile, Nova Burst (PL 8)

The nova burst warhead generates an incredible gravitational force that compresses normal matter into an incredibly dense mass, which then explodes in a colossal detonation.

Missile, Starload (PL 8)

The starload warhead is essentially an improved version of the PL 7 mass reaction missile.

Neutronium Driver (PL 8)

This version of the rail gun is configured to fire a projectile of false neutronium—a slug the size of a baseball, but with a temporary mass of thousands of tons. Because neutronium is electrically neutral, the driver mechanism actually encapsulates the projectile in a sleeve or sabot of ordinary matter to fire the slug.

Sliver Gun (PL 8)

An efficient mass driver loaded with flechettes of tungsten steel, the sliver gun is the PL 8 version of a heavy machine gun. It cycles at a rate of fire of almost 4,000 rounds per minute, and each sliver can tear through a yard or more of heavy armor.

Zero Bore (PL 8)

The zero bore creates a stream of energy that encourages extraordinary amounts of quantum energy fluctuation—the so-called “zero point” energy. Anything in its path is wrecked by the spontaneous destruction of space itself.