I mean, obviously you can because a) I'm writing this post and b) this is GURPS. So here are write-ups for two different varieties or flavours of lethal "electric guns".
Electrobeam Weapons (TL9^)
Electrobeam weapons are directed energy weapons that use the same technology as electrolasers (GURPS Ultra-Tech, p. 119) but with a much more intense bolt of electricity, strong enough to burn rather than just stun or cause a heart attack. Essentially, they're another step above lethal electrolasers. An electrobeam weapon may also incorporate a normal electrolaser mode for +1 CF.
Electrobeam weapons inflict burning damage with a (3) armour divisor and the surge damage modifier. If you're playing a cinematic or soft sci-fi game, electrobeam weapons may optionally treat any non-insulated metallic armour as DR 1 (ignoring the weapon's normal armour divisor). In a vacuum or trace atmosphere, there is no air to ionise; electrobeam weapons only inflict 1d-3 burn damage from the laser, with no other effect. In all other respects, they act like electrolasers.
| TL | Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range | Weight | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Rcl | Cost | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
9^
9^ 9^ |
Electrobeam Pistol
linked Electrobeam Carbine linked Heavy Electrobeam linked |
4d(3) burn sur
1d-3 burn 4d(3) burn sur 1d-3 burn 6d(3) burn sur 1d-3 burn |
4
8 8 |
40/80
160/470 400/1,100 |
2.2/C
3.7/2C 20/Dp |
3
3 1 |
36(3)
72(3) 83(3) |
4
4† 10† |
-2
-4 -5 |
1
1 1 |
$1,800
$3,900 $20,000 |
4
3 3 |
Game Balance
Electrobeam weapons basically act like blaster weapons but two TLs earlier and with vastly inferior range. The first thing you probably notice when looking over the statistics is the (3) armour divisor – this is really powerful at TL9. Most guns at this TL will be throwing bullets, so most people will be wearing reflex armour. Dividing DR by three lets electrobeam weapons rip through reflex almost unimpeded, and of course laser-ablative armour is no use because these aren't lasers. Their power is somewhat offset by their short range and high cost relative to firearms but most RPG fights are close-range skirmishes anyway, where a 1/2D range of 40 yards is no impediment. Feel free to alter the armour divisor somewhat if it feels too powerful; I'd recommend (2) at the lowest, otherwise they lose some of their uniqueness.
Lightning Rays (TL7^)
Lightning rayguns are superscience versions of electrobeam guns, suitable for raygun gothic, atompunk or pulp sci-fi settings. They work by creating a charge imbalance, inducing a negative charge in the weapon and a positive charge in the target, then provide the electrical energy needed to equalise that charge imbalance – with lightning! That's Science! Unlike electrolasers and electrobeams, they don't need an atmosphere to work and don't use a priming laser.
Lightning rays inflict burning damage with the surge damage modifier and use thermogalvanic batteries instead of power cells. Thermogalvanic batteries are a superscience variant of normal TL7 metal-acid batteries. Thermogalvanic batteries cannot be recharged and are $20 per pound of weight.
| TL | Weapon | Damage | Acc | Range | Weight | RoF | Shots | ST | Bulk | Rcl | Cost | LC | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
7^
7^ 7^ |
Lightning Ray Pistol
Lightning Ray Carbine Heavy Lightning Ray |
4d burn sur
4d burn sur 6d burn sur |
4
8 8 |
40/80
160/470 400/1,100 |
2.2/0.5
3.7/1 20/5p |
3
3 1 |
36(3)
72(3) 83(3) |
4
4† 10† |
-2
-4 -5 |
1
1 1 |
$1,800/$10
$3,900/$20 $20,000/$100 |
4
3 3 |
Post-Mortem
I'm pretty happy with these as a write-up for a quick hack. My main problem is the lack of diversity in the weapons but that's a feature of the existing electrolaser variants. I may well expand upon these later, using Eidetic Memory: Blaster and Laser Design to provide the pistol/heavy pistol/carbine/rifle/dinosaur progression that lasers and blasters have.
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