TOG ACADEMY: the Renegade Legion Wiki
WPN-NPC9

An NPC-9 (Source: Renegade Legions Fighter Briefing)

Fighter RL Gaul Markymark3

A Renegade Gaul heavy fighter taking a hit from an Electron particle cannon. (Original miniature by MarkyMark Ortiz.)

Particle cannon fire a stream of charged particles or plasma. Due to beam attenuation and particle dispersal, damage capability changes over distance, either diminishing as the particles disperse (in the case of the Electron Particle Cannon) or increasing as the particles revert to their original energised state (with the Neutron Particle Cannon). Particle projectors are mainly used in starfighters and Escort-class spaceships (corvettes, gunboats, and patrol craft) with a secondary role in the anti-fighter turret armament of capital ships.

Particle Weapons in the Legionnaire RPG[]

There are no hand-held or pintle-mounted particle weapons able to be used by infantry. Atmospheric density prevents a particle weapon from firing at range, as the beam quickly disperses when meeting air resistance.

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Particle Weapons in Centurion[]

Grav tanks and ground vehicles are not equipped with particle weapons; in atmosphere, charged particles lose attenuation quickly and are therefore not a feasible weapons system in ground warfare.

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Particle Weapons in Interceptor[]

Electron Particle Cannon (EPC)[]

Fighter RL SpaceGull2

A Space Gull firing its twin EPC-14s.

The EPC strips the electrons from atoms, usually helium or hydrogen from the ship´s I-K drive´s fuel reserve. A complex array of superconductive magnets and focusers accelerate the streams of electrons to near the speed of light before directing them towards the target. Although the magnets, focusers and electron extracting machinery are all relatively small and lightweight, the power required to fire the weapon is high.

The EPC is a short-range weapon. The beam, which is visible in space as a faint blue line, is most effective for close-in fighting between ships. An EPC hit is dispersed over the surface of the target. Rather than penetrating armour plating, the EPC boils it off in large planes, a layer at a time. Often, starfighters carry a mixed array of EPCs and laser weapons to undercut armour if the EPC beam hits an area already deeply perforated by a laser.[1]

Interceptor EPC Weapons
Weapon Damage at Ranges Power Used Mass (Tons) Cost (Talents)
1 Hex 2-3 Hexes 4-6 Hexes 7-10 Hexes 11-15 Hexes
EPC 9
WPN-EPC9
WPN-EPC5
WPN-EPC3
- - 25 6 125,000
EPC 14
WPN-EPC14
WPN-EPC7
WPN-EPC3
WPN-IWF1
- 37 9 183,000
EPC 18
WPN-EPC18
WPN-EPC9
WPN-EPC3
WPN-EPC3
- 47 12 237,000

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Laser / EPC Combination (LEPC) (Commonwealth / Renegade forces only)[]

WPN-LEPC18

The LEPC-18 schematics, as appearing in the Renegade Legions Fighter Briefing

In this weapon system, Commonwealth engineers tried to synchronise a 5/1 laser with an Electron Particle Cannon to achieve an undercutting effect on armour. The EPC is timed to impact an instant after the laser hits, creating a characteristic T-shaped damage profile. The weapon has met with mixed success; when encountering shielded targets, often the EPC beam is stopped even if the laser achieves a hit through the shield.

To achieve a hit, first the laser must penetrate the shields. If the laser fails to hit, both weapons are stopped by the shields. If the laser hits, it does its normal damage, and a second roll is made for the EPC. If the EPC hits as well, its damage profile (shown in a lighter shade on the chart) is applied on top of the laser hit.

For construction and weapon firing purposes, the Laser/EPC is treated as a single weapon system. Due to the bulk of the complex synchronising circuits, the system weighs more and demands more power than the single cost of the two weapon systems combined. It is also rather fragile and needs frequent re-adjustment by maintenance personnel.[2]

Interceptor Laser / EPC Weapons
Weapon Damage at Ranges Power Used Mass (Tons) Cost (Talents)
1 Hex 2-3 Hexes 4-6 Hexes 7-10 Hexes 11-15 Hexes
LEPC 9
WPN-LEPC-4-9
WPN-LEPC-3-5
WPN-LEPC-2-3
WPN-IWF1
- 40 17 120,000
LEPC 14
WPN-LEPC-4-14
WPN-LEPC-3-7
WPN-LEPC-2-3
WPN-LEPC14-1-1
- 55 20 219,000
LEPC 18
WPN-LEPC-4-18
WPN-LEPC-3-9
WPN-LEPC-2-3
WPN-LEPC-1-3
- 66 24 338,000

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Neutron Particle Cannon (NPC)[]

The Neutron Particle Cannon works by stripping the neutrons from an atom (usually helium or lithium). Neutrons have no charge and are impossible to accelerate with an electromagnetic coil, but this effect is circumvented by "masking" the neutrons. The neutrons are bombarded with tachyons, which reduces their effective mass and lays an almost imperceptible charge on them. Superconductive magnets and focusers are then used to hurl the neutrons at their target.

Once it has left the containment field, the neutron gradually reverts to its original state. This accounts for the ability of the cannon to do more damage at longer range than up close, making the NPC an excellent weapon for glancing engagements and pursuit operations.

Because neutrons are many times heavier than electrons, the neutron beam penetrates armour much more effectively than the EPC. Its main drawback is the immense power required to fire the weapon, and the machinery is frequently sullen.[3]

Interceptor NPC Weapons
Weapon Damage at Ranges Power Used Mass (Tons) Cost (Talents)
1 Hex 2-3 Hexes 4-6 Hexes 7-10 Hexes 11-15 Hexes
NPC 9
WPN-IWF1
WPN-NPC-6
WPN-NPC-9
- - 30 8 120,000
NPC 16
WPN-IWF1
WPN-NPC-4
WPN-NPC-9
WPN-NPC-16
- 55 15 219,000
NPC 20
WPN-NPC-4
WPN-NPC-9
WPN-NPC-16
WPN-NPC-20
- 85 23 338,000

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Thorium Plasma Projector (TPP)[]

This is a relatively recent weapons development. The weapon superheats thorium atoms to a plasma and then accelerates it to high speeds. Like an EPC bolt, the plasma boils off armour in large sections, but it penetrates the armour before dispersing, creating a conical cavity below the surface. Since the plasma disperses and cools rapidly after leaving the weapon´s containment tube, the TPP is a very short-ranged weapon.

While the Thorium Plasma Projector is a very light-weight device (in relation to its damage potential), its energy consumption is quite high. This restricts the weapon system to larger, high-powered fighters.[4]

Interceptor TPP Weapons
Weapon Damage at Ranges Power Used Mass (Tons) Cost (Talents)
1 Hex 2-3 Hexes 4-6 Hexes 7-10 Hexes 11-15 Hexes
TPP 9
WPN-TPP-9
WPN-NPC-6
WPN-IWF1
- - 30 8 104,000
TPP 16
WPN-TPP-16
WPN-TPP-9
WPN-TPP-4
WPN-IWF1
- 55 15 154,000
TPP 20[5]
WPN-TPP-20
WPN-TPP-16
WPN-TPP-9
WPN-TPP-4
- 85 23 263,000

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Particle Weapons in Leviathan[]

There are no particle weapon bays on capital ships and patrol craft in Leviathan scale. The effects of fighter-mounted EPCs, LEPCs, TPPs and NPCs are figured into the respective fighter formation´s long-range (LRA) and close-range (CRA) attack values. Capital ships and corvettes carry an assortment of turreted mass drivers, lasers and particle weapons in anti-fighter capacity, which are figured into the ship´s Turret Factor.[6]

Annotations[]

  1. Source: Interceptor rulebook.
  2. Source: Renegade Legions Fighter Briefing.
  3. Source: Interceptor rulebook.
  4. Source: Renegade Legions Fighter Briefing, TOG Fighter Briefing
  5. Note that the Renegade Legions Fighter Briefing and TOG Fighter Briefing erroneously give the TPP-20´s damage at ranges 7-10 as "3"; since the TPP´s damage template is an inverted NPC´s, and the NPC has no 3-point damage template, the nearest one ("4") was substituted on this page.
  6. Source: Leviathan rulebook.