Ghost Destroyer - HMS White Fox (V / W class):

A total of almost seventy V and W class destroyers were built for World War One and around forty were canceled. When first completed, they were the most powerful and advanced destroyers in the world even though they were slightly smaller than the United States four stack destoyers. As a result, many served through World War Two. Some were unmodified while others were modified for other roles such as convoy escorts. Several destroyers were sunk in World War One and World War Two. All surviving V and W class destroyers were decommissioned after World War Two and sold for scrapping.

HMS White Fox was one of the last of the "Admiralty Modified" series of these destroyers which was completed, actually completed after the end of World War One. During construction, she was almost canceled and scrapped along with many of her sisters. She mounted larger 4.7 inch guns in place of the 4 inch guns mounted on early V and W class destroyers. The destroyer served unremarkably until World War Two except for the fact that one of her captains died from a heart attack aboard.

During the War, the destroyer was modified into a long range escort with its small forward boiler room replaced by additional fuel tankage and additional berthing areas. Retaining only two boilers, this reduced her top speed from around thirty-two knots to under twenty-five knots. Weapons were also modified, removing one of the 4.7 inch guns and the torpedo tubes. In the place of these weapon systems, the destroyer had anti-submarine and anti-aircraft weaponry mount. In addition, the destroyer had radar and improved sonar fitted.

She served with distinction, being under fire from German and Italian aircraft. She also assisted in the sinking of several U-Boats and got a solo kill against one. There is a second boat that she might have also have been responsible for sinking but it was unclear. In air attacks, a couple of crew were killed and another was lost over the side in a storm. In addition, a captured German U-Boat captain hung himself aboard. As with her surviving sisters, she was sold for scrapping after the war. There was a move to make her a museum ship but that never went off the ground. She was stripped of weapon systems, most electronics, and was towed off to be scrapped.

While being towed, she just disappeared. It was not a particularly rough day. A fog rolled in and when the fog lifted, she was gone. It was a perplexing mystery. Still, not much effeort was spent trying to find the wreck. Periodically there were reports of an old ship just seeming to be floating, half seen in fog banks. There were even a few unexplained photographs although grainy and out of focus. As well, there were unusual radar contacts. Whenever somebody tried to approach the vessel however, it would just vanish. With nothing concrete, the vessel was thought to little more than stories.

The world changed with the coming of the Rifts. Magic took hold of the world and reshaped it in to a place where people living just before that day would never recognize. The destroyer that had been missing for over a hundred and fifty years reappeared. Unlike when she had been seen prior to the coming of the Rifts, the destroyer remained solid and a bunch of adventures were able to board her. For all that time, she was surprisingly solid, just a bit of rust and otherwise quite seaworthy.

One of those who found the vessel was a techno-wizard who decide to try to restore the boat. It took several years to fully restore the vessel. The hull was already as strong as the post Rift alloys and composites. In addition, if the hull is damaged, it seems to restore itself. Luckily, the destroyer, unlike some ghost craft, does not appear to reject modern components. She does not however seem to make them part of herself and they do not regenerate as her original components do. Instead, they should be considered almost external systems, not really part of the vessel herself.

The original steam plant were not replaced. Instead, they were modified to be powered by magical energies. Periodically, the magic is recharged by a spell caster and the destroyer has a range of around five hundred nautical miles each time it is recharged. The magical energies can be pulled from the vessel herself in many cases as well. Top speed is not improved with a top speed of only around twenty-four and a half knots. In addition, to power the new electronics, the electrical generators are powered by magical energies using lightning bolts to provide the "spark."

As all of her original weaponry was stripped before being towed away, all of the weapon systems had to be replaced. Where the three 4.7 inch guns were retained when refitted to the role of long range escort, twin flack cannons were mounted. These are modified versions of the guns carried on the German Jager and while much shorter ranged, they have a much greater rate of fire and have a much larger payload. As well, the gun mounts are highly effective against aircraft and missiles. On either side of the ship are two telekinetic Gatling machine guns. These are also useful against incoming missiles. They need to be recharged once per month with the spell of telekinesis and magical energies.

Other weapons include missile launchers and torpedo tubes. Mounted behind the funnel is a box long range missile launcher. Adapted from a ground vehicle mount, the box launcher has twelve long range missiles ready to fire. Rocket boosted torpedoes can also be fired from the launcher although normally conventional missiles are carried. Behind the superstructure and the long range missile launcher are short range missile launchers with forty-eight short range missiles each. On either side of the hull are three tube 12.75 inch torpedo tubes. While primarily used for anti-submarine warfare, these torpedo can also be fired against surface targets.

As with weapon systems, the radar systems and other electronics were stripped from the destroyer. A modern long range radar is mounted on the mast of the destroyer. In addition, an electronic warfare suite is mounted on either side of the forward superstructure. This allows for the detection of radar and radio signals but does not mount any jamming gear. Modern communication gear is mounted as well. The original hydrophones were stripped out before the destroyer was towed away from scrapping. There was no real way of mounting an effective hull sonar in its place and was not replaced. Instead a reasonably capable towed array sonar system in mounted on the fantail of the old destroyer.

Finally, a variety of magical enchantments were added to the vessel. For crew comforts, the destroyer had the enchantment of “Sustain” is added to the vessel. Otherwise, the destroyer does not have any life support or air conditioning. To increase the protection of the destroyer, there is an “Armor of Ithan” force field which can be activated up to three times per day. The enchantments of invisibility and impervious to energy are also added to the destroyer. To deal with missiles that make it through the destroyer's other defenses, a fireworks chaff and flare system is mounted to decoy the incoming missiles. In addition, a cloud of fog is fitted on the remaining funnel.

Originally the HMS White Fox required a crew of around one hundred and forty. This is reduced to around fifty five. Usually one or two is a techno-wizard including the captain. With conversion to techno-wizardry, the steam plant needs far less supervision and the weapon systems also require much smaller crews. In addition, up to twenty light power armors, usually half mystic power armors and half more conventional power armors, can be embarked. With only around half of the original embarked crew, the destroyer has vastly improved crew quarters. In most cases, officers quarters and crew berthing had been gutted before she was sold and had to be restored. Still, the destroyer is considered a bit on the Spartan side. There is concern that radical reconstruction of crew spaces would be resisted by the destroyer.

As one might expect, the White Fox has a number of quirks. Other than being surprisingly tough and able to repair damages, the destroyer has a slight white glow around it. This glow intensifies in areas of high magic. From its history, one might think the vessel would be able to become intangible. So far however, the destroyer does not seem to have shown this ability. A host of different presences, maybe about a dozen all told, seem to inhabit the destroyer and sometimes a spirit will appear, the ghost of a crew member who died aboard. Very occasionally, there will be the image of a dirty figure in a U-Boat officers uniform hanging himself. She does not appear to be real independent. Only occasionally will she maneuver on her own.

[Author Note: HMS White Fox is a fiction V / W class destroyer. Many destroyers of this class were canceled at the end of World War I. Still, many did serve into World War II in various roles with many being refitted. They were heavily involved in the Battle of the Atlantic. All of the survivors were decommissioned soon after World War II ended and scrapped soon afterwards.]

Model Type: Modified V / W class destroyer
Vehicle Type: Ocean, Ghost Destroyer
Crew: 56 (One or two are usually a techno-wizard)
Troops: 20
Horror Factor: 12

Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:

	10	Flying Power Armors (Flying Titan, SAMAS, Predator, etc)
	10	Mystic Power Armors

M.D.C. by Location:

	Bridge (Superstructure):	220
	Twin Barrel Flack Cannon Turret (3, 2 forward / 1 aft):	280
	Telekinetic Gatling Cannons (4, 2 each side):	100 each
	Long Range Missile Launchers (2, 6 cells each):	120 each
	Short Range Missile Launchers (2):	180 each
	Triple 12.75 inch (324 mm) Torpedo Launchers (2, sides):	35 each
	“Fireworks” Magic Chaff and Flare Dispensers (2, superstructure):	20 each
	[1] Compact Medium Range Air Search Radar (superstructure):	80
	[2] Main Body:	1,150
	[3] Magical “Armor of Ithan” Force Field (three times per day):	400

Notes:
[1] Destroying Compact Medium Range Air Search Radar will eliminate the ability to track air targets at long range. The ship still has backup systems equal to those on robot vehicles.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body destroys the destroyer's structural integrity, causing it to sink. It has sunk before though and will most likely come back. Note: The Destroyer will regenerate at 20% of the hull and superstructure's M.D.C. per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being damaged. Other hot locations do not regenerate.
[3] As per the spell “Armor of Ithan” - Magic, fire, lightning, and cold all inflict one-half damage. Each activation lasts for 30 minutes (120 melee rounds.)

Speed:
Surface: 24.5 knots( 28.2 mph / 45.4 kph.) The ship can operate at three quarters speed (18.4 knots) on one boiler.
Range: 575.4 miles (500 nautical miles / 926 km) for each full recharge (requires 50 P.P.E.) Each boiler can propel the ship for 287.9 miles (250 nautical miles / 463.3 km) with 25 P.P.E. each.
Life support is “Sustain” spell and has effectively virtually unlimited duration (Requires 24 P.P.E. or 48 I.S.P. and has a duration of five days per activation.) The destroyer carries about two months worth of supplies on board (“Sustain” provides all food requirements.)

Statistical Data:
Length: 300 feet (91.44 meters) waterline and 312 feet (95.10 meters) overall
Draft: 10 feet 11 inches (3.33 meters) fully loaded
Width: 30 feet (9.14 meters)
Displacement: 1,140 tons standard and 1,550 tons full load
Cargo: Can carry 80 tons (72.6 metric tons) of nonessential equipment and supplies. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Ships officers have more space for personal items. Most of the ship’s spaces are taken up by extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons, and engines.
Power System: Was original steam propulsion (2 boilers / oil fired) but has been converted to a Magical power supply. Also has techno-wizard "lightning" powered generators to power electronics.
Black Market Cost: Not for sale. Such a vessel, if available for sale, would probably cost 100 or more million. Even though haunted, probably still be considered extremely valuable.

Weapon Systems:

Three (3) Twin Recoilless Anti-Aircraft Flack Cannon Turrets: The cannons are mounted in twins with two forward of the main superstructure and one aft. Mounted where the destroyer mounted three of its 4.7 inch guns. They are mounted in protective turret with each cannon is identical to the TX-862FC with the exception that the weapon's ammunition bins are larger and are mounted in pairs. The cannons are in the same position as the twin 40 mm cannon mounts with five mounts on the port side and four mounts on the starboard side. The cannon turrets can rotate 360 and the barrel can tilt up to 90 degrees. It is normally used for Anti-Aircraft purposes but also works as excellent but fairly short range artillery.
Maximum Effective Range: 10,000 feet (3048 meters).
Mega Damage: Single Round: 4D6 M.D.C., Two Rounds 1D6x10, and Six Rounds 3D6x10. Double weapons damage if the gun is firing both cannons simultaneously
Rate of Fire:Equal to the gunners combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6) each (Firing both barrels counts as one attack)
Payload: Total 1,200 for each barrel (2,400 total for mount). That is 200 volleys of 6 rounds, or 600 two round volleys.
Special Feature: The flack cannon has both and independent power supply and its own laser targeting and radar tracking system (especially useful if radar system is destroyed). Sensor has a range of 11,000 feet (3353 meters). The system can also be set on automatic which gives it +1 to strike and three attacks per melee and will fire two round burst. Gives +2 to strike when fired when properly manned.
Four (4) Telekinetic Gatling Cannons: Two telekinetic Gatling cannons are mounted on either side of the destroyer. Mounts have been enchanted by a series of spells so the cannons act as a more powerful version of the telekinetic Machine gun. This increases the weapons damage and instead of being reloaded, the cannons must be recharged by the spell Telekinesis and 100 P.P.E. once per month. The cannon does full damage to targets that are impervious to energy. Additional optics and fire control have been added to enable the system to track and target aircraft and missiles.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
Mega Damage: 12D6
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Unlimited, although the spells (100 P.P.E. each cannon) on each must be renewed every month whether the cannon have been used or not.
Two (2) Long Range Missile / Rocket Launchers: Both launchers are mounted together as a single rotating mount. Mounted behind the stack where originally was mounted the torpedo tubes. Each launcher can carry a total of six long range missiles for a total of twelve long range missiles. No reloads are carried although launcher can be reloaded rapidly. While not normally carried, rocket boosted anti-submarine torpedoes can be fired from the launchers. The launchers can rotate 360 degrees.
Maximum Effective Range: As per long range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Mega Damage: Varies with long range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or six (6) missiles (both launchers fire together)
Payload: Twelve (12) Long Range Missiles.
Two (2) Short Range Missile Launching Systems: One is mounted behind the superstructure and on behind the long range missile mount. Launcher has the ability to launch 24 Short Range Missiles and automatically reloads every time a missile or missiles are fired. The launcher is fitted with multiple fire control systems and can target missiles on multiple targets. Normal missile mixture is 50% Armor Piercing Missiles and 50% Plasma missiles. Usually the faster surface to air missiles are fired from launcher.
Maximum Effective Range: As per short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details - SAM style missiles normally.)
Mega Damage: As per short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details - SAM style missiles normally.)
Rate of fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), six (6), twelve (12), or twenty four (24.)
Payload: Forty-eight (48) short range missiles each launcher for ninety-six (96) short range missiles total.
Two (2) Triple 12.75 inch (324 mm) Torpedo Launchers: There is one launcher on each side of the ship about two thirds down the length of the hull. Each torpedo launcher has three torpedo tubes and tubes are 12.75 inch (324 mm) wide. Torpedoes are normally used against submarines but can be targeted on surface targets as well. Ship carries twelve reloads for torpedoes. For the most part torpedo warheads are equal to medium range missile warheads.
Maximum Effective Range: 20 miles (17.4 nautical miles / 32 km)
Mega Damage: By Medium torpedo warhead type (See revised Rifts torpedoes for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire torpedoes one at a time or in volleys of two (2) or three (3) torpedoes per side, Reloading takes one full melee
Payload: Three (3) torpedoes each launcher for a grand total of six (6) torpedoes [Has twenty-four (24) torpedoes for reloads]
Two (2) “Fireworks” Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispensers: In many ways this system is similar to technological versions of the Chaff/Flare system. When the system fires, it looks like fireworks firing. The anti-missile system works by combining three spells. The three spells are Fire Bolt, Apparition, and Telekinesis. The physical effects of the system are similar to the Triax Anti-Missile chaff but instead of being reloaded, it is recharged by spells.
Effect:
Also note that the chaff cloud will also blind flying monsters that fly through cloud. They will suffer the following penalties: reduce melee attacks/actions, combat bonuses, and speed by half.
Duration: 1D4 melee rounds.
Payload: 10 Uses before being recharged. Each launcher is recharged by the spells Apparition (20 P.P.E.), Fire Bolt (7 P.P.E.), and Telekinesis (8 P.P.E.). The cost for all launchers to be recharged is 70 P.P.E. All launchers must be activated at the same time to operate correctly.
Magical “Cloud of Fog” Generator: This system is built into the ships smoke stack and unlike most magical systems, does not require magical from a spell caster and instead uses the steam from the ship’s engines to produce the cloud of fog.
Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,830 meters) in all directions
Effect: Produces a fog bank that obscures vision. Visibility is reduced to 60 feet inside the cloud and even with thermal sensors, a penalty of -2 to strike parry and dodge
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Techno-Wizard Modifications: The White Fox has the following Techno-Wizard Modifications built into the vessel. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the ship’s crew or ship itself.
Special Features:

Sensory / Special Equipment:

Medium Range Radar: Medium range air search radar system. Three dimensional radar system that can also operate as a fire control radar. Has a 100 mile (86.8 nautical miles / 160.1 km) range and can track up to 96 different targets.
Towed Array Sonar System: Mounted on the fantail of the boat. Comparatively short range with a sonar system has a range of around 18.4 miles (16 nautical miles / 29.6 km). This towed array sonar system has both a passive and active system built in. Sonar system can track up to 16 targets at one time.
E.S.M.: The system can detect another radar system at around 125% of the range of the transmitting radar, subject to radar horizon. This includes all active radar guided weapons.
Magical “See the Invisible” Optics: The ship has several special optical systems with see the invisible on them. Same as spell and used at will. 2,000 feet (610 meters) range. Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.

Special Abilities as a Haunted Vehicle:

Will of Its Own: The ship sometimes has a will of its own and carry out up to six actions in a twenty-four hours. This can include refusing to operate, change course, and activate the ship’s magical abilities. The ship can also make minor actions such as activating sensors, turning lights on, operating the ships speakers on its own without counting as an action. Generally the ship will only act in cases to save the ship or her crew.
Regenerates Damage: The ship will regenerate at 20% of the hit locations M.D.C. per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being damaged. Does not regenerate the newer systems added to the vessel.
Natural P.P.E.: 200, The ship virtually fairly hum with magical energy. The energy regenerates at the rate of 20 P.P.E. per hour. Double P.P.E. and regeneration on ley lines and triple P.P.E. and regeneration at a Ley Line Nexus. Magical energy can be used by the ships crew for spell casting.
Modification Ability: The destroyer WILL accept modern upgrades and newer systems. These can include both magical and techno-wizard additions. Unlike original components though, the systems will not regenerate along with the rest of the ship if damaged.
Illusions: Appearing to be related to the Haunting Entities, periodically there will be illusions of various activities for the past of the vessel. Sometimes this is just the crew going about their daily business. Other times, it is more violent including the gunners going down after being hit by an attack. Finally, sometimes a figure will appear that is in a German navy officer's uniform and he will appear to be hanging himself. Generally, these illusions happen during times of relative peace not in the middle of combat. As well, these happen more often after dark.
Haunting Entities: There are about a dozen presences which appear to inhabit the ship. Anyone attempting to do a Read Object, See Aura, or telepathic communication will feel the impression of these voices/presences. Sometimes these presence will try to talk to the crew of the destroyer. They do seem to be relatively distinct with one appearing to have been a former captain, another being gunners killed in combat, and one being the German U-Boat captain who hung himself.
Ghost Voices: Snatches of archaic music or speech occasionally come from the radio system, even when it is turned off. This is even though modern radios replace the original gear. Often these voices will be in the form of music that was popular in England during the Nineteen Twenties, Nineteen Thirties, and Nineteen-Forties.
Ghost Glow: The destroyer seems to shimmer with a barely visible white glow that usually intensifies in areas of high magic (Ley lines and ley line nexus points.)

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Special Credit to Talis D. Merrill (taalismn@pop.tiac.net) for many of the concepts and enchantments / powers for Ghost / Haunted vehicles.

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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