Constructor Truck
Once a sight common on big projects on Mars, the Constructor Truck is now more common on Exoplanet colonies. This vehicle has more in common with Cargo Haulers than a Crasher Truck, however, being large rugged trucks with smart material wheels. However, they do not possess the traditional flatbed or container section of a hauler, but instead have a modular rear section behind the cab, which can be adjusted to suit the needs of a certain project. They are powered by nuclear batteries for an extended lifespan, and their four-man cabs are pressurized and environmentally maintained - and include stations to operate several features of the vehicle. The exact features of a Constructor Truck often vary based on the jobs it is attached to, but several features are common. This includes modular internal storage containers and external storage racks for raw materials, a top-mounted manipulator arm with a modular end which can double as a variety of tools and can lift over 500 kg at a time (more if the Truck is anchored properly), wired and wireless recharging stations, racks for a multitude of drones (including the ability to carry up to two Dwarf bots), storage of a wide variety of tools and instructional materials - equivalent to a Tool Shop and an external onboard Cornucopia Machine. Internal computers have access to a plethora of information, from basic tool and material blueprints to academic information, to professional instruction on a variety of jobs. While they can be fully automated, many groups prefer at least one transhuman crewmember to oversee and secure the vehicle. Common variants and additions include small, non nanotech facilities to produce water, oxygen or other basic elements, nanoswarm hives, passenger racks for Hard Suits or exoskeletons or more sophisticated sensor suites for surveying jobs. Enhancements: Telescoping Limb (Manipulator Arm), Headlights, Radio Booster, Radar [Expensive (40,000+)]
Minesweeper Variant
This mod to the Constructor was developed after the Fall to clear areas of potential TITAN activity, or human weapon deployment against the TITANs. While the Consortium and Tharsis league stand by the TQZ, rare Exoplanets which see signs of TITAN or Alien activity occasionally still employ these vehicles to safely secure an area, disable potential hazards and clear them out for proper safety. The Minesweeper has tougher armor, which is insulated against fire, radiation and is self-healing. It has a dedicated Hive for a Guardian Nanoswarm set up to protect it, a reinforced frame and front bumper which counts the shell as moving 10% slower for purposes of DV if it crashes into something. The cab has a small "armory" section and some Minesweepers have articulated weapon mounts, they also tend to have sharper sensor systems which cover more areas, including nanodetection. To help protect the vehicle, it can also damage objects which attempt to come in contact with it. Adds Industrial Warmachine Armor, Fireproofing, Offensive Armor, Self-Healing, Fractal Digits, Chem Sniffer, Lidar and Nanodetector [Expensive (60,000+)]
Truck Capacity: 4 Handling: +0 Movement Rate 4/32 Max Speed 120 AV 20/16 DUR 300 WT 60
Minesweeper Capacity: 4 Handling: +0 Movement Rate 4/32 Max Speed 100 AV 38/40 DUR 300 WT 60
Saturday, December 17, 2016
Friday, December 16, 2016
Explosives
Explosives in Eclipse Phase are fairly straightforward. Grenades and Seekers (p. 340 EP) address most forms of weaponized explosives you would utilize in most combat situations. X-Risks expands this to cover Mines (p. 182 X-Risks) as a trap, with basic functions identical to grenades. Superthermite Charges (p. 330 EP) are a demolitions tool utilizing nanofabrication to produce prebuilt, stable charges with high heat and force. While not outright explosive, Liquid Thermite and Scrapper's Gel (p. 323 EP) are valid substitutes for demolition needs, but these reactive substances take some set up to use. Below are a list of some different kinds of explosive devices with a variety of uses which should be compatible with the normal rules and Demolitions skill.
AP MINES
Anti-Personnel mines have been fairly standard security measures for quite some time. The modern device uses either a wireless detonator or a basic proximity, and are pre-shaped, operating similar to fragmentation grenades. They have a couple manufacturers, most common with names like "Flamberge", "Broadsword" or "MONDO-100". AP Mines are easily set with just a Demolitions check, and when triggered deal 6d10+12 DV with an AP of -4 directly in front, with damage outside of the forward cone being reduced by 1/3, in addition to normal reduction for distance. AP Mines are small (-10 to Perception to detect), but using IR or radar sensors to trip proximity may make them visible through other means. [High]
COOKIE CUTTER
"Cookie Cutter" really resembles more a nanotoxin than a conventional explosive, but does in fact, explode. This dosage of nanotech assembles minute amounts of high explosives from onboard molecules as it distributes around the body, creating subdermal explosives. It was originally developed Pre-Fall for Law Enforcement of persons with dangerous cybernetic implants. Usually injected by capsule rounds, Cookie Cutter requires an Action Turn to distribute to a per-programmed location in the subject's body (usually controlled via Smartlink), where it will then distribute itself and make explosives in the targeted region. A common tactic also is to have it encircle the neck below the line of the cortical stack, making a clean cut which keeps the stack (and possibly cyberbrain) intact while separating it from the body. When detonated (either on a timer or remote trigger), Cookie Cutter deals enough DV to inflict 2 Wounds (ignoring armor), and the victim must make a SOM x2 test. If they fail, the Cookie Cutter was able to distribute sufficiently to cripple or amputate the targeted limb. Multiple doses of Cookie Cutter stack, and the nanites remain active for 24 hours before becoming inert. Has several names on the street, like "Hangman", "Axecop" or "Black Hood". [High]
Type: Nano
Application: D, Inj
Onset: 2 Action Turns
Duration: 24 Hours
DEMO CABLE
A relative of much simpler "detcord", Demo Cable comes in the form of a self-generating reel similar to a Spindle (p. 333 EP), though much slower due to the larger size and complexity. Used for it's stability, flexibility and steady rate of explosion, Demo cable is very common in scavenging and construction. It extrudes at a rate of about 15 CM a second, or about 9 meters in a minute. It can extrude about a maximum of 1 km of cable, and the battery runs for about 1,000 hours. While the generator can extrude in a continuous line or cut to length, Demo-cable is usually rated in lengths of 1 meter at a time. Demo cable requires a blasting cap or some other kind of external device (usually produced by the reel, but can be rigged otherwise) to detonate, and so is usually not a combat weapon. However, it does deal 2d10+10 DV per meter to any object in its immediate vicinity when set off (which requires no check), and this blast can be tamped down or shaped to do x3 DV in a specific direction. [Moderate]
FOUGASSE
A fougasse technically isn't an explosive in of itself, but rather a medieval term for an improvised mortar, which is now still used as term for this sort of improvised explosive device. The original fougasse was hollowed into rock or stone, but they can also be made from lengths of pipe or tubing. These most commonly see use on moonlets or on Mars as a weapon of terrorism or area denial. A Fougasse can be rigged with any kind of shrapnel, smaller explosives, or even incendiary compounds. No two fougasse need be exactly alike. In general, assembling a fougasse falls under the rules for demolitions covered on page 197 of Eclipse Phase, but with a couple of notations. While assembling and "arming" it is still a Demolitions check to make and set the explosives, the actual device itself and it's raw materials can be gathered with a Task Action of 30 minutes to 1 hour (GM's discretion based on conditions and tools available) with a Scrounging Test. Excellent or Critical Successes on this scrounging test can offer bonuses to the Demolitions test to set up for higher quality materials, or add bonus damage, AP or other effects (such as setting a target On Fire). Otherwise, arming it should be a Demolitions task action of 1 Hour, and deals 3d10 DV (consider the device already shaped) when fired. Traditionally, a fougasse is ignited with a long, slow-burning fuse, but they can be rigged with timers or remote detonators without trouble.
PLASMA CHARGE
While not as effective as tactical weapons (tacnukes or antimatter grenades), the Plasma Charge was developed as an enlarged Plasmaburst device to clear buildings and damage weak structures, but won't breach the hull of a habitat. During and after the Fall, Plasma Charges became fairly standard (if somewhat bulky and expensive) equipment in order to clear areas of potentially dangerous nanotech or TITAN infection vectors, as the heat wave does significant damage to nanoswarms. Notably, during the early days of the Planetary Consortium, Plasma Charges have also been utilized to clear "squatters" from habitats which transferred ownership. Typical charges are blocks about 30 cm on a side and 10 cm tall. While multiple charges can be linked together, their nature makes it incredibly difficult to shape them like one would a Superthermite charge. A Plasma Charge deals 6d10+20 DV, with an Armor Penetration of 8. [Expensive]
PLASTIQUE
Plastic Explosives come in a variety of compositions, styles and names. Modern explosives us sophisticated fabrication to produce the most "bang" for your buck, and are generally considered more flexible and effective than Superthermite, though individually they have slightly less yield. Plastic explosives have a texture and pliability similar to modelling clay, and can be shaped in any way, and moulded to fit any location. This grants the user a +20 bonus on Demolitions checks to shape them, or place them on weak points of a structure. Plastique can only be detonated via electronic detonators which they are bundled with, and are activated via encrypted wireless. Individual "bricks" of Plastique weight about 1 kg and deal 2d10 DV, but individual bricks can easily be stacked for cumulative damage. [Moderate]
SPRAY EXPLOSIVE
An alternative to plastic explosives, this type of device was developed by the US Military shortly before the Fall, and many variants are now known to multiple military forces. Also called "Sticky Bombs", "Foaming Explosive" or "Comp-D", this container has an explosive mixed with an aerosolizer, which produces a spray of quick-hardening foam similar to a Freezer. The foam is premixed with an electrical line to act as a detonator, and it can be applied at ranges of up to 5 meters. A canister of Spray Explosive holds about 8 standard uses, which in total can cover one Large Sized morph or vehicle, or about 8 medium sized objects (morphs) at least on one facing or side. Spray Explosive isn't very harmful in single uses, dealing 1d10 DV to the immediate vicinity (which is cumulative), but it has two useful properties, besides the range and utility of the spray. Firstly, any object it is adhered to takes x2 DV (which becomes x4 if a Demolitions test is used to place it on a weak point), and the spray itself does not require a Demolitions test to use, only to rig properly. It can be improvised as a weapon using Spray Weapons at -20, but it only has a range of about 5 meters, and the target may attempt a full Fray to avoid it - and even if they are caught, the user would also be in the immediate blast radius. [Moderate]
TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Due to advanced manufacturing techniques, the smallest modern tactical nuclear weapon is roughly the size and shape of an overinflated american football. These devices were used commonly during the Fall to deter TITAN attacks (or other Transhumans) and even now their high yield makes them useful in certain conditions to clear small areas and these devices are less expensive and easier to move than Antimatter Grenades (p. 179 Firewall) though illegal in many polities still. Typically, modern tacnukes have quantum encrypted detonators, or small QE comm linked for remote detonation. When detonated, anything inside a 20 meter radius that does not have a cumulative DUR+Energy Armor of 200 or more is vaporized, and even stronger items take severe damage. In atmosphere, at up to 60 meters there is an intense pressure wave. Unprotected biomorphs will almost assuredly be killed, and structures weaker than Metallic Glass will be destroyed or suffer critical damage. At up to 120 meters, the blast wave is reduced, most biomorphs will receive enough damage to be incapacitated, and structures and objects made of materials like Polymers, Wood or Transparent Alumina will be destroyed or severely damaged. 150 meters is the rough thermal radiation radius, which applies even in vacuum. Unprotected biomorphs will suffer severe burns, probably be incapacitated or severely injured, and flammable objects can be set on fire in proper conditions. 450 meters is the effective and immediate particle radiation radius, where unshielded biomorphs will suffer the effects of radiation poisoning (p. 201 EP). If in Atmosphere, this is also the effective radius of the EMP effect the weapon generates. Effects on Synthmorphs are up to the GM to determine, but many will still experience high amounts of damage or other complications. [GM's Discretion]
THERMITE TAPE/STRIPS
An alternative to liquid thermite for demolition or scavenging purposes, mainly developed for microgravity where liquids are difficult to use, or for situations with possible risk of ignition. Sold in rolls similar to Grip Tape, Thermite Tape or strips can applied to almost any surface, and is made with similar materials to Superthermite charges. However, it does not properly "explode" with force, making it a more ideal precision tool. The tape can be set to detonate with an electrical contact which is shielded in the core of the strip, and only exposed when part of the tape is set. When activated, it deals 2d10+5 DV to anything it is touching for 3 Action Turns, and will start a small fire in the right environment. This damage is reduced by Armor, but it reduces the AV of the targeted object by the amount of damage done until it is repaired. [Moderate]
AP MINES
Anti-Personnel mines have been fairly standard security measures for quite some time. The modern device uses either a wireless detonator or a basic proximity, and are pre-shaped, operating similar to fragmentation grenades. They have a couple manufacturers, most common with names like "Flamberge", "Broadsword" or "MONDO-100". AP Mines are easily set with just a Demolitions check, and when triggered deal 6d10+12 DV with an AP of -4 directly in front, with damage outside of the forward cone being reduced by 1/3, in addition to normal reduction for distance. AP Mines are small (-10 to Perception to detect), but using IR or radar sensors to trip proximity may make them visible through other means. [High]
COOKIE CUTTER
"Cookie Cutter" really resembles more a nanotoxin than a conventional explosive, but does in fact, explode. This dosage of nanotech assembles minute amounts of high explosives from onboard molecules as it distributes around the body, creating subdermal explosives. It was originally developed Pre-Fall for Law Enforcement of persons with dangerous cybernetic implants. Usually injected by capsule rounds, Cookie Cutter requires an Action Turn to distribute to a per-programmed location in the subject's body (usually controlled via Smartlink), where it will then distribute itself and make explosives in the targeted region. A common tactic also is to have it encircle the neck below the line of the cortical stack, making a clean cut which keeps the stack (and possibly cyberbrain) intact while separating it from the body. When detonated (either on a timer or remote trigger), Cookie Cutter deals enough DV to inflict 2 Wounds (ignoring armor), and the victim must make a SOM x2 test. If they fail, the Cookie Cutter was able to distribute sufficiently to cripple or amputate the targeted limb. Multiple doses of Cookie Cutter stack, and the nanites remain active for 24 hours before becoming inert. Has several names on the street, like "Hangman", "Axecop" or "Black Hood". [High]
Type: Nano
Application: D, Inj
Onset: 2 Action Turns
Duration: 24 Hours
DEMO CABLE
A relative of much simpler "detcord", Demo Cable comes in the form of a self-generating reel similar to a Spindle (p. 333 EP), though much slower due to the larger size and complexity. Used for it's stability, flexibility and steady rate of explosion, Demo cable is very common in scavenging and construction. It extrudes at a rate of about 15 CM a second, or about 9 meters in a minute. It can extrude about a maximum of 1 km of cable, and the battery runs for about 1,000 hours. While the generator can extrude in a continuous line or cut to length, Demo-cable is usually rated in lengths of 1 meter at a time. Demo cable requires a blasting cap or some other kind of external device (usually produced by the reel, but can be rigged otherwise) to detonate, and so is usually not a combat weapon. However, it does deal 2d10+10 DV per meter to any object in its immediate vicinity when set off (which requires no check), and this blast can be tamped down or shaped to do x3 DV in a specific direction. [Moderate]
FOUGASSE
A fougasse technically isn't an explosive in of itself, but rather a medieval term for an improvised mortar, which is now still used as term for this sort of improvised explosive device. The original fougasse was hollowed into rock or stone, but they can also be made from lengths of pipe or tubing. These most commonly see use on moonlets or on Mars as a weapon of terrorism or area denial. A Fougasse can be rigged with any kind of shrapnel, smaller explosives, or even incendiary compounds. No two fougasse need be exactly alike. In general, assembling a fougasse falls under the rules for demolitions covered on page 197 of Eclipse Phase, but with a couple of notations. While assembling and "arming" it is still a Demolitions check to make and set the explosives, the actual device itself and it's raw materials can be gathered with a Task Action of 30 minutes to 1 hour (GM's discretion based on conditions and tools available) with a Scrounging Test. Excellent or Critical Successes on this scrounging test can offer bonuses to the Demolitions test to set up for higher quality materials, or add bonus damage, AP or other effects (such as setting a target On Fire). Otherwise, arming it should be a Demolitions task action of 1 Hour, and deals 3d10 DV (consider the device already shaped) when fired. Traditionally, a fougasse is ignited with a long, slow-burning fuse, but they can be rigged with timers or remote detonators without trouble.
PLASMA CHARGE
While not as effective as tactical weapons (tacnukes or antimatter grenades), the Plasma Charge was developed as an enlarged Plasmaburst device to clear buildings and damage weak structures, but won't breach the hull of a habitat. During and after the Fall, Plasma Charges became fairly standard (if somewhat bulky and expensive) equipment in order to clear areas of potentially dangerous nanotech or TITAN infection vectors, as the heat wave does significant damage to nanoswarms. Notably, during the early days of the Planetary Consortium, Plasma Charges have also been utilized to clear "squatters" from habitats which transferred ownership. Typical charges are blocks about 30 cm on a side and 10 cm tall. While multiple charges can be linked together, their nature makes it incredibly difficult to shape them like one would a Superthermite charge. A Plasma Charge deals 6d10+20 DV, with an Armor Penetration of 8. [Expensive]
PLASTIQUE
Plastic Explosives come in a variety of compositions, styles and names. Modern explosives us sophisticated fabrication to produce the most "bang" for your buck, and are generally considered more flexible and effective than Superthermite, though individually they have slightly less yield. Plastic explosives have a texture and pliability similar to modelling clay, and can be shaped in any way, and moulded to fit any location. This grants the user a +20 bonus on Demolitions checks to shape them, or place them on weak points of a structure. Plastique can only be detonated via electronic detonators which they are bundled with, and are activated via encrypted wireless. Individual "bricks" of Plastique weight about 1 kg and deal 2d10 DV, but individual bricks can easily be stacked for cumulative damage. [Moderate]
SPRAY EXPLOSIVE
An alternative to plastic explosives, this type of device was developed by the US Military shortly before the Fall, and many variants are now known to multiple military forces. Also called "Sticky Bombs", "Foaming Explosive" or "Comp-D", this container has an explosive mixed with an aerosolizer, which produces a spray of quick-hardening foam similar to a Freezer. The foam is premixed with an electrical line to act as a detonator, and it can be applied at ranges of up to 5 meters. A canister of Spray Explosive holds about 8 standard uses, which in total can cover one Large Sized morph or vehicle, or about 8 medium sized objects (morphs) at least on one facing or side. Spray Explosive isn't very harmful in single uses, dealing 1d10 DV to the immediate vicinity (which is cumulative), but it has two useful properties, besides the range and utility of the spray. Firstly, any object it is adhered to takes x2 DV (which becomes x4 if a Demolitions test is used to place it on a weak point), and the spray itself does not require a Demolitions test to use, only to rig properly. It can be improvised as a weapon using Spray Weapons at -20, but it only has a range of about 5 meters, and the target may attempt a full Fray to avoid it - and even if they are caught, the user would also be in the immediate blast radius. [Moderate]
TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Due to advanced manufacturing techniques, the smallest modern tactical nuclear weapon is roughly the size and shape of an overinflated american football. These devices were used commonly during the Fall to deter TITAN attacks (or other Transhumans) and even now their high yield makes them useful in certain conditions to clear small areas and these devices are less expensive and easier to move than Antimatter Grenades (p. 179 Firewall) though illegal in many polities still. Typically, modern tacnukes have quantum encrypted detonators, or small QE comm linked for remote detonation. When detonated, anything inside a 20 meter radius that does not have a cumulative DUR+Energy Armor of 200 or more is vaporized, and even stronger items take severe damage. In atmosphere, at up to 60 meters there is an intense pressure wave. Unprotected biomorphs will almost assuredly be killed, and structures weaker than Metallic Glass will be destroyed or suffer critical damage. At up to 120 meters, the blast wave is reduced, most biomorphs will receive enough damage to be incapacitated, and structures and objects made of materials like Polymers, Wood or Transparent Alumina will be destroyed or severely damaged. 150 meters is the rough thermal radiation radius, which applies even in vacuum. Unprotected biomorphs will suffer severe burns, probably be incapacitated or severely injured, and flammable objects can be set on fire in proper conditions. 450 meters is the effective and immediate particle radiation radius, where unshielded biomorphs will suffer the effects of radiation poisoning (p. 201 EP). If in Atmosphere, this is also the effective radius of the EMP effect the weapon generates. Effects on Synthmorphs are up to the GM to determine, but many will still experience high amounts of damage or other complications. [GM's Discretion]
THERMITE TAPE/STRIPS
An alternative to liquid thermite for demolition or scavenging purposes, mainly developed for microgravity where liquids are difficult to use, or for situations with possible risk of ignition. Sold in rolls similar to Grip Tape, Thermite Tape or strips can applied to almost any surface, and is made with similar materials to Superthermite charges. However, it does not properly "explode" with force, making it a more ideal precision tool. The tape can be set to detonate with an electrical contact which is shielded in the core of the strip, and only exposed when part of the tape is set. When activated, it deals 2d10+5 DV to anything it is touching for 3 Action Turns, and will start a small fire in the right environment. This damage is reduced by Armor, but it reduces the AV of the targeted object by the amount of damage done until it is repaired. [Moderate]
Thursday, December 15, 2016
Beam Snipers
Beam Weapons, and directed energy weapons in general, are known having some difficulties with maximum range, especially compared to kinetic projectiles. Lasers, being visible light, are obscured or disrupted by atmospheric conditions, and basically have no penetration due to the fact that the damage done to the target almost always prevents laser damage from affecting a target beyond the surface layer. Plasma weapons are devastatingly strong, but heavy and with high power consumption - and at range the intense temperature difference causes a thermal blooming effect which rapidly cools plasma outside of its magnetic containment. Particle Beam weapons are slightly better in this regard, as they transfer mostly kinetic energy, though they need to be adapted to in or out of atmosphere use. However, through applications of technology (and at cost), some long-range variants of classic beam weapons do exist.
Marksman Laser: This rifle-sized laser weapon resembles a traditional long rifle, with sturdy construction and a long "barrel". This is actually additional blocks of focusing medium and laser pumps, which when combined with more potent draw on the battery allows the laser to build up a much stronger pulse when fired, which allows it to remain coherent at slightly longer ranges (though still not through certain weather and atmosphere effects) and actually delivers enough power for the beam to penetrate light layers of armor before being disrupted. This still doesn't offer as much power as many actual marksman or sniper weapons, but is useful as a precision laser tool by certain specialists. [High]
AP -3 2d10+2 DV SA Ammo 50
0-45 46-150 151-225 226-375
Plasma Lance: This alternate Plasma Rifle (p. 339 EP) is even larger and bulkier, as it features a longer magnetic containment area and more powerful magnetic pinch to draw, contain and project plasma in a more coherent beam at the target. While overkill for most things, some prefer the added range and power when dealing with high-risk threats, such as xenotech or TITAN remnants. While even less energy efficient than a normal plasma rifle it does have the increased effective range, and the extra force means it offers excellent penetration for a DEW. Like a regular plasma rifle, the Plasma Lance will set the target On Fire with an Excellent Success, but also has poor heat transmission in vacuum, requiring 1 full turn of cooling after being fired twice. [Expensive (Minimum 30,000)]
AP -11 3d10+22 DV SA Ammo 5
0-30 31-75 76-150 151-450
Marksman Laser: This rifle-sized laser weapon resembles a traditional long rifle, with sturdy construction and a long "barrel". This is actually additional blocks of focusing medium and laser pumps, which when combined with more potent draw on the battery allows the laser to build up a much stronger pulse when fired, which allows it to remain coherent at slightly longer ranges (though still not through certain weather and atmosphere effects) and actually delivers enough power for the beam to penetrate light layers of armor before being disrupted. This still doesn't offer as much power as many actual marksman or sniper weapons, but is useful as a precision laser tool by certain specialists. [High]
AP -3 2d10+2 DV SA Ammo 50
0-45 46-150 151-225 226-375
Plasma Lance: This alternate Plasma Rifle (p. 339 EP) is even larger and bulkier, as it features a longer magnetic containment area and more powerful magnetic pinch to draw, contain and project plasma in a more coherent beam at the target. While overkill for most things, some prefer the added range and power when dealing with high-risk threats, such as xenotech or TITAN remnants. While even less energy efficient than a normal plasma rifle it does have the increased effective range, and the extra force means it offers excellent penetration for a DEW. Like a regular plasma rifle, the Plasma Lance will set the target On Fire with an Excellent Success, but also has poor heat transmission in vacuum, requiring 1 full turn of cooling after being fired twice. [Expensive (Minimum 30,000)]
AP -11 3d10+22 DV SA Ammo 5
0-30 31-75 76-150 151-450
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Butterfly
Butterfly: This drug is a social enhancer, designed to make people more extroverted and able to connect with others, as well as generally more pleasant to be around. It improves one's ability to socialize by making one feel more open and able to communicate even simplistic or empty facts about oneself. Consumed as a small, butterfly-shaped chewable, this drug grants a +20 to all Networking tests for the duration it lasts, but causes the character to be inappropriately happy or upbeat - prone to inane gossip or conversation. The user must make a WILx3 test to discuss serious subjects. Long term users may be prone to laughing fits or lack of focus, and tend to develop wrinkles from frequent smiling. [Low]
Butterfly is more common than say, DCV, due to that drug's slightly more niche marketing, but isn't quite as common as Alpha or Hither (p. 320-21 EP) for parties and social engagements. Butterfly users (Who sometimes call themselves "caterpillars") are either normally introverted people, or by people who feel they need to be supremely good at finding and talking to people, usually at social engagements. Due to it's effect on social communication, Butterfly abuse is extremely common in the Anarchist habs of the Outer System, where socialization and reputation are key. Too much Butterfly can wrap around and result in a rep loss, however, as it tends to make users come across as insufferable. Some people even form "butterfly parties" or "metamorphosis" parties where everyone takes Butterfly (often in combination with other substances) to become very extroverted, and meet lots of people and learn about them or connect with them.
Application: O
Onset: 3 Action Turns
Duration: 1 Hour
Addiction Modifier: +0
Addiction Type: Physical
Butterfly is more common than say, DCV, due to that drug's slightly more niche marketing, but isn't quite as common as Alpha or Hither (p. 320-21 EP) for parties and social engagements. Butterfly users (Who sometimes call themselves "caterpillars") are either normally introverted people, or by people who feel they need to be supremely good at finding and talking to people, usually at social engagements. Due to it's effect on social communication, Butterfly abuse is extremely common in the Anarchist habs of the Outer System, where socialization and reputation are key. Too much Butterfly can wrap around and result in a rep loss, however, as it tends to make users come across as insufferable. Some people even form "butterfly parties" or "metamorphosis" parties where everyone takes Butterfly (often in combination with other substances) to become very extroverted, and meet lots of people and learn about them or connect with them.
Application: O
Onset: 3 Action Turns
Duration: 1 Hour
Addiction Modifier: +0
Addiction Type: Physical
Monday, December 12, 2016
Emmerich's World
Emmerich's World
Type: Terrestrial Jovian Moon
Primary Star: K6V (Orange dwarf)
Secondary Star: M7V (Red dwarf)
Tertiary Star: sdL9 (Red-Brown dwarf)
Satellite Of: Anchorhead (9 Jupiter Masses)
Gravity: 1.25 g
Diameter: 17,796
Atmospheric Pressure: .4 atm
Atmospheric Composition: 71% Nitrogen, 18% Oxygen, trace other gasses
Surface Temperature (Mean): 22 C
Day Length: 24.9 Hours
Orbital Period: 45 Days
Gate Access: Fissure Gate, Nihilus Gate
Notes: Significant Lagrange Point Bodies, Planetary Ring, Frequent Natural Phenomena, Alien Life (Microbes and Fungus), Advanced Alien Artifact (Case WETWARE AUTOMATA)
Emmerich's World in an interesting case in a lot of little ways. First, it is an almost Earth-sized moon in orbit around a super jovian planet. While its atmosphere is too thin and gravity too high for unmodified transhumans to survive normally, it is otherwise a fairly personable world with a decent temperature which has an orbit around what is technically a trinary system, with a rare T-type "red-brown" star as the third companion. It's also been observed that this star system has a large volume of asteroids or even dwarf planetoids in its lagrange points (Trojans) trailing the Jovian, hence it's name "Anchorhead". Second point of interest is that Emmerich's World has a breathtaking sky, both from Anchorhead's visible ring activity and the frequent auroras caused by a variety of radiation interactions. The last is that Emmerich's World is host to a variety of primitive microbes and fungal creatures, many of the latter produce mycotoxins which have a number of interesting effects on transhuman biology, from narcotic to hallucinogenic. Biohackers and growers can further adjust these principles. Eager to see a second Carnivale, Emmerich's World has been settled into a loose Autonomist city called "Neon Night" a short jump from the Gate where cycles of curious Scum and a variety of Anarchist "science nerds" of multiple stripes conduct experiments of many varieties. Neon Night is a veritable "hobby city", with every resident tending to pursue his or her own personal predilections with delight, from astronomy nerds to the pharmacists experimenting with fungi, to everywhere in between. Its renown has caused other hobbyists to move in, causing growing cottage industry in exotic cybernetics, chemistry and even arts. Due to the open source nature of everything in Neon Night City, there are also a number of visitors from Inner System polities looking for valuable research to monetize back in the System. Hobbyism has led to a weird mish-mash of cultures, mostly with architecture which reflects high levels of "neon" lighting or is made to resemble mushrooms, and a combination of Otaku cultures from the northern seaboards of the North America, with English, French and Dutch the most common languages, though hearing Japanese is not unheard of. The Emmerich Gate links to a region of stone columns or spires which are covered in native lichens.
[Sidebar] Emmerich's Second Gate - Case WETWARE AUTOMATA
Operation NECRONOMICON eyes only
It turns out Emmerich's World doesn't have just one gate. It's second gate is located roughly antipode to the first, and connects to the gate on Nihilus. But, Pathfinder has no official record of such a connection, and the Emmerich-Nihilus link is blacklisted from the latter end. They don't even have a name for the address, just a serial number. Because of this, it took Firewall a long time to make the connection. As far as we can tell, some UMars guys were poking around in Nihilus' library to find a likely source for the "Diggers", and came across Emmerich's World. What happened to that team must have freaked them out a lot, because it went all the way up Pathfinder's grapevine to we presume Project OZMA. Intercepted communiques indicates OZMA poked the bear too, but decided to sit on it and block the address. Why exactly, we're not sure. Maybe they poked too hard and it burned them, maybe they know something we don't... maybe the Scum just set up shop on the far side of the planet and they decided making a big fuss would just make it worse. Either way, we have no record of further investigations from that angle, just some scattered descriptions that turned NECRONOMICON servers on to this idea. So we sent some Sentinels out to hike over from Neon Night City and check it out. The second Gate (why we say "second" should become apparent in a moment) is located on top of a reddish-black artificial structure which can only be described as a pyramid and a triple-helix had a baby. The base is just under 250 meters in length and it's tips reach over 180 meters in height, bigger than the old Great Pyramid. It also has an extensive underground component, meaning it's exact cubic volume isn't known. The composition of the Pyramid seems to be a mixture of metallic polymers and fullerened carbon, making a tough shell which works like a faraday shield. It's surface is completely undetailed, too. But that's not the freakiest thing.
Case WETWARE AUTOMATA is a strange object which is described as a "monolith" or "marker" stone in the decrypted communiques, and is a vaguely serpentine object of a dull reddish coloring which stands about 3.3 meters in height. It sits on a small plinth in the dead center of it's pyramid, which is a giant open space which appears lit by no known source. The WETWARE AUTOMATA object is warm, appearing to emit heat at a steady 38 C, and is completely opaque to all sensor systems, and confused the fuck out of any attempt of composition analysis via the backscatter. It's completely hydrophobic, all liquids slide off it without interacting in anyway, and we can't be sure of it's exact weight, other than "very heavy". It has yet to be scratched by exposure to lasers, flamethrowers, antipersonnel and anti-armor rounds and a diamond axe. It's also been universally said by all who examined it to be "unpleasant" to look at. Of course, the real freak show is that any sapient being which gets too close to the object immediately begins to develop a fixation on repeated minor tasks and trivial matters which basically renders them "nonfunctional" by normal circumstances, unable to actually work on meaningful objectives. They'll continue to do whatever thing they decide to focus on until they pass out or die. This applies to both biological and cyberbrains, to humans, uplifts and infolife and even seems to affect infomorphs in conventional emulation software. It does not, however, affect ALI, pruned forks or smart animals. Trial and error has also concluded it can't affect Transhumans through faraday suits, analog or otherwise degraded sensory feeds, or through certain kinds of teleoperation of drones. As far as we can tell it's some kind of Basilisk Hack system, possibly doing EM interference with brains, but we've yet to find a type of sensor which can detect any meaningful activity inside the pyramid complex. Firewall has yet to elect to send an Async specialist close to the object, despite several requests from more pragmatic members of the case team.
The fact that the autonomist colony at the opposite gate is known as a "hobbyist's paradise" where they fixate on non-essential tasks is not lost on the team. It is but one of several questions we have. Since we can't date the object, all we know is that the pyramid is not of TITAN origin, rough dating puts it somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 years old. If it was made to contain the object, or the object was made after is unknown. It's also interesting that the Gate is positioned prominently on top of the structure, obviously the builders were able to reposition it. But there are no other visible structures like it on Emmerich's World. There's also some interest if this "obsessive-compulsive" behavior has anything to do with the methodical mining out of Nihilus by "Diggers". We're unsure of it's purpose or exact nature, other than that it was obviously built to last. There's also some wonder if it might be a variable object which can be interacted with somehow, possibly with interface elements on the plinth. This could mean it's output could be fine-tuned, and the current one is just some kind of area denial mode. Firewall's primary concern other than just figuring out what it's deal is is to move or contain the object before the locals decide to hike out here. Theoretically a covering could be engineered which would contain WETWORK AUTOMATA, but it wouldn't be as tough as the pyramid, and moving it has not gone well. A puppeted Daitya tried to lift it and practically tore an arm off. It's suspected there may be technology similar to the Fixors (which date to around 900,000 years ago) which holds it in place, which would probably mean a very complex system to generate a lot of force. One advantage is that all of the material seems to be made out of conventional matter, so four antimatter grenades have been rigged around the object in a cross pattern, with optimal shaping that if the failsafe is triggered the monolith, it's plinth and a good chunk of the pyramid itself. Some have argued for just a singular wide device to evaporate the pyramid and the rest of the area around it, but given how obstinate the object is nobody wants to take any bets on a wide dispersal. Either way, blowing the failsafe will cause a heap of conspiracy theories in the future, so here's hoping we can figure out how to move the damned thing. What bugs me the most though is if there are other structures on Emmerich's World which might have similar properties. Worse, what if there's vaults full of these devices in a "disarmed" state out there?
-Armitage, Firewall Crow
Type: Terrestrial Jovian Moon
Primary Star: K6V (Orange dwarf)
Secondary Star: M7V (Red dwarf)
Tertiary Star: sdL9 (Red-Brown dwarf)
Satellite Of: Anchorhead (9 Jupiter Masses)
Gravity: 1.25 g
Diameter: 17,796
Atmospheric Pressure: .4 atm
Atmospheric Composition: 71% Nitrogen, 18% Oxygen, trace other gasses
Surface Temperature (Mean): 22 C
Day Length: 24.9 Hours
Orbital Period: 45 Days
Gate Access: Fissure Gate, Nihilus Gate
Notes: Significant Lagrange Point Bodies, Planetary Ring, Frequent Natural Phenomena, Alien Life (Microbes and Fungus), Advanced Alien Artifact (Case WETWARE AUTOMATA)
Emmerich's World in an interesting case in a lot of little ways. First, it is an almost Earth-sized moon in orbit around a super jovian planet. While its atmosphere is too thin and gravity too high for unmodified transhumans to survive normally, it is otherwise a fairly personable world with a decent temperature which has an orbit around what is technically a trinary system, with a rare T-type "red-brown" star as the third companion. It's also been observed that this star system has a large volume of asteroids or even dwarf planetoids in its lagrange points (Trojans) trailing the Jovian, hence it's name "Anchorhead". Second point of interest is that Emmerich's World has a breathtaking sky, both from Anchorhead's visible ring activity and the frequent auroras caused by a variety of radiation interactions. The last is that Emmerich's World is host to a variety of primitive microbes and fungal creatures, many of the latter produce mycotoxins which have a number of interesting effects on transhuman biology, from narcotic to hallucinogenic. Biohackers and growers can further adjust these principles. Eager to see a second Carnivale, Emmerich's World has been settled into a loose Autonomist city called "Neon Night" a short jump from the Gate where cycles of curious Scum and a variety of Anarchist "science nerds" of multiple stripes conduct experiments of many varieties. Neon Night is a veritable "hobby city", with every resident tending to pursue his or her own personal predilections with delight, from astronomy nerds to the pharmacists experimenting with fungi, to everywhere in between. Its renown has caused other hobbyists to move in, causing growing cottage industry in exotic cybernetics, chemistry and even arts. Due to the open source nature of everything in Neon Night City, there are also a number of visitors from Inner System polities looking for valuable research to monetize back in the System. Hobbyism has led to a weird mish-mash of cultures, mostly with architecture which reflects high levels of "neon" lighting or is made to resemble mushrooms, and a combination of Otaku cultures from the northern seaboards of the North America, with English, French and Dutch the most common languages, though hearing Japanese is not unheard of. The Emmerich Gate links to a region of stone columns or spires which are covered in native lichens.
[Sidebar] Emmerich's Second Gate - Case WETWARE AUTOMATA
Operation NECRONOMICON eyes only
It turns out Emmerich's World doesn't have just one gate. It's second gate is located roughly antipode to the first, and connects to the gate on Nihilus. But, Pathfinder has no official record of such a connection, and the Emmerich-Nihilus link is blacklisted from the latter end. They don't even have a name for the address, just a serial number. Because of this, it took Firewall a long time to make the connection. As far as we can tell, some UMars guys were poking around in Nihilus' library to find a likely source for the "Diggers", and came across Emmerich's World. What happened to that team must have freaked them out a lot, because it went all the way up Pathfinder's grapevine to we presume Project OZMA. Intercepted communiques indicates OZMA poked the bear too, but decided to sit on it and block the address. Why exactly, we're not sure. Maybe they poked too hard and it burned them, maybe they know something we don't... maybe the Scum just set up shop on the far side of the planet and they decided making a big fuss would just make it worse. Either way, we have no record of further investigations from that angle, just some scattered descriptions that turned NECRONOMICON servers on to this idea. So we sent some Sentinels out to hike over from Neon Night City and check it out. The second Gate (why we say "second" should become apparent in a moment) is located on top of a reddish-black artificial structure which can only be described as a pyramid and a triple-helix had a baby. The base is just under 250 meters in length and it's tips reach over 180 meters in height, bigger than the old Great Pyramid. It also has an extensive underground component, meaning it's exact cubic volume isn't known. The composition of the Pyramid seems to be a mixture of metallic polymers and fullerened carbon, making a tough shell which works like a faraday shield. It's surface is completely undetailed, too. But that's not the freakiest thing.
Case WETWARE AUTOMATA is a strange object which is described as a "monolith" or "marker" stone in the decrypted communiques, and is a vaguely serpentine object of a dull reddish coloring which stands about 3.3 meters in height. It sits on a small plinth in the dead center of it's pyramid, which is a giant open space which appears lit by no known source. The WETWARE AUTOMATA object is warm, appearing to emit heat at a steady 38 C, and is completely opaque to all sensor systems, and confused the fuck out of any attempt of composition analysis via the backscatter. It's completely hydrophobic, all liquids slide off it without interacting in anyway, and we can't be sure of it's exact weight, other than "very heavy". It has yet to be scratched by exposure to lasers, flamethrowers, antipersonnel and anti-armor rounds and a diamond axe. It's also been universally said by all who examined it to be "unpleasant" to look at. Of course, the real freak show is that any sapient being which gets too close to the object immediately begins to develop a fixation on repeated minor tasks and trivial matters which basically renders them "nonfunctional" by normal circumstances, unable to actually work on meaningful objectives. They'll continue to do whatever thing they decide to focus on until they pass out or die. This applies to both biological and cyberbrains, to humans, uplifts and infolife and even seems to affect infomorphs in conventional emulation software. It does not, however, affect ALI, pruned forks or smart animals. Trial and error has also concluded it can't affect Transhumans through faraday suits, analog or otherwise degraded sensory feeds, or through certain kinds of teleoperation of drones. As far as we can tell it's some kind of Basilisk Hack system, possibly doing EM interference with brains, but we've yet to find a type of sensor which can detect any meaningful activity inside the pyramid complex. Firewall has yet to elect to send an Async specialist close to the object, despite several requests from more pragmatic members of the case team.
The fact that the autonomist colony at the opposite gate is known as a "hobbyist's paradise" where they fixate on non-essential tasks is not lost on the team. It is but one of several questions we have. Since we can't date the object, all we know is that the pyramid is not of TITAN origin, rough dating puts it somewhere between 50,000 and 100,000 years old. If it was made to contain the object, or the object was made after is unknown. It's also interesting that the Gate is positioned prominently on top of the structure, obviously the builders were able to reposition it. But there are no other visible structures like it on Emmerich's World. There's also some interest if this "obsessive-compulsive" behavior has anything to do with the methodical mining out of Nihilus by "Diggers". We're unsure of it's purpose or exact nature, other than that it was obviously built to last. There's also some wonder if it might be a variable object which can be interacted with somehow, possibly with interface elements on the plinth. This could mean it's output could be fine-tuned, and the current one is just some kind of area denial mode. Firewall's primary concern other than just figuring out what it's deal is is to move or contain the object before the locals decide to hike out here. Theoretically a covering could be engineered which would contain WETWORK AUTOMATA, but it wouldn't be as tough as the pyramid, and moving it has not gone well. A puppeted Daitya tried to lift it and practically tore an arm off. It's suspected there may be technology similar to the Fixors (which date to around 900,000 years ago) which holds it in place, which would probably mean a very complex system to generate a lot of force. One advantage is that all of the material seems to be made out of conventional matter, so four antimatter grenades have been rigged around the object in a cross pattern, with optimal shaping that if the failsafe is triggered the monolith, it's plinth and a good chunk of the pyramid itself. Some have argued for just a singular wide device to evaporate the pyramid and the rest of the area around it, but given how obstinate the object is nobody wants to take any bets on a wide dispersal. Either way, blowing the failsafe will cause a heap of conspiracy theories in the future, so here's hoping we can figure out how to move the damned thing. What bugs me the most though is if there are other structures on Emmerich's World which might have similar properties. Worse, what if there's vaults full of these devices in a "disarmed" state out there?
-Armitage, Firewall Crow
Sunday, December 11, 2016
Particle Bolt Weapons
The Particle Beam Bolter (p. 330 EP) is a fairly solid beam weapon, firing invisible particles at near C velocities. While functioning as a beam, the Bolter transfers kinetic energy well, creating ruptures, small explosions or superheating at the target to inflict damage, which is not disrupted by atmospheric conditions like laser weapons, nor limited by "blooming" or temperature differential like a plasma weapon. Because of this utility, while not having quite the same damage output they are a popular weapon among those who utilize energy weapons. As such, some common variants have appeared.
Particle Bolt Pistol: Based on the Particle Beam Bolter, this takes the weapon from a rifle-sized weapon to a pistol-sized, capable of being used one handed and concealed. Because of this reduced size, it has smaller battery storage, and smaller capacitors, which means it fires with slightly less energy, has less effective range, and doesn't last as long, but as a consolation, it can be made with less materials, rendering it less expensive. Like the regular bolter, it must be set for either atmospheric or exoatmospheric (vacuum) operation and will not function in the opposite environment, though it only takes a Complex Action to switch. [Moderate]
AP -2 2d10+2 DV SA Ammo 25
0–15 16–50 51–75 76–150
Particle Bolt Repeater: Designed for use in close quarters, this variant of the Beam Bolter is slightly smaller, like a carbine or SMG, and built slightly thicker. This is because it uses high-power batteries and rapid charging capacitation in order to allow the particle weapon to fire in burst or fully automatic fire, similar to kinetic weapons. This makes it much more complex and expensive to produce, and with slightly less power in each individual shot, but the rate of fire may make it much more effective in tight quarters. Like the regular bolter, it must be set for either atmospheric or exoatmospheric (vacuum) operation and will not function in the opposite environment, though it only takes a Complex Action to switch. [Expensive]
AP -2 2d10+3 DV SA/BF/FA Ammo 40
0–15 16–50 51–75 76–150
Particle Bolt Pistol: Based on the Particle Beam Bolter, this takes the weapon from a rifle-sized weapon to a pistol-sized, capable of being used one handed and concealed. Because of this reduced size, it has smaller battery storage, and smaller capacitors, which means it fires with slightly less energy, has less effective range, and doesn't last as long, but as a consolation, it can be made with less materials, rendering it less expensive. Like the regular bolter, it must be set for either atmospheric or exoatmospheric (vacuum) operation and will not function in the opposite environment, though it only takes a Complex Action to switch. [Moderate]
AP -2 2d10+2 DV SA Ammo 25
0–15 16–50 51–75 76–150
Particle Bolt Repeater: Designed for use in close quarters, this variant of the Beam Bolter is slightly smaller, like a carbine or SMG, and built slightly thicker. This is because it uses high-power batteries and rapid charging capacitation in order to allow the particle weapon to fire in burst or fully automatic fire, similar to kinetic weapons. This makes it much more complex and expensive to produce, and with slightly less power in each individual shot, but the rate of fire may make it much more effective in tight quarters. Like the regular bolter, it must be set for either atmospheric or exoatmospheric (vacuum) operation and will not function in the opposite environment, though it only takes a Complex Action to switch. [Expensive]
AP -2 2d10+3 DV SA/BF/FA Ammo 40
0–15 16–50 51–75 76–150
Friday, December 9, 2016
Unbreakable
Recreational drugs are an interesting, sometimes obscure market. People who just want to relax and get away from things tend to hit Orbital Hash (p. 320 EP). People who want to be down, to experience an ephemeral passing feeling can hit Mono No Aware (p. 320 EP). Petals (p. 322 EP) and Buzz (p. 320 EP) are the drugs of choice for people who really want to escape a desperate reality through some all-encompassing experience. And Monochrome is an unusual drug which gives a brief bout of happiness, a good counter to people who feel down. But for people who really want a pick-me-up, you should see about buying some Unbreakable.
Unbreakable: Normally sold in patches, Unbreakable is a mixture of natural compounds and genetically enhanced hormones designed to give one a boost of confidence and euphoria. While it takes a while to kick in, the patch will slowly work in the drug over a long period of time. Users feel "invincible" or "unstoppable", full of confidence and extremely happy or "up" for the duration, though it has no other pronounced effects. A GM may allow bonuses for certain tests while on this drug. Unbreakable has long-term health effects, causing consistent damage to biology which imposes a -30 penalty to all tests when not on the drug for long term users. [Low]
Unbreakable is popular in certain markets of people who tend to be of lower economic standing. It makes the user feel good about themselves and anything really, ideal for all kinds of situations with work or socializing. Street gangs often pass out Unbreakable to new members - not only does it assuage fears of anxiety to do deeds they may require, but the long-term hook is a way to "retain" membership. It's fairly tame effects mean that Unbreakable is not common in "hardcore" drug users or more wealthy clientele who can afford more exotic experiences.
Type: Bio
Application: D
Onset: 2 Hours
Duration: 24 Hours
Addiction Modifier: +10
Addiction Type: Physical
Unbreakable: Normally sold in patches, Unbreakable is a mixture of natural compounds and genetically enhanced hormones designed to give one a boost of confidence and euphoria. While it takes a while to kick in, the patch will slowly work in the drug over a long period of time. Users feel "invincible" or "unstoppable", full of confidence and extremely happy or "up" for the duration, though it has no other pronounced effects. A GM may allow bonuses for certain tests while on this drug. Unbreakable has long-term health effects, causing consistent damage to biology which imposes a -30 penalty to all tests when not on the drug for long term users. [Low]
Unbreakable is popular in certain markets of people who tend to be of lower economic standing. It makes the user feel good about themselves and anything really, ideal for all kinds of situations with work or socializing. Street gangs often pass out Unbreakable to new members - not only does it assuage fears of anxiety to do deeds they may require, but the long-term hook is a way to "retain" membership. It's fairly tame effects mean that Unbreakable is not common in "hardcore" drug users or more wealthy clientele who can afford more exotic experiences.
Type: Bio
Application: D
Onset: 2 Hours
Duration: 24 Hours
Addiction Modifier: +10
Addiction Type: Physical
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