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Rigger/Combat Control Armor

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Kato

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« on: <08-31-19/0952:40> »
I'm going to start by saying I love riggers. I have a new player to the game who has watched us play before but hasn't wanted to play until now. Since she was new I built the character for her (rigger, prodigy in building and piloting walkers and antros). While building her character I started to wonder about building a set of armor specifically for riggers, which revolves around the suite of tech that most riggers need to use. Mainly I'm thinking for combat riggers or if team is using a vehicle for combat control but needs a dismount/bail out option.

So what I'm thinking is using the basic concept of the combat controller armor that Andrew uses in the Frontline series (if you haven't read the series yet, Marko Kloos, excellent space opera), just heavily modified. Effectively, the armor would consist of a vest and a helmet and some forearm guards. The RCC would be built into the vest portion with possibly a communication suite or slots to add in some personal comms. A hardened shell would be molded over the outside. The helmet would serve as a HUD and the forearm pieces could hold the manual buttons for the RCC or comms. Maybe some cavities built into the armor for micro drones.

It would be heavy, but full body armor is heavy enough especially when you start adding plates and gear onto it. The major downside that I can see is if the rigger takes a armor piercing hit the electronics would get fragged, but there is always a danger of a stray round nailing the RCC if you're carrying it anyways. 

Hephaestus

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« Reply #1 on: <09-10-19/1330:56> »
If your Rigger is inside the armor, you wouldn't really need the RCC in there as well. A rating 2 control rig should let you connect to 2 devices (in 5th at least), so you could use a direct connection to use the armor and have the RCC remotely connected.

I've been playing round with the same concept. I looked at the Medium Mil-Spec Harded Armor as a base, then thought about how to dismantle and anthrodrone or use cyberlimbs to augment the armor to allow a Rigger to "puppet" themselves around the battlefield.

There is also an entry in one of the books that talks about powered armor, but its crap compared to what you are trying to do.

Stainless Steel Devil Rat

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« Reply #2 on: <09-10-19/1346:30> »
Another downside is that a suit of power armor is not subtle.  Walking around in milspec armor has all the same drawbacks as driving around inside a tank.

Yeah you'll win a fight against rent-a-cops.  Sure.  But you don't need milspec to beat rent-a-cops.  And milspec means HTR is on the way the second you're seen.  By anyone, even pedestrians unconnected to your mission.  And milspec won't make you win against HTR.
RPG mechanics exist to give structure and consistency to the game world, true, but at the end of the day, you’re fighting dragons with algebra and random number generators.

Hobbes

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« Reply #3 on: <09-10-19/1418:01> »
5E had a "Distributed Deck" armor option, I forget the source book sorry.  And also had the combat hardened RCC Case things from Kill Code that let you strap on options and gizmos.  I would look at those for your mechanical inspiration. 

DigitalZombie

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« Reply #4 on: <09-10-19/1502:04> »
5E had a "Distributed Deck" armor option, I forget the source book sorry.  And also had the combat hardened RCC Case things from Kill Code that let you strap on options and gizmos.  I would look at those for your mechanical inspiration. 
Data trails pg 60 and 62 has rules for non-standard commlinks and decks.

I think I would give it a high capacity cost- with allowance to have it split between armor and helmet if need be.
The capacity cost should be high enough that you cant have it in a fancy dinner suit, but more like an armour jacket. Maybe with room for 1 or too microdrones.
 In datatrails the cost was 20 or 50% on top of your link or deck.
... personally I would be fine withva flat cost, like 5k or maybe a bit more

Kato

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« Reply #5 on: <09-15-19/1848:27> »
I basically just made it Mil-Spec armor and helmet combo with the RCC built in and included several "storage areas" that are molded specifically for drone storage (micro and minis only). The same can be done for decks and such. I just made it specialized armor with no more mod options. It is produced by a custom armorer and is highly personalized.

Dudesomebody

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« Reply #6 on: <09-26-19/2131:07> »
  Love the ideas here, as far as armor, I dont think you would need mil-spec. The capacity and armor is great but you can use ynt softweave and add 50% capacity to any armor.
I gotta agree with Kato though, I think the smarter option is having the RCC in a safe spot and using it remotely. maybe throw on an antenna earware or 3 (page 74 of chrome flesh) to reduce noise. I'm not sure if your GM will permit this but, I once talk my GM into leting me mount an ares arm sentry (Pg. 130 Rigger 5.0) and use it like one of the extra weapon arms on the edge of tomorrow. He only let me have one though, can't imagine why ;p