An electrolaser uses a channel of ionized air created by a laser pulse to electrically couple whatever the beam strikes to a high voltage discharge. This discharge can stun nerves, put muscles into painful contractions, and disorganize the nervous system. The muscular contractions also rapidly use up the body's energy supplies. The discharge has a low enough current that the overall energy delivered by the electrical pulse is quite low, preventing serious injury, although minor burns can occur. This makes electrolasers useful non-lethal weapons for controlling riots or stopping suspects without killing them. They are also popular with civilians as low-lethality devices for self defense.
Because the beams of electrolasers are electrically conductive, an electrolaser should never be fired into storm clouds or at high voltage equipment or power lines.
In game terms, the victim of an electrolaser hit to the head or torso is affected by an affliction causing stun and knockdown, and takes 1 fatigue every turn he is shocked. A hit to a limb will "stun" the limb, each turn the HT roll is failed the limb cannot be used. The effects of the affliction are not cumulative - even if you are hit by ten pulses and fail every HT roll, you only need to make one HT roll to recover and only take 1 FP.
Some electrolasers are specifically made to have a "kill" setting. A hit from this setting causes electrical burns and can stop the heart. Any hit to the torso causes a heart attack as a secondary affliction, any hit to the vitals causes a heart attack as the primary affliction (in addition to stunning, in case it matters).
Electrolaser Weapons
TL | Weapon | Type | Damage | Acc | Range | Weight | ROF | E | Min ST | Bulk | Rcl | Cost | LC | Notes |
9 | Shock Pistol, 300 kV | 6 | 100/200 | 0.7 | 10 | 4 | -2 | 1 | $2200 | 4 | [1,2,3] | |||
stun | burn | 1d/5 | 0.01 | |||||||||||
stun - linked | HT-2(2) aff | |||||||||||||
kill | burn | (1d+1)/4 | 0.1 | 2 | ||||||||||
kill - linked | HT-2(2) aff, secondary heart attack | |||||||||||||
9 | Heavy Shock Pistol, 600 kV | 6 | 200/400 | 1.5 | 10 | 6 | -3 | 1 | $3400 | 4 | [1,2,3] | |||
stun | burn | 1d/5 | 0.02 | |||||||||||
stun - linked | HT-4(2) aff | |||||||||||||
kill | burn | 1d/3 | 0.2 | 2 | ||||||||||
kill - linked | HT-4(2) aff, secondary heart attack | |||||||||||||
9 | High Power Shock Gun, 1200 kV | 12+2 | 500/1000 | 3 | 10 | 4 | -4 | 1 | $8200 | 4 | [1,2,4] | |||
stun | burn | 1d/4 | 0.04 | |||||||||||
stun - linked | HT-4(2) aff | |||||||||||||
kill | burn | 1d/2 | 0.4 | 2 | ||||||||||
kill - linked | HT-4(2) aff, secondary heart attack |