====== NEURAL WEAPONS ======
These weapons use precisely-focused pulsed electrical
or radio-frequency beams to affect the brain or nervous system at a distance. They are superscience weapons, but may be explained as improvements on electrolasers and
microwave MAD beams. They only work on beings with a
functional nervous system. Someone with Injury Tolerance
(Diffuse, No Brain, Homogenous, or Unliving) or the
Machine meta-trait is immune. A neural weapon won’t
affect giant blobs, plant-creatures, silicon-based entities,
and so on.

A neural weapon designed to affect terrestrial life may
have an unpredictable effect on aliens, and vice versa.
Depending on how alien they are, they might receive a HT
bonus (e.g., +3 to resist), be unaffected, or may be affected
differently. For example, a pain beam may cause the effect
of an ecstasy beam.

Neural beams are silent and invisible. There are two categories: neural disruptors and mind rippers.

===Neural Disruptors (“Nerve Guns”) (TL11^)===
This family of weapons stimulates the nervous system,
causing pain, pleasure, seizures, or other effects. They are
popular for covert operations, as self-defense or dueling
weapons, or as coercive weapons for slavers, prison guards,
and security forces.

Neural disruptors project ranged cone attacks – see
Area and Spreading Attacks (p. B413). The beams are
ranged contact agents – ignore DR unless the target is
sealed, in which case there is no effect. They deliver an
affliction attack. The victim gets a HT roll to resist, at a
penalty dependent on the weapon. Add +3 to resist
beyond 1/2D range. Failure means the victim suffers a
particular affliction for minutes equal to the margin of
failure. The affliction suffered depends on the type of
beam fired:

Agony: The victim suffers the Agony incapacitating condition* (p. B428). After recovery, he suffers Moderate Pain
(p. B428) for an equal length of time.

Ecstasy: As above, but the victim suffers Ecstasy* followed by Euphoria (p. B428).

Neural Stun: The victim suffers the Unconsciousness condition (p. B429).

Paralysis: The victim suffers the Paralysis incapacitating condition (p. B429).

Seizure: The victim suffers the Seizure incapacitating condition (p. B429).

* If struck by an Agony or Ecstasy attack, a failure by 5+ causes a Heart Attack mortal condition (p. B429).

Tunable Weapons: Each extra setting after the first adds +50% to cost. Changing settings is a Ready maneuver.

===Personal Neural Disruptor Weapons===
Most neural disruptors are personal weapons that
require Beam Weapons (Projector) skill to use.

Holdout Neural Disruptor (TL11^): An easily-concealed
pocket-sized nerve gun with no handgrip. Depending on
the weapon setting, it may be popular as an interrogation
device or recreational toy.

Nerve Pistol (TL11^): The most popular neural weapon.
In some cultures, these may be the standard weapons of
police and security forces, supplanting sonic stunners. Also
called a neural disruptor pistol.

Nerve Rifle (TL11^): A powerful neural disruptor sometimes used as a police sniper weapon.

Tactical Nerve Disruptor (TL11^): A large semi-portable
weapon, usually vehicle- or tripod-mounted. It is often
deployed in prison guard towers or police vehicles. It
requires Gunner (Beams) skill to use.

====Death Beam Setting (TL12^)====
At this setting, any failed resistance roll causes the Heart
Attack mortal condition (p. B429). Add +1 to the TL of neural disruptors with death beam settings.
Tunable: A death beam may have nonlethal neural disruptor settings such as agony or paralysis. Add +50% to
cost for each setting.

====Mindrippers (TL12^)====

These weapons are closely related to neural disruptor
and ultrascanner technology. They perform a high-energy neurological scan of a single target that may simultaneously record and fry the target’s brain. They’re useful
because they simultaneously destroy and capture an
opponent.

A mindripper functions exactly like a mind disruptor
(p. 132), except that failure to resist causes the Coma
mortal condition (p. B429). Failure by 5+ results in a
permanent Total Amnesia disadvantage even after the
subject recovers.

A mindripper also uploads the subject, storing a copy
in its internal database. This copy is enough to make a
low-res “fragment” mind emulation (p. 220) if the subject failed by 1-4, or high-res if he failed by 5+.
Less invasive ways of making a mind emulation exist,
but they require special medical equipment and can’t be
performed over a distance!

===Weapons===

Long-Range Mindripper (TL12^): A semi-portable
weapon, sometimes built into vehicles or robots, or tripod-mounted.

Short-Range Mindripper (TL12^): A bulky pistol-type
weapon.

===Neural Weapon Table===
==BEAM WEAPONS (PROJECTOR) (DX-4, other Beam Weapons-4)==
^ TL ^ Weapon ^ Damage ^ Acc ^ Range ^ Weight ^ RoF ^ Shots ^ ST ^ Bulk ^ Rcl ^ Cost ^ LC ^
| 11^ | Holdout Nerve Disruptor | HT-2 aff (1 yd) | 3 | 10/30 | 0.3/B | 1 | 22(3) | 3 | -1 | 1 | $500 | 4 |
| 11^ | Nerve Pistol | HT-3 aff (1 yd) | 6 | 23/70 | 1.8/C | 1 | 66(3) | 4 | -2 | 1 | $2,600 | 4 |
| 11^ | Nerve Rifle | HT-4 aff (1 yd) | 12 | 40/120 | 5/2C | 1 | 56(3) | 5† | -3 | 1 | $8,000 | 4 |
| 12^ | Short-Range Mindripper | HT-2 aff (1 yd) | 6 | 4/12 | 5/2C | 1 | 56(3) | 7 | -3 | 1 | $40,000 | 1 |
==GUNNER (BEAMS) (DX-4, or other Gunner-4)==
^ TL ^ Weapon ^ Damage ^ Acc ^ Range ^ Weight ^ RoF ^ Shots ^ ST ^ Bulk ^ Rcl ^ Cost ^ LC ^
| 11^ | Tactical Neural Disruptor | HT-8 aff (3 yd) | 18 | 160/480 | 70/Dp | 10 | 100(5) | 18M | -8 | 1 | $130,000 | 1 |
| 12^ | Long-Range Mindripper | HT-4 aff (1 yd) | 18 | 70/200 | 70/Dp | 10 | 100(5) | 18M | -8 | 1 | $700,000 | 1 |