“Obsidian” Improved Mystic Power Armor (T.W. / U.W.W.):

While on Rifts Earth, the standard mystic power is generally the only version available, there are a variety of different mystic power armor available within the Three Galaxies. Most of these are manufactured within the United Worlds Warlord with each considered to have advantaged over other models. Even so, the standard model of the mystic power armor is the most common and are mass produced at a cost of only around five hundred thousand credits each.

The description of “power armor” might be considered misleading with the armor actually being in many ways more like an augmented body armor. Even so, the mystic power armor gives excellent protection and gives greatly augmented firepower. Because the mystic power armor does not interfere with a spell caster’s own magic, they are extremely popular with a wide variety of mage types.

The “Obsidian” model is one of the more popular versions of the mystic power armors available in the United Worlds Warlock. It is produced in large numbers, although nothing like in the numbers of the standard mystic power armor. In addition, there are several near copies of the mystic armor produced as well under a variety of different names. Some have different enchantments and are not considered quite as effective.

The “Obsidian” is slightly more bulky than the standard mystic power armor although is still extremely lightweight compared to true power armors. The suit is extremely flexible and does not impede the wearer’s movement. Instead of being made from clear quartz crystals, the armor is constructed from smoky quartz crystals which are almost black. As with most mystic power armor designs, the is a large diamond in the center of the chest worth at least forty thousand credits. In some cases purchasers may be able to order the armor with a variety of custom styling.

While designed for combat, the “Obsidian” is designed to be a stealth design. The armor is enchanted so that it makes absolutely no noise. Instead of having the enchantment of “Chameleon,” the armor has the enchantment of “Shadow Meld” which can be activated at will. Especially in space, it makes the power armor extremely hard to see visually. These enchantments are augmented by the enchantments of “Invisibility - Superior” and “Cloak of Darkness” although unlike the “Shadow Meld” enchantment, these enchantments require additional magical or psychic energy to be activated. These enchantments can be used together as well.

With regards to protection, the armor is slightly tougher than a standard mystic power armor and shares the same immunity to fire and heat of the standard mystic power armor. This includes magical fire and heat. In a similar manner to the standard version, damage to the armor can be repaired through the casting of the spell “Armor of Ithan” along with the focusing of additional mystical energies.

In order to further improve the protection of the armor, the “Obsidian” mystic power armor is enchanted with an “Invincible Armor” force field. Unlike most of the enchantments on the armor, the force field requires additional magical or psychic energy to activate. Unless knocked down completely, the force field will slowly regenerate damage. If completely knocked down, additional damage that should have penetrated will be absorbed with the force field’s collapse. While the force field is not immune to fire and heat, the force field does take half damage from a variety of attacks.

Unlike the standard mystic power armor, the “Obsidian” is only armed with a single enchantment as weaponry. This is the enchantment of “Lightning Arc.” The weapon has a greater range than the standard weaponry of a mystic power armor and inflicts greater damage. In addition, the rate of fire of the enchantment is not limited as the weaponry of the standard mystic power armor is. While generally preferred over the weaponry of a standard mystic power armor, there are some whom would prefer to have the “Magic Net” enchantment.

Even though considered reasonably well armed, many operators prefer to carry handheld weaponry. As one might expect, various energy weapons, both rifles and pistols, are popular. Heavier crew served weapons might be carried as well for greater firepower. One limitation of the “Obsidian” compared to true power armors is that the armor does not have a fusion reactor to power weaponry. Other popular weaponry includes hand held gravity rail gun rifles and pistols as well as hand held micro-missile launchers. Some wears will carry an enchanted sword for close range combat.

For life support, the Obsidian retains the “Breath without Air” enchantment in order to be able to survive in space. It also retains the enchantments of “Superhuman Strength” and “Superhuman Speed” to augment the abilities of the wearer. Of course if the wearer’s own abilities are superior to those of the armor, the wearer’s own abilities dictate the performance of the armor instead.

As contra-grav flight systems are vulnerable to detection, it was decided to retain the standard enchantment of “Fly as the Eagle” although the designers found a way to boost the enchantment to double normal flight speed although there is no change to the maximum altitude. In space, the enchantment is limited to about a quarter of a gravity of acceleration.

The various sensory enchainment are retained on the armor with “Eyes of the Wolf” and “See the Invisible.” In addition, the armor has the enchantment of “See in Magical Darkness.” Each of these enchantments can be used at will. Finally, while not magical in nature, the “Obsidian” armor also has the standard conventional sensor systems of a normal set of body armor.

Because a number of the enchantment require additional mystical energies, it was decided to have a battery for additional magical energies. This battery is in the form of ten emeralds worked into the design of the armor. It is not the full battery mounted on star ships although it does recharge slowly. On ley lines and nexus points, the battery recharges more rapidly and spell casters can focus mystical energies into the battery to recharge it more rapidly.

Model Type: MPA-2-O.

Class: Enhanced Magical Heavy Body Armor

Crew: One.

M.D.C. by Location:

	Arms (2):	100 each.
	Legs (2):	120 each
	[1] Head / Helmet:	120.
	[2] Main Body:	180.
	[3] “Invincible Armor” Force Field	150.

Notes:

[1] This is a 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 destroy the armor and make it useless. As well, the wearer may be killed or injured. Armor of Ithan and 100 P.P.E. will restore all M.D.C..

[3] “Invincible Armor” Force Field costs 30 P.P.E. (Or 60 I.S.P.) per activation and has a duration of 18 minutes (72 melee rounds) per activation. Magical energy can be pulled from the armor’s mystic energy battery. The armor regenerates damage at the rate of 1D6 M.D.C. per melee round. The armor also offers complete environmental protection from heat, cold, disease, pollution, toxic gases, fumes, etc. and, provides the wearer with an independent oxygen supply. Furthermore, all energy attacks, magic or mundane, inflict only half their usual damage to the armor! Should the armor be destroyed, it absorbs all the extra damage and disappears in a flash of light. No damage is carried over to the wearer.

Speed:

Running: Armor boosts wearers ability to run, identical to the spell of superhuman speed. Speed is equal to speed 44 (30 mph/48.3 kmph)

Flight: The armor has a limited ability to fly, can activate an enhanced “Fly as the Eagle” enchantment anytime with an unlimited duration. Flight speed is up to 100 mph (160.9 kph) with a maximum altitude of 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). In space, the enchantment gives a maximum acceleration of 0.25 G. Armor is not trans-atmospheric.

Underwater: Can use the ability of “Fly as the Eagle” underwater with a limited speed of 10 mph (16.1 kph) and can walk along the bottom of the water.

Range: Limited by pilot’s endurance.

Statistical Data:

Height: Effectively same as character (+4 inches / 10 cm).

Width: Effectively same as character (+2 inches / 5 cm).

Length: Effectively same as character (+2 inches / 5 cm).

Weight / Mass: “Obsidian” Mystic Power Armor: 28 lbs (12.7 kg) and has no prowl penalties.

Physical Strength: Characters strength or spell of “Superhuman Strength” (Whichever is stronger). Gives Strength of 30 and Endurance of 24.

Cargo: Effectively None.

Power System: Magical Technowizard Engine, Unlimited Duration. Also has a P.P.E. Battery with 200 P.P.E. (Regenerates 2 P.P.E. per hour normally and 10 P.P.E. per hour on a ley line.)

Cost: “Obsidian” Mystic Power Armor: 3.25 million credits.

Weapon Systems & Special Equipment:

“Lightning Arc” Blasts: Armor give wearer the ability to fire lightning blasts from the hands or the eyes. The enchantment has an extended range compared to the standard spell. Otherwise, this powerful spell is standard with regards to blasts with +4 to strike targets at 400 feet (121.9 meters) or less and +1 to strike targets at greater ranges.

Maximum Effective Range: In an atmosphere, range is 2,400 feet (731.5 meters). In space, range is eight times normal, with a range of 9,600 feet (2,926 meters.)

Mega-Damage: 4D60+12 per blast.

Rate of Fire: Equal to the number of combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4-6) .

Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
Energy Rifles or Light Rail Gun and other hand-held weapons can be substituted in an emergency or used as a back-up weapon. Space limitations and the bulk of the armor limit additional rifle weapons to one rifle and one pistol.
Armor bonuses & Hand to Hand: Gives armor +2 to parry and +6 to dodge from “Superhuman Speed” spell. Also gives an additional +1 to parry, +2 to dodge, and +2 to damage when diving all while in flight from spell fly as the Eagle. Also gives Supernatural PS of 30 and a PE of 24, unless less than pilots.

Enchantments:

Some of the enchantments require no mystical energy from the wearer of the armor while others require additional mystical energy. To power enchantments which require additional mystical energy, the armor has a P.P.E. Battery.

The P.P.E. battery built into the enchanted armor is in the form of emerald crystals. This magical energy can be both used by the wearer to cast spells and can be used to power enchantments in the armor. The armor stores 20 P.P.E. for every crystal built into the armor with ten total (200 P.P.E.) Magical energy regenerates at the rate 2 P.P.E. per hour normally or 10 per hour on a Ley Line. Spell casters can also feed P.P.E. into the crystals.

Enchantments can be activated by non-spell casters.

Require additional P.P.E. from suit or operator:

Cloak of Darkness: Enchantment costs 6 P.P.E. (Normally comes from P.P.E. Battery) or 12 I.S.P. to activate. Duration is 24 minutes per activation. Enchantment cloaks armor in a field of darkness with a 5 foot (1.5 meter) radius. Wearer can see perfectly from within the darkness, but those outside the radius of magic cannot see in. In darkness, including space, it renders the armor virtually invisible, but can still be detected by infrared and/or heat sensors, thermal-imaging, motion detectors and similar sensor systems.

The sphere of darkness may noticeably obscure a particular area, making it obvious to visual detection, especially in bright light. However, the darkness is not dispelled by light.

In combat, opponents who attack armor cloaked in darkness from any distance beyond the 5 foot (1.5 meter) radius are -3 to strike, unless guided by thermal optics or similar heat based optics, and even then are -1 to strike. Those who enter the darkness for hand to hand combat will see the armor without difficulty; no penalty unless they step outside the 5 foot (1.5 m) radius of effect.
Invincible Armor: Enchantment costs 30 P.P.E. (Normally comes from P.P.E. Battery) or 60 I.S.P. to activate. Duration is 18 minutes per activation. The wearer is protected by a 150 M.D.C. force field which regenerates 1D6 M.D.C. per melee round. All energy attacks, magic or mundane, inflict only half their usual damage to the force field. When knocked down, no additional damage beyond which destroyed the shield will be transferred to the body armor. See Spell for further details.
Invisibility (Superior): Enchantment costs 20 P.P.E. (Normally comes from P.P.E. Battery) or 40 I.S.P. to activate. Duration is 18 minutes per activation. Armor is invisible to all means of detection. Includes infrared, ultraviolet, heat, motion detectors, radar, gravity sensors, and even an animal's sense of smell. Not footprints are made as well. The magic is broken if the armor makes a hostile move, engages in combat / attacks. At that instant, becomes completely visible.

Do not require addition P.P.E. and can be activated at will:

Eyes of the Wolf: Same as spell and used at will. Gives the following abilities: Night Vision (60 feet/18.3 meters), See The invisible 75%, Identify Plants and Fruit 70%, Identify Tracks 85%, Track 50%, and Recognize poison 65%.
See the Invisible: Same as spell and used at will. Has a 200 feet (61 meter) range. Can see forces, objects, and creatures which can turn invisible, or are invisible. Can also see vaporous beings and astral bodies.
Breath Without Air: Same as spell and perpetually in effect. It allows wearer to function normally underwater, in a vacuum, in an area of little oxygen, and protects against natural and manmade gasses. Does not protect against magical gasses.
See in Magical Darkness: Same as spell and used at will. Enables the pilot to see in darkness, even magic darkness, as if it were daylight. Effective in a Shadow Wall (no penalties for being blinded by the absolute darkness and can travel through the wall at twice the normal speed), against Cloak of Darkness (the character can see into the magical darkness perfectly), and against Shadow Beasts (can actually see them lurking in the shadows, Shadow Beasts are not completely invisible but they are semi-invisible - functions as a Chameleon spell with shadows being what the Shadow Beasts can hide in if they stay motionless or move slowly).
Shadow Meld: Same as spell with an unlimited duration and can be used at will. Allows armor to step into shadows, becoming totally invisible, even to a See the Invisible spell. Shadow must be at least five feet (1.5 meters) tall to become an effective hiding place. Also works in space and with Cloak of Darkness enchantment.

The armor can move through the shadow or from shadow to shadow. While in shadow/darkness, prowls at a 60% proficiency (or at +15% to normal skill, whichever is higher).

Intense light will dispel the shadow, leaving the armor revealed, although armor can flee to another shadow. Relatively feeble lights will only create more shadows.

Attackers are - 5 to strike (because they can not see armor). Area affect magic does not suffer any penalty. Infrared optics are the only means that can be used to see somebody in a shadow.
Other Magical Abilities: Fly as the Eagle (double normal speed), Superhuman Speed, and Superhuman Strength are listed elsewhere in armors write up. In addition, the armor is completely silent.

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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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