TW Annihilate Cannon

[Godslayer]

So I'm pretty new to the Techno-Wizardry rules, but in my current game, I just can't think of any reason NOT to make one of these bad boys. I've seen people mention them, but never seen an actual write up. Is it really as simple as it looks?

My current character is a Demigod, son of Vulcan: Shifter/Techno-Wizard.

In its simplest, but most efficient form could I build the following:

TW Annihilation Cannon:
Resembles a Boom-Gun, mounted on the back of a suit of power armor. To fire, the gun is simply pulled forward until it locks into its shoulder mounting, at which point it is then fired like a standard heavy weapon.
Effective Range: Shoots baseball sized orbs of contained antimatter up to 500 feet.
Mega-Damage: 2d8x100 per shot. Plus 4d6x10 to everything within a 10 foot radius.
Device Level: One.
P.P.E. Construction Cost: 20.
Spell Chains Needed: Primary Spell: Annihilate (600 or 300), no Secondary spells needed. (300 for my Shifter, 600 otherwise).
Physical Requirements:
150 or 300 carats of Lapis Lazuli, worth 750k, or 1.5 mil. (Again, 150 for a Shifter/Temporal Guy, 300 otherwise).
Duration of Charge: One shot.
To Recharge: 1 P.P.E. or 2 I.S.P.
Construction Time: 2 or 4 hours. Black Market Cost: Price of the Gem, gun, plus a few hundred extra.

I'm sure I'll throw in some PPE storage as well.

In my current game, I just happened to get my hands on a large piece of lapis lazuli (in some texans belt buckle).

Now, I might break up the gem I have to use a smaller piece, but I wanted to see if the above was correct. Also, how often would this gun be able to fire? Would it take 3 actions to fire? Or could it fire 1 shot per action?

[Tor]

Seeing as how annihilate orbs are traditionally thrown, and there' s a lack of cool-looking siege weapons (good use for that foM MDification spell) I think an Annihilation-Catapult would be cool. Also, would let you fire over walls.

[Alrik Vas]

I think they're asking if, by the rules, the construction/costs are correct...

[Mack]

Your math appears to be off by a bit. Here's what I get:

Device Level 1
150 carats of Lapis Lazuli
Activation Cost: 2 PPE
Construction: 40 PPE and 4 hours
Build Cost: 750,400 credits

Or with the higher amount of carats:

Device Level 1
300 carats of Lapis Lazuli
Activation Cost: 1 PPE
Construction: 20 PPE and 2 hours
Build Cost: 1,500,200 credits

However, typically for a cannon or rifle I would include Power Bolt for the 'shooting' aspect. Adding that as a Secondary spell along with it's 1 carat of Turquoise results in:

Device Level 1
150 carats of Lapis Lazuli plus 1 carat Turquoise
Activation Cost: 2.1 PPE
Construction: 41.3 PPE and 4.1 hours
Build Cost: 750,653 credits

and:

Device Level 1
300 carats of Lapis Lazuli plus 1 carat Turquoise
Activation Cost: 1 PPE
Construction: 21 PPE and 2.1 hours
Build Cost: 1,500,447 credits

As for how often it would fire, that's completely between the GM and player and what they feel is appropriate for their gaming table.

Note - I used 600 PPE for the base spell's cost, but since your character is half Shifter, your GM may let you use the lower cost of only 300 PPE (which would change the numbers I posted).

[Godslayer]

Oops, I had copies that template from something else, and forgot to edit the actual PPE Construction cost. I'll edit the original post.

[Godslayer]

Another question I had, if you bring the activation cost down to less than one, can you construct a weapon with no PPE cost?

[Blue_Lion]

I so hate the reduce activation cost option.

[Godslayer]

I'll admit, it does seem uber powerful. But I'll take it

Honestly though, TW's would quickly overrun Rifts, and anyplace else. Just Annihilation guns alone would win just about any war. You could easily get enough Lapis just from Colorado to outfit an army.

Not to mention, is there any reason this weapon couldn't be fired in a Long Burst. What would the damage on something like that be? 6d8x100?

[Mack]

Another question I had, if you bring the activation cost down to less than one, can you construct a weapon with no PPE cost?

That's not addressed in the book, so it's up to the GM.

My personal rule is to always round up fractional PPE values (2.01 becomes 3) but that's just me.

[Mack]

Not to mention, is there any reason this weapon couldn't be fired in a Long Burst. What would the damage on something like that be? 6d8x100?

There's no hard and fast "Thou shalt not" rule against it, but given your design is based off a Boomgun my opinion is it should be single shot only. Again, it's a GM decision. Which is a recurring theme with the TW creation rules. They require GM's to be involved in the entire creation process to ensure the resulting item fits within their game-world.

Also, for a new device I always recommend role-playing the design & prototyping efforts. That alone can consume a considerable amount of resources (especially if the initial prototype fails and destroys the crystals). I say that to maintain balance and fairness to other players who can't crank out an uber-weapon overnight.

[ShadowLogan]

However, typically for a cannon or rifle I would include Power Bolt for the 'shooting' aspect.

That is one option, but Energy bolt is another example that works within established works. If this is being worked into a railgun system (original device), I'd probably also include TK. If its originally Plasma or Particle/Ion I'd probably also include those TW conversion base spells instead.

Another question I had, if you bring the activation cost down to less than one, can you construct a weapon with no PPE cost?

I would say yes, but make the following notes:
-should be single use or ley line powered as those are the only ways the book lists as having no cost.
-"If the device is not a Ley Line Device and it does not have an activation cost, the G.M. should assign some other penalties or limitations to the item in order to reflect its unique nature."-RUE pg131
-It should be noted however to get a cost of Zero (by rounding) would require a very expensive amount of primary gem.

For example to get the book's TW Flaming Sword down to ZERO PPE cost requires 111carat Ruby (Deep red) Gems worth 2.1million credits (approx). That compares to the baseline 4carot (76k credits) and 14 PPE cost. If we don't make it Ley Line Powered or single use device, it should also have some penalties/limitations.

To get your OP Annhilate Cannon to ZERO PPE requires 601carats of gem. That assumes rounding anything less than .5PPE down to zero. So at 601carat cost is less than .5PPE. At ~302807carats is what goal seek took to get the activation cost to ZERO (and it still listed it as ~0.00099) in a spreedsheet. So mathematically you may never actually reach Zero exactly, and have to do it by rounding. However, as you can see you would need a lot of carats in the gem to even attempt this.

[Mack]

However, typically for a cannon or rifle I would include Power Bolt for the 'shooting' aspect.

That is one option, but Energy bolt is another example that works within established works. If this is being worked into a railgun system (original device), I'd probably also include TK. If its originally Plasma or Particle/Ion I'd probably also include those TW conversion base spells instead.

Yep, all valid options. My personal tendency is to use Energy Bolt for TW pistols, and Power Bolt for TW rifles, but that's just a theme I use (based on the spell's ranges). This gets into the "Art vs Science" aspect of TW creation where there's really no wrong answer.

[say652]

Is the Annihilate a temporal effect?

[drewkitty ~..~]

Which is your char's class, and what is you char's DG power? The shifter or the TW?
------
I would have the player add in a secondary spell to provide a motivative force for the A's orb.

Another secondary spell to link the shooter and the cannon to retain the +3 to strike. Without this linking magic the shooter would only get his WP Heavy MD bonuses to strike.
------

As to the rocks in the creation rules...I would add a multiplier to caret requirements of the 'non-gem' type stones.

-----
It is only "temporal' in that it magic that brings Anti-matter across the dimensional barriers.

[flatline]

I so hate the reduce activation cost option.

I don't mind it in theory, but I hate that it actually decreases the cost of the item rather than increasing it.

I've never run a game with the RUE TW rules, but if I did, I'd use the extra carats as a multiple to the cost. Figure the cost for the minimum carats, then multiply that by the ratio of extra carats.

[Godslayer]

Which is your char's class, and what is you char's DG power? The shifter or the TW?

------

His class is actually Technojacker. His Godling power is Shifter, and Techno-Wizard is his ability from his parent.

[drewkitty ~..~]

Which is your char's class, and what is you char's DG power? The shifter or the TW?

------

His class is actually Technojacker. His Godling power is Shifter, and Techno-Wizard is his ability from his parent.

sooo....(sidesteps the argument about whether or not the one godling power is the power from the parent since there is a current topic already covering that elsewhere)
.....since since the inheriting powers only covers class abilities.... he has all the abilities of the class but none of the skills how does he make TW stuff since the TW construction skill is not a class ability?

It is not like those inheriting mage class abilities get the Principles of Magic skill ether. The only races I know of that would inherit the PoM skill are Dragons cause it says they hatch with a full understanding on magic. (paraphrasing from memory)
-------

TechnoJacker???? Which book is it in?

[The Beast]

TechnoJacker???? Which book is it in?

Rifter 2 I think.

[eliakon]

Which is your char's class, and what is you char's DG power? The shifter or the TW?

------

His class is actually Technojacker. His Godling power is Shifter, and Techno-Wizard is his ability from his parent.

sooo....(sidesteps the argument about whether or not the one godling power is the power from the parent since there is a current topic already covering that elsewhere)
.....since since the inheriting powers only covers class abilities.... he has all the abilities of the class but none of the skills how does he make TW stuff since the TW construction skill is not a class ability?

It is not like those inheriting mage class abilities get the Principles of Magic skill ether. The only races I know of that would inherit the PoM skill are Dragons cause it says they hatch with a full understanding on magic. (paraphrasing from memory)
-------

TechnoJacker???? Which book is it in?

Its a class from Splicers
They are a person that is symbiotically linked with a swarm of living nanites.

[Blue_Lion]

I so hate the reduce activation cost option.

I don't mind it in theory, but I hate that it actually decreases the cost of the item rather than increasing it.

I've never run a game with the RUE TW rules, but if I did, I'd use the extra carats as a multiple to the cost. Figure the cost for the minimum carats, then multiply that by the ratio of extra carats.

I use an entirely different set of rules.
The reduction in time or ppe is a reason I refuse to use the tw guide lines from rue.

[say652]

Memnoc designed tw bullets, a llw is able to only discern spell level not effect of rounds.