Sonic d6
Skill: Blaster
Sonics have been used by medical personnel for centuries as an alternative to X-rays or surgery. But “screamers” are exceptional weapons, firing a concentrated beam of sound waves at a target. The beam penetrates clothing
and does large-scale tissue and bone damage.
While deadly, screamers have their drawbacks. For one thing, they can’t be fired in a vacuum, because sound needs a medium to travel through. And, since sound dissipates faster in a thin atmosphere, they lose something in range under those conditions. They’re highly effective underwater, however. [Halve sonic weapon ranges when in thin atmospheres. Double medium and long ranges when underwater.]
The other drawback against screamers is that the beam only moves at the speed of sound. That means, at long range, there’s a lag between when you fire and when you hit, and accuracy is limited. Screamers affect armor just like Blaster Skill do, except for Reflec, which is of no use against a sonic blast. They’re powered by cells or power packs.
| Weapon Type | Type | Fire Rate | Fire Control | Damage | Range – S/M/L | Ammo | Price | Ammo Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Furtherman Personal Sonic Defender | HoldOut | 1 | 3D | 3-5/20/ 30 | 100* | 138 | 6 | |
| Tracer “High C’ | Pistol | 1s | -1D at Long range | 5D | 3-10/ 40/50 | 120* | 500 | 15 |
| Tracer “Crusher’ Sonic Rifle | Assault Rifle | 5fa | -2 at Long range | 6D+1 | 3-15/50/75 | 150t | 500 | 20 |
| Tracer S20 | Assault Rifle | 5fa | -1D at Long range | 5D+2 | 5-30/75/300 | 200t | 750 | 30 |
| Tracer S15 | Civilian/Sniper | 1s | -1D at Long range | 5D+2 | 5-50/200/800 | 150* | 800 | 40 |
| * – Runs off of disposable cells |
| t- Runs off energy packs and/or body armor packs. |
Furtherman Personal Sonic Defender
| Type | Scale | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Holdout | Character | Blasters |
The Furtherman Personal Sonic Defender is a classic case of cynical marketing by an arms company. The Sonic Defender was originally designed for home and personal defense. Its major selling point was that while it was capable of stopping an intruder with several shots, a single shot (such as from an accidental discharge, children playing with the weapon, etc.) would most likely not kill. It even had a governor built into it that allowed only a short burst of sound per pull of the trigger, meaning that “hosing” an area with sound wasn’t possible. The result of this ad campaign was that security restrictions were pretty much absent on this baby – the idea was that if somebody wanted to be armed, better that they be carrying something relatively non-lethal.
What Furtherman didn’t bother to talk about was how easy the Sonic Defender is to soup up. Once mercs started doing this, a lot of Inner Rim found their markets flooded with easy-to-get weapons that could do tremendous amounts of damage. Furtherman has so far avoided the blame for this fiasco. [Add +1D to Blaster Repair checks to modify this weapon.]
Tracer “High C” Sonic Weapon
| Type | Scale | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Pistol | Character | Blasters |
The High C screamer looks like a large microphone with a handle and power pack, and is meant to be a sidearm. This weapon can do substantial damage at close range, however it lacks the power to be effective over 50 meters.
Tracer “Crusher” Sonic Rifle
| Type | Scale | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Assault Rifle | Character | Blasters |
The “Crusher” is basically the “High C” with a larger power pack and a stock for more control at long range. The “Crusher” has gained some notoriety as a roomsweeper, as people tend to use the weapon exactly as they would a sawed-off shotgun. Unfortunately for its targets, the “Crusher” does a damn fine job in that capacity.
Tracer S20 Assault Rifle
| Type | Scale | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Assault Rifle | Character | Blasters |
The S20 is a standard sonic assault rifle. It is quite effective close up, but lacks the range and stopping power of other weapon technologies at long range. This compact (90cm) weapon is rugged, durable and reliable. Tracer is relatively new to the megacorporate scene, but is rapidly cornering the market on sonic technology.
Tracer S15 Sniper Rifle
| Type | Scale | Skill |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Civilian/Sniper | Character | Blasters |
The S15 sonic sniper rifle is something of a joke among those who make their living by “see the target, shoot the target.” While it does have respectable range, the lag time between firing and actually hitting the target allows your intended victim to “catch a good vid” before he goes down. Useless for a sniper, the S15 has gained some acceptance as a civilian hunting weapon, however, especially among hunters who want pelts. The beam is tightly focused and can kill without damaging the skin too much. Like its cousin, the S20, the S15 is compact for its class (120cm) and rugged enough to be appealing to Rim hunters.
