The Hacker's Encyclopedia 1998

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_______ WEAPONS _______ Unless otherwise noted, these weapons can be used by vehicles of all types. ANTI-MISSLE SYSTEM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Anti-Missle System is a short ranged, rapid-fire, point-deffence machine gun capable of tracking, engaging, and destroying incoming missles. Though very effective, the ssytems main drawback is it's high ammunition consumption. Many pilots of Anti-Missle-equiped 'Mechs have attempted to engage incoming flights of missles, only to find that their ammo bins have long since run dry. GAME USE Whenever a 'Mech equiped with and Anti-Missle System is attacked by a flight of missles, the player can choose to engage the system prior to the To-Hit Roll. The defending player simply rolls 1D6 to determine how many missles the system has destroyed. The player rolls another 1D6 and multiplys the resuly by 2 to determine how much anti-missle ammunition was spent shooting down the attacking missles. Note that it is possible for the second die roll to result in more ammunition being expended than was available. In such a case, the results of the missles destroyed roll still apply. Then the missles make their attack as normal, if any remain, but the player uses the column appropriate to the reduced number on the Missle Hit Table. If the number of missles falls between two columns, use the column closest to that number, rounding down. For example, and LRM10 flight that was reduced to 9 missles would still use the 10 column, but if the flight was reduced to 8 missles, it would use the 6 column. A flight reduced to 1 missle uses the 2 column. A flight cannot hit with more missle that it has after the attack, regardless of the result on the Missle Hit Table. The Anti-Missle System can only be used against missles. ARROW IV MISSLE SYSTEM ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Arrow IV missle is a long-range, surface-to-surface missle designed to suplement standard conventional artillery such as the Long Tom and Sniper. The main advantage of the Arrow IV system is its reletivly lightweight desight, compared to conventional artillery. The major drawback is the high cost of its ammunition. The Arrow IV system uses two types of missles. The most common and least expensive as the standard area-saturation missle. This is used to attack area targets, doing general explosive damage to any object withing a 45 meter blast radius The other type of missle activly homes in on a single target, doing only a small amount of collateral damage. This missle carries special targeting equiptment the allows it to home in in TAG-designated targets. GAME USE Arrow IV missle artillery is treated just like any other artillery piece, using all the Offboard Artillery Rules found on pages 41-2 of the BattleTech Manual, unless otherwise noted below. If a standard area-saturation missle is fired, the location of the target hex and the turn of arrival should be noted on paper. The area saturation missles do 20 points of damage to all units in the impact hex and 10 points to all units in the surrounding hexes. Homing missles do not need to have a target hex plotted when fired, but the attacker must note which TAG (Target Acquisition Gear)-equipped unit he will use for designating during the turn of arrival. During the Offboard Artillery portion of the phase on the turn of arrival, the attacking player must designate a target with the unit previously noted. If the unit does not designate a target, the missle will impact harmlessly into the ground. To designate a target, a TAG-equiped unit must have a valid LOS to the target and be within 15 hexes. The Base To-Hit Number is found on the table below. All normal combat modifiers for attacks apply, including the attackers movement, partial cover, Gunnery Skill, and so on. If the target is designated, the missle strikes the target on a 2D6 roll of 4 or more. It will do 20 points of damage to the target and 5 points of normal artillery damage to any other unit in the hex. The damage location is discovered as though the designating unit were firing at the target. Therefore, if the designating unit is in the left-side arc of the target, use the left-side column of the Hit Location Table to find out what portion of the 'Mech was hit. If the attack misses, it does only 5 points of artillery damage to teh target and to any other unit in the hex. EXTENDED RANGE LARGE LASER AND PPC ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ These weapons improve on the basic large laser and PPC with the addition of superior beam focusing and targeting equiptment. Though this significantly increases range for the weapons, they do the same damage as their less sopisticated cousins and generate approximately 50 percent more heat when fired. GAUSS RIFLE ~~~~~~~~~~~ The Gauss Rifle uses a series of magnets to propel the shell through the barrel toward the target. Though the weapon requires a great deal of power to operate, it generates very little heat and can accelerate a projectile to muzzle velocities twice that of conventional weapon systems. KWI ULTRA AUTOCANNON 5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Kawabata Weapons Inc. Autocannon 5 Ultra resembles the standard AC/5 only in the general amount of damage that each round can inflict. The Ultra boasts a shorter, smooth bore barrel, a modified breech mechinism, a rapid-feed ammo reloader, and specially designed ammunition. These enhancements created an AC/5 of normal tonnage and heat output that has a reduced minimum range, extended maximum range, and can shoot at either normal and double rates of fire. GAME USE Whenever the player fires the AC/5 Ultra, he can choose to fire at normal or double rates of fire. If he selects normal rate of fire, all normal combat rules apply. If he chooses double rate of fire, use the rules given below. An AC/5 Ultra firing at double rate generates twice as many heat points and uses two shots of ammunition instead of one. The standard To-Hit Roll is made. If the roll is successful, the player must roll in the "2" column of the Missle Hit Table to determine how many shots hit. For each hit on the target, roll to discover the hit location. Each shot that hit does 5 points of damage. Additionally, whenever the weapon in its double-fire mode, and the result of the To-Hit Roll is a 2, the arming circuitry fails and the weapon is useless until repaired by a Tech. To make this repair, roll 2D6. On a result of 3 or more, the wepon is completely repaired in a required time of 15 minutes, per the Repair Rules and Table on page 92 of MechWarrior. LB 10-X AUTOCANNON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This weapon is closely related to the common AC/10. The design of the LB 10-X uses several types of lightweight, rapid-heat-dissipation alloys. Though this makes the weapon costlier, its lighter weight and need for fewer heat sinks easily makes up for the expense. Another important feature of the LB 10-X is its Mercury-IV fire control equipment. This electronic system gives the cannon a better hit probability at all ranges, as well as extending its maximum effective range by 20 percent. In addition to firing standard Dual-Purpos Armor-Defeating Rounds, the weapon may also fire a special Cluster Round that acts like an anti-'Mech shotgun. After being fired, the round breaks up into several smaller submunitions. This improves the chance of striking a critical location on the target, but also reduces the overall damage done and it spreads it out over the entire target area rather than concentrating it in one hit location. GAME USE The player must specify at the start of the game which LB 10-X ammo is cluster type ammunition and which is normal ammunition. LB 10-X Cluster Rounds can only be designated in full-ton lots. When firing the ammunition, the player marks off the appropriate type. Any attacks made with the Cluster Round recieve a -1 modifier to the To-Hit Number at all ranges. Resolve hits by Cluster Rounds like a missle hit, with the player rolling on the 10 column of the Missle Hit Table the determine how many of the submunitions acctually strike the target. Make a seperate Hit Location Roll for each of the submunitions that strike, Each succesful hit does 1 point of damage to the location struck. ONE-SHOT MISSLE PACKS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It is possible for a vehicle or 'Mech to be equiped with a single-shot version of the standard missle launcher. Such a missle is designated by an "OS" after the missle nomenclature. GAME USE Single shot launchers weight half a ton more than standard missle-launchers, but the launchers incorporates a single shot or volley of missles into that weight. The player does not need to purchase any other ammunition for the launcher. The launcher can be fired only once in a game. PULSE LASER ~~~~~~~~~~~ The pulse laser uses a rapid-cycling, high-energy pulse to generate multiple laser beams, creating a machine-gun effect that improves the weapon's hit probabilities. The weapon weighs more and generates slightly higher heat than its beam-firing counterparts, and increases their average damagethe pulse laser also tends to be shorter-ranged. Many soldiers think that the increased hit probabilities are worth any drawbacks to the weapon. GAME USE Pulse lasers are used in the same manner as normal weapons, but an automatic -2 applies to the Base To-Hit Number. When playing BattleTroops, the Small Pulse Laser can function as an automatic weapon. STREAK SRM-2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This short-range missle launcher is linked to a Targa/7 fire-control system. The SRMs will automatically hit any target locked onto by the Targa system. GAME USE Before the Streak can fire, it must have a lock-on. To obtain a lock-on, the player makes a standard To-Hit Roll, just as when firing a normal SRM, during his turn of the Combat Phase. If succesful, the player may immediately fire his SRMs at the locked on target. Bith SRMs will automatically hit, and the player rolls in the usual way to determine hit locations. If the lock-on roll fails, the player does not need to fire the SRMs or build up any heat. The player must roll for a lock-on each turn, even if he achieved a lock-on the previous turn. SWARM LRMS ~~~~~~~~~~ Swarm LRMs are special long-range weapons that use hundreds a submunitions to saturate an area with devastating firepower. GAME USE At the start of play, player should note whether or not their LRM ammunition is Swarm-type. LRM ammunition can be designated as swarm only in full-ton lots. Swarm LRMs operate like normal LRMs except that those missing their target will attack any units, friendly or enemy, that are adjacent or in the same hex as the original target. Any missle that misses may attack the closest unit adjacent to the original target, and so on. A new modified To-Hit Number is recalculated based on the new target's range, movement, and other determining factors. If there are two or more targets at the same distance from the original target , the defending player may choose the order of the attacks. Use the closest column on the Missle Hit Table, rounding down, to resolve each attack. For example, an LRM-20 equiped with Swarms fires at a target adjacent to two other units. The LRM-20 misses, and the defending player chhoses an adjacent unit for the next atack. This attack has a new modified To-Hit Number, and 15 LRMs hit the target. The remaining 5 LRMs are then used against the other adjacent target. They miss and so are lost. Swarm LRMs are fired and used as normal LRMs except that they cost three times as much. THUNDER LRMS ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thunder LRMs are used to deliver scatterable mine fields. Each round contains five small anti-vehicle and anti-personnel mines. GAME USE Players should note at the start of the game whether their ammunition is Thunder-type or not. LRM ammunition can be designated as Thunder-type only in full-ton lots. Thunder LRM attacks use all the normal LRM rules exept that, like artillery, the attack is always launched against a hex rather than against a unit. Thus, a Thunder LRM attack is only modified by the attackers movement and terrain, never by the movement of the unit that happens to be in the target hex. If the attack misses, it scatters, per normal Artillery Rules. Thunder LRM attacks that hit leave the target hex mined with a minefield equal in strength to the number of missles in the attack. Thus, an LRM-20 will lay a 20-point minefield, and an LRM-5 will lay a 5-point minefield. Unit, friendly or enemy, in a hex hit by a Thunder attack are not affected until they move out of the hex. At that point, the player must make a die roll to see if he steps on a min e. All other units that enter the hex during their movement must also roll to see if they step on a mine. Use the rules found on page 45, Conventional Mine Fields, of the BattleTech Manual to resolve the attack, remembering the attack's value varies with the size of the LRM launcher. ___________ ELECTRONICS ___________ Except for the Myomer Accelerator Signal Circuitry, which is usable only by 'Mechs, this equiptment can be used by vehicles of all types. ARTEMIS IV FCS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Artemis IV is a fire-control system that improves accuracy of any short- or long-range missle systems that a 'Mech or vehicle might carry. Mounted in a dome on the side of the missle launcher, the Artemis IV locks onto any target designated by the pilotm illuminates the location with and IR beam, and fires a spread of missles. The system provides mid-course correction data to the missles via tight-beam, microwave communications link. The Artemis IV is not completely fool proof and cannot compens ate for inadequate Gunnery Skill. The Artemis guides the missles to whatever the pilot's crosshairs are targeting when he fires the missle, be it mech, vehicle, rock, or tree. GAME USE The Artemis IV can be mounted on any long- or short-range missle pack, with one Artemis system per missle pack required. All the 'Mech's missle systems must have the Artemis or none can have it. The Artemis IV is incompatible with the Streak SRM-2 system, the Narc Missle Beacon, and the Swarm and Thunder LRM missles. Additionally, the Artemis IV requires a special version of the standard SRM and LRM missles. For game purposes, these special missles differ from normal missles only in cost, which is doubled. Any missle launch from an Artemis-equiped 'Mech is treated exactly like a normal atteck, except that if the attack hits, apply a +2 modifier when consulting the Missle Hit Table. This has the effect of increasing the number of hits on the target. An Artemis IV system weighs one tone and takes up one critical space. BEAGLE ACTIVE PROBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Beagle Active Probe is the most advanced sensor system in the Inner Sphere. Capable of detecting and identifing even shut-down and camouflaged units at distances much greater than normal electronic warfare suites, the Beagle is a valued addition to any recon unit. GAME USE A 'Mech equipped with a Beagle Active Probe automatically gives a BattleForce lance and Active Electronic Probe chit. On the BattleTech map, a 'Mech so equiped will detect any hidden 'Mech or vehicle (not infantry) if it moves within four hexes of the unit's location, and would have a valid LOS to the hex in which the unit is hiding. GUARDIAN ECM SUITE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Guardian ECM Suite is a broad-spectrum jamming and electronic countermeasure device designed to reduce the efficiency of enemy long-range scanning and surveillance equipment. The Guarding interferes with sensor readings, preventing identification at ranges of more than 180 meters. Closer than that, 'Mech pilots usually rely on their own vision in case their sensors cannot override the Guardian's jamming. GAME USE A lance with a 'Mech equiped with a Guardian ECM Suite automatically recieves an ECM chit in BattleForce. MYOMER ACCELERATOR SIGNAL CIRCUITRY (MASC) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The MASC system is a devise that increases a 'Mechs short-term speed. It works by boosting the electronic signal to the myomer muscles, which makes them contract more rapidly than normal. The system is effective in increasing the 'Mech's overall speed, but it can stress a 'Mech's legs to the point of catastophic failure of the various actuators, especially if used for too long a period. GAME USE Any player with a MASC-equiped 'Mech can announce that he is activating the system at the start of his Movement Phase. The player rolls a 2D6. On a result of 3 or more, the system works and the 'Mech is running at a speed twice its normal walking speed. On a result of 2, the leg actuators freeze up and the 'Mech is immobile for the rest of the game. If the player chooses to use the system the next turn, the activating roll is increased by 2, to 5 or greater. The third turn of consecutive use increases the activating roll by 4, the forthe by 8, and the fifth turn results in automatic failure of the legs. Player can reduce the activating number by not utilizing the system. For each turn the system is not used, the number is reduced to the next lower step. For example, if a player used the MASC for three consecutive turns (giving it and activating target number of 7), one turn of non-use would reduce the target number to 5, and two turns of non-use would reduce the target number back to the original 3. The activating number can never fall below 3. NARC MISSLE BEACON ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Narc Missle Beacon uses special missles, called pods, which are powerful homing beacons mounted behind a magnetic head. When a hit is acheived, the pod emits a homing signal for other Narc-equiped missles. Like the Artemis system, the Narc vastly increases the number of hits from any missle barrage. Unlike the Artemis IV, the lock is never broken, because the transmiter is attached to the target 'Mech. GAME USE Players may fire one Narc Pod per launcher each turn as a normal SRM attack. If the attack is successful, the pod attaches to the target 'Mech. In any folowing Combat Phase, any successful missle attacks by a Narc-equiped unit add +2 to the roll against the Missle Hit Table. This effect stays with the targeted 'Mech for the length of the game. The Narc system is incompatible with the Artemis IV system, the Streak SRM-2 system, and the Swarm and Thunder LRM missles. Additionally, the cost of missles for a Narc-equiped unit is doubled, because its operation requires a modified version of the standard free-flight SRM and LRM missles. ______________________ CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS ______________________ Unless otherwise noted, the following materials may only be used in the construction of BattleMechs. CELLULER AMMUNITION STORAGE EQUIPMENT (CASE) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CASE is a damage-control technology designed to mitigate the effects of an ammunition explosion. The system consists of layered Ferro-Fibrous plates along five of the six sides of the storage compartment. In the event of an explosion, the stronger Ferro-Fibrous plates contain the blast, channeling the force toward the back of the 'Mech. The loading doors blow open, releasing the force of the blast away from the 'Mech. In practice, this will destroy the armor plating on the back section of the 'Mech and damage of destroy any components housed near the CASE system. Though it destroys the torso section, the system protects the vital engine area, allowing the pilot to continue fighting or exit the battlefield. GAME USE The CASE system can be built into either torso side of a 'Mech. It does take up one critical space in the section that it is mounted and weight half a ton. Treat hit to the critical space where the CASE system is located as "no result" and make a new die roll. Any onboard ammunition that explodes in that section will do normal damage to the internal structure of that section. Excess damage is then applied to the back armor of the section. Any other remaining damage is not applied. Remember that if all the internal structure on either side of the torso, the coresponding arm will not work. CASE systems can only be mounted on 'Mechs or vehicles. In vehicles, the system can only be mounted in the body location. Any ammunition explosion results in the destruction of the back armor and puts the vehicle out of action. However, any crewmember or passengers in the vehicle will survive the explosion. DOUBLE HEAT SINKS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Double heat sinks are the ultimate in heat-dissipation technology, with a heat-to-weight efficiency twice that of previos generations. They are three times as bulky as the standard heat sink, however. Though not a problem if mounted in a 'Mechs torso, there is not enough room for them in a 'Mechs legs. Because the two heat-dissipation technologys are not compatible, designers must make a trade off between greater heat dissipation and more room for weapon systems. A braketed number next to the heat sink number in the 'Mech's statistics indicates double heat sinks. GAME USE 'Mechs with double heat sinks dissipate 2 points of heat for each operating heat sink each turn. If submerged in water, the heat sink will dissipate 4 points of heat that turn. A 'Mech cannot be equiped with both single and double heat sinks. Vehicles cannot be equiped with double heat sinks. ENDO STEEL INTERNAL STRUCTURE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Endo Steel was special designed for use in 'Mech skeletons. Constructed by Zero-G manufacturing techniques that uniformly mix high-density steel with lower-density titanium and aluminum, the resulting metal is twice as stron per unit of weight as standard skeleton materials but considerably bulkier. GAME USE 'Mechs that use Endo Steel need allocate only half the normal weight to their Internal Structure (keeping all fractions). However, the bulk of this alloy reduces the number of free critical spaces by 14. The player can allocate this amount as he sees fit, even filling up one section totally, as long as a total of 14 Critical Hit locations are filled in by the Endo Steel. A hit to a critical space taken up by Endo Steel structure is trwated as "no result" and should be rerolled. FERRO-FIBROUS ARMOR ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ferro-Fibrous Armor is an improved version of normal 'Mech aromor. Utilizing a weave of ferro-steel and ferro-titanium fibers, this armor plating increases tensile strenght by 12 percent, compared to the older types of armor plating. Ferro-Fibrous armor is much bulkier than an equivalent weight of normal armor plating, however. A version known as Ferro-Aluminum armor is also available for AeroSpace Fighters. GAME USE 'Mechs that use Ferro-Fibrous Armor increase their armor factor. Calculate the armor Factor as normal, then multiply by 1.12, dropping all fractions. This is the 'Mech's total armor factor. The bulk of the armor reduces the number of free critical spaces by 14. The player can allocate this amount as he sees fit, even filling up one section totally if desired. A total of 14 Critical Hit locations must be filled in by the Ferro-Fibrous Armor. Hits to a critical space taken up by Ferro-Fibrous Armor are treated as "no result" and should be rerolled. Ferro-Fibrous Armor may also be used in vehicles and AeroSpace Fighters. In such cases, it reduces by 2 the maximum numbers of weapons and ammo that can be mounted in each side. XL ENGINE TECHNOLOGY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Advances in fusion power plant sheilding have allowed designers to retrofit their standard engines with new and lighter sheilding materials. The net result is a vastly decreased overall engine weight, though, once again, at the expence of compactness. GAME USE Players my designate any fusion plant as being equiped with XL technology. The result is that the normal engine weight is half (retain fractions) the published amount. The player must allocate three critical spaces for the Engine in both the left and the right torso of the Critical Hit Table of the 'Mech. Any hit to these new locations is treated as a normal Engine Hit. XL technology is not available for AeroSpace Fighters or vehicles. EQUIPMENT TABLE Type Heat Damage Min Short Medium Long Ton. Crit. Ammo WEAPONS ~~~~~~~ Anti-Missle System 1 * - N/A N/A N/A .5 1 12 Arrow IV System 10 20-10* - Artillery 5 15 15 5 ER Large Laser 12 8 - 1-7 8-14 15-19 5 2 - ER PPC 15 10 - 1-7 8-14 15-23 7 3 - Gauss Rifle 1 15 2 1-7 8-15 16-22 15 7 10 KWI Ultra AC/5 1 5 2 1-6 7-13 14-20 9 5 20 LB 10-X AC 2 10 - 1-6 7-12 13-18 11 6 10 Narc Missle Beacon 0 N/A - 1-3 4-6 7-9 3 2 6 Pulse Laser (Lg.) 10 9 - 1-3 4-7 8-10 7 2 - Pulse Laser (Med.) 4 6 - 1-2 3-4 5-6 2 1 - Pulse Laser (Sm.) 2 3 - 1 2 3 1 1 - Streak SRM-2 2 * - 1-3 4-6 7-9 1.5 1 50 OTHER EQUIPMENT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Artemis IV FCS 1 Beagle Active Probe 1.5 CASE .5 Double Heat Sink 1 Guardian ECM Suite 1.5 MASC Mech Tonnage/20* Mech Tonage/20* TAG 0 * - 1-5 6-9 10-15 1 * See special rules for this equipment Another file downloaded from: