Acceptable or munchkin upgrades?

[Nekira Sudacne]

looks good. these arn't muchkin at all.

[RockJock]

Who is coming up with the "inventions"? Is it a PC Operator, Psitech ect? Or are they new offering of the Black Market?

The railgun upgrade I wouldn't allow, but I would let them buy at huge cost DU rounds for their current railgun, or something similar for the same effect.

The up powered Wilk's rifle I would probably not allow, but instead let them get access to the JU-12 or something similar.

The battery backpack I would probably not allow, or give a problem like it is explosive if damaged. Instead I would allow the Borg access to buy the internal energy supply which is protected, but also limited to the Brog's use.

The grenade I don't see any problem with.

Same with the missile system as long as the guys have the computer skills.

[Zer0 Kay]

The only thing I have an issue with is the "e-keg". If by charges you mean shots, I don't think it's plausible. Different e-weapons require different ammounts of charge. The Wilk's 320 provides 20 shots where as the ATL-7 offers a single shot from the same size e-clip. Again Ixnay on the generic shots.

It is more likely that the "e-keg" (hmm mold it, press it, mint it, it's a coin) would provide a number of e-clip charges like the CAF power pack. The CAF's pack provides 10 e-clip charges at 4 pounds. If your 2000 charges is in fact e-clip charges rather than 2000 shots at 75 lbs, thats approx. 900% more efficient than the CAF. The CAF rates at equivalent to 3 e-clips per pound yours rates at about 28 e-clips per pound. I'd think it less munchable if your "e-keg" (I like that it's funny, forced laugh) was more like 40% less efficient than the CAFs or roughly 1.8 e-clips/pund for a total of 135 e-clip charges @ 75 pounds. This still could be munchy like attaching it to said ATL-7, but as always the equipment and the character isn't munchy it's the PC. So as long as your players don't uh...munchout. Then Even the 2000 e-keg, though unlikely to be produced by any of the Rifts "Terran" tech, shouldn't be Munchkin.

However, why bother? Current borg enhancemets allow borgs to hook e-weapons into their own power source allowing ∞ shots with minor energy drain.

You know what though even if they go Munchkin on you and your able to anti-munch and you all have fun. Who cares if it's Munchkin.

HAVE FUN

[Cranus]

I don't think any of these are munchkin. However, what is the nature of this tech? Are they modifications and by whom?

If they are modifications, or "jury-rigs", perhaps a "bugs chart" detailing what goes wrong when x occurs.

The first three upgrades as well as the fifth don't seem to troubling as they lead to more ammo depletion. I think the energy canister backpack needs such details as if its possible to recharge it addressed.

[Zer0 Kay]

Karg made a good point about what's on the list. Everything has a price for it's bonus. Balancing the use to cost ratio makes it legit in my book.

Are you a munchkin?

[Dustin Fireblade]

Advanced MM Launcher Linking System (ALLS). The ALL system is the brainchild of the late Doc. Bradshaw. Its an advanced AI software program that writes its own compatibility software (thus can even be uploaded to the computers of advanced or alien technology! 85% chance) once uploaded to a PA's battle computer, its designed to link all of the mini-missile launching systems in the entire suit and allow for significantly larger volleys of MiniMissiles. The system was designed with the CS Striker SAMAS MM systems in mind which have independent launching tube groups of 3 on each wing and 3 on each side of the chest as well as 8 in an arm launcher configuration. A Striker SAMAS With the ALL system upgrade could deliver volleys of 20 MMs! Because it was designed with the Striker in mind, there is a 98% chance of the ALLS software working with other Coalition equipment.

Sounds similiar to the LAWLO system used on the native American Thunderbird bot.

By the way I'm stealing this idea for my game.

[RoadWarriorFWaNK]

its not bad as long as your GM upgrades the enemies too.

[Dead Boy]

The following are a bunch of the inventions that player characters in my current Rifts campaign want, I'm trying to decide what I'll accept

Their Possible Upgrades:

SAMAS 1d4x10 railgun, normal 40 burst, jacked to 60 burst 1d4x10+10.

Well, there is a basis for that in the CS Navy book, but the upgrade needs a draw back to even things out. For example, maybe the weapon is heavier, which translates into a recuded speed and/or minuses to Dodge.

Triax Grenade Launcher 3d6 to a 20' area, standard fire allows for a burst of 4, souped-up mode fires the entire clip (12) costs 2 melee attacks.

That's not so bad. A volley of 12 will do an average of 126 MD to the point of impact and half that to everything else in the affected area. The existing and by-the-book Coalition CSN-T30 loaded with micro-fusion grenades will do the exact same thing with six rounds, albeit to a much smaller area.

Wilks 457 Pulse Laser Rifle 1d6x10. Modified to capitalize on the full light frequency range of the laser, increases damage 1d6x10+20, this requires twice the energy of a normal discharge and reduces the rifle's range to 1600ft.

That's a bit on the muchie side. Even with a 50% cut in payload and 20% off the range, the pay off is still too good of a deal. Personally, if I were to allow such a modification into my game (because I hate to just say "no") I'd cut both payload and range to a quarter and allow that to be a 1D6x10+30. That way it would be doing about double the damage (on te average) at a cost of a quarter of all other capabilities. That has a degree of symetry to me.

Energy Canister Backpack, non-nuclear. Holds the equivalent of 2,000 charges and can attach through the direct energy port available in many advanced or PA specific Rifles or through a modified Eclip attachment. Weight: 75lbs note, it is possible for a single soldier to fight while wearing the backpack but it is rarely done and seen worn mostly by partial and full conversion borgs or in 2 man machinegun teams where one carries the ammo.

Hell No! The CS power pack weighs 8 lbs and provides 120 shots. This thing does about twice using the same shot to weight ratio. And frankly things in this game tend to become less efficient the larger and more up-scaled they get, not more efficient. Personally I'd be more comfortable with that thing having maybe 500 shots worth of power in it.

Advanced MM Launcher Linking System (ALLS)... A Striker SAMAS With the ALL system upgrade could deliver volleys of 20 MMs!

You want to give a suit of power armor the ability to deliver a 700 MD punch all in one attack? Not THAT is Munchie beyond words, expecially since those thing tend to fly in groups of two to six.