Most hovercraft are not capable of traveling over water. Extreme- ly advanced hover vehicles, mainly military models from the Coali- tion, Triax and the Naruni, are specially built for liquid surfaces and are capable of traveling over them. HOWEVER, unless a vehicle is specifically noted as having water capabilities, assume that it is a normal hover vehicle and can NOT be used in or over water deeper than five or six feet (1.5-1.8 m). In most cases, a pilot who tries to hover over waters that are deeper will find his hover vehicle rap- idly beginning to sink. Unless immediate action is taken, the hov- ercraft slides into the water and below the waves. As soon as the vehicle’s hover-jets and air intakes have been submerged, the vehicle is swamped, the engine dies and the vehicle sinks like a rock. It must be found, removed from the water and left to dry for 3D6+6 hours before the engine and thrusters are able to work again.
Even military grade hover vehicles that are able to hover over deep water remain very vulnerable to sinking. Travel over water for long dis- tances or any length of time greater than 20 minutes is not recommend- ed. While such high-powered hovercraft are capable of traveling over the surface of water, heavy waves and rapids interrupt the supportive air cushion that holds them aloft, causing the vehicle to drop in height and skim dangerously close to the water’s surface. Maximum altitude is cut in half over turbulent water (rapids and tall or violent waves) and speed may be reduced in storms due to poor visibility, heavy rain and thrashing waves. (Note: As a general rule, waves 6 feet (1.8 m) in
height or greater, will make the lake surface or sea too unstable for the use of any hovercraft, no matter what its listed capabilities may be.)
If the waves are high enough to drench the hovercraft pilot, then they may also be high enough to flood the air intakes. In a storm, high waves are likely to pummel the vehicle and fill the air intake, sending man and machine sinking into the watery depths. Likewise, those rid- ing hovercycles or any ‘open’ cockpit vehicle may risk being swept right off their vehicle by a large wave (50% chance per each wave).
Sky Cycles, Rocket Cycles, flying power armors and other
small, light, flight capable vehicles should be safe, provided they stay at least 60 feet (18.3 m) above the thrashing waves. However, they are still buffeted and thrown about by high winds which can pitch them up and down, or side to side 1D4x10 feet (3 to 12.2 m) and which force speed to be reduced by half and inflict a -25% pilot- ing skill penalty. Visibility is likely to be less than 200 feet (61 m), which can be bad news when traveling fast, and torrential rainfall – common at sea and on the Great Lakes – may still swamp the air intakes, stall the engine and drop the small flyer into the water below (01-15% chance every 20 minutes in a storm).
Disembarkment Hatch (rear, large) – 130 Disembarkment Ramp (rear) – 50 ** Mega-Damage Tires (6) – 60 each *** Main Body – 345
* A single asterisk indicates a small and difficult target to strike, requiring the attacker to make a “Called Shot,” and even then the attacker is -4 to strike.
** Destroying one of the six Mega-Damage Tires does noth- ing to impede the APC’s speed or mobility. Destroy two on the same side and there is a -20% piloting skill penalty when per- forming evasive or trick maneuvers, and when driving faster than 40 mph (64 km). There is a 01-55% chance of tipping the APC over on its side when a failed piloting roll occurs.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body shuts the vehicle down completely, making it useless. If in the water, the vessel sinks within 4D6 minutes.
Speed:
Land: 75 mph (120 km) maximum; cruising speed in wilderness ter- rain is usually a modest 30-40 mph (48 to 64 km).
Water: 40 mph (64 km/34.7 knots) maximum. This vehicle rides on the surface of water. It is not a submersible.
Flying: Not possible.
Statistical Data:
Height: 9 feet (2.7 m). Width: 10 feet (3 m). Length: 32 feet (9.7 m). Weight: 20 tons.
Cargo: There are four internal cargo lockers with enough space for two rifles, four pistols, two extra E-Clips for each weapon, two Vi- bro-Knives, six canteens of water and one survival kit. The Alliga- tor is a fully-functional APC with room for up to 16 soldiers (20 crammed tight) or 8 in power armor.
Power System: Nuclear; average energy life is 12 years. Solid Oxide and electric battery versions are also available.
Cost: 3.2 million credits nuclear, 2.4 million Solid Oxide and 1.8 million electric battery.
Weapon Systems:
1. AM-7 Mini-Missile Launcher: The Alligator’s primary weapon
is a rapid-fire mini-missile box launcher mounted on the top of the vehicle. The weapon can be loaded with different types of ammo for different engagements, such as fragmentary mini-mis- siles for infantry, or armor piercing and plasma for enemy tanks, robots and emplacements. When deemed suitable, mini-missiles can be replaced with torpedos, however, the AM-7 Launcher is generally reserved for attacks on land and at vessels on the water’s surface, so the use of mini-torpedoes is uncommon. The mini-missile launcher was chosen because it has more versatility than a traditional tank gun and can be used against a wider range of targets. The missile turret can rotate 360 degrees and has a 45 degree, up and down, arc of fire. It can be fired by the pilot, the gunner or an assigned passenger.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor, Anti-Aircraft and Anti-Missile. Secondary Purpose: Anti-Fortifications and Anti-Personnel. Range: One mile (1.6 km).
Mega-Damage: Varies by missile type; any type of mini-missile can be used. Fragmentation (5D6 M.D.), high explosive (1D4x10 M.D.) and plasma (1D6x10 M.D.) are the most common.
Rate of Fire: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 3, 4 or 6. Firing a single mini-missile or a volley counts as one melee attack.
Payload: 36 total. If extra missiles are carried on board (there is a container inside that perfectly holds 36 mini-missiles), they have to be loaded one at a time, by hand, from the outside into the launcher. An experienced two-man team needs 2-3 minutes to reload, 8-10 minutes for an inexperienced or frightened reload team.
2. Hatch Laser (1, top): A heavy laser is mounted in front of the
hatch in the roof of the APC. It is used in much the same way as a manned machine-gun position on a traditional tank or doorgun- ner of a helicopter. The laser can rotate 360 degrees and has a 90 degree up and down arc of fire. A laser was selected because it has effectively unlimited firepower linked to the power supply of the vehicle. Note: The laser can be replaced by an NG-202 rail gun to
fire hard ammo, including anti-vampire/monster rounds, but has a finite ammo capacity.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Personnel. Secondary Purpose: Assault.
Range: Laser: 3,000 feet (914 m). Rail Gun: 4,000 feet (1,219 m). Mega-Damage: 4D6 M.D. for the laser hatch gun.
1D4x10 M.D. per 40 round burst when the alternative NG-202 rail gun replaces the laser.
Rate of Fire: Each blast counts as one melee attack.
Payload: The laser is effectively unlimited with nuclear and Solid Oxide models. The electric battery unit has 60 shots per charge. The alternative rail gun is capable of 100 bursts from a 4,000 round ammo drum.
3. Smoke Grenade Dispensers (2): A pair of grenade dispensers are
mounted on top of the vehicle toward the rear. They are used to fire smoke grenades to generate a huge cloud of persistent smoke that can veil entire amphibious landings, provide cover for the disembarking troops and give the Alligator APC time to make its escape.
Primary Purpose: Smoke Screen Deployment. Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Range: The grenades land about 100 feet (30.5 m) in front of the vehicle.
Mega-Damage: Smoke grenades create a 50x50 foot (15x15 m) smoke screen for 2 grenades or a 100x100 foot (30.5 x 30.5 m) smoke screen for all four grenades. Attackers shooting into the cloud are firing blind; -10 to strike man-sized targets concealed in smoke (even -6 to strike the APC and other large vehicles). The same penal- ties apply for those inside the cloud shooting out, so troops and other vehicles use the cover to move out away and into positions from which they can attack.
Loading the weapon with fragmentary grenades does 3D6 M.D. to a 12 foot (3.6 m) blast radius, two grenades do 5D6 M.D. to a 24 foot (7.3 m) blast radius and four grenades do 1D6x10 M.D. to a 40 foot (12.2 m) blast radius.
Rate of Fire: Dispersal patterns of two or four grenades. Payload: 8 grenades total; four per dispenser (two dispensers).
4. Sensors and Features of Note: Standard; same as robot vehicles.
NG AQUA-212 Aquapod
When Scott Goric, Jeff Peterson, and Aaron Nelson first came
up with the idea, they had to fight to get the Aquapod made. How- ever, it has since proven to be a good seller with consistent demand, especially amongst salvage operators, treasure hunters, privateers and explorers.
The Aquapod is intended to serve as the ultimate all-terrain vehi- cle, able to function as a boat and hover truck that also carries a mini- sub on its back for underwater exploration, prospecting and salvage. Such a vehicle is ideal for use in the Great Lakes and at sea. When the small submarine is docked with the Aquapod ‘mothership,’ the entire vessel can float and zoom along on the water’s surface at very good speeds of up to 55 mph (88 km). On dry land, the Aquapod has a series of powerful hover jets built into its underbelly and heavy jet thrusters in the back to roll up onto shore and travel across land like
a hover truck. Its low, flat profile makes it quite aerodynamic, and the vessel is lighter than one might expect. After all, the rear half of the Aquapod is little more than the docking bay for the mini-sub and thrusters for propulsion. That makes it look bigger than it is, but when the sub is in the water, the Aquapod is basically a big flatbed truck. Crew members usually sit in the front of the hovercraft. They go inside the mini-sub only when they are ready for a dive. Access to the small submarine can be made through a side hatch from inside of the Aquapod while the larger vehicle is moving, or from the exterior via the top hatch when stopped. For defense, there is a laser turret in front of the Aquapod, and concealed mini-missile pop-up launchers in the stubby wings.
The Aquapod that carries the mini-sub can travel on the surface of water like a boat and float overland via a land hover system between bodies of water, or across land for as long as necessary like a truck or APC. The Aquapod mini-sub carrier is not, itself, a submersible. It is a surface craft, but one capable of water and land travel. The small submersible stored on its back is used for underwater exploration, salvage operations and to search for shipwrecks, lost cargo, oil beds and mineral fields. Its light weapons are very much for defense, not combat.
The configuration of the land/water transport and an underwater vessel piggybacking on it means that the combination of vehicles can go almost anywhere on land, on the surface of water and below the waves. Moreover, when the mini-sub is detached and in the water, the docking bay of the Aquapod can be used to transport cargo or personnel. Obviously, the Aquapod must return to pick up the sub- marine, otherwise the sub and its passengers are stranded in a lake, at sea or off shore. On the other hand, a well stocked mini-sub can hold enough fresh water and food rations to satisfy its crew and pas- sengers for 6-10 days. The mini-sub is a submersible and it can NOT go into water unless the Aquapod is on the water’s surface, nor can it travel on land unless carried by its parent vehicle.
The large hover vehicle that is the Aquapod has a forward pilot’s and crew section. Crew is a pilot, co-pilot/communications officer and gunner. It can seat six passengers (plus crew) in the front of the vessel and there are four bunk bed sleeping quarters, similar to the bed in the cab of some semi-trucks; the rest have to sleep in reclin- ing chairs or on the floor. There is also a lavatory and a water supply good for 10-14 days for up to 9 people. A bank of windows made of M.D.C. plexiglass offer a good view for the crew and passengers. The crew of the main hovercraft may also be the crew of the mini- sub, but often they are two separate crews so that the Aquapod and sub can function independently; both manned and capable of their own actions. A cargo area able to hold up to eight tons each, is lo- cated on either side of the Aquapod at the mid-section; both are about the size of a small bedroom or shed. As noted previously, more cargo can be placed in the sub’s docking bay when the sub is in the water, which means it is really only effective for short runs. Nothing more than a day or two.
If there is a limitation, it’s that the Aquapod is not the fastest land vehicle around and its size and shape cannot be confused with any other type of vehicle or vessel, so there is no disguising it. On the water, however, the Aquapod is faster than most ships and boats, and has a submarine it can launch to provide two-pronged attacks as well as scouting missions, searches and rescues.
The Aquapod has become extremely popular in Mexico due to its versatility. All the capabilities that enable it to function as a geologi- cal survey craft and research vessel are useful to vampire hunters and adventurers following the coasts and rivers for protection. Having a vehicle that can go into the water to escape vampires, and another riding piggyback that can submerge underwater, can be a true life- saver from legions of undead. The Aquapod is able to power down as
a boat to conserve energy and move with relative silence when on the waves, as well as anchor away from shore where most vampires are afraid to tread. Meanwhile, its speed enables it to make quick attacks and faster escapes. Though it has limited range and use on dry land, the mini-sub has an underwater excavator – a sort of water cannon that draws in water to blast away silt and debris to expose underwater wreckage and salvage. When docked with the Aquapod on dry land, this same “water cannon” can hold up to 200 gallons (757 liters) of water and is able to fire at vampires who come too close.
The merchants at Northern Gun have noticed the sudden up-tick in sales in the Southwest and have increased production as well as dispatched a new sales force to trumpet the value of such a vehi- cle to adventurers and vampire hunters of Mexico. That said, the Aquapod has many useful applications for exploration, cargo haul- ing and travel everywhere – along the Mississippi River, Dinosaur Swamp, South America, and even the Demon Sea and coastal waters of Atlantis. In short, it is ideal for wilderness environments that have many bodies of water or marshlands.