EcoS-K-16 Gorgon War Steed“Let us go , you crazy alien bint!!!”
“Tch-tch! Not until you tell me what you were doing sneaking around our Tribal lands, armed like you were! Now, I can haul you back to camp and let the Priestess interrogate you...but she tends to get INTENSE when her evening meditations are interrupted, or I can get the truth out of you right now and spare everybody a lot of trouble. Of course, I don’t expect you to give without incentive, so here’s the deal; tell me the truth, or Scylla here, whose coils you’re currently trapped in, gets to chew on one of you. Her choice of who she starts nibbling.”
“...
told you the snake-bints weren’t worth trying to knock over, but did anybody listen to me? Noooooo....damn snake-bints and their snake pets and their snake horses...”
The ‘Gorgon’ is a Monstrex variant that has been encountered in the forces of the Sapphire Cobras. It is believed that work started on this variant soon after the Sapphire Cobras made contact with the Hawkmoons on Rifts Earth, and became privvy to the Hawkmoons’ work on diversifying their War Steed stable. Taking a page from the Hawkmoons’ development journals for the Axyridis(aka ‘Shemarrian Griffin’, itself a heavily modified Monstrex), as soon as they acquired Assembler Forges of their own, the Sapphire Cobras began looking to customize their own Monstrexes to something more appropriate to their peculiar Tribal aesthetic.
The Gorgon resembles a somewhat slighter, more slender version of the Monstrex, with a more horse-like form. The head and neck are more slender, the legs longer and lighter. In place of the articulated climbing spikes on the back, however, the Gorgon mounts giant tentacles, resembling giant snakes, and heading in rattlesnake-like robotic heads. The tail is also much longer and prehensile, ending in another stylized snake head.
Though more lightly armored than the standard Monstrex, the Gorgon is faster, more limber, and more agile, especially when negotiating close surroundings, such as jungle and dense forest. Basic sensors on the ‘arm’ and tail heads means that it is nearly impossible to sneak up on the Gorgon; a head is almost always facing in a would-be ambusher’s direction. This makes the Gorgon particularly popular with patrols and scouting parties.
The Gorgon remains exclusive to the Sapphire Cobra Tribe and is replacing many of the Tribe’s Monst-Cranes as the ‘fast mover’ of choice among Tribeswomen, especially senior warriors(the now-surplus Monst-Cranes typically going to lower-ranking warriors and senior Males).
Type: EcoS-K-16 Gorgon
Class: Robotic Warmount
Crew: None; robot intelligence
1 rider/pilot, and room for 1 passenger
MDC/Armor by Location:
Main Body 280
Head 120
*Armored Saddle 60
Snake Arms(4) 95 each
Tail 120
ForeLegs(2) 100 each
Rea Legs(2) 120 each
*The armored saddle is partially protected by expanding cobra-like hood-plates along the Gorgon’s neck, providing an extra measure of protection to the rider; the mounted Shemarrian is -3 to strike directly in the legs and main body due to the plating around her. The head and arms are still exposed, however.
Height: 10 ft (Snake tendrils can reach up as far as an additional 18 ft)
Width: 7 ft
Length: 15 ft(tail adds an additional 20 ft)
Weight: 2,500 lbs
Cargo: Small space inside/beside the saddle-seat for a few personal possessions and sidearms.
Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 35
Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life
Speed: (Running) 200 MPH
(Leaping) 30 ft up/across from a standing position. A running leap in excess of 60 MPH will add 1d6x10 yards/meters, and 20 ft to height.
(Climbing) Though the snake armatures cannot drive as sharply or deeply as the original Monstrex spikes, the snake appendages are still able to bit in, and twine around holds, allowing the War Steed to climb at a respectable skill level of 90%(still cannot repel, however).
(Flying) Not possible
(Space) Not possible to fly, though it functions perfectly fine in conditions of vacuum/weightlessness
(Underwater) 20 MPH swimming or 6 MPH running on bottom. Maximum depth is 1,200 ft.
Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar
Systems of Note:
Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of individual riders/owners.
*Extra Sensors---The extra snake heads in the tentacles and tail sport basic robot optics, heat sensors, and audio sensors, allowing for a full 360 degrees of visual observation and accoustic reception.
*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Gorgons have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 40 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.
Weapons Systems:
1)Weapons Mounts(2)----The Gorgon carries two weapons mounts identical to those standard on the baseline Monstrex.
2) Prehensile Tail---The Gorgon’s tail is much longer than the Montrex’s, and more powerful. It also ends in a set of biting jaws that can deliver a vicious bite or an envenomed one, doing additional damage.
Range: Melee, 20 ft reach
Damage: Tail Bite 1d4 MD
Tail Slash 1d6+2 MD
Tail Stab 1d10 MD
3) Snake Arms(4)---These powerful tentacles each end in a fully functional snake head that can bite through armor and deliver a fang-dose of nanovenom. The tentacles are also long and flexible enough to wrap around branches and girders to help the Gorgon climb, and can entangle and constrict opponents in melee combat.
Range: Melee, 15 ft reach
Damage: Snake Arm Bite 1d4 MD
Snake Arm Punch 1d6 MD
Snake Arm Crush/Squeeze 2d6 MD per melee
4) ’Serpent’s Kiss’ Nanite Attack---All the Gorgon’s bites (Head, arms, tail) can deliver either an armor-piercing fang bite which injects material-destroying nanites, or it can spit a stream of nanomachines. These nanites can be set to devour only metal(or other specific materials) or can be pre-programmed to be more indiscriminant and destroy whatever they land on, depending on the situation.
Range: Melee or Spit 100 ft
Damage: 3d6 MD damage per melee, for 1d4 minutes.
If delivered in a ranged spitting attack, the nanites do slightly less damage, doing only 4d4 MD for 1d4 minutes
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: 80 doses of nanites can be stored inside the Gorgon, before it needs recharging.
Of course, the rider can use any Shemarrian sidearm or long arm while mounted.
Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.
Typically has the same basic programming as for the Monstrex.
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Gorgon intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore, Espionage(Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment), Wilderness(Track Humanoids, Track Animals, Hunting, Identify Plants and Fruits)
Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 6, +2 tail attacks, +2 Snake Arm attacks
Initiative +3 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +6, +8 to Dodge when running at speeds in excess of 75 MPH.
Parry+8
Strike +2 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)
Pull +4
Roll +4
Entangle +4
Critical Strike on a Natural 19 or 20.
Restrained Bite/Nip 6d6 SDC
Bite 1d6 MD
Blunt Claw Strike 2d4 MD
Claw Strike 4d6+3 MD
Power Claw Strike(2 attacks) 8d6+3 MD
Snake Arm Bite 1d4 MD
Snake Arm Punch 1d6 MD
Snake Arm Crush/Squeeze 2d6 MD per melee
Tail Bite 1d4 MD
Tail Slash 1d6+2 MD
Tail Stab 1d10 MD
Tail Crush/Squeeze 3d6 MD per melee
Head Butt 1d4 MD
Pounce/Body Block 1d6 MD
Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Gorgon an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Gorgons have cunning, patient, personalities, content to watch and wait, contemplating everything happening around them, very much aware of their surroundings, until called to action, when they can readily spring to violent activity, combat-multi-tasking with ease.
The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points, but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Susceptible to Exorcism and Banish spells, but are +6 to save against such spells, +1 at levels 4, 8, and 12 of experience, and becoming IMMUNE at level 14 and up. Such Banishment causes the ‘bot to revert to its default robot programming. (OPTION: Ecotroz may become IMMUNE to Exorcism and Banishment with experience, and NEW BUILT EShemar constructs are immune to this)
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).
Variants:
*EcoS-K-16(SSN)-B 'Lightning Gorgon'---The Sapphire Cobras of the Shemarrian Star Nation have upgraded their Gorgons with variable mode ion blasters in the snake heads.
Range: 1,000 ft
Damage: 4d6 MD single shot
1d4x10 MD per three-shot burst
(Ion Scatter-Shot Mode)---This mode turns the blaster into a short range shotgun with an area of effect blast. Reduce range to 400 ft, but does 4d6 MD to a 10 ft wide area.
(Ion Step-Down Mode)---This mode rather than increase range or power, actually ‘steps down’ the power of ion bolts into the SDC range, and modulates their effect, making the weapon in effect a ‘super-taser’(albeit it with flash-burns). An added power regulation chip allows the weapon to use less power in SDC mode.
Range:(SDC shots) 600 ft
Damage: 1d6 SDC shock-burn. Plus, victims must make a save of 14 or better, or be -8 to strike, parry, and dodge for 2d6 melees. A savings throw versus non-lethal poison means the person is unimpaired. 25% chance of knocking out unshielded cybernetics for 1d4 melees.
Payload: One MD shot equals 10 SDC shots
(Ion Focal Booster Mode)---Aka ‘Puncher’---This mode improves the focus of the ion pulse density, improving damage at the cost of range. Reduce range to 400 ft, but up damage to 5d6 MD per shot.
Note: It normally would take a regular person 2 melee actions to switch between modes on this weapon, but for the Ecotroz, with their Telemechanic psionics, it takes NO actions to actually change between modes. NeShemar cyborgs seem to have some sort of technomechanical linkage that allows them to switch modes as well without losing an APM.
Rate of Fire: ECHH
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
*EcoS-K-16(SSN)-C ’PyroGorgon’---Another Star Nation variant that mounts plasma blasters in the snake heads. Reportedly, after seeing this variant in action, the Shemarrian Star Nation branch of the Blood Riders have begged, pleaded, bribed and challenged to get the design specs from the Sapphire Cobras, to no avail(though the Cobras are having a fine time teasing and getting the Blood Riders to sometimes literally dance for them).
Range: 500 ft
Damage: 5d6 MD per blast
Rate of Fire: Standard
Payload: Effectively Unlimited
Options:
*“Hot Shotting”---This system augments the normal air-draw plasma re-mass system with deuterium-gas injected into the plasma flow for a cleaner, hotter, more potent ‘burn’. The deuterium is stored in pressurized cylinders attached to the feeds of the gun, like a CO2 air rifle cartridge. This allows the plasma to do 50% more damage, but the weapon now has a bit of a recoil due to the more powerful plasma acting like a crude plasma drive(-1 to strike).
*Scatter-Fire---This modifies the muzzle plasma ejector mechanism to fire a dozen or so smaller plasma bolts at shorter range and with less individual damage, but with a scatter effect like a shotgun---ideal for clearing out rooms and compartments.
Reduce range by 1/3, and mini-plasma bolts do 2d4 MD each, but now covers a 30-degree arc(or rougly 15 ft wide area)
*Plasma Bolt-exploder----Rather than a single plasma bolt, this mod supercharges the outgoing shot into a sort of freeform plasma ‘grenade’ whose cohesion deteriorates faster, resulting in shorter range, but which explodes with greater area of effect and intensity.
Reduce range by HALF, but the bolt now does 1d6x10+4 MD and explodes in a 5 ft blast radius . A single plasma ‘grenade’ takes 2 APMs to charge up.
*Plasma Saber/Cutter Mode---This generates a continuous plasma stream similar to a plasma cutter:
Range:
(Plasma Saber) 3 ft
(Plasma Lance) 18 ft
Damage:
(Plasma Saber) 2d4 MD
(Plasma Lance) 6d6 MD
Payload: Can maintain Saber mode for 5 minutes of continual fire before needing 10 minutes to coll down(during which the weapon can still fire plasma bolts but only HALF as many as would be normally possible)
Can maintain Lance mode for 3 minutes of continual fire before needing 20 minutes to coll down(during which the weapon can still fire plasma bolts but only HALF as many as would be normally possible)