Zilkia Industries ZI-SPD-02 “Ghost Spider” Scout Drone:

Zilkia Industries produces a wide variety of designs, mostly of Kittani origin although the company produces a number of Triax based designs as well. The Tolkeen based company, founded by a Kittani weapon engineer named Ki-Tarn Zilkia, also produces a number of unique designs as well. One of the more unusual series of designs are eight legged designs which are inspired by spiders. Included in these designs is an eight legged version of the Spider Defense System. Another in the “Ghost Spider,” a remote drone designed for use as a spy or scout platform. The design is useful in situations where it is consider too risky to involve a soldier. The platform has also be used for mine clearing roles.

The Ghost Spider is a tiny platform with the main body only about a half meter long. Unlike other Zilkia Industries' “Spider” designs, the Ghost Spider is simply too small to mount a fusion reactor and instead relies on a high capacity battery. The battery allows for a duration of up to eighty hours at full power without recharging or a range of over three thousand kilometers. The systems on the Ghost Spider can be shut down to minimal power to greatly increase operational duration. Top speed is around forty kilometers per hour although limited to around twenty-five kilometers per hour over rougher terrain. It is designed to be able to leap short distances to clear terrain. Like all of Zilkia Industries' “Spider” designs, the Ghost Spider is an eight legged platform. One advantage of being an eight legged design is the fact that the platform can lose several legs and still operate.

As a reconnaissance platform, the Ghost Spider is outfitted with an extensive series of sensor and communication systems similar to what is carried in most power armors although sensor systems are passive to reduce the chances of the vehicle being detected. The vehicle has an extensive command sequence and the Ghost Spider can be operated totally autonomously. In addition to evasion and search programming, the system can be programmed to only transmit at certain times and wait to transmit until clear from its main operation area. There is also the option to have the vehicle be operated via remote control using a control platform. In some cases, the platform may be programmed to operated autonomously unless certain conditions are met and then the vehicle will return to remote command control.

A feature which is extremely important with the “Ghost Spider” is stealth. In this regard, the design is extremely quiet with the legs having special padding to reduce the noise the vehicle produces. All electronics are shielded to reduce electromagnetic radiation to make it harder to detect. A final stealth feature is that the Ghost Spider features a Naruni Camouflage system. Unless someone is specifically looking for the Ghost Spider, it is virtually impossible to detect when motionless and concealed by this system.

Weaponry is the one place where the platform is extremely lacking even when compared to other light remote systems. The only system which can be consider a weapon which the Ghost Spider carries is a laser torch. While it can be used as a light weapon at short range, it is carried more as a cutting tool than for use as a weapon. There have been several potential customers who have dismissed the design due to its lack of any heavy weapons. Of course most who complain do not understand the true use of the Ghost Spider, There has been some consideration by Zilkia Industries to produce a heavier armed version which mounted the equivalent of a laser pistol. As with only be lightly armor, the Ghost Spider is only lightly armor as well.

Model Type: ZI-SPD-02 “Ghost Spider”
Class: All Terrain Robotic Scout Drone
Crew: None (Run by remote or autonomously)

M.D.C. by Location:

	Sensor Head:	15
	[1] Spider Legs (8):	5 each
	[2] Main Body:	25

Notes:
[1] The destruction of a up to two legs on a side will not cause the design to be unbalanced and the Ghost Spider will still be able to move. Speed is reduced by 10% per leg destroyed.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the robot down completely, rendering it useless.

Speed:
Running: 24.85 mph (40 kph) maximum, cruises normally at 15.53 mph (25 kph)
Leaping: Powerful legs allow robot to leap 4.92 feet (1.5 meters) up and 9.84 feet (3.0 meters) across from a standing position, 6.56 feet (2.0 meters) up and 16.40 feet (5.0 meters) across with a short running start.
Underwater: It can walk along the bottom of the sea floor at 25% of maximum speed. Has a maximum ocean depth of 1640.4 feet (500 meters).
Maximum Effective Range: 1,988.4 miles (3,200 km) before needing to recharge (80 hours at full power.)

Statistical Data:
Height: 0.98 feet (0.2 meters) when standing up and 0.32 feet (0.1 meters) with legs retracted.
Width: 0.82 feet (0.25 meters) for main body with legs extending out for 0.98 feet (0.3 meters) on either side
Length: 1.48 feet (0.45 meters)
Weight: 22.05 pounds (10 kilograms)
Physical Strength: P.S. 18
Cargo: Effectively None
Power Source: Electrical, has a small high capacity battery
Black Market Cost: 420,000 credits.

Weapon Systems:

Laser Torch: Mounted in the front of the tiny robot is a powerful laser torch. The torch has a wide variety of Mega-Damage and S.D.C. settings. The torch is designed to be a tool, not a weapon. It is often used to cut through walls. Cutting / Welding is normally done only a few feet from the target, but the torch' s beam can be increased up to ten feet. The torch can cut through a S.D.C. structure like butter. As one M.D. point is about one hundred S.D.C., thus the torch can slice all around a 600 S.D.C. point metal door in 15 seconds on setting number 1D6 M.D. (1D4 M.D. setting to weld); a higher setting might shoot past the door and hit/hurt someone/thing of value.
Maximum Effective Range: 10 feet (3 meters)
Mega-Damage: 1D4, 1D6, 2D4, 3D6, and 4D6 M.D.
S.D.C. Damage: 1D6, 3D6, 6D6, 1D6x10 S.D.C.
Rate of Fire: Equal to Pilots Hand to Hand Attacks (Three attacks per melee when autonomously controlled with +2 to strike)
Payload: 400 shots or about eight hours of continuous use.

Special Equipment:
The drone has limited special equipment which is similar in many cases to the systems carried in light power armors.

Visual Magnification: This system allows magnification of 2 x to 8 x. Displays on side screen on face plate. Power Armor also has data recording for 48 hours at high resolution and 144 hours at low resolution.
Thermo-Imager: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Finds the infrared radiations of things that are warm. Also enables pilot to see in smoke, shadows and darkness. System has disadvantage of being able to be detected.
Nightvision Optics: Range: 2,000 ft (609 m). Uses light amplification to make a picture. Emits no light but will not work in absolute darkness. System can be dazzled by sudden bright lights but does not physically blind the wearer.
Infra-Red / Laser Detector: The system is designed to detect any infrared or laser beams which paint or target the power armor. Power armor has special sensors built into the exterior every few inches. Sensors gives strength of the signal and the person can often determine if they have been detected from signal strength.
Radar Detector: System is designed to passively detect other radars being operated. System give information such as relative strength and number of signals. Sensors gives strength of the signal and the person can often determine if they have been detected from signal strength.
Radio Communication: The drone is equipped with a long range direction communication system. The system has an effective range of 500 miles (800 km). The drone is also outfitted with a short range directional radio. Short range radio has a range of 20 miles (32 km).
Camouflage System: The drone's skin is covered by a fiber-optic material that can change colors to match the general environment. Color change takes 1D4 melee rounds (15 to 60 seconds), in which the armor becomes the exact same color as the predominant one in the area. In the woods or in broken terrain, the drone will also create stripes and blotches of lighter and darker color like a camouflage pattern. In all cases, the vehicle is difficult to spot: -20% for others to detect ambush and detect concealment, and has a prowl skill of 75%.
The system also masks infrared and thermal emissions, making the drone's heat invisible to infrared and thermal optics! There is only a 21% chance of the drone showing up on thermal systems and even then the reading/image will seem unusual. The camouflage system is disabled after the Ghost Spider's main body takes 12 points of damage.

Combat 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. ]

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Original company idea by Ki-Tarn Zilkia (Kitarn@netscape.net)

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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