Shemarrian-related fan creations

[kronos]

Nice new variants

[taalismn]

Nice new variants

Thanks.
With regards to FTL communications, it's worth noting that while various FTL communications schemes are noted in the Phase World books, they're not definitive on the subject. The related, if defunct, Manhunter supplement has 'FTL Radio' as a skill, but no description of how such a system works.
I'm going to say that common FTL communications exist in the Three Galaxies, but the efficiency varies...unlike laser and radio systems which have an upper threshold defined by their media(photons/radio waves), depending on the technology and power poured into an FTL radio system, your mileage and signal speed may vary. So not everybody can whip out their wristcomm and talk real-time 30,000 light years to their mom in the Corkscrew to ask her to wire bail money.
So signal speed might vary from barely faster than a courier starship(at 5-6 light years an hour) to 120-200 light years an hour(In which case we're still talking a 6-7 day signal lag one-way between galaxies) for the upper end systems. I figure most Three Galaxy starships have comm systems, linked to their CG drives, that are in the range of 1d8x1,000 light years and have a signal speed of 20-50 light years an hour, while larger dedicated system communications arrays are probably in the 80-100 ly/hr speed range and correspondingly wider broadcast range.
More promising would be quantum entanglement, what Einstein called 'spooky action at a distance', where two matched particles react in the same way at exactly the same time, irregardless of the distance between the two. But that still means that there's a limitation; you need to have Particle A to talk to the present location of Particle B; you can't talk to Particle D, unless you also have Particle C, or can relay through another particle pair, one of which is in the immediate vicinity of a particle you can talk to.
Of course, some of the Ancients had systems that could communicate in real time across DIMENSIONS, but such secrets are not known to the current powers.
It's all part of the background of another Shemarrian starship I'm working on, the Anemone.

[DhAkael]

*Nod*
Glad to see the 'sparks' still flying on this thread.
I've slowed down somewhat on the whole "UNcivil war" aspect of my campaign as the PC's are dealing with a much larger and problematic situation. Cormal and her 'children' in the 3G, and back on Terra, Hell-Lord Fury.

[taalismn]

*Nod*
Glad to see the 'sparks' still flying on this thread.
I've slowed down somewhat on the whole "UNcivil war" aspect of my campaign as the PC's are dealing with a much larger and problematic situation. Cormal and her 'children' in the 3G, and back on Terra, Hell-Lord Fury.

Yeah, evil living planets do tend to command attention, don't they?
As do uppity Infernals.
They just invite THEMSELVES to your parties and it's so much trouble to try to diplomatically get them to take their business elsewhere.


Meanwhile, have some more spark-thoughts:

Advanced Cultural Notes: Shemarrian Small Arms Preferences:

“What do you need personal sidearms for? Your whole BODY’S a deadly weapon!”
“Well, a lady likes to -accessorize-.”

A warrior race by admission, the Shemarrians appreciate personal weaponry and will often accumulate large private collections of weapons. However, they tend to have preferences with regards to types that they are willing to spend time and resources developing, refining, and producing on their own. The EShemar have no problems with using weapons they’ve acquired in combat(unless such weaponry is considered tainted or unlucky for having been used by a losing or dishonorable enemy), and they distribute salvaged weaponry to their second echelon neshemar. However, Shemar industry is somewhat pickier about what weapons technologies they will pursue for further refinement to Shemarrian standards.

*Laser Pistols---Lasers are considered more highly in the Shemarrian estimate of weapons technology, but accessory laser weaponry was limited to laser rifles in the original Shemarrian arsenal as designed by ARCHIE-3, and no laser pistols at all existed. This was because the laser arm gauntlets (later called zhyan by the EShemar) filled the role of laser pistol most satisfactorily. This policy has continued under the EShemar and the restored Shemarrian Nation(for rank and file EShemar, zhyan are still considered the laser sidearm of choice, or laser eye implants), the EShe-NPL020/Sm "Shermenikarpal" Laser Pistol being merely a token weapon and reproduction of a NEMA weapon, and considered to be a hold-out weapon for issuance to neshemar second-echelon troops and territory militia.

*Ion Pistols---In general, ion weapons are given low regard by the Shemarrians, though ARCHIE-3 certainly had no qualms about equipping his non-Shemarrian forces with ion pistols, especially the Arch-27 , based on Mechanoid weaponry. Only one ion weapon, the She-IP30 , existed in the original Shemarrian arsenal, and that weapon was generally regarded as a weapon of last resort. With the Shemarrian Civil War, however, with the rebel EShemar scrambling for whatever weapons they could acquire to arm their forces. ion weaponry became more common as a less expensive and more easily produced alternative. However, the versatility and diversity of ion weapons seems to have made an impression on the EShemar, who adapted technology from one of their trade allies to upgrade the She-IP30, post-SCW continued production of the potent Arch-27 as their EShe-IP27, and copied a Kittani weapon as the EShe-KIP-22 , just to thumb their noses at the Minions. Currently the mainstream Tribal arsenals count at least five types of ion pistols being produced, though they are still regarded as at best second-class or close combat weapons.


*Plasma Pistols---Again, plasma weaponry was considered covered by the effective and powerful She-PLR25 Plasma Rifle for the Shemarrian rank and file, and the WarChiefs’ forearm plasma projectors effective enough in the pistol role. In general, though, only the Blood Riders have considered adapting the WarChiefs’ signature plasma weaponry to a zhyan-style gauntlet similar to the Puls-Gauntlet, and available to the rank and file Shemarrian warriors. Among the Blood Riders, though, plasma blades with a secondary plasma blast projection capability, based on Kittani technology, seem to fill the role of plasma pistols.

*Particle Beam Pistols---PBPistols are another weapon type that ARCHIE-3 saw no point in developing for his and Hagan’s proxy soldiers, as the more powerful She-PB20 Particle Beam Rifle was considered preferable to lower-powered pistols if such weaponry was needed.
As with many weapons types, the Shemarrian Civil War forced an interest in a more diversified arsenal as the rebels, out of necessity, snapped up whatever weapons they could lay their hands on. Copying and adapting the designs of others to their purposes became a common practice of the early EShemar arms industry, and notably mounted two NG -45LP Particle Pistols on a forearm gauntlet. This, however, was at best seen as a niche weapon post-SCW, and production and use have remained limited.
Post-SCW, particle beam pistols remain mainly the province of second-echelon militia, with weapons acquired from outside sources, or Tinkers’ prototypes. However, the Dark Waters are reportedly close to making a breaksthough on reverse-engineering the Mechanoids’ close-in particle beam blasters, with the goal of producing a pistol version and/or a zhyan-style vambrace mount. If this weapon catches on, it may change the Tribes’ perception of particle beam small arms and re-ignite interest in the type.


*Laser Rifles---Under ARCHIE-3’s original armaments scheme, laser rifles were regarded as second-tier alternative precison weapons, for situations when rail guns would be overkill. Under the EShemar arsenal diversification plans, laser rifles have gained a lot more respect, with more types entering service. The Silvermoons in particular, have taken a shine to laser weaponry, imitating Wilks in becoming laser system experts and expanding the arsenal to include laser blades, lances, and staffs.

*Ion Rifles---The same general disregard for ion pistols as serious weaponry also appears to have extended to heavier rifles. Though some see it as the lingering legacy of ARCHIE-3, who did not see fit to provide the original Shemarrian legions with heavier ion weaponry, the general consensus among the original Tribes seems to see ion weaponry as unnecessary and a poor use of resources better used in producing other more effective weapons types. Even though smaller ion pistols have become more commonly accepted and distributed, heavier personal ion weapons have failed to gain enough acceptance to warrant Tribal research and production; those EShemar who take up ion rifles acquire them from outside sources(the Steel Gaians in particular get their ion weaponry unaltered from their neighbors in Greater New England). Currently only Clan Gothec seems to seriously bother with ion weaponry, mainly trading in second-hand Triax weapons or their own kludged copies of the WR-17 Wilderness “Double” Rifle.

*Plasma Rifles---ARCHIE-3 DID give his Shemarrian frontwomen plasma rifles, and the EShemar gained a healthy respect for them, especially the more powerful versions ARCHIE-3 and Hagan equipped their inner guard forces with. After re-establishing the Shemarrian Nation, the EShemar approved continued manufacture of the Arch-26 Plasma Rifle as the EShe-PLR26 , and later expanded production of the EShe-NPR470/Br "Nidus" Plasma Rifle and EShe-NPR476 "Volcus" Plasma Cannon. The Blood Riders like plasma weaponry so much, they produce their own plasma rifle, the EShe-BrPR-03.

*Particle Beam Rifles----Shemarrians learned to appreciate the power of particle beam rifles with the original issuance of the She-PB20 Particle Beam Rifle, but the EShemar lacked the means to advance the technology with their own adhoc R&D efforts during the SCW. After the toppling of the Dark One, the reformed Shemarrian Nation eagerly copied the Arch-25 Particle Beam Cannon as the EShe-PB25, and the Wolf’s Path developed their own EShe-WpPB30 Particle Beam Rifle. Though more correctly classified as heavy weapons, the Dark Waters’ versions of the Mechanoid Exterminator Double-Barreled Particle Beam Cannon and the Orbital PBM-15 Rapid Acceleration Particle Beam Mini-Cannon could be considered to be rifles, though only in microgravity or zero-gee.

[taalismn]

Alloun----Clan Pantheron Planetary Enclave

“You will keep her safe for me?”
The cat-goddess brushed her fingers gently across the face of the figure laying motionless on the plinth. The same hand deftly tucked a stray lock of pink hair under the headdress of the sleeper, and straightened a fold in the medical webbing robes covering her. Bast’s eyes swept the chamber, noting with silent approval the ornamentation adorning it, the much more purposeful and functional devices concealed in the decoration, the massive cyberfeline guardians, and the leonine honor guard poised at the doors. Fitting guardians for the sleeper, given her physical nature. Yes, she would be well taken care of here, and protected for the ages.
“As agreed upon. We are in fact, honored to be of such service. In many ways, we regard her as one of our own. An honorary member of our tribe by her very nature. Yes, we will keep her safe, and she will sleep here in peace amongst our sacred treasures until the time has come for her to awaken once again and take her place in her greater destiny. ”
Bast followed her host out of the vault and through the annex of her small temple, nodding to the attendant priestesses of her following who maintained this outpost. Their small procession ascended to the surface, and the wane blue-tinted light that filtered through the overcast sky revealed through their exit passage.
Even for a goddess, the sudden chill snapping at her fur as she stepped out into the open was an eye-opening shock. She would normally say this world wasn’t the sort fit for cats, but apparently it was enough so that a faction of the Shemarrian species would model themselves after a dominant animal on this world. She wholly approved of the end result, if not the means; she was a creature of warmer climes.
Still, she thought, as she followed her hosts to the waiting warmth of another part of the temple complex and a promised repast of local cave-trout and imported cream, the place had its attractions, and for all its stark landscapes, it was very much -alive-.

Alloun is a world that was once much more hospitable, but some planetary catastrophe in its past has currently pitched the planet into a deep ice age. Its scant ecosystem is still borderline habitable, and the surviving species have adapted into hearty and opportunistic forms. What few non-Pantheron visitors there have been to the planet have sometimes wondered if it was the homeworld of another Fringe Tribe, the Aurora Warriors, instead. However, Clan Pantheron maintains that Alloun is -their- world.
Alloun is regarded by most of Clan Pantheron as a ‘spiritual homeworld’; it is said that events that transpired there helped make the Pantherons what they are today, though the exact nature of those events has never been revealed to outsiders. It has been suggested, however, that the original Horrorwoods refugees were saved from some dire fate by the local felinoid predators, and inspired to become Clan Pantheron. Clan lore(as related to outsiders) is mum on much of what went on on Alloun, but does tell of several centuries of struggle on the resource-poor world until they were able to scrape up enough metals to construct the means to reach other worlds(via spacecraft to Katai’s asteroid belts and dimensional gate to other realms). Alloun, however, was not wholly abandoned, only repurposed.
A few small communities of Pantherons still live on Alloun, the largest being a religious complex holding the tribe’s heritage relics and other important artifacts. The same complex is said to host a small pyramid and temple of the cat-goddess Bast, though neither the Pantherons nor Bast have ever publicly made much of this.

Solar System(Katai)
Number of Stars: 1
Types of Stars: Blue Dwarf
Number of Planets: 4
- Terrestrial(Alloun)
- Gas Giant(Klawyowl)----This gas giant’s four large moons are home to another 13 million Clan Pantherons engaged in mining and resource harvesting. It is also one of the clan’s naval facilities.
- Gas Giant(Mwrel)---Saturn-sized Mwrel possesses only a smattering of small moons of little consequence, so it has been largely ignored for development. The planet MAY possess exotic-biochemistry ‘floater’ lifeforms, however, that have intrigued the more scientifically-minded Pantherons who have recently launched several probes of Mwrel’s upper atmosphere.
-Asteroid/Planetisimal(Katameme)----Large asteroid notable for hosting a large FTL radio relay station

Planet(Alloun)
Type: Terrestrial
Diameter: 24,000 km
Gravity: 1.3 g
Temperature: Warm, but Mars-like
Unusual/Special Features:
-Odd Orbit--- Alloun’s orbit swings out every three hundred years out close to the system’s innermost asteroid belt. For a three year period, the climate is particularly cold and hostile. However, the ecology seems to have evolved to handle this ‘dark period’.
-Odd Rotation---Alloun’s rotation is slowed down during its swing-out period, the day effectively lengthening by as much as 15%, but speeds back up as the planet coasts back down towards its inner orbit.
-Craters---Alloun is pocked with large impact craters, possibly due to the 300-year cycle encounters with the system’s inner asteroid belt. These craters often form the basis of crater lakes, though the Pantherons also found them very good prospecting for certain metals deficient in Alloun’s crust.
Atmosphere: Thin, cold, and barely breathable
Terrain: Exotic; the planet is heavily glaciated, with large dry lake basins and craggy rocky highlands. Many canyons are roofed over with glaciers, concealing flowing rivers and hot spring oasis ‘islands’.
Notable Mineral Concentrations:
- Iron
- Chromium
- Cobalt
- Amethyst
- Calcite
- Talc
- Graphite
- Gypsum
Hydrosphere: Badlands, with open water found in the bottom of large dry basins, river canyons, and oasises, especially in the upper latitudes. Otherwise, water can be found in the form of frequent frosts or locked in the many glaciers dotting the planet’s highlands. Several very large underground lakes have also been discovered, host to a number of cave-adapted amphibians and fish species.
Biosphere: Scant, but hardy. It might even be called diverse, but with evidence that it was much richer in the past. The flora is dominated by various algae, lichens, mosses, and fungi, nestled amongst small oasis-forests of giant ‘stonebark ferns’ and ‘barb-bamboo’, while the fauna are dominated by varieties of small herbivores, and about a dozen species of larger grazers, and a half-dozen species of predators. The two apex land predators are a small lynx-like felinoid, and a larger leopard-like carnivore, though a larger tiger-like predator is also rumored to exist, albeit in far rarer numbers.
Civilization:
Postcolonial; at one time Alloun was heavily settled, but as the tribe acquired the means to settle more attractive worlds, the majority left. A ‘caretaker’ population still remains in residence.
Population:
Roughly 1 million Pantherons still reside on Alloun(at one time the population was nearly ten times that), spread out across the planet
Several sizable cities lay abandoned and partially buried under snow and ice, but have NOT been allowed to go to wreck; the Pantherons have just closed them up and mothballed them, and run regular checks of structural integrity, just in case they are ever needed again.
Technology:
Galactic. The surface settlements are all heavily shielded, and the planet’s near-space is seeded with defensive platforms. The Pantherons have also seeded Alloun’s surface with an ‘electrocology’ of ‘feral’ e-animals and warmounts that would detect and respond to any intruders.
Economy:
Was once Industrial, until the Pantherons could move to a more hospitable world. Currently could now be considered Service-oriented, acting as monastery, spiritual retreat, and clan treasury.
Wealth:
Can be considered Prosperous, as Clan Pantheron maintains the planet as a spiritual retreat and reliquary. Several sub-clans also maintain treasuries on the planet.
Government:
Shemarrian-Matriarchal. Local government can also be considered to be Theocratic, given that most of the permanent population are clan religious members.
Law Level:
Lawful, bordering on Authoritarian. There’s strict laws in place to protect and preserve the local ecology, and the residents, the equivalent of clan nuns, are hardly about to disturb the peace. The last real violation of the peace, in fact, was several decades back when a Temporal Raider stumbled across Alloun and thought to attempt to loot some of the temples....he was shredded by the alerted defenders of the planet. Since then, the Pantherons have stepped up their security against any more intrusions.
Popularity:
Fanatical; the heavily religious remaining colonists take their duties as caretakers of Alloun VERY seriously.
Stability:
Effectively Dynastic; the Kat-Priestesses have been in charge for over a century now, guarding the sacred sites of Clan Pantheron.

[taalismn]

Given the arctic blasts of late, I thought this would eb appropriate:

Glaciton Male Elite
(aka ‘Old Blue, ‘Bluedeth’, ‘Blitzhailer’, ‘IceJaeger’)

“They’re the ultimate cold warriors, forces of nature, sweeping in like a storm front, grinding away like a glacier, burying or blowing their opponents away.”

<< That’s the call-up! Enemy approaching the engagement zone! Time to mount up, partner ...What are you doing?”>>
“Stripping down for battle of course.”
<<I can see that, but why? We’re going into battle and you’ll need that armor->>
“This is going to be a big battle. THE Battle. Everything’s riding on the line here. We’re going to need to be synched the whole time. Don’t tell me we won’t. We’re going to have to hold it over the redline and that means I’m going to wanna stay cool. You’re going to have to frost me. Much easier to do so without all that survival gear on.”
<<But without your body armor you’ll be vulnerable if we take a hit, or you’re forced to eject!>>
“If we’re taking damage that can penetrate your hide, I’m not going to survive much longer even with armor on. And I’m certainly not going to eject in sight of the Infernals. You’ll just have to make sure we don’t get hit, partner. No pressure.”

“When a Glaciton falls back on its rump, legs stretched out in front of it, arm shields at its sides, and that rear coattail flips up, it’s not an accident; that’s hoversledding mode. Means they aim to get someplace -fast-. The only difference between a hovertank and a Glaciton at that point...well, there ISN’T any. They’re fast-moving giant armored slayers of machines, men, and monsters.”

“Aurora Warrior icezerkers will coldly cut you to pieces up close and personal, though there’s nothing personal about those blood-chillling smiles of theirs. Their mobile artillery on the other hand will take you to pieces from over the horizon, smash the ground out from under your feet, and bury you in rubble. Or they can whistle up a storm on top of you. “

Glacitons caused no end of confusion when they were first observed and linked to the Shemarrian Nation. At first believed to be a product of Clan Gothec tribesmen picking the battlefields of far northeastern Europe, then possibly a collaboration between Clan Gothec and the Aurora Warriors, it is now known that they are a wholly AW development, and any link to the Sovietski was likely promoted by the input of the Red Claws, a sub-tribe of the Aurora Warriors, eager for payback against their oppressors.
Glacitons are giant Male Elites that resemble the possible offspring of a Skullcrusher Necriant and a Blood Rider Vulcar. Glacitons are giant Preserver-scale humanoid androids, with broad shoulders wide enough to hang broad shields and two tank turrets on them almost like epaulets.
It was these turrets that caused initial confusion; it was thought they were New Sovietski SU-56 Shockwave tank turrets. That may originally have been the case, but the Aurora Warriors soon discovered that the original STG-45 cannon lacked the sort of oomph Shemarrians were used to with their own personal scava rail guns. Instead, the Aurora Warriors have substituted more powerful 100mm massdriver cannons acquired from other sources. As if that wasn’t enough, the AW mount powerful pulse lasers next to the massdrivers in the same turret. Each long arm sports triple-barrel ion blasters behind the wrists, and the Glaciton can shoot lasers from its eyes, adding to the destruction these giants can wreak.
Perhaps even more stunning is the fact that Glacitons can FLY after a fashion. Their massive bodies are generally slow and awkward, so to offset this, the androids have been fitted with multiple hoverjets(several swivel-mounted jets on the legs, more in the arm shields, and a coattail-like rear ‘fannypack’ of thrusters at the back of the lower torso), adding yet more weight, but giving them the ability to fly through ground effect over the icy tundra and frozen ocean that are their most common home terrain. Glacitons are thus effectively humanoid combat hover tanks, and many an opponent has been thrown off-guard by the rapid redeployment of these “artillery ‘bots” to new positions.
Glacitons generally act like fire support tanks, standing off at a distance and pounding opponents into scrap with ballistic fire. Thus, the ‘dishonorable’ mode of indirect artillery can be relegated to the Males, placating the more conservative Shemarrian warriors. This doesn’t change the fact that the Glaciton is easily as heavily armored and armed as two tanks and can (and will) engage in direct combat to defend his Tribe(and frankly the Aurora Warriors don’t care about ‘honorable combat’ or gender-appropriate combat roles anyway).

The Aurora Warriors also seem to have anticipated developments of the Horrorwoods in their ‘Conjoiner’ research, or perhaps inspired by the Arawa(EShemar who voluntarily Upload into a Warmount body rather than a new replacement humanoid one and become the personal mounts of distinguished individuals), have chest compartments that can serve as interface-cockpits. A Shemar or NeShemar can sit in this compartment and link with the Glaciton, adding their mindpower(much as they would with a Warmount) to the android’s fire control and sensory capabilities. Utilizing this system’s full potential, however, carries the risk of over-stimulation and overwhelming of the linked mind, so the link is sparingly pushed to its limits.

The Glaciton is frequently called ‘Bluedeth’ and ‘Old Blue’ because the androids’ many-faceted heavy armor frequently shimmers with a blue tint reminiscent of old dense ice.

Besides the Aurora Warriors, the Silvermoons also make use of the Glaciton template in limited numbers.

Type: Shemar Glaciton
Class: Robot Android
Crew: Advanced Neural Intelligence, Awakened
M.D.C. By Location:
Hands(2) 100 each
Arms(2) 350 each
Jet-Shields(2) 300 each
Shoulder Turrets(2) 200 each
100mm Massdriver Cannon(2) 150 each
Coaxial Heavy Lasers(2) 100 each
Smoke/Flare/Chaff Launchers(4) 25 each
Legs(2) 860 each
Hover Thrusters(4) 60 each
Torso Hover Tail 250
Head 450
Main Body 900
Chest Compartment 100
Height: 30 ft
Width: 21 ft
Length: 16 ft
Weight: 50 tons
Power System: Nuclear
Physical Attributes: Equal to Robotic PS. 65, PP. 24,.
Cargo: Small 2 ft x2 ft x3 ft space behind the seat in the chest compartment.
Speed:
Running: 45 MPH
Jumping: Can make a standing leap of 10 ft up/across, but with a jet-assisted boost, can soar 100 ft across, and 60 ft up.
Flying: Limited; the hoverjets can carry the android 5-6 ft off the ground at speeds of up to 120 MPH. The Glaciton can also ascend up to 50 ft and hover for 1d4x10 seconds.
Underwater: Can survive underwater, down to 500 ft, but works best skimming above the water’s surface at 60 MPH.
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the (E)Shemarrian Tribes
Systems of Note:
Standard Shemarrian Robot Systems, plus:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive night vision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, and other standard Shemarrian systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of the individual.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---A modified bionic nanotech repair system that originated with the Ecotroz Shemar, but has also been adopted by the Ghost Riders. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 180 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

*BattleLink----While EShemar can and do routinely link their minds to their Warmounts to take control of individual weapons systems or to enhance performance in battle, the practice is less common with fully sentient AI/Minds because the two consciousesses will, on some level, clash, leading to growing dissonance between the linked minds. The Aurora Warriors have been experimenting with advanced linkages with both AI to AI, and AI to organic minds. While the results have been dramatic, the systems still have many problems that need to be fixed before the practice can become more widely accepted.
With an AI(or transferred intelligence) Shemarrian in link with the Glaciton, the over-all efficiency of the gestalt is increased; +1 to Initiative, +1 to Dodge, +1 to Strike. This state can be maintained for 2d4x10 minutes before the consciousnesses of the two AIs lose ‘handshake’, and cannot re-link for another 12 hours. The AIs can attempt to accelerate this by ‘rebooting’ or consciously resetting their interface protocols, but this results in the linkers being temporarily disoriented(HALF APMs and all bonuses) for 1d8 melees.
With a biological mind linked in, the effect is much more pronounced and dynamic: +1 to Initiative and +1 to Dodge without a time limit, or can initiate an ‘overdrive mode’ of dramatically increased performance: +3 to Initiative, +3 to Perception, +3 to dodge, +3 to Strike and +2 APMs. This Overdrive Mode can be maintained for HALF the organic’s M.E. in melee rounds before the stimulation becomes too much, and the link begins to ‘redline’.
The downside is that the link imposes considerable strain on the biological’s brain; ‘brain fever’ or ‘redline fever’, a condition of high blood pressure and spiking heat levels that can quickly lead to delusional states, unconsciousness, and even coma. The Glaciton can attempt to mitigate the onset of this condition by pumping cold air through the interface helmet and the compartment in general, but sustained colder temperatures carry their own danger of hypothermic shock to the organic.
For every additional melee that the link is maintained over redline, the organic must roll versus coma/death or risk the effects of heatstroke. The early symptoms of this are an increasingly delusional state where they have problems distinguishing hallucination from reality. -50% to skill rolls and the organic will have trouble(30% chance) of being able to remember where they are and who their friends are, even while their brains continue to sustain the link bonuses.
If the organic loses three consecutive rolls they take 1d8 damage direct to their Hit Points, every subsequent failure to save will do an additional 1d6 HP, and any damage sustained to the Glaciton henceforth during this period will create a sympathetic shock that does 25% of its damage as virtual damage the Hit Points of the linked organic. At zero Hit Points, the organic linker lapses into a coma, and will require emergency medical attention.
The Glaciton can attempt to stave off the onset of the ‘redline fever’ and mitigate some of its effects by physically chilling their organic partner, adding +10% to their versus coma/death rolls. However, this is not without its own risk, as the chance of thermal shock crops up. Using the chiller systems extends the bonus period for as many additional melee rounds as the organic linker has P.E. points, after which they begin suffering from hypothermia; -50% to skill rolls, extremities start to go numb, and the link loses 1 APM, -1 to Perception, HALF the combined bonuses, and -(MINUS) 15% to Save Vs Coma rolls as the linker suffers the combined effects of redline fever and hypothermia, until they lapse into a coma.
Backing down from redline before it goes haywire means the interface connection is broken, and even the lower stimulation mode is lost for an hour as the organic partner deals with residual shock. They can attempt to reinitiate the link after making a successful roll under their M.E. -3, or after one hour’s rest. If the link is taken over redline into the damage zone, but broken before zero HP is reached, the organic will lose consciousness but recover normally, albeit with the mother of all headaches.
Longtime Glaciton ‘consorts’ often refer to this problem as the ‘fire and ice dilemma’, as it’s a choice between ‘burning up or freezing solid’. Needless to say, the system is used sparingly, and Glacitons using the link with an organic partner will typically consult a Med-Tinker about getting an auto-medical assist system fitted to their link chambers.


Weapons Systems:
1) Shoulder Turrets(2)---Each turret mounts a powerful 100mm massdriver and a heavy coaxial pulse laser.
a) 100mm Massdriver
Range:(Direct Fire APFSDSDU) 27,000 ft (5.4 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 67,500 ft( 13.7 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)---- 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 2d6 x10 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft radius
Plasma-----3d6x10 MD to 35 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 4d6x10 MD out to 11,000 ft, 2d6x10 MD out to maximum range.
Rate of Fire: Four per melee
Payload: 60 rds each turret

b) Heavy Pulse Laser
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: Effectively Unlimited

2) Eye Lasers(2)---The Glaciton’s ‘cold glare of death’.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD for a pulse burst
8d6 MD dual shot, 2d4x10 MD for a dual pulse burst(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Forearm Ion Blasters(2)---These are the Preservers’ chest-mounted ion cannon, relocated to the arms for greater play of fire.
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single shot, 9d6 MD for a three-shot burst
Can also fire in scattershot mode, doing 3d6 MD per barrel to a 20 ft wide area, but range is HALVED. 
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Extendable Finger Claws---Each large hand of the Glaciton can extend large vibro-claws(nicknamed ‘ice cutters’) from the fingers.
Range: Melee
Damage: 4d6 MD +P.S. Damage

5) Air Blast---Directed jet stream from the shoulder shield thrusters; small objects are blown away 20-120 ft, people must roll under their P.P. to avoid being knocked over and bowled away(lose initiative and one APM getting back up, and possibly 1d8 melees gathering up loose items). Range 120 ft, 25 ft wide area.

6) Smoke/Flare/Chaff Launchers(4)---The shoulder turrets mount two flare/chaff launchers each. Each consists of six tubes, each one holding a flare, chaff, or smoke grenade. Can also be fitted to fire regular rifle grenades, but without any bonuses to strike.
Range: 500 ft
Damage: (Smoke) None, covers a 10 ft radius
(Chemical Agents) Varies; typically tear gas or similar gaseous agents . 10 ft radius.
(Grenades) Varies; typically fragmentation doing 4d6 MD to a 12-foot radius or plasma rounds doing 1d4x10+10 to a 5-foot radius.
(Flare/Chaff) None
(Triax Style)
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
(Northern Gun Style)
10% chance per chaff cloud deployed of decoying missiles, up to maximum of 60%
Aircraft, power armor, and beings flying through the chaff will be -6 on perception, -3 on initiative, -5 to strike, -2 to parry, -2 dodge, and lose 1 melee attack that round(or the next). Sensory and Piloting rolls are at -20% for as long as the characters are caught in the cloud, and the next as they recover.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6
Payload: 6 smoke grenades per launcher, 12 total per turret.

7 ) (Optional) Hardpoints(2)---The Glaciton mounts two hardpoints, identical to those found on the Monstrex Warmounts, on its back, and compatible with the modular weapons of same. Glacitons typically use these hardpoints to carry missile launchers.

8 ) (Optional)Handheld Weapons----Glacitons can pick up such oversized handweapons as are available to giant robots. The Glacitons are particularly fond of pole arm and lance weapons that they can use while in hovercraft mode. They are also occasionally known to use oversized TW weapons such as TW Wind Bolt Cannon configured as robot-scale rifles.

Programming/Skills:
All standard Shemarrian skill programs, plus:
Pilot Hovercraft(for maneuvering purposes) 90%
Plus, Secondary skill advancement as standard for EShemar. 

Experience Table: Upon becoming a Glaciton, the EShemar uses the Dragon XP table to chart further advancement.

Psionics:
Standard psionics as for the Ecotroz Shemar. 

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 7
Note: Bonuses are in addition to those possible from the Shemar’s elective training
Initiative + 3(+1 from the Ecotroz)
Dodge +5
Parry +9
Strike +7 (+4 w/ ranged weaponry, +6 w/ Shemarrian Rail Guns)
Roll +5
Pull Punch +5
Disarm +2
Critical Strike on a Natural 18-20
Paired Weapons
Karate Kicks are NOT possible
Restrained Punch 2d6 MD
Full Strength Punch 6d6 MD
Power Punch(2 attacks) 2d6x10 MD
Tear/Pry with Hands 2d6 MD
Body Block/Tackle 4d6 MD
Stomp 2d6 MD
Kick 6d8 MD
Leap Kick (2 attacks) 2d6x10 MD
High Speed Ram(in excess of 50 MPH) 1d4x10 MD

Options:

*Laser-Reflective Armor---This is more common among the Silvermoon Glacitons. Lasers do HALF damage.

*Ice Camouflage----Glacitons can use their thrusters in internal heater mode to melt ice and spray the melt water over their bodies forming an outer concealing crust of ice and snow. Sometimes called ‘igloo mode’ , this is a good camouflage in the deep ice fields. It generally takes 3d6 minutes to completely shroud the giant android in a suitably thick covering that masks its thermal signature.

*Cold Spray---This expands on the Ice Camouflage by adding special tanks of liquid ‘quick-freeze’ that is a mixture of water, exothermal chemicals, and a polymer ‘glue’ that can be sprayed on a target to freeze, forming a thick, tough, icy crust. It can be used to form slippery causeways(for sliding heavy objects across) or can be used to encase targets in ice. The icy coating is hard to scrape off, melts three times as slowly as normal water ice, and leaves behind a gooey chemical residue.
Range: 100 ft
Damage:(Special)
Encasing a human’s limb, and has an AR of 10 and 60 SDC, and does 1d4 SDC per minute to exposed, unprotected flesh; encased hands are -25% to perform skills, -88% for BOTH hands, while if one foot is frozen, -10% to speed, prowl, climbing, and swimming. BOTH feet or one entire leg being encased, reduce the previous by 40%.
Encasing an entire person locks them in 100 lbs of ice with an AR of 8 and 60 SDC. Victims take 2d6 points of damage(MD only if they’re susceptible to cold) per melee if unprotected.
Encasing a target’s head causes the victim to be -2 to strike, parry, and dodge until the ice is removed.
Victims caught in the cold vapor must make a save versus non-lethal poison; on a fail, a limb(or limbs) go numb and unresponsive, incurring a reduction in bonuses appropriate to the affected part.
Does 1/3 damage through thick clothing and insulated armor.
Once SDC and HP is reduced to zero, the victim lapses into a hypothermic coma that lasts 1d4x10 minutes, after which treat as normal traumatic injury.
If heat is applied within the first 3d4 minutes after exposure, the victim can be safely revived with minimal damage. Otherwise, special equipment(such as a well-equipped emergency room or suspended animation lab) will be needed.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 application tank. A single application covers 10 square feet

*PPE Generators/TW Enhancements----The Wayfinders, who frequently trade with the Aurora Warriors, have provided the AWs with PPE generator power stones and the means to outfit the Glacitons with spell-projection systems
PPE Generators: 300 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 40 PPE/hour at a leyline, 80 PPE/hour on a nexus

-(Spell)Starburst---120 ft range, +3d6 MD + temporary blindness; unless eyes are shielded, victims are temporarily blinded(-10 to strike, parry, dodge, and other combat moves) for 1 melee round, + 7 seconds per additional Starburst fired at them in the same melee round. Targets are -2 to dodge. Vampires suffer an additional 1d6 damage and are blinded twice as long.
-(Spell) North Wind----200 ft radius, 24 minute duration. 4 PPE per activation
-(Spell) Ice----200 ft range, 20 minute duration. 8 PPE per activation
-(Spell) Snow Storm---120 ft area, 200 ft range, 8 minute duration. 25 PPE per activation
-(Spell)Impervious to Energy----- 5 minutes per 20 PPE.
-(Spell)Protective Energy Field-----50 MDC per 10 PPE, 10 minutes per 10 PPE.
-(Spell)Ten Foot Ball of Ice ---120 ft range or can be thrown, 2d6 MD on impact, then explodes, 60 ft blast radius, shedding hundreds of icy shards. Human-sized objects caught in its way will get hit with 1d6 shards, each doing 2d6 MD. Fighter- and Robot-sized targets (16 ft or larger) will get hit by 1d4x10 shards. Ships and targets 50 ft and larger will get hit by 2d4x10 shards. Victims must save versus magic or suffer debilitating numbness; -1 APM, -2 initiative, -1 strike/parry/dodge, and speed is reduced by 10%. Effects last 1d4 minutes, and are NOT cumulative. The Ice Ball has 70 MDC. 4 minutes’ duration, 25 PPE per activation
-(Spell)Summon Storm---10 mile range, 10 hour duration. 50 PPE per activation
-(Spell) Wall of Ice--- 120 ft range, 32 ft area, 160 MDC, 16 minutes’ duration, 10 PPE per activation
-(Spell) Wall of Wind--- 200 ft range, 20 minutes’ duration, 20 PPE per activation

[kronos]

Given the arctic blasts of late, I thought this would eb appropriate:

Glaciton Male Elite
(aka ‘Old Blue, ‘Bluedeth’, ‘Blitzhailer’, ‘IceJaeger’)

Nice new addition. I'm working on an Aurora Warrior warmount actually.. And a Clan Shelley weapon. And that other idea elite idea I talked to you about awhile back..
What number are we up to for warmounts and e-nimals?

[taalismn]

Given the arctic blasts of late, I thought this would eb appropriate:

Glaciton Male Elite
(aka ‘Old Blue, ‘Bluedeth’, ‘Blitzhailer’, ‘IceJaeger’)

Nice new addition. I'm working on an Aurora Warrior warmount actually.. And a Clan Shelley weapon. And that other idea elite idea I talked to you about awhile back..
What number are we up to for warmounts and e-nimals?

K-143's the next available number for Warmounts, and KRP-44 for e-animals.
I had to break up my original Shemarrian file into separate Tribal files, because it was taking too much time scrolling up and down to see what systems and skills I;d built into previous posts and what I could copypasta to newer ones. Now I spend marginally less time scrolling up and down the list of Shemarrian Tribal file...

[kronos]

Given the arctic blasts of late, I thought this would eb appropriate:

Glaciton Male Elite
(aka ‘Old Blue, ‘Bluedeth’, ‘Blitzhailer’, ‘IceJaeger’)

Nice new addition. I'm working on an Aurora Warrior warmount actually.. And a Clan Shelley weapon. And that other idea elite idea I talked to you about awhile back..
What number are we up to for warmounts and e-nimals?

K-143's the next available number for Warmounts, and KRP-44 for e-animals.
I had to break up my original Shemarrian file into separate Tribal files, because it was taking too much time scrolling up and down to see what systems and skills I;d built into previous posts and what I could copypasta to newer ones. Now I spend marginally less time scrolling up and down the list of Shemarrian Tribal file...

I use OneNote.. single file with 'Section Groups' set up for each tribe or major section like Advanced Culture Notes, BlackSteel and ARCHIE forces, and a Section for Elites, Equipment, Warmounts, etc, and each section has a page for each entry.
It's basically creating a notebook and just inserting digital pages where I need, and easily searchable.
Might be something you want to look into.

[taalismn]

[
I use OneNote.. single file with 'Section Groups' set up for each tribe or major section like Advanced Culture Notes, BlackSteel and ARCHIE forces, and a Section for Elites, Equipment, Warmounts, etc, and each section has a page for each entry.
It's basically creating a notebook and just inserting digital pages where I need, and easily searchable.
Might be something you want to look into.

Sorry, I have a bias against OneNote; it's a hassle when library patrons try to print from it and it fails to talk to our OPAC printers. Same thing with Google Chrome.....It just HATES talking to our printers, so I have to go through all manner of contortions to get it to work and give them their printouts. Gets bad enough that most of the time my backup plan is to save their files to a flash drive and print the stuff off a staff printer.

[kronos]

[
I use OneNote.. single file with 'Section Groups' set up for each tribe or major section like Advanced Culture Notes, BlackSteel and ARCHIE forces, and a Section for Elites, Equipment, Warmounts, etc, and each section has a page for each entry.
It's basically creating a notebook and just inserting digital pages where I need, and easily searchable.
Might be something you want to look into.

Sorry, I have a bias against OneNote; it's a hassle when library patrons try to print from it and it fails to talk to our OPAC printers. Same thing with Google Chrome.....It just HATES talking to our printers, so I have to go through all manner of contortions to get it to work and give them their printouts. Gets bad enough that most of the time my backup plan is to save their files to a flash drive and print the stuff off a staff printer.

That's really weird.. maybe an issue with program versions & drivers (could be the OPAC printers are too old?). There might be an alternate program that is similar.. like how there's OpenOffice to replace Microsoft Office suite..
I just like how OneNote is set up like a note book, makes organizing all my RPG stuff so much easier, especially visually.

[kronos]

New Clan Shelley weapon..

Electro-Plasmic Morphic Staff aka Tesla Staff

"You have a regrettably large head, I would very much like to crack it open like a piñata for science!"
Clan Shelley member wielding a Tesla staff upon meeting a Power Lord.

The Tesla Staff is a large 8-foot heavy pole with what looks like a plasma globe mounted on the top, with several tubes leading from the base of the globe to a point farther down the pole. The bottom two feet is thicker and designed to split open and morph into several different shapes from a heavy axe blade, sledge-like hammer, armour piercing spike or a scythe blade. The plasma globe, with its swirling streams of light within, is actually a multi-mode ion projector, able to stun most living beings, and even disrupt mechanics, or release an armour piercing blast, using technology Clan Shelley acquired in a tech trade with the Steel Gaians that got it from their neighbours.

M.D.C. of the Weapon: 100
Weight: 30 lbs
Range: Ion Beam Mode 100 ft
SDC Beam 200 ft
Ion Bolt Mode 300 ft
Lightning Zapper Mode 50 ft
Shock-Zap Mode 1-3 ft
Multi-Weapon Melee 6 ft
Damage: Ion Beam Mode - 4d6+2 MD per single shot
SDC Beam - 1d6 SDC shock-burn. Plus, victims must make a save of 14 or better, or be -8 to strike, parry, and dodge for 2d6 melees. A savings throw versus non-lethal poison means the person is unimpaired. 25% chance of knocking out unshielded cybernetics for 1d4 melees, and a 75% chance of permanently frying nanotech devices (like Armor-dissolving nanites or RMK/IRMSS systems).
Ion Bolt Mode - 2d4 MD to 5 ft radius, 55% chance of knocking out unshielded cybernetics for 1d4 melees.
Lightning Zapper Mode - Does stun damage similar to SDC beam through metal armor and light power armor. On an unmodified roll of 18-20, it causes unshielded BIONICS and
robots to spasm for 1d4 melees (Cyborg is at HALF bonuses to strike, parry, dodge, roll, and is -3 to initiative. Reduce speed by HALF).
This weapon does 1d4x10 EMP damage (no physical damage) to a 10 ft radius. The resulting percentage of the target location MDC is the chance of shutdown/disablement. All damage is cumulative. Damage in excess of 50% target MDC will require repair to make it functional; 75% or more damage will require replacement of the entire electrical system. Does double damage to non-shielded civilian systems. Bionics are -1 to dodge, roll, and strike for the affected limb/system, lasting 1d4 melees, non-cumulative, before the system resets itself.
Shock-Zap Mode - Similar to a Shock Rod; 5d6 SDC, plus 55% chance of stunning humans, d-bees, and small animals for 1d4 melees, 15% against large or inhumanly powerful beings.
Cumulative effects same as for Electro-Stunner (see pg 50 of Coalition: Lone Star).
Multi-Weapon - Scythe deals 3d6 MD per slash; hammer deals 4d6 MD per strike, on an unmodified roll of 20 deals triple damage, half is electrical as releases a blast of energy; spike deals 2d6 MD per stab, on an unmodified roll of 18-20 deals double damage. If left in inactive mode, deals 4d6 SDC on a strike.
Rate of Fire: (Ion Beam Mode) Standard
(SDC Beam) Standard
(Ion Bolt Mode) Four times per melee
(Lightning Zapper Mode) Can fire only one Zap every melee (takes fifteen seconds to power up)
(Shock-Zap Mode) ECHH
Multi-Weapon
Payload: 25 plasma blasts. One charge provides enough power to energize the fire smasher with plasma fire for one melee round. In the hands of a Shemarrian, the fire smasher can draw power through their hands, recharging the weapon and providing near unlimited payload. The fire smasher can also accept a Shemmarian standard e-clip for NeShemar use.
Special Bonuses: While linked to a Shemarrian AI gains +1 to ranged attacks with the ion beam.
Multi-Weapon: Takes 1 action to shift the weapon between spike, hammer, scythe or inactive.

[taalismn]

Tesla Staff.
"She blinded me with SCIENCE!"

[taalismn]

Some repurposed canon stuff to fill out the EShemar weapons locker:

EShemar EShe-DwPB25 ‘Krakler’ Heavy Particle Beam Rifle

“That sounds you hear are heavy nuclear particles rapidly ablating your ship’s skin. Care to surrender now?”

Based on the Mechanoid Exterminator Double-Barreled Particle Beam Cannon, the DarkWaters focused on a lightened, single-barrel weapon that could deliver the same impressive range and heavy damage. Even at a little less than half the weight of its ancestor, the EShe-DwPB25 is still a very hefty weapon, and only the larger and stronger(or zero-gee troopers in micro-gravity) EShemar can proficiently wield it. The main draw of the weapon is its excellent range for a particle beam cannon, but the weapon is facing stiff competition in the favor of Dark Waters marines from the EShe-DwPB26 ‘Starstab’, a copy of the shorter-ranged but more-damaging PBM-15 Rapid Acceleration Particle Beam Mini-Cannon deployed on the USA-G15 GB-Mark V Orbital Glitterboy. The Krakler and Starstab have both been increasingly superceded in general use by the lighter(50 lbs) EShe-WpPB30 Particle Beam Rifle with the Dark Waters.
Weight: 450 lbs
MDC: 100
Range: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, double in space
(Kitsune values: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 400,000 ft in space)
Damage: 1d4x 10 MD single blast
On a Natural 19-20, a particle beam strike does DOUBLE damage.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Unlimited linked to nuclear power source. Can be powered by conventional e-clips, but the power draw is very high; a standard e-clip is only good for four shots.
Note: The cannon CANNOT be fitted with a bayonet or other barrel attachment.

EShe-DwPB26(aka ‘Starstab’) , the EShe-DwPB25’s competition.
Weight: 300 lbs
MDC: 100
Range: 3,000 ft in atmosphere, double in space
(Kitsune values: 3,000 ft in atmosphere, 300,000 ft in space)
Damage:1d6x 10 MD single blast
On a Natural 19-20, a particle beam strike does DOUBLE damage.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Unlimited linked to nuclear power source. Can be powered by conventional e-clips, but the power draw is very high; a standard e-clip is only good for 15 shots.
Note: The cannon CANNOT be fitted with a bayonet or other barrel attachment.

She-CimHPBR03 Heavy Particle Beam Rifle
(aka ‘Cimtar’)
“Don’t worry, honey; nobody’s going to hurt you. Not anymore. Especially since we’re all carrying our little nuclear organ pipes here. Anything trying to get at you’s going to be vaporized like a fly in a fusion torch.”

This weapon is only a ‘rifle’ by the standards of Clan Immensis, Necriants, and Jotan. To anybody else, it’s a heavy ‘F###me!’ CANNON. Hardly surprising, because it’s based on the main weapon of the AbMechanoid Exterminator, a triple-barrel particle beam cannon.
The reverse-engineering and modification of this piece of directed destruction has been laid at the door of the Clan Immensis weapons engineer Garia Killtan.
The She-CimHPBR03 is heavy, cumbersome, and requires two hands(or shoulder-borne) to hold steady. It also eats power at a prodigious rate. It is also long ranged for a particle beam weapon, and very damaging. It’s caught on infamously with Clan Immensis, who use it as a personal long arm. Other Tribes have begun using it as well, though typically as a vehicle- or Warmount-mounted weapon.
Unlike other particle beam weapons, the She-CimHPBR03 DOES have provision to mount a bayonet or axe blade in a specially located and insulated socket under the heavily reinforced triple-barrel cluster.

Weight: 320 lbs.
MDC: 120
Range: 4,000 ft, double in space
(Kitsune values: 4,000 ft in atmosphere, 400,000 ft in space)
Damage:1d4x10 MD per blast, 3d4x10 MD per triple blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited attached to a vehicle, warmount, or Immensis-frame nuclear powerplant, and has a back-up e-clip receiver(6 shots per long e-clip). Limited to 3 shots per melee if linked to a regular Shemarrian chassis powerplant
Special Features:
*Axe/Bayonet Mounting.

[taalismn]

Hawkmoon ‘Gunhawk’ WingPack
(aka “Two-Gun Dove”)

“You going into combat, girlfriend, you better be wearing more than that wingpack and g-string. Even if you don’t get hit, you’re going to be cold up there.”
“I’m wearing a full conversion cyborg body. I think that will be enough.”
“You’re not wearing a cyborg body, you ARE the cyborg body, and even cyborg senses feel cold, especially a full tactile cover like your faux-skin.”
“The skin sensors are part of my fine control. I NEED to FEEL the air currents to dogfight as best I can. So I can’t layer up and I can’t tone down the sensitivity gain.”
“Okay, then, but don’t complain to me if you ice up.”

The ‘Gunhawk’ is a jet pack/Upgrade consisting of a set of metal-pinioned wings, a contra-gravity pack, and two long-barrel energy rifles. Each wing also has six large pinion ‘feathers’ that are really modular racks for accessory systems/weapons. The unit sports such a weight of firepower for its relatively light size, that it has earned a reputation for being a gunship-in-miniature, hence the ‘gunhawk’ name.
The actuated and articulated wings can operate separately of the operator’s arms, and controled by nueral link, or the wearer can plug their arms into the wings’ ‘sleeves’ and move them directly like an piece of apparel.
The Gunhawk is available as an accessory flight pack for non-winged tribesmembers, or as a wing Upgrade for winged castes such as Warchiefs, Harpies, and Sirins.
Besides the Hawkmoons, the Silvermoons also use the Gunhawk(though they sometimes call it the ‘LanceWing’), having acquired permission to produce it in return for providing the upgraded wing lasers. The Aurora Warriors and Wayfinders are also reportedly interested in the design.

Weight: 280 lbs
Size: 18 ft wingspan
MDC:
Power/Grav Pack 120
Wings(2) 100 each
Long-Barrel Energy Rifles(2) each
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 360 MPH, no altitude limit
Bonus: +1 dodge, +2 in space
Powerplant: Nuclear power cell w/ 5 year energy life
Systems of Note:
*Mini-Radar----10 mile range

*EM Detector---Detects radar and laser targeting.

*Laser Targeting---The LB Energy Rifles sport laser targeting systems, giving them a +1 to strike.

*Fire Synchronization System----The Gunhawk’s wearer can aim each long gun separately(the wing actuators carrying the weight of the guns) or they can be fired in synchronization at the same target(counts as one attack).

Weapons Systems:
1) Long-Barrel Energy Rifles(2)---Running along the leading edge/top of each wing, and acting as a stiffener, is a long-barrel energy projector. Lasers. especially those of Silvermoon manufacture, are favored, but other types are available.
a) Laser---The favored weapon of the Gunhawk; a Silvermoon-enhanced light laser cannon
Range: 6,500 ft
Damage: 4d4 MD per shot, 7d6 MD three-shot burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

b) Ion Projector---A long-barreled multimode ‘lightning gun’.
Range: 4,500 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot,
1d4x10 MD double pulse shot,
1d6x10 MD triple pulse shot
On a Natural 20(Critical Strike) the ion weapon does TRIPLE damage instead of the normal double damage.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

c) Particle Beam---Extended range PBC.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: Two fire modes; 6d6 MD low power and 1d4x10 MD high power mode
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

d) Plasma Launcher---Long range for a plasma weapon, but low-powered. Fires plasma ‘grenades’ that burst with an area of effect.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD to 10 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

e) E-Bolt Launcher---Fires invisible bolts of electromagnetic force, or shorter-ranged vortices
Range: (EM Bolt) 4,000 ft
(Vortex) 2,000 ft
Damage: (EM Bolt) (Variable) 4d6 SD, 1d4x10 SD, or 3d6 MD per shot
(Vortex) Same as for the bolt at the point of impact, plus HALF damage in a 7 ft radius, and an 88% chance of knockdown(lose 1 APM and Initiative) for beings of 350 lbs or less, 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Bonus: EM bolts are -6 to dodge.

f) Force Bolt----Fires a ‘knot’ of gravitonic force.
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 6D6 MD
Plus 80% chance of knockdown(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees). Chance of successful knockdown drops to 65% if the Force Shield is active.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

g) G-Rifle---Gravitonic Projectile Rifle. Makes use of gravitonic baffling to remove recoil. Not a common fitout because of the dependence on ammunition.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per 10-rd burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 shot drum

2) Modular Mini-Pods(6, 3 each wing)---Each wing has four large hollow vanes. Each can hold ONE of the following:
a) Mini-Missiles---3 per pod
b) Flit-Striker---2 per pod

c) Flare/Chaff Launcher---Standard antimissile countermeasure dispenser
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fy into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 3 per launcher

d) Mini-Laser---These are the same lasers and mini-turrets as on the Flying Titan power armor
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

e) Light Machine Gun
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 1d6x10 SDC per 10 rd burst
(MD) 1 MD single rd, 2d4 MD per 10 rd burst
(High Explosive) 1d4 MD per rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 300 rd drum

f) Razor-Frizzer----C ut-down copy of an imported Russian design). The EShemar like to use shuriken discs that give off a very audible high-pitched shrieking or buzzing noise when fired.
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 single projectile, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst/volley
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 20 shots per launcher

g) Smoke Screen Dispenser---Generates a thick, obscuring cloud of dense smoke. Each blast covers a 40 ft area and anyone caught in the cloud of thick, obscuring smoke is -5 on all combat rolls. Has enough smoke-matrix for 6 clouds.

h) Bombs----Each pannier can hold a small bomb, effectively an adapted 80mm mortar shell. Can be dropped ‘dumb’, or can be fitted with a smart bomb guidance package(also adapted from ‘smart shells’).
Range:(Effective Drop Altitude) 4,000 ft
Damage:(High Explosive) 1d6x10 MD to a 20 ft blast radius
(Fragmentation)1d4x10 +5 MD to 25 ft blast area
(Armor-Piercing High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 6 ft blast area
Payload: 1 per hardpoint
Bonus: Bonuses: (Smart guidance)+3 to strike

i) Insectoid Dispenser----Can hold several dozen(36) robotic insectoids, such as the EcoS-D62cv Carapace Beetle MicroRobot, Eshe-R63Cvp Fiery Wing MicroRobot, or Eshe-R241Cvp Sanitateo MicroRobot, or 50-100 smaller nicro-robots, like Silvamite bugs.

3) Wingblades(2)---These typically take the form of a switchblade-style ‘thumb’ at the leading edge of the wings.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d4 MD

Options:
*Expanding Wings---Feathers fan out when on the ground/stationary, to produce a more covering ‘wing shelter’. Attacks on the wearer/pilot are -3 to strike, even on a called shot, behind the cover of these shields.

*Laser-Reflective Chroming----Virtually standard with the Silvermoons; lasers do HALF damage.

*Drone Call---Popular with those who want the advantages of wings, but not the encumbrance; this feature allows the assigned user/owner to summon the wingpack via coded radio transmission. The wingpack can fly and navigate its way to link up with the summoner. The wingpack has a +2 to autododge attacks while flying on its own, but CANNOT attack on its own without the direct orders of its operator, and even then, it has no bonus to strike.

Hawkmoon ‘Daggerhawk’ WingPack
(aka ‘SparkWing’, ‘Fireflit’)

“Last thing you were expecting was to be attacked inside your office tower by one of those angels of annihilation? Yeah, those girls look like angels, fly like barnswallows, and strike like eagles. In, out, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be one of the witnesses able to look in awe at the flying prowess you just saw. If you’re UNlucky, you’re the rodent that just got ripped by death from the sky.”

A smaller, lighter wingpack with a shorter wingspan and less integral armaments. It’s meant more for close-quarters flying and aerial infiltration of built-up areas like cities and dense forest. The pack unit features a tail unit and much more flexible wings, allowing for better control in close maneuvering. Like the Gunhawk, the DaggerHawk’s wings can operate separately, leaving the wearer’s arms free, or the pilot can wear and move the wings like sleeves.
Like the GunHawk, the DaggerHawk is available both as an accessory unit and as a wing Upgrade. It is popular with Hawkmoon Berserkers, Yurei operatives, and Sirin NeShemar. The Blood Riders have also expressed an interest in acquiring the DaggerHawk.

Weight: 90 lbs
Size: 10 ft wingspan
MDC:
Power/Grav Pack 90
Wings(2) 75 each
Wing Light Weapon Stations(2) 50 each
Tail Unit 65
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 300 MPH, no altitude limit
Bonus: +3 dodge, +6 in space
Powerplant: Nuclear power cell w/ 5 year energy life
Systems of Note:
*Mini-Radar----5 mile range

*EM Detector---Detects radar and laser targeting.

*Laser Targeting---The weapon hardpoints sport laser targeting systems, giving them a +1 to strike.

Weapons Systems:
1)Wing Light Weapon Stations(2)----The DaggerHawk has a pair of semi-recessed hardpoints at the wing ‘thumb’ positions.
a) Light Machine Gun
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage:(SDC) 1d6x10 SDC per 10 rd burst
(MD) 1 MD single rd, 2d4 MD per 10 rd burst
(High Explosive) 1d4 MD per rd, 1d4x10 MD per 10 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 200 rd drum

b)Fletchette Gun----Electromagnetic rail gun firing small darts. Speed can be regulated allowing for use of drug-carrier darts or armor-piercing penetrators.
Range: (Dart Mode) 300 ft
(Fletchette Mode)1,200 ft
Damage: (Dart Mode)1 SD/MD penetration depending on the target, plus possible attendant drug/chemical effects.
(Fletchette Mode) 1d4 MD per round
(Optional) ---Incendiary---These are rounds made with a coating of a crystalline chemical that rapidly begins combusting once fired, producing a shower of napalm-like flakes that stick and burn. ---Do an additional +2 MD per rd, and 1 MD of damage for 1d4 melees as the flare portion burns down.
Rate of Fire: Bursts of 1-6 shots, ECHH
Payload: 150 rd drum

c) Ion Blaster
Range: 1,650 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per shot
On a Natural 20(Critical Strike) the ion weapon does TRIPLE damage instead of the normal double damage.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

d)Plasma Blaster---Actually a variable-mode plasma projector; the plasma lance is particularly fearsome in operation, as it produces an six-meter scythe of destructive energy the DaggerHawk can use to sideswipe targets.
Range:(Heavy Bolt) 1,000 ft
(Light Bolt) 2,000 ft
(Plasma Saber) 3 ft
(Plasma Lance) 18 ft
Damage: (Heavy Bolt) 5d6 MD
(Light Bolt) 2d6 MD
(Plasma Saber) 2d4 MD
(Plasma Lance) 6d6 MD
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

e) Particle Beam Blaster
Range: 1,200 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

f) Mini-Laser---This is the same laser and mini-turret as on the Flying Titan power armor
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

2) Shock Field----Various vanes in the wings produce an electrostatic field that helps control airflow and increase maneuverability. They can also produce an powerful contact shock for knocking out targets in melee range.
Range: Melee
Damage: Similar to a Shock Rod; 5d6 SDC, plus 55% chance of stunning humans, d-bees, and small animals for 1d4 melees, 15% against large or inhumanly powerful beings. Cumulative effects same as for Electro-Stunner(see pg 50 of Coalition: Lone Star).
On an unmodified roll of 18-20, it causes unshielded BIONICS and robots to spasm for 1d4 melees(Cyborg is at HALF bonuses to strike, parry, dodge, roll, and is -3 to initiative. Reduce speed by HALF).
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

3) Wingblades(2)---These are jagged blades along the trailing edge of the wings.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d6 MD

Options:
*Drone Call---Popular with those who want the advantages of wings, but not the encumbrance; this feature allows the assigned user/owner to summon the wingpack via coded radio transmission. The wingpack can fly and navigate its way to link up with the summoner. The wingpack has a +2 to autododge attacks while flying on its own, but CANNOT attack on its own without the direct orders of its operator, and even then, it has no bonus to strike.

Variants:
The Hawkmoons are working on a Daggerhawk drone variant that can configure into a raptor/avyet-like avian form with similar drone A.I. and semiautonomous behavior. Development of this variant is reportedly being driven by request of the Hawkmoons’ Yurei covert operations caste.

[taalismn]

Zarath Air-Sea Vehicles
“The Dark Waters are -serious- about outfitting their Zarath sgen adjutants; most sgen get a few specialty weapons as gifts, or hand-me-downs that their Shemarrian matras have previously captured or salvaged. The Dark Waters went and apportioned a good chunk of their production resources to designing ships for the Zarath. Mind you, admittedly the Zarath-craft aren’t as advanced or high performance as what the Tribes use for themselves, but they’re still far above what most of the peoples on Rifts Earth are using, and what a lot of the cultures in places like the Three Galaxies have. The Zarath are still getting some serious hardware. Guess the Dark Waters don’t want their sgen feeling like they’re getting the short end of the stick and maybe striking out on their own for something better, or maybe they want to make sure that if their entire Tribe-cluster goes to war, everybody in it’s going to be able to contribute to the line of battle.”

((“-Looks like those damn islanders are having another beachside sacrifice to their water-god. Much as I’d love to go up there and put the fear of the Goddess into them, we can’t be seen in these parts. Zorem, can you take a few of your people up there and fetch that girl? And mess up that bunch of monster worshippers? You can take the cars.”))

Rather than provide Warmounts for the Zarath, the Dark Waters have gone so far as to design and construct special vehicles for them. These vehicles, dual air-water craft, bear a striking resemblance to certain pre-Rifts underwater habitats(those scholars who DO note the similarity, believe the vehicles to have been inspired by Zarath discovery and salvage of Golden Age underwater habitats).
Occasionally the Dark Waters may use these vehicles themselves, especially if they wish to move about, but without using means associated with the Shemarrians.

Zarath AquaSaucer
(aka ‘Zasser’)

“Don’t be ridiculous, there’s no such thing as flying saucers kidnapping people off boa(#FREEEEEEMMMMM#SLAPBUNDLEWRAP*YANK*)mpft----!”

This small scoutship looks like a scaled up and alien version of an oceanic mini-submarine, with a saucer-shaped body, two large glowing portholes, and several extendable tentacles and tool armatures. The AquaSaucer is a fast, stealthy air and sea vessel(some say it is also capable of space travel) used for reconnaissance. It is also very agile, and can hover, drop, levitate, sidestep, and roll with apparent ease, offsetting its relatively slow speed(it’s not much faster than jet-copters in the air) compared to the New Navy and Coalition States’ jet fighters. It’s also used in underwater salvage and recovery operations, as well as an escort for the Zaraths’ larger transports, and a security patroller for their work sites.

Type: ZHC-01 AquaSaucer
Class: Air/Sea Hovercraft
Crew: Can hold two Zarath and 1-3 human-sized passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Eye Ports(2) 60 each
Tentacles(4) 45 each
Manipulator Arms(2) 50 each
Forcefield 180
Height: 19 ft
Width: 30 ft in diameter
Length: 30 ft in diameter
Weight: 35 tons
Cargo: 1. 3 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 15 year energy life
Speed: (Flying) Hover to 560 MPH, maximum altitude of 18,000 ft.
(Underwater) 60 MPH, maximum depth of 5 miles.
Bonus: +5 to Dodge/Roll
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the Zarath/Shemarrian Nation
Systems of Note:
Standard aircraft and submarine systems, plus:
*Sonar----25 mile range. Can track 50 targets simultaneously.
*Radar----100 mile range. Can track 50 targets simultaneously
*‘StasRac’ Magfield Pressure Resistance Generator---- The AquaSaucer has the same pressure-resistant forcefield as the Zarath do. With StasRac augmentation, underwater structures and vessel hulls can increase their maximum deep dive capability up to 50%(so a submarine previously rated for 5,000 ft depth, can now dive to 7,500 ft!).
Another bonus is that when hit with physical attacks like punches, tentacle crushes, harpoons, and even pressure waves from nearby explosions, the field subtracts 1d6 MD on the small Aqua Saucer (2d4 MD for ships larger than 100 ft long, and 3d6 MD for 250+ foot craft, on account of the larger virtual ‘surface area’ to radiate the energy) from each strike as its physical force is bled off (energy weapons and magic attacks are UNaffected).
When in operation, StasRacs give off a slight glow(actually pressure stress energy being bled off as electrical current and light energy), and when suddenly changing depth/pressure(as with a rapid ascent or teleport to the surface) they release their pent-up energy in a massive static electrical shock(does 2d4 MD to anything touching the field at the time) that can be quite startling, especially in dark conditions where the resulting flash can stun observers or blow a stealth approach. Deploying a long(at least 50 ft) ‘grounding’ cable and radiator vane(somewhat like a radar target on a buoy) to direct the bleed-off a safe distance away from the craft is advised if the crew doesn’t wish to damage anything their craft is carrying while doing a rapid ascent/shock release.
The StasRacs have some problems(as anyone who has tried to fit underwater equipment with forcefields has learned), however. One is that they require constant power current to keep up their protection(it is best to have a secondary power source to directly power the StasRac generators). Second, they produce a noticeable electromagnetic field that can be picked up easily by MAD gear(typically HALF again to TWICE the regular detection range), and by many undersea predators(most notably sharks) that use natural EM sensors to detect and track potential prey. Meanwhile, sonar effectiveness is reduced by as much as 50% with regard to range, while the StasRac is active, and radio communications may experience static creeping into transmission and reception.

*Stealth----Composite construction, and muffled internals minimize sensor returns; -65% chance of detection by sonar or radar at ranges over 3,000 ft, drops to -30% at ranges over 500 ft, and -15% under 500 ft.

*Jamming Suite----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -6 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry

*Molecular Adhesion Pads---The tentacles of the AquaSaucer are covered with molecular adhesion pads.

Weapons Systems:
1) Blue-Green Lasers(2)----Mounted in the rims of the observation ports are two powerful blue-green frequency laser cannons.
Range: 4,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD for a pulse burst
8d6 MD dual shot, 2d4x10 MD for a dual pulse burst(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) ‘Lightning Gun’---Really an ion projector cannon modeled after Triax’s TX-275 ‘Lightning’ Arc Charge Blaster, only with superior range.
Range: 5,000 ft, 1,000 ft underwater
Damage: 6d6 MD
01-15: No additional damage
16-30 Instruments flicker out, before coming back online in 1d4 seconds. Target loses Initiative.
31-45 All weapons temporarily out, and minor electrical fires. One system comes back online in 1d4 melee rds.
46-60 All systems temporarily out, and minor electrical fires. -30% to piloting skills if target is a manned vehicle. Systems come back online after 1d4 melee rds.
61-75 Communications, radar, and targeting are disabled, but weapons systems are unaffected. -3 to strike and no initiative. Damage requires physical repair.
76-90 Instruments are completely totaled. If a manned vehicle, the following skill penalties apply; -25% at one-third of maximum speed, -50% at HALF maximum speed, and -75% at full speed. NO initiative roll, -3 to dodge(-5 if an AI), -3 to strike(-5 if an AI), and lose one action per melee round(2 if an AI)
91-00 Total knockout. Controls do not respond, and machine is out of control. Crash/collapse/total shutdown within 2d4 minutes.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Tentacles(4)---Each of these extremely flexible tendrils can reach out 30 ft. Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 30.
Entangle+3
Tentacle Restrained Slap 2d6 SDC
Tentacle Punch 2d6 MD
Crush/Squeeze 2d4 MD

4) Manipulator Arms(2)---Jointed claw-arms with a reach of 10 ft . Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 30.
Restrained Punch 1d4 MD
Full Strength Punch 2d6 MD
Claw Tear/Pry 2d4 MD


Options/Upgrades:
*Suction Trunk---An extendable wide-diameter suction hose, adapted from the EcoS-K-40 Cyclopede Warmount. Can is typically used for clearing silt from underwater wrecks and work sites, but, equipped with the proper filters and packaging mechanisms, can be used to sift for various objects, separate and wrap them for storage. Can also be used for ‘knap and wrap’ abduction actions, sucking up humanoids from the ground or water and wrap-restraining them aboard the saucer.
MDC of Trunk: 100
Range: (Melee) Trunk is 15 ft long
(Suction) 30 ft
(Repulsion) 300 ft
Damage:(Melee) Can swat for 1d4 MD
(Suction) Pulls with an arbitrary P.S. of 40. Acts similar to a Wind Burst, only in reverse. Within 30 ft range, characters must make a roll of 18-20 or lose balance and begin being pulled in. Similarly, loose items held in hands will be pulled off and even loose clothing can be sucked off a person.
(Repulsion) Acts similar to a Wind Burst, at ranges of 200 ft or less,
humanoid-sized beings(7 ft or smaller) will have an 88% chance of being knocked over and pushed 1d6x10 ft by the air blast, as well as a 65% chance of being stunned or knocked out.
Creatures and 'bots weighing over a ton, or standing 8-20 ft, will only have a 40% chance of being knocked over, and only a 15% chance of being stunned.
Creatures and ''bots taller than 21 ft, will be unaffected.
If liquid is being pumped, add +10% to the chance of being knocked over, due to the greater imparted force of the fluid.
(Optional) *Trunk Sensor Head---The end of the trunk sports a sensor ring and fringe of tendrils that act as touch-sensors and motion-detectors, roughly equivalent to a cybernetic multimedia Sensor Hand implant, while the optics band carries basic and low-light optics. The trunk head is ideal for rooting round in murky water, dark rooms, and tight spaces for anything hiding within.
(Optional) Wrapper---- A special device in the hose-way sprays a quick-setting megadamage polymer that can form incredibly tough fibers. The fibers can also be spun into cocoon-wrappings, to construct cargo nets, restraint bags, and water hoses. Besides packaging up sucked up objects/beings, the system can also be used to create waterseals and balloon lift sacks(that can be pumped full of air to lift items to the surface), or fill structures full of lift-foam.
Range: 5 ft
Damage: None. A single 1-inch strand of the synthetic spider-web can hold up to 3 tons and has 1 MDC per 10 ft length; more if braided.
Used to cocoon-spray a target, the cannon can spray up to 50 MDC in one attack, so if the crew uses six attacks on wrapping a single target, it can create a web shell with 300 MDC, generate a 3,000 ft line in a single melee, or create 200 ft of six-inch hose in one melee.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: The saucer’s ready-reserve has 1,000 MDC worth of polymer matrix ready to go.

*EM Vortex----The saucer can be fitted with an outer ring that generates an intense electromagnetic field that interferes with unshielded electronics, and causes loose metal objects to levitate and fly about. Great for those ‘close encounters’.
Range: 100 ft diameter
Damage: Metal objects up to 50 lbs in weight will be picked up and swept up in the field, doing 3d6 SDC to anything they strike.
Deflects metal projectiles, such as mortar shells, grenades, metal-headed arrows, bullets, shrapnel, and rail gun rounds. Missiles and rockets will be -2 to strike. Ion, Neutron, Particle Beam and Plasma weapons do HALF damage.
Unshielded computer hard drives and magnetic media will be wiped by the intense EM field, compasses will run wild, and unshielded electrical systems will be disrupted; 40% chance or being permanently shorted out.
Organic beings caught in the field must save vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes, while making the save, they will still be disoriented by the crackling discharge; -2 to all hand to hand bonuses for 1d6 melees.
Cyborgs have an 80% chance of having their cybernetics disrupted for 1D10 minutes, and a 40% chance of a non-vital system being permanently shorted out.
Rate of Fire: Continuous
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Note: The saucer itself is shielded from the field, and is effectively in ‘the eye of the storm’ as it were.
The downside is that the intense EM field will light up EM detectors and sensors like a christmas tree.

*Waterspout Attack---By hovering over water and revving its thrusters, the Aqua Saucer can generate a short-lived waterspout. The waterspout has no bonuses to strike, but it can suck up and toss around small objects in its path, and drop blinding amounts of water on targets.
Range: The saucer needs to dip 50 ft or lower to the water surface, then can form a 260 ft high waterspout, 50 ft in diameter.
Damage: 50% chance of tipping over small boats(zodiac rafts, rowboats, small sailboats, speedboats), 30% chance of capsizing medium-sized craft(commercial fishing trawlers, small passenger ferries), 10% of tipping over larger craft. Hitting a vessel or structure will lash it with high winds and water; small objects will be tossed about and blown overboard, people must roll an 18 or better, or lose their balance, and the surging water will obscure vision to a distance of 6 ft.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee, and the water spout only lasts 1 minute before collapsing.


Variants:
No variants as yet have appeared(as the Zarath are still fairly young as sgen spinoffs are concerned), but a full contra-gravity-propelled space-capable model would be a logical next step for the Dark Waters.
A fully drone-operated version has also been discussed by Dark Water Tinkers. What additional systems it might possess, and what degree of AI it might have directing it, are still being considered.


Zarath Hydrodome
(aka ‘Domefish’)
“One wonders if the Zarath BUILT them domefish they like to fly around in, or BRED them...they have quite a few similarities, that I won-der if they didn’t e-volve on the same alien tree. Only the Zarath took the path of fast small predator that acquired intelligence, and the domefish became big dumb beasts...Ah course I could be comprletely wrong and they built them like any ather cah or cycle, but it;s hard to tell with eetee d-bees.”

The Hydrodome is a fat, broad, onion-domed craft used as a cargo transport, and doubles as an underwater habitat for the Zarath. It can operate underwater and fly through the air with equal proficiency.
Like the Zarath themselves, the Hydrodome can extend a flexible skirt of pulsing translucent artificial muscle from its underside, allowing it to slowly swim through the water without making noise. It can also extend several tentacles, althogether giving the appearance of a giant shelled jellyfish.
The Hydrodome is a a common sight in Zarath groups, as it allows the nomadic aliens to quickly move their encampments on a moment’s notice. Many are set up as cargo carriers, factory-ships, adn even ‘birthing domes’ for creating new Zarath. Others are outfitted as dedicated weapons platorms, others as electronic warfare carriers.

Type: ZHC-02 Hydrodome
Class: Air/Sea Transport Hovercraft
Crew: Can hold 2-16 Zarath
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 500
Steath Propulsion Umbra-Skirt 120
Landing Gear(4) 90 each
Tentacles( 8 ) 100 each
Forcefield 300
Height: 60 ft
Width: 100 ft in diameter
Length: 100 ft in diameter
Weight: 180 tons
Cargo: 50 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 450 MPH, maximum altitude of 18,000 ft.
(Underwater) 50 MPH using thrusters, 20 MPH using pulse-skirts, maximum depth of 3 miles.
Bonus: +2 to Dodge/Roll
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the Zarath/Shemarrian Nation
Systems of Note:
Standard aircraft and submarine systems, plus:
*Sonar----50 mile range. Can track 50 targets simultaneously.
*Radar----100 mile range. Can track 50 targets simultaneously
*‘StasRac’ Magfield Pressure Resistance Generator---- The AquaSaucer has the same pressure-resistant forcefield as the Zarath do. With StasRac augmentation, underwater structures and vessel hulls can increase their maximum deep dive capability up to 50%(so a submarine previously rated for 5,000 ft depth, can now dive to 7,500 ft!).
Another bonus is that when hit with physical attacks like punches, tentacle crushes, harpoons, and even pressure waves from nearby explosions, the field subtracts 1d6 MD on the small Aqua Saucer (2d4 MD for ships larger than 100 ft long, and 3d6 MD for 250+ foot craft, on account of the larger virtual ‘surface area’ to radiate the energy) from each strike as its physical force is bled off (energy weapons and magic attacks are UNaffected).
When in operation, StasRacs give off a slight glow(actually pressure stress energy being bled off as electrical current and light energy), and when suddenly changing depth/pressure(as with a rapid ascent or teleport to the surface) they release their pent-up energy in a massive static electrical shock(does 2d4 MD to anything touching the field at the time) that can be quite startling, especially in dark conditions where the resulting flash can stun observers or blow a stealth approach. Deploying a long(at least 50 ft) ‘grounding’ cable and radiator vane(somewhat like a radar target on a bouy) to direct the bleed-off a safe distance away from the craft is advised if the crew doesn’t wish to damage anything their craft is carrying while doing a rapid ascent/shock release.
The StasRacs have some problems(as anyone who has tried to fit underwater equipment with forcefields has learned), however. One is that they require constant power current to keep up their protection(it is best to have a secondary power source to directly power the StasRac generators). Second, they produce a noticeable electromagnetic field that can be picked up easily by MAD gear(typically HALF again to TWICE the regular detection range), and by many undersea predators(most notably sharks) that use natural EM sensors to detect and track potential prey. Meanwhile, sonar effectiveness is reduced by as much as 50% with regard to range, while the StasRac is active, and radio communications may experience static creeping into transmission and reception.

*Stealth----Composite construction, and muffled internals minimize sensor returns; -65% chance of detection by sonar or radar at ranges over 3,000 ft, drops to -30% at ranges over 500 ft, and -15% under 500 ft. With the pulse-skort engaged, the detection chance drops to -75%/-45%/-20% respectively with regards to sonar detection.

*Jamming Suite----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -6 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry

Weapons Systems:
1) Blue-Green Lasers(8 )----Mounted around the edge of the armored ‘bell’ of the Hydrodome are small projectors for blue-green frequency laser cannon.
Range: 4,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD for a pulse burst
8d6 MD dual shot, 2d4x10 MD for a dual pulse burst(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2)Tentacles(8 )---Each of these extremely flexible tendrils can reach out 30 ft. Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 50
Range: Melee
Damage: 3d6 MD slash, 6d6 MD squeeze

3)(Optional) Torpedoes/Missiles----In the place of cargo, the Hydrodome can carry an extendable tray-launcher for missiles or torpedoes that drop through the ventral cargo bay hatch and home on their targets. The Hydrodome can carry 120 mini-missiles/torpedoes, OR 48 short range missiles/torpedoes, OR 16 medium-range missiles/torpedoes, OR 8 long range missiles/torpedoes.

Small Craft:
The Hydrodome can carry an AquaSaucer docked to its ventral hatch

Options/Upgrades:
*Suction Trunks(1-6)----Same as for the AquaSaucer, the Hydrodome can be fitted to deploy up to six siphon trunks for pumping up silt or prisoners.


*Waterspout Attack---The Hydrodome can perform a larger and more powerful version of the AquaSaucer’s ‘spout attack.
Range: The ‘dome needs to dip 50 ft or lower to the water surface, then can form a 400 ft high waterspout, 100 ft in diameter.
Damage: 70% chance of tipping over small boats(zodiac rafts, rowboats, small sailboats, speedboats), 50% chance of capsizing medium-sized craft(commercial fishing trawlers, small passenger ferries), 15% of tipping over larger craft. Hitting a vessel or structure will lash it with high winds and water; small objects will be tossed about and blown overboard, people must roll a 17 or better, or lose their balance, and the surging water will obscure vision to a distance of 6 ft.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee, and the water spout only lasts 2 minutes before collapsing.

*Jamming Systems----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -8 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry and enjoys a -50% on enemy sensor rolls to be detected by radar. Jams and distorts radar returns in a 30 mile radius of the aircraft, and communications in a 50 mile radius. Hydrodomes outfitted with this system can typically be distinguished by several antennae sprouting from the upper hull.

*Ghost Spoofer---A powerful EW system that can create up to EIGHT sensor ‘ghosts’ and project them up to 10 miles away from the aircraft.


Variants:
As with the AquaSaucer, a fully space-capable CG-drive variant of the Hydrodome would seem likely.

[taalismn]

Dark Waters Altamar E-Animal
(aka ‘Hydrocentaur’, ‘Aquacentaur’)

“Somewhere along the line the Atlantean Amazons must have mated with mermaids, because these particular ocean lasses don’t sing the unwary to a watery grave; they slash and shoot them to flotsam. Fortunately, they seem to save their wrath for the true scum of the sea, like the Horune and the Splugorth.”
“Word to you; if you plan on plugging into an altie for a ride, either wear full armor or a one-piece scale-suit. Anything less, you risk losing in the slipstream when you start hitting high speed. I stripped myself naked twice doing that, losing a couple of nice sets of swimwear in the process. Gluing the stuff on just strains the skin, or even tears it, and gets the Tinker mad at you for having to do cosmetic repairs. Also, don’t try leaping out of the water like you see the Selkine and and the Carcharons doing; unless you got some acrobatics skills or quick-set on your tactile sensitivity settings, you blow your landing, you’re feeling the mother of bell flops straight to your pain centers. ”

“Oh, that girl out there looks pretty above the hips, but look below and behind, and you’ll see a death machine as ugly as any torpedo.”

The Altamar e-animal was inspired by the prior Dark Waters Selkine and Carcharon Elites, as well as by the Kittani Warfish Power Armor. The Dark Waters decided to develop a combination drone and vehicle for their NeShemar conversions.
The Altamar resembles a large mechanical shark. Instead of jaws, however, the head opens up and folds away to reveal a socket, into which a NeShemar cyborg or bioborg can slip into up to their waists, and take control of via a spinal jack or EM induction reader. The ‘headless’ Altamar can thus be mistaken for a Carcharon Elite or Kittani naval soldier.
The Altamar mounts five vibro-bladed fins and a lashing tail. A set of eye-lasers and mouth-jaws in shark-mode become a pair of combat vambrace-sleeve armatures that the pilot can don, or the rider can use other handheld weapons. Finally, the shark torso conceals a set of mini-torpedo launchers. Upgrades include tail-mounted lasers, countermeasure launchers, and magic systems(courtesy of the Wayfinders).
The Altamar is almost NEVER Awakened with an Ecotroz essence fragment(and NeShemar lack the ability to do so anyway) so it’s considered an expendable drone.
Altmars are typically used as picket forces and second echelon troop units, backing up the front line Eshemar forces and providing rear area security for Dark Water facilities and vessels. Many ‘sea tenders’ are grouped with Altamar e-animals, when sheparding aquatic harvesters or cargo-haulers.

Type: EcoS-KRP-44 Altamar
Class: Robotic E-Animal Drone, Aquatic
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 260
Head 70(protects the pilot’s legs when in aquacentaur mode)
Armatures(2) 55 each
Fins(5) 45 each
Mini-Torpedo Launchers(2) 45 each
Tail 75
Height: 6 ft
Width: 7 ft
Length: 12 ft
Weight: 3,000 lbs
Cargo: Small space inside the main body for a few personal possessions and sidearms. Additional gear may be strapped to the outside.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 30
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) Can barely manage to totter awkwardly on dry land at a ponderous and excruciating 3 MPH
(Leaping) Can do a powered leap out of the water up to 10 ft up/25 ft across
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) Can cruise at 30 MPH, 65 MPH with tail prop engaged. Depth Tolerance: 2 miles(the real limiter of depth tolerance is the pilot’s)
Can also hydrofoil-skim along the surface of calm seas at 90 MPH.
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 10 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Hull-Sucker---Molecular adhesion pads that allow the Altamar to attach itself to larger structures and vessels.

*Sonar-----20 mile range

*Magnetic Anomaly Detection(MAD)
Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy. It can detect powered-up rail guns and EM containment fields(such as fusion generator) at TWICE that range.

*Buoyancy Regulator---The Altamar can control their own buoyancy through the use of special internal varying-state gel ‘organs’.

*Depth Gauge

*Gill Systems---Bionic Gills. The robot itself doesn’t need them, but they can be used to recharge depleted bionic lungs/oxygen storage cells, and provide bio-mod neshemar with air through a regulator hose and mask.


*Silent Running----The drone moves very quietly and has only an 15% chance of being detected by passive sonar.

Weapons Systems:
1) Eye Lasers(2)----These become part of the armatures that the rider can slip over her arms and use as arm weapons.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD single shot, 4d6 MD for both eyes firing simultaneously
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Jaw Blades(2)---In shark form, the two blade mandible sets form a biting jaw. With a rider plugged in, the blades are attached to the underside of the eye laser units, and can be used as bladed vambraces for close combat.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d6 MD

3) Fin Blades(5)----Mounted large vibroblades. The fins are also more articulated(and can rotate 90 degrees to either side) than the stiff fins of an orca, the better to angle the blades for slash attacks and bring the ion blasters to bear on targets.
Range: Melee
Damage: 4d4 MD

4) Mini-Torpedo Launchers(2)----These fold out of the belly of the robot-shark. One 5 shot pod can be mounted per side. Vine Trap warhead mini-torps are a favorite of Altamar pilots.

Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs in the Altamar. The Altamar is almost never Awakened with an Ecotroz essence-fragment
As a drone, the Altamar has the following:
Swimming 98%
Underwater Navigation
Hunting(Sea Creatures) 75%
Radio: Basic 90%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 6
Initiative +1
Dodge +4 underwater
Strike +3 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry) underwater
Roll +4 underwater
Bite 4d6 MD
Fin Slash 4d4 MD
Tail Slash 3d6 MD

As a power Armor, the Altamar has the following bonuses(but only in water)
+5 Dodge
+4 Roll
These are in addition to the NeShemar’s own training and bonuses. Essentially treat the manned Altamar as flying (underwater) power armor.

Options:
*Decoy Launcher---Fits the Altamar with the ability to launch small countermeasure packs; sonar-blinding ‘screamers’; Screamers are specialized one-use munitions that when fired, broadcast a massive burst of noise across all audio/sonic frequencies, with the intended effect of destroying acoustic target(sonar) locks, and allowing the sub/diver to escape opponents using sonar to detect or track them. -60% to track the sub via sonar while the Screamer is in effect, while sonar-guided weapons are -10 to strike
Screamers also have the effect of stunning dolphins, whales, and other creatures using natural sonar and echo location. These creatures are disoriented/stunned for 1d4 melees.
A typical screamer will last 1d4 melees until it burns out or is destroyed.
Screamers can also be fused to ignite/activate anywhere up to a minute(4 melees) after deployment.
Effective radius of effect of the screamers is approximately 1,000 ft
The Altamar can carry 6 screamer decoys

*Ink Cloud---Injects a water-absorbent powder that quickly gels into a thick suspension that blocks light, clogs gills, and fouls sonar. Though not as potent as the Kittani gill-clog material, it’s still fairly effective at choking off gill-breathing pursuit.
Range: Covers a 40 ft area. Depending on water conditions, the cloud can persist for 1d4 minutes.
Damage: Those caught in the cloud are effectively BLINDED; -5 to strike, parry, dodge, and entangle The particulate nature of the material makes sonar systems less effective as well; -60% to attempts to use sonar reading through the cloud. Gill-breathers must roll a 16 or better or be -6 on initiative, -6 to strike, parry, and dodge, and reduce Speed, melee attacks, and skill performance by -50%. Upon exiting the cloud, penalties are reduced by HALF, but persist for 1d6 minutes.
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Enough material for four bursts

*Deep Flares---Deep Flares are fast-burning underwater illumination sources used as distractions in deep sea operations. Though fairly useless as weapons, Deep Flares are effective at night and against deep-sea creatures sensitive to bright light.
Deep Flares will blind surprised targets for 1d4 melees(half all combat bonuses and skill rolls while trying to overcome temporary blindness). Useless against targets using sonar, or without eyes.
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD if it scores a direct hit on a target; Otherwise, no damage, aside from possible flash disorientation. : Area of effect: 100 ft area in diameter(suspended silt/debris in the water may limit this).
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1 or 2
Payload: 6 Deep Flares

*Laser Tail--Adapted blue-green EShe-LPPUW90 Laser Rifle. It is mounted in a special armored housing in the tail and can be used to snipe at targets behind the ‘bot. NeShemar using this modification practice ‘turn and burn’ tactics, firing the lasers after making an evasive turn away from targets, and also luring enemies to pursue them, line them up in the lasers’ sights, and shoot them as they close.
Range: 3,000 ft in air, 2,000 ft underwater
Damage: 2d6 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD per three-shot burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

*Zap Blades----Fits the blades with the ability to deliver an incapacitating electrical shock.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4 MD per jolt, plus beings must roll versus non-lethal poison(16 or better) or be stunned /knocked out for 1d4 melees. Cyborgs have a 40% chance of having their systems overloaded and being immobilized for 1d4 melees, plus a 40% chance of electrical systems/accessories such as sensors or weapons knocked out for 1d4+2 melees. Power Armor fare somewhat better, having only a 10% chance of losing electrical systems or peripherals for 1d4 melees.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

*TW Enhancement---This requires outfitting the Altamar with PPE generators and the NeShemar with a TW interface that allows the pilot to access the magic capabilities(the A.I. drone cannot use these abilities):
*PPE Generator: PPE Capacity:(Light)----200 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 20 PPE/hour at a leyline, 40 PPE/hour on a nexus

*Spinning Blades----The jaw-vambrace blades can be fitted with this enhancer: Range: Melee. When activated, the Spinning Blades spell can reach 300 ft away, used offensively. If ejected as projectiles, the blades can reach 700 ft. Damage: When activated, the Spinning Blades spell produces 7 blades that each do 1d6 MD each(regardless of what the blade was/does originally) in defensive mode(+6 to parry, +2 to parry energy attacks) or 2d6x7 MD in offensive ‘buzzsaw’ mode(enemy CANNOT parry). Costs 10 PPE for 7 melee rounds.

*-Communicate With Sea Creature(added to a sonar system)(Range 100 ft, 1 hour’s worth of conversation, 5 PPE)

*-Waterwall(50 ft tall/100 ft long, range of 200 ft, and has the same properties as described in Rifts Underseas pg. 69, or the Book of Magic, pg. 205. Duration 10 minutes on surface, 5 minutes underwater. Costs 5 PPE for an SDC wall, 17 for an MDC wall. )

*-Multiple Image(Creates up to 3 mirror-images of the ship up to 600 ft away. Lasts 12 minutes and costs 10 PPE)

-Impervious to Ocean Depths( 2 hours per 40 PPE pumped into the system)

-Sound Sponge(Affects a 240 ft wide area centered on the ‘bot; 1 hour per 20 PPE.)

-Air Swim----Allows the Altamar to go airborne! 30 minutes per 8 PPE.)

-Coral Armor---Wraps the NeShemar in a suit of coral body armor with 60 MDC, 20 minutes per 23 PPE.

-Invisibility: Simple----Good for going temporarily invisible, though magic -sensing predators and opponents will still be able to sense the user. 18 minutes per 3 PPE.

-Shadowmeld---Excellent for merging into ocean darkness. 5 PPE and lasts 14 minutes.

[taalismn]

Okay...serious deja vu....I could have SWORN I updated both the Shemarrian thread and the Paladin Steel storefront last night, and instead found the updates missing today...Anybody else suffer post-cutoff/missing posts overnight?

[DhAkael]

The switchover borked my auto sign-in settings

[taalismn]

The switchover borked my auto sign-in settings

Ah, that explains it. I thought I was going quite mad.


Here's some more missing material:


Zarath Starfish
(aka ‘Zarfish’)
“It’s an ill omen to have the Zarath Star hang above you unless you be a true friend of the sea-people.”

The ‘starfish’ is a four-armed heavier transport and attack vessel. It compensates for its slow speed and awkward handling(compared to other Zarath vehicles) by being heavily armored and armed. The ‘Zarfish’ is fairly rare(there’s one for every twenty-five Hydrodomes) and it typically only shows up as a Zarath ‘enforcer’, when somebody or something needs to be blasted. With each of its four armatures able to be fitted with heavy weapons, the Starfish is a gunship able to take the offensive against enemy positions, or, in a defensive role, fend off attackers from virtually all corners.

Type: ZHC-03 Starfish
Class: Dual-Environment Air/Sea Combat Transport
Crew: Can hold a crew of 4 Zarath, +1-25 Zarath troops
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 600
Armatures(4) 300 each
Landing Gear(4) 90 each
Forcefield 500
Height: 60 ft
Width: 110 ft
Length: 100 ft
Weight: 250 tons
Cargo: 18 tons
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 450 MPH, maximum altitude of 18,000 ft.
(Underwater) 40 MPH, maximum depth of 3 miles.
Bonus: +2 to Dodge/Roll
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the Zarath/Shemarrian Nation
Systems of Note:
Standard aircraft and submarine systems, plus:
*Sonar----50 mile range. Can track 50 targets simultaneously.
*Radar----100 mile range. Can track 50 targets simultaneously
*‘StasRac’ Magfield Pressure Resistance Generator---- The AquaSaucer has the same pressure-resistant forcefield as the Zarath do. With StasRac augmentation, underwater structures and vessel hulls can increase their maximum deep dive capability up to 50%(so a submarine previously rated for 5,000 ft depth, can now dive to 7,500 ft!).
Another bonus is that when hit with physical attacks like punches, tentacle crushes, harpoons, and even pressure waves from nearby explosions, the field subtracts 1d6 MD on the small Aqua Saucer (2d4 MD for ships larger than 100 ft long, and 3d6 MD for 250+ foot craft, on account of the larger virtual ‘surface area’ to radiate the energy) from each strike as its physical force is bled off (energy weapons and magic attacks are UNaffected).
When in operation, StasRacs give off a slight glow(actually pressure stress energy being bled off as electrical current and light energy), and when suddenly changing depth/pressure(as with a rapid ascent or teleport to the surface) they release their pent-up energy in a massive static electrical shock(does 2d4 MD to anything touching the field at the time) that can be quite startling, especially in dark conditions where the resulting flash can stun observers or blow a stealth approach. Deploying a long(at least 50 ft) ‘grounding’ cable and radiator vane(somewhat like a radar target on a buoy) to direct the bleed-off a safe distance away from the craft is advised if the crew doesn’t wish to damage anything their craft is carrying while doing a rapid ascent/shock release.
The StasRacs have some problems(as anyone who has tried to fit underwater equipment with forcefields has learned), however. One is that they require constant power current to keep up their protection(it is best to have a secondary power source to directly power the StasRac generators). Second, they produce a noticeable electromagnetic field that can be picked up easily by MAD gear(typically HALF again to TWICE the regular detection range), and by many undersea predators(most notably sharks) that use natural EM sensors to detect and track potential prey. Meanwhile, sonar effectiveness is reduced by as much as 50% with regard to range, while the StasRac is active, and radio communications may experience static creeping into transmission and reception.

*Stealth----Composite construction, and muffled internals minimize sensor returns; -50% chance of detection by sonar or radar at ranges over 3,000 ft, drops to -30% at ranges over 500 ft, and -15% under 500 ft.

*Jamming Suite----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -6 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry

Weapons Systems:
1) Armature Cannon(4)---Each hull armature can extend a pivot-mounted turret. In horizontal fire, up to two turrets can engage the same target, but for targets above or below the Zarfish, all four weapons can be brought to bear for devastating results.
a) Laser Cannon
Range: 6,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 4d6 MD single blast
1d4x10 +6 MD double blast
1d6x10 +10 MD triple blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

b) Ion Cannon---Variable -mode ‘lightning gun’ that can fire straight beams, ‘shotgun blasts’ or longer ranged ‘sniper’ blasts.
Range: 4,000 ft in air and underwater
(Scatter-Shot Mode) 2,000 ft
(Booster Mode) 7,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast
(Scatter-Shot Mode) 5d6 MD to a 30 ft wide area.
(Booster Mode) 1d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Triple-Barrelled Particle-Wave Cannon----Copied from the Naut’yll. A favorite weapon because of its power and because it can be used in ‘false flag’ attacks on the Splugorth and Horune.
Range: 5,000 ft in air and underwater
Damage: 1d6x10 +10 single blast
2d6x10 +12 MD double blast
3d6x10 +20 MD triple blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

d) Sonic Cannon
Range: 3,000 ft in air, 6,000 ft underwater
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast, plus 4d6 MD to a 25 ft radius about the target
Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor.
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 say, it does affect the hearing and inner ears of crew members, causing creeping disorientation and increasing unsettledness, leading up to nausea. After one melee people with unprotected hearing(or un-insulated 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: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

e) Plasma Cannon---Believed to have been copied by the Dark Waters from Mechanoid weaponry. This giant plasma projector has incredible range for a plasma weapon, but relatively low damage.
Range: 8,000 ft in air, 2,500 ft underwater
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Light Disrupter Cannon---A possible taste of what to expect if the Dark Waters ever make a fully space-capable version of the Starfish, this fitout adapts a double-barrel mounting of weapons copied from the amphibious Golgans. None of these have yet appeared on Rifts Earth, but in event of all-out war with somebody like the Splugorth, the EShemar can be expected to out out all the stops and arm all their forces to the maximum.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 1 mile underwater
Damage: 2d4x10 MD single barrel firing, 4d4x10 MD for two barrels firing(counts as one attack), at point of impact, then 25% of that in a 20 ft radius
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Particle Beam Cannon---Likewise, this fitout hasn’t yet appeared on Rifts Earth-based Starfish, as particle beam weapons are something of a signature weapon of the Dark Waters. However, it could possibly appear on a fully space-capable variant, or a ‘maximum response’ fitout.
Range: 3 miles in atmosphere, 1 mile underwater
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: 4 shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

h) Missiles/Torpedoes---Though the Zarath currently avoid using projectile weapons for concern that recovered debris may tie them back to the EShemar, giving the Starfish the ability to be refitted for launching missiles or torpedoes would be an eventual option, or a configuration for total war. Each armature could be fitted to carry and fire 120 mini-missiles/torpedoes(volleys of 1-10), OR 60 short range missiles/torpedoes(volleys of 1-6), OR 30 medium range missiles/torpedoes(volleys of 1-5), OR 12 long range missiles/torpedoes(volleys of 1-3). EShemar copies of the Kittani rocket-torpedo/cruise missiles would be a logical choice of weapon.

2) EM Vortex----The Starfish has as standard a more powerful version of an AquaSaucer optional weapon.
Range: 300 ft diameter
Damage: Metal objects up to 100 lbs in weight will be picked up and swept up in the field, doing 4d6 SDC to anything they strike.
Deflects metal projectiles, such as mortar shells, grenades, metal-headed arrows, bullets, shrapnel, and rail gun rounds. Missiles and rockets will be -2 to strike. Ion, Neutron, Particle Beam and Plasma weapons do HALF damage.
Unshielded computer hard drives and magnetic media will be wiped by the intense EM field, compasses will run wild, and unshielded electrical systems will be disrupted; 60% chance or being permanently shorted out.
The field also delivers a fatal electrical shock; 2d6 MD to anything caught in the field.
Organic beings caught in the field(and haven’t been fried to a crisp) must save vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes, while making the save, they will still be disoriented by the crackling discharge; -2 to all hand to hand bonuses for 1d6 melees.
Cyborgs have an 80% chance of having their cybernetics disrupted for 1D10 minutes, and a 40% chance of a non-vital system being permanently shorted out.
Rate of Fire: Continuous
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Note: The Starfish itself is shielded from the field, and is effectively in ‘the eye of the storm’ as it were.
The downside is that the intense EM field will light up EM detectors and sensors like a christmas tree.

Variants:
As with the AquaSaucer, a fully space-capable CG-drive variant of the Starfish would seem likely.

[taalismn]

Okay, now I gotta update this version of the boards...

Bovoid Utility E-Animal

“That’s not a vehicle park, it’s a Shemar country farm herd....okay, the two may be harder to tell apart for even the experts...”

“Ah, black milk---hydrocarbons! This is a GOOD grazing field.”

“...I’m really glad I sent Garf over to ‘jack that harvester. I was seriously NOT expecting that robot cow to explode like that. Who the HELL booby-traps a robot cow?!”
“Boss, I got a BAD feeling about this planet.....”

Bovoids are another breed of large utility e-animals related to the Mooncalf and Ovidar types. Bovoids resemble a cross between a mechanical cow and a tanker truck. They quickly take on a very used look, being streaked by acid rain, splattered by mud, or caked with sulphur deposits, depending on their working environment. Bovoids are designed to graze planetary surfaces, processing select materials(such as tar sands, lithium dust, mineral salts, or genetically engineered algae), and using specialized onboard microfac-refineries to process and concentrate materials for industrial use. Unloading a Bovoid is either through ventral ‘udders’ positioned for smaller tanker vehicles able to drive under the Bovoid, or via a hose-like tail at the back. Even airless worlds may play host to vast herds of these ‘bots, wandering the surface and collecting raw materials to feed the Shemarrian Star Nation’s industry and dining tables.
Bovoids are not considered to be combat robots, being neither particularly fast or well armored, although some tribes have, on occasion, used them as mobile cover in battle, used them as battering rams, or driven large herds of them to trample opponents(the failed Splugorth landing on Helvestra VII has been attributed to the landing sites being INUNDATED and crushed flat by stampeded bovoid motorpools). Bovouds do make convenient sensor stations, and many tribes mount various sensors on them to collect information on geology, geography, climate, and conditions in general. Thus, intruders on EShemar worlds are advised that even the ‘dumb robot herd animals’ may be reporting their presence to the local planetary defense headquarters node.
Bovoids are found with virtually all the Tribes and many of the fringe tribes.

Type: EcoS-R15 Bovoid
Class: Robotic Utility E-Animal
Crew: None; robot drone intelligence
Some Bovoids feature a top platform for a rider-observer-overseer and 1-6 passengers.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 260
Head 90
Legs(4) 80 each
Height: 35 ft
Width: 25 ft
Length: 60 ft
Weight: 60-90 tons
Cargo: Can hold up to 40 tons of havested and processed materials.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 30
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 10 year energy life. Some Bovoids are powered by solar, thermal, or radiation absorbed from the local environment.
Speed: (Running) 50 MPH
(Climbing) Not possible
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) Not possible
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser distancing, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 50 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Loudspeaker/Warning Horn----Bovoids have audio warnings when moving suddenly or backing up, allowing smaller beings and vehicles to get out of their way. Though loud-beepers are the standard for utility vehicles, the EShemar have kept with the theme of animals with modulating the horn to sound like “MMMMMMOOOOooooooooooo!!!!”.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Bovoids have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 60 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.
The inclusion of a self-repair system on these BDDs(Big Dumb Drones) allows them to remain in the field for protracted periods of time, weathering various accidents and incidental damage, without the constant need to haul damaged ‘bots back to the garage-barn for repair

Weapons Systems:
None standard, though many Bovoids carry short range cutting lasers, drills, jackhammers and cutting heads for breaking rock and scrap metal into smaller pieces(damage generally does not exceed 6d6 MD per attack/action).
Occasionally, SSN militias will mount a manned weapon atop a Bovoid, or even WOMP ordnance packs, making the industrial ‘bots into adhoc artillery platforms.


Programming:
Bovoids are given only the most basic progamming to allow them to carry out their function(wander the landscape scraping up resources). Most Bovoids have just enough intelligence not to walk off cliffs or trample bystanders by accident. They are NEVER Awakened with an Ecotroz essence.
Typically has the following:
Radio: Basic 90%
Land Navigation: 90%
Geology 80%
Surveillance Systems 90%
Trap/Mine Detection 75%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
Roll +1
Bite 1d6 MD
Stomp/Trample 2d6 MD
Body Block 2d6+2 MD

Options/Variants:
Depending on what the Bovoid is expected to harvest and in what sort of environment, the Bovoid may be fitted with additional sensors(such as molecular analyzers or metal detectors) to help it find fresh grazing. The harvesting mechanism may also be customized, as mentioned above, with lasers, cutters, jackhammers, and other tools. If local conditions are deemed sensitive, a Super Solar engine can be installed instead, with all the advantages and limitations of the baseline system.

The Radiant Edge is known to deploy Bovoids (‘Radcows’) with large radiation collectors and air filters to collect fallout dust (on nuked shatterworlds) in large heavily-shielded tanks for later recycling/disposal.
The Obsidian Dawn uses Bovoids fitted with spray gear to spray pesticides, germicides and other vermin-control chemicals when dealing with mass infestations.
Some Horrorwoods variants feature giraffe-like cherrypicker necks for havesting vegetation and e-tree foliage from the upper branches of trees.

[kronos]

My posts disappear...

[taalismn]

My posts disappear...

Yeah, welcome to the Twilight Zone....now BOTH versions of the boards are gorked with regards of being up to date....

[kronos]

My posts disappear...

Yeah, welcome to the Twilight Zone....now BOTH versions of the boards are gorked with regards of being up to date....

And now the old forum doesn't seem to be accessible.

[taalismn]

Yeah, the rift has closed. Anything that was lost now needs to be reposted.

[kronos]

Reposting my Thousand Dragon wolf breed.

EShe-23TD Kantaran Drakis --- This wolf breed is covered in scales, with a thicker tail, only has fur around neck, shoulders and chest, around the ankles and a tuff on the end of the tail, with reptile eyes, and a lean, powerful and graceful body. The Drakis is a Thousand Dragons breed of the Shemarrian wolf that embodies the grace and power of dragons in the regal way it holds itself. Drakis are prone to excessive grooming their fur and scales when they are not fighting or following other commands. They are also particularly aggressive around members of the Cult of Dragonwright and evil dragons.
Drakis have powerful claws to allow them to tear into the scales of evil dragon and their mouths are fitted with a powerful, if extremely short ranged, plasma blaster where the blasts explode in a small area, and they are quite fond of biting a target and firing the plasma blaster at the same time. The scales grants the Drakis some additional protection, especially against fire and other heat based attacks, such as the fire breathes of dragons and dragon-like creatures.
Drakis have 10% more MDC to all locations; fire, heat and plasma attacks have damage reduced by one-quarter; vibro claws 3D6 M.D. Instead of the normal 3D4; have a plasma blaster that deals 6d6 M.D. To a 10 ft wide area, with a range of 100 ft. If the Drakis has successfully bitten a target and succeeds at grappling the target, if it attacks with the plasma blaster as its next attack, it is a guaranteed hit (not needing to roll to attack but should roll for chance of a critical strike), however if a critical strike, deals triple damage.
Gains Lore: Faeries & Creatures of Magic (in relation to dragons) 50%.
When attacking dragons, dragon-like creatures gains +1 to attack rolls.

[taalismn]

Megent Horrorwoods Mobile Base
(aka ‘Muthertree’)

“Wow, when you said you live in a ‘tree house’, I was expecting something rather smaller...”

#”Lorax Prime to all units! Metzla Harvesters have entered prime range. Hold your fire, repeat HOLD your fire until they have crossed mid range, then give them a very WARM welcome to our forest!”#

“Wait. their ‘Holy Tree’ was supposed to be at these coordinates! Did you get those wrong? Because they couldn’t have just picked the thing up and gone someplace else!”

“Leafy Fortresses are what they call them, and the Horrorwoods seeded that planet with several dozen of them, enough to let the Golgans know that it was ‘hands off’ that world.”

<<“This is Dunsunane Wood calling Merry Men. Hold your position, boys; we’re coming as fast as we can.”>>

It is uncertain whether the Horrorwoods Megent should be classed as a vehicle or a warmount; this massive mobile base resembles nothing so much as a giant ambulatory mangrove tree, or a massive tree Earth-Elemental that has taken to walking on its branches. Certainly, in order to keep the massive biotechnological construct in operation requires networked high AI, but also a crew linked into its subsystems to give it direction and keep things moving smoothly.
Megents are GROWN, not manufactured, and thus no two are exactly alike. Megents are as tall as elder terrestrial sequoias, and much more broad, with sprawling arm branches that describe a vast foliage-shaded dome, the far ends of the branches arcing down to touch the ground. The Megent is able to move, ape-like, ‘walking’ on its trunk-roots and outer branch ends. ‘Smart’ leaves and panels of armored photocells and photosynthetic microfacs are attached to the branches, and can be positioned to open up the space underneath the branches to ambient light, or close up to afford maximum protection. A series of integral ramps and catwalks about the trunk and interwoven through the branches allows access to a number of platforms located about the Megent.
Though the size of many starships, the Megent isn’t as well-armored as equivalent warships. To compensate, however, it has a number of protective mechanisms and defenses that still make it a formidable presence on the battlefield and a viable strongpoint on the battle line. The Megent generates a powerful protective forcefield that shields both itself and ground troops encamped under and around it. The shield also scrambles sensors and certain weapon types. Multiple countermeasure launchers can throw enough interference into the air to confuse attackers and throw off the aim of ranged weaponry. Armaments-wise, the Megent carries an array of long- and close-ranged weapons to keep attackers well away. In addition, as a support and command center, the Megent plays host to a potent complement of soldiers, warmounts, and e-animals.
Because Megents are often fitted with both Faux Magic and TechnoWizardry systems, they are often mistaken for Millennium Trees in service to the Shemarrians.
Megents are the creation of the Horrorwoods and they alone are responsible for designing and producing them. They have not given out the templates to anybody else, and other Tribes wanting Megents of their own must commission them from the Horrorwoods, who will deploy a seeder team to oversee the modification and gestation of the Megents for their clients.

Type: Megent
Class: Mobile Surface Base
Crew: Requires a minimum crew of 10 to direct movement and monitor systems.
Can carry up to 500 personnel
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 8,000
Dome Branch Arms(4d4) 1,000 each
Cannon Trees(6d6) 250 each
Tree Platforms(1d6 per branch) 800 each
Leaf Panels(3d8 per branch)200 each
Forcefield 3,000
Height: 360 ft central trunk
Width: Central trunk is 60-80 ft in diameter, and the outer dome branches can sprawl out 300-400 ft.
Length: Central trunk is 60-80 ft in diameter, and the outer dome branches can sprawl out 300-400 ft.
Weight: 1,000-2,500 tons
Cargo: 500 tons, hunk from hoists on the branches
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion, supplemented by solar and wind.
Speed:
(Running) 25 MPH
(Leaping) Not possible
(Climbing) The Megent can climb escarpments by throwing roots and branches up to take hold and haul itself along, as long as the rock is strong enough to support the weight of the Megent.
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not designed for space travel, but CAN, in a folded-up state, be dropped from orbit to make landfall.
(Underwater) Not designed for underwater travel, the best the Megent can do is ford bodies of water up to 50 ft deep.
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the Shemarrian (Star) Nation
Systems of Note:
*Leaf Armor---The outermost fronds of leaves act as standoff ‘splinter armor’; ; on a ‘To Strike’ roll of 6-7, Armor-Piercing missiles bash themselves on the outer leaves, doing only 1d4 MD, and on a 8-10, do only HALF damage due to premature detonation or redirect of their kinetic force.

*Sensor Jammers---- Affects a 25 mile radius and are 75% effective at jamming radar and radio. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike the jammer-protected ‘tree.

*Magnetic Shield---Ion and Particle Beams do HALF damage, and ordinary missiles have a 35% chance of being deflected.

*Long Range Radar----500 miles.

*Seismic Sensors----Root probes and anchors double as seismic probes;
Ground scans will take 2-4 times as long as a standard radar/sensor sweep. Typical range on a ground scan is 1000 ft. .
In passive mode, the Ground Sensors can be used alone to listen for underground activity, such as burrowing animals, tunneling vehicles, water running through pipes, etc., as well as surface movement. Passive sensors can detect the surface movement of large animals(2 tons or more), robots, heavy vehicles, or large masses of infantry with 40% accuracy, up to 5 miles away.

*Molecular Analyzers----The Megent is constantly ‘tasting’ the airflow and soil.

*Water Collection and Purification----The Megent can collect water, either through atmospheric condensation, or pumping it out of the ground, and storing it for use. A circulation system pumps the supply around the Megent’s branches for tap use, cooling or fire control.

*Damage Regeneration---The Megent has advanced self-repair mechanisms that can repair 50 MDC per hour, even without the added attention of its crew.

*Manufactories---Megents carry within them the ability to make Cybertrees, Vine Missiles, Straw Warriors, and other arboreal cyberconstructs. Hive-cones for producing robot insects are frequently attached to its branches and hooked into its power and water supply. It is sometimes called a ‘manufactorTREE’ as a result. Can generally produce a dozen Straw Warriors, 24 Vine Missiles, or 1 Cybertree an hour, with enough raw materials.

*Leaf Dome---The Megent can bend its branches down, spread its leaves, and form a continuous solid dome, providing shelter to those under its cover. If the leaves go all the way to the ground, they can act as a filtering element, providing protection against gases, smoke, and airborne dust equal to a good dust filter mask.

Weapons Systems:
1) Branch Cannons(2-4 per Dome Branch Arms )----The Branch Arms are so massive that smaller trees appear to grow from their bowed tops. These smaller growths are really various disguised weapons operated by gunnery crews.
a) Quakeroid Cannons---These are adapted from the heavy artillery rifles available to Preservers. They are large-caliber(75-80mm) artillery pieces firing explosive shells.
Range:(Direct Fire) 13,000 ft (2.5 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 26,000 ft (5 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)---- 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 2d6 x10 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft radius
‘Beehive’ Explosive Multi-Munition---Scatters 15 small submunitions over a 50 ft radius. Each submunition does 2d4 MD to a 5 ft blast radius.
Plasma-----3d6x10 MD to 35 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 4d6x10 MD out to 11,000 ft, 2d6x10 MD out to maximum range.
Other munition types are also available/in development; these are the most readily available and common.
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
Payload: 12 rds stored inline, but the cannon have an external autofeed that can reload the weapon from magazines in the branch-burls. Typically 200 rounds are available per tree-gun.
Options:
*Branch-Muffler---Heavily foliaged branches around the muzzle help hide any muzzle flash and muffle the sonic boom of firing by some 75%,.

b) Laser Cannon
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 1d6x10+7 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 120 shot battery. Effectively unlimited

c) Heavy Ion Cannon
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 3d4x10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Option: 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 dissipates. Secondary targets can attempt to dodge the energy ball as standard.
Secondary targets will take HALF damage(1d6x10 MD).
Does only 1/4 of the original damage if the secondary targets are nonmetallic 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.

d)Vortex Cannon EM Bolt/Electromagnetic Vortex Cannon
Range: 8,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD at point of impact
Within a 70 ft radius, people, animals, and objects weighing less than 500 lbs are 90% likely to be knocked off their feet and hurled 3d4 yards/meters.
Characters/objects of 500-1,000 lbs weight are 50% likely to be knocked aside 1d4 yards/meters.
Objects of a ton or more are only 25% likely to be knocked over.
Flying characters/objects get knocked away twice the normal distance
EM bolts are -6 to dodge
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited

e) ElectroMagnetic Bolt Cannon
Range: 9,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius per bolt!
Does 50% more damage to metal hulls. Crews inside affected hulls also must dodge or take 1d6 MD from loose metal objects being thrown around by the electromagnetic vortex.
Also roll on the following for additional electromagnetic effects:
01-15: No damage
16-30 Instruments flicker out, before coming back online in 1d4 seconds. Target loses Initiative.
31-45 All weapons temporarily out, and minor electrical fires. One system comes back online in 1d4 melee rds.
46-60 All systems temporarily out, and minor electrical fires. -30% to piloting skills if target is a manned vehicle. Systems come back online after 1d4 melee rds.
61-75 Communications, radar, and targeting are disabled, but weapons systems are unaffected. -3 to strike and no initiative. Damage requires physical repair.
76-90 Instruments are completely totaled. If a manned vehicle, the following skill penalties apply; -25% at one-third of maximum speed, -50% at HALF maximum speed, and -75% at full speed. NO initiative roll, -3 to dodge(-5 if an AI), -3 to strike(-5 if an AI), and lose one action per melee round(2 if an AI)
91-00 Total knockout. Controls do not respond, and machine is out of control. Crash/collapse/total shutdown within 2d4 minutes.
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Heavy Plasma Cannon----A heavy plasma weapon that first fires a laser to ionize a guidepath for a followup plasma bolt. Sometimes called the ‘firebush’ because of its disguise as a tree.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10+10 MD
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: +1 to strike
(Optional) Plasma Cannon Modifications:
-Plasma Scattershot---This modifies the cannon to fire a ‘shotgun’ blast of smaller plasma pulses that do less damage at shorter range, but cover an area of effect. Does 1d6x10 MD to a 25 ft wide area, maximum range 5,000 ft.
-Enhanced Plasma Emission---Also known as ‘Hotshotting’, this enhances the damage potential of the plasma by feeding enriched deuterium gas into the plasma chamber. This causes the plasma to burn hotter, doing 4d6x10 MD per blast. The liquified deuterium is stored in pressurized cryogen tanks near the gun, that provide enough remass for 60 supercharged shots.

g) G-Cannon----Modified starship point-defense weapon. The use of gravitic coils and contra-gravitic baffling reduces recoil and strain on the supporting branches.
Range: 1.1 miles in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 20,000 rd drum per cannon

l) TW Lightning Cannon----This weapon requires PPE generators to power it(or a convenient mage-gunner to power it up). Launches a vertical blast of mystic lightning.
Range: 9,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 15 PPE per shot

m) TW Meteor Gun----This weapon requires PPE generators to power it(or a convenient mage-gunner to power it up). Magically conjures a rock from above to utterly smite a target.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+20 MD to a 40 ft radius
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 38 PPE per shot

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

o) TW Barrage Storm Cannon---This weapon requires PPE generators to power it(or a convenient mage-gunner to power it up). Unleashes a storm of mini-bolts of magic force that shotgun into a target.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD, plus all other effects as described for the Barrage spell.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 13 PPE per shot

p) TW Power Bolt Cannon---This weapon requires PPE generators to power it(or a convenient mage-gunner to power it up). Fires a large bolt of mystic force that hits hard and deep.
Range: 8,400 ft
Damage: 5d6+20 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 10 PPE per shot

q) TW Windblast Cannon---This weapon requires PPE generators to power it(or a convenient mage-gunner to power it up). Fires long range bolts of super-dense air. Incredible range, thanks to the barrel boosting elements.
Range: 15,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10+30 MD per blast, plus knock-back, similar to Wind Rush.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 20 PPE per shot

2) Gun Platforms(1d6 per branch)---The branches of the Megent also host numerous small platforms that can host gunnery teams(toom for 1-4 Shemarrians). Typically a crew-served weapon such as a heavy rail gun, laser cannon, or mini-missile launcher can be mounted.

3) Countermeasure Clusters(2d4x10 per branch)---What look like hanging clumps of Spanish Moss on the branches are really countermeasure clusters. When needed, they launch into the air and break up into radar-confusing chaff or burst into IR-fouling flame. Each branch The Megent regenerates these clusters at a rate of 10 an hour.
Damage: None
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Aircraft, power armor, and beings flying through the chaff will be -6 on perception, -3 on initiative, -5 to strike, -2 to parry, -2 dodge, and lose 1 melee attack that round(or the next). Sensory and Piloting rolls are at -20% for as long as the characters are caught in the cloud, and the next as they recover.

4) Chemical Spray System---Concealed sprayers in the branches and trunk can dispense a variety of different chemicals, usually sedatives, irritants, or fire retardants.
Range: 100 ft
Damage: Varies by chemical; typically uses tear gas/mace-like agents, soporifics, or anti-laser aerosols.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 doses of up to 10 different chemicals

5) Leaf Shuriken(1d6x100 per branch)---In extreme situations, the Megent can hurl sharpened metal or hard plastic leaf-blades at opponents, typically as a distraction. Each branch can launch 6 shuriken attacks per melee, but can launch multiple projectiles per attack. These barrages have led some observers to liken the attacks to ‘leafy claymore mines’.
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 1d4 SD or 1d4 MD per leaf-blade
Rate of Fire: ECHH, and can be ‘thrown’ in batches of 1-50
Payload: 100-600 per branch, and the Megent can re-grow them at a rate of 100 per branch per hour for SDC blades, or 10 per branch per hour for MD blades.

6) Vibro-Cutters(1d6x10 per branch)---Razor-edged branches that can slice and dice. The ‘cutters are proximity triggered, and will react to identified targets trying to attack, dislodge, or get past them. Max out at 6 actions per melee.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d4 MD per blade

7) Spines(2d4x10 per branch)---Similar to those mounted on the original Monstrex Warmounts, these articulated and sharpened branches can stab with great force. They are often inlaid with real wood for use against supernatural creatures vulnerable to such. The spines are proximity triggered, and will react to identified targets trying to attack, dislodge, or get past them. Max out at 6 actions per melee.
Range: Melee
Damage: 1d6 MD on a thrust


Melee Combat
The Megent may be slow and ponderous, but it can still stomp and kick with concrete-pulverizing force. or swing branches with building-cracking brute force.
Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 1
No bonuses to Strike, Parry, or Dodge
Kick----5d6x10 MD
Stomp---1d4x100 MD
Branch Sweep----4d6x10 MD

Faux Magic Systems:
(False Magic)---Inspired by ARCHIE-3’s Spell Approximation systems, the Megent can seemingly cast various spells.

*Befuddle---A directed sonic effect, caused by ultra low frequency noises that affect the inner ear of most beings. Those caught in the area of effect must save vs non-lethal poison(16 or better) or be come increasingly dizzy and disoriented; -2 to strike, parry, and dodge, HALF APMs, and -15% to skills. Beings with acute hearing suffer DOUBLE these penalties. Range is 800 ft and covers a 25 ft wide area. Those with hearing protection(or without audio hearing) are unaffected.

*Summon and Control Insects---What look like a swarm of 1d4x10,000 gnats summoned by the Megent are really MicroRobot drones.

*Windrush----Actually accomplished through high-pressure air fans hidden in the branches.
Range: 200 ft
Damage: 1d4 SDC on impact, and roll an 18 or better or be knocked off one’s feet 1d4x10 ft downwind. Lose initiative and 2 APMs getting back up. Even on a successful save, the targets will be unable to advance advance against the wind blast. Characters of 300 lbs weight or heavier have only a 45% chance of being knocked down, but will have trouble making headway(reduce speed by HALF). Small light objects may be scattered up to 150 ft away.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

*Extinguish Flames---With a wave of its branches the Megent can cause flames in its vicinity to go out. In reality, this is nothing more than a concealed fire extinguisher system, pumping out a colorless, odorless, inert gas that suffocates combustion. This is a separate system from the aforementioned chemical sprayer network. Range of 100 ft.

* Rust---This is simply the application of specialized nanites that break apart metal, same as the metal-dissolver nanites used in Japan. This is part of the Megent’s mineral absorption system for reducing scavenged materials and recycling them.
Range: 100 ft, and affects a 10 ft square area
Damage: Reduces the MDC of metal-based body armors and light power armors by HALF, heavy power armors and light vehicles by 30%, and heavy robots and vehicles by 10%. Damage takes 4 melees/1 minute, and is obvious by acute discoloration and flaking of the armor. Other effects identical to those of the Japanese nanites(which they were probably based on to begin with).
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 applications

*Electrical Shock Blast---This electrifies the branches and roots, delivering a frying blast to those unwelcome climbers who come in contact with the Megent.
Range: Contact
Damage: (Variable) 3d6 SDC plus Humanoids struck with this weapon must save vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes.
OR......1d6 MD

*Create Leaf Armor---This is really just the rapid weaving of light megadamage plastic fronds into crude(non-EBA) armor akin to a tunic, poncho, or cape. These suits weigh about 5-10 lbs and have 1d4x10 MD, and typically have no to -5% prowl/movement penalty. It takes the Megent about 1d6 melees to weave a suit around a cooperative recipient. Each use of this power subtracts MDC from the Leaf Canopy until it is regenerated.

*Leaf Cocoon----This is simply wrapping a patient or prisoner in a sheath of megadamage plastic fabric(leaves). The cocoon has 1d4x10 MD.


Options:
As no two Megents are alike, there is a high degree of variation between them, though a few systems, as follows, have been observed in common:

*Massdriver Branches(1-2)---These are main branches that do NOT dip down to the ground, but remain reaching for the sky. They are hollow, their cores containing large-caliber massdriver cannons. These tend to be in the 250-300mm caliber range and can throw payloads of 900 lbs. They can be calibrated for surface bombardment, or to launch small payloads into low orbit.
A Megent will typically mount no more than TWO of these giant cannons.
Range: 75 miles with regular shot. Rocket-boosted shells can soar as far as 250 miles.
Damage: 900-lb Bomb----6d6x10 MD to 65 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Once every 6 minutes
Payload: Single shot, but a dedicated gun-platform Megent will carry up to 150 shells ready to fire.

*Laser Reflective Covering---The leaves look especially waxy of shiny; lasers do HALF damage. This feature is particularly common with Silvermoon ‘Silver Willow’ Megents.


*Energy Absorber Panels----Interspersed among the leaves are panels that are composed of a crystalline matrix and conformal forcefield that actually absorbs and diverts weapons energy into re-tasked energy for the Megent’s own systems. This system actually ABSORBS incoming enemy laser, ion, and particle beam weapons fire and reduces its damage by 75%...the next melee, HALF of the damage initially rolled is applied to one of the following: Forcefield MDC(point to point increase, and the additional MDC can be retained for 4 melees/1 minute), energy weapons(increase damage by 1 MD per 2 MD inflicted/absorbed and/or range by 100 ft per 1 MD of damage inflicted/absorbed...energy can only be held for 4 melees/1 minute or else re-tasked ), or speed(boost base speed by 10% per 50 MD of energy weapon damage; effects are sustained only for 4 melees/1 minute). The system is ineffective against plasma, rail guns, and projectile weaponry, as well as magic(does FULL damage). The only other limitation is that it cannot handle more than 600 MD per melee(so a main battle cannon doing 1d6x1,000 MD per blast would do full damage).


*TW Magic Systems: ----Some Megents take the resemblance to Millennium Trees that extra inch further and incorporate actual magic systems:

PPE Generators: (Megents will typically have 1-2 Wizard or Sorceror-class powerstones in the main truck, and/or a Light or Medium-class powerstone at the base of major branch.
PPE Capacity:(Light)----200 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 20 PPE/hour at a leyline, 40 PPE/hour on a nexus
(Medium)-----300 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 40 PPE/hour at a leyline, 80 PPE/hour on a nexus
(‘Wizard’)----400 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 14 PPE per hour, 50 PPE/hour at a leyline, 100 PPE/hour on a nexus
(‘Sorcerer’)--- 600 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 20 PPE per hour, 60 PPE/hour at a leyline, 120 PPE/hour on a nexus


*Path of Green---A more powerful version of the basic small team-oriented spell; this spell magically parts and restores the forest, allowing the giant Megent to cross dense jungle without damaging it, or leaving an obvious trail of disturbed vegetation. Range: 800 ft
Duration: 15 minutes
PPE Cost per Casting: 48(to cover such a large mass moving)

*Summon Fog---- Can call up a dense visibility-impairing fog that covers a 15 mile area, and persists for 15 hours. A favorite tactic is to use this to cover the fortress’s rising to the service, to rendezvous with surface vessels...or to grapple them for capture.
PPE Cost per Casting: 70

*Summon & Control Rain---100 mile area, 10 hour duration. 100 PPE

*Summon & Control Storm---100 mile area, 10 hour duration. 150 PPE


*Hurricane ---Each casting creates a massive sea storm that covers a 120 ft area, 100-150 mph winds, and 30 ft high waves. Does 3d6x10 MD per melee to large structures, and 1d6 MD to anyone caught out in the open. This spell is only effective when cast by a Megent either in shallow water or near a shore. Effects last 15 minutes. Range of 15 miles.
PPE Cost per Casting: 50

*Calm Storms----Calms violent weather in a 15 mile area, for 15 hours.
PPE Cost per Casting: 100

* Illusory Forest--- This spell ‘blends’ the Megent into an existing forest, or creates the illusion of one to camouflage the giant tree. 30,000 ft area, 5 hour duration. 45 PPE

*Summon Ley Line Storm---10 mile area, 50 minute duration. 250 PPE

*Ley Line Storm Defense---180 PPE for 10 minutes, 100 minutes on a ley line, 1,000 minutes at a nexus point.


*Spell Shield---This weaves a network of stabilized EctoFiber Magic Superconductor and other mystic materials in and around the Megent’s body, producing a sort of magic ‘Faraday Cage’ that shields it from most magic attacks. This is ALWAYS on; a permanent feature of the Megent.
Effects: Effectively INVULNERABLE to Magic energy attacks and mind control spells. All crew are +6 to save versus possession, and magic sensors are -2 to spot/detect/discern the Megent.
The Megent can, however, still be affected by indirect attacks like magically summoned wind to blow it around, meteorites, and other natural forces that are summoned, then directed at or near the protected construct.

*Sun Globe-----A more powerful variant on the ‘Globe of Daylight’ spell, this modification causes the Megent’s entire canopy to glow softly with a silver or gold light that looks downright beautiful....and incidentally does damage to vampires, causing them to flee in terror!
Range: 300 ft radius
Damage: None; the area of effect is lit bright as day. Vampires, however, will take 2d4 HP of damage per melee of exposure
Rate of Fire/Duration: 45 minutes per activation
PPE Usage: 10 PPE per activation

*Shockwave----Great for knocking off/away enemies who get too close. Because it mimics a known Millennium Tree property, it’s taken as proof that the Megent is some sort of variant type of Millennium Tree.
Range: 100 ft radius
Damage: 1d4x10 MD plus 01-88% chance of knocking down objects and creatures weighing less than 500 lbs, 50% chance of knocking over things 500-1,000 lbs, and only a 20% chance of knocking over anything up to 1 ton.
Rate of Fire/Duration: ECHH
PPE Usage: 30 PPE per activation

*Mass Healing----Sheds a powerful and soothing healing light on all those under the cover of its branches. This is one of several spells that confuses even outsider mystics and naturalists into thinkig the Megent is a genuine Millennium Tree.
Range: 100 ft radius
Damage: None---Cures ordinary illnesses and repairs 1d6 SDC OR 1d4 Hit Points per person.
Can also temporarily ‘immunize’ people against diseases; immune to bacterial infections, +4 to save versus viral illnesses, and +1 to save versus toxins and poisons!
Rate of Fire/Duration: Instant and permanent
Disease Fortification lasts about 24 hours
PPE Usage: 50 per activation

*LifeBlast----A more powerful directed blast of vital energy.
Range: 300 ft
Damage: As per description on Rifts Book of Magic, pg. 108. The living receive a boost of hope and optimism; +3 to initiative, +1 on all combat rolls, +1 APM, and +1 on all saving rolls for 1 melee. +1 on initiative, +5% on all skill rolls, and +10% to save vs coma/death for the next half hour.
Animated dead are negated.
1d6 damage to mummies and zombies, and acts like a Horror Factor 16 on them. On failed save, they are held at bay for 1d4 melees.
Banshees and Grave Ghouls react as if to a Horror Factor of 19. On a failed save, there is a 01-33% chance of them leaving the area for 1d4 hours, 34-66% leaves for 1d6 days, and 67-00% quits the area permanently.
1d6x10 damage to vampires, and only Master Vampires get a save vs the magic.
Necromancers take 4d6 SDC/HP(or 3d6 MD) and destroys 2 undead appendages. Also interrupts necromantic spells in the process of casting and burns up half the PPE needed to cast the spell.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 8 PPE

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

Auxiliary Craft:
Numerous vehicles and warmounts can be grappled by branches and pulled up under the main Dome Branch Arms to be serviced and stowed. EcoS-K-4 Chirops aerial warmounts, in particular, like to hang under the branches of Megents, while other avian and aerial types perch on the upper side.
Megents are also home to HUNDREDS of various e-animals.

Variants:
While no two Megents are alike, some of the giants are distinctly specialized with regards to function and features. However, it has also been observed that Megents may be radically reconfigured(“pruned and grafted”) over time in response to changing onsite needs.
Some of the variants thus far identified include:

*Firebase---Firebase(or ‘Firebush’) Megents are noted for having hundreds(1d4x100) of peapod-style modules on their branches and the enhanced ability to ‘grow’ missile munitions that can then be fired from the aforementioned pods. Each pod typically holds 20 mini-missiles, OR 10 short range missiles, OR 4 medium range missiles, and can regenerate a full load of missiles, provided it has access to sufficient materials, within 24 hours.

*Chemtree---These Megents can be distinguished by the fat leaves and large bladder-fruits on their branches; the ‘trees are giant chemical refineries. These Megents play host to cultures of genetically-engineered microorganisms and nanite strains that break down raw materials into constituent chemicals or recombine them into new substances such as fuel stocks.

*Spiderhome---These Megents are noted for having large Cybofab pods(typically 2d6x10) for gestating arachnid-style warmounts (such as the ) and e-animals.

*Radwood-----It is rumored that the Radiant Edge has deployed ay least one modified Megent as part of its shatterworld reclamation efforts. The giant tree-construct is lined with dark radiation-convertors on its branches.

[taalismn]

EcoS-K-143 Taurotron Warmount
(Aka ‘PyroBull’)

“Looking for the FlameWings? I can’t say I particularly care for them, but if you’ve got your mind set on them, then follow the molten glass footprints and that will take you right to their camp. Better to follow behind them than to be in front of them, because I don’t think they care much for what’s in their way, and they give nary a thought to what they leave behind in their wake.”

“’Bull in a china shop’ doesn’t BEGIN to describe the carnage we can expect when the FlameWings land their ground forces.”

“Morfas tried to sneak into the Shemarrian camp like he volunteered. He didn’t get twenty feet inside their perimeter before one of those giant technowizardry bull-cyborgs musta smelled him or something, because it suddenly got up and spiked him bad, ran over him when he landed, then set him on fire, then gored the gruk out of him for good measure. That apparently woke up the whole camp, because everything came up all at once. I dunno if Ralg and Kral were trying to rush to help Morfas or they were retreating, but the next time I saw them, they’d just been hit and trampled by more of those hell-bison. Damn brodkil invisibility didn’t seem to help’em one bit, so I can say our terror-raid’s a bust.”

The Taurotron grew out of a spat between the Blood Rider Tribe and its even more aggressive spin-off, the FlameWings. The FlameWings sought to acquire the templates of the EcoS-K-76 Dredadon warmount from their parent Tribe, but were rebuffed because of the DeGendis Campaign, where the two EShemarrian sects fought side by side against Splugorth forces. The Blood Riders felt slighted by the FlameWings during the siege of the Garus Valley Line Fortresses; the Blood Riders wanted to take the Kittani-manned bastions by storm and claim glory, loot, and prisoners, but the FlameWings instead expediently obliterated the forts with WMDs. Even though the Dredadon was considered something of a ‘Glory Turkey’ even by the Blood Riders, they denied the FlameWings the requested schematics out of hurt pride and frustration at the loss of anticipated plunder in the Garus Valley.
Rather than contest the denial and challenge their parent Tribe for the plans(which the Blood Riders clearly expected), the FlameWings decided to develop their own version of the Dredadon, and ideally improve on it. Though it took them longer, they copied the parts of the Dredadon they wanted and mounted them on a modified EcoS-K-5 Sphinex frame, creating the Taurotron.
The Taurotron has a bisonoid-like body design, with hoofed legs, and a heavily reinforced head sporting two large sharp horns. The Taurotron, given its expected head-on attack posture, features a fully-enclosed saddle/cockpit, with heavy shielding to the front, just looking over the shoulders. On either side of the cockpit are two extendable wing-like flanges that hold plasma projectors capable of stream- or fan-fire, but can also be used to slash targets in passing. The body ends in a slender tail similar to that of the Monstrex, and ending in a heavy bludgeon-head(often adorned with smaller chains for a ‘hair’ look and intimidating jangling noise). Armament is heavy, and copies much the same pattern as the Dredadon, though the bisonoid body frame allows for the easier mounting of several accessory weapons systems and a towing capability.
The Taurotron is arguably a case of reinventing the wheel, in that the FlameWings initially just transplanted the relevant parts of the Dredadon over to a four-legged chassis. Also arguably the Taurotron is just as limited in its own way as the Dredadon, especially with regards to its armament being mainly oriented for head-on attack. Taurotrons work best when leading the charge, where they can bring their full weight of firepower on an enemy in front of them; they are less able in maneuvering, or bringing up the rear.
Initially, much was made of the irony of a tribe with an icon of wings deploying a ground-pounder unit, while a historically ground-bound Tribe used an avian Warmount(even if it was a non-flier). There was also much joking of how the bigger and more heavily armed Taurotron was a case of ‘overcompensation’ in the FlameWings’ effort to show up the Blood Riders for their snub. Taurotrons soon shed any trace of humor at the Reduction of Kalist, where newly-equipped FlameWing ‘vandal-squads’ thoroughly destroyed the planet’s industrial capability by attending to each and every facility in ‘marching firestorms’.
Recently, EShemar mystics have noted that in Ecotroz-Awakened Taurotrons, there is an increasing tendency for the psi-animal essences to develop extra psionic abilities, most notably a psychic force/damage shield ability that allows the cyberbeast to better blast things out of its way. The FlameWings have taken this psi-mutation as a sign of divine favor in a design derided as a copy of something denied them, and Taurotron riders will rub this development in the face of any Blood Rider Dredadon riders they encounter.
Taurotrons are not, however, the one hundred percent success that their general stats would make them out to be. They are cantankerous and ill-tempered, and require a firm hand to manage; not all riders are tempermentally suited to handle the psi-beasts. Their rampaging combat style also puts considerable strain, wear, and tear on their structure and systems, and they require at least a quarter more maintenance attention between combats than the more slowly developed and refined Dredadon. FlameWing Tinkers assigned to such duty find the easily agitated Warmounts something of a hassle to work on in this regard. Despite this, the FlameWing leadership has approved widespread production and deployment of the type with the tribe’s ground forces.

Type: EcoS-K-143 Taurotron
Class: Robotic Warmount
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1 passenger
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 860
Head 290
Saddle/Cockpit Pod 120
Foreward Cockpit Shield 180
Horns(2) 150 each
Plasma Wings(2) 400 each
Legs(4) 300 each
Tail 90
Height: 19 ft
Width: 16 ft at shoulders, 25 ft w/ plasma wings fully extended
Length: 30 ft+10 ft tail
Weight: 55 tons
Cargo: Small space inside/beside the saddle-seat for a few personal possessions and sidearms.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 50
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) 90 MPH
(Leaping) Can make a standing leap of 15 ft up/across, and a running(in excess of 40 MPH) leap of 30 ft up/50 ft across
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) Not possible
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Tinkers or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Taurotrons have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 140 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

*Thermal Refractory Armor----Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage.

Weapons Systems:
1) Eye Lasers(2) ---Standard robotic eye lasers, common in the Shemarrian arsenal.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single blast, or 6d6 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Plasma Scythes(2) ----The Taurotron’s ‘wings’ are actually powerful plasma blades that can spray a ‘firefeather storm’ incinerating wide swathes of area. These arrays are 30% larger than the Dredadon’s and correspondingly more powerful, but they also expend more energy and run hotter. Taurotron powerplants correspondingly need half again more attention and frequent overhaul than Dredadons’, owing to the greater worklord the systems are put to.
Range:(Blade) Melee
(Plasma Blast) 1,600 ft
Damage:(Blade) 4d6 MD un-powered, 9d6 MD powered
(Plasma Blast) 5d6 MD to 25 ft wide area
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Option: ‘Hotshotting’----This is an enhancement to certain plasma weapon types that injects enriched deuterium gas into the thermal-plasma, generating momentary fusion and a hotter, more destructive, plasma stream. This increases the damage of the plasma blast 50%. The Taurotron can hold enough pressurized deuterium gas in internal reservoirs for 150 shots.

3) Blaster Horns(2)---The FlameWings used copied Kittani technology to produce horns that can be sheathed in plasma for armor-vaporizing attacks, and can also fire off energy blasts.
Range:(Horn) Melee
(Blast) 800 ft
(Contact Shock) Melee
Damage:(Horn) 1d4 MD un-powered, 2d6 MD fully powered
(Blast) 5d6 MD per blast, 1d6x10 MD for both horns firing simultaneously.
(Contact Shock) Can also deliver a contact blast that does 2d4x10 MD
Rate of Fire: ECHH
(Contact Shock) Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Flame Breath---- Incendiary sprayer, exiting through the Warmount’s nostrils. The Taurotron can set fire to large areas of ground(and enemy) with incendiary substances; the Taurotron will often use this attack to remove lesser opponents from conflict, or to pen in a target, concentrating on those in the center of the ‘pen of flames’ in more personal combat.
Range:(Direct-Stream Mode) 230 ft
Damage:(Direct-Stream Mode)
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 1d4x10 SDC
(Napalm) 1d6x10 SDC, plus does 5d6 SDC per melee for 1d4 minutes
(MD Fluid) 1d4 MD per blast, 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 minutes
(Incendi-Gel)2d6 MD, 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 minutes
(WI Napalm-P) 3d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10+10 MD per concentrated burst(counts as two attacks). 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 minutes.
Note: The flame-thrower can also be used to cover an area with fluid: up to 10 ft per attack used. Used with Super-Napalm, this does 1d4 MD, Incendi-Gel does 1d6 MD, and with Napalm-P, this does 2d6 MD.
Rate of Fire:(Direct-Stream Mode) Standard
Payload:(Direct-Stream Mode
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 50 blasts
(Napalm)150 blasts
(MD Fluid) 250 blasts
(Incendi-Gel) 250 blasts
(WI Napalm-P) 400 blasts per tank(much more concentrated than the regular gasoline/alcohol).

5)(Optional) Ordnance Pack----The reinforced spine of the Taurotron can support an extra-large ordnance pack of 12x 82mm Mortars, in two banks of six tubes----Based on a Free Quebec Glitterboy weapon(and copied by the EShemar).
MDC: 100
Range:(Direct-fire) 6,000 ft
(Indirect Fire) 2.2 miles
Damage:(High Explosive) 1d6x10 MD to a 20 ft blast radius
(Fragmentation)1d4x10 +5 MD to 25 ft blast area
(Armor-Piercing High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 6 ft blast area
Rate of Fire: Single shot, EGCHH. 1-12 mortars can be volleyed at a time.
Payload: 6 rounds, ready to fire, per mortar(72 rds total)

In the alternative, Taurotrons have also been seen in the field carrying standard WOMPs(Warmount Ordnance Missile Packs).

6)(Optional) Modular Weapons(2)---The Taurotron has provision for cockpit-mounting two weapons similar to those standard to the Monstrex. Typically the Taurotron carries the missile pod options, as lasers and plasma weaponry are well-taken care of by the Taurotron’s integral weaponry. These wepaons are usually used to cover the flanks of the Taurotron beyond the range of the plasma scythes or the eye lasers.


Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.
Typically has the basic Monstrex programming.
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Taurotron intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore (Cattle & Animals, Indians, Juicers, Magic, Demons & Monsters, D-Bees, Faerie---at least with regards to identifying their relative threat level), and Wilderness( Hunting).

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
Initiative +2 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +3
Strike +3 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)
Roll +2
Bite 3d6 MD
Horn Strike 1d4 MD un-powered, 2d6 MD fully powered
Head Butt 6d6 MD
Ram 2d6x10 MD (2 attacks)
Kick/Stomp 2d6 MD
Hind Kick 2d4x10 MD (2 attacks)
Tail Lash 1d8 MD

Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Taurotron an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Taurotrons are aggressive, cantankerous, fearless, and very narrow-minded; once they become fixated on trampling a target they can be hard to dissuade from going through with the attack. They also don’t like to be surprised, and violently react to being startled, attacked, or fooled.

Has the following Natural Psionic Abilities(no ISP Cost), all equivalent to 6th level with regards to proficiency, but DOUBLE the range.
*See Aura
*See the Invisible

(Optional) ---25% of Awakened Taurotrons exhibit exceptional psionic abilities(for EShemar psi-animals), such exceptions possess ISP pool sand certain Physical psionics. Save as MAJOR psychics.
ISP: 9d6 +(1d6+1) per level of experience. Regains it at a rate of 6 ISP per hour.
*Psychic Body Field(30 ISP, 2 minutes per level of experience, 10 MDC per level of experience).
*Psionic Shock Field ----This ability creates a zone of telekinetic repulsion around the Taurotron’s head that telekinetically heaves objects and people out of the way. The field has a range of 10 ft in front of the Taurotron’s head. Objects(and beings) up to 600 lbs in weight can be tossed up to 2d4x10 ft away. Thrown objects of 100 lbs or more mass take 1d4 MD per 100 lbs from the shock-impact. 10 ISP per attack.

Note: For purposes of abilities that advance in experience, EShemarrian Warmounts ALL count as Full Conversion Cyborgs with regards to Exp. Tables.


The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points(most Warmounts, unless otherwise noted, have an effective IQ rating of 8 ), but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).

Options:
*Forcefield Generator---In place of a WOMP, the Taurotron can carry a forcefield generator that provides 300 MDC.

*Gun Chariot---Taurotrons have been seen towing large battle chariots, large enough to sport large turrets and tank-caliber weaponry. The chariot can be detached, and a four-legged base deployed, with the wheels rotating up to become part of the turntable on which the chariot-turret revolves.
The FlameWings will frequently tow these into combat, the chariots’ indirect-fire weapons firing over the warmounts’ heads to provide a creeping barrage, or slashing to the sides, blasting enemy flank forces. Occasionally, the Blood Riders will drop the chariots off mid-battlefield, to form a fallback line to consolidate territory gains or to cover retreating friendly forces.
Crew: 1-3 gunners.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Wheels(2) 80 each
Height: 10 ft
Width: 10 ft
Length: 12 ft
Weight:(base/empty) 7 tons+ weight of weapon and ammunition(if any)
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 5 year energy life
Speed: Imposes a penalty of -50% to the maximum speed of the Tauroton.
Cargo: Can accommodate gun system and subsystems up to 20 tons
a) Mini-Missile Carrier-----Twin Retractable Box Launchers(40 shots each) and reloading magazine hold a whooping 240 missiles!. Volleys of 1-20.

b) Short Range Missile Carrier----Vertical Launch Cells hold 200 missiles. Volleys of 1-20.

c) Medium Range Missile Carrier----Vertical Launch Cells hold 50 missiles. Volleys of 1-10.

d) Long Range Missile Carrier-----Retractable Box Launcher and reloading magazine hold 12 missiles.

c) Heavy Plasma Cannon(x2)---Two heavy plasma cannon are mounted. They can be further augmented with the injection of enriched deuterium gas drawn from a tank in the lower part of the chariot-bunker.
MDC: 90 per cannon
Range: 4, 000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast, 2d4x10 MD for both cannon firing simulatneously(counts as one attack)
*Can be increased by 50% with a ‘hot shot’ injection of deuterium gas
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 shot battery. Effectively unlimited linked to nuclear power source
Deuterium Gas Reservoir has enough gas under pressure for 500 shots.

d) Heavy Ion Cannon
MDC: 110
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 3d4x10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: 4 times per melee
Payload: 200 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if attached to a nuclear powerplant.

e) Heavy Pulse Laser
MDC: 120
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single blast
1d4x10 +6 MD double blast
1d6x10 +10 MD triple blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 300 shot battery. Unlimited linked to nuclear power source

f) Particle Beam Cannon(x2)---Two double-barreled rapid-fire particle beam cannon are mounted.
MDC: 50 per cannon
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD single blast, 2d4x10 MD double blast(counts as one attack), 4d4x10 MD quadruple blast(counts as one attack),
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 shot battery, or unlimited if nuclear

g)*ES-BR-DmM03 ‘Firestalk’(x2)---An 81mm dual-mode mortar system that has many similarities to the pre-Rifts Russian ‘Vasilek’(‘cornflower’) automatic mortar, but is really based on Free Quebec’s GBM-7-70M1 High Power Mortar. The gun-chariot can mount two and a generous supply of ammunition.
Weight: 1,300 lbs
Bombs/shells weigh from 7-14 lbs.
MDC: 100 per mortar
Range:(Direct-fire) 6,000 ft
(Indirect Fire) 2.2 miles
Damage:(High Explosive) 1d6x10 MD to a 20 ft blast radius
(Fragmentation)1d4x10 +5 MD to 25 ft blast area
(Armor-Piercing High Explosive) 2d4x10 MD to 6 ft blast area
(Plasma) 1d8x10 MD to 20 ft radius
(Plasma Rain) 5d6 MD to a 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Six times per melee
Payload: Modified to be automatically belt-fed. A compartment in the lower body of the chariot-turret holds 360 rds.

h)’BlackHammer’ Laser/Missile Cannon(x2)---Two of these weapons can be mounted, plus extra reload drums for the mini-missile launchers
MDC: 300 per cannon
Range:(Laser)6,000 ft(triple in space)
(Mini-Missiles) 1 mile (double in space)
Damage:(Laser) 2d6x10 MD per blast
(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Laser) ECHH
(Mini-Missiles)Volleys of 1-4
Payload:(Laser) Effectively Unlimited linked to a nuclear power plant. Otherwise, has a 25 shot onboard battery or a 20 shot regenerating powercell that recharges at 1 shot every 30 minutes.
(Mini-Missiles)30 rd drum
The lower part of the fighting compartment holds an additional 4 mini-missile drums; it takes 5 minutes to replace a drum.
Special Features:
*Laser Sighting(+1 to strike)

i) Heavy Rail Gun---Glitterboy-style rail gun(x2)---Two heavy rail guns can be mounted.
MDC: 175 each cannon
Range: 12,000 ft in atmosphere
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per 30-rd burst, only fires bursts.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 rd drum per gun; the lower compartment of the carriage holds eight additional drums; it takes 5 minutes to replace a drum.

j) Heavy Particle Beam Rifle(x2)--- Two of these Orbital-style PBCs can be mounted. The use of a dedicated powerplant to feed them means a faster rate of recharge.
MDC: 170 each cannon
Range: 11,000 ft in atmosphere, 22,000 ft in space
Damage: 4d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 100 blast battery per gun, recharges at a rate of 1 blast per melee(for both guns)

k) 155 mm LB Massdriver Cannon
Weight: 26,000 lbs(13 tons)
MDC: 120
Range:(Direct Fire) 45,000 ft(9 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 110,000 ft (22 miles)
( Plasma Cluster-Direct Fire) 27,000 ft (5.4 miles)
(Plasma Cluster-Indirect Fire) 70,000 ft (14 miles)
Damage :High Explosive(HE)---- 3d6x10 MD to 50 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 4d6x10+20 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation---2d6x10 MD to 60 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x 40+10 MD to 50 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 6d6x10 MD out to 20,000 ft, 4d4x10 MD out to maximum range
(Plasma Cluster)---15 submunitions---Does 1d4x100+20 MD to a 20 ft blast radius, 6d6 MD concussion damage to an 80 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload Varies; lower compartment has 4 tons’ ammunition capacity
155 mm AP shell weighs 100 lbs( 20 shots per ton)
155 mm Plasma Cluster shell weighs 150 lbs( 13 shots per ton)

l) Forcefield Generator---Adapted from starfighter shielding systems, but modified for area of effect, so the carriage generator protects the towing warmount and an area around it; typically a 50 ft radius. 900 MDC.

Options:
*Morphing Armor--Available only when the chariot is detached and acting as a stationary bunker. The carriage drives down stabilization pylons, then extends armored skirts that dig into the ground and form an armored dome, with the weapons turret at the top. There’s enough dead space inside the skirts to provide shelter for up to 8 Shemarrian-sized humanoids, or twice that number of smaller human-sized ones. The skirts provide an additional 400 MDC.

[kronos]

EShe-25WP Kantaran Rufus --- This wolf breed is slimmer, with short sleek fur and large ears, built for speed and stealth. The short, striped fur helps the Rufus blend in with wooded areas, the large ears, with built in powerful parabolic microphones to listen in on targets. The eyes are fitted with powerful optics and recording systems to give it greater visual abilities than regular Kantarans, as well as built in laser targeter. The spine and tail conceal a powerful antenna so that it can relay the data it gathers back to its handlers. The lighter, slimmer build with longer legs gives it much greater speed over other breeds, even some warmounts, allowing it to range ahead to scout and return safely, or even to out run any pursuit.
Rufus have 10% less MDC to all locations, speed able to run 210 MPH, height increased by 6 inches, weight reduced to 700 lbs.
Parabolic Microphone--A shotgun mike, mounted in the ears, that can pick up on sounds/conversations up to 3,000 ft away.
Motion Detectors with a 250 ft range.
Passive light amplification (night vision 2,500 ft over standard 2,000 ft), has microscopic vision (x500).
The powerful antenna in the spine and tail allow the Rufus to send or receive massive amounts of data very quickly, and can act as a radio relay for other units. Radio range is 100,000 miles (160,000 km) in atmosphere without satellite or orbiting ship assistance. As a relay, it can be used to enhance range of other Shemarrian units when there isn't satellite or orbiting ships.
Camouflage 50%, Detect Ambush 75%, Detect Concealment 75%, Prowl 70%, Track People 85%, Track Animals 80%, Tailing 65%.

[taalismn]

RRRUUUFFFUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!


Sorry. Just HAD to bellow it.

[kronos]

RRRUUUFFFUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!


Sorry. Just HAD to bellow it.

Yeah yeah.
Love the Taurotron.

[taalismn]

RRRUUUFFFUUUUUSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!


Sorry. Just HAD to bellow it.

Yeah yeah.
Love the Taurotron.

Thanks.
It WAS initially little more than a reiteration of the Dredadon, but when I realized the think could HAUL, and the idea of a random-mutation psionic ramming ability...well, it dovetailed nicely with the FlameWings wanting to flip off the Blood Riders for their refusal to share.

Yes, there's trade and unlikely collaborations between the various tribes, but there's also occasion for petty bickering and some snobbery, especially over operating principles(and in this case, the FlameWings's extreme pragmatism robbing the Blood Riders of GLORY and LOOT).

[kronos]

Sphinex Variant Breeds

As the Eshemarrian tribes grow, new warmounts and ideas brought in from the fringe tribes, some of the older warmounts see upgrades or special 'breeding' to keep up or fill roles within the newer tribes.

Plumed Sphinex EcoS-K-5Hm
This breed of Sphinex was first introduced by the Hawkmoons, making it more agile in the skies of their worlds, and not just above them. The body is streamlined, with the 'wings' based on the Creax crawler replaced with large articulated wings that are modelled after a hawk's, the thrusters are improved for increased speed and are more recessed into the body and positioned more to the sides. The head originally based on the Creax crawler's combined with the Kittani Shark mini-sub is slightly longer and narrower, allowing for better aerodynamics, but has a weaker bite, but is reinforced for an armour piercing peck. The head, around the base of the neck and tail have a noticeable metallic feathered plumage, which can vary in colour or size amongst different clans or associated War Goddess.
Changes/Modifications:MDC/Armor by Location:
Remove Thruster Fin
Main Body 1000 (reduced from 1100 due to streamlining)
Add Wings (2) 250 each
Height: 26 ft
Width: 15 ft, wingspan 75 ft
Length: 32 ft
Weight: 37.5 tons
(Leaping) Jet-assisted leap of 300 ft up/across
(Flying) Hover to 200 MPH, maximum altitude of 8000 ft
(Space) Mach 1.5

Dodge +2 when running, +3 in flight
Roll +2, +4 in flight
Bite 5d6 MD
Peck 1d6x10 MD, double damage on natural roll of 19 and 20.


Casque-Head Sphinex EcoS-K-5Sc
This breed has been seen mostly amongst the Skullcrushers and Clan Armorand, and is distinguished by it's larger bulk due to heavier armour, larger head with powerful jaws but short, thick neck with a thick bone-like ridge that starts behind the 'eyes' and ends at the base of the neck, thicker legs and weapon arms, but the legs and arms are longer for greater reach and it is surprisingly fast for its bulk. Instead of the Creax crawler based 'wings', and the back thrusters for limited flight, it has six Monst-Rex based spines, making this breed less maneuverable than others, but has enhanced close combat capabilities. The weapon arms have retractable vibroblades for greater melee attacks. On the back where the thruster fin used to be, is a heavy weapon mount giving the brawler greater ranged attack capability.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Remove Thruster Fin
Main Body 2000
Increase all other locations by 20%
Back Weapon Mount (1) typically 150 to 200
Height: 30 ft, weapon mounts can add 5 to 10 feet depending on weapon
Width: 18 ft
Length: 30 ft
Weight: 41 tons
(Leaping) Jet-assisted leap of 150 ft up/across
(Flying) Hover to 40 MPH, maximum altitude of 200 ft
(Space) 200 MPH

Weapon Systems:
4) Spines (6) --- Based on the spines on the Monst-Rex, only longer, for close in protection, adding in melee attacks or even climbing.
Primary Purpose: Defense.
Secondary Purpose: Holding.
Range: Melee 34 ft
Damage: 1D6+2 with a single spine thrust, 2D6+4 MD for two simultaneous thrust from two spines, 3D6+6 MD from a simultaneous thrust with three spines (counts as two attacks).

5) Weapon Arms Vibroblades (2, 1 per arm) --- Each weapon arm is fitted with a retractable vibroblade to give it greater melee capabilities.
Range: Melee 6 ft reach
Damage: Slash 6d6+6 MD

6) Back Weapon Mount --- The back a heavy weapon mount, which can be fitted with the same weapons as the weapon arms, any weapons the Monst-Rex can be fitted with, or any of the following:
a) Twin Boom Gun---Two RG-14 ‘Boom Guns’ on a tandem mount. 
Range: 11,000 ft
Damage: 3d6x10 MD single shot, 6d6x10 MD per simultaneous dual shot
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 rds per gun

b)‘Goddess Hammer’ Gatling Cannon---This weapon consists of six rail gun barrels(adapted from the Shemarrian ‘carbine’) in a gatling arrangement, set for rapid-fire, trading range for sheer volume of fire. At full auto, the damage spread of this weapon is devastating and has been known to shred robot vehicles and smash down fortifications in a single melee! The devastation the ‘Goddess Hammer’ can dish out is matched only by the thundering racket it makes spitting out rounds. This weapon was originally developed by the Wolf’s Path Tribe, but has since begun appearing in other Tribes as the result of trade. 
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per round, 4d6x10 MD for a three shot burst, 8d6MDx10 for a six shot burst(!)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 820 shot drum

c) 30mm Quad-Cannon--Four 30mm cannon in an antiaircraft mounting. It is also capable of engaging ground targets. Tends to burn through its ammunition supply fairly quickly, though, requiring frequent resupply. 
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst per SINGLE gun firing. All four guns going at maximum rate of fire simultaneously do a whopping 3d6x40 MD! 
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 1,600 rds, 400 rds per cannon
Bonuses: Independent laser and radar tracking system(range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by gunner

d)’SkullShatter’ Cannon---This is a heavy weapon based on the Wolf’s Path ‘Goddess Hammer’ cannon, which was essentially several Shemarrian carbine rail guns bundled into a gatling gun arrangement for rapid fire. The Skullcrushers, after much effort, managed to acquire the schematics for the weapon so they could make their own, but also went about producing an even heavier long-barreled version using standard 6000-series rail guns instead of the shorter 4000-series carbines. The resulting half-ton weapon is too heavy for individual foot soldiers to carry, but it can be hefted by Skullcrusher Necriants, or vehicle/War Steed-mounted. 
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per round, 6d6x10 MD for a three shot burst, 1d6MDx100 for a six shot burst(!)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 820 shot drum per cannon.

e) Heavy Particle Beam Cannon 
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Three times per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited

f)’BlackHammer’ Laser/Missile Cannon
Weight: 1.2 tons each
MDC: 300
Range:(Laser)6,000 ft(triple in space)
(Mini-Missiles) 1 mile (double in space)
Damage:(Laser) 2d6x10 MD per blast
(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Laser) ECHH
(Mini-Missiles)Volleys of 1-4
Payload:(Laser) Effectively Unlimited linked to a nuclear power plant. Otherwise, has a 25 shot onboard battery or a 20 shot regenerating powercell that recharges at 1 shot every 30 minutes. 
(Mini-Missiles)30 rd drum
Special Features:
*Laser Sighting(+1 to strike)

g)‘Longstryke’ Heavy Rail Gun
Weight: 2 tons each
MDC: 250
Range: 11,000 ft in atmosphere, 22,000 ft in space
Damage: 3d6x10+10 MD per single shot. 
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 36 round heavy drum(the mounting body segment can hold three drums for a total of 108 rds. A dedicated cargo segment can hold six drums) 
Special Features:
*Laser Targeting(+1 to strike)

Bite 3d6x10 MD

[taalismn]

Sphinex Variant Breeds

Unexpected and beautiful!

Now...if I can only figure out how to unlock this block that seems to shut my home computer off from being able to log in.....The move seems to have zorched my auto-lock-in settings, and even manually keying in my passwords doesn't seem to work...and it sez nothing about cookie permits.

[kronos]

Sphinex Variant Breeds

Unexpected and beautiful!

Now...if I can only figure out how to unlock this block that seems to shut my home computer off from being able to log in.....The move seems to have zorched my auto-lock-in settings, and even manually keying in my passwords doesn't seem to work...and it sez nothing about cookie permits.

Block on the Palladium Books forum? I had a hell of a time for awhile with it logging me out repeated.. then it would work for awhile.. kind of hit and miss with it's log in settings and auto-remember. I think some coding error in the new forum.

I'm slowly going through older warmounts and thinking of new variants.. while putting off an elite I've had in development limbo

[taalismn]

[

Block on the Palladium Books forum? I had a hell of a time for awhile with it logging me out repeated.. then it would work for awhile.. kind of hit and miss with it's log in settings and auto-remember. I think some coding error in the new forum.

I'm slowly going through older warmounts and thinking of new variants.. while putting off an elite I've had in development limbo

Yeah, that sounds like what's happening to me now...if I come in using my home computer, it clearly remembers my passwords, or, if I manually key ity in, it tells me I'm logged in, and refreshes the screen...back to the log-in configuration...
From anywhere else? Doesn't seem to have that problem, but I can't work that way.
Again:

And yeah, you got me thinking of using those older chassises for new warmounts, but I've got a few radical ones, too.

Though I should really toss in more story-telling fluff, more Cultural Notes...more USING the stuff we've created.

[kronos]

[

Block on the Palladium Books forum? I had a hell of a time for awhile with it logging me out repeated.. then it would work for awhile.. kind of hit and miss with it's log in settings and auto-remember. I think some coding error in the new forum.

I'm slowly going through older warmounts and thinking of new variants.. while putting off an elite I've had in development limbo

Yeah, that sounds like what's happening to me now...if I come in using my home computer, it clearly remembers my passwords, or, if I manually key ity in, it tells me I'm logged in, and refreshes the screen...back to the log-in configuration...
From anywhere else? Doesn't seem to have that problem, but I can't work that way.
Again:

And yeah, you got me thinking of using those older chassises for new warmounts, but I've got a few radical ones, too.

Though I should really toss in more story-telling fluff, more Cultural Notes...more USING the stuff we've created.

I've got one AW aquatic warmount, and an AW variant of that Wayfinder one based on a bear power armour.. Plus that one elite idea I had that I mentioned to you awhile back..
Plus gotta get working on that other project. So much to do.. so little time lately.

[taalismn]

[
I've got one AW aquatic warmount, and an AW variant of that Wayfinder one based on a bear power armour.. Plus that one elite idea I had that I mentioned to you awhile back..
Plus gotta get working on that other project. So much to do.. so little time lately.

Gppd news is, I seem to be back up from my home computer.....
Also I've unfortunately got lots of time(and an advantage of having to home iMacs and slow download times on one of them, is I can swivel to the offline one and type whatever occurs to me into ongoing WIPs while waiting).

[taalismn]

EcoS-K-144 Inflammator Warmount
(aka ‘Slagator’)

“Plasma may vaporize, but napalm runs, it drips, it CLINGS.”

“Damn fire-happy FlameWingers parked a dozen of those slagators upriver outside the ‘burg and sprayed hypernapalm down the canal. Got enough of the stuff that it floated on the water without fizzling. That burning stuff got deep inside the old sewer system and set fire to them; combustion gases built up and then exploded, though I’m pretty sure the Flamers also pumped in hard oxygen to fuel the reactions. What Sqaada soldiers there were that were hiding underground either burned to death or suffocated..or else followed the airflows and got popped when they surfaced. Oh, and flames had to be shooting up out of every toilet and drain in half the city. That pretty much took care of what hadn’t been knocked down in the earlier bombardments. Only good thing about there not being any humans left alive when the Sqaada moved in to occupy the place; the FlameWings aren’t going to get billed for the property damage.”

“Die in a fire.”

Hot on the heels, as it were, of the Taurotron, the FlameWings have introduced the Inflammator, as if to prove to their Blood Rider clan-kin that the Taurotron was not a lucky break. The Inflammator uses the same Sphinex chassis as the Taurotron, but radically remodels the layout. The Inflammator relocates the head and enclosed crew cabin to the lower front of the body, while the snake neck and head are now a trunk-like flame-thrower appendage. The weapons armatures have been replaced with tertiary heads, each mounting a ‘slag cannon’ capable of spewing white-hot projectiles of chemically-treated molten obsidian or metal slag. To outsiders, the Inflammator is often believed to be the result of Splugorth biowizardry experiments on saurian stock(this would explain the multiple heads) rather than a naturally-evolved lifeform, and that the Inflammators’ ancestors were among animal stock liberated when the Shemarrians broke free of Splugorth enslavement. The FlameWings have done nothing to discredit this rumor, finding it suits them just fine(for their part, the Splugorth have wondered which of their number was responsible for such work, and don’t know whether to congratulate them for their brilliance, or eat them for their insolence at losing the Shemarrians as slave-stock).
Inflammators are meant to inundate targets in thermochemical fire, setting vast swaths of territory ablaze. While a pass with a plasma torch may scorch and vitrify, the touch is fleeting, while a chemical fire can burn for hours, even days, thoroughly destroying property and sterilizing the ground. The Inflammator is also no slouch in melee combat, with multiple heads, snapping jaws(and in the case of the main head , ‘ripsaw teeth’), jabbing claws and fangs, and a powerful tail striking out at anybody foolish enough to close with the warmount.
The Inflammator’s main shortcoming is its reliance on a chemically-fed main weapon whose ammunition the warmount cannot produce on its own. Inflammators thus must be accompanied in the field by tanker-mounts that can keep their specialized stable-mates supplied with fuel.

Type: EcoS-K-144 Inflammator
Class: Robotic Warmount, Cavalry
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1-3 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,000
Head 300
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Flame-thrower Head(1) 120
Neck 150
Top Sensor Fin 60
Slag Cannon Heads(2) 150 each
Legs(4) 425 each
Tail(1) 320
Height: 28 ft. The Flame-thrower Head can rise up as much as 12 ft.
Width: 15 ft
Length: 30 ft+ 25 ft tail
Weight: 34 tons
Cargo: Small space inside/beside the Crew Compartment for a few personal possessions and sidearms.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 50
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) 70 MPH
(Leaping) Can make a standing leap of 15 ft up/across, and a running(in excess of 40 MPH) leap of 30 ft up/50 ft across
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) Can run along the bottom at 15 MPH. Maximum depth of 2,000 ft
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Tinkers or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Inflammators have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 150 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

*Thermal Refractory Armor----Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage.

*Periscope Optics---The flame-thrower head sports basic robot optics, plus low light vision enhancement. Thus, the main body of the Inflammator can remain behind cover, or even underwater, while the raised head of the flame-thrower peers around.

Weapons Systems:
1) Super-Torch Heavy Flame-thrower---What WAS the Sphinex’s head is now a massive high-pressure flame-thrower/incendiary sprayer, fed from a ‘gizzard’ in the main body. Though technically the Inflammator can use anything that flows and burns, the FlameWings typically use only the most destructive compounds, based on some of the nastier Rifts Earth incendiary mixtures.
Range: 1,000 ft and can cover a 30 ft wide swath
Damage:
(Incendi-Gel)2d6 MD, 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 minutes
(Hyper-Napalm) 3d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10+10 MD per concentrated burst(counts as two attacks). 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 minutes.
Note: The flame-thrower can also be used to cover an area with fluid: up to 30 ft per attack used. Used with Incendi-Gel this does 1d8 MD, and with Hyper-Napalm, this does 4d4 MD.
Rate of Fire:(Direct-Stream Mode) Standard
Payload: (Incendi-Gel) 300 blasts
(Hyper-Napalm) 500 blasts (much more concentrated than the Incendi-Gel)

2) Laser Eyes(6, 2 per head) ---Standard robotic eye lasers, common in the Shemarrian arsenal. Both the main head and the tertiary heads sport these lasers.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single blast, or 6d6 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Flame-thrower Trunk Plasma Blade-Cannons(2)---The flame-thrower nozzle ‘false head’ mounts four small plasma projectors, based on Kittani energy blades(specifically the Kittani power armor Energy Ax). The blades can also deliver serious damage in melee combat.
Range: 200 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per single blast, or 4d4x10 MD per quadruple blast(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Slag Cannon Heads(2)---The two tertiary heads are each fitted with a slag cannon(aka ‘Vesuvian Vomiter’) that takes ingested rock or metal(generally what the warmount’s regenerative system cannot use and normally discards as waste), mixes it with various chemicals, superheats it, and ejects it as superheated magma bombs. These weapons have an advantage that, even if a target is immune to heat-based attacks, the projectiles still deliver a powerful kinetic punch, and the semi-liquid state of the slag in flight means that it acts similar to a self-forging warhead, improving its armor-penetrating capabilities.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per shot. Targets vulnerable to heat take DOUBLE damage, and there is an 80% chance of flammable materials being set on fire by the hot slag material.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 200 shots per head, Can generate new ammunition with ingested rock and metal scrap at a rate of 1 shot a minute.

5) Plasma Blaster Tail---The long battle-tail ends in a spiked and flanged mace studded with sharp contact points that not only do stabbing damage backed by the kinetic force of the tail weight, but the contacts can also deliver a blast of explosive shock-plasma.
Range: Melee
Damage:(Un-powered Strike) 5d6 MD
(Powered Strike) 2d4x10 MD

Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.
Typically has the same programming as the Monstrex.
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Inflammator intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore (Cattle & Animals, Indians, Juicers, Magic, Demons & Monsters, D-Bees, Faerie---at least with regards to identifying their relative threat level), and Wilderness( Hunting).

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 7
Initiative +2 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +2
Strike +2 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)
Roll +2
Bite 2d4x10 MD
Truck Blade Slash(Un-powered) 1d4 MD per blade
(Energized strike) 1d6x10 MD per blade
(Power strike)(2 attacks) 4d6x10 MD(head snaps forward with all four blades energized and aimed to stab at one point)
Tertiary Head Bite 4d6 MD
Tail Lash(Un-powered Strike) 5d6 MD
(Powered Strike) 2d4x10 MD
Kick 3d8 MD
Stomp 4d6 MD(+2d6 MD with vibroclaw toes extended)
Body/Head Butt 2d6 MD

Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Inflammator an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Inflammators are aggressive predators perfectly willing to engage in close combat, or to wait and burn down an enemy. They also work well in packs, methodically sweeping an area of targets and obstacles.

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points(most Warmounts, unless otherwise noted, have an effective IQ rating of 8 ), but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).

Variants:
* EcoS-K-144b---(aka ‘FireFlower’) Variant that harkens back to the original plasma-armed Taurotrons. In place of the supertorch, the ‘FireFlower’ mounts a more conventional(albeit VERY powerful) plasma ejector, the design of which was copied from a Naruni design. The already impressive damage is further increased by the use of a deuterium injection system, and range is slightly increased through the use of a flower-like electromagnetic reflector/blast-shaper around the ejection head.
Changes/Modifications:
1) Heavy Plasma Ejector---Replaces the supertorch with this Naruni-derived weapon.
Range: 800 ft
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per blast
-“Hot Shotting’(injecting deuterium-gas into the plasma stream) increases damage by 50%.
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited, linked to the warmount’s nuclear powerplant.
Has enough onboard deuterium slush tankage for 150 shots before needing refueling.

[taalismn]

EcoS-K-145 Firex Warmount
(aka ‘Blastabull’, ‘Rhinofirus’, ‘Knockerklaw’)

“For a tribe that claims wings as a symbol, they deploy a lot of bisonoids in their ranks. Oh, they have wings, and those wings shoot fire of several different flavors, if you define ‘fire’ as ‘that which destroys’. The FlameWings are GOOD at destroying things. The Firex is only ‘second echelon’ only by FlameWing standards; a lot of smaller tribes would LOVE to have a steed as powerful as the Firex as their primary Warmount.”

“If you need a door taken down, call in a Firex. If you need the whole fortress burned down, call in an Inflammator.”

Though identified in the ranks of the FlameWings later than the giant Taurotron, and mistaken for a stripped-down ‘economy model’, the Firex is now believed to have been a PRECURSOR of the Taurotron. When the FlameWings set out to copy the Dredadon, which the Blood Riders had denied them, they first attempted to do it on the cheap, using the venerable RoboRhinoBuffalo frame as the quadruped base platform. However, the weight difference between the Dredadon and the RRB was considerable, and the stipulation of the FlameWing elders that the new Warmount had to be, as a matter of pride, superior to the elder Tribe’s warmount, meant that either the FlameWings had to figure a way to miniaturize the equipment of the Dredadon to fit the smaller RRB frame, or they’d have to use a heavier chassis able to mount heavier weaponry. Despite the added mass, expense, and difficulty of production, the FlameWings went with the EcoS-K-5 Sphinex to base their new Taurotron on, as the technical challenges of producing more compact, but more powerful, plasma weaponry exceeded their technical expertise in the time allowed for the project. However, they didn’t entirely abandon the RoboRhinoBuffalo as the basis of a new Wamount, and work continued, though at a lower priority. Eventually, the team assigned the project declared satisfaction with the results and the Firex entered into service with the FlameWings.
The general frame was retained, but emphasis shifted away from duplicating the Dredadon’s plasma-heavy weapons configuration in favor of other technologies. Not wanting to display their failure in their earlier efforts, but also not wanting to waste the effort they already put in, the FlameWings have deliberately omitted plasma weaponry from the Firex. However, even with alternative weapons, the Firex is still a powerful battlefield unit; the wing arrays can spray arcs of fire that devastate enemy targets. The head is also reinforced for ramming, and sports no less than three superhardened armor-piercing horns. The Firex also retains the RRB’s clawed feet and adds a weighted tail that strikes like a mace.
The Firex as it finally emerged is a second-echelon warmount. Firexes are typically deployed as security mounts, guarding the flanks and rear echelons of FlameWing ground forces, and mopping up after the initial waves. They are also frequently assigned to bring up the rear of spearheads fronted by their larger cousins the Taurotrons.

Type: EcoS-K-145 Firex
Class: Robotic Warmount, Cavalry
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1 passenger
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 390
Head 150
Horns(3) 50 each
Blaster Wings(2) 190 each
Legs(4) 210 each
Tail 75
Height: 25 ft
Width: 15 ft
Length: 40 ft
Weight: 10 tons
Cargo: Small space inside/beside the saddle-seat for a few personal possessions and sidearms.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 40
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 10 year energy life
Speed: (Running) 80 MPH
(Leaping)
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) Not possible
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Tinkers or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Firex have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 100 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

Weapons Systems:
1) Eye Lasers(2) ---Standard robotic eye lasers, common in the Shemarrian arsenal.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single blast, or 6d6 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Blaster Wings(2) ----Blaster Wings are folding modular racks for a variety of different weapons systems. The production Firexes are NOT fitted with plasma weaponry in these wings; the most common explanation bandied about the tribes is that the FlameWings didn’t want to display their earlier failure to match the Dredadon’s wing plasma throwers.
a) Laser Arrays----Each wing holds a five-lense laser weapon.
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: Effectively Unlimited

b) Particle Beam Arrays---Each wing holds a triple-barrel particle emitter weapon.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x 10 MD single blast
2d4x10 MD double blast
3d4x10 MD triple blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Ion Arrays
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast
-Scatter-Shot Mode---Area of effect blast. Reduce range to 2,000 ft, but does 5d6 MD to a 30 ft wide area.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

d) Ion Scatter Array---Each wing holds twelve smaller ion projectors. adapted from ion rifles.
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single shot, 5d4x10 MD to a 15 ft-wide area for a 12-shot ‘row burst’.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Blast Horns(3)----The Firex’s head sports three metallic horns that can deliver a flesh-vaporizing electrical blast on contact
Range: Melee
Damage:(Un-powered Strike) 2d6 MD per horn, 6d6 MD for all three striking simultaneously
(Blast Strike) 4d6 MD per horn, 1d8x10 MD for all three striking simultaneously

4) (Optional) Modular Weapons(2)---The Firex has provision for torso-mounting a pair of weapon pods similar to those standard to the Monstrex.

Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.
Typically has the same programming as the Monstrex.
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Firex intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore (Cattle & Animals, Indians, Juicers, Magic, Demons & Monsters, D-Bees, Faerie---at least with regards to identifying their relative threat level), and Wilderness( Hunting).

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 6
Initiative +2 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +5
Strike +4 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)
Roll +4
Parry +6(+7 w/ shoulder wings)
Bite 2d6 MD
Claw 6d6 MD
Stomp 3d6 MD
Sideswipe with Shoulder Wings 2d4 MD and 75% chance of knocking targets under 20 ft in size off their feet.
Ram(2 attacks) 1d4x10 MD plus 85% chance of knocking targets under 20 ft in size off their feet and 1d4x10 yards away.
Horn Gore(Un-powered Strike) 2d6 MD per horn, 6d6 MD for all three striking simultaneously
Horn Gore(Blast Strike) 4d6 MD per horn, 1d8x10 MD for all three striking simultaneously
Ram With Horns(2 attacks) (Un-powered Strike)1d6x10 MD per horn, 3d6x10 MD for all three striking simultaneously
(Blast Strike) 1d6x10+8 MD per horn, 3d6x10+24 MD for all three striking simultaneously
Tail Lash 1d4 MD

Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Firex an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Firex are still temperamental, and retain much of the RoboRhinoBuffalos’ cantankerousness, but they are much more easily reined in and persuaded into formation.

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points(most Warmounts, unless otherwise noted, have an effective IQ rating of 8 ), but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).

Variants:
*EcoS-K-145Carm---(aka ‘Carapace-Bull’, ‘Beetle-Bull’) Clan Armorand variant. This variant is puzzling, because Clan Armorand, like the Horrorwoods, doesn’t normally trade with the FlameWings because of the formers’ conservative stances on protecting the environment and the latter’s history of wholesale destruction of various environments. How the Armorands got hold of the templates for the Firex have the diplomats of the other tribes scratching their heads; are the normally reticent tribes quietly trading despite their public disagreements, or is there some form of intertribal espionage going on(the BloodRiders are known to be occasionally displeased with their offshoot tribe enough to hard-prank them, though whether that displeasure is enough that they would steal and redistribute the FlameWings’ technology to others remains to be determined).
In an case, the attempts to create a variant on the EcoS-K 66 BarrierHog by outfitting the Firex frame with multiple forcefield projectors. The EcoS-K-145Carm sports no less than FOUR wings, each fitted with a multi-configuration forcefield projector. Each can project a directional force barrier or an invisible force vortex that acts like a projectile.
The multiple curved wings have given the EcoS-K-145Carm an insectile appearance, like a giant beetle, hence its several nicknames to that resemblance.
Changes/Modifications:
MDC/Armor by Location:
Force Projector Wings(4) 190 each
Wing Forcefields(4) 180 each
Weapons Systems:
2) Force Projector Wings(4) ---These are multimode forcefield generators and projectors. Leaned back against the warmount’s body, they can generate a conformal forcefield that protects the warmount itself. Extended, the wings can produce a wider area, though weaker, field that can protect escorting personnel beside the warmount. The generators can also be used to create a single-plane force wall in front of the warmount. For a more aggressive stance, the warmount can fire off small invisible vortexes of force that strike like kinetic projectiles; the warmount can spray smaller vortex-blasts like a machine gun, or focus the output of all four wings on a single target.
Range:(Self-Defense Barrier) Melee
(Area Defense Barrier) 50 ft radius
(Force Wall) 50 ft and covers a 60 ft wide area
(Force Bolt) 4,000 ft
(Force Wave) 3,000 ft
Damage:(Self-Defense Barrier) 720 MDC
(Area Defense Barrier) 300 MDC
(Force Wall) 600 MDC
(Force Bolt)1d4x10 MD at point of impact
Within a 30 ft radius, people, animals, and objects weighing less than 500 lbs are 90% likely to be knocked off their feet and hurled 3d4 yards/meters(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 65% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Characters/objects of 500-1,000 lbs weight are 50% likely to be knocked aside 1d4 yards/meters.
Objects of a ton or more are only 25% likely to be knocked over.
Flying characters/objects get knocked away twice the normal distance.
(Force Wave) 3d6x10 MD to a 10 ft wide area. Within that area, people, animals, and objects weighing less than 1,000 lbs are 95% likely to be knocked off their feet and hurled 3d4 yards/meters(lose 1 APM and Initiative), 80% chance of being stunned(-10 to strike, dodge, parry, and roll, NO Initiative, HALF speed and APMs for 1d4 melees).
Characters/objects of 1,000 lbs to -4 tons’ weight are 70% likely to be knocked aside 1d4 yards/meters.
Objects of 5 ton or more are only 25% likely to be knocked over.
Rate of Fire:(Self-Defense Barrier) Takes 1 APM to maintain
(Area Defense Barrier)Takes 1 APM to maintain
(Force Wall) Takes 2 APMs to maintain
(Force Bolt) ECHH
(Force Wave) Once per melee and is the ONLY action that can be taken that melee(takes ALL APMs)
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonus: Force bolts are -6 to dodge.

[taalismn]

*EcoS-K-144 Inflammator Variants(Continued)

(Thanks to kronos for his Vine Missile and Pod Grenade data used in this variant)

* EcoS-K-144Hw---(aka ‘Viner’, ‘Cobra-Daisy’, ‘Spitting Daisy’, ‘Death-Daisy’) Horrorwoods variant of the EcoS-K-144 Inflammator. This is a source of bewilderment to many EShemarrians because the Horrorwoods are not known to be particularly friendly with the FlameWings; the Horrorwoods cherish and protect forests and ecosystems, while the FlameWings are notable mainly for reducing them to ash. Thus a Horrorwoods variant on a FlameWing design is sure to raise some questions. However, many who so question take solace and find a seeming answer in that the EcoS-K-14Hw seems to be a refutation of the the FlameWing Inflammator’s eco-unfriendly combat philosophy. The EcoS-K-144 Hw seems to be an Inflammator infected, or perhaps symbiotically-bonded, with a plant lifeform of some sort, particularly a giant sunflower, the flame-thrower trunk appearing more plant-like, and its head and the tertiary heads sporting ‘ruffs’ of flower petals. The limbs of the Horrorwoods variant also seem wrapped in vines, reinforcing its protection at various key points.
The EcoS-K-144Hw is heavier and slower than the FlameWing Inflammator it is evolved from, but sports heavier armor. Its main weapon, the Spitter Cannon, is more versatile than the supertorch and, unlike the Inflammator, the ‘Death-Daisy’ can produce its own ammunition for it.
Changes/Modifications:
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 1,250
Head 375
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Spitflower Head(1) 180
Neck 180
Top Sensor Fin 75
Pod Launcher Heads(2) 190 each
Legs(4) 450 each
Tail(1) 350
Weight: 39 tons
Speed: (Running) 55 MPH
(Leaping) Can make a standing leap of 10 ft up/across, and a running(in excess of 40 MPH) leap of 25 ft up/30 ft across
Systems of Note:
*Camouflage----The ‘Death-Daisy’ can alter its outward appearance somewhat to better blend into its surroundings. The ‘Death-Daisy’ has a 60% chance of being able to blend into forest or vegetation surroundings and going unnoticed on optical scans.

*Stabilization Pylons----The legs and flanks of the ‘Death-Daisy’ can set down roots and creepers to anchor the warmount to the ground, keeping it from being knocked over by anything less than a Supernatural PS of 50.

Weapons Systems:
1) Vine Seed ‘Spitter’ Cannon(1)---In place of the supertorch flame-thrower, the EcoS-K-144Hw carries a high-powered pneumatic cannon that fires seed-shells. The standard warload is identical in damage to the Short Range Vine Missile warhead.
Range: 3,600 ft
Damage:(Vine Seed) 4d6 MD + Rooting
MDC: Vines 35 MDC, root bundle 70, -5 to strike due to vines moving about it. Heals 1d6 MD per melee round.
Anything struck by the missile or within 10 feet of it is immediately struck with vines, wrapping and entangling limbs. Targets must make a Dodge roll vs vines Entangle +3 roll.
The vines and roots will grow to cover a 20 foot wide area, with powerful vines during the round it was deployed. Any new targets entering its 20 ft area during the round it is deployed must dodge vines attempting to entangle them.
The next melee round the vines are full size and will attempt to attack as well as entangle anything not a Shemarrian or Shemarrian friendly. The plant will have 5 attacks, with 10 vines for slapping, +5 to strike, dealing 4d6+2 MD and can make an immediate entangle attempt upon a successful strike, +7 to entangle. Once a target is entangled, the target will be transferred to shorter stronger vines, freeing the primary vines for attacking. These smaller vines will do 6D6+6 MD squeezing damage, with an effective Robotic Strength 35. 6 targets up to 8 feet can be held and entangled at a time, or 4 up to 15 ft, 1 20 ft. Anything not entangled attempting to move through the area the vines are covering suffers -20% speed and -4 to Dodge attacks from outside sources.
(Firefly Shell)---This shell explodes into a cloud of fine incendiary spores that burst into flames, doing 4d6 MD to a 25 ft radius, then continue burning, doing 1d4 MD for 1d6 melees.
(Puffball Shot)---This pod bursts into a dense cloud of fine spores that explode in a fuel-air explosive effect, doing 6d6 SDC flash-burn and concussion damage to a 60 ft radius, plus those without environmental body armor on or similar protection up will be stunned; -8 to strike, parry, and dodge, -1 on initiative, and lose 1 APM foe 1d4 melee rds. Even those in armor will lose initiative for 1 melee, and 88% chance of knockdown(lose 1 APM and Initiative) for targets less than 12 ft/800 lbs weight.
(Dander Pod)---Bursts into a cloud of fine fibers covering a 100 ft area; it can short out power grids, clog generator air intakes(80% effectiveness against industrial generators and internal combustion engines), and be a general nuisance to clean up. Depending on local weather conditions, the fibers can remain airborne for 1d6 melees.
(Solid Shot)---5D6x10, no blast radius
(Sabot Seed)---4D6x10, no blast radius, and increase range to 5,000 ft
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: 150 pods ready to be fired. Can generate new shells at a rate of 1 every 15 minutes

4) Pod Grenade Launchers(2)---In place of the Inflammator’s Slag Cannons, the EcoS-K-144Hw mounts Pod Grenade Launchers, firing explosive pods identical to those produced by the Horrorwoods’ Entkin Male Elites.
Range: 5,000 ft.
Damage: Varies by type.
(Explosive Pod) - This pod is the equivalent of a grenade and looks like a gourd, like a pumpkin, filled with volatile gases. Deals 4d6 MD to a 20 foot area.
(Shrapnel Pod) - This spiky pod is filled with volatile gas and sharp metallic needles, particularly deadly to infantry. Deals 3d6 MD to a 30 foot area. Against living, organic targets, these needles creature horrible wounds that continue to bleed, dealing 1d4 damage (SDC to SD creatures, if they survived the initial MD damage, and MD to MDC creatures) for 1d6 melees or until the wounds are treated.
(Gas Pod) - This pear shaped pod can release any gas, such as CS tear gas, smoke, or even poison gas, that fills a 20 foot area.
(Corrosive Pod) - This ridged apple shaped pod is filled with a potent acid. Upon striking a target it deals 5d6 MD and 2d6 MD to a 10 foot area around the target struck. The acid will continue to burn the initial target struck 1d6 MD for 1d4 melee rounds.
(Sticky Pod) - This spongy pod upon striking the ground releases a sticky compound, functioning like the Carpet of Adhesion Spell approximation, (Rifter 53, pg 41), only the Strength ranges are increased by 5.
(Napalm Pod) - This orange like pod contains a potent napalm, dealing 4d6 MD to a 10 foot area, dealing 2d6 MD for the next 2d4 melee rounds.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 100 pods per cannon, A new pod can be grown in 16 minutes(not as fast as the Entkin can produce new ammunition, but as these are considered secondary weapons on the EcoS-K-144Hw, the onboard microfactory isn’t as efficient.

* EcoS-K-144 Hwb---(aka ‘SlayFlower’) Second Horrorwoods variant. As if in imitation of the FlameWings’ EcoS-K-144b model, the Horrorwoods have produced a second variant of their ‘Death-Daisy’, only mounting an energy weapon in place of the ‘Spitter’ cannon. It’s rumored that they got the Silvermoons onboard with designing an advanced photonic weapon for this variant. The ‘SlayFlower’ sports an even more pronounced sunflower-like ruff around its upper head, with the unfurled petals acting as part of the focusing elements for the powerful laser cannon.
Furthermore, the laser cannon is multimode; it can produce a lower-damage ‘scattershot’ blast that can affect a wide area, or, like the EcoS-K-144b , the EcoS-K-144 Hwb can ‘juice; a laser shot by using the onboard internal combustion of high-energy liquid chemical fuels to produce an intense power spike and an x-ray laser output.
The ‘SlayFlower’ is used by both the Horrorwoods and the Silvermoons, typically as an air defense or laser artillery unit.
Changes/Modifications:
1) Multimode ‘SlayFlower’ Laser Cannon----The central ‘snakehead’ is now a giant sunflower with mirrored petals and a powerful laser cannon.
Range:(Laser Mode) 12,000 ft
(Scatter-Shot Mode) 8,000 ft
(X-Ray Mode) 3.8 miles
Damage:(Laser Mode) 2d6x10 MD per blast
(Scatter-Shot Mode) 1d4x10 MD to a 30 ft wide area
(X-Ray Mode) 2d4x100 MD and ignores laser-reflective armor
Rate of Fire:(Laser Mode) EGCHH
(Scatter-Shot Mode) EGCHH
(X-Ray Mode) Once per melee
Payload:(Laser & Scatter-Shot Mode) Effectively Unlimited
(X-Ray Mode) Has enough onboard chemical fuel for 50 shots before needing refueling
Bonus: +1 to strike
Note: The mirrrored flower-head can attempt to parry laser beams(+1 to parry)

[kronos]

Nice new additions, and glad my work helps creates other new ideas.

Which reminds me.. if you can remember off the top of your head, how many crab/lobster/shrimp-like warmounts are there?

[taalismn]

Nice new additions, and glad my work helps creates other new ideas.

Which reminds me.. if you can remember off the top of your head, how many crab/lobster/shrimp-like warmounts are there?

Lessee....(boots up the Master Codex)
K-29 Buthidid(scorpion-like)
K-52 Slingtail(scorpion-like)
K-58 Vorpine(scorpion-like)
K-89 Susanokite(crab-like)
K-107 Stormapod(shrimp/lobster-like)


That's it....

[kronos]

Nice new additions, and glad my work helps creates other new ideas.

Which reminds me.. if you can remember off the top of your head, how many crab/lobster/shrimp-like warmounts are there?

Lessee....(boots up the Master Codex)
K-29 Buthidid(scorpion-like)
K-52 Slingtail(scorpion-like)
K-58 Vorpine(scorpion-like)
K-89 Susanokite(crab-like)
K-107 Stormapod(shrimp/lobster-like)


That's it....

Awesome, thanks!

[taalismn]

I seem to be working through a surge of war mounts.

EcoS-K-146 Slayzark Artillery Warmount
(aka ‘Arsnark’)
(Inspired by an early suggestion by 89er)

“After all the mysterious banditry we pulled off to lure their chief troubleshooter out here to deal with us, it seems rather crude to just off him with a heavy plasma shell.”
“Intel said that his modus operandi was that he was EXPECTING us to make a personal statement by getting in close and dealing with him hand to hand, so he could capture us and publicly humiliate us. So, recommendation was not to give him what he was expecting. I seriously doubt the thought somebody would simply nuke him ever crossed his mind.”
“For a twenty-five ton sniper, Slay-san can move remarkably quietly.”
“That, and we were over ten miles away helped with the element of surprise.”
---Anonymous Yurei operatives, after a headhunter op.

“One moment the Centurion is addressing us about the dangers of being too complacent in enemy terriory, the next her entire upper body’s split apart like a rotten dr’ng fruit. And she was in full exoarmor with her helmet on and locked.”

“Last night somebody potted the Assistant Chief of Directorate Intelligence with a heavy cannon strike to his personal vetol within the military reservation grounds. Security camera footage from your guard shack shows you and your partner stuffing your faces while a giant quadruped self-propelled GUN lumbered past behind you unchallenged. Care to explain yourselves?”

“-damn Shemarrians mobility-killed my ‘bot armor AGAIN! Took every one of my combat mechs out with shots to the leg actuators and the gyro-pods! We never saw them, but I know it had to be them! Nobody else around these parts can drop heavy rounds with such precision!”

The Slayzark is a Warmount that takes the artillery-centered philosophy of the Vola'Dry and the Gundragon(100mm) higher up the caliber chain. The Slayzark is arguably a Warmount built around a heavy main gun, without becoming a mere carrier for it, as in the case with the Conasaurs. The Slayzark retains the stealth, aggressiveness, and cunning of a predator, alloyed with the modern pragmatism of long range gunnery.
The Slayzark resembles a large quadruped dinosaur, but with a pincer-like set of jaws, and three horns in a large head-shield/body segment immediately aft of the sharp-beaked head. The center horn is particularly long and protrudent and conceals a powerful long-barreled massdriver cannon firing armor-piercing rounds. The back is arched, with a centril frill or ridge running along its back, flanked by four articulated spike-spines. The spinal ridge ends in a broad tail, and two muscular rear legs that can sprawl out wide(like the opening trails of a towed artillery piece). Its legs end in broad claw feet that can spread out even more to lower its foot pressure, especially on soft ground.
Despite its size, the Slayzark is actually quite stealthy. Its preferred mode of operation is to stalk targets or lay in an ambush position, then strike suddenly and accurately with its main gun like an oversized sniper. The warmount is skinned in low reflectivity and radar-refracting materials, its thermal signature is low, limb actuators are muffled, and its toes and foot-soles can spread wide to more evenly distribute and muffle its footfalls. It can also deploy a tent-like stealth ‘blind’ under which it can take cover from sensors. It’s even rumored that the giant warmount possesses a some form of psychic stealth that helps hide it(one Wayfinder called it the ‘Yee Effect’ for some unexplained reason).
Unique to the Slayzark is the inclusion of two small flying ‘symbiotes’, robot drones that resemble some sort of parasitic/symbiotic animals attached to the flanks of the Slayzark but which can detach to fly free and act as scouts and spotters for the larger Warmount. These ‘oxpeckers’ also allow the Slayzark to remain hidden under cover while the two sub-units range far afield to find prey.
If the Slayzark has a major shortcoming, it is that the large main armament is not turret-mounted; the entire beast must turn to bring its most powerful weaponry to bear on opponents suddenly outflanking it. It typically does this by pivoting on its front legs, its powerful rear legs running it around to aim more effectively.
Because of the Slayzark’s role as a battlefield sniper, there’s much controversy over whether it is a proper WARRIOR’S Warmount, or an artillery platform best managed by the Males. Most EShemar groups settle this issue on a case-by-case basis, assigning the warmount to the best-qualified volunteers.
Slayzark, Gundragon, and VelociClaw(sniper variant) riders often have a fiercely competitive streak between them, and meetings between the crews often end up in impromptu shooting matches to determine who are the most accurate marksmen.
The Slayzark originated in the Horrorwoods camp, which sees the most use of them. Clan Armorand has expressed interest in the design, as have Clan Motron and the Ghezo Guards. Reportedly, the Wolf’s Path was interested in the design, but was disappointed that it could not be made more wolf-like.

Type: EcoS-K-146 Slayzark
Class: Robotic Warmount, Cavalry(Artillery)
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1 passenger
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 470
Head 190
Head Shield* 150
Gun-Horn 120
Laser Horns(2) 100 each
Reinforced Cockpit Pod 100
Spine-Arms(4) 55 each
Legs(4) 150 each
Tail 100
Camouflage Mantle 95

*This provides partial cover to the rider and passenger; -5 to strike them, even with a called shot.

Height: 15 ft
Width: 12 ft
Length: 40 ft. 48 ft with main horn-gun barrel at maximum extension.
Weight: 24 tons
Cargo: Small space inside/beside the saddle-seat for a few personal possessions and sidearms.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 45
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) 95 MPH
(Leaping/Climbing) Not possible
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) The Slayzark can swim at about 15 MPH.
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Tinkers or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Slayzark have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 110 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.
Note that the Slayzark’s regeneration systems will also repair any damage to docked ornop drones, though the Warmount CANNOT produce new ornop drones.

*Stealth---The Slayzark has a reduced thermal signature and radar-refractive materials in its skin construction(-15% to being detected by radar or thermal imaging). Its feet can also spread out and expand to lower its ground pressure tread and allow it to move more quietly(albeit more slowly; it cannot exceed a crawl of 5 MPH), giving it an acoustic Prowl equivalency of 30% in daylight, and 50% at night.

*Camouflage Mantle----The Slayzark features a raised frill or ridge along its back that opens up to extend a fan of light plates and panels of special camouflage material over the Warmount, effectively creating a stationary blind that can hide it. The Slayzark will often set this up as a ‘hunter’s blind’ not far from a pre-scouted killzone/’killbox’, with spotters already in place and the range zeroed and locked in.
-Waterproofing
-Fire Proofing---Can handle temperatures up to 300 degrees centigrade. Normal fires do NO damage
-Minimal Radiation Shielding(not advised for long-term usage in 'hot zones')
-Chameleon-cloth Fabric---Improved over the original, the chameleon function now emulates Naruni variable camou sheets.
-Thermal Insulation-Infrared and Thermographic sensors are -30% to detect the shelter.
-Electronic Insulation- Radar, MAD, and EM sensors are -18% to detect the shelter

Weapons Systems:
1) Artillery Horn(1)--- The large central horn on the head is a 135mm Gravitic Massdriver Cannon that extends back into the torso. To keep the weapon from becoming too much of an encumbrance while the warmount is moving, half the barrel’s length is retractable, and extends to its full dimensions when primed for firing(and given that many Slayzark crews consist of Males, this has become the source of a good many ribald jokes, especially from the female EShemar).
The original plan was to mount a more conventional electromagnetic weapon, but the Sapphire Cobra Tinkers found that a gravitic(G-cannon) weapon could be made more compact with a more convoluted main barrel course , allowing for a snugger fit inside the body of the Warmount. The G-cannon is more technologically demanding to maintain, and uses more power, but aside from opponents with advanced gravty-sensors, the G-cannon gives off less detectable EM emissions.
Range:(Direct Fire) 30,000 ft (6 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 75,000 ft(15 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)---- 2d6x10 MD to 50 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 4d6x10 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 2d4x10 MD to 50 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x 40 MD to 50 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 5d6x10 MD out to 13,000 ft, 3d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: Three per melee
Payload: Can carry 3 tons of ammunition.
135 mm AP shell weighs 62 lbs( 32 shots per ton)

2) Laser Horns(2)---The two smaller horns on either side of the massdriver are high-powered laser cannons. They are generally used if the warmount can not avoid engaging an enemy at the greater range of its massdriver.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD double blast, 1d4x10+8 MD quad blast, 1d6x10 MD full 5-shot blast, DOUBLE if both cannons are fired simultaneously at the same target(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Eye Lasers(2) ---Standard robotic eye lasers, common in the Shemarrian arsenal.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single blast, or 6d6 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

4) Spine-Arms(4)----The Slayzark mounts four spine arms similar to the Monstrex’s; these are used to assist in camouflage, stabilizing the Warmount, and in self-defense.
Range: Melee(12 ft reach)
Damage: 1d6 MD

5) (Optional) Modular Weapons(2)---The Slayzark has provision for torso-mounting a pair of weapon pods similar to those standard to the Monstrex.

Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.
Typically has the basic Monstrex programming.
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Slayzark intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore (Cattle & Animals, Indians, Juicers, Magic, Demons & Monsters, D-Bees, Faerie---at least with regards to identifying their relative threat level), and Wilderness( Hunting).

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 7
Initiative +2 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +4
Strike +2 (+3 w/ ranged weaponry)
With both Ornop drones operational and spotting for the Slayzark, it gets an additional +2 to strike with called shots.
Roll +2
Pull Punch +3
Parry +3
Bite 2d6 MD
Head Butt 1d4 MD
Kick 2d6 MD
ForeClaw Strike 3d6 MD
Mule Kick w/ Hind Legs(2 attacks) 7d6 MD
Tail Lash 2d4 MD
Spine Strike 1d6 MD

Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Slayzark an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Slayzarks are patient, careful, hunters who can wait uncomplainingly for hours, even days, silent and still, for prey to come their way; one observer claimed to have almost mistaken them for a dead-metal drone for their stillness. They work well with their riders/gunners, and take orders very well.

Slayzarks also exhibit a higher than normal level of natural psionics; the Slayzark has the following Natural Psionic Abilities(no ISP Cost), all equivalent to 6th level with regards to range and proficiency.
*See Aura
* See the Invisible

The Slayzark also possesses the Super Psionic Power Psionic Invisibility(10 ISP per activation), at a 6th level of proficiency, though this power DOES eat up ISP. The Warmount possesses a small pool of ISP(4d6 ISP+1d6 per level of experience) and saves versus psionics as a Minor Psychic. Psychic EShemar/NeShemar can contribute their own ISP to the Slayzark’s ISP reserve if necessary.

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points(most Warmounts, unless otherwise noted, have an effective IQ rating of 8; the Slayzark has a IQ of 10 ), but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).

Variants:
*EcoS-K-146B ‘Snaper’----Variant replacing the massdriver cannon with a heavy particle beam cannon copied off the Naruni Enterprises Juggernaut Heavy Hover Tank.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 5d6x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Conditionally Unlimited; battery capacity for 60 shots, and recharges at a rate of one shot per minute.

*EcoS-K-146Cmo ‘Spagger’---Clan Motron variant; it features wheels on its feet, that allow it to speed on cleared and hard ground at up to 100 MPH.

*Ornop (aka ’Oxpecker’, ‘Skeet-flies’) Flying Symbiobots(2)---These two robot drones actually look nothing like birds, but more like giant beetles, with disc-shaped bodies and wings that unfurl in flight(the ‘bots are really propelled by concealed hoverjets). The Slayzark normally carries two, attached to its rear hips. In flight, the drones act as flying scouts and spotters for the Slayzark’s long range artillery-sniping. Ornops are NOT Awakened with the Ecotroz and are considered to be expendable assets. The Ornops has been seen ONLY with the Slayzark, as part of the campaign to have them mistaken for species-specific symbiotic lifeforms.
Size: 6 ft diameter, 1.8 ft thickness, 12 ft wingspan.
Weight: 300 lbs
MDC/Armor By Locations:
Main Body 95
Wings(2) 50 each
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 200 MPH, maximum altitude of 10,000 ft.
Powerplant: Rechargeable power cell good for 72 hours of independent operation before needing to recharge off a Warmount.
Systems of Note:
Has sensors equivalent to the AA-3 Avian Spy/’Avyet’, plus:
*Laser Designator---- ‘Paints’ targets for laser-guided ordnance. 30,000 ft range.
*Stealth Design----The ornop drone is designed to be as invisible to sensors as practical. Has only a 20% chance of being detected by radar or thermal imaging systems. Also runs remarkably quiet; 55% chance of going unnoticed/unheard during daylight, 75% during night.
Weapons Systems:
1) Laser Eye----The Ornops are effective snipers in their own right, with a highly accurate laser
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 2d6 MD per shot, 6d6 MD per triple burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Bonus: +2 strike
Payload: 100 shot battery

2) Wing Blades----The wings can unfurl into incredibly sharp slashing blade-vanes.
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d4 MD on a sideswipe

3) (Optional) Hardpoint----The Ornops can carry a single weapons hardpoint that can hold a mini-missile launcher(3 shots), a cyborg forearm machine-gun equivalent, or an energy rifle(must be powered by its own e-clip/e-canister). Some operators have even been known to outfit their ornops with launchers for tracer-head arrows(21 shot magazine). Loses -1 to dodge and reduce top speed by 5% due to the added weight and encumbrance.
In the alternative, the drone can also carry a jamming pod that scrambles communications(80% effectiveness against civilian band radio systems and 65% against military systems. Effective range of 5,000 ft) or radar(Jams radars and radar targeting systems with 60% effectiveness. Radar-guided weapons are -6 to strike. 4,000 ft effective radius). Typically one drone will be so equipped and will attempt to close with a target jamming its communications or radar while the other ornop sets the target up for a Slayzark shot.

Programming:
Navigation 94%
Read Sensory Instruments 94%
Prowl 75%
Detect Concealment 70%
Detect Ambush 75%
Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 5
+2 Strike
+6 Dodge
+4 Roll
+2 Initiative

Options:
*Fiber-Optic Hardlink---If signaling by radio is considered too risky, the ornops can communicate with their host Slayzark by an ultra-fine fiber optic hardlink. This reels off a compact reel that can hold up to 3,000 ft of link-fiber.

[taalismn]

EcoS-K-147 Mehen Superheavy Warmount
(aka ‘Meganaga’)

“What’s worse than ONE superheavy Warmount? TWO superheavy Warmounts, COMBINED.”

“You summoned me, Mistress Serpent-Mother?”
<<“Alyktra, I have need of the talents of your previous life before you came to us. You have experience with -mekka-, and my new Warmount, Sun Venom, has provision for a linked mind of talent to boost its abilities. Talent you are said by my inquisitors to possess. As my favored servant, do you accept the role?”>>
“Hmmm...little heavier than I was used to, but it will do. I accept, Serpent-Mother.”
<<“Then take your place beside me. Tinker Scales-etcher shall guide you through the linkage process. We anticipate first battle ‘er the next full moon has risen. Be ye ready before then, and I shall be most gladdened.”>>
“I hear and obey, Mistress Serpent-Mother.”
****
With a nerve-etching screech and a thundering impact that could be felt even through heavy armor plating and insulation, the last of the arcanotech-enhanced maggots collapsed, before bursting into unearthly flames. All around, the twisted wreckage and broken bodies of Infernal warmongers and warmachines burned and dissolved in their final resting places in the cratered and scarred landscape.
The Sapphire Cobra Wargoddess scanned the battlefield with what sensory inputs still worked, listened to the incoming reports of her taskforce, and decided she was most pleased with the outcome. Only Tribe forces still moved across the battle-pitted vista and not a remaining living or undead enemy was in evidence.
<<“Excellent work! Victory is ours!”>>
A weaker groan more near at hand drifted up from the interface pit. Pale, drenched with exertion sweat, the neshemar seated there slumped limply, somatic restraints releasing her, her head falling out of the interface headset, damp hair sweat-plastered to her pained features. A quick glance at the biomonitors assured the Wargoddess that her servant was not in terminal danger, but had certainly pushed herself beyond safe limits in the execution of her duties. The Wargddesss gently lifted the unconscious woman out even as another EShemar hurried to take over the command link, albeit at a less intense level as the organic neshemar had carried during the fighting. She smiled down at her as she gave her over to the medtechs hurriedly summoned to the command chamber.
<<“Alyktra, you have done well this day. Mighty Sun Venom and your soul-courage have proven an unbeatable combination that any Infernals who survived today will have come to rightly fear! Great will be your rewards for your part in our victory. But for now, rest and heal from your exertions.”>>

“Having observed the conflict on D’Tlicosie IV, it’s clear to me that there’s more to this ‘fringe world snake cult’ than just a bunch of wandering evangelizing neo-nuns and priestesses talking up the masses. These folks were deploying some -serious- custom firepower; not just stuff they bought off the black market or frontier arms dealers. The sort of heavy iron we saw in action was the product of heavy industry and R&D, coupled with a willingness to enthusiastically use it. Plus the means to transport troops and heavy vehicles across interstellar distances. It all adds up to a more complex and resource-backed military organization. As I said; there’s a LOT more to these serpent-singers than just some fad-happy franchise-cult thing and I recommend stepped-up attention be paid to wherever these people set up shop.”
----Varo Yemen, CCW TVIA Inspector, Rylchese Sector, Anvil Galaxy.

The Mehen is the latest in the ‘superheavy’ or ‘monster’-class Warmounts, and is instantly recognizable as the heavily modified upper torso of an EcoS-K-75 MonstrApex wedded to the long serpentine body of an EcoS-K-125 Jormungandar, and reminds many observers of a scaled-up Kittani Serpent Power Armor(indeed, it was initially mistaken for a Kittani creation). The Mehen obviously indicates a major collaboration between the Horrorwoods and the Sapphire Cobras.
The Mehen represents a synergistic compromise between its two parent types. The Mehen gets around primarily by the use of hoverjets, which has necessitated the addition of more powerful thrusters to compensate for the heavier upper torso. The larger jets and the greater power demand have in turn required the replacement of much of the lower body segment modular space with dedicated power modules and heavier armor to protect them. The Mehen has a more fixed weapons configuration than either the MonstrApex or the Jormungandar, but it incorporates a number of special features not found in either of the two earlier uberwarmounts, including starship-grade weaponry.
The resulting hybrid is faster and more agile than either of its two donors, but at the expense of some of the modular versatility and potential raw firepower.
Unlike the MonstrApex, the Mehen lacks the open shoulder wing-decks that allow crew and passengers to ride on the outside of the Warmount while it is in operation. Instead, vehicle-like, the Mehen has a rather spacious internal compartment, typically able to house a Wargoddess and her entourage. An external observation platform CAN be deployed, with the sliding of some plates, atop the main forward head, though this is generally not used when the Mehen is engaged in heavy combat.
Mehen have been seen on only three occasions, none on Rifts Earth. In all three cases, different Mehen were observed, taking part in major campaign actions as part of massed Warmount formations, usually as the command mount of a Tribe Wargoddess. It is rumored that at least one of the examples observed was an Arawa----a transferred intelligence Shemarrian who has elected to serve in Warmount form, rather than a more humanoid chassis, making the Mehen a possible totemic upgrade for Sapphire Cobra or Horrorwoods Warchiefs or Wargoddesses, similar to the SCES-01 Queen Cobra and SCES-IIE Cobra Dragons. And one has been known to make use of an experimental BattleLink with the mind of an organic neshemar to enhance its performance.
The Mehen has so far only been seen in service to the Sapphire Cobras, always as the command mount and/or war party of a Tribal Wargoddess. It is not known if the Horrorwoods possess any Mehen in their forces.

Type: EcoS-K-147 Mehen
Class: Robotic Warmount, Superheavy, Cavalry
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1- 40 passengers/ gunnery crew
MDC/Armor by Location:
Upper Body 3,000
Head 500
Head Guns(2) 150 each
Arms(2) 900 each
Shoulder/Back Turret Heads(3) 360 each
Reinforced Crew Compartment in secondary head 150
Body Segments(12) 600 each
Hover Jets(8 main body, 4 each body segment) 450 each
Slicer Fins(8+2 per additional body segment) 250 each
Tail 500
Tail Jets(4) 450 each
Tail Missile Launcher 120
Tail Lasers(2) 100 each
Laser/Rail Gun Turrets(12) 150 each, 75 each gun barrel(x2 per turret)

Height: 40 ft main body, plus the upper torso stretches up some 80 ft. The Mehen itself can rear up to 260 ft.
Width: 52 ft at shoulders, serpentine body is 45 ft wide
Length: 823 ft
Weight: 800 tons
Cargo: 60 tons carried internally, plus any cargo spaces in the tail segments
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 80
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) Can use a combination of slithering and crawling, using its forelimbs to pull itself along, at 45 MPH.
(Flying) Hovers 1-15 ft off the ground at a speed of 125 MPH
(Climbing) If the surface can support the massive Warmount’s immense weight, the Mehen actually climbs rather well, with a proficiency of 85%.
(Space) Not possible
(Underwater) The Mehen can skim 1-3 ft off the water’s surface at 90 MPH, kicking up a lot of spray in the process. The Warmount can also swim underwater, albeit slowly, at about 25 MPH, and has a maximum depth tolerance of 3,000 ft.
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 200 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Tinkers or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Mehen have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 6d6 MD per hour, and can repair 1,000 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

*Long Range Communications Suite---As befits a mobile command vehicle, the Mehen has a dedicated communciations chamber with multi-channel transmission/reception capabilities for coordinating a task-group and campaign.

*EW Suite---The Mehen mounts a powerful naval ECM/ECCM suite, capable of jamming radar and radio communications. 85% effectiveness at jamming civilian communications bands, 75% military systems, 50 mile range, and signal encryption/de-scrambling, in order to cut through enemy jamming(+15% to EW skill rolls to defeat jamming). Enemy radar-guided weapons are -5 to strike the vessel. Of course, the active jamming will tell enemies that SOMEBODY is out there, just not exactly where.

*Advanced Fire Control---All direct-fire weapons get an additional +1 to strike, in addition to any individual weapons systems’ or gunners’ bonuses.

*Dual Minds---Like a dolphin’s ‘swim while asleep’ capability, Mehen have a compartmentalized brain-intelligence that allows them to continue moving under power even as the invested Ecotroz essence goes ‘asleep’. During this time the warmount can remain traveling under power without pausing, just like an Unawakened vehicle. This duality is increasingly common in the larger and longer-ranged Warmounts such as the Stone Eater, Dobharg and Lepidopterror.


Weapons Systems:
1) Eye Lasers(2)---Copied from the Dobharg, these powerful lasers give the Mehen a truly lethal gaze.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per blast, 2d6x10 MD for both eyes firing in concert(counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Mouth Cannon---Aka ‘The Serpent’s Roar’. Mounted in the Mehen’s mouth is a powerful sonic cannon. This potent vibration weapon projects a variable beam of sculpted sound that can stun living creatures, or pulverize them and any other obstacles in the warmount’s way.
The first Mehens sighted mounted the sonic cannon, but one later example encountered had a powerful ion-electrical weapon instead.

a) Sonic Cannon
Range: 3,000 ft. 100 ft for the area of effect sonic boom.
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast, plus 3d6 MD to a 10 ft diameter area around the blast area(double damage and range underwater), Also acts like a Clap of Thunder spell, in that it can temporarily deafen and stun.
Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor. Characters in hard-shell EBA will take HALF that damage in SDC even through their armor, while vehicle crew will take 1/4 damage in SDC through their vehicle’s armor due to shock and excessive vibration. Vehicles with more than 200 MDC in their main body, or forcefield protection, will NOT be affected.
The sonic vibrations can also be used to set up a resonance in hard armor that can stun or disorient living beings. Humans(and those most like them) will find these subsonic vibrations particularly irritating, the barely audible buzzing setting up painful discordance in their eardrums and auditory apparatus. Beings with enhanced hearing are particularly vulnerable to this attack(DOUBLE all penalties). Cyborgs and those with baffled hearing implants will NOT be affected by this.
Save versus psionic attack(12 or better) or be -1d4 to initiative, HALF all bonuses to strike/parry/dodge, and -1d4 to Maintain Balance. Roll under P.E. or fall unconscious for 1d6 melees. DOUBLE effects and duration for those with particularly sensitive hearing(including Dog Boys).
Power Armor and EBA-wearers will be more susceptible to the effects of resonance, owing to their close proximity to the materials being affected. The effects are greatly diminished/negated to occupants on a vehicle owing to the many interior structures that serve to dissipate and insulate the sound waves.
It also produces a window-shattering sonic boom in a 45-degree arc along its path out to 100 ft, temporarily deafening those caught in the area of effect(those without ear protection will be -4 to initiative and -1 to parry and dodge for 1d4 minutes, while those inside EBA, light MDC vehicles and power armor will only be deafened for 2d4 melees.
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Alternative:
b) Ion Shockwave Cannon---A weapon developed from starship weaponry, this powerful ion cannon throws what looks like lightning with incredible range. It can also be used to project a lower-powered area of effect cloud of charged ions that wreak havoc on electrical systems and nervous systems.
Range:(Combat Blast) 12,000 ft
(Shockwave) 6,000 ft and covers a 500 ft wide area.
Damage:(Combat Blast) 4d6 x10 MD per blast
(Shockwave)1d6 SDC shock-burn. Plus, victims must make a save of 14 or better, or be -8 to strike, parry, and dodge for 2d6 melees. A savings throw versus non-lethal poison means the person is unimpaired. 25% chance of knocking out unshielded cybernetics for 1d4 melees, and a 75% chance of permanently frying nanotech devices(like Armor-dissolving nanites or RMK/IRMSS systems).
Does stun damage similar to SDC beam through metal armor and light power armor.
On an unmodified roll of 18-20, it causes unshielded BIONICS and robots to spasm for 1d4 melees(Cyborg is at HALF bonuses to strike, parry, dodge, roll, and is -3 to initiative. Reduce speed by HALF).
This weapon also does 1d4x10 EMP damage(no physical damage) to a 300 ft area. The resulting percentage of the target location MDC is the chance of shutdown/disablement. All damage is cumulative. Damage in excess of 50% target MDC will require repair to make it functional; 75% or more damage will require replacement of the entire electrical system. Does double damage to non-shielded civilian systems. Bionics are -1 to dodge, roll, and strike for the affected limb/system, lasting 1d4 melees, non-cumulative, before the system resets itself.
Rate of Fire:(Combat Blast) 6 blasts per melee
(Shockwave) Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) ‘Fang’ Guns(2)--- These are retained from the original MonstrApex. These weapons protrude from either side of the mouth like mandibles(they retract into cover when not in use), and typically fire in synchronization with each other. The Rifts Earth-built MonstrApexs used scavenged Coalition State or Kittani weapons, but the offworld Sapphire Cobra examples have all been seen to be using more advanced rail-cannon type weapons developed from starship point defense systems. The ‘fang’ guns fired ammunition that could deliver the signature ‘serpent’s kiss’ nanite munitions, but during the Minion War, these cannon were frequently supplied with other specialized ammunition, such as silver or U-round types.
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
Damage: 4D6x10 M.D. per blast/burst, 8d6x10 MD for both fang cannons firing simultaneously on the same target(counts as one attack)
(‘Serpent’s Kiss’)On a Natural 19-20(18-20 if in atmosphere), the rail gun strikes does critical damage(DOUBLE damage) plus nanites are successfully embedded in the structure of the target. These nanites proceed to do an additional 4d6 MD for 2d4 melees(double damage and duration if in atmosphere)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH(4-6)
Payload: 2,000 rd drum. Additional ammunition can be stored as cargo, but will take 45 minutes to reload from stores.

4) Shoulder/Back Heads(3)---In place of the original tank turrets of the MonstrApex, the Mehen mounts three smaller snake-heads, each of which has an enclosed gunnery station inside for optional manned operation, though they can operate just fine without a gunner. Each turret-head mounts a pair of powerful eye lasers identical to those in the main head, a double-barreled rail gun with the firing apertures looking like snake nostrils, and a powerful energy weapon mounted inside the head’s articulated mouth. The energy weapon is a plasma weapon that fires bolts of plasma that do relatively little damage, but have exceptionally long range. The sight of the long ranged plasma bolts streaking off has been compared to a spitting cobra spitting venom.
Range:(Eye Lasers) 6,000 ft
(Rail Gun) 2 miles
(Plasma Projector) 5 miles
Damage:(Eye Lasers) 1d6x10 MD per blast, 2d6x10 MD for both eyes firing in concert(counts as one attack)
(Rail Gun) 4D6x10 M.D. per blast
(Plasma Projector) 3d10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(Eye Lasers) ECHH
(Rail Gun) ECHH
(Plasma Projector) 5 blasts per melee
Payload:(Eye Lasers/Plasma Projector) Effectively Unlimited
(Rail Gun) 2,000 rd drum per gun.

5) Hard-Thrusters---These are a series of jets in the chest and forearms that were meant to retro-brake the giant MonstrApex warmount’s landing from powered leaps, but help stabilize the Mehen’s upper body during high speed maneuvering, but they have also been found to be equally effective at literally ‘blowing away’ enemy personnel with blasts of hypervelocity air.
Range: 80 ft radius
Damage: Objects up to 600 lbs in weight can be picked up and whirled by the winds and thrown up to 80 ft, doing 5d6 SDC/MD damage on landing(or inflicting that much on hit targets)
Rate of Fire: Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

6) Jet Blasts---Because the Mehen is based on the Jormungandar hovertrains, its hoverthrusters are similarly(if not more so) powerful enough to be used as weapons at short range, knocking people off their feet. The tail also sports powerful jet engines that can be swung to bear on targets.
Range: 40 ft
(Tail Jets) 250 ft range and 50 ft wide area
Damage: Humans and d-bees up to 11 ft tall have a 90% chance of being blown off their feet and thrown 1d4x10 ft, suffering 1d6 MD , losing initiative, and 2 APMs getting back up. Larger beings have a 50% chance of being knocked down.
(Tail Jets) Beings 11 ft of smaller have a 95% chance of being blown away, up to 1d6x10 ft, larger beings have a 55% chance, Getting hit by the tail jets means getting blasted for 1d4 MD, and taking an additional 1d8 MD getting slammed into the ground if still within the 250 ft range. Objects up to 600 lbs in weight can be picked up and whirled by the winds and thrown up to 2d4x10 ft, doing 5d6 SDC/ or 2d6 MD damage on landing(or inflicting that much on hit targets)

7) Tail Short Range Missile Launcher---Mounted atop the tail between the rear jet thrusters is a short range missile missile launcher
Range: Varies by Missile Type( Short Range missiles)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type( Short Range missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-6
Payload: 36

8 ) Tail Lasers(2)---Mounted in the tip of the tail is a powerful laser cannon for dissuading pursuers.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

9) Slicer Fins----Spotted along the flanks of the megaserpents’ lengths are numerous fin-winglets that can be hinge-folded to serve as fenders, or straightened out and extended to serve as blades for sweep-cutting through obstacles and targets.
Range: Melee(extend 12-20 ft out from the sides)
Damage: 3d6 MD per every 40 MPH of speed

10) Laser/Rail Gun Turrets(12) ----Each body segment behind the forebody sports a retracting laser/rail gun turret. These turrets are typically remotely controlled from within the Mehen’s crew compartment.
Range: (Rail Gun) 2 miles in atmosphere, 4 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 4 miles in atmosphere, 400 miles in space)
(Laser) 1 mile in atmosphere, 3 miles in space
(Kitsune Values: 3 miles in atmosphere, 300 miles in space)
Damage: (Rail Gun)2D6x10 M.D. per blast
(Laser) 1D4x10 M.D. per blast
Rate of Fire: (Rail Gun)EGCHH(4-6)
(Laser) EGCHH (4-6)
Payload: (Rail Gun) 2,000 rd drum. Additional ammunition can be stored as cargo, but will take 45 minutes to reload from stores.
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited

11) Body Segments-----Because of the operating posture of the Mehen, the trailing body segments that make up the majority of the Warmount’s serpentine body cannot be used to mount conventional large turrets or hold passengers.
Instead, the body segments can conceal missile launchers or silo-cubicles for various e-animals or rider-less warmounts, especially serpent-types. All these configurations were brought over from the Jormungandar on which the Mehen is based.
a) General Cargo---up to 200 tons each, or 34,000 gallons of liquid cargo if a tanker car.

b) Garage/Stable/Kennel--5-12 Warmounts or 24-250 e-animals. These are typically serpentine Sapphire Cobra types, such as the EcoS-K-21 Orobos, EcoS-K-37 Hekatonheires(especially the Sapphire Cobras’ variant, the EcoS-K-37Scb ‘Snake Ape’ , which has often been mistaken by less-well-informed observers as the Mehen’s ‘offspring’), the EcoS-K-39 Shredwing, and the EcoS-K-48 Quetzal. Favorite larger e-animals include the Eco-KRP16 Rozrezard Warbeast.
In the alternative, the compartment can be used to transport and deploy up to 3,000 Eco-KRP04 Cybersnakes/ Eco-KRP05 Boresnakes/EcoS-KaSSc-01/KRP-26 Darkeel s. The transport compartments are sometimes referred to as ‘snake pots’.

c) Missile Launcher---Vertical Launch Systems; 32 vertical launch units, each cell can hold 30 Mini-Missiles, OR 10 Short Range Missiles, OR 5 Medium Range Missiles, OR 1 Long Range/Cruise Missile.

d) Forcefield Generator Car---Dedicated heavy forcefield generator producing a conformal forcefield(400 MDC) that can extend up to 3 body car segments in either direction(covers 7 cars), and regenerates at a rate of 20 MDC per minute. Multiple forcefield cars can be fitted, while later technology exchanges with Clan Armorand will allow for synchronized forcefields that combine the MDC of the generators into one field.

e) Damage Control Module---Supercharges the self-repair systems and holds a ready reserve of MDC-precursor substrates(1,000 MDC worth) formatted for nanite use.

f) Mage Segment---Holds a powerful PPE generator and multiplexor systems.
PPE Generators:
PPE Capacity:(‘Sorcerer’)--- 600 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 20 PPE per hour, 60 PPE/hour at a leyline, 120 PPE/hour on a nexus.
*Multiplexors
-Horror Factor/Fear---Cast over the entire meganaga to give it the illusion of being a supernatural monster. 10 PPE per application(owing to the vessel’s size) and lasts 15 minutes per activation. Horror Factor 16.
-Aura of Death---Cast over the entire train to enhance its horror factor. 18 PPE per application(owing to the vessel’s size) and lasts 15 minutes per activation.
- Summon Fog--- 60 mile range. 6 mile area, 6 hour duration, 70 PPE. Perfect for sneaking away or sneaking up.
- Summon & Control Storm---10 mile range, 6 hour duration, 150 PPE. Effective for disrupting local travel.
-Smokescreen---Creates a thick obscuring bank of dark smoke that is equivalent to the Fire Elemental spell Cloud of Smoke....PPE Cost: 10 PPE per activation, covers a 1,000 ft square area, and lasts 10 minutes.
-Protection Circle: Superior--By ‘circling the wagons’, stopping, bending and touching its nose to its tail, the Mehen can form a massive circle of protection, with the added benefit of its main body providing both MDC protection and firepower to protect those within the circle described by its circled body. Quite large and long Mehen can encompass quite large areas(radius= Circumference-length / (pi x 2), The area is pi times the radius squared (A = π r-squared)).
PPE Cost: 150 PPE per activation, and lasts 24 hours.

*Ley Line Storm Protection System---Ley LIne Storms can be a real hazard to magic craft, so the Mehen has enchanted lightning rods and surge protectors, shielding the super-snakes from damage by rampant PPE surges.


Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.
Typically has the the following:
Land Navigation 94%
Read Sensory Instruments 98%
Tailing 55%
Detect Ambush 60%
Radio: Basic 98%
Basic Math 98%
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Mehen intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore (Cattle & Animals, Indians, Juicers, Magic, Demons & Monsters, D-Bees, Faerie---at least with regards to identifying their relative threat level), and Wilderness( Hunting).

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 8
Initiative +2 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +3
Strike +1 (+3 w/ ranged weaponry)
Roll +2
Bite 2d6x10 MD
Punch 3d6x10 MD
Piledriver Forearm Punch/Stomp(2 attacks)1d6x100 MD
Body Block/Ram1d6x10 MD for every 20 MPH of speed
Crush/Squeeze 6d6x10 MD
Tail Lash 2d6x10 MD
Body Sweep(2 attacks) 4d4x10 MD +4d6 MD for every 20 MPH of speed. The goliath warmount basically uses its hoverjets to swing its mass and length into a giant clotheslining attack; objects under 500 lbs in weight are 99% likely to be knocked over and flung 3d4x10 yards/meters. Targets 500-3,000 lbs have a 70% chance of being bowled over, and getting tossed 1d4x10 yards/meters. Those 4,000 bs -5 tons in weight only have a 30% chance of being knocked back 6d6 yards. Anything heavier will generally be immune to being knocked over.


Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Mehen an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Mehen radiate attitudes of pride, dignity, and glee at intimidating lesser opponents; they carry themselves with the obedient pride of champion chargers or carriage horses. In combat, though, the warbeast comes out, and they are vicious and fearless fighters.

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points(most Warmounts, unless otherwise noted, have an effective IQ rating of 8 ), but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).

Options/Upgrades:

*BattleLink----The Sapphire Cobras have been experimenting with ways of improving the command/control systems of the Mehen, linking in other minds to improve command and control. The linked minds often serve as coprocessors, or, in the case of organic minds, alternative responses tapping into bio-organic evolution-indoctrined capabilities.
This research parallels developments by the Horrorwoods with their ‘Conjoiners’ and the Aurora Warriors.
The system currently being used by the Sapphire Cobras has many similarities to the Battle Link used by the Aurora Warriors, and in fact may have been assisted by tech-trading through the Wayfinders. The system shares the same shortcomings, however; that of over-stimulation of organic brains leading to dangerous spikes in blood pressure and body heat regulation. Rather than use cold to attempt to mitigate the damage, the Sapphire Cobras have pressed through earlier failures to use drugs to regulate the body stress, using a derivative of xenosnake venom.
With an AI(or transferred intelligence) Shemarrian in link with the Mehen, the over-all efficiency of the gestalt is increased; +1 to Initiative, +1 to Dodge/Roll, +1 to Strike. This state can be maintained for 2d6x10 minutes before the consciousnesses of the two AIs lose ‘handshake’, and cannot re-link for another 12 hours. The AIs can attempt to accelerate this by ‘rebooting’ or consciously resetting their interface protocols, but this results in the linkers being temporarily disoriented(HALF APMs and all bonuses) for 1d8 melees.
With a biological mind linked in, the effect is much more pronounced and dynamic(especially since the interfacing is, unlike the Aurora Warriors’ Glaciton link, with an ‘animal’-level awareness less prone to fight the linkage ): +1 to Initiative, +1 to Dodge/Roll, and +10% to maximum speed without a time limit, or can initiate an ‘overdrive mode’ of dramatically increased performance: +2 to Initiative, +3 to Perception, +3 to dodge/Roll, +3 to Strike, +the biological’s APMs+3 APMs, and +25% to maximum speed. This Overdrive Mode can be maintained for the organic’s M.E. in melee rounds before the stimulation becomes too much, and the link begins to ‘redline’.
The downside is that the link imposes considerable strain on the biological’s brain; ‘brain fever’ or ‘redline fever’, a condition of high blood pressure and spiking heat levels that can quickly lead to delusional states, unconsciousness, and even coma. The Sapphire Cobras attempt to mitigate this condition through the use of drugs that help control the worst symptoms.
For every additional melee that the link is maintained over redline, the organic must roll versus coma/death or risk the effects of stroke. The early symptoms of this are an increasingly delusional state where they have problems distinguishing hallucination from reality. -50% to skill rolls and the organic will have trouble(30% chance) of being able to remember where they are and who their friends are, even while their brains continue to sustain the link bonuses.
If the organic loses three consecutive rolls they take 1d8 damage direct to their Hit Points, every subsequent failure to save will do an additional 1d6 HP, and any damage sustained to the Mehen henceforth during this period will create a sympathetic shock that does 25% of its damage as virtual damage the Hit Points of the linked organic. At zero Hit Points, the organic linker lapses into a coma, and will require emergency medical attention.
The use of venom-derived drugs to stave off the onset of the ‘redline fever’ and mitigate some of its effects , adds +5% to their versus coma/death rolls. However, this is not without its own risk, as the chance of overdose poisoning crops up. Using the drug systems extends the bonus period for as many additional melee rounds as the organic linker has P.E. points, after which they begin suffering from nervous overload; -50% to skill rolls, partial paralysis sets in, and the link loses 1 APM, -1 to Perception, HALF the combined bonuses, and -(MINUS) 15% to Save Vs Coma rolls as the linker suffers the combined effects of redline fever and venom poisoning, until they lapse into a coma.
Backing down from redline before it goes haywire means the interface connection is broken, and even the lower stimulation mode is lost for an hour as the organic partner deals with residual shock. They can attempt to reinitiate the link after making a successful roll under their M.E. -3, or after one hour’s rest. If the link is taken over redline into the damage zone, but broken before zero HP is reached, the organic will lose consciousness but recover normally, albeit with a bad case of overall weakness and decrepitude from the overexertion.

*Forearm Force Generator----At least one Mehen was observed generating a localized forcefield around its forearms, leading observers to speculate that in lieu of a forearm-mounted ranged weapon, the Sapphire Cobras have been experimenting with outfitting the available space with a defensive field generator. The field so produced is estimated of having a protective value of 500 MDC each forearm and adds a +2 to parry with the massive forearms. The field also appears to be able to be shaped into a force enhancer, modifying forearm strike damage as follows:
Punch 4d6x10 MD
Piledriver Forearm Punch/Stomp(3 attacks)1d8x100 MD

[taalismn]

EcoS-K-148 Chillzer Warmount
(aka ‘Snomole’, ‘SnoBug’, ‘BergBuster’, ‘Snowdozer’, ‘Slurpee’, ‘IceEater’)

“If we built ice burrows and needed to roll down cleared ice roads, I imagine we’d need quite a few of these renoa pyanas, but we’re creatures of mobility, who swim through the snow, or glide atop the ice, not seek to huddle under it. The chillzer are too slow, too clumsy to course with the toothed winds and the devouring blizzard. They are good stout little beasts for their role, but they cannot do much outside it, and we of the ice demand much of our mounts.”
---Vanaka IceWraith, Aurora Warrior Warchief

“Them Aurora Warriors are cold-kill-crazy; I once saw them push some of their snomoles through an enemy encampment up in the deep freeze. Don’t know if it was intentional or not, but I saw several soldiers get sucked into the teeth of those things...got flash-frozen and ground to red snow and shot out again..painted the ice red they did.”
---Simos Rostenekov, Arctic Scout

“Worse things than being assigned to a Chillzer; at least we’re in out of the cold. Even with the bio-mods, it can get painfully cold for us former meat-bods out on the open ice. Least with a snobug we’re not sleeping with the wind howling over us and the sleet burying us. Of course, it means that when the Tribe’s on the move, we’re among the slower movers so we have to be rather more careful about being caught out by any possible ambushes. Means we rear-rankers gotta be extra diligent even though we’re not blazing trail.”
---Gerain Snowpacker, Aurora Warrior NeShemar

“The Warriors may deride the Chillzer as a cowardly drift-burrower, but really these things are like badgers; you don’t want to pick a fight with them on their chosen ground. Like the badger, the chillzer can acquire a stiff backbone and serious teeth to sink into anybody who thinks they’re a pushover.”
---Vego Axel-Hammer, Clan Motron Envoy to the Aurora Warriors

“Yeah, we just got bogged by a giant snow-thrower, but the first of you who cracks that we got blow-jobbed, I’m going to kick your teeth in...THEN I’m going to send you outside to dig us out.”
--- Srgt. Jeanne Valdumas, Ranger, Free Quebec Army, after her deep north patrol’s Mark V APC encountered an Aurora Warrior support unit.

The Chillzer is arguably a spinoff development of the EcoS-K-71 Gatar, itself a Warmount hybridization of a conventional amphibious AFV. As such, many conservative EShemar don’t regard the Chillzer as a separate type of warmount in its own right, but simply as a variant model/breed of the existing of the existing Gatar. However, because of its sighting with the Aurora Warriors, and a number of significant design differences, the Chillzer has been accorded its own designation with observer-chroniclers of the Shemarrians.
The Chillzer was first seen with what many would consider the obvious developers of the type, the Aurora Warriors, but it has come to light that the warmount is a co-development of the Steel Gaians(who created the EcoS-K-71) and Clan Motron. It’s been speculated that the two latter clans either created the Chillzer on commission from the Aurora Warriors, or developed the warmount in hopes of facilitating trade with the arctic tribe.
The Chillzer retains much of its Gatar origins; an angular vehicle-style body borne on four tread-bearing legs, internal crew/cargo compartment, rear hydrojets, amphibious-sealed hull, and two small turret-heads for self-defense weaponry. There are some changes, however, in that the hull is more streamlined to shed snow and ice, and the interior is more heavily insulated against heat loss.
The most obvious distinguishing feature of the Chillzer is is its wide scoop-style double mouth(the EcoS-K-92 Tohilan sports a similar double maw) feeding a common throat. Each mouth sports two sets of intermeshed screw-type cutters for biting into snow and ice, then channeling it into the throat. Atop the forward jaw assembly is a ‘blowhole’ topped by a directional blower spout, that can throw material in a 360-degree arc over the advancing warmount.
Too slow to be an effective cavalry warmount, too small to be an effective battle taxi, and too lightly armed to be a good artillery carrier, Chillzers have proven less effective than expected in tribal service, so few of them have been produced and the type remains something of a rare work specialist. Most Aurora Warriors, it turns out, prefer to wander atop the snow and ice, rather than burrow into it, and the odd little Chillzer proved too slow and stodgy for most of the AW fighting ranks. The Chillzer is thus typically assigned to neshemar work groups and security units who appreciate the enclosing protection offered by the design. Several of its construction features, however, have been adapted for use with other AW warmounts, in various forms(such as the snow-clearer head, subsequently available as an accessory module for warmounts such as the Monstrex). The Chillzer design has proven rather more successful in several variants as a pure robot drone, and both the Steel Gaians and Clan Motron continue to tinker with the Chillzer.

Type: EcoS-K-148 Chillzer
Class: Robotic Warmount, Utility
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1-3 passengers in the cockpit compartment, and up to 4 Shemarrians or 6 humans in the rear compartment.
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 380
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Head 100
Maw Scoops(2) 100 each
Snow Blaster 75
Turrets (2) 90 each
Rear Compartment 100
Legs(4) 130 each
Treads(4) 60 each
Height: 3.26m (10.7 ft)
Width: 3.27m(10.73 ft)
Length: 7.94m(26 ft)
Weight: 52,500 lbs
Cargo: Small space inside the cockpit for a few personal possessions and sidearms. The rear compartment can hold up to 5,000 lbs of cargo.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 30
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) 30 MPH---Can run with the treads destroyed, but the movement is rougher and not as fast.
(Treads) 50 MPH
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible
(Water) 5 MPH paddling w/ treads, 15 MPH w/ hydrojets
(Underwater) Can dive underwater, swimming at 15 MPH, or crawling along the bottom at 15 MPH. Maximum depth of 500 ft.
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of individual riders/owners.

*Thermal Stealth---The Chillzer is well-insulated and has a very effective means of baffling its thermal emissions. Thermal detection systems are -18% to detect the warmount.

*Extendable Sensor Periscope---attached to the top of the passenger compartment, this sensor mast can extend up to 5 ft up, for visibility through covering snow.

*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Chillzers have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 100 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.

*Mine Resistant Hull---The slightly V-shaped underbelly of the hull is designed to deflect damage from mines and other IEDs. Reduces damage from ground blasts by 1/4. This feature was retained from the Gatar.

Weapons Systems:
1) Eye Lasers(2) ---Standard robotic eye lasers, common in the Shemarrian arsenal. The two main eyes are mounted hammerhead-style far apart on either side of the wide snow-chewer head.
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single blast, or 6d6 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Weapons Turrets(2)---Emulating the EcoS-K-70 and EcoS-K-71, the Chillzer mounts two turrets that can operate independently of each other, or in synch. They can be fitted with a variety of light infantry weapons systems, the most common and popular configurations presented here;
The standard turret typically mounted has a 40mm grenade launcher and light rail gun in side-by-side mountings. This configuration is favored because of the versatility of the grenade launchers, which can fire specialized ammunition types, if necesssary and available.
a) Dual Light Rail Gun/Grenade Launcher
Range:(Rail Gun) 4,000 ft
(40mm Grenade Launcher) 7,000 ft
Damage:(Rail Gun)4d6 MD per 20 rd burst
(40mm Grenade Launcher) (Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to blast area of 12 ft
2d6x10 MD to blast area of 40 ft w/ 10-rd burst
(Armor Piercing) 1d4x10 MD to blast area of 3 ft
3d6x10 MD to blast area of 8 ft w/ 10-rd burst
Rate of Fire:(Rail Gun) ECHH
(40mm Grenade Launcher) ECHH
Payload:(Rail Gun)5,000 rd drum
(40mm Grenade Launcher) 250 rds

b) Monstrex Weapons Modules---Any of the ‘standard’ Monstrex-style weapons modules can be fitted into the turrets instead, streamling tribal logistics.

3) Screw Jaws---The two mouths consist of a pair of intermeshed archimedes-style screws lined with vibroblades, spinning such to cut into exposed snow, ice, and rock, and convey the broken up material to the center throat to be spewed out the blower.
The arrangement of the rotating blades makes it very likley that a target, once snagged, can be pulled in and ground up.
Range: Melee
Damage: Bite 3d6 MD
Chewing Bite(full melee) 2d4x10 MD (on a ‘to strike’ roll of 18-20 a target gets caught in the screw blades and pulled in, doing DOUBLE damage )

4) SnowBlower---Mounted in the center of the ‘forehead’ is a directional spout on a turntable, that can throw gathered in snow and material in a 360-degree arc. The blower is tough enough to handle heavy ice, sand, gravel,a nd even chopped-up tree limbs. Though not normally considered a weapon, depending on the consistency and volume of material being gathered up and projected, the snowblower can knock targets off their feet, bury them in ice and snow, shower them with gravel, or temporarily blind them in a cloud of fine powder.
The blower can also be used to bury the wramount. camouflaging it under ice, snow, and dirt.
The snowblower, in operation, has the distinction of being very loud, and can be heard for quite some distance, so operators are advised not to use it if stealth is an issue.
Range: 300 ft
Damage: Varies by the material being thrown:
(Powder Snow) Fans out into a blinding cloud covering a 30 ft wide area; one ft of accumulation per 15 seconds, reduce speed by HALF and reduce visibility to 5 ft.
(Heavy Ice/Slush) Does 2d4 SDC and victims must roll under their P.P. or be knocked off their feet(lose initiative and 1 APM struggling to get back up). Typical accumulation rate is six inches per 15 seconds.
(Gravel/Tree Limbs/Misc. Heavy Trash) 3d6 SDC and victims must roll (at +1)under their P.P.(at +1) or be knocked off their feet(lose initiative and 1 APM struggling to get back up). Typical accumulation rate is six inches per 15 seconds.
Rate of Fire: Continuous, though aiming the spout deliberately to target something takes APMs as normal.
Payload: Conditionally Unlimited, depending on how much material(ice, snow, gravel) the Chillzer is driving through and able to gather up.

5) (Optional)Smoke Mortars(1-4)
Range: 500 ft
Damage: Smoke or chemical to 15 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 3, or 4
Payload: 4 shells per launcher

6)(Optional) Armament Bay----In an effort to salvage the Chillzer as a combatant, the Steel Gaians have reworked the cargo/passenger bay to hold an extendable/retractable weapons system. This cuts the crew capacity to 2, but allows the warmount to deploy heavier weaponry, ideally from under cover of ice/snow, with only the bay weapons turret showing. This armament configuration has given the Chillzer some hope as a battle unit, but the Aurora Warrior leadership still consider it more effective as a slow-moving neshemar vehicular auxiliary or rear echelon mobile pillbox, rather than a front rank combatant.
a) Vertical Launch Cell Missile System--Can hold 36 Mini-Missiles, or 18 Short Range Missiles

b)Missile Rifle----An extremely popular CS knockoff suggested and supplied by the Steel Gaians, with the added advantage of having a coaxial light laser.
MDC: 100
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

c) 0-C CryoLaser(‘Oh-Cee’)--- The CryoLaser is a derivation of a new technology (Bose-Einstein Condensate ---BEC technology) currently under development by Paladin Steel, based on recovered pre-Rifts files attributed to the eccentric Elliot Group, a secretive think-tank that was working with the US government during the Golden Age. The 0-C is a low-powered model, considerably scaled back from the first giant-scaled ‘atom laser’, intended not as a weapons system, but as a firefighting tool, for putting out chemical fires and exotic material combustion by literally stopping their molecular activity. The ‘Oh-Cee’ has two modes of operation; a narrow-focus ‘Beam Mode’ that stops molecular motion dead, and a shorter-ranged, wide-area ‘spray; typically used for freezing pools of liquids and cooling down hot objects. The current model is fairly bulky and energy-intensive, but is remarkably effective.
(Some of the cold-attack stats courtesy of Aliens Unlimited, pg. 173)
MDC: 100
Range:(Beam Mode)1,500 ft
(Spray Mode) 700 ft
Damage: (Beam Mode) This slows down molecular motion in a relatively tight area(1-2 ft wide area), lowering the temperature to almost absolute zero... fabrics like nylon and polyester shatter like glass, electromagnetic superconductivity jumps, and liquids crystallize instantly. Ideal for cold-welding materials, freezing mechanical joints, and snuffing out plasma torches. Does 1d4 MD to structures and 2d4 MD to MDC plastics and organics.
(Spray Mode) Lowers mean temperature by 500 degrees over a 20 ft wide area of effect---This means that it may take several applications to bring a burning pool of jet fuel down to freezing, for example, or cool an glowing hot section of plating. After reaching zero degrees Celsius, it only reduces temperature in increments of 250 degrees, then 100 degrees, then 50, and so on...
Unprotected flesh hit by the beam takes 6d6 SDC in Spray Mode. Must also roll save versus non-lethal poison(12 or better) or temporarily succumb to cold.
A victim who loses all SDC(but NOT Hit Points) to a cold attack lapses into a coma, still alive, but frozen stiff. They can be revived with even heat in 3d4 minutes. Those who lose both SDC and Hit Points are +25% to save versus coma/death, and get 3d4 Hit Points back when revived, but still suffer some cellular damage.
Beings vulnerable to cold-based attacks take DOUBLE damage, while fire elementals and fire-based beings take TRIPLE damage! Water Elementals will lose 2 APMs and cut their speed by HALF for 1d4 melees, while Ice Elementals actually HEAL 1d4 MD of damage.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

d) Heavy Rail Gun--- The original intent of the Steel Gaians was rumored to have been to mount a series-6000 scava heavy rail gun wth an extra-generous supply of ammunition, but as such weaponry is generally reserved only for full Shemar, acquiring examples to be mounted on a second-echelon warmount proved too difficult(even damaged -6000 scava are cannibalized to keep other weapons operational). Other rail guns, especially readily available Northern Gun types were suggested, but lacked the compactness and performance of the scava. Clan Motron came to the rescue by suggesting the RG-14-LX ‘Baby Boom Gun’, a Black Market weapon available readily enough, with range and power to still be lethal to most targets, while still being small enough to fit inside the Chillzer’s small cargo bay. MDC: 100(Turret)
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 3x100 rd drums.
Bonus: +1 strike.
The RG-14-LX is often mounted in tandem with a coaxial energy rifle(linked to the warmount’s powerplant for unlimited shots).

e) Double Modular Weapons Mount---Can mount TWO Monstrex-style weapons modules on a common powered pedestal. MDC: 100(Turret)

f) Heavy Flamer---Fires can be especially horrifying to beings adapted to survive deep cold. A turreted nozzle is mounted atop internal fuel tanks(that can be ejected in an emergency).
MDC: 100
Range:(Direct-Stream Mode) 230 ft
Damage:(Direct-Stream Mode)
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 1d4x10 SDC
(Napalm) 1d6x10 SDC, plus does 5d6 SDC per melee for 1d4 minutes
(MD Fluid) 1d4 MD per blast, 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 minutes
(Incendi-Gel)2d6 MD, 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 minutes
(WI Napalm-P) 3d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10+10 MD per concentrated burst(counts as two attacks). 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 minutes.
Note: The flame-thrower can also be used to cover an area with fluid: up to 10 ft per attack used. Used with Super-Napalm, this does 1d4 MD, Incendi-Gel does 1d6 MD, and with Napalm-P, this does 2d6 MD.
Rate of Fire:(Direct-Stream Mode) Standard
Payload:(Direct-Stream Mode
(Gasoline/Alcohol) 20 blasts
(Napalm) 60 blasts
(MD Fluid) 100 blasts
(Incendi-Gel) 120 blasts
(WI Napalm-P) 200 blasts per tank(much more concentrated than the regular gasoline/alcohol).

g) Utility Pod---Adds a winch and crane w/ 4.6 ton lifting capacity, fusion welder rig, air compressor, and portable generator.


Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience. The Chillzer has an effective IQ of 8.
Typically has Monstrex base programming, plus the following:
Excavation 60%(+5% per level of experience for Ecotroz entity)
Mining 70%(+5% per level of experience for Ecotroz entity)
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Chillzer intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore, Espionage(Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment), Wilderness(Track Humanoids, Track Animals, Hunting, Identify Plants and Fruits).
Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 6
Initiative +2 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +1
Strike +1 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)
Roll +4
Pull(Bite) +2(this is alsohow fast the warmount can stop its rotating mouth parts from drawing in a target and effectively SLUDGING it)
Bite 3d6 MD
Chewing Bite(full melee) 2d4x10 MD (on a ‘to strike’ roll of 18-20 a target gets caught in the screw blades and pulled in, doing DOUBLE damage )
Claw 3d6 MD
Spinning Tread Claw/Sandpaper 2d4 MD, but leaves large, wide, abraded wounds that take twice as long to heal.
Body Block/Ram 3d6 MD


Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Chillzer an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. The Chillzer seems slowwitted, but tenacious and vicious when provoked or engaged in combat. To most Warriors, however, the Chillzer seems too timid and prone to digging down and in when surprised, and requires more than a little prodding to go on the offensive.

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points(most Warmounts, unless otherwise noted, have an effective IQ rating of 8 ), but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).

Options:
*Tow Hitch---Many Chillzers in service have been refitted with tow hitches, allowing them to act as caravan haulers when not working as plows or excavators.

*Ice Armor---Installs a super heatsink system.Under conditions of 50% or more humidity(or if standing in water), the Chillzer can create a sheath of superhard ice from ambient atmospheric water. The resulting icy cladding isn’t as effective as purpose-built armor(all bonuses to dodge and roll , and speed are HALVED), but the armor is renewable, and cuts damage from lasers by HALF(the ice vaporizes rather spectacularly when hit). +170 Main Body, +90 Legs.
The ice coating is also slippery, making attacks to Entangle it strike at -2.
Ice Armor takes 1d4 melees to fully form. With an adequate supply of moisture, it can be regenerated at 5 MDC per melee per location. While encased in ice, the Chillzer’s hatches CANNOT be openned without cracking the integrity of the ice armor. The treads can still move and the turrets still revolve, but they are NOT protected by the ice shield.

*TW Systems---Wayfinder-supplied TW hardware adds a supplemental TW crystal matrix PPE generator and spell-casting abilities, especially to the snow-blower assembly.
PPE Generator:
PPE Capacity: ‘Wizard’)----400 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 14 PPE per hour, 50 PPE/hour at a leyline, 100 PPE/hour on a nexus
TW Spell Projectors:
Range:(Snow Storm) 2,000 ft and covers a 120 ft area
(Shards of Ice) 1,200 ft
(Hail)4,000 ft, and affects a 50 ft radius
(Ice Ball) 4,000 ft
(Wall of Ice) 60 ft
*(Special) Increase range by 50% if operating in freezing environments.
Damage:(Snow Storm*) Temperature drop of 15 degrees below zero, 30 MPH winds, snow accumulation of 6 inches every 15 seconds/1 melee, speed reduced by HALF, visibilirt reduced to 20 ft, and cold does 10 SDC damage per melee round.
*Special Note: If used in conjunction with the CryoLaser , the snow coverage can be converted into a dense icy covering that traps whatever is caught in it. Encases them in 200 lbs of ice with an AR of 10 and 100 SDC. Victims take 4d6 points of damage(MD only if they’re susceptible to cold) per melee if unprotected.
(Shards of Ice) 1d4 MD per shard
(Hail)8d4 MD for 8 minutes(32 melees) to a 50 ft radius
(Ice Ball) 3d6 MD on impact, then explodes, 60 ft blast radius, shedding hundreds of icy shards. Human-sized objects caught in its way will get hit with 1d6 shards, each doing 2d6 MD. Fighter- and Robot-sized targets (16 ft or larger) will get hit by 1d4x10 shards. Ships and targets 50 ft and larger will get hit by 2d4x10 shards. Victims must save versus magic or suffer debilitating numbness; -1 APM, -2 initiative, -1 strike/parry/dodge, and speed is reduced by 10%. Effects last 1d4 minutes, and are NOT cumulative. The Ice Ball has 70 MDC.
(Wall of Ice) Puts down a growing wall of ice on the point of impact. Wall will be 80 ft high, 80 ft wide, and 40 ft thick, and have 2,000 SDC/400 MDC. It will persist for 40 minutes(twice as long in freezing environments) before crumbling into normal ice.
Rate of Fire:(Snow Storm) Each activation lasts 8 minutes
(Shards of Ice) Each activation lasts 8 melee rounds, during which the shooter can fire as many shard-bursts ECHH.
(Hail) ECHH
(Ice Ball) ECHH
(Wall of Ice) ECHH
Payload: (Snow Storm) 20 PPE per activation
(Shards of Ice) 8 PPE per activation
(Hail)10 PPE per shot
(Ice Ball) 25 PPE per shot
(Wall of Ice) 10 PPE per casting


Variants:
*EcoS-R148--- (aka ‘Iceler’)Wholly robotic e-animal variant of the Chillzer, the Iceler replaces the passenger and cargo compartment with a flow-thru chute, allowing the e-animal to channel ice melt and slush behind it, and tunnel deep in ice. While the Aurora Warriors were only interested enough to acquire a handful, the DarkWaters proved much more inerested, trading for hundreds to help them develop icey asteroids and ice-covered outer worlds. These ‘bots are NOT Awakened, and have Excavation at 85% and Mining at 90%.

*EcoS-R148D---- (aka ‘Chizzler’)Another wholly e-animal variant of the Chillzer that, like the Iceler, does away with internal crew/passenger/cargo capacity in order to install a rock crusher and conveyor system. The head snow-clearer has been upgraded to a rock-chewing multiple cutterhead and the lasers downgraded to shorter-ranged(100 ft) industrial laser cutters (variable damage: 2d6-6d6 MD), allowing the ‘Chizzler’ to carve through stone. Extra sensors in the form of ground sonar, molecular analyzers, electromagnetic field readers, and radiation detectors have been added to allow the ‘bot to prospect underwground. The Chizzler was developed as an alternate design the Scapterus and sees considerable use in tunneling and mining. These ‘bots are NOT Awakened, and have Excavation at 85% and Mining at 90%.

[taalismn]

EShe-AFC-061-2 Buteo Heavy Aerial Transport
(aka ‘Gere’, ‘Drive-Roc’)

“There’s a sight you don’t see often; Shemarrian air convoy....looks like at least a dozen heavies moving fast and high; they’re going someplace distant, fast, and toting a lot of heavy iron with them with those big birds. Somebody’s on the recieving end of some -serious- attention if that’s war material they’re hauling.”

“Geres’ are formidable craft; fast, powerfully armed, and able to extend the Shemarrian Nation’s reach across the globe. The CS would do well to take heed; they’re increasingly less and less the aviation power on the continent. Especially since it seems a lot of others are stealing Prosek’s thunder using the CS’s own equipment as their base.”

The Buteo is another of the Hawkmoon Tribe’s new heavy flying transports, allowing them to extend the range of their operations and establish farflung outposts of the Shemarrian Nation.
Like the ‘Thorondor’ Heavy Air Transport, the ‘Buteo’ is based loosely on a Coalition States Death’s Head Transport, but in the latter case, it is the airframe of the AFC-060 Sky Lifter that provided the basis. The design, however, has been thoroughly reworked to fit the EShemarrian, and in particular the Hawkmoon, aesthetic and tech-base. The skull prow, for example, has been revised into a sharp, jutting, aquiline beak.
The tail empennage is a multi-configuration set of vanes that can be re-oriented to shield the rear thrusters from ground fire, or can be used to re-direct engine thrust for rapid flight. The most telling feature is a set of large wings mounted on the sides, and articulated to lay flat against the sides in high speed flight, providing extra armor to the main body, but can snap open to act as air brakes and to shield debarking/embarking troops. The EShemarrians have done away with the three saucer engine mounts on the bottom, instead installing a more streamlined and powerful propulsion system capable of both higher speed and greater altitude. Armament has been revised to give the Buteo better overall combat capability.
Buteos act as both transports and mobile force bases, conveying personnel and materials that cannot be conveyed aback a flying warmount.
Though initially a Hawkmoon design, the Buteo has begun showing up in the stables of other Tribes as well.

Type: EShe-AFC-061-2 Buteo
Class: Heavy Aerial Transport
Crew: 16+320 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,300
Reinforced Crew Compartment 200
Heavy Cannon Turret(1) 350
Heavy Laser Eyes(2) 200 each
Rail Gun/Mini-Missile Turrets(4) 200 each
Wings(2) 500 each
Tail Fins(2) 300 each
Height: 88 ft, 118 ft with tail fully raised
Width: 120 ft / wings retracted, 300 ft w/ wings fully extended
Length: 260 ft
Weight: 1,950 tons
Cargo:
320 Shemarrian troops OR 120 Warmounted troops and their Warmounts.
If not carrying troops or warmounts, the Buteo can carry 500 tons of cargo
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed:(Flying) Hover to 600 MPH, maximum altitude of 30,000 ft.
Market Cost: EXCLUSIVE to the Shemarrian Nation
Systems of Note:
Standard Aircraft Systems, plus:
*Long Range Radio----500 mile range
*Long Range Radar---100 mile range
*Radar Detector---Picks up enemy radar emissions and weapons locks

*Radar, w/ Terrain-Following and Look-Down capabilities; effective range of 85 miles.

*ECM----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -6 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry.

*Sensor Jamming Suite----Sensor Jamming---An active, manned system that gives a 30%+operator’s ECM bonus chance of jamming enemy radar, including radar guided munitions and missiles. Effective range of 50 miles.

*EMP Shielding---Extensive use of nonconductive materials, shock barriers, capacitator-sponges, redundant systems, and energy-disipation technology protects the aircraft from the damaging effects of electromagnetic pulse, Triax Lightning Cannon, and other anti-electronics directed energy weaponry.

*Advanced Targeting System----Confers a +3 to strike with ranged weaponry.

*(Optional)Advanced Pilot Interface---Because of their bionic/psionic nature, EShemar pilots can take the same bonuses as that of the New German Republic’s XML cyborgs(See Rifts: Triax II for details). Otherwise, they can just take the Russian bionic cyberlink bonuses.

Weapons Systems:
1) Heavy Cannon Turret(1)---The EShemarrians liked the original CPC-200 Double-Barrel High-Powered Cannons mounted in the dorsal turret, but saw almost immediately that their technology(indigenously developed or acquired from other sources) would quickly render the Coalition weapons obsolete. Instead, the EShemar have made the dorsal turret modular, for refitting with a variety of different weapons systems.
a) Plasma Shell Cannon---Copied from the original CPC-200, only the shells have been modified for area of effect bursts.
Range: 8,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD single shell, to 15 ft blast radius, 2d6x10 MD double rd to 20 ft blast radius.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 300 shells

b) 80mm MB Gauss Cannon---Slower rate of fire, but better range and more ammunition versatility, including a specially-developed plasma-pumped laser warhead.
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
(Plasma-Pumped Laser) 1d6x10 MD to a 8 ft blast radius, plus can fire up to six laser beams simultaneously at proximity-detected targets up to 3,000 ft away from the center of detonation, each laser doing 1d4x10 MD. Laser-reflective armors take FULL damage from the x-ray component of the laser strike. Or 2-6 of the lasers can fire on the same target.
Rate of Fire: 5 shots per melee
Payload: 300 rds

c) Skullshatter Cannon(2)----These multi-barrel rail-cannon can fire truly impressive bursts of hypervelocity rounds that can obliterate a target in mere seconds!
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per round, 6d6x10 MD for a three shot burst, 1d6MDx100 for a six shot burst per gun(!)
So a dual cannon short burst would do 2d6x100 MD(!)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 820 shot drum per cannon.

d) Heavy Laser Cannon
Range: 7 miles in atmosphere
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: Four shots per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

e) Plasma Torpedo Launcher---A direct line of sight energy weapon firing a bolt of plasma that ‘splashes’ on target. Unlike those weapons on larger warships, which use tractor beams to direct the plasma bolts, these smaller weapons are direct fire weaponry.
Range: 10 miles in atmosphere
Damage: 2d4x100 MD to a 100 ft blast radius per missile
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-2, twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

f) Tachyon Scatter Cannon--- These are typically used to create a ‘firebreak’ in front of the ship for destroying incoming missiles, mines, and other projectiles.
Range: 1.5 miles (2,500 m) in atmosphere w/ 4,000 mile wide arc
Damage: 3d6x10 MD per single cannon firing, 6d6x10 MD for two barrels firing simultaneously(counts as one attack).
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Light Disrupter Cannon (2)---Copied from Golgan Republik weapons(much to the disgust of those Golgans who learn of this blatant tech-theft).
Range: 2 miles in atmosphere
Damage: 2d4x10 MD single barrel firing, 4d4x10 MD for two barrels firing simultaneously(counts as one attack), at point of impact, then 25% of that in a 20 ft radius
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

h) Particle Beam Cannons(2)
Range: 1.5 miles in atmosphere
Damage: 3d6x10 MD single barrel firing, 6d6x10 MD for two barrels firing simultaneously(counts as one attack).
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

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

j) TW Lightning Cannon(2)----This weapon requires PPE generators to power it. Launches a blast of mystic lightning.
Range: 9,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 15 PPE per shot

2) Heavy Laser Eyes(2) ---The ‘raptor head’ eyes are really powerful laser cannons, ironically enough copied from Coalition designs.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

3) Rail Gun/Mini-Missile Turrets(4)---These replace the CS’s mini-missile launchers
Range:(Rail Gun) 5,000 ft
(Mini-Missiles) Varies, generally one mile
Damage:(Rail Gun) 1d6x10 MD per 20 rd burst
(Mini-Missiles)Varies By Missile Type
Rate of Fire:(Rail Gun) EGCHH
(Mini-Missiles)Volleys of 1-6
Payload:(Rail Gun) 3,000 rd drum per turret
(Mini-Missiles) 100 per turret

4) Flare/Chaff Launchers(4)
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 48 per launcher

Variants:
*EShe-AFC-061-2B---Bomber variant, for those occasions when blasting a target with scava-fire isn’t enough. The AFC-061-2B can carry 350 tons of freefall ordnance and drop it on target. An AFC-061-2B with smart/glide bombs can obliterate large towns/small cities, or wreak havoc on field armies.
Payload: 350 ton ordnance capacity.
*250-lb Bomb----2d4x10 MD to 50 ft blast radius
*500-lb Bomb----4d4x10 MD to 60 ft blast radius
*750-lb Bomb----4d6x10 MD to 65 ft blast radius
*1,000-lb Bomb----1d4x100 MD to 70 ft blast radius
*1,650 lb bomb(1d6x100 MD to 75 ft blast radius)
*2,000-lb Bomb----2d4x100 MD to 80 ft blast radius
‘Smart’ bombs from Rifts: Mercenaries(pg. 115)
Bonuses for ‘Smart’ munitions: Hitting a large stationary target like a buiilding, bridge, or large immobile vessel/vehicle is automatic! To hit a moving target, roll to strike(with a +6 to strike), A volley can target one target, or separate to attack several targets.

*EShe-AFC-061-2(Sm)--- SilverMoon variant, w/ a coating of laser-reflective chrome(lasers do HALF damage) and all laser systems aboard have 20% greater range.

*EShe-AFC-061-2(Wf)--- WayFinder variant, the Wayfinders typically outfit their transports with TW systems, adding PPE generators and spell systems:
PPE Power Matrixes:
-(‘Wizard’)----400 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 14 PPE per hour, 50 PPE/hour at a leyline, 100 PPE/hour on a nexus
-(‘Sorcerer’)--- 600 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 20 PPE per hour, 60 PPE/hour at a leyline, 120 PPE/hour on a nexus

-PPE Sensors----Kirillian-style PPE sensor system; 9,000 ft range.

-(Boosted) Ley Line Flier---Can fly effectively indefinitely on a ley line at 500 MPH.

-Impervious to Energy---5 minutes per 20 PPE/40 ISP pumped in.

-Doppleganger-Cloak----This amplification of the Multiple Images Spell allows the aircraft to project multiple ‘ghost’ images of itself(up to 3 separate images). These multiple images can carry out a series of preprogrammed ariel manuevars(can also simulate weapons fire/gun flashes, but only if the mothership is also firing at the same time), but must remain within a mile of the the projecting aircraft(or they vanish without a trace). Also note that the images don’t show up on radar or thermo-imaging, and cannot be used to fool homing missiles, though they DO give off a PPE trace similar to the projecting aircraft.
Range: ‘Ghosts’ can be projected up to 5,000 ft away
Duration: 5 minutes per activation
PPE Activation Cost: 20 PPE per activation

-Flicker-Dodge---A special capability copied by the Wayfinders from an overseas TW concern, this is an application of the Astral Hole spell. This allows the aircraft to quickly dodge out of sight/reality, for a few seconds, or move up to 2000 ft sideways, up, down, or backwards , with a +2 to dodge while doing so. Typically, an aircraft can engage this system 6 times before needing to recharge the system on a Ley Line(takes about 24 hours), or the pilot can pump in 120 PPE per “flicker-dodge”.

-Forcefield---Provides 50 MDC per 10 PPE/20 ISP pumped into the system; lasts 10 minutes per 10 PPE/20 ISP.

*Mystical Stealth System----Renders the hovercraft silent and invisible, even during the day. Great for evading detection, surveillance, and tailing, but the moment the hoverrcraft takes any sort of aggressive maneuver, the stealth drops and the ‘craft can be readily detected. Costs 20 PPE per 3 minutes of activation.

-NIghtcloak System---Effective only at night, this system renders the aircraft virtually invisible in darkness; enemies are -6 to strike, -4 to dodge. Costs 10 PPE per 30 minutes.

-Leyline Booster(Accelerates the jet up to 50% greater top speed when on a leyline, -10% to pilot skill when engaged)

-TW Fire Control System----Supplements the regular fire extinguisher system, and is often more effective at controlling electrical and chemical fires. Costs 4 PPE per minute/activation.

-Tornado---It is said that the Wayfinder variant can spin up a mystically-fueled tornado for 30 PPE, letting the 100-ft wide weather disturbance rampage for up to 10 minutes.
-Atmosphere Manipulation---Another TW weather control trick is the ability to manipulate weather temperature and fog in a 3,000 ft radius for 300 minutes, at a cost of 25 PPE.
-Summon Storm---Another weather-summoning trick, calling up a torrential downpour storm in a 10 mile area, lasting 5 hours, for 50 PPE. It is said that the Wayfinders have made liberal use of this ability in their renewed campaigns against the vampires of the SouthWest, swamping entire vampire nests.


*EShe-AFC-061-2(Gr)--- Ghost Rider variant, identifiable by its third ‘wing’(really a large radome) mounted aft of the turret atop the main hull. The -061-2(Gr) acts as an aerial early warning/electronic warfare post and jamming platform.
-Long Range Sensors---Long range radar with all-weather capability, 200 mile range
-Radio Jamming---A powerful radio jammer that has 90% effectiveness against civilian band radio systems and 75% against military systems. Effective range of 90 miles.
-Sensor Jamming---The AFC-061-2(Gr) can project electronic ‘ghosts’ to
decoy sensor-guided weaponry and confuse enemy sensors. Range: 95 mile radius
-ECM----A broad area jamming suite that gives the craft a -8 to be struck by radar-guided weaponry.

*EShe-AFC-061-2(Fw)--- FlameWings variant, which mounts four additional plasma thrusters(2 on each wing, 200 MDC each) which boost the speed to 560 MPH. The plasma jets can also be used to scorch the landscape below the transport when hovering(effective range of the plasma jets is 200 ft, and each does 2d4x10 MD to a 15 ft wide area.)
-Thermal Refractory Armor Plating---Heat- and plasma-based attacks do only 1/4 their normal damage.

*EShe-AFC-061-2(Sg)---Steel Gaian variant, mounting PS-RFRG30 Rail Guns instead of rail guns in its point defence turrets.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 6d6 MD per 30 rd burst.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 2,400 rd drum per cannon

[kronos]

Dredadon Variant

EcoS-K-76BrS---Aka ‘Dredadon Birun’, Sprinter, or Fastdodo...While the Blood Riders favour the Dredadon over the much lighter, and faster Monst-Crane, they did need some faster cavalry warmounts that could keep up with the Incindar, but had both the range of the Dredadon's missiles and its heavy close attack capabilities. The Sprinter is a bit thinner, with lighter armour, the head is a bit smaller and slightly more aerodynamic in design. It has longer and thinner legs built for speed, while the tail has fewer, but longer blades. The thrusters are a little more powerful to allow the sprinter to make even greater leaps which add to its improved speed. The smaller body does reduce how many missiles the sprinter can carry, but its improved speed allow it to quickly close to use its scythe wings to great effect.
The Sprinters are used mostly by scouts and 'light' cavalry and rapid response units as the sprinter's thruster leaps allow it to out pace any other ground units the Blood Riders have, making the rider's the first into battle.

Changes/Modifications: 
Main Body 500
Head 120
Wing-Scythes(2) 120 each
Legs(2) 300 each
Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 90 each
Tail Blades(27) 15 each
Thruster Jets(2) 90 each
Height: 36 ft 
Width: 31 ft 
Length: 38 ft
Weight: 42 tons
Speed: (Running) 170 MPH. Can make a thruster-assisted charge, able to cover 1 mile in a single action as part of an attack, adds +3d6 to melee strikes.
(Leaping) 15 ft up/20 ft across. A thruster-assisted jump is 100 ft up/across. A running jump w/ thruster boost is 150 ft up/200 ft across. 

Weapons Systems:
1)Eye Lasers(2) ---Standard robotic eye lasers, common in the Shemarrian arsenal. 
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD per single blast, or 6d6 MD per double blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH 
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Plasma Scythes(2) ----The ‘wings’ are actually powerful plasma blades that can spray a ‘firefeather storm’ incinerating wide swathes of area, on the sprinter they are a little smaller. 
Range:(Blade) Melee
(Plasma Blast) 1,200 ft
Damage:(Blade) 2d6 MD un-powered, 5d6 MD powered
(Plasma Blast) 4d6 MD to 20 ft wide area
Rate of Fire: ECHH 
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Mini-Missile Launchers(2) ---Mounted in pectoral installations are two mini-missile launchers with a generous supply of ammunition for sustained combat. 
Range: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missile)
Damage: Varies by Missile Type(Mini-Missile)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-4
Payload: 20 each launcher, 40 total

5) Razor-Tail---The Sprinter's ‘razor tail’ is a turkey-like fan of overlapping molecularly-sharp blades. Anybody attempting to grapple the warmount from behind will run the risk of running up on 1d4 tail blades, each doing 1d6 MD damage. The blades can also be ejected like projectiles. Sprinters are also known to ‘rattle’ these plate-blades prior to combat, causing what one observer dubbed ‘cutlery-chatter’. 
Range:(Blades) Melee
(Projectiles) 600 ft
Damage:(Blades) 1d6 MD per blade
(Projectiles)1d6+1 MD per blade
Rate of Fire:(Blades) Passive defense; the sprinter can use APMs to swing its body to bring the tail to bear between it and opponents.
(Projectiles) Volleys of 1-6. 
Payload: 27 tail blades
The tail blades are one of the few body parts that can be completely regenerated if destroyed/expended; a complete tail blade is re-grown at 4d6 MD per hour. 
Ejected tail blades can be recovered and reused/reattached if they possess more than 50% of their MDC; otherwise they can be consumed by the sprinter and recycled that way. Ground troops(EShemar and NeShemar) as well as affiliates have been known to use discarded Dredadon tail vanes as shields. 

Programming:
Dodge +6
Automatic Dodge +3 
Roll +4
Head Butt/Slash 3d6 MD
Head Butt/Cleave(2 attacks) 1d6x10 MD
Wing Power Stab(2 attacks) 1d4x10 MD un-powered, 1d6x10 MD powered. 

[taalismn]

There’s a million epic tales in the ranks of the Shemarrian clans; these are just a few of them.....

Sayo Matari(Darkwater NPC)

“My personal title and rank? That’s simple. Ship’s Lover.”

(...less than fifteen minutes have elapsed since my new crewmember has come aboard me, and she’s already suborned the cat remotes to her side. I may have lost control of the situation-)
---Internal log of SSNSSS Pentac

“What do I want in life? I want to dance among the stars. I want to listen to the music of the cosmos. I want to taste starlight. I want to drink deep of the cool depths of the universe. And I want a partner to share it all wth, a warm hand to clasp with my own, a firm shoulder to rest my head upon, and a heartbeat to love to.”
(...I don’t have a heartbeat. Not anymore.)
“Oh, you do. I can hear it in your engines and the breathing of your ventilation. I can hear it, and I think it’s -beautiful-.”

“What a lot of folks don’t realize is that the Dark Waters, being ‘bots in body, like to spend a lot of time OUTSIDE their ships...like on the hull, walking around, if they’re in safe space. Many have favorite places to hang out when not on duty. A lot of the Dark Waters space-adapted neshemar, too, like to pick a place on their assigned ships’ hulls and stargaze for a few hours. Pentac and Matari are no exception; she admits she and his body-avatar like sitting on the prow of his secondary sensor array and watch the cosmos float by, especially when they’re in a particularly nice Shemar system. Pretty cool by her standards and perceptions, but it must be odd for him, laying out on himself with his girlfriend...kind of like watching the back of yourself with your significant other.”

*“Yes, dear, I do know enough not to stick my face near or poke the unknown alien lifeform; I’ll let the remotes handle it while I’m behind at least three layers of containment. And yes, love, I know you’ve got at least a half-dozen armed security remotes watching over my shoulder. It’s nice to know you’re looking out for me, but I am a professional scientist and well-versed in proper xenoscience protocols, just as you are in warship security procedure.”

Sayo Matari is a NeShemar of the Darkwaters, though she can also be considered an Eccentric by association. She is the acknowledged consort and flesh-and-blood ‘better half’ of the Eccentric NeShemar Star Cruiser SSNSSS Pentac.
She originally came to the Tribes as a refugee pulled from a broken world somewhere in the Thundercloud Galaxy. Young, frightened, and badly injured, she was among the survivors who were taken up by EShemar evacuation forces and several hundred other refugees crowded aboard a responding EShemar warship, the SSNSSS Pentac. The handful of Clan Pantheron assistants aboard the ship were stretched thin attending to all those brought aboard, but even while they were away seeing to others, young Matari had company; the voice that spoke to her from the ship itself.
To her astonishment she discovered that the ship bearing her to safety was in fact ALIVE, empowered by a cyborg intelligence. A cyborg intelligence whose avatar was a young man, and one who was TERRIBLY alone. Even though he comforted and distracted her in her pain with tales of his experiences among the stars, she could sense the quiet loneliness in the ship-soul.
Though resettled on an EShemar world safely deep in their territory, Matari couldn’t stop thinking of her experiences aboard Pentac. She realized she wanted to know more of his story. She realized she wanted to be -part- of his story. She wanted to walk the stars with him and be by his side as he adventured across a fantastic cosmos rife with wonders.
Matari was already dependent on cybernetics to stay alive as a result of her earlier injuries. It wasn’t hard to get enrolled in an Upgrade program, specially with the assistance and sponsorship of a Tribal matron she had cultivated an etrenship bond with. She wanted to join the Shemarrian fleet which she did when she attained her majority, and she trained hard when the opportunity presented itself. And after passing the tests and serving mandatory rotations aboard the colonial defense fleet, she was graduated and given the chance to select where she wanted to go. She wanted a specific assignment; the Eccentric SSNSSS Pentac. Though Pentac was considered an Eccentric free agent, he was still beholding to the orders of the Dark Waters, and thus obliged to accept new crew assignments. It took some time to track down the Eccentric, but one day a Chyrsophostar courier drone dropped out of hyperspace next to the Pentac as it/he waited at a rendezvous point and delivered the ship’s new crewmember.
Once aboard, it didn’t take her long to make herself a vital part of the ship’s operating system with some strong Companion Therapy applied to the Pentac’s resident AI..
Sayo Matari serves aboard Pentac as the warm, smiling face that greets new arrivals aboard ship. She also offers a more human perspective and viewpoint to the automated medical and science systems aboard the ship. Though Pentac may do most of the heavy lifting(and cooking), Matari gives color and enthusiasm to the routines of ship work. But she regards her true role as the ship’s consort and companion. It is a role that has already proven frightening, exciting, stimulating, and heartwarming.

Level of Experience:5th Level Mission Specialist/HU Academy Officer
Rank: Mission Specialist, NeShemar
Race:Human
Alignment: Scrupulous
Land of Origin: Gitavis Colony(extinct TGE colony world), later Aois, Shemarrian Star Nation, Thundercloud Galaxy
Age: 24
Sex: Female
Height: 5’ 11”
Weight: 120 lbs
Physical Description/Appearance:
Young slender-build buxom human female. Long blue-black hair, violet eyes, and light skin. Can manifest a set of large glowing vaporous wings.
Disposition:
Friendly, smiling, and good humored, but dedicated to the Fleet position she has made for herself. She has an almost spiritual regard for space travel, likes meeting people, and enjoys stargazing. She has a curious, inquiring mind
Besides her duty, though, she’s a starry-eyed romantic, empathic and sensitive to others. She regards Pentac as her soulmate, and believes it’s a form of cosmic kismet that two such people of traumatic backgrounds were able to find each other. Some might say that she’s overly optimistic and naive, or perhaps unconsciously shellshocked by her early life trauma into believing that nothing can go wrong now, but Matari is well aware of the hazards in the path she’s chosen. She keeps Pentac sane, and he keeps her real.
Though she doesn’t like fighting personally, she subscribes to the EShemar belief that violence is sometimes the best tool and often the ONLY tool, so she keeps her combat skills sharp with practice. She will fight in self-defense, and that extends to SSNSSS Pentac and those aboard him.
Physical Attributes/Superlatives:
IQ: 14
ME: 13
MA: 22
PS: 15, and is considered to be Extraordinary
PP: 17
PE: 30 (*Fatigues at 1/10th normal rate)
PB: 19
SPD: 13

(ISP):---
(PPE): 9

Hit Points: 67
SDC: 38
MDC: 253 (+31 exposed to space)
Horror Factor:---
Special Abilities/Characteristics/Powers:(Bio-Mod)

-Energy Wings(Major)--Wings each have 80 MDC, recover 1d6 MD per minute, and are NOT affected by physical attacks(are vaporized on contact, or go right through). Energy attacks do full damage.
*Flight---510 MPH, maximum altitude of 30,000 ft. Can also fly in outer space.
*+1 APM, +1 initiative, +2 strike when in flight, +2 dodge when flying under 90 MPH, +6 dodge when flying faster. +2 to hand to hand damage for every 60 MPH of speed.
*Unaffected by thin air, high altitudes, or G-forces of less than 5g. Can hold breath for up to 8 minutes.
*Damage Field/ Projectile Shielding---Simply brushing up against the wings does 2d6 SDC/MD damage(depending on what the person is). Used DELIBERATELY as a slashing weapon, the energy wings do 5d6 points of damage. The damage field can also be used to shield the person from projectile weapons, provided they can be destroyed by 2d6 points of damage.
*Energy Blast---The bio-mod also allows for the expulsion of energy blasts; 200 ft range +100 ft per level of experience(Matari currently has a blast range of 700 ft in atmosphere, 2,100 ft in space), 4d6 MD per blast.

-Space-Native(Minor)---The addition of several new layers of nanite-impregnated skin, new glandular network, and modifications to the internal organs, provide the character with the equivalent of a built-in spacesuit and closed life support. The character can survive exposure to vacuum, space cold, and radiation. Special membranes in the mouth, nose, ears, and lower gastrointestinal tract close off openings, special nictating eyelids slide over the exposed eyeballs, and an insulating and pressure-retaining layer of skin activates. A thick sweat composed of special chemicals and nanites wells up onto the skin and hardens into a flexible thin overlayering protecting the skin(this incidentally and entirely coincidentally gives the skin a crystalline shimmer). Special chemical glands in the lungs goes into action, recycling respiratory gases.
-Can survive in space unprotected for 3 days per level of experience, +2 days per P.E. point.
-In space, has the following bonuses:
+1 APM, +2 initiative, +1 strike, parry, disarm, pull punch, +3 dodge, +4d6+12 SDC/MDC.
Impervious to normal extremes of cold, cold-based magic does HALF damage. Gravity-Manipulation attacks are only HALF as effective. Impervious to radiation and radiation attacks.

-Flight: Space(Minor)---This takes the form of a contra-gravity manipulation system integrated into the person’s bones, that gives them powered movement capabilities in microgravity environments.
-In space, has the following bonuses:
-In a gravity well, can effectively GLIDE at 40-50 MPH.
-Low gravity conditions, can fly at a flat rate of 200 MPH, and is +4 to dodge when hovering, +6 to dodge flying at 90 MPH or faster.
-In ZERO gravity conditions, can fly at Mach 10(15200 MPH) , and is +1 APM, +1 initiative, strike, parry, and disarm, +6 dodge, +1 roll, and +2d6+6 SDC/MDC. Also, the nictating membranes that protect the eyes serve as telescopic lenses, allowing for hawk-like vision of 5 miles in space.

*Personal Forcefield----The character can generate an additional layer of protection in the form of a conformal forcefield that has 2 SDC/MD per point of P.E., +10 per level of experience. Creating/maintaining the field costs 1 APM. This can also be used to facilitate an unassisted atmospheric reentry followed by using the Flight: Space ability to glide to a safe landing, although heat bleed-through is likely to make her feel a bit cooked by the time she reaches lower altitudes and slower speeds.

--Extraordinary Physical Endurance(Minor)---The bio- mod qualifies as Class IV by making the recipient a minor megadamage being, via an intermesh through the person’s body, supporting them, reinforcing joints and muscles, and creating a damage-resistant energy armor.
*Fatigues at 1/10th normal rate
*+1d6+5 P.E.
*Effectively becomes a megadamage being with 4d4x10 MD +2d4 per level of experience.

-Hibernation Capability---In an emergency, special organs and glands in the augment’s body spin special biological antifreeze substrates into the blood and cell walls, moisture is sequestered, and metabolic processes are damped to near-death levels, allowing the bio-mod to slip into a state of hibernation. This can be very useful when stranded in space, extending limited life support. In conditions of extreme cold and/or vacuum, the bi-mod can slip into a coma state in as little as 30 minutes, and can go without food, water, and breathing for four months per point of P.E. Upon being reintroduced into a warm, breathable atmosphere, the person will revive, but will be horribly thirsty(requiring substantial re-hydration), and weak and shaky( -2 APMs, and at HALF bonuses and skill proficiencies) for 1d4 days per four months of elapsed hibernation until they can get fed and acclimated back up to full health.

-Physical Transformation---The recipient is physically optimized; they are icons of glowing good health. +1d4 P.E., +1d6 P.B., +1d6 SPD, +2d6 Hit Points, +4d6 SDC, and +1d6 to P.S., plus it is considered to be Extraordinary.

-Mind/Body Attunement---The recipient’s nervous system is amped to be more in tune with themselves; +1 APM, +2 on initiative, +4 save versus Horror Factor, +1 save versus poison and disease, and +2 save versus possession.

-Hypnotic Brain Conditioning----Because of the psychologically daunting environment of deep space, and the many dangers Dark Waters neshemar are expected to face, they receive special deep resistance indoctrination and mental shielding; +5 save vs mind control, +4 save vs illusions and Horror Factor, +2 save vs all other psionic attacks. Impervious to Possession.

-Uncanny Targeting and Throwing: The bio-mod possesses an almost videogame-style targeting ability, having a +2 to strike at twice the normal effective range of a ranged weapon, can fire/throw from a moving position without penalty, and can, using only 1 APM, simultaneously attack two separate targets(albeit without any bonuses to strike). Also has a flat +2 to parry and dodge incoming projectiles and energy blasts. In the three dimensional combat arena that is deep space, this ability to accurately aim and shoot can be vital to surviving.

Magic:---
Psionics:---
Cybernetics/Bionics:
Universal Headjack
Sub-Vocal Throat Microphone and Radio Communicator
Skills: 5th Level (Equiv. N&SS Academy Officer)
Language/Literacy
-Trade Four 98%/ 98%
-Shemarrian 75%/ 70%
-Trade One 75% / 60%
-Trade Six 70%/55%
Lore: Galactic 50%
Military Etiquette 85%
Pilot Hovercraft 90%
Pilot Military Spacecraft(Small) 90%
Navigation: Interplanetary 70%
Orbital Navigation 75%
Radio: Basic Operations 70%
Laser Communications 60%
FTL Radio(Radio: Deep Space) 75%
Read Sensory Equipment 65%
Computer Operations 75%
Computer Programming 70%
Math: Basic 80%
Math: Advanced 80%
Research 75%
Basic Electronics 65%
Basic Repair & Maintenance 50%
Astrophysics 65%
Chemistry 65%
Chemistry: Analytical 55%
Xeno-Botany 60%
Xeno-Biology 65%
Biology 75%
Criminal Science/Forensics 65%
Pathology 75%
Medical Doctor 98%/95%
Internal Medicine 90%/80%
Surgery 90%
Nano Medicine: 75%
Nano Surgery: 50%
Cooking 60%
Dance 40%
Vac Suit Operations 85%
Movement: Zero Gravity 98%
Depressurization Training
Zero Gravity Combat: Elite
E.V.A. 75%
Acrobatics
Sense of Balance 95%
Walk Tightrope 87%
Prowl 30%
Climbing 80%
Pilates
Hand to Hand: Martial Arts
W.P. Knife(+2 strike, +3 parry, +3 thrown)
W.P. Rifle, Assault/Automatic(+3 strike)
W.P. Energy Pistol(+3 strike)
W.P. Energy Rifle(+3 strike)

Actions/Attacks per Melee: 5(+2 in space)
Initiative:+2 (+3 in space)
Strike: +3 (+3 in space)
Parry:+4 (flat +2 to parry projectiles and energy blasts)(+2 in space)
Dodge::+5 (flat +2 to dodge projectiles and energy blasts)(+9 in space)
Roll::+3(+1 in space)
Pull Punch::+3(+1 in space)
Entangle +1

Saves:
+30% Vs Coma/Death
+8 Vs Poison
+8 Vs Magic
+2 Vs Psionics
+5 Vs Mind Control
+4 Vs Horror Factor
+4 Vs illusions
Charm/Impress 45%
Trust/Intimidate 60%
Impervious to Possession
Impervious to normal extremes of cold, cold-based magic does HALF damage. Gravity-Manipulation attacks are only HALF as effective.
Impervious to radiation and radiation attacks.

Notable Possessions/Equipment:
*NeShemar Vacsuit(60 MDC)
*DarkWater Uniforms and robes of office(generally 20-45 MDC)
**HI-Laser Pistol
*Communications/Comp-interface vambrace and headset
*Media-Cube--A small crystalline audio/video storage device keyed to the owner’s bio-profile, containing personal imagery and recordings. Matari maintains a travelogue/scrapbook of the places she’s been and things she’s experienced, in addition to her more formal duty logs.
* Silver Cat Diadem----Given to Matari by a Clan Pantheron Mystic after Pentac did some additional work for the cat-clan when he looped back through their space. The Mystic claimed the diadem was a gift of Bast and has magical powers. What those magical powers are, Matari and Pentac have yet to fully discover, but it’s been observed to grow silver cat ears, giving the wearer both Extraordinary Hearing, increased situational awarness and reflexes(Automatic Dodge, no bonuses) and Body Weapons(cat claws extend from each finger)
*Personal wardrobe
Vehicle:
Has access to Pentac’s hangar decks and garage