More Ultra-Tech Melee Weapon Options (by Cdru)

Hey-ho! We are back! 
Have you ever looked at a melee weapons section in GURPS: Ultra Tech and wondered "and that's all?", hm?
Because we sure did! It certainly seems that higher tech levels could benefit from more melee weapon modifications. So we did the next logical thing and came up with extra melee modifications ourselves. 

One of the main things that bothered us (especially Cdru), is very low number of  modifies for crushing weapons. Swords are, generally, fine (to my immense delight), but those hammers and staves and all the other things could really benefit from an Ultra-Tech upgrade.
So... Here they are!

Ultra-Tech Weapon Options (Extra)

"Elemental" Weapons:

Some Ultra-Tech weapons can be improved with additional damage from an "elemental" effect. Electrified, Burning, Freezing, etc. With tech progress, such weapon modifiers can move from the realm of fantasy to actual weapon improvements. They work by superheating contact parts or covering them with potent energies. These weapon options are incompatible with each other, so you can have only one on a given weapon. The flat costs added for these weapon upgrades are not affecting the cost of any upgrades that are based on the weapon's base cost.

Electrified (TL9): This weapon is capable of shocking whatever it hits, adding a Linked attack to the weapon. The victim gets a HT-5 roll to resist. Nonmetallic armor gives a bonus equal to its DR, and the stun effect has a (0.5) armor divisor: add +2 to HT for every DR 1. On failure, the target falls down and is paralyzed. They may roll HT-5 each second to recover, with DR not aiding the roll. The user can take a Concentrate maneuver to hold the weapon in contact, preventing recovery while the maneuvers are performed, but draining a charge each second. The weapon uses a B cell that lasts for 200 strikes The upgrade costs $100 and is LC4.

The lethal variation of the upgrade replaces the affliction with 2d Burning damage, using the rules for lethal electrical damage (Basic Set, page 432), with each strike consuming double the usual power. It can still be switched to the non-lethal mode as needed. The upgrade costs $500 and is LC3.

Burning (TL9): The weapon has special electronics attached to it that make the contact part extremely hot. This adds an additional attack doing 1d+1 Burn, which is a follow-up for the weapon's impaling and cutting attacks, and linked for crushing attacks. If anybody touches the hot part of the weapon, they take 1d-1 Burn per each second of contact. In cinematic games, treat the Burn attack as a follow-up for crushing attacks as well. The weapon uses a B cell that lasts for 30 minutes. The upgrade costs $1000, includes a special heat-resistant sheath, and is LC3.

Freezing (TL9): The weapon has parts attached to it that make the contact part extremely cold. This adds an additional attack doing 1d+2 Burn (non-incendiary), which is a follow-up for the weapon's impaling and cutting attacks, and linked for crushing attacks. If anybody touches the cold part of the weapon, they take 1d Burn (non-incendiary) per each second of contact. In cinematic games, treat the Burn attack as a follow-up for crushing attacks as well. The weapon uses chemicals that last for 30 minutes and cost $50 per refill, with negligible weight. The upgrade costs $1000, includes a special cold-resistant sheath, and is LC3.

Acidic (TL9): The weapon uses a complex system to cover the weapon in high potency acid on a strike, without endangering anybody else or melting the weapon. The weapon gains a 1d+1 Cor attack, linked to the weapon's normal attacks. It also has additional DR of 7 against acid, and can't have its DR degraded by acid (but is still vulnerable to other sources of Corrosion damage).The weapon uses acid cartridges, which cost $50 and last for 10 strikes. The upgrade costs $1000 and is LC3.

Shockwave (TL10^): The weapon creates an explosion when it hits the target, using the power of the user's strike to add energy to the explosion; however, the user is not protected from the explosion, making it necessary to wear armor while using it. The weapon's crushing attack counts as being Explosive, with a successful strike counting as a contact explosion against the target (Basic Set, page 415). If so desired, the user can even strike the environment to create an explosion anywhere within their Reach, avoiding the need for an attack roll. This upgrade can only be installed on weapons with an attack that does crushing damage. +24 CF and a $1500 flat cost. LC2

Pressor (TL10^): This weapon adapts pressor beam technology in order to significantly increase the weapon's knockback, scaling with the amount of force the user puts into the strike. Crushing weapons do quadruple knockback, while non-crushing weapons only gain double knockback, but are always capable of inflicting it, regardless of damage type or whether they penetrated DR or not. The increase in knockback doesn't stack with Pneumatic.+4 CF and a flat cost of $2000 LC3.

Graviton (TL11^): Adapting graviton beam technology to melee weapons, this weapon transfers the impact force directly to the insides of target while leaving the outside unharmed, thus allowing it to penetrate through any armor. The weapon's attacks all do Crushing damage with No Knockback, but gain a (∞) armor divisor, allowing them to ignore most sources of non-Cosmic DR, with force fields only providing 1/100 of normal DR. The weapon's balance will be noticeably altered, with momentum instantly stopping on impact, causing unfamiliar users to take -4 to their effective skill until they become familiar with the upgrade (Basic Set, page 169). Not compatible with other "Elemental" weapon upgrades or Pneumatic upgrade. +29 CF and additional flat cost of $1000. LC2.

Disintegrating (TL12^): Adapting disintegrator technology to melee weapons, this weapon erases the target entirely. The weapon's attacks are converted to Corrosion damage, but multiply damage by 20, inflict large-area injury (Basic Set, page 400), and gain a (∞) armor divisor, allowing them to ignore most sources of non-Cosmic DR, with force fields only providing 1/10 of normal DR. The weapon damages any weapon or body part that it parries, and also damages anything that parries or blocks it, unless the defense roll was a critical success. A single cosmic C cell lasts for 10 strikes. +29 CF and also add a flat cost of $3000. LC1

Optionally: In campaigns featuring Imbuements (GURPS Power-Ups 1), "Elemental" Weapons might give +2 to the appropriate Imbuement skills, like Chilling Strike for Freezing option or Shockwave for... the Shockwave option. (wow...)

Mechanic Weapon options:

These upgrades generally affect how a weapon behaves in combat, due to specialized systems built into the weapon.

Gyroscopic (TL9): The weapon is modified with special gyros that shift its balance in a special way as it's swung, making it much easier to use. For most unbalanced weapons, remove the U-parry modifier, allowing it to attack and parry in the same turn. For weapons that become unready after attacking (Double-dagger on ST), remove this limitation instead. Optionally, reduce the ST requirement by 2. The weapon's altered balance demands practice to get used to it, and gives a -4 unfamilliarity penalty for new users (Basic Set, page 169). +4 CF. Incompatible with Inertial.

Inertial (TL9): The weapon's construction includes internal systems of shifting weights, liquids or gyros, that change its balance mid-strike to deal more damage. The weapon's swinging attack gets +1 damage per die. If the strike misses or the target dodges, treat weapon as having an U on it's Parry. This doesn't apply if the target blocks or parries. Altered balance of the weapon means getting -4 unamiliarity penalty (Basic Set, page 169) + 4 CF. Incompatible with Gyroscopic.

Pneumatic (TL9): The weapon is built to deliver greater force. Double the amount of knockback done by the weapon's Crushing attack, and add +1d to the damage the attack does. Not compatible with Graviton or Disintegrating, and can only be installed on weapons with an attack that does crushing damage. +9 CF.