Build:Beam Weapons

9.3 Beam Weapons

To construct a beam weapon, a ship must buy four things: the type of weapon itself (which entails various design and tactical choices); the weapon’s targeting system; the weapon’s arc of fire; and the firing modes the weapon can use.

All beam weapons have a range of 10 / 30,000 / 100,000 / 300,000, unless otherwise indicated. For every 100 kilometers beyond Long range, increase the Difficulty to hit the target by +10%. A ship may negate this penalty, thus effectively extending the range of its beam weapons, at a cost of 3 SUs per +10% penalty negated (maximum of +30% negated, for 9 SUs).

9.3.1 Lasers

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)
Available: 2046 (for Earth)

Lasers, ranging from basic models to high-energy X-ray lasers, are primitive weapons used by societies which have not yet developed phasers or other advanced weaponry. Until the invention of the phaser in 2257, starships mounted high-powered lasers with which to defend themselves, attack enemies, cut apart asteroids and space debris, and the like. The accompanying table provides information on TOS-era lasers. Lasers have a Class Zero targeting system with an Accuracy of 72 / 58 / 28 / 3, unless purchased for a ship in 2260 thereafter, in which case they can buy the Class Alpha targeting system listed under “Phasers,” below. Lasers cannot have an arc of fire exceeding 120 degrees (costs 0 SUs). Lasers may only fire in Standard, Pulse, and Continuous modes.

Table

Table 9.3.1:
Lasers

Class	SU	Power	Damage	Shots per Round	Range	Year
Sorac 0.36 Class (90mw)	1	0.75	7	1	2 / 2,500 / 7,500 / 15,000	2046
Sorac 0.8 Class (200mw)	2	1.5	16	1	4 / 5,000 / 15,000 / 30,000	2046
Sorac Class (250mw)	2	2	20	1	4 / 5,000 / 15,000 / 30,000	2046
Sorac 1.2 Plus Class (300mw)	2	2.5	24	1	4 / 5,000 / 15,000 / 30,000	2053
Sorac 1.5 Plus Class (350mw)	3	2.75	30	1	4 / 5,000 / 15,000 / 30,000	2063
Sorac 1.8 Plus Class (450mw)	4	3.5	36	1	4 / 5,000 / 15,000 / 30,000	2080
Brenkai Class (500mw)	4	4	40	1	5 / 6,250 / 18,750 / 37,500	2088
Brenkai 1.2 Plus Class (600mw)	5	4.75	48	1	5 / 6,250 / 18,750 / 37,500	2098
Brenkai 1.93 Plus Class (700mw)	6	5.5	56	1	5 / 6,250 / 18,750 / 37,500	2111
Schawlow Class (750mw)	6	6	60	1	6 / 7,500 / 22,500 / 45,000	2113
Schawlow 1.07 Plus Class (800mw)	6	6.5	64	1	6 / 7,500 / 22,500 / 45,000	2120
Schawlow 1.2 Plus Class (900mw)	7	7.25	72	1	6 / 7,500 / 22,500 / 45,000	2133
Gould Class (1,000mw)	8	8	80	2	7 / 8,750 / 26,250 / 52,500	2147
Magnusson 0.96 Class (1,200mw)	12	9.5	96	2	8 / 10,000 / 30,000 / 60,000	2158
Magnusson Class (1,250mw)	12	10	100	2	8 / 10,000 / 30,000 / 60,000	2162
Tesla Class (1,250mw)	10	10	100	2	9 / 12,500 / 37,500 / 75,000	2215

9.3.2 Plasma Cannons

Cost: Varies
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)
Available: 2106 (for Earth)

Plasma cannons are an interim weapons system developed between the time of combat lasers and phaser technology and used consecutively with lasers. If the Federation had further developed the technology, it would have led to disrupters similar in design to that of the Klingons and Romulans. Instead, plasma cannons were employed as in-close heavy weapons, until replaced by heavy lasers and then phase cannons and phasers. As laser technology continued to develop, plasma weapons were looked upon unfavorably due to the recharge time required between shots (may only fire once every 10 seconds or every other round). Lasers, while never achieving the firepower of plasma weaponry, could be mounted more readily and use less power, and the newer phase cannon technology provided greater blast power, so eventually the plasma weapons were discontinued.

Plasma cannons have a Class Zero targeting system with an Accuracy of 72 / 58 / 28 / 3, unless purchased for a ship in 2260 thereafter, in which case they can buy the Class Alpha targeting system listed under “Phasers,” below.

Table 9.3.2:
Plasma Cannons

Class	SU	Power	Damage	Year
P61TDM-8 (938mw)	14.4	14	75	2106
TDM-8 (938mw)	6	6	75	2106
TDM-13	8	8	88	2120
TDM-16.2	12	12	95	2128
TDM-28	15	15	105	2138
TDM-36.2	21	21	115	2143
TDM-64	24	24	135	2149

Note: as these were fanon-derived, the values indicated might need adjustment, most especially the Power requirements.

9.3.3 Phase Cannons

Cost: Varies
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)
Available: 2152 (for Earth)

Phase cannons are a phase-modulated energy weapon, a type of particle weapon which served as a successor to plasma cannons and as a precursor to the phaser of the 23rd and 24th centuries. Each cannon may only fire once every 10 seconds (or every other round).

Phase cannons have a Class Zero targeting system with an Accuracy of 72 / 58 / 28 / 3, unless purchased for a ship in 2260 thereafter, in which case they can buy the Class Alpha targeting system listed under “Phasers,” below.

Note: as these were fanon-derived, the values indicated might need adjustment, most especially the Power requirements.

Table 9.3.3:
Phase Cannons

Class	SU	Power	Damage	Year
PC-10a	26	26	250	2150
PC-10b	10	10	200	2150
PC-10c	5	5	150	2150
PC Type H	30	30	275	2203
PC Type I	35	35	300	2208
PC Type J	32	32	300	2221
PC Type K	35	35	330	2231
PC Type L	38	38	360	2239
PC Type M	42	42	400	2251

9.3.4 Phasers

The primary weapons on most Star Fleet vessels are phasers. Phasers (short for PHASed Energy Rectification) use a rapid nadion effect (RNE) to release and transfer energy generated within superconducting crystals known as fushigi-no-umi. Ships can use these beams of energy as tools (say, to remove obstacles, excavate large holes, or reshape planetary terrain) or as weapons.

9.3.4.1 Standard Phasers

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)

Ship-mounted phasers are organized into types, rated from I (one) to X (ten). Generally, Type X is the most powerful type of phaser which Star Fleet can mount on a ship. Advances in tactical technology as of 2372 have allowed it to mount Type XI and XII phasers on large ships, but to date only the Sovereign class Heavy Explorer has benefited from this breakthrough.

Phasers consist of multiple emitters organized into series called arrays. An emitter has three main parts: an EPS submaster flow regulator (which controls phaser power levels); a plasma distribution manifold (PDM), which channels the power to the prefiring chambers; and the actual phaser emitter crystal. A large array, such as the ones found on the dorsal or ventral surfaces of many starships’ saucers, may have as many as 200 emitters (the minimum number is 40). The type of emitter dictates how powerful a beam an array can emit; the size of the array indicates how many beams that array can emit at one time (singly or as a multifire burst). The EPS subsystem which provides power to a phaser array is called the phaser generator.

Phaser arrays (sometimes called “banks”) also include an auto-phaser interlock which links with the TA/T/TS computer to assure accurate firing. It precisely times the firing of the array for maximum chance of a successful shot.

TOS-era
TOS-era engineers design and install phaser emitters somewhat differently than their 24th century counterparts. Though emitters function more or less identically to future models, designers cluster them together in “banks” rather than spread them out along “arrays.” Until Star Fleet improved the processes for manufacturing and linking emitters and phaser generators in 2322, creating an array—which provides a greater arc of fire and more tactical options—was not feasible. But the phaser banks of the 23rd century are nevertheless potent, versatile tools and weapons, rightly feared by the enemies of the Federation.

A single phaser bank contains two phaser units, each terminating in a firing emitter (not to be confused with "emitters," which are a component of all phasers) through which the weapon projects the beam. The two firing emitters, which resemble black half-spheres, project slightly out from the hull in a structure sometimes referred to as a “turret.” Ordinarily, the two firing emitters each project part of the beam, which sometimes makes the beam look like two parallel beams (regardless of appearance, the “beams” count as one for game purposes).

If one of the two firing emitters in a turret malfunctions, suffers damage, or exhausts its power, the phaser fires at half strength (but still costs full normal Power). In situations when the phaser bank has suffered no damage or other problems, ships may voluntarily fire only one firing emitter, in which case the weapon does half damage and costs half Power.

Ships are not required to have phaser banks with two firing emitters. A ship can purchase a phaser bank with a single phaser unit (and thus a single firing emitter). One-firing emitter phaser banks cost half the SUs and half the Power of a full two-firing emitter bank, but only do half the damage.

TOS-era ships usually refer to their largest, or most frequently used, phaser bank (typically the primary forward bank) as the “main phasers.”

Example: Brian wants to install a phaser bank on the ship he’s building, the USS Griffon. He chooses a Type VI 120-emitter bank with a Type Alpha interlock and covering a 360 degree arc of fire.This costs (14 + 0 + 2 + 3 [firing modes]) 19 SUs. Like most banks,this one consists of two phaser units and has two firing emitters; the emitters are in a “turret.” When he fires the weapon, it does 120 SUs of damage and costs 12 Power. It may look like it’s firing two beams in tandem (one from each firing emitter), but in fact that’s a single beam for game purposes. If one of the phaser units malfunctions or is destroyed by enemy attack, the weapon can only do 60 SUs of damage, but still requires 12 Power.

Before a starship can use TOS-era phasers, it must “energize” them—get them ready for use from their normal “cold” status. To do this, the captain gives the order to the helm, who relays it to the Phaser Control Room. (Similarly, the helm sometimes relays firing orders to the Control Room for actual firing, but normally the crew manning the Control Room transfers firing control directly to the helm and/or navigator by locking the phasers to the computer.) Energizing the phasers, which occurs simultaneously with energizing the targeting systems, requires one full round. It does not ordinarily require a Test, but does require an action by the helm (or other appropriate member of the bridge crew) and by the Phaser Control Room crew. The Narrator may call for a Test in unusual circumstances, such as when relevant ship systems have suffered damage or malfunction.

"Heavy" Phasers (aka Phaser Cannons)
Per the prototype rules (see Construction Categories), phasers can be introduced on-board stations and ships well in advance of their introduction date. As it stands, starting in 2269, the Type VIII phaser was introduced operationally for station use and by 2270 was seen in limited use aboard some destroyers, well before its full-operational use in 2280. Table 9.2.4.1a: Phasers (below) indicates the canon years of early introduction, but as with any most any technology, all phasers may be introduced early. See the early-introduction rules (as linked above) for size requirements.

Power
It costs 2 Power to keep the phasers energized for any round in which the crew does not fire at least one phaser bank. Keeping the phasers energized at all times is not feasible; it quickly results in malfunctions, damaged equipment, and phaser generator overloads. (In other words, if players insist on violating the rules of Star Trek drama by flying around the galaxy with their characters’ ship’s phasers energized all the time, penalize them by imposing Tests to use the phasers, charging extra Power to phaser use, having the emitters break or malfunction, and so forth.)

The accompanying tables lists four things:

1. The SU cost for every five emitters (by type);
2. The amount of damage done (by type of emitter);
3. The SU cost for the auto-phaser interlock, which indicates the base Accuracy for the weapon (a ship must purchase one interlock per array); and
4. How many shots per round a given array can fire based on its size (either as single shots or as part of a multifire burst; the Power cost must be paid separately for each shot).

A phaser shot costs 2 Power per type of emitter; thus, a shot with a Type VIII emitter costs 16 Power. The auto-phaser interlock does not cost Power to use. Every phaser array comes equipped with a phaser array power cell which includes enough power for two shots from the array (at normal full strength). Crewmembers can drain this power, also known as the “phaser reserves” or “defense reserves,” for use by other ship’s systems if necessary.

Phasers do more damage the more Power they can draw on, up to a point. A character can increase any phaser’s base damage up to 125% of normal (for example, a Type X phaser normally does 200 damage; it could increase to 250 with enough Power). This costs 3 Power per 10 points of damage above base normal, and requires a Routine Crew Skill Test. Failure on this Test means the Power is wasted (it does not improve the weapon’s performance); Dramatic Failure (50 points higher than the target number) means the Power overloaded the weapon, disabling it for 1d6 minutes or until a Challenging Crew Skill Test succeeds to effect repairs.

Example: David wants to install a 160-emitter Type X phaser array on the ship he’s building. Since Type X phasers cost 1 SU per 5 emitters, the basic array costs him (160/5 = 32) 32 SUs. He chooses a Class Beta auto-phaser interlock (2 SUs), all four firing modes, and a firing arc of 360 degrees, so his total cost for this array is 39 SUs. This array can fire a maximum of 4 shots per round, at a cost of 20 Power per shot.

Tables

Table 9.3.4.1a:
Phasers

Phaser Type	SU Per 5 Emitters	SU Per 40 Emitters	SU Per 200 Emitters	Damage	Year (Station/Ship)
Type I	0.1	0.8	4	20	2257
Type II	0.2	1.6	8	40	2257
Type III	0.3	2.4	12	60	2257
Type IV	0.4	3.2	16	80	2260
Type V	0.5	4.0	20	100	2260
Type VI	0.6	4.8	24	120	2262
Type VII	0.7	5.6	28	140	2262
Type VIII	0.8	6.4	32	160	2269 / 2280
Type IX	0.9	7.2	36	180	2296 / 2315
Type X	1	8	40	200	2319 / 2348
Type XI	1.1	8.8	44	220	2333 / 2372
Type XII	1.2	9.6	48	240	2341 / 2372

Table 9.3.4.1b:
Auto-Phaser Interlocks

Targeting System	SU	Accuracy	Year
Basic	1	58 / 42 / 17 / -	-
Class Zero	1	72 / 58 / 28 / 3	2257
Class Alpha	2	83 / 72 / 42 / 8	2261
Class Beta	3	92 / 83 / 72 / 17	2267
Class Gamma	4	97 / 92 / 72 / 28	2294

Table 9.3.4.1c:
Emitters Per Array

Emitters per Array	Max Shots per Round
40 – 79	1
80 – 119	2
120 – 159	3
160 – 199	4
200 – 239	5
and on…	and on…

9.3.4.2 Channeled Phasers

Cost: + 10 SUs to normal phaser cost for each phaser channeled through the main engines
Power Requirement: +3 Power to normal phaser cost
Available: 2271-2322

In 2271, the Star Fleet Corps of Engineers devised a way to increase phaser power by channeling phasers through the main engines. “Channeled phasers” do +30 damage (but cost +3 Power and +10 SUs). However, if the engines suffer a malfunction or problem (such as an antimatter imbalance), channeled phasers shut down entirely until the crew fixes the engine problem.

Star Fleet Command, or an individual ship’s captain, decides whether to install (or retrofit) channeled phasers on a starship. Never widespread due to various technical problems, the practice ended entirely when Star Fleet switched over to phaser arrays instead of banks in 2322, since the channeling process works even less well with arrays (which, due to improvements in phaser technology, generally don’t need the extra boost from channeling anyway).

9.3.4.3 Pulse Beam Phaser Cannons

Cost: +3 SUs to regular phaser array
Power Requirement: +5 Power to cost of phaser array
Available: 2367

Pulse phasers are a relatively new Star Fleet development. They combine large, nearly flawless emitter crystals with rapid-discharge EPS capacitance banks and high-speed beam focusing coils. This technology allows the coils to store the phaser charge for a few nanoseconds, then release it as a layered pulse. Shields and materials have a harder time dispersing the layered energy pulse than the standard phaser beam, resulting in more damage to the target.

Pulse phaser cannons are usually built into ships in linked pairs (you don’t have to buy two cannons to represent this—it’s an aesthetic touch already reflected in the weapon’s game statistics—but you can if you want, and always use them in multiple-weapon multifire mode). They have the same range as standard phasers, but are slightly more accurate and do more damage. On the other hand, they have a smaller arc of fire (usually just straight forward) and cannot fire in continuous mode, or in wide-beam mode without extensive modification (which limits their usefulness as tools—they’re really meant only for combat). They can perform single-weapon multifire, or multiple-weapon multifire with other phasers of any type.

A pulse phaser cannon costs the same as any other phaser of its type, plus 3 SUs for the new technology. It does +50 damage compared to a normal phaser of the same type, and costs +5 Power. A pulse phaser must include a Class Gamma auto-phaser interlock. It can only fire in a 360 arc in one direction. Pulse phasers cannot be ACB-jacketed.

9.3.4.4 ACB Jacketing

Cost: +5 SUs to normal phaser cost
Power Requirement: +5 Power to cost of phaser array
Available: 2375

Phaser beams are ordinarily useless at warp speeds; they dissipate too quickly in the presence of moving warp fields to be effective weapons. To provide a potential tactical advantage in warp speed combat situations, Star Fleet recently invented technology which jackets a phaser beam inside an annular confinement beam (ACB), similar to the one involved in the materialization/dematerialization process which is a part of transporter use. The benefit to this is that a ship can fire an ACB-jacketed phaser beam at any target while the firing ship travels at warp speeds, regardless of relative speeds or angle of fire. This technology, which adds 5 SUs to the cost of a phaser array and 5 Power to the cost of every phaser shot, is still very new as of 2375. Though it began development some years prior to that date, few ships have been equipped with it.

9.3.5 Disrupters

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: 1 Power per 10 points of damage
Available: 2258

The primary beam weapons of the Klingons and Romulans is the disruptor; the Cardassians use a variant, the spiral-wave disruptor, which moves energy through the system differently. Disruptors create highly-charged, powerful beams of plasma using microscopic amounts of antimatter. This makes a comparative model more powerful than a phaser, but much less versatile.

Before the application of antimatter to plasma weaponry, the Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians and other disrupter-inclined races continued to use lasers and plasma cannons (past the time that they were dropped by the future Federation races).

The accompanying tables include SU costs, damage done by various types of disruptors, and the maximum number of shots per disruptor per round as indicated in the table. The ship must pay the Power cost separately for each shot.

A disruptor uses 1 Power per 10 points of damage the weapon does (the targeting system costs no Power). Disruptors’ strength may be increased with extra power, using the same rules as for phasers.

---

Romulan: Romulan disruptors leave an anti-proton residue. The anti-proton decay allows an investigator to estimate the time of use (this requires a Routine Skill Test).

Tables

Table 9.3.5a:
Disrupters (Standard)

Disrupter	SU	Damage	Shots per Round	Year
Type 1	4	40	2	2258
Type 2	8	60	2	2258
Type 3	12	80	2	2259
Type 4	16	100	2	2260
Type 5	20	120	2	2260
Type 6	24	140	3	2261
Type 7	28	160	3	2269
Type 8	32	180	3	2291
Type 9	36	200	3	2319
Type 10	40	220	3	2338
Type 11	44	240	5	2341
Type 12	48	260	5	2358
Type 13	52	280	5	2367

Table 9.3.5b:
Disrupters (Romulan)

Disrupter	SU	Damage	Shots per Round	Year
Kelcheb / Type 1	4	40	2	2258
Suk'aa / Type 2	8	60	2	2258
Bethaal / Type 3	12	80	2	2259
Vobac / Type 4	16	100	2	2260
Eb'el / Type 5	20	120	2	2260
Domash / Type 6	24	140	3	2261
Chareth / Type 7	28	160	3	2269
Anthep / Type 8	32	180	3	2291
Prenak / Type 9	36	200	3	2319
Tethpet / Type 10	40	220	3	2338
Uregal / Type 11	44	240	5	2341
Valkar / Type 12	48	260	5	2358
Arendev / Type 13	52	280	5	2367

Table 9.3.5c:
Disrupter Targeting Systems

Targeting System	SU	Accuracy	Year
Class Zero	1	72 / 58 / 28 / 3	2258
Class Alpha	2	83 / 72 / 42 / 8	2261
Class Beta	3	92 / 83 / 58 / 10	2267
Class Gamma	4	97 / 92 / 72 / 28	2294

9.3.6 Cardassian Spiral-Wave Disrupter

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: 1 Power per 10 points of damage

The main weapon on most Cardassian ships is the spiral-wave disruptor. This weapon resembles the disruptors used by the Klingons and Romulans in most respects, but uses a different technology to transmit the energy to the weapon. To a certain extent, spiral-wave technology makes a disruptor more like a phaser (but not enough to differentiate it from other disruptors in game terms). The accompanying table provides Cardassian terminology for disruptors.

Cardassian ships frequently have a large weapon, sometimes the vessel’s largest weapon, mounted aft—a decidedly unusual placement in the eyes of many non-Cardassians. This is a naval tradition dating back into Cardassia’s ancient past. Wet navy captains, fearing treachery, often mounted large weapons on the aft sides of their ships to discourage backstabbing or defection by other ships in their fleets. Additionally, they found that having a large aft weapon helped to discourage pursuit if they had to withdraw from the battlefield. In the modern day, the Cardassians have also discovered that in the three-dimensional combat environment of space, where a ship mounts its weapons often has little impact on its ability to bring those weapons to bear on a target. Many Cardassian ship maneuvers and fleet formations position ships with aft disruptor cannons so that they can use those weapons effectively.

Table

Table 9.3.6:
Spiral-Wave Disrupters

Cardassian Disrupter Type	Standard Type	SU	Damage	Shots per Round
Khelra	1	4	40	2
Marghet	2	8	60	2
Tesh’ra	3	12	80	2
Garshep	4	16	100	2
Ebshar	5	20	120	2
Cheh’gesh	6	24	140	3
Carkhet	7	28	160	3
Rentaile	8	32	180	3
Ta’vor	9	36	200	3
Pelrec	10	40	220	3
Jhokhel	11	44	240	5
Drevan	12	48	260	5
Ul’khar	13	52	280	5

9.3.7 Tholian Gravitic Beam

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)
Available: 2240

In open combat, the Tholians use a gravitic-based energy beam based on the same technology with which they create the Tholian web (see below). They have two types, one equivalent to a Type 7 disruptor and the other equivalent to a Type 8, both available from 2240 on. They can buy any type of disruptor targeting system for these weapons.

Tables

Table 9.3.7a:
Gravitic Beams

Gravitic Beam	SU	Damage	Power	Shots per Round
Type 1	28	160	16	3
Type 2	32	180	18	3

Table 9.3.7b:
Gravitic Targeting Systems

Targeting System	SU	Accuracy
Class Zero	1	72 / 58 / 28 / 3
Class Alpha	2	83 / 72 / 42 / 8
Class Beta	3	92 / 83 / 58 / 10
Class Gamma	4	97 / 92 / 72 / 28

9.3.8 Borg Energy Beam

Cost: 50
Power Requirement: 25

The Borg use a powerful energy beam which does 250 points of damage per shot. They can fire it up to twice a round, in all firing modes, with an Accuracy of 97 / 92 / 72 / 28 (bought as for disruptors) and a Range of 10 / 35,000 / 150,000 / 400,000.

9.3.9 Borg Cutting Beam

Cost: 25
Power Requirement: 20

The Borg use a weapon called a cutting beam to take samples of other ships’ technology. Able to bypass shields without any loss of effect, the cutting beam slices through a ship’s hull and systems in a circular pattern, then uses a linked tractor beam to pull the “cylinder” of ship’s hull and systems out like removing a cork from a wine bottle.

A Borg cutting beam does 20 points of damage a round (the target’s Resistance affects this, but not its shields). Before using the weapon, the Borg define the size of the piece of ship they want to obtain: Size 1, Size 2, or Size 3 (2 is the most common). (The piece Size cannot exceed the ship’s Size, of course.) The cutting beam must do 50 points of damage to the ship for every Size category (thus, a Size 3 piece requires 150 points of damage); assume this damage is general, or roll a random location on the Hit Location Table. After the Borg withdraw their “sample” (which takes 1 round), the ship has a hull breach equal in Size to the Size of the piece taken.

9.3.10 Borg Feedback Pulse

Cost: 15
Power Requirement: 30

Borg defensive technology includes a beam weapon-like device which allows a Borg ship to send a “feedback pulse” back down a beam which hits it, causing the attacker to take the weapon’s damage as well! A feedback pulse requires a delayed action (to act when the other ship fires) and a successful Routine Crew Skill Test to use properly. Failure indicates the attack strikes the Borg ship but the feedback system does not take effect; Dramatic Failure (roll 50 points or higher than the target number) results in the beam doing double damage to the Borg ship and not feeding back.

9.3.11 Borg Shield Draining Weapon

Cost: 20
Power Requirement: 20

This weapon only works in conjunction with a Borg tractor beam. When the Borg catch a ship with one of their tractor beams, they can activate the shield draining weapon the next round. Each round it drains 25% of the shields’ normal maximum Protection until the shields collapse. Once shields collapse, they cannot recharge or regenerate until the Borg turn off the shield draining weapon.

9.3.12 Breen Energy Drain Weapon

Cost: 25
Power Requirement: 50 Power per round
Available: 2369

Instead of inflicting damage, this beam—when it strikes its target (shielded or unshielded)—coalesces into an arcing ball of energy-draining plasma. Almost all systems are affected (modern gravity generators still have a chance to "wind" down and antimatter containment is generally unaffected) and a complete restart, usually taking about 20 minutes from a "cold" status—is required. In 2376, when the UFP-Klingon-Romulan coalition first encountered the effect, only Klingon ships could make the immediate and necessary changes to the plasma mixture that resulted in a warp field resistant to the weapon. After a few weeks, and a captured example from which to work, Star Fleet and Romulan ships were modified to resist the weapon as well.

Installation on a Breen ship (or later Dominion ships) requires a massive amount of power. Therefore, only ships of Size 7 or larger may mount the system. The weapon may only fire once every 5 rounds.

9.3.13 Dominion Polaron Beam

Cost: Varies
Power Requirement: 1 Power per 10 points of damage
Available: 2370

The polaron beam is the standard weapon of the Dominion. Powerful, and possessing several useful tactical applications, they’re the perfect weapon for such a belligerent, militaristic species as the Jem’Hadar. From 2370 to 2373, Star Fleet vessels were utterly vulnerable to polaron beams; their deflector shields offered no protection against them whatsoever, regardless of shield nutation or harmonics. In 2373, Star Fleet developed a way to overcome this limitation; since that time Star Fleet shields have affected polaron beams normally. A polaron beam can also disrupt a tractor beam.

Tables

Table 9.3.13a:
Polaron Beams

Polaron Beam	SU	Damage	Shots per Round
Type 1	4	40	2
Type 2	8	60	2
Type 3	12	80	2
Type 4	16	100	2
Type 5	20	120	2
Type 6	24	140	3
Type 7	28	160	3
Type 8	32	180	3
Type 9	36	200	3
Type 10	40	220	3
Type 11	44	240	5
Type 12	48	260	5
Type 13	52	280	5

Table 9.3.13b:
Polaron Beam Targeting Systems

Targeting System	SU	Accuracy
Class Zero	1	72 / 58 / 28 / 3
Class Alpha	2	83 / 72 / 42 / 8
Class Beta	3	92 / 83 / 58 / 17
Class Gamma	4	97 / 92 / 72 / 28

9.3.14 Isolytic Weapon

Cost: Varies (see table)
Power Requirement: Varies (see table)

Used by the Son’a and some other peoples who favor power over following the laws of war, these widely outlawed weapons have unpredictable effects and can open tears in the subspace fabric. A tear opens near the targeted ship and moves towards its warp engine at Warp 1 (if the ship attempts to go to higher warp speeds to escape the tear, it will simply “pull” the tear along with it, causing it to move at the same speed and wreaking untold havoc). If the tear contacts the ship, it rips it apart, but the detonation of the warp drive system as it does so seals the tear. Subspace in the area remains dangerously unstable forever after, and can cause problems for ships passing through.

A ship hoping to escape being destroyed by a tear can try to eject its warp core, move away, and then detonate the core when the tear gets close to it. This requires a Routine Ship Skill Test to get the timing right; if it succeeds, it destroys the tear and returns the local subspace environment to normal. Failure (of any degree) means the tear ignores the detonation and keeps pursuing the ship.

The accompanying table gives the SU cost, Power cost, and damage for isolytic weapons; “Tear” represents the chance that any use of the weapon causes a subspace tear. An isolytic weapon may only be fired once per round.

Table

Table 9.3.14:
Isolytic Weapons

Type	SU	Power	Damage	Tear
Small	30	60	600	2 on 2d6
Large	50	90	900	1 on 1d6

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