In short you're not reading the distinctions correctly.
Prysus wrote: Greetings and Salutations. Just for some numbers on the weight issue (using only RUE for some generic numbers unless we get more specifics) ...
RUE, page 240: SAMAS weighs 340 pounds without the rail gun. The rail gun weighs 92 pounds. The Ammo-Drum weighs 190 pounds. This is 622 pounds total.
That's not counting the pilot. According to the
USMC, the average soldier is 180 pounds. Let's say the pilot weighs above average at 228 pounds for a total of 850 pounds.
I did stipulate it was the weight of the PA with out the gun. But no where does it say it's with out the pilot.
Prysus wrote:RUE, page 158-159: The "typical hatchling" weighs 4-8 tons (page 158, under "Size")
WHEN HATCHED.
They then undergo a dramatic growth spurt, as directly stipulated in the same pages.
Prysus wrote:
A hatchling will reach 80% of its full size within 3D4 weeks and this will last until they're 600 years old (page 159, under "Hatchling's Size").
Yes and this is where you start to go wrong. They're born at 4 to 8 tons, and then grow to 80% of their full size in 3D4 weeks.
Prysus wrote:
Considering the duration of that size (almost a full 600 years compared to the max of 12 weeks smaller), this probably details the "typical" listed previously. When born, a Hatchling is 1/3 it's "mature size."
Clearly not true, 1) That's not how it reads. 2) There's direct quotation about 'Depending on when people meet up with a new dragon hatchling they might see a shocking growth over the next few weeks" line. *not direct quote, but it's on the same pages there. and 3) We have adult dragon weights. Which is not 12 tons but instead 30.
Prysus wrote:So, if 4-8 tons is 80% of the full size, then 5-10 tons is mature size.
That's not how it reads though, and again we have weights for adult dragons. You're confusing birth weight with the dramatic growth spurt they undergo in their first weeks of life.
Prysus wrote:
When a hatchling is a newborn, it'll be 1/3 of 5-10 tons.
That's not how it reads at all. You're taking an inaccurate reading and trying to reverse engineer a smaller number. But it's based on an inaccurate premise.
Prysus wrote:
So the smaller sized dragon will be 1.65 tons (3,300 pounds) fresh out of the egg. If the hatchling wanted to use its Metamorphosis to further reduce its size, it can reduce it by an extra 50%. So the smallest you'll probably ever find a dragon (which is a newly hatched dragon using metamorphosis to further reduce its size) is .825 tons (or 1,650 pounds), which is still about twice the weight of a SAMAS (counting weapons, ammo, and pilot).
But again this isn't correct, and Dragons can metamorph down to cat size but that's not the point. Your math is way off due to inaccurate reading.
Prysus wrote: Since we're been using size comparisons, SAMAS against a hatchling that's only a few seconds old and is
intentionally making itself smaller is about the same as me throwing my body (about 165) against the average
sumo wrestler. More realistically, the SAMAS is going up against something that weighs 3.8x its weight (still on the small end for dragons) or more.
Your math is off by an astounding level but reguardless that sumo would need to have Supernatural strength as well.
Prysus wrote:
The speed of the SAMAS also came up though. If this is adding to the force hitting the dragon, then we're not discussing Body Block/Tackle, as speed has no factor. In Rifts, the main thing I can think of that applies to speed (and also relates to this situation) is collision damage. That's 1D4 per 10 miles an hour (RUE, page 356).
Here again you start to go wrong. Page 356 of the RUE doesn't say that.
I it doesn't say 1D4 per 10MPH.
It says1D4 for every 20mph over 50mph
BUT and this is the important part. It's not pertaining to MD things crashing into one another. It's pertaining to the ___SDC___ of the pilot in said crashes, -inside- the armor. So while it would pertain to the poor guy inside the samus, it doesn't pertain to the dragon at all. SDC unless it's over 100 at a time, wouldn't scratch the dragon scales.
You're misrepresenting the rules on the page. 1) With inaccurate numbers and 2) That it's pertaining to situations when pilots/armor wearers sustain damage -with in the armor-.
Prysus wrote: We've been told the SAMAS was flying "several times faster" than the dragon. Dragon speeds are variable, but can be slow as 15 mph, but I think 60 to 100 mph is more common. So without knowing the specific species and character stats, I'm thinking 60 mph is rather fair. The dragon's speed isn't very relevant to the equation though, other than figuring out the speed of the SAMAS. The SAMAS has a max speed of 300 mph. While I find Palladium generally considers "several" to be 7 to 15 (using Presence Sense psionic power, RUE page 175 as my base), I'm thinking that's not the intent here (as a SAMAS probably can't get that fast). Could be max speed of 300, but let's just say 200 (for a lower estimate at the moment).
So the speed would inflict 20D4 damage. So that's potentially 50 damage. The book doesn't state S.D.C., M.D.C., or whichever is applicable.
Actually it very much does, it stipulates SDC or hit points, to the person inside the armor. That's what the section is about.
Prysus wrote:
If it's S.D.C., not much harm done. If it's M.D.C., then that's average around 50 M.D.C. ... to both parties.
Only if 2 power armor pilots are ramming one another, but in this instance the PA pilot is ramming an MD creature. Taking 50 points to his SDC/Hitpoints is likely to be pretty painful as he splashes off the inside of that armor decelerating from 200mph to nothing PDQ
Prysus wrote:
The SAMAS wings (30 M.D.C. each, per RUE page 240) would be ripped off. Still operational, but can no longer fly. The pilot also takes damage per RUE page 356. At 200 mph, that's 6D4 (or 7D4 depending on interpretation) and 100% chance of being stunned (98% chance if we cap it). Probably still alive, but suffering a few bumps, bruises, dazed, and now grounded (note, I only applied crash damage once, for the collision with the dragon, not for the collision and then crashing into the ground while stunned).
Technically you're not applying the correct damage in any fashion. If you're going to give crash damage for him doing 200mph it would be 200-50= 150/20 which would be 7.5. So it would be 7D4 or 8d4. But not the 20d4 you said above as you were using the wrong numers. And if we ARE going to go on this route, the pilot would surely suffer fall damage as well. which is 1SDC/HP per 20 ft of fall.
Prysus wrote:
The Dragon Hatchling is hurt, but survives (all the Hatchlings I saw in RUE had over 100 M.D.C. even on minimum rolls). We have to make a house rule on breaking legs, but I wouldn't be opposed to said result if we're ruling crashes inflict M.D.C.
The dragon (Via the rule's your citing) is not hurt. 1) He's not an SDC squishy inside PA, and 2) he IS a MDC creature by nature. 50SDC wouldn't scratch him. 99 SDC wouldn't scratch him.
Prysus wrote:
Anyways, that's all for now. Farewell and safe journeys for now.[/justify]
Sadly while you clearly put work into the post it's wrong on a number of factors and the pages cited don't.... say what you say that they say.
I appreciate the attempt but you're way off.... pretty much from start to finish.