Paladin Steel Storefront

[taalismn]

(Thanks to Raven for his original thoughts on this)

One of the many projects I never went forward with.... I really need to get back to writing...

Don't push yourself on my account....we all have things to do, and our own priorities.

Paladin Steel still does not know the full extent of Kera-Tech's transdimensional holdings... If I didn't have my left hand in a brace holding my wrist together, I might actually get some writing done...

...ssshhh...mustn't let them know our true capabilities...until we're ready to shock and surprise Kev one unsuspecting day....

[Aramanthus]

Nice new vehicle! I think we'd like to try a few dozen out. Of course we'll expect our normal discount.

[taalismn]

Nice new vehicle! I think we'd like to try a few dozen out. Of course we'll expect our normal discount.

Slapping on the stamps and running the boxes down to the post office as we speak...

[taalismn]

More Zerkat variants:

*Walker Zerkat (PS-LRUV-48)

“When you buy your Zerkat LBTs, get yourself a coupla Walkers too; they have more spare parts in common than you’d think, so it won’t harm your logistics budget that bad, they make transit-training between tanks and robots easier if you go that way, and they’re great for recovery work if your tanks get stuck.”

---A radical configuration, as it requires altering the control rigging inside to be better suited for an ambulating vehicle. The basic hull module is now attached to a bipedal ‘ambulator’ frame with gyrostabilization. The conventional propulsion/drive units are replaced with two large robotic legs(the Zerkat now stands 14 ft tall, can run at 60 MPH, and can kick for 2d4 MD. Each leg has 100 MDC). Other changes include a fixed-forward-firing gun/equipment-tray under the forward prow of the tank/robot, and the choice of either mounting the standard turrets on top, or a robot-armature rig with two robot arms that dangle down over each side of the ‘bot, and with a sensor ‘head’ on top.
The Walker mode is an attempt to create a low-budget utility robot vehicle for industrial and private use; as such it lacks the advanced control features and enhanced reflexes of dedicated military models, and is not recommended for sustained combat. However, as inevitably happens on Rifts Earth, such vehicles get pressed into security and combat roles, so PS has modified the design accordingly.
The control mechanism confers NO additional bonuses or special maneuvers.
The Walker configuration is commonly found in GNE police units, training cadres, and PS work details. It is also available commercially through Paladin Steel outlets.
Cost: +4 million credits. +1.8 million for the full arms conversion
Weight:+3 tons
Height: 14 ft
Width: 10 ft (12 ft with arms)
MDC By Location:
Legs(2) 100 each
(Optional) Arms(2) 70 each
(Optional) Sensor Head 60
Speed: 80 MPH, can leap 10 ft across/up
Physical Strength: Robot Arms have Robotic P.S. of 28
Weapons Systems:
1) Chin Tray...Can accommodate ONE of the following configurations:
a) Machine Guns
Range: 1,200 ft
Damage: (SDC) 1d6x10 SDC per 10 shot burst, single gun
(MDC-standard) 2d4 MD per 10 rd burst per single gun
4d6 MD per 30 rd burst from one gun cluster
(PSX-1)1d4 MD per single rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst
*Can be loaded with specialized ammunition types
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 400 round drum/magazine per gun
Cost: 10,000 credits

b)20mm Cannons
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:(20mm) 1d4 MD single shot
4d6 MD per 5 rd burst
1d4x10+4 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 1d4 MD to 5 ft blast radius(single shot)
(PSX 20mm) 4d4 MD single shot
2d4x10 MD per 5 rd burst
4d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst
Airburst does 4d4 MD to 5 ft blast radius(single shot)
(Wood Rounds) 6d6 SDC single shot (1d4x10 HP to vampires)
2d4x10 SDC MD per 5 rd burst (2d4x10 HP to vampires)
6d6 MD per 10 rd burst (3d6x10 HP to vampires)
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 400 rds per gun
Cost: 28,000 credits

c)12.7mm PS-MRG03 Snub-nose Short Gatling Gun --- This high-powered four-barreled gatling rail cannon features enormous damage potential, and fair range in a small package.
Range: 2000 ft
Damage: 1D6 MD single round, 1D6x10 MD per 10 round burst,
2D6x10 +60 per Full Melee Burst of 40 rounds
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot
Payload: 500 rounds
Market Cost: 12,000 credits

d) Pulse Lasers
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage:2d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD triple pulse burst.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively unlimited for nuclear-powered models
Cost: 20,000 credits per weapon

e) Ion Cannon
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD triple-shot burst, per single gun.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively unlimited for nuclear-powered models
Cost: 18,000 credits per gun
f) Spray Cannon
Range: 100 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical used. If spraying water, does 1d4x10 HP to vampires
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 50 shot reservoir
Cost: 4,000 credits
2) Forearm Weapons---If fitted with the full-arms configuration, each forearm assembly can be one of the following:
a) Hand---A fully articulated grasping hand, able to hold and use any power armor-scale weapon. Cost: 7,000 credits
b) Battle Claw or Vibro-Chain Saw---6d6 MD for a slash/punch, 1d6x10 MD for a sustained crush/cut. Cost: 15,000 credits

c) Laser Cannon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 2d4x10 MD per triple burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 200 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost:120,000 credits

d) Plasma Cannon
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost: 60,000 credits

e) Ion Blaster
Range:4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 +7 MD per energy burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 120 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost: 60,000 credits

f) Particle Beam Cannon---Essentially little more than a supped-up P- rifle.
Range: 1,300 ft
Damage: 1d4x10+10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 80 shot canister. Effectively unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost: 50,000 credits

g) Light 30mm Autocannon
Range:10,000 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:400 rds
Cost: 400,000 credits

h) Grenade Launcher
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: (Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 12 ft blast area single shot, 1d6x10 MD to blast area of 20 ft per 5 shot burst
(Armor Piercing)1d4x10 MD to 3 ft blast area single shot, 2d6x10 MD to blast area of 6 ft per 5 shot burst
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 50 shot magazine
Cost: 40,000 credits

i) Rail Gun
Range:4,000 ft
Damage:1d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD 80- rd burst.
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:10,000 rds(125 bursts)
Cost: 100,000 credits

j) Micro-missile Launcher---25 shot McM box

k) Mini-Missile Launcher---12 shot box

m) Spray Cannon
Range: 100 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical used. If spraying water, does 1d4x10 HP to vampires
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 80 shot reservoir
Cost: 4,500 credits
--Hand to Hand:
Use the Robot Combat Basic skill for attributes
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Punch 1d6 MD
Power Punch 2d6 MD (counts as two APMs)
Kick 2d4 MD

*Transformable Zerkat(PS-LCRV-48E)

“Great...now if six rocket launchers going off on them don’t do the trick, we can always go over there and punch them in the face!”

Even more radical than the Walker Zerkat is the Transformable Zerkat, an experiment in creating a multi-role robot vehicle.
The TZ is slightly chunkier and heavier than its standard cousins. The main hull and crew compartment is now the center of a reconfigurable exoframe that ‘morphs the AFV into a short, stocky-limbed robot. The propulsion units slide back to form a backpack, the oversized mudguards and side sponsons distinctive to this variant form arms and legs, the weapons turret swivels back over the rear body of the tank’s hull to form an oversized head and shoulder weapons pack, and the forward glacis-plate secondary gun forms a lower torso weapon position. Despite fears that the transforming frame would prove too complex and breakdown-prone for economical field deployment and efficient maintenance, the chassis has proven remarkably smooth in operation, with few problems that cannot be easily fixed(often by simply re-initiating the transform sequence). The actuators for the robot mechanics actually serve as part of the shock-aborbing system for vehicle mode, and are not easily fouled, while the main armament in the head-turret is mounted well-clear of the ground and most environmental hazards like dirt ingestion.
Overall, the TZerkat is smaller and slower than other contemporary robot vehicles, but its low price tag, large common compatibility of parts with existing PS systems, and its doughty reliability make it attractive to small defense forces and mercenary-adventurers.
The TZerkat is rumored to be PS’s replacement for the Minotaur Battle Robot project that PS initiated with Tolkeen but cancelled owing to various problems with the kingdom(a handful of prototypes were produced, but none performed particularly well, though several sub-systems developed for the program went on to appear on other PS designs).
The TZerkat began appearing in small numbers in GNE militia units as a rapid-response defense unit, but has also begin appearing in Regular Army and irregular units, replacing older robot vehicles like the (Black)Titan Light Combat and Scout robots. It is also offered for sale through Paladin Steel to approved affiliates and allies.
Changes:
MDC/Armor By Location:
Arms(2) 100 each
Hands(2) 50 each
Legs(2) 140 each
Height: (Tank Mode)6 ft 9 in.
(Robot Mode) 15 ft
Length: (Tank Mode)16 ft
(Robot Mode) 6 ft
Width: (Tank Mode) 13 ft
(Robot Mode) 14 ft
Weight: 8 tons
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. of 32
Speed: (Tank Mode) Same as for the base Zerkat propulsion mode
(Robot Mode)(Tank Propulsion)---If fitted with hoverjets or other flight systems, the Robot Mode can still use them, but speed and altitude are cut by HALF.
(Running) 50 MPH, and can leap 8 ft across/up
Market Cost: +7.2 million credits
Weapons Systems:
Same as for the Zerkat
Options:
Same as for the Zerkat
Hand to Hand Combat:
Use the Robot Combat Basic or Light Ground Robots skill for attributes
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Punch 2d4 MD
Power Punch 4d4 MD (counts as two APMs)
Kick 2d8 MD

[glitterboy2098]

Paladin Steel Advanced Nuetron Weapons(‘ANWeps’)
-snip-
Looking at similar programs in Europe, especially Triax’s U-round and DU-round techniques, PS saw that in many cases, radiation was a useful countermeasure against supernatural and superhuman regenerants. However, radioactive ammunition came with its own share of problems; safe handling and storage of the projectiles for one, and lingering collateral damage to the environment afterwards. While PS could easily turn out its own versions of U-Rounds for the many weapons it had provided the GNE military, spewing such ammunition around the forests and cities of the GNE was an unacceptable health risk(except, arguably, in the most dire ‘Masada’-style last-ditch defense). Other solutions had to be found, and PS looked at irradiation beam technology as a possible acceptable avenue of research. If particle beams could be modified to produce an enhanced radiation stream, like a directed neutron bomb, it might be possible to temporarily negate the rapid generation qualities of many supernatural beings. The beam could be more tightly controlled, and the temporary effect would limit collateral damage and long-term health concerns.

actually, WB5 says it is the Radioactive material that has the effect, not the radiation. radiation has minimal effect on most supernatural stuff.

remember, alchemical, not chemical. it is something about the magical/mystical aspects of the stuff that causes the effect.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel Advanced Nuetron Weapons(‘ANWeps’)
-snip-
Looking at similar programs in Europe, especially Triax’s U-round and DU-round techniques, PS saw that in many cases, radiation was a useful countermeasure against supernatural and superhuman regenerants. However, radioactive ammunition came with its own share of problems; safe handling and storage of the projectiles for one, and lingering collateral damage to the environment afterwards. While PS could easily turn out its own versions of U-Rounds for the many weapons it had provided the GNE military, spewing such ammunition around the forests and cities of the GNE was an unacceptable health risk(except, arguably, in the most dire ‘Masada’-style last-ditch defense). Other solutions had to be found, and PS looked at irradiation beam technology as a possible acceptable avenue of research. If particle beams could be modified to produce an enhanced radiation stream, like a directed neutron bomb, it might be possible to temporarily negate the rapid generation qualities of many supernatural beings. The beam could be more tightly controlled, and the temporary effect would limit collateral damage and long-term health concerns.

actually, WB5 says it is the Radioactive material that has the effect, not the radiation. radiation has minimal effect on most supernatural stuff.

remember, alchemical, not chemical. it is something about the magical/mystical aspects of the stuff that causes the effect.

So, just make it some sort of oddball TW weapon, and we don't exactly know how it works, but it does?

Hmmm...maybe strontium-laced needle fletchettes for future weapons?

[taalismn]

Also seems to me there was an article in either Popular Science or PM about nuke aircraft that worked by electrically exciting a nomrally stable isotope into being a radiation source...
Now...if one used the PBC to excite a disc or mesh coated with a similar isotope, that eroded in the beam and fragmented, the spray of excited dust particles pushed by beam pressure into the injuries inflicted...the temporarily energized particles of isotope do their damage until they quickly decay into a less energetic/excited state and become effectively inert...Like an atomic salt shaker rubbing salt into the wounds...
Sure, that would require special isotopic cartridges or discs that require changing as they erode....but does it sound psuedo-scientific enough to work?

[glitterboy2098]

your referring to Nuclear isomers, which form the basis of Quantum nucleonic reactors, where particle bombardment sparks a release of gamma radiation.

the particle beam idea wouldn't work. particle beams are beams of protons or electrons accellerated to reletivisitic velocity. so they can't "erode" a substance and carry it along with them.

an ion beam could use radioactive material as an ablative anode, but the amount of material per blast would nanoscopic, which probably wouldn't do more than tickle a supernaturla creature.

ditto for plasma weapons. most rifts plasma weapons just fire a superhot charged gas. kittani ones fire actual, 4th state of matter Plasma, where the gas has it's electrons stripped and it exists as a superhot cloud of charged particles.
plasma weapons, of either form, have similar issues as ion guns. actual plasma is no longer radioactive material, it is charged particles. (whether such heavy atomic nuclei as found in radioactives could survive unfissioned in that state we won't even address, largely because i don't think anyone knows.) the typical "charge hot gas" of most rifts plasma weapons would not really carry enough material to do more than superficial damage. for all it's flashy appearance, plasma is really thin stuff. it's damage comes from it's heat and velocity more than it's mass.


i had a similar idea regarding silver anodes in ion beam guns for use against vamp's and werebeasts. at first it seemed like a good idea, then i started researching more....

[taalismn]

your referring to Nuclear isomers, which form the basis of Quantum nucleonic reactors, where particle bombardment sparks a release of gamma radiation.

the particle beam idea wouldn't work. particle beams are beams of protons or electrons accellerated to reletivisitic velocity. so they can't "erode" a substance and carry it along with them.

an ion beam could use radioactive material as an ablative anode, but the amount of material per blast would nanoscopic, which probably wouldn't do more than tickle a supernaturla creature.

ditto for plasma weapons. most rifts plasma weapons just fire a superhot charged gas. kittani ones fire actual, 4th state of matter Plasma, where the gas has it's electrons stripped and it exists as a superhot cloud of charged particles.
plasma weapons, of either form, have similar issues as ion guns. actual plasma is no longer radioactive material, it is charged particles. (whether such heavy atomic nuclei as found in radioactives could survive unfissioned in that state we won't even address, largely because i don't think anyone knows.) the typical "charge hot gas" of most rifts plasma weapons would not really carry enough material to do more than superficial damage. for all it's flashy appearance, plasma is really thin stuff. it's damage comes from it's heat and velocity more than it's mass.


i had a similar idea regarding silver anodes in ion beam guns for use against vamp's and werebeasts. at first it seemed like a good idea, then i started researching more....

So alien technology or a TW device it is, with 'Advanced Neutron Weapon' being merely a cover to mislead people trying to duplicate the 'technology'...
Ah, the trials and tribulations of R&D....

And here I was trying to figure out what 'enhancements' could be added to particle beam weapons...(shrug) Pushing the size and efficiency of portable betatrons seems to about the only direction to go...

Thanks for catching my gaff, though...
It's back to the TechnoWizardry Division for magic bullets...

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel Agin-Class Patrol Frigate
“We’ll pick up an eight ship convoy here...six coastal tramps, and two heavy car carriers...and proceed up the coast...There are two sticky points...the point here where we’had reports of pirate activity...tough bunch; they’ve got air support of sorts; a few flying armors and two old coastal patrol aircraft, so we’ll be deploying our flycycles and airborne armors...We’ll be going at max speed to get through this area as quick as possible, so make sure the ships you’re responsible for are ready to revv...we don’t want any stragglers with busted engines falling behind...The next bad stretch is here...merchie intel sez the local township around here bought sea mines and they won’t say why....so we’ll be sending in the two mini-subs and ABA drones to make sure they aren’t hoping to get a windfall with some wrecking....I don’t have to tell you that speed is of the essence; our three Agins aren’t up to a sustained gunfight with serious battle squadrons, so we can’t afford to get bogged down and tangled up while the opposition calls in reinforcements...But if we do our jobs smart, we should be able to get the shipments to their destinations and earn our pay for the mission.”
---Captain Mumar Gilson, PSWNSS Ogano, Paladin Steel West

The Agin-class FG was developed in parallel to the Hudson-class by Paladin Steel as a complement to the larger vessel, but was constructed without Free Quebec’s knowledge at PS’s New Bath yards. The idea was for a low-cost, multi-purpose escort and fisheries protection vessel of conventional hull configuration, that could be constructed fairly easily and quickly. When PS was kicked out of the Hudson programme, PS moved up the priority of the Agin-class and began openly producing the ships for its own use and sale, hoping to make up in quantity what they lost in quality.
The Agins are conventional ships of modest dimensions. Jacks of all trades, and masters of none, the Agins carry a range of weapons and systems capable of operating in the short- to mid-range of naval operations. The hulls are modestly armored, made of reinforced poly-glass composite with ceramic inner reinforcement, propulsion is either a conventional gas-turbine or nuclear fusion powerplant driving a hydrojet and cyclone maneuvering props for a fair turn of speed. Armament is light, but varied; the forward turret mounts two 80mm massdriver cannons, amidships is a multi-purpose medium range missile launcher, two L-SAM launchers provide back-up AAA coverage, two point defense systems provide anti-missile and close support fire, and a rear triple-barrel ASW mortar rounds out the weaponry. A rear fantail winch assembly can be used for servicing towed sonar arrays, decoys, anti-submarine/monster nets, or sensor arrays, and a rear helipad and hangar can be used to accommodate an ASW helicopter, drones, flight of hovercycles, or squad of power armors.
The Agin comes standard without advanced electronics or stealth features, but many buyers upgrade their vessels with more sophisticated EW/ELINT systems, depending on their needs and resources.
Paladin Steel produces Agins at both the New Bath and Paladin Steel West shipyards. The GNEN uses them as picket vessels, patrol craft, and convoy escort craft. Both Paladin Steel and the GNECG also possess several Agins for their own purposes.
Paladin Steel Naval Division has two Agins, the SS Serling and the SS Gizmo, as dedicated test-beds for new naval systems.
Type: PS-FFG080
Class: Fast Patrol Frigate
Crew: 70 +10-20 marines
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,500
Bridge 400
Radar Mast 400
Forward Turret(1) 350
Medium Range Missile Launcher(1) 250
L-SAM Launchers(2) 110 each
Point Defense Turrets(2) 100 each
ASW Mortar Array(1) 100
Helipad 200
Height: 41 ft
Width: 37 ft
Length: 274 ft
Weight: 1,450 tons
Cargo: 80 tons
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel (4,000 mile range) or Nuclear (15 year energy life)
Speed: 40 MPH
Market Cost: 29 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Warship Systems, plus:
*Radar---240 mile range and can simultaneously track up to 96 targets
*Sonar---32 mile range
*Towed Array Sonar---1,000 ft of sensor-lined cabling can be reeled out behind the ship. TAS also has the advantage of being able to look under thermoclines that deflect normal surface-carried sonar sets. Effective sonar range of 100 miles.
*Search Lights(6)----4,000 ft range. IR and normal light.

Weapons Systems:
1). Twin 80mm Massdriver Cannons(2x1)---The Agins mount two 80mm massdriver cannons in a dual forward turret.
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 each gun
Payload: 240 rounds

2) Medium Range Missile Launcher(1)---Amidships trainable box launcher for multi-purpose MRMs; can be used to fire anti-aircraft, anti-shipping, and surface attack missiles. Can also accept ASROC ASW projectiles. Reloads automatically from a below-deck magazine, within 7 seconds.
Range: Varies By Missile Type
Damage:Varies By Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, or 4
Payload: 4 missiles ready to fire. 80 missiles in the magazine

Option: PS also offers an alternative to the MRM launcher; a dual-launcher based on the old IHA Iron Bolt Missile Vehicle’s main launcher, firing both long range- and mini-missiles. Unlike the MRM launcher, this option must be manually reloaded from stores(takes a crew on deck with light exoskeletal augmentation three times as long as the autofeeder does for the MRML).
Range:Varies By Missile Type
Damage:Varies By Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Longe Range) Volleys of 1, 2, 4, or 6
(Mini-Missiles)Volleys of 1, 2, 4, 6, or 10
Payload: (Longe Range)12 LRMs
(Mini-Missiles)120 mini-missiles

3)Light Missile Launchers(2)---PS offers two different systems for close-in air defense; either a standard light multi-purpose mini-missile launcher based on the PS-MMLR-14 Mini-Missile Launcher Rifle, or a more advanced and accurate Black Talon L-SAM launcher
a) Mini-Missile Launcher
Range:(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type(usually about 1 mile)
(Laser) 2,000 ft
Damage:(Mini-Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
(Laser) 2d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1, 2, or 4
(Laser) ECHH
Payload:(Mini-Missiles)20 per launcher(10 per launch tube)
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited attached to an external generator, or 20 shots per standard E-clip/30 per long E-clip as backup

b)Black Talon L-SAM Launcher
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload: 8 per launcher
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)
Cost: 200 ,000 credits per launcher, 10,000 credits per missile

4) Point Defense Turrets(2)---The standard PS-L-CIWS “Button Guns” for anti-missile defense. Some buyers/operators replace these positions with pulse lasers, light ion cannon, or other light autocannons.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst(can only fire bursts)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, as an automated defense system linked to a radar/sensor system, the “Button Gun” has a +2 to strike, and four attacks per melee.
Payload:8,000 rd drum(200 bursts)

5) ASW Mortar---This is a triple-tube depth charge launcher, fed by a rotary magazine
Range: 4,000 ft, 2 mile maximum depth
Damage: 7d6x5 MD to 50 ft radius; 4d6 MD to an additional 30 ft radius beyond that.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 6
Payload: 48

Option: A conventional fantail-drop depth charge deployer using more powerful munitions can be substituted instead(no extra cost).
Range: Can be set for down to 2 miles deep
Damage: 2d4x10 MD to 100 ft radius, and 4d6 MD to an additional 30 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Drops one a time
Payload: 48 depth charges

Option: Two banks of torpedo launchers can be substituted instead, deploying off the sides of the ship.
Range: Varies by Torpedo Type
Damage:Varies by Torpedo Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 3, 6, or 8
Payload: Varies by torpedo launcher type. Additional torpedoes typically must be manually reloaded from stores.
Cost: 90,000 credits for a 24-shot mini-torp launcher, 180,000 credits for a 12-shot short range torpedo launcher, 500,000 credits for a 5-shot medium range torpedo, launcher, and 1.6 million credits for a three-shot long range torpedo launcher. Additional torpedoes can be carried as cargo and manually reloaded into the launchers.

6)) Countermeasure Mortars(4)---If targeted by missiles or torpedoes, the ships can trigger their countermeasure lauchers to decoy aerial and submarine guided weapons.
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 nuetralized
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 lauchers typically have 10 shells each. A Replica launcher will have 2 decoys per launcher.

Auxiliary Craft/Aircraft:
1 Light Helo
OR
6 Hovercycles
OR
10 Power Armors

Options:
*ECM Suite--A mini- Battlefield EW Center, is incorporated into the Bridge. Internally, the communications deck is fitted with a plug-in, add-on EW console for several dedicated EW officers. The ECM add-on provides the ship with greatly enhanced EW decryption abilities, de-scrambling, and secured communications, frequency scanning, and signal locators, as well as limited range jamming and ground-level electronic cloaking.
Decryption Bonuses: +10% to Cryptography Skill
+15% to Radio skill rolls to defeat jamming
Jamming Range: 20 miles
EW Cloaking: -15% to enemy Read Sensory Instruments rolls using surface search radars(NOT optical and thermographic systems)

*ORACLE---Omni-diRectional Aura Classification and Locator Electronics---A TW development of the SNARLS PPE Scanner, this system consists of a series of advanced Technowizardry scanner systems(TW optic mounts, static crystal PPE meters, and whatnot) stationed around the ship, feeding into a central computer system with special TW-derived interface program algorithms. The system is designed to detect incoming magical/paranormal attacks and alert the crew to them(hopefully in time to allow them to take defensive measures). PS hopes to upgrade the system to allow for over-the-horizon and remote-viewing advanced early warning capabilities. The ORACLE Mrk II is currently being retrofitted to most ships-of-the-line of the VFSN/GNEN.
Effective Range: 4,000 ft radius of detection.
This is available ONLY to GNE and PS vessels.

*(Experimental)Sea-Orchid 20mm Missile Point Defense System---An adaptation of the McMAALR-18 Fire Orchid Micro-Missile AAA System combined with the PS-McMPG110 Rocket Gun, this system consists of a rapid-fire three-barrel cannon that fires bursts of rocket-propelled projectiles that then use their own micro-guidance systems to home in on designated targets. Though more expensive than conventional rail gun PDS’s, the Sea-Orchid’s greater range and accuracy have proven promising in trials.
Range: 12,000 ft for all types(4,000 ft for the initial boost from the cannon
Damage: (Pattern-2a) 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
(Pattern-2b)6d6 MD to a 5 ft blast radius, or 2d6 MDC out to a 18 ft blast radius in fragmentation mode
(Pattern-2c)(Incendiary)2d4 MD to 5 ft blast radius, does an additional 1d4 burn damage for 2d4 melees
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-10
Payload: 400 rd box magazine.
Bonuses:(All Patterns)(+3 to strike airborne targets, +1 to strike ground targets) Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip, Image Sensing Chip, Infra-Red Sensing Chip.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel Higgins 3 Landing Craft/Ferry
Mister Scuggins grumbled a bit as he saw the familiar shovel-like prow nose into the landing at McGammonville. They were running ten minutes late this morning, and just as he was getting used to the idea and getting into the morning pictopaper, enjoying a particularly good cartoon of the Free Quebec minister of trade and the recent tariff talks, the ferry has to show up. With a mumurr of thanks to his neighbor, Scuggins returned the paper, picked up his lunchpail, and headed over to the awaiting boarding line.
Walking up the ramp, he greeted Maggie, the ferry gunner. Good kid, Maggie...she’d played with his kids when she was younger, and now she was doing part-time work during school break as a guard on the cross-Lake ferry..Scuggins paused a moment...was it that long ago? He appraised Maggie again...despite the battered and patched up transit guard Huntsman armor that hung on her frame, the girl he’d remembered most as a twiggy little roadrat had obviously started to fill out as a young woman, and the unconscious confidence with which she carried her laser rifle reminded him of his own teenage years...Scuggins sighed and returned to his contemplation of the deckplates, settling himself for the ride across the Lake.
It was fairly uneventful...it usually was...Oh, there had been that moment when the pilot had shouted ‘Heads Down!’ and everybody had hit the deck...except for one gawking sightseer(out-of-towner, Scuggins thought uncharitably) who waited a little too long and went down with a scream as something small and winged flitted by and tore off his ear...Maggie had simply stood up and calmly banged off a few shots, and evidently hit several somethings, judging from the inhuman screeches, and the wet plop that thudded into the side of the hull...dragonfish...damn pests. Nobody said anything, just minding their own business and quietly and efficiently patching up the fallen man’s bleeding ear. Maggie returned to buffing her nails and adjusting her hair under the helmet..Scuggins couldn’t help but grin at that....girls will be girls...
It wasn’t too long afterwards that they made landfall at Burlington, the ramp dropped, they all filed off(with the exception of the injured man, who had to be helped off), and Mister Scuggins caught the bus to his job at the ballbearing works...just another daily commute on Lake Champlain.

One of Paladin Steel’s earliest and simplest designs was this MDC-upgrading of the old Higgins LC, a sturdy little plywood craft that saw service in Global Conflict Two. The Higgins boat, itself based on shallow draft tugs and trappers’ boats used in the Louisana Delta, being simple, basic, and having an extremely shallow draft (eight inches!), is perfect for inland waterways and amphibiousoperations, and a large number of similar vessels are already produced by numerous small shipyards. However, Paladin Steel makes them cheaper and faster. The PS Higgins boat has a one-piece water-tight hull ejection-molded in giant molds, from the same plastics used in Plastic Man EBA. The forward bow ramp is a sheet of PS ceramic plate armor and offers excellent protection, while the boats’ high sides provide additional protection to passengers. The boat is open-topped, however, leaving passengers and crew exposed to enemy fire and the elements(some buyers mount a canopy or sunshade over the cargo deck for protection) . The open pilot’s station is typically reinforced with protective plates, but is rarely fully enclosed. Weapons are optional, though most buyers will invest in several light weapons turrets and light, rapid-fire weapons for protection. Engines are typically liquid fuel or electric; PS doesn’t see wasting a nuclear powerplant on these things(though one could be added).
The Higgins steers like a cow, moves even more slowly, but it can navigate swamps, get through bayous without ripping out its bottom, and run right up on a beach or river bank to disembark passengers, vehicles, or cargo, without a dock necessary. .
Paladin Steel has sold hundreds of these small, inexpensive, no-frills watercraft to various riverine and coastal concerns where they see service as cargo haulers, ferries, work platforms, troopcarriers, and other scut jobs.
PS also puts out a slightly larger, and slower, model, the LCM (Landing Craft Medium) that can accomodate up to 60 tons/125 passengers, move at approximately 10 MPH, has 150 MDC, and has a range of 200 miles. The LCM costs 100,000 credits
Type:PS-LC-01
Class: Landing Craft, Light
Crew: One(Pilot), plus 1-4 gunner, and 1-40 troops/passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 100
Forward Ramp 100
Reinforced Pilot’s Station 60
Gun Turrets(1-3) 50 each
Height: 7 ft
Width: 15 ft
Length: 50 ft
Weight: 6 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 30 tons
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel of Electric w/ 190 mile range
Speed: 15 MPH
Market Cost: 80,000 credits
Systems of Note: Minimal...basic radio(10 mile range), small spotlights, and depth gauge.
Weapons Systems: None Standard, but most buyers will fit up to three light weapons turrets for self-defense. Favorite weapons include railguns, machine guns firing explosive bullets, mini-missile launchers, or laser rifles.


Paladin Steel Mike Fink Riverine Monitor
(Aka ‘Eads Boats’)
“Damn if they didn’t just float a tank and call it a boat...all the fixin’s are there...the armor, the turrets, the powerplant.... and she can duke it out ith the best of them, and come out the winna’...yessiree”

“Yeah, they applied their tank expertise to boat building and it shows...What they DON’T tell you is that the damn thing sits low to the water and has only about a foot and a half of freeboard...thing wallows in a swell, which means you don’t take it out into deep water like the oceans or the Lakes in a real blow unless you’re damn sure you’ve sealed all the possible leaks and water inlets. I’d hate to be in one of those things if and when it turned turtle...”
-Lenny Kuwatt. Great Lakes Mariner

The Mike Fink Monitor is PS’s challenge to Coalition ‘Brown Water Navy” ship designs; a shallow-draft, heavily armored, heavily armed warcraft for inland waterways combat. The Mike Fink owes much of its design lineage to the ‘Riverine Monitor’ designs of the pre-Rifts Vietnam War, and to observations of Coalition designs, with a long, boxy, barge-style hull, a forward turret(taken directly from PS’s Black Bear Main Battle Tank, complete with standard and optional armaments), a lateral gun battery of railguns, stern-positioned armored bridge, and a retracting missile launch box at the rear. The Fink is built around a Symms-Process plastic and MDC polycrete hull, with applique ceramic armor plates, giving it tank-like protection. Compared to its closest rival, the Coalition Barracuda, the Fink is larger, slower, and not as agile, but mounts a third more armor, and fairly bristles with weaponry. Echoing the Barracuda, and PS’s long-standing multi-option design philosophy, the Fink can furthermore be fitted with a variety of different weapons configurations, further increasing the sorts of missions it can undertake. Another plus is its cost; thanks to off-the-shelf components like the powerplants, main weaponry, and armor plate, and the Symms-proccess poured hull, the Fink is a solid and affordable buy.
Type:PS-PB(M)-01
Class:River Patrol Craft
Crew:8, plus 1-10 troops, or 5 power armors
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body. 450
Main Turret 250
Reinforced Turret Compartment 50
Lateral Rail Gun Turrets(4) 50 each
Bridge 150
Reinforced Crew/Troop Compartment 100
Sensor/Antennae Cluster 70
Missile Launcher 150
Stern Laser Turret 50
Height: 14 ft
Width/Beam:18 ft
Length:70 ft
Weight:40 tons
Cargo: The troop compartment has provision for the stowage of a squad’s gear and supplies for extended missions
Powerplant:Liquid Fuel (800 mile range)or Nuclear(w/ 15 year energy life)
Speed:45 MPH
Market Cost: 30 million credits
Systems of Note:
Long Range Radio(800 mile range)
Long Range Radar(80 mile range)
Short Range Sonar(5 mile range)
Depth Finder
Air Sampler/Molecular Analyzer
High Intensity Normal Light/IR Spotlights
Loudspeaker
Life Support Systems---If necssary, the Fink can seal itself up and run off recycled air for up to 4 days, if outside conditions require.
Weapons Systems:
1)Heavy Tri-Barrel Plasma Cannon---This massive turret-mounted weapon has 360-degree arc of fire, 45 degree elevation and 30 degree depression. Its another derivation of PS’s energy-weapons research, and does massive amonts of damage at respectable range, but it eats power at an incredible rate.
Range:6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single barrel, 2d6x10 MD double barrelled blast, 3d6x10 MD per triple barrel burst)counts as one attack).
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 45 shot battery per conventionally powered models; recharges at 1 shot per 10 minutes. Effectively unlimited for nuclear models.

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

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

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

5) Lateral Rail Guns(4)---Originally, these were to be PS-34L Lasers, but PS felt that the use of PS-100 railguns, which had better penetration, was a wiser choice. The Fink mounts two blister-mount rail guns, two to each side, each with 45 degrees movement side to side/up-down(90 degree arcs total).
Range:4000 ft
Damage:1d4 MD single round, 1d6x10 MD per 60 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: 12,000 rds (200 bursts) per gun.

6) Mini-Missile Launcher---Mounted behind the bridge is a retracting multiple-tube mini-missile launcher. The design of this particular weapon is taken directly from the PS Jeb /Greyhound/Scrounge-Panzer ‘Calliope’ launcher, and is a simple, inexpensive, and reliable
Range: Varies, typically one mile
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 4,5, 6,10, 20, 30, or 60(all)
Payload: 60

7)Rear Laser Turret----This is the reliable PS-34L double-barrelled laser turret, PS copy of the IHA IH-34L, mounted in a rear turret, intended to keep enemy infantry off. Each turret has a 180-degree arc of fire, and 45 degree elevation/depression.
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:1000 dual blasts per turret. Unlimited if nuclear powered

Options: It wouldn’t be a PS design if we didn’t offer optional systems now, would it?
Swap-out Replacements for the Main Turret Mini-Missile Launcher
a) Short Range Missile Pod
Range: Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,4,6, or 12
Payload: 12
Cost: 500,000 credits

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

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

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

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

c) Heavy Laser
Range: 6000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 blast battery conventionally powered, effectively unlimied if nuclear powered
Cost: 200,000 credits

d) Heavy 45mm Launcher ---The same weapon as mounted on the PSA-11 power armors, the 45mm Launcher is a short-ranged but powerful grenade-launcher-style weapon that’s considered ideal for defensive anti-cyborg work and urban anti-personnel work(i.e. it drops the buildings those pesky little infantry are hiding in).
Range: 800 ft
Damage:7d6x5 MD
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 24 rds
Cost: 120,000 credits

Replacements for the Lateral Rail Guns
a)Lasers-These are the reliable PS-34L double-barrelled laser turrets, PS copy of the IHA IH-34L.
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per dual blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:1000 dual blasts per turret. Unlimited if nuclear powered
Cost:30,000 credits

b)Water Sprayers--Replaces the rail gun with a high pressure water cannon, identical to that mounted on the Coalition Barracudas. Great for firefighting and anti-vampire work.
Range:1200 ft
Damage:4d4x10 Hit Point damage to vampires. Regular humans suffer 1d6 SDC/HP damage and a60% chance of knock-down(lose iniitiative and two melee attacks)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:Effectively unlimited
Cost: 5,000 credits per water cannon

Replacements for the Main Missile Launcher
a)PS-ML-12/MLRS-120 Long Range Missile/Multiple Rocket Launch System---This is essentially the PS copy of the main armament of the old Iron Heart Armaments Iron Bolt Missile Vehicle; a long-range missile launcher and a mini-missile launcher coupled together. Note that choosing this option for the Fink means that the boat CANNOT carry any troops; their space is taken up by mini-missile stowage.
Range:(Long Range Missiles) Varies by missile type
(Mini-Missiles)Varies by missile type, typically 1 mile
Damage:(Long Range Missiles)Varies by missile type
(Mini-Missiles)Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire:(Long Range Missiles) Volleys of 1,2,4, or 6
(Mini-Missiles)Volleys of 1,2,4,6, or 10
Payload:(Long Range Missiles) 12
(Mini-Missiles)120
Cost: 2 million credits

b) Medium Range Missiles
Range:Varies by missile type
Damage:Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,4, or 7
Payload: 14
Cost: 1.2 million credits

c)Short Range Missiles
Range:Varies by missile type
Damage:Varies by missile type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,4,5,6, 10, or 20(all)
Payload:20
Cost:900,000 credits

d) Torpedo Tubes---PS has felt that using torpedoes in shallow waters was rather dubious; the target could see them coming, and could use weaponry to destroy them, and the chance of hitting an underwater obstacle is too great. On the plus side, however, shallow waters and close quarters mean an opponent has less opportunity to dodge, so PS has grudgingly accepted their usefulness on the inland waters. This option replaces the box missile launcher with two lateral triple- torpedo tube clusters, firing short range torpedoes.
Range:5 miles
Damage: 2d4x10 MD (HE) or 1d6x10 MD (Plasma)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, or 3. Torpedoes are reloaded the next melee attack by the auto-reloading system.
Payload: 30 total
Cost: 400,000 credits

e)Mine Dispenser---For laying mines, for such purposes as harbor blockades, waterway denial, and surprising pursuers.
Range:Not applicable
Damage:
Rate of Fire:Can drop 1 or 2 at a time
Payload:20 mines
Cost:10,000 credits for drop rack

f)150mm Long-Range Mortar/Howitzer---This monster weapon requires a gun crew of three to load and service it; only one can be carried. On the plus side it lobs an LRM-sized warhead to devastating effect. For additional cost, and reduced ammunition capacity, the weapon can also fire rocket-assisted shells! When this weapon fires, the entire ship shudders and lurches in the water! Even with an automatic loader/assister, it has a slow rate of fire. Typically, the troop capacity of the Mike Fink is done away with in favor of shell storage.
Range:72000 ft (144000 ft w/rocket assisted shells)
Damage:(Fragmentation)3d4x10 MD to 80 ft blast radius
(HE)3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
(Plasma)3d6x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload:40 rounds
Cost:500,000 credits

g) 81mm Mortar(s)---A smaller, lighter mortar unit(two are carried), with auto-loaders.
Range:(minimum)656 ft(Maximum)19,000 ft
Damage:(Fragmentation)2d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
(HE)2d6x10 MD to 30 ft blast radius
(Plasma) 2d6x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload:200 rds
Cost:3,500 credits per mortar(remember, its the shells that do MD damage...the mortar itself can be regular SDC metal).

h) “Mega-Zippo” Heavy Flamethrower---This massive assembly fires a stream of flaming fuel and is capable of setting entire ships aflame within seconds. Since the fuel floats on water, it can also be used to inundate a river or waterway with a curtain of fire.
Range:1000 ft
Damage:3d6 MD, plus does 2d6 MD per melee, burns for 2d6 minutes.
Can also cover an area of 50 ft, doing 2d6 MD, (Takes two attacks)
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 200 blasts
Cost:50,000 credits

i)Heavy Duty Water/Chemical Sprayer---A massive jet-driven spray cannon, capable of delivering a veritable deluge of liquid, or of spray-fogging an area with chemical mist. VFS has deployed several of these units in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain for Giant Mosquito control.
Range:(Stream)1800 ft
(Spray)800 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical agents used.
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: (Water) Effectively unlimited; draws water up through pumps from the river/lake
(Chemical) 500 gallon storage tank
Cost:50,000 credits

[abtex]

Nice water craft. Alway like to see Riverine craft.
But none have UAV launchers or craft on them. Liberty Ships would love to have cheap semi disposable recon and light fighters. Even though they can have VOTL on their landing pads [if fitted with one].

Keep up the work.

[taalismn]

Nice water craft. Alway like to see Riverine craft.
But none have UAV launchers or craft on them. Liberty Ships would love to have cheap semi disposable recon and light fighters. Even though they can have VOTL on their landing pads [if fitted with one].

Keep up the work.

Can't toss on EVERY possible option system...but since I've already posted a few UAV systems(with more to come). you can mix and match from the catalogue...mount a few RoBoats on side divvats on your Liberty Ship, and you can have a remote control flotilla ready to use...forgo a copter on your Agin, and carry some FireBee drones instead...
The possibilities are endless...

[Aramanthus]

Sweet new material Taalismn! What about the other Higgin's craft? I think Paladin Steel should think about building the other Higgin's water craft that made it's name in WW2. The PT boat. Two versions were Higgins and Elco's. I think PS could make a killing with some of them too.

The Federated States would like to purchase several dozen of these latest creations.

[abtex]

Ok. Just a thought.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel S-11 ‘Flexus’ Omni-Rifle
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/PSS-11copy_zpsee1ee2c3.jpg

“Just remember to check your power cell before combat...it may seem like these things can run forever on a single e-clip, but they DO run down...In the middle of a long fire fight, you’d be surprised how quick you can burn through two thousand rounds, especially if you’re going full rock-n-roll.
I know from experience...I did a tour with the nationalized merc battalions...Got assigned to an out-dimension where we were fighting big bugs for the locals...I got to field test the Flexus....Got careless once and got caught out in the open by a swarm...rifle quit half-way through it...there I was cursing new tech and damn gimmick rifles while the buzzers were coming in closer, until I realized I’d run out of juice....fortunately a comrade threw me an extra e-clip, and I got it slotted in time to rip off a belt of exploders.....But you don’t wanna have any moments like that, so take care of your weapon.”

“Snipe? You ready?”
Check the barrel. Clean. Feed mechanism. Clean. Battery. Full charge. Extra batts on the shelf inside his position within easy reach. Extra ammo clips where he could find them, even half-buried and in the dark. Foxhole lid was still in place, the thermal camou doing its job as far as he could tell.
“Just a sec...yeah, I’m ready.”
He’d battlefield-ghouled a bandolier of magic bullets off a Vanguard they’d smoked in the Zone; half of the rounds had gone to R&D for analysis, but the rest he’d got to keep, and he’d used them sparingly since. Now it looked like an occasion to use them up.
“Gurgoyles coming up the pass....right on time...Steady, everybody.”
He didn’t bother looking for the other concealed positions...he knew they were there...Ready and waiting..Once the heavy ordnance dropped on the path below, the marksmen would kill anything that came out of the aftermath...or keep them down long enough for the heavy armor to reposition and come up to finish the job. Of course, anything that could survive being dumped on by a dozen or so mortar shells and heavy RLGs wasn’t going to be stopped by pea-shots. Looks like he’d be using his magic bullets AND Ol’ Pa Gideon’s box of special ‘Meat-Punchers’....He KNEW they’d punch through a thunderbeetle’s hide...Gurgoyle skin wasn’t as tough...
“Yeah...Bring them on....”

The S-11 Flexus is the latest in PS’s derivative work from the ZOT-contracted Flexpistol. The S-11 represents an attempt to create a cheaper, simpler, multi-munition autorifle without the expensive bells and whistles of the previous S-7 and S-8 weapons.
The S-11 is essentially a ‘stripped-down’ Flextech weapon, removing many of the extras and extraneous features of the proof-of-concept weapons, while taking advantage of more practical advances in production technology.
The S-11 cuts some corners by limiting the range of ammunition sizes that can be accommodated(you can no longer fire shotgun shells or twenty millimeter cannon shells with it). Likewise, the weapon can no longer accept and fire the full range of Naruni and Bandito Arms plasma cartridges, with the exception of Naruni’s smaller ‘Slim Line’ cartridges, which it can still accept(though using plasma cartridges is not recommended for long barrel life; the plasma tends to burn out the barrel-weave after an estimated 100+1d4x10 shots, requiring the barrel assembly to be replaced at 10,000 credits, current price).
However, advances in the battery pack and low-loss magnetic containment stator system mean that the weapon no longer eats up e-clips for the sake of firing rounds. The weapon still slightly heavier than an equivalent conventional autorifle, but is still easily manageable.
Paladin Steel expects to have these weapons moving through its Earth-side outlets in quantity within the next six months, once the batch-contract with its own forces is fulfilled.
Weight: 10 lbs
Range: Varies by ammunition type(for rifle rounds, reduce the range by 1/2, due to the shorter barrel length)
Damage: Varies by ammunition type(can use anything up to 14.5mm )
Rate of Fire: Standard
(Railgun Mode) Single Shot
Payload: Varies; can accomodate just about any box-style magazine
The long e-clip is good for 2,500 shots before needing replacement
Bonuses: +1 to strike from the integral laser spotsight
Special Features:
Forward Handgrip
Integral Laser Spotsight
Digital Ammunition Counter and Stat Reader(displays ammunition size and type in abbreviated letters...may have problems reading special/unknown/TW rounds).
Attachable Rifle-Stock w/ Built-in Storage Compartment
Rifle Grenade Adapter
Silencer Kit(reduce range by HALF when attached)
Top Sight/Scope Rail
Underbarrel Mounting Rings---Can accommodate flashlight, bayonet, grenade launcher, tazer, and other underbarrel packages.
Cost: 40,000 credits (if mass-produced, expect the price to drop by 50%, and by 70% if manufactured offworld by Three-Galaxies-level industrial technology)

Options:
*Barrel Booster---Adds an eight-inch barrel extension that acts as a rail accelerator assist-booster. Take the original ammunition range and increase by 1/3, but the extra power draw is DOUBLE. Cost: 9,000 credits.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel PSIP-15 Arc-Pistol
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/ArcPistol.jpg

*ZAP*
“YARGH!”
*ZAP*
“YOW!”
*ZAP*
“EEEEEE!!!”
*ZAP*
“GRAHHH!!”
*ZAP*
“...YII---!...That actually felt pretty good!”

“I really hate Power Leeches.”

Compared to the ruggerized, no-nonsense matte alloy and composite construction of most Paladin Steel sidearms, the Arc -Pistol looks like an anachronism---a four-barrel section of shiny brass gatling gun mounted on a modern pistol grip.
The Arc-Pistol is nominally a rapid-fire heavy ion pulse pistol, but it is more than that...It’s a hybrid technology weapon developed around the idea of synergistic effect...It fires a powerful bolt of electrical energy that acts like ball lightning, jumping, after hitting its initial target, to adjacent targets. This makes it particularly effective if used against concentrations of targets(for example, troops exiting an APC) but can also affect friendlies in the area of effect(not advised for use in a close-order melee).
The PSIP-15 sits rather heavily in the hand, and may be too heavy for weaker beings to use accurately, requiring the use of a shoulder stock to steady it.
Paladin Steel has produced a small number of these weapons and distributed them for field-testing, starting with SpecFor and Irregular units.
Weight: 7 lbs
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per bolt to primary target.
Furthermore, a secondary bolt will jump to 1d6 targets in the vicinity of the main target, starting with the nearest target(or the nearest metallic target) as long as they are within 6 ft(10 ft for metal targets) of the initial target/point of impact, then jumping to the next one until the ball lightning disipates. Secondary targets can attempt to dodge the energy ball as standard.
Secondary targets will take HALF damage(3d6 MD).
Does only 1/4 of the original damage if the secondary targets are non-metallic or grounded
Organic targets roll for Stun; save at 16 or better or be -8 to strike, dodge, parry, roll, and initiative, reduce APMs and Spd by HALF, for 2d4 melee rds. A successful save means lose only initiative and 1 APM for 1 melee round.
50% chance of knocking out unshielded electronics(or 1d4 subsystems like radio, electronic image amplification, cybernetic sensory implant, or the like) for 1d4 melees.
Beings susceptible to electricity take DOUBLE damage.
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 12 shots standard E-clip, 20 shot long e-clip
Bonuses: +2 to strike metallic targets
Special Features:
*Detachable shoulder buttstock
Cost: 19,000 credits

Paladin Steel PSPPH-12 ‘Incendii’ Plasma Pistol
(aka ‘Arsonator’, ‘K-K-O’, ‘Super-Heater’, ‘Heat-Pump’)
http://i408.photobucket.com/albums/pp164/taalismn/PSSPH-12Incendii_zpsd741e602.jpg

“I’m not sure that mediating domestic disputes was what PS had in mind when they developed that thing, Kodor.”
“Sometimes you gotta vaporize the house to save the marriage, Cheeb.”

The Great Escape/Shriving/Exodus of Atlantis in 106 PA brought a lot of Splugorth hardware and expertise to the rest of the world, especially the GNE. Paladin Steel was quick to acquire samples of hardware looted by escaping slaves, as well as to pick the brains of refugees. Of especial interest were a number of disident Kittani and slaves who had worked in Kittani tech-factories. Their technological expertise(as well as equipment and databases purloined by the faster-thinking escapees) become a hot commodity, mcuh sought after, among many Rifts Earth corporations, not just Paladin Steel. PS, however, was closer to the main landfalls of the Exodus, quick to offer incentives, and quick to sit on their new employees once they’d signed them to contract. In short order, PS factories were soon turning out adapted knockoffs of many common Kittani and Splugorth tech-products.
The PPH-12 is Paladin Steel’s version of a weapon that was under development in Kittami weapons labs; a heavy plasma pistol based on the frame of popular Kittani KEP- Ion Pistol. The Kittani were working on a powerful handheld plasma projection system that was nearing the operational stage wihen the ZOT’s ‘SlapDown’ washed over the cities of Atlantis. When the mass-escape of slaves started, several technically-skilled slaves who were force-working on the project (and likely would have been killed afterwards in tests of the new weapon) swiped the prototypes and programme data, destroyed the lab, and got off Atlantis to make their way to where they could sell their information for sanctuary. Paladin Steel managed to get ahold of the engineering team, got a look at what they were offering, and saw vast commercial promise in the weapon. They hired the ex-slaves on the spot, transferring them to one of their Canadian facilities far from Atlantis, and set to work seeing if they could complete and duplicate the weapon.
Much to PS’s surprise, they not only could duplicate the weapon, but they could improve on it. This has raised questions as to whether PS’s ‘combined arms’ approach to engineering is superior to the Kittani factory-philosophy, the original weapon is antiquated tech by Kittani standards, or if the Splugorth deliberately limited what their Kittani minions could produce.
In any event, PS found it could quickly apply many of the option systems it had applied to earlier and larger plasma weapons like the Nimro and Comet rifles. The Incendii looks much like its parent design the KEP(though with slightly different styling and coloration) and sits rather heavy in the hand(though many mercs contend this helps sell the weapon---prefering a weapon that ‘feels like it does tons of damage’).
Inroduced in 109 P.A., the Incendii quickly sold out in its first releases to the market and has since been a hot seller when available. Many GNE Regular Army officers prefer the Incendii as their side-arm of choice, depsite its short range and heavy weight.
Weight: 5 lbs
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: 8 shots standard e-clip, 16 per long e-clip
Special Features:
*Laser Spot Sight(+1 to strike)
*Optional Wire Shoulder Brace-Stock
Cost: 16,000 credits
Options:
*“Hot Shotting”---This system augments the normal air-draw plasma re-mass system with deuterium-gas injected into the plasma flow for a cleaner, hotter, more potent ‘burn’. The deuterium is stored in pressurized cylinders attached to the feeds of the gun, like a CO2 air rifle cartridge. This allows the plasma to do 50% more damage, but the weapon now has a bit of a recoil due to the more powerful plasma acting like a crude plasma drive(-1 to strike).
Cost: HotShot modding on the Incendii costs +8,000 credits, and a recharged cylinder of refined d-gas costs 500 credits(300 credits if the user can return a depleted gas cylinder at the time of purchase) and is good for 20 shots.

*Scatter-Fire---This modifies the muzzle plasma ejector mechanism to fire a dozen or so smaller plasma bolts at shorter range and with less individual damage, but with a scatter effect like a shotgun---ideal for clearing out rooms and compartments.
Reduce range by 1/3, and mini-plasma bolts do 2d4 MD each, but now covers a 30-degree arc(or rougly 15 ft wide area)
Cost: +4,000 credits

*Plasma Bolt-exploder----Rather than a single plasma bolt, this mod supercharges the outgoing shot into a sort of freeform plasma ‘grenade’ whose cohesion deteriorates faster, resulting in shorter range, but which explodes with greater area of effect and intensity.
Reduce range by HALF, but the bolt now does 1d6x10+4 MD and explodes in a 5 ft blast radius . A single plasma ‘grenade’ costs two shots from the e-clip.
Cost: +5,000 credits

*UnderBarrel Rail---For a pittance, a mounting ring-rail can be added under the barrel for attaching a vibroblade for close-combat
Cost: 50 credits + cost of vibroblade.

*Regenerator E-clip---PS’s reverse-engineering of the NG Regenerating Power Pack became available in 111 P.A., using more advanced d-bee-donated engineering and synthetic power matrix-crystals. A smaller version that could be added to pistols(RPP-2S) became available a year later. This 3 lb octagonal unit fits on the magazine receiver like an old-fashioned ‘Tommy-Gun’ cheese-wheel magazine and provides the weapon with 50 single shots, and regenerates 4 shots per hour, up to seven times. The technology is still fairly expensive, though; a single PS RPP-2S costs 18,000 credits, though as PS’s orbital manufactories increase production, the cost is expected to come down in coming years.

[taalismn]

Ok. Just a thought.

Keep Thinking. Keep Dreaming. Keep Suggesting.

[abtex]

Ok. Just a thought.

Keep Thinking. Keep Dreaming. Keep Suggesting.

What is the different between Thinking and Dreaming?

Where are "Bandito Arms plasma cartridges" from? cannot find them.

[rat_bastard]

Allright, sitting on my desktop is the up to date compiled Paladin Steel Storefront in word format. I've separated it into four sections 1) Vehicles 2) personal weapons and armor 3) miscellaneous equipment 4) Cybernetics.

Section 3 is criminally short and there are not nearly enough types of personal body armor, but Its there.

over the next few weeks I will work on cleaning up the file even more but if you want a copy PM me.

don't worry capt Shiva, I'll send you your copy.

Lets not forget my thread needs some love too.

[taalismn]

Ok. Just a thought.

Keep Thinking. Keep Dreaming. Keep Suggesting.

What is the different between Thinking and Dreaming?

Where are "Bandito Arms plasma cartridges" from? cannot find them.

You mean KeraTech cartridges? Those were intro'ed with the tribarrel plasma cannon...
Bandito Arms energy cartridges are really single-shot micro-e-clips that were intro'ed in New West as competition to the Naruni plasma weapons....as well as to fit in with the aesthetic of a slug-shooter that shoots bullets instead...The principle's the same, though...a single-shot and burn-out energy battery or flashbulb device...

[taalismn]

Allright, sitting on my desktop is the up to date compiled Paladin Steel Storefront in word format. I've separated it into four sections 1) Vehicles 2) personal weapons and armor 3) miscellaneous equipment 4) Cybernetics.

Section 3 is criminally short and there are not nearly enough types of personal body armor, but Its there.

over the next few weeks I will work on cleaning up the file even more but if you want a copy PM me.

don't worry capt Shiva, I'll send you your copy.

Lets not forget my thread needs some love too.

Ezods! I didn't know people took all this SERIOUSLY!
My hat's off to you for hammering away at this...
Well, armor's kinda shorted because I don't have all that many ideas for personal armor...Mostly PS manufactures most Black Market/Common Market armor types(like CyberKnight armors! Nothing could be more appropriate!)...but seeing as there's a demand for new types, I'll turn my attention to addressing that shortcoming...Paladin Steel after all started out as a materials manufacturer...
Now if I could just reverse-engineer that fancy Naruni armor...

[taalismn]

Okay, I think I like this one.

Can you give us a bit more info on what it looks like ? (more details)

I think in tank mode it will fit into the cargo hold/ramp of this (last picture) shuttle craft I have a pair of Tandori (from Skraypers) that need a small amored vehicle for moving around. I like the hoverjet option.

BTW -- anyone know the approximate size of the Northern Gun flying APC in the new Merc books ?

>

I'll try doing up a quick illu...first I gotta get Raven his Talon PA, once I figure out why my computer isn't reliably formatting the art from Photoshop into a quick-opening jpeg file...

The NG Skybunker's about44 ftx23 ft x 17 ft...

[rat_bastard]

Allright, sitting on my desktop is the up to date compiled Paladin Steel Storefront in word format. I've separated it into four sections 1) Vehicles 2) personal weapons and armor 3) miscellaneous equipment 4) Cybernetics.

Section 3 is criminally short and there are not nearly enough types of personal body armor, but Its there.

over the next few weeks I will work on cleaning up the file even more but if you want a copy PM me.

don't worry capt Shiva, I'll send you your copy.

Lets not forget my thread needs some love too.

Ezods! I didn't know people took all this SERIOUSLY!
My hat's off to you for hammering away at this...
Well, armor's kinda shorted because I don't have all that many ideas for personal armor...Mostly PS manufactures most Black Market/Common Market armor types(like CyberKnight armors! Nothing could be more appropriate!)...but seeing as there's a demand for new types, I'll turn my attention to addressing that shortcoming...Paladin Steel after all started out as a materials manufacturer...
Now if I could just reverse-engineer that fancy Naruni armor...

Two part armor where the outer part is sold separately is useful, A built in water purifier would be nice, a drug injector also nice. since PS seems to sell a camo covering for everything smart gillie suits should not be that difficult, improved radios, comm equipment and mountings for gear.

you'll think of something.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel GyreFalcon Pursuer Tilt-Engine VTOL Fighter
“Little birds, that’s all they are, cheap little birds; they can’t catch up to you and they can’t touch you, but they go down in flames when you touch them. They are no threat to our aviators. We have the better equipment and the better training to make use of it. They can juryrig whatever heavy guns they want to their little birds, but that does not mean they can catch us, or kill us. “
_Captain Douglas Ernhardt, Coalition State of Iron Heart, Regional 2nd Air Wing

“Captain Earnhardt’s mistake at Lazlo North and the subsequent loss of half his squadron, not to mention his own life, besides the importance of not disobeying orders and starting his own war in search of glory, provides several valuable lessons. One, Ernhardt was attacking a known strategic target, the Lazlo Muncipal Powerworks, one the defenders knew he’d be coming after; that limited both their field of responsibility and his maneuvering room...he had to come to them, and they knew it. Second, by stationing enough light aircraft along possible routes of attack, armed with long-range weaponry, the defenders increased their odds of an intercept, or at least early warning detection.
Third, was Ernhardt’s underestimation of the desperation and skill of his less-well equiped opponents. Little birds though they might be, the Lazlo Gyrefalcons matched Ernhardt’s Nightwings in numbers, and, it is increasingly evident, in skill. And any observer of nature will tell you that enough sparrows can bring down an eagle.”
-Captain Richard Gerling, CS Air Force, Intelligence Branch, Chi-Town, in his report on the “Earnhardt Incident”.

The GyreFalcon was Paladin Steel’s first entrant into the market of pure combat aircraft. A derivative of PS’s experience with the larger Osprey II utility tilt-rotor, the GyreFalcon is a much smaller, two-man aircraft intended to fill the air recon, ground attack, and interdiction roles. The GyreFalcon is considered to be an ‘intermediate’ design between smaller helis and heavier Osprey II and Dragonfly attack aircraft. The GyreFalcon has a slim, slender main body, with its two crewmen seated in-line tandem arrangement, with canards just behind the forward seat, and the main wing joined behind the rear cockpit station. The wings are gull winged, angling up, before levelling off, with the engine pods mounted at the angle-joint. The bodyframe is lightweight megadamage composite plate over an alloy frame for a structure that is both light and resilient under operational stress.
The GyreFalcon is powered by two turbo-fan ‘pusher’ engines that can be tilted to provide reverse and VTOL thrust. To lessen cost and improve ease of maintenance, Paladin Steel has installed the PS-TF-32 engine, a modified knock-off of the engines in Northern Gun’s Sky King, and compatible with many of the same parts and tools. This allows buyers to take advantage of existing supplies of Northern Gun parts, and to cannibalize damaged/destroyed Sky Kings for spares. Northern Gun has no official comment on this, but privately, Northern Gun has ordered its factory-trained technicians not to accept repair jobs on these engines.
The Gyre-Falcon is designed to perform in the high-subsonic range, as Paladin Steel felt that Mach 1+ performance was too expensive and of little use for the smaller communities the GyreFalcon was geared for. Within its lower speed range, however, the Gyrefalcon is an agile and surprisingly responsive aircraft. Experienced pilots have learned to use its VTOL capabilities to their advantage in combat flight, using the VTOL jets to cut speed and and maneuver,( just as Harrier pilots learned to do with Vectoring in Forward Flight during the Faulklands War), performing hairpin turns, undershooting faster oppoenents, and ducking behind cover.
The GyreFalcon became a staple of the emergent Greater New England military, serving as a frontline air combat unit and aire defense fighter for nearly a decade. Its small size, folding wing design, and VTOL performance also made it the first locally-produced aircraft to be selected for shipboard service aboard naval warships of the GNE Navy(the first escort carrier conversions of the GNEN carried squadrons of GyreFalcons). Though frequently outclassed on paper by faster and heavier Coalition designs, the GyreFalcon nevertheless soldiered on and proved itself in combat , especially during the hard-fought seiges of the GNE’s western New York port-cities.
Critics of the GyreFalcon contend that the small air vehicle lacks the options and utility of Paladin Steel’s other vehicles, and that as a combat vehicle, the ‘Falcon is still too light, slow, and underequiped to survive prolonged combat with Sky Cycles and heavier attack jets. .Still, the GyreFalcon is small, light, fast, and affordable, with easily accessible and repairable systems, endearing it to mercenaries with limited budgets, and small communities who can’t afford heavier combat aircraft like the Grey Falcon or NG Maverick.
(Post-110 PA Update: The GyreFalcon falls by the wayside as PS produces more sophisticated aircraft, and the advent of GravoMagnetic Repulsion drives promises to replace vectored-thrust aircraft in main GNE service. Paladin Steel begins scaling back production of the GyreFalcon as heavier aircraft take in its place in the formalized Greater New England Air Forces. The GyreFalcon continues to soldier on in the Air National Guard and police units, but increasingly surplus aircraft are being sold to private concerns and approved mercenary units. However, it is likely to remain in active GNE service for at least another decade or more).

Type: PS-F-2 GyreFalcon
Class: Light Attack/Interdiction Aircraft
Crew: Two (pilot, and co-pilot/gunner)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 220
Forward Canards(2) 30 each
Wings(2) 100 each
Engines(2) 100 each
Tail Fins(2) 50 each
Weapons Pod 80
Height: 10 ft
Width: 40 ft
Length: 35 ft
Weight: 9.5 tons
Cargo: Enough space in the crew compartment for two survival packs, side arms, and a few small personal possessions
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel (400 mile range), or nuclear(w/ 10 year energy life)
Speed: Hover to 500 MPH, Max. Altitude 51,000 ft
Bonuses: +2 to dodge in flight,
Market Cost: 7 million for liquid fuel, 9 million credits for nuclear
Systems/Features:
Radio---100 mile range
Radar---90 mile range, track/ID up to 50 targets simultaneously
Laser targeting system(+1 to strike w/ ranged weaponry) 6000 ft range
Laser Illuminator---Mounted in a steerable nose turret is a powerful targeting laser that can also be used to illuminate/designate targets for guided munitions like ‘smart’ missiles and ‘bright’ artillery shells. 7 mile range
Thermo-Imager Optics---Located in the nose turret, 3000 ft range
Life Support System---Independant life support for up to 8 hours. Air filtration is standard.
Ejection Seats---Provides a quick escape if punching out is the only option

Weapons Systems:
1) Twin Heavy 20 mm Machine Cannon(2)---The standard weapons of the GyreFalcon are these two nose mounted fixed-forward 20mm machine cannon.
Range: 7,500 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
2d4x10 MD per simultaneous burst from both cannon
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, can only fire bursts
Payload: 1000 rds per cannon(that’s 100 bursts)

2)Inboard Weapons Pylons(2)-----The GyreFalcon mounts a weapon pylon on each wing, inboard of the engines. Each pylon can hold 1 medium range missile/torpedo, 3 short range missiles/torpedos, 4 Black Talon L-AAMs, or a 12 shot mini-missile pod, light gunpods, drop-tanks(each droptank adds an additional 100 miles to range for liquid-fuel models) and other ordnance(chaff/flare launchers, photo-recon pods, etc) as they become available.

3) Weapons Module----The GyreFalcon has a modular weapons pod that fits under the main body, and which allows the ‘Falcon to be quickly fitted for a variety of missions.
a)Long Range Missiles/Torpedos---2 LRMs
b)Medium Range Missiles/Torpedos-----4 MRMs
c)Short range Missiles/Torpedos-------8 SRMs
d)Mini-Missiles/Torpedos-------20 MMs
e)Bomb Pod------Holds up to 3 Heavy Bombs, 6 Medium Bombs, or 15 Light Bombs(equiv. to Long, Medium, and Short-range missile warheads respectively, but with triple the blast radius).

f)Autocannon Pod---This module mounts four ramjet guns and an ample supply of ammunition, giving the GyreFalcon a devastating strafing attack
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
2d4x10 MD per simultaneous burst from two cannon
4d4x10 MD for all four cannon firing simultaneously(1 attack)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, can only fire bursts
Payload: 1000 rds per cannon(thats 100 bursts), 4000 rds total
Cost: 600,000 credits

g)Heavy Gatling Gun------This module replaces the four fixed-position autocannons with a single heavy rapid-fire gatling gun on a retractable gimballed mounting, allowing the GyreFalcon to engage targets in a 360 degree arc around it.
Range: 3000 ft
Damage:3d6 MD single rd, 2d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3000 rd drum(150 bursts)
Cost: 500,000 credits

h)15mm Missile Guns(2)---A combination gun/missile launcher that rapid-fires micromissiles to range, after which the missiles’ own propulsion and guidance systems cut in.
The micromissile ammunition for the PS-McMPG110 system are modified versions of the standard PS Pattern McMs; aside from the propulsive cartridge, the missiles have also been strengthened systems-wise for the more severe acceleration they get, over the relatively low-velocity launch speeds of the infantry models.
Range: Gun launcher fires the micromissile out to about 4,000 ft, whereafter the rocket propulsion takes over.
Pattern-1A 5,700 ft
Pattern-1B 6,000 ft
Pattern-1C 6,000 ft
Pattern-1D 7,000 ft
Damage/Bonuses:
Pattern-1A---1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
Pattern-1B---1d6 MD to 5 ft blast radius
Pattern-1C---4d6 MD to 4 ft blast radius, or 1d4 MD to a 10 ft blast radius in fragmentation mode
Pattern-1D----6d6 MD to a 5 ft blast radius, or 2d6 MDC out to a 18 ft blast radius in fragmentation mode
Bonuses:
Pattern-1A (None) Spin-Stabilized
Pattern-1B (None) Gyro-Compass Chip
Pattern-1C (+1 to strike. The Pattern-1C can also be set to be a ‘beam rider’, following a laser illuminator ‘painted’ on the target for an extra +2 to strike. However, this requires expediture of an extra attack per melee on the part of the gunner to keep the laser illuminator on target) Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip.
Pattern-1D (+2 to strike. Like the Pattern-1C, the Pattern-1D can ‘beam-ride’...again, this requires the gunner to maintain target-lock at the cost of an additional APM, but the -1D is better able to remain on target if the lock is broken. Furthermore, the missile can be keyed to lock on to the laser illuminator of other gunners...done with a pre-determined key-chip...allowing squadmates to ‘paint’ targets for fellow soldiers with micro-missile launchers). Gyro-Compass Chip, Laser-Sensor Microchip, Radar Trigger Chip, Image Sensing Chip.

Rate of Fire: Bursts of 3-10 rds

Payload: Each cannon has 150 rds/McMs (300 rds total per pod)
Cost: 100,000 credits for 2x gun pod
Pattern-1A 65 credits per RG-enabled McM
Pattern-1B 72 credits per RG-enabled McM
Pattern-1C 100 credits per RG-enabled McM
Pattern-1D 135 credits per RG-enabled McM

i) 30mm Cannons(2)
Range: 9,500 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot or two-round burst
Payload: 100 rds per gun
Cost: 160,000 credits

j) PS-XMG 5.56 Gatling Pod(2x rapid-fire gatling cannons)----A six-barreled gatling cannon, firing a modified WI-23 5.56mm Explosive cartridge. The PS Gatlings trade damage potential per individual round for burst capability and better range using the better cartridge propellants and longer barrels. Mechanical design modeled after the pre-Rifts XM-214 ‘Six-Pak’ Mini-Gun. Excellent range, but low damage, and a tendency to empty the ammo drum, and wear out the barrels, too quickly in heated combat.
Range: 13,000 ft
Damage:(5.56mm Explosive) 2d4x10 SDC SDC per single shot, 1d6 MD per 10-shot burst, 2d6 MD per 20-shot burst, and 1d6x10 MD per 100-shot burst(counts as TWO attacks)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 40,000 rd(400 bursts) drum standard
Cost: 90,000 credits

K) Laser Pod
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single blast, 1d6x10 MD double-pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 300 shot battery
Cost: 100,000 credits

l) Ion Pod
Range:4000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shot battery
Cost: 80,000 credits per cannon

m)Recon Pod---A sensor pallet for recon work. Carries an illumination flare launcher(12 flares, each burns for 2d4 melees, and can illuminate several square miles as bright as a full moon(if not brighter). High resolution sensors include high definition , panoramic, stereo cameras, thermo-graphic optics, telescopic optics, radiation detectors, and ELINT sensors.
Cost: 14,000 credits

n) Sideways-Looking Radar---This pod extends a boom that projects a sideways-scanning high-resolution radar beam for mapping the landscape and ground contours, as well as detecting structures, vehicles, and large troop formations. Note that SLR is a recon tool, offers no combat bonuses, and is an active-radiation sensor system, meaning that it can be detected by radiation/radar detectors.
Range: 40 miles to either side of the aircraft(line of sight)
Cost: 20,000 credits

o)Cargo Module----Can hold up to 1000 lbs of cargo. Cost: 1,000 credits

p) Booster Pod----Essentially a second sustained-burn rocket-assist engine that can push the little Gyrefalcon up to speeds of Mach 1(67) MPH) for up to 5 minutes. Great for emergency escapes and high speed interceptions, but the high speed does result in a -15% to the pilot roll for special aerial maneuvars, as the the VTOL isn’t really designed for maneuvaring at sustained high velocity, the accompanying buffeting and vibration, though not enough to break the craft apart, sure feels that way.
Bonus: +4 to dodge at Mach 1(670 MPH)
Cost: 800, 000 credits
Note: Nuclear powered models can recharge the booster, but it takes 30 minutes for the booster to cool down and recharge.

4)Flare/Chaff Launcher(1)--Fires off countermeasure flares/chaff bundles at command, or on detecting radar lock-on.
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is nuetralized
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 chaff/flare clusters per launcher
Cost: 1,000 credits for a fully stocked pod. 60 credits per flare/chaff bundle.

Variants:
“Gyrefalcon A”
The Gyrefalcon A was actually the pre-production prototype model of the Gyrefalcon, and had pusher-propellors in place of the jets. The design only had a top speed of 400 MPH, and was actually a Very Short TakeOff and Landing(VSTOL) aircraft with a takeoff length of 300 ft. The Gyrefalcon A only saw less than two dozen aircraft total being produced before being dropped in favor of the jet-turbofan model, with full VTOL capabilities.
PS has entertained thoughts of reformating the G-A as a civilian sport-plane; such a variant lacking weaponry and military systems, but likely having extended range(weight decreased by 30% and range increased by 30%) and costing about 4-5 million credits.
Cost:6 million credits

“Fairie Falcon”---The ‘Fairie Falcon” is based on reports of several Gyrefalcons in unusual markings being sighted parked outside Paladin Steel’s Mageworks divisional headquarters. Supposedly, these craft are undergoing trials, being refitted with PPE powerplants, Ley Line flight capabilities, PPE Battery-powered weapons systems, TK Machineguns replacing the Autocannon, and special, Magepod-style weapons pods on the underbody mounting. Other rumored equipment fittings include a ‘flicker-dodge’ system seen on some Farnborough Avionics reconstructions from England(see my Wings of Legend postings) and Armor of Ithan protections. However, the existance of the “Fairie Falcon” remains unconfirmed.

[taalismn]

Paladin Steel Mongol Light Tank

“The Regiment’s got a tough one; the Rebettons have hired us to take back their town from Pollard’s Panzers. Bad news is, the Panzers have holed up in the old factory works and bunker complex the Rebettons call home. That complex is the Rebettons’ bread and butter and the reason Pollard seized the place to begin with. That means we can’t just bomb them from the air until they say quits. It’s going to be a ground action if we want to draw them out and separate them from their bunkers. Good news is, Pollard likes aggressive defense, and from recent intel he’s got some new hover-armor he really wants to put to use...
We in Second Company drew the short straw. We’re to attack their defensive works and make like we’re a much heavier force and draw their attention, while our slower heavies flank them and hopefully hit them from their weak behind. We can therefore expect them to be coming at us with their new heavies...We’re talking a mix of Carnivore HBTs and CB robots looking to stomp us hard. Pollard likes to hit hard and fast, but he’s also playing close to his new sandbox...He’ll want to squash any opposition as quick as he can rather than leave it lurking around his borders. Since he started buying Naruni, he can’t call on his old paymasters in the CS for support anymore, so he’ll come loaded for bear on whoever pokes a stick at him.
Fortunately, we got Mongols, and the Commander’s sprung for maximum missile load-outs for our hardpoints. That means we get to play with heavy ordnance and can engage at long range...weed out the enemy force and convince them we’re much more powerful than we seem...If we’re lucky we pin them down well out of return fire range and keep them looking in our direction until the rest of the Reg buttsexes them from behind...if not, they come out to engage us close and they hopefully spend more time looking for the second line we’re the ‘screening force’ for, they don’t take their time mopping us up...”
---Colonel Gerkhus Manolloy, Second Kirkus Regiment(GNE Irregulars)

The Mongol is a new design, in limited production and testing, for a light attack vehicle based on the Jeb, and intended to use many of the same components and assemblies. The Mongol is an effort by some of the “old guard” designers and proponents of the Jeb to update the design and keep the assembly line in action.
The Mongol retains much of the Jeb’s general layout and size, but is somewhat lower, broader, and faster. The Mongol is designed with the spirit of its namesake warrior in mind; light, fast, and hard-hitting. A new improved “fighter cockpit-style” driver’s compartment replaces the old design, and new, advanced ‘smart’ treads of ‘morphing plastic, with extendable grousers, replace the old cast-plate and link treads. In an attempt to separate the Mongol from being grouped with the recon vehicles, the tank mounts decidedly heavy armament for a light tank; many of the modular systems considered “optional” for the Jeb are now integral to the Mongol design, and those systems have been substantially upgraded. The incorporation of MEWS-compatible interfaces in the main turret allows the main armament to be quickly swapped out and replaced with a variety of other weapons types.
The Mongol is capable of having its weaponry replaced/reconfigured, with systems common to the PS product lines. The side-racks are deliberately compatible with a number of helicopter/aircraft ordnance pods, allowing the Mongol, which is air-transportable, to use many of the same stockpiled armaments as can be typically found at forward air staging areas. By fitting the Mongol with the optional 45mm rail guns, for instance, the Mongol can assume an ‘Ontos’-style configuration(after a pre-Rifts light AFV sporting six recoilless rifles---PS would later resurrect the design as the devastatingly effective Ontos II, by substituting mini-missile launchers for the one-shot RGs). THe Mongol is NOT lacking for firepower; the small frame fairly bristles with weaponry.
Paladin Steel has built only a handful of Mongols, and is field testing them, to see how they perform, before making any decision as to the design’s future. Many critics contend that the Mongol is little more than an attempt to mimic the Triax mini-tank’s attributes, as opposed to a revision of the Jeb, and that the Mongol lacks the tactical flexibility that now dominates PS design philosophy. Other critics note that even the VW Camper Van, properly equipped, can outperform the Mongol, casting further doubt on the Mongol’s future. On the other hand, few can find argument with the Mongol’s ‘Ontos’ configurations for sheer firepower....
(Post-110 PA Update: The Mongol does indeed pass trials and enter production, but is quickly subseded by the more advanced Zephyr hovertank as the light armed recon/skirmish vehicle of choice for the GNE’s Regular Army. The Mongol is kicked back to border defense, urban garrisons, and second-echelon newly-recruited units and militia forces. PS has recently begun selling the LBT on the open market. Among Irregular units and mercenaries, the Mongol has acquired a reputation for being a gun-tug on treads, able to shoot up heavier vehicles with relative ease.)
Type:PS-LBT-03
Class: Light Battle Tank
Crew: Two + 1 additional passenger/crew member
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 350
Turret 120
Reinforced Crew Compartment 90
Treads(2) 60 each
Short Range Missile Launcher 50
MIni-Missile Launcher Canisters(2) each
Height: 9 ft
Width:9 ft
Length:20 ft
Weight: 12 tons
Cargo:Small space in crew cabin for several several packs and 1-4 sidearms
Powerplant:Liquid Fuel (400 mile range), Electric (400 mile range), or nuclear(10 year energy life)
Speed: 60 MPH
If the treads are destroyed, the tank can move, albeit slowly, on its road wheels at 20 MPH.
(Underwater): Fully sealed up, the Mongol can survive brief periods of submergence; able to crawl along lake and river bottoms at 5 MPH.
Market Cost: 2.3 million credits
Systems/Features:
Short-range Radar(5 miles)
Laser Targeting(+1 to strike)
Combat Computer(+1 to strike)
Radiation Detector
Infrared/Thermo-imager Optics
Computer-graphics/CGI Head Up Displays(HUD) for crew
Long (300 miles) and short range radio
High-Powered Headlights
Loudspeaker---90 decibels
Air conditioning/Filtration/Independent Oxygen Supply---96 hours
Weapons Systems:
1)Main Turret Weapon---The main turret can mount ONE of the following weapons types:
a)Medium Pulse Laser---A light weapon for a tank, it is nevertheless a popular weapon because of its low cost and reliability.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single blast, 1d6x10 MD double pulse blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 800 shot battery for conventionally-powered models. Effectively unlimited for nuclear.
Cost: 20,000 credits

b)PS-XMG Gatling Cannon----A six-barreled gatling cannon, firing a modified WI-23 5.56mm Explosive cartridge. The PS Gatlings trade damage potential per individual round for burst capability and better range using the better cartridge propellants and longer barrels. Mechanical design modeled after the pre-Rifts XM-214 ‘Six-Pak’ Mini-Gun. Excellent range, but low damage, and a tendency to empty the ammo drum, and wear out the barrels, too quickly in heated combat.
For monster hunting, this weapon can also be used to fire silver-plated bullets, each doing HP to vampires and werebeings.
Range: 13,000 ft
Damage:(5.56mm Explosive) 2d4x10 SDC SDC per single shot, 1d6 MD per 10-shot burst, 2d6 MD per 20-shot burst, and 1d6x10 MD per 100-shot burst(counts as TWO attacks),
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 40,000 rd(400 bursts) drum standard
Cost: 100,000 Credits

c) Multiplexor Mage Pod
Weight: 1,000 lbs
Range: Varies by spell
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. However, the use of focusing elements and activator spells effectively reduces spell PPE cost by HALF.
(So you Technowizards aren’t flummoxed by PPE costs in a long-running battle, while the still relatively high PPE costs for the high-end spells keeps someone from using Sphere of Annihilation in every battle).
Payload: Draws from the main PPE Battery, but can also draw upon the Type-9’s own PPE reserves. In an emergency, the pilot, if they are a mage or psychic, can kick in their own PPE.
Bonuses: As per spell(if any)
Cost: The basic mage Pod system costs about 1 million credits
Spell Cards cost (as per Jason Richards’ guidelines in Rifter #2) 5,000 credits per PPE cost of main spell plus an additional cost (as per following modifiers)
*500 credits per level of the creating caster(Mages’ time and PPE are money, so expect to pay more for the longer duration/higher power spells)
*Warlock spells cost 20% more, in addition to above modifiers, owing to the difficulties of adapting Elemental Magic to ‘conventional” magic systems.


d)PSMBL-5000B Laser Cannon---Based on an imported Japanese weapon design
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD double blast, 1d4x10+8 MD quad blast, 1d6x10 MD full 5-shot blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost: 100,000 Credits

e)PS-US-RG14PS Boom Gun---PS produces a high-powered rail gun akin to the Glitterboy’s RG-14, only with a different mounting, style, and lack of laser-reflective armor
Range: 11,000 ft
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per shot
Sonic shock effects remain unchanged.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 180 rd drum
Cost: 280,000 credits

f)Mass Driver Cannon---The old 60mm Snapfire artillery weapon.
Range:(Direct Fire Mode): 6000 ft
(Artillery Mode) 2 .5 miles
Damage:(Direct Fire Mode) 3d6x10 MD, no blast radius
(Artillery Mode) Everything within the 30 ft blast radius takes 2D6x10 M.D. and has a 75% chance of being knocked flat.
Rate of Fire:(Direct Fire Mode) EPCHH
(Artillery Mode) Three times per melee
Payload: 50 rds
Bonuses/Penalties: +1 strike in direct fire mode. -2 to strike in Artillery mode.
Cost: 250,000 credits

g) 75mm Low Velocity Gun---Using low-pressure propellant techniques, this cannon heaves a beer-can sized projectile at opponents with considerable punch. However, the 75mm can be used to fire a variety of rounds, from expanding foam-plastic "punching glove" non-lethal people-stoppers,to megadamage plasma shells.
Primary Purpose: Anti-armor
Secondary Purpose: Anti-personnel
Range: 6000 m(roughly 18000 ft)
Damage:
"Bubblegum Round": Restraint Caster(AKA "Loogie"). This "safe" munition blasts out an expanding glop of adhesive resin and plastic fibers that entangle and immobilize targets.
The "Loogie" suffers from atrocious range; it can only reach 150 ft before flopping to the ground. Covers an area of 5 ft, and is
air permeable, so even if a perp is covered head to foot they can still breath.
Damage: 1d4 SDC bruising damage on impact, restrains with a PS of 30(characters without a robotic or supernatural PS of 30 or greater
are stuck until released. Even with r/s PS 30, takes 1d4 melees to bust out/be cut out).
Note: Police carry solvents that dissolve the "Loogie" within 1d4 melees.
(Black Market cost for the solvent is 500 credits per 3-use tube)

Riot Rd: This munition is an expanding ball of sponge plastic,swelling up to roughly the size of a basketball. The Riot Round has better range than the Restraint Rd, and is designed to deliver a bruising kinetic slap.
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 4d6 SDC plus 80% chance of knockdown(60% chance of stunning for 1d4 melees, -10 to initiative, strike/parry/dodge/roll, and half apms. Reduce percentiles for stun and penalties by half if wearing MDC armor)

Smoke Rd: Smoke in a 30 ft area
Foam Rd: Designed for fire-fighting. Covers a 15 ft area in fire-retardant foam.
High Explosive Rd: 8d6 MD to 10 ft area
Armor Piercing Round: 1d6x10 MD to 3 ft area
Plasma Rd:Does 1d8x10 MD to a 6 ft blast radius.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 40 rds
Cost:150,000 credits.

h) Laser Cannon Pod---A heavier single-barrel laser cannon, based on a weapon acquired from South America(the ATL-7 Anti-Tank Laser)
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 3d6x10+10 MD per single shot
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
Payload: 100 shot battery. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost: 180,000 credits

i) PS-RG-60 Heavy Rail Gun( a copy of an imported Russian design)
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x0 per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3,000 rd drum
Cost: 100,000 credits

j)PS-XGECAL 50 “Ripkiller” ---An experimental weapon based on the pre-Rifts .50 caliber GECAL 50 Six Barrel Machine Gun. This weapon fires high explosive shells(based on the Wellington Industries Heavy Explosive shells) over three miles, to devastating effect. In theory, the XGECAL 50 can fire off 8,000 rounds per minute(or 2,000 rounds a melee), but PS has limited the weapon to a maximum of 100 rounds per burst , and even that can shoot the magazines dry in one melee! Only a special coolant jacket, shock-absorbing stabiilizer, and burst limiter prevent this weapon from tearing itself apart under maximum rate of fire, and keeps enough rounds on target to inflict maximum damage. The weapon also tears out its meter-long barrel linings faster than any other weapon in PS service(a cannon barrel is estimated to have a standard combat life of 4,000 shots). Some military analysts at PS are rather critical of this weapon, citing its reliance on specialized ammunition, and its potential, in the hands of an inexperienced gunner, to empty its ammunition reserve too quickly, leaving the gunner without their primary weapon at a critical time. The great range of the weapon, increasing supplies of explosive ammunition, as well as newer, more durable, space-manufactured gunbarrel materials, may save the PS-XGECAL 50 yet, in the eyes of VFS officials.
Range: 19,000 ft!
Damage: 1d4 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD per 10 shot burst(1 attack), 2d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst(2 attacks), 4d4x10 MD per 50 rd burst(3 attacks), 1d4x100 MD per 100 shot burst(takes ALL attacks that melee)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 1,000 round drum per cannon(10 full-melee bursts)
Note: The use of tracer ammunition gives a +1 to strike
Cost: 200,000 credits

k)) ‘Mangonel-80’ 80-mm Gun Mortar----Acquired through trade with PS’s Spanish trade partners. This weapon, named for an ancient low-trajectory catapult, trades the range and power of the 120-mm mortar and the 105mm L7 cannon, for a higher rate of fire, and capability in BOTH the direct- and indirect-fire roles.
Range:(Direct Fire) 3,200 ft
(Indirect Fire) 26,000 ft (5 miles!)
Damage:(Fragmentation)1d4x10 +5 MD to 25 ft blast area
(Armor-Piercing High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 6 ft blast area
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: 40 rds
Cost: 180,000 credits

l)PS-AWD-MTL-1 Tri-Laser-----Based on the Mechanoid Brute
Weight: 2200 lbs
Range:6000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single blast
1d4x10 +6 MD double blast
1d6x10 +10 MD triple blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:200 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 3 million credits

m)PS-AWD-PC3------Based on the Mechanoid Brute Plasma Cannon
Weight: 2500 lbs
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:
Payload: 180 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 2.5 million credits

n)PS-AWD-MML-2 Mini-Missile Launcher-----Based on the Mechanoid Brute Mini-Missile Launcher Box
Weight: 900 lbs
Range: Varies, generally one mile
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 4, 6, or 8
Payload: 40
Cost: 100,000 credits

o)PS-AWD-DBPBC-2------Based on the Mechanoid Exterminator Double-Barreled Particle Beam Cannon
Weight: 1,000 lbs
Range: 4000 ft
Damage: 1d4x 10 MD single blast
2d4x10 MD double blast
Rate of Fire:
Payload: 120 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Cost: 3 million credits



2) Medium Pulse Laser(1)---Mounted in the front of the tank, controlled by the driver
Range:4000 ft
Damage:3d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD dual blast
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 1000 shot battery for conventionally-powered models. Effectively unlimited for nuclear.

3)Short-Range Missiles---Mounted in the front of the main turret-facing is an armored short-range missile launcher. Can be fitted to fire ‘Copperhead’ ATMs instead if desired.
Range:Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, or 4
Payload: 8

4)Side Hardpoints(2) ---The Mongol mounts two hardpoints on the sides of the hull, facing forward. They are designed to accommodate helicopter/aircraft-style weapons pods(though not all types, such as munitions dispensers and bombs, are usable), and are generally fitted with missile launchers, but other weapons types can be fitted;
a) Micro-Missiles---25 shot box
b) Mini-Missiles---19 shots
c) Short Range Missiles

d)4x45mm Rail Guns---Replace SRMs with four ‘Hellshot’ heavy railguns. Often called the “Ontos III” conversion because it offers massive, short-term firepower on a small chassis.
Range:3,300 ft
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per shot(or 1d6x100 MD for all four going off at once! Counts as three attacks)
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 12 shots per cannon
Penalty:-2 to strike moving targets
Cost: 120,000 credits each cannon, 800 credits per penetrator round

e)Replace the Mini-missile launch canisters with six Copperhead Heavy Hitter missiles.
Range:1 mile
Damage:2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire:Volleys of 1, 2, or 3
Payload: 3 per launcher, 6 total
Bonus: +5 to strike
Cost:20,000 credits. 6,000 credits per missile

f)Replace the Mini-missile launch canisters with eight Black Talon L-SAM missiles.
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 3, or 4
Payload: 8
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)
Cost: Launcher costs 75,000 credits. Each encapsulated missile currently costs 10,000 credits.

g)Replace a Mini-Missile canister with a flamer pod. Nozzle has 45-degree angling.
Range:200 ft
Damage:1d4 MD single blast, 2d4 MD simultaneous blast from two pods.
01-90% chance of setting all combustible materials on fire. Fire does an additional 1d4 MD per melee round for 2d4 minutes
Rate of Fire:ECHH
Payload: 50 blasts per pod
Cost: 20,000 credits


Options:
*Amphibious Conversion-----The Mongol can be watersealed and equipped with flotation units and a propeller drive, allowing it to cross relatively calm/still bodies of water at a leisurely 15 MPH.
Cost: 9,000 credits

*IR Baffling---A passive stealth system that uses special exhausts for the engine and crew compartment, as well as insulation and heatsink systems, to alter and lower the tank’s thermal signature. -20% to detect/target the tank using thermal imaging. Cost: 18,000 credits

*Stealth Treads---Specially articulated treads that reduce the noise generated by the mechanical movement. Reduce speed by 1/3, but base prowl ability of 65%.
Cost: 50,000 credits

*Camou-Shroud---A variant of PS’s portable ‘scrambler’ shelter, only larger to cover the tank. This is a portable folding shelter that can be erected in minutes, providing protection from the elements, limited megadamage protection, as well as concealment from electronic and infra-red/thermographic detection.
The ‘Shelter’ consists of a yard-long ‘can’ that looks like a large drum. When activated, about a dozen articulated ‘spider leg’ structural members of carbon composite branch out, anchor themselves in the ground, and form the skeleton of a dome-shaped igloo roughly 7 ft tall by 20 ft in diameter. The pod then deploys a cover sheet of special plastics, with a camouflage print, and integral sensor-baffling elements.
The Camouflage pattern sheet can be chemo-switched to any one of seven different configurations. The support elements create a degaussing ‘bubble’ that scrambles radar signals(incoming and outgoing), as well as disrupting magnetic resonances(fouling Magnetic Anomaly Detectors), while the fabric itself insulates and disipates the infra-red and thermal emissions and signatures of the occupants, rendering tjose means of detection less effective.
Care must be taken in setting up the Shelter---The igloo is not invisible to naked eyeball optical searches, so ‘blending’ the shelter into the natural landscape contours is essential for best results. For maximum comfort, a ground sheet or surfacing can be put down first.
The entire shelter can deploy/retract for stowage in 1 melee
MDC: The tent provides about 60 MDC of protection, however, against explosions, it is less effective(being non-rigid, shockwaves pass through its fabric), so explosives will do HALF damage to the occupants, regardless of how much MDC is left in the tent.
Special Features:
*Water-proofing
*Fire Proofing---Can handle temperatures up to 300 degrees centigrade. Normal fires do NO damage
*Minimal Radiation Shielding--The fabric shell provides some protection against radiation(such as that from expended U-rounds laying nearby, or fallout), but is not recommended for protection in ‘hot’ zones (good for maybe 5-6 minutes of exposure).
*Chameleon-cloth Fabric---Can assume one of seven pre-set color configurations.
*Thermal Insulation-Infrared and Thermographic sensors are -20% to detect the shelter.
*Electronic Insulation- Radar, MAD, and EM sensors are -15% to detect the shelter
*Extendable Fiber-optic Periscope
Cost: 80,000 credits; currently unavailable outside GNE military forces and approved affiliates.

[rat_bastard]

Dammit! I gotta update already!

[taalismn]

Dammit! I gotta update already!

Sorry...Shoulda warned you...I am a constantly moving performance target....
That's why many of my older products are constantly getting updated as new technologies become available...
Because you never know what's around the next corner and through the next rift...

[rat_bastard]

Its alright, update done.

I bold the title and italic the quotes so it looks nice, the next gen of this will have the equipment listed by type.

[taalismn]

Its alright, update done.

I bold the title and italic the quotes so it looks nice, the next gen of this will have the equipment listed by type.

Thank you...my home computer connection's a little slow to implement the cosmetic touchups on the PB boards in timely fashion(I wait until I can access through the public library terminals) so I appreciate what boldface and italics can do for presentation...

[taalismn]

The NG Skybunker's about44 ftx23 ft x 17 ft...

Skybunker ? that sounds pretty big. Dustin Firebird said they had a flying APC in one of the new Merc books, which I thought were small.

from my old Black Market writeup...

Code: Select all

DELIVER THIS

Northern  Gun has  placed six  surplus,  flying  APCs at the  Delivery  Team's
disposal.  Of course  they're  brand new and heavily  modified to carry cargo.
Each carries 12.7 tons of cargo. Flight speed isn't  impressive  at barely 220
MPH for a full cargo load.  Coming home is much nicer as the craft can average
around 385 MPH.  Invariably,  missions are run in pairs, even if the load will
only fit in one, they'll  often space out cargo so that each craft  shares the
load  and  there's  an  extra  vehicle  to  cover  a  delivery   team's  back.
Occasionally  logistics will prevent this, which means single aircraft will be
flying solo.

The flying APCs often have unusual  names: Fred & Ethel, Mulder & Scully, D!ck
& Jane and so on. This is so the craft can be discussed in public  without too
much  mystery.  "I won't be  around  this  weekend,  I'm going  away with Fred &
Ethel."

[picking up gear from NG]

MISSION SPECIALISTS

Pilot, Navigator, Gunner and 2 Operators will fly along with each mission. The
2nd APC will carry only the Pilot,  Navigator  and  Gunner.  The  Operator  is
responsible for making any assemblies  (details hammered out pre-delivery) and
delivering  manuals,  guides  and  spec  sheets  for  all  the  equipment  (if
necessary).  NG  distributes  carefully  redacted  manuals and specs such that
there's no actual  reference to NG. Like wise the equipment  isn't  "logo-ed".
However  if  someone  were  to do a  careful  analysis  they'd  find  a  close
correlation  between the company's "official" documents and these -- the price
of doing business.  Occasionally  mission  specialists  may be left behind, if
assembly and demo and instruction is going to take several days. Pick-ups will
be handled by "sales contacts". Northern Gun also does regular production runs
of "black  market"  goods, like the L-20 pulse laser and others.  This type of
technology is easily  reproduceable  and can help the arms manufacturer turn a
tidy profit.

The Operators on the delivery staff are quite unique,  relying on a variety of
unusual gear to conduct them. Occasionally things go wrong, and delivery teams
must dump goods at an intermediate position and run and hide. Malfunctions and
bad weather can also affect  Delivery Teams. For ditching, DTs rely on special
passive beacons that can be cached with hidden equipment. Then when a recovery
detail  is sent out to find  them,  they can  signal  the  beacon  which  will
respond.

>

I'd say then that these aren't the same...the APC in Merc Ops can max put at 280 MPH and can only carry 10 tons...So the faster and greater capacity type described above would probably be larger, unless the armor was cut and you essentially had a flying panel truck with big honking engines...

[taalismn]

Does it list the dimensions ? Or is it the same as your previous post ? Sorry I'm corn-fused.

When I wrote that up, the Mercs Ops had just come out and I didn't (and still don't) have it, so I just made it up.
It was a free-form contest writeup for the Black Market over at Nexus Nine.


>

Moot point then...I didn't realize your write up was referring to your own hardware...which you can do darn well anything you please with with regard to relative dimensions...Like making an NG flying APC with an extra strong and lightweight frame, and shopping big powerful engines on, making it stronger(for less unloaded weight) and faster than the Merc Ops 'flying brick'(and it does look like a flying brick)....

[taalismn]

Moot point then...I didn't realize your write up was referring to your own hardware...which you can do darn well anything you please with with regard to relative dimensions...Like making an NG flying APC with an extra strong and lightweight frame, and shopping big powerful engines on, making it stronger(for less unloaded weight) and faster than the Merc Ops 'flying brick'(and it does look like a flying brick)....

So what you're saying is the book only has one NG Flying APC called the Skybunker ?

I don't think I was given any of that info by the posters on the other BBS. I just went with "a flying van-cum-bobtail" as an APC. Something big enough to hold a squad + some gear, real vague-like.

Hmmm, I'm leaning towards the SdKfz_232

and this artwork/models

Nice Models 1

More Models

>

Gotta hit my copy of German Armored Cars(WW2) some of the prototypes they had were just plain futuristic-looking...
But right now I'm looking at the Russion Zubr hovercraft amphibious assault lander and getting SERIOUS must-do-pains...

[taalismn]

I forgot I had made a Rifts Vehicle Database script years ago which will export to BBCode...

 
GAW Sd Kfz 232
This is a reconstruction of a World War II armored car, brought up to Rifts standards, incorporating the latest in armor, powerplant and weaponry.

While cheap in terms of cost, the 232 can fill the armored car role well, providing a speedy, well-armored and armed addition to any mercenary unit. In practical terms it
can hold 2 additional passengers inside it's hull, and carry up to 2000 lbs externally,
using ties/belts or a removable cage assembly.

Communications variants (like ECM/ECCM) are easily modifiable by a skilled Operator/Armorer.

Model Type: Armored Car
Class: Sd Kfz 232
Crew: 2, driver and gunner
M.D.C. by location
     Body: 200
     Top: 200
     Bottom: 100
     Force Field: 300

Speed & Performance
     Driving on the ground: 50 mph
     Flying: not possible
     FTL: not possible
     Range: 200 miles

Statistical Data
     Height: 10 feet
     Width: 7 feet
     Length: 19 feet
     Weight: 8 tons
     Cargo: 2000 lbs [external]
     Power System: Electrical
     Market Cost: 650,000 credits

Weaponry
     WI GL20 Automatic Grenade Launcher
          M.D.: 2D6x10 or 3D6x10 for bursts
          Rate of Fire: Single shots or Bursts of 10 rounds
          Range: 3000 feet
          Payload: 800 rounds
     Mini-Missile Launcher
          M.D.: 1D6x10 per missile
          Rate of Fire: 1, 6 or 12
          Range: 2 miles
          Payload: 12 missiles
     Smoke Discharger
          M.D.: none
          Rate of Fire: 1, 3 or 6
          Range: 200 feet
          Payload: 36 inside the vehicle

Niiiiccccceeeee......
Perfect for the small-time merc team on the move...(because we can't all be heavy armor/robot battalions)...

[taalismn]

PSA-11K ‘Dogfish’ Nautical Operations Power Armor
“ARRR!!ARRR!!!ARRR!!!OKAY!OKAY! ENOUGH ALREADY! ENOUGH!WE SURRENDER! JUST SHUT OFF THAT DAMN _NOISE_ AND WE’LL SURFACE AND GIVE OURSELVES UP PEACEFULLY!FOR THE LOVE OF KARL! I’M GOING TO HURL!”
---Captain Peter ‘Iron Guts’ Innberg, CSN, shortly before surrendering his new construction Centurion-class SSN, CSN Minnesota, to a VFSN Dogfish squad, after an hour of sustained sonic bombardment

The PSA-11K ‘Dogfish’ is the navalized version of the PSA-11, and came surprisingly late in the series. In the words of one engineer, the PSA-11K is an example of ‘why-didn’t-we-do-that-first-engineering’. Although experiments had been conducted early on in making the PSA-11 seaworthy, no serious effort had been made to come up with a marine-operations specific model or modification package, until the expanding Vermont Free State Navy began specifically pushing for one. The primary power armor of the VFSN, the PSAN-7 “Petrel”, was fast, well-armed, and versatile, but its complicated systems made it maintenance-intensive, and the VFSN wanted to know if PS could produce a naval version of the PSA-11, which was already well-known to most GNE engineers, had a reliable service record, and for which spare parts were readily available, reducing maintenance turnaround downtime for the Navy’s much-needed power armor forces.
Paladin Steel had already been producing modification and conversion kits for the power armors of many of its allies’ machines, and found it extraordinarily simple to modify the PSA-11 accordingly. The frame was sealed and streamlined, the ‘armor weighted and buoyed to attain neutral buoyancy. A ‘new’ sea-air thruster pack copied from captured Free Quebec designs was added to the back, extra thrusters were added to the lower legs, and the ‘bellows’ joints on the upper arms were replaced with more pressure-resistant rotary joints(similar to those seen on early JIM deep-diving suits). Several new weapons systems were added to the arsenal of options.
After that, it was simply a matter of testing and approval, which the PSA-11K passed with an easy fulfillment of the Navy’s expectations. Since all of the systems were already in production, the PSA-11K was quickly and easily rushed into production, and the new armors were soon appearing on VFSN vessels and at its facilities, supporting their heavier cousins. The PSA-11K was originally named the ‘SeaHunter’, but given the large numbers of PSA-11s in VFS service, the nickname ‘Dogfish’, for the ubiquitous small sharks common to the New England coast, was soon hung on the ‘suits, and soon became the accepted name for them.
The PSA-11K most commonly sports a dark blue-green camouflage scheme, striated black-and-yellow ‘sandy bottom’ camouflage coloration, or an ‘Orca’-scheme of white and light gray on the underside surfaces and dark blue-black on the upper portions of the body and arms.
Aside from obvious stylistic differences, the PSA-11K is identical in performance to the baseline PSA-11, except for the following:
Changes:
Weight: Add 900 lbs to overall weight
Speed:(Underwater): 10 MPH swimming, 55 MPH w/ thrusters, Maximum Depth 1.5 miles
Sensors/Features: Add Depth Gauge and Mini-Sonar(35 mile range)
Extended Duration “Bubbleless’ Rebreather Life Support System(8 day endurance)
Decompression Vest added to Pilot Skinsuit/armor, and Emergency Mini-Rebreather(clamps around head and supplies fifteen minutes of emergency air)
Lift Balloon---Replaces the external parachute pack with an inflatable ‘lift balloon’ for emergency rapid-ascents from depth. Works in conjunction with the Decompression Vest and Emergency Life Support System to prevent the pilot from experiencing the ‘bends’ from rapid ascent.

Weapons Systems(in addition to existing options):
a) Blue-Green Pulse Laser Claw----Replaces the Forearm Pulsar Claw Laser with a Blue-Green model(Range: 3000 ft in air or water; damage remains unchanged)

b) Ion Blaster Cannon Manipulator Hand Module--Adapted from the New Navy’s ‘Semper Fi’ armor(Range: 2000 ft in air and water, 4d6 MD per blast, effectively unlimited payload). Retains the manipulator hand and houses the weapon in the forearm.

c) Micro-Torpedo Launcher---a modified version of the PS ‘Calliope Launcher’, but with the ‘boxes’ now streamlined into aircraft-style streamlined ‘pods’. (Range: 2500 ft in water/500 ft in air, 6d6 MD per micro-torp, 36 rds per launcher).

d) Sub-ForceBolt/Mini-MagTorp Model II Cannon---(claw forearm)This is similar to the ‘weapons claws’ , but uses a MagBolt weapons system that fires mini-EM forcefield ‘balls’, as an underwater weapon. Since the forcefields slip through the water with a minimum of resistance and drag, cannot be detected by sonar, and are virtually invisible, PS has been pursuing their development as underwater weaponry and beefed up their power.
Range: 2000 ft in air or water
Damage- 6d6 MD per bolt
Effects-Being unseen, and very fast, the force bullet imposes dodge penalties. A target is at -8 to dodge the single projectile.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited


f) Harpoon Launcher Forearm----Fires harpoons from the back of the forearm (has a fully articulated hand/manipulator). Can fire exploding head harpoons, tracers, or grapplers(100 ft ultra-fine polysteel cable).
Range: 200 ft
Damage:2d6 SDC standard or 5d6 MD exploding head
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, or 3
Payload:18 harpoons per launcher

g)Electro-Spear---Taken/copied directly from Free Quebec’s own Sea Dragon Power Armor, this tethered handheld spear does 2d4 SDC when used as a club, 1d6 MD on a jab, 2d6 MD per electrical charge to an impaled victim, or it can fire a long distance electrical bolt that does 1d6 MD at a range of 20 ft on dry land/in air, 1d6+6 MD to targets 50 ft away underwater, plus 1 MD to everything in a 50 ft radius of the armor underwater in an omni-directional blast.

h) PS-SVHFW-3 Sonic Cannon----Mounted over one shoulder, this experimental weapons system is one of several sonic weapons emerging from PS’s sonic-warfare research. In order to speed testing and deployment, however, PS based this particular model on a weapon acquired by its OTAR offices from trade contacts in South America(see Rifts South America 2: pg 170). PS, however, has tinkered with the design, to adapt it to underwater operations, including a long-duration ‘vomit-hum’ mode derived from recovered pre-Rifts Canadian sonic research.
Range: 500 ft(1,000 ft underwater)
Damage: Wide Beam: 4d6 MD to a 30 ft area
Concentrated Beam: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Unprotected personnel must save versus non-lethal poison (16 or higher) or be stunned for 1d4 melee rds. People in sealed power armor save at an 8 or higher for the wide area blast, but make a standard save for the concentrated blast.
Sonar Blast----This is an enormous ‘belch’ of sonic cacophony that can blind sonar systems within range with a mass of ‘white noise’, knocking them out for 1d4 melees. Sonar and acoustic homing systems will lose target lock, and sonar-using creatures will be stunned and ‘blind’ for 1d4 minutes.
Vibration Blast---This takes up ALL attacks per melee to initiate and maintain, and consists of focusing a low powered beam on a sealed ship(submarines are ideal), and gradually inducing an ultra-low frequency vibration throughout its structure. While this doesn’t do any damage per se, it does affect the hearing and inner ears of crewmembers, causing creeping disorientation and increasing unsettledness, leading up to nausea. After one melee people with unprotected hearing(or uninsulated contact with the ship’s hull structure) will be -1 to strike, parry, and dodge, and -5% to skills(they become easily distracted). After two melees they are -2 to strike, parry, and dodge, -10% to skills, and are -10% to their sense of balance...and so on...People with protected hearing are immune to the effect, but beings with enhanced hearing are TWICE as susceptible to the effects.
This setting is most effective against vessels 60 ft long or smaller...larger vessels will take an extra full melee per 50 ft of length for this to work...or several cannon working in concert, to be effective.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

i) Forearm Micro-Torpedo Launcher---Similar to the Auto-Grenade Launcher, only this launches micro-torpedoes from the back of the wrist(Range: 2500 ft in water/500 ft in air, 6d6 MD per micro-torp, volleys of 1,2, or 4, with a total of 12 rds per forearm).


j) Backpack Torpedo Launcher---Rather than mount a gaggle of short-range micro-torpedoes, the DogFish can carry EIGHT mini-torpedoes, FOUR short range torpedoes, TWO medium range torpedoes, or ONE long range torpedo.

[rat_bastard]

Are you kidding me? take a day off tal!

seriously!

[taalismn]

Are you kidding me? take a day off tal!

seriously!

Hey, I'm TRYING to devote some of my attention to the other threads I'm Atlas'ing, but I have a big backlog of old PS stuff that needs updating, and some new ideas I figure(d) I could dash off quick...especially blue water navy stuff and some effort to address the suggestions and pointed-out shortcomings in the inventory...
But seriously, I'm hitting a different sort of limit....sitting in front of the comp typing makes me cramp up big time, especially in the upper chest(either that or I'm having my first heart attack)...Problem is, I got a busier than normal work week which means...you guessed it...long hours slouched behind a desk....

[Aramanthus]

That is a lot of very cool gear! We hear at the Federated States will of course issue our standard orders for these new devices.

[taalismn]

Shopping for Christmas already?

[abtex]

Shopping for Christmas already?

Yes. How many Winterize vehicles and gear are being added the the PS catalog?

[taalismn]

Shopping for Christmas already?

Yes. How many Winterize vehicles and gear are being added the the PS catalog?

You can pretty much count on all PS vehicles(unless otherwise noted) being considered 'all weather'....because you never know when a Rifts is going to dramatically change weather(or planet) around you...

[Arnie100]

This is what I get for going on vacation and not paying attention to what's going on here at Paladin Steel! LOL, great stuff, as usual! Someone needs to put all this stuff into a .pdf!

[taalismn]

:D This is what I get for going on vacation and not paying attention to what's going on here at Paladin Steel! LOL, great stuff, as usual! Someone needs to put all this stuff into a .pdf!

Right now I'm working up a head of frustration dealing with Photobucket and Hotmail..seems everywhere I turn, I can't even get ONE graphic posted!

[The Raven]

And they call Kev the machine.... Talis may as well be a member of the Cult Mechanicus for the speed he produces new technological terror toys....

[Aramanthus]

I agree! He is another Machine! What about Photobuckets Taalismn? Then you could post pics.

[taalismn]

And they call Kev the machine.... Talis may as well be a member of the Cult Mechanicus for the speed he produces new technological terror toys....

I pay for it...I have NO social life, and I'm still doing part-time jobs at my age....NOT good long-term...

Though it can be conversely argued that I keep my sanity(such as it is) through writing...

[taalismn]

I agree! He is another Machine! What about Photobuckets Taalismn? Then you could post pics.

Photobucket, Photobucket, Photobucket, GDPhotobucket....I've been hammering away at the damn account from three different computers and connections and all I've managed to do is set my background picture...that's it!

[taalismn]

I agree! He is another Machine! What about Photobuckets Taalismn? Then you could post pics.

Photobucket, Photobucket, Photobucket, GDPhotobucket....I've been hammering away at the damn account from three different computers and connections and all I've managed to do is set my background picture...that's it!

Well, if you trust me, send me your account & password in a PM and I'll see if I can upload one of my JPGs to your account.

Then we can see if it works, and you can change your password...

>

I'm going to try again from a fourth location tomorrow with different files..maybe the images were formated wrong...

[kronos]

Try removing any spaces in the files names, or odd characters. Sometimes photobucket hates them, sometimes it doesn't care about spaces.

[Aramanthus]

I'm sure you can get it done Taalismn! We have faith in you!