From: Los <los@c...>
Date: Tue, 13 Mar 2001 08:17:28 -0500
Subject: Re: Alien PA
In last yeasr Kra'Vak human mega event Tom and I used the following rules for
KV PA which is actually not really PA but Kra'Vak from the "predator" caste.
We used Nic's (Eurekas) KV PA figs (Which are basically predators): (This is
an excerpt from the variants created for the event. (Mostly Tom's work IIRC).
The Kra'Vak
The Kra'Vak are the "boogey-men" of the Human expansion into space in
the late 2100's. They are alien, they are very well developed technically, and
they are apparently hostile to Humanity as far as is yet known. This situation
leads to the Xeno War, a conflict that eventually becomes a test
of the Human Will-to-Life. This war contains many battles large and
small that will be fought against these alien foes. And so rules shall be
required for the games in which one wishes to use them. Movement
Kra-Vak (Hunter Caste): 8" unencumbered, 6" encumbered (SG2)
10" unencumbered, 6" encumbered (FMASkirmish)
Kra-Vak (Predator Caste): 10" unencumbered, 8" encumbered (SG2)
12" unencumbered, 8" encumbered (FMASkirmish)
Burst Movement: A Kra-Vak may attempt Burst Movement. Burst Movement is
like a Combat Movement on Steroids. Utilizing Burst Movement, the Kra'Vak
movement is 3dX rather than 2dX. (3d10 for Predator Cast, 3d8 for Hunter Caste
in SG2, and 3d12 and 3d10 in FMA Skirmish). After executing Burst
Movement, at the end of the movement the Kra-Vak unit (SG2) or figure
(FMA
Skirmish) must roll a reaction test at +2 to avoid winding. If it is
winded, place one suppression on the unit. This style of movement may be used
to enter close combat. But if the winding check fails before contact is made,
the unit is suppressed and the CC is aborted. If the Kra-Vak unit
arrives at the enemy position in one movement, the winding check is performed
between
the first and second rounds of close-combat. If the winding check is a
failure, the KV lose all doubling (extra dice that is) benefits (see KV Close
Combat Rules) in future rounds of Close Combat. This collectively gives them a
brutal charge and first combat round.... but they might tire out. In the squad
sense, it also represents the disorganization inherent in
their intense lightning-fast style of Close Combat.
Troop Quality Kra'Vak troop quality varies as much as human troop quality
does. There are untrained (immature spawnlings), poorly trained or green
(adolescent spawnlings), regular (blooded hunters), veterans (experienced
hunters) and elite (champions). There are also various castes of Kra'Vak which
will tend to result in various quality levels.
Kra'Vak (Hunter Caste): Qualities tend to be green to orange in this caste.
Sometimes you will get red quality (elite), but rarely. Blue (regular) or
veteran (orange) are the most common. Green (green) means new hunters out for
first blooding. Yellow (almost never seen, inexperienced) would mean
spawnlings.
Kra'Vak (Predator Caste): Qualties don't range as widely in the Predator
Caste. These are (in a sense)
super-Kra'Vak. They are the product of active genetic tampering by
Kra'Vak technicians and bioscientists. The most common Predator Caste
experience level is Orange (veteran). Blues are newly minted Predators, with
little actual time in the field. Red (not particularly uncommon, elite)
hunters are experienced Predator Champions. The greatest Predator Champion
ever was reputed to be of a Hero quality level (d20, black), but this may be
just a legend.
Leadership and Motivation levels tend to be 1's and 2's. 3's tend to be either
very new at their job (and they'd best improve swiftly!) or quite old and
perhaps beginning to slip. Kra'Vak Wound Resolution The Kra'Vak have a far
more redundant system of organs than the human, and they have a far stronger
endoskeleton to protect those organs. Additionally, their adrenal system
allows them to function even when they should be dead.
Accordingly, the Kra'Vak have special wound resolution rules. To kill a Kra'
Vak outright, your impact roll must triple the armour roll. Wounding is
achieved by beating the armour roll.
Kra'Vak that are not helped by a medic spend one round in a "white skull"
untreated-casualty state. Then, during the end-phase of the following
turn, they resolve similarly to powered armour. Roll a d6 for the Kra'Vak. On
a 1,
he dies outright. On a 2-4, he is wounded, on a 5 or 6, he recovers
enough
to re-enter the fight the next round (he may die later from wounds, but
his body's letting him function for the good of his Broodmates for now).
This resolution applies for CC casualties as well.
A Kra'Vak that re-enters the fight like this (from being wounded) must
make
a Frenzy Check at +2. (See Close Combat Rules).
Armament
Kra-Vak (Hunter Caste):
Railgun, Rifle KV: hissing Sliver ("Hissing Sliver") Human: "Nailer" FP 2,
Impact D12 (SG2), Range Mod 1.0 (FMASkirmish) The Nailer, as most human troops
name the standard infantry arm of the Kra' Vak forces, is an advanced railgun.
It is unknown whether the original name
for this gun was a result of its nail-like projectiles, or of the fact
that
it "Nailed" many humans in early conflicts - despite any intervening
body armour. It fires needles about 6.5mm in diameter at VERY high muzzle
velocities and with very little deviation - and this is accomplished in
a way which accounts for the odd appearance. Unlike most conventional Gauss
rifles, the Nailer does not use EM acceleration to accelerate the metalic
needle. This design uses focused gravitational force (or so we think) so
the long barrell of a Human Gauss rifle is not required - but
correspondingly the gravitic focusing system is bulkier and leads to a
short, bulky looking (and fairly heavy) infantry long-arm. It holds a
magazine of 81 rounds of 6.5mm AP. It has a pronounced kick-back,
especially on burst fire, but it is believed the Kra'Vak physiology does not
find this as problematic as we Humans would. And the weapon can punch through
the side armour of lighter standard personnel transports with a lucky shot.
What it does to standard human body armour doesn't bear thinking about.
---- Warrant Officer Tycho Andresi, SOC Armourer, HM 14th SOD, His
Majesty's Orbital Base "Britannia" (Sol III)
Railgun, Rifle (Suppressed) KV: silent Sliver ("Silent Sliver") Human:
"Spitter" FP 2, Impact D10 (SG2), Range Mod 0.9 (FMASkirmish) The Spitter is a
modified version of the basic Kra'Vak railgun. Unlike the standard nailer,
which has a pronounced crack when fired (caused by the rapid accleration of
the round through the Mach barrier), the Spitter
chooses to sacrifice some penetration for a lower intensity grav-pulse
and effective noise suppresion. The result is a smaller grav spike (and it is
suspected additional shielding makes this even less detectable) and a much
reduced sound signature. It fires needles about 6.5mm in diameter at high
muzzle velocities and though with less impact than its sibling, the Nailer. It
is accurate over approximately the same ranges. It is fairly bulky, weighing
in at around 10 kilograms, about 2 kg heavier than the basic nailer. It holds
a magazine of 81 rounds of 6.5mm AP. It fires burst or full auto as it uses a
similar action to the Nailer. It is the Kra'Vak equivalent of a silenced
assault weapon. You probably won't here a shooter equipped with one of these
until too late.
---- Warrant Officer Tycho Andresi, SOC Armourer, HM 14th SOD, His
Majesty's Orbital Base "Britannia" (Sol III)
Railgun, Sniper Rifle (Suppressed) KV: long talon ("Long Talon") Human:
"Spiker" FP 1d10, Impact 2D6* (SG2), 1d8 Smartgun die (Enhanced), Range Mod
2.0 (FMASkirmish) The Spiker is a modified version of the basic Kra'Vak
railgun. Unlike the standard nailer, which has a pronounced crack when fired
(caused by the rapid accleration of the round through the Mach barrier) and a
measurable if
brief high intensity grav-pulse, the Spiker has a longer barrell and
accelerates the outgoing round to a higher final velocity but over a longer
distance. The result is a smaller grav spike (and it is suspected additional
shielding makes this even less detectable) and a much reduced sound signature.
It fires needles about 6.5mm in diameter at VERY high muzzle velocities and
with even less deviation than its sibling, the Nailer. It is accurate over
significantly longer ranges. It is fairly bulky, weighing in at around 14
kilograms.. It holds a magazine of 81 rounds of 6.5mm AP. It
does not fire burst fire or fully automatic - only single shot or
semi-automatic. It is the Kra'Vak equivalent of a sniper rifle. However,
studies of the weapon indicate a sophisticated guidance package integrated
into the multi-spectral sighting system and into the rounds fired by the
weapon themselves. With their self-guiding nature, the weapon is thought
to be accurate to over 800m in the hands of a trained Kra'Vak marksman. And,
of course, the weapon has the same punch as a Shrieker, so most things it hits
will expire in a suitably grisly fashion. On the upside, if the shooter
doesn't happen to possess the special ammunition, we believe performance
benefits associated with the self-guidance component of the system are
completely negated. If you run into one of these, you probalby won't realize
it until somebody is dead.
---- Warrant Officer Tycho Andresi, SOC Armourer, HM 14th SOD, His
Majesty's Orbital Base "Britannia" (Sol III)
Railgun, Support KV: screaming Sliver ("Screaming Sliver") Human: "Shrieker"
FP D10, Impact 2D6* (SG2), Range Mod 1.4 (FMASkirmish) The Shrieker is the
name given to the standard squad support weapon so far employed by the
Kra'Vak. It is a larger, more powerful version of the
grav-powered Nailer. Whereas the rounds from the Nailer hiss and snap
when going through the air, the rounds from the Shrieker litterally scream
through the air. It fires the same 6.5mm needles, but at an even HIGHER
velocity than the Nailer. And it feeds from a cassette system with a 243 round
capacity. The Shrieker can easily punch through human body armour like it is
not there, and makes a fair mess of even powered armour or light vehicle
armours. It kicks like an angry mule on Steroids, but apparently the Kra'Vak
strong endoskeleton and muscle system find this only a moderate or negligible
disability. If anyone happens to find themself in a situation where their only
option is to fire one of these, I' d suggest a sandbag
bracing and a high-tolerance for pain. Fire one standing up, even using
a rest, and you'll end up on your back probably with a busted shoulder.
---- Warrant Officer Tycho Andresi, SOC Armourer, HM 14th SOD, His
Majesty's Orbital Base "Britannia" (Sol III)
Launcher, Guided Missile, Personal KV: crushing fist ("Crushing Fist") Human:
"Thor's Hammer" Guidance D8, Impact 2D8* (SG2) The Kra'Vak GMS Launcher,
coined as Thor's Hammer, is another horrifying application of gravitic
control. In this case, we're talking about the
application of gravitic technology to the propulsion of a self-guiding
projectile. Unlike a conventional GMS which is about half or one third warhead
(probably HEAP, HESH, or HEKP), the balance fuel (with some little allowance
for guidance), the Kra'Vak GMS projectile relies on velocity
rather than any explosive for armour penetration and is about 2/3rds the
size of the human projectile, but has little propellant. Small fins, small
jets with venturis, and an on-board terminal guidance package help to
vector
in this missile - which would otherwise be a dumb projectile like a
Recoiless Rifle round. It is launched under a very brief acceleration in the
order of more than 100 gravities, generated by the systems grav generator. If
you thought the Shrieker was heavy, this beast will tax even Powered Armour to
carry. It weighs in at nearly 50 kgs. It can hold up to three projectiles, and
can be reloaded in a short period of time,we believe, by a qualified loader.
The guidance system aboard the projectile is really very advanced, but the
high velocity of the projectile actually inhibits the operation (the
projectile has a very short flight time and
hence a very minimal chance for on-board guidance to effect the
trajectory). Thus the end result is a system compatible with most good quality
human systems. However, the round hits noticeably harder than comparable
human-portable GMS systems. On a lucky hit, it could even penetrate the
side armour on many lighter MBTs.
---- Warrant Officer Tycho Andresi, SOC Armourer, HM 14th SOD, His
Majesty's Orbital Base "Britannia" (Sol III)
Kra-Vak (Predator Caste):
Launcher, Plasma, Shoulder-mounted
KV: fire talon ("Fire Talon") Human: "Plasma Spitter" FP D6, Impact D12* (SG2)
a trap may be avoided by cunning, or braved by fire.
A trap may be braved by cunning, or braved by fire.
---- K'thrr'th, Predator Caste Hunter-Champion
Vibro-Glaive
KV: death hymn ("Death's Hymn")
Human: "Can-Opener"
Close Combat Weapon (SG2) Note: Kra'Vak Close Combat rules covered later. roar
in joy, for the hunt ends when death sings.
Roar for Joy, for the Hunt is over when Death sings!
---- T'hm'sss, Predator Caste Hunter-Champion
Both Castes:
Grav-Grenade
KV: reaper fist ("Reaper's Fist") Human: "Cracker"
Hand Grenade 16/4, 0.2 Range Mod (FMASkirmish), factored into close
assault in SG2 when his foes are smashed under the fist of the reaper, the
hunter rejoices. When his Foes are smashed under the Fist of the Reaper, the
Hunter Rejoices!
---- R'b'rt, Predator Caste Hunter
[quoted original message omitted]