Roll 2d6 to choose a package of defensive systems. This table assumes most powered armor suits have about 70-80 Active Points’ worth of defensive abilities. Roll (2d6) Defense Devices
2-3 Resilience Augmentation, Weak Standard
Protection System, Standard Cooling System (80 Active Points; Real Points 42 [OIF] or 47 [OIHID])
4-6 Standard Force Field Generator, Weak
Combined Protection System, Standard Cooling System
(80 Active Points; Real Points 51 [OIF] or 59 [OIHID])
7-8 Standard Protection System, Weak
Combined Protection System
(75 Active Points; Real Points 50 [OIF] or 60 [OIHID])
9-10 Strong Standard Protection System, Strong Weakness Proofing
(75 Active Points; Real Points 50 [OIF] or 60 [OIHID])
11-12 Standard Force Shield Generator, Strong Weakness Proofing
(75 Active Points; Real Points 50 [OIF] or 60 [OIHID])
Game Information: Cost Power
7 Internal Oxygen Supply: Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing) (10 Active Points); OIF (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge (replacement oxygen supply, Easy to obtain; 6 Hours; -0)
6 Environmental Protection Systems: Life Support (Safe Environments: High Pressure, High Radiation, Intense Cold, Intense Heat, Low Pressure/Vacuum) (9 Active Points); OIF (-½)
2 Food Concentrate Capsules: Life Support (Diminished Eating: no need to eat) (3 Active Points); OIF (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge (replacement food capsules, Easy to obtain; 1 Week; -0)
13 NBC-Proof Sealed System: Immunity (all terrestrial poisons, diseases, and biologi- cal and chemical warfare agents) (20 Active Points); OIF (-½)
Options
1) Variant Life Support Systems: Substitute OIHID (-¼) for OIF (-½):
Cost Power
8 Internal Oxygen Supply
7 Environmental Protection Systems 2 Food Concentrate Capsules 16 NBC-Proof Sealed System
COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
Even the earliest powered armor suits had basic radios, and most modern ones have sophisti- cated communications equipment.
The random powered armor generation system does not include any communications systems.
POWERED ARMOR COMMUNICATIONS SUITE
Effect: HRRP (Radio Group) Target/Area Affected: Self Duration: Persistent Range: Self END Cost: 0 Breakability: 2 DEF
Description: This communications suite, commonly found (in various configurations) in twenty-first century powered armors, provides both audio and video transmission and reception capabilities across the broadcast spectrum.
Game Information: HRRP (Radio Group) (12 Active Points); OIF (-½), Affected As Sight And Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-½). Total cost: 6 points.
Options:
1) Strong Communications Suite: Add +3 PER. 15 Active Points; total cost 7 points.
2) Weak Communications Suite: Change to Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group) and Affected As Hearing Group As Well As Radio
Group (-¼). 10 Active Points; total cost 6 points. 3) Really Weak Communications Suite: The character can receive radio broadcasts, but cannot transmit his own. Change to Radio Perception (Radio Group) and Affected As Hearing Group As Well As Radio Group (-¼). 8 Active Points; total cost 5 points. 4) Realistic Communications Suite: The communica- tions suite draws on the armor’s power supply. Add Costs Endurance (-½). Total cost: 5 points. 5) Variant Communications Suite: Substitute OIHID (-¼) for OIF (-½). Total cost: 7 points.
POWERED ARMOR CLOSED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
Effect: Mind Link, specific group of any 8 minds Target/Area Affected: Self
Duration: Persistent Range: Self END Cost: 0 Breakability: 8 DEF
Description: To ensure secure communications among a group of characters, some forms of pow- ered armor come equipped with a closed commu- nication system. This device can only transmit and receive information from other such systems, so some forms of powered armor have both it and a Communications Suite.
Game Information: Mind Link, specific group of up to any 8 minds, No LOS Needed (35 Active Points); OIF (-½), Only With Others Who Have Mind Link (-1), Affected As Radio And Hearing Groups, Not Mental Group (-½). Total cost: 12 points.
Options:
1) Strong CCS: Increase to any 16 minds. 40 Active Points; total cost 13 points.
2) Weak CCS: Decrease to 4 minds. 30 Active Points; total cost 10 points.
3) Realistic CCS: The CCS draws on the armor’s power supply. Add Costs Endurance (-½). Total cost: 10 points.
4) Variant CCS: Substitute OIHID (-¼) for OIF (-½). Total cost: 13 points.
POWER SYSTEMS
As the name indicates, powered armor requires a power source to function — it’s full of systems (be they electronic, techno-organic, or something else) that don’t work on their own. In game terms, there are several ways to address the need for power.
First, you can build the powered armor so that all of its systems are self-contained. Either they only have a limited number of uses per day (Charges), or they have their own independent power supplies (i.e., they’re bought with the Advantage Reduced Endurance (0 END)). In short, they don’t cost END; the special effect of not costing END is that the armor is built to supply them with power.
Second, the powered armor can somehow draw its power straight from the wearer’s body. This
makes the most sense for suits defined as being made of “organic technology” or the like, though some cybernetically-commanded electronic armors could fatigue the user because of the mental effort required to run them. In game terms, this means many systems cost END, and the character himself pays that END.
Third, the armor may have its own power source — a battery, fuel cell, or the like. In game terms, this typically means the armor has an Endurance Reserve (or possibly more than one). Some examples are described below.
The random powered armor generation system does not include any power systems.
POWERED ARMOR STANDARD BATTERY
Effect: Endurance Reserve (150 END, 15 REC) Target/Area Affected: Self
Duration: Persistent Range: Self END Cost: 0 Breakability: 6 DEF
Description: This system represents a typical power source — known among armor designers simply as a “battery” — for a suit of powered armor. It can supply power to all of the armor’s systems.
Game Information: Endurance Reserve (150 END, 15 REC) (30 Active Points); OIF (-½). Total cost: 20 points.
Options:
1) Strong Battery I: Increase to Endurance Reserve (200 END, 20 REC). 40 Active Points; total cost 27 points.
2) Strong Battery II: Increase to Endurance Reserve (150 END, 50 REC). 65 Active Points; total cost 43 points.
3) Weak Battery: Decrease to Endurance Reserve (100 END, 10 REC). 20 Active Points; total cost 13 points.
4) Realistic Battery: This form of battery has a much larger initial power supply, but can only replenish its power when plugged into an electrical socket or similar source of electricity. Change to Endurance Reserve (300 END) (30 Active Points); OIF (-½) (total cost: 20 points) plus Endurance Reserve (15 REC) (15 Active Points); OIF (-½), Limited Recov- ery (only when plugged into a source of electricity; -1) (total cost: 6 points). Total cost: 26 points. 5) Backup Battery: Some powered armor suits have a smaller secondary battery that activates only if the primary battery is depleted. (The GM may allow a character to make an Electronics roll to tap the bat- tery’s power before that time, if appropriate.) Char- acter also buys: Endurance Reserve (50 END, 5 REC) (10 Active Points); OIF (-½), Only Works If Primary Battery Has 0 END (-1). Total cost: 4 points. 6) Individual System Battery: Some powered armor suits have batteries that power only a single system. Either every system in the armor has its own bat- tery, or some systems have a battery of their own in addition to the main battery. In the latter case, the
character can choose which battery to draw END from when he uses the system. The strength of the battery (i.e., its END and REC) depends on the END requirements of the individual system; this example assumes a system that could use a maximum of 30 END per Turn (without Pushing or the like). Endur- ance Reserve (60 END, 10 REC) (16 Active Points); OIF (-½), Only Powers One System (defined when Reserve is purchased; -1). Total cost: 6 points. 7) Variant Battery: Substitute OIHID (-¼) for OIF (-½):
Standard: 30 Active Points; total cost 24 points. Strong I: 40 Active Points; total cost 32 points. Strong II: 65 Active Points; total cost 52 points. Weak: 20 Active Points; total cost 16 points.