Supplement 8: Power Armour

[Charakan]

I seem to remember that one Traveller product had high tech level battle dress as small pod like craft powered by gravitics rather than humanoid suits. These would have more in common with the gas craft of the Algebraist. Anyway I'll let you get back to your discussion about pressure and the like, I'm finding it very educational.

 

[Treebore]

Hmm, so maybe not quite up to cruising through a gas giant's atmosphere....

I suspect an "extreme" hazardous environment suit might be needed for that.

Well, definitely not all the way through it. To a certain depth, sure. But like Jupiter? Not very far in, thats for sure. Ships likely won't be able to go in as far either, unless specifically designed to do so.

I assume 300 atmospheres for most space ships. they are meant for space, not atmospheres. But I give them 300 atm for general planetary assumptions and safety margins typically engineered in.

 

[rinku]

Well, unless you're diving down into the core of a GG, the upper cloud layers are probably at a reasonable pressure and temperature. There is a body of work discussing the possibility of life in this zone of Jupiter, where you might have a few 100 atm pressure and temperature in the 0-100C range. Certainly within Traveller spacecraft tolerances. "surface" gravity is less than 3G, so also well within Traveller gravitic tech to manage (though you're going to need a REALLY special suit to avoid the effects of constant 3G... I'd stay in the ship.)

Main environmental hazard here would be radiation and intense magnetic fields, though. Note that a ship (or suit) could have positive bouyancy under these pressures (depending on a whole bunch of factors), and falling into the lower depths may not be a major issue. Submarines probably give the best analogue to how this would work.

 

[TC]

You'd probably be better served building a deep diving gas giant thing by going with Supp.6. Won't ever be a man sized thing, well, not in mtu anyway.

BSD frame, very rugged, super sealed, heavily armoured in BSD, appropriate LS system, Grav and Fusion plant, and whatnot would be the high points for its design.

I suppose you could do a suped up HEV suit.

in any case I NEED A POWER ARMOUR SUPPLEMENT AND I WANT IT SOONER NOT LATER.

as long as that is understood up front, I can abide till it comes.

 

[SnowDog]

It's true that powered armor is not all that important to civilian campaigns but then again merchant prince is not all that important to military campaigns, is it?

You ever hear of the word "outsourcing?"

:lol: But isn't Mercenary a book for that sort of thing?

 

[MongooseMatt]

I'm still seeing that the book comes out July 10 at BAM. I know the mongoose website doesn't have it, but can anyone verify what books-a-million is saying is accurate?

Robot was indeed delayed, as we were not very happy with the manuscript as it stood. However, it is being reworked, and you will see the final book in October!

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

I was looking at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmosphere_of_Jupiter, but I get a bit confused.

Hmm, 'Civilian Vehicles' might be a better bet for gascraft, however, still thinking about 'The Algebraist', one character (Colonel Hatherence, a squid-like being) uses her power armour as a gascraft.

That's what got me started as to whether it would be possible.

On the other hand, power armour for non-humanoids should certainly be a topic covered in a book on 'Power Armour'.

 

[locarno24]

Power Armor can be adapted to any alien race with a little bit of thought.

Vargr in battledress.....err....nice doggy?

I remember a supplement for the Starship Troopers rpg which added oceanic powered armour, and EVA powered armour.
A wishlist:

Existing:
'Standard' Battledress (got)
'Heavy' Battledress (got - Mercenary Artillery Battledress)
'Superheavy' Battledress - aka mechs (Ah, Mr Brazer...)


Special Environment:
Oceanic Battledress
EVA Battledress (wouldn't take much modification)
Hot-zone Battledress (either radiation or temperature)


Military specialty:
'Light' Battledress - recon gear, less protection, more about the endurance boost.

'Logistics' Battledress - aka SARCOS/HULK (today) or the Aliens powerlifter - again, less protection, this time more about the strength boost and with integral cutting/lifting gear so an infantry section in this stuff can do the job of a contemporary recovery vehicle.



Civilian/Emergency Services: (Same technology but nothing really battle about it)

'Hot-zone maintenance' Battledress - a suit for doing something like emergency reactor leak maintenance (sort of like the Judge Dredd Holocaust Squad's suits)

'Construction' Battledress - wouldn't have thought this was economically viable except for very unique circumstances where conventional construction vehicles can't reach the site - mining/tunnelling/explosives demolition work seems the most likely suggestions.

'SWAT' Battledress - Not sure what the differences would be in requirements for a police hostage rescue/assault team compared to marines, but integrated drones, sensors, stunsticks and smoke/stun grenade launchers are in, and FMGPs are most definitely out! Range becomes less of an issue, as does maintainability, but fine control is more of one. Allowed to be more 'brittle' - stopping slug and gauss fire is a must but plasma weapons or emplaced guns are not something you need to concern yourself over, so you're allowed to fold like tinfoil under really big guns.


Plus a range of 'best of the rest' - common makes of battle dress in use by other powers, especially for non Humaniti species. Ape battledress, and (definitely!) uplifted dolphin battledress. I would love to see some dry-environment battledress for an uplifted dolphin. Look out, players, Flipper's gone Robocop on you.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

And what about 'battle dress' for group mind-collectives? (I mean brain-only cyber-transplants into a collective "hive-mind" with other brains, in a single suit).

 

[AndrewW]

Now due for release in November, 2010.

 

[TC]

um, I wouldn't risk a collective mind in something as vulnerable as battledress.

Pardon my saying but you come up with the weirdest needs and wants.

There is a cybernetics book coming, maybe something there can fill the bill.

 

[badpixie]

In a standard traveller campaign I see no point in buying it. Power armor is not a thing pcs generally have access to, and the assorted varients in the equipment catalogue are more than adequate.

It might be more useful to publish actual adventures/ scenarios.

The original LBBs included lots of rubbish ones (missiles, robots, hostile environments) which were originally freebees but then, I think, were later published separately. Not sure if anyone actually bought them (they were basically boring collections of stats).

 

[AndrewW]

In a standard traveller campaign I see no point in buying it. Power armor is not a thing pcs generally have access to, and the assorted varients in the equipment catalogue are more than adequate.

Supplement 8: Power Armour has a lot of different options in it. While the stuff is expensive there are those who would be interested in purchasing and it's a resources for those that are. For those that aren't interested in using it don't purchase the supplement.

It might be more useful to publish actual adventures/ scenarios.

There have been some and will be more. Secret of the Ancients for example isn't complete yet.

The original LBBs included lots of rubbish ones (missiles, robots, hostile environments) which were originally freebees but then, I think, were later published separately. Not sure if anyone actually bought them (they were basically boring collections of stats).

I'll disagree, I purchased CT Book 9: Robots and like it.

 

[TC]

I've been waiting for this book for quite a few months already.

Remember not everyone runs in the OTU, and some of us have, uh, off the beaten track needs.

Traveller is flexible, the more books that support that the better.

 

[rust]

I've been waiting for this book for quite a few months already.

The same here. My Pandora water world setting has a real need of diffe-
rent types of powered diving hardsuits, armed and unarmed, to give the
characters a chance to go deep down where currently only the drones can
survive.

The already available battle dress options and hostile environment suit op-
tions are not really what I want for my setting, and I prefer a good design
system to my own inventions, because it allows the players and their cha-
racters to come up with their own compatible designs, too.

 

[AndrewW]

The same here. My Pandora water world setting has a real need of diffe-
rent types of powered diving hardsuits, armed and unarmed, to give the
characters a chance to go deep down where currently only the drones can
survive.

You'll find some aquatic options.

 

[rust]

You'll find some aquatic options.

Thank you for good news.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Pardon my saying but you come up with the weirdest needs and wants.

There is a cybernetics book coming, maybe something there can fill the bill.

Well, I hope that fulfils my need for a nano-swarm power fog (with micro-missiles, if possible).

 

[AndrewW]

Pardon my saying but you come up with the weirdest needs and wants.

There is a cybernetics book coming, maybe something there can fill the bill.

Well, I hope that fulfils my need for a nano-swarm power fog (with micro-missiles, if possible).

Dunno, but Book 9: Robot does have a swarm.

 

[Lord High Munchkin]

Yes, but is it self-replicating power-armour, nano-swarm fog?

It's not that weird (heck I can certainly envision it)... so by c. TL12 it should certainly be possible.