Ideas on Glitter Boy Pilot Culture

[Hotrod]

The discussion about the RUE classes that some folks don't want to play as much reminded me about this. A while back I started a Rifter article submission about Glitter Boy pilot culture and organizations. Think something like a motorcycle club, and you'll get the idea. I meant for this article to explain how people keep these suits going and in the family after hundreds of years of regular use and combat. Since there's not much point to submitting to the Rifter anymore, I figured I'd share my notes here:

Definitions:

Glitter Boy associations are loose, decentralized groups that share common values. They focus on training pilots, supporting pilots and their families, and preserving their Glitter Boys for the future. There are four main Glitter Boy associations in North America: the Minutemen, the Old Guard, the Riggers, and the Sons of Thunder. Each association is made up of many chapters which share common rules and traditions. One tradition that all associations share is a sense of history and prestige. Great battles, campaigns, and individual deeds become part of the story for each suit and pilot, commemorated and shared through oral traditions, pilot suit patches, or digital recordings.

Chapters are mostly-autonomous groups within an association that are usually made up of a single armory and a number of homesteads, normally numbering 6-15 members total (not including any wanderers in their area). Chapters handle their own business and occasionally assist other chapters with parts, supplies, and reinforcements.

Armory: A small, fortified compound owned and operated by the local chapter of a Glitter Boy association. Each armory usually includes three senior Glitter Boy pilots (chapter president, vice, and sergeant-at-arms) who work here and may live here too, a couple of operators, and their families. In an emergency, they can call in help from homesteads and wandering members in the area and gather 6-12 Glitter Boys in a matter of hours. Armories usually have some extra housing for wandering pilots visiting the armory. This is where members meet, get their suits fixed, and get most of their contract work. Armories can repair most battle damage and usually have enough spare parts on-hand to get even a totally wrecked suit up and running in a matter of a week or two.

Homestead: a home base of one or two Glitter Boy pilots who have settled down to a fairly quiet, family-focused life. Includes a secure and usually hidden garage big enough to house 2 or 3 Glitter Boys, basic supplies, and a radio that can reach other homesteads and the nearest armory. Homesteads usually have enough ammunition and supplies to fully re-stock a Glitter Boy at least four times over. They may also house one or two visiting Glitter Boys from time to time.

Wanderers, journeymen, or nomads are Glitter Boy pilots who are members of an association who don't belong to any specific chapter. Although they don't enjoy voting rights in a chapter, they're entitled to the same hospitality, resupply, and maintenance as any other member at the chapter's armory and homesteads. Wanderers can also take on any mercenary work the Chapter is doing. Chapters expect wanderers in their territory to check in with them, inform them of any mercenary work they're taking, and come to the chapter's aid if called.

Freelancers are Glitter Boy pilots who don't belong to any association.

Membership requirements and traditions vary from association to association, but generally require a functioning suit and a standard of skills, values, and discipline demonstrated over a period of time (at least six months, more commonly a year or more) within a chapter or under the personal mentorship of a wandering member. Prospective members enjoy free repairs, resupply, and maintenance at their sponsoring chapter. They are expected to obey members of their sponsoring chapter or mentor, assist in contracts (for which they take a reduced cut), and take on menial tasks as they learn their trade and earn their place. Some associations and chapters have elaborate trials and ceremonies involved in the membership process, but generally, new members get voted in by a group of 6 or more existing members (typically a chapter or other gathering). Associations also have a special status for family members and key supporters (such as operators who fix their suits), and while only pilots can be members, these people enjoy the respect, financial support, and protection of members and prospective members.

Glitter Boy Pilot Associations of North America

The Minutemen

NEMA's Final Formation

The Minutemen are the oldest, largest, and most-traditional Glitter Boy pilot association. Founded by NEMA when that organization couldn't sustain a viable and active command, control, and logistics structure, they operate much like militia of the 1700's: assemble, fight, and disperse. NEMA established a system of chapters, armories, and homesteads that has endured for over 200 years. Most members live on homesteads. Some wander, seeking to prove themselves worthy of their armor's legacy. Exclusively human, the vast majority of members are descended pilots, though they do accept first-generation pilots who conform to their rules and standards (must be a human with the Glitter Boy Pilot O.C.C. and an unmodified G-10). Prospective members are called "recruits."

Minutemen revere their suits, their forefathers, and the mystique of the Glitter Boy as a symbol of hope and resistance against the terrors from the rifts. The Minutemen exclusively use G-10s, and they do not permit any markings, logos, accessories, extra weapons, or modifications to their suits. The suit itself is their symbol. Their faceless chrome suits provide the protection of anonymity and the prestige of their heritage. Members hand down their suits to family members and protoges. They will gather and fight to recover any Minutemen suits that have been stolen, wrecked, or salvaged by outsiders. They also hunt down members and other Glitter Boy Pilots who fall into banditry or slaving as a pro-bono service (they'll keep the salvage). More than any other group, the Minutemen are responsible for the G-10's reputation as a suit of heroes.

The Minutemen do a mix of vigilante and mercenary work against bandits, slavers, and supernatural horrors. They generally respect local governments and laws, though they usually stay out of government and politics. They do not participate in large-scale wars unless they see one side as an existential threat to humanity (such as the Minion Wars). Their chapters are neutral to the Coalition, which in turn either tolerates or ignores them. Most members keep their Glitter Boys hidden on homesteads, and their neighbors often have no idea that a Glitter Boy is parked just a mile or two away. Even their chapter armories tend to keep a low profile. Often the first time bandits realize that they're in an area protected by the Minutemen is when the first volleys of Boom Gun fire rip through their ranks.

Officially, the Minutemen get their support from taking a percentage of contracts and salvage that come through their armories. Secretly, the Minutemen are sponsored by the Republicans, many of whom are members of both organizations. The Minutemen are friendly with the Old Guard and will aid them when possible. They tolerate and work with Riggers, but they do not respect them and will rarely ask for or give aid to them. They will not work with the Sons of Thunder under any but the most desperate circumstances.

The Old Guard

The Quebecois Legacy

The Old Guard is a group of veterans from Free Quebec's Glitter Boy Legions and their descendants. Most of their members are descended pilots. They're similar to the Minutemen in most respects, but concentrated in and around Free Quebec and less common elsewhere. Most Old Guard members are strongly human supremacist and leery of working with or for debees or magic users to a greater degree than the Minutemen. They respect most local governments and laws, and they do some vigilante and mercenary work against bandits, slavers, and alien predators. A Prospective Old Guard is a "bleau." There is a notable social distinction and generally friendly rivalry between Old Guards who have served in the Glitter Boy Legions ("Les Veterans") and descended Old Guards who have not ("Les Voltiguers").

The Old Guard revere the G-10 almost as much as the Minutemen and do not allow armor modifications or markings. However, they have begun accepting Triax and Free Quebec Glitter Boy models and variants, and they are happy to use separate accessories and backup weapons, as long as they aren't alien or magic in nature. Inside Free Quebec, Old Guard members tend to live and keep their armor closer to their communities and are far less secretive about their membership. Outside Free Quebec, they operate similarly to the Minutemen, and since neither organization puts identifying marks on their suits, many outsiders believe this group to be one and the same with the Minutemen.

The Old Guard's mercenary work is a bit more focused than the Minutemen: they avoid working for or with debee organizations, and they sometimes get clandestine contracts from the Free Quebec military. Wandering Old Guard pilots range far and wide across North America, and they collect and report a great deal of useful information about events across the continent back to their homeland.

Officially, the Old Guard sustain themselves from contracting fees and salvage. Secretly, Free Quebec provides parts and maintenance support. Old Guard pilots are overwhelmingly loyal to their homeland, and many (especially Les Veterans) returned to active duty at the start of the Coalition War Campaign. This put wandering Old Guard pilots (mostly Les Voltiguers) in a bit of a bind when many of their support networks packed up and went home, but they could still get repairs and supplies at Minutemen armories. Some among the Minutemen questioned whether they could stay neutral with the C.S. while aiding and harboring Old Guard pilots, but the C.S. either didn't understand what was happening or chose to ignore it. The Old Guard is also friendly to most Riggers (especially the human ones), and they are willing to visit, socialize, and work with their pilots, as well as assist with repairs. In fact, many of Free Quebec's new Glitter Boy variants incorporate tricks and techniques from unique Rigger Glitter Boys studied by Old Guard operators who repaired these suits. The Old Guard will reluctantly work with the Sons of Thunder if contracted to do so, but will not ask for or give them aid.

The Riggers

Hotrodding Heroes

The Riggers are an offshoot of the Minutemen. Also called "Misfits" by the Minutemen and Old Guard, the Riggers take a far less traditional approach to their suits, their membership, and their lifestyle than those more-traditional associations. Riggers are far more willing to modify and customize their suits. Unlike the traditionalist Minutemen and Old Guard, Riggers also accept nonhuman pilots, and they'll even accept pilots who own a Glitter Boy but who don't have the Glitter Boy Pilot O.C.C. (Psi-Techs, Operators, and Techno-Wizards are fairly common). Finally, Riggers tend to wander more and settle down into family life on a homestead less. As a result, less than half of Riggers are descended pilots. Prospective members are called "rooks."

To the Riggers, the G-10 is a great baseline, and some Riggers keep their Glitter Boys as un-modified "classics." All Rigger suits, however, feature at least a few engravings and designs identifying their membership and chapter, and many include additional unique markings. Most use extra weapons and/or modifications modifications, and Riggers aren't picky about their sources: in addition to custom parts, many use magic weapons, techno-wizard enhancements, alien technology, and jury-rigged components. While the majority of Rigger suits are G-10s (or were originally), Rigger chapters will accept almost any power armor with chromium or laser-resistant armor that even vaguely resembles a Glitter Boy. This tends to complicate repairs, but it can bring some unique abilities and surprises into a fight. Rigger chapter armories often employ Psi-Techs, Psi-Operators, and Techno-Wizards, and some of these supporters end up building or customizing their own suit and becoming Riggers themselves.

Rarer in the east, most Riggers live and work in the Midwest and West. While they also fight bandits and slavers like the Minutemen, Riggers are more willing to participate in nation-on-nation warfare. Several groups of Riggers fought for Tolkeen in the early phases of that war, but most abandoned the cause after the Sorcerer's Revenge. They are supported by mercenary contracts, and several chapters of Riggers have done contract work for Naruni and Triax. Secretly, ARCHIE-3 supports the Riggers with new suits and spare parts. The more nomadic lifestyle of these suits tends to help him use those suits to collect information on events across the continent, and he appreciates the innovation that Riggers build into their suits. Riggers will happily work with the Old Guard or Minutemen, but they are very reluctant to work with the Sons of Thunder.

The Sons of Thunder

Outlaws and Anarchists

The Sons of Thunder or "the Sons" are an association of mercenary Glitter Boy pilots with close ties to organized crime. They are far less choosy about who they work for, who they work with, and who they fight than other Glitter Boy pilot associations. Like the "1%" outlaw motorcycle gangs of centuries before, these pilots are raucous anarchists who have little respect for laws or traditions outside those of their own club. Most chapters are pretty friendly with each other, but member loyalty is to the chapter first and the Sons second. Prospective members are known as "Prospects" or more derisively as "punks."

Unlike the quiet homestead approach of the other associations, the Sons of Thunder openly flaunt their suits in their communities and use them to intimidate neighbors into submission. Their "homesteads" are often in the center of their community, which they see as their 'turf,' requiring the locals to pay up protection money or perform special favors. That said, they have no interest in running governments, ruling communities, or building empires; they are content with being respected, feared, and comfortable.

Membership requires a suit approved by the chapter a prospect wants to join. If a chapter deems a pilot's suit good enough, then it counts as a Glitter Boy. The Sons' suits run the gamut from pristine, unmodified G-10s to tricked out Shadow Boys. They don't even care if a prospect has the Glitter Boy O.C.C. (though most do). In general, suits must have at least either a boom gun or chromium armor and be good enough in a fight. Despite what their name suggests, the Sons have relatively few descended pilots among them.

Most of the Sons' income comes from seedy and criminal establishments and organized crime. The Sons will work for, with, or against almost anyone if it's in their interests (or their club's). That said, even the Sons have standards. They don't hurt or kidnap children and they don't do slavery (kidnapping and ransom/extortion is ok). They avoid random banditry, and their chapters are careful not to do anything that turn the wrath of the more reputable associations against them, or at least they try to do so quietly.

Other Glitter Boy pilot associations want nothing to do with the Sons of Thunder, and the Sons couldn't care less. That said, the Sons are aware of lines that they can't cross. The Minutemen, Old Guard, and Riggers have wiped out a few chapters of the Sons who went too far, and most chapters of the Sons have a good sense of what sorts of crimes they can commit, and who they can victimize without invoking the wrath of the other associations.

Other Glitter Boy Pilot Organizations:

There are many smaller groups of Glitter Boy pilots across North America. In general, however, these groups are small and short-lived, as they lack the support of the larger associations (supplies, expertise, repair parts, et cetera). Most are equivalent to a small chapter in one of the big four associations, and indeed, some of these groups eventually join one of the larger associations. One example of such a group is the 6-member Golden Squad of the Demonbusters, Inc. mercenary unit, a single-chapter association led by Free Quebec Renegade Paul Konrad (Rifts: Mercenaries, p50).

Some wanderers form their own wandering chapters within associations. These usually feature a large mobile repair shop vehicle like a small ship, large hover truck, Behemoth explorer vehicle, etc, and they generally function as a mercenary outfit or as a part of a larger mercenary outfit.

Anyway, hope you like it. Happy to have your feedback on it.

[taalismn]

This I like. Especially the spectrum of Glitterboy groups you have laid out, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Gives the GBs that ain't Free Quebec, New German Republic, Japanese, or Republican rank-standers some cohesion and network support.
Also gives some feel to what Rifts might have been if it had stuck to the original concept of 'Boomers'.

[Zer0 Kay]

Boomers should be one of the groups people who found suits. Ragtag group. Patched up GBs punk paint jobs there is no such thing as a standard USA G-10 to these guys. Don't give a rat's @$$ about the grandeur and mythology. Heck a bunch of these idiots just use the G-10 to do a modified fight club. No weapons first suit powered down is the looser.

[taalismn]

Boomers should be one of the groups people who found suits. Ragtag group. Patched up GBs punk paint jobs there is no such thing as a standard USA G-10 to these guys. Don't give a rat's @$$ about the grandeur and mythology. Heck a bunch of these idiots just use the G-10 to do a modified fight club. No weapons first suit powered down is the looser.

"Screw your 'mystique'. You're not sacred. You worship your shiny? We use it, wear it down, put it in the fire, like it was meant to be used. Used hard. Golden Age tech's meant to be bent over and made to squeal in these hard times."

These guys really overuse the term 'Glitterboy' and make it sound like an insult or mocking baby-talk every time they say it.

[Hotrod]

Boomers should be one of the groups people who found suits. Ragtag group. Patched up GBs punk paint jobs there is no such thing as a standard USA G-10 to these guys. Don't give a rat's @$$ about the grandeur and mythology. Heck a bunch of these idiots just use the G-10 to do a modified fight club. No weapons first suit powered down is the looser.

"Screw your 'mystique'. You're not sacred. You worship your shiny? We use it, wear it down, put it in the fire, like it was meant to be used. Used hard. Golden Age tech's meant to be bent over and made to squeal in these hard times."

These guys really overuse the term 'Glitterboy' and make it sound like an insult or mocking baby-talk every time they say it.

Perhaps "Boomers" would be a better name for the Sons of Thunder.

[taalismn]

[
Perhaps "Boomers" would be a better name for the Sons of Thunder.

Nah, Sons of Thunder does sound like a badass biker gang.

[tsh77769]

I just wanted to say that this a fantastica idea and that was great material! I would have loved to have seen more fleshed out in a Rifter article. They'll bring it back soon I hope.

tsh77769

[Hotrod]

Another aspect I was thinking about incorporating into this submission was Suits of Legend, notable Glitter Boy suits that are particularly famous and/or distinctive. Here's one:

Glitter Boy Suit of Legend:

Hancock: The First Minuteman

Hancock is a unique, fully-sentient Glitter Boy! He advises and assists his pilots as they wander the land together, providing unique capabilities, bonuses, and prestige among the Minutemen.

Origin:

Sometime in the last days of NEMA, an operator working on the suit had some kind of a psychic episode and ended up transferring his consciousness into the suit's internal computer system. How this happened is something of a mystery; Hancock himself isn't sure, and he remembers almost nothing of his human life. His NEMA superiors were very leery of using the suit, and when NEMA began directing its military units to transfer suits into the Minutemen, Hancock was the first suit to go. In a sense, Hancock is the original Minuteman.

Capabilities

Hancock appears to be a standard G-10 with no distinctive features, enhancements, or markings. While Hancock can speak and perform some limited actions through the suit such as opening, closing, and engaging stabilization systems, he is not an autonomous robot; he still requires a pilot to drive and shoot. Hancock is effectively a built-in co-pilot who provides the following distinctive abilities:
+Fast Start-Up. Hancock can activate his own systems and open up at the approach of his pilot, allowing the pilot to climb in, seal up, and move in just three combat actions.
+Auto-Stabilization. Hancock engages and disengages pylons on his own, so pilots do not need to spend actions engaging or disengaging them (pilots still need to stop moving to shoot).
+Pushing the Envelope: While Hancock's systems are standard, he's learned how to adjust the factory settings of the G-10's operating limits and tweak more performance out of its thrusters, circuits, solenoids, and actuators. This allows him to run 20 mph faster, leap 20% higher and farther, and punch/kick harder (add 10 to his robotic P.S.). It also makes his Boom Gun do an extra +20 M.D.C. in damage per shot due to a higher muzzle velocity.
+Enhanced Targeting: Hancock's laser targeting bonus is doubled to +4
+Skills: While in the suit, pilots of Hancock can take advantage of his knowledge and skills. Hancock can operate and scramble the radio, jam enemy radios, watch and adjust the radar, and translate every common language in North America. Hancock is a living library of practical knowledge and lore about North America, its inhabitants, debees, and nations. He can give advice about enemies he's encountered before (equivalent to Lore skills), organizations he's worked with before (including the Coalition), and the inner workings and politics of the Minutemen. He can also advise on repairing himself or other Glitter Boys. Any mechanic or operator speaking with Hancock will enjoy a +30% bonus while repairing his systems, a +20% bonus while repairing or maintaining another Glitter Boy in his presence, and a +10% bonus to anyone repairing or maintaining some other robot or power armor.
+Even when his pilot is away, Hancock can stay in touch by radio and monitor the area with his optics and radar.

Personality and Reputation:

Hancock loves his life as a Glitter Boy of the Minutemen. He has no interest in altering his body or getting physical autonomy in a robot body. He embraces his role as a co-pilot, mentor, and friend to his pilots, and he has been in continual use among Minutemen wanderers for centuries. His name is legend among the Minutemen, who recognize him as an official member. For his part, Hancock dislikes the extra attention he gets and prefers to be an unobtrusive partner to his pilot. He speaks to others only when he feels he must, and many chapters have no idea that Hancock himself has visited them. That said, on the rare occasions when he speaks up, his voice carries enormous influence, and he is allowed to vote as a member at any Minuteman gathering or armory.

Unlike every other suit, Hancock isn't passed down within Minuteman families or from mentor to protégé. Hancock chooses his own pilots. Hancock is Principled, he is totally loyal to the Minutemen, and he only chooses pilots of the same alignment and outlook. Any pilot who betrays Hancock, the Minutemen, or changes alignment to Anarchist or Evil will find him completely uncooperative; they can still pilot the suit, but with no bonuses or assistance from him, and Hancock will choose a more worthy pilot. In extreme cases, Hancock has been known to shut down with his pilot inside in order to prevent himself from becoming an instrument of evil.

Possible Adventures featuring Hancock:
+ Hancock has gone into a dormant state at a Minuteman armory. His last pilot was killed while visiting his daughter, and the daughter has disappeared. The local chapter was unable to track down the killer or the daughter, and now the legendary suit is refusing to choose a new pilot. He believes that his last pilot's murderer was a member of the chapter where he's staying, but he doesn't know who it was. He asks the party to get justice for his last pilot's murder and find/rescue his daughter. Depending on how things go, Hancock may choose one of the party as his new pilot. Alternately, he may simply offer them credits or inside information on some valuable caches of weapons, equipment, or valuables hidden by a previous pilot.
+ Hancock has been disabled, and his pilot killed, by a Splugorth slaving party that has taken the wrecked suit. This is utterly intolerable to the Minutemen, and about a hundred of them have gathered to assault a substantial Splugorth slaving hub and recover the suit. This will be a big fight, and the Minutemen are calling in all the help they can get, including the Player Characters, who may be called upon to perform some special duty like create a diversion and draw the defenders away, reconnoiter the slaving hub, or infiltrate it and extract Hancock (who will insist on rescuing the slaves).

[taalismn]

Gotta leave this here then: https://palladiumbooks.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=63937

[Library Ogre]

Traditionalist Glitterboys memorize the battles their suit has been involved in. Sometimes hundreds of years worth.

[taalismn]

Traditionalist Glitterboys memorize the battles their suit has been involved in. Sometimes hundreds of years worth.

Perhaps with a finely engraved plaque somewhere inside their armor?
Depending on the suit and the available technical expertise, that plate might be engraved in what is effectively microfilm definition.
Or perhaps some use the back of an ID plate(listing the original serial number of the GB at the time of its production) for this purpose?

[eliakon]

Traditionalist Glitterboys memorize the battles their suit has been involved in. Sometimes hundreds of years worth.

Perhaps with a finely engraved plaque somewhere inside their armor?
Depending on the suit and the available technical expertise, that plate might be engraved in what is effectively microfilm definition.
Or perhaps some use the back of an ID plate(listing the original serial number of the GB at the time of its production) for this purpose?

I would expect that they might simply memorize it! People routinely memorize much longer and complex information all the time... and if it is simply written down on the suit it can also lead to anyone knowing the information (which may be good or bad depending on how your views on traditionalists run and how you want them to treat 'the mysteries' and indeed what they will treat as 'the mysteries' in the first place

As for data... every suit has a computer in it... I could totally see Traditionalists putting in a geneology/battalology file in the computers to track stuff like this.

[Hotrod]

I like the idea of having some kind of heritage and record keeping of fights and battles with the suit. Associations like the Riggers and the Sons of Thunder would be likely to mark their armor this way in much the same way as combat aircraft would paint on little icons of plains and bombs to tally up their combat record. More traditional pilots might mark up some interior surfaces.

I could also see GB pilots having some patches and such on their pilot suits, which might get decorated with association, chapter, and personal markings, much like patches on military uniforms or biker coats. These might include decorations or patches from notable fights and campaigns. They could also denote leadership positions, seniority, and personal heraldry.

Recording fights could provide some interesting social interactions. WW2 fighter pilots used to review their gun camera footage regularly. Some associations and chapters might turn this into some kind of a social event ("Bruh, check this fight out! Five Samsons tried to take out Cutter, and he wrecked them!") , or it could be used like a peer review process to help train and evaluate young training pilots ( "Now Timmy, if you had set up on the ridge to your right, you'd have a far better field of fire and your enemy couldn't have taken shelter behind that rock formation" ).

[Zer0 Kay]

Traditionalist Glitterboys memorize the battles their suit has been involved in. Sometimes hundreds of years worth.

Perhaps with a finely engraved plaque somewhere inside their armor?
Depending on the suit and the available technical expertise, that plate might be engraved in what is effectively microfilm definition.
Or perhaps some use the back of an ID plate(listing the original serial number of the GB at the time of its production) for this purpose?

I'm thinking more verbal tradition.

[Zer0 Kay]

[
Perhaps "Boomers" would be a better name for the Sons of Thunder.

Nah, Sons of Thunder does sound like a badass biker gang.

Nah Boomers arent "bad asses" their dumb asses. At least that is what everyone else thinks with the way they treat their GBs but more than one has learned, "never let them close into melee range".

[Library Ogre]

Traditionalist Glitterboys memorize the battles their suit has been involved in. Sometimes hundreds of years worth.

Perhaps with a finely engraved plaque somewhere inside their armor?
Depending on the suit and the available technical expertise, that plate might be engraved in what is effectively microfilm definition.
Or perhaps some use the back of an ID plate(listing the original serial number of the GB at the time of its production) for this purpose?

I'm thinking more verbal tradition.

Definitely. My inspiration was a Constantine trade paperback, Chas: The Knowledge.

https://www.cnet.com/news/london-taxi-d ... d-by-uber/

[glitterboy2098]

i'd actually tried to tackle this some awhile back when playing a GB pilot character.. approached it from a somewhat different perspective though. focused on the GB pilot clans, and what that would involve. namely that anytime you have a finite resource (GB suits) but a family/clan structure, you are going to have the problem of "too many kids, not enough suits". my answer to this was to make the GB clans involve a lot of OCC's other than just GB pilots. that they'd be basically small factions of their own, all NEMA descended, but only a small number of the clan get to pilot a Chrome Guardsman (i couldn't see them using the later slang term), a chosen few, with the rest taking on support roles. piloting standard PA, scouting, being technicians, etc.
rather than a decentralized association system, i envisioned an indeterminate number of centralized close knit extended families, usually operating out of some clanhold - a village that grew up around some old bunker or camp or base, where the NEMA survivors set down roots generations earlier. Genealogy and lineage would be a huge deal, not just because of the deeds of your ancestors, but also because everyone is distantly related to everyone else, and keeping track of exactly how you are related to people would be a big deal. how you determine who gets the GB suits would depend on the clan.. some would use primogeniture, some would do trials to determine who has the best potential, etc.. but if you didn't become a GB pilot, you'd be shunted into some other program, where you would learn to pilot other suits in support of GB's, or to be a operator, wilderness scout, medic, scientist, etc. (thus opening up the GB clans as a backstory for other characters as well.) with most of the clans preserving the 'tradition of NEMA' and going out (often in secret) to help rebuild society.. or at least, society as they think it should be. (exactly what that means would vary clan to clan or even family to family within a clan)

this of course would cause some clan vs clan tensions sometimes, where different viewpoints clash or different efforts worked against each other. like how several clans joined Free Quebec and contribute GB pilots to its army. those clans having adopted the same xenophobic views of FQ/the CS.


in a sense, i'd created more family centric versions of the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave.

[taalismn]

There might also emerge in GB culture the niche of the GB parts merchant or mechanic. Given how specialized GB parts and components(especially the armor) are, there can't be all that many places capable of making the stuff, so the GB clans and groups have to either somehow secure their own means of manufacturing the stuff(and keeping their factories/supply caches secret) or co-opt the means/supplies from those with the capability. That means dealing with the Black Market, stealing time and factory resources in high tech havens like the CS, swiping parts from Free Quebec, or backdooring supplies from foreign/alien sources. The well-established Heritage families can have arrangements going for generations, but times can change, and suddenly that contact that always reliably supplied armor plate has disappeared or dried up, forcing the characters to scramble for a new source of vitally-needed repair parts.

I can see ARCHIE-3 very easily plugging into this need (after all, he's been planting new-production GBs all over the continent for years now) with his own infiltrators supplying parts and tracking where they go.

[eliakon]

There might also emerge in GB culture the niche of the GB parts merchant or mechanic. Given how specialized GB parts and components(especially the armor) are, there can't be all that many places capable of making the stuff, so the GB clans and groups have to either somehow secure their own means of manufacturing the stuff(and keeping their factories/supply caches secret) or co-opt the means/supplies from those with the capability. That means dealing with the Black Market, stealing time and factory resources in high tech havens like the CS, swiping parts from Free Quebec, or backdooring supplies from foreign/alien sources. The well-established Heritage families can have arrangements going for generations, but times can change, and suddenly that contact that always reliably supplied armor plate has disappeared or dried up, forcing the characters to scramble for a new source of vitally-needed repair parts.

I can see ARCHIE-3 very easily plugging into this need (after all, he's been planting new-production GBs all over the continent for years now) with his own infiltrators supplying parts and tracking where they go.

Honestly?
I imagine this is how he has been doing it for centuries anyway.
Some of his infiltrator drones take the place of members of a distant clan who come to trade some "parts they found for <what ever>"
or
"well I dunno much but nick knows a bit mebbe he can fix your suit:
or
"Are you Joshua Turner of Clan Turner? Ahh, your cousin, my brother, died last month and was the last heir to the family suit. The will indicates that you have been properly trained in the way? Ah, good, then as instructed you are to inherit his suit. Listen now to its legacy...."

Do enough of that sort of thing and you could keep the culture alive and keep feeding it stuff and no one would ever know... they would just think that they were doing themselves.
And for bonus points, the natural secrecy of the families/clans/whatever you want to call them would help prevent investigation!

[taalismn]

[

Do enough of that sort of thing and you could keep the culture alive and keep feeding it stuff and no one would ever know... they would just think that they were doing themselves.
And for bonus points, the natural secrecy of the families/clans/whatever you want to call them would help prevent investigation!

ARCHIE-3, Secret Lord of the Boomers.

[glitterboy2098]

i'd generally figured that they'd survived by being huge on scavenging. removing parts from damaged suits to repair less damaged ones. mcguyvering parts off non-GB suits to replace components that wouldn't be GB specific (electronics, actuators, internal parts that wouldn't be using special Gb-tech like the chrome armor and boomgun do.) i suspect that most clans would have a small stockpile of downchecked suits that aren't in any shape to fight, but which still have plenty of useful parts. and of course having their scouts and contacts always on the look out for old GB's, whether wrecked or otherwise, that they can add to the stockpile.

the little caches of GB's that ARCHIE plants would let him feed new suits and parts into the clans without having to risk actual contact. presumably the Republicans were also feeding suits into the clans in similar fashion when they still had a GB factory, and the clans would pay premium for free quebec suits and parts when they started building GB's.

[SolCannibal]

i'd actually tried to tackle this some awhile back when playing a GB pilot character.. approached it from a somewhat different perspective though. focused on the GB pilot clans, and what that would involve. namely that anytime you have a finite resource (GB suits) but a family/clan structure, you are going to have the problem of "too many kids, not enough suits". my answer to this was to make the GB clans involve a lot of OCC's other than just GB pilots. that they'd be basically small factions of their own, all NEMA descended, but only a small number of the clan get to pilot a Chrome Guardsman (i couldn't see them using the later slang term), a chosen few, with the rest taking on support roles. piloting standard PA, scouting, being technicians, etc.
rather than a decentralized association system, i envisioned an indeterminate number of centralized close knit extended families, usually operating out of some clanhold - a village that grew up around some old bunker or camp or base, where the NEMA survivors set down roots generations earlier. Genealogy and lineage would be a huge deal, not just because of the deeds of your ancestors, but also because everyone is distantly related to everyone else, and keeping track of exactly how you are related to people would be a big deal. how you determine who gets the GB suits would depend on the clan.. some would use primogeniture, some would do trials to determine who has the best potential, etc.. but if you didn't become a GB pilot, you'd be shunted into some other program, where you would learn to pilot other suits in support of GB's, or to be a operator, wilderness scout, medic, scientist, etc. (thus opening up the GB clans as a backstory for other characters as well.) with most of the clans preserving the 'tradition of NEMA' and going out (often in secret) to help rebuild society.. or at least, society as they think it should be. (exactly what that means would vary clan to clan or even family to family within a clan)

this of course would cause some clan vs clan tensions sometimes, where different viewpoints clash or different efforts worked against each other. like how several clans joined Free Quebec and contribute GB pilots to its army. those clans having adopted the same xenophobic views of FQ/the CS.


in a sense, i'd created more family centric versions of the Brotherhood of Steel and the Enclave.

That makes me think a lot of this comic i came across some years ago.

As an aside, i can imagine instalations capable of producing Glitterboy parts in (relatively) limited numbers and the people who maintain them forming manufactures, brand fabrics and so on, something like producing a designer/luxury/masterwork industrial product like a Ferrari or Lamborghini car and the legendary swordsmiths like Wayland, Regin, Muramasa, Masamune and other such figures.

[Hotrod]

Glitter Boy Suits of Legend:

The Wiz Kids of Lazlo

Origin

The Lazlo chapter of Riggers is one of the largest and most famous in the organization. Their heavy use of techno-wizardy in their suits, along with the fact that many of their pilots are Techno-Wizards, has earned their chapter and their suits the nickname "Wiz Kids," a moniker that many glitter boys with techno-wizard modifications adopt as well. To date, the Lazlo Chapter has created four Techno-Wizard modification kits for the G-10 Glitter Boy.

Capabilities

All Wiz Kids come with a standard 200 P.P.E. battery that powers their techno-wizard modifications. An hour at a nexus point, six hours on a ley line, 200 P.P.E. from a magic user, or 400 I.S.P. from a psychic will recharge the suit. When the P.P.E. battery is empty, A Wiz Kid is essentially no different from a normal Glitter Boy, and indeed they appear to be standard Glitter Boys; only a techno-wizard, operator, or Glitter Boy pilot taking several minutes to do a close inspection will find the modifications. When the P.P.E. battery is charged or the powers are active, those sensitive to magic will sense the Wiz Kid's enchantments, but those enchantments are subtle and may well be mistaken for something else.

The Silver Specter Wiz Kid is built for stealth. Its pylon system engages a magic chameleon effect (8 P.P.E. per hour while deployed), making the armor difficult to see when it is stationary prior to taking its shot. It also has a Shadow Meld effect it can engage while moving or still (30 P.P.E. per hour), and it can create a magic projection of itself to misdirect enemies away (7 P.P.E. per 10-minute activation). The suit cannot become outright invisible, however, a limitation tied to its primary modification: the silencing of its boom gun and jets (20 P.P.E. per shot). When this modification is engaged, Silver Specter's gun is totally silent, up to an including the impact of the flachettes it fires! This stealth comes with a catch, however. Silver Specter's main gun can only fire custom-made, specially-prepared ammunition. Regular Glitter Boy ammunition will break the gun, requiring a complete rebuild, and only the Lazlo Chapter of the Riggers' resident Techno-Wizards know how to create this ammunition.

While the suit's stealth abilities are impressive at a distance and while holding still, it is not an infiltration suit; Silver Specter's are just as heavy and noisy on the move, especially while walking through brush or crunching gravel underfoot. Thus, pilots of Silver Specters prefer to use ambush tactics and sniping against foes they can disable or destroy in a few hits from long distance. A favorite tactic is to use the suit's magic projection power to distract and lure enemies into the open where a few silenced shots can wipe out a small squad before they realize what's happening.

The Silver Shield Wiz Kid is built to shrug off punishment. Its primary method is to use Impervious to Energy (20 P.P.E. for 40 minutes), which is effective against most attacks. For those attacks that aren't nullified, it also sports a Magic Shield generator in its off-hand (6 P.P.E. for 20 minutes, creates a 60 M.D.C. tower shield) and an Armor of Ithan shield generator (10 P.P.E. for 100 M.D.C. force field lasting 10 minutes). The Silver Shield comes with the same P.P.E. battery as the Silver Specter.

Pilots of Silver Shields tend to be particularly brash, getting their enemy's full and undivided attention, particularly if Impervious to Energy renders their enemy's attacks impotent. They like to team up with more mobile and stealthy allies who can benefit from the distraction of the Glitter Boy by moving into positions of strength and fire at an enemy's flank or rear. Some Silver Shield pilots get overconfident in their suits' durability. In one famous case, an un-powered freelancer Glitter Boy defeated a Silver Shield using hit-and-run tactics, clever use of terrain, and wearing down the suit and pilot's P.P.E. over an epic duel that lasted a whole day.

The Gleaming Gunner is a Wiz Kid built to apply additional effects through its main gun. The pilot can select from any of the following options to be inflicted on the target upon impact: Meteor (adds an extra 2d4x10 M.D.C. to a 40 foot radius around the point of impact, costs 60 P.P.E. per shot), Carpet of Adhesion (10x20 ft area centered around the target, lasts 25 minutes, 10 P.P.E. per shot), House of Glass (lasts 10 minutes, 12 P.P.E. per shot), and Luck Curse (all combat bonuses drop to zero for 24 hours, costs 40 P.P.E. per shot). The Gleaming Gunner uses the same P.P.E. battery as the Silver Specter, and it also requires the same specialized ammunition.

Pilots of Gleaming Gunners tend to be careful and calculating, sizing up their foes before choosing which type of special attack to use. While a meteor attack can be devastating, it effectively drains the P.P.E. battery in three shots, so pilots only use this if they think they can eliminate an enemy or cluster of enemies in three strikes. More often, they'll use a Carpet of Adhesion in a first strike. Against especially powerful foes that the Gleaming Gunner's pilot can't hope to eliminate quickly, a Luck Curse is a good choice, while House of Glass is a good choice against enemies that can do a lot of damage.

The Silver Swordsman is a Wiz Kid built for melee combat. It looks like an ordinary G-10 that uses a large vibro-sword (3D6 M.d.C.) slung over its back. This vibro-sword becomes devastatingly effective in the hands of the Silver Swordsman thanks to the following modifications:
Lightblade: 20 P.P.E. boosts the sword's damage to 1D6x10 (double to shadow beasts and vampires) and gains +1 to strike for 10 minutes.
Power Weapon: 35 P.P.E. Increases the sword's damage to 2D4x10 for five minutes. Combining this with Lightblade increases the sword's damage to 3D4x10, which is doubled against shadow beasts and vampires.
Speed Weapon: 100 P.P.E. doubles the pilot's attacks with that weapon for five minutes
Magical Adrenal Rush: 45 P.P.E grants 2 more attacks per melee, +3 on initiative, +1 to strike and dodge, and +1 on all saving throws for 2.5 minutes. If activated with the Speed Weapon power, the two powers combine to add 4 attacks per melee (other bonuses are cumulative, but unchanged). Upon expiring, the pilot's attacks and combat bonuses are halved for 1D4 minutes afterwards.
Note that these modifications are built into the Silver Swordsman itself and can apply to any non-magical melee weapon the pilot chooses to use. The Silver Swordsman uses the same P.P.E. battery as the Silver Specter, allowing it to engage all of its magic modifications at once for 10 melee rounds of devastating melee attacks at an insanely fast attack rate. As an example, a Silver Swordsman pilot who usually has six attacks per melee would have two more from the Magical-Adrenal Rush, and these would be doubled to 16 sword attacks per melee with the Speed Weapon power enabled! On the downside, the penalties of the magical adrenaline rush would drop his attacks to three and cut all his bonuses in half for 1D4 minutes afterwards.

For all their suit's abilities, pilots of Silver Swords tend to handle their suits in much the same way as conventional Glitter Boy pilots do, using their boom guns as their primary weapons and shooting from a distance without using their suit's techno-wizardry powers. However, when enemies try to get into close combat, these pilots are happy to surprise their foes with devastating melee abilities, especially against vampires and other enemies vulnerable to light-based weapons. If the fight will likely be over in less than 2.5 minutes, the pilot will usually engage every power and throw themselves into hacking at the enemy in a blaze of speed and glory. Pilots concerned about additional or follow-on threats nearby sometimes engage all but the Magical Adrenal Rush ability, which means they won't get quite as many attacks, but they won't have to deal with having attacks and bonuses halved for 1-4 minutes afterwards. Silver Sword pilots tend to train more for close combat than most Glitter Boy pilots or Techno-Wizards.

Reputation:

Within Lazlo, the Wiz Kids are well-known and highly-regarded, and most Riggers have heard of them. Though a few other Rigger chapters have some interest in Wiz Kid conversions, those that operate near Coalition territory are very careful about getting and using them. Wiz Kid pilots operating near the Coalition often deliberately deplete their P.P.E. batteries to avoid drawing extra attention from Dog Boys and Psi-Stalkers, and even this may not be enough for pilots who are also Techno-Wizards, since they are both psychics and magic users. The need for specialized ammunition for the Silver Specter and Gleaming Gunner variants complicate resupply, and thus pilots of these variants either don't wander far from Lazlo and New Lazlo, or else they tend to take extra ammunition and the means to create and enchant more in the field. Silver Shields and Silver Swordsmen wander more often, but remain rare even among the Riggers.

The Lazlo chapter's techno-wizards are currently developing a new Wiz Kid modification kit for fighting demons and dyvals in the Minion War.

Adventure Ideas using Wiz Kids

A Wiz Kid pilot who used to be an ally of the player characters go rogue and take up banditry and murder against Coalition citizens, marauding his way through outlying settlements in places and during times when the Coalition Military is in no position to oppose him (possibly in the context of a wider conflict like Tolkeen, the Minion Wars, or some other broader threat). The player characters have to go hunt him down. This will be a formidable enemy who calls for careful study, planning, and teamwork. As the player characters hunt him down, they'll come across his victims (or more often, his victims' remains), giving them a chance to see how he likes to fight and what tactics and tricks he uses, as well as motivating them to see him put down. The Wiz Kid pilot will be smart about where and how he fights in his suit, and even out of his suit, the pilot will have some potent spells/psionic powers. As their former ally, the Wiz Kid's pilot will likely try to persuade the player characters of the rightness of his cause, especially during fights.

It could also be fun to build a group of player characters around two or more of these suits. The Wiz Kids are designed to compliment and mutually reinforce each other, and their pilots can similarly reinforce each other by choosing a variety of O.C.C.'s. Good O.C.C.'s for piloting these Glitter Boys are psychics and magic users. Techno-Wizards and Psi-Techs are excellent choices, but other magic and psychic classes can work well, too, as long as they can take the necessary pilot skills. In RUE, this includes Ley Line Walkers, Mind Melters, Psi-Stalkers, and Cyber-Knights. Dog Boys who select other O.C.C.'s could also be effective, though the Dog Boy class cannot pilot power armor. Such player characters' magic and psychic abilities often won't work inside power armor, requiring the player to decide whether they want to use the superior combat abilities of their suits but forgo their other powers, or dismount and use their other powers.

[Captain_Nibbz]

The ideas in this thread are all pure gold. I can't wait to see if you have more ideas to throw out there. I'm totally going to steal a lot of this whole sale for a game that I'm planning.

[Hotrod]

Glitter Boy Suit of Legend:

The Cannibal

The Cannibal is an infamous Glitter Boy of the Sons of Thunder, well-known for the skill of its pilots and an unnatural ability to shrug off damage. The Cannibal is most famous for its ability to paralyze and consume rival war machines in close combat. Its unique capabilities come from a Machine Person from the Three Galaxies imprisoned within the suit.

Origin:

The Machine Person inside The Cannibal has never properly existed as an independent Machine Person. At some point during his gestation, someone or something forcibly removed him from his mother and machine-melded him to a Glitter Boy. Only another Machine Person would recognize him for what he is: an enslaved baby in a state of unending torture, unable to stop constantly melding with, repairing, and powering the Glitter Boy suit and anything it holds, and lacking any free will to control what he or the suit he's bonded to suit does.

The Cannibal got its name from the way it sustains itself: eating M.D.C. materials, usually from its victims. The suit has a reputation for toughness and effectiveness in close combat. The Cannibal has been with the Sons of Thunder for generations without ever getting refits, repairs, or even a reload. This is far longer than an active Glitter Boy's reactor can last. Its pilots are usually chapter presidents and highly skilled. Most of its pilots don't know of the plight of the creature within the suit, and the few who do know don't care. What they know is that they have a wickedly effective suit that every other Glitter Boy pilot rightly fears.

Many of the most notorious Sons of Thunder have piloted The Cannibal over its long and very bloody history. Quite a few rival Sons have challenged The Cannibal to a duel for the right to pilot the legendary suit. Such challengers usually lose, but occasionally a superlatively-skilled rival wins it in a fair fight. Either way, such challenges usually end with The Cannibal eating much of the challenger's suit. Just as often, though, a chosen heir inherits The Cannibal when the previous pilot gets murdered outside their suit. This has led some pilots of The Cannibal to spend unusually long periods inside the armor, which in turn tends to reduce their influence at their chapter armories and, ironically, makes challenges more likely.

Appearance

The Cannibal appears to be a G-10 Glitter Boy with a custom-shaped, predatory head with a working jaw/mandible with large, sharp teeth, and demonic-looking horns.

Capabilities

1. Cannibalism! The Cannibal eats MDC materials, requiring 2.5 lbs of metal per week for sustenance. The Cannibal also eats metal to repair itself (2.5 lbs per 1D6 MDC restored) and rearm itself (1 lb per Boom Gun round). When it feeds, The mouth opens and dark metallic tendrils lash out up to a few feet away, latching onto any other metal it can reach and consuming it. When used as an attack against MDC metal, this "bite" effectively transfers up to 4D6 M.D.C. per attack from a foe to The Cannibal.
2. Power Devices. The Cannibal will automatically machine meld with and power any device it holds in its hands after 1D6 melee rounds, eliminating the need for E-clips or other power sources and linking the weapon's targeting data to the pilot, allowing the pilot to enjoy strike bonuses from the weapon and his own suit.
3. Grip of Agony. Cannibal grasps and holds any device controlled by a computer or living thing for 1D6 rounds continuously, it will machine meld with that device and digitally share its agony with the device as the subconscious of the enslaved Machine Person desperately and vainly tries to escape its torment. This overloads computers, causing them and anything they control (including vehicles, robots, and power armors) to freeze, shut down, and restart. Many pilots use this power to render an enemy in power armor or a robot helpless while The Cannibal feeds. Borgs and sentient robots will thrash about in agony, unable to take any action other than those that might break The Cannibal's grip (treat this as a hold, lock, or pin move in wrestling). This power has no effect on fully-biological life. Special note: Any attempt to use Telemechanics, Machine Bond, or any other type of psychic bond will inflict excruciating pain on the psychic and leave them momentarily stunned, losing their 3 attacks.
4. Howl. On command, The Cannibal will channel its agony into any radio frequencies it can detect in use. People using radios will hear nothing but inhuman screams. The Cannibal can also put this scream on external speakers, which has a similar effect to the NG Gunwolf (the Gunwolf's scream was a replication of this same signal) and instills a Horror Factor of 12 to those who aren't used to it.
5. Bonuses: The Cannibal has 10 more points of Robot Strength over a standard Glitter Boy. When The Cannibal's main body is reduced to 0, the suit shuts down, but it can be "fed" and repair itself from up to -199 M.D.C. of damage. At that point, the Machine Person within it will wake up, abandon the Glitter Boy, and try to figure out where it is and what has happened.

Personality and Reputation:

The Machine Person within The Cannibal is actually a pacifist with a principled alignment. However, it's unable to communicate, move, or do anything other than what it's currently being forced to do. The Machine Person is effectively locked into an inescapable nightmare, unaware of its surroundings or actions. If it were to be freed and wake up, it would be horrified to learn what it has been doing for decades and would try to heal and repair the damage it has unwittingly done.

If it could be freed, the Machine Person would effectively be a child. It knows what it is and what it can do, but it has no idea how it came to be bonded to the Glitter Boy suit and knows nothing of its people or home dimension. This isn't amnesia; it was bonded before it was ready to be "born" and effectively finished gestating within the Glitter Boy. The Machine Person could become a new character within the party. It speaks American, Dragonese/Elf, and Techno-Can, but otherwise knows nothing about Rifts Earth.

Possible Encounters featuring The Cannibal:
+ The player characters hear The Cannibal's scream, either over the radio or in person. Investigating the scream, they find a group of 3 Glitter Boys robbing a major arms dealer's hover train (Northern Gun, Naruni, Wilk's, whatever). Their leader in The Cannibal has powered down the train with its Grip of Agony. The other two are demanding that the occupants thrown down their weapons and come out. This kind of firepower is too much for the hover train's security to resist, unless the player characters can somehow detach The Cannibal from the hover train by breaking its grip.
+A Machine Person recognizes the horrifying truth about The Cannibal and wants to free the enslaved Machine Person within. This requires the party to infiltrate a Sons of Thunder chapter armory and will certainly incur the wrath of the entire association. Alternately, a Glitter Boy pilot in the group with enough of a reputation might be able to challenge The Cannibal's pilot to single combat, but then they'll have to deal with one of the most dreaded suits around in the hands of a highly-skilled and ruthless pilot (who will probably cheat to boot).

[desrocfc]

As a passionate advocate for the GB (and Free Quebec in general), I approve of this thread! Tongue-in-cheek aside, I really like the direction you took with the culture of the GB outside of the FQ military writ-large.

I can't comment on the whole ARCHIE-3 or Republican elements; as part of my blog, I am catching up to the lore by rereading and doing overviews/reviews of the books I have (basically everything up to Aftermath), and looking to buy into the newer releases.

An individual GB or up to a small group can be politically defining to a region. You have a pair of GBs on retainer with a couple of platoons of support infantry, you have enough firepower to run a small kingdom, or demand a fair amount from somewhat larger collectives. For that reason, myself, I would caution against having associations be anything other than very loose memberships of like minded folks, with a handed down suit basically as your entry card. Put a few of them together (i.e. farmsteads) and you basically have a kingdom in the making. I think you tread along that line fairly well here.

One of the biggest elements I support is the idea that families would hand down their respective battle honours and the names of previous pilots of the suits. In the military, this is a common thing. At the Military College in Canada, among other things, you have to memorize the names of the first graduating class. I would imagine this easily applies to the more independent family(ies) of Descended GB pilots out there. From the FQ military perspective, I would say that each pilot that qualifies to pilot a suit has the same lineage memorization requirements - very military thing to do. Akin to how armoured cav units are portrayed in WW2 movies, because the crew dynamic is such an important part of how they functioned (just an infantry officer, so extrapolating from anecdotal experience). Upon retirement (assuming a pilot gets to that) or KIA, his name is next on the list. This is something I have incorporated before, and am doing in my current fanfic writing.

In retrospect, this was one of the pieces I had failed to get around to doing with the Free Quebec submission, something I still regret. Such a flavorful piece of the Rifts lore.

[Hotrod]

As a passionate advocate for the GB (and Free Quebec in general), I approve of this thread! Tongue-in-cheek aside, I really like the direction you took with the culture of the GB outside of the FQ military writ-large.

I can't comment on the whole ARCHIE-3 or Republican elements; as part of my blog, I am catching up to the lore by rereading and doing overviews/reviews of the books I have (basically everything up to Aftermath), and looking to buy into the newer releases.

An individual GB or up to a small group can be politically defining to a region. You have a pair of GBs on retainer with a couple of platoons of support infantry, you have enough firepower to run a small kingdom, or demand a fair amount from somewhat larger collectives. For that reason, myself, I would caution against having associations be anything other than very loose memberships of like minded folks, with a handed down suit basically as your entry card. Put a few of them together (i.e. farmsteads) and you basically have a kingdom in the making. I think you tread along that line fairly well here.

One of the biggest elements I support is the idea that families would hand down their respective battle honours and the names of previous pilots of the suits. In the military, this is a common thing. At the Military College in Canada, among other things, you have to memorize the names of the first graduating class. I would imagine this easily applies to the more independent family(ies) of Descended GB pilots out there. From the FQ military perspective, I would say that each pilot that qualifies to pilot a suit has the same lineage memorization requirements - very military thing to do. Akin to how armoured cav units are portrayed in WW2 movies, because the crew dynamic is such an important part of how they functioned (just an infantry officer, so extrapolating from anecdotal experience). Upon retirement (assuming a pilot gets to that) or KIA, his name is next on the list. This is something I have incorporated before, and am doing in my current fanfic writing.

In retrospect, this was one of the pieces I had failed to get around to doing with the Free Quebec submission, something I still regret. Such a flavorful piece of the Rifts lore.

Well now, it's not every day I get direct dialogue with an author! Thanks very much for the kind words.

In coming up with this concept of GB Culture, I had to reconcile two facts:
1. GBs require maintenance. Their power cores last 25 years, and they need ammunition, repairs, and spare parts.
2. GBs have been in continuous use throughout North America for 300 years, most of that time without any support from major countries that can manufacture them.

I found a few concepts that seemed fitting.

The first was that of the Minutemen citizen-soldier, who doesn't fight as a professional, but is ready to defend his neighborhood on short notice before going back to an otherwise quiet life. Thus, a Minuteman GB wouldn't be used as often and would last longer, requiring less maintenance. This seemed doubly appropriate since the original musketmen of the American revolution fired long, heavy muskets in formations, which is pretty close to how GB units fight. Since this shoehorned nicely into a concept of a National Guard backup for NEMA, this section seemed logical for the premier traditional descended pilot association. The Rebublicans are described in Sourcebook One (Revised); they're basically a section of NEMA that has survived as a secret society and paramilitary organization for 300 years.

It also seemed fitting to have Free Quebec sponsor a similar type of group as a reserve force, as a source of intelligence, and as a well of experience passing its knowledge down the generations. With the rapid expansion of their legions, FQ would to recruit and train many new pilots, an expensive and time-consuming process. The families of the Old Guard would have many trained and experienced GB pilots ready and willing to fight.

Keeping combat suits viable and capable over centuries will invariably lead to improvisation, and while ARCHIE could (and probably would) provide parts to sustain another association, he'd probably care less about keeping things traditional, as he himself seems to love and appreciate innovation. Thus, the inspiration for the Riggers was hotrod car culture and the more reputable motorcycle clubs, where people who like to tinker with, tweak and restore old vehicles gather together, help each other out, and generally enjoy their hobby together while supporting a broader cause.

Finally, I liked the idea of having an association based on outlaw biker culture, where they live by their own rules and embrace a violent and chaotic ideal of freedom separate from traditional government and political power. As in real life, their main support would come from organized crime.

In every one of these cases, one of the core ideals is one of the Glitterboy being both a symbol and a guarantor of liberty and freedom in much the same way that present-day firearms enthusiasts see armed citizens as a check against tyranny. Minutemen, Old Guard, and Riggers may be happy to take on bandits, slavers, and alien horrors, but while they'll respect civilized governments and authorities, they're not interested in power or prestige outside their own rather insular communities. The Sons of Thunder also value liberty and freedom, but their motives are more selfish and anarchist.

I 100% agree that such associations would be very family-centric, with suits and revere their own lore and legends through the battle histories of their own suits. I see this as more of a "fame within a secret society" kind of thing, though, and I think this would be very deliberate on their part. While a Minuteman might recognize Hancock, outsiders see most GB-10's as identical, and thus, to an outsider, they have a collective mystique that affords their pilots both a certain amount of respect and a certain amount of anonymity.

If the Rifter was still a thing, I would totally develop and submit these, but for now, I'm content to develop the idea here when inspiration hits.

[Hotrod]

Since I figure that each association should get at least one, and since the FQ author graced this thread with his own thoughts, here's a Suit of Legend for the Old Guard:

Glitter Boy Suit of Legend:

Le Pisteur
(the Tracker)

Le Pisteur is a famous Glitter Boy of the Old Guard that has been handed down generation-by-generation, serving continuously within the same family since Free Quebec first discovered its Glitter Boy factory.

Origin:

As the world adopted the first proper power armor, many customers complained that units of G-10s lacked flexibility. One aborted response was a planned series of G-10 variants with modifications and additional systems that would enable them to perform other roles like demolitions, intelligence, electronics warfare, air defense, command and control, search & rescue, and many others.in addition to their overwhelming firepower. Eventually, the military cancelled the program, as other soon-to-be-fielded armors such as the SAMAS offered superior mobility and flexibility. Forgotten, the G-10 variant prototypes collected dust in storage for years. A few of these suits were stored with the Glitter Boy Factory in Quebec.

When Free Quebec discovered its Glitter Boy factory, it also discovered a large number of Glitter Boys and the variant prototypes. Free Quebec initially had no use for variant prototypes, eventually opting to sell them off. Pierre Lapointe, one of the founding members of the Old Guard, bought Le Pisteur. Of the dozen or so variant prototypes, Le Pisteur is the only one known to still be operational, and the Lapointe family of descended Glitter Boy pilots have handed it down, training their chosen heirs to use the suit’s unique capabilities to their utmost. The Lapointes have a dozen active pilots within both the Free Quebec military and the Old Guard and enough G-10s to create their own chapter, and Le Pisteur is their most prestigious suit.

Appearance

Le Pisteur appears to be a standard G-10 Glitter Boy with slightly larger-than-normal “horns” and a few other bumps that accommodate additional built-in sensor systems. Many of these systems are retractable, making the armor look almost identical to a stock G-10 suit, though a Glitter Boy pilot will easily spot the differences with a casual inspection. Le Pisteur’s pilots often cover the suit with camouflage cloth similar to a large ghille suit. While this cloth adds no significant protection (~50 S.D.C.), it makes the suit far harder to spot from a distance. Most distinctively, Le Pisteur carries a folded crossbow and 20 bolts magnetically clamped to its left thigh.

Capabilities

Le Pisteur is a prototype G-10 scout variant with advanced sensor, communications, and tracking systems. Originally meant to help G-10 units hunt down enemy forces using advanced sensors, it was deemed too complicated for pilots to handle without a second specialty’s worth of training. Taking full advantage of these capabilities requires an extensive skillset outside normal Glitter Boy pilot training.

1. Hunt down active radio and radar systems. Le Pisteur shuts down its radar and goes silent with its radio, effectively “listening” for signals. Using the Electronic Countermeasures skill, the pilot can locate and follow any active radio and radar signals to their sources. One successful skill roll will determine the direction of the radar or radio system. A second successful skill roll will give Le Pisteur’s pilot the approximate distance to the source. A third successful skill roll will allow the pilot to tell different signals using the same frequencies apart. A fourth successful roll allows Le Pisteur’s pilot to lock on to the source. Once locked on, Le Pisteur’s pilot can use a highly-focused jammer, rendering the target unable to use their radar or receive any useful radio messages. One target can be jammed at a time with this technique, this focused jamming will not interfere with other systems in the area, and Le Pisteur’s pilot can continue tracking its target. Alternately, Le Pisteur’s pilot can do an omnidirectional jam, which will degrade or effectively disable most radars and radios within a 10-mile radius, but using an omnidirectional jam will interfere with Le Pisteur’s systems, the pilot’s allies, and neutral parties. It may also allow enemies with the Electronics Countermeasures skill to home in on Le Pisteur as well.

2. Decipher and replicate encoded radio transmissions and codes. Le Pisteur includes a sophisticated cryptography system that grants a +20% to decode radio transmissions. A successful skill roll allows the pilot to listen in on enemy radio communications. Once the system and pilot have listened to enough radio chatter, the pilot can use the Impersonation and Imitate Voices & Sounds skill (with a +15% bonus) to send fake messages into an enemy radio network. If the pilot knows the location of a specific radio system, the suit can use its directional antenna to send a focused message to only one recipient. Pilots often use this to send sow chaos among their enemies or lure a single foe into an ambush.

3. Enhanced hearing. Le Pisteur’s electronic ears filter out its own system noise and dial up the hearing sensitivity. While this does nothing in combat (using the Boom Gun shuts this system down automatically), it grants +2 to perception rolls and adds +15% to the Detect Ambush skill.
Additionally, a parabolic microphone enables listening to a normal conversation from up to 600 feet (200 meters) away. A separate parabolic speaker allows the suit to create focused sound waves to a narrow (20 ft wide) area up to 600 feet (200 meters) away, and bouncing these focuses sound waves off objects will effectively “throw” the suit’s voice, making those sounds seem to come from the targeted object. Finally, by holding totally still, the suit can shine a laser on a hard, smooth surface and use that laser dot to measure vibrations and listen to sounds near the hard object. This "laser listening" works for listening to people talking inside body armor and power armor helmets, near relatively thin walls, and on windows. It does not work on large armored vehicles like tanks and robots.

4. Enhanced Tracking. Le Pisteur has a sophisticated and adaptive computer that has learned from centuries of recorded data hunting enemies in the wild. When used, it will help the pilot detect and identify tracks, collect and analyze samples of litter, trash, and droppings, and discern information about the animal or person being tracked, providing a +15% to the Track Humanoids and Track Animals skill. This bonus does not apply to counter-tracking.
Additionally, the Enhanced Tracking computer has become adept at spotting traps and mines, adding +20% to the Trap & Mine detection skill.

5. Electronics Exploitation: Designed to exploit captured enemy computer systems, Le Pisteur can connect to and assist in bypassing security codes and hack into enemy networks. This provides a +10% bonus to the Computer Hacking skill.

6. Crossbow: An additional tool added in recent decades, this single-shot, nearly-silent crossbow is more of a tool than a weapon thanks to the variety high-tech bolts magnetically latched to the Le Pisteur's left thigh. Typically, Le Pisteur will carry four of the following: tracer bug (8 mile range), flare, smoke, sleep gas, and neural disruptor. It takes both hands and two actions to reload the crossbow, which has a range of 600 ft (182 meters) and inflicts 3D6 S.D.C. damage. The crossbow can also shoot explosive bolts that inflict up to 3D6 M.D.C., a grapnel hook and 200 ft of high-tensile wire, and silver bolts to use against the undead, but those are usually stored in the pilot’s compartment, if at all. The crossbow is normally magnetically clamped to the left leg, with its bow sections folded up. it takes three actions to draw it, unfold the bow sections, and load.

Reputation:

While Le Pisteur’s pilots are loyal to Free Quebec, they have a fiercely independent streak and spend most of their time as journeyman wanderers abroad, as the suit’s unique capabilities would be wasted in the Glitter Boy Legion order of battle. Though famous, the pilots of Le Pisteur have never been chapter leaders within the Old Guard, preferring to live in the field and passing the suit on when their wandering days end. These pilots have a knack for surprising enemies at the worst possible time, and many tales of Le Pisteur involve it showing up when it’s least expected and most-needed.

While this suit has seen its share of battles over 300 years of nearly continuous use, Le Pisteur and its pilots of the Lapointe family are renowned more for hunting foes down by tracking, stalking, and ambushing enemies than for winning by heavy firepower and sheer durability. Some of its more famous exploits include goading two rival gangs of thugs into attacking a Splugorth slaving party and each other (and then mopping up the survivors and freeing the slaves), hunting down a fugitive psi-stalker who had murdered the mayor of Old Bones, and more recently, tricking the commander of an entire battalion of Coalition infantry to divert from reinforcing the Free Quebec front to make a pointless and costly week-long incursion into the Magic Zone.

Le Pisteur is famous among the Glitter Boy Legions of Free Quebec and the Old Guard. Even most Minutemen, Riggers, and Sons of Thunder have heard of this suit and its pilots’ exploits. Outside Free Quebec and the Glitter Boy associations, Le Pisteur is far less famous, and the few people who do notice its differences from other Glitter Boys assume that the suit has had lots of repairs over the years (an explanation Le Pisteur’s pilots are happy to support; it’s true, but it’s not the whole truth).


Possible Encounters featuring Le Pisteur:
+ A black marketer hires the party to deliver a sealed shipping container to a chapter of the Sons of Thunder, no questions asked. Unbeknownst to the party, the shipping container holds two pristine Glitter Boys stolen from a couple of murdered Old Guard pilots! When the party arrives at the Sons’ chapter armory, they learn that Le Pisteur’s pilot is already in the area and has been stalking and killing Sons for the past several days; the surviving members are holed up in their fortified armory, and other Old Guard members gather for an assault to wipe out this rogue chapter of Sons. The player characters are caught in the middle; the Sons blame them for leading Le Pisteur and the Old Guard to them, and the Old Guard sees them as complicit in the theft of their Glitter Boys and the murder of their pilots. Getting either side to change their mind about the player characters will mean getting involved in the fight that’s coming, and getting in a fight between a dozen Glitter Boys is extremely dangerous.

+If the party includes a new descended Glitter Boy pilot (or an existing one, especially if that player character’s suit gets wrecked), that pilot might be a family member or relative of the Lapointes and inherit the suit. All is not well, however, as others should have taken ownership of Le Pisteur before the player character. It seems that an unknown party has been systematically eliminating the Lapointe family. It might be the work of the Coalition, organized criminals, an internal power struggle in the Old Guard/Free Quebec, or some other nefarious force. The suit comes with a note from its previous pilot giving the player character enough information to set the party on the killer’s trail…

Note: Other G-10 variants, including another with Le Pisteur's capabilities, may also have survived to the present day.

[Orin J.]

Well as long as nobody's asking:

Glitter boy suit of legend
Ol' Liberty (Lady Liberty, Liberty's Guardsman)
History

Ol' Liberty is one of the famed Glitter Boy suits from the dark ages, and her history can be claimed to stretch all the way back to the golden age, where its famed trek from New york's annihilation guided those poor lost souls all the way to the ruins of Toronto and Quebec, shielding them from supernatural threats along the way. Serving in the defense of the two outposts of humanity for two hundred years, The battles Ol' Liberty fought in are the stuff of legends and are retold fondly by the families of Glitterboys as glorious tales of heroes of their past. Centuries later, Ol' Liberty remains at the ready to fulfill the oath to "Defend the lives and liberty of the people of our good city and those of her sister Quebec" etched inside of the armor that her pilots are charged with.

This oath has become something of a problem for the Glitterboys of Toronto outpost's lodge because the city has grown into the modern-day city of Lazlo, famed home to magic and learning which is now despised by the people of Quebec. While the Toronto chapter dislikes the changes that have happened around them, they hold their pride above political bickering and refuse to abandon their city to monsters just because they hold public office. The Glitterboy families of Quebec both regret and understand all too well their "unfortunate cousins" (sometimes actual cousins, the families are close) in Lazlo, and is somewhat uncomfortable with denouncing them knowing they have stood shoulder to shoulder for over a century before the current events. It's suggested that this is the true reason Free Quebec has not stuck at Lazlo in force to date- No Quebecoi Glitterboy pilot could bring themselves to be the one who fells a hero from their past.

Even today, Ol' Liberty will serve In Quebec fighting the monsters that plague her borders. Lazlo politely respects their local heroes as a "Unaffiliated mercenary group with prior claims to their land" and pretends they know nothing, and while Free Quebec has banned any exports to the people of Lazlo those supplying the Toronto chapter with materials as compensation for service typically receive the gentlest of admonishments and the Glitterboy families beg to let "Lady Liberty come to their home". But Ol' Liberty's home is Toronto, and she and her pilots would never abandon the people they protected for centuries to the darkness.

Appearance

Ol' Liberty herself is a modified -G10, equpped with small wings and powerful recoil thrusters that allow for near-flight jump abilities and a crown of horns that legend claims marks the aged Glitterboy suit as an experimental model. (It's not, the parts were slavaged from a silver eagle nearly 200 years ago for replacement boosters, and was later rebuilt by quebec) The boosters are so powerful they allow for Ol' Liberty to turn in midair and aim her cannon almost as soon as she takes off, ready to fire even before landing!
Unfortunately, she has also had a replacement weapon for nearly the last hundred years. When the then-outpost toronto began to welcome magic, Quebec had cut off all commerce with the city in responce, and Lady Liberty's Boom gun ("Liberty's torch") was being repaired in Qubec at the time. The Glitterboy families of Quebec have held the now pristine gun "hostage" in an attempt to force the Toronto chapter to abandon their post, but the growing city of magic discovered an replacement pre-rift weapon for Ol' Liberty. A pre-rifts orbital defense satillite running the same weapons programming was recovered by chance and its weapon duplicated to be mounted on the storied Power Armor, which has served as her main gun since.
Quebec has never attempted to duplicate Ol' Liberty's design and her serial number, like those of the other original Glitterboy defenders is enshrined In the Toronto and Quebec Chapter bases.
(Note: the design is based on the altered Glitterboy armor shown in half of the Rifts logo)

Statistics

Ol' Liberty modified Glitter boy Power armor stats(USA-G10/m)
Ol' Liberty is identical to the original -G10 model except as follows:
MDC by location:
Arms: 310 each (2)
Wings: 260 each (2)
Rail Gun (a.k.a Boom gun): in Free Quebec.
Laser cannon: 175
Missile launcher tube: 80 (this area suffers full damage from lasers)

Speed:
Running: 55 Mph maximum. The mobility of the power armor has suffered some slight problems and the toronto chapter isn't willing to risk taking her apart entirely to get at the issue.
Leaping: Assisted by powerful thrusters and wings, Ol' Liberty is able to make leaps over 300' long & 20' high and sustain herself aloft for almost ten minutes. Ol' liberty is able to stop in midair to hover as well but not resume movement, and must drop down wherever she switches to hover.
Height: 10 feet, 8 inches due to the taller horns
Width: 8 feet, 4 inches with wings fully extended
Weight: 1.7 tonnes fully loaded (the wings and extra thruster mass)

Weapon systems:

T-O/TAL package (Tactical Orbital/Twin-Agitation Laser package) multi-weapon system:
The replacement weapon system developed for Ol' liberty is centered around a powerful laser cannon recovered from a low-orbit defense satellite found half-built in a military storehouse. Running the same targeting software, the weapon was able to be converted for Glitterboy armor without making any alterations to the power armor itself. Because of the decreased firepower next to the Boom gun, a compact Short-range missile launcher was added to the backpack and the whole package has a dedicated nuclear plant to avoid taxing The Glitterboy suit it's equipped to. The T-O/TAL package can be removed from the power armor and replaced with a Boom gun or other suitable weapon in 2D4+4 melee rounds by a trained team with proper equipment (or another power armor to help).

1: NEMA 40500OL/1 Orbital/Twin agitation Laser cannon(1)
This powerful laser cannon is intended for use in space, destroying missiles, asteroids, and space debris to ensure the safety of both Earth and the space stations from threats back in the golden age of man and has both an atmospheric laser setting for low-orbit interception and another setting for firing a powerful X-Ray laser when in space! That said the O/TAL's X-Ray function has never been used since it was recovered as switching the laser's caibration causes loud warnings to alert the pilot of the danger of "uncontrolled radiation emission" in an atmosphere, but the atmospheric laser is a powerful enough weapon anyways. The laser cannon is mounted in a modified Boom Gun casing behind the left shoulder (the right shoulder is reserved for Ol' liberty's gun out of tradition) and operates in the same manner as the Boom gun, reach back and pull forward.
Primary purpose: Assault, Anti-armor and Anti-aircraft
Weight: 860 lbs.
Mega-damage: The atmospheric laser cannon setting inflicts 2D6 X 10 per blast.
The X-Ray Laser inflicts 2D4 X 100 mega-damage to its target even in an atmosphere! In space the weapon could inflict a staggering 2D4 X 1000! Additionally, the target is bombarded with deadly radiation preventing any form of bio-regeneration for 6D6 X 10 hours!

Effects of the X-Ray laser: X-ray laser weapons were developed exclusively for use in the hard vacuum of outer space, and earth's atmosphere diffuses the beam almost instantly. This means the laser is emitting gigantic amounts of deadly radiation if fired! Anything within 200 feet of the laser receives deadly levels of radiation, to the point will suffer severe radiation poisoning and most materials will be permanently irradiated! (the chromium armor of the Glitterboy protects it from this, as a lucky break) Anyone in that range and not protected from radiation receives 4D6 damage directly to hit points immediately and must save vs. coma or pass out! The continues to inflict 2D6 damage to unprotected victims each round and 1D4 to everyone an additional 1000 feet away (again, this is directly to hit points!) until the radiation dissipates in 3D6 Melee rounds. The sudden radiation pulse also disrupts radio signals and laser targeting in the area, and they will not work (this means no bonus, and all missiles in range are at no bonus at all to hit) until the radiation has passed. Even supernatural beings will notice the deadly radiation, and may flee for their lives at the horrific new sensation of the deadly energies leeching the life from their skin!

Rate of fire: The atmospheric laser setting may be fired once for every melee action. The X-Ray laser setting can only be fired once every melee round and the entire laser cannon is disabled until it's ready again (the cannon itself requires this time for its components to cool!) Bursts and Sprays are not possible.
Maximum effective range: 8000 feet for the Atmospheric laser (double in space).
The X-ray laser has a pitiful range of 35 feet! Earth's atmosphere causes the beam to diffuse into a burst of undirected radation almost instantly, causing the deadly side-effects. In space, the X-Ray laser has a range of 30,000 feet.
Payload: The T-O/TAL package includes a small dedicated nuclear power plant, effectively unlimited.


2: Short-range Missile launcher (1)
Complimenting the laser cannon is a tubular sort-range missile launcher that folds into a storage/reload container on the back. The weapon sits on an articulated weapons mount when active where it's directed by the neural link system in the Glitterboy, and is positioned behind the right shoulder. Unlike the rest of the suit, the launcher isn't protected by Chromium as it is seen as a "disposable" weapon By the Toronto chapter.
Primary purpose: Assault, Anti-aircraft, and Anti-infantry
Weight: 410 pounds
Mega-Damage: Varies with missile type. Any short-range missile type can be used, with High-explosive and Plasma preferred. See missile chart.
Effective range: 3-5 miles, depending on missile type.
Rate of fire: One missile, or in volleys of two, three or four missiles each attack.
Payload: Sixteen, four in the launcher and 12 total reloads in the pack. Note the launcher can only reload when all four missile tubes are empty due to the design.

3: TW flaming sword (1)
Mounted in a special housing built into the forearm, Ol' Liberty was gifted with this weapon by a friend of the toronto chapter over 70 years ago to help reward them for their selfless heroics (the pilot at the time was secretly a natural psionic, and the builder a close friend). the TW weapon hasn't been used in decades and is mostly forgotten today, as the pilots of the toronto chapter do not approve of the idea of "wizardry" tainting their suits by and large. Activated, the weapon creates a 5' long blade of fire that extends from the forearm with glowing white runes in elven that reads clearly as "Liberty's Guard", the oldest known term for the suit.

Activation cost: 16 I.S.P. (Designed expressly for psionics, even the creator knew it was the only way to get it installed)
Duration: Ten minutes (40 melee rounds) per activation
Mega-Damage: 4D6 per attack
Note: Uses W.P. Sword for attack bonuses.

[Mack]

See, now you've got me thinking about what would happen if a TW got his hands on an old, mangled GB. Might write something up tomorrow.

[taalismn]

Yeah, and talk of a Glitterboy's 'horns' has me thinking of a Nightlord's horns.....and that in turn has me thinking of a 'dark mirror' or 'evil doppelgänger' Glitterboy....

[Hotrod]

Well as long as nobody's asking:

Glitter boy suit of legend
Ol' Liberty (Lady Liberty, Liberty's Guardsman)
History

Ol' Liberty is one of the famed Glitter Boy suits from the dark ages, and her history can be claimed to stretch all the way back to the golden age, where its famed trek from New york's annihilation guided those poor lost souls all the way to the ruins of Toronto and Quebec, shielding them from supernatural threats along the way. Serving in the defense of the two outposts of humanity for two hundred years, The battles Ol' Liberty fought in are the stuff of legends and are retold fondly by the families of Glitterboys as glorious tales of heroes of their past. Centuries later, Ol' Liberty remains at the ready to fulfill the oath to "Defend the lives and liberty of the people of our good city and those of her sister Quebec" etched inside of the armor that her pilots are charged with.

This oath has become something of a problem for the Glitterboys of Toronto outpost's lodge because the city has grown into the modern-day city of Lazlo, famed home to magic and learning which is now despised by the people of Quebec. While the Toronto chapter dislikes the changes that have happened around them, they hold their pride above political bickering and refuse to abandon their city to monsters just because they hold public office. The Glitterboy families of Quebec both regret and understand all too well their "unfortunate cousins" (sometimes actual cousins, the families are close) in Lazlo, and is somewhat uncomfortable with denouncing them knowing they have stood shoulder to shoulder for over a century before the current events. It's suggested that this is the true reason Free Quebec has not stuck at Lazlo in force to date- No Quebecoi Glitterboy pilot could bring themselves to be the one who fells a hero from their past.

Even today, Ol' Liberty will serve In Quebec fighting the monsters that plague her borders. Lazlo politely respects their local heroes as a "Unaffiliated mercenary group with prior claims to their land" and pretends they know nothing, and while Free Quebec has banned any exports to the people of Lazlo those supplying the Toronto chapter with materials as compensation for service typically receive the gentlest of admonishments and the Glitterboy families beg to let "Lady Liberty come to their home". But Ol' Liberty's home is Toronto, and she and her pilots would never abandon the people they protected for centuries to the darkness.

I love the background. Feels like a not-quite-renegade chapter of the Old Guard, cut off from parts support but still considered members.

T-O/TAL package (Tactical Orbital/Twin-Agitation Laser package) multi-weapon system:
The replacement weapon system developed for Ol' liberty is centered around a powerful laser cannon recovered from a low-orbit defense satellite found half-built in a military storehouse. Running the same targeting software, the weapon was able to be converted for Glitterboy armor without making any alterations to the power armor itself. Because of the decreased firepower next to the Boom gun, a compact Short-range missile launcher was added to the backpack and the whole package has a dedicated nuclear plant to avoid taxing The Glitterboy suit it's equipped to. The T-O/TAL package can be removed from the power armor and replaced with a Boom gun or other suitable weapon in 2D4+4 melee rounds by a trained team with proper equipment (or another power armor to help).

1: NEMA 40500OL/1 Orbital/Twin agitation Laser cannon(1)
This powerful laser cannon is intended for use in space, destroying missiles, asteroids, and space debris to ensure the safety of both Earth and the space stations from threats back in the golden age of man and has both an atmospheric laser setting for low-orbit interception and another setting for firing a powerful X-Ray laser when in space! That said the O/TAL's X-Ray function has never been used since it was recovered as switching the laser's caibration causes loud warnings to alert the pilot of the danger of "uncontrolled radiation emission" in an atmosphere, but the atmospheric laser is a powerful enough weapon anyways. The laser cannon is mounted in a modified Boom Gun casing behind the left shoulder (the right shoulder is reserved for Ol' liberty's gun out of tradition) and operates in the same manner as the Boom gun, reach back and pull forward.
Primary purpose: Assault, Anti-armor and Anti-aircraft
Weight: 860 lbs.
Mega-damage: The atmospheric laser cannon setting inflicts 2D6 X 10 per blast.
The X-Ray Laser inflicts 2D4 X 100 mega-damage to its target even in an atmosphere! In space the weapon could inflict a staggering 2D4 X 1000! Additionally, the target is bombarded with deadly radiation preventing any form of bio-regeneration for 6D6 X 10 hours!

Effects of the X-Ray laser: X-ray laser weapons were developed exclusively for use in the hard vacuum of outer space, and earth's atmosphere diffuses the beam almost instantly. This means the laser is emitting gigantic amounts of deadly radiation if fired! Anything within 200 feet of the laser receives deadly levels of radiation, to the point will suffer severe radiation poisoning and most materials will be permanently irradiated! (the chromium armor of the Glitterboy protects it from this, as a lucky break) Anyone in that range and not protected from radiation receives 4D6 damage directly to hit points immediately and must save vs. coma or pass out! The continues to inflict 2D6 damage to unprotected victims each round and 1D4 to everyone an additional 1000 feet away (again, this is directly to hit points!) until the radiation dissipates in 3D6 Melee rounds. The sudden radiation pulse also disrupts radio signals and laser targeting in the area, and they will not work (this means no bonus, and all missiles in range are at no bonus at all to hit) until the radiation has passed. Even supernatural beings will notice the deadly radiation, and may flee for their lives at the horrific new sensation of the deadly energies leeching the life from their skin!

Rate of fire: The atmospheric laser setting may be fired once for every melee action. The X-Ray laser setting can only be fired once every melee round and the entire laser cannon is disabled until it's ready again (the cannon itself requires this time for its components to cool!) Bursts and Sprays are not possible.
Maximum effective range: 8000 feet for the Atmospheric laser (double in space).
The X-ray laser has a pitiful range of 35 feet! Earth's atmosphere causes the beam to diffuse into a burst of undirected radation almost instantly, causing the deadly side-effects. In space, the X-Ray laser has a range of 30,000 feet.
Payload: The T-O/TAL package includes a small dedicated nuclear power plant, effectively unlimited.

Gameplay-wise, I love this concept, though I would tweak a few things. First, the maximum range of the radiation effects shouldn't exceed the effective range of the weapon system (will make you sick thousands of feet away even when it's not aimed at you, but only does damaged in its focused direction for 35 feet?). Second, radiation health effects aren't instant; they kick in hours later. I'd extend the range of the X-ray beam out to maybe 100 feet, modify the radiation effects, and drop them to the same range. I also might change the nature of the weapon from "X-ray" to "Radiation" to keep it ambiguous.

[Orin J.]

I love the background. Feels like a not-quite-renegade chapter of the Old Guard, cut off from parts support but still considered members.

thanks, i always like exploring what the historical connections between the factions must be (in spite of CS claims, of course) and this was a good excuse. i was gonna write up the Toronto chapter more but it felt excessive.

Gameplay-wise, I love this concept, though I would tweak a few things. First, the maximum range of the radiation effects shouldn't exceed the effective range of the weapon system (will make you sick thousands of feet away even when it's not aimed at you, but only does damaged in its focused direction for 35 feet?). Second, radiation health effects aren't instant; they kick in hours later. I'd extend the range of the X-ray beam out to maybe 100 feet, modify the radiation effects, and drop them to the same range. I also might change the nature of the weapon from "X-ray" to "Radiation" to keep it ambiguous.

X-ray lasers are in (i think it's) mutant in orbit, and they don't work in atmosphere, which always bothered me where the radiation was going so i went with diffusing it to the point the gun rapidly becomes a radiation hose with the atmospere' thumb clamped on the nozzle. i kinda forgot what actual radiation poisoning rules were in and had to choose between "Realism" and "Make it clear not to spam this blindly" for options.
After considering the last time i gave a group in rifts a weapon that dealt potentially thousands of MDC a round i just slapped the "Do NOT" sign on it immediately.

[Hotrod]

Other aspects of Glitter Boy culture I've thought about writing up:

1. Glitter Boy Tactics: using terrain, formations, and maneuvers effectively against infantry, vehicles, and aerial foes.
2. Keeping them Boomin': secrets to the Glitter Boy's longevity: tricks and tools that have kept these suits working for 300 years. Why and how Glitter Boys always look so darn pristine.
3. The Chapter: leadership roles, supporters/family members, social dynamics, and layouts of a typical chapter armory.
4. The Network: relationships and dynamics between chapters, associations, and unaffiliated Glitter Boys. How Glitter Boy pilots share information.

[slade the sniper]

A glitter boy that randomly spouts anti-communist propaganda like Liberty Prime would be gold! He would never allow stealth, always use the biggest weapons possible and have a certain fondness for nuclear weapons.

-STS

[Pepsi Jedi]

I like the general idea of the thread and could totally see the sorts of groups you're speaking of.

The..... Homage to a certain TV show are sort of hard to dodge. But that's fine too. Going out on a limb here and guessing the "Sons of....... Thunder"s symbol is a Reaper with a Boom Gun with a Scythe blade?

[Hotrod]

I like the general idea of the thread and could totally see the sorts of groups you're speaking of.

The..... Homage to a certain TV show are sort of hard to dodge. But that's fine too. Going out on a limb here and guessing the "Sons of....... Thunder"s symbol is a Reaper with a Boom Gun with a Scythe blade?

The Minutemen are based on the revolutionary war-era militias and tradition of posses that form up, fight, and disperse. The Old Guard is a bit more of a nationally-aligned mercenary/paramilitary/national guard type of organization, like the Flying Tigers and/or the Patriot Guard. The Riggers are more of a classic motorcycle or hotrod-type club, and the Sons of Thunder are obviously based on 1%'er outlaw motorcycle clubs.

I was thinking more about the Hell's Angels, Mongols, Outlaws, Pagans, Bandidos than the Sons of Anarchy show. Of course, since Sons of Anarchy is based on that kind of culture (and "sons of ___" is easy to adapt without making reference to real-life organizations), your point is well taken; it's. I'd welcome alternate name suggestions for the Sons of Thunder.

For the Sons of Thunder's symbol, I'd probably go with something a bit more like a pirate flag; a skull with crossed boom guns underneath. The skull could be a reference to it being founded by Coalition veterans and expatriots way back in the day (after the CS crushed the Federation of Magic). I'd also note that most of the other associations wouldn't be into things like matching leather jackets/patches. The Minutemen have no symbol, as their unmarked suits are their symbol. The Old Guard might use a Fleur de Lis, but in a subtle way. The Riggers might do matching leather jackets, but their symbol would probably be friendlier; Glitter Boys are plenty intimidating enough.

[Hotrod]

A glitter boy that randomly spouts anti-communist propaganda like Liberty Prime would be gold! He would never allow stealth, always use the biggest weapons possible and have a certain fondness for nuclear weapons.

-STS

I love Liberty Prime. I'm not sure that communism was a big thing when Glitter Boys first came out. That said, it could be fun to have some sort of automated loudspeaker spouting public service announcement anachronisms and propaganda from the early days of NEMA, especially if it was a surviving pre-skelebot NEMA robot brain incorporated into the suit. I'll think it over.

[desrocfc]

Other aspects of Glitter Boy culture I've thought about writing up:

1. Glitter Boy Tactics: using terrain, formations, and maneuvers effectively against infantry, vehicles, and aerial foes.

<snip>

This was something I had done as a basis for FQ. The specific TTPs (Tactics, Techniques and Procedures, to coin the military terminology) wasn't something that made the cut. It is, however, the basis for the FQ military having so many Borgs and Juicers, as well as other PA. With a combined force based on 4+ GB and supporting roles filled out by those other forces, you have a very potent and versatile force.

[Hotrod]

It's school-time at a Minuteman armory. The children of the local homesteads and chapter officers sit in their seats while an old, crusty veteran of the chapter strides in:

"Alright, recruits! Today we're going to talk about how to use the land we defend to protect us and help us kill our enemies. Hey Timmy! Wake up!

"Let's start with the basics. Our suits may be tough, but they have two big weaknesses: we can't shoot on the move, and we can't turn around while we're shooting. Our suits have lasted centuries by our pilots using terrain to cover these weaknesses.

"A moving Glitter Boy is vulnerable. Any time an enemy catches you on the move, they'll get at least one free shot in, possibly two or three. Since we want to avoid that, we like to move through cover or concealment. Lots of dirt and rocks that can stop an enemy's fire, that's cover. Trees, bushes, that kind of stuff, that's concealment. Dammit, Timmy, just stand up if you can't stay awake! Cover's usually better for us than concealment, since we tend to make a lot of noise moving through foliage, and our suits are so shiny you sometimes get reflected sunglight poking through bushes and such, so we use cover like ditches, valleys, and draws-- no, Timmy, I mean a draw like a cleft in a hillside, not some idiot gunslinger duel. Keeping a hill or a ridge between you and an enemy is a great way to keep them from knowing where you are and where you're moving.

"So let's say you can move wherever you need to. Now it's time to set up and fight. We want to be able to see and shoot our enemies from a long way off. So where do you think we want to drop pylons and shoot? Timmy? Yes, hills and ridges, very good. Both provide excellent cover and fields of fire for our boom guns. But there's more to it than that. Hills are big.

"Where do you set up on the hill, recruits? The top, Timmy? Wrong! Set up there, and you'll have a whole lot of dirt and rock between you and the base of the hill. Once your enemies get close to the foot of the hill, they're below where you can see them, and they'll charge up the hill and pounce on you up close. Worse still, you're upright and obvious to everyone for miles around, and anyone can take pot shots at you in the back. Don't ever sink your pylons on top of a hill unless you absolutely have to.

"Nobody else? Ok then. Where you want to set up is the military crest of the hill. That's the highest point where you can see all the way down the slope. There's still plenty of hill behind you, covering your rear, and now you've got a wide open field of fire. Any enemies moving below you will risk you blowing them away. In a pinch, the military crest of a hill is a good spot. How can we make it better, though?

"Well, if the hillside has any big boulders, you can use those to give you some more cover. Ideally, you want just your head and your boom gun showing over the top. If there aren't any big boulders handy, and if you have the time, what you want to do is dig a rifle pit. You dig a hole on the hillside, throwing the dirt into a mound just below you. Now you have a nice mound of dirt for your enemies below you to shoot around, and you set up a bit lower into the ground. That'll stop a great many shots. Yes, Timmy, that does mean getting the hands on your shiny suit a little dirty. A little rinse in a stream is a lot easier and cheaper than having to refurbish damaged chromium armor plates, and with the suit's muscles, you can dig a good rifle pit in a minute or less, and once you're set up in a good rifle pit on the military crest of a hill, you're at least four times as likely to survive and win that fight.

"Ah, looks like it's time for our practical exercise today. You'll be digging rifle pits on Patriot Hill. No, Timmy, you won't be using suits. Yes, you'll have to dig them by hand. Don't like that? You'll thank me someday. Train the hard way, and it'll be easy when it's time to fight. Move out, recruits!"

[Library Ogre]

Consider the Glitterboy culture surrounding suits that have lost their boom gun.

[Hotrod]

Schooltime continues the next day:

Ok, recruits, so you can climb a hill and dig some holes. Now let's talk about where you dug your holes. Yes, Timmy, you put them on the military crest, but why did you dig them so close together? Your rifle pits were barely a few feet from each other! You might as well have dug a trench! Ah well, I guess that leads into our topic of today: teamwork.

You know why the Minutemen have lasted for centuries, while most freelancers and small groups of Glitter Boys never last? It's because we literally watch out for each other. Sure, we can fight solo in a pinch, but two Minutemen fighting together are better than four Minutemen fighting alone.

Remember yesterday, when I said that we're vulnerable when we move, and I said that we use cover? Well, today, we'll talk about a different kind of cover, the kind that your friend provides by being ready to shoot enemies who pop up. Whenever you need to move in a fight, the best way to do it is while another Minuteman already has pylons sunk and is ready to shoot the enemy. Then you cover your buddy, and you take turns until you're both where you want to be. We call this bounding.

Now let's talk about where you set up. Unlike that awful mess you made on the side of Patriot Hill yesterday, you need to remember to spread out. You should rarely be side-by-side, even if you're just traveling. We can shoot over a mile with our boom guns, so you want at least a hundred meters between you, sometimes more. This does two things: it allows you to catch enemies in a crossfire, giving them fewer places to hide from your guns, and it gives each of you space to help each other if someone tries to come at the other's back. Our boom guns aren't much good for fighting up close, so some enemies try to catch us at close range. That's when another Minuteman will save you.

So remember: we fight together, but not close together. Now get back up there, fill in those rifle pits you dug yesterday, and dig some new ones at proper intervals. No, Timmy, no shovels today either. Use what you have. Sweat more now, bleed less later!

[Orin J.]

Consider the Glitterboy culture surrounding suits that have lost their boom gun.

"You ever seen a juicer get strangled by a guy in power armor? no? Then you might want to watch this genius who closed with a glitterboy to target the boom gun and make him "helpless". Don't take that sort of thing very well."

[Mack]

Consider the Glitterboy culture surrounding suits that have lost their boom gun.

Yea. I was working up a TW GB suit based on one that had been completely mangled and Boom Gun lost.

[slade the sniper]

A glitter boy that randomly spouts anti-communist propaganda like Liberty Prime would be gold! He would never allow stealth, always use the biggest weapons possible and have a certain fondness for nuclear weapons.

-STS

I love Liberty Prime. I'm not sure that communism was a big thing when Glitter Boys first came out. That said, it could be fun to have some sort of automated loudspeaker spouting public service announcement anachronisms and propaganda from the early days of NEMA, especially if it was a surviving pre-skelebot NEMA robot brain incorporated into the suit. I'll think it over.

Maybe it could be the same basic idea, but spouts anti-magic propaganda? Ends up sounding like a giant chrome paladin...or Optimus Prime?

Spoiler:

"Liberty Prime is online. All systems nominal. Weapons hot. Mission: the destruction of any and all magical monsters and demons."
"Voice module online. Audio functionality test initialized. Designation: Liberty Prime. Mission: the liberation of Anchorage, Alaska."
"Obstruction detected, composition: titanium alloy supplemented by photonic resonance barrier. Probability of mission hindrance: zero percent!"
"The demons will fail. Hell will fall."
"Revised stratagem: Initiate photonic resonance overcharge."
"Demons are the very definition of failure!"

"Magical threat assessment: Minimal. Scanning defenses..."
"Structural weakness detected. Exploiting."
"Satellite Uplink detected. Analysis of Communist transmission pending."
"Warning! Warning! Magical obliteration imminent! All personnel should reach minimum safe distance immediately!"
"Repeat: Demonic Magical strike inbound! All NEMA personnel must vacate the area immediately! Protection protocols engaged!"
"Catastrophic... system... failure... Initiating core shutdown as per emergency initiative 2682209... I die, so that humanity may... live..."

"Global positioning initialized. Location - the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Birthplace of American freedom."
"I hold these truths to be self-evident that all Americans are created... equal. And are endowed with certain unalienable rights."
"Democracy is the essence of good. Demons, the very definition of evil. Literally"
"Cultural database accessed. Quoting New England poet Robert Frost: "Freedom lies in being bold."
"Memorial site recognized. Patriotism subroutines engaged. Honoring the fallen is the duty of every red blooded North American."
"I am Liberty Prime. I am... North America."

[Pepsi Jedi]

I like the general idea of the thread and could totally see the sorts of groups you're speaking of.

The..... Homage to a certain TV show are sort of hard to dodge. But that's fine too. Going out on a limb here and guessing the "Sons of....... Thunder"s symbol is a Reaper with a Boom Gun with a Scythe blade?

The Minutemen are based on the revolutionary war-era militias and tradition of posses that form up, fight, and disperse. The Old Guard is a bit more of a nationally-aligned mercenary/paramilitary/national guard type of organization, like the Flying Tigers and/or the Patriot Guard. The Riggers are more of a classic motorcycle or hotrod-type club, and the Sons of Thunder are obviously based on 1%'er outlaw motorcycle clubs.

I was thinking more about the Hell's Angels, Mongols, Outlaws, Pagans, Bandidos than the Sons of Anarchy show. Of course, since Sons of Anarchy is based on that kind of culture (and "sons of ___" is easy to adapt without making reference to real-life organizations), your point is well taken; it's. I'd welcome alternate name suggestions for the Sons of Thunder.

For the Sons of Thunder's symbol, I'd probably go with something a bit more like a pirate flag; a skull with crossed boom guns underneath. The skull could be a reference to it being founded by Coalition veterans and expatriots way back in the day (after the CS crushed the Federation of Magic). I'd also note that most of the other associations wouldn't be into things like matching leather jackets/patches. The Minutemen have no symbol, as their unmarked suits are their symbol. The Old Guard might use a Fleur de Lis, but in a subtle way. The Riggers might do matching leather jackets, but their symbol would probably be friendlier; Glitter Boys are plenty intimidating enough.

As a Heathen, "Sons of Thunder" Call images of Thor to my mind. So painting them as 'bad guys' makes me kinda .
Fiction's fiction and all. I get it, but yeah as written they read like Sons of Anarchy but with glitterboys.

Maybe something like "Renegades" or the like? Or if you're going with the pirate flag like you mentioned "Jolly Rogers" or "Buccaneers" "Privateers" (For a bit of tongue and cheek pretentiousness).

I like the over all concept though. Nice work.

[Orin J.]

I like the general idea of the thread and could totally see the sorts of groups you're speaking of.

The..... Homage to a certain TV show are sort of hard to dodge. But that's fine too. Going out on a limb here and guessing the "Sons of....... Thunder"s symbol is a Reaper with a Boom Gun with a Scythe blade?

The Minutemen are based on the revolutionary war-era militias and tradition of posses that form up, fight, and disperse. The Old Guard is a bit more of a nationally-aligned mercenary/paramilitary/national guard type of organization, like the Flying Tigers and/or the Patriot Guard. The Riggers are more of a classic motorcycle or hotrod-type club, and the Sons of Thunder are obviously based on 1%'er outlaw motorcycle clubs.

I was thinking more about the Hell's Angels, Mongols, Outlaws, Pagans, Bandidos than the Sons of Anarchy show. Of course, since Sons of Anarchy is based on that kind of culture (and "sons of ___" is easy to adapt without making reference to real-life organizations), your point is well taken; it's. I'd welcome alternate name suggestions for the Sons of Thunder.

For the Sons of Thunder's symbol, I'd probably go with something a bit more like a pirate flag; a skull with crossed boom guns underneath. The skull could be a reference to it being founded by Coalition veterans and expatriots way back in the day (after the CS crushed the Federation of Magic). I'd also note that most of the other associations wouldn't be into things like matching leather jackets/patches. The Minutemen have no symbol, as their unmarked suits are their symbol. The Old Guard might use a Fleur de Lis, but in a subtle way. The Riggers might do matching leather jackets, but their symbol would probably be friendlier; Glitter Boys are plenty intimidating enough.

As a Heathen, "Sons of Thunder" Call images of Thor to my mind. So painting them as 'bad guys' makes me kinda .
Fiction's fiction and all. I get it, but yeah as written they read like Sons of Anarchy but with glitterboys.

Maybe something like "Renegades" or the like? Or if you're going with the pirate flag like you mentioned "Jolly Rogers" or "Buccaneers" "Privateers" (For a bit of tongue and cheek pretentiousness).

I like the over all concept though. Nice work.

given they're a bunch of bullies, thugs, and good for nothings, i'm sure they think they are the good guys and extort a certian amount of praise out of "their" communities alongside the pay. it wouldn't be near the first time the aseir were referanced by a group of genocidal supremicists after all.....

[Hotrod]

A glitter boy that randomly spouts anti-communist propaganda like Liberty Prime would be gold! He would never allow stealth, always use the biggest weapons possible and have a certain fondness for nuclear weapons.

-STS

I love Liberty Prime. I'm not sure that communism was a big thing when Glitter Boys first came out. That said, it could be fun to have some sort of automated loudspeaker spouting public service announcement anachronisms and propaganda from the early days of NEMA, especially if it was a surviving pre-skelebot NEMA robot brain incorporated into the suit. I'll think it over.

Maybe it could be the same basic idea, but spouts anti-magic propaganda? Ends up sounding like a giant chrome paladin...or Optimus Prime?

You (and Liberty Prime) have inspired me, though I took things in a bit of a different direction and opted to create an anachronism: a USA propaganda robot brain as a co-pilot.

Glitter Boy Suit of Legend:

The Patriot

The Patriot is a very famous Glitter Boy of the Riggers, serving its pilots over the generations since they split from the Minutemen. Riggers call it one of the “Originals.” Minutemen call it “The first Franken-boy.”

Origin:

Originally a stock G-10 of the Minutemen, The Patriot came from a United States Army depot that pre-dated NEMA. As such, its markings were distinctly American with flags and symbols on it that didn’t quite fit the mold of the blank suits the Minutemen prefer. Since the Minutemen preferred not to alter suits from their original states, other chapters quietly grumbled about these until the markings wore off from combat, wear, and tear.

The mechanics and operators repairing this suit, however, kept its vintage markings, calling the suit “The Patriot.” This chapter was fairly isolated, and at one point during the 200 year dark age, they stopped getting repair parts for several years. In that time, the chapter’s operators had to improvise solutions from nonstandard and scavenged parts to keep their Glitter Boys operational. They got so good at improvising solutions and modifying their suits that they continued doing so even after the chapter started getting standard parts again.

This led to some loud complaints among other Minutemen chapters, but it wasn’t until an operator installed The Patriot’s most-distinctive systems that things came to a head. After a particularly nasty fight in which The Patriot took severe damage from behind, its pilot asked his chapter’s operators to create a system so the suit could protect its own back. Their solution was a radical departure from Minutemen traditions: a turreted weapon mounted to the left pauldron, controlled by the autonomous robot brain of a wrecked pre-Rifts robot they’d been using for spare parts. To integrate this into the suit, the operators wired its brain into the G-10’s central computer and loudspeaker system. This re-activated and gave the old robot brain a voice.

The story of The Patriot’s robot brain is a bit muddled and confused. It began as a prototype neural intelligence, and its designers originally programmed it to generate patriotic propaganda as a way of trying to secure more government funding. After the Coming of the Rifts, NEMA attempted to install the neural intelligence in a drone and gave it some combat programming, but it could not erase or subdue the robot’s patriotic fervor, and after the robot compromised a few missions by blaring patriotic slogans and music during clandestine operations, NEMA pulled the plug and used the robot for spare parts. Over a century passed before operators installed it in the modified Glitter Boy.

When the traditionalist chapters of the Minutemen saw the grafted turret and heard The Patriot blaring ludicrously out-of-date pro-USA propaganda, public service announcements, and old patriotic music, they knew it was time to cut ties with this chapter of misfits. What they didn’t suspect was that The Patriot and other suits of that chapter would inspire many other chapters out west to follow them and form the Riggers.

The Patriot has been blasting foes and cheering on a dead country ever since.

Appearance

The Patriot’s modifications are immediately obvious. Aside from the nonstandard particle beam turret on its shoulder, its pilots and operators over the years have played up the patriotic symbology to a level that would make Captain America blush. The Boom Gun’s muzzle is shaped like a screaming eagle’s mouth, its pauldrons are stylized like feathered wings, and its compensation thruster exhaust flames are red, white, and blue. Classic American symbols and mottos are etched into and overlaid on the front and sides of the suit, and it features a stars-and-stripes flag-like cape that billows behind it whenever the Boom Gun fires and the compensation thrusters engage.

Then there are the loudspeakers. The Patriot is famous for playing patriotic music, reciting patriotic slogans with great enthusiasm, giving now-useless “the more you know” type advice and reminding listeners of upcoming long-forgotten noteworthy days (tax deadlines, national holidays, voting reminders, et cetera) with great gusto. In combat, The Patriot plays inspiring historical patriotic music and classic heavy metal, and recites famous platitudes ("Give me liberty or give me death!" "Remember the Alamo!" "No Taxation without Representation!") or slightly more-helpful public service announcements (“Citizens! America’s Soldiers have come to eradicate threats in your area! Take shelter immediately, and report any criminal or terrorist threats to your local 911 emergency services!”)

In terms of its practical modifications, The Patriot has a short, squat particle beam cannon mounted in a turret above its left shoulder. The gun’s housing is made of laser-resistant Chromium armor. The Patriot also carries a grenade launcher and a large vibro-sword, both of which are highly stylized with patriotic motifs.

Capabilities

The Patriot’s most significant feature is a built-in co-pilot, a robot brain repurposed to assist its pilot. This robotic brain was originally programmed to boost morale and patriotism among American troops and civilians. Over the years, it has developed a semi-sentient mind that can be a help or a hindrance to its pilot. The robot brain believes its own propaganda absolutely and unconditionally, and it genuinely thinks that the best remedy for the post-apocalyptic world it lives in is for the people to embrace the patriotism and ideals of the USA. It believes this so strongly that it suffers from a form of conditional insanity.

The robot brain’s effectiveness and sanity depends on the pilot embracing its patriotic ideology and mission as a living symbol of the America that was and can be again (note: evil actions on the pilot’s part will anger the robot brain as “un-American”). If the pilot silences the robot’s loudspeaker and internal communications with the pilot, or if the pilot defaces any of its patriotic symbols, or if the pilot demeans classic American values, the robot will become depressed, its speech will become more nonsensical, and it will simply refuse to help the pilot most (75%) of the time, or worse yet, it may activate its propaganda at very inopportune times. If, however, the pilot embraces old American iconography and ideology, expresses real interest in the ideals and symbols of old America, and seems to appreciate its classic American music collection, the robot brain will generally behave, be less intrusive, aid its pilot to the best of its ability. This is why The Patriot’s pilots have added to the patriotic motifs of the suit over the years. The suit takes some getting used to, but if the pilot can keep the robotic brain happy, the robot brain will provide some significant benefits:

1. The robot brain aims and fires its particle beam system independently, with 5 attacks per melee and a +6 to strike (+3 to strike while the suit is moving). In general, the robot brain will prioritize incoming missiles, and it is particularly good at shooting them down (+9 to strike against missiles). If no missiles are incoming, it will shoot any enemies coming up behind the suit, or simply shoot what the pilot shoots, or shoot at any designated enemies in range. The particle beam turret has a range of 1,000 ft and does 1D6x10 per shot and can fire in a 300-degree arc to its front, left, and behind. The turret includes a separate sensor suite mounted to the gun’s housing and a spotlight with a 600 ft illumination range.
2. Vigilant Co-Pilot. When its pilot keeps its patriotic ferver satisfied, the robot brain’s NEMA tactical programming will kick in. The robot brain will constantly look for ambushes (detect ambush: 50%) and traps/mines (Trap/Mine Detection: 50%) and assist with its other programmed skills: Intelligence: 76%, Land Navigation: 76%, Basic Math: 98%, and Radio Basic: 98%. The suit will remain vigilant, watching over its pilot even when the pilot is out of the suit and sleeping (can only operate the particle beam turret), and it can start up the suit before the pilot even enters it, allowing the pilot to climb in and get moving in three combat actions. Many co-pilots maintain a radio link with the suit while dismounted, allowing two-way communication with the neural intelligence.
3. History Guide. The robot brain has extensive files on American Pre-Rifts History, music, speeches, and historical events, equal to a Pre-Rifts History skill of 98%, but this is restricted to topics related to the USA. Having been shut down at various points for long stretches, it is not sure how much time has passed since the USA was actually a country, but it knows the geography and locations of many American towns, cities, and key infrastructure scattered across the country. If the robot brain likes its pilot, it may steer the pilot towards some of these places, which could lead to the recovery of precious pre-Rifts artifacts.
4. Propagandist and Cheerleader. Even if its pilot embraces American ideology and iconography, the suit can’t help breaking out with patriotic music, slogans, and famous quotes when it feels the situation warrants it, especially in a firefight once the shooting starts. Even outside combat, the suit may put on some quieter, thematically appropriate American music as it strides through the wilderness with its pilot and will reminisce about the great country that used to be, and that hopefully, will be renewed again someday.

Additional Weapons and Features:
The suit carries "The Rocket's Red Glare," a highly-stylized WI-GL-21 Automatic grenade launcher rifle, which is -1 to strike and is usually loaded with a 40-round magazine (Rifts: Mercenaries, p105). In addition to two additional magazines of plasma grenades, it also carries a magazine of bursting smoke and flare grenades (in red, white, and blue, of course) to mark areas and dazzle/obscure enemy visibility. The launcher attaches to the armor's back underneath the thrusters. The suit likes to play "The Star-Spangled Banner" when its pilot uses this weapon system.

Finally, the suit carries "His Terrible, Swift Sword" a giant-sized vibro-sword (3D6 M.D.C.) with a hilt made to look like a screaming eagle, with wings for the crossguard. The robot brain would really like the weapon to have a "fateful lightning" effect, but so far its pilots haven't been able to find one. The suit likes to play "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" when its pilot uses this weapon.

The suit’s flag-like cape also serves as a minor supplementary M.D.C. protective cover for its back, with 50 M.D.C. The robot brain is rather protective of this cape and will encourage the pilot to quickly eliminate anyone who dares “strike the colors.”

The Patriot's robot brain would really like to have some kind of weaponized flagpole as well.

Reputation:

The Patriot is one of the most distinctive and famous Glitter Boy in North America. It gets a lot of attention everywhere it goes, and its pilots have earned a reputation for flamboyance and heroism. Over the years, it has mostly been a homestead suit in the west, though every 20 years or so, a pilot takes the suit and becomes a journeyman wanderer for a few years.

Both the Coalition and some Rogue Scholars have taken some interest in the suit and its history, and for very different reasons. The Coalition regards itself as the heir of the USA; some C.S. officials see the suit as a dangerous nuisance, and some C.S. officials would like to use the suit as a visible propaganda symbol (which the robot would not support. While The Patriot doesn’t see the C.S. as an enemy, it regards C.S. policies as distinctly un-American and will never support its dictatorship and suppression of its citizens’ rights).

Several rogue scholars have sought to interview the robot brain to glean some of its knowledge, but none have gotten anything useful out of it, largely because they themselves don’t embrace the propaganda and aren’t interested in following or joining with the suit to be a “shield of the American rebirth” or “making America great again.” Thus, The Patriot simply falls back on spouting propaganda and patriotic music. One rogue scholar went so far as to try to hack into the robot’s brain. When The Patriot’s pilot found out, she sent the rogue scholar packing.


Possible Encounters featuring The Patriot:
+(if a member of the party is a suitless Glitter Boy pilot, especially of the Riggers) The party comes to a community where a C.S. propagandist is trying to convince the locals to join the Coalition, and The Patriot can’t help but engage him in a war of words and slogans in favor of democracy, the defense of citizen’s rights, and the rejection of tyranny. The C.S. official laughs it off, but start trying to acquire the suit from its pilot with increasingly aggressive moves, culminating in an attempt to steal the suit which ends with the Coalition official and his body guards killing The Patriot’s pilot, and The Patriot responding by killing the official and his bodyguards. Grieving and enraged, The Patriot decides to blare out American (and somewhat anti-C.S.) propaganda and threatening to shoot anyone who tries to silence or move it, creating a dangerous situation for the town. The party may opt to disable or destroy the suit, but if anyone in the party is familiar with The Patriot’s personality, they’ll know that the best way to get it is to talk it down by embracing the old American ideals it spouts. If the party plays their cards right, they’ll get a famous and powerful, if tempermental new suit, and either find a way to cover up the C.S. official’s death or get out of town before follow-on C.S. forces figure out what happened.

+If The Patriot becomes aware of the Republicans, it will eagerly urge its pilot to seek them out. When meeting them, the robot brain will have something of an identity crisis, as it does not understand why the Republicans hide in the shadows while America groans under foreign invaders and tyrants. Worse still, a subroutine installed by one of ARCHIE’s agents decades ago will activate a homing beacon that will lead ARCHIE’s forces to the Republicans’ hideout! The Republicans will quickly realize the danger, and The Patriot, the player characters, and the Republicans will have to decide what to do with a small army of ARCHIE’s robots almost sure to be on the way.

[slade the sniper]

The Patriot is awesome. I love the visuals of his paint job. Well done, Hotrod.

-STS

[Pepsi Jedi]

I like the general idea of the thread and could totally see the sorts of groups you're speaking of.

The..... Homage to a certain TV show are sort of hard to dodge. But that's fine too. Going out on a limb here and guessing the "Sons of....... Thunder"s symbol is a Reaper with a Boom Gun with a Scythe blade?

The Minutemen are based on the revolutionary war-era militias and tradition of posses that form up, fight, and disperse. The Old Guard is a bit more of a nationally-aligned mercenary/paramilitary/national guard type of organization, like the Flying Tigers and/or the Patriot Guard. The Riggers are more of a classic motorcycle or hotrod-type club, and the Sons of Thunder are obviously based on 1%'er outlaw motorcycle clubs.

I was thinking more about the Hell's Angels, Mongols, Outlaws, Pagans, Bandidos than the Sons of Anarchy show. Of course, since Sons of Anarchy is based on that kind of culture (and "sons of ___" is easy to adapt without making reference to real-life organizations), your point is well taken; it's. I'd welcome alternate name suggestions for the Sons of Thunder.

For the Sons of Thunder's symbol, I'd probably go with something a bit more like a pirate flag; a skull with crossed boom guns underneath. The skull could be a reference to it being founded by Coalition veterans and expatriots way back in the day (after the CS crushed the Federation of Magic). I'd also note that most of the other associations wouldn't be into things like matching leather jackets/patches. The Minutemen have no symbol, as their unmarked suits are their symbol. The Old Guard might use a Fleur de Lis, but in a subtle way. The Riggers might do matching leather jackets, but their symbol would probably be friendlier; Glitter Boys are plenty intimidating enough.

As a Heathen, "Sons of Thunder" Call images of Thor to my mind. So painting them as 'bad guys' makes me kinda .
Fiction's fiction and all. I get it, but yeah as written they read like Sons of Anarchy but with glitterboys.

Maybe something like "Renegades" or the like? Or if you're going with the pirate flag like you mentioned "Jolly Rogers" or "Buccaneers" "Privateers" (For a bit of tongue and cheek pretentiousness).

I like the over all concept though. Nice work.

given they're a bunch of bullies, thugs, and good for nothings, i'm sure they think they are the good guys and extort a certian amount of praise out of "their" communities alongside the pay. it wouldn't be near the first time the aseir were referanced by a group of genocidal supremicists after all.....

Doesn't mean we appreciate the label.