The UK CyberPunk Thinktank
Tasers For CP2020
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The Tazer is an electrical shock device designed to incapacitate the victim. A transformer is used to provide a high voltage and low amperage from a small battery For those of you not electronically minded, VOLTAGE causes the shock effects, stunning and paralysing. AMPERAGE cause the real, lasting damage to the body (5 Milli-Amps across the heart muscle will kill) In a tazer, the voltage is stepped UP and the Amps stepped DOWN. Anyone hit by the unit will get a sudden pain as the shock shorts out the nervous system, causing convulsions, paralysis and extreme pain. Old or cheap tazers work purely by volume, pumping huge voltages through the victim and hoping it stops them. This causes superficial burns, shocks, and incapacitates, but with long term effects like aches, tingling, numbness or even permanent nerve damage. Its also quite possible for the shock to not incapacitate at all. They can be very random. Modern high tech Tazers use high voltages, but tuned to the same frequency as the human nervous system. This means than shock is more efficient at shorting out the nerves, causing more immediate effects but less long term damage. Tazer Weapon Types Delivering the shock can be done in several interesting and fun ways Touch Handgrip units with two prongs, which are punched into the target Police shock batons with insulated handles and animal handler prods with prongs on the end Knuckle dusters or Gloves with electrodes on the knuckles (Buzzknuks, Shockgloves) Electrified coatings on armoured vehicles or Heavy suits of body armour Close combat weapons- The Medusa Electro-whip, Voltage swords Wire and darts Two darts on wires are shot into the target and the shock is then run between them. Arc throwers These use a low power laser to ionise the air, producing a path for the shock to arc along. The effect is a bolt of dazzling blue white lightening Ranged Weapons Capacitor bullets that discharge a powerful shock when they hit Tazer nets that wrap the target in conductor fibres and discharge the voltage Game Notes Touch weapons uses either Melee or Unarmed skills to hit with, and have no range Wire and dart weapons have a range of 5m , but the dartgun system has a range of at least 10m, making the range bands PB 0m-1m, Close1m-2.5m, Medium 2.5m-5m. Arc Throwers have a basic and maximum range of 10m Capacitor bullets are one shot, discharging all their power as soon as they hit Tazer Nets are anti personnel nets with a single long tazer discharge to incapacitate whoever they hold. The BOD test must be made every 3 rds in the net, and the stat penalties last as long as you are entangled, on top of normal NET rules. Effects of the shock Roll Body +D10, target based on the power of the shock. (depends on the weapon) +2 save if hit on a limb -2 save if hit in the head -2 if still suffering the effects of another shock +1/5 the Sp of your armour on that location If you Fail, you're incapacitated for 1 minute per point you failed the roll by. If you fumble, you also get a roll on the 'long term effects' table If you pass, you can still act, but are at half REF and COOL for as long as the shock lasts (depends on the weapon) Long term effects table High tech tasers give +5 to the roll. Multiple rolls in a short time subtract one from the roll per extra hit The effect normally comes and goes over the next few days until the body sorts itself out. 1 Permanent Nervous damage / brain damage Ref -1 (Int -1 if a head hit) permanently 2 Temporary Nerve damage / brain damage Ref -1 (Int -1 if a head hit) 3 Shakes -2 to Ref or tech based skills needing fine control 4 Nausea -1 to all skill rolls. Fast movement calls for BOD 10 rolls or miss your next action 5 Dizzyness -3 on all skill rolls involving movement 6 - 7 Numbness in location -1 to REF / TECH / INT or MA using that location. 8 - 9 Pins and needles For hours, returning for next few days. 10 No effect Illegal 'Killing sticks' These are tasers that have been 'upped' to killing power, and tuned to stop the heart, cause paralysis and death instead of incapacitation. They act as normal tasers, but they do damage equal to the amount you FAIL to save by, doubled on head or torso hits, and if a head or torso hit results in a Fumbled BOD roll, you die (treat as a failed DEATH save) as your heart stops. Any hit that results in damage / unconsciousness calls for a roll on the long term effects table Average Tazer weapons High tech tasers add +5 to Bod needed due to the fine-tuning Cattle prod BOD 10 Bull-beater A heavy duty cattle prod, BOD 12 Stinger Junior Cattle prod BOD 8 Crowd control 2000 BOD 10 Handgrip Taser The classic "stun gun" BOD 15, cost 60eb Really high power tazer BOD 20 Shock glove BOD 15, cost 90eb Gang jazzler Deals Killing damage, BOD 20, cost 600eb Stun dart BOD 18 Dynatech hand taser Melee / P / C / Shock / 12 / 1 / ST/ 1m touch range BOD 25 (High Tech), if save shock lasts d10 rounds Mitsubishi taser Melee / P / C / Shock / 1 / 1 /ST 10m (5m) A 5m dart and wire taser delivering a BOD25 (High tech) shock If save is made, the shock effects last until the darts are removed ( with a Ref roll of 15) and D6 rounds after. The battery is good for 10 discharges Volt pistol 950eb PST +1 J R 3d6 6 1 st 25m A low power laser ionises the air, and then discharges capacitor along it Arc thrower, Bod 20, shock lasts D3 rounds Medusa Mel +2 L R D6 6 1 ST A short hafted cat of nine tails with an electroshock power pack, the medusa is a nasty weapon to fight against, as its almost impossible to avoid all the strands Voltage sword MEL +1 L R 2D6 6 1 ST A polycarbonate blade with conductive metal edges, the Voltage sword packs the same punch as a hand held tazer, but is a lot harder to block. The trigger is in the hand grip, and the blade only discharges on contact , either if it hits or if it is parried / blocked. Electroknucks Heavy Brass Knuckles with a high voltage punch, these use brawling skill and do D6+2 damage plus the shock Earthed armour +50% cost protects vs shocks & vs tasers