Discussion: The Likelyhood of Dirty Bombs

[kota1342000]

A radiological dispersal device (dirty bomb as the more popular term is) is actually stupidly easy to construct. As for what level of NWH skill is needed; just enough to read detection equipment (active detectors, not dosimeters or film badges) and a recognition as to what to shovel up is pretty much all thats needed. In the world of T2k there wouldnt be any shortage of materials for it lying around, though you may have to travel some depending on how many nuclear weapon hits you have in your game. Personally I go with canon target lists. Then all you have to do is pack your active material around some kind of explosive and you have your RDD. As for delivery, it would depend on size. An RDD the size of a hand grenade is feasible though impractical. If youre going to spread radioactive material then go big.

However, the usefulness of an RDD would drop off sharply as well as survivors would know more about how to detect and protect themselves and their communities from radiological exposure. Currently in real life if you say "RADIATION" too loud then people flip out without understanding that not all radiological incidents are really that harmful. Simply depends on the materials activity, time of exposure, distance from exposure and shielding in between people and the source. Having done hazmat work for a few years, I have to say that of all the hazard classes (explosives, coompressed gases, flammable liquids, flammable solids, oxidizers, poisons, radioactives, corrosives, misc.) I would definitely rather deal with radioactive incidents than say a huge oxidizer spill or a burning propane tank on its side. LOL

For T2k I would think that chemical or biological weapons would make more of a scare. Sounds stupid, but not everyone would be ready or prepared for some kind of chemical attack on their surviving community, but are difficult weapons to use effectively. Bio threats on the other hand could wipe out a community unless they found out where the source of contamination was, isolated and quarantined the sick and made a competent medical response. Thats something that not many small or medium size communities could do.