Simba

*“Yeah, the Pantherons typically form prides with a Simba being centerpiece to a gaggle of a half-dozen or more females, but they’re not harems as you’d think of them, and they’re not cat-orgies. They’re working teams, well-coordinated combat squads, be it in business or on the battlefield. When you’re watching the big guy, the girls are circling around behind you, but if you pay attention only to the fast movers, you take your eyes off the hammer slowly coming to bear.”*

*“When their manes start standing out stiff like that, and shaking, and they start getting that glowing aura thing going, LOOK OUT!!!! Those are signs some SERIOUS hurtin’s about to go down. You got that?”*

*“Okay, so if the big cats go Son Goku, vamoose, right.”*

## Clan Pantheron Simba Male Elite

aka ‘Vincents’

Simbas are a Male Elite originated in the Clan Pantheron fringe tribe. In lieu of the Preservers maintained by many Tribes, the Pantherons developed the Simba in keeping with their feline theme.

Simbas are big, muscular male frames more akin to, and slightly larger than, a Warchief in terms of size, mass, strength, and natural body armor. Their heads are bigger, with powerful jaws, and a distinctive beard and mane. Their hands sport larger vibroclaws, and their throats conceal powerful sonic weaponry. The Simba’s wire-hair mane may look simply decorative, but in fact it is part of their defensive systems, generating a close-quarters energy field that partially shields the Elite from energy weapons fire.

Though slow and lumbering (compared to the faster female Pantherons, but definitely faster than the average human), Simbas can drop to all fours for high speed sprints or charges (they’ll have to shoulder any handheld weapons they’re carrying, but given the great physical strength of a Simba, this doesn’t pose any problems). Simbas will typically use this ability to quickly reposition themselves, out of sight of an enemy, to a more advantageous location from which to spring an ambush, or to charge and bodyblock an opponent (a half-ton of android catman moving at over a hundred miles per hour packs a LOT of kinetic knockdown). Anything that strays into grappling range of a Simba will discover that the EShemar are deadly brawlers, armed with both inhuman strength and skill able to tear targets apart, or pound them into submission.

Despite their greater strength and armor, Simbas are typically relegated to rear echelon guard duty, protecting vital facilities, or leading follow-up attack formations, while the females perform rapid raids or tear holes in enemy defenses. Simbas also frequently form the nucleus of combat squads and defensive positions. They are also often part of hunting and monster-wrangling parties. Many like to carry heavy weapons (such as Shemarrian long-guns or grenade launchers), and an increasing number have taken to training in and carrying shields (trading for them from Clan Armorand or the Silvermoons).

### Special Systems

#### Electronic Countermeasure and Communications Sensor Suite

Identical to that in the
Shemarrian Males.

#### Forcefield

Simbas have an integral forcefield that affords them added protection. The field has 160 MDC, equal to a Naruni Super-Heavy Personal Forcefield.

Furthermore, Simbas can expand the field to cover nearby targets. The field loses some strength in the expanded coverage, but the effect is still enough to over some protection to bystanders. In this mode the forcefield only affords 75 MDC, but can cover a 10 ft radius area. The Pantherons would like to enter into negotiations with Clan Armorand with an eye towards tapping their expertise in forcefield systems and upgrading the protection values and capabilities of the Simba-field.

#### Energy Disruption Field

Simbas also generate a scrambling field that causes ion, plasma, and particle beam weapons to do HALF damage. This can be used in conjunction with the forcefield.

#### Overcharge

By ramping up power to their forcefield, Simbas can form a body-conformal barrier that amplifies their attacks, doubling the damage of melee attacks, and increasing the chances of the android being able to deflect attacks. The downside to this is that the overcharge taxes the android’s systems and builds up an overburden of heat that temporarily weakens the Simba.

In Overcharge mode, the Simba’s melee attack damage, roll and parry bonuses are DOUBLED for 1d6 melees, and the Simba gets a Horror Factor of 12 (because he glows menacingly as hell and looks ####-ass POWERFUL), after which the android must recharge/cool down for 1d6 MINUTES. During this period, reduce maximum speed by HALF, and -1 to Initiative, Strike, Dodge, and Parry.

In the aftermath of an overcharge, the Simba fairly glows with heat energy, making detection and targeting with heat sensors a fairly easy mater (+15% to Read Sensory Instruments if using heat sensors).

It is POSSIBLE to reinitiate a new overcharge attack before the android has finished the cooling/recharge cycle from the last attack, but doing so will cause damage (2d6 MD) per additional overcharge attack. This damage is repaired as normal by the Shemarrian’s regeneration systems, but it can be quite disturbing to see the android’s fur burn and artificial skin bubble and crack from the heat damage.

### Weapons Systems

#### Laser Eyes (2)

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Though not as powerful as some Shemarrian eye lasers, the Simba’s ‘gaze of death’ is still painful to be glared at with.

Bonus: +2 to strike (in addition to any other bonuses).

#### Sonic ‘Lion’s Roar’ Blaster

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Simbas can let loose with a powerful sonic attack that can stun and stop opponents in their tracks.

Sonic weapons do HALF damage through light ‘soft’ armors like MDC barding and padded armor.

The sonic vibrations can also be used to set up a resonance in hard armor that can stun or disorient living beings. Humans (and those most like them) will find these subsonic vibrations particularly irritating, the barely audible buzzing setting up painful discordance in their eardrums and auditory apparatus. Beings with enhanced hearing are particularly vulnerable to this attack (DOUBLE all penalties). Cyborgs and those with baffled hearing implants will NOT be affected by this.

Save versus psionic attack (12 or better) or be -1d4 to initiative, HALF all bonuses to strike/parry/dodge, and -1d4 to Maintain Balance. Roll under P.E. or fall unconscious for 1d6 melees.

Power Armor and EBA-wearers will be more susceptible to the effects of resonance, owing to their close proximity to the materials being affected. The effects are greatly diminished to occupants on a vehicle owing to the many interior structures that serve to dissipate and insulate the sound waves.

#### Laser Vambraces

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Simbas can wear the same claw-and-laser gauntlets as other Male and Female Shemarrians, but also have integral retractable claws in their fingers. Simbas, however, prefer ripper-blades that leave more jagged wounds and are silver-plated for extra utility against supernatural opponents, and many swap the lasers out for particle beams (as in the Shemarrian Puls-Gauntlet), trading range for raw damage.

#### ThunderPunch

 Damage

The knuckles of the Simba’s fists are fitted with a short range plasma discharger based on the Gargoyle Empire’s Blaster Knuckle Duster; on contact it blasts the target with extra damage.

Target loses initiative and is -2 to roll with the shock/impact.

### Programming/Skills

Standard Shemarrian Combat skills, plus the following:

* Boxing
* Wrestling
* 2 additional Ancient W.P.s of choice

### Combat

Simbas are strong melee fighters, on par with War Chieftains, but have limited built in ranged weapons, usually preferring to carry heavy infantry weapons.

Actions/Attacks Per Melee: +2

Note: Bonuses are in
addition to those possible from the Shemar’s elective training

Pin/Incapacitate on a Natural 18-20