Elemental Projectile Weapons

[tkdco2]

I like the idea of elements being used as laser-type weapons. The main problem is how to visualize it. How can you tell a beryllium ray from a sulfur ray? I'm going to use their respective emission spectra to represent them. Rays will look like the Prismatic Spray spell. Beams will be multicolored, with the colors appearing in order. Pulses will change color and will cycle through the spectrum before returning to the first one.

Alternatively, you can have the projectile weapons shoot the element in its room temperature state. A gold projectile weapon shoots gold bullets. A mercury projectile weapon shoots a stream of liquid. An oxygen projectile weapon shoots out a cloud of gas. These weapons cannot be reloaded or recharged after they are spent.

Of course, there's no reason not to have both types in your game.

[foxroe]

I know it sounds a little "Cthu-liche", but it's your Carcosa, so...

I think either one of your methods is perfectly acceptable in game terms, considering that any "real world" establishment of "accepted physics/biology" would utterly reject 90% (or more) of what "Carcosa" represents.

Hmmm... I actually like your second idea - though maybe not strictly a "room temperature" state, but closer to a state similar to one of that temperature:

- "solid metal" weapons spew forth a hot molten liquid
- "gaseous" weapons spew forth a heated "plasma"
- etc.

[tkdco2]

I'll probably keep both options. That way I can keep surprising my players.

I occasionally remind the players Carcosa uses Pulp science, not real science. I do have a hard science fiction game I can run for them, although I haven't had any takers.

[burningtorso]

I just figured the elemental projectors are Particle-Beam Weapons (like Blasters) but instead of sub-atomic particles, it accelerates the individual atoms of the elements in focused beams.
In cross world campaigns, if that world had blasters, you could just consider them similar.