Panthera Manufacturing “Smilodon” Robot Vehicle:


Panthera Manufacturing builds a variety of four legged robot vehicles based on various “Feline” type creatures. A relatively small company, Panthera Manufacturing builds only relatively small numbers of robot vehicles per year. In most cases these robot vehicle re not operated by any actual military forces or mercenary companies but instead by adventurers and individual mercenaries.


The largest and most powerful of these design is know as the “Smilodon.”Extinct for thousands of years before the coming of the Rifts, the original Smilodon is better known as the “Sabre Tooth Tiger / Lion” for its exceptionally long upper canines. In the same respect, many owners of this vehicle prefer to call theirs “Sabre Tooth” as well. Compared to other Panthera designs, the Smilodon is designed as a heavy combat design with incredible firepower and is extremely well armored. Larger than any of the companies other designs, the Smilodon design masses just over forty tons.


While the company does not manufacture the weapon systems mounted in their design or the vehicles power plant, the one specialized item which the company manufactures is an extremely sophisticated control system which enable the robots to be extremely mobile, more mobile than most robot vehicle. The robot has the ability to attack with biting, claws, and can even make pounce attacks. With long upper vibro-blade canines and powerful jaws, the Smilodon has an exceptionally powerful bite attack.


The slowest of the large robot vehicle designs manufactured by Panthera Manufacturing, it still has a top speed of around eighty mile per hour. It can also leap up to one hundred feet with a running start. As with other Panthera robot vehicle designs, a powerful fusion plant manufactured by Northern Gun Industries provides power for the Smilodon robot vehicle. The reactor is designed to give an average of twenty years of power before needing to be refueled.


Weapon systems are also manufactured by Northern Gun. Even with the robot vehicle’s powerful teeth, it engages much more commonly in long range combat. Over the back of the Smilodon is a pair of powerful howitzer rail guns as the main weaponry of the robot vehicle. Identical to the one mounted in the Hunter Mobile Gun with exception of being in a fixed forward mount although can be raised in elevation, both can fire together on a single target. Each carries considerable payload, sixteen thousand rounds total. There is a special cross feed system to enable switching ammunition from a damaged rail gun.


Backing this up are a pair of shorter ranged plasma cannons are mounted on the head of the feline robot vehicle. Powered by the fusion plant, they are NG-E12 Heavy Plasma Ejectors. Both plasma weapons can be fired together on a single target with the head being able to rotate sixty degrees to either side. As a final weapon system, the robot vehicle mounts a pair of mini-missile launchers concealed in the shoulders. Each has nine mini-missiles for a total of eighteen mini-missiles. In most cases, plasma and armor piercing ammunition is used but in special circumstances smoke and other warheads may be carried.  


The cockpit of the feline robot vehicle is mounted in the main body instead of the head largely due to being better armored but also due to providing more space. Designed to be operated by a single pilot, the cockpit has space for two additional passengers. In addition, there is a small storage compartment behind the cockpit. The cockpit has full environmental systems and the Smilodon has the standard robot sensor suite. As with the fusion reactor and weapon systems, most of the electronics are also manufactured by Northern Gun.


Model Type: PM-05-SM Smilodon (Also known as Sabre Tooth)

Vehicle Type: Quadruped All Terrain Combat Robot

Crew: One with space for two passengers


M.D.C. by Location:

 

NG-H155 Howitzer Rail Guns (2, 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):

250 each

 

[2] Rear Legs (2):

275 each

 

[3] Head:

280

 

[4] Main Body:

650

 

Reinforced Pilots Compartment (Main Body):

160

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: 80 mph (127.7 kph) maximum speed. Cruising speed is generally about 50 mph (80.5 kph).

Leaping: Powerful legs allow robot to leap 40 feet (12.2 meters) up and 60 feet (18.2 meters) across from a standing position and 50 feet (15.2 meters) up and 100 feet (30.8 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: 18.2 feet (5.55 meters) at shoulders and 22.8 feet (6.94 meters) with howitzer rail guns.

Width: 9.8 feet (2.99 meters).

Length: 28.6 feet (8.72 meters).

Weight: 42.5 tons (38.5 metric tons) empty and 46.8 tons (42.4 tons) fully loaded.

Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 45

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

Cargo: A 4 x 4 x 3 foot (1.2 x 1.2 x 0.9 meters) storage bin for extra equipment and weapons.

Black Market Cost: 50 million credits. Due to rarity, can often cost considerably more.


Weapon Systems

  1. Two (2) NG-H155 Rapid Fire Howitzer Rail Guns: Mounted above the main body of the feline robot is a pair of rail guns. They are 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: Single Barrel: Short Burst of 40 rounds: 1D6x10. Long Burst of 80 rounds: 2D6x10. Both Barrels: Short Burst of 80 40 rounds (40 each): 2D6x10. Long Burst of 160 rounds (80 each): 4D6x10.

    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 each of two drum magazine.There is a cross feed system which allows ammunition to feed the other rail gun if one is damaged.

  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.

    Sabre Bite: 1D6x10+20 M.D.

    Restrained Kick: 2D4 M.D.

    Full Strength Claw Kick: 5D6 M.D.

    Power Claw Kick: 1D6x10 M.D. but counts as two melee attacks.

    Pounce Claw Kick: 2D6x10 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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