Metsubou Gremlin-Armor Concept Test

METSUBOU GREMLIN- ARMOR (ARTIFACT ••••) Repair: 2 These rare power armors are clockwork hor- rors forged from reconstructed gremlin spirits. They were de- signed specifi cally for un-Exalted who are cast out of the cities or choose to live out in the Reaches by their own prefer- ence. Some powerful gremlins or Apostates will capture these tunnel people and force them into merging with these armors. Once the merging process is complete, removing the mortal from the armor always kills the mortal. Merging a mortal with one of these terrifying battle suits requires successfully amputating his arms and legs (Intelligence + Medicine, dif- fi culty 3) and inserting a series of six needle-like receptors into each wound. After a 10-minute integration process, which is incredibly painful for the mortal and sometimes even fatal, the interface is complete, and the gremlin from which the power armor was constructed assimilates the unfortunate mortal. Such beings are now completely dedicated to the destruction of the Great Maker and will willingly follow those who aspire to Autochthon’s destruction. These soldiers often serve as lieutenants to Apostates and lead strike teams against forces loyal to the Machine God. If a mortal wearing this horrible battle suit is killed, the armor ejects the corpse and waits for another victim to be inserted. Unlike other gremlins, this bodysuit does not act on its own. Metsubou gremlin-armor combines articulated mail of metallic alloys atop a black bodysuit of artifi cial leather. Helmets reveal the lower faces of the mortals trapped within, which are typically twisted into agonized visages and spitting out venomous commands. Their eyes are covered by crystalline eyepieces strapped to their faces by wire-mesh harnesses. The armor’s arms are capable of splitting in twain, hissing steam, with the mechanical components reconfi guring into pairs of smaller arms with protruding spikes and three clawed, grasping fi ngers. These arms may be wielded as if they were natural limbs, imposing no penalty upon the soldier using them. Alternatively, some forms of metsubou gremlin-armor form articulated tentacles instead of limbs. The tentacles are more fl exible but lack the spiked protrusions. The armor’s 214 legs are also capable of splitting apart in a similar fashion to form either tentacles or spider-like limbs. Metsubou gremlin-armor has the following features: Adaptive Camouflage Subsystem*: +4 bonus to Stealth. Articulated Mobility Subsystem*: Splitting each of the armor’s legs into either four spidery limbs or tentacles allows the user to climb any solid surface at his normal movement rate. Synthetic Extremities*: Doubles wearer’s ground speed; +2 bonus to Strength for feats of strength and infl icting damage with attacks. Hydraulic Limb Bifurcation*: Whether forming arms or tentacles, these limbs give the soldier a Speed 5, +1 Ac- curacy, +3 Damage, -1 Defense, Rate 4 natural attack that functions like the Multiple Limbs mutation (see p. 167). These limbs are capable of wielding weaponry, but doing so imposes the normal penalties for multiple actions. Sensory Augmentation Visor*: +2 bonus to Awareness; negates all penalties from darkness. Vitality-Boosting Subsystems*: Wearer regenerates either one level of bashing damage with every action taken during combat or all bashing levels in one minute outside combat. Upkeep: Maintenance required every 100 hours of use; every 30 missed hours randomly disables one of the powers marked with an asterisk. Soak Hardness Mobility Fatigue Attune +12L/18B 5L/5B -1 2 None Other Notes: The armor offers no magical material bo- nuses, owing to its composite alloy construction. Armor that is not melded with a mortal is treated as an object and can sustain up to 40 levels of damage before being destroyed.