Things that go Boom!

Part 3: Looking at Landmines

By Joseph Cabadas

Primarily used as a defensive weapon, landmines – along with primitive weapons such as caltrops and traps – have been used over the centuries to help protect a position or direct an enemy to another spot where they will be at a disadvantage.

Two different styles of mines were introduced in Zebulon’s Guide – the grasshopper and the leapfrog – while other types have appeared in issues of Star Frontiersman and Frontier Explorer magazines. Hidden, stationary bombs, mines are a type of area effect weapon that can be a hazard to characters in the Star Frontiers game universe.

Some of the types of mines that characters might be able to purchase or encounter include: EMP Field Mine, Grasshopper Mine, Leap Frog Mine, and the small landmine that would contain a grenade. Larger mines are designed to be equipped with type I, II or III missile type warheads.

Characters could also employ improvised explosive devices (IEDs) using explosives, bombs or warheads without using an official mine kit.

If they are buried, landmines do not have secondary blast areas. They use motion, pressure, proximity, time delay, voice or photon or other activation sensors.

A history of traps and combat

Outnumbered by the forces of Gauls at the town Alesia in 52 B.C., Julius Caesar’s army deployed spikes in the fields to show the advance of the enemy. Known as caltrops, these are devices made of several spikes that are arranged so that one point will always face upward while the other ends anchor it into the ground.

Using a combination of caltrops and traps aided the Romans in winning the battle. With the glory from this battle, Caesar would set out to turn the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

These “lilies of the field,” caltrops became widely used by Roman armies. They are still used today because of the ease of their design to manufacture.

Other ancient, but still effective land traps include pits and punji sticks – sharpened, poisoned bamboo spikes – that were used by the Vietcong against American troops during the Vietnam War. Though these traps did not use explosives, they created a number of casualties.[1]

The Chinese are believed to use the first explosive landmines around 1277. Europeans began using them by the 1500s. But the first modern landmines – with gunpowder, a detonator and wrapped in a metal container to create shrapnel – was invented by American Gabriel Rains in 1840.

From North Carolina, Rains joined the Confederate Army, becoming a general. The Confederates began using Rain’s “torpedoes” or “subterra shells” to impede the advance of Union cavalry and troops. They also began using some of the first improvised explosive devices (IEDs). These weapons were devastating to those who stepped on them. [2]

By World War I, the British deployed landmines filled with poison gas, including against the Germans at the Battle of the Somme in July 1916.[3] The use of mines by military and guerilla forces continued to spread and were used in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other regional conflicts. By the 1990s, it was estimated that 26,000 people became casualties of landmines each year. [4]

Accordingt o the Federation of American Scientists, about one of every 236 people in Cambodia is an amputee as a result of landmines from old wars. An estimated 10 million mines are believed to still be in the country, which has a populationof 8.6 million.

By the 2010s, landmines were causing an estimated 500 deaths or injuries a week – about 15,000 annually – with the victims being overwhelmingly civilians and many of them children. “Unlike other weapons, landmines continue killing and maiming long after the war has ended,” noted a report by the Federation of American Scientists.

The United States eventually developed a so-called “safe” landmine that would self-destruct after a designated period of time.[5]

In the Star Frontiers universe, it is doubtful that landmines would be eliminated, but their possession and use outside of the military – especially the lethal designs – would probably be illegal on the more civilized worlds such as Gran Quivera.

Use in Star Frontiers

A true minefield is a death trap that player characters would have little chance of escaping. The movie “Uncommon Valor” portrays a minefield in action. Rather, mines could be used for dramatic effect.[6]

Only characters with the Demolitions skill should be allowed to set explosives and charges – at least with any degree of reasonable safety. The number of turns needed to set a charge is the character's skill level subtracted from seven. At first level, a character needs six turns to set a charge, but at sixth level he needs only one turn.

If acharacter fails the skill check to set and detonate the charge, the charge will not exploded and must be re-set. The referee should feel free to have the charge explode prematurely or late if the skill roll results in an automatic failure.

Charges can be detonated by timer, radio signal, weapon fire or other devices. A timer lets the character set a time when the charge will explode. The timer can bea djusted to delay from 1 second to 60 hours.

If a chronocom, radiophone or subspace radio is available, charges can be set to explode when a particular signal is beamed at them. The chance to explode a charge with a radio beam is 10 percent less than normal.

Demolitions experts also can set off a charge with a laser. If the expert hits the charge, it explodes.[7]

Demolitions experts can use type I missile warheads as improvised mines. Referees may allow a character with this skill to manufacture small explosives one-tenth the strength of TD-19 for around 12 Credits.

Detecting Mines

When entering an area with mines, characters without mine detection equipment should make an Intuition check to notice the device(s). Characters with a demolitions skill and technical skills, such as detecting alarms and defenses, should make a skill check.

Since mines are normally concealed, those relying strictly on an Intuition check might receive penalties of  -10 to -30 percent to notice and avoid a mine.

Demolitions-CAS. A Demolitions-Computer Access Scanner can check for explosives, bombs, or mines within two meters. Its detection equipment can look through all materials except federanium. It can indicate what type of explosive it is, what detonation devices are attached, and give suggestions on how to defuse it.

This Demolition-CAS provides a +20 percent bonus to characters with a Demolitions skill when they are trying to defuse an explosive.[8]

Disarming/Clearing Minefields. A character with a Demolitions skill can attempt to disarm a land-mine, though the best way is to avoid them or use various remote-controlled devices to cause the mine to “harmlessly” explode.

Note: add informaton about trip-wire detonators

A mine is a hidden, stationary bomb that is triggered by any one of a variety of detonators (need to add info in here) or small scanners (heat sensitive, motion detection, etc.). The available types of bombs are similar to grenades or some warheads: electrical discharge, field crusher, gas, high explosive, sonic, standard explosive, and tangler warheads all designed for use with type I missiles. 

There is no secondary blast area to consider when using a buried mined. 

There is a secondary blast area when using one of the two following mine-delivery systems: grasshopper mines and leapfrog mines.

Demolitions

Type: Enforcer, Espionage, Explorer, Criminal

Pr: None

There are two sub-skills to the demolitions skill: set charge and defuse charge. Only a character with demolitions skill can legally buy or use explosives or detonators. Tornadium D-19, sometimes called kaboomite, is the standard explosive but there is also TD-20 and Plastid.

Numerous detonators are used for explosives. Demolitions experts also can use type I-III missile warheads as mines -- using a mine kit. They can also create explosive packages that can be thrown like a grenade.

Setting and defusing charges or mines requires a skill check. A character with this skill and the Chemistry skill can easily manufacture small explosives one-tenth the strength of TD-19 for around 12 Cr.

Sub-skill, Setting Charges:

Success Rate: Success Rate: ½ DEX + 10% per skill level (Zeb's conversion rate)

Only characters with this skill can set charges. The numberof turns needed to set a charge is the character's skill level subtracted from nine (this is for a Zeb's conversion; I'll have to look up the Alpha Dawn system). At first level, a character needs eight turns (Zebs) to set a charge, but at eighth level (Zebs) he needs only one turn.

If a character fails the skill check to set and detonate thecharge, the charge has not exploded and must be re-set. The referee should feel free to have the charge explode prematurely or late if the skill roll results in an automatic failure.

Charges can be detonated by timer, radio signal, weapons fire or other devices. A timer lets the character set a time when the charge will explode. The timer can be adjusted to delay from 1 second to 60 hours. If a chronocom, radiophone or subspace radio is available, charges can be set to explode when a particular signal is beamed at them. The chance to explode a charge with a radio beam is 10 percent less than normal.

Demolitions experts also can set off a charge with a laser. If the expert hits the charge, it explodes.

Sub-skill, Defusing Charges:

Success Rate: ½ DEX + 10% per diffuser's skill level– 10% per setter's skill level (This is a Zeb's conversion, not the Alpha Dawn system)

A demolitions expert can try to defuse a charge that was set by another expert. Defusing a charge takes one turn, no matter what level the expert is. The expert's chance to succeed is his success rate modified by the bomb maker’s (set-up character’s) skill level.

If the set-up character's skill level is higher, there is a -10 percent modifier to the skill check. If the defusing character's skill level is higher, there is a +10 percent modifier to the skill check.

After successfully defusing a bomb, if a character is trying to defuse another charge set by the same bomber, he receives a +10 percent modifier. No other modifier exists if both characters are the same level in this skill. A character can defuse one of his charges automatically.

Types of Mines

Star Frontiers landmines come in several different sizes and types the most common are mine kits.

Mine Kits (Small, Type I, II, or III). Depending upon the size, mine kits will turn normal grenades and Type I, II and III warheads into mines. These still need some sort of sensor cluster – even ifi t is a tripwire – to detonate them.

Claymore Mines. Named after a large Scottish medieval sword, this is a class of anti-personnel mines that are activated by remote control. It directs its energy outward, in one direction, mostly in a 60 degree arc.

Star Frontiers claymores come in five models – with fragmentation, electoral discharge, sonic, sonic stunner, and tangler warheads. These mines have a primary blast range of 50 meters and a secondary range of 75 meters.

Anyone or anything within the 60-degree arc may be caught by the mine’s blast zones –a 50 percent chance, and a 30 percent chance in the secondary zone. Its effects are mitigated by terrain – those not in a line of sight from the mine will not be affected. For example, a character could be hiding behind a log or around the corner of a building.

Characters who are prone, but exposed have a 30 percent chance of being affected if they are in the primary blast zone, but no chance of being hit in the secondary zone.

Although most of the blast is focused in one direction, defenders using claymores with the explosive, sonic and sonic stunner warheads are instructed to place something such as sandbags behind the mine to protect themselves.

·        Fragmentation Claymore. This mine will do 8d10 points of damage to targets in the primary blast zone, and 2d10 points in the secondary zone. Characters can make a Reaction Speed check to take half damage.

·        Electrical Discharge Claymore. This acts as an electrical discharge grenade to any targets in the primary blast zone, shorting out electrical equipment. It also acts as an electrostunner set to damage for every bioform in the primary blast area. This unit does not have a secondary blast zone.

·        Sonic Claymore. A sonic weapon, it’s power decreases the farther a target is away from the detonation point. It will do 10d10 points to anyone or anything within 10 meters of the mine, 8d10 points to targets within 15 meters, 6d10 to targets within 20 meters, 4d10 to targets within 30 meters, and 2d10 points to targets out to 50 meters.

·        Sonic Stunner Claymore. Anyone within the primary blast zone must make a Stamina check or be stunned for 1d100 turns. In the secondary blast zone, a character receives a +30 percent bonus to avoid falling victim to the stunning effect, which would only last 1-50 turns.

·        Tangler Claymore. These munitons throw out hundreds of strong, sticky polymer threads. These threads stick to everything within the primary blast zone. Characters can make a Reaction Speed check to avoid the threads. This weapon does not have a secondary zone.

EMP Field Grenades. More mine than grenade, the E.M.P. (Electro-Magnetic Pulse) field grenades are designed by and for military use. They are expensive but having a pack of these could mean the difference between life and death when facing robotic or computer-augmented enemies.

This unit comes with a special carrying pack containing three identical-looking field grenades that must be used together. If used separately, they are simply useless.

To use an EMP Field Grenade pack, the must place them from 5 meters to 15 meters apart in a triangular-shaped field. It is in this triangular area where the EMP effect will take place.

It takes one character one turn to set a single EMP field grenade. So, it takes three turns for one person to properly prepare this defensive weapon, but a party of three characters can do it in a single turn.

Once all three grenades are placed, the EMP Field is set. Detonating the grenades is done either through voice command or purposeful activation.

If the last of the three grenade-disks is set for voice command, the character who activates it speaks a word while setting it. This will be the command word to detonate the field. If the character speaks that word again within 10 meters ofa grenade, detonation occurs.

Whether or not a command word was spoken during final grenade activation, anyone can detonate the field by simply slamming their hand (or an object) down on a button located in the center of any of the grenades; this is called purposeful activation.

When the field detonates, all electronic items caught within the triangular-shaped field will be struck with an intense electro-magnetic pulse field that will cause it to be rendered inert, disabled, and difficult to repair. The field is harmless to living beings.

Summary: EMP Field Grenade packs cost 750 Credits and weighs 1 kg for the shoulder-slung pack and its contents.[1]

Grasshopper Mines. These weapons will fling themselves up to three meters straight up in the air before detonating, which can help them attack low flying or hovering targets. If it hits an obstacle on its way up, it will be deflected two meters in a random direction before detonating. Use the Area Effect Weapon Miss Diagram for random direction.

Leapfrog Mines. This mine is made to jump toward its target. Use the Grenade Bounce Chart to determine where it lands. The trigger system is usually a scanner, as it must know which direction to leap toward the target. (See  the equipment section of the Zebulon’s Guide to determine how scanners work.)

Tablet Mines. These small explosives are the size of an aspirin tablet used as an area-denial ordinance.

Each mine only does 1d10 damage, but, they wait 3 seconds before detonation. This way, the victim is well within the minefield before they explode. They have no area of effect, but should scare a character along with destroying any footwear and causing lower leg injuries.  

Due to the up close and personal nature of the explosion, skeinsuits only provide 25% protection, as it's not just a physical hit, but explosive force.

The mines are available in several different camoflage variations, to match the area of denial.  Make an INT roll at 1/2 if casually walking through an area, full INT if moving at half speed, examining an area closely before moving through.  Optionally available, you can get a single-use remote control that can activate all the mines thatare currently assigned to it.  Be careful to spread all the mines, as if you are still in possession of any of that batch, they'll go off in yourpocket, removing you from the gene pool = P.

When one mine explodes, there is a 40% chance the mines in the same hex will explode as well.  You can put 5 mines/hex.

150 cr/20 mines
50 cr for Remote[2]

Umbrella/Disintegration Mines. When deployed, umbrella mines are half-a-meter in diameter with a 40-centimeter long power core that protrudes from its base. This appearance resulted in it earning this nickname.

This insidious weapon must be planted in the ground, and its sensor covered head cannot be covered by more than 3 centimeters of material. Mine's 10-SEU power core allows the mine to function in sleep mode for two decades before it goes inert.

The sensor system can detect vibrations up to 5 meters from the mine, causing the weapon to “awaken.” Any object weighing over 10 kilograms that steps on an active mine triggers it. The victim can make a half Reaction Speed check, otherwise he will take 4d10 points of damage from what has been described as a disintegration beam.

The beam causes the electrons in the victim’s cells to destabilize. If the victim survives the initial blast, he must make a Stamina check or permanently loses 2 out of every 5 Stamina points he possesses along with losing the limb that had initial contact with the mine.

Witnessesto the mine’s detonation have described seeing a flash of nearly blinding blue-white energy erupting and smelling ozone in the air.

These weapons saw some action during the Second Dramune War and were quickly banned by the UPF. Several crates of these weapons were never recovered. Reportedly some of mines were acquired by one or more of Dramune’s shadowy crime bosses.

Untriggered mines often have a fail safe device installed when they are almost out of power which causes them to explode with effects similar to a half strength fragmentary grenade. [3]

Types of Munitions

Grenades, bombs, artillery shells and mines have different types of ordinance. Most common are the explosive type (fragmentation) that send out shrapnel, but there are also electrical discharge, field crusher, foam, gas, incendiary, sonic stunner, and tangler munitions.

The descriptions of these types of munitions were mostly covered in part one and can be found in the Alpha Dawn and Zebulon’s Guide rulebooks, so they will only briefly be covered here. Although similar to grenades, larger munitions have a secondary blast area, where damage and effects are greatly reduced to any targets there.

Electrical Discharge. Releasing a high charge of electrical energy when it strikes, the electrical discharge warhead short-circuits every device in the blast radius including computers, chronocoms, and other normal electronics. It can stop an unshielded vehicle, warbot, etc., dead in its tracks, requiring extensive repairs.

The ED warhead acts as an electrostunner set to damage for every bioform in the primary blast area.

Standard Explosive and High Explosives. Standard explosives will cause normal damage to people, structures, robots, vehicles, and other objects within their primary and secondary blast radii.

High explosive warheads are more designed to inflict maximum damage to “soft targets” – i.e. people, animals, light structure buildings. But, when used against armored robots, vehicles, buildings, spaceships, etc. the amount of damage they inflict is similar to a standard explosive bomb.

Field Crusher. This warhead only damages force fields and other energy screens such as inertia, albedo, gauss, light shift, simp, sonic, shimmer, etc. Otherwise, these munitions have no other effect on bioforms or electronics.

Foam. Foam munitions include acid, chemical defoliant, dye, extinguish, irritant, slick, solid, and rad-blast. Within the secondary blast radius, cut its effects in half.

Gas. Gas munitions include doze, dusk, nightfall, poison, and smoke. The effects of a grenade last one turn. The gas cloud from larger munitions are much more persistent. Assume that the resulting gas cloud –barring a fierce wind – will last for 2 turns times the weight of the munition.

Incendiary. This warhead causes fire damage, with the flames continuing to burn long after the initial explosion, which causes more damage.

Sonic Stunner. Anyone within the blast radius must make a Stamina check or be stunned for 1d100 turns. In the secondary blast radius, a character receives a +30 percent bonus to avoid falling victim to the stunning effect, which would only last 1-50 turns. 

Tangler. These munitons throw out hundreds of strong, sticky polymer threads. These threads stick to everything within the blast radius.

http://www.starfrontiers.us/node/9977

Jedion

adding to the mess that is Zebs I'm interested in limpet mines as well

two methods of making them stick:

magnetic: same tech as mag boots and most likely activated by user and mine has a small SEU power disk to power this effect.

tangler adhesive: adaption of tangler thread technology-a plasti-paper backing is pealed off the mine exposing tangler adhesive to air and activating it causing it to foam up a little and the mine can be attached to any surface. It will remain stuck there for 60 minutes (the decay time for tangler threads is 30)  before the adhesive decays and the mine drops. For this reason limpet mines of this sort generally have a variable timer of 60 minutes because the mine dropping would drigger its anti tamper feature.

I suppose there would be a velcro backed limpet mine- for sticking to the velcro strips lining floors and walls in space habitats and on star ships.

I suppose any treatment of mines should also include a trip wire detonation feature as well.

The prices on all of the Zebs detonators are 5 to 15 Cr so I'm inclined to just say in the mines description that it comes with variable timer and mechanical activation (mechanical being pressure plate for stepping on or a tripwire alathe real world claymore)  or for 15 Cr more can have one of the following X,Y or Z detonators as well.

Working off the Claymore's stats

a standard Frontier mine might be 20 cm diameter
1.5 kg

Demolitions-CAS. A Demolitions-Computer Access Scanner can check for explosives, bombs, or mines within a 10 meters radius and up to two meters deep.[1]Its detection equipment can look through all materials except federanium. It can indicate what type of explosive it is, what detonation devices are attached, and give suggestions on how to defuse it.

The Demolition-CAS provides a +20 percent bonus to characters with a Demolitions skill when theya re trying to defuse an explosive.[2]

Ground Penetrating Radar

A ground penetrating radar (GPR) system sends out a series of tiny pulses of energy into material. Its sensors record the strength and the time it takes for signal to be reflected back. This reflection is caused when the energy pulse enters a material that has dissimilar electrical conduction properties than the material it just passed through.

“The strength, or amplitude, of the reflection is determined by the contrast in the dielectric constants and conductivities of the two materials,” noted information from GSSI, a company that produces GPR units. “This means that a pulse which moves from dry sand (dielectric of 5) to wet sand (dielectric of 30) will produce a very strong reflection, while moving from dry sand (5) to limestone (7) will produce a relatively weak reflection.”

Although some of the energy pulse returns to the receiver antenna as a radar echo, the remainder keeps travelling through the ground until it dissipates (attenuates).

Different GPR systems are useful for different applications including for checking structural concrete roadways and bridge decks, for shallow soils, for archaeology and for geological profile with units that have ranges from 0.3 meters to greater than 30 meters.

For Star Frontiers, assume that the Demolition-CAS has a GPR unit, but more advanced detectors are available for robots, drones, and vehicles. The GPR’s base cost is 200 Credits for the AAA size, which is the replacement cost for that found on the Demolition-CAS. See the chart below for more information.

Some incomplete ideas below, concentrating on Sathar mine clearing devices.

Sathar Equipment

Sandflee Drone Types I, II, III. Used by the Sathar, these are small drones with a 5 kilogram body and six legs. The move up at a Slow speed, up to 10 meters per turn. The Sandflees are all equipped with a Type AA scanner, which is used to detect mines buried up to 4 meters deep.

TheType I has a specialized Laser Drill that can burrow into the earth up to 5 meters that can be used to set off a mine. The Type II has an electronic discharge gun with a range of 10 meters that is used to neutralize the electronics found in Frontier mines so they can be collected and reused by the Sathar.

The Sandflee Type III has the equivalent of 1 kilogram of Tornadium D-20, a shaped charge. It is designed to travel to the spot over a deeply buried mine, drop off the explosive charge, and leave the area. The explosive then goes off, withthe blast directed toward the mine (3d10 + 285 points of damage) in the hopes of destroying it.

Twilight 2000 MINES

Mines are placed in the ground and detonated when a man or vehicle passes over them. Anti-tank mines are detonated only by the pressure of a vehicle.

Detonation:

A character walking through a minefield has a 10% chance of triggering a mine per 5 meters traveled through the minefield. A vehicle has a 20% chance of triggering a mine per 5 meters traveled.

Damage:

Detonation of a mine has the same effect as any other explosion, causing knockdown, fragmentation, and contact damage. However, all contact damage to personnel automatically hits one of the legs of the character who detonated the mine.

(Determine which leg randomly.) Contact damage to a vehicle is treated as a suspension hit. If, after suspension damage is taken, there is any remaining energy to the explosion it is resolved as a hit on the lower hull. (See vehicle damage below.)

Detection:

Detection of a minefield is ESY:(CBE or RCN).

Detection of a camouflaged minefield is AVG:(CBE or RCN). Conditions of reduced visibility (fog, night, smoke, etc.) raise an ESY task to AVG and an AVG task to DIP.

Marking and Removal:

Once a minefield is discovered (either by detection as described above or by someone setting off a mine) characters may either probe for the mines and mark their locationor may attempt to remove them. Probing and marking mines is ESY:CBE or AVGiRCN.

Failure of the task indicates that a mine has been accidentally detonated. Removal is AVG:CBE or DIF:RCN. Failure, again, indicates accidental detonation.

In each five square meter area ( 1 x 5 meters) there will be 1D6 mines. Marking or removal is a separate task for each mine.

Marking mines allows characters to crawl or walk through the minefield without hazard. Trotting through a marked minefield is AVG: AGL;running through a marked minefield is DIF:AGL.

Marking a minefield does not reduce its hazard to vehicles.

Removing mines allows vehicles and personnel to move through the minefield without hazard.

Paths marked or removed must be 1 meter wide for walking characters or 5 meters wide for vehicles.

Claymores:

The claymore mine is a directional anti-personnel mine. It is not buried, but instead is generally emplaced at or near ground level and detonated either by remote control or a 30 meter tripwire. Personnel passing over the tripwire have a 60% chance of detonating the mine. Knockdown and contact damage are resolved normally.

Fragmentation, however, is suffered only in the direction of the blast (pre-determine when the mine is emplaced). The burst area is a 30° cone, which means that at any given distance from the mine, it is half that distance wide.

For example, at a distance of 50 meters the cone is 25 meters wide; at a distance of 100 meters it is 50 meters wide. Characters within 50 meters have a 60% chance of a hit and characters within 100 meters have a 20% chance of being hit by fragments, provided the character is in the fragmentation cone.