Techno-Wizard Converted Submarine “HMS Sea Fox” (P-267):


The British S-Class submarine was one of the most numerous Royal Navy submarine classes of World War II with a total of over sixty built and a number lost during the War. A relatively small submarine although considered medium sized at the time, they were designed to be quite maneuverable and able to dive quickly. Designed to operate mainly in home waters and in the Mediterranean. The first of the class were built in the Nineteen-Thirties but improved versions with thicker hulls, welded construction, and longer range were ordered during World War II and around fifty of these improved boats were built.


The Sea Fox was the last of these submarines completed before the end of World War II caused the uncompleted boats to be cancelled. She was originally planned to be named “Sea Robin” but the name was changed during construction. She served only a single patrol during World War II and was preparing to go to the Pacific when the war ended. Serving until the mid Nineteen-Sixties, the Sea Fox performed in a variety of different roles including as a weapon test bed. It was only luck that she was not used for testing the hydrogen peroxide torpedo that sank one of her sisters.


Eventually thought, she was decommissioned with plans being to have her scrapped. Fortunately, there was a group interested in preserving her due to being one of the last surviving member of her class. It was decided to convert her back to the appearance she had during World War II. She was berthed out of the water in an old decommissioned drydock with a roof build over the dry dock in later years. Interestingly, she was used several time in the filming of movies and documentaries over the years.


It is often hard to know why some things survived the coming of the Rifts while others did not. There are always opinions but it is hard to know actually why. Somehow though, she survived and was found by a group of techno-wizards in surprisingly good shape although she had been rusting for a number of years. As with a number of other vessels, they decided to restore her to fighting shape. There are a handful of other cases where Techno-Wizards have restored Pre-Rifts submarines including an American submarine named “Needlefish.” Many of the ideas used with Needlefish were also adapted for the Sea Fox.


Even though she was in relatively good shape, the spell of “Mend the Broken” needed to be used to restore her completely. There was debate about ether enchanting the hull to make it far stronger or replace the hull with advanced composites and alloys. In the end, it was decided to replace the hull with modern advanced materials. It would be far cheaper and make repairs far easier as well. In addition to being far tougher, these composites and alloys make the boat virtually immune to corrosion as well as increasing diving depth. In some cases her framing members have also been replaced.


Part of what might have motivated the almost complete rebuild was that the entire engine compartment needed to be rebuilt. A single pair of powerful electric motors replace the original propulsion. These engines increase the top speed slightly, giving a top speed underwater of ten knots and on the surface of sixteen knots. Converted to mystical energy, these engines give a range of one thousand miles before needing to be recharged with the spell of “Call Lightning.”


Later S Class Submarines mount six forward torpedo tubes with a total of twelve torpedoes. In addition, the mounted either a three inch or four inch gun as well as several lighter guns carries for self defense against attacking aircraft while on the surface. At least as far as torpedoes, the solutions was quite simple which was to replace the original torpedoes with modern advanced torpedoes. These can include enchanted torpedoes as well as encapsulated missiles. Limited payload makes this an issue however.


Otherwise, it was decide that the four inch gun would be replaced by a TX-862FC recoilless flack cannon. The weapon system is designed to engage air targets but also pack a punch able to damage surface targets quite badly. Relatively easy to get across the channel, the weapon is designed to be able to be controlled by remote from inside the submarine although cannot be fired underwater. In addition, three light and one heavy telekinetic machine guns are fitted around the superstructure. These gun mounts need to be recharged once a month whether used or not but otherwise have an unlimited payload. Unlike the flack cannon however, these gun mounts can be operated while underwater to protect from incoming torpedoes.


As with most World War II submarines, the British S submarines were not anything like as quiet as modern submarines. Luckily, techno-wizards have come up with a solution. It is an extremely interesting one where a magical “Globe of Silence” surrounds the submarine. It is so quite that the best way to find the submarine is to look for an area that is too quiet. In practice, this has been found to be virtually impossible however. The enchantment lasts for ten minutes per activation. One weakness is that the submarine’s own hull sonar cannot detect anything.


Even if the “Globe of Silence” is not active, the hull sonar is quite primitive and short ranged. There was no way to effectively replace the hull sonar. Modern computer systems have been adapted to help process sonar data but still only of limited effectiveness. As with other submarines, the most effective solution was to mount a towed array sonar. The towed sonar simply deploys beyond the “Globe of Silence” sphere and is a relatively modern sonar system with far better range. Much of the space for mounting the towed array is done through the removal of the diesels engines and the replacement of the original electric motors.


A more modern periscope replaces the original setup with the enchantment of “See the Invisible” to give better ability to detect invisible targets while on the surface. While a complete electronic suite was not fitted to the techno-wizard submarine, the Sea Fox does mount a modern robot style radar and radar detection systems mounted alongside the periscope. Modern fire control tracking computers are also carried replacing the original analog systems although displays are designed to look “retro.”


Because the boat often operates on the surface, a magical “Fireworks” chaff and flare system is mounted. It is mainly meant to decoy incoming missiles while the boat prepares to dive. As far as non magical defenses, the boat carries noisemakers to decoy incoming torpedoes as well. The main protection of the boat however is an “Armor of Ithan” force field. Able to be activated up to three times per day, the force field can be used underwater as well as on the surface. Other common protective enchantments include “Invisibility Superior” and “Impervious to Energy.” As with many techno-wizard vessels, the submarine mounts a mystical energy battery.


Original crew for a British S-Class submarine was six officers and forty-two crew. While the crew is not reduced to the extent of a modern techno-wizard submarine, there was a reasonable amount of crew reduction. Standard crew of the Sea Fox is four officers and thirty crew. This does result in some measure of improved crew comfort although still fairly cramped. Several of the officers have usually been spell casters with the captain and chief engineer being techno-wizards. To further improve comforts, the submarine has the enchantment of sustain. With this enchantment, the submarine does not need to surface for air and the crew does not even need to eat. While about a dozen passengers could be embarked, they are rarely carried. Theoretically, some of these could be troops in power armors.


[Author Note: In real life, the HMS Sea Robin (P-267) was ordered from the Cammell Laird Shipyard in 1943 but was cancelled in 1945 at the end of the war. Some of the idea are based on real life vessels and events however]


Model Type: TW-P-267

Vehicle Type: Ocean, Magical Attack Submarine

Crew: 30 (4 officers) with usually at least two techno-wizard or other spell casting type (three or four is preferred.)

Troops: None standard although has space for twelve additional passengers although extremely cramped if embarked.


Robots, Power Armors, and Vehicles:

 

6

Mystic Power Armors (Possible)

M.D.C. by Location:

 

21 inch (533 mm) Torpedo Tubes (6 Bow):

60 each

 

TX-862FC Flack Cannon Mount (Forward of Sail):

180

 

Telekinetic Gatling Machine-Gun Mounts (Aft of Sail):

100 each

 

Light Telekinetic Machine-Guns (3):

60 each

 

“Fireworks” Magic Chaff and Flare Dispensers (2, Sides):

20 each

 

Main Sail / Bridge:

300

 

Towed Array Housing (Aft)

80

 

[1] Bow Planes (2):

15 each

 

[2] Propellers (2):

80 each

 

[3] Main Body:

900

 

[4] “Armor of Ithan” Force Field (Three Times per Day):

500

Notes:

[1] Destroying the submarine’s bow planes will reduce the submarine’s ability to change depths but will not eliminate it. It also makes it difficult for the submarine’s crew to control the submarine giving a penalty of -25% to all underwater piloting rolls.

[2] Destroying both of the submarine’s propellers causes serious problem. The submarine will no longer be able to use forward momentum and the bow planes to keep the submarine level. It is recommended that ballast tanks are immediately blown so submarine comes to the surface. Destruction of one propeller reduces the submarine’s top speed by half.

[3] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body destroys the submarine’s structural integrity, causing it to sink. If the submarine is underwater, the entire crew will die unless protected by environmental armors that can withstand the pressure that the submarine is under. If on the surface, there are enough flotation devices and inflatable life rafts to accommodate everyone aboard.

[4] 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: 18.41 mph (16 knots /29.63 kph)

Underwater: 11.51 mph (10 knots/ 18.52 kph)

Maximum Depth: 525 feet (160.0 meters) - Usually does not operate below 350 feet (106.7 meters).

Range: 1,000 nautical miles (1,151.5 miles / 1,853.2 km) for each full recharge (requires four “Call Lightning” for 60 P.P.E. due to size of engines.) 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 submarine carries about four months worth of supplies on board (“Sustain” provides all food requirements.)


Statistical Data:

Length:  217 feet (66 meters).

Draft:    11 feet (3.4 meters).

Width:   23 feet 6 inches (7.16 meters).

Displacement: 842 tons surface and 990 tons submerged

Cargo: Submarine is very cramped, 10 tons (9.07 metric tons) of nonessential equipment and supplies. Each enlisted crew member has a small locker for personal items and uniforms. Boat’s officers have more space for personal items although still cramped. Most of the boat’s spaces are take up by extra torpedoes, weapons, and engines.

Power System: Techno-Wizard Electrical Engine Conversion (Powered by “Call Lightning” spell.)

Black Market Cost: Not for Sale. Such a vessel, if available for sale, would probably cost 150 or more million credits.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

  1. One (1) TX-862FC Recoilless Anti-Aircraft Flack Cannon: Replaces the original 4 inch gun mounted forward of the main sail. Otherwise, the mount is identical to the TX-862FC with ammunition storage changed. Retains the ability to be able to be controlled remotely. The cannon mount 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. Cannot be used underwater.

    Maximum Effective Range: 10,000 feet (3,048 meters).

    Mega Damage: Single Round: 4D6 M.D.C., Two Rounds 1D6x10, and Six Rounds 3D6x10

    Rate of Fire: Equal to the gunners combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6)

    Payload: Total of 800 rounds for the gun mount. That is 133 volleys of 6 rounds, or 400 two round volleys.

    Special Feature: The flack cannon has both and independent power supply and its own laser targeting and radar tracking system (especial useful if radar system is destroyed). The 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 when fired.

  2. One (1) Telekinetic Gatling Cannons: Mounted behind the vessel’s main sail and replaces the original 20 mm mount. Mounts have been enchanted by a series of spells so the cannons act as a more powerful version of the TK Machine gun. This increases the weapon’s 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 systems have been added to enable the system to track and target aircraft and missiles. Can be used remotely underwater to target torpedoes and other underwater targets.

    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.

  3. Three (3) Twin Telekinetic Machine-Gun: Mounted around the sail and are enchanted by a series of spells so the cannon acts as a more powerful version of the Telekinetic 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. per mount each once per month. The cannon does full damage to targets that are impervious to energy. Weapon mounts have advanced fire control to track and target missiles and other small airborne targets. Can be used remotely underwater to target torpedoes and other underwater targets.

    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).

    Mega Damage: 6D6 each mount.

    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5).

    Payload: Unlimited, although the spells must be renewed every month whether the cannon have been used or not (costs 50 P.P.E. per mount.)

  4. Six (6) 21 inch (533 mm) Heavy Torpedo Tubes: On the bow of the submarine are six torpedo tubes. Old style torpedo tubes although modern torpedoes are fired instead of old type torpedoes. The tubes are manually reloaded. For warheads, heavy torpedoes should be treated as having long missiles warheads. Along with standard torpedoes, launcher can also fire missiles in special canisters, rocket boosted ASW torpedoes, and even mines. There are also special techno-wizard torpedoes available. A total of twelve torpedoes are carried for reloads behind the torpedo tubes.

    Maximum Effective Range: 40 miles (34.8 nautical miles / 64 km) for torpedoes.

    Mega Damage: By heavy torpedo warhead type (See revised Rifts torpedoes for details), can fire missiles (Long Range or Cruise) in special canisters as well (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.) Reloading tubes takes two full melee rounds.

    Payload: Six (6) Total - (Has six [6] additional torpedoes total for reloads.) Anti-ship missiles can be carried but is extremely rare due to small payload. If carried, most likely only two or maybe four may be carried. Can also carry two mines for each torpedo normally carried.

  5. Two (2) Magical “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. Only useful on the surface against missiles, not useful against torpedoes underwater.

    Effect:

      01-35 - Enemy missile or missile volley detonates in chaff cloud - Missiles are all destroyed.

      36-60 - Enemy missile or missile volley loses track of real target and veers away in wrong direction (May lock onto another target.)

      61-00 - No effect, enemy missile or missile volley is still on target.

    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.

  6. Magical “Globe of Silence” Submarine Silencing Feature: Unlike on the Nautilus class submarine, this enchantment is not always active but instead needs to be activated when needed. The enchantment is an application of a modified version of the spell “Globe of Silence.” The hull, propellers, and all exterior features are protected by this spell which extends outward by 1 foot (0.3 meters). This blocks all interior noises (including the launching of torpedoes) as well. This renders the submarine completely undetectable using active sonars and can only be detected by passive sonar by trying to find an area which there are no sounds (close to impossible, 5% chance with an incredible sonar operator). Torpedoes fired against the submarine have penalties of -10 to strike the submarine and lose all bonuses. The hull sonar of the submarine does not extend out from the silencing system but the towed array sonar does. Without the “Globe of Silence,” the submarine has no penalties to detect about five knots. Below five knots, there is a -10% penalty to be detected.

    Duration: Ten (10) minutes per activation.

    P.P.E. Cost: 40 each activation.

  7. Noisemakers: The submarine carries noisemakers to decoy torpedoes. They are most effective against normal torpedoes and less effective against “smart” torpedoes. The noisemakers are launched from the middle of the submarine. Considered effective useless when “Globe of Silence” is active by most captains / crews.

    Effect: 50% of decoying normal torpedoes and 20% of decoying smart torpedoes.

    Rate of Fire: Two (2) at a time (Can be reloaded in one melee.)

    Payload: 20 Noisemakers.

    8.Techno-Wizard Modifications: The Sea Fox has the following techno-wizard modifications built into the boat. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the boats crew or P.P.E. battery.

    Special Features:

      Sustain (5th Level) - 24 P.P.E. or 48 I.S.P.

      Impervious to Energy (5th Level) - 40 P.P.E. or 80 I.S.P.

      Invisibility-Superior (5th Level) - 40 P.P.E. or 80 I.S.P.

Sensory / Special Equipment:


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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2014, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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