Manticore
The Universal Threat Assessment Manual identifies the Manticore pattern group as “an experiment in HORUS’s ‘corebreak’ combat doctrine.” The Manticore PG specializes in using focused, projected electromagnetics to neutralize enemy reactor cores without conventional ammunition, while also fielding a compliment of coherent-beam energy weapons. A fully charged Manticore is an impressive sight, wreathed in brightly glowing nets of plasma that lash out at nearby targets.
If anything gives away a Manticore-PG mech, it is the tall spines protruding from the PG’s signature lightning generator. The spines act as heat-dispersal systems for this crude weapon, providing a channel for the incredible amount of heat it generates to bleed from the mech’s body following projection of a close-range arc whip. This system isn’t a perfect heat-dispersal mechanism, and as a result Manticores can often be identified by a chassis covered in cooling, melted metal.
The Manticore has only recently appeared on the omninet, and its combat efficacy has prompted other galactic manufacturers to scramble for a response. Analysis of after-action reports from pilots who have engaged this pattern group in the field note a significant uptick in certain omninet noise-to-signal ratios: anoriginary recitations of passages from the Old Humanity Book of the Dead, jigsaw corruptions of ancient works of apocalyptic art, and other eschatological renderings, all of which point toward a nascent psychological warfare tactic.
Core System
Charged Exoskeleton
LET MY NAME ENVELOP YOU. SEEK NO SHELTER FROM THE FLAME OR THE TEETH OF THE BEAST. CLOAK YOURSELF IN THE FIRE OF MY WORD AND CAST BACK TO YOUR ENEMIES THAT WHICH WOULD BLACKEN YOUR FORM.
Charged Exoskeleton 1/round when you take Heat you may deal 2 Energy AP to a character within Range 3
Destruction of the Temple of the Enemies of RA
Active (1CP), Protocol Your mech crackles with energy: gain RESISTANCE to Heat for the rest of this scene and a CHARGE DIE – 1d6, starting at 1. Whenever you take Heat or Energy damage, even from yourself, increase the value of the CHARGE DIE by 1. When the CHARGE DIE reaches 6, the absorbed energy discharges in a Burst2 inferno. Characters within the affected area must succeed on an ENGINEERING save or take 6d6 Energy AP. On a success, they take half damage. Objects in the affected area are automatically hit. Once discharged, this effect ends.
Licenses
License I
Beckoner
2 SP, Unique, Quick Tech, Invade
Gain the following options for INVADE:
BECKON: You take 1d6+2 Energy AP and swap places with your target, both characters teleporting to the other’s position. Your target must be a MECH and be the same SIZE as you or larger, or this action fails. Characters can only be swapped to spaces they could normally stand or move on (i.e., if a character cannot fly it can’t be swapped midair).
SUMMON: All characters within Range 3 of your target are pulled adjacent to them, or as close as possible.
“I am heard in the House of Stillness; I am clad in the Magick of RA. Know this, blasphemer: what exists is within my grasp.”
Catalyst Pistol
Auxiliary CQB, 2 Heat(Self)[Cone 3][Threat 3][1d3 Energy damage] “Burn, thou fiend, before the fire of the Eye of RA!”
License II
Arc Projector
Heavy CQB, 1 Heat(Self)[Range 5][1d6+1 Energy Damage] On Hit: You may also make a secondary attack against a different character within Range 3 of the first target. You can continue making secondary attacks on hits, as long as there are new, valid targets within range; however, each attack generates 1 Heat, and secondary attacks can’t deal bonus damage. Characters can’t be hit more than once with the same firing of this weapon.
“Fire be upon thee, APEP! Thy flesh is seared from thy bones; The Lord of the Duat will never enable thy shade to rise again!”
Smite
3 SP, Unique, Quick Tech, Invade
Gain the following options for INVADE:
SMITE: You take 1d6 Energy AP and your target must succeed on a SYSTEMS save or become STUNNED until the end of their next turn. Each character can only be STUNNED by this effect once per scene.
SEAR: You take 1d6 Energy AP and you deal 2 Heat to your target for each other character of SIZE 1 or larger that is ENGAGED with or adjacent to them – including you – up to a maximum of 6 Heat.
“Go with thy face averted, thou emission of chaos! The hidden ones have overthrown thy words, thy face is turned backward, thy head is divided in two at the sides; thy skull is ripped from thy spine. Taste thou death!”
License III
EMP Pulse
2 SP, Unique, Quick Action You become STUNNED until the end of your next turn and all characters within Burst 1 without the BIOLOGICAL tag must succeed on a SYSTEMS save or also become STUNNED until the end of their next turn. Characters other than yourself can only be STUNNED 1/scene by this effect.
“Crawl away, APEP! Thou hateful serpent; thou shalt not copulate. Thou art put in chains and taken to the place of execution; there thy slaying shall be carried out.”
Lightning Generator
3 SP, Unique, Protocol When you activate this protocol, take 1 Heat and deal 2 Energy damage to all characters and objects adjacent to you.
If you are in the DANGER ZONE at the start of your turn, this protocol activates automatically, but the damage increases to 4 Energy AP.