Return to the ASMRB index page.
Version 1.5
January 9, 2000
Laser output is of two types: continuous wave (CW) or pulse. In order to describe the damage effects of a laser, the wavelength, power output, and beam diameter must also be known. Various notable laser wavelengths are:
| wavelength | band name | notes |
|---|---|---|
| < .01 nm | gamma ray | |
| .01 nm - 50 nm | X ray | |
| 50 nm -300 nm | extreme UV | does not penetrate atmosphere well |
| 300 nm - 0.3 µm | near UV | |
| 0.3 µm - 1 µm | optical | visual continuum |
| 1 µm - 3 µm | near IR | night vision gear; objects 400 - 500 C (750° - 950° F) radiate here |
| 8 µm - 14 µm | far IR | thermal viewers; objects Å 27° C (Å 80° F) radiate here (CO2 = 10.4 µm) |
| 1 mm - 1 cm | millimeter | masers, millimetric seekers & radars; < 300 GHz |
| > 1 cm | radio | radio, radar, masers; < 30 GHz |
The effects are calculated as follows:
| DC (Killing) | = log2(power, watts / 1600) |
|---|---|
| Piercing | = 16 - DC |
| Speed Class | = not applicable (already taken into account) |
| Stun Modifier | = (DC / 2) - 2 |
| Damage Range, inches | = (beam diameter / wavelength) * 2(DC / 2) / 3000 |
| DC (Killing) | = log2(pulse energy, joules / 25) |
|---|---|
| Piercing | = 10 |
| Speed Class | = not applicable (already taken into account) |
| Stun Modifier | = (DC / 2) - 2 |
| Damage Range, inches | = (beam diameter / wavelength) * 2(DC / 3) / 4000 |
Example: the Ares MP laser produces a 40 kilojoule pulse of 1 µm wavelength deep red light, 7.5 cm diameter at the 'muzzle.' This will be rolled as a DC 10 Killing Attack (3d6+1 K), 10 Piercing, Speed Class n/a, +3 Stun Modifier, and with a Damage Range of 200 inches. At point blank range, this will penetrate 3.6 cm of mild steel.
All laser weapons have a damage range as calculated in section 18.0. For each doubling of the Damage Range, lasers lose 1 Damage Class, and 2 Piercing:
| DC Modifier | = log2(actual range, inches / Damage Range) |
|---|---|
| Piercing Modifier | = 2 * log2(actual range, inches / Damage Range) |
Example: the Ares MP laser, with a 200 inch Damage Range, will lose 1 DC and 2 Pc in the 201 to 400 inch gate, 2 DC and 4 PC in the 401 to 800 inch gate, etc.
Return to the ASMRB index page.
Document last modified Friday, June 01, 2001