Battle Dress Designs, anyone?

[sabredog]

Responding to another thread got me thinking about how we all interpret the different armors in the game. So I thought it might be fun to see what everyone came up with for Battle Dress given that the original specs are fairly wide open to adding on all sorts of goodies. Not having bought the Emperor's Arsenal or anything since I don't run the OTU, here's what I have had in mine:

Battle Dress TL-13+

More advanced and powered form of combat armor. The suit incorporates electronic and servo-powered enhancements, better personal protection and medical trauma support, and on-board weapon systems. Battle Dress is also referred to as a Battlesuit.

Regardless of tech level all suits are of the same basic design and become more energy efficient, lighter in bulk, and provide better protection at higher levels. They contain all the equipment needed to provide life support for up to 72 hrs. , and the suit’s power supply is rechargeable.

Construction and Use

Battle Dress is a clamshell design and the user steps backwards into it while the suit is held in its charging/maintenance cradle. The suit then closes and performs a pre-check test for functionality. Recharging a suit requires 12 hours. Donning the suit requires 1 minute, removing it takes 1 combat round in an emergency, 1 minute under ordinary conditions. The suits are made to the wearer’s body shape and specifications and one person’s suit cannot be worn by another. “One-Size-Fits-Some” emergency suits are available, but are only used by military units for emergency evacuation if a soldier’s personal suit is nonfunctional. These suits cannot be used for combat.

Enhancements

The suit’s servo-boosted limbs effectively double the wearer’s strength, allow endurance to be ignored, but have no effect on dexterity. For purposes of wounding the user’s strength is doubled, and damage to all attributes applied is halved when the suit is removed to represent the suit’s ability to absorb damage and protect the wearer. Movement is doubled.
The helmet incorporates telescopic Image Enhancement, and a tactical HUD with datalinks for a mapbox and Smartgun HUD. The suit is also equipped with a 500 PWR radio.
The same filter/compressor system is included in the helmet as with combat armor to allow the wearer to use outside air while conserving or recharging his onboard supply.

Offensive Systems

Battle dress has several in-built systems to support or that include weapons. The primary onboard weapon is the laser finger. The laser finger is located in the right gauntlet and fires along the axis of the index finger, though it is actually built into the back of the gauntlet, hence the name. The weapon is treated as a laser carbine for attacks and damage; the weapon has unlimited shots during the 72hr operational range of a fully charged suit.
The left gauntlet/forearm has a built-in RAM grenade launcher using 3 shot magazines. The suit has slotted locations built into the waist and torso to carry 6 such magazines. The launcher fires 1 RAM grenade per round using the standard attacks and damages depending on the type.
The right and left shoulders have the standard sockets to allow the wearer to fire the P/FGMP-13, 14 and the SSG-88 support gun while using the suit itself as a recoil carriage. The datalinks in the sockets activate the suit’s recoil compensation systems and targeting displays appropriate to the weapon. Only one weapon may be used at a time.
A pull-down over the shoulder rack for tac missiles is mounted on the back of the suit and carries 2 tac missiles to be launched by the wearer. The grip is extended above the shoulder, and when pulled forward, the launcher rolls up and over the shoulder to lock in place while activating the targeting display. The target designator in the helmet (or from another soldier or RPV) is used to designate the target to the fire-and-forget missile seeker, and the missile is fired. Releasing the grip automatically causes the launcher to retract back over the shoulder and close. The soldier wearing the suit cannot load the rack when it is depleted unless he removes the suit.

Defensive Systems

Basic battle dress has automatic anti-laser aerosol dispensers which fire whenever the in-built sensors detect target designator lasers illuminating the suit. The system carries 4 activations of the aerosols. The user may replace canisters himself.
A camo film applied over the suit’s surface allows the wearer to blend the suit’s coloration and IR signature into the surrounding terrain either automatically or manually. The manual controls are in the left wrist and activated by rotating the wrist. IR chill cans are used at TL-13, but by TL-15 a nanoskin sheathing not only blends the suit’s color and IR signature automatically, but it also modifies the suit’s texture (within certain limits) to match that of the terrain around it in a manner similar to that an octopus does.
At TL-14 an active laser intercept defensive system attempts to intercept incoming projectile rounds that are targeted at the suit. The laser “studs” are mounted on the shoulders, hips, and helmet of the suit and when an incoming threat is detected, fire to destroy or deflect it. Incoming projectiles have a -4DM applied to them, -2DM for hyper-velocity AP rounds.

Trauma Maintenance

Onboard medical care is incorporated to support the wounded wearer of the suit automatically or manually by the wearer or an outside medic. When the medscanner detects injury it automatically injects a combination of appropriate drugs, and may close sections of the suit limbs off with razor irises to prevent catastrophic compromise of the suit by vacuum or an NBC atmosphere. An emergency beacon activates while the wearer is sedated and kept alive while waiting for emergency crews.
The suit’s stores include:
4 doses Medical
4 doses No-Shok
2 doses Anti-Rem
2 doses HDAP
2 doses Combat Slow
1 dose MetaBrake

Any injections made form an external source are made through the ports of the chest mounted medscanner unit.

 

[sabredog]

Since these were getting clarified on a different thread but are related to the suit I'll add them here, too:

K, the drugs first:

No-Shok TL-9 100Cr/dose

Medical drug tailored to treat shock from sudden traumatic injury and/or blood loss with some effectiveness in treating physical shock resulting from psychological stress. Characters who have one attribute zeroed can immediately regain consciousness when the drug is administered for a number of minutes equal to 2x current endurance. If 2 attributes are zeroed then the drug must be administered with HDAP and the character will regain consciousness for a number of minutes equal to current endurance. If endurance is zeroed in either case, then the drug will allow the character to be “stabilized” for purposes of emergency medical care but he will not regain consciousness for more than 1 minute.


HDAP TL-7+ 100Cr./dose

Powerful stimulant (hyper-dexamylophet) useful for treating wounds or fatigue. One dose will double endurance for counting blows, fatigue, and adds half again to strength for lifting purposes. For damage purposes both endurance and strength have ½ their current points added to them, but when the drug wears off the added points are removed which could result in the character’s death or serious wounding.

The effects last for one hour, after which the character receives 1D6 damage to current (non-amplified, but possibly reduced by wounds) strength and endurance each. If this results in the characteristics in reaching zero then No-Shok can be applied to stabilize the character and avoid possible death by moving each characteristic zeroed back to 1 point. Effects of multiple doses are cumulative so the drug can be very dangerous to use if medical treatment is not available.


Anti-REM TL-9+ 800Cr./dose per rating level

Helps the body to resist radiation poisoning and damage. The drug is rated at levels 1-5 which each translates to a percentile reduction of radiation damage which might be received as result of high radiation weapon hits. For example, crew taking the drug have the percentile chance given by the drug’s rating as a saving throw against becoming casualties from radiation weapon hits such as from PAW’s. On the ground troops entering nuclear contaminated areas who might take damage from exposure have the damage reduced by the percentile rating of the drug.


MetaBrake TL-9+ 2000Cr./dose

MetaBrake reduces the user’s body functions and metabolism to a state similar to the cold sleep used in low-berthing. When injected with Medical (or Medical Slow) and No-Shok the drug can stabilize a character who has had his characteristics reduced to zero (dead, so long as the body is more or less intact enough to support life – use common sense here) long enough for emergency medical care to resuscitate him after surgery. The effects of the drug used in this mode last for 1 hour, after which the character cannot be resuscitated.

The other common use of the drug is to put a character in a state of suspended animation lasting for up to 4 days, or until the antidote is given. The drug is risky to use; the roll for recovery is the same as for low-berthing but with a DM of +1 added to the required roll for every dose taken. Because the drug accumulates in the endocrine system and has a risk of lasting negative effects thereby, users usually wear a medalert tag indicating the number of times the drug has been taken. Each time the drug is used there is a cumulative 10% chance of an additional +1DM added to the required roll for recovery which is permanent.

The common uses for the drug (legal ones anyway) are for combat casualties, accident victims, and it is often included in lifeboat emergency medical kits.

Combat Slow TL-10+ 5000Cr/dose

Similar to Slow drug, Combat Slow was developed by the military. While it’s effects last as long as regular Slow drug, there is no damage penalty after it wears off. The character can make 2 attacks, and can move twice the speed of others.

Unfortunately it has been found to be highly addictive and accumulates in the body over time. As a result, every time the character uses it he must throw against his endurance to avoid addiction. The first time it is 1D6 vs End or less. Next time 2D6 vs. End or less and so on. Addiction results in each time the drug wears off the character loses 1 point of endurance and strength permanently until the drug is redministered. Then ½ the lost points are temporarily restored until the drug wears off and another point is lost, and so on. Since the effects are cumulative the character can waste away until medical treatment is received to recover all but 2 of the lost points (in both strength and endurance) through therapy and treatment.

 

[sabredog]

Specifics on the Scatterspray PDIS:

The system is active and doesn't require control by the wearer. It has a minimum effective range of 200m...anything inside that to 100m has half the DM reduced by half.

The system can be overwhelmed of course, so only one fully automatic weapon at a time can be engaged by it, but it can intercept up to 4 non-automatic weapons (RAM grenades, tac missiles) per combat round. Beyond that the wearer relies on cover and the suit armor.

It can also be used in a sort of reverse group fire rule by datalinking the Scatterspray systems in a squad's suits together to cover each other so long as they are all close together. So if one guy is shot at by 2 automatic weapons then his suit intercepts one and his team mate's suit can intercept the other. So tactical formations are important when moving through hostile ground for this reason too.

So it's hardly a shield of invulnerability but it helps with fighting on lower tech worlds with lots of slugthrowers and ATGM's instead of high energy weapons and nukes.

 

[Trent]

If you can find any copies, the old RPG "Living steel" went into almost fanatical detail on personal power armor. It's supplement, "heavy metal" went even further, and both could be used as inspiration for traveller battledress, even tho they were lower tech and din;t have AG and fusion power.

 

[sabredog]

Here's the support gun mentioned. A railgun version is available at TL-15.

SSG-88 (Squad Support Gun mod.88)

A 2cm, single barrel, electric action Autocannon high velocity ammunition the SSG is manportable with Battledress and is used as an automatic support weapon, bunker buster, and tank breaker. It can also be used by a crew of two since it’s ammo sled is designed as a gun carriage. The weapon has selectable fire from 1/3/20 rounds per pull of the trigger.

The weapon has no mounted fire control and must use either the datalinked Smartgun HUD system in the firer’s Battledress or have a separate targeting system linked to it (such as a battle helmet’s HUD system). The weapon has gyostabilization and is fed either through a linkless feed or 3 round magazine inserted into the side of the receiver.

The weight of the weapon is 65 kg and each round weighs .4kg. .001kt collapsing rounds weigh .8kg each and are used in 3 round magazines fired either singly or in a 3 round burst. Collapsing rounds can be fed from their damper box into the feed belt but they are packaged at the factory in magazines so crews would have to strip them out and manually load the feed in advance.

When used with battledress the gun sockets into the same datalink/safety sockets the high energy weapons use, activating the suit’s recoil compensation systems and programming. The gun is direct fire only and the targeting info is projected onto the internal HUD in suit. While autofire is technically possible while firing in this configuration it is recommended that only the 3 round burst mode be used.

The weapon’s ammo sled measures 1.5mLx.5mWx.3mH and contains a small grav generator to reduce its weight to 10kg (loaded) and when the power is off its loaded weight is 225 kg. The rechargeable power supply lasts for 72hrs. A standard damper box stores 9 (3, 3 rd magazines) of 2cm collapsing rounds. Standard 2cm ammo storage is for 500 rounds.

The ammo sled is designed to be used as a gun carriage if the user desires to, but has no gun shield. When so used the grav generator must be off.

For Striker the ranges and penetrations are:

Ammo Effective Long Extreme Targets
HE 600m(10/1/2)+2 1km(same)+1 5.5km(same) 2
KEAP 600m(19)+2 1km(17)+1 5.5km(15) 2
KEAPER 600m(17)+2 1km(15)+1 5.5km(13) 2

.001kt collapsing rounds use the same ranges as the others do, but are fired in either 3 round bursts or single shots. There are no autofire bonuses for burst mode, but the multiple impacts on he same target or target area are more devastating.

Penetration = contact 70…burst radius 70meters…burst damage 17

For CT use the regular Autocannon stats with a -6DM for all armor and reduce the number of targets and targets allowed to 1 / 2 / 3 relative to 1, 3, or 20 round bursts. For the collapsing rounds use the PGMP-13 modifiers for armor / Autocannon for range / PGMP-13 damage.

 

[sabredog]

Also as a sort of optional rules I use this chart to reflect the levels of protection provided by battledress and combat at the different tech levels.

TL 11 12 13 14 15

Combat 0 +1 +2 +3 +4
Battledress +4 +5 +6

So, add the DM to the overall roll required to hit the armor at each tech level. For example a shotgun would need 11+ at medium range against TL-12 combat and a 14+ for TL-13 Battledress.

Gauss rifles firing bursts will still be deadly but not as ridiculously murderous as before against armor designed well above the level they show up at. And at the same time high energy weapons, VRF GG's, and autocannons will still open up even TL-15 suits like a can of tuna.

I just figured it was getting ridiculous for a guy with a shotgun (even with slugs or teflon-coated tungston AP darts) or a 9mm SMG to be able to turn something out of Starship Troopers into a colander.

 

[Whipsnade]

Sabredog,

May I suggest that you write up all this wonderful battledress material in a single document and post it in the File Library?

The material is too good to end up "lost among the threads".


Regards,
Bill

P.S. Please add the disposable handgun and personal point defense systems to that wish list too.

 

[Trent]

Sabredog,

May I suggest that you write up all this wonderful battledress material in a single document and post it in the File Library?

The material is too good to end up "lost among the threads".


Regards,
Bill

P.S. Please add the disposable handgun and personal point defense systems to that wish list too.

If we're going to get into a full power armor discussion, how about "underground power armor", I.E. illegal, black market manufacture power armor that may not be as great as official battledress but is still a powerful, effective force.

Come on, guys, with the traveler tech base someone somewhere could cobble together the stuff to make at least some half assed power armor, or to build the machines that could build the parts to make it, etc.

If nothing else someone could cut a deal with some droyne to make them some power armor assembling machinery. If the droyne can make a JUMP DRIVE by hand....:

Such "Second rate" battledress might be used by mercs, planetary militias, some law enforcement and, of course, Ine Givar and other crimmo groups.

As I understand it, the imperium only outlaws holocaustic weapons, so this sort of poor man's battledress would likely be frowned upon but not illegal.

 

[sabredog]

Sabredog,

May I suggest that you write up all this wonderful battledress material in a single document and post it in the File Library?

The material is too good to end up "lost among the threads".


Regards,
Bill

P.S. Please add the disposable handgun and personal point defense systems to that wish list too.

Thanks for the compliment - I'll get right on that.

 

[Zutroi]

I think with modern cybernetic feedback circuits the need to custom build each suit to an individual wearer would go away... the user would be issued a unit of the correct size range, and then perform a calibration function to 'teach' the suit how that person worked.

IIRC this was done in the past year or so by one of the exoskeleton development groups - they were struggling to write the code for controlling all of the movement, and then realized that they could just instruct the thing to learn with fewer lines of code!

 

[sabredog]

I agree - a suit could be adjusted within a certain range to match the joints of the user, and then the rest would be compensated for by the system techs. It makes sense that the manufacturers would produce a set of adjustable components that can be mixed and matched to fit the wearer. That's more economical and the way it would most likely be done in RL.

The emergency "One size fits most" unit is just for those battlefield cases where someone's suit dies on them or something and they need a quick fix, but since you wouldn't have the full shop following the troop around on a battlefield I think saying that almost anyone could wear it with a few quick adjustments, it wouldn't be a good suit to fight in. Just to get you back to base in one piece.

But, players being the covetous bunch they are I enforce the custom fit rule IMTU so they can't argue with me about stealing some BD or looting the dead for a suit. Of course, if they had weapons sufficient to kill the guy in the suit I guess there wouldn't be much left, but you know how they can wheedle.

 

[sabredog]

Sabredog,

May I suggest that you write up all this wonderful battledress material in a single document and post it in the File Library?

The material is too good to end up "lost among the threads".


Regards,
Bill

P.S. Please add the disposable handgun and personal point defense systems to that wish list too.

OK, done and done. I put it all in the House Rules section and there are four entries: The Disposable Body Pistol, Some Useful Drugs, the Personal Point Defense System, and Battledress & associated equipment. The battledress one includes the suit, SSG-88, drugs, and point defense system only as it is related to the suit.

The point defense thread and file has some more extensive info from my notebooks on the device.

 

[sabredog]

If we're going to get into a full power armor discussion, how about "underground power armor", I.E. illegal, black market manufacture power armor that may not be as great as official battledress but is still a powerful, effective force.

Such "Second rate" battledress might be used by mercs, planetary militias, some law enforcement and, of course, Ine Givar and other crimmo groups.

Sort of makes one wonder what happens to the military surplus gear, doesn't it? Especially in such a vast and complicated bureaucracy as the Imperium.

I would think some judicious application of Admin, Legal, Streetwise and cash could get some older, lower tech (like what happened to all those older TL-13 suits when the Marines got the TL-14 models, and so on?) suits "misplaced and mis-routed" somewhere for a merc or criminal group to get their hands on.

Some noble might try to get a hold of some for his personal household guards.

 

[Andrew Boulton]

MTJ#1 had a big feature on BD.

 

[sabredog]

MTJ? Something for Megatraveller?

I lost track of the explosion of material for Traveller after Megatraveller came out - its one of the reasosn I preferred to just stick with CT. But given the references to it I would like to get my hands on some of the materials to see what can be pilfered and adapted to CT.

 

[Samules]

All this stuff sounds kinda complicated i just think of it as MJOLNIR Mark V from Halo.

 

[The Oz]

Here's how the Marines do it IMTU:

TL-15 heavy battledress

Standard combat uniform for the Imperial Marines is the TL-15 heavy battledress, a fully-powered set of battle armor with complete life support for 72 hours, an onboard computer system acting as a map box, battlefield computer, point defense fire control (using the trooper's sidearm), and sensor/commo/avionics/ control (leader and missileer armor computers also act as fire direction centers). The armor has an integral grav belt which is also used to provide recoil compensation for the standard trooper sidearm, the FGMP-14B, allowing the weapon to be used while in flight without penalty. There is an active/passive EMS sensor system with a 5km range and a 50km range radio/laser/maser commo suite (leader and scout/sniper armor has 50km range sensors and 500km range commo). The armor provides an armor value of 24 and includes chameleon and active camoflage surfacing, EM masking, and psionic shielding throughout. The armor has an automatic medpack included with diagnostic sensors and medications. The medpack also interfaces with the suit computer to constrict portions of the suit to control bleeding, provide CPR or other assistance. The suit computer is capable of flying the armor by itself (should the trooper be killed or unconcious) to a safe area or recovery zone. Someone in leader armor can also give commands to the suit computer of a disabled trooper.

Trooper armor costs MCr1.2; scout armor MCr1.5; missileer armor MCr2.2; leader armor MCr2.5

FGMP-14B

Basically the same as the standard FGMP-14, with the same combat ratings, but also capable of a rapid-fire mode usually used for point defense. In rapid-pulse mode the weapon has the same ranges and a +5 to-hit modifier but penetration is only 5 and it does 4D damage (in Book1/Mercenary terms).

TL-15 X-ray laser rifle

More like a small laser cannon, the TL-15 X-ray laser rifle is the armament of the scout/sniper in the infantry company. Having a 2 km effective range and a 5km maximum range, the weapon has a penetration of 30 at effective range. Having the invisible beam common to X-ray laser weapons, the scout/sniper can fire without being detected. The weapon is also capable of rapid fire at reduced power, making it very useful in the point defense role when interfaced with the TL-15 battledress computer fire control system. In STRIKER terms it is a pulse laser with 16 lenses in rapid-fire mode with a penetration of 4. In single-shot mode the laser uses only one lens.

4cm micromissile launcher backpack (TL-15)

Standard equipment for the Imperial Marine TL-15 battledress for troopers, leaders, and scouts, the MMLB fires 4cm tac missiles under the control of the battledress computer system. The launcher carries 20 rounds, and any round loaded may be selected for firing. The MMLB may launch five missiles in 30 seconds. Standard missile types include:

Attack missiles:
HE, with a penetration of 17 and burst radius of 20 meters.
HEAP, with a penetration of 62.
Top-attack SEFOP, with a penetration of 42.
Flechette, with a penetration of 5 and a danger space of 15 meters.
Incendiary, with a burst radius of 10 meters.

Electronic Warfare (EW) missiles:
Sensor drone, with a .5km passive EMS sensor range, a 5km range communicator and 10 minute endurance.
Decoy drone, able to move and simulate a trooper's sensor signature for 10 minutes.
Jamming drone, able to jam EMS sensors/comms for .5km for 10 minutes.
Comm repeater, able to relay radio/laser/maser comms over 50km range for 10 minutes.

All attack missiles have a 3km range and TL-15 passive EMS sensors and full onboard seeker guidance. Attack missiles can be programmed at launch with any desired flight profile. EW missiles can be reprogrammed or directly controlled while in flight.

8cm tac drone missile launcher (TL-15)

The standard heavy weapon of the Imperial Marines, the 8cm TDML can launch a variety of drone missiles to support the infantry. All missiles have drone brains and TL-15 active/passive EMS sensors. The missiles have a 30 minute endurance (except the HVM) and can loiter until their target becomes vulnerable before attacking. Usually a missileer will carry the launcher with an HVM loaded, since the Marines feel that the HVM can deal with almost any target they will meet on the battlefield. A missileer can fire two missiles every 30 seconds. The 8cm tac drone missiles are also used in 25-round remote multiple missile launcher packs dropped to provide the Marines with additional onplanet firepower. Missiles in such remote packs can be controlled by any trooper in leader or missileer armor. The remote multiple missile launcher packs are dropped in capsules similar to the trooper's drop capsules, and during drop they appear identical to trooper capsules on the enemy's sensors.

Standard missiles include:

Attack missiles:
HVM (Hyper-Velocity Missile), a KEAP warhead with a penetration of 92.
HE, with a penetration of 20 and burst radius of 35 meters.
HEAP, with a penetration of 80.
Top-attack SEFOP, with a penetration of 60.
Flechette, with a penetration of 6 and a danger space of 40 meters.
Incendiary, with a burst radius of 20 meters.
Nuclear, with a .1kt warhead.

Electronic Warfare (EW) missiles:
Sensor drone, with a 5km passive EMS sensor range and 500km range communicator.
Decoy drone, able to move and simulate any trooper or vehicle sensor signature.
Jamming drone, able to jam EMS sensors/comms for 50km.
Comm repeater, able to relay radio/laser/maser comms over 5000km range.
Escort drone, able to simulate five 8cm tac drone missiles to deceive enemy point defense.

 

[sabredog]

Very nice, but here's a question I wonder about whenever I see other people have grav-belts in their suits: tactically, do you really want to be even skimming along at NOE in battledress? Doesn't that take away the tactical advantages infantry has in being able to seek, use, and create cover?


And the B model FGMP....I'm grabbing one of those for use with my armor and arty guys. Great for the rear area and dig-in positions if one of the dedicated PD guns goes down. ANd even with a penetration of only 5 (or 4D damage it'd be a dandy "mad-minute" weapon.

 

[The Oz]

Very nice, but here's a question I wonder about whenever I see other people have grav-belts in their suits: tactically, do you really want to be even skimming along at NOE in battledress? Doesn't that take away the tactical advantages infantry has in being able to seek, use, and create cover?

Who says you have to be flying at NOE? Why can't the infantry just fly at 30 KPH a meter off the ground? I've never imagined gravbelt-equipped troops as swooping through the skies, not in a combat environment. The belt serves to let the troops make that mad dash from cover to cover a little faster, and provided the recoil mechanism for the FGMP if using it while in flight.

And it's downright dandy if it's time to do the "bugout boogie."

 

[Trent]

You know, as an alternative to battledress there was a neat idea in T$'s "Emperor's arsenal" called "Battlepods" that were essentially one man mini tanks with maybe about the volume of a very small car or less, and they were pretty well armed and armored, had AG flight and were cheaper than BD.

Since they were basically simple spheroids they could carry better armor than an articulated human form and were about as fast and agile. Yes, BD could do some things they couldn't but these were cheaper to make than BD, better protected and carried serious weaponry. It was a hell of a lot easier to make a simple, one man mini grav tank than power armor.

They could not maybe clear a building as effectoively as BD, but in most other actions were equal to or better.