Category 11, Topic 7
Message 24 Thu Aug 31, 1989
T.MCINNES2 at 17:14 PDT
If this upload goes properly, here is as supplement to COACC (actually, it's a
COACC outtake) on special weapons-- that's chemical and nuclear, folks. This
has been submitted for publication in Challenge and may show up there. Here
goes... Special Weapons for COACC COACC includes a wide variety of
conventional air to ground weapons for use by tactical aircraft. However,
tactical and strategic aircraft also have a wide variety of special weapons--
chemical and nuclear-- available to them for a number of purposes ranging
from tactical air support to city and planet-busting. These expanded COACC
rules add special weapons to MegaTraveller campaigns for situations where
characters are involved in wide-open warfare and need these weapons to arm
both tactical and strategic aircraft. Special Weapons Special Weapons include
chemical weapons and nuclear weapons. They are special because of their mass
destructiveness and because their possession and use were illegal under the
Imperial Rules of War. Now, however, the power of the Imperium has declined
and as the Rebellion spreads, these deadliest of weapons are coming into
increasing use.
Chemical Bombs
Size Penetration Damage Danger Price
250 kg 0 Special 30 CR1000
Chemical Bombs Chemical bombs are filled with either persistent or non-
persistent chemical agents and a small bursting charge. Each exploding bomb
forms a gas cloud covering approximately 30 meters in diameter. Chemical
bombs are aimed and dropped with the same DMs to hit a designated area as low-
drag HE bombs. Non-persistent agents are released in the form of a gas or
light vapor. They only affect the designated target area in which the gas
cloud is physically present, and the gas cloud drifts with the wind. Non-
persistent agents dissipate after 3D minutes. The exact direction and rate
of draft should be determined randomly by the referee. Non- persistent agents
cause damage through inhalation. Persistent agents are released in the form of
a heavier vapor, and contaminate everything they touch. The initial gas
cloud forms during the first combat round and a cloud of the same size forms
immediately down wind on the second combat round. The area covered by the
clouds remains contaminated until decontamination teams are able to
counteract and clean up the chemical agent. Persistent agents cause damage
through inhalation and skin absorption. Chemical Weapons Effects Chemical
weapons are non-lethal or lethal. Individuals affected by non-lethal weapons
suffer one wound point per round until they are unconscious. Individuals
affected by lethal weapons suffer six wound points per round until they are
dead. Individuals wearing combat environment suits, vacc suits, combat armor,
or battle dress or aboard vehicles that are sealed or equipped with
overpressure systems are not affected by gas weapons. Individuals with
protective masks who are able to don them before losing consciousness become
immune to non-persistent chemical agents. They require a sealed protective
body suit and mask for immunity to persistent agents which are absorbed by
the skin. Nuclear Weapons Nuclear weapons are special in more than one sense,
in addition to being destructive, they are very expensive. On the average,
they cost one Megacredit per kiloton of yield. Crude fission bombs yielding
approximately 20 kilotons become available at TL6. However, their bulk and
weight prohibit their delivery by all but the largest strategic bombers.
They are almost custom-built weapons and need to be manually armed in flight,
with the nuclear explosive inserted into the chemical explosive implosion
lenses just before the weapon is dropped. Fission bomb weights drop
dramatically at TL 7 as more powerful chemical explosives and miniaturized
chain-reaction initiators result in lighter, more compact, and manageable
bombs. Nuclear bombs become light enough to be carried by many fighter and
attack aircraft. By late TL7, variable yield bombs are designed that accept
several different nuclear cores with different yields. Also by late TL7,
"sealed pit" weapons are developed, bombs with stable nuclear cores imbedded
in their chemical explosive lenses. These are treated like rounds of
ammunition with no special handling other than high security storage. Fusion
bombs appear in early TL7 with yields eventually reaching more than 50
megatons. Early fusion bombs are massive devices with thick casings needed
to contain the reaction of the fission trigger long enough to ignite the
fusion fuel. Techniques such as boosting the primary fission trigger with
tritium (H3) and the use of solid lithium rather than liquid hydrogen
isotopes as a fusion fuel result in smaller, more efficient bombs and missile
warheads as technology advances. At TL8, "dial-a-yield" tactical nuclear
weapons become available. These light-weight bombs have their yields set by
the aircraft pilot just before drop. A cockpit control meters the amount of
tritium injected into the nuclear core of this boosted fission weapon. As
the fission explosives detonate, they ignite a fusion reaction in the
tritium. Therefore, the more tritium injected into the nuclear core, the
higher the yield of the combined fission-fusion explosion. Typical "dial-a-
yield" bombs weigh 350 kg and yield from 100 kilotons to 1 megaton, with
selectable yields available in 100 kiloton increments. Enhanced radiation
weapons also appear at TL8. These yield a minimum of blast and a massive
burst of neutrons. They are designed to inflict a maximum number of
personnel casualties while minimizing physical damage to the target.
Enhanced radiation weapons are useful for killing enemy troops in urban areas
while keeping the destruction of buildings to a minimum. They are also
highly effective in killing armored vehicle crews while leaving the vehicles
intact because of the penetrating power of the neutron burst. Weapon sizes
decrease and yields increase as fission and fusion efficiency becomes higher
with advancing technology. TL9 tactical weapons are half the weight and
twice the yield of TL8 bombs as all components become increasingly
miniaturized. By TL10, the major tactical weapons are miniaturized enhanced
radiation and focused blast bombs. The former perform much like their TL8
counterparts, however, their size has been reduced to 50 kilograms. Focused
blast weapons are essentially the nuclear equivalent of shaped charge weapons
created with advanced tamping technology. Approximately 70 percent of the
weapon's blast effect is focused into a 30-degree cone with its axis parallel
to the bomb's direction of travel. These are used to destroy heavily
fortified installations such as bunker complexes, or against targets
requiring pin-point accuracy such as dams and bridges, or specific buildings
within a city where a conventional explosive would be insufficient. Focused
blast weapons are available as gravity bombs or as 50-kilogram missile
warheads. Lighter, more advanced versions are fitted as warheads on standard
starship missiles. At higher tech levels, tactical bombs are replaced by
drone-fired collapsing californium missile warheads. Meson guns eventually
replace all strategic nuclear bombs except for the highest yielding- planet
busting anti-matter bombs in the 1,000 megaton + range that become available
at TL 15. Using Nuclear Bombs Tactical nuclear bombs are usually dropped from
low altitude using one of two methods: Toss Bombing-- The pilot approaches
the target at low altitude and at a high rate of speed. During a sharp pull-
up into a vertical climb, the bomb is released at the proper angle to toss it
at its target in a ballistic arc. The pilot reverses course at the top of
the climb and dives back to low altitude for his escape. Pilots try to pick
a release point behind terrain such as a range of hills that will shield them
from the blast as they make their escape. Bomb fuses are usually set for air
burst or ground burst for a tactical toss bombing. Task: To successfully toss-
bomb a target with a nuclear bomb.
Difficult, Aircraft and Gunnery (Instant, Fateful)
Referee: Add aircraft computer level as positive DM.
+1 DM with Heads Up Display. Laydown Bombing-- This is a low altitude,
high speed tactic using nuclear bombs equipped with parachute packs. The
parachute slows the bomb sufficiently so the aircraft has time to escape
before detonation. Bombs may be fused for ground burst or for delayed
detonation. Task: To successfully make a laydown attack with a nuclear bomb.
Difficult, Gunnery, Dex (Instant, Fateful)
Referee: Add aircraft computer level as positive DM. Nuclear Weapons Effects
The Nuclear Effects Table indicates the effect radius in meters from ground
zero of several different effects, with different listings for ground bursts
and air bursts. 1. Crater-- Only ground bursts produce craters. No
individuals may enter craters because of extreme radiation levels. All
targets are destroyed within craters. 2. Primary Blast Radius-- All
targets within the inner half of the primary blast radius are destroyed. All
targets within the outer half are hit with a penetration of 60 and a damage
rating of 60. 3. Secondary Blast Radius-- All targets in the secondary blast
radius are hit with a penetration of 20 and a damage rating of 20. 4.
Tertiary Blast Radius-- All individuals within the tertiary blast radius must
roll the following task:
Task: To avoid sustaining blast damage
Difficult, Survival, End (Instant, Fateful)
Referee: Individuals under cover receive a DM of +2. 5. Induced
Radiation-- The tertiary blast radius and everything inside it is
contaminated with induced radiation for 30 minutes after bomb detonation.
After 30 minutes the area is reduced to that listed as Induced Radiation.
Unprotected individuals may not enter a contaminated area. If they are in
the area, they must leave within 30 minutes or suffer a serious wound with
two characteristics reduced to zero. Nuclear Effects Table Yield Crater
Induced Primary Secondary Tertiary 1 40 40
30/60 210/240 420/420 5 50 80 150/120 480/420
660/600 10 60 90 180/120 540/480 720/660 20 60
100 300/240 540/480 900/720 50 70 120 420/300
750/600 1200/900 100 100 140 480/420 750/600 1260/1080 250
200 430 540/500 2310/1560 4430/2900 500 250 530
650/570 3320/2240 6300/4200 1MT 300 650 750/680
3660/2500 7000/4600 5MT 500 1000 1000/990 6200/4200
12000/7900 10MT 600 1300 1340/12507900/5300 15000/9900 25MT 800
1700 1820/1700 11000/7200 20500/13500 1kMT 2400 5150
6220/580024700/3700070340/46000 ________ Yield - in kilotons unless indicated
as megatons (MT) Crater, Induced = radius in meters Primary, Secondary,
Tertiary = air burst/ground burst in meters. Nuclear Weapons Tech Level Yield
Weight Price Notes TL6 20kt 5000 kg MCr 20 Crude fission bomb,
must be armed in flight. TL7 9mt 4500 kg MCr 9000 Strategic fusion
bomb. TL7 10-70k 850 kg MCr 75 Tactical weapon, yield depends
on nuclear core manually inserted in weapon before takeoff. TL7 20mt 20000
kg MCr 20000 Massive strategic fusion bomb, a "city-buster." TL7 1mt 1000
kg MCr 1000 Light nough for tactical aircraft, enough yield to use as
strategic weapon. "Sealed Pit" weapon designed for long storage and "off the
shelf" use. TL8 10kt 250 kg MCr 10 Low blast, enhanced radiation weapon
designed to sterilize enemy installations and cities with relatively little
physical destruction. Damage is reduced to 1/3 values given for secondary
and tertiary radius. All individuals are immediately killed by radiation
within tertiary blast radius. Air-to-ground tactical missile warhead also
available with these characteristics. TL8 100kt-1mt 350 kg MCr
1000 "Dial-a-Yield" with 10 variable yield settings in 100 kt increments
selected by the pilot while in flight. TL8 2mt 1200 kg MCr 2000 Light
weight bomb designed for tactical or strategic aircraft. May be
adapted for use as ballistic missile warhead. TL9 1kt-1mt 250 kg MCr
1000 "Flexi-bomb" similar to "Dial-a-Yield" in operation with an almost
infinite selection of yields available in 1kt increments. TL10 10kt 50 kg
MCr 10 Low blast, enhanced radiation weapon. Also available as air-to- ground
tactical missile warhead. TL10 10kt 50 kg MCr 10 Focused blast weapon,
the nuclear analog of a shaped charge. Approximately 70% of the blast is
focused in a 30-degree cone with its major axis parallel to the weapon's
direction of travel. Cratering and blast effects appear as an oval footprint
beginning at thedetonation point, extending 15 degrees to each side of the
weapon's flight axis, and out to 70 per cent of the listed distances in the
10kt entry of the Nuclear Effects Table. Outside the cone, blast and
radiation effects extend 30 percent of the listed distance from the
detonation point. Available as gravity bomb and air-to- ground tactical
missile warhead. TL15 1000mt (1gigaton)1000 kg MCr100000000 Anti-matter bomb
capable of destroying a region nearly 200 kilometers in diameter. Burrowing
versions can destroy a size "1" planet by destabilizing its core. Larger
weapons in the "planet cracker" series are rated by the size number and
equivalent gigaton yield -- up to 10-- of the planets they can destroy. Any
weapon of this size must be delivered by missile or drone spacecraft. Sorry
the tables got screwed up. Will try to upload them again later. Enjoy, Terry