Classic Traveller Weapons: General Information

My Auzhan Sector setting uses LBB 1-3 almost exclusively, with a few elements from later materials.

I've posted a few times regarding mods to the standard traveller weapons in Book 1. These posts deal with modifying the existing weapons by changing their configuration to bullpup, adding selective fire as an option, or changing them to gauss weapons, as well as creating fully automatic laser weapons. They are my stumbling steps towards a more complete system, that will allow me to design new weapons for CT with some level of consistency.

Regarding skills and weapons use: my plan was to limit the number of weapon skills available to those in Book 1 alone. But as most plans go this one fell apart almost immediately. I found that I needed a new skill for automatic laser weapons, and a slight rethink on existing skills.

So.. here is my take on the weapon skills IMTU:

For the most part the skills remain the same, with some changes. For example any specific weapon skill will cover any weapon in that category, for example Rifle skill covers all rifles, whether they are book standard rifles, bullpup configuration, gauss, or selective fire. The same applies to auto pistol, carbine, shotgun and SMG. Revolvers and body pistols are essentially unchanged. Automatic Rifle no longer covers selective fire rifles, but instead covers fully automatic, magazine or beltfed, support weapons, SAWs, LMGs, GPMGs, MMGs, HMGs, Light Autocannons and Automatic Grenade Launchers, etc. 

Note: Automatic Rifle skill should probably be renamed, but I have yet to come up with a suitable name. Perhaps "Heavy Weapons" or "Support Weapons"

Note: Revolver and Auto Pistol will also include the Snub Pistol when I get around to working out the mods.

Two new skills are required: Laser Pistol and Rapid Fire Laser. The first covers all laser pistols (introduced almost immediately after Traveller was first published) while the second covers all large support lasers including Rapid Fire Lasers, whether vehicle mounted or crew served.

The Automatic Rifle and Rapid Fire Laser skills allow Marines and Army personnel to qualify on vehicle mounted weapons now, using the standard gun combat skill. Gunnery-1 will serve in the same capacity for non-army or marine characters.

I may do a post on ammunition in the future, dealing with propellants, calibre, cartidge, caseless, warhead, etc., but for now I'm assuming a standard ball ammunition in standard calibres is common.