New Weapons

Gunblade:

The combination of a pistol and a sword, a gunblade allows a skilled user to fire the weapon just as it's cutting into a person for more severe damage capability.

The gunblade uses the edged weapons skill. On a successful hit, the user can make a heavy pistols (4) test. Each success increases the power of the attack by 1.

While this takes some skill to use properly, in the hands of the right user it can inflict serious damage, as the blade itself does (Str+1)M damage as it is.



Lightsabre:

An interesting bit of magical technology which came out of Avalon Corp. It's basically a small handle generator, from which comes a fairly weak plasma laser which deals of a successful hit (S-1)L damage... nothing to be impressed with. This uses the laser weapons skill. The beam can cut things as if it were an edged weapon.

However, as a weapon focus these items truly awaken. As a weapon focus it does (S+2F) damage, and the damage is L for force 1, M for force 2-3, S for force 4-5, and D for force 6+. So a force 6 weapon focus lightsabre does S+12D damage. Of course, only an awakened character can use it to it's full potential, and its great cost makes sure only the best adepts can operate a powerful one. Still- in the proper hands it is definately a force to be reckoned with. (The damage of the lightsabre in astral combat uses Cha instead of force, but this supersedes the normal weapon foci astral damage codes.)

The lightsabre is easily concealed when turned off, but when activated emits a low hum, making it difficult to use stealthily.


Phasers

A small easily concealed energy weapon that can provide quite the sting. While it doesn't have the energy capacity that bullets can, the ability to switch between Stun damage and Physical damage with a push of a button makes this a great ranged weapon.

It uses the energy weapons skill, and has variable power settings, allowing you to increase the damage code of the attack. Base damage is 2L. You can increase the damage code by taking a +2 TN to hit per code above L, or increase the power by taking +1 TN to hit per 2 power increase. Unfortunately they are not smartlink compatable and they have pistol range. Changing settings (power, damage code, or stun/physical) is a complex action, though you can make any adjustments you want with that same action.

The weakness in phasers comes from the fact that the energy wave generated by the beam can be blocked by most energy shielding technology. Some people can get 1-2 shots in before the shields compensate, though people with B/R energy weapons can attempt to get the phasers to randomly modulate frequencies to get a few more shots in, though at best this gets you 10-20 shots before the shields just catch up.

This suffers no recoil.

Freeze Ray
The ares corp recently came out with the freeze ray as part of a technology to cool superconductors that leaked into the weapons development field. This uses the energy weapons skill.

The weapon is fired at the target, who resists using quickness instead of body. Each net success for the attacker reduces the target's quickness by 1 due to freezing icy temperatures- quickness reduced to 0 freezes the target in a block of ice where they are conscious but immobile. The quickness returns (with warmth) at the rate of 1 point per 5 minutes, once quickness goes back up to 1 the target can move (at lower quickness). This can be dodged normally using combat pool. As far as damage, the targets need only resist 2L stun regardless of successes any time they take any quickness damage.