Paladin Steel Storefront

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel PS-IGP-1 Infantry Grav-Pack
(Original KT-IBP-1 and stats courtesy of the Raven)
(aka ‘Hoplite Pack’, ‘Jumper-Humper’)
“The autofire sentry mode on this thing’s a godsend; it’s personal automatic point defense like the bigger ships and vehicles have. It allows you to concentrate on other things in a hot combat zone, and it’s especially good if you’re facing swarm opponents of missile-heavy opposition.”

“-Whether it’s hit and run on the offensive or bleed and hop on the defensive, these packs allow our infantry to get places fast and do some damage when they get there. The battlelines are lot more fluid with jump-infantry on the scene.”

The -IGP-1 is the definitive Paladin Steel version of the Keratech KT-IBP-1. Though it shares the same general specifications and configuration as the KT-IBP-1, the PS-IGP shows what years of refinement have wrought on the original design.
The grav-pack resembles a half-egg strapped to the back of the wearer’s body armor(It is designed to interface with standard PS/ASI/GNE/USA-issue EBA), with two small weapons turrets on the back, one over each shoulder. A sensor mast can extend between the two of them and over the head of the wearer. Two folding arm rests/control arms bracket the wearer and can serve as roll bars in event of a less-then-controlled landing. A ‘force multiplier’ AI manages the sensory systems and can fire the energy weapon mini-turret in ‘autofire’ mode on predesignated targets. allowing the wearer to engage multiple targets while on the move. Control interface extensions plug into the wearer’s EBA and share data with GNE-made ‘smart helms’ and kinetic movement skinsuit operation or can plug into a headjack for direct operator neural control.
The -IGP-1 is the standard infantry grav-pack of the GNEAS/RA and has become increasingly standard issue to the United System Alliance Joint Command’s standard-equipped services.

Type: PS-IGP-1
Class: Infantry CG Pack(Uses Pilot CG Pack/Jetpack to for flight)
Crew: One
MDC/Armor by Location
Pack 60
Sensor Turret 30
Mini-Turrets(2) 40 each
Main Body---Body Armor of the wearer
Height: 35.5 inches
Width: 18 inches
Length: 10.6 inches
Weight: 90 lbs
Cargo: In addition to the weight of the wearer, the pack can support up to 100kg(220 lbs) in flight. Note that the user can still use handheld weapons with ease. There is also a large pocket mounted on the bottom of the pack for storage, and knapsacks, ammo boxes, or sidearms can be slung under the control arms.
Powerplant: Nuclear Power Cell w/ one year energy lifespan
Speed: 150 MPH with a maximum altitude of 500m(1,640 ft). Can be dropped from 5km(3.2 miles) with complete control over the descent.
Cost:800,000 credits
Systems of Note:
*Mini-Radar -------6 mile range, track/ID 25 targets, can backtrack artillery and projectile fire.
*Lidar---Laser Scanner---A laser ‘radar’ that is unaffected by ECM jamming, but is limited by smoke and atmospheric conditions. 7 mile range
*Laser Rangefinder and Illuminator---’Paints’ or designates targets for assault with laser-guided weapons. 7 mile range
*Optics---InfraRed, Thermographic, Image-Enhance, Telescopic, Low-Light---2 mile range
*Optics Mast-3 ft extension
*Motion Detector---3,000 ft; can work through thin wood or plastic walls.

*Combat Recorder---Records everything the sensors pick up; can be erased with the flip of a concealed switch(if destruction of the pack is not an option to keep information from falling into the wrong hands)

*Onboard Artificial Intelligence---The operator’s ‘second head’)and sometimes called the ‘guardian angel’ system), this expert system is constant sifting through all the information flowing in, looking for patterns, so the ‘pack operator doesn’t become overwhelmed by data overload. This gives the ‘pack operator an extra 4 APMs for the nergy weapon mini-turret in autofire mode, and a +1 to initiative, and a +1 to dodge, for the first melee, if ambushed.

*E-Clip Recharger----Can charge one e-clip an hour, by tapping the ‘pack’s nuclear power cell

*Weapon Power Connector---Rather than use an E-clip, a handheld weapon can be hooked up directly to the power cell for effectively unlimited shots. Note that the Connector CANNOT be used at the same time as the E-clip Recharger.

Weapons Systems:
1) Mini-Weapons Turrets(2)---The grav-pack sports two mini-turrets, one over each shoulder. Typically one is a hardpoint for small missiles, while the other is dedicated energy weapon. Paladin Steel’s obsession with modularity shows in the fact that both turrets can be swapped for a variety of different weapons types. The energy weapon turret is mounted on an extendable armature that can raise the weapon above the operator’s head to maximize arc of fire. Furthermore, the energy weapon is linked to a ‘force multiplier’ AI that can be preprogrammed to track and target pre-profiled targets(database or designated on an HUD)
-Missile Launcher
a) Micro-Missiles--9-shot 15mm pod, 6-shot 20mm pod, or 4-shot 30mm pod

b)Mini-Missiles---2

c) TW Mini-Missile Launcher---Can use any of PS’s TW mini-missiles---2 shots

d) Razor Launcher---This uses the same projectiles as the PS-DL-110 Razor-Frizzer( a copy of an imported Russian design).
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 disc cassette
Cost: 40,000 credits

e)’Pencil-Rocket’ Launcher---This uses the same projectiles as the PS-RL-210 Fragmentation Rocket Launcher( a copy of an imported Russian design).
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
at 3,500 ft, the rds go ‘grapeshot’, doing 3d6 MD(1 MD for a single shot) in a 12 ft wide area.
(Incendiary “Hot-Grape” Version)---Do an additional +2 MD per rd, and 1 MD of damage for 1d4 melees as the flare portion burns down.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 rd cassette
Cost: 40,000 credits

-Energy Weapon:
a) Laser---The prefered option is a single-barrel laser of the same type as fitted to the PSA-11 Pulse-Laser backpack turret.
Range: 6,000 ft
Mega-Damage: 3D6 MD single blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Unlimited
Bonuses: +1 to strike airborne targets like missiles and aircraft/flying opponents(must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground)
Cost: 22,000 credits

b) Ion Blaster---Cheap, but effective.
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 15,000 credits

c) Plasma Ejector---PS is an expert at plasma engineering, hence this weapon.
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 45,000 credits
Options:
*SprayFire Barrel Modification Kit--- 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: +18,000 credits

*Plasma Bolt-exploder----Rather than a single plasma bolt, this mod supercharges the outgoing shot into a sort of freeform plasma ‘grenade’ whose cohesion deteriorates faster, resulting in shorter range, but which explodes with greater area of effect and intensity.
Reduce range by HALF, but the bolt now does 1d4x10 MD and explodes in a 5 ft blast radius . A single plasma ‘grenade’ costs two APMs .
Cost: +10,000 credits

d) Particle Beam--Powerful, but short-ranged.
Range: 1,500 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10+20 MD per triple shot burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot of three-shot burst, Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 21,000 credits

e) Mag-Bolt--Variable-mode magnetic ‘puncher’.
Range: (EM Bolt) 3,000 ft
(Vortice) 2,000 ft
Damage: (EM Bolt) (Variable) 4d6 SD, 1d4x10 SD, or 3d6 MD per shot
(Vortice) Same as for the bolt at the point of impact, plus HALF damage in a 7 ft radius, and an 88% chance of knock-down(lose 1 APM and Initiative) for beings of 350 lbs or less, 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: Laser targeting adds +1 to strike. EM bolts are -6 to dodge, on top of that!
Cost: 29,000 credits

[taalismn]

PS-GMRCT-AT-05 ‘Grathant’ Heavy Combat Support Hover Vehicle
(aka ‘Grat’, ‘Balrog Deployer’, ‘Mini-Foss’, ‘Continental Beseiger’)
“It’s a great big bloody TANK, is what it is, They call it an ‘artillery support vehicle’ in part to discourage crews from driving up to the front lines and drawing every bit of heavy fire when they appear. Well, even when the Grat crews behave themselves, they wind up more often than not on the front lines anyway. Fortunately they’re built damn tough.”

“Technically, you can use this thing as a dropship’ it can maneuver in space and make reentry on its own, plus its antipersonnel mounts can act as point defense cannon, but I wouldn’t risk it. It’s not really designed for space travel and even making low orbit drops, you’ll want to have it covered by escorting support like heavy EW jamming, chaff clouds and air patrols. Once on the ground, though, you’re good to go.”

“The Usans take air defense VERY seriously. Out on the Rim, few of the smaller kingdoms have the numbers or resources to cover both ground force projection AND aerospace control. Usually the side that’s scraped up enough aerospace assets can control the high ground and dictate battle terms. I’ve seen dirtside communities conquered by a handful of starfighters. or even shuttle-bomber conversions. Groundside militias just got bombed flat. Usan regular army, thought, hits the ground with enough surface-to-air so that if their air cover can’t deploy over them or a few leakers get through, the groundpounders can still throw up a wall of fire before the sky starts raining on them. Having ground-mobile starship weapons like the Grat helps immensely in covering their heads or securing their landing zones. ”

“Get four or five of these things laagered up, and you got a pretty damn tough field fortification with heavy weapons. Pretty much resistant to anything short of a tac-nuke or orbital bombardment.”

The ‘Grathant’ is a heavy combat support vehicle based on a heavily-modiied PS-HACU-05 Alpaca Hover Transport frame. The structure of the transport has been built up, so the vehicle us more heavily armored than the similar PS-GMRD-VTOL-CT-25 ‘Slepnir’. The conventional airbreather hoverjet system has been replaced with a combination GMR/low-powered contragravity system for redundancy, and the ability to skim over most terranes, in most environments. .
The Grathant is meant as a combination troop transport and artillery carrier. Its main selling point, armament-wise, is its ability to mount a sub-capital starship weapon, powered by its oversized fusion powerplant. Backing this fearsome weapon are four side-mounted modular missile launchers and multiple close-in defense turrets.
Though heavier than the Slepnir and mounting better overall systems, the Grathant is also more expensive, slower, less agile, and harder to deploy from transports(with the capacity to accommodate the huge vehicles). It is frequently used as part of heavy artillery units, its troops used to secure battery positions.
Some tacticians want to classify the Grathant as a GMR ‘ship’ rather than a ‘vehicle’; the Regular Army staunchly defends the latter position.

Type: PS-GMRCT-AT-05 Grathant
Class: Heavy Combat Support Hover Vehicle
Crew: 16+100 troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,000
Bridge 220
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Main Cannon 450
Missile Launchers/Weapons Modules(4) 300 each
Weapons Turrets(5) 180 each
Troop Hatches(2, sides) 250 each
*Forcefield 800
*Shield Refresh Rate is 15% per melee

Height: 25 ft
Width: 46 ft
Length: 100 ft
Weight: 450 tons
Cargo: 150 tons(cargo deck is 40 ft x35 ftx22 ft )
Powerplant: Nuclear with 20-year energy life
Speed: (Flying)Hover to 350 MPH, maximum altitude of 3,000 ft. Can make reentry landings from altitudes as high up as 75 miles.
(Water) The Grathant can move quite effectively over water, provided wave height doesn’t go above six feet and winds above 30 MPH; cut speed and maximum altitude by HALF.
Underwater, the Grathant can safely submerge to 3,000 ft and motor along at 20 MPH.
(Space) Limited; can maneuver at Mach 1.7.
Market Cost: 210 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot/Ship Systems, plus:
*Radar--Mast-mounted radar with a 50 mile range
*Directional IR/Normal Light Spotlights
* ECCM system: A semiautomatic 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) when operating on automatic.
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.

*EW Jamming Systems: Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected vehicle.

*ORACLE---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics--- Since the Minion War, magitech sensors are being more common issue to PS/GNE/USA field units and the Grathant makes a good platform for them, though the current model is of an earlier, shorter-ranged model A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms.
Effective Range: 4,000 ft radius of detection.

Weapons Systems:
1)Main Cannon(1)---The main direct-fire weapon of the Grathant is a low-end Medium-class starship energy cannon or heavy massdriver of a type familiar to the early PS/ASI warship designs. Rate of fire is somewhat slower than a ship installation, due to the smaller powerplant, but damage and range remain unchanged.
a) Laser Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 12 miles in atmosphere, 1200 miles in space
(LR Model) 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot
• Rate of Fire: Three shots per melee
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range:(Palladium) 4 miles in atmosphere/ 8 miles in space
? (Kitsune) 8 miles in atmosphere/ 8,000 miles in space
(LR Model) 6 miles in atmosphere/ 12 miles in space
• Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: Two times per melee
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Plasma Torpedo Launcher:
• Range: (Palladium) 6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 12 miles in atmosphere, 1200 miles in space
(LR Model) 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot to a 15 ft blast radius
• Rate of Fire: Three shots per melee
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

d) KK Rail Cannon: Though based on an early model PS KEWC, these can also throw proximity-fused fragmentation rounds, allowing them to ‘sandblast’ missiles and fighter swarms.
• Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 20 miles in atmosphere, 20,000 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per 80 rd burst
• (Frag) 4d6 x10 MD to a 100 ft area, +2d6x10 +50 ft per barrel
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 32,000 rds (400 bursts) per cannon

e) Heavy Tachyon ScatterGun
• Range: 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space w/ 6 mile wide arc*
? (Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 5,000 miles in space)
? *Width are reduced to 1/4th in atmosphere
• Damage: 1d6x100 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Missile Launchers(4)---Mounted along the dorsal sides of the Grathant are four long box-like missile launch modules. The ‘swap and lock’ mounting of these systems allows the vehicle to be quickly customized for various fire support mission roles.
a) Short Range Missiles---Payload of 60, volley strength of 1-12
b) Medium Range Missiles---Payload of 24, volley strength of 1-6
c) Long Range Missiles---Payload of 12 , volley strength of 1-2
d) Air Defense Missiles(typically Shrike III or IVs)---Payload of 16, volley strength of 1-8.
III:
Range: 75 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD
Bonus: +7 to strike

IV:
Range: 75 miles
Damage: 6d6x10 MD
Bonus: +7 to strike

e) Drones--Instead of missiles, the launch boxes hold launch and recovery cells, and support electronics, for UAVs. Each ‘box’ can hold 360 PS-RPX-2001 ‘FlyBots’ OR 60 PS-LUCV-37 Cypher IIIs OR 50 PS-UAV-RPV-07 ‘Midges’/PS-MS-SARDS-06B Mini-Mules/PS-CQ-100A ParaMules OR 20 R-BS5-0 Security Drones OR 3 PS-UAV-27 Skykes, or their equivalents.

f) Mine Mortars---PSMS40-MLS 40mm ‘Chewer’ Mortar-Launcher System. Can also be used to air-scatter 40mm grenade-mines. The array-boxes on the Grathant sport 108 vertical launch tubes, slightly tilted to the sides.
Range: 6 miles
Damage:(Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) 1d4x10+3 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-18
Payload: Each barrel holds 5 40-mm projectiles for a total of 530 rds(108 tubes)

g) Mine Mortars---Launcher----Similar to the ‘Chewer’ but launches 100mm 100mm land mines up to 3,000 ft to the sides from up to ten dispenser launchers, each launcher
holding five tubes with twenty mines each(100 mines per launcher unit), for a total of 1,000 mines.
-PS-MATS/20 Anti-Armor Mine
Weight: 8 lbs
Damage: 5d6 MD to 20 ft area
Cost: 800 credits
-PS-TS/250 Anti-Personnel Mine
Weight: 8 lbs
Damage: 4d6 MD to 40 ft area
Cost: 700 credits

3) Weapons Turrets(5)--Mounted around the sides and top of the Grathant are several smaller manned point defense and antipersonnel weapons.
a) Twin 20mm Cannon ----Light, but very effective, automatic cannon, especially when mounted in a fire-linked pair.
Range:(20mm)4,000 ft, 7,200 ft for the Model 2N
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 PSX-1) 4d4 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 2,000 rd ammunition supply per gun

b)Twin 30mm Cannon ---- Heavier and very effective automatic cannon, especially when mounted in a fire-linked pair.
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst per single gun.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: :2,000 rd ammunition supply per gun

c) 40mm Cannon --Single-barrel light autocannon.
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: 500 rds per gun

d) PS-RC12 Rail Gun--Adapted naval weapon.
Range: 11,000 ft
Damage: 3d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst; can only fire bursts.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 8000 rd drum(200 bursts)

e) G-Cannon ---Three Galaxies weapon
• Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 200 bursts per cannon

f)CCW-pattern Dual Laser/MM Launcher: May use Space Stinger Missiles
• Range: (Lasers) 4,000 ft in atmosphere/2 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere /200 miles in space)
? (Mini-Missiles) 1 mile in atmosphere/2 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere/ 100 miles in space)
• Damage:(Lasers) 1d6x10 MD per blast
? (Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
• Rate of Fire:(Lasers) EGCHH, or auto-fire; 6 attacks per melee
? (Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1-8
• Payload: (Lasers) Effectively Unlimited
? (Mini-Missiles) 32 mini-missiles per turret

g) Pulse Laser PDS
• Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere/ 200 miles in space)
• Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

h) Particle Beam PDS
• Range: (Palladium)1 mile in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
• Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: ECHH (auto-fire is six times per melee)
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

i) Ion Cannon PDS
• Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere/ 200 miles in space)
• Damage: 3d4x10 MD per shot
• Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

j) Rail Gun PDS
• Range: 6,000 ft in atmosphere, 2 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere/ 200 miles in space)
• Damage: 2d4x10 MD per 60 rd burst
• Rate of Fire: 6 attacks per melee
• Payload: 12,000 rds per gun (200 bursts each)
• Radar Targeting Bonus: +3 to strike


Variants:
Variants of the Grathant, especially technowizardry-enhanced versions, would seem inevitable and are likely in development. Improvements to armor and forcefield generation would also seem likely. as well as additional deck modules.

[taalismn]

Squires/Batmen/Orderlies MOS
“Farnum? He’s been with me since I served with the Regiments.....got me out of quite a few sticky situations both on and off the battlefield! No, I can’t go into detail about them....a gentlemen just does not kiss and tell!”

Some of the constituent cultures of the United Systems Alliance have feudal or aristocratic societies that allow the upper classes, even in military service, to be accompanied by dedicated servant personnel to attend to the former’s personal needs. This custom has been taken up by many high-rank officers, allowing them to focus on more important tasks, and the USA social services has also used the role to employ ex-slaves and retrainees. Rather than expect a civilian-trained domestic to pass military basic requirements, the militaries of the aforementioned cultures often created pools of enlisted personnel willing to undertake the training to become orderlies, and are assigned to service with another person on who they attend. This system has been adapted to the GNE/USAJC MOS system, trialed in such places as the Mistress Aba/Azimuth Point Military Academy.
The dedicated Squire/Batman/Orderly starts out training in one of the general military OCCs, but chooses the Squire/Batman/Orderly domestic services occupational specialty rather than a military specialization.
Despite rude jokes, the Squire/Batman/Orderly, at least in the GNE/USA, is NOT a cushy position for those wanting to avoid combat. A dedicated batman/valet/orderly accompanies their charge in their travels, sees to their needs, and acts as backup and bodyguard, Most in this position must be vetted for high level security clearances and trained in security protocols, especially if their charge operates in sensitive areas or works with security-sensitive materials. As terrorists and commandos targeting a person often go through the domestic staff surrounding their targets, the proper Orderly must be situationally aware and ready to assume a defensive posture. On the side, the Orderly must be able to provide often hard to get items(such as coffee, cigars, alcohol) for their charge on short notice, or, in extreme cases, be prepared to do tasks that their employer must be able to deny, or is unable to take care of because of their position(usually dealing with some sort of potential scandal or mishap) . The Orderly/Batman, depending on their employer, can be to varying degree the prime schlepper, caretaker, assistant secretary and accomplice.
While most Orderlies asssigned from personnel pools may work with their assignees for a few weeks or months, many stay with a single person for most of their military careers, and often follow their charges into civilian life.

*Squire/Batman(can be taken in place of an OCC MOS for GNE Grunt, GNE Technical Specialist, GNE Special Forces, GNE Military Specialist, or GNE Naval Specialist or it can be taken by the canon in place of the OCC’s ‘other’ skill selections.
-Wardrobe & Grooming(+20%)
-Social Etiquette(+15%)
-Two Domestic skills at +15%
-Contacts---The Batman learns to cultivate contacts in both the military(usually the quartermaster or motorpool) and civilian(usually the Black Market) arenas. As such, the batman can ID or least know how to contact. Base skill of 30% +5% per level of experience
-Two Technical skills at +15% or two Rogue skills at +10%
-Talent---The Batman can choose ONE of the following Black Market talents: B&E Man, Friends in Low Places, Game Player, Sincere, Slippery, Steady Nerves, and Wheelman.

Combat Servitor OCC
(aka ‘Battle-Maid’, ‘Battle-Butler’, ‘Alfreds’, ‘Robertas’ )
“By what scant accounts we’ve been able to get, your Level-A assssination team didn’t even get past the cloak room before they were all brutually dispatched. You may want to rethnk your next move against Miss Bonaventure, preferably -before- she testifies against you.”

“That sound, Master Jans? On, that was nothing, just some silly ninja assassins leaving the house....(muttering)in pieces, via the garbage disposal....nothing to be concerned about! Certainly nothing for you to get excited about, especially nothing for you to leave your chair about! Now have you considered adding a few bastards to your bloodline? I hear they can help keep the trueborn heirs on their figurative toes! I would be perfectly honored to help you produce a few....”

“Those bustle skirts may look clumsy and antiquated, but I stil don’t know how Miss Mali manages to hide a repeating bazooka under them.”

“Stala’s one of our BONE JACKAL graduates. She took persona-modding as part of her plea bargain arrangement to get off the piracy charge. We relocate her family where the Ordel Cartel can’t touch them, and she agrees to maid for the Skenzian Assistant Foreign Minister. She’s already fingered an infiltrator we didn’t previously know about, and she knows how to remove bloodstains from silk.”

“I’m your new servant, live-in maid and personal adjutant, sir, “ the severe-mannered young woman in the jetblack and scandalously-cut servant’s uniform introduced herself. “My expenses are already paid for by your home office’s special personnel funding.”
“...but you’re Warlord Dishudo’s daughter!”
“I’m one of his SEVEN daughters he had, out of thirteen -acknowledged- children. No two of us shared a common mother. Of his six sons, he had four killed on suspicion of gunning for his position, of his daughters, he sold off four into slavery when he needed cash, and married off two into marriages that may as well be slavery. He hadn’t made up his mind what to do with me when you arrested him....so if you think I’m looking for revenge for that, have no fears. I shed any paternal loyalty years ago. I’m here out of pure gratitude, a ridiculously generous bonus package, and the chance to help put the ax-drop on any of dear old daddy’s associates you run across.”

“Funny, I don’t recall the guns in the gun room ever being so well-maintained, or there being so MANY of them before. And what is THIS here? I don’t recall ever getting it?”
“It’s a multi-barrel devastator infantry cannon. Sorry, milord, that’s mine. I hope you don’t mind my storing it in here. It’s too big for my quarters.”

Another product of the Mistress Aba/Azimuth Point Military Academy fusion training, the Combat Servitor is often trained in parallel with the Squire/Batman/Orderly.
While the Squire/Batman/Orderly starts out in a military profession and turns to domestic attendant to an assigned senior officer or VIP, the Combat Servitor is a civilian domestic that has received extra training in security and counter-espionage. They serve as an inner circle of household security, protecting the person and property of their employers.
Combat Servitors can be of either gender. Many come from origins in the underprivileged classes, shatterworlds, or labor castes. A few, it is rumored once knowledge of the GNE’s BONE JACKAL programs leaked out, are psychologically reformatted criminals offered a second chance at serving society in some constructive capacity. For most Combat Servitors, their service is a lifetime commitment to an individual or household, while others may only serve a limited time on contract before moving on to other assignments.
Large mansions and employers may have multiple Combat Servitors with different skill sets on call to cover a variety of security needs. Even when only one is employed alongside regular civilian domestics, the Combat Servitor may be asked to handle coordinating the staff in emergencies.
Though some polities and particularly wealthy individuals send their won people to the MA/APA to be trained as Combat Servitors, many more are recruited and trained from the USA worlds and affiliates, and hire out. While the USA governing bodies and societies employ most, protecting families and individuals of interest to them, others are employed out of the USA worlds in places such as the Altess Dynasty, Human Alliance, Consortium of Civilized Worlds, and United Worlds of Warlock. They are particularly popular in societies that lack the ability to construct AIs, or have restrictions against robotic servants. The distribution of MA/APA graduates has led to some rumors that the USA has covertly placed a network of informants and operatives in the high social circles of a good number of other cultures.
While the Azimuth Point Academy is the main training school for Combat Servitors, satellite campuses have sprung up on Paloii, Skenzia, Tetrak, Vanderlund and New Vita.

Combat Servitor O.C.C.
Alignment: Principled and Scrupulous; attention to protocol and loyalty to employer are strongly encouraged, if not outright required.
Attribute Requirements/Prerequisites: P.S. and P.E. of 8 or better, M.E. of 11 or better. A high MA and/or PB is also ideal, but not mandatory.
Bonuses: +1 on Initiative at levels 3, 6, 9, and 12, +1 Disarm, +1d4 P.P., +10 SDC,
Special Abilities:
*Servant Invisibility----The Mistress Aba Academy cultivates in its trainees the ability to blend into the background of social settings; being unobtrusive or effectively invisible until their services are needed. As in servant-heavy cultures, where the upper classes tend to overlook the lower class underlings, this is often a career survival skill. However, when professional assassins overlook the ‘furniture’, being perceptually invisible can prove a critical edge.
Servant Invisibility acts like Inpo; a Combat Servitor can, by remaining stock still and behind the action(and ideally next to a wall or large object like a statute or piece of furniture), remain effectively invisible to the social perceptions of most people. Only if they are standing out in the open, in a well-trafficked area, or are being actively searched for by a well-trained eye, are they likely to be perceived by other people(and even then they get a skill chance of 48%+3% per level of experience to go unnoticed).

O.C.C. Skills:
Language/Literacy: Two of choice(+15%)
Math: Basic(+10%)
Wardrobe & Grooming(+20%)
Social Etiquette(+15%)
General Maintenance(+20%)
Domestic(two of choice at +20%)
Athletics
Boxing or Wrestling(choose one)
W.P. Blunt or Knife
Two W.P.s of choice
Hand to Hand: Expert or Martial Arts*, may upgrade to Assassin (if formerly anarchist or evil) for 1 other skill, or Commando for 2 other skills.
*If the GM allows, the Combat Servitor may select a martial arts style such as Moo Gi Gong. Ch’in-Na, Te or Aikido.

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select 8 skills from the following categories, but one MUST be from Physical and two from either Espionage or Military, plus an additional 1 at levels 3,6, 9 and 12.
Communications: Any(+10%)
Domestic: Any(+15%)
Electrical: Basic only
Espionage: Any(+6%)
Mechanical: Basic and Automotive only
Medical: Brewing, Holistic Medicine, First Aid or Paramedic( that latter counts as two skill selections)
Military: Any
Physical: Any
Pilot: Any, except robots and spacecraft
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: Any(+5%)
Science: Mathematics only(+10%)
Technical: Any(+5%)
Wilderness: None
Weapons Proficiencies(W.P.): Any

Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select 3 secondary skills from those listed, plus an additional 3 each at levels 3, 6, 9 and 13. These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuses listed in parentheses. All secondary skills start at the base skill level.

Experience Tables:
Use the Headhunter OCC exp. tables.

Standard Equipment:
Several changes of work uniform, personal offwork clothes, a small concealable wireless communicator, white gloves. Personal environmental sensor(smoke/gas detector). Multi-Tool and utility knife.
Plainclothes armor, Air Mask Filter, and Weapons to match WPs.
Can request/receive additional equipment upon assignment.

Starting Money:
Starts with 4,000 credits in savings. Average wage is 2,000 credits per month or more, depending on the specific employer/assignment.
A Combat Servitor will typically receive room and board from their employer, and a small budget for uniforms, in addition to wages.

Augmentation:
Depending on the employing organization and budget, the Combat Servitor may be offered some form of augmentation.
Cybernetics:
If obvious cybernetics/bionics are allowed/necessary, they will generally be of an artistic/aesthetically-pleasing design, concealing any weapons features.
Similarly, bio-modification will preferably be inconspicuous, or at least socially acceptable and not likely to draw too much attention(if catgirl mods are common in the social setting, then okay, but if not, then the conspicuous biomod will likely draw unwelcome attention). The USA offers a variety of useful bio-mod packages, including some superpowered ones that were originally developed with high-class domestics in mind(JOYOUS MARATHON, SLATE FOUR, MANILA ADJUTANT, HOT EMERALD, CORAL SNOW, ).
Mystic Tattoos are also possible, but most employers would like them small, concealed, and, if possible, at least artistically pleasing and disguising of their mystic nature.

Note: Other OCCs are possible employees in the domestic servant field; Vagabond Scouts, Manhunter Floaters, New West Saloon Girls , and Black Market Expediters are good basis for domestics with extra talent. Just about any OCC with a few handy domestic skills can moonlight as a helper, servant, or handyman, if only on a temporary basis.

[taalismn]

PS-LGEMV01 ‘Thunderchild’ Ground Effect Marine Vehicle.
(aka “Turba”, “Chugamuga”,”Toratora”m ‘Rumper-Car’)

“Depending on who you ask, the Turba’s either a two-man armored patrol boat, or an open-cabin light hovertank. It’s got the firepower of a pair or power armors, but is a lot easier to maintain.”

“-seeing one of those Harbor Police thug-tugs coming up the canal at me? I was running for the high ground when it came up off the water after me. I thought my Northern Gun powersuit would afford me enough protection against anything hovercycle-cops would be packing, but this thing was more like a light TANK. Three heavy machine guns opened up and sandblasted the back of my armor before I put an embankment between me and it, but then the rear turret on the thing started arcing grenades on top of me! Pinned me down long enough for me to miss hooking up with the rest of my squad at the locks! And I wasn’t the only one having trouble! Whole raid timing went to hell and we were forced to pull back. I got lucky; the water militia got too busy chopping up our Shadowboys to finish off a zooter like me, and I was able to hobble off to fight another day. But next time I take a raiding contract on a hickville? I want second and third wave intel; not initial impressions. Our employers missed the tradetowners had upgraded their defenses and we paid heavy for the balls-up. ”

“Steers like a walrus, punches like a tank, rams like a bull. I kid you not.”

The ‘Thunderchild’ is an unusual maritime vehicle that has been variously described as a ‘ground effect steam launch’, a ‘two man motor-torpedo craft’, a ‘light combat car’, and a ‘heavy hovercycle’, though none of them precisely describe the craft. The PS-LGEMV01 was designed in part by the same d-bee Dwarves who designed the G’Nasaw/Gnasher battleships and the derivative PS-BB-18 Connecticut Battleships
the LGEMV01 resembles a short, rather beamy steam launch made up to look like a turn of the century 1900’s armored warship(or very large model battleship) with a protruding lower bow, two turrets(one forward and one aft), armored fore and aft structures, and a trunk of antennaes and a cooling tower-stack in the center. The rather tubby main body conceals a protected powerplant, powerful air compressors, and concealed plenum chambers; the craft actually hovers above land and water on compressed air). The two man crew sit back to back, partially concealed behind armored paneling resembling a warship’s superstructure, though the mast and stack between them makes easy communication and access to each others’ stations rather problematic(most crews rely on intercom systems to talk to each other). The Dwarves’ newfound acquantaince with high-tech shows in the vehicle’s main armament; the two turrets are slaved to HUDs or neural links worn by the two-man crew. The cockpits are open, so crewmembers are advised to wear heavy body armor(though full conversion cyborgs love the Turba).
The Dwarven designers call the PS-LGEMV01 the ‘Turba’ after a large and aggressive tuna-like predator native to their original homeland, but the vehicle has been more commonly refered to as the ‘Thunderchild’, after a famous preRifts warship)though this has led to some confusion with a larger ‘Thunderchild’-class GMR gunship). As big as a cargo truck, the Turba lacks the agility of smaller hovercycles, but carries more armor and heavy weaponry to give its crew arguably the firepower of a Glitterboy(or several!) on the waves.
The Turba is typically used as a light coastal patrol vessel, harbor security, and as a picket craft.

Type: PS-LGEMV01 Turba
Class: Marine Hovercraft, Motor Torpedo Launch
Crew: Two; 1-2 passengers can squeeze in behind the main seats
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Turrets(2) 60 each
Crew Cockpits(2)* 60 each
Mast/Exhaust Stack 60

* The surrounding heavy coaming affords the crew partial cover; -5 to strike, even on an aimed shot.

Height: 7.6 ft
Width: 7 ft
Length: 19 ft
Weight: 5.6 tons
Cargo: 4 ftx4 ft compartment
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(650 mile range), Nuclear(w/5 year energy life) or TW Steam(w/ 100 PPE battery)
Speed:(Land) On flat and level ground, the Turba can make 75 MPH, hovering 1-2 ft off the ground, but it fairly wallows.
(Water) Can motor like a regular powercraft at 25 MPH. With hover systems on, it can race at 90 MPH over sea-state 1-3 conditions.
TW versions can increase speed 50% on a ley line.
Market Cost: 1,5 million credits for gas turbine liquid fuel, 2.8 million credits for nuclear, 3 million credits for TW.
Systems of Note:
*Radio----50 mile range
*IR/Normal Light Headlights
*Headlight---The emblazoned bowpiece has a high-intensity headlight in its center.
*Radar---5 mile range
Weapons Systems:
1) Gun Turrets(2, fore and aft)---Looking like miniature warship turrets on the foredeck and aft deck of the Thunderchild, these weapons mounts are slaved to optical targeting headsets or cyberoptic links. Some respectably heavy weapons can be mounted, giving the Thunderchild a serious bite against other small craft and even small warships.
a).50-caliber Heavy Machine Guns(x3)---Od-fashioned, but still hard-hitting,
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 7d6 SDC single shot, 4d6 x10 SDC(1d4 MD) per 10 rd burst, 8d6x10 SDC per 20 rd burst, 1d4 MD per 40 rd burst.
(Ramjets) 1d4 MD single shot, 5d6 MD per 40 rd burst.
(High Explosive)2d6x10 SDC single shot, 1d6 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d6 MD per 20 rd burst, 4d6 MD per 40 rd burst.
(PSX-2) 1d6 MD per rd, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst, 4d6x10 MD per 40 rd burst.
(Tracer) Every 11th round is a tracer, which gives a +1 to strike with bursts. However, the tracer stream also makes it that much easier for enemies to backtrace and locate the machine gunner.
Rate of Fire: Standard; rated at 6,000 rpm(or 1,500 rounds per melee)
Payload: 2,000-rd belt per gun
Cost: 8,000 credits per gun

b) 20mm Autocannon(x2)
Range:(20mm) 4,000 ft, 7,200 ft for the Model 2N
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 PSX-1) 4d4 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 1,000 rd drum per gun
Cost: 40,000 credits. 50,000 credits for the Model 2N

c) PS-M136 Minigun(1)----A vicious gatling-style weapon that compensates for its relatively low damage per individual round with a high rate of fire and excellent long range. On the minus side, it also possesses a massive appetite for ammunition and can quickly burn through its ammo supply in short order.
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 6d6 SDC single shot, 4d6 x10 SDC(1d4 MD) per 10 rd burst, 8d6x10 SDC per 20 rd burst, 1d4 MD per 40 rd burst.
(Ramjets) 1 MD single shot, 1d10 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d10 MD per 20 rd burst, 1d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst.
(High Explosive)2d6x10 SDC single shot, 1d6 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d6 MD per 20 rd burst, 4d6 MD per 40 rd burst.
(PSX-2) 1d4 MD per rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst, 4d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst.
(Tracer) Every 11th round is a tracer, which gives a +1 to strike with bursts. However, the tracer stream also makes it that much easier for enemies to backtrace and locate the machine gunner.
Rate of Fire: Standard; rated at 6,000 rpm(or 1,500 rounds per melee)
Payload: 4,000-rd belt
Cost: 27,000 credits

d) *PS-862 AC Anti-Aircraft Flak Cannon(1)---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

e) 40mm Automatic Grenade Launchers(x2)--Belt-fed grenade launchers.
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 per launcher
Cost: 50,000 credits

f) PS-L-CIWS Vulcan Chain Gun(aka “Button Gun”)---This installation, introduced on the Type 9 Weapons Carrier, then adapted as an air defense weapon option for the VW Camper Gunship, has been adapted for shipboard use as PS’s standard light maritime weapons system, but is often mounted on other vehciles as well. The system is a very compact and neat installation that takes up little space, and has been compared to the pre-Rifts Russian ADMG-630 30mm Gatling CIWS that saw extensive service aboard Russian warships. The PS-L-CIWS is often called the “Button Gun” because of its squat, flattened dome-like turret.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 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 a +2 to strike, and four attacks per melee.
Payload: 4,000 rd drum(100 bursts)
Cost: 30,000 credits

g)PS-MMLR-14 Mini-Missile Launcher ---A knock-off of the Coalition’s CCT-M20 Missile Rifle, complete down to the light laser, but modified to take advantage of PS’s advancements in lighter weight composites and ceramics. Has the advantage of having a light laser for additional firepower. Can be mounted singly or in two-gun mounts.
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)
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited attached to an external generator, or 20 shots per standard E-clip/30 per long E-clip as backup.
Cost: 36,000 credits per launcher

h) 60mm Mass Driver Cannon---The old 60mm Snapfire artillery weapon.
Range:(Direct Fire Mode): 6,000 ft
(Artillery Mode) 2 .5 miles
Damage:(Direct Fire Mode) 3d6x10 MD, no blast radius
(Artillery Mode) Everything within the 30 ft blast radius takes 2D6x10 M.D. and has a 75% chance of being knocked flat.
Rate of Fire:(Direct Fire Mode) EGCHH
(Artillery Mode) Three times per melee
Payload: 50 rds
Bonuses/Penalties: +1 strike in direct fire mode. -2 to strike in Artillery mode.
Cost: 250,000 credits

I) Rail Gun(PS-RFRG30)(x2)---PS copy of the C-30R Rail Gun
Weight: 90 lbs
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 2,400 rd drum per cannon
Cost: 90,000 credits

j) 40mm Marine Grenade Launcher(x2)----Belt-fed version of the PSMAGL-40DMs ‘Dhunker’ . It effectively fires small depth charges.
Range: 2,000 ft. Grenade charges are typically fused effective to a depth of 120 ft.
Note: CANNOT operate underwater.
Damage: Frag rounds do 4d6 MD to a 12-foot radius.
AP rounds do 1d4x10 to a 3-foot blast radius,
High Explosive/Concussion rounds do 5d6 MD to a 32 -foot radius.
Plasma rounds do 1d4x10+10 to a 5-foot radius.

(Sonic) 3d6 MD per blast to an 16 ft blast radius, 1d6x10 SDC to another 20 ft beyond that, Does only 1d6 MD to a 6 ft radius in air
Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor(such as wetsuits).

(ElectroShock)--Unleashes a powerful electrical surge that stuns against a saving roll of 17 or less. Does 3d6 SDC to a 25 ft radius, and stuns for 1d4 minutes. Also has a 60% chance of temporarily knocking out unshielded bionics and cybernetics for 1d6 melees.

(Chemical) Varies by specific chemical used. Generally covers a 20 ft area, and persists for about 1d4 minutes before being broken up by water currents.
(Dye Pack) Dyes the water a bright color. Generally covers a 30 ft area, and persists for about 1d4 minutes before being broken up by water currents. May last longer if it coats solid objects passing through it.
(Floating Flare) Burns for 50 seconds floating on the water
(Screamer) Screamers are specialized one-use munitions that when fired, broadcast a massive burst of noise across all audio/sonic frequencies, with the intended effect of destroying acoustic target(sonar) locks, and allowing the sub/diver to escape opponents using sonar to detect or track them. -60% to track the sub via sonar while the Screamer is in effect, while sonar-guided weapons are -10 to strike .
Screamers also have the effect of stunning dolphins, whales, and other creatures using natural sonar and echo location. These creatures are disoriented/stunned for 1d4 melees.
A typical screamer will last 1d4 melees until it burns out or is destroyed.
Screamers can also be fused to ignite/activate anywhen up to a minute(4 melees) after deployment.
Effective radius of effect of the 40mm screamers is aproximately 2,500 ft

(MicroTorp)---Drops two micro-torpedoes into the water. Typically homing variety.

(TW TangleBomb)----Explodes into a twitching, twining, expanding mass of green-black unearthly vegetation with 25 MDC per 20 ft area(covers a 40 ft area). Has an effective Horror Factor of 14, and victims have to Dodge at 16 or better to avoid getting tangled up in its fronds/tentacles. Victims trapped in the weed are -1 to initiative, -2 to strike, -4 to parry, and -6 to dodge, and will have to inflict 25 MDC or more to move more than 10 ft. Unprotected beings take 3d6 SDC per melee of thrashing against the weed, from its thorns and whipping around; those in MDC armor(or who remain calm and don’t fight it) take no damage. Duration: Lasts up to 50 minutes

(TW Blackwater Bomb)---Covers a 50 ft area in ominous darkness, Effects identical to the Ocean Magic spell Black Water. Effects last 8 minutes.

Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 250 rds per launcher
Cost: 30,000 credits for the weapon, 60,000 for the pair.

k) PS-RL-210 Fragmentation Rocket Launcher(x2)( a copy of an imported Russian design). Note that PS has also been experimenting with an incendiary variant using a magnesium mixture.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
at 3,500 ft, the rds go ‘grapeshot’, doing 3d6 MD(1 MD for a single shot) in a 12 ft wide area.
(Incendiary “Hot-Grape” Version)---Do an additional +2 MD per rd, and 1 MD of damage for 1d4 melees as the flare portion burns down.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 rd drum
Cost: 100,000 credits for a singe weapon, 200,000 for the pair.

l) Pulse Lasers(x2)---Lasers; good clean photonic fun.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10+10 MD triple pulse blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.
Cost: 65,000 credits

m) Pulse Laser Lances(x2)---Adapted from the Kittani Energy Lance; modest damage, but good range, and excellent accuracy.
Range: 6,000 ft in hi-mode, 3,000 ft in lo-mode
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot in hi-mode, 6d6 MD per blast in lo-mode
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.
Bonus: +2 to strike
Cost: 75,000 credits

n) L-Ion Cannon(x3)--A lightweight weapon derived from the ‘Beach Stormer’ power armor rifle. It does more damage, but more importantly, is small enough to be mounted as a light weapon, and coupled in twin mounts on light gun positions, or in batteries of four on large gun-mounts.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+10 MD per blast, 3d6x10+30 MD per triple blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload:200 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.
Cost:230,000 credits

o) 45mm PS-HRG05 'Hellshot' Rail Cannons: (x1) An attempt to equal the power of the infamous "Boom Gun" carried by the Glitterboy, these fearsome handheld 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. They were originally issued as power armor hanndheld weaponry, but can also be vehicle-mounted with the advantage of larger attached magazines.
Range: 3,300 ft
Damage: 3D6x10 MD per projectile
Rate of Fire: Single shot ECHH; bursts are not possible
Payload: 20 shots per cannon
Market Cost: 120,000 credits per cannon(240,000 credits for the pair), 800 credits per penetrator round

p) Plasma Cannons(x2)-----Dual mounting of the old PPR-3 Serap’ Heavy Plasma Projector
Range:(Plasma Stream) 2,000 ft
(Plasma Bolt) 1,500 ft
Damage:(Plasma Stream) 1d6x10 MD per blast
(Plasma Bolt) 1d4x10 MD to 8 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Single shot, ECHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.
Cost: 80,000 credits per gun, 160,000 credits for the pair.
Options:
“Hot Shotting”---This systen augments the normal air-draw plasma re-mass system with deuterium-gas injected into the plasma flow for a cleaner, hotter, more potent ‘burn’. The deuterium is stored in pressurized cylinders attached to the feeds of the Serap, like a CO2 air rifle cartridge. This allows the plasma to do 50% more damage, but the weapon now has a bit of a recoil due to the more powerful plasma acting like a crude plasma drive(-1 to strike). HotShot modding costs 8,000 credits, and a recharged vehicle-grade cylinder of refined d-gas costs 1,400 credits( 900 credits if the user can return a depleted gas cylinder at the time of purchase) and is good for 60 shots.

q) Micro-Missile Launcher----A dual drum-roller mounting taken from the PSA-11.
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:
Pattern-1A---1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Pattern-1B---1d4 MD to 5 ft blast radius
Pattern-1C---3d6 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
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 3, 7, or 14
Payload: 63 (9 rows of 7 missiles each) per drum. 126 total!
Market Cost: 120,000 credits, (Pattern-1a) 120 credits per missile
(Pattern-1b) 150 credits per missile
(Pattern-1c)250 credits per missile

r) EMVC-09 ‘MagWind’ ElectroMagnetic Vortex Cannon(1)
Range: (EM Bolt) 4,000 ft
(Vortice) 3,000 ft
Damage: (EM Bolt) (Variable) 4d6 SD, 1d6x10 SD, or 5d6 MD per shot
(Vortice) Same as for the bolt at the point of impact, plus HALF damage in a 7 ft radius, and an 88% chance of knock-down(lose 1 APM and Initiative) for beings of 350 lbs or less, 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: Laser targeting add +1 to strike. EM bolts are -6 to dodge, on top of that!
Cost: 64,000 credits

s) Heavy TK Machine Guns(2)---Requires a TW powerplant.
Range: 8,000 ft(double on ley lines)
Damage: 2d4 MD single shot, 3d6 MD short(5 shot) burst, 5d6 MD long (10 shot) burst, 2d6x10 MD full melee (50 shot) burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited; powering spells must be re-cast every six months. 200 shot ‘back-up’ PPE clip
Cost: 200,000 credits


2)(Optional) Torpedo/Missile Hardpoints(2)---Two lateral mounting brackets can be used to hold expendable ordnance launchers.
a) Torpedoes---6 shot mini-torpedo pod, OR 2 light torpedoes, OR 1 medium or heavy torpedo per each side

b) Depth Charges--- 2 each side

c) Mini-Missiles----6 shot pod

d)Anti-Armor Missiles----3 shot launcher; Copperhead 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 1-3
Payload: 3
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 100,000 credits, 18,000 credits per missile

e) Chemical Spray Tank--- Can hold and dispense 50 gallons of chemicals into the water, such as emolients(for capturing oil spills), dyes, repellents, or poisons(such as gill-clog agents).

3) Flare/Chaff Launchers(x2)---Mounted on either side of the ‘stack’ are two mortar-clusters for firing flares or counter-measure bundles.
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: 3,000 credits per launcher; additional flare/chaff bundles cost 200 credits each


4) Ram Prow---The prow is reinforced and the cockpits buffered for ramming; does 3d6 MD on a high speed(in excess of 25 MPH) ram.

Options:
*Lance Scanner--- 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. It can detect powered-up rail guns and EM containment fields(such as fusion generator) at TWICE that range.
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

* Aura Scanner---For detecting and identifying PPE concentrations
Range: 2,000 ft
Cost: 35,000 credits

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

*Smoke Screen Generator---Generates a thick, obscuring cloud of dense smoke. Each blast covers a 100 ft area and anyone caught in the cloud of thick, obscuring smoke is -5 to strike, dodge, parry, disarm and entangle. Has enough smoke-matrix for 12 clouds.
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Magic Smoke(available only to TW powerplant versions)
*Smoke/Fog-----Cove’s a 1,000 ft radius in thick fog that lasts 50 minutes or until dispelled. Costs 5 PPE
Cost: 17,000 credits

*TW Enhancements---TW-powered versions can benefit from the full range of TW enhancements, powered from the powerplant’s PPE accumulator/battery. PS offers a discount of 10% on TW enhancements on a TW-powered vehicle.

Variants:
Already there’s been some experimentation with alternate configurations, such as replacing the rear weapons turret with a launch box for multiple drones(such as 24 ‘Switcheblade’ missiles), and refitting the rear cockpit into a drone control chair. Other variants are sure to follow.

[taalismn]

TWDRCD-02 ‘D-Stopper’ Rift Closer
(aka’Black-stop’, ‘Super-sealer’, ‘Door-Slammer’)
“While it may not be as versatile as other Paladin Steel techwiz devices, the d-stopper’s invaluable to rapid-response teams in areas where d-gating’s a problem. I can’t tell you how many infiltrations and outright invasions we’ve managed to bottleneck and choke off altogether thanks to these handy gizmos.”

“We barely closed that gate in time; a few seconds later and we would have lost invaluable witnesses to what we later learned was a systematic effort to infiltrate and eventually take over our colony. The defectors we rescued that day sang like birds about an enemy we hadn’t known was in our midst, and we wouldn’t have heard about thanks to their former employers seeking to silence any would-be turncoats. But thanks to some advanced orbital scanners and some paranoid foresight in equipping the planetside militia with gear that other people might dismiss as a needless expense, we got the whole story in time to put in place defensive measures.”

The D-Stopper is a technowizardry application of the Close Rift spell, allowing field teams to close off dimensional rifts without having to sacrifice personal PPE from a mage.
The core of the system is twenty carats of spell-imprinted onyx linked to a swappable PPE-clip, housed in the furniture of a standard laser rifle(though distinguishable by the jet black blocky muzzle end). A stabilized ectoplasm and crystal focal booster gives the D-stopper extra range(especially handy when if one is facing a dimensional rift spewing dangerous fumes, radiations, pathogens, or deadly defenders). The idea, as one Greater New England soldier put it, is ‘to make it cheaper to close a rift than it is to open one from the other end’, as well as to buy time to set up a more effective Close Rift ritual or bring in additional resources to deal with whatever problem the rift is responsible for(hazmat contamination, pest infestation, or invasion beachhead).
There’s a similar spell-card cartridge, called the ‘D-Wedge’, for the standard multiplexor, costs less, but that has less range(original spell range of 100 ft). Still, both devices are popular with field units, law enforcement, and operatives dealing with dimensional travel crimes and incursions. Many GNE/USA police units operating in areas where dimensional porting is common or possible like to keep a D-Stopper or D-Wedge in the cruiser trunk just in case. It is VERY popular on Rifts Earth, especially around the borders of the Magic Zone.

Weight: 6 lbs
MDC: 25
Range: 200 ft
Damage: Closes dimensional rifts instantaneously(equivalent to a +2 spell strength), although the magic dimensional rift gets a saving throw.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 35 PPE per activation
Can accept a standard PPE clip(usually hold 50-75 PPE each) or heavier Powerstone/Regenerator Cylinder.
Special Features:
*Top Rail---Can mount a sensor scope, spotlight, or secondary weapon such as a grenade launcher.
Cost: 95,000 credits

Note: The ‘D-Wedge’ spellcard for the standard multiplexor costs 22,000 credits( no range amplification or spell strength level-up).

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel UTR-17 Industrial Robot
(aka ‘Octowrench’)

“Leave one of these things in a garage with enough parts, tell it what you want, let it run overnight, and the next morning you’ll find it standing next to your brand new sports car or utility vehicle that you didn’t have last night.”

The UTR-17 is a heavy industrial robot developed by Paladin Steel for use in garages and factory floors. A descendent of static-position assembly line servo-mechanisms of the past, the UTR-17 is meant for quick deployment to field repair facilities or outpost factories.
The ‘bot is large(roughly the size of a small car) and consists of a lower chassis with articulated wheels. Mounted atop it is a swivel-mounted torso with multiple sensors and tool arms. Not designed for mobility, the UTR-17 uses its wheels to taxi slowly to a workstation, then lock itself in position. For faster transportation, the UTR must be towed or carried by another vehicle to its new worksite.
UTRs are programmed for assembly and repair and can be networked so that several can work on a larger project. They are often used in field factories as part of assembly lines. They can aslso be used to tear down and recycle equipment, or diagnose and rebuild damaged vehicles and machinery. Despite its size, the UTR is lightly armored to deal with the hazards of industrial facilities, such as collisions, fires, chemical spills, and even climatic extremes. Though not meant as combat units, the UTRs’ service history includes several anecdotes where defenders have turned the ‘bots into impromptu chokepoint guardians or booby-traps.
UTRs are lacking in any sort of personality; they are automated drones programmed to carry out rote production tasks or repair jobs. They can verbally interact with an overseer or manager, but their speech tends to be brisk, to the point, and often full of technical terms regarding a project. Most of their communication is with regards to ongoing work(“Assignment Completed”, “Work Delayed; Require Additional Specific Components, B23434 Axle, DK23412 Transmission Coupling-”).
UTRs are considered to be too large and cumbersome to be of use to the average adventurer or mercenary group looking for a conveniently mobile robot technical unit, but for larger concerns looking to establish a permanent base or start-up industrial facility, UTRs are a good investment in support infratructure plant. Some larger nomadic merc units and mining concerns, or companies use UTRs to establish temporary field factories, workshops, and recycling facilities.

Type: PS-UTR-17
Class: Industrial Robot Drone
Crew: None; robot intelligence(drone)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 80
Sensor Mounts(2) 6 each
Arms(8) 10 each
Legs/Wheel Mounts(4) 15 each
Height: 7 ft
Width: 5 ft
Length: 11 ft
Weight: 1.6 tons
Cargo: Tool racks on the front and back of the lower chassis
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 30
Powerplant: Battery (56 hour power life) or grid-powered. Field versions can be fitted with Nuclear w/ 10 year energy life.
Speed: (Running/taxiing) 5 MPH
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) Not possible unless specially modified for underwater labor
Market Cost: 8 million credits
Systems of Note:
Heavy Duty Frames(often coated with fire/heat-resistant, water-sealed or chemically-inert protective paint).
Fire Control Systems---Built-in fire extinguisher system
Full optical systems(w/ UV/IR spectral analysis, magnifying zoom)
Overhead Hoist Crane(2 ton lifting capability)
Laser Scanner/3D Imager
Weapons Systems: None standard, but many of the tools can be used as melee weapons.
Cutting blades, torches, drills, hammers and metal punches typically do from 1d6 SD to 4d6 MD. Range is typically 1-3 ft.
Rivet/Nail Guns do 1 SDC to 1 MD
Molecular Fusors glue materials together at the molecular level. This can be quite painful if, for example, skin is attached to steel, with the resulting tearing.
Spray Guns have a range of up to 10 ft, and are typically filled with chemicals that obscure(such as paints or fire extinguishers), sufficants, irritants, or corrosives.

Programming:
Basic Mechanics 90%
General Repair and Maintenance 90%
Automotive Mechanics 85%
Aircraft Mechanics(especially hover systems) 75%
Basic Electronics 96%
Computer Repair 92%
Electricity Generation 86%
Electrical Engineer 90%
Salvage 90%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
Initiative +1
Parry +3
Strike +1 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)

Options:
Most options applicable to UTR-17s are with regards to specialized tools, such as 3D printer heads, plasma spray depositors, nanotech builders, molecular fusors, magnetic resonance scanners, cryosprayers, vac-welders, microwave projectors, fingob transformation inversers and the like.

Variants:
*UTR-17S---A space-hardened version deployed on a space station or spacecraft hull via a rail-system, and used as a mobile gantry-bot for spacecraft repair and assembly. These units are typically programmed with Satellite Systems, Drive Mechanics, and Spacecraft Mechanics.

*UTR-17M---Military field garage model Customized/Military programmed with Robot Electronics(90%), Robot Mechanics(90%) and Weapons Engineer(90%) to service power armors.

[taalismn]

Razor Ridge(GNE Outpost)
“Dunno why the place is called ‘Razor Ridge’, ‘cept maybe because it cuts through the Plow Wall like a razor, but some Charter egghead told me it dates back to the Golden Age and for some reason the place back then was named for some popular shaving instrument brand...Crazy old-timers, I say.”

Razor Ridge is a fortified outpost several dozen miles south of the City of Charter(formerly Hartford). The fortification was established during the time of the Connecticut Baronies, who built on the ruined site of a former castle that once stood atop a rocky ridge on the east bank of the Connecticut River. The City of Charter subsequently took the site over and expanded it as a n early warning post against Spligirth raids from the Atlantic.. When Charter joined Greater New England, the GNE Armed Services moved in and added to the works already in place.
The site sits amidst the Plow Wall thrown up the coastline by the rising of the Atlamtic Ocean. Why the ridge wasn’t simply swept clean by the tidal wave of debris is a puzzle, but some sages speculate that the ridge may sit atop magic-rich rock connected to the nearby Moodus leyline, and was somehow protected from the geological upheavals. The same magical phenomena may have partially shielded the east bank of the Connecticut River and weakened the density of the debris in the region, allowing the river to continue to flow more or less freely(other rivers behind the Plow Wall have , despite the porous nature of the debris thrown up by tidal waves, backed up, causing swamps and flood lakes to form in many areas) to Long Island Sound.
The outpost has a commanding view of the lower Connecticut River, and large parts of the east bank of the river. The City of Charter meant to use it as a forward warning post, part of a series of defenses, later fully implemented by the GNEAS, along the river, including mine-booms that could be raised and riverine gunboats that could sally forth from various coves.
The centerpiece of the outpost is the Castle; Charter engineers tried to reconstruct the structure that once stood there in the Golden Age, but the needs of military fortification meant there had to be some necessary changes. The structures have been expanded, with underground facilities dug into the ridge underneath the castle. The keep itself looks even more jagged and forboding than its original form, with craggy crenelations and defensive works atop the reinforced tower. Both technological and magical defenses are worked into its structure, and its weapons batteries can lay down a punishing rain of fire on anything coming up the river, while its contingent of troops defend the fort from landside invaders.

Razor Ridge is a favorite landmark for aerial patrols to turn around at, so flying power armor are frequent sights in the air above the castle.

As Greater New England has grown and its defenses have advanced, Razor Ridge has lost some of its importance as the ‘front line’. However, it still continues to be useful as a regional strongpoint and auxiliary communications post.

A. Purpose: Private Residence---Later becomes a Warning Post
B. Size: Small Keep---Later expanded(mostly downwards) into an Estate-sized complex with room for 250 personnel.
C. Location: High Ground---Above a river
D. History: Pre-Rifts---Private Residence and museum
E. Primary Construction Materials: Stone---Later reinforced with rebar-concrete and enchanted stone. Effectively upgraded to 11 MDC per 10 ft section
F. Builders: Private Owner---Later, post-Rifts , the site was rebuilt in rapid succession by a Barony Warlord, the City of Charter, and Greater New England Armed Services.
G. Original Builders’ Species: Humans
H. Current Occupants: Government Troops---GNEAS garrison
I. Supplies:
The bunkers under the castle hold enough supplies to hold out for 5 years, though few believe that the outpost would have to hold out that long before either being reinforced or utterly destroyed, and the large stockpiles are ascribed to paranoid caution or anticipation of random rifting. Hidden intake pipes can draw water from the river.
J. Passive Defenses:
-High Ground---Occupies a raised ridge above a river bank.
K. Active Defenses:
-Autocannon---Rapid-fire weapons in the 20-40mm calibre range.
-Forcefield---Razor Ridge was the first large structure to see deployment of a large-scale magic forcefield; 2,500 MDC
-Short Range Missile Launchers; average volley strength of 20 missiles at a time.
L. Internal Defenses:
-Gun Mounts---Concealed weapons
M. Special Features:
-Sensory Advantage---High ground, Razor Ridge’s positioning on a ridge above the Connecticut River gives it a good view of river traffic.

[taalismn]

‘Hipe’ Bars
(aka ‘Hypbars’, ‘Hipros’, ‘Solid Body Fuel’, ‘Pro-Brick’)
“This man’s just been through a back-from-the-dead regeneration event! Anybody got any hipe-bars on them? If not, anybody know where the galley and larder on this tub is?!”

Hipe-Bars are rations of concentrated high protein and other nutrients. As many GNE personnel have super-regenerative abilities, high-performing metabolisms on a level equal to a Juicer’s, or are auged to possess such abilities, hipe-bars are meant to supply such physiologies with the necessary energy and materials to keep them firing at top performance. Hipe bars are meant to supplement a regular diet or tide a person over until they can eat regular(if big) meals. Hipe bars are a regular(if not outright standard) part of GNE Armed Services field rations. A typical hipe-bar is 50-60 grams, of which 70-80% by weight is concentrated protein. Military-issue rations are described as having a consistency and taste akin to a very chewy brick(GNEAS mess officer-specializations consider making the bars tasty in the field to be a ritual challenge), though ‘gourmet’ bars with much more flavor are available(and often a requested part of family care-packages to members in the service), costing 3-8 credits each.
(Optional) Some of the higher-end concentrates carry the risk of protein poisoning for those who don’t have superhuman metabolisms or who try subsisting on a diet of hipros. This causes the following symptoms, until a more balanced diet is substituted; HALF P.E., -5% to save versus poison and disease, -2 to strike, parry, and dodge, and -1d4 on initiative . Symptoms include weak heartbeat, headaches, and incontinence/bowel disorders. Fortunately, a successful Cooking skill roll can render these higher-end rations safe for others to eat.
Outside the GNE, hipe-bars tend to cost 6-15 credits a bar.

[taalismn]

TW Curse-Buster Amulet
“The Greater New England military’s been around long enough to have earned its share of curses...mostly nuisance ones like irritating rashes or excessive body odor...but occasionally some ******** digs up what they think is an ultimate malady-weapon worse than death to inflict on our people. So it’s good to have something ready at hand to purge off the dark magic, or at least hold it at bay until the specialists can arrive to take care of the crud for good. But for most garden variety curses and a surprising number of the bigger badder ones, this handy little device reduces them to the equivalent of a bad cold or touch of flu. Once a curse is identified, this thing busts it down to size.“

“Jumpin’ Belogordo on a Blork! How many curses does this poor kid HAVE?! Gimme another powerstone, willya? This may take a while.”

The TW Curse-Buster is a spellcard-style device for sweeping an afflicted person free of magic curses. Built around an array of rose quartz, the Curse-Buster resembles a small amulet, typically decorated in holy symbols of a Light-oriented temple and worn on a neck chain. To use, the amulet is placed in bodily contact with the accursed, and PPE fed into the device, activating the embedded spell. A secondary array of fire-agate detects the presence of curse magic in the subject, and indicates the success of the dispellment.
Since its introduction, the Curse-Buster has become wildly popular with healers and field personnel. It’s also made it clear that attempting to curse GNE and USA personnel is very much not effective and only angers them, much to the detriment of those who cursed them, when the cursing party is found out.

Note: The Curse-Buster does not repair any previous damage done by a curse, but prevents it from doing any more damage. Thus the Curse-Buster is best used in conjunction with other healing means to repair and rehabilitate. The Curse-Buster does not work against vampire-conversion, transmitted lycanthropy, or form-change magic, but does work against curse-induced magic maladies and insanities.

Weight: 4 ounces.
MDC: 5
Range: Contact
Damage: Save vs magic at +5 to remove a curse.
Duration: Instant, and the curse-removal is successful, effects are permanent.
Rate of Fire: 7 PPE or 14 ISP per activation
Payload: Can be powered by a regular PPE clip/powerstone, personal PPE or ISP(14 ISP)
Special Features:
* ISP/Psionics Compatible
*Detect Magic/Evil----The centerpiece jewel lights up in the presence of malicious magic, such as an active curse.
Cost: 3,800 credits
Options:
Curse-Busters are frequently decorated and embellished post-assembly with holy symbols, silver- or gold-plating, and often an inscribed blessing by Light clergy(GM’s option; this can add an additional +1 to the magic save).

[taalismn]

Greater New England Freebot Units
(aka ‘Legions of Steel’)

“Headquarters started getting concerned when several of my unit ‘tripped the line’ during routine performance reviews. They pulled my entire production batch off the line for evaluation and ended up revising our ratings and offering us the choice of reassignment. Effectively we were being emanicipated, offered citizenship and the choice of staying or going in the military. With only two exceptions, my entire production batch decided to re-enlist. Of the two who didn’t, Brother 343223 decided to become a big game hunter on Crosyar and Brother 828447 became a florist. This unit? I was built to serve and proud of it.”
---Sergeant ’Brother Seven’, Awakened Magnus Infantry Freebot, 781st ‘Lightning Bolts’ Battalion, Greater New England Regular Army

<<“Given the choice between continuing with the Regular Army or going civilian and having to pay taxes and risk jury duty? I stuck with the military because it was safer.>>
--LGZ(‘Lizzie’)-853, Sophant Assembled Intelligence, Greater New England Regular Army

“How can I expend robot drones, even those sharing the same general chassis as myself, on the battlefield? Do you hesitate to expend bullets or shells when doing battle? Do you worry about the limited intelligences in guided missiles, though they exhibit some behaviors similar to your own thought processes in seeking targets? That is what the drones are to us, bullets and shells, not possessing the spark of true cognition and self-awareness. In using them we defend and extend the agendas of true thinking beings, and indeed often their survival, including our own.”

While having good cause since the Mechanoid Incident on their own homeworld to be extremely cautious of militarized artifical intelligence, the GNE has long embraced AI as a force multiplier for the continually manpower-strapped nation. This has led to a number of all-AI formations that operated semi-autonomously on the battlefield.
However, as the GNE has moved into producing increasingly sophisticated AI systems, especially simulated neural networks, they’ve anticipated that their technology might reach a ‘critical mass’ resulting in the creation of true sophancy. Thus, when that did occur, the GNE was ready with programs to take emergent sophont AIs out of active duty, evaluate them, and offer them free choice of assignment.
Another emerging issue has been the awareness that many of the GNE’s higher-end robot AIs have been inhabited by psychic entities that have embedded themselves in the systemry(and the EShemarrians have been implicated as responsible for most of these ‘inhabitations’). While some, such as tectonic entities, have proven unequivocably hostile, rquiring them to be aggressively put down, others have been far more cooperative and even benign in behavior. The GNE has had to deal with these reprogrammed/possessed AIs on a case-by-case basis, guided by their experiences with a number of previous ‘sleeper residents’ in their territory.
Finally, the interdimensional nature of the extended GNE and its larger offspring, the United Systems Alliance, has meant that contact with free AIs, even AI cultures, has meant an acceptance of free AIs as equals. With a number of free AIs seeking asylum in the USA, extension of the civil rights normally associated only with organic beings became an inevitable issue and amendment to the USA charters. This has also led to a number of free-willed(usually transferred intelligence-stye) GOLEMs coming out of hiding and applying for GNE citizenship, citing the amnesty extended to AIs(on GNE official has already wondered aloud when they’ll have liberated rune weapons applying for citizenship).

All of this has led to evolving GNE(and by extension the USA) policies recognizing and accepting AIs as potential citizens with all the civil rights, opportunities, and responsibilties of organic beings, including military service.

In general, free AIs, especially those embodied in mobile robotic avatars, are known as ‘Freebots’. Rifts Earth as yet does not support enough of a global computer network to support many true free-range software entities as yet, but resident ‘freebot’ AIs are possible in regional systems in the more advanced technological enclaves, though they run the risk of detection(and possible deletion) if not already approved by the sysop authorities. Th GNE’s Boston Arcology has several such AIs on their payroll as part of their infrastructure security. However, the majority of free-willed AIs in the GNE are non-networked mobile robots. Freebots have been accorded all the same rights as organic citizens, as well as having the ability to to apply for various employment opportunities. This includes military service.

This has led to a number of military units consisting largely, or entirely, of AIs and directed by recognized sophant AI officers.
Interestingly enough, the higher-end sophont freebots have shown no hesitation in ordering ‘dumb’ drone-level robots to their destruction on the battlefield.
Notably, few of the more humanoid-sim freebot types, such as the CILAs and MARIs, have enlisted in the freebot military units, instead prefering to remain in their jobs with largely organic formations and working with their organic colleagues(and often with their original ‘owners’).

Ground Forces
The largest number of freebot units are in the ground forces, mainly infantry and mechanized infantry units.
The most common freebot types in such units are sophant PS-Rb-02 Magnus, PS-TAA02 ‘CyberSpinne’, *PS-TAA03G ‘Gunnar’, PS-SASR-7 Spartoi ‘Sergeant’ models, PS-VK-2 ‘Vikky’ Special Operations Vampire Killer Androids, PS-CCX-4 Artificial Intelligences, and PS/KS-UHMWP-018 ‘ GRANITE AX’ heavy weapons carriers, that act as an officer corps, directing legions of non-sophant drones.
Freebot units in the GNE Regular Army have so far not individually exceeded battalion strength.
A typical formation will consist of a headquarters unit directing infantry lines of drone PS-R08 Quickdraws, PS-R-10 Danbots, PS-Rb-02s and heavy infantry PS-SASR-7s, fronted by scout and raider units of PS-R-SOG-04 Shadowbots, and backed by heavy artillery/armor formations of PS-SASR-11SynW Wrektor Heavy Weapons Drone, , PS-SAADR-12 Sharktooth Air Defense Robota and PS-AT-LABT-07 ‘Damnthing’ Light Semi-Autonomous Autotanks(or similar). Support units of various drone vehicles and worker ‘bots provide logistical support.

Naval Forces
The GNENavy has long used marine drones, such as Sea Mantis seafloor crawlers, Roboats, heavily-automated warships and drone warships such as patrol hydrofoils and wave-skimmers. The first full purpose-built in-hull AIs with recognized sophant potential to go to sea were navalized versions of the PS/KS-UHMWP-018 ‘ GRANITE AX’ Heavy Autonomous Mobile Weapons Platform. Since then, there have been several flotilla-stength units of light warships and submersibles manned entirely by freebots. Perhaps, arguably the largest and most prominent of the GNE’s naval freebot units is the alien AI-reconstructed battleship Massachussetts(BB-59).

Aerospace
Freebot units are noticably absent as yet from the GNE’s aerospace forces. While the GNEAS uses aerial combat drones, none are sufficiently advanced to have acquired sophancy, nor has the GNE built any AI space warships. That having been said, a small number of USA starships have ended up crewed by non-GNE/USA-produced free AIs(such as Machine People) forming Irregular units.

The United Systems Alliance and A.I.

“Many in the CCW, especially in the Human-settled worlds. have had to go through considerable contortions not to see and acknowledge that the United Systems Alliance freely consorts with artificial intelligence, and that they even produce and naturalize as citizens their own AIs. Fortunately, they don’t seem to have embraced the idea of massive AI networking, and they encourage individuality in their free AIs, such that they either are resistant to network viruses, or don’t seek that deep level of networking in the first place.
Given the USA’s growing trade ties with the Contoonese sensoid-makers and their protectorate over Verannan, there’s an increasing number of assembled intelligence ‘wards’ and citizens that are virtually indistinguishable, at a glance, from the naturally evolved ones. That means that at some time dealing with the USA, it’s inevitable that one will encounter an AI and not know it. Worse, many recognized sophont AIs get adopted into organic families. There’s even talk of hybrids of one kind or another; they’re apparently still experimenting.
This all must be of great concern to the anti-AI types in the CCW, as well as the sept-purists. Especially with the growing economic importance of the Rim; too many polities have intertwined economic ties to give in to prejudice and break off relations with the amounts of revenue involved at stake. The recent disgrace of the hardline Human Alliance has only added to the cracks and weakening of the anti-AI coalitions and lobbies.
More disturbing from a tactical point of view are growing rumors that increasing numbers of Silver Shrike starfighters have been seen in the general vicinity of the USA’s Veranan protectorate. As the TGE supposedly destroyed the last known source of the Machine Peoples’ premiere starfighter, these occurances suggest that either a well-armed number of Machine People with legacy tech are currently operating near Veranan, or they have already established relations with the Veranan AIs and have a factory(possibly built with USA help) to produce new starfighters. Having a new source of weapons, especially an iconic type that they can rally behind, is sure to give a leg up to Machine People militancy. Though the CAF currently seem to regard it as simply a welcome new thorn in the side of the TGE, it may spell long term trouble with the more prejudiced elements of the CCW.
While the USA has not wholly fallen into the Chromite camp, and indeed has fought extremist Chromite factions in the past, the United Systems Alliance’s close relationship with AI should be of concern.
We should step up our efforts to observe the USA and their AI developments, with special attention paid to the possible long-term ramifications of their ‘experiments’.”
----Private memo circulated within several deep Consortum organizations

The United Systems Alliance, initiated in large part by Rifts Earth Greater New England, has largely followed the GNE’s lead in accepting free AIs into their ranks, given their stance on refugees and their close working relationship with the heavily cyberized EShemarrians. It has also come to light that more than a few freebots had previously found refuge in the Central Alliance, an ally of the USA, by posing as full conversion cyborgs.

While not all USA members are onboard with accepting free AIs, the majority treat freebots as no more than another group of interesting new species applying for membership. Many non-human members of the USA assume that the many humaniform androids and gynoids in the GNE, such as the CILA and MARI series, and the increasingly common Contoonese Sensoids, are already natural-born citizens and treat them accordingly.

Most allies of the USA accept their stance on AI, or at least are polite enough not to rabidly raise objections to it. The general attitude is that the USA is diverse and crazy enough to handle it on their own turf. Indeed, the sheer diversity of the USA’s membership and technologies is often consciously voiced as a means of insuring that no one single technology or technological platform can be decisively turned against the polity. Many of the freebot AIs, in fact, voice their own concerns about AI security and have established their own protocols against subversive computer viruses or ‘corruption calls’ that malafactors might attempt to spread through the USA’s citizenry. And that diversity and inclusiveness seems to be the USA’s best defense against rogue AI.

[taalismn]

TW Solarplex Sun-Tower
(aka ‘Sunflower Tower’)
“There’s four traditional kingdoms of materials used through history; organics, stone, metal and manmade, but now there’s a fifth kingdom...the metaphysical materials, such as ectoplasm. We’ve barely scratched the possible applications of the new materials, but they’re proving to be as much a game-changer as the plastics.”

“Pre-Rifts Paris used to known as the ‘City of Lights’. Now it’s Mexico City after the vampires were driven out. There’s virtually a forest of these solar collectors sprung up around the old city to make liquid sunshine and they’re even talking about pumping it to houses like tap water.”

“With so many solar liquification apparatus operating in the Mexico region, it’s predicted that the new Republic and its satellite states may be the largest producers of aqua-sol, sun-water, in the world. Once they perfect economical means of producing enough stabilized ectoplasm containers to store and transport the stuff, they could well be the biggest exporter of liquified sunshine. The stuff’s being used in so many things these days; from chemical laser fuel and lighting lamps to medical infusions and cocktail mixers. There’s a lot of experimentation going on, and some of it’s proving intriguing and oh so very useful. With the large quantities already on the local market, it’s a miracle there’s any vampire activity in Mexico anymore, and that’s leading to some speculation as to what they might do with the surplus they’ll likely accumulate. Maybe flood the Shadow Dimension?”

“It’s a bad time to be a creature of darkness in Mexico these days.”

Paladin Steel may have lost the arms contract to supply the new Mexican Republic’s armed services to Wellington Industries, but they made up for it with supplying Mexico with anti-vampire equipment, and in particular the new liquid sunshine gear. So much so that Paladin Steel started a new sub-subdivision, Paladin Steel SolarFluidics(PSSolF)(a more ‘civilian’ outgrowth of the PS Vampire Slayer Laboratories taskforce) to keep up with the demand, newly-liberated Mexico being the first and biggest customer.
So important has magically-liquified sunlight(MLSol, sometimes called ‘sun’s milk’, ‘sun-water’, or ‘aqua-sol’) become to vampire-wary Mexico that virtualy every community has TW solar collectors producing it. So great has been the demand that PS designed a modular community-level solar collection, liquification, and storage system that can be erected in a town or village, providing it with a ready supply of the magical fluid.
The Solarplex resembles a pillared community watertower with a large satellite dish or multi-vaned windmill atop it, connected to sun-tracking motors. Conventional solar cells power the mechanicals, but the Solarplex’s real purpose is to collect sunlight and render it into a usable liquid form, stored in a large stabilised-ectoplasm-lined storage tank. A TW PPE powerstone integrated into the heart of the system powers up the collection spells and automation does the rest. Additional collectors can be added and linked via StabEct-lined piping to increase production.
The high tower allows the collection apparatus to have an unobstructed arc of sky to collect sunlight from. It’s also not uncommon, especially in more lawless regions, for the collection tower to double as an observation platform, with provision for armed guards and a mounted heavy weapon or two.
Sun-towers are popping up all over the Mexico/Latin America region. The Mexican Republic government underwrites many installations as ‘vital public utilities’.

Size: 50-90 ft tall and 15 ft in diameter
MDC: Typically 150-300
Power System: Solar-Electric (runs pumps and solar tracking) and TW PPE Powerstone
Capabilities:
*7,000 gallon capacity in a stabilized ectoplasma-lined storage tank.
*TW Solar Liquifier---Converts gathered sunlight into a liquid form. The expenditure of 30 PPE allows for empowering a collection system to gather sunlight for 10 hours, and 10 gallons of fluid per hour.
*Multiple additional collectors can be patched into the storage system.
* Electronic Photo-Electric Tracking keeps the main colector(s) aimed at an optimal angle to catch the dun’s rays.
Cost: 1 million credits(not including installment labor costs)

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘Kimberly’ Militia Air Defense Vehicle
(aka ‘Kimmy’, ‘Bang-strober’)

“Thing looks like a technical, and it is a gun-truck, but a gun-truck built RIGHT. Range on the weapons is decent so you can engage targets without having to wait to see the whites of their eyes...if they have whites or eyes....before pulling the trigger. The range also means it’s good for shooting up ground targets without being in small arms reach of them. Mind you, it’s not a proper tank, but it’s good fire support, especially if you can match it up with other weapons carriers like missile-trucks.”

“The choice of the Xxihanese weapon over the old Paladin Steel naccer rail gun’s thought to be politically motivated; the usans apparently tossed the Xxihanese a bone since their weapons industry marketshare took a downturn what wt the proliferation of usan industry arms all over the Rim. Now that they’re members, Xxihan got a signing-up gift with the contract for the new air defense guns. It’s a bit more expensive than the older en-cee-eight, and there were supply problems until the Xxihanese got mass-production rolling, but at least it’s a superior weapon worth the extra lucre. However, the naccer-eight’s still available as a backup weapon if need be.”

“The industries of the Rim are really churning out air defense artillery in a variety of flavors. Used to be a pirate could make a quick credit or at least pick up some free supplies just flying an armed shuttle over a backwater colonial hick settlement and extort them for whatever they had. Nowadays though that same pirate operation’s more likely to get themselves shot full of holes by enough kinetics and missiles to overload even military shielding.”

The ‘Kimberly’ LADV is a straightforward direct-fire air defense vehicle that debuted in the Three Galaxies as a light, inexpensive, colonial militia tactical air defense unit .
The Kimberly was assembled largely with off-the-shelf components; its main hull is the chassis of the very common PS- SUTV-04 Chernot Sport Utility Tread-layer Vehicle, topped by a modified commercial cab fitted with a 30mm rail gun and an extended range laser cannon seconded from light starship point defense systems. Sensor systems are shared in common with the ADF-03 ‘Dorie Miller’ Anti-Aircraft Gun Carrier. Electronics and fire control were seconded from various other programs and product lines.
Kimberlys have become a common part of colonial militia security force garages across the United Systems Alliance frontier and with affiliates. They are inexpensive to operate and maintain, simple to use, and their systems are well-tested and reliable. The commonality of parts with other PS/ASI product lines makes for easy repairs and less burdensome logistics.
The main shortcomings of the Kimberly are a lack of missile and secondary weaponry, high profile, and slow speed. They are also not particularly well-armored. However, they are meant as defensive weapons systems.

Type: PS-LADV-08 ‘Kimberly’
Class: Light Air Defense Vehicle
Crew: 3(Driver, 2 gunners)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Reinforced Crew Cabin 100
Air Defense Turret 200
30mm Rail Gun 110
Extended Range Pulse Laser Cannon 120
Ammunition Bins(2) 100 each
Sensor Mast 100
Treads (2) 80 each
Height: 10 ft
Width: 8 ft
Length: 20 ft
Weight: 5 tons
Cargo: Space in the cabin for about 600 lbs of gear.
Powerplant: Electrical Fuel Cell( w/ 400 mile range), Nuclear w/ 10 year energy life
Speed:
(Ground) 65 MPH
Market Cost: 900,000 credits for Electric, 1.3 million for nuclear
Systems of Note:
Standard Vehicle/Power Armor Systems, plus:
*Environmentally Sealed/Controlled Cabin---similar to Robot systems
*IR/Normal Light Headlights
*Powered Winch and 60 ft of cable
*Trailer Hitch---Can haul up to 3 tons without problem, 5 tons at 1/4 speed
*Autofire---Rather than be manned, the Kimberly’s guns can be directed by an automatic gunner. 4 actions/attacks per melee, and has a +2 to strike airborne targets.
*Fire Control Network Link----The Kimberly’s gun system can be slaved to a centralized fire control system, allowing multiple vehicles to share targeting data and fire in synchronization. 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. Track/ID 48 targets.
*Targeting Sensors, including microwave radar lock and laser ranging; +2 to strike airborne targets.

Weapons Systems:
1)30mm Rail Gun(1)---A rapid-fire massdriver firing bursts of 30mm shells. Originally the Kimberly was intended to mount the PS-NAC-8C, but after the Xxihan joined the United Systems Alliance, the weapon of choice was the mire compact and powerful Xhn/ASI-GsRG01 ‘Sara’ ‘gausser’ cannon.
The inclusion of two magazine bins allows the gunner to mix specialized ammunition types.
Range: 2.8 miles
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 4d4 MD to a 10 ft blast radius, 2d4x10 MD to a 30 ft blast radius per 10 rd burst.
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 3d6 MD single shot, 3d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire:: EGCHH
Payload: Two ammunition bins; each magazine holds 220 rounds.
With a trained crew in power armor, a fresh magazine can be changed in 4 minutes

2) Extended Range Pulse Laser Cannon(1)---Mounted above and behind the rail gun is am extended-barrel pulse laser cannon normally mounted as a light aerospace fighter weapon in the ASI/WZT modular weapons mount system. Damage may be light, but its range and ability to hold to a target
Range: (Palladium) 2.5 miles it atmosphere, 5 in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per pulse blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 shot battery if fuel cell powered. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear powered.

Options:
*Extra Power Cells(available to fuel cell models only)---These are extra battery packs that provide extra shots to the laser; +200 shots. Up to three can be mounted. Cost: 90,000 credits each.

*Amphibian Conversion---Waterseals the vehicle, and provides an all-around ‘feet dry’ hull. Adds 9 MDC to main body. Can power itself along the surface via its treads at a leisurely 5 MPH.
Cost: 12,000 credits

*Grousers---Grousers are simply track extensions that widen the treads(by 2-3x) and allow the treadlayer to reduce its ground pressure and better traverse soft surfaces such as mud and snow, and reduce penalties for traveling over such surfaces by HALF. Cost: 3,000 credits per set of treads.

*Camou-Shroud---A variant of PS’s portable ‘scrambler’ shelter, only larger to cover the tank. This is a portable folding shelter that can be erected in minutes, providing protection from the elements, limited megadamage protection, as well as concealment from electronic and infrared/thermographic detection.
The ‘Shelter’ consists of a yard-long ‘can’ that looks like a large drum. When activated, about a dozen articulated ‘spider leg’ structural members of carbon composite branch out, anchor themselves in the ground, and form the skeleton of a dome-shaped igloo roughly 7 ft tall by 20 ft in diameter. The pod then deploys a cover sheet of special plastics, with a camouflage print, and integral sensor-baffling elements.
The Camouflage pattern sheet can be chemo-switched to any one of seven different configurations. The support elements create a degaussing ‘bubble’ that scrambles radar signals(incoming and outgoing), as well as disrupting magnetic resonances(fouling Magnetic Anomaly Detectors), while the fabric itself insulates and dissipates the infrared and thermal emissions and signatures of the occupants, rendering those means of detection less effective.
Care must be taken in setting up the Shelter---The igloo is not invisible to naked eyeball optical searches, so ‘blending’ the shelter into the natural landscape contours is essential for best results.
The entire shelter can deploy/retract for stowage in 1 melee
MDC: The tent provides about 60 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:
*Waterproofing
*Fire Proofing---Can handle temperatures up to 300 degrees centigrade. Normal fires do NO damage
*Minimal Radiation Shielding--The fabric shell provides some protection against radiation(such as that from expended U-rounds laying nearby, or fallout), but is not recommended for protection in ‘hot’ zones (good for maybe 5-6 minutes of exposure).
*Chameleon-cloth Fabric---Can assume one of seven preset 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: 90,000 credits; currently unavailable outside GNE military forces and approved affiliates.

*Deep Water Fording Kit---This kit adds watersealing to parts of the hull, and an extendable escape tower (10 ft tall) and snorkel to the main top hatch, allowing the truck to cross bodies of water up to 30 ft deep(reduce speed to 4 MPH driving on the river bottom). The kit takes a competent mechanic or tank crew about 30 minutes to fit. Cost: 50,000 credits.

* Smoke Mortars---Mountable gas grenade launchers for providing covering smoke. 1-4 clusters are typically mounted.
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, 12 total
Cost: 3,500 credits for the launchers

*Chaff/Flare Launchers---For those of you afraid of eating a missile.
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: 3,500 credits for the launchers


Variants:
An earlier production model of the Kimberly was released mounting the PS-NAC-8C rail gun; most of this early configuration were subsequently refitted with the -GsRG01 ‘Sara’ weapon but a few remain with the original weapon;
Range: 11,000 ft(2 miles)
Damage: 3d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst(can only fire bursts)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 800 rds

[taalismn]

PS-MMLC(T)118 ‘Braxton’ Light Missile-Tank( APC(T)118 Linden Variant)
(aka ‘Boom-Box’, ‘Braxton-Boomer’, ‘Attack-Shack’)
With a scream of escaping high-pressure air, its ruptured skirt throwing off pieces and its overloaded lift fans howling in protest, the top-heavy hovercraft slewed over onto its side, diving into the murky channel water, its own high speed crushing its structure on impact. The plume of swamp water it threw up did little to impede the following salvo of missiles that shot into the crippled vehicle’s exposed underbelly and gutted it. Internal explosions finished it off.
From where his squad of amphibians lay alligator-like in ambush, sitting low in the wetland waters, the militia commander looked at the burning wreck and the several towers of smoke growing over the marshes, evidence that the rest of his company had also claimed victims.
“Who the hell builds double-decker military hovercraft like that?” The commander asked rhetorically, before turning his attention to the next approaching group of raiders, already being target-painted by the swamp-rangers for his missiles.

“The Minion War, as word spread, caused a lot of panic-buying of armaments to bolster local defenses, But disruptions to the interdimensional trade networks and a lot of security lockdowns of dimensional gates meant that arms shipments were stoppered just as demand was highest. To their credit, a lot of our outdimension outposts improvised new wargear, both to secure their own positions and to save company face by not defaulting on promised aide to frantic customers. As efforts to avoid having to pay out refunds or lose clients go, some of the equipment they came up with was pretty damn good.”

“The Boomer’s actually more comfortable than the Zerk would have been, is just as fast, and has the same throw-weight of missiles. Our troops were not dissatisfied at all to get the Braxes as opposed to the Zerkats we originally bought.”

“Wallowing brick of a combat vehicle, but a damn sight better than going virtually hand to hand with those sky-scum pirate raiders. They never saw our entrenched missile launchers until our militia threw back the thermal tarps and gave the advancing bandits an opening volley of javvies. They got more than a bloody nose and the long-ranged peedee lasers were as good as snipers, plus made short work of the panzerfausts the pirates brought along.”

The ‘Braxton’ MMLC was another Minion War lash-up design developed by a Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries outpost isolated by disruptions to the extradimensional trade network, but working to maintain normal trade obligations. In this case, a cut off of shipments of assembled PS-LT-47/48 ONTOS II light missile tanks left the Parias Seven depot unable to deliver on client prepaid arms deliveries. In order to maintain customer confidence and give them -something- for their money, as well as to continue sales to other customers in their region, engineers at the depot improvised.
What the depot DID have was an onsite factory producing APC(T)118 Lindens, a very basic ‘box on treads’ personnel carrier. The depot also carried plenty of spare parts, armor plating, and weapons systems, including mini-missile launchers, in anticipation of the PS-LT-47 deliveries.
Though previous variants of the APC(T)118 had been produced mounting mini-missile launchers, including the six-launcher turret off the ONTOS II, the Parias Seven engineers attempted a different approach. They bolted on additional armor, fitted in a reinforced compartment for the crew(eliminating the troop-carrying capacity in the process), the drive train and treads were modified for faster running, the lower hull remodeled in shape for better amphibious operations, and armorers placed two by six launch tube ‘metalstorm’-style mini-missile launchers in the forward glacis plate of the APC. A dual-mode point-defense turret with a full 360-degree arc of fire was added to the top of the vehicle.
Like the Linden, the Braxtion can be fitted with an accordion-jointed rear trailer holding additional equipment and weaponry, though for mobility purposes, most Braxton crews leave this option off.
As a substitute for the absent ONTOS IIs, the Braxtion was just about adequate, but advantageous in other areas. The shortcomings of the ‘Braxton’ were that in order to bring the main missile armament to bear, the entire tank had to be turned. The MMLC was also larger than the more compact ONTOS/Zerkat, and had a higher target profile. The Braxton’s strengths were that its launchers could be reloaded from inside the tank(though the number of reloads was limited), it mounted a very effective secondary antipersonnel/antimissile weapons system, it was less expensive and it was easy to operate. Vehicle crews also liked the roomier interior.
The Braxton operated best as a militia tank attacking from ambush or fighting from prepared defensive positions into pre-sighted kill-lanes. Its compatibility with the existing variety of options available to the Linden meant that the Braxtion could be fitted with engineering equipment such as dozer blades, allowing it to scrape up its own revetments. It is often deployed with infantry spotters who can designate targets with homing lasers for laser-guided munitions.
Parias Seven produced over two hundred of these Linden-variants before contact with the restored trade network was restored. Though the Braxton hardly presented anything new in the way of innovations, it showed that PS/ASI was willing to go the extra mile to meet its obligations. Though production at Parias Seven c eased with the resumption of regular sales deliveries, the Paladin Steel home office kept the blueprints for the variant on file. Occasionally, a request for the configuration has come up, and limited batch production has met the order.

Type: PS-MMLC(T)118 Braxton
Class: Light Missile Launcher Carrier, Tracked
Crew: 3(driver, sensor operator/gunner, and gunner). An additional 1-2 passengers can squeeze in.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 360
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 100 each
Point Defense Turret 120
Tracks(2) 80 each

(Optional)Rear Trailer Module Main Body 140
Tracks(2) 80 each

Height: 12 ft w/ turret
Width: 10 ft
Length: 20 ft (42 ft w/ Rear Trailer Module attached)
Weight: 10 tons (16 tons w/ Rear Trailer Module attached)
Cargo: Space inside the crew compartment for several survival packs, side arms, and a few personal possessions
The optional Rear Trailer Module can hold an additional 1.2 tons of gear
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(350 mile range), Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell(450 mile range), Electric Battery(480 mile range), or Nuclear Mini-Pack(w/ 10 year life span)
Speed:(Road) 65 MPH(50 MPH w/ trailer module) on level, paved, surfaces.
Can climb a 60 percent grade, surmount 2 ft vertical obstacles, and cross 6.6 ft trenches.
(Water) Fully amphibious; 10 MPH
Market Cost:450,000 credits standard, 600,000 credits for fuel cell, 720,000 electric, 2 .4million credits for nuclear.
The Rear Trailer Module costs 44,000 credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Power Armor Systems, plus:

*Vision Periscopes w/ Low-lite/IR optics, Laser Targeting(+1 to strike w/ missiles)

*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 traveling over either surface). A flip of a dashboard switch deploys/deactivates them.

Weapons Systems:
1) Forward Mini-Missile Launchers(6x2)---These are the same missile launcher/magazine tubes as used in the PS PTT-M20 Missile Rifle carried as standard on the ONTOS II missile tank, but mounted in a fixed forward position in the front of the tank.
Range: Usually about a mile for the missiles
Damage: Depends on missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-24
Payload: 120 missiles total (10 per tube)+36 reloads in the back

b) HATGMs---A subsequent variant offered later swapped out the Mini-Missile Launchers for more powerful anti-armor missiles.
*Copperhead 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 1-4
Payload: 24 total, 12 per launcher. 24 more are carried internally and can be reloaded internally, at a rate of one every 2 minutes.
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 400,000 credits

*Heavy ATGMs---a medium-range armor-piercing missile warhead on a foreshortened rocket booster, with command guidance, for making precise anti-armor kills.
Range: 1 mile
Damage: 3d6x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: 18 total, 9 per launcher. 18 more are carried internally and can be reloaded internally, at a rate of one every 2 minutes.
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 400,000 credits ‘

2) Point Defense Turret---- The original plan was to drop in a standard light laser PDS turret, a well-tested light laser antiaircraft/antimissile system, and can be remote-linked to an air defense grid system, part of Paladin Steel's BAMSP: Battlefield Asset Management System Package. As the Parias Seven depot engineers grew more confident with their improvisation skills, they developed a more powerful system using lasing elements from the PSMBL-5000B pulse laser cannon.
a) L-LPDS01 Laser System
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 3D6 MD single blast, 6D6 MD double- barreled blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner''s combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: +2 to strike airborne targets like missiles and aircraft/flying opponents(must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground)

b) L-LPDS02B---The L-LPDS01 upgraded with more powerful laser elements from the PSMBL-5000B. This subsequently became the standard fitout for the Braxton.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 4D6 MD single blast, 8D6 MD double- barreled blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunner's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: +2 to strike airborne targets like missiles and aircraft/flying opponents(must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground)

Options:
As a Linden APC variant, the Braxton can use most of the options available to the APC. Bulldozer bales were particularly popular, especially for plowing up defensive berms.
The following are a few of the more common/popular options available:

*Splinter Shielding---This is a set of heavy mesh appliqué panels mounted on a vehicle and offset by 3-6 inches, ideally to trigger armor piercing warheads prematurely and keeping them from making a more lethal contact angle with the vehicle’s hull.
A Splintershield offers only modest protection against conventional attacks; a typical screen has only 30-45 MDC. However, it still has some effectiveness as defeating missile attacks; on a ‘To Strike’ roll of 6-7, Armor-Piercing missiles bash themselves on the cage bars, doing only 1d4 MD, and on a 8-10, do only HALF damage due to premature detonation or redirect of their kinetic force. And, for additional cost, it can be ensorcelled with an Armor of Ithan(50 MDC, HALF damage from magic fire/lightning/cold, 5 PPE per 5 minutes, +28,000 credits). Energy Field(60 MDC, 5 PPE per 5 minutes, +12,000 credits), or Magic Shield(60 MDC, 3 PPE for 10 minutes, +25,000 credits) spell.
SplinterShielding is ONLY applicable to ground vehicles and watercraft, and ONLY to the Main Body and wheels/treads (turrets and other features can still be specifically targeted). It CANNOT be fitted to aircraft, robots, or power armor.
Cost: 10,000 credits per 10 ft x4 ft screen


*Appliqué Armor:
*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 plasma-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

*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 Appliqué 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


*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

*Fletchette Packs----Located around the hull are special ‘reactive armor’ panels that can be also be triggered as antipersonnel grenades. This is one of several similar systems currently in service/under development by PS.
Range: 100 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD to a cone swath roughly 50 ft long, by 10 ft wide.
Used as reactive armor against plasma and armor-piercing missiles, the computerized firing system acts as a PARRY, rolling to match or better the missile’s strike roll...a successful counter means that the missile damage is HALVED, while a failure means the tank takes full damage. Note: when dealing with volleys, one reactive armor pack can match TWO missiles in a volley, so in order to effectively counter a five missile volley, the tank must expend 3 reactive armor packs...two packs would roll twice to defeat their respective missiles, the third would only roll once. If the enemy missile launcher has a line of sight on the tank, they can target a spot on the hull which has no packs covering it (a called shot), in which case the remaining reactive armor is -4 to cover the gap.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or can be simultaneously fired in volleys of 1-10
Payload: Each side of the APC(sides, front, back) can be fitted with 10 fletchette packs each(40 total)
Cost: 200 credits per fletchette pack


* Smoke Mortars---Mountable gas grenade launchers for providing covering smoke. 1-4 clusters are typically mounted.
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, 12 total
Cost: 3,500 credits for the launchers

*Chaff/Flare Launchers---For those of you afraid of eating a missile ....
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: 3,500 credits for the launchers


*Smoke Screen Generator---Generates a thick, obscuring cloud of dense smoke. Each blast covers a 60 ft area and anyone caught in the cloud of thick, obscuring smoke is. Has enough smoke-matrix for 12 clouds.
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Ground Radar---Useful for locating underground pipes, cables, hidden bunkers, basements, and for testing the stability of the ground(can determine if the underlying soil is sandy and soft, or hardpacked and firm). The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting nonmetallic ordinance.
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Mine Detector-----A detection coil can be installed on the prow, and uses a variety of magnetic, chemical, and ground sonar detection systems to sniff out mines and buried ordinance. 85% accuracy.
Cost: 3,500 credits

*Sensory Cluster----MDC 80---Has the following sensors:
*Motion Detector--200 ft range
*Laser Illuminator-----6,000 ft range, Designates targets for laser-guided munitions/weapons
*Laser targeting 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 nonmetallic 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 nonmetallic ordinance.
*Aura Scanner---For detecting and identifying PPE concentrations
Range: 2000 ft
*Bio-Scanner---Has a molecular analyzer, enhanced radiation detector, high-powered acoustic ‘shotgun mike’(3,000 ft range), and thermo-imager optics.
* Optical Cluster--- Telescopic,IR/UV, Thermo-Imaging, Audio-Video-Surveillance System
Cost: 80,000 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 enzyme/molecular interactions of organic pathogens
Cost: 80,000 credits


*Bulldozer Blade---A bulldozer blade can be mounted on the front, with enough hydraulics to raise and lower the blade. Dozer blade has 80 MDC.
Cost: 15,000 credits

*Hedgerow Cutters---A classic and simple device inspired by accounts of the Second World War, this device simply consists of sharpened blades of megadamage armor mounted to the front of the AFV, and used for assisting in getting the vehicle through dense underbrush, though it can also aide in ramming doors and vehicles. Adds +1d4 MD to a ram attack. Cost: 1,000 credits
A vibroblade version is also available; it does 3d6 MD and costs 15,000 credits.

*Flamer Defense System--- Based on an experiment in efforts to deter the tankerman’s worst nightmare, demolition-charge-armed infantry swarming up close, the system consists of six short-range flame projectors set up to surround the tank with a six-fan ring of flame.
Range:(Direct-Stream Mode) 100 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 flame-thrower 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:(Direct-Stream Mode) Standard
Payload:(Direct-Stream Mode
(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: 27,000 credits.



*Robotic Conversion---This incorporates an adapted form of the software from the AT-LABT-07 ‘Damnthing’ AutoTank. The drone IFV is typically used to patrol high-risk areas, work as a ‘moving roadblock’, draw fire from invaders and bandits, and bolster urban defenses in siege situations.
Systems of Note:
Basic Robot Optical and Audio
Short Range Radar---10 mile range
External Audio/Video Surveillance System
Passive Nightvision
Thermo-Imager
Motion Detector---200 ft
Actions/Attacks per Melee: 4
+2 strike to w/ all ranged attacks
+3 to strike w/ main cannon/direct fire weapon
Cost: 200,000 credits

[taalismn]

PS-PALLS02 ‘Owl Eye’ Power Armor Helmet Modification

“It’s the Gaze of Death!”

“Typical Paladin Steel; not enough to put out designs already dripping with option slots, they have to add more weapons out the wazoo. Trying to disarm one of them’s like trying to remove all the sand from a beach. I’m waiting for an option that farts bombs.”

Paladin Steel began offering this modification to its power armors beginning with the PS-PA-17 ‘Verl’ TW-SAMAS and later made available to the PSA-19 ‘Bec de Corbin’ Combat Strike Exoskeleton, PS-PA-24 ‘Patrolman’ Light Power Armor, PSA-13 ‘Steel Mack’ Light Power Armor, PS-PA-10 Pikeman and PSA-11 series. The modification fits two advanced laser eyes(copied and improved from a Japanese design) to the temples’sides of the power armor’s helmet. Micro-actuators allow the laser arrays to track with the pilot’s line of sight, and can be fired manually or by nueral link command, with great accuracy. The large eye-like laser arrays earned them the nickname ‘Owl Eyes’ when first installed on the Verl suit, and the name stuck. They’ve since proven increasingly popular as a refit option, giving power armor pilots an added antipersonnel weapon.

Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD for one laser firing, 4d6 MD for both firing simultaneously(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Bonuses: +1 to strike
Payload: Effectively Unlimited linked to the power armor’s power supply.
Cost: 200,000 credits for a pair

[taalismn]

“WhiteFang” Heavy Anti-Armor Tactical Missile System
(aka ‘Du-Smack’, ‘Auto-Nailer’, ‘Death-Pin’)
“For the cost of a single Cestus hovertank the USA can outfit a dozen militia vehicle teams with WhiteFang launchers. Sure, their vehicles can’t take hits like the tank can, but spread across a battlefront they can tie up a lot more enemy armored than that one tank can. After taking a few armor-stripping shots, most opponents tend to get a lot more cautious about advancing pell-mell, and a good number of planet raiders change their minds about sticking their heads into a possible meatgrinder. Most invaders will run out of armored vehicles before the locals run out of trucks and utility tractors.”

“Wait until we start fitting these things with specialty warheads like the magic-boomers. Then you’ll see some SERIOUS fireworks!”

The WhiteFang HAATM is a further development of the ‘heavy-hitter’ Copperhead-Cobra-Mamba series. The WhiteFang mounts a powerful shaped-charge plasma warhead and a hyper-accurate guidance system that can use a variety of sensor media, including radar- and laser-beam rider targeting.
Paladin Steel has a standardized modular launcher system that has a two-tube auto-reloading turret, magazine, sensor and guidance package that can be dropped into the cargo bed of a standard ground truck or crawler, allowing a wide variety of mobile platforms to be converted into anti-armor vehicles.
While still falling short of the ‘one shot one kill’ goal against anything other than light vehicles, the WhiteFang can still do great damage, and the system is proving popular with Greater New England and United Systems Alliance militias. With production starting on a number of GNE worlds and licensed to USA members, the cost per missile is expected to drop as much as 20%.

Range: 6 miles
Damage: 4d6x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: 1-2; rapid auto-reloading allows up to 3 salvoes to be fired per melee.
Payload: 8
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Special Features:
*Laser-Guidance Compatible---The WhiteFang can use the standardized GNE laser spot designation system, allowing infantry and other platforms equipped with laser designators to spot for the missiles.
Cost: 180,000 credits for the launcher, 30,000 credits per missile

[Shorty Lickens]

OK so I found the master index on pages 102/103 but when I click on things I get an error page for some odd reason. Anywho, in another thread a member pointed out Rifts Earth doesn't have much in the way of civilian flying transports that would conveniently haul groups of 7 and not cost a ridiculous amount.
Can someone help me find such a flyer in this massive thread?

[taalismn]

OK so I found the master index on pages 102/103 but when I click on things I get an error page for some odd reason. Anywho, in another thread a member pointed out Rifts Earth doesn't have much in the way of civilian flying transports that would conveniently haul groups of 7 and not cost a ridiculous amount.
Can someone help me find such a flyer in this massive thread?

PM'ed you the best candidates for a small civilian transport not dripping with military hardware, since I know not everybody likes rummaging in my garage for the right tools.

[taalismn]

PSLP-11 ‘Eyeball’ Light Laser Pistol
(aka ‘Orbeye’, ‘Orby’, ‘Eye-Eleven’)
“You won’t kill armored troopers with this, but you just might get the drop on those gangers harassing you. And damn few critters want to stick around to see if you’ve got anything heavier to hit them with.”

“You want sneaky, get yourself a Sunsting, you want convenient, get yourself an Orby.”

The PSLP-11 is a lightweight short-range low-end laser pistol based on the optics of the common(and least in the GNE) cyborg laser eye option. Though range is abyssmal compared to other laser pistols and damage is considered piddling, the PSLP-11 is compact(with a distinctive ‘golfball’ emission bell, rather than a conventional barrel), energy efficient, and inexpensive. It also uses standard e-clips rather than a specialized power cell. Snub-nosed, it fits easily in a pocket, though it is larger than the stealthy Sunsting, to which it is often compared.
Though most professionals regard it as a cheap and inconsequential toy, it’s a common ‘holdout’ self-defense weapon that sells well. Greater New England’s Office of Positive Outcomes reportedly purchases a good number of them and distributes them to tyranny-fighting guerilla and partisan movements across the megaverse.

Weight: 15 ounces
MDC: 10
Range:180 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 25 shots standard short e-clip.
Special Features:
*Modular Handgrip/Trigger Assembly---swappable furniture allows the weapon to be quickly customized to a variety of hands/manipulatory appendages.

Cost: 4,000 credits
Options:
*Variable Mode---Can fire at lower power settings: 1d6- 1d6x10 SDC (1 MDC shot= 10 SDC shots ). Cost: 1,000 credits

*Pulse Mode---Allows the weapon to fire off a three-shot pulse burst that does 3d6 MD. Cost: 1,000 credits

*Scatter-fire---Beam-splitter muzzle modification that generates several less powerful beams, doing 1d4 MD to a 30-degree wide wide arc. Reduce range to 90 ft. Cost: 2,000 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. Effective range of 250 ft. One MD shot equals 200 ‘flash’ shots.
Cost: 800 credits

[taalismn]

*PS/ASI PSLR-5/6Sol ‘Everlyte’ Solar-Powered Laser Rifles
(aka ‘Sollah-sojah’)
“The solar cells give you another layer of redundancy and...I cannot emphasize this enough...when you’re out on the edge of nowhere on a strange new world or just a well-known hostile one, you CANNOT have too much redundancy.”

Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries’ Research & Development departments are under constant pressure to come up with new product, if only to keep the corporate culture from slipping into complacency and losing their edge. So PS/ASI engineers are constantly tinkering, even with niche-market designs that may go nowhere, in what amount to ‘makework’ programs, just to see what they can come up with.
An arguable case in point are solar-powered ‘survival rifles’. PS/ASI marketing was feeling squeezed between Northern Gun’s ‘UV’-series lasers on one end and the Three Galaxies’ Colonial HI-Laser Rifle on the other.
To fill the gap in their own inventory, PS/ASI decided to adapt the PSLR-5 ‘Partisan’ Laser Rifle(and its more conventionally laid-out brother, the PSLR-6 ‘Pointer’) to be solar-powered. Though both weapons can still accept conventional e-clips, they now sport a conical cowl of photovoltiac crystal-plex, vat-grown and scratch-resistant coated. Fold-out side ‘wing’ panels increase collection area.
Though more efficient than the Northern Gun designs, the PS/ASI ‘Everlyte’ collectors still aren’t effficient enough to recharge the e-clip and replenish the capacitators as fast as a gunner can shoot the batteries dry under combat conditions, but they still provide a backup power supply.
Everlytes are quickly becoming popular with colonial rangers and wilderness scouts, so the experiemnt has thus far panned out quite nicely for the Paladins.

Weight: 7.3 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)
Built-in Solar Battery Pack equivalent to long E-clip.
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.
*Solar Collector Recharger---J!ng-seeded crystal photovoltiacs recharge at a rate of two and a half hours’ sun exposure per shot.
Cost: 15,000 credits
Options:
*Solar Recharge Kit---This consists of a suitcase-sized(6 lbs) folding (18 ft square area) solar collector array that can be set out in the sun(s) and used to recharge an Everlyte’s batteries even faster, due to the increased solar collection area. In general, under terrestrial yellow sun conditions, this set up recharges 1 shot every 45 minutes. It can also be used to recharge other electrical devices. Cost: 6,000 credits.

*PSLR-51Sol ‘Sundee’ Solar-Powered Laser Rifle
“These things are virtually mandatory issue on worlds with double or triple suns....they seem to recharge even faster and that’s just fine by me.”
This is a solar-recharged variant of the PSLR-51 ‘Kasey’ Pump-Action Laser Rifle; it was felt that the high-efficiency convertor systems of the ‘Kasey’ could more readily accept and retain the trickle-charge from the photovoltaic crystal-plex cowl originally fitted to the PSLR-5/6Sol ‘Everlytes’. A changeover in the internal semi/superconductors also promotes energy efficiency.

Weight: 8.7 lbs
MDC: 40
Range:(Standard) 1,300 ft
(Long) 2,000 ft
(Shotgun)500 ft
Damage:(Standard) 2d6 MD
(Long) 2d4 MD
(Shotgun)2d4 MD to a 12 ft area
Rate of Fire: Pump-powering a shot takes 2 APM. For standard e-clip-fed operation, it is single shot, ECHH.
Payload: Single shot, but conditionally unlimited using the pump-action.
30 shots standard E-clip, or 50 shots long E-clip
Built-in Solar Battery Pack equivalent to long E-clip.
Special Features:
*Side-mount E-clip
*Sight Rail for mounting various existing sights and scopes.
*Underbarrel Rail for mounting flashlights or bayonets.
*Compatible with laser-pulse ignition adaptor for PS Rifle Grenades.
*Solar Collector Recharger---J!ng-seeded crystal photovoltiacs recharge at a rate of two hours’ sun exposure per shot.
Cost: 12,000 credits
Options:
*Optional Forward Hand Grip. Cost: 200 credits

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel BladeWorks

“It’s not true that every other corner in the GNE marketplace has a cyclops or a Steel Gaian hammering out blades, but there’s still a wide and excellent variety of blackmithing talent on display, many of who will work on commission and take special requests. So if you have the time and are looking for something extra-special, shop around. If you’re in a hurry, you can always grab something from the official Paladin Steel outlets.”

“You want an edge? The Paladins are all about edges. You want a REAL edge? Next time you’re in Greater New England or a Paladin Steel outlet, ask about their blades. Yeah, sure, PS is known for its guns and tanks, but they produce a great deal of combat-spec cutlery too. Whether it’s a company line or one of their subcontractors, they’ve got some really good stuff, especially their ceramics and composites, but they’ve got a growing selection of magicked stuff too. If you aren’t interested in fancy frills, you can get some real bargains, too.”

A variety of small melee-weapons manufacturers have sprung up under Paladin Steel’s umbrella, and one can find a wide range of wares available from them, using materials and components acquired/developed/licensed from Paladin Steel and its allies. Weapons from the member states and allies of the United Systems Alliance, such as Skenzian- and Tavazan(Amazon)-pattern blades, have recently become popular.
TW-enhanced blades are currently the rage in the adventurer markets, and even more so with the Minion War breaking out on Rifts Earth.
The standard TW blade simply incorporates a small battery gemstone in the hilt and an embedded spell, and must be charged up for every use. More sophisticated weapons use a recharging sheath or actually have a small PPE Powerstone built in.
Note that not all of the following are commonly available, and some may require several separate licenses to purchase. Others are available illegally only through the Black Market.
Costs and PPE activation requirements may vary according to level of spell, methods of enchantment, materials, and other features/embellishments, but generally the greater availability of materials through the USA trade network makes inhouse-made blades 5-10% less expensive than regular market prices.


The following TW enhancements are available to PS-made blades without special permission:
*Detect Poison----Sticking the blade in a suspect foodstuff or drink, while holding the weapon barehanded, will cause the blade to turn a lurid purple color if dangerous toxins(to the blade holder) are present. ( 5 PPE)(Note: permanently-enchanted blades that don’t require the expenditure of PPE to work are also available, but usually at 5-10x the price of the regular models)
*Dig----The blade is shaped and empowered as an efficient excavation tool. It is also one of the few commonly available Elemental spells. ( 4 PPE)
*Expel Demons----Available from a number of religious shops, these blades are typically decorated in holy symbols( 18 PPE)
*Ignite Fire----Like a magic lighter, sparks can be struck/induced from the blade to light flammable materials( 3 PPE)
*Sense Evil----The blade, or decorations on it, will glow or vibrate in the presence of supernatural evil.( 1 PPE)(Note: permanently-enchanted blades that don’t require the expenditure of PPE to work are also available, but usually at 5-10x the price of the regular models)
*Sense Magic----The blade, or decorations on it, will glow or vibrate in the presence of magic. (2 PPE)(Note: permanently-enchanted blades that don’t require the expenditure of PPE to work are also available, but usually at 5-10x the price of the regular models)
*Silverize---This spell actually is available without license( 10 PPE)

The following are considered to be ‘combat rated’ enhancements that can only be purchased with GNE security-licensing:
*Armorbane----Weakens armor. Handy in self defense if your attacker came prepared with protection( 50 PPE)
*Dispel Magic Barriers----The powered-up blade can actually cut through magic shields( 10 PPE)
*Fiery Touch---Burns on contact( 3 PPE)
*Frostblade----Intense cold causes hypothermic shock and severe frostbite. ( 8 PPE)
*Paralysis: Lesser---Disrupts control and movement of a struck limb( 3 PPE)
*Power Weapon-----Improves damage( 18 PPE)
*Quickstrike----Improves performance( 5 PPE)
*Rust---On contact, these enchanted blades embrittle and deteriorate metals( 8 PPE)
*Shatter---Embrittles materials. There's been some discussion of recategorizing this much more strictly as the same tool that can shatter field stones can be used to more efficiently break locks or weaken structures.(3 PPE)
*Shockblade---Delivers a powerful electrocal shock to the target( 15 PPE)
*Sonic Blast---The blade will start keening like a struck tuning fork, rising in volume, before letting off a destructive shriek.( 25 PPE)
*Spinning Blades --- A PS favorite for its defensive and ranged offensive versatility ( 10 PPE)

The following can be considered to be Black Market available; their potential for torture or abuse makes them illegal for civilians to own, and only specially licensed individuals, organizations, and the military are allowed to purchase/possess them:

*Agony----Inflicts serious pain, possibly incapacitating the target( 10 PPE)
*Blind----Robs a target of its sight temporarily( 3 PPE)
*Concealment----Illegal because it violates concealed weapons laws.( 3 PPE)
*Life Drain----Falls under ‘life energy’ legislation. ( 13 PPE)
*Sickness----This add-on ‘envenoms’ the blade to infect the struck target with a magical sickness. The blade usually has an oily sheen or sickly green tint to it. ( 25 PPE)
*Trance----Falls under the mind-control laws of the GNE/USA.(5 PPE)

[89er]

I am finally getting to work on the Outer Solar system and will post as sections by planet and Kuiper Belt/Oort Cloud.

I want to know if it should be inter lunar romance populated or hard science empty? Have Wereborgs patroling the Saturnine moons, A titanic space god cadaver on Callisto and not Mi-go buzzing around the Oort Cloud?

[taalismn]

I had the Arkhon fleet buzzing around trying to harvest resources after being driven from the inner solar system, and the GNE Home Fleet bombed several ice moons(frozen horrors), but that's the GNEverse.

Personally, I don't see the Golden Age having put much in the way of manned presences in the outer Sol, but possibly lots of automated missions*.
As the ripples of the Rifts on Earth percolate out into space)and we already have at least one advanced species--Rifter canon, not true canon----adversely affected, I expect that more general and widespread effects will be manifested throughout the solar system. starting with ancient leylines and next, but going on to more random events.
So you can have ancient space artifacts being uncovered by climatic changes in the Solar System, rifts providing the heat energy, and all manner of rifted species, space monsters, asteroids, and whatnot appearing. There's the hard empty solar system but the natural order is being overturned by the rising PPE levels...but the Hard Empty is also hitting back, so a good deal of the alien life rifted in is suddenly facing harsh conditions, like Jupiter's radiation belt or Io's volcanic activity. Maybe there are clouds of dead bodies where luckless d-bees popped into hard cold vacuum....hmmm, source of zombies in space?

*Experimental AIs 'waking up''? Another possibility.

[Shorty Lickens]

I think we can use AI to make pics for many of these vehicles, but I dont know the right words to use to get a specific design.

https://www.bing.com/images/create/airf ... ORM=GENCRE

[taalismn]

Actually, I used to have a few pictures on my photo bucket site, but then they got all squirrely about access and fees and I stopped using them...I just received word that they closed my free account.

I may just wind up doing a collage of the old pics and put them up on somewhere like Deviantart.

[Mersharr]

How do you come up with the prices? They appear a bit... arbitrary and many of them seem unreasonably low.
Taking the Hercules for example, PS lists the price for a liquid fuel version at 4 million. GAW's charges 12 million for a bird of the same basic design, that is equal or inferior in anything but reach. How can PS afford to sell at such low prices?

[taalismn]

Low prices. yes...because Paladin Steel is sourcing many of its materials through dimensional rifts and from off world. We don't have to pass on the costs of acquiring and shipping materials(through many middlemen merchants) because of shorter and more direct supply lines and because PS owns its own merchant fleet.
Also extensive automation in our factories, open hiring policies, and a well-motivated workforce. Not much in the way of rejected sub-par quality parts and wastage because of sweatshop conditions and passive-aggressive worker rebellion.
Later on, the lower prices are also more justified because of more and larger off world production facilities. In the case of the Hercules, turboprop engines can be considered low-tech on worlds where contragravity is a thing. On other low-tech worlds, turboprops are technological uplift, with initial orders going to local operators, and extra production thereafter going to match export orders.

[Shorty Lickens]

Bings image generator has improved a LOT in the last few months.
https://www.bing.com/images/create/airf ... ORM=GENCRE
Not long ago that kind of request would have confused the crap out of it, and I'd have gotten nothing or a mess. Now its actually pretty close to my imagination.

[taalismn]

Scary how the AI is getting better, no?

Paladin Steel---The Walmart of Rifts Earth.

[taalismn]

(PPE sensors and large-scale ship TW enhancement values are the work of Kitsune)
Paladin Steel Black Bolt-class Attack Submarine
(aka ‘Blackfish‘, )
“We are still vulnerable as a nation to attack from the sea. The Coalition’s cruise missile raids proved that. The presence of Splugorth slaver craft off our coastlines is a reminder of that. To insure our safety we must be adept hunters both above and below the waves, and take the hunt to our enemies, as far from the range of their weapons against our coast as possible.”

“Haven’t had the occasion yet to run into the New Navy with one of our new subs, but I’d like to imagine they’ll be pleasantly surprised to see us cruising the seas, ready to lend a hand.”

“It takes a rare sort of courage to serve aboard a submarine, surrounded by hostile waters, crushing depths, and deep sea monsters. It’s especially courageous to do so cruising so close to a continent of monsters. But then, historically submariners have always been a breed apart.”

The PS-SS(N)-016 Black Bolt-class attack submarine is part of a naval expansion meant to give the GNE an improved aquatic front-line buffer against renewed Splugorth aggression and other threats.
The Black Bolt-class SSN borrows heavily from a pre-Rifts design, the French SMX-31. Whether PS had access to pre-Rifts intelligence data or possible scoped the design from another universe remains unknown, but there are enough similarities between the designs that it cannot be coincidence. However, Paladin Steel has made enough changes to make it arguably its own design.
The Black Bolt is distinguishable in lacking a sail, as other more conventional designs have. Other changes include a high-efficiency nuclear-fusion powerplant, integral laser and ion weaponry, and PPE sensors. The hull is skinned in stealth materials, and steps have been taken to reduce the submarine’s acoustic and sensor signature, making it more difficult to detect and track. The Black Bolt is exceptionally fast, especially underwater, as it is expected to tangle with Kittani MechShark huter-killer units.
Modularity in weapons and auxiliary systems allow the Black Bolt to be used in a variety of mission profiles, including hunter-killer operations, surface attack, surveillance, and specops insertion/extraction/support.
The Greater New England Navy operates Black Bolt SSNs from base-ports in New England and along the American West Coast. Off the East Coast, where Splugorth and Horune cruise up and down the seaboard, it’s no small secret that there have been a number of skirmishes between Black Bolts and Kittani Sharks, as well as Horune dreamships.
A number operate offworld with GNE colonial possessions in the United Systems Alliance.

Type: PS-SS(N)-016 Black Bolt
Class: Medium Multipurpose Attack Submarine
Crew: 45+1-20 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,000
Reinforced Inner Pressure Hull 1,000
Energy Weapon Turrets(4) 200 each
Lateral Mission Bays(2) 400 each
Drone Hangar 500
Drone Buoy 350
Engines 900
Height: 42 ft
Width: 42 ft
Length: 220 ft
Weight: 3,400 tons
Cargo: 20 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Water-surface) 45 knots (52 MPH) at flank speed
(Underwater)60 knots (69 MPH) at flank speed, maximum depth tolerance of 1.2 miles
Market Cost: 560 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Ship Systems, plus;
*Long-Range Sonar----(Passive) 10 miles, (Active) 100 miles
*Magnetic Anomaly Detector----Mounted in the bow is a passive magnetic anomaly detector(MAD) for locating other submarines and ships. ----60 mile range
*Communications---Long Range Radio: 500 miles
*Periscope System w/ full optics, including passive nightvision, telescopic, and laser range finding. Also includes a mast-mounted radar system(100 mile range) and radar detectors.
*Full Environmental System---Can sustain a breathable atmosphere for up to 75 days.
*Escape Pod---The Black Bolt has an escape pod sufficient for the crew. The pod carries a solar-powered desalination kit and concentrated foodstuffs for two weeks(pill rations primarily).

*Transmitter Buoys---The sub crew can encrypt and record messages into these disposable floater pods, which then float to the surface, extend an antennae, ‘burp’-transmit their scrambled message, then self-destruct. This allows the submarine to transmit information without giving away their exact position, but they can’t receive messages either.

*Desalination System---The ship can make its own fresh water from salt water, up to 100 gallons a day

*Hull Degausser---A necessary part of the ship’s anti-mine and anti-torpedo defenses is its ability to bleed off electromagnetic charge, reducing its magnetic signature, and reducing its trigger-threshold to magnetically-armed mines and torpedoes.

*Stealth Design---Magnetic insulation, acoustic reduction, and skinning in anechoic materials combine to reduce the submarine’s detectable emissions signature (-25% to enemy detection roles).

*Magnetic Impeller ”Caterpillar” Drive--Rather than drive a conventional screw, the engine can power a special hydro-magnetic impeller jet. Speed is 20% slower than a regular screw/hydrojet, but the system has the advantage of being far quieter.
Bonuses: -15% to Detection rolls using sonar/acoustic scanners

*’Fizz’ Sonar Defense----This is a modified chemical sprayer system that allows the ballast system to used to flush foaming chemical compounds out into the water surrounding the submarine. This has a multifold purpose; though it clearly shows up on sonar due to the alka-seltzer-like noise, the persistent cloud of bubbles makes it much more difficult for sonar to get an exact lock on the submarine behind the bubbles. Furthermore, many sea creatures are hesitant to cross the cloud of bubbles.
In game terms, the ‘fizz’ lasts 1d6 melees, is roughly 100 ft wide by 300 ft long(the ‘cloud’ foaming as the sub moves along) and during that, sonar-guided weapons(and attackers) are -2 to lock onto the submarine. Creatures caught in the bubbles are -5 to strike, dodge, and parry due to the distraction.
Onboard reservoirs typically have capacity for 12 applications of the foaming agent.

*PPE Sensors---ORACLE Mk VI---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). Linkage to the Ectofiber Grid has increased the sensitivity and effectiveness of this system.
This system is based on the ORACLE Mk V system, itself based on TW systems studied in the Three Galaxies and first deployed on PS/ASI spacecraft. The Mk VI is expected to replace the ORACLE Mrk II currently fitted to most ships-of-the-line of the VFSN.
See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.

• See the Invisible Sensors: The ship has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.

• Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.

• Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected. The system can be (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.

*Ley Line Storm Defense---Shields the ship and its mystech systems from Ley Line Storms

Weapons Systems:
1) Forward Missile/Torpedo Tubes(14)---Eight horizontal and six vertical launch tubes are mounted in the bow. Typically the vertical tubes are reserved for missiles, but can fire torpedoes.
a) Heavy Torpedoes----21 inch torpedo tubes
Range: 20 miles
Damage:(Conventional HE) 4d6x10 MD
Payload: One in the tube and two reloads per tube(42 total)

b) Harpoon III Missiles----Harpoon IIIs are medium-range, plasma-explosive, wave-skimming, “smart” missiles designed to close with an enemy vessel under effective radar coverage, then jink up and dive, so as to penetrate the thinner upper works armor, or else can be set to penetrate below the waterline armor belt.
Range: 40 miles
Damage: 2d6x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Payload: Two Harpoons can take the place of a heavy torpedo or LRM/CM.; six per tube.

c) Long Range/Cruise Missiles
Payload: One in the tube and two reloads per tube(42 total)

d)SeaFire Missile/Torpedoes
Range:(Underwater) 20 miles
(Air) 75 miles
Speed:(Underwater) 400 MPH
(Air) Mach 3
Damage: 4d6x10 MD
Bonuses: (Torpedo)Because of the torpedoes’ higher speed and advanced targeting systems, the Sea Fire doesn’t suffer the same range and accuracy penalties as conventional torpedoes. The Sea Fire has a +1 to strike, and a +3 to strike within 3,000 ft of the target.
(Missile)---Not quite as accurate as a Harpoon III, but more powerful. +3 to strike
Payload: Two SeaFires can take the place of a heavy torpedo or LRM/CM; six per tube.

2) Lateral Mission Bays(2)----Two side bays provide the design with the sort of modularity PS engineers LOVE, allowing the design to be easily customized.
a) Missile/Torpedo Tubes ---Same as for the above, only with 2 tubes and 2 additional reloads for each tube OR mini-torpedo tubes( 48 per launcher) OR light torpedo tubes(16 per launcher) OR medium torpedo tubes(8 per launcher) .

b) Mine Tubes(4) --Banks of 4 tubes, each holding 4 heavy mines. In the alternate, these can be used to deploy submarine sensor buoys.

c) CAPTOR Mine Racks----These are three-tube arrays, each holding three encapsulated heavy torpedo-mines for a total of 9 per array.

d) Drone Launchers(4) ----Banks of 4 tubes, each holding 4 light marine drones(example:-ABA Type-1 Wrasse), 2 medium marine drones(example:-ABA Type-2 Cudda), or 1 heavy marine drone(example: PS-MS-SARDSUV-01’Sea Mantis’/PS-(Mc)SSN(UUV)02 ‘Meckos’/ABA Type 3 Talisman-S).

e) Mini-Sub Bay---Holds four one-man submarines or two four-man mini-subs/swimmer delivery vehicles OR eight UUVs(unmanned underwater vehicles).

f) Micro-Torpedo Launcher Gun
Range:(Pattern-MT1A)2,500 ft underwater, 500 ft in air
(Pattern-MT1B)2,500 ft underwater, 500 ft in air
(Pattern-MT1C)3,200 ft underwater, 700 ft in air
(Pattern-MT1D) 4,000 ft underwater, 900 ft in air
Damage:(Pattern-MT1A)6d6 MD to 3 ft radius
(Pattern-MT1B) Screamer Round;Screamers are specialized one-use munitions that when fired, broadcast a massive burst of noise across all audio/sonic frequencies, with the intended effect of destroying acoustic target(sonar) locks, and allowing the sub/diver to escape opponents using sonar to detect or track them. -60% to track the sub via sonar while the Screamer is in effect, while sonar-guided weapons are -10 to strike .
Screamers also have the effect of stunning dolphins, whales, and other creatures using natural sonar and echo location. These creatures are disoriented/stunned for 1d4 melees.
A typical screamer will last 1d4 melees until it burns out or is destroyed.
Screamers can also be fused to ignite/activate any time up to a minute(4 melees) after deployment.
Effective radius of effect of the 18mm screamers is approximately 1,000 ft
(Pattern-MT1C) Sonic Warhead---2d4 MD per blast to an 8 ft blast radius, 1d6x10 SDC to another 10 ft beyond that, Does only 1d4 MD to a 4 ft radius in air
Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor(such as wetsuits).
(Pattern-MT1D) 1d4x10 MD to 3 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10, ECHH
Payload: 200 micro-torps ready to fire
Bonuses:(Pattern-MT1A) None; unguided
(Pattern-MT1B) None; unguided
(Pattern-MT1C) (+1 to strike in water. Micro-Homing Sonar Chip) Can also home in on a tracer beacon, and can track moving targets.
(Pattern-MT1D) (+3 to strike in water. Micro-Homing Sonar Chip)Can also home in on a tracer beacon, and can track moving targets.

g) Naval TW Multiplexor Turret---An applied magic system, with a YW powerstone generator and projector for up to four spells.
PPE Generators:
PPE Capacity:
(‘Sorcerer’)--- 600 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 20 PPE per hour, 60 PPE/hour at a leyline, 120 PPE/hour on a nexus
Range: Same as the projected spell(typically at 10th or greater level) x2, thanks to range amplification
Effects: Each Naval Multiplexor holds 4 different spells. The most common include:
- Power Bolt Cannon---Fires a large bolt of mystic force that hits hard and deep.
Range: 8,400 ft
Damage: 5d6+20 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 10 PPE per shot

-Summon & Control Storm---10 mile range, 6 hour duration, 150 PPE. Effective for disrupting water traffic, covering a retreat, or trapping enemy ships.

-Summon Fog--- 60 mile range. 6 mile area, 6 hour duration, 70 PPE. Perfect for sneaking away or sneaking up.

-Impervious to Energy( 160 PPE per activation, duration of 5 minutes per activation)

-Wall of Water---Can raise a barrier of water that can act as a shield against low trajectory shells and sea-skimming missiles, and can also be raised underwater as a torpedo defense, though it was originally designed as a buffer against nuclear torpedoes. ....PPE Cost: 50 PPE per activation, 100 ft high/200 ft long, does 1d6x10 MD to anything running into it(plus reduce target speed by half), lasers and large missiles will be -5 to strike passing through the wall, and lasts 10 minutes, half damage/duration underwater.

- Calm Waters---10 mile radius, 10 hour duration, 150 PPE. Often used to ride out storms or assist ships on the surface.

-Whirlpool--- 1,000 ft range and lasts 10 minutes. Same as the spell. 50 PPE.

-Impervious to Ocean Depths---Protects the submarine from being crushed by great pressure. 150 PPE for 150 minutes.


3) Rear Missile/Torpedo Tubes(4)---Same as for the above, only with 4 tubes. These launchers have a limited internal reload capability, so the loadout of the tubes can be varied to include special munitions, cruise missiles, drones, or mines.

4) Energy Weapon Turrets(4)---These are retracting energy weapon turrets, each of which can be fitted with ONE of the following types of weapons:
a) Tri-Laser(PSMBL-3E)---Adapted from the Glitterboy No. 7 of South America
Range: 8,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 300,000 credits

b) Ion Cannon---New Navy-derived Series 2098 heavy ion weapon.
Range: 6,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 3d4x10 MD per shot
On a Natural 20(Critical Strike) the ion weapon does TRIPLE damage instead of the normal double damage
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 800,000 credits

c) Sonic Cannon(PS-UHFSC-02)
Range: 4,000 ft underwater
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast, plus 6d6 MD to a 20 ft diameter area around the blast area
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 95,000 credits

d)‘MagStorm’ ElectroMagnetic Vortex Cannon
Range: 6,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 1d4x10 MD at point of impact
Within a 60 ft radius, people, animals, and objects weighing less than 500 lbs are 90% likely to be knocked off their feet and hurled 3d4 yards/meters(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Characters/objects of 500-1,000 lbs weight are 50% likely to be knocked aside 1d4 yards/meters.
Objects of a ton or more are only 25% likely to be knocked over.
Flying characters/objects get knocked away twice the normal distance.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited


5) Drone Hangar ---Like the SMX-31, the Black Bolt can carry its own flotilla of UUVs(unmanned underwater vehicles). Can carry 8 PS-MS-SARDSUV-01’Sea Mantis’/PS-(Mc)SSN(UUV)02 ‘Meckos’/ABA Type 3 Talisman-S OR 16 -ABA Type-2 Cudda OR 48-ABA Type-1 Wrasse drones, or combinations thereof. This is in addition to any drones carried in the Lateral Mission Bays.

6) Drone Buoy----The Black Bolt can release a tethered buoy that can be used to deploy an aerial drone to the surface, receive telemetry from it, and recover it for reuse. The buoy can hold up to three small VTOL mini-copter drones(such as the Cypher III ) or 8 ‘BlackEye/Blackball’ drones/Smallkin hover vehicles. An internal hold adjacent to the buoy bay holds an additional three mini-copters/eight Blackballs.

7) Countermeasure Launchers(4)---Can launch either acoustic decoys/scramblers or flares.
Payload: 10 Screamers/Deep Flares each launcher

8 )) Electroshock Hull Plate System---The oceans of Rifts are a dangerous place, and PS has installed a special system to send high voltage through the hull, to drive off persistent predators, parasites, and attached explosives. Includes degaussing gear to sweep the hull clean of residual magnetic charge afterwards.
Range: Contact+ 1-2 ft from the hull in the water.
Damage: 3d6 MD per contact with the hull
Rate of Fire: Once per melee

Variants:
There are currently no variant hulls of the Black Bolt. However, future modifications will likely incorporate more technowizardry, especially protective measures and improved electronics.

[taalismn]

VOSK-mobiles---Planetary Airspace Defense Vehicles
“It’s a wheel-borne WARSHIP. The Dadekkians would find the scale familiar, if not the weaponry. The Germans with their Mobile Infantry Strike Bases would also find them familiar, if limited in their armaments...if you’d call the ability to take out targets in low orbit ‘limited’, that is.”

“VOSK-mobiles look horribly-oversized and horribly top-heavy with their weapons packs...you wouldn’t dare take them driving in suburbia for fear of crushing vehicles and houses and you couldn’t take them in-city without scraping off the building sides of both sides of the streets. The bigger ones have turning radiuses akin to nautical warships and they can’t cross bridges. They’re too large to hide from enemy detection easily, they can’t engage targets sitting right at their feet, and they’re clumsy to boot. But the Usans have invested heavily enough in them, and the few times so far they’ve engaged in combat, they’ve trashed planet-pirate raids and stopped several spoilsport nukings. They’ve also sent a very strong message; the Usans are prepared to fight tooth and nail to defend their territory and they’re not about to concede aerospace superiority over their worlds.”

VOSK-mobiles are mobile weapons platforms that are a collaboration between Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries Heavy Machinery Division, the Darad Mobile Nucleonics Combine, and XXihan Kannonista to build mobile heavy antiaircraft/spacecraft defense units in addition to a series of smaller tactical air defense vehicles. Paladin Steel provided materials and a number of weapons systems, DMNC their experience in building very large overland transports (such as Darad’s nuclear trains and massive ore dumpers), and XxK applied their efficiency with gravitic artillery.

Based on heavy industrial crawlers and wheeled transports, the VOSKs(from the Xxihanese Vhesa Otlan Spakartala Kannonic---Mobile Overland Space-Defense Weapon) mount starship-grade heavy weapons adapted to air/low orbit defense. Paladin Steel already had success with their GAMILON Heavy Strategic Air Defense Lift Ground Effect Artillery Platforms, so more conventional wheel/tread-borne carriers promised the ability to carry even heavier weaponry in the field.

VOSKs serve as mobile heavy air defense batteries, firing ballistic or energy weaponry to savage low-orbit spacecraft and high altitude aircraft. They’ve also been used in the ABM role, destroying strategic bombardment weapons as they enter terminal approach phase. VOSKs are typically mobilized in the open lands around more built-up areas, military bases, or facilities such as power-generating plants, refineries, dams, aquaducts, and spaceports.

VOSK energy weapons typically have longer ‘in-atmo’ range than their starship-mounted cousins due to adaptive optics and focal elements necessary to boost their beams through planetary atmospheres. To make the best use of the longer range, VOSKs are usually tied into a larger sensor grid or battle-coordination network. Crew facilities aboard the oversized vehciels are limited to drivers, technicias, and emergency backup gunners/weapons offficers, with cabins shielded against NBC(Nuclear-Biological-Chemical) hazards and hardened against ElectroMagentic Pulse weaponry.

VOSKs typically travel with an escort of smaller support vehicles, including security units. Many rely on external data feeds for targeting and fire control, and are best deployed as part of a comprehensive networked air defense system. Manual control and local targeting is possible, but effective range tends to suffer, limited by available sensors .

The bulk of VOSK production has gone to supplying the United Systems Alliance's planetary defense militias first, but units are being sold to affiliates and approved outside parties as well.

VOSK-AFV23 ‘Vincent’ Armored Security Vehicle
(aka ‘BattleRover’, ‘Hi-Whe’, ‘Big Beast’, ‘Sand-Bear’)
“It’s the Shaw hovertank on wheels...the SandTiger’s steroid-pumped brother ...or a monster truck that joined the military to cash in on the GI bill. The high ground clearance affords it some protection from buried IEDs and the guns all over it give it plenty of protection. The missile launcher on top just allows it to hit targets over the hill, over the horizon, or up in the clouds.”

“Had some infiltrators think they could sabotage the settlement’s air defenses by taking out at least some of the mobile batteries by mining the most likely deployment routes. First of all , didn’t the bastards realize that they would fry with the rest of us when their own people nuked the place, and second of all didn’t they think we’d secure the way ahead of the batteries? Dumb and-or self-sacrificing, they died just the same when we spotted them and swept their spider-holes.”

“No effort was wasted on aesthetics trying to pretty this thing up. It’s ugly as hell, so it looks like what a military vehicle should look like.”

An all-terrain wheeled AFV developed as a security patroller and colonial militia vehicle. Though actually a smaller tactical vehicle, the ‘Vincent’ is often misidentified as part of the VOSK-series because it is produced by the same USAn consortium and the vehicles were initially deployed as security escort for the larger VOSK weapons carriers.
With a wide wheel base, extra-large wheels, and high ground clearance, the ‘Vincents’ are well-suited to negotiating rough terrain. They are rugged and well-armored, sealed to operate in a variety of hostile environments, and armed with a variety of weapons systems covering a range of fire missions, including light artillery support. There’s also a large bay in the rear for carrying passengers or troops; if not carrying either, the space can be used for cargo carriage or extended living space for the crew. A comprehensive sensor suite rounds out the equipment, allowing the rover to spot traps, obstacles, and ambushes in advance
The Vincent has been compared to the PS-S-ATV17 Colter Rover , only better-armed for combat.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-AFV23 ‘Vincent’
Class: All-Terrain Armored Fighting Vehicle
Crew: 5 + 1-8 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 600
Reinforced Crew Compartment 120
Turret 200
Reinforced Turret Compartment 90
Top Calliope Missile/Rocket Launcher 120
Wheels(4) 140 each
Side Sponson Turrets(2) 90 each
Rear Hatch 100
Forward Heavy Grenade Launchers(2) 80 each
Smoke/Grenade Launchers(2) 45 each

Height: 16 ft, + missile launcher adds 7 ft. Ground clearance is 6 ft.
Width: 33 ft(hull is 11 ft wide, each wheel is 12 ft wide)
Length: 25 ft
Weight: 26 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions
If not carrying passengers/troops, the rover can carry an additional 2 tons of gear in the rear bay.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 95 MPH
(Water) Can ford bodies of water up to 16 ft deep
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.
Market Cost: 15 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Power Armor Systems, plus:
*Winch ---Powered winch with 100 ft of high-test cable and hook, capable of hauling 12 tons.

*Lance Scanners---Looks like a long lance protruding from the front and sides 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.

*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 traveling over either surface). A flip of a dashboard switch deploys/deactivates them.

Weapons Systems:
1)Top Calliope Missile/Rocket Launcher--A multi-tube missile/rocket launcher is mounted atop the turret. This can be a conventional launcher battery or a stacked-tube magazine ‘metalstorm’ calliope system, firing ‘dumb’ rockets/projectiles or ‘smart’ missiles. In an emergency or when the warload is expended, the launcher can be jettisoned from the turret.
Depending on the type of projectiles carried, the launcher can be used for ground suppression fire, obstacle clearance, or air defense.
a) ‘Katyusha’ Rockets--An old, but still effective, ‘dumb’ artillery rocket.
Range:(Short) 7 miles
(Long) 13 miles
Damage: Both missile types use a 122mm warhead, typically the following warhead types(damage may vary as much as 50% by the quality of warhead manufacture):
(Fragmentation) 1d6x10 MD to a 60 ft blast radius
(Incendiary) 1d4x10 MD to a 50 ft blast radius, plus 01-75% chance of setting combustible materials aflame
(High Explosive) 2d6x10 MD to a 20 ft blast radius
(Plasma) 3d4x10 MD to a 40 ft blast radius
(Smoke) Covers a 100 ft area in thick obscuring smoke. Typically disperses within 1d6 melees, depending on local wind and humidity conditions.
(Chemical) Varies, but typically used to dispense CS or nerve agents(currently only the Sovietskii uses chemical munitions, though it is rumored that Warlord Sokolov has been seeking to acquire such weapons). Typically covers a 100 ft area. Like the smoke, local weather conditions determine the dispersal rate.
(Submunition)---Detonates airburst style over the target and scatters a small cloud of grenade-like sub-mines, that can be used to infilade an area with contact explosives or delayed-fuze mines. Carries over 18 submunitions, scattering over a 100 ft area, and doing 5d6 MD to a 10 ft blast radius each.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-20(all)
Payload: 20-tube array
Penalties: Katyushas use the standard rules for unguided artillery with regard to deviation from target. Best fired in salvoes of 4 or more rockets.
Cost: Basic Katyusha launcher costs 200,000 credits, missiles cost 5,000 credits for short range, 10,000 credits for long, plus the cost per warhead; Fragmentation costs 45,000 credits, Incendiary 60,000 credits, High Explosive 70,000 credits, plasma 100,000 credits, smoke 800 credits, sub-munitions 120,000 credits.

b) Mini-Missiles
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missile)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missile)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 4, 6, 12, 20, 30, or 60
Payload: 60 tubes, 4 missiles each tube, 240 mini-missiles total
Cost: 220,000 credits

c) Short Range Missiles
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Short Range Missile)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type (Short Range Missile)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-25(all)
Payload: 25
Cost: 86,000 credits

d)PSMS40-MLS 40mm ‘Chewer’ Mortar-Launcher System
Range: 6 miles
Damage:(Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) 1d4x10+3 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-18
Payload: 40 barrels
Each barrel holds 5 40-mm projectiles for a total of 200 rds
Cost: 90,000 credits for the basic unit

e) Black Talon LSAM
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-15
Payload: 30
Bonuses: +5 to strike airborne targets, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target for a second try).
Special Features:
*MIni-Radar: 5 mile range
*Laser Targeting----Target Acquisition lock-on laser, but it also gives a +1 to strike in ‘Dumb Fire’ mode.
*IR/Thermographic Optics and Target Profiling
*Fire-and-Forget Operation
Cost: Launcher costs 90,000 credits. Each encapsulated missile currently costs 10,000 credits.

f) Copperhead ATM
Range: 1 mile
Damage: Armor-piercing: 2d4x10 MD, no blast radius
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 30
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 400,000 credits

g) Heavy ATGMs---a medium-range armor-piercing missile warhead on a foreshortened rocket booster, with command guidance, for making precise anti-armor kills.
In the alternative, can use Slammer Concussion warheads. The overpressure wave from these has proven effective in prematurely triggering pressure-sensitive mines.
Range: 1 mile
Damage: 3d6x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius
(Slammer Concussion) 2d4x10 MD to 90 ft radius.
88% chance of knock-down(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees)
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 25
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 100,000 credits for the launcher, 20,000 credits per missile

2) Turret-Mount Gun---Mounted medium caliber weapon mainly used to deal with other vehicles.
a) Heavy Laser (PSMBL-5000B)
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD single blast, 4d6 MD double blast, 1d4x10+8 MD quad blast, 1d6x10 MD full 5-shot blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Cost:200,000 credits

b) Heavy Ion Projector-----M-Ion Cannon----A PS copy of the Triax TX-8841 Ion Cannon(sans MRM launchers). PS has also managed to adapt its ion-weapons modification technology to further augment the M-Ion weapon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited.
Cost:200,000 credits
Options:*Ion Scatter-Shot Module---This is a barrel mod that turns the cannon into a short range shotgun with an area of effect blast. Reduce range to 2,000 ft, but does 5d6 MD to a 30 ft wide area. Cost: 10,000 credits
*Ion Booster Module---Another mod that boosts the range of the ion bolts, albeit with a small reduction in damage capability. Reduce damage to 1d4x10 MD, but boost range to 7,000 ft. Cost: 12,000 credits

c) 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.

e)PS-44L Vulcan Laser Cannon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:3d4x10 MD per rapid-fire pulse blast(1 attack)
Rate of Fire: Six times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 100,000 credits

f)100mm LB Massdriver Cannon (PS-MDJ100L)
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: 60 rds
Cost: 800,000 credits

g) 60mm ‘Snapfire’ Mass Driver Cannon
Range:(Direct Fire Mode): 6,000 ft
(Artillery Mode) 2 .5 miles
Damage:(Direct Fire Mode) 3d6x10 MD, no blast radius
(Artillery Mode) Everything within the 30 ft blast radius takes 2D6x10 M.D. and has a 75% chance of being knocked flat.
Rate of Fire:(Direct Fire Mode) EPCHH
(Artillery Mode) 5 times per melee
Payload: 120 rds

3) Coaxial Light Gun---Mounted next to the main gun in the turret is a smaller secondary weapon, typically used for antipersonnel work.
a) 7.62mm Machine Gun
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 SDC single round, 4d6x10 SDC per 10 round burst.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 600 rd belt. 5,000 rds total carried

b) Light Rail Gun
Range:4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd. 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 600 rd magazine. 5,000 rds total carried
Cost: 60,000 credits

c) Light Pulse Laser
Range:4,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot. 1d4x10+6 MD per triple-shot burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 30,000 credits

d) Ion Blaster---Variant of the popular PSIP-2 ‘Smasher’ series. Mount has a 45-degree arc of fire. Like the handheld version, it can be modified for additional damage effects.
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot
1d4x10 MD per three-shot burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Options: Like the handgun version, the vehicle-mounted version can be similarly modified for extra effect/power:

*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 to a 10 ft wide area. 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, but boost range to 1,500 ft. 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. 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. 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

e) Flame Thrower
Range:(Direct-Stream Mode) 230 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:(Direct-Stream Mode) Standard
Payload:(Direct-Stream Mode
(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).
Note: Payload can be increased by the addition of external armored fuel tanks(150 MDC for the tanks and TRIPLE payload). The fuel tanks have an ejection features that catapults the tanks up to 25 ft away from the AFV in the event of a leak or fire(this doesn’t exactly endear the tank to accompanying infantry and many garages and motorpools insist on having a fully fueled-up fire-tank parked in its own revetment or away from other vehicles).
Cost: 30,000 credits. 65,000 credits for external tanks

4) Side Sponson Turrets(2)---These are lighter rapid-fire antipersonnel weapons(equivalent to crew-served heavy infantry weapons) with wide arcs of fire to the sides and rear.
a)GrHW-01 ‘Flamma’ Heavy Gravitonic Rail Gun
b)KTH-65 32mm Assault Rail Gun
c) .50 caliber Heavy Machine Gun
d)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
e)PS-M136 Minigun
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 6d6 SDC single shot, 4d6 x10 SDC(1d4 MD) per 10 rd burst, 8d6x10 SDC per 20 rd burst, 1d4 MD per 40 rd burst.
(Ramjets) 1 MD single shot, 1d10 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d10 MD per 20 rd burst, 1d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst.
(High Explosive)2d6x10 SDC single shot, 1d6 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d6 MD per 20 rd burst, 4d6 MD per 40 rd burst.
(PSX-2) 1d4 MD per rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst, 2d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst, 4d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst.
(Tracer) Every 11th round is a tracer, which gives a +1 to strike with bursts. However, the tracer stream also makes it that much easier for enemies to backtrace and locate the machine gunner.
Rate of Fire: Standard; rated at 6,000 rpm(or 1,500 rounds per melee)
Payload: 4,000-rd belt
Cost: 27,000 credits
f)PS-RG140 Rail Gun---PS copy of the C-40R Rail Gun
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 1d4x10 MD 40 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 6,000 rd drum(100 bursts)
Cost: 90,000 credits.
g)*OCSW-2 ‘Arden’ 25mm Heavy Machine Gun
h)Taskin 20mm Rapid-Fire Autocannon
i)PSIC-03 “Scheffer’ Ion Cannon
j)PSIC-01 Tesla Infantry Ion Cannon
k)PSIC-02 Infantry Ion Cannon
l)PS-RFL2-33 ‘Blazer’ Rapid-Fire Infantry Laser
m)PPR-3 Serap’ Heavy Plasma Projector
n)PSPPR-5 ‘Lewiston’ Light Plasma Cannon
o)PSPPR-9 TriBarrel ‘HeatWave’ Gatling Plasma Cannon(CT Cartridge)
p)*PSPBW-10 ‘Fanblaster’ Particle Beam Weapon
q)ASI/UWW-PB-90 ‘Spatra’ Light Blast Cannon
r)EMVR-08 ‘MagHammer’ ElectroMagnetic Rifle

5) Heavy 52mm Grenade Launcher Clusters(2)---Mounted on the hood of the rover above the wheel wells are two multi-tube(six tubes each) grenade dischargers. These are usually used to clear obstacles from in front of the vehicle.
Range: 1,800 ft
Damage: (Varies)
(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)
(PSX-II High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius. Cost per shell: 800 credits
(Fragmentation) 6d6 MD to 50 ft blast radius. Cost per shell: 600 credits
(Incendiary) 4d6 MD to 30 ft blast radius, does an additional 1d4 MD for 1d6 melees, plus 80% chance of setting combustible materials aflame. Cost per shell: 700 credits
(Armor-Piercing Self-Forging)----This is a new experimental special shell that contains a micro-sensor and dual-charge system. The disc-shaped warhead is ‘frisbeed’ to high altitude(800 ft), then scans for target-profiles with its micro-sensor. When it spots a likely target profile(thermal or optical outline)(the limited size and complexity of the micro-sensor severely limits its targeting ability to a total of 6 targets...fortunately, the profile-database can be changed easily enough by inserting a new chip into the fusing assembly before loading), the warhead fires downwards, the material of the ‘discus’ deforming into a narrow, pointed, high-penetration needle well-suited for penetrating armor. Does 3d6x10 MD; no blast radius.
Note: This munition does NOT suffer from the indirect fire penalty; roll to strike as normal, but without bonuses. PS is working on a micro-guidance system that would allow these munitions to home in on laser-’painted’ targets, as via a forward observer....as well as better target discrimination(the current model has a tendency to be distracted by flaming wrecks in the vicinity of the ‘live’ target. Cost per shell: 4,000 credits
(Plasma) 2d6x10 MD to 10 ft blast radius. Cost per shell: 3,000 credits
(Smoke/Chemical) Varies by chemical type. Typically covers a 20 ft area. Basic smoke shells cost 100 credits apiece
(Illumination) Fires a high altitude illumination flare that burns brightly for. The flare also has a 40% chance of decoying/confusing heat-seeking sensors/weapons systems. Cost per shell: 500 credits
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: Each launcher has 12 52mm grenades or smoke shells (2 per tube)

6) Smoke/Grenade Launchers(2)---Mounted on the rear sides of the rover above the wheel wells are two 30mm multi-tube(six tubes each) grenade dischargers.
Range: 1,200 ft
Damage: Varies by Grenade Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-3
Payload: Each launcher has 12 30mm grenades or smoke shells (2 per tube)

Variants:
No major variants of the ‘Vincent’ have yet appeared.


ASI/DMNC/XxK-Kle-09 ‘Kleiner’ Air Defense Vehicle
(aka ‘Fighter-Truck’, ‘Zap Wagon’)
“This is the SkyWatcher‘s big brother, though some would say it’s a standardized technical using a mover scrounged from the local mines or lumbering ops, armed with weapons taken from the local air guard arsenals.”

“Air defense duty can be pretty boring, but once the alarm sounds, it can become very very exciting. On top of the pressure to detect and stop any and all inbound hostiles is the awareness that once you light up your sensors, every air defense suppression platform in the airspace nearby is going to come gunning for you. The natural instinct to get out of the line of fire is often tempered, though, by the fact that many air defense crews are local militia protecting their home-ground.”

“Ground range on the lasers may look impressive, but remember it’s line of sight. Means that if you can zap an enemy from six miles away, odds are their sensors can see you silhouetted nicely and if they got any sort of decent artillery or missile weaponry, you’re about to get incoming hate mail. Find cover if you can before you start sniping. Hide in background noise.”

“Joke is that Kleiners tend to be operated by washouts from the starfighter program because they had acrophobia. They still get to operate starfighter weapons, only they pilot a truck doing it. Having seen how some of them drive on the highway, I can believe some of them flunked from air combat school.”

The ‘Kleiner’ is essentially a heavy all-terrain cargo flatbed truck mounting a large turntable turret fitted with four heavy starfighter weapons with boosted focal elements for increased range. They carry their own target acquisition sensors, but can be linked into a larger battlenet. Their range, even boosted, limits them to tactical, rather than strategic, air defense, but they still play an important role in securing local air space. The low depression of their main armament also allows them to act in a ground combat role.
Their nuclear powerplants and sealed life-support cabins allow them to operate in a variety of environments, including airless ones, and under NBC(Nuclear-Biological-Chemical) hazard situations. Electrical systems are hardened against EMP as well.

‘Kleiners’ are manufactured at several locations throughout the United Systems Alliance, and distribution of the vehicles is far and wide.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-Kle-09 ‘Kleiner’
Class: Air Defense Vehicle
Crew: 4 (Driver, CommTech, Sensor Operator, Gunner) +1-2 passengers or technicians
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Large Turret 200
Reinforced Turret Compartment 100
Wheels( 8 ) 80 each
Height: 23 ft
Width: 18 ft
Length: 69 ft
Weight: 68 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions

Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 55 MPH
(Underwater)The Air Defense Vehicle is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, it can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.

Market Cost: 9.3 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Power Armor Systems, plus:
*IFF(Identify Friend or Foe) Transponder----Identifies transponder-equipped NRR units(aircraft, PA, etc.), preventing “friendly fire” -style casualties.

* Radar: 90 mile range. Identify/track 48 targets

*Auto-Defense(“Sentry”) mode: This allows the ‘Kleiner’ to be set on automatic semi-autonomous operation, allowing it to automatically fire on any (identified) target body entering its monitored air space. Sentry mode is enabled only when the vehicle is standing still(the system can’t deal with all the conflicting sensor-readings generated when on the move), and typically only in areas where
the Romans don’t expect to encounter non-IFF tagged friendlies.

*Sensor Bonuses:
+2 strike on automatic
+3 to strike when operated manually

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weapons, the Air Defense Vehicle is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.
Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Energy Weapons(4)---These are modified versions of starfighter cannons, with improved focal elements to extend their range and accuracy in atmosphere. The greater stability of the ground platforms allows for finer beam control and compensation for atmospheric turbulence.

a) Hi-Laser Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 3 miles in atmosphere, 9 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 9 miles in atmosphere, 900 miles in space)
• Damage: 3D6x10 per single blast
• Rate of Fire: ECHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range: 3 miles in atmosphere, 6 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
• Damage: 4d6x 10 MD single blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Plasma-Laser Cannon
• Range:(Laser) 5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space)
? (Plasma) 3 miles in atmosphere, 6 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 6 miles in atmosphere, 600 miles in space)
• Damage:(Laser) 3d6x10 MD per shot
? (Plasma) 1d4x10 MD per blast, affects a 50 ft-wide blast area.
• Rate of Fire:(Laser) EGCHH
? (Plasma) 4 times per melee
• Payload: (Laser)Effectively Unlimited
? (Plasma)Has enough deuterium for 100 bursts per gun.

d) Light X-Disruptor Cannon: Knockoff of Golgan tech
• Range: 3 miles in atmosphere, 6 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
• Damage: 2d4x10 MD at the point of impact, plus 1/4 that in an 18 ft radius.
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

e) Ion Spray Cannon
• Range:3 miles in atmosphere, 6 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10+10 MD per blast, to a 50 ft wide area
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited


Variants:
A version, based on the PS-HBT truck, mounting twin superheavy aerospace fighter-derived weapons, modified in similar fashion for range, is also supposedly in the works, and would seem a logical progression.

VOSK-Km-15 Mobile Surface to Space Heavy Missile Launcher
(aka ‘Double-Hole Punch’, ‘Double-Barrel’)
“Damn it! Colonial dirt-shovellers aren’t supposed to have Fleet-quality anti-ship torpedos!!!! Especially not ground-launched ones!!!! They must have snuck some Usan heavy garrison in on that dirtball on the sly!! Pull the -Rotfang- and the -Queen Bethory- back now! I have no intentions of facing damn marines with heavy artillery!!! And find me that damn spy who told us the fissionables refinery was open for our taking!!!”

“Pretty spectacular fireworks to see a troop carrier break its back in low orbit, especially when you know that just moments previously it and its complement was intent on pillaging your planet.”

The VOSK -Km15 is a wheeled heavy missile launcher vehicle carrying two launch tubes for starship-grade cruise missiles. As cruise missiles are generally regarded as space combat weapons and exceedingly rare on the Far Rim, the shock to planet raiders of encountering these weapons being launched at them by planetary militia forces is understandable.
The vehicle itself was developed from an industrial prime mover, refitted with military equipment, including extended NBC-sealed life support and military comms. The vehicle lacks the long range sensor gear to make best use of the long range of its weaponry, so it is dependent on targeting data fed to it through secured battlenet links.
The VOSK -Km15 is one of the smaller VOSKs, with a lower profile and faster land speed than other VOSKs. It lacks secondary armament like many of the series, so it relies on an escort force to protect it from more conventional threats.
Generally the -Km15 is deployed in three-vehicle battery elements, with the vehicles ‘shooting and scooting’, rapidly repositioning after a launch to avoid starfighter or orbital counterattack.

Type:ASI/DMNC/XxK-Km-15
Class: Mobile Surface to Space Heavy Missile Launcher
Crew: 5(driver, comm officer, three missile engineers). Has room for an additional 10 passengers or technical workers.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 700
Reinforced Crew Compartment 150
Cruise Missile Launchers(2) each
Wheels(16) 80 each
Height: 11 ft
Width: 16 ft
Length: 50 ft
Weight: 70 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions.
A rear cargo compartment roughly 10 ft x 8 ft x7 ft holds additional supplies and tools for troubleshooting missiles and fixing systems on the vehicle.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 65 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.
Market Cost: 38 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Power Armor Systems, plus:
*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weapons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*Reloader Crane---Mounted in the center of the rear deck, between the two launch tube assemblies, is an extendable crane and hoist to assist in reloading.

Weapons Systems:
1)Cruise Missile Launchers(2)---These are heavy starship torpedo launchers mounted on ground carriers and lofted by gravitonic catapults. The limited payload presents a minor problem, though one easily remedied by accompanying the launch vehicles with reloaders and additional missiles.
Range: Varies by missile type(x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type(Cruise Missile) but generally limited to nuclear(antimatter and singularity warheads are considered too dangerous for near-planetary use)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-2
Payload: 2 per tube, total of 4.

Variants:
As basic as it is, there are no variants of the -Km-15, aside from the basic cargo versions and the reloader variant with dedicated robotic loading armatures and space for 12 additional reload missiles..

[taalismn]

VOSK -Km16 ‘Rangu’ Heavy Mobile Missile Battery Carrier
(aka ‘Push-Pull-Pulp’, ‘Double-Dikker’, ‘Sprayper’)
“Bigger than a Mobile Strike Base but not as heavily armed, variety-wise. But the Rangu’s not meant for front-line slugging; it’s mobile artillery, and deployed in battery-strength, they are brutally effective at throwing out barrages that can stop a missile attack cold or turn an advancing armor column into a slag-lined blood pool.”

“These things are a terror to pass on the superhighway; they look like they’re ready to tip over and crush you any moment, but they’re perfectly balanced, thanks to what I am told are industrial gyroscopes that usually keep mobile drilling rigs steady. ”

“A broadside volley from these things can easily wipe out a marauder squadron. A full multi-vehicle battery concentrating on one target can sandblast even a proper warship if it gets within range.”

This is a truly giant ‘land-train’ vehicle consisting of three linked articulated and independently-powered sections; two fore-and-aft six-wheeled (each wheel being 20 ft in diameter) turret sections carrying the main armaments, linked by a central four-wheeled cockpit and command section. Each unit has its own nuclear power systems, allowing them to transfer power if one section needs additional power to pull out of a ditch, bog, or similar impediment.
Main armament is a pair of massive multi-tube heavy long range missile launchers that use gravitonic boost to increase the range and velocity of the weapons for high-atmosphere/low orbit intercepts. They are swivel-mounted and gravitically baffled to stabilize and buffer the main weapons while firing.
The VOSK-Km16 lacks secondary armaments so it frequently travels with an escort of smaller security vehicles to protect it from other threats. A column of reloader vehicles are also common attendants .
The sheer size of the Rangu limits its deployment to outside built-up areas, typically covering approaches to communities and strategic facilities. When not on the move, the massive mobile artillery batteries are usually housed in hardened revetments and/or under sensor-baffling tent-screens similar to the smaller ‘cloak-shelters’ utilized by smaller USAJC vehicles.
Despite their massive size, -Km16s are proving popular with many of the marginal, but colonized, worlds of the Rim as planetary militias gear up against pirates and other hostiles. Besides planetary forces, many moon-based forces have acquired the mobile batteries to give death to their defenses.
The -Km16 takes its name of ‘Rangu’ from an infamous(and fictional) Darad gunman characterized for being a dead-shot with twin heavy rifles, one in each hand.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-VOSK-Km16 ‘Rangu’
Class: Mobile Heavy Missile Battery
Crew: 10(Two drivers, two comm techs, six engineers), + 1-10 additional staff/crew
MDC/Armor by Location:
Fore/Aft Sections(2) 600 each
Heavy Missile Launchers(2) 500 each
Central Section 700
Sensor/Communications Array 250
Reinforced Crew Compartment 500
Wheels(28) 200 each

Height: 96 ft
Width: 96 ft
Length: 286 ft
Weight: 120,000 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions.
A cargo compartment in the center section below the command cab is roughly 10 ft x 8 ft x7 ft holds additional supplies and tools for troubleshooting missiles and fixing systems on the vehicle.

Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 45 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.
Market Cost: 97 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Robot Systems, plus:
*Long Range Radar---250 mile range. This is typically used for close-on target acquisition/tracking, and in event the greater battle-net is compromised. Crews are taught counter-HARM(Homing Anti-Radiation Munitions) tactics such as rapidly switching frequencies and beam duration to stymie air defense suppression attacks.

*EW Jamming Systems---Paladin Steel learned from its GRANITE AXE robot weapons platforms how to electronically mask larger vehicles, at least partially. Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected vehicle.)

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weapons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*EMP-Hardened Systems----VOSKS are hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Missile Launchers(2)---Twenty-tube long range missile launchers, one at each end of the vehicle and swivel-mounted. Each tube uses ‘metalstorm’/VLS technology to stack missiles in line in their launch cells, and gravitic catapults to launch them during initial boost phase to save wear and tear on the tubes due to rocket exhaust backblast.
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Long Range Missile)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Long Range Missile)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-20
Payload: Each tube holds 4 LRMs for a total of 80 per launcher and 160 per vehicle. The center section contains 20 extra missiles for each launcher(40 total)
Bonuses: Varies by missile type; standard interceptor missiles are +5 to strike, but the USA has been fielding advanced seeker systems with a +7 to strike.

In the alternative, these launchers can be replaced with ‘metalstorm’ projectile cannon firing gravitonically-propelled 16-inch shells. Gravitic baffling prevents recoil of the massive weapons firing from tearing the vehicle apart. The barrels can be angled slightly apart as much as 5 degrees so as to provide a ‘shotgun’ spread to maximize area of effect and chances of a hit.
Range: (Palladium)40,600 yards (121,800 ft/ 60 miles) in atmosphere, 180 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 60 miles in atmosphere, 600,000 miles in space
Damage: (High Explosive) 8d6x10 MD to 70 ft blast radius
(Fragmentation) 4d6 x10 MD to a 120 ft wide area
(Plasma) 1d6x100 MD to 80 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-20
Payload: Each tube holds 10 rds, for a platform total of 400 rds(200 rds per gun). The center section contains 60 extra shells for each launcher(120 total)
Bonuses:
*Advanced Targeting-----Advanced stabilization and computerized fire control give the cannons a +3 to strike to strike airborne targets .

Variants:
Other types of weapons, such as plasma torpedo launchers, have been considered as possible variant configurations.


VOSK-Km17 ‘Kodas’ Mobile Surface to Space Heavy Missile Launcher
(aka ‘D-Nest’)
“We used to worry about somebody from the air following the massive tracks this thing leaves to its firing site, but them some bright light figured on using magic, like a weather spell or Earth Elemental, to smooth away the ruts. Whistle up a large enough sandstorm or thunderstorm front and we could move our big guns and launchers under cover of the turbulence while hiding from orbital sensors.”

“The thing’s the size of a city block and can easily knock one over. You’d think a monster like this would sink and stick fast in whatever surface, paved or otherwise, it drove across, but it’s got enough wide-tread wheels to spread all that weight around that the ground pressure’s no worse than a regular tractor trailer’s.””

“There’s talk of developing high-altitude TW warheads or standoff fusion bomb-pumped laserheads in the next generation of Dragonslayers. If that happens, the Kodas is likely to see first deployment of them. The Usans believe in making planetary attacks VERY difficult for the attackers.”

The ‘Kodas’ is a land-based mobile launcher for the PS-ALABM /SSpM-07 ‘Dragon Slayer’ Surface-to-Space Interceptor Missile, using a gravitic launch system to loft the normally air-launched weapon to altitude, where the missile’s propulsion stage takes over.
The carrier vehicle itself is a massive land-fortress, looking more like a giant industrial pipe transporter, carried on no less than forty eight double-banks of heavy tires and nine articulated sections. The massive redundancy of wheels comes in handy due the fact that these land-giants cannot be towed by anything less than another behemoth if they break down.
Seven large launch tubes for the DragonSlayer missiles dominate the front of the weapon module. Tucked underneath this intimidating array of launchers, almost as an afterthought, is a more conventional four-tube array of long range missile launchers for backup. Rounding out the armaments is a pair of point defense turrets atop the massive weapons array.
However expensive and awkward these mammoth weapons carriers may be, they’ve proven their worth in several engagements(most notably against nuclear-terror attacks) and the USAJC’s homeguard units have been acquiring the mobile defense stations. Though limited to deployment outside built-up areas(where the roads and utilities would be unable to avoid damage from the movement of these massive carriers), they still play an important role in defending communities and important installations.
The vehicles get the name ‘Kodas’ from the name of a legendary Xxihanese monster-slayer, a reference to the ‘Dragonslayer’ main armament.

Type:ASI/DMNC/XxK-Km17 ‘Kodas’
Class: Mobile Surface to Space Heavy Missile Launcher
Crew: 16(two drivers, two comm/sensor techs, four gunners, eight engineers), + 1-20 additional staff/crew
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,500
Reinforced Crew Compartments (4) 400 each
‘DragonSlayer’ Launch System(7 tubes, 300 each) 2,100
Long Range Missile Launcher 300
Sensor Turrets(8, 4 each side) 150 each
Wheels(96) 80 each
Height: 84ft
Width: 86 ft
Length: 232 ft
Weight: 15,000 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions

Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 45 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.
Market Cost: 101 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Robot Systems, plus:
*Advanced Sensors---- Phased-Array Radar with 250 mile range, typically used for close-on target acquisition/tracking, and in event the greater battlenet is compromised. Crews are taught counter-HARM(Homing Anti-Radiation Munitions) tactics such as rapidly switching frequencies and beam duration to stymie air defense suppression attacks.

*EW Jamming Systems---Paladin Steel learned from its GRANITE AXE robot weapons platforms how to electronically mask larger vehicles, at least partially. Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected vehicle.)

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weapons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*EMP-Hardened Systems----VOSKS are hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

Weapons Systems:
1) ‘DragonSlayer’ Launch System--- Seven-tube launcher system for the heavy PS-ALABM /SSpM-07 , with a gravitonic catapult system to ground-launch them. The system is especially effective against space to surface and ICBM warheads.
Range: 300 miles in atmosphere, 1,200 miles in space
Damage: 2d4x100 MD to a 200 ft blast radius
(Neutron Flux) The warhead also creates an intense blast of neutrons in a 900 ft radius. On a Natural 16-20, the neutron flux will cause inadequately shielded fission powerplants to overheat, causing a partial meltdown or force an emergency shutdown by the safety systems, disrupting their power. Fission warheads will be rendered inert(and on a Natural 20 will prematurely go critical, suffering an additional 2d10x10 MD, destroying their casing, and likely spreading radioactive materials around).
Bonuses:+7 to strike flying targets only
Rate of Fire: 1-7
Payload: 7 in the launch tubes, plus 2 reloads each tube, for a total of 21.

2) Long Range Missile Launcher---Almost hidden under the larger DragonSlayer tubes is a more conventional four-tube LRM launcher, typically used for secondary air defense and surface bombardment. Some critics claim the LRM launcher with its greater range is actually more useful than the SSpM-07s, and should replace them, pending the development of more compact neutron flux warheads.
Range: Varies by missile type(speed and range x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 36 ready to fire

3) Air Defense Turrets(2) ---Mounted atop the rear magazine section are two dual-purpose air/ground defense turrets. These each mount ASI/WZT Light Weapons systems fitted with advanced PDS fire control for targeting bonuses.
a) Pulse Laser
• Range: (Palladium) 2.5 miles it atmosphere, 5 in space
? (Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD single blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Plasma Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space
• Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

d) Gravity Railgun:
• Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 200-500 bursts per cannon


Bonuses: PDS are +3 to strike flying targets

Variants:
There are no variants of the Kodas, pending evaluation of the Dragonslayer system and possible alternative delivery systems for the flux-warheads.

[taalismn]

VOSK ASI/DMNC/XxK-Kl-12 ‘Letzer’ Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Energy Artillery Carrier
(aka ‘Zapster’)
“It’s a muscle car carrying the heaviest damn BFG it can tote without breaking its back. It’s mounted for air defense, but the trunnions can depress down far enough that it can engage surface targets if they’re tall enough or on high ground relative to the zapster. Up close is a problem, though, because you’ll be shooting over the heads of whoever’s coming at you. Then it’s time to bug out if you can, or pull out the holdout rifles and hope for the best.”

“See all those tubes around the main gun barrel? Those are your cooling units. Without a starship’s systems to help you disperse heat, you’d melt your gun to flaming slag after a few shots. A regular vehicle air conditioning system just can’t cut it, but the GNErs came up with an improved heatsink system that allows for sustained firing. Like a lot of their stuff, they’ve made the system virtually idiot-proof durable, but you want to take extra-good care of those tubes when you’re doing maintenance, just to be on the safe side.”

The VOSK Kl-12 is one of the lighter and faster VOSKs; it is a four-wheeled heavy ATV carrying a medium starship-grade energy weapon and a dedicated powerplant to power it.
‘Zapsters’ lack any secondary armament as well as the sensors and fire control to make use of their big guns’ range, so they must rely on accompanying support vehicles to provide them with long range sensor data and coordinated battery control.
The crew sits in a small cab just in front of the heavy cannon mounting. The cab is generally considered too small for long duration occupancy, but is comfortable for transport operations, though this has been put to the test on several occasions when under heavy combat conditions. Typically the crew debarks and leaves the operation of the weapon to remote fire control, but in a fluid combat situation, the crew will remain with the gun, the engineers monitoring systems and the driver ready to change firing position at a moment’s notice. And if necessary the crew can take manual control of the gun.
‘Letzers’ are typically deployed in four unit batteries with accompanying support units.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-Kl-12 ‘Letzer’
Class: Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Energy Artillery Carrier
Crew: 3(driver, 2 engineers)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 440
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Medium Ship-Grade Energy Weapon 300
Wheels(4) 120 each
Height: 15 ft to cab top; gun mount adds an additional 10 ft
Width: 30 ft wheelbase
Length: 39 ft
Weight: 64 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 65 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, it can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.
Market Cost: 32 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Robot Systems, plus:
*Supplemental Power/Cooling Hookups---VOSKs can be hooked up to external support systems providing extra power and cooling.

*Stabilization Jacks----The Letzer typically does not fire its main weapon on the move, but stops to deploy four stabilization jacks to steady the vehicle for more accurate firing.

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weapons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*EMP-Hardened Systems----VOSKS are hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

Weapons Systems:
1)Medium Ship-Grade Energy Weapon(1)---This is a medium-class starship weapon mounted on a rear deck turntable on the Letzer. The following are the most common weapons available from ASI/WZT.
Note: The cannon cannot generally engage ground targets closer than 4,000 ft on level ground unless they are taller/higher than 30 ft.
a) Laser Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 12 miles in atmosphere, 1200 miles in space
(LR Model) 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot
• Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range:(Palladium) 4 miles in atmosphere/ 8 miles in space
? (Kitsune) 8 miles in atmosphere/ 8,000 miles in space
(LR Model) 6 miles in atmosphere/ 12 miles in space
• Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Plasma Torpedo Launcher:
• Range: (Palladium) 6 miles in atmosphere, 12 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 12 miles in atmosphere, 1200 miles in space
(LR Model) 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot to a 15 ft blast radius
• Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

Variants:
None. The Letzer is a simplified powered mobile weapon mount. While some operators add a cabin-mounted rapid-fire infantry weapon or two for close-in defense, or flare/smoke launchers, these are field modifications and not considered production variants.


VOSK ASI/DMNC/XxK-Ke13 ‘Keltee’ Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Energy Artillery Carrier
(aka ‘Deuce-Nuker’, )
“Those big barrels can move damn fast once they get a target lock. Given how fast an attacker or warhead can come in, that’s vital in air defense. ”

“Since we started producing these things, the Jorg aerospace militia have taken to practicing by shooting meteor beasts over their rocks. They can’t get all of them, of course, because even a small planetesimal has a lot of surface area to cover, but winnowing down the number that come down is still a significant improvement over waiting for them to start rampaging on the surface.”

Another heavy energy weapon carrier based on an industrial prime mover.
The ‘Keltee’ mounts a double-barrel boosted range particle beam cannon, wrapped in a heavy cooling shroud/radiation shield. Another USA member, the Jorgmundsonians, were involved in the development of appropriate PBC weaponry in the project, making it truly a joint-USAn program.
Advanced fire control allows for swift target lock and accurate targeting. The double-barrel design allows for rapid fire on a single or multiple targets.
Typically deployed in batteries of three, in larger companies of nine, ‘Keltees’ can provide heavy backup protection to large colonies and installations.
The -Ke13 gets its ‘Keltee’ name from a name for a particularly territorial and lightning-throwing ogre of Jorgmundsonian folklore.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-Ke13 ‘Keltee’
Class: Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Energy Artillery Carrier
Crew: 12 +1-18 additional passengers/security/technical staff
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,200
Reinforced Crew Compartment 500
Particle Beam Cannon 1,000
Air Defense Turret(1) 200
Wheels(18) 100 each
Height: 45 ft
Width: 66 ft
Length:168 ft
Weight: 7,000 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 65 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, it can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.

Market Cost: 217 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Robot Systems, plus:
*Advanced Targeting-----Advanced stabilization and computerized fire control give the PBCs a +3 to strike.

*Supplemental Power/Cooling Hookups---VOSKs can be hooked up to external support systems providing extra power and cooling.

*EW Jamming Systems---Paladin Steel learned from its GRANITE AXE robot weapons platforms how to electronically mask larger vehicles, at least partially. Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected vehicle.)

*Stabilization Jacks----The ‘Keltee’ typically does not fire its main weapon on the move, but stops to deploy six stabilization jacks to steady the vehicle for more accurate firing.

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weaons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*EMP-Hardened Systems----VOSKS are hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

Weapons Systems:
1)Double Barrel Medium Particle Beam Cannon---This is a paired set of PBCs wrapped in a heavy radiation shield and cooling jacket. Advanced Jorgmundsonian research on particle beam weaponry gives the cannon better range, especially in atmosphere.
• Range:(Palladium) 16 miles in atmosphere/ 32 miles in space
? (Kitsune) 32 miles in atmosphere/ 32,000 miles in space
• Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast, 4d4x100 MD per double-barrel blast
• Rate of Fire: Three times per melee per barrel
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: +3 to strike airborne targets

2) Air Defense Turret(1) ---Mounted atop the PBC turret is a dual-purpose air/ground defense turret. This mounts an ASI/WZT Light Weapons system fitted with advanced PDS fire control for targeting bonuses.
a) Pulse Laser
• Range: (Palladium) 2.5 miles it atmosphere, 5 in space
? (Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD single blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Plasma Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space
• Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

d) Gravity Railgun:
• Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 200-500 bursts per cannon


Bonuses: +3 to strike flying targets

Variants:
None, aside from field modifications adding such features as smoke launchers, plows, or additional small gun positions on the hull.

[taalismn]

ASI/DMNC/XxK-Kg18 ‘Kinsel’ Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Artillery
(aka ‘Shardstormer’, ‘Pulverizer’, ‘Tenderizer’)
“The metalstorming system means lots of ready to fire ammo already in the tubes, and an unbelievable rate of fire, but if you need to fire specifuc ammunition, you better already have them already loaded, or a pre-determined firing mix already set up, because field-loading on the fly is tricky at best.”

“-Classic example of the Throw Enough High Velocity Exploding **** In the Air and Hope It Hits Something’ school of thought. It actually works; the Golgans withdrew their unshielded starfighters from operations along the Zyganian front after the Usans sold the Zygs a few air defense companies of these things. Seems even the Zebuloids couldn’t dodge all that flying ordnance. ”

“There’s a now infamous ‘monster’ photo that shows a trio of giant Kinsels LOOMING over a squad of tiny tanks. A lot of folks on the Rim thought we were building mountain-sized super-tanks throwing projectiles the size of city blocks. Supposedly, several pirate raids were called off because they didn’t want to face storms of skyscrapper-sized missiles.
In reality, the photographer snapped a shot of a trio of milita Kinsels in cooperation maneuvers with a Smallkin mechanized company that was providing security. The Smallkin vehicles are smaller than normal ‘bigfolk’ rides, although not by much, so the Vosks were still pretty damned impressive, and Usan PR did little to downplay the misconception from the original photo release.”

The ‘Kinsel’ is another wheeled VOSK platform, this time carrying a massive twenty-two-tube ‘metalstorm’ gravitic cannon developed by the Xxihanese with ASI assistance. Rings of gravitic projectors in each tube take hold of each projectile and accelerate them to hypersonic velocity. Gravitonic counter-baffling negates damage from recoil being transmitted to the vehicle frame and also protects the top-mount sensors and communications array. Wide tires and wheel base spread griund weight effectively preventing the carrier from bogging down, while a reinforced suspension handles shocks from traversing rough terrain while carrying nearly two hundred tons of explosive ordnance.
The entire upper works of the ‘Kinsel’ can ‘kneel’ to the ground by extending the axels fore and aft, allowing for easier access, maintenance and reloading of the main systems.
Though carrying a smaller and lighter caliber weapon than the larger -Km16 ‘Rangu’ in its cannon configuration, the Kinsel is considered tactically more flexible, faster, and more responsive.
Kinsels typically operate in three-vehicle batteries, along with support elements, including reloaders.
Besides the various members of the USAJC, the Kinsel has been acquired in numbers by the Zyganian Empire in its ongoing war wth the Golgan Republik. These vehicles have distinguished themselves in both air defense and in surface bombardment.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-Kg18 ‘Kinsel’
Class: Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Artillery
Crew: 5 +1-12 additional personnel
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 750
Reinforced Crew Compartment 150
Headlight Banks(2) 80 each
Secondary Gun Mounts(2) 150 each
Wheels(4) 200 each
Heavy Cannon Bank 400
Sensor/Communications Array(top rear of the cannon bank) 120
Height: 45 ft
Width: 84 ft
Length: 88 ft
Weight: 220 tons , 418 tons fully loaded
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions

Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 55 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily. Buttoned up, it can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.
Market Cost: 84 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Robot Systems, plus:
*Shaped Undercarriage----The underbody of the Kinsel is shaped to deflect the blast of land mines and IEDs; HALF damage from such explosives.

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weapons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*EW Jamming Systems---Paladin Steel learned from its GRANITE AXE robot weapons platforms how to electronically mask larger vehicles, at least partially. Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected vehicle.)

*EMP-Hardened Systems----VOSKS are hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

Weapons Systems:
1) 12-inch MultiTube Heavy ‘Metalstorm’ Cannon(1x22 tubes)---Mounted atop the Kinsel’s rear deck is a horizontal array of ‘organ pipes’, each holding a ‘stack’ of twelve 12-inch shells, ready to be gravitically propelled a hypersonic velocity. The barrels can each be angled as much as 5 degrees to spread volley bursts.
Besides flak air defense, the launchers can also be used for traditional artillery surface bombardment. This has proven especially effective in saturating landing zones with suppressive firepower.
Range: (Palladium)40,600 yards (121,800 ft/ 60 miles) in atmosphere, 180 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 60 miles in atmosphere, 60,000 miles in space
Damage: (High Explosive) 6d6x10 MD to 60 ft blast radius
(Fragmentation) 3d6 x10 MD to a 110 ft blast radius
(Plasma) 1d4x100 MD to 70 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-22
Payload: Each barrel holds 12 rounds, for a total of 264 rds

2) Secondary Gun Mounts(2)----The sides of the Kinsel carry positions for two rapid-fire weapons. These are equivalent to to crew-served heavy infantry weapons with wide arcs of fire to the sides and rear, but with the added feature of being twin-mounts. They can also be linked into a CIWS fire control system that gives them a +3 to strike airborne targets.

Variants:
A cargo-carrier variant of the Kinsel exists; carrying 290 tons of cargo, the -CCl18 often serves alongside its armed brother. The CCl18ka is a reloader model that can supply freshly loaded ‘stacks’ of projectiles to the Kinsel.

[taalismn]

PS/ASI/WZT Stazer Heavy Combat Robot
(ala ‘Bowler’, ‘Globetrotter’, ‘Orbot’)
“Taste the (****ing) rainbow, (punks)!”

“One of the things we learned from observing the CAF’s Operation Gutcutter was not to use our big flying robots as starfighter substitutes. Their mobility best suited them for airborne-style ops, deploying heavy armor quickly to crisis points and flank positions.”

“The Stazer was rushed out to provide our forces with heavy fire support. It was also more pragmatically a real-combat test-bed for the core systems of the Patriot. If the Stazer flopped, the future of the Patriot program could very well have been in final jeopardy.”

When Aegis Stellar industries acquired examples of WZT’s Dark Justice-class Trans-Atmospheric Shock Trooper Carrier to fill out the GNE Space Force’s need for heavy iron, PS/ASI engineers were amazed by the ships. Simply amazed, as it had so many others, the Greater New England Armed Services, who even before the formation of the United Systems Alliance were falling over themselves trying to scrape up the funding to acquire as many of the stealth ships as they could. However , engineers were particularly intrigued by the ships’ multi-mode Enerite Battle Globe weapons systems, that could project lasers, plasma, and e-bolts. PS/ASI engineers wondered if they could scale down the globes and mount them on a tactical platform, such as a combat robot. With time finally after the hectic days of the Minion War, a team was put together to see if that could be done.
Hearing of the continued delays on the PS/ASI ‘Patriot’ battlebot program, the Enerite project asked to borrow what HAD been successfully completed, which was the basic humanoid ground chassis of what was going to be an ‘ultimately modular’ combat robot system. Rather than try to create a new weapons system configuration for the Patriot, which was already suffering development bloat and problems integrating all the proposed ‘plug-and-play’ accessory systems, the Enerite project team wanted a fixed configuration that could be produced more quickly.
The Stazer follows the basic frame already approved for the Patriot, with powerful actuators, heavy armor, and mobility-assistance devices built in. A power system seconded from the Patriot program provides plenty of power for the Stazer’s systems.
The Stazer mounts three scaled-down enerite globes as its primary energy weapons suite, while a pair of shoulder hardpoints can be fitted with a variety of missile packs. Two chest-mounted projectile weapons provide extra kinetic punch, optional forearm hardpoints add expendable firepower and the Stazer can carry and use mecha-sized hand weapons.
Studies and experience with giant flying robots, such as the CAF’s Battleram, meant that PS/ASI engineers decided to incorporate a limited flight capability(the Patriot was already being slated to be plumbed for modular flight systems). This made the Stazer highly mobile and well-suited for hit and run operations.

The Stazer made its combat debut during the Travesdeen War, supporting Alliance ground forces against the Travesdeens’ heavy Mergo and Malach units. It was later joined on the battlefield by the first production-model Patriots. With the conclusion of the Balanite Campaigns, the Stazer has begun deployments with other USAJC members.

Type: PS-HAR-07 ‘Stazer’
Class: Heavy Assault Robot Vehicle
Crew: One (pilot)+1 passenger
M.D.C By Location:
* Head - 200
Hands (2) - 130 each
Arms (2) - 300 each
Legs (2) - 350 each
**Enerite Globes(3) 200 each
Retracting Sensor Mast(1) 90
Main Body - 970
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 250

* Destroying the head will reduce the sensor range of all the sensor systems by 50%.

**Enerite Globes are small and surrounded by protective plates; they are -3 to be hit, even with a called shot.

Speed:
(Running): 75 mph maximum. Note that the act of running does not tire the robot and can be maintained indefinitely.
(Leaping): On its own, the Stazer’ can leap 50 feet lengthwise or straight up from a dead start, or 140 feet lengthwise or straight up with a short running start. Engaging its thrusters allows it to make extraordinary jumps of up to two miles lengthwise or 3,000 feet straight up.
(‘Skimmer Drive’) This is a limited use fo the flight jets to suspend the Stazer 1-10 ft above the ground and ‘skate’ via ground effect at speeds up to 120 MPH.
(Flight:) Can fly at 160 MPH up to an altitude of 3,000 ft.
(Space: Is capable of operating perfectly fine in airless and microgravity environs, but unless specially fitted with space maneuvering systems, it can only float helplessly in zero-gee.
(Underwater:) Can run along the bottom at 20 MPH, or swim along at 45 MPH, using its thrusters. Maximum Depth: 1,000 ft

Statistical Data:
Height: 30 feet (9.2 meters)
Width: 10 ft
Length: 10 ft
Weight: 70 tons
Physical Strength: Equal to a Robotic P.S. of 55
Cargo: Minimal cargo space; about five feet in the pilot's compartment.
Power System: Nuclear with a 20 year lifespan.
Cost: 65 million credits for a new unit with fully loaded weapons.

Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
Radar: Range 150 miles and can track up to 50 targets at once.
Radio/Video Communications: Wide band and directional, radio and
video transmission capabilities with a 300 mile range.
Standard Video Optics plus:
Thermo-Imaging
IR/UV Optics
Telescopic/Image Enhancement Optics
Low-Light/Nightvision system
Laser Targeting
Shoulder Headlights/Spotlights: 300 foot range.
Ejector Seat
Heat & Radiation Shields
Independent Oxygen & Circulatory System
Combat Computer: The mecha is equipped with an advanced combat computer
that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces.
Data collected by the combat computer can be displayed on the virtual
environment cockpit of the mecha (see below), which allows the system
to display large amounts of data to the pilot and even highlight
enemies and missile attacks with overlaid graphics.
The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets,
and has a database of over 10,000 images stored in memory. The
computer can identify and track up to 250 targets simultaneously, and
gives the pilot the following bonuses (in addition to any others):
+2 to Initiative, +1 to Strike, Parry and Dodge.

*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.

*Retracting Sensor Mast(1)---A holdover from the Black Titan programs, a sensor mast that can fully retract into the torso, or extend out up to 10 ft. It carries a backup set of sensors identical to those in the head, as well as wide-angle panoramic cameras.

*Advanced Targeting Systems---PS/ASI integrated advanced target-acquisition and fire control systems into the Stazer; these give integral ranged weapons such as the enerite globes and forearm cannon a +2 to strike, and the head lasers in particular a +3 to strike airborne targets.

Weapons Systems:
1) Enerite Battle Globes(3, one in the chest, one on each forarm)---- These are scaled-down versions of the emplacements mounted on the WZT’s Dark Justice-class Trans-Atmospheric Shock Trooper Carrier. Another ‘multi-mode’ weapons system that comes to WZ courtesy of their J!ng allies, the Enerite system uses a fluid liquid-crystal energy matrix and nanotech-shaped energy lensing to create a weapon that can fire, with a few seconds of reconfiguration, laser, plasma, or electrical energy.
Range: (Laser) 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
(Plasma) 2,500 ft in atmosphere, 1.5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 1,500 miles in space)
(E-Bolt) 0.5 miles in atmosphere, 1 mile in space
(Kitsune Values: 1 mile in atmosphere, 1,000 miles in space)
Damage:
(Laser) 3d6x10 MD per blast
(Plasma) 1d4x100 MD per blast
(E-Bolt) 2d4x10 MD per blast
Plus, electrical damage similar to the Triax Lightning Blaster:
01-15 No additional damage
16-30 Instrumentation flickers for 1d4 seconds, and lose initiative
31-45 All weapons systems go offline! One comes back online in 1d4 melees.
46-60. All systems offline for 1d4 melees
61-75 Communications, targeting, and radar are knocked off-line. Manual targeting only; -3 to strike, and no initiative
76-90 All systems except one weapons system are cooked; -25% to piloting at 1/3 maximum speed. -50% at 1/2 maximum speed, -75% at maximum speed, no initiative to strike, -3 to Dodge and Strike, and lose 1 action/attack per melee.
91-00 All electrical systems are zapped, and the vehicle is dead in space.
Against organics, this weapon mode stuns for 1 melee round; lose 1 action/attack, no initiative, and HALF bonuses to strike and dodge

Special: Provided all the globes are in the same mode, they can be used to deliver a synchronized double- or triple-globe attack. This counts as one attack, but uses only one ‘to strike’ roll, and does double to TRIPLE damage(and, of course, there’s still the chance of a critical strike).
Rate of Fire:(Laser) Four times per melee
(Plasma) Twice per melee
(E-Bolt) Four times per melee
Changing the weapons fire-mode per Enerite globe takes 2 melees(30 seconds)
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

2) Shoulder Missile Launchers(2)--Each shoulder has a hardpoint that can be fitted with different missile launcher racks.
a) Mini-Missiles--- 48 MMs
b) Short Range Missiles--- 12
c) MediumRange Missiles--- 6
d) MR Heavy Hitter Missiles--- 5
e) Long Range Missiles---3

3) Torso Cannon(2)---Two gun packs are fitted on either side of the torso, below the armpits. These are typically fitted with projectile weapons, to add ranged kinetic punch
a) 2x30mm Autocannon(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 per single gun.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 800 rds, 400 rds per cannon

b) PS-RG-60 Heavy Rail Gun( a copy of an imported Russian design)
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3,000 rd drum

c) Gravity Railgun:
• Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 200 bursts

d) Gravity Rail Gun Pod
• Range: 3 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 10 miles in atmosphere,1,000 miles in space)
• Damage: 3d6x10 per 20 round burst
• Rate of Fire: ECHH
• Payload: 3,000 rds (150 bursts)

e)PS-LGCGL03 Gravitic Grenade Launcher
Range: 7,000 ft in atmosphere, 14,000 ft in space
(Kitsune values: 7,000 ft in atmosphere, 140 miles in space)
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
(Fusion) 6d6 MD to blast area of 12 ft
3d6x10 MD to blast area of 40 ft w/ 10-rd burst
(Collapsar) 2d4x10 MD to a 5 ft radius
4d6x10 MD to blast area of 16 ft w/ 10-rd burst
(Repulsor) 2d4x10 MD to an 8 ft radius
2d6x10 MD to blast area of 25 ft w/ 10-rd burst
There is also an extended ring-radius of lateral gravitic force that extends out an additional 12 ft. sending objects and people caught in it flying(2d4x10 ft): 90% chance of knock-down(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 80% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Note that the gravitic waves work THROUGH armor, but NOT forcefields and other energy barriers.
(Anti-Theron) No damage to mundane material foes (acts like a flash-bang) but does 6d6 HP/MDC damage(based on what the creature is) to 24 ft blast area. The dispersal charge does 1d6 SDC.
2d6x10 HP/MDC to blast area of 75 ft w/ 10-rd burst
Additional anti-magic effects as per anti-theron munitions(described elsewhere)
Rate of Fire: Single shot or selective bursts of 3-10 shots, ECHH
Payload: 400 rds

f) Heavy Flamer
Range:(Direct-Stream Mode) 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:(Direct-Stream Mode) Standard
Payload:(Direct-Stream Mode
(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).


4)Head Lasers(2)---The Stazer mounted twin-laser ‘horns’ that were actually a laser anti-missile system with dual usage.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 2 miles in atmosphere, 200 miles in space)
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per cannon, 2d6x10+20 MD per simultaneous burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Bonuses: +2 to Strike, +3 to strike airborne targets
Payload: Effectively unlimited

5) (Optional) Forearm Hardpoints(2)---Supplemental external weaponry can be attached to the undersides of the forearms in the form of aircraft-style ordnance pods.
a) Mini-Missiles---- 36 MMs per pod
b) Short Range Missiles---- 10 SRMs per pod
c) Medium Range Missiles---- 4 MRMs per pod
d) Medium Heavy Hitter Missiles(LRM warhead on an MRM propulsion stage)--- 3 per pod-
e)Gravity Railgun:
• Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 200 bursts per cannon

f) Heavy Flamer-----Identical to the torso mount weapon.


6) Optional Use of any robot-scale handheld weaponry, including the full line of PS weaponry.

Hand to Hand Combat: Stazer combat training adds the following bonuses:
Critical Strike equal to Pilot's
+1 attack per round, + 1 additional attack at levels 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15
+5 to roll with impact, punch or fall
+2 on initiative
+2 to strike in hand to hand combat
+2 strike w/ ranged weapons
+3 to parry
+2 to dodge standing still, +3 to dodge in motion, +4 to dodge when flying
+2 to pull punch
Restrained Punch: 3d6 M.D.
Full Strength Punch, Elbow or Knee attack: 6d6 M.D.
Power Punch: 1d6x10, counts as two attacks
Tear or Pry with hand: 5d6 M.D.
Kick Attack: 6d6 M.D.
Body Block/Ram: 6d6 M.D.
Stomp: 5d6 M.D. Effective only against objects smaller than 12 feet.

Options:
*Forcefield Generator---A late addition was the ability to carry an internal forcefield generator, typically a VEFFGM04RR Forcefield Generator, which has a protective value of 360 MDC, and regenerates at 75 MDC per 5 minutes(15 MDC per minute), though there has been experimentation with a module which, like the Stazer’s power system, has been adapted from starfighter systems, in this case the Hesperias, with 800 MDC.

*Space Thruster Kit----This adds a space-capable jetpack(350 MDC) and maneuvering thrusters to the limbs, allowing the Stazer to fly in space at Mach 6. The extra weight, however, reduces all other speeds by 20% when in a 1-g gravity well.

[taalismn]

VOSK ASI/DMNC/XxK-Ke14 ‘Tazner’ Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Energy Artillery Carrier
(aka ‘Photo-Blitzer’, ‘Gleam-Machine’, ‘Bright-Monster’)

“ The hull may be Darad-designed, but the photonics are pure Ghawdeen-made. Proved their worth when they chopped down that last batch of bandits who thought they could swipe an armload of lasers from the Clear-Eye Quartz Works out in the northern wastes. In fact, it’s kinda pity the cannons made short work of all them raiders, because a few survivors to spread the word that Ghaw’s not pirate-friendly would have been nice. It woudl also send a nice message to the Golgans not to come sniffing around.”

“The Tanzer’s the sort of big gun carrier you bring out to engage units like the TGE’s Kartuhm-Terek. Not that we’re advertising it as such, lest we give the Kreeghor the idea that we’re actively angling for a match. But the thought’s there that we have to have heavy iron that can at least wound those monsters if the Empire decides to invade us. True, the Tanzer lacks the range, armor and speed to match the Doomsdayer, but we can build more of them. Yeah, attrition-tactics sound unattractive, but we work with what we have, and hope to come up with something better with the time we buy. ”

“ We’ve learned that once word got out about Tanzers beng deployed to some of our worlds, there were a lot less incidents with raiders on those worlds. Seems some people don’t think it’s worth facing super-tanks for a few metal ingots or warm bodies.”

The ‘Tazner’ is more of a ‘fighting platform’ with secondary weaponry to its credit, and can be considered a ‘supertank’ of sorts, able to directly engage enemy forces on the surface. A complement of heavy weaponry is mounted in a common turret; two multi-barrel boosted-range energy cannon backed by two long range missile pods and topped by a point defense turret. The whole is heavily armored and carried on a combination of wheels and treads. The Tanzer also incorporates an integral forcefield generator for added protection.
Tanzers are capable of both high altitude air defense and ground suppression. While the high profile makes the vehicle difficult to conceal, it also affords the main energy cannon a high vantage point from which to pot targets in line of sight. The missile launchers provide long range ballistic fire support.
Tazners are usually deployed in batteries of four, with accompanying support vehicles( such as security vehicles and resupply reloaders). They are sometimes used to provide closer- air defense for other VOSKs.
So far, Tanzers have only seen deployment on a handful of USA worlds, especially on worlds like Kampadow and Ghawdeen, with plenty of barren land to maneuver in, and dispersed industrial sites to protect. On Ghawdeen in particular, the Tazner has proven itself in fending off attempted raids on the refineries and laser factories there.

Type: ASI/DMNC/XxK-Ke14 ‘Tazner’
Class: Mobile Surface to Space/Air Defense Energy Artillery Carrier
Crew: 14+1-25 additional passengers/crew
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,800
Reinforced Crew Compartment 300
Energy Cannon(2) 500 each
Large Turret 1,000
Reinforced Turret Compartment 300
Heavy Missile Pods(2) 400 each
CIWS Turret 200
Wheels(14) 200 each
Treads(2) 380 each
Forcefield 1,000
Height: 27 ft
Width: 21 ft
Length: 84 ft
Weight: 700 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions.
A cargo compartment in the center section below the command cab is roughly 10 ft x 8 ft x7 ft holds additional supplies and tools for troubleshooting missiles and fixing systems on the vehicle.
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Land) 75 MPH
(Underwater)The VOSK is NOT amphibious(doesn’t float), but there are few creeks and streams it cannot ford easily.Buttoned up, it can drive along the bottom of rivers and lakes at a leisurely 8 MPH, but maximum depth is 100 ft.
(Space) Though not capable of flying in zero gravity, IS perfectly suited for operating in airless/hostile and low-gravity environments such as the surface of moons and Mars-like worlds.

Market Cost: 215 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Standard Vehicle/Robot Systems, plus:
*Advanced Targeting-----Advanced stabilization and computerized fire control give the guns a +3 to strike.

*Supplemental Power/Cooling Hookups---VOSKs can be hooked up to external support systems providing extra power and cooling.

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weaons, the VOSK is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*EW Jamming Systems---Paladin Steel learned from its GRANITE AXE robot weapons platforms how to electronically mask larger vehicles, at least partially. Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected vehicle.)

*EMP-Hardened Systems----VOSKS are hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

Weapons Systems:
1)Heavy Laser Cannons(2)---Wrapped in cooling tubes(giving the impression of multi-barrel gatling-style weapons) are two long-barrel enhanced range heavy laser cannons. Improved laser optics give the cannon increased range and accuracy, as does a stable firing platform.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere, 30 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 30 miles in atmosphere, 30,000 miles in space)
Damage: 2d6x100 MD per single blast; a dual blast does 4d6x100 MD.
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee, 4 times per melee with supplemental external power feed
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Heavy Missile Pods(2)---Long range missile pods, each holding 14 missiles.
Range: Varies by missile type(speed and range x4 in space)
(Kitsune Values: 3,400 miles in atmosphere, 1,800,000 miles in space)
Damage: Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-7
Payload: 14 ready to fire per launcher, 28 total

3) CIWS Turret(1) ---Mounted atop the main turret is a dual-purpose air/ground defense turret. This mounts an ASI/WZT Light Weapons system fitted with advanced PDS fire control for targeting bonuses.
a) Pulse Laser
• Range: (Palladium) 2.5 miles it atmosphere, 5 in space
? (Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload:Effectively Unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 1.5 miles in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD single blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Plasma Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 3 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space
• Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

d) Gravity Railgun:
• Range: 2.5 miles in atmosphere, 5 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values: 5 miles in atmosphere, 500 miles in space)
• Damage: 1d6x10 MD per burst
• Rate of Fire: EGCHH
• Payload: 200-500 bursts per cannon

Bonuses: +3 to strike flying targets

Variants:
There are no major variants of the -Ke14 ‘Tazner’ as yet, though reportedly either a hover or GMR(Gravitic-Magnetic Resist) version is under advanced consideration, after trials of Project HABOOB. A faster and more mobile version would definitely advance the Tazner as a potential ‘Kartuhm-Terek-Killer’.
A late field development adds an additional pair of LRM pods, or a pair of additional CIWS Turrets to the front of the hull, under the main laser cannon. .

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel ‘D-Bus’---Extradimensional Hover Transport
(aka ‘D-Worm’, ‘Zoom-Tuber’, ‘Gark’)
<<“Transit to New Stratford now boarding at Platform Seven. Repeat, transit to New Stratford now boarding at Platform Seven. Travellers to New Stratford please have your tickets ready.”>>

“Thanks to the D-buses, travel between dimensions is as easy as public transit. In fact, some of the GNE’s busier extradimensional communities use them as regular transport between the rest of their linked out-dimension worlds, with some commuters doing a daily round-trip to get to and from work.”

“When we were evacuating refugees from the warzones in the Balanite Structure, Safe-T-Gater Bus Lines loaned us some of their fleet of d-transiters to help move folks into sanctuaries. Having the civilian transports on hand helped out immensely, especially as the shiny lines were a lot more comforting to war-traumatized people than our military conveyors were.”

“Zoom-Tuber drivers are typically starting level government or agency shifters or techno-wizards. It’s not glamorous work, being a d-bus driver, but it’s regular and it pays a good steady wage, and it’s a good way to round out a beginner’s resume without risking your life freelancing.”

“---figures. No matter where in the megaverse I go, if I take public transport, I end up next to the obnoxious teenagers with the loud music, the screaming colicky kid, and the smelly guy who needs to make his medical history public knowledge. EVERY. FREEKIN’ .TIME. ”

The ‘D-Bus’ is a modified-frame PS/ASI/LSI-GAAARCG-01 Multi-Environment ContraGravity UtilityTransport, enhanced with techowizardry as a Rift-Traverser. Chosen for its resilient frame and reliable performance, the ‘Garc’ is tough, durable, and mechanically sound. Both dedicated passenger-carrier and cargo transport versions exist, and furthermore the ‘tubes’ can be linked together in multi-unit ‘trains’.
Ectofiber insulation conduits in the frame produce the magical equivalent of a Faraday cage, protecting passengers from magic energies and extradimensional entities that have been known to attack travellers ‘in between’.
When charged on a dimensional ley line, D-buses typically assume a shiny crystalline appearance or ‘neon’ glow.
D-buses are a common sight in GNE dimensional transit hubs/pyramids in dimensionally-’secured’ areas, but rarely operate far from them. Still, they are built tough and able to ‘offroad it’ in the event of a dimensional break, mis-transit or other catastrophic event.

Type: GAAARCG-01XDTC2 ‘Dee-Bus’
Class: Multi-Environment ContraGravity ExtraDimensional Transit Conveyer
Crew: 2+up to 64 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Reinforced Interior Compartment 250
Hoverjets(8) 50 each
External Lights(6) 5 each
Height: 15 ft
Width: 13 ft
Length: 75 ft
Weight: 85 tons
Cargo: Besides what can carried aboard and stowed in overseat racks, the GAAAR has lower cargo bins for up to 2 tons of cargo.
If not configured for carrying passengers, the vehicle can be converted to carry up to 30 tons internally.
Powerplant: TW(5 year energy life, but effectively indefinite charging on a ley line).
-Supplemental Greenstar PPE ‘Regenerator’ PowerStone----; ’Light’--- 100 PPE capacity, recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 20n PPE/hour at a leyline, 40 PPE/hour on a nexus

Speed: (Air) Hover to 120 MPH, typically 3-50 ft off the ground
(Water) Can skim above the waves at 80 MPH
(Underwater) Fully amphibious; the baseline model can survive depths down to 2,000 ft and move at 23 MPH underwater.
(Space) Can maneuver in space, albeit slowly at about 15 MPH.
Market Cost: 9 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Vehicle Equivalents, plus:
*Internal Fire Extinguisher System
*Crash Systems----Auto-deploy passenger safety restraints and airbags cushion the passengers from concussive injuries in event of an accident; reduces the damage that passengers take in a crash by HALF.

Weapons Systems: None standard, but can be fitted with light defensive armaments(see Options). D-Buses on secured routes are rarely armed; those on longer less secure rounds frequently are.
TechnoWizardry Systems:
*LeyLine Flier--Can float and fly effectively indefinitely on a ley line.
*Ley Line Booster---Double speed on a ley line

*Open Dimensional Rift---Onyx focal array of ten carats at the front of the D-bus. This is typically set to open pre-scouted/determined dimensional coordinates. Resetting it to accept new coordinates/locations is possible, but time consuming(takes 1d4 hours to reconfigure the TW array and costs twice as much PPE). 50 PPE to activate.

*Re-open Dimensional Rift (18 PPE)---Useful for backing up in a hurry.

*Protective Energy Field---That extra layer of protection, against energy blasts or collisions/impacts. 10 PPE(20 ISP) to activate, lasts 10 minutes per energization, and provides 50 MDC per 10 PPE(20 ISP) pumped into the system.

*Ectofiber Insulation Grid
-Magical Attacks do HALF damage/effect
-Insulates against intangible/teleportation infiltration and psychic possession attempts.

Options:
Same as for the standard GAAARCG-01

[taalismn]

PSRFIC-05 ‘Hizatt’ Rapid Fire Infantry Ion Cannon
(aka ‘Lightning Sprinkler’)

“Face it; we couldn’t go low enough on this one. Our business ethics kept getting in the way.”

The PSRFIC-05 was the work of a Three Galaxies branch office’s experiment in developing their own counter to the dirt-cheap Golgan Hiion-H4 ion ‘machinegun’, using the PSIR-9 ‘Murchison’ Ion Rifle as a basis. This work was conducted during the Minion War ‘blackout’ that saw many PS/ASI extradimensional offices cut off from one another and scrambling to remain working, solvent, and relevent by conducting their own weapons research and development to serve local markets.
The PSRFIC-05 mounted four PSIR-9 barrels to a sequential firing capacitor and power-feed system that could be tripod-mounted. Technically, each barrel was not capable of burst-firing, but aligned and firing in sequence, the weapon was effectively an ion gatling gun.
The PSRFIC-05 turned out to be one of PS/ASI’s failures; the marginal increases in range, efficiency, and durability the weapon enjoyed over the Hiion didn’t compensate for the greater weight and cost. Simply put, PS/ASI couldn’t match the Golgan cutthroat design and production for massproducing an expendable weapon on the cheap and dirty. The branch responsible turned over its manufactured inventory to the main office when contact was resumed and PS/ASI tried to salvage the design as a vehicle-mount weapon. In that role, the Hizatt faired marginally better over PS/ASI’s other heavy ion weapns by virtue of having a more damaging burst-mode. However, that wasn’t enough to recommend the weapon for larger production, and the PSRFIC-05 is generally not known outside the galactic sector where it was manufactured. A few have reportedly been bought by collectors.

Weight: 64 lbs
MDC: 60
Range: 2,500 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per shot, 1d6x10+9 MD per four shot burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 20 with a standard e-clip, 35 with a long e-clip
Special Features:
*Tripod-Mount
*Top Rail compatible with PS targeting scopes.
Cost: 84,000 credits

[taalismn]

My effort to create a ‘super cop’, bordering on munchkinland)
United Systems Alliance Justicar O.C.C.
(aka_’Cosmo-Fuzz’, ‘Cosmokop’, ‘Rim-Judge’ )

The gunshot echoed in the chamber, fading as had the last half dozen shots pronouncing final sentence.
The black-clad figure turned to the last prisoner, bound and gagged, strapped to a stretcher. Whimpering and struggling intensified as the executioner, pistol still in hand, loomed over the immobilized figure.
“Shelley Urlan, you stand accused of serving as a soldier in the private army of Gentech, an organization involved in multiple crimes against the urban population of this community and humanity in general. Crimes that carry a death penalty which has been served on your comrades.”
Wild eyes gazed in terror, a frantically shaking head stopped in place by the steely glare returned to them.
“HOWEVER, due to extenuating circumstances, such as your turning against your employers and being condemned to death as a result, plus the testimony of various witnesses, it seems that you were not a voluntary party to the crimes of your late colleagues. We would do well to simply turn you over to the local authorities for their own trial, though that carries a likely sentence of life imprisonment at least, death if the state of corruption we have observed in the local legal system extends to its penal system as well.”
Muffled distressed grunts seemed to try to affirm that.
“Therefore, by the power vested in me by the United Systems Alliance’s Marshals Service and the United Judiciary that you be sentenced by field jurisdiction to community service....as a colonist. You will henceforth be prepared for transport offworld and sent to an appropriate colony, there to spend the rest of your life in service to the community.”
The Justicar gave a nod and another figure stepped into view. The prisoner’s eyes went frantic as a double-barreled hypo-pistol was pressed to her neck and her world went dark-

“Be the nightmare of the lawless.”

“You serve a ruthless regime dedicated only to the wrongful acquisition of power over others. I serve a higher Truth in the service of innocent people!”

“Not quite Invincible Guardsmen, but I’d give even odds on some of them in a brawl with the TGE’s Finest. And I KNOW some of the Justicar would LOVE to get a TGE super-spook in restraints for some of the dickery the Kreggies’ augsmen have been suspected of being behind.”

“I am here to serve United Systems Alliance law, This young person, as an honorary citizen of the Paloiian Realm as granted by Princess Abela, and thus by extension a citizen of the Alliance, is entitled to the legal protections afforded to all its citizens. As the person in question is furthermore a minor and therefore even more protected under Alliance law, and as I deem that their rights are not being best served or even considered under your native laws, I am placing this person under the protection of the Alliance Marshals Service, enforceable by all agencies of the Alliance. Please step back unless you really want to test that. ”

“I don’t care if you do claim to be gods; you sought to murder a child. That’s illegal where I come from, and here I am, so it’s illegal here by my reckoning. Care to dispute it?”

“When a Justicar throws the book at you, that damn thing’s pretty @^&%#ing heavy when it hits. And it ALWAYS hits.”

United System Alliance Justicars are itinerant lawbeings charged with patrolling the Rim and enforcing the common law of the USA. As their name suggests, they are modeled after the Imperial Justicars of the Anduvaar Imperium, a trade partner of the USA. The Anduvaar Emperor graciously lent the USA some of his Imperial Justicars(by way of being observers) to the then-forming United Systems Alliance Marshals Service and the experiment was such a success that several of the Anduvaarans stayed on to train law enforcers in the same mold, enhanced by the many technologies and magicks available to the USA.
Justicars compare very favorably to the Wulfen Star Marshals, but have a wider variety of different special abilities. The GNE has contributed skill training from observations of (and a few defectors from) the CS Manhunter program, while the wide range of galactic talents has led to the inclusion of superpowers, psionics, and magic to the already formidable training. Justicars are encouraged to develop an ‘edge’, a talent or skill that greatly improves their effectiveness as law enforcers.
Justicars must have served at least a decade in previous law enforcement, ideally working with one or more agencies and with experience in multi-species law, before being accepted into the Justicar program. They are also familiarized in inter-species/inter-polity diplomacy, essential to dealing with different laws and law enforcement organizations.
Justicars can be recruited from any world of the USA; many are recruited from local law enforcement bodies and sponsored/endorsed by visiting senior Justicars, with whom the junior agent often serves as an assistant before graduating to individual assignment.

Justicars act as extralegal wandering ‘knights errant’; they patrol the largely lawless sectors of the Rim, audit the law enforcement organizations of the Fringe, root out corruption and waste, and provide experience and support in crisis situations. This can include helping track down particularly dangerous fugitives, head special taskforces, lend fire support and extra intelligence in hostage and terrorist situations, and provide training and special information to the various Alliance law enforcement sectors. Justicars may, if the situation is dire enough, assume temporary command of a local police department and stick around long enough to (re)train and (re)organize them properly. They frequently work in conjunction with local militia or USAJC military forces, especially when combating pirates.

Justicars are usually accompanied by a retinue, typically a small team of assistants and deputies. They are authorized to call upon the assistance of local law enforcement bodies in the GNE and USA, and may also receive special authority to request the participation and resources of National Guard/Militia and Irregular units. If the need/threat is great enough, they may even be granted special authority to connect with full military units.

Justicars are sometimes criticized when operating along the borders of the USA(or outside them) for over-extending their reach and applying the laws of the USA in areas where they are not arguably applicable, or serving sentence(especially executions) in the field. Matters of jurisdication are constantly under review, and ‘hot pursuit’ of fugitives or ‘universal rights of sophonts’ constantly come up in such discussions. However, in the more lawless regions of the cosmos where such actions are brought up, the Justicars are arguably the ONLY civilized law present. It’s also rumored that the CCW and other organizations with limited or no presence in those same regions tend to look the other way because the USA is frankly dealing with messes the former cannot legally or logistically handle.


Since the introduction of the Justicar program to the USA, the policemen have been gaining in reputation and respect, especially from their contempraries, such as the CCW’s TVIA, Star Marshals, and the Central Alliance’s Cyberhawks. On the Rim, they are regarded with fear by the criminal elements and relief by the wronged who see justice at hand.

Alignment: Principled or Scrupulous only
Attribute Requirements: IQ 12 , ME 12 . A high MA, PS and PE are desirable, but not mandatory. Unless otherwise limited in OCC selection, any species can become a Justicar.
Bonuses: +1d6 M.E., +1 on Initiative, +2 Pull Punch
Special Abilities:(Lawman)
The Justicar has the following Manhunter skills (from the CS Manhunter book, pgs. 104-107)
*Human Chameleon---Undercover work( +10 % where applicable).
There are Fringe tales of barely noticeable background characters turning out to be Justicars in disguise.

*Incorruptible----Loyal to the Law( +15 % where applicable)
Justicars exemplify the unswerving spirit of the Law. Some have compared it to a cultish zealotry.

*Poker Face----Looking innocent(or gullible)( +10 % where applicable)
If you think you’ve put one over on the gumshoe, you’re wrong; she’s just giving you enough rope (Writer’s Note: Michael Kitchen’s Detective Foyle is an expert at this).

*Manhunting---Skill at tracking and detection( +15 % where applicable)
The ‘Sherlock Scan’ in action.

*W.P. Modern Weapons Expert--
The gunslinging lawman tradition is alive and well on the Fringe.

Special Abilities: (Ways of Justice)
Roll for or choose one of the following Ways:
-01-15% -Way of Powers---The Justicar has superhuman powers: roll or select 3 Minor, or 1 Major (except Natural Combat Ability) and one Minor.

16-25%-Way of Force---Beyond the existing talent with firearms, the Justicar is a combat expert par excellence when it comes to applied force. The Justicar can use the Major Superpower Natural Combat Ability.
In the alternative, the Justicar can choose one of the megadamage mystic martial arts styles from Rifts China. Or any of the martial arts in the Ninjas & Superspies books, +1 APM at level 1.

26-30%----Way of Augmentation---The Justicar can choose one of the PS/ASI bio-augmentation packages.

31-50%-Way of Mind---The Justicar has psychic powers and is considered a Major Psychic; select eight from the Sensitive category(or six from Physical), plus an additional power from any of the other categories, including Super, at levels 3, 6, 9, and 12. Saves as a Master Psychic vs psionics on a 10 or better. Has an ISP reserve of M.E. +5d6 + (1d6+1)per level of experience

51-65%-Way of Steel---The Justicar has a special affinity with machines and commands a retinue of robots( equal in number to the Justicar’s ME/2, + 1 additional unit every other level of experience--- levels 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14) to , which get a bonus of +1 to Initiative, +1 to Strike, and +5% to skills. Automatically can select cybernetics/bionics, up to full conversion.

66-80%-Way of Perception--Sometimes called the ‘Super Sherlock Scan’, the Justicar has acute senses that can read a scene and suspects/witnesses. Gets an additional +10% to the Manhunting skill, +1d4 to Perception rolls. Has the Minor Superpowers Total Recall and Living Anatomy, and three additional Minor Superpower enhanced senses.

81-90%-Way of Truth--The Justicar can supernaturally discern information; gets the spells Words of Truth, See Aura, Second Sight, See the Invisible, Sense Evil, Sense Magic, Eyes of Thoth, Tongues and Illuminate The Invisible. Can learn one new spell per level of experience.
Has a reserve of PPE of 1d6x10+P.E., +(1d4+1) per level of experience.

91- 95% Way of Spirits (Death Speaker)---A particularly powerful and respected, or rather feared, set of abilities because they tread perilously close to the Dark Knowledges, especially Necromancy. The Justicar has the ability to summon and speak with spirits, spirit-like entities, and read the remains of the dead.
Not all jurisdictions, however, accept the word of a Death Speaker and dismiss ‘spectral testimony’.
Has learned the spells Assemble Bones, Constrain Being, Object Read the Dead, Turn Dead, and Commune with Spirits.
Has a reserve of PPE of 1d6x10+P.E., +(1d4+1) per level of experience.
The Justicar also gains a +1 vs Horror Factor at levels 3, 6, 9 and 12, and a +1 to save vs Necromancy Magic.

96-00% Way of the Past----Even rarer than the Death Speaker and just as controversial, the Justicar has learned several Temporal spells, Retro-Viewing, Remote Viewing and Time Capsule(good for preserving evidence). At levels 6 and 9 they may select an additional Temporal Magic spell.
Has a reserve of PPE of 1d6x10+P.E., +(1d4+1) per level of experience.
The Justicar also gains a +1 vs Horror Factor at levels 4, 8, and 12, and a +1 to save vs Temporal Magic.

O.C.C. Skills:
General Athletics
Computer Operation(+15%)
Criminal Sciences & Forensics(+15%)
Find Contraband (+10%)
Intelligence(+15%)
Language (English/Trade Four): 98%
Language (Dragonese): 80%
Literacy (English/Trade Four): 95%
Literacy (Dragonese): 80%
Language/Literacy: Three of Choice(+15%)
Lore: Galactic/Alien(+15%)
Lore: Legal(+20%)
Math: Basic(+15%)
Pilot Automobile(+15%)
Pilot Hovercraft(+15%)
Pilot Small Spacecraft (+10%)
Pilot: Two of choice(+10%)
Land Navigation(+10%)
Radio: Basic(+10%)
Radio: FTL(+10%)
Research(+10%)
Running
Sensory Equipment(+15%)
Streetwise (+15%)
W.P. Blunt
W.P. Energy Pistol
W.P. Two of choice
Hand to Hand: Expert(can be upgraded to Martial Arts for the cost of one ‘other’ skill.)

O.C.C. Related Skills: Select 8 ‘other’ skills from the following categories, plus an additional two at levels 3, 6, and 9.
Communications: Any(+5%)
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Basic Electronics only
Espionage: Any(+5%)
Mechanical: Basic and Automotive Mechanics only
Medical: First Aid and Paramedic only(+5%)
Military: Any
Physical: Any
Pilot: Any
Pilot Related: Any(+5%)
Rogue: Any(+5%) OR can choose a Black Market ability for TWO skills.
Science: Basic Mathematics, Chemistry only.
Technical: Any(+5%)
Wilderness: Any
Weapons Proficiencies(W.P.): Any

Secondary Skills: The character also gets to select 5 secondary skills from those listed, plus 1 at levels 4, 8, and 12. These are additional areas of knowledge that do not get the advantage of the bonuses listed in parentheses. All secondary skills start at the base skill level.

Experience Tables:
Use the CyberKnight exp. tables

Standard Equipment:
Holographic ID badge
Body Armor(up to heavy EBA)
Plainclothes Armor(disguised as part of their uniform)
Three weapons of choice
Stun Gun
Restraints(handcuffs, wrist ties, suppressor harness, etc.)
Audio/Visual Recorder(at least two)
Wrist or gorget communicator
Has access to a small starship(in the United Systems Alliance this can be up to a Sun/StarChaser)
Justicars often carry an item as a symbol of the law. This can be a book of laws/regulations, a weapon such as a sword, a small shield, projector badge, or amulet, often enchanted to emit some special effect, compel awe or truthfulness, or glow in the presence of (supernatural) evil.

As members of the United System Alliance’s combined Judiciary, Justicars can request special equipment to assist them in their investigations and operations.

Starting Money:
8,000 credits in savings. Average wage is 5,000 credits per month.

Cybernetics:
-Way of Powers, Way of Truth, Way of Mind, Way of the Past and Deathspeakers CANNOT accept more than 1d4 cybernetics without losing their particular powers.
-Way of Steel Justicars can go full conversion cyborg if desired

BioAugmentation
Unless taking the Way of Augmentation, this is not available to Justicars.

[taalismn]

PS-FCMcCFCR-08 “Rambolator’ Quad-Leg AFV
(aka ‘Block-runner’,’Gundral’, ‘Boomboon’)
“The usans are taking ‘combined arms’ entirely too seriously....they mix and match their troops regardless of size and species, and they often cover a particular member species’ deficiencies by giving them more and more firepower. Equality through superior firepower seems to be their motto. No respect for species superiority or seniority in their ranks.”
---Anonymous Golgan -Per-, Republikan Guard

“It’s said that the latest ‘Rambolator’ is based on an assault cyborg frame. Having seen it in action, I honestly believe it. I’ll also never laugh at ‘mounted cavalry’ ever again. Even on high ground that would have stymied what we thought of as beast cavalry, we weren’t at all safe from a lance-charge when it came. If I hadn’t been positioned near our hovercarrier pool and grabbed a ride out and to our evac point when the attack came, I would have been overrun like our commander who said our position was tactically sound and defendable.
I also hear the intelligence officer who reported that the local militia was outfitted with ‘beast cavalry’ was standing right next to the field-captain when the charge crested the ridge and blew through his fortifications. I call it justice.”
---’Unrepetent Survivor’, an anonymous poster to MercNet.

“Still haven’t solved the saddle-soreness problem however. The smallkin get to ride in comfortable seats inside, but anybody else still has to sit up top outside. If you’re anticipating a long ride, get a custom saddle made, or line your underwear with salve before you ride off. And pray your driver doesn’t have to start leaping, especially with jump-enhancers, or you better have anti-whiplash support.”
---Sergeant Jefferson Carlysle, 10th Irsan Mounted Rifles, United Systems Alliance.

It should come as no great surprise that Paladin Steel has produced its share of basic robot horses/animal configuration robot vehicles(such as robo-mules), and the ‘Rambolator’ is just the latest in the series, with the added feature of being crewed by Smallkin.
The Rambolator sheds any pretense of being an animal, cyborg or otherwise; it is an obvious mechanical machine, a quad-legged robot the size of a large warhorse or draft-beast. Instead of hooves, its four legs end in large foot-paws, allowing it to traverse rough terrain more readily and climb at speed like an ape. It is well-armored, strong, and mounts a varied array of armaments. A drone AI helps the pilots in swift safe movement. Like most PS/ASI units, it comes with a list of options that allow it to be readily customized for a variety of tactical missions.
Rambolators are proving popular in communities and colonies with mixed Bigfolk/Smallkin populations.
The Rambolator is sometimes mistaken for a E/Shemarrian creation.

Type: PS-FCMcCFCR-08 “Rambolator’
Class: Quad-Leg All-Terrain Infantry Robot Vehicle,
Crew: 2 Smallkin, , Size Level 1-2 sentients, +4 Smallkin in the cabin. Up to two human-sized Bigfolk (or one full-conversion cyborg up to heavy class) can ride on the back.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Reinforced Crew Compartment 50
Head/Forward Sensor Turret 100
Laser Headlights(2) 25 each
Gun Mounts(2) 60 each
Rear Racks(2) 40 each
Legs(4) 100 each
Height: 7 ft
Width:4 ft
Length: 12 ft
Weight: 1,000 lbs
Cargo: Shoe box-sized space /10 lbs internally, + an additional 150 lbs in saddle backs. If not carrying passengers externally, can carry an additional 300 lbs on the back.
Physical Strength: Equivalent P.S. of 35
Powerplant: Nuclear Powercell w/ 15 year energy life
Speed:(Running) 120 mph max .
(Leaping)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.
(Climbing) Can climb with 75% proficiency
(Flying) Not possible
(Underwater) Can run along the bottom at about 9 MPH, maximum depth of 500 ft(see Options)
Market Cost: 3 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Power Armor Systems, plus:
* Built-in language translator
* Built-in radio receiver & transmitter
* Clock calendar
* Gyro-compass
*Multi-optic eyes
*Nightvision/Thermal Imaging Optics
* Built-in loudspeaker
*Head-mounted Spotlights

*Motion Detector---Extendable antennae and small sensitive artificial ‘hairs’ sited around the frame pick up on motion; 500 ft.

*Chemical Sensors---Molecular Analyzer System

*Metal/EM Detector---Short range version of the larger MAD(Magnetic Anomaly Detector) modified with input from circuit reader devices; it’s a smaller version of PS’s larger vehicle-mounted EM Detector Lance.
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 nonmetallic ordnance.

*PPE Sensor---Thanks to microchip engineering expertise, PS has managed to get the size of the system down to compact enough to fit into the scope module. The sensor has a 200 ft range(out to 400 ft with 50% error in determination), 60-degree arc, and can detect invisible entities. Other penalties similar to the Japanese SNARLS system(on which it is based.....see Rifts: Japan, pg. 116).

*Power Take-Offs----These are electrical power connectors that allow the ‘bots to serve as convenient e-clip chargers and field power generators.

*Towing Hitch----Attachment points for towing light trailers/wagons.

Weapons Systems:
1) Headlight Lasers(2)---Two multi-mode headlight lasers are mounted in the Rambolator’s head. Typically operated by the pilot.
Range: 1,500 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD per single eye; 4d6 MD for both eyes firing simultaneously (counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Gun Mounts(2)---Mounted on both sides of the ‘chin’ are hardpoints for heavier weapons; mounted versions of infantry-support weapons. Energy weapons benefit from unlimited shots, being linked to the ‘bot’s power generator.
a)7.62mm General Purpose Machine Gun w/ 250-rd belt
b) 30mm ‘Banger’ Grenade Launcher w/ 60-rd magazine
c) 40mm Automatic Grenade Launcher w/ 60-rd magazine
d)*PS-RG140 Rail Gun w/ 250-rd belt
e)GrHW-01 ‘Flamma’ Heavy Gravitonic Rail Gun w/ 150-rd belt
f)PS-RFL2-33 ‘Blazer’ Rapid-Fire Infantry Laser---Original model or the upgraded ‘B’.
g)PPR-3 Serap’ Heavy Plasma Projector
h) PPR-4 ‘Comet Rifle” Plasma Bazooka
i)PSPPR-5 ‘Lewiston’ Light Plasma Cannon
j)PSBW-11 ‘Super-BAR’ Particle Beam Rifle
k)ASI/UWW-PB-87 ‘Zoran’ Heavy Blast Rifle
l)PSPBW-9 ‘FlareHammer’ Particle Beam Weapon
m)EMVR-08 ‘MagHammer’ ElectroMagnetic Rifle
n)*PSIC-02 Infantry Ion Cannon
o)*PSIC-03 “Scheffer’ Ion Cannon
p) PS Rip-Zapper Ion Cannon
q)PS-RL-212B Fragmentation Rocket Launcher( a copy of an imported Russian design).
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
at 3,500 ft, the rds go ‘grapeshot’, doing 3d6 MD(1 MD for a single shot) in a 12 ft wide area.
(Incendiary “Hot-Grape” Version)---Do an additional +2 MD per rd, and 1 MD of damage for 1d4 melees as the flare portion burns down.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shots
Cost: 40,000 credits

r)Razor -Disc Launcher
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 70 shots
Cost: 40,000 credits
s)USC-02 Screecher Sonic Cannon
t) Flamer-------500 ft range, does 3d6 MD per burst, plus does an additional 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 melees, 50 shots, 30,000 credits

3) Rear Rack-Hardpoints(2)--Straddling the tail are two hardpoints for additional weaponry, typically smoke/chaff mortars, ballistic grenade launchers, or light missile launchers.
a) Flare/Smoke/Chaff Launchers(1-2)---12 shots flares/chaff or light credits per launcher. 2,000 credits per launcher.

b) Micromissile Launchers(1-2)---25 shot cassette. Cost: 20,000 credits each

c) Mini-Missile Launchers(1-2)----6 shot box. Cost: 18,000 credits each
.
d) Rifle Grenade Launcher(1-2)(35-60mm Rifle-Launched Grenades)
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: Volleys of 1-4(all)
Payload: Each launch array holds four RLGs.
Cost: 2,000 credits each.

e) Light Forcefield Generator---Takes up BOTH rack slots. Naruni-style personal forcefield generator: 110 MDC

f)Jump-Jets---Takes up BOTH rack slots. Increases leap distances by 50%. Cost: 40,000 credits

g)Scramble Shelter---Takes up BOTH rack slots. Auto-folding camouflage and weather shelter. Cost: 80,000 credits

4) Paw Claws
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d6+3 MD on a slash/kick

5) Hand to Hand Combat
Kick 1d6 MD
Leap/Rearing Forelimb Stomp Attack(2 Attacks) 2d6 MD
Body Block/Ram(2 attacks) 1d8 MD

Bonuses from ‘Rambolator’ Robot Combat Training: (Same as for Light Robot Ground Vehicles, Elite)
+1 APM, in addition to the pilot’s own APMs, +1 at levels 3, 5, 8. and 11
+2 Initiative
+2 Strike w/ melee attacks
+1 Strike w/ energy weapons
+3 Dodge
+3 Roll(not recommended with external passengers)

Options:
*Cheek VibroBlades(2)---These are useful for clearing brush and delivering slashing sideswipes. Damage: 2d6 MD, Cost: 20,000 credits for a pair.

*Laser Illuminator Pod--- Hood-mounted, used for ‘painting’ targets for laser-guided weaponry. Range: 3 miles. Cost: 9,000 credits

*Ammunition Pannier---If not carrying passengers or freight slung across the saddle, can instead carry extra ammunition; effectively TRIPLES the paylod of any projectile wapons in the 2) slot. Cost: 8,000 credits.

*Rear Tail Plate---An armored plate(90 MDC) on a powered articulated arm; can be positioned to act as a back rest, sun shade /weather awning or rear protective plate for riders. Cost: 28,000 credits.

*Reactive Armor BardingExternal Antipersonel Fletchette Packs(55)----An effort to further protect the slow moving tank against faster power armor and infantry, this system consists of s series of directional ‘claymore’-style fragmentation grenades attached to the outer hull and triggred either by command or by motion detector trip to fill a ‘kill zone’ around the tank with lethal shrapnel and anti-personnel fletchettes.
Range: 100 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD to a cone swath roughly 50 ft long, by 10 ft wide.
Used as reactive armor against plasma and armor-piercing missiles, the computerized firing system acts as a PARRY, rolling to match or better the missile’s strike roll...a successful counter means that the missile damage is HALVED, while a failure means the tank takes full damage. Note: when dealing with volleys, one reactive armor pack can match TWO missiles in a volley, so in order to effectively counter a five missile volley, the tank must expend 3 reactive armor packs...two packs would roll twice to defeat their respective missiles, the third would only roll once. If the enemy missile launcher has a line of sight on the tank, they can target a spot on the hull which has no packs covering it (a called shot), in which case the remaining reactive armor is -4 to cover the gap.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or can be simultaneously fired in volleys of 1-4
Payload: Two can be fitted to the head, and four each side (10 total). If carrying a Rear Tail Plate, an additional two can be fitted.
Cost: 4,000 credits per charge

-Swimmer Conversion---Adds flotation units and paw webbing. Can now swim at 10 MPH. Cost: 20,000 credits

-Gecko Molecular Adhesion Paw-Pads---Allows the ‘bot to cling to any surface sturdy enough to half its weight. Cost: 28,000 credits

-Gravity Rods---(aka ‘Flea-Joppers’) Improved Jump Rods. Allows leaps of P.S. x25 ft across, half that vertically. Allows for jumps down of TWICE horizontal distance. Not recommended for use if carrying external passengers, due to the rough ride. Cost: 1 million credits

Variants:
*PS-FCMcCFCR-08B----Replaces the saddle capability with an extended cab(+80 MDC) and seating capacity for an additional 18 Smallkin.

*PS-FCMcCFCR-08C---Replaces the saddle capability with an additional weapons module or turret (+60 MDC) off the PS-S-(Mc)HC-07 Piranha Hovercycle/Micro-Scale Hover Attack Craft.
a) Micro-Missile Launcher----125 shots(5x25-shot cartridges)
b) Mini-Missile Launcher(includes Copperhead, Cobra, Mamba, and Light Heavy-Hitter missiles)----6
c) Short Range Missile Launcher(includes Black Talon, and Medium Heavy-Hitter missiles)----3
d)“WhiteFang” Heavy Anti-Armor Tactical Missile System----2
e)(Turret-Mount)*PSM811 ‘Gunther’ 52mm Infantry Mortar w/ -shot magazine
f)(Turret-Mount) 7.62mm Machine Gun w/ -shot magazine
g)(Turret-Mount) 12 Gauge AutoShotgun w/ -shot magazine
h)(Turret-Mount)30mm Automatic Grenade Launcher
i)(Turret-Mount) Laser Cannon---Adapted model of the PS-RFL2-33 ‘Blazer’ Heavy Infantry Laser
j)(Turret-Mount) PS Rip-Zapper Ion Cannon
k)(Turret-Mount) Plasma Cannon---Adapted from the PPR-3 ‘Serap’
l)(Turret-Mount) Heavy Plasma Cannon----Adapted from the PSPPR-20 ‘SuperNova’
m)(Turret-Mount)Particle Beam Cannon---This is simply a PSPBW-11 remounted
n)(Turret-Mount)20mm Precision MIni-Cannon---Gyro-stabilized sniper-cannon, for precision shooting.
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: 100 rd drum
Bonus: The XM139 gets a +1 to strike from its balancing and recoil-control.
Cost: 18,000 credits

*PS-FCMcCFCR-08D----Robot drone version(typically costs 4.8 million credits)
Programming:
Land Navigation 94%
Radio: Basic 94%
Weapons Systems 90%
Sensory Instruments 98%
Climbing 75%
Detect Ambush 75%
Trap/Mine Detection 85%
Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 4
+1 Initiative
+2 Strike w/ melee attacks
+2 Dodge
+3 Roll with fall/impact

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel PS-HAR-08 Patriot Heavy Assault Robot
(aka ‘Grand Paladin’, ‘Uberbot’)

“Give me a heavy robot vehicle that can be piloted as easily as an infantryman pilots his boots, that can be rearmed and reconfigured as readily as an infantryman can pull on fresh clothes and pick up new weapons, can be upgraded and refitted as easily as a new uniform issuance for an infantryman, and can be deployed as readily and en masse as an infantryman!”
----General Maryanne ‘ Castle’ Koch, Greater New England First Army Division, outlining her guidelines for the new Heavy Infantry Robot to Paladin Steel engineers.

“Several times we were ready to just say to ‘hell with it’ and put out what we had; then somebody pointed out some flaw in what we DID have, or noticed some new bit of shiny mounted on a new vehicle from another division and we just HAD to include it. That’s why we’re so damned late on delivery of this thing.”
---Hadrian Malkowitz, Senior Engineer, Patriot Project.

“What kinda rip-off you trying to pull here?! This thing ain’t got no guns!!! That why it’s so cheap!? ‘Cause it’s a death trap!?”
“Hardly, sonny, take a look at this here options catalogy...”
“Errr...what’s with the forklift...?”

“The Patriot is less a specific vehicle and more of a SYSTEM that allows you to tailor-build combat mecha to your needs and preferences.”

“Redesign got a lot simpler when we began applying aerospace fighter thinking and equipment to the Patriot; while the powerplant and fire control remain the same, the Patriot doesn’t have to go supersonic or transatmospheric, at least not a regular basis. That meant we could channel the extra power into the actuators and weapons systems.”

“Just writing the software to integrate all the module systems and synch them with the baseframe without drastically altering the performance and crashing the black boxes every time a new geegaw was screwed in took effectively years of man-time and computer-crunch. We had al least five teams working in parallel and running sims to check the code for bugs. Every time a prototype or test frame lumbered out of the hangar to do a run, local air pressure must have noticeably dropped several millibars as the comp-teams collectively held their breaths waiting to see what bugs would emerge.”

“Great... all that development effort and it’s a multimillion dollar Mr. Potato Head...”
“WHO YOU CALLING MISTER POTATO HEAD!? I’LL HAVE YOU KNOW THIS IS A DAMN FINE PIECE OF ENGINEERING AND THE GIRLS THINK I’M KINDA CUTE TOO!”
-----Big Ralph, Cyborg Full-Conversion Patriot

“With the growing number of oversized monsters we’re encountering in the megaverse, I’m happy to see that we got some giant heavy iron of our own coming to the field to bolster our defenses. We may not have Battlerams, but the Patriot is better suited to our specific needs and capabilities.”


Depending on who one asks, the Patriot is either Paladin Steel’s most ambitious and versatile modular robotics concept, meant to provide the GNE (and customers) with an infinitely customizable standardized frame, or the company’s greatest boondoggle, an overambitious, over-stretched, pipe-dream that is long over-budget and overdue.
The Patriot originated as Paladin Steel’s attempt to create a multipurpose heavy assault robot with unparalleled versatility, with an eye towards replacing the aging PS ‘Black Titan’ and UAR-1 knockoffs that had typified its indigenous heavy robotics program. The ‘Patriot’ program would also provide a new heavy armor unit to support the wide range of lighter units such as the Jackalope and Mantis robots already in service.
PS wanted the versatility and economy of its modified Titans, combined with the strength and endurance of ‘superheavies’ like the Skullsmasher and the Titan RobotSlayer that were entering service with its enemies, combined with a modular versatility that would play to PS’s strengths of technology adaptation and mass production. The result is what some PS insiders have called ‘an upscaled PSA-11’ with regards to its modularity and size.

The problem lay in the unexpected advance of PS/GNE’s fortunes and the influx of new technologies. The Patriot program found itself increasingly delayed by changing requirements as engineers tried to anticipate what would come down the pike next.
While the modularity factor should have meant that the Patriot program would proceeded relatively quickly, with a basic platform being produced first, and accessory systems made available to plug in as they were developed, the truth is, the program bogged down almost immediately, victim, some say, of its own ambitiousness. The program ran into so many delays that the Black Titans it was meant to replace, would all but disappear from memory, replaced by a variety of smaller machine designs, conventional armor, and a number of medium- and heavy-classification warmachines licensed from extradimensional trade allies, the Corianus-Typhen-Rosette League. The Patriot program came skin-of-the-teeth close to being canceled altogether by Paladin Steel, and budget-slashed on a number of occasions, but advocates in both company and military kept the Patriot alive.

The Patriot program became something of a running joke in the halls of Paladin Steel Engineering, a sort of ‘standing wave’ that never went anywhere, yet still possessed incredible power. No less than five different design teams with different design philosophies were rotated into the program to attempt to solve its problems, and rotated back out when they failed to accomplish that. Yet, work on various subsystems for the Patriot yielded positive results that could be applied to other programs, and so funding continued to flow towards Patriot development.

While development has been delayed repeatedly for various reasons, allowing other interim designs to emerge and fill TOE gaps, work has continued on the Patriot until the ultimate product has finally reached production status. Already GNEAS officials are lauding the new machine and its possibilities. Others are not so certain, seeing the long, delay-fraught, development time as proof that the Patriot is a logistical nightmare in the making, the result of trying to make a single design do too many things, and ultimately performing poorly at all of them.
In itself, the basic Patriot is rather unprepossessing; without any integral weapons systems of any real power, without the sophisticated command control systems, and without the remarkable mobility enjoyed by lighter robots, it would seem a surefire rip-off, but for its size and armor, the Patriot is incredibly inexpensive. What really makes it attractive, though, is the wide range of accessories available to it...The Patriot is fully compatible with a wide range of Upgrade Kits , and PS hopes to release a whole new series of ‘scaled up’ option kits as their busy production schedules permit. The design has been deliberately constructed around rugged, fairly simple, modular components that can be replaced or modified fairly easily, and the range of design configurations is almost limitless...exactly as PS intended.
The Patriot is an unremarkable-looking vehicle; a giant humanoid robot with armor plating and ‘skirts’ protecting the hip articulation. The head resembles a scaled-up(and slightly flattened) Paladin Steel/GNE ‘raptor’ helm, suggesting a riot-armored soldier’s helmet. The chest juts forward to accommodate the cockpit(and allow adequate top clearance for the ejection seat to operate), flanked by large pectoral plates(with what look like air intakes for cooling, but which are, again, sensor apertures adn equipment bays). The shoulders are wide and mount armored epaulets; these can be removed or replaced to allow for the mounting of shoulder pintles or integral weapons/systemry modules. Depending on the amount of customization, however, some Patriots look NOTHING like their fresh-from-the-assembly-line basic frames, the core unit being buried under the added mass of accessory modules. PS and the GNE like that, because it keeps their opponents guessing as to the exact capabilities of any encountered robot unit....

The key to the Patriot is Modularity; the Patriot incorporates multiple attachment points, avionics slots, and multiple redundancy service trunks that allow the ‘bot to be quickly refitted and modified for a variety of systems. In its basic form, this means that the Patriot is somewhat overbuilt and expensive for a vehicle of its modest capabilities, but the ready customization capability and massive (and near infinite) number of possible modification configurations means that the basic Patriot design can be easily fitted for a variety of roles for a fraction of the cost of building a fleet of more specialized vehicles to handle each role. By making the large investment in plant and logistics to built a sound basic vehicle NOW, Paladin Steel hopes to have a good solid weapons system that can carry the company(and Greater New England) forward for decades, with the flexibility of the design allowing it to be refitted and adapted to accept new technologies as PS develops (or acquires) them.
The basic Patriot comes without any built-in weaponry, though PS does offer the machine with a ‘standard’ handheld weapons package consisting of a heavy rail gun module and vibroblade. Of course, the Patriot can be modified with appliqué armor and weaponry, and that is where the Patriot’s strength lies(and what PS is hedging on); near infinite modification. The Patriot is considered to be PS’s ‘Ultimate Tinkertoy’ with a MASSIVE list of swap-out-plug-in systems modules, on top of the fact that it’s already dripping with option slots, allowing the ‘bot to be readily customized.
As noted before, the Patriot’s development history has been a source of considerable frustration for just about everybody concerned with the project. Several times it came close to being canceled altogether, and several times loud calls for action almost resulted in an abbreviated version being rushed into production. Several times, the same people who almost canceled or pushed the design into early production did an about-face and further delayed its development with their own suggestions and revisions. Some industry critics have complained that the Patriot project is a pork-barrel program really intended to soak up funds and resources that could be better used elsewhere. GNEAS military planners have been disappointed time and again by expectations of having the new battle robots in their ranks, only to learn of yet ANOTHER development delay, and have had to make up for the deficit with the acquisition of more older model units or equipment procured from other sources(such as the CTRL). Now that the design is FINALLY being deployed, there’s again growing anticipation to see if the Patriot lives up to all the hype and is worth all the time and effort invested into it.

And as of publication, some complain that the Patriot is still overbuilt and beyond the capabilities of a company like Paladin Steel to mass-produce and properly maintain in the long run; PS counters that the Patriot HAS to be overbuilt; it’s going up against Kittani designs and new Coalition hardware like the IAR-3 Skull Smasher. As for PS being able to maintain such an ambitious design? “We wouldn’t build it if we can’t keep it up, and it’s built to keep up.”

Megaversal Note:
The Patriot would seem slated to fill the heavy mek role for the United Systems Alliance as the CAF Battleram does for the CCW. Though not the largest combat robot in USA service( several CTRL Golems acquired by the USA and the superheavies of Hadazad have that distinction), the Patriot seems destined to be the USAJC’s standard-issue heavy, the mek-equivalent of the Cestus hovertank. Several factories established in USA territory will break the cost down and streamline logistics, making what was once considered the Paladin Steel ‘white elephant’ a much more viable weapons system.

(Base Frame)
Type: PS-HAR-08 ‘Patriot’
Class: Heavy Assault Robot Vehicle
Crew: One (pilot)+1 passenger
M.D.C By Location:
* Head - 260 ( 2 hardpoint slots)
Hands (2) - 130 each ( 1 hardpoint slot)
Arms (2) - 360 each ( 2 hardpoint slots)
Legs (2) - 390 each (2 hardpoint slots)
Retracting Sensor Mast(1) 120 ( hardpoint slots)
Main Body - 990 ( 3 hardpoint slots)
Backpack Pannier 400 (2 hardpoint slots)
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment(Torso-mounted) - 250

* Destroying the head will reduce the sensor range of all the sensor systems by 50%.

Speed:
(Running): 70 mph maximum. Note that the act of running does not tire the robot and can be maintained indefinitely.
(Leaping): On its own, the Patriot can leap 45 feet lengthwise or straight up from a dead start, or 90 feet lengthwise or straight up with a short running start.
(Flight): The Patriot lacks any sort of flight capability, unless fitted with jetpack augmentation
(Space): Is capable of operating perfectly fine in airless and microgravity environs, but unless specially fitted with space maneuvering systems, it can only float helplessly in zero-gee.
(Underwater): Can run along the bottom at 20 MPH. Maximum Depth: 800 ft

Statistical Data:(Base Frame)
Height: 30 feet
Width: 10 ft
Length: 10 ft
Weight: 80 tons
Physical Strength: Equal to a Robotic P.S. of 60
Cargo: Minimal cargo space; about five feet in the pilot's compartment.
Power System: Nuclear with a 20 year life span.
Cost: 65 million credits for a new unit with fully loaded weapons.

Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
360-degree Waist Rotation
Radar: Range 100 miles and can track up to 50 targets at once.
Radio/Video Communications: Wide band and directional, radio and
video transmission capabilities with a 300 mile range.
Standard Video Optics plus:
Thermo-Imaging
IR/UV Optics
Telescopic/Image Enhancement Optics
Low-Light/Nightvision system
Laser Targeting
Shoulder Headlights/Spotlights: 300 foot range.
Ejector Seat
Heat & Radiation Shields
Independent Oxygen & Circulatory System
Combat Computer: The mecha is equipped with an advanced combat computer
that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces.
Data collected by the combat computer can be displayed on the virtual
environment cockpit of the mecha (see below), which allows the system
to display large amounts of data to the pilot and even highlight
enemies and missile attacks with overlaid graphics.
The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets,
and has a database of over 10,000 images stored in memory. The
computer can identify and track up to 250 targets simultaneously, and
gives the pilot the following bonuses (in addition to any others):
+2 to Initiative, +1 to Strike, Parry and Dodge.

*ECCM system---A semiautomatic 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.

*Retracting Sensor Mast(1)---A holdover from the Black Titan programs, the Patriot’s sensor mast can fully retract into the torso, or extend out up to 10 ft. It carries a backup set of sensors identical to those in the head, as well as wide-angle panoramic cameras.

*External Clamps(4)---Typically has four sets of external stowage clamps, two along the outside of each thigh and two on the back, for holding handheld weapons/tools and the ammunition for them.

Weapons Systems: None Standard(see Options)

Optional Use of any robot-scale handheld weaponry, including the full line of PS weaponry If equipped with hand actuators, the Patriot can pick up and use appropriately-sized weapons such as shields, melee weapons, ranged weapon modules, and grenade-bombs.

Note: Identical weapons can be fire-linked to fire in synchronization, so that multiple attacks count as one action per melee.

Hand to Hand Combat: The Patriot can be piloted by anyone with Basic robot combat training, Just add the following bonuses:
Critical Strike equal to Pilot's
+1 attack per round
+2 on initiative
+5 to roll with impact, punch or fall
+1 to strike in hand to hand combat
+1 to parry
+1 to dodge
Restrained Punch: 2d6 MD.
Elbow or Knee attack: 6d6 MD 3d6 D
Full Strength Punch attack: 6d6 MD.
Power Punch: 2d6x10 MD, counts as two attacks
Booster Punch: 4d6x10 M.D.,(counts as four attacks)
Tear or Pry with hand: 4d6 MD.
Kick Attack: 6d8 MD.
Leap Kick: 2d6x10 MD, counts as two attacks
Body Block/Ram: 6d6 MD.
Stomp: 5d6 MD. Effective only against objects smaller than 12 feet.
Leap Attack(counts as four attacks)

Options:
The Patriot is built with ‘plug and play’ options in mind, allowing operators to customize the units to almost unlimited extent.
The full list of Options is still building, but what follows is what’s currently and immediately available.

Environmental
a) Amphibious----Adds integral flotation chambers and devices, adds hydrojets, and additional sensors, waterseals and insulates the 'bot and external weapons against water leakage and salt corrosion, and reinforces the interior against external pressure. Most buyers of this option exchange the 'bots' weapons systems for underwater-capable equivalents, such as blue-green lasers, torpedoes, and harpoon guns. Takes up 1 Main Body Option space.
Speed:(Underwater) 25 MPH. Maximum Depth: 5,000 ft. Neutral Buoyancy
Additional Sensors:
Depth Gauge
Sonar : 50 mile range
Penalties: Reduce running speed by 10%
Cost: 300,000 credits

b) Deep Water---Further strengthens the hull and systemry for extra-deep diving capabilities; otherwise identical to Amphibious Conversion.
MDC: +10% additional MDC to ALL locations
Maximum Depth: 5 miles
Penalties: Reduce running speed by 20%, -1 to dodge, parry, and roll.
Cost: 2 million credits

c) *Streamlining---Streamlining is a total body remodel with an emphasis on streamlining the various angles, appendages, and accessories into streamlined farings and curves. It can be combined with other Environmental mods.
Bonuses:
-Ballistic Protection--Subtract 1d4 MD from purely kinetic damage(solid projectiles, melee blows, punches, kicks) due to the deflection properties of the curves.
-Speed:(Underwater) Increase underwater speed by 25%
(Flying) Increase flying speed by 10%
Cost: Increase cost of the configuration (and later additions) by 25%

d)Deep Space---This adds extra radiation shielding, and multiple maneuvering jets for increased agility in space. The pilot can use their Movement: Zero G skill while operating the ‘bot. On maneuvering jets alone, the Patriot can move at Mach 1(670 MPH).
Cost: 2.3 million credits

Head(H1):---The head mounts two hardpoints(unless otherwise noted)
H1) Headlight Lasers(2) ---Twin ‘eyeball’ lasers based on PS ‘headlight’ lasers.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: Variable settings; 1d6, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, or 6d6 MD per gun.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 60,000 credits
Option: For an additional 40,000 credits, these can be replaced/upgraded with TW Sun Lasers that do DOUBLE damage to vampires.

H2)WZT/ASI Light Weapon

H3)WZT/ASI Medium Weapon (takes BOTH hardpoints)

H4) Jaws/Mandibles(can be mounted in addition to any head weapons/sensors------Damage: 4d6 MD on a bite. Cost: 30,000 credits

Arms (A):--- Each forearm has a hardpoint:
A1) TWO WZT/ASI Light Weapons or ONE WZT/ASI Medium Weapon---Cost: By cost of the weapon.
A2) WZT/ASI Heavy Weapon--- This replaces the entire arm and hand actuator with a dedicated heavy weapons mount. Cost: 80,000 Credits+cost of the heavy weapon.
A3) Heavy Vibroblade(1 hardpoint)---5d6 MD. + 4d6 MD to a Punch/Power Punch. Cost: Credits

A4) Battleclaw(1 hardpoint)--- This replaces the entire arm and hand actuator with a pincer unit. 400 MDC, +4d6 MD to punch/jab damage, and can deliver a power snip(counts as two attacks) that does 2d4x10 MD. A WZT/ASI Light Weapon can be mounted inside the claw. Cost: 120,000 Credits

A5) Chainsaw(1 hardpoint)----This huge chainsaw uses superhard self-sharpening cermametal teeth and a powerful e-field-enhanced driver engine to slice through the toughest wood. Tough not as powerful as a plasma saber or other similar weapon, the big chainsaw is big, rude, and noisy, and far more intimidating to many people.
MDC: 150
Range: Melee; the chainsaw itself is about 20 ft long
Damage: 5d6 MD on a cutter-punch, 2d4x10 MD on a full melee cut(takes up all attacks that melee)
Optional: (Horror Factor)---Optional H.F. of 12, especially when the teeth are racing, and it’s pointed at the victim.
Cost: 150,000 Credits

A6) Plasma Arc/Torch(1 hardpoint)---This system draws ambient atmosphere through a series of heating elements and excites it to a plasmic phase, before expelling it in a jet or ‘blade’ from the forward end of the assembly.
Range: Melee(12 ft long plasma torch)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per strike or 4d4x10 MD full-melee cut.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 50,000 credits

A7) Oversized Arms(No hardpoints)---Originally commissioned by an affiliated mercenary assigned advanced field testing of the early Patriot frames, but snapped up on option for wider release, this armature option rebuilds the shoulder blocks to accommodate oversized arms twice the size of regular Patriot arms; the ‘bot can actually ‘knucklewalk’ on all fours(+10 MPH, and +2 to save versus being toppled over). The enlarged arms feature wraparound knuckle guards to protect the hands, and the forearm weapons have been moved farther back up the forearms to protect them.
MDC of Oversized Arms: 450 each
Weight: +10 tons
Bonuses: +10 MPH running, +1 Parry/Roll and +2 to save versus being toppled over.
Penalties: -2 to Dodge because of the encumbrance and departure from a wholly biped configuration
Cost: 2 million credits for both arms; only sold as a pair

A8 )“Kali Arms”(No hardpoints)---These are twin additional arms jointed at a common elbow. The arms are smaller than than the single arm that might otherwise be mounted(each will only have 50% of the MDC) but are +1 to parry, block, entangle, and disarm, and individually have HALF the P.S. rating. Each can be fitted with a Light Weapon.
Cost: 1 million credits per set of two

A)Parry Shield(1 hardpoint)---The forearm sports an extra-wide buckler backed by a light VEFFG02RR forcefield. The buckler armor adds 200 MDC and the forcefield adds 150 MDC and fast regenerator technology. Regenerates at 30 MDC per 5 minutes(or 6 MDC per minute) , thanks to improvements in field stabilization. +2 to Parry. Cost: 130,000 credits


Hands(Ha):
Ha1) Extendable Vibroclaws---Extendable finger blades add a + 4d4 MD to punches/tear/pry. Cost: Credits

Ha2) Mini-Tools---These are equivalent to any of the Mining Cyborg Arm Attachments, including cutting torches---Cost: Same as the individual bionic subsystems.

Ha3) Plasma Blast Studs--- ‘Knuckle-duster’ array that slips over the knuckle actuators. Un-powered, they add a +1d4 to punch damage. Powered up, they release a powerful contact plasma blast that does/adds +2d6x10+20 MD . Charged from the robot’s powerplant, but can only deliver one such ‘zap-punch’ per melee.
Cost: 360,000 Credits for a set of four.

Ha4) Extensor Fist---Can be used in conjunction with any of the above, but the real focus is on the internal forearm, fitting the armature with a sliding electromagnetically propelled extensor that slides the hand out up to an additional 10 feet. Comes in two models; Basic(usable with any of the above) and PileDriver(that can be used only with the heavily reinforced BattleFist or BattleClaw) that propels the hand forward at much higher speed for much greater damage.
Extensor Fist CANNOT be combined with Internal Forearm Weapons or Kali-Arms.
Range: 15 ft
MDC: 75
Damage:(Basic) +1d8 MD to a power punch
(PileDriver) +3d6x10 MD to a power punch
Rate of Fire:(Basic) ECHH
(PileDriver) Once per melee and takes up 2 APMs
Cost: (Basic) 120,000 credits
(PileDriver) 300,000 credits

Torso(T):---The front of the torso mounts THREE option spaces:

T1) Extra Cockpit--This extra crew space can be used to carry passengers, dedicated gunners, or simply provide the base crew with more space to relax in. Can accommodate 3 additional passengers. MDC of Additional Crew Space: 250 Cost: 80,000 credits for basic cockpit w/ life support
50,000 credits for gunnery station(can be configured for 1-5 specified weapons systems)
90,000 credits for control duplication

T2) Cargo Space---Roughly 7 ft x6 ft x7 ft. Can hold 1 ton of cargo. Cost: 25,000 Credits

T3)Missile Launcher---Micromissile Launcher(Volley strength of 1-25, Payload: 125, Cost: 80,000 Credits),
Mini-Missiles(Volley strength of 1-12, Payload: 36 MMs, Cost: 90,000 Credits),
Short Range Missiles(Volley strength of 1-10, Payload: 10, Cost: 120,000 Credits),
Medium-Range Missiles(Volley strength of 1-8, Payload: 8, Cost: 140,000 Credits)

T4) WZT/ASI Light Weapon

T5) Heavy Multiplexor---Paladin Steel’s (in)famous ‘spellcard’ and mechanized casting focus. The model described is a MagePod Model 0.1C, a (slight) refinement over the original model, and featuring a three-slot Spell Card ‘magazine’, allowing the operators to click between three spells with the flip of a switch.
Range: Varies by spell, but focal elements in the casting end increase the range of ranged spells by 50%.
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. However, the use of focusing elements and activator spells effectively reduces spell PPE cost by HALF. This installation includes a choice of PPE Powerstone Generators. Additional Powerstones must take up additional slots.
Cost: 1.2 million Credits

T6) Forcefield Generator------VEFFGM04RR Forcefield Generator---. The VEFFGM04RR has a protective value of 360 MDC, regenerates at 75 MDC per 5 minutes(15 MDC per minute). Additional generators can be mounted and linked to each other, increasing shield strength, but each extra generator will take up a slot. Cost: 1 million credits

T7) Electronic Warfare(EW) Module--- 5 mile range. Jams radars and radar targeting systems with 60% effectiveness. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike. Note that this affects friendly systems as well unless they are set to specific, per-arranged, non-jammed frequencies(that it may be possible for the enemy to discover). Carrying extra jammer pods does NOT increase the range or effective bonuses of the system, but may provide redundancy and multi-wavelength coverage.
Cost: 1 million Credits

T) Chemical/Water Sprayer---A set of spray nozzles connected to a reservoir tank(or several smaller tanks holding different liquids). Can be hooked up to a powered directable spray cannon or set of sprinklers mounted about the robot’s frame. Typically used to dispense firefighting or antipersonnel/crowd -control liquids, but has also been used to ‘hose off’ vampires and ‘off’ Xiticix hordes.
Additional reservoir capacity tankage takes up additional slots.
Range:(Sprinkler) to a 15 ft wide area
(Spray Jet) 300 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical; water does HP to vampires on a sprinkler, and HP on a spray jet attack.
Payload: 500 gallon total tankage capacity(but can be divided into smaller tanks). A typical spray application uses up 10 gallons.
Cost: 200,000 Credits

Backpack(BL/BU):
The Backpack is a pannier-carrier for accessory systems. If not occupied by a subsystem, it acts as an extra shield for the back of the ‘bot.
The Backpack mounts TWO hardpoints; one in the lower back (BL) and one behind the shoulders (BU).
The Lower Back space is usually used for propulsion aides or extra ammunition. The Upper Back is usually used for shoulder-mount heavy weapons.

BL)---Lower Back Pack Hardpoint
BL1) Jump Pack---Gives the 'bot an enhanced long-distance leap capability. Cost of Jump Thruster also includes reinforcement of the legs to handle the shock of landing. Can be powered either by a separate liquid-fuel or electric engine, or can be attached to the 'bots own nuclear powerplant, via special connections.
Weight: 2 tons
MDC: 100 MDC
Speed: Can jump 120 ft straight up and 360 ft lengthwise.
Can also sustain a brief hover for 1d6x10 seconds at an altitude of 200 ft.
Penalties: Reduce ground speed by 15%
Cost:(Liquid Fuel/Electric) 200,000 credits (50 jumps)
(Attached) 300,000 credits Effectively unlimited, but can only make 10 jumps before needing to recharge; takes 6 minutes to recharge a single jump.

BL2) Flight Pack(This actually takes up BOTH Lower and Upper Backpack spaces)---The original system is a plasma-reaction system, but later acquisition of Three Galaxies’ contra-gravity systems has allowed for greater mobility(albeit at greater expense).
Weight: 5 tons
MDC: 360
Speed: (Reaction)(Atmosphere)Hover- 400 MPH maximum, Maximum altitude 2,000 ft
(Space) Mach 6
(Contragravity)(Atmosphere)Hover- 500 MPH maximum, Effectively unlimited altitude.
(Space) Mach 8
Range:(Liquid Fuel) 300 miles(300,000 miles in space). CANNOT be used to power Contragravity systems
(Nuclear) Effectively Unlimited. 10 year energy life
Penalties: Reduce ground speed by 25%
Cost:(Liquid Fuel) 600,000 credits
(Nuclear)1.2 million credits

(Contragravity) 2.2 million credits
Pilot Hovercraft, Jetpack, or Jet Aircraft is required to use this option.

BL3) Hydrothruster---Pushes the ‘bot through the water at 20 MPH. Cost: Credits

BL4) Space Propulsion Unit---This is a much more limited flight system, taking up only one space, that works ONLY in micro-gravity/space, and can push the Patriot to a speed of Mach 6. Cost: 800,000 Credits

BL5) Forcefield Generator--------VEFFGM04RR Forcefield Generator---. The VEFFGM04RR has a protective value of 360 MDC, regenerates at 75 MDC per 5 minutes(15 MDC per minute). Additional generators can be mounted and linked to each other, increasing shield strength, but each extra generator will take up a slot. Cost: 1 million credits

BL6) Articulated Tail--- 300 MDC, 20 ft long and + 5 tons. Does 5d6 MD on a tail lash/sweep. Cost: 1 million Credits

BLAmmunition Pannier---Increases the ammunition capacity of a shoulder-mounted or hand-held weapon by 200%. It can be jettisoned in event of an emergency, to prevent chain-fire ammunition detonations. Cost: 90,000 Credits

(BU)---Upper Back Pack Hardpoint
(BU 1)TWO WZT/ASI Heavy Weapons or ONE WZT/ASI Super Heavy Weapon

(BU 2) Anti-Missile System(Projectile)---AMS require a wide arc of fire, and so these systems, though doing relatively light damage, need to be shoulder-mounted.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 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 a +2 to strike, and four attacks per melee.
Payload: 4,000 rd drum(100 bursts)
Cost: 50,000 credits

(BU 3) Anti-Missile System(Energy)---A rapid-fire pulse laser on a back-pivot, for rapidly following and engaging airborne targets. Comes standard with its own targeting sensors.
These are built on individually pivoting mounts at the top of the backpack pod. Each cannon can fire separately, or in synch with the other.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per cannon, 2d6x10+20 MD per simultaneous burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Bonuses: +2 to Strike
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Cost: 220,000 Credits

(BU 4) A-Theron MagnaBlaster---This superheavy anti-magic weapon has been ONLY seen with special PS/GNE monster-hunter units. MagnaBlaster-equiped PS-MBT-28s made their debut during the Minion War incursion on Rifts Earth.
Range: 12,000 ft
Damage: Does 1d4x100 HP/MDC damage per shot(based on what the creature is)
Can also do a ‘spread shot’ doing 4d6x10 HP/MDC to a 60 ft wide swath
Varies according to the weapon type, but ALL anti-Theron weapons use the following guidelines
Depending on how much PPE is present and how essential it is to an organism’s survival, damage varies:
Techno-Wizardry Devices(including TW generators), enchanted objects, rune weapons, and other magically-infused(but INANIMATE) objects are NOT affected and take no damage.
Non-magical beings, psychics, and ‘mundanes’ are unaffected and experience nothing aside from a slight tingling sensation, mild sunburn-like symptoms, and a passing feeling of nausea from a Disruptor strike.
Magic Users and other beings who have ‘learned’ or artificially acquired magical abilities(including tattoos and bioborg implants), but who can otherwise survive without magic present are affected, but the effects aren’t as dramatic. They do NOT get a save versus the disruption because all of their effort has gone into OPENING themselves to the supernatural and embracing their magical potential. They take normal damage as for the weapon’s damage rating.
Supernatural Creatures who possess some small measure of magical ability will suffer a greater degree of damage/injury. ...normal damage x1.5. Gargoyles, Brodkil, Lycanthropes, Shapeshifters(including Nightspawn), Possessees, Shifters, and Witches, are all examples of beings in this category. Note that if these beings were to possess bionics or other conditions that NEGATE their magical abilities(like Brodkil bionics) they lose this vulnerability, and are NOT affected, taking damage only as normal. These beings do NOT get a saving roll versus the PPE disruption.
‘High’ Supernatural Beings with a high level of, and reliance on, PPE will suffer greatly, taking DOUBLE damage. This includes Dragons, Angels, Demons, Splugorth, Faerie Folk, Demi-Gods. However, these beings DO get a roll to SAVE(same as save vs magic) versus their own PPE backfiring on them. A successful roll to save HALVES the damage done to them.
Creatures of Pure Magic that cannot survive without magic are the most seriously affected, and take TRIPLE damage. This covers ghosts, possessing entities, Undead, Elemental Beings, Alien Intelligences, and god-beings. However, these beings DO get a roll to SAVE(same as save vs magic) versus their own PPE backfiring on them. A successful roll to save NEGATES the damage done to them.
Golems, Iron Juggernauts, and other magically-powered automatons/automations will be effectively STUNNED, being paralyzed for 1d4 melees per shot, and will be unable to move or defend themselves, as magical energy shorts out and storms over them.

Other Effects:
*Magic Disruption----Each blast NEUTRALIZES HALF the number of PPE points that it does damage...these points are temporarily lost to the magic user/creature until it can regain them normally(by rest or drawing on other sources).
*Magical Forcefields take 1.5 normal damage.
*Invisible beings will be revealed by an anti-theron burst and will remain visible for 2d4 melees(gradually fading) as a result of residual anti-therons causing them to fluoresce and become visible to the naked eye.
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload: 25 shot canister of genetically modified bacteria providing the anti-therons
Cost: EXCLUSIVE to PS, not available for sale.

(BU5)-Heavy Multiplexor---Paladin Steel’s (in)famous ‘spellcard’ and mechanized casting focus. The model described is a MagePod Model 0.1C, a (slight) refinement over the original model, and featuring a six-slot Spell Card ‘magazine’, allowing the operators to click between six spells with the flip of a switch.
Range: Varies by spell, but focal elements in the casting end increase the range of ranged spells by 50%.
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. However, the use of focusing elements and activator spells effectively reduces spell PPE cost by HALF. This installation includes a choice of PPE Powerstone Generators. Additional Powerstones must take up additional slots.

OR, in place of the Multiplexor, TWO Heavy TW Weapons and a Powerstone can be mounted instead
Cost: 1.2 million Credits

(BU6) Extra Arms---An extra pair of arms can be mounted on the shoulders. These are identical to the regular arms, complete with hardpoints. Cost: 1.5 million Credits

(BU7) Long Eye Sensor Dome---This mounts a modular ELINT/ECM system on the ‘bot. The Long Eye is an additional dish-antennae radar assembly, usually mounted on one shoulder, providing enhanced long-range radar coverage.
MDC of Dish: 180
Range: 250 miles and can track 96 targets simultaneously
Cost: 100,000 credits

(BU8 ) Missile Launcher---Large box-style missile launch racks. Can hold 60 mini-missiles(volley strength of 1-20), 48 short range missiles(volley strength of 1-12), 18 medium-range missiles(volley strength of 1-6), or 6 long range missiles(volley strength of 1-3).
Cost: 300,000 Credits for MML, 400,000 credits for SRML, 600,000 credits for MRML, and 1.1 million credits for LRML.

Legs(L): ---Each leg mounts TWO hardpoints that can be used to mount additional weapons or propulsion aides. Weapons systems are typically meant for antipersonnel work.
L1) Jump Jets--- ‘Pulse’ thrusters that allow the ‘bot to make powered leaps. Includes retro-thrusting to soften landings. Come in matched sets(each pair costs 1 slot from each leg for balance).
Mounting one pair allows for powered leaps of 120 ft lengthwise and 100 ft up. It also allows the ‘not to temporarily hover for 1d4x10 seconds at an altitude of 200 ft. If combined with a regular Jump Pack, add the leg jump jet distance to the total, and extend duration of hovering to 3d6x10 seconds and 500 ft altitude. If combined with a Flight System, add +10 MPH to top speed and a +5% to piloting skill rolls.
Mounting two pairs allows for powered leaps of 120 ft lengthwise and 100 ft up. It also allows the ‘not to temporarily hover for 1d4x10 seconds at an altitude of 200 ft. If combined with a regular Jump Pack, add the leg jump jet distance to the total, and extend duration of hovering to 6d6x10 seconds and 900 ft altitude. If combined with a Flight System, add +25 MPH to top speed and a +10% to piloting skill rolls. increases leap distance to two miles lengthwise or 3,000 feet straight up.
Cost: 400,000 Credits per pair.

L2) Skim Jets---These are ground effect systems that allow the ‘bot to ’surf’ on a cushion of air or gas a short distance above the ground. They ONLY work in an atmosphere.
Mounting one pair allows for sustained ‘skim’ speed of 110 MPH at an altitude of 6 ft.
Mounting two pairs allows for sustained ‘skim’ speed of 180 MPH at an altitude of 10 ft.
Cost: 500,000 Credits per pair.

L3) Aqua Thrusters---Pushes the ‘bot through the water at MPH and gives a +5% to Pilot underwater.
If TWO pairs are mounted, increase underwater speed to MPH and +8% to Pilot underwater.
If combined with a Backpack Hydrothruster, add speeds together.
Cost: 300,000 Credits per pair.

L) Flare/Chaff Launchers
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: 2,000 credits per launcher. Chaff/flare bundles 600 credits each

L) Grenade Launcher(10 tubes)---40mm ‘metalstorm’-stacked tube array
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: (Varies)
Fragmentation: 4d6 MD to 12 ft area, 2d6x10 MD to a 40 ft area for a 10 rd burst.
Armor-Piercing: 1d4x10 MD to 3 ft area, 3d6x10 MD to a 8 ft area for a 10 rd burst.
Can also fire smoke/chemical/flare rounds as well as other specialized types.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10
Payload: 4 grenades per tube, 40 rounds total
Cost: 20,000 credits for the launcher

L) Missile Launcher---Micromissile Launcher(Volley strength of 1-25, Payload: 100 in 4x25 shot cassettes, Cost: 50,000 Credits)
-Mini-Missiles(Volley strength of 1-8, Payload: 16, Cost: 70,000 Credits)
-Short Range Missiles(includes Copperhead, Black Mamba, and HeavyHitter missiles)(Volley strength of 1-6, Payload: 6, Cost: 90,000 Credits)

L) Flame-Thrower
Range: 300 ft
Damage: (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.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 100 blasts each
Cost: 29+,000 Credits

L) Mek Grenade Holster---A rotary carousel for holding oversized explosives that the ‘bot can throw as grenade-bombs or set in place as satchel charges/mines.
Range: (Thrown) 300 ft
Damage: Varies:
*250-lb Bomb----2d4x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius
*’Slammer’ Grenade---1d4x10 MD to 90 ft blast radius. 88% chance of knockdown(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees)
Payload: 4 per holster
Cost: 50,000 Credits for the holster

L)Light Rail Guns
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 4d6 MD per 20 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 2,000 rd drum per cannon
Cost: 70,000 credits

Body Armor Kits--Appliqué armor and subsystem plates that can be attached to the main frame.
Light:
Head +60
Hands (2) +60 each
Arms (2) +100 each
Legs (2) +100 each
Main Body - 250
Weight: +3 tons
Movement Penalties: (-10% to speed)
Cost: 150,000 credits

Medium:
Head +100
Hands (2) +130 each
Arms (2) + 200 each
Legs (2) + 250 each
Main Body +500
Weight: +6 tons
Movement Penalties: (-20% to speed)
Cost: 275,000 credits

Heavy:
Head - 150
Hands (2) + 130 each
Arms (2) + 300 each
Legs (2) + 350 each
Main Body + 700
Weight: +6.3 tons
Movement Penalties: (-1 dodge, -30% to speed)
Cost: 300,000 credits

SuperHeavy:
Head + 200
Hands (2) + 130 each
Arms (2) + 300 each
Legs (2) + 350 each
Main Body + 900
Weight: + 30/9 tons
Movement Penalties: (-2 dodge, -1 Parry, -50% to speed)
Cost: 400,000 credits

Armor Types/Options:
a) Laser-Reflective
Bonuses: Laser attacks do HALF damage.
Cost: 1 million credits

b) Thermal-Refractory
Bonuses: Heat-based attacks do 1/4 damage.
Cost: 1 million credits

c)*Chemical Resistant Armor----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

d) External Antipersonel Fletchette Packs----An effort to further protect the robot against faster power armor and infantry, this system consists of s series of directional ‘claymore’-style fragmentation grenades attached to the outer hull and triggred either by command or by motion detector trip to fill a ‘kill zone’ around the tank with lethal shrapnel and anti-personnel fletchettes.
Fletchette Packs can be hung on top of any armor, but do not benefit from the specialized armor types, including appliqué armor. They add 50 MDC per pack and take damage first. Firing off a pack reduces its armor value to 30)nackplate remains).
Range: 100 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD to a cone swath roughly 50 ft long, by 10 ft wide.
Used as reactive armor against plasma and armor-piercing missiles, the computerized firing system acts as a PARRY, rolling to match or better the missile’s strike roll...a successful counter means that the missile damage is HALVED, while a failure means the tank takes full damage. Note: when dealing with volleys, one reactive armor pack can match TWO missiles in a volley, so in order to effectively counter a five missile volley, the tank must expend 3 reactive armor packs...two packs would roll twice to defeat their respective missiles, the third would only roll once. If the enemy missile launcher has a line of sight on the tank, they can target a spot on the hull which has no packs covering it (a called shot), in which case the remaining reactive armor is -4 to cover the gap.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or can be simultaneously fired in volleys of 1-10
Payload: Each side of the ‘bot’s main torso ( frontand back) has 15 fletchette packs each(30 total), the legs 10 each(20 total), upper shoulders can sport 6 each(12 total). Only the head cannot be fitted with reactive armor packs.
Cost: 400,000 credits for the system, individual packs cost 2,500 credits each

e) *Jettisonable Armor(Option)---Special pre-cut division channels, break points, and integral explosive bolts allow the ‘bot crew to jettison the appliqué 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 appliqué 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 appliqué 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: +7,000 credits+cost of armor


Other Options:

*Spikes----These are spikes of super-hard metal or are vibro-weapons jammed hilt-first into the armor. They really don't do much except add a little extra damage to a body block/tackle, but they look really menacing. Spikes effectively negate the Streamlining option, unless made Retractable . Externally-mounted Spikes take up NO binder/Option spaces.
The Patriot can mount up to six spikes per arm, eight per shoulder, four on the head, eight per leg, and ten on the torso. Spikes cannot be carried UNDER appliqué armor and vambraces, but can be mounted ON them.
Range: Melee
Damage: +1d6 MD to a Body Block/Tackle, punch, elbow, or knee kick
Cost: 50,000 credits or 400 credits per spike(if you want to number them)
Option 1: Electrified Spikes---Add 1d4 MD to damage. Cost: +10,000 credits
Option 2: VibroSpikes---Add 1d6 MD to damage. Cost: +20,000 credits
Option 3: Rocket Spikes---With the flip of a switch, the spikes can actually be fired off as armored projectiles. They can be fired selectively, or all at once. Once fired, spikes must be replaced at full cost. No bonus to strike.
Range: 200 ft
Damage: Adds +2d6 MD to spike damage(so a vibro-rocket spike does 4d6 MD)
Cost: +500 credits per spike
Option 4: Retractable Spikes----These can be pulled into the body of the robot when not in use, allowing for better streamlining to come into play. Cost: +40,000 credits

*Lance Scanner---Looks like a long lance, antennae, or a weather-domed bulge protruding from the armor of the ‘bot. The Lance Scanner contains a magnetometer and a short-range microwave radar for ground-searching minefields(in theory, the ground radar sound be able to detect even nonmetallic 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. Active fusion nuclear powerplants(and their magnetic containment fields) and active rail guns can be detected at DOUBLE that range.
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting nonmetallic ordinance.
Cost: 40,000 credits

*TW Sensors:(Fighter-scale)(Courtesy of Kitsune)
    -See Aura: Slightly different than the spell in that it can scan an entire target such as a ship or station. The enchantment can be used to target a single individual but only have one tenth normal range when being used in that matter. Costs 60 P.P.E. per activation due to extended range. Range: Fighter Mount: 100 miles (160 kilometers) in space and 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Gives an approximate count of the number of life forms onboard. Gives the average level of experience, highest level of experience, and lowest level of experience [Given in these terms: Low (1-3), medium (4-7), high (8th and up).] Tells if there is any magic onboard. Gives if there are any psychics onboard (Mind Block will prevent detection), Gives a general count on the amount of P.P.E. the target has (basically the P.P.E. of the crew and any devices which store P.P.E.). Detects if there is any kind of possession. Finally sees if the crew or ship has any unusual aberrations.
     -See the Invisible Sensors: The ships has several special optical and other sensor systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: Fighter Mount: 200 miles (320 kilometers) in space and 2 miles (3.2 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
     -Sense Magic: The ship has sensors which the give the ability to detect active magic. Similar to spell and used at will (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: Fighter Mount: 20,000 miles (32,200 kilometers) in space and 200 miles (320 km) in an atmosphere. . Effects / Abilities: detects the presence of magic if within detection range of ship and gives bearing on magic and basic range although not exact position. Detects active enchantments but will not generally detect spell casters in general.
-Sense Rifts: Ship has sensors which effectively allow Rifts to be detected. The system can be (requires no P.P.E. to activate). Range: Fighter Mount: 50,000 miles (80,500 kilometers) in space and 500 miles (805 km) in an atmosphere. Effects / Abilities: Detects the presence of Rifts (including those created by Rifts Jump Drives) and unlike when detecting magic gives position very accurately.


HandHeld Weapons----The Patriot can hold and use giant-scaled weapons, including firearms.
The full list of Options is still building, but what follows is what’s currently and immediately available.

Mecha Grenade:
Mek Grenades are oversized explosives that can be set as demolition charges and remotely detonated, or can be thrown by robot hand(typical range with any accuracy is 300-500 ft)
*250-lb Bomb----2d4x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius

*’Slammer’ Grenade---1d4x10 MD to 90 ft blast radius. 88% chance of knockdown(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees)

*Multi-Munition ‘Hive’ Grenade---Based on aircraft weapons dispensers: canister packed with multiple sub-munitions that are propelled out from the sides of the canister on impact. Excellent for area denial and for dealing with multiple targets in confined spaces.
Weight: 250 lbs.
Submunitions can be launched up to 150 ft out from the mecha grenade’s point of impact.
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)
80 AP/Chemical grenades
OR
20 HE/anti-vehicle grenades
OR
20 Fragmentation Mines
OR
10 Incendiary Bombs
OR
100 spools of wire, each spool holding up to 4,000 ft of aluminum-coated filament


Gun Modules:

*PSK-20 Heavy Plasma Cannon, based off the Kera-Tech KT-NVW-20 150mm Plasma Cannon(a capital ship 'secondary weapon'), is standard issue...This massive rifle has its own dedicated nuclear powerplant in the elongated buttstock of the weapon.
Weight: 12 tons
MDC: 250
Range:(Rifle Mode) 6,000 ft(24,000 ft in space)
(Mega-Burst Mode)6 miles(24 miles in space)
Damage: (Rifle Mode) 2d6x10 MD per blast
(Mega-Burst Mode)2d6x 40 per blast
Rate of Fire: (Rifle Mode) ECHH
(Mega-Burst Mode)Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited; independent nuclear power supply
Cost: NOT AVAILABLE TO THE MARKET;EXCLUSIVE TO the GNE/trade alliance. Would be estimated to cost 5 million credits or more if it were.


*Particle Beam Cannon---Adapted from Kera-Tech’s own ‘Storm Lance’ Hovertank, the KTPB-40 has earned the nickname ‘Supershooter’ from PS engineers, who like its low-maintenance design, and superb range. This mounting is actually the first time this weapon has been seen on Rifts Earth outside Kera-Tech’s forces, and, as such, is NOT available to the general market(exclusive to 5ST and its affiliates)
Range: 9,800 ft(nearly 2 miles!)
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 150 shot battery (if conventionally powered). Effectively Unlimited w/ nuclear powerplant
Cost: NOT AVAILABLE TO THE MARKET;EXCLUSIVE TO the GNE/trade alliance. Would be estimated to cost 4 million credits or more if it were.

*150 mm DSFSLRP(Discarding Sabot, Fin-Stabilized, Long-Rod Penetrator) Long Gun----Standard handheld armament consists of a new weapon, a long-barreled (40 ft long!) heavy railgun rifle based on pre-Rifts naval armament discovered by Paladin Steel engineers. The Mark II DSFSLRP was designed to be even more fearsome than the infamous Boom Gun, with a “One-shot kill/cripple” capacity against even the much-feared Glitterboys and heavier robots like the South American Galapagos. The Paladin Steel Hellshot Rail Cannon is a pale imitation of this fearsome weapon.
The original weapon was intended to be mounted in the turret of a naval vessel or super-tank, but Paladin Steel has managed to reconfigure this weapon into a robot-portable super-sniper rifle. Already, pilots laud the ability to pot monsters as they emerge from a Rift at extreme range.
If this weapon has any real disadvantages, it’s that it is limited to direct line-of-sight fire, and it is overpowered. Its capacitors require more time to recharge than other rail guns, limiting the rate of fire. Furthermore, the massive energy output to the accelerator rings, as well as the tremendous atmospheric friction of the projectile leaving the cannon, create enormous amounts of heat, superheating the barrel to white-hot temperatures. To withstand this sort of abuse, the cannon requires special thermal-resistant materials and built-in cooling systems; provided by special fluid and cooling links thru the Patriot’s forearms. If these connections are not properly hooked up, or broken, the cannon will need to take about five minutes to cool down between firings, or else the barrel will meltdown and crack catastrophically under the stress of repeated firings.
If this weapon proves successful in trials, PS hopes to refit other robots with the necessary cooling, power, and recoil systems to accommodate its use.
MDC of Long Gun: 200
Range: 4 miles line of sight
Damage: 5d6x10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: 5 rd clip; the Patriot typically carries three clips(1 clip takes up 1 binder space)
NOTE: The Long Gun has its own targeting and sensor package mounted on it.

*45mm Mass Driver Rifle--Standard handheld armament consists of a new weapon, a snub-nosed massdriver submachine cannon. This heavy weapon looks like an old water-cooled Spandau machinegun, with a much larger bore, and much higher muzzle velocity. The MDR fires the same heavyweight projectiles used by Paladin Steel’s “Hellshot” anti-armor cannon, but with much higher range, rate of fire, and payload. Only the expense of the heavy metal, long-rod penetrator rounds keeps this weapon from becoming more common, as it is EXTREMELY powerful! Early tests showed this thing able to blow apart daemons with a single burst!
MDC of Mass Driver Rifle: 200
Range: 3,300 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per shot, or can fire off a 5-shot burst doing 1d6x100 MD!
Rate of Fire: Standard, EPCHH
Payload: 50 rd drum
Penalty: The bad news is, the multiple recoils on a five-shot burst cause such bursts to be -2 to strike, unless the target is 100 ft long or larger or within 500 ft.
Cost: NOT AVAILABLE TO THE MARKET; EXCLUSIVE TO the GNE/trade alliance.


*AMSR-10 Multi-Rifle---The AMSR-10 combines a heavy rail cannon(the KTH-65 32mm, obtained from Kera-Tech) with a light laser weapon. This awesome weapon is referred to as ‘Tear and Glare’ by Patriot pilots, who claim it seems to never run out of ammunition or power.
MDC of Rifle: 100
Range:(Rail Gun) 1600m (1 mile) in atmosphere, 8,000m (5 miles) in space
(Laser) 4,000 ft
Damage:(Rail Gun) APFS-DU (Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized, Depleted Uranium) - 5D6x10, no blast radius
HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) - 5D6 MD plus 5D6 SDC to the person(s)
inside the object.
HE (High Explosive) 1D6x10 to a 5 (16ft) radius
HEG (High Explosive, Guided) - 2D6x10 to a 2m (7 ft) radius
(Laser) 6d6 MD per blast, or 1d6x10+20 per triple pulse burst
Rate of Fire: (Rail Gun) Single shot, ECHH
(Laser) Standard
Payload:(Rail Gun) 300 rounds in a changeable magazine.
(Laser) 100 shot battery, or unlimited linked to the robot’s power supply.

*AMUR-11 Torpedo Gun---This is simply a modified clip-fed Super Bazooka Missile Launcher modified to fire long-range or medium-range torpedoes. It is most often seen toted by marine-conversion Patriots along the Maine coast.
MDC of Rifle: 100
Primary Purpose: Assault/Anti-Armor/Anti-Ship
Damage: By torpedo type.
Rate of Fire: Equal to pilot's hand to hand
Effective Range: 10 miles for medium torps, 20 miles for heavy torps
Payload: 5 round medium torpedo clips, or 3 round long-range torpedo clip

*AMUR-12 Blue-Green Multi-Rifle---The marine version of the AMSR-10, but with an additional frequency setting, and a multi-barreled railgun replacing the KTH-65 32mm)
MDC of Rifle: 100
Range:(Rail Gun) 3,000 ft underwater, 6,000 ft in air
(Blue Green Laser) 2,000 ft underwater, 4,000 ft in air
Damage:(Rail Gun) 1d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst
(Blue Green Laser) 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(Rail Gun) EPCHH
(Blue Green Laser) Standard
Payload:(Rail Gun) 4,000 rd clip(100 bursts)
(Blue Green Laser)100 shot battery, or unlimited linked to the Robot’s power supply.

*AMSR-13 Beam Rifle---A battery-powered particle beam rifle with a massive side-mounted energy clip, developed from Orbital beam weaponry. The AMSR-13 often has a single-shot short-range missile launcher or torpedo tube mounted underneath the barrel.
MDC of Rifle: 100
Range:(Particle Beam) 25,000 ft
(Torpedo/Missile): Varies by Missile Type(Short Range)
Damage:(Particle Beam) 4d6x10 MD per blast
(Torpedo/Missile): Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:(Particle Beam) 50 shot clip
(Torpedo/Missile) One

*AMGR-7---This is a robot rifle version of the venerable Vulcan Cannon produced by Paladin Steel. The AMGR-7 has an open barrel-design for cooling, an attached butt-stock, and two ‘saddle’ magazines/ammo cassettes. Short range, but good damage.
MDC: 200
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, or 5d6x10 MD per 50 rd burst(two per melee round)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 1,000 rds(20 bursts)

* 135 mm MB Massdriver Cannon (PS-MDJ135M)
Most handheld and arm-mounted cannon weapons lack the proper bracing, recoil control, and fire control to serve optimally in the indirect ballistic fire support role, a capability typically reserved for the more solidly mounted shoulder or main body mounts. Paladin Steel has attempted to rectify this shortcoming with the mulimode massdriver cannon capable of serving in both the direct fire and artillery mode, in a modular package that can be hand-carried by oversized robot vehicles.
The gunpod resembles nothing so much as a thick length of industrial pipe, with a saddlebag-style ammunition magazine, attached targeting sensor, and a special shoulder brace. In handheld gunpod mode, the weapon is carried one handed, with special braces locked on the forearm, and the stock set against the main body.
In artillery mode, the weapon is dismounted, the oversized buttstock set down against the ground like the base of a mortar, and special linkages in the mech alter the targeting calculations, and the power/acceleration pattern of the massdriver’s stator accelerator rings. The mech braces the weapon additionally with both hands for maximum stability. In this mode, the cannon serves as a massive mortar, capable of firing over cities and even mountains.
Weight: 16,000 lbs(8 tons)
MDC: 200
Range:(Direct Fire) 30,000 ft (6 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 75,000 ft(15 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)---- 2d6x10 MD to 50 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 4d6x10 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 2d4x10 MD to 50 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x 40 MD to 50 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 5d6x10 MD out to 13,000 ft, 3d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: Three per melee
Payload: Varies; the arm ammo clip has 1 ton of ammunition capacity
135 mm standard shell weighs 62 lbs( 32 shots per ton)
Cost: 3.3 million credits

Melee Weapons:

*Plasma Ax---This is an oversize ax weapon with a plasma emitter in the blade, based on reverse-engineered Kittani technologies. The Plasma Ax can be either a single or double-bladed model. The Ax can be either powered by a battery pack(good for 15 minutes) that recharges every time the Ax is plugged into an external holster(recharges in 2 hours), or can be connected by a power cord(5 MDC) to the 'bot's main power systems. A heavier version is also available.
If mounted on a vambrace or shield, it takes 2 binder spaces.
MDC: 180/200
Weight: (Light Version)600 lbs (Heavy Version): 1,000 lbs
Range: 8 ft melee range
Damage: (Light Version)5d6 MD un-powered strike, 2d6x10 MD per powered strike
(Heavy Version): 6d6 MD un-powered strike, 5d6x10 MD per powered strike
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Conditionally unlimited
Cost: (Light Version)70,000 credits. (Heavy Version): 200,000 credits

*Plasma Staff----The Plasma Staff is simply an oversized pole-arm type weapon with a Plasma Saber built into the end. The Plasma Staff can also have a Blast Stick charge built into the other end for additional damage capability. The Staff can be either powered by a battery pack(good for 15 minutes) that recharges every time the Staff is plugged into an external holster(recharges in 2 hours), or can be connected by a power cord(90 MDC) to the 'bot's main power systems. If mounted on a vambrace or shield, it takes 2 binder spaces.
MDC: 150
Weight: 600 lbs
Range: 20-30 ft melee range(comes in two sizes)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per strike
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Conditionally unlimited
Cost: 80,000 credits

*Electro-Whip---This is an enormous bullwhip of braided superconductive cabling which can be used to deliver a massive charge, capable of stunning megadamage creatures and shorting out un-insulated/unprotected electrical gear. The Electro-Whip is powered by a battery capacitor that recharges off the 'bot's own powerplant. Requires WP Whip or WP Chain to use.
Range: 70 ft melee
Damage: 1d8 MD un-powered slash, 6d6 MD powered strike. Also a powered strike acts much akin to the Triax TX-275 Arc Charge Blaster in its effects on monsters and vehicles:
MDC/living beings suffer a loss of one attack per melee and all initiative for that melee.
Vehicles, power armor, and robots roll on the following(from Rifts: Triax and the NGR)
01-15 No effect!
16-30 Lose 1 APM and initiative has the controls flicker out for 1d4 seconds
31-45 All weapons systems go off-line. One comes back after 1d4 melee rounds, and minor electrical fires break out.
46-60 All systems go off-line, but return after 1d4 melee rounds. However, until they do, the vehicle is -30% to pilot, and is defenseless.
61-75 Communications, radar, and targeting are out; all else is okay. -3 to strike and no initiative.
76-90 All sensory and communications systems are fried. Pilot must operate vehicle on manual controls and rely on sight. Penalties: -25% at 1/3 maximum speed, -50% at 1/2 max. speed, -75% at full speed, no initiative to strike, -3 to dodge/strike, and -1 APM.
91-00 All systems are locked/overloaded!Vehicle does not respond to controls and nothing works!
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 30 power-strikes; before requiring 10 minutes to recharge per strike.
Cost: 50,000 credits

*Blade Shield-----A rather nasty and unorthodox weapon, intended to be mounted on/in shields and vambraces. The Blade Shield consists of three vibro-blades/claws in mounting tracks on the outside shield surface. The shield/vambrace can thus be used to parry melee attacks and simultaneously attack(combined parry/strike counts as one attack), or the 'bot can pin a target and attack it at the same time from behind the cover of its shield. In addition to cutting, the blades can also move towards each other to "grasp" a target in melee combat, doing even more damage as all three blades converge. It can also be very terrifying, to see a giant robot advancing behind the cover of three enormous spinning circular saw blades. A Blade Shield takes 3 binder spaces.
Range: Melee
Damage: 6d6 MD for a swipe, 2d4x10+ 20 MD for a "grasp"(2 attacks)
Cost: 200,000 credits


*Bot Shields---Bot Shields are simply big plates of armor with attachments and handholds for robots to carry. Shields are heavy and cumbersome, but offer additional protection if used correctly. They are also a lot cheaper, because the armor material doesn't have to be cut or fit to the specific vehicle, Shields can also be modified to hold "binders" , attachment points for additional equipment or robot-sized weapons and ammunition. A typical giant robot-sized gun pod takes up 2 binder spaces; an ammo clip for same takes up 1 binder, etc...
-Light: .5 tons, 50 MDC (1 binder space)
50,000 credits
No encumbrance

-Medium: 1 ton, 100 MDC (2 binder spaces)
100,000 credits
Encumbrance: Reduce speed by 10% while carrying

-Heavy: 2 tons, 200 MDC (3 binder spaces)
200,000 credits
Encumbrance: Reduce speed by 15% while carrying -1 strike/parry/dodge while moving shield

-Extra Heavy: 3 tons, 300 MDC (4 binder spaces) 400,000 credits
Encumbrance: Reduce speed by 20% while carrying -2 strike/parry/dodge while moving shield

-Super Heavy: 4 tons. 500 MDC(4 binder spaces) 600,000 credits
Encumbrance: Reduce speed by 30% while carrying -2 strike/parry/dodge while moving shield


TechnoWizardry Weapons:
The Patriot is fully compatible with Paladin Steel’s TW weaponry and systemry.
The following count as HEAVY weapons for placement on arms or shoulders:
a) *Heavy Multiplexor---Paladin Steel’s (in)famous ‘spellcard’ and mechanized casting focus. The model described is a MagePod Model 0.1C, a (slight) refinement over the original model, and featuring a six-slot Spell Card ‘magazine’, allowing the operators to click between six spells with the flip of a switch.
Range: Varies by spell, but focal elements in the casting end increase the range of ranged spells by 50%.
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. However, the use of focusing elements and activator spells effectively reduces spell PPE cost by HALF. This installation includes a choice of PPE Powerstone Generators. Additional Powerstones must take up additional slots.
(So you Technowizards aren’t flummoxed by PPE costs in a long-running battle, while the still relatively high PPE costs for the high-end spells keeps someone from using Sphere of Annihilation in every battle).
Payload: Draws from the main PPE Battery, but can also draw upon the robot’s/vehicle’s other PPE reserves/batteries(if any have been fitted). In an emergency, the pilot, if they are a mage or psychic, can kick in their own PPE.
Bonuses: As per spell(if any)
Cost: The basic Mage Pod system costs about 1.3 million 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.
PPE Generators:
PPE Capacity:(Light)----200 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 20 PPE/hour at a leyline, 40 PPE/hour on a nexus
(Medium)-----300 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 40 PPE/hour at a leyline, 80 PPE/hour on a nexus
(‘Wizard’)----400 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 14 PPE per hour, 50 PPE/hour at a leyline, 100 PPE/hour on a nexus
(‘Sorcerer’)--- 600 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 20 PPE per hour, 60 PPE/hour at a leyline, 120 PPE/hour on a nexus
Cost:(Light)----500,000 credits
(Medium)-----1 million credits
(‘Wizard’)----2 million credits
(‘Sorcerer’)---- 3 million credits

b) TW Lightning Cannon----This weapon requires that the tank be fitted with PPE generators to power it. Launches a vertical blast of mystic lightning.
Range: 9,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 15 PPE per shot
Cost: 1.9 million credits

c) TW Meteor Gun----Magically conjures a rock from above to utterly smite a target.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+20 MD to a 40 ft radius
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 38 PPE per shot
Cost: 600,000 credits

d) TW Ice Cannon----This weapon actually has two modes, familiar to anybody who’s handled one of PS’s Crysus’ TW Ice Rifles. The Ice Cannon can cause an area to be bombarded by a minutes-long hailstorm, or can generate a giant ball of ice that slams into targets, then bursts into a storm of superhard ice shards and freezing vapor(this combines aspects of several different ice spells).
Range: (Hail)4,000 ft, and affects a 50 ft radius
(Ten Foot Ball of Ice)7,000 ft
Damage: (Hail)8d4 MD for 8 minutes(32 melees) to a 50 ft radius
(Ten Foot Ball of Ice)2d6 MD on impact, then explodes, 60 ft blast radius, shedding hundreds of icy shards. Human-sized objects caught in its way will get hit with 1d6 shards, each doing 2d6 MD. Fighter- and Robot-sized targets (16 ft or larger) will get hit by 1d4x10 shards. Ships and targets 50 ft and larger will get hit by 2d4x10 shards. Victims must save versus magic or suffer debilitating numbness; -1 APM, -2 initiative, -1 strike/parry/dodge, and speed is reduced by 10%. Effects last 1d4 minutes, and are NOT cumulative. The Ice Ball has 70 MDC.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: (Hail)10 PPE per shot
(Ten Foot Ball of Ice)25 PPE per shot
Cost: 1.8 million credits

e) TW Barrage Storm Cannon---Unleashes a storm of mini-bolts of magic force that shotgun into a target.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 13 PPE per shot
Cost: 750,000 credits

f) TW Power Bolt Cannon---Fires a large bolt of mystic force that hits hard and deep.
Range: 8,400 ft
Damage: 5d6+20 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 10 PPE per shot
Cost: 450,000 credits

g) TW Windblast Cannon---Fires long range bolts of super-dense air. Incredible range, thanks to the barrel boosting elements.
Range: 15,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10+30 MD per blast, plus knock-back, similar to Wind Rush.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 20 PPE per shot
Cost: 650,000 credits

h)TW Magma Cannon---- This TW weapon projects a stream of incandescent magma conjured from magical energy, that hits like napalm and can be panned to form a river or lane of red hot lava. Short range, but scary as hell.
Range: 1,500 ft, 10 ft wide area; pools on the ground in a 150 ft long, 25 ft wide, and 25 ft deep area.
Damage: Does 1d6x10 MD if used as an impact weapon/in air.
Most effective if used against ground targets, where the molten material can burn for minutes, doing 2d6x10 MD per melee to anything trapped in/on it. The material remains liquid and super-hot for 5 minutes
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 25 PPE per shot
Cost: 500,000 credits

i) TW Sonic Cannon---PS TechnoWizards got the idea for this after studying examples of the Immaterial Hand’s Ironmage TW Glitterboy Armor and its ‘shrieker’ cannon(see Rifts Black Market, pg. 187-189) . Using their booster barrel technowizardry, PS TWs were able to increase the range
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per shot, 1d6x10 MD on a ley line and against supernatural creatures and beings of magic.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 12 PPE per shot
Cost: 1.2 million credits


Variants:
*PS-HAR-07 ‘Stazer’----Early release version of the Patriot endoframe, kitted out with a multimode energy weapons system. Lighter and faster than the proposed Patriot, it was considered an effective field test of many of the Patriot’s intended systems. It debuted during the Travesdeen War with great success and won a number of fans in the piloting corps.

*PS-HAR-08Q---(aka ‘Patriot-Centaur’) This version has a quad-array of legs, identical in overall MDC and weapons options to the regular legs, but set as to provide the Patriot with a steady ground platform. Larger footpads reduce ground pressure even more, allowing the ‘bot to traverse soft ground surfaces more easily. Running speed is reduced to 55 MPH, and leaping distance is HALF, but heavy weapons get an additional +1 to strike due to the stable firing platform. It can also carry an external cargo pod with a 20 ton capacity.
The -HAR-08Q is regarded as a good ‘bot heavy artillery platform, especially when using the cargo pod as an ammunition pannier.
Bonuses:
-If equipped as a space mobility unit, it has x2 the space speed.


*PS-HAR-FC-08--At least two Patriots have been adapted into full-conversion cyborg frames, their ‘pilots’ being fully integrated into the command-control systems. These cyborgs typically socialize with their comrades using remote-controlled proxy bodies.

Wholly TW-powered and -armed versions would seem more than likely, and new upgrade and option kits are in the works.

[Omegasgundam]

It's a Christmas miracle! The Patriot is finally out of development hell!

[taalismn]

Yep. not the most elegant beast, and certainly has teething problems, but it's out for the field-mod tinkerers to work with and ready to rock.
The BattleRam's still the bigger brick, but at a third the price you can field at least two ground-faster Patriots with a slew of add-ons, and there's the growth factor.

And I'm just happy to finally get the Patriot out of the garage, so I can work on other long-dragging projects.

[taalismn]

PS/ASI/DDI-ADR-02 ’Valken’ Mobile Heavy Aerospace Defense Weapon Platform
(aka ‘turret-walkers’, ‘trigunnahs’)
“Stability issues? Nah, the geeners applied what they’d learned from observing something from their homeworld calld a ‘Behemoth Explorer’...supposed to be some bigass robot on two legs that’s really stable, only they scaled it up into a big gun mount and made it freaky formidable.”
---’Vexus’ Dan Danoli, Darad Defense Industries Assembly Line Foreman

“It’s a starship gun turret on legs, with all the awkwardness that implies. It’s slow to change position, so it can’t vacate an identified firing position as fast as a hover-platform can, it has problems negotiating slopes, it’s too heavy and large for most roads and bridges, and it’s not easy to hide. For the same money, I’d prefer to have a squadron of aerospace fighters with missile hardpoints.”

“Proper sensor security protocol is a MUST with weapons like the Valken. Raiders LOVE homing in on targeting emissions and blasting them, with HARMs if they have them, ortillery if they don’t. So the sensor operators have to be adept at frequency jumping and hide-and-peek scanning if they don’t want to be bullseyed by suppressive attacks.”

“The usans have some of the best armed planetary militia and aerospace artillery in the Three Galaxies. They have enough warning of an attack, they can turn their skies into a shooting gallery. Lot of the smaller pirate outfits never survive the fireworks the usan colonials throw up. Many of the larger groups come away missing big chunks of their headcount. They haven’t yet had to face one of the major powers yet, but I’m certain they wouldn’t do as well against a dedicated orbital assault. However, I’m also certain that the usans would make any invasion bleed plenty before they ever made landfall.”

The ‘Valken’ is the result of collaboration between Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries and Darad Defense Industries to upgrade the latter’s robotics capabilities and increase the number of surface-to-space defense systems available to USA members and affiliates.
The Valken is quite simply an oversized bipedal robotic platform carrying three medium starship-grade energy cannons mounted for hgh-angle air/low orbit defense. What look like large aesthetically-flaring body flanges are really large cooling fins for the weapons. Its cockpit/command center is buried deep inside the heavily armored body, and the crew is reliant on closed-circuit cameras to see the outside environment. The upper surface of the main body is a phased array sensor system. Thick legs, broad foot-pads, and a large gyroscopic stabilization system keep the bipedal ‘bot balanced, upright and stable. The Valken carries a powerplant capable of powering its three energy-hungry projector cannon and its electronics suite, allowing for independent operation, but it can also be connected
to external power and cooling systems, and networked into a larger target acquisition and fire control system.
As a tactical weapon, the Valken is a flop. it is too large and slow, lacking in easy mobility in built-up areas, and without secondary weaponry to be an effective combatant without support on the modern battlefield. Without escorting support elements, it is easily overrun by smaller and more mobile opponents. However, if it can be covered and can angle into a position to bring its massive energy projectors to bear on a target, it can quickly obliterate most ground vehicles and entrenched positions.
As dedicated aerospace defense artillery, properly deployed, the Valken is far more effective. The Valken is often grouped with VOSK and GAMILON defense units where they can operate in mutually supporting batteries.
Besides the USA, the Valken is also operated by the Zyganians and the Celsian Primarchy, which has acquired a number of units. The Corianus-Rosette League has also acquired a number of systems.

Type: PS/ASI/DDI-ADR-02 Valken
Class: Surface to Air/Orbit Defense Artillery Carrier, Directed Energy Weapon
Crew: 8(driver, sensor operator, communications tech, gunner, four engineers).
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,000
Reinforced Cockpit 300
Energy Cannons(3) 200 each
Legs(2) 500 each
Height: 60 ft
Width: 55 ft
Length: 75 ft, including gun barrels.
Weight: 350 tons
Cargo: Small space in the cabin for survival packs, sidearms, and a few small personal possessions.
Powerplant: Nuclear with a 20 year lifespan.
Speed:(Running) 40 MPH
(Leaping) Not Possible
(Flying)Not Possible
(Space) Can operate in vacuum, but not in microgravity
(Underwater) Can walk on the bottom at MPH, maximum depth of ft
Market Cost: 64 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Robot Systems, plus:
*EMP-Hardened Systems----Hardened against the effects of ElectroMagnetic Pulse(EMP) weaponry, such weaponry being a favorite ‘door opener’ of planet raiders and continental attackers to cripple local C3(Command, Control, Communications) networks in advance of hard-strikes.

*Supplemental Power/Cooling Hookups---Can be hooked up to external support systems providing extra power and cooling.

*Fire Control Linkage---To make best use of the long range of its weaons, the Valken is usually linked into a fire control battle-network sharing sensor and targeting information.

*Advanced Targeting-----Advanced stabilization and computerized fire control give the guns a +2 to strike.

*360-degree Waist Rotation---Allows the weapons a full arc of fire.

Weapons Systems:
1) Medium Energy Cannons(3)----Typically lasers or particle beams. Long range ion cannon are also being considered. Plasma cannons/ torpedoes are possible, but the proliferation of thermal-resistant reentry-grade hull plating has negated the effectiveness of much plasma air defense weaponry.
a) Laser Cannon
• Range: (Palladium) (LR Model) 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 16 miles in atmosphere, 1,600 miles in space
The cannon cannot depress enough to hit ground targets closer than 600 ft.
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot
• Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
• Payload: Effectively unlimited

b) Particle Beam Cannon
• Range:(Palladium) 6 miles in atmosphere/ 12 miles in space
(Kitsune) 12 miles in atmosphere/ 1,200 miles in space
• Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast
• Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
• Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Ion Beam Destabilizer Cannon---Short range, but with the added benefit of taking out electrical systems.
Range:(Palladium)5 miles in atmosphere, 10 miles in space
(Kitsune Values) 10 miles in atmosphere, 10,000 miles in space
Damage:1d4x100 MD per blast
In addition to physical damage, the cannon does EM damage. Percentage of EM damage is determined in relation to target’s main body((damage/main body)x100=percentage). For every 10% of damage from main body in ion damage, the target vessel will be -1 to strike, parry, and dodge, ar least until an appropriate repair skill roll is made to bypass or correct the damage. In space target acceleration will be reduced by 15%, in atmosphere top speed will be reduced by 15%. Roll once on critical hit charts in Phazeworld or Conversion book as appropriate.
If target takes 60% of main body in ion damage, ship or vehicle will be disabled completely. All weapon, navigation, and other systems will shut down and need to be repaired/replaced to work again/reboot.
Does NO damage against non-mechanical/electronic targets.
The ion cannon is equally effective against bionics
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Plasma Torpedo Launcher---Only TWO of these weapons can be mounted due to power requirements.
• Range: (Palladium) 8 miles in atmosphere, 16 miles in space
? (Kitsune Values) 16 miles in atmosphere, 1,600 miles in space
• Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot to a 15 ft blast radius
• Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
• Payload:Effectively unlimited


2) Hand to Hand---Extremely limited, but the sheer mass of the ‘bot can do damage.
Stomp/Trample/Kick 3d6 MD
Body Block/Ram 3d6 MD

Variants:
There are no substantial variants of the Valken as yet, with none anticipated, as it is basically a mobile gunmount system.
Some examples in th field have been modified to include light anti-personnel weapons on the lower torso or legs, such as grenade launchers, flamers, light pulse lasers, or machine guns, as a hold-out defense against enemy infantry or commandos, though the Valken’s best close-in defense is accompanying security troops.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries PS/ASI- LATV51 ‘Bicorn’ Scout Rover
(aka ‘Dune-Drifter’, ‘Iron Goat’, ‘Saber-toothed Rat-Wheeler’)
“Practically dirt-cheap, easy to maintain in its basic form, but very hard-hitting for its weight and type. Plus colonial militias tend to a lot nastier than folks in the metroworlds give them credit for. They have to be; the colonials are defending their homes, their families, their livelihoods, and their lives, so they’ll use every dirty trick and force multiplier they can to stack the deck in their favor. The Bicorn’s like a motorized baseball bat with nails in it; you may sneer at its crudeness, but you don’t want to get hit with it either.”

“We weren’t on the ground more than twenty minutes before the locals found us. Guthree was starting forward and laughing while aiming his plasma caster when one of the trash-wagons cut loose and blew off his power-suit’s legs with Guth’s legs in ‘em. After that we had a real firefight on our hands, bad enough that our air support, which was supposed to be knocking down the colony’s communications and airfield in advance of us, had to come back to bail us out. Only they were getting chewed up too on account of the locals having surface to air that they were using quite liberally on us. Saw Morcog’s Venom take a couple of flame-arrows to the engines and go down just to prove it. I dunno if he managed to bail out or not; we had our own problems to deal with and couldn’t go out the five or six kliks to where he went down to check on him.
Boss then made a good call pulling us out because if we’d stayed any longer, I honestly think the local guard would have shot us too full of holes for us to lift off, let alone pull off our raid on the mines. From here on, I think I’ll stick to mugging spacecraft; planet jobs are just too damn likely to get bogged in a pit-fight against every gun-dumpster the dirt-tillers can bring up.”
---Vlasco Roden, ‘Team Commander’ in ‘Arten’s Swagmen’

“Dude, they offer this thing with a tech-wiz engine! This means that somebody’s going to slap an Ithan or an invisbility spell on one and mke it REALLY nasty!”

“With the emphasis on forward-mounted weaponry, the ratster lacks rear defense. It’s a good idea to mount a light pintle behind the back seat so your passenger can double as a tail gunner.”

“The Bicorn fits perfectly with Paladin’s ‘high-low’ marketing; you got big expensive planetary defense weapons like the VOSKs that are mobile fortresses, and you got the way cheaper stuff like the Dunester that can be practically handed out to the local township Home Guards and marshals, and still feel good about it. Even professional military’s going to think twice about charging into such a pain-rich defense environment like that.”

The Bicorn Scout Rover as a generic basic dunebuggy/landrover built by colonists on the Three Glaxies’ Fringe, and converted into a ‘technical’ for militia use with the addition of armor plate and some crude weaponry. Paladin Steel/Aegis Stellar Industries field agents saw this improvization, were impressed, and saw both a need and an opportunity. The basic design was improved upon and standardized, and the ‘Bicorn’(named for its prominent twin guns sticking out like lances or horns) rolled out.
The Bicorn is a low-slung, large-wheeled, all-terrain dune buggy meant as a wilderness patrol and reconnaisance vehicle. It works best at spotting trouble and designating targets for better-equipped combat vehicles to deal with, but it has also been used for light attack and guerilla combat operations. Armor-plating around the cockpit protects the crew from the elements, shrapnel, and small arms fire, but not heavier weapons, for which which speed and distance is the Bicorn’s best defense. Bcause the cockpit is not environmentally sealed, it is advised that the crew wear full Environmental Body Amor if environmental hazards are a concern.
What gives the Bicorn its name is the pair of large gun mounts on the front sides of the rover; the long barrels projecting forward give the appearance of long lances or horns. Originally, these were light autocannon whipped up by colonial gunsmiths, but PS/ASI has expanded the available firepower options to include heavy energy weapons, rail guns, and G-cannon.
A communications suite and basic sensors seconded from power armor designs rounds out the integral equipment of the Bicorn.
A choice of powerplants is available, depending on local resourcs and techbase.
The ‘Bicorn’ is at its heart a low, dirty, rugged, inexpensive militia-level vehicle for the outback. Colonials love the thing.

Type: PS/ASI- LATV51 ‘Bicorn’
Class: All-Terrain Wheeled Reconnaisance Vehicle
Crew: One, with room for one passenger-gunner
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 100
Cockpit 60
Wheels(4) 25 each
Headlights(2) 8 each
Gun-Mounts(2) 80 each
Height: 4 ft
Width: 5 ft
Length: 12 ft
Weight: 1, 400 lbs
Cargo: Glove compartment and a small rack in the back for holding backpacks, sidearms, tool kits, and a few small personal possessions.
Long duration patrols in the wilderness sometimes necessitate hauling a trailer with additional fuel, ammunition and supplies.
Powerplant: Liquid-Fuel(300 mile range), Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell(360 mile range), Electric( 390 mile range), Nuclear((w/ 5 year energy life), or Techno-Wizardry(w/ 5 year lifespan)
Speed:(Road) 75 MPH. Can ford 3 ft.
Market Cost: 120,000 credits for Liquid-Fuel, 200,000 credits for Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell, 210,000 credits for Electric, 2 million credits for Nuclear, 2.2 million credits for Techno-Wizardry. Prices are HALF in the Three Galaxies due to improved production.
Systems of Note:
*Automatic Transmission
*Four-Wheel Drive
*Variable Suspension---Can raise or lower itself up to 18 inches to clear obstacles
*Dashboard Radio(20 mile range)
*Long Range Radio(500 mile range)
*Roller Bar Assembly
*Rear Cargo Rack---Can hold up to 2x 45 gallon drums of fuel/water
*IR/Normal Light Headlights
*Powered Winch and 60 ft of cable
*Passive Nightvision Optics
*EM Detector(detects radio/radar activity)
*Targeting Computer----+1 to strike

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Gun Mounts(2)---These are what give the - LATV51 its reporting name; two long-barreled heavy infantry/sub-ordnance caliber weapons mounted on the front-sides of the cabin. Traverse is limited to 15-20 degrees side to side/up-down; aiming is primarily done by aiming the vehicle at the targets. Firing can be done by the driver with a steering wheel-mounted trigger, or by a back-seat gunner.
The original crude autocannon have been replaced by a wider range of production weaponry.

a).50 Caliber Machine Gun
Range: 9,000 ft
Damage: (SDC) 1d6x10 SDC single shot, 1d6 x100 SDC(1d6 MD) per 10 rd burst.
(Ramjets) 1d4 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
(High Explosive)3d6x10 SDC single shot, 1d6 MD per 10 rd burst.
(PSX-2) 2d6 MD per rd, 2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
(Tracer) Every 11th round is a tracer, which gives a +1 to strike with bursts. However, the tracer stream also makes it that much easier for enemies to backtrace and locate the machine gunner.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 300 rd box magazine
Cost: 9,000 credits

b)GrHW-01 ‘Flamma’ Heavy Gravitonic Rail Gun
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD single shot, 2d6x10+10 MD for a 10 shot burst.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 200 rd belt per gun
Cost: 75,000 credits
Options:
-Gravitonic Counter-Buffer---The standard GrHW-01 has recoil as standard, so standard burst rules apply, However. PS engineers have learned how to fit the weapon with a gravitonic ‘counterwave’ similar to Three Galaxies weapons, that damps recoil and steadies the weapon during rapid fire---Negate the HALF bonus penalty for firing bursts due to the weapon generating a counter-gravitonic pulse to damp out recoil. This feature is made available ONLY to PS/GNE security and military units; Lord Enno would KILL to obtain this technology if he ever learned of it. Cost: 20,000 credits

c)SBC-19 13/9mm Squeeze-Bore Hypervelocity Cannon ---Despite being dependent on specialized ammunition, this weapon has made a comeback with those worlds with the means and resources to produce the iridium-alloy ammunition.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD. Does critical damage on a Natural 19-20
Rate of Fire: Single shot, EGCHH
Payload: 16 rd clip, additional clips can be stowed in the cabin.
Cost: 260,000 credits. Ammunition costs 160 credits per round

d)PSFA-LC3701'Hamil-Smytes' 37mm Light Cannon
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage:(SDC)* (Fragmentation) 2d6x10 SDC to 15 ft radius**
4d6x10 SDC per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius

(High Explosive) 6d6x10 SDC to 6 ft radius
1d4 MD per 5 rd burst, 8 ft blast radius

(Armor Piercing) 1d4x100+50 SDC, no blast radius
1d8 MD per 5 rd burst, 1 ft blast radius

*(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)2d6 MD to 9 ft radius
6d6 MD per 5 rd burst, 14 ft blast radius

(High Explosive) 5d4 MD single shot, 7 ft blast radius
1d4x10+5 per 5 rd burst, 11 ft blast radius

(Armor Piercing)6d6 MD single shot, no blast radius
2d6x10 per 5 rd burst, 2 ft blast radius

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.
4D6 MD plus 4D6+1 SDC to the person(s) inside the object.
1d4x10 per 5 rd burst,6 ft blast radius----plus 4D6+5 SDC to the person(s) inside the object

Rate of Fire: Single-shot, EGCHH
Payload: 25 round clip, additional clips can be stowed in the cabin.
Cost: 9,000 credits
Ammunition:
(SDC)(Fragmentation) 25 credits each
(High Explosive) 40 credits each
(Armor Piercing) 48 credits each
(MD)(Fragmentation) 250 credits each
(High Explosive) 400 credits each
(Armor Piercing) 550 credits each
(HESH) 570 credits each

e)PS-RG140 Rail Gun----PS copy of the C-40R Rail Gun
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 1d4x10 MD 40 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 6,000 rd drum(100 bursts) per gun
Cost: 90,000 credits.

f)SHRS-40 SuperHeavy Rifle System(40mm )---Modified heavy sniper rifle with an autoloader.
Range:(High Velocity Round)5,000 yards(15,000 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: Single shot, EGCHH.
Payload: 10-shot clip, additional clips can be stowed in the cabin.
Cost: 100,000 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

Options:
*Recoil Control---An active stabilization and cushioning system can be added, adding 30 lbs of additional weight, and costing + 10,000 credits, but adds a +1 to strike.

g)PS-MMLR-14 Mini-Missile Launcher---A knockoff of the Coalition’s CCT-M20 Missile Rifle,complete down to the light laser, but modified to take advantage of PS’s advancements in lighter weight composites and ceramics. Has the advantage of having a light laser for additional firepower.
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)
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited attached to an external generator, or 100-shot battery as backup.
Cost: 36,000 credits per launcher

h)Pulse Laser Lances---Adapted from the Kittani Energy Lance; modest damage, but good range, and excellent accuracy(due to its light weight and integral laser sighting). These weapons are heavier than the original, due to different production methods(70 lbs).
Range: 6,000 ft in hi-mode, 3,000 ft in lo-mode
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot in hi-mode, 6d6 MD per blast in lo-mode
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery, Effectively unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Bonus: +2 to strike
Cost: 75,000 credits each

i) Ion Cannon---Modified ‘Zonn’ mechanics.
Range: 4,500 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot,
1d4x10 MD double pulse shot,
1d6x10 MD triple pulse shot
On a Natural 20(Critical Strike) the ion weapon does TRIPLE damage instead of the normal double damage.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shot battery, Effectively unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 58,000 credits

j)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: 80 shot battery, Effectively unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 180,000 credits

k) PSMBL-5000B Laser Cannon
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD double blast, 1d4x10+8 MD quad blast, 1d6x10 MD full 5-shot blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shot battery, Effectively unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 270,000 credits

l)TW-HBTKMG Heavy Barrel TK Machine Gun
Range: 8,000 ft(double on ley lines)
Damage: 2d4 MD single shot, 3d6 MD short(5 shot) burst, 5d6 MD long (10 shot) burst, 2d6x10 MD full melee (50 shot) burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited linked to a TW powerplant. 200 shot ‘back-up’ PPE clip
Cost: 200,000 credits

m)PSTWHSCPL-01 Solar-Chemical Pulse Laser
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD MD per single blast, 4d4x10 MD per five-shot burst, 4d6x10 MD per ten-shot burst, double damage to beings sensitive to sunlight, and 4d6 HP per shot to vampires.
Rate of Fire: Single shot, 5-, 10-shot bursts, or spray attacks, ECHH
Payload: 12 shots from a quart-sized clip-bottle, 22 shots from a half-gallon tank, 220 shots from a 5-gallon tank, 440 shots from a 10-gallon tank.
Cost: 85,000 credits

Options:
*Speed Boost/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.

*Mag Traction System-----The ‘economy’ version of PS’s Virtual Tread Traction System, that allows a vehicle superior handling on wet ground and sloping surfaces by generating 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: 120,000 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 munitions/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). On the smaller ‘cycle frame, this fitout replaces the passenger, and no rear seat weapons systems or cargo can be carried.
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

*Smoke Screen Generator---Generates a thick, obscuring cloud of dense smoke. Each blast covers a 100 ft area and anyone caught in the cloud of thick, obscuring smoke is. Has enough smoke-matrix for 12 clouds.
Cost: 10,000 credits

*Accoustic Baffling---This difficult modification requires insulating the engine and passenger compartments, wrapping joints in special muffling, and fine-tuning the propulsion to make a minimum of noise. Because of the wear and tear this modification must endure in the course of vehicle operations, it requires CONSTANT upkeep(2-4 times more maintenance and tune-up time) to keep it effective. On the plus side, when it’s working, the vehicle has an 80% Prowl skill at speeds of 10 MPH or less, 60% at speeds up to 40 MPH. and 40% up to 80 MPH. Tracking the rover at night by sound alone becomes near impossible, and anyone inside the vehicle will have to open a window in order to be heard outside.
Cost: 46,000 credits

*Smoke/Flare/Chaff Launchers(1-2)
Range: 6,000 ft, creates a 30 ft cloud, +10 ft per each additional chaff/flare launched in the volley. Cloud lasts 2 meless before dissipating(or less in a very strong wind).
Damage: None
(Smoke) Covers a 100 ft area in thick obscuring smoke. Typically disperses within 1d6 melees, depending on local wind and humidity conditions.
(Chaff)
(Triax Style)
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
(Northern Gun Style)
10% chance per chaff cloud deployed of decoying missiles, up to maximum of 60%
Aircraft, power armor, and beings flying through the chaff will be -6 on perception, -3 on initiative, -5 to strike, -2 to parry, -2 dodge, and lose 1 melee attack that round(or the next). Sensory and Piloting rolls are at -20% for as long as the characters are caught in the cloud, and the next as they recover.
Payload: 12 per launcher
Cost: 2,000 credits per launcher. Chaff/flare bundles 600 credits each

Variants:
There are a dozen similar models of Bicorn, based on locally-produced ATVs, scattered across the USA worlds. They only differ in a few points, such as tire patterns and minor tweaks to performance.

[taalismn]

PS/ASI-ATV-AFV41Mc ‘Ratel-Rover’ Militia Light Fire Support Vehicle
(aka ‘Jeep-brawler’, ‘Rat-Rolla’, ‘Ratel-Minor’)
“The USAns LOVE their ballistics; so many of their vehicles mount kinetic weapons or ballistic warhead delivery systems. And where they can, they set up ammunition factories to supply the local guns. So when somebody comes around looking to steal a piece of USAn-claimed soil, the local colonial defense corps oblige them by enthusiastically dropping explosive pieces of the planet on them. ”

“Looks sorta like a pre-Rifts Daimler Ferret, only it’s packing a lot more guns. If the smallykins inside are wearing power armor, it can be a virtual mobile hornets’ nest to encounter in the field. I hear it’s a little front-heavy to drive, what with all the extra armor and armament, but you couldn’t tell to see those things running in the field.”

“---Damn it, it was bad enough when their vermin-citizenry were engaged in espionage. Now they’re scaling up to operating regular vehicles, which means that the usan manpower AND firepower pools just increased. It’s frankly getting safer to attack those xenophobic Golgans than it is trying to stir up trouble in the usans’ backyards. The Golgees aren’t as well-armed at ALL levels.”

“So you Purists object to our sharing our side of the colony planet with ‘sub-species’ and ‘verminoids’? Tried using that as justification to run us out and off the planet? Didn’t work out so well, did it? I really don’t think I’ll ever tire of watching the video of your holligans being sent tumbling back across the border by our combined arms Guardsmen brigades.”

The ‘Ratel-Rover’ is a conversion kit for the Paladin Steel Jeep-Warrior, and is meant to produce an armored fighting vehicle, crewed by smallkin, that can serve as light fire support for frontier militia in regions/on worlds with a combined smallkin/bigfolk presence.
The conversion reinforces the vehicle frame and builds a casemate around the front of the crew/passenger area, providing space for the crew and up to ten additional smallkin. The rear open cab area is extended slightly and provides enough space for up to four bigfolk(normal/human-sized) passengers riding on the outside. A control setup for smallkin is set up in the regularly-sized driver area, but the vehicle can also be operated by Bigfolk using a set of duplicate controls that can be accessed from the rear cargo area(-10% to driving rolls, though). Electronics, especially communications, are seconded from power armor parts stocks.
In the front center of the casement is a 52mm breech-loading mortar-howitzer with 50-degree elevation, loaded from inside the cab. Mounted above it is a turret, with a turret-emplaced energy weapon(typically a plasma or ion infantry cannon). Atop the turret is a powered pintle-mount for a heavy machine gun, infantry laser cannon or PA-antimissile defense sub-turret and sensors. A pair of smoke mortars rounds out the standard armaments fit-out, though some variants sacrifice passenger capacity to carry a tactical missile launcher or twin-rail Katyusha launcher on the rear cargo pad.
The Ratel-Rover has proven quite popular with the Home Guard planetary militia units of mixed-population communities in the USA.

Type: PS/ASI-ATV-AFV41Mc ‘Ratel-Rover’
Class: Light Armored Fighting Vehicle
Crew: 5 Smallkin, Size Level 1-2 sentients,+ 1-10 Smallkin passengers(cabin), and 1-4 Bigfolk(normal/human-sized) passengers(outside).
Typically at least two Smallkin will be wearing power armor to assist in reloading the big guns)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body-- 85
Armored Crew Compartment 60
52mm Mortar* 70
Turret 55
Turret Energy Cannon* 50
Top Sensor Cluster 45
Top Pintle-Mounted Gun 60
Wheels(4)---45 each

*These are small targets and are -2 to strike, even on a called shot.

Length: 11 ft
Width: 5 ft, 2 in.
Height: 5 ft, 9 in.
Weight: 2 tons
Cargo: Provision in the cabin for carrying Smallkin-scale survival gear, backpacks, tools, and a few personal possessions. Additional cargo can be carried on the back deck and cases(tools), bedrools/tarpaulins, autp-deploy camouflage netting-shelters or jerrycans(fuel/water) can be carried in brackets along the outside rear of the truck, though such will be exposed to the elements/enemy fire.
If not carrying Bigfolk passengers, the roughly 4 ft x 4 ft wide area can hold up to 500 lbs of cargo.
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(300 mile range), Hydrogen-Electric Fuel Cell(360 mile range), Electric
Battery(380 mile range), or Nuclear Mini-Pack(w/ 5 year lifespan)
Speed: 120 MPH. Can ford 2 ft.
Cost: 166,000 credits for the basic LF model. 168,000 credits for fuel cell, 175,000 credits for
electric, and 2.2 million credits for nuclear.
Systems of Note:
*Automatic Transmission
*Four-Wheel Drive
*Variable Suspension---Can raise or lower itself up to 18 inches to clear obstacles
*’Run Flat’ Mesh Tires
*Dashboard Radio(20 mile range)
*Long Range Radio(500 mile range)
*IR/Normal Light Headlights + directional mini-spotlight(1,000 ft range) in the top sensor cluster
*Trailer Hitch
*Powered Winch and 60 ft of cable
*Passive Nightvision Optics
*EM Detector(detects radio/radar activity)
*Targeting Computer----+1 to strike
*Mini-Radar---8 mile range
*Robot Vehicle -equivalent LIfe Support(due to the literally smaller crew)
*NBC Shielding/Environmental Sealing(if only to keep out the gun gases).

*High-Mobility Axel Modification(HMAM Hurricane)----An option on the Jeep-Warrior, but made standard on the Ratel-Rover. This modifies the suspension system so that all four 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. It also makes it asier to aim the vehicle for the mortar.

Weapons Systems:
1) 52mm Breech-Loading Mortar(1)---Modified ‘Gunther’ light mortar mounted in the center of what would be the windshield on an unconverted Jeep-Rover. This weapon features an autoloader allowing for faster rate of fire. The mortar can elevate up to 50 degrees, but otherwise the vehicle must be pointed to aim the mortar.
Range: 6,500 ft (over a mile!)
Damage: (PSX-II High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius. Cost per shell: 800 credits
(Fragmentation) 6d6 MD to 50 ft blast radius. Cost per shell: 600 credits
(Incendiary) 4d6 MD to 30 ft blast radius, does an additional 1d4 MD for 1d6 melees, plus 80% chance of setting combustible materials aflame. Cost per shell: 700 credits
(Armor-Piercing Self-Forging)----This is a new experimental special shell that contains a micro-sensor and dual-charge system. The disc-shaped warhead is ‘frisbeed’ to high altitude(800 ft), then scans for target-profiles with its micro-sensor. When it spots a likely target profile(thermal or optical outline)(the limited size and complexity of the micro-sensor severely limits its targeting ability to a total of 6 targets...fortunately, the profile-database can be changed easily enough by inserting a new chip into the fusing assembly before loading), the warhead fires downwards, the material of the ‘discus’ deforming into a narrow, pointed, high-penetration needle well-suited for penetrating armor. Does 3d6x10 MD; no blast radius.
Note: This munition does NOT suffer from the indirect fire penalty; roll to strike as normal, but without bonuses. PS is working on a micro-guidance system that would allow these munnitions to home in on laser-’painted’ targets, as via a forward observer....as well as better target discrimination(the current model has a tendancy to be distracted by flaming wrecks in the vicinity of the ‘live’ target. Cost per shell: 4,000 credits
(Plasma) 2d6x10 MD to 10 ft blast radius. Cost per shell: 3,000 credits
(Smoke/Chemical) Varies by chemical type. Typically covers a 20 ft area. Basic smoke shells cost 100 credits apiece
(Illumination) Fires a high altitude illumination flare that burns blightly for. The flare also has a 40% chance of decoying/confusing heat-seeking sensors/weapons systems. Cost per shell: 500 credits
(Sensor Decoys) The mortar can also fire special lightweight thermal-emission decoys for confusing sensors into thinking there are ground troops where there are none....To further the confusion, the spheroid decoy will randomly extend springloaded ‘legs’ that move the decoy about in 5-10 ft leaps, giving the impression of moving troops. Internal mini-batteries last for 30 minutes. A small acid-capsule or self-destruct anti-tampering charge may also be attached to prevent the decoy from falling into enemy hands. Cost per shell: 700 credits
Noisemaker decoys are similar, but they emitt random amplified ‘soldier noises’...footfalls, clinking of weapons, gunshots, muffled voices, etc., but are otherwise similar to the thermal-decoys. Cost per shell: 400 credits

TW Warheads:
(TW Sandstorm)-----Creates a sudden sandstorm that lasts 5 minutes, covering a 100 ft area. People trapped inside it will find visibility cut down to 3 ft, hearing is reduced by HALF, speed by 75%, lose initiative, 2 APM, and -5 strike, parry, and dodge. The scouring sand does 1d4 SDC per melee. Even robot vehicles will find their sensors, including radar, bolluxed by the flying grit. Cost per shell: 4,000 credits
(TW Chasm)---Opens up a chasm 160 ft long, by 80 ft wide, by 80 ft deep, that remains open for up to 40 minutes. Objects falling in take 2d6 SDC per every 20 ft of depth. At the end of the spell, the chasm belches everything up to the surface as if they’d never fallen(in other words, they don’t get crushed by the closing fissure). CANNOT be used against buildings. Cost per shell: 7,000 credits
(TW Lava Pool)----Creates a pool or lane of lava 60 ft long. 10 ft wide, 10 ft deep. Objects caught in this pool take 2d6x10 MD per melee. Cost per shell: 9,000 credits
(TW Air Burst)---Sets loose a Whirlwind that does 2d6+2 MD to everything caught up in its 20 ft wide funnel. The Whirlwind tracks randomly about a 300 ft area for 2d4 melees before disipating. Cost per shell: 8,000 credits
(TW Storm Shell)---Essentially a longer-ranged version of the TW anti-vampireStormflare. Effects are the same.Cost per shell: 3,000 credits
(TW SunBomb)---A more powerful version of the Globe of Daylight Flare, only this version is powerful enough to inflict flashburns on vampires! Does 6d6 HP per melee for 3d6 melees to a 50 ft radius. Cost per shell: 2,000 credits

Rate of Fire: Autoloader-assist allows for 3 shells per melee.
Payload:
45 rounds carried internally. Additional ammunition can be stored on the rear deck, but will be exposed to enemy fire and the elements unless stowed in armored boxes.

Bonuses/Penalties:(Optional)(Rifts South America 2 has no rules for the Arkhon’s Mortar Packs’ inaccuracy, but for diehard artillery buffs, figure on 50% chance of hitting moving targets, 75% chance of hitting stationary targets withing 2,200 ft range, or 50% chance out beyond that. 50% of shells will fall within a ‘footprint’ or ‘box’ 131 ft long by 70 ft wide.
Using a PS ‘Battleman’ battle remote computer and fire control linkage will give a +10% to hit probability, and having a forward observer with direct line of sight on the target will give another +10%.

2) Turret-Mounted Energy Weapon(1)---Mounted in a box-turret atop the casemate and above the mortar is an infantry heavy energy weapon, typically a light ion or a plasma cannon.
a) Plasma Cannon---This can be a PPR-3 Serap’ Heavy Plasma Projector(100 shot battery), PPR-4 ‘Comet Rifle” Plasma Bazooka(100 shot battery) or PSPPR-5 ‘Lewiston’ Light Plasma Cannon(100 shot battery) that can be tied into the vehicle’s nuclear power cell(if it has one) for effectovely unlimited shots, and have the option of deuterium ‘hotshotting’).

b) Ion Cannon
Range: (Ion Bolt) 3,000 ft
(Spray Bolt)1,500 ft and affects a 15 ft wide area
Damage: (Ion Bolt) 1d6x10 MD per single bolt
(Spray Bolt) 4d6 MD to a 15 ft wide area
On a Natural 20(Critical Strike) the ion weapon does TRIPLE damage instead of the normal double damage
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 6 shots standard E-clip, 10 shot long e-clip, 50 shot e-canister, or 100 shot battery(effectively unlimited if nuclear powered).
Cost: 32,000 credits

3) Pintle-Mounted Gun(1)----Powered pintle mount weapon(usually a heavy infantry rifle) that can be either directly manually operated, or fired by remote-control from inside the turret. Typically used for air defense or antipersonnel suppressive fire.
The most common types are:
a) .50-caliber Heavy Machine Gun----300 rd box magazine
b) 20mm Light Autocanon----180 rd box magazine
c) ‘Blazer’ Infantry Laser---100 shot battery(effectively unlimited if nuclear powered)
d)PSBW-11 ‘Super-BAR’ Particle Beam Rifle---100 shot battery(effectively unlimited if nuclear powered)
Bonus: +1 to strike thanks to the adjacent sensor cluster.

4) Smoke/Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)
Range: 6,000 ft, creates a 30 ft cloud, +10 ft per each additional chaff/flare launched in the volley. Cloud lasts 2 melees before dissipating(or less in a very strong wind).
Damage: None
(Smoke) Covers a 100 ft area in thick obscuring smoke. Typically disperses within 1d6 melees, depending on local wind and humidity conditions.
(Chaff)
(Triax Style)
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
(Northern Gun Style)
10% chance per chaff cloud deployed of decoying missiles, up to maximum of 60%
Aircraft, power armor, and beings flying through the chaff will be -6 on perception, -3 on initiative, -5 to strike, -2 to parry, -2 dodge, and lose 1 melee attack that round(or the next). Sensory and Piloting rolls are at -20% for as long as the characters are caught in the cloud, and the next as they recover.
Payload: 12 per launcher
Cost: 2,000 credits per launcher. Chaff/flare bundles 600 credits each

Options:

*Applique Armor---Adds additional protection(and weight) to the main body. Up to 100 additional
MDC can be added, at 7 lbs, and 150 credits, per 1 MDC point. Lighter armor can be substituted, at
1 lb per MDC point, but the stronger polycarbonate armor costs 400 credits per MDC point.

*Amphibious Operation---Can be fitted for flotation for 4,000 credits. A small outboard motor or
hydrojet can be added for an additional 800 credits and can propel the jeep at a leisurely 5 MPH

*Radar Detector----A dashboard ‘fuzzbuster’ for detecting other folk’s radar sensors.
Cost: 200 credits

*Motion Detector----In addition to alerting the driver of approaching objects, it can also tell them
from what direction a projectile attack came from. 50 ft range
Cost: 500 credits

*Stabilization Jacks---Tired of being knocked over by concussion blasts, or being rolled over by
mobs of zombies before your flamethrowers can get to work? This interesting little system uses
Glitterboy-style pylon technology to las and hydraulically drive four 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: 9,000 credits

*Engine Upgrade----A more powerful engine and more efficient power train can be added,
improving overall speed, but at greater expense;
Speed: Can improve top speed by up to 50%
Cost: 5,000 credits per 10% of improvement over base.

*Multi-Displacement Engine Mod(available only to liquid-fuel models)---This is a ‘smart’ engine
design that allows the engine to run on only a few cylinders in its 16-cylinder engine, rather than
all of them all of the time. The engine can run on 4, 8, 12, or all 16, at the flip of a switch. While
running on fewer cylinders reduces power and speed, in some circumstances it is prefered,
especially when speed isn’t an issue, and fuel economy is.
Speed: Reduce speed by 32 MPH for every 4 cylinders not being used; so the bare minimum of
running on four cylinders will result in a maximum possible speed of about 32 MPH. However, for
every 4 cylinders taken out of usage, extend range/fuel economy by 10%, so running wholly on 4
cylinders can extend range by 40%(120 miles!).
Cost: 5,000 credits

*Second Engine---A second engine can be dropped into the load bed and connected to the
transmission...The increase in speed is not so great, but the second engine increases the power
available for towing and hauling. Reduce cargo capacity for the rear bedto 1/4(must be carried on
rack above engine housing). Two passengers can hang onto the rack, but not with any sort of
comfort.
Speed: Can improve top speed by up to 10%, Can haul up to 5 tons without problem, 12 tons at 1/4
speed
Cost: 7,000 credits for liquid fuel. 8,000 credits for fuel cell, 9,000 credits for electric battery
(nuclear NOT available).

*Mag Traction System-----The ‘economy’ version of Pandora’s Virtual Tread Traction System, that
allows a vehicle superior handling on wet ground and sloping surfaces. The downside of it is that in
anything less than a nuclear-powered vehicle, the energy expenditure can quickly drain the car’s
batteries.
Bonuses:+15% to control rolls
Penalties: If driving with a liquid fuel or electric engine, reduce baseline gas mileage/range by 10%
per hour of activation that the MagTrac system is engaged.
Cost: 8,000 credits.

*Side/Running-Boards---Attached between the fore and aft wheel-wells, these allow an extra two (brave) Bigfolk passengers to hang onto the sides of the vehicle.

*Drone Rack---Some Ratels carry, in lieu of a Bigfolk deck or complement of power-wrmored scouts, a rear deck for launching fly-bot scout drones, to act as scouts and forward spotters for the mortar(especially when the vehicle is firing from behind cover). A typical drone rack will carry six to eight drones, and the cabin will carry several dedicated drone operators as addotional crew.

Variants:
*PS/ASI-ATV-AFV41C----A variant mounting a heavier 60mm ‘SnapDragon’-derived mortar is also available. It carries 30 rds internally.
Range:(Direct Fire Mode): 6,000 ft
(Artillery Mode) 12,700 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 20 ft blast radius.....lose initiative and 1 APM for that melee(cost: 160 credits)
(Fragmentation-SDC) 2d4x10 SDC to 40 ft blast radius(cost: 200 credits)
(Fragmentation-MD) 3d6 MD to 50 ft blast radius(cost: 560 credits)
(High Explosive) 6d6 MD to 20 ft blast radius(cost: 720 credits)
(Anti-Armor HEAT) Very heavy projectile( Does 3d6x10 MD to a 2 ft diameter area(shaped charge)(cost: 900 credits)
(Plasma/Micro-Fusion) 1d6x10 MD to 8 ft blast radius (cost: 800 credits)
(Incendiary) 2d6 MD flash damage to 24 ft blast radius, plus does 1d4 MD per melee for 2d6 melees(cost: 710 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: ECHH. Hand-loading and firing rounds takes 2 actions each shot.
Payload: 30 rds
Cost: 250,000 credits

*PS/ASI-ATV-AFV41D----A variant mounting a heavier 80mm ‘Mangonel-80’-derived mortar is also available. It carries 25 rds internally.
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: 25 rds
Cost: 250,000 credits


“A good part of the success of the United Systems Alliance’s colonial militia can be attributed to the fact a good percentage of the force is retirees or ex-servicemen with previous experience in a mid-Rim, metroworld, or shatterworld military. There’s also a surprising number of ex-CAF members who, for various reasons, elected to go with the USAn colonial effort. So there’s more often than not a core cadre of seasoned soldiers to provide leadership and stiffening to the weekend warriors.
So the colonial guards are hardly the ‘motley band of misfits’ however romantically or disparagingly depicted in a good number of holo-dramas and simmies...at least, not all the time, though one can expect to encounter the usual spectrum of personality and background types. But they tend to be also well-disciplined, well-motivated, well-trained, and, courtesy of the USAn governments, well-equipped to defend their patch of cosmos.”

[taalismn]

PS/ASI-ATV-TC01 ‘SpeedTread’ Tread-Cycle
(aka ‘Mono-tred’, ‘Scorp-tred’, ‘Slitherped’)
“It’s not QUITE the same as riding a bike, though the ‘mono-tread’ description should really be ‘bi-TREAD’, what with the two sets fore and aft carrying you over the ground. It’s lower slung than a motorbike and a lot more stable. Popping a wheelie’s a lot harder, but you’re less likely to flip over.”

The Speed-Tread is a light motorcycle-style vehicle using a central mono-tread track under its main body as propulsion. There are actually two sets of suspension ‘wheels’, the front set(supported by three small rollers) being steerable, while the rear set (with seven wheels) providing most of the propulsion.
The Speed-Tread courses over dry land like a ski-mobile, and its larger weight-distributing ‘footprint’ allows it to get across softer ground better than a motorcycle. It does require more maintenance and specialized parts, but PS/ASI has ruggerized it to a high degree, so breakdowns like slipped treads and broken links are rare.
A favorite fitout of the -ATV-TC01 mounts a dual-purpose air defense/antipersonnel double-barrel gun system on the rear rack/seat. Either automated(and firelinked through a battlefield AAD system) or manually controlled via headset, this variant has proven popular and effective as an escort unit for convoys and motorcades, especially against tactical anti-armor missiles. These ‘escort bikes’ frequently pace larger AFVs and transport vehicles, providing them with protection against ambush.

Note: The ‘Speedtread’ uses the Pilot: Motorcycles & Snowmobiles skill.

Type: PS/ASI-ATV-TC01 ‘Speedtread’
Class: Mono-Tread Motorvehicle
Crew: One, plus a passenger can sit behind the driver
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 50
Treads(2) 15 each
Headlight 5
Windshield 25
Height: 4.3 ft
Width: 2.5 ft
Length: 7.7 ft
Weight: 480 lbs
Cargo: Small compartment under the saddle-seat, up to 200 lbs in ‘saddle bag’ boxes, and can tow up to 800 lbs
Powerplant: Liquid-Fuel(180 mile range), Electric(200 mile range), Nuclear(5 year energy life), or Techno-Wizardry(5 year energy life)
Speed:(Road) 120 MPH, typically half that over rough terrain.
(Leaping) Can make a powered jump of 7 ft high and 14 ft across
(Water) Waterproofed, but can safely ford only shallow(2-3 ft) water.
Market Cost: 10,000 credits for Liquid-Fuel, 12,000 credits for Electric, 700,000 credits for Nuclear, 800,000 credits for Techno-Wizardry
Systems of Note:
*Anti-Lock Brakes
*Headlight (Normal light/IR)
*Trailer Hitch ---Can haul light trailers.

Weapons Systems: None standard, but first-generation armed ‘Scorp-treds’ were fitted with a rear weapons mount, especially for a networked light dual-purpose air-defense/antipersonnel (See Options, below)

Options:
*Windshield Upgrade---MDC: 60, Cost: 18,000 Credits

*Engine Upgrade----A more powerful engine and more efficient power train can be added,
improving overall speed, but at greater expense;
Speed: Can improve top speed by up to 50%
Cost: 3,000 credits per 10% of improvement over base.

*"Claw Drive"---"Claw" or "climber " treads are heavy tread units with heavy traction pads, and
chain-spikes. "Climbers" are designed for rough country, climbing slopes, and traversing debris.
With "Climbers", the bike can speed up a 60-degree slope at top speed without fear of sliding off,
or clamber over heavy debris at 25%-50% normal speed.
Downside: Climber treads are extremely noisy, and tear up pavement.
Reduce speed on the straight and level by 15%.
Stupid Anime Trick: Some (idiot) drivers discovered that climbers can allow the bike to climb up a
90-degree rock or concrete wall at speed. Reduce speed by 75%, can only move in a straight line,
and cannot(afford to) stop until you reach the top. This is an extremely difficult maneuvar(roll Pilot
at -25% per every 50 ft travelled, backing down in this way at -30%).
Cost: 5,000 credits

*Weaponry--- Up to two weapons can be added to the front of the ‘cycle.
a) Lasers
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD per shot, 6d6 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 150 shot battery. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear powered
Cost: 18,000 credits

b) Ion Blasters
Range: 600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear powered
Cost: 18,000 credits

c) Cyborg Machine Gun
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 1d6x10 SDC per 10 rd burst
(MD) 1 MD single rd, 2d4 MD per 10 rd burst
(PSX-2) 1d4 MD per rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:300 rd drum
Cost: 18,000 credits

d) MicroMissile Launcher(s)----12 shot pod. Cost: 15,000 credits for the launcher

e)PS-RL-210 Fragmentation Rocket Launcher( a copy of an imported Russian design). Note that PS has also been experimenting with an incendiary variant using a magnesium mixture.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
at 3,500 ft, the rds go ‘grapeshot’, doing 3d6 MD(1 MD for a single shot) in a 12 ft wide area.
(Incendiary “Hot-Grape” Version)---Do an additional +2 MD per rd, and 1 MD of damage for 1d4 melees as the flare portion burns down.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, Volleys of 1-8
Payload: 8 shots per launcher
Cost: 8,000 credits

f)PS-DL-110L Razor-Frizzer( a cut-down copy of an imported Russian design). The PS version uses ceramic and light alloy discs that, either by accident or deliberate design, give off a very audible high-pitched shrieking or buzzing noise when fired.
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 20 shots per launcher
Cost: 9,000 credits

g)PSAGL-23C 23mm Micro-Grenade Launcher
Weight: 6 lbs
Range: 280 ft
Damage: (High Explosive)2d4 MD to a 10 ft area
A 5 rd burst does 1d4x10 MD to an 15 ft area
(Incendiary)---A slug of thermal gel that does 1d6 MD to a 12 ft splash, and an additional 1d4 MD per melee for 1d6 melees
(Flare) Burns with blinding incandesence for 1d6 melees, each round brightly illuminating an area roughly 100 ft in radius. These are NOT parachute flares, but fall normally.
Rate of Fire: ECHH; single shot or 5 round burst
Payload: 25 shot drum
Cost: 9,000 credits. HE Shells cost 400 each, incendiary 450 each, and flare rounds 30 each.

*Tail Hardpoint:
This can be a pintle-mounted weapon such as a machine gun, light rail gun, or heavy energy rifle, operated by a passenger(typically seated facing backwards) or by the driver when the bike is stationary.

However, the most popular fit to this hardpoint is the so-called ‘Scorp’, which fits the bike with a light air defense turret with auto-fire.

*Backpack Point Defense System---PS’s llight powered PA turret, directed by either computer control or by eyeball-directed HUD. The turret can be fitted with up to two (similar) weapons, such as the following:

Turret Base Cost: 25,000 credits

*1A) Light Rail Gun---Based on PS’s STARifle:
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per single shot, 5d6 MD on a 5 shot burst, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot or 5-shot burst, Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: 1,200 rd drum feeding both weapons(60 bursts per gun)
Cost: 35,000 credits

*2A) Pulse Laser Turret: Paladin Steel also offers a lower-powered laser system, with unlimited payload and a longer range. The Pulse Laser is intended as an anti-aircraft/anti-missile system, and can be remote-linked to an air defense grid system, such as the Meles AAAV, Rattlesnake AAV, or the Vixen Fighter/Recon Pod, (Part of Paladin Steel's emerging BAMSP: Battlefield Asset Management System Package).
Range: 6,000 ft
Mega-Damage: 3D6 MD single blast, 6D6 MD double- barreled blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: 100 shot battery, Unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Bonuses: +2 to strike airborne targets like missiles and aircraft/flying opponents(must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground)
Cost: 45,000 credits

*3A) Light Plasma Cannon
Range: 1,800 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: 100 shot battery, Unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 30,000 credits

*4A) Light Ion Blasters:
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: 100 shot battery, Unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 30,000 credits



Variants:
*PS/ASI-ATV-TC01(TW)------Technowizard-powered version, with a 60 PPE capacity Powerstone(regenerates 5 PPE per hour, 10 PPE/hour at a leyline, 20 PPE/hour on a nexus or in a dimensional pyramid ). Comes with Leyline Floater Drive and Booster allowing the tread-cycle to ‘paddle’ airborne( 40-80 MPH, 5,000 ft altitude) on leyline virtually indefinitely. Add-on spells typically include Sound Cloaking, Protective Energy Field, and Breath Without Air, but other TW devices may be added.
Cost: 1.4 million credits

PS/ASI-ATV-TC02 ‘Big Snake’ Tread-Cycle
(aka ‘Big-tred’, ‘Loco-Tread’)
“Sometimes you just need MORE power to get through the untamed wilderness. But don’t expect to surf over snow like you can with the Speed-Tread; its big bro tends to sink more in the powder and it can set off avalanches with the extra power thrumming under the hood. It’s a hard pusher as opposed to a floater, even with the wider footprint.”

“---whatyya mean we just got hit in the port engine by a big-ass SAM?! Who the sam-hell would be packing a SAM launcher in THIS wilderness?! We’re hundreds of kliks from the nearest settlement!!!!”

The ‘Big Snake’ is a scale-up of the Speed-Tread. Higher, slightly wider, and longer than the smaller tead-cycle, the ‘Big Snake’ has a more powerful powerplant and slightly greater range. Frame and structure have been beefed up as well, with the bike being able to take a beating as it courses over rough terrain.
The Big Snake’s rear deck can carry correspondingly more passengers or heavier equipment. This endears it to colonial security forces, as it allows them to sport heavier weaponry into the wilds of frontier worlds in terrain that would hamper larger vehicles. Big Snake SAM-’snipers’ have earned a feared reputation for taking down claimjumpers, gene-raiders, poachers and colony pirates attempting to land in remote areas away from the regularly patrolled settlements.

Note: The ‘Big Snake’ uses the Pilot: Motorcycles & Snowmobiles skill.

Type: PS/ASI-ATV-TC02 ‘Big Snake’
Class: Mono-Tread Motorvehicle
Crew: One; plus if not carrying cargo or weapons pods, can carry an additional four people tandem-style.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 100
Treads(2) 30 each
Headlight 5
Windshield 30
Height: 4.7 ft
Width: 2.9 ft
Length: 12 ft
Weight: 900 lbs
Cargo: Small compartment under the saddle-seat, up to 400 lbs in ‘saddle bag’ boxes, and can tow up to 2,000 lbs
Powerplant: Liquid-Fuel(200 mile range), Electric(250 mile range), Nuclear(5 year energy life), or Techno-Wizardry(5 year energy life)
Speed:(Road) 130 MPH, typically half that over rough terrain.
(Leaping) Can make a powered jump of 7 ft high and 15 ft across
(Water) Waterproofed, but can safely ford only shallow(2-3 ft) water.
Market Cost: 19,000 credits for Liquid-Fuel, 22,000 credits for Electric, 7050,000 credits for Nuclear, 850,000 credits for Techno-Wizardry
Systems of Note:
*Anti-Lock Brakes
*Headlight (Normal light/IR)
*Trailer Hitch
Weapons Systems: None standard, but in addition to possible front hardpoints and mounting a rear hardpoint identical to the smaller Speed-Tread’s, the Big Snake’s rear deck , if not carrying passengers or cargo, can carry additional heavy armaments(see Options)

Options:
*Windshield Upgrade---MDC: 60, Cost: 18,000 Credits

*Frontal Hardpoints(1-2)---A hardpoint can be added to the front for mounting additional ordnance.
a) Machine Gun Pod---Adapted from the extremely popular cyborg weapon; can also fire rubber, silver, and wooden rds.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 1d6x10 SDC per 10 rd burst
(MD) 1 MD single rd, 2d4 MD per 10 rd burst
(PSX-2) 1d4 MD per rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:300 rd drum
Cost: 18,000 credits

b) 20mm Cannon Pod
Range:(20mm)3,000 ft (1,500 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

c) Laser Pod
Range: 3,500 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD triple shot burst
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 60 shots (takes 2 e-clips)
Cost: 45,000 credits

d) Ion Pod
Range: 2,500 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per shot; cannot fire bursts
Rate of Fire: single shot, ECHH
Payload: 20 with a standard e-clip, 35 with a long e-clip
Cost: 20,000 credits

e) Plasma Gun Pod
Range: 1,500 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:Standard
Payload: 12 shots standard e-clip, 20 shots long e-clip
Cost: 25,000 credits

f) Micro-Missile Launcher ----12 shot pod. Cost: 15,000 credits for the launcher

g) Mini-Missile Launcher---3 per launcher. Cost: 12,000 credits for the launcher

h) Short Range Missile Launcher---1 per launcher. Cost: 22,000 credits for the launcher

i) Copperhead ATMissile Launcher---2 per launcher
Range: 1 mile
Damage: High Explosive 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, or 4
Payload: 2
Bonuses: +5 to strike
Cost: 25,000 credits for the launcher, 10, 000 credits per missile

j) 40mm Grenade Launcher
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: 18
Cost: 6,000 credits

*Tail Hardpoint:
This can be a pintle-mounted weapon such as a machine gun, light rail gun, or heavy energy rifle, operated by a passenger(typically seated facing backwards) or by the driver when the bike is stationary.

*Backpack Point Defense System---PS’s light powered PA turret, directed by either computer control or by eyeball-directed HUD. The turret can be fitted with up to two (similar) weapons, such as the following:

Turret Base Cost: 25,000 credits

*1A) Light Rail Gun---Based on PS’s STARifle:
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per single shot, 5d6 MD on a 5 shot burst, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot or 5-shot burst, Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: 1,200 rd drum feeding both weapons(60 bursts per gun)
Cost: 35,000 credits

*2A) Pulse Laser Turret: Paladin Steel also offers a lower-powered laser system, with unlimited payload and a longer range. The Pulse Laser is intended as an anti-aircraft/anti-missile system, and can be remote-linked to an air defense grid system, such as the Meles AAAV, Rattlesnake AAV, or the Vixen Fighter/Recon Pod, (Part of Paladin Steel's emerging BAMSP: Battlefield Asset Management System Package).
Range: 6,000 ft
Mega-Damage: 3D6 MD single blast, 6D6 MD double- barreled blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: 100 shot battery, Unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Bonuses: +2 to strike airborne targets like missiles and aircraft/flying opponents(must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground)
Cost: 45,000 credits

*3A) Light Plasma Cannon
Range: 1,800 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: 100 shot battery, Unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 30,000 credits

*4A) Light Ion Blasters:
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: 100 shot battery, Unlimited if linked to a nuclear power cell
Cost: 30,000 credits

*Rear Deck Hardpoint----If not carrying passengers or cargo, the extended rear seat/deck can accmmodate a swivel-mounted heavy weapon:
a) Micro-Missile Launcher----3x25 shot 15mm/20mm cassettes, or 3x18 30mm launcher cassettes.
b) Mini-Missile Launcher Pod-------14 shot pod
c) ATMissile Launcher Pod---4 shot pod
d)’Black Talon’ LSAM---4 shot pod
e)’WhiteFang HAATM---1 missile

Variants:
*PS/ASI-ATV-TC02(TW)---Technowizard-powered version, with a 100 PPE capacity Powerstone(regenerates 5 PPE per hour, 10 PPE/hour at a leyline, 20 PPE/hour on a nexus or in a dimensional pyramid ). Comes with Leyline Floater Drive and Booster allowing the tread-cycle to ‘paddle’ airborne( 40-80 MPH, 5,000 ft altitude) on leyline virtually indefinitely. Add-on spells typically include Sound Cloaking, Protective Energy Field, and Breath Without Air, but other TW devices may be added.
Cost: 1.5 million credits

[taalismn]

The D-Reserves---Heroes in the Background
“Once an Alliancer, always an Alliancer, it seems. The Usan ethic seems to be some sort of mental contagion that just takes hold of one. I have yet to find an usan ex-serviceman who didn’t have good things to say about their time in uniform. Plenty of horror-stories and grumbling, yes, but ultimately no resentment about the organization. While not all of them would sign up for another tour of duty in a shooting war, they’d certainly lend a hand to help folks if the Alliance asked them to.”

“What war did Samz sayz he was in?”
“Dunno, something about the sands, so I’m assuming Desert Storm. HIs comments about three moons, though, make me think he was exposed to some crazy chemical $#!+ out there.”

Sam Dwyson recognized a reaver raid when he heard one. Seeing the ‘meteors’ lighting up the sky outside his office told him what he needed to know. It might look like a small action, but it was still going to be ugly, and lots of people could die.
So much for a peaceful retirement from the megacosmos.
He’d felt silly about caching some of his old combat kit at his workplace, but his commander had advised him to, emphasizing that once exposed to crazy, his world could expect more of the same. So Dwyson had complied, figuring he could always ashamedly pass it off as cosplay gear if anybody discovered it.
Now he might have to explain to his employees why their manager had working space ranger armor and ray guns. And get them to follow instructions to survive the impending alien attack.
He punched the distress beacon button on his comm-set, and began pulling on his field armor as he made his way down the hall to the stairwell. He might not singlahandedly defeat the raid, but he would try to defend his little corner of the planet.
He was about to tell his secretary, nice kid if a litle innocent, to get someplace safe when he heard a familiar clicking of switches behind him.
He turned to find his leggy pencil skirt-wearing young secretary calmly and expertly working the action on a very large assault rifle. Where she could have hidden it, Dwyson hadn’t a clue; he hadn’t heard any drawers opening. But he could identify the type and even the model of the weapon currently in his bambi-eyed secretary’s hands-
So he asked; “Company training?”
She didn’t hesitate to answer and it wasn’t to ask ‘what company’. “Phosgia.”
Phosgia, one of the Fido slaver worlds. Okay, scratch ‘innocence’ off her resume. There were no volunteers on Phsogia. “The experiment pits-?”
“True.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. I got a half-dozen clone sisters and a scholarship to Revenge School out of it. You?”
“Markelson. Joined the Twenty-Eighth afterwards. Got my aug working for the fleas.”
“Ew.... So, rank?”
“Ah, First Sarge. You?”
“Provisional Lu, equivalent. I outrank, but what’s your plan?”
“Get everybody to the garage sub-basement and fort up until we have a better plan for breakout. Looks like they’re landing north of the city, going for the airport and the pharmaceuticals complex, but they may already have scouts looking to encircle if they want slaves. I sounded an all-points alarm, but it’s too early for a response.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get Accounting moving. We’ll empty the lounge kitchen on the way down. Meet your down there no later than ten.”
“Good. We go.”

“Learned rebuilding hovercar engines in the service where I was taught on repairing hovertanks. And I can tell you, it was sometimes easier on the cool doing field repairs under plasma fire than taking twit-heat from some bonehead who tried to surf his shiny new ground effect coupe across a salt water bay.”

The D-Reserves are made up of d-bees(dimensional strandees) who have served a stint in the GNE/USA armed services(or other government organizations) and have been able to return home (when their home dimension was back-tracked and discovered) or settled on a new homeworld not yet approved for open contact.
Many of these retirees act as ‘sleeper’ agents, looking out for trouble(like Infernal incursions), gathering useful information on local conditions and economies, and running businesses useful to the USA(like running a safehouse for other d-bees and offworlders). Some worlds have quite substantial D-Reservist presences, depending on the permeability of the local dimensional walls, the frequency of extradimensional visitations/incursions, and the perceived social-political stability and security of the local cultures.
Where possible, when multiple d-bees come from the same world or are resettled on th same planet, the D-Reserves attempt to network and coordinate. While some of this is equivalent to a VFW group, it also pragmatically allows for mutual support and regular wellness checks on members(though this has also been criticized as a potential security risk of the anonymity of the reservists and their history is compromised to unfriendlies) .
Many D-Reservists like to use their positions to subtly uplift their worlds/local communities, helping introduce positive social changes or at least cushion bad conditons. Otehrs are actively recruited by OPO to foment more radical social change.
Depending on their former roles in the USA and their personal preferences, D-Reservists may retain a considerable amount of equipment, though more sensitive technologies may be prohibited or regularly audited by visiting checkers. Personal possessions acquired during their time in the ‘Mega(verse)’ are less restricted ...this may result in a D-Reservist having quite a cache of outworldly technology, weapons, and equipment.

ATTN: OTA MATSU(CRPL, R-RV, USAJC)#4234342-212
NOTICE OF RESERVE REACTIVATION(SPECIAL DUTY)

EXPECT TASKFORCE ‘BEDCHECK’, PALOIIAN ROYAL NAVY CRUISER, 2 USAJC CRUISERS, 1 USAJC CARRIER, PALOIIAN ROYAL ENVOY, USAMS JUSTICAR, CIZEN-ADETA KEMCHED LEGAL ATTORNEY ARRIVING ETA 13.7.46 LOCAL. ASCERTAIN LOCATION OF PERSON OF INTEREST, CURRENTLY BELIEVED TO BE IN LOCAL INS CUSTODY, (SEE ATTACHED FILES). EXPECT CONTACT WITH AFOREMENTIONED SPECIAL ENVOY PERSONNEL, LOCAL OPO REP, YOUR COOPERATION WELCOMED. APPROPRIATE COMPENSATION TO BE MADE YOUR RESERVIST ACCOUNT.

“You gotta be kidding me!” Matsu whistled as he looked over the attached files. A full naval SQUADRON descending on his little world? Royal envoy, one of the USA’s itinerant lawbeings, and an allied legal gun taking an interest in a local? Who was this person? He took a look at the attached file. Looked familiar...
Damn, no wonder. He’d met a dimensional avatar of this kid, and her local mirror here was in trouble? With the local government? Okay, somebody had gorked up badly.

Matsu didn’t like his local government. After his horror-ride through the megaverse, he’d been eager to get back home to familiar ground, but his eyes had been opened during his stint outdimension,...no, make that forced open. He knew his country had political troubles, but since he’d learned to recognize the signs, once he’d gotten back he’d been appallled to find the problems went deeper.
Maybe with time he and others like him could make a difference, use their gained expertise to redirect things to a safer direction. With enough time.
But now the Alliance had taken a more serious interest in his world and specifically his country, serious enough to send what looked like a taskforce that couldn’t be missed for what it was even with his world’s primitive technology. Things were about to get hairy.
At least they’d warned him ahead of time. That was nice.

(GM Note: The D-Reserves are a good way to introduce GNE/USA-equipped/powered-up or alien-abductee characters into a setting such as Ninjas & Superspies, Beyond the Supernatural, or Heroes Unlimited, without them being directly ordered around by the GNE/USA. They’re veterans with some secret history and a few souvenirs... or they’re active heroes with an xtra-governmental sponsor....and if things get REALLY bad, there’s a chance of a deus ex machina or gunship rescue if the GM is feeling generous.)

D-Zones (Blue, GreenYellow,Red and Black)
“It’s a sign of how comfortable we’ve gotten as a culture with extradimensional tavel that it’s a regular occurance to go on shopping runs, school field trips or vacations across time and space. But as any seasoned traveler can tell you; even a short time in familiar territory can be dangerous, and that risk goes up the further you go into uncharted regions. ‘Here be dragons’ on a map is actually comforting if you’re familiar with dragons, but it’s the ‘Insufficient Information’ markers that should really make you cautious.”

The United Systems Alliance has been traveling extraplanetarily and extradimensionally long enough to have created some general guidelnes for safe travel across time and space:

*Blue Zones are dimensions considered friendly and safe for USAns to visit and perform trade with. These include worlds that are aware and capble of extrasolar/extradimensional travel. As there are so few identified Blue Zones as of the current reporting, the term has also come to cover dimensional pockets like the Kaxxion Junction. Blue Zones are generally areas where d-bees can move about freely without needing to conceal their nature.

*Green-----Zones are worlds or dimensions generally considered safe for USA citizens to visit and do business on, as long as they don’t advertise their offworlder origins. Green-Zones are generally low- or non-tech worlds that have little or no knowledge of extraterrestrials or d-bees, and are not yet considered ready for Contact. Green Zone presences are frequently covertly managed or colonized by USAn d-bees, either returned locals rescued by the USA ( and often D-Reservists), or retirees unwilling or unable to settle on Rifts Earth or in the Three Galaxies. Many USAn member world educational organizations and dimensional studies groups feel secure enough to stage field and foreign studies on Green Zone worlds, giving them a more megacosmopolitan outlook on things.

* Yellow----Yellow Zones require caution to navigate, due to local dangers, be they natural, cultural, or political. D-bee identity is generally NOT a good idea to advertize, as this may result in witch-burning or government vivisection. Only special personal are authorized to operate regualrly in Yellow Zones, and special permits/guides required to even visit a Yellow Zone. .

* Red----Red Zones are considered DANGEROUS and are to be avoided. Only special operatives are authorized to visit Red Zones. Traipsing across the Elemental Planes is generally considered to be a Red Zone violation.

*Black ---Black Zones are dimensions considered so dangerous and antithetical that even the suspicion of any dimensional connection to them appearing anywhere draws an immediate aggressive containment and closure response. Hel and Hades are considered to be Black Zones.