Editing Blaster

'''Blaster''' is one of the twelve [[power classifications]] created by the [[PRT]] still in modern day use.<ref>“I do,” Weld nodded.  He’d memorized it as a rhyme, as suggested by his old boss.  Maybe that had been the intention from the start:<br><br><em>Mover, Shaker,<br>Brute and Breaker.<br><br>Master, Tinker,<br>Blaster and Thinker,<br><br>Striker, Changer,<br>Trump and Stranger.</em> - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/04/03/cell-9-1/ Excerpt] from [[Sentinel 9.1]]</ref> Blasters are parahumans that have ranged offensive options. The majority of these powers are damaging, but this is not always the case.<ref name=":0">Ranged, offensive attacks of some form.  Can include blasts, thrown or moved objects, grenades.  Not always damaging, but generally deleterious.<br>
Response varies greatly depending on the nature of the blaster.  At low levels, cover is highly recommended.  At higher levels, movement is a higher priority, and cover should be assumed to be useless.<br>
'''Threat level 2+''':  Team is notified as to blaster classification so they can take cover at next opportunity.  Frequent reporting on blaster’s location and likely direction of fire are encouraged.  Suppression of ranged fire is encouraged but not mandated.<br>
'''Threat level 5+''':  Resources and/or personnel are devoted to pressuring the blaster threat, keeping them moving and focused on a target to protect other personnel.  Truck-mounted emplacements may be necessary to apply sufficient pressure.<br>
'''Threat level 9+''':  Evacuation of likely firing zone is prioritized.  Responding to high-caliber ranged threat is likely to necessitate matching response, if civilians or property are endangered.  Inter-city missiles and other large-scale weapons are authorized. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hqJy4YEDqpKLwbatFVBLXnhs7dDTNykSYtDUCiR9ZBo/edit# PRT Master Reference - Classifications - Blaster]</ref>

==Methodology==
Blasters use their powers to attack their enemies from range, generally using deleterious blasts<ref name=":0"/> with a large variety of effects:<ref name="Element"/> Blasters involve one or more types,<ref name="Type"/> which determine the amount,<ref name="Barrage"/> range,<ref name="Range"/> accuracy<ref name="Accuracy"/> and power,<ref name="Damage"/> among other factors (essentially the 'gun' that the Blaster fires); and an 'element', which determines the type of damage and any special effects of the shots.<ref>Blaster triggers involve a type, essentially the ‘gun’ that the blaster fires, and the element, which determines the damage type and special effects of whatever bullet is produced. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>

Blasters can be categorized in twelve different types, where an individual Blaster can fall into multiple groups:<ref name="Type">When figuring out the framework of the trigger and how it applies to the power, take note of the two categories below that stand out the most, and combine them.  The detail sheet has suggested powers for cross-interactions. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>

{|class="mw-collapsible article-table" style="width:100%"
!style="width: 20%;"|Name
!style="width: 40%;"|Focus
!style="width: 40%;"|Trigger event
|-
|'''Damage Blaster'''
|Emphasizes raw offensive power.<ref name="Damage">'''Damage''' blasters arise from scenarios where the sense of physical danger is especially poignant - many from cases where the trigger sees multiple individuals dying around the cape.  Damage blasters emphasize raw offensive power, with attacks that deliver multiple wounds per hit and/or penetrate armor. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves scenarios where the sense of physical danger is especially poignant.<ref name="Damage"/>
|-
|'''Ruin Blaster'''
|Has a lot of destructive power, much of it turned toward using or destroying the environment.<ref name="Ruin">'''Ruin''' blasters arise from scenarios where there is a ‘shaker’ aspect complicating the external threat.  The cape’s attempt to escape or avoid harm is complicated by the environment.  Ruin blasters have a lot of destructive power, much of it turned toward using the environment or destroying it.  Ruin blasters don’t give their enemies the luxury of cover.  Given the environmental aspect, the Ruin blaster (like the Impact blaster, below) falls in the general range of a Blaster/Shaker nuker. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves scenarios where there is a [[Shaker]] aspect complicating the external threat.<ref name="Ruin"/>
|-
|'''Barrage Blaster'''
|Produces a large amount of bullets, sometimes at the cost of accuracy or damage.<ref name="Barrage">'''Barrage''' blasters manifest when the blaster trigger involves multiple threats - a group of men with guns, shooting, or a pack of feral coyotes, prowling at the treeline, building up the courage to attack.  Barrage blasters produce a lot of bullets.  They may be inaccurate or shots might not do much damage.  Tend to be effective at suppressive fire. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves multiple threats.<ref name="Barrage"/>
|-
|'''Range Blaster'''
|More dangerous or accurate when attacking from a great distance.<ref name="Range">'''Range''' blasters tend to have triggers that put the threat further away.   This makes it harder to trigger, if the threat is somehow less real, and tends to be marked by a sort of inevitability.  These blasters are more dangerous and/or far more accurate when attacking from a great distance. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves a threat being further away, and tends to be marked by a sort of inevitability.<ref name="Range"/>
|-
|'''Accuracy Blaster'''
|Can produce bullets that either home in on the target or are very hard to dodge.<ref name="Accuracy">'''Accuracy''' blasters come about from situations with a greater degree of relationship with the threat.  The relationship tends to be longer-term, but isn’t always, and a particularly intense but short lived relationship may qualify, if the relationship dominates other parameters.  With accuracy blasters, the blasts either don’t need much effort to hit the target, or the blasts automatically hit the target.  Shots might home in or be very hard to dodge. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves a situation with a greater degree of relationship with the threat, often longer-term.<ref name="Accuracy"/>
|-
|'''Effect Blaster'''
|Emphasizes the secondary characteristics of the shot, sacrificing damage or other qualities.<ref name="Effect">'''Effect''' blasters are one end of a sliding scale of situations where the threat isn’t explicitly or wholly physical, opposite Damage blasters, or where the threat suggests pain or something deleterious, in contrast to mortal risk.  This doesn’t mean that a blaster can’t be effect/damage, but such a scenario requires an especially poignant and viscerally felt threat.  Effect blasters emphasize the secondary characteristics of the shot - the flame from fireballs, the cold from ice blasts, the gravity-altering effects from hyperdense shots.  They may do little or no damage, or sacrifice other aspects to ramp up these qualities. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves a threat that isn’t explicitly or wholly physical.<ref name="Effect"/>
|-
|'''Impact Blaster'''
|Put an emphasis on big shots and massive impacts that send enemies flying.<ref name="Impact">'''Impact''' blasters are akin to Ruin blasters, except the environmental factor is immediate and sudden- often dealing with explosive attacks.  Like Ruin blasters, fall into a middle ground of shaker and blaster, but the emphasis here is more on big shots and massive impacts that send enemies flying. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves an environmental factor that is immediate and sudden – often dealing with explosive attacks.<ref name="Impact"/>
|-
|'''Object Blaster'''
|Operates with the blast originating from or being capitalized on by some power created minion, object, or field.<ref name="Object">'''Object''' blasters are rarer, and come about from situations where the threat is removed from the triggering individual by one step, including some mechanical, automated, or otherwise directed threats, visceral threat with a time delay, threats where the aggression of the attacker is nonexistent, or cases the attacker doesn’t even know the victim exists.  The triggering individual might hear the gang member they were a witness against is getting paroled and know they are going to die, might hear the orders as the barking attack dogs are loosed by the police, or be prey to falling ice as unwitting amateur ice climbers bring chunks down from above.  Object blaster powers operate with the blast originating from or being capitalized on by some power created minion, object, or field - cross-over with other classifications is possible and likely, and informs the nature of the object. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves situations where the threat is removed from the individual by one step. (Directed threats, time delays, etc.)<ref name="Object"/>
|-
|'''Versatile Blaster'''
|Has high utility or a variety of attack forms, making them more competent in a variety of scenarios.<ref name="Versatile">'''Versatile''' blasters experience poignant confusion or chaos as part of their trigger.  The attackers and situations of being attacked are varied enough that the shard throws its hands up and gives the parahuman a blaster power that covers more bases.  The power has high utility or a variety of attack forms, making the versatile blaster more competent in a variety of scenarios. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves poignant confusion or chaos.<ref name="Versatile"/>
|-
|'''Beam Blaster'''
|Produces lasers or stream attacks, making dodging hard or impossible.<ref name="Beam">'''Beam''' blasters are especially focused at the time of their trigger.  This is similar to the accuracy blaster, and can overlap, but may diverge with a particular focus on an object, person, weapon, or goal.  Beam blasters produce lasers or stream attacks.  Dodging isn’t generally possible against such attacks. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves being especially focused at the time of the trigger event, with a particular focus on an object, person, or goal.<ref name="Beam"/>
|-
|'''Enchantment Blaster'''
|Can imbue items, applying an effect that makes it effective as ammunition or, to varying degrees, as a melee weapon.<ref name="Enchantment">'''Enchantment''' blasters are something of a middle ground between blasters and strikers, arising from the shaky middle ground between a threat up in one’s face and a threat at a distance.  Threats might be darting in and out (especially faster, more nimble, or inhuman threats), or a threat that was up front might escalate to a threat at range, driving things to a climax, a winning fistfight turning into panic and terror as the other participant draws a gun.  The power imbues an item the blaster touches, applying an effect that makes it very effective as ammunition or, to varying degrees, as a melee weapon.  Differentiated from enchantment strikers in that melee weapons imbued with effect might break or be unwieldy.  In the inverse case, effect may make projectiles inaccurate or impossible to fire - there is a wide and flexible sliding scale between the two aspects. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves a shaky middle ground between a threat up in one’s face and a threat at a distance.<ref name="Enchantment"/>
|-
|'''Conditional Blaster'''
|Has additional requirements or traits pushed to an extreme, at the cost of other traits.<ref name="Conditional">'''Conditional''' blasters experience an altered state as part of their trigger.  Drugs, particularly high emotions, altered brain chemistry or mental issues will play into this.  Such triggers will add requirements, or push traits of the blaster power to an extreme, at the cost of other traits.  Power, cost, efficiency, range and rate of fire are example variables. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>
|Involves an altered mental state as part of the trigger. (Drugs, particularly high emotions,mental issues, etc.)<ref name="Conditional"/>
|}

==Trigger events==
Blasters emerge from [[Trigger Event|trigger events]] involving some sort animated, ranged threat: hostile others, approaching or attacking from a distance.<ref>Blaster (Pewpew - You have ranged attacks built in.) - Man vs. a living/animated threat, ambulatory threat is approaching, attacking from range, or posing immediate harm but still further than arm’s reach. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/17WIAhETdtVGSKzFuDYOT2_6U_MMXmTGyzCziYhCwozo/edit#heading=h.oiypiniejplc Weaver Dice: Rulebook (Old Version)]</ref><ref>'''Blaster''' - Powers that provide a ranged attack.<br>Blasters come about from hostile others, approaching or attacking from a distance. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e-H--GkPrbJq4WRNYndBnjjLjE7-2kOZkjwltkP1Ong/edit# WD Rulebook: Character Creation - Trigger Capes: Classifications]</ref> The exact circumstances, and the nature of and relationship to the threat have a lot of influence on the type of Blaster that arises from a trigger event (see also the table above).<ref name="Ruin"/><ref name="Effect"/><ref name="Accuracy"/>

At the same time, the ‘element’ of the Blaster shot can also vary wildly, and covers a whole spectrum of possibilities. In most cases, the power will take ideas from surroundings, emotional state, themes, or personality traits. The effect is similar to how dreams pick up on little things that one notices throughout their day, making sense only sometimes, in retrospect, but rarely in the moment.<ref name="Element">The ‘element’ of the blaster shot can vary wildly, and covers the spectrum.  The blaster power may borrow from ideas in the surroundings, or from emotional state, themes, or personality traits.  The effect is very similar to how dreams pick up on little things that one notices throughout their day, making sense only sometimes, in retrospect, but rarely in the moment. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit#heading=h.rn2ywvtg5r43 BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>

==Common combinations with other ratings==
Blasters commonly venture into the [[Shaker]] classification: Ruin Blasters through their ability to manipulate the environment,<ref name="Ruin"/> and Impact Blasters through the large radius of their blasts.<ref name="Impact"/> Enchantment Blasters, on the other hand, cross over into the [[Striker]] classification.<ref name="Enchantment"/>

Flight is a common secondary power for Blasters: Blaster-[[Mover]] combinations with flight are so common they have their own name, often being called 'flying artillery'.<ref name="Purity1"/>
==Role in the Cycle==
For the [[Entity|entities]], Blaster powers are exceptionally easy to put together. They provide only minute amounts of data, but the creation of Blasters helps to ramp up overall conflict. The entities still collect this small amount of data, and refine the most effective weapons that they and their avatars can use to defend themselves.<ref>Blasters are primarily offensive capes with powers that work at range.  For the entities, these powers are exceptionally easy to put together and do provide some minute amounts of data - the creation of blasters helps to ramp up overall conflict, collect this small amount of data, and refine the most effective weapons that the entities/their avatars can use to defend themselves. - [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rYnMaFTz4cPSC6BNozIPoT1hGWf3_QVL3fJ73lc90jM/edit# BLASTERS], document by Wildbow.</ref>

==PRT countermeasures==
The exact [[PRT]]-squad tactics vary greatly depending on the nature of the Blaster. At low ratings, cover is highly recommended. At higher levels, movement is a higher priority, and cover should be assumed to be useless.<ref name=":0" />

{| class="mw-collapsible article-table" style="width:100%"
!style="width: 20%;"|Threat level
!style="width: 80%;"|Additional measures
|-
|2+
|
*The team is notified as to Blaster classification so they can take cover at the next opportunity.<ref name=":0" />
*Frequent reporting on Blaster’s location and the likely direction of fire is encouraged.<ref name=":0" />
*Suppression of ranged fire is encouraged but not mandated.<ref name=":0" />
|-
|5+
|
*Resources and/or personnel are devoted to pressuring the Blaster, keeping them moving and focused on a target to protect other personnel.<ref name=":0" />
*Truck-mounted emplacements may be necessary to apply sufficient pressure.<ref name=":0" />
|-
|9+
|
*Evacuation of the likely firing zone is prioritized.<ref name=":0" />
*Responding to a high-caliber ranged threat is likely to necessitate a matching response if civilians or property are endangered.<ref name=":0" />
*Inter-city missiles and other large-scale weapons are authorized.<ref name=":0" />
|}

{{KnownRatingList|class = Blaster}}
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