Build:Firing Modes: Difference between revisions

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Beam weapons have firing modes which describe different ways of using them. The various Modes are Standard, Pulse, Continuous, and Wide Beam.
Beam weapons have firing modes which describe different ways of using them. The various Modes are Standard, Pulse, Continuous, and Wide Beam.
: '''Standard:'''  the one typically used. It does the weapon’s basic damage for the basic Power cost.
: '''Pulse:''' this mode involves increasing the damage the weapon does by firing a series of rapid pulses of energy. You can simulate this by increasing the weapon’s damage with extra Power, or as a form of single-weapon Multifire. Pulse phaser cannons cannot use this rule; they are already optimized for this type of fire only (which is why they do much more damage than normal phasers of the same type).
: '''Continuous:''' the fire mode involves maintaining a beam for longer than normal, making it easier to hit the target. This costs an extra 3 Power, and provides +1 die to roll when making a Shipboard Systems (Tactical) Test to hit the target. Pulse phaser cannons cannot fire in Continuous mode.
: '''Wide Beam:'''  This allows a beam to affect a much broader area. Instead of a narrow beam, the beam widens by 1 meter for every point of damage sacrificed. In combat, for every 30 points of damage sacrificed to widen the beam, the ship receives a +1 Test Result bonus to Shipboard Systems (Tactical) Tests to hit the target. Out of combat, a sufficiently wide beam on low power settings has many uses as a tool. Pulse phaser cannons can fire in Wide Beam mode, but it requires three hours’ time and a Moderate (7) Systems Engineering (Weapons Systems) Test to modify them for it (if the roll fails, the character may try again after another three hours; if it Dramatically Fails, he’s damaged the phasers and must spend 2+1d6 hours bringing them back online).


All beam weapons can fire in Standard mode for free. Each additional mode costs 1 SU per beam weapon. Typically, a phaser can fire in all four modes (except for pulse phasers, which cannot fire in Continuous or Pulse mode); disruptors and polaron beams fire in Standard and Pulse only; isolytic weapons and lasers fire in only Standard mode.
All beam weapons can fire in Standard mode for free. Each additional mode costs 1 SU per beam weapon. Typically, a phaser can fire in all four modes (except for pulse phasers, which cannot fire in Continuous or Pulse mode); disruptors and polaron beams fire in Standard and Pulse only; isolytic weapons and lasers fire in only Standard mode.

Revision as of 18:24, 19 September 2026

9.4 Firing Modes (Beam Weapons)

Cost: +1 per addition to Standard mode, per weapon
Power Requirement: none

Beam weapons have firing modes which describe different ways of using them. The various Modes are Standard, Pulse, Continuous, and Wide Beam.

Standard: the one typically used. It does the weapon’s basic damage for the basic Power cost.
Pulse: this mode involves increasing the damage the weapon does by firing a series of rapid pulses of energy. You can simulate this by increasing the weapon’s damage with extra Power, or as a form of single-weapon Multifire. Pulse phaser cannons cannot use this rule; they are already optimized for this type of fire only (which is why they do much more damage than normal phasers of the same type).
Continuous: the fire mode involves maintaining a beam for longer than normal, making it easier to hit the target. This costs an extra 3 Power, and provides +1 die to roll when making a Shipboard Systems (Tactical) Test to hit the target. Pulse phaser cannons cannot fire in Continuous mode.
Wide Beam: This allows a beam to affect a much broader area. Instead of a narrow beam, the beam widens by 1 meter for every point of damage sacrificed. In combat, for every 30 points of damage sacrificed to widen the beam, the ship receives a +1 Test Result bonus to Shipboard Systems (Tactical) Tests to hit the target. Out of combat, a sufficiently wide beam on low power settings has many uses as a tool. Pulse phaser cannons can fire in Wide Beam mode, but it requires three hours’ time and a Moderate (7) Systems Engineering (Weapons Systems) Test to modify them for it (if the roll fails, the character may try again after another three hours; if it Dramatically Fails, he’s damaged the phasers and must spend 2+1d6 hours bringing them back online).

All beam weapons can fire in Standard mode for free. Each additional mode costs 1 SU per beam weapon. Typically, a phaser can fire in all four modes (except for pulse phasers, which cannot fire in Continuous or Pulse mode); disruptors and polaron beams fire in Standard and Pulse only; isolytic weapons and lasers fire in only Standard mode.


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