Shadowtech: Experimental Equipment for the CE

Zero-Form Particle Cannon

A Zero-Form PPC is largely the same as a standard PPC, except rather than discharging a blue bolt, the weapon fires a black bolt, or more appropriately, a complete absence of light. Units in hexes adjacent to the struck target have a random chance of being hit by scattering packets of Zero particles, for half damage. A target struck by a Zero form energy weapon don't just take normal PPC damage, they also take the same amount of heat the weapon generates when fired. If the firing unit doesn't hit a metallic target, this displaced heat has nowhere to go but back to the source, and the zero-form PPC will effectively miss AND generate double heat.

Against vehicles, zero-form weapons are hideously effective as few armored vehicles are equipped with heat sinks to handle temp spikes. Even if the beam doesn't penetrate the armor on a vehicle, they have to respond to it like an overheating mech, including ammunition cooking off and the crew perishing from heat. Vehicles with fusion engines or heat sinks can survive, depending on where their current heat level is. These weapons, while not intended for anti-infantry or power armor roles, deal double base damage against said targets, though hitting a power armor trooper with a mech scale PPC is already almost guaranteed kill without bonus effects or heat discharge. It's shooting a bird with an anti-material rifle, overkill.

Almagest Bomb

The Almagest bomb is a dark energy weapon that deals damage as per a very powerful artillery strike, 40 dmg scattered in 5 point bundles rolled against hit table, 20 dmg in the ring of hexes around it, and 10 damage in the second ring of hexes. The explosion it generates it black shot through with gamma flash lightning. Any unarmored infantry or open vehicles are automatically destroyed by the Almagest bomb. Any vehicle taking an engine hit has to roll to see if the bomb triggers a critical reaction in their core, or explode. Dark energy and fusion/arcanotech powerplants get along like gasoline and fireworks.

Vehicles destroyed by Almagestic weaponry cannot be repaired. The materials they are made of are contaminated with exotic particles. If a vehicle of mech survives, the damaged components have to be physically removed, the armor has to be replaced, and typically many of the core systems need to be replaced as well do to exotic particle contamination. Organic remains are best incinerated, as untended remains tend to sprout dense clusters of unknown fungi, and corpse like plant material.

Ebony Lasers

Ebony lasers are exotic beam weapons that require large amounts of power and generate a similar amount of heat. They fire beams of anti-photons, but deal damage as per normal lasers of their according make and model. (A mech or vehicle cannot move and fire its ebony lasers in the same turn). A target struck takes damage as per normal but has to make an armor-saving roll. This roll is based on the overall mass of the armor, and its condition, the more and better, the better. If the roll is failed, the armor is downgraded, with normal armor becoming BAR-10 (anything that does more than 10 damage cuts straight through and deals critical hits). This is cumulative, so that a mech hit multiple times can literally see its armor sloughing off like gangrenous flesh. 

Ebony lasers are generally not popular because they are hot, negate mobility, and in the case of small and medium lasers, have a small chance of inflicting the armor rotting effect. Large ebony lasers are the main versions used, and these tend to either be extended range models, or pulse versions to increase the number of hits they can get in while dealing with an enemy. The Noddites and Enochians do like having fixed Ebony lasers in their defensive positions, having obelisk like towers equipped with light naval grade versions of these weapons. Being enormously hot, they are easy to spot with thermal imaging and heat seeking weaponry, so there is a balance.

Slime Cannon

Slime cannons are modified autocannons that fire a liquid projectile. Upon hitting a target, the round expands rapidly into a highly viscous material that interferes with the operation of heavy machinery. This fouls wheels and treads, gums up arm and leg actuators, and very easily obscures targeting systems, laser emitters, and the like. These weapons can still technically be used, but there is a chance, depending on the amount of slime, that the weapon misfires, jams, or destroys itself, potentially triggering an ammunition explosion. As most LRM/SRM systmes use doors that cover the launcher, these are the most prone to being jammed shut.

Slime guns can immobilize infantry, and in the case of unarmored infantry, death by smothering is not uncommon, considering an AC-10 will be throwing a 100 pound wad of expanding foam, while an AC-20 renders a horrific 300 lb payload.