USA-EA-20 Stoner Enhanced Body Armor:


The Stoner suit can be considered to be in some way as normal body armor and in other ways as a power armor. The suit was the brain child of Elizabeth Stoner and was named after her. She is a direct descendant of Eugene Stoner, the famous inventor of the M-16 Combat Rifle used by the United States Military during the Late Twentieth Century and Early Twenty First Century. The design was originally a private development but the United States Military showed much interest in the design. The suit was still in field testing when the Rifts came but had the potential to vastly increase troops' potential if it had entered full service. It would have been far cheaper than a true power armor yet give the wearer a good fraction of the capabilities. The suit is quite likely the basis for Post Rifts powered exo-skeleton although no sets of the Stoner armor are known to have survived. Many nations showed interest in the design and had been studying the American design closely. It is likely that many companies would be interested in acquiring one of the armors and copying the design.


Unlike the Chipwell and Northen Gun designs, the main batteries of the armor are internal. The batteries are extremely high capacity and the armor is designed to quickly recharge through any standard E-Clip re-charger. The armor is designed to be fully recharged within 20 minutes. The batteries are designed to allow the armor to operate for 96 hours (3 days) but it was realized early on in the design process that an emergency could happen. As a result, Ms Stoner designed the enhanced armor so that E-clips could be used. There are four slots for E-clips with a fully charged short E-clip giving two hours of power and a fully charged long E-clip giving four hours of power. An internal alarm system goes off when the battery power reaches critical levels starting at the four hour mark. The alarm then goes off every thirty minutes. At the one hour mark, the alarm changes tone and goes off every fifteen minute. At the fifteen minute mark, the alarm will activate every five minutes. As an additional emergency feature, the armor is design with a quick release system so that the pilot will not get trapped in an unpowered suit. The suit's one main weakness is that it requires about three times longer to suit up than normal body armor.


The suit is designed to increase the wearer’s strength, endurance, and mobility in addition to giving more protection than non enhanced armored. The armor allowed the wearer to use much larger weapons than they could otherwise carry including many of the light rail guns and allowed the use of the automatic grenade launcher as a handheld weapon. The armor itself has no internal weapons. Most systems are the equal carried on most environmental body armors but due to the United States space and underwater interest at the times, the suit was designed for space operation with high capacity life support. The suit has twelve hours of emergency oxygen which is equal to most full scale power armors. The suit has holographic display systems on the helmet including displays of remaining time.


A large number of special accessories were designed or were under development for the enhanced body armor. The two best known include special jet thruster system and a six shot mini-missile pack. Both packs are designed to lock directly onto the Stoner enhanced armor. The thruster system is designed to be useful in space and underwater as well as in an atmosphere. The missile pack is similar in general design to the TX-M4 mini-missile pack made by Triax but has a higher capacity. Other accessories include a special backpack which contains special sensor and communication and a backpack which gives additional oxygen for a longer endurance. There were also plans for a version of the suit with a camouflage system similar to the system carried by British Special Forces. It is believe that only a couple of models were ever built with the system before the coming of the Rifts.


Model Type: USA-EA-20
Class: Enhanced Body Armor
Crew: One


M.D.C. by Location:

USA-RP-6 Detachable Mini-Missile Backpack:50
USA-FP-80 Detachable Flight Pack:60
USA-C2-EM Detachable Sensor and Communication Pack:50
USA-LS-20 Detachable Life Support Backpack:40
Arms (2):70 each
Legs (2):90 each
[1] Head:90
[2] Main Body:120


Notes:
[1] Destroying the head of the power armor will eliminate all forms of optical enhancements and sensory systems. The pilot is forced to rely on his own human vision and senses. Note: The head is a small and difficult target to hit, shielded by an exhaust tube, wings, and shoulder plating. Consequently, it can only be hit when a character makes a called shot and even then the attacker is - 4 to strike.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the armor down completely, making it useless.


Speed:
Running: 30 mph (48.3 kph). Running does tire the operator but at 50% of normal rate. Armor is well suited for most terrains, including underwater.
Leaping: The powerful robot legs can leap up to 20 feet (6.1 m) high or across.
Underwater Capabilities: Swimming: The Stoner can swim by using the same types of paddling leg and arm movements as a human at a maximum speed of roughly four mph (6.4 km/3.4 knots). It can also walk along the bottom of the sea at about 25% its normal running speed.
Maximum Ocean Depth: 500 feet (152.4 meters).


Statistical Data:
Height: The suit is 3 inches (7.62 centimeters) taller than wearer. Armor is fitted for wearer when manufactured but can be modified for different individuals. Suit size can be adjusted by two inches (5.1 centimeters) to fit other wearers.
Width: Variable
Length: Variable
Weight: 60 lbs (27.2 kg)
Physical Strength: +6 to wearers strength
Bonuses: +10% to climbing skill.
Penalties: Has -5% penalty to prowl and requires three times longer to suit up than normal body armor.
Cargo: None (Bandolier and belt)
Power System: Electrical, has a 96 hour battery and an emergency system to use E-Clips as power source (2 hours for short E-Clips and 4 hours for long E-Clips) (27.2 kg)
Black Market Cost: If available, would likely sell for 1 million or more to a manufacturer for copying. Manufacturing cost was around 120,000 Credits for basic unit and would likely cost around that if available in reasonable numbers.


Weapon Systems:
None, the wearer must use hand held weapons, including most rifles and light rail guns suitable for use by cyborgs or power armors, as long as it has an independent power supply. Also, a special mini-missile launching backpack is available.


Special Equipment: The Stoner Enhanced Armor is outfitted with standard systems found in most body armors with the exception of life support which has the extended duration. Life support has a twelve hour duration. The following are features and special equipment available for the enhanced armor.



[ 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. ]

[ Beyond the Supernatural®, Heroes Unlimited®, Nightbane®, Ninjas & Superspies®, Palladium Fantasy®, and Rifts® are registered trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]


Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).


Copyright © 2002, Kitsune. All rights reserved.


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