SHADOWS ANGELUS III
XSWAT STANDARD ISSUE EQUIPMENT
WEAPONS
C-60 Variable Maser Pistol
The C-60 is the standard sidearm for XSWAT Officers. It has two settings: the "normal" setting fires a maser (microwave-guided laser, a.k.a. millimeter-wave beam) powerful enough to injure or kill most normal humans. The high-power setting (colloquially referred to as the "creature setting" among XSWAT) drains two charges per shot instead of one, and is powerful enough to damage even power armor with a lucky shot. The C-60 has a lithium battery clip that holds 12 charges.
16 C-60 Variable Maser Gun: Multipower, 40-point reserve; 12 Charges (+0) all slots Beam (-1/4), all slots OAF (-1)
1u 1) Basic Setting: RKA 1 1/2d6; Beam (-1/4), OAF (-1)
1u 2) Creature Setting: RKA 2 1/2d6; Beam (-1/4), OAF (-1), Requires 2 Charges per Use (-1 1/4)
3 C-60 Variable Maser Gun Inherent Accuracy: +1 OCV, +1 Range Modifier; OAF (-1)
21 Total Cost
C-90 "Dragon" Heavy Maser
The Dragon Heavy Maser Gun is a hefty, high-power weapon specifically designed to battle the various extraordinary threats to Angelus's survival. Designed for use by combat cyborgs and power armored units, the Dragon is too heavy and awkward for normal humans to operate. A STR of 21 or higher is required to use the Dragon without penalty. All other wielders suffer a -3 OCV when firing the Dragon.
22 C-90 "Dragon" Heavy Maser: RKA 3 1/2d6, Area of Effect: 1 Hex (+1/2); 3 Charges (-1 1/4), OAF (-1), STR Minimum (21; -1) plus +2 Range Modifier; OAF (-1)
Stunstick
The XSWAT Stunstick is a combination nightstick and cattle prod. It can also be used as a normal nightstick. The Stunstick works quite well on humans, but is of little help against supernatural creatures.
6 XSWAT Stunstick—Stick: HA +2d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OAF (-1), Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2)
29 XSWAT Stunstick—Stun: EB 8d6, NND (defense is insulated ED or non-human nervous system; +1); OAF (-1), 12 Charges (-1/4), No Range (-1/2)
35 Total Cost
ARMOR
XSWAT Nanofiber Bodysuit
The XSWAT bodysuit is composed of nanofiber carbon rods that stiffen upon impact to spread out the force of any blow. The suit can be worn comfortably under any clothing and may be worn inside the confines of a Power Armor cockpit.
1 XSWAT Nanofiber Bodysuit: Armor (1 PD/1 ED); Activation Roll 12- or Locations 7-16 (-3/4), IIF (-1/4), Real Armor (-1/4)
XSWAT Armored Jacket
This is the standard XSWAT uniform jacket. Made from puncture and tear resistant armored fabric, the jacket has long sleeves and comes down to the wearer's knees. The jacket is of limited use against crushing impacts (½ DEF), and may not be worn in the confines of a Power Armor cockpit.
4 XSWAT Armored Jacket: Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Activation Roll 11- or Locations 8-14 (-1), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)
XSWAT Armored Dress Coat
This full-length coat is worn in situations where officers must wear a dress uniform but at the same time acknowledge a potentially hazardous environment. There is an unarmored version of this coat in black used for official functions. The coat is of limited use against crushing impacts (½ DEF), and may not be worn in the confines of a Power Armor cockpit.
5 XSWAT Armored Dress Coat: Armor (4 PD/4 ED); Activation Roll 12- or Locations 7-16 (-3/4), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)
XSWAT Field Boots
The boots are made from white, knee-high leather. The sole is reinforced and a rigid plate is locked over the front of the leg, providing protection from bullets, edged weapons, and clawed limbs. As a variant, characters could use similar armor on their forearms. Used in hand-to-hand combat, these boots add +1d6 or Normal Damage to kicks and legsweeps.
5 XSWAT Field Boots—Armor Plate: Armor (5 PD/5 ED); Activation Roll 9- or Locations 15-18 (-1 1/2), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)
3 XSWAT Field Boots—Putting the Boot In: HA +1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OIF (-1/2), Hand-to-Hand Attack (-1/2)
8 Total Cost
Notes: XSWAT Vambraces are as follows: Armor (5 PD/5 ED); Activation Roll 8- or Locations 6-7 (-2), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) plus HA +1d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OIF (-1/2), Hand-to-Hand Attack (-1/2), for a total cost of 7 points.
XSWAT Cloak
This is a long, knee to thigh-length cloak with a hood. It is worn by XSWAT officers, members of the Angelus PD, and normal civilians. XSWAT and APD cloaks are made from flexible armored cloth with reinforced pauldrons and a gorget of armor plate.
9 XSWAT Cloak: Armor (3 PD/3 ED), Hardened (+1/4); Activation Roll 15- or most Locations depending on angle (-1/4), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) plus Armor (+1 PD/+1 ED), Hardened (+1/4); Activation Roll 11- or Locations 9-14 (activation only required for frontal attacks; -1/2), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4) plus Armor (+2 PD/+2 ED), Hardened (+1/4); Activation Roll 8- or Locations 8-9 (-2), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)
Notes: For purposes of combining armor, the Cloak is treated as DEF 6 (for the shoulder plates and gorget). Due to the special nature of the cloak's protection, armor layered under the cloak retains its full defensive value (rather than being reduced to ½ value as normal).
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE UPON APPROVED REQUEST
XSWAT Cerasteel Clamshell Carapace Armor
The clamshell armor is an interlocking breastplate and backplate connected at the shoulder pauldrons and locked in on either side. The clamshell is rigid armor and provides top-of-the-line protection for dangerous situations. The clamshell may not be worn inside the confines of Power Armor. Clamshells are all but immune to small arms fire but can be penetrated by heavy weapons or special ammunition.
12 XSWAT Cerasteel Clamshell Carapace Armor: Armor (11 PD/11 ED); Activation Roll 11- or Locations 9-13 (-1), OIF (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)
COMBINING ARMOR
Generally, there are two types of armor: "hard" armor (including all rigid armor such as the clamshell carapace, the XSWAT boots, and the shoulder plates of the cloak) and "soft" armor (the nanofiber bodysuit, jacket, and coat all fall under this classification). Hard armor prevents damage by absorbing the impact of a blow and preventing the impact from penetrating the body. Soft armor spreads the force of the impact out and reduces the effects of the blow by taking down the force-per-square-inch.
For a character to derive any benefit from layered armor, the outer layer of armor must have a DEF equal to or greater than the inner layer of armor. If this is so, then the character may apply 1/2 of the DEF of the inner layer of armor to find his total DEF vs. Attacks.
Example: Jama is wearing Heavy Formfitting Body Armor (DEF 6, locations 7-17—why Jama is wearing military-issue protection is a question for another time!), and over that the XSWAT Clamshell Armor (DEF 11, locations 9-13). Since the Clamshell Armor has a DEF greater than her Heavy Body Armor, she can add 1/2 of the Body Armor's 6 DEF to the Clamshell Armor's DEF of 11, giving her a total DEF of 14 in locations 9-13.
When using this rule, common sense must be applied to the question of what armor can be worn with other types of armor. Coats and Jackets go over Vests, Clamshell Armor fits easily over Formfitting Body Armor (but is too bulky to be worn with anything else), and nothing can be worn in combination with any form of Heavy Armor (not listed here).
| Activation Roll | |
|---|---|
| Die Roll | Effective DEF |
| 6- | 11 |
| 7-8 | 10 |
| 9-14 | 9 |
| 15 | 8 |
| 16+ | 2 |
Game Effects of XSWAT Standard Field Armor
XSWAT issued armor is very protective, however the complex make up of overlapping armor can make determining your armor protection on any one specific location a bit tricky. The chart on page 33 is aimed at making it easier. The chart assumes that a character is wearing the standard XSWAT issue armor: a nanofiber bodysuit, armored jacket, cloak, field boots and vambraces. In the following table numbers in blue italics indicate hardened armor. Note that the cloak includes a hood that will provide greater coverage if used at the expense of Perception. If the hood is used the character gains 3 DEF for area 5 (all around) and area 4 (rear only). The trade off is that the character will suffer a -2 Hearing Perception penalty and their sight group Perception will be narrowed to a 120° arc.
In cases where the character is hit by an Energy Blast or other “whole body” form of attack an activation roll is used to determine armor protection. For simplicity sake the table to the right is used whether such an attack originated from in front of or behind the character being hit.
| Die Roll | Hit Location | Nanofiber Bodysuit | Armored Jacket | Field Boots | Vambraces | Cloak | Total | Die Roll | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorget (front only) |
Pauldrons | Overall | ||||||||||
| Front | Rear | Front | Rear | |||||||||
| 3 | neck | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ||||||
| 4 | face/head | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||||||||
| 5 | head | 0 | 0 | 5 | ||||||||
| 6 | hands | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | |||||||
| 7 | forearms | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 7 | ||||
| 8 | upper arms | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 10 | 8 | |||
| 9 | shoulders | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 11 | 10 | 9 | ||
| 10 | chest | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 10 | 10 | |||
| 11 | chest | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 11 | |||
| 12 | stomach | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 12 | |||
| 13 | vitals | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 13 | |||
| 14 | thighs | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 8 | 14 | |||
| 15 | upper leg | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 15 | ||||
| 16 | lower leg | 1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | 16 | ||||
| 17 | feet | 5 | 5 | 5 | 17 | |||||||
| 18 | feet | 5 | 5 | 5 | 18 | |||||||
All XSWAT armor has the Real Armor Limitation, this means that the armor will only provide half its normal protection verses falling damage and that the armor is subject to other realistic drawbacks: For example, if your character is knocked into the ocean the armor will quickly become soaked and present a real drowning hazard. If your armor is soiled it should be cleaned because certain types of dirt and grime (if left untreated) may harm the integrity of the armor. Your armor is also clearly XSWAT issue; it comes in only one style and color and will quickly identify who you are.
OTHER EQUIPMENT
A/V System (Audio/Visual)
This is a simple and light headset that folds away for easy storage in a pocket when not in use. The A/V system can be used to make an audio and visual recording of whatever the officer is seeing. The compact size of the device means that it can only store up to 1 hour of recordings before the data must be either erased or downloaded.
3 Audio/Video Recorder: Eidetic Memory, 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 1 Hour (+0); OIF (-1/2), Only Normal Sight and Hearing (-1/4)
Restraints
These are simple, high-quality handcuffs. Theoretically, these restraints are strong enough to confine a lightweight cyborg.
9 Restraints: Entangle 3d6 (standard effect: 3 BODY), 6 DEF, Takes No Damage From Attacks (-1/2); OAF (-1), Cannot Form Barriers (-1/4), Set Effect (hands/feet only; -1), Does Not Prevent Use Of Accessible Foci (-1), No Range (-1/2), Must Follow Grab Or Target Must Not Resist (-1/2), 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), Can Be Escaped Automatically With Modified Lockpicking Or Contortionist Roll (-1/2)
XSWAT Badge
The XSWAT badge, like the normal police badges also incorporates the radio of the officer. The badge/radios of XSWAT are highly secure and have a top notch (but not unbeatable) encryption built-in to them.
11 XSWAT Badge: Radio Perception/Transmission (Radio Group), Concealed (-10 with Radio Perception/Transmission PER Rolls), 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 1 day (+0); OIF (-1/2), Sense Also Affected As Hearing Group (-1/4)
VEHICLES
XSWAT Spinner
Full details for this vehicle will be added later, the Hero Designer file is already available. For now the following information is relevant for character creation. To Pilot this vehicle you need TF: XSWAT Spinner. The vehicle can fly and use conventional ground movement but the single transport familiarity is enough to operate the vehicle in either mode. If used for combat while in either air or ground mode Combat Piloting is required to maneuver effectively. The spinner is armed with a chin mounted laser cannon, door mounted miniguns and a grenade launcher. WF: Spinner weapons (2 points) will allow you to effectively use any of the three weapons. There are also assorted sensors and a good communications suite so Systems Operation skill may also come in handy.
AM-66 Blue Steel Special Mark II
This suit of power armor is considered a Mecha in HERO System rules. In order to pilot this vehicle you will need TF: Anthropomorphic Mecha which costs 1 point. In combat the vehicle can operate by running, by leaping (jump jets) and by using jet thrust and wheels to achieve high velocity (this is bought as flight limited to must remain in contact with a surface). Combat Piloting is needed to effectively maneuver in combat.
In order to operate power armor (like the AM-66) the prospective pilot must donate a tissue sample. This sample is used to clone a rudimentary copy of the pilot’s spinal cord which is then implanted into a specific set of power armor. The pilot then simply plugs in when occupying the power armor which will act as an extension of him. Due to this the power armor is able to maneuver just like a normal person would, in fact if the pilot has martial arts training he can use it while in his power armor provided he takes Mecha Weapons as a martial arts element.
The AM-66 carries an enormous GAU-88 20mm Chain Cannon as a rifle. This gun requires a STR minimum of 21 to use. Mounted in the right shoulder is the emitter for a VL-1 Variable Macro-Laser and the left shoulder mounts a G-12 Variable Grenade Launcher. Buying WF: power armor (or mecha) weapons will allow you to operate all of these weapons.
In addition the power armor is equipped with a communications and sensor suite so skills like Systems Operation will no doubt be useful. The Hero Designer file for this vehicle is ready.
Return to Shadows Angelus II