WARRIOR class biocon...

There are various types of biocons, but the Warrior subtype is the one
most commonly encountered outside their base/nests. Looking somewhat
like long, low metallic flatworms, they are extremely dangerous. Their
external coverings look like metallic cloth, and are highly flexible
and extremely tough, providing DR 40. They are not naturally suited
for camouflage, since their metallic surfaces are reflective, but they
can be painted or otherwise disguised.

With multi-sectional, flexibody drivetrains, they can manage an average
speed of six miles per hour on good terrain indefinitely, which does
not sound fast, but is, at least compared to typical Homosentients.
They can travel faster in spurts, and no unaugmented Homosentient can
outpace one over any significant distance on foot, and they are also
slow but effective swimmers. While they are unable to travel in deep
water without modification or additional equipment, they are quite
capable of swimming most rivers and lakes and other water-based
obstacles. It merely slows them down. They can and do operate
underwater with little difficulty to a depth of about 10 meters and
with modest problems to 15 meters. They begin to encounter serious
difficulties below that depth, however.

Each Warrior biocon is fully sapient, being actually a cyborg built
around a biological creature with a human-level brain. In fact, they
have an effective IQ of 9 on the average, but their brains and
supporting cybernetic systems are optimized for tracking, stalking, and
combat situations, for any situation involving those or related
matters, they act as if they had an IQ 11. Being based around a
biological control system, there can be considerable variations in
their individual abilities. Those with lower than the standard IQ
(meaning IQ 9) are not installed into Warrior bodies, but some more
intelligent-than-average specimens do exist.

Since they have biological components, they require a steady supply of
the appropriate nutrients, and they obtain this in the same way they
obtain their energy: they are equipped with a power system that
'burns' organic matter. Biocons 'eat' plant and animal matter and,
after extracting a percentage of the key nutrients for the sustenance
of the biological subsystems, passes the rest onto omnivorous
bioconverters to be processed very efficiently for energy.

Because the power system requires oxygen to operate (as does the
biological control system), it is theoretically possible to 'drown' a
biocon. In practice it is difficult, because the Warrior frame
incorporates a tank of oxygen sufficient to supply both the power plant
and the brain core for up to four hours, making it perfectly possible
for a biocon ot hide underwater or underground. This system also
protects the Warrior from most toxic gases, in conjunction with a
filter system on the air intakes.

A system of power storage cells stores energy from the bioconverter and
can operate all systems for many hours at full capacity, or much longer
if power is conserved. However, the biological subsystem does require
feeding, even when the power cells are able to sustain everything else.
Neurons need glucose, not electric current, to operate.

The Warrior biocon frame has eight retractable limbs. Four of them are
'lomomotor' limbs used primarily to assist in motion in tight spaces or
the like. Two are especially flexible and equipped with fine
manipulators, and two are 'striker' limbs, each bearing four
razor-sharp slicing edges. The locomotor and striker limbs have ST 20,
the fine manipulators have ST 10. Thus, a swinging attack using the
razor-edges of the striker arms can do up to 3d+4 damage, or 2d+1 in an
impaling attack (they have razor-tips as well as razor-edges).

(Of course, the strikers are essentially useless as manipulators.)

Additionally, the 'jaws' of the food intake can do 1d cutting damage in
a biting attack, if a living creature is foolish enough to let them
make contact. They are not designed as weapons, however, and are
difficult to bring to bear in combat.

For ranged combat, the 'head' of the Warrior biocon contains two
compact tunable lasers, designed for relatively close work. They can
fire twice per second for up to 30 seconds before requiring a 30 second
cooling cycle, and they are incorporated into the optical cavities,
enabling the Warrior to aim my looking, in essence.

The senses of a Warrior biocon are comparable to those of most
Homosentients, save that they have some telescopic vision and their
senses are sharper than average Homosentients. They also have a
limited ability to detect ultrasonic sounds. They do possess color
vision comparable to that of a Homosentient, but they have no ability
to directly perceive most extra-visible wavelengths. They DO
incorporate an infra-red spotlight and they can pick up its specific
narrow frequency band.

Warrior biocons are excellent diggers in soft or sandy soils, and are
quite capable of burying themselves for the sake of a surprise attack
or to hide. Their bodies are sufficiently flexible to wrap around a
victim, but they are not really shaped for effective constriction, so
this tactic is used mainly to entrap rather than to kill.

The 'synthezoid brain' that is the mind of the creature is actually a
living thing, a complete animal, that can exist for a modest period
away from the life-support system of its frame. In appearance, the
'unframed' synthezoid looks like a two foot long worm, more or less,
covered in mucus, with a single large eye at one end and a tiny
toothless mouth. It has no manipulators, and it links to the robot
brain of its frame by means of a complicated neural interface in the
frame that requires no implants.

If removed from its operational frame and exposed to a conventional
Terran environment, the creature will begin to slowly desiccate. It
will live 6d hours in a temperate climate, give or a take a bit. A
desert or any environment with temperatures above +80 F or below +40 F
will reduce survival time sharply. Cut the time in half in bright
direct sunlight (they are basically creatures of darkness, even a
bright artificial light is very uncomfortable to them, but they have
superb dark vision, better than almost any natural animal). A _very
light_ rain will extend the time they can survive, anything heavier
tends to wash away their protective layer of mucus and reduce survival
time. Fog and light drizzle are good, anything more is bad.

They feed on a liquid nutrient solution generated by the bioconverter
system of their frame, they can't directly digest solids at all, and
they lack any sort of teeth. If sugar syrup or something similar is
available, they can get some use from it, but they really need the
specialized nutrient solution from their life support systems.
Unfortunately, they can get some nutrient value from animal blood, if
they can somehow get it.

An unframed Warrior biocon might seem harmless enough from its
appearance, and it is certainly true that they do lack teeth and claws.
However, they are far from harmless, because their mucus coating is
_very_ toxic. It contains poisons that act as both blood and nerve
agents, and can produce some effects simply from skin contact with most
Homosentient species. After four tuns of such contact exposure, a
Homosentient must succeed in a HT roll or become sick, -1 to all
activities for up to an hour. Longer exposure increases the damage,
sufficient exposure can be lethal. Ingestion of the mucus is worse, if
it gets directly into the bloodstream the character needs medical
attention immediately.

An 'exposed' biocon brain-creature is very vulnerable to most weapons,
it has DR 0 and PD 0, and 2-4 hit points. It takes very little damage
to destroy one of the creatures, but they are fast and hard to hit.
Their mucus remains toxic up to 24 hours after death.

Subassemblies: Vehicle +1, Body +1, Head -2, 2xSlicing Arm -3,
2xWorking Arm -3, 4xLocomotor Arm -3.

P&P: three 72,000-kWs rechargeable power cells, 7-kW omnivore
bioconverter (no access space), 1-kW flexibody drivetrain (waterborne;
no access space).

Fuel: food

Occupancy: air tank (6 hr. duration).

Armor F RL B T U
Body 2/80 2/60 2/80 2/40 2/40
Head 2/80 2/60 0/0 2/40 2/40
Slicing Arm 2/40 2/40 0/0 2/40 2/40
Working Arm 2/40 2/40 0/0 2/40 2/40
Locomotor Arm 2/40 2/40 0/0 2/40 2/40

Weaponry Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D yds Max yds RoF TL
tunable laser Ver. Imp. 3d 11 16 480(x50) 960(x50) 2 10

Equipment
Body: four auditory sensors (acute hearing +2, parabolic hearing +2,
ultrasonic); passive sonar system (1-mile range); geophone (scan 11,
1-mile range); inertial navigation system; synthezoid brain; standard
robot brain (complexity 9, +3 DX; biocomputer, hardened, neural net);
radiation shielding (braincore) (10,000 PF); IR searchlight (0.25-mile
range).

Head: olfactory sensor (acute smell +3, discriminatory smell); long
range ladar (scan 9, 0.5-mile range; no targeting); imaging ladar (scan
5, 0.05-mile range; high-res imaging); external communicator (superior
voice, bull horn); eight high end visual sensors (acute vision +3,
telescopic zoom +3, ind. focusable, night vision, 360-degree vision);
two 75-kJ tunable lasers (close range, accurate/fine; compact).

Slicing Arm: arm motor (ST:20, extendable, retractable, striker,
extra-flexible).

Working Arm: arm motor (ST:10, extendable, retractable, extra-flexible,
micromanipulator).

Locomotor Arm: arm motor (ST:20, bad grip, extendable, retractable).

Statistics
Size: [LxWxH] 9.22 x 2.3 x 1.15 Payload: 108 lbs. Lwt: 914 lbs.
Volume: 24.5 cf

HT: 14 HP: 120 [Body], 8 [Head], 8 each [2x Slicing Arm], 8 each [2x
Working Arm], 8 each [4x Locomotor Arm].

Ground Performance: Motive Power 1-kW, Top Speed 6 mph, gAcc 1 mph/s,
gDec 20 mph/s, gMR 2.75, gSR 3, Ground Pressure 110 lbs./sf, Off Road
Speed 10 mph.

Water Performance: Top Speed 2 mph, wAcc 0 mph/s, wDec 10 mph/s (10
mph/s), wMR 1.25, wSR 5, Draft 0.6 ft, Drag 94, Flotation 1,403 lbs.

Design Notes:
TL10 robotic multi-section heavy frame advanced materials [Vehicle].
TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid [Body].
T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
non-rigid [Head].
T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
non-rigid [2x Slicing Arm].
T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
non-rigid [2x Working Arm].
T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
non-rigid [4x Locomotor Arm].
Operating Duration: 17 H 23 M 29 S.
Vehicle Features: computerized controls, self-sealed, ruggedized,
waterproofed, flexibody, no streamlining, very finely made.
Water Features: no lines, flexibody.
Body: total compartmentalization, 60° Front Slope, 60° Rear Slope,
30° Left Slope, 30° Right Slope.
Head: limited rotation, total compartmentalization, 60° Front Slope,
30° Left Slope, 30° Right Slope.
Slicing Arm: retractable.
Working Arm: retractable.
Locomotor Arm: retractable.
Volume: 22.4 cf [Body], 0.588 cf [Head], 0.18 cf [2x Slicing Arm], 0.18
cf [2x Working Arm], 0.18 cf [4x Locomotor Arm].
Area: 50 sf [Body], 4 sf [Head], 2 sf [2x Slicing Arm], 2 sf [2x
Working Arm], 2 sf [4x Locomotor Arm].
Book Options: Vehicles Lite ground speed, Vehicles Expansion crush
depth.

Johnny1a wrote:
> There are various types of biocons, but the Warrior subtype is the one
> most commonly encountered outside their base/nests. Looking somewhat
> like long, low metallic flatworms, they are extremely dangerous. Their
> external coverings look like metallic cloth, and are highly flexible
> and extremely tough, providing DR 40. They are not naturally suited
> for camouflage, since their metallic surfaces are reflective, but they
> can be painted or otherwise disguised.
>
> With multi-sectional, flexibody drivetrains, they can manage an average
> speed of six miles per hour on good terrain indefinitely, which does
> not sound fast, but is, at least compared to typical Homosentients.
> They can travel faster in spurts, and no unaugmented Homosentient can
> outpace one over any significant distance on foot, and they are also
> slow but effective swimmers. While they are unable to travel in deep
> water without modification or additional equipment, they are quite
> capable of swimming most rivers and lakes and other water-based
> obstacles. It merely slows them down. They can and do operate
> underwater with little difficulty to a depth of about 10 meters and
> with modest problems to 15 meters. They begin to encounter serious
> difficulties below that depth, however.
>

Why do they encounter problems with deep water if they can swim?
Swimming in Lake Tahoe is not much different than swimming across a
river. I can see them having some problems with waves, but you can have
waves in any depth of water.


> Each Warrior biocon is fully sapient, being actually a cyborg built
> around a biological creature with a human-level brain. In fact, they
> have an effective IQ of 9 on the average, but their brains and
> supporting cybernetic systems are optimized for tracking, stalking, and
> combat situations, for any situation involving those or related
> matters, they act as if they had an IQ 11. Being based around a
> biological control system, there can be considerable variations in
> their individual abilities. Those with lower than the standard IQ
> (meaning IQ 9) are not installed into Warrior bodies, but some more
> intelligent-than-average specimens do exist.
>
> Since they have biological components, they require a steady supply of
> the appropriate nutrients, and they obtain this in the same way they
> obtain their energy: they are equipped with a power system that
> 'burns' organic matter. Biocons 'eat' plant and animal matter and,
> after extracting a percentage of the key nutrients for the sustenance
> of the biological subsystems, passes the rest onto omnivorous
> bioconverters to be processed very efficiently for energy.
>

A variant may use solar cells for the bulk of the energy and use
available plant mass, or stored nutrients, to provide for the biological
systems. This would be useful in environments like the desert where
there may be a lot of solar energy available, but a much smaller amount
of plant life. This variant may also be useful in snowbound areas or
ruined cities.


> Because the power system requires oxygen to operate (as does the
> biological control system), it is theoretically possible to 'drown' a
> biocon. In practice it is difficult, because the Warrior frame
> incorporates a tank of oxygen sufficient to supply both the power plant
> and the brain core for up to four hours, making it perfectly possible
> for a biocon ot hide underwater or underground. This system also
> protects the Warrior from most toxic gases, in conjunction with a
> filter system on the air intakes.
>
> A system of power storage cells stores energy from the bioconverter and
> can operate all systems for many hours at full capacity, or much longer
> if power is conserved. However, the biological subsystem does require
> feeding, even when the power cells are able to sustain everything else.
> Neurons need glucose, not electric current, to operate.
>
> The Warrior biocon frame has eight retractable limbs. Four of them are
> 'lomomotor' limbs used primarily to assist in motion in tight spaces or
> the like. Two are especially flexible and equipped with fine
> manipulators, and two are 'striker' limbs, each bearing four
> razor-sharp slicing edges. The locomotor and striker limbs have ST 20,
> the fine manipulators have ST 10. Thus, a swinging attack using the
> razor-edges of the striker arms can do up to 3d+4 damage, or 2d+1 in an
> impaling attack (they have razor-tips as well as razor-edges).
>

How would they work in an environment such as a desert with a lot of
loose sand or a snowfield with powder snow? Maybe you could design the
arms so that they could act as skids when necessary.


> (Of course, the strikers are essentially useless as manipulators.)
>
> Additionally, the 'jaws' of the food intake can do 1d cutting damage in
> a biting attack, if a living creature is foolish enough to let them
> make contact. They are not designed as weapons, however, and are
> difficult to bring to bear in combat.
>
> For ranged combat, the 'head' of the Warrior biocon contains two
> compact tunable lasers, designed for relatively close work. They can
> fire twice per second for up to 30 seconds before requiring a 30 second
> cooling cycle, and they are incorporated into the optical cavities,
> enabling the Warrior to aim my looking, in essence.
>
> The senses of a Warrior biocon are comparable to those of most
> Homosentients, save that they have some telescopic vision and their
> senses are sharper than average Homosentients. They also have a
> limited ability to detect ultrasonic sounds. They do possess color
> vision comparable to that of a Homosentient, but they have no ability
> to directly perceive most extra-visible wavelengths. They DO
> incorporate an infra-red spotlight and they can pick up its specific
> narrow frequency band.
>
> Warrior biocons are excellent diggers in soft or sandy soils, and are
> quite capable of burying themselves for the sake of a surprise attack
> or to hide. Their bodies are sufficiently flexible to wrap around a
> victim, but they are not really shaped for effective constriction, so
> this tactic is used mainly to entrap rather than to kill.
>
> The 'synthezoid brain' that is the mind of the creature is actually a
> living thing, a complete animal, that can exist for a modest period
> away from the life-support system of its frame. In appearance, the
> 'unframed' synthezoid looks like a two foot long worm, more or less,
> covered in mucus, with a single large eye at one end and a tiny
> toothless mouth. It has no manipulators, and it links to the robot
> brain of its frame by means of a complicated neural interface in the
> frame that requires no implants.
>
> If removed from its operational frame and exposed to a conventional
> Terran environment, the creature will begin to slowly desiccate. It
> will live 6d hours in a temperate climate, give or a take a bit. A
> desert or any environment with temperatures above +80 F or below +40 F
> will reduce survival time sharply. Cut the time in half in bright
> direct sunlight (they are basically creatures of darkness, even a
> bright artificial light is very uncomfortable to them, but they have
> superb dark vision, better than almost any natural animal). A _very
> light_ rain will extend the time they can survive, anything heavier
> tends to wash away their protective layer of mucus and reduce survival
> time. Fog and light drizzle are good, anything more is bad.
>
> They feed on a liquid nutrient solution generated by the bioconverter
> system of their frame, they can't directly digest solids at all, and
> they lack any sort of teeth. If sugar syrup or something similar is
> available, they can get some use from it, but they really need the
> specialized nutrient solution from their life support systems.
> Unfortunately, they can get some nutrient value from animal blood, if
> they can somehow get it.
>
> An unframed Warrior biocon might seem harmless enough from its
> appearance, and it is certainly true that they do lack teeth and claws.
> However, they are far from harmless, because their mucus coating is
> _very_ toxic. It contains poisons that act as both blood and nerve
> agents, and can produce some effects simply from skin contact with most
> Homosentient species. After four tuns of such contact exposure, a
> Homosentient must succeed in a HT roll or become sick, -1 to all
> activities for up to an hour. Longer exposure increases the damage,
> sufficient exposure can be lethal. Ingestion of the mucus is worse, if
> it gets directly into the bloodstream the character needs medical
> attention immediately.
>
> An 'exposed' biocon brain-creature is very vulnerable to most weapons,
> it has DR 0 and PD 0, and 2-4 hit points. It takes very little damage
> to destroy one of the creatures, but they are fast and hard to hit.
> Their mucus remains toxic up to 24 hours after death.
>
> Subassemblies: Vehicle +1, Body +1, Head -2, 2xSlicing Arm -3,
> 2xWorking Arm -3, 4xLocomotor Arm -3.
>
> P&P: three 72,000-kWs rechargeable power cells, 7-kW omnivore
> bioconverter (no access space), 1-kW flexibody drivetrain (waterborne;
> no access space).
>
> Fuel: food
>
> Occupancy: air tank (6 hr. duration).
>
> Armor F RL B T U
> Body 2/80 2/60 2/80 2/40 2/40
> Head 2/80 2/60 0/0 2/40 2/40
> Slicing Arm 2/40 2/40 0/0 2/40 2/40
> Working Arm 2/40 2/40 0/0 2/40 2/40
> Locomotor Arm 2/40 2/40 0/0 2/40 2/40
>
> Weaponry Malf Type Damage SS Acc 1/2D yds Max yds RoF TL
> tunable laser Ver. Imp. 3d 11 16 480(x50) 960(x50) 2 10
>
> Equipment
> Body: four auditory sensors (acute hearing +2, parabolic hearing +2,
> ultrasonic); passive sonar system (1-mile range); geophone (scan 11,
> 1-mile range); inertial navigation system; synthezoid brain; standard
> robot brain (complexity 9, +3 DX; biocomputer, hardened, neural net);
> radiation shielding (braincore) (10,000 PF); IR searchlight (0.25-mile
> range).
>
> Head: olfactory sensor (acute smell +3, discriminatory smell); long
> range ladar (scan 9, 0.5-mile range; no targeting); imaging ladar (scan
> 5, 0.05-mile range; high-res imaging); external communicator (superior
> voice, bull horn); eight high end visual sensors (acute vision +3,
> telescopic zoom +3, ind. focusable, night vision, 360-degree vision);
> two 75-kJ tunable lasers (close range, accurate/fine; compact).
>
> Slicing Arm: arm motor (ST:20, extendable, retractable, striker,
> extra-flexible).
>
> Working Arm: arm motor (ST:10, extendable, retractable, extra-flexible,
> micromanipulator).
>
> Locomotor Arm: arm motor (ST:20, bad grip, extendable, retractable).
>
> Statistics
> Size: [LxWxH] 9.22 x 2.3 x 1.15 Payload: 108 lbs. Lwt: 914 lbs.
> Volume: 24.5 cf
>
> HT: 14 HP: 120 [Body], 8 [Head], 8 each [2x Slicing Arm], 8 each [2x
> Working Arm], 8 each [4x Locomotor Arm].
>
> Ground Performance: Motive Power 1-kW, Top Speed 6 mph, gAcc 1 mph/s,
> gDec 20 mph/s, gMR 2.75, gSR 3, Ground Pressure 110 lbs./sf, Off Road
> Speed 10 mph.
>
> Water Performance: Top Speed 2 mph, wAcc 0 mph/s, wDec 10 mph/s (10
> mph/s), wMR 1.25, wSR 5, Draft 0.6 ft, Drag 94, Flotation 1,403 lbs.
>
> Design Notes:
> TL10 robotic multi-section heavy frame advanced materials [Vehicle].
> TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid [Body].
> T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
> 40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
> non-rigid [Head].
> T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
> 40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
> non-rigid [2x Slicing Arm].
> T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
> 40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
> non-rigid [2x Working Arm].
> T TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, U TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, L TL10 DR
> 40 TL7+ non-rigid, R TL10 DR 40 TL7+ non-rigid, F TL10 DR 40 TL7+
> non-rigid [4x Locomotor Arm].
> Operating Duration: 17 H 23 M 29 S.
> Vehicle Features: computerized controls, self-sealed, ruggedized,
> waterproofed, flexibody, no streamlining, very finely made.
> Water Features: no lines, flexibody.
> Body: total compartmentalization, 60° Front Slope, 60° Rear Slope,
> 30° Left Slope, 30° Right Slope.
> Head: limited rotation, total compartmentalization, 60° Front Slope,
> 30° Left Slope, 30° Right Slope.
> Slicing Arm: retractable.
> Working Arm: retractable.
> Locomotor Arm: retractable.
> Volume: 22.4 cf [Body], 0.588 cf [Head], 0.18 cf [2x Slicing Arm], 0.18
> cf [2x Working Arm], 0.18 cf [4x Locomotor Arm].
> Area: 50 sf [Body], 4 sf [Head], 2 sf [2x Slicing Arm], 2 sf [2x
> Working Arm], 2 sf [4x Locomotor Arm].
> Book Options: Vehicles Lite ground speed, Vehicles Expansion crush
> depth.
>