Darkwaters Drones

*The class stood before a building that had until recently been off-limits, with several Shemarrian warriors standing guard outside of.*

*"Today class," Professor Gren said as he stepped up to the door, "you will see some of the creatures that the Darkwaters tribe has loaned for this class." He pushed the doors open to reveal several aquatic tanks, pens, perches and cages filled with various small creatures, some with cybernetic enhancements or full conversions. Several robed female Shemarrians walking about the varies enclosures, caring for the animals.*

## Darkwaters Drones

The Darkwaters tribe has developed a number of e-nimals and drones, many specifically for aquatic or space environments.

### EcoS-DUW01 ‘Robofin’

Basic underwater fish, 8-18 inches long. 25 SDC main body, swims at a Spd of 22 (15 MPH), and has an onboard powercell life of 6 months. The primary role of the EcoS-DUW01 is as a sensor platform, warning of changes in the local environment, intruders in specific areas, spying on enemy activities, and sensor-sampling the acoustic, electromagnetic, and chemical ‘signatures’ of enemy units, making the programming of IFF systems and ‘smart’ munitions (such as the DEXUW02 and EcoS-DEXUW03 described below). Some versions, fitted with ‘lamprey pads’, can attach to vessels and act as tracer beacons. May be fitted with a small kamikaze charge for attacks (2d6 MD to a 5 ft area) or sonic grenades.

#### Sonic Grenade

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Payload

The vibrofield will do 1/2 SDC damage through most body armors (100 MDC or less), 1/3 through heavier armors and power armor (250 MDC or less), and 1/4 through small robots and vehicles (400 MDC or less)

##### Sonic Shock

25 ft radius, DOUBLE underwater. Beings with Enhanced Hearing or Sense Vibration abilities will be overcome and disoriented; Make a save versus Psionic Attack or lose initiative and be -8 to strike, parry, and dodge, and lose 2 APMs for 1d4 melees (continues even after the sound has been cut off). Beings who navigate by echolocation or motion detection will be effectively blinded. Even a successful save will leave the victim -2 to strike, parry and dodge for 1d4 melees, with a ringing in their heads. Beings without enhanced sonic senses will only suffer HALF penalties in either case

### EcoS-DUW02 ‘Grabby’

Aquatic version of the EcoS-D07LE ‘Chitterling’; essentially a robotic crab, pressure rated for 3 miles. Can be fitted with mini-vibroblade claws that do 1d4 MD per nip.

### EcoS-DUW03 ‘Sharkus’

Larger dogfish or barracuda-sized underwater drone. Roughly 4-5 ft long, 45-60 lbs. 30 MDC. Swims at a speed of 25 MPH. Basic weaponry is bite that does 1d6 MD. Has a 3 year energy life. 4 attacks per melee, +2 strike, +3 dodge underwater. Has the option of being fitted with a mini-torpedo warhead as a kamikaze weapon.

### EcoS-DUW04 ‘Robopus’

Robot octopus, roughly 25 lbs and 3-4 ft long, with 12 MDC main body and 2 MDC each of its eight tentacles. Swims at a speed of 8 MPH, plus brief 30-second bursts at 12 MPH, and can crawl across dry land at a Speed of 4 (2 MPH). Has a P.S. rating of 10. Features suction cups on its eight arms that grip with an effective P.S. of 25. Basic weaponry is bite/vibro-stilleto jab that does 1 MD, and possible strangulation attacks doing 3d6 SD. 10-shot ink reservoir that will, depending on local water conditions, cloud the water in a 8 ft area for 1d4 melees (sometimes Kittani-derived gill-glog chemicals are substituted). Has a 2 year energy life. 4 attacks per melee, +2 strike, +3
dodge underwater, +3 parry, +4 entangle. Sometimes modified with a drug/venom injector with 18 doses, or a plastique explosive charge (4d6 MD). Sometimes used by the DarkWaters as ‘living’ handcuffs/fetters on prisoners.

### EcoS-DUWAK01

Essentially a lighter-weight version of the AA-03 Avian Spy, modified and disguised as a robotic duck, cormorant, or other seabird, able to fly (at 30 MPH, maximum altitude of 5,000 ft) and swim (paddle on the surface at 6 MPH or underwater at 8 MPH, maximum depth of 180 ft). 3 year nuclear energy life. MDC: 8 Main Body, 3 each wing, 6 head. No weapons, aside from a possible ability to perform a pecking attack (2d6 SDC) or a power dive (3d6 SDC). 4 actions/attacks per melee, +1 strike, +4 dodge in flight. Basically an aerial recon platform.

### EcoS-DEXUW01 ’Squidpedo’

This is essentially a mini-torpedo tricked out to look like a small squid, with both an advanced sensor package (including optical sensors) and a long endurance electric powerpack with loiter capability fitted. The squid’s tentacles are actually part of the steering mechanism. 8 MDC Main Body, high explosive charge does 1d4x10 MD and a 6 mile range. +5 to strike, swims at 75 MPH, and can actually make a second attack run if it misses the first time.

### EcoS-DEXUW02 ’Starfish Mine’

This is a mobile limpet mine that resembles a starfish; the munition crawls slowly into place (speed roughly Spd 2, and has a mobile battery life of 6 hours), securing itself using multiple suction cup suckers, and then waits to explode. The standard types are a high-explosive ( 4d6 MD to a 6 ft blast radius) and a ‘crown of thorns’ fragmentation type (2d6 MD to a 20 ft blast radius). Though shaped-charge ‘cutter tape’ and thermal explosive versions exist, the DarkWaters have also had great success with slow-release corrosives, the plastic starfish releasing a slow-acting acidic compound that eats away at stone, metal, and other materials (does 2d4 MD per melee for 3d6 melees, or 1d4 MD per hour over 18 hours). If tampered with, the starfish releases the acid all at once, destroying itself. The DEXUW02 can be deployed by other e-animals, such as fish-drones. Supposedly, waterfront facilities along the coastline of Atlantis have been infested with hundreds of these mines, waiting to explode, or slowly weakening pilings, quays, and marine structures.

### EcoS-DEXUW03 ’Jelly Mine’

This is essentially a robot jellyfish. Free floating for the most part, the DEXUW03 floats along and can act as a water current sensor and hydrophone, but it can also react to predetermined target profiles and activate to swim towards a target using pulsing action (swimming speed of 6/4 MPH, and can maintain this speed for 1 hour). On contact with a target, it sublimes into a coating of explosive goo. Upon a timed chemical decay trigger, or remote signal, the thermite gel bursts into high-temperature flame, ideally melting through hull materials (4d6 MD +2d6 MD for 1d6 melees).

### EcoS-DEXUW04 ’Sailor Mine’

This is another jellyfish mine that floats along the surface and resembles a Portuguese man-o-war jellyfish. Because of its shape, it is easily wind-driven, making it useful for covering larger areas of ocean, or drift-attacking enemy positions. Same damage as for the DEXUW03.