Morpheus Unbound  |  GURPS  |  Weapons and Equipment
Battletech

Transliteration of selected Battletech Weapons to GURPS

This document represents an attempt to maintain the feel and flavor of the Battletech weapons rather than represent an accurate translation.  This is done because the two game and vehicle construction systems are radically dissimilar and make dissimilar assumptions about "reality" in order to achieve good game play.  Both are great games.

GURPS game mechanics are based on GURPS Vehicles 2nd Edition, with a little "fudge factor" thrown in here and there for flavor (and simplicity).  

How long have we been playing these game?  Anyone remember Man-to-Man or Battledroids?  That's how long we've been playing these games.

Energy Weapons

Conversions for Energy Weapons are based on retaining the same mass for the "basic" weapons and working backwards.  Adding a Cyberslave mount will bring the weapon up to its Battletech weight.

A note about the "Pulse" weapons in GURPS.  Battletech has a game mechanic in which there is a one-to-one ratio between weapon and "to hit" roll.  One weapon, one roll.  In GURPS, there is a one to one ratio between each bullet or shot and a "to hit" roll.  Thus, Battletech "Pulse" weapons are "RoF 1", but have a much better chance to hit with that one shot compared to conventional energy weapons.  In GURPS, each shot is no more likely to hit compared to a single-shot energy weapon, but there are more shots therefore increasing the chance that one or more will hit.

Lasers
All lasers are TL10 Rainbow Lasers
(Malf.: Ver. (Crit.), LC -1)
Weapon Type DMG SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt RoF Power/shot Cost
Small Laser (16,000 Kj output) Imp. 6d × 15 25 25 28,000 83,000 500 1 36,000 23,000
ER Small Laser Imp. 6d × 15 25 27 56,000 170,000 1,500 1 36,000 32,000
Pulse Small Laser Imp. 6d × 15 25 25 28,000 83,000 750 3 36,000 32,000
Medium Laser (32,000 Kj output) Imp. 6d × 20 25 26 39,000 120,000 1,000 1 72,000 40,000
ER Medium Laser Imp. 6d × 20 30 29 79,000 240,000 1,500 1 72,000 57,000
Pulse Small Laser Imp. 6d × 20 30 26 39,000 120,000 1,500 3 72,000 57,000
Large Laser (160,000 Kj output) Imp. 6d × 40 30 28 88,000 260,000 5,000 1 360,000 170,000
ER Large Laser Imp. 6d × 40 30 30 180,000 530,000 7,500 1 360,000 260,000
Pulse Large Laser Imp. 6d × 40 30 28 88,000 260,000 7,500 3 360,000 260,000

Particle Projection Cannons
PPCs are TL10 Neutral Particle Beams
(Malf.: Ver., LC -1)
Weapon Type DMG SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt RoF Power/shot Cost
PPC (224,000 Kj output) Imp. 6d × 200 30 26 34,000 100,000 7,000 1 448,000 180,000
ER PPC Imp. 6d × 200 30 27 68,000 200,000 14,000 1 448,000 360,000
Pulse PPC Imp. 6d × 200 30 26 34,000 100,000 11,000 3 448,000 270,000

Ballistic Weapons

Conversions for Ballistic Weapons are based on known Bore Size and working forwards from there. Autocannons have incrementally shorter barrels with each larger bore size.  This was done in a feeble attempt to represent the range reduction of Battletech.


Autocannons
Autocannons are TL10 electrothermal weapons with electric light automatic or heavy automatic (Ultra) loading mechanisms
(Malf.: Ver. (Crit.), LC -1)
Weapon Type DMG SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt RoF Power/shot Cost WPS VPS CPS
AC 2 (20 mm) Cr. 6d × 6 20 17 3,000 11,000 75 8 144 8,400 0.24 0.0016 0.08
AC 2 Ultra (20 mm) Cr. 6d × 6 20 17 3,000 11,000 110 16 144 12,000 0.24 0.0016 0.08
AC 5 (50 mm) Cr. 6d × 10 20 17 3,000 11,000 560 3 1,280 28,000 3.2 0.021 6.40
AC 5 Ultra (50 mm) Cr. 6d × 10 20 17 3,000 11,000 840 6 1,280 39,000 3.2 0.021 6.40
AC 10 (100 mm) Cr. 6d × 15 25 15 1,800 8,100 1,800 1 4,400 76,000 22 0.15 44
AC 10 Ultra (100 mm) Cr. 6d × 15 30 15 1,800 8,100 2,700 2 4,400 110,000 22 0.15 44
AC 20 (200 mm) Cr. 6d × 15 30 14 1,200 6,300 2,400 1/2 9,000 96,000 180 1.2 360
AC 20 Ultra (200 mm) Cr. 6d × 15 30 14 1,200 6,300 3,600 1 9,000 140,000 180 1.2 360

Warhead Type DMG WPS VPS CPS
20 mm APDU Cr. 8d × 6 (3) 0.24 0.0016 0.48
50 mm APEX Cr.
Exp.		 6d × 10 (2)
6d × 5 [4d]		 3.2 0.021 32
100 mm HE Exp. 6d × 50 [10d] 15 0.1 88
100 mm HEAT Exp. 6d × 25 (10) 15 0.1 132
200 mm HE Exp. 6d × 375 [12d] 120 0.8 720
200 mm HEAT Exp. 6d × 50 (10) 120 0.8 1,080

Machineguns
Machineguns are TL10 caseless weapons with electric heavy automatic loading mechanisms
(Malf.: Ver. (Crit.), LC 0)
Weapon Type DMG SS Acc 1/2D Max Wt RoF Cost WPS VPS CPS
Machinegun (12.5 mm) Cr. 9d + 1 17 12 660 3,700 27 20 1,520 0.12 0.0008 0.48

Warhead Type DMG WPS VPS CPS
12.5 mm APDU Cr. 6d × 2 (3) 0.12 0.0008 2.88

Missile Systems

Missile Systems are approximated based on missile weight.  SRMs are about 100  missiles per ton, making individual missiles 20 pounds each.  LRMs are 120 missiles per ton, making individual missiles 16 2/3 pounds each.  Launcher systems represent fast autoloading batteries of linked missile tubes.

Missiles
Missiles are TL10 (Malf. Crit., LC -1)
Name Guid.-Skill Type DMG Spd End. Max. Min. WPS VPS CPS
160 mm Short Range Missile BIRH-17, BOH-17 Exp. 6d × 192 [12d] 300 10 3,000 0 20 0.40 12,000
130 mm Long Range Missile BIRH-17, BOH-17 Exp. 6d × 52 [10d] 300 42 12,600 0 16 0.32 13,000

SRM Launchers
Built by creating an array of linked single-tube launchers.  Requires 3 seconds for each array to reload.  Thus an SRM-6 can fire one volley of 6 missiles every 3 seconds.
Name Weight SS RoF Cost
SRM-1 50 20 1/3 940
SRM-2 100 20 2/3 1,930
SRM-4 200 20 4/3 3,810
SRM-6 300 20 6/3 5,690

LRM Launchers
Built by creating an array of linked single-tube launchers.  Requires 3 seconds for each array to reload.  Thus an LRM-10 can fire one volley of 10 missiles every 3 seconds.
Name Weight SS RoF Cost
LRM-1 40 20 1/3 750
LRM-5 200 20 5/3 3,800
LRM-10 400 20 10/3 7,550
LRM-15 600 20 15/3 11,300
LRM-20 800 20 20/3 15,050

Copyright © 1997-1999 by Morpheus Unbound.  All rights reserved.
Battletech is a Trademark of FASA Corporation.
GURPS is a Trademark of Steve Jackson Games.
last updated 19 January 1999 by Patric L. Rogers.
send comments and suggestions to morpheus_unbound@patric.net.