OnceFarOff December 4, 2012 - 3:17pm | I recently watched a mythbusters where they fired various caliber projectiles into the water. None of them made it past a foot or two, and the higher velocity rounds came apart almost immediately. So I can't speak to the beam weapons, but projectiles are more useless then a ham sandwich in Jerusalem. Interesting thought: sonic weapons underwater... |
TerlObar December 4, 2012 - 4:00pm | Unless you have crystal clear water with little to no turbulence, lasers will diffuse quite rapidly and become useless as well. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
jedion357 December 4, 2012 - 5:25pm | Ok point blank for most beam and possibly a loss of 1d10 in power even at PB. Sonic is perhaps useful and dangerous to the wielder. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
rattraveller December 4, 2012 - 6:27pm | What about gyrojet? If the rocket had its own oxygen supply then it could get the initial thrust and take off. The design could easily cut water and like sonic weapons the underwater concussion would do considerable damage even if the shrapnel was lessened. Sounds like a great job but where did you say we had to go? |
TerlObar December 4, 2012 - 7:21pm | I'd reduce the ranges as the water would definitely slow it down but I'd say gyrojet weapons would work underwater. Of course that assumes that any weapon in question you're trying to fire underwater has been designed to work wet. If there are components (e.g. electronics) that aren't desgined for it, it may not work at all. Ad Astra Per Ardua! My blog - Expanding Frontier Webmaster - The Star Frontiers Network & this site Founding Editor - The Frontier Explorer Magazine Managing Editor - The Star Frontiersman Magazine |
jedion357 December 4, 2012 - 8:33pm | I would say that optimization for underwater use might be something that takes place latter in the time line - that at the time the price of the weapon should have come down this new feature was added that caused the cost to stay the same. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
Karxan December 5, 2012 - 10:25pm | I have been looking into what suggestions are already out there about underwater equipment an such. Here is some info: Aquatic Equipment When going underwater, characters can take a variety of equipment modified to work in that environment. |
Karxan December 5, 2012 - 10:28pm | Another source I found was this: This is from Dragon Mag #110, Underwater combat
The modified weapons and equipment mentioned earlier have a tendency to malfunction due to powerful pressure from deep dives, as do AGS’s. Weapons and equipment must be further modified if taken into water containing powerful chemicals; this modification will cost a further 50 Credits. |
Karxan December 5, 2012 - 10:53pm | Also, In the fan created Gamma World module GW-5 Rapture of the Deep, it has a lot of equipment for the game and underwater rules. They have a Blue/Green laser that is designed to work underwater. Really though, as TerlObar stated, laser are practicaly useless underwater. Thought these items would help with the discussion. I have been working on trying to gather information for an article or maybe an adventure around water. One thing not mentioned so far as I have seen are underwater robots. I was thinking the sathar with all of their cyber creatures might have some type of underwater cybo-fish thing going on somewhere. Maybe The sathar version of the "White Whale". |
jedion357 December 6, 2012 - 8:04am | I think those combat modifiers are in column shift mechanic and we probably should convert thet to d100. I might not be a dralasite, vrusk or yazirian but I do play one in Star Frontiers! |
Cedric January 9, 2013 - 10:13pm | There was a game years ago called Justifiers. One of the undersea sourcebooks recommended magnetic weapons because they fired dart-like flechettes instead of conical bullets. And I remember throwing those torpedo-shaped pool toys and just how far and straight they'd go with just a little push. It makes me think needler weapons might be somewhat effective underwater. Maybe half the range and probably damage penalties at "new" long range because of the pattern dispersal. Ctrl+Alt+Smite |