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Si-fi weapons.

So in my current Wip, i have a race of aliens on my fantasy world. Their going around doing their own thing, and up to no good. Well i need some type of weapon for them. They are an advanced civilization on a medieval world, and so the people of the world just take their technology for magic. What would be a good weapon for these guys? Right now i just have them using star trek type phasers!
Any bright ideas?
Thanks a lot guys. \V/
 

Queshire

Auror
Honestly, I say look around. A lot of stuff we have right now would be considered magic to people in medieval times. That said though, while phasers could work easily enough I personally suggesting going with a generic anything just on principle. Maybe a non-lethal weapon? A gun that uses flashes of light or subsonics or something to upset a person's balance, give them vertigo, make them feel super sick, etc and so on.
 

Wanara009

Troubadour
There are other consideration as well, such as the physiology and the biology of the alien. If this species never met human before (or any other species, for that matter), their weapon would be designed to kill member of their own species. Perhaps what kill them might not be lethal to human (for example: the sonic weapon that Queshire suggested might cause burst capillaries in their brain while in human, it only causes vertigo) or vice-versa (for example: a microwave gun the alien use to stun is employed against a knight in full armour...)

A good example is China Mieville's Rivebow, featured in the Bass-Lag Cycle. It's a weapon specially designed to kill a non-human species, but work well against human. It also has the added bonus of other species not being able to use it because it's so heavy and cumbersome that only the cactacae (the species it's designed to kill) can use them properly.
 

CupofJoe

Myth Weaver
(for example: a microwave gun the alien use to stun is employed against a knight in full armour...)
Okay anyone else think of [the movie] Scanners and microwave Popcorn?
Personally I like the idea of biological weapons... [magically enhanced?] fast growing vines to entagle and trap... poisened thorns that can be shot at opponents... fruit or seed pods that are explosive like grenades.. etc...
 

TWErvin2

Auror
What about focused sonic/sound weapons, or even microwave weapons, focused again? It would appear as magic, since the sound or energy waves wouldn't be seen, but the effects could certainly be felt/witnessed.
 

Addison

Auror
Instead of adding and dumping ideas onto your aliens, take a step back, write down what you do know about them and just think about them. See their typical day on the space ship or their first step on this medieval world. Let them reveal their technology to you. You want to squeeze an idea for all its worth before you build off it.
 

Creed

Sage
Everyone seems to be putting forward good suggestions, but I'm going to take the road less traveled here. Regardless of the form of aliens that are parading around your setting, committing general mayhem and whatever else their mission entails, the fact that they can move from one planet to another shows great technological advances- i.e. greater than ours. Which means that they are older than us.
Has anyone on here played the game Metro 2033? It's a great game, and the aliens in it could prove useful for this- Why use physical weapons?
If they're older than us, maybe they've transcended the mind over matter angle? Maybe they can cause sonic booms with a thought? Pull swords from enemy hands without ever making contact? Send people into apoplectic seizure with a gesture? Burst bodies, set flames, throw rocks and sway arrows all with their THOUGHTS? Personally I think that's a better way to use aliens in fantasy than with lasers and such- plus it seems more like magic, and the way I imagine it is pretty damn cool.
Hope that helps.
 

Cronus

Acolyte
The weapons they employ would depend upon what their purpose is.

If they want to wipe out a region or any army, they might simply employ a contagion, or engineer a 'natural' disaster, rather than fight with weapons.

If they are causing trouble by appearing openly on the planet in person, then it sounds like they want to throw their weight around. What is their purpose? What are they trying to achieve? Worship? Round up slave labour?

When you are sufficiently advanced, you may employ whatever weapon suits the task. An 'advanced' alien may have fantastic weapons, but those might not necessarily be the best suited to their purpose. If they are on the planet to take it over for themselves, contagion or devastation from afar would be the smartest way to go. If they are there to use the existing population for their own ends, then they would probably want to intimidate, rather than kill. A weapon that is visually imposing, causes a loud sound and a bright explosion might well cause some simpler people to think the aliens have mastery over fire and thunder. People will be afraid of it, even if it is inaccurate or nonlethal.

Weapons that can create the effect of telekinesis can add to the awe that the primitives feel when they encounter the aliens and see their 'magic' of moving matter without touching it.

The aliens might be undertaking more of a stealth mission. Perhaps by employing tiny weapons, in the form of rings or jewellery, that can emit lasers or other effects, such that they can kill or brainwash an important person, without alerting guards that they are even carrying weapons at all.

Weapons come in all shapes and sizes, not merely as guns.
 
Hi,

Beam weapons such as lasers and the various derivatives (masers - microwave lasers, phasers don't exist I'm afraid) are basically good for burning holes in people. They might not be much good against races that have natural resistence to such things. But you can add flame throwers to your list.

Particle weapons, bullets, rail guns etc could be a better choice, but they'll come with costs in terms of weight, recoil and noise.

Sound weapons are a tricky one and I wouldn't recommend them. If you're planning on using them to induce vomiting, GI upset or vertigo, they can do all of that. But the frequency has to be specific to the type of alien and their tissues. I.e. if an alien doesn't have an inner ear etc then vertigo's out. Also variations in atmospheric denisty between worlds may render them useless.

Chemical weapons are a kixed bag too. Ones using specific neurological agents would have to be highly specific. They'll work on one species only. More general chemicals such as acids etc, will be effective against a wider array of aliens, but still not necessarily all.

Personally for the sheer damned effect of it I like the idea of rocket pistols launching high explosive projectiles. Jet trails and big bangs - what's not to love! And not much will survive being blown up!

Cheers, Greg.
 
MY HUMBLE IDEA IS....

a grenade launcher that fires eggs that rapidly grow, (in like ten seconds) then hatch- out of the egg comes a dragon or some other ferocious beastie that consumes the humble folk of the world with fireballs from its eyes and bolts of lightning from its arse(brave heart reference)
 
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