Paladin Steel Storefront

[Aramanthus]

You've had a very busy day Talismn! Those are some close things. We at the Federated States would like to procure several of each of the new aircraft. I think we'd like to test out the new mass driver you at PS are producing. I think we might actually consider equiping our entire militaries forces with the S-7 Flex pistol as our standard side arm. I hope you don't mind if we take the first say two to three million. We don't mind the cost. Thank goodness for good revenues in Phase World.

[taalismn]

cool video of the real ONTOS in action in vietnam. How'd you like to take one of these babies for a ride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0t-0l0Zv0I

Now Sextuple the rate of fire....
Glad to know I picked a winner to back..

[taalismn]

You've had a very busy day Talismn! Those are some close things. We at the Federated States would like to procure several of each of the new aircraft. I think we'd like to test out the new mass driver you at PS are producing. I think we might actually consider equiping our entire militaries forces with the S-7 Flex pistol as our standard side arm. I hope you don't mind if we take the first say two to three million. We don't mind the cost. Thank goodness for good revenues in Phase World.

We'll start crating them...Gun metal finish or matte black?

[taalismn]

May as well consolidate this into the store..

Borgupine Full Conversion Cyborg
(aka ‘Sticky’, ‘Pseudo-Ankylosaur’, ‘Porcuborg’)

“I had the dubious pleasure of being surprised by a Spiny Ravager soon after I got my new Porcuborg body...damn thing upped and grabbed me...Fortunately, I was able to tighten up before it could grab ahold of my arms or legs and pull me apart...so it just swallowed me instead and tried to crack me like a big metal nut, and let its digestive enzymes dissolve me out...So that’s, when I was half-way down its gullet, I decided to play ‘puffer fish’ and pop my spikes.....Worked like a charm!....I got stuck halfway to the great digestor and that’s when the fun began...the whole damn critter started bucking and shaking and heaving like a barrel in a whirlpool, taking me along for the ride....My partners outside say the monster perked up like someone had just kicked it in the yeastbasket and it went berserk....Of course, after awhile, I decided that enough was enough and unsheathed my blades and made to cut myself a new exit before I knocked something of mine loose....THAT almost killed me, because the thing nearly went over a cliff...As it was, it almost ran me clear across the county and through two villages before I finally cut myself loose and killed the thing in the process....Took me a week to get the stench off me too...but that beat the alternative....”
-----Remarc Blackwish Houston, Free Canadian Monster Trapper, MoZoc Defense Guard.

“Careful...*ehhhh*(jlink!)...that smarted...*YIKES!!!*(tong)....I felt that!!!....(snip)*YIIIEEEHHHHHHH!!!*...Doc! You SURE you ain’t got a painkiller?! I don’t think I’m ever going to have kids!!!!..(schlluuttt).**YAZOOOO!!!!MOMMYMOMMYMOMMYOHSWEETJESUS!!!!** -THAT WAZ UNNECESSARY!!!!-*EHK!*(plinkity-plink)...----KURT!!! NEXT TIME YOU BLOODY WELL #KNOCK# BEFORE YOU ENTER A DARK BATHROOM!!!!”
(morosely) “I said I’m SORRY! You startled me....”

The ‘Borgupine’ is the next in line of the full conversion chassis designs developed by the so-called ‘Doctor Moreau of the Cyberset’, Doctor Calvin Howletts, whose unique design approach and commercial pitch is to build cyborgs inspired by local fauna, and for which the locals are likely to have some affection and pride(there is no evidence, however, that he tried to sell giant cockroach-inspired cyborgs to the residents of Chi-Town, where he last lived before moving to the freer Canadian north).
The Borgupine or ‘Sticky’ as it has been called(among other things) was inspired by the needle-covered porcupine endemic to the North American forests. Early attempts to design a cyborg with permanently mounted spikes embedded all over its frame proved less than promising(especially during the social interaction testing), but Howletts continued with the concept. Eventually, he hit on the use of new superdense ‘memory plastics’ that had been introduced by Paladin Steel. These new materials could be ‘programmed’ at the time of manufacture to assume one of two shapes; for instance, a ring shape in its initial state. But with the application of a certain stimuli, such as a specific heat gradiant from an embedded coil, or a chemical catalyst, the material would become pliable, and alter shape to its second form, such as collapsing into a rod.....Apply another stimulus, such as a drop in temperature, another jolt of current, or a chemical ‘antidote’, and the rod snaps back out into a ring...and so forth, and so on, without losing strength. This materials concept had been pioneered long before the Coming of the Rifts, with the widespread use of alloys such as Nitonal in thermo-sensitive gear(like safety valves), and expanded into true synthetic materials. Paladin Steel had finally managed to create usable megadamage materials with biphase attributes, and Howletts was among the many innovators who rushed to use the new stuff, seeing in it the answer to his prickly problem.
The Borgupine resembles a rather heavy set, short, and wide, humanoid cyborg with a smooth plated exterior armor, rather dull and drab in appearance. However, by activating a special trickle charge, the ‘borg can instantly extrude hundreds of long, hard, megadamage plastic spikes from opennings all over the exterior plates, radically changing the appearance of the cyborg into a veritable slasher-shrub!
In addition, the Borgupine mounts slightly heavier armor than average, since it cannot augment itself with traditional ‘borg applique armor without neutralizing its own spike armor. Its large plates and curved armor also allow the ‘cyborg to more effectively curl up, pulling its arms and legs in present a smaller target and shield vulnerable body joints.
Like the Mooseborg, the Borgupine has proven something of a flop by industry standards; while there have been a few buyers, there hasn’t been the sort of rush of orders that Howletts hopes will catapult him to the forefront of the cyborg market. Still, there are a few satisfied customers who like the unusual design, and even swear by it, rather than at it.
Among the takers of the new design are several media celebrities, who have bought/hired Borgupine full-conversions for their personal security details....the spiney cyborgs are very effective at keeping over-enthusiastic crowds at a distance.
Recently, the introductton of another new cyborg design following a similar idea of heavy armor and passive spike defense, the ‘Ankylosaur’, by another Black Market bionics firm, has gotten Howletts in a rage, convinced that someone else has attempted to swipe his ideas and market, but given the lack of comprehensive commercial courts and copyright law, there hasn’t been much he can do, other than fume.
Type:-FC-FC-HB-04
Class: Full Conversion Borg -
Crew: One human volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
Hands(2) 35 each
Arms(2) 100 each
Legs(2) 130 each
*Head 150 .
**Main Body 250 (400 MDC with quill defense fully activated) .
*Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character!
However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker
must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and
forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a
called shot.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively
destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and
vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body
will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that
will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is
available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36
hours means the character dies.

Note: The Borgupine CANNOT be fitted with additional armor, without interfering with the Spike Defense System.

Speed:
Running: 100 mph max . However the act of running does
not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained
indefinitely.
Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable
of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to
distance/height.
Flying: Not possible without a jet pack
Underwater: The Borgupine CANNOT swim, but sinks like a rock

Statistical Data:
Average Height: 6.7 feet ,
Width: 3 feet
Length: 7 feet ,
Weight: 1000 lbs.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 35, PP. 24,.
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to
bio-manipulation
+4 initiative
+5 strike/parry
+6 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 60% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -20%

Special Skills/Training---Use standard 'Borg, Salvage Expert, or
Headhunter OCC.
Black Market Cost: 7 million credits with all standard features, weapons,
and sensors.

Standard Bionic Features
Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
4. Clock calendar
5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
7. Multi-optic eyes
8. Built-in loudspeaker
9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and
sound filtration systems.

Weapons Systems:
1)Spike Defense System---Normally concealed under/within the thick armor plates of the lower legs, back, shoulders, forearms, and head, when activated these tough megadamage plastic spikes shoot out by the hundreds to form a 3-4 ft thick barrier around the cyborg.
Being solid projections, however, these spines offer at best a passive defense. Unlike energized vibroblades, the spikes cannot do megadamage just by brushing up against something. Unless a victim is standing within the reach of the spikes when they are speed-deployed, the worst a megadamage opponent can suffer from casual contact is some itching scratches or ruined paint job. However, if the cyborg should back the spines with his own cyborg musculature, as with a kick, punch, or high speed body block, the spikes will augment the attack damage, being driven like a megadamage nail by the cyborg hammer behind it. Likewise, anyone attempting to perform a melee attack, like a punch or bite, risks impaling themselves on the thorny spikes.
Individual spikes can be pulled loose and detached for use as handheld stilletos, but the same rules as above apply, and the spike CANNOT be easily re-attached(the entire plastic ‘plug’ must be replaced at a cost of 35 credits per spike).
Some cyborg weaponists have tried adding special ‘caps’ to the spine plugs that would coat the spikes with contact poisons for added effect....Trials with this particular modification have had mixed results.
Range: 3-4 feet long
Damage: Does 3d6 MD if target is standing within 3-4 ft of the cyborg when the spikes are power-activated. Each quill has 5 MDC when deployed/activated.
(Offensive) Adds 1d6 MD to a punch, kick, or bodyblock
(Defensive) Does HALF of enemy’s MD melee attack damage to enemy(so if another cyborg performs a punch for 3d6 MD and rolls a 15, the attack does 7 MD(roll down) to the attacker’s fist). Also takes 1d6 MD from a successful parry by the ‘borg. The spike armor has an effective A.R. of 16...any roll to strike lower than a 16 hits the spikes instead of the main body of the cyborg.
If detached, a quill of superhard plastic-composite can be used as a stilleto for 2d6 SDC damage
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Has over 200 ‘quills’

2) Retractable Knuckle Spikes----The fists of the ‘borg are fitted with retracting knuckle spikes for added damage in punching. Can be upgraded with vibroblades(+2d4 MD) for 10,000 credits.
Range:Melee
Damage: +3d4 SDC to a punch

3) Retractable Forearm Vibroblade(either arm)---As if the surface spikes and knuckle spikes weren’t bad enough, the design adds a forearm-mounted vibroblade to the already impressive array of personal cutlery. Typically only one arm is so equipped, leaving the other forearm free to mount a long ranged blaster.
Range:Melee
Damage: 2d6 MD

4) (Optional) Use of Handheld Weapons---The Borgupine can use its hands to pick up and use any available infantry hand weapons, if so desired.

Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Full Strength Punch 1d6 MD
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 3d4 MD
Kick 1d6 MD
Rear Leg Power Kick 2d4 MD
Leap Kick(2 Attacks) 2d6 MD
Judo-Style Throw/Flip 1d4 MD
Body Block/Ram: (2 attacks) 1d6 MD

Options:
The Borgupine can be fitted with any of the standard cybernetic and bionic features in the Rifts books; prehensile tails are particularly popular. However, at least one specialized option has been made available:

a)Spike Launcher Tail
This is a large flat, broom-like tail appendage studded with spikes, that can be raised to provide additional protection to the lower back, or left dragging to protect the legs from behind. Unlike the body spikes, the tail spikes are heavier and fixed(they CANNOT be retracted) and do correspondingly more damage. They can also be fired like short range projectiles, singly or in bursts, to surprise and skewer opponents. Once fired, the spikes cannot be re-attached, but must be replaced with new ones. Wooden or silver-plated spikes may be substituted for the standard high-density composite ones issued.
MDC of Tail: 80
Range: (Tail slap) Melee
(Projectile) 100 ft
Damage:(Tail slap) 5d6 MD
(Projectile) 1d6 MD per spike
Rate of Fire:(Tail slap)ECHH
(Projectile) Volleys of 1-10 spikes
Payload: Tail has 50 spikes
Note: Fired spikes get NO bonus to strike; it’s a straight roll to hit.
Cost: 130,000 credits
Replacement tail spikes cost 40 credits each

[taalismn]

ChefBorg-RD Culinary Full Conversion Cyborg

“A lot of people think that being mostly mechanical means being less than human, and not being able to enjoy the same things as we once used to...That is true to an extent, but that what few pleasures we can enjoy get warped into something monstrous? That’s outright falsehood....No, being less physically human only makes us want to appreciate all the more thoroughly those pleasures that we CAN...
And for a lot of us, that means FOOD...We may derive most of our nourishment from IV solutions and pills, and injections, but many of us still have working tastebuds. So we like to make the most of what little ‘real food’ we physically require to survive....You’d be surprised at the number of metalniks there are who take up cooking, or have existensive knowledge of fine dining, food, and drink....”

“SeGott’ang Lizard ....sandpaper scales, poisonous foot-long spines, acidic blood, and nasty tempers, even when dead, because of their decentralized nervous systems refuse to let them quit....but the green livers, when extracted, washed, boiled, and served with just a touch of mint jelly, are just DELICIOUS....”

“#GGGRRRAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!#”
“Hmmm...make a note of that; Brodkil are allergic to having Craydonian Magma-Pepper ground into their eyes.”
“#AAAAAGGGHHAAA_GH_GH_UUUUUGGHHHH!!!!#”

The ChefBorg-RD is a highly specialized conversion available through Paladin Steel’s Bionics Division, who have acquired licensing rights for the design that they helped create at the behest of the Valencia Brothers, one-time owners and operators of the Valencia Brothers’ Travelling Bountiful Show. The Bountiful Show, a small travelling circus, while enthusiastically staffed, could boast only mediocre acts and would have had little attendance, but for the self-taught culinary talents of the Valencia Brothers; more people came to attend the concessionary stand than the actual acts...especially to see what the Brothers could do with the local produce of whatever area they were visiting. Eduardo Valencia, in particular, was a virtuoso of the barbecue pit and soaring flambe....but the show almost came to an end when, while touring the East Coast, Eduardo was savaged by a Peryton that dropped in on the stand and half-devoured him.....Fortunately, his brother Pedro was able to get his critically injured sibling to a local cyberdoc. The costs of full-conversion nearly bankrupted the Brothers, and the loss of one of the show’s star performers killed the Bountiful tour. However, Eduardo was not to be laid down so easily, and was soon making some small change exercising his new bionics in local kitchens(starting after a joking critique of the food served him in the hospital). Almost immediately, he began to see limitations in his new body, as well as new possibilities, and began outlining changes he thought would be ideal to allow him to make the most of his cyborg body in the kitchen....
The Valencia Brothers eventually relocated to the city of Relic, where they started a second business; a cooking academy that has proven far more successful than the Bountiful Show. As a sideline, the Brothers licensed Paladin Steel to duplicate and market Eduardo’s bionic body frame, since dubbed the ChefBorg-RD, for obscure reasons.
The ChefBorg-RD is a light humanoid full-conversion cyborg designed around being the ultimate cook. In d-bee-inspired cooking, this is particularly useful, as many of the ingredients and proccesses in preparation may be particularly hazardous to unprotected cooks, and in the growing field of xenoculinary arts(the ‘Bite Back’ school that teaches “If you gotta kill it, why not use it?”), many of the new animal and plant stocks being used in the kitchen require more than human abilities to properly prepare.
It is not a combat chassis , lacking the raw power, armor, and firepower of dedicated battlefield cyborgs, but in a pinch it is a quite serviceable light combatant; and anyone fool enough to take the battle to the ‘borg’s kitchen, will discover how truly lethal and creative its fittings can be used in self-defense. It is well-armored against fire(especially hot grease flash-ups), intense cold(and occasional lock-ins in the walk-in freezer), caustic agents(many preservatives have an alkaline base, while many ingrediants are acidic to varying degree), concussive blasts(as might be expected from accidental intestinal gas explosions when chainsaw-cutting a ripe Ravager carcass), and light arms fire(often encountered when whipping up an energizing snack for the troopers in the front trenches), and its reflexes are jacked high enough for lightning fast responses(catching that dropped cake or getting out of the kitchen ahead of an overdone gark-egg detonation). It is fast enough to get down to the market for the first catch of the day, or flee a mess tent-ful of angry and well-armed chipped-beef-sick mercenaries.
The basic frame is humanoid, but with an extra set of arms in response to what every chef wishes he had...an extra set of hands. Full rotation neck and waist joints allow the cyborg to survey every side of his kitchen station with ease.
The head sports a particularly large and powerful olfactory and multi-test molecular analyzer. An internal computer database allows the ‘borg to be able to store and access multiple data files on recipes and the properties of various foodstuffs, including caloric count, boiling points, and proper preparation methods(it should also be noted that the Valencia Brothers have a growing, and very lucrative, sideline in collecting, editing, and producing food-related database software compatible with cyborg systems).
Multiple tool hand featues include a staggering array of retractable meat probes, skewers, and fine cutting blades, while special treaded finger grips allow for solid grips on crockery and cooking utensils(as well as holding generous pinches of spices). Forearm salt and pepper grinders with a palm-mount shaker head allow the cyborg to season meats even as they are tenderizing them, rubbing seasonings right into the material.
Large spatulate feet with special sole treading allow the cyborg to maintain its balance on the most slippery of floors, while powerful leg actuators give the cybercook enough raw speed to chase down a wild boar or other reluctant ‘secret ingredient’.
Though not the strongest of cyborgs, the ChefBorg-RD is still strong enough to wrestle a whole carcass of beef out of the deep freezer, and carry a groaning trencher out to the dining room. Reflex-wise, the cyborg has the speed and reaction time to juggle a rackful of pans, catch a dropped soufflé before it hits the floor, be under a descending mis-flipped canape in time to toss it back on course, and dice and slice a salad with dazzling precision.
Because of the highly specialized nature of this cyborg, the few dozen that have been produced are more handcrafted custom jobs, than mass-production designs. Also, Eduardo Valencia has insisted on keeping his hand in the process; those applying for this particular conversion must pass a rigorous training and exam program under his supervision before he gives his stamp of approval; whether any washouts from the Valencia cooking school choose to ignore his grading, and persuade other cyberdocs to produce knockoffs of this design, doesn’t have Paladin Steel particularly worried. Rare as these cyborgs are, however, the services of these master cooks are much in demand...
Type:PS/VBCA--FC-CB-RD
Class: Full Conversion Borg - Culinary Specialist
Crew: One human volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
Hands(4) 10 each
Arms(4) 40 each
Legs(2) 70 each
*Head 50.
**Main Body 180 .
*Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character!
However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker
must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and
forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a
called shot.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively
destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and
vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body
will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that
will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is
available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36
hours means the character dies.

Note: The ChefBorg-RD CAN be fitted with additional armor, but is limited to LIGHT Cyborg Armor(100 MDC)

Speed:
Running: 120 mph max. However the act of running does
not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained
indefinitely.
Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable
of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to
distance/height.
Flying: Not possible without a jet pack
Underwater: The ChefBorg CANNOT swim, but sinks like a rock

Statistical Data:
Average Height: 6.7 feet
Width: 2 feet
Length: 1.5 feet
Weight: 320 lbs.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 35, PP. 24,.
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to
bio-manipulation
+4 initiative
+5 strike/parry
+6 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 75% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -15%

Special Skills/Training---Use standard 'Borg, plus:
Ettiquette: Dining(+10%)
(This focuses on proper presentation of food, table settings, and behavior)
Cooking(+15%) (Professional Quality)
Preserve Foods(+15%)
Identify Plants and Fruits(+15%)
W.P. Knife
Chef’s hat comes standard.
Students who do exceptionally well in the course may recieve a bonus gift from Eduardo Valencia; a half-dozen bottles of one of his ‘special sauces’, a Naruni Ripper-Blade carving knife, armored(30 MDC) chef’s apron, or something similar, as a graduation prize.
Black Market Cost: 3.4 million credits with all standard features, weapons,
and sensors.

Standard Bionic Features
Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
4. Clock calendar(great for timing cooking foods)
5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
7. Multi-optic eyes
8. Built-in loudspeaker
9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and
sound filtration systems.

Special Features:
*Molecular Analyzer---Expanded chemical sensor suite in the mouth, nose, and fingertips allows the cyborg to quickly assess ingredients, including salinity, acid content, decay byproducts, etc....

*No-Stick Body Surface Coating---Adapted from Paladin Steel’s HazMat industrial cyborg, this chemical-resistant material prevents damage from acidic spills, and incidentally sheds grease and goo like frictionless teflon, making clean-ups a snap for the cyborg.

*No-Skid Foot Pads---These pads allow the cyborg to run across slippery surfaces like oil slicked floors, ice, and adds a +5% to Climb skill.

*360-degree Rotation Waist---Allows the cyborg to spin about in a cramped kitchen and work at several stations without having to move its whole body.

*Chest Cutting Board---A slideout no-stick cutting board with integral internal UV/Thermal sterilization features.

*Internal Database---A culinary database that the cyborg can access at will, providing information on hundreds of popular recipes, relevant cooking tips(such as how to modify cooking for local atmospheric pressure), physical properties of various ingredients, and identification of over a hundred kitchen utensils. Also has separate databases for proper dining room ettiquette, decoration, and other flourishes.
A bonus feature of this system is a recorder that allows the cyberchef to record what they are doing, in order to review kitchen disasters, and save info on culinary experiments. All cyberchefs use this to maintain secret recipe books of their specialties....

*Forearm Spice Grinders----Cylindrical spice supply in forearm compartment with distribution grate in palms. Depending on what’s being held in the compartments, these can be effective melee weapons if irritants are rubbed into senstive organs or open wounds(typically causes -1 to strike, parry, and dodge for 1d4 melees due to the distraction and irritation) .

*Built-In Whetstone----Built-in knife sharpener.

*Hip Storage Compartments---Retracting knife/cooking tool racks in upper legs. Can be flushed with a plug-in steam line to sterilize the instruments.

*Power Take-Offs---The ChefBorg has four plugs(2 in the uppermost forearms, and one on each hip) that allow the cyborg to power, using its own internal powerplant, additional kitchen gear and tools like small toaster ovens, microwave ovens, blenders, electric chainsaws, and the like. They can also be used to power handheld energy weapons, though the powerlinks recharge the weapons at three times the normal rate (not really designed to power high energy demand instruments like weapons).

Weapons Systems:
1)Retractable Hand Blades(6, 3 each hand)---Retractable, interchangeable finger blades can be swapped out for various purposes, depending on the shape of the blades...from bone saws to pastry knives....
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4 SDC to 6d6 SDC. Vibroblades can also be mounted, doing 1d4 MD each.

2)Retractable Finger Spikes---These 4-inch metal claws also double as meat temperature probes.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4 SDC per spike

3) Power-Blender Attachment---Megadamage steel blades and military-grade electric drives make for a blender that could propel a torpedo...or grind bones into powder. In melee combat, this is one fearsomeweapon, whirring ominously at high speed.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4x10 SDC or 1d6 MD on full power

4) Finger-Flamer----A variable-flame torch built into the thumb, used for starting grills, flame-roasting small meals, and brazing/caramelizing foods.
Range: 1-6 ft
Damage: 1d4 SDC for a wide fanning flame and 4d6 SDC for a short, narrow, focused torch
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 45 minute fuel supply(tank in hip compartment)

5) Laser Utility Fingers(2-4)---A good standard utility tool.
Range: 50 ft
Damage: 1d6 or 3d6 SDC
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unilimited

6)PSMWE-20---Microwave Emitter----Originally an effort by Paladin Steel to create a handheld microwave emitter pistol(after seeing microwave weaponry at work in the European theatres). However, the overall damage and range performance of the device proved disappointing, and it was quite ineffective against recent Coalition armor advancements, and so PS tried to salvage the development costs by altering the device into an industrial tool(for curing paint). Eduardo Valencia saw promise in the MWE-20 as a cooking and close defense tool, and so asked to have a version adapted to fit the ChefBorg-Ardee.
The MWE-20 is typically used to quickly heat up food dishes, and is also used to sterilize food preparation tools and surfaces, but it can also be used in self-defense to cook unwary opponents at close quarters. Against metal-armored foes, however, all the microwave beam does is create a shower of sparks ...though under the right conditions that can be a most effective distraction....firing this device off in a kitchen bay FULL of metal can almost blind opponents with the resulting fireworks display.....
Range: 10 ft
Damage: 3d6 SDC/1d6 MD and does half damage through most light plastic and padded armor types.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unilimited

7) Fire Extinguisher---Because sometimes accidents happen. It can also be used to blind opponents similar to the spell Cloud of Smoke.
Range: 25 ft, and covers a 6 ft area.
Damage: None, but opponents caught in the blast will be -5 to strike, parry, dodge, disarm, and entangle for that melee.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Rechargeable/replaceable cylinder holds 20 blasts.

Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Full Strength Punch 1d6 MD
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 3d4 MD
Kick 1d6 MD
Leap Kick(2 Attacks) 2d6 MD
Judo-Style Throw/Flip 1d4 MD
Body Block/Ram: (2 attacks) 1d6 MD

Options:
The Chefborg can be fitted with any of the standard cybernetic and bionic features in the Rifts books. Favorite options include fitting the 'borg with flamethrowers and plasma cutters.

[taalismn]

Howletts Bionics/Canada ‘Mooseborg’ Full Conversion Cyborg

“It’s the law of the north....Sometimes you get the moose, sometimes the moose gets you...”
---Far North Forest Saying

“AW SH....!!! Eer...Hi, Willie! Fancy meeting you all the way out here...hehheeh.... Hey, leggome!!!Hey, that flexes, man! Look...I already said I’m SORRY! How was I supposed to know it was you!? HEY!!! THAT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BEND LIKE THA---- Owie, Owie! OWH! Come’on, cut me some slack, it won’t happen again, I SWEAR...In fact, let’s shake on it!....and put me down, please?”
“Because this is the FOURTH time you’ve tried to zeke me, you overtoothed cyber-rat! No way in hell you’re going to convince me that every time you’ve had a hankering for venison, you’ve just happened to come across me and you haven’t recognized me! Now ‘fess up...why the hell are you stalking me, wolf-boy, or do I have to go stampede all over you!?”
---Rennie Feral, Biomech Timberwolf cyborg, and Willie ‘Whomper’ Wiligson, Mooseborg cyborg, in one of their all too frequent get-togethers in the Northern Woods.

“This damn body’s like an electromagnet for mutant squirrels...I walk into a forest and stop for a minute, and suddenly I got all these chittering psuedo-rodents gliding in and climbing all over me, pestering the life out of me....if only I knew why!!!”
-----Schalon Daight, Cyborg Mercenary, on his experiences with the Mooseborg body.

“I am the invisible menace of the deep wilderness,
I am the avenger of the northern forests,
I am the nightmare of the green shroud,
The deliverer of justice to the folk of the woods,
And enemy of all nature’s despoilers!
Know my battlecry and fear me!
******BLOOOOOP!******”
-----Anonymous tightbeam transmission picked up by Free Quebec Hudson Bay outpost soon after the destruction of an adjacent outpost.

Great ideas are inspired, but not all inspired ideas are great. That’s the general public opinion of the Mooseborg, a new bionic frame design to come out of the high-tech hinterlands of Free Canada.
The Mooseborg is the brainchild of Calvin Howletts, a black market cyberdoc and bionics designer who emigrated to Free Canada from Chi-Town to escape a Coalition warrent for his arrest(for consorting with Tolkeen terrorists), Eager to make a splash in the local marketplace with an innovative design, especially in the Paladin Steel-supported Independent market, which was already overrunning with good designs, Howletts brainstormed a bionic body configuration that would appeal both to the more radical design trends and the local populace, with a layout that would be recognizable to everyone, yet blend into the surroundings. Seeing the wide variety of covert operations cyborgs based on animal models, particularly wolves, wild cats, and other predators, Howletts thought that a truly effective covert-ops and wilderness recon cyborg wouldn’t take the form of a predator, whose appearance and presence would alarm enemy sentries, even if they couldn’t identify the true bionic nature of the beast. Instead, Howletts argued, more benign and harmless animals should be emulated. To that end, he designed a heavy cyborg that could pass as a wandering moose, a common enough herbivore, whose body frame was large and heavy enough that a fairly substantial cyborg could be designed within the same size and weight parameters.
The Mooseborg is exactly that; a full-conversion cyborg that can assume both a bipedal humanoid form, and a quadraped animal form. Large, long, thick limbs conceal powerful bionic actuators, a heavily reinforced main torso conceals built-in storage compartments and heavy weapons, while the massive head mounts an impressive rack of horns, that double as both weapons and sensor antennae. All this wrapped up under a full-body artifical skin and fur covering that disguises both appearance and thermo-signature.
In theory, the idea, even the critics had to admitt, was sound; a solitary grazing moose, wandering around the perimeter of a Coalition outpost, or wading semi-submerged in a nearby waterway, was less likely to attract attention as a large wolf or pack of predators, and could remain of station for hours, if not days, happily ‘grazing’ while covertly gathering data until recalled back to base, or seeing the opportunity to strike. Though incorporating the latest in commonly-available PS bionic technology, the Mooseborg’s animal appearance was less likely to alert Coalition agents of a strong GNE-affiliated presence along their borders, and thus less likely to draw renewed and hostile CS attention to the Canadian regions and the Tundra Rangers.
In practice, however, when Howletts openned up a small bionics workshop as a local subcontractor for the Tundra Rangers, and offered the design for service with the local militia, few people bought into the idea. The Tundra Ranger military did conduct trials with the new cyborg, but decided, after a half-dozen ‘friendly fire’ incidents involving cyborg volunteers and venison-hungry local trappers and milita members, not to officially purchase the design as one of their standards. Diehard metalheads feel that while the Mooseborg is strong and well-armored, it lacks heavy ranged firepower to strike hard and fast enough if the enemy sees through its disguise. Also, quite a few cyborgs just didn’t care to assume the identity of a big, dumb, ugly, herbivore, even for covert ops.
Having sunk most of his savings into his workshop, Howletts has been reluctant to discard the Mooseborg, however, and offers it to the open market instead. Sales have not been encouraging, but he has managed to convince a few dozen convertees who, out of regional pride or eccentric outlook(or not enough cash to get a replacement body), have gladdened Howletts’ heart with their glowing reports of the performance of the Mooseborg body. There’s even been some talk of the formation of a ‘CyberMoose Lodge’ to promote the design and Howletts’ other unorthodox designs....Further poof, to observers, that there are some strange people up there in the northern woods.
Type:HB--FC-HB-02-SO-008
Class: Full Conversion Borg - Covert Operations, Wilderness
Crew: One human volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
Concealed Hands(2) 45 each
Arms/Forelegs(2) 100 each
Hind Legs(2) 100 each
Feet (& Foot Pads)(2) 50 each .
*Head 120
Antlers(2) each 50 .
**Main Body 290.
*** False Fur/Psuedoflesh Overlay 12
*Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character!
However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker
must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and
forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a
called shot.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively
destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and
vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body
will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that
will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is
available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36
hours means the character dies.
***Destroying the false fur psuedoflesh overlay will reveal the obviously mechanical being underneath

Note: The Mooseborg CAN be fitted with additional armor, up to Heavy Cyborg Armor, but this typically negates the disguise aspect of the design.

Speed: Running: 60 mph max in Biped Mode, 90 MPH in Quadraped Mode, Although not as fast and agile as an equine chassis, the Mooseborg can cross soft/swampy terrain with only a 10% reduction in speed due to the wide spatulate feet. However the act of running does not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained
indefinitely.
Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to distance/height.
Flying: Not possible without a jet pack
Underwater: The Mooseborg is actually pretty good at swimming( it typically prefers to run along shallow waterway bottoms as part of operations).

Statistical Data:
Average Height: (Biped Mode) 11 ft
(Quadraped Mode)6.7 ft ,
Width: 3 ft at the shoulders, antlers can range up to 6 ft across
Length: (Biped Mode) 3 ft
(Quadraped Mode) 7-8 ft ,
Weight: 1000 lbs.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 35, PP. 24,.
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to
bio-manipulation
+4 initiative
+5 strike/parry
+6 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 60% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -10%

Special Skills/Training---Use standard 'Borg, Salvage Expert, or
Headhunter OCC. Special training provides the following skills; Radio Basic at +10%(or +5% to existing skill), Radio: Scramblers at +5%, Land Navigation +10%
Black Market Cost: 7 million credits with all standard features, weapons,
and sensors.

Standard Bionic Features
Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
4. Clock calendar
5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
7. Multi-optic eyes
8. Built-in loudspeaker
9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and sound filtration systems.

Special Features:
*Special Foot Padding and Joint Insulation---Cuts down on mechanical noise from movement and allows for increased prowl ability; Base Prowl skill of 50%, and even if heard/detected, is likely to be mistaken for an animal, not a machine.
*Molecular Analyzer---For detecting chemical pollutants.
*Long Range Cyborg Radar----50 mile air warning range
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has an 80% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordnance.
*Boosted Gain Radio---100 mile range standard
*Electromagetic Sensors(antler mount)----- The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
w/ Signal Triangulation----Allows a base chance of locating the source of a radio signal with 60% accuracy, 40% chance of determining approximate range. Roll under Radio: Basic Skill when detecting a signal to see if one has acquired enough of a read for accurate signal triangulation(the longer the signal duration, the better).
*Extended Duration Data Recorder Pack---a set of multiple nested data disks for extended signal sampling and data collection. The Mooseborg can record up to 144 hours of signal data on its internal drives.
*False Fur/Psuedoflesh Overlay---Simulates a normal moose’s appearance and thermal signature
*Heavy Duty Actuators(Robotic P.S. rating)

Weapons Systems:
1) Retractable Shoulder Mounts(2)----Mounted on the forward shoulders, and concealed under the fur/skin overlay, are a pair of shoulder weapon mini-turrets, whose weapons are normally stowed, when not in use, aligned in special cavities along the rib cage. Deployed, the weapons swing out and forward, ready for action. Can be used in both biped and quadraped mode.
a) 20mm Autocannon---Cutdown versions of the PS Taskin Infantry Cannon
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage:(20 mm) 1d4 MD per shell
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius(single shot)
(20mm PSX-1)4d4 MD per shell
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius(single shot)
(Wood rds) 6d6 SDC per shell(1d6x10 HP to vampires)
2d4x10 SDC per 5 rd burst(2d4x10 HP to vampires)
2d4 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10 HP to vampires)
(Crowd Control rds)humans and human-sized D-Bees must roll a D20 to maintain their footing (must equal or surpass the attacker's roll to strike...Full rules in TNW p.174)
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 200 rds
Cost: 20,000 credits

b) Light Grenade Launcher
Range: 1500 ft
Damage: Frag rounds do 4d6 MD to a 12-foot radius. AP rounds do 1d4x10 to a 3-foot blast radius, and Plasma rounds do 1d4x10+10 to a 5-foot radius. A 3 round burst of frag shells does 1d4x10 to a 15 foot radius, a burst of 3 AP shells does 2d4x10 to a 5 foot radius, and a burst of 3 plasma shells does 3d4x10 to an 8 foot blast radius A 5 round burst of frag shells does 1d6x10 to a 20 foot radius, a burst of 5 AP shells does 2d6x10 to a 6 foot area, and a burst of 5 plasma shells does 3d6x10 to a 10 foot radius. A 10 round burst of frag shells does 2d6x10 to a 40-foot radius. A 10 round AP burst does 3d6x10 to an 8-foot area, and a 10 round plasma burst does 4d6x10+10 to a 15-foot radius!!
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 30 shot clip
Cost: 50,000 cr
c) Light Rail Gun--------A copy of the Coalition’s own C-200 ‘Dead Man’ rail gun.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 4d6 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:600 rd drum(30 bursts)per rail gun
d) Laser Cannon
Range: 2,500 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD per dual burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
e) Plasma Cannon
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD single shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
f) Heavy Ion Blaster Rod
Range:1,200 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Laser Eyes---Actually hidden right behind the large, wide-spaced eyes are a pair of small laser emitters. Just look and shoot.
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD from both eyes(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3)Chemical Sprayer System---The massive nose of the Mooseborg can shoot out a chemical smog attack through the nostrils
Range:10 ft area
Damage:Varies by chemical type
(Smoke)---Makes it difficult, if not impossible, for visually-dependent beings to see the cyborg
(Tear Gas, Mace, Burning Vapor, Sleep Gas)---All general AP agents, generally useless against Xticix.
(Acid)---Does 4d6 M.D. to a 5 foot radius the first round. Damage goes down by 1d6 each melee round after that.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 50 blasts

4) Forearm Hydraulic Rams...In biped mode, the Mooseborg can hinge its hands down from the main forelimb, allowing the hoof-like foot to deploy as a hydraulic ram, for a super-powerful punch.
Damage: 4d6 MD on a punch(takes two attacks)

5)(Optional) Use of Handheld Weapons---The Mooseborg can use its hands to pick up and use any available infantry hand weapons, if so desired.

Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Full Strength Punch 1d6 MD
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 3d4 MD
Kick 1d6 MD
Rear Leg Power Kick 2d4 MD
Leap Kick(2 Attacks) 2d6 MD
Jump Kick/Trample(3 attacks) 2d4x10 MD
Judo-Style Throw/Flip 1d4 MD
Body Block/Ram: (2 attacks) 3d6 MD
Antler Head **** 1d6 MD
Antler Gore and Flip/Throw 3d6 MD

Options:
The Mooseborg can be fitted with any of the standard cybernetic and bionic features in the Rifts books, if maintaining the disguise of a simple animal isn’t an issue.

[taalismn]

Minotaur Full Conversion Cyborg
“Did you getta load on the look on that slaver’s face when I crashed through that wall and plowed into her squad? Heh-heh, they’re all watching the door for us to come through, like eighteen-inch concrete’s goin’ to stop me!”
---”FoaminMad” Frodicky, Headhunter.

The Minotaur full conversion cyborg chassis is often assumed to be the work of the (in)famous Doctor Calvin Howletts, known for his eccentric animal-inspired cyborg designs. In truth, it is an independent design that came from the cybershops of Greater New England. The Minotaur DEFINITELY shows a kinship to Russian assault designs; clear evidence of the new bionics technologies being imported as New Yankee long distance trade grows.
The Minotaur is a heavy-frame cyborg with a heavily built-up chest and shoulders, and a smaller heaily reinforced head, sporting a distinct set of curved horns. Overall, it bears a strong resemblance to the Russian Sokolov Demonfist(and indeed, PS may have gotten an example to study, from their long-range trade expeditions to Russia), but there are differences. The head does not contain the braincase at all; the original skull and nervous system have been moved to the safety of the more heavily armored torso. This is because one of the Minotaur’s most devastating melee attacks is a full-on head ****/ram. The cyborg’s upper body, head, and neck are heavily reinforced for a head-on high-speed ramming attack that can shatter armor plate, flip vehicles, and knock down even tough supernaturals like Brodkil and Dragons. Massive forearms conceal a variety of nasty close-in weaponry, including vibro-spike blades and explosive shell cannons. The head of the Minotaur can be customized to a variety of forms, but all are heavy armored and equipped with heavy ramming horns, blazing laser eyes, and smoke-fuming nostrils, adding to the image of one seriously angry hunk of hardware.
The major shortcoming of the Minotaur is its concentration on short-range combat. It has a notable lack of long range weaponry, that can prove a liability under certain cicrumstances. Minotaurs are best used in situations where local terrain cuts down the effective range of weaponry, or with support-fire from teammates, allowing the cyborgs to close with an enemy. Minotaurs in Greater New England military service are frequently issued long-arms, such as heavy lasers or missile launchers.
As eccentric as the Minotaur design is, it’s proven popular with certain elements of the thrash-set, especially ex-Juicers looking for a heavy-metal combat body meant for mindless mayhem ‘like a bull in a china shop’. It’s also a popular cyborg in gladiatorial contests, especially against vehicles, other cyborgs, and Juicers(including some fairly spectacular Murder-Ball grudge matches in the Relic between Juicers who have resurrected ‘Minoan bull-jumping’ and the front line of the all-cyborg PileDrivers.
The Minotaur was originally named the ‘Aries’ but confusion with the existing Paladin Steel ‘Aries’ assault cyborg led to the current name change(PS also produces a ‘Minotaur’ robot vehicle, but felt fewer people were likely to confuse the two), though occasionally, outside GNE territories, the Minotaur is called the ‘Aries’. A naval version, reportedly called the ‘Capricorn’ is supposedly under development....the variant would add powerful hydrojets to the legs and back, allowing the ‘borg to build up enough underwater speed to stave in boat hulls.
Type:PS/GNE--FC-34
Class: Full Conversion Borg - Close Assault
Crew: One human volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
Hands(2) 65 each
Arms(2) 220 each
Legs(2) 130 each
Feet (& Foot Pads)(2) 90 each
*Head 200 .
**Main Body 350 .
*Destroying the head of a Cyborg will effectively blind the character!
Smaller sensor mounts can be deployed from recesses on the chest and shoulders, but the cyborg will be fighting effectively without bonuses!
However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker
must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and
forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a
called shot.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively
destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and
vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body
will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that
will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is
available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36
hours means the character dies.

Note: The Minotaur CAN be fitted with additional armor, including heavy types

Speed:
Running: 90 mph max . However the act of running does
not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained
indefinitely.
Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable
of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to
distance/height.
Flying: Not possible without a jet pack
Underwater: The Minotaur CANNOT swim, but sinks like a rock

Statistical Data:
Average Height: 10 feet
Width: 6 ft feet
Length: 5 feet
Weight: 7 tons.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 50, PP. 20,.
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to
bio-manipulation
+3 initiative
+5 strike/parry
+6 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 60% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -20%

Special Skills/Training---Use standard 'Borg, Salvage Expert, or Headhunter OCC.
Black Market Cost: 6.8 million credits with all standard features, weapons, and sensors.

Standard Bionic Features
Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
4. Clock calendar
5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
7. Multi-optic eyes
8. Built-in loudspeaker
9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and sound filtration systems.

Special Features:
*Relocated Brain/Nervous System---The ‘borg’s skull has been relocated to a safer position in the lower torso.

Weapons Systems:
1)Forearm Weapon Slots(2)---Each forearm has a wired semi-recessed hardpoint for mounting either a particle beam blaster or a double-barreled shotgun

a)Partice Beam Blasters(2, one each forearm)
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 6d6+6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
b) Double-Barreled Auto-Shotgun---A double-drum-fed automatic version of Northern Gun’s NG-11S
Range: 500 ft
Damage:(Frag) 2d6 MD to 10 ft area single shell, 3d6 MD to 20 ft area for double blast
(Explosive) 3d6 MD to 6 ft area single shell, 5d6 MD to 12 ft area for double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 30 shots

2) Eye Lasers(2)---The Minotaur has a double-’laser-gaze’ for short-range
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD one eye, 4d6 MD both eyes
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: +1 to Strike

3) Chemical Sprayer---The Minotaur’s nostrils can spew out chemical fumes, such as smoke, tear gas, or sleep vapors
Range: 60 ft
Damage: Varies by Chemical
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 20 blasts

4) Ram-Horns---The massive blunt curved rams’ horns are more than mere ornamentation or armoring; they incorporate a contact-detonation energy explulsion system similar to those used in Gargoyle Empire melee weapons---another innovation PS has managed to acquire from their trade contacts in Europe, reverse-engineer, and adapt to a variety of applications.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d4 MD+any damage from head **** or ram attack

5)Blast-Knuckles---The Minotaur mounts similar energy ‘knuckedusters’ on its oversized knuckles for additional damage
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d4 MD+any damage from punch attack

6)Vibro-Spiker---PS has adapted the Hydraulic Ram Arm and vibro-blade technology to install a long, stabbing, vibroblade laying parallel to the main cyborg forearm structural members, and driven by a powerful electromagnetic track. Once deployed and extended, the Vibrospike can be used like a regular vibroblade
Range: Melee
Damage:Vibroblade does 2d6 MD on its own, +3d6 MD from the electro-ram
Rate of Fire: Typically takes two APMs; one to withdraw and reset the spike in firing position, and the attack itself.

7) Forearm Blades---The forearms can deploy sharp serrated blades along their lower side for increased damage on forearm blows. The blades can also be driven into vertical surfaces allowing the cyborg to scale sheer surfaces like cliffs or building sides(+10% to Climbing skill)
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4 MD for one blade, 3d4 MD for a forearm slash/strike with all three

(Optional) Use of Handheld Weapons---The Minotaur can use its hands to pick up and use any available infantry hand weapons, if so desired.
Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d6 MD
Full Strength Punch 3d6 MD
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 1d6x10 MD
Kick 3d6 MD
Judo-Style Throw/Flip 1d4 MD
Head **** 3d6 MD
Body Block/Ram: (2 attacks) 2d6 MD
Full Speed Ram(3 attacks and must be going 50 MPH or better) 1d6x10 MD, or 2d4x10 MD for ramming at maximum speed(100 MPH), plus knock-down effects similar to being run down by a vehicle(see Coalition War Campaign, pg. 152)

Options:
The Minotaur can be outfitted with just about any other Bionic options---leg weapons compartments are common---but the following are a few of the more specialized.

a)Forcefield Generator---Because you simply can’t have enough protection when you’re playing bumpercars with Coalition Linebacker tanks. Because Rifts Earth native-made techno-forcefields are still considered cutting edge technology, this feature is expensive compared to comparable alien products, but at least you know you’re supporting local industry.
MDC: 100
Cost: 2 million credits

b) Multiplexor---Chest-mounted internal TW device, usually fitted with self-effect-spells. Typically fitted with Armor of Ithan, Dispel Magic Barriers(especially helpful when doing the ram on those obnoxious spell-slingers), Implosion Neutralizer, Deflect, and similar.
Range: Varies by spell
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. Spells cost as normal
Payload: Draws from the main PPE Battery; 300 PPE Battery-Stone
Bonuses: As per spell(if any)
Cost: The basic Multiplexor system costs about 55,000 credits
PPE Batteries cost 8,000 credits
Spell Cards cost (as per Jason Richards’ guidelines in Rifter #2) 5,000 credits per PPE cost of main spell plus an additional cost (as per following modifiers)
*500 credits per level of the creating caster(Mages’ time and PPE are money, so expect to pay more for the longer duration/higher power spells)
*Warlock spells cost 20% more, in addition to above modifiers, owing to the difficulties of adapting Elemental Magic to ‘conventional” magic systems.

c)Ram-Booster--A combination of extra myomers in the legs and a series of short-burn jets in the back can boost the running speed briefly up to 150 MPH. Increase ramming damage by 1d4x10 MD, but cyborg also takes 2d4 MD in the process
Cost: 90,000 credits

d) Additional Blast Studs---The shoulders and chest of the cyborg can be fitted with additional Blast-Studs similar to those on the head and knuckles.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d4 MD for one(typically 2-6 can be fitted for full contact across the chest or shoulders).
Cost: 70,000 credits per unit

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel HandiTrac Light Robot Drone-Tool
“These little buggers are tough...I remember when we young punks in the Engineering Department...and it was all in one building back then...were asked to hazard-test the things...for three weeks we had a grand old time, tossing them out of windows, driving them into oncoming traffic, swimming them through pools of flaming gasohol, rolling them over nails and broken glass, shooting them up with landmines....then trying to fix what was left over with a basic tool kit and a few spares...and they’ve only gotten tougher, as the years have gone by, and the materials have gotten better....But I still have the original HandiTrac they issued me when I was a junior designer, and it works just fine, holding my tools and helping me find that pencil I lost through the planks in my porch...like I’m crawling under there at my age!.....and I’ve never had any problems getting or finding spare parts...or even making them in my home tool shop...”
------Winslowe Patricks, Senior Designer, Paladin Steel Heavy Machinery Division

“I DON’T need a big hulking hunk of hardware that can take a pointblank nuke hit and has enough brains to beat me at checkers, chess, and seven-card stud afterwards! What I NEED is a cheap easy means to put a rocket launcher down that tunnel and put four frag shots where they’ll do the most good, without risking one of my men!”
-----Captain Gavin Roke, Vermont Free State

Ask both the mechanics and the soldiers what the most useful thing they have available to them, and after their energy rifle or armor, nine out of ten will tell you that it’s their HandiTrac. Now, everyone is familiar with the high tech artificial intelligence wonders coming out of the CyberOrg labs or the Marsus Robotics CompuCenter, but most people agree that the humble, simple, little robot control tractors of the HandiTrac series are their companion of choice for everyday work and adventure. On any given day, hundreds of HandiTracs are sent down manholes, sent scurrying through service tunnels, rolled ahead to scout out terrain, ordered to probe into minefields, directed to perform welding on a spaceship’s hull, or asked to hold the hand lamp for someone. These hardy descendants of the ancient pre-Rifts ‘Wheelbarrow’ bomb-disposal ‘bots soldier on in tasks industrial, military, and domestic.
The HandiTrac is actually a series of different models, but they are all essentially the same; a small, lightweight, mini-treadlayer platform, light and compact enough to carry by hand, with a basic sensory suite, an onboard electronic motor, and a tool platform. HandiTracs are fully waterproofed and able to survive immersion, either by accident, as in falling into deep puddles in mine tunnels, or deliberately, as in harbor-bottom crawling. The main body of the HandiTrac is made of light megadamage ceramic and plastic, and is able to handle a fair amount of abuse. Emphasis is on simplicity, and most of the components and repair supplies for the HandiTrac are readily available from civilian hardware stores, or can be turned out by the lower tech-level subcontractors in the GNE; companies such as We’B’Toys and The Electric Garden, makers of civilian products, make a profitable sideline producing parts for the HandiTrac series, as well as whole kits that are almost indistinguishable from the military models(though the bright day-glo molded-into-the-plastic colors of the WBT ‘Mister Handy’ are a dead giveaway).
The HandiTrac can be powered by either an onboard electric battery, E-clip, or by a connecting power cable(the robot is too small to be powered by an onboard nuclear powerplant, though some mechanics have managed to adapt Northern Gun Regenerative E-Clips to work with the HandiTrac). Likewise, it can either be remote controlled by a fiber optic cable link, wireless radio link, or by a simple onboard robot intelligence(easily programmed with a set of two quick-swap cards/circuit boards). The A.I. option is hardly very sophisticated, however, amounting to little more than an ability to follow some simple commands(‘come here’, ‘stay there’, pick THAT up’, ‘lower the arm’, etc...), and carry out simple tasks. To facilitate communications, most ‘true robot’ HandiTracs have a simple two-tone sound chip vocabulator to signal that they confirm the order or that they do not understand it(though many buyers turn this feature off as the ‘bots tend to respond to ANY sound with the negative buzz). Some tinkerers, however, claim to have grafted fairly sophisticated A.I. algorithems into the tiny little bots, giving them the rough intelligence and idiosyncratic behavior of a smart rodent or dumb dog.
The small robots are carried by a set of treads that can be quickly stripped off and replaced by either single-piece soft-track plastic/rubber treads, or denser plastic and metal multi-segmented chains. For underwater work, the treads can be replaced by ‘floatation chains’ that allow the ‘bot to ‘swim’, or with suction-cupped treads for crawling around hulls and underwater structures. The boogie and drive wheels are articulated so as to deform the treads, allowing it to crawl over rough terrain, climb stairs, and scoot up sixty-degree slopes with ease.
The sensory suites on the HandiTrac are equally simple...the basic HandiTrac comes with a small spotlight, photoreceptor array, and audio pickup, but the machine can, and is designed to, be easily upgraded to use cyberoptics and cybernetic/bionic-style sensors(often cast off components too outdated or worn out for human use).
The HandiTrac comes standard with a small hardpoint ‘turret’ that can be used as an attachment point for additional tools. Depending on what the HandiTrac is being used for, this could include an extra sensor mount, fire hose, rescue kit, spotlight, or cable reel. The most popular option is a skeletal robotic arm that can end in a multi-option tool socket or a fully articulated hand that can pick up and manipulate objects(including firearms). The HandiTrac is normally unarmed, but naturally more than a few combat engineers(and some criminals) have used the hardpoint to carry a remote targeter and articulated-frame-mounted rifle, small arm, or even a four-shot mini-missile launcher, for taking out bunkers and entrenched targets. Other proven improvements use whatever off-the-shelf technology is available; basic cybernetics systems can be easily modifed and mounted on the Handi-Trac.
HandiTracs are simple and easy enough to operate that just about anyone can use them. They’re also exceedingly inexpensive, so losing one or two in the course of an operation or ‘adventure’ doesn’t pose a problem.
The HandiTrac is light enough that a single person can carry the tractor and controller(as well as the lightweight fiber optic reel), making it easy to take into the field and deploy. Most GNE mechanized infantry platoons will have a HandiTrac kit and 1-3 ready to use machines, in addition to any other RPV assets, on one of their APCs for demolitions and cave-scouting work. HandiTracs are extremely common in and around the GNE; many young engineers cut their teeth building and modifying kit HandiTracs, and even simpler ‘toy’ kits are common on the civilian market.
The following stats are for the most common HandiTrac model, the Model 6 ‘Swiss Six’ used by the GNE military and PS Engineering.

Type: PS-RU-002-6
Class: Remote Control Robotic Drone, Utility, Multi-Purpose, Lightweight(Manportable)
Crew: None; remote control or simple robotic drone subroutine system.
MDC by Location
Main Body 25
Standard Manipulator 5
(Optional) Robot Arm 12
Height: 8 inches at top of tread(arm may add an additional 6 inches folded up, or 2-4 ft fully extended)
Length: 1.5 ft
Width: 1 ft
Weight: 15 lbs
Cargo: Can carry about 20 lbs of extra weight without problem
Physical Strength: Basic Manipulator has a Robotic P.S. of 8(Optional Robotic Arm) Robotic P.S. of 15
Powerplant: Onboard Battery(good for 48 hours of continuous operation), E-clip(12 hours of operation per e-clip), or power cable(effectively unlimited power supply)
Speed: 7.5 miles per hour
Can clamber over 9-inch obstacles and get up a 60-degree grade; can withstand falls of up to 25 ft without damage.
(Underwater) Can crawl along the bottom at about 2 MPH, maximum depth of 50 ft
Features:
*Radio Control(up to 5 miles)
*Basic Robot Optics(effective range 3,000 ft)
*Basic Microphone System
*Pencil Light
*Waterproof/shockproof construction
Weapons Systems: None Standard

Cost: 2,000 credits for the basic unit(basic sensors and command control system; options cost extra). SDC (200 SDC) versions can cost 40-60% less.

Options:
“Maxwell, I love what you’ve done with ‘Rooter’ here...mounting the optics and auditory sensors inside that old battle helmet you had, on top of the treads....Makes him look like the Headless Huntsman’s wandering head!”

You can mount just about any commercially available lighting or tool fixture on a HandiTrac, but PS provides some options already rigged for quick mounting(usually in plastic bubblepacks down at the local Paladin Steel hardware store). LIkewise, cyborg parts like specialized optics or auditory sensors can be mounted at market price for the hardware(but without the costly surgery)
Here are a few of the most basic commercially available options;

*Fiber Optic Control Line---The ‘bot can be directed via a hardline link that is impervious to jamming(or signal location), but has the obvious disadvantage of being cumbersome and prone to catching and tangling. Fiber lines are also relatively fragile(about 5 SDC per 5 ft length) but a tougher cabling, sheathed in megadamage plastic(about 1 MDC per 5 ft length) is also available (at extra cost), but has the added advantage of being tough enough to be used to haul the ‘bot back with. ‘Bot comes standard with the cable jack already installed.
Cost: Standard fiber optic comes at 25 credits per 100 ft spool
Megadamage sheathed cable costs 200 credits per 100 ft

*Robot Arm:---A standard robot arm, similar in size and configuration to a regular human-sized bionic arm(and uses the same technology and components). Megadamage-clad for those grueling tasks like furnace work, handling corrosives, and other hazardous materials.
Base MDC: 10
Basic Strength: 15
Basic Cost: 25,000 credits

*Gun Cradle----This is nothing more than Paladin Steel’s TracFire Remote Weapons Cradle, mounted on top of the HandiTrac for more mobility. The normally static TracFire comes complete with strap-on optics/targeting package, gyrostabilization, clip-on trigger activator, magazine/payload reader, and actuator-positioned gun mount, that can handle most infantry weapons, including light machine guns/rail guns, and shoulder-carried rocket launchers. Range and payload remain the same for carried weapons, though many users will attempt to rig up a small ammo drum, or large e-canister to give the ‘bot additional shots before having to retreat to be reloaded.
Bonus: +2 to strike on a called shot due to gyrostabilization
Cost: 32,000 credits

*Suction Cup Treads----Allows the ‘bot to climb most any smooth surfaces at HALF speed
Cost: 400 credits

*Climber Treads:----Special ‘gecko-foot’ ‘smart-pads’ that are more expensive to fit and replace, but allow the HandiTrac to climb just about anything.
Cost: 900 credits

*Oversized Treads---Fits the HandiTrac with treads that are twice as large in all dimensions, making it easier to travel over soft ground without bogging down, and scale larger obstacles.Can clamber over 18-inch obstacles and get up a 60-degree grade; can withstand falls of up to 30 ft without damage.
Cost: 300 credits

*Increased Reinforcement----Tougher materials makes for a main body MDC of 50, and the ability to handle drops of up to 100 ft without damage.
Cost: 20,000 credits

*Amphibious---Adds a set of mini-ballest tanks/flotation units, a set of props and rudder, and watertight linings for extended underwater operations. Adds 2 MDC, and the unit can now motor/swim along at 5 MPH, maximum depth of 800 ft.
Cost: 4,000 credits

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel “Gnat” RPV
“Lawn Darts? Huh?....Oh! Those! This whatcha lookin’ at? These are Gnats.....great little buggers. State of the art and fit in your hand. Saved my life once, when we got trapped in a ruins by some of King Macklin’s raiders...they had all the cover, and we had no idea where they were...they was jumpin’ from hidey-hole to hidey hole and we couldn’t spot them worth a damn...so I just tossed a couple of Gnats up in the air during the fire fight and they set up orbit smack above us....me and Benny...my ‘borg partner at the time,.....hooked up our electronic eyeballs and took a peek....Saw all three of the nasty little polecats clear as crystal....after that, we just hosed ‘em down when they stopped moving and popped up at a spot. They didn’t suspect a thing ‘til it was too late...”
Ruggie Backfire-----Ogre Mercenary

PS “Gnat” RPV
The Gnat is the smallest(“Ultra Light”) RPV in service and production by PS, and takes advantage of cheap electronics systems developed by PS Electrical. Nicknamed the 'Paper Plane' and the 'Lawn Dart', the “Gnat” is a hand-portable airborne sensor platform that really does resemble nothing more than a glorified triangular, four-vaned paperplane, made of extremely light translucent plastic, with a battery cell/e-clip-powered propeller and sensor button. The Gnat carries minimal sensors(based on cyberoptic technology). Control is from a hand-held control pad or the Gnat can directed by cyborgs with direct telemetry linkage as an airborne sensory extension. Operation is extremely simple; just toss the Gnat into the air, and start directing it with the simple joystick and video feedback controls. It can even fly indoors, as a simple motion-sensor keeps it from flying into walls and other obstacles.
The Gnat’s miniscule size and composition make it extremely stealthy and hard to notice under normal conditions. However, care must be taken in its operation ...the Gnat has trouble flying in winds over 20 MPH(-10% to pilot skill per every 5 MPH of windspeed over 20 MPH), and flying it indoors risks losing control if the drone gets behind anything that blocks radio transmissions/telemetry.
Since its introduction, the “Gnat” has been touted as a ‘disposable’ recon system, cheap enough to be bought in quantity and thrown away as needed. It is not uncommon to see adventurers with bandoliers of “Gnats” ready to use.
Type: PS-RPV-04
Class: Remote Piloted Airborne Drone
Crew: None, Remote Piloted Vehicle
Pilot Skill: Essentially a toy plane. Anyone technically inclined(or who plays video games) has a a base skill of 30% to pilot the Gnat. Anyone with aircraft skills gets a +15%, and anyone with Helicopter skills uses their own piloting skill +15%)
SDC/MDC
Main Body: 15 SDC
Length: 1 ft
Width: 6 in
Weight: 11 ounces
Powerplant: Small battery, good for 2 hours worth of flight operations
Can recharge off an e-clip(a standard e-clip is good for 3 hours’ worth of charge)
Speed: 25 MPH, 1000 ft maximum altitude
Sensors:
Radio/Video Telemetry: 10 mile range
IR/UV Optics-------2000 ft
Lowlite Optic Chip----4000 ft
Telescopic Optics----4000 ft
Motion Detector----10 ft range
Weapons Systems: None
Some adventurers have proven that a grenade can be attached to the drone, and the whole assemblage used as a kamikaze bomb-drone, but the added weight of the grenade imposes a -15% to piloting it, and a 25% reduction in speed and range.
Cost: 300 credits per drone, 800 for the control pad. 1000 for cyberlink add-on.(must already have a Optic Nerve video implant)

[taalismn]

Further in-gathering of old posts..

Note: I'm not a weapons expert, so feel free to critique...Bear in mind, however, that you'll only be improving a weapon that may be drawing a bead on your PC...

Paladin Steel XM-139 20mm Sniper Rifle
“With this bastard I can ideally take out a tank commander or an officer before they’ve buttoned up or put their brain-pot on, because they don’t yet realize that they’re already in the war zone....And while their guards are tearing up the immediate locale looking for the shooter, I’m already miles away looking for my next target.”
----”Shadowman”, Wraith Covert Operations Cyborg

“You ever been on a ‘teaser’ fire-mission? That’s where a small team of heavy armored and stealthed snipers try to find an isolated monster of a type you think you’re going to see more of, then half your team start shooting at it from as far away as possible using different types of ammunition, while the other half watches with long range optics for effect. The idea’s not to kill the beast...though that’s always a good sign if you do...but try to figure out its vulnerabilities....Having as much distance as possible between you and the test subject means that many more opportunities to load and fire test rounds...everything from radioactive silver to rose water....and the extra distance to pickup and haul ass if the creature figures out where you are....another reason for dispersing the team so at least one of you gets out alive with the news that the test series you were shooting was a bust against that particular monster-type!”
-----’Dethmetal’, Horror-Hunter, Auxiliary Corps, Greater New England Armed Services.

“Sheesh...with the scope on that thing, I bet you can see what they’re eating over on Alpha Centuri!”
------Corporal Daniylle Brickenhaus, Ranger, Greater New England Regular Army

“Remember...greater range on a projectile weapon means more time between firing and the bullet hitting the target for something to go wrong..,.what looks like a real Boone-shot at closer range can go way wrong when you’re talking two mile plus ranges...You pull the trigger on a head shot, and by the time the shot splashes down, your target’s moved, and you just missed your chance to ice the CS General in charge of Northern Operations! Pick a good gun, yes, but make certain your skill is up to the performance of your hardware; otherwise, you might as well join the artillery and stick to using area of effect weaponry.”
-----’Starstruck’, Cyborg Sniper

Taking a hint from the popular 50-calibre sniper rifles, this is a cyborg-scale projectile rifle based on an old-style 20-millimeter aircraft cannon(actually a 1950’s Mark 39). A new mounting(it now looks like an oversized German MG 42 light machine gun), lighter and tougher materials, and attached fire-interlink system makes it ideal for use as a cyborg-carried sniper rifle. In order to save wear and tear, the weapon has deliberately been scaled back in fire rate to only single-shot, and five-shot bursts. The XM-139 uses a variety of ammunition types; a standard general explosive type, advanced exploding shell(both with airburst capability), new armor-piercing ramjet rounds, and specialized rounds such as anti-vampire wood rounds and silver anti-were shells. The weapon has also been configured, frame-wise, for both manual and cyborg operations; the gun can be used as a stand-alone weapon by light ‘borgs or exceptionally strong flesh-and-bloods, or the weapon can be cyborg-mounted and smart-linked on a shoulder servo-mount.
Because of the popularity of more powerful(if shorter-ranged) mini-missile and single-shot SRM launchers among full conversion cyborgs, the XM-139 hasn’t been nearly as popular as PS would like, given the superior performance of long range sniping lasers(with speed of light passage that is unaffected by concerns such as ballistic drop and windage at extreme ranges). Still, however, it has been produced in small numbers and is used by Special Forces and some mercenary/bounty hunter units, who favor the heavy kinetic punch of a projectile weapon, and the versatility of ammunition-fed weaponry. The Wraith Cyborg is often seen using this rifle in commando operations, as are some light power armor units.
Weight: 38 lbs
MDC: 80
Range:(Maximum) 7,000 yards(21,000 ft)
(Effective) 2,500 yards(7,500 ft)
Damage:(20 mm) 1d4 MD per shell at 7,500 ft or less, 1 MD per shell up to 21,000 ft
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst(1d6 MD at maximum range)
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius(single shot)
(20mm PSX-1)4d4 MD per shell(1d4 MD per shell up to 21,000 ft)
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 3.5 ft blast radius(single shot)
(Ramjet) 4d6 MD per shell at 4,500 ft or less, 1d4 MD per shell up to 21,000 ft. Bursts not possible
(Wood rds) 6d6 SDC per shell(1d6x10 HP to vampires)
2d4x10 SDC per 5 rd burst(2d4x10 HP to vampires)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 12 rd box-clip magazine, or 25 rd drum
Bonus: The XM139 gets a +1 to strike from its balancing and recoil-control.
Special Features:
*Ruggerized buttstock, foregrip, and triggergrip
*Shock/Recoil Control Mercury Buttstock System
* Top Sensor/Scope Mount Point
*Bottom Pintle/’Borg Shoulder Mount Point
*Extendable Bipod
*Underbarrel Bayonet Socket Mount
*Fully compatible with SuperCavitating ammunition
Cost: 18,000 credits

Paladin Steel 30mm SuperHeavy Rifle System(SHRS-30)
(aka ‘Shress’, ‘Head Popper’)
“Most folks tend to think of ‘borgs as big walking tanks good for mounting lots of multi-fire heavy guns.....But a cyborg’s a natural for sniper work, especially out in the country....A cyborg can sit and wait and watch for days without needing to move, go for food or water, or take a bathroom break...mosquitos, ticks, leeches don’t bother him....more so if he’s got built-in VR feelies or a virtual library on HUD to keep him happy....long range sensors, eagle-eye mag optics, fire control linkages, and dead-steady hands that make the rifle a literal extension of their bodies make for a one-shot, one-kill capability that a meat-body marksman would kill for...”
------”Ice”, Cyborg Sniper, Greater New England Regular Army

“I dunno what that old freak was holding over that girl, but any situation where you got some wizzened nutjob reeking of the dark side, carrying around some squirming blob of yeech, in a circle of black-clad tech-ninjas around some nekkid chick, in front of some bulging monstrousity in a place like this, can’t be good, so I didn’t wait for permission and took the shot...from a half mile away.
Kinetic impact from that big shell got Mister Weirdo and the whatever he had right in the breadbasket and blew both of them right off the platform into the drink. Sure, the sonic shockwave probably gave the sacrifical lamb a nice line of rugburn across both thighs, but that was nothing compared to what MIGHT have happened. Laser would have been cleaner, but still might have let the whatever it was drop to the ground and maybe still hurt somebody, so I’m glad I used an autocannon....After that it was just a matter of going rock and roll with a handheld twenty on the goons....never met a ninja-wannabee yet who could stop long range plunging fire...and jetting up to evac the innocent and count the kill.”
------- Valdmir ’Wrackenruin’ Warsheskski, Cyborg Adventurer

“Sure, the four-shot clip and burst mode is okay, but REAL snipers only have one round in the rifle...’cause if you know your art, ONE shot is ALL you need.”
-----”Soultaker”

“I hear they’re working up an 88-millimeter anti-armor as a sniper rifle for REALLY big and strong ‘borgs and supernaturals...supposed to come with a Globe of Silence silencer...If that’s true, I’m going with an assault frame the next time I change ‘borg chassises!”
-----”Hammer-Time”

The next step up from the 20-mm XM-139, the PS SHRS-30 is another limited production heavy infantry weapon meant for cyborgs and special ops forces(wearing exoskeletons or who are exceptionally strong) with a need for long range, single-shot, sniper-style weaponry. The SHRS-30 uses the much-copied Triax-developed(and subsequently PS-modified) 30-mm shell, rifled to be fired from an oversized rifle-cannon.
The SHRS-30 has seen limited deployment in North America, owing to the still limited distribution of the 30-mm round, but the weapon is being license produced in the Spanish Kingdom of Dantegard, where the largely giant population uses the oversized weapons as rifles, and the proximity to the NGR and affiliated states makes black market supplies of the thirty-millimeter ammunition easier to come by(thanks to Dantegard, Barcelona, Prosnow, and the New Roman Republic producing the popular round). In North America, it has become popular with the GNE’s own cyborg and power-armor units as a long range sniper weapon.
Date of Introduction: 110 P.A.
Weight: 200 lbs
Range: 9,500 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot or two-round burst
Payload: 4 shot clip
Special Features:
*Extendable Bipod
*Fully compatible with SuperCavitating ammunition
*Recoil Compensation and Stabilization System---The SHRS-30 comes standard with an interactive stabilization, smart muzzle-braking, and buttstock recoil control system, compatible with cyborg smart-sighting packages, that gives the monster gun a +2 to strike on aimed shots.
Cost: 50,000 credits


Paladin Steel ‘Superzooka’,
(aka ‘Anti-mecha ‘Zook’, ‘Heavy Hardon’, ‘Big Baby’, ‘Big Carl(Gustav)’, ‘Zooma-Booma’, ‘Little John’)
“Open Wide, Creep...”

“The thing’s essentially a tacnuke satchel charge with a better throw range...”

“Oops...was that really YOUR car, Bob?”

“Remember: Choose Your Tools Wisely. Select Weapons Appropriate to Your Anticipated Needs: Bazookas don’t have STUN settings.”

Taking a bit of inspiration from Northern Gun, Paladin Steel went the next step up and created the ‘Superzooka’, arguably the most powerful unguided field tactical projectile weapon in use to date on Rifts Earth. Arguably a scaled-up copy of the pre-Rifts SMAW(Shoulder-Launched Multi-purpose Assault Weapon), the Superzooka is merely an LRM warhead on a much shorter ranged propellant casing, sans long range and sophisticated guidance. The weapon is still so heavy that only the strongest cyborgs and the heavier power armor can comfortably tote and use one, but those who can, do so to devastating effect....
The Superzooka resembles an oversized Soviet RPG, with a giant warhead bulging out of the end of a launch tube and blowback venturi. A handle set and optical-laser guidance package stick out of one side. The operator arms the weapon, fixes the target, using the laser for range finding and target acquisition, then fires. Once it clears the launch tube, the missile is spin stabilized by snap out fins and propulsion jets, then all hell breaks loose on impact....
(Note: heavier tactical nuclear ‘zook warheads ARE available, but only to special units, such as special forces commando teams and assault groups)
Weight: 200 lbs
Range: 4 miles
Damage: Equivalent to LRM warhead
(Standard): 3d6x10 MD to 50 ft area
Rate of Fire: Single shot
Payload:Single shot
Special Features: Snap-out targeting armature and sight: +1 to strike
Cost: 50,000 credits

[taalismn]

Revamping and updating some of my ancient Paladin Steel stuff...Old is new again!

Paladin Steel PSIP-2 ‘ Smasher’ Rapid Fire Ion Submachine Pistol

“The ‘Smasher’....Okay, I admit, it’s a big name tagged onto what’s supposed to be a cheap weapon...but if you overlook the obvious signs that this thing’s a Saturday Night Special...the lines from the unshaved ejection moulding on the plastic outer casing are a dead giveaway, it’s a pretty decent weapon...light in the hands and fairly reliable...it was made to meet New Navy specs, so it’s fully usable underwater, and salt doesn’t corrode the workings....Beyond that, there’s nothing new to the weapon..no bells, no whistles, and it can pretty much disappear in a dumpster of similar weapons, except that it carries the PS logo, which carries alot more value these days...means you can get replacement parts more easily, and you can expect to see these things showing up on both coasts and overseas...”
----Ruggy Backfire, Mercenary (108 P.A.)

“Okay, I take back what I said back then....The bells and whistles you can now add to this thing are deafening...rather than build four or five different ion rifles with refined and enhanced versions of the newer technologies, PS issues four or five upgrade kits with full instructions on how to chop your existing gun into a long arm or a big stun gun. You can buy one or two of these kits and still come out making a savings in your pocket that you wouldn’t have had if you’d bought a Northern Gun ion rifle. The ‘Smasher’s’ still not the best weapon out there, but it’s starting to live up to its name.”
----Ruggy Backfire, Mercenary (111 P.A.)

Paladin Steel has had little contact with the New Navy, but it has managed to acquire and study several examples of the New Navy’s standard-issue ion sidearms. PS’s latest entry into the small arms market has been rumored to be an effort to elicit production contracts from the New Navy, by offering a superior ion weapon.
The ‘Smasher’ resembles an old pre-Rifts submachine weapon(specifically a Brazilian LAPA SM Model 02 with no buttstock, and a short muzzle) in its foreshortened barrel and clip feeder, and comes standard with a folding wire stock. It is lightweight, easy to handle, and durable, constructed of heavy-duty ceramics and composite materials.
The success of the PSIP-2 has yet to be determined; so far the New Navy has shown only passing interest in the weapon, and mercenary-adventurers have shown a likewise lukewarm welcome to the ‘Smasher’, owing to already stiff competition from other established weapons manufacturers, and the generally poor perception of ion weapons(compared to lasers and plasma weapons). The name ‘Smasher’ itself seems to be a public relations campaign move to give the weapon a far more impressive image for marketing purposes.
(Post 110 P.A. Update: Since the introduction of the PSIP back in 108 PA, the humble Smasher has become one of PS’s big sellers, much to even the company’s surprise. While the weapon has still failed to garner attention from the New Navy, mercenaries have come around to appreciate the weapon’s light weight and handiness, while GNE vehicle crews and commandos have taken a shine to it. Recent advances in ion projection technology have also made several option upgrades available to the weapon, further increasing its versatility)
Weight: 4.5 lbs
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot
1d4x10 MD per three-shot burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 30 shots short e-clip, 60 shots long-eclip
Special Features:
*Waterproof, pressure-resistant construction. Perfectly usable underwater, down to 600 ft. Neutral Bouyancy.
*Top Carry Handle--The weapon features a large M-16-style carrying handle on top, with an added rail for mounting sights or flashlights atop that.

Cost: 20,000 credits (after 110 P.A., Paladin Steel will slash the price to 12,000 credits)

Options:
Note: It takes a person with the Weapons Engineer skill a successful roll and about 5 minutes to install and test one of the following modules, those with the Armorer/Field Armorer skill about 10 minutes, and someone following the printed instructions about 30-45 minutes to install/swap modules.

*Ion Scatter-Shot Module---This is a barrel clip-on that turns the PSIP-2 into a short range shotgun with an area of effect blast. Reduce range to 400 ft, but does 4d6 MD(1d4x10MD for burst) to a 10 ft wide area. Cannot be mounted with Booster or Focal Booster barrel attachments. Cost: 5,000 credits

*Ion Booster Module---Another barrel attachment that boosts the range of the ion bolts, albeit with a small reduction in damage capability. Reduce damage to 3d6 MD(6d6 MD for the burst), but boost range to 1,500 ft. Cannot be mounted with Focal Booster or Scatter-Shot attachments. Cost: 7,000 credits

*Ion Focal Booster Module---Aka ‘Puncher’---This barrel attachment improves the focus of the ion pulse density, improving damage at the cost of range. Reduce range to 400 ft, but up damage to 5d6 MD per shot(1d6x10 MD per burst). Note, however, that the weapon also suffers sharp ‘kickup’ giving it a -1 to strike, when fired simgle-handed; a foregrip for two-handed bracing is recommended and provided as part of the kit). Cannot be combined with either the Booster or Scatter-Shot Module. Cost: 5,000 credits.

*Laser Sight Module---Another underbarrel attachment, this consists of an improved laser sight that adds a bonus to strike, but the laser also creates a temporary ‘guidepath’ of disturbed/ionized air that slightly improves the striking power of the ion bolts. +2 to Strike, and +3 to damage per bolt. This can be used in conjunction with the other barrel attachments, but added damage is reduced to +2 MD(+6 MD for the burst mode). Cost: 1,000 credits

*Ion Step-Down Module---This barrel attachment, rather than increase range or power, actually ‘steps down’ the power of ion bolts into the SDC range, and modulates their effect, making the weapon in effect a ‘super-taser’(albeit it with flash-burns). An added power regulation chip allows the weapon to use less power in SDC mode. CAN be used in conjunction with the the Laser Sight Module. Switching between MD/SDC modes takes 2 actions. Popular with urban security and police units.
Range:(SDC shots) 600 ft
Damage: 1d6 SDC shock-burn. Plus, victims must make a save of 14 or better, or be -8 to strike, parry, and dodge for 2d6 melees. A savings throw versus non-lethal poison means the person is unimpaired. 25% chance of knocking out unshielded cybernetics for 1d4 melees.
Payload: One MD shot equals 10 SDC shots
Cost: 4,000 credits

*Heavy Clip Buttstock---This removes the rear housing end of the PSIP-2 and the folding wire stock and mounts a short solid buttstock with an extra heavy e-clip port to the rear of the weapon. Adds 2.5 lbs to the weight of the weapon. Allows an extra long E-clip or canister clip to be mounted, doubling or even tripling the available shots. This feature CAN be used in conjunction with any of the other options. Cost: 4,000 credits

[taalismn]

"No Uzi-2s in stock currently, but we got a Rattler...looks just like an Uzi, but it's a pulse laser!"

Paladin Steel PSLR-7 ‘Rattler’ Rapid-Fire Light Laser Rifle
` (Aka ‘Luzi’, ‘Owie’, ‘LazerTagger’)
“Dirt cheap, low power, but with a pulse mode that could fry an unwary trooper in one blast...we didn’t think much of these weapons in open country, because the range was so bad(compared to a laser rifle), but when we hit New Wilson, it got different. Besides all the GNE troops shelling us from long range, the Vermonters had pumped hundreds of these things through the pipeline to the local guerillas.....Freakin’ D-bees would run across the road in front of you firing two of these things, one in each hand, maybe more if you were really unlucky, and kids would be sniping at you from sewer drains...they’d get one, maybe two, of your own before you nailed them, but we weren’t exactly able to reinforce easily, and it hurt us.
Worse yet, after we’d been driven out, by the time we got back, we discovered that the rebels at Tolkeen and the River Zone had gotten shipments as well...hear it sorta backfired on them, though, when Black Market Luzis started showing up in their own streets...imagine how SORRY I feel for them...”
----Captain Leif Hauptmann, Coalition Army

The PSLR-7 ‘Luzi’ is a compact, lightweight, high-powered laser submachine gun patterned after the famous ‘Uzi’ SMG; PS has deliberately designed the weapon’s exterior casing to resemble the groundbreaking pre-Rifts firearm, though the internal workings and performance are anything but those of a humble slugsprayer. Easy use(it can be used one-handed), high rate of fire, efficient power use, easy maintenance, and an unbeatable price make this weapon competitive with the best Coalition small arms. Many people refer to the PSLR-7 as a ‘laser machine pistol’, but PS prefers to grade the weapon as a ‘light pulse laser rifle’, citing its(relative) long range and pulse-fire characteristics as better suited to the rifle classification.
The ‘Luzi’ was also the first weapon from PS to be offered with an E-canister adaptor that clipped to the end of the standard e-clip receiver, that allowed it to use Coalition-manufactured E-Canisters. That these weapons and adaptors were first made available, at discount, in areas bordering the Coalition States where black market stolen, salvaged, and pirated, weapons and e-clips were more available, came as no great surprise to Coalition threat analysts, but it still came as an unwelcome one to Coalition troops.
(Post-110 PA Update: After 110 PA, and with the introduction of the GunLoc system, PS sharply reduces the price of the PSLR-7, and also makes several conversion kits available. In the wake of the Fall of Tolkeen, the Coalition States subsequently accuse Paladin Steel and Greater New England of ‘dumping’ this weapon on the market to encourage anti-Coalition elements, and of providing the weapon at even more reduced cost to Tolkeen insurgents. PS denies the claim, simply citing a need to compete with Northern Gun, Naruni, and other companies, given the corporate ‘armistice’ NG enjoys with the CS, and the new lines of a resurgent Naruni Enterprises.)
Date of Introduction: 105 PA
Weight: 5 lbs
Range: 900 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD single shot, or 1d6x10 MD per 5 shot burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 20 shot E-clip, 35 shot long E-clip
Can also be fitted with a special ‘drum clip’ adapter that allows it to use Coalition-style E-Canisters; 60 shots can be added.
Bonuses: +1 to strike on an aimed shot, because of its superior balance and light weight.
Special Features:
*Folding wire shoulder stock(optional)
*Special pictoral maintenance guide embossed on the inside of the snap-out pistol grip covering.
Cost: 18,000 credits, an e-canister adaptor costs 5,000 credits
(After 110 P.A. PS slashes the price of the ‘Luzi’ to 11,000 credits)
Options:
Note: It takes a person with the Weapons Engineer skill a successful roll and about 5 minutes to install and test one of the following modules, those with the Armorer/Field Armorer skill about 10 minutes, and someone following the printed instructions about 30-45 minutes to install/swap modules.

*Blue-Green Frequency Kit---This modifies the ‘Luzi’ to fire more effectively underwater(range of 700 ft), down to 1,000 ft. Comes with a slip-on casing for the laser that gives the weapon neutral bouyancy if dropped in the water. Cost: 6,000 credits

*Flash-Blinder---This adds a special power-stepdown chip to the weapon’s power regulation/draw system, and a scattering optic to the barrel. allowing the weapon to produce blinding flashes of light that can temporarily blind those with unprotected optics/eyes. Effects are roughly equal to a Blinding Flash spell to a 25 ft area at a range of 600 ft, but there's also a 15% chance of doing permanent eye damage to unprotected corneas. One MD shot equals 200 ‘flash’ shots.
Cost: 4,000 credits

*Scatter-Laser Kit---This conversion adds what looks like a round-tipped air-cooled muzzle or perforated silencer to the end of the muzzle. In reality, it is a beam-splitter that converts the PSLR-7 into a short ranged ‘laser shotgun’, doing 2d4 MD to an 9 ft-wide area, at about 400 ft range, with a single shot, and 4d6 MD to a 10 ft area with a burst shot. Cost: 7,000 credits

*Corner-Shot Kit---An extensive modification kit inspired by PS’s discovery(and subsequent mass-production) of workable pre-Rifts ‘corner shooter’ devices. This is more integral to the laser, and consists of an articulated lasing lightpath guide-barrel and attched micro-video-sight that allows the weapon’s firing angle to be ‘bent’ as much as 50 degrees. Normal manual targetting, even with the video-array, is -2 to strike, but this penalty is negated with a smartlink through a headjack and/or cyberoptic HUD(allowing the shooter to be more ‘there’). Popular with police SWAT teams and urban guerillas. Cost: 9,000 credits.

[taalismn]

We've also got this...

Paladin Steel ‘STARifle’
“Lasers and energy weapons are all very nice and flashy, but the energy ‘projectile’ tends to flash-ground, lose cohesion, and disipate on the surface of the target...if you’re lucky, enough subcutaneous tissue or armor is heated enough to flash evaporate and blow out....a projectile on the other hand....with a real material projectile you cn get all sorts of snazzy effects, from dimpling, to shockave spalding from the inside of the armor....even if your target’s got cobhammed-style kinetic protection, you’re still hammering them with hypervelocity projectiles that are going to distract them, maybe even knock them back, while you think of some other way to deal with them.... that’s why I really like the STAR rifle...it puts an honest-to-god bullet on target to best effect...”
----Laz Castro, Gunfighter

“Great! Now I got a weapon that can be used for both hunting and fighting, and uses the same ammo for both!”
-Jimmy Buckitz, Wilderness Scout

“Hell, I notice that the thing has both an ammo clip and an e-clip...why bother with two separate systems? The loss of energy between the e-clip and the gauss system has got to hurt the damage and range, as opposed to a straight-out energy weapon!Why don’t you just do away with the projectile popgun and build a simple laser with variable fire modes...it would be a helluva lot easier and less expensive in consumables than this kludge!”
---Fingle The Fixer, Operator and Company Techie, Bobison’s Bobcat Brigade

This short, stubby weapon resembles the pre-Rifts Israeli Tavor Automatic Rifle, a 5.56mm weapon developed as a successor to the Uzi line. It’s actually an incredibly powerful mini-railgun(one of the lightest available on Rifts Earth, thanks to superlightweight composites, superconductor ceramics, and Paladin Steel magnetic systems engineering), capable of both single shot and burst fire. More importantly, the weapon’s electromagnetic accelerator pulse can actually be moderated, so the projectile goes slower, for less range, for considerably less damage, in a more exonomical(energy-wise) SDC fire mode. The weapon is remarkably lightweight, bullpup configuration, with the entire trigger guard and handle protected by a handguard, and is encased in a corrosion-resistant, tough-wearing, low-contrast, polymer-ceramic shell. The STAR can be fitted with a variety of modular sight packages, including cyberlink ‘smartgun’ sights, and can be further fitted witha variety of special barrel extensions, different magazine sizes, and even a rifle bipod, for different fire profiles. The gun is also perfectly usable in space(provided one braces oneself when firing the weapon), and it can chamber wood and silver rail rounds for anti-vampire work.
The STAR rifle has just been released to the general market, but has already found itself contending with Paladin Steel’s own Waybur OICW rifle in the marketplace. Whether or not the discriminating adventurer will choose the traditional automatic battlerifle, or warm to the new gauss weapon remains to be seen, but PS is optimistic that there will be enough room for BOTH weapons in the projectile weapons market-niche.
The STARifle gets its name from the acronym Stazen-Terma Accelerator Rifle--Alar Stazen and Abigail Terma being the two ex-headhunters turned Paladin Steel engineers, who devised the weapon. The unofficial nickname for the weapon stuck.
(Post-110 PA Update: PS will reduce the price of the STAR by some 20%---it’s already at bare-bones pricing--- as its microgravity facilities make the vital superconductors less expensive to mass-produce. The introduction of PS supercavitation rounds and barrel-launched rifle grenades will also add to demand for the weapons. The weapon has not entered widespread use with Greater New England’s military owing to the already excellent Waybur OICW rifle, but several Ranger and police units have adopted the weapon. Paladin Steel is also looking at other improved small-caliber gauss weapon munitions to improve the effectiveness of the weapons. )
Weight: 5.6 lbs
Range:(SDC Fire Mode) 600 ft
(MDC Fire Mode) 2,000 ft
Damage:(SDC Fire Mode)3d6 SDC per single shot; 2d4x10 SDC per 5 shot burst
(MDC Fire Mode) 1d6 MD per single shot, 5d6 MD on a 5 shot burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot or 5-shot burst
Payload: 20, 30, or 40 shot box magazines
E-clip in stock has enough power for 80 MDC shots, or 800 SDC shots
Special Features:
*Commando Kit----This fits the STAR with a special 38mm barrel extension that contains a special sonic suppressor that damps the atmospheric shockwaves from the emerging projectile. It is impossible to completely eliminate the mini-sonic boom of the bullets as they slice the air, but the suppressor does cut down the initial BANG of the muzzle shockwave to a more subdued chuffing. Because no hot gases are involved, the suppressor baffles don’t burn out as quickly, and a single suppressor extension is estimated good for 600 firings before needing replacement.

*Sharpshooter Sniper Kit----This kit features a special power pack, 460mm barrel extension,bipod mount, and special telescopic targeting scope w/ laser spot, rangefinder, low-lite, and thermo-imager functions. This weapon modification kit allows the weapon to fire single shot(bursts are not possible) up to 4,000 ft. Laser Targeting electronics give this weapon a +2 to strike.

Cost: 20,000 credits(After 110 P.A., PS reduces the price to 15,000 credits); 2,000 credits for the Commando Kit; 9,000 for the Sharphooter Kit

Options:
*Recoil Damper---A buttstock add-on that uses mercury beads and gives a +1 to strike on a burst(from Aliens Unlimited). Cost: 700 credits

*Underwater Operations Kit---This reinforces the waterproofing on the weapon, balances the weapon for neutral bouyancy, and adds a water-seal barrel, making the weapon usable down to 900 ft underwater. Optimized for use with supercavitation rounds. Cost: 2,000 credits

*Spear Gun Conversion---This kit allows a standard STARifle to be refitted into a speargun(note that this prevents it from being used as a standard rail gun until converted back). This conversion disables the railgun magazine, and mounts on a longer and thicker tri-barrel accelerator element holding three spear-projectiles.
Range: 500 ft in air, 380 ft underwater
Damage: Uses the same type spears as the Free Quebec QN-06; H Standard steelhead does 2d6+4 SDC/Hit Points, High Explosive does 4d6 MD, flare, transmitter, and cable-hook as usual.
Rate of Fire: 1-3(all)
Payload: 3(additional spears can be carried atatched to the outside of the barrel and reloaded by hand; reloading a spear takes an action.
Cost: 5,000 credits

*STAR-C1---This is simply the STARifle formatted as a cyborg bionic forearm weapon, minus handgrips, e-clip porting, and accessory sights. Cost: 14,000 credits

[taalismn]

The following is a bit munchy, but I’m using the actual design test data on range and rate of fire, and applying off-the-shelf explosives technology, but we’re dealing with a 25mm cannon here!

Paladin Steel OCSW-2 ‘Arden’ Heavy Machine Gun
(Aka ‘Arwie’)

“This gun’s sure to re-ignite the old energy weapon-rail gun-projectile weapon controversy in the brass lounges, but if you ask me, it’s hogwash...Sure, the ammo’s expensive, but if it means laying down armor-busting fire at nearly half again the range of a rail gun, well, you’d be seeing the frontline crunchies paying out of their own pocket for the shells! The Arwie’s the mini-artillery of choice for most everyone I know on the front lines.”
-----Major Hannan Zord, VFS Green Mountain Boys Special Forces Battalion

“When the high command first issued us the OCSW during the Seige of New Rochester, there were alot of groans among the troops...I mean, MACHINE GUNS up against the latest Coalition rail guns? We thought for certain we were going to be iced on account of some damn corporate experiment....Until the first reports came along the lines of Ranger units dusting SAMAS units with the new spud-guns...Then we realized that these old belt-feds had the Coalition guns outranged and often out-powered, and even when accuracy wasn’t an issue, we could keep the Deadboys’ heads down with suppression fire while remaining under cover ourselves...And in a bad situation, we could pack up our guns and scat in a hurry...I really like that combo...Now I’m pretty much in love with my squad’s Arwie.”
----Lieutenant Mindy Carson, VFS Regular Army 1st Division.


“Secure the corridor! Give me cover!”
SNAP
CLACK
CLICK
CLAMP
“We’re set!”
(some ways down the corridor)
“Well...she-itttttt....guess we can forget about trying to rush them and retake this corridor...”


The OCSW(Objective Crew Served Weapon) is a pre-Rifts design for a crew-served 25mm light autocannon or long range grenade launcher, that has been resurrected and refined by Paladin Steel, for use by the GNE military. PS intends the design to complement heavier field artillery, which has proven somewhat cumbersome for dismounted infantry to manhandle in the field. The OCSW was meant to bridge the gap between manportable autocannons and vehicle-mount artillery, giving dismounted infantry a heavier weapon to lay down heavy sustained fire where they needed it in the field. The original design was deployed by the U.S. military, replacing the older .50 caliber machine guns then in service, and soon acquired a reputation as great, although its distribution outside the American armed services wasn’t as far reaching as the older WWII-vintage weapons. In time, however, the classic machine gun and automatic annon fell by the wayside to the newly developed rail guns, which promised greater accuracy, better kinetic penetration ability, higher rate of fire, and greatly extended service lifespan(owing to fewer moving parts and reduced barrel fatigue). It would not be until advances in explosves and newer, lighter, and tougher construction materials came along, that the machine gun would be resurrected by post-Rifts Paladin Steel, who was looking for something reliable, inexpensive, and long-ranged, to beef up the firepower of its infantry weapons lines.
The OCSW is a compact, easily portable, gas-operated light autocannon that is typically mounted on a tripod mount, and can be fitted with twin ammo-feed boxes and a high-tech sensor targetter. All of the moving parts are housed in a sleek light alloy and composite hardened casing, protecting it from environmental grime, rough handling, and battle damage. The weapon can easily be fitted to a TracFire automated gunnery rig for remote operation, either as a guerilla weapon or a security perimeter defense system. The PS-OCSW is slightly heavier than its pre-Rifts predecessor, however, due to the substitution of more durable megadamage materials, but the weapon is still readily field portable and easy to handle. The ability of the OCSW to chamber and fire a wide range of munitions, from light antipersonnel rounds to heavy plasma shells, in a range of fire rate options from well-placed single shots to magazine-emptying, armo-shredding, high speed bursts, makes it one of the most versatile weapons yet in the PS arsenal. The weapon is fired with a simple grip and button trigger handle, that can be used by a variety of manipulatory appendages(a necessity for a multi-species military force like the GNE armed services). An advanced recoil system. housed inside the weapon’s sleek, streamlined, housing, reduces recoil and both round dispersal and gunner fatigue from wrestling a bucking heavy weapon. The addition of an advanced targeting sensor package insures that fire is placed accurately and often through what were previously thought to be concealing conditions(much to many an enemy’s dismay).
Incredibly light weight for a crew-served heavy weapon, sturdy, reliable, simple to use, easy to set up, quick to dismantle, and hardhitting in operation, the ‘Arden’ has become very popular with the Greater New England Armed Services. The high rate of fire, and the power of the explosive rounds, has earned it a reputation for being an ‘armor killer’ , with(unconfirmed) accounts of heavy weapons squads shedding Glitterboys in seconds. It HAS been confirmed that Coalition power armor squads have been reduced to scrap metal in encounters with VFS infantry units armed with Ardens. Likewise, even magically unshielded field units have managed to rip up Splugorth slavers with these ‘primitive’ weapons; WITH adequate warding and support, firing from prepared defensive positions, Arden crews have given even veteran Kydians reason to go looking for easier pickings somewhere else.
The OCSW-2C is the heavy rifle version for full conversion cyborgs and exceptionally strong beings. Aside from a forward hand grip, contoured trigger grip, and shoulder stock assembly, it is otherwise identical to the standard infantry version.
The OCSW was nicknamed the ‘Arden’ after Peter Arden, an Elven infantry corporal, responsible for saving a convoy of refugees fleeing from the Tolkeen warzone in 107 P.A. , but at the cost of his own life, though it is sometimes mistakenly called the ‘Arwen’.
(Post-110 PA Update: The OCSW-2 has become one of PS’s ‘signature’ weapons, becoming wildy popular with all branches of the GNE military services and Paladin Steel security units; the weapon is seen in its infantry model, as a power armor and cyborg weapon, and mounted in vehicles, mounted on pintles or in powered turrets. Sales to outsiders remain limited however, and PS restricts ammunition sales to non-PS affiliates.
An aicraft cannon version of the OCSW was attempted, but the design’s low accuracy at extreme range and at high rates of fire has kept it from being successfully adapted as aircraft armament.)

Date of Introduction: 108 PA
MDC of Weapon: 65
Weight:25 lb (gun)
9 lb (mount)
10.6 (fire control)
36.6 lb (complete, unloaded)
.45 lb (one grenade)
.368 lb (cartridge)
.291 (projectile)
Range: (Effective Range)2,000 meters (6,000 ft)
(Maximum Range)(-3 to strike)3,600 meters
Damage:(SDC)* (Fragmentation) 2d6x10 SDC to 10 ft radius**
4d6x10 SDC per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius
1d4 MD per 10 rd burst, 14 ft blast radius
4d6 MD per 60 rd burst! 25 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(High Explosive) 6d6x10 SDC to 4 ft radius
1d4 MD per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius
2d4 MD per 10 rd burst, 12 ft blast radius
6d6 MD per 60 rd burst! 20 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(Armor Piercing) 1d4x100 SDC, no blast radius
1d6 MD per 5 rd burst, 1 ft blast radius
2d6 MD per 10 rd burst, 2 ft blast radius
1d6x10 MD per 60 rd burst! 4 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
*Note that beyond the accurate range of 6,000 ft, AP rounds lose some of their effective penetrating power due to diminishing velocity; reduce damage by 20%

*(Yes, I know, why include SDC when it just as quickly becomes MDC? You’re still being hit with a pretty hefty shell)
**(Note that SDC weapons enjoy a slightly larger blast radius than that of MDC weapons, owing to the lower damage potential)

(MD)(Fragmentation)1d6 MD to 7 ft radius
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst, 10 ft blast radius
2d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 14 ft blast radius
4d6x10 per 60 rd burst! 22 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(High Explosive) 3d6 MD single shot, 5 ft blast radius
1d4x10 per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius
2d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 12 ft blast radius
5d6x10 per 60 rd burst! 20 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(Armor Piercing)4d6 MD single shot, no blast radius
2d4x10 per 5 rd burst, 1 ft blast radius
3d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 2 ft blast radius
6d6x10 per 60 rd burst!, 3 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
*Note that beyond the accurate range of 6,000 ft, AP rounds lose some of their effective penetrating power due to diminishing velocity; reduce damage by 20%

HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) - Designed to ‘spald’ off armor on the interior of power armors and vehicles. Composite ‘chobham’(layered armor and nylon mesh) armor reduces this internal damage by HALF, by holding the armor together.
HESH rounds do NOT have a blast radius.
3D6 MD plus 4D6 SDC to the person(s) inside the object.
1d4x10 per 5 rd burst,4 ft blast radius----plus 4D6+2 SDC to the person(s) inside the object
2d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 6 ft blast radius----plus 5d6 SDC to the person(s) inside the object
5d6x10 per 60 rd burst! 10 ft blast radius----plus 1d4x10 SDC to the person(s) inside the object(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)



(Crowd Control rds)---Essentially an expanding plastic ‘flyswatter’ that delivers a bruising knockdown punch. Cut effective range to 200 ft. Does 2d4 SDC per rd, humans and human-sized D-Bees must roll a D20-5 to maintain their footing (must equal or surpass the attacker's roll to strike...Full rules in TNW p.174). Human-sized light power armors(500-800 lbs) also roll on a D20, but are +2 to save versus knockdown

(Wood Rounds) 7d6 SDC single shot (1d4x10+5 HP to vampires), no blast radius
2d4x10+10 SDC per 5 rd burst (2d4x10+10 HP to vampires), 2 ft blast radius
6d6 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10+10 HP to vampires), 3 ft blast radius

Rate of Fire: Rated at 260 Rounds per minute...Can fire single shot, or in bursts of 3-60 rounds per melee
Payload: The OCSW typically comes with two 37 round box-magazines(total of 74 rounds) or can be belt- or drum-fed.
Bonuses: From any sensor package fitted
Special Features:
*42 inch length
*Air Burst ‘smart’ munition capability---Shells can be set to explode on contact or proxiimity fuze.
*Soft Recoil
*Right and/or left-hand ammunition feed
*Quick-set burst length selection
*Corrosion-proof all-weather composite ceramic construction
*Standard Issue tripod ground mount(18 inche elevation) w/ 45-degree elevation, 30 degree depression pintle.
*Simple grip and button electronic trigger, suitable for a variety of manipulatory appendages
*Standard low-slug tripod features ground spikes with simple twist-screw activated retractable ‘ground hooks’, and spade backtrail. Snap-on seat pad optional.
*Can be rigged for remote firing and operation
*Smart-ported for sensor pack- and cyberlink- hookup

Note: Unlike Rail Guns, the machine gun/autocannon does suffer from parts fatigue, especially the barrel rifling. The current projected lifespan of the Arden’s ceramic barrel is 5,000 rds, before recommended replacement, though some field units have reportedly gone twice that before barrel cracking and round deviation took place, and other units have had to replace the barrels after only 1,000 shots. Barrel replacement is relatively simple, with the proper tools and spare parts, and an experienced armorer can tear down the weapon and replace the gun barrel in 5 minutes(requires partial dismantling of the weapon and the recoil system).

Bonuses from Sensor Package:
*Laser Range-finding and Targetting(6,000 ft range)
*Thermographic Imaging----5,000 ft
*Passive Nightvision---5,000 ft
*Ultrasonic Scanning----1,500 ft range
*Microwave Radar Motion Tracking--160 degree arc, out to 1,000 ft
*Remote Video Feed Capability
*Combat Algorithms----Correct for weapon bouncing and target movement. Give bonuses of +3 to strike on normal shots, +4 to strike with called shots. +2 initiative thanks to target prioritizing

Cost: 8,000 credits for the basic weapon, plus 32,000 credits for the sensor package(yep!) Shells cost 10(SDC Fragmentation) 20(High Explosive) 28 (SDC Armor Piercing)- 100 (MD Fragmentation) 200 ( MDHigh Explosive) 350(MD Armor Piercing) credits each;

[taalismn]

OICW Battle Rifle(Gen-2) “Waybur” (AKA “Waybore”, “Wiper”)

“You can keep your overpriced Triax ‘Pumpie’...My Waybur’s the best of Golden Age and Modern Age rifle-tech in one tidy package.”

“Cute trick, thinking they could hide among the prisoners in the padded cells while we were going room to room...Had themselves some hostages for cover...Pity for them our smart scopes got penetrating thermal vision and image resolution...their guns showed up a lot more clearly than shackles...Smartfuzed our wall-puncher shells, and headshot the guards through the walls...just like we practice in the demos...If they’d hid behind concrete, we mighta had more of a problem, but those integral cell security cages? NO protection against outside snoopers or penetrating attacks...I’d almost feel ashamed if it wasn’t for the overwhelming relief I feel at a mission gone so well. “
-----Corporal Mastos Segellan, Greater New England 4th Army Group, ‘Operation Boltcutter’.

The OICW( Objective Individual Combat Weapon) was an assault rifle design, developed by Alliant Techsystems of Hopkins, Minnesota, introduced to the American Empire combat forces in the early 2000s in an effort to modernize, and replace the thousands of older M-16s and other rifle types then in service.
The OICW was a double-barreled weapon, mounting a lower, detachable 5.56mm automatic rifle in an over-and-under configuration with a heavier 20mm light cannon. The 5.56 AR was fed from an underbarrel ‘bananna’ clip forward of the trigger guard, while the 20mm heavy rifle had a 6 round ‘bulldog’-configuration clip in the reinforced rifle ****.
The OICW was pretty much a stopgap design, an earlier committed design introduced into production and distribution at a time when the world’s militaries were just beginning to see the future in megadamage energy weapons and armors. The OICW might have been doomed, but for the reluctance on the part of the ‘police action”- or “brush-war” oriented thinking of pre-MDC armies, to immediately adopt weapons that vaporized rather than maimed SDC targets. The OICW was also very cheap, compared to rail- and energy weapons. In an effort to give the OICW some bite against MDFC armors, the 20mm weapon was given the capability to fire megadamage-inflicting ramjet and exploding rounds.
Though not as common as the M-16 or AK-47, there were still hundreds of OICWs in service, and thousands more in storage, when the Rifts hit. Weapons which subsequently found their way into the hands of resistance groups, survivalists, and other survivors.
With more than a few of these weapons in the Vermont Free State militia arsenals and in outlying communities, PS recently elected to take another look at these weapons and decided that the concept was still good. Using the original design as a basis(and assisted by plans salvaged from the original Alliant site by PS-employed Heritage Scouts, during the brief time that Paladin Steel had trade relations with Tolkeen), PS has upgraded the OICW(re-titled the Generation-2, or Gen-2 model) to use new, lighter, tougher materials(such as tougher, corrosion-resistant superhard ceramics and polymer-steel), using the lighter weight to upgrade the 5.56 barrel to a 9mm(the better to use stocks of exploding and Ramjet MD ammunition). The original two-shot burst capability has also been upgraded to include a 5-shot burst. The 20 mm barrel has a new, larger ammunition clip, and improved range, as well as an added burst capability.
The OICW also uses a unique fire-select and control system and fused ‘smart’ ammunition that allows the soldier to pre-determine the detonation point of the 20-mm round; allowing the shell to explode on impact, or to penetrate light SDC structures(no more than 15 SDC) to explode against targets hidden behind. This means that the OICW can be used against armored troops hidding in SDC structures, like clapboard houses or boxes.
Another additional feature, taking advantage of the new ‘smart’ 20 mm ammunition(actually, its based on pre-Rifts OICW ammunition), is a limited airburst, as a sort of light grenade, for area of effect. While not as effective as the 9mm at close range, or a regular grenade launcher, the 20mm’s range compensates for the lack of overall power. The recent introduction of the new PSX-1 explosive round, however, rectifies this problem, though the new ammunition is expected to be rather rare foe a while, whereas the old stocks of pre-Rifts-model ammunnition are plentiful and cheap.
The OICW’s modular construction is also important, as it allows parts and components to be quickly swapped out and replaced. If so desired, the entire 9mm rifle component can be detached and used independantly as a battle rifle or sub-machine gun, though it loses all bonuses and scope capabilities. The 20mm CANNOT be used independantly; its trigger mechanism is the same as that of the 9mm component.
The PS OICW comes standard with a clip-on computerized scope with micro-chip targeting computer, laser rangefinder, x6 telescopic scope w/ passive nightvision/light amplification, and micro-chip video camera( 12 photo/images/3 minutes video....for recon or kill-trophy verification). Other extras are a muzzle flash supressor, vibro-blade bayonet(1d4 MD), and cleaning kit. The 9mm component barrel can be fitted with a shot-trap and adaptor for firing rifle grenades.
Twin-port industry-standard cyberporting for ‘smartgun’ cybernetic linkages is also part of the package, allowing the PS OICW Gen-2 to accomodate the cybernetic ‘smartgun’ linkages and interface systems currently becoming available from other companies. Paladin Steel hopes that this move will encourage sales and promote good feelings with other cybernetics-oriented companies, at least until PS can develop its own cybernetics division and production lines.
Additional hardware, such as silencers, or underbarrel grenade launchers are optional.
The result has been a truly amazing weapons system that’s sure to please the avid projectile weapon user and which competes nicely with energy weapons.
(Post-110 PA Update: The Waybur continues to soldier on as a stable of PS’s small arms lines, and is the standard-issue projectile rifle of the Greater New England Armed Forces. The years since the weapon’s introduction have seen few changes to it, aside from service- and individual-specific customizations of sight-rails, grips, and underbarrel lugs. )

(Historical Note: The rifle’s “name” comes from Michael Redfern, Paladin Steel Archivist, who dubbed the OICW Gen-2 after a soldier of the American Army, Second Global Conflict, who, during the invasion of Sicily, 1943 , faced down a column of approaching Italian tanks, just outside Agrigento. Though wounded in his side, Lieutenant David Waybur stood his ground, in plain sight of the advancing tanks, rather than allow the them to overrun his wounded comrades. Armed with only a .45 caliber Thompson , Waybur openned fire on the lead tank and managed to penetrate the tank’s open view ports, killing the driver and others inside. As the tank drove off the road out of control, the following three tanks, suspecting a larger, better armed force in hiding, retreated. For his courage, Lieutenant Waybur recieved the Congressional Medal of Honor ----True story)

Weight: 14 lbs
Range:(9mm) 1000 ft
(20mm) 3000 ft
Damage:(9mm) 4d6 SDC or 2d6x10 SDC per 5 rd burst
Can use any standard 9mm-format specialized munitions, including explosive rounds and megadamage armor-piercers.
(20mm) 1d4 MD single shot or 3d4 MD per 3 shot burst
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
(20mm PSX-I) 4d4 MD single rd or 1d4x10 MD per 3 shot burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire:(9mm) Standard
(20mm) Single shot or 3 shot burst
Payload:(9mm) 30 rds
(20mm) 12 rds

Cost:13,000 credits(11,000 after 110 PA); Readily available in the VFS
A box of 100 20 mm ‘smart’ rds costs 800 credits
A box of 100 20 mm ‘smart’ PSX-1 rds costs 3000 credits(after 110 PA, this drops to 2,000 credits)
Bonuses: +1 to strike from the targeting sight, +1 to strike from the targeting computer using active sensors(for a total of +2 to strike on a called shot).
(For those of you choosing to “Smartgun Link” the OICW, add the bonuses from headjacking software to the above bonuses, or replace the system with the new hardware’s stats, whichever is higher)
Optional: The OICW can be fitted with a drum magazine for the 9mm weapon; adds 2 lbs and 100 rounds 9mm rds. Cost: 500 credits

For those of you who want to use the older, still fairly common, 5.56mm OICW, the weight and ranges remain the same, but the 5.56 mm does 3d6 SDC, and rate of fire is limited to 2 shot bursts. 20mm rate of fire is limited to single shot, and payload is 6 rds. Original SDC damage for a 20mm round is 1d6x10 SDC. Cost for a Gen-1 OICW is 11,000 credits

Paladin Steel PSLR-5 ‘Partisan’ Laser Rifle
“I can’t believe they could squeeze fifty shots out of this thing!”
“Wonders of modern battery technology. “

The PSLR-5 ‘Partisan’ is PS’s entry into the market of lower-cost laser armaments, following their observation of the rise and collapse of several other armament companies(mostly serving the Tolkeen area in response to the Coalition-Northern Gun embargo), and their effect on the predominantly Northern Gun-controlled market. Aware of their own effect on Northern Gun, and confident of their ability to weather any short-term loss due to NG market manipulation, PS has launched a serious effort to wrest the Eastern Seaboard arms trade from Northern Gun.
Although the much-touted PSAR-74K ‘Double Duece’ rifle had fallen flat due to the failure of R&D to produce a reliable version of the equally well-promoted AmEx-1 high explosive bullet, the success of the PSIP-2 ‘Smasher’ Ion Machine Pistol gave PS hope that they could design a low-cost energy weapon that could hold up to NG’ s toughest marketing ploys.
The PSLR-5 ‘Partisan’ is a simple, straightforward weapon, with clean, straight lines and construction. The weapon’s body is a long lean slim rectangular box a long rail on top for mounting a variety of scopes. The laser mechanism is reliable and well-tested. Of particular interest is the variable damage feature that allows the weapon to fire either high-powered megadamage laser pulses or lower power ‘soft shots’ for use against unarmored targets. The ‘Partisan’ has a bullpup configuration in that the e-clip is placed in the buttstock of the rifle; this was a deliberate move to make the weapon easier to use in cramped conditions, such as built-up urban areas and building interiors----partisan and guerilla defensive territory. However, many first-time users complain that the bullpup configuration imposes its own problems when changing e-clips, as most users are more familiar with ammunition recievers AHEAD of the trigger.
However, the lightweight, high accuracy, and extremely efficient power usage(thanks to low-loss superconductors), combined with its low cost, make the ‘Partisan; an attractive buy for the low-income customer. More importantly, the ‘Partisan’ would pave the way for the PSLR-6 ‘Vyper’ Blaster-Carbine and improvements in the existing PSIP-2 ‘Smasher’ Ion Weapon.
(Post-110 PA Update: The PSLR-5 was one of many low-end weapons distributed in numbers fo small community militaries and refugee groups in the wake of the Fall of Tolkeen. While the Partisan has yet to match the popularity of existing standards such as the Wilks line or the Black Market L-20 Pulse Rifle, the Partisan has growing market share in the East. The weapon is standard issue to Greater New England town militias and is a popular sporting weapon as well. A few option kits have made their way onto the market as well, increasing the weapon’s versatility.)
Date of Introduction: 107 PA
Weight: 6 lbs
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: (SDC Mode) 6d6 SDC per shot
(MDC Mode) 2d6 MD per bolt, 6d6 MD per triple burst.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 30 shots standard E-clip, or 50 shots long E-clip(or 600 SDC shots)
Bonuses:-----
Special Features:
*Underbarrel Attachment for a grenade launcher, bayonet, flashlight, mini-flamethrower, grapple-launcher, or other attachment.
*Sight Rail for mounting various existing sights and scopes.
*Compatible with laser-pulse ignition adaptor for PS Rifle Grenades.
Cost: 15,000 credits
Options:
*Blue-Green Frequency Kit---This modifies the ‘Partisan’ to fire more effectively underwater, down to 1,000 ft. Comes with a slip-on casing for the laser that gives the weapon neutral bouyancy if dropped in the water. Cost: 6,000 credits

*Long Shooter---A 38 cm barrel extension with focussing optics that allows the weapon to shoot an extra 1,000 ft, but reduce the damage to 1d6 MD per single shot, 4d6 MD for a triple burst. Cost: 5,000 credits.

_________________
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Paladin Steel SuperCavitation Bullets(aka ‘HydroShots’)

“I have a perfectly adequate gun here, and a perfectly nasty swamp-bugger sitting under the surface... and I gotta pull my vibroknife and go in after that bastard before it chews out the bottom of my ride, because my perfectly adequate gun can’t shoot three feet into the water before the shells become dead weight and do diddley squat....thus ruining my perfectly adequate day ....I hate water....”
“Here, try a clip of these...”
-----5ST Sales Representative making a snap on-site sale in the Alabama bayous

“Don’t think you can just pop a clip of these things in your shoulder cannon and start popping away at any old underwater target like you were plugging ducks....refraction’s a ***** who will get you to lose most of your ammo plinking at optical illusions....Spend the extra mullah on a few hundred rounds you’re going to waste anyway and practice shooting at subsurface targets so you can get the hang of it....The bigger guns use sensor hookups and computer targetting, but you’re not going to have the luxury, so get in the habit so you can automatically compensate for the water-air interface...”
----Lord Krudiah, Tanelorn Planetary Evaluator, posing as ‘Krudiah Cromwell’, Mercenary and Commander of the Blackwind Irregulars

“Willya QUIT that, ALREADY!?! You’ve already shot away most of our HydroShots and I don’t know when we’re going to be able to get any more!!!”
“But...trout hunting....is so fun!”

After a slow start on Paladin Steel’s part on naval projects, Vernon Bach’s Maritime Projects and Naval Engineering Branch-division is now swimming in various programs, both in the recovery of lost technologies, and in the development of new ones. One pre-Rifts technology that has caused a great amount of excitment in the division, and into which PS has begun substantial investment, is the development of supercavitation.....methods of creating a thin envelope of low pressure around submerged objects, allowing them to move far faster through the thick medium of water.
Supercavitation bullets are just one aspect of the many product lines under study and production by Paladin Steel. SCP (SuperCavitation Projectiles) Bullets are specially configured to create a low pressure ‘skin’ around themselves when fired through water, allowing them to move further and faster, before being slowed down by the massive resistance of the medium. Orginally designed for anti-mine work, SCPs saw some use in the old pre-Rifts United States Navy, but most information and stockpiles of them were lost along with the coastal bases when the Rifts swept Earth. PS has now resurrected the design line, producing a variety of calibers. The major change in the bullets is in the shape of the projectile, a sort of flat-nosed slug on smaller bullets, or a spike and ring configuration on heavier shells(this may interfere with the compatibility of supercavitation capability on smaller projectile warhead types like armor-piercing and PSX bullets).
SuperCavitating bullets still don’t deliver the sort of range and velocity that could match aerial projectiles, or that of self-propelled projectiles like mini-torps, but they allow ordinary firearms to be converted into effective underwater weapons. With the addition of explosive bullets, such as Triax, Wellington, and PS rounds, the lack of penetration capability is balanced by the ability to deliver a solid explosive punch to the target.
Paladin Steel currently makes supercavitating bullets for small arms and underwater rail guns(under the tradename HydroShots) , but is also developing SCPs for the cannon of surface warships for engaging targets just below the surface of the water(like monsters, mines, or torpedoes).
Bonuses: Regular chemical projectile can travel 20% of its normal range through the water; not a heckuva lot for lighter, smaller, short ranged projectiles, but substantial for larger, more powerful types. Rail Guns have an underwater range of 25% of their regular range, thanks to their higher initial muzzle velocity. So a rail gun with 4,000 ft range, would have an 1,000 ft range underwater. Atmospheric range remains the same.
Penalties: Can only be used with solid slug and high explosive ammunition types.
When applied to heavier artillery pieces, use only the DIRECT effective fire range(not the indirect ballistic fire range)
Also, at great depth and pressure, range begins to suffer with the greater resistance offered by the water; at depths of 5,000 ft, range is reduced by 1/4....at 2 miles by HALF....This makes normal projectile weapons less cost effective to modify for deep sea operations, and rail guns the weapons of choice if lasers, ion weapons, or sonics are unavailable.
Cost: Adds 15% to cost of the shell/projectile
Note: Triax has a similar program, equipping their own navy, with examples being the TXP Quad Rifle, TXS-600, and TXS-800 rail guns. Triax supercavitation munitions research is slightly more advanced than Paladin Steel’s program(they are able to squeeze an additional 3-5% extra range) on account of their longer-established research initiative and larger research facilities on the European coast.
Note2: The Kittani use a similar concept in their underwater railguns, but their railgun projectiles seem to be composed of an ultra-dense core metal surrounded by a more flexible sheath of lighter, more malleable metal, controlled by a micro-chip sensor that can alter the shape of the round with minute electrical charges as it speeds through the water, reading both the water’s resistance and the drag it imposes, and adjusts the shape of the projectile for maximum efficiency, while still retaining optimal penetration characteristics. Thus, Kittani rail guns have HALF range underwater. PS is also studying the metallurgical composition and its associated micro-chip in captured Kittani weapons, but successful duplication of the technology remains years, if not decades away, owing to the Kittani lead in microelectronics.

Water-sel Muzzle Attachment
Part of a standardized kit to modify ordinary firearms for amphibious use. This muzzle attachment improves on previous models by incorporating an ultra-thin layer of waterproof oil-based nano-gel to create a self-healing membrane that reseals after the projectile passes through it, quickly enough to prevent water from entering the barrel and fouling the gun mechanisms.
Note: Good for depths down to 2,000 ft
Cost: 350 credits

Paladin Steel (Laser) Rifle Launched Grenades(LRLGs)
“Micro-Missiles are nice, so bigger should be better.”
“Bigger? That thing looks like a suppository for a Gigante!”
“That’s one way of using it...”
“What’s the difference between this thing and a mini-missile?”
“Well, for one, I don’t have to haul around a hunk of stovepipe to fire these things.”
“But the range is so freakin’ lousy, even compared to a good ol’ TOW!”
“Yeah, but it makes a decent light mortar in a pinch!”
“IF you can calculate angles and ranges in your head!”
“You happen to be speaking to a mathematical prodigy....”

As if mini-missiles, micro-missiles, boltgun-shells, and automatic grenade launchers weren’t enough high firepower in the hands of the infantry, Paladin Steel has recently re-introduced the old concept of the rifle-launched grenade.
The RLG is essentially an unguided rocket projectile(essentially an earlier, cruder, mini-missile), with a warhead heavier than a micromissile, and shorter range than a standard mini-missile, that is launched from a special spigot-style muzzle adapter fitted to the end of a conventional rifle, or, preferably, a laser rifle. With the automatic rifles, the adaptor is a bullet trap and the gun must chamber a special ball ammunition to fire off the grenade. With laser rifles, it’s far easier; a stepped-down laser pulse fires off the rocket propulsion stage(in fact, it’s more convenient with laser rifles, since one doesn’t have to worry about having the right ammo available and chambered). Unlike tube-launched grenades, RLGs can be far larger(usually in the 35-60mm size range). Also unlike tube-launched grenades and mini-missiles, RLGs must be manually armed(by removing a pin once the weapon is mounted, removing the propellant stage plug) rather than auto-initiated by firing.
PS has already begun building muzzle adaptors into newer model autorifles and laser rifles, and issuing field kits for existing weapons.
The disadvantages, of course, are that RLGs are big and bulky, and the rate of fire is much slower than the smaller automatic-fire projectiles; one has to brace and aim an RLG at a target he might otherwise just hose down with a spread of AGLGs.
Still, the GNE Regular Army has distributed RLGs and launch adapters to its troops, and RLG muzzle adapters are standard on all new production Maximus and Partisan laser rifles.
Note: Rifle Launched Grenades get NO bonuses from guidance systems; use the Grenade Launcher or Heavy Weapons skills instead.
Note 2: Regular Revolvers, Pistols, and Laser Pistols CAN be converted to fire Rifle Grenades(Remember Leon’s pistol rocket from Bubblegum Crisis?), but anyone without at least a P.S. of 14, a bionic arm, or enhanced/supernatural strength will be -4 to strike anything if they attempt to fire a pistol grenade one handed. Two-hand grips are recommended.
Date of Introduction: 110 PA
Weight: Adaptor adds about three ounces to the weight of the weapon;
RLGs generally weigh from 280 to 750 grams each
Range: Typically 1,800 ft
Damage:
(Riot)---Combination flash-bang and rubber pellet charge---Victims are -10 to strike, parry, and dodge, -1 to initiative, and lose 1 APM for 1d4 melees. Rubber pellets do 1d4 SDC damage, but have a 60% chance of knockdown for any human-sized, or smaller, beings, caught in a 10 ft blast radius.....lose initiative and 1 APM for that melee(cost: 80 credits)
(Fragmentation-SDC) 2d4x10 SDC to 20 ft blast radius(cost: 100 credits)
(Fragmentation-MD) 3d6 MD to 25 ft blast radius(cost: 280 credits)
(High Explosive) 6d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius(cost: 360 credits)
(Anti-Armor HEAT) Very heavy projectile(range drops to 120 ft) Does 2d4x10 MD to a 1 ft diameter area(shaped charge)(cost: 800 credits)
(Plasma/Micro-Fusion) 1d6x10 MD to 8 ft blast radius (cost: 800 credits)
(Incendiary) 2d6 MD flash damage to 12 ft blast radius, plus does 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 melees(cost: 350 credits)
(Acid)---4d6 MD to a 5 ft radius, then diminishes in strength by 1d6 each melee(lasts about 4 melees)(cost: credits)
(Chemical) Effects vary, but contains enough chemical agent to cover a 15 ft radius
(Illumination) Can loft to an altitude of 600 ft, and illuminate a 500 ft radius for 4d4 melees. (cost: 15 credits)
Note: Additional grenade types, including TW munitions, are constantly in development.

Rate of Fire: Single shot. A trained user can load and fire a RLG once per melee
Payload: One, single shot
A laser ignition pulse is negligible in terms of energy usage; roughly 1/100th of a regular single E-clip energy shot.
Cost: Converting a laser rifle to fire RLGs costs 2,000 credits(cost includes adaptor)

A grenade kit also exists that allows one to quickly fit a conventional grenade with a propulsion stick and contact fuzing strip, but standard grenades aren’t as aerodynamic as the dedicated RLGs; range is only 600 ft. Cost is 60 credits per grenade ‘launch stick’.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel M-1R ‘Trusty’ Rail Gun Rifle
“This bastard looks like an antique, but it kicks like a power armor cannon!”
“Yeah, but wouldn’t they have been better off just loading up a true replica of the original with ramjet rounds or ExOne-exploders if they wanted power? Those have a lot more omph on target and are cheaper too!”
“Because it wouldn’t be proper to be loaded for devil-bear when everyone’s dressed like a turkey! At least with the variable velocity mode on the Em-One-Ars they can claim the things are both functional...in that they can make a nice bang....and harmless....in that they can’t punch through the concealed body plate everyone’s wearing under their formals...while at the same time ready for the fan when reality intrudes and nobody much cares in the heat of the moment how much lethal force is brought to bear in saving their ass! You still with me?”
“Not quite...”
“Not to worry, lad, it’s politics and tradition! Politics and Tradition, and you’ll see enough of both in the Corps!”

This weapon was originally intended as a tricked-out ceremonial weapon for the traditionally-uniformed honor guards of the GNE military to use at affairs of state. The idea was to present the outward appearance of an archaic weapon appropriate to ceremonial and diplomatic functions(despite the implied ‘security’ role of formal-uniformed soldiers at state functions, few people felt comfortable around gunmetal assault rifles with fully loaded grenade launchers), while not sacrificing megadamage hitting power. The M-1R was one effort to mate tradition to modern day practicality.
The original contract came from Paladin Steel who needed help for a weapon appropriately archaic-enough to give to their Embassy Row Marine honor guards. While they could easily churn out cheap slug throwers by the thousands, or more modern weapons in the same quantities, they decided to subcontract part of the program for ‘something different’ to their West Coast allies. Having much the same eccentric love of tradition(as evidenced by the many ceremonies practiced by their Rocky Mountain Dwarven and NorthWest Indian constituents), Paladin Steel West was happy to oblige, suggesting some projectile weapon developments they’d picked up from overseas. PS integrated their suggestions into the emerging design configuration and soon had the program snowballing from simple adaptation to the current weapon in production.
The result was the M-1R, a weapon whose outward appearance is based on the .30 M-1Rifle, a famed projectile rifle used in the Second World War and which became a fixture of military tradition and honor guards in the years(century) since. To a culture steeped in high-tech megadamage death-guns, the old antiquated M-1 looked like a harmless old peashooter to anyone wearing decent armor. However, concealed under the faux covering of gleaming-greased gunmetal and polished hardwood lay the workings of a powerful rail gun, powered by a battery pack/e-clip hidden in the rifle ****, driving a set of small, but powerful, superconductor stator accelerators inside the gun barrel. Lightweight Paladin Steel superconductors allow for a far lighter and more efficient weapon than previous rail gun efforts, although the lighter weight and more compact size come with a higher price tag. For a ceremonial weapon, the M-1R is also quite advanced, being a variable-mode rail gun! The electromagnetic propellant pulse of the barrel stator rings can be tuned for slower velocities, allowing for lower damage, including reduced-lethality rounds. The weapon can also be used to fire special flattened ‘bottlecap’ rounds that create a more pronounced ‘crack!’ or thunder for gun salutes.
The weapon is built thick and sturdy, just like the original, using either natural megadamage hardwoods or Ironwood-spelled wood stock for the wooden body. The workings are reliable and easy to maintain, and in a pinch, the sturdy barrel and **** make an excellent club. A silver-plated or vibrobayonet can be attached to the forward ring socket, and a variety of targetting scopes can be attached as well, making the M-1R as modern as any of PS’s energy weapons.
Compared to modern megadamage projectile weapons and proper automatic rail guns, the M-1R is lacking in both payload and rate of fire, but even its limited capacitor banks can deliver a hypervelocity slug with a good hard kick that can knock a would-be assassin flat out on his ass. And most of the military personnel who are selected for ceremonial guard duty are chosen, besides for appearance and decorum, for their shooting skills....so these soldiers can make their shots count.
Originally slated only for limited production and distribution to a handful of elite, special-function units, the weapon’s popularity spread to other units as well, and soon PS had to set aside production lines for larger lot manufacture. Sales have just begun to the mercenary and wilderness ranger communities, primarily through the Maison de Guerre mercenary market-city.
Date of Introduction: 109 P.A.
Weight: 8 lbs
Range:2,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 3d6+1
(MD)3d6+1 MD
Rate of Fire:Single shot, ECHH
Payload: 9 rds
Buttstock e-clip is good for 250 SDC shots or 50 MD shots.
Bonus: The M-1R gets a +1 to strike, due to its superior balancing
Special Features:
*Underbarrel Bayonet Socket Mount
*Fully compatible with SuperCavitating ammunition
Cost: 18,000 credits

Here...have some more...

Paladin Steel Trac Fire System
“It ain’t a Kittani Spidie-Gun, but it’s on the way there...and it’s a LOT cheaper than an NG Argie....”

Another development of Paladin Steel’s small arms research is the Trac Fire Stand/Brace, developed from examples of a pre-Rifts system called the Trap T-2 by Precision Remotes, whose company headquarters was dug up by a Heritage Scout team, and the findings later shared with Paladin Steel. The Trac Fire system is a servo-equiped stand/brace and sensor package, onto which a rifle or heavy weapon can be mounted. The Trac Fire can then be used as a sniper-assist system for stabilizing fire, a remote control weapons position, or a stand-alone automated weapons station. The Trac Fire can be controled by remote, from a small hand-held control pad with view screen, through either a short range microwave communicator, or a closed circut fiber optic wire, or it can be programmed with a set of target parameters and set up to fire automatically as a robot rifleman. Furthermore, the Trac Fire can be networked, so a series of weapons can be connected and controled by a single person, for an automated perimeter defense, or a one man multiple-postion ambush. The Trac Fire also interfaces superbly with smartlink-equipped cyborgs and command-type power armors, allowing a single cyborg or PA pilot to effectively act as a squad of riflemen, by shifting their sensor perception from from one gun position to another.
The Trac Fire can be equiped with a variety of different, or combined, sensory packages, allowing it to autotrack moving targets, or designate and engage multiple targets.
The Trac Fire is battery powered(48 hour continious operation), and has a 270-degree arc of rotation, 60 degree elevation, 30 degree declination. Tripod assembly that can raise itself up to 3 ft high, and can be mounted on buildings/rooftops, if the need arises.
Weight: 30 lbs
Damage: By weapon type; fully compatible with SDC or MDC rifles, and infantry-portable heavy weapons.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH if used by remote control, or 4 attacks per melee on auto-mode.
Payload: As per weapon capacity
Bonuses; Used as a sniper assist device, the Trac Fire gives a +2 to strike on an aimed shot. Otherwise, gets a +1 to strike for its sensory systems.
Cost: Basic System: 30,000 credits
Standard IR/UV/Telescopic Optics Package:(No cost, comes standard)
Laser Targeting: +1 to strike(+2,000 credits)
Thermograph : (+12,000 credits)
Motion Detector: 100 ft, +12,000 credits. Particularly effective under low-visibility conditions.
Short Range Micro-Radar: 4,000 ft. + 20,000 credits(note: can be detected by passive radiation sensors)

PS Battleman Fire Control Remote

“The situation’s like this, boys, the bugs got us pinned down, and we know they’re calling up reinforcements before they finish us off...There’s no way we can fight off a Battleswarm with waht we ot, and I don’t have to tell you surrender is NOT an option...We’re going to have to make a break for it and soon before they get bravery with numbers. We’re going to have to hit them hard and fast with a distraction, while we bust out...once on the plains, we got a chance...No, I’m not asking for volunteers for the decoy...But we are going to have to lose the Snoop...yeah, I know, that APC’s been with us for a while, but it can barely move, not fast enough for retreat, but it can still move...Reginald, you sure you can rig your black boxes and not cross any wires? Good, ‘cause the Snoop’s going to go out in a blaze of glory....Jenz, we’re going to have to sacrifice the other Battleman too...that one’s going to control our remaining sentry guns and give the Snoop ‘cover fire’....With any luck, the bugs will think we’re making an all-out run for the river and chase the Snoop there...and she’ll take down enough of them with her that we can be well on our way to charging the Haddelfords for the replacement gear we lost on their half-assed mining expedition!”

Originally intended as an accessory to the Trac-Fire, the Battleman is an automated fire control/direction system that has other applications as well.
The Battleman was developed by PS ‘s robotics and electronics experts studying examples of NEMA drone technology unearthed at the old Mountain Warfare School in Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont. the Battleman is essentially a robot-intelligence system, housed in a portable 1 square foot casing(about the size of a portable cooler) of heavy composite plastics(has about 10 MDC). The Battleman is powered by a rechargable 96-hour battery pack(or can be linked to an external power source). Hooked up to a sensor package and a remote control weapon, such as the Trac Fire system, the Battleman effectively acts as a more intelligent robot gunner, with advanced target identification capabilities, able to identify enemy formations, command vehicles, officers, and specific(known) monster, vehicle, and weapon types by their sensor profiles. Up to 2,000 different targets and their behavior/performance profiles can be loaded into the Battleman; additional upgrade chips can be added. If not actively directing a fire control system, the Battleman can thus be used to identify targets with 80% accuracy.
The Battleman can furthermore be linked, through fiber optic plug-in lines, to a series of Trac Fire mounts, allowing the Battleman to correlate and combine sensor data from all the weapons positions, triangulate targets, assign target priority, set up firing solutions, and direct the weapons to fire. The Battleman is also capable of combining attacks, and devising simple strategies. the Battleman can be linked to up to 12 seperate weapons in this manner.
A common tactic using Trac Fires in defensive or ambush situations is to set up a series of Trac Fires, linked by buried fiber optics to a buried, or otherwise concealed Battleman pack.
Alternatively, the Battleman can also be linked to a vehicle’s weapons systems, provided it has a sensor and fire control link, and can operate as a robot gunner. Note, however, that not all vehicles can accomodate this option, and may require special linkages and sensor packages added to allow the Battleman to operate their weapons(and typically, main armament is never slaved to the Battleman). New construction Paladin Steel vehicles come equiped with the neccessary linkages, so compatibility is not a problem.
Another curious thing noticed by some buyers, is that the interfaces also hook up nicely to the popular “Meleemaster” and “Blastermaster” series of hand-held video games, allowing the Battleman to become an advanced-level interactive opponent for the player. Since the game-series is put out by Weebee Toys, a manufacturer also based in the Vermont Free State, one wonders if this is a case of design copying by Weebee, or a deliberate move by Paladin Steel to interlock the manufacturers in their region....(more likely, Weebee is a front-company for PS).
Weight: 15 lbs
MDC: 10 MD
Bonuses: Equivalent to Weapons Systems at 80%. +2 to strike, +1 to initiative, plus possible sensor bonuses. When facing a target that it has no knowledge on, the bonuses drop to +1 to strike, no initiative, plus any possible sensor bonuses.
Number of Attacks per Melee: Linked to a weapon, the Battleman has 7 attacks per melee(or can split the number of attacks over several different weapons)!
Cost: 360,000 credits. Additional upgrade modules, each with an additional 50 target profiles, can be added for 20,000 each

Paladin Steel ‘Nimro’ Plasma Rifle

“Let’em boobytrap the doors and fortify the corridors behind the gates...A good engineer knows the gates are the most heavily built-up part of a static defense...A good engineer also knows how to make his OWN gates...As the combat engineers’ motto goes; ‘Don’t Pick the Lock When You Can Tear Out the Wall’!”

The Paladin Steel ‘Nimro’ is part of Paladin Steel’s effort to produce its own line of energy small arms. The Nimro slightly resembles the fictious “Phaser Rifle Type 3” from the pre-Rifts ‘Star Trek’ media series; a long, rectangular weapon with front and back hand grips, but is much chunkier, has a rear-loading clip, rugged composite ceramic construction, a large emission bell, and a larger flip-up mini-vid targetting display.
The Nimro started out as a fairly standard plasma weapon, but PS engineers saw fit to incorporate a variety of new innovations into the design, the most remarkable being ‘variable plasma stream’ technology. Using the advanced low- and room-temperature cerametal superconductors they has produced since the Golden Age, PS discovered that they could build small magfield coils into the enlarged emission bell, that would create a short-lived plasma-containment vortice(called ‘popper’ mode by testers). This containment field would rapidly degenerate after leaving the weapon’s barrel, but would release its contained plasma in an omni-directional blast, much like a plasma grenade, rather than as an expelled stream, as in a conventional plasma weapon.
The same magfield could, at much shorter ranges, bleed the plasma off at a much slower, more contained rate, less efficient as a weapon, but better suited for cutting and welding. This has endeared the weapon to combat engineers, who can, with a flip of a switch, go from work to combat without scrambling for their weapons. Thus, the Nimro has become the standard long arm of Paladin Steel field engineers and Greater New England combat engineers.
(Post-110 PA Update: Paladin Steel has seen the Nimro become the ‘Engineer’s Big Stick’’, and like all good engineers, those given Nimros have experimented with various modifications to the weapons. Several new add-ons have been made available to engineers, expanding the weapon’s popularity as a tool.)
Weight: 10 lbs
MDC of Weapon: 20
Range:(Stream) 1,500 ft
(‘Popper’) 1,000 ft
(Cutter) 10 ft
Damage:(Stream) 1d6x10 MD per blast
(‘Popper’) 4d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
(Cutter) 1d6x10 SDC, 1d6 MD, 4d6 MD, or 4d6x10 MD per full melee burn
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 10 shots standard e-clip, 16 shots long e-clip
(Cutter) 1 shot equals 2 MD torch blasts/cuts or 20 SDC blasts. A full melee cut will use up three shots worth of charge
Bonuses:+1 to strike from the mini-HUD targetting display and laser range finder.
Special Features:
*Integral Laser Range Finder---This system not only designates the target with a ‘red dot’, but also provides a precise range and measurement to the HUD. The laser can also be set to produce a visible horizontal or vertical red line , allowing the engineer to ‘sketch out’ a cut for companions.
*Power Plug---The Nimro can easily be plugged into a vehicle, robot, power armor, or cyborg power supply, providing the user with effectively unlimited shots.
Cost: 35,000 credits

Options:
*SprayFire Barrel Modification Kit---PS weapons engineers seem to have discovered a fetish for area of effect shotgun-style weaponry, because just about every weapon they’ve put out has subsequently been modified for such; the Nimro is no exception. This mod mounts a ‘watering can’ of multiple short projection coils on the barrel, splitting the plasma discharge into a dozen smaller plasma mini-bolts. Range drops to 500 ft, but the bolts do 3d6 MD to a 20 ft wide area.
Cost: 9,000 credits

*Barrel-Mount Heat Screen---This is a folding ‘fan-brella’ mesh of special heat-refractive light alloys that wraps around the barrel, and expands into a 2.5 ft diameter shield. It has only 30 MDC, but its special design and materials reflect and shed heat very efficiently; plasma and heat-based attacks do only 1/3 normal damage.
Cost: 8,000 credits

*Supercharger---This is a 20-lb, 40 MDC backpack with armored cable(10 MDC) that feeds the rifle with extra power, coolant, and plasma-reactant gas, allowing the torch-mode to burn hotter, longer(just perfect for cutting into those Coalition Black Vaults). Expand the payload of normal blasts by x4, increase plasma torch damage by +2d4 MD and add a new higher damage rating for the plasma torch mode of 6d6x10 MD for a full melee burn.
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Metal-Mister---This originated in solder-application devices mounted on the barrel, but some engineers took it it further. This allows the weapon in tool mode to produce a fine mist of metallic vapor, for spray-plating surfaces in a quickset metal paint or, with repeated applications, thicker coatings. Used offensively, this can be used to clog air intakes, cover sensors, and mess up sensitive external electronics on machines; against living targets the metal mist is stinging and burning on bare flesh, blinds if hitting unprotected eyes, and can prove lethal if inhaled.
` The material usually used is solder, lead- or aluminum-based, though some engineers have experimented with nearly pure silver(spraying a vampire with it will do 4d6 HP...and spraying a vaporous-form vampire with silver will cause it to drop out of its vaporous form---bear in mind, though, it will be at best 60 ft away from the shooter, so have help ready with better weapons).
Range: 60 ft range; short range because the vaporized metal condenses quickly. A single application can be typically used to cover a 12 ft square area of surface with a thin (paint-thin) coating of metal.
Damage: Does 4d6 SDC burn damage against unprotected flash, 3d6 Hit Point damage if directly inhaled. Can cause (60%) chance of permanent blindness if sprayed into unprotected eyes. Will clog air filters within 1d4 melees. If sprayed on electronic antennae, it interferes with their operation(cut range and effectiveness by 1d8x10%), and if sprayed on artificial optics, the cooling metal becomes congealed and difficult to remove(victim is effectively blinded until the coating is removed....typically takes 1d4 minutes).
Payload: Typical soldering rod can give up to 3 spray applications....A ‘melt’ takes 1/3 of a normal MD shot(1 MD shot = 3 spray-melts)
Cost: 9,000 credits

[taalismn]

Because you can never have enough portable artillery...

Paladin Steel Taskin 20mm BackPack Rapid-Fire Autocannon

“I greeted my man wearing nothing but a Taskin Rifle and a smile..THAT got his attention real fast!”
----Kay Sane, Advanced Weapons Division Technician

“Honest to god, and I thought her FATHER’s shotgun was big.....if she’d just ASKED I’d have been more than happy to oblige...”
----Her husband.

“I’m really worried about what it says about the casualness with which our society treats high-powered weaponry when a battlefield anti-armor weapon is used as a marital aide!”
----Gendro Khan, Paladin Steel Staff Psychiatrist

. The PS Taskin BRFA started as an effort to scale up the 20mm component of the Waybur OICW into a fully automatic weapon; a manportable autocannon. PS has produced a light weight, backpack-fed heavy rifle that uses advanced ceramics and composites to make a lighter, more easily handled weapon that could be handled effectively by lighter-framed female humanoids. Long and backbreaking testing and redesign went into making a weapon that could safely chamber the required large round, handle accurate burst firing, operate without critical jamming and constant maintenance, and still be light enough to carry(as well as, as one trooper put it, ‘be fun to use’). Taking advantage of the new ‘smart’ 20 mm ammunition being issued by Paladin Steel, the BRFA can also ‘airburst’ its ammunition for maximum area of effect. The weapon can also chamber special 20mm wooden rounds(albeit with diminished range) for anti-vampire work. The weapon is fed by an enclosed flexible feed-tube from a backpack magazine; special ‘slippery’ perma-plastics and bead-roller design in the feed keep the weapon ammunition supply from jamming even with the most rigorous abuse, while the light alloy and expanding bellows-joint plastic chute keeps out water and grime(a few quick and easy screw-tabs allow the chute to be openned up for servicing or rare unjammings). Even using a cutback cartridge, though, the recoil from a rapid fire burst would have made the weapon impossible to control were it not for the thick stock and integral mercury-bead recoil dampers, specially developed for the Taskin. Normally carried by strong individuals(PS of 15 or better) rifle-fashion(like an old-style Browining Automatic Rifle), the Taskin can also be fitted with a heavy shoulder sling, over-barrel sling grips, or be attached to a light servo-rig. The BRFC is man-portable, but can also be vehicle mounted, if so desired.
Owing to early complaints about the lack of overall damage capability of the standard long range 20mm round, PS has adapted their explosives technology(copied from Wellington and Triax sources) to developing a more powerful shell. The resultant PSX-1 round has subsequently caught on with heavy weapons troopers like flamethrowers and autogrenade launchers.
(Post-110 PA Update: The Taskin has become a favorite of PS security forces as well as the GNE military, and can be found in virtually all units. Female troopers, especially, adore the BFG feel of the Taskin. The 20mm format shell has become a favorite in Paladin Steel designs, and the Taskin has seen subsequent modification into the ‘Reaper’ cyborg/power armor heavy rifle. Some users have even had underbarrel grenade launchers added to the weapon, for area of effect ballistic fire. The Taskin has recently been tapped to serve as the core unit of the heavy GunLoc II Modular Weapons System.
The biggest changes, however, are in the increasing power of available munitions.
A major change after 110 PA is the development of the PSX-2 Explosive Round. Successful reverse-engineering of the Triax/Coalition 15mm ‘Pump’ shell reaps benefits in the form of a jump of destructive potential for the Taskin. Distribution of the new, more destructive, rounds, remains limited to Paladin Steel Security, Greater New England Armed Forces, and approved mercenary units.
Additional types of ammunition, including an incendiary round, an improved PSX-2B round, doing 4d6+2 MD per round, and an adaptation of an Achilles Republic round, the PSX-3A, doing 5d6 MD, are also in development.)
The BRFA uses WP Heavy.
Weight: 25 lbs (cannon and backpack)
MDC of Weapon: The actual Taskin Rifle has 70 MDC, while the backpack has 40 MDC.
Range:(20mm)3000 ft (1500 ft for wood rounds)
Damage:(20mm) 1d4 MD per shell
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius(single shot)
(20mm PS-1) 4d4 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
(Wood Rounds) 6d6 SDC per round (1d6x10 HP to vampires)
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airbursts are not possible with wooden rounds

(20mm PSX-2)(after 110 PA)
4d6 MD single rd
2d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Airburst does 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius

Rate of Fire: (20mm)Standard.

Payload: 200 rds,
Cost: 20,000 credits
A box of 100 20 mm ‘smart’ rds costs 800 credits
A box of 100 20 mm ‘smart’ PSX-1 rds costs 3000 credits(after 110 PA, this drops to 2,000 credits)
A box of 100 20 mm ‘smart’ PSX-2 rds costs 3200 credits

Options:
*Underbarrel Grenade Launcher--An underbarrel grenade launcher adds area of effect power, as well as the ability to fire smoke and chemical rounds, or other munition types if so desired.
Range:1,200 ft
Damage:(Grenade Launcher) 4d6 MD to 12 ft area
The grenade launcher can also chamber smoke, chemical, and wood grenades.
Rate of Fire: Single shot, ECHH,
Payload: 6 grenades (clip)
Cost: 1,000 credits

PS-RFL2-33 “Blazer” Rapid-Fire Infantry Laser
“Take a Free Quee laser machine gun, graft a JA-12’s barrel optics onto it, and bolt in a Northern Gun canister clip....The ‘Blazer’s’ a bastard mutt of a weapon that somehow managed to get all its parents to get along with each other, because the kludge actually manages to operate smoothly.It ain’t much heavier for all the improvements, either, so your average grunt can still tote it around without much trouble.”

The PS-RFL2-33 started out as a simple straightforward copy of the FQ Q2-30, but quickly became an example of how Paladin Steel engineers have learned to combine technologies they’re reverse-engineered over the decades into a more efficient whole.
The ‘Blazer’ has a thicker barrel than the Q2-30, using a more sophisticated, Wilks-inspired optical focusing array for greater beam control over longer ranges. More efficient superconductor systems allow for cleaner power draw from the e-clips, now moved back to the weapon’s buttstock(a back-up e-clip can still be carried in front of the trigger-guard, but the weapon draws primary power from the large e-clip magazines in the back). Paladin Steel has also introduced its own version of Northern Gun’s regenerating e-clip systems with the Blazer; a revelation is that is certain to only increase the animousity between the two companies.
The Blazer is the standard-issue heavy laser to Paladin Steel and Greater New England military forces, but a few have been made available to GNE-affiliated mercenary and freelancer units. The Blazer is also being considered as part of the GunLOc II Heavy Modular Weapon System.
The Quebecois are less than happy with this ‘clone’ of their weapon, and Northern Gun is less pleased with the copying of their e-clip technology(and even less pleased that PS isn’t sharing their improvements to the system with them). Needless to say, PS and GNE troopers adore this weapon for exactly those reasons. Recent troubles along the GNE/FQ border zone have seen Free Quebec forces setting a priority on capturing the superior Paladin Steel weapons, while Greater New Englander units have gleefully ransacked FQ heavy weapons teams for their e-clips and power packs for their own weapons.
Type(W.P.): Energy, Heavy
Weight: 27 lbs
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD short burst, 1d6x10 MD medium burst( 20 shots, 2 attacks), 2d6x10 MD long burst(40 shots, 2 attacks), 4d6x10 MD full magazine burst(80 shots, no bonuses to strike...does 3d6 MD to 4d4 targets if in a spray attack).
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 25 shots from the standard e-clip in the forward holder, 70 shots from a regenerating canister e-clip. Regenerates 5 shots per hour, and can self-renew four times before needing to be overhauled. E-clip adaptors allow the Blazer to use conventional e-clips and CS canisters in a pinch.
Special Features:
*Top Rail for Scopes/Sights(a Telescopic Sight w/ Laser Targeting...+1 to strike...is standard issue)
*Integral Carrying Handle
*Bipod standard-issue
*Power-link Capability---This gives the Blazer the ability to be hooked up to a vehicle power supply or backpack battery(including Free Quebec models---in this case, the more efficient power systems actually give the Blazer 130 shots from the normally 120-shot FQ power units).
Cost: 78,000 credits

Variants:
*PS-RFL2-33N---Developed for the Greater New England Coast Guard and Navy, the navalized Blazer has blue-green frequency shift, water/pressure-proofed casing, and a neutral-bouyancy body frame. It has a 300o ft range underwater and can operate down to 2,800 ft.

Paladin Steel PSMcM Series 1A-E 15mm Micro-Missiles

“Thinner than a magic marker, but packs a punch like a heavier anti-tank missile...Nickname for these things with the rangers is ‘morgue pencils’ on account of anyone on the sharp end winding up dead.”

Micro-Missiles are an innovation based on PS work with recovered pre-Rifts NEMA technology. The original design was for ‘wrist-rockets’ as part of the various LANDWARRIOR programs that eventually got folded into the NEMA aramaments initiative. Though wrist-missiles never became standard issue for NEMA soldiers, work continued(and it was rumored that some quite sophisticated weapons managed to be deployed with NEMA ‘black ops’ units). The loss of the sophisticated chemistry and microchip technology available to the Golden Age ended the development and deployment of ‘micro-seeker’ missiles in favor of mini-missiles and rifle grenades, but as technological society has crawled out of the ashes, parallel developments in cybernetics and robotics have again allowed for spin-off technologies applicable to other projects. Paladin Steel revisited the idea of micro-missiles after reports reached them of Triax deploying ‘micro-missiles’ and ‘micro-torpedoes’. Working from a handful of examples and intact files of the old NEMA tech recovered from the WarLodge Cache at Smuggler’s Notch and the Mountain Warfare School, Paladin Steel began producing their own micro-missiles.
The PSMcM-series is more than a series of light rocket-propelled grenades; improvements in micro-electronics have led to the (re)development of micro-sensor chips and ultra-light propulsion actuators, resulting in truly miniaturized self-guided weapons.
The initial Pattern-1s were little more than standard fifty-caliber ramjet bullets with a longer casing for the self-contained rocket propellent(rather than a disposable cartridge). Range was actually less than that of an equivalent machine gun-fired ramjet round, but slightly better damage characteristics due to its explosive head. The Pattern-1A is little more than a spin-stabilized gyrojet shell with no bonuses to strike, and a standard MD exploding warhead. Used to prove the viability of the concept, the Pattern-1A is the most heavily produced round, is the least expensive, and also the most inaccurate.
Patterns 1B and C have improved range(over one mile) and damage, as improvements in solid-fuel propulsion and explosives have been made.
The ‘Pattern-C’ also introduced a gyro-stabilization microchip and rudimentary active guidance, allowing for greater accuracy. The Pattern-C also introduced a ‘variable mode’ munition, with a selective fuzing that allowed the firer to pre-determine if the warhead was optimized for explosive or fragmentation. .
The Pattern-1D had an even more powerful explosive head and introduced ‘smart guidance’ that actually allowed the missile to actively controlled in flight and steered significantly to strike objects at previously unheard of angles.
The Pattern-1E is the latest and most sophisticated PS micro-missile to date. It uses a micro-plasma warhead(claimed to have been reverse-engineered/adapted from Naruni plasma weapon cartridges), and an even more advanced targetting system. The -1E can actually actively track and hunt moving targets, such as vehicles and power armors. This has earned it whispered rumors of being a ‘Juicer-Swatter’ or a ‘Flycycle Flayer’.
Paladin Steel engineers have progressively improved the range, damage, and accuracy of the 15mm micro-missile, but some believe the size of the projectiles may be leading to a plateau in performance. Experiments with 20mm and 24mm projectiles are ongoing, but many troopers appreciate the lighter 15mm caliber.
Pattern A-Cs are commonly available to Paladin Steel customers. The more accurate 1Ds are restricted to GNE military and PS special forces, and the latest Pattern-1Es are restricted to elite units of both organizations.
Surprisingly, the Greater New England military has had a love/hate relationship with the micro-missile, in part due to its long problematic development and the frustration in trying to find its proper role in combat. Early model micromissiles had long range, but little stopping power, and accuracy tended to decline past the 2,000 ft mark, which most infantry were most familiar with fighting at. The wrist launchers it was originally meant for were not optimal for long range accuracy(due to a lack of an advanced targetting system and the problems of stabilizing the soldier’s arm properly), and only by firing most or all of the carried missiles could a soldier hope to achieve a stop-kill at closer ranges. The Patterns A and B saw massive munition attrition due to missed shots and massed fire to little effect as early launch systems attempted to get around the accuracy problems by firing large numbers of micro-missiles(hedging on the fact that lighter projectiles meant more missiles could be carried). The military got the most out of regarding the early micro-missiles as oversized long range sniper projectiles, leading to a number of 15mm ‘missile rifles’ being rushed into service, such as the PS McMLR-07 ‘Blunderbess’, a heavy eight-shot rifle. A Ranger officer of the time commented that he’d rather have a remodelled Barret than a factory-fresh micromissile rifle, and many in Paladin Steel feared they might have developed a weapon nobody wanted to use.
Military attitudes towards the micro-missile began to change with the perfection of microchip guidance that allowed the missile to actively home on a target. This openned up more possibilities, aside from being a rocket-powered sniper bullet or a long range ‘distractor’, especially when weapons with appropriate scoping and target acquisition equipment began reaching the troops and replacing the earlier and cruder ‘rifle-zookas’. The mounting of micro-missiles on power armors and cyborgs, for instance, gave the weapons a platform with integral sensors and targetting gear that made the most of their range. The prospect of self-guiding seeker missiles with long range and good damage potential also gives hope for a ‘SAM in every infantry squad’, alluding to the traditional hatred of ground forces for enemy air units. As progress and production of the more advanced projectiles proceeds apace, Paladin Steel has high hopes that its persistance and continued investment in the program will ultimately pay off.
Dates of Introduction:
Pattern-1A 98 P.A.
Pattern-1B 100 P.A.
Pattern-1C 104 P.A.
Pattern-1D 108 P.A.
Pattern-1E 110 P.A.
Size: The standard Micro-Missile is about 15mm in diameter and 7 inches long. Weight about 35 grams
Range:
Pattern-1A 5,700 ft
Pattern-1B 6,000 ft
Pattern-1C 6,000 ft
Pattern-1D 7,000 ft
Pattern-1E 7,500 ft
Damage/Bonuses:
Pattern-1A---1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Pattern-1B---1d6 MD to 5 ft blast radius
Pattern-1C---4d6 MD to 4 ft blast radius, or 1d4 MD to a 10 ft blast radius in fragmentation mode
Pattern-1D----6d6 MD to a 5 ft blast radius, or 2d6 MDC out to a 18 ft blast radius in fragmentation mode
Pattern-1E---1d4x10 MD to 3 ft blast radius
Bonuses:
Pattern-1A (None) Spin-Stabilized
Pattern-1B (None) Gyro-Compass Chip
Pattern-1C (+1 to strike, in addition to W.P. Heavy bonuses. The Pattern-1C can also be set to be a ‘beam rider’, following a laser illuminator ‘painted’ on the target for an extra +2 to strike. However, this requires expediture of an extra attack per melee on the part of the gunner to keep the laser illuminator on target) Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip.
Pattern-1D (+2 to strike, in addition to W.P. Heavy bonuses. Like the Pattern-1C, the Pattern-1D can ‘beam-ride’...again, this requires the gunner to maintain target-lock at the cost of an additional APM, but the -1D is better able to remain on target if the lock is broken. Furthermore, the missile can be keyed to lock on to the laser illuminator of other gunners...done with a pre-determined key-chip...allowing squadmates to ‘paint’ targets for fellow soldiers with micro-missile launchers). Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip, Image Sensing Chip.
Pattern-1E(+4 to strike, in addition to W.P. Heavy bonuses, Same ‘beamrider’ capability as with Pattern-1D. ) Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip, Image Sensing Chip, Infra-Red Sensing Chip.
Cost:
Pattern-1A 25 credits per McM
Pattern-1B 32 credits per McM
Pattern-1C 60 credits per McM
Pattern-1D 95 credits per McM
Pattern-1E 220 credits per McM

Note: Check out Ninjas & Superspies Pages 30-31 for microchip sensors...the ‘precursors’ of the micro-missile guidance systems.



Micro-Missile Launchers:
Micro-Missile Launchers have a few advantages over regular guns; lower recoil due to the fact that most of the acceleration takes place OUTSIDE of the gun/launcher, and fewer moving parts to foul and jam. On the minus side, the ammunition is larger and more expensive.

PS McMLP-02 ‘Rocket Pistol’ (98 P.A)---An early effort to make operational use of the Pattern-1A micro-missiles, this pistol-format launcher resembled a larger bore version of the German Mauser C/96 ‘Broomhandle’ pistol, with a forward underside magazine instead...Large and unweildy at 5 lbs weight, with capacity for only 5 shots, it fared little better than the 1965(Old Calender) GyroJet Pistol and suffered from inaccuracy problems(in part due to the lack of active stabilization in the projectile and the short pistol barrel), especially in the hands of unaugmenteds who couldn’t make best use of the projectiles’ extra-long range. The McMLP-02 saw only limited distribution before being discontinued and was very much a transitional weapon, paving the way for the much more successful McMLP-11. The McMLP-02 is no longer in PS/GNE service, but a few examples still drift around in the hands of collectors, adventurers, and gunfighters. Cost: 6,000 credits

PS McML-03 (99 P.A.)---This is a single-shot underbarrel launcher similar to grenade launchers, designed to be slung under an assault rifle. This was typically used to launch Pattern-1A and -1B micro-missiles and lacked any sort of advanced guidance. The subsequent McML-03C Upgrade allowed the weapon to use laser-guidance, allowing the launcher to use Pattern-1Cs and even -1Ds in ‘beamrider’ mode. Cost: 4,000 credits, 1,000 credits for the laser guidance upgrade.

PS McML-04 (99 P.A.)---Similar to the MML-03, this weapon had THREE tubes for 3 shots for Pattern-1A and -1B mcms. Like the McML-03C, the -04 could also be upgraded for laser-guidance. Cost: 5,000 credits, 1,000 credits for the laser guidance upgrade.

PS McMLR-05 (101 P.A.) ---This was an early effort to make the most of the new Pattern-1A and -1B micro-missiles, with a bazooka-like (82mm, 17 lb) rifle-pod inspired by the ‘Metalstorm’ electric guns. Nicknamed the ‘mini-militrause’, the McMLR-05 is loaded with a 25-shot disposable plastic cassette, with all the missiles having an open-facing through the front end of the weapon, similar to an aircraft rocket pod. A small dial-switch allows the operator to select how many micro-missiles would be fired with each pull of the trigger(1, 5, 10, or all 25). Hardly a precision weapon, the McMLR-05 was most effective when firing slavoes, earning it such tags as ‘blunderbarrage’, ‘pencil storm’, and ‘vap-gun’ among troops who were issued it. The McMLR-05 saw limited distribution, but was one of the surprisingly popular early micro-missile weapons, and many heavy weapons teams refused to give them up even when the more accurate clip-fed McMLR-14 became available. Cost: 20,000 credits

PS McMLR-06(104 P.A.)---An upgrade of the McMLR-05, updated with laser-guidance for use with Pattern-1Cs. The weapon is also slightly heavier at 17.8 lbs due to the added weight of a laser targetter and battery-pack. Sometimes called ‘Point-Blaster’ and ‘Unzipper’ due to its ability to accurately blast targets. Cost: 22,000 credits

PS McMLR-07 ‘Blunderbess’(104 P.A.)---A heavy (14 lbs) eight-shot rocket sniper rifle that enjoyed some popularity with PS Ranger units. The ‘Bess’ could use Pattern-1As thru -1Cs, and could use ‘beamrider’ targetting. Cost: 14,000 credits

PS McML-08 ‘BoomBox’(aka ‘Pencil Box’, ‘RacketRak’)(103 P.A.)----The McMLR-05 taken to an extreme, this is more a crew-served heavy weapon than a precision weapon, and consists of five disposable plastic cassette-style launch ‘boxes’ stacked on an erectable launch frame, tripod, and turntable. Bringing to mind the ‘Metalstorm’ guns of the past, each box-cassette had 25 micro-mssiles(5 rows of 5) for a total of 125 projectiles, and can fire them in volleys of 5 to all 125 at once. It uses Pattern 1A -1C micro-missiles, but is problematic in laser-guidance mode due to frequent inadvertent missile fratricide when all 125 micro-missiles were trying to hope on the same target(volleys of 5-20 are recommended instead). The entire set-up weighs in at 120 lbs, making it barely manportable, but a trained crew can swap out expended cassettes in 3 actions(typically takes 30-45 seconds to reload the entire weapon with new magazines). The ‘BoomBox’ , or ‘Pencil Box’ as it is more often referred to, hasn’t proven as popular as the more portable McMLR-05/06 launchers, but it does see some usage with militia units and as a vehicle-mounted heavy weapon. Cost: 80,000 credits.


PS McMLP-11 ‘Nolan Gun’ Micro-Missile Pistol

“Oh, look! Flyboys! Wanna see me hit that Skycycle jockey in the head from here?”

The PS McMLP-11 is a fairly straightforward large-caliber handgun/projectile launcher that brings to mind disasterous experiments with ‘gyrojet’ weapons. PS produced the weapon to gain field experience with its 15mm Micro-Missile System. The McMLP-11’s predecessor didn’t fare so well with early model micro-missiles, but with the inclusion of ‘smart’ missiles and integral smart-linking standard with the McMLP-11, the newer weapon has enjoyed a resurge in popularity for ‘pistol-missiles’. For units not issued PS’s ‘stealth’ specfor suits with their wrist launchers and integrated smart-linking, these weapons were the closest they could come to the same degree of convenience and accuracy.
Weight: 6 lbs
Range: Varies by MicroMissile Type but the standard issue PS Pattern-1c has a range of 6,000 ft
Damage: Varies by MicroMissile Type
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 6 Micro-Missiles in a replaceable cassette
Special Features: *Laser Targeting--+1 to strike
*FullyCompatible with Pattern-1A thru -1D Micromissiles
*Compatible with Cyberporting ‘Smart-linking’.
Cost: 18,000 credits

[b] *RAP-(Rifleman’s Assault Projectile)----[/b] (aka ‘TideyBOOM’, ‘DethMelon’, ‘GooeyEwwie’, ‘Gumball’)----

“Sure, it looks like something a plumber would put in a toilet tank, and it doesn’t look as menacing as a bayonet clipped on the end of a rifle, but those who have used it know the RAP is the next best thing to a fusion block for knocking on doors!”
----Corporal Tina Menedez, Infantryman, 2nd Division, Greater New England Regular Army.

“The Gumball looks like an anarchist’s bomb from a flat-cartoon, but it hits like a boomgun, and the rocket means it’s perfect for stand-off bunker-busting. When I go bowling for Deadboys in their own hideyholes, I like to take along a half-dozen DethMelons for visiting gifts.”
------Special Operations Agent M’Loi Guidey, Paladin Steel Executive Services Office(ExtraCorporate Security Division)

Developed from a pre-Rifts weapon known as RAW(Rifleman’s Assault Weapon), the Paladin Steel RAP is a one-shot spin-stabilized rocket-propelled projectile that has shorter range than a mini-missile, but more explosive power than an individual rifle-grenade. The weapon fires off an under-barrel launch bracket(can have a separate trigger, or can be fired by a low-powered laser blast firing through a special muzzle-filter....PS-made laser rifles have a special fiber optic conduit under the barrel), and must be reloaded by hand. The plastic-cased ovoid projectile carries two pounds of megadamage plastic explosive(PS’s version of Northern Gun’s NG6 formula plastique) that plasters itself across the target before detonating, causing a powerful concussive wave to smash the target down. Against hard armors and walls, this has the unpleasant effect of spalding off shrapnel from the target surface, doing grievous bodily harm to anyone standing behind it(or inside it, in the case of vehicles and power armors).
Weight: 5 lbs
Size: Warhead is 140mm/5.51 inches in diameter; rocket stage adds 6 inches
Range: 4,800 ft
Damage: 4d4x10 +40 MD to 6 ft blast radius, plus 1d4x10 SDC to anyone inside the armor(or 6d6 SDC to anyone within 10 ft of the other side of the wall). HALF that if used against composite ‘meshed’ armors designed to flex, rather than spald(most power armors are contructed to have a certain amount of ‘warp’ to their structure, but cheaper armors, like Chipwell and early Northern Gun designs, lack this protection).
More advanced modern armors, such as those used by the Coalition, Triax, and other very high tech nations(the Kittani, for instance), for their EBA, power armors, robots, some vehicles, and special purpose fortifications(such as high echelon command bunkers) are designed NOT to spald, due to multiple composite layers of megadamage fabric and netting.....for these armors, spalding/bleed-through damage may be reduced to 1/4, or may not apply at all(GMs, use your discretion). Normal blast damage still applies, though, as the ouuter layers of armor are blown off/vaporized.
Rate of Fire:Single shot
Payload: Single Shot(reloading takes 2 melee actions)
Penalties: The RAP is rather slow (250 ft per second) and is meant to be used against stationary and slow-moving targets(like vehicles)...Against faster, more agile, targets like power armors and hovercycles that actually get a dodge, the RAP is -2 to strike.
Cost: Adaptor: 500 credits, Projectile: 2,000 credits each

Paladin Steel “Black Thunder’ Twenty Millimeter Revolver

“We’re not sure if the ‘Black Thunder’ enjoys the same ‘knock-back’ on its target as the Bandito BigBores...we have yet to figure if the shot blew the target into the next county, or just vaporized them.”
----”Pop Shonin”, ex-gunfighter and Paladin Steel sales-rep(Mid-Western Sales Zone)

The ‘Black Thunder Twenty’ is a weapon that was developed not for any particular purpose except that Paladin Steel COULD, after hearing about Bandito Arms’ BigBore revolver line. Could they build a revolver around a twenty-millimeter light cannon caliber? Sure. The result is a traditional design revolver writ so large that only exceptionally strong beings, or those with bionic augmentation can fire the thing. The Black Thunder is unrepentently Badass in design; no fancy composites or cerametal as with other PS weapons; it’s heavy megadamage metal construction all the way, with an iron-wood inlaid handle, and a standard revolver action moving a six-shot cylinder. A heavy underbarrel lug helps balance the weapon; the kick of the twenty-emem going off gives the pistol a wrist-snapping kick-up and kick-back. The Black Thunder comes in only one color; black metal finish, though if you ask politely, supposedly PS will manufacture it in a chrome finish(costs extra, though). The weapon chambers a specialty round; Paladin Steel’s PSX-1 Extra Power Express Round, a cased cartridge explosive round that hits like a hovertank. The weapon can also chamberriot baton rounds and anti-vampire wooden bullets.
The Black Thunder has a certain snob appeal among headhunters and full-conversion cyborgs who can afford to shell out the credits for the weapon and its ammo. Most users agree that there’s just something so archaically COOL about bringing out the massive pistol and popping off a round.
(Post-110 PA Update: The ‘Black Thunder’ was originally marketed in the West under the name ‘Novo Mustang Armaments’...in reality, it was a Paladin Steel product created by sub-firm New Colt Industries in the newly assimilated Connecticut Baronies...PS was leery of bearding Bandito Arms in its own backyard until they had a better idea of the potential market...So far the ‘Black Thunder’ remains a niche weapon, with only a few hundred sold each year)
Date of Introduction: 107 PA
Type(W.P.): Revolver
Weight: 17 lbs
Range: 800 ft
Damage:(PSX-1xp High Explosive) 4d6 MD per shell
(Wood rds) 6d6 SDC per shell(1d6x10 HP to vampires)
(Crowd Control rds)humans and human-sized D-Bees must roll a D20 to maintain their footing (must equal or surpass the attacker's roll to strike...Full rules in TNW p.174)
Rate of Fire: Single shot, ECHH
Payload: 6 rounds
Special Features:
*Horror Factor of 11---Staring down the bore of this gun, especially when it’s just been whipped with cyber-reflex swiftness under your nose) has been known to make even hardened mercenaries lose bowel control.
Note: Requires a strength of 15 of better to shoot(P.S. 18 or better to shoot one-handed); anything less and it’s -3 to strike
Cost: 7,500 credits, 100 credits per PSX-1xp round(or 9,500 credits for a box of 100)

PS USR-10 ‘Howler’ Sonic Rifle ‘Hate the sound of fingernails on a chalkboard? That’s what it feels like to have someone turn a Howler on you...only the feeling’s upside your head....you tense up, your pulse races,your hackles rise...you generally feel ready to kill the sonuvabitch who’s annoying you.....except that you’re also having trouble keeping your balance, your stomach is moving north for the summer, and your knees are heading in the opposite direction...like having a bad ear infection... and that was only from five seconds of demo firing...I understand some people can resist the side effects for several minutes, but I ain’t one of them!”
---Ensign Callisto Morganstern, Vermont Free State Naval Reserve

“Sonic weapons were still very much a pipedream for our underwater warfare boys, and alot of folks said that blue-green lasers made them unnecessary anyway...then a few Horune weapons made their way into our hands, courtesy of Paladin Steel West’s war in the Pacific...pity was, we spent over six months trying to figure out how to make them work before they either fell about or became inert chunks of scrap...damn magic element in them proved beyond our abilities...so we went back to the older clunky pure-tech prototypes in hopes of finding something that would work before the Techno-Wiz boys could figure out how to apply a Sound Blast spell to a multiplexor...verdict’s still out on who won with the most effective weapon, but right now I’ll say the Howler’s the weapon I’d go with...I KNOW the thing works, since I sweated nearly a year and I suspect most of my hearing, into those emitter elements!”
---Senior Engineer Shacsa Khunder, Paladin Steel Advanced Weapons Division(AWD)

The ‘Howler’ is a new, experimental underwater weapon being field-tested by the Vermont Free State Navy. The ‘Howler’ is a high-frequency, directed sonic beam projector powered by a conventional e-clip feed. The USR-10 is an unremarkable-looking weapon; short, stubby, and angular, with a rectangular shape, a large-bore, short-length barrel concealing a large emission lense, forward of a single handgrip, with a large, water-sealed, bullpup-configuration stock holding the large e-clip/canister clip.
Like most Earth-built sonic weapons to date, the ‘Howler’ has abysmal range compared to blue-green lasers and ion weapons, but experiments showed that the intense vibrations emitted by the weapon can actually penetrate most body armors, inflicting various effects on the occupants, from merely annoying, to excruciatingly painful. On the basis of this, PS and the VFSN have authorized limited issuance of the weapons to its forces.
The PS sonic weapons program is based largely on technology recovered from an alien spacecraft recovered on the East Coast---based on initial observations/investigations of the remains of the crew(all female humanoids), it was believed that the ship was Argentum in origin...but later experiences with Megaversal contacts would lead GNE to the conclusion that the vessel was in fact from the Atorian Empire(see Aliens Unlimited). Other contributors to the sonic weapons program include the Free Canadians, whose non-lethal police sonics piqued PS interest in their own program, but with a more lethal bent.
PS has hopes that the Howler and its kin could become the new standard infantry weapons for SEAL teams and underwater infantry. However, with the more advanced status of E-Bolt weaponry, the sonics programmes are already seeing cutbacks. Given the predicted lower cost and energy consumption per unit, though, research still continues on sonic weapons, with hopes that the range and weight problems will be solved.
Date of Introduction: 108 PA
Weight: 6 lbs
Range: 300 ft in water, 80 ft in air
Damage: (Variable power settings) 4d6 SDC, or 4d6 MD per blast
Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor.
The sonic vibrations can also be used to set up a resonance in hard armor that can stun or disorient living beings. Humans(and those most like them) will find these subsonic vibrations particularly irritating, the barely audible buzzing setting up painful discordance in their eardrums and auditory apparatus. Beings with enhanced hearing are particularly vulnerable to this attack. Cyborgs and those with baffled hearing implants will NOT be affected by this.
Save versus psionic attack(12 or better)
Power Armor and EBA-wearers will be more susceptible to the effects of resonance, owing to their close proximity to the materials being affected. The effects are greatly diminished to occupants on a vehicle owing to the many interior structures that serve to disipate and insulate the sound waves.

Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 30-shot E-clip(1 MDC shot equals 10 SDC shots), 50 shots from a long E-clip
Bonuses:
Special Features:
*Neutral Bouyancy--Like other PS underwater weapons, the USR-10 is balanced and floated so it neither sinks like a stone, nor bobs to the surface like a balloon if released/lost.
Cost:Currently not available for sale, but if a functional example were to make it to the Black Market, it could expect to fetch 80,0000 credits


PS-USC-02 Screecher Sonic Cannon

“I heard they were going to call it the ‘Death Scream’, but some bigwig up top complained...and I mean they musta COMPLAINED!, because every reference to ‘Death Scream” was whited out in the development reports and ‘Screecher’ substituted instead.”
---Senior Engineer Shacsa Khunder, Paladin Steel Advanced Weapons Division(AWD)

The ‘Screecher’ is the ‘Howler’s’ upscaled big brother, intended for use by cyborgs and other augmented beings. In addition to being larger, heavier, and more powerful, the sonic cannon mounts a four-shot spear-launcher under the sonic emitter muzzle. Currently, the Screecher is in the experimental testing stage, with only about fifty or so weapons distributed for field tests with various groups on both coasts.
Like the Howler, the Screecher can fire a straightout concussive blast of sonic destruction, or emitt a lower-powered vibration beam that can penetrate armor and induce disorientation, ‘soft’ damage to organic targets, and create destructive resonances in materials.
Date of Introduction: 110 PA
Weight: 25 lbs
Range:(Sonic Blast) 1,800 ft underwater, 600 ft in air
(Spear Launcher) 500 ft
Damage::Wide Beam: 4d6 MD to a 30 ft area
Concentrated Beam: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor.
Unprotected personnel must save versus non-lethal poison (16 or higher) or be stunned for 1d4 melee rds. People in sealed power armor save at an 8 or higher for the wide area blast, but make a standard save for the concentrated blast.
Sonar Blast----This is an enormous ‘belch’ of sonic cacophony that can blind sonar systems within range with a mass of ‘white noise’, knocking them out for 1d4 melees. Sonar and acoustic homing systems will lose target lock, and sonar-using creatures will be stunned and ‘blind’ for 1d4 minutes.
Vibration Blast---This takes up ALL attacks per melee to initiate and maintain, and consists of focusing a low powered beam on a sealed ship(submarines are ideal), and gradually inducing an ultra-low frequency vibration throughout its structure. While this doesn’t do any damage per se, it does affect the hearing and inner ears of crewmembers, causing creeping disorientation and increasing unsettledness, leading up to nausea. After one melee people with unprotected hearing(or uninsulated contact with the ship’s hull structure) will be -1 to strike, parry, and dodge, and -5% to skills(they become easily distracted). After two melees they are -2 to strike, parry, and dodge, -10% to skills, and are -10% to their sense of balance...and so on...People with protected hearing are immune to the effect, but beings with enhanced hearing are TWICE as susceptible to the effects.
This setting is most effective against vessels 60 ft long or smaller...larger vessels will take an extra full melee per 50 ft of length for this to work...or several cannon working in concert, to be effective.

(Spear Launcher)These weapons can be tipped with an explosive head(2d6 SDC or 5d6 MD exploding head), armor-piercing hunting point(1d6 MD), magnetic grapple, or tracking bug, and can be used to attach a 100-foot line of high strength braided mono-filament cabling.
Rate of Fire:(Sonic Blast) ECHH
(Spear Launcher) Volleys of 1,2, 3, or 4 (all)
Payload:(Sonic Blast) 10 shot E-clip, 20 shot long E-clip or effectively unlimited linked to a power armor’s powerplant or cyborg’s supplementary energy generator.
(Spear Launcher) 4 shots
Special Features:
*Neutral Bouyancy--Like other PS underwater weapons, the USR-10 is balanced and floated so it neither sinks like a stone, nor bobs to the surface like a balloon if released/lost.
Cost: Currently not available for sale, but if a functional example were to make it to the Black Market, it could expect to fetch 90,000 credits or more.

PS SUPACK Underwater Assault Module
“What the heck are you pointing at me...the ‘Cone of Death’? That thing looks ABSURD!”
---Last words of ‘Captain Chromer’, Privateer, at the ‘Battle of Wharf 71’

The SUBPACK Rifle is actually a heavy weapon pod intended for use by augmented humans, exceptionally strong beings, and cyborgs, much like PS’s earlier Assault Module. The weapon is patterned after the shoulder weapons modules on the Black Market ‘Orca II’ Deep Sea Power Armor. The SUPACK resembles a large cone-shaped fairing, attached to a pistol-grip and folding wire-stock. The fairing is weighted and bouyed with a plastic-foam filling to maintain nuetral bouyancy(it neither floats nor sinks if released in the water). The fairing is pierced by six opennings; the bottom two are a pair of high-powered searchlights, the top two are a set of paired blue-green lasers, and the remaining two are an ion-blaster and a particle beam cannon, modified for underwater use. The SUPACK is awkward and poorly balanced for use out of the water(-1 to strike, for anyone with a P.S. of less than 15), but is easy to move and operate underwater, as the flotation packs and water eliminate much of the awkward weight.
A variant of the SUPACK, the SUPACK-B, replaces the blue-green lasers with a set of spear-launchers.
The SUPACK is currently considered to be experimental, undergoing field-testing, and is not yet available to the black market.
Date of Introduction: 105 PA
Weight: 20 lbs
Range: (Blue-Green Lasers) 1,200 ft
(Ion Blaster) 2,000 ft
(Particle Beam Cannon) 600 ft underwater, 1,200 ft in air

(SUPACK-B Spear Launchers) 200 ft
Damage:(Blue-Green Lasers) 2d6 MD single shot, 4d6 MD per simultaneous shots from both(counts as one attack)
(Ion Blaster) : 4d6 MD per blast
(Particle Beam Cannon) 1d6x10 MD per blast
A full salvo from all four weapons at once does 1d10x10+8 MD(counts as one atatck)

(SUPACK-B Spear Launchers)These weapons can be tipped with an explosive head(2d6 SDC or 5d6 MD exploding head), armor-piercing hunting point(1d6 MD), magnetic grapple, or tracking bug, and can be used to attach a 100-foot line of high strength braided mono-filament cabling.
Rate of Fire: (Blue-Green Lasers)(Ion Blaster) ECHH
(Particle Beam Cannon) ECHH

(SUPACK-B Spear Launchers) Volleys of 1 or 2
Payload: Can accommodate a 40-shot E-canister, or effectively unlimited linked to a power armor’s powerplant or cyborg’s supplementary energy generator.
(Blue-Green Lasers) Each laser shot counts as ONE shot
(Ion Blaster) Each ion blast counts as ONE shot
(Particle Beam Cannon) Each particle beam shot counts as ONE shot

(SUPACK-B Spear Launchers) 8
Special Features:
*Twin Spotlights---the SUPACK features two high-power spotlights under the barrels.
*Neutral Bouyancy--Like other PS underwater weapons, the SUPACK is balanced and floated so it neither sinks like a stone, nor bobs to the surface like a balloon if released/lost.
Cost: Currently not available for sale, but if a functional example were to make it to the Black Market, it could expect to fetch 50,000 credits.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel PSAR-74 K“Double Deuce”(DII) Combo-Rifle
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/PSAR-74DIICombi-Rifle_zps8610c6b0.jpg

“The thing about the Double Deuce is not so much its power, but the fact that you can do just about anything to these weapons, and they’ll keep going on you.....They tossed the actions of the rifles and lasers to a bunch of baby orcs and let them play for a week or so, spitting up on them, playing hammer-my-sister, and chewing on the ends, collected the parts after playtime, then re-assembled them into working weapons, and whaddya know? Fired clean on the first try! They ran the components through every possible dumbass mistake a first-time gun-bunny could make, scrapped them with every makeshift tool they thought one could find on a battlefield, and subjected them to stresses that would break just about any other weapon, just in the course of design.
Oh, they didn’t design a one hundred-percent perfect, idiot-proof, weapon,...that’s impossible...but the Double Deuce will work in just about any real world situation, from a hot start after twenty-four hours of straight firing and trampling in mud, or after six months of no-maintenance in a farmer’s back closet.”
---”UndertakerMan”, Headhunter

“You hear alot about this weapon coming out to compete with the MA repliguns...my advice; buy four or five repliguns and a PS gun. When the Deadboys come tromping over the horizon, hand out the repliguns to your friends and neighbors, and use the PS gun yourself. “
---Cholgor Yemarcs, Gunfighter, Kingsdale

“Why can’t these damn hayseeds turn these damn things on each other like everyone else!? Why us, for cryin’ out loud!!???”
---Lieutenant Lorana Pietre, Coalition States Army, Pennsylvania, 110 PA

The introduction of megadamage explosive bullets heralded a rebirth of interest in conventional projectile weaponry in North America, and a number of companies rushed to develop and sell their own lines of munitions that promised to turn commonly available ‘popper-guns’ into monster-killers and armor-busters. Some looked to copy Wellington Industries’ various lines, others sought to reverse-engineer Triax, Naruni, and alien technologies looking for new ideas. Paladin Steel, already producing a range of conventional firearms, saw the profit potential in the field, and looked into licensing a promising new munition line from a small chemical company, Amerinoskov-Harrian-Morgan, after early trials of their new explosives showed destructive yields from 7.62mm projectiles that were in the 10-16 MD K-P Scale. To exploit the new AhmEx technology, PS decided to launch a new series of firearms in conjunction with the new bullets.
PS had already enjoyed considerable success with its early OICW-2 Waybur Rifle, a combination battle rifle and infantry cannon that packed a vicious projectile punch. They had also had some small success with energy weapons and tools, though their corporate allies by far dominated the weapons end of this market. Why not combine the two, the re-emerging projectile arms market and the favorite megadamage weapon, the laser? Thus, the ‘Double Deuce’ was born.
Taking a tip from other independent arms producers who had come out with projectile/energy weapon combinations, PS wedded a trustworthy laser design to a rugged projectile weapon. PS’s archivists selected the pre-Rifts Kalasnikhov rifle, a rugged, simple, brutally efficient, and extremely inexpensive battle rifle favored by Sov satellite-states and ‘Third-World’ nations. The laser was modeled after common black market heavy lasers pistols, but with a single-shot capability.
The DII resembles a slightly over-sized AK-47 with a smaller laser barrel sticking over under over the main gun barrel in an over-and-under configuration. A barrel extension(with appropriately large ring-sight to allow the laser an unobstructed line of fire) is optional; the weapon is equally accurate and effective as a ‘long rifle’ or a ‘snubby’. The use of lighter, corrosion-resistant plastics have reduced the weight, offsetting the added weight of the laser. The 7.62mm is fed from a box-clip under the main gun barrel ahead of the trigger-guard(the traditional ‘banana clip’ familiar to gun aficionados), while the laser is powered by a conventional pistol e-clip in the pistol-grip. Though the weapon can be fitted with a folding wire stock, a hollow synthetic stock with internal compartment and weighted buttstock(for use in melee combat) is more common. A socket under the main barrel allows for a bayonet, laser spot, or flashlight, to be fitted. The weapon comes standard with a cleaning rod and maintenance kit. The weapon is remarkably lightweight, thanks to its composite construction, but after several years of field service, the weapon may be heavier, thanks to repairs using light metal and other non-spec materials, The automatic rifle portion is incredibly easy to service(PS has helpfully included an illustrated maintenance booklet on folding waterproof plastic), while the laser is a compact, water-sealed unit that easily snaps out for easy replacement.
The ‘Double Deuce” is by no means a battlefield superiority weapon...by themselves, neither the laser nor the automatic rifle would make much of an impression on seasoned soldiers, nor stand up against their contemporaries in those soldiers’ hands. The DII isn’t intended to win a war. The ‘Double Deuce” is intended to provide cheap, reliable, multilevel, threat-deterrent firepower to the peasant farmer, the small-town militia, the factory worker, and the common joe who finds himself or herself in the desperate position of having to fight for what they love. That may mean Coalition soldiers, Brodkil marauders, Splugorth Slavers, or starvation. With the DII in their hands, the backwoodsman can quickly switch from a cutting laser beam slicing up encroaching hexawood, to a regular rifle slug to bring down a thieving coyote, to a megadamage exploder to blow away that pesky Darthbear. And even though the DII might not stand up in comparison to the Firebreather on a firing range, who the hell knows what’s what out in the real world? When the lasers and bullets start chipping off armor and slicing through cover, what hero’s going to stand up and check to see how powerful those laser beams are, or whether or not that sniper behind the far wall paid for brand-new exploders? Rock and roll, boys and girls, rock and roll....

(Note: Paladin Steel’s faith in Amerinoskov-Harrian-Morgan and the AhmEx turned out to be premature...The AhmEx-12 round did indeed deliver 3d6+4 MD per round in trials, but failed to deliver equal performance in independent tests and random testing of production rounds, typically doing only 1d4 MD and having a 30% chance of not exploding at all! The new explosive compounds showed a marked tendency to destabilize with time, even when sealed hermetically in their casings, and follow-up trials showed that after six months, AhmEx rounds showed such a significant degeneration in explosive power as to become virtually useless, severely limiting the rounds’ effective shelf-life. After a prolonged period of negotiations, demands, and disputes between the two firms, Paladin Steel finally had to admit they’d been snookered, along with several other corporations bidding for rights to the AhmEx line. PS promptly dropped the AhmEx sales campaign, recalled munitions shipments they’d already made, refunded several supply contracts, and had instead turned its hopes to its own less powerful and slightly more expensive in-house line, the PSX-1 formulation. As dismally expected, sales of the DII took a nosedive without the expected performance of the AhmEx-12s backing the weapons. In some cases, PS was selling the weapons off for as little as 3,000 credits(!)
Amerinoskov-Harrian-Morgan folded as a company amidst persistent rumors that it had doctored performance data on its products, and grossly over-claimed for their munitions. Its staff disappeared and nothing has been heard of them since. While PS continues to experiment with the AhmEx chemistry, hoping to unravel all the problems with it, rumors persist that several large shipments of AhmEx-12 and other caliber explosive rounds have gone unaccounted for and may be drifting around the Black Market.)

Date of Introduction: 108 PA
Weight: 8 lbs (9-10 lbs ‘field-repaired’ models)
Range:(7.62mm) 985 ft
(Laser) 800 ft
Damage:(7.62mm) 5d6 SDC per round
(PSX-1) 2d6 MD per round
(Laser)2d4 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(7.62mm) Standard
(Laser) ECHH
Payload:(7.62mm) 30 rd ‘banana’ clip
(Laser) 18 shot standard E-clip in handle
Special Features:
*Mounting Socket under barrel---Holds a flashlight or bayonet
*Tool Kit---Barrel cleaning rod stored alongside the gun barrel, fieldstripping tool incorporated into muzzlebrake assembly.
*Optional Forward Hand Grip
*Optional Survival Kit in Gun Stock---Includes compass, small knife/file-tool, fishline spool, disinfectant swaps, gauze and sterile tape rolls, fire-starter, chlorine tablets.
*Optional Drum Magazine--Holds 100 rds.
Cost: 7,000 credits(yep!)

Paladin Steel PSAKM-80 ‘Mega-Deuce’ Combo Heavy Rifle
(aka ‘Bubba Gun’, ‘Tommy Junior’)
( Explosive shells courtesy of Rifts South America II)
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/EmbassyMarinewithMegaDeuceShotgun_zpse6d245de.jpg

“Well, it’s way cheaper than a rail gun, but just as brutal...and you don’t have to worry about magnetic spikes, or keeping the magcoils in alignment. The J-11 component looks a little lame perched up on top of the big autoshoot, but it’s just as powerful, and has even better range...half of the added weight of the laser unit is the extra insulation wrapping it to keep the lasing elements from cracking under the strain of the vibrations of the autoshot on full rock and roll mode....and when that baby gets to rocking, it shakes, rattles, and rolls...”
-Mickey Hammer, Merc.

“HAHAHAHAHAHA! SO THE SILLY TINMAN THINKS THAT LITTLE GUN’S GOING TO STOP ME!? I AM THE RIGHT HAND OF KRONOS, PATHETIC WORM! AND....”
*WHAMWHAMWHAMWHAMWHAM*
*THUD*THUD*THUD*THUD*THUD*THUD*Splat!*
“Kronos will just have to learn to scratch his ass with his left hand, then....”

The PSAKM-80 is the PSAKR-74’s ‘Big Brother’, a double-mount, over-and-under, shotgun-and-pulse laser combo designed for use by bionically-enhanced or exceptionally strong individuals. It’s considered to be roughly between a Columbian CR-Rocket Rifle and a PS Taskin 20mm Light Autocannon in weight and range.
The PSAKM-80 was scaled up from the ‘Double Deuce’ after the lighter ‘partisan weapon’ fell through in the battlefield. Though mechanically sound, and extremely reliable, the ‘Double Deuce’s’ marketing campaign tied it to the new AhmEx-12 Explosive Bullet, which was promised to give the weapon power equal to any energy weapon’s. When the AhmEx-12 fell far short in terms of power, reliability, and delivery schedule, most buyers ignored the fact that the Double Deuce was still a good weapon, and perfectly capable of chambering commercially available MD rounds from Northern Gun, Wellington, and the PS knock-offs. Hundreds of ‘Double Deuces’ were dumped back on the market. PS was faced with a problem; good concept, proven reliability, lousy timing, and bad image.
PS decided to throw good money after bad, by converting the PSAKR production line to produce the similar, but larger, PSAKM-series weapons. The PSAKM mated the well-known J-11 Pulse Laser to an automatic shotgun, combining firepower and versatility. Though more expensive, and geared to a narrower market, the PSAKM combined reliable and proven technologies to devastating effect, while still remaining affordable. The addition of new munitions types from PS’s munitions labs, and from the trade exchanges with the Silver River Republics of South America, has only increased the versatility and marketability of these weapons.
The PSAKM-80 has found considerable acceptance for an ‘on-the-rebound’ weapon, especially among mercenaries, gunfighters, and security forces. PS’s own Chai-Chuk and Dwarf population have taken to the weapon, and the weapon has also been seen in the hands of GNE Marine honor guards protecting Greater New England’s overseas embassies.
Weight: 25 lbs
Range:(12 Gauge)) 300-1,000 ft(varies by ammunition type)
(Laser) 4,000 ft!
Damage:(12 Gauge)
*Standard Shotgun shell--300 ft range, 5d6 SDC
*Standard Buckshot shell---300 ft range, 4d6 SDC to 5 ft area
*Teargas shell---300 ft range, 25 ft radius---victims are -10 to strike, parry, and dodge, -3 initiative, lose 1 melee attack/action, for the next 1d6+1 melees
*Baton shell---300 ft range, 2d6 SDC, plus humans and human-sized D-Bees must roll a D20 to maintain their footing (must equal or surpass the attacker's roll to strike...Full rules in TNW p.174).
*S-9Dex Incapacitation Munition ---300 ft range, Essentially a paper-shelled shotgun shell-sized gas-propelled 'cold rocket', packed full of taser beads. Beads powder on impact, reducing the chance of bystanders or ingoing police stepping on undischarged beads. Great for crowd control and dealing with closed-space situations(alleyways, rooms, vehicle interiors, etc...)
Effective Range: 300 feet, w/ 20 ft radius
Damage: Nil. Humanoids struck with this weapon must save vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes.
Cyborgs have a 60% chance of having their cybernetics disrupted for 1D10 minutes, and a 30% chance of a non-vital system being permanently shorted out.
*High Explosive Armor Piercing Shell---1,000 ft range, 6d6 MD(no blast radius)
*Mini-Grenade(plasma)--- 1,000 ft range, 5d6 MD to 5 ft blast radius
*Mini-Grenade II(Fragmentation)---1,000 ft range, 2d4 MD to 10 ft blast radius
*Standard HESH Shell---1,000 ft range, 2D4 M.D. plus 4D4 S.D.C. to the person(s) inside of EBA power/body armor & roll versus knockdown (14)

(Laser)4d6 MD per single blast, 1d6x10+10 MD per triple blast
Rate of Fire:(12 Gauge) Standard
(Laser) ECHH
Payload:(12 Gauge) 20 rd ‘banana’ clip
Or a 50 shot drum can be added
(Laser) 10 shot standard E-clip in handle, 30 shot long E-Clip, or 60 shot rechargeable canister. Or can be linked to an external power source for potentially infinite shots
Special Features:
*Mounting Socket under barrel---Holds a flashlight or bayonet
*Tool Kit---Barrel cleaning rod stored alongside the gun barrel, fieldstripping tool incorporated into muzzlebrake assembly.
*Optional Forward Hand Grip
*Optional Survival Kit in Gun Stock---Includes compass, small knife/file-tool, fishline spool, disinfectant swaps, gauze and sterile tape rolls, fire-starter, chlorine tablets.
Cost: 18,000 credits(yep!)

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘GunLoc’ Modular Long Arm System

“Now ‘standard issue’ becomes ‘have it your way!’”

“Just one short hop of the finger from one trigger to the other and that demon-mage who was looking so smug after shrugging off my laser burst suddenly wasn’t looking so confident after those DU rounds chewed off his face!”

“And this here is my ‘little bundle of joy’

“ The upsides of the new GunLoc system are that you can finally mix and match your favorite PS weapons into your own combi-weapon...and to get the line moving in sales, PS has slashed the costs on a lot of their guns, so you can buy a gross of the component guns, and save enough to buy a half-dozen of the original stand-alone types with their accessories.
The downside is that the individual component weapons, in order to save weight, use as much ceramic and composite structural materials as possible...Sure, PS has tested them enough to insure that your gun isn’t going to peel apart in your hand, or debond in hot weather, but the weapons just feel lighter in the hand....fire a burst and the vibration or vac-snap gets transferred to your hands, rather than ground itself in the weight of the gun....that can make it real uncomfortable holding the weapon on target in prolonged fire mode.
Cutting the weight of the individual weapons also means that you lose a lot of the extras tacked on the originals, like special sensors, or balancing gear, or tool kits in the buttstock...sure, you can add those on later, but that costs extra and adds weight...until you’re toting around a howitzer, rather than a rifle. “

The recently introduced GunLoc system started out as Paladin Steel’s repackaging of several of its lighter and more popular small arms lines so that two weapons can effectively be locked together to form a combination rifle/long arm. The Gunloc system was devised after experience with Paladin Steel’s copies of the pre-Rifts OICW(Objective Individual Combat Weapon), an assault rifle that combined a 9 mm light assault rifle with a 20mm mini-cannon in an over-and-under barrel configuration, showed that users often carried a second, back-up, energy long arm to compensate for some of the weaknesses of the projectile weapon(s). Often, however, the lower caliber component of the OICW went underutilized, even with the use of megadamage explosive bullets, while the twenty-millimeter weapon, with its smaller ammunition capacity, but greater stopping power, was favored. Similar observations were made of another Paladin Steel weapon, the Double Deuce, that combined a light laser with a combat shotgun. Naruni Enterprise’s recent introduction of a line of multi-weapon rifles also offered a strong incentive to Paladin Steel to quickly field similar weapons to re-acquire market share.
Paladin Steel elected to experiment, to see if there couldn’t be some way of providing a readily reconfigurable small arms system that would streamline logistical concerns and ease the maintenance requirements of a military already swimming in light weapons, and needing a variety of such hardware to counter various threats. Applying its expertise with modularity to small arms, Paladin Steel decided to remanufacture several of its energy small arms and other infantry accessory systems to be better able to fit into the same lock points as the 7.62 sub-weapon under the heavier 20-mm component, allowing soldiers to customize their rifles to their own preferences. A forward ring clamp can be slipped over the weapon barrels, further locking them together, as well as providing a ring-socket for slinging underbarrel flashlights, bayonets, laser spots, tasers, light grenade launchers, foregrips, or other accessories. Additional accessorization allows a THIRD weapon to be fitted to a side-slot, in addition to any underbarrel accessories and the top-mounted sighting assembly, but this is rarely done, as most soldiers find the resulting conglomeration too cumbersome to handle.
Firing the various weapons is handled by a common trigger in the core unit. The core unit long arm features a side-mounted trigger-lock box that with a push-button toggle control, allows the user to select which weapon is controled by the main trigger, or if both weapons are fired simultaneously with one pull(one attack). Of course, the combined weapons have their own individual triggers, and can be fired independently of each other, but this requires a separate action for each weapon.
The new system does make some compromises; the combined weapons tend to be heavier, and often the individual weapons are less powerful compared to stand-alone types of similar class, but many infantrymen like the idea of having a variety of types of mayhem at their fingertips, especially against foes who may have defenses against certain classes of weapon. Though originally intended to use as many existing off-the-shelf components as possible, PS has also found it hard NOT to develop additional accessories specifically for the GunLoc system and its components.
Coinciding with Paladin Steel’s release of the GunLoc system has been an across the board repricing of many of the company’s older gun lines; in some cases prices have been slashed as much as 50% from original starting cost(when the particular weapon was first introduced).
Paladin Steel has also considered devising a ‘GunLoc II’ system, using heavier component systems for cyborgs and other exceptionally strong beings.


Base Units----The main ‘base’ weapon into which the others lock. Originally, PS thought only to offer the original 20-mm mini-cannon as the only base unit, but expanded the system to include two of the more popular weapon types as the ‘heavy’ element of the GunLoc system.

*20mm Long Arm----Favored for its heavy kinetic punch and ability to use special ammunition types. Its high-explosive ammunition uses adjustable ‘smart’ fuzing for either direct contact detonation, or timed airburst for area of effect and more effective penetration of light structures and cover(the shell can pass through an SDC door or brushes before exploding). Feeds through a ‘bulldog’-configuration ammunition clip at the back of the weapon. PS seems to adore the 20mm projectile since they began manufacturing disposable plastic and ceramic casings that are equal to brass, and lightweight MD weapons barrels that hold up under autofire.
Weight: 7 lbs
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage:(Standard) 4d4 MD single rd, or 8d6 MD per 3 shot burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius. Burst does 3d6 MD to 4 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire:Single shot or 3 shot burst
Payload: 12 round clip
Special Features: *Integral Laser Sight (+1 to strike)
*Proximity fuzing feature for shells
Cost: 6,000 credits


*Heavy Laser----Based on the ever popular Wilks and Juicer pulse models
Weight: 10 lbs
Range: 3,500 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD triple shot burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 30 shots long e-clip
Special Features:-----
Cost: 40,000 credits
15,000 credits for a sniper focusing element attachment to the barrel; increases the range to 5,000 ft, but reduce damage per shot to 2d6 MD


*Plasma---Lighter than most plasma weapons, but still packing a considerable punch, this component was based on PS’s popular ‘Nimro’ variable mode plasma rifle, already favored by engineers, but lacks the variable setting modes.
Weight: 7 lbs
Range: 1,500 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 12 shots standard e-clip, 20 shots long e-clip
Special Features:-----
Cost: 25,000 credits

*Mini-Missile Launcher---Essentially a much cut-down Missile Rifle with a two-barrel four-shot clip top-fed configuration. Because of the weapon type, this base unit requires an exhaust venturi over the conventional rifle ****-stock, and must be fired with sufficient clearance to the rear.
Weight: 18 lbs
Range: Varies by Mini-Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Mini-Missile Type
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1-2
Payload: 4 mini-missiles
Special Features:
*Side-Mounted Low-Lite Sight
Cost: 20,000 credits

Sub-Units----These are the typically SMG-sized weapons locked into the underside or side of the main weapon

*9 mm SMG----The original under-component of the Waybur; lightweight and easy to maintain, and still popular for use against ‘soft’ targets. Can use standard SD rounds or megadamage high explosive bullets.
Weight: 4 lbs
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage:(Standard) 4d6 SDC single shot, 2d6x10 SDC per 5 rd burst
(MD explosive) (PX-1)1d4 MD single round, 1d4x10 MD for a burst of 10 rounds
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 30 shot clip
Special Features: * Selective single-shot, 3-shot burst, or full autofire modes
Cost: 1,000 credits

* Light Grenade Launcher---PS’s knockoff/improvement on arch-rival Northern Gun’s 30mm grenade launcher.
Weight: 4 lbs
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD to 6 ft blast area
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 6
Special Features:-----
Cost: 4,000 credits

*Medium Grenade Launcher----PS’s combination of Wellington Industries’ familiar 40-mm grenade and resurrected Golden Age tech. PS frankly can’t understand why the Black Market is charging eighteen-thou for ‘megadamage launchers’ when the boom’s in the projectile, not the launcher.
Weight: 4 lbs
Range: 1,250 ft
Damage: Fragmentation: 4d6 MD to 12 ft blast area
Armor Piercing: 1d4x10 MD to 3 ft blast area
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 4
Special Features:-----
Cost: 4,000 credits

*10 Gauge Auto-Shotgun---A clip- or drum-fed combat automatic shotgun. Especially popular for security forces engaged in riot control. Can fire a variety of rounds from SDC buckshot to high-explosive micro-grenades.
Weight: 4.8 lbs
Range: 150 ft
Damage:(Solid Slug) 5d6 SDC
(SDC Buckshot) 4d6 SDC to a 6 ft spread
(Riot Baton)---Plastic bullet; does 1d6 SDC, and has 50% chance of knocking down human-sized targets
(Taser)---Essentially an airborne nueral mace. Delivers a powerful electrical charge on contact. 1d8 SDC, and -8 to strike, parry, and dodge for 2d4 melees, plus an additional 2d4 melees per subsequent hit. Roll versus non-lethal poison, 16 or higher, or be knocked unconscious.
(Wooden Slug)----For anti-vampire use. Does 1d8 SDC, but 4d4 HP to vampires
(Gas/Smoke) Effects vary by specific chemical, but typically has enough agent to cover roughly 10 square ft.
(High Explosive)
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 6 shot clip, or 25 rd drum
Special Features: *Barrel-bumper Trigger---A forward trigger pad around the muzzle that fires the weapon at point-blank range when rammed into an object...great for blasting down doors and melee fighting.
Cost: 1,000 credits


*Ion---Developed from PS’s popular ‘Smasher’ series, only striped of the carrying handle, wire stock, and some of the casing to save weight(though these can be snapped back on with a special conversion kit)
Weight: 4 lbs
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD per three shot burst
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 30 shots short e-clip, 60 shots long e-clip
Special Features:
*Waterproof, pressure-resistant construction. Perfectly useable down to 600 ft underwater
Cost: 18,000 credits. 500 credits for the conversion kit


*Laser ---Developed from PS’s popular PSLSMG-03 ‘Rattler’ Laser Submachine Gun. Loses the bonus to strike due to superior balance, owing to design changes to make it part of the GunLoc system, but slightly less expensive.
Weight: 5 lbs
Range: 900 ft
Damage:2d6 MD single shot or 1d6x10 MD per 5 shot burst
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 20 shot standard e-clip, or 35 shot long e-clip
Special Features:
Cost: 17,000 credits


*Plasma---Actually a derivation of reverse-engineered alien gear.
Weight: 5 lbs
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per shot
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 12 shots per standard e-clip, or 25 from a long e-clip
Special Features:------
Cost: 18,000 credits


*Mini-Flamer----A larger version of the ‘roman-candle’-type unit typically slung under barrels. Uses PS’s patented chemically-inert lining material, variable flow, and adjustable ignition system, allowing the same weapon to handle a variety of different fuel-substances from underslung canisters, as long as they run and burn, from SDC kerosene to superhot thermite gels.
Weight: 4 lbs
Range: 250 ft for napalm gels
Damage:
(Wellington plasma napalm) 3d6 MD burst
(MD Gel)4D6 MD Upon contact, burning for 1D6 rounds doing 2D6 MD per round. Anything that the character touches also starts on fire. Any combustible materials within touching distance, clothes, brush, etc. also ignite.
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: Enough fuel for 5-10 blasts
Special Features: *Multi-Fuel Capacity
Cost: 8,000 credits

*Pepper Gun----A larger version of the ‘flit-gun’-type unit typically slung under barrels
Weight: 3 lbs
Range: 80 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical used
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: Enough liquid for 15 blasts
Special Features:------
Cost: 500 credits

*Mini-Plexor---A ‘lite’ version of the original Multiplexor, except instead of a spellcard-system built into a vibrosword, it’s an underbarrel unit.
Weight: 3 lbs
Range: Varies by spell
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. Spells cost as normal
Payload: Draws from the main PPE Battery, . In an emergency, the user, if they are a mage or psychic, can kick in their own PPE.
Bonuses: As per spell(if any)
Cost: The basic Multiplexor system costs about 35,000 credits
PPE clips cost 6,000 credits for 50 PPE
12,000 Credits for 100 PPE
Spell Cards cost (as per Jason Richards’ guidelines in Rifter #2) 5,000 credits per PPE cost of main spell plus an additional cost (as per following modifiers)
*500 credits per level of the creating caster(Mages’ time and PPE are money, so expect to pay more for the longer duration/higher power spells)
*Warlock spells cost 20% more, in addition to above modifiers, owing to the difficulties of adapting Elemental Magic to ‘conventional” magic systems.


*Forcefield Generator(experimental)---Part of PS’s effort to produce forcefields cheap enough for wholesale infantry use, this mini-EM field generator is e-clip powered, and small enough to fit under a rifle. Two short EM projection vanes snap out and forward, making the weapon look like a crossbow, but the generator pack produces a small one-directional forceshield(rather than an all-encompassing field) about 5 ft in diameter, centered around the weapon barrel. The main weapon is autosynched with the shield so it can fire through it. Though still in the experimental stages, PS has begun releasing these field-formatted models for field testing.
Weight: 6 lbs
Range: 5 ft diameter shield about six inches in front of the projector
Damage: None; the forceshield has 40 MDC
Rate of Fire: 1 APM to activate it
Payload: E-clip powered; can maintain the field for 25 minutes per short e-clip, 60 minutes per long e-clip
Special Features:------
Cost: Currently considered Experimental, but would cost 20,000 credits

*Lumer Scanner---A derivative of Anti-Theron Projector research and the PPE Scanner copied from Japanese designs, this device resembles a large aperature flashlight clipped under the weapon muzzle. Instead of visible or infrared light, this device projects a stream of invisible particles that fluoresce when they hit magically-charged objects---especially magically invisible beings. The Lumer is relatively inexpensive, and extremely easy to use, but is limited by the short range of the beam and its narrow scope of effectiveness. The particle-source is a PPE-reactive metal held in hardened gel-suspension in a replaceable cartridge that clips into the device, and is activated by an e-clip inserted into the back end.
Weight: 2 lbs
Range: 100 ft, with an 25 ft wide beam at maximum effective range
Damage: None; causes PPE-imbued(15 or more PPE) objects to light up
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: Standard E-clip provides 6 hours of continuous operation. Replaceable particle-source is good for 48 hours of continuous operation.
Special Features: *Ruggerized water/shock-proof covering
*Adjustable Focus(can expand the width if the beam, but reduce range accordingly)
Cost: 2,000 credits. Replacement cartridges cost 800 credits each

“Hey! This buttstock? Does it HAVE to be solid? Can’t we hollow it out? Use it hold..I dunno...a recoil compensator? Tool kit? Spare clips? Hip flask?”

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘Pathfinder’ Scout/Exploration Robot

“Where we go, others can only follow.”
-----Exploration Corps’ Slogan

The PS version of the Titan Recon ‘bot, the ‘Pathfinder’ has roughly similar dimensions and basic weapons configuration, but the ‘Pathfinder’ has a more angular appearance, the legs longer, the feet larger for both lower ground pressure and more stable footing, and the frame is far more modular in construction. The head replaces the Titan’s ‘grimace mask’ with a wrap-around sensor visor and antennae-festooned ‘ears’. The shoulders are larger and wider, to accommodate the sensor pallets mounted inside, and the forearms are more angular and larger, to carry heavier loads and carry internal utility systems. The hands are fully-articulated three-fingered with opposable thumbs. Because of the emphasis on EXPLORATION, the Pathfinder has been fitted with a far more powerful and varied array of sensor systems. Additional option systems can be added to arm, shoulder, and back hardpoints, further increasing the design’s utility. The Pathfinder mounts slightly less armor than the Titan Scout it is based on, but the machine’s improved leg articulation makes it slightly faster and more agile.
The Pathfinder is rarely used as a front-line combat unit; instead it is intended for scouting and exploration. While able to handle a fair amount of damage, in a tight situation, its best strategy is to disengage from combat and retreat. The recent introduction of advanced electronic jamming systems and active camouflage only serves to increase the survivability of this machine.
The Pathfinder is available on the open market from Paladin Steel, though some features listed below may not be available to non-PS employees and affiliates. The Greater New England Explorer Corps uses Pathfinders extensively in its operations. Many Paladin Steel Exploration Corps operators of the Pathfinder frequently use the ‘bot’s arms to carry large telescoping staffs...the tools can used to support tents and aerial antennae, and at least one pilot uses it to carry additional cargo in a tarp-sack fastened at the top(claiming it was useful in keeping animals out of the baggage when camping out), but most scouts explain that it’s the probing instrument of last resort...’poke it with a big long stick’.
Crew: One, with room for an additional passenger/crew member(typically a sensor operator or scientist)
M.D.C./Armor by Location:
Head 90
Main Body 250
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Waist Laser Turret 30
Secondary Sensor Mast 20
Shoulder Sensor Pod 30
Shoulder Searchlights(2) 5 each
Upper Arms/Shoulders(2) 110 each
Arms(2) 100 each
Hands(2) 40 each
Utility Arms(6)--- 5 each
Legs(2) 150 each

Height: 16 ft, 4 in.
Width: 7.5 ft
Length: 4 ft, 6 in.
Weight: 12 tons
Cargo:Minimal space; about 4 ft for survival packs, sidearms, and personal possessions.
Also, each leg holds an armored storage compartment, on the inside of each lower leg, capable of holding up to 300 lbs of additional gear, supplies, or cargo, for a total of 600 lbs. These compartments are accessed from the outside.
Additional cargo can be carried in two panniers slung from the waist of the ‘bot. These two armored compartments also offer additional ‘skirt’ protection to the hip-joints(70 MDC each) and can hold about 250 lbs of gear(compartments are roughly 6ft x5ft x3ft deep), for a total of 500 lbs.
Physical Strength: Equiv to PS 28
Power Plant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Running) 155 MPH
(Leaping) 15 ft up/across, +10 ft w/ running start
(Flying) Not possible(without optional jetpack)
(Underwater) Run along the bottom at 5 MPH, Max. Depth: 500 ft

Cost: 12 million credits and up for a fully-equipped Pathfinder

Construction Features:
All standard Robot features, plus:

Utility Arms(6)---The Pathfinder can extend a set of fine-control utility arms from its forearms(3 each arm) to do precision work and to delicately excavate/retrieve small objects. PS 10

*Shovel Gauntlets---Special ‘knuckle guards’ with spade-like edges fit over the hands, offering extra protection to the hands and improving their utility in digging/clearing earth.

*Winches(4)---The Pathfinder has four powered winches and cable drums...one just under the front of each knee, and one on the outer end of each shoulder. Each winch has 100 ft of high tensile-strength cabling, and a motor able to haul up to 5 tons each, allowing the winches to haul other vehicles out of mud, or slowly raise/lower the entire ‘bot up/down slopes and right itself.

*External Power Takeoffs(2)---Special plug connectors in the legs allow the ‘bot’s internal fusion generator to power accessory systems such as camp equipment and e-clip rechargers, while the ‘bot is stationary.

*Expanded Recorder Systems---Two large cabinet-sized recorder stacks are mounted in the back of the cabin, recording all internal and external data. Each stack can hold up to 60 days worth of 24/7 data input. They can be removed(each has 20 MDC and weighs 300 lbs), but some users have them keycode-locked to a self-destruct plasma/EM charge to prevent tampering and unauthorized accessing of the recorded data.

*Radio w/ signal scrambler: 500 mile long range, 5 mile short range.

*External Loudspeaker: 80 decibels

*ECCM system: A semi-automatic system that uses electronic encryption and frequency jumping to (attempt to) negate jamming systems. The system has a 25% chance of negating radar or communications jamming (non-magical) on its own, or a +5% if the pilot has a Read Sensory Instruments or Radio: Scramblers skill and devotes a full melee to operating the system(no other attacks/actions are possible).
Having an Electronic warfare Skill gains a +15% bonus to operating this system.
Note that this only applies to received communications (the system filters them out from the jamming clutter) and sensory data received by that unit alone (other units cannot make use of it, unless they have an unaffected datalink/info-share with the ECCM equipped unit. Magic/psychic jamming is NOT affected by this system.

*Laser Illuminator---The mast also mounts a ‘painting’ laser for tagging illuminating targets for laser-guided ordnance. Range: 7 miles.

Sensors:
All standard Robot sensors, plus:

*Inertial Compass/Recorder---Can be set at the beginning of a journey to trace the ‘bot’s steps, speed, and direction, allowing the pilot to ‘backtrack’ if necessary.

*Magnetic Anomaly Detector---A useful tool for finding metallic objects by the "footprint" they leave in the Earth's magnetic field. Can detect metallic objects (200 lbs or more) up to 5,000 ft feet away.

*Deep Radar----An ultra-high resolution radar system. particularly useful for mapping ground terrain and locating concealed objects
Deep Radar's primary disadvantages are the time needed to do a thorough scan(takes twice , to three times, as long), and the fact that the beam is narrow and directional. Repeated scans can also reveal details of the object's shape and configuration, as well as fine
topographical details. Range: 1.2 miles

*Ladar---Rather than use radio waves, Ladar uses low power, long-range lasers to determine distances and detect intruders, This is particularly useful when the enemy is using conventional jamming of radio bands to foil radar systems. Ladar, however, can be affected by smoke and foul weather, so it’s generally used only in special circumstances. Range: 3 miles

*Molecular Analyzer/Enhanced Sensor---A more powerful version of the bionic Molecular Analyzer. Paladin Steel salvage oeprators discovered awhile ago that even sealed-up and mothballed pre-Rifts hardware will emitt a distinctive spoor characteristic of technology; reactors leak small amounts of radioactive material, plastics leach contaminants, synthetic materials 'outgas', metals oxidize, sealed chemical storage drums slowly leak, etc. The MAES can be tuned to detect trace chemical signatures in the air and determine their makeup, and likely direction. True, this has led to a lot of false alarms, and resulted in PS scout teams finding a lot of trash and old landfills, but when used in conjunction with other search tools, has occasionally yielded impressive finds of hardware.
The MAES can be used to track detected chemical traces with 40% accuracy. However, it CANNOT be used to track humanoids or animals, unless they are emitting strong concentrations of specific chemicals(like ammonia,
or dioxin, etc...).

*Ground Sensor Probes----Housed in both of the Pathfinder's over-sized foot-pads is a seismic probe and ground-phones. When in use the seismic probe fires a penetrator, similar to the stabilizer struts of the
Glitterboy, into the ground, and emitts ultra-low frequency sound waves, acting as a sort of subterranean sonar. The return waves are detected by ground sensors in the Pathfinder's feet(or deployed on other vehicles), and
a computer compiles a graphic map of the underground topography. This has proven to be an extremely useful tool for locating buried ruins, charting geological resources, and finding underground installations.
Note that when in Active Mode characters with amplified/enhanced hearing, like Dog Boys or cybernetic Ultra-ears, standing within 500 feet of the Pathfinder will hear an annoying low-key buzz, and may feel
nauseous/suffer from headaches if exposed to the noise for more than a minute.
Ground scans will take 2-4 times as long as a standard radar/sensor sweep. Typical range on a ground scan is 1000 ft. .
In passive mode, the Ground Sensors can be used alone to listen for underground activity, such as burrowing animals, tunneling vehicles, water running through pipes, etc., as well as surface movement. Passive sensors can detect the surface movement of large animals(2 tons or more), robots, heavy vehicles, or large masses of infantry with 40% accuracy, up to a mile away.

Weapons Systems:
1) Waist Laser Turret---The Pathfinder replaces the rather unspectacular T-003 Mini-Laser with a more powerful pulse laser with a 120 degree arc of fire
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot. 1d6x10 MD per triple pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

2) Vibro-Sabers(2)---Housed in forearm housings, these large vibroblades replace the original Titan claws, and the chainsaws PS engineers originally wanted to fit. Extending out on gimballed extensors into the hands of the Pathfinder, the vibroblades can then be used just like a regular sword blade with the same play of movement. Typically, the Pathfinder uses these blades for brush and debris/obstacle-clearance, but they are also handy for close quarters combat.
Range: Each blade extends out 5 ft
Damage: MD

3)*PSPUD-01 Air Blaster----Exclusive to the Pathfinder is this Powered Utility Device designed for clearing dirt and debris from buried objects. This system can be fitted to a forearm or shoulder mount(to keep both hands free).
Essentially it’s a super-powered leaf blower that has some limited utility as a melee weapon, being able to knock over infantry and small robots, similar to a concussion charge. Also known as a ‘vortex blaster’.
Range: 500 ft, and affects a 15 ft wide area at maxmum range, 30 ft area at 100 ft or less.
Damage: On maximum setting, does NO damage
HOWEVER, humanoid-sized beings(7 ft or smaller) will have an 88% chance of being knocked over and pushed 1d6x10 ft by the air blast, as well as a 65% chance of being stunned or knocked out.
Creatures and bots weighing over a ton, or standing 8-20 ft, will only have a 40% chance of being knocked over, and only a 15% chance of being stunned.
Creatures and 'bots taller than 21 ft, will be unaffected.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

4) Optional: Use of handheld gunpods or mecha-sized weapons. Units attached to PS Exploration Corps or GNE military recon units will carry a rail gun or missile launcher pod for additional protection.

5) Hand to Hand Combat
Equiv. to Titan Power Armor Combat Training
Punch 1d6 MD
Shovel Claw adds +1d6 MD to damage
Kick 1d6 MD
Body Block/Tackle 2d6 MD
Stomp 1d4 MD

Options:
*Scout-Stick---A telescoping section of megadamage alloy tubing. Nothing special; just a big stick. Can be fitted with a boat-hook or grapple on the end. Most scouts carry two or three collapsed sticks clipped to the outside hull of their ‘bots.
MDC: 75
Size/Weight: About one ft in diameter, collapses to 8 ft long, extends to about 24 ft, and weighs 250 lbs.
Damage: Used as a blunt striking weapon, it does 1d4 MD, as a spearing weapon, 1d6 MD.
Cost: 1,000 credits

*Flare/Smoke Mortar----Adapted from PS’s vehicles, this is an external-mount cluster of flare/smoke-grenade launch tubes, usually mounted on the shoulders or chest. Up to two can be mounted.
Range: 300 ft
Damage: None. Obscuring smoke in 20 ft radius.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 3, or 6
Payload: 6 per launcher, 12 rds total. Must be manually reloaded.
Cost: 1,000 credits per launcher

*Drone Rack---This adds a shoulder ‘epulette’-mounted launch and recovery frame for up to three mini-RPVs, and adds the telemetry/command-control hardware and software to the Pathfinder. PS had developed and sells a variety of tactical RPV systems, but the one most commonly used for the Pathfinder’s mount is the PS-RUV-17 ‘Peekaboo’.
Each RUV-17 is roughly 2 ft in diameter and resembles a flying donut with sensor eyes around the rim. Has 15 MDC, flies at 80 MPH, maximum altitude of 3,000 ft, and has battery power for 1 hour of flight, before needing to recharge from its rack socket. Sensor systems carried onboard include robot optics, thermo-imagers, and radiation detectors. Data transmission back to its mothercraft(or command van) can be by radio transmission, or by ultra-light fiber optic tether-link(cumbersome, but reduces the chance of detection by EM signature).
Cost: 12,000 credits for frame and modification
9,000 credits per PS-RUV-17 drone

* EM Detector----This system adds another shoulder mast/antennae and associated ‘black box’ gear for the purpose of sampling and tracking electromagnetic emissions such as radio transmissions and radar systems, usually as part of ELINT operations.
Cost: 7,000 credits

*Thermo-Optic Camouflage System----Based on the Naruni Nomad Scout Robot, this system is another ‘breakthrough’ for Paladin Steel’s reverse-engineering department. The system uses new hull panels of optically-variable micro-‘cells’ and mini-cams to sample and match surrounding environmental color values and light spectra. This system changes color in 1d4 melees and gives the 'bot a limited stealth ability(-20% to Detect Ambush and Detect Concealment roles to find the thing). Also masks the Pathfinder's thermal and infrared emissions through special insulation and large heatsinks, making heat sensors useless. Expensive, yes, but how much is not being seen worth to you?
Cost: 2 million credits

*Sensors---Rather than list all the specific sorts of scientific sensors available, it can be be said that the Pathfinder can be rigged with a variety of different avionics and sensory gear, from EM-field detectors and Magnetic Anomaly Detector booms, to crystal PPE sensors and space-warp readers.

*Jet Pack----Yes, the Pathfinder can be fitted with a massive and powerful indpendentally-powered jet-lifter pack that allows it the limited ability to fly...though most users have learned to use it to boost the robot on enhanced jumps, or ‘skim’ just feet above the ground.
MDC of JetPack: 200
Power System: 15 year nuclear fusion mini-bottle
Speed:
(Leaping)Allows the robot to make 200 ft long leaps.
(Skimming) Can skim above the ground at 180 MPH, 1-4 ft off the surface.
(Flight)120 MPH, maximum altitude of 4,000 ft
Cost: 800,000 credits

*Jet Pack B----A more powerful(and heavier) jet pack based on one of PS’s now defunct VTOL mech designs, the ‘B’-Pack adds more powerful engines, more substantial back protection, auxiliary maneuvering jets, and paired missile racks on the ‘shoulder’ armatures. The B-Pack also has the option of being fitted with a light autocannon that folds down and fires over the shoulder, for additional firepower.
MDC of JetPack: 250
Auxiliary Thrusters(2) 80 each
Missile Launchers(2) 50 each
(Optional) Light Autocannon 70
Power System: 15 year nuclear fusion mini-bottle
Speed:
(Leaping)Allows the robot to make 500 ft long leaps.
(Skimming) Can skim above the ground at 180 MPH, 1-4 ft off the surface.
(Flight)145 MPH, maximum altitude of 10,000 ft
Weapons Systems:
a) Short Range Missile Launchers(2)
Range:Varies by Missile Type(Short Range)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Short Range)
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1,2, 4, or 8
Payload:16 total, 8 per launcher
b)(Optional) 75mm Light Howitzer---a ‘pack-howitzer’-based weapon capable of firing in both the direct and indirect fire modes.
Range:(Direct) 5,000 ft
(Indirect) 18,000 ft
Damage:Standard High Explosive: 8d6 MD to 10 ft area
Armor Piercing: 1d6x10 MD to 3 ft area
Plasma: 1d8x10 MD to 6ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: 3 times per melee
Payload: 50 rds
Cost: 3 million credits

f)Spray Cannon---A forearm sprayer can be mounted to assist in firefighting, construction, and excavation.
Range: 300 ft
Damage:Varies by chemical carried; Some examples:
(Water)None, if carrying water, but human-sized beings struck with the stream but roll versus the ‘cannon’s To Strike roll, or be bowled off their feet. Does 2d6x10 HP to vampires per blast

(Gloop) PS’s sticky goop---This material is used in constuction, as well as to firm up the walls of tunnels and damaged structures. It is also used to cocoon valuable and delicate objects for moving. Each half-gallon application of this quick-set plastic covers about 5 cubic feet, and to cover a human sized target completely, the attacker must roll a 12 or better on the Strike roll. Anyone caught in the goo must have a supernatural or robotic P.S. of 30 or better to escape; otherwise, the target is stuck until released by an outside agency. Gloop has 2d4 MDC per application, and breaks down after 1d4 days of exposure, unless treated with a special binder chemical, and allowed to cure for 1d4 hours, in which case it stabilizes and has an MDC of 2d6+1. Gloop costs 70 credits per half gallon(single application)
A variant of this gunk, ‘Boro-Slime’, is a quick-setting slurry of lead-powder and boro-silicate glass suspension, which is sprayed on leaking radiation sources, forming a thick crust to simultaneously trap radioactive materials and seal it inside a crusting shell for later safe removal. Best used to contain small (power armor and vehicle) reactor breaches and water leaks; larger reactor leaks will require more drastic measures. ‘Boro-Slime’ is otherwise identical to standard Gloop, and costs 120 credits per half gallon(single application)
Used by archaeology teams, Gloop is typically used to waterseal ruins and encase fragile artifacts for removal and study, much like plaster has been used in the past.

(Slip Spray)---rather than trap, this makes it impossible for people and many vehicles to gain purchase. A single application(a tablespoon) will cover nearly four square feet. Slipspray is very nearly water-resistant----it takes a LOT of water, roughly 6-10 gallons, to wash away an ounce of slipspray---or regular industrial solvents will do the trick. Slipspray breaks down after 1d4 hours of exposure to air.
Effects: Anyone trying to move across slipspray must make a roll under their Physical Prowess at -8 or go out of control at full speed. Vehicles, power armors, and light robot vehicles travelling in ground contact across sufficently large patches of slipspray will be at -15% to their piloting rolls..failure means the vehicel goes out of control and takes on the chaarcteristics of a giant hockey puck. Depending on the hardness of the surface(must be a hard surface, not a permeable surface like dirt or gravel), certain heavy vehicles and robots(like the MAC II) will be unaffected, as they simply stomp the effected surface into the subterrean. Hovercraft are NOT affected either. Cost: 40 credits per ounce(covers 8 square ft...so a gallon’s worth will cover 1,024 ft! Instant ice rink anyone?)

Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 200 gallon internal tank, or can be attached to a trailer holding up to 400 gallons
Cost: 10,000 credits

[taalismn]

A 'historical development' design post for Paladin Steel...

Paladin Steel Black Titan Program

“A Paladin Steel-made Moljinar 1 combat robot moved through here...and recently....two hours, tops. ”
“Well, how the heck can you tell THAT?”
“Easy...that Enforcer track has ‘PS’ embossed in it.”
“Oh...”

When the Vermont Free State began re-evaluating its vehicular forces,they found a glaring need for robot forces. While acquisitions from Cyberworks and Northern Gun had served the Vermont Free State in good stead, the flow of events in North America meant that the VFS might not always enjoy good relations with either of those powers, and as Paladin Steel’s commercial successes grew, today’s trade partners would quickly become tomorrow’s business rivals, and next week’s bitter enemies. Faced with cutting back on its own expansion for the sake of keeping passive with its corporate trade partners, engaging relations with dubious allies like Naruni Enterprises, or seeking an independent supplier closer to home, the Vermont Free State turned to Paladin Steel.
Indeed, PS had long regarded robotic technology as a desirable stage in the company’s development. Though they had long prided themselves on being able to churn out inexpensive and conventional vehicle and weapon designs, the infrastructure needed to support a robot program could easily be used to other more ambitious projects and programs as well.
PS engineers had settled on developing a series of ‘welter-weight’ robot vehicles that stood in the classification between heavy power armors and light robot vehicles, the same ground shared by the US Glitterboy, Triax Ulti-Max, and the NEMA Mastiff. However, even with the wide range of ‘conventional’ vehicles backed by a wide array of power armors and light robot exoarmors, PS and the GNE saw still saw a definite need for heavier robot combat and utility vehicles. Using acquired frames of Glitterboys and Mastiffs(from examples unearthed at Smuggler’s Notch), Paladin Steel has commenced development of a new series of infantry robots, but in the meantime, they also looked at more contemporary designs for study.
The initial offerings were essentially PS knock-off copies of well-known North American types such as the CS UAR-1 Enforcer, Titan Works’ ‘Trio’, and the Triax Forager, with different cosmetic appearances and slightly different weapons, but with essentially the same performance and underlying structure. However, from reverse-engineering those designs, PS quickly learned how to innovate, and even improve on the original designs. These lessons would prove invaluable when PS went on to greater projects.

Moljinar
The Paladin Steel ‘Moljinar’ was the first indigenous Paladin Steel design, though it was still highly derivative of the CS UAR-1 Enforcer, examples of which had been scrounged from battlefields in the MidWest or acquired from the Black Market(often from Free Quebec garages).
Because Paladin Steel could not match the Coalition for quantity, they had to match them for quality. This gave the engineers leeway to mount heavier armor and armaments, though the initial attempts attained only marginal improvements in both areas. The Moljinar saw the beginnings of PS’s philosophy of modular design applied to robot design; many of the Moljinar’s features would be fully realized in the Patriot and other later designs.
Of course, once the modular system was fully developed on later robot designs, subsequent new product Moljinars were modified and reworked to take advantage of the system.

Moljinar I

"That's one GIANT step for corporate capabilities..."
----Anonymous PS executive at the 'walk-out' of the first operational Moljinar robot 100 P.A.

The Series 1 Moljinar Was Paladin Steel’s first attempt at a dedicated robot combat vehicle. Aside from cosmetic differences and some differences in equipment, the Series 1 is virtually identical, performance-wise, to the Coalition UAR-1. Roughly 40 Moljinar Is were constructed and distributed before the Series II modifications were implemented. Originally deployed to the then Vermont Free State Militia before it became the Greater New England Regular Army, the surviving Moljinar Is have since been moved to the Reserves, and about twenty of them have been sold off to private concerns.
Changes from the CS UAR-1:
*Reduce top speed to 50 MPH
*20% more armor to Main Body and Legs

*Mounts TWO grenade/smoke launchers on each leg.

*Replaces the CR-50R Rail Gun with a PS-manufactured PS-220 30mm caqnnon(copy of the Triax TX-862FC)
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two-rd burst, 3d6x10 MD for a six round burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:800 rds

*Forearm Machine Gun Mount(2)----Each forearm mounts a machine gun similar to those available to cyborgs; (2,000 ft, 1d6x10 SDC/2d4 MD per 10 rd burst, 600 rd internal magazine). Can also fire silver, wood, and rubber bullets.


[b]Moljinar II[/b]

“Dang, Jimmy! What did you have to go and do THAT for?!”
“Because, Ol, that pirate station has been jamming every single vid-channel with ads for scrambled life-action celebrity porno when I’ve been trying to get public TV farm and weather news, and the Erin Tarn Report...How am I supposed to get informed about the world when all the channels are being choked with cheap CGI-flesh spam?!”
“I can understand that, Jimmy...but the SRMs AND the plasma cannon? Don’t ya think that’s maybe...overkill for a complaint?”

The Moljinar II was cosmetically even more different than the UAR-1, with a more angular look, though the basic weapons configuration remained the same. Modularity was introduced to most of the weapons stations, allowing for a greater range of customization, and the Moljinar II also saw the first PS use of applique armor to a robot frame. Other changes included a slightly better power train/articulation, resulting in slightly higher speeds, an overall lighter internal chassis made of stronger and less massive composites(balanced by the addition of additional weight of armor), and improved electronics.
Paladin Steel would produce 240 Moljinar IIs before the design was superseded by the Patriot Heavy Assault Robot. The majority of surviving units have been kicked back to reserve units, though 25 have been known to have been sold to PS/GNE-affiliated nations and mercenary units.
Type: Medium Combat Robot
Class: PS-MCR-02
Crew: Two
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 450
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Head 110
Sensor Pylon(1) 80
Chest Spotlights(2) 18 each
Arms(2) 200 each
Hands(2) 80 each
Shoulder Weapons Pods(2) 110 each
Shoulder Mount Laser Turrets(2) 60 each
Shoulder Missile Launchers(2) 80 each
Legs(2) 300 each
Cargo Panniers(2) 50 each
Leg Grenade Launchers(2) 30 each
Height: 18 ft
Width: 12 ft
Length: 8 ft
Weight: 19 tons fully loaded
Cargo: Small space behind seats fo survival packs, side arms, and personal gear
The upper hips also feature on each one an armored cargo pannier(roughly 3 ftx 2ft deep x4 ft wide and can hold up to 300 lbs each)
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. of 40
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Running) 75 MPH
(Leaping) 18 ft high/across; add 12 ft with a running start
(Underwater) Can walk along the bootom at about 5 MPH, and can survive depths down to 100 ft
Market Cost: 31 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:

*Periscoping Sensor Mast---The sensor tower of the Moljinar II can extend up an additional 10 ft from inside its armored sheath, or retract for better protection(fully extended, the tower effectively only has 40 MDC).

*Laser Designator---In addition to the standard complement of sensors, the sensor mast on the Moljinars also mounts a laser designator for ‘painting’ targets for laser-guided weaponry; 2 mile range and gives a +2 for laser guided weapons to strike the illuminated target.

*Laser Communications--The mast also mounts a point-to-point directional laser for communications with similarly equipped vehicles. Unjammable and virtually impossible to intercept but interruptable by smoke and intervening obstacles. The laser has an effective range of 100 miles LOS (though such conditions rarely exist owing to the Orbital Quarantine and the curvature of the Earth).

*ECCM system: A semi-automatic system that uses electronic encryption and frequency jumping to (attempt to) negate jamming systems. The system has a 25% chance of negating radar or communications jamming (non-magical) on its own, or a +5% if the pilot has a Read Sensory Instruments or Radio: Scramblers skill and devotes a full melee to operating the system(no other attacks/actions are possible).
Having an Electronic warfare Skill gains a +15% bonus to operating this system.
Note that this only applies to received communications (the system filters them out from the jamming clutter) and sensory data received by that unit alone (other units cannot make use of it, unless they have an unaffected datalink/info-share with the ECCM equipped unit. Magic/psychic jamming is NOT affected by this system.

Weapons Systems:
1) Shoulder Weapons Pods---Rather than mount a fixed armament configuration on the shoulders, PS fitted two hardpoints for modular weapons to be mounted.
a) Mini-Missile Launchers---TWO PS-MMLR-14 Mini-Missile Launcher Rifles, copies of the CS’s own CCT-M20 Missile Rifle, are mounted on a shoulder pivot. Besides the mini-missiles, the MMLRs retain their co-axial mini-lasers. The weapons can still be dismounted, and used by power armor troopers and cyborgs.
Range:(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type(usually about 1 mile)
(Laser) 2,000 ft
Damage:(Mini-Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
(Laser) 2d6 MD per blast(4d6 MD for both lasers firing simultaneously)
Rate of Fire:(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1, 2, or 4(1-8 with both launchers on an arm)
(Laser) ECHH
Payload:(Mini-Missiles)20 per launcher(10 per launch tube)
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited attached to an external generator, or 20 shots per standard E-clip/30 per long E-clip as backup

b) Short Range Missile Launcher
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missiles)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 10 total

c) Medium Range Missile Launcher
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Medium Range Missiles)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type(Medium Range Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 6 total

d) L-SAM ‘Black Talon’ Launchers---Paladin Steel’s re-invention of pre-Rifts ‘smart man-portable ‘Stinger’ missiles.
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload: 8
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)
Cost: 90 ,000 credits per launcher, 10,000 credits per missile

e)Pulse Laser(PS-RFL-25), the so-called “Prosek’s Gift’ thanks to its being derived from a reverse-engineered Coalition weapon!
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage:2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f)Rapid-Fire 40mm Autocannon
Range: 13,000 ft
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 3d6 MD to 15 ft blast radius
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 5d6 MD single shot
(High Explosive Tracer) 4d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 200 rounds
Cost: 300,000 credits(ammunition costs extra)

2)Short Range Missile Launchers(2, shoulders)---These are, aside from a different armored shutter system protecting them, identical in performance to the CR-10 system of the UAR-1
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missiles)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 5 each shoulder, ten total

3) Shoulder Laser Turrets(2)---The mini-laser turrets of the original UAR-1 have been retained, but upgraded with an improved model based on the CR-4T laser turret, with a ball-mount styling.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single blast,6d6 MD dual blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Chest Turret(1)---Like the shoulder mounts, the chest turret has been modified to a modular system allowing for customization and field refits.
a)Mini-Missile Launcher---Identical to the original CS system, but with slightly more ammunition capacity.
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missiles)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 24
Cost: 400,000 credits

b)Pulse Laser Turret
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10+10 MD for triple pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 30,000 credits

c)Grenade Launcher---Though using a Wellington-derived warhead, the PS weapon is based on pre-Rifts designs, with a better overall range and indirect fire capabilities.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: (Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 12 ft blast area single shot, 1d6x10 MD to blast area of 20 ft per 5 shot burst
(Armor Piercing)1d4x10 MD to 3 ft blast area single shot, 2d6x10 MD to blast area of 6 ft per 5 shot burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 50 shot magazine
Cost: 40,000 credits

d)Plasma Cannon(1x2)---Twin plasma rifles
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 +10 MD double shot burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 50,000 credits

e)Ion Cannon---A copy of the ion weapon in the M-90 “Beach Stormer”, samples of which were acquired by Paladin Steel West, though with slightly less damage due to differing production methods.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 +7 MD per energy burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 60,000 credits

f)Flame Thrower---PS multi-fuel capability flamer
Range: 300 ft
Damage:(Direct-Stream Mode)
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 1d4x10 SDC
(Napalm) 1d6x10 SDC, plus does 5d6 SDC per melee for 1d4 minutes
(MD Fluid) 1d4 MD per blast, 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 minutes
(Incendi-Gel)2d6 MD, 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 minutes
(WI Napalm-P) 3d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10+10 MD per concentrated burst(counts as two attacks). 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 minutes.
Note: The flamethrower can also be used to cover an area with fluid: up to 10 ft per attack used. Used with Super-Napalm, this does 1d4 MD, Incendi-Gel does 1d6 MD, and with Napalm-P, this does 2d6 MD.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload:
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 20 blasts
(Napalm) 60 blasts
(MD Fluid) 100 blasts
(Incendi-Gel) 120 blasts
(WI Napalm-P) 200 blasts per tank(much more concentrated than the regular gasoline/alcohol).
Cost: 80,000 credits
(Gasoline/Alcohol) Typically 5-30 credits(depending on availability)
(Napalm) 50 credits per tank
(MD Fluid) 800 credits per tank
(Incendi-Gel) 1000 credits per tank
(WI Napalm-P) 2000 credits per tank

g)Light 20mm Autocannon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:(20mm) 1d4 MD single shot
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 5 ft blast radius(single shot)
(PSX 20mm) 4d4 MD single shot
2d4x10 MD per 5 rd burst
4d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 5 ft blast radius(single shot)
(Wood Rounds) 6d6 SDC single shot (1d4x10 HP to vampires)
2d4x10 SDC MD per 5 rd burst (2d4x10 HP to vampires)
6d6 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10 HP to vampires)
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 200 rds
Cost: 30,000 credits

h)Rapid-Fire 12.7mm PS-MRG03 Snub-nose Short Gatling Gun Turret
Adapted from a power armor handheld weapon, the MRG-03 trades range for blistering short-range fire power, and is frequently used as a ‘streetsweeper’ in built-up areas.
Range: 2000 ft
Damage: 1D6 MD single round, 1D6x10 MD per 10 round burst,
2D6x10 +60 per Full Melee Burst of 40 rounds
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot
Payload: 2,000 rd drum
Cost: 12,000 credits

5)Leg Mounted Smoke/Grenade Launcher Clusters(2)
Range: 500 ft
Damage: None, smoke(chemical agents such as tear gas can be substituted) in 10 ft radius. OR, rifle grenades may be used(do 4d6 MD each to a blast radius of 12 ft)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6
Payload: 6 smoke grenades per launcher, 12 total

Options:

Main Body Options:
*Applique Armor---Additional armor could be added in plates to the legs and torso
Light: 25 MDC to each leg, 50 MDC to Main Body 230,000 credits
Medium: 80 MDC to each leg, 100 MDC to Main Body(-10% to speed) 480,000 credits

Forearm Options:
*Extensor Arm---An internal extensor rail allows the hand unit to slide forward and out an additional 8 ft, extending the robot’s reach. The powerful actutaors also allow the hand to shoot forward with pile-driver speed and power, adding 2d4 MD to punches. However, the extensor rod has rather less MDC than the sheathing forearm(90 MDC), making it vulnerable to attack if left extended and exposed.
Cost: 25,000 credits

*Heavy VibroBlade----A 6ft-long vibroblade mounted in a retracting forearm position---4d6 MD. Cost: 20,000 credits

*Forearm Weapon Pod---Replaces the entire hand with a ranged weapon and support gear
**20mm Gatling Autocannon---Similar to the chest-mounted weapon, but with more ammunition stowage.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage:(Proximity-fuzed High-Explosive) 4d4 MD single shot (2 ft blast radius)
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst(but -1 to strike)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 4,000 rd drum
Cost: 250,000 credits

**Pulse Laser---A fairly standard Black Market heavy laser design, although with slightly better range and price due to more effective PS-manufactured superconductor systems used in the manufacture.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 7.2 million credits

**Plasma Cannon---Adapted from PS’s PPR-3 Serap Heavy Plasma Projector. The weapon also has the option of firing ‘hot shots’ of deuterium-enriched plasma feeding from a pressure cylinder
Range:(Plasma Stream) 2000 ft
(Plasma Bolt) 1500 ft
Damage:(Plasma Stream) 1d6x10 MD per blast*
*Can be increased by 50% with a ‘hot shot’ injection of deuterium gas
(Plasma Bolt) 1d4x10 MD to 8 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Single shot, ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Deuterium Gas Reservoir has enough gas under pressure for 45 shots.
Cost: 100,000 credits, plus 1,200 credits per deuterium ‘hotshot’ cartridge.

**Particle Beam Cannon---Standard Black Market PBC weapon; athough priced slightly lower than average as PS learns how to develop and manufacture particle beam weapons.
Range: 1,600 MD
Damage: 1d4x10+10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 7.8 million credits

Sensor Mast Modules: These replace the sensor mast with otehr systems.
*Crane---An extending derrick-crane that is carried slung across the shoulders in transport mode. Fully extended, it adds an additional 9 ft of height, has 100 ft of cabling, and a winch capable of hauling up to 12 tons. Cost: 90,000 credits

*Long Range Radar Array---90 mile range and can track up to 96 targets. This system is primarily intended for long range campaign theatre air warning rather than ground search(ground clutter tends to render the system useless for spotting objects on the surface). Cost: 650,000 credits

[taalismn]

Yeah, it's a Mark V knock-off...but wait 'til you see what you can do with this baby!

Paladin Steel DL-600 ‘Clysdale’ Heavy 8x8 Multi-Purpose Vehicle

“Paladin Steel seems to have this theory that rather than build ONE or maybe two designs optimally configured to do the required jobs well, instead they will produce a half-dozen varieties of chassis, a warehouse each full of wheels, engines, armor plate forms, weapons, and sub-systems, and then get the buyers to do the rest for them. It is wasteful and it is absurd, but they still keep doing it...”
-----Sigmund Rothechec, Northern Gun Business Analyst and Vehicle Engineer

“The DL-600 combines the best of North America’s most proven technologies....modularity and familiarity....The former allows for the rapid servicing, improvement, and customization with whatever’s handy, while the latter means that buyers can rest assured that they’re dealing with time-proven and reliable hardware...It can be whatever you want, as your budget allows, from utility truck to wheeled tank. It is a reliable, versatile, multi-task vehicle for an uncertain future.”
------Ad spot in the The Armorer, a multi-media magazine produced in New Boston.

“The interesting thing about the DL-600 and some of its accessory systems like the Type 71 gun carriage, is that they’re compatible with a lot of older Coalition hardware....at first, people had the idea that maybe PS had gone ahead and cut some sort of deal with the Coalition or Free Quebec, like a non-aggression pact in return for open commerce....Now folks are worried if maybe GNE isn’t fixin’ to finally take the CS or the FQs down for good, and PS is simply anticipating a sudden availability of CS-style salvage bounty....More likely, however, is the story that the Clysdale was the product of several CS or Quebecois defectors who went over to the PSers and were given leave to apply what they knew to designing a new utility vehicle they KNEW could be serviced easily, as a first project to see what they could do. ”
-----Dremmond Micknals, Head Mechanic, City of Lazlo Municipal Motorpool

“We’re just giving people what they want....a reliable affordable base on which to run wild with their resources and imagination.....To prove it, we took a few of the early models, stripped down, into a junkyard to see how many combinations we could create from what was available....It’s amazing what you can do with some MDC sheet-stock and a laser torch, some mega-polycrete for filler, and a few basic tools!....We were tacking on all manner of turrets and fixtures...even made a tank destroyer by refitting the front hatch and running in a big gun that otherwise wouldn’t have been able to fit in a regular turret...Just slid it in, built a gun mantle on the spot, and rolled it out ready for action!”
-------JoJo Simms, Operator, Paladin Steel Heavy Machinery Division.

“Shouldn’t we be getting a piece of this action? I mean, it IS OUR design, after all! Right? RIGHT?!”
-------Captain Aldiss Sands, Coalition State Armed Services(Army)

“The DL-600 is what we call a ‘colonial’ design---it’s a fairly simple and easy to produce design intended for newly refitted factories in new territories recently developed or annexed by Greater New England and its allies.....The DL-600 gives the indigs something new to establish their industrial base, gives them a design they can use for both civilian and military aps, gives them jobs to keep them out of trouble, allows them to upgrade their tech to be compatible with PS designs in the long run, and the fact that the APC resembles a Coalition vehicle that has always gotten good prices on the black market is another plus...Pure politics is behind this design...”
------Tinker Gandolfi, Operator and Professor of Post-Apocalypse Economics, Lazlo

“Think of it as getting that big bad Deadboy RV you’ve always wanted for yourself, without the hassle of having to knock over a Coalition convoy or deal with some shady Black Market back alley used AFV salesman...”
--------Anonymous Paladin Steel Marketing Agent

“’Without the hassle’? At three mil creds for basic? Three words for you, buddy...Spoils Of War.”
----------Equally anonymous Headhunter.

The DL-600 series is yet another in PS’s long line of utility vehicles that can be quickly converted to military applications. Unlike the other vehicles, such as the massive DL-90/400 series superhaulers, and the PS-UT-DL-M017 ‘Futura’ medium trucks, the DL-600 series has a clear lineage resemblance to the Coalition’s own Mark V APCs and hence, all the way back to the old NEMA MX-422 all-purpose transports. The remains of several MX-422s were among the artifacts that had long been salvaged and stored away at the Mountain Warfare School in Smuggler’s Notch, Vermont, but PS had not attempted to duplicate the old design until fairly recently; likewise, OTAR(Office of Technology Acquisition and Recovery) had acquired several Black Market Mark Vs; both the Coalition and NEMA vehicles were studied in the redesign that led to the DL-600.
The DL-600 shares the same ‘ eight wheeled shoebox’ design as the Coalition and NEMA vehicles, with the same sloped glacis plate front end and concealed boarding ramp/hatchways front and aft. It has a longer wheel base, however, and is slightly wider, the better to accommodate and stabilize heavy cargo loads. The sidewalls of the main body are also sloped for better deflection. The frame is given extra reinforcement for carrying extra armor and heavy loads. Like the original MX-422, the DL-600 has four main hatches, with a heavy armored outer hatch-cover, and a flexible inner megadamage plastic fabric and articulated slat hatch underneath. In its stripped down civilian form, and thanks to improved PS design, the DL-600 is lighter and slightly faster than its brethren designs of CS and NEMA service. The DL-600 is also offered with a variety of powerplants, from a low-cost multi-fuel internal combustion DynaFlow 350 of Canadian design(a favorite), through a selection of battery- and fuel-cell-powered electrics, to the expensive, but ever-popular micro-pack fusion mini-nuke. Depanding on how you need it, and desire it, PS will attempt to meet the customers’ request, from a private uber-limo with wet bar, pool table, and gring-leaper leather interior, to a self-propelled gun with TW powerplant and twin-mount massdriver thunder-guns.
To facilitate the rapid conversion of the civilian model transport to a frontline-capable combat vehicle, the DL-600 comes standard with attachment points and sealant-channels for applique armor, allowing for armor plate to be quickly hooked on, welded in place, or epoxied on. In the middle of the roof, a large universal turret mounting allows for the rapid addition of military-style turrets. Normally, the section is left open, or plated over, but it can also be used to mount a fixed roof ‘greenhouse’, ‘sun deck’, or open-sided observation turret. If something heavier is needed, an experienced crew of mechanics can slip in an armored ring holding turret rotation motors and mechanisms, bolt it in place, connect the power leads, then lower and lock a weapons turret into place. The turret collar has been deliberately designed to take advantage of existing turret designs, like those used on the PS-MBT-07 ‘Black Bear’ Medium Tank, PS-GEV-MBT-15 ‘FireDrake’ Heavy Hover Tank, and PS-MBT-05 ’Lynx’ Medium Tank, allowing the vehicles to use battlefield salvage(though many troopers point out that more often than not the turret of a wrecked MBT is the LAST thing that’s in any shape to be salvaged). The turret ring can also be used to mount utility devices, like cherrypicker hoists and cranes for work crews. It’s even been fitted with the upper torsos of light mecha like PS’s older Titan knockoffs, Jackalopes, and PS Mantis ‘bots for the ‘centaur’ hybrid vehicle configuration.
A smaller forward ring point can be similarly fitted to host a smaller turret, observation cupola, or hatchway...or it be left plated over, as per the wishes of the buyer/operator. Smaller lateral powered hardpoints are also available, plumbed with electrical outlets and fiber optic conduits for the installation of power leads and fire control/sensor feeds to additional weapons mounts, unmanned powered pintle turrets, or sensor gear...or, again, these points can be left sealed and plated over.
Larger than both the PS-APC-03 Rattlesnake APC and the PS-IFV-CIC-04 Gray Wolf Command APC/Tank Hunter, and less expensive than the giant PS-RV-08 MegaBago RV, the DL-600 is being touted as the East Coast’s ‘Dodge Ram for the Post-Apocalyptic Set’. Naturally, PS is also hedging on the fact that with the right modifications, the DL-600 can be modified into a cheaper and more versatile copy of the Mark V, for those who have taken a liking to the Coalition’s own toys, to bolster sales in the western territories.
PS’s adaptation of the still-used Mark V design for a mass-market ‘civilian’ (and merc-market) vehicle has irked the Coalition States and Free Quebec to no small measure(actually, quite a few CS contractors on the Mark V lines have gone apespit complaining to the Emperor about the ‘design theft’)...To the point where the CS has tried a ‘whispering campaign’ about ‘shoddy PS knock-offs’ in an attempt to discredit the company(even as the CS seeks to copy the design’s option features for their own use). Another discreditation campaign, this time by Northern Gun, draws attention to the similar appearance between the DL-600 and the CS APC, and the difficulty one might have distinguishing between a combat-ready CS APC and a DL-600 full of innocent civilians, on the battlefield. Neither rumor has noticeably hurt early sales, however. In fact, a number of military units have taken advantage of the DL-600’s similiarity to old CS and FQ vehicles to sneak through restricted territory(often assisted with the use of transponders lifted from legitimate CS vehicles). However, rumors also persist of the CS using tricked-out Mark Vs to pose as DL-600s in infiltrating mercenary bases along the long Mississipi front, adding to the fun and confusion.
The end result is that the GNE now has a massive number of vehicles, in part subsidized by the civilian owners/operators, at its disposal that can be quickly converted into front line-capable combat vehicles, in roles other than armored battle-taxi or light recon unit, in the event of an emergency. And since most of the numerous mechanics shops in the region are staffed with people who have done service with the local military or work regularly on their combat vehicles, and are thus intimately familiar with weapons systems, a Free Quebec or Splugorth invasion of the GNE becomes an even more difficult proposition. The DL-600 is often regarded as the ‘heavy’ of the ‘troika’ of Paladin Steel wheeled AFVs(the ‘light’ member being the GAC-02 ‘Wolfhound’, and the ‘medium’ being the DL-500 ‘Arabian’) in much the same pattern as PS’s power armor lines(with the PSPA-10, -11, and -12s).
The DL-600 was named the ‘Clysdale’ after a pre-Rifts breed of heavy-build draft horses(since believed to be extinct in North America. Shasdar (aka ‘BudMonster’) Breweries of White River Junction, Vermont Free State, has gotten some mileage out of its mascot animals being called ‘Clysdales’, but the reality is that the heavy legged shaggy quadrapeds are actually Wynaroan Ghadas, a warm-blooded sauroid brought to Earth by the Wynaro).
Since its introduction, the Clysdale has done relatively well with local military sales(the GNE has bought them mostly for its supply and engineering rear echelon units, while a few special forces units, such as the infamous Green Mountain Boys, have acquired a few and used them to infiltrate CS lines on several occasions), while sales to militia and independent groups have been far more promising in terms of numbers and advance orders. Paladin Steel has also announced plans to offer the DL-600 for export to the European markets(most likely through Dantegard, Barcelona, and the New Roman Republic), where it is likely to compete with Triax vehicles.
Type: PS-UT-DL-600
Class: Multi-Purpose Truck, Heavy, Utility
Crew: Minimum of 2, typically has 1-4 additional crew/gunners
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Wheels(8) 50 each
Main Outer Hatches(4, front, sides and back) 100 each
Main Inner Hatches(4, front, sides, and back) 50 each
Headlights(4) 5 each

(Optional) Main Centerpoint Turret(1) Typically 100-200
(Optional) Forward Auxiliary Turret(1) Typically 50-75
(Optional) Hardpoint Turrets(1-6) 5-30 each
(Optional) Hardpoint Missile Launcher Boxes(1-6) 25-40 each
Height: 15 ft
Width: 10 ft
Length: 35 ft
Weight: 15 tons
Cargo: As an APC, can carry 1-20 infantry or 1-6 power armors(one power armor suit counting as 3 regular infantry troopers)
As an AFV, can typically carry 2 tons of ammunition and supplies, in addition to small space for crew survival gear and personal possessions
If not carrying a turret, the entire rear area can be openned up to carry cargo; up to 10 tons on its 11x9x10 ft cargo area(can accommodate bulkier loads if fitted with an open cargo deck).
Can tow up to 45 tons(but reduce maximum speed by HALF at maximum weight haulage)
Powerplant: Internal Combustion, Electric Fuel Cell(Both with 400 mile range), or Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:(Driving) 95 MPH
(Water) Fully amphibious: can motor along the water’s surface at a speedy 35 MPH!
Market Cost: 3 million credits for the basic liquid-fuel vehicle, 3.2 million credits for electric, and 5 million credits for nuclear w/ 15 year energy life span
(MUCH cheaper than reconditioned CS vehicles, owing to its intentional mass production for the civilian/adventurer market)
Systems of Note:
*IR/Normal Light Headlights
*Variable Pressure Mesh Tires
*Anti-Lock Brakes
*Onboard Radio(5 mile range)
*Air Conditioning
*Onboard Compass
*Anti-Theft/Break-in Door Locks
*Side and Rear Cargo Bay Doors
*Built-in Servicing Jacks
*Winch with 100 ft of line and 5 ton pull capability
Weapons Systems:
None standard.

Options:
“I particularly liked the testing phase when they sent us with a prototype Clysdale and some tools into a local junkyard and set us loose to see how many parts we could adapt and add....I think we came up with about fifty variants using the same chassis.....I particularly like the armor-destroyer we came up by removing the forward troop door and stuck a 200mm rail cannon down the length of the APC...kept the turret for self-defense, and plated the whole thing in reactive armor....We had to aim the entire tank to bring the main armament to bear, and it wallowed like a rhino-buffalo, but the thing just looked plain MEAN and when it fired off its main gun, ...but there was damn little that could stand in the way of THAT thing!”
-----Lorenzo Manzetti, PS Heavy Machinery Division, Clysdale-EX Evaluation Team #7.

Like all good PS general purpose vehicles, the DL-600 has tons of extras to allow just about anyone to be able to customize the vehicle to their heart’s content. In fact, the very heart of the DL-600’s design is to act as a base for loading up with customization and option systems, netting PS more profit in accessories than on the basic vehicle. The following are a few of the more common:
*Engine Upgrade----A more powerful engine, more efficient power train, and improved transmission can be added, improving overall speed, but at greater expense;
Speed: Can improve top speed by up to 40%
Cost: 200,000 credits per 10% of improvement over base. 300,000 credits for nuclear upgrades. +60,000 per 10% for treadlayers, +90,000 per 10% for robotic walker legs, and +50,000 per 10% for hoverjet systems(actually simpler to upgrade GEV systems past the initial high cost by adding more/bigger jet thrusters).

*Main Turret Ring---As mentioned earlier, this hardpoint can be left decked over, fitted with an observation cupola, heavy weapons turret, crane/shovel, or robot waist torso mounting.
Cost: None(standard)

Sample AA Turrets;
*AA Turret Type 4---This is an re-armored twin-gun mounting from PS’s ‘Dorie Miller’ wheeled AAA carrier, complete with radar assembly;
MDC of Turret: 200
*Radio or fiber optic target link; allows the vehicle to patch into a larger air defense grid to share early warning information and targeting data.
*Target Acquisition Radar----30 mile range
*Targeting Sensors, including microwave radar lock and laser ranging; +3 to strike
Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Rapid-Fire 35 mm Cannon----These are fed from two massive ammunition drums on either side of the cannons. The turret has a full 360-degree arc of fire, while the guns can depress 5 degrees and elevate 85 degrees.
Range: 2.5 miles
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 3d6 MD to a 10 ft blast radius, 2d6x10 MD to a 30 ft blast radius per 10 rd burst.
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 4d6 MD single shot, 3d6x10+10 MD per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload: Each drum holds 215 rounds
With a trained crew in power armor, a fresh drum can be changed in 3 minutes
Turret Cost: 500,000 credits

*AA Turret Type 8----This was based on archival data of the old Soviet ZSU-4 AAA vehicle, mounting FOUR 23mm cannon and a radar suite. PS has upgraded the design with gauss technology and upgraded sensors
MDC of Turret: 200
*Target Acquisition Radar----25 mile range
*Targeting Sensors, including microwave radar lock and laser ranging; +4 to strike
Weapons Systems:
Range: 6,600 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD single shot, 5d6 MD for a 5 shot burst, 2d6x10 MD for all four cannons firing bursts(20 rounds) simultaneously(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: rd drum per cannon; shots total(bursts)
Turret Cost: 600,000 credits


*Auxiliary Turret Ring---Mounted forward of the main turret ring, this hardpoint can be outfitted in similar fashion, but with smaller cupolas, weapons mounts(light to medium weapons mounts), and tool rigs.
Cost: None(standard)

*Hardpoints(6)----The Clysdale has six mounting points for additional small weapons turrets or sensor/tool mounts. Two are on the roof(one on each side), and four are on the sloping sides(2 each flank).
Each hardpoint can provide support for a small remote-controlled turret mounting a light energy weapon, rail gun, or support weapon, OR, can provide servicing to a box-style missile launcher( 48 micro-missiles/RPGs, OR 24 mini-missiles, OR 12 short range missiles, OR 5 medium range missiles per hardpoint). Alternately, the hardpoints can be used to carry a pair of human-sized fine manipulator waldo arms or a single longer crane arm.
Cost:(Powered Turret)4,500 credits +cost of mounted weapon
(Missile Launcher) Micro-missile/RPG Launcher(35 shots)---45,000 credits(missiles cost extra)
Mini-Missile Launcher(20 shots)----85,000 credits(missiles cost extra)
Short Range Missile Launcher(10 shots)---- 120,000 credits(missiles cost extra)
Medium Range Missile Launcher(6 shots)----300,000 credits(missiles cost extra)
(Waldo Arms)
(Human-size)(MDC 15 each, Length 8 ft, Max P.S. 18 )----20,000 credits
(Derrick Arm)(MDC 50, Length 20 ft, Max P.S. 35(robotic) )----90,000 credits

*Applique Armor---Additional armor plates can be hooked, welded, or epoxied on. For the sake of calculating movement penalties, three armor weight categories are used; Light, Medium, and Heavy, and several armor options are offered.
*Light----Adds 10-100 MDC main body, + 1-2 tons, without movement penalties
----Cost: 15,000 credits per 10 MDC
*Medium---Adds 110-200 MDC main body, +2-4 tons, but with a reduction in top speed of 15%
----Cost: 16,000 credits per 10 MDC
*Heavy----Adds 210-360 MDC main body, +4-6 tons, but with a reduction in top speed of 25%
----Cost:18,000 credits per 10 MDC
*Laser Ablative Armor(Option)---PS laser-ablative ceramic. Lasers do HALF damage. VFLs can NOT adjust to compensate
----Cost:+800,000 credits(Rarely available to outsiders)
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor(Option)---Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reemtry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/2 damage
----Cost: +1 million credits
*Chemical Resistant Armor(Option)----PS’s patented chemically inert armor that sheds the effects of corrosive chemicals and stick’ums. Acids and chemical weapons do NO damage.
----Cost: +1.1 million credits
*Jettisonable Armor(Option)---Special pre-cut division channels, break points, and integral explosive bolts allow the vehicle crew to jettison the applique armor, shedding it, usually to restore mobility(in the case of medium- and heavy-armors), lose contaminated outer plates, or shed unwanted riders. Once jettisoned, the applique armor CANNOT be re-attached without extensive reconstruction and refurbishment(if anything is left at all of the original material)....Essentially, one has to re-buy the applique and/or jettisonable armor option to regain its benefitts.
OPTIONAL: The explosive bolts, at the GM’s discretion, can explode off with enough force to do 1d6 MD to an 8 ft radius around the vehicle, due to flying armor fragments.
----Cost: +10,000 credits+cost of armor

*Bulldozer Blade----Adds a shaped payloader blade to the front for clearing debris and pushing dirt. Can be raised and lowered to clear the nose. Can also act as a basic ram , doing 1d6 MD on a ram/shove
MDC: 150
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Battle Beak----Basically a large applique armored form that fits over the front of the vehicle, adding reinforcement, and holding both a pair of mini-missile launchers and a Blast-Stud bumper for added ramming damage. Inspired by unearthed records of the original NEMA APC’s configuration
Weight: + 0.8 ton
MDC: +80 Main Body
Bumper 200
Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 80 each
Weapons Systems:
a) Mini-Missile Launchers(2)
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10
Payload: 20 mini-missiles each launcher(40 total)
b) Ram Bumper---The nose of the Battle Beak is angled for maximum effectiveness in ramming attacks.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d6x10 MD half-speed ram, 2d4x10 MD full speed ram
c) Blaster Bumper----Recessed in several wells on this extendable bumper are a half-dozen large electro-plasmic flash contacts, that can be extended to protrude out of the bumper. When triggered by contact against an object, they fire off a massive pulse of electricity that superheats air and material to a brief plasmic state.
Range: Melee
Damage:+3d6 MD per stud(does +2d4x10 MD for a full contact hit)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Conditionally Unlimited; can fire off 10 blasts before needing a full hour to recharge
Cost: 200,000 credits

*Mag Traction System-----The ‘economy’ version of Paladin Steel's Virtual Tread Traction System, that allows a vehicle superior handling on wet ground and sloping surfaces(by greating a low-powered combination planar forcefield and wheel-bond directly around the tire/ground interface). The downside of it is that in anything less than a nuclear-powered vehicle, the energy expenditure can quickly drain the truck’s batteries.
Bonuses:+15% to control rolls, and reduce movement penalties for travelling over soft ground/mud by 25%
Penalties: If driving with a liquid fuel or electric engine, reduce gas mileage/range by 10%)of baseline) per hour of activation that the MagTrac system is engaged.
Cost: 80,000 credits.

*Musher Tires----These oversized tires work the same way as tread grousers; by extending their width and increasing surface area. allowing the vehicle to cross soft ground without bogging down(a cheaper form of mud-treads or Super-MagField Virtual Roadbed gear). The vehicle is also harder to tip over The downside is that the larger tires are more obvious targets and the vehicle is 50% wider, making it harder to maneuver in tight spaces.
MDC of Oversize Wheels(4): 80 each
Bonuses: 1/3 normal penalties for traversing mud, mire, swampy ground, or other bog surfaces. Reduce chances of vehicle tipping over/being knocked over by HALF
Penalties: Reduce top speed by 10%, and impose -15% to trick driving roll success (harder to maneuver)
Cost: 300,000 credits.

*Treadlayer Conversion----This radical refit converts the DL-600’s four twin-wheel groupings into four tread units, sacrificing speed for greater traction and maneuverability in mud and soft ground. Comes standard with extendable grouser treads.
MDC of Tread Units(4): 100 each
Bonuses: NO penalties for traversing mud, mire, swampy ground, or other bog surfaces.
Penalties: Reduce top speed by 25%
Cost: 600,000 credits.

*Walker Conversion----An expensive conversion that does away with the wheeled drive altogether in favor of eight sturdy robotic legs. This reduces the overall speed and increases the mechanical complexity of the vehicle, but gives it incredible broken terrain performance
MDC of Legs(8): 100 MDC each
Speed: 80 MPH, can move on as few as four legs(must have 2 legs per side), can traverse/clear obstacles up to 8 ft tall(can clamber over other obstacles)
Cost: 2 million credits

*Hovercraft Conversion----Another expensive conversion that trades the conventional wheeled propulsion for a hoverjet GEV system.
MDC of Hoverjets(8) 60 MDC each
Speed: 120 MPH maximum, 1-8 ft off the ground, and can skim above water(no more than 3 ft waves) at 80 MPH
Cost: 2.5 million credits

*Smoke/Grenade Launcher Clusters---These mini-multi-tube grenade/smoke launcher clusters can be added to the sides of the vehicle. Up to 4 can be added...two forward and two aft.
Range: (light) 1,200 ft (heavy) 2,000 ft.
Damage: Varies by Grenade Type (heavy)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: Each launcher has 12 light or 6 heavy grenades each, for a total of 36 light grenades or 18 heavy grenades
Cost: 28,000 credits for both light and heavy varieties(grenades cost extra)

*Stabilization Jacks---Tired of being knocked over by concussion blasts, or being rolled over by a giant’s kick? This interesting little system uses Glitterboy-style pylon technology to las and hydraulically drive eight stabilizer jacks up to 5 ft into the ground, even through concrete and metal gratings, within 5 seconds, affixing you like a barnacle, and able to stay upright in even hurricane-force winds. System can disengage in 2 seconds, for that speedy getaway.
Cost: 120,000 credits

*Robo-Mounts(‘Chimera-Mountings’)
Ever since Paladin Steel mounted the upper torso of one of their ‘Moljinar’ robots on top of a modified Iron Fist MBT chassis to produce their ‘Scrounger’ Tank, the company has loved tank/robot hybrids as cheap, but extremely useful, combat-utility vehicles, with the useful armatures of a robot, but the stability of a vehicle. So much so that their engineers have figured out how to scavenge the torsos of other major robot types, and quickly fit them to other AFVs, to produce a class of vehicles nicknamed ‘chimeras’(and often called by opponents ‘lice’). PS field engineers have become so profficient at these mods that they’ve standardized the practice with several purpose-built adaptation kits/mounting rings that have been made available as options for the Clysdale.
Ever, since PS doesn’t want to OVERTLY offend the major robot manufacturers of North America(The Coalition States and Titan Works) by suggesting that people should traffic in parts of their machines, or target them just for the fixin’s of a chimera-mod, the kits aren’t advertized upfront in the PS outlets. However, if one knows to ask, PS will sell the kits off-catalogue and out back. These kits include a modified mounting ring and adaptors, spare cabling, and software patch-ins. It is rumored that PS is also producing kits for Triax ‘bots being sold in North America(such as the Forager), but if they are, nobody’s seen one yet.
CS UAR-1 Enforcer Mount-Kit: 100,000 credits
Titan TR-003 Scout Mount-Kit: 60,000 credits
Titan TR-002 Light Combat Mount-Kit: 75,0000 credits
Titan TR-001 Combat Mount-Kit: 90,000 credits
Northern Gun NG-M56 Super Robot Mount-Kit: 50,000 credits
Northern Gun NG-V7 Hunter Mount-Kit: 200,000 credits
(Installation and labor costs extra)

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel Black Bear Medium Tank
“They may be slow, but they’re ornery...Lot of ‘bot-jockies have figured they’ll have an easy time outmaneuvering the big dumb slow turtle-boys...Thing is, the tankers KNOW they’re slow and outflanked...so they fight to the end....And sometimes that means the ‘bot-jockies’ end...Nothing worse than thinking you’re the fastest thing in megacladding, then find yourself on your back, trapped in a powerless exo, watching while that big slow brick you were laughing at a few minutes ago is grinding towards your head...”
-Alberto Dominico, former Power Armor Captain, “Cold Iron”

“The Black Bear’s one of the FUGLIEST armored vehicles you’ll likely ever see...It looks like somebody squashed an old pre-Rifts Sov T-tank dome-turret on a tank chassis so hard it squashed the midsection, and the body blobbed out the sides and inflated the tread-ends to near-bursting...Then tacked on oversized mud-guards, jammed in some bits and pieces from the spare parts bin on the sides and turret top, shoehorned a big triple-barrel plasma sprinkler in the front, and kicked it ‘til it fit...then dipped it in military camou-paint, and called it done...
The Black Bear wins no beauty contests, but it looks like it can growl its way in one end of the worst part of town and out the other without stopping...And with the artillery it can mount, guess what?...It CAN.”
-Melissa Tor, Captain, Army of Free Quebec.

The Black Bear is is an unexpected spin-off of the troubled Genghis Khan Heavy Tank program. Unexpected due the fact that a Medium Tank was not part of the project line-up for Paladin Steel, and such vehicles were being given low priority on the completion schedule. However, the Genghis Khan program has proven an immense frustration to PS; in their effort to produce a truly incredible AFV, and keep apace with the new technologies flowing in as a result of the various PS trade alliances, the Genghis design has been constantly revised and reworked, resulting in massive headaches as its scheduled release is set further back. The Black Bear MBT was devised as a project to vent engineer frustration(on a project that was actually do-able), to take advantage of the openning market for medium tanks(jeopardized by the annexation of Iron Heart Armaments by the Coalition), and to test out various features intended for the Genghis.
Though officially classified as a ‘medium “ tank, the Black Bear is armored and armed more like a heavy tank. Wherever possible, PS attempted to use parts and components from the IHA Iron Fist Medium Tank, the better to rope in existing Iron Fist owners, who could more easily fit the Black Bear into their existing logistics structure. However, the Black Bear is also built around all manner of new systems, including the main weapon; a powerful energy cannon. Critics contend that the Black Bear should be properly classed as a Heavy tank, but PS has reserved that classification for its Genghis Khan Heavy tank. The result is a machine heavier and more expensive than the Iron Fist but, it is felt, more capable.
The first, and most obvious, change is the replacement of the main gun armament with a large triple-barrel plasma cannon. PS decided to replace the 120mm Auto-cannon as the main weapon, and fill its indirect fire role with mini-missiles and SRMs. The plasma cannon is a powerful direct-fire weapon that can chew through heavy armor in seconds, and isn’t affected by laser-resistant armor types. The Black Bear retains the secondary rail cannon and cupola mount rail gun for close-in defense and attacking lighter targets. Since its slow speed meant that it was likely to be quickly overrun and cut off from support by faster opponents, the engineers also designed the Black Bear to be able to survive independantly of outside support, and act as a defensive strongpoint in its own right. To this end, the Black Bear is equiped with multiple secondary energy weapon systems in three secondary turrets covering the front and sides, and heavy armor. Armor is heavy, consisting of Paladin Steel advanced composites and ceramics, providing excellent overall protection.
An interesting feature of the Black Bear is the four large mud-guard projections. In reality, these are massive, folded, robotic legs. Though not as finely articulated as those of true robot vehicles like the Spider-Skull Walker, the Black Bear’s four robot legs nevertheless allow the tank to walk, albeit slowly, allowing the massive vehicle to keep moving even if its treads are destroyed, or to extricate itself from mud and debris. The legs also allow the tank to clamber onto recovery vehicle flatbeds. or jack itself up for maintenance and repair, if its own treads are destroyed, greatly speeding repair and recovery operations in the field.
The Black Bear is also rather roomy for a tank; it has enough space for 1-3 additional crew/passengers, thanks to more compact and lighter systems and materials introduced by PS . This makes the Black Bear suitable for recon and observation purposes, as well as extraction ops where a tank could come in handy.
The Black Bear can use either conventional or nuclear engines.
The Black Bear, though considered by PS to be a ‘stop gap’ design, has already made a number of large sales, particularly to the GNE, Lazlo, and overseas to the New Roman Republic, despite some criticism of the design by men at arms. The most common complaint being that the optional armaments reflect indecisiveness on the part of the designers as to what constituted the best armament fitout, and that the vehicle as a whole is hardly an inspired design. Another criticism is that the multi-turret design only increases the workload for the crew, particularly if the computerized gunnery systems fail in battle. Despite these complaints, PS has gone ahead with the design. However, it is unknown if Paladin Steel will continue with the Black Bear if, and when, the Genghis Khan is finallized. There has been some talk of building a secondary factory in Lazlo, but the government of that city-state has been ambigious on the issue of armaments factories; observers claim that this may be due to their pacifistic stance; others claim that they’re hiding facilities for much more advanced war machines....
(Post-110 PA Update: The Black Bear has become a standard war machine of the Greater New England Regular Army, despite being originally developed as a ‘transitional’ design. The difficulty in finalizing a satisfactory HMBT design, plus unexpected successes in the development of the GMR-propelled Bandersnatch Hovertank and Patriot Robot systems, though, has led to the rather slow-moving Black Bear being restricted in deployment to garrison units. As more advanced vehicles have become available to the front line divisions and rapid-response regiments, the Black Bear has been moved in the unit lists to National Guard units. Increasing numbers of Black Bears have also been produced for the open market.
In order to extend the operational lifespan of these tanks, Paladin Steel has continued to produce refit equipment and upgrades for the line. The development of new weapons systems has led to various new turret configurations, including the re-instatement of a heavy projectile main gun...in this case a newer long-barrelled 155mm mass-driver cannon.)
Type: PS-MBT-07
Class: Assault Tank
Crew: Four, +1-3 passemgers.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 550
Reinforced Crew Compartment(main body) 100
Treads(2) 100 each
Robot Leg Struts(4) 50 Each
Turret 250
Reinforced Crew Compartment in turret 50
Cupola-mount Rail Gun 60
Main Gun 120
Missile Pod 50
Secondary Laser Turrets(3) 50 each
Turret Mounted Searchlight 20
Height: 15 ft
Width: 10 ft
Length: 36 ft
Weight: 50 tons
Cargo: Minimal storage space.
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel, electric,(600 mile range) or nuclear(10 year life)
Speed: (Treads): 65 MPH
Buttoned up, it can crawl underwater at 30 MPH, Maximum Depth 500 ft.
(Robot Legs): 25 MPH, and can clear obstacles as tall as 7 ft.
Market Cost: 3.5 million credits Liquid Fuel, 5 million electric, or 25 million nuclear

Systems/Features:
Full NBC(Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) shielding, air filtration, and independant life support.
IR/Visible Light Headlights
Low-Light Optics(Passive night vision and InfraRed)
Radio----500 mile long range, 5 mile short range
Loudspeaker(90 decibels)
Short Range Radar-----(5 mile range)
Motion Detector/Proximity Alarm-------600 ft range
Laser Targeting System(+1 to strike)
Combat Computer(+1 to strike)
Auto-Fire System----This is a development of PS, based loosely on early PS’ AI work. The Auto-Shoot system is a combination limited robotic fire control and gunner-designation interface system that reduces the workload of the crew, and allows the vehicle to make full use of its multiple weapons systems. The secondary laser turrets can be programmed to fire on selected target-profiles/un-ID’ed intruders, or on anything entering range. The Auto-Fire System gives each of the secondary laser turrets 2 attacks per melee(+2 to strike). The system can be switched off and manuel control re-asserted at any time.

Extendable Grousers----Taking advantage of new ‘memory materials’, PS has fitted the Black Bear with extendable grousers that effectively widen the treads to better handle soft ground and snow(Effectively moves across these surfaces without penalty). Morphing/de-morhing the treads only takes one melee. One peculiarity noticed by personnel in the field is that electrical attacks and lightning storms often trigger the grousers’ morph-modes(though this doesn’t result in any damage or penalty, unless the GM wants to get subtle and creative).

Weapons Systems:
1)Heavy Tri-Barrel Plasma Cannon---This massive turret-mounted weapon has 360-degree arc of fire, 45 degree elevationm and 30 degree depression. Its another derivation of PS’s energy-weapons research, and does massive amonts of damage at respectable range, but it eats power at an incredible rate.
Range:6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single barrel, 2d6x10 MD double barrelled blast, 3d6x10 MD per triple barrel burst)counts as one attack).
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 45 shot battery per conventionally powered models; recharges at 1 shot per 10 minutes. Effectively unlimited for nuclear models.

2)Co-Axial Rail Cannon----The classic PS/IH-105 railgun, mounted co-axially to the main gun.
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 1d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 8,000 rd drum(200 bursts)

3)Secondary Laser Turrets(3)----These are the reliable PS-34L double-barrelled laser turret, PS copy of the IHA IH-34L, mounted in three sub-turrets, one on each side and one in front, intended to keep enemy infantry off. These cannons can be controlled directly by a gunner, or by Auto-Track Fire systems(typically, the forward turret is operated by the driver). Each turret has a 180-degree arc of fire, and 45 degree elevation/depression.
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:1000 dual blasts per turret. Unlimited if nuclear powered

4)Cupola-mount Rail Gun---Standard turret-mounted anti-personnel and anti-aircraft weapon.
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single round, 1d4x10 MD per 40 round burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 8,000 round magazine(200 bursts)

5)Mini-Missile Launcher Pod--Located on the side of the turret is a launch-box for missiles.
Range: Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 4, 6, or 12
Payload: 24

Options: It wouldn’t be a PS design if we didn’t offer optional systems now, would it? The Black Bear has two quick-change option mounts; both in the turret.

Swap-out Replacements for the Main Weaponry:
a)155 mm LB Massdriver Cannon(PS-MDC155L)
Range:(Direct Fire) 45,000 ft(9 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 110,000 ft (22 miles)
Damage:High Explosive(HE)---- 3d6x10 MD to 50 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 4d6x10+20 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation---2d6x10 MD to 60 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x 40+10 MD to 50 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 6d6x10 MD out to 20,000 ft, 4d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: 32 rds
Cost: 6 million credits

B) Triple 40mm Cannon Mount----This AAA-mount turret is fitted with three 40mm ‘Pom-Pom’ cannons licensed from PS’s european trade partner Farnborough Air(Paladin Steel had provided FA with explosives information). The ‘triple-ripple’ has proven effective both in anti-aircraft operations and against surface targets.
Range:(High Velocity Round)5,000 yards(15,000 ft)
Maximum AA altitude w/ HV shells: 13,300 ft
(Low Velocity Round) 3,800 yards(11,400 ft)
Damage:(Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) (HV) 1d4x10+3 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
(LV)1d4x10 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: 120 rounds per minute(or up to 30 rds per melee)
Payload: Internal stowage for 360 rds
Cost: 220,000 credits.
High Velocity(Fragmentation) shells cost 200 credits apiece, 245 credits for HE
Low Velocity(Fragmentation) shells cost 180 credits apiece, 200 credits for HE



Swap-out Replacements for the Mini-Missile Launcher
a) Short Range Missile Pod
Range: Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,4,6, or 12
Payload: 12
Cost: 500,000 credits

b) Medium Range Missile Pod
Range:Varies
Damage:Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6
Payload: 6
Cost: 800,000 credits

c) Anti-Tank Missile Pod---Uses PS ‘smart’ armor killers for more accurate fire.
Range: 1 mile
Damage: Armor-piercing:2d4x10 MD, no blast radius
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6
Payload: 12
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 400,000 credits

Replacements for the Secondary Rail Cannon
a) Light Auto-Cannon/Grenade Launcher---A copy of the ever-popular WI-GL20
Range: 3000 ft
Damage:(Fragmentation): 4d6 MD to 12 ft area
2d6x10 MD to 40 ft blast area, per 10 rd burst
(Armor Piercing):1d4x10 Md to 3 ft blast area
3d6x10 MD to 8 ft blast area, per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 300 rd drum
Cost: 150,000 credits

b) 32mm PS-10RJ Ramjet AutoCannon---Another IHA copy, contributed by expatriate IHA employees
Range: 3000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single rd, 2d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:2000 rds(100 bursts
Cost: 200,000 credits

c) Heavy Laser---A fairly standard and straighforward heavy pulse laser.
Range: 6000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 blast battery conventionally powered, effectively unlimied if nuclear powered
Cost: 200,000 credits

d) Heavy 50mm Launcher ---The same weapon as mounted on the PSA-11 power armors, the 50mm Launcher is a short-ranged but powerful grenade-launcher-style weapon that’s considered ideal for defensive anti-vehicle work and urban anti-personnel work(i.e. it drops the buildings those pesky little infantry are hiding in). The weapon lobs a plastic-explosive shell that sticks to the target, then explodes, punching a plug or spald of material off the inner surface of the target into its interior, doing great damage.
Range: 800 ft
Damage:1d6x10 +40 MD to 6 ft blast radius, plus 1d4x10 SDC to anyone inside the armor(or 6d6 SDC to anyone within 10 ft of the other side of the wall). HALF that if used against composite ‘meshed’ armors designed to flex, rather than spald(most power armors are contructed to have a certain amount of ‘warp’ to their structure, but cheaper armors, like Chipwell and early Northern Gun designs, lack this protection).
More advanced modern armors, such as those used by the Coalition, Triax, and other very high tech nations(the Kittani, for instance), for their EBA, power armors, robots, some vehicles, and special purpose fortifications(such as high echelon command bunkers) are designed NOT to spald, due to multiple composite layers of megadamage fabric and netting.....for these armors, spalding/bleed-through damage may be reduced to 1/4, or may not apply at all(GMs, use your discretion). Normal blast damage still applies, though, as the outer layers of armor are blown off/vaporized.
Penalties: The 50mm grenade is rather slow (250 ft per second) and is meant to be used against stationary and slow-moving targets(like vehicles)...Against faster, more agile, targets like power armors and hovercycles that actually get a dodge, the shell is -2 to strike.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 24 rds
Cost: 120,000 credits

Variants---
Taurus Bulldozer---The Taurus was originally an Iron-Fist chassis outfitted for construction work, but when the Black Bear was finallized, new production Tauruses were retrofitted to take advantage of some of the more applicable design features, such as the leg struts. The Taurus replaces the turret with an armored casemate and cabin, adds a heavy dozer blade in front, and a backhoe and hauling hitch in the rear. The emphasis of the Taurus is brute strength; pushing things aside, over, or under, or pulling them along. Its a common sight in the VFS, where clearing land and putting in new construction often entails dealing with things that shoot or bite back.
Changes:
Crew: One+1-6 passengers/work crew
MDC/Armor by Location:
Cab(replaces turret) 200
Spotlight Banks(2) 15 each
Dozer Blade 200
Backhoe 50
Work Arms(2) 80 each
Weight: 40 tons
Cargo: Large 5x4x5 ft space in the casemate hull compartment for cargo or accomodations. Can haul up to 60 tons of trailer cargo.
Market Cost: 1 million credits Liquid Fuel, 2 million electric, or 8 million nuclear

Systems/Features:
Full NBC(Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) shielding, air filtration, and independant life support.
IR/Visible Light Headlights
Low-Light Optics(Passive night vision and InfraRed)
Radio----500 mile long range, 5 mile short range
Loudspeaker/Bullhorn(90 decibels)
Dozer Blade---(3d6 MD for a ram with the dozer blade lowered)
Winch---w/ 200 ft of cable. Can haul up to 15 tons
Back Hoe/Trenching Shovel.
Tow Hitch---Can tow up to 60 tons.
Robotic Work Arms----These are two giant (10 ft long)servo arms that can be used to pick up and clear debris, or hold things in place. Each arm has a three-fingered claw, locking joints, and a robotic physical strength of 50. They CANNOT be used to hold and use gun pods or other ranged weapons. The Work Arms can be used to punch (3d6 MD, 1d6x10MD for a power punch(2 attacks)).

Weapons Systems
1)Cupola-mount Rail Gun
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single round, 1d4x10 MD per 40 round burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 8,000 round magazine(200 bursts)

2)Secondary Laser Turrets(3)----These are the reliable PS-34L double-barrelled laser turret, PS copy of the IHA IH-34L, mounted in three sub-turrets, one on each side and one in front, intended to keep enemy infantry off. The Taurus does away with the Auto-Track Fire system. Each turret has a 180-degree arc of fire, and 45 degree elevation/depression.
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:1000 dual blasts per turret. Unlimited if nuclear powered

[taalismn]

Yeah...it's a shovel...but people with little more than shovels have changed the course of rivers and the fortunes of entire nations...

Vibro-Spade Entrenching Tool
“Not everyone has the gumption to be a knife fighter, but when the artillery missiles start flying overhead, EVERYONE becomes an expert with a foxhole digger.”
---”UndertakerMan”, Headhunter

“Damn....with those new vibro-spades, those greenies can dig holes faster than we can find grenades to drop down ‘em!”
----Anonymous Coalition soldier, KIngsdale front

“No more worrying about permafrost, rocks, concrete, or hardpack...Just watch where your feet are...”
----Paladin Steel Ad-Spot for the ‘Vib-Dig’.

The Vibro-Spade is a low-powered vibroblade mated to a folding field shovel. The inclusion of the megadamage cutting edge allows the shovel to slice through the toughest, rockiest soils and hard-frozen permafrost with ease. The Vibro-Spade has a broad, pointed cutting blade, lock-hinge for easy folding and stowage, a short one- or two-handed handle with a ruggerized covering for better grip, and a flashlight-style screw-end battery/e-pack compartment inside the handle. Though not really effective as a weapon, as any grunt can tell you, entrenching tools have been a favorite improvized melee weapon for centuries...the addition of the vibro-blade is just icing on the cake.
The price has been kept deliberately low so as to facilitate sales. Furthermore, the Vibro-Spade is standard issue to GNE infantry.
Weight: 2.5 lbs
Size: 2 ft folded, 3 ft unfolded
M.D.C.: 15
Range: Melee(entire tool is 3 ft long; 2 ft with blade folded)
Damage: (Unpowered)2d4 SDC club or slice +P.S. damage bonus(if any)
(w/ Vibroblade active) 1d4 MD
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Special Features:
*Folding spade head
*Non-conductive ruggerized handle
*Replaceable/Rechargeable Battery: 1 hour charge
Cost: 2,200 credits

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘Daniel Boone’- Light Scout Vehicle

“We tried to keep it simple...that was the problem...Simple meant that it became easy to keep piling stuff on it...Next thing you know, the product phamplet became a booklet...”

“Well, make up your mind! Are you being attacked by jeeps or hovercars?!”

“Good job, Jenkins! You shot those damn gun-running Vermonters off the bridge! Nothing to it but going down and scrapping them out of....well, -that- ain’t fair!”
----Coalition Spector-Lieutenant Malcolm Donal, watching a ‘Burb-smuggler’s ‘Boone’ switch to hoverjet-mode after going off a bridge outside CS Ishpemig.

The ‘Boone’ is a lightweight scout-recon vehicle designed and built by Paladin Steel, based on the pre-Rifts Cadillac Gage Scout car.
The Boone retains the wedge-shaped hull design of its inspiration, but the vehicle is carried on a dual wheel-and-hoverjet drive system, allowing for slow, stealthy overland movement on the firmament or high-speed low-level high-mobility flight. PS offers a selection of powerplants for the Boone, ranging from flex-fuel internal combustion to micro-nuke powerpacks. Armor is modest, consisting of sloped ceramic-composite cobham-plate. Armament is also light, consisting of a small turret at the highest point of the vehicle, and the option of mounting forward-mounted guns or missiles. As a scout vehicle, its sensor suite is above average, with a range of optical and audio sensors, that can be supplemented with additional sensor packs and option systems. The Boone also incorporates a degree of passive stealth as well, with a modified exhaust/cooling system that reduces its thermal signature, and hull materials that reduce the vehicle’s radar return. Accoustic baffling also reduce its noise levels while in ‘wheel’ mode, though its hoverjet mode is decidedly noisy.
The Boone is priced cheap to move in the export market, with a relative simplicity of construction and operation meant to appeal to adventurers, mercenaries, and smaller defense-minded kingdoms. The GNE and PS use the Boone themselves, mainly as a second-echelon security patrol vehicle, but most production goes to sale models.
Type: PS-LAFV17 Boone
Class: Armored Scout Car
Crew: 2+1 passenger
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 250
Reinforced Crew Compartment 80
Turret 100
Spotlight 10
Wheels/Hoverjets(4) 20 each
Height: 7.12 ft
Width: 6.7 ft
Length: 16.5 ft
Weight: 7.5 tons
Cargo: Small space in drivers’ compartment for 2-3 survival packs, personal possessions, and side arms.
Powerplant: Liquid-Fuel(400 Mile Range), Fuel-cell Electric(450 Mile Range), or Nuclear
Speed: (Ground) 75 MPH
(Hover-Flight) Hover to 400 MPH, maximum altitude of 7,000 ft
(Water) Amphibious; with hydrojet propulsion; 10 MPH
(Underwater) Sealed up, the Boone can hide out on the bottom of a body of water: Maximum Depth: 80 ft
Market Cost: 900,000 credits for conventionally-powered models, 3 million credits fro nuclear
Systems of Note:
Standard Power Armor Systems, plus:

*Directional Spotlight
*Retracting IR/Normal Light Headlights
*Audio/Visual Surveillance Recorder System: Records everything the sensors pick up, as well as driver commentary on 3-inch, 6 hour discs.
*Parabolic Directional Microphone: can pick up conversational noise levels from 1000 ft ft away.
*Thermo-Imager-2000 ft
*IR/UV Optics
*Telescopic Optics
*Periscope(10 ft) for looking over walls, from behind cover.
*Laser Range Finder---30 mile range
*Laser Designator: Used to illuminate targets for attack with laser-guided weapons. Range: 6 miles
*VL/IR Headlights-500 ft

*Camouflage Net. The rear compartment of the Boone holds a camouflage net that can be quickly drawn/erected over the vehicle to conceal it while parked.

*Reduced IR/Thermal signature: the use of exhaust “coolers” and thermal insulation give the Boone a reduced heat signature. Reduce skill rolls to track the Boone by IR/thermo-imaging by 50%

*Reduced Accoustic Signature---In ground mode, the quiet motors are further baffled to reduce noise by some 30%.

*Reduced Radar Signature---The Boone has a noticeably reduced radar profile due to its largely composite-plastic alloy hull; -7% to sensor rolls to detect it using radar.

Weapons Systems:
1) Gun Turret---The Boone mounts a turret with two gun positions that be each be fitted with ONE of the following weapons:
a) Light Pulse Laser
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD triple shot burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 300 shot battery pack for conventionally powered versions, effectively unlimited if nuclear
Cost: 40,000 credits

b)12.7mm PS-MRG03 Snub-nose Short Gatling Gun
Range: 2000 ft
Damage: 1D6 MD single round, 1D6x10 MD per 10 round burst,
2D6x10 +60 per Full Melee Burst of 40 rounds
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 rounds
Cost: 36,000 credits

c) 40mm Grenade Launcher
Range:7,000 ft
Damage: (Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to blast area of 12 ft
2d6x10 MD to blast area of 40 ft w/ 10-rd burst
(Armor Piercing) 1d4x10 MD to blast area of 3 ft
3d6x10 MD to blast area of 8 ft w/ 10-rd burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 250 rds
Cost: 50,000 credits

d) Ion Pulse Gun---Standard ion weapon, but modified with PS’s new ion-fire modifier modules to include a ‘scatter shot’ mode.
Range: 2000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per single shot, 1d6x10 MD per triple shot pulse
(Scattershot mode)Reduce range to 500 ft, but does 4d6 MD to a 12 ft wide area
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 rounds
Cost: 40,000 credits

2)(Optional) Turret-Mounted Hardpoint(1)---The Boone mounts a single hardpoint for external turret-mounted ordnance
a) Mini-Missile Pod---A six-shot and a ten-shot pack are available
Weight: 40 lbs
Range: Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 10
Payload: 6-10
Market Cost: 30,000 credits for the 6 shot launcher pod, 50,000 credits for the ten-shot launcher

b) Anti-Armor Missiles
Range: 1 mile
Damage: High Explosive 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, or 4
Payload: 4
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 50,000 credits for the launcher, 10, 000 credits per missile

3)(Optional) Forward Gun Mounts---The Boone can mount up to two weapons in a fixed-forward position on the forward glacis-plate.
a) 20mm Light Autocannon---Paired PS M-40 autocannons
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:(20mm) 1d4 MD single shot
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
(PSX 20mm) 4d4 MD single shot
2d4x10 MD per 5 rd burst
4d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst
(Wood Rounds) 6d6 SDC single shot (1d4x10 HP to vampires)
2d4x10 SDC MD per 5 rd burst (2d4x10 HP to vampires)
6d6 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10 HP to vampires)
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 100 rds per cannon
Cost: 28,000 credits
A box of 100 20mm rds costs 500 credits. A box of 100 20mm PS rds costs 2500 credits

b)40mm Impact Cannon---An attempt to combine the enhanced knock-down properties of Triax ‘Slammer’ missiles with a smaller-caliber projectile cannon. The cannons fire a plastic-explosive gel directional charge that flattens against a target, then explodes, delivering a heavy force ‘slap’ enough to knock over vehicles, robots, and large beings. Against barriers, it can prove particularly effective at crashing gates.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 2d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
85% chance of knocking over human-sized targets(lose 1 APM and initiative getting up/re-orientated), 65% chance of stunning them(-10 to strike, parry, dodge, roll, lose initiative and half APMs for 1d4 melees, and reduce speed by HALF). 50% chance of knockdown for creatures 10-13 ft tall, 40% chance of stunning.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 30 rds each
Cost: 50,000 credits, 25 credits per shell

c) Flamethrower
Range: 300 ft for napalm gels
Damage:
(Wellington plasma napalm) 3d6 MD burst
(MD Gel)4D6 MD Upon contact, burning for 1D6 rounds doing 2D6 MD per round. Anything that the character touches also starts on fire. Any combustible materials within touching distance, clothes, brush, etc. also ignite.
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: Enough fuel for 35 blasts
Special Features: *Multi-Fuel Capacity
Cost: 10,000 credits

d)Pulse Lasers---Paired laser rifles
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery pack for conventionally powered versions, effectively unlimited if nuclear
Cost: 80,000 credits for the set

e) Plasma Cannons---Paired plasma ejectors
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10+12 MD simultaneous shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:60 shot battery pack for conventionally powered versions, effectively unlimited if nuclear
Cost: 60,000 credits for the set

Options:
*Turbo-Booster----Adds an extra jet-assist thruster to the rear of the Boone. This gives the Boone an extra boost in high speed flight.
Bonuses: Temporarily boosts the maximum speed to 450 MPH for up to 30 mimutes before needing another 45 minutes to cool down.
Cost: 200,000 credits

*Lance Scanner---Looks like a long lance protruding from the front of the craft. The Lance Scanner contains a magnetometer() and a short-range microwave radar for groundsearching minefields(in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even non-metallic mines, but takes twice as long).
Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordinance.
Cost: 40,000 credits

*Sensor Cluster--Small sensor dish on a turntable
MDC: 25
Sensors: Mini-Radar--5 mile range
Motion Detector--200 ft range
Laser Illuminator-----6 mile range, Designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons
Laser targetting System(+1 to strike)
Cost: 12,000 credits

*NBC Sensor System Cluster---Small compact mini-lab pod that has the following:
---Geiger Counter---Detects radiation, type, and levels.
---Molecular Analyzer---A flow-through air sampler that tests for various common airborne contaminants and toxins, and determines air quality.
---Pathogen Screener---Another air sampler that looks for dust particles and spores, and the enyzme/molecular interactions of organic pathogens
Cost: 80,000 credits

*Replace the twin-gun turret with a turret mounting a single PS Arden 25mm autocannon:
Range: (Effective Range)2,000 meters (6,000 ft)
(Maximum Range)(-3 to strike)3,600 meters
Damage:(SDC)* (Fragmentation) 2d6x10 SDC to 10 ft radius**
4d6x10 SDC per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius
1d4 MD per 10 rd burst, 14 ft blast radius
4d6 MD per 60 rd burst! 25 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(High Explosive) 6d6x10 SDC to 4 ft radius
1d4 MD per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius
2d4 MD per 10 rd burst, 12 ft blast radius
6d6 MD per 60 rd burst! 20 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(Armor Piercing) 1d4x100 SDC, no blast radius
1d6 MD per 5 rd burst, 1 ft blast radius
2d6 MD per 10 rd burst, 2 ft blast radius
1d6x10 MD per 60 rd burst! 4 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
*Note that beyond the accurate range of 6,000 ft, AP rounds lose some of their effective penetrating power due to diminishing velocity; reduce damage by 20%

*(Yes, I know, why include SDC when it just as quickly becomes MDC? You’re still being hit with a pretty hefty shell)
**(Note that SDC weapons enjoy a slightly larger blast radius than that of MDC weapons, owing to the lower damage potential)

(MD)(Fragmentation)1d6 MD to 7 ft radius
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst, 10 ft blast radius
2d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 14 ft blast radius
4d6x10 per 60 rd burst! 22 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(High Explosive) 3d6 MD single shot, 5 ft blast radius
1d4x10 per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius
2d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 12 ft blast radius
5d6x10 per 60 rd burst! 20 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
(Armor Piercing)4d6 MD single shot, no blast radius
2d4x10 per 5 rd burst, 1 ft blast radius
3d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 2 ft blast radius
6d6x10 per 60 rd burst!, 3 ft blast radius(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)
*Note that beyond the accurate range of 6,000 ft, AP rounds lose some of their effective penetrating power due to diminishing velocity; reduce damage by 20%

HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) - Designed to ‘spald’ off armor on the interior of power armors and vehicles. Composite ‘chobham’(layered armor and nylon mesh) armor reduces this internal damage by HALF, by holding the armor together.
HESH rounds do NOT have a blast radius.
3D6 MD plus 4D6 SDC to the person(s) inside the object.
1d4x10 per 5 rd burst,4 ft blast radius----plus 4D6+2 SDC to the person(s) inside the object
2d4 x10 per 10 rd burst, 6 ft blast radius----plus 5d6 SDC to the person(s) inside the object
5d6x10 per 60 rd burst! 10 ft blast radius----plus 1d4x10 SDC to the person(s) inside the object(takes ALL attacks that melee and is -2 to strike)

(Crowd Control rds)---Essentially an expanding plastic ‘flyswatter’ that delivers a bruising knockdown punch. Cut effective range to 200 ft. Does 2d4 SDC per rd, humans and human-sized D-Bees must roll a D20-5 to maintain their footing (must equal or surpass the attacker's roll to strike...Full rules in TNW p.174). Human-sized light power armors(500-800 lbs) also roll on a D20, but are +2 to save versus knockdown

(Wood Rounds) 7d6 SDC single shot (1d4x10+5 HP to vampires), no blast radius
2d4x10+10 SDC per 5 rd burst (2d4x10+10 HP to vampires), 2 ft blast radius
6d6 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10+10 HP to vampires), 3 ft blast radius

Rate of Fire: Rated at 260 Rounds per minute...Can fire single shot, or in bursts of 3-60 rounds per melee
Payload: 400 rds
Bonuses: From any sensor package fitted
Bonuses from Sensor Package:
*Laser Range-finding and Targetting(6,000 ft range)
*Thermographic Imaging----5,000 ft
*Passive Nightvision---5,000 ft
*Ultrasonic Scanning----1,500 ft range
*Microwave Radar Motion Tracking--160 degree arc, out to 1,000 ft
*Remote Video Feed Capability
*Combat Algorithms----Correct for weapon bouncing and target movement. Give bonuses of +3 to strike on normal shots, +4 to strike with called shots. +2 initiative thanks to target prioritizing
Cost: 8,000 credits for the basic weapon, plus 32,000 credits for the sensor package.(yep!) Shells cost 10(SDC Fragmentation) 20(High Explosive) 28 (SDC Armor Piercing)- 100 (MD Fragmentation) 200 ( MDHigh Explosive) 350(MD Armor Piercing) credits each


Variants:
* PS-LAFV17B---'Economy' Model that removes the hoverjet system in favor of a pure wheel drive. The propulsion system has been upgraded to a more flexible Flex-Fuel system that can run off just about anything from kitchen grease(though mileage is about 25% of normal) to diesel, and the space originally used for hoverjet pipping is used for an extra fuel tank(increase range to 500 miles).
The real savings is in the price tag; slashed to 400,000 credits.

[taalismn]

Just something about this old Northrop design begged me to give it a second chance before I tried converting a REAL winner like the DeHaviland Otter or Beaver...

Paladin Steel YC-1250 Pioneer-2 Light Transport

“The Pioneer; when you don’t need a heavy lifter.”

“Geez...why didn’t you get yourself a REAL aircraft, instead of this claptrap?”
“Because I’m not planning on dogfighting dragons...and with the money I saved buying this crate, I could afford those two forcefield generators in back there.”

“It may not be much to look at now, but once the Wiliker Brothers get finished doing it up with their ward-etchings and crystotechno-doohickies, they promise me I’ll hardly recognize the old bird. I dunno if I should be worried or not about the way they phrased it like that.”

Paladin Steel had originally set out to create a production copy of an ancient pre-Rifts design, the Ford TriMotor, but found , in the course of their research, a more robust design in files on the Northrop YC-125 ‘Raven’. Indeed, many modern scholars mistake the superficially similar YC-125 for the older TriMotor; both are conventional propellor-driven, three-motored, high-wing monoplanes with a twin landing gear and tail wheel configuration. However, the YC-125 was designed over 25 years later than the venerable Ford airliner. To the PS engineers seeking to resurrect the design, this meant that the ‘Raven’ was already built sturdy, with more powerful engines, and short-takeoff and landing capacity from unimproved airfields in mind. However, because the original design suffered from a lack of power from its Wright R-1820-99 Cyclone engines, PS has corrected these faults with more powerful and versatile dual-mode power system. The Pioneer-2 has a combination liquid-fuel and electric power system that allows the engines to run off a variety of fuels, but the pilot also has the option of switching the props over to electric power supplied by battery, and charged from a broad swath of high-efficiency solar-electric paneling on the upper wing. While the solar cells cannot supply enough electrical juice under most circumstances to directly power the plane at anything above cruising speed, and the batteries have only enough capacity for wight hours power at night, judicious use of the solar power system allows the aircraft to save fuel and extend its range.
Construction has also been beefed-up, using a combination of light megadamage alloys and composites. The landing gear have been strengthened with regard to rough field landings and takeoffs, while a re-designed prop and flap system optimize pitch and control for STOL operations.
Because of the YC-1250’s lack of integral armaments, the YC-1250 is being marketed as a civilian and trade transport, with ‘bushpilot’ missions in mind. Despite its slow speed and modest performance, its low cost and ease of maintenance make a good buy for smaller regional operators and budget-minded adventurers, especially those who typically have to land at country fields and in wilderness regions.

An excellent schematic 3-view can be found here: http://www.airbornegrafix.com/HistoricA ... /YC125.htm

Type:PS-YC-1250 Pioneer-2
Class: Light Transport Aircraft
Crew: 2+ 36 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Wings(2) 95 each
Engines(3) 90 each
Height: 23 ft
Width: 86 ft, 6 in.
Length: 67 ft
Weight: 41,900 lbs
Cargo: If not carrying passengers, can carry 5 tons of cargo.
Powerplant: Conventional liquid flex-fuel/electric hybrid w/ 1,900 mile range
Solar Wing---The dorsal surface of the high-wing is fitted with solar panels, and the powerplants supplanted/complemented with a Super-Solar Power System. Switching over to the electric power system drops maximum speed to 155 MPH, Flying in broad daylight, mostly unobstructed sunlight gives the batteries an 8-hour charge; cloudy and overcast days cut available power to three hours.
Speed: 280 MPH, maximum altitude of 12,300 ft
Market Cost: 200,000 credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Power Armor Systems
Weapons Systems: None standard, but the rear side cargo doors can be fitted with pintle mounts for manned gun positions, a dorsal gun turret can be added, and two small underwing bomb racks can be added(can hold the equivalent of 3 mini-missiles or one short range missile each)
Options:
*Gun Turret---A powered turret of armored megadamage transplate, able to hold a rail gun or paired energy rifles/machine guns. Installed just fat of the dorsal wingbox and has a full 180 degree arc of fifre(though special locks prevent it from firing on the aircraft’s own tail). 50 MDC. Cost: 25,000 credits

*Radome---A radar system can be mounted in a nacelle above the cockpit. Effective range of 40 miles. Cost: 100,000 credits

*Skids---For landing on ice and snow. Cost: 2,000 credits

*Pontoons---For landing on water. Each pontoon has 45 MDC, and a small rudder at the trailing end. Cost: 24,000 credits

*JATO Units---Jet Assisted TakeOff bottles, that allow the aircraft to take off in less than 500 ft of runway...Essentially modified short range missile engines, up to 6 JATO units can be mounted on the undercarriage(uses two in each use). JATO units can be made from modified SRMs(-10% to Armorer roll to adapt them) but PS sells units for 800 credits apiece.

*Flare/Chaff Launchers(1-2)---These standardized countermeasure-launchers can be mounted in the tail section
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher
Cost: 10,000 credits per launcher. 100 credits per flare/chaff bundle

[taalismn]

I STILL don't own Volkswagon---But my grandmother had one, and I have fond memories of it...

Paladin Steel/AVA Camper Van

“The AVA Camper Van? Great little beastie...slab-sided and ugly as sin, but that’s because it’s built like a brick, without half as many gremlins as the Bug. Yeah, you can outfit a Camper van for just about anything, ‘cuzz its pretty much able to tolerate any sort of modification you can cook up...its got more space than the Bug to muck around in. Heck, I even heard of one codger who claimed he’d taken his to the MOON! You can fit just about anything in them, and swap it out right quick if you have to. Take my own “ Betty Bomber”, for instance......side chain guns, pylon-mount rocket pods, fore and aft lasers, and hoverjets....and it looks and sleeps just like a regular camper , too, as me and my crew have done on many a lurp*......and nobody, but NOBODY, expects an RV to move that fast and open up on them with artillery!”
----Corporal Colin Grotz----Waist Gunner, Camper Gunship “Betty Bomber”. Braddock’s Bad Boys.

*LRRP----Long Range Recon Patrol

“Refugees, you said! Trucks and buses, with only light armaments! I just lost half my raiders and all three of my power armors to your “defenseless refugee” convoy! Couldn’t you see that HALF of those ‘buses’ were VW Campers tricked out with heavy weapons!? “Defenseless’, my arse!”
-Anonymous Bandit-clan Warleader.

“Room, lotsa room. That’s what I like about the Camper Van...and speed, yeah, speed is good too, with the big rockets in the tail, she don’t move like a pig......and the big guns in the roof turret ain’t a bad sellin’ point either.”
-”Extra Chunky”, Titan-Juicer Mercenary

VW/AVA Camper Van
Seeing the considerable succes enjoyed by the Super-Bug, Paladin Steel authorized its American Volkswagon subsidiary to produce something bigger, to give customers more utility and space. The AVA VW Camper Van is an attempt to to revive and modify the VW Camper Van as an all-terrain utility vehicle. The emphasis was on a sturdy, reliable, straightforward design that lacked the bells and whistles of the Super Bug, but would instead appeal to the civilian population and more level-headed buyers. The Camper Van is far more sluggish/less spectacular in performance than the Super Bug, but is tougher, has better range, and lacks many of the unusual problems of the Super Bugs. Similar in concept to the Mountaineer APC, but far less expensive. The VW Van has a simple, rather bland-looking box construction, more like a toaster on wheels(especially with the roof- top hatch), four wheels, two forward doors, a side sliding hatch-door, rear hatch, and an optional roof-top hatch/erectable tent awning.
Inevitably, however, the PS design philosophy of multiple options caught up with the Camper Van, and a number of option packages were designed for it. Nowadays, an UNmodified Camper Van is seen as something of an aberration.
(Post-110 PA Update: PS Volkwagon America has turned out to be one of those iconic names that says ‘kitbash’ to the adventurer set---over a thousand Camper Vans have been sold so far; better than some regular military vehicles...and everybody can find something different to do with theirs... Thus, Camper Vans are found throughout the GNE in both civilian and government hands...The government uses theirs as security vehicles and National Guard APCs, while many folks just use them as a secure means to travel. Increasingly, the Camper Van is showing up in the hands of nomads and wilderness tribes with high-tech leanings.)
Type: PS-VW-UV-32
Class: Utility Vehicle
Crew: One driver, and up to 8 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Reinforced crew compartment 100
Wheels(4)-----50 each
Height: 8 ft
Width: 7 ft
Length: 15.5 ft
Weight: 3.2 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 5,000 lbs of cargo in the central compartment , plus a spare tire, jack, tool kit, and glove compartment with first aid kit(comes standard with Camper Van)
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel or Electric (500 mile range)
OR Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
(TW conversions are also very popular, as by special arrangement Paladin Steel West and Lazlo have graciously offered to fit VW Camper Vans with TW powerplants ).
Speed: 80 MPH max.
Market Cost: 50,000 credits for Liquid-Fueled model
55,000 credits for electric
900,000 credits for nuclear
Systems/Features:
Life Support-----Has limited 24-hour independant air supply/ life support for up to 8 people.
Water Cooler---Holds up to 50 gallons of water
Convertable Bunk-Benches
Amphibious----The Camper Van shares the Super Bug’s affinity for water, though how, the engineers haven’t yet determined. So long as the Camper Van has one point of MDC in its Main Body, it will float quite servicably in defiance of common sense.
Radio: 50 mile range
Headlights : 100 ft range
Trailor Hitch(not applicable to airborne vehicles)---Can haul up to 2 tons

Options:(any number of options can be added, unless they obviously conflict with each other....also note that some will have cumulative penalties. ) Also note that any of the options offered in Rifts Mercenaries are also available(generally at 10-20% less if ordered at the time of purchase from thePS factory) Many of these are direct addition kits from the SuperBug line, directly adjacent the Van factory line.
Note: Any of the common TW additions listed in the Rifts Basic Rules Book are also available, by special arrangement with Lazlo, and if ordered at the factory, cost 10-15% less.

*Chemical Toilet and Septic Tank: Cost: 5,000 credits
*Mini-Shower/Stall: Cost: 5,000 credits
*Refridgerator---A larger refridgerator for long trips; holds up to 500 lbs of food. Cost: 2,000 credits
*Kitchenette----A compact, easy-maintenance food preparation module for long trips. Electric stove, w/3 burners, a micro-wave oven, fume hood/fire control lid, easy-clean cutting board, small sink and water supply, and an asortment of durable, attractive, cutlery and dining ware from Domiwear(a subsidary of PS Plate), comes standard.
Cost: 3,000 credits

*Extra Armor---Up to an adittional 200 MDC can be added at a cost of 10,000 credits per 40 MDC, and add 50 lbs per 40 MDC.

*Rebuilt Ram Prow----The front of the Van is specially armored and reinforced for ramming(+100 MDC to front only), rebuilt to resemble a ‘face’ of the buyer’s choice; smiley faces, skulls, and animal heads are the most commonly requested motifs. The design reconstruction also incorporates hydraulics and robotic actuators to give the ‘mouth’, if any, the ability to grin, grimace, open, open, and close, as well as apply a crush/bite(particularly useful for clearing debris). Popular with Crazies and ex-CS troopers.
Damage: 1d6 MD per 20 MPH, and 1d6 MD from a bite/crush
Cost: 60,000 credits

*Smoke Screen---Equal to a Smoke Mini-missile; uses same warheads. Can hold up to 5 charges. Cost: 10,000 credits

* Aqua Thrusters-----Adds propellors/hydrojets capable of pushing the car at up to 20 MPH on water.
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Enhanced/Turbocharged Engines-----Can upgrade the engine and overall speed.
Cost: 4,000 credits per additional 10 MPH, maximum of 160 MPH

*Muckers---Oversized tires like those seen on the vehicles in Federation of magic; enable the Camper Van to cross swamp and soft surfaces at 2/3 normal speed, but also reduce normal paved-road speed by 1/3(effectively no penalty for driving off-road).
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Extended Range(available only to liquid-fuel or electric powered models)
Adds extra fuel tankage or extra/larger battery packs.
Cost: 15,000 credits for double range

*TW Engine/”Ley Line Trolley’ Conversion---A co-development of Lazlo’s, this addition mounts a pair of extendable power pickup rails(like those on old pre-Rifts electric trolley-cars on the roof of the Van that allow it to tap into PPE energy when on a ley line. When, and only when, moving along a ley line, with this system engaged, the Van’s engines use no fuel, drawing off the ley line. Reduce maximum speed by 50%.
MDC of Rail Assembly: 10
Cost: 1.2 million credits

*Hovercar-Wheeled Hybrid---Fitted with a dual-wheel-and-hoverfan drive system, (similar in arrangement to the DeLorean conversion in the old "Back to the Future" films). Not as fast as a true hovercar, but capable of greater fuel economy in ground movement.
Speed:250 MPH. Max altitude of 1,000 ft
Range:350 miles w/ liquid fuel/electric, indefinite w/ nuclear
Cost: 120,000 credits

*Pure Hover Car Conversion---Does away with the wheels altogether
MDC per Hoverjets(4) 50 each
Speed: 350 MPH. Max altitude of 5,000 ft
Range: 250 miles w/ liquid fuel/electric, indefinite w/ nuclear
Cost: 550,000 credits

*Blimp Pack----A variation on the hot air balloon system in N&SS, this option can deploy an MDC-fabric semi-rigid blimp gasbag from the top of the Camper Van, and inflate it with helium gas(with an inner hot air reservoir/envelope to control bouyancy), providing lift. The Van becomes the blimp’s gondola, and the entire assembly can be pushed at a leisurely 30 MPH,maximum altitude of 10,000 ft. The Blimp option has the advantage of requiring little in the way of power to maintain flying, but is also slow, vulnerable to enemy action, and is subject to weather conditions. The blimp option can be inflated in 1 minute, and repacked in 5 minutes.
MDC of Blimp: 50
Cost: 125,000 credits, plus 200 credits per cylinder of helium(1 cylinder can inflate the blimp once)...Hydrogen gas would be cheaper, but would be far more susceptible to fire(remember the Hindenburg?).
(Note: The depletion of helium reserves in the mid-2000’s was a matter of great concern, until the development of commerically viable industrial nuclear-fusion systems showed a useful byproduct---helium ‘ash’---that could be collected in sellable quantities from municipal fusion powerplants. In the modern post-Rifts age, large city powerplants, such as those in the CS states, Lazlo, and Burlington, produce and decontaminate helium gas for industrial and commercial use as a viable byproduct of energy production)

*Heavy Auxiliary Assisted Speed System (HAulASS) Rocket Booster----Available only to Hover-modified vehicles. This is essentially a restartable rocket booster that fires off from a concealed hatch in the back. Allows the vehicle to hit speeds of 550 MPH for 1d4 minutes. The HAulASS can only fire for a limited time before burning out/overheating and shutting down(requires a full hour before one can restart it, and replacement of the venturis after 1d4 firings).
Cost: 200,000 credits. Replacement thrust bells/chambers are 50,000 credits each.

*Sail Conversion-----This turns the Camper Van into a full-blown ocean-going vessel, taking advantage of its ability to float...The side doors are sealed shut, the underside mounts a retracting keelboard, and a telescoping 18 ft mast pops up from the top. Fully rigged, the Camper Van can sail at the modest speed of 6 MPH.
Cost: 300, 000 credits

*Submarine Conversion----Being somewhat larger and sturdier than the VW Super Bug, the Van makes a slightly better sub. Doubles the weight of the VW, and it CANNOT float, unless special floatation bags are activated/ballast tanks pumped out. Comes with 1 mile-range micro-sonar, depth guage, fish-finder, 8 ft periscope and snorkel. Many buyers of this option frequently install two micro-torpedo launchers in the forward compartmants under the head lights, or replace the passenger cabin with vertical launch tubes, turning the AVA Camper into a mini-boomer sub.
Underwater Speed: 30 MPH
Maximum Depth: 1000 ft
Cost: 6 million credits

* Spider Legs------Taking the ‘Bug’ name to an extreme, this conversion does away with the wheels altogether, and replaces them with four articulated robot legs. The vehicle is now truly all-terrain,and, with mag-grip feet option, can even scale walls like a true insect(at 70% climbing profficiency), but isn’t as fast.
MDC per leg:(4) 50 MDC
Speed: 60 MPH
Cost: 2.3 million credits, +60,000 credits for mag-grips, +100,000 credits for molecular adhesion pads.

*Elevator Platform---This replaces the central cargo/passenger cabin with a ‘cherrypicker’ platform that can rise up out of the Camper Van and serve as a platform for construction/repair work, observation, or sniping. The platform is roughly 4’x6’, can rise to 40 ft, and can support up to 2 tons of weight. The gantry platform supporting it is made of high-strength carbon fiber synthetics, and has 50 MDC.
Cost: 25,000 credits

Weapons Options: the following reflect just a few(but not ALL) of the weapons systems available from Paladin Steel and its affiliates.

* Gun Ports---These special valved gun ports permit passengers to shoot from inside the vehicle without compromising the environmental integrity of the cabin. Limited to pistols and rifle sized weapons. Gun ports impose a penalty of -1 to strike because of the limited field of fire. Cost: 1,000 credits each

* Gun Mounts---Up to three gun-mount blisters(one each side, one in the rear) can be fitted . Each blister can accomodate a rail gun, heavy energy weapon, autocannon, grenade launcher, or infantry mini-missile launcher(specially vented to direct exhaust and blowback outside the vehicle). Blisters mounted on the sliding door(if any) will either fold back or into the vehicle, to prevent fouling. MDC of Blister: 60 . Cost: 5,000 credits

* External Weapons Pylon---Essentially a vehicle-mounted fixed-position hardpoint, similar to those found on PS power armors, and fully compatible with armaments found with those systems. Note, however, that all pylon-mount weapons are in a fixed forward, or fixed rearward firing position. Up to four hardpoints can be mounted, two on the sides(one can be mounted on the sliding door), and two on the roof.
Cost: 6,000 credits per pylon.
Sample Armaments:
a) 6 or 10 shot mini-missile pods. 50,000 /55,000 credits respectively.
b) 80mm Autocannon Pod(2,500 ft, 2d6x10 MD per shell, 10 shots) 80,000 credits, 12,000 credits per 10 shot clip
c) Grenade Launcher(2000 ft, 4d6 MD to 7 ft area, 8d6 MD to 14 ft area per double shot burst, or 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft area per 10 rd burst, 30 rds) 60,000 credits
d)2 short range missiles
e) 1 Heavy Hitter ‘smart’ Missile(1 mile,2d4x10 MD, +5 to strike)
10,000 credits.
f) 1 medium range missile

* Roof-mounted External Weapons Turret. This turret is large enough to hold weapons up to short-range missiles and light autocannon/heavy rail guns. MDC of Turret: 80. Cost: 6,000 credits

*Retractable Heavy Weapons Turret---Rather than carry passengers or cargo, the Camper Van can be fitted with a retractable weapons mount that deploys through a roof hatch. This feature is particularly popular among mercenaries who want to conceal heavy firepower. The turret can mount any of the weapons available to the standard external turret, except reduce the passenger capacity by half, or the following can be substituted, in which case only a gunner(no passengers or heavy cargo) may be carried.
The following are a few of the standard PS weapons systems offered.
*Missile launcher
80 Mini-missiles(Volleys of 1,2,5,10, or 20) Cost: 500,000 credits
20 short-range missiles Cost: 1 million credits
OR 10 medium range missiles Cost: 1.8 million credits
OR 4 long-range missiles: Cost: 5 million credits
OR Reconfigurable Launch Cell System---A new system using morphing plastics and adaptive weapons interface technology to combine all of the above into one launcher system. The system can be reconfigured in under 20 minutes to handle any of the above payloads, and fire them. Popular with adventurers who don’t know where their next ammunition supply is coming from. Note that the system is designed to accomodate Human-manufactured weapons, and may have trouble adapting to munnitions of Kittani or other alien make. Cost: 6.3 million credits

*Air-Defense Lasers---A quad-mount laser and sensor array, designed to maximize accuracy and firepower.
Range: 6000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot(one cannon), 2d6x10 quad shot burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
4 attacks per melee when in autodefense
Payload: Unlimited w/ nuclear powerplant
Bonus: +2 strike when on automatic sentry mode
+3 to strike when operated manually
Cost: 800,000 credits

*Air Defense Vulcan Cannon Station---This system uses the PS-862, the Paladin Steel copy of the Triax/New Roman Empire TX-862FC AA autocannon, also used in the Meles/Skywatcher, and Rattlesnake AA vehicles. Because of the space available, the Camper Van can carry a larger ammunition payload.
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD two rd burst
2d6x10 MD six rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
4 attacks per melee when in autodefense
Payload:1600 rds
Sensor Bonuses: +2 strike when on automatic sentry mode
+3 to strike when operated manually
Cost: 1 million credits

*Heavy Rapid Fire Chain Cannon---A smaller, rapid-fire chain cannon, similar to those mounted as the Light CIWS on Paladin Steel ships. Called the “button gun” for its rounded, dome like turret, and snub-nosed barrel. Only one can be carried, either externally or internally on the retracting turret(reduce passngers/cargo as aforementioned).
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst(can only fire bursts)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, as an automated defense system linked to a radar/sensor system, the “Button Gun” has 4 attacks per melee
Payload:8,000 rd drum(200 bursts)
Cost: 400,000 credits

*Heavy Rail Gun---A simple, brute force rail gun firing a hyper-velocity kinetic-energy penetrator. Only one can be carried, either externally or internally on the retracting turret(reduce passngers/cargo as aforementioned).
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per shell
Rate of Fire:Six times per melee
Payload: 200 rds
Cost: 200,000 credits

*Mortar---A roof-mounted indirect-fire automatic-feed breech-loading mortar.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 6d6 MD to 20 ft radius for Fragmentation
1d6x10 MD to 10 ft radius for High Explosive
20 ft radius for Smoke/chemical rds.
Rate of Fire: Up to six times per melee
Payload: 100 rds
Cost: 200,000 credits

*Air Defense Warning System----Not a weapons system per se, but a necessary adjutant to one. The ADWS is a retractable search and warning radar system that provides early warning and weapons targeting. Hooked up to other air defense units, the ADWS van can direct the fire of an anti-aircraft battery, and mount a most effective defense against airborne targets. In the hilly territory of Vermont, ADWS vans are a necessary part of VFS’s defenses, and are a part of many of the hilltop watchposts and redoubts dotting the nation . The system has also proven popular with smaller kingdoms who fear air attack. Requires at least one dedicated sensor operator.
Radar Capabilities: 200 mile range(local terrrain may limit this), and can track up to 144 targets simultaneously.
MDC of Radome: 80
Cost: 1.8 million credits

*Chemical Sprayer System--A series of external sprayers that can be used to surround the Camper Van with a spray arc of water, tear gas, fire retardant foam, or other chemicals.
Range: 30 ft
Damage: Varies. If using water, does 4d6 HP damage to vampires.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:50 chemical shots per cannister. Additional chemical cannisters can be carried(each is the size of a soda-dispenser recharge cannister) inside, and swapped in to replace expended chemical supplies in 1 melee.
Cost: 200, 000 credits

*Jericho Mega-Boomer Sonic Assault System-----This weapons system was originally contracted for by the Crazy mercenary company and travelling rock band Bloodleech Modanga, who delivered the construction specs...and was subsequently reproduced, with the band’s permision, for other customers. The Jericho is essentially a really(and we mean REALLY) stepped up, overpowered amplification and sound projection system, so big it takes up all available cabin and cargo space in the Camper(only a driver and technician/gunner can be carried). Side doors open to reveal cabinet-sized speaker arrays, and the roof hatch opens to reveal a massive directable sonic cannon. The Jericho requires so much power to operate that its only available with a nuclear engine, that can meet power demands.
The Jericho operates in one of three modes. The first(‘Deafer’) merely produces a VERY LOUD noise level, similar to that of a Boom Gun’s blast, breaking windows and causing deafness. The second (‘Blaster’) mode produces a omni-directional pulse shock, capable of knocking down people, and stunning living creatures. The third (‘Straka’)mode produces a narrow focus beam that does megadamage, penetrating armor.
The Jericho takes up ALL available cargo space; there’s only enough room for the driver, one passenger, and a systems operator aboard.
Range:(‘Deafer’): 300 ft arc or radius(area of effect can be controlled)
(‘Blaster’): 200 ft, radius
(‘Straka’); 2000 ft, narrow beam
Damage::(‘Deafer’): Shatters SDC windows within 300 ft, causes temporary deafnes in unprotected characters for 2d4 minutes, (-8 initiative, -3 parry dodge). Characters in armor or with ear protection will still be deafened for 1d4 minutes, with same penalties.
(‘Blaster’): Same penalties as above for deafness, but also 01-88% chance of knocking people down, 65% chance of stunning them. Knocked down victims lose 1 APM and initiative. Stunned victims are -10 strike, parry, dodge, roll, and at half APMs/speed for 1d4 melee rounds.
(‘Straka’); 6d6 MD per blast
Used against MDC body armor, for every 5 MDC afflicted on the armor, the character inside takes 1d6 SDC damage as they are vibrated violently inside their armor.
Rate of Fire::(‘Deafer’): ECHH
(‘Blaster’): 4 times per melee
(‘Straka’); 4 times per melee
Payload: Unlimited
Cost: 3.2 million credits

*Headlight “Eyeball” Lasers---This system replaces the standard headlights with variable mode laser illuminators, that can act as normal headlights, or as high-power lasers. The ‘eyeball lasers’ can also be moved independently, or slaved to act in tandem, in a 90-degree arc of fire.
Range:1600 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD single shot, 4d6 MD double shot blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:Effectively unlimited
Cost: 130,000 credits

Notable Vehicle Full Conversions.
“Paddy Wagon”---Originally constructed specially for the Vermont Free State Police, the PW-VW is outfitted especially for police operations, and has been adopted by a number of other police departments. The Paddy Wagon mounts a heavy stunner(any type) and co-axial “Loogie” launcher in a top-mount external turret, two rapid-fire pellet guns(equivalent to light SDC machine guns) in the front, and a tear gas/smoke mortar system( 300 ft range, 10 shots) in the rear. The main passenger compartment has been fitted with a removable MDC cage (200 MDC), which can be fitted with special restraints for especially powerful or strong prisoners, and can be further electrified to control them. The cage can hold up to four human-sized captives, and leaves enough room in the cabin for 1-2 additional passengers or escorting police officers. The Paddy Wagon also has a small crane/winch assembly in the doorway for removing the cage, or handling heavy, unconscious, or uncoperative prisoners(like cyborgs). More recent modifications include use of TW grenades and other TW ordinance for riot control.
Paddy Wagons are typically liquid-fuelled or electric-powered; they rarely perate far from their police distruct and recharge/refueling facilities.
Cost: 900,000 credits
* “Loogie” Restraint Rounds---These are smaller versions of the anti-personnel restraint round used in PS medium cannons. The Loogie round is a ‘safe’ munition that blasts out an expanding glop of adhesive resin and plastic fibers that envelope and immobilize targets in an instant straitjacket. The “Loogies” can be fired by a standard grenade launcher.
Range: 150 ft before flopping to the ground, and covers an area of 5ft. Loogies are air-permeable, so even if a perp is covered head to foot they can still breath.
Damage: 1d4 SDC bruising damage on impact if hit directly, restrains with a PS of 30(characters without a robotic or supernatural PS of 30 or greater are stuck until released. Even with r/s PS 30, takes 1d4 melees to bust out/be cut out).
Note: Police carry solvent sprays that dissolve the “Loogie” within 1d4 melees
(Black Market cost per 3-use tube of solvent is 500 credits)



Good Humor-mobile----An MDC Ice Cream Truck!
“Ugliest situation I was ever in was a Tutti-Fruiti truck piloted by Crazies being chased by a gang of Titan Juicers....If the Crazies hadn’t fitted that thing with rapid fire riot guns under the fancy bright paint, they’d have been mobbed immediately, and if that dragon hadn’t ‘ave showed up when it did, the whole thing woulda ended in a real mess...”
-Benny Driscoll, Lazlo Police Department

“We wuz robbed. Them Griffie Bars were MINE!”
-”Extra Chunky”, Titan-Juicer Mercenary

The GH-VW was originally commissioned by Cunard Creamery Dairy Farms, a small, but propsperous, consortium of dairy farmers in the VFS who decided to invest in a revival of ice cream sales. Initially considered to be an insane idea in the dangerous paranoid post-Rifts world, Cunard Creameries has astoundingly enough become the Ben and Jerry’s of the region, selling tons of such treats as Glitterboy Glitty Sticks(ice cream covered in shiny sugar sparkles), Dragon Brickle(ice cream covered in nuts and shaved chocolate), Snowmen, Maple Marble, and quite a few flavors of ice cream and ices never heard of on pre-Rifts Earth. The GH-VWs built for Cunard have inspired a number of other small companies to buy and modify similar vehicles for their own concession-operations, ranging from ice cream to barbeque, but the GH-VW is considered the model...a three man vehicle with an expanded kitchen facility(in the case of the GH-VW, that would be refridgeration for up to a ton and a half of diary products, soft-serve dispensers, deep freezers, and adequate water supply for cooling and cleaning), snazzy paint job, jingle-playing loudspeaker, a concealed safe(50 MDC, for storing earnings and change), and one or two heavy guns to keep off bandits and protect kiddies if something nasty decides to trash the party.
Cost for a typical concession conversion: 300,000 credits( weapons/propulsion options and products extra)

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘Wolfhound’ Light Armored Car
(aka ‘American BRDM’, ‘Rowboat’, ‘Pacecar’)

“The Wolfhound is yet another of Paladin Steel’s long line of light combatants, and is another sign of the company’s inability to put anything down, at least not completely.....It’s also clear that Paladin Steel and Greater New England plan on putting one of these things, or at least one of their many armed ‘utility’ vehicles...jeeps, light trucks, hoverplatforms....in the hands of virtually every able-bodied combatant and driver in their territories, and supply more in low-cost gratitude-winning bulk to their allies and possible allies....One gets the impression that if the Vermonters can’t take out their enemies one-on-one with combat units of equal quality, they’ll settle for drowning them with masses of light armor units....Whether their populace or that of their neighbors will accept such a strategy remains to be seen, but anyone contemplating attacking GNE interests and territories is well-advised to pay as much attention to their ‘commercial’ vehicle catalogues as to intel reports on their latest megadamage robot armors. ”
-----Captain Adrianne Guearux, Free Quebec Military Intelligence

“Somewhere at the Paladin Steel outlet, between the VW SuperBug, the VW Camper, the RV-08 MegaBago, DL-500 Arabian, Gray Wolf Command APC, the GAC-01 Greyhound, the M017 “Futura”, the Wolfhound, the DL-600 ‘Clysdale’, and the Jeep Warrior, you ARE going to find the vehicle that fits you to a ‘T’...and THEN they’re going to hit you with the options catalogue....”
-------Talag Astior, Headhunter, “McCathy’s Metal Maniacs’

“Betcha never taght ew’d never be able to’get a slab-sider roadsucker like dis to jump like ‘dat, didja?”
“I never thought I’d be able to SURVIVE a jump like that....”
----Drek and Lance Magoo, Headhunters, in a Wolfhound AFV, after evading a Juicer bike-gang

“With our range of available off-the-shelf options, and our expert mechanic and technical staff who are willing and ready to listen to your needs, your defense capabilities need only be limited by your imagination and your budget.”
-----Mikhail Gorridan, Paladin Steel Sales Representative, Merctown Office

The PS ‘Wolfhound’ is the latest incarnation of Paladin Steel’s stalwart ‘Greyhound’, a simple, wheeled armored car based on the pre-Rifts World War Two American ‘Greyhound’ of the same name and following generally similar lines. The original PS-GAC-01 was one of Paladin Steel’s first post-Rifts AFVs, a commercial chassis mated with an armored hull and weapons turret, in a simple, easy to produce, low-end combat vehicle that could be produced in quantity to supply the local militias that would later become the basis of the Greater New England Regular Army. Since those humble beginnings, however, many changes have been made to the Greyhound, due to applied combat experience and advances in design and production technology, and ultimately those changes have added up significantly that Paladin Steel has elected to dub the latest model of the Greyhound to emerge from the Heavy Industries assembly lines as a new machine...the ‘Wolfhound’.
The ‘Wolfhound’ more closely resembles later-generation American armored cars, such as the Cadillac Gauge Commando series. The body shell is now a cast and molecularly sealed ceramic-composite, as opposed to the earlier bolted ceramic plate, with a boat-shape(inward-angled lower sides, angled-in ‘turtleback’ top, raised nose, forward glacis plate, and sloped fantail). Besides being amphibious, the boat-shaped hull also helps divert blast damage from land mines to the car’s sides and away from the crew. The GAC-02 is faster, sports heavier armor, and can carry heavier armament, being intended from the start to use PS’s multi-modularity configuration system(as opposed to the Greyhound, whose upgrades were largely left to field mechanics and militia garages). To speed production, PS has tried to use as many off-the-shelf systems as possible; the PS-GAC-02 may not be cutting edge, but it takes advantage of the dominant standards in the GNE arsenal. Simplicity is the key to the Wolfhound.
The standard combat configuration Wolfhound features an armored turret with an eighty-millimeter long-barrel massdriver cannon with both direct and indirect-fire capabilities, a co-axial light rail gun, and twin pintles for a cupola-mount light weapon and a turret-side weapon(typically a mini-missile launcher box). A retractable sensor tower pylon, a copy from the PS ‘Black Titan’ robot design line (themselves knockoffs of Titan Works designs) is mounted on the turret, and can elevate up to 3 extra feet, allowing the AFV to hide behind walls and other obstacles and still keep an eye out around it.
The ‘Wolfhound’ is expected to take over many of the same roles now performed by aging Greyhounds in the GNE; scout and rear echelon military security patrols, police, and corporate security. The Wolfhound is also clearly intended for the commercial market as well, with sales being expected to various North American states and mercenary groups(especially through the Maison de Guerre and Merctown marketplaces).
Limited production of the original, simpler (though often sporting improved armaments) Greyhound continues at smaller border state and ‘black market’ production lines.
Type:PS-GAC-02
Class: Light Wheeled Armored Fighting Vehicle(Ground Armored Car)
Crew: 3(driver, gunner, commander/communications/sensor officer)+6 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 320
Wheels(4) 50 each
Turret 150
Main 80mm Cannon 80
Sensor Tower 25
Height: 9 ft
Width: 7.5 ft
Length: 17.8 ft
Weight: 12,700 kg (25,400 lbs)
Cargo: Small space in cabin for several backpacks, small arms, and personal gear; 4x4 ft cargo space in rear cabin.
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(450 mile range), Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell(500 mile range), Electric Battery(480 mile range), or Nuclear Mini-Pack(w/ 10 year lifespan)
Speed:(Road) 80 MPH
(Water) Fully amphibious; 5 MPH
Market Cost: 700,000 credits standard, 800,000 credits for fuel cell, 900,000 electric, 2 million credits for nuclear
Systems of Note:
Basic Vehicle Systems:
Closed Cabin w/ 18 hour life support and air conditioning/filtration
Radio: 50 mile range
Headlights--Normal and Infrared
External Loudspeaker/Sirens---90 decibels
Sensor Tower/Turret---Can raise or lower up to three feet
Laser Targetting
Thermo-Optics
Mini-Radar (7 mile range)
Rear Trailer Hitch----The Wolfhound can pull a trailer load of up to 5 tons without significant performance degradation.

Weapons Systems: None standard, but the standard combat model has the following:
1) Smoke Mortars(2x3 tubes)---Mounted on either side of the turret are two clusters of smoke grenade launchers.
Range: 500 ft
Damage: None, smoke(chemical agents such as tear gas can be substituted) in 10 ft radius.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6
Payload: 6 smoke grenades per launcher, 36 total

2) 80mm Medium Barrel Gauss Cannon(PS-MDC80M)----Paladin Steel loves dual-mode direct-fire/ballistic-fire artillery and the Wolfhound is no exception; the 80mm massdriver cannon gives the otherwise modest AFV a tremendous bite as both a forward armor-hunter and a light mobile artillery platform. The turret mount can rotate a full 360-degrees, and has 15-degree depression/50-degree elevation for the gun.
Range: (Direct Fire)25,000 ft (5 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 62,500 ft (12.5 miles)
( SATNUC-Direct Fire) 17,000 ft (3.4 miles)
(SATNUC-Indirect Fire) 42,500 ft (8.5 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)----1d4x10 MD to 15 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 3d4x10 MD to 5 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 5d6 MD to 30 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 3d6x10 MD out to 6,600 ft, 2d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: 5 shots per melee
Payload: 50 rounds

3)Co-Axial Light Rail Gun---Mounted next to the 80mm cannon
Range: 3,500 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per single shot, 7d6 MD per 30 shot burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 10,000 rd drum(333 bursts)

4) Cupola-Mount Weapon----A powered pintle mount can be fitted to the turret’s main hatch ring, and can accommodate another light rail gun, mini-missile launcher, or light energy weapon. This can be operated either by a crewman standing upright in the hatch, or by remote control from within the safety of the turret.

5)(Optional) Hardpoint(1)---A single turret hardpoint can be added, typically for mounting a mini-missile launch box or launch rails for heavier missiles/projectiles.


Options/Variants:
*Turret-less models of the GAC-02 sell for about 20% less.
Removal of the turret equipment allows, for 10,000 credits, for a built-up casemate-style hull to be added, allowing for accommodation of 3 extra passengers

*Extra Armor---Up to 100 MDC of additional armor can be mounted applique-style, at 35,000 credits per 10 extra MDC(this is PS-manufactured plate direct from the factory, so PS can lower the price). However, anything above 50 extra MDC will add extra encumbrance to the vehicle; -10% to top speed.

*Sealed Gunports----The sides of the Wolfhound can be fitted with up to four(two each side) NBC-sealed/locked gunports, allowing passengers using speically modified sidearms to fire at targets(-1 to strike due to the awkward angle)
Cost: 4,000 credits each

*Ram Bumper-A semi-articulated reinforced ram prow that can serve as a ramming ‘beak’ or can be lifted and lowered for debris clearance.
MDC: 75
Damage: 6d6 MD from a ram, 1d6x10 MD from a full speed ram
Cost: 18,000 credits

*Supercharger---(Available only to Liquid-Fuelled models)--This modifies the powerplant for greater speed(albeit at greater expense)
Cost: 9,000 credits for a 20% increase in speed

*Sensors---Many buyers/operators reconfigure the sensor suite, adding additional sensor mounts or installing wholly new ones.
a)Sensor Cluster--Small sensor dish on a turntable
MDC: 25
Sensors: Mini-Radar--5 mile range
Motion Detector--200 ft range
Laser Illuminator-----6,000 ft range, Designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons
Laser targetting System(+1 to strike)
Cost: 18,000 credits

b) Lance Scanner---Looks like a long lance protruding from the front of the craft. The Lance Scanner contains a magnetometer() and a short-range microwave radar for groundsearching minefields(in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even non-metallic mines, but takes twice as long).
Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordnance.
Cost: 40,000 credits

c) Aura Scanner---For detecting and identifying PPE concentrations
Range: 2000 ft
Cost: 35,000 credits

d)Bio-Scanner---Has a molecular analyzer, enhanced radiation detector, high-powered accoustic ‘shotgun mike’(3,000 ft range), and thermo-imager optics(3,000 ft).
Cost: 10,000 credits

*e) Optical Cluster---Mini-optics turret similar to those mounted on helicopters and aerodynes
Sensors: Telescopic (2 mile accuity, 4-10x50 magnification)
IR/UV(2,000 ft)
Thermo-Imaging (3,000 ft)
Audio-Video-Survellance System w 48 hour recording capability
Laser Illuminator---’Paints’ targets for laser-guided weaponry. Range of 2 miles and gives a +1 to strike for L-G ordnance.
Cost: 18,000 credits




*Armaments----The GAC-02 can be fitted with a variety of other turret armaments, resulting a large number of possible variants. The following are a few of the more common/popular configurations:

a) 90mm Cannon-One variant turret mounts a conventional chemical propellant 90mm cannon in place of the 80mm railgun. The 90mm cannon has a slightly heavier punch at short range due to the larger shell, but has less range and available ammunition capacity(due to the added weight and mass of the cartridge) than the rail gun. It’s also a lot less expensive(purchased separately, the PS 80-mm rail gun costs 1.1 million credits).
Range: (Direct Fire Only) 5,000 ft
Damage: (Armor Piercing)1d6x10+15 MD
Rate of Fire: 5 shots per melee
Payload: 36 rds
Cost: 180,000 credits

b) 80mm Gun-Mortar---One version intended for overseas sales in newly reopenned Spain outfits the turret with a locally-produced ‘Mangonel-80’ 80-mm Gun Mortar----This weapon, named for an ancient low-trajectory catapult, trades the range and power of the 120-mm mortar and the 105mm L7 cannon, for a higher rate of fire, and capability in BOTH the direct- and indirect-fire roles. The turret also mounts a light rail gun in an adjacent mount.
Range:(Direct Fire) 3,200 ft
(Indirect Fire) 26,000 ft (5 miles!)
Damage:(Fragmentation)1d4x10 +5 MD to 25 ft blast area
(Armor-Piercing High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 6 ft blast area
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: 60 rds
Cost: 190,000 credits

c) 2 Pounder 40mm Autocannon---Another variant with export possibilities mounts a turret with a licensed copy of the Farnborough Avionics British 2-Pounder ‘Pom-Pom’ Autocannon Mark IV, a weapon with both ground-fire and air defense capabilties. The turret mounts a single weapon, with 75- degree elevation, and associated air warning/target acquisition/tracking radar(15 mile range and +2 to strike airborne targets).
Weight: (Basic Single-Barrel Weapon, sans mounting) 600 lbs
Weight of Shells: (HV Round) 1.81 lbs
(LV Rounds) 2.0 lbs
Range:(High Velocity Round)5,000 yards(15,000 ft)
Maximum AA altitude w/ HV shells: 13,300 ft
(Low Velocity Round) 3,800 yards(11,400 ft)
Damage:(Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) (HV) 1d4x10+3 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
(LV)1d4x10 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: 120 rounds per minute(or up to 30 rds per melee)
Payload: 100 rds in turret box magazine
Cost: (Basic Weapon) 70,000 credits (200,000 credits for entire weapons package)
High Velocity(Fragmentation) shells cost 200 credits apiece, 245 credits for HE
Low Velocity(Fragmentation) shells cost 180 credits apiece, 200 credits for HE



Other variants include the following:
d) Copperhead ATML-----Replaces the gun armament with a twin-box launcher for short range anti-tank missiles
Range: 1 mile
Mega-Damage: High Explosive 2d4x10 MD, (6 ft blast radius)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, or 4
Payload: 12(6 per launch box)
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Market Cost: 80,000 credits for the launcher, 10, 000 credits per missile


e) ADML----Air Defense Missile Launcher---Like the ATML turret, this replaces the gun turret with twin box launchers for medium-range air defense ‘smart’ missiles for company-level battlefield air defense. Typically carries 4 MRMs per launcher, for a total of 8.
Market Cost:100,000 credits for the launcher. Missiles cost extra

f) Medium Laser Cannon(PS-MLC-01)---In order to address the complaint about there not being enough energy weapon options for the Wolfhound, PS offers up a MLC weapon( 6,000 ft range, 1d4x10 MD per blast, EGCHH, 120 shot battery for conventional liquid-fuelled/electric models---recharges at 1 shot every 15 minutes...or unlimited linked to a nuclear powerplant. 5 million credits bought from Paladin Steel)

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel Arakeen Aerodyne Troop Carrier
“Transport is our meat and potatoes...armor and weapons are the garnish.”

“Forget what they say about the Arakeen being a transport...with the maneuvering jets swivelled out and the FBW-comps engaged, the Arakeen flies like its namesake....This bird corners, naps(*flies ‘nape of the earth’), nips, dives, and aerobats like a smaller ship...as many a Coalition and merc helo-jock thinking he’s swooping down on a helpless pigeon-helo has found out to his dismay...”
----Airbeing Sulim d’barrac, Aerodyne “Teethpuller”, Roszo’s Airborne Recovery Service, Attached Freelance Company

“Don’t ever DARE aerobatics with a full load of troops or an unsecured vehicle aboard....shifting center of gravity will throw you into a dive, all those heavy bodies crashing about the interior ain’t going to do the body any good, and even if you survive, any of the grunts you just tried to kill will show their appreciation for your lack of consideration and will make you wish you HAD died in the crash...”
-----Lieutenant Mychelle Gombotz, Greater New England Armed Forces

“So, you want us to blast through the local air defenses, surpress the building security, then deploy you and your attack team DIRECTLY to the eighteenth floor through the exterior wall, provide you with point fire support on all floors, and then extract you all and extra passengers with a maximum cover fire dust off, correct?
Where do you wanna stop for lunch on the way back?”
-------Captain Josyf Allergrene, Aerodyne ‘Charge on Delivery’, 175th “Hell’s Deliverymen’(Arakeen-equipped Airborne Squadron), Greater New England Regular Army.

‘Arakeen’ is the name of a particular breed of Elven hunting-hawk used in traditional falconry; it is also the name of one of Paladin Steel’s latest commercially available military aerodynes.
The Arakeen is Paladin Steel’s latest offering to the commercial/military aircraft market, an effort to cash in on the lucrative mercenary/adventurer/regional militia market, without having to debate with its own GNE diplomatic corps on whether or not to allow sales and transfers of equipment earmarked for Greater New England military forces. The Arakeen is sufficiently advanced to be of interest to smaller kingdoms looking for cutting edge, hard-hitting weaponry, while simple enough for Paladin Steel to manufacture and sell in quantity without fear of compromising the security of the GNE. For potential customers clamoring for such high-tech wonders as the ‘Moth’-class GMR Transports that are the proprietary tech of PS/GNE, the Arakeen has been offered as a less expensive, and arguably just as effective, alternative.
The Arakeen was produced by the same design team that had already designed the successful PS/CDN-DH-VTOL-2 Canadair DH Caribou II VTOL Aerodyne(for a Canadian contract) and the PS-AAST-4 Condor Aerospace Transport, both advanced, reliable, and versatile air transports. The Arakeen greatly resembles a rotorless pre-Rifts Sikorsky CH-53 ‘Mojave’ with its bulging guppy-like nose, tapering body, and flanking nacelles. However, rather than use rotors to provide lift, the Arakeen uses an advanced hover system. Instead of holding separate engines powering the common central rotor system, the ‘engine nacelles’ are actually weapons pods. The Arakeen is geared towards the needs of small kingdoms and combat forces; the Arakeen can serve as both transport and support gunship. Troops can exit from large side hatches, while nose-mounted clamshell doors allow for the loading of light vehicles or large cargo pallets. The Arakeen enjoys remarkable speed and agility for a transport(Paladin Steel had to bear in mind the likely opposition: craft such as the Coalition’s own troop carrier/gunship helicopters, Kittani slaver hovercraft, and ) making it all the more attractive to prospective operators.
The Arakeen‘s resemblance to an ancient pre-Rifts Sikorsky design incidentally serves several purposes; it immediately distinguishes users of the craft from regular GNE forces, and it also helps build pride in the design in the GNE incorporated kingdom/state of Free Connecticut(still recovering from the collapse of its former government, period of feudal barony, civil war, and subsequent annexation and assimilation into Greater New England), by evoking the proud aeronautical past of the region. Indeed, the primary production line for the Arakeen is a newly-built fortified factory ‘plex in old pre-Rifts Connecticut County, not far from where the original Sikorsky works once stood.
Only a few Arakeens have been appropriated by the GNE military(where they have done VERY well in field trials and combat assignments), with several dozen more acquired by various GNE civil government concerns for rescue and transport work. The vehicle itself is starting to make its way into the hands of GNE/PS-affiliated nations and mercenary outfits.
Type: PS-GMR-VTOL-CH5300
Class: Multipurpose Light Attack/Transport Aerodyne
Crew: Two, plus 1-4 gunners
Passengers/Troops: 38(or 16 power armors, or 18 troops and two jeep-sized vehicles, or 10 hovercycles). Medevac units can carry a team of five medical staffers and 20 stretcher-borne patients.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Weapon Nacelles(2) 120 each
Thruster Pods(2) 150 each
Waist Weapons Mounts(Optional) (2) 40 each
Height: 22 ft
Width: 25 ft
Length: 75 ft
Weight:22,000 lbs
Cargo: If not carrying passengers or vehicles, can carry 6,800 lbs of cargo
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed: Hover to 450 MPH, 10,000 ft maximum altitude
Market Cost: 9 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard, plus:
*Internal Fire Extinguishers
*Forward ‘Clamshell’ Doors---The front of the Arakeen opens up to deploy troops and vehicles from the central cargo/passenger bay.
Weapons Systems:
1) Weapons Sponsons(2)---The two large pods slung alongside the main fuselage on the end of stub-wings are multi-armament stations, each holding a rotary gatling rail-gun, pulse ion blaster, and a mini-missile launcher. The rail gun and ion cannon are mounted side-by-side in a powered ball turret at the front of the pod, while the mini-missiles deploy from a rack in the side of the nacelle.
Range:(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
(Rail Gun) 4,000 ft
(Ion Blaster) 3,000 ft
Damage:(Mini-Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
(Rail Gun) 1d6x10 MD per 40 rd burst
(Ion Blaster) 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1-5
(Rail Gun) ECHH
(Ion Blaster) ECHH
Payload:(Mini-Missiles) 10 per pod
(Rail Gun) 4,000 rd drum per gun(100 bursts)
(Ion Blaster) Effectively Unlimited

2) (Optional) Hardpoints(2)---The Arakeen has the option of being fitted with weapons hardpoints on the stub wing pylons between the main fuselage and the weapons pods. These hardpoint-mounted stores can only be effectively used while the aircraft is airborne and the forward bay doors closed(the open doors obstruct line of fire). Each hardpoint can be fitted with ONE of the following:
a) Mini-Missile Launcher Pod---1x20 per Hardpoint
b) Short Range Missile Launcher Pod--- 1x10 per Hardpoint
c) Medium Range AAM Launcher Pod--Each pod holds 6 missiles each...the ‘SkyFlash’ ASRAAMM is a favorite
‘Skyflash’ ASRAAMM---A copy of the Coalition AAAM.
Range: 15 miles
Damage: 6d6 MD per each SRM missile(3d4x10 MD per volley)
Bonuses:+3 to strike
d) Heavy Anti-Armor Missile Launcher---6 per Hardpoint
Range: 1 mile(5,000 ft)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,or 4
Payload: 6 shot pod per hardpoint
Bonus: +5 to strike ground targets(Aircraft are only +2 to strike)
Cost: 20,000 credits. 6,000 credits per missile

e) ‘Black Talon’ LAAM Pods---These are light ‘smart’ anti-aircraft missiles with enhanced warheads, similar in concept to the pre-Rifts ‘Stinger’ SAMs.
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload: 8 per pod
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)
Cost: 60 ,000 credits per launcher, 10,000 credits per missile

f) Long Range Missiles---1 per hard point
g) Bombs----Equivalent to missiles in numbers, but DOUBLE the blast radius
h) Chemical Dispensers----A 60 gallon spray tank
i) Mine/Bomblet Dispenser---ONE can be carried per wing
Light Weapons Dispenser(L-SAW)--This is essentially an oversized bomblet dispenser that can be used to bomb targets directly, ‘seed’ areas with minelets, or can launched to act as a stand-off ‘glide bomb’.
Range: SAW has an effective range of 10 miles in atmosphere Submunnitions can be launched up to 300 ft out to either side of the SAW’s flight path.
Damage: (AP Grenade) 4d6 MD to 8 ft area
(Chemical Grenade) Varies by chemical type and atmospheric conditions. A chemical grenade will generally generate a cloud of aerosol 15 ft in radius.
(HE Shell) 5d6 MD to 20 ft area
(Fragmentation Mine) 4d6 MD to 12 ft area
(Incendiary Bomb) Does 4d6 MD to 40 ft area, does an additional 2d6 MD for 1d6 melees, and 1d6 MD per melee for an additional 2d4 melees
(Angel Hair)---Does NO damage, but against conventional power generators and uncovered power lines and distribution systems, it can short out power grids, clog generator air intakes(80% effectiveness against industrial generators and internal combustion engines), and be a general nuisance to clean up.
Rate of Fire: A SAW can volley its submunitions in any combination
Payload:(Typical loadouts)
200 AP/Chemical grenades
OR
50 HE/anti-vehicle grenades
OR
50 Fragmentation Mines
OR
25 Incendiary Bombs
OR
250 spools of wire, each spool holding up to 4,000 ft of aluminum-coated

j) 20mm Long-Barrelled Gunpod
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d4 MD single shot (2 ft blast radius)
1d4x10 MD per 5 rd burst (2.5 feet blast radius)
2d4x10 MD(3 feet blast radius) per 10 rd burst(but -1 to strike)
4d6x10 MD(6 feet blast radius) for a 40 rd burst ( -2 to strike)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 460 rd drum
Cost: 60,000 credits

k).50 caliber Gunpod---Combines a fifty-caliber heavy machine gun and ramjet amunnition with a four-shot mini-missile launcher
Range:(Machine Gun) 19,000 ft
(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
Damage:(Machine Gun)(SDC rd) 7d6 SDC per single rd, 2d6x10+20 SDC per 40 rd burst
(Ramjet rd) 1d4 MD per single rd, 5d6 MD per 40 rd burst
(Mini-Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Machine Gun) ECHH
(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload:(Machine Gun)2,000 rds(50 bursts)
(Mini-Missiles) 4
Cost: 60,000 credits

l) Light Rail Cannon--Intended for use against targets that are resistant to energy weapons.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 4d6 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 5,000 rd drum
Cost: 80,000 credits

m) Heavy Rail Gun Pod---A five-barreled weapon copied from downed Coalition Black Lightnings
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per 40 rd burst; can only fire bursts
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 2,000 rd drum
Cost: 90,000 credits

3) (Optional) Waist Gun Positions(1-2)---To improve protection to the rear quarters, the Arakeen can be fitted with ‘waist--gun positions; gimbaled rapid-fire weapons(light rail guns or pulse energy rifles are the most common) mounted behind clear-plas light megadamage canopy-shields(50 MDC each)

4) Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)----Flare/chaff launchers are standard with most PS-produced aircraft, and the Arakeen is no exception.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher


Variants:
To make the Arakeen more attractive to customers, Paladin Steel has both experimented with, and offered as production packages, a variety of different configurations for the Arakeen.

*Arakeen Sea-Eagle---A coastal patrol and ASW variant. The Sea-Eagle adds floatation devices to the hull, rebuilds the nose to do away with the cargo-bay doors and instead mount a radome for a surface-search radar, adds a Magnetic Anomaly Detector(MAD) boom to the tail, sonubouy launch racks(carries 60 sonobouys) in the rear fuselage, and carries a dedicated team of sensor operators in place of troops(though 1-8 passengers can be carried). Though the Sea-Eagle lacks the munitions capacity for prolonged anti-submarine warfare missions(the mid-wing hardpoints can only carry a single torpedo or depth charge each), the Sea-Eagle can serve as a ‘spotter’ for other naval air- and surface-units.

*Hardpoints---The Hardpoints can carry 1 depth charge OR two short range torpedos, OR 1 medium/long range torpedo each in place of the usual ordnance.

*Dunking Sonar---Alternately, a belly winch assembly can be used to deploy a dunking sonar sensor head. To deploy this system, the aerodyne must hover, as motionless as possible, above the surface of the water while taking readings from the lowered arrray. This sonar system can be considered to have a range of 60 miles

*Sonubouys---Sonubouys are small, expendable sensors deployed by air vehicles to set up temporary sensor nets. The typical sonubouy resembles a cylinder 2-5 ft long, made of light plastics, that when deployed, floats upright while deploying an acoustic sensor and line from its lower end. The sonubouy can either use passive detection, or can use an active sonar pinger, to detect submerged targets. Sonubouys are battery powered, and typically have an active life of an hour or so, but typically drift out of position in 10-20 minutes, depending on currents, conditions, and drop pattern.
They report their information via a radio uplink(standard range 5-10 miles), and can report a sonar/accoustic contact, its strength, estimated range and heading(using a built-in compass to determine direction), and estimated speed. Consider the sonubouy to have a sonar range of 5 miles
Sonubouys are typically laid in a pattern, with multiple sonubouys allowing for the triangulation of a target. They are cheap, disposable, and virtually indetectable(their small size and plastic construction negate most forms of detection), making them extremely difficult to avoid and actively counteract. However, sonubouys are not as accurate as more sophisticated systems(hence, its a good idea to deploy many of them), and they are affected by currents, which can quickly break up a laid pattern. Recommended proccedure when using sonubouys is to lay them across the projected path of the target, or to lay them upstream/current of the target’s suspected location, so the pattern moves with the current. Sonubouys are best used when one is aware that something is there, but not exactly where it is; a pattern of sonubouys can help triangulate a target for more accurate firing solutions and weapons targetting(give guided weapons a +1 to strike an underwater target if using information patched in from a sonubouy network, or give sonar operators a +15% to detection and location rolls).
Once their batteries have given out, sonubouys self-destruct---a plug in the floatation chamber dissolves, and the whole apparatus sinks to the bottom, its electronics ruined.
PS’ DiFAR SSQ-400 series Sonubouys cost 100 credits apiece

*Arakeen Darter----A ‘missileer’ variant of the Arakeen, the Darter does away with transport capabilities to rebuilt the forward cargo bay and nose into a massive missile launcher. The multiple missile aperatures are said to give the Darter the appearance of five-o’clock shadow or a ‘cheesegrater’ look. The ‘Darter’ is intended for attacking massed formations of aircraft and flying monsters(such as gargoyles and Xiticix), and for saturation-bombardment of fortified surface positions.
Weapons Systems:
1) Nose Mount Short Range Missile System
Range:Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missiles)
Damage:Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-12
Payload: 48 SRMs(10 loaded tubes, plus 3 reloads)


*Arakeen Chamateague(“Archer”)---A ‘gunfighter’ variant inspired by Paladin Steel West’s adaptation of the B-25 Mitchell ground attack variants mounting heavy cannon in the nose. Like the other variants, the Chamateague does away with the nose clamshell doors in favor of a solid nose, and ordnance mountings behind. In this case, the aerodyne mounts no less than four heavy autocannon(knockoffs of Triax’s own TX-862FC 32mm Flak Cannons) and a plentiful supply of ammunition. Two small light lasers are also built into the nose, operated by the pilot. The troop capacity has been reduced to 10 men(or 4 power armors), and the rear gun positions beefed up to heavier rapid-fire gatling cannon. Extra armor plating has been added to the main body(+100 MDC) to better improve survivability against ground fire.
1) 32mm Autocannons(4, fixed forward)
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single round, 1d6x10 MD for a two-round burst, 3d6x10 MD for a six-round burst, per single cannon.
In synched fire mode, a single shot blast from all four cannons firing simultaneously does 8d6 MD, while an airframe-shaking maximum burst from all cannon at once does 4d6x20 MD!
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 400 rds per gun(separate magazines), 1600 rds total!
2) Light Lasers(2, fixed forward)
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD songle shot, 6d6 MD simultaneous burst from both guns(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
3) Waist Gun Positions(2)---The waist gun positions are more heavily reinforced(80 MDC blister) and have powered servo-mounts for a set of gatling-style rail guns.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:(Proximity-fuzed High-Explosive) 4d4 MD single shot (2 ft blast radius)
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst(but -1 to strike)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 burst drum per gun

*Arakeen Chanteer(‘halbardier’) ---A further refinement of the ‘big gun’ theory advanced in the Arakeen Chamateague...This version is similar in all respects except for replacement of two of the four 32mm cannons in the nose with two heavier auto-fire 75mm autocannon. Known as ‘Sneezy’ among crews, the few Chanteers deployed so far have reportedly had devastating effects on enemy fortifications and vehicles, but the fixed forward placement of the cannons, the added weight, and the recoil attendent on their firing, requiring careful piloting to properly aim the weapons and handle their firing. Despite the added range and damage, however, the Chanteer is unpopular with crews, owing to the slow rate of fire of the heavier guns. Paladin steel is reportedly working on a faster and more reliable autofeed mechanism to address this problem.
1) 75mm Autocannon---Based on descriptions of similar caliber weaponry being mounted on B-25 anti-ship attack bombers during the Second Global War
Range: 3 miles(15,000 ft)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD single round to a 15 ft blast radius, 4d4x10 MD for a two-round burst per single cannon.
In synched fire mode, a single shot blast from both cannons firing simultaneously does 4d4x10 MD, while an airframe-shaking maximum burst from all cannon at once does 5d6x10+20 MD to a 25 ft blast radius!
Rate of Fire: Single shot or two-shot burst per cannon
Payload: 250 rds per cannon

*Arakeen Argus----An Airborne Early Warning(AEW) aircraft similar to the pre-Rifts Grumman ‘Hawkeye’. This variant mounts a large radar dome in the nose, a large dorsal radar dish, tail antennae, and the weapons pods have been replaced with lateral radar arrays. The Arakeen AEW retains the hardpoint armaments options(usually carries AAMs) , waist guns, and nose lasers for defense, but the AEW aerodyne’s role is to remain out of combat, coordinating other aircraft and ground defenses.
*Radar---160 mile range, and can track up to 80 targets simultaneously
*Combat Link---When used in an air defense mode, with unjammed communications links, the Argus can provide a +2 to strike airborne targets for properly equipped ground AAA batteries and command-guidance surface-to-air and air-to-air missile systems.
*ECM----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -6 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry

*Arakeen IIC----The IIC is a variant developed to meet the demanding standards of the Greater New England military. In keeping with providing its nation with the best equipment, Paladin Steel has refined the basic Arakeen vehicle with a number of features not found on the market-available craft, such as more powerful engines, modular weapons/avionics pods in place of the side sponsons, and a better armored, slightly more angular, nose. Thermal countermeasure gear and an onboard electronic jamming system are also standard on GNE machines.
MDC: Main Body 350
Speed: Hover to 500 MPH, maximum altitude 50,000 ft
Systems of Note:
*ECM----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -5 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry
*Passive Stealth---AIIC is -15% to be detected on long range sensors and thermal imaging/targeting systems.
*Maneuvering Thrusters---Additional manuevering thrusters and control vanes give the AIIC a +1 to dodge in flight
Weapons Pods(New):
*Twin-Barrel Particle Beam Cannon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per single blast, 2d4x10 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

[taalismn]

I don't own Volkswagon--I 'm just fond of the Bug...

Paladin Steel Super-Bug ATV Rover

“What the HELL is that?!”
---Coalition sentry on the Simmons Line, watching the approach of a VW Super-Bug owned by Crazy Albie ‘Bo-Bo’ Bolinsky, Gun-Runner.

“What the HELL was that?”
----Coalition Sergeant, a minute later, watching the departure of a VW Super-Bug owned by Crazy Albie ‘Bo-Bo’ Bolinsky, Gun-Runner.

Essentially a megadamage Volkswagon, derived from the Big Boss ATV, cobbled together by some design engineers and mechanics who were suffering temporary dementia from overwork, approved by harried administrators looking for new products to sell, and marketed by shrewd salesbeings trying to make the best of what they’d been ordered to sell, with a few extra features, for adventurers who would to make a statement(whatever owning a car that looks like a cockroach sez about you). The militarized Super-Bug is proving to be very popular with Crazies, who love to add all sorts of ridiculous add-ons and paint-jobs to these little cars. It’s also very popular with mechanics and grease monkies who love to modify the little cars with all manner of fit-outs. Contrary to rumor, Paladin Steel is NOT planning on bringing back the Trabun, the Yugo, or the Hyundi.
(The Super-Bug is intended as a basic “stock” vehicle which can be kitbashed like the Millenium Falcon into all manner of variants; the design is very tolerant of modification. )
(Post-110 PA Update: The Super-Bug has become one of those surprise hits that caught even PS off-guard---perhaps they little suspected how many Crazies were REALLY out there. In fact, demand for the Super-Bug has been so great, Paladin Steel spun off a new division---Paladin Steel Volkswagon-America, hoping to appeal to both the Crazy market and those taken with ‘Golden Age’ companies.....as well as keeping the VW showrooms and their (largely) M.O.M. customers at a remove from the rest of the PS stock.)
Type: PS-ATV-VW-04
Class: All Terrain Vehicle
Crew: One, + 1-4 human-sized passengers
(though more have been cramped in on occasion...”Bug-Stuffing” is a favorite pastime among Crazies with a Bug and too much free time....)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300(!)
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Wheels(4) 50 each
Headlights(2) 5 each
Height: 5 ft
Width: 6 ft
Length: 10 ft
Weight: 1 ton
Cargo: Can carry up to 600 lbs of cargo in the back seats , plus 2x2x1.5 ft cargo space in front hood area, plus a spare tire, jack, tool kit, and glove compartment with first aid kit(comes standard with SuperBug)
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel or Electric (450 mile range)
OR Nuclear w/ 15 year energy life
(TW conversions are also very popular).
Speed: 100 MPH
(Leaping)----The Super Bug has an interesting ability to actually leap, using a heavy-duty spring-coil system. Once per melee, the Super Bug can hurl itself 15 ft up, or 20 ft across. This has more surprise factor than anything else, since few people expect an ugly little car to suddenly take off.....
The system is actually based on (tested) design information for leaping armored vehicles developed by the US Army shortly after WWII.
Market Cost: 30,000 credits with liquid fuel engine.
35,000 cr with electric
300,000 w/ nuclear engine---priced to move
Comes in a variety of colors(custom paint jobs optional).
Systems/Features:
Life Support-----Has limited 24-hour independant air supply/ life support for up to 4 people.
Amphibious----Of course the damn things float! It wouldn’t be a proper Bug if it didn’t! In fact, the problem is getting the little suckers to go under and stay under(See the movie _Castle Keep_ to see what I mean), despite numerous attempts to sink these things with rail guns, lasers, missiles, warlock spells, and, it’s rumored, dragonfire. So long as the Super-Bug has one point of MDC in its Main Body, it will float quite servicably in defiance of common sense.
Radio: 50 mile range
Headlights : 100 ft range
Weapons Systems: None Standard, but comes with a retractable turret mounting for sensors and/or weaponry.
Bonuses: Owing to its rounded, beetle-like body styling, the Super Bug actually gets a bonus to _Roll_ with damage; its not uncommon for these things to take a near hit, flip over, right itself, and continue on its way. +2 to Roll

Options:(any number of options can be added, unless they obviously conflict with each other....also note that some will have cumulative penalties. )

*Extra Armor---Up to an adittional 200 MDC can be added at a cost of 10,000 credits per 40 MDC, and add 50 lbs per 40 MDC.

* Aqua Thrusters-----Adds propellors/hydrojets capable of pushing the car at up to 20 MPH on water. Cost: 10,000 credits

*Enhanced/Turbocharged Engines-----Can upgrade the engine and overall speed. 4,000 credits per additional 10 MPH, maximum of 160 MPH

*Muckers---Oversized tires like those seen on the vehicles in Federation of magic; enable the SuperBug to cross swamp and soft surfaces at 2/3 normal speed, but also reduce normal paved-road speed by 1/3(effectively no penalty for driving off-road).
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Extended Range(available only to liquid-fuel or electric powered models)
Adds extra fuel tankage or extra/larger battery packs.
Cost: 15,000 credits for double range

*Smoke Screen---Equal to a Smoke Mini-missile; uses same warheads. Can hold up to 5 charges. Cost: 10,000 credits

Can also use any of the (relevant) vehicle modifications in Nonjas & Super Spies(TM)

Crazy Options---These options were developed specifically for Crazies, who have demanded that if the damn Juicers can get vehicles built with them in mind...well, so should the Crazies, and they’ve chosen Paladin Steel(they played darts with a phone book and got PS) to do just that.
Not ones to pass up a lucrative market, PS has created a series of options with Crazies in (or out of) mind...then stood WAY back....

“You want WHAT!?”
“Well, you did it for the last guy...”
(Reported conversation between a Paladin Steel salesman and a Crazy mercenary)

*Submarine Conversion----PS essentially undid everything it did to insure that these things would float to produce this exotic sub conversion, at the insistance of a Crazy who challenged PS(“Well, if they could do it pre-Rifts with a Lotus, why can’t you bozos do the same with a VW?!” “*Sigh*.....Okay, Enough already....just make sure you can pay for this?”). Doubles the weight of the VW, and it CANNOT float, unless special floatation bags are activated/ballast tanks pumped out. Comes with 1 mile-range micro-sonar, depth guage, fish-finder, 8 ft periscope and snorkel. Many buyers of this option frequently install a micro-torpedo launcher in the forward cargo space.
Underwater Speed: 45 MPH
Maximum Depth: 500 ft
Cost: 3 million credits

*Morphing Armor---Enfolds the ENTIRE SuperBug in articulated armor plates, ala “Bat Man”, increasing armor protection, but effectively immobilizing the car. Can only be openned from the outside by special electronic passcode(included in cost)
MDC: +200 MDC when deployed
Cost: 300,000 credits; 100,000 credits for four Glitterboy-style laser pylons that drive into the ground and anchor the vehicle to the ground(takes a Robotic PS of 40 or greater to uproot the vehicle)

*Jet Engines----Yep, you read right----This option adds a jet-plane T-tail and two small jet engine thrusters on the back, and a nosecone to the front.....Its designed for drag-racing on level straightaways, but on uneven terrain its supposedly capable of incredible leaps and even limited flight. PS ONLY sells this option with people with obvious MOM plugs in their heads, since only someone insane would buy this option.....Nicknamed the “Evel Weavil” Conversion by PS mechanics.
Vehicle can now reach speeds of up to 500 MPH on a straightaway for up to 5 minutes(if liquid fueled or electric) or indefinitely, if nuclear. -25% for driving skill if any special maneuvars are attempted at speed, or if driving across uneven terrain.
Can also make 200 ft (+20 ft per 10 MPH over 300 MPH) lengthwise power leaps
Penalties: Lose all Roll bonuses; the nose and tail ruin the rolling surfaces of the ATV.
Cost: 1.2 million credits

*Climber Tires---Hug oversized tires covered with spikes, mag-grips, and suction cups, to allow the SuperBug to scale vertical surfaces.
Can climb an up to 90 degree vertical surface at 1/4 speed. Roll piloting skill at a -15% penalty per 50 ft traversed. If roll fails, roll again, again with penalty; if second roll succeeds, the vehicle only slides back 1d4x10 ft. If second roll fails; vehicle has fallen off climbing surface; brace for impact!
Penalties: Reduce normal road speed by half
Cost: 35,000 credits

* Extending Hub Spikes----Great for tearing out the tires of other vehicles, or mowing down people on foot.
Range: Can extend up to three feet from the hub.
Damage: 2d6 MD
Cost: 5,000 credits per wheel blade.

*Extensor Jacks---You’ve heard of Low Riders? How about High Riders? These four special jacks elevate the main body of the Super Bug up above the ground and wheels. Great for accessing the upper stories of buildings, looking over obstacles, and fording bodies of water.
MDC of Jacks---Each jack has 10 MDC
Penalties: When driving with the car extended 10 ft or higher, the car suffers a cumulative _5% to drive skill per additional 10 ft of height, as the vehicle tends to be top heavy, especially in turns.
Cost:20,000 credits for the standard 6 ft extension, plus 3,000 credits and 50 lbs weight per additional foot of height....60 ft maximum height.


*Super-Glo Paint Job(Flare Paint)---A specialized coating of highly reflective and electro-luminescent paint, typically in Day-Glo Orange, Green, Electric Blue, and Psychodelic....extremely loud and painfully bright to look at....Lasers do 1/3 normal damage, and the vehicle is extremely easy to spot and difficult to camouflage. The vehicle also seems to glow at night in any sort of ambient light.
When charged with an electric current, the paint flash-luminesces, with effects similar to a Blinding Flash spell
Damage: Unless wearing flash-protection equipment, like polarizing goggles, or otherwise protected, victims are blinded for 4 melees, and are -5 to strike, -10 to parry and dodge.
Range: Omni-directional: 100 ft range
Cost: 60,000 credits
(Hypno pin-wheel paint job on hubcaps optional)

* ‘Pin Wheel’ Roto-Fight System----This system deploys a folding rotor assembly that looks like an enormous pinwheel. It’s designed to allow the SuperBug to drive off cliffs and aircraft and suto-rotate to the ground, but a Crazy discovered that, with the addition of a small motor directly driving the rotors, the assembly permitted the SuperBug to engage in limited flight. Takes 1 full melee to deploy
MDC of Rotor: 15
Speed: can survive drops from up to 10,000 ft if unpowered. If powered, can fly at a hover up to 40 MPH, at max. altitude of 1,000 ft;
200 mile range if LF- or electric powered, indefinite if nuclear
Cost: 100,000 credits for folding rotor assemby, 120,000 credits for the drive motor power-take off, but reduce passenger capability by half.

* Spider Legs------Taking the ‘Bug’ name to an extreme, this conversion does away with the wheels altogether, and replaces them with four articulated robot legs. The vehicle is now truly all-terrain,and, with mag-grip feet option, can even scale walls like a true insect(at 90% climbing profficiency), but isn’t as fast. Can be fitted with magnetic grippers or molecular-adhesion ‘gecko-pads’.
MDC per leg:(4) 50 MDC
Speed: 80 MPH
Cost: 2.2 million credits, +60,000 credits for mag-grips, +100,000 credits for molecular adhesion pads.

[taalismn]

More of PS's commercial vehicle lines...

Paladin Steel UV-07 Series Walking Trucks

“Just remember; if you decide to snooze in the cabin, which mode you last left your truck in...that way if you decide, first thing you get up, to step out to take a leak, you don’t take an impromptu skydive out the door.”

A joint collaboration between Paladin Steel and (since defunct)Trinitus Robotics(with input from Bandito Arms, who contributed their programming formulas for quadraped vehicles) to produce a “civilian use” robot vehicle similar to the Behemoth Explorer. The Walker Trucks are Paladin Steel’s entry into the robot vehicle market, and the Walker Trucks are full of surprising innovations.
The standard Walker Truck resembles nothing so much as a slab-sided semi truck(wheels and all), with a large glassed-in canopy-cab, four long, folding legs, and two thin, utility, arms dangling from the front. Command/control is by a fairly simple stick-and-foot pedal system directing a largely automated ground-scan and semi-autonomous ground locomotion program that decides where to place the feet; the driver can override and redirect the footfall if he or she decides the ground looks unsteady or there’s an obstacle in the way(landmine, person in the road, etc...). A two-leveled rocker-assembly allows the front or the back of the truck to be raised, so the WT can be made to ‘kneel’ or ‘rear’.
An interesting feature is the inclusion of fully functional wheels and drive train. In one melee, upon reaching a (relatively) level road or paved surface, the Walker Truck can lower itself to the road, tuck up its legs and utility arms, and procceed on wheels. Trinitus Robotics designers at first objected to this dual-propulsion system, regarding the quadraped mode as ATV enough, but Paladin Steel, dedicated to (more-or-less) conventional vehicles, argued that the wheel mode allowed the WT to move faster on prepared roads, eased loading and unloading, and made the vehicle easier to maneuver in urban environments, where power lines posed a problem to unobstructed robot movement. Furthermore, many communities were leery of letting ANY sort of giant robot vehicle, civilian or not, within the town limits. A truck on the other hand was a less threatening entity....
Another innovation was the ability of Walker Trucks to hook up to each other and slave their control computers to a lead vehicle. Joined together by accordion-bellows type juncture-jointing, up to ten Walker Trucks could be hooked together to form a single long robot vehicle(variously called “Centipede Trains”,” Serpent Trucks”, or “Long Walkers”) with the crews free to walk without problem between the various vehicles. The linked-mode also reduces driver fatigue on long trips, allowing crews to swap places at the helm(or even swap lead vehicles), though top speed in linked mode is usually HALF the maximum speed. Hitching WTs together takes 1d4 melees; disengaging takes 1 melee action.
Though not as fast or well protected as a typical robot vehicle, Walker Trucks do mount respectable armor protection. They are not considered to be combat vehicles, being too slow to effectively dodge or stomp moving targets, but they can take a few hits, and more than a few buyers immediately add additional armor and up to four weapons positions.
Sales are expected to be high, particularly with merchants, lumberjacks, and miners.
(Post-110 Update: The PS-UV-07, since nicknamed the ‘Hinney’, does indeed become one of PS’s all-round top sellers, especially in frontier regions where road quality varies widely. It’s also popular because its combination of technologies allows frontier folk to become acclimated to working on both conventional vehicle systems and robotics; many rural-born Operators and Mercenary Robot Pilots credit their starts to apprenticing on a UV-07 ‘Walker’. ‘Land trains’ or ‘centipede-lines’ are common sights along the well-travelled trade-routes between Greater New England and cities such as Lazlo and New Lazlo, as Paladin Steel caravans carry finished goods and materials in either direction. )
Type: PS-UV-07
Class: Dual Wheel-and -Servo Ambulating Utility Vehicle
Crew: One; an additional 1-4 passengers can fit in the cab
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 250
Control Cab 80
Utility Arms(2) 12 each
Legs(4) 90 each
Wheels(8) 10 each

Height: 11 ft tall, 16 ft from ground to bottom of Main Body with legs at full extension.
Width: 10 ft
Length: 25 ft
Weight: 10 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 15 tons in its cargo space
Powerplant: Conventional electric(can be recharged from liquid fuel generator, fuel cells, or from solar cells) Range: 500 miles
Nuclear Fusion. 15 year energy life
Speed:
(Walking) 60 MPH
(Leaping) Not possible
(Wheels) can reach up to 100 MPH on straight, level, paved surfaces
(Climbing) Can climb up slopes of up to 45 degrees, but reduce speed by 2/3, and impose a piloting penalty of -15%
(Fording) Can ford bodies of water up to 15 ft deep; larger bodies of water will require special flotation equipment to be fitted(see Options)
Market Cost: 8 million credits for a conventionally powered model.
35 million for a nuclear powered model.
Systems/Features:
Utility Arms-----Reach 10 ft, with a PS 20
Environmentally sealed Cabin w/ 12 hours independant life support
Headlights
Radio----300 mile range
Winch----Can haul/lift up to 1 ton w/ 100 ft of cable
Weapons Systems: None standard; most buyers will add a pintle mount for an energy weapon/rail gun, add weapons turrets, or missile launchers.
Hand to Hand Combat
Extremely limited; the Walker Truck is not designed for combat
Punch w/ utility arms 6d6 SDC, or 1 MD
Stomp 1d4 MD
Body Block/Sideswipe 1d4 MD

Options:
The Walker Truck has option spaces on its cab and body. One option can be fitted to either location.
*Amphibious Fittings-----Enable the Truck to swim/float. Does NOT take up an option space. Can swim at 10 mph
Cost: 30,000 credits

*Heavy Utility Arms----A heavier, stronger set of utility arms, with stronger servo motors, and drill/buzz-saw/laser torch tool head. PS 40 (Cab option)
MDC: 40 per arm, 40 for tool head
Range: (Arms) 12 ft extension
(Drill/Buzzsaw) Melee
(Laser Torch) 10 ft
Damage:(Arms) Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Punch 2d6 MD
(Drill) 4d6 MD
(Buzzsaw) 3d6 MD, or 3d6x6 MD for a full melee cut
(Laser Torch) 1d6x10 SDC, 1d6 MD, 2d6 MD, or 4d6 MD
Payload:(Torch) Effectively unlimited
Cost: 25,000 credits


*Rooter and Cutter------A pair of pincers and lift arm that snips a tree off at the stump, and lifts it to be stacked and carted away. The pincers can do 1d6x10 MD on a full-melee squeeze/snip(Cab option)
MDC: 10
Cost: 20,000 credits

*Tree-Lifter-------An enormous segmented cone-like digger for digging up and lifting trees, root-bulb and all. Can easily pick up to 50 sq ft of roots and attached dirt. Can tote up to 10 tons of tree. (Cab option)
MDC: 10
Cost: 18,000 credits

*Standard Flatbed-----Open cargo platform. (Body option)
Cost: 500 credits
*Enclosed Cargo Bed/Module
MDC: 20
Cost: 2,000 credits
*Tanker Module----For transporting liquid cargoes, be they water, petrochemicals, cryogenic fluids, corn syrup, disillated spirits, or hydrazine. 500 gallon capacity(Body option)
MDC: 100
Cost: 9,000 credits
*Bus/Passenger Module-----Essentially a passenger accomodation module with seating for up to 30 people and storage for their baggage. Air filtration/conditioning comes standard. Popular with travel services(Body option)
MDC: 100
Cost: 20,000 credits

*Shovel/Crane Assembly-----Some buyers feel this 30 ft long attachment makes the Walker Truck look like a brontosaurus scratching for a meal. Mounted on a rotating turntable with optional enclosed control cab, or can be controlled from the truck cabin.
Alternately, can be fitted with a crane assembly that can lift up to 10 tons with 150 ft of cable (Body option)
MDC: 80
Damage: 1d8 MD on a swipe with its shovel.
Cost: 9,000 credits

*Spray Mister-----a fanjet powered spray mister, for spraying pesticides or fogging vampires. Consists of a sprayer on a turntable/trunion assembly, and associated feed tanks.(Body option)
MDC: 20
Range: 1000 ft(more if the wind is with you)
Damage: None, unless spraying pesticides or irritant agents
To vampires, a water spray does 1d6 x10 HP
Rate of Fire: Six times per melee
Payload: Tank holds enough for 400 blasts/spray bursts of chemicals or water
Cost: 6,000 credits

*Cherry-Picker Assembly.-----basically a 30 ft long robot arm with an armored basket on the end, which can be equiped with tools, spray cannon, or weaponry. Great for firefighting and construction. PS 40 for lifting/carrying purposes(Body option)
MDC: 20
Cost: 12,000 credits

*Hydro-Cutter-----The Hydro-Cutter is a heavy vehicle mounted power-tool that is essentially a electro-magnetic squirtgun. Using electromagnetic stator rings similar to a railgun’s, the Hydro-Cutter instead accelerates water through an intense magnetic field, pushing it up to supersonic speeds, pumping it through in tremendous amounts at tremendous velocity. The result is an extremely fine, precise, sharp cutting tool that doesn’t require the replacement of expensive cutting heads, makes a neat, precise cut(perfect for slicing composites and ceramics), and is relatively quiet. The Hydro-Cutter has found employment in rock-cutting and quarrying as well, where the hypersonic stream of water raises little dust while cutting thru the toughest rock.
Though not intended as a weapon, the Hydro-Cutter is extremely dangerous to anyone stupid enough to stand within its short range. The hypersonic water stream can easily slice through MDC armor and the person inside it in seconds. However, its most lethal effects are on vampires, as was discovered by miners in the West, who turned their Hydro-Cutters on marauding bloodsuckers in desperation. The ultra-high powered water stream punched through the front ranks of the invading vampire pack, and often lost enough velocity slamming through the front vampires, to fan out into a spray, drench-burning the vampires behind them!(Body option)
MDC: 150
Range: 200 ft(500 ft total range)
Damage: 6d6 MD per burst, 1d6x10 MD for a full melee cutting burst.
Does 2d6x10 hit point damage to vampires
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 300 full melee bursts
Cost: 30,000 credits

Addendum: What’s the game use of a tree-mover? Use your imagination......especially when you’re setting up your secret hideout/base. A thourough and smart enemy(like the Coalition) will look for signs of construction, like land-clearing, as evidence of enemy activity. Tidying up with a little natural landscaping(and nothing beats natural growth for good concealment), you can hide that secret base from unwanted attention until you want it....like when that Death’s Head Transport passes right over that cleverly disguised vertical launch silo......BOOM!

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel DL-500 “Arabian’ All Terrain Multi-Purpose Vehicle


“This is the ride you’ve all been waiting for....The all-terrain, high-capacity hotrod for the cross-continental or cross-dimensional adventurer...or those who wish they were that brave or insane...Whether cruising across the ice-fields of Elsewhere or riding down the main strip of Everytown....This beast makes whatever you’re doing look GOOD...
-----Paladin Steel ad spot for the Arabian

“I agree...I had one bunch of slavers so mesmerized by how COOL my mirror-armored Arabian looked as I rode down on them, that they couldn’t stop admiring it until they were bugsplat on my front end.....That new armor-chrome’s tougher than it looks and it cleans up in a jiffy, too....Just hose and dry; didn’t even have a scratch on it!”
----- Cheeemo Marmos, Justice Ranger,

“Style never stopped an armor-piercing shell unless it had some chobham composite substance built in. If good looks are all your gear has going for it, make sure your will specifies a closed coffin funeral. ”
------Rodger Malacore, Mechanic, Larsen’s Brigade

The ‘Arabian’ ATMV is actually a recent post-Rifts revival of a pre-Rifts vehicle design found in Paladin Steel’s deep-storage historical archives. Company historians believe that the plans were submitted to pre-Rifts Paladin Steel as part of a custom-vehicle ‘Monster Truck’ promotional commission for one or two vehicles...the then-small Paladin Steel company(at the time primarily known as a materials fabrication company, but hoping to break into vehicle manufacture) was to have fabricated the vehicle’s lightweight composite body and provide ceramic components for its frame. It is unknown if PS ever did produce the vehicle in any quantities for its sponsors before the Coming of the Rifts, but recently, PS engineers have elected to revive the design with modern materials and technologies, and add the vehicle to PS’s already huge stable of multipurpose military-commercial use vehicles. Named the ‘Arabian’ for its sleek looks and high speed performance, the new ATMV fills a role in the weight classs between the Jeep Warrior ATV, DL-400 ‘Futura’, and DL-600 ‘Clysdale’. In its military form, the Arabian may well become Paladin Steel’s new heavy armored scout car, while its civilian models are expected to gradually replace the existing production lines for the generic Black Market ‘Big Boss’ and ‘Mountaineer’-style ATVs that have been a staple of PS Heavy Machinery for decades(though some conservatives contend that successful competition against such stalwart designs remains to be seen and may be overly optimistic).
The DL-500 ‘Arabian’ has a sleek, angular body of lightweight, but sturdily reinforced, composite and light alloy, carried on a chassis borne by six independently sprung all terrain ‘run flat’ 72-inch diameter wheels. The main hull, wedge-shaped and pointed in the front, sweeping up and back to a high-held fan-tail in the back, is not only aesthetically pleasing, but is well-configured for amphibious operations and for shrugging off land mine and IED explosions. The dorsal side can be fitted with a sealable sunroof or weapons/sensor turret. The rear cabin is spacious enough for plenty of cargo carrying, or for several bunks, allowing crew and passengers to stretch out on those long trips. The Arabian comes standard with NBC(Nuclear, Biological, Chemical)-sealed cabin life support for those forays into areas less suitable for supporting life(PS engineers like to claim that the Arabian can be outfitted for deep space survival.....something more than likely to be put to the test by dimension-hopping adventurers).
Like almost all of PS’s commercially-available multipurpose vehicle designs, the Arabian is surprisingly inexpensive in its basic form, but comes with a huge catalogue of available accessories and option features to tempt buyers and test their wallets. The Arabian can be outfitted from a massive array of powerplant, propulsion, armor, armament, sensory, accommodation, and even techno-wizardry options. And as PS likes to say; “If you don’t see it already in the catalogue, suggest it to our engineers. If it proves workable, you may just be eligible for a ‘suggestion award*’ for the next great idea to go into the product line!”

(*Awards vary from discounts on PS goods and lines of credit, to a job offer with the Engineering Department)

Type: DL-500
Class: All-Terrain Multipurpose Vehicle, Wheeled
Crew: 1+1-7 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 220
Reinforced Crew Compartment 60
Wheels(6) 50 each
Height: 12.5 ft
Width: 10 ft
Length: 30 ft
Weight: 7 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 4 tons of cargo
Powerplant:Liquid Fuel(600 mile range), Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell(650 mile range), Electric Battery(700 mile range), or Nuclear Mini-Pack(w/ 12 year lifespan)
Speed: (Ground) 120 MPH
(Water) Fully amphibious; can motor at 5 MPH on the water’s surface
Market Cost: 70,000 credits for basic vehicle, 80,000 credits for hydrogen-electric, 95,000 credits for electric, and 7 million credits for nuclear w/ a 12 year energy life.
Systems of Note:
*Environmentally Controlled Cabin w/ Independent Life Support
*Radio----50 mile range
*Mini-Radar---5 mile range
*Winch----5 ton hauling capacity, 80 ft cable(5 MDC cable)
*Run-Flat Mesh Tires
*Anti-Mine Underside----Besides providing the Arabian with better amphibious capabilities, the angled, boat-like underside and reinforced floor reduces damage from overrun mines and explosives by 25%

Weapons Systems: None standard, but has provisions for up to 5 hardpoints(2 forward, 2 sides, and 1 large turret on the back)

Options:
*Engine Upgrade----A more powerful engine, more efficient power train, and improved transmission can be added, improving overall speed, but at greater expense;
Speed: Can improve top speed by up to 40%
Cost: 120,000 credits per 10% of improvement over base. 300,000 credits for nuclear upgrades. +60,000 per 10% for treadlayers, +90,000 per 10% for robotic walker legs, and +50,000 per 10% for hoverjet systems(actually simpler to upgrade GEV systems past the initial high cost by adding more/bigger jet thrusters).

*Stealth Refit----An expensive conversion that accentuates the angular radar-deflecting shape of the main body, adds radar-absorbant paint, and adds special insulation and an exhaust/heatsink system to reduce the thermal signature.
Bonuses: Radar and thermal detection systems are -15% to detect the car
Cost: 250,000 credits

*Chameoline System---Special fiber optics in the hull can change the color scheme of the Arabian between any one of ten different schemes(programmed in at the time of purchase), including basic camouflage schemes.
Cost: 100,000 credits

*Variable Optical Camouflage Suite---Based on reverse-engineered Naruni and other alien ‘invisibility’ systems, this highly sophisticated system option renders the ATMV effectively invisible to eyeball and sensor detection.
Bonuses: -20% to opposition Detect Ambush and Detect Concealment rolls; heat sensors are useless
Cost: 1.2 million credits
Note: This system is not always available for sale; only approved affiliates of 5ST are allowed to purchase this stealth system

*Applique Armor---Additional armor plates can be hooked, welded, or epoxied on. For the sake of calculating movement penalties, three armor weight categories are used; Light, Medium, and Heavy, and several armor options are offered.
*Light----Adds 10-100 MDC main body, + 1-2 tons, without movement penalties
----Cost: 15,000 credits per 10 MDC
*Medium---Adds 110-200 MDC main body, +2-4 tons, but with a reduction in top speed of 15%
----Cost: 16,000 credits per 10 MDC
*Heavy----Adds 210-360 MDC main body, +4-6 tons, but with a reduction in top speed of 25%
----Cost:18,000 credits per 10 MDC
*Laser Ablative Armor(Option)---PS laser-ablative ceramic, based on alien materials. Lasers do HALF damage. VFLs can NOT adjust to compensate. As an added bonus, Arkhon triphase weapons do 1/10 less damage.
----Cost:+800,000 credits(Rarely available to outsiders)
*Thermal Resistant Heat-Refractory Tile Armor(Option)---Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasm-based attacks do 1/4 damage
----Cost: +1 million credits
*Chemical Resistant Armor(Option)----PS’s patented chemically inert armor that sheds the effects of corrosive chemicals and stick’ums. Acids and chemical weapons do NO damage.
----Cost: +1.1 million credits
*Jettisonable Armor(Option)---Special pre-cut division channels, break points, and integral explosive bolts allow the vehicle crew to jettison the applique armor, shedding it, usually to restore mobility(in the case of medium- and heavy-armors), lose contaminated outer plates, or shed unwanted riders. Once jettisoned, the applique armor CANNOT be re-attached without extensive reconstruction and refurbishment(if anything is left at all of the original material)....Essentially, one has to re-buy the applique and/or jettisonable armor option to regain its benefitts.
OPTIONAL: The explosive bolts, at the GM’s discretion, can explode off with enough force to do 1d6 MD to an 15 ft radius around the vehicle, due to flying armor fragments.
----Cost: +4,000 credits+cost of armor

*Electro-Shock Security System----Special contacts in the skin of the vehicle can be electrically charged to deliver a taser-like shock to anyone attempting to break into the vehicle. Alternatively, the system can be set to dump most of its power into a vaporizing megadamage shock blast, though this tends to drain the batteries far faster. CANNOT be mounted on top of Applique Armor.
Range: 3 ft
Damage: 3d6 SDC plus Humanoids struck with this weapon must save
vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes.
(MD ) The higher end setting does 1d6 MD per shock
Payload: 20 SDC (2 Megadamage charges) charge battery(recharges off the conventional powerplant at one SDC blast per 5 minutes), or unlimited if linked to a nuclear powerplant.
Cost: 3,000 credits

*Bulldozer Blade----Adds a shaped payloader blade to the front for clearing debris and pushing dirt. Can be raised and lowered to clear the nose. Can also act as a basic ram , doing 1d6 MD on a ram/shove
MDC: 150
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Mag Traction System-----An advanced electromagnetic forcefield system, developed with the assistance of refugee d-bee technologists, that allows a vehicle superior handling on wet ground and sloping surfaces by generating(through special projector elements in the wheel hubs) a short range ‘virtual surface’ directly under/in front of the wheels(not strong enough to appreciably levitate the vehicle, but enough to negate any skidding or miring). The downside of it is that in anything less than a nuclear-powered vehicle, the energy expenditure can quickly drain the truck’s batteries.
Bonuses:+15% to control rolls
Penalties: If driving with a liquid fuel or electric engine, reduce gas mileage/range by 10% per hour of activation that the MagTrac system is engaged.
Cost: 80,000 credits.

*TracCat Treads---This replaces the original wheels, each with a triangular tread unit with three bogie wheels. Top road speed is reduced by 25%, but the vehicle has superior traction and performance on soft surfaces like sand, bog, or snow(no reduction in speed to travel over these surfaces)
Cost: 36,000 credits

*Ski-Half Track---This replaces the rear wheels with a four-bogie track unit, and the forward wheels with unpowered ski units(available power is rerouted to the rear treads), for a ski-mobile configuration. Reduce top road speed on regular surfaces by 50%(plus the forward skis make a scraping racket dragging across the ground), but increase top speed on snow and ice by 10%.
Cost:32,000 credits

*Hovercraft Conversion----Don’t like wheels? Another expensive conversion that trades the conventional wheeled propulsion for a hoverjet GEV system.
MDC of Hoverjets(8 ) 60 MDC each
Speed: 120 MPH maximum, 1-6 ft off the ground, and can skim above water(no more than 3 ft waves) at 80 MPH
Cost: 2.5 million credits...or 2.9 million to add to an existing wheeled chassis(wheels fold up and out of the way of the hoverjets)

*Smoke/Grenade Launcher Clusters---These mini-multi-tube grenade/smoke launcher clusters can be added to the sides of the vehicle. Up to 4 can be added...two forward and two aft.
Range: (light) 1,200 ft (heavy) 2,000 ft.
Damage: Varies by Grenade Type (heavy)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: Each launcher has 12 light or 6 heavy grenades each, for a total of 36 light grenades or 18 heavy grenades
Cost: 28,000 credits for both light and heavy varieties(grenades cost extra)

*Stabilization Jacks---Tired of being knocked over by concussion blasts, or being rolled over by a giant’s kick? This interesting little system uses Glitterboy-style pylon technology to las and hydraulically drive six stabilizer jacks up to 5 ft into the ground, even through concrete and metal gratings, within 5 seconds, affixing you like a barnacle, and able to stay upright in even hurricane-force winds. System can disengage in 2 seconds, for that speedy getaway.
Cost: 80,000 credits

*Forward Weapons Points(1-2)---Up to 2 weapons stations can be built into the nose/front glacis plate of the Arabian; these weapons have limited 30 degree arc of fire and are designed to fire in the general direction the vehicle is pointed. Typically rigged to be fired by the driver. Cost per hardpoint is 5,000 credits(not including cost of mounted weapon). Each hardpoint can accommodate ONE of the following:
a) Mini-Missile Launcher---20 shots each launcher
b) Short Range Missile Launcher---5 shots each launcher
c) Heavy Machine Gun(.50 cal)---3,000 ft, 7d6 SDC per rd, Standard Rate of Fire, 300 rds. 5,000 credits
d)Light Rail Gun
Range: 3,500 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per single shot, 7d6 MD per 30 shot burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 10,000 rd drum(333 bursts) per cannon
Cost: 50,000 credits
e)Auto-Grenade Grenade Launcher
Range: 1500 ft
Damage: Frag rounds do 4d6 MD to a 12-foot radius. AP rounds do 1d4x10 to a 3-foot blast radius, and Plasma rounds do 1d4x10+10 to a 5-foot radius. A 3 round burst of frag shells does 1d4x10 to a 15 foot radius, a burst of 3 AP shells does 2d4x10 to a 5 foot radius, and a burst of 3 plasma shells does 3d4x10 to an 8 foot blast radius A 5 round burst of frag shells does 1d6x10 to a 20 foot radius, a burst of 5 AP shells does 2d6x10 to a 6 foot area, and a burst of 5 plasma shells does 3d6x10 to a 10 foot radius. A 10 round burst of frag shells does 2d6x10 to a 40-foot radius. A 10 round AP burst does 3d6x10 to an 8-foot area, and a 10 round plasma burst does 4d6x10+10 to a 15-foot radius!!
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 50 shot clip
Cost: 50,000 cr
f) Flamethrower----200 ft range, does 3d6 MD per burst, plus does an Additional 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 melees, 25 shots, 12,000 credits
g) Pulse Laser----3,000 ft range, 2d6 MD per shot, 6d6 MD per pulse burst, Effectively Unlimited. 24,000 credits
h) Ion Cannon---1,600 ft, 3d6 MD per shot, ECHH, Effectively Unlimited. 22,000 credits
i) Light Plasma Cannon--1600 ft, 5d6 MD per shot, ECHH, Effectively Unlimited, 25,000 credits
j) Light Particle Beam Cannon-----1200 ft, 6d6 MD per shot, ECHH, Effectively Unlimited, 35,000 credits

*Lateral Hardpoints(1-2)---The sides of the ATMV can be fitted with additional hardpoints for added weaponry. Identical to the nose hardpoints, but have a 45-degree arc of fire to the sides. Hardpoints can accommodate light rail guns, machine-cannon, or energy rifles.

*Turret Fitting---Rather than a sunroof or hardshell over the rear cargo/passenger deck, the Arabian can be fitted with a weapons or sensor turret...Limited to light or medium weapons turrets, a variety of which are available from Paladin Steel and affiliates. All turrets have 360-degree rotation capability. Fitting the medium-class weapons turret, however, may reduce available space for cargo and passenger accommodations, due to the need for additional fire control equipment, capacitor space, and ammunition storage. A variety of turret-types are available, from Black Market-salvage cupolas from other vehicles, standard ‘tin can’ AFV turrets, to transparent crysteel ‘bomber turret’ domes(prices may thus vary from -15% to +25% depending on style and additional features).
*Light Turret(Base MDC of 100. Can be fitted with 1-2 infantry-scale weapons up to light rail guns, energy weapons, heavy machine guns, and light missile/rocket launchers)
Cost: 70,000 credits
*Medium Turret(Base MDC of 180 . Can be fitted with 1-4 light weapons, or up to 2 heavy weapons such as short- to medium-range missile launchers, light to medium autocannon/railguns[80mm maximum], or vehicular energy weapons)
Cost: 100,000 credits

*Ram Prow---The front end of the Arabian can be fitted with a specially shaped and reinforced nose for ramming and obstacle clearance. For a little extra, a pair of retractable forklift prongs with working lift hydraulics can be added for additional damage capacity, debris clearance, or utility work. High-voltage ‘blast studs’, developed from PS’s reverse-engineering of European Gargoyle Empire techno-weapons, can also be mounted on the front bumpers; charged from special capacitors, these electro-prongs can deliver a plasmatic pulse of vaporizing energy on contact.
MDC of Nose: 80
Damage: 1d4x10 MD from a half-speed ram, 1d6x10+5 MD from a full speed ram.
Cost: 20,000 credits
Options: (Forklift Capacity) Can lift/carry 6 tons
Damage: Prongs add 1d6 MD to damage
Cost: 22,000 credits
(Blast Studs) Range: Melee
Damage: 3d6 MD per blast
Payload: Can be fired twice per melee
Cost: 85,000 credits

*Sensors---Many buyers/operators reconfigure the sensor suite, adding additional sensor mounts or installing wholly new ones.
a)Sensor Cluster--Small sensor dish on a turntable
MDC: 25
Sensors: Mini-Radar--5 mile range
Motion Detector--200 ft range
Laser Illuminator-----6,000 ft range, Designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons
Laser targetting System(+1 to strike)
Cost: 18,000 credits

b) Lance Scanner---Looks like a long lance protruding from the front of the craft. The Lance Scanner contains a magnetometer() and a short-range microwave radar for groundsearching minefields(in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even non-metallic mines, but takes twice as long).
Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordnance.
Cost: 40,000 credits

c) Aura Scanner---For detecting and identifying PPE concentrations
Range: 2000 ft
Cost: 35,000 credits

d)Bio-Scanner---Has a molecular analyzer, enhanced radiation detector, high-powered accoustic ‘shotgun mike’(3,000 ft range), and thermo-imager optics(3,000 ft).
Cost: 10,000 credits

*e) Optical Cluster---Mini-optics turret similar to those mounted on helicopters and aerodynes
Sensors: Telescopic (2 mile accuity, 4-10x50 magnification)
IR/UV(2,000 ft)
Thermo-Imaging (3,000 ft)
Audio-Video-Survellance System w 48 hour recording capability
Laser Illuminator---’Paints’ targets for laser-guided weaponry. Range of 2 miles and gives a +1 to strike for L-G ordnance.
Cost: 18,000 credits

[taalismn]

Started creating this after Kitsune brought up the idea of 'New Salem'. hence the reference...

Paladin Steel/Sikorsky Super Sea King TW Marine Operations Helicopter

“Confirm hull break up?”
“Break up confirmed...she’s holed, taking on water, and bound for the bottom.”
“Good...set course thirty-eight north by northwest, baffles up, all ahead full, get us out of here and to happier hunting grounds.”
“Course set, rudder thirty-eight SET! Engine baffles up, and throttle open.”
“Sensors, find us something bigger than a coastal barge.”
“Yessir, but wasn’t that last one a three-thousand tonner?”
“There are bigger caravels out that...The Admiral wants each boat to get at least fifteen thousand in tonnage bounty...I mean to break that and earn us the bonus before this tour is up...Find us a big fat merchantman, Sensors, preferably one with a 5ST flag!”
“Aye-aye, Captain!”
That’s when the whole ship started to shake and roll
“What the HELL....?!”
“SOME SORT OF TURBULENCE, SIR!”
“Sir! The depth guages! They claim...well, we should still be at eighty feet, but we have NO PRESSURE above us!”
“NO PRESSURE!? WE STILL HAVE SEVERAL LEAGUES OF WATER OVER US!”
“The instruments say we’re practically in vacuum! WE HAVE NOTHING AROUND US!!”
Suddenly the whole bridge crew heard the creaking and groaning of the hull rise to a new crescendo, and then the unmistakable noise of straining metal and the roar of overstressed hull structure.
“WE’RE COMING APART AFT!”
“WHO THE HELL IS DOING THIS TO US!?” The captain screamed as he felt the bow of his ship tilt forwards and begin a nose dive for a bottom that for all he knew could be only a few meters or a mile below.

The pilot grinned to his co-pilot as he looked down the mouth of the vortex that had openned up in the waves beneath their aircraft. Below them, in the whipping, churning, walls of enraged sea foam, he could make out the long slim grey fish shape of the pirate submarine as it spun and splintered, breaking up in the maelstrom. Seeing that the target was well on its way to disintegration, and that the magically conjured whirlpool was already beginning to close up and dissipate, the pilot banked his Sea King helicopter away to continue their hunting patrol.
“And that is how we take out sub-boys who torp our merchantmen and think they can get away with it!” The gunner in the back nodded to the other airman in the back compartment.

The Super Sea King TW Marine Operations Helicopter grew out of the frustration of the small, but growing, community of GNE Techno-Wizard vehicle engineers who were getting slightly fed up with the boasting being directed their way from their brethren in New Salem near New Boston. After watching design after design for TW hardware being paraded in front of them, and feeling that they were being forced to play catch-up, the PS Techno-Wizards wanted to prove that they still had what it took to create a first-rate, effective, but affordable, major TW design that combined the best of the new and the old.
For the basis of their design, they chose the design of the venerable pre-Rifts Sikorsky Sea King, a flying boat helicopter that had been manufactured locally(and later licensed in England), and which, despite the advance of technology, had continued to be produced and used until only a decade shy of the final Catastrophe. After all, boats were hardly getting faster, and storms weren’t getting any worse(or better), and aside from upgrades in avionics and materials, the old design was still very flightworthy for a civilian design. Detailed plans and databases had survived in Paladin Steel’s archives, and the TWizards felt the old bird had enough nostalgic feel to make a really good TW conversion. Since it was being promoted as a second-line SAR and naval patrol aircraft, the GNE Quartermaster Corps Procurement Board agreed to underwrite the project.
The PS Super Sea King combines the best aspects of the Sikorsky and Westland versions, and adds improvements suggested PS AeroCustom’s work on several commissions, before finishing it all off with extensive TW modifications. The basic aircraft has a blunt nose, long boat-bottomed hull, twin outrigger landing gear pylons, tricycle landing gear, and a five-bladed main rotor; this has been retained(why mess with success?). However, the hull has been upgraded with more modern, tougher, megadamage composites, with special Cold Iron inserts, the wiring has been complemented by ectofiber cabling for the TW systems, including wiring conduits in the rotor blades, while more advanced sensory systems give the aircraft better ‘eyes’.
The rotorblades in particular have been toughened up with better materials and magical enhancements, as the rotors now play a vital part of the aircraft’s mage systems. The rotorblades now serve as conduits for magical energy, and for spreading area of effect attacks in a technique known as the ‘Hell Rotor Attack System”. In event of rotor damage, the aircraft can make a controled landing under the influence of onboard Levitation systems.
Though not as heavily armed as other craft(like the smaller, more agile SeaSprite, for instance) the Super Sea King is robust, durable, and its TW systems give it unexpected bite, especially in its given role as a marine operations aircraft.
Only a few dozen Super Sea Kings have been built so far, with several undergoing trials with the GNE Navy and Coast Guard, and the remaining machines being used by approved Irregular units, but the performances turned in by the aircraft have been encouraging , and Paladin Steel is looking to retool a older production line, or find a partner in building a wholly new production facility, to build additional units. It is also rumored that PS is offering to license manufacturing to British Isles TW aircraft manufacturer Farnborough Avionics.
Type: PS-ASH-S-62(TW)
Class: Anti-Submarine Warfare/Search and Rescue Helicopter, Amphibious(Techno-Wizard Enhanced)
Crew: 3 (pilot, co-pilot, door gunner/cargo manager)
AND....25 armed/armored troops
Or 12 Light Power Armors
Or 30 passengers
Or 15 stretchers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 350
Float/Landing Gear Pylons(2) 25 each
Tail 100
Main Rotor 100
Height: 16 ft
Width: 14 ft(62 ft rotor diameter)
Length: 54 ft(72 ft w/ rotors turning)
Weight: 22,500 lbs
Cargo: If not carrying passengers, the rear compartmant can hold up to 5,000 lbs

Powerplant: Liquid-Fuel or Electric Fuel Cell w/ 700 mile range, or Nuclear Fusion Mini-Pack w/ 15 year energy life
Backup TW Generator w/ 300 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 40 PPE/hour at a leyline, 80 PPE/hour on a nexus
Speed: 166 MPH, maximum altitude of 8,200 ft
Market Cost: 5 million credits for basic liquid fuel/electric, 9 million for nuclear
Systems of Note:
*Enhanced Radar---80 mile range
Radar has special ocean-surface search capabilities, including the ability to screen out surface clutter and distracting returns from wave tops.

*Magnetic Anomaly Detector ‘Bird’---Looking like an oversized batmitten ‘bird’ and flown at the end of an 80 ft tether just above the surface of the water, the MAD probe registers the disturbance in the earth’s magnetic field caused by large metal objects(like subs and ships) passing through it. Not so effective at detecting organic creatures or constructs.
Range: 5 miles, and has a 70% chance of detecting submerged vessels(-20%) for non-metallic objects, and no chance of detecting organics).

*Door Winch---100 ft of line, and can winch up to 1,000 lbs.

TW Magical Systems:
These are hull-mounted systems that affect the helicopter itself
*Breath Without Air----Magical Life Support
*Levitation---A backup system, in the event the main rotors are destroyed. Engages automatically if the main rotor assembly is destroyed, and allows the craft to safely descend to the ground. Lasts about, once activated with PPE

*Dipping Sonar Magical Probe----Attached to the Dipping Sonar unit is a magic module with the following:
*Senses of the Shark----(8th level) Great for tracking supernatural beings
*Communicate with Sea Creatures----(5th level) While most sea creatures are not exactly sparkling conversationalists or reliable sources of information, with the right questions and persistance, a systems operator can glean details such as the general mood of sea life in the area, agitation over foreign presences, and the underwater ‘lay of the land’.
PPE Cost: 20 PPE per 10 minutes of either power being used.

Weapons Systems:
1) Hardpoints(4)---The sides of the Sea King can be fitted with lateral hardpoints and simple pylons for carrying additional weaponry and equipment
a) Torpedoes---ONE torpedo, of ANY size, can be carried per hardpoint
b) Mini-Missiles----12 shot pod
c) Short Range Missiles-----5 shot pod
d) Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles----ONE per hardpoint
e) ‘Black Talon’ LAAM Pods---These are light ‘smart’ anti-aircraft missiles with enhanced warheads, similar in concept to the pre-Rifts ‘Stinger’ SAMs. The Sea King carries a standardized helo-compatible twin-shot pod.
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload: 2 per pod
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)
Cost: 60 ,000 credits per launcher, 10,000 credits per missile
f) Heavy Anti-Armor Missile Launcher---6 per Hardpoint; typically used to penetrate the pressure hulls of submarines, preventing them from successfully diving to escape.
Range: 1 mile(5,000 ft)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,or 4
Payload: 3 shot pod per hardpoint
Bonus: +5 to strike ground targets(Aircraft are only +2 to strike)
Cost: 20,000 credits. 6,000 credits per missile

2) (Optional) Door-Mounted Weapons Station(s)
The door can mount a heavy weapon, such as a machine gun, light gatling gun, or light laser/energy cannon

3)Nose-Mounted TW Cannon(2)----These nose-mounted cannon are TW attack systems throwing magical lightning
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited; system needs recharging with 150 PPE every 2 months.

4) ‘HellRotor’ TW Attack System---This is a wide area attack system that uses special ectofiber conduits in the rotor blades to project area-of-effect attacks...An extremely effective, and spectacular, application of TW innovation.

*FireStorm---A combination of Ballistic Attack and Barrage, the rotor blade ends seem to burst into flame like infernal sparklers, and begin shedding a shower of white hot fire balls that seek and destroy targets. Best used against massed enemy forces and the open decks of ships.
Range: 100 ft radius; creates a ‘ring of death’ from a 15 ft radius of the copter out to 100 ft(so one could conceivably hide directly under the helicopter from this attack)
Damage: 1d6 MD per firebolt
Rate of Fire: Every potential human-sized target inside the area of effect rolls 2d4 to see how many firebolts they get struck by. Giant-sized targets(10 ft and larger) roll 4d6. Mobile targets are -10 to dodge. Large stationary targets like ships take 3d6x10 MD from the rain of megadamage fire.
Payload:Lasts one melee per activation; pumping in additional 45 PPE can extend the duration of the FireStorm
PPE Usage per Activation: 45

*Hurricane---The Super Sea King can whirl up a hurricane, then quickly fly out of it, leaving the storm to slam into some luckless target.
Range: 120 ft area
Damage: Does 3d6x10 MD per melee to ships and coastal structures, plus unprotected persons take 1d6 MD per melee from flying debris.
Rate of Fire: One min-hurricane created per activation
Payload: Lasts 10 minutes per activation; pumping in additional 60 PPE can extend the duration of the hurricane
PPE Usage per Activation: 60

*Tornado/Waterspout----A more localized cyclonic storm, that is generated and directed just like the Hurricane.
Range: 100 ft area...copter can safely exit the tornado at 600 ft altitude
Tornado travels at 150 MPH
Damage: Stationary structures suffer 4d6x10 MD and trees uprotted in 15 seconds. Anything actually sucked into the funnel takes 3d6x10 MD per melee, then is ejected after 1d6 melees, suffering an additional 2d6x10 MD. If on water; 50% chance of capsizing small craft, 30% chance of capsizing medium-sized ships(coast guard cutter sized), 10% chance of overturning large vessels, no chance of upsetting carrier- and supertanker-sized vessels(may mess up the upper works, though).
Rate of Fire: 1 tornado created per activation
Payload:Lasts 10 minutes per activation; pumping in additional PPE can extend the duration of the waterspout
PPE Usage per Activation: 90

*Whirlpool---Used for attacking submerged targets primarily, such as submarines close to the surface, this mode generates an enhanced version of Whirlpool in that its depth is much deeper, for catching targets and smashing them, or else leaving them exposed to attack with conventional weapons.
Range: 120 ft wide whirlpool, created 500 ft underneath the ‘copter
Damage:1d4x10 MD to anything caught in its center, 2d6x10 MD per melee to large ships, and 1d6x100 MD to them if they get submerged or if the whirlpool ‘breaks the ship’s back’.
Rate of Fire: 1 whirlpool generated per activation
Payload: Lasts 10 minutes per activation; pumping in additional 60 PPE can extend the duration of the whirlpool
PPE Usage per Activation: 60

Options:
* Flare/Chaff Launcher---Mounted on the tail is a small countermeasures launcher.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 12 per launcher

*Dunking Sonar---Alternately, the side hatch winch assembly can be used to deploy a dunking sonar sensor head. To deploy this system, the helicopter must hover, as motionless as possible, above the surface of the water while taking readings from the lowered arrray. This sonar system can be considered to have a range of 60 miles
Cost: 12,000 credits

*Sonubouys---Sonubouys are small, expendable sensors deployed by air vehicles to set up temporary sensor nets. The typical sonubouy resembles a cylinder 2-5 ft long, made of light plastics, that when deployed, floats upright while deploying an acoustic sensor and line from its lower end. The sonubouy can either use passive detection, or can use an active sonar pinger, to detect submerged targets. Sonubouys are battery powered, and typically have an active life of an hour or so, but typically drift out of position in 10-20 minutes, depending on currents, conditions, and drop pattern.
They report their information via a radio uplink(standard range 5-10 miles), and can report a sonar/accoustic contact, its strength, estimated range and heading(using a built-in compass to determine direction), and estimated speed. Consider the sonubouy to have a sonar range of 5 miles
Sonubouys are typically laid in a pattern, with multiple sonubouys allowing for the triangulation of a target. They are cheap, disposable, and virtually indetectable(their small size and plastic construction negate most forms of detection), making them extremely difficult to avoid and actively counteract. However, sonubouys are not as accurate as more sophisticated systems(hence, its a good idea to deploy many of them), and they are affected by currents, which can quickly break up a laid pattern. Recommended proccedure when using sonubouys is to lay them across the projected path of the target, or to lay them upstream/current of the target’s suspected location, so the pattern moves with the current. Sonubouys are best used when one is aware that something is there, but not exactly where it is; a pattern of sonubouys can help triangulate a target for more accurate firing solutions and weapons targetting(give guided weapons a +1 to strike an underwater target if using information patched in from a sonubouy network, or give sonar operators a +15% to detection and location rolls).
Once their batteries have given out, sonubouys self-destruct---a plug in the floatation chamber dissolves, and the whole apparatus sinks to the bottom, its electronics ruined.
PS’ DiFAR SSQ-400 series Sonubouys cost 100 credits apiece
The Super Sea King can be fitted with a lateral launcher holding up to 16 sonobouys for 3,000 credits(‘bouys cost extra)

[Aramanthus]

Holy cow! That was a lot of material. I can see the Federated States buying a lot of this material. And as for the S-7 we want gun metal. I came to this thread and was blown away by the amount of material. How is some of this material? Was some of this on the website that used to display your material?

[batlchip]

Here's my shopping list so far.
TWF-94: would like 3 of them.
TWB-51: 3 of those please.
Gnat RPV's: 12 of those.
XM-139: 4 of those.
SHRS-30: 4 of them.
PSIP-2: 20 w/ all kits.
PSLR-7: 20 w/Blue green and corner kits.
Nimro plasma rifles:6
BRFA:2
OCSW-2: 5 if I can.
2000 Hydrashot rds.
PSMcM pattern-1E's:about 50,000 will do.
Ummm...One question do you take trade or Gold?

[abtex]

Nice of you to move those to the Storefront.
I hate the Storefront.
Lazy people who cannot use their computer's 'Page Down' button.
But had time to complain about someone else having ideas and a following.

Paladin Steel ‘Wolfhound’ Light Armored Car
(aka ‘American BRDM’, ‘Rowboat’, ‘Pacecar’)

How much would it cost to fit the Woffhound with wheels and legs?
The name is makes me want to go 'Walkin' n Rollin' on full Auto and the BoomBox's speakers(option, not listed) a howlin'

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel 'Flexman' Utility 'borg
(Aka “Slinky”, “Stickman”, “Stretch Muscle”, “Snakeman”)

“Let’s Sllllllliiiiiiddddeee, let’s moooovvvvveeeee. Let’s daaaannnnnncccceee, let’s LIMBO!!!!”
_Mickie “Snakeman” Remarque, Flexman Martial Artist.

The Flexman is an example of the ability of bionics to rebuild the human body not just bigger and stronger, but in other directions as well. Like sideways...and sideways again...and up...and down...and back...
The Flexman gets its name from its extensive use of flat linear truss motors and myomers and “soft” megadamage plastics and memory alloys being produced by Paladin Steel. The result is an incredibly flexible and lightweight cyborg. Though the Flexman isn’t agile enough to tie itself in knots like some ads seem to indicate, the ‘borg has a remarkable degree of movement, and, thanks to the softer, more flexible plastic plating, a greater tactile sense than other cyborgs.
Another advantage of the Flexman is that it can dislocate its own joints and squeeze through incredible narrow spaces, making the cyborg particularly attractive for spelunking, tunnel-crawling, and maneuvering in tight spaces like ruins and amongst heavy machinery. This makes the Flexman popular with engineers and technicians willing to go ‘artificial’, as well as with miners and cave explorers.
Unfortunately, the truss motors and plastic armor aren’t as strong or as tough as more conventional ‘borg systemry, and the Flexman is something of a weakling among other cyborgs, with armor not much better than conventional EBA. The small, narrow body frame also limits the number of additional systems that can be added to the ‘borg. However, with a well trained and skilled operative, the Flexman can be a graceful and dangerous opponent, its thin, attenuated form hard to hit and moving like a striking snake.
Flexmen FCs tend to be rather flamboyant, hyperactive characters even for ‘borgs; and are generally regarded as “’Borg Crazies”, always twitching, moving, rippling their limbs, performing stunts and showing off. Not surprisingly, Flexman conversions are popular with M.O.M. Crazies who require full-body prosthetic replacement.
Type: PS-Lt-Ut-FC-2
Class: Full conversion Borg - Light Utility
Crew: One human volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
  Hands(2) 25 each.
  Arms(2) 40 each
  Legs(2) 45 each
Feet (& Foot Pads)(2) 30 each
  *Head 60
  **Main Body 150
  *Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character! However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a called shot.
  **Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36 hours means the character dies.

Note: The Flexman is limited to wearing human-type MDC armors, and cannot wear conventional cyborg armors. Even then, armor may interfere with the Flexman’s vaunted flexibility.Crusader and Triax Fabric armors are the preferred types of Flexmen.


Speed:
Running: 80 mph max . However the act of running does not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained indefinitely.
  Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to distance/height.
  Flying: Not possible without a jet pack
Underwater: Can run on the bottom at 5 MPH. Max. Depth 500 ft
   
  Statistical Data:
Average Height: 6 feet, 6 inches.
Width: 1.1 feet at shoulders
Length: 1.1 ft ,  
Weight: 300 lbs.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to a PS. 25, PP. 24 .
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to bio-manipulation
+2 initiative
+5 strike/parry
+7 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 80% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -12%
Special Skills/Training---Use standard ‘Borg, Mining ‘Borg, or Headhunter OCC.
Black Market Cost: 7 million credits with all standard features, weapons, and sensors.  
Standard Bionic Features
  Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
  cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
  1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
  2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
  4. Clock calendar
  5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
  7. Multi-optic eyes
  8. Built-in loudspeaker
  9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and
sound filtration systems.

Special Features:
a)Omni-jointed---The Flexman’s arms and legs can bend at any point, in virtually any direction. This means that a Flexman can twist its arms behind it to work behind its back without any trouble at all.

b)Extensor Links---The Flexman can actually stretch its arms and legs without sacrificing strength or durability. The arms can stretch up to 5 additional ft, while the legs can stretch an extra 6 ft. The middle torso jointing can expand about 8 inches.

c)Advanced Rotator Cuffs---The spine and main body joints have been substantially rebuilt to allow incredible flexibility. The waist can turn a full 360-degrees; the neck is almost as flexible, able to turn 340 degrees, just shy of a full circle!

d)Power Flexors---Rather than amplify strength, or reinforce the joints, this feature allows the ‘borg to concentrate, gather up tension in his link-limbs, like compressing a spring, and let up with a vicious, blindingly fast, kick or punch. Sometimes called “Springfist” or “Slinkykick”.

e)Integral Motion Detector---The Flexman’s light plastic body is perforated by thousands of micro-fine pores that can detect approaching objects by the air currents they push around them. This gives the Flexman an intimate, tactile sense/image of their immediate environment, and also gives them an additional +1 to dodge. Note: This bonus is negated if the ‘borg wears armor that covers more than 50% of its body.

Weapons Systems: None standard

Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d6+9 SDC
Full Strength Punch 3d6+9 SDC
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 1d4 MD
‘Springfist’(3 attacks) 2d4 MD
Kick 3d6+9 SDC
“Slinkykick”(3 attacks) 1d8 MD
Leap Kick(2 Attacks) 1d6 MD
Judo-style Body Flip/Throw: 2d6 SDC
Options:
The Flexman can use most standard cyborg options, but its lightweight construction, narrow limbs, and attenuated limbs may limit what can be installed. For instance, the linear truss arms cannot accept most forearm blasters or standard installation vibro-weapons, unless they are built into an oversized wrist mount, that gives the ‘borg the appearance of wearing oversized mittens or gloves. Generally add 30% to the overall cost of any forearm options installed.
Finger blasters, finger blades, and other hand-mounted weapons suffer no such penalties.
The torso can accommodate most options, but heavy installations, such as mini-missile launchers, additional weapons, or storage spaces/modules may have to be fitted to an external swivel rack. However, this imposes problems of its own, as the externally-carried equipment may restrict the ‘borg’s ability to move through narrow spaces.

*”Belly Tread”---A favorite of tunnel rats and spelunkers, this option is a small, electrically driven rubberized tread unit mounted in the chest, that allows the ‘borg to rapidly crawl across relatively smooth, firm, surfaces at high speed, without using its arms and legs. Great for moving through large pipes and across barroom floors. Speed: 15. Cost:10,000 credits

*HandSaws(“Hand Buzzers”)---These are small, high-speed mini-buzzsaws of super hard metal and ceramic, built into the back of the hand, and used for cutting, but also for delivering vicious slashes and cuts. In desperation, the saw blades can also be launched(no bonuses to strike) like high-speed throwing stars(though the blades must be retrieved/replaced/remounted; they do not return).
Range: Melee. As a projectile, can reach up to 200 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD swipe/projectile throw, 5d6 MD full melee cut
Cost:6,000 credits each. New blades cost 300 credits each

*CML-3 Cranial Mount Laser--- The CML-3 wraps around the cyborg’s head, with the two laser emitters just above the ‘borg’s temples, and the e-clip loaded in the back of the unit. The CML-3 is fire-linked through the ‘borg’s headjack, and is sighted by simply turning one’s head towards the target and and subvocalizing through the headjack link. The CML-3 thus leaves the ‘borg’s hands free, and provides some small degree of additional armor protection. The CML cannot be used with a helmet(can be built into one) . Some non-augments with headjacks have also been known to use the CML-3, but report the fit to be heavy and uncomfortable. Also, the idea of two high-powered lasers going off just centimeters from one’s eyes is rather disturbing.
Weight: 5 lbs
MDC: 35
Range:600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single blast, 6d6 MD double blast
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 20 shot e-clip
Bonus: +1 to strike
Cost:: 20,000 credits

[taalismn]

:shock: Holy cow! That was a lot of material. I can see the Federated States buying a lot of this material. And as for the S-7 we want gun metal. I came to this thread and was blown away by the amount of material. How is some of this material? Was some of this on the website that used to display your material?

A lot of it was older stuff posted over the 7+ years I've been reading these forums...and some of it is REAL old stuff I did for other people as part of old 5ST or as 'conversions', (and saved on older discs that I'm pulling and copying before they degrade and become unreadable) ...except that I discovered that I was improving on the conversions with my own stuff as part of adding options....So removing the material that's non-Palladium/unoriginal, and, out of respect to my old colleagues, removing their proprietary technologies, I've found it easy to go back and plug the holes with wholly new stuff, or material already established as precedent in Palladium, making it wholly new and post-safe...and better...

Yeah, kinda cheating, dusting off old trophies and refurbishing them, but I invested a lot of time in PS...

[taalismn]

8)Nice of you to move those to the Storefront.
I hate the Storefront.
Lazy people who cannot use their computer's 'Page Down' button.
But had time to complain about someone else having ideas and a following.

Paladin Steel ‘Wolfhound’ Light Armored Car
(aka ‘American BRDM’, ‘Rowboat’, ‘Pacecar’)

How much would it cost to fit the Woffhound with wheels and legs?
The name is makes me want to go 'Walkin' n Rollin' on full Auto and the BoomBox's speakers(option, not listed) a howlin'

Well, can't argue with Deific NMI...besides, he's been most kind to us over the years, so out of respect and deference to him...

As for the Wolfhound?
Call it 2-3 million for the legs(the frame also has to be strengthened)...Using a regular liquid-fuel engine to drive robot legs, your mileage's gonna suck(maybe 20-30% less depending on the sort of terrain you're running over), so go with the mini-nuke engine...Good sound system...well, I believe I have one that will shatter windows listed under the VW Camper Van...

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel/Uberburrough ‘Beetleborg’ Dwarven Mining Full Conversion Cyborg


“Holy spit, we’ve been infiltrated by Insecticons!”
---Last words from a Golden-Age-minded Pecos Raider at the Battle of Mount Invincible

“You know what’s really fun? Bore a tunnel down to the water table....you’d be surprised how many places in the ‘desert’ have water just under the surface...won’t take you more than an hour if you know what you’re doing... hide a few demo charge spuds at the entrance, do a little artistic scrapping along the sides, set up a plug at the tunnel’s end....Pretty soon, you’ll have vampires , mainly wild ones, or maybe even secondaries, come looking for a place to hide...they see what looks like a nice deep animal burrow made by something relatively big...being vampires, they figure, ‘Hey, what do we care, we’re invincible!’ and settle in for the day or come down the tube exploring. Blow the entrance charges, blow the plug, then flood the tunnel...stake and sprinkle with silver any that are left moving...we call it the ‘bloodsucker straight flush’!”
----Helfor Leder Grubchucks, Dwarven Full-Conversion Cyborg Miner, Hidden Glitter Mine, New Mexico Territory

“So you want me to bore you a nice little hidey-hole, big enough for you and your family, and maybe a few friends, in deep granite? Sure, no problem....excavation up to fifty feet down, six room den, that will take maybe three days...Throw in an extra hundred biggeroos and an extra day, I can give you an indoor swimming pool....”
----”Post Hole Willey”, Full-Conversion Cyborg Miner and Deep-Site Architect

Enthused by the success of their Mole Miners, Grendels, Gantons, and Bojuums, the Dwarves of Uberburrough decided to push the limits of cyborg technology even further with yet another new radical design. Bored with the humdrum scaled-down Miner ‘Borgs they’d adapted from Human technology, Uberburrough decided to go with something more fanciful and individualistic, as well as better suited to hard work in the narrow confines of the mines.
The ‘BeetleBorg’ as its name suggests, looks exactly like that; an enormous six-legged, shell-backed, insectoid-headed, cyborg. The head looks like something off a stag or a rhinoceros beetle....a massive affair of curved armor plates, a jutting horn, and two outsweeping mandibles. In reality, both the mandibles and the horns are vibro-cutters, allowing the Beetleborg to carve through rock by lowering its head and pushing forward, or sweeping its head back and forth. When not in use, the entire beetle-head hinges back to allow a normal-looking prosthetic face and head to be revealed.
The back is curved and heavily armored to resist damage from falling debris and the pressures of a cave-in. The back carapace can actually hinge open, like a beetle’s wing casings, to reveal special back-mounted tool kits, a hidden jetpack, or small cargo compartment.
The Beetleborg has six limbs, two ‘true legs’ and four arms, that are articulated to allow the ‘borg to stand upright like a normal Dwarf, or to carry itself on six legs like a true beetle, for a lower profile. All four of the arms are fitted with modular forearm fittings, allowing them to be fitted with the tool-arm options commonplace to the New West, though typically two of them(the middle set) are dedicated to tool-forearms.
Recipients of the Beetleborg conversion like to customize their bodies, often by varying the head vibroblade arrangement, or by adopting fanciful paintjobs on their carapaces, though this requires frequent(and correspondingly) expensive retouching and re-enameling, among working ‘borgs, as the rigors of close-quarters mine working quickly scrapes paint off the cyborgs’ shells.
If the Beetleborg has any real shortcomings, aside from its unusual design, it’s that the design sacriifices speed for armor...the ‘borg is incredibly well-armored, but hideously slow, in comparison to other cyborgs, especially combat models. Still, the cyborgs are proving popular with mining communities, to the point that some neighborhoods are being erroneously mislabelled as having been ‘taken over by giant mutant insects’, and more than one bar servicing the miners has been tagged a ‘Volkswagon convention’ by local wags.
The Beetleborg has recently appeared in Paladin Steel’s catalogue as a result of the close ties between Uberborrough and Paladin Steel West; the design is gaining some popularity in New West markets, but is less common in the East, as word is slow getting around about its capabilities.
Type:PSW/UB--FC-03
Class: Full Conversion Borg - Mining Operations
Crew: One volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
Hands(2) 30 each
Arms(4) 35 each
Legs(2) 100 each
Feet (& Foot Pads)(2) 40 each .
*Head 100
**Headpiece 150
Back Carapace 450 .
***Main Body 200 .
*Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character!
However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker
must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and
forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a
called shot.
**Destroying the Headpiece will destroy the vibrocutters and expose the Head to damage.
***Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively
destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and
vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body
will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that
will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is
available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36
hours means the character dies.
Note: The Main Body can be attacked from behind ONLY if the Back Carapace has been destroyed, or if it’s open to use any of the backpack pod gear--- considered to be a -4 to strike.

Note: The Beetleborg CANNOT be fitted with additional armor

Speed:
Running: 100 mph max . However the act of running does
not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained
indefinitely.
Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable
of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to
distance/height.
Flying: Not possible without a jet pack
Underwater: The BeetleBorg CANNOT swim, but sinks like a rock

Tunneling: The BeetleBorg can tunnel through sand and loose soil at a rate of 20 MPH. moderately dense rock like mudstone and shale at 10 MPH , and heavy, dense rock like feldspar and granite at 3 MPH.

Statistical Data:
Average Height: 6.7 feet , standing upright, 4 ft crawling
Width: 4 feet
Length: 4 feet ,
Weight: 1000 lbs.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 35, PP. 24,.
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to
bio-manipulation
+1 initiative
+5 strike/parry
+2 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
+5% Climbing skill
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 60% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -20%

Special Skills/Training---Use standard 'Borg, Salvage/Mining ‘Borg, or Headhunter OCC.
Black Market Cost: 8 million credits with all standard features, weapons, and sensors.

Standard Bionic Features
Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
4. Clock calendar
5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
7. Multi-optic eyes
8. Built-in loudspeaker
9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and
sound filtration systems.

Special Features:

*Inertial Compass---Allows the cyborg to navigate underground more effectively by keeping track of the cyborg’s relative speed, heading, distance traversed, and changes in direction.

*Passive Nightvision Optics---2,000 ft

*Motion Detector System----Designed to help the BeetleBorg move around underground in total darkness, this is essentially a sonar system with a 500 ft range.
Includes a Doppler Sensor, which uses a short-range radar beam and Doppler discrimination to differentiate moving objects from stationary ones, and a special inertial 'fuzzy logic' discriminator(similar to those used on 'jiggle-proof' video camcorders) to edit out the operator's own movement. In open country, the 'tracker has a range of 3,000 ft, but terrain, thick walls/structures, and radar jamming, can limit it to 60 ft or less. The 'tracker CAN see through smoke and thin walls/fences. Target-fixing, however, is not accurate enough to allow for precise targeting (no bonuses to strike relying on 'tracker data alone. but no penalties either)
Bonuses from the MDS allow the ‘borg a +1 to initiative, and +1 to strike and dodge(in addition to any other bonuses) in darkness.

*Geiger Counter---All good Dwarves carry geiger counters whenever they venture underground, on the offhand chance that they might encounter radon gas(an indicator of old rock) or a potentially profitable vein of pitchblende. The Boojum is no different and carries one as standard equipment.

*Climbing Cleats---The legs and forearms of the Beetlborg have been fitted with retractable cleats for gaining better purchase on rocky hillsides, shaft walls, and derricks. This gives the ‘borg a +5% to climbing skill, and +1d6 SDC to punches and slaps. Some cyborgs also fit their bodies with electromagnetic or molecular adhesion pads, for even more impressive feats of clinging and climbing.

Weapons Systems:
1)Head Vibro-Blades---The head is fitted with an impressive rack of vibroblades. By nodding its head up and down, and side to side, while crawling underground, the ‘borg can tunnel quite effectively.
Range: Melee
Damage: 5d6 MD on a slash/stab/head butt

2)Head Plasma Cutter--The top-most ‘spike’ or ‘antler’ on the head also conceals a high-powered Plasma Cutter.
Range: 60 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10 MD for a full melee sustained burn
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3)Eye-Lasers(2)---The ‘eyes’ on the beetle-like headpiece are actually high-powered lasers, useful for cutting and defense
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single shot, 6d6 MD double shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4)Modular Forearms(4)----The forearms can be fitted with any of the Mining Borg options from Rifts New West.

5)Backpack Pod Space---Revealed only when the cyborg opens up its rear carapace; this rear compartment can be fitted to carry any of the following:
a) Cargo Space---Holds up to 250 lbs of gear

b) Micro-Missile Launcher----Holds 40 Micro-Missiles, essentially rocket-propelled grenades.
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage:(Pattern-1c) 1d6x10 MD
(Pattern-1d) 6d6 MD to a 5 ft blast radius, or 2d6 MDC out to a 30 ft
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10
Payload: 40

c) Mini-Missile Launcher----Holds 20 mini-missiles(basically a PS PTT-M20 Missile Rifle)
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 20

d)Extendable High Powered Drill---Mounted on its own extendable and positionable arm(essentially an extra appendage)
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4, 1d6, 2d6 or 4d6 MD

e) Extendable Laser Cutter---A tool, rather than a weapon
Range: 100 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per blast, 1d6x10 MD for a full melee sustained burn
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Extendable Plasma Cutter---Another tool, with limited weapons capabilities.
Range: 50 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast, 2d6x10 MD for a full melee sustained burn
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Ion Cannon-----A dedicated combat weapon
Range: 2,500 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

h) Particle Beam Cannon---A dedicated combat weapon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 3 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

i) Chemical Sprayer/Firehose---Can be used to throw chemicals(including acid) or water
Range: 150 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical type
If filled with water, does 1d4x10 HP damage per blast to vampires
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 40 blasts

j) Multiplexor---Typically fitted with Earth Elemental magic and other spells useful in excavation and construction. Miners in the vampire-plagued New West are also fond of incorporating water spells, good for sluicing away dirt, flooding infested tunnels, and zapping vampires.
Range: Varies by spell
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. Spells cost as normal
Payload: Draws from the main PPE Battery; 300 PPE Battery-Stone
Bonuses: As per spell(if any)
Cost: The basic Multiplexor system costs about 55,000 credits
PPE Batteries cost 8,000 credits

Spell Cards cost (as per Jason Richards’ guidelines in Rifter #2) 5,000 credits per PPE cost of main spell plus an additional cost (as per following modifiers)
*500 credits per level of the creating caster(Mages’ time and PPE are money, so expect to pay more for the longer duration/higher power spells)
*Warlock spells cost 20% more, in addition to above modifiers, owing to the difficulties of adapting Elemental Magic to ‘conventional” magic systems.

k) Jetpack-----With the back casings fully deployed like a beetle’s wings, and stabilizing vanes deployed, this allows the cumbersome BeetleBorg to FLY!
Speed: 250 MPH, maximum altitude of 1,500 ft
Cost: 100,000 credits

6)Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Full Strength Punch 1d6 MD
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 3d4 MD
Kick 1d6 MD
Leap Kick(2 Attacks) 2d6 MD
Judo-Style Throw/Flip 1d4 MD
Body Block/Ram: (2 attacks) 1d6 MD

Options:
The Beetleborg can be fitted with any of the standard cybernetic and bionic features in the Rifts books. Favorite options include fitting the 'borg with a tail, extra sensors, vibroblades, and weapons

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘Braconidae’ Xiticix-Emulation Full Conversion Cyborg

Andree had stopped screaming an hour ago....not because she had calmed down, but because she had worn her throat raw....Now all she could manage was a panicked harsh wheeze....Not that either was having any effect on her situation...
She had started screaming not long before when her refugee caravan had been ambushed in their headlong flight from burning Tolkeen...Ambushed, not by the expected hordes of black-armored Coalition assault troops, but by a horde of black-armored insectoids that had shown even less mercy as they fell upon the panicked refugees. The wagon holding the young apprentices of the Lumina Academy had been singled out in particular by the giant monsters, the few protectors the Tolkeen militia had afforded the fleeing young magic users being quickly overwhelmed and dismembered. Andrea had watched in horror as her friends had tried their best, with their limited knowledge of spellcraft, to defend themselves, only to be bowled over, seized in multiple spiny limbs, and covered in glop, unable to move. More than a few were killed outright, and the moment that kindly old Master Roland’s head was bitten off by an insectoid assailant he was trying to fight off with his staff, had left Andree paralyzed in shock. Just long enough for another attacker to come up behind her and seize her in a choking unbreakable grip.
She’d awakened in semi-darkness, but it wasn’t dark enough to hide the horror she had found herself in....spreadeagled against the wall of some sort of chamber, her apprentice robes torn from her, her body covered in a congealing slime that also encased and trapped her limbs and left her unable to move. And more of those...things...clambering around her.
She had seen several of her classmates, and others from the caravan as well, also stuck to the wall, stripped and hung like poultry at market...and had seen them treated just like those unfortunate animals...The larger bugs that came in with the glowing spots on their distended bellies, poking and feeling the yelling and writhering captives, before leaning down and biting their heads off, or ripping open their chests. She had watched in horror as, one by one, her companions had been killed, then devoured. The sight of the their lifeless limbs sliding down the monsters’ gullets made her want to vomit; the knowledge that she was next made he pray against all realistic hope that she would die before then, victim of a fortunate heart attack or cerebral aneurysm. In the end, all she could do was scream...to little effect....the monsters took no notice of the cries and pleads of their victims.
Now the monsters were back...one of their eaters come scuttling back, a line of smaller figures trailing behind it in the gloom....a monstrous audience come to see the last of this batch of morsels get eaten. Now the massive multi-eyed head with its beak-mouth loomed closer to her own face, seemingly drinking in her terror, savoring her despair. She closed her eyes in futile denial...
And then found her eyes involuntarily flinching open at the sudden staccato thunder and flashing that filled the chamber. Hot fluid splashed her chest and face, and a rich earthy smell filled her nostrils, before being followed by an acrid smell of charred meat. With bewilderment she watched as the eater’s head slowly rocked back and forth, then rolled off the massive shoulders, and a fountain of dark grue geysered from the stump, temporarily blinding her. Flinching, Andrea managed to toss most of the blood from her eyes...just in time to see another giant insectoid come bounding with outstretched arms right at her, running up over the fallen dead monster’s body towards her. Death, delayed, had come for her....
Except that now death stopped again, and long chitinous limbs reached out for her own spreadeagled limbs, long glowing slivers of metal sliding out from beneath thorny claws to spear into the hardened resin trapping her in place. The monstrous face regarded her for a moment, seemingly trying to look her in the eye.
Then a low, metallic, but surprisingly human, voice whispered out from behind the horny mandibles.
“Don’t panic, kid, we’ll have you out of here in a second...just stay calm and be quiet...”
It proved all too much for the young apprentice Healer, late of the Lumina Academy. She passed out...

It is not too surprising then, that the 14th Battalion of the Tundra Rangers was the origin of the ‘Braconidae’ Xiticix-Emulation Full Conversion Cyborg. Some of the veterans of the Bitter Enders were both victims and hunters of the demonic Xiticix bugs, and have long nursed bitter, even insanely obsessive, grudges against the ever-expanding Xiticix threat. Some of these longtime bug-fighters have made it a major part of their lives to study and analyze their opponents, teaching themselves how to think like the bugs, to better understand them...and destroy them. To these men and women the widely distributed pirate copies of Orion Greenfield’s report to the CS have become a bible to them, and the Lazlo call to arms to exterminate the Xiticix their clarion call to unrestricted open war on the bug-demons.
Taking a page from rumors of German troops undergoing special bionic conversion to infiltrate and destroy Gargoyle tribes in Europe, several ‘Bitter Enders’ have commissioned the creation of a new series of full-conversion cyborgs patterned on Xiticix bodies, to allow cyborg volunteers to infiltrate Xiticix communities, recon them, and, if possible, destroy them from inside. Though the Tundra Rangers military command publicly disapproves of this plan, because of the dehumanizing effects the particular conversion has on already unstable minds, the suicidal nature of both the missions and the volunteers, and the fact that the commanders in the 14th went over command’s heads to approach Paladin Steel directly with the design commision, they have not shut down the project, but instead are watching from the sidelines to see how the cyborgs perform.
Paladin Steel had already been turning an eye towards the Xiticix problem(and other monster problems) in the potentially very lucrative MidWest market, and had done some advance research that showed them that even concentrated artillery was not going to be a cost-effective answer to the growing Xiticix problem. PS engineers were already working on a number of concepts similar to what they’d observed of Triax ‘monster’ cyborgs in Europe, when the Tundra Rangers came calling, and thus were happy to oblige their request.
As completed, the Braconidae-series(named for a family of parasitic wasps) are patterned after some of the more commonly seen Xiticix castes, with an emphasis on those castes that have been observed inside the hives. Braconidae -series cyborgs have thus been designed to emulate Warriors, Nannies, and Workers, though there is talk of building lighter-framed cyborgs along the lines of the Scout and using Beetkeborg Miners to emulate the Diggers. The appearance of these cyborgs isn’t exactly perfect, and they tend to be somewhat heavier than their real counterparts, but PS has hedged that the Xiticixs’ poor eyesight, combined with the use of chemcial cues, will help disguise the cyborgs’ infiltration.
Still, overall, the Braconidae series very closely(if not EXACTLY) resembles the various Xiticix castes; multi-limbed, armor-encased, multi-eyed, horn-antennaed, humanoid insectoid monstrousities. Only the limbs are cyberlimbs, more often than not concealing hidden high-tech weaponry, the eyes of are cyberoptics, the armor high-stength reinforced ceramic and cobhamed plate, the wings conceal jetpacks, and the antennae conceal radio communications gear. To further the masquerade, the cyborgs have internal chemical sprayers designed to spray synthesized chemical cues(though, whenever possible, infiltrator units will attempt to isolate and slay border patrol Warriors and Workers, take their scent glands, and use the real stuff to fill the reservoirs before attempting to pass themselves off as the returning bugs), and some cyborgs will even carry special PPE amulets designed to radiate small amounts of PPE, to fool other Xiticix into thinking the cyborg spies have just fed on magic-users. PS engineers have even crafted vibroplates and rifle pods to look like their Xiticix counterparts, tricking out rail guns and heavy equipment containers with fake Xiticix resin cases. Since the convertees aren’t ENTIRELY suicidal, however, to to prevent unfortunate ‘friendly fire’ incidents, the cyborgs have been fitted with special transponder and bio-luminescent insignia that the cyborgs can trigger when retreating from a nest mission, to better identify themselves as doppelgangers, and not real Xiticix, to their triggerhappy colleagues on the outside(this hasn’t been entirely successful, especially in areas with troops unfamiliar with the Canadians’ efforts).
So accoutered, the Braconidae cyborgs are then dispatched to scout and infiltrate their lookalikes’ communities....Most of the mssions so far have been gather intelligence, including chemical samples of the various pheromonic cues, DNA and cell samples from various castes, and scrapings of the various materials used in hive construction. However, as the database on the Xiticix grows, the high command more confident in the gathered intelligence, and before the Xiticix can become aware of the doppelgangers, the program is becoming increasingly more aggressive, with infiltrators being sent in on search and destroy missions, planting satchel charges inside hives to collapse them, releasing biocides targetted at the Xiticix eggs and larva. Missions to target and kill Queens and Super-Xiticix have also been attempted, but so far, none have succeeded in getting close to these high-caste, high-priority targets.
So far, the Braconidae-series has only seen use within one specialized unit of the 14th, the so-called ‘Bug Squad’ made up almost exclusively of cyborg full-conversions. There has been little interest in adapting the design outside the bughunter squads, despite glowing reviews of the capabilities of the cyborgs, since the hatred of the bugs is so great that nobody wants to wear the shape of one(and get shot by other ‘hunters). However, it is rumored that a number of Braconidae-series cyborgs have been employed in secret raids on Coalition patrols and facilities in northern MInnesota and middle Canada(the attacks have been blamed on the real Xiticix).
If the Braconidae WERE to become available on the open market, its appeal would be mainly to specialized mercenary units; the cyborg’s deliberate resemblance to a Xiticix could very likely be used to sow confusion and terror among those familiar with the avaracious bug-men. It is perhaps for that reason that PS has NOT marketed the cyborg commercially, but has limited its release to a select few approved units and clients.

“We’ve been through this twice already, you idiot! How many frackin’ times do I have to tell you!? CHECK YOUR DAMN UV OPTICS! You’ll see my freakin’ DO NOT SHOOT insignia written all over me!!!! Damn it, Oslo, why do you keep trying to KILL me!!???”
“Oh yeah, like I have time to check the color of every bug that comes swarming out of the test on the offhand chance one of them’s a Canuck in a bug-suit? Besides, I saw a bug carrying a lady over its shoulder, I think ‘I better stop this one before it hurts her!’ And you’re blaming ME for not being quick on the uptake!?”
“Yeah? Well, how many bugs do you see carrying somebody OUT of the freakin’ hive?!! Check the life support on that can of yours, wart-head, I don’t think you’re getting enough oxygen in there!”
----Exchange between a Tundra Ranger Braconidae Infiltrator and an ORKIN Exterminator Squad, somewhere in Central Canada

Type:PS--FC-SO/XE-1(Warrior)
SO/XE-2(Worker)
SO/XE-3(Nanny)
Class: Full Conversion Borg - Special Operations, Xiticix Emulation
Crew: One volunteer
M.D.C. By Location:
Hands(4) 30 each
Arms(4) 45 each
Legs(2) 75 each
*Head 80
**Main Body 190
Wings(2) 45 each
*Destroying the head of a Cyborg will kill the character!
However, the head is a small and difficult target to hit. The attacker
must make a called shot and even then he is -3 to strike. The hands, and
forearms are also difficult targets to hit and are -4 to strike on a
called shot.
**Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will effectively
destroy the artificial body, but emergency systems will keep the brain and
vital organs alive for 36 hours. Recovery of the severely damaged body
will enable doctors to place the character on life support systems that
will keep him alive until a new bionic body (same style or other) is
available, for full conversion. Failure to find the damaged Borg within 36
hours means the character dies.

Note: The Braconidae CANNOT be fitted with additional armor on infilitration missions, though if time permits outside a hive(especially during a fighting retreat), the cyborg can don LIGHT cyborg armor for additional protection and to better distinguish themselves from the attacking insectoid hordes

Speed:
Running: 100 mph max . However the act of running does
not tire the operator out and the maximum speed can be maintained
indefinitely.
Jumping: The powerful robotic legs are strong and capable
of leaping 10 feet high or 18 ft lengthwise. A running leap adds 50% to
distance/height.
Flying: Using a combination of articulated wings and concealed jets, the Braconidae can fly at a speed of 75 MPH, and can reach altitudes of 5,000 ft
Underwater: The Braconidae CANNOT swim, but sinks like a rock

Statistical Data:
Average Height: 7-8 feet tall
Width: 3-5 feet
Length: 3-5 feet ,
Weight: 800-1000 lbs.
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 35, PP. 26,.
Bonuses: Standard cyborg bonuses of +3 save vs magic, impervious to
bio-manipulation
+5 initiative
+6 strike/parry
+7 dodge
+3 Pull Punch
+1 Action/Attack per Melee
Penalties: Touch/tactile sense is 60% of human norm.
Prowl penalty: -20%

Special Skills/Training---Use standard 'Borg, Special Forces, or Headhunter OCC, with an emphasis on Xiticix knowledge and infilitration skills.
Black Market Cost: 12 million credits with all standard features, weapons,
and sensors, owing to its epcialized nature.

Standard Bionic Features
Note: These features are all found in the bionic and
cybernetic section of the Rifts RPG.
1. Bionic lung with gas filter & storage cell
2. Built-in language translator
3. Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
4. Clock calendar
5. Gyro-compass
6. Modulated voice synthesizer
7. Multi-optic eyes
8. Built-in loudspeaker
9. Universal headjack with amplified hearing and
sound filtration systems.

Special Features:
*Onboard Camera Recorder and Data Storage Discs---The cyborg can record everything it senses on a set of internal data storage discs, for later review. Particularly important for intelligence-gathering missions
*Multiple Optics---The multiple eyes on the faux Xiticix aren’t fake, but are actually working optical sensors with a wide area of perception, effectively giving the cyborg 180-degree vision. (+1 to initiative, and +1 to dodge)
*Motion Detector System---Several of the spines and antennae on the cyborg’s head and shoulders are part of a close-in motion detection system. This is particularly useful inside the darkened depths of the Xiticix hives. Range: 200 ft
*Transponder System---This radio signal ID works in conjunction with a special pattern of light-emitter elements embedded in the armored skin of the cyborg, to identify the cyborg to other humans and fellow troopers, to prevent ugly cases of mis-identification.
*Molecular Analyzer System---This is programmed to pick up on the known Xiticix chemical cues, allowing the cyborg to know when he is being aromatically ‘questioned’ and respond appropriately, pick up on the mood of the hive around him, or identify the spore of particular caste types.
*Multiple Limbs---The Braconidae series has been gifted with four arms. In the SO/XE-2 model, these lower arms are heavier, to emulate the larger lifting claws of the Worker caste Xiticix; the cyborgs use the large bulk of these arms to conceal more powerful actuators and larger concealed weaponry.
*Claw Gripper Feet---The feet are articulated for grasping onto perches, and holding the cyborg in position.
*Mechanical Climbing System---The hands and feet are lined with fine retractable velcro-like fibers of tough plastic, that allows the cyborg to climb at half normal running speed, and with a +10% to climbing skill
*Concealed Internal Compartments---Three compartments , one in each thigh, and one in the stomach cavity, for carrying additional instruments and weapons. These compartments are most often used to carry demolition fusion blocks and poison bottles.
SO/XE-3 Nannies have large abdomen compartments (nicknamed the ‘cabosse’) for carrying demolitions munitions and biocide canisters.

Weapons Systems:
1)Forearm Laser Blasters(2)---The upper arms of the cyborg conceal a set of powerful laser blasters
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Forearm Grenade Launchers(2)---The larger and thicker lower set of arms conceals a pair of heavier mini-grenade launchers. Though they have a limited payload, they can fire customized munitions with area of effect. Infiltrator teams frequently carry acid, incendiary, or mini-plasma grenades for maximum effect
Range: 1,200 ft
Damage:Frag rounds do 4d6 MD to a 12-foot radius. AP rounds do 1d4x10 to a 3-foot blast radius, and Plasma rounds do 1d4x10+10 to a 5-foot radius. A 3-round burst of frag shells does 1d4x10 to a 15-foot radius, a burst of 3 AP shells does 2d4x10 to a 5-foot radius, and a burst of 3 plasma shells does 3d4x10 to an 8-foot blast radius A 5-round burst of frag shells does 1d6x10 to a 20-foot radius, a burst of 5 AP shells does 2d6x10 to a 6-foot area, and a burst of 5-plasma shells does 3d6x10 to a 10-foot radius. A 10-round burst of frag shells does 2d6x10 to a 40-foot radius. A 10-round AP burst does 3d6x10 to an 8-foot area, and a 10-round plasma burst does 4d6x10+10 to a 15-foot radius!!
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 10 grenades per limb

3) Retractable Vibroblades(4)---Each set of arms conceals a retractable vibrosword or set of vibroclaws
Range: Melee
Damage: 3d6 MD per slash

4)Foot Claws---The feet are fitted with retractable vibroclaws capable of delivering an eviscerating kick
Range: Melee
Damage: +4d4 MD per kick/claw

5)Chemical Sprayer System----This is typically used to dispense false chemical identification and pheromone communications to better conceal the real nature of the cyborg, but they are also used to dispense smokescreens, defensive chemicals, and poisons. This system is modified from the standard system, for greater capacity.
Range:10 ft area
Damage:Varies by chemical type
(Smoke)---Makes it difficult, if not impossible, for visually-dependent beings to see the cyborg
(Tear Gas, Mace, Burning Vapor, Sleep Gas)---All general AP agents, generally useless against Xticix.
(Acid)---Does 4d6 M.D. to a 5 foot radius the first round. Damage goes down by 1d6 each melee round after that.

(X-7 Foaming Agent)---A persistent poison agent that can be used to create ‘toxic barriers’. The foam lasts up to 2d6 hours before breaking down. Any creature entering the barrier that gets the foam in contact with an internal membrane(such as eyes, nose, body openings, open wounds), will take 4d6 Hit Points, or 1d6 MD, of poisoning damage per melee of contact. A successful save versus lethal poison will HALVE the damage.

(DeRes)-DeRes is a solvent specifically designed to break down the resins used by the Xiticix in their hives and weapons. Spraying it on other substances, including flesh, will only cause discoloration and mild chemical burns/blistering(2d6 SDC), but upon contact with Xiticix resin it will do 5d6 MD per melee, for 1d4 melees, then will do 3d6 MD for another 1d4 melees, and then 2d4 MD for yet another 1d4 melees.

(PESTEX)---- The most lethal and effective agent in the chemical arsenal is this potent pan-neural toxin that blocks chemical life processes dead...PESTEX is severely limited in use(it’s only been used operationally twice, all two times to stop Xiticix hordes/hives from overwhelming major population centers). PESTEX does the equivalent of 2d6x10 MD to Xiticix and anyone else who inhales it, and does 1d4 x10 MD skin contact damage to any other creatures unlucky enough to make contact with the gunk(or whoever makes a successful saving throw against inhaled poison). It is a persistent poison, doing 3d6 MD(equivalent--which is to say it kills SDC beings on contact) to anyone coming in close contact with the contaminated area for 2d6 days---possibly longer...environmental impact studies haven’t been ongoing long enough...PESTEX has thus fallen out of favor due to its toxicity, and is released for operational use ONLY with special permission and under circumstances where it is certain that the poison will not threaten water supplies, environmentally sensitive regions, or populations....PESTEX is also called ‘Suicide Gas’ because the various restrictions on its use mean that there is only one environment in which the material CAN be used...that is, deep inside a Xiticix hive complex....

(Sterid-10) The next up, and equally controversial) contender in lethality is only marginally effective in immediate fatalities(only does one time damage of ) but interferes with cell division and reproduction...any organism dosed with Sterid-10 will find its healing abilities severely curtailed....Takes the equivalent of 5d6 MD/SDC initially, healing damage at HALF the normal rate for 1d10 days, and must save vs lethal poison or be rendered sterile. Even a successful save doesn’t guarantee safety....there is a 30% chance of birth-defects or smaller broods being produced. Because of this long term damage potential, Sterid-10 is as closely controlled as PESTEX and equally unpopular with chemical warfare handlers.
The environmental concerns surrounding Sterid-10 and its long-term effects on the non-Xiticix environment have resulted in severe protocols applied to its use....Sterid-10 is restricted to deep-Hive incursions designed to kill Queens, and there are extremely strict procedures for handling the material.

(‘Wobble’) Wobble is an extremely promising chemical, and considered a ‘non-lethal’ agent in that it’s designed to incapacitate, rather than kill. ‘Wobble’, as it is popularly known, seems to overwhelm the Xiticix’s finely tuned senses, causing them to stagger about and lose coordination. Unfortunately, its effects aren’t permanent, but it IS environmentally safe. Xiticix and other insectoid lifeforms that come in contact with the stuff are -4 to save versus poison, and are -5 to strike, parry, and dodge, HALF APMs, and -2 to initiative for 3d4 melees on a failed save. A successful save means that the monster is only -1 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge for 1d4 melees. It has no discernible effect on mammals and other lifeforms, aside from causing coughing and headaches if inhaled.
Some biologists are concerned, however, that repeated use of ‘Wobble’ on populations of Xiticix may result in the insectoids building up an immunity to the weapon

(Scourex-5) Scourex is a mildly acidic agent intended to attack the sensitive antennae, soft joints, and eyes of insectoids, its mildly corrosive properties creating a thin layer of white film over the eyes that effectively blinds the monsters. It also takes a chemical wire brush to sensitive antennae. Scourex is a fast-acting agent, and quickly-dispersing one...it only lasts about 2 minutes in aerosol form before it completely oxidizes and becomes useless. Xiticix and other insectoid lifeforms that come in contact with the stuff are -6 to strike, dodge, and parry, lose ALL initiative, and are -15% to track for 2d6 melees, until they can scrape off the film, and their sweat/irrigation glands flush the stuff off. Scourex also does 2d6 SDC per melee to unprotected skin and soft tissues, and hurts like hell until washed off.

(ChitinEx)----ChitinEx is a special enzyme that attacks the molecular bindings in the hard exoskeletal material common to many megadamage insects, weakening it and lowering its overall MDC value. A solid hit with a blast of ChitinEx will reduce the MDC of the afflicted area by 30%(even with multiple hits), while immersion in the enzyme for more than 3 melees will reduce the MDC by HALF.

Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 50 blasts of up to 10 different chemicals

6)(Optional) Deadman Demolition Charge---Given the particular nature of the Braconidae’s mission and its particularly gruesome foes, provision has been made to give the cyborgs a ‘last resort’ in event they are incapacitated and unable to escape....a suicide charge to spare the soldier the horrors of being dismembered by the Xiticix. A micro-fusion demolition charge that can be armed and triggered at the discretion of the cyborg, that completely destroys the cyborg( instantly killing the volunteer) and doing 4d6 MD to a 7 ft radius

7)(Optional) Use of Handheld Weaponry---As noted above, PS engineers have duplicated the appearance of Xiticix handheld weapons, using natural-looking polymers and resins, with some clever sculpting, to conceal technological vibroblades, powerblades, rail guns, TW multiplexors, and other weapons.

8 ) Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Full Strength Punch 1d6 MD
Power Punch( 2 attacks) 2d6 MD
Bite 1d6
Head Slam 1d4 MD
Kick 1d6 MD
Foot Claw +4d4 MD
Leap Kick(2 Attacks) 2d6 MD
Judo-Style Throw/Flip 1d4 MD
Body Block/Ram: (2 attacks) 1d6 MD
Flying Body Block/Ram(2 attacks) 2d4 MD


Variants:
The SO/XE-2 Worker has a pair of larger, heavier, lower arms that conceal either a pair of heavy cannon(heavier grenade launchers or rail cannon), or modular tool arms(great for drilling blasting holes)
The Worker Claws have a Robotic PS rating of 35 and do 4d6 MD on a scissors-clamp cut.

The SO/XE-3 Nanny is designed to emulate Xiticix Nannies, and is intended to infiltrate Xiticix nurseries and kill the next generation in the egg. These cyborgs have special radiant PPE amulets to disguise them, and large abdomen cargo compartments that can hold egg samples or a larger amount of demolitions gear(up to 50 lbs of additional gear).

Options:
The Braconidae can be fitted with any of the standard cybernetic and bionic features in the Rifts books; however, few volunteers take on additional options unless they can be concealed inside the frame of the cyborg disguise. Their mission, after all, is to appear as much like a Xiticix as possible. Typically, volunteers will opt for additional concealed weapons, like leg weapons rods, or swap the arm weapons for other types.

[taalismn]

Here's my shopping list so far.
TWF-94: would like 3 of them.
TWB-51: 3 of those please.
Gnat RPV's: 12 of those.
XM-139: 4 of those.
SHRS-30: 4 of them.
PSIP-2: 20 w/ all kits.
PSLR-7: 20 w/Blue green and corner kits.
Nimro plasma rifles:6
BRFA:2
OCSW-2: 5 if I can.
2000 Hydrashot rds.
PSMcM pattern-1E's:about 50,000 will do.
Ummm...One question do you take trade or Gold?

You 'know...we sell the Gnats by the CRATE...

What you offering for trade?

[taalismn]

More to come as time and inspiration allows...

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘Airshark’ Stealth Skimmer
(aka ‘SkimmerShark’, ‘Darkshark’)

“Combat patrol in a skimmer’s like knife-fighting a Vanguard Brawler in a semi-lit room...Unless you foolishly think you can go long enough to give the armored guy death by a thousand cuts, you’re not going to do jack with a little blade....But if you know your business and know WHERE to stick the blade, you can take your opponent down with one well-placed strike.
Same thing with skimmershark guns....If you lay low, and are patient and observant, the opportunity will present itself that you CAN take out a Horune raider with a few well-placed shots.
That’s why I encourage my crews to think of themselves as knife-fighters, and to emulate the way of the dagger. ”
Colonel Laygore Bronsard, Greater New England Ranger Corps.


An advanced development of Paladin Steel’s GMR-Gravo-Magnetic-Resist utility ‘jeep’ vehicles, the Airshark is meant to give Paladin Steel/Greater New England’s military forces a nearly invisible, high speed, multi-environment manned reconnaisance and swift-strike raider vehicle. In Paladin Steel’s/GNE’s ‘high-low’ military procurement program. large numbers of lower cost, less-sophisticated recon vehicles such as the Asatague GEV and Timberwolf wheeled AFV are complemented by smaller elite units of recon power armors and Stealth Skimmers.
The Airshark has a lean, mean, extremely streamlined design that looks like a flattened dogfish, with a wide, flat, nose, slightly downturned forward fins, and a slightly raised tail/propulsion unit(sometimes likened to ‘flukes’). A streamlined avionics bay occupies a dorsal swelling, and holds a retractable sensor turret, while further back, another fin holds a modular weapons pod. The crew sits in the front of the vehicle, under ceiling window-hatches set flush into the hull.
Though optimized in hull design for scout work, the AirShark also has a fearsome bite. A gyro-stabilized dorsal weapons turret, pallet-mounted missile/torpedo launchers, and a brace of nose-mounted ion cannons gives the AirShark the firepower of a hovertank, though without the heavy armor protection.
The downside to the AirShark is the fact that it is on the ‘high end’ of the GNE procurement tables, and thus is rather expensive. This is hardly surprising, given all that’s been stuffed into into its frame, and that cost limits its production and deployment to elite units and highly-experienced affiliates. A few earlier models, without the higher-end weapons, have been ‘donated’ to cyberknights and other heroic adventurers; otherwise, the AirShark remains exclusive to Greater New England and Paladin Steel.

Type: PS-R-SO-GEV-27
Class: High Speed Hovercraft, Stealth Special Operations
Crew: Two(pilot and sensor operator/gunner), with provision for 1-4 additional crew/passengers(typically an additional sensor operator and/or commandoes).
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Dorsal Weapons Turret 60
Dorsal Sensor Turret 80
Hydrofoil/Wings(2) 50 each
Height: 7 ft
Width: 16 ft
Length: 21 ft
Weight: 5 tons
Cargo: Small 3ftx4ftx4 ft cargo space in crew compartment
Powerplant: Advanced Nuclear-Fusion. w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:
(Flying) Hover to 350 MPH, typically 1-25 ft off the ground
(Water) Can skim along the surface at 200 MPH
(Underwater) Limited; can dive to depths of 90 ft and speed along at 40 MPH
Market Cost: 3.8 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:

*Sensor Flanges--The nose and wings contain contain elements of a magnetometer() and a short-range microwave radar for groundsearching minefields(in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even non-metallic mines, but takes twice as long).
Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordnance.

*Aura Scanner---For detecting and identifying PPE concentrations. Range: 2000 ft
*Bio-Scanner Package ---Has a molecular analyzer, enhanced radiation detector, high-powered accoustic ‘shotgun mike’(3,000 ft range), and thermo-imager optics.

*Thermo-Optical CamouSkin----A copy of Naruni Enterprise’s stealth systems on their Nomad Robot. -20% to Detect Ambush/Detect Concealment rolls

*Stealth Design---The hull configuration and systems design is intended to minimize thermal emissions, accoustic signature, and radar returns. Invisible to thermo-optics and heat detection gear, -25% to Read Sensory Instrument rolls for radar and laser systems.

*Sensor Drone Rack----What appear to be a series of vents or ‘gills’ along the sides of the AirShark’s hull, straddling the sensor ‘fin’, are really deployment port-hatches for a complement of four ‘flying eyeball’ sensor drones(use the standard robot drone probes from Rifts Sourcebook One/(Revised)---PS is also attempting to duplicate the NEMA-series Flying Drones).

*Laser Designator-----7,000 ft range, Designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons. Typically +3 to strike.

Weapons Systems:
1) Forward Paired Ion Cannon (2)----Faired into the leading edge of the skimmer’s hull, and looking like sinister eyes, are a pair of powerful ion cannon, synchronized to fire in concert. Paladin Steel acquired the design for the ion weapons from trade with Tritonia; the weapons are based on the M-90 MWAS, and were selected for both theri firepower and their reliability in water.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+10 MD per single blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Retractable Dorsal Weapons Turret(1)---This is a modular weapons turret that carries its own targetting array. Depending on the particular mission needs and the preference of the crew, the turret-pod can be quickly swapped out and replaced with ONE of the following configurations:
a) Twin Rapid-Fire Rail Gun Pod
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:1d4 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD 60 rd burst per single gun
2d6x10 MD for a simultaneous burst from BOTH guns(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: :12,000 rd drum(200 bursts) per gun

b) 60mm Mass-Driver Gun Pod---A single heavier-caliber weapon firing an explosive shell, with the added advantage of being able to lob different munitions. However, it CANNOT be fired while the skimmer is travelling at speeds over 50 MPH
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: (Armor Piercing) 3D6x10 MD to 3 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Single shot EGCHH
Payload: 30 shots

c) Twin 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher---At first glance this weapon would appear to be a Paladin Steel knockoff of Wellington Industries’ WI-GL20 AGL, and in fact it does use the same munitions, but the PSAGL-40B harkens back to the original pre-Rifts CIS-40-AFL weapon, only with superior modern materials. Mounting two such weapons on the AirShark gives it limited indirect fire capabilities, and the ability to swamp a targt in a shell-burst.
Range:7,000 ft
Damage: Identical to the WI-GL20
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 150 rounds per cannon(300 total)

d) Twin Pulse Laser Pod
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 8d6 MD double blast
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: +1 to strike(in addition to any other bonuses)

e) Laser Cannon Pod---A heavier single-barrel laser cannon, based on a weapon acquired from South America(the ATL-7 Anti-Tank Laser)
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 3d6x10+10 MD per single shot
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Twin Ion Cannon Pod--Similar to the nose-mounted cannons
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:1d6x10+10 MD per single blast, 2d6x10+20 MD for a dual blast
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Plasma Cannon Pod---Short-ranged, but heavy damage
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage:1d6x10 per blast, 2d6x10 MDper double blast.
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

h) Twin Particle Beam Pod---Mounts two vehicularized versions of PS’s ‘Blue Bolt’ particle beam rifle.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per single blast(2d6x10 MD for both firing simultaneously), but on a strike roll of 18 or more, the weapon does 2d4x10+10 MD!
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

i) Mini-Missile Launchers---A dual mounting, with coupled light lasers, of Paladin Steel’s favorite knock-off heavy weapon, the PS-CM22 Missile Rifle.
Range:(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type(usually about 1 mile)
(Laser) 2,000 ft
Damage:(Mini-Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
(Laser) 2d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1, 2, or 4
(Laser) ECHH
Payload:(Mini-Missiles)20 per launcher(10 per launch tube)
(40 mini-missiles total between both launchers!)
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited
k) Multiplexor MagePod---PS’s modular TW spellcaster projector.

3) Ventral Weapons Pack---Mounted in a niche on the underside is a conformal weapons module, typically used to hold a torpedo or missile launcher.
a) Torpedo Launcher Pod---Holds 16 mini-torpedoes, OR 8 short-range torpedoes, OR 4 medium-range torpedoes, OR 2 long-range torpedoes.
b) Missile Launcher Pod---Holds 32 mini-missiles, OR 16 short-range missiles, OR 8 medium-range missiles, OR 4 long-range missiles.

Variants:
There are no major variants of the AirShark to date; aside from additional weapons configuration experiments (swapping out the dorsal laser pod for one of the following:

*Tri-Laser(PSMBL-3E)---Adapted from the Glitterboy No. 7 of South America
Range: 8,000 ft
Damage:2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

*Slayer Quad-Cannon(PS-RFL-40)---A four-barrelled rapid-fire laser weapon originally developed as a point defense weapon for PS spacecraft and capital ships, now appearing on land vehicles. .
Range: 3,000 ft
Mega-Damage: 2d10 MD single shot, 2d4x10 MD short burst (four shots, one from each barrel), 4d4x10 MD medium burst (eight shots, two from each barrel in sequence), 4d6x10 MD long burst (takes two attacks), or 6d6x10 MD full melee burst (takes four attacks).
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

*Pulse Laser(PS-RFL-25), the so-called “Prosek’s Gift’ thanks to its being derived from a reverse-engineered Coalition weapon!
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage:2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited)

These systems would be NOT available to PS/GNE affiliated mercenary units, but would be exclusive to PS corporate security/GNE military units.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel PS-MBT-05C ’Lynx’ Medium Tank

“Is he coming back AT us?! I thought he was in full retreat!!!”

“It’s the only main battle tank you can actually siddle sideways...makes parallel parking a snap!”

The ‘Lynx’ evolved from high-mobility vehicle chassis studies for alternate/advanced all-terrain drive configurations. Rollers, omni-directional ‘trackballs’, spring-loaded leapers, screw-cylinders, multiple-treads, and more were tested. It was elected on the strength of trials with a legged-wheel configuration that a new medium tank would be designed and produced for Paladin Steel. The Lynx was developed with the assistance of Iron Heart Armaments expatriates, eager to get back to work and strike a blow for the free market after their homeland was annexed by the Coalition States. .
The Lynx features six wheels, four of which are mounted on extendable ‘spider legs’ and with independent steering. When engaged, the four legs swing out and down, and the middle set of wheels leaves the ground while the tank ‘walks’ over obstacles or rotates the wheels to spin the tank on its own axis. While more complicated than treads, the system has better cross-country performance, and the wheels handle better on paved ground for higher speed. Overall, the Lynx has been described as looking like “the bastard offspring of a pre-Rifts Corvette with an old Soviet tank, with an infusion of spider DNA.”.
Armor is average for the vehicle class, consisting mainly of layers of light-weight foamed ceramic, composite, and light alloy. Armament is heavy for a ‘medium’ tank(or heavy armored car, depending on how one regards the Lynx), with a conventional tank armament mounted in the turret, and a large glacis-plate missile launcher.
Most options are in the configuration of weaponry, but a few additional option systems have been made available as the design matures. A hovercraft model was briefly looked into; this eventually became the separate FireDrake hovertank.
Since its introduction in 107 P.A., the Lynx has been enormously popular with crews, who love the way the tank handles ‘like a sportscar’(as evidenced by some truly INSANE driving seen in maneuvers and in combat). During recent Coalition incursions into GNE territory while the conflict with Free Quebec was raging, Lynx crews took special pleasure in baiting CS Mark VIIs into vehicular duels, racking up impressive kill/mobility-cripple scores against the slower-moving juggernauts, but found themselves at an armor and mobility disadvantage when the CS APCs were escorted by ‘Line Backer’ hovertanks. Recently, Paladin Steel has begun selling the tank on the open market, in select locations(including Merctown). The Lynx is a common rapid-response security vehicle in the communities of the GNE, often operating alongside wheeled Rattlesnake APCs as part of internal security patrols and crisis-alert teams.
Type:PS-MBT-05C ’Lynx’
Class:Medium Tank
Crew: 3
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 450
Reinforced Crew Compartment(main body) 100
Reinforced Crew Compartment(turret) 50
Turret 200
Main Gun 100
Smoke/Gas Dispensers(2) 15 each
Forward Missile Launcher 50
Wheels(6) 50 each
Height: 8 ft
Width: 9 ft
Length: 19.5 ft
Weight: 29 tons
Cargo:Mimimal Cargo Space; about four feet of space for survival gear, supplies, and some personal possessions.
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(600 mile range), Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell(650 mile range), Electric Battery(700 mile range), or Nuclear Mini-Pack(w/ 15 year lifespan)
Speed: (Wheels) 120 MPH; typically 45 MPH over rough terrain
(Walking) Roughly 10 MPH, but can clamber over obstacles up to 6 ft tall, and claim a 45-degree slope.
Market Cost: 7 million credits for conventionally powered (liquid fuel), 9 million for electric, and 19 million for nuclear w/ 15 year energy life
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*Extendable Optics Periscope---10 ft mast, allowing the AFV crew to peer over hedges and walls, from behind cover

*High-Mobility Axel Modification(HMAM Hurricane)----This modifies the suspension system so that all four fore-aft wheels can be steered independently and turned in opposite directions to each other...This allows the vehicle to spin on its own axis for truly amazing turns, and gives a +10% to trick driving maneuvers. Needless to say, this option is VERY popular with Juicers and Crazies.

*ECCM system: A semi-automatic system that uses electronic encryption and frequency jumping to (attempt to) negate jamming systems. The system has a 25% chance of negating radar or communications jamming (non-magical) on its own, or a +5% if the pilot has a Read Sensory Instruments or Radio: Scramblers skill and devotes a full melee to operating the system(no other attacks/actions are possible).
Having an Electronic warfare Skill gains a +15% bonus to operating this system.
Note that this only applies to received communications (the system filters them out from the jamming clutter) and sensory data received by that unit alone (other units cannot make use of it, unless they have an unaffected datalink/info-share with the ECCM equipped unit. Magic/psychic jamming is NOT affected by this system.
Note: This system is NOT included in export/market versions

Weapons Systems:
1) Main Gun
a)120mm Main Gun--- The Iron Heart Armaments’ influence shows in the choice of main armament. Taken directly from the old Iron Fist, the PS/IH/FC-B AutoCannon is a proven and reliable design, and was the first choice for the Lynx because of its familiarity and availability. Almost all early production Lynxes were equipped with this gun until the advent of the MDJ100L.
Range: 6000 ft
Damage:High Explosive(HE) 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT) 2d6x10 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Armor Piercing(AP) 1d4x10 MD
APSD: 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: 3 attacks per melee
Payload: 80 rds

b)100mm LB Massdriver Cannon (PS-MDJ100L)--- PS developed the longer-barrel version of the 100mm Massdriver for the Lynx, after trials of the short-barrel model proved impressive on such vehicles as the Zephyr hovertank. This is a powerful gauss cannon that would quickly become the favored weapon of choice, replacing the older PS-FC-120B. This powerful linear accelerator cannon is capable of firing in both the direct and indirect fire mode, and currently is equipped to fire in two modes, a direct-fire, flat trajectory(especially armor-piercing APFSDSDU(Armor Piercing Fletchette Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) rounds), and indirect ballistic fire.
The PS-MDJ100L would become STANDARD equipment for all new-production GNE-based Lynxes after 110 P.A., replacing the 120mm cannon, but would NOT be offered as an option to Black Market production models(hence it is presented here, and not in the Options section).
Weight: 14,000 lbs(7 tons)
Range:(Direct Fire) 36,000 ft (7.2 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 90,000 ft(18 miles)
Damage:High Explosive(HE)---- 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 2d6 x10 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft radius
Plasma-----3d6x10 MD to 35 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 4d6x10 MD out to 11,000 ft, 2d6x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire:Four per melee
Payload: 1 ton ammunition stowage (80 rounds)
Cost: 2.7 million credits

c)Twin Rapid Fire Flak Cannon------Adds an advanced fire control system and targeting radar to convert the tank into an anti-aircraft AAA vehicle. Copied from the Triax TX-862FC system, modified with a Paladin Steel ‘Skywatcher’ radar system, and sporting a larger ammunition payload.
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD per six-shot rapid fire burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Two(2) 600-rd drums, total of 1,200 rds
Sensor Bonuses: +2 to strike on automatic(5 attacks per melee)
+3 to strike if operated manually
Target Acquisition/Fire Control Radar: 50 mile range
Cost: 4 million credits(expect to pay for all that automation and fire control!)

d)PS-AWD-DBPBC-2------Based on the Mechanoid Exterminator Double-Barreled Particle Beam Cannon
Weight: 1,000 lbs
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4x 10 MD single blast
2d4x10 MD double blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 3.8 million credits

e)Dual 40mm Cannon Mount----This AAA-mount turret is fitted with two 40mm ‘Pom-Pom’ cannons licensed from PS’s european trade partner Farnborough Air(Paladin Steel had provided FA with explosives information). The ‘double-pounder’ has proven effective both in anti-aircraft operations and against surface targets.
Range:(High Velocity Round)5,000 yards(15,000 ft)
Maximum AA altitude w/ HV shells: 13,300 ft
(Low Velocity Round) 3,800 yards(11,400 ft)
Damage:(Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) (HV) 1d4x10+3 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
(LV)1d4x10 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: 120 rounds per minute(or up to 30 rds per melee)
Payload: Internal stowage for 400 rds per gun
Cost: 180,000 credits.
High Velocity(Fragmentation) shells cost 200 credits apiece, 245 credits for HE
Low Velocity(Fragmentation) shells cost 180 credits apiece, 200 credits for HE

f)Plasma Cannon---Adapted from PS’s PPR-3 Serap Heavy Plasma Projector. The weapon also has the option of firing ‘hot shots’ of deuterium-enriched plasma feeding from a pressure cylinder. A dual-mount turret is also available for DOUBLE the cost.
Range:(Plasma Stream) 2000 ft
(Plasma Bolt) 1500 ft
Damage:(Plasma Stream) 1d6x10 MD per blast*
*Can be increased by 50% with a ‘hot shot’ injection of deuterium gas
(Plasma Bolt) 1d4x10 MD to 8 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Single shot, ECHH
Payload: 80 shot battery for conventinally powered models. Effectively Unlimited for nuclear-powered models.
Deuterium Gas Reservoir has enough gas under pressure for 45 shots.
Cost: 100,000 credits, plus 1,200 credits per deuterium ‘hotshot’ cartridge.

g)PS-AWD-MTL-1 Tri-Laser-----Based on studies of alien technology(actually a much larger and bulkier adaptation of a weapon from a Mechanoid Brute’s accessory weaponry)
Weight: 2200 lbs
Range:6000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single blast
1d4x10 +6 MD double blast
1d6x10 +10 MD triple blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 200 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 3.6 million credits

h)PS-AWD-PC3------Based on the Mechanoid Brute Plasma Cannon
Weight: 2500 lbs
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 250 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 3 million credits


2) Co-Axial Secondary Gun----
a)IPS/ H/FC-100 Rail Gun---Mounted co-axially to the main cannon is another IHA favorite, this high-powered rail cannon
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD per 60 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: 12,000 rd drum

b)75mm Snub-nosed Low Velocity Gun-A compact howitzer of a gun, with multi-munnition capability.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage:Smoke Rd: Smoke in a 30 ft area
High Explosive: 8d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Armor Piercing: 1d6x10 MD to 3 ft area
Plasma: 2d4x10 MD to 6 ft blast radius
Hellfire: 1d4x10 MD on impact, 4d6 MD per melee for 1d4 melees
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 25 rds
Cost: 125,000 credits

c) Pulse Laser--Standard PS pulse laser
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per pulse blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 shot battery (if conventionally powered).Effectively Unlimited w/ nuclear powerplant
Cost:12,000 credits

d) Light Autocannon---The 20mm Taskin Rifle, mounted in a vehicle
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage:(20mm) 1d4 MD single shot
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
(Super-HEX) 4d4 MD single shot
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst
(Wood Rounds) 6d6 SDC single shot (1d4x10 HP to vampires)
2d4x10 SDC MD per 5 rd burst (2d4x10 HP to vampires)
6d6 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10 HP to vampires)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload:500 rd box
Cost: 20,000 credits

e) Flamethrower----Your standard, high-powered flamethrower for torching infantry, forests, buildings, and small vehicles.
Range: 500 ft
Damage:3d6 MD per burst, plus does an additional 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 melees
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload:100 bursts
Cost: 10,000 credits

f) Rapid-Fire Grenade Launcher
Range: 2000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD to 7 ft area single shot
8d6 MD to 14 ft area double-barrelled shot
10-rd burst does 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft area
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 80 rds
Cost:60,000 credits

3)Cupola-Mount Machine-Gun----Controlled from inside the command cupola, this can either be a PS/IH/FC-105 Rail Gun(4000 ft, 1d4 MD single rd/1d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst, 8,000 rd drum), or the Rapid-Fire 12.7mm PS-MRG03 Snub-nose Short Gatling Gun Turret
Adapted from a power armor handheld weapon, the MRG03 trades range for blistering short-range fire power, and is frequently used as a ‘streetsweeper’ in built-up areas.
Range: 2000 ft
Damage: 1D6 MD single round, 1D6x10 MD per 10 round burst,
2D6x10 +60 per Full Melee Burst of 40 rounds
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot
Payload: 2,000 rd drum
Cost: 12,000 credits

4) Glacis Plate Missile Launcher---The Lynx mounts a modular missile launcher in the forward glacis plate. The most popular configurations are general purpose mini-missiles for battlefield artillery work, and anti-armor missiles for anti-tank and bunker-busting.
a) Micro-Missiles---Adaptation of the terrifying PS McML-08 ‘BoomBox’(aka ‘Pencil Box’, ‘RacketRak’). This weapon proved especially effective in mowing down CS troops that had disembarked from their APCs during the ‘duels’ between CS and GNE forces in the Saint Lawrence Zone. The only real complaint about this system is the difficulty in reloading each of the small missile-cells, or of swapping out launch boxes after a full-out ‘sneeze’ attack.
Range:
Pattern-1A 5,700 ft
Pattern-1B 6,000 ft
Pattern-1C 6,000 ft
Damage/Bonuses:
Pattern-1A---1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Pattern-1B---1d6 MD to 5 ft blast radius
Pattern-1C---4d6 MD to 4 ft blast radius, or 1d4 MD to a 10 ft blast radius in fragmentation mode
Rate of Fire: 5-125!
Bonuses:
Pattern-1A (None) Spin-Stabilized
Pattern-1B (None) Gyro-Compass Chip
Pattern-1C (+1 to strike, in addition to W.P. Heavy bonuses. The Pattern-1C can also be set to be a ‘beam rider’, following a laser illuminator ‘painted’ on the target for an extra +2 to strike. However, this requires expediture of an extra attack per melee on the part of the gunner to keep the laser illuminator on target) Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip.
Payload: 125 in 5x25 racks
Cost: 80,000 credits
Pattern-1A 25 credits per McM
Pattern-1B 32 credits per McM
Pattern-1C 60 credits per McM

b) Mini-Missiles----30 mini-missiles. Volleys of 1-15. Cost: 400,000 credits(missiles cost extra)

c) Heavy Hitter Anti-Armor Missiles
Range: 1 mile(5,000 ft)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,or 6
Payload: 12
Bonus: +5 to strike ground targets(Aircraft are only +2 to strike)
Cost: 30,000 credits(greatly discounted cost because it’s a PS system). 6,000 credits per missile

d) Short Range Missiles----8 SRMs. Volleys of 1-4. Cost: 500,000 credits(missiles cost extra)

e) Medium Range Missiles---5 MRMs. Volleys of 1-2. Cost: 950,000 credits(missiles cost extra)

5)Smoke Mortars(2)---Mounted on the turret are two smoke grenade launchers
Range: 500 ft
Damage: Smoke or chemical to 15 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 3, or 4
Payload: 4 shells per launcher

6)Turret Hardpoints(2)---The turret has two hardpoints for additional cargo racks or armament modules. ONE of the following can be mounted on each hardpoint.
a) Micro-Missile Launcher(25 shot micro-missile launcher )
Range:
Pattern-1A 5,700 ft
Pattern-1B 6,000 ft
Damage/Bonuses:
Pattern-1A---1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Pattern-1B---1d6 MD to 5 ft blast radius
Bonuses:
Pattern-1A (None) Spin-Stabilized
Pattern-1B (None) Gyro-Compass Chip
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 5-100
Payload: 25 missiles per box, 100 total
Cost: 40,000 credits for the launcher
Pattern-1A 25 credits per McM
Pattern-1B 32 credits per McM

b) Mini-Missile Launcher(5-shot missile pod)
Cost: 10,000 Credits(Missiles cost extra)

c) Short Range Missile Launcher(2 per hardpoint)
Cost: 10,000 Credits(Missiles cost extra)

d) Medium Range Missile Launcher(1 per hardpoint)
Cost:20,000 Credits(Missiles cost extra)

e Heavy Hitter Anti-Armor Missiles---Laser-guided anti-armor missiles
Range: 1 mile(5,000 ft)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,or 4
Payload: 4 shot pod per hardpoint
Bonus: +5 to strike ground targets(Aircraft are only +2 to strike)
Cost: 20,000 credits. 6,000 credits per missile

f) PS ‘Black Talon’ Light SAMs---PS’s ‘brilliant’ anti-aircraft mini-missile.
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload: 4
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)
Cost: 60 ,000 credits per launcher, 10,000 credits per missile

g) Sensory Cluster----MDC 80---Has the following sensors:
*Motion Detector--200 ft range
*Laser Illuminator-----6,000 ft range, Designates targets for laser-guided munnitions/weapons
*Laser targetting System(+1 to strike)
*Lance Scanner---Looks like a long lance protruding from the front of the craft. The Lance Scanner contains a magnetometer() and a short-range microwave radar for groundsearching minefields(in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even non-metallic mines, but takes twice as long). Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordinance.
*Aura Scanner---For detecting and identifying PPE concentrations
Range: 2000 ft
*Bio-Scanner---Has a molecular analyzer, enhanced radiation detector, high-powered accoustic ‘shotgun mike’(3,000 ft range), and thermo-imager optics.
* Optical Cluster--- Telescopic,IR/UV, Thermo-Imaging, Audio-Video-Survellance System
Cost: 80,000 credits

h) Radar Cluster---MDC 100, Range: 80 miles
Cost: 100,000 credits

Options:
*Laser Ablative Armor----PS’s laser ablative ceramic composite armor derived from d-bee technology; lasers do HALF damage and VFLs CANNOT adjust to compensate. Also note that Arkhon tribeam weapons do 10% LESS damage.
Cost: +1 million credits

*Amphibious--The Lynx can be watersealed and equiped with flotation units and a propeller drive, allowing it to cross relatively calm/still bodies of water at a leisurely 10 MPH.
Cost: 12,000 credits

**Stabilization Jacks---Tired of being knocked over by concussion blasts, or being rolled over by a giant’s kick? This interesting little system uses Glitterboy-style pylon technology to las and hydraulically drive six stabilizer jacks up to 5 ft into the ground, even through concrete and metal gratings, within 5 seconds, affixing you like a barnacle, and able to stay upright in even hurricane-force winds. System can disengage in 2 seconds, for that speedy getaway. Lynx crews have also reportedly learned how to use this system to assist in climbing, and at least one crew has supposedly ‘spidered’ their tank up a sheer cliff.
Cost: 90,000 credits


*Scrambler Shelter---A quick-erecting/stowing camouflage shelter, based on the portable Scrambler Shelter. The entire shelter can deploy/retract for stowage in 1 melee. The tent is roughly 22 ft in diameter, enclosing the vehicle and allowing enough room for the crew to move about and around the camouflaged tank.
MDC: The tent provides about 80 MDC of protection, however, against explosions, it is less effective(being non-rigid, shockwaves pass through its fabric), so explosives will do HALF damage to the occupants, regardless of how much MDC is left in the tent.
Special Features:
*Water-proofing
*Fire Proofing---Can handle temperatures up to 300 degrees centigrade. Normal fires do NO damage
*Minimal Radiation Shielding
*Chameleon-cloth Fabric---Can assume one of seven pre-set color configurations.
*Thermal Insulation-Infrared and Thermographic sensors are -20% to detect the shelter.
*Electronic Insulation- Radar, MAD, and EM sensors are -15% to detect the shelter
*Extendable Fiber-optic Periscope
Cost: 100,000 credits; currently unavailable outside the GNE

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel/ Twardy Vintage Vehicles M3000 Halftrack Rover
“You think it’s cool arming this tub with those big-bore massdrivers, eh? Think it puts the ‘destroyer’ back in ‘tank destroyer’, huh? Well, lemme remind ya, hero-boy, that you might catch an cripple a Deadboy armor-jock once, if they ain’t paying attention to yah, but once they start taking you seriously, that tin-lizzie you racked them guns on won’t give you a flapjack’s chance of outrunnin’ or outlastin’ a squad of Grinnin’ hovers lookin’ to killya!
So why don’t ya leave the tank huntin’ to the professionals, boyo....Takes more than jus bigguns to slay mech-armor!”
-----Sergeant Rexus Chumman, Mercenary Tanker

“Ever see tiger-ants take down a borogodin strider? Small, fragile things, ants are...you can crush them with two fingers....but get enough of them, working in concert, and they can take down big leather-skinned, dagger-clawed dinos...Well, our little tin lizzies are a lot tougher than tiger-ants, we’re much better coordinated, and we got nastier mandibles to bite with. Wanna join the dinosaurs? Come into my killing ground...”
----Captain Hastur Carplex, New Worcester Armored Militia, Commonwealth of Massachussetts, Greater New England.

The M3000 is a megadamage update of the basic M3 half-track. The basic vehicle follows the general design configuration of the original World War Two-vintage vehicle; a long-bodied armor-sided truck, with open top, carried by a pair of wheels in front, and a set of tracks under the rear cargo bed. Even with improvements in tread design, suspension, and powerplant design, the M3000 is still rather slow compared to other post-Rifts ATVs, but its lower profile, lighter weight, and rugged design make it comparable, performance-wise, to classic sellers like the Big Boss ATV, trading speed for utility.
Because it IS a PS-affiliated design, the M3000 has a wide range of options and accessories available to it. The most common are the applique armor kits, that fit the M3000 with additional armor protection, and an enclosed hull(and incidentally giving it an appearance similar to the original M3’s opposite number, the German Sd.Kfz 25 series). Though not really intended as a front line combat vehicle, numerous weapons systems are made available for the M3000, and more than a few adventurers have taken up the challenge of upgunning the M3000 into a potent armor-destroyer. Depending on the weapons fitout selected, the weapons can easily cost more than the vehicle!
Though too slow and light to be accepted into the Greater New England Regular Army, the M3000 is popular as a utility vehicle in the environs of the GNE, and has been sold as a security and light combat vehicle to various communities and small mercenary groups around and outside the GNE.
Type: PS/TVV M-3000
Class: Half-Track Utility Vehicle
Crew: One+12 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 100
Wheels(2) 40 each
Treads (2) 40 each
Height: 2.26 m
Width: 2.2 m
Length: 6m
Weight: 9 tons
Cargo: Glove Compartment, trunk space in forward compartment, several footlocker-sized compartments under seats in passenger compartment, and external baggage/tool racks. If not carrying passengers, can carry up to a ton of gear in the back. Standard internal sidearms rack holds 5 rifles and 36 grenades.
Can haul up to 5 tons, without appreciable loss of speed, via trailer hitch
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(200 miles), electric(250 miles), or nuclear fusion w/ 7 year energy life(rarely fitted)
Speed: 45 MPH
Market Cost: 23,000 credits for liquid fuel, 24,000 credits for electric, and 450,000 credits for nuclear
Systems of Note:
*Solid/Run-Flat Megadamage Mesh and Coil Tires
*Nose Winch---w/ 30-ft of cable
*Trailer Hitch
*External Tool Racks
*Short Range Radio(15 mile range)
Weapons Systems: None standard(see Options)

Options:
*Environmental Protection---Seals in the cab and passenger compartment in NBC-shielded protection, with air filtering, independent air supply(12 hours), and temperature control. Cost: 200,000 credits

*Applique Armor
Light: +80 MDC main body. Cost: 160,000 credits
Medium:+150 MDC main body. Cost: 280,000 credits
Heavy: +200 MDC main body. Cost: 360,000 credits

*Heavy Tracks---These are heavier, more durable tracks that can take more damage; 100 MDC each. Cost: 80,000 credits

*SpeedTracs---This is an expensive and elaborate (for the M3000’s tech-base) conversion that upgrades the engine, and replaces the track system with a faster, smoother-running ‘float’-suspension system. This permits the normally slow half-track to hit speeds of up to 80 MPH on level, paved, surfaces. Cost: 200,000 credits

*Extendable Grousers---Extendable/retractable extensions to the outside edge of the tracks, expanding the surface contact area, and improving traction over soft earth and snow(no movement penalties for travelling over either surface). A flip of a dashboard switch deploys/deactivates them. Compatible with Heavy Tracks and Speedtracs. Cost: 80,000 credits

Weaponry Options:

*Side Hardpoints----The sides of the M3000 can be fitted with aviation-style hardpoints for carrying ‘dumb-fire’ rocket pods. Up to three hardpoints can be mounted per side, and can be fired/activated from within the passenger cabin or the forward cab. Extra shots can be carried in the cargo bed, but the launchers MUST be manually reloaded. Each hardpoint can accommodate ONE of the following:
a) Mini-Missile Pod---19 MMs
b) Short Range Missile/Rocket Launcher---5 SRMs
Cost: 40,000 credits per hardpoint

*Pintle Mounts(1-5)---These are simply post-and-pivot(or a more sophisticated rotator-ring and mounting bar) hardpoint for a light weapon, such as an energy rifle, light rail gun, or automatic weapon. The gunner is exposed to enemy fire, but the pintle mount can be fitted with a gunshield(45 MDC) that renders the gunner effectively -10 to strike from in front. Typically, one pintle mount is installed over the co-driver’s seat in the forward cab, and up to four can be added to the rear cargo bed.
Cost: 70 credits per pintle mount(come standard with basic gun mount and simple shock aborber in pintle base). 45 MDC gunshield costs credits

*Heavy Gun Mount---In the rear cargo/passenger bed, an open turret can be fitted instead, with a mounting for a heavy weapon. A fully enclosed turret is not possible(too heavy for the M3000’s frame), but a gunshield and sideplates can afford protection to the gunners(100 MDC, and -10 to strike, even on a called shot). Some standard heavy armament types are as follows:
*75mm Cannon---A dual-mode anti-armor and anti-aircraft autocannon
MDC: 90
Range: (Anti-Tank) 48,000 ft
(Anti-Aircraft) 28,000 ft maximum ceiling
Damage:(Anti-Tank)
High Explosive(HE): 1d6x10 MD to 15 ft blast radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT): 2d4x10 Md to 8 ft blast radius
Armor Piercing(AP) 6d6 MD, no blast radius
APSD: 1d6x10 MD, no blast radius
(Anti-Aircraft)(Fragmentation) 5d6 MD to 35 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: 3 times per melee
Payload: 30 shells ready-racked
Cost: 120,000 Credits

* Paladin Steel 30mm 'Hellshot' Rail Cannons: (2) An attempt to equal the power of the infamous "Boom Gun" carried by the Glitterboy, these fearsome weapons fire a much larger heavy metal kinetic energy penetrator with a massive punch. Unfortunately, the engineers were unable to equal the Boom Gun's long range or build the projectiles any smaller, limiting the payload. Originally intended to be carried by Paladin Steel’s powered armor units, the Hellshot has since showed up on a number of vehicles, and PS has graciously designed a twin-mount for the M3000, with capacitor bank for the rail guns.
MDC: 45 each cannon
Weight: 1,500lbs
Range: 1 km (3,300 ft)
Damage: 3D6x10 MD; 6d6x10 MD for BOTH weapons firing simultaneously on one target
Rate of Fire: Single shot only; equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot/gunner.
Payload: 15 shot clip per gun....up to 15 additional clips can be carried in the rear compartment
Market Cost: 120,000 credits, 800 credits per penetrator round

*PS-RG4- A Paladin Steel weapons mount, based on a static AP/AAA light rail gun mounting, the consists of four light rail guns and their ammo drums mounted on a powered pedestel, with a basic radar target acquisition/tracking sensor and accompanying laser/optical sights.
MDC: 100
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single shot, 4d6 MD for a 20-round burst.
All four guns working simultaneously do 2d4x10+10 MD on a combined 160-rd burst.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Each gun has its own separate ammo drum with 2,000 rounds(100 bursts) each
Bonuses: Independent laser and radar tracking system(range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by gunner
Cost: 380,000 Credits

*PS-862 AC Anti-Aircraft Flak Cannon(Paladin Steel knockoff of the TriaxTX-862FC)
Range:10,000 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:800 rds, 400 rds per cannon
Bonuses:Independent laser and radar tracking system(range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by gunner
Cost: 500,000 credits

*20mm Six-Barrel Super Vulcan Cannons(2)--- Two heavy gatling-style autocannon with a gunner seated between them on a powered mounting. Nicknamed ‘Ripper’ and ‘Zipper’ for its high rate of fire and tendency to tear apart its targets...while eating through its ammunition supply in minutes.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage:(Proximity-fuzed High-Explosive) 4d4 MD single shot (2 ft blast radius)
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst(but -1 to strike)
6d6x10 MD for a 40 rd burst(takes TWO attacks and is -2 to strike targets smaller than 20 ft long)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 4,000 rd drum
Penalty: If more than 4 full 40-rd bursts are fired consecutively, there is a +10% cumulative chance per additional burst of the weapon overheating and seizing up....Takes 1d6 melees to purge the coolant system and unjam the mechanism. Firing multiple lower-volume bursts incurs NO penalty.
Cost: 500,000 credits

*Heavy Mini-Missile Launcher---A trainable ‘cannon’-style launch box with 36 MMs
Cost: 600,000 credits
*Short Range Missile Launcher---A trainable ‘cannon’-style launch box with 18 SRMs
Cost: 1 million credits
*Medium Range Missile Launcher---A trainable ‘cannon’-style launch box with 9 MRMs
Cost: 2 million credits

[Aramanthus]

Excellent new material. The Federated States would like to increase our order with PS. Especially with the latest additions. I'm sure your people will be happy to hear this.

[batlchip]

How about some pre-rifts space ghost coast to coast.

[taalismn]

Heh, funny how convergent evolution can take place. The CS calls the major sub in the book I am writing the Dark Shark.

That's why I'm looking for different names...looking at the scientific names of animals, or historical figures...
Of course, the grunts who actually USE the stuff wil tag it with their own names which will end up soundinga lot alike...

[taalismn]

How about some pre-rifts space ghost coast to coast.

For what..?