Valdemarian Battle Tank:


Sixty-Five thousand years ago, there was a race closely related to Elves known as the Valdemarians and had a very similar language from the remnants that they left. They were quite powerful at one time even though they have only twelve star systems under their control. The only well known surviving race from then is the Prometheans although they appear to have no knowledge of the Valdemarians. The Valdemarian controlled systems were far away from Phase World and the Prometheans so that is not to be completely unexpected.


Something destroyed their Imperium. There are various theories including the idea that there was some sort of quantum nova event. There is some sort of strange stellar object in the center of what was once their home worlds. It is some sort of strange neutron star, most likely a quark star. Due to the debris surrounding the object and intense radiation, there has been no ability to explore it as well as one might want. The event stripped all life, except for some single cell organisms deep underground, from all of the planets. It is unclear why they could not escape the event using faster than light drives.


Even though they had a very small number of planets under their control, the Valdemarian had a huge military. It is believed that they would be very difficult to defeat by even such huge powers such as the Consortium of Civilized Worlds. Their technology was also extremely advanced especially in areas of gravity manipulation, artificial intelligence, and automated manufacturing facilities. They are known to have built one of the largest warships ever build in the Three Galaxies, the Valdemarian Battle Sphere. The one place they don’t seem to be as advanced as the modern powers in the Three Galaxies in areas of cybernetics and other areas of medical technology.


The Valdemarians used power armors extensively in ground combat but they also used a heavy tank design in support of them. An intact Valdemarian Battle Tank has never been recovered although various remnants have been found. All of this points to an incredibly powerful war machine most likely more dangerous than the Consortium Phalanx Main Battle Tank. The Valdemarian tank design has a much lower profile than the Consortium design. As with other Valdemarian designs, many governments would offer billions of credits for an intact Valdemarian Hover Tank.


The design did share many features with modern hover tank designs in the Three Galaxies. It used a gravity based propulsion system. This gave the tank a top speed of mach two in an atmosphere and could be inserted from orbit. Still, the tank would have been at its weakest while flying and most likely operated close to the surface of the ground in most cases. Top speed in such conditions would have been around five hundred kilometers per hour. The tank could have operated on airless moons and in extremely hostile environments. Power was provided by a high density fusion reactor. This produced a similar output to modern anti-matter reactors while being far safer.


Like most vehicle designs developed by the Valdemarians, their battle tank had an extremely advanced artificial intelligence. The tank could operate completely autonomously and can be controlled by a Battle Sphere although it is believed that they are usually operated by a crew of three. Otherwise, the tank had incredibly advanced sensors. As well, the tanks had a small compartment for six soldiers to be carried aboard. It opened up in the back. Some suggestion is that this feature might have commonly used to deal with battlefield casualties although such roles might have been better suited to the assault shuttle. Both the crew compartment and troop compartment are fully environmental.


The battle tank was incredibly tough, built from the golden alloys that the Valdemarians developed. It is just slightly smaller than the Consortium Phalanx Tank although is actually tougher. As well, the tank was protected by a force field similar to what their fighter design mounted. Like their power armor, the Battle Tank had an extremely effective camouflage system. This allowed the tank to blend into terrain. Similar stealth systems have been developed by Naruni Enterprises.


Mounted in an unmanned turret, main gun for the Valdemarian Battle Tank was a gravity needle beam. A single beam, this was far more powerful that the weapons mounted on the power armors and fighters operated by the Valdemarians. Maximum range was around forty kilometers in an atmosphere and can be used in space at a range up to around four thousand kilometers in space. It drew incredible power when fired and the tank had a capacitor for up to eighty shots before requiring recharging. Recharging was done at the rate of twelve shots every minute with the force field up and twice that with the force field down. The force field might be lowered while the tank is not engaged to quickly recharge the weapon’s capacitor.


Coaxial to the main gun was a fusion cannon virtually identical to the optional mount carried on the Valdemarian starfighter. It was generally used on targets which the main gun was considered to be “overkill.” In addition, a pair of point defense tachyon dispersion beam mounts were carried. In an atmosphere, these mounts were not designed to be fired in a concentrated beam because they would overload the system due to feedback. Even when the tank was full manned, these usually were operated autonomously. Finally, the tank mounted a pair of medium range missile launchers with each one able to carry twelve medium range missiles for a total of twenty-four medium range missiles. The launchers fully retract so that the turret is fully streamlined.


Model Type: Valdemarian Battle Tank

Vehicle Type: Main Battle Tank

Crew: Three (3), one driver, one commander, one gunner.

Troops: Six (6) Maximum - Four (4) in power armor


M.D.C. By Location:

 

Heavy Gravity Needle Beam (1 - Turret):

300

 

[1] Coaxial Fusion Cannon (1 - Turret):

160

 

[1] Medium Range Missile Launchers (2, Sides of Turret):

200 each

 

Point Defense Tachyon Turrets (2, Upper Sides):

320 each

 

[2] Turret:

800

 

[3] Main Body:

1,200

 

Crew Compartment:

400

 

Troop Compartment:

300

 

Rear Troop Hatch

300

 

[4] Variable Force Field:

400 per side (2,400 total)

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] The Weapons turret is unmanned by the crew, and contains the main weapons; Destroying it will knock the weapons out action but the crew will survive.

[3] If all the M.D.C. of the main body is depleted, the vehicle is completely shut down and is unsalvageable; The crew can survive unharmed in the reinforced crew compartments.

[4] Shields positions can be varied and all could be combined in one shield. Shields regenerate at the rate of 5% (120 M.D.C.) per melee round.


Speed:

Driving on the Ground: 310.7 mph (500 kph) maximum. The tank can make sharp turns and float over any obstacle. Note: The maximum top speed can be actually higher than this, but that is under ideal conditions, like straight roads and flat terrain.

Atmospheric Propulsion: Maximum cruise speed is Mach 2.0 (1,482.9 mph / 2,386.5 kph), can enter and leave an atmosphere because flight system is using contra grav.

Underwater: The tank can use its thrusters to travel up to a maximum speed of 124.27 mph (200 km).

Maximum Ocean Depth: 2.49 miles (4.0 kilometers).

Maximum Range: Effectively Unlimited by drive system but only has supplies for crew for four weeks.


Statistical Data:

Height:  11.48 feet (3.5 meters) from bottom of tank to top of turret. 7.87 feet (2.4 meters) for main body only

Width:   26.25 feet (8.0 meters) for main body and 24.28 (7.4 meters) for turret.

Length:  39.37 feet (12.0 meters) for main body and 21.33 (6.5 meter) for turret.

Weight: 220.46 tons (200 metric tons) fully loaded

Cargo: Minimal storage space in pilots compartment; about three feet (0.9 m) in side dimensions for extra clothing, weapons, and personal items. Three carbines and one hand-held missile launcher with four loads each are stored in a compartment in the crew compartment. In troop compartment, up to 1500 lbs (680 kg) can be carried instead of troops or ammunition.

Power System: Advanced High Density Fusion, Duration without refueling of 20 years. Unlike the Valdemarian Battle Sphere, the battle tank cannot refuel itself.

Market Cost: No tank of this design have ever been put on sale on the market (or probably ever will be). An intact battle tank might be worth several billion credits or more. The Consortium and Trans-Galactic Empire both have standing offers of four billion credits for an tank. Even wrecked remnants of these tanks can be valued at hundreds of millions of credits.


WEAPON SYSTEMS:

Note: Space ranges are given for when the tank is used on airless moons and other similar locations.

  1. One (1) Turret Mounted Heavy Graviton Needle Beam: Mounted in the unmanned turret of the battle tank is a powerful gravity needle beam. Turret has a 360 degree rotation and can angle up to 65 degrees (Can depress down 10 degrees.) It is controlled remotely by the gunner. This weapon uses highly focused controlled opposing gravimetric waves to create an energy beam weapon that shreds the target. The weapon does full damage to targets with the spell impervious to energy and cosmic knight will take 1/10 damage (10%) instead of the normal 1/100 damage (1%). Theoretically, the weapon can actually be used against targets which travel at faster than the speed of light. Weapon does not have unlimited payload but instead uses a capacitor with eighty blasts and a recharge rate of twelve per minute (double when force field is down)

    Maximum Effective Range: 24.85 miles (40 km) through atmosphere and 2485.5 miles (4,000 km) in space.

    Mega-Damage: 8D6x10 per blast. (Optional rule is that cannon gets a critical strike on a natural 18, 19, or 20 due to its high penetration.)

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

    Payload:.Eighty (80) shots in capacitors, recharges at the rate of three (3) shots per melee [Recharge rate of six (6) shots per melee with force field down]

    Bonuses: Has a special fire control computer that helps to aim the cannon. Gives +5 to strike with particle beam and vehicle does not have minuses to fire when tank is moving.

  2. One (1) Coaxial Fusion Cannon: Mounted alongside the heavy Graviton Needle Beam and controlled by the main gunner remotely. The fusion cannon also shares the fire control system with the main gun. Powerful secondary weapon although relatively short ranged. Power is pulled directly from the fusion reactor powering the battle tank. Designed to be used against targets which the main gun would be “overkill” against.

    Maximum Effective Range: 3.2 miles (5 km) through atmosphere and 310.7 miles (500 km) in space.

    Mega Damage: 3D6x10 per blast

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

    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

  3. Two (2) Point Defense Tachyon Turrets: Mounted on the sides of the battle tank, the tank mounts a pair of variable focus tachyon cannons. Each Point Defense Tachyon Dispersion Beam is in a turret that can rotate 360 and has a 180 arc of fire. These are similar to the weapon mounts carried on Valdemarian starfighters and are less powerful than the point defense batteries carried on capital ships. Mounts are generally unmanned although can be controlled by the crew. These weapons can be fired as a tightly focused beam for greater range and damage or can be wide focused. When wide focused, the scatter effect acts like a shot gun but lasts for hundreds of milliseconds hundreds of milliseconds (Gives +4 bonus vs fast moving targets such as missiles.) As such, it can be used to destroy incoming missiles effectively. Because the tachyon beams act faster than the speed of light, this weapon is effective against targets that are moving at light speed or greater. When tightly focused, the weapon cannot be fired in an atmosphere because it overloads. Lock-Out systems are added to prevent it from being able to be fired in a focused beam in an atmosphere.

    Maximum Effective Range: Narrow Beam: 994.2 miles (1,600 km) in space. Cannot be fired in a focused beam in an atmosphere. Wide Beam: 149.1 miles (240 km) with a width of 12.4 miles (20 km), range and width is one sixteenth in atmosphere.

    Mega Damage: Narrow Beam: 2D6x10 per single blast or 4D6x10 per double blast Wide Beam: 1D4x10 per single blast or 2D4x10 per double blast.

    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the gunner (usually 4 or 5) - On computer control, point defense mounts have four attacks per melee and +4 to strike (Generally operated by computer control)

    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.

  4. Two (2) Medium Range Missile Launchers: Mounted on either side of the tank’s turret are medium range missile launchers. Each launcher has a capacity of twelve medium range missiles and fully retract when not in use for greater streamlining. Weapon systems are generally used for hitting enemy robots, fighters, and missiles. Weapon system is also used for anti-cruise missile. Missile has a top speed of Mach 15 in an atmosphere and in space has an acceleration of 6% of light per turn. The fighter can launch on multiple targets at the same time.

    Maximum Effective Range: Medium range missile range is 160 miles (257.5 km) in an atmosphere and 80,000 miles (128,750 km/0.43 light seconds) in space. At game masters option, missile range can be increased by 25% due to more advanced technology.

    Mega-Damage & Properties: Varies with medium range missile type (See revised Phase World / Three Galaxies missile tables for details.)

    Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), three (3), or six (6) missiles.

    Payload: Twenty-Four (2)4 medium range missiles (12 each launcher)

  5. Stealth System: The battle tank can change its colors to match the background and can mask most energy emissions effectively making the armor effectively invisible. The stealth system is most effective when the battle tank is stationary or traveling in a straight line. In these cases, there is a -10 penalty to strike. Evasive maneuvers or attacks will make the armor visible but there will still be at -5 to strike. Military class sensors reduce these penalties by half.

Special Equipment:

  • Limited Artificial Intelligence: The battle tank has a limited artificial intelligence. When under the artificial intelligence’s control, computer gives a 65% basic skill level (Used for Piloting, Sensors, and Electronics Warfare Roles), has 4 attacks per melee (not including point defense mounts which have 4 attacks each and are +4 to strike each), have +2 to strike, +2 to dodge, and +1 to initiative (these include all bonuses).

    A Battle Sphere is designed to be able to control the tank remotely. When under the control of the giant capital ship, the tank will have a 85% basic skill level (Used for Piloting, Sensors, and Electronics Warfare Roles), have 6 attacks per melee (not including point defense mounts which have 4 attacks each and are +4 to strike each), have +4 to strike, +4 to dodge, and +4 to initiative (these include all bonuses). Range of this is limited to in-system ranges and not interstellar.


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Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


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