Leviathan Evolved
Moderators: Immortals, Supreme Beings, Old Ones
Leviathan Evolved
http://madjaguar.deviantart.com/art/SPL ... -176597319
Thought this would be easier in its own thread. Enjoy.
Evolved Leviathan War Mount
The Leviathan War Mount has been a staple within the Resistance armory for generations, but as the war continued to escalate and the Machine adapted to the Splicers’ tactics, this once seemingly unstoppable beast became somewhat obsolete. An increasing number of raids spearheaded by Leviathans against the Machine’s thick coastal defenses have resulted in failure and retreat, and Librarians from across the planet started looking at these tried and true War Mounts to see if any changes could be made that might turn the tide. As usual, it was the brilliant Librarians from Great House Artemis that refined the Leviathan and sold the design across the planet (for a tidy profit of course).
What most do not realize, however, is that the bulk of the new refinements were actually created by the demented minds from Great House Charlemagne and then stolen by agents from Great House Artemis (something that angers them quite greatly). House Artemis added its own unique twists and polished up the design a bit, but credit truly goes to House Charlemagne, something that neither House denies. When asked, Warlord Artemis proudly admits that his people stole this DNA strand from those “cultists and lunatics” because they never would have shared the design with the rest of the Resistance (which is true).
The basic problem with the old Leviathan design was that it was too slow and lumbering on land which made it too easy to target and far too easy to surround and overwhelm under the sheer weight of the Machine’s numbers. Great House Charlemagne came up with some clever solutions to these problems. They recognized that while this beast was a sitting duck on land, it was incredibly fast and maneuverable underwater thanks to its underwater thrusters. Charlemagne’s Librarians decided to add some additional Organic Thrusters to the Leviathan that worked out of the water. They are not strong enough to allow sustained flight, but they enable Leviathan pilots to perform surprisingly evasive maneuvers. The new Leviathan can perform quick hops in nearly any direction to confound and confuse attackers as they close in for the kill.
Another weakness of the original design was that it did not take advantage of the additional passengers in the pilot’s chamber. Leviathans typically transported highly skilled Splicers into battle, and it seemed foolish to squander their talents by reducing them to spectators. The most obvious solution was to give each passenger a weapon turret to control. Outriders may be skilled warriors, but they can only divide their attention so far. Giving each passenger a weapon to control drastically increased the combat capabilities of these War Mounts, plus it made riding in them a bit less unnerving. Splicers did not like feeling helpless while being transported into battle, and having a hand in combat made them feel a bit more in control of their destinies.
House Artemis thought the way Charlemagne created a partial bond between the passengers and the Leviathan without interfering with the full connection between the War Mount and the Outrider was ingenious, but they figured out a way to make it even more useful. The old Leviathans could only tap the P.E. of the rider to power the Bio-Energy Cannons, but the Librarians from House Artemis designed a way for the rider to manually decide which person in the pilot’s chamber would be used to power the cannons. This effectively tripled the payload of these powerful blasters. It also made Scarecrows highly sought after companions during beach assaults. These supernatural beings drastically increase the Bio-Energy Cannons offensive punch, plus they are actually pretty useful in battle once the Leviathans do reach their destination. The new Leviathan designs may actual bridge the gap between humans and these “withered skeletons” (or maybe not).
The final upgrade was to move the single Hydro-Cutter Beam out of the mouth of the War Mount and into a ball turret within the base of each pincer. This gives the Leviathan two of these mighty weapons, it increases the field of fire, and it enables the mount to unleash a devastating new attack. The new Leviathan can grab a robot within its powerful pincer (incapacitate the target) and then carve it up with its Hydro-Cutter. The new Leviathan design is already making a tremendous impact across the planet, but it is only a matter of time before the Machine takes this arms race to the next level.
Class: Amphibious War Mount
Crew: One rider, but has space for two passengers in the pilot's chamber.
M.D.C. by Location:
• Bio-Energy Cannons (2) - 160 each
• Armored Back Hatches (2) - 200 each
• Large Forearm Pincers (2) - 260 each
• Acid Pustules (20) - 3 each*
• Legs (6) - 190 each
• Eye Stalks (6; retractable) - 30 each*
• Anti-Armor Turrets (2): 200 each
• Head: 320**
• Main Body: 750***
* A single asterisk indicates a small, low profile, or shielded target that is difficult to hit. An attacker must aim and make a "Called Shot" to hit such targets, and even then is -3 to strike.
** Destroying the head will stop the War Mount in its tracks, eliminates all optics and sensory systems, reduces the speed to 20% of max, as well as reduces the number of melee attacks to three total (including the rider's) and negates all bonuses from the animal, but the rider can still fire the weapon systems and make the War Mount walk (at a ponderous pace) for up to 12 hours after the head is gone. Destroying all of the Eye Stalks will also eliminate all optics and sensory systems, and reduces the maximum speed, the number of melee attacks and all bonuses by half.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body kills it.
Speed:
Running: 50 mph (80 km) maximum, but normal cruising speed is only 30 mph (48 km). Running, swimming and combat tires the War Mount, but at one tenth the rate of humans.
Leaping: Organic Thruster assisted leaps can propel the massive War Mount 30 feet high, across, backwards, or sideways. It cannot leap without them.
Digging: 20 mph (48 km) through sand or dirt, but half as fast through clay, rock or stone. To dig down enough to adequately hide the Leviathan takes 2D4 melee rounds.
Swimming: 300 mph (480 km/259 knots), this also does not tire the War Mount or the rider.
Underwater Depth: Maximum underwater depth is to two miles (3.2 km).
Flying: Not possible. The thrusters are not designed for sustained flight.
Statistical Data:
Height: 12 feet (3.6 m).
Width: 14 feet (4.3 m).
Length: 8 feet (2.4 m) for the main body, 16 feet (4.8 m) including the massive pincer arms.
Weight: 4.8 tons (the added weight is from the additional ammo payload).
Cargo: Space inside for two passengers and some gear (about 600 Ibs/270 kg), but can carry 2000 Ibs (900 kg) on its back or can pull 6000 Ibs (2700 kg) at one third its normal Spd.
Physical Strength: 1D6+34
Production Cycle: 2 year gestation period plus 3 year growth cycle.
Operational Lifetime: 30 year life span.
Trade Value: 4.5 million credits for a healthy, undamaged unit.
Bio-Regeneration Rate: 3D6 M.D.C. per hour for the main body and 1D6 M.D.C. per hour for all other locations. The War Mount cannot regrow severed limbs or destroyed weapon systems (reduced to zero or less), there must be at least two M.D.C. points remaining to regenerate lost limbs, and such extensive re-generation takes 1D6 days.
Horror Factor: 14
Senses and Features: Standard for War Mounts.
Feeding: The Leviathan is an omnivore and eats from 70-100 Ibs (31.5 to 45 kg) of organic matter a day.
Color: It is a light tan color to help it blend in somewhat with the sandy beaches.
Sleep Requirements: As an artificially created organism, the Leviathan only requires 6 hours of sleep per day.
Other Data:
An unmanned Leviathan is able to function independent of a rider using its animal-like intelligence and instincts to respond to any given situation. However, the creature tends only to take action to defend itself when threatened or when obeying the commands of an Outrider or Packmaster (only), like a trained watchdog. It has no feelings about people or robots one way or the other.
Alignment: Anarchist, the War Mount operates more like a robot than a living creature; devoid of personality.
War Mount Attributes: I.Q.: 1D6 (low animal intelligence), M.E.: 1D6+6, M.A.: 1D6, P.S.: 35-40, P.P.: 1D6+8, P.E.: 1D6+10, P.B.: 1D4, Spd.: 50 mph on the ground
Number of Attacks per Melee: 3
Combat Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +3 to strike in hand to hand combat, +2 to strike with ranged weapons, +3 to parry, +4 to dodge, +4 to dodge while underwater, +4 to roll with punch, +3 to pull punch, +2 to disarm, and impervious to horror factor, disease, and poison.
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Climb 80%/70%, Identify Plants & Fruit (i.e., stuff it can eat) 80%, Land (and Under-water) Navigation 80%, Swim 98%, Track by Scent 35% (+20% underwater) and understands languages (2) at 75%.
Combat Capabilities:
• Bite: 3D8 M.D.
• Restrained Punch with Pincers: 5D6+ 15 S.D.C.
• Full Strength Punch with Pincers: 4D6 M.D.
• Power Punch with Pincers: 1D4x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
• Pincer Scissor (Cutting) Attack: 6D6+ 10 M.D., counts as one attack.
• Power Pincer/Scissor (Cutting) Attack: 1D8x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
• Kick: 3D6 M.D.
• Stomp: lD6 M.D., but the stomp is only effective against tar-gets 6 feet (1.8 m) or smaller.
• Body Block/Ram: 4D6 M.D. and has a 01-60% likelihood of knocking an opponent as large as 15 feet tall off of his feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses initiative and two melee attacks. A ram counts as two attacks.
• Thruster Assisted Body Block/Ram: 8D8 M.D. and has a 01-90% likelihood of knocking an opponent as large as 20 feet tall off of his feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses initiative and two melee attacks. The Leviathan must first retract its head into its shell before attempting a ram (counts as one attack), then it can perform the ram which counts as two additional attacks.
Bio-Weapon Systems:
1. Bio-Energy Cannons (2): While the vent-like Bio-Energy Cannons mounted above the Leviathan’s massive pincers are unchanged, the method of fueling these weapons has received a significant upgrade. Previously, the cannons could only tap the P.E. of the rider, not the passengers, but the Librarian designers thought this was a waste of potential resources. They made it so the rider could manually determine which person within the Leviathan would be used to power the weapons. This effectively triples the payload of the Bio-Energy Cannons and it has led to the inclusion of powerful passengers like Scarecrows on assault missions to really give these cannons some extra punch.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 2D8+bonus M.D. per blast or 4D8+bonus M.D. per simultaneous twin blast at the same target (counts as one melee attack/action). The damage bonus is equal to the P.E. attribute of the currently selected rider/pilot or passenger. It takes one of the pilot's melee actions to switch the energy feed to a different person.
Rate of Fire: Each blast or pair of blasts count as one melee attack.
Effective Range: 1800 feet (549 m), but only 900 feet (274 m) underwater.
Payload: Effectively unlimited, but firing more blasts than the rider or passengers have P.E. will weaken them. Loses one melee attack and -2 on all combat bonuses for 1D6 minutes for each blast that exceeds an individual’s P.E. number. That means a character who has a P.E. of 15 can only fire 15 single or double blasts in an hour before additional shots fired weaken him. However, as one passenger becomes depleted, the rider can take one melee action to reroute the power feed to another passenger (or to himself).
2. Hydro-Cutter Beams (2): While limited in range, this weapon has proven itself time and time again, so some adjusts were made to make it even more versatile. The single Hydro-Cutter Beam was moved out of the mouth and into a ball turret mounted in the base of each pincer. This not only doubled the amount of attacks and increased the field of fire, but now the Leviathan can grab a target within its massive pincers and carve them up with its Hydro-Cutter Beams as they struggle to free themselves. Instead of snipping at a target, the Leviathan can choose to pin/incapacitate any target 15 feet tall or smaller on a natural roll of 16-20. If successful, the target cannot move its limbs to counter attack and can only be freed by pulling the claw apart (requires a combined robotic P.S. of 50). However, it can use any exposed weapon systems like head or chest mounted weapons to attack the Leviathan.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 1D8xlO M.D. per water blast or 2D8x10 per dual blast, plus the beam has a 01-35% (50% from a dual blast) chance of knocking an opponent off his feet (if successful, the target loses initiative and one melee attack/action). (Rifts® Note: Against vampires, the water blasts do ID6xl0 Hit Point damage). In the alternative, the Leviathan can grab a target in its pincers, and blast the target with a single Hydro-Cutter Beam at close range. This attack automatically strikes the target (no need to roll) and it inflicts an additional +20 M.D. This strike can be performed repeatedly on the incapacitated target until it either frees itself or is destroyed. If a robot's main body M.D.C. is reduced below 40% (or 60% during a Pincer Attack), the hydro-cutter beam has penetrated the robot, maybe causing a short circuit as follows:
01-30% Target lucked out! No additional problems or side effects.
31-50% Temporary short circuit, sensors momentarily blink out and sparks fly. It snaps back on-line ID4 seconds later, but the target loses the initiative (if it had it) and one melee at-tack/action. This may give the Leviathan the opportunity to escape or strike again before the target has a chance to respond.
51-60% All weapon systems are temporarily out and there is a total failure in the targeting systems. One comes back online in ID4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds)! Penalty: -2 to strike, parry and disarm even in hand to hand combat.
61-80% Communications, radar and targeting are fried, but weapon systems okay. Must rely on optical targeting and cannot call for reinforcements. Penalty: -3 to strike, -2 to parry and dodge, as well as no initiative.
81-00% All systems are temporarily out and the robot is paralyzed and completely defenseless. Comes back online in ID4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds).
Rate of Fire: Each blast or pair of blasts count as one melee attack.
Maximum Effective Range: 500 feet (152 m) on land, but only 200 feet (61 m) underwater. Payload: The hydro-cutter beam has a payload of 20 blasts on dry land (both cutters share the same payload), and to refill the bladder it needs one melee action (3 seconds) of drinking water for one blast. Underwater the pay-load is unlimited.
3. Acid Pustules (20): White pustules the size of a grapefruit dot the back and rear of the Leviathan and can spit forth an acid paste (similar to battery acid, but in a white, sticky paste) to burn enemies in close proximity. These are primarily intended to keep the enemy from climbing onto its back, but they can be used as offensive weapons as well, via touch (body block) or firing them at close proximity (10 feet/3 m).
Primary Purpose: Defense
Secondary Purpose: Close Combat
Mega-Damage: 3D8 from initial contact plus I D8 M.D. additional per melee round for 1D4 melee rounds, or until the paste is scraped off or blasted away with a high-powered stream of water.
Rate of Fire: Each deliberate blast of paste counts as one melee attack. An enemy popping a pustule open via physical contact does not count as a melee attack.
Effective Range: Touch or 10 feet (3 m).
Payload: 20 pustules. Each pustule can produce enough paste for one attack each hour.
4. Anti-Armor Turrets (2): Two heavy weapon turrets were added to the back of the Leviathan to give the two enclosed passengers a way to contribute to an assault while being transported. Each gunner is granted control of a pair of the Leviathan’s eye stalks to view the outside world. Each turret possesses two different weapons, both designed for maximum area effect. The primary weapon is a cluster bomb launcher that fires powerful fragmentation shells that spray a 20-foot (6.1 m) area with razor sharp shrapnel. This is ideal for clearing out large groups of opponents, but sometimes this weapon is not the best choice. When the enemy gets too close, these turrets can switch to the secondary Spore Discharger to once again attack large groups of robots, but without the added risk of damaging the Leviathan or nearby allies. When no passengers are present, these turrets can be controlled by the rider.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: A single cluster bomb shell inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within a 20-foot (6.1 m) radius. The Spore Discharger inflicts 4D8 M.D. to any metal within a 40-foot (12.2 m) radius. Both cannons can attack the same target, but these are treated as two separate attacks.
Duration: The spores continue to do 1D8 M.D. to any metal for 3D4 melees as the spores complete their life cycle and die. Note: It is possible to fire both the cluster bomb and Spore Discharger simultaneously, but this decreases accuracy (-2 to strike).
Rate of Fire: Each attack counts as one melee attack.
Maximum Effective Range: A cluster bomb shell can be launched up to 2000 feet (610 m) away. The Spore Discharger has a maximum range of 1200 feet (365 m).
Payload: 20 cluster bombs per turret (40 total). One spent shell automatically regenerates every 2D6 minutes. The Spore discharger is effectively unlimited.
Bonus: +2 to strike.
Thought this would be easier in its own thread. Enjoy.
Evolved Leviathan War Mount
The Leviathan War Mount has been a staple within the Resistance armory for generations, but as the war continued to escalate and the Machine adapted to the Splicers’ tactics, this once seemingly unstoppable beast became somewhat obsolete. An increasing number of raids spearheaded by Leviathans against the Machine’s thick coastal defenses have resulted in failure and retreat, and Librarians from across the planet started looking at these tried and true War Mounts to see if any changes could be made that might turn the tide. As usual, it was the brilliant Librarians from Great House Artemis that refined the Leviathan and sold the design across the planet (for a tidy profit of course).
What most do not realize, however, is that the bulk of the new refinements were actually created by the demented minds from Great House Charlemagne and then stolen by agents from Great House Artemis (something that angers them quite greatly). House Artemis added its own unique twists and polished up the design a bit, but credit truly goes to House Charlemagne, something that neither House denies. When asked, Warlord Artemis proudly admits that his people stole this DNA strand from those “cultists and lunatics” because they never would have shared the design with the rest of the Resistance (which is true).
The basic problem with the old Leviathan design was that it was too slow and lumbering on land which made it too easy to target and far too easy to surround and overwhelm under the sheer weight of the Machine’s numbers. Great House Charlemagne came up with some clever solutions to these problems. They recognized that while this beast was a sitting duck on land, it was incredibly fast and maneuverable underwater thanks to its underwater thrusters. Charlemagne’s Librarians decided to add some additional Organic Thrusters to the Leviathan that worked out of the water. They are not strong enough to allow sustained flight, but they enable Leviathan pilots to perform surprisingly evasive maneuvers. The new Leviathan can perform quick hops in nearly any direction to confound and confuse attackers as they close in for the kill.
Another weakness of the original design was that it did not take advantage of the additional passengers in the pilot’s chamber. Leviathans typically transported highly skilled Splicers into battle, and it seemed foolish to squander their talents by reducing them to spectators. The most obvious solution was to give each passenger a weapon turret to control. Outriders may be skilled warriors, but they can only divide their attention so far. Giving each passenger a weapon to control drastically increased the combat capabilities of these War Mounts, plus it made riding in them a bit less unnerving. Splicers did not like feeling helpless while being transported into battle, and having a hand in combat made them feel a bit more in control of their destinies.
House Artemis thought the way Charlemagne created a partial bond between the passengers and the Leviathan without interfering with the full connection between the War Mount and the Outrider was ingenious, but they figured out a way to make it even more useful. The old Leviathans could only tap the P.E. of the rider to power the Bio-Energy Cannons, but the Librarians from House Artemis designed a way for the rider to manually decide which person in the pilot’s chamber would be used to power the cannons. This effectively tripled the payload of these powerful blasters. It also made Scarecrows highly sought after companions during beach assaults. These supernatural beings drastically increase the Bio-Energy Cannons offensive punch, plus they are actually pretty useful in battle once the Leviathans do reach their destination. The new Leviathan designs may actual bridge the gap between humans and these “withered skeletons” (or maybe not).
The final upgrade was to move the single Hydro-Cutter Beam out of the mouth of the War Mount and into a ball turret within the base of each pincer. This gives the Leviathan two of these mighty weapons, it increases the field of fire, and it enables the mount to unleash a devastating new attack. The new Leviathan can grab a robot within its powerful pincer (incapacitate the target) and then carve it up with its Hydro-Cutter. The new Leviathan design is already making a tremendous impact across the planet, but it is only a matter of time before the Machine takes this arms race to the next level.
Class: Amphibious War Mount
Crew: One rider, but has space for two passengers in the pilot's chamber.
M.D.C. by Location:
• Bio-Energy Cannons (2) - 160 each
• Armored Back Hatches (2) - 200 each
• Large Forearm Pincers (2) - 260 each
• Acid Pustules (20) - 3 each*
• Legs (6) - 190 each
• Eye Stalks (6; retractable) - 30 each*
• Anti-Armor Turrets (2): 200 each
• Head: 320**
• Main Body: 750***
* A single asterisk indicates a small, low profile, or shielded target that is difficult to hit. An attacker must aim and make a "Called Shot" to hit such targets, and even then is -3 to strike.
** Destroying the head will stop the War Mount in its tracks, eliminates all optics and sensory systems, reduces the speed to 20% of max, as well as reduces the number of melee attacks to three total (including the rider's) and negates all bonuses from the animal, but the rider can still fire the weapon systems and make the War Mount walk (at a ponderous pace) for up to 12 hours after the head is gone. Destroying all of the Eye Stalks will also eliminate all optics and sensory systems, and reduces the maximum speed, the number of melee attacks and all bonuses by half.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body kills it.
Speed:
Running: 50 mph (80 km) maximum, but normal cruising speed is only 30 mph (48 km). Running, swimming and combat tires the War Mount, but at one tenth the rate of humans.
Leaping: Organic Thruster assisted leaps can propel the massive War Mount 30 feet high, across, backwards, or sideways. It cannot leap without them.
Digging: 20 mph (48 km) through sand or dirt, but half as fast through clay, rock or stone. To dig down enough to adequately hide the Leviathan takes 2D4 melee rounds.
Swimming: 300 mph (480 km/259 knots), this also does not tire the War Mount or the rider.
Underwater Depth: Maximum underwater depth is to two miles (3.2 km).
Flying: Not possible. The thrusters are not designed for sustained flight.
Statistical Data:
Height: 12 feet (3.6 m).
Width: 14 feet (4.3 m).
Length: 8 feet (2.4 m) for the main body, 16 feet (4.8 m) including the massive pincer arms.
Weight: 4.8 tons (the added weight is from the additional ammo payload).
Cargo: Space inside for two passengers and some gear (about 600 Ibs/270 kg), but can carry 2000 Ibs (900 kg) on its back or can pull 6000 Ibs (2700 kg) at one third its normal Spd.
Physical Strength: 1D6+34
Production Cycle: 2 year gestation period plus 3 year growth cycle.
Operational Lifetime: 30 year life span.
Trade Value: 4.5 million credits for a healthy, undamaged unit.
Bio-Regeneration Rate: 3D6 M.D.C. per hour for the main body and 1D6 M.D.C. per hour for all other locations. The War Mount cannot regrow severed limbs or destroyed weapon systems (reduced to zero or less), there must be at least two M.D.C. points remaining to regenerate lost limbs, and such extensive re-generation takes 1D6 days.
Horror Factor: 14
Senses and Features: Standard for War Mounts.
Feeding: The Leviathan is an omnivore and eats from 70-100 Ibs (31.5 to 45 kg) of organic matter a day.
Color: It is a light tan color to help it blend in somewhat with the sandy beaches.
Sleep Requirements: As an artificially created organism, the Leviathan only requires 6 hours of sleep per day.
Other Data:
An unmanned Leviathan is able to function independent of a rider using its animal-like intelligence and instincts to respond to any given situation. However, the creature tends only to take action to defend itself when threatened or when obeying the commands of an Outrider or Packmaster (only), like a trained watchdog. It has no feelings about people or robots one way or the other.
Alignment: Anarchist, the War Mount operates more like a robot than a living creature; devoid of personality.
War Mount Attributes: I.Q.: 1D6 (low animal intelligence), M.E.: 1D6+6, M.A.: 1D6, P.S.: 35-40, P.P.: 1D6+8, P.E.: 1D6+10, P.B.: 1D4, Spd.: 50 mph on the ground
Number of Attacks per Melee: 3
Combat Bonuses: +2 on initiative, +3 to strike in hand to hand combat, +2 to strike with ranged weapons, +3 to parry, +4 to dodge, +4 to dodge while underwater, +4 to roll with punch, +3 to pull punch, +2 to disarm, and impervious to horror factor, disease, and poison.
Equivalent (Instinctive) Skills of Note: Climb 80%/70%, Identify Plants & Fruit (i.e., stuff it can eat) 80%, Land (and Under-water) Navigation 80%, Swim 98%, Track by Scent 35% (+20% underwater) and understands languages (2) at 75%.
Combat Capabilities:
• Bite: 3D8 M.D.
• Restrained Punch with Pincers: 5D6+ 15 S.D.C.
• Full Strength Punch with Pincers: 4D6 M.D.
• Power Punch with Pincers: 1D4x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
• Pincer Scissor (Cutting) Attack: 6D6+ 10 M.D., counts as one attack.
• Power Pincer/Scissor (Cutting) Attack: 1D8x10 M.D., but counts as two attacks.
• Kick: 3D6 M.D.
• Stomp: lD6 M.D., but the stomp is only effective against tar-gets 6 feet (1.8 m) or smaller.
• Body Block/Ram: 4D6 M.D. and has a 01-60% likelihood of knocking an opponent as large as 15 feet tall off of his feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses initiative and two melee attacks. A ram counts as two attacks.
• Thruster Assisted Body Block/Ram: 8D8 M.D. and has a 01-90% likelihood of knocking an opponent as large as 20 feet tall off of his feet and onto his back. If knocked off his feet, the victim loses initiative and two melee attacks. The Leviathan must first retract its head into its shell before attempting a ram (counts as one attack), then it can perform the ram which counts as two additional attacks.
Bio-Weapon Systems:
1. Bio-Energy Cannons (2): While the vent-like Bio-Energy Cannons mounted above the Leviathan’s massive pincers are unchanged, the method of fueling these weapons has received a significant upgrade. Previously, the cannons could only tap the P.E. of the rider, not the passengers, but the Librarian designers thought this was a waste of potential resources. They made it so the rider could manually determine which person within the Leviathan would be used to power the weapons. This effectively triples the payload of the Bio-Energy Cannons and it has led to the inclusion of powerful passengers like Scarecrows on assault missions to really give these cannons some extra punch.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 2D8+bonus M.D. per blast or 4D8+bonus M.D. per simultaneous twin blast at the same target (counts as one melee attack/action). The damage bonus is equal to the P.E. attribute of the currently selected rider/pilot or passenger. It takes one of the pilot's melee actions to switch the energy feed to a different person.
Rate of Fire: Each blast or pair of blasts count as one melee attack.
Effective Range: 1800 feet (549 m), but only 900 feet (274 m) underwater.
Payload: Effectively unlimited, but firing more blasts than the rider or passengers have P.E. will weaken them. Loses one melee attack and -2 on all combat bonuses for 1D6 minutes for each blast that exceeds an individual’s P.E. number. That means a character who has a P.E. of 15 can only fire 15 single or double blasts in an hour before additional shots fired weaken him. However, as one passenger becomes depleted, the rider can take one melee action to reroute the power feed to another passenger (or to himself).
2. Hydro-Cutter Beams (2): While limited in range, this weapon has proven itself time and time again, so some adjusts were made to make it even more versatile. The single Hydro-Cutter Beam was moved out of the mouth and into a ball turret mounted in the base of each pincer. This not only doubled the amount of attacks and increased the field of fire, but now the Leviathan can grab a target within its massive pincers and carve them up with its Hydro-Cutter Beams as they struggle to free themselves. Instead of snipping at a target, the Leviathan can choose to pin/incapacitate any target 15 feet tall or smaller on a natural roll of 16-20. If successful, the target cannot move its limbs to counter attack and can only be freed by pulling the claw apart (requires a combined robotic P.S. of 50). However, it can use any exposed weapon systems like head or chest mounted weapons to attack the Leviathan.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: 1D8xlO M.D. per water blast or 2D8x10 per dual blast, plus the beam has a 01-35% (50% from a dual blast) chance of knocking an opponent off his feet (if successful, the target loses initiative and one melee attack/action). (Rifts® Note: Against vampires, the water blasts do ID6xl0 Hit Point damage). In the alternative, the Leviathan can grab a target in its pincers, and blast the target with a single Hydro-Cutter Beam at close range. This attack automatically strikes the target (no need to roll) and it inflicts an additional +20 M.D. This strike can be performed repeatedly on the incapacitated target until it either frees itself or is destroyed. If a robot's main body M.D.C. is reduced below 40% (or 60% during a Pincer Attack), the hydro-cutter beam has penetrated the robot, maybe causing a short circuit as follows:
01-30% Target lucked out! No additional problems or side effects.
31-50% Temporary short circuit, sensors momentarily blink out and sparks fly. It snaps back on-line ID4 seconds later, but the target loses the initiative (if it had it) and one melee at-tack/action. This may give the Leviathan the opportunity to escape or strike again before the target has a chance to respond.
51-60% All weapon systems are temporarily out and there is a total failure in the targeting systems. One comes back online in ID4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds)! Penalty: -2 to strike, parry and disarm even in hand to hand combat.
61-80% Communications, radar and targeting are fried, but weapon systems okay. Must rely on optical targeting and cannot call for reinforcements. Penalty: -3 to strike, -2 to parry and dodge, as well as no initiative.
81-00% All systems are temporarily out and the robot is paralyzed and completely defenseless. Comes back online in ID4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds).
Rate of Fire: Each blast or pair of blasts count as one melee attack.
Maximum Effective Range: 500 feet (152 m) on land, but only 200 feet (61 m) underwater. Payload: The hydro-cutter beam has a payload of 20 blasts on dry land (both cutters share the same payload), and to refill the bladder it needs one melee action (3 seconds) of drinking water for one blast. Underwater the pay-load is unlimited.
3. Acid Pustules (20): White pustules the size of a grapefruit dot the back and rear of the Leviathan and can spit forth an acid paste (similar to battery acid, but in a white, sticky paste) to burn enemies in close proximity. These are primarily intended to keep the enemy from climbing onto its back, but they can be used as offensive weapons as well, via touch (body block) or firing them at close proximity (10 feet/3 m).
Primary Purpose: Defense
Secondary Purpose: Close Combat
Mega-Damage: 3D8 from initial contact plus I D8 M.D. additional per melee round for 1D4 melee rounds, or until the paste is scraped off or blasted away with a high-powered stream of water.
Rate of Fire: Each deliberate blast of paste counts as one melee attack. An enemy popping a pustule open via physical contact does not count as a melee attack.
Effective Range: Touch or 10 feet (3 m).
Payload: 20 pustules. Each pustule can produce enough paste for one attack each hour.
4. Anti-Armor Turrets (2): Two heavy weapon turrets were added to the back of the Leviathan to give the two enclosed passengers a way to contribute to an assault while being transported. Each gunner is granted control of a pair of the Leviathan’s eye stalks to view the outside world. Each turret possesses two different weapons, both designed for maximum area effect. The primary weapon is a cluster bomb launcher that fires powerful fragmentation shells that spray a 20-foot (6.1 m) area with razor sharp shrapnel. This is ideal for clearing out large groups of opponents, but sometimes this weapon is not the best choice. When the enemy gets too close, these turrets can switch to the secondary Spore Discharger to once again attack large groups of robots, but without the added risk of damaging the Leviathan or nearby allies. When no passengers are present, these turrets can be controlled by the rider.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Secondary Purpose: Defense
Mega-Damage: A single cluster bomb shell inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within a 20-foot (6.1 m) radius. The Spore Discharger inflicts 4D8 M.D. to any metal within a 40-foot (12.2 m) radius. Both cannons can attack the same target, but these are treated as two separate attacks.
Duration: The spores continue to do 1D8 M.D. to any metal for 3D4 melees as the spores complete their life cycle and die. Note: It is possible to fire both the cluster bomb and Spore Discharger simultaneously, but this decreases accuracy (-2 to strike).
Rate of Fire: Each attack counts as one melee attack.
Maximum Effective Range: A cluster bomb shell can be launched up to 2000 feet (610 m) away. The Spore Discharger has a maximum range of 1200 feet (365 m).
Payload: 20 cluster bombs per turret (40 total). One spent shell automatically regenerates every 2D6 minutes. The Spore discharger is effectively unlimited.
Bonus: +2 to strike.
Last edited by slappy on Tue Aug 24, 2010 6:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Guy_LeDouche
- Megaversal® Ambassador
- Posts: 829
- Joined: Tue Feb 22, 2005 12:29 pm
- Location: Charleston, SC
Re: Leviathan Evolved
Nicely done. I'm a little sad, however, now that the Strider and Levithan have been revamped, I have no more War Mounts to insult and denigrate.
My $.05 (adjusted for inflation) on the new design. The artwork, of course, is amazing. Chuck, you have set the standard for Splicers art. I feel sorry for anyone that has to do any Splicer illustration at this point.
What is it with those of us who create Houses that they are usually populated by nutballs and wack jobs? We must have low opinions of humanity.
Thank you, I thought the same thing about the original. You've got these wonderful warriors, put them to use! At least give them a firing port or something.
Speaking of devestating, this is the best! Even though I wasn't a big fan of the original Leviathan, I always thought the Hyrdo-Cutter was a great weapon. I've seen industrial versions of this, and it truly will cut through almost anything (even a bowling ball! ) This turret-pincer combo wicked.
In short, masterful work. I've submitted your names to the Splicer Hall of Fame.
The only downside; the stuff you guys come up with is so good, its intimidating! You two are a tough act to follow. Excellent.
Now, when does the Machine get some love? You guys seem a bit biased.
My $.05 (adjusted for inflation) on the new design. The artwork, of course, is amazing. Chuck, you have set the standard for Splicers art. I feel sorry for anyone that has to do any Splicer illustration at this point.
slappy wrote:When asked, Warlord Artemis proudly admits that his people stole this DNA strand from those “cultists and lunatics”
What is it with those of us who create Houses that they are usually populated by nutballs and wack jobs? We must have low opinions of humanity.
Oh gawd! A giant armored sand flea! What a great idea.slappy wrote:The new Leviathan can perform quick hops in nearly any direction to confound and confuse attackers as they close in for the kill.
slappy wrote:Another weakness of the original design was that it did not take advantage of the additional passengers in the pilot’s chamber.
Thank you, I thought the same thing about the original. You've got these wonderful warriors, put them to use! At least give them a firing port or something.
Oh great, just who I want watching my back in combat. Joking aside, this a great modifiucation. Every Scarecrow I've seen has a P.E. of 30+; this weapon is devestating.slappy wrote:The old Leviathans could only tap the P.E. of the rider to power the Bio-Energy Cannons, but the Librarians from House Artemis designed a way for the rider to manually decide which person in the pilot’s chamber would be used to power the cannons. This effectively tripled the payload of these powerful blasters. It also made Scarecrows highly sought after companions during beach assaults.
slappy wrote:The final upgrade was to move the single Hydro-Cutter Beam out of the mouth of the War Mount and into a ball turret within the base of each pincer.
Speaking of devestating, this is the best! Even though I wasn't a big fan of the original Leviathan, I always thought the Hyrdo-Cutter was a great weapon. I've seen industrial versions of this, and it truly will cut through almost anything (even a bowling ball! ) This turret-pincer combo wicked.
In short, masterful work. I've submitted your names to the Splicer Hall of Fame.
The only downside; the stuff you guys come up with is so good, its intimidating! You two are a tough act to follow. Excellent.
Now, when does the Machine get some love? You guys seem a bit biased.
Fairy tales begin with "Once upon a time". Southern fairy tales begin with "Y'all ain't gonna believe this s**t!!"
XBL Gamertag: Guy L3D0uch3
If Keanu Reeves had played Thulsa Doom, he would have told Conan to contemplate on the Tree of Whoa..
XBL Gamertag: Guy L3D0uch3
If Keanu Reeves had played Thulsa Doom, he would have told Conan to contemplate on the Tree of Whoa..
Re: Leviathan Evolved
Well we are sufficenty now blown out of the water.
But Guy brings up a good point, when will we see some of the N.E.X.U.S. metal monsters? Or are you saving it for THE BOOK?
Reguardless, great job all around.
But Guy brings up a good point, when will we see some of the N.E.X.U.S. metal monsters? Or are you saving it for THE BOOK?
Reguardless, great job all around.
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- Palladin
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Re: Leviathan Evolved
just thought i'd mention, the write-up at deviantart (which doesn't seem to want to let me go to your personal page, nor to go directly to the picture when linked from these boards, but which *will* allow me to search from the main deviantart page to find "splicers leviathan" pictures) got kinda messed up right around "other data", stopping in the middle of the "how it acts without a rider" section and going straight to what appears to be the thruster assisted body block/ram section of combat capabilities.
also under the bio-E cannons, the mega-damage entry states it cannot be powered by the passengers while the intention was clearly that the passengers *can* power it.
now, on to the drawing: this thing looks awesome. the head looks like a particularly vicious snapping turtle or something (which fits, since it can apparently draw the head inside the shell), the pincers look almost like an extra pair of heads (really, the one further back in the picture almost looks like it has an eye) and the armor next to it really gives a feeling for the sheer size of the leviathan. sure, it may not be massively long, but it's actually about as big across as it is long! (well, if you don't include the claws). and quite frankly, with claws like that, i for one wouldn't want to get close enough to jump on it's back, acid pustules or no acid pustules!
also under the bio-E cannons, the mega-damage entry states it cannot be powered by the passengers while the intention was clearly that the passengers *can* power it.
now, on to the drawing: this thing looks awesome. the head looks like a particularly vicious snapping turtle or something (which fits, since it can apparently draw the head inside the shell), the pincers look almost like an extra pair of heads (really, the one further back in the picture almost looks like it has an eye) and the armor next to it really gives a feeling for the sheer size of the leviathan. sure, it may not be massively long, but it's actually about as big across as it is long! (well, if you don't include the claws). and quite frankly, with claws like that, i for one wouldn't want to get close enough to jump on it's back, acid pustules or no acid pustules!
- Snake Eyes
- Hero
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- Comment: Living in Florida, soon to be Dinosaur Swamp
- Location: Mary Esther, Florida
Re: Leviathan Evolved
As always, awesome artwork........i like the new version
The Dragon Has Spoken
Re: Leviathan Evolved
Shark_Force wrote:also under the bio-E cannons, the mega-damage entry states it cannot be powered by the passengers while the intention was clearly that the passengers *can* power it.
Good catch. I will edit it right now.
- Premier
- Palladium Books® Freelance Artist
- Posts: 1248
- Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 5:02 pm
- Location: Taylor, MI, United States
Re: Leviathan Evolved
Shark_Force wrote:just thought i'd mention, the write-up at deviantart (which doesn't seem to want to let me go to your personal page, nor to go directly to the picture when linked from these boards, but which *will* allow me to search from the main deviantart page to find "splicers leviathan" pictures) got kinda messed up right around "other data", stopping in the middle of the "how it acts without a rider" section and going straight to what appears to be the thruster assisted body block/ram section of combat capabilities.
also under the bio-E cannons, the mega-damage entry states it cannot be powered by the passengers while the intention was clearly that the passengers *can* power it.
I am not sure why you can’t go directly to the image and write up on my deviant art acct, because I go to it and I don't have any issues from several different log-ins. I will enclose a 2nd link if the previous doesn’t work for more convenience. I also adjusted the info as Slappy wrote. Thanks for those helpful critics.
http://fav.me/d2x53d3
now, on to the drawing: this thing looks awesome. the head looks like a particularly vicious snapping turtle or something (which fits, since it can apparently draw the head inside the shell), the pincers look almost like an extra pair of heads (really, the one further back in the picture almost looks like it has an eye) and the armor next to it really gives a feeling for the sheer size of the leviathan. sure, it may not be massively long, but it's actually about as big across as it is long! (well, if you don't include the claws). and quite frankly, with claws like that, i for one wouldn't want to get close enough to jump on it's back, acid pustules or no acid pustules!
Thank You! Yes indeed I wanted the head to have that snapping turtle vibe to give it a more powerful reptilian biteforce and so it could still bring its head back into its shell if need be for the tank like image. Slappy really took it there with the ramming aspect once the head is in which made me stand up with joy! The sphere you see on the claw is an organic lamp cell for illumination. Both claws have them and they don’t deliver any damage but are good to study the murky waters and underground ocean floor. The other dual spheres located on each claw are bio-orbs that facilitate the connection or adaptation for future Bio-E purchases and or enhancements that the Outrider chooses to add on. Most of the Warmounts you will see illustrated by me will have these bio-orbs for future upgrades. I am so…glad the sheer size and bulk of this Warmount is coming through now and that was one of the things I felt was missing, that’s also why I placed the one Outrider in Living Bio Armor next to it for scale. Overall, I think Slappy really took this one by the reins an rode it into a great restoration.
Last edited by Premier on Sat Sep 11, 2010 12:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- Premier
- Palladium Books® Freelance Artist
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- Joined: Mon May 05, 2008 5:02 pm
- Location: Taylor, MI, United States
Re: Leviathan Evolved
Guy_LeDouche wrote:Nicely done. I'm a little sad, however, now that the Strider and Levithan have been revamped, I have no more War Mounts to insult and denigrate.
My $.05 (adjusted for inflation) on the new design. The artwork, of course, is amazing. Chuck, you have set the standard for Splicers art. I feel sorry for anyone that has to do any Splicer illustration at this point.
Thank You Guy! That is one of my goals for the Splicers RPG. I want all work (Art & Text) done for this setting to be top-notch and nothing less than. This is what this setting needs if its going to rise and be one of the BIG guns for Palladiumbooks or the realm of RPG pen & paper games period, let alone drawing the attention of any license opportunities. I want people to take their work for this setting seriously if they are going to do it as should anyone who likes this setting.
slappy wrote:When asked, Warlord Artemis proudly admits that his people stole this DNA strand from those “cultists and lunatics”
What is it with those of us who create Houses that they are usually populated by nutballs and wack jobs? We must have low opinions of humanity.
Man... if you only knew, the Great House of Charlemagne is one of those Houses that you love to hate. I think in some cases we seem to acknowledge the harsh reality of humanity when it is really pressed. There are some good rational Great Houses out there as well, but in this case I would side with Artemis any day over Charlemagne.
slappy wrote:The new Leviathan can perform quick hops in nearly any direction to confound and confuse attackers as they close in for the kill.
Oh gawd! A giant armored sand flea! What a great idea.
Yeah... Buddy!
slappy wrote:Another weakness of the original design was that it did not take advantage of the additional passengers in the pilot’s chamber.
Thank you, I thought the same thing about the original. You've got these wonderful warriors, put them to use! At least give them a firing port or something.
This has truly become one of my favorite new features for this Warmount!
slappy wrote:The old Leviathans could only tap the P.E. of the rider to power the Bio-Energy Cannons, but the Librarians from House Artemis designed a way for the rider to manually decide which person in the pilot’s chamber would be used to power the cannons. This effectively tripled the payload of these powerful blasters. It also made Scarecrows highly sought after companions during beach assaults.
Oh great, just who I want watching my back in combat. Joking aside, this a great modifiucation. Every Scarecrow I've seen has a P.E. of 30+; this weapon is devestating.
I couldn’t agree more, but I think it is a really nice touch since most cases don’t have the Scarecrow in field utilization. This is one of those cases where I can see more of these wicked ones getting their hands dirty and we get a chance to see just how effective they are in the field. Like you said, now we really get o see the bio-Energy cannons for how devastating they really are. Its important for the Leviathans to have that punch when storming a coast.
slappy wrote:The final upgrade was to move the single Hydro-Cutter Beam out of the mouth of the War Mount and into a ball turret within the base of each pincer.
Speaking of devestating, this is the best! Even though I wasn't a big fan of the original Leviathan, I always thought the Hyrdo-Cutter was a great weapon. I've seen industrial versions of this, and it truly will cut through almost anything (even a bowling ball! ) This turret-pincer combo wicked.
In short, masterful work. I've submitted your names to the Splicer Hall of Fame.
Why Thank You Sir and I too love the Hydro cutters and really was impressed with what Slappy did with it, or shall I now say them. Machines are really going to have a hard time getting close to this Warmount now. I can actually say I would feel confident now in storming a beach with a brigade of Leviathans, especially if that beach was softened up from a Kraken.
The only downside; the stuff you guys come up with is so good, its intimidating! You two are a tough act to follow. Excellent.
Now, when does the Machine get some love? You guys seem a bit biased.
Oh trust us, we have the Machina decked out with some new goodies. After you see them I doubt you all will ask about the machine getting anything new anytime soon. TO be honest I kind of feel sorry for everyone once they see what’s been brewing.
- TechnoGothic
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Re: Leviathan Evolved
TechnoGothic
END OF LINE
"The best things in life are to crush your enemies, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of their women."-Conan
END OF LINE
"The best things in life are to crush your enemies, drive them before you, and hear the lamentations of their women."-Conan
- The Galactus Kid
- Palladium Books® Freelance Writer
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- Comment: THE SPLICE MUST FLOW!!!
- Location: Working on getting Splicers more support!!!
- Contact:
Re: Leviathan Evolved
It will probably be after the new year before my group encounters any, but it is totally on deck.
Ziggurat the Eternal wrote:I'm not sure if its possible, but if it isn't, then possible will just have to get over it.
Ninjabunny wrote:You are playing to have fun and be a part of a story,no one is aiming to "beat" the GM, nor should any GM be looking to beat his players.
Marrowlight wrote: The Shameless Plug would be a good new account name for you.
ALAshbaugh wrote:Because DINOSAURS.
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- D-Bee
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Re: Leviathan Evolved
I better have a nuke ready then G.K.
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- Palladin
- Posts: 7128
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Re: Leviathan Evolved
ranger9650 wrote:I better have a nuke kamikaze ready then G.K.
fixed that for you
i'm betting you don't want to find out what a nanobot plague reaction would look like coming from an armed nuclear warhead