Newbie Question: why are Laser/Energy Weapons rare in HU?

[Gaunilo]

Totally new to HU and am making my way through the 2e rulebook. Loving it, but as I was creating a hero I wanted to give a laser pistol, I saw, at HU2e Rules p. 62, regarding W.P. [Energy Weapons], a note that reads: "Note: Energy weapons, including lasers, are not generally available even to most superbeings. See the Modern Combat section for details."

But...there's nothing further about this in the Modern Weapon Combat section at pp. 75-78, nor do I see the rareness explained anywhere else in the rules. I see Aliens have energy/laser weapons, and maybe the earlier note is just saying laser weapons are somewhat reserved for "Alien" characters, but I still don't quite understand. I've never played Rifts, but I get the impression laser/energy weapons are commonplace there. Is it going to break the system if a Golden-Age-type "Batman...but with a laser pistol" hero exists?

Does anyone know where this is discussed in the HU2e rules, and/or can anyone help a newbie brother out so I can understand this?

Thanks!

[Glistam]

See the Modern Combat section for details.

This is in relation to all the modern weapon proficiencies, ragarding their bonuses per level, firing rates, etc. The Hardware category and the Alien category are the only other places in the main book I think energy weapons are discussed. I believe one of the Special Training heroes may be able to get one, too? The Heroes Unlimited GM's Guide, Villains Unlimited, Century Station, Nd the Aliens Unlimited books have energy weapons to aelect above and beyond what's in the main book.

[Gaunilo]

See the Modern Combat section for details.

This is in relation to all the modern weapon proficiencies, ragarding their bonuses per level, firing rates, etc. The Hardware category and the Alien category are the only other places in the main book I think energy weapons are discussed. I believe one of the Special Training heroes may be able to get one, too? The Heroes Unlimited GM's Guide, Villains Unlimited, Century Station, Nd the Aliens Unlimited books have energy weapons to aelect above and beyond what's in the main book.

Thank you.

[Stone Gargoyle]

I think that they are made rare to try and keep them special to certain categories. But as we all know, energy weapons are commonplace in the comics. So it becomes a matter of using what works in your games if you are a GM, and if you are not a GM, getting your GM to allow it.

[drewkitty ~..~]

The HU time scores are typically based in the 1970's-1990's, when there were no Laser pistols in the public square.
Even today we don't no laser sidearms.

Yes, the MW galaxy galactic society does have laser smallarms because that setting within the HU Game is many centuries ahead in their tech levels than the earth in HU.

Note that if you are the GM of the game being run you set the availability of energy weapons in your game. But because using an energy weapon is suppose to be a hero's 'calling card'/Shtick/uniqueness, they limited the availability so heroes & Villeins can have their personal uniqueness in the game.

[The Artist Formerly]

The orginal rules were written in the late 1980s. But by Century Station and Gramercy Island, they become standard issue for high-tech police and combat groups and use more useful stat blocks then those found in HU2E.

[fbdaury]

Basically the classes in the book with access to energy weapons are, I believe: Aliens, Bionics, Hardware - Weapons and Analytical Genius, Robotics, and Special Training - Secret Agent. As noted above, the rarity of such items in a game you GM is up to you but the books were written in the early 80s and PB is notoriously bad at updating the tech level of their game worlds (other than RIFTS, ofc) even when he does new editions or revisions of the books. I'm pretty sure even the HU2nd book, released in 1998, still had early-mid eighties computer equipment still listed as 'fresh off the shelf' then.

[Stone Gargoyle]

The game is limited as written to prevent someone from creating, say, a superhero with power armor and laser weapons. Some GMs ignore that and run anything goes style games, but that is on them.

[Sir_Spirit]

Well, they can start with power armor and lazer weapons, but those are the hardware characters who would have rolled to design/make them and payed for them during character creation. Rather than letting, say, your average mutant have access to power armor and a lazer gun in addition to their super powers.

[Ranger]

Talk with your GM to see what they will allow. Some groups may have energy weapons (Federal LEOs, Military, State and City LEOs (at least energy stun weapons) but your average person may not have them as of yet (or if they do, they are prohibitively expensive and rare).

[Borast]

Laser weapons, in general, because they weigh in the multi-tonne range for combat effective weapons.
Because they have obscenely expensive components that are generally single shot (think about a $5000 single shot pistol weapon with $50000 rounds). The ones that are multi-fire do less damage, and take longer to power-up and fire...their advantage is they can continuously fire for several seconds instead of a only for a microsecond.

That being said...I saw a show on PBS(?) where they manage to blow-up a scale missile with LASER POINTERS!

So, those little mothers are dangerous! (There is a reason you can face major jail time pointing them at aircraft!)

That all being said, remember; tasers are e-weapons too!
Overload them, and they can become lethal!

For the rest of the category:
Railguns/mass drivers have an hellacious kick - lots of mass and Robotic or SPS needed.
Ion guns - next best thing to electricity...think about a shotgun with a randomly changing choke depending on atmospheric conditions. It could also "feedback" on the user.
Particle weapons - best description I've ever heard was from Battletech PPCs - think "lightning" gun, but without it being electrical in nature...the weapon is stripping atoms apart and throwing the resulting mass of atomic particles downrange at sublight speed. Consider it a sandblaster effect!
Plasma weapons - as described in the books, is essentially a super fancy flame thrower. It is not creating actual plasma. Has potential to have serious splash effect, and flow past the target even if you hit it.

The biggest drawback would be the blowthrough would generally be bigger than with a firearm, because there is no tumbling, and depending on the type of energy, reduced internal absorbtion.
Lots of other messy IRL issues and physics...

All that, and because most of the HU actors are not mega-rich!

If I'm rambling...apologies, I've been up for almost 18 hours on less than 6 hours of sleep!