SPLICERS Unleashed Iron Shell

Hey DA Fam & SpliceHeads,

Here’s another Splicers: Unleashed Entry to be posted. For those of you who are new to the Splicers RPG, this is an illustration that was done for a contest based on the Palladiumbooks RPG title: SPLICERS. The contest was conducted on the Palladiumbooks Forums:

[link]

The Top 5 voted Winners received the prize of each having their written entry being illustrated.

This diabolic Kaiju beast is called the “Iron Shell” Warmount and was created and written by the poster known as “Kevarin” DA fam . It is a voracious Amphibious Troop Transport War Mount armed with (2) huge Omega Cannons, Organic rockets, bio Naplam breath weapon and a tremendous defense composed of thick armored plating and a horn array that would shred most armored beast easily.

Once again I had fun with this one and after reading the corresponding written story by Guy Ledouche and write up by Kevarin, I am just getting more excited with the growing possibilities and potential that Splicers continues to reveal. Kevarin thanks for this one!

Oh some of you might want to see some stats so here they are. For a complete list and the story please see the following link on Palladiumbooks forum:

[link]

Class: Amphibious Troop Transport War Mount.
Crew: One rider.

Destroying the head will stop the War Mount in its tracks, eliminates all optics and sensory systems, reduces the speed to 10% of max, reduces the number of melee attacks to two total (including the Outrider’s) and negates all bonuses from the animal, but the Outrider can still fire the weapons systems and make the War Mount walk or swim (at a ponderous pace) for up to 24 hours after the head is gone.

Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut down the War Mount completely, rendering it totally useless and effectively destroying and killing it. All passengers inside can activate the emergency release hatch located in the back to escape the carcass.

Speed:
Running: 30 mph (48 km) maximum, but normal cruising speed is 20 mph (36 km). Due to the War Mounts massive weight it takes 10 second for the war mount to reach its maximum running speed. Running as well as combat will tire the War Mount, at one-tenth the rate of humans.
Leaping: Not possible
Digging: 10 mph (16km) through sand or dirt, but half as fast through clay, the feet of the War Mount are not designed to dig through rock and stone. To dig a hole big enough to hide the Iron Shell takes 3D6 melee rounds.
Swimming: 200 mph (320km/173 knots). The War Mount uses a water thruster system for movement and the act of swimming does not tire the War Mount or the rider. Maximum underwater depth: Two miles (3.2 km).
Flying: Not possible.
Statistical Data:
Height: 15 feet (3.6 m); 10ft (3 m) for the shell +5feet (1.5 m) from the legs.
Width: 15 feet (4.3 m).
Length: 25 feet (2.4 m) total including the head and neck of this mount. The main body itself makes up 20 feet (6.1 m) of the total length of this War Mount.
Weight: 8 tons.
Combat Bay: The Iron Shell has an internal combat bay just behind the pilot’s pod that can carry 3 Packmasters with their Gorehounds, or 8 human size soldiers, or 5 Dreadguard with their Host Armor. There is also some room for extra gear and supplies. The combat bay can also be flooded when underwater exits are needed with troops exiting thru the belly hatch The Iron Shell is able carry 3,000 lbs (900 kg) on its back or can pull 7,000 lbs (2,700 kg) at one third its normal Speed.

Production Cycle: 1 year gestation, plus 2 years growth time.
Operational Lifetime: 75 year life span.
Trade Value: 5 million credits for a healthy, undamaged unit.
Bio-Regeneration Rate: 5D6 M.D.C. per hour for the main body and 3D6 M.D.C. per hour for all other locations. The War Mount cannot re-grow severed limbs or destroyed weapon systems (reduced to zero or less), there must be at least two M.D.C. points remaining to regenerate lost limbs, and such extensive regeneration takes 1D6 days.

Senses & Features: Standard for War Mounts.
Feeding: The Iron Shell is an omnivore and eats from 70-100 lbs (31.5 to 45 kg) of organic matter a day.
Sleep Requirements: The War Mount requires only four hours of sleep/rest per day.
Other Data (used when the War Mount is without a rider):
An unmanned Iron Shell is able to function without a rider using its animal-like intelligence and instincts to respond to any given situation. However, the creature tends only to take action to defend itself when threatened or when obeying the commands of an Outrider or Packmaster (only), like a trained watchdog. It has no feelings about people or robots one-way or the other.
Alignment: Anarchist, the War Mount operates more like a robot than a living creature; devoid of personality.


Combat Capabilities: The War Mount may use its long-range weapons (each use counts as one melee action/attack) or engage in hand-to-hand combat, or combine the two.

Iron Shell Bio-Weapon Systems:
1. Horned Defense: The War Mounts shell is covered in horns to help protect it from any enemies that try to get to close and or climb up on the War Mounts back. Any and all hand-to-hand attacks directed against the War Mount with a strike roll of 12 or less mean the attacker will hit one of the horns and inflict damage to the attacker. The horn does 2D10 M.D. to the attacker. Unfortunately these horns are too broad and mounted in too awkward of positions to be used as effective weapons in hand-to-hand combat, but help to block and absorb attacks directed at the War Mount (represented by the additional M.D.C.). The horns are strongly anchored to the armor and each has an M.D.C. of 22 points.
Primary Purpose: Assault and Defense.

2. Omega Cannons (2): The Iron Shells primary long-range weapon is a pair of powerful Omega Cannons these two powerful Cannons come out of the shell above the opening for the neck. The two cannon barrels can be raised and lowered 45 degrees and turn from side to side 60 degrees.
Primary Purpose: Assault and Bombardment.
Mega-Damage: 2D8x10 M.D., with a blast radius of 10 feet (3m) if a single Omega Cannon is used, or 4D8xl0 M.D., with blast radius of 20 feet (6.1 m), if both are fired simultaneously at the same target(s).
Maximum Effective Range: 5,000 feet (1524 m); nearly one mile.
Rate of Fire: The Omega Cannons can be fired one at a time or simultaneously at the same target. A single shot or paired volley count as two melee attack/actions.
Payload: Effectively unlimited, since these are energy based weapons.

3. Bio-Napalm Thrower: The Iron Shell can project sticky, long-lived napalm that is fired from the mouth. This concentrated Mega-Damage fire does not dissipate quickly, but lasts for a period of 2D6 melee rounds, enough time to cook most targets or to create a flaming barrier to hold foot soldiers and vehicles at bay (though not necessarily robots). During this time, a target covered in the napalm continues to take damage (3D8 M.D. per melee round), and so does anyone (or thing) that tries running through the flame (2D8 M.D.). Only by wiping the sticky flaming substance off can the target hope to survive. Water will not dowse napalm (though flame retardant chemicals will).
Primary Purpose: Combat Support.
Secondary Purpose: Assault and Defense (blocking and destroying roads, bridges, fortifications, etc., as well as direct assaults on robots/troops, vehicles, etc.).
Mega-Damage: 3D8 M.D. per fiery single blast, but the target hit with napalm continues to burn and take an additional 3D8 M.D. per melee round. If human, the character is on fire, loses half his attacks per melee, is -6 on all combat bonuses and likely to be panicked and trying to put the fire out any way he can (half these penalties if the character is clad in M.D. armor, and robots and drones only lose one melee attack and a penalty of -1 on all combat bonuses as they ignore the fire and continue to fight). Three rapid-fire blasts will easily span a 20-foot (6.1 m) width/section of road. Note: The only way to douse the napalm is to roll in dirt or sand for one entire melee round (15 seconds), rub the napalm off for one entire melee round (but takes double damage; 4D8 M.D. that melee) or to be doused with napalm retardant chemicals (at the disposal of the Resistance) which puts it out in 3 seconds/one melee action.
Rate of Fire: Each single bolt of napalm counts as one melee attack.
Maximum Effective Range: 1,000 feet (305 m).
Payload: The Iron Shell holds ten napalm attacks and can manufacture enough napalm to replace its entire payload in only 1-4 hours, and can regenerate spent napalm bolts before the entire payload is gone. However, each napalm blast requires 10 pounds (4.5 kg) of food (organic matter) it is not uncommon to see Iron Shells stopping to eat there fallen enemies to regenerate there napalm blasts during long engagements.

4. Organic Rockets (30): Mixed in with the horns on the War Mounts shell are 30 organic rocket launchers. Each of the Organic Rockets has its own independent neurological bundle (similar to tiny brain) and a single eye mounted in the nose of the rocket, allowing the rocket to see, track and target its subject independently. This provides each of the Organic Rockets with one attack per melee round, as well as a bonus of +5 to strike and dodge, until it strikes its target (and is destroyed), is shot down and destroyed, or until it dies within 2D4 melee rounds after being launched.
Primary Purpose: Assault
Maximum Effective Range: One mile (1.6 km).
Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 6 or up to the number located on that particular Host Armor. Whether a single rocket or an entire volley is fired, it counts as one melee attack/action. Roll once to strike, either all the rockets in the volley hit or they all miss.
Payload: 30 organic rockets spread across the war mounts shell. it takes 6D6 hours to re-grow its spent rockets or the war mount can speed this process up by consuming 10lbs (4.5kg) of organic matter per rocket it wishes to re-grow cutting the time needed down to1D6 hours. It is not uncommon to see Iron Shells stopping to eat their fallen enemies to help regenerate organic rockets during long engagements.