TW-P-61F “Flying Doom” Black Widow Heavy Fighter:

The P-61 is one of the lesser know yet interesting fighters of World War Two. The P-61 was the first United States aircraft to be designed as a night fighter. The fighter initially had problems with radar system but the P-61 proved to be a very dangerous opponent and was very versatile. The fighter has twin booms and twin engines and was similar in design to the better known P-38 Lightning although the Black Widow was far more massive. It was extremely well armed with four twenty-millimeter M-2 Hispano cannons in the nose and four Browning .50 caliber machine-guns in a top mounted turret. For its size, the later models of the fighter were also very fast and extremely long ranged.

Techno-Wizards have built a variety of aircraft based on Pre-Rifts aircraft and have also rebuilt many aircraft that survived the coming of the Rifts. Several techno-wizards wanted to design a techno-wizard variation on the Black Widow but they wanted it different from previous Techno-Wizard designs. It is believed that the builders had no actually P-61 to use as a basis for design but instead use some detailed that they managed to recover from the remains of an old museum. The designs have attempted to duplicate the plane as faithfully as possible while still adding in the special features that makes the aircraft far more dangerous than one might expect from a propellor driven aircraft. Each aircraft is hand built by Techno-Wizards. The favorite exterior scheme of the aircraft is flat or gloss back with a red hourglass on the bottom of the fuselage. Some also have the United States markings from World War Two.

The design is one of the least common of the propellor driven Techno-Wizard aircrafts but the numbers of the aircraft have slowly been increasing in number. It is still unlikely that it will ever be as popular as the Mustang, Lightning, or Spitfire.

Like most other techno-wizard propeller driven aircraft, the Black Widow has a dual flight system. One is a telekinetic flight system for flight over ley lines. While it is only useful on the magical lines, it is incredibly quiet and great when the pilot is attempting to make a surprise attack. The other engines are converted from power armor fusion reactors and they deliver far more power to the propellers than the Pratt & Whitney R-2800 Double Wasp engines. The speed of the Techno-Wizard Black Widow is about 10% greater than the World War Two Black Widow. The Black Widow is not quite as fast as the Mustang or Spitfire but is faster than the Lightning.

One major change is in the materials that the plane is constructed from. The Techno-Wizard Black Widow is constructed from high strength alloys and composites that would have been considered impossible during the Second World War and the P-61F Black Widow can take incredible damage. The body has no special immunities but the Black Widow is fitted with a magical force field for additional protection. The electronics in the Black Widow are modern including a much better radar system than is carried in most of the other techno-wizard aircraft designs and the fighter carries a powerful jamming system. Otherwise, the systems are the equivalent of those carried in most robot vehicles. The three position cockpit is sealed and has an internal life support system. The crew compartment is considered fairly comfortable by most pilots and their crews. Like other techno-wizard aircraft designs, the displays are designed to look like the original displays of the original P-61. The displays, like in the other designs, are in reality multi configuration holographic plasma displays which can be changed instantly when the crew needs to change them.

The magical features are very different from those carried on the other techno-wizard designs. The Black Widow is enchanted so an aura of doom surrounds the aircraft whenever it is flying. While the cockpits of most fighters protect the pilots from the aura, most sky cycles are not protected and pilots of the small craft have been know to fly away in fear or miss when they have a solid lock on target. The other magical feature is a projector cannon in the nose that allows the projection of the spell “Havoc” at extremely long ranges compared to a Wizard casting the spell. This weapon will affect the crew of fighters as well as robots and power armors. The fighter has several other techno-wizard additions including shadow meld, invisibility, and impervious to energy.

All weapon systems are techno-wizard but are still relatively conventional. The fighter carries four heavy lightning blasters in the nose surrounding the “Havoc” cannon. The lightning blasters replace the four twenty-millimeter cannons. The fighter also has a turret in top which carried four .50 caliber machine-guns. The machine-guns are replaced by light telekinetic cannons. These weapons are extremely useful against targets which are impervious to energy. The turret is normally manually controlled but also can be set to be controlled by an automated fire control computer. The aircraft also has four hard points on each wing which can carry one long range missile each or a variety of smaller ammunition. High capacity mini-missile pods are quite popular.

Model Number: P-61F “Flying Doom” Black Widow
Vehicle Type: Dual Engine Techno-Wizard Heavy Fighter
Crew: Three (Pilot, Co-Pilot / Communications, and Sensor Operator)

M.D.C. by Location:

	[1] Wings (2):	250 each
	[2] Central Tail Elevator	200
	[2] Rudders (2):	120 each
	Reinforced Pilots Cockpit	200
	Top Mounted Turret	100
	[3] Engines:	160 each
	[3] Propellers:	60
	Landing Gear (3):	40 each
	[4] Cockpit Section (Main Body):	320
	[4] Twin Booms (2, Main Body):	420 each
	Magical “Armor of Ithan” Force Field (3 times per day):	150

Notes:
[1] Destroying a wing will cause the plane to crash.
[2] Destruction of rudders will still allow the fighter to be controlled by the varying of power levels of the engines but the fighter has a penalty of -10 to dodge, and a -30% penalty to all piloting rolls. Destruction of the elevator will leave the plane uncontrollable and pilot must eject to survive.
[3] The destruction of one engine or propeller will reduce the fighter’s top speed by half and give the pilot a -2 penalty to dodge as well as giving a 10% penalty to piloting. Destruction of both engines or propellers will cause the aircraft to crash. Pilot may attempt an emergency landing or pilot can choose to eject. If on a Ley Line, the aircraft can continue flying even if both engines or propellers are destroyed.
[4] All Three sections are considered part of the Main Body. Depleting the M.D.C. of either of the boom sections or the cockpit section will put the fighter out of commission and causing it to crash if in flight.

Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for take offs and landings as well as for parking and storage. Speed is 40 mph (64 kph) when traveling and not on take off or landing
Flying: 485 mph (780.5 kph) with an altitude of 45,500 feet (13868.4 meters) using conventional propeller driven flight. 200 mph (320 kph) on Telekinetic flight system but aircraft must remain on a ley line for flight system to operate.
Maximum Effective Range: The Black Widow will overheat after twelve hours of operation at above 300 mph (482.8 kph) on propeller driven flight. Effectively unlimited on Telekinetic flight system.

Statistical Data:
Height: 14 feet 8 inches (4.49 meters)
Wingspan: 66 feet (20.12 meters)
Length: 49 feet 7 inches (15.10 meters)
Weight: 25,000 pounds (11,339.8 kilograms) empty, 41,200 pounds (18,688.0 kilograms)fully loaded
Power System: Dual Flight System, Fusion Reactor with five year lifespan and Telekinetic flight system for flight on ley lines.
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment), does not include hard points
Black Market Cost: 31.3 million credits.

Weapon Systems:

Four (4) Heavy Lightning Blasters: Mounted in the fighter’s nose and replace the four 20 mm Hispano cannons mounted on the original Black Widow. All of the lightning blasters can be fired together and inflict incredible damage when all four are fired together. No matter how many cannons are fired together, it counts as one attack. The lightning blasters have a slightly better range and have an unlimited payload compared to hand held lightning blasters. The weapon pulls its energy from a tiny rift from the elemental plane of air and does not need to be recharged.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
Mega Damage: 1D4x10+10 per electrical blaster and 4D4x10+40 for all four blasters firing simultaneously (Counts as one attack)
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Telekinetic Machine-Guns (4): Fairly lightweight and replace the four Browning .50 machine-guns mounted in the dorsal turret of the Black Widow. All four cannons can fire together and are normally controlled from within the cockpit. It is enchanted by a series of spells so the cannon acts as a more powerful version of the TK Machine-gun. This increases the weapon's damage and instead of being reloaded, the cannon must be recharged by the spell Telekinesis and 50 P.P.E. each once per month. The cannon does full damage to targets that are impervious to energy. The turret can rotate 360 degrees and has a 90 degree arc of fire. Turret can be set up to operate on automatic and when on automatic has +2 to strike and six attacks per melee.
Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
Mega Damage: 6D6 each and 2D6x10+12 for all four.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5) or six (6) attacks on automatic (+2 to strike)
Payload: Unlimited, although the spells must be renewed every month whether the cannon have been used or not.
Havoc Cannon (1): Mounted in the nose of the heavy fighter between the Lightning Blasters. And fires directly forward. While the weapon does not inflict huge amounts of damage, it goes direct to hit points and power armor and robots give the crew no protection. Havoc effects a 20 foot (9.1 meter) diameter area. The effects also last several melees and effect all targets with the area of effect.
Maximum Effective Range: 1,000 feet (304.8 meters)
Mega-Damage: None to normal opponents but inflicts 1D6 Direct to Hit Points per melee (Inflicts double M.D.C. to Supernatural Creatures) and the target also needs to save vs magic or are -3 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge. (has no sense of direction or time.) Weapon goes direct through power armor and vehicles. Duration is ten melees.
Rate of Fire: Maximum of twice per melee
Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Wing Hard Points (8): The “Flying Doom” Black Widow can carry a variety of ordnance on its hard points. The fighter has four hard points on each wing for a total of eight hard points. With the addition of modern sensor systems, the fighter can control missiles instead of just bombs and unguided rockets. Mini-Missile pods are very popular. There is no provision for jamming pods or towed decoys.
1. Bombs and Missiles: The only restriction is that a hard point must carry all the same type of missiles or bombs. Both unguided and guided bombs can be carried.
  Maximum Effective Range: Varies by missile type for missile and varies by altitude that bombs are dropped at (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
  Mega Damage: Varies by missile or bomb type (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
  Rate of Fire: Missiles can be fired and bombs can be dropped one at a time per hard point. Multiple hard points can be linked as one attack but must be the same size (light, medium, or heavy) and style of ordnance (all missiles or bombs in a volley.)
  Payload: 4 short range missile or light bombs, 2 medium range missiles or medium bombs, or 1 long range missile or heavy bomb (all ordnance on a hard point must be the same size and type of ordnance)
2. Mini-Missile Pod: Large capacity mini-missile pod. The aircraft normally carries missile pods for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missile used are armor piercing, plasma, or fragmentation mini-missiles.
  Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
  Mega Damage: Varies with mini missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
  Rate of Fire: Each pod can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), eight (8), or sixteen (16) mini-missiles and can be linked with other mini-missile pods for greater number of missiles (Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in volley.)
  Payload: Each pod carries sixteen (16) mini-missiles.
Magical “Aura of Doom” Field: The heavy fighter can surround itself with a field of flickering blackness. This is an aura of doom which causes others within the aura to feel as if death is about to get them and that they will fail at whatever they try. The field can be raised and dropped at the crews desire and does not affect the crew of the heavy fighter. The effect will not go through power armors, robot vehicles, and other large vehicles (including other fighters) as well as most supernatural creatures and high-level spell casters. The spell does affect through body armors and is very effective against the pilots in the open cockpits of sky cycles.
Maximum Effective Range: 500 feet (152.4 meter) globe around fighter.
Mega-Damage: None but aura cause anyone within the area of effect (does not affect the crew) who fails their saving throw to lose half their attacks per melee, their skill performances will be half, initiative will be half, and will be at -4 to strike, parry, and dodge.
Rate of Fire: Can be activated at will
Payload: Effectively unlimited
Magical “Fireworks” Anti-Missile Chaff/Flare Dispenser (1): In many ways this system is similar to technological versions of the Chaff/Flare system. 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 identical 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. The dispenser is recharged by the spells Apparition (20 P.P.E.), Fire Bolt (7 P.P.E.), and Telekinesis (8 P.P.E.).
Techno-Wizard Modifications: The Black Widow has the following techno-wizard modifications built into the aircraft. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the pilot.
Special Features:

Special Equipment:

The fighter has all the standard features of a standard fighter (same as standard robot minus loudspeaker and microphone) plus these special features listed. The special equipment is a combination of both magic and technology

Radar: Range 500 miles (805 km), can identify and track up to 96 targets simultaneously, It is also capable of Terrain Following for low altitude flight. With Combat & Targeting Computer, the Merlin can fire missiles at up to twenty four targets at the same time. The weapons officer frees the pilot from controlling the missiles so he can retain his full attacks.
Magical “See the Invisible” Optics: 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.
E.S.M.: Radar Detector. Passively detects other radars being operated.

Combat Bonuses:

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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