Panthera Manufacturing “Cheetah” Robot Vehicle:


Panthera Manufacturing is a small specialized company. Their specialty are robot vehicles designed to appear feline. Their production is relatively limited as a result with far less robot vehicles manufactured than larger companies such as Northern Gun. Due to this, their vehicles designs are not often operated in mass by governments or mercenary companies but instead are operated by individual mercenaries and adventurers.


As one might expect from the name “Cheetah,” this design is the fastest robot vehicle design produced by Panthera Manufacturing. The actual feline is the fastest land animal, able to reach speed upwards of seventy-five miles in short bursts although limited to less than two thousand feet. Can also accelerate to greater than sixty miles per hour in less than three seconds.


With a top speed of one hundred and fifty miles per hour, the robot vehicle is almost twice as fast as the Smilodon design. Its normal cruising speed is equal to the Smilodon design’s maximum running speed. Leaping distances are also extended with the Cheetah design with leaping distances of up to 180 feet. In order to achieve its great speed, the design sacrifices armor compared to the company’s other robot vehicle designs. Fairly lightweight for its size, it masses just under twenty tons without crew or ammunition.


Otherwise, the Cheetah design has a similar sophisticated control system to other Panthera designs. This gives incredible maneuverability compared to most robot vehicle designs. It actually has the ability to make pounce attacks in combat. While it lacks the great sabre teeth of the Smilodon design, it still can make powerful bite attacks in addition to slashing attacks. Still, even though well armed for close combat, most engagements are at range using rail gun, plasma weaponry, or mini-missiles.


Power is produced by an advanced fusion reactor. Manufactured by Northern Gun, it is designed to give two decades of service before needing to be refueled. The body of the Cheetah is much more narrow than most of the company’s other robot vehicle designs, making the cockpit much more cramped. As a result, the compartment only has space for the pilot and a single passenger. While there is a small storage compartment behind the cockpit, it is also slightly smaller than the compartment in most Panthera designs. It does however have a full environmental system including life support. In addition, it has a full robot vehicle sensor suite. These are manufactured by Northern Gun as well.


 Main weaponry is a single NG-H155 Howitzer Rail Gun compared to a pair in the Smilodon design. Mounted over the main body of the design, weapon system is identical to the one mounted in the Hunter Mobile Gun except for being fixed forward. Still, it can angle upwards up to twenty degrees. It is a bit longer ranged than a standard rail gun although dwarfed in range by weapons such as the Glitter Boy Boom Gun. Payload of the rail gun is eight thousand rounds.


Backing the main weapon is a pair of plasma ejectors mounted on the head. Because the flexible neck of the head, the weapons have a larger arc of fire than the heavy rail gun. Can engage targets up to one hundred and twenty degrees off of centerline. Standard NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejectors, they pull power directly from the robot vehicle’s fusion plant for an effectively unlimited payload.


As a final weapon systems, the robot vehicle mounts a pair of mini-missile launchers. Located in the shoulders in semi-concealed mounts, each has nine mini-missiles for a total of eighteen. Normal payload is armor piercing or plasma warheads although in some cases specialized warheads are also carried. Of those, smoke is by far the most common.


Model Type: PM-04-CH Cheetah

Vehicle Type: Quadruped All Terrain Combat Robot

Crew:   One with space for one passenger


M.D.C. by Location:

 

NG-H155 Howitzer Rail Gun (1, Above Shoulders):

120

 

[1] NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejectors (2, Sides of Head):

30 each

 

Retractable Missile Launchers (2, Shoulder / Body):

100 each

 

[2] Front Legs (2):

150 each

 

[2] Rear Legs (2):

180 each

 

[3] Head:

160

 

[4] Main Body:

380

 

Reinforced Pilots Compartment (Main Body):

120

Notes:

[1] These locations are small and difficult targets to strike, requiring the attacker to make a “called shot,” but even then the attacker is -4 to strike.

[2] One leg can be destroyed while retaining most of the robot vehicle’s mobility. If one leg is destroyed, reduce top speed by 25% and the vehicle has -10% to piloting rolls as well as -2 to strike, parry, and dodge.

[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the head sensor will impair the pilots sensory and targeting equipment. Long-Range radar is greatly diminished, leaving an effective range of one mile (1.6 km). Radio and laser communications are lost. Short range radio backup provides a 60 mile (96 km) range. Laser targeting is destroyed causing a -1 to strike.

[4] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the Robot Vehicle down completely, rendering it useless.


Speed:

Running: 150 mph (241.4 kph) maximum speed. Cruising speed is generally about 80 mph (127.7 kph).

Leaping: Powerful legs allow robot to leap 60 feet (18.2 meters) up and 90 feet (27.4 meters) across from a standing position and 80 feet (24.4 meters) up and 180 feet (54.9 meters) across with a short running start.

Underwater: It can walk along the bottom of the sea floor at 25% of maximum speed and has a maximum ocean depth of 1 mile (1.6 km).

Range: Limited only by the crew's endurance. Emergency food and air supply will keep the pilot alive for up to two weeks.


Statistical Data:

Height: 15.6 feet (4.75 meters) at shoulders and 18.4 feet (5.61 meters) with howitzer rail guns.

Width: 6.9 feet (2.10 meters).

Length: 22.4 feet (6.83 meters).

Weight: 18.8 tons (17.05 metric tons) empty and 24.2 tons (21.95 tons) fully loaded.

Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 38

Power System: Nuclear Fusion with average life span of 20 years.

Cargo: A 4 x 2.5 x 2.5 foot (1.2 x 0.8 x 0.8 meters) storage bin for extra equipment and weapons.

Black Market Cost: 42 million credits. Due to rarity, can often cost considerably more.


Weapon Systems

  1. One (1) NG-H155 Rapid Fire Howitzer Rail Gun: Mounted above the main body of the feline robot is a single heavy rail gun. It is fixed forward although can angle up to twenty degrees upwards. Weapon is otherwise basically the weapon system from the NG-V7 Hunter Mobile Gun.

    Maximum Effective Range: 6,000 feet (1,828 meters).

    Mega Damage: Short Burst of 40 rounds: 1D6x10. Long Burst of 80 rounds: 2D6x10.

    Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilots combined hand to hand of gunner (usually 5 or 6).

    Payload: Carries 8,000 (200 short burst or 100 long bursts) rounds in internal drum magazine.

  2. Two (2) NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejectors: Mounted in the head, they are powerful secondary weapons which fires a blast of plasma. Being mounted in the head enables the weapon to be able to be targeted off centerline. Able to track targets up to sixty degrees from side to side. Power is pulled from the fusion reactor for an effectively unlimited payload.

    Maximum Effective Range: 2,000 feet (610 meters).

    Mega Damage: Singe Mount: 1D6x10 per plasma blast. Both Mounts: 2D6x10 per twin plasma blast.

    Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot’s hand to hand attacks.

    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

  3. Two (2) Concealed Shoulder Mounted Mini-Missile Launchers: Built into each shoulder of the feline robot vehicle is a retractable mini-missile launcher. Each launcher has nine mini-missiles for a total of eighteen mini-missiles.

    Maximum Effective Range: Varies with mini-missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Mega-Damage: Varies with mini-missile type. Typically armor piercing and plasma. (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of two (2), three (3), four (4), or six (6) mini-missiles.

    Payload: Eighteen (18) total, nine (9) mini-missiles in each launcher.

  4. Hand to Hand Combat: Rather than use a weapon, the pilot can engage in mega-damage hand to hand combat.

    Bite: 1D4x10 M.D.

    Restrained Kick: 1D4 M.D.

    Full Strength Claw Kick: 3D6 M.D.

    Power Claw Kick: 6D6 M.D. but counts as two melee attacks.

    Pounce Claw Kick: 1D6x10+20 M.D. but counts as two melee attacks. Uses all four sets of claws simultaneously.

HAND TO HAND BONUSES:

For “Elite” combat use the listed bonuses and number of attacks, otherwise use Robot Combat basic. All of the Panthera Manufacturing designs use the same “Elite” combat skill even though bonuses are slightly different for the various designs.


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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2014, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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