Forums of the Megaverse®

Shark_Force wrote:ok, changed forum skin, got new links, redone the first set of 50. looks like they should work now... or at least they do on my computer. i'll keep working on the next bunch of posts, but in the meanwhile... anyone wanna go test it out? =P (it's the same post, i just edited it)

You could post a link to it, so I can find it?

Natasha wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:ok, changed forum skin, got new links, redone the first set of 50. looks like they should work now... or at least they do on my computer. i'll keep working on the next bunch of posts, but in the meanwhile... anyone wanna go test it out? =P (it's the same post, i just edited it)

You could post a link to it, so I can find it?

yeesh, i have to do everything here?

(on a side note, i had missed at least one thing the first time through, and have updated to include the fubuki as well... all 4 posts *should* work. i hope.)


Post 1
Post 2
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Post 4

on a side note, i think it'd be awesome to see something like this or this =P

not sure how you'd justify them... maybe LTA airships with internal regions instead of external being the LTA part? (hmmm... maybe i should do something with this... logical? heck no. cool-looking? absolutely!)

Shark_Force wrote:[on a side note, i think it'd be awesome to see something like this or this =P

not sure how you'd justify them... maybe LTA airships with internal regions instead of external being the LTA part? (hmmm... maybe i should do something with this... logical? heck no. cool-looking? absolutely!)

Okay...I'll put revising my GMR Foss Ships to a higher priority, considering the effort you've put into organizing for me...

Shark_Force wrote:

Natasha wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:ok, changed forum skin, got new links, redone the first set of 50. looks like they should work now... or at least they do on my computer. i'll keep working on the next bunch of posts, but in the meanwhile... anyone wanna go test it out? =P (it's the same post, i just edited it)

You could post a link to it, so I can find it?

yeesh, i have to do everything here?

My finger is tired. Click them for me.

Er, nice indexing. You are to be congratulated. Congratulations!

I really do appreciate the time and effort spent there(though I'm still stunned/bemused by the attention)...It allows me to concentrate on putting new stuff together...
Jez...maybe I should do my own 'Heroes of the Megaverse'-style tribute-post; "Friends of Paladin Steel"..

taalismn wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:[on a side note, i think it'd be awesome to see something like this or this =P

not sure how you'd justify them... maybe LTA airships with internal regions instead of external being the LTA part? (hmmm... maybe i should do something with this... logical? heck no. cool-looking? absolutely!)

Okay...I'll put revising my GMR Foss Ships to a higher priority, considering the effort you've put into organizing for me...

heh, just throwing ideas at you, no rush ^^

make whatever you feel like... i know i've occasionally tried to make something, and i've found that (for me at least) it's danged near impossible to create unless you've caught the flame. no fire means whatever you make just isn't going to have nearly half as much win and awesome

so basically, i'm throwing stuff out there to possibly add something to your pool of ideas. then it sits in your head for a while. maybe for an hour, maybe for a week, maybe for a year, maybe it never fully germinates. hopefully, it eventually turns into something that you just *really* want to make, and it comes out awesome

Does Paladim Steel Storefront have any TW's Working for them? If so got any TW stuff?

i think your missing a few PS products. like the C-119k2 'stinger' gunship (a reworking of a skyknight industries product), the YC-1250 Pioneer-2, and the Paladin Steel PPR-3 Serap Heavy Plasma Projector....

i'll probably find more in a second...
edit: kinda. the Fieseler Storch(Stork) II is listed as being produced by PS, though they are not the main producer..

the seraph and the C-119k2 both link to the seraph.

Shark_Force wrote:

Natasha wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:ok, changed forum skin, got new links, redone the first set of 50. looks like they should work now... or at least they do on my computer. i'll keep working on the next bunch of posts, but in the meanwhile... anyone wanna go test it out? =P (it's the same post, i just edited it)

You could post a link to it, so I can find it?

yeesh, i have to do everything here?

(on a side note, i had missed at least one thing the first time through, and have updated to include the fubuki as well... all 4 posts *should* work. i hope.)


Post 1
Post 2
Post 3
Post 4

on a side note, i think it'd be awesome to see something like this or this =P

They work.

Shark_Force wrote:not sure how you'd justify them... maybe LTA airships with internal regions instead of external being the LTA part? (hmmm... maybe i should do something with this... logical? heck no. cool-looking? absolutely!)

I so loved that game. It revolutionized the way I looked at airships, and pirates.

Shark_Force wrote:the seraph and the C-119k2 both link to the seraph.

i think i got the link's all fixed.

Excellent update! Those pics are pretty cool Shark_Force. Did you make them?

glitterboy2098 wrote:i think your missing a few PS products. like the C-119k2 'stinger' gunship (a reworking of a skyknight industries product), the YC-1250 Pioneer-2, and the Paladin Steel PPR-3 Serap Heavy Plasma Projector....

i'll probably find more in a second...
edit: kinda. the Fieseler Storch(Stork) II is listed as being produced by PS, though they are not the main producer..

Plus we also have several sub-contractors marketing products through the PS network....Should we include Pandora's contribution of superpowered tools?

chosenrifter wrote:Does Paladim Steel Storefront have any TW's Working for them? If so got any TW stuff?

We do...The Mage Pod and Multi-Plexor mult-magic projection systems are the result of their research...also Ectofiber fabric and magic conduits...and there's the former sub-contractor and now effective sub-division of PS, Hangar-18B, which specializes in 'Eleminal'-powered jet aircraft(and PS also has lucrative dealings with Britain-based Farnborough Aviation, makers of TW 'retrotech' aircraft.

Shark_Force wrote:not sure how you'd justify them... maybe LTA airships with internal regions instead of external being the LTA part? (hmmm... maybe i should do something with this... logical? heck no. cool-looking? absolutely!)

Ahead of you there...Remember the mention of GMR? Gravi-Magnetic Resist technology? THat's low-power traction drive/anti-gravity in a constant 'on' state....PS has applied it to larger aircraft/vehicles, starting with the Foss Fliers, which were essentially flying Liberty Ships...PS would/will expand on the technology, until they have flying bulk carriers and, yes, flying aircraft carriers/warships....

taalismn wrote:

chosenrifter wrote:Does Paladim Steel Storefront have any TW's Working for them? If so got any TW stuff?

We do...The Mage Pod and Multi-Plexor mult-magic projection systems are the result of their research...also Ectofiber fabric and magic conduits...and there's the former sub-contractor and now effective sub-division of PS, Hangar-18B, which specializes in 'Eleminal'-powered jet aircraft(and PS also has lucrative dealings with Britain-based Farnborough Aviation, makers of TW 'retrotech' aircraft.

Got any Stats for me? or maybe a link to a post with there stuff?

chosenrifter wrote:

taalismn wrote:

chosenrifter wrote:Does Paladim Steel Storefront have any TW's Working for them? If so got any TW stuff?

We do...The Mage Pod and Multi-Plexor mult-magic projection systems are the result of their research...also Ectofiber fabric and magic conduits...and there's the former sub-contractor and now effective sub-division of PS, Hangar-18B, which specializes in 'Eleminal'-powered jet aircraft(and PS also has lucrative dealings with Britain-based Farnborough Aviation, makers of TW 'retrotech' aircraft.

Got any Stats for me? or maybe a link to a post with there stuff?

I'll PM the stuff as I can, but if you run down Shark-Force's incredible list, the links DO work...

Aramanthus wrote:Excellent update! Those pics are pretty cool Shark_Force. Did you make them?

oh, goodness no. i doubt i could make something that nice if you gave me tracing paper 0.o

(well... maybe if i spent a lot of time playing around with autocad... but we're talking months, here)

those are from a game called skies of arcadia. the one big ship is called the delphinus. the pic with all the other ships are, if i'm not mistaken, all of the main villain's ships.

taalismn wrote:

chosenrifter wrote:

taalismn wrote:

chosenrifter wrote:Does Paladim Steel Storefront have any TW's Working for them? If so got any TW stuff?

We do...The Mage Pod and Multi-Plexor mult-magic projection systems are the result of their research...also Ectofiber fabric and magic conduits...and there's the former sub-contractor and now effective sub-division of PS, Hangar-18B, which specializes in 'Eleminal'-powered jet aircraft(and PS also has lucrative dealings with Britain-based Farnborough Aviation, makers of TW 'retrotech' aircraft.

Got any Stats for me? or maybe a link to a post with there stuff?

I'll PM the stuff as I can, but if you run down Shark-Force's incredible list, the links DO work...

don't forget the TW tank... sand king wasn't it? think hangar 18b had a hand in that as well, as i recall...

but yeah, it's all in the links.

taalismn wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:not sure how you'd justify them... maybe LTA airships with internal regions instead of external being the LTA part? (hmmm... maybe i should do something with this... logical? heck no. cool-looking? absolutely!)

Ahead of you there...Remember the mention of GMR? Gravi-Magnetic Resist technology? THat's low-power traction drive/anti-gravity in a constant 'on' state....PS has applied it to larger aircraft/vehicles, starting with the Foss Fliers, which were essentially flying Liberty Ships...PS would/will expand on the technology, until they have flying bulk carriers and, yes, flying aircraft carriers/warships....

yup, that works, but making it really high tech makes it something that a) probably isn't available to the average person without killing someone who has it and taking it over (although, given the game those images came from, air piracy *would* be a remarkably appropriate method of obtaining said ship) and b) cost an obscenely large amount to buy (if you can) and maintain (if anyone knows how), particularly making maintenance near impossible if you used air piracy to get the ship in the first place =P

in comparison, a crazy blimp with the gas being *inside* the part of the ship that passengers/cargo are in would presumably be relatively cheap. (at least, cheap relative to the cost of the rare technology part)

then again, those ships are all pretty personalised... might work better as a TW airship come to think of it... nicely avoids all the old fluff about not being able to have TW flight away from ley lines (not that they're actually very good at following their own rules, mind you, and also not that there's any actual limit placed against it in RUE that i'm aware of).

i'll have to take a look at what i can come up with... it's looking less than promising though. a sphere 2 meters in radius can only carry something like 40 kg in ideal conditions from some earlier research...

Again, I'd consider an "Eleminal'..Elemental Animal...(as opposed to the sentient Elementals), if you're going the TW route... whereas TW aircraft like the Hangar-18B and Russian TW aircraft are powered by Air- and Fire-Elemental 'predators' (dogs, wolves, cats, bears) or maybe fast-moving 'herbivores'(the equivalent of deer, gazelles, and birds), a TW blimp or airship might hold inside it the equivalent of an Air Elemental 'grazer', like a cow, manatee, or jellyfish...slow-moving, slow to anger, not all that capable except as a lift source...

Any new toys for us yet, taalismn???

well, while we wait you could check out one of my old write ups. just the thing to be preying on those flying liberty ships.

and people think i don't recognize the 'rule of cool' for rifts...

glitterboy2098 wrote:well, while we wait you could check out one of my old write ups. just the thing to be preying on those flying liberty ships.

and people think i don't recognize the 'rule of cool' for rifts...

hmmm... i am intrigued by your ideas, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter

on a side note, with rifts MDC tech, i'm inclined to think that vacuum airships should be possible (the barrier today is that there aren't materials with sufficient compressive strength to hold up under the air pressure. i'm thinking MDC materials would resolve that problem). this should gain you something to the tune of another 7% lifting power potentially, iirc (which will probably be slightly countered by the fact that your 'balloon' section would probably wind up being rigid MDC material) and means that you don't have to ride around in a giant highly flammable balloon in a world loaded up with weapons that explode, burn, or generate heat as a byproduct =P it is also easier to obtain in midflight should you need (ie you can adjust height by adjusting how close to pure vaccuum you are). and at least the 'balloon' will be tough to destroy. still, probably best to keep it out of the way and rely on the carried aircraft for combat when you can.

(on a side note, your picture sounded promising, but when i went there, it ran away )

Shark_Force wrote:

glitterboy2098 wrote:well, while we wait you could check out one of my old write ups. just the thing to be preying on those flying liberty ships.

and people think i don't recognize the 'rule of cool' for rifts...

hmmm... i am intrigued by your ideas, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter

on a side note, with rifts MDC tech, i'm inclined to think that vacuum airships should be possible (the barrier today is that there aren't materials with sufficient compressive strength to hold up under the air pressure. i'm thinking MDC materials would resolve that problem). this should gain you something to the tune of another 7% lifting power potentially, iirc (which will probably be slightly countered by the fact that your 'balloon' section would probably wind up being rigid MDC material) and means that you don't have to ride around in a giant highly flammable balloon in a world loaded up with weapons that explode, burn, or generate heat as a byproduct =P it is also easier to obtain in midflight should you need (ie you can adjust height by adjusting how close to pure vaccuum you are). and at least the 'balloon' will be tough to destroy. still, probably best to keep it out of the way and rely on the carried aircraft for combat when you can.

(on a side note, your picture sounded promising, but when i went there, it ran away )

A Vacuum high-altitude 'stratosat' shows up already in a Rifter article on Coalition artillery systems....It's a GPS-stand in for directing hyperaccurate CS bombing and artillery fire...


And as for new PS stuff?
Here you go....

Paladin Steel “Tyan” Multi-Purpose HoverCorvette

“Here’s the latest intel on the most recent developments....General Morgrash has DEFINITELY flipped sides and declared for the baronal army....So let’s earn our pay and see how we can save our employers from their own stupidity...”
“Clever...They seized the bridges and fording points here and here...it will be the devil’s own work to blast through the forces they got there, and they’ve seized the harbor, denying a landing there...Meanwhile, their main force is moving along the river here, relatively unopposed, straight for the capital...”
“...and the capital troops are pretty useless anyways...”
“Right. They’ve learned to disperse against air attack, so it’s going to take ground troops, in numbers, to stop them man to man. Which is why we’re going to hit them HERE and HERE...They’re expecting the swamps to protect their flank against any troop movement, which is exactly why we’re going to bring our landing craft directly through them, with full hovertank and missile boat support to clear the way and soften them up....”

The “Tyan” ACC bears more than a superficial resemblance to the old Soviet ‘Zubr’(Bison) Amphibious Assault Hover Landing Craft employed and exported by the Soviet Empire prior to the Coming of the Rifts. Sources inside PS claim that a similar craft was found among the coastal wreckage found by PS exploration teams searching the ruins of coastal North America for promising salvage, Whether the craft was a genuine pre-Rifts vessel that somehow made its way to North America, or a victim rifted from an alternate Earth, remains unknown. However, the vessel remained enough intact that it served as inspiration for naval development, and may have led in part to the Skuld ACV. Paladin Steel revisited the salvage data when it was looking to create a fast ACV transport that would fill the gap between the reliable, but under-gunned and -armored PS-LCAC-GEV-05 LCAC Landing Craft/Ferry(which was essentially a copy of a pre-Rifts USMC landing craft) and the larger StormSkimmer.
The Tyan(named for an Elven warstead said to run across ocean waves) is slightly larger than the Zubr, replaces the vulnerable flexible rubber air cushion skirt with a sturdier one of megadamage mesh and scale-plate, and in place of the three large and vulnerable prop-fans at the rear, has substituted four smaller and more powerful turbojets. More efficient and powerful powerplants are available for installation, for greater speed and performance(PS typically produces the conventionally-powered models for its trade partners and allied nations, and the nuclear fusion-equipped craft for its own forces and trader agents). Aviation-grade megadamage armor replaces the steel alloy of the original, and more sophisticated avionics are installed.
The Tyan fills a role in the GNEN between the Skuld attack ACV and the larger StormSkimmer frigate. Its ability to carry troops and vehicles makes it a valued part of amphibious operations, both as a landing transport and as an escort and support vessel. PS maintains a number as security vessels and armed merchantmen.
Type: PS-LC-MACV-21
Class: Medium Air Cushion Vessel, Landing Craft
Crew: 32+ 150 troops/passengers(in addition to any carried in the vehicle bay)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 2,000
Bridge 480
Propulsion Jets(4) 200 each
Weapons Turrets(6) each
MRM Missile Launcher(2) 300 each
OR....LSAM/SRM Launchers(4) 200 each
Mini-Missile Launchers(2) 150 each
Forward Ramp 450
Height: 21.9 m
Width: 27 m
Length: 60m
Weight: 490 tons
Cargo: 180 tons(typically 3-4 tanks, OR 10 AFVs, OR 8-10 APCs/LBTs, OR 360 troops)
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(300 mile range), Electric(360 mile range), or Nuclear( 20 year energy life)
Speed: (Land) 70 MPH unloaded, 55 MPH fully loaded
(Water) 72 knots(82 MPH) unloaded, 55 knots(63 MPH) fully loaded
Market Cost: 20 million credits for liquid fuel, 22 million credits for electric/fuel cell, and 26 million credits for nuclear
Systems of Note:
Standard Ship Systems, plus:
*Long Range Radar---250 mile range
*EW Suite/ECCM system: A system that uses electronic encryption and frequency jumping to (attempt to) negate jamming systems. The system has a 35% chance of negating radar or communications jamming (non-magical) on its own, while having an Electronic Warfare Skill gains a +15% bonus to operating this system.
Note that this only applies to received communications (the system filters them out from the jamming clutter) and sensory data received by that unit alone (other units cannot make use of it, unless they have an unaffected datalink/info-share with the ECCM equipped unit. Magic/psychic jamming is NOT affected by this system.
Jamming Range: 20 miles
EW Cloaking: -15% to enemy Read Sensory Instruments rolls using surface search radars(NOT optical and thermographic systems)

Weapons Systems:
1) Weapons Turrets(6)---Each turret can hold ONE of the following configurations: a)35mm AA Cannon(2x1)---Twin mounting
Range: 2.5 miles
Damage:(Proximity Fuzed Fragmentation) 3d6 MD to a 10 ft blast radius, 2d6x10 MD to a 30 ft blast radius per 10 rd burst.
(Armor Piercing Tracer) 4d6 MD single shot, 3d6x10+10 MD per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload: Each drum holds 215 rounds(430 total)

b) Plasma Pulse Cannon---A multimode PS design that can fire either a straight stream of plasma, or a plasma ‘torpedo’ with area of effect
Range:(Stream) 4,000 ft
(Pulse Torpedo) 5 miles
Damage:(Stream) 4d6x10 MD per blast
(Pulse Torpedo) 2d4x10 MD to 15 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire:(Stream) Five times per melee
(Pulse Torpedo) Once per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

c) Double-Barreled Long Range Ion Cannon(2x1)---A fairly basic, but high powered, ion energy weapon
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD single blast, 2d4x10 MD double blast(1 attack)
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee, per barrel
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

d) Heavy Blue-Green Pulse Laser(Version 1a)---Based on an Orbital killsat weapon, adapted for sea-level use.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 3d6 MD single blast, 6d6 MD double blast, 1d4x10 MD triple blast(1 attack)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

e)PS-L-CIWS Vulcan Chain Gun(aka “Button Guns”)---This installation, introduced on the Minotaur robot, then adapted as an air defense weapon option for the VW Camper Gunship, has been adapted for shipboard use as PS’s standard light maritime weapons system. The system is a very compact and neat installation that takes up little space, and has been compared to the pre-Rifts Russian ADMG-630 30mm Gatling CIWS that saw extensive service aboard Russian warships. The PS-L-CIWS is often called the “Button Gun” because of its squat, flattened dome-like turret.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per 20 rd burst(can only fire bursts)
Rate of Fire: EGCHH, as an automated defense system linked to a radar/sensor system, the “Button Gun” has a +2 to strike, and four attacks per melee.
Payload:8,000 rd drum(200 bursts)
Cost: 30,000 credits

f)PS-HSGC-AAM-11 20mm Six-Barrel Super Vulcan Cannon---A proven system with good range and damage, but a tendency to seize up under protracted firing.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage:(Proximity-fuzed High-Explosive) 4d4 MD single shot (2 ft blast radius)
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst(but -1 to strike)
6d6x10 MD for a 40 rd burst(takes THREE attacks and is -3 to strike targets smaller than 20 ft long)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 4,000 rd drum
Penalty: If more than 4 full 40-rd bursts are fired consecutively, there is a +10% cumulative chance per additional burst of the weapon overheating and seizing up....Takes 1d6 melees to purge the coolant system and unjam the mechanism. Firing multiple lower-volume bursts incurs NO penalty.
Cost: 250,000 credits

2) Rocket/Mini-Missile Launchers(2x22)
Range:By Missile Type(Mini-Missiles)
Damage: By Missile Type(Mini-Missiles)
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-22
Payload: 22 ready to fire; 66 missiles in quick load magazines(176 missiles total)

3) 4x4 LSAM/SRM launchers OR 2x4 MRM launchers
Range:By Missile Type
Damage:By Missile Type
Rate of Fire: (SRMs)Volleys of 1-4
(MRMs)Volleys of 1-4
Payload:(SRMs)16 ready to fire; 80 missiles in quick load magazines(96 missiles total)
(MRMs) 8 ready to fire; 40 missiles in quick load magazines(48 missiles total)

4)(optional) Mines: 20-80---Deployed from racks at the rear. Most Tyans don’t carry mines, but substitute depth charges instead.

5) Countermeasure/Decoy Launchers(2)----------Paladin Steel has adopted a series of standard countermeasure packages for use aboard their vessels. Notably they have adapted the US Navy Mk 38 Rapid Bloom Off-Board Countermeasures(RBOC-2) launcher system and the Replica radar signature decoy system. The RBOC-2 fires rocket-mortar shells of flares and chaff up to 1.25 miles away, to heights of 3,000 ft(the better to fool missiles coming in over the horizon), and fires clouds of chaff from deck mortars at closer ranges to confuse other guided weapons).
A variant on this system includes attaching active sonar decoys or “Screamers” to attract or confuse acoustic sensors and homing torpedoes.
The Tyan has 2 RBOC mortar banks(amidships).
Range: The RBOC can toss decoy bundles 1.25 miles, and to an altitude of 3,000 ft
Damage: None. The RBOC is too inaccurate to be used as an effective weapon(oh, it could probably blow a person off the deck if they were standing too close, but that goes without saying) Effects are similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
(Flare/Chaff)Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: Flare/Chaff launchers typically have 10 shells each.


Variants:
Several variants of the Tyan sacrifice troop and vehicle capacity to mount additional weapons, making the MACV into an ACV corvette or fast attack boat.

*MACV(R)---In an attempt to retain the raw firepower of the LCT(R) while rectifying the problem of speed and survivability, PS modified a number of Tyans into artillery rocket platforms, removing the forward turret and missile launchers to install an open deck for the rocket launchers. The remaining vehicle space is used to store reloads and loading equipment.
Weight: (Rocket)
(Short) 102 lbs
(Long) 170 lbs
Range:(Short) 7 miles
(Long) 13 miles
Damage: Both missile types use a 122mm warhead, typically the following warhead types(damage may vary as much as 50% by the quality of warhead manufacture):
(Fragmentation) 1d6x10 MD to a 60 ft blast radius
(Incendiary) 1d4x10 MD to a 50 ft blast radius, plus 01-75% chance of setting combustible materials aflame
(High Explosive) 2d6x10 MD to a 20 ft blast radius
(Plasma) 3d4x10 MD to a 40 ft blast radius
(Smoke) Covers a 100 ft area in thick obscuring smoke. Typically disperses within 1d6 melees, depending on local wind and humidity conditions.
(Chemical) Varies, but typically used to dispense CS or nerve agents. Typically covers a 100 ft area. Like the smoke, local weather conditions determine the dispersal rate.
(Submunition)---Detonates airburst style over the target and scatters a small cloud of grenade-like sub-mines, that can be used to infilade an area with contact explosives or delayed-fuze mines. Carries over 18 submunitions, scattering over a 100 ft area, and doing 5d6 MD to a 10 ft blast radius each.
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-24
Payload: 700 launchers, plus an additional 3,000 reloads
Penalties: Katyushas use the standard rules for unguided artillery with regard to deviation from target. Best fired in salvoes of 4 or more rockets.

*MACV(PB)---Patrol Boat variant, it sacrifices troop capacity for well space for four smaller speed boats that can be deployed for interception missions. The hatches have been modified to allow the small craft to be launched and recovered while underway.

taalismn wrote:

Shark_Force wrote:

glitterboy2098 wrote:well, while we wait you could check out one of my old write ups. just the thing to be preying on those flying liberty ships.

and people think i don't recognize the 'rule of cool' for rifts...

hmmm... i am intrigued by your ideas, and wish to subscribe to your newsletter

on a side note, with rifts MDC tech, i'm inclined to think that vacuum airships should be possible (the barrier today is that there aren't materials with sufficient compressive strength to hold up under the air pressure. i'm thinking MDC materials would resolve that problem). this should gain you something to the tune of another 7% lifting power potentially, iirc (which will probably be slightly countered by the fact that your 'balloon' section would probably wind up being rigid MDC material) and means that you don't have to ride around in a giant highly flammable balloon in a world loaded up with weapons that explode, burn, or generate heat as a byproduct =P it is also easier to obtain in midflight should you need (ie you can adjust height by adjusting how close to pure vaccuum you are). and at least the 'balloon' will be tough to destroy. still, probably best to keep it out of the way and rely on the carried aircraft for combat when you can.

(on a side note, your picture sounded promising, but when i went there, it ran away )

A Vacuum high-altitude 'stratosat' shows up already in a Rifter article on Coalition artillery systems....It's a GPS-stand in for directing hyperaccurate CS bombing and artillery fire...

and both are pretty much impossible even for rifts tech.

the problam with vacuum lift cells isn't holding off the pressure. heck, we can do that easy today. it's doing it with a material thats lighter than the air it's displacing. which is basically unobtanium. rifts materials aren't that strong or light. heck, most of them are basically doable with synthetic carbon lattices (diamond/nanotubes), or similar synthetics using metals (like aluminum oxides). and those, despite being far lighter than conventional materials, aren't light enough to do vacuum lift cells.

and you can't use a flying platform to do positioning. not without gross inaccuracies in location as a result of the transmitter's drift. you'd need to know exactly where the transmitter is to adjust, but you can't because the transmitters themselves are in constant motion. so your accuracy falls through the floor.

oh, and the picture? i've re-organized my photobucket account since then. must have missed a post...

glitterboy2098 wrote:and both are pretty much impossible even for rifts tech.

the problam with vacuum lift cells isn't holding off the pressure. heck, we can do that easy today. it's doing it with a material thats lighter than the air it's displacing. which is basically unobtanium. rifts materials aren't that strong or light. heck, most of them are basically doable with synthetic carbon lattices (diamond/nanotubes), or similar synthetics using metals (like aluminum oxides). and those, despite being far lighter than conventional materials, aren't light enough to do vacuum lift cells.

sorry, i explained badly... yes, that's basically the problem today, but actually, for their weight, rifts megadamage materials are much stronger. consider the plastic-man body armor. it weighs 13 pounds, including all the equipment to make it environmental. and while 35 MDC sucks by rifts measure, it's probably more than a modern tank is likely to have. it can take a beating from multiple anti-tank weapons and still keep going no problem (can't seem to recall, are LAWs 1d6, 1d8, or 1d10 in MD? in any case, we're looking at between 7 and 10 average hits to destroy the armor). urban warrior armor (not environmental, and with 50 MDC instead of 35... so around 9 to 14 average hits to destroy) weighs only 11 pounds. that is *clearly* a massive boost in the materials available of strength compared to weight (how much does tank armor weight again? i'm guessing we would be using ranges measured in tons. and remember, the plastic-man is to a tank what a tank is to a large car). and both armors are pretty widely available... we're not even getting into the stuff available to military organisations. presumably this material isn't used for most robots and such because they need sufficient mass to handle the recoil of a railgun, and probably the lower strength/weight ratio makes other materials cheaper.

and you can't use a flying platform to do positioning. not without gross inaccuracies in location as a result of the transmitter's drift. you'd need to know exactly where the transmitter is to adjust, but you can't because the transmitters themselves are in constant motion. so your accuracy falls through the floor.

so you give it some reference points. like, say, half a dozen transmitters on the ground. now the transmitter platform can use simple triangulation to figure out where it is. i seem to recall a book mentioning that rifts computers are not as advanced as pre-rifts (golden-age) computers, but surely they can handle pythagorean theorem, and 3-D math. from there, you just need enough platforms in the sky within range of those ground transmitters, and you can start figuring location based on where those sky platforms are, and so on.

except if you have ground stations already, there is little need for aerial stations. with the use of low frequency radio signals, which travel through the atmosphere like in a waveguide and thus conform to the shape of the ground, you don't even need to worry about blind spots or the horizon. plus ULF signals travel much farther than the normal high frequency comm signals. when all your doing is sending out a timecode, you don't need high bandwith.


you 'might' (emphasis on might) be able to build a small vacuum cell from body armor type materials, but when you scale it up past sportsball sized, your basically going to see contaiment failure as the surface grows flatter and flatter in a given area. and getting enough soccerball sized cells together would quickly eat up your mass with support structures.

no, it would be easier to use helium gas and use the new materials to make a ship that is tear resistant, leak resistant, and non-flammable. plus such a system would be an order of magnatude cheaper and use materials that are easier ot work with to boot..

doesn't matter how large you make it, as long as you make it the same shape, the forces should come out the same, as i understand it. additionally, as you make the object larger, you can progressively lower the pressure difference (which will decrease the relative lifting power, but can lead to a larger overall lifting power). also, the higher it goes, the less air pressure it has to deal with. though at the same time, it will also have less lifting power i think. the main nice thing about it is that helium is expensive, hydrogen is cheap but flammable and still requires access to water, but you can create vacuum with just a pump, a check valve, and time. (obviously, the faster you want to create the vacuum, the more powerful and therefore expensive the pump gets, but if you're patient, it should work.)

which means you can also control your lift at any given time, and decrease the pressure difference if you have no need for the lifting capacity. throw on some fanjets for extra lift (when needed) and maneuverability.

as to the ground towers being sufficient, i would assume the advantage of the aerial platforms is that you can progressively float in platforms without needing to control the ground. there's a lot fewer things that can successfully attack a platform 50,000 feet up than there is stuff that can attack a tower sitting on the ground, and you can prebuild a floating platform and just move it into position, which probably doesn't work quite as well with towers (though i'm sure towers could be built quickly, i doubt it's as fast as just moving a platform into position)

if you move a floating platform outside the area covered by ground stations though, you can't use them for positioning, since you need signals coming in from all sides to get accurate readings. and if your floating plaform can't use the ground stations to accurately locate itself, that inaccuracy will be compounded for the troops on the ground relying on it.


as for scale on vacuum ballons, the surface area issue is a big one. as the size increases, the amount of curvature a given square measure of surface experiances will drop. a higher curvature increases the amount of pressure the object can withstand. so as it gets bigger, it actually grows weaker overall against pressure. a small object can be made very strong verses pressure, but a bigger one has to be reinforced more to hold up. this reinforcement will eat up mass quickly.

you don't need signals from all sides. you just need enough different points to eliminate all possibilities except one. this should be doable even from outside the area where all those points originate, as long as you have enough points. then, you just continue extending out your line of floating platforms.

hmmm... not able to find information on the curvature altering strength statement. i might be using the wrong search terms though. you mind trying to find a site i can look that up? (nothing too ridiculously technical please, just a basic overview and possibly appropriate formula would be good) would it apply to a situation where you have a perfect sphere? because otherwise, as you increase the volume of the vaccuum, the force should increase cubically, while the surface area of the external containing sphere should increase in a mere square relationship. this means the pressure would increase, requiring that you increase the thickness of the sphere in proportion to the amount you've increased the volume of vaccuum

in any case, we still don't know the engineering data on the materials available to post-rifts manufacturers. it is possible that they are simply strong enough to handle the pressure in any case. the materials available could even make it unnecessary to use a rounded shape at all, for all we know.

that said, i feel like we're really derailing the thread a little here =P perhaps we should use PMs to discuss this?

Very nice Taalismn. We here at the Federated States would like to purchase several of these for testing. If they meet our needs we'd like to procure a limited licensing to produce several of them for our own uses.

Shark_Force wrote:y

that said, i feel like we're really derailing the thread a little here =P perhaps we should use PMs to discuss this?

No problem...I've unintentionally done the same to other people's threads...but I'm taking notes; rarely does a serious discussion break out here...

We are always going on tagents around here. And it's all accidentally.

It's par for the course, really, and sometimes yeilds inspiration...or improvements in WIPs..

Hey Taalismn, there been much research at Paladin Steel for more anti-Xiticix weapons besides the one cyborg?

kronos wrote:Hey Taalismn, there been much research at Paladin Steel for more anti-Xiticix weapons besides the one cyborg?

....

ummm... paladin steel has plenty of anti-xiticix equipment. they call them by such outlandish names as 'guns', 'vehicles', 'power armor, and the like

(out of curiosity, what precisely makes you consider something more 'anti-xiticix' than something else?)

Shark_Force wrote:

kronos wrote:Hey Taalismn, there been much research at Paladin Steel for more anti-Xiticix weapons besides the one cyborg?

....

ummm... paladin steel has plenty of anti-xiticix equipment. they call them by such outlandish names as 'guns', 'vehicles', 'power armor, and the like

(out of curiosity, what precisely makes you consider something more 'anti-xiticix' than something else?)

Haha, yes, guns and power armour are useful. As for something "more anti-xiticix".. well.. umm.. biological weapons designed to target them.. cyborg designs for attacking multiple targets at once. Multi-target weapon systems, extreme close range/close quarters combat equipment, other tunneling stuff.
The beetleborg would be good for tunneling around, but wouldn't be good for combating multiple xiticix coming from the front and behind while in the tunnels.

Basically stuff that can counter/harm swarms and multiple targets at once.

megadamageflakclusterbomb.

A big 'ole can of RAID!!!

Got some chemical weapons coming up...
And some nasty power armor weapons...

But in the interim we got your basic BFG/Big Salvo missile and artillery systems(just make sure to have a lot of triple-A set up on the side ready to take out any buggies fleeing from their hives getting FAE'd and APHE'd....)

trying to remember, has anyone come up with a febreze-based attack? seems to me that taking out enemy communications is a big part of warfare these days, and the xiticix communicate to a large extent using smell.

so just drop a whole bunch of febreze bombs, watch all the xiticix failt to identify one another as being from the same hive, and get out some popcorn

What about a MOAB? You ever do one of those, taalismn?

I'd like to see some weapons for fighting the Xictics too.

kronos wrote:Hey Taalismn, there been much research at Paladin Steel for more anti-Xiticix weapons besides the one cyborg?

Something like THIS maybe?

Paladin Steel IRA-04 Zysha Heavy Hover Assault Robot


“Great, we’re outnumbered a thousand to one, we’re completely surrounded, we got no friends to help us out, and we’re in the middle of Bug Central, waiting for FRIENDLY artillery strike to come down on top of us! Remind me again that we VOLUNTEERED for this?”
“Just keep us spinning and keep those xits’ heads down with plasma fire until the gas bombs get here.”
“How’bout I cut those towers down on top of their pointy little heads?”
“That will do quite nicely, thank you, but do it fast, ..they’re biting through our GEV intake grilles...”
---Captain Kato Morenz and his co-pilot Corporal Jake Austin, FCM-MS018 ‘Northern Thunder’, during ‘Operation Butterfly Stomper’, Lake Choda Extermination Campaign, 108 PA.

A new heavy robot vehicle developed by Paladin Steel , the Zysha is unusual for a number of different reasons, the first being that it is a legless design. Instead of the standard humanoid lower torso and legs, the Zysha mounts a roughly humanoid upper torso on a heavily armored hoverplatform. This was intentional on the part of PS, given the GNE’s lack of experience with heavy robots at the time the Zysha was developed...by packaging the Zysha as akin to a traditional hovertank, PS hoped to ease training problems. Another advantage of the hemi-humanoid design is that there are no vulnerable legs to target, the machine is better balanced, more heavily armored, and the hoverjets provide far greater speed. The Zysha was developed also in part to meet the concerns of the western satellite states and affiliates of the GNE/PS about the growing Xiticix threat...’Zysha’ is the name of a Wynaro insectivore known for its voracious appetite and ability to carve open the large hive-mounds of its favorite prey.
In overall aspect, though, the Zysha looks downright squat and ugly, with a rather squat head and face almost merged into a hunchback, large box-like chest, protruding jet thrusters in the chest and back, and awkward angular arms terminating in ape-like stub-fingered paws, all set atop a roughly circular base bulging with thrusters and armor plate. The Zysha is NOT going to win any beauty contests...and that’s BEFORE the heavy accessory weapons are added.
The weapons fitout is equally exotic. The large, seemingly clumsy hands , with their large stubby fingers, actually conceal a battery of powerful plasma cannons capable of melting armor or boiling insectoid carapace to vapor in seconds. The head mounts an equally powerful laser, just sabove the main optical array slit, in an armored blister-turret. Arrayed around the armored skirt are a series of concealed missile launchers for long range and indirect fire support. Two hardpoints on the back can be fitted to mount over-the-shoulder weapons modules(though at a reduction in mobility), and a chemical sprayer system can be deployed from the skirt and chest jets.
The Zysha is immensely heavy, but due to the lower center of gravity, and primary propulsion means, the robot is arguably less expensive than a fully legged robot of equal size would be. However, for back-up, the Zysha can deploy four ‘crawler legs’ similar to those on the Black Bear Medium Tank, in the happenstance that the main hoverfans should be out of commission, or for maneuvering the giant robot in its garages and service areas.
Perhaps most important is the inclusion of the first advanced systems to come out of Project BattleWeb into the PSW monster-stomping version, the IRA-04Xcx ‘BugZapper’. To provide the machine with a integral defensive ‘umbrella’ when attacking Xiticix hives, the ‘Suit has a computer-cordinate ‘grid’ controling the movement of a small ‘squadron’ of Midge ‘bots ‘slaved’ to the mech. These attending escorts can act as semi-autonomous airborne sensor pickets, security force, or a mobile secondary weapons battery, reducing the effectiveness of Xiticix ‘swarming’ attacks.
The IRA-04Xcx was the first model rolled out, and was developed expressly for the purpose of supporting the anti-Xiticix campaign. Subsequent successful trials at the CHeVeR facility and in operations with the Tundra Rangers in Minnesota and Canada against both the Xiticix and the Coalition resulted in the GNE militaries taking an interest in the design as well, and several companies of the machines have been deployed in the Greater New England region. The GNE models are typically used as mobile artillery and heavy fire support units.

Model Type: PS-IRA-04 Zysha
Class: Infantry Assault Robot Vehicle
Date of Introduction: 107 PA
Crew: 2 (Pilot and gunner). An additional passenger or crewmember may be squeezed in.
M.D.C By Location:
*Head - 250
Head Laser -50
Hands (2) - 130 each
Arms (2) - 200 each
Upper Body/Torso-500
Main Body/Lower Torso - 600
Missile Launchers(8; lower torso)--50 each
Reinforced Pilot's Compartment - 250
Back-up Crawler Legs(4) ---80 each

Speed:
Running: In an emergency, the IRA-04 can deploy four ‘crawler legs’ from the sides of its lower torso, and waddle along at a slow 15 MPH, and can clear obstacles as tall as 7 ft.
Hovering: Using its hoverjets, the IRA-04 can "skate" along most flat surfaces at
up to 200 mph at an altitude of 25 ft(kicks up a MASSIVE dust plume, though).
Leaping: By revving the hoverjets to max output, the Zysha CAN make a powered leap of about 100 ft up/500 ft across, enough to clear obstacles, or leap small rivers and canyons.
Flight: True flight is NOT possible
Underwater: The Zysha is fully watertight and can operate underwater, to ford rivers at 15 MPH, maximum depth of 500 ft. The Zysha can also skim over the surface of relatively calm water(no more than a ten-foot swell) at 100 MPH.

Statistical Data:
Height: 30 feet
Width: 35 ft
Length: 40 ft
Weight: 110 tons
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. of 55
Cargo: Minimal cargo space; about five feet in the crew compartment.
Power System: Nuclear with a 20 year lifespan.
Cost: 150 million credits for a new unit with fully loaded weapons.

Systems of Note:
360-degree Waist Rotation
Radar: Range 250 miles and can track up to 50 targets at once.
Radio/Video Communications: Wide band and directional, radio and
video transmission capabilities with a 300 mile range.
Standard Video Optics plus:
Thermo-Imaging
IR/UV Optics
Telescopic/Image Enhancement Optics
Low-Light/Nightvision system
Laser Targeting
Shoulder Headlights/Spotlights: 300 foot range.
Ejector Seat
Heat & Radiation Shields
Independent Oxygen & Circulatory System
Combat Computer: The mecha is equipped with an advanced combat computer
that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces.
Data collected by the combat computer can be displayed on the virtual
environment cockpit of the mecha (see below), which allows the system
to display large amounts of data to the pilot and even highlight
enemies and missile attacks with overlaid graphics. +2 to Strike w/ ranged weapons.
The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets,
and has a database of over 10,000 images stored in memory. The
computer can identify and track up to 250 targets simultaneously.

Weapons Systems:
1) Plasma Finger Projectors---Each hand mounts four plasma projection cannon in the fingers. The weapons used as the basis of the finger blasters are modified plasma rifles with better range and an unlimited payload linked to the ‘bot’s power systems.
As a result of this installation, the fingers tend to be thick and stubby; and are ill-suited for holding handheld weaponry. Any hand-held long-range weaponry will be -2 to strike, because of the poor balance and clumsy grip.
Range: 3,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per finger blast(so a full hand blast does 4d6x10 MD!)
By angling the fingers slightly to shoot in different directions, the hand can also spray a 50 ft area with plasma blasts, doing 4d6 MD per strike(no bonuses to strike)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Effectively unlimited

(Alternative)---Later model Zyshas would be refitted with a normal hand manipulator and a smaller, but arguably more powerful triple-barrel PPR-9D ‘Scorch-Wave’ Plasma projector, an adaptation of the PPR-9 ‘Heat Wave’ Tri-Barrel Plasma Gatling Projector. Instead of using compact plasma cartridges, however, the PPR-9D uses a conventional plasma draw and generation system, powered by a link to the robot’s main powerplant. The PPR-9D is heavier than its infantry counterpart, and requires a heavy cooling jacket, but has the advantage of nearly unlimited shots.
Range: 3,000 ft...Maximum range for a six-shot burst drops to 2,500 ft with a 6-ft wide ‘spread’, and for a twelve-shot burst to 2,000 ft with an eight-foot spread.
Damage: 5d6 MD per single blast, 2d4x10+10 MD per three-shot burst, 3d6x10 MD per six-shot burst(2d6x10 MD beyond 2,500 ft out to its maximum range), and a whopping 6d6x10 MD for a twelve-shot burst(4d6x10 MD beyond 2,000 ft out to its maximum range)
Rate of Fire: Single shot, three, six, or twelve shot bursts
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

2) Head-mounted Laser Cannon---Mounted atop the head is a powerful laser cannon for close-in defense
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD per blast, 1d6x10 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:Effectively unlimited
Bonus: +3 to strike airborne targets

3) Multi-Role Missile Launchers(8, four per side)---Built around the rim of the circular lower body are concealed missile launch tubes. When in operation, the lids quickly snap up and open, launch, and then snap closed.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 4. 8, 16, 20, or 24
Payload: Each launch cell can hold 6 MRMs, OR 12 SRMs, OR 24 Mini-missiles OR 50 Micro-Missiles

4) Optional Backpack Pods(2)---The back of the upper torso can be modified to carry special heavy weapons systems, such as AA lasers, or ballistic mortars. Adding a backpack pod adds extra height and unbalances the ‘mech slightly, resulting in a cumulative -1 to dodge, and 15% decrease in speed per Backpack Pod carried.
a) Missile Pod---Each pod can hold 4 LRMS, OR 8 MRMs, OR 16 SRMs, OR 32 Mini-Missiles

b) Heavy Rail Gun Pod/Mass Driver Rifle--Another new weapon; a snub-nosed massdriver submachine cannon that can be clipped to the IRA-04’s forearms. This heavy weapon looks like an old water-cooled Spandau machinegun, with a much larger bore, and much higher muzzle velocity. The MDR fires the same heavy-weight projectiles used by Paladin Steel’s “Hellshot” anti-armor cannon, but with much higher range, rate of fire, and payload. When not in use, this weapon is slung across the back, on top of the main jetpack. Only the expense of the heavy metal, long-rod penetrator rounds keeps this weapon from becoming more common, as it is EXTREMELY powerful! Early tests showed this thing able to blow apart daemons with a single burst!
The MassDriver has proven particularly spectacular in tearing apart Xiticix hives.
MDC of Mass Driver Rifle: 200
Range: 3,300 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per shot, or can fire off a 5-shot burst doing 1d6x100 MD!
Rate of Fire: Standard, EPCHH
Payload: 50 rd drum
Penalty: The bad news is, the multiple recoils on a five-shot burst cause such bursts to be -2 to strike(-5 if TWO cannon are carried and fire simultaneously), unless the target is 100 ft long or larger.

c) Heavy Autocannon Pod---Uses the same IH-B 200 mm Autocannon used by locally-produced copies of the Iron Heart IronFist Heavy Tank.
Weight: 3 tons
Range: 6000 ft
Damage:High Explosive(HE): 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft blast radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT): 3d6x10 Md to 12 ft blast radius
Armor Piercing(AP) 1d6x10 MD, no blast radius
APSD: 2d6x10 MD, no blast radius
Rate of Fire:Twice per melee
Payload: 80 rds

d) PSGC-2 Heavy Gatling Cannon--- This oversized weapon, actually a six-barrelled ‘Taskin’ Rifle, spews high explosive shells at a rate that would melt a lesser weapon’s barrel.
Range: 3,000 ft(1,000 ft underwater)
Damage: 4d4 MD single shot (2 ft blast radius)
1d6x10 MD per 5 rd burst
2d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst(but -1 to strike)
6d6x10 MD for a 40 rd burst(takes THREE attacks and is -2 to strike targets smaller than 60 ft)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 4,000 rd drum

e) Heavy Plasma Cannon---Heavy plasma cannon adapted from PS’s own aircraft weapons research.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited

f) Superheavy Pulse Laser(takes two spaces; only ONE can be carried)
Range:5 miles
Damage:Cannon can fire at three fire power levels: 1d4x10 MD, 1d6x10 MD, or 3d6x10 MD per blast.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Bonuses: +2 to Strike
Payload: Effectively Unlimited

g) Rapid Fire AA Laser ---A rapid-fire pulse laser on a back-pivot, for rapidly following and engaging airborne targets. Comes standard with its own targeting sensors.
These are built on individually pivoting mounts at the top of the backpack pod. Each cannon can fire separately, or in synch with the other.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per cannon, 2d6x10+20 per simultaneous burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Bonuses: +2 to Strike
Payload:Effectively unlimited

h) 155 mm Ballistic Mortar(takes two spaces; only ONE can be carried)-Adapted from PS’s 155mm M-series massdriver cannons.
Range: 72,000 ft indirect fire
Damage:(Fragmentation)2d4x10 MD to a 70ft radius
(High Explosive) 4d6 x10 MD to 30 ft radius
(Armor-Piercing Self-Forging Skeet) 5d6x10 MD to a 3 ft area.
(Plasma)1d6x*50* MD to a 50ft radius
(ICN)(Incendiary Cluster Net) The ICN shell is one of a new ‘family’ of artillery munitions being fieldtested by PS as an answer to Xiticix ‘swarm attacks’...Using weapons technology copied from samples acquired in South America, the ICN shell throws out a cloud of 25 Plasma Nets(thermite-impregnated plastic webbing) out over a roughly 80 ft radius, each net of which is roughly 7 ft in diameter, and which is designed to entangle a target(takes 4 melees to disentangle, HALF that if the target has a supernatural PS of 40 or better) and then bursts into flames, doing 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 melee rounds(the target meanwhile cannot strike or parry, is -2 to dodge, and moves at a speed of 4). Nets that do not hit targets fall to the ground and self-incinerate. This weapon earned the nicknames the ‘Fireswatter’ and ‘TangleBurn’ during field trials against Xiticix hives in Canada.
(Smoke/Chemical) 100 ft radius
(Illumination) Illuminates a 1 mile area bright as day, and burns for 2d6 melees
Can also chamber other specialized ordnance, such as TW shells, Can-O-Man dispensers, EMP bombs, and other types currently in development
Rate of Fire: Twice per per melee
Payload: 50 rds (ICN rounds take up TWICE as much space)

i) Mega-Scat Cannon--Designed, ideally, for bringing down large numbers of airborne Xiticix, the Mega-Scat is no more than a heavy howitzer modified into a giant shotgun, blasting huge amounts of metal and ceramic shrapnel into a lethal cloud of death. The shell is a garbage-barrel sized drum that fragments in midair. PS is working on a version that scatters aerodynamic fletchettes for greater blast radius and damage, while another variant would scatter-shot armor-piercing ‘beebees’ impregnated with chemical agents (see descriptions below for chemical types).
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD to a 30 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: 30 rds per cannon

j) Microwave Cannon Horn---Another experimental weapon, modelled after information on the Gurgoyle G-40 Super Robot(See Rifts: Mindwerks, pg 81 for details) recovered by agents in Europe, following the New German Republic’s campaign against the Gargoyles. PS and the Canadians hope that the use of microwaves to literally boil the Xiticix from the inside out will be particularly effective against the exoskeletal monsters.
Range: 300 ft, 40 ft area of effect
Damage: 4d6 MD to everything in the blast area, plus unprotected SDC animals and plants wither and die. Does 1d6 SDC through EBA, metal power armors and robots will spark and suffer a 50% chance of the communications and sensor systems being knocked out for 1d4 minutes. 01-63% chance of setting combustible materials on fire.
Against Xiticix and other exoskeltal beings, the microwaves will boil them in their shells, pockets of steam doing additional damage and at the very least disconcert the monsters; 4d6 MD to exterior, 1d4 MD per melee from internal damage, -10 to strike, parry, and dodge, -1 APM, and -2 to initiative as long as the creatures remain under microwave attack.
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload:Effectively Unlimited

k)Metal Storm 40mm Mortar System---Multi-tube, rapid-fire box-launcher mortar system
Range: 6 miles
Damage:(Fragmentation) 4d6 MD to 6 ft blast radius
(High Explosive) 1d4x10+3 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1-18
Payload: Each barrel holds 5 40-mm projectiles for a total of 180 rds

5) Chemical Sprayer System---Introduced on the IRA-04Xcx as a weapon of last resort, this allows the crew to introduce chemical agents from internal reservoirs into the hoverjets’ slipstream for maximum dispersal, The most dramatic use of this system has been to spray highly toxic pesticides into the center of a Xiticix hive complex, a move that, while effective, also has the unwelcome side effect of killing all life in the area of affect, and poisoning the land. The Tundra Rangers and PS are currently trying to find other, equally effective, but bio-degradable, toxins...an enzyme that attacks chitin proteins(dissolving ONLY the Xiticix exoskeleton) has shown promise, but has yet to make it to the battlefield in significant operational quantities.
Range: 100 ft range(1,000 ft w’ hoverjets engaged)
Damage: Varies by chemical used, but PS has tested a few special weapons of particular note:
(PESTEX) The most lethal and effective agent in the chemical arsenal is this potent pan-neural toxin that blocks chemical life proccesses dead...PESTEX is severely limited in use(it’s only been used operationally twice, all two times to stop Xiticix hordes/hives from overwhelming major population centers). PESTEX does the equivalent of 2d6x10 MD to Xiticix and anyone else who inhales it, and does 1d4 x10 MD skin contact damage to any other creatures unlucky enough to make contact with the gunk(or whoever makes a successful saving throw against inhaled poison). It is a persistant poison, doing 3d6 MD(equivalent--which is to say it kills SDC beings on contact) to anyone coming in close contact with the contaminated area for 2d6 days---possibly longer...environmental impact studies haven’t been ongoing long enough...PESTEX has thus fallen out of favor due to its toxicity, and is released for operational use ONLY with special permission and under circumstances wheere it is certain that the poison will not threaten water supplies, environmentally sensitive regions, or populations....PESTEX is also called ‘Suicide Gas’ because the various restrictions on its use mean that there is only one environment in which the material CAN be used...that is, deep inside a Xiticix hive complex....

(Sterid-10) The next up, and equally controversial) contender in lethality is only marginally effective in immediate fatalities(only does one time damage of ) but interferes with cell division and reproduction...any organism dosed with Sterid-10 will find its healing abilities severely curtailed....Takes the equivalent of 5d6 MD/SDC initially, healing damage at HALF the normal rate for 1d10 days, and must save vs lethal poison or be rendered sterile. Even a successful save doesn’t guarantee safety....there is a 30% chance of birth-defects or smaller broods being produced. Because of this long term damage potential, Sreid-10 is as closely controlled as PESTEX and equally unpopular with chemical warfare handlers.
The environmental concerns surrounding Sterid-10 and its long-term effects on the non-Xiticix environment have resulted in severe protocols applied to its use....Sterid-10 is restricted to deep-Hive incursions designed to kill Queens, and there are extremely strict proccedures for handling the material.

(‘Wobble’) Wobble is an extremely promising chemical, and considered a ‘non-lethal’ agent in that it’s designed to incapacitate, rather than kill. ‘Wobble’, as it is popularly known, seems to overwhelm the Xiticix’s finely tuned senses, causing them to stagger about and lose coordination. Unfortunately, its effects aren’t permanent, but it IS environmentally safe. Xiticix and other insectoid lifeforms that come in contact with the stuff are -4 to save versus poison, and are -5 to strike, parry, and dodge, HALF APMs, and -2 to initiative for 3d4 melees on a failed save. A successful save means that the monster is only -1 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge for 1d4 melees. It has no discernable effect on mammals and other lifeforms, aside from causing coughing and headaches if inhaled.
Some biologists are concerned, however, that repeated use of ‘Wobble’ on p;opulations of Xiticix may result in the insectoids building up an immunity to the weapon.

(Scourex-5) Scourex is a mildly acidic agent intended to attack the sensitive antennae, soft joints, and eyes of insectoids, its mildly corrosive properties creating a thin layer of white film over the eyes that effectively blinds the monsters. Scourex is a fast-acting agent, and quickly-dispersing one...it only lasts about 2 minutes in aerosol form before it completely oxidizes and becomes useless. Xiticix and other insectoid lifeforms that come in contact with the stuff are -6 to strike, dodge, and parry, lose ALL initiative, and are -15% to track for 2d6 melees, until they can scrape off the film, and their sweat/irrigation glands flush the stuff off. Scourex also does 2d6 SDC per melee to unprotected skin and soft tissues, and hurts like hell until washed off.

Rate of Fire: Four times per melee
Payload: Internal reservoirs hold up to 200 gallons of chemical(enough for 10 shots)

6.(optional)‘Sidekick’ System---This remote operations system is designed specifically to direct and co-ordinate the “Sidekick” system, consisting of specially-modified Paladin Steel ‘Midge’ airborne attack robots. Rather than mount a more balanced set of equipment for independant operations, these ‘Sidekicks’ are essentially flying cannon with attached sensory/fire control, equipment, though, if separated from the command link, they can operate semi-independantly at greatly reduced efficiency....they lack the proper standard programming to operate effectively as free agents, being effectively extensions of the ‘mother’ Zysha which they use as a point of reference.
The system CAN take control of the standard (unmodified) Midges, but these vehicles will not have the special bonuses from the control link.
MDC: 150
Weight: 600 lbs
Length: 7 ft
Powerplant: Nuclear Mini-Pack, w. 2 year energy life.
Speed:(Flying) 300 MPH, 4,000 ft altitude, with a 4,000 ft range of operation, linked to the network grid
Systems of Note: Standard Robot Optics and Audio, Laser targeting, mini-radar(5 mile range)
Weapons Systems:
1) Particle Beam Cannon--Standard PS Double-Barreled Particle Beam Cannon mounted like a double stinger ‘tail’
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD single blast, 2d4x10 MD double blast
Rate of Fire: Five times per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Bonuses: +2 initiative, +4 dodge, +4 to strike

7. Hand to Hand Combat: The Zysha can be piloted by anyone with Titan Combat or Enforcer combat training, greatly easing training times. Just add the following bonuses:
Critical Strike equal to Pilot's
+1 attack per round
+3 to roll with impact, punch or fall
+2 on initiative
+1 to strike in hand to hand combat
+1 to parry
+4 to dodge(thanks to hoverjets)
Restrained Punch: 3d6 M.D.
Full Strength Punch:6d6 M.D.
Power Punch: 1d6x10, counts as two attacks
Tear or Pry with hand: 5d6 M.D.
Body Block/Ram: 6d6 M.D.
Stomp(w/ hull): 5d6 M.D. Effective only against objects smaller than 12 feet

hmmmm... i'm just trying to envision what would happen if you loaded up that chemical sprayer with xiticix scent from a *different* hive... if you can get the xiticix to swarm around and then get sprayed by the chemical, they should all smell like enemy xiticix... worst case scenario, they go back to the hive eventually and get killed by their own buddies. best case scenario, they immediately go berserk and start killing each other =P

(of course, the real tricky part is getting 20 gallons of xiticix scent...)

of course, that's also the basis of my crazy 'febreze' scheme... create a chemical that has a powerful effect on reducing odors, and hit the xiticix with that, and suddenly, nothing smells like a friend...

Nice design you got there, taalismn! I especially liked the "Sidekick" system, nice to have some friends covering your arse!

Shark_Force wrote:hmmmm... i'm just trying to envision what would happen if you loaded up that chemical sprayer with xiticix scent from a *different* hive... if you can get the xiticix to swarm around and then get sprayed by the chemical, they should all smell like enemy xiticix... worst case scenario, they go back to the hive eventually and get killed by their own buddies. best case scenario, they immediately go berserk and start killing each other =P

(of course, the real tricky part is getting 20 gallons of xiticix scent...)

of course, that's also the basis of my crazy 'febreze' scheme... create a chemical that has a powerful effect on reducing odors, and hit the xiticix with that, and suddenly, nothing smells like a friend...

I'll bear that in mind if we run into anybody who's wholly dependent on scent for personal identification...

As for getting the 20 gallons of base scent to source fro mass synthesis? That's what money-desperate PCs are for...

Fun little website for those wanting to kitbash 'new' weapons:
http://pimpmygun.doctornoob.com/

Nice new gear. We here at the Federated States would like to acquire several of these for testing with our own forces.

Paladin Steel Foss Class Air/Sea Ley Line Transport

“I saw my first Foss class ship when I was a poleman on the old Connneticut River, running barges down the river. We’d just rounded a bend when this big hulkin’ shape swept over us like a thundercloud made of metal, and all us nearly stroked on the spot, sure that the legions of hell had descended upon us...either the Spluggies or the Deadboys, or someone else equally nasty...we ain’t never seen something like that in these parts without it meaning trouble...
But then we saw the big lettering on the sides, so’s we couldn’t miss it...and I knows enough of my letters that I could scry that this thing was human...and there was no mistakin’ the big insignia I’d seen upriver trading with the Free Vermonters.
It just passed overhead sweet as can be while we were shocked all like that, then disappeared up the river...took us a few minutes to start movin’ again before we hit a snag, and was nothing else we could talk about for hours afterwards.
I couldn’t believe that thing was built by human hands...it just couldn’t be... I mean, I’ve seen the big Hercs, those big cargo planes, but, hell, they’re like sized so’s you can get your mind around it...This thing was too frackin’ big and airborne....Maybe the ancients.......you know, from the times before the Rifts?...might have been able to...but in these here parts? No Way!
I still don’t believe it, but I know what I saw, and what I hear, but these things...hell, maybe if we can build these sorts of things, we got a brighter future than the preacher folk say, no?”
---Timothy Manns, Common Folk

“Okay...just how the hell are you going to get my order to me OVERNIGHT again?! There’s no way you’re going to be able to move that much gear that fast unless you’re planning touse magic to TELEPORT it to me!”

The Foss-class cruiser transports are one of Paladin Steel’s largest, most exotic, and most expensive products, and only five of these incredible vessels have ever been built so far, owing to their size and expense, The Foss-class have their origin in the Advanced Transport Concept Directive, issued in-house by PS in 104 PA, authorizing studies into advanced heavy transport designs to deal with the increased amount of traffic from PS’s recent prosperity and its highly successful trade alliances. The increased hostilities along the traditional trade routes, and the Coalition’s increasing targeting of trade with the enemy nations listed in its Campaign of Unity, as well as increased Horune and Splugorth piracy along the coastal routes, was beginning to make trade particularly hazardous.
PS’s workhorse vehicles, the C-130-2 Hercules-II and Grav Copter, though reliable heavy lift vehicles, by and large lacked the firepower to defend themselves against dedicated attacks, even with heavy escort. The massive Fulmar WiG aircraft had yet to appear, but already were dismissed for their projected poor overland performance(where the Wing-in-Ground effect would be less pronounced and leave the aircraft vulnerable to ground fire). Ground convoys, though provided with ample protection, often proved conspicious and vulnerable to elements, espionage, random banditry, and monster activity, particularly when on the long overland routes from the VFS to distant customers. The magic-based trade and transport system, using a combination of ley-line nexus transport and small leyline-powered craft, was vulnerable as well, and not always readily available. What PS concluded they needed was heavy air transport on a unprecedented scale; vehicles comparable to Free Quebec’s and the Coalition’s own heavy air transport systems, and so set out to establish a new system to back up or replace their existing heavy air transport.
PSW wanted, with their success in techno-wizardry design, to adapt the existing line of Liberty Ships to TW Ley Line Fliers. Apalled at the thought of a marine freighter floating above the land, the more traditional technologists at PS countered with designs for uparmed versions of the pre-Rifts C-5A Galaxy or Antonov Condor, while others thought that copying existing designs such as the Coaltion Death’s Head Transports would be a better choice.
In the end, the ship-conversion idea gained ground(in part to satisfy the increasingly vocal TW contingent), with a proposal to develop a Liberty Ship with a strengthened airworthy hull, and rounded hull (reminescent of the “whaleback” ore carriers that once plied the Great Lakes), and fitted with a dual marine propulsion/ley-line levitation system. This proposal was thrown to the Paladin Steel West branch, with the funding to develop it further with existing PS facilities and technologies. PS was expecting nothing much beyond a limited TW-flight assist system addittion to existing vessels; PSW, for the most part, anticipated a line of more or less conventional ley-line freighters.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, the man chosen to lead the PSW team was Zeran Donayar.
Donayar was unusual, even for PS’s odd mixture of engineers, aliens, and techno-wizards. Donayar had come to PS as a refugee from Atlantis, a True Atlantean who had escaped from nearly a century of slavery under the Splugorth, since a youthful and misguided expedition to his people’s ancient homeland had gone horribly wrong.
That Donayar was brilliant, there was no doubt. That he was also somewhat insane, there was also no doubt.
Donayar had been put to hard labor as the foreman’s slave in one of Splynn’s shipyards, and there, when not being worked nearly to death, observed with wonder the amazing vessels, combinations of technology and magic, that the Splugorth’s gifted artisans and shipwrights created. With the longing of a slave to be free, Donayar gazed upon these incredible sky barges and spelljammers, and dreamed of escape on similar craft of his own devising.
Ironically, when the opportunity to escape did come, it was on a lowly garbage scow that he and several fellows commandeered. Running the guantlet of sadistic hunters, ley-line storms, and monsters of the deep, Donayar watched helplessly as his companions were, one by one, killed off, and his barely seaworthy craft deteriorated, before he himself was swept up on the shores of the American Gulf Coast.
Wandering up the coast of Texas, Donayar made a small reputation for himself as a shipwright, designing and building increasingly sophisticated vessels for the various small communities he briefly settled in. But even as he designed and laid down bigger and better fishing trawlers or small freighters, even the occasional ley-line flyer for more liberal-minded communities, Donayar still dreamed of the beautiful sailing craft of water and sky that had so enthralled him as a lowly slave. Donayar just barely missed being swept up in the Coalition’s annexation of Port Horus(he’d quit work the previous day, and had left to seek his fortunes elsewhere). Donayar soon thereafter encountered a team of Paladin Steel industrial-archaeologists who were duly impressed with the small flying sailboat that Donayar had built for himself, and offered him a job with PS. Intrigued, and sensing an opportunity, Donayar accepted. When he came to Paladin Steel West’s New Seattle facility, and saw the Magic Research Complex, lit with mystic energy, Donayar smiled with the knowledge that his instincts were right....
For all of Donayar’s brilliance, however, many of the secrets of the Splugorths’ magic vessels eluded him; which was just as well, as a working knowledge of such proccesses might well have resulted in the Atlantean’s death at the hands of hunter-assassins. However, Donayar knew just enough to be inspired, and with the resources now at his disposal, he built as well.
Donayar’s Liberty Ship proposal had been wacked out enough, but what he really had in mind was even less conventional. Under the guise of ‘design changes”, Donayar tossed out his original(and rightfully ludicrous) plans and set down new ones. For the sake of expediency, Donayar had to scale back his original plans for solar-sailor type craft, and settled for something more solid and utilitarian(and outright ugly in his opinion) in design and aspect.
When CEO Vanderbilt and the executive board caught wind of what was really going on at the New Seattle shipyards, visions of another (even more)expensive white elephant like the TriStar Airliner danced in their heads, and howls of outrage were heard, as well as various memos questioning Donayar’s mental stability(or demanding his head, whatever). The number of inspectors and design engineers on the project was doubled by PS executive order, in the vague hope of finding some legitimate excuse to scrub the project.
However, by this time the project had gained a momentum all its own. Donayar, playing off his prestige and charisma as a True Atlantean, had managed to convince many of the old money landed folk(particularly the Old World elven nobility) to back the project, and enough engineers had jumped on the project to sustain the effort. The PS conservatves had no recourse but to continue, or else risk a stockholder veto of their moves.
When the first Foss-class cruiser came off the blocks at New Seattle, it was met with cheers of enthusiasm from the shipyard workers and functionaries, and groans of dismay from the more conservative managers and shareholders. But the money had been spent, and all now settled back to see what they had wrought.
The Foss class resembles a fat, blunt-ended cylinder, or rather a stubby submarine or spaceship, with rounded , enclosed hull, armored conning tower, bulging thruster mounts, and a vicious ramming spike slung under the nose. At the rear is a massive jet thruster and four smaller water thrusters. Along the sides are spaced eight gimballed lateral thrusters, used for maneuvaring and auxiliary propulsion.
Despite Donayar’s early schemes for a fully magically-powered flight system, he had to settle for a more practical, if equally exotic, levitation system using PS’s Gravitic-Magnetic Resist (GMR)materials. The TW flight system was retained, but is now truly effective only on or near a ley-line, when the vessel can switch over to full TW propulsion and “ride the rails” as it were, gaining a considerable boost in speed.
Despite their appearance and sealed environment, the Foss-class cruisers do not make effective spacecraft and cannot reach orbit(even if they could, the Foss are terrible at maneuvaring in zero-g/vaccuum; PS was, at the time, still years away from developing a practical starship-scale fusion drive propulsion system). With its sealed hull and multiple propulsion systems, the Foss can move on the surface of the water as a conventional ship, fly above it on either jets or ley-line rider drives, or can submerge underwater to act as a submarine.
Compared to its closest Splugorth contemporaries, the Foss class cruisers are slow and cumbersome, crude, and inelegant, lumbering away on their jets at barely adequate speed. Compared th the Coalition’s DHTs, the Foss class is also heavy, slow, and expensive, but with respectable armor and armament. The Foss fairly bristles with defensive weaponry, but it lacks any real long-range punch to make it an effective offensive weapons platform.
Since the first Foss-class cruiser went down the slipway, four more have been constructed, much to PS’s surprise. The five ships so far constructed are the PS Jules Verne, PS Merrows*, PS James Randii, the Iron Cloud(constructed for a private customer), and an as-of-yet unnamed vessel undergoing final refits before shipment to another unidentified customer. A sixth vessel is currently being laid down, and five more are slated for construction, but production has been slow, due to the fact that the construction of vital propulsion components takes up large amounts of energy from the modest-sized dimensional pyramids currently maintained by PS; energy that has to be diverted from other assembly lines and other programs. Hopes of establishing an alternate site in Tolkeen to alleviate this bottleneck in production have generated much discussion(both pro and con) and nothing definite has been decided either way(Update note: the fall of Tolkeen would effectively nix this line of thought and help push the ‘pure technology’ GMR designs).
All three PS vessels are regularly used to transport ore and metal stock for PS(One of the ironies of the prosperity of PS is that the company that once subcontracted for Northern Gun and Free Quebec to produce materials, now brings in ore and other metal resources from outside). Occasionally, these vessels are used to make large deliveries of material and equipment(especially for Contract Engineering), but PS is careful to keep them from Coalition borders, and well-escorted.
However pleased PS may be with these vessels, however, it has stepped up monitoring and accountability policies for project managers and planners...next time they may not be so lucky to get a good design for their money.

*(I warned you, Shawn, I’d name something after you)


(Post-110 P.A. Update: The expansion of Greater New England and the openning of multiple new industrial sites has increased the need for heavy transport to an unprecedented degree. Fortunately, the growing state-of-the-art in GMR technology led to lower cost for the production of more powerful systems. By 125 P.A., PS had constructed and deployed over TWENTY Foss-Fliers to serve its growing needs, and the ships are a common sight in their global trade network.)

Type: PS-HMAT-GMR-FF-02
Class: Heavy Multi-Environment Armored Transport
Crew:10-12 officers, 60 crew + up to 700 passengers(if carrying passengers exclusively)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body* 4,000
Bridge 900
Forward Observation Deck 500
Cranes(2) 50 each
Heavy Laser cannon(2) 200 each
Mage Pod Mounts(4) 175 each
Missile Launchers(2)
Auxiliary Thrusters(4)** 250 each
Lateral Thrusters(8, 4 per side)*** 200 each
Main Thrusters**** 1,000
Ram Prow 800
*Depleting more than 75% of the Main Body MDC will compromise the GMR system, resulting in the loss of levitation ability. If airborne, the ship will drop like a stone.
**Destroying the Auxiliary Hydro-Thrusters will result in the ship being unable to effectively move in the water. The vessel can still push itself through the water using the lateral jets, but at 5 MPH, and at -20% to maneuvar.
***Destroying the Lateral Thrusters will result in severely compromised flight control.
-25% to piloting rolls
****Destroying the Main Thruster will not destroy the ship’s ability to fly(the GMR coils are located in the main hull), but will severely cut the ship’s flight speed. The ship can still fly under power of the Lateral Thrusters, but only at 20% maximum speed.
Height: 60 ft
Width: 80 ft
Length: 440 ft
Weight: 8,000 tons
Cargo: Can carry up to 10,000 tons of cargo
Powerplant: Nuclear Fusion; 20 year energy life.
2x ‘Wizard’-class TW Generators----400 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 14 PPE per hour, 50 PPE/hour at a leyline, 100 PPE/hour on a nexus
Speed:
(Water) Travelling on the surface, the Foss can reach a respectable speed of 20 MPH
(Underwater) Can travel underwater at 25 MPH. Max. Depth 1,000 ft
(Flying)Hover to 250 MPH; typically cruises at 150 MPH
Travelling on a Ley-Line, the Foss can make Mach 1(670 MPH).
Maximum Altitude: 15,000 ft
(Space) Not possible; if somehow transposed into space, the ship would still maintain environmental integrity, but would have no means of movement; simply drift out of control.
Market Cost: Estimated at 250 million credits, if not more
Systems/Features:
Standard Ship/Aircraft Systems, plus:
*Life Support
*Radio---200 mile range
*Radar--200 mile range, track and ID 144 targets simultaneously
*Sonar---50 mile range
*Cargo Cranes--The Foss class cruisers have four side-mounted heavy lift cranes for loading and offloading the vessel even when airborne. Each crane can lift up to 80 tons.
*Lifeboats----The Foss class cruisers mount several enclosed lifeboats/escape pods with a difference; to allow them to be used under any circumstances, the lifeboats are fitted with watertight environmentally-sealled hulls(8 hour life support) and flotation bags for underwater escapes, and a combination parasail and Featherfall TW-system for aerial ejections.

Weapons Systems:
1) Medium Range Missile Launchers(2)---The main long range weapons system of the Foss Cruisers are a pair of MRM launchers, mounted fore and aft behind armored shutters.
Range: Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 4, 6, or 12
Payload: 60 per launcher(120 total); additional missiles may be carried as cargo and loaded from stores.

2) Mini-Missile Launchers (4)---Mounted in concealed mounts on the sides of the vessel, two forward and two aft. Intended for anti-missile and close-in defense.
Range:Varies
Damage: Varies
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2, 4, 8, or 12
Payload:48 per launcher(192 total); additional missiles may be carried as cargo and loaded from stores.

3) Heavy Laser Cannon (2)---One cannon is mounted in the nose in a retractable turret, and the other in a concealed aft turret.
Range: 2 miles
Damage: 1d4x100 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:Three times per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited

4) Light Laser Turrets(8)---Two mounted on the Bridge Tower, four on lateral mounts, one forward, and one aft.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage:6d6 MD per dual pulse burst, 1d6x10+10 MD per pulse burst
Rate of Fire:EGCHH
Payload:Effectively unlimited

5) 30mm Anti-Aircraft Cannon(6)----Mounted in armored turrets two forward, 1 each side, and two aft, these autocannons are intended for anti-miisile and anti-aircraft/PA defense. This system uses the PS-862, the Paladin Steel copy of the Triax/New Roman Empire TX-862FC AA autocannon, also used in the Meles/Skywatcher, and Rattlesnake AA vehicles. The cannon mounts also have independant tracking and targeting sensors and hardware(reflected in the bonuses to strike).
Range: 10,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single rd
1d6x10 MD two rd burst
2d6x10 MD six rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
4 attacks per melee when in autodefense
Payload:4800 rds per drum
Sensor Bonuses: +2 strike when on automatic sentry mode
+3 to strike when operated manually

6)Mage Pod Weapons Mounts(4)
The Mage Pod is an effort to develop a modular TechnoWizardry weapon, applicable to vehicles, and is a TW weapons module that incorporates a PPE Battery(Maximum Strength: 500 PPE!) and a pre-programmed crystal spell projector, with hardwired activator spells(Energy Bolt, Energy Field, Domination[for mental spells], and Wind Rush).
The heart of the system, though, lies between the crystal lenses and the PPE Battery. There are three option spaces for Spell Cards. What’s a Spell Card? A Spell Card is a brick-sized wafer of pure iron, crystals, and wiring(typically a large percentage of the wiring consists of gold or silver), woven in mystic configurations, typically around a central gemstone or crystal lense/’lasing’ element, and incorporating a ‘hardwired’ spell. The Spell Card can be simply installed in the Mage Pod’s option slot( a matter of 10-15 minutes to check for correct lense alignment), fed PPE from the Battery via the activator spell, and projected via the crystal ‘shooter’. Instant spell magic! This system also allows the weapons system to be specifically configured to a particular mission needs(i.e. , a weapons mount expected to act as an ECM/ECCM station might carry Frequency Jamming, Illusion, and Illusion Booster, while a vampire hunter might carry Globe of Daylight, Circle of Rain, and Water Wisp). Typically, the Foss Cruisers’ Mage Pod stations will carry heavy firepower or long ranged offensive spells.
The Mage Pod has a few drawbacks; one is the fact that the mys-technology is still new and fairly expensive. Spell Cards are rather rare and hard to come by on the market(currently available direct from PS only). The other is that currently only simple single spells can be incorporated into the Spell Card module. Combined effect spells cannot currently be incorporated, though PS is working feverishly on the means to do so. Aboard the Foss-class cruisers, this problem has been resolved somewhat by combining volleys from 2 Mage Pod stations simultaneously.

Current tactical doctrine for the Foss cruisers has the Magepods fitted with one slot reserved for high-power Armor of Ithan spells.

Weight: 1,000 lbs
Range: Varies by spell (When the Foss is travelling on a ley-line, the range of spells is typically increased by 50%)
Damage/Duration: Varies by spell
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
PPE Cost per Use: Varies by spell. However, the use of focusing elements and activator spells effectively reduces spell PPE cost by HALF.
(So you Technowizards aren’t flummoxed by PPE costs in a long-running battle, while the still relatively high PPE costs for the high-end spells keeps someone from using Sphere of Annihilation in every battle).
Payload: Draws from the main PPE Battery, but can also draw upon the Cruiser’s own PPE reserves. In an emergency, the gunner, if they are a mage or psychic, can kick in their own PPE.
Bonuses: As per spell(if any)
Cost: The basic Mage Pod system costs about 1.2 million credits
Spell Cards cost (as per Jason Richards’ guidelines in Rifter #2) 5,000 credits per PPE cost of main spell plus an additional cost (as per following modifiers)
*500 credits per level of the creating caster(Mages’ time and PPE are money, so expect to pay more for the longer duration/higher power spells)
*Warlock spells cost 20% more, in addition to above modifiers, owing to the difficulties of adapting Elemental Magic to ‘conventional” magic systems.

7)Ram Prow---The bow sports a long, wicked-looking armored punch -ram, for gouging other vessels, punching holes in pressure hulls, and breaking through ice. Only truly effective on targets 100 ft long or larger that can’t dodge out of the way.
(Note: This would be dropped from later design-versions)
Range: Melee
Damage: 2d4x10 MD per 20 MPH

Chaff/Flare Launchers---The Foss mounts numerous chaff and flare launchers for launching anti-missile and anti-torpedo countermeasures.

9) Auxiliary Craft: PS ships typically carry a small contingent of 20-40 power armors(mostly PSA-11s with flight systems, or Taon fighter-pods), 1-2 VTOLcraft, and 1-4 heavier craft (such as hovercar-conversion VW Superbugs, or Pathfinder robots)

Variants:
Variants of the basic Foss would show up with the streamlining of production on the sixth ship, with the dropping of the ram-prow in favor of a more conventional hull.

Notes:
*Air Drop System---PS is currently looking at developing a system that allows the Foss-class cruisers to rapidly unload using the Magepod turrets to cast the Featherlight spell on cargo pallets that are then dropped over the side, to make a soft landing below.

*Damage Control System---Another system being studied by PS is an automatic damage control system using the Mend Metal and Water Seal spells for sealing breaches in the hull, and to seal compartments. Current systems under study include individual PPE-battery powered ‘subsection’ systems, or a centrally-powered system running off the main PPE generators.