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Beam Weapons

Beam weapons is a broad category for a number of electromagnetic weapons with a wide range of effects. With a few exceptions, energy weapons are primarily used for less-than-lethal purposes, designed to impair the target rather than kill it. Their poor performance against armor, lesser ability to damage targets, and high power requirements make them less versatile than kinetic weapons. All beam weapons come with built-in safety and smartlink systems (p. 342).

Moderate Laser Pulser

Laser weapons use focused beams of light to inflict damage on the target by burning into it and causing it's outer surface to vaporize and expand, creating an explosive effect. The laser beam is pulsed in order to bite into the target before the beam is diffused.

Moderate Microwave Agonizer

The agonizer fires millimeter-wave beams that create an unpleasant burning sensation in skin (even through armor) and to metals. Agonizers have two settings.

High Particle Beam Bolter

This weapon shoots a bolt of accelerated particles at near light speed that transfer massive amounts of kinetic energy to the target, superheating and creating an explosion when striking. The bolter's beam is not diffused by the cloud that occurs when it strikes, and so it has greater penetration than the laser pulser. Likewise, the bolter is not affected by smoke, fog, or rain.

High Plasma Cutter

Plasma cutters are useful cutting and excavation tools that also work as short-range weapons. They are devices that are halfway in use and power between a plasma torch and a plasma rifle and are designed to cut rock, refractory alloys, and similar substances.

Expensive Plasma Rifle

This bulky, heavy, two-handed weapon blasts a stream of nova-hot plasma at the target, inflicting severe burns and thermal damage, possibly melting or evaporating the target entirely. Plasma rifles are perhaps the deadliest man-portable weapons in use. Plasma guns suffer from dangerous overheating in vacuum, however, and so require 1 full Action Turn of cool-down time after every 2 shots.

Moderate Stunner

The stunner is an electrolaser that creates an electrically-conductive plasma channel to the target, down which it transmits a powerful electric current, shocking the target. Stunners do not work in vacuum. Stunners fire in semi-auto mode.