HBW and Cutter Beam

I can't remember if there was any conclusions either (and I can never find the
archives).

Since FB2 came out, my biggest objection to the Heavy Beam Weapon (HBW),
that of an auto-hit at close range, has been overridden. The K-Guns use
this
mechanic. :-/

I came up with another mechanic, but don't know if it would balance out or
not.

Cutter Beam
Same mass/cost/arc restrictions as Class-X K-Gun
Roll to hit and damage as Class-X Beam
Special: Damage is marked off VERTICALLY rather than horizontally. If damage
from a CB reaches the last row of its target's damage tracks, the target rolls
a threshold check per its current threshold level. If damage is beyond the
last damage track, additional damage is lost.

Example:
A Class-3 CB rolls 6,4,3 it does 3 points of damage and a
reroll (and gets a 5) for a total of 4 points of damage.
If the target had level-1 screens, the damage would only have
been 3 (as the 4 would not count). If the target had level-2
screens, the damage would have been 2 (as the 6 would have done 1 pt and the 4
would not have counted).

The target (a Radetzky) has the following damage track (with some previous
damage marked by 'x':
  xOOOOO
  xxooo
*ooo oo*o ooo*

The CB would mark damage as follows (marked by 'X':
  xXOOOO  <-- Damage is taken to the first armor
  xxXoo   <-- Damage is taken to the first hull
  *oXo    <-- Damage is marked vertically
  ooXo    <--  "     "    "       "
ooo* In this round, the CB failed to penetrate to the last damage row, so no
threshold check is made.

The next round the CB rolls 6,5,4 and a reroll of 6 for 6 points of damage:
  xxXOOO
  xxxXo
*oxX
  ooxX
  oooX
At this point the target would take a threshold check (as its first threshold
check as it still has a hull box in the first row). This would NOT cause the
threshold level to change (i.e. the next threshold would still require a 6 to
damage and the core systems would be safe). Also note that the extra point of
damage was lost (i.e. not recorded).

What this hopes to model is a deep penetration weapon. It punches through a
ship, in hopes of hitting a critical system. If it misses a critical system,
then it has less effect in advancing the ship to a regular threshold check.

So as not to make it too powerful, I chose to make it fairly costly, effeced
by screens and armor in the same way as regular beams, and limit the arcs.
regular beams

-----
Brian Bell bkb@beol.net
http://members.xoom.com/rlyehable/ft/

> Special:

I experimaented with a vertical damage weapon, and few seemed interested.
Mine, however, did not have the additional threshold check.

Speaking of which, I think that it's too powerful to have a threshold check
whenever a row is lost. This puts larger ships at a distinct disadvantage as
they have both more rows of boxes, and more systems to loose from the checks.

> I can't remember if there was any conclusions either (and I can never

Eh? No they don't. Hits at 0-6mu range still need 2+ to hit - rolls of 1
miss.

You are, of course, correct. I mis-read the rule.

---
Brian Bell bkb@beol.net <mailto:bkb@beol.net>
http://members.xoom.com/rlyehable/ft/
ICQ: 12848051 AIM: Rlyehable
---

[quoted original message omitted]