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TML biweekly    Wed May 25 21:00:03 EDT 1994    Volume 45 : Issue 10

Today's topics:

BUN# =AMN= =DATE====== =FROM==========  =SUBJECT/BODY==========================
 617  7752 24-May-1994 PSUAlum@aol.com  TNE: GARNETT GUN << I wrote:
 617  7754 24-May-1994 KenHagler@aol.c  High Guard ships << When I posted the _
 617  7755 24-May-1994 David Johnson    All: Imperial Propaganda: Sword Worlds 
 617  7756 23-May-1994 Jeff Zeitlin     74:18/7716 Kirk and McGyv << Subject: 7
 617  7757 24-May-1994 David Johnson    Admin: TML Etiquette << Gentlesophonts:
 617  7758 24-May-1994 George Herbert   Steve Higginbotham's TCS campaign... <<
 618  7760 25-May-1994 Steven M Bonnev  New Xboat Design << All these old High 
 618  7761 25-May-1994 L.T.Bryant       first post << > Greatings all.
 617  7753 24-May-1994 "Tariq M. Rashi  RE:More NPCs << As promised here are th
 617  7759 25-May-1994 Derek Wildstar   Re: TNE: GARNETT GUN << In Bun#617,AMN 

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----------------------------------------------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7752
From: PSUAlum@aol.com
Date: Tue, 24 May 94 17:13:16 EDT
Subject: TNE: GARNETT GUN

I wrote:

When the first Antiarmor "Cruch Guns" were brought back the the worlds
> 
of the Reformation Coalition an arms company on Aurora, de Corbin Arms
> 
Company (dCA Co.) obtained a few and reversed engineered them, 

[deletia]


> 

Any suggestions for a name for this gun?  

John Bogan <john.bogan@asb.com> replied to me:

The Garnett

That gun was designed by Guy Garnett (Wildstar@quark.qrc.com), longtime 
TML member and coordinator of the TNE-Pocket sublist and admin of the GDW-
Beta sublist.  

GDW-Beta was formed to test some of the design sequences in FF&S, and 
Guy tried to re-create a real-life Soviet anti-tank rifle from the 1930's (PK
something)
using the small arms design rules.  Upon seeing the result, he called it the
"poor man's fusion gun".  POT describes its use EXACTLY as he envisioned.


Guy also has a regular column, "House Rules", in _The Traveller Chronicle_,
a new Traveller magazine now gearing up for its fifth issue.


I say give credit where credit is due.  The Garnett Gun it is.

PBJuzyk


------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7754
From: KenHagler@aol.com
Date: Tue, 24 May 94 20:28:56 EDT
Subject: High Guard ships

When I posted the _Rhine_ class, I stated that there were no known 
variants. As Steve pointed out to me, this is not true--the Alliance Navy 
modified theirs. They also modified the _Berlins_ they recieved. Here are 
the Alliance versions:

TF-1A Rhine TF-R7313G3-090300-00009-2 MCr39,942.7 100,000 tons
batteries bearing  8    Y  Crew=854.
batteries    A    Z  TL=12(13).
Low=427. Cargo=119. Fuel=33,000. EP=3000. Agility=1. Marines=300.
    Y=35, Z=50
Notes: Frozen watch, scoops, plant. This version carried 4 Alliance 
_Berlins_ and twenty of New Home's Wasp fighters.

BM-1A Berlin BM-K6068G3-C00307-00009-0 MCr10,767 10,000 tons
batteries bearing    4    6 Crew=440.
batteries      4    6 TL=12(13).
Low=220. Cargo=244. Fuel=800. EP=800. Agility=6. Marines=350.

Notes: watch, scoops, plant.

These variants would have seen action in the Serendip War.

Stay tuned for the first installment of "Starships of the Cluster 
Liberation War," coming soon to the TML...

Ken


------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7755
Date: Tue, 24 May 94 19:57:42 CDT
From: djohnson@geds01.jsc.nasa.gov (David Johnson)
Subject: All: Imperial Propaganda: Sword Worlds

Gentlesophonts:

Been thinking about the portrayal of the Sword Worlders in the official
campaign material.  Let's look a little closer at the "Contact" article
on the Sword Worlders from *JTAS* #18.

On the status of women:

"Sword Worlds society is militaristic and male-dominated, women having a
much more subordinate position than in the Imperium."

Sounds bad, right?  Here's the specifics:

"Almost without exception, men fill important public offices, business
positions, and high military commands.  While women are not legally or
culturally prohibited from any occupation, any woman in a `male' profession
is expected to exhibit male rather than female behavior (at least in public).
The reverse, however, is not true.  Men may never exhibit female behaviors
(in public at least) without losing face."

Sounds more like the US today, or at least in 1970.

On the instability of Sword Worlds governments and interworld rivalry
let's look at the historical timeline:

- -189  First interstellar government, the Sacnoth (or First) Dominate, formed.
- -102  First Dominate falls in First War of Rebellion, various individual
      and multiworld governments exist.
 104  Triple Dominion formed
 217  Triple Dominion falls, again various smaller governments prevail.
 604  Second Dominate formed after First Frontier War.
 698  Gram Coalition overthrows Second Dominate
 788  Trilateral Alliance replaces Gram Coalition after loss in Darrian War.
 848  Trilateral Alliance falls, replaced by Gram government four years
      later.
1110  Border Worlds break-off after Imperial occupation following the 
      Fifth Frontier War.

Thus, we have six governments ruling for over 700 years over a period
of nearly 1300 years (not counting the Border Worlds).  Prior to the
current government (c1110) at Gram each Sword Worlds government lasted
an average of approximately 90 years - three generations, which is pretty
good for a feudal system.  The most recent government had existed for
over 260 years by 1110!  The interregnum between the current government
and the previous one was only four years.  There was virtually no
interregnum in the two government changes prior to the last one which
means the Sword Worlds have had a single interstellar government, albeit
with changes in the seat of government, almost continuously since the
Second Dominate was formed in 604 - over half a millenia and nearly half
the life of the Third Imperium!

Imperial propaganda: "a battle for the hearts and minds" indeed!

Happy Travelling,

David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA

------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7756
Subject: 74:18/7716 Kirk and McGyv
From: jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com (Jeff Zeitlin)
Date: Mon, 23 May 94 18:45:00 -0500

Subject: 74:18/7716 Kirk and McGyver

T::>>I'd bet MacGyver could build a simple Cannon-Locke or Matchlock out of
 ::>>Bamboo and twine. . .

T::>So can James T. Kirk, especially when a lumbering lizard man (a.k.a. the
 ::>Gorn) was after him!

 Naahh, Kirk needed some diamonds and sulfur to complete the job.  
 I'm not sure where he got the saltpeter, though.  McGyver could do 
 it with nothing but a swamp in the middle of a jungle.
==========================================================================
Jeff Zeitlin                                      jeff.zeitlin@execnet.com
- ---
 ~ QMPro 1.52 ~ We're gonna need another Timmy!

------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7757
Date: Tue, 24 May 94 20:17:31 CDT
From: djohnson@geds01.jsc.nasa.gov (David Johnson)
Subject: Admin: TML Etiquette

Gentlesophonts:

From Monday night, Tariq Rashid <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu> writes:

> I think that it would be best for all on the TML if we refrained from 
> religious references.  The TML is no place for that.

I too felt a little uncomfortable with the religious comparisons made a
while back.  I think a good rule to follow when considering making some
comment about another group is to consider a similar comment made
about the corresponding group that you identify with.  You might have
a little insight then into what you might be doing to someone else.

If you must have a group to `put upon' stick with fictional ones like
those "dirty, stinkin' Zhos" or those nutty Gilgameshers.

Peace,

David Johnson
Houston, Texas, USA

------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7758
Subject: Steve Higginbotham's TCS campaign...
Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 19:26:56 -0700
From: George Herbert <gwh@crl.com>


Ok, the details are starting to leak out, we should all finally come
clean and admit our parts.  8-)  I want to know, who was playing
the Belt?  

- -george william herbert / Adm Ronald Paskin, CNO Colchis

------------------------------

Bundle: 618
Archive-Message-Number: 7760
Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 02:10:04 -0500
From: bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu (Steven M Bonneville)
Subject: New Xboat Design


All these old High Guard postings lately have got me in the mood
to do a ship design.  But since I haven't seen many designs here
using the new system yet, I thought I'd try to "convert" the old
xboat to the new rules, yet try to keep the old feel and stats.
With one stat tweak to the size, it worked, and here's the result:


_Dinimbue_-class Express Boat ("Xboat")


GENERAL
  Displacement:  20 tons     Hull Armor:  10
  Length:         8 meters   Volume:     280 cu. meters
  Target Size:   VS          Tech Level:  13
  Config'n.:     Sphere SL   Price:   MCr 58.12 (MCr 46.50 in qty.)
  Mass (Loaded/Empty): 126.259/121.353 metric tonnes
  
ENGINEERING
  Power Plant:       16 MW Fusion (8 MW/hit), 1 month duration
  Jump Performance:  4 (70 kL fuel)
  G-Rating:          nil
  Maint:             2
  
ELECTRONICS
  Computer:  6 x TL13Fb (0.9 MW ea.)
  Commo:     3 x 1000 AU maser (infinite, 0.6 MW)
             1 x   30 Mm radio (1 hex, 1.0 MW)
  Sensors:   PEMS fixed array 30 Mm (1 hex, 0.03 MW)
             AEMS 3000 km (0 hex; use long range, 8.0 MW)
  Controls:  2 x workstations
  
ACCOMODATIONS
  Life Support:   Extended (0.056 MW)
                  Artificial Grav (4G, 1.4 MW) 
  Crew:           1 (1 x Maneuver)
  Accomodations:  1 x Lg Stateroom
  Cargo:          400 kg
  Airlocks:       1
  
SYSTEMS
  JD 1H; LSR 1H; PP (4h); LS (4h); ELS (2h); Others (1h)
  
DAMAGE TABLES:
  AREA (1d20)  SURFACE       INT. EXPLOSION
  1            1-4: Ant.     Electronics
  2-5          1-6: Ant.     Electronics
  6            1-3: Airlock  1-4: Qtrs.; 5-19: Elec.; 20: Cargo
  7-9                        1-4: Qtrs.; 5-20: Elec.
  10-11                      1-15: Elec.; 16-20 Fuel
  12-15                      1-14: Elec.; 15-20 Fuel
  16-19                      1-5: Engrg.; 6-20: Fuel
  20                         1-8: Engrg.; 9-20: Fuel
  
The _Dinimbue_-class express boat, or "xboat", has been used by the
IISS Communications Office for centuries as one of the workhorses of
the Imperial communications network.  Optimized for their job, the 
ships are unsuited for almost any task besides carrying electronic
xmail.  The ship carries extensive databanks and a powerful and 
triply backed-up maser communicator.  Only one communicator is
meant to be powered at a time; the radio is for emergencies and
xboat tender retrieval operations only.  The class is named after
the professor at the University of Sylea who, in 624, designed the
infamous "Poni Express" insignia which has since adorned all IISS 
Communications Office ships and crews.

DESIGNER'S NOTES:  This is an attempt to capture the spirit of
the old CT xboat design using the FF&S/Brilliant Lances ship design
rules.  Since any size ship may now carry jump drives, the ship
was simply reduced in size by a factor of five, to the minimum
possible size.  The ship is state-of-the-art for the late 600s
Imperial, when the xboat net was started.  To accurately reflect
the high proportion of fuel to cargo, those hits have been spelled
out explicitly in the damage table rather than using the standard
"Hold" result.  (Typical practice in my designs...a little more
realistic.)  Since the sensors are a bit sub-par (which seems to
fit well with the concept and GDW's typical designs), I assume that 
the tender has a beacon which makes it easy for the xboat to
to center its' commaser.  The old "80% for quantity purchase of
class ships discount" is applied in parentheses under price.
Like the classic xboat, it's a sitting duck.

   Steve Bonneville
   <bonnevil@mermaid.micro.umn.edu>


------------------------------

Bundle: 618
Archive-Message-Number: 7761
From: cs5025@wlv.ac.uk (L.T.Bryant)
Subject: first post
Date: Wed, 25 May 1994 12:26:58 +0100 (BST)

> Greatings all.
>       This is my first poast to the group so please be  gentle.
> I  recantly  perchased  TNE deluxe and after  much  slagging  off
> actuly  read it , the rules are nice and fairly easy (  ive  gmed
> twilight  1st  and 2nd and dark conspiacy) and the  way  thing  s
> fitted  together semed well, then i got to start  looking at  the
> vehicles, after much laughter i cheaked the grav tank in FFS  and
> found  that i raly want to keep my M1E1 tank, but then my  freind
> mr  Archer  asked me to work through the 2300 rules  and  convert
> across  the wepons for the game he wants to run ( It will be  ste
> on  the  bayern so dont ask me why ) and after   working  through
> the  system a few times i have to admit i like it , this  led  me
> to  go  through the maain rules again, and they make  more  sence
> now.
> Im  not  defending TNE as its got enough holes to drive  a  battle
> fleet through but what i am saying is give it a chance as it  may
> turn out to be a real corker.
> befor i sign off a question.
>       When  is space 1889 coming out for the TNE rule  set ?  (
> remove toung from cheek )
> goodbye and thank you
> -- 
> oh rose thou art sick
>                the invisible worm that flys by night.....STEEL
> 
> 


- -- 
oh rose thou art sick
               the invisible worm that flys by night.....STEEL


------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7753
Date: Tue, 24 May 1994 16:29:27 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Tariq M. Rashid" <spstmr@gsusgi2.gsu.edu>
Subject: RE:More NPCs

As promised here are the rest of the NPCs I said that I would post.  As 
before the stats ate in GDW house form but common sense conversions are 
easy enough.  Once again some names have been shuffled for security 
purposes..

- -----------------------------------------------------------------------
Iwo Lyon                                Born 1180  Giga, Frontier
Str-7  Agl-A  Con-8  Int-6  Edu-4  Chr-5  Soc-4
Iwo was born and grew up on the planet Giga which is located in the 
region of sparse stellar population at the edge of NeoSol subsector known 
as the frontier.  When he was 12 raiders? or a scout force from an 
mini empire across the frontier raided his Windrider village.  Led by a 
man known only as Gushmegne, they massacred almost everyone they could 
find including Iwo's father, mother and brothers.  In 1193 he was found 
by a NeoSol Federation Scout wandering through the desert regions of Giga 
in a catatonic state.  The scout took him in and carried him back to his 
home on the planet Aurigae.  The trauma on Giga had awakened Iwo's 
nascent Psi abilities and contact with a secret order on Aurigae served 
to develop them further.  The members of this order are the gaurdians of 
a merging of Psi Abilities and Martial Arts known simply as The Way.  
There are 5 facets of the way that are inherent in an individual just as 
Psionic abilities are inherent.  Trauma and training awaken them.  When 
the Union of Senled invaded Nemo in 1198 his adoptive family was killed 
by a ballistic missile attack(conventional) on their home city.  This 
trauma awakened the second way in Iwo.  After this he joined the crew of 
a far trader owned and operated by BJ Eyzaguirre.  He has used this 
position to smuggle TL 10 weapons to the TL 6,7 Nemon National League.  
His life filled with tradgedy he no longer smiles and always has a look 
on intensity on his face.  He has devoted himself to practicing the two 
Ways he knows and seeks adventure to awaken the others.  He also will 
look for ways to assist the Nemon National League and hates any 
representative of the Union of Senled.  

Iwos conventional skills should be appropriate to a junior spacehand.
Added to these skills
UAMA-6 Stealth-3  Riding-2

****Iwo only has experience with the first two ways****

The Five Facets of the Way are
1)The Way of the Shining Path( Hand Strike -4)
  Microtelekenesis combined with hand strikes, gives a hand strike some  
  penetration ability.  Say Pen of 2 if it penetrates then does full 
damage, otherwise no damage.

2)Way of the Breeze (Enhanced Stealth treat as Stealth-8)
This way enables the user to move about being very difficult to see or hear

3)Way of the Comet (Super Speed)
Using teleportation this allows super fast movement.  Say Psi Level * 
10m/turn) 

4)The Way of the Hurricane (TK Blast)
This is simply an area effect TK Blast of great power.  Car flipper, wall 
buckler at higher levels.

5) The Awareness of Reality (Ultimate Way--Masters Only)
The Awareness of reality is the most difficult and possibly the most 
powerful way.  It enables the practitioner to "fold" things in and out of 
reality.  It is in a sense sort of a PsiTransfer that functions as a 
black globe sort of thing.  It absorbs energy impacting it (up to some 
max) and the user can store this energy of short periods of time then 
dumping it into his or her own Psi based attacks, actions etc.  I havent 
quite figured out how to formulate this but suggestions are welcome.  
Just like a globe it can be overloaded and prevents communication across 
it.  This included Psi communication?  

Each way requires one combat action to activate and pulls from some pool 
of UAMA and Psi-Level.  I havent had the chance to really sit down and 
work this out in detail but I have the main idea pretty much to my 
satisfaction.  I think that I havent introduced anything in direct conflict 
with any era of traveller.  It certainly adds an element of space opera 
to the universe.  Can you imagine Masters of the Way battling it out in 
some high port while the PCs get caught in the middle.  I know some of 
you might say I should play champions for this but as I said there is no 
direct conflict with the Traveller Universe here and I think it adds to 
my campaign (at least in my head).

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solon Maghib                            Born 50,1168 Prima
8-9-A-9-8-4 Soc 4
Navigation-2    Slug Rifle-5    Slug Pistol-2   Energy Rifle-1
Zero Gee-3      Commo-2         Computer-2      UAMA-4
Farming-1       Small Blade-2   Observation-1   Trauma Aid-2
Env Suit-3      Act/Bluff-1     Pilot I/G-2     Language-1
Willpower-3     Grnd Tac-2      Survival-3      Interrogation-2
Sculpture-2

Solon Maghib enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 where he soon 
expressed an interest and aptitude for the Special forces.  He joined the 
SPACR (Space Planetary and Atmospheric Combat Regiment) at the end of his 
first term and distinguished himself.  At the end of his 2nd term he was 
selected to attend OCS.  Graduating from there he was soon promoted to 
the rank of Sub-Lt.  Much of his activity is classified but he did 
recieve a commendation for his part in closing down the Gamma project.  A 
geneering experiment initiated by a private consortiun whose subjects 
where kidnapped from low tech worlds.  During his 4th term his family was 
killed in the well known Icarus incident where the Destroyer Icarus 
vented its thrusters inside a docking bay killing 518 people. (See Ammel 
Brodrig)  He left the Navy at the end of this term and move to Enope 
where he spent his time carving stone and wood, living off of the land.  
While on one of his treks through the wilderness of Enope he discovered a 
diamond.  It was not long after that he was framed for murders of two 
junior constables.  The local  Chief Constable Ulysses Stark was on the case 
and he discovered evidenve that Solon did not commit the murder.  It was 
Aaron Nessus, the son of a man who was regionally(planetwise) powerful.  
The Constable came upon Nessus holding Solon at gunpoint bragging about 
how he framed him for the murders.  When U Stark ordered him to drop the 
weapon Nessus instead aimed for the Constable, He was shot dead by The 
Constable U Stark.  Far from being heros both Solon and U Stark found 
life very difficult on Enope after that.  When given the oppurtunity to 
leave Solon joined Amara Adan of NeoSol Systems Corp and her Corporate 
Action Team.  

From an interview of Solon Maghib by a local news service on Enope

For some reason people have this concept that the SPACR drops from orbit 
on top of the enemy and starts blazing away. Wrong.  Thats very unlikely 
and happens only when something has gone very wrong.  We are much more 
likely to spend two weeks hiding in the rafters of some warehouse on a 
clandestine spotting and observation mission.  You never know when 
there's one of us around.  Could be one reading this over your shoulder 
right now.  Don't look! too late you're DEAD!  They teach us so much, but 
they don't teach us how to cope back in the real world.  When my family 
was killed in the Icarus incident.  I broke from what I thought was 
real.  I left the Navy and moved to Enope where I formed reality from 
stone and wood through sculpture...

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Thats gonna have to be it for today, Ill try to get the other 3 or 4 on 
tomorrow.

Tariq

"We found this book in some old building on one of those pigpen worlds on 
the frontier....the Sgt had to kill a few of the natives who were trying 
to stop us from taking it...makes a nice souvenier for children"

Adios





------------------------------

Bundle: 617
Archive-Message-Number: 7759
Date: Wed, 25 May 94 01:25:06 -0400
From: Derek Wildstar <wildstar@quark.qrc.com>
Subject: Re: TNE: GARNETT GUN

In Bun#617,AMN 7752, "PBJuzyk" wrote:
> Any suggestions for a name for this gun?  
>
> John Bogan <john.bogan@asb.com> replied to me: The Garnett
> 
> That gun was designed by Guy Garnett (Wildstar@quark.qrc.com), longtime 
> TML member and coordinator of the TNE-Pocket sublist and admin of the GDW-
> Beta sublist.  
> 
> GDW-Beta was formed to test some of the design sequences in FF&S, and 
> Guy tried to re-create a real-life Soviet anti-tank rifle from the 1930's
> (PK something) using the small arms design rules.  Upon seeing the result,
> he called it the "poor man's fusion gun".  POT describes its use EXACTLY
> as he envisioned.

The original design and description for that gun follow.

> Guy also has a regular column, "House Rules", in _The Traveller Chronicle_,
> a new Traveller magazine now gearing up for its fifth issue.

Thanks for the plug, John!

> I say give credit where credit is due.  The Garnett Gun it is.

Thanks!

For your enjoyment, here is the original design and commentary.  PLEASE NOTE
that this item was written PRIOR to the publication of FF&S, and that
I haven't corrected the FF&S stats for this gun from the PRELIMINARY
version of FF&S, so the FF&S design IS NOT CORRECT as stated below.  The gun
as given in _Path of Tears_ and _RCES Equipment Guide_ *HAS* been corrected
to the final version of FF&S, and is as correct as the rules allow.

Personally, I prefer the "real world" stats, which are provably more correct
than any of the FF&S-generated information.  The second column of the design
table below gives the actual values for the real-world gun, as accurately as
I have been able to determine them.  Feel free to use these in place of the
FF&S statistics.

If a lot of the following sounds familiar to purchasers of _Path of Tears_,
well, this materials was used (with permission) by GDW for both POT and the
_RCES Equipment Guide_.



- -----8<----- The following is a post originally dated October 29, 1993:

This is (yet another) small arms design; tonite I'll knock off of the
small arms and see if I can design a Ilyushin Il2m3 (better known as
the Shturmovik) to check out the aircraft design sequences.  That plane's
armor should be, um, challenging, in the FF&S system.

No longer do your TL-5, xenophobic natives have to cower in fear of
Reformation Coalition backed Star Vikings.  Have the local warlord call
up a few squads of these "poor man's fusion guns".  With Ball ammunition
(locally producable at TL-5), they can penetrate TL-10 Battle Dress and any
Combat Armor.  With DS ammunition (a TL-8 item), these weapons have damage 
and penetration equal to (or better than, particularly at longer ranges)
the FGMP-14 and FGMP-15 and can effectively defeat all forms of personal
armor, as well as the side, deck, belly, and turret armor of the G-Carrier
and the Grav Tank.  

Given their relative low cost, particularly when compared to their high-tech 
opponents Battle Dress (Cr220,000) and Fusion Gun (Cr54,000), these weapons 
are clearly very cost-effective.


Example 5: 14.5mm Protivotankovoe Ruzh'yo obr 1941g (PTRS-41)


Item                    FF&S Value              "Real-World" Value
                         (note 1)       (all values taken from published
                        Ball    DS       real-world data except as noted)
I. Ammunition
        Tech Level:     5                       USSR circa 1941
        Caliber:        14.5mm                  14.5mm
        Length:         146.7mm                 114mm
        Type:           Necked                  Necked, AP Incendiary
        Overall Length: 175.7mm                 ?
        Mass:           242.25g                 201g
        Average Energy: 31007J                  31017J
        Price:          Cr12.1  Cr24.2          ?

II. Weapon Design
  1. Barrel
        Average Barrel: 147.5cm                 139cm
        Actual Barrel:  139cm                   139cm
        Type:           Heavy
        Weight:         4.17kg                  ?
        Price:          Cr1668                  ?
        Actual Energy:  30123J                  31017J
        Damage:         12      12              * 12
        Penetration:    2-2-3   1-1-2           * 2-2-3

  2. Receiver
        Type:           Light Self-Loader       Semi-Automatic          
        Length:         95.5cm                  ?
        Mass:           30.123kg                ?
        Price:          Cr6024.6                ?

  3. Stocks
        Type:           Wooden Rifle Stock      Wooden stocks, carrying
        Length:         25cm                    handles, and integral bipod.
        Mass:           1kg
        Price:          Cr25
        Barrel Len Mod: 0.9145                  * 1
        Close Range:    206.3m  247.6m          * 229.0m

  4. Feed System
        Type:           Box Magazine (note 2)   Internal Magazine, clip loaded
        Capacity:       5                       5
        Mass:           1.308kg                 ?
        Cost            Cr1309                  ?
        Loaded Mass:    2.519kg                 1.193kg

  5. Options
        ? Total Mass:   36.601kg (w/o bipod)    22.053kg (with bipod)
        ? Total Length: 259.5cm                 213.4cm
        ? Total Price:  Cr9026.6                        ?
        Recoil:         5                       * 5
        Bulk:           17                      * 14
    b. Bipod
        Bipod Mass:     15.062
        Bipod Cost:     Cr200.6
        Total Mass:     51.663kg                22.053kg
        Total Cost:     Cr9227.2
        Recoil:         3                       * 3

* Gaming data computed from real-world values with FF&S formulae.

Notes:
1 - Whenever two figures are given, the first is for ball (an option for
Armor-Piercing Incendiary would have been nice) and the second is for the
"high-tech" (TL-8) Discarding Sabot round.
2 - Figuring the internal magazine as a box magazine that's permanently
attached to the weapon.  I'm also using the grams to kilograms "fix" that
I mentioned in my first weapon design.

Comments: Yes, this really was a real gun.  Originally designed as a man
portable, anti-tank small arms rifle by the Soviets during WWII, the gun
was quickly outclassed by the rapidly improving armor protection of
German tanks.  The cartridge lives on as the ammuntion for the TL-6 KPV
machinegun (found on many Soviet armored vehicles and anti-aircraft
defenses).  The gas-operated action of this rifle (scaled down, of course)
found its way into the SKS rifle.

All in all, I'm not really very happy with this FF&S design; the weapon
came out more than twice as heavy as it should have (a hundred-and-fifteen
pound rifle).  I think the problem here is that the FF&S design system is
too linear; if you push on the high end, you get guns that are much too big 
and heavy, and if you push on the low end, you get things like 10mm (cal) 
by 3mm (long) cartridges and guns that are much too light.

I note that the two biggest contributors to the weight of this gun are the
receiver and the bipod.  Both of these are directly proportional to the
muzzle energy of the weapon.  One (probably the bipod) or both of these
formulae are definitely wrong.  One "fix" might be to make the bipod a
multiple of the mass of the weapon (probaby 1/10th the mass of the weapon,
minimum 1kg) instead of basing it on muzzle energy.


Tactical Considerations:
The close range of this weapon exceeds the extreme range of every fusion
gun except the FGMP-14 and -15, and the short range equals or exceeds the
extreme range of any of the fusion guns.  The best use of these weapons
would be long-range fire at the attackers, from behind cover (preferably
cover strong enough to resist an extreme-range fusion gun strike) or
sniping from outside the range of their weapons.  If this is impossible 
(and it frequently is), then a series protected positions likeley to suprise 
the enemy are good (around a corner in a corridor, for example).

Game Use:
This weapon (or rather, one using the "real world" stats and not the FF&S
design, which is completely impractical) could be quite useful to anti-RC
forces in the New Era.  A relatively low-tech design, it is quite capable
of being manufactured by many worlds in the Wilds.  Although the DS
ammunition is probably going to be considerably harder to produce, there
will probably be a number of worlds equipped with it.  As Star Viking
activities expand, it is very likeley that traders operating in the wilds
will find a demand for this type of weapon.

Several adventure plotlines are possible around this weapon; one which 
suggests itself to me is probably obvious.  The players (RCES or 'Lancers) 
attempt a smash-n-grab on some TL-5 to TL-7 dictator.  They expect an easy 
time of it.  Pull this one on your players after they've done two or three 
of the same type of missions in a row and have had a chance to get 
overconfident and complacent.  Suprise them with the weapon; without the DS 
ammunition, it shouldn't be too deadly, but should (if employed well) be 
able to prevent the PCs from accomplishing some or all of their objectives.  
Drive home to them in a practical sort of way how difficult their lives 
would be if lots of worlds had them.  Later developments in the campaign can
involve efforts to stop free traders from spreading the guns (or the designs)
around the area.  Another one might have to do with discovering that someone
is producing DS ammunition.

- -----8<----- End of original post.


An interesting additional scenario or plot complication has occurred to me
since then.  POT and RCESEG use the FF&S stats for this weapon, which place
it at over a hundred pounds - considerably heavier than the 'real thing',
and severely limiting mobility with the weapon.  One option would be to
assume that the version of the weapon that is being distributed throughout
the wilds by Free Traders has been considerably over-engineered (making it
even *more* rugged, reliable, dirt-tolerant and generally idiot-proof that
is usual for even a Soviet weapon).  Considering that most of the metal
parts are probably about twice as thick as they need to be, you could
probably club someone with it and not loose accuracy.  The thing should be
easy to field-strip, easy to maintain, and shouldn't malfunction even under
considerable provocation.

Once the players think that they've got the drawbacks of this weapon
identified, you can spring the 'lightweight' version on them.  This would be
the 'real world' weight weapon, and is considerably more portable than the
FF&S version.  A logical place to do this would be to decide that some world
at around TL-5 or TL-6 invented this weapon on its own, for native use.  It
would also be a bit more fragile than the 'heavy' version, requiring some
skill in its use to keep it in top working order.

One final caveat when using this gun in a RC campaign (particularly in one
based on scenarios in _Path of Tears_).  The POT sourcebook also contains
some RCES 'improved' armor, with an armor value of 6 (probably specifically
designed by the RC to protect against this gun).  While this is a reasonable
thing for the RC to do, it's worth a second thought for a role-playing
campaign.

With AV-6 armor, RC troops are relatively well (although not perfectly)
protected against the gun, significantly reducing the threat to your PCs.
This is good, in that PCs won't die, but bad in that to increase the level
of the threat you (as referee) have only one option: to introduce DS
ammunition.  This will unfortunately increase the amount of damage the gun
can do to PC-deadly levels.  The "average" damage would be 21 points (33 if
you roll D10s for damage the way I do).

I personally recommend AV-5 combat armor against the ball-equipped gun.
This will allow 2 dice of damage through, which is a crediable threat but
one unlikely to kill PCs with a single shot.  Use the (rare and expensive)
DS ammunition against vehicular and battle dress equipped targets with an AV
of around 8 to 10.  Again, the idea is to provide a credible threat without
an inordinate risk killing PCs with a single lucky shot.  An average of 7
(11 with d10 damage dice) points is enough to make anybody sit up and take
notice, but not so much that they'll be dead before they can react.

I realize that, as the referee, you can 'save' any PCs you feel like by
rolling a disproportinate number of misses, assigning hits to NPCs, or even
managing to throw 6 dice and not roll any number higher than a two (aren't
referee screens wonderful devices?).  But having to do this (or the reverse,
and consistently giving all the 'breaks' to the bad guys) indicates a poor
scenario design or a poor balance between the PCs and the opposition.
Sooner or later the PCs will catch on, and it'll be bad for both their
morale and for theis suspension of disbelief.  It's better to get it right
in the first place than to have to make 'fixes' for the rest of your
campaign.


Well, there you have it - the Garnett Gun.  Enjoy!


Guy Garnett, aka
wildstar@quark.qrc.com
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     "I write because I am personally amused by what I do, and
                      if other people are amused by it, then it's fine.  If
                      they're not, then that's also fine."     --- Frank Zappa


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End of TML Biweekly
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