REEF-R01 Scorpion Robot Vehicle:


The REEF at Canaveral originally used Iron Hammer tanks as their main heavy battle unit and to support infantry. When Iron Heart Armament was taken over by the Coalition, it was decide that REEF Canaveral base develop a replacement for it so as not to depend on a vehicle without support. The REEF leadership also did not want to directly copy the Iron Hammer design.


The REEF leadership decided on a four legged robot in place of a tank design because it was perceive to be able to handle terrain better. In reality, a tank can operate on almost any terrain that a robot vehicle can. In addition, the robot vehicle design has vulnerabilities compared to a tank and is also rather more expensive. As a result, there has been some discussion of switching back to a tank design.


There was a limited use four legged design in operation by the RDF known as the “Scorpion” and there were some partial plans available. As such, it was easy to use the design was used as a basis for the new REEF design. Development was quite rapid as a result of being based on a previous design, taking only months where it might otherwise take years to develop a new design.


Of course, the reactor in the robot vehicle is upgraded along with vastly improved armor. It can withstand far greater damage than the original RDF Scorpion design could. As a for legged design, the Scorpion is more mobile than most two legged design although only has limited hand to hand combat abilities. It is a far amount faster than the Iron Hammer it replaced as well. The design of the Scorpion allows it to operate quite effective underwater as well. It is designed so that it can lower itself close to the ground. When lowered down, the Scorpion has a lower profile to the Iron Hammer tank.


To further decrease development time, already existing systems were used whenever possible. At first, the idea under consideration was to simply mount the 200 mm cannon mounted on the Iron Hammer. This was however rejected in favor of an 80 mm rail gun. The rail gun was both longer ranged and more effective against heavy armor. In addition, a much larger payload could be carried. The only real advantage of the 200 mm cannon is that it is more effective using high explosive and fragmentation projectiles. The REEF was able to make a deal with Metalworks Industries with a trade of number of Wasp and Beetle power armors in return for the design for the extremely powerful 80 mm rail gun. It is mounted on the starboard side where the particle beam was mounted on the original RDF Scorpion design. The 80 mm gun is mount can elevate up to forty-five degrees and fifteen degrees from side to side.


Because payload of the 80 mm rail gun is limited, it was decided to replace the 32 mm gun with something with an energy weapon with an unlimited payload. As with the 20 cm cannon, the REEF had already had the Vulcan laser from the Iron Hammer and it was decided that they would simply adapt it for the Scorpion. It was decided to mount the Vulcan laser on the opposite side of the robot vehicle to the 80 mm rail gun. Originally, the Shemarrian rail gun was considered but was too hard to produce in large numbers and was decided for a simpler weapon system. Of course, the Vulcan laser has the advantage of unlimited payload. It has a wider arc of fire than the heavy rail gun and can sixty degrees from side to side and forty-five degrees upwards.


Two original weapon system are retained from the original RDF Scorpion design. These are the medium range missile launcher mounted above the main gun and the short range missile launchers mounted on either side of the design. The medium range missile launcher has seven missiles ready to fire and a reload of seven additional missiles. Medium range missiles are used as both missile artillery and interception of aircraft. On each side are three short range missile tubes for a total of six short range missiles. The short range missile launchers often carry smoke missiles but there have been experiments with high speed interceptor missiles and concussion missiles. Some consideration is being given to upgrading the design with a replacement of higher capacity and rapid fire short range missile launchers.


There was a concern as far as troops getting under the Scorpion and attacking it from the underside. As a result, it was decided that a light defensive laser mount under the Scorpion. The Spider Defense System was the perfect basis for this weapon system and the weapon mount has the advantage of operating autonomously when needed. It can be operated under gunner control if required. Mounted in the middle of the belly in a retractable mount, it has some ability to engage targets at range as well. The laser mounts is powered by main reactor of the robot vehicle.


The original sensor systems mounted in the RDF design are replaced by more standard Rifts Earth robot system. This includes a medium range radar system. In addition, the robot vehicle is fitted with a periscope to be able to look over terrain so the Scorpion can stay mostly concealed. Standard crew is three with the ability to carry five additional troops. Optionally, a crew of four can be carried with one operating the defensive laser instead of being under automatic control. This reduces troop compliment by one. In some cases, one of the troops will operate the defensive laser.


Notes:

If Game Master gives extra hand to hand attacks for piloting Robot Vehicles, pilot uses vehicle’s hand to hand skill with each gunners only gets their normal attacks. With a crew of three, one operates as the pilot, a second operates the 80 mm rail gun and missile launchers, and the third operating the front Vulcan laser. With a crew of four, one will operate the defensive laser instead of being on automatic.


Model Type: REEF-R01 a.k.a. MBR-01-MK I

Class: Heavy Infantry Assist and Assault Destroid

Crew: Three (3) or four (4) - Pilot, primary gunner, Vulcan laser gunner / commander, and driver. A total of eight personnel can be carried in the cockpit. As a result, four to five troops or other personnel can be carried in addition to the vehicle’s crew.


M.D.C. by Location:

80 mm Hyper Velocity Rail Gun (Right Side):

200

Vulcan laser mount

75

[1] Underbody Laser Turret (Center):

100

Medium Range Missile Pod (Right Side):

250

Short Range Missile Launchers (2, on each side):

125 each

Upper Legs (4):

250 each

Knee Joints (4):

125 each

Lower Legs (4):

275 each

Feet (4):

125 each

[1] Spotlights (2, Right front):

50 each

Hatches (2, top):

100 each

Reinforced Crew Compartment:

200

[2] Main Body:

600

Notes:

[1] These 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] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the robot vehicle / mecha down completely, rendering it useless.


Speed:

Running: 120 mph (193 kph) maximum speed. Cruising speed is generally about 60 mph (97 kph).

Leaping: powerful legs allow robot to leap 20 feet (6.1 meters) up and 30 feet (9.1 meters) across from a standing position 25 feet (7.6 meters) up and 50 feet (15.4 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 and gunner alive for two weeks.


Statistical Data:

Height: 9 feet (2.7 meters) for main body section and 34 feet, 6 inches (10.5 meters) when standing on its legs.

Width: 15 feet (4.6 meters) for main body section and 40 feet, 6 inches (12.3 meters) with outspread legs.

Length: 24 feet (7.3 meters) for main body section and 31 feet, 6 inches (9.6 meters) with outspread legs.

Weight: 32 tons (29.1 metric tons) fully loaded, 29 tons (26.3 metric tons) empty.

Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. 40

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

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

Black Market Cost: If found it would probably be worth 40 million for a new, undamaged, and fully operation robot complete with full weaponry and missiles payload. The REEF does not sell the Scorpion.


Weapon Systems:

  1. One (1) High Velocity 80 mm Heavy Rail Gun: Mounted in the centerline of the four legged robot. This rail gun normally fires a solid dart of ultra dense high strength materials that does massive damage to targets that it hits but can also use explosive warheads. Loading system of the gun is completely automated. The cannon is mounted in a forward facing position and only has a limited traverse. The cannon can move from side to side up to fifteen degrees. The barrel elevation is much greater with the ability to be raised or lowered up to forty-five degrees. Weapon is controlled by the primary gunner but the commander has emergency controls.

    Maximum Effective Range: 3 miles (4.83 km) for direct fire and 7.5 miles (12 km) for indirect fire.

    Mega Damage: A single round inflicts 4D6x10+20 (optional rule is that cannon gets a critical on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration). Can use High Explosive rounds that do 1D4x10 with a blast radius of 20 feet (6.1 meters). High Explosive Anti Tank does 1D6x10 with a blast radius of 10 feet (3.05 meters).

    Rate of Fire: Maximum of four (4) attacks per melee round.

    Payload: Eighty (80) rounds.

    Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +2 to strike with rail gun and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when tank is moving.

  2. One (1) REEF-VL-1 Vulcan Laser Mount: While much shorter ranged than the 80 mm rail gun, it is still extremely powerful. This laser mount is a copy of the IH-44L Vulcan Laser carried on the Iron Hammer tank. The weapon consists of six rotating laser cannons, cycling through bursts of six blasts per second. Power is pulled directed from the main reactor. Usually controlled by the vehicle’s commander, the mount has the ability to rotate up to sixty degrees from side to side and up and down.

    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,212 meters).

    Mega-Damage: 3D4 x 10 M.D. per instantaneous burst (counts as one blast/attack).

    Rate of Fire: Maximum of six (6) attacks per melee round.

    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

  3. One (1) Underbody Retractable Laser Turret: Used to prevent soldiers and power armors from attacking the underside of the Robot. It has 360 degree rotation and elevation changes of 85 degrees and is able to hit just about straight under robot. Mount is designed to retract into the bottom of the robot vehicle. It can be controlled by a separate gunner who used a remote control from the cockpit but can also be set for computer controlled with six attacks per melee and +2 to strike. Turret also incorporates an emergency escape hatch. Weapon mount is a modified version of the spider defense system without the smoke grenade launchers..

    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) for light blasts, 3,000 feet (915 meters) for heavy blasts, 20 feet (6 meters) for electrical current,

    Mega Damage: 4D6 for light blasts, 1D4x10 for heavy blasts, 3D6 S.D.C. for electrical current

    Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner or six (6) Attacks per melee (+2 to strike) when set on automatic.

    Payload: Effectively Unlimited

  4. One (1) Medium Range Missile Pod (14 Medium Range Missiles): The vehicle has a tube style missile pod mounted to the right side of the vehicle above the 80 mm rail gun. The launcher carries seven medium range missiles ready with one set of reloads for the total of fourteen medium range missiles. It can be fired by either the pilot or the gunner but not both.

    Maximum Effective Range: As per medium range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Mega Damage: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or seven (7). The number of volleys a character can fire is equal to his combined hand to hand attacks per melee. One volley counts as one attack regardless of number of missiles fired.

    Payload: Fourteen (14) medium range missiles.

  5. Two (2) Short Range Missile Mortars: Two launcher with three missiles a piece for a total of six missiles. Used for special purposes but can carry conventional Missiles. It can be fired by either the pilot or the gunner but not both. As a result of being designed for defensive purposes, it has a limited rate of fire. Some consideration given towards replacing it with high capacity launchers with a greater rate of fire.

    Maximum Effective Range: As per short range missile type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Mega Damage: Varies with short range missile type (Usually none due to fact that standard load out is usually two Smoke, two Tear Gas, and two Fire Retardant - See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)

    Rate of Fire: One at a time only.

    Payload: Three (3) each launcher for six (6) short range missiles total.

  6. Hand-to-Hand Combat: Limited hand to hand abilities. Kick does 1D6 M.D.C., Stomp does 2D6 M.D.C., Body Block/Ram does 1D6 M.D.C. per 20 mph (32 kph) of speed.


Special Equipment:

The Robot has all the standard features of a standard Rifts Robot plus these special features listed.:


HAND TO HAND BONUSES:



[ Altarain TM, Bandito Arms TM, Brodkil TM, Chipwell Armaments TM, Coalition States TM, Cyber-Knight TM, Federation of Magic TM, Free Quebec TM, Golden Age Weaponsmiths TM, Horune TM, Iron Heart Armaments TM, Kankoran TM, Kittani TM, Kydian TM, Larsen’s Brigade TM, M.D.C. TM, Mechanoids TM, Mega-Damage TM, Megaversal Legion TM, Millennium Tree TM, Mutants in Orbit TM, Naruni Enterprises TM, Naut’Yll, New Navy TM, New Sovietskiy TM, NGR TM, Nog Heng TM, Northern Gun TM, Phase World TM, Psyscape TM, Rifter TM, SAMAS TM, S.D.C. TM, Shemarrian TM, Splugorth TM, Stormspire TM, Sunaj TM, Tolkeen TM, Triax TM, Wellington Industries TM, Wilk’s Laser Technologies TM, Xiticix TM, and Zaayr TM are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]

[ Beyond the Supernatural®, Heroes Unlimited®, Nightbane®, Ninjas & Superspies®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Rifts® are registered trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]

[ Macross®, Robotech®, Robotech: Sentinels®, SDF-1®, Southern Cross®, and Zentraedi® are registered trademarks owned and licensed by Harmony Gold USA, Inc. ]


Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 1998, 2003, & 2013 Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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