No. Enc.: 1d4
Alignment: Neutral
Movement: 120' (most environments)
Armor Class: 4
Hit Dice: 4 *
Attacks: 2 (2 fists or 2 weapons)
Damage: 2d4/2d4 or by weapon
Save: L5
Morale: 7 (10 if bonded)
Semi-sentient suits of synthetic muscle interwoven with an array of carbon and ceramic filaments, Bio-Adaptive Armor was a real success story during the first few weeks of the War of Withdrawal which saw most of the major corporate entities leave Ain 4. The suits bonded with their wearer and responded to their every command instantly via an embedded psychic link-mesh that not only directly interfaced with the suit's internal nervous systems, but offered a measure of protection against psychic weapons and attack forms.
Unfortunately the manufactories that were set-up to produce the suits were not shut-down and hundreds of these things rolled off of the assembly-lines ready to go but with no one to wear them.
That didn't stop the suits.
They went rogue, destroying the manufactories and quickly becoming one of the most accomplished -- and feared -- mercenary units in the world. They don't just fight for glory or money -- they fight to gain potential wearers who will bond with them. But as the Bio-Adaptive Armor suits gain experience and grow more intelligent, they are also developing personalities and not all of them want anyone wearing them ever again. Others are rapidly becoming dominant personalities and are no longer looking for partners but rather slaves whom they can use to unlock the fullest potential of the various higher-functionalities designed into the suits against company protocol and at least thirty different treaties regarding AI and self-aware systems.
As the suits have continued to evolve, they have begun to fragment into factions and armed conflict of suit against suit seems inevitable...
- +4 on all Saves
- +2 to basic physical attributes (STR, DEX & CON) [can be expanded in some models]
- Ambidexterity / two-handed fighting sub-routine comes standard and will compensate for wearer's inability in the event that suit has a wearer/operator that is not natively ambidextrous
- Filtered breathing and pressure compensation systems allow operation at extreme high and low altitudes including deep ocean work. Reprocesses internal breathable air and all bodily wastes indefinitely. Zero-g/vacuum operations.
- Auto-blocks telepathy and all forms of psychic communication (special module required to create an open channel)
- Suit regenerates 1d4/turn or it can heal 1d4/turn for wearer, if they are bonded. (not both at one time)
- Roll INT, WIS & CHAR as per any other NPC
- STR, CON, DEX of suit sans wearer/operator are all base 16 and can be improved over time or with upgrades
- Extrusion sub-systems allow suit to create a variety of lines useful for climbing, rappelling, tethers, etc.
- Sensory package is X4 human norm and includes infra red and motion detection as well as several other senses based on model and make
- Suits generate their own power and can use their internal power to charge or energize weapons, tools and accessories (including some vehicles)
More advanced features and 'higher functionalities' are possible...and some suits have developed enough intelligence to begin earning experience in one or more character classes...
Even taken at face value, that's a superb sci-fi idea, and plenty hard enough as well, but it's also something that could easily be ported across into a high fantasy. I'm glad this is in the re-visiting list.
ReplyDelete