Directorate Officer
OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION
Intent: To provide the equivalent of an old-fashioned smoke grenade in Lucerne Personal Defense's inventory
Image Source: here
Canon Link: N/A
Primary Source: N/A
PRODUCTION INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Lucerne Personal Defense
Affiliation: Directorate, Silver Jedi, Closed Market
Model: LPD-35 Shadowcaster Gas Grenade
Modularity: None
Production: Mass-Produced
Material: Durasteel sheel, Detonite priming charge, Nagnol Gas (50% of payload), Courenth (45% of payload), Ves (5% of payload) Instant Adhesive bottom, typical grenade components
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Classification: Defensive Hand Grenade
Size: Small
Weight: Light
Ammunition Type: Gas
Ammunition Capacity: 1 gaseous charge
Reload Speed: Average
Effective Range: Average
Rate of Fire: Average
Resistances
-Blasters (And other plasma type weapons): Very High
-Kinetic: None
-Lightsabers: None
-Sensor Sweeps: Very High
Recoil: None
SPECIAL FEATURES
- Variable Timer: Rotating the red ring around the top of the grenade sets a mechanical timer,with the lowest settable time being 5 seconds, and the highest being 15 minutes. This allows the grenade to be used for immediate tactical use or be set as part of a timed plan such as a tactical withdrawal. The grenade can have a timer set but NOT activated by keeping the grenade's safety pin in place. Once the pin is removed (by hand, tripwire, etc), the timer countdown starts.
- Obscuring: Nagnol gas produced by the Shadowcaster not only visually obscures the area around the grenade (typically within a 5 meter diameter), but also makes obtaining accurate sensor readings of objects and people within the cloud very difficult.
- Anti-Energy: The gaseous mixture of Courenth and Ves mimics the A3AA personal defense module and the antilaser aerosol, providing a means of temporary protection from blasters and many other ranged energy weapons with a 5 meter diameter of the grenade, as the gases rapidly break down and disperse those attacks.
- Adhesive Bottom: The bottom cap of the LPD-35 can be screwed off to reveal a pad covered in instant adhesive, which allows the grenade to be solidly attached to a variety of objects.
- Obscuring Cloud: The Nagnol gas provides excellent concealment for visual observation and most sensor types for those immediately around the grenade.
- Protective Cloud: The Courenth and Ves gas mixture provides excellent protection from most energy weapons in the vicinity around the grenade.
- Temporary: The Shadowcaster only provides several minutes worth of protection and concealment before the density of the gas in the area becomes practically ineffective. This duration can be lessened by wind and other weather, or prolonged released if in a confined area.
- Double-blind: Just as the Shadowcaster blinds those trying to see into the cloud, it also distorts visual observation and sensor readings of those within the cloud trying to look outwards.
The LPD-35 Shadowcaster Gas Grenade is the latest iteration of a very old idea: the smoke grenade. Using the base components of the LPD-24 Fireblast Grenade, the Shadowcaster instead carries a payload of three gases. When ignited by the priming charge, these gases are excited and released into the vicinity around the grenade to create a small but dense cloud of grey-blue gas. This gas not only visually obscures those within the cloud like a traditional smoke grenade, but the nagnol also thwarts most sensor scans: a virtual necessity because of how frequently sensors are integrated into modern battle armors and most battle droids. The other elements in the grenade form an anti-blaster aerosol mist, which rapidly breaks down most energy and beam weapons through diffraction, making their use inside the cloud usually ineffective except at almost point-blank range. It's most typically used then as a stationary device to provide protection in impromptu fighting positions, especially if the location of attackers is unknown.
While the shadowcaster was designed to be use a defensive device to provide both cover and concealment to its users, it can be used offensively as well. A favorite trick of guerillas and saboteurs is to use the adhesive back to stick the grenade into an unusual position, and then run a trip-cord to the detonator while in an enemy fighting position or battle station in a fortification. When tripped, the grenade's gases fouls up the enemies immediate sensors and can make their weapons ineffective when fighting from that position, thus forcing them to take time and find and remove the grenade, or prompting them to change locations to an area not affected by the gas. It is also frequently emplaced in similar ways on escape routes for such fighters, as it provides them a disposable means of protection and concealment. This concealment in turn can also be used for staging sudden ambushes on pursuers.
As a niche device, the Shadowcaster has been enjoying a small but steady production run. Most Shadowcasters have been delivered to the Silver Jedi and their allies for use in special operations groups such as the Directorate Trade Agents or the Silver Shadows. While not a breakout success, it seems likely that the Shadowcaster will continued to be produced for some time.
