I remember their Spring Catalogue. "Guns don't kill people, unless they're Mako!"

I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome they are.

hi hi

This is the sort of problem that power armor runs into by occupying awesome-space in people's minds. It is awesome, therefore it is not constrained by logic (or consistency). Heinlein really couldn't have predicted that tanks would advance into something that could achieve 95% firing accuracy on in line of sight targets while moving at a constant speed of 40 mph while possessing the capability to engage targets over the horizon as well. I think a lot of people take the wheel for granted when it was in fact one of the most significant inventions ever.

That being said, I'd be all up for running a game with power armor and such myself. If you're thinking of power armor as being the next step up from milspec armor though, drones in general should probably be given twice as much armor.

Well, I do happen to like the orderly, becuase its cheap. If you spend upwards of 20k on a piece of gear, it really sucks when it gets blown up.

Damn you, man, now with all the kiddies out making junkyard robots and bringing them on runs, the Star's man up and do the same, you know?


That being said, the Dodge Guardian is also a very solid choice for Battlesuitification. It has handling 2, body 8, and armor 10(which won't decrease your speed, because its stock). After walker modding, its speed is fairly respectable: Accel 10/17, speed 50. Not bad. Without handlebars or tires, it can reasonably fit through doors, too. It can also take a Motorcycle Gyrostabilization, which is often cheaper/less slot intensive than body stabilizers. On the other hand, it -needs- one to drive itself, because its a cycle. The icing on the cake is the free Internal weapon mount.

Behold, the Red-and-Bluesmobile, cop-blinker style. Its on a mission from GOD. When other robosuits show up, its there to take them down.
As to the offroad tires and suspension - its a robot. Where its going, they don't -need- roads.

Dodge Guardian
Handl +2 (4 offroad, 0 onroad)
Accel 20/35 (10/17 walking)
SPeed 100 (50 walking)
Body 8
Armor 10 (13)
Sensor 2
14000Y

Accessories:
2 offroad tires: 800Y(Run flat, and handling +1/-1onroad)
MOdifications:
Overmodified: Rigger adaptation. 0 slots/5000Y. (Because, seriously, if a drone the size of a can lid gets one for free, then a car should be able to have one at no slot cost)
Walker Mode: 2 slots, 4000Y
Offroad suspension - 1 slot, 3500Y
rigger coccoon, basic 1s, 1500Y
1 full mecharm 2s/4000
1 grapple - 1s/1000Y (For fluff purposes, the internal weapon is built into this arm)
Our last slot! We've a few options. Its a cop car, so we're going to be MEAN.
Weapon mount: Fixed to Flexible. 1slot, 2000Y

Cyberarm Capacity: 15 (it does not have a cybertorso, so it is limited to rating 3)
Armor 3: 6 capacity, 900Y
Strength 3: 3 capacity, 600Y
Telescoping Cyberlimb: 2 capacity, 2500Y (because no robot suit is complete without extendo-fist)
Cyberarm Gyromount: 4 capacity, 6000Y (Anything it picks with its other arm gets 11RC. Sadly, it doesn't affect the minigun, but it means it can pick up and use anything once it runs out of ammo - and it runs out of ammo fast)

Weapon Mount:
GE Vigilant Light Autocannon. 5000Y (This can be installed into a Flexible mount)
External smartlink 400
Accessory: Underbarrel weight 75Y, Hip Pad 200Y
MOd:Underbarrel Weapon: 3 slots. See below.
Mod: Gasvent 2 mod: 3 slot, 200Y
Mod: Personalized grip(for this robot) 1 slot, 100Y
RC: 8(body)+3(gasvent)+1(UBweight)+1(hip pad)=1(persgrip)=14. (Just one shy of a fully compensated minigun, but that's okay -The one leftover point is doubled, becuase its a heavy weapon, which the smartlink makes up for.)

Weapon Mount: Underbarrel Weapon: (In-joke - this IS the underbarrel weight.)
Aztechnology Striker 1000
Accessory: Airburst Link 500Y
Accessory: External smartlink 400
Mod: Additional Clip - 2slot, 1000Y
Mod: Extended Clip - 1slot/500Y
Mod: Firing Selection Change: SS to SA - 1 slot, 300Y
Mod: Personalized Grip: (for this robot) 1 slot, 100Y
Mod: Flashlight, standard. 1 slot, 50Y (cop robot. Necessary to shiny in perps faces along with the minigun barrel)
It has four shots: Halved, round up from being an underbarrel weapon.(1) An additional clip gives it a secondary tube(1/1), and the additional clip increases them both, round up (2/2)

Gear:
Ballistic Shield (6b/4I) 1500Y
Vibrosword: 2000Y. (str/2+4 @ ap-2)
Quickdraw Holster: 100Y (for the sword)
QUickdraw HOlster: 100Y (for weapons it picks up, like a shotgun with door-breaching rounds.)

The idea i'm going for is that instead of two arms, this thing has one giant fuck-huge custom weapon arm/shield contraption(the grapple), which is treated much like a smaller person would use a rifle - brace it with the other hand. Sure, its got a little grabber to help lift things, but the other arm is used for finer manipulation.

Total Cost: 59325. 8/8 vehicle Mod slots, 6/6 weapon mod slots(twice), and all 15 cyberlimb capacity used.


You know what we need to do now? No matter how silly it sounds. ....We need to get the guy who does friday night fights to roll the Blue Baller vs the Bluesmobile. It'll be awesome. And ridiculous. But awesome.

Bwahaha... great write-up! And yeah, and awesome idea for the Fridy Night Fight, lol.

I'd have to fine tune the Blue Baller though, as the basic suit was just that... the basics. Plus I haven't delved into using the arm capacity yet... there are definitely some interesting things we could do there, as you've shown.

I can see it now:

It looks like you're taking several liberties with the rules on that Guardian.

It's dumpshocl. They find far more efficient methods of twinking every week, so it makes sense that even their flaming would be efficient and to the point.

Yup. Partially with the recoil, partially with the cyberlimbs. Strangely enough, the accessories are all kosher - due to how Mounts work.

But, yeah, sometimes you just have to go 'fuck it' and stat it anyway.



You know, that could be fun. Would we have to stat the pilot too, or just use the same generic mook for both?

Meh, I say just the same mook for both. Otherwise it becomes less about the hardware. And the hardware is full of Awsome. Rediculous Awsome, even.

Preface: obviously you're going for a joke and not a serious build, so take the following in its proper context. It's always fun to see something pretty crazy, so thanks for sharing.

I see what you mean about Recoil: Personalized Grip on a mounted weapon? Hip Pad? UB Weight 'joke'…

However, I dunno. Additional and Extended Clips on a weapon that doesn't have clips (or magazines, or drums…)? And the Light Autocannon should certainly count as a HMG, so it needs a Reinforced Mount, which very likely can't be in the arm (fluff or no fluff), especially if you're taking advantage of 8 Body for RC.

Rigger Adaption for free doesn't make sense, either. A tiny Skimmer is *tiny*, and built for this; one assumes that adding the jump-in capability requires some hardware. Besides, you're getting a weapon mod for 'free' the same way that Skimmer gets Rigger Adaption for free, so… not much room to complain.

On a separate note, what's the joke about the offroad tires/suspension? It… doesn't have wheels. :/

Its more to do with that any drone, ever, no matter its construction, size, intended use, gets free rigger adaptation due to rules fiat. It makes no sense that a larger vehicle, with a ton more space, can't benefit from the same thing - and, hey, we have these handy overmodding rules to make that possible. And, uh, drones get standard model upgrades too. Thats not a drone thing. Thats a vehicle thing in general. It is not free - it still costs nuyen. The modification slot itself is significantly more precios.

Well. An underbarrel weight takes the Under slot. An underbarrel Weapon mod takes 3 mod slots. The two are somewhat compatable.

As for the tires? Well. Walker mode can either replace your mode of transport, or add to it. If its not replaced, then it still has tires. As for the bonus - well. As a walker, its hardly ever on a road, now, is it?

As for the light autocannon - it specifically says it can be put in a fleximount if the vehicle setup allows for it. Granted, i could pretty easily go to a HMG and not have to worry about recoil, but then it doesn't have a minigun. With a rocket launcher on it.

I meant that *adding* the Rigger Adaption clearly takes a slot, and should. Because it's not built-in. What are you talking about 'standard upgrades'? In any event, I was specifically talking about that precious slot when I said 'free'; the problem is exactly that you're paying the cheap Nuyen cost, and ignoring the much more important slot cost. My point is that you *do* have Overmodification rules, and instead of using them, you just cheated.

I feel confident it means that the light autocannon can be on a flexible mount, as opposed to a fixed one (unlike the other Main Guns); that's got nothing to do with being reinforced or not.

I don't see that Walker does not "completely swap out" the wheels.

I certainly didn't cheat. The overmodification rules are pretty clear. Double cost. Facility size bumped up an entire category. Threshold to install doubled. and any GM-specific penalties. And, technically, you may only overmodify after using all your slots. Which we have. You may have noticed I payed 5k for that adaptation - easy detail to miss, but it does follow the overmodding rules.... Just without a GM. Look up your rules first before you go pointing fingers, kiddo.

As for standard upgrades, flip open arsenal. Pick a vehicle. Look at the end of the description. There will most likely be a few modifications listed. Those are standard model upgrades. That model, has those upgrades, standard. Not too hard to get.

Normally you might be right about the autocannon - but its an exception to the usual rules. Normally it requires a heavy weapon mount(body 14), because its a Main Gun. Upon further examinatin of the rules, though, it can fit in a Fixed mount just fine. If it would satisfy your arguement, Flexi can be easily changed for Reinforced, at a net cost of 2000 nuyen.

As for walker mode: second line. It even mentions wheeled legs.

Whoa, relax. No doubt I misunderstood your joke. I meant that you specifically said, 'I'm not paying slots for this because I don't want to'. It's an RPG, you can't actually 'cheat', because who would care anyway? Munchkin honor? Oh, and 'kiddo' YOUR FACE.

I want to reiterate my earlier preface: I'm only asking about these things because I'm interested in your answers. 9 out of 10, I learn something in the process.

That said, onward. It mentions special wheel/track/legs as a solely fluff issue, but it does not say you can keep the non-Walker mode, and the tires/suspension are only for non-Walker ground vehicles (I thought). I didn't say you didn't have those standard upgrades, I said that they were rendered incompatible. It *is* a pretty sneaky attempt to get +2 Handling, which is a big deal.

For the mount, the real reason I asked wasn't the money, but the slots: doesn't a Reinforced mount take another slot? Or did you mean Reinforced instead of Flexible? Either way, it seems clear (to me) that the LAC is at least as heavy as a HMG; unlike other Main Guns, its mount can be Flexible instead of Turreted, but it's not also LMG-sized.

Preface: I am jokking. Its not munchkin honor, its art. Stop disrespecting my art, man.

Nah, just kidding. Pardon the super-dry humor, moving on. Sorry if I over-reacted.

And yeah, I do mean Reinforced instead of Flexible. The Reinforced mount does indeed take up another Weapon Mount slot. The guardian has 8 body, and thus 3 slots to work with, so we're golden. It -also- does take another Modification Slot. So.... we just remove the Flexi-mount upgrade, and straight swap it for Reinforced. It costs a little more, but that's fine, and we get to keep the autocannon. I think i'm going to start calling it the Winigun.

Note there is a difference between Core Book and Arsenal when it comes to the number of weapon slots on a given vehicle - arsenal's mount rules round up, while the core books does not. This means that the smallest drone you can arm is a Small drone, at body 2+. A minidrone could, theoretically, have a weapon mount - except that the actual Weapon Mount vehicle mod is a Standard type upgrade, and so minidrones cant' take it.

It also occurs to me that the Aztech striker could be easily swapped for a Yakusobu MRL, but it has a super-high availability, and costs more, which is why i used the modded striker.

As for the offroad suspension, well. Difference of opinion - it may or may not work out. However, I have discovered something hilarious. Tracked Vehicle has no such Wheel restriction, and the Temporary, removable version may be taken off. It only cuts the Speed in half, not the Acceleration, which is -ace-. And it also gives +3 offroad handling., -1 onroad. For the guardian, it costs 8 grand. Score. And, uh, looks like i forgot to include Walker Mode's handling bonus in the above statblock. So it goes from 2, to 3(6 offroad, 2 onroad). Not bad at ALL. Rules Legal, and better. Sweet,

You know, back in 3rd edition there was a short lived magazine called Shadowland. I don't remember how official it was but it had ules for power armour...called them ACeRs because they used a modified vehicle control rig called an Armour Control Rig. We tested 'em out and they were pretty powerful. If you can track down a copy you could convert the rules to 4th.

Yeah, I happened to find some details on ACERS, on this site.. More specifically, the Acers were in the first issue. Looks like Acers were in the first issue, and written by Andrew Ragland.

Anyone got a scan, or a copy sitting around somewhere?