ASH & AEGIS
GM READY REFERENCE APPENDIX
NPC Templates · Frames · Chimera · Vehicles
Compatible with ASH & AEGIS SRD v0.4 · Equipment & Gear
v0.3
HOW TO USE THIS APPENDIX
This document provides ready-to-run stat blocks, in-setting
descriptive text, and GM guidance for the major platform categories, NPC
archetypes, Chimera forms, and vehicles encountered in Ash & Aegis
play. All mechanical content is derived from the SRD v0.4. All
descriptive and setting content is consistent with the Ash & Aegis
Design Bible v0.5.
RULES: All rules come exclusively from ASH & AEGIS SRD
v0.4. No mechanics from other sources are used. If an entry references a
piece of equipment, that equipment exists in ASH & AEGIS Equipment
& Gear v0.3 unless marked with a ⚠ MISSING FROM GEAR DOC notice —
those items should be reviewed for addition to the Equipment
document.
STAT BLOCKS: All HP values are given as Pool 1 / Pool 2 per the SRD
two-pool system. Pool 1 depleted = Wound Condition at that location.
Pool 2 depleted = Gone condition. Frame HP uses the same formula with
Frame FOR. Chimera Minor and Standard tier use per-location HP. Apex and
Behemoth tier use a Vitality Track = FOR × 10.
LORE BLURBS: Italicised section beneath each entry heading. These are
in-setting descriptive text for GM reference — read or adapt them as
scene narration, briefing material, or as the general understanding a
well-informed NPC might have of the subject.
GM NOTES: Green-shaded sections at the end of each entry. These
provide encounter design guidance, suggested use cases, and tactical
notes for running the entry effectively at the table.
SECTION 0 — NPC TEMPLATES
The following templates cover the most commonly encountered
archetypes in Ash & Aegis play. Each represents a baseline — GMs
should adjust skills and equipment to reflect specific individuals,
locations, or faction affiliations. All templates are built within
standard SRD v0.4 creation rules using the FASCIA attribute system.
Derived values are calculated per SRD: AP = 1 + floor(AGI/2). Sprint
Charges = FOR. HP per location by pool: Head: FOR / ceil(FOR÷2). Torso:
FOR×3 / ceil(FOR×1.5). Arms and Legs: FOR×2 / FOR.
Ward Civilian · Non-Combatant
The vast majority of people living inside a Ward City are neither
soldiers nor operators. They work maintenance shifts, run market stalls,
sit lace-linked in administrative roles, and keep the city functioning
at its most basic level. They have completed their Service Obligation —
they know which end of a rifle does the damage — but that was years ago,
and muscle memory fades without practice. They are not targets. They are
context.
Attributes & Derived Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 3 / 2 |
9 / 5 |
6 / 3 |
6 / 3 |
6 / 3 |
6 / 3 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Varies by profession: Engineering or Medicine at Rank 1–2 common.
Firearms: no skill rank (may have Service Obligation familiarity).
Influence 1. |
| Armour |
None, or Padded Work Clothing (DR 1, Torso only). Sealed Enviro-Mask
if working in contaminated zones. |
| Weapons |
Knife (1+STR, d4) or Hold-Out Pistol (Base 2, d4) if carrying at
all. Most carry nothing. |
| Gear |
Personal Comms Unit, Basic Civil Lace (G-Class), Ration Pack, trade
tools relevant to profession. |
GM NOTE Civilians are not opponents — they are the
stakes. A firefight in a Ward corridor endangers everyone nearby. Use
civilians to establish atmosphere, create moral weight, and remind
players what they are defending. If a civilian does act under threat,
their FOR 3 and lack of combat skills means a single clean hit can be
catastrophic. Don't make it trivial.
Ward Security
Guard · Licensed Security Operative
Security in a Ward City is a licensed profession that exists on the
boundary between civilian law enforcement and military discipline. Most
guards are Service Obligation veterans who chose to extend their
training into a paying career rather than return to civilian work. They
know how to hold a line, clear a room, and call for backup. They are not
elite, but they are competent, and they take their role seriously. A
guard working a refinery gate has seen enough Chimera scares to
understand that apathy gets people killed.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 4 / 2 |
12 / 6 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Firearms: Pistols 2, Rifles 1 | Tactics: CQB 1 | Athletics 1 | Recon
1 | Insight 1. |
| Armour |
Tactical Vest (DR 3, Torso, Integrity 4) + Ballistic Helmet (DR 3,
Head, Integrity 4). EquipMod +1. |
| Weapons |
Standard Pistol (Base 3, d6, EquipMod +1) or SMG (Base 3, d6,
EquipMod +1). Combat Knife (2+STR, d4) as backup. |
| Gear |
Squad Comms Kit, Basic Medkit (3 uses, +1), Deadfall Sensor ×2,
Personal Comms Unit, Operative Lace (if senior grade). |
GM NOTE Security guards are the city's baseline
armed layer — visible, predictable, and not looking for a fight. They
will call for backup before engaging anything serious. Use them to
establish what normal looks like before escalating. In a chase, their
Recon 1 and AWR 4 mean players with reasonable stealth can avoid them;
in a direct confrontation they will hold defensively and wait for
reinforcement. Two or three with coordinated positions are a meaningful
obstacle for an unprepared team.
Militia Soldier · Ward
Militia Infantry
Ward Militia are the first line of response when the walls hold and
the threat is inside them — or close enough that regulars are stretched
thin. They are not Directorate regulars, but they have done real
training on top of their Service Obligation, and they carry decent kit.
Most serve part-time while holding civilian employment, rotating through
active standby. They have a specific job — defend a section, hold a
corridor, support the professional response — and they are very good at
that specific job. They tend to struggle in scenarios that require
independent initiative far from their assigned area.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 5 / 3 |
15 / 8 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Firearms: Rifles 2, Pistols 1 | Tactics: CQB 2, Urban 1 | Athletics
2 | Stealth 1 | Survival: Urban 1 | Recon 1. |
| Armour |
Full Combat Armour (DR 5, Torso/Arms/Legs, Integrity 5, EquipMod +2)
+ Combat Helmet (DR 3, Head, Integrity 5). |
| Weapons |
Assault Rifle (Base 4, d8, EquipMod +2) + Standard Pistol (Base 3,
d6, EquipMod +1) + Fragmentation Grenade ×2. |
| Gear |
Squad Comms Kit, Basic Medkit (3 uses), Navigation Kit (+1), IFF
Transponder, Smoke Grenade ×2. |
GM NOTE Militia represent the upper ceiling of what
organised but non-professional resistance looks like. They fight in
groups and follow doctrine — use them in fire-and-manoeuvre pairs, not
as solo threats. An Assault Rifle at Short–Medium range from a Steady
position is a real danger. A group of four militia holding a corridor
effectively controls that corridor. Their weakness is flexibility: they
respond poorly to unexpected situations, routing if their squad leader
is taken out early.
Badlands
Operator (Pearl Runner) · Independent Contractor / Scavenger
Pearl Runners are the economy that exists outside the walls. They go
out into the Greylands because the yield from a good Veil Pearl haul can
pay a year's rent inside the city, and they come back because they know
what they're doing. Most are ex-militia or ex-Directorate, with a few
years of operational experience that taught them the value of caution.
They travel light, move quietly, and never carry more than they can
sprint with. They have seen things in the wastes that city-dwellers
could not comprehend, and they have not forgotten them.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 4 / 2 |
12 / 6 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Firearms: Rifles 2, Pistols 2 | Stealth 2 | Recon 3 | Survival:
Badlands 3 | Navigation: Land Nav 2 | Athletics 2 | Decon &
Containment 2 | Medicine: Field Care 1. |
| Armour |
Sealed Enviro-Suit (light, DR 2, All, Integrity 4, EquipMod +0) or
Partial Combat Armour over Haz-Filter clothing. |
| Weapons |
Battle Rifle (Base 5, d8, EquipMod +2) + Heavy Pistol (Base 4, d6,
EquipMod +2). Vibro Blade (standard) if experienced. |
| Gear |
Professional Medkit (5 uses, +2), Navigation Kit, Rad Counter (+1),
Air Quality Monitor, Sealed Canteen, Veil Pearl Assay Kit, Chimera Lure
×2, Seismic Charge ×2. Hoverbike or Wheeled 4×4 nearby. |
GM NOTE Pearl Runners are experienced and cautious —
not aggressive unless cornered or threatened. Their AWR 5 and Recon 3
means they are very difficult to surprise in their own element, the
Badlands. Use them as an information source (they know the terrain), a
moral grey area (they exist in a legal twilight), or as capable allies
who expect payment. In conflict, they will use cover, refuse extended
fights, and disengage if outmatched. Their Chimera awareness is real —
they will not stand in the open when Stalker signs are present.
Directorate
Combat Soldier · Directorate Military Regular
Directorate regulars are the sharp end of Ward-side authority and the
professional backbone of any serious Chimera response. They train
continuously, rotate through Badlands deployments, and carry the best
kit the Directorate's procurement chain can source. They work in
coordinated teams with clear command hierarchy. They are disciplined
under pressure, capable of independent action at the squad level, and
very dangerous in a prepared position. They are also institutional —
they follow orders, trust the chain of command, and expect the same from
anyone working alongside them.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 5 / 3 |
15 / 8 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Firearms: Rifles 3, Pistols 2 | Tactics: CQB 3, Urban 2 | Athletics
3 | Stealth 2 | Recon 2 | Survival: Badlands 2, Urban 2 | Medicine:
Field Care 2. |
| Armour |
Combat Armour + Helmet (DR 5/3, All, Integrity 5, EquipMod +2).
Heavy Assault Armour for assault elements (DR 6, EquipMod +3). |
| Weapons |
Assault Rifle (Base 4, d8, EquipMod +2) + Heavy Pistol (Base 4, d6,
EquipMod +2) + Fragmentation Grenade ×2 + Concussion Grenade ×1. Squad
elements may carry LMG (Base 6, d10, EquipMod +2) or Grenade Launcher
(UGL, Base 8, d10, EquipMod +2). |
| Gear |
Professional Medkit (5 uses, +2), Trauma Kit (2 uses), Squad Comms
Kit, IFF Transponder, Seismic Sensor Array (squad-level), Smoke Grenades
×2, Navigation Kit. Operative Lace (T-Class) standard. |
GM NOTE Directorate soldiers are professional
antagonists and professional allies. As opponents, use them in
coordinated fire teams: one element suppresses while another advances.
Their Firearms: Rifles 3 with a good EquipMod weapon means their
baseline roll is consistently dangerous. They will not waste lives on a
bad position — they pull back, regroup, and hit again better. As allies,
they are reliable but come with institutional strings: missions are on
Directorate terms, information flows up the chain, and any action that
embarrasses the organisation will have consequences.
Corporate / Faction
Agent · Covert Operative
Not every threat inside a Ward City wears a uniform. Faction agents
operate in the space between legal authority and open violence —
acquiring information, managing assets, applying pressure through
intermediaries, and occasionally ensuring a problem disappears quietly.
They are rarely the most dangerous person in a room with trained
soldiers. They do not need to be. They are the most dangerous person in
a room with everyone else, and they have usually made sure the soldiers
are somewhere else before they arrive.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 4 / 2 |
12 / 6 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Firearms: Pistols 3 | Influence 3 | Deception 3 | Insight 3 |
Investigation 3 | Stealth 2 | Systems: Security 2, Comms 2 | Medicine:
Field Care 1. |
| Armour |
Concealable Tactical Vest under civilian clothing (DR 3, Torso,
Integrity 4) + light head protection (situational). Ghost Trait common
(NID passes routine checks). |
| Weapons |
Heavy Pistol or Compact Pistol (concealed carry standard). KA-D
Retractable Blades (3+STR, d6) as backup. Combat Knife as last
resort. |
| Gear |
Corporate / Secure Lace (G-Class, compartmented), Hack/Interface
Spike (×3, +2), Fake or Dual NID, Adrenaline Injector (×2), Stim Pack
(×2), Lace Privacy Cap. Vehicle access (Hovercar, civilian-spec). |
GM NOTE Agents are best used as information vectors
and complication generators, not as direct combatants. Their value is in
what they know and what they want. Their Insight 3 means they read
social situations extremely well — players who try to deceive them with
CHA 3 are at a significant disadvantage. If pushed into direct combat,
they fight to disengage: two shots to create space, one move to a
prepared exit. If cornered, they negotiate, threaten, and deal. Very few
faction assets operate without a failsafe — compromise one agent and
consider who is watching.
Standard RIG Pilot ·
Contracted RIG Operator
A working RIG pilot in the Wardline era is a highly specialised
professional — part heavy-machine operator, part infantry soldier, part
emergency responder. The certification pathway through Service
Obligation into contractor pilot status is long and demanding, and the
washout rate at lace-integration training is significant. The ones who
make it through tend to develop an almost proprietary relationship with
their assigned frame. It is not sentimentality — it is that they know,
component by component, what their machine will and will not do under
fire.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 4 / 2 |
12 / 6 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
8 / 4 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Frame Operation: RIG 3, I-RIG 1, Gear-Frame 2 | Frame Systems:
Weapons Control 3, Damage Control 2 | Lace Interface: Pilot Grade 3,
Combat Lace 2, Overclock 2 | Firearms: Rifles 2 | Tactics: Badlands 2 |
Navigation: Land Nav 2 | Recon 2. |
| Armour |
Full Combat Armour + Helmet when outside Frame. Pilot-Grade Lace
hardware (Restricted, EquipMod +3). |
| Weapons |
Assault Rifle (personal carry). Frame-mounted loadout per assigned
RIG (see RIG section). Vibro Blade (standard) for field work. |
| Gear |
Pilot-Grade Lace (T-Class, EquipMod +3), Lace Calibration Kit (3
uses), Stim Pack ×2, Field Repair Kit (4 uses), Navigation Kit,
Professional Medkit, Personal Comms Unit. |
GM NOTE A RIG pilot outside their frame is a trained
professional, not a lightweight. AWR 5 and decent firearms skill mean
they are not helpless in a firefight. Inside their frame, they become
the most dangerous thing in most engagements — apply the RIG stat block
and use the pilot's Frame Operation and Lace Interface skills for rolls.
Link State management matters: a pilot at State 2+ with Overclock
capability can generate AP spikes that dramatically change an
encounter's pace. Push pilots to consider their Bleed budget — Link
State 3 accumulates quickly.
Sovereign
Operative · Chimera Handler / Enemy Agent
The Sovereigns — Demeter and Osiris — do not operate alone. Across
the Badlands and inside compromised Ward infrastructure, human agents
work in service of Sovereign objectives, whether through coercion,
ideology, blackmail, or promises of something the Sovereigns are very
skilled at identifying: the exact thing a particular person most wants.
A Sovereign operative is not necessarily a traitor. Some do not fully
understand what they serve. All of them, at some level, have made a
choice that most would not. They tend to be exceptionally capable
individuals whose loyalty has been redirected by forces they cannot
openly name.
Attributes & Derived
Values
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 5 / 3 |
15 / 8 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
10 / 5 |
Skills & Equipment
| Skills |
Firearms: Rifles 3, Pistols 2 | Stealth 3 | Systems: Electronic
Warfare 3, Security 2 | Lace Interface: Pilot Grade 2 (may be higher) |
Investigation 3 | Deception 3 | Recon 3 | Survival: Badlands 3. |
| Armour |
Heavy Assault Armour (DR 6, All, Integrity 6, EquipMod +3) in field
deployments. Modified Combat Armour + Sealed Enviro-Suit hybrid in urban
contexts. Chimera Peptide ('Reclam') suspected — adds partial biological
resilience. |
| Weapons |
Battle Rifle or Anti-Chimera Rifle (field) + Heavy Pistol +
Breaching Charge ×2. Vibro Blade (heavy, 5+STR, d10). EMP Grenades
×2. |
| Gear |
Hack/Interface Spike ×3, Electronic Countermeasures Pod, Recon
Micro-Drone, Chimera Lure ×4, Seismic Charge ×3 (for suppression, not
detection). Deep Lace suspected (E-Class or prototype). |
GM NOTE Sovereign operatives should feel
qualitatively different from standard enemy soldiers. Their INT 6 and
AWR 6 mean they plan ahead and perceive clearly — they are rarely caught
in a poor position. More importantly, they bring context: what are they
doing here, what has the Sovereign asked for, and what do they know
about the players' operation? In combat they use Chimera Lures to
redirect Stalker-tier forms into the players' path while they handle the
objective. They do not fight fair. Use them sparingly — each appearance
should carry narrative weight.
SECTION 1 — GEAR-FRAMES
Gear-Frames are the smallest RIG-class platforms — small mechs
ranging from roughly 3–5 metres, built for industrial and logistics
work. They bridge the gap between Exo-Frames (worn) and I-RIGs (heavy
industrial). Frame AP uses Frame AGI. All HP uses Frame FOR in the same
two-pool formula as personal scale. All listed platforms use the
standard RIG rules from SRD Part 10.
⚠ MISSING FROM GEAR DOC Named Gear-Frame product
listings with pricing and procurement tiers are absent from the
Equipment & Gear v0.3 document. The entries below should serve as
the basis for a Gear-Frame catalogue to be added to that document.
Hydrin
Engineering VX-4 'Yarder' · Gear-Frame (Industrial Standard)
The Yarder has been in continuous production for over two decades,
which is the best possible argument for it. It is not the fastest, the
most precise, or the most capable Gear-Frame on the market. It is the
most repaired, the most supported, and the most understood by the
mechanics who keep Ward Cities standing. Every depot on the Wardline
stocks Yarder parts. Every certified technician has rebuilt one. When a
site needs a frame that will show up, do the work, and come back intact,
the VX-4 is what gets ordered.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 7 / 4 |
21 / 11 |
14 / 7 |
14 / 7 |
| Manufacturer |
Hydrin Engineering |
| Typical Role |
Construction, logistics, site clearance. The most common gear-frame
in Ward City infrastructure. Seen on rebuild sites, wall maintenance
crews, and cargo yards. |
| Quirks |
Overbuilt (Passive): +2 to all Frame System Checks. |
| Redundancy |
None |
| Standard Loadout |
Salvage Claw (tool, Frame STR, d6, +0) + Welding/Cutting Torch
(Powered, +1). No weapon hardpoints in standard config. Security variant
mounts a Point Defence System. |
| Availability |
Licensed (Open for industrial use) |
GM NOTE The Yarder is a background frame — it
populates work sites, convoy support, and infrastructure crews. It has
no combat doctrine. If one ends up in a fight, it is improvising with
industrial tools: a Salvage Claw dealing Frame STR damage is lethal to
any personal-scale target. In a chaotic Chimera incursion on a work
site, a Yarder operator with nerve and good initiative rolls can be a
decisive factor — or a liability if the pilot panics. Speed is genuinely
low (AP 3) and DR is modest; a Major-tier Chimera will eventually punch
through.
VelTech
GF-9 'Brace' · Gear-Frame (Heavy Utility / Security)
The Brace started life as a heavy construction variant of VelTech's
earlier utility designs and evolved into something between a work frame
and a combat platform once the Chimera threat made that distinction
uncomfortable. The wider stance and heavier torso plating were
originally for load stability. The hardpoint brackets were added in the
second generation after too many operators welded weapons on in the
field and created structural problems the warranty didn't cover. VelTech
prefers the phrase 'security-capable utility platform.' Everyone who
works on the wall just calls it what it is.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 8 / 4 |
24 / 12 |
16 / 8 |
16 / 8 |
| Manufacturer |
VelTech Defence Systems |
| Typical Role |
Heavy load operations, site security support, Chimera perimeter
response. Common on wall maintenance and outer-district patrol
contracts. |
| Quirks |
Siege Mode (Conditional): Frame has not moved this turn — +2 DR all
locations. Ends if Frame moves. |
| Redundancy |
None |
| Standard Loadout |
Point Defence System (Base 6, d6, EquipMod +2, torso-mount, Close
range, 360° arc) + Salvage Claw or Heavy Tool (one hardpoint). Optional:
Light Autocannon mount (Restricted; requires separate procurement). |
| Availability |
Licensed |
GM NOTE The Brace occupies the awkward space between
working machine and combat unit — it does both adequately and neither
brilliantly. Its Siege Mode Quirk rewards a static holding role: a Brace
that has taken a choke point and stopped moving is genuinely difficult
to threaten with anything short of a Major-tier Chimera or heavy
anti-armour. Use it for perimeter defence, checkpoint enforcement, or as
an NPC escort that players have to work around. As an enemy in the hands
of a corrupt security contractor, a Brace with PDS and good positioning
is a sustained threat that personal-scale teams must flank or
suppress.
Armcal
GF-3 'Iron Circuit' · Gear-Frame (Armed Security / Contractor)
Armcal designed the Iron Circuit with an honest product brief: a
Gear-Frame capable of carrying weapons without pretending it was doing
anything else. The result is a frame built around two dedicated weapon
hardpoints, a reinforced sensor array to compensate for the modest AWR
baseline, and enough armour to survive the first engagement long enough
to disengage. Critics call it industrial strength with military
aesthetics. Armcal's counter is that it is the best-selling armed
Gear-Frame in the NewTex metropolitan procurement catalogue, which is
not a statistic that comes from bad decisions.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 7 / 4 |
21 / 11 |
14 / 7 |
14 / 7 |
| Manufacturer |
Armcal Industrial Arms |
| Typical Role |
Armed contractor support, Chimera response standby, perimeter
interdiction. Purchased primarily by security firms, independent
operators, and some Badlands recovery crews. |
| Quirks |
Long Range Loadout (Passive): +1 Frame AWR at Medium and Long range.
Lace Affinity (Conditional, Link State 2+): +1 all Frame AWR rolls. |
| Redundancy |
None |
| Standard Loadout |
Light Autocannon (Base 12, d10, EquipMod +2) on one hardpoint + RIG
Blade/Spike (Frame STR+4, d10) on second hardpoint. Point Defence System
available as upgrade. Anti-Chimera Scatter System available
(Restricted). |
| Availability |
Licensed (weapon hardpoints Restricted; frame chassis Licensed) |
GM NOTE The Iron Circuit is what a player team
operating at Gear-Frame tier is most likely to end up piloting or
fighting. Its dual hardpoints make it the most weapons-capable
Gear-Frame available through legitimate channels. In the hands of an
antagonist, it is a credible threat to personal-scale teams — a Light
Autocannon at Medium range makes personal armour irrelevant. As a player
asset, it works best when pilots use its Long Range Loadout Quirk to
stay at distance and use Aimed Shots to target specific systems. It
cannot absorb punishment the way a proper RIG can; any A-RIG or
Behemoth-class Chimera will eventually overwhelm it.
SECTION 2 — I-RIGS
I-RIGs (Industrial Reconstruction & Infrastructure Gear-Frames)
stand 5–10 metres and represent the heavy industrial tier of the frame
lineage. They are not combat platforms by design, though the Chimera
incident at Gatefall demonstrated that they can fight if required. Frame
rules apply per SRD Part 10.
⚠ MISSING FROM GEAR DOC Named I-RIG product listings
with pricing are absent from the Equipment & Gear v0.3 document. The
entries below should be reviewed for addition to that document as a
formal I-RIG catalogue.
Rimway
Heavy Mobility HR-7 'Anchor' · I-RIG (Standard Construction)
The Anchor is the most frequently encountered I-RIG in any
functioning Ward City. It predates several of the walls it helped build,
and the older units have the dents to prove it. Rimway's engineering
philosophy has always been structural conservatism: build it to last,
build it to repair, do not use the latest component unless the older one
has demonstrably failed. The result is a frame that looks dated next to
some competitors' products, performs identically to frames three
generations newer, and can be overhauled in the field by any certified
technician with a standard toolkit and two days.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 10 / 5 |
30 / 15 |
20 / 10 |
20 / 10 |
| Manufacturer |
Rimway Heavy Mobility |
| Typical Role |
Foundation work, infrastructure installation, corridor clearance.
The backbone of Ward Wardline construction and maintenance. Stands
approximately 8 metres fully upright. |
| Quirks |
Overbuilt (Passive): +2 to all Frame System Checks. Quad Legs
(Passive): 4-leg configuration. Adds Front Left and Front Right Leg
locations. Load capacity doubled. Sprint +1 AP. Very hard to
destabilise. |
| Redundancy |
None |
| Standard Loadout |
Heavy Lift Tool (Frame STR, incidental damage only) + Wardline WE-6
'Cleanline' Decon Sprayer (utility mount). No weapon hardpoints in
standard configuration. Post-Chimera-incident: optional Salvage Claw on
secondary arm, some units retrofitted with Point Defence System. |
| Availability |
Licensed (Open for construction contractors) |
GM NOTE The Anchor is a scene element: use it to
scale encounters, create terrain, and establish the industrial reality
of the Ward Cities. In a Chimera incursion on a construction site, an
Anchor pilot with nerve can use the Quad Legs stability and Frame STR 13
to hold a choke point and simply push Standard-tier Chimera back through
brute force. It cannot fight intelligently — no meaningful AWR, no
weapon systems — but mass and structural capability count for something.
More practically: its Decon Sprayer can be turned on Corroder-type
Chimera, the Quad Legs make it near-impossible to knock over, and Frame
FOR 10 means it takes a serious beating before structural
compromise.
Hydrin
Engineering IX-12 'Gantry' · I-RIG (Heavy Recovery / Crane
Configuration)
The Gantry exists because sometimes what is needed is not a frame
that moves well — it is a frame that can lift forty tonnes without
thinking about it. Hydrin built the IX-12 around its lifting capacity
first and everything else second, and it shows. The frame moves with the
deliberate patience of something that has never been in a hurry,
negotiates terrain with the methodical care of a machine that knows one
wrong step will drop its payload, and carries enough internal monitoring
hardware to tell its operator exactly how close to catastrophic
structural failure it is at any given moment. The Gantry is not a combat
asset. It is the reason combat assets can be recovered and returned to
service.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 10 / 5 |
30 / 15 |
20 / 10 |
20 / 10 |
| Manufacturer |
Hydrin Engineering |
| Typical Role |
Heavy salvage recovery, structural lifting, RIG field maintenance
and extraction. Typically deployed with a dedicated ground crew. |
| Quirks |
Quad Legs (Passive): 4-leg configuration, load capacity doubled,
Sprint +1 AP (still Slow pace overall), very hard to destabilise. Dead
Weight (Passive): Frame AGI treated as 1 lower for AP calculation
(effective Frame AGI 2, AP 2). |
| Redundancy |
None |
| Standard Loadout |
Heavy Salvage Crane (industrial tool — rated for 40-tonne lifts; as
weapon: Frame STR +2, d8, incidental). No weapon hardpoints. Some units
carry Welding/Cutting Torch for field frame maintenance. |
| Availability |
Licensed |
GM NOTE The Gantry is a logistics asset and a scene
prop, not a fighter. Its primary value in play is twofold: it can
extract damaged Frames and equipment from situations where nothing else
can reach them, and its sheer mass and Frame STR 16 make it physically
imposing in any confrontation. AP 2 and slow movement mean it cannot
respond to fast threats — a determined Pack Hunter assault will
eventually saturate its defences. The interesting use case is a Gantry
operator who has to defend their rig against Standard-tier Chimera while
waiting for combat support to arrive: the crane arm deals genuine
Frame-scale incidental damage, but the pilot cannot manoeuvre. Every
round is a resource question.
Armcal
IX-3 'Sentinel' · I-RIG (Defended Industrial / Post-Chimera
Variant)
The Sentinel is Armcal's answer to the question the Chimera incident
at the Gatefall wall site forced the industry to ask: what happens when
your construction crews are the only thing standing between a work site
and a wave? The IX-3 retains full construction capability while
integrating weapon hardpoints, improved sensor arrays, and sealed life
support rated for extended Badlands operations. Contractors who operate
outside the walls regularly have adopted it as the preferred frame for
high-risk recovery work. It costs more than a standard I-RIG and it is
worth every credit — once.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 9 / 5 |
27 / 14 |
18 / 9 |
18 / 9 |
| Manufacturer |
Armcal Industrial Arms |
| Typical Role |
Construction and infrastructure in contested or high-risk Chimera
zones. The IX-3 incorporates defensive capability as standard rather
than as a field retrofit. |
| Quirks |
Hardened Reactor (Passive): System Checks for Reactor Core made at
+3. Veteran Machine (Conditional): Once per engagement, first System
Condition reduced one step. |
| Redundancy |
None |
| Standard Loadout |
Point Defence System (Base 6, d6, EquipMod +2, torso-mount, 360°
arc) + Heavy Tool or Salvage Claw (utility). Optional: Light Autocannon
on dedicated weapon hardpoint (Restricted procurement). Anti-Chimera
Scatter System available. |
| Availability |
Licensed (weapon systems Restricted) |
GM NOTE The Sentinel is what an I-RIG looks like
when the operator has accepted that they are going to see combat. Its
AWR 5 makes it significantly more effective at detecting and targeting
threats than standard I-RIGs, and the Hardened Reactor means it can
absorb punishment before losing operational capability. Use it as the
frame an experienced Badlands contractor pilots when the job involves
both construction work and defending that work from Chimera. In a more
adversarial context, a compromised Sentinel in the hands of an operator
willing to use it as a weapon is a serious problem for personal-scale
teams: DR 7 torso, decent systems, and a PDS that covers 360° means
there is no safe approach angle at Close range.
SECTION 3 — RIGs
RIGs (Rapid Intervention Gear-Frames) are the standard military and
contractor combat frames. They use neural lace at Link States 0–3, carry
Frame-scale weapons, and follow full RIG system rules from SRD Part 10
including System Checks, System Conditions, and the Quirk system.
Personal armour is mechanically irrelevant against RIG weapons.
Armcal RS-1 'Hardline'
· RIG (Standard Combat)
The Hardline has been the workhorse of Wardline combat operations
since RIG doctrine was formalised. It is not the fastest, the most
heavily armoured, or the most sensor-capable platform on the field. It
is the most common, the most supported, the most thoroughly understood,
and the easiest to repair under field conditions. Combat history has
shown repeatedly that reliable frames in the hands of trained pilots
outperform superior frames with complicated logistics chains. The
Hardline is built on that principle. Armcal has sold more of them than
any other combat RIG in the current catalogue, and the demand has not
slowed.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 12 / 6 |
36 / 18 |
24 / 12 |
24 / 12 |
| Manufacturer |
Armcal Industrial Arms |
| Typical Role |
General combat, Chimera response, Badlands patrol. The
standard-issue combat RIG for most Directorate contractor forces and
independent operators. |
| Quirks |
Overbuilt (Passive): +2 to all Frame System Checks. Veteran Machine
(Conditional): Once per engagement, first System Condition reduced one
step. |
| Redundancy |
None (standard RIG) |
| Standard Loadout |
Light Autocannon (Base 12, d10, EquipMod +2) on right arm hardpoint
+ RIG Blade/Spike (Frame STR+4, d10, EquipMod +1) on left arm hardpoint.
Point Defence System (torso-mount, Restricted) available. Anti-Chimera
Scatter System available. |
| Availability |
Restricted (Frame chassis Licensed with operator certification;
weapon mounts Restricted) |
GM NOTE The Hardline is the GM's default combat RIG
— use it when you need a competent, dangerous threat or a solid player
asset without exotics. Its Frame AWR 7 gives it reasonable targeting
capability; Frame AGI 8 produces AP 5, which is genuinely fast for a
RIG. Standard RIG rules apply: no redundancy, so each location hit to
zero HP is gone. Frame FOR 12 gives solid HP pools — the Torso at 36/18
is a real damage sponge — but sustained fire on the same location will
eventually degrade systems. The Overbuilt Quirk keeping System Checks at
+2 means it resists cascade failures well until something large and
deliberate punches through.
VelTech RS-5
'Prowler' · RIG (Light Fast Combat / Recon)
The Prowler is the frame for pilots who believe that speed and
surprise are better armour than plate. VelTech built it for a specific
doctrine: get there before the enemy expects you, hit hard, and be
somewhere else before they can respond. It works, when the pilot is good
enough and the intelligence is accurate. When either condition fails,
the Prowler's lighter chassis becomes a liability that its pilots tend
to discover at the worst possible moment. This has not diminished its
popularity among a certain type of operator, which tells you something
about the kind of people who end up in combat RIGs.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 10 / 5 |
30 / 15 |
20 / 10 |
20 / 10 |
| Manufacturer |
VelTech Defence Systems |
| Typical Role |
Fast attack, recon in force, flanking operations. Sacrifices armour
for speed, used by pilots who trust their AGI over their DR. |
| Quirks |
Aggressive Actuators (Conditional, after Sprint): +1 AP on the turn
immediately after a Sprint. Thermal Masking (Passive): +2 TN for
sensor-based detection. Heat signature suppressed. |
| Redundancy |
None (standard RIG) |
| Standard Loadout |
Light Autocannon (Base 12, d10, EquipMod +2) + RIG Shotgun/Breacher
(Base 14, d10, EquipMod +2, Close–Short only). Some operators substitute
the Shotgun for a Dual-Link Light Autocannon for sustained fire. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
GM NOTE The Prowler is a genuine threat because of
its initiative potential, not raw damage. Frame AGI 10 gives AP 6, and
with Aggressive Actuators that becomes AP 7 after a Sprint — enough to
move, fire twice, and reposition in a single turn. Use it to establish
pace asymmetry: the Prowler controls range engagement in a way the
Hardline cannot. Against players, use it as a hit-and-run opponent that
doesn't stay in a sustained firefight; its DR 12 torso will eventually
fail if the team concentrates fire. Against Chimera, its Thermal Masking
Quirk lets it approach without triggering pheromone-based threat
response, which is how Stalker-form Warden territories can be entered
with reduced surprise risk.
Aster
Shieldworks RH-4 'Ironhold' · RIG (Heavy Assault / Fire Support)
Aster Shieldworks built the Ironhold with a simple design statement:
the frame that refuses to go down. Every engineering decision in the
RH-4 favours durability over agility. The reactor is rated to absorb
impacts that would catastrophically breach standard systems. The capsule
life support is reinforced beyond regulatory requirement. The armour
plating on the torso and legs is thick enough that pilots in Ironholds
have survived direct hits from Apex-tier Chimera that destroyed every
other frame in their unit. In the Wardline economy, that kind of story
sells. In battlefield doctrine, it defines a role: hold the line.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 14 / 7 |
42 / 21 |
28 / 14 |
28 / 14 |
| Manufacturer |
Aster Shieldworks |
| Typical Role |
Sustained heavy engagement, breach support, fire base operations.
The heaviest non-A-RIG platform in standard contractor procurement. |
| Quirks |
Hardened Reactor (Passive): System Checks for Reactor Core at +3.
Reinforced Capsule (Passive): Life Support triggers at 40% and 20% Torso
HP instead of 50% and 25%. Siege Mode (Conditional): Frame hasn't moved
this turn — +2 DR all locations. |
| Redundancy |
None (standard RIG). Note: Ironholds are frequently upgraded to
A-RIG redundancy spec — this is the most common field modification. |
| Standard Loadout |
Medium Cannon (Base 18, d12, EquipMod +3) on right arm + Heavy
Ordnance Missile Rack (Base 25, d12, EquipMod +4, 4-shot, area effect)
on left arm. Point Defence System (torso-mount) standard. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
GM NOTE The Ironhold is the frame you deploy when
you need something to still be standing at the end. Frame FOR 14 gives
extraordinary HP pools: Torso sits at 42/21. With Siege Mode active (+2
DR to all locations), a stationary Ironhold is approaching A-RIG levels
of sustained durability. The tradeoff is Frame AGI 6, giving AP 4 —
slow, predictable movement that experienced opponents will use against
it. Pair an Ironhold in a chokepoint with faster frames handling flanks
for maximum effectiveness. As a player asset, it rewards deliberate,
methodical pilots. As an enemy, it punishes any team that cannot
maintain consistent concentrated fire or simply avoid it.
SECTION 4 — A-RIGs
A-RIGs (Assault Recon Intervention Gear-Frames) are the heavy-duty
deep-Badlands platforms. They incorporate redundancy systems that
standard RIGs lack, carry heavier armour, and are capable of sustained
long-duration operations. A-RIG redundancy rules apply per SRD Section
16: on first hit to zero HP at a redundant location, HP restores to 50%.
System Condition does not reset. Torso/Core has no redundancy on any
platform.
Armcal AX-1
'Deepline' · A-RIG (Standard Assault Recon)
When A-RIG doctrine was authorised in 2068, the operational
requirement was specific: a frame capable of operating in the Badlands
for extended periods, engaging Apex-tier Chimera without fire support,
and bringing its pilot home at the end. The Deepline is Armcal's answer,
and it is the product of everything their engineers learned from two
decades of watching RIGs fail in conditions they were not built for. The
redundancy systems alone took three development cycles to get right. The
result is a frame that the Directorate procurement office describes as
'robust' and operators describe as 'the reason I'm still alive.'
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 16 / 8 |
48 / 24 |
32 / 16 |
32 / 16 |
| Manufacturer |
Armcal Industrial Arms |
| Typical Role |
Extended Badlands operations, sustained combat, deep recon. The
baseline A-RIG platform issued to Directorate long-range units and
tier-one contractor forces. |
| Quirks |
Overbuilt (Passive): +2 all Frame System Checks. Lace Affinity
(Conditional, Link State 2+): +1 all Frame AWR rolls. |
| Redundancy |
1× per location (Arms and Legs). On first hit to 0 HP: location
restores to 50% HP. System Condition remains. Exhausted on second hit to
0. |
| Standard Loadout |
Light Autocannon (Base 12, d10, EquipMod +2, right arm) + Medium
Cannon (Base 18, d12, EquipMod +3, left arm) + Point Defence System
(torso, Restricted). Guided Missile Hardpoint available as swap. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
GM NOTE The Deepline is the standard by which A-RIG
performance is measured. Frame FOR 16 gives it massive HP pools — Torso
at 48/24, each arm/leg at 32/16 — and the 1× redundancy means limbs
survive their first catastrophic failure. Use it as the workhorse of
serious Badlands engagements. In the hands of an NPC operator, it will
stay in a fight long after a standard RIG would have been forced to
disengage. As a player frame, its Lace Affinity Quirk rewards
high-Link-State pilots: at State 2+, Frame AWR becomes 11, significantly
improving targeting rolls. The tradeoff — Frame AGI 7 giving AP 4 —
means pilots must be selective about how they spend their AP.
VelTech
AX-3 'Ghostline' · A-RIG (Scout / Electronic Warfare)
The Ghostline does not win firefights. It ensures that the people
VelTech sells other frames to win them instead. Deep Badlands
reconnaissance at A-RIG scale requires a frame capable of operating deep
in Sovereign-influenced territory without being detected, reading a
battlefield before the first shot is fired, and relaying that
information to forces positioned to act on it. VelTech designed the
Ghostline for pilots who understand that the most valuable action in a
contested zone is often not pulling a trigger. The military and
contractor operators who use it tend to be very good at their jobs and
very difficult to surprise.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 14 / 7 |
42 / 21 |
28 / 14 |
28 / 14 |
| Manufacturer |
VelTech Defence Systems |
| Typical Role |
Deep reconnaissance, threat assessment, sensor denial, pre-strike
coordination. Lighter than standard A-RIGs; built for information
advantage over sustained heavy engagement. |
| Quirks |
Thermal Masking (Passive): +2 TN for sensor-based detection. Heat
signature suppressed. Long Range Loadout (Passive): +1 Frame AWR at
Medium and Long range. Lace Affinity (Conditional, Link State 2+): +1
all Frame AWR rolls. |
| Redundancy |
1× per location (Head, Arms, Legs). Torso has no redundancy per
standard rules. |
| Standard Loadout |
Dual-Link Light Autocannon (Base 12, d10+d6, EquipMod +3,
twin-linked) + RIG Blade/Spike (close range, Frame STR+4, d10) +
Anti-Chimera Scatter System (Restricted, 10-shot rotary). Suppression
Rocket Pod available. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
GM NOTE The Ghostline is the intelligence and
overwatch asset that changes an encounter before it starts. Frame AWR 12
(rising to 13–14 with Lace Affinity and Long Range Loadout) makes it the
most accurate targeting platform in this catalogue at range, and Thermal
Masking means it can be positioned without triggering Sovereign sensor
networks or Chimera pheromone responses. Use it as the 'advance scout
that knows too much' — an NPC Ghostline pilot who spotted the players'
approach three kilometres out and has been planning accordingly. In
player hands, its redundancy on the Head location protects the critical
sensor array that gives it its advantage.
Aster
Shieldworks AH-2 'Siegewall' · A-RIG (Heavy Assault / Line Breaker)
There are engagements that standard A-RIGs survive and Siegewalls
win. The distinction matters in the Badlands, where the difference
between surviving and winning determines whether the bio-cradle keeps
producing. Aster built the AH-2 for a specific mission profile: enter a
defended position, break what needs to be broken, and still be
functional when the follow-on force arrives. The frame carries enough
armour that pilots occasionally describe it as 'moving through a
firefight rather than engaging in one.' The Siegewall's limitations are
mobility and cost. Very few organisations can afford to operate them,
and the pilots who can handle them at combat effectiveness are rarer
still.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 18 / 9 |
54 / 27 |
36 / 18 |
36 / 18 |
| Manufacturer |
Aster Shieldworks |
| Typical Role |
Assault on fortified positions, sustained engagement against
multiple Apex-tier threats, RIG escort operations. The heaviest
assault-rated platform available outside the Eidolon programme. |
| Quirks |
Siege Mode (Conditional): Frame hasn't moved this turn — +2 DR all
locations. Hardened Reactor (Passive): Reactor Core System Checks at +3.
Reinforced Capsule (Passive): Life Support triggers at 40% and 20% Torso
HP. |
| Redundancy |
2× per location (Arms and Legs). Head has 1× redundancy. Torso has
no redundancy. |
| Standard Loadout |
Heavy Cannon (Base 25, d12, EquipMod +3, requires 3 AP and ground
stability) on right arm + Heavy Ordnance Missile Rack (Base 25, d12,
EquipMod +4, 4-shot) on left arm + Point Defence System (torso-mount) +
Anti-Chimera Scatter System (secondary mount, Restricted). |
| Availability |
Restricted |
GM NOTE The Siegewall is the frame that ends a
firefight by being there. With Siege Mode active, its DR profile
reaches: Head 17, Torso 24, Arms 20, Legs 20. Frame FOR 18 gives Torso
HP at 54/27 and arms/legs at 36/18, with 2× redundancy on limbs meaning
they survive three hits to zero before failing permanently. Frame AGI 5
gives AP 3 — it is slow and predictable. This is not a problem when the
entire encounter is structured around its presence. Use it as the final
obstacle in a major facility assault, or as the cornerstone of a
Directorate response to a Behemoth-class incursion. Do not use it in
fast-moving encounters where mobility matters — that is explicitly not
what it is for.
SECTION 5 — CA115 SERIES
EIDOLONS
The CA115 series represents the Emris Technologies Eidolon programme
— E-Class artificial intelligences paired with human pilots via Deep
Lace coupling in sealed A-RIG chassis. Eidolons use all standard A-RIG
rules plus the Eidolon Compensation conditional Quirk active as long as
the AI is functional. Link State 3 Merge is achievable with Eidolon
Interface specialty and the Deep Lace hardware (E-Class, classified, not
commercially available). Bleed accumulates at State 3 per standard SRD
rules.
CLASSIFICATION: All CA115 series information is classified
ULTRA within the setting. Player characters should encounter this
information only as the result of significant narrative events. GMs
should treat the full technical details of Eidolon capabilities as
intelligence that is actively withheld — revealing it in stages creates
more narrative value than providing it as background.
CA115-TO
— 'CALLISTO' — Consort 1 · Eidolon (E-Class A-RIG / Template
Origin)
Callisto is not a frame. Callisto is an argument. Lea Emris built the
CA115-TO to prove that an E-Class mind could function within the
constraints of the Deep Lace coupling — that the architecture would
hold, the pilot would survive, and the pairing would produce something
that neither human nor artificial mind could achieve alone. Capt. Eric
Rourke was selected because his neural lace compatibility scores were
extraordinary and because Emris believed he would not panic when the
Merge went deeper than training anticipated. The first time they hit
full State 3 coupling, neither of them slept for three days after. They
have never discussed what they experienced in those three days.
Callisto's operational record is the best argument for the programme.
Rourke's continued survival is the second best.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 18 / 9 |
54 / 27 |
36 / 18 |
36 / 18 |
| Manufacturer |
Emris Technologies (Prototype — unique) |
| Typical Role |
Command, template validation, strategic deployment. The first
operational Eidolon. All subsequent CA115 units derive their baseline
architecture from Callisto's operating data. |
| Quirks |
Eidolon Compensation (Conditional, AI active, any Link State): AI
spends 1 Bleed to ignore one System Degradation threshold for one round.
Lace Affinity (Conditional, Link State 2+): +1 all Frame AWR rolls. Last
Stand (Conditional, two systems Offline simultaneously): Frame AP +1 for
remainder of engagement. Overbuilt (Passive): +2 all Frame System
Checks. |
| Redundancy |
2× per location (all locations including Head). Torso has no
redundancy per rules. |
| Standard Loadout |
Medium Cannon (Base 18, d12, EquipMod +3) + Guided Missile Hardpoint
(4-shot, Base 18, d12, EquipMod +4) + Point Defence System (torso) + RIG
Blade/Spike (close). Eidolon Compensation active — AI can push through
system damage that would stop a standard frame. |
| Availability |
Classified. Not commercially available at any price. |
| Assigned Pilot |
Capt. Eric Rourke | AGI 6 / FOR 5 / AWR 6 / INT 5 / CHA 5 | AP 4 |
Frame Op: A-RIG 4 | Lace Interface: Pilot Grade 4, Combat Lace 4,
Overclock 3, Eidolon Interface 4 |
| AI Class |
E-Class (Eidolon) — Substrate-limited S-Class. Bound to CA115-TO
chassis. Deep Lace coupling required for full capability. |
GM NOTE Callisto is the benchmark against which
everything else in the CA115 programme is measured. Frame AWR 15 (rising
to 16 at Link State 2+) makes it the most accurate targeting system in
field deployment. The Eidolon Compensation Quirk is the most critical:
at State 3 Merge, Bleed accumulates — but the Eidolon AI can spend that
Bleed to ignore System Degradation thresholds, meaning Callisto can
continue operating at peak performance deep into damage states that
would have crippled any other frame. Use it as the definitive 'what an
Eidolon can do' reference encounter. Rourke's personal AWR 6 and Eidolon
Interface 4 means the coupling is tight and the tactical read is
exceptional — this frame will not be surprised.
CA115-IO
— 'IO' — Consort 2 · Eidolon (E-Class A-RIG / Engagement
Specialist)
If Callisto is the argument, Io is the proof. Lt. Mara Kincaid came
to the Consort programme from Directorate assault operations with a
record that made the selection board uncomfortable — not because of
failure, but because of the kind of success that comes from a
willingness to stay in an engagement longer than doctrine recommends.
Emris saw this as a feature, not a liability: the Io pairing was
designed for exactly that profile. Kincaid's coupling with the CA115-IO
produced an Eidolon that fights at extreme intensity for sustained
periods in a way that standard pilots cannot maintain without
catastrophic Bleed accumulation. Io is, in the frank assessment of
Directorate intelligence, the reason the Sovereign Consort Hunt of 2087
came as close to success as it did.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 18 / 9 |
54 / 27 |
36 / 18 |
36 / 18 |
| Manufacturer |
Emris Technologies (Unique) |
| Typical Role |
Direct engagement, fire superiority, assault lead. Configured for
sustained heavy combat at the highest threat tier. |
| Quirks |
Eidolon Compensation (Conditional): AI spends 1 Bleed, ignores one
System Degradation threshold one round. Aggressive Actuators
(Conditional, after Sprint): +1 AP on turn after Sprint. Last Stand
(Conditional, 2+ systems Offline): Frame AP +1 remainder of
engagement. |
| Redundancy |
2× per location (Arms and Legs). Head 1× redundancy. Torso
none. |
| Standard Loadout |
Dual-Link Light Autocannon (Base 12, d10+d6, EquipMod +3) + Medium
Cannon (Base 18, d12, EquipMod +3) + Point Defence System (torso) +
Anti-Chimera Scatter System. Suppression Rocket Pod available. |
| Availability |
Classified. |
| Assigned Pilot |
Lt. Mara Kincaid | AGI 6 / FOR 6 / AWR 5 / INT 5 / CHA 3 | AP 4 |
Frame Op: A-RIG 4 | Lace: Pilot Grade 4, Combat Lace 4, Overclock 4,
Eidolon Interface 3 | Talents: Merge Trained, Overclock Endurance,
Overclock Specialist |
| AI Class |
E-Class (Eidolon) — Substrate-limited S-Class. Aggressive engagement
profile; AI component favours offensive initiative. |
GM NOTE Io is a speed-and-firepower platform. Frame
AGI 12 gives AP 7, and with Aggressive Actuators active after a Sprint,
AP 8 — the highest AP in this catalogue. At Link State 3 Merge with
Kincaid's Overclock Endurance talent, the Bleed cost of extended combat
is significantly reduced, and Eidolon Compensation lets the AI absorb
the system damage that high-intensity operations inevitably produce. In
a direct engagement, Io will close range, use Sprint to generate
Aggressive Actuators, and deliver a full-AP turn of concentrated fire
before repositioning. Fighting Io is an exercise in not standing still.
Players should focus fire and avoid extended duels at range — its
Dual-Link Autocannon output at Short-Medium range is overwhelming.
CA115-EU
— 'EUROPA' — Consort 3 · Eidolon (E-Class A-RIG / Sensor &
Support)
Europa is the Consort most likely to already know you are there. WO
Sienna Vale's background was in strategic intelligence before the Frame
Operation pathway redirected her skillset, and the CA115-EU was
configured around her most distinctive capability: an unnerving capacity
to build a complete tactical picture from partial information and act on
it before the picture is confirmed. The Eidolon's AWR output at full
coupling is the highest in the programme, and Sovereign forces have
spent significant assets attempting to neutralise Europa's sensor
capability before major operations. The fact that they have not
succeeded suggests Europa knew they were coming.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 16 / 8 |
48 / 24 |
32 / 16 |
32 / 16 |
| Manufacturer |
Emris Technologies (Unique) |
| Typical Role |
Battlefield intelligence, sensor superiority, coordination support,
anti-electronic warfare operations. |
| Quirks |
Long Range Loadout (Passive): +1 Frame AWR at Medium and Long range.
Lace Affinity (Conditional, Link State 2+): +1 all Frame AWR rolls.
Eidolon Compensation (Conditional): AI spends 1 Bleed, ignores one
System Degradation threshold. |
| Redundancy |
2× per location (Head, Arms, Legs). Torso none. |
| Standard Loadout |
Marksman-configured Dual-Link Light Autocannon (precision variant —
treat as +1 Frame AWR for Aimed Shots) + Anti-Chimera Scatter System +
Point Defence System (torso). Electronic Countermeasures Pod (30m,
active denial). |
| Availability |
Classified. |
| Assigned Pilot |
WO Sienna Vale | AGI 5 / FOR 5 / AWR 6 / INT 6 / CHA 4 | AP 3 |
Frame Op: A-RIG 4 | Frame Systems: Sensor Suite 4, Damage Control 3 |
Lace: Pilot Grade 4, Combat Lace 3, Eidolon Interface 4 | Talents: Frame
Sense, Read the Room |
| AI Class |
E-Class (Eidolon) — Substrate-limited S-Class. AI component
optimised for sensor integration and threat assessment. |
GM NOTE Europa is the information operator of the
Consort programme, and the most dangerous element it brings to a
scenario is awareness. Frame AWR 16, rising to 17–18 with Lace Affinity
and Long Range Loadout, means Europa's targeting accuracy and threat
detection at range are unmatched in the catalogue. Use it to establish
enemy positional awareness that feels almost prescient: Europa's AI has
already modelled the players' most likely approaches. In a scenario
where the team needs to approach an Eidolon-level asset without
triggering engagement, Europa is the correct obstacle — not because it
can destroy them easily, but because avoiding its sensor field is the
actual challenge.
CA115-EL
— 'ELARA' — Consort 4 · Eidolon (E-Class A-RIG / Heavy Fire
Support)
Capt. Nyx Havelock requested the heaviest armament package Emris
could configure on the CA115 chassis, and the CA115-EL was the result.
The architecture does not lend itself to the kind of long-duration deep
coupling Callisto or Io achieve, and Havelock's lace compatibility,
while sufficient, does not reach the extreme ratings of the programme's
more aggressive operators. What Elara does instead is provide
overwhelming firepower from a heavily protected platform, coordinating
with the rest of the Consort unit to deliver precision fire support at
distances that make personal-scale targeting irrelevant. Havelock once
held a Behemoth contact under sustained bombardment for forty minutes
while the rest of the Consort extracted a destroyed forward operating
base. The Behemoth did not survive the engagement.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 20 / 10 |
60 / 30 |
40 / 20 |
40 / 20 |
| Manufacturer |
Emris Technologies (Unique) |
| Typical Role |
Long-range fire support, siege operations, Behemoth-tier engagement.
The heaviest combat configuration in the active Consort programme. |
| Quirks |
Hardened Reactor (Passive): Reactor Core System Checks at +3. Siege
Mode (Conditional): Frame hasn't moved — +2 DR all locations. Eidolon
Compensation (Conditional): AI spends 1 Bleed, ignores one System
Degradation threshold. Reinforced Capsule (Passive): Life Support
triggers at 40% and 20%. |
| Redundancy |
2× per location (all locations). Torso none per rules. |
| Standard Loadout |
Heavy Cannon (Base 25, d12, EquipMod +3, 3 AP, ground stability
required) on right arm + Heavy Ordnance Missile Rack (Base 25, d12,
EquipMod +4, 4-shot) on left arm + Guided Missile Hardpoint secondary
rack + Point Defence System (torso). |
| Availability |
Classified. |
| Assigned Pilot |
Capt. Nyx Havelock | AGI 5 / FOR 6 / AWR 5 / INT 5 / CHA 4 | AP 3 |
Frame Op: A-RIG 4 | Frame Systems: Weapons Control 4, Damage Control 3 |
Lace: Pilot Grade 4, Combat Lace 3, Overclock 2, Eidolon Interface 3 |
Talents: Hot Start, Merge Trained |
| AI Class |
E-Class (Eidolon) — Substrate-limited S-Class. AI configured for
fire coordination and ordnance management. |
GM NOTE Elara is the Consort's strategic bombardment
asset. With Siege Mode active, its DR profile is: Head 18, Torso 26,
Arms 22, Legs 22. Combined with Frame FOR 20 providing Torso HP at 60/30
and 2× redundancy on limbs, this is an almost immovable fire platform.
Heavy Cannon at ground stability hits RIGs and vehicles at scales that
threaten destruction regardless of their armour. Use Elara as the
consequence at range — the distant threat delivering fire support to an
enemy operation while the players deal with nearer problems. Engaging it
directly requires either extreme mobility, overwhelming concentrated
fire, or denying its stability (forcing it to move breaks Siege
Mode).
CA115-AM
— 'AMALTHEA' — Consort 5 · Eidolon (E-Class A-RIG / Fast Assault) —
DESTROYED
[ UNIT DESTROYED — LISTED FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE
]
Amalthea was the fastest Eidolon in the programme and probably the
most difficult to replace. Tahlia Grant's coupling with the CA115-AM
produced a lace synchronisation profile that Emris engineers described
as 'structurally unusual' — the boundary between pilot cognition and
Eidolon AI was less clearly defined than in any other Consort pairing,
and the operational performance the pair achieved in the months before
E-6 was, by several metrics, beyond what the programme had designed for.
Amalthea was destroyed at close range by a Sovereign-directed
anti-Eidolon countermeasure during the Consort Hunt. The countermeasure
type and its origin remain classified. Grant's remains were not
recovered. Rourke will not discuss Amalthea's final minutes. Neither
will anyone else who was there.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 16 / 8 |
48 / 24 |
32 / 16 |
32 / 16 |
| Manufacturer |
Emris Technologies (Unique) |
| Typical Role |
Fast assault, target interdiction, Sovereign facility penetration.
Destroyed during Operation E-6 (Consort Hunt, 2087–88). Pilot Lt. Cmdr
Tahlia Grant listed KIA. |
| Quirks |
Aggressive Actuators | Thermal Masking | Eidolon Compensation | Last
Stand — all rendered inactive (frame destroyed). |
| Redundancy |
Was 2× per location (Arms, Legs). 1× Head. All
exhausted/destroyed. |
| Standard Loadout |
Configuration at time of destruction: Dual-Link Light Autocannon +
Medium Cannon + full PDS suite. Salvage status: classified. Frame
wreckage location: unknown. |
| Availability |
N/A — Destroyed. |
| Assigned Pilot |
Lt. Cmdr Tahlia Grant (KIA) | Pre-destruction: AGI 6 / FOR 5 / AWR 6
/ INT 5 | Frame Op: A-RIG 4 | Lace: Eidolon Interface 4 (exceptional
coupling depth — Natural Sync Trait). |
| AI Class |
E-Class (Eidolon) — Status: Destroyed. No substrate recovery. AI
continuity status unknown. |
GM NOTE Amalthea exists as backstory, consequence,
and potential plot driver. The frame is destroyed — but questions
remain. What was the Sovereign anti-Eidolon countermeasure that killed
it? Were Grant and the Eidolon AI truly destroyed, or did something
persist? Where is the wreckage? Who recovered it, if anyone? These are
the threads that can make Amalthea narratively relevant without
requiring a functional frame. If Sovereign forces recovered Amalthea's
AI kernel intact, the implications are severe. Do not introduce this
lightly — it belongs in a campaign arc where it can carry proper
weight.
CA115-LE
— 'LEDA' — Consort 6 · Eidolon (E-Class A-RIG / Electronic Warfare &
Infiltration) — DESTROYED
[ UNIT DESTROYED — LISTED FOR HISTORICAL REFERENCE
]
Leda was the Consort programme's quiet specialist — the frame built
not to overwhelm with direct engagement but to take apart the electronic
and informational architecture that Sovereign operations depend on.
Juniper Sato was, by most accounts, the least likely-seeming member of
the Consort programme: reserved, methodical, and consistently
underestimated by people meeting her for the first time. Leda's combat
record is largely classified because most of what the pairing
accomplished was the kind of work that cannot be officially acknowledged
— Sovereign communications that went silent without explanation,
response forces that arrived at the wrong coordinates, bio-cradles that
failed without clear cause. E-6 required Leda to operate in direct
proximity to a Sovereign core defence network. The network responded.
Sato's remains, like Grant's, were not recovered.
Frame Attributes
Damage Resistance by
Location
Location HP (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 18 / 9 |
54 / 27 |
36 / 18 |
36 / 18 |
| Manufacturer |
Emris Technologies (Unique) |
| Typical Role |
Electronic warfare, Sovereign signal disruption, covert infiltration
support. Destroyed during Operation E-6 alongside Amalthea. Pilot WO
Juniper Sato KIA. |
| Quirks |
Thermal Masking | Long Range Loadout | Lace Affinity | Eidolon
Compensation — all rendered inactive (frame destroyed). |
| Redundancy |
Was 2× per location. All exhausted/destroyed. |
| Standard Loadout |
Configuration at destruction: Electronic Countermeasures Pod
(enhanced, prototype) + Anti-Chimera Scatter System + Light Autocannon.
ECM suite unique — no comparable system in current catalogue. Prototype
status: classified. |
| Availability |
N/A — Destroyed. |
| Assigned Pilot |
WO Juniper Sato (KIA) | Pre-destruction: AGI 5 / AWR 6 / INT 6 |
Lace: Eidolon Interface 4 | Systems: Electronic Warfare 4. |
| AI Class |
E-Class (Eidolon) — Status: Destroyed. AI kernel status: classified.
Signal pattern traces reportedly observed in Sovereign network anomalies
post-E-6 — unconfirmed. |
GM NOTE Leda is a mystery layered inside a tragedy.
The reported signal pattern traces attributed to Leda's AI in Sovereign
network anomalies post-E-6 are the kind of detail that should sit
quietly in the background of a campaign for a long time before anyone
pulls the thread. If the Eidolon AI did not fully die — if some fragment
persists somewhere in the Sovereign network infrastructure — the
implications span everything from a rescue objective to an existential
complication. Use Leda's ghost carefully, if at all. The destroyed frame
is a memorial. The possible survivor is a plot.
SECTION 6 — CHIMERA FIELD
CATALOGUE
Chimera are biological organisms derived from the Reclaimer
remediation ecosystem, shaped and deployed by Sovereign intelligences.
All mechanics are per SRD Section 19. Minor and Standard tier use
two-pool per-location HP identical to personal scale. Major tier uses
the same system with higher values. Apex and Behemoth tier use the
Vitality Track (FOR × 10) with threshold conditions at 75%, 50%, 25%,
and 0%.
Natural DR is permanent and not subject to Integrity degradation.
Standard personal weapons apply full damage rolls but must overcome the
DR. RIG-scale weapons against personal-tier Chimera: treat as narrative
event. Chimera do not plan — they are directed. Sovereign steering is
noted per entry.
Juvenile Stalkers are proof that something does not need to be large
to be lethal. They range in size from approximately that of a large dog
to that of a full-grown man, and they move with a speed that makes this
comparison feel inadequate the moment they close the distance. The
cradles produce them in volume. Most contacts with juvenile forms happen
at the edge of reclamation zones, where the density of adult forms drops
off but the juveniles range freely, testing approaches and reporting
back to whatever pattern of Sovereign steering shapes their movements.
Do not let the scale deceive you — they are not scouts in the way you
would hope.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 8 / 4 |
24 / 12 |
16 / 8 |
16 / 8 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Lunge Strike: Base 4 + STR + d6. On critical success: target knocked
prone and Stalker disengages without triggering reaction. |
| Secondary Attack |
Rend: AGI vs target AGI contest. On success: grappled. Target spends
1 AP per round to resist. Stalker deals STR damage automatically while
holding. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Open ground removes ambush advantage. Two-angle coordinated fire
denies dead-angle approach. AWR enhancement from Sensor Suite or
Operative Lace denies surprise. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Very high. Pheromone shaping reliable. Among the most precisely
directable Chimera forms at this tier. |
GM NOTE Juvenile Stalkers are harassment threats,
not decisive combatants. Use them to drain resources, create noise, and
establish that the Badlands is never truly safe. Their value as a GM
tool is the tension before the encounter — when players' sensors pick up
movement and they cannot tell how many there are or where the approach
will come from. In a fair fight with prepared characters, a juvenile
goes down quickly. In an ambush, a character at the far end of a night
patrol who takes a Lunge Strike and fails the knockdown check is now
isolated, prone, and being held. That is when the rest of the patrol's
problem starts.
An adult Stalker is what happens when a juvenile survives long enough
to develop. The size increase is significant — most adult forms match or
exceed a large predator — but the more relevant change is behavioural.
Adult Stalkers no longer test approaches; they execute them. The waiting
period before a strike can last hours. They have been observed
abandoning approach vectors when sensor enhancement is detected,
circling back, and trying again from a direction that the sensors do not
face. This is not intelligence. It is pattern-matching so refined that
the distinction is irrelevant in the dark.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 9 / 5 |
27 / 14 |
18 / 9 |
18 / 9 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Lunge Strike: Base 5 + STR + d8. On critical success: target knocked
prone and Stalker disengages; it may re-engage next round from a
different vector. |
| Secondary Attack |
Rend (grapple): AGI vs target AGI. On success: grappled. 1 AP/round
to resist. Stalker deals STR damage automatically while holding. May
drag grappled target 3m per round. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Loses ambush advantage in open terrain with good visibility.
Coordinated crossfire from multiple angles denies approach geometry.
Area denial (smoke, sensor tripwires) disrupts approach timing. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Highly responsive to pheromone shaping and lure placement. One
of the most effectively steered Chimera forms in standard
deployment. |
GM NOTE Adult Stalkers are the recurring threatening
backdrop of Badlands operations. When players are moving through
reclamation zones, there should usually be at least one Stalker Form in
the area — the question is whether they detect it first or whether it
detects them. AWR 13 and AGI 13 mean the frame initiative check for
surprise is tight. If the Stalker wins initiative, the first turn is all
strike-and-drag, trying to isolate a target before the rest of the team
reacts. Don't make it predictable — vary where the attack comes from,
have it disengage if it takes significant damage rather than staying in
a losing fight.
Alpha Stalkers are not a formally distinct strain — they are what
emerges when a Stalker Form survives enough engagements that the
Sovereign shaping converges on its genetic line. They carry wound
markers from previous contacts. They have learned from them. Field
reports consistently note that Alpha forms demonstrate behavioural
adaptations that standard adults do not: they test cover before
committing, they have been observed coordinating with Pack Hunter forms,
and at least one documented case shows an Alpha abandoning a kill to
withdraw after assessing that the responding force had sufficient RIG
support to overwhelm it. That last one was assessed as threat-estimation
behaviour. The assessment was uncomfortable to write.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 10 / 5 |
30 / 15 |
20 / 10 |
20 / 10 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Alpha Lunge: Base 6 + STR + d8. On hit in Close range: target makes
FOR check TN 14 or Staggered (loses 1 AP next turn). On critical
success: target knocked prone AND one location Wounded. |
| Secondary Attack |
Coordinated Strike: if any other Chimera (any form) has attacked the
same target this round, Alpha gains +2 to all attack rolls against that
target for remainder of round. This is not deliberate coordination — it
is conditioned response to observed stress signals. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Alpha forms respond to direct threat assessment — if they calculate
the engagement is losing, they disengage. Suppress, don't chase. They
return when conditions improve. Seismic sensors and area-denial deny
their approach window. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Moderate. Alpha forms are less responsive to basic pheromone shaping
— their behaviour is partially self-directed in ways that complicate
Sovereign steering precision. |
GM NOTE Alpha Stalkers are encounter capstones, not
routine contacts. Use one as the threat that has been shadowing a team
across multiple scenes — the wounds on its hide from a previous
engagement that the players caused, the behavioural patterns that
suggest it has learned from that contact. An Alpha that pulls back when
it takes serious damage and then reappears in a better position two
encounters later is significantly more unsettling than one that simply
fights to the death. Its ability to exploit other Chimera attacks (the
Coordinated Strike) rewards players who manage their positioning
carefully.
A Burrower's approach is felt before it is heard and heard before it
is seen. The tremor that precedes an emergence varies with ground
composition, depth, and the creature's speed, but a team with a
functioning Seismic Sensor Array should have approximately forty seconds
between first detection and emergence. Forty seconds sounds like time.
It is not always enough. The ground that seemed solid turns out to have
been worked over the previous night, riddled with empty channels that
look intact from above and collapse the moment weight is applied. The
Burrower does not need to reach you. It needs the ground beneath you to
be someone else's problem.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 13 / 7 |
39 / 20 |
26 / 13 |
26 / 13 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Emergence Surge: all characters within 3m of emergence point make
AGI check TN 14 or knocked prone. Anyone directly above takes STR +
d10. |
| Secondary Attack |
Ground Pull: character on compromised ground makes FOR check TN 12
per round or loses 1 AP to unstable footing. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Seismic sensors detect movement before emergence (approximately
40-second warning at optimal sensitivity). Flooded ground stops
burrowing. Solid bedrock stops burrowing. Above ground, significantly
less dangerous — treat as Warden-profile combat capabilities without
territorial bonuses. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Moderate. Feedstock placement and vibration lures reliable for rough
positioning. Precise placement less reliable than Stalker or Pack Hunter
steering. |
GM NOTE Burrowers are terrain denial. Before
deploying them, describe the terrain quality — players should be able to
pick up on 'this ground feels soft' and 'there are old bore holes over
there filled in with loose material' as signals. When the Seismic Sensor
goes off, there is a countdown — and the question is not whether to
fight the Burrower, it is where to be when it comes up. Use Burrowers to
force movement: teams that hold static positions in Burrower territory
get the ground removed from under them. Above ground, they are dangerous
but manageable. Use the emergence to create chaos and then have the
Burrower fight conventionally while the team is still sorting out the
prone casualties.
Heavy Burrowers do not scout or probe. They are structural
demolition. The void networks they leave behind compromise earthworks at
a scale that can undermine Wardline fortification if left unaddressed —
multiple confirmed incidences of outer-district wall subsidence in the
decade following the Sovereign War have been attributed posthumously to
Heavy Burrower activity weeks or months before the collapse. Their
natural DR is a product of dense, layered forward plating designed to
push through compacted industrial substrate. Standard personal arms
produce negligible penetration effect. RIG-scale weapons are the
appropriate response.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 15 / 8 |
45 / 23 |
30 / 15 |
30 / 15 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Emergence Surge (Heavy): all characters within 5m of emergence point
make AGI check TN 16 or knocked prone and take STR + d8 impact damage.
Anyone directly above takes STR + d12. |
| Secondary Attack |
Structural Undermining: per round spent burrowing beneath a fixed
structure (wall, foundation, building), make a structural integrity
check (GM determines TN based on construction quality). Failure reduces
integrity by 1 step. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Heavy Burrowers cannot change depth quickly — they commit to a
burrowing depth and work at it. Pre-saturated ground (flood operations)
stops them. Heavy ordnance into confirmed tunnel location has a
reasonable chance of collapsing the bore onto the creature. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Moderate. Vibration lures effective for broad direction. Precise
steering difficult. |
GM NOTE Heavy Burrowers are a threat to
infrastructure, not just individuals. The interesting encounter design
question with them is not 'how do we kill it' but 'what is it burrowing
toward and how much time do we have.' If the answer is a Wardline
fortification, a fuel depot, or the players' vehicle park, the fight
becomes a race to force it to the surface before it reaches its target.
Requiring at least one RIG or heavy weapon deployment to handle
effectively makes them a natural 'call for fire support' moment — use
them to establish what RIG-scale response is for.
Siege-type Burrowers are cradle-produced at significant resource cost
and deployed against specific high-value targets. The bore networks they
create are large enough for Standard-tier Chimera to use as approach
corridors, meaning a Siege Burrower contact does not arrive alone — it
arrives as the opening movement of something larger. The three
documented Siege Burrower deployments in Ward City histories each
preceded a coordinated multi-form assault within forty-eight hours of
the first emergence. Field doctrine following those incidents now treats
confirmed Siege Burrower activity as a Category One alert requiring
immediate RIG mobilisation and Directorate notification, regardless of
whether any other Chimera have yet been observed.
Attributes
Vitality Track
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Siege Emergence: all characters within 8m make AGI TN 16 or knocked
prone; half make FOR TN 14 or take 1 location Wound from impact.
Frame-scale targets: Stability Check TN 14 or suffer Moving state
penalty for 1 round. |
| Secondary Attack |
Bore Network: after 3 rounds of burrowing, creates traversable
tunnels for Standard-tier and smaller Chimera (GM tracks network as
terrain element). |
| Tertiary Attack |
Subterranean Collapse: on death or heavy damage, body mass and bore
network collapse — all ground within 15m has 50% chance of subsidence.
Characters: AGI TN 14 or fall prone. Frames: Stability Check TN 14. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Apex tier — requires RIG-scale engagement to damage effectively.
Personal weapons produce negligible effect through DR 10. Concentrated
RIG fire on confirmed bore location (tracked by Seismic Sensor Array)
can trigger collapse before emergence. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Limited. Pointed at a target zone and released — precise Sovereign
steering not practical at this scale. |
GM NOTE A Siege Burrower is a two-stage threat: the
Burrower itself, and what uses the tunnels it leaves. Engaging it
requires at least two combat-rated RIGs and awareness that
personal-scale team members should be staying well back. More
importantly, once the bore network exists, it is a persistent terrain
hazard that does not go away when the Burrower is killed. The tunnels
need to be sealed — this is an Engineering objective that creates
natural separation from combat: someone needs to fight the Burrower
while someone else is doing demolitions work on active bore points. Use
the Vitality track thresholds to broadcast the Burrower's state through
seismic feedback — players should feel the ground-shake change character
as it crosses thresholds.
Scout-tier Pack Hunters are the leading edge — faster than their
heavier counterparts, with sensory capabilities optimised for
pre-engagement reconnaissance rather than immediate threat delivery.
They are almost always the first Chimera form a team encounters when
approaching a Pack Hunter concentration, and the first mistake teams
make is treating that encounter as the problem. Scout Pack Hunters are
not the threat. They are the threat assessment, and something is
listening to what they report.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 6 / 3 |
18 / 9 |
12 / 6 |
12 / 6 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Probe Strike: Base 2 + STR + d4. On hit: target marked — all
subsequent Pack Hunter attacks against this target this round gain +1 TN
advantage (cumulative, max +3 with additional marks). |
| Secondary Attack |
Disengage: Scout Pack Hunters retreat to outside of attack range
once a target responds with organised fire, returning to observation
position. Does not trigger reactions unless pursued. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Very low DR and FOR — a single clean hit from a trained operator is
typically sufficient. Their value is information, not combat capability.
Focus on denying their observation window rather than chasing them into
terrain they know better than you do. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Very high. Most efficiently steerable Chimera at Minor tier. |
GM NOTE Scout Pack Hunters should appear as a
prelude — a tension moment that signals something larger is coming. The
mechanical effect of their Probe Strike (marking targets for subsequent
attackers) rewards playing them as advance scouts: have them dart in,
mark one or two characters, and pull back before the players can easily
respond. The mark only matters when the Standard-tier Pack Hunters
arrive on the next round. The players who killed the scout efficiently
and cleanly have less to worry about than the players who wasted three
APs chasing it into a ravine.
Pack Hunters are the shape that Sovereign harassment takes when it
wants attrition. They are not designed to win individual engagements —
they are designed to ensure that even a successful engagement against
them costs something, and that the cost accumulates. The pressure from
the front while two more swing wide, the target with the injured arm
becoming priority without the pack communicating anything that resembles
deliberate intention, the constant pressure that means the next
engagement starts with the team already tired — this is what Pack Hunter
doctrine produces. It is not clever. It does not need to be.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 7 / 4 |
21 / 11 |
14 / 7 |
14 / 7 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Mob Strike: when 2+ Pack Hunters attack same target in same round,
each gains +1 to hit and target takes +1 cumulative TN on all defence
checks per additional attacker beyond the first. |
| Secondary Attack |
Fixate: any character with a Depleted location (first HP pool at 0)
becomes priority target — Pack Hunters redirect unless physically
blocked. If the target is behind an ally, they attempt to go
around. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Suppression fire and area denial breaks the Mob Strike mechanic — if
they cannot concentrate on a single target, the bonus disappears.
Killing leading elements causes brief (1 round) retreat before
re-commit. High-DR armour significantly diminishes their
effectiveness. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Very high. Mass triggering through pheromone release most commonly
used form in Sovereign directed assault operations. |
GM NOTE Run Pack Hunters as a pressure system, not
individual combatants. Track who in the player group has the lowest
remaining HP — those are the Fixate targets. The dangerous escalation is
a player character who uses a Sprint action, takes a hit, depletes a
pool, and suddenly has six Pack Hunters redirecting toward them. The Mob
Strike bonus stacks quickly with numbers: a group of five attacking one
target gets frightening. Keep the numbers honest and let suppression
fire genuinely break the mechanic — rewarding players who use area
denial tools appropriately is good gameplay.
An Alpha Pack Hunter is recognisable even at distance by the
behaviour of the pack around it — the way approaches adjust slightly
when it moves, the split-second coordination that improves compared to
leaderless packs, and the fact that it has not been killed in enough
previous contacts for the Sovereign shaping to have reinforced its
strain. Alpha Pack Hunters do not demonstrate intelligence in the way
that would be philosophically troubling. They demonstrate conditioning
that is disturbingly close to intelligence in its outcomes. The
distinction matters less when it is coming at you.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 8 / 4 |
24 / 12 |
16 / 8 |
16 / 8 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Pack Command Presence: all Pack Hunters within 10m of the Alpha gain
+1 to all Mob Strike attacks and the Fixate trigger expands to include
any character who fired a weapon this round (in addition to Depleted
targets). |
| Secondary Attack |
Alpha Lunge: Base 4 + STR + d8. On hit: target makes FOR TN 13 or
Staggered (loses 1 AP next turn). Treated as the trigger that initiates
the full pack assault. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Eliminating the Alpha before the pack commits causes a 2-round
disorganisation — the pack still attacks, but the Mob Strike bonus drops
to base and the Fixate logic resets. This makes early identification and
priority targeting of the Alpha a valid tactical approach if it can be
identified before engagement. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Alpha forms carry enhanced pheromone receptor sensitivity —
Sovereign steering through Alpha targeting is more efficient than direct
pack manipulation. |
GM NOTE The Alpha is the multiplier, not the threat
— use it to make the pack feel qualitatively different from a leaderless
encounter. The expanded Fixate trigger (attacking any character who
fired this round, not just Depleted ones) turns the Alpha pack into
aggressive suppression: players who shoot become targets, creating a
genuine decision about when to engage and when to hold. If players
identify and prioritise the Alpha early, reward the tactic mechanically
with the 2-round disorganisation window. Make the Alpha visually
distinct — old scarring, unusual size, any tell that experienced
operators would recognise.
Corroders are the Sovereign programme's answer to the question of how
you make a prepared position untenable without a direct assault. You do
not kill the soldiers. You make their equipment fail and their position
uninhabitable, and you wait for them to come out. The caustic spray is
derived from the original decontamination chemistry that Reclaimer
organisms used for processing contaminated material — repurposed by
Sovereign engineering into a denial weapon of considerable
effectiveness. Against unsealed personnel in a confined space, even a
brief exposure demands immediate treatment or the outcome gets rapidly
worse.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 11 / 6 |
33 / 17 |
22 / 11 |
22 / 11 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Caustic Spray: Short range, 3m wide area. Anyone without Sealed
armour makes FOR check TN 13 or gains Corroder Exposure (1 damage/round
to exposed locations until treated with Decon Foam). Haz-Filter gear
loses 1 Integrity per round of direct exposure — it degrades, not
protects. |
| Secondary Attack |
Equipment Corrosion: armour Integrity −1 per round of direct contact
at affected locations. Applies only to locations with Corroder
Exposure. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Sealed suits (Sealed tag, all locations closed) negate the Caustic
Spray entirely — Corroders present no meaningful direct threat to
properly equipped teams. The threat is to teams that assumed the
Haz-Filter was sufficient. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Precision deployment into approach corridors, work sites, and
bottlenecks. Used frequently as a forced-movement tool to push teams
into other Chimera forms. |
GM NOTE Corroders are an equipment test. Before
deploying them, take note of who in the team is Sealed (all locations)
and who is only Haz-Filtered. Then direct the spray at the gaps. The
mechanical goal is forcing a tactical decision: continue through the
spray and take equipment degradation, or pull back and create a delay.
The most useful Corroder deployment is corridor denial: put two
Corroders at the only approach route and use the spray to hold the team
back while something else flanks. Decon Foam counters Corroder Exposure
but costs supply uses — track that resource carefully.
Armoured Corroder variants emerged from cradle iterations that traded
the standard form's relatively light build for significantly heavier
chemical-resistant plating. The evolutionary logic — from a Sovereign
shaping perspective — is straightforward: a Corroder that cannot be
killed easily before it reaches a position is a Corroder that will reach
that position. Field teams dealing with armoured variants have noted
that standard combat arms fire produces a discouraging effect on
Corroder physiology without a reliable kill. The spray still happens.
The armour integrity loss still happens. The only difference is that it
takes longer to stop.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 13 / 7 |
39 / 20 |
26 / 13 |
26 / 13 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Caustic Spray (Heavy): Short range, 4m wide area. FOR check TN 14
(increased). Sealed equipment: Integrity −1 on any hit that physically
contacts the spray source (contact range only). Haz-Filter degrades at 1
Integrity per turn as standard. |
| Secondary Attack |
Sustained Exposure: if Corroder Exposure is not treated within 3
rounds, damage escalates to 2/round to exposed locations and the target
gains a secondary Contamination stage (Soft Track, Stage 1). |
| Vulnerabilities |
Same as standard — Sealed suits negate spray. The increased DR means
teams need Anti-Material Rifles or concentrated fire to deal with them
efficiently. Alternatively: deal with the spray effect first (Decon Foam
the exposed), then disengage and use ranged denial. They do not pursue
aggressively. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Armoured variants are often used as 'gate-blockers' —
positioned at ingress points to force teams through spray exposure. |
GM NOTE The armoured variant is the counter to teams
that 'solved' the standard Corroder by carrying enough Decon Foam. More
DR means longer exposure time, and the escalating damage mechanic means
characters who receive treatment but cannot fully disengage are
accumulating a Contamination stage on top of the active damage. Use this
version when the team has been getting complacent about Corroder
contacts. The interesting encounter design is the sealed team member who
has to escort a wounded, unsealed casualty through a corridor where an
armoured Corroder is positioned — whose Sealed suit do they sacrifice
contact with to help?
Dispersal Corroders have been modified at the cradle level to carry a
significantly greater caustic payload with a wider-area delivery
mechanism. They are not faster or more combat-capable than standard
Corroder variants — they are more toxic for longer, over a larger area.
A Dispersal Corroder that reaches a position can contaminate it for an
extended period after the creature itself is killed, because the spray
volume at the moment of death releases a concentrated cloud that pools
in enclosed spaces. Clearing a position contaminated by a Dispersal
Corroder requires a full decon sweep before it can be safely used by
unsealed personnel. Field teams have started treating Dispersal Corroder
contacts as contamination incidents first and Chimera contacts
second.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 14 / 7 |
42 / 21 |
28 / 14 |
28 / 14 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Mass Dispersal Spray: Medium range (20m), 5m wide cone. FOR check TN
14 or Corroder Exposure. Sealed armour: Integrity −1 on contact-range
hit. On critical success by the Corroder: spray becomes 8m wide. |
| Secondary Attack |
Death Release: on death, releases concentrated caustic cloud in 6m
radius. All within radius make FOR check TN 15 or gain Corroder Exposure
immediately. Cloud persists 3 rounds — area treated as Corroder Exposure
zone while active. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Sealed equipment fully negates personal exposure. The Death Release
can be exploited: a team that can disengage quickly and let the cloud
dissipate before the next approach has effectively neutralised the
strategic value of the Dispersal Corroder's deployment. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Particularly effective as a 'cleanse' asset — used by
Sovereign operations to deny previously used approach routes and
extraction corridors. |
GM NOTE Dispersal Corroders should be used to create
persistent environmental hazards, not just tactical threats. The Death
Release mechanic means the kill itself is potentially dangerous — teams
that charge in for a finishing blow are going to be caught in the cloud.
The interesting play is the team that identifies a Dispersal Corroder
early and decides it is more useful alive in its current position
(creating a natural exclusion zone) than dead and releasing a pool of
contamination across a route they need. That is Sovereign logic,
incidentally — keeping teams away from an area without spending a more
valuable asset.
A Warden does not expand. It holds. The territory it claims is
defined by some combination of Sovereign pheromone marking, feedstock
seeding, and whatever passes for a Warden's assessment of defensible
terrain, and once that boundary is established, it defends it with a
persistence that has ground down more patrol operations than direct
assault has. The same route taken three times will find the Warden the
third time in a way it was not the first two, and the ambush point will
be better than anything you would choose. It does not plan this. It is
shaped to produce exactly this. The result is functionally
identical.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 13 / 7 |
39 / 20 |
26 / 13 |
26 / 13 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Territorial Strike: Base 5 + STR + d10. On hit while within
territory: target makes FOR TN 13 or Staggered (loses 1 AP next
turn). |
| Secondary Attack |
Hold Position: within territory, Warden gains +2 to all defence
checks and +1 all attacks. Outside territory, no bonuses. Does not
pursue past territory boundary. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Distance. Engage past the territory boundary to deny territorial
bonuses. Mapping Warden territories before close-work operations is
standard doctrine. Warden forms outside their territory are
significantly less dangerous. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Moderate. Territory expansion and adjustment through feedstock
seeding and aversion chemicals, but adjusting an established territory
takes days, not hours. |
GM NOTE Wardens reward intelligence-gathering. If
the team knows where the territory boundary is, they can engage from
outside it and fight a Standard-tier Chimera without territorial bonuses
— a manageable encounter. If they blunder into the territory
mid-operation, they are fighting at a significant disadvantage against a
creature that knows every approach and has been shaping the terrain to
its advantage for weeks. The information question is the gameplay: how
do you locate the boundary before you cross it, and what do you do when
the mission requires you to go through the territory anyway? Area denial
tools, seismic sensors, and advance recon with a scout or Recon drone
all have mechanical relevance here.
Alpha Wardens hold territories that other Warden forms avoid. The
territorial imperative that drives a standard Warden is amplified in the
alpha form into something that reads, from the outside, as genuine
possessiveness — a stake in the terrain that produces aggressive
patrols, more frequent marking behaviour, and a response tempo that
intercepts most intrusions before they have progressed more than a
hundred metres inside the boundary. Three documented cases exist of
Alpha Wardens apparently adjusting their territory boundaries to
encompass previously uncontrolled routes used by Badlands operators,
effectively closing approach lanes that had been safe for months.
Whether this represents Warden cognition, Sovereign adjustment, or
coincidence is contested.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 15 / 8 |
45 / 23 |
30 / 15 |
30 / 15 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Alpha Territorial Strike: Base 6 + STR + d10. On hit in territory:
FOR TN 14 or Staggered + one location takes −1 to all subsequent DR
checks until treated (impact-induced armour compression). On critical:
full location Wound. |
| Secondary Attack |
Territory Pulse: once per engagement, while in territory, Alpha
Warden can trigger a behaviour that causes all other Chimera within 30m
to make a 1-round aggressive response against any detected threat — they
do not coordinate, but they all react. |
| Vulnerabilities |
The alpha's territorial bonus still ends at the boundary — the
strategic approach of engaging from outside remains valid. The Territory
Pulse means teams engaging in Warden-dense zones should be prepared for
incidental activation of nearby forms. Clear the approach corridor
before engaging the Alpha. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Moderate. Alpha's territory is more resistant to Sovereign
adjustment — they have a degree of territorial authority that overrides
simple chemical shaping. |
GM NOTE Alpha Wardens are territory bosses in the
truest sense. They come with context: the territory has been there a
while, other forms have adjusted around it, and the Alpha has learned
the hard way what will and will not breach it. Use the Territory Pulse
as a dramatic turn — the moment an Alpha takes serious damage and
suddenly every Chimera in the area twitches toward the players is a
great 'things just got worse' beat. The approach from outside the
boundary remains effective, but Alpha territories are larger and harder
to map precisely — the margin for error is smaller.
Veteran Wardens are the Sovereign programme's proof that something
does not need to be smart to accumulate operational experience. The
scars, the healed-over damage sites, the slightly altered approach
angles compared to standard Wardens — all of it reflects a history of
contacts in which the Veteran was the thing that survived. Field
intelligence on documented Veteran territories indicates a consistent
pattern: they cover approaches to Sovereign infrastructure of elevated
value. Whether the assignment is deliberate Sovereign placement or
whether the territories of high-fitness Wardens naturally overlap with
valuable locations through competitive dynamics in the Badlands is not a
distinction that helps when you are inside the boundary.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 16 / 8 |
48 / 24 |
32 / 16 |
32 / 16 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Veteran Strike: Base 7 + STR + d10. On hit: target makes FOR TN 15
or Staggered + 1 location damage (bypasses first 2 DR at that location —
the Veteran has learned where armour fails). On critical: location Wound
AND target is grappled. |
| Secondary Attack |
Adaptive Retreat: Veteran Warden, on taking a successful hit that
depletes its first Torso HP pool, disengages to a prepared position
within territory (up to 30m). Resets position advantage — subsequent
attacks against it until repositioned are at +2 TN. |
| Vulnerabilities |
DR bypass on its attacks means high-DR armour is less protective
than usual — full-DR teams cannot simply out-armour a Veteran. Its FOR
16 and 2-pool HP makes it genuinely durable. The Adaptive Retreat
requires pursuit to break — teams that let it disengage are giving it a
recovery round to re-establish position advantage. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Low. Veteran forms have a degree of autonomy that Sovereign steering
cannot easily override. They act in ways consistent with Sovereign
objectives without being specifically directed. |
GM NOTE A Veteran Warden should feel earned. Use it
as the climactic obstacle of a Badlands operation — the form standing
between the team and whatever they came for. Its DR bypass attack
mechanic changes the risk calculus: players who have been relying on
heavy armour to tank Standard-tier contacts will feel the difference.
The Adaptive Retreat forces a decision: pursue immediately (risky, into
prepared terrain) or advance cautiously (slower, letting the Veteran
prepare). Pair it with a time pressure to make both options painful.
Harvesters are the creatures that remind the Badlands operators what
the Reclaimer programme was originally for. They move through
contaminated zones, collect and bind heavy metals and radionuclides, and
produce the nodules that become Veil Pearls. They are simultaneously the
source of the harvest economy that sustains Badlands operations and a
significant threat to the people conducting those operations. The Field
Harvester is the most commonly encountered form — present wherever
active contamination processing is ongoing. It will not attack
unprovoked. The moment a runner approaches a processing site with
collection intent, the Harvester's behaviour changes. It does not defend
its own life. It defends the site.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 13 / 7 |
39 / 20 |
26 / 13 |
26 / 13 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Processing Lash (defensive only): Base 3 + STR + d6. The Harvester
does not initiate attacks — it responds to perceived site interference.
If no threat is presented and the team observes from a distance without
approaching, it will not attack. |
| Secondary Attack |
Nodule Cluster: on death, releases a Veil Pearl yield in immediate
area (1d6 unprocessed nodules, each worth inspection). This release is a
deliberate Sovereign mechanism — attractive to harvesters and
potentially observed. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Field Harvesters without escort are not especially dangerous — their
FOR 13 makes them durable but their AGI 6 and low attack output mean a
prepared team can engage cleanly. The threat is contextual: what does
this site represent, who knows you are here, and is the nodule release
being monitored? |
| Sovereign Steering |
High but indirect. Pearl recovery operations encountering Harvesters
should treat the area as a potential controlled observation zone. |
GM NOTE Harvesters are the moral complexity of
Badlands operations in biological form. They are simultaneously a
resource opportunity and a potential trap. Use them to create decisions:
the team can collect the pearls — valuable, mission-relevant — but the
nodule release on kill is a Sovereign signal. Who is watching? How long
before a response arrives? The Field Harvester is not a combat
challenge; it is a clock. The combat question is whether the team can
collect, disengage, and clear the area before whatever the Sovereign
observation sends arrives.
Processing Harvesters are larger, denser forms — optimised for
sustained high-volume nodule production rather than field collection.
They tend to anchor processing sites and rarely move far from them.
Their presence typically indicates a site of significant yield volume,
which in turn indicates deliberate Sovereign resource investment and,
with high probability, regular monitoring. Experienced Pearl Runners
treat a Processing Harvester site as a combination of opportunity and
hazard: the yield is exceptional and the likelihood of a recovery being
observed is substantially higher than a standard field site.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 15 / 8 |
45 / 23 |
30 / 15 |
30 / 15 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Heavy Processing Lash: Base 4 + STR + d8. A Processing Harvester
disturbed from an active site will not retreat — it has no withdrawal
behaviour at its site. It will continue until the perceived interference
ends or it cannot continue. |
| Secondary Attack |
Mass Nodule Release: on death, releases 2d6 Veil Pearl nodules of
unusually high density (assay value 1.5× standard). The release
generates significant detectable signal — seismic, chemical, and
electronic signatures. Sovereign monitoring response time: 1d6 × 10
minutes. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Durable (FOR 15) but slow and predictable. They will not chase. A
team that engages from range and stays mobile will not be at serious
risk from the Processing Harvester itself. The Sovereign response timer
after the Mass Nodule Release is the real threat. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Processing sites are always under Sovereign observation. Treat
every Processing Harvester contact as a timed encounter with Sovereign
response inbound. |
GM NOTE Processing Harvesters are the big score with
the countdown. Set the Sovereign response timer openly when the Mass
Nodule Release happens — tell the players 'you have between 10 and 60
minutes, roll the die and keep it secret, you can try to estimate based
on how exposed the site is.' The harvest is real and valuable. The
question is how much they collect before they have to run, and whether
they can get clear before the response arrives. Pair this with whatever
response makes sense for the area: a Stalker pack, an armed Sovereign
patrol, or an A-RIG deployment for maximum pressure.
Guard Harvesters evolved from a cradle iteration that attempted to
combine Warden-form defensive instincts with Harvester-form collection
physiology. The result is a form that retains active processing function
while responding aggressively to any perceived site threat — not after
the threat is close, but at range. Guard Harvesters have been documented
attacking Recon drone overflights, responding to seismic sensor pings,
and engaging teams at medium range before those teams had visual
confirmation of the Harvester's position. Their presence at a site
indicates a Sovereign assessment that the site warrants dedicated
defence, not merely incidental protection.
Attributes
Hit Points (Pool 1 / Pool 2)
| 14 / 7 |
42 / 21 |
28 / 14 |
28 / 14 |
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Guard Strike: Base 4 + STR + d10. Unlike standard Harvester forms,
Guard types actively pursue perceived threats up to 30m from the site —
territory-like behaviour without defined boundary. |
| Secondary Attack |
Escort Signal: Guard Harvester emits a chemical-signal burst when
taking damage that reduces its HP below 50%. Within 1d4 rounds, 1d4 Pack
Hunters or 1 Stalker Form (GM choice based on area) responds toward the
site. |
| Vulnerabilities |
The escort signal is the critical mechanic — killing the Guard
Harvester quickly, before the 50% threshold, prevents the signal. This
puts a premium on coordinated burst damage. A team that lets it drag out
is managing multiple contacts. |
| Sovereign Steering |
High. Guard Harvesters are deliberately placed assets — their
presence indicates Sovereign investment in site protection that extends
beyond the creature itself. |
GM NOTE Guard Harvesters teach teams to kill fast or
not engage. The Escort Signal at 50% HP creates a hard decision point:
you can break off the engagement before triggering the signal (but the
Guard is still there and still defending the site), or you can push
through quickly enough to kill it before it signals. Use the 1d4 round
response time as a literal countdown once the signal fires. The escort
that arrives is calibrated to the situation — Pack Hunters if the team
has been moving fast and may have mobility left, a Stalker Form if they
are bogged down at the site.
— BEHEMOTH CLASS —
There is no practical warning for a first Behemoth contact. Nothing
in personal experience prepares for the scale — not Holos, not
briefings, not the testimony of survivors. What those who have faced a
Behemoth most consistently report afterward is not the size alone, but
the sound: the subsonic pressure wave that arrives thirty seconds before
visual contact, the ground transmission that is felt through boots and
frame chassis simultaneously. Standard combat doctrine is accurate in
its assessment: the question is not whether the Behemoth can be killed.
It is whether you can survive long enough for the force needed to kill
it to arrive.
Attributes
Vitality Track
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Structural Impact: when moving through a position, treats as a
structural attack on everything in its path. Frame-scale: Base 20 + d12
vs RIG DR. Personal-scale: narrative — describe the result, do not
roll. |
| Secondary Attack |
Ground Pressure: within 20m of a moving Behemoth, all ground-level
targets make Stability Check (TN 14) each round or destabilised by
tremor — Frames in Moving state, personal-scale characters lose 1
AP. |
| Tertiary Attack |
Cascade Swipe: when Behemoth does not move, attacks everything in a
15m arc. All targets: AGI check TN 14 or take full impact damage. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Sustained concentrated RIG fire on the same location triggers System
Check equivalents on biological systems. Coordinated fire from multiple
RIGs degrades faster than volume fire. Anti-Material and Heavy Ordnance
required for meaningful damage — personal weapons produce negligible
effect (treat as 0 meaningful damage regardless of rolls). |
| Sovereign Steering |
Limited. Pointed at a target and released. Behemoths are not precise
instruments. |
GM NOTE A standard Behemoth is a campaign event —
the encounter that defines an arc or closes one. Minimum engagement
requirement is three combat-rated RIGs, with A-RIGs preferred.
Personal-scale characters should be managing secondary threats (Pack
Hunters and Stalkers agitated by the Behemoth's presence), providing
fire support callout, or handling flanking objectives. The Vitality
track makes the fight feel earned: 75% threshold changes behaviour, 50%
slows it, 25% makes it more dangerous before it dies. Use the threshold
transitions to create narrative beats — the moment it slows down is not
relief, it is the moment it becomes more aggressive.
The first time an armoured Behemoth was documented, the field
assessment was simple: the Light Autocannons are not working. The
heavily chitinous forward plating and layered dermal armour of the
armoured variant is a deliberate cradle modification — the Sovereign
programme investing significant biological resources into producing a
form that standard RIG armament cannot efficiently damage. Against a
standard Behemoth, a three-RIG response with medium cannon armament is
sufficient for a 40-60 minute engagement. Against the armoured variant,
the same response will run out of ammunition before achieving meaningful
penetration of the forward aspect. Heavy Ordnance is mandatory. If it is
not available, personnel should execute emergency egress protocols and
request strategic assets.
Attributes
Vitality Track
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Armoured Impact: same as standard but +4 DR applies against all
attacks from the front aspect specifically (directional DR — flanking or
rear attacks use base DR 20). |
| Secondary Attack |
Ground Pressure: as standard Behemoth. |
| Tertiary Attack |
Cascade Swipe: as standard Behemoth, with +3 to all damage on
hit. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Flanking and rear attacks bypass the +4 directional DR. Heavy
Ordnance (RIG missile rack, Heavy Cannon) is required to achieve
meaningful damage. The weaker DR on rear and flank aspects creates a
tactical challenge: you need to get behind something that is moving
toward you. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Limited. Sovereign deploys armoured variants only for high-priority
target objectives — their presence indicates something of exceptional
value is being defended. |
GM NOTE The armoured Behemoth forces combined-arms
thinking. It cannot be tanked from the front — the forward DR 24 means
Light Autocannons are effectively useless. The engagement challenge is
splitting force: one or two RIGs as front decoys drawing its attention
while heavier assets attempt flanking positions. The math is brutal —
Vitality 280 with DR 20 at the front. If the team does not have Heavy
Ordnance, this is not a combat encounter; it is an egress problem. Use
it to establish that some Sovereign deployments are beyond the team's
current capacity and require escalation.
Siege Behemoths are targeted at specific objectives. They move in a
direct line toward a designated point — a wall section, a power grid, a
water treatment facility — with the patience of something that has no
conception of hurry and the endurance of something that cannot be
meaningfully stopped by the defences most Ward City outer positions can
bring to bear. Documented Siege Behemoth deployments have each preceded
significant Chimera assault operations by 12–48 hours. The doctrinal
assessment is that Siege Behemoths are not the assault — they are the
breach. The assault comes through whatever they create.
Attributes
Vitality Track
Attacks & Behaviours
| Primary Attack |
Siege Impact: when targeting a fixed structure, damage is dealt to
structural integrity rather than HP — each impact reduces a
wall/building/structure by 1 integrity step regardless of structural DR
up to 8. Personal and Frame HP: Base 24 + d12. |
| Secondary Attack |
Breach Creation: when a fixed structure reaches 0 integrity
(collapsed or destroyed), the Siege Behemoth creates a 15m+ wide breach
usable by all Chimera forms. Sovereign assault force deployment begins
1d6 × 5 minutes after breach. |
| Tertiary Attack |
Ground Pressure and Cascade Swipe: as standard Behemoth. |
| Vulnerabilities |
Siege Behemoths are slow (AGI 4, AP 3) and focused on their
objective — they will not redirect to engage mobile threats unless those
threats deal significant damage first. This creates an engagement
window: forces between the Siege Behemoth and its target have
approximately 2 rounds per 30m of separation to act before it reaches
them. |
| Sovereign Steering |
Moderate for Behemoth class. Siege type has the most precise
Sovereign direction — it is given a specific target and pursues it with
absolute priority. |
GM NOTE A Siege Behemoth encounter is a race against
the breach. The team needs to kill it before it reaches the wall, the
reactor, or whatever the Sovereign is trying to destroy. Frame the
encounter as a clock: at its current speed (Slow, given AGI 4), it
reaches the target in X rounds. There should be terrain obstacles,
escort Chimera clearing paths, and the strategic question of whether to
divert everything to the Siege Behemoth or maintain some force against
the escort. After the breach, describe the assault force — this is the
actual threat the Sovereign was purchasing with the Behemoth. The
Behemoth was the door.
SECTION 7 — VEHICLES &
GROUND TRANSPORT
Vehicles use single Integrity pools — no location tracking. All hover
vehicles use Telluric Lift (burst-correction capacitor bank, not
continuous power). A Telluric Cell breach on a hover vehicle at zero
Integrity causes arc flash and blast — treat as Base 8, d8 area damage
to all personnel within 6m. Speed categories are Fast, Medium (Med), and
Slow per SRD Section 18. DR is a single value applying to the vehicle
Integrity pool.
VEHICLE WEAPONS: Operated by a Gunner using their own AP. Roll 2d10 +
AGI + Firearms: Heavy Weapons (see note below) + EquipMod vs TN 14.
Gunner's Stability State matches driver's movement state.
⚠ MISSING FROM GEAR DOC The Equipment & Gear
v0.3 document references 'Gunnery Skill' for vehicle weapon operation.
The SRD v0.4 skill list does not include a named 'Gunnery' skill.
Clarification required: vehicle weapons should use Firearms: Heavy
Weapons as the applicable skill specialty, or a new 'Gunnery' skill
should be added to the SRD skill list. This appendix assumes Firearms:
Heavy Weapons pending clarification.
— HOVER BIKES —
Standard
Civilian Hoverbike · Hover Bike — Civilian
The hoverbike is what personal freedom looks like in the Ward City
economy. Every manufacturing district has a model variation, every
market has a maintenance shop, and roughly one in six NewTex residents
owns or has access to one. They are bought for the commute, used for
Badlands-adjacent runs along cleared corridors, raced in the industrial
districts on nights when the patrols are light, and occasionally
equipped for things the manufacturer's warranty does not cover. The
rider is completely exposed — the machine's speed and the rider's skill
are the only protection — and the people who ride them most know this
and have made their peace with it.
Vehicle Statistics
| 0 |
2 |
Fast |
1 rider |
Yes |
₩18,000 |
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Rider fully exposed — no DR protection for rider.
Compact fuel cell. No cargo capacity. High manoeuvrability at
speed. |
| Typical Armament |
None (weapon rack requires modification — difficult given chassis
width and rider exposure) |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Haz-Filter visor for rider (separate personal item). Reinforced lift
cells available as aftermarket (+₩2,000, +1 Integrity). |
GM NOTE Hoverbikes are chase sequences. Their Fast
speed and Telluric Lift means they can go where wheeled vehicles cannot,
cut through urban terrain that stymies larger platforms, and cover
ground that makes on-foot pursuit irrelevant. In a combat context, a
rider on a hoverbike is simultaneously a difficult target (Fast
movement, small profile, +2 TN for attackers against a moving target
plus the standard Running penalty) and completely exposed to anything
that connects. Use them for courier NPCs, getaway drivers, and quick
Badlands runs where stealth matters more than protection. A Stability
Check failure on a hoverbike at Fast speed is potentially lethal to the
rider.
Hoverbike —
Badlands Rated · Hover Bike — Badlands Contractor
The badlands-rated hoverbike is the Pearl Runner's primary vehicle —
fast enough to outrun most threats, capable enough to handle the
variable terrain outside the walls, and simple enough to be
field-repaired with tools that fit in a saddlebag. The reinforced lift
skirt is the critical difference: standard hoverbike cells clog in fine
contaminated particulate within an hour of operations outside cleared
corridors. The Badlands-rated variant can run for a full day in
contaminated ground without losing lift stability. The operators who use
them have usually removed everything non-essential — the difference
between a Badlands hoverbike and the manufacturer's original
configuration is visible in what has been stripped out.
Vehicle Statistics
| 1 |
3 |
Fast |
1 rider |
Yes |
₩28,000 |
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Reinforced lift skirt (dust/sand rated). DR 1 applies
to vehicle Integrity only — rider still exposed. Sealed fuel system.
Extended range cells. Debris deflectors. |
| Typical Armament |
Small weapon hardpoint available (pistol or SMG forward mount,
Restricted permit). Most operators do not use it — adds weight and
destabilises at speed. |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (not available — no cabin). Seismic Sensor
tie-in (+₩1,500). Extended Fuel Pack (+₩2,000, ×2 range). |
GM NOTE The Badlands hoverbike is the practical
workhorse of solo Badlands operations. Its slight durability improvement
over the standard model (DR 1 and 3 Integrity instead of 2) matters
primarily for the first hit in a combat sequence — it makes it harder to
one-shot the vehicle in a chase. Use it for experienced Pearl Runners
and independent operators who know what they are doing outside the
walls. The small weapon hardpoint option exists but is rarely used in
practice — most operators know that engaging anything fast enough to
catch them on a hoverbike at open-terrain range is a mistake that a
pistol mount does not solve.
Military
Scout Hoverbike · Hover Bike — Military / Restricted
The Directorate's scout hoverbike procurement is handled through
military channels rather than civilian markets, and the platform
reflects that origin. Where a Pearl Runner's bike has been stripped down
to essentials for speed and simplicity, the military variant has had
essentials added back in: integrated sensor capability, IFF transponder
for operating in mixed-force environments, hardened electronics to
survive EMP-rich Badlands contacts, and enough chassis reinforcement to
take the first serious hit without throwing the rider. It is faster than
it looks and significantly more capable than the civilian platforms it
resembles. Directorate reconnaissance elements treat it as their primary
single-operator mobility asset.
Vehicle Statistics
| 2 |
3 |
Fast |
1 + limited rear gear stow |
Yes |
₩65,000 estimated (Restricted procurement) |
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Reinforced chassis and skirt. Integrated Sensor Suite
(vehicle-grade, +2 AWR). IFF Transponder. EMP-Hardened Power Cell.
Haz-Filter for rider (integrated into sealed pilot fairing). Weapon hard
point (forward-mounted Light Pintle MMG, optional). |
| Typical Armament |
Light Pintle-Mount MMG (Base 6, d10, EquipMod +1, forward-facing
only) — optional, adds +1 weight penalty on manoeuvring. Most scout
configurations omit it. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
| Common Upgrades |
Electronic Countermeasures Pod (compact, -1 charge capacity). Comms
Relay Hardened. |
| ⚠ Gear Doc Note |
The Military Scout Hoverbike is not listed in the Equipment &
Gear document. A Restricted-tier military hoverbike variant should be
added to the vehicles section with appropriate pricing, availability
(Restricted), and specifications. |
GM NOTE The Military Scout Hoverbike fills the gap
between civilian mobility and proper military vehicles. Use it for
Directorate reconnaissance elements, special operations advance scouts,
and the kind of fast-moving opposition that can stay ahead of a player
team on foot. Its Sensor Suite integration means the rider has active
threat detection without stopping to deploy a separate kit — important
for maintaining Fast speed while conducting recon. In an encounter, a
Directorate scout on one of these is a warning system before a larger
force, not the force itself.
— HOVER CARS —
Hovercar — Standard
2-Seat · Hover Car — Civilian
The two-seat hovercar is as ordinary inside the Ward Cities as the
neural lace. Most working residents either own one or have access to a
shared pool through their employer or residential block. The sealed
cabin and basic filtration make it viable for short-range
Badlands-adjacent travel along established corridors, though most
operators do not push that use without upgrades. Inside the walls it is
simply transportation — fast, common, unremarkable, and ubiquitous
enough that a hovercar in a Ward street draws no attention
whatsoever.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Sealed cabin. Basic Haz-Filter integrated. Common
Ward City personal transport. |
| Typical Armament |
None |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (full sealing, ₩5,000 — standard model has only
basic sealing). Sensor Suite basic (+₩3,000). |
GM NOTE Use hovercars as background and chase
assets. An escape in a civilian hovercar is a fast but vulnerable
operation — DR 2 and Integrity 3 mean a few hits from determined
opposition will end the vehicle, potentially at speed and altitude. The
sealed cabin is tactically relevant against Corroder Exposure. Standard
NPCs who need to flee something will reach for a hovercar if one is
accessible. Players commandeering civilian vehicles mid-chase should
note the Fast speed but also the complete lack of armament and modest
DR.
Hovercar — Standard
4-Seat · Hover Car — Civilian
The four-seat hovercar trades speed for capacity. It is the family
vehicle, the small team transport, the standard pool car for corporate
and Directorate administrative staff who need to move people rather than
chase things. Slower than its two-seat counterpart, it is still far
faster than ground traffic when the corridors are open, and its larger
frame takes a few more hits before integrity compromise than the compact
models. It is also significantly more common than specialist variants —
which means it is the vehicle most likely to be stolen, repurposed, or
encountered as the ride the team was specifically not expecting.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Sealed cabin. Basic Haz-Filter. Reduced speed
(heavier frame and larger cell load for 4-person capacity). |
| Typical Armament |
None |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (full sealing, ₩5,000). Armour Package Light
(+₩15,000, +2 DR, −1 speed step — drops to Slow). |
GM NOTE The 4-seat hovercar is the team vehicle for
civilian cover operations. Its Med speed makes it less useful for
getaways against anything with a Fast vehicle, but significantly easier
to operate under fire than a 2-seat model where anyone firing personal
weapons from the vehicle has a very limited window. Passengers in a
sealed 4-seat can fire from windows at +1 TN from vehicle movement
(standard rules). Use it when the mission requires moving a full team
through Ward territory without drawing Directorate vehicle
attention.
Hovercar
— Badlands Rated · Hover Car — Badlands / Contractor
A Badlands-rated hovercar is what field teams use when they need
enclosed transport outside the walls without sacrificing the flexibility
of a civilian-profile vehicle. The sealed cabin and reinforced cells
make it viable in contaminated zones where a standard model would start
losing lift efficiency within the first hour. The weapon hardpoint kit
is a standard fitting rather than a modification — the manufacturer
accepts that buyers in the Badlands market have specific requirements
that the standard configuration does not address, and builds
accordingly. The result is a vehicle that looks like an upscale civilian
car from a distance and reveals its actual purpose in the wear marks,
the reinforced skirt, and the mounting bracket above the driver's
cabin.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Fully sealed cabin. Haz-Filter and Rad-Resist
standard. Reinforced lift skirt. Hardened electronics. Extended range
cells. |
| Typical Armament |
Weapon Hard Point Kit as standard fitting — accepts Light
Pintle-Mount forward (Restricted permit required to mount weapon). |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Sensor Suite vehicle-grade (+₩12,000). Smoke Discharger System
(+₩3,500). EMP Shielding (+₩12,000). |
GM NOTE This is the standard player team field
vehicle — fast enough, tough enough, and versatile enough for the
majority of Badlands operations. The weapon hardpoint means it can
accept a Light Pintle-Mount for a gunner, turning it into a reasonably
capable combat platform without the bulk of a military vehicle. At 50%
Integrity its speed drops and hover stability reduces; at 25% it becomes
difficult to control. Use vehicle damage thresholds to create urgency in
chase sequences rather than binary 'works/doesn't work' outcomes.
— GROUND VEHICLES —
Wheeled Runner —
2-Seat · Ground Vehicle — Civilian
Hovercars are common in the Ward Cities. Wheeled vehicles are
preferred in the parts of the Badlands where the ground is too heavily
contaminated for reliable Telluric Cell operation, where the terrain
makes lift-stabilisation calculations punishing, or where the operator
simply does not want a system that can fail catastrophically if a
Telluric Cell takes a breach. The Runner is cheap, simple, and honest
about what it is. Badlands mechanics appreciate it for the same reasons
they appreciate the Armcal rifles: it does what it says, it fails in
understandable ways, and anyone with basic tools can fix what
breaks.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled (no Telluric Lift). ICE or electric drive. No sealed cabin
standard. Preferred by some operators for Badlands reliability — fewer
failure modes than hover systems in heavily contaminated ground. |
| Typical Armament |
None |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (₩5,000). Armour Package Light (₩15,000).
Weapon Hard Point Kit (₩4,000, Restricted for weapon). |
GM NOTE The wheeled runner is for operators who have
thought about what kills them and decided it would not be a Telluric
Cell breach. In terrain where hover stability is questionable — heavily
uneven Badlands, rubble-dense outer districts, deep contamination zones
— its ground-contact drive is more predictable. Use it to signal a
specific character type: the experienced Badlands operator who does not
trust lift systems. In a chase, the wheeled runner is at a disadvantage
against hover vehicles in open terrain but may be faster through complex
ground-level terrain.
Wheeled 4×4 ·
Ground Vehicle — Civilian / Contractor
The Wheeled 4×4 is the vehicle of people who do not trust anything
they cannot understand well enough to repair. In the years after the
Sovereign War, as Telluric Lift technology became the default for
civilian transport, a substantial portion of Badlands operators
deliberately chose to stick with wheeled platforms — partly for the
reliability argument, partly because the economics of a Telluric Cell
breach in a hostile zone are not survivable, and partly because a lifted
chassis going through irregular terrain at speed is a different kind of
risk calculation than four wheels and differential lock. The 4×4 is
slower in open ground. It is frequently still running when its hover
counterparts are grounded.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled. Off-road capable. ICE or electric drive. Higher ground
clearance. Can mount weapon rack with modification. Preferred Badlands
platform for teams that prioritise reliability over speed. |
| Typical Armament |
None standard. Weapon Hard Point Kit available (₩4,000, Restricted
permit for weapon). Light Pintle-Mount most common. |
| Availability |
Open |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (₩5,000). Armour Package Light (₩15,000).
Sensor Suite vehicle-grade (₩12,000). Extended Fuel/Cell Pack
(₩8,500). |
GM NOTE The 4×4 is the practical backbone of
Badlands operations for teams that do not have access to military-grade
hover transport. Its Integrity 4 and off-road capability mean it
survives more abuse before failing, and the higher ground clearance
makes it viable in terrain that would beach a standard hover vehicle
that lost stabilisation. Use weapon-rack modifications when the team has
been operating long enough to need a vehicle with some teeth. The sealed
cabin upgrade is essential for Corroder zone operations — without it, a
Corroder encounter makes the vehicle uninhabitable.
Wheeled
Armoured Runner · Ground Vehicle — Security / Contractor
Security contractors operating in Ward City outer districts
occasionally need something between a civilian 4×4 and a full military
APC — a vehicle that can absorb personal-arms fire while remaining
inconspicuous enough not to trigger a Directorate response protocol. The
Armoured Runner fills that gap. The armour plating is obvious to anyone
who knows what to look for but does not broadcast military involvement
the way a full APC does. It is used by corporate security teams,
high-value-escort contractors, and certain black market logistics
operators who have specific reasons to be in the outer districts at
hours when questions are not being asked.
Vehicle Statistics
| 5 |
4 |
Med |
1+3 |
No |
₩85,000 estimated |
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled. Armoured Plate. Sealed Cabin standard. Haz-Filter
integrated. Weapon Hard Point Kit standard. Powered Assist not
applicable. |
| Typical Armament |
Light Pintle-Mount MMG (Base 6, d10, EquipMod +1) standard on most
security configurations. |
| Availability |
Licensed (heavy armour Restricted) |
| Common Upgrades |
Armour Package Heavy (additional +4 DR, −1 speed step, ₩40,000).
Sensor Suite. EMP Shielding. |
| ⚠ Gear Doc Note |
An armoured wheeled runner / civilian-armour vehicle is not
specifically listed in the Equipment & Gear document as a distinct
product. The existing 4×4 with Armour Package (Light) achieves DR 4 — a
higher armoured version should be added as a Licensed/Restricted vehicle
line item. |
GM NOTE Use the Armoured Runner when you need to
establish that someone is taking their ground transport security
seriously without escalating to full military presence. DR 5 means
personal arms struggle but a Battle Rifle or Anti-Material Rifle will
eventually matter. Its civilian profile makes it a useful tool for
disguised corporate or faction operations — it looks like an expensive
contractor vehicle because that is approximately what it is. In a chase
against military Hover APCs it loses badly; in an encounter where the
opposition only has personal arms, it is a meaningful threat.
— TRUCKS & TRANSPORT —
Hover Cargo
Skimmer · Industrial Transport — Hover
The cargo skimmer is how the Ward City economy moves. Manufactured
goods outbound, raw materials and Veil Pearl harvests inbound,
replacement components for the wall equipment that breaks on a schedule,
food grown in the Green Belt that needs to reach distribution points —
all of it moves on cargo skimmers. They are unglamorous, essential,
ubiquitous, and almost never in the right place when you need one.
Operators of Badlands-rated skimmers earn premium rates that reflect the
risk and the scarcity of people willing to take those runs, and they are
among the most practically skilled drivers in the Ward City economy.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift (heavy-grade). High cargo capacity. Compact fusion
powerplant. Badlands-rated variant available (reinforced skirt, full
seal, ₩115,000). Typically unarmed. |
| Typical Armament |
None standard. Weapon Hard Point Kit available but rarely fitted —
reduces cargo capacity. |
| Availability |
Licensed |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (₩5,000). Sensor Suite (₩12,000). Decon Spray
System (₩5,500 — important for returning cargo through C-DAY
checkpoints). |
GM NOTE Cargo skimmers are logistical targets and
scene elements. A convoy of them tells the players something about what
is being transported and why it matters. A stolen skimmer tells them how
desperate someone is. A Badlands-rated skimmer that appears in a
contested zone usually has a story attached to it — either someone is
paying very well for the run, or something is wrong with its
documentation. Their Slow speed makes them straightforward to intercept;
their large cargo capacity makes them worth intercepting.
Heavy Hauler —
Wheeled · Industrial Transport — Ground
Heavy Haulers are the backbone of inter-district logistics and the
vehicles that moved the material that built the Wardlines. They are not
fast and they are not comfortable and the cab vibrates at a frequency
that experienced drivers learn to stop noticing after the third month.
What they are is reliable. A Heavy Hauler with a trained driver can move
forty tonnes of construction material through terrain that would stop a
hover cargo skimmer, in weather conditions that ground civilian hover
vehicles, at a consistent pace that logistics planners can actually
schedule around. This is worth more to most freight operations than
everything else on the market combined.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled multi-axle. Industrial cargo capacity. Compact fusion drive.
Ground contact makes it more reliable in contaminated terrain than hover
alternatives. No sealed cabin standard. |
| Typical Armament |
None standard. Weapon Hard Point Kit available — some Badlands
logistics runs require it. |
| Availability |
Licensed |
| Common Upgrades |
Sealed Cabin Upgrade (₩5,000). Armour Package Light (₩15,000 — drops
speed further). EMP Shielding (₩12,000). Extended Fuel/Cell Pack
(₩8,500). |
GM NOTE Heavy Haulers are obstacles and objectives.
Physically, they are slow enough that any vehicle can intercept them and
durable enough to survive the first few attempts to stop them without
loss of cargo. A Hauler as an objective means the players need to either
intercept it (straightforward), board it at speed (less
straightforward), or disable it without destroying the cargo (requiring
precision). As terrain, a convoy of Heavy Haulers forms a wall — cover
for ambushes, obstacles for chases, or simply the texture of industrial
Ward City life.
Hover
Personnel Carrier · Industrial Transport — Personnel Hover
The Hover Personnel Carrier is what goes in front of, behind, and
alongside the things the Directorate does not want the public to see.
Squad deployments, rapid-response repositioning, contractor logistics
for larger operations, and the unglamorous work of moving personnel
between sectors when the situation has not yet escalated to requiring an
APC — the HPC handles all of it at a price point that makes it the
default rather than the exception. Its sealed, filtered interior means
it can deploy into Corroder-active zones without immediate casualty risk
to passengers, which has made it standard kit for Chimera response teams
who need to move fast through contaminated approach corridors.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Sealed, filtered cabin. 8-passenger capacity (seated,
armed). Directorate logistics standard. No weapon mounts in standard
configuration. |
| Typical Armament |
None standard. Military operators frequently add Weapon Hard Point
Kit and Light Pintle-Mount. |
| Availability |
Licensed |
| Common Upgrades |
Weapon Hard Point Kit (₩4,000). Armour Package Light (₩15,000).
Sensor Suite (₩12,000). IFF Transponder Kit (₩2,200). |
GM NOTE The HPC is the standard deployment vehicle
for any squad-scale NPC force. A Directorate response force arrives in
HPCs; corporate security teams move in HPCs; reinforcements deploying
toward a player team's position are in HPCs. Their Med speed means
players on hoverbikes can outpace them; the eight-person capacity means
eliminating or disabling the vehicle is a force multiplication — eight
armed militia sitting in a grounded HPC are not deploying. Engaging the
vehicle rather than the occupants is a legitimate tactical approach that
the system rewards with the vehicle damage rules.
— MILITARY VEHICLES —
Armoured
Personnel Carrier — Wheeled · Military Vehicle — Armoured
The wheeled APC is the Directorate's answer to the question of how
you move eight soldiers and their equipment through a Chimera contact
zone while keeping them alive long enough to deploy. The thick plating
and sealed interior mean it can drive through Corroder spray without the
occupants sustaining exposure, absorb Pack Hunter assault without
structural compromise, and take a Heavy Chimera hit at a level that
leaves the vehicle damaged but the passengers functional. It is heavy,
slow on broken terrain, and extremely difficult to stop with
personal-scale weapons. The Ward City militias call it 'the box' —
inside it, you are safe until you open the door.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled. Sealed, Haz-Filter, Rad-Resist rated. 1 weapon mount.
Compact fusion drive. Sealed personnel bay with independent life
support. Standard Directorate heavy-transport platform. |
| Typical Armament |
Heavy Pintle-Mount (HMG, Base 10, d12, EquipMod +2) as standard.
Rotary Cannon (20mm, Restricted procurement) on upgraded models. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
| Common Upgrades |
Armour Package Heavy (+₩40,000, +4 DR, −1 speed step). Sensor Suite
vehicle-grade (₩12,000). Electronic Countermeasures Pod (₩12,000). Comms
Relay Hardened (₩18,000). |
GM NOTE A wheeled APC changes the terms of a ground
engagement. At DR 10, personal arms including Anti-Material Rifles
struggle — 8 base + d12, max of 20 damage, against DR 10 means every hit
clears DR and damages integrity, but it takes 6 clean hits to reach 50%
integrity before speed degrades. Use it as a mobile fortification: the
passengers inside are safe until they dismount, and the team either has
to wait for dismount or find a way to stop or disable the vehicle.
RIG-scale weapons are the appropriate answer. A Shoulder Missile
(guided) at Base 14, d12 will damage it meaningfully per shot.
Hover APC · Military
Vehicle — Armoured Hover
The Hover APC trades the wheeled APC's additional armour plating for
speed and deployment flexibility that the slower platform cannot match.
Directorate rapid-response doctrine favours it for time-sensitive
operations — Chimera breaches at the perimeter, extraction of
compromised forward elements, and any mission where arriving fast
outweighs the tactical benefit of arriving with more armour. The reduced
capacity (six passengers versus eight in the wheeled model) is accepted
as the price of the platform's speed. Pilots are trained to keep their
cells hardened against breach risk in combat zones — a Hover APC cell
breach at Fast speed is an extinction event for everyone aboard.
Vehicle Statistics
| 8 |
5 |
Fast |
1+6 |
Yes |
₩385,000 |
| Tags & Features |
Telluric Lift. Fast hover platform. 1 weapon mount. Sealed.
Haz-Filter. Less armoured than wheeled APC but significantly faster.
Standard Directorate rapid-response platform. |
| Typical Armament |
Light Pintle-Mount (MMG, Base 6, d10, EquipMod +1) standard. Heavy
Pintle-Mount (HMG) on heavy-configuration variants. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
| Common Upgrades |
Reinforced Skirt (hover, ₩8,500, +1 DR, −1 speed step). Sensor Suite
(₩12,000). EMP Shielding (₩12,000). Telluric Cell Hardening (₩9,000 —
raises breach TN from 8 to 14). |
GM NOTE The Hover APC is the fast response threat.
At Fast speed with six armed soldiers and a pintle-mounted weapon, it
can reach player positions quickly and deploy a significant force before
the team has time to fully prepare. Its DR 8 is meaningful but not
impenetrable — Anti-Material Rifles and shoulder missiles will work. The
more important mechanical element is the Stability Check interaction:
damage that bypasses DR by 3+ forces a Stability Check (2d10 + AGI vs TN
12), and on a Fast-speed Hover APC, a failed check is potentially
catastrophic. Target the cells for a Telluric breach and the resulting
explosion at any speed is the APC and everything nearby becoming a
problem.
Armoured
Command Vehicle · Military Vehicle — Command & Control
The Armoured Command Vehicle is not a combat asset — it is the brain
that coordinates combat assets. Its hardened communications suite,
integrated sensor relay, and sufficient armour to survive a light
engagement near a fire line make it the platform that senior Directorate
officers, field commanders, and Consort programme coordination use when
operations require a mobile command post. Destroying or capturing an ACV
during an active operation does not win the engagement, but it does
create chaos in the command structure that can be exploited. Field
intelligence suggests that Sovereign operatives understand this
calculation and target AVCs specifically when their forces have
infiltration capability.
Vehicle Statistics
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled. Hardened comms. Sensor Suite integrated. 2 weapon mounts.
Sealed, Haz-Filter, Rad-Resist. Electronic intelligence relay. Compact
fusion drive. |
| Typical Armament |
2× weapon mounts — typically: Heavy Pintle-Mount (HMG, Base 10, d12)
+ Coaxial MMG (driver-operated, Base 6, d10). Some variants carry Guided
Missile Rack instead of Coaxial. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
| Common Upgrades |
Electronic Countermeasures Pod (₩12,000). Comms Relay Hardened
(₩18,000). Additional Armour Package Heavy (₩40,000). |
GM NOTE The ACV is a high-value target and a
contextual indicator. When players see one, they know the operation they
are involved in (on either side) has significant Directorate involvement
and senior command attention. Capturing it yields intelligence about
ongoing operations; destroying it creates a 2–3 round window of
command-chain disruption before the chain reorganises around a backup
node. Its DR 12 means personal arms struggle; this is an appropriate
target for anti-armour munitions or a cooperative RIG engagement. Use it
to make high-level military operations feel coordinated and
intentional.
Heavy Gun Platforms are the Directorate's answer to the question of
what you put in a position when you need to stop a RIG or break an
Apex-tier Chimera contact with ground forces rather than air assets.
They are slow enough that their deployment requires planning — you do
not rush one of these to a crisis, you position one before the crisis
arrives or accept that it will miss the opening engagement. But when
they are in position, ground-stabilised, with a 30mm autocannon and a
full ammo load, they can threaten anything short of a fully armoured
A-RIG in open terrain. In Wardline defence doctrine, they are the
anchors around which mobile forces manoeuvre.
Vehicle Statistics
| 14 |
7 |
Slow |
1+3 |
No |
₩860,000 |
| Tags & Features |
Wheeled. Primary fire-support role. Ground stability required for
main weapon firing. Compact fusion drive. Sealed, Haz-Filter. 1 primary
weapon mount (heavy), 1 secondary (anti-personnel). |
| Typical Armament |
Primary: Autocannon Mount 30mm (Base 18, d12, EquipMod +3,
anti-armour, requires ground stability, 200-round load) + Secondary:
Coaxial MMG (Base 6, d10, EquipMod +1, driver-operated). Some variants
substitute primary for Guided Missile Rack (4-shot) for anti-Chimera
Apex-tier engagement. |
| Availability |
Restricted |
| Common Upgrades |
MANPAD Mount (₩45,000, point-defence AA). Sensor Suite (₩12,000).
Additional Armour Package Heavy (₩40,000). |
GM NOTE The Heavy Gun Platform is a terrain element
as much as an opponent. Its primary weapon requires ground stability —
it cannot fire while moving. Use this to create position-based tactical
problems: the team either needs to suppress it from range (risky, DR
14), destroy it from a flanking angle (requires getting past its
anti-personnel secondary weapon), or deny it stability (forcing movement
breaks its fire window). Against players in RIGs, its Autocannon 30mm at
Base 18 is Frame-threatening — specifically designed for that purpose. A
player RIG taking concentrated fire from a grounded HGP needs to either
close and deal with it in melee (outside its optimal range) or use
terrain concealment to move.
APPENDIX — MISSING GEAR DOC
ITEMS
The following items were identified during preparation of this
appendix as required by setting logic or encountered in scenario design,
but are absent from the Equipment & Gear v0.3 document. Each should
be reviewed for addition.
| 1. Named Gear-Frame Product Listings |
The Equipment & Gear document has no formal Gear-Frame
catalogue. Three representative platforms are detailed in this appendix
(Hydrin VX-4 Yarder, VelTech GF-9 Brace, Armcal GF-3 Iron Circuit).
Prices, availability tiers, and manufacturer details should be
formalised and added to the equipment document under a new Gear-Frame
section. |
| 2. Named I-RIG Product Listings |
Same issue as Gear-Frames. Three representative platforms are
detailed in this appendix (Rimway HR-7 Anchor, Hydrin IX-12 Gantry,
Armcal IX-3 Sentinel). I-RIG products are core to the setting economy
and should have formal equipment entries. |
| 3. Named RIG and A-RIG Product Listings |
The Equipment & Gear document lists RIG weapons and upgrades but
not the frame chassis themselves as purchasable products. Six
representative platforms are detailed in this appendix. A formal RIG and
A-RIG chassis catalogue with pricing should be added. |
| 4. Military Scout Hoverbike |
The vehicle roster includes Standard and Badlands-Rated civilian
hoverbikes but no military/Restricted variant. A military scout
hoverbike with integrated sensor suite, IFF transponder, and
EMP-hardened power cell is a logical gap. Suggested stats: DR 2,
Integrity 3, Fast, Restricted, ≈₩65,000. |
| 5. Wheeled Armoured Runner (Civilian-Armoured
Vehicle) |
The civilian vehicle roster has no armoured wheeled vehicle. The 4×4
with Armour Package Light reaches DR 4, but a dedicated
licensed/restricted armoured runner (DR 5, civilian profile) fills an
important gap for corporate security and contractor operations. |
| 6. Gunnery Skill Clarification |
The Equipment & Gear v0.3 document references 'Gunnery Skill'
for vehicle weapon operation. The SRD v0.4 skill list does not include a
'Gunnery' speciality. Resolution options: (a) add 'Firearms: Vehicle
Weapons' as a new Firearms subspecialty in the SRD, or (b) officially
designate Firearms: Heavy Weapons as the applicable skill for
vehicle-mounted weapon systems. This appendix uses Firearms: Heavy
Weapons as the working assumption. |
| 7. Eidolon-Grade Electronic Warfare Suite (Leda /
CA115-LE) |
Leda carried a prototype RIG-mounted electronic warfare suite
capable of disrupting Sovereign signal architecture. No comparable
system exists in the equipment document. If this system is to be used in
play as a recoverable or reverse-engineered asset, it needs a formal
stat block. Suggested tier: Classified (Black Market equivalent),
EquipMod +4, Powered, 4 charges, disrupts electronic systems in 100m
radius. |
| 8. RIG-Mounted Electronic Countermeasures (Europa /
CA115-EU) |
Europa's Electronic Countermeasures Pod is described as prototype
and enhanced beyond the standard ECM Pod listed in the equipment
document. A classified Eidolon-grade ECM system should be documented if
it is to appear as a salvageable asset or plot element. |
| 9. Heavy I-RIG / Crane Variant Pricing |
Heavy I-RIG configurations (crane-type, 40-tonne lift capacity) are
described in the Design Bible's I-RIG section but not priced in the
equipment document. Suggested pricing tier: ₩250,000–400,000 depending
on crane specification and power systems. |
| 10. Gear-Frame Scale Weapon Mounts |
The Equipment & Gear document covers personal-scale weapons and
RIG-scale hardpoint weapons, but has nothing for the intermediate
Gear-Frame scale. A Gear-Frame mounting a personal-scale LMG or light
cannon is mechanically awkward without a dedicated weapon tier.
Suggested addition: Gear-Frame Light Weapon Mount (personal-scale
weapons at +1 EquipMod when Frame-mounted, Licensed), and Gear-Frame
Medium Weapon (intermediate between personal and RIG, Base 8, d10,
Licensed/Restricted). |