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Besides, with the holidays coming up, I hope to have some entirely NEW stuff coming out, rather than just remakes of my older files...

Paladin Steel LST Series
“You think that robots, fighter planes, and heavy weapons are what make Paladin Steel, boy? Got your eyes fixed on all those shiny flash shuttles and spacecraft? Look down there instead...see all those drab, pug-ugly, tramp steamers? That’s what makes Paladin Steel...for what it costs to make one of them fancy leyline flyers, PS can build TEN of those ships and make a profit selling them to folks that want them...nothing fancy about them, just good solid construction...and those ships will go out to Virginia, Florida, South America, Europe, the Med....Transport, youngster, is what PS’s bread and butter really is!”
----Gregor Chesco, New Bath Merchant Marine

“We’ve been going about this all wrong, gentlemen....We’ve assumed that the only way we can fight the Alliance is to attack them head on...and that plays right into their strength...We have to face it, their weaponry is stronger than ours, more than making up for any deficit of manpower we can force on them...and frankly we can’t afford to bring the resources to bear to make that sort of situation work to our benefit...not without leaving us vulnerable elsewhere...
But we can attack THEIR weaknesses...their lines of supply..Especially ‘Greater New England’...they aren’t nearly as self-sufficient as they claim to be...They have to import an increasing amount of raw materials, especially metal ores, if they are to maintain the sort of production rates we’ve so far seen from them...and their expanding market-shares mean they will be needing even more in the way of materials.
They, like us, can’t afford to be everywhere at once...and that’s where we’ll hit them...hit their shipping....hit their ships..their material lifelines...That way we can cripple their production, starve their troops, at the very least we’ll make their ships unpopular for people to buy, if they know that they attract our fire. Take the glamour off their products...
That’s how we’ll win, gentlemen, by hitting them in their inventory....”
-Admiral Timothy Caskgell, addressing the Coalition Naval Commission, Chi-Town, 109 PA

“****! We’ve been snookered! That lumbering rustbucket was just window-dressing!”
“Repeat, Alpha-Bravo? Explain!”
“That merchie landing ship? Bow ramps just openned up! She was hiding a squadron of attack hovers! We’re getting swarmed! Gamma- and Delta-Bravo just got zorched! Somebody tipped off the Vermies we were operating here!”

Paladin Steel is primarily interested in building transport vessels that can survive the rigors of the post-Rifts world; especially important to PS’s future expansion plans. Realizing that properly equipped seaports and docking facilities are a rarity in the post-Rifts world, PS has begun marketing a series of vessels with reinforced hulls and offloading ramps, for running up on beaches and backing off, patterned after pre-Rifts amphibious warfare landing ships. These vessels appear superficially similar to the many tramper-type Liberty vessels, but their interiors are specially fitted and configured for roll-on, roll-off cargo and vehicle handling. Additional features include shielded thrusters for shoving off shores and maneuvering in close quarters, and vehicle handling equipment. LSTs tend to have heavier armor than commercial vessels of similar size, given that, in a military operation, they are more vulnerable to attack, because of their proximity to the shore, and because their cargoes of troops and supplies make them priority targets.
The following vessels are several of the designs currently available to the Black Market from PS; they aren’t exceptional designs in any sense of the word, using mostly well-known, conventional technologies in their construction, but they are available, reliable, sturdy, and relatively inexpensive.
It should be noted that while most of these ships are heavily armored and mount dozens of weapons mounts, they are meant primarily as transports and not as combat craft...Modern warfare in the Age of Rifts tends to favor fast, light, hard-hitting units or heavy, well-armed combat craft with dozens, if not hundreds, of air- and sea-borne auxiliaries. Against both technological and (super)natural opposition forces, these landing vessels tend to be slow and easily outmaneuvered targets, and even in the case of such heavily armed vessels as the LCT(r), all that firepower is useless if the craft cannot get into position in time. The experience of McGlennon’s Band, a mercenary unit that attempted to seize a beachhead near New Kenora, is particularly telling. Though well-equipped with landing craft and ships they bought from PS(as well as weaponry from other sources), the mercenaries were ripped apart by Coalition WaveDemon hydrofoils and SAMAS that responded to the invasion and tore through the McGlennons’ inadequate air- and sea-screen. PS has made a point of using the massacre to illustrate the importance fo proper planning and adequate escort in successful amphibious operations.
However, for small coastal communities, and starting mercantile concerns, these variable-draft ships are invaluable; a means of moving large amounts of cargo about the coast quickly and affordably, so PS does a booming business in building them.
PS produces these vessels at New Bath, New Boston, and New Seattle.

PS Bougainville-class Landing Craft(LCV/LCT)

“Okay, so we’re not a GEV that can take you across the waves fast as a hovercar, or straight downtown to deploy directly into the local CS command post’s lobby, but this tub can get your people ashore and in one piece....Our hull’s been reinforced with extra plate, and with our new engines, anything we can’t ride over, we can push THROUGH...And my boys on the guns used to fancy themselves pianists before they discovered what more fun rapid-fire guns are...You shoulda seen their rendition of ‘chopsticks’ they played on the last bunch of Deadhead hydrofoils that thought we were easy pickins.”

These vintage-design vessels are based on the WW2-era Landing Craft Tank....large open-deck vessels able to carry vehicles and personnel to shore and deploy them through large bow-mounted ramps. The vehicle deck is open, with the passengers and cargo afforded some protection by the high sidewalls, but exposed from above(however, this means that carried vehicles and troops can use their own weapons in surface bombardment or air defense). Mounted at the rear(or, in some models, to the side, like the bridge island on an aircraft carrier) is an enclosed pilot house(with adjacent radio room and engineering access...some models have a small indoor wardroom to allow passengers and crew some shelter, washroom service, and a place to prepare a light meal). Two armored gun tubs mount defensive weaponry.
Improvements have included lighter and stronger megadamage materials, more advanced sensors/communications, a choice of powerplants, and a more effective hydrojet propulsion system.
PS builds a LOT of these craft; they’re much in demand as ferries, cargo lighters, coastal trampers, and trawlers.
Type: PS-LCV-04
Class: Landing Craft, Vehicle
Crew: 12
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 600
Bridge 250
Gun Tubs(2) 90 each
Bow Ramp 200
Height: 3 ft draft unloaded, 4 ft fully loaded.
Width: 32 ft
Length: 117 ft
Weight: 130 tons
Cargo: 136 tons (3 heavy tanks, or 6 medium AFVs w/ crews)
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel(1,080 mile range), Electric(1,100 mile range), or Nuclear(15 year energy life)
Speed: 10 knts(11 MPH)
Market Cost: 3 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Shipboard Systems, plus:
*Sonar/Depth Finder---All-important in a landing craft. The sonar can also be tuned to give data on the sort of bottom surface(mud, rock, metal, etc...). 5 mile range.

*Rear Kedging Anchor System---The LCT is fitted with a rear-mount anchor that is typically dropped well astern when driving inshore. Powerful anchor chain winches can then be used to pull the boat off a beach or sand bar.

Weapons Systems:
1) Gun Tubs(2)---Has reinforced gun positions for mounting a set of light weapons(up to 20-30mm projectile weapons, manually reloaded short range missile launchers, or light energy cannon) for self defense. Each gun position has a reinforced ‘pulpit’(90 MDC) and a gunshield(60 MDC) that affords some protection, but is otherwise open(consider gunners to be -4 to strike by enemy fire). Gun crews are advised to wear body armor.

Options:
Hull options on a landing craft are limited by the operational requirement of an unimpeded shallow-draft hull(no underwater gun positions for instance). Likewise, their relatively short range and mediocre seafaring capabilities mean that alternate propulsion methods such as sail(even sail-kite systems) make such fittings rare(although there have been some spectacular TW leyline flier conversions).
Most options deal with alternate weapons fits or other survivability issues.

*Environmentally Sealed Cockpit/Bridge---The deck house can be sealed environmentally against radiation and bio-chemical hazards.
Cost: 90,000 credits

*Additional Gun Positions---2-4 additional gun tubs can be added(2 forward, and 2 aft)
Cost: 3,000 credits+ cost of weapons

*Blast-Bow---Suggested by several engineers in the field, this mod adds several water-proofed Plasma Blast Heads(larger versions of the ‘Zap Tap’) to the bow. Powered by either rechargeable battery or directly from a nuclear powerplant, these devices generate a quick blast of intense heat, boiling air and water into a ‘belch’ of plasma. The blasts can be used to clear beach obstacles, free the landing craft from entanglement or a tough beaching, or for ramming other vessels
Range: Contact(about 2-4 ft)
Damage: 6d6 MD per blast
Payload: 12 blasts from a Standard E-Clip pack/battery
Cost: 90,000 credits

*Retractable Decking---Some operators want some coverage top-side, so if carrying strictly cargo, or infantry, where headroom is not an issue, they can install retractable decking, a lightweight folding set of mesh panelling and deck-grill that can be folded across the open bay providing some overhead coverage(about 120 MDC) with an overhead clearance of 9 ft. The decking is sturdy enough to hold an additional 60 tons of weight, so several light vehicles, passengers, or a small aircraft can safely rest on it. Special breakaway sections allow for passengers on the lower vehicle deck to quickly remove deck panels and clamber up onto the top in emergencies.
Cost: 200,000 credits

Variants:
Because of their basic design, Bougainvilles can be modified to near infinite degree. Their shallow draft design makes them much-sought after as brown-water freighters and tankers.
Despite PS’s admonishments about the design’s limitation as a combat craft, many have been modified into fire support platforms for mercenary units and small coastal naval forces. A favorite conversion of the type mounts multiple AAA guns and uses the LCT as a gun-barge.

*PS-LCV-04B---This is merely a structural variant with the bridge structure and gun tubs mounted on one side of the vehicle bay. Performance and cost are unaffected, but the vessel can now act as a Roll-On/Roll-Off ferry, with ramp access at both ends.

*LCT(r)----Paladin Steel has brought back the classic LCT(r) rocket-barge with some updates. The open decks of these bombardment-barges are covered in hundreds of single-shot rocket racks. PS has substituted the original 5-inch rockets with their two-mile range with more powerful types akin to the Russian Katyusha-rockets(the PS version is known as the MLRS-R07, nicknamed ‘SledgeFire’). Thermal-tiles similar to those used on second-generation spaceplanes now deck the vessels, protecting them from the tremendous fiery backthrust of their own rockets. Reinforced bays below decks hold attention reloads for the launchers. Additional fire control apparatus has been added to the ships’ systems to deal with unexpected fires, and the crew has last resort to specially reinforced lifeboats (modelled after the lifepods used on pre-Rifts oil rigs) mounted at the stern, in the event they have to bail out and away from an exploding wreck.
The crews of these ships typically wear EBA with sound-protection to keep from going deaf from the sound of the ordnance launching. Additional crewmen wear exoarmors or light power armors, both to more quickly reload the racks and to protect the ships from boarders and other attack craft.
LCT(rs) are powerful surface bombardment artillery platforms, able to unleash a veritable metal-storm of flying explosive on enemy positions.
Due to the slow speed of these ships, getting them into firing position in a timely manner requires some careful planning, as their ordnance-laden decks are a tempting target for fast enemy forces. Since the McGlennon Disaster, Paladin Steel has been looking at remote- or robot-piloted versions of these craft to limit the hazard to live crews.
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(currently only the Sovietskii uses chemical munitions, though it is rumored that Warlord Sokolov has been seeking to acquire such weapons). 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.
Cost: Ship conversion costs 8 million credits; missiles cost 5,000 credits for short range, 10,000 credits for long, plus the cost per warhead; Fragmentation costs 45,000 credits, Incendiary 60,000 credits, High Explosive 70,000 credits, plasma 100,000 credits, smoke 800 credits, sub-munitions 120,000 credits.

PS Sicily-class Landing Ship.

“Every damn coastal chart that was good pre-Rifts is useless nowadays....The Dark Ages did a real number on the waters....If it’s not built-up silt snags and sandbars, it’s piles of debris washed in from some old city when the tidal waves receded, or it’s growths of hyperactive alien coral blocking the channel....Coming into port takes a good shallow-draft boat, a watchful eye, and a sea-devil’s luck...Even with a high-riding barge like a Sic, I prefer to have a few small boats, sub-drones, or a marine power armor leading the way and looking out for stranding hazards. Last thing I wanna be is stuck spinning my propellors and straining my keel when some pirate or monster finds me helpless...”

Another ‘vintage’ design, this time based on the Landing Ship Tank(LST). Sicilies resemble tankers, with a long forward deck, and the bridge and deck structures aft near the engines. Sometimes known as ‘Ass-Draggers’ because of the special ballast system that allows them to raise their front ends for beaching, and lower them for better ocean-going characteristics.
Internally, Siciliies have two decks, a lower main deck used for carrying the heavier vehicles such as AFVs and MBTs, and an upper deck for light vehicles. An internal ramp services the two decks. Divots can hoist and hold an LCT on the upper deck. Facilities at the back provide basic latrine, rest, and galley functions for the crew and passengers. though the ships are not designed with long endurance, heavy-capacity, trips in mind.
PS has added additional reinforcement and more powerful engines to the ship design, allowing them to make better headway. The hulls have been reinforced for greater protection against combat and environment, and flip-out stabilization fins along the hull provide better sea-going handling in rough seas.
The Sicily has been sold and licensed to the New Roman Republic, where it is manufactured for the NNR Navy; examples of the vessel have already been used in support of landings on Crete and North Africa against the Phoenix Empire. The CS is known to have at least one vessel of this type, captured during the late McGlannon Band’s attempt to seize New Kenora.
Type: PS-LST(M)-03
Class: Landing Ship, Medium
Crew: 100 +160 troops/passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body3,700
Bridge 400
Heavy Gun Tubs(10) 200 each
Light Gun Tubs(8-12) 100 each
Bow Ramp 360
Height: Draft: 4 ft at bow, 11 ft at stern
Width: 55 ft
Length: 350 ft
Weight: 2,100 tons. 4,990 tons fully loaded
Cargo: 800 tons, in addition to troops. Can typically carry 10-18 tanks
Powerplant:Liquid Fuel(9,500 mile range), Electric(9,800 mile range), or Nuclear(20 year energy life)
Speed: 16 knts (18 MPH)
Market Cost: 17 million credits for liquid fuel, 20 million for electric, 25 million for nuclear
PS often throws in a standard complementary LCT as part of the purchase price
Systems of Note:
Standard Shipboard Systems, plus:
Weapons Systems:
1) Forward Heavy Gun Tub(1)---Mounted on the bow of the LST is a gun position for a heavy cannon(such as a 5-inch gun) or missile launcher(typically an MRM launcher or high-capacity SRM launcher).

2) Medium Gun Tubs(8)---These are mounts for heavier weapons such as 40mm cannons, 2-4 rail MRM or SRM launchers, point defense light rail guns, or light energy cannons.

3) Light Gun Positions(8-12)---These are light weapons such as 20mm cannons, light energy cannon, mini-missile rifles, or 1-4 shot SRM launchers. The mounting positions for these weapons include a waist-high armored partition and gunshield.

4)LASW Launchers(4, 2 foward and 2 aft)---Rocket-propelled depth charge launchers.
Range: 4,000 ft, 1,000 ft maximum depth
Damage: 7d6x5 MD to 50 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,4, 5, 8, or 16
Payload: LASRW-5: 5 rounds
LASRW-8: 8 rounds
LASRW-16: 16 rounds

Variants:
LSTs are too built up to make effective rocket barge conversions, but their forward hatches and large interiors have led to a variety of ocean-going amphibious ‘shops’ and ‘garages’. At least one ‘Q-boat’ conversion is known to have been used in anti-piracy operations along the West Coast, with the ship fitted with extra armor(20% more), extra internal bouyancy chambers(at the expense of cargo space), and provision for a small fleet of several dozen one-man assault jet-skis and four interceptor boats embarked throug the forward doors.

PS Juno Landing Ship
“Looks like you roofed over a barge, or floated a garage...that is one drab looking piece of undistinguished hardware you got there...”
“Who cares what it looks like? It gets the job done! With this tub I don’t have to worry about finding a port to dock at, or transfer cargo to a lighter...I can run this thing up on the beach and debark or load at my leisure...and the guns ain’t bad either! Okay, so maybe it ain’t a battlewagon, but I’m not planning on stormin’ Texas...I’m just planning to sell some machinery and livestock!”
----Overheard in a ship brokerage in Queenston Harbor

The third vessel of the series(though it actually managed to PRECEDE the LST-03 remake in the timeline of PS manufacture), based loosely on pre-Rifts Polish/Soviet designs(suggesting some trade contact with Tarnow), the Juno-class's light, sporting light self defense armaments are intended for close support and self-defense; not much else. It’s not intended as a front-line warship, but as a coastal transport and troop carrier. The Juno lacks the facilities for long-duration occupancy by large numbers of troops/passengers(tent awnings would have to be erected on the upper deck, unless the passengers want to sleep below in the vehicle/cargo holds, and latrines set up over the sides), but could be modified with some effort; its two heads and small mess galley are intended for its small crew. PS has sold several dozen of these vessels to the larger coastal communities in the Americas, and hopes to make sales overseas as well.
Type: PS-LST-01
Class: Landing Ship, Tank/Vehicle-Medium
Date of Introduction: 103 PA
Crew: 10, plus up to 100 passengers
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 400
Bridge 120
Forward Boarding Ramp 200
Height: 9ft Draught
Width/Beam:29 ft
Length:246 ft
Weight:1000 tons
Cargo: Five tanks or 600 tons of cargo
Powerplant: Liquid Fuel (Two 2,500shp engines, w/ 600 mile range) or Nuclear(15 year energy life)
Speed: 18 kt(20 MPH)
Market Cost: 10 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Long Range Radar---60 miles
*Long Range Radio--- 100 mile range
*Sonar-------30 miles
*Limited Life Support---The main crew compartments can be sealed airtight and supplied with air conditioned tanked air for up to 48 hours, or filtered external air for 4 days.
*Forward Boarding Ramp
Weapons Systems:
1) Two Twin Rail Gun Turrets(PS-862 FC Interchangeable, Recoilless, Anti-Aircraft Flak Cannon(TX-862FC))
Weight:4.5 tons
Range:10,000 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:800 rds, 400 rds per cannon
Bonuses:Independent laser and radar tracking system(range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by pilot

2)Two PS-L-CIWS Vulcan Chain Guns(aka “Button Guns”)---This installation, introduced on the Minotaur Battle 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)

3)LASW Launchers(4, 2 foward and 2 aft)---Rocket-propelled depth charge launchers.
Range: 4,000 ft, 1,000 ft maximum depth
Damage: 7d6x5 MD to 50 ft radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,4, 5, 8, or 16
Payload: LASRW-5: 5 rounds
LASRW-8: 8 rounds
LASRW-16: 16 rounds
Cost: 80,000 credits for the launcher(81,000 credits for the LASRW-8 , 84,000 credits for the LASRW-16; price covers installation) 3,000 credits per shell

4)Two 18-tube Short Range Missile Launchers
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage: Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, or 18
Payload: 18 per launcher, 32 total

Very nice! I think these are a great addition. I'm hoping we get to see something along the lines of the Wasp or the Tarawa!

Mr Saleperson, which one of those landing craft would be the best for hunting dinosaurs and such down south?

abtex wrote:Mr Saleperson, which one of those landing craft would be the best for hunting dinosaurs and such down south?

LCT...it's got a shallow draft, can carry vehicles(or trophies) and is relatively small and maneuverable...if you don't have hovercraft...
I'd suggest building up the cockpit and deckhouse for extra protection, though...

Departure 2093
Finnair's Future Fleet: Flighting into the 21th century

Cool links Abtex! Thank you for them. Hey what about some good old fashioned Higginsboats. Now here is the interesting thing most people don't know. Higgin's produced both Landing craft and PT boats. The Higgin's and the Elcho's.

abtex wrote:Departure 2093
Finnair's Future Fleet: Flighting into the 21th century

I'll bear these designs in mind if I ever get serious into the technology of the Scandanavian enclaves mentioned in passing in Rifts Pantheons of the Megaverse..
Though I kinda wonder in the description of the Space Hotel Servicing Ship what they mean by 'one hundred auxiliary engines concealed in the fuselage'...do they mean maneuvering thrusters for microgravity control?

Aramanthus wrote:Cool links Abtex! Thank you for them. Hey what about some good old fashioned Higginsboats. Now here is the interesting thing most people don't know. Higgin's produced both Landing craft and PT boats. The Higgin's and the Elcho's.

I have enough small motorboats and PT-style craft, though I'd doing up a Haunted(?) PT Boat...

I have(seen) a video that shows the Higgins company employees loading landing craft onto train flatbeds...they were churning them out so fast, they'd load them for shipping right off the assembly line, and have crews on the flatbeds still painting them as they were being shipped...quite an operation...

Of course, I also have a video which shows midgets(or rather A midget) assembling bomber wings....and then no futher mention was made of it...made me wonder if it was simply a one-off employee stunt, or whether they actively recruited people of diminutive stature for wartime assembly work...

Some interesting ideas. Too bad about the PT boats. They are some of my favorites for small craft!

taalismn wrote:I'll bear these designs in mind if I ever get serious into the technology of the Scandinavian enclaves mentioned in passing in Rifts Pantheons of the Megaverse..
Though I kinda wonder in the description of the Space Hotel Servicing Ship what they mean by 'one hundred auxiliary engines concealed in the fuselage'...do they mean maneuvering thrusters for microgravity control?

Why do they have to be Scandinavian only.
They flew somewhere and had to have maintenance while they were there. Someone might have been doing knock-offs of them. That is all of the designs.
Space Hotel Servicing Ship
Payen 360
Maybe. Maybe not.

Honestly..the Payen craft look like something from an alternate universe...or an elven hangar...

taalismn wrote:

abtex wrote:Departure 2093
Finnair's Future Fleet: Flighting into the 21th century

I'll bear these designs in mind if I ever get serious into the technology of the Scandanavian enclaves mentioned in passing in Rifts Pantheons of the Megaverse..

actually Pantheons didn't have anything on scandinavia. all the info we have on it came from the first RMB.
but i do know that there is an official worldbooks in the works. from what i've heard, the scandinavians will have a rather different focus to their technology compared to most rifts powers.

Though I kinda wonder in the description of the Space Hotel Servicing Ship what they mean by 'one hundred auxiliary engines concealed in the fuselage'...do they mean maneuvering thrusters for microgravity control?

probably. whoever created those aircraft don't seem to have actually given any thought to the designs beyond "look cool!" and their "zero emissions" claim just doesn't hold water...given it also says the planes still use normal fuels. i think we'll see the spaceplanes from 2001 before we see the ones proposed on that website...

Well, some fuel cells use gasoline, and the planes might use electric-powered turbofans...but that presupposes even more efficient fuel cell technology and electric motors than we're able to even put in CARS nowadays, let alone high performance aircraft..

Interesting links Abtex! Thank you for sharing them. They are pretty strange. They look sort of familiar. They are very similiar to the plane from "Crimson Skies."

Paladin Steel Zephyr Hover Tank
(aka ‘Frisbee’)

“Erg.....Now?”
“No...wait alittle bit longer....”
“Agh! Come on, man, I can’t feel my right shoulder, and my arm’s asleep!”
“Rub it...we can’t have you slow on the trigger...”
“Starboard coil’s GOTTA be redlining any time soon...Come on!”
“And blow it all!? No way! Just a little longer...”
“Man, you’re not supposed to do this sort of ****! The manual said---”
“Nothing about NOT doing it...now, just a minute more...here they come...”
Needless to say, the Kittani Creax was VERY surprised to find itself in the gunsights of a light tank, floating on its side, tucked into a narrow side alley of a town the slavers were CERTAIN was undefended...

“What the hell is that thing?! Looks like a flying beer coaster!”
“Jake, get your f****g head DOWN!!!!! Beer coasters don’t mount heavy blaster cannon!!!!”

A small, low-profiled contra-grav fighting vehicle developed from the prototype ‘Aeolus’ gravo-magnetic repulsion scout vehicle, the Zephyr is light, fast, and agile. In combat it’s used to scout out enemy positions, then use its high speed and stealth to perform hit-and-run strikes, quick-fade harassment, and exploit breaks in enemy lines. INterestingly enough, though, the Zephyr first saw deployment with the Paladin Steel/GNE-sponsored Explorer Corps, as the tank’s small size, high speed, and substantial sensor suite made it ideal for Rift-travel and portage aboard larger exploration craft. The design soon was adopted by the GNE Regular Army.
The Zephyr was one of the first operational combat vehicles to take advantage of PS’s permanent-state superconducting GraviMagnetic Resist(GMR) propulsion systems, replacing far bulkier and noisier conventional hover lift/thrust systems for a lower profile and more efficient energy usage. The Zephyr has a very low, ‘thin’ appearance that has caused some people to remark that it looks like a ‘military matzoh with a cannon on top’. Indeed, the low-stature of the design has proven uncomfortable for many larger-sized crew members. The Zephyr also doesn’t carry much in the way of armor; overall protection values are little better than those of a hovercar!
On the plus side, the Zephyr’s minimalist design means that the tank’s target signature and radar cross section is remarkably small, its drive operation exceptionally quiet, and the tank extremely responsive and fast. Pilots remark that it is light on the stick, with the handling of a Frisbee. The fact that its gravi-magnetic resist float/propulsion system doesn't need atmosphere to operate, means that the vehicle can conceivably be used in environs where there is insufficient atmosphere for ground effect hovercraft to operate(such as the Moon).
Armament is par for a light hovertank or similar combat vehicle; the Zephyr mounts a single heavy grav-cannon, light co-axial machine gun, and a turret-mounted mini-missile launcher(typically loaded with smoke rounds). Again, PS has seen fit to make the weaponry modular, allowing a variety of weapons configurations to be fitted.
Besides the Explorer Corps, the Zephyr is being adapted by the VFS military as its new light scout tank, as it is fully capable of keeping up with the newer Bandersnatch and Cestus Hovertanks now entering service under the Mobile Force Initiative. It is typically used as a forward scout or heavy ‘sniper’, using its superior mobility and stealth to flank enemy forces and harass them with long range fire.
(Post-110 P.A. Update: The Zephyr has become the standard light hovertank of the GNE, and its chassis has been adapted to a variety of other purposes, including a light SPG, APC, EW/ELINT vehicle, and engineering platform.)
Type:PS-S-GMR-LBT-7
Class: Light Gravo-Magnetic Resist Tank
Date of Introduction: 107 PA
Crew: Two(pilot and gunner) +1 passenger(typically a sensor operator or dedicated unit commander )
MDC/Armor By Location
Main Body 350
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Main Turret 200
Main Cannon 150
Machine Gun 20
Mini Missile Launcher 30

Length: 15.9 ft
Width: 10 ft
Height: 6.1 ft
Weight: 16.2 tons
Cargo:Small space behind the pilot, large enough for a survival pack, several sidearms, and some personal possessions.
Powerplant: Electric or Nuclear(w/ 15 year energy life)
Range: 500 miles for the electric version
Speed: 280 kmph(168 MPH), maximum altitude 500 ft
Market Cost: Currently exclusive to PS, but would probably fetch 19-30 million credits if a fully equipped and operational example were to be made available to the Black Market
Bonuses: The Zephyr is extremely stealthy and moves like a fighter; it actually has a Prowl roll of 45% in daylight, and 75% at night!
Systems of Note:
All standard Robot Sensors & Features, plus:
*Headlights---IR and Normal light
*Radio/Video Communications
*Combat & Targeting Computer
* Laser Targeting----3 mile range
*Laser Illuminator---In keeping with the Zephyr’s increasing importance as a scout unit, the tank mounts a ‘painting laser’ that allows it to act as a forward observer and artillery spotter for laser guided weaponry. Range: 7 miles.
*PPE Sensors----Part of PS’s commitment to giving its troops equal protection against both technological and supernatural enemies includes fitting its vehicles with PPE sensors. Also called the "Fuzz Scanner" because the blurry image-read-outs that the system gives. The Kirallian Scanner is an adaptation of the SNARLS system, in use in Japan. Paladin Steel has its own version, based off of early Lazlo Agency hardware designs for PPE scanners. See Rifts: Japan for details. Range: 2,000 ft

*Magnetometer--- Range: The magnetometer has a range of 4,000 ft and can detect vehicles and other metallic structures with 80% accuracy
The ground radar has a range of 3,000 ft, and has a 90% chance of detecting metal-cased mines, 60% chance of detecting non-metallic ordinance.

*Stealth---The Zephyr is remarkably quiet and stealthy, and actually has a Prowl rating of 80%! Its small sensor signature means that enemy radar and thermo-imaging sensors are -15% to detect the craft

Weapons Systems:
1)Heavy Rail Cannon---The original and standard fitout is a heavy duty rail gun, based on the PS ‘Hellshot’ 45mm ‘brickthrower’.
Range: 5000 ft
Damage: 2d6x10 MD per shot
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 40 shots

Alternative Main Armaments:

a)105 mm Grav Cannon---A handful of early model Zephyrs were fitted with this imported-technology weapon, before PS dropped it in favor of locally-produced weapons, in part due to the difficulties of manufacturing the small, super-dense, osmium-alloy, crystal ‘whisker’-fletchettes.
Range: 7,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst. Can only fire bursts
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload:5,000 rds(500 bursts)

b) Variable Mode Heavy Plasma Cannon
Range: (Plasma)4,500 ft
(Plasma Bolt) 10,000 ft
Damage: (Plasma)1d4x10 MD per plasma blast, 3d4x10 MD for a 3-shot rapid-fire burst(takes two attacks)
(Plasma Bolt) 4d4x10 MD to 20 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: (Plasma) ECHH
(Plasma Bolt) 3 times per melee
Payload: Effectively unlimited

c) 100 mm Massdriver Cannon---A recent addition to the option arsenal is this long-barrel mass driver cannon, trading rate of fire for range and munition versatility.
Weight: 9,000 lbs(4.5 tons)
Range:(Direct Fire APFSDSDU) 27,000 ft (5.4 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 67,500 ft( 13.7 miles)
Damage: High Explosive(HE)---- 1d6x10 MD to 20 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 2d6 x10 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation--- 2d6x10 MD to 30 ft radius
Plasma-----3d6x10 MD to 35 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 4d6x10 MD out to 11,000 ft, 2d6x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: Four per melee
Payload: 30 rds

d) Heavy Laser----Does away with a projectile main armament altogether, in favor of a PS-RFL-25 pulse laser.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage:2d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 200 shot battery if conventionally powered. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear

2) Co-Axial Heavy Machine Gun- A light mega-damage machine cannon mounted in-line to the main cannon. The original prototype used ramjet rounds, but PS has subsequently replaced it with either a rail gun or a rapid-fire pulse laser.
a) .50 caliber Machine Gun---The original fitout
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 1d6x10+10 SDC per single rd,
(Explosive Rds) d4 MD per single rd, 5d6 MD per 40 rd burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 500 rd drum
Note: Yes, the MG can be refitted to fire rubber bullets, exploding rounds, ramjet bullets, or other specialized munitions, as mentioned in Rifts: Mercenaries and elsewhere.

b) Light Rail Gun---Patterned after the Coalition’s own ‘Dead Man’ light rail cannon(and using the same ammunition), the PS50R has become the standard light weapon of VFS.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 4d6 MD per 20 rd burst(8d6 MD for both guns firing in a dual burst---counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:400 rd drum(20 bursts)

c) Light Pulse Laser---PS has adopted the JA-12 Laser Rifle as the PSL-12 light vehicular laser weapon and standard secondary vehicle-mount weapon for many of their designs.
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD per shot, 1d6x10+10 per pulse burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 shot battery if conventionally powered. Effectively Unlimited if nuclear

d) Gatling Gun---This newly introduced fitting returns to the machine gun standard, but uses a six-barrelled 7.62 gatling gun of PS manufacture instead, for greater range and rate of fire, though overall damage is less.
Range:13,000 ft!
Damage: 1d4 MD single shot, 1d4x10 MD per 12 shot burst(1 attack), 2d6 MD per 24 rd burst(1 attack), 6d6 MD per 60 rd burst(2 attacks), 1d6x10 MD per 120 shot burst(takes 3 attacks)
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 2,000 rd drum

3) Mini Missile Launcher---Mounted on the back of the turret, alongside the main gun.
Range: Varies by Missile Type
Damage:Varies by Missile Type
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6
Payload: 12

Options:
*Laser-Ablative Ceramic Armor----The Zephyr can be fitted with ceramic composite laser ablative material with superconductor fibers that HALVES laser damage and doesn't suffer the same vulnerability to variable frequency lasers as traditional Glitter-Chrome alloys do. This armor is the result of PS orbital materials manufacture and their studies of alien technologies.
Cost: 5 million credits

*Mrk 2 Extensor Turret---Several Zephyrs have been encountered with a ‘Mrk 2 Extensor Turret’, which takes the backpack turret option system from PS’s PSPA-11 ‘Gendarme’ power armor and mounts it on the Zephyr as a cupola weapon. However, the turret is remotely controlled and fitted to the end of a jointed and articulated ‘cherry picker’ armature that has 25 MDC and can extend up/out about 12 ft. A multi-optic sighting system is fitted to the turret as well. Contolled by the tank’s commander, the gun turret can thus reach up over walls, around corners, into buildings, and from behind cover, allowing the AFV’s crew to peek around without exposing their vehicle, and to snipe at opponents who may be hiding inside structures or taking cover in urban environs.

Turret Base Cost: 40,000 credits

*1A) Light Rail Gun---Based on PS’s STARifle:
Range: 2,000 ft
Damage: 1d6 MD per single shot, 5d6 MD on a 5 shot burst, 1d6x10 MD per 10 rd burst
Rate of Fire: Single shot or 5-shot burst, Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: 1,200 rd drum feeding both weapons(60 bursts per gun)
Cost: credits

*2A) Pulse Laser Turret: Paladin Steel also offers a lower-powered laser system, with unlimited payload and a longer range. The Pulse Laser is intended as an anti-aircraft/anti-missile system, and can be remote-linked to an air defense grid system, such as the Meles AAAV, Rattlesnake AAV, or the Vixen Fighter/Recon Pod, (Part of Paladin Steel's emerging BAMSP: Battlefield Asset Management System Package).
Range: 6,000 ft
Mega-Damage: 3D6 MD single blast, 6D6 MD double- barreled blast
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode.
Payload: Unlimited
Bonuses: +2 to strike airborne targets like missiles and aircraft/flying opponents(must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground)
Cost: 45,000 credits

*3A) Light Plasma Cannon
Range: 1,800 ft
Damage: 6d6 MD single shot
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 30,000 credits

*4A) Light Ion Blasters:
Range: 1,600 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 1d6x10 MD pulse burst
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks, or 4 attacks in auto-defense mode..
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Cost: 30,000 credits


Variants:
Using the same common ‘beercoaster’ chassis, Paladin Steel has produced a number of variants.
*GMR-LBT-7B---Instead of a gun turret, this version mounts a missile launcher turret with dual missile racks, one firing anti-armor ‘smart’ missiles and the other firing air-defense SRMs.
1) L-SAM ‘Black Talon’ Launchers---Paladin Steel’s re-invention of pre-Rifts ‘smart man-portable ‘Stinger’ missiles.
Range: 3 miles
Damage: 3d4x10 MD to 40 ft blast radius
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, or 4(all)
Payload: 8
Bonus: +5 to strike, and gets TWO attempts to strike the target(agile enough to loop back on a target and try again)

2) Copper head Heavy Hitter Anti-Armor Missiles---Laser-guided anti-armor missiles
Range: 1 mile(5,000 ft)
Damage: 2d4x10 MD, critical strike on an unmodified 18-20
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3,or 4
Payload: 8 shots
Bonus: +5 to strike ground targets(Aircraft are only +2 to strike)
Cost: 20,000 credits. 6,000 credits per missile

*GMR-LBT-7C---A variant of the missile launcher tank, this carries two detachable mini-missile ‘rifles’ complete with light lasers, and a 20mm autocannon
1) Mini-Missile Rifles---PS LOVES its improved knockoff of the Coalition’s CCT-M20 Missile Rifle, and makes a point of putting appropriately connected hardpoints for mounting the weapons on a variety of vehicles.
Range:(Mini-Missiles) Varies by Missile Type(usually about 1 mile)
(Laser) 2,000 ft
Damage:(Mini-Missiles)Varies by Missile Type
(Laser) 2d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire:(Mini-Missiles) Volleys of 1, 2, or 4
(Laser) ECHH
Payload:(Mini-Missiles)20 per launcher(10 per launch tube)
(Laser) Effectively Unlimited attached to an external generator, or 20 shots per standard E-clip/30 per long E-clip as backup

2) 20mm AutoCannon---PS also is extraordinarily fond of their 20mm autocannons.
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)
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: 4,000 rd drum

*GMR-LBT-7D---A modified APC version lacking a turret, but instead having a roller-bar cage and seating for up to 8 passengers on the upper deck. Typically carries a pintle-mount heavy infantry weapon(pulse laser, rail gun, grenade launcher, or mini-missile rifle) or two for weaponry. If not carrying troops, it can carry up to 2 tons of cargo.

*GMR-LBT-7EW---An EW support vehicle, with a casemate deck instead of a turret, and accommodation for a third crewmember to manage the electronics systems. The -EW model can also be distinguished by its two erectable ariels/antennae masts. The -EW has signal intercept and decryption capability, as well as sensor jamming.
Decryption Bonuses: +10% to Cryptography Skill
+15% to Radio skill rolls to defeat jamming
Jamming Range: 20 miles
EW Cloaking: -25% to enemy Read Sensory Instruments rolls using ground search radars(NOT optical and thermographic systems)

*GMR-LBT-7M---Fire support vehicle created by simply transplanting the turret of the tracked Ontos II light missile tank, onto the Zephyr. The broader hull of the Zephyr required the installation of a taller ‘pedestal’ on which to mount the turret so the six mini-missile rifles could elevate properly, which adds about 3 ft to the tank’s height and changes the center of gravity slightly; crews advise easing a bit when cornering at high speed in the LBT-7M, to avoid control problems.

*GMR-LSPG-7---An adaptation of the Zephyr to a self-propelled gun configuration, mounting a 150mm long-range massdriver. This configuration fairly strains the ability of the light hull to remain stable and handle the shock of recoil at the same time, so the tank is typically grounded when firing. The LSPG-7 is typically accompanied into combat by at least one supply vehicle, such as a modified LBT-7D, carrying an additional 50 rds of ammunition.
Range:(Direct Fire) 45,000 ft(9 miles)
(Indirect Fire) 110,000 ft (22 miles)
Damage:High Explosive(HE)---- 3d6x10 MD to 50 ft radius
High Explosive Anti-Tank(HEAT)---- 4d6x10+20 MD to 10 ft radius
Fragmentation---2d6x10 MD to 60 ft radius
Plasma----- 1d6x 40+10 MD to 50 ft radius
(APFSDSDU)(Armor Piercing Fin Stabilized Discarding Sabot Depleted Uranium) 6d6x10 MD out to 20,000 ft, 4d4x10 MD out to maximum range
Rate of Fire: Twice per melee
Payload: 20 rds

Nice little tank. The federated States is planning on buying quite a few of these. We are working on assembling many small merc units for various operations.

(Credit to Abtex for the MITForest and Cambridge Jungle)

Security Blankets
LINNUS--Living Intervention Neural-Network Universal Symbiote

“My blue blanket...give me back my blue blanket!”
---_The Producers_

The original concept was actually quite simple and useful...a biogenetically-tailored living wrapping that could be drapped around an accident victim and used to provide both physical comfort and psychological healing.
The organism is activated by body heat and ambient PPE, and goes to work immediately with low-level empathic projections that calm a distraught and traumatized person, keeping them from going into shock, and jump-starting the body’s own healing mechanisms. Megadamage ‘smart’ fabric interwoven with the organism provides additional protection from the elements and other dangers. The organism is kept alive by small amounts of body heat and moisture, but can be removed from a patient, cleaned( a nutrient supplement is added as part of the cleaning process), folded, freeze-dried into dormancy, and stored for re-use. The LINNUS works on most sentient beings(hence the ‘Universal’ part of its name). Since its introduction, the LINNUS has become an invaluable part of paramedics’, EMTs’, and first-responders’ medical kits for stabilizing and calming crisis survivors.
The UWW has its own version of the LINNUS that incorporates magic properties into its fabric, making it even more useful. It is woven with a blend of stablized ectoplasmic yarn, enhancing its mystic properties. One of the most useful properties of the UWW version is that it seems to have an aversion effect for most supernatural monsters. keeping them at bay(and likely to seek easier prey)...UWW thaumaubiologists are at a loss how this came to be, but their colleagues with kids simply explained to them; “Well, d’uh! It’s a SECURITY blanket!”.
The LINNUS is available on Rifts Earth through a handful of dealers; Lazlo and several communities in the Magic Zone. Paladin Steel also makes and sells LINNUS kits, and it is rumored that new weaves are becoming available through their dealings with the communities of the Cambridge Jungle and MITForest.
Because of their expertise with biological organisms, it is rumored that the Splugorth have also copied this, and have their own version...of course, some of the tales of what the Splugorth have REALLY done with the innocuous LINNUS concept border on nightmarish(evil grin).

Appearance: A fluffy pink or light blue blanket, roughly 3-6 ft square. It comes folded in a plastic foil wrapper.
MDC: A typical LINNUS will have 4d6 MDC (UWW and Cambridge Jungle versions have DOUBLE the MDC)
Special Properties:
*Thermal Protection---Can handle temperatures up to 200 degrees centigrade and down to -20 degrees centigrade
*Smoke Detector---The LINNUS can detect dangerous levels of smoke and atmospheric toxins, and will alert its wearer with a throbbing motion and beeping noise.
Bonuses:
+10 save vs Coma/Death
+5 to save versus Insanity
+5 to save versus Possession
Psionics:
*Empathic Projection-Love/Peacefulness(Contact)(No cost)
Magic:(UWW Version)
Four times per day, 20 minute duration)
*Breath Without Air
*Impervious to Fire
*Impervious to Cold
*Light Healing
*Cure Minor Disorders
*Sheltering Force
*Energy Field(6 minutes per use)
*Circle of Protection(Permanent)
Risks: Unfortunately, over-use of a LINNUS can result in dependence and addiction; Make a roll versus ME for extended use(over a week of continuous use) . Failure means the person has fixated on the security blanket and will become increasingly agitated if deprived of it; sleeplessness, bouts of depression, and general lassitude set in, similar to a Crazy’s Object of Power fixation. Extreme cases of addiction are also possible, in which the security-addict cannot go ANYWHERE without having the blanket nearby or on their person. Extended use of a LINNUS is therefore reommended only under the supervision of a doctor or psychiatrist/crisis counselor.
Cost: 8,000 credits for the standard weave, 25,000 credits for the UWW and advanced weave versions.
Priceless for those who become dependent on them.

Spirit Vacuum
“Well, you see it stands to reason that by creating a null space devoid of negative PPE immediately adjacent to the possessing entity, a ‘spirit vacuum’ if you would, it should be possible to draw the entity by its negative karma components into the vaccum, and contain it.
Now, you see what appears to be an ordinary vaccum cleaner before you, and
Well, the vacuum bag is in reality where our ‘spirit vaccum’ is generated, and the hose, which is inserted into a convenient bodily orifice of the possessed creature, is the guidepath for the entity being withdrawn...”
“Umm,’convenient bodily orifice’?.....”
“Yes! To be truly effective the device has to have direct access to the possessing entity...otherwise it will just suck ambient PPE and the entity will just continue to hide in the victim...”
(Whisper)”Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Yeah...we could get sued for this...”
Paladin Steel Magic Division proposal meeting

“Develop it”
_Memo, from the desk of the President, Paladin Steel.

“So this demon’s name is Yuarisla, eh?”
“Yeah, nasty water-based demon-entity...not going to be easy. Sure we can deal with it?”
“This sucker’s a shop-vac, it will pick up just about anything!”

“I don’t know who was screaming more, the entity or the possessee! Are you SURE that’s how you’re supposed to use this thing?”
“Sez right here in the operating manual. “Place Suction Aperature near on on Bodily Orifice for Best Results.’ ”
“We’re gon’ get sued over this, ain’t we?”

The Spirit Vacuum is the latest in a line of TechnoWizard tools designed to combat ghosts, apparitions, and possessing entities, Simply put, the Spirit Vaccum syphons a demonic spirit out of the possessed person’s body, without harm(though users have noted some ...no, make that CONSIDERABLE....discomfort, from having a vacuum cleaner rammed down their throat). The Vacuum creates, according to the psuedo-scientific gobbledy-gook spouted by the TechnoWizards, a ‘null zone’ of karma particles, into which the negative karma associated with supernatural evil entities is drawn, being harmlessly seperated from the ‘positive karma’ signatures of the possessed person. The entity is then confined in a temporary ‘holding’ area(the dust bin/bag) while its energies are dissipated or slowly bled back into the nega-space from whence the entity originated. The use of the bag prevents the entity from escaping and re-possessing its original victim, or grabbing someone else in the immediate vicinity, before the horrid thing can be disposed of.
At least, that’s how it’s _supposed_ to work.
Because of the power of the SV, the Vacuum-exorcism counts as a Ritual for purposes of the entity’s saving throw(16 or better) to prevent itself from being drawn out. The SV also must be in _physical contact_ with the victim, preferably in or near a body openning/orifice(mouth, nostrils, ears, etc...).
Of course, the problem now exists that the exorcists have a malign, and most likely very annoyed, entity trapped in a vacuum bag, trying to get out. At this point it’s a wise idea to have a containment pentagram, Banishment spell, or a lot of heavy artillery standing by in the event the thing gets loose.
Once forced out, the entity will find itself trapped in the dust bin/bag for 1d4 melees, during which the entity may attempt to escape(again, by rolling a 16 or better....it may do so once per melee). At the end of 1d4 melees, the entity is(roll percentile):
01-52% Banished back to its home dimension.
53-00% Forced out of the area for 6 months, identical to the original
exorcism spell.

Besides being good at separating possessing entities from their victims, the SV has also proven effective at de-toxing alcoholics, drug addicts, and poisoning victims, and, incidently, works against the Nightbane Talent: Infectious Blood. It also does a great job of picking up dirt and grime...it is also one of the few devices capable of dealing with Dust Bunnies. Things it is NOT effective against are magic toxins and people who have willingly allowed themselves to be possessed by evil entities, such as Shifters or Witches.
The Spirit Vacuum can be constructed with just about any sort of vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment. Techno-Wizards claim that the best results come from using a reconstructed pre-Rifts vacuum cleaner, but there is no hard evidence to suggest that performance is in any way affected by the age or authenticity of the components used.
The SV is very attractive to horror-hunters and exorcists because the system is, beyond its rather steep initial cost, relatively easy to use, uses less PPE per use, and can be used by anyone with enough PPE to trigger the device.

Effects/Bonuses: Original victim is +12 to save versus re-possession.
SV operator is +6 to save vs possession as long as he/she is holding on to the SV.
Materials Required: Vaccum cleaner(preferably a restored pre-Rifts model) with hose attachments. One large emerald worth 7,000 credits , silver wire worth 1,000 credits, and 500 credits worth of miscellaneous electrical components
Spells Required: Life Drain(25), Exorcism(30), Negate Poison/Toxin(5), Constrain Being(20), Call Lightning(15)
PPE Required to Construct: 450 PPE
Time : 90 hours
PPE to Use: 15 PPE per use
Black Market Cost: 150,000 credits

Paladin Steel West “Libido Killer” Aura Chastity Belt
Let’s be frank about a sensitive subject; are you, a woman, afraid of what the New Dark Ages have done to women’s rights and male chivalry? Realistic about what the casual availability of heavy weaponry has done to violent crime and common courtesy? Tired of having to lug around a big, ugly, conspicious hunk of particle-beam attitude just to keep the Real Men from making passes at you when all you want is a little peace and quiet? “Feminine Protection” come to mean Gladiator armor for you?
Let’s face it..the New Dark Ages stink when it comes to a woman’s right to say “no!”.
We at Paladin Steel realize that the enlightened social policies of our own company and of the more civilized city-states don’t extend to the whole land. So, we’ve set our minds and magicks to give women in these dangerous times an edge using the latest in magic and technology.
Be subtle and be safe with PS’s Aura Chastity Belt! This simple piece of personal jewelry resembles a bike-chain with a five-dial-combination lock in front, that fits easily around your waist and can be easily hidden under clothing. Once locked on, the ACB begins radiating a low-level aura that affects anyone getting too close...
Comes in a variety of power levels, from simple “Sorry, I’m not interested”, to major “ Stay Away or Become a Eunuch”...Can also be purchased gender-specific so you can talk with your friends without interference from the opposite gender, or pan-gender if you just don’t like dealing with people at all.
Note that the ACB does radiate a slight PPE field, alerting psychic-sensitives that more than just your anti-charisma is at work here, so be careful. What drives off truckers and lounge lizards, may attract psi-stalkers and dog-boys.
Available in a variety of colors and styles, from simple brushed metal to gold and lapiz lazuli ornamentation. See our fine selection at your local Alliance outlet!
Note: PS has also put out a male version for those disinterested Adonises who don’t appreciate being mobbed by the fairer sex. Just in case you’re one of those guys who tends to attract the psychotic types, would rather not have to deal with the whole ‘Fatal Attraction’ bit, or just hate getting hit on(by either gender).
Weight: Negligible...you won’t know it’s there
Range: 3 ft for Regular, 5 ft for Extra Strength, 10 ft for Misanthrope Strength
Effects: (Regular Strength): Equivalent to MA 24(80% intimidation factor), only the reverse; works to Intimidate/Dissaude.
(Extra Strength): Equivalent to Empathic Projection:Fear(-3 to strike, parry, dodge, and 60% chance of turning tail and running)
(Misanthrope Strength): Equivalent to Horror Factor/Fear, HF 16
PPE Cost: The Chastity Belt drains 1 point of personal PPE per hour per of operation, or it can be connected to a small PPE Battery, if you need your PPE for other purposes. The more powerful strengths will require a PPE Battery for their enhanced effects.
(Regular Strength): 1 PPE/hour
(Extra Strength): 5 PPE/hour
(Misanthrope Strength):10 PPE/hour
(Single Gender):+1 PPE/hour
(Omni Gender):No additional PPE cost

Cost:
(Regular Strength): 10,000 credits
(Extra Strength): 12,000 credits
(Misanthrope Strength):15,000 credits
(Single Gender):+5,000 credits
(Omni Gender): No additional cost
PPE Battery( 25 PPE): 3,000 credits

I am SO ordering the ACB for several of my players, hehe.

kronos wrote:I am SO ordering the ACB for several of my players, hehe.

Maybe then it's safe to post my 'Spinning Blades Groper-Delimber Safety Underwear"

Because I've heeded the complaint that PS is lacking in personal armor...

Paladin Steel Blur Mesh
“Think you can throw something over your blur-camous? You’re giving me a headache...”

An early attempt to copy Naruni optical invisibility systems instead yielded Blur-Mesh. Blur Mesh electronically scrambles the outlines of the wearer, distorting their appearance. The applique has the appearance of a course burlap material layered on top of regular armor.
For beings who use visual sensors to track and make sense of their surroundings, anyone wearing Blur Mesh seems to skitter through their visual field, making it difficult to get a good look at them, as well as determine size, direction, and speed. Only when they stop moving, do the wearers snap back into focus, and even then, they might have a bit of fuzziness about their outline, like they were slightly out of focus...
Weight: 3-4 lbs
Mobility: Excellent; does not significantly hinder movement
MDC: 10 before being rendered inoperable
Bonuses: The faster the wearer moves, the greater the distortion; at speeds of 3 or less, no bonus, 4-10; -1 to strike the wearer, 10-16; -2 to strike, 16-22; -3 to strike, 23 or greater, -4 to strike
Cost: Blur Mesh can be added to any light or medium EBA for an additional 10,000 credits

Paladin Steel HazMat-K2 Armor
“I hate acid-blooders...They seem to have no problems gutting and eating US, but you get their ichor on you? That crud eats you and your armor alive...I saw a ‘spitter go through a hunter in PlasticMan like lava through styrofoam...was NOT pretty...”

“Craziest thing I ever did was jump down the gullet of a mega-naga that had just swallowed somebody else.....I was trusting that my hazmat gear wouldn’t melt, or that monster’s digestive tract didn’t have enough muscle pressure inside to crush me....As it was, I caught up with the snack just as the digestive juices were starting to dissolve her clothing...Sprayed her with anti-corrosive gel...what we in the business call ‘safety snot’*... real fast, slapped an air mask on her, and started slashing with my plasma torch before anything else melted...and prayed my buddies didn’t actually hit me as they hammered the beast from outside...
By the time I’d managed to crawl out through the monster’s abdominal walls, I’d sworn off sausage and raw meat forever, and the kid I’d rescued was straight out catatonic...between being swallowed alive, nearly digested, covered in plastic mucus, then nearly drowned in blood and giblets, I can’t blame her. Looking back, though, I sometimes wonder what the hell possessed me to do something that insane, but I can’t begrudge the results.”
---Corporal Garvo D’Tini, HazMat-Spec One, 41st Squad, GNE Corps of Exploration

Paladin Steel has a long history of developing and producing special materials for industry since the Golden Age. HazMat coverings are among their materials, including Hazmat-K, a poly-ceramic compound that is chemcially inert, non-stick, and effectively impervious to acids and bases, making it ideal for hazmat work. Hazmat-K(sometimes called ‘MegaTeflon’) is used as armor for cyborgs involved in industrial hazmat work, as linings in chemical storage tanks(including vehicle-mounted and infantry-carried chemical sprayers and flamethrowers), and external plating on vehicles. The initial formulation of this material was too heavy and dense to be practical for personal armor, but PS continued to work on new variants of the shielding.
With the rising importance of NBC-trained soldiers in the militaries of Rifts Earth, not to mention the numerous toxic threats, PS has put out an EBA using Hazmat-K(2), a lighter and more easily shaped reformulation of Hazmat-K. The armor is aimed primarily at the industrial market, but is, of course, also suited for Nuclear/Biological/Chemical warfare operations and HorrorHunter teams going at particularly toxic prey. The Corps. of Exploration also routinely uses the suits when exploring environments where toxins and caustic substances are a hazard.
Hazmat-K2 armor is rather heavy and cumbersome; recognizing that the weakpoints of any EBA are the joints and seams, the suit has to be designed with elaborate hard-rotary jointing, to prevent contaminants and corrosives from seeping in through the seams. This hampers movement, but prevents damage even if the wearer should find himself submerged in toxic goo. The helmet/headpiece is virtually neck-less, anchored to the torso, with limited ability to turn the head. The helmet optics are thick, made of chemically-coated transparent Hazmat-K4, so there are no weak points in the armor.
The only other real shortcomings of Hazmat-K2 is that the material resists the application of paint and other coatings that rely on surface adhesion. Thus, the material must be molded in any required color and any required insignia or text molded into the Hazmat-K2 at the time of manufacture, or engraved/imprinted. Hazmat-K2 suits typically come in black/gray, bright orange/red, yellow, and green-grey color schemes.
Weight: 20 lbs
Mobility: -15% to prowl, swim, gymnastics, and other physical activities
MDC:
Helmet 70
Main Body 100
Arms 60 each
Legs 75 each
Special Features:
*Corrosives such as acids and alkaline solutions do NO damage
*Light Power-Assist Exoskeleton: Adds +5 to P.S.
*10-hour air supply
*Integral Rebreather--Uses replaceable chemical cartridges to filter CO2 and purify it, extending the oxygen supply
*Environmental Monitors---Samples the air for radiation and toxins.
*Helmet Spotlights(2)
*Clip-on Forearm Chemical Sprayer---Range of about 40 ft, and feeds from a 2-gallon hip tank. Can be used to dispense water, firefighting foam, paint, or chemical neutralizers.
Cost: 140,000 credits
Note: The Hazmat armor listed in Rifts Mercenaries: Adventures under the Tin-Soldier O.C.C. is also available from PS with a Hazmat-K(2) covering, for an additional 20,000 credits.


*Note: Compound-N41(aka ‘safety snot’) is a thick vaseline-like gel that is used to neutralize most acidic and caustic substances. Its thick viscousity prevents it from being effectively used to cover large chemical spills, but it can be used to cover sensitive equipment(routinely used to coat seals in gear exposed to acids or akalides), and immediately treat acid burns, by preventing further damage. Sprayed on thick enough on a person, it also protects against further damage, and thickens into a sludge-like gelatine covering, but is not air permeable or very light(hinders speed and movement bonuses by HALF), and its semi-translucency prevents people from being able to see through it easily(effectively blinds). Removing it is also a chore, as most standard solvents don’t touch the stuff(takes about 4d6 minutes of scraping and toweling to remove most of the gunk), it smells bad(astringently chemical), and it looks unpleasantly like mucus.
Paladin Steel sells the stuff for industrial use for 25 credits a gallon.




Standard VFS EBA(VEBA-02A)
(Aka ‘RaptorHelm’)

“We got the flag, we got the slogans, we got the guns, and we got the country! Now we got the look...Let no one be mistaken, nor forget, once we hit them...that we are VERMONTERS!!!!”
---General Gerr Hammond, addressing his troops upon issuance of the new VEBA-02A armor, Fort Ticonderoga, 109 PA

“Uhm, Karl?”
“Dean?”
“I don’t mean to sound peevish or nuttin’, but...”
“But what?”
“If we’re all so proud of this new-lookin’ armor and what it sez about us being from Vermont and all that...”
“Go on.”
“What are we all doin’ hidin’ in this bigwig Coalition officer’s closet?”
“Element of surprise.”
“Oh...thank you”
“So’right..just move your rocket launcher a little to the left, though? You’re catching my kneecap..”
“Sorry.”
----Transcript of combat recorders, released to the press after the 109 PA elimination of CS General Haswell, in his quarters at Old Chicago naval base.

The production and issuance of a standard suit of megadamage body armor with a distinctive ‘nationalist’ appearance has been a long-fomenting and controversial one, but which has now come to a conclusion with the issuance of the VEBA-02A. For years, the standard issue body armor of the VFS had been the ubiquitous ‘Bushman’ and ‘Gladiator’ composite plate armors, easily and cheaply produced by Paladin Steel, which also supplied finished suits of same to the black market. But with the growth of the Vermont Free State as a political entity, the pressure to design a new suit for the nation’s growing armies began to mount. Part of it was national pride; soldiers wanted something that proclaimed their allegiance proudly...the VFS Armed Services had no desire to be outfitted as a bunch of second rate mercenaries. The other concern was more pragmatic...the need to identify one’s own men at a glance. With hundreds, indeed thousands, of Bushman suits in circulation, it was only a matter of time before problems of battlefield confusion would crop up.
As early as 104 PA, during the St. Lawrence Seaway Incident, VFS troops became confused when Free Quebec committed mercenary units with large percentages of Bushman armors in them to the Zone. While, for the most part, the incidents of confusion were comedic in nature, the issue had been raised. Inexplicably, PS did not respond immediately to the issue, prefering to table the entire matter while turning its attention to other matters. The Stelmarines’ ‘Starman ‘ EBA was the only exception to this.
That complacency broke with the 108 PA kidnapping and murder of PS executive Tarv Hallock, by terrorists(the CS is believed to be behind the attack) who had infiltrated his fortified apartment complex disguised in VFS-schemed Bushman armor. While the terrorists’ use of forged electronic passes and hacking the security measures had allowed them to enter the complex, the fact that that their features had been concealed in familiar-looking, commonplace, armor, played a large role in the success of their attack. Once the dust had cleared, and even before the bloodstains had been cleaned up, PS rushed several designs for a new EBA to the VFS Regular Army for approval. The new armor was quickly approved.
In order to speed production, the new body armor bears a striking resemblance to the old Bushman in its general layout and cut; not surprsing, since most of the early suits were in fact recycled VFS Bushman suits. The new helmet resembles an abstract raptor’s head, with a sharp chin, side-leaf cheek guards, and a one-way plate visor(somewhat resembling the classical Macross Valkyrie flight helmets, when openned), giving the wearer a sharp-edged, rakish appearance. Under the right lighting conditions, however, and many people swear they can see the optics in the visor glow menacing from under/within the lowered faceplate. The new helmets are jammed full of sensory and communications electronics, thanks to special low-cost, high-density electrical circuitry technology using PS low-temp superconductors. The boots have been reinforced with additional shock-absorbing and ankle-protection, in order to protect the soldier from the physical shock associated with using a Jet/Jump Pack(increasingly important to the VFS military). The forearm guards have been replaced with new vambrace plates that include concealed weaponry and instrumentation. The suit has been also coated with a multiple layer of laser-ablative ceramic, for additional protection.
Regular Army suits will retain the green and gray of the VFS/GNE RA, while VFSN/GNEN suits will have a gray and white color-scheme(nicknamed ‘Sea Gull Scheme’), and have been fitted with integral float vests. VFSAF/GNEAF suits have a green and dark blue colour scheme.
Deployment of the new suits has been rapid, and total changeover by all terrestrial services to the new standard is anticipated in late 109 PA. A similar upgrade/redesign for the heavier ‘Gladiator’ suits currently in service is also anticipated shortly. The VFS/GNE is constantly looking at enemy hardware, as well, looking for potential innovations they can rip-off/copy/adapt for upgrades to existing armors or new suits in development.
(Post-110 P.A. Update: By 110 P.A., the changeover will be complete, and the VEBA-02A is the signature body armor of the GNE armed services...Though some in the military are already anticipating the issuance of the VEBA-04, PS’s resurrected adaptation of the pre-Rifts NEMA EBA-130 standard body armor, as the next standard GNEAF EBA)
Class:VEBA-02A all-purpose Environmental Body Armor
Size: Human equivalent
Weight: 19 lbs
Mobility: Good; -10% to Prowl
MDC by Location:
Head/Helmet-50
Arms 30 each
Legs 45 each
Main Body-60(medium)
Vermont Free State Cost: 38,000 credits
80,000 credits on the black market
Standard environmental body armor properties(Reprinted for convenience):
-Complete environmental battle armor suitable for use in all hostile environments, including space.
-Computer controlled life support
-Internal cooling and temperature control
-Artificial air circulation, gas filtration, humidifier
-Radiation shielded
-High temperature resistant, insulated, shielding for up to 300 degrees centigrade. Normal fires do no damage. Nuclear, plasma, and magic fires do full damage
-Five hour oxygen supply; engages in low oxygen or contaminated air environments
-Removable Face Plate
-Polarized and light-sensitive/polarized faceplate/visor
-Built-in loudspeaker; 80 decibels
-Short range radio w/ 5 mile range
-Concealed Wrist Mini-Comp with suit status indicator, compass, clock-calendar, and mini-video screen.
-Holster, belt, leg scabbard, and bandolier attachment points.
Special Features:
*Laser Ablative Armor--The VEBA-02A has a thin applique coating of laser-ablative material that reduces damage from lasers by HALF. Note that this is NOT Glitterboy armor and variable frequency lasers CANNOT be reset to compensate for this feature. Note also that this is only a COATING. If the armor should lose more than 50% of its MDC, the coating loses its effectiveness and lasers then do normal damage. Creating a suit-patching and repair kit for battlefield use that replaces the applique is one problem PS hasn’t quite solved yet.

*Mini-Periscope--The helmet mounts a small extendable antennae/fiber-optic telescope that can extend eight inches out from the helmet and transmit its view to the HUD; perfect for peering from behind cover.

*Integral Language Translator--Holds about 14 different languages( typically the most common languages in use in the area of operations). Selections can be changed by swapping out the language crystal module and adjusting the new one for individual’s speech patterns( mechanical translators are notorious for not catching/misinterpreting nuances and inflections) .

*Helmet Combat Recorder---This system allows the soldier to record what they see and hear onto three six-hour mini-discs for later transmission/download, or review back at base. To prevent sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands, combat recorders can only be unlocked by special code-keys typically carried by officers; unauthorized tampering will wipe the discs.

*Mini-Head Up Display(HUD)---Allows for suit status and communications feed video data to be displayed on a mini-screen projected in front of the soldier’s eyes.

*Sensor Augmentations---The Helmet comes complete with IR/UV optics, integral telescopic magnification, passive nightvision, and Kirilian Aura viewer(detects PPE auras, including those of invisible beings, with 60% effectiveness at 200 ft range, but cannot determine power level or alignment)

*Retractable Vibroblade---One, or both, arm vambraces will have a retractable vibroblade for use as a tool or a weapon. Does 1d6 MD

*Boot/Ankle Reinforcement---Extra support and padding in the lower legs allows the trooper to run and jump with little fear of twisting or breaking their ankle. Can jump out of a moving vehicle (no more than 40 MPH) or off a one story building without breaking a leg, provided they land on their feet. The extra bit of ‘bounce’ they get also reduces running fatigue by 10%.

*Applique Armor---The VEBA-02A can be further reinforced by the mounting of additional armor in the form of an armored vest and kilting that adds 40 MDC to the main body/torso, vambraces that add 20 MDC to the arms, and greave-splints that add an extra 30 MDC to each leg...However, with the full set of armor add-ons, the weight of the armor jumps to 26 lbs, and the followiing penalties are incurred; -5% to prowl, and -2 to Spd. Furthermore, the applique lacks the laser ablative aspect.

Variants:
*VEBA-02B-Dwarf-scaled armor. Same MDC protection, just in a smaller package.

*VEBA-02C-Giant-scaled armor, sized for humanoids up to 12 ft tall; has 30% more armor to all locations.

*VEBA-02D---A ‘stealth’ armor that drops the laser-ablative coating with an adaptive camouflage pattern surfacing (choice of any 10 pre-set camou patterns), and reduced heat/radar signature(-15% to Sensory Instrument detection rolls using radar or thermal optical sensors).

*VEBA-02N---Naval armor, issued to the GNEN. Has integral flotation devices incorporated into the armor(nuetral bouyancy), an emergency inflatable life-vest, and snap-out foot-flippers.


Other Armor Types in PS Service/Production:
*VEBA-01---The orginal ‘Bushman’-pattern armor, with slight stylistic differences. As the VEBA-02A replaces it as the Armed Forces standard, older suits are being recycled or given to the militia.

*VEBA-CA----Original Pattern ‘Crusader’-pattern armor. Weaving megadamage plastic fibers isn’t much more difficult than injection molding it, for the automated armor-looms of PS. Not officially used by the VFS military, it is, however, occasionally issued to Special Forces units. (Note: Due to PS’s expertise at material fabrication, reduce the cost by 15%)

*VEBA-GC---Original Pattern ‘Gladiator’-pattern armor, with slight stylistic differences.

*VEBA-UWC----Original Pattern ‘Urban Warrior’-pattern armor with slight stylistic differences to helmet. Issued to militia and police forces. (Note: Due to PS’s expertise at material fabrication, reduce the cost by 30%)

*VEBA-UWN---Modified ‘Urban Warrior’-style armor modified with integral flotation units and inflatable life-vest. Issued to Navy and merchant marine personnel.

*VEBA-00X Stelmarine Armor(NOT commercially available)(to be detailed elsewhere)

*VEBA-00XA Refitted Stelmarine armor with laser-ablative coating, similar to the VEBA-02A(NOT commercially available)

*VEBA-00X2A Stelmarine -pattern armor made completely of laser-ablative material, expected to replace current pattern armor in next 3 years(NOT commercially available)

*VBA-HC---Original Pattern ‘Huntsman’-pattern armor, with slight stylistic differences. Issued to police and militia forces.(Note: Due to PS’s expertise at material fabrication, reduce the cost by 20%)

*VBA-PC(Pattern Series I-VIII)----Plain Clothes Armor Types similar to the Triax types, but using Paladin Steel megadamage plastics. ‘Series’ refers in part to the amount of coverage, from less to most; ‘Pattern Series I” being an armored vest with AR 10, 10 MDC, and “Pattern Series VIII” being a jumpsuit or trenchcoat(AR 19, 14 MDC)
(Note: Due to PS’s expertise at material fabrication, reduce the cost by 15%)

*VBA-UC-1---Paladin Steel ‘Skinsuit’ light armor---classified as an ‘Under Clothing’ type to denote its close fit and easy concealability. This light armor sees considerable use throughout both the civilian and military sectors of the VFS/GNE(it’s practically a necessary fashion accessory for the protection-conscious, and almost as ubiquitious as business suits and jeans).

*VBA-UC-1S----The new space-adapted, full EBA version of the Skinsuit, with pressure-girdle lining, boots and gloves, 4 hour air supply, life-support hookups, added radiation-insulation, and triple-layered ‘crystal ball’ helmet with liquid-crystal polarization and HUD. Often worn under a partial ‘Huntsman’ suit ( VA-H-SA-EVA) of armored vest, extended life support/MMU pack, gauntlets, and boots, or as a liner/pressure garment under a full-body multi-piece suit of machined megadamage tungsten-alloy( Main Body MDC 120, lases do HALF damage, weight 21 lbs, -18% to prowl), nicknamed ‘Space Samauri’ from its resemblance (complete with mask!) to ancient samurai armor. Space armor types are rarely ever seen on Earth,

*VUBA-01------This is simply the Black Market LEWS-9 Light Environmental Wet Suit, knocked off by PS. Sold to both the commercial and military markets.
(Note: Due to PS’s expertise at material fabrication, reduce the cost by 20%)

*VUBA-03----Thanks to the seizure of the Coalition’s Halifax Naval Base, PS acquired a number of Coalition wetsuits. The VUBA-03 is simply the CSNA-1 Lightning Strike SCUBA Armor, with a few sytlistic differences to reflect its Vermont manufacture(otherwise it’s identical). Sold to both the military and civilian market(much to the Coalition’s consternation).

*VUBA-05---Another prize of the Halifax annexation and several actions against Coalition frogmen along the Maine coast was the CNA-2 ‘Barracuda’ Commando Armor. PS has produced its own copy of the Coalition frogsuit, with appropriate stylistic differences, for its own small SEAL corps, and the maritime strike forces of other allied nations(NOT commercially available).

*Plasticman Armor---Churning out thousands of suits of this stuff is a simple matter for PS, who specialized in injection-molded megadamage plastics, even before the Coming of the Rifts. PS still continues to churn this stuff out for sale to civilians, but the VFS military doesn’t give it an official designation. Aside from a few suits used by the militia and firefighters, Plasticman armor is rarely used by any official organization in the VFS. (Note: Due to PS’s expertise at material fabrication, reduce the cost by 30%)

Other Types: Of course, just about any type of commercially available armor can be found floating around the VFS, including all Black Market types, as well as individual examples of Free Quebec, Coalition, Altarian, and Kittani suits in the hands of adventurers or salesmen.

taalismn wrote:Security Blankets
LINNUS--Living Intervention Neural-Network Universal Symbiote

Really liked this posting, but for some reason I just lost interest at the end of it.
Why?

taalismn wrote:'Spinning Blades Groper-Delimber Safety Underwear"

Is that a GNE Ninja Skinsuit with PeelOff Impact Cloth Throwing blades with Hellwire edging (Atlas-Wire Monofilament), the Virbo Blade that uses a cellphone size power unit that combines with a another larger IC blade and other tools? or something different?

abtex wrote:

taalismn wrote:Security Blankets
LINNUS--Living Intervention Neural-Network Universal Symbiote

Really liked this posting, but for some reason I just interest at the end of it.
Why?

Is that a GNE Ninja Skinsuit with PeelOff Impact Cloth Throwing blades with Hellwire edging (Atlas-Wire Monofilament), the Virbo Blade that uses a cellphone size power unit that combines with a another larger IC blade and other tools? or something different?

a) You needed a hug...
No...Too expensive?
Too many bonuses?
Traumatic memories resurfacing?
b) No, it's not...But thanks for suggesting it...We'll get on it..
Use these armors in good health, and have a happy holiday...

Left out a word

taalismn wrote:

abtex wrote:

taalismn wrote:Security Blankets
LINNUS--Living Intervention Neural-Network Universal Symbiote

Really liked this posting, but for some reason I just lost interest at the end of it.
Why?

Is that a GNE Ninja Skinsuit with PeelOff Impact Cloth Throwing blades with Hellwire edging (Atlas-Wire Monofilament), the Virbo Blade that uses a cellphone size power unit that combines with a another larger IC blade and other tools? or something different?

a) You needed a hug...
No...Too expensive?
Too many bonuses?
Traumatic memories resurfacing?
b) No, it's not...But thanks for suggesting it...We'll get on it..
Use these armors in good health, and have a happy holiday...

So no Ninja Long Johns, OK.
As long as the armor keeps self in good health.
Have a good holiday as well.

The LINNUS is just soooo wrong! But rather amusing...

[quote="abtex"]Left out a word

Okay...I'm having a senior moment here...I see the emphasis on -lost-, but my brain cells' ain't firin'...

You mind telling me straightout what I'm missing and show how dense I really am, so I can have my 'du'oh!' moment?

Arnie100 wrote::D The LINNUS is just soooo wrong! But rather amusing...

I figured sometimes the armor against the darkness in the world can be fluffy and warm...
And be practical as well...
Of course, that feeling can also be addictive...
And for Crazies, addiction is also part of the game...so why not give them a power object with some real power to it?
A wonder of the Golden Age..
Of course, this begs a poster in Lone Star of a gene-technician's kid sitting on the floor with a young Dogboy laying in his or her lap, with the caption: "Happiness is a Warm Puppy."

Like or maybe Safe = "Security Blankets"
Lost interest = “Libido Killer”

Am I going to get hit?

abtex wrote:Like or maybe Safe = "Security Blankets"
Lost interest = “Libido Killer”

Am I going to get hit?

I thought you were serious...
I didn't consider the article as a whole...

I will now go stick my head in a bucket...

Oh yes, and I understand it's traditional...
"Hi, I'm Taalismn, and I'm NOT Smarter Than a Fifth Grader!"

Sorry, My brain cell not work normally. It see things as a whole and puts them together.
If I had no bad humor I would have no humor at all.

Am I going to get hit?

Taalismn wrote:"Hi, I'm Taalismn, and I'm NOT Smarter Than a Fifth Grader!"

Now I know why you created the "Security Blankets"

abtex wrote:
Now I know why you created the "Security Blankets"

Actually, it's for those late nights after driving home for 45 minutes on the highway...you know, those nights when it seems that EVERY truck, sportscar, SUV, and teen driver seems to thing that you're the sole obstacle between them and utter total mastery of the road?
That's when you just want to curl up in bed, once(IF) you reach home and fall into a safe, warm, place...

Did your "Security Blankets" help you survive the holidays, taalismn?

If so here are some Places to visit:
http://hideyoshi.deviantart.com/
http://hideyoshi.deviantart.com/favourites/
http://vlda.deviantart.com/
http://edwardrigaud.deviantart.com/

Things that you might have got for Xmas.
If not, pick what you want and charge to Aramanthus' PS account.
Thank you.
The most popular Gizmag articles for 2008
The Top 10 things you CAN have for Christmas 2008
The Top 10 things you CAN'T have for Christmas 2008

PS West testing ground photo
And they tried again
Rocket Packs
Rocket Packs 2
I started here.
Future Glimpse

Nah....I ordered the Tony Butler series of Secret British Aircraft Projects from Amazon...should be arriving any day now...Maybe later I'll look at the Soviet Secret Projects books once my confidence in the economy has shored up...
Problem is, I've been working extra hours, so I haven't had as much time at home to write up new stuff....

Farnborough Air/Paladin Steel/Hangar-18B B-139 ‘Covenant’ Medium Bomber
“By all rights, with eight of those massive thirty millimeter cannons going off at once, the airframe oughta hammer itself to pieces in midair...but those technowizzes came up with some sort of combination hi-tech and magick system that damps the recoil down to a simple pitter-patter, and cuts the noise down too, so everybody aboard the ship doesn’t go deaf doing a firing run...Otherwise, you’d NEVER get that contraption into the air.”

“Come around again, Artie. That ‘rune’s still floating! And give’em BOTH turrets this time!”
----Captain Waldor Jessup, Royal Camelot Air Force(RCAF), Aircraft XV254 “S-for-Smackdown’, Thames River Patrol.

To celebrate the 10th year of trade and technological exchanges across the Atlantic, the Kingdom of Bath, home of Farnborough Air, launched a number of collaborative projects with Paladin Steel, which operated the city of New Bath(Old Bath, Maine). Hangar-18B, a former Tolkeen TW aviation firm and now absorbed subcontractor-subsidiary of PS, was brought in on the project for their GAW-style retrowork on old aircraft designs, which Farnborough Air was also noted for.
One of the projects was an unusual aircraft project, the Covenant Bomber, a ‘retrotech’ TW aircraft with four prop engines. Based on an ancient pre-Rifts British specification for a ‘turret bomber’, Specification B1/39, issued in 1939 by the British Air Ministry, called for heavy bombers with the main defensive armament concentrated in one or two heavy turrets carrying four 20mm cannons each. A number of designs were drawn up and mocked-up for testing, and a half-scale test aircraft was even built to test the airframe handling characteristics of the more promising of the designs, but no large scale ‘turret-bombers’ were proceeded with beyond the test-article stage, and the proposals were duly archived away. As an air museum, the post -2000 A.D. Farnborough Aviation Repository managed to get copies of as many company plans as still survived, which were later transferred to more durable storage media during the Golden Age, and subsequently unearthed by the founders of Farnborough Aviation.
Turret bombers and turret fighters that carried their main armament in heavy turrets proved to be a failure(as the Boulton-Paul Defiant would prove during the Battle of Britain), but FA hedged that the post-Rifts environment dictated different rules for survival, and that ideas thought unworkable when Humanity alone dominated Earth, might prove more viable in the chaotic post-Rifts world. Being able to bring a massive amount of firepower on one target at once would optimize the chance of a ‘one-shot, one-kill’ or at least insure critical damage to an opponent, or so FA’s reasoning has gone. At worst, it presented an intriguing engineering challenge, one that the joint studies group accepted, to see what would come of it.
Taking advantage of advances in both lightweight megadamage materials and armaments, FA decided to upgrade the entire design. Instead of twenty-millimeter cannons, FA decided to mount eight 30-mm cannons; Paladin Steel’s lightened PS-864 AC version of the Triax TX-862FC, now installed in smaller, lighter, turrets, with faster, smoother, powered operation. Additional defensive armament was added in the way of several light rail guns covering the forward arc and a remote-operated tail gun. Flare/countermeasure launchers have been added for defense against modern AA missile systems.
Paladin Steel did most of the airframe material engineering, electronics, and weapons integration, working with FA engineers on the composite hull materials. They also provided invaluable aide in redesigning the massive four-gun turrets, applying experience with power armor actuators and lightweight electric motors to lower the weight of the weapons assemblies and improve their performance.
Hangar-18B contributed its TW Elemental ‘Animal’ propulsion technology by providing four Air ‘Eleminal’ turboprops in the wings, giving the sleek Covenant a higher speed than originally rated for the design proposals, and freeing it from a dependence on fuel.
Several squadrons of Covenants have been manufactured so far at FA’s Bath factories, with one squadron given to the city of New Bath, and several more given to North American air units affiliated with PS/GNE. Several other examples have been given or loaned to other kingdoms in England, including Camelot, for evaluation. In England and Europe, the aircraft have already seen action against the Splugorth and Brodkil-Gargoyle alliance in the Low Countries along the English Channel, as the New German Republic’s latest campaign against them forces the monsters to flee the continent(and often attempt to re-establish themselves in Britain). The American-based Covenants have yet to see any action, but GNEAF officials are reportedly intrigued by the heavy cannon capabilities of the aircraft, and are also looking into modifying the aircraft with more advanced ground targeting sensors and EW to improve their survivability in the ground attack role.

Type: FA/PS/H18B-B139 Covenant
Class: Medium TW Bomber
Crew: 7 (Pilot, co-pilot, 2 gunners, bombardier, navigator, radio-operator/gunner)
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 300
Reinforced Crew Compartment 100
Heavy Turrets(2) 80 each
Wings(2) 150 each
Engines(4) 100 each
Tail 180
Height: 14 ft
Width/Wingspan: 85 ft
Length: 114 ft
Weight: 75,000 lbs
Cargo: Small space in crew compartments for survival packs and sidearms, and an additional 500 lbs of gear.
10,500 lbs bomb load
Powerplant: Four TW Air Eleminal Turboprop Engines(spells require resetting once a year)
---150 PPE battery capacity; recharges at 10 PPE per hour, 40 PPE/hour at a leyline, 80 PPE/hour on a nexus
Speed: 345 MPH, maximum altitude of 21,000 ft
Bonuses: The use of the Air Eleminal powerplants means that the aircraft has NO foul weather penalties for flying in windy conditions, nor does it suffer icing.
Market Cost: 21 million credits
Systems of Note:
Standard Systems, plus:
*Ejection Seats---All crewmen are equipped with modern safety and emergency ejection systems.
*Long Range Radio----100 mile range
*Long Range Radar---100 mile range
*Radar Detector---Picks up enemy radar emissions and weapons locks
*Laser Rangefinding/Targeting----+1 to strike with cannon and rockets
*Laser Bombing Optics---Combination of ‘fuzzy logic’ stabilization algorithms, laser triangulation, and radar rangefinding, gives a +1 to strike with gravity-bombs.

Weapons Systems:
1) Eight 30mm Autocannons(2x4)---The most radical part of the B-139’s armament is the mounting of four 30mm cannons in twin powered turrets. This mounting was controversial, as many engineers echoed the concerns of the pre-Rifts British engineers that such heavy mountings could not be effectively carried in a bomber, nor could such large cannon batteries be brought around in play fast enough to deal with multiple attackers. FA and PS engineers took up the challenge, and have used advanced materials and innovative design to cut weight, improve performance, and up the firepower, with their choice of weaponry. The turrets are surprisingly fast to respond to their rotation controls, able to snap-track and traverse with ease, and have proven quite reliable, despite the rigors of high performance aerial maneuvers, high-altitude freezing temperatures, and battle shock that would jam and lock less robust systems. Advanced(and lightweight) recoil control also cut the recoil imbalance from four to eight weapons going off at once in burst fire mode.
In combat, the quad-turrets have proven devastating effective, with a single two-shot burst from all four cannons in a turret able to virtually vaporize a flying gargoyle in mid-air, or chew a Horune raider to pieces in a single pass.
Range:10,000 ft
Damage:4d6 MD single rd, 1d6x10 MD two rd burst, 3d6x10 MD six-round burst per single cannon...so a full burst of six rounds each from all four cannons firing simultaneously....12d6x10!
Rate of Fire:EPCHH
Payload:800 rds, 400 rds per cannon
Bonuses:Independent laser and radar tracking system(range: 11,000 ft). +1 strike set on automatic against aerial attack, +2 strike fired by gunner

2) Nose-Mounted Light Cannons(4)---Two light guns are mounted under the nose in a fixed-forward position, and operated by the bombardier(or co-pilot), while two lateral gun positions on swivel-mounts are located immediately aft of the nose/forward of the cockpit in the ‘greenhouse’ glazing section, manned by the radio operator and navigator. These weapons are primarily used for defense against enemy aircraft ad fliers.
a) Heavy Machinegun---.50 caliber machine guns firing ramjet rounds
Range: 5,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 5d6 MD for 40 rd burst
Rate of Fire: Burst firing only, EGCHH
Payload: 1,000 rds per gun
b) Rail Gun--More powerful, if shorter ranged, electromagnetic guns
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD single rd, 4d6 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: 2,000 rds per gun
c) Laser---Pulse Lasers
Range: 4,000 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD single shot, 6d6 MD double shot
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Liquid Fuel and electric-powered models have batteries with 150 shots per cannon, Nuclear-powered models are effectively unlimited(powerlinked to powerplant)
d) TW TK Machine Cannon
Range: 4,000 ft(double on ley lines)
Damage: 2d4 MD single shot, 3d6 MD short(5 shot) burst, 5d6 MD long (10 shot) burst, 2d6x10 MD full melee (50 shot) burst
Rate of Fire: EGCHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited; powering spells must be re-cast every six months. 200 shot ‘back-up’ PPE clip

3) Tail Gun Position(1)--Identical to the forward mounts, but remote controlled from the forward cabins.

4) Bomb/Missile Bay(s)----The Covenant can carry 10,500 lbs of ordnance distributed in seven bomb cells( three in the main fuselage and four in the wings between the engine nacelles). Each cell can hold 3 500-lb bombs each, though typically the main fuselage bays will hold free-fall or glide bombs, and the wing bays will hold missiles and other penetration aides(such as decoys). The main criticism of this arrangement is that the small size of the ordnance cells prevents the Covenant from carrying oversized ordnance like the Wallis ‘Earthshaker’ series of bombs produced by FA. Nor can it effectively carry long range cruise missiles as produced by Paladin Steel. The bays CAN accommodate ‘smart’ bombs(reportedly both FA and PS have been testing stand-off glide-bombs with folding wings for use in pinpoint and anti-shipping strikes).
Can carry the following configurations:
a) Iron Bombs---3 500-lb bombs in each cell(total of 21)(4d4x10 MD, 48 ft blast radius)
b) Mini-Missiles---12 each bay
c) Short Range Missiles---6 each bay; rotary launcher
d) Medium Range Missiles---3 each bay

5) Flare/Chaff Launchers(2)
Range: Close Defense
Damage: None; similar to Triax-style chaff
01-50 Enemy Missile or volley detonates in chaff and threat is neutralized
51-75 Missile/Volley diverts and may pursue/lock on to other targets
76-00 No Effect! Missile(s) still on target!
Will also temporarily blind and impede flying monsters who fly into it.
Reduce APMs/combat bonuses/ speed by half for 1d4 melees
Payload: 18 per launcher

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

*Levitation----A low-powered Levitation spell allows the aircraft to make STOL takeoffs and landings, especially important when using unimproved fields or when heavily laden. Can also be used by ground crews to taxi and move landed aircraft for servicing and repair. 30 minutes per 5 PPE.

*Breath Without Air----Enables the aircraft to fly at high altitude without standard pressurization reinforcement----10 minutes per 10 PPE.

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

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

Variants:
*AEWB-139X---Still in the testing stages, this variant is meant to test the B-139 frame’s viability as a marine patrol and airborne early warning aircraft. The AEWB-139 configuration replaces both heavy cannon turrets with air- and surface-search radars, the main fuselage bomb cells with an avionics bay and sonubouy or depth charge drop bay, and carries a mix of anti-shipping and anti-aircraft missiles in the wing cells. The two turret gunners are replaced by EW technicians monitoring the electronics. Such an aircraft would likely serve as the center of a North Sea/Channel navalair patrol unit of strike craft such as the North American Hudson-Harpoon, FA B-139, and Beaufighter anti-shipping aircraft. A single prototype AEWB-139X is undergoing systems- and airworthiness- trials at Farnborough’s Bath facilities.

the Vicker-Armstrong B1.39
The Bristol B1.39
The Armstrong-Witworth B1.39

take your pick.


it seems to me that if you drop the bomb-bay (actually more of a series of small bomb-bays. they were distributed across the fuselage and wings), and added a number of chin, tail and waist guns, perhaps even using the B-29 remote operation approach, you could make a killing selling these to lazlo for the Xiticix war. flying gunships able to escort other bombers. Destroyers of the air...

glitterboy2098 wrote:the B1.39

Thanks...I wasn't aware any of the proposal art was available online....
Though the Covenant owes more to a combination of the Bristol 159 and the Armstrong Whitworth AW.48

Having just gotten Tony Butler's four-book series on British Secret Aircraft Programmes, I shall proceed to mine them for ideas, until I feel enough time has passed for me to order Russian Secret Aircraft Programmes Vols 1-2...

Nice new gear! Just one question. Isn't some of that reprints? Or did you update it? Just curious. The Federated States is always interested in new products!

taalismn, what is the T-Shaped 8-engine bomber on the cover of one the books?

glitterboy2098 wrote:the Vicker-Armstrong B1.39
The Bristol B1.39
The Armstrong-Witworth B1.39

take your pick.

it seems to me that if you drop the bomb-bay (actually more of a series of small bomb-bays. they were distributed across the fuselage and wings), and added a number of chin, tail and waist guns, perhaps even using the B-29 remote operation approach, you could make a killing selling these to lazlo for the Xiticix war. flying gunships able to escort other bombers. Destroyers of the air...

Too American, this is a British plane it needs to be strange different.
Just wait till he gets the Russian books.
This text is from the posting on a different Forum were I think your pictures came from.

B1.39 Spec

The B1.39 spec was to carry 9,000lb over 2,500miles cruising at least 280mph. Maximum bomb load was to be 10,000lb and some could be carried externally if necessary. Provision was made to stow 20 x 250lb or 500lb bombs, 10 x 1,000lb bombs, 5 x 2,000lb AP bombs, 2 2,000lb SCI containers or 10 small bomb containers. The 20mm cannon were drum fed with 30 rounds per drum, 5 drums per gun and an additional reserve supply of 20 drums per turret was to be carried but not necessarily in the turret. The aircraft was to be stressed to carry alternate turrets with 2 40mm cannon each with 110 rounds of ammunition. Armstrong Whitworth, Blackburn, Bristol, Fairey, Gloster, Handley Page, Avro, Shorts and Vickers all produced designs with Hercules, Griffin or P.24 engines.

The wing pocket bomb bays offer a lot of possible weapon options in wing and externally. Even with a little redesign heavy in wing cannons or large bomb bays between the in board nacelles and the body. Check out the other designs or at least the pictures there.

Aramanthus wrote:Nice new gear! Just one question. Isn't some of that reprints? Or did you update it? Just curious. The Federated States is always interested in new products!

Some of it....but I'm always tinkering with old stuff...maybe that's a bit unfair, like updating the old Star Trek TOS episodes, but I try to update the older designs...But there will be wholly new stuff coming along(the new stuff does take longer, however)...

abtex wrote:taalismn, what is the T-Shaped 8-engine bomber on the cover of one the books?

glitterboy2098 wrote:the Vicker-Armstrong B1.39
Too American, this is a British plane it needs to be strange different.
Just wait till he gets the Russian books..

that monster is the Vickers Type C proposed in December of 1942...
I just got the order off for the two Russian books, though I'm unsure how I'll bring any of the designs into Rifts, if they're Rifts-worthy..
Would have also ordered the new U.S. Navy Secret Aerospace Projects book, but that's projected for January 28th release, and with super-saver free shipping, I figure I'll get the Russia books sooner...
I'll order the Navy book later and see if they offer a package deal with something else....Just hope I don't lose any jobs or pay and regret making all these book orders(and it's still not even a week into 2009!)...Must think of exercising fiscal responsibility at some point while still continuing to support the economy...

Design's barely been posted two days and already the field reports are suggesting mods! May have to go back to the drawing board and revise it with more options!
It's the oddballs that you don't really hold much hope out for that turn out to be attention grabbers!

taalismn wrote:Design's barely been posted two days and already the field reports are suggesting mods! May have to go back to the drawing board and revise it with more options!
It's the oddballs that you don't really hold much hope out for that turn out to be attention grabbers!

We would never make you do that.
When can you start?
Made do some airframes postings and posting(s) of weapons that might be used on them.
Twin engine cannon fighters, etc.

Well, when you see the proposals for a Mach 1 jet fighter built around a 4.5 inch recoilless rifle with a six-shot revolver magazine....you realize how far technology has come...

taalismn wrote:I just got the order off for the two Russian books, though I'm unsure how I'll bring any of the designs into Rifts, if they're Rifts-worthy..
-snip-
Design's barely been posted two days and already the field reports are suggesting mods! May have to go back to the drawing board and revise it with more options!
It's the oddballs that you don't really hold much hope out for that turn out to be attention grabbers!

i picked up a encyclopedia of WW2 aircraft over Xmas break myself, found myself with way too many ideas for SkyKnight Industries, so i know the feeling. plus it changed my mind on some features. for example, did you know that in ww2 and after, they built DC-3's on seaplane floats? and i had decided to drop the amphibian modification from the C-47 write up! so now it'll be back.

there were also some cool planes i liked. the Polikarpov I-15 Chaika for example... i also wound up thinking about how to apply the "super-electric motor" approach of SkyKnight to ducted fans to build the Me-262 Swalbe, the He-162 Spatz, and the Ar-234 Blitz...oh why oh why is it that all the sexy 1st gen jets were german?

Maybe not Sexy, but for different take a look around Unicraft Models. If not the right site google Unicraft Models.
There is always the Luft '46

i've visited luft '46 quite often in the past, and have far more of my hard drive devoted to pictures of those planes than i probably should. though i wish there was as good a site for the allied planes, or both sides experimental ships and tanks.

my lament was more about the rather plain and drab apperance of the allied jet aircraft of the time. the gloster meteor looks kind "bleh" and the P-60 aerocomet is only so-so. but i've never met anyone who disliked the looks of the german jets...

glitterboy2098 wrote:

taalismn wrote:I just got the order off for the two Russian books, though I'm unsure how I'll bring any of the designs into Rifts, if they're Rifts-worthy..
-snip-
Design's barely been posted two days and already the field reports are suggesting mods! May have to go back to the drawing board and revise it with more options!
It's the oddballs that you don't really hold much hope out for that turn out to be attention grabbers!

i picked up a encyclopedia of WW2 aircraft over Xmas break myself, found myself with way too many ideas for SkyKnight Industries, so i know the feeling. plus it changed my mind on some features. for example, did you know that in ww2 and after, they built DC-3's on seaplane floats? and i had decided to drop the amphibian modification from the C-47 write up! so now it'll be back.

there were also some cool planes i liked. the Polikarpov I-15 Chaika for example... i also wound up thinking about how to apply the "super-electric motor" approach of SkyKnight to ducted fans to build the Me-262 Swalbe, the He-162 Spatz, and the Ar-234 Blitz...oh why oh why is it that all the sexy 1st gen jets were german?

Also remember this is the post/Rifts era....lighter materials, more powerful engines, new technologies, technowizardry, and changing needs....combat philosophies that he;d true before the Rifts don't necessarily hold up in an era where you're facing not only super-high-tech laser-armed stealth jets, but giant mosquitoes and mages on giant bats....A modern naval destroyer with a 5 inch gun, two SAM/SSM launcher cells, and maybe a few machine guns and three torpedo tubes(maybe not even that) is NOt going to fare well against a Kittani hovercraft and that giant squid that decided at the same time to go for a snack...
So ideas previously dismissed on various designs are back in vogue...In fact, it was also suggested that the Rockwell OV-1 Bronco and the Mohawk light aircraft could be fitted with floats for counter-insurgency work in areas like the Mekong Delta...but it may as well be the swamps of Georgia, Alabama, Florida, or Louisiana....

So go for it...Merchant-adventurers will thank you for allowing them to operate from lakes and waterways...

glitterboy2098 wrote:i've visited luft '46 quite often in the past, and have far more of my hard drive devoted to pictures of those planes than i probably should. though i wish there was as good a site for the allied planes, or both sides experimental ships and tanks.

my lament was more about the rather plain and drab apperance of the allied jet aircraft of the time. the gloster meteor looks kind "bleh" and the P-60 aerocomet is only so-so. but i've never met anyone who disliked the looks of the german jets...

Desperation lends itself to looking at radical ideas....

It was the perfectly fine asymmetrical aircraft that get my attention....
http://www.vrcurassow.com/2dvrc/sscuracao/BlohmundVoss.html

I HAVE to see what a good technowizard could do that sucker!

...Another revamped old design...

PS “Stormalong” Deep Sea Utility Exo-Armor

“Sailin’, sailing away makes me...”
“Dwight, shut up, we’re working here...”
“Awww, com’on Athena! Can’t a guy pass the time with some music? It’s not like I can see anything yet! Just falling through the water on the way to the bottom!”
“I hardly call what you do music, and if you’re bored, we can review what it is you’re supposed to be doing.”
“Okay, okay....the big bad maganese scrapper quit sending up nodules from the bottom and none of the cameras work, so you’re sending me and the drone here down to do a professional eyeball and sitrep...heck, lady, remember, I helped design that rig...”
“And SeaKnight Ocean Mining appreciates it, which is why we want your opinion as to how to get it back into operation.”
“Thanks for the vote, Athena...”
“Sonar and telemetry tell us up here that you’re nearly there, Dwight, wanna start slowing your descent?”
“Athena...passing the five thousand foot mark...op...you’re on the money, girl...I’m on top of the grapple rig. Thing’s bigger in life than it looks on the ‘prints”
“Gotcha, Dwight...how’s it look?”
“Main structure’s still intact...lot of silt in the water, though...really cluttering up the sensors...I’m gonna have to feel this by hand to get any idea of what’s wrong.”
“Well, if you can start on Beam 1 and work your way around..”
“Got it, but I’m on Beam 3...I’ll just work my way clockwise...cabling on this side’s alright...hmmm. coming up on the number one side....oops...looks like all the lights here are smashed...there’s part of the problem, main structural beams are warped around the hoist cables and the intake hoses!”
“ You say the beams are ‘warped’? Dwight, any idea of what warped them? Collision?”
“Waitaminute...”
There, waving purposefully in the light from his searchlights and from the accompanying drone, was a long scaled cable that twined across his point of view, thrashing against the current...a long cable that -pulsed- and flexed obscenely...and wasn’t alone. A another, then another, and yet another cable of like appearance flexed its way into view out of the murk. Rather reluctantly, Vincent let his vision track the cables back into the fog-like water, where, appearing out of the dark, glowing luridly in the reflected light, two enormous plate-sized eyes glared back at him...
“Athena..I found our problem...I’m afraid it’s going to be one of those jobs...”

The Stormalong is a new exo-armor/power armor suit being offered by PS for deep sea exploration and utility work. While most, if not all, of PS’s large line of power armors are able to function underwater to some degree or other, Paladin Steel felt that it needed to offer some PA systems specifically designed for undersea work. Their own PSA-11E design, while a great success, was considered by many small-time buyers too specialized and complex for smaller operations. A simpler, hardier, less complicated generalist unit was wanted.
The Stormalong(named for a mythical seafaring American giant) is a combination of post-Rifts power armor technology, and pre-Rifts deep sea JIM-suit design. The Stormalong has a heavy, squat appearance, with a large, bulbous, headless body, large thick thighs, wide shoulders, and stick-like lower legs and long cylindrical arms. Movement of the pilot’s legs is contained entirely within the thigh segments, with lower leg movement being translated to the lower legs. The large exo-arms are controlled from within the bulbous main body by internal micro-arm gloves, so the pilot’s own arms are not extended out of the heavily armored main body and exposed to possible damage. Rather than habve a head-mounted sensory cluster, the Stormalong is instead headless, relying on a series of optical and sonar/accoustic sensors studded about the suit, translating the collected data ino a Virtual Reality display/interface, providing nearly 360-degree sensory coverage. In many ways the Stormalong is more akin to a small robot vehicle than a conventional suit of power armor.
The Stormalong is specially reinforced for deep-sea diving, with a special life support system and integral decompression system. A back-mounted hydro-thruster assembly gives the suit good maneuvarability underwater, with an emergency ascent system mounted on the back for rapid escapes from the watery depths. Rather than load the Stormalong down with various option packages or integral weapons systems, PS is offering the PA as a straightforward basic unit, at greatly reduced cost. However, PS has fitted the Stormalong with modular forearm actuator assemblies, and some of the modular option fitouts include weapons pods.
The Stormalong can be powered by either batteries(a rather controversial move intended to reduce overall cost of the ‘suit) or by a more expensive nuclear fusion power pack. To supplement the power supply, battery-powered models can use a power-cord umbilical attached to an external power source, like a ship’s generator, detaching the power cable when entering combat or crowded work environs.
Not intended for combat, the Stormalong is too heavy, slow, and awkward on dry land to maneuvar effectively for front-line battle duty, but its underwater performance, and low cost, make it attractive to undersea adventurers and salvage workers. All in all, though, the Stormalong has proven something of a disappointment to PS; early sales have been less vigorous than expected, owing to early reports of the design’s relative clumsiness on dry land and lack of standard weaponry, and the suit fared poorly against the more expensive, but more powerful Aqua-Tech Orca-100(see Rifts: Underseas, pg. 141). PS hopes, though, that the Stormalong’s lower price will win out in the long run.

Type: PS-DSPA-02
Class: Deep Sea Power Armor/Utility Exo-Armor
Crew: One
MDC/Armor by Location
Main Body 300
Sensor Clusters*(6)---25 each
Backback Hydrothrusters(2)
Arms(2) 125 each
Upper Legs(2) 150 each
Lower Legs/Thighs(2) 100 each
*Small targets that are hard to hit, even on a called shot.
Height: 8ft
Width: 4 ft
Length: 3.5 ft
Weight: 3,000 lbs
Cargo: None, except what can be carried externally
Physical Strength: Equiv. to Robotic PS 45
Powerplant: Battery(56 hour life) or Nuclear Fusion w/ 10 year energy life
Speed:
(Running) 25 MPH
(Leaping) Terrible leaper, 10 ft across, 5 ft up,
(Underwater) Moving on thrusters, the Stormalong can reach speeds of up to 20 MPH. Maximum Depth: 3 miles
(Flying) Not possible
Market Cost: 5 million for battery-powered, 8 million credits for nuclear
Systems /Features of Note:
Standard Power Armor Systems, plus:

*Virtual Reality Display---The Stormalong features a unique computer display system that correlates all sensor inputs and produces a false-color VR composite on a wrap-around screen in front of the pilot.

*Nuetral Bouancy---The Stormalong is balanced and weighted so as not to sink, nor automatically bob to the surface while in operation.

*Emergency Ascent System---A backpack mounted underwater ‘parachute’ that when triggered, activates a gas cartridge, inflating a ballon, that rapidly pulls the suit to the surface. When activated, the life support system will autiomatically go into decompression mode, to prevent the pilot from suffering an attack of the ‘bends’ with the rapid ascent. The system can also inject nitrogen-scavenging ‘nitronite’ nanotech into the pilot’s bloodstream, further reducing the risk of decompression fatality.

*Backpack/Forearm Hard Points---the Stormalong has multiple hardpoints for mounting additional equipment and weapons two on the back, and one on each forearm(total of four).

Sensors:
All Basic PA Sensors, plus;
Low Light Optics---1000 ft range
Mini-Sonar---10 mile range
Hydrophones
Depth Gauge
Water Temperature Gauge
Radiation Detector
Weapons Systems: None standard.
The Stormalong can, however, pick up and use any human- or PA-scale hand weapons and use them. Most Stormalongs beholding to the Vermont Free State /Greater New England Coast Guard, for example, are issued S-CT24 Torpedo Rifles, in addition to optional hardpoint weapons systems.
Hand to Hand Combat
Full Strength Punch 3d6 MD
Power Punch(two attacks) 6d6 MD
Kick 3d6 MD
Leap Kick----Not possible
Penalties: When fighting/moving on dry land/air, the Stormalong suffers a -2 to dodge and a -1 to strike/parry(large owing to its lack of waist articulation). Its rather small feet(with reduced weight-loading surface area)also means that the Stormalong is likely to be bogged down in mud or fine soil(PS has tried fitting the Stormalong with ‘snowshoes’ but with limited success, discovering that the ‘shoes impose unacceptable drag in the water). Once in the water, however, the Stormalong can maneuver more freely, without penalty(Use Basic PA Combat in RMB).

Option Systems:
Hardpoint Options:
Forearm Hardpoints: The Forearm Hardpoints are compatible with any of the modular Mining Borg tools and bionic arm weapons listed in Rifts Main Book and New West.

Back Hardpoints:
a) Mini-Torpedo Launchers--- Up to two of these weapons can be carried.These are simply PA-mounted PS-CT24 Torpedo Rifles(100 MDC each, 20 mini-torpedoes, 1 mile range, plus mini-blue-green laser; 1000 ft, 2d6 MD, unlimited shots linked to PA’s power supply) Cost: 65,000 credits

b)Micro-Torpedo Launcher--- Up to two of these weapons can be carried. This drum-style(similar to that mounted on the Triax TXD-100 Ultra, but is a parallel development) weapon fires PS’s new PS Type 2 Micro-Torps, PS’s equivalent of the Triax micro-torpedoes and Kittani rocket-propelled grenades.
Range:1000 ft underwater, 500 ft in air
Damage: 1d4x10 MD High Explosive
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1, 2,4, or 8
Payload: 54
Cost:300 credits per micro-torpedo; Launcher costs 20,000 credits

c) Rail Cannon--- Up to two of these weapons can be carried.
Range:2000 ft underwater, 3000 ft in air
Damage:4d6 MD per 20 rd burst
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 2000 rd(100 bursts) drum per cannon
Cost: 35,000 credits

d) Heavy Ion Cannon--- Up to two of these weapons can be carried.
Range:2000 ft
Damage: 1d4x10 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 60 shot battery. Effectively unlimited if nuclear powered.
Cost: 40,000 credits

e)Harpoon Pack--- Up to two of these weapons can be carried. These weapons can be tipped with an explosive head, armor-piercing hunting point, magnetic grapple, or tracking bug, and can be used to attach a 100-foot line of high strength braided mono-filament cabling.
Range: 200 ft
Damage:2d6 SDC or
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload:Three harpoons per launcher
Cost: 20,000 credits

f) Short/Medium-Range Torpedoes---Each Hardpoint can carry two short-range torpedoes or 1 medrium-range torpedo each. Cost varies by torpedo-type.

g) Heavy Grappler Claws--- Up to two of these tools can be carried. These large, heavy, basic articulated claws cannot be used to perform fine work, but can be used to anchor the suit to vehicles or debris, and to tear at opponents.
MDC of Arm:60
PS of Arm: Equivalent to Robotic PS of 40
Range: 10 ft reach
Damage:Punch 2d6 MD , Power Punch(2 attacks) 4d6 MD, Tear/Pry 2d6 MD:
Penalty: -2 to strike in hand to hand combat owing to its slow response speed.
Cost:35,000 credits per arm

h) Aqua-Pack---An attempt to bring the Stormalong up to the specs of the Orca-100. This option takes up BOTH Hardpoints and is connected to the PA’s own power supply. .
Weight: 80 lbs
MDC: 80
Speed:40 MPH underwater
Cost: 80,000 credits

i) Molecular Sniffer-----A single-space option package that gives the Stormalong ‘olfactory” senses. Ideal for pinpointing chemical leaks, monitoring air quality, and guarding against chemical weapons attacks. There’s also the possibility that the Sniffer can detect alien creatures with exotic or unusual bio-chemistries.....The East Coast See-Bees have successfully used MS sensors to detect marauding giant squid, by detecting the concentrations of ammonia ions exuded by the creatures.
Cost: 60,000 credits

j) Water/Chemical Sprayer---General sprayer for liquids; anything from water and fire-retardant foam, to pesticides, corrosive agents, and cryogens. The Sprayer takes up ONE forearm space for one sprayer, and ONE space(either on the forearms or back) per storage tank.
Additional tanks may be carried on a bandolier or in the backpack cargo pod, but must be first removed then connected before use.
MDC: 20 MDC per storage tank
Weight: Sprayer is 15 lbs, Each storage tank weighs 25 lbs
Range: 200 ft
Damage: Varies. Filled with water, and used against vampires, it does 1d6x10 HP per burst/blast.
Rate of Fire: EPCHH
Payload: Each tank holds 50 gallons of liquid
Cost: 20,000 credits

j) Winch and Grapple Assembly---Takes up TWO back options. Includes 200 ft of MDC cable, and a winch capable of hauling up to 5 tons.
Weight: 500 lbs
Cost: 100,000 credits

k) Drill Pack---Rather than mount an arm mounted drill, this system mounts a backpack-mounted rocket-powered drill head launcher. The launcher can either be fired directly between the feet of the Stormalong like an oversized Glitterboy stabilizer pylon, or flipped over one shoulder and fired horizontally. The superhard drill head and its rocket charge quickly bore through rock, earth, and concrete within seconds. , while a high speed reel feeds in lightweight plastic 3-inch pipe afterwards. This gadget is great for drilling holes for blasting, or drilling for water.
The Drill Rocket CAN be used as a weapon, but only has a range of 200 ft in air(100 ft underwater), is -6 to strike, and only does 1d6 MD on impact. The rocket drill CANNOT be re-used after use......it’s worn out and expended.
MDC: 20 MDC per storage tank
Weight: 1000 lbs
Range: 100 ft of earth/rock/concrete(SDC or MDC), or 25 ft of SDC metal(10 ft of MDC metal) Average speed of the drill head is 25 ft per melee.
Damage: 1d6x10 MD per melee to a pinpoint (6 inch) area. Lasts 1d4 melees
Note that the rocket also blasts exhaust and debris back around the hose, so anyone caught in the 8-ft backblast plume takes 1d4x10 SDC. Caution is advised when using this device.
Payload: 1 rocket drill and 100 ft of lightweight pipe
Penalty: -2 to strike, parry, and dodge.
Cost: 200,000 credits. 2,000 credits per rocket drill.

l) Piledriver Sledge---This massive device takes up one back hardpoint. The entire assembly can be swung up over, or under, the arms like a rifle. The Piledriver consists of an enormous hardened armor striking head and driving pistons, anchored to the arm and powered by a small, contained, explosive charge. The ‘suit operator loads a small explosive cartridge (a Naruni plasma Cartridge will do in a pinch) into the firing chamber, points the Piledriver, and WHAM! Then, eject the cartridge, and reload for the next shot. A great tool for breaking boulders, structures, and Earth Elementals.
MDC: The Piledriver has 100 MDC
Weight: 600 lbs
Range: 10 ft
Damage: 3d6x10 MD!
Rate of Fire: Once per melee; loading the cartridge takes one action
Payload: Firing chamber only holds one cartridge.
Cost: 150,000 credits, 40 credits per cartridge

m) Circular Saws-----This option takes up both arm options on the forearm, or one back hardpoint(Ca be used in place of the grappling claw on the heavy utility arm), and consists of a large(3ft diameter) circular saw studded with teeth of superhard ceramic, a swivel mount, and a blade guard. Normally stowed swivelled backwards across the forearm, the saw assembly swings forward when in use, extending past the hand, with the blade guard/hood preventing the spinning blade from slamming back into the armor. The Circular Saw is primarily intended for those jobs where tearing with the hands is not precise enough, and where plasma torches might do unacceptabble thermal damage, like felling trees, cutting asphalt and concrete, and carving up debris.
Note: This is the same system used on other PS heavy armors and is interchangable
Weight: 100 lbs
Range: Melee
MDC per Blade:45
Damage: 6d6 MD per slash, 1d6x10+10 MD per full melee cut
Cost: 150,000 credits

n) “Gum Gun”----This option takes up two forearm spaces and consists of a high-pressure sprayer/applicator and two storage bottles. The “Gum Gun” applies/squirts a super-strong epoxy adhesive that can be used to cement MDC materials together, or make temporary patches. Used in quantity, the epoxy can be used to build up an MDC barrier. As a weapon, the Gum Gun can be used to capture opponents with an entangle.
Each application covers about five square feet,. To completely cover a human-sized target, the attacker must roll a 12 or better on the strike roll, otherwise only a limb is glommed. Anyone caught in the goo must have a supernatural or robotic PS of 30 or better to break free; otherwise they are stuck until the goo is somehow removed.
The epoxy sets within seconds, and can be used underwater. However, the sprayed epoxy needs 1d4 hours to properly cure, at which point it attains its maximum strength. Once the two tanks are emptied, the twin bottles, which are sold and attached together as a pair, can be quickly exchanged for fresh ones in one melee action, like changing an e-clip. For larger jobs, the system can be fitted with a backpack tank holding additional chemicals.
Note: This is the same system used on the PS-11E and is interchangable
Weight: 60 lbs for a single forearm sprayer, 200 lbs for the backpack tank.
Range: 100 ft
MDC : 25 for sprayer, 30 for tank.
Epoxy has 2d4 MDC per application, but hardens to 2d6 +1 MDC after curing for 1d4 hours
Damage: None
Payload: 30 applications per forearm tank. Backpack tank holds 100 applications
Cost: 50,000 credits for the forearm sprayer, 5,000 credits per 30-application cartridge, 11,000 credits per 100-application tank

Accessory Systems:
*PS-DSVR-02 ‘Triton Chariot’---
“I once did a protracted dive on some deep works...even with the robots on hand, it had to be manually supervised....too much had gone wrong on the freakin’ job that Admin wanted somebody actually there, eyeballs on scene, to take care of the situation....I ended up doing a full three days in the can under nine hundred meters of water...Fortunately, or unfortunately, I was locked on a Chariot so I didn’t have to constantly come up to the surface for a recharge, air, or a ****.....Between catnaps in the saddle, stim, my suit water, food pills, electro-shoky exercise, and the badgering of my deck boss to let somebody else do the job...yeah, like I was going to trust somebody else not to muck up?.... I managed to get the job done...and not a moment too soon...If I had to spend another minute locked in the iron maiden...As it was, the moment they hauled my Stormalong back aboard the task ship, I popped my armor seals, jumped out, stripped off my skinsuit, and had the work crew hose me down until I felt clean again....”
----Amanda Corsen, Senior Underwater Systems Technician, Paladin Steel Contract Engineering(SeaCon Div.)

In an effort to increase the versatility and capabilities of the Stormalong, PS has devised a robotic underwater sled or work sub that the power armor can link up to and drive like an extension of itself, giving the armor more mobility, cargo capability, and endurance. The ‘Chariot’ can also be used as a robot assistant, watching over the diver, providing back-up, and acting as heavy fire support(though its combat programming is minimal). The Chariot can also link to the Stormalong through service umbilicals, providing backup power, air, and communications. The DSVR-02 looks like the aft part of a research sub, with a sheared-off nose for a ‘porch’ assembly, festooned with maneuvering thrusters, sensors, spotlights, and cargo/cable racks.
Type: PS-DSVR-02 Triton’s Chariot
Class: Semi-Autonomous Benthic Assistant
Crew: None; Robot AI
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 180
Robot Arms(2) 50 each
Height: 6 ft
Width: 6 ft
Length: 10 ft
Weight: 10 tons
Cargo: Can carry 1,800 lbs of gear
Physical Strength: Robotic P.S. of 38
Powerplant: Nuclear, w/ 5 year energy life
Speed: 25 MPH, maximum depth of 14,000 ft
Market Cost: 6 million credits
Systems of Note:
*Depth Gauge
*Mini-Sonar--5 mile range
*Basic Optics
*Low-Lite Optics
*Spotlights
Weapons Systems: None standard, but the arms can be fitted with a variety of vibroblades, laser, or plasma torches, and the cargo bay and racks can be fitted with the following:
a) Mini-Torpedoes----20
b) Short Range Torpedoes--8
c)Medium Range Torpedoes---4
d) Long Range Torpedoes---2
e) Mines/Depth Charges----Equiv. to Torpedoes, only DOUBLE the effective damage and radius of damage.

*Decoys----External racks can be fitted(a maximum of three) with six shots of the following decoys:
*Sonic Scramblers(“Screamers”)----Screamers are specialized one-use munitions that when fired, broadcast a massive burst of noise across all audio/sonic frequencies, with the intended effect of destroying acoustic target(sonar) locks, and allowing the sub to escape opponents using sonar to detect or track them. -60% to track the sub via sonar while the Screamer is in effect, while sonar-guided weapons are -10 to strike. plus accoustic-homing weapons will break target lock to attack the decoy.
Screamers also have the effect of stunning dolphins, whales, and other creatures using natural sonar and echo location. These creatures are disoriented/stunned for 1d4 melees.
A typical screamer will last 1d4 melees until it burns out or is destroyed.
Screamers can also be fused to ignite/activate anywhen up to a minute(4 melees) after deployment.
Note: Screamers will affect the user’s own sonar systems.
Range: 6,000 ft
Damage: None
Rate of Fire: Can fire off Screamers in salvos of 1 or 2
Payload: Pod holds 6 Screamers

*Deep Flares---Deep Flares are fast-burning underwater illumination sources used as distractions in deep sea operations. Though fairly useless as weapons, Deep Flares are effective at night and against deep-sea creatures sensitive to bright light.
Deep Flares will blind surprised targets for 1d4 melees(half all combat bonuses and skill rolls while trying to overcome temporary blindness). Useless against targets using sonar, or without eyes.
Range: 1000 ft
Damage: 1d4 MD if it scores a direct hit on a target; Otherwise, no damage, aside from possible flash disorientation. : Area of effect: 100 ft area in diameter(suspended silt/debris in the water may limit this).
Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1 or 2
Payload: Each pod can hold up to 6 Deep Flares
Programming:
Radio: Basic 95%
Underwater Navigation 80%
Read Sensory Instruments (Sonar) 80%

-Maintenance Program
General Repair & Maintenance 75%
Electronics: Basic 75%
Mechanics: Basic 75%

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 3
Strike+1
Parry +1
Punch does 2d6 MD