Laser Pulsers

Laser weapons use focused beams of light to inflict damage on the target by burning into it and causing it’s outer surface to vaporize and expand, creating an explosive effect. The laser beam is pulsed in order to bite into the target before the beam is diffused. Pulsers are vulnerable to atmospheric effects like dust, mist, smoke, or rain, however — the gamemaster should reduce their effective range categories as appropriate. Note that laser pulses are invisible in the normal visual spectrum (but are visible to characters with enhanced vision). Pulsers are medium-sized (p. 297) and fire in semi-auto mode. One advantage to the pulser is that it can be placed in less-lethal mode. In this case, it first fires a pulse at the target to create a ball of plasma, quickly fired by a second pulse that strikes the plasma and creates a flash-bang shockwave to stun and disorient the target. This blast has an area of effect with a 1-meter radius. Anyone caught in the blast must make a SOM × 2 Test (SOM × 3 for synthmorphs or biomorphs with any form of pain tolerance). Failure means the target is temporarily stunned and disoriented and loses their next action. A critical failure means the target is knocked down and paralyzed for 1 Action Turn per 10 points of MoF. In this stun setting, the pulser fires only in single-shot mode.