Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Merr-Sonn Z-6 Rotary Blaster Cannon


The Z-6 rotary blaster cannon was a heavy weapon that fired a massive spray of blaster bolts at a target. It was similar to a heavy repeating blaster, except it did not require a tripod to operate and thus could be carried by a single heavy weapon specialist. The Z-6 was large and unwieldy and required training to use effectively.[1]

Working around a basic limitation in capabilities inherent in typical man-portable blaster weapons, the Z-6 incorporated a rotary assembly of six barrels, each with its own actuating chamber, wrapped around a coolant-lined core. The galven circuitry used in the blaster meant that the Z-6 had both a high cyclic discharge rate and good cooling, allowing for a tremendous sustained rate of fire (up to roughly 166 discrete full-powered shots per second).

Despite its impressive firepower, the weapon had several notable limitations, specifically the high rate of energy pack consumption, significant weight, and powerful recoil. The weapon is thus considered a special-issue arm deployed in specific situations, rather than a general purpose weapon. Efforts by Merr-Sonn to counteract its limitations were not completely successful, and variants that addressed those issues tended to end up being trade-offs. The rotary blaster cannon required a power pack to operate; after 20 shots, the power pack must be replaced. This weapon could also be attached to a power generator for longer use. It weighed 16 kg.

Name                 Skill       Dam Crit Range Encum HP Price    Rarity Special

Z-6 Rotary        Gunnery    8      3     Long   6       4     2,850     4       Auto-fire, cumbersome 4,
Blaster Cannon


1 comment:

  1. Interesting weapon you've got here. I really like the concept and the write-up you've done. The fluff is really cool. However, the stats make it totally eclipsed by other weaponry.

    For example, the Heavy Blaster Rifle has the same crit, range, enc, hp and auto-fire, with 10 damage, only 4 cumber, and costs only 1500cr. All other heavy rifles or repeaters have significantly more damage for the cost/weight, and include pierce.

    So I would either add damage, reduce crit, or give it something else that makes it not a poor knock-off of another heavy weapon. A little tweaking, and I think you'll have something worthwhile.

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