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I gotta ask; I'm designing a six-spell TW pistol for combating the Undead(A Van Helsing Special if you would), and while Rifts zombies are fairly easily blown away, I don't have any of the Dead Reign books, so I don't know what specific weaknesses and susceptibiilties they have. So I'm asking:
I already have Lifeblast and Desiccate the Supernatural as slotted spells, but I'd like to hear what your recommendations for the four remaining slots are;

Bear in mind this is going to be a weapon, so spells like Command Undead, which might be more appropriate for a wand, sceptor, or magic microphone would be trickly to apply to a sidearm or boomstick.

Any of the fire spells. Not only would they damage the Dead Reign zombie, but it causes them to make a save vs. horror factor.

I think there's a spell in Through the Glass Darkly for Nightbane that destroys dead flesh: it's for the specialist Flesh Sculptor mage, and IIRC it just disintegrates large quantities of necrotised bio-matter (i.e. corpses) instantly. Seems appropriate.

In the South America Book 1, the bio-magic section has a lifeforce blast spell that harms undead.

Senator Cybus wrote:I think there's a spell in Through the Glass Darkly for Nightbane that destroys dead flesh: it's for the specialist Flesh Sculptor mage, and IIRC it just disintegrates large quantities of necrotised bio-matter (i.e. corpses) instantly. Seems appropriate.

I'm definitely checking that out then, and certainly such a specialized magic school will drive the price up, but if it does the job INSTANTLY, maybe it can be boosted for weaponized use on zombies.
Thanks!

The Destroy Dead Flesh spell says that it does not affect undead flesh right in the description of the spell. (pg64 Through the Glass Darkly)

There is however Destroy Undead Flesh, it inflicts 1d6x10 damage per melee to undead flesh. (page 70 Through the Glass Darkly)

Icefalcon wrote:There is however Destroy Undead Flesh, it inflicts 1d6x10 damage per melee to undead flesh. (page 70 Through the Glass Darkly)

Yes! Yes! This is very much what I seek! Thank you!
Now to find my copy......extracting materials in my house is like digging through the Money Pit on Oak Island...one has to dig deep, not knowing what's down there, and must take elaborate measures, such setting up coffer dams and shoring up the walls to avoid collapse and flooding.

taalismn wrote:

Icefalcon wrote:There is however Destroy Undead Flesh, it inflicts 1d6x10 damage per melee to undead flesh. (page 70 Through the Glass Darkly)

Yes! Yes! This is very much what I seek! Thank you!
Now to find my copy......extracting materials in my house is like digging through the Money Pit on Oak Island...one has to dig deep, not knowing what's down there, and must take elaborate measures, such setting up coffer dams and shoring up the walls to avoid collapse and flooding.

Any time.

Rappanui wrote:a PPE Drain spell to keep the zombie from regenerating will also work...

so would a spell that would Bind and control zombies ( these are existing spells, just don't recall the spell names)
and then there's my favorite: Immobilize. Temporally freeze your enemies right where they are.

and then, Magic Net, Always useful.

Saving the Control Zombies spells for megaphones and control scepters.

Will have to see if there's any Drain PPE spells and research Immobilize(or similar) spells.

My lineup on a six spell revolver as is, thus far:

-FireBolt(works against staked down vamps, burns zombies, and can take out mundanes as well)
-Life Blast(maims undead and boosts the living...very versatile)
-Desiccate the Supernatural(hurts the supernatural...enuff said)
-Destroy Undead Flesh(continuous BURRRNNNNNN...okay, decay....but seriously, this looks like the big one both in terms of PPE consumption and damage potential).

You should add Carpet of Adhesion for zombie crowd control.

I don't believe Desiccate the Supernatural works against most undead; vampires are a special case.

taalismn wrote:I gotta ask; I'm designing a six-spell TW pistol for combating the Undead(A Van Helsing Special if you would), and while Rifts zombies are fairly easily blown away, I don't have any of the Dead Reign books, so I don't know what specific weaknesses and susceptibiilties they have. So I'm asking:
I already have Lifeblast and Desiccate the Supernatural as slotted spells, but I'd like to hear what your recommendations for the four remaining slots are;

Bear in mind this is going to be a weapon, so spells like Command Undead, which might be more appropriate for a wand, sceptor, or magic microphone would be trickly to apply to a sidearm or boomstick.

River of lava.

The gift that keeps on giving (it doesn't look like fire, for one thing, so new Zombies wouild keep on walking right into it)!!

Um... Resurrection. And if that fails, how about Dimensional Teleport? If you can't fix the problem, go to Wonderworld!!!

MaxxSterling wrote:Um... Resurrection. And if that fails, how about Dimensional Teleport? If you can't fix the problem, go to Wonderworld!!!

I'll save that for the Belt of Survival.

Basically the weapon I'm creating has a regenerating PPE crystal power supply cylinder, six spell slots(so the spell selection is based around both effectiveness and spell PPE economy, even with TW half-cost). Metal and (iron) wood construction similar in shape and weight to the old flintlock pistols w/ a revolver action(heavy and sturdy enough to be reversed, held by the barrel, and used as a bludgeon once the shots have been fired) with raised silver embossing for extra pain against silver-vulnerable critters. Maybe the option of a folding underbarrel silver bayonet blade or single-shot springloaded stake launcher. Expensive, yes, but a weapon crafted for the professional undead slayer.

Ectoplasmic Bidet wrote:You should add Carpet of Adhesion for zombie crowd control.

I don't believe Desiccate the Supernatural works against most undead; vampires are a special case.

Figured as much on the latter(but since I hate vamps, it's staying in), but yes, the former is currently one of the contenders(River of Lava is also keen, once I check the PPE cost) for the final two slots. Not really effective against vampires who can transform into mist, however.

Annihilate (page 150 Rifts Book of Magic) does 2d4x100 MD to whatever it hits and leaves behind nothing but a crater if it kills the target creature. However, the PPE cost is a whopping 600.
Sub-Particle Acceleration (Rifts BoM page 119) basically creates a particle beam that does 1d6x10 MD.
Sonic Blast (Rifts BoM page 119) creates a sonic boom that deafens (causes penalties).
Ballistic Fire (Rifts BoM page 115) 1d6 MD fire to multiple targets
Bright Sun (Rifts BoM page 162) will blind only demons and undead for major penalties for only 5 PPE (is also a living fire spell)
Perun's Fire Scourge (Rifts BoM page 166) set supernatural creatures on fire for several full melee rounds
Water Pulse (Rifts BoM/Ocean magic page 201) blast of water for 2 PPE

Icefalcon wrote:Annihilate (page 150 Rifts Book of Magic) does 2d4x100 MD to whatever it hits and leaves behind nothing but a crater if it kills the target creature. However, the PPE cost is a whopping 600.
Sub-Particle Acceleration (Rifts BoM page 119) basically creates a particle beam that does 1d6x10 MD.
Sonic Blast (Rifts BoM page 119) creates a sonic boom that deafens (causes penalties).
Ballistic Fire (Rifts BoM page 115) 1d6 MD fire to multiple targets
Bright Sun (Rifts BoM page 162) will blind only demons and undead for major penalties for only 5 PPE (is also a living fire spell)
Perun's Fire Scourge (Rifts BoM page 166) set supernatural creatures on fire for several full melee rounds
Water Pulse (Rifts BoM/Ocean magic page 201) blast of water for 2 PPE

Thanks! I'll bear those in mind for follow-up weapons.

Since you all graciously helped me out with this question, here's the gun. It's meant more for Rifts than for Dead Reign, but feel free to import and adapt!

Paladin Steel NecroBlaster TW Pistol
(aka ‘Skuller’, ‘Zeder’)

“Ordinary weapons don’t work against the Undead. This isn’t an ordinary weapon.”

“Be careful what spell you’ve got in the barrel, especially in the disorienting confusion of battle; what makes zombies flee in terror, vampires laugh at. You want to make sure you have the appropriate spell for the target. You also want to watch power usage; blasting everything you meet with Destroy Undead Flesh may be a sure kill almost every time, but you risk wasting mage-manna on punk-dead and find yourself out of juice when the rest of the graveyard shows up, or the master bloodsucker makes its appearance.”

The NecroBlaster is an effort by Paladin Steel’s Ghanam Arms Ltd. to produce a handgun maximized for use against Undead, particularly vampires and zombies.
The NecroBlaster is a large weapon, roughly the size and shape of an old flintlock pistol, but its action is based on a revolver’s, only in this case the cylinder is a TW Powerstone with six integrated spells.
Taking spell features from the LifeShot, the NecroBlaster has Lifebolt as one of its integral spells, as it proves both devastating to Undead and beneficial to the living. Desiccate the Supernatural is a good, crippling, spell for dealing with a variety of supernatural threats. Fireball, though not effective against many supernaturals(with energy resistance), offers a powerful attack against mundane, and not just supernatural threats; it is also useful for cremating staked-down vampires and cremating corpses in the field. Destroy Undead Flesh is a spell imported from out-dimension(see Nightbane: Through the Glass Darkly, pg, 70.); though very PPE-expensive and short-range, it is extremely potent against the undead, rapidly decaying their supernaturally-animated flesh within minutes. Though not damaging, and ineffective against undead that can transform into mist or energy forms, Carpet of Adhesion is a useful spell for stopping hordes of undead(and more mundane threats) from advancing, buying time for other solutions to be applied. Finally, though potentially very damaging to the local area, River of Lava provides an even more effective barrier for zombies and ground-based undead, incinerating them.
Overall construction is rugged; a combination of metal and Ironwood, for a durable weapon that can take a beating under extreme conditions. The NecroBlaster is chased and detailed in silver, embossed with various holy symbols and death icons(a silver skull on the pistol’s pommel pummeling surface is particularly popular). The silver is more than just decorative; the sturdy construction and various parts of the frame and butt make the pistol a useful silver-plated bludgeon in a pinch.
NecroBlasters are among the pricier of Ghanam Arms’ handguns, largely because of the more specialized spells, silverwork, and practically handcrafted decoration, but they may as well be powerful icons to the undead-slayers who are buying up these weapons.
Weight: 3 lbs.
MDC: 45
Range:
(Life Blast) 300 ft
(Desiccate the Supernatural) 250 ft
(Fire Bolt) 135 ft
(Destroy Undead Flesh) 60 ft
(Carpet of Adhesion)300 ft
(River of Lava) 120 ft

Damage:
(Life Blast) As per description on Rifts Book of Magic, pg. 108. Equiv., to 10th level spell. Does 1d6x10 HP to vampires.

(Desiccate the Supernatural) 3d6x10 MD(HP to vampires)to supernatural threats

(Fire Bolt) 4d6 MD(2d6 HP to vampires) per shot, +4 to strike

(Destroy Undead Flesh) 1d6x10 per melee round for 10 melees, to undead.

(Carpet of Adhesion) Though useless against vampires and other beings that can ‘morph into flying modes or insubstantiality, this useful spell stops shambling hordes and ground-touching undead like glue-pads, setting them up for destruction, or allowing the shooter to escape. Covers a 200 ft square area and effects last 25 minutes.

(River of Lava) Creates a lane of lava 60 ft wide and 10 ft wide/deep; a moat of incinerating molten rock good for blocking the shambling hordes of undead. SDC creatures caught in the molten rock are obliterated. MDC creatures suffer 2d6x10 MD per melee stuck in the magma.

Used as a blunt instrument, the NecroBlaster’s reinforced grip-stock does 2d6 SDC+P.S. bonus. Its silver pommel makes it useful for hammering on beings susceptible to silver.

Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:(Varies)
(Life Blast) 8 PPE per shot
(Desiccate the Supernatural) 25 PPE per shot
(Fire Bolt)5 PPE per shot
(Destroy Undead Flesh) 40 PPE per shot
(Carpet of Adhesion) 5 PPE per shot
(River of Lava) 25 PPE per shot

PPE Capacity:(Light)----100 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 5 PPE per hour, 10 PPE/hour at a leyline, 20 PPE/hour on a nexus or in a dimensional pyramid
Note: The user can pump his or her own PPE or ISP into the weapon to recharge it an emergency, but at DOUBLE the above listed PPE cost(x4 if ISP; so 10 PPE battery shot takes 20 PPE/40 ISP to manually recharge)


Special Features:
*Starglow---The PPE cylinder normally emits a low-level glow, but it can be increased to glow with a Globe of Daylight spell, illuminating an 84 ft area around it, for 21 minutes per single PPE.

*Lattern Light(1 PPE and lasts 4 hours)---Fills a ten foot area with soft illumination, but CANNOT drive off vampires or other sunlight-sensitive beings.

*LED PPE Counter(keeps track of available power)

*Underbarrel Rail---Can mount a flashlight, laser-spot, vibroblade, or a four-shot chemical spray canister(ZOMB-EX is a popular addition). Range of about 40 ft for the spray.

*Silver Inlays---It may add to the expense of the weapon and be deriding as useless ostentation, but the silver is there for a purpose; the raised portions of the silver inlays add to the damage inflicted on silver-susceptible enemies when struck with the pistol as a club.

Note: Held by the barrel and used as a bludgeon, the NecroBlaster does 2d6 SDC damage(MDC to beings susceptible to silver)

Cost: 760,000 credits(would/should go for about 1.3 million credits, but PS has shaved the cost so the weapon can move faster to those who need it)

Options:
*Sense Evil---The PPE crystal can flash red if supernatural evil entities approach within a 90 ft radius. Cost: 10,000 credits

*Sense Magic---The PPE crystal can flash yellow if active magic occurs within 120 ft of the weapon. Cost: 10,000 credits

*Mystic Marksmanship(3 PPE for a single shot)---Gives a +3 to an aimed or called shot. Cost: 9,000 credits (A popular option with collectors who want to get the most out of their expensive acquisition, even if they are not themselves good shots)

*Carbine Conversion Kit---This attaches a rifle butt for steadier shooting(+1 on aimed shots) and a 1.2 ft barrel extension/TW booster holding a set of aligned crystals inside its length that DOUBLES the effective range of shots. Cost: 75,000 credits.

*Underbarrel Stake Launcher----A single shot spring-loaded bayonet-style stake that can, with an extra trigger pull, be fired at an opponent. Can be fitted with a regular knife, a vibroblade, silver-plated dagger, or a wooden stake.
Range: 80 ft
Damage:(Bayonet) 2d6 SD
(Vibroblade)1d6 MD
(Silver Dagger) 2d6 SD(Double damage to beings susceptible to silver)
(Wooden Stake)1d4 SD(2d4 HP to vampires)
Rate of Fire: Single shot
Payload: 1, hand-loaded
Cost: 200 credits for the launcher

*Underbarrel Shotgun Round---A single-shot 12 Gauge short shotgun barrel attachment, similar to that on the PS R-7 Dekar .
Range: Varies(see below)
Damage: *Standard Shotgun shell--100 ft range, 5d6 SD
*Standard Buckshot shell---100 ft range, 4d6 SD to 5 ft area
*Tear gas shell---100 ft range, 25 ft radius---victims are -10 to strike, parry, and dodge, -3 initiative, lose 1 melee attack/action, for the next 1d6+1 melees
*Baton shell---100 ft range, 2d6 SD, plus humans and human-sized D-Bees must roll a D20 to maintain their footing (must equal or surpass the attacker's roll to strike...Full rules in TNW p.174).
*S-9Dex Incapacitation Munition ---100 ft range, Essentially a paper-shelled shotgun shell-sized gas-propelled 'cold rocket', packed full of taser beads. Beads powder on impact, reducing the chance of bystanders or ingoing police stepping on undischarged beads. Great for crowd control and dealing with closed-space situations(alleyways, rooms, vehicle interiors, etc...)
Effective Range: 100 feet, w/ 20 ft radius
Damage: Nil. Humanoids struck with this weapon must save vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes.
Cyborgs have a 60% chance of having their cybernetics disrupted for 1D10 minutes, and a 30% chance of a non-vital system being permanently shorted out.
*High Explosive Armor Piercing Shell---400 ft range, 6d6 MD(no blast radius)
*Mini-Grenade(plasma)--- 400 ft range, 5d6 MD to 5 ft blast radius
*Mini-Grenade II(Fragmentation)---400 ft range, 2d4 MD to 10 ft blast radius
*Standard HESH Shell---400 ft range, 2D4 M.D. plus 4D4 S.D.C. to the person(s) inside of EBA power/body armor & roll versus knockdown (14)

Rate of Fire: Single shot
Payload: 1 rd, hand-loaded
Cost: 500 credits

Nicely done.

Rappanui wrote:you forgot to add the tW stake launcher ability, which is possible with the create wood spell
which would give it unlimited capacity, or at least many shots with a wooden stake.

I'll consider that for a separate weapon that could be added to a variety of other weapon types.
Thanks for the information; our R&D department appreciates it!

If you had a Warlock,he could simply summon a fire elemental.

yes they could summon a fire elemental but the Warlock would be a becone to every dead head for miles.
also taalismn i love that weapon i plan on using it in my game as well as the Lifeshot (and to the above in my game the zeds dont see or sence ppe)

dargo83 wrote:yes they could summon a fire elemental but the Warlock would be a becone to every dead head for miles.
also taalismn i love that weapon i plan on using it in my game as well as the Lifeshot (and to the above in my game the zeds dont see or sence ppe)

True enough,but with a little planning,that could be used to good advantage,by gathering as many guests for the zombieque as possible in one spot.

MaxxSterling wrote:Um... Resurrection.

I don't think that works on corpses that get turned into undead like vampires, mummies or zombies. Possibly would override a mere animated dead though.

Pretty awesome weapon.

Do Line Maker rituals count as magic spells?

taalismn wrote:I gotta ask; I'm designing a six-spell TW pistol for combating the Undead(A Van Helsing Special if you would), and while Rifts zombies are fairly easily blown away, I don't have any of the Dead Reign books, so I don't know what specific weaknesses and susceptibiilties they have. So I'm asking:
I already have Lifeblast and Desiccate the Supernatural as slotted spells, but I'd like to hear what your recommendations for the four remaining slots are;

Bear in mind this is going to be a weapon, so spells like Command Undead, which might be more appropriate for a wand, sceptor, or magic microphone would be trickly to apply to a sidearm or boomstick.

Now it's not a combat spell, but Mystic Invisibility from the book Rifts Mercenary Adventures makes it so that the target can not be sensed by the powers of Psi-Stalkers, Dog Boys, and the like. Since the zombies ability is to sense PPE, I would expect it would work against them as well. Of course they could still see them with normal vision, but they would look cold and dead with no "life energy". Most zombies wouldn't give them a second look, though they would still have to be careful around Thinker. Also the zombies ability to recognize humans by smell might pose a problem, but all of these could be solved with the use of skills and other spells.

Sweet smoking Jeebus what a weapon- thanks!!!

We might consider 'most efficient' rather than 'most effective'.

I don't think anyone would dispute that Annihilate would be superior for battling Hordes but the cost is prohibitive. It's the economy that makes the cheaper lower level spells shine.

One must wonder, how good is a weapon like this without the air warlock spell: true globe of daylight! This is in the PF Mysteries of magic. Such a spell is a must for vamp hunters!