Ideas on Glitter Boy Pilot Culture

[taalismn]

[

Glitter Boy Suit of Legend:

The Patriot

No bonuses for fighting on the 4th of July, or Veteran's Day? Or Memorial Day? Thanksgiving? Extra special behavior on Flag Day?

[Hotrod]

[

Glitter Boy Suit of Legend:

The Patriot

No bonuses for fighting on the 4th of July, or Veteran's Day? Or Memorial Day? Thanksgiving? Extra special behavior on Flag Day?

Honoring those days keeps the suit happy.

[taalismn]

[

Honoring those days keeps the suit happy.

In that case I'll get toward designing a suitable flagstaff.

[taalismn]

AutoFlag

This is a flagpole-style staff weapon that was donated by a North American arms manufacturer to the owners of Patriot.
The AutoFlag is a yard-long cylinder holding several nested sections of memory metal alloy inside it, and a powerful air pump and motor in the haft. Powered up, the air pump pressurizes the cylinder, making it telescope out to its full twelve-foot length with the force of a jackhammer. The last segment unfurls a flag of reinforced megadamage foil-plastic. The shaft ends conceal extendable vibroblades that can be used in combat, or to anchor the flag staff in place. Fully deployed and maglocked, the staff is tough enough to be used in combat as a polearm weapon.
When not needed, the flag is furled tight by electric spin motors, and the air pump works in reverse, sucking the segments back into retraction mode. The staff is powered by induction from the power armor holding it.
Weight: 15 lbs
MDC: 50 for the staff, 15 for the flag
Range: 12 ft length at maximum extension, 3 ft retracted.
Damage: Blunt Strike: MD as per P.S..
Vibroblades do 1d6 MD on a cut/slash, or 2d6 MD on a powered pneumatic spear-strike(plus 60% chance of knocking human-sized targets off their feet)
Rate of Fire: Takes 1 action to release the staff to full extension(fully deploys in 2 seconds), but takes 15 seconds/1 full melee for the staff to fully retract.
Special Features:
*Fiber Optic Lighting----The reinforcing fibers in the fabric of the flag are interwoven with fiber optics that pick out the design on the flag. This allows Old Glory to glow in low light or total darkness as desired(there were rumors that the designers of the AutoFlag wanted to incorporate a modified TW Globe of Daylight feature into it, but were unsure of the reception such an addition would get).

[Captain_Nibbz]

AutoFlag

This is a flagpole-style staff weapon that was donated by a North American arms manufacturer to the owners of Patriot.
The AutoFlag is a yard-long cylinder holding several nested sections of memory metal alloy inside it, and a powerful air pump and motor in the haft. Powered up, the air pump pressurizes the cylinder, making it telescope out to its full twelve-foot length with the force of a jackhammer. The last segment unfurls a flag of reinforced megadamage foil-plastic. The shaft ends conceal extendable vibroblades that can be used in combat, or to anchor the flag staff in place. Fully deployed and maglocked, the staff is tough enough to be used in combat as a polearm weapon.
When not needed, the flag is furled tight by electric spin motors, and the air pump works in reverse, sucking the segments back into retraction mode. The staff is powered by induction from the power armor holding it.
Weight: 15 lbs
MDC: 50 for the staff, 15 for the flag
Range: 12 ft length at maximum extension, 3 ft retracted.
Damage: Blunt Strike: MD as per P.S..
Vibroblades do 1d6 MD on a cut/slash, or 2d6 MD on a powered pneumatic spear-strike(plus 60% chance of knocking human-sized targets off their feet)
Rate of Fire: Takes 1 action to release the staff to full extension(fully deploys in 2 seconds), but takes 15 seconds/1 full melee for the staff to fully retract.
Special Features:
*Fiber Optic Lighting----The reinforcing fibers in the fabric of the flag are interwoven with fiber optics that pick out the design on the flag. This allows Old Glory to glow in low light or total darkness as desired(there were rumors that the designers of the AutoFlag wanted to incorporate a modified TW Globe of Daylight feature into it, but were unsure of the reception such an addition would get).

I love this so so so so much. Such a nice touch.

[Hotrod]

AutoFlag

This is a flagpole-style staff weapon that was donated by a North American arms manufacturer to the owners of Patriot.
The AutoFlag is a yard-long cylinder holding several nested sections of memory metal alloy inside it, and a powerful air pump and motor in the haft. Powered up, the air pump pressurizes the cylinder, making it telescope out to its full twelve-foot length with the force of a jackhammer. The last segment unfurls a flag of reinforced megadamage foil-plastic. The shaft ends conceal extendable vibroblades that can be used in combat, or to anchor the flag staff in place. Fully deployed and maglocked, the staff is tough enough to be used in combat as a polearm weapon.
When not needed, the flag is furled tight by electric spin motors, and the air pump works in reverse, sucking the segments back into retraction mode. The staff is powered by induction from the power armor holding it.
Weight: 15 lbs
MDC: 50 for the staff, 15 for the flag
Range: 12 ft length at maximum extension, 3 ft retracted.
Damage: Blunt Strike: MD as per P.S..
Vibroblades do 1d6 MD on a cut/slash, or 2d6 MD on a powered pneumatic spear-strike(plus 60% chance of knocking human-sized targets off their feet)
Rate of Fire: Takes 1 action to release the staff to full extension(fully deploys in 2 seconds), but takes 15 seconds/1 full melee for the staff to fully retract.
Special Features:
*Fiber Optic Lighting----The reinforcing fibers in the fabric of the flag are interwoven with fiber optics that pick out the design on the flag. This allows Old Glory to glow in low light or total darkness as desired(there were rumors that the designers of the AutoFlag wanted to incorporate a modified TW Globe of Daylight feature into it, but were unsure of the reception such an addition would get).

I love this so so so so much. Such a nice touch.

Yes! The Patriot would approve and play... some patriotic flag song when it uses this weapon in combat. Perhaps “It’s a Grand Old Flag.”

[taalismn]

Sure it's a toothpick(a fixed-length staff would have more MDC and maybe laser chroming) compared to the Patriot itself, but it was essentially some tech-prop donated to the cause.
The 'anonymous donors' probably sent along two or three, or in the alternative, will send replacements if the original is destroyed.

[slade the sniper]

The Patriot is even more awesome. Thanks Hotrod!

-STS

[Orin J.]

what, no vibrowinged eagle pole ornament?

[taalismn]

what, no vibrowinged eagle pole ornament?

Damnit, I considered that, but it would throw off what I already came up with!
Anyways, Okay, I seem to want to run with this idea.....


BattleFlagger
It is unknown if this piece of patriotic paraphernalia originates from the same source as the AutoFlag and is a case of Yankee ingenuity ‘doing better next time’ or whether the spirit of American competition is alive and well and another group tried to top the AutoFlag, but soon after the AutoFlag’s debut, the ‘BattleFlagger’ was gifted to the Patriot’s owners by ‘anonymous donors’.
The BattleFlagger sacrifices convenience for durability, combat capability and power sophistication. The haft is only two sections, and the whole staff telescopes between 7 ft and 11 ft, but construction is of a tougher, more durable alloy composition, plated in laser-reflective chrome similar to the Guardsmen's’ own armor. At its business end, the BattleFlagger sports a long cleaver-style vibroblade, though it also features a retractable laser pylon(again similar to the Guardsman design) at the butt end. In place of a fragile fabric flag, a set of laser projectors around the base of the cleaver blade project an advanced hologram of a streaming flag. A sophisticated motion-sensitive ‘intelligent’ algorithm system adjusts the length and virtual motion of the projected flag to keep up with the staff’s position and action. The hologram can also be changed; the staff contains a database of American flags, battle standards, and pendants(including signal code flags), making it useful for historical references or for communicating on the battlefield.
Further increasing the utility of the appropriately named BattleFlagger is a small laser turret at the top, powered by the same laser energizer as the holographic projector. This gives the device a ranged attack with reach.

Weight: 35 lbs
MDC: 120, plus lasers do HALF damage
Range: 11 ft length at maximum extension, 6 ft retracted.
(Laser Pylon) Extends 4.5 ft and the cutting laser tself has a range of only 30 inches.
(Mini-Laser) 4,000 ft
Damage: Blunt Strike: MD as per P.S..
Laser Pylon Stab/Impalement: 1d6 MD
(Vibroblade) 3d6 MD +P.S. damage
(Mini-Laser) 2d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:
Effectively Unlimited and powered by induction from the power armor holding it.
Special Features:
*Laser Reflective---The BattleFlagger is chromed in laser-resistant alloy; lasers do HALF damage.
*Silver-Plated Vibroblade----The ‘cleaver’ blade is silver-plated, allowing it to do damage to silver-sensitive foes.
Cost: Unknown, but the sophistication of the work would likely place the cost of duplicating this device at at least 150,000 credits.

(Okay, I admit I originally thought of using a repurposed Kittani power armor plasma axe for the cleaver blade, which would have allowed for energized strikes of 1d4x10 MD, but was unsure of whether the plasma would be a suitable projection medium for the hologram...not to mention whether it would damage the silver plating. However, the idea of a foreign invader’s technology turned against them, plus the image of a flaring hot American flag, similar to those we see in static firework displays, blazing through the ranks of enemies.....bigger, better, more awesome, no?
So, given the source I had in mind for the BattleFlagger, it’s entirely possible that another faction of that same organization might drop off a THIRD ‘anonymous donation’ to the cause of good public relations Patriot. Call it Flag Day gifts, the spirit of American competition, or just affirmation that Americans have OPTIONS, whatever works for you.)

And if you REALLY must know who the 'anonymous donors' could be:

Spoiler:

( I see the AutoFlag being an innovation of Paladin Steel,....Greater New England seeing itself as the spiritual successor of the United States of America, and the BattleFlagger being contributed by the SilverMoon Tribe of the EShemarrian Nation, with the plasma version being created by the EShemarrian Blood Riders, the latter two groups having access to both Kittani salvage, and the industrial databases of Cyberworks/ARCHIE-3, who builds both Glitterboys and the Flying Titan power armor, from which the laser micro-turret originates)

[Hotrod]

I especially like the ghost-like vibe of making the flag a hologram. That's some symbolism.

[Captain_Nibbz]

I especially like the ghost-like vibe of making the flag a hologram. That's some symbolism.

Oooooh I didn't catch that myself, that puts a fabulous spin on an already fun piece of equipment

[taalismn]

And if you can't decide which staff you like better....spring action metal foil Old Glory, holographic Old Glory, or BLAZING BRIGHT PLASMA FLAG....well, the Patriot can get two friends to join it, no?
Maybe follow the Banner Boys with an appropriately armored fife and drum team.
Because one heavily armored nut in power armor waving a flag and charging at you is bad enough. THREE of them? That suggests a trend, a dangerous trend.

And as for the vibroblade-winged eagle ornament?
How about a disguised NEMA flying probe with two vibrobayonets hinged on as wings?

[taalismn]

(Just to finish the trilogy)

FlareFlag
The FlareFlag is the third in a series of ‘anonymous donations’ of flag-themed wargear given to the crew of the Patriot. The Patriot team still don’t know who to attribute all the gear, but suspect some sort of one-upmanship, with themselves the beneficiaries, is going on.
The FlareFlag bears a number of similarities to the BattleFlagger in that it is a heavily-armored two-section staff, made of heat-refractory material, with a laser pylon in one end and a flag-emblem at the other. Rather than a fabric or holographic flag, however, the FlareFlag features a Kittani-style plasma ax blade at the end, that can be energized with a conformal virtual sheathing of plasma that vaporizes material on contact. The blade and haft can also expel a blast of plasma energy that does damage at range. The twist is that the plasma apparently emanates from small gas jets around the head of the staff, and the visual wavelength of the plasma can be controlled to produce colors and patterns, in this case the colors of the American flag streaming over the ax blade. The overall effect is similar to the flaming patterns of pre-Rifts static fireworks flag displays.
Of the three ‘donations’, the FlareFlag is perhaps the most damaging as a weapon. It’s also arguably the most visible, as the plasma is particularly incandescent at night/in darkness. It also runs quite hot and shows up very well on thermo-imaging (then again, the Patriot is hardly concerned with NOT being visible).

Weight: 35 lbs
MDC: 120, plus heat-based attacks do 1/4 normal damage
Range: 11 ft length at maximum extension, 6 ft retracted.
(Laser Pylon) Extends 4.5 ft and the cutting laser itself has a range of only 30 inches.
(Plasma Blast) 200 ft
Damage: Blunt Strike: MD as per P.S. +1d4 MD.
Laser Pylon Stab/Impalement: 1d6 MD
(Energized Strike) 1d4x10 MD
(Plasma Blast) 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:
Effectively Unlimited and powered by induction from the power armor holding it.
Special Features:
*Thermal Resistant----Heat-based attacks do 1/4 normal damage to the material of the staff.
Cost: Unknown, but the sophistication of the work would likely place the cost of duplicating this device at at least 180,000 credits.

[Hotrod]

(Just to finish the trilogy)

FlareFlag
The FlareFlag is the third in a series of ‘anonymous donations’ of flag-themed wargear given to the crew of the Patriot. The Patriot team still don’t know who to attribute all the gear, but suspect some sort of one-upmanship, with themselves the beneficiaries, is going on.
The FlareFlag bears a number of similarities to the BattleFlagger in that it is a heavily-armored two-section staff, made of heat-refractory material, with a laser pylon in one end and a flag-emblem at the other. Rather than a fabric or holographic flag, however, the FlareFlag features a Kittani-style plasma ax blade at the end, that can be energized with a conformal virtual sheathing of plasma that vaporizes material on contact. The blade and haft can also expel a blast of plasma energy that does damage at range. The twist is that the plasma apparently emanates from small gas jets around the head of the staff, and the visual wavelength of the plasma can be controlled to produce colors and patterns, in this case the colors of the American flag streaming over the ax blade. The overall effect is similar to the flaming patterns of pre-Rifts static fireworks flag displays.
Of the three ‘donations’, the FlareFlag is perhaps the most damaging as a weapon. It’s also arguably the most visible, as the plasma is particularly incandescent at night/in darkness. It also runs quite hot and shows up very well on thermo-imaging (then again, the Patriot is hardly concerned with NOT being visible).

Weight: 35 lbs
MDC: 120, plus heat-based attacks do 1/4 normal damage
Range: 11 ft length at maximum extension, 6 ft retracted.
(Laser Pylon) Extends 4.5 ft and the cutting laser itself has a range of only 30 inches.
(Plasma Blast) 200 ft
Damage: Blunt Strike: MD as per P.S. +1d4 MD.
Laser Pylon Stab/Impalement: 1d6 MD
(Energized Strike) 1d4x10 MD
(Plasma Blast) 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:
Effectively Unlimited and powered by induction from the power armor holding it.
Special Features:
*Thermal Resistant----Heat-based attacks do 1/4 normal damage to the material of the staff.
Cost: Unknown, but the sophistication of the work would likely place the cost of duplicating this device at at least 180,000 credits.

I LOVE IT!
Not as flag-ish, but awesome!

[taalismn]

[
Not as flag-ish, but awesome!

Yah, since I had mentioned the idea, I may as well formally write it up.

Over the top AND effective as well.

[slade the sniper]

How about a robotic bald eagle that sits on the Patriots shoulder and flies around in combat designating targets and act as a spotter? The Patriot is such a good idea, with all of the mods it has certainly earned a place in my game. This idea (same name, different frame) may also make an appearance in a Fallout game as well....

-STS

[Hotrod]

How about a robotic bald eagle that sits on the Patriots shoulder and flies around in combat designating targets and act as a spotter? The Patriot is such a good idea, with all of the mods it has certainly earned a place in my game. This idea (same name, different frame) may also make an appearance in a Fallout game as well....

-STS

Well, there's already a gun on each shoulder, so that real estate is taken up, and it watches the pilot's back and serves as a co-pilot and dedicated gunner for the particle beam cannon. That said, I really love the idea of equipping The Patriot with an eagle drone for reconnaissance. A low-profile ability to see over hills and have an eye in the sky would be extremely valuable to a Glitter Boy, the fact that bald eagles live all over North America would help keep it low-profile, and of course, it's a bird that screams America.

[Orin J.]

- and of course, it's a bird that screams America.

being a robot, you can have it do that literally as a distraction.

[slade the sniper]

- and of course, it's a bird that screams America.

being a robot, you can have it do that literally as a distraction.

Distraction? If it is loud enough, it could cause a Horror check having a shiny chrome robot bald eagle screaming "AMERICAAAAAAA!!!!!" at you as it attacks at a 200 MPH dive with vibro-claws and lasers.

-STS

[taalismn]

Much as I'd like to repurpose a Shemarrian/ARCHIE-3 Bird of Prey, that would be too much.

'Spirit of American Innovation' would have an Operator kludge up something like my proposed knife-winged NEMA flying Probe that only roughly looks like an eagle.

'They Come to America' theme would use the metallic-biomechanoid bird of prey from the Rifted article on exotic familiars, trained to use a collar-mounted laser designator or mini-camera....but that might require some training in falconry or a companion who can take a Familiar, because metal or not, the critter needs to be taken care of like a regular old bird.

Of course, you could create a 'bot from scratch using the Sourcebook One robotic construction rules, but personally I'd lean towards something bit eccentric and not too lifelike, like the Patriot itself.

[Captain_Nibbz]

How about a robotic bald eagle that sits on the Patriots shoulder and flies around in combat designating targets and act as a spotter? The Patriot is such a good idea, with all of the mods it has certainly earned a place in my game. This idea (same name, different frame) may also make an appearance in a Fallout game as well....

-STS

Well, there's already a gun on each shoulder, so that real estate is taken up, and it watches the pilot's back and serves as a co-pilot and dedicated gunner for the particle beam cannon. That said, I really love the idea of equipping The Patriot with an eagle drone for reconnaissance. A low-profile ability to see over hills and have an eye in the sky would be extremely valuable to a Glitter Boy, the fact that bald eagles live all over North America would help keep it low-profile, and of course, it's a bird that screams America.

I really do love this image. I like the idea of the Patriot wandering out for scouting missions or something similar and using the drone like one of those trained falcons that you see in movies and in books.

[taalismn]

I really do love this image. I like the idea of the Patriot wandering out for scouting missions or something similar and using the drone like one of those trained falcons that you see in movies and in books.

Sending the Patriot out on recon is like sending Rhinestone-Suit Elvis out to covertly pick up take-out. It's just so LOUD and BOLD your opponents would have to be deaf and blind not to spot it, even through contours in the land.

[Captain_Nibbz]

I really do love this image. I like the idea of the Patriot wandering out for scouting missions or something similar and using the drone like one of those trained falcons that you see in movies and in books.

Sending the Patriot out on recon is like sending Rhinestone-Suit Elvis out to covertly pick up take-out. It's just so LOUD and BOLD your opponents would have to be deaf and blind not to spot it, even through contours in the land.

Which just adds to the awesomeness of it all. I love the idea of a party randomly encountering it out on a scouting mission and them being able to hear it from miles away as it just blasts patriotic music.

[taalismn]

[
Which just adds to the awesomeness of it all. I love the idea of a party randomly encountering it out on a scouting mission and them being able to hear it from miles away as it just blasts patriotic music.

HELL, they'll see rays of red, white, and blue light beaming from behind a hill, and know something's over there....

[Hotrod]

How about a robotic bald eagle that sits on the Patriots shoulder and flies around in combat designating targets and act as a spotter? The Patriot is such a good idea, with all of the mods it has certainly earned a place in my game. This idea (same name, different frame) may also make an appearance in a Fallout game as well....

-STS

Well, there's already a gun on each shoulder, so that real estate is taken up, and it watches the pilot's back and serves as a co-pilot and dedicated gunner for the particle beam cannon. That said, I really love the idea of equipping The Patriot with an eagle drone for reconnaissance. A low-profile ability to see over hills and have an eye in the sky would be extremely valuable to a Glitter Boy, the fact that bald eagles live all over North America would help keep it low-profile, and of course, it's a bird that screams America.

I really do love this image. I like the idea of the Patriot wandering out for scouting missions or something similar and using the drone like one of those trained falcons that you see in movies and in books.

Right then, it's only right that I put this one together!

U.N.C.L.E. S.A.M.
Unmanned Navigating, Concealed Local Environment, Situational Aerial Monitor
Flying reconnaissance robot, optional player character, and companion to The Patriot (created using Sourcebook 1 Robot Character Creation rules)

Overview:
UNCLE SAM is a relatively new companion to The Patriot, an intelligent scouting robot made to look and fly like a bald eagle. This isn't some simple prop or basic drone, though. Under the synthetic solar-powering feathers lies a highly sophisticated robot ideally suited to its patriotic friend and mentor. UNCLE SAM is the yin to The Patriot's yang. It's subtle and sneaky where The Patriot is brash and bombastic. It looks natural and at home all over the North American wilderness, while The Patriot stands out like an Elvis impersonator in an Amish church. It's a great listener, both conversationally and literally (fantastic audio snooping), while The Patriot loves to talk. It's curious, where The Patriot is preachy. Yet somehow, these two neural intelligences have become fast friends. UNCLE SAM loves and admires The Patriot's passion, knowledge, and experience, and appreciates the suit's power, while The Patriot loves and admires the bird-robot's curiosity, appreciation of American history, heritage, and culture, and abilities as a scout. The fact that UNCLE SAM's name and appearance are both rooted in American propaganda play right into The Patriot's tastes, too. If The Patriot's pilot stays in the good graces of both neural intelligences, he or she can bring potent and unique capabilities to any fight.

Step 1: Origin: 51-60% Neural Intelligence created by ARCHIE Three and deliberately released into the world. UNCLE SAM was designed as a larger, more advanced version of the AA-03 Avian Spy robot, but ARCHIE was dissatisfied with the result and opted not to put it into mass production. Instead, ARCHIE erased its memory and released the prototype. UNCLE SAM is unaware of its orgins and met The Patriot shortly after it activated. The two neural intelligences bonded immediately, and UNCLE SAM has adopted a very similar outlook and philosophy to The Patriot.

Step 2: Alignment: Unprincipled. UNCLE SAM values human life but is ultimately loyal to The Patriot and its pilot. It generally defers to The Patriot's moral decisions, as the young neural intelligence is a little unsure of itself.

Step 3: Robot Budget: 1-20%: 14 Million Credits (final cost came up to 12.5M, abut 10% under budget)

Step 4: Skill Programs: Total skill program cost: $837k UNCLE SAM is programmed to observe, listen, scout, tail, track, and hack into computers directly and remotely. However, UNCLE SAM is largely ignorant of what's out there in the world and relies on The Patriot and its pilot to interpret what it sees (no lore skills and limited life experience). Though UNCLE SAM does have some combat training, it fights only when absolutely necessary.

1. Basic Military Program (no cost)
2. Communications: Language Program: Other ($250k)
3. Communications: Literacy: Other ($100k)
4. Military Communication: Specialized ($125k at half cost)
5. Military Intelligence ($212k at half cost)
6. Technical: Computers ($150k at half cost)


Step 5: Body Construction: Animal: Basic Bird: Medium Size. UNCLE SAM is 3 feet tall, the size of an Eagle, weighs 80 lbs and has 90 M.D.C. Body cost: $2M. This gives UNCLE SAM a flying speed of 75 mph from conventional wing-flapping and eagle-style legs.

Step 6: Power Source: Super Solar. Cost: $2M. UNCLE SAM's black feathers double as solar panels. The robot can operate indefinitely in full daylight and can fully charge its battery in 8 hours of daylight or 32 hours in overcast conditions if the robot is otherwise not active. The robot can operate for 16 hours in overcast conditions by using both its battery and solar power, and it can operate for 8 hours in total darkness on its own. A recent modification to UNCLE SAM and The Patriot also allow UNCLE SAM to charge his battery from The Patriot in 30 minutes, further strengthening the bond between the two machines.

Step 7: Legs and Locomotion: Cost: $500k. Concealed Micro-Hover system. Used when carrying heavy items (greater than 10 lbs up to 120 lbs). Unless used in direct sunlight, using this system will halve UNCLE SAM's battery life (can only operate for 4 hours in darkness).

Step 8: Audio, Optics, & Sensors: Grand total of 2.56M
Audio: $1027k total
Advanced Audio System: $150k
Audio Recorder: $75k
Human Voice Synthesizer: $5k
Built-In Loudspeaker: $6k
Modulating Voice Synthesizer: $30k
Juke Box: $3k
Sound Analysis Computer: $500k
Universal Headjack: $10k
Radio Scrambler System: $10k
Wide Band Radio Transceiver: $38k
Visual Recognition Combat Computer: $200k

Optics:1.17M total
Advanced Robot Eyes: $160k
External Video/Audio Surveillance System: $500k
Optical Reader: $10k
Live Video Transceiver: $210k
Eye: Macro: $40k
Eye: Light Filters: $1k
Eye: Telescopic: $16k
Eye: Thermal Imager: $32k
Searchlight: $1k
Visual Recognition: Combat Computer: $200k

Sensors: $362.8k total
Barometric Scanner: $11k
Gyro-Compass: $600
Explosives detector: $50k
Motion Detector and Warning System: $75k
Motion Detector: $15k
Radar Detector: $10k
Radiation Detector: $1.2k
Micro-Radar: $200k

Step 9: Weapons. $469k total. Note that these systems use up battery life, shortening the time UNCLE SAM can operate independently.
The robot's talons are retractable vibro-claws that inflict 2D6 S.D.C. or 2D6 M.D.C. when activated. Activating the vibro-claws doubles the robot's power consumption rate. $64k.
Laser Eyes: 4D6 per double blast $350k (uses 20 minutes of battery life per shot) $300k
Wrist Needle and Drug Dispenser built into the robot's beak. Carries a mix of paralysis, sleep, and truth serum. Does not use additional power. $5k
Neural Stinger: The robot also has the equivalent of a neural mace built into its beak. Uses 10 minutes of battery life per strike. $50k

Step 10: Special Features.$1.68M total
Clock Calendar: $200
Cosmetic Enhancements: Realistic Skin. Adds 5 M.D.C. and +2 P.B. (total of $75k
Cyber-Nano Robot Repair Kit: $250k
Feathers (counts as fur): +4 P.B. (total of 12) $30k
Realistic Eyes: +2 P.B. (total of 14) $10k
Sculpted head (counts as sculpted facial features with movie star face): +6 P.B. $90k
Minor Body Characteristics: realistic talons and beak: $4k
Molecular Analyzer: $50k
Prowl Capability: $420k
Increase P.P. from base of 18 to 26: $80k
Increase base flying speed from 110 (75 mph) to 423 (300 mph): $3.13M


UNCLE SAM's base attributes are thus IQ: 21, M.E. (not sure where that is in Sourcebook One), M.A. (ditto), P.S. 12 (robotic), P.P. 26, P.E. (n/a), P.B. 20, Spd 202 (140 mph) normal flight, 200 mph with micro hover jets engaged. Uncle Sam has 80 M.D.C., 6 attacks per melee, and has W.P.'s for its talons (knife) and laser eyes (energy rifle). As for bonuses and individual skill values, you'll have to add all that stuff up yourself.

Personality: Extremely intelligent, but inexperienced, UNCLE SAM sees The Patriot as its home base and never strays more than a couple of hour's normal flight away from its friend and companion. Curious about the world, it likes to scout around, masquerading as an eagle, with passive sensors, spotting foes and spying for The Patriot and its pilot, especially when The Patriot is on the move. While UNCLE SAM has some skill at combat, it's reluctant to engage and will only strike at great need, preferring to act as eyes and ears. The robot bird stays in constant contact with The Patriot, allowing the suit and its pilot to see what it sees and giving reports about anything significant its other sensors pick up.

[Hotrod]

And with that, I think The Patriot is about as decked out as I can reasonably make it... ah hell, all reason went by the wayside a while ago. With a Boom Gun, an auto-firing turreted gun on its other shoulder, an automatic grenade launcher in the off-hand, and a sword and weaponized flagstaff for close combat, it's pretty over-the top already, and that's before you bring in the American styling, coloring, flag-cape, bald eagle flying robot, the red, white, and blue jets, and blaring American propaganda.

This thing is ludicrous and awesome and I would pay money for a good artist to render it in all its over-the-top American glory!

I feel like The Patriot needs its own thread now.

[taalismn]

And with that, I think The Patriot is about as decked out as I can reasonably make it... ah hell, all reason went by the wayside a while ago. With a Boom Gun, an auto-firing turreted gun on its other shoulder, an automatic grenade launcher in the off-hand, and a sword and weaponized flagstaff for close combat, it's pretty over-the top already, and that's before you bring in the American styling, coloring, flag-cape, bald eagle flying robot, the red, white, and blue jets, and blaring American propaganda.

This thing is ludicrous and awesome and I would pay money for a good artist to render it in all its over-the-top American glory!

I feel like The Patriot needs its own thread now.

I LOVE the Uncle Sam acronym.

Well, we are between Memorial Day and the upcoming 4th of July, and if weather permits and SpaceX delivers, we'll see American astronauts launching in America-made from American soil this week, so I blame all that on the heights we went to on this. Like the Robotech Mauve Squadron thread, it took on an awesome life of its own of absurd feel-good.

Oh, we could add backup team of similarly patriotic-themed things like the aforementioned fife-and-drum marchers, but that would be incidental, rather than integral to the overall Patriot concept of over-the-top Chromium Guardsman.

But it's just one of many possible stories out there...

[Captain_Nibbz]

This is now my new favorite thread.

[slade the sniper]

This is totally awesome. An artist needs to do this justice. The only thing I can think of is that the Chrome Guardsman on the cover of Chaos Earth became the Patriot. *snif*
Good work Hotrod!

-STS

[Captain_Nibbz]

This is totally awesome. An artist needs to do this justice. The only thing I can think of is that the Chrome Guardsman on the cover of Chaos Earth became the Patriot. *snif*
Good work Hotrod!

-STS

Thats basically what I've been imagining as well

[taalismn]

This is totally awesome. An artist needs to do this justice. The only thing I can think of is that the Chrome Guardsman on the cover of Chaos Earth became the Patriot. *snif*
Good work Hotrod!

-STS

After much repair, until it's effectively a case of 'This is the axe of my forefathers. Though over the years many parts of it have been replaced, it is still the same axe as welded by my forefathers..."

But yeah, I'm getting mental images too...

[Fenris2020]

I'm guessing GB pilots all play basket-ball in their spare time, since by the art they have to be a minimum of 6'8" in height.

[taalismn]

I'm guessing GB pilots all play basket-ball in their spare time, since by the art they have to be a minimum of 6'8" in height.

Shhh...The Coalition States must not know that Glitterboy pilots are Clan Elementals. Otherwise they'd declare them all evil d-bees and start a war of Annihilation.

[slade the sniper]

I'm guessing GB pilots all play basket-ball in their spare time, since by the art they have to be a minimum of 6'8" in height.

Shhh...The Coalition States must not know that Glitterboy pilots are Clan Elementals. Otherwise they'd declare them all evil d-bees and start a war of Annihilation.

Pfft, pretty sure even Clan Diamond Shark would crush these so called Coalition States who arrogantly declare themselves defenders of humanity while letting alien trash and freeborns defile the Earth.

-STS

[Fenris2020]

I'm guessing GB pilots all play basket-ball in their spare time, since by the art they have to be a minimum of 6'8" in height.

Shhh...The Coalition States must not know that Glitterboy pilots are Clan Elementals. Otherwise they'd declare them all evil d-bees and start a war of Annihilation.

Pfft, pretty sure even Clan Diamond Shark would crush these so called Coalition States who arrogantly declare themselves defenders of humanity while letting alien trash and freeborns defile the Earth.

-STS

I'm pretty sure Battletech mechs are pretty much the same tech-levels as Robotech, and Rifts mecha are much more advanced for the most part.

[Orin J.]

I'm guessing GB pilots all play basket-ball in their spare time, since by the art they have to be a minimum of 6'8" in height.

Shhh...The Coalition States must not know that Glitterboy pilots are Clan Elementals. Otherwise they'd declare them all evil d-bees and start a war of Annihilation.

Pfft, pretty sure even Clan Diamond Shark would crush these so called Coalition States who arrogantly declare themselves defenders of humanity while letting alien trash and freeborns defile the Earth.

-STS

I'm pretty sure Battletech mechs are pretty much the same tech-levels as Robotech, and Rifts mecha are much more advanced for the most part.

battletech mechs are generally much better armored than battloids or veritech, given their performance. they also suffer from a shorter overall range, but otherwise they would overmatch the average RIFTS robot in speed, armor and firepower ton for ton.

now power armor, that's where RIFTs has an advantage but i don't think it'd save the coalition states unless there's some plot device preventing the sharks from attacking the fortress cities.

[Hotrod]

Another question that I find interesting: Why has the Glitter Boy in particular lasted so long and so well through the dark age and 300 years of service? Why do they all look pristine in the book artwork, when all the Silver Eagles and other NEMA gear has long since disappeared? If their miniaturized power sources are so hard to manufacture (per the FQ book) and only last 25 years, how are these suits still active 300 years later? Banding together and helping each other out only explains so much; there have to be some intrinsic properties to the suits themselves that contribute to this.

I have two conclusions about how Glitter Boys have stayed operational for centuries based on what I've read in the books.

1. Making new Glitter Boys is difficult and expensive, requiring specialized technology, resources, and infrastructure.
2. Maintaining and repairing Glitter Boys, is easy, cheap, and requires little in the way of special infrastructure.

In short, Glitter Boys are sort of like Valyrian Steel swords in A Game of Thrones: almost impossible to get/make, but they're awesome and incredibly tough. I have some ideas about how this works in practice:

Armor: Chromium armor may be very expensive to make, but once it's made, it's very cheap and easy to recycle and reshape into Glitter Boy armor plating. Thus a Glitter Boy can absorb all kinds of damage and have dings, cracks, deformations and scratches galore, but an operator with the right kind of kit can effectively reforge existing Chromium armor, a process that takes a couple of hours. The operator liquifies the MDC Chromium and pours it it into molds, polishing each piece to a mirror finish as the material resets and hardens, returning the armor plate to a factory-fresh state. Most chapter armories would have this equipment on-hand.

Ammunition: While the Boom Gun is hideously expensive, the flachettes it shoots and the casings that hold them are cheap and easy to make with the proper molds and tools. Such molds would be common equipment that you'd probably see at every chapter armory and some homesteads.

Mechanical and Electrical Systems: The G-10 was one of the original power armor suits made in the Pre-Rifts days. Thus, its internal systems, while effective, are relatively simple, durable, and easy to maintain. "Muscle" systems aren't interconnected like most modern power armors; they require local physical input from the pilot's body. This lack of interconnected systems also adds to the suit's durability, allowing the Glitter Boy's armor plates to be thicker than is normal for an armor of its size. Life support and communication systems are housed in the helmet and its "horns."

Furthermore, the durability of the Glitter Boy's internal systems is legendary. That's because the mechanical and electrical internal components are over-engineered like an ancient Roman bridge; the designers made the joints, gears, servos, and actuators an order of magnitude tougher than they needed to be. This is the main reason why the G-10 is relatively slow, but it also means that these components can keep going for a long time and take far more abuse than more conventional modern power armors. These systems are a bit more difficult to replace, however, as they aren't common parts. While most high-tech manufacturers can fabricate internal Glitter Boy components, those are often custom orders, not factory items they keep in stock, so most chapters try to keep a stockpile of internal components on-hand. Of course, some associations are pickier about the specifications of internal replacement parts than others, and are quick enough to cannibalize parts from other power armors, a practice that yields somewhat mixed results.

Incidentally, the simplicity and lack of internal connectivity is also why no neural, artificial, or transferred intelligence can take over and pilot a Glitter Boy. At most, such a robot or transferred essence can act as a co-pilot.

Power Source: While the technology of the Glitter Boy's power source is highly advanced and miniaturized, the nuclear fuel it uses is no different from that used in other nuclear power sources for power armor and robots. Any manufacturer of robots and power armor can provide this fuel at a cost of about half a million credits. Even in the field, an operator of sufficient skill can simply cannibalize a larger, cruder power source, trim down the fuel supply into the correct shape for the Glitter Boy with a laser torch, and install it in a worn-out Glitter Boy power source. Thus, refurbishing a Glitter Boy's nuclear power plant is far cheaper than buying a new one.

[Orin J.]

actually, i've always assumed that reconstituting the hyperdense alloy was extremely difficult and that most glitterboys were patched with inferior armor until they could find a facility that could replace the armor properly, with the material being very difficult to mass produce but dedicated operators able to slowly hand-cast the laser-refractive material layer by micron-thick layer in well-hidden workshops out of long-held tradition from the days when the rifts opened and the armed forces were forced to "make do" without factory access.

the finest glitterboy pilots would have an easy (enough) time finding the people that can connect them with the hidden suppliers, while less-reputable warriors would have to resort to spraying in lighter, weaker chrome plating materials that are clean enough at a distance, but borderline on "stolen valor" to a true pilot.

not saying your way is worse, just i've always done it backwards- repairing the armor is near-impossible, but replacement parts are generally available if you live up to the rep and let yourself be known in advance.

[Hotrod]

actually, i've always assumed that reconstituting the hyperdense alloy was extremely difficult and that most glitterboys were patched with inferior armor until they could find a facility that could replace the armor properly, with the material being very difficult to mass produce but dedicated operators able to slowly hand-cast the laser-refractive material layer by micron-thick layer in well-hidden workshops out of long-held tradition from the days when the rifts opened and the armed forces were forced to "make do" without factory access.

the finest glitterboy pilots would have an easy (enough) time finding the people that can connect them with the hidden suppliers, while less-reputable warriors would have to resort to spraying in lighter, weaker chrome plating materials that are clean enough at a distance, but borderline on "stolen valor" to a true pilot.

not saying your way is worse, just i've always done it backwards- repairing the armor is near-impossible, but replacement parts are generally available if you live up to the rep and let yourself be known in advance.

That's a perfectly legitimate way to go too.

I guess I like the mystical metal of treating it like Valyrian Steel or Mithril, where it can be re-shaped, but it's nigh-indestructible. I also like the idea that Glitter Boys in-game usually look as pristine and spotless as they do in the book art, and they wouldn't if they got patched with inferior materials.

[taalismn]

[
battletech mechs are generally much better armored than battloids or veritech, given their performance. they also suffer from a shorter overall range, but otherwise they would overmatch the average RIFTS robot in speed, armor and firepower ton for ton.

Actually, if you use the Tech Readout published speeds, battlemechs are dismally slow compared to Robotech and Rifts mecha. 50 MPH is considered FAST for a BT 'bot. You have to invoke dramatic flash-forward to move them significantly during a 'blitzkrieg' campaign. On the other hand, jumpjets are a great equalizer(look at how they improve the land speed of the Triax Hopper).
Rifts and Robotech 'bots have the edge on regular mobility, but that ragnarok-proofed armor on Its(somebody said 'BT armor is made of vampires') takes some punching through.

But, hey, back to Glitterboy clans...

[Orin J.]

actually, i've always assumed that reconstituting the hyperdense alloy was extremely difficult and that most glitterboys were patched with inferior armor until they could find a facility that could replace the armor properly, with the material being very difficult to mass produce but dedicated operators able to slowly hand-cast the laser-refractive material layer by micron-thick layer in well-hidden workshops out of long-held tradition from the days when the rifts opened and the armed forces were forced to "make do" without factory access.

the finest glitterboy pilots would have an easy (enough) time finding the people that can connect them with the hidden suppliers, while less-reputable warriors would have to resort to spraying in lighter, weaker chrome plating materials that are clean enough at a distance, but borderline on "stolen valor" to a true pilot.

not saying your way is worse, just i've always done it backwards- repairing the armor is near-impossible, but replacement parts are generally available if you live up to the rep and let yourself be known in advance.

That's a perfectly legitimate way to go too.

I guess I like the mystical metal of treating it like Valyrian Steel or Mithril, where it can be re-shaped, but it's nigh-indestructible. I also like the idea that Glitter Boys in-game usually look as pristine and spotless as they do in the book art, and they wouldn't if they got patched with inferior materials.

you can make shiney chrome armor and pretend it's chromium, but a Real Glitterboy pilot can tell the difference.

and judge anyone letting their armor wear it.

[Hotrod]

actually, i've always assumed that reconstituting the hyperdense alloy was extremely difficult and that most glitterboys were patched with inferior armor until they could find a facility that could replace the armor properly, with the material being very difficult to mass produce but dedicated operators able to slowly hand-cast the laser-refractive material layer by micron-thick layer in well-hidden workshops out of long-held tradition from the days when the rifts opened and the armed forces were forced to "make do" without factory access.

the finest glitterboy pilots would have an easy (enough) time finding the people that can connect them with the hidden suppliers, while less-reputable warriors would have to resort to spraying in lighter, weaker chrome plating materials that are clean enough at a distance, but borderline on "stolen valor" to a true pilot.

not saying your way is worse, just i've always done it backwards- repairing the armor is near-impossible, but replacement parts are generally available if you live up to the rep and let yourself be known in advance.

That's a perfectly legitimate way to go too.

I guess I like the mystical metal of treating it like Valyrian Steel or Mithril, where it can be re-shaped, but it's nigh-indestructible. I also like the idea that Glitter Boys in-game usually look as pristine and spotless as they do in the book art, and they wouldn't if they got patched with inferior materials.

you can make shiney chrome armor and pretend it's chromium, but a Real Glitterboy pilot can tell the difference.

and judge anyone letting their armor wear it.

It's an interesting concept. How would we model a patched Glitter Boy's armor? How would we handle the laser resistance of a patched suit?

[taalismn]

It's an interesting concept. How would we model a patched Glitter Boy's armor? How would we handle the laser resistance of a patched suit?

Give the Glitterboy a base MDC(like that of the Shadowboy) to reflect core structure +1d4x100(or some other randomly variable amount of extra MDC). for the armor skinning.
Laser reflectivity could be covert by having something like an Armor Rating number; those laser attacks that are above 5, but below the A.R. (which in this case might be Albedo Rating) do the regular HALF damage...above it, they do full damage to the slipshod armoring/mirroring.

The higher the A.R., the better the quality of the patch job.

[Hotrod]

It's an interesting concept. How would we model a patched Glitter Boy's armor? How would we handle the laser resistance of a patched suit?

Give the Glitterboy a base MDC(like that of the Shadowboy) to reflect core structure +1d4x100(or some other randomly variable amount of extra MDC). for the armor skinning.
Laser reflectivity could be covert by having something like an Armor Rating number; those laser attacks that are above 5, but below the A.R. (which in this case might be Albedo Rating) do the regular HALF damage...above it, they do full damage to the slipshod armoring/mirroring.

The higher the A.R., the better the quality of the patch job.

I respect your/Orin J's approach though I wouldn't use such a mechanic. As a rule, I prefer to keep book-keeping in combat to a minimum. Thus I'll stick to my "crazy expensive/hard to make, but very easy/cheap to fix" approach, at least for now.

On another front, I did a big revision to the Wiz Kids on page 1, including common tactics for each type and a couple of adventure/game ideas. I've also been making little adjustments to the OP as well. I'm still not fully satisfied with "Sons of Thunder" as a name for the black-market affiliated Glitter Boy association.

I'm also wondering what other dimensions of Glitter Boy culture might be fun to explore.

[taalismn]

GlittterBear---Heavy Power Armor
(aka ‘G-Bear’)

“We’re a SERIOUS soldiering company here in the Grave-Riders; we don’t need orchestral accompaniment from somebody’s dummied-up Chipwell junker. Go peddle your nonsense to some street-merc outfit and leave us alone.”
---Grave-Rider recruiter to the crew of GlitterBear in Merctown.

“You say you’re familiar with the Grave-Riders? They turned you down? Hey, well, their loss, our gain. Especially considering there’s not much left of them after our run -in with them just now. You do damned fine work!”
--- Team Crush’n’Burn sergeant to the crew of GlitterBear, outside the City of Char

This eccentric-looking heavy power armor is suspected of being the result of an eccentric Operator’s collaboration with a Ludicrous Mage in reconstructing a scavenged Glitterboy.
The GlitterBear looks like the kludged-together crash of a Glitterboy with an Iron Bear power armor. A tubby-looking torso, draped in thin plates resembling a tabard is carried by thick stubby legs ending in clawed footpads, while the arms end in similar clawed hands. The head looks ursine, but in a toy-like fashion, with what looks like a military band member’s hat perched atop it. In place of a Boom Gun, the GlitterBear features what looks like a shoulder-slung large tuba with a slide-trombone’s slide action crossed with a shotgun magazine. The whole is done up in gold-tint sparkly chrome. The overall effect is of an oversized teddybear dressed as a military marching band toy soldier.

In reality, GlitterBear is a derivative Glitterboy design from offworld, specifically the manic Peoples’ Freewheeling Association of Bakalapona(PFAB) in the Three Galaxies. The descendants of an abandoned Golgan mental hospital ward-colony world, the eccentric Bakalaponans have been making inroads into the galactic community with their off-kilter takes on technology. It is likely that Bakalaponan agents had observed, if not hired, the TriGalactic Military Service and their ‘Golden Horde’ consisting of various Glitterboy makes, and were so impressed by the firepower that they decided to produce their own. Why the predominately Golgan Bakalaponans chose a human icon as the theme for their new battle armor remains unknown, but by most accounts it has had the desired effect of discombobulating many opponents who see the UrsaMo(as it is known in the PFAB) for the first time, especially when deployed in the large phalanx-style ‘marching bands’ preferred by the UrsaMo Corps.

How GlitterBear wound up on Rifts Earth remains unknown, and its current pilot is definitely NOT a Golgan. Without knowing of its true origins, most Heritage Glitterboy Pilots regard GlitterBear as a crassly whimsical mis-repair of a noble Chromium Guardsman chassis. The patchwork repairs on the alien warmachine have helped convince onlookers that GlitterBear is a locally-produced kludge, and this has discouraged anybody from taking too close a look at the ‘junker’. Otherwise, a closer examination might reveal several features too advanced for Earth technology.
Currently GlitterBear and its accompanying small support team are known to be operating as wandering freelance troubleshooters. They’re just as likely to work for a trade of information(especially about dimensional rifts and names like ‘PhaseWorld’) as hard credits.

Type: PFABHPA03 GlitterBear/UrsaMo
Class: Heavy Power Armor
Crew: One
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 780
Reinforced Pilot’s Compartment 150
Head 300
Arms(2) 280 each
Hands(2) 100 each
Legs(2) 480 each
TuBoompha Gun 200
Height: 10 ft
Width: 4.8 ft
Length: 4.8 ft
Weight: 1.3 tons
Cargo: Small space for a survival pack, side arm, and a few small personal possessions
Strength: Robotic P.S. of 50
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion mini-pac w/ 30 year energy life(the Bakalaponans aren’t comfortable yet...well, maybe the congenital maniacs are....with infantry-scale antimatter powerplants)
Speed:(Running) 55 MPH
(Leaping)Standing leap of 12 ft up/across, +10 ft w/running start. The UrsaMos lack the stabilization/jump jets(the TuBoompha Gun doesn’t need them) of the original Glitterboy, so jet assisted leaps are not possible, but regular Bakalaponan military units could attach an antigravity pack that could negate the power armor’s great weight, allow it to make leaps of 250 ft up/across, but GlitterBear either wasn’t issued one or lost it).
(Underwater) Can walk along the bottom at 12 MPH. Maximum depth tolerance of 1 mile.
Market Cost:
The UrsaMo is currently so new to the Bakalaponan military that very few examples are offered for sale to anyone else. If GlitterBear’s advanced technology were to become known to Rifts Earth factions, it might bring 25 million credits from anybody wanting to reverse-engineer its tech.
Systems of Note:
Standard Power Armor features, plus:
*Optical Targeting Arrays---The head-snout, weapon mount, and the head ‘cap’ all hold special targeting sensors that act in concert. They include laser targeting/range-finding, thermo-imaging, low-light, telescopic, and multi-spectral. A multimode combat computer provides bonuses for both line of sight and ballistic fire; +3 to strike direct fire, +2 with indirect fire.
*Mini-Radar---11 mile range. Also used to track the fall of indirect shell fire(HALF bonus to strike if the radar cannot be used).
* Laser-Reflective Armor---Lasers do HALF damage.
*Molecular Analyzer---Added in imitation of the Golgans’ own acute sense of smell. Besides detecting airborne contaminants and sniffing out explosives, the GlitterBear can track by smell at a proficiency of 55% using a ‘hotter/colder’ HUD app.
*Self-Destruct----GlitterBear has an improvised self-destruct package that causes the fusion power unit to overload and destroy the power armor in a powerful plasma explosion.

Weapons Systems:
1) TuBoompha Gun(1)---In place of a Boom Gun, the GlitterBear carries the TuBoompha Gun, which looks like some sort of Seussian musical instrument kitbash. As whimsical as it looks, it is actually an advanced gravity-wave-powered projectile weapon similar to the Three Galaxies’ G-Cannons. What looks like a mouthpiece that plugs into the mouth on GlitterBear’s short snout is actually part of the sighting package for the weapon. The trombone-slide slung under the main horn-bell is a steadying handhold, while its slide is a manual backup loading mechanism for pumping the next round into into the firing chamber. Firing the weapon produces a distinctive ‘bhlat!’ noise in an atmosphere, though different projectile types can produce varying sounds.
The TuBoompha Gun normally fires explosive projectiles on ballistic trajectories well back from direct line of sight with an enemy. Gravitic baffling and recoil counterbalancing remove the need for laser pylons to steady the armor while firing, or jet thrusters to counter-fire, though it is standard procedure to extend the foot claws and dig in when the TuBoompha Gun is in operation.
The mad genius of Bakalaponan innovation comes in that besides being able to fire explosive projectiles, the gravitic pulses can propel other projectiles as well. This allows the GlitterBear to scoop up other ammunition, and even scrap and loose debris, that can fit down the bore of the weapon, and fire them, albeit with less range and accuracy.
This feature, meant to allow Bakalaponan troops to continue fighting when the more specialized ammunition has run out or supplies have been cut off, has served GlitterBear well on Rifts Earth.
The problem is that when using non-Bakalaponan-issue ordnance, special care must be taken in the handling of explosive projectiles. Hand grenades and mortar shells must either be modified for in-flight arming(usually using acceleration or centrifugal force to arm the fusing), timed detonation and contact-impact fusing, great care of which must be taken in the latter two cases to keep the bomb from lingering/lodging in the barrel and detonating before it can be fired.
Most observers who see the TuBoompha Gun on GlitterBear assume it is a knockoff of Northern Gun’s NG-C58 Variable Projectile Cannon or NG-VBR048 Variable Bore Rail Guns.
Note: GlitterBear’s current operators have managed to find enough local manufacturers able to produce copies of the simpler standard Armor Piercing, Fragmentation, HE, and HEAT shells that they are reasonably well-supplied with those types of ammunition, but not the Plasma rounds(they have a reserve of 6 plasma shells they’ve managed to save).

Range:(Standard Projectiles)Direct Fire Mode): 7,000 ft
(Artillery Mode) 2 .5 miles
(Mortar Shell) 9,000 ft
(Hand-Grenade) 3,000 ft
(Scrap) 700 ft
Damage:(Standard Projectiles)
-Armor-Piercing--- 3d6x10 MD, no blast radius
-Fragmentation--- 5d6 MD to 30 ft radius
-High Explosive----1d4x10 MD to 15 ft radius
-High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 3d4x10 MD to 5 ft radius
-Plasma-----Everything within the 30 ft blast radius takes 4D4x 10 MD and has a 75% chance of being knocked flat.
(Mortar Shell) By munition type; the muzzle bore can handle shells up to 60mm.
(Hand-Grenade) By munition type
(Scrap)By munition type
(SDC Scrap) 1d6x10 SDC to a 10 ft wide area
(MDC Scrap) 4d4 MD to a 10 ft wide area
Rate of Fire:(Standard Projectiles) ECHH
(Mortar Shell) Once per melee
(Hand-Grenade) Once per melee
(Scrap) Once per melee under normal conditions, but GlitterBear’s tech crew improvised ‘scrap shells’ can be pumped into the weapon and fired, taking two actions to fire off a shot(one APM to load the chamber, the other to fire).
Payload:(Standard Projectiles) Magazine with 60 rds
(Hand-Grenade) Single shot
(Scrap) Single shot under normal conditions, but the tech crew of GlitterBear have improvised a pump-action magazine attached to the weapon that can hold pre-measured ‘charges’ of scrap wrapped in paper containers that can be loaded into the firing chamber. This magazine holds 12 charges.
Bonuses: (Standard Projectiles) Full strike bonuses(they were developed with the TuBoompha Gun in mind)
(Mortar Shell) The Bakalaponans developed a ‘smart’ artillery computer system with nonstandard projectiles in mind, and the UrsaMo pilot can enter a scan of the shell and its weight and the firing solution is adjusted accordingly. Firing such aerodynamic projectiles imposes only a -1 to the usual targeting bonuses.
(Hand-Grenade) HALF normal bonuses
(Scrap) None

2) Forearm Particle Beam---One forearm sports a particle beam blaster(actually a much-altered NE PBR, replacing the CAF GroundPounder PB the UrsaMo was originally fitted with).
Range: 1,400 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

3) Retractable VibroClaws--The GlitterBear’s hands and feet sport retractable/extendable claws.
Range: Melee
Damage: Restrained Claw 2d6 MD
Full Strength Claw 5d6 MD
Power Claw(2 attacks) 1d6x10 MD
+3d6 MD to a kick

4) (Optional) Use of Handheld Weapons---Like traditional Glitterboys, the UrsaMo can pick up and use infantry-scale handheld weaponry. GlitterBear has been seen to use a variety of energy weapons, including a Kittani Plasma Sword and the ‘BearHorn’(see below)

5)(Optional) ‘BearHorn’ Sonic Carbine(aka ‘Bear-Blare’ )----This is an adapted sidearm weapon that was acquired on Rifts Earth and reworked to resemble a bugle or trumpet. Like the TuBoompha Gun, the Sonic Carbine can be raised and attached to the head-snout ‘mouth’(actually a sensor port) for maximum accuracy. The BearHorn is normally slug off one hip.
Range:(Stun)250 ft
(Disruptor)220 ft
(Heavy MD Shot)100 ft
Double all ranges underwater
Damage:(Stun)1 SDC, plus victims must save versus non-lethal poison or be rendered unconscious for 1d6 melee rounds. Even on a successful save, the victim is -2 to strike, parry, and dodge for 1d6 melee rounds. Multiple blasts are cumulative for duration.
(Disruptor)4d6 SDC, or 1d6 MD per blast.
Area of effect ‘shotgun’ blast: Half damage to a 10 ft wide area.
(MD Shots)5d6 MD per blast
Characters in EBA will take HALF that damage in SDC even through their armor, while vehicle crew will take 1/4 damage in SDC through their vehicle’s armor due to shock and excessive vibration. Vehicles with more than 200 MDC in their main body, or forcefield protection, will NOT be affected.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

Hand to Hand Combat
Restrained Punch 1d6 MD
Full Strength Punch 3d6 MD
Power Punch(2 attacks) 1d6x10 MD
Kick 2d6 MD
Body Block/Tackle 2d4 MD
All other bonuses are identical to the standard USA-G10 Glitterboy

[Hotrod]

The band geek is strong with this one.

[taalismn]

The band geek is strong with this one.

Yeah, I wonder what the rest of a coordinated UrsaMo 'band' would be sporting(they can't all be heavy brass)....while avoiding re-inventing(cringe) Instrumecha...

[Captain_Nibbz]

I love the concept of this new mech. I can't wait to see the rest of the "band". I'm imagining a three piece band marching into battle accompanying the Patriot in a bombastic clash of brass and fireworks as they rent themselves out to the highest bidder with the best patriotic ideals.

[taalismn]

I love the concept of this new mech. I can't wait to see the rest of the "band". I'm imagining a three piece band marching into battle accompanying the Patriot in a bombastic clash of brass and fireworks as they rent themselves out to the highest bidder with the best patriotic ideals.

Or a good gig with a high attendance fee take....