HUNTING RIGS
 

A Hunting Rig is much more than a mere armoured fighting suit. Though the Lodges don't realise it, the suit is quite definately a living being, a sybiotic mechanical entity with a mind of it's own. Over time, it gradually erodes the boundaries between itself and the Uphiver who wears it, merging with both body and mind until it is no longer possible to tell where the man stops and the machine begins.

In the begining, this process is difficult to notice and extremely beneficial - the closer integration with his equipment brings the wearer a great advantage in combat and his trophy rack will fill up much quicker. As it progresses, though, the suit begins to restructure the mind of it's host, melding their personalities into one. Eventually, there is nothing left of the occupant's distinctiveness and they become little more than an exceedingly dangerous half-mechanical animal.

 

MORE MACHINE THAN MAN

The degree to which insidious nature a Hunter's Rig has manifested is represented in the game by their Symbiosis Rating. This keeps track of how close man and machine have integrated and the higher the rating, the more enmeshed the two have become. This process is extremely slow to begin but once started it slowly accelerates until it becomes almost unstopable - for once it reaches the point of no return the Hunter will fight anybody who tries to pull them back from the brink.

To represent this, every time a Hunter advances you must roll one D6. If you beat their current Symbiosis Rating their is no effect, but if you do not (or you roll a 1 regardless of their rating) then the Rig takes over one more part of their mind - add one to the Rating.

Going It Alone

Before every game you must test for each Hunter with a Symbiosis Rating of 4 or more to see whether they've taken the Long Walk and vanished into the darkness forever. The test consists of rolling one D6 and adding their Symbiosis Rating. If the total is less than 10 then the test is passed, but if the score is 10 or more the Hunter disappears, never to be seen again.

Putting Your Feet Up

Whenever the Hunt goes back Uphive to show off it's trophies you should roll a D6 for each member. This roll is the opposite of the roll made when a Hunter advances - if you score equal to or less than their Symbiosis Rating then the break has done them good and they loose 1 from their Symbiosis Rating. There is no effect if you beat their Rating.

 

THE MACHINE IS PERFECTION

Being callous and inhuman to begin with, Hunters rarely notice that anything is amiss when their fellow killers begin to withdraw and their suit starts to assert itself. All they notice is the improvement in fighting ability. To be fair, though, this improvement can be dramatic as the Rig allows its' wearer to perform some quite astonishing feats of martial prowess. Are a few extra trophies worth your soul? Oblivious to their danger, Spyrers never get to decide.

How the Rig's increasing dominance is expressed depends upon which Lodge the Hunter belongs to, as each suit has its' own personality, its' own favoured style and techniques. To represent these differences, each Lodges' Rig has a different effect upon its' Hunter. These take the form of a number of abilities ("Edges") and restrictions ("Bans"), and the higher a Hunter's Symbiosis Rating, the more likely they are to apply.

Whenever you wish to use an Edge or act in a way that your Ban does not allow you must roll 1D6. To use an Edge requires you to score equal to or less than your Symbiosis Rating, whilst to avoid a Ban requires that you beat it. The Edges and Bans for the four Lodges are listed below - and yes, each Hunter is only subject to those of their own Lodge!

ORRUS

Big and brutal, the Orrus knows no fear. Trusting in its' own resilience, it scorns cover and trickery to rumble straight at it's opponents to tear them apart in combat or blast them at close range.

  • BAN: May not stand within 2" of any terrain feature that could provide cover. Must move straight towards the nearest enemy, charging if possible.
  • EDGE: Ignores Pinning and penalties for Wound Counters. Roll as soon as model becomes pinned or if wounded, success lasts for whole turn.

MALCADON

Unseen and unheard, the Malcadon stalks it's prey thorough the shadows until they are alone before shredding them with razor sharp claws and vanishing once more into the darkness.

  • BAN: can't charge foes with friendly models within 3". Can't charge if no reaction test would be called for.
  • EDGE: May be held in reserve at a the start of the game and placed anywhere on the board at the beginning of any movement phase (if you pass the Symbiosis test, of course). May disappear into reserve againat the end of any subsequent movement phase (again, only with a successful Symbiosis test), to return again elsewhere. Must always spend one turn in reserve before being placed on the board.

JAKARA

Full of manic energy, the Jakara is a constant blur of motion. As it moves the Jakara leaps and twirls unpredictably, changing directions at random, jumping high an crouching low. This presents opponents with a very difficult target, particularly at close range.

  • BAN: can't end move any closer than one full normal move to where it began. Must charge if able to.
  • EDGE: Dodges any shot except template or blast weapons on a successful Symbiosis roll. Triples Movement when running or charging (first part of charge = double move, completion = single).

YELD

Cautious and patient, the Yeld prefers to pick it's enemies off from afar with impossibly good shots before closing in to deliver the coup de grace.

  • BAN: Cannot be within 10" of any visible enemy who is not Down.
  • EDGE: May always fire as if aiming, even when on the move or firing twice. Gains Ignore Cover ability for any shooting weapon it uses.

 

ADAPTATIONS & EQUIPMENT

ADAPTATIONS
  O M Y J Cost
Active Targeting Array - - Y - X pts
Anti-Grav generator - - Y - X pts
Camelioline Scales - Y Y - X pts
Carapace Y - - - X pts
Electoo - Y - Y X pts
Exoskeleton Y Y Y - X pts
Extracranial coprocessors - Y - Y X pts
Hypersynaptic Relay - - - Y X pts
Powerfield Y - - - X pts
Speed Augmentation - Y - Y X pts
Strength Augmentation Y - - - X pts
Talons - Y Y Y X pts
Toxin Sacs - Y - - X pts
EQUIPMENT
  O M Y J Cost
Bolt Launchers Y - - - X pts
Demilune - - - Y X pts
Laser Gauntlet - - Y - X pts
Mirrorfield - - - Y X pts
Monosword - - - Y X pts
Neurogauntlet - Y - - X pts
Plasma Incinerator Y - - - X pts
Power Claw Y Y - - X pts
Power Flail - - - Y X pts
Storm Shield Y - - Y X pts
Techbow - - Y - X pts
Thunder Hammer Y - - - X pts
Web Projector - Y - - X pts
Wristbow - - Y - X pts

ACTIVE TARGETING ARRAY

ANTI-GRAV GENERATOR

Looking approprately enough like a pair of wings, the anti-grav generator allow it's wearer to fly after a fashion in long, gracefull leaps. (May Fly as per the ability in "Things That Go Bump In The Wastes")

CAMALIOLINE SCALES

The suit is covered in a layer scales impregnated with Camelioline. These change colour to match the surroundings, providing the wearer with an effective camoflage. (Hunter may Hide even if there is no cover to hide behind)

CARAPACE

The armour plates covering the hunter's body grow thicker and more dense, offering greater protection from damage. (+1 Save)

ELECTOO

A silvery web of wiring covers the hunters body, carrying a lethal electric current that can fry anybody who comes into contact with it. (All Hand to Hand opponents must pass a Wits test or suffer a hit with D6 strength and no armour saves allowed)

EXOSKELETON

Solid plates cover the most vulnerable parts of the wearer's body, offering greater protection than the mesh skin of the suit alone. (+1 Save)

EXTRACRANIAL COPROCESSOR

By tapping into the wearer's spinal cord and sensory clusters the suit is able to assume some of their brain's workload, allowing the hunter to think much faster. (+1 Wits)

HYPERSYNAPTIC RELAY

Cutting into the central nervous system, the suit relays the brain's instructions to the body through a network of superconductive wires that operate ten times as fast as the hunters nerves. (+1 Wits)

POWERFIELD

Though weak by the standards of it's type the force bubble of a powerfield offers very good protection against incoming fire. (Subtract D3 from the strength of any shooting attacks against the wearer)

STRENGTH AUGMENTATION

Beneath the armour plating of the upper body and arms lies a thick layer of synthetic muscle tissue, conected to the same nerves as the corresponding musculature of it's wearer, allowing it to move in harmony with them and supplement their strength. (+1 Body)

TALONS

Sheaths on the hunter's forearm conceal a pair of razor sharp retractable blades and their armour plated body is adorned with wicked spikes and barbs. (Counts as a pair of swords which do not have to be readied before use)

TOXIN SACS

The hunter's weapons constantly drip with corrosive venom, causing agonising wounds with the merest scratch. (Opponents who suffer any wound counters in Hand to Hand take an additional D3 wound counters from the poison)