“Demons. In town. Many of them. Good. My blade needs feeding.”
#GRRRRRRRAAAAARRRRRRRR#
“You too, Kitten? Kitten wants to play?”
#RRRRRRAAAAAARRRRRRWWWW#
“All right then. Let’s go play with some demons. But first let’s pick up somebody.”
#GRRRRRRRAAAhhhRRR?#
“You’ll remember her. Very passionate, that one. Her blood is fire! Yes, this will certainly bring her out. She’ll want to dance too.”
#RRRRREEEEERRRRRRHHHHARRRRR?#
“That’s right, it’s Little Spark. You LIKE playing with her, don’t you?”
#GWWWoooRRRRRRRAAAAARRRRRRRR#
“Won’t she be surprised to see us?”
#RRAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH#
“Yes, I imagine she’ll be mad. Mad enough to dance up a firestorm. Hot temper, burning demons. It will be BEAUTIFUL.”
#GRRRRRRRAAAAARRRRRRRR#
“Yes, we LIKE playing in the fire, too. So let’s go pick her up!”
#RRRRRAAAAAOOORRRRRRRR!!!#
EcoS-K-38 Incindar BattleCat
The Incindar is a new Warmount that has been appearing in small numbers amongst the Blood Riders. Though some in the Shemarrian Nation regard the Incindar as little more than a heavily modified Monstrex frame, the Blood Riders contend the design is a wholly new Warmount.
Description
The Incindar, compared to the stock Monstrex, is more solid and heavily built, with stocky hind and forelimbs, and a more rotund body. The head is massive, and looks akin to ancient Chinese stone tiger guardian statues, with a large blunt jaw, prominent nostrils, and slightly protrudant eyes. Body skinning is heavier, scaled in heavy cerametal tile-scales and corrugated plates, suggesting wrinkled skin. The weight-ended prehensile tail of the Monstrex is retained by the Incindar.
The four back tentacles common to the Monstrex are also retained, but on the Incindar they are slightly longer and end in vicious vibroscythe blades. Their utility as climbing aides is offset by the Incindar mounting hot gas generators in the legs that allow the warmount to perform jet assisted jumps (they also incidentally can leak scorching hot gas under the feet, heating the claws for red hot strikes). A favorite tactic of the Incindar is to leap-dodge using the jets, spin in midair, then come back down venting braking plasma thrust to burn and scorch opponents underfoot. To protect from others’ plasma and heat weaponry, the entire body of the Incindar is sheathed in thermal-resistant, heat-refractory materials.
Uses
Being heavier and more massive than the Monstrex, the Incindar is also somewhat slower, but it is also more heavily armored and heavily armed. However, in combat, it is just as fast and responsive, and enjoys an autododge capability, courtesy of its built-in plasma thrusters. The more sophisticated systemry and armor means that it takes somewhat longer for an Assembler Forge to produce one, so the numbers of Incindars, compared to more common warmounts like the Monstrex and robo-Rhino Buffalo, are smaller. Incindars are favored by many Blood Rider Berserkers and Zealots as their ride of choice, especially when wanting to get into the thick of combat. Some Blood Rider Shamanesses prefer them as well.
Real or Robot?
A ‘feral’ variant is known to exist that lacks the thermal resistant armor, plasma jets, and vibroscythe arms, and has HALF the MDC, but retains the flamethrower breath and laser eyes. These creatures are allowed to run ‘free’ in small numbers around Blood Rider enclaves, and are occasionally used as beasts of burden and watchdogs.
The Shemarrian use of feral versions of the Incindar has made many outsiders believe that they are creatures found on some Blood Rider enclave world and turned into cyborgs, just like the Monstrex and Monstcranes.
Abilities
Type: EcoS-K-38 Incindar Class: Robotic Warmount Crew: None; robot intelligence 1 rider/pilot, and room for 1 passenger MDC/Armor by Location: Main Body 500 Head 250 Scythe Tentacles(4) 110 each Legs(4) 220 each Tail(Prehensile) 75 Height: 10 ft Width: 8 ft Length: 14 ft (tail adds another 10 ft) Weight: 4,000 lbs Cargo: Small space inside/beside the saddle-seat for a few personal possessions and sidearms. Physical Strength: Equivalent to Robotic P.S. of 45 Powerplant: Nuclear w/ 20 year energy life Speed: (Running) 170 MPH (Leaping) 22 ft up/across. A running leap in excess of 60 MPH adds 1d4x10 yards to distance. W/ thrusters, the Incindar can make powered leaps of 200 ft up/300 ft across (Flying) Not possible; the best it can do is hover for 1d6x10 seconds using its foot plasma thrusters. (Space) In space, the plasma thrusters would propel the Incindar at about 75 MPH. (Underwater) Can run along the bottom at 15 MPH. Market Cost: Exclusive to the Ecotroz-Shemar Systems of Note: Full optical systems, laser targeting, passive nightvision, telescopic vision, thermal imaging, infrared, ultraviolet, and polarization filters. Also has motion and heat detection, built-in radar( 60 mile range) and other standard power armor-equivalent systems. Additional/special sensors may be built in by the creating Spinsters or at the behest of individual riders/owners.
*Bionic Cybernanite Repair Systems---ALL Incindar have the same bionic nanotech repair system that the Ecotroz Shemar have refitted themselves with, and which is becoming the standard among NeShemar as well. These systems repair 4d6 MD per hour, and can repair 100 MDC before needing material stocks to convert to MD repair material.
*Thermal Refractory Armor----Special heat-resistant materials designed originally for reentry vehicle shielding. Heat and plasma-based attacks do 1/4 damage.
Weapons Systems: 1) Eye Lasers(2)---The protrudant eyes of the Incindar conceal powerful laser weapons. Just stare and flare. Range: 2,000 ft Damage: 2d6 MD single shot, 4d6 MD for both eyes firing simultaneously Rate of Fire: ECHH Payload: Effectively Unlimited
2) Plasma Blasters(2)---What look like large nostrils are really the aperatures for a pair of plasma cannons. They can also 'breath' a wide area of effect blast. Range: 1,600 ft Damage: 5d6 MD single blast, 1d6x10 MD for both projectors firing simultaneously *SprayFire Mode--- This splits the plasma discharge into a dozen smaller plasma mini-bolts. Range drops to 500 ft, but the bolts do 4d6 MD to a 20 ft wide area. Rate of Fire: ECHH Payload: Effectively Unlimited
3) Flamethrower---The mouth conceals a heavy multi-fuel flamethrower, with a heavier payload than other ‘firedrake’ conversions. Range: 230 ft Damage: (Gasoline/Alcohol) 1d4x10 SDC (Napalm) 1d6x10 SDC, plus does 5d6 SDC per melee for 1d4 minutes (MD Fluid) 1d4 MD per blast, 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 minutes (Incendi-Gel)2d6 MD, 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 minutes (WI Napalm-P) 3d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10+10 MD per concentrated burst(counts as two attacks). 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 minutes. Note: The flamethrower can also be used to cover an area with fluid: up to 10 ft per attack used. Used with Super-Napalm, this does 1d4 MD, Incendi-Gel does 1d6 MD, and with Napalm-P, this does 2d6 MD. Rate of Fire: Standard Payload: (Gasoline/Alcohol) 30 blasts (Napalm) 80 blasts (MD Fluid) 130 blasts (Incendi-Gel) 160 blasts (WI Napalm-P) 260 blasts per tank(much more concentrated than the regular gasoline/alcohol).
4) Flare Grenades(2)----The scales on the rear haunches conceal launch tubes(normally hidden under thick ceramic tile-scales) for flare-grenades, originally intended to decoy heat-seeking weaponry from the hot-running Warmount, but found to be quite effective as anti-personnel weapons. Range: 500 ft Damage: Varies by grenade type, but usually loaded with smoke(chemical agents such as tear gas can be substituted) in 10 ft radius, flash-bangs, or incendiaries. Rate of Fire: Volleys of 1,2,3, 4, or 6 Payload: 6 grenades per launcher-cluster, 12 total
5) Vibroclaws---All four paws are fitted with retractable vibroclaws Range: Melee Damage: Blunt Claw Strike 2d4 MD Claw Strike 4d6+3 MD Power Claw Strike(2 attacks) 8d6+4 MD
6) Bite---The oversized mouth may be fitted with blunt teeth, but it’s still strong enough to grind down armor or crush a limb between them to a pulp. Range: Melee Damage: 1d8 MD
7) Plasma Jets(4)---When leaping or landing, the feet shoot a plasma jetwash that, at short ranges, can prove particularly damaging. These thrusters can also propel the ‘cat through space, and be used to orient the Warmount when falling so it lands rightside up. Range: 7 ft Damage: 2d4 MD per foot(so 8d4 when landing on all fours on a surface. Rate of Fire: ECHH Payload: Effectively unlimited
8 )(Optional)Plasma Whiskers---The Incindar can be fitted with long whip-whiskers based on the Kittani plasma whip. Up to four can be mounted, two each side of the head. With a shake of its head, the Incindar can whip the lethal plasma conduits about, striking and burning anybody who gets too close. The Warmount gets no bonuses to strike. Range: 8 ft long Damage: 1d6 MD per lash strike
In the alternative, the whip-whiskers can be replaced with electro-shock ‘live wire’ whips. Range: 8 ft long Damage: 2d4 SDC (Neural Zap) Identical to the Neural Mace; 2d4 SDC, and victim must save at 16 or higher is -8 to strike, parry, and dodge, plus speed and actions/attacks per melee are reduced by half, for 2d4 melees, plus 2d4 melees per additional strike. After being struck four times, the victim may be stunned unconscious(42% chance) for 2d4 melees. Upon waking up, the victim continues to suffer the stun penalties for 1d4 minutes.
9 ) (Optional) Modular Weapons(2)---The Incindar has provision for torso-mounting two weapons similar to those standard to the Monstrex.
Programming:
The Ecotroz have installed robotic AIs, then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience. The Incindar has an I.Q. of 10, and a cat-like nature, including, despite its stocky build, very fast reflexes.
Typically has standard Monstrex programming(+ possible bonuses from the Ecotroz Entity essence):
The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Incindar intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language(understanding) and Lore, Wilderness(Hunting, Identify Plants and Fruits).
Actions/Attacks Per Melee: 8
Initiative +1 (+1 from the Ecotroz entity for a total of +3)
Dodge +6
Running Dodge +8(when in excess of 75 MPH)
Automatic Leap Dodge +3(takes NO APMs)
Strike +2 (+2 w/ ranged weaponry)
Parry +6 (+7 w/ scythe tentacles)
Pull Punch/Strike/Bite +4
Roll +4
Maintain Balance +8
Bite 1d8 MD
Blunt Claw Strike 2d4 MD
Claw Strike 4d6+3 MD
Power Claw Strike(2 attacks) 8d6+4 MD
Scythe Tentacles 4d6 MD
Flaming Claw Attack(2 attacks) 1d6x10 MD
Tail Slash 1d4 MD
Tail Stab 1d6 MD
Head Butt 1d6 MD
Pounce/Body Block 1d6 MD
Body Block/Leap Attack: 4d6 MD and has a 65% chance of knocking opponents up to 2,500 lbs off their feet(lose initiative and 2 APM).
Plasma jets add 2d4 MD per leg involved for a landing pounce,
Note: The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Incindar an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. Incindars have cat-like personalities; normally rather laid back at rest, they love stalking prey, hunting enemies, and pouncing on targets, even playing with their prey before finishing them off. They relish the opportunity to savagely maul enemies in combat, and show no fear of closing to an enemy to bat them back and forth, biting, clawing, and burning. They are extremely loyal and affectionate to their riders, and will fight to protect them, but will be steadfastly loyal to their orders, such as ‘wait and guard this (location/person/thing) while I’m away”. They can go from a leonine somolent posture to instant combat readiness in seconds. Occasionally, if particularly bored, they may use their surroundings as scratching posts(and a vibroscythe-equipped giant cyberfelinoid can do more than just destroy the furniture), unless specifically ordered NOT to.
The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points, but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.
Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch(takes 3 attacks).
Note: Many Psi-Shamanesses will have their Warmounts outfitted with such TW enhancements as Resistance to Fire, COMPLETELY protecting the Warmount from heat-based attacks, and other protections.