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Energy Weapons
This article presents rules for introducing futuristic energy weapons such as those featured in popular science fiction into your Old-School Essentials games.
The Basics
Energy weapons shape potent, destructive energy of various kinds into blades or projectiles for use in combat.
Equivalent to magic weapons: Energy weapons are the high-tech equivalent of magic weapons. They have a bonus which is applied to attack and damage rolls. (The bonus depends on the type of energy—see Energy Types, p26.)
Invulnerable monsters: Energy weapons are effective against creatures that can only be harmed by magical attacks.
Power cells: Energy weapons are fuelled by power cells (see p26). Without a power cell, they are inert and useless.
Energy Blades (Melee)
Energy weapons designed for use in melee typically consist of a short (1’ or less), metallic handle with a switch. Three types of energy blades (daggers, staves, and swords) are described overleaf.
Activating: Pressing the switch causes a blade of energy to manifest. Pressing the switch again causes the blade to recede.
Carrying: When the weapon is switched off, it can be safely carried in a belt or backpack.
Usage of Energy Blades
Energy blades follow the standard class weapon restrictions—i.e. any character that can use a dagger may use an energy dagger, any character that may use a staff may use an energy staff, and so on.
Energy Guns (Missile)
Hand-held guns that fire projectiles of energy. Also known as blasters or phasers. Three types of energy guns (carbines, pistols, and rifles) are described overleaf.
Usage of Energy Guns
Unlike less technologically advanced missile weapons such as bows, energy guns can be used effectively with very little training.
Non-martial classes: May use an energy pistol but no other types of energy guns.
Semi-martial classes: May use an energy pistol or carbine, but not an energy rifle.
Martial classes: May use all types of energy guns.
Clerics: The referee should decide whether or not energy guns are prohibited by the religious doctrine of clerics.
Behavioural restrictions: Other classes may have special restrictions that limit their use of energy guns, despite having sufficient martial skill to use them. For example, the knight class in Old-School Essentials Advanced Fantasy is prohibited from using missile weapons—also precluding energy guns. The referee should rule on such cases arising with other classes.
Availability
When introducing energy weapons into a campaign, the referee must decide how commonly available they are.
Commonplace: Energy weapons are the norm among adventurers, militias, and armies. They can be purchased from stores or technicians in any larger settlement.
Exceptional: Energy weapons are the province of the rich. They can be purchased from highly specialised and exclusive stores or technicians, which can only be found in large settlements. The equipment lists on p26 are used, but all prices are multiplied by 10 (or another factor as the referee wishes).
Artefacts: Current technology cannot manufacture energy weapons. They are only found in the treasure hoards of alien beings or ancient civilisations.
Energy Weapons in Treasure Hoards
When a magic sword or weapon is rolled in a treasure hoard, an energy weapon may be placed instead, at the referee’s discretion. The following tables may be used to randomly roll an energy weapon.
| Energy Weapons Treasure Table | |
|---|---|
| d% | Item |
| 01–12 | Ion dagger |
| 13–22 | Ion staff |
| 23–29 | Ion sword |
| 30–36 | Ion pistol |
| 37–41 | Ion carbine |
| 42–43 | Ion rifle |
| 44–50 | Plasma dagger |
| 51–56 | Plasma staff |
| 57–60 | Plasma sword |
| 61–64 | Plasma pistol |
| 65–67 | Plasma carbine |
| 68 | Plasma rifle |
| 69–73 | Laser dagger |
| 74–77 | Laser staff |
| 78–80 | Laser sword |
| 81–83 | Laser pistol |
| 84–85 | Laser carbine |
| 86 | Laser rifle |
| 87–96 | Electric cell (full: 15 charges) |
| 97–99 | Fusion cell (full: 30 charges) |
| 00 | Void cell |
Equipment
| Ion Weapons (+1 to Attack/Damage) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Cost (gp) | Weight (Coins) |
| Carbine | 40 | 50 |
| Dagger | 15 | 10 |
| Pistol | 25 | 20 |
| Rifle | 60 | 120 |
| Staff | 25 | 20 |
| Sword | 35 | 15 |
| Plasma Weapons (+2 to Attack/Damage) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Cost (gp) | Weight (Coins) |
| Carbine | 120 | 50 |
| Dagger | 45 | 10 |
| Pistol | 75 | 20 |
| Rifle | 180 | 120 |
| Staff | 75 | 20 |
| Sword | 105 | 15 |
| Laser Weapons (+3 to Attack/Damage) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Cost (gp) | Weight (Coins) |
| Carbine | 400 | 50 |
| Dagger | 150 | 10 |
| Pistol | 250 | 20 |
| Rifle | 600 | 120 |
| Staff | 250 | 20 |
| Sword | 350 | 15 |
| Power Cells | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Charges | Cost (gp) |
| Electric | 15 | 10 |
| Fusion | 30 | 15 |
| Void | Unlimited | 250 |
Encumbrance (Optional Rule)
If the optional rule for detailed encumbrance is used (see Old-School Essentials), the listed weight of weapons is tracked. The listed weight already includes the weight of the power cell.
Weapon Types
Carbine: A two-handed gun with a barrel length of 15–25”.
Dagger: A short, thin blade of energy, designed for stabbing.
Pistol: A single-handed gun with a barrel length of around 10”.
Rifle: A two-handed gun with a barrel length of 30–50”.
Staff: A double-ended blade of energy which emerges from each side of the handle when activated, forming a long staff which is gripped in the middle.
Sword: A long blade of energy, designed for slicing.
Energy Types
Ion: Streams of particles charged with electrical energy. +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Plasma: Streams of particles heated to extreme temperatures. +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Laser: Beams of focused, high intensity light energy. +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls.
Power Cells
Electric cell: A high-capacity battery of electrical energy. Can be recharged for 5gp (requires 1 day).
Fusion cell: A miniaturised fusion reactor fuelled by liquid hydrogen. Can be recharged for 10gp (requires 1 day).
Void cell: Taps into the infinite potential energy of the void.
| Energy Weapon Combat Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Damage | Qualities |
| Carbine | 1d8 | Club (1d4), Missile (5’–70’ / 71’–140’ / 141’–210’), Two-handed |
| Dagger | 1d4 | Melee |
| Pistol | 1d6 | Club (1d4), Missile (5’–50’ / 51’–100’ / 101’–150’), Point blank |
| Rifle | 1d10 | Club (1d6), Missile (5’–80’ / 81’–160’ / 161’–240’), Two-handed |
| Staff | 1d6 | Melee, Slow, Two-handed |
| Sword | 1d8 | Melee |
Weapon Qualities
Club: May be used as a club in melee (5’ or less), for the damage listed. On an unmodified attack roll of 1, the weapon is damaged and cannot be fired until repaired by a technician (costing 20gp).
Melee: Close quarters weapon (5’ or less).
Missile: Fired weapon (greater than 5’ distance). The distances for short (+1 to the attack roll), medium, and long (–1 to the attack roll) range are shown in parentheses.
Point blank: May be fired at an opponent in melee range (5’ or less). +1 to the attack roll.
Slow: The character acts last in each combat round (see Combat in Old-School Essentials).
Two-handed: Requires both hands; the character cannot use a shield.
Specialists
In societies where energy weapons can be manufactured, the following new types of specialists may be hired by characters.
Energy Weapon Technician
Craftspeople specialising in the manufacture and maintenance of energy weapons.
Wage per month: 150gp.
Producing energy weapons: A technician can make the following weapons per month: 4 ion blades, 2 plasma blades, 1 laser blade, 2 ion guns, 1 plasma gun, 1/2 a laser gun (requires 2 months total).
Maintaining mercenaries’ energy weapons: A dedicated technician is required per 50 troops.
Assistants: A technician’s output (either in terms of weapons produced or troops maintained) may be doubled by hiring two assistant technicians. If four assistants are hired, the output may be quadrupled. A technician cannot coordinate more assistants than this.
Energy Weapon Assistant Technician
Apprentices who may work under a technician to increase the rate of production. See Energy Weapon Technician.
Wage per month: 35gp.
