Elite Armor III: Shinjurai Armor

I've been busy with the posting of my Atlas, but I haven't forgotten my tech series.  More warriors in the Psi-Wars galaxy get to enjoy the benefits of advanced armor than just the space knights and their imitators.  The advanced Shinjurai people also have their own secret armor systems, from the sleek cybersuits of the Syntech corporation to the heavy battlesuits of Wyrmwerks.  This armor tends to be less widespread, either because of intentional secrecy on the part of Syntech, or because of the loss of the Wyrmwerk foundries during the revolt of the Cybernetic Union.  Even so, both tend to find their way into the hands of the galaxy's mercenaries, assassins and bounty hunters.

Syntech Armor

Syntech has long worked to develop advanced armor capable of stealth and evasion while under the watchful eye of the psychic aristocracy of Maradon. The results of such black projects tend to be available only to the royal family itself or to those working directly with the Syntech corporation. Of course, nothing stays secret forever, and the nobles of House Grimshaw know of some of the projects, as well as the criminal world that moves in and out of Denjuku; taken together, rumors and urban legends lend Syntech’s advanced armors an aura of mystique.

As with all “Elite” forms of armor, these can only be acquired as signature gear or as a temporary grant from a Pulling Rank request.

Syntech Cybersuits

Syntech “Ronin” armor system: The Ronin armor system consists of armored fiber that reacts with the wearer’s movements, augmenting them so that the armor seems to be weightless and, additionally, providing additional strength to the user (see “Cybersuits”, UT 184). The armor does not count against encumbrance and provides +8 striking and lifting ST, +1 Basic Move and Super Jump 1. Additionally, the armor is sealed, providing full vacuum support and extreme climate control, waste relief and a biomedical sensor. The integrated helmet includes a filter mask, 8 hours of air, a tiny radio with a 10-mile range, hearing protection and a hyperspectral HUD (×8 magnifier). The suit incorporates biomedical sensors (UT 187) and a waste relief system (UT 187). The armor also includes a dynamic chameleon systems similar to that found in the Syntech Shadow Armor: this provides a +8 to stealth rolls in contests against normal or IR detection; this bonus is halved if the character is moving or against opponents with Hyperspectral vision.

Syntech “Dark Ronin” armor system: The Syntech “Dark Ronin” model is identical to the Ronin armor system, but also includes a psycho-optic filter mode for its visor (see PT 17), Mind Shield Circuitry (+4 vs Telepathic intrusion) and Improved Psychotronic parastealth: apply a -6 to any attempts to detect the character with psychic powers, but others may roll a basic vision roll to detect “something wrong” with the character (see PT 17). The “Dark Ronin” model increases cost by +$30,000.

Armor	Loc	DR	Cost	Weight	LC	Cell
Syntech Ronin	All	80*	$100,000	60	1	D/5 weeks

*Flexible; 1/3 DR vs crushing;

Syntech Hyperweave

Hyperweave is an advanced version of Battleweave, allowing higher DR for less weight at much greater cost. Syntech often tailors this extremely expensive material for use by the Royal Shinjurai family and their direct agents. They also integrate a very subtle from of Psychotronic Parastealth, granting a -2 to be detected by psychic powers; characters looking at the material will notice something “off” with the beguiling patterns with a Vision roll at -8 (See PT 17). Finally, all hyperweave garments are responsive, have variable patterns, and buzz fabric (see UT 39) and thus will fit anyone, remain perfectly clean and can be adapted with new colors or designs and even shape itself slightly for a new cut.

Armor	Loc	DR	Cost	Weight	LC	Notes
Hyperweave Bodysuit	Neck, Torso, Limbs	30/10	$20,000	8	4	CF
Hyperweave Jacket	Chest, Arms	30/10	$60,000	5	4	CFS
Hyperweave Trouser	Groin, Legs	30/10	$40,000	3	4	CFS
Hyperweave Gown	Chest*, Abdomen, Legs	15/5	$100,000	2	4	CFS

* Only protects against attacks from the front.

C: Concealable; may be worn under clothing or mistaken for clothing; may be worn with layerable armor (see note L) at no penalty.

F: Flexible; 1/3 DR vs crushing;

S: Stylish or Fashion Original

Wyrmwerks

Wyrmwerks factories issued several variations of fairly typical armor (especially battleweave tactical vests with cerablate inserts), but their most famous armors are their short-lived run of battlesuit systems. Those who purchased or inherited them do everything they can to keep the armor well-maintained, because there’s no buying a second suit of Wyrmwerks armor.

Wyrmwerks Battlesuits

Wyrmwerks Angel (Mark II): Wyrmwerks built the Angel to maximize mobility. Its design proved successful, even if the armor proved to be a bit light, and the Valorian Empire, when it integrated the remaining Wyrmwerk facilities into the Directive used the designs for its own jet-pack equipped soldiers. Arsenal armor integrates a battlesuit design that grants its wearer an additional +10 Striking and Lifting ST; the armor’s weight does not count against encumbrance. The left arm integrates a modular wrist-mounted and shoulder-mounted weapon attachment points which can carry up to 4 lbs of weapon each, that can be controlled “hands free” with the helmet’s HUD. The armor can fold out small carbide wings (2 ready actions) and fly using an integrated ion-thruster jet back; alternatively, it can deploy the jet-pack directly for faster speed and higher jumps (treat as Super Jump 2 and Basic Move +3). The armor is carbide laminate with EMA; triple DR vs plasma weapons and shaped charge rounds, except for the visor of the helmet. The helmet includes a filter mask, a tiny radio with a 10-mile range, hearing protection and a nightvision HUD (×8 magnifier, +9 Nightvision). The suit incorporates biomedical sensors (UT 187) and a waste relief system (UT 187). When combined with a sealed helmet, the armor is sealed, provides total life-support, and 24 hours worth of air.

Wyrmwerks Arsenal (Mark III): Wyrmwerks built the Arsenal to maximize the firepower a soldier could put on a single target; their design worked exceedingly well (eventually). Today, however, it sees more use with pirates or mercenaries who don’t care much about collateral damage. Arsenal armor integrates a battlesuit design that grants its wearer an additional +15 Striking and Lifting ST; the armor’s weight does not count against encumbrance. The both arms integrate a modular wrist-mounted and shoulder-mounted weapon attachment points which can carry up to 4 lbs of weapon each, that can be controlled “hands free” with the helmet’s HUD. An autonomous targeting system built into the Arsenal armor adjusts where these weapons are pointed, even subtly altering the position of the wearer’s arms if he has them raised in a firing position to assist with rapid deployment of his weaponry; halve the rapid strike penalty for any rapid strikes made with the Arsenal’s integrated weapon systems. The armor also offers superior jump capability with Super Jump 1 and Basic Move +1. The armor is carbide laminate with EMA; triple DR vs plasma weapons and shaped charge rounds, except for the visor of the helmet. The helmet includes a filter mask, a tiny radio with a 10-mile range, hearing protection and a nightvision HUD (×8 magnifier, +9 Nightvision). The suit incorporates biomedical sensors (UT 187) and a waste relief system (UT 187). When combined with a sealed helmet, the armor is sealed, provides total life-support, and 24 hours worth of air. When fully deployed, the Arsenal combat system allows the user to bring an unprecedented amount of firepower with him to the battlefield, and masters of the armor can tear apart defense positions with ease.

Wyrmwerks Brute (Mark IV): Wyrmwerks built the Brute as an answer for front-line combatants facing psychic opponents; while the design proved extremely popular for the Slaver Empire (who would go on to reverse engineer some elements of its design) and bounty hunters or pirates, military forces generally passed on the chaotic warmachine. Brute armor integrates a battlesuit design that grants its wearer an additional +15 Striking and Lifting ST; the armor’s weight does not count against encumbrance. The left arm integrates a modular wrist-mounted and shoulder-mounted weapon attachment points which can carry up to 4 lbs of weapon each, that can be controlled “hands free” with the helmet’s HUD; the right arm is over-armored and has additional strength reinforcement, a “grav fist,” granting an additional +10 striking ST with that arm and uses strike-activated pressor field to increase the power of its melee strikes. The legs have been lengthened to grant longer strides and the armor integrates a jump-thrust system that grants the wearer Basic Move +3 and Super-Jump 2. The armor is carbide laminate with EMA; triple DR vs plasma weapons and shaped charge rounds. The helmet, sometimes called a “rhino” helmet, is visorless and as heavily protected as the system’s torso armor, and integrates includes a filter mask, a tiny radio with a 10-mile range, hearing protection, nightvision HUD (×8 magnifier, +9 Nightvision) and psycho-optical filter mode (PT 17). The suit incorporates biomedical sensors (UT 187), a waste relief system (UT 187), a portable Overload field (PT 17), and a trauma maintenance system loaded with both first-aid drugs and a combat drug code-named “Rage.” When combined with a sealed helmet, the armor is sealed, provides total life-support, and 24 hours worth of air. The result is a power-house front-like combat system that can shrug off even force sword strikes, unleash devastating attacks with its fist, is virtually impervious to pain and psychic intrusion, and his presence triggered random uncontrollable surges of psychic power from him. On the downside, Rage can make Brute-users unpredictable, paranoid and as dangerous to their allies as to their enemies.

Armor	Loc	DR	Cost	Weight	LC	Cell
Wyrmwerks Angel	All	120/80	$100,000	190	1	D/30 weeks
+ Angel Helmet	Head	120/80*	$4,000	10	1	--
Wyrmwerks Arsenal	All	150/100*	$150,000	230	1	D/30 days
+ Arsenal Helmet	Head	150/100*	$5,000	15	1	--
Wyrmwerks Brute	All	180/120†	$230,000	300	1	D/30 days
+ Brute Helmet	Head	180†	$20,000	20	1	--

*The higher value protects the torso and skull and a single arm (generally the right); Triple DR vs Shaped charges and plasma.

†The higher value protects the torso, full head and a single arm (generally the right); Triple DR vs Shaped charges and plasma

Wyrmwerks Armor Features

Autonomous Targeting System (Arsenal): An integrated computer pairs targeting information and tracking software and controls the armor directly to assist in firing the Arsenal’s integrated weapons. This halves the rapid strike penalty for firing any integrated weapon mounts.

Grav Fist (Brute): The Grav Fist applies an additional +10 Striking ST to strikes with it, and adds +2d of crushing damage; treat all damage from a Grav Fist as having double knockback. Alternatively, the character may execute a “gravity pulse” typically by striking the ground. This is an All-Out Attack at a -2 penalty (which may be bought off as a “Gravity Pulse” technique) and applies a -1 damage per die penalty to the attack, but the attack gains the explosive modifier.

Integrated Weapon Mounts (All): The Angel and Brute all carry integrated weapon mounts on the shoulder and forearm of the left arm (or both, in the case of the Arsenal system). These can integrate up to 4 lbs of specially designed weapon systems. The shoulder mount requires an integrated HUD to aim and suffers a -2 if fired without a HUD. The forearm weapon can be simply be pointed by moving the arm, but suffers a -1 accuracy without a HUD.

Ion Drive Jetpack (Angel): With the wings fully deployed (2 ready actions), the Angel can fly. This provides it with a move of 10/45, a Hand/SR of +0/2 and a stall of 10. The wings have a penalty -2, and have 80 DR and 10 HP. If the wings are disabled, reduce Hand/SR to -2/1.

Rage Combat Drugs (Brute): The Brute trauma maintenance system integrates a combat drug code-named “Rage.” Rage can be taken in multiple doses at a time. Each dose increases the user’s Willpower by 1 and grants +1 to HT for the purposes of stun or unconsciousness rolls. Roll HT at a penalty equal to the number of doses taken over a 24 hour period. Success means the character’s Will and his HT bonus against pain, stun and unconsciousness is raised by 1 for (25-HT)/4 hours (or, more simply, 4 hours). If the roll fails, his traits only gain a one dose bonus, regardless of how many doses he took, for one hour; on a critical failure, the character gets no benefit but still suffers from the side-effects and the GM may offer the character the opportunity to take the side-effects on permanently. The side-effects for Rage are Berserk (15) and Bad Temper (15), or a worsening of either by one self-control step, for twice the duration of the drug. Poor quality of black-market Rage can be addictive. Injection. $50/dose.

Trauma Maintenance (Brute): The armor integrates a bio-monitor, an injector system and an integrated ESU. It automatically detects if the character is critically injured and begins to administer emergency care. The armor automatically performs first aid with First-Aid-12; if the character is mortally wounded, it acts to stabilize the armor-wearer, and applies a +2 to all rolls to prevent death after being mortally wounded. The Brute Trauma Maintenance system also includes ten doses of Rage.