Robot and Powerarmor Combat

Robots and powerarmors have to be treated slightly different from normal humans in protective clothing.

Note on skills

The piloting Robots and powerarmor skills are present for a reason. The best way to simulate a robot combat and give the powerarmors a downside is to use the following rule:

Each instance during combat when a pilot must make a skill roll:

• Every time a robot/powerarmor tries to dodge an attack. Robots and powerarmors that have automatic dodging do not need to make the roll as long as the conditions required are fulfilled (e.g. auto dodge while flying).
• Upon starting a new melee round. If the first skill roll was unsuccessful, the character looses one attack that melee. For each action in that melee, the character has to make a skill role until one successful roll is accomplished.
• Every time the pilot tries to do something tricky. Includes special moves like jumping and rolling with falls.
• Whenever a physical attack is attempted and fails. If the pilot misses on a physical attack, a roll is required to stop the robot from falling over.
• Whenever the robot/powerarmor receives excessive damage. When the damage exceeds 40 MD points, roll a piloting skill roll. If the skill roll fails the robot/powerarmor falls. If successful, roll against the knockdown table for supernatural creatures (conversion book page 13).

The combat statistics (Strike, attacks etc.)

To calculate the number of attacks a pilot gets when inside the armor, you have to follow this procedure.

1. Note the bonuses the player character has (HTH combat, boxing etc., not RPA combat training.)
2. Check if the character has Robot Combat Basic, or Advanced in that robot type. If the character has advanced, go to step 3. If not, go to step 4.
3. Go to the page describing the robot / powerarmor see if there are any special notes regarding combat (especially NGR robots). If there is a listing over bonus attacks per melee and strike bonuses per level, use these values and not use the values in the main book (e.g. jump over step 4).
4. Check the RPA combat description in the main book. Take note over the attacks per melee, strike, parry and dodge bonuses. Take note that the bonuses may be tied to certain actions (like a different bonus for a robot while running and while flying).
5. Add the numbers together and you have what your character is good for.

Features in all robots and powerarmors

All robots and powerarmors have some common features. Those written in the main book are all tools, but it lists a minimal of the safety features available. Powerarmors and Robots have to have numerous safety features because there is too much that can go wrong.

* - robots and power armors ** - robots only

Hotloading weapon mechanism

All missiles and explosive weapons are loaded to be active in the launch tube / barrel. No matter what kind of fuse is used, they are active in order to remove any minimal range. This option can be deactivated.

If the hotloading mechanism is deactivated, there is no possibility of the ammunition exploding while in the chamber. However, there is a 20% chance that the weapon will never become active and does only 10% of its damage.

Ammunition dumping system

This is a pilot activated feature. It will dump all the ammunition for the selected weapon. It is a generally good idea to stand still while dumping ammunition. All ammunition that is dumped is not active.

Energy weapon safety system

The weapons used in robots and powerarmors will inevitable develop heat at alarming rates. The heat can cause electronics to fry or an electrical feed-back. Both of which will destroy the weapon and much of the equipment around it.

So the combat computer keeps tabs over the heat development in each weapon. When the heat reaches a certain level, the computer will shut the weapon down. As soon as a cleared heat level has been achieved (usually half of maximal heat) the weapon is turned on-line again.

This feature can be deactivated at the risk of melting electronics or causing a power-failure.

Auto ejection system

All robots have an auto ejection system. It will eject the pilots compartment from the robot as soon as 95% of the main body has been destroyed. The system will give the pilot a 1,5 second Bitching Betty signal to the pilot before activating the ejection system.

The 1 second is meant to give the pilot time to prepare for the ejection and possibly reduce the damage he/she suffers from the ejection.

This feature can be disabled.

Internal ranged weapons

Most robots and powerarmors have weapons built in the main body. These weapons use another set of rules for penalties and bonuses. This is due to the fact that these weapons most often have some form of movement compensators and other finesses provided to make them more accurate in a modern combat situation.

Firing internal weapons

Internal weapons can be considered squad support weapons. But since they are tied up to a Targeting Computer that helps the pilot/gunner direct fire.

Weapons mounted on robots and powerarmors have different short/long ranges than infantry. This is due to the additional gadgets located in the armors.

As a general rule regardin what weapons can fire how often, use the following:

E.x.1 The UAR-1s minimissile launcher can fire a volley of 4 missiles max. The robot has a total of 40 missiles in hold, however, it can only fire missiles totalling 8 per melee.

Ballistic internal weapons

In Rifts, there is no note of what happens if a weapon is damaged and the effects of using such a weapon on full automatic. Most players will use ballistic weapons on full automatic if they know they have resupplies nearby, which is logical. However, they fail to take into account that using a weapon at full automatic will inevitably cause internal damage.

Ammunition explosions

The ammunition used in ballistic weapons vary from weapon to weapon. Some use High Explosive weapons while others use armor piercing. Some just use SABOT or Tungsten rounds (solid non-explosive cores).

Criteria:

Missile weapons have a shielding that makes ammunition explosions due to direct hits impossible before the MDC of the weapon is reduced to 75%.

When a successful hit occurs:

Whenever a weapon that uses explosive ammunition is hit there is a 5% chance that the ammunition loaded will detonate. If the ammo in the weapon detonates, there is a 10% chance that the rest of the ammunition in the storage will detonate.

Damage inflicted:

Ammunition explosions cause the rounds to detonate doing damage equal to one round times the number of rounds that go off.

If only the ammo in the weapon goes off, consider the number of shots to be equal to a burst (if listed in the damage sector. If not, consider it to be only 1 shot). Ammunition explosions that do damage (no matter how much) will destroy that weapon. It cannot be used any more and must be replaced.

Missiles launcher detonations will cause all missiles in the volley to detonate. The other missiles in storage may still detonate (10% chance).

Ammunition explosions have a penetration potential equal to 100% of the total damage.

E.x.1 A Type-1 Brute equipped with a mini-missile launcher (40 missiles, up to 8 missiles in a volley) is hit in the launcher for 40 MD. The launcher has 120 MDC of which 75% is 90 MDC. The current MDC of the launcher is 80, meaning that any shots against it has a 5% chance of causing an ammo explosion. The defender (the Brute) roll 1D100 and gets 42. The missiles loaded in the pack do not explode. Since they didn't explode, the ammunition in storage will not explode.

E.x.2 The Brute is hit for 15 MD more, reducing it to 65 MDC. The Brute rolls and get 3! Ammunition explosion. Since the weapon can fire a volley of up to 8 missiles (8 missiles are loaded in the launcher), all of them go off doing 1D4x10 x 8 MD! The Brute roll again (against internal ammo explosion). He rolls a 7! The rest of the ammunition explodes too inflicting 1D4x10 x 32 MD! Needless to say, the Brute went out in a ball of fire.

Involuntary cock-off

Using weapons on full auto will increase the heat signature of the vehicle using it. This may also cause cock-off, or in-voluntary firing. Unlike hand weapons, internally mounted weapons have superior cooling capacities than exterior weapons.

Criteria:

A general rule is that ballistic weapons (excluding missile launchers) can fire at full auto for 30 seconds (2 melees) before in-voluntary cock-off.

Missile launchers can fire up to 3 full volleys consecutively before there is a chance of involuntary cock-off.

Cock-off for rounds:

When the criteria have been met, there is a cumulative 5% + 5% per shot fired chance of a cock-off. (see example 1 and 2)

Whenever a round/burst is cocked off, there is a 15% + 5% per melee chance that the round isn't completely loaded. This will cause the round to go off (explode if explosive round) and destroy the weapon. (see example 3). If the round is explosive, treat it as an ammunition explosion and roll for internal explosion.

Cock-off for missiles:

When a missile cocks-off, the warhead explodes. It does not matter if the fuse is set on contact, height or time. The heat in the tube causes propellant fumes to explode.

There is a cumulative 3% chance of a missile cocking off per missile fired over the criteria. (see example 4)

Roll to see if the rest of the ammunition goes off.

E.x.1 During a prolonged battle, Johny B. becomes desperate he decides that it's all or nothing. He starts using full melee bursts. Three melees later, the weapon is overheating. He fires a burst (10 rounds). The cock-off percentage is 10 x 5% = 50%. He rolls a 34, resulting in a cock-off. There is a 15% chance the weapon will be destroyed by the cock-off. He rolls an 82. No damage to the weapon.

E.x.2 Johny B. doesn't heed the warning of an automatic cock-off. He fires another burst. This gives him 10 x (5+5) = 100%. Automatic cock-off. He rolls again to see if the weapon is damaged. 15 + 5 = 20% of damage to the weapon. He rolls a 47.

E.x.3 Johny B. has continued firing bursts for three consecutive melees (since example 2). Each of the shots caused an automatic cock-off, but he was able to avoid weapon damage. This time though, he has 15 + (5 x 4) = 35% damage chance. He rolls a 14. The weapon takes damage equal to one round. He then rolls to see if the rest of the ammo explodes. He rolls 93. No internal ammo explosion, but the weapon is destroyed.

E.x.4 Johny B. fires off some missiles. He has been firing two full volleys for the past three melees. Each volley consists of 10 missiles. The cock-off chance on his next shot is 10 x 3 = 30%.

Energy internal weapons

Energy weapons don't have cock-off or ammunition explosions. They are however more prone to circuitry failure and extreme heat peaks.

Damage effects from overheating

Energy weapons create a lot of heat as a by-product. Although energy weapons have well developed cooling systems, they cannot compensate for the heat buildup.

The weapons heat production factor are:

The heat factor is used to determine just how many melees of bursting will go til the weapon shuts down as a safety precaution. Pulse weapons are the exception.

The weapon will remain off-line for 1D4 melees.

If the safety shutdown feature isn't active and the weapon passes the shutdown time, the weapon has a cumulative 5% chance of blowing up (5% per melee of consecutive bursting) and a 10% cumulative chance of frying all electronics in the vicinity of the weapon.

If the weapon blows up, the damage inflicted equals twice the maximum damage of one shot. The weapon is then destroyed.

If the weapon fries the electronics around the weapon, roll on the electronics damage table. The location is where the weapon is placed.

E.x.1 Johny B. has deactivated the energy safety. His ion cannon does 4D6 MD. This means that after [(4 x 6) x 8 / 100] = 1.92 melees (round to 2 melees) of continual bursting the weapon aught to have shut down. However, this is melee 3. Johny B. has exhausted his payloads for the other weapons and must rely on his ion cannon. Johny B. rolls to see if the weapon causes an explosion. 5% chance, and he rolls a 75. He then rolls to see if there is any electrical damage. 10% chance, he rolls a 43.

E.x.2 Johny B. continues. At the end of melee 4 he roll again on the explosion. This time there is a 5+5 = 10% chance of an explosion. He avoids it again. Rolling against an electrical malfunction, 10+10 = 20%. He rolls 8! MALFUNCTION! Since the weapon is mounted in the belly (main torso) of the robot, he rolls against the main body table. The roll is 93. All the weapons mounted on the robot will go off-line in 4 (1D4) melees.

E.x.3 Using his weapons while he still can, he fires again all through melee no 5. There is a 15% chance for the weapon blowing up and a 30% chance for electrical malfunction. He rolls against the explosion. A 14! The weapon does 2 x (4 x 6) = 48 MD points!

Notes on the life in a cockpit

Robo jockeys have exhausting jobs. Some may say it isn't that hard, as they are sitting most of their time. It is however extremely exhausting since the human body is meant to be standing and not sitting. Many more experienced jockeys will have had serious problems with their knees at one point along their career. Others may get serious malnutrition damages.

Physical considerations

The natural position of the human body is the standing position. A person that sits in one position for more than 6 hours in a stretch will eventually develop knee problems. Exercising regularly will halt or slow down the damage to the knees.

Unless the body is exercised regularly, the character will also loose stamina and strength. Living in the cockpit seat for more than 3 weeks in a row will cause the character to suffer. Reduce PS, PP and SPD by 1D4 until serious effort is put into exercising the body (at least a two week program).

Mental considerations - Obsession RPA

Using and relying too much on the armor in itself will cause a state of insanity very much like the super syndrome. The character feels like he is a superhuman while inside the armor. He/she identifies with the armor and will use it as often as possible.

The character operates at normal levels of proficiency when inside the armor, but at -1 to all combat bonuses and -12% to all skills while outside of the armor.

This effect is most appropriate to be used on player characters. It may occur that the characters will use the armors every day and every waking minute during a campaign. If the character uses the armor continuously for more than a week, have him/her roll a save vs. insanity.

Special rules regarding the GB

In order to make the Glitterboy more vulnerable and place it in the category it is supposed to be placed in, I have these following additional rules:

• The pilot must use one action to retract the support pylons before he can move the unit.
• The pylon does not automatically retract.
• The armor of the Glitterboy makes it a fairly easy target to spot. People trying to spot a Glitterboy are at +15%.

Penetration effects

Penetrating a robot can cause internal damage. What would happen if the shot penetrated the armor and made toast out of the leg actuating circuits?

Each time a penetration occurs (be it single shot or burst), there is a 30% chance of it hitting something. Use the table found in the Conversion Book on page 13.

The End