The Missing Mediterranean?

[The Galactus Kid]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

[cyber-yukongil v2.5]

probably PB's lack of knowledge of that area of the world I would say. Everyone always asks why their place in the world isn't a book. Well write something up, chances are like I said, KS and crew don't know enough about the culture or setting to make anything they think people would find interesting. Submit a few things to the Rifter, who knows you might find yourself writing world book 99: Neo-Italy.

[shadrak]

While it is not canon, Rifter 1 references a Wolfen led roman state in italy as well as a sicilian/mafia state.

In egypt and northern africa, there is the Pheonix Empire (isn't Africa 2 in the works?), france is the domain of gargoyles and blood cults (and Arthuu + NGR).

To the north of Italy, you got the Gargoyle and Brodkil empires. To the north east, the Russian warlords operate.

However, because it is not filled out, it presents a unique opportunity for the GM to do what he pleases...pull in some stuff from Conv Book 2, if you feel.

[RockJock]

You have Egypt already taken care of. There would be higher sea levels, and major earthquakes throughout the whole area. The Brodkil/Gargoyles aren't far to the North. I think the Wolfen idea works fairly well. I would probably add a Greek/Atlantean colony in Greece just for kicks.

[taalismn]

I have the New Roman Republic and the Phoenix Empire going hammer and tongs in fighting on Crete...

[taalismn]

Here's some of what I wrote up for the Med War...

When mention was first made of the New Roman Republic in the RMB, I was rather intrigued by the idea of a non-human(Wolfen) revival of pre-Imperial Rome. When Rodney Stott began posting his website expansion of the NRR, at about the same time as I was first cruising the Internet, it was the Gavia seaplane patrol bomber(followed by three power armor designs) that became my first Rifts-related design posting to any internet entity. Of course, when the Stott material became part of Rifter #1, I was hoping the NRR would become canon, and continued to have a certain affection for the nation(though I am not Italian, Roman, or Etruscan in heritage), or that more follow-on material would come....
Sadly, by the time Rifts UE came around, the NRR had drifted into the realm of rumor, but I continued to advocate it as a way of stirring up trouble in the Med region, seeing a much larger roll for it in my own games/alternate timelines, having the NRR grow alongside my own up-and-comers, Paladin Steel, the Vermont Free State, and Greater New England(PS, VFS, and the GNE) .
So, with a bow to Rodney Stott for giving me my first change to contribute, and for starting to flesh outr something that I think has since been woefully neglected, I add to the glory that is Rome...


The War in the Med
Even though the sea was relatively calm, the landing craft still managed to acquire a pitch and a sway that caught up to one’s stomach after a few minutes....The veterans huddled in the boat paid it no heed, nor did the midshipmen and the gunners manning the gun tub at the rear, but the sound of retching was evidence enough that some of the fresh troopers did feel it....
The squad xavia(sergeant) wished for the upteenth time that the Navy would invest in the hover landing craft their allies built, or got on the builders in Naples to build some of their own....As a ground pounder, he always felt naked on open water between the transports and the land...The sooner he got on dry hard terra firma, the sooner he could start shooting back, and besides, one could always dig into ground or find cover...Then he noticed the recruit next to him, his helmet facemask undone, the fur on his muzzle matted and sweat-soaked....The newbie wasn’t barfing yet, but looked miserable enough that if he didn’t do something soon, the knew, he’d be wearing the recruit’s breakfast in his lap....
“First tour?” The senior of the two asked, already knowing the answer.
“Y-yes....yes, sir!” The pup answered shakily. Then feeling a bit emboldened, the newbie saw the ‘s badge. His eyes widened at the three hellenic columns embossed under the unit flash.
“Fourth tour...third on the eastern Med....“The sergeant easily drawled, seeing the direction of the newbie’s gaze.
Suddenly sensing an anchor of experience and authority, the newbie huddled closer to the veteran, his eyes anxiously asking a flood of questions of the older male, but his respect for the stripes keeping him quiet for the moment. Finally it got too much for him....
“Sir...is it true what they say about Crete?”
“And which ‘what’ are you referring to?”
“Sir.....they call it the ‘Grinder’....They say we’ve already lost two Legions fighting the undead....”
The veteran looked at the younger pup for a moment before replying. “Yes, we call it the ‘Grinder’, but we haven’t lost two Legions, we aren’t shovelling in throwaways, and we aren’t facing plague-carrying flesh-eating zombies...” The veteran’s smirked in amusement at the sudden widdening of the junior’s eyes at the last.
“Yeah, I heard that one too.....it isn’t true...Pharoah may have demons and skeletons, and mummy-troops, but don’t believe that chestnut....On the other hand, what he DOES have is bad enough...so listen up and I’ll try to give you some advice that could save your life....”
“We’ll be going ashore at Kastellion....not the bigger city at Khania....we still hold that city, but the sand-eaters are constantly bombing the hell out of the city when they can’t get a beseiging force in...so we land west of them and go overland, flank them that way.....”
Just then there came a wail of distant sirens through the haze....a banshee wail from the ships. Almost immediately, the midshipman aft gunned the engine and began jinking the stodgy craft about, much to the loud discomfort of the passengers....
“****....” The xavia hissed, as his eyes narrowed at the sound...Under the wail of the alarms, but rising through it, there was a pop-popping noise, punctuated by an occasional bang of something heavier...
“What is it?!” The newbie, suddenly afraid again, asked.
“Air raid...they know we’re here.”
An explosion, dull and hard that one could hear with the lungs, right nearby...right where their companion landing craft should have been....
“GET DOWN!!!” The xavia screamed as he threw himself to the deck.
There was a hard subsonic buzz and a roaring thunder that blocked out the world, as the available light went black, and the boat’s sidewall came apart in smoke and dust. Splinters of shattered duracrete and hull reinforcing wire spun and ripsawed about the open cabin, bouncing off the ‘s body armor as he rolled onto the deck, his arms bringing his rifle up to snap off several shots at something that already wasn’t there to be hit. He waited a moment to make sure there wasn’t another, as well as to get the ringing out of his ears, then crawled up the sidebench for a quick look-see. The boat heaved and wallowed, lurching through the water as the pilot struggled with the helm. Now the xavia‘s hearing was coming back in stages, hearing the thundering of the struggling engines, the snarl of the rear rail guns as they fired into the air, and the staccato of small arms fire....He pointedly tuned out the screaming of the dead and dying, and tried to ignore how slippery the boat deck had become, as he looked and tried to sense away from the boat....Judging from the distant flashes and explosions, the action seemed to be moving away, towards the waiting warships. With luck, the attack on the landing craft was incidental, and the Pharoah-spittle would think the bulk of the Cohorts were still on their troop transports....but he wasn’t counting on it...
Not that either scenario would help the newbie, the xavia reflected, as he took notice of the body of his late companion still laying on the now grue-slickened deck, alongside too many other still forms...The recruit’s first tour was already over...



Novo Minoa---’The Second Fall of Atlantis’
Novo Minoa was a small, peaceful, and prosperous kingdom that dominated the island of Crete until fairly recently. The Novo Minoans were notable for the powerful community of magic users among them, and particularly the legnds that revolved around them. The Novo Minoans were said to be the descendants of an ancient community of Atlanteans who survived the fall of their civilization, and took refuge on the island in hopes of re-establishing their advanced society. The effort failed, but it is said that their teachings and artifacts of power were secretly kept and maintained over the following millenia, until the Coming of the Rifts brought their descendants out of the shadows to re-establish a kingdom of knowledge and mystical power.
The reality of Novo Minoa is rather more mundane, but no less interesting. Regarded as something of a political and social powderkeg in the century before the Coming of the Rifts, Crete was an island divided and policed afrom outside by United Nations peacekeepers. During the cataclysm of the Rifts, however, the island would become a refuge for thousands of refugees from Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey, some of them military units, fleeing the radioactive and sorcerous hell that had been their homelands. A number of mainland NATO military units also fled to the island, contributing to the armaments that flooded into the perceived safe zone.
Ironically, though many of the groups that arrived on Crete had long-standing feuds with each other, the sort of wholesale infighting that devastated many more previously stable regions didn’t take place. Realizing early on that cooperation would be needed to fight anything inhuman that ventured from the mainland, and manage meager resources against the bitter years ahead, the diverse militant camps organized into a surprisingly effective commonality. Though some friction was inevitable, the common alliance held, and order maintained in the violent years immediately following the Coming of the Rifts.
Safe for the moment, a number of expeditions to find other pockets of civilization were launched, and none returned, further convincing the refugees that the best strategy was to stay where they were, and keep monsters and later waves of refugees off the island. This policy was scrupulously maintained, despite declining stocks of modern weaponry(the island lacking any large scale industrial capacity of its own). In due time, as the many ethnic groups settled in for the long haul, differences between them started to blur and disappear, and a semblance of peace and cooperation took prominence. In the long run, however, disease, deprivation, and despair took their toll on the island community, and the population declined, until a new equilibrium was achieved.
A particularly powerful new faction arose to claim an increasing amount of political power among the new Cretan society. These people had mastered the new ‘magic’ that had been released into the world. Compared to the aging and dwindling old style weaponry and equipment the islanders depended on for their safety, the powers wielded by the ‘mages’ were indeed powerful, and held promise for the continued security of Crete. By accident or design, the mages came to be associated with the blurred historic record of the island, legends, and pre-Rifts theory that tied Crete, the ancient Minoan civilization, and the legendary Atlantis. The mages did little to dissuade the association with popular myth, and came to be called ‘Novo Minoans’. As their power and popularity waxed, the desperate people of Crete came to look to these ‘Minoans’ to guide them into the future, and a new mythos came into being. In all due time , the new Cretan society came to think of itself as ‘Novo Minoan’, enjoying a domestic prosperity and peace few other parts of the Rifts-torn world could boast.
When limited contact with the outside world was re-established, the myth was passed on, and amplified. When it became common knowledge that the REAL continent of Atlantis had risen, and Atlanteans DID exist, word of the Minoan connection also spread, spawning its own stable of myths. Again, the Novo Minoans did little to play this down, as the rumored powers and abilities of the ancient Atlantean society tended to aid the Novo Minoans in trade and security. Few outsiders wanted to risk the wrath and incur the hatred of the small but supposedly very powerful Novo Minoans and their fabled store of ancient magical weapons. Even the New Roman Republic was a little hesitant to push for trade with the isolationist Cretans. The legends got spread so far, that even a few REAL Atlanteans journeyed to the island to see for themselves if some relics or ancient blood of theirs had survived. Though they apparently found nothing, their very presence and activities on the island lent more fuel to the rumor mills about the Novo Minoans.
This bluff and intimidation worked for over a century, and the Novo Minoans were content and waxed fat with the good trade deals they negotiated with the various small emerging Mediterranean powers of the region. Aside from random monsters that could be dealt with by their guardian mages, the Novo Minoans were happy with their isolation, secure in the knowledge that they were safe from the troubles and intrigues of the mainland.
Unfortunately, the Pharoah Rama-Set of the Phoenix Empire didn’t see it that way. Though his plans for a rapid takeover of the African continent had been thwarted, and his kingdom given a beating, during the incident of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse and Gathering of Heroes, the Pharoah was by no means defeated or diminished. Eager to make inroads against his many enemies, bolstered by renewed Splugorth support, and madder than hell, Rama-Set set his sights on Northern Mediterranean conquests. His first target would be the small kingdom of Novo Minoa, which he had rightly deduced was far weaker than it let on, but which still, he mistakenly believed, harbored ancient Atlantean treasures and artifacts. Furthermore, as many True Atlanteans had taken part in the Gathering of Champions that had subsequently humiliated hos legions, Rama-Set believed the enslavement of an ‘Atlantean colony’ would be just vengeance. The order was sent, and the beefed-up New Phoenix Navy launched an invasion force.
Despite their magical defenses and technological hardware, the Novo Minoans were cuaght flatfooted by the massive armada that swept down upon their shores. As skimmers and hovercraft strafed their citizens, and landing ships poured thousands of demonic minions and Undead automatons(zombies, mummies, and skeletons), the Novo Minoans put up a fierce resistance, but were being decimated by the New Phoenix Imperial armies. Within a matter of days, the Novo Minoans had lost much of their leadership, many of their guardian mages had been killed in combat, and two of their three major communities had fallen under the heels of the invaders. Desperate, the surviving Minoan leadership called out to their trade allies for help.
Though ill-prepared for a distant war, the New Roman Republic responded, sending what ships and men they could to the assistance of the beleagured Novo Minoans. Though the Roman forces were adhoc, the Phoenix Imperials were taken by surprise both by their presence and their stiff, professional, martial conduct. Using superior tactics and strategy, the Romans wheeled and maneuvered about the island, keeping the Egyptians at bay, long enough for many refugees to escape to Roman-held ports and safety.

The current situation on Crete has ground to a stalemate between the two evenly matched forces. Currently, the Romans have thrown an adhoc newly formed Legion(the 4th), and change, into the fray, assembled from newly raised home units, and a substantial ‘volunteer contingent’ of foreign nationals, as well as a fair-sized naval force. They still hold the last free Novo Minoan cities at Khania and Kastellion, but repeated Phoenix air and artillery attacks have reduced half of the once-beautiful communities to ruins, and the remaining halves ghost-towns, population wise. The Romans keep the ports open, but have moved most of their assets to the numerous smaller communities still under their control/protection. The New Romans lack the numbers and manpower to hold the island by weight of troops alone, especially with their Legions stretched on other fronts, and the ongoing pacification of Sicily, but the superior morale, training, and equipment of their soldiers have held the line. Furthermore, the factories in Rome have been gearing up to produce a new range of weapons, as well as new ships for the expanded Navy, with new technologies locally developed, salvaged, or acquired from their own allies. The larger New Phoenix Imperial force, on the other hand, still holds more ground, have consolidated in the larger communities under their control, their monstrous inhuman troops are fearless and merciless, and often practice terror tactics, and they have a relatively straightforward line of supply. However, the Phoenix army has had problems with Novo Minoan guerillas operating in their rear lines, they have lost control over the open countryside, besides the guerillas and Romans, several mercenary groups have also staked claims on the island, and the Empire still has problems with disident populations attempting to break away from its tyranny, including splinter groups from the Gathering of Champions who have turned their attention to the Phoenix Empire. Reinforcements are slower in coming, as the Empire has its own problems pacifying its conquests, and even summoning more demons and creating more undead has its limits(of late, both the New Romans and Novo Minoans have been most careful in vaporizing their own dead, if they can’t otherwise remove them from the battlefield for proper ceremony). Another factor is the growing presence of the New German Navy in the Mediterranean, which has taken an interest in the pirates and privateers operating in the region.

Unfortunately, the once great Novo Minoan civilization has been shattered by the war; aside from a few enclaves of refugees huddled in exile in Roman cities and other European communities, most of the Cretans have either been killed or enslaved, their great works looted or destroyed. Pharaoh Rama-Set was outraged to learn that his men had taken no True Atlanteans, but his field commanders continue to investigate rumors of hidden ancient treasures and mystical secrets, partly to keep from being summoned home to account for their lack of success in finding said treasures and crushing the Romans.
It is rumored that a young Novo Minoan mage who journeyed to North America to study magic has returned and set up a Resistance camp in the nearby Greek islands, and has supposedly found or built a giant warmachine with which he intends to drive the New Phoenix Empire from his homeland. This rumor has taken a bizarre twist with further reports that several travellers who supposedly dropped hints of being from the fabled ‘mage-city of Dwoemer’ were inquiring in the Novo Minoan refugee communities of Napoli about the mage and ‘something he has in his possession’.

The New Roman 4th Legion
Facing off against Rama-Set’s undead army on Crete is the newly formed Fourth Legion, originally made up of elements from the First and Third Legion, but now consisting of newly raised units from Italy and a larger contingent of non-Roman volunteers (leading some political wags with a sense of history back home in Rome to dub the Fourth the ‘Roman Foreign Legion’) given basic equipment and training by the NRR(though many have brought their own weaponry). Ironically, more than a few of these Foreign Legionnaires came to Africa during the Gathering of Champions to fight the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, found themselves fighting the New Phoenix Empire, and signed on for another hitch! A smaller portion of the 4th Legion are ex-New Phoenixers who are rebelling against the tyrant who conquered their homelands in Africa, and now seek to thwart the Pharaoh’s extraterritorial ambitions however they can. These rebels include Tunisians, Nubians, Libyans, and a few surviving Novo Minoans.
All in all, this means that the Fourth Legion has been outfitted with a rather eclectic array of weapons and vehicles, including stalwart NRR designs like the Pilum and Phalanx AFVs, and newer production (and often prototype) Roman designs like the Sinestra and Sandslayer. The volunteer Cohorts have contributed their own share of weaponry and vehicles, though most of the troops have adopted the Roman Legion-styled armor and EBA for logistical convenience and ease of identification.

Other Powers in the Med
The New Roman Republic’s North American allies in the GNE alliance have had a small role in the Crete/Phoenix Empire campaign(s), but aside from Operation Decatur(GNE-military strikes against PE surveillance and pirate outposts on the North African coast), the North Americans have remained out of the fighting, what with their own matters to attend to closer to home. Still, the GNE has provided material support in the form of ship hulls, munitions, technical assistance, and new technology. It is also rumored that several special operations units are working with the New Roman Republic, providing them with intelligence information and transport for Roman commando units operating deep inside the New Phoenix Empire’s rear areas.

The New German Republic is a wild card in the region, and one of growing concern to both the NRR and the NPE. The NGR is primarily against the New Phoenix Empire, destroying their commerce raiders and privateers whenever they approach NGR ships and shore facilities. Pharaoh Rama-Set rightfully fears that if the NGR decides to invest more forces in the Low Countries, their advanced technology and experienced troops will be a far more serious obstacle to his plans. To that end, he may attempt to funnel more weapons and covert assistance to the larger faction of the shattered Brodkil and Gargoyle Empires, in hopes that they will re-ignite their campaigns on the NGR borders, and give the Germans something else to worry about again, but he knows that if he overplays his hand, the NGR will take even more of an interest in stopping any outside assistance to their long-time enemies at the source....Right now, the Gargoyles and Brodkil are broken, and will take some time(if ever) to rebuild their power, which means Rama-Set will have to be more discrete and slower in re-supplying them.
Though nominally allied with the NRR(in that both are fighting a common enemy), the aggressive, pushy, attitudes of German naval commanders operating in the Med in demanding access to Roman naval facilities, has some Romans worried that if the NGR gets more involved in the Mediterranean conflict, the Republic may end up being muscled out by the Germans, after the Phoenix Empire has been dealt with.

Gathering of Champions----As noted in the formation of the 4th Legion, more than a few of those who originally gathered to fight the Horsemen of the Apocalypse transferred their attention to the threat of the New Phoenix Empire, and joined the Roman Army. However, substantial numbers of champions still remain in Africa, chasing down rumors that the Four Horsemen are NOT all gone, working to expunge any trace of the demons’ handiwork from the battered continent, hunting death-cults seeking to resurrect the demons, and fighting any of the various new evils they’ve discovered there. Though lacking a central command structure, the dozens (some say hundreds) of small splinter groups still represent a substantial presence and guerilla fighting force. Though the remaining champions have little immediate impact or involvement in the fighting on Crete, the New Roman Republic has often negotiated with them for intelligence on the NPE’s activities in Africa, and has contemplated recruiting the parties for a ‘second front’, raiding what they believe to be the NPE’s soft underbelly in East Africa.

Dozens of independent mercenaries, brigands, pirates, slavers, and minor states are also involved, to one degree or other, in the fighting, mostly seeking to make a profit raiding the increased shipping and exploiting fleeing refugees, or seeking to align with one of the major players in the region.

The Navy of the Phoenix Empire
Despite the damage done to him by the many champions who helped oppose the Four Horsemen, and renewed revolts in the outermost parts of his empire, Pharaoh Rama-Set has not lost his lust for conquest. He has recently turned his eyes towards acquiring territories on both shores of the Mediterranean, the better to prey upon the many growing communities in the region, and the shipping that flows between them. To do this, he has invested in building a navy to transport and support his legions.
Eager to make trouble around the world, the Pharaoh’s Splugorth patrons have generously supplied him with assistance. As a result, much of the Phoenix Imperial Navy bears the stamp of Splugorth supply and manufacture, straight from the factories and shipyards of Atlantis. All manner of light craft are in service of the Pharaoh, from small TW coracles, to high speed assault flitters and warpods. Still, Rama-Set has insisted on some local autonomy, and his engineers and mages have produced their own distinctive designs for the Empire, though they tend to heavily incorporate Splugorth and Kittani design features, and many standardized Kittani systems have been lifted from Splugorth vessels and used on Phoenix Imperial ships to speed construction. The Splugorth have drawn the line on providing Rama-Set with more advanced magical components, like rune wapons and Eyes of Eylor, for instance, for his shipbuilding program, so he’s had to provide his own gear in many cases. There is no similar restriction on technological systems(as long as Splynncryth knows what’s going on), however, and so Kittani engineers have enthusiastically gone to work trying out new weapons and construction methods on the New Phoenix Navy, with varying degrees of success.

Phoenix Battle Sea Skimmer
“Who’d have thought that adding another weapons arm to the old One-Armed Sand Bandit would make all the difference? Of course, that isn’t all they’ve added to the bastard...Those slicer spines are high speed murder, and don’t think the sadistic monsters don’t use them! Many a desperate coastal village has found its fishing fleet washing ashore in neatly sectioned slices, and no sign of the poor crews.”
----Janos Ekkitrades, Greek mercenary ranger attached to the 4th Legion, New Roman Republic

The Battle Sea Skimmer is a modified and upgraded version of the Phoenix Empire Sand Skimmer, and is intended as a long range maritime attack aircraft for striking at Mediterranean shipping and coastal communities. The Sea Skimmer retains the ‘robot riding a sled’ look of its parent design, but the craft is slightly larger, heavier, sleeker, with more wing-fins for greater stability, and upgraded armaments, most notably a pair of medium range missile launchers for anti-ship attacks. The original ‘one armed bandit’ configuration has been replaced with the addition of a second gun-arm, for greater versatility and firepower. Otherwise, the Sea Skimmer is instantly recognizable as a Sand Skimmer variant, and it retains most of the same control arrangements, allowing crews already familiar with the original ‘skimmer to more easily switch vehicles.
The Sea Skimmer has proven a foil for the New Roman Republic’s SM-780 Gavia(‘Sea Gull’) bombers. Though faster and more agile than the lumbering trimotor prop-aircraft, the Sea Skimmer is stuck at lower altitudes, so dogfights between the two aircraft types usually involve the Gavias trying to get high enough above their opponents to attack them with missiles, while the ‘Skimmers attempt to outrun the Roman aircraft, or chase them down when their fuel runs low and they have to return to base and descend to land. The Sea Skimmer has been having less success, however, against newly introduced Aquila fighters, however.
Type: PE-ATV
Class: Jet
Crew: Two(pilot and systems operator) with room for an additional passenger(typically an observer)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Reinforced Crew Compartment 80
Weapons Arms(2) 40 each
Extendable Utility Arm(1) 20
Mini-Missile Launcher 50
Medium Range Missile Launchers(2) 100 each
Forward Air Foils(2) 60 each
Rear Wings(4) 80 each
Top Sensor Head 50
Rotating Hover Jet Drums(2) 100 each
Directional Thrusters(8) 10 each

Height: 10 ft
Width/Beam: 25 ft
Length: 25 ft
Weight: 10 tons
Cargo: Small 4x4 ft area in cockpit behind the seats
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 10 year energy life
Speed: Hover to 660 MPH, at an altitude of 3,000 ft.
Market Cost: 10 million credits; available only thru the Phoenix Empire and the city of Splynn
Systems of Note:
ALL Basic Robot Systems
Weapons Systems:
1)Pulse Cannon(2)---BOTH forearms now mount high powered pulse lasers. Their arm-mounts mean that the cannons can be rotated and moved to engage targets even as the Skimmer passes over or past them, and can even engage pursuers.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 2d4 MD single shot, and 1d4x10 MD per pulse burst.
A synchronized dual burst from both lasers does 2d4x10 MD(counts as 1 attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Mini-Missile Launcher---The shoulder missile launcher has been retained and expanded to hold more missiles.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 20 mini-missiles

3)Medium Range Missile Launchers(2) ---Built into the underside of the hull, on outjutting wings, are a pair of heavy missile launchers. These are typically ASMs for anti-ship and surface attack.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 3 MRMs per wing, 6 total

4)(Optional) Torpedoes-----The Sea Skimmer has the option of carrying torpedoes slung under the main hull, between the stabilizer fins.
Range: Varies by MissileTorpedo Type
Damage:Varies by Missile/Torpedo Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 8 Short Range Torpedoes OR 4 Medium Range Torpedoes, OR 2 Long Range Torpedoes
Penalty: If carrying torpedoes, the Skimmer tends to drag and lose some of its speed; reduce speed by 25% until the torpedoes are dropped.

5) Hand to Hand Combat---The placement of the additional pulse lasers to the Sea Skimmer hampers the original hand to hand combat characteristics, and its role as a long range raider is supposed to keep it from engaging in close combat, but the ability still exists.
Against ‘soft’ targets like SDC sailing craft and other defenseless targets, Sea Skimmer crews in particular like to use high speed ramming attacks to carve the fragile craft apart with passes of their razor-sharp wings.
Restrained Punch 3d6 SDC
Full Strength Punch 1d4 MD
Power Punch(2 attacks) 2d4 MD
Ramming/Slashing Attack---6d6 MD

Combat Bonuses:
+3 Initiative
+1 APM
+3 to Strike
+6 to Dodge

[taalismn]

And here's two more craft for the New Phoenix Navy...

New Phoenix Empire Battle SunBoat Riverine Patrol Caft
(Aka ‘Demon SunBoat’)

Yahashi raises his head at the sound of the distant echo of horns. He nods an affirmation to his companion who raises his own wooden instrument and blows an ear shattering acknowledgement. It is crude, he knows, compared to the soundless distant-speak that he knows the dark king’s killers possess, but the voices on the wind have communicated well enough. What he has feared has come to pass; the dark king’s ships of the false sun are coming down the river to bring the burning death and the metal shackle to his lands.
His People have known, as well, that this day was inevitable, for the land of the dark king has sent armies since legend immemorial to rape these lands. His chieftain has been wise to the voices of the ancestors and heeded the visions that plagued him the last passing moon, visions of death and fire and the river village falling to the dark king’s shadow. He has also been wise enough to interpret the dream-sendings of the ancestral spirits. He did not see any of the People enslaved, but only their land desecrated. So, for the past moon the village has been evacuated, the People moving to highland refugees further inland, where they should be safe.
The People are wise; not so the people of Yalliana, the larger community up the river from Yahashi’s own. There, the chief and warriors boasted of the Soulless weapons and tricks they possessed, the false magic that they claimed would drive the dark king’s monsters away and burn them as they came. Yahashi scoffed at the thought; the Soulless artifacts the people of Yalliana had were tainted by the poisonous pride of the ancient Europeans, and had not the blessing of the ancestral spirits; they had not the Soul of the land and its animals in them, and were thus Soulless. The dark king used Soulless weapons, and any like weapons that were used against them would only contribute to the dark king’s strength, not take away from it. Yahashi had said as much to the last Yalliana man he had seen, the last time he ventured north on the river. The man simply laughed at him, he and his companions, waved his ‘laser rifle’ at him, and called Yahashi ‘backwards’ and ‘savage’.
Yalliana is now burning, its people destroyed or in chains. The horns tell Yahashi this. Now the dark king’s claws reach for the People. Yahashi and a handpicked band of warriors have stayed behind to insure that doesn’t happen. He has no illusions about beating them; they are many and the champions of the People few, but they will buy time for the last of the women, children, and elders to get deep into the wilderness, where the dark king’s hands will be tangled and lost in the woods where the ancient spirits dwell. Besides, he reminds himself as he touches the necklace of medicine beads about his neck, and the spirit-writing-adorned and blood-polished ebony warclub in his hand, Yahashi has the weapons of the Soul, blessed by the village priests and the ancient spirits to help him. He is on his home ground, surrounded by the souls of his ancestors, and sometimes, if the need is great enough, the ancestral spirits have been known to lend a more substantial hand to the People in these times.
Yahashi keeps that thought in mind as he savors the warm rays of the True Sun, drinking in its strength, as he awaits the cominig of the boats of the False Sun.


The Demon-SunBoat is part of the Phoenix Empire’s growing coastal and riverine naval forces, and has become a common, feared, and hated sight to waterside communities in north and eastern Africa. This stately and elegant craft is based off the design of the traditional Nile River sailing craft that have plied the river for millenia. However, Pharoah’s warcrafters have adapted the design to create a fast, deadly, shallow-draft, riverine patrol craft that owes more to modern Kittani hydrofoil attack boats than sail powered merchantmen. Communities along the Nile and other African rivers have come to fear and hate the swift approach of these craft, and the death and slavery they carry in their wake.
The Demon-SunBoat has the stately, graceful, graceful lines of its inspiration, a bow-shaped shallow-draft boat with high-raised ends, a pair of large rudder paddles in the rear, and a single mast supporting a rectangular sail rising from the middle of the deck. As beautiful as the ships may be, they are no pleasure craft, but instead are state of the art riverine fighting machines built for business. The rudder paddles are now retractable hydrofoil fins, and a combination of high tech propulsion and magic, rather than wind and river current, now propel the craft, which can sail serenely in the water, or skim just above it, the tips of its rear-mounted fin-blades barely breaking the surface of the water. The small howdah-like structures on the bow and fantail are now armored weapons turrets, and the main cabin is an armored structure for the crew and passengers. The sail now serves as a solar collector and exotic energy deflection system, while the mast supports a treetop of sensors and antennae.
The Demon-SunBoat is ill-suited for deep water travel and they are rarely encountered at sea, or far from shore. They are most often found on the Nile River and other inland waterways. Here they assist the Pharoah’s army in subjugating new territories, transporting troops and slaves, and escorting shipments of supplies and raw materials to feed the empire.
A number of these craft have fallen into the hands of various rebel groups, with the problems the Empire has been experiencing in its border territories. However, few of the resistance groups in the wilderness have the ability or resources to repair the more exotic systems of the boats, so many of them lack all the advanced weapons and engineering systems, due to parts fatigue and battle damage.
Type: Demon-SunBoat
Class: Riverine Patrol Boat
Date of Introduction: PA
Crew: 6, plus up to 35 troops /passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Bridge(just in front of and under the rear turret) 150
Hydrofoil Fins(2) 90 each
Weapons Turrets(2) 150 each
Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 100 each
Sail Mast 150

Height: 14 ft at deck line; mast adds an additional 18 ft. Draws a 3.5 ft draft
Width/Beam: 20 ft
Length: 85 ft
Weight: 80 tons
Cargo: Large below-decks area that can hold up to 4 tons of supplies; typically three weeks of food and water, spare parts, tools, small arms, and ammunition for crew and troops, and 60 mini-missiles.
Up to 30 slaves/prisoners can be chained to the open deck, without regard to their comfort or safety(indeed, it is common practice for the New Phoenix Empire’s raiders and patrollers to run back up the rivers with hostages in plain sight on the decks, to prevent reprisal attacks by local resistance forces).
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life, supplemented with solar power
Speed:(Cruise) 45 MPH
(Hydrofoil)120 MPH
(Land) The SunBoats have some limited ability to traverse flat and level ground using their levitation drives. They can ‘fly’ at 55 MPH, roughly 1-3 ft above the ground

Market Cost: A fully operational Demon-Sunboat with sail can cost 90 million credits or more , while a banged up example, without sail weapons, can cost 60 million credits at the Black Market ports along the Indian Ocean and elsewhere.
Systems of Note:
*Closed Environment Cabin Systems, Air Conditioning, and Life-Support(good for 72 hours)
*Mast-Mounted Radar---100 mile range
*Laser Targeting---All long range weapons enjoy a +2 to strike.
*Sonar---Open water range of 20 miles, but most river conditions limit it to a mile or less
Weapons Systems:
1) Sail Solar Ray---The sail of the Demon-SunBoat is a combination of solar collector and energy discharge antennae, that can be used to absorb and manipulate light energy. This exotic device was developed with the aide of Kittani and Minion scientists in residence in the Empire. Looking like a large stiff rectangular Egyptian sail of bronze material, the Sail Solar Ray array is made of an energy absorbing material that can convert solar energy into usable electricity, and absorb, temporarily store, and discharge other forms of energy.
In its most commonly used mode, the Solar Sail can project a powerful Blinding Flash to blind and disorient enemies. This is typically used when approaching local native villages, using the Sail to blind and stun the gathered villagers who have come to see the strange new craft, and prevent them from resisting as they are rounded up for slavery.
In Defense Mode, the Sail projects an energy absorption field that soaks up energy attacks aimed at the ship, and bleeds the energy off into the surrounding air or water.
It can also be used to absorb and temporarily store energy attacks, and then throw them back as a powerful heat ray that burns whatever it touches. When storing energy, the entire sail seems to shimmer and glow, and there is the danger that if anyone touches the sail in ‘storage mode’, the accumulated charge will ground out through them, doing massive damage.
The sail system, however, is rather fragile and vulnerable to projectile weapons attacks, which is why the system hasn’t seen large scale deployment on larger vessels.
Range:(Blinding Flash) 200 ft radius of the ship
(Defense Mode) Field extends 2 ft out from the sides of the ship
(Heat Ray) 1,000 ft, and can be fanned out to affect a 15 ft wide area
Damage:(Blinding Flash) Victims are -10 to strike, parry, and dodge for 1d4 melees, with a 50% chance of stumbling and falling for every 10 ft of distance the victim tries to run.
(Defense Mode) Energy weapons do NO damage while field is up. However, magic-based energy attacks do 1/4 normal damage, Projectile weapons do damage as normal
(Heat Ray) Does 1 point of MD damage per 4 points absorbed
Rate of Fire:(Blinding Flash) Three times per melee
(Defense Mode)Can maintain field up for 15 minutes before requiring 5 minutes to recharge
(Heat Ray) EGCHH, depending on how much energy they choose to use up per shot.
Payload: (Blinding Flash) Effectively Unlimited
(Defense Mode) Can maintain field up for 15 minutes before requiring 5 minutes to recharge
(Heat Ray) Conditionally unlimited by the amount of energy held in storage. The sail batteries can absorb up to 500 MD of damage-energy, and store it for a maximum of 5 melees.

2)Laser Turrets(2)---Mounted in fore and aft cupola-turrets are a pair of powerful long range lasers
Range: 6,000 MD
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3)Mini-Missile Launchers(2)---Mounted on the sides of the main deck, are two mini-missile launchers.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-5
Payload: 25 per launcher(50 total). Additional missiles may be carried as cargo and loaded into the launchers, but this typically takes about 30 minutes per launcher to reload.



Barges of the Dead
“Will you look at the SIZE of that thing....”
“And it’s still a mile off the coast!”
“Looks like the villagers were right...that doesn’t belong out there....Nothing of the Pharoah’s does....Get out the long range scope, Corporal.....Let’s see what they’re doing out there...Nothing good, I’ll wager.”
“I think they’ve run aground, sir! They’re just sitting there in the shallows, and I think they’ve split their tanks open!”
“What makes you think that?!”
“I’m seeing some sort of splashing on one side of the ship....and the water’s gone dark and churned up....like they’re leaking oil!”
“Dark water, you say?! Like oil? Like liquid darkness?.....Dear mother of the Holy Creator! They’re invading! Get on the radio and signal the alarm! NOW!”
“What? I don’t get it! What are they trying to accomplish, pumping oil onto our shores? It’s crazy!”
“Damn it, boy, that isn’t oil that barge is spilling! That’s the dark waters of corruption! That’s the hordes of the dead come to crawl up on to our shores! They must have cleaned out every crypt in old Cairo to gather that much undead filth! Warn the militia! The Pharoah means to drown us in the black tide of the dead!”

The Phoenix Empire deploys so many ships with a large complement of undead creatures, especially ‘automatons’ like zombies, skeletons, and mummies, both as crew and security, that these craft are called ‘Barges of the Dead’ after the vessels of ancient Egyptian myth. Only these craft don’t ferry the souls of the departed to the afterlife; they ferry the re-animated corpses of the Empire’s victims, and their enslaved still-living kin, to labor farms, carry monstrous legions to new conquests, and imperial officials to survey and administer the realm.
The largest of these ships are two massive converted late-construction pre-Rifts oil tankers that the Empire has found, rennovated, and modified into giant battlecraft and carriers for the Empire’s necromantic legions, as well as travelling command centers for coastal assaults. These craft were constructed during the transitionary period of pre-Rifts history as fusion energy and synth-fuels replaced oil as a primary fuel, and petroleum was largely used as feedstock for industrial purposes, such as chemicals and plastics. Ecological concerns and the advance of megadamage material sciences resulted in the ships being fitted with new megadamage double hulls, despite the expense of such a refit(actually, the pro-ecology lobbies insisted on the stronger materials to prevent disasterous oil spills). Clean(er) low-rad fusion power replaced the original diesel engines, and the massive exhaust funnels became cooling towers, belching steam, not chemical exhaust. Automation replaced many original crew duties, and redundant safety features decreased the incidence of accidents and oil loss in transshipment. The craft, though not as large as some of the monster ships of the pre-Rifts period, are still huge by the standards of most post-Rifts communities, and have capacity to spare. The Phoenix Empire has taken advantage of both facts to convert the craft into massive floating military camps. More armor has been fitted to vulnerable hull areas, and the oil tanks have been converted into barracks and holding pens. Weapons turrets have been added to the upper works, and weapons targetting electronics added to the ship’s masts. A much more capable long range sensor system has been added by Kittani engineers, so the ship gets advance warning of potential attacks, and can bring weapons online to meet the threat. In addition, these ships have a constant crew complement of magic users and demonic beings, with their own formidable abilities to add to the defense.
The massive open stretch of upper deck has been modified with modular-trailer-style housing units(often sporting cloth tent fascades and flourishes) bolted to the deck for additional troops, including the mages who direct the armies of undead. These modular housing units can also be swapped to include special purpose cargo trailers, interrogation/torture cells, and equipment lockers; when fully staffed, the massive ships look as if they are carrying a medieval war encampment aboard(or a ‘carnival of the macabre’ as one observer put it). The very prow of the ship sports a raised altar platform; human sacrifices are frequently held by the demonic servents of the Pharoah, to gather additional power and enlist the favor of dark powers, further adding to the aura of death that surrounds these vessels.
The original oil storage tanks now hold thousands of corpses, floating in oily preservative solution, ready to be animated and then lifted up to the open deck and deployed. The tanks are also used for prisoner/slave housing; prisoners are frequently held captive in cages suspended from the ceilings of the tanks, often immersed in total darkness to the neck in the same slime as the floating dead.....It is also rumored that when the Pharoah’s interrogators tire of their captives, they simply sink the cages under the surface of the internal pools, adding the freshly dead to the supply of corpses waiting to be re-animated in the service of the Empire.
Despite the massive weight of arms and armor, however, the Barges of the Dead make for poor warships when compared to other, dedicated, warship designs. The tankers are slow, fairly wallow in the water, and require deep water to maneuver in. It takes one of these ships a full fifteen minutes to come to a halt and respond to helm commands, and the ships have a turning radius of about a mile. Unfortunately for the Empire’s enemies, the Pharaoh’s novice admirals recognize this, and keep a close picket of escort craft to defend the ships against attack, long enough for the crew of monsters to take action.
While these massive vessels lack the ability to run up on shore to disembark their troops immediately to shore, this really doesn’t pose a problem, since the Imperial officers simply march the Undead zombie-shocktroopers off the side of the ship, where, unaffected by such living concerns as drowning, they march underwater to shore.
One of these feared warcraft has been stationed off Crete to oversee the invasion, while the other ship has been recalled back to its Nile Delta homeport, to await further orders and conquests. Another vessel is halfway through renovation in a Nile estuary shipyard. For the New Roman Navy and Air Force, destroying these vessels has acquired a high priority....several times, they’re come close, trapping the ships in shallow waters or narrow straits, but the formidable defenses have beaten back the Romans before they could inflict serious damage.
Type: Phoenix Empire Barge of the Dead
Class: Heavy Troop Transport/Command Carrier
Crew: 12 officers, 100 crew, up to 500 passengers/additional troops(usually have a staff of 100 Necromancers and their retinues) and up to 15,000(!) animated undead soldiers. Another 3,000 can camp out on the exposed deck. Also has provision for up to 3,000 slaves/captives, with at least 200 kept on hand at any one time for food(for the crew), or sacrifices for necromantic rituals. Typically carries a complement of powerful demons/monsters, such as gargoyles and Alu as shock troopers/boarding troops.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 10,000
Bridge/Deck Structure 4,000
Deck Laser Turrets (10) 150 each
Plasma Turrets(2) 400 each
Deckside Housing/Cargo Trailers(1-200) 100-200 each
Forward Altar Platform 400
Black Stone Altar 400(see below)
VTOL Landing Pads(4) 100 each

Height:(Draft) 23 m
Width/Beam: 45 m
Length: 285 m
Weight: 180,000 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 40,000 tons of cargo
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 25 year energy life
Speed: 32 MPH(note that these ships need 15 miles or more to come to a complete stop from speed, or a mile or more to perform tight turns)
Market Cost: NOT FOR SALE; the Empire only has two of these ships.
Systems of Note:
*Radar---100 mile range
*Laser Targeting---All long range weapons enjoy a +2 to strike.
*Sonar---Open water range of 25 miles
Weapons Systems:
1)Laser Turrets(10)----Stationed at regular intervals all along the sides of the upper deck are Kittani-supplied laser turrets, typically used against aircraft and small naval vessels that stray within range.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Plasma Turrets(2)----Identical to the plasma turrets mounted on the Splugorth Magic Ark cruisers, these two massive weapons are mounted on the top of the rear bridge structure, where they command the sea around the Barge. These are typically used against more powerful airborne threats and surface combatants.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Magic Spells:

***Black Altar----The front of the ship sports a built-up platform on which is mounted a sacrifical altar of black stone. The altars mounted on the converted tankers are part of a special set of thirteen all cut from an ancient palace of the Old Ones that was found by one of the Pharoah’s allies in an alien dimension. These dark altar stones seem to magnify dark magicks, or at least cut the PPE cost of necromantic and corruption magic rituals by as much as 20%, and any necromancer within 20 ft of one gets a +1 to spell strength. making them very valuable to necromancers and other evil mages. Currently, three stones are carried in the NPE fleet on the Barges of the Dead, another three travel with the Pharoah’s armies in North Africa, and the remaining seven are kept in the strongholds of the Phoenix Empire.
Each altar has 400 MDC, but only takes damage from MAGIC weapons, and double damage from Millenium Tree and Holy weapons

*Taint of Death(Permanent)----An enchantment similar to a low-level Life Drain spell, further reinforced by the constant presence of dark magic aboard the ship. The vessel fairly reeks of death energy, enough so that the ship is supernaturally fatiguing/draining to those not protected against it. Anyone not making a save against magic (15 or greater) when boarding the vessel, will feel uneasy, nauseous, and disoriented, afflicted with an overwhelming sense of WRONGNESS with the surroundings. This also translates to a -1APM, -1to dodge, strike, and parry, -1 to saving throws versus magic, psionics, coma/death, and poison, and a -10% to use skills that require concentration(like Read Sensory Instruments, Pick Locks, and Detect Ambush). Effects last as long as the afflicted characters remain on the ship....they will begin feeling better and restored within 1d4 melees of leaving the ship. Supernatural beings/creatures of magic, and necromancers are naturally immune to the Taint, as are those who wear special talismans of protection(a small black ebony skull on a chain, issued to crewmembers). The Phoenix Empire finds this particular feature useful in dissuading boarders and keeping prisoners/slaves under control.

*Calm Storms(200 PPE)---The massive warship can calm the waters for a 1 mile radius(great for defeating other magoc users’ attacks and for making landings in the middle of offshore storms.

*Summon and Control Storm---The shipboard mages can whistle up a storm for 300 PPE; the storm covers a 10 mile area, and persists for 6 hours. Otherwise identical to the spell of the same name.

*Summon Sea of Corruption----By expending 1,000 PPE, the ship’s mages can summon forth a black, oily, toxic substance from the ex-tanker’s bilges, that taints the waters and poisons anything caught in its murk. Besides fouling scuba gear, covering sensors, and bogging down swimmers, the sludge is acidic, inducing a rapid-growth skin infection on living beings, that can prove fatal if untreated.
A favorite tactic of the Pharoah’s forces is to steam slowly offshore of a coastal community, spewing this sludge into an onshore current, killing any sealife and anyone tarying to take refuge in the waters, as well as providing cover for the legions of undead marching ashore under its cover.
Note: The sludge of the Sea of Corruption CANNOT be set aflame; it must be scrapped off, pushed off, or avoided altogether.
Range: Covers a one square mile(5,000 ft) area per creation
Damage:* Inflicts 4d6 Hit Point/S.D.C. damage if touched or ingested, per melee of exposure. Natural megadamage beings will suffer 1 MD per melee. Victims must roll to save versus lethal poison, or suffer subsequent fever, dizziness, and confusion(-1 to initiative, reduce speed and skill performance by 30% for 4d6 minutes(natural megadamage beings will not suffer any subsequent ill effects unless they are marine creatures).
*Anyone attempting to swim in the foul goo will be effectively blinded in the murk(-5 to strike, parry, and dodge). Sonar senses are unaffected, but optical sensors and submarine lasers will be reduced in effectiveness by 75%
Rate of Fire: The effectiveness of the sludge persists for 1 hour; this means the sludge can spread with the current
Payload: 1,000 PPE per creation

*Summon Swarm of Insects---By expending 120 PPE, the ship’s mages can summon a massive swarm of insects from the ship’s funnel; a buzzing, black cloud of flies and mosquitos that surround anyone unfortunate enough to get caught in them, choke off air intakes, foul sensors, and generally disgust and distract anyone trying to attack the ship. The insects can also be used as an offensive weapon; sent against coastal defenders to distract and demoralize them.
Range: Covers a 1,000 ft radius, and can be directed to fly as far as 10 miles away
Damage: Reduce visibility to 10 ft, radar is effectively useless. Characters caught in the swarm lose HALF their APMs. lose initiative and all combat bonuses, and reduce speed by HALF. Those without adequate clothing or covering protection will be subject to vicious insect bites(no substantial damage, but the bites will be raw, irritated, and could become infected if not properly cleaned and treated).
Rate of Fire: The effectiveness of the swarm lasts 35 minutes per summoning
Payload: 80 PPE per creation

*Summon Magot----By expending 320 PPE, the ship’s mages can summon a demonic Magot(or more) from one of the ship’s holds and control it/them for up to 24 hours

Auxiliary Craft:
Has provision for embarking up to 4 Sea Skimmers or Kittani Patrol Fliers, and 15-25 Kittani Warpods(operate from the open deck) as part of the ship’s security complement.

[shadrak]

Nice write up!!! I will review it at legnth tonight and post my reply later.

Like what I see so far.

[Nightmaster]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

[Jason Richards]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

[grandmaster z0b]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

Is there anyway someone could elaborate on this more? What's the new spelling? What copyright/licensing issues? So that mention in Triax will be no longer canon? What about the Wolfen in PF?

[Jason Richards]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

Is there anyway someone could elaborate on this more? What's the new spelling? What copyright/licensing issues? So that mention in Triax will be no longer canon? What about the Wolfen in PF?

Palladium Fantasy and Rifts are seperate properties, so outside of the Conversion Book you will see virtually no crossover between the two. This is being done in an effort to avoid potential legal entanglements later on.

For example, if Bruckheimer uses a Wolfen in the movie, then somebody else licenses Palladium Fantasy for a video game, who owns the license to the Wolfen?

[grandmaster z0b]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

Is there anyway someone could elaborate on this more? What's the new spelling? What copyright/licensing issues? So that mention in Triax will be no longer canon? What about the Wolfen in PF?

Palladium Fantasy and Rifts are seperate properties, so outside of the Conversion Book you will see virtually no crossover between the two. This is being done in an effort to avoid potential legal entanglements later on.

For example, if Bruckheimer uses a Wolfen in the movie, then somebody else licenses Palladium Fantasy for a video game, who owns the license to the Wolfen?

Thanks Jason.
That's what I was worried about, one of the great things about Rifts is that it encompassed things from many different games but with it's own twist ie: Centaurs and CyberCentaurs. It's a pity we will see less and less of this crossover in canon.

[Nightmaster]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

What licensing issues? who owns the licence for the Wolfen?

[Jason Richards]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

Is there anyway someone could elaborate on this more? What's the new spelling? What copyright/licensing issues? So that mention in Triax will be no longer canon? What about the Wolfen in PF?

Palladium Fantasy and Rifts are seperate properties, so outside of the Conversion Book you will see virtually no crossover between the two. This is being done in an effort to avoid potential legal entanglements later on.

For example, if Bruckheimer uses a Wolfen in the movie, then somebody else licenses Palladium Fantasy for a video game, who owns the license to the Wolfen?

Thanks Jason.
That's what I was worried about, one of the great things about Rifts is that it encompassed things from many different games but with it's own twist ie: Centaurs and CyberCentaurs. It's a pity we will see less and less of this crossover in canon.

The Conversion Books are still fair game, so they won't completely vanish.

[Jason Richards]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

What licensing issues? who owns the licence for the Wolfen?

Palladium Fantasy and Rifts are seperate properties, so outside of the Conversion Book you will see virtually no crossover between the two. This is being done in an effort to avoid potential legal entanglements later on.

For example, if Bruckheimer uses a Wolfen in the movie, then somebody else licenses Palladium Fantasy for a video game, who owns the license to the Wolfen?

[Nightmaster]

There are a couple of people (myself incuded) who are working on or tossing around ideas for the medditerannean and the agean.

Great to hear, but dont forget the Wolfen in Italy.

I have heard that many people find then non canon because they appeared in a Rifter, but in the book TRIAX and the NGR, on page 216, they are refered to be a notable force in the region.

Hope to see more of that area.

Wolfen will no longer be included in Rifts books due to licensing issues, and I assume will be phased out elsewhere in future editions. Ever notice the sudden changing of the spelling of their name in Phase World? That's why.

What licensing issues? who owns the licence for the Wolfen?

Palladium Fantasy and Rifts are seperate properties, so outside of the Conversion Book you will see virtually no crossover between the two. This is being done in an effort to avoid potential legal entanglements later on.

For example, if Bruckheimer uses a Wolfen in the movie, then somebody else licenses Palladium Fantasy for a video game, who owns the license to the Wolfen?

Who is this Bruckheimer guy? he is the one that owns the Wolfen licence?

[Blight]

Palladium Fantasy and Rifts are separate properties, so outside of the Conversion Book you will see virtually no crossover between the two. This is being done in an effort to avoid potential legal entanglements later on.

For example, if Bruckheimer uses a Wolfen in the movie, then somebody else licenses Palladium Fantasy for a video game, who owns the license to the Wolfen?

Wait does not Keven own both? whats he gonna do sue himself for copyright infringement?

[Jason Richards]

The Wolfen are a single example. Let me explain.

Yes, Kevin owns the rights to the Wolfen. However, it is in Palladium's best interest to keep their properties seperate. This means having Palladium Fantasy be completely stand-alone with no ties to other games. Rifts completely stand-alone with no ties to other games. Heroes completely stand-alone with no ties to other games, etc.

As it stands right now, Wolfen appear in both Rifts and Palladium Fantasy. The problem comes in when someone like Jerry Bruckheimer (the producer that has optioned Rifts for a movie) purchases the right to use Rifts (i.e. "options," or "aquires" the license). Now say someone else comes along and wants to make a Palladium Fantasy movie.

Both of these companies have paid Palladium to use these game lines and everything in them. Who gets to use the Wolfen? Who gets to put a Wolfen on a t-shirt and sell it, or make a Wolfen action figure? That sort of conflict is why it is in Palladium's best interest to seperate their properties.

[Blight]

Ok, i get.It's a money thing.

[Nightmaster]

Holy crap... that is really lame... the very concept of the Rifts game is the fact that it crossover every palladium games into a single game line... i really dont understand it...

[grandmaster z0b]

Holy crap... that is really lame... the very concept of the Rifts game is the fact that it crossover every palladium games into a single game line... i really dont understand it...

Oh I understand why they're doing it, but I still think it sucks a bit. I didn't like the new dragons in RUE and I know that's why they were in there.
Still we can still use them ourselves in game, and we're more likely to see original ideas in new books rather than characters, monsters and races from other games.

[Jason Richards]

Holy crap... that is really lame... the very concept of the Rifts game is the fact that it crossover every palladium games into a single game line... i really dont understand it...

Well, that's not really true; the setting of Rifts is based on Earth being a big dimensional terminal. Palladium Fantasy is just one avenue, and one of the more heavily used, obviously. It's not about mixing up all of Palladium's games. What percentage of D-Bees/monsters in Rifts are from Palladium Fantasy? Not many.

Separating the properties is the smart thing to do. The Conversion Books covers what you need from other games.

[Mech-Viper Prime]

I like the megaverse angle vs the normal x belong to x and y to y crap

[CyCo]

So much for the Megaverse....

[Jason Richards]

The Wolfen are a single example. Let me explain.

Yes, Kevin owns the rights to the Wolfen. However, it is in Palladium's best interest to keep their properties seperate. This means having Palladium Fantasy be completely stand-alone with no ties to other games. Rifts completely stand-alone with no ties to other games. Heroes completely stand-alone with no ties to other games, etc.

As it stands right now, Wolfen appear in both Rifts and Palladium Fantasy. The problem comes in when someone like Jerry Bruckheimer (the producer that has optioned Rifts for a movie) purchases the right to use Rifts (i.e. "options," or "aquires" the license). Now say someone else comes along and wants to make a Palladium Fantasy movie.

Both of these companies have paid Palladium to use these game lines and everything in them. Who gets to use the Wolfen? Who gets to put a Wolfen on a t-shirt and sell it, or make a Wolfen action figure? That sort of conflict is why it is in Palladium's best interest to seperate their properties.

That's so dumb it makes Baby Cuthulu cry. Why not just stick a clause in both contracts that specifies non-exclusivity with regards to objects held in common in both properties, except for objects developed by the contactee?

That way Bruckheimer and Nokia can both use Wolfen, they just can't use artwork (for example) that the other party developed in house.

Or heck, specify fully shared rights with a royalties split. So if Bruckheimers movie poster becomes the iconic wolfen another Palladium contractee can stick it on a shirt as long as they pay both Palladium and Bruckheimer.

There's a lot more options than having the left half of your brain sue the right half over who gets to use the nostrils.

Because that's not the way it works. A company like Palladium doesn't get to call all the shots when dealing with giants like Nokia or JB. In fact, the reason we haven't seen things like video games prior to PoP is that when in dealings in the past, Kevin said that he wanted creative input to ensure that they stayed true to the source, then they walked.

To prove the point, Warner Bros put a stop to Justice League using iconic Batman villains like the Joker in the Bruce Timm cartoons to avoid license entanglements between their franchises.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

So much for the Megaverse....

Rules Lawyers may be able to gimp a game, but Real Lawyers can gimp the Megaverse...



~ Josh

[shadrak]

True that!!! Or, maybe not lawyers so much as the legal system itself screws people.

I am working with students at a university right now. Every day I see students that are being screwed by landlords who are taking illegal action against the students. Every day I have to tell them that, while the landlord is wrong, taking it to court may result in more trouble than they care for. I hate not being able to take everything to court, but in real life-it can be easier to settle, and at least you knew you won a little.

While it is "good to be king", the reverse is also true...it sucks to be the little guy.

[Nightmaster]

Holy crap... that is really lame... the very concept of the Rifts game is the fact that it crossover every palladium games into a single game line... i really dont understand it...

Well, that's not really true; the setting of Rifts is based on Earth being a big dimensional terminal. Palladium Fantasy is just one avenue, and one of the more heavily used, obviously. It's not about mixing up all of Palladium's games. What percentage of D-Bees/monsters in Rifts are from Palladium Fantasy? Not many.

Separating the properties is the smart thing to do. The Conversion Books covers what you need from other games.

Ok this is a lawyer stuff.

But that would not stop Palladium from using the Wolfen in the Rifts setting. In fact I dont see why they cant make use of the Wolfen in Italy of Rifts Earth like they were doing until now. The references in the RMB, TRIAX and other places about the presence of the Wolfen in Italy created a great nation to thrown in for the players.

I cant talk for all the fans of Rifts, but I bet that at least half of then would love to see official material on the Wolfen in Italy from Palladium Books itself.

[Jason Richards]

Ok this is a lawyer stuff.

But that would not stop Palladium from using the Wolfen in the Rifts setting. In fact I dont see why they cant make use of the Wolfen in Italy of Rifts Earth like they were doing until now. The references in the RMB, TRIAX and other places about the presence of the Wolfen in Italy created a great nation to thrown in for the players.

I cant talk for all the fans of Rifts, but I bet that at least half of then would love to see official material on the Wolfen in Italy from Palladium Books itself.

You might not agree with it, but that doesn't change the facts. Palladium doesn't separate their properties for kicks; they do it for legal protection and maximization of their license potential.

Crossing your properties causes potential licensing problems. As I said before, this is why WB denied Bruce Timm and the producers responsible for the Justice League cartoon that they couldn't use certain characters, such as the Joker.

[grandmaster z0b]

Still nothing has made Palladium do that, they're doing it to maximise the potential for profit through licensing. They shouldn't worry about it too much because nobody's ever going to license Palladium Fantasy, it's a good game but not interesting or popular enough to make anything else out it.
A PF movie, book, comic, or computer game? I doubt it.

On the other hand they could forget about licensing stuff and focus on what the people who keep the company in business want; good Rifts products.

Let's not pretend that the reason Palladium's still in business is the Rifts line and the fans (us) that buy every single book in that line.

[Aramanthus]

It's sad to think that the Wolfen are going to not be a part of the total Palladium experience anymore. I'm going to keep them in my game no matter what is officially said.

[Aramanthus]

Taalsimn, those were some great stuff you posted!

[Jason Richards]

Because that's not the way it works. A company like Palladium doesn't get to call all the shots when dealing with giants like Nokia or JB. In fact, the reason we haven't seen things like video games prior to PoP is that when in dealings in the past, Kevin said that he wanted creative input to ensure that they stayed true to the source, then they walked.

To prove the point, Warner Bros put a stop to Justice League using iconic Batman villains like the Joker in the Bruce Timm cartoons to avoid license entanglements between their franchises.

Ok, granted you don't get to call all the shots, indeed the mutual rights thing is a pipe dream, but specifying non-exclusivity of common objects shared among your properties is pretty much a must. Otherwise you open yourself up to some nasty possibilities. For example assume JB makes his film and later you get bioware to make a PFRPG title. At that point some pinhead in the studio can decide that a mage casting firebolts in the crpg is an infringement of the laser bolt effects from the movie and now you're tied up in court anyway, and it scares off the guys who wanted to make a Heros Unlimited cartoon.

I think you're starting to stretch a little.

[Jason Richards]

Still nothing has made Palladium do that, they're doing it to maximise the potential for profit through licensing. They shouldn't worry about it too much because nobody's ever going to license Palladium Fantasy, it's a good game but not interesting or popular enough to make anything else out it.
A PF movie, book, comic, or computer game? I doubt it.

On the other hand they could forget about licensing stuff and focus on what the people who keep the company in business want; good Rifts products.

Let's not pretend that the reason Palladium's still in business is the Rifts line and the fans (us) that buy every single book in that line.

You're right. Palladium shouldn't "sell out" by protecting their properties and maximizing their license opportunities. They're a charity after all, not a business.

[Josh Sinsapaugh]

On the other hand they could forget about licensing stuff and focus on what the people who keep the company in business want; good Rifts products.

Liscensing takes next to zero time and zero money away from the company, so liscensing off a property in no way delays new supplements (unless said supplements are intrinsically linked with the liscence, that hasn't happened yet though).

~ Josh

[taalismn]

Taalsimn, those were some great stuff you posted!

Thanks, I hope to also expand on what the New Roman Republic is rushing to the front, as its economy takes on a war-footing, and increased trade with other Med and European(and some overeas) powers allows for increased tech-exchanges, import/exports, and the need to develop a Navy to protect its trade routes....

Of course, the Phoenix Empire will ALSO be bringing new forces to light, as wartime needs and the expanding Empire force new developments...

[Aramanthus]

I'm looking forward to seeing what it is your going to post!

[Aramanthus]

I know what you are saying Argos. I'm still interested in seeing some new stuff Taalismn said he was going to post!!!

[taalismn]

I'm less interested in lawyers and IPRs than in presenting material I know will never be considered for printing in Palladium BOoks, while exploring an alternate possibility(or maybe SEVERAL alternate possibilities) of events, people, and technologies in parts of the globe/megaverse that are unlikley to garner much attention, let alone an entire book, from Palladium....and hopefully, in doing so, others will enjoy, and maybe add to my material...

So, anybody got some ideas for what's going down in the Med? Or would like to see some things now rather than wait on the offhand change KS will sneak in Rifts: Italia or Rifts: New Greece into the printing schedule?

[Aramanthus]

I know! I've got a binder of my own stuff that'll never see print. And I've added to it continuously since I first found Rifts and Phase World. I love adding it to my game and allowing my players to use it. And those licencing agreements can be such a pain in the back side.

[Pax Concord]

On the other hand they could forget about licensing stuff and focus on what the people who keep the company in business want; good Rifts products.

Liscensing takes next to zero time and zero money away from the company, so liscensing off a property in no way delays new supplements (unless said supplements are intrinsically linked with the liscence, that hasn't happened yet though).

~ Josh

I seem to recall Kevin saying that it took literally years of meetings to negotiate the Bruckheimer deal. This is not a trivial thing, considering how hands-on Kevin is with the management of the company. Every hour spent meeting with a corporate suit is one less hour writing, running the publishing company, etc.

[Aramanthus]

Hmmmm. No new equipment yet........ ::::Tapping foot:::

[taalismn]

Hmmmm. No new equipment yet........ ::::Tapping foot:::

It ain't easy. man!!!

[taalismn]

Okay.....because I already have this on the shelf, and it is Italian-based...

PS AAB70 Flycatcher Semi-Mobile AntiAircraft Gun System
(Aka ‘Breda Bunker’, ‘PillDome’)

“With the jigs up and running, we can automate the whole assembly process for the turret castings...Incredible to watch...Like a tire assembly press....First the dome ceramic is cast in shape and comes smoking out of these enormous roll-through kiln ovens. They come rolling out upside down, and as soon as they’ve cooled, they get popped down into another mold, this time lined with the resin sheets. Another steam press and the first layer of fiberglass is in place...Then the dome’s hoisted over to another rig like a big cupholder, the inside is lined with another layer of resin sheets, another press comes down, and POP! Ceramic cobham sandwich. A quick sandblast to cut away any rough edges before the polymers set and you need a laser torch to cut it, a few quick passes with the paint sprayers, flip it rightside, and carry it over to the gun carriage assembly line, and pop it over the next gun in line. CLICK-CLACK-BOLT-and-POLISH, and we’re ready to ship! We can assemble up to five turrets an hour like that, fifteen if we didn’t have to wait on the gun assemblies. With five assembly lines going, we can make good on any production orders, domestic or foreign.”
-----Lisa Cramden, Foreman, Paladin Steel Heavy Machinery Assermbly Plant #15, Springfield Arsenal(Ordnance Division)

“Great...that little village just sprouted a whole crop of ‘dumpsters’ and ‘warts’...That’s missile launchers and gun turrets to you recruits...Guess we can forget about neutralizing this burgh with a shock and awe airstrike.....Someone thinks this place is worth the trouble of mounting air defense in depth....”
-----Coalition Special Forces Scout Sergeant Dmitri Simmons, Kentucky Valley Ops Area.

"WHAT?! WE're being painted?! No matter, nothing the dogs have will bring us do.....BY THE OVEREYE!!! LOOK AT ALL THAT ^^&^&^ IN THE AIR!!!THEY'RE THROWING ENOUGH METAL----"
----Recovered Kittani Flight Recorder, fished out of the ocean off Crete's western coast.

The PS AAB70 Gun System is another adaptation of a pre-Rifts AAA system, the Italian Breda 40L70, and was developed in league with the New Roman Republic as a joint defense-systems venture. The AAB70 is essentially a trailer-borne armored anti-aircraft gun turret, that can be quickly towed into position, hooked up to a fire control system, often in concert with other weapons in a battery.
The AAB70 itself is actually quite elegant, consisting of a low four-wheeled trailer, on which is mounted a large streamlined turret of heavy megadamage ceramics and resined glass fibers(MDC fiberglass). The turret has its own power supply powering the actuators, feed mechanisms, and traverse gear; typically an onboard battery or fuel cell. Deployable jacks stabilize the turret and raise the road wheels off the ground when ready for firing. The turret has a full 360-degree rotation, and the turret gun mantle permits 5-degree depression and 80-degree elevation. The armament is a pair of heavy cannon; either two 40-mm autocannon or a pair of heavy rail guns, feeding from a large internal magazine in the lower half of the turret. The turret is typically remote controlled, but in an emergency, a gunner can squeeze inside and manually fire the weapons; this is not recommended, however, as the AAB70’s interior is cramped and confining, and lacks everything but the most rudimentary optical sighting mechanism.
The ABB70's main weaponry is a pair of 40mm rapid-fire cannons, based on a pre-Rifts Bofors design. The conventional cannon design allows for ease of maintenance, and versatility of ammunition, since a variety of types can be loaded. Paladin Steel has also used the same turret-housing to mount other weapons types as well, including air defense lasers and other rail gun types.
Though intended primarily for air defense applications, the AAB70 has also proven itself as an effective static defense weapon in engaging ground targets. It can be quickly towed into position and set in place to defend a point against enemy advances, or secure captured territory. The AAB70 is typically deployed in three-turret batteries, supported by a 12-man battery squad(with three hauler/ammunition supply trucks and a fourth battery radar/fire control/command vehicle).
The AAB70 has been adopted by both the GNE and the New Roman Republic, and PS anticipates sales to other communities in North America.
The AAB70 is manufactured in Rome by Jovis Melaratechnica, a state-sponsored company responsible for salvaging and adapting technology acquired from the OTO Melara and Breda factory sites. The system is increasingly common with military units, being initially distributed to regional urban air-defense batteries, but has been making its way to front line troops where the batteries are frequently deployed to cover field camps, communications centers, and defensive positions. Several batteries have already been deployed to Crete, to cover Roman landing and bivouc zones.
Type: PS-NRR-AAB70
Class: Mobile Air Defense Platform
Crew:
A three-turret battery will typically have a 12 man crew; 4 drivers, 5 engineers/gunners(double as ground security), and 3 sensor/communications technicians manning the fire control and radar, though a battery can be effectively ‘fought’ by a minimum of two people.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Turret 200
Trailer Tires(4) 20 each
Stabilizer Pylons(6) 15 each
Height: 9 ft
Width: 10 ft
Length: 26 ft
Weight: 12 tons
Cargo: None
Powerplant: Onboard electrical generator(typically fuel cell or liquid fuel) typically good for 36 hours of continuous operation before needing refueling/recharging
Speed: None; towed artillery
Market Cost: 350,000 credits for the basic unit
Systems of Note:
*360-degree traverse
*Radar Fire Control----Standalone unit; the standard stand-radar will have a range of 15 miles, though other systems may be substituted.
Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Rapid-Fire Cannons---The AAB70 can be fitted with either a set of 40mm heavy autocannon, a set of high-powered rail cannons, or a quad laser array(though the last requires a portable nuclear power source). The turret has 360-degree traverse and -13 degree depression/85 degree elevation.
a) 40mm Autocannon
Range: 2.6 miles
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 3d6 MD to 15 ft blast radius
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 5d6 MD single shot
(High Explosive Tracer) 4d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 444 rounds
Cost: 300,000 credits(ammunition costs extra)

b) PS-NAC-8 Heavy Rail Cannon----Copied from Iron Heart Armaments' designs(courtesy of refugee enegineers), this weapon has also been shared with the New Roman Republic.
Range: 11,000 ft(2 miles)
Damage: 3d4x10 MD per 40 rd burst(can only fire bursts)
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:20,000 rds
Cost: 800,000 credits

c)RFL-42 Slayer Quad-Laser Cannon---The powerful PS-RFL-40, a new PS laser weapons system with better range and a redesigned coolant jacket. This weapon is currently NOT available to the NRR(though they are reportedly developing their own energy weapon versions using reverse-engineered Triax hardware as basises).
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 2d4x10 MD short burst (four shots, one from each barrel), 4d4x10 MD medium burst (eight shots, two from each barrel in sequence), 4d6x10 MD long burst (takes two attacks), or 6d6x10 MD full melee burst (takes three attacks).
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Cost: 4 million credits; rarely available

[taalismn]

Here's what I got so far for an Italian/New Roman Navy....A little rushed...

I'm open to suggestions and changes...

New Roman Republic Navy

The New Roman Republic is, like its esteemed ancestor, best known as a LAND-based military power, with what few naval squadrons it possessed acting as coastal patrol craft, or adjutants to the Legions. The invasion of Sicily was carried out primarily with converted merchant ships, escorted by gunboats and patrol craft that helped seize the main ports and beachheads from the lightly armed Sicilians and Mafia. Another consideration was the largely defensive roles of the Republican armed forces in securing the Italian peninsula and protecting the northern regions from gargoyle and brodkil attacks. The New Roman Republic had no plans to expand in directions its legions couldn’t simply march, and thus most of the available military funding went to building up the army, and not on expensive warships for the largely coast-bound navy.
However, increasing aggression from the Phoenix Empire has forced the NRR to rethink its emphasis on land forces. Though the Pharoah’s naval forces were little better than the Republic’s, the Pharoah’s ambitions have fuelled an enthusiastic use of the small craft in pirate raids throughout the Meditterrean region. Improvements in the production of the SandSkimmers and other hovercraft, modifying them into lethal long range attack craft capable of crossing the sea to engage in raids and harassment strikes, has alarmed coastal communities and regional powers throughout the region. The 109 P.A. invasion of Crete, and the slaughter of the New Minoan communes there came as a rude wakeup call to the Romans, who immediately dispatched forces there to fight a bitter rear guard while Roman traders and dependents, as well as hundred of refugees, fled the island to the mainland. The Roman legions found themselves badly in need of adequate naval support vessels in the campaign, and so, under great pressure, the Senate approved a Naval Reconstruction Bill, to modernize and expand the Roman Navy.
While the domestic shipbuilding firms in Naples and New Venice geared up for large-scale ship construction, the Senate in the meantime approved the buying of several ships from North American Paladin Steel, with several recovered technlogies being fitted to the new ships, and licensing given to PS as part of the commission. In all, the New Roman republic would purchase three Farragut class Frigates, two Neptune-class submarines, and a Freedom-class transport, before the first Ostaria-class frigate would slip from the Naples slips.



The New Roman Navy
The naval forces of the New Roman Republic have been decidedly small, compared to its landbased forces, largely because most of the Republic’s most pressing security issues have been along its land borders. The Navy was largely intended to police the coast and move the armies to whatever coastal beachhead was required. With manpower needed elsewhere, the New Roman Republic didn’t have much need or desire to build a large and prohibitively expensive navy. Thus, the bulk of its navy has consisted of freighter-transports and small patrol craft.
The increasing ambitions of the New Phoenix Empire, the revelations of New German sea power(and their own increasing presence in the Med), and the need to protect their water trade routes have forced the Republic to rethink its naval policy. The Senate has voted the funds for a naval training and build-up programme, and has finally split off the Navy as its own organizational body, using the organization and rank tree of the old pre-Rifts Italian Navy as its basis(the ‘classic’ Roman Republic having no equivalents).
(Note: New Roman aviation assets are NOT part of a separate Roman Air Force command as yet, but are divided up among the Legions(as army aviation support elements) and the Navy(maritime patrol aircraft and ship-based aircraft). This is likely to cause some problems in the forseeable future as the Legions and Navy, feeling its oats, have already had some difference of opinion on under whose command the new Tempesta bombers should be...The Legions feel that they belong under army control as airborne artillery, while the Navy feels that they are primarily maritime strike assets).
In the short term, the Roman Republic has acquired several large warships from outside sources, but has had them modified with Roman-built and compatible weapons systems. It has also converted a number of its merchant ships into naval auxiliaries and combat carriers. In the long term, however, the NRR is gearing up for large ship construction, with the expansion of the shipyards at New Venice and Napoli. It has also acquired a number of small submarines from Tarnow and other naval kingdoms.
Of course, the new naval expansion has raised the problem of manning the new ships and the massive shoreside logistical machine to keep the larger Navy running. The Navy has offering recruitment incentives for new naval sign-ons and has had to make several as-yet-undisclosed political deals with members of the Senate to expand the middle bureaucracy in their port cities. Some Naval officers wonder if the appointment of certain paper-pushers as political favors to expedite the expanion isn’t going to come back to bite them in the rear in the future.....


New Roman Navy ‘Lepanto’-class Light Aircraft Carrier
“We live on a peninsula surrounded on three sides by water...our life blood of trade travels best over the coastal waterways and the crossroads of the Mediterranean....Why then, is everyone surprised that we should turn to naval endeavor? Is not fate, is it not destiny, that Roman ships should cleave the waters as our Legions march the land? Should we not be as strong on our waterways as we are on our grand roads?
This is but the beginning of our destiny on these waters that have given us so much...to return in strength to the Mediterranean, to protect not only our homeland, but those who look up to New Rome as an example of prosperity and strength in these troubled times!”
-----Admiral Enrico Grazzi, New Roman Republic Navy, at the commissioning of the CVS ‘Barragio’.

The Lepanto-class is the latest and largest of the New Roman Republic’s new home-grown naval designs, intended to support the Navy’s increasing role in power projection. The New Roman Republic currently has two ships in service, the Barragio and the Lepanto(just launched), a third ship under construction, and a fourth budgeted for in the next three years of the Naval Plan.
The Lepanto seems to be a combination of design influences, as noted by scholars with knowledge of pre-Rifts design. The class seems to draw most heavily on an ancient Italian Navy design for a helicopter carrier, the CVS Vittorio Veneto, in general layout, but the trimarran hull seems more similar to late period naval vessels, such as the Baker-class United States Coast Guard Cutters, and the Farragut-class frigates the Roman Republic has acquired from North America. However, construction of the Lepantos preceded the acquisition of the latter, so it is more likely that the design data is original, rather than brought in from abroad.
The Lepantos are designed as multipurpose support ships, in keeping with the New Roman Republic’s emphasis on its Legion and Marine forces, with naval forces acting in coastal defense, or in support of amphibious operations, rather than as independent forces. Thus, in addition to its force of VTOLs, the Lepanto supports a small force of power armor and naval infantry. The cruisers even carry a pair of mini-subs for hull repairs, underwater demolitions disposal, and harbor security. Its weapons complement is designed primarily around defense, both of its taskforce and of its embarked troops. The main missile batteries are multipurpose, able to fire a variety of missile types; from air defense interceptors and anti-ship cruise missiles, to surface bombardment projectiles and rocket-assisted torpedoes.
Almost as soon as it completed sea trials, the first ship of the class, the Barragio, was sent to support the Roman Expeditionary Force to the beleagured island of Crete. There, the ship has performed admirably in support of the Aegean taskforces, and as a support ship for squadrons of Gavia seaplane bombers, refueling and rearming them at sea.
Type: NRR-CVS
Class: Light Aircraft Carrier/Cruiser
Date of Introduction: 110 PA
Crew: 550
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 8,000
Armored Bridge 900
Radar/Sensor Masts(2) 300 each
Forward Medium Range Missile Launcher 150
Long Range Missile Launchers(6) 100 each
80mm Rail Gun Turrets(8) 250 each
40mm Cannon Turrets(3) 200 each
CIS Turrets(2) 100 each
Rear Landing Deck 1,000
Deck Cranes(2) 90 each

Draft: 18 ft
Width/Beam: 102 ft
Length: 590 ft
Weight: 9, 500 tons
Cargo: 300 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 30 year energy life
Speed: 40 MPH
Market Cost: Exclusive to the NRR and not for sale. It costs the NRR some 90 million credits(180 million lira) to construct one of these ships.
Systems of Note:
All Common Ships’ Systems, plus:
*Long Range Search and Targetting Radar---150 mile range
*Long Range Sonar----25 mile range
Weapons Systems:
1)Long Range Cruise Missile Launchers(6)----The Lepanto mounts three angled launch boxes on either side of the hull, each holding two long range cruise missiles. The Roman military has only recently begun producing LRMs with technical assistance from its allies, and the Navy has priority on the new ‘Teseao IV’-series cruise missiles. These weapons are typically used against enemy naval targets that have been spotted over the horizon by the Lepantos’ aircraft, but they can also be used to attack inland targets that have been painted by shore forces.
Range:Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 12, 2 per launcher
An additional 36 missiles can be carried as cargo, and reloaded into the launchers, but it takes about 30 minutes to completely reload a launcher(not designed for automatic reloading)

2)Medium Range Missile Launcher---Mounted in the forward hull is a VLS module for firing medium range missiles. The MRM system can accommodate any mix of SSMs, SAMs, and Asroc ASW weapons, making this the weapon of choice for long range attacks.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-32
Payload: 64
Automatically reloads from lower deck magazine

3) 80mm Long-Barreled Rail Cannon(8x1)---These are modified versions of a North American design( the PS-MDJ80M Gauss Cannon), that the NRR acquired in a technology exchange. The Lepanto mounts eight of these weapons in single mount turrets for heavy air defense and anti-ship defense.
Weight: 5,800 lbs (2.9 tons)
Range: (Direct Fire)25,000 ft (5 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 62,500 ft (12.5 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)----1d4x10 MD to 15 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 3d4x10 MD to 5 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 5d6 MD to 30 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 3d6x10 MD out to 6,600 ft, 2d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: 5 shots per melee
Payload: Each cannon typically has 200 rds ready to fire

4) 40mm Cannon Turrets(3x2)----The Lepanto mounts three turrets, each holding a pair of 40mm rapid fire autocannon. One is mounted forward, just aft of the main MRM launcher array, and the other two turrets flank the rear flight deck.
Recent rumor is that the NRR Navy is currently negotiating with North American-based Paladin Steel for supercavitation rounds that would allow the guns to be able to more effectively engage submerged targets like submarine monsters, mines, and torpedoes.
Range: 2.6 miles
(Supercavitation rounds would be able to engage submerged targets out to 4,000 ft and up to 80 ft underwater)
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 3d6 MD to 15 ft blast radius
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 5d6 MD single shot
(High Explosive Tracer) 4d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 450 rounds per turret

5) Phalanx Close-In Defense Systems(2)----The Lepanto mounts two automated Oto Melara ‘Goalkeeper III’ rapid-fire multi-barrel rail cannon for engaging low-flying aircraft and sea-skimming anti-ship missiles. One turret is mounted on the end of each ‘outrigger’ hull for maximum arc of fire.
Range: 6,000 ft
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

6) ASW Heavy Torpedo Tubes(6) ---Hidden behind sliding armored shutters in the hull, three to a side, are these heavy torpedo launchers. Usually they fire in trio, but when engaging targets behind, in front, or below, the vessel, they can fire in synch, the torpedoes homing in on the designated target. These are primarily meant to engage underwater vehicles and monsters that threaten the ship from below, but can be used to attack surface craft.
Range: 20 miles
Damage: 4d6x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 36 torpedoes are typically carried

7) Countermeasure Mortars(8, 4 RBOC-2s, and 4 Replica Launchers)---Mounted around the ship’s deck are several mortar projectors added for anti-missile countermeasures. The systems were actually designed overseas by the NRR’s trade partner in North America, Paladin Steel, as part of the mutually beneficial exchange of technology between the two nation-states. The Napoli Naval Yards manufacture a licensed version of the American systems.
Paladin Steel has adopted a series of standard countermeasure packages for use aboard their vessels. Notably they have adapted the US Navy Mk 38 Rapid Bloom Off-Board Countermeasures(RBOC-2) launcher system and the Replica radar signature decoy system. The RBOC-2 fires rocket-mortar shells of flares and chaff up to 1.25 miles away, to heights of 3,000 ft(the better to fool missiles coming in over the horizon), and fires clouds of chaff from deck mortars at closer ranges to confuse other guided weapons).
The Replica system resembles a folded-liferaft capsule when in its launcher, but can be fired off up to 300 ft, and rapidly unfolds to become two linked floating radar and sonar reflectors that give the appearance of a much larger object, and hopefully divert enemy fire and attention away from the targeted vessel.
A variant on this system includes attaching active sonar decoys or “Screamers” to attract or confuse acoustic sensors and homing torpedoes.
Range: The RBOC can toss decoy bundles 1.25 miles, and to an altitude of 3,000 ft
Damage: None. The RBOC is too inaccurate to be used as an effective weapon(oh, it could probably blow a person off the deck if they were standing too close, but that goes without saying) Effects are 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!
(Flare/Chaff)Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: Flare/Chaff launchers typically have 10 shells each. A Replica launcher will have 2 decoys per launcher.


Auxiliary Craft:
10 Light VTOLs(typically navalized Sinestra fighters or LOHs)
OR
5 Heavy Transport VTOLs(typically NRH-10 Augustine Helicopters)
OR
4 Gavia Seaplane Patrol Bombers
4 Ship’s Launches/Heavy Lifeboats(equivalent to a light patrol boat----200 MDC each, and can move at 40 MPH, and carry two rail guns and a mini-missile launcher)
2 Mini-Subs(UB-300s)

[taalismn]

The New Roman Air Force
The New Roman Republic has always prided itself on having, like its predeccessor, a strong land army. The Navy came about initially as a coastal guard, then as an extension of the Army in shuttling the Army about on the water and supporting coastal actions, such as the invasion of Siciliy, before it began to become its own entity, largely to meet the threat of the New Phoenix Empire and its raids on regional shipping. The idea of a separate Roman Air Force has taken longer to germinate, as it has traditionally met formidable resistance from the conservative Senate(many of whom are retired army officers). The air forces have largely been seen as an extension of the existing Legion(aka land army) structure, with an emphasis on close support of the ground troops. Hence, the air forces were limited to flying power armors, helicopters, and a few air transports. The few dedicated fighters the Romans possessed were low-cost, short range, point defense aircraft, stationed at small aerodromes around the main cities, arrayed for quick-scramble to intercept airborne enemies(however, the bulk of air defense was carried out by units equipped with AA artillery mounts and missiles).
However, due to some fortuitous alliances with other powers(including several North American nation-states), technology exchanges and shared development programs have allowed the New Romans to overcome some of the earlier hurdles and contemplate aviation programs that would previously have been prohibitively expensive to do alone. The upgrading of Roman industries to produce aviation-grade fusion-nuclear powerplants has been one important step to re-establishing a domestic high-tech aviation industry, though the expense of producing such units, and the present lack of suitable platforms to install them in, continues to limit their number and distribution.
The New Roman Air Force continues to be structured around supporting the Army and Navy, with attention focussed on tactical support aircraft. Since the most likely enemies of the New Roman Republic, the Phoenix Empire and the Gargoyles, both appear to lack supersonic flight capabilities, the Republic has been in no rush to build expensive Mach One+ aircraft. Compared to other current Rifts Earth nations with air forces, the New Roman Republic’s is still small; a force of ‘snub fighters, windmills, and barn bombers’, as one NGR fighterjock derisively called it.


New Roman Republic NRH-10 Augustine Heavy Transport Helicopter

“Make no mistake...Ignore what the beast-riders say about us...We are more than just airborne transport, we are just as much ‘Cavalry’ as they are...So what if we are not ‘traditional’? I don’t hear the monster-riders of the ‘traditional’ Cavalry complaining about the Phalanx tanks or other armored vehicles...But the helicopters? We are competition...though I notice that the ‘riders are curiously quiet when we have to fly to their rescue...Oh, yes, they are as glad as anyone to see the AirCav arrive to save them!”
---Vadus Horatious, New Roman Republic II Legion Aviation Transport

The NRH-10 Augustine is currently the primary transport helicopter of the New Roman Republic Legions. Locally built at Napoli, the Augustine is a robust, twin-rotor transport helo that reminds some aviation historians of a ‘Chinook on steroids’. A wide body frame of reinforced megadamage composites provides both enough room for a sizeable cargo and passenger load, while affording them substantial protection from both elements and enemy action. While the two large rotors remain the most vulnerable part of any helicopter, the blades and hubs have been sufficiently armored against damage that in most cases of rotor impairment, the crew will have enough time to brace for impact and rotor to the ground, or abandon their stricken aircraft(bail out). A large rear ramp and two large side access doors allow quick loadings and disembarkment of troops and cargo.
The Augustine can be powered by either a conventional engine or a nuclear fusion power plant, however, most NRH-10s have a fuel cell engine installed for economy. This limits the range of the ‘copters, but lowers the cost and maintenance considerations, and the conventionally-fueled turbine is reliable and well-liked by Roman aviation mechanics for its toughness.
Because the Augustine is often expected to operate in combat zones, it is well-armed, with both a powered chin weapons turret, and multiple pylon-mount weapons stations. A pair of sidedoor gun stations add to the firepower, allowing the Augustine to be used quite effectively as a gunship. These side gun stations are also fitted with fire-synchronization gear, allowing the guns to fire upward through the arc of the main rotorblades, and allowing the side gunners to more effectively act in the air defense role against enemy power armors and fliers approaching the helicopter from above. The fire-synchronization gear has had its share of problems, however, as novice mechanics often forget to check and re-engage the synch-attachments when servicing the side guns, resulting in incidents of the Augustine gun crews ‘shooting themselves in the foot’ on missions.
Because the Augustine contains no sensitive technologies, it is available for sale on the Black Market; the NRR has sold over forty to the Spanish kingdom of Dantegard alone, and more, in smaller contract-lots, to various kingdoms and groups around the Med.
Type: NRR-NRH-10
Class: Heavy Transport Helicopter
Date of Introduction: 107 PA
Crew: Two(pilot and copilot), but typically operates with a crew of five(flight crew, gunnery/sensor officer, and two door gunners), Can carry up to 30 Legionnaire infantry, or 10 power armored troopers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Main Rotors(2) 80 each
Side Doors(2) 55 each
Rear Ramp 60
Forward Chin Turret 45

Height: 16 ft
Width/Beam: Rotor Diameter 50 ft
Length: 46 ft
Weight: 26,800 lbs
Cargo: Can carry up to 5 tons internally, in addition to emergency gear and survival packs.
Can lift up to 18 tons in a cargo sling under the main body
Powerplant: Fuel Cell w/ 600 mile range OR Nuclear Fusion w/ 10 year energy life
Speed: Hover to 160 MPH, Maximum Altitude 14,000 ft
Market Cost:
Systems of Note:
*Standard Short-/Long-Range Radio Communications, Emergency Transponder, Cabin Air Filtration System/NBC Shielding, Internal Fire Extinguisher System, etc.
*Radar---50 mile range
*Thermographic, Infrared, and Low-Light Optics
*High-Powered Spotlights(normal light and IR)
*Cargo Winch----Can lift up to 8 tons up to the side or rear hatches
Weapons Systems:
1) Turret-Mount Rail Guns(2)---Mounted in a chin turret with a 180-degree arc of fire are two heavy multi-barrel rapid-fire rail guns
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:1 MD single shot, 3d6 MD per 15 rd burst, and 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3,000 rd drum per gun

2)Short Range Missiles---Each side of the helicopter has a small winglet fitted with ordnance hardpoints for carrying mini-missile or short range missile launcher pods.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: (Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1-16
(SRMs)Volleys of 1-4
Payload: (Mini-Missiles)32 MMs per hardpoint pod, 64 MMs total
(SRMs)4 SRMs per hardpoint pod, 8 SRMs total

3)Medium Range Missiles(2)---These are typically sea-skimming anti-ship weapons or anti-armor tank busters. One is carried on each side.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-2(all)
Payload: 2 total

4)Pintle Mount Door Guns(2, one each side)----Typically a pair of machine guns or light rail guns are mounted in the doors, but any light energy weapon/heavy infantry weapon can be mounted.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1 MD single shot, 3d6 MD per 15 rd burst, and 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3,000 rd drum

Variants:
NRH-10(C)---The civilian model, fitted with a liquid fuel engine and no weapons hardpoints.

NRH-10(N)---The naval version, that has emergency floatation bags, the option of carrying torpedoes in the place of missiles, and a dunking sonar array

NRH-10(R)---An assault model conversion, only a handful of which have been built so far. The NRH-10(R) mounts 50% more armor, a mast-mounted sight, and extended-size weapons pylons, capable of holding TWICE the amount of ordnance(or can carry up to 8 MRMs per wing). The twin light rail guns have been replaced by a single heavy caliber gatling cannon(4,000 ft range, MD per round burst...can only fire bursts...round payload), and a pair of light lasers(4,000 ft, 4d6 MD per blast, effectively unlimited payload. The NRH-10(R) can carry only HALF the original troop/cargo complement.


New Roman Republic NRRC-4 ‘Jupiter’ Transport Aircraft

“Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it only took our transport squadron a night to move the Twelfth Cohort into a flanking position to intercept Grandal’s horde!”

The NRRC-4 is the primary airlifter of the Roman military; a fixed-wing cargo transport aircraft similar in concept and performance to the nearly ubiquitous pre-Rifts C-130 Hercules. It is a VSTOL design, capable of operating from unimproved dirt runways, with its large flaps, massive upper surface wing blowing engines, and large variable-pressure landing gear. The rear-loading cargo bay is large enough to accommodate three light armored vehicles or two light tanks. The NRRC-4 also has the distinction of being one of the few nuclear-powered Roman aircraft, courtesy of the Roman aviation industries' growing expertise in building airworthy fusion powerplants.
Like just about every vehicle operating on Rifts Earth, the NRRC-4 is both armed and armored, though given its transport role, the modest protection and armament is intended to allow the transport enough time to disengage from trouble, rather than allow it to engage in heavy combat. Though designated as a ‘medium’ air transport, it is actually the largest aircraft currently available to the New Roman Legions, and currently produced by the nascent New Roman aviation industry.
The NRR has two dozen of these large aircraft(in addition to several dozen more conventional prop-driven tactical air transports), but given their utility, rarely risks them in deployments to ‘hot’ combat zones without substantial airborne escort. Rather than attach the valuable aircraft to particular Legions, the NRRC-4s are operated and maintained by the small New Roman Air Force/Air Transport Command, and their use authorized by the High Command as need warrents.
Type: NRRC-4
Class: Medium Airborne Cargo Transport
Date of Introduction: 108 PA
Crew: Eight(pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio-operator, and four gunners). Typically also operates with a cargo officer
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Tail 100
Wings(2) 120 each
Engines(4) 80 each

Height: 32 ft
Width/Beam: 100 ft wingspan
Length: 98 ft
Weight: 100,000 lbs
Cargo: 36 tons in the rear cargo bay
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 10 year energy life
Speed: 450 MPH, maximum altitude 38,000 ft
Market Cost:12 million credits if made available on the Black Market
Systems of Note:
Standard Aircraft Avionics
*Radar------90 mile range
*Long Range Radio---200 mile range
*Pressurized Cabin
Weapons Systems:
1) Light Rail Gun Turrets(4, one roof mount, one tail gun turret, and two side blister mounts)
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:1 MD single shot, 3d6 MD per 15 rd burst, and 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3,000 rd drum per gun
2) Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)----Mounted on the trailing edge of the main wing are a pair of anti-missile countermeasure launchers.
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, 24 total

Variants:
NRRC-4D----A 'budget' model developed to placate the lira-pinchers in the Senate, the NRRC-4 returns to a liquid-fuel propulsion system. The NRRC-4D adds another 9,000 lbs of weight for fuel tankage, and has an operational range of about 1,000 miles, but costs about 9 million credits.

[Aramanthus]

Very nice addiations! Thank you for being so good at responding to request!

[grandmaster z0b]

Still nothing has made Palladium do that, they're doing it to maximise the potential for profit through licensing. They shouldn't worry about it too much because nobody's ever going to license Palladium Fantasy, it's a good game but not interesting or popular enough to make anything else out it.
A PF movie, book, comic, or computer game? I doubt it.

On the other hand they could forget about licensing stuff and focus on what the people who keep the company in business want; good Rifts products.

Let's not pretend that the reason Palladium's still in business is the Rifts line and the fans (us) that buy every single book in that line.

You're right. Palladium shouldn't "sell out" by protecting their properties and maximizing their license opportunities. They're a charity after all, not a business.

No Jason, I mean in a business sense most of the money comes from selling books from the Rifts line, and it's a pity if that line suffers for the purpose of hoping to one day sell the PFRPG license which I think will never happen anyway. I'm not trying to give PB business advice, I'm just sharing my opinion on what would be better for me as a loyal fan who gives heaps of money to Palladium's products, which is my right.
Oh and thanks for another pleasant and forthwright answer

[RockJock]

I agree that the chance of PF ever being a movie property is very low. As far as the contamination goes, you already have Wolfen in Phase World, and mentioned as NPCS in Rifts.

There is so much history in the Med that you can do whatever you want. I've thought of trying to do something like the Labors of Hercules for a group of players. The difference would be that if the labors are completed then something big will happen. A lost city returns(ancient with magic, not Golden Age), return of an ambassador from the NGR who was kidnapped and presumed killed, a gift that will unite kingdoms, the intervention of the gods, something.