Battle Standard

*“Rally to the battle honors, girls! Rally to the battle honors! The Goddess spreads her wings over us and we’ll not be found wanting for courage in Her name!”*

## EShemar Battle Standard ADL-Staff

 Weight
 MDC of Weapon
 Range
 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Damage4
 Rate of Fire
 Payload
 Original Tribe
 Special Note
 Special Note2
 Special Note3
 Special Note4

This device is a development of the Shemarrian Star Nation Silvermoons Tribe, appearing with its mirror-chromed phalanxes on the field of battle. The ADL-Staff looks like an oversized ancient Roman legion battle standard, a thick pole topped by an ornate Shemarrian icon (or several), with a metal or crystal globe on top. Though it indeed serves as a battle flag or banner-standard and rallying point for Silvermoon formations, it has an even more practical purpose as close air defense, its icons concealing an elaborate target sensing and acquisition system, and the globe a laser point defense weapon. The ADL Staff is meant to defend against incoming tactical missiles and mortar artillery rounds, but it also has some capability against regular direct fire projectile weapons, including rail gun rounds.

The ADL-Staff is carried in battle by a chosen warrior (it is considered an honor to be the standard-bearer). When action is called for, the staff is set upright in the ground, the shaft deploying stabilizing pylons and a Glitterboy-style laser pylon to anchor it in position (in the alternative, the Warmount it is carried on grounds and locks in position), and the staff sensors activated and calibrated (takes about fifteen seconds/one melee round). The ADL Staff MUST be standing still to be effective; it CANNOT be used on the move. The staff is set with an automated response system, its simple onboard A.I. managing a point defense program for intercepting incoming artillery. The weapon can be used to directly attack other targets, including ground targets, but that requires the staff-bearer to override and take direct-link control of the staff, the gunner using her own senses to target (use the gunner’s W.P. Heavy MD Weapons skill). Power is provided by a portable nuclear power pack (10 year energy life) carried by the staff-bearer. The Staff uses superior Silvermoon laser systems for maximum range for the tactical system. While pretty in its polished and ornate mirror-finish, the Staff is also laser-resistant, its shiny finish reflecting laser beams as effectively as the armor-chrome of the Silvermoon warriors it stands guard over.

### Size

Most battle standards are 13 ft tall, although some, usually War Goddess personal battle standards, can be up to 20 ft tall.

### Bonuses

+6 to strike airborne targets like missiles (and missile volleys), artillery rounds and aircraft/flying opponents (must be traveling higher than 10 ft off the ground). Will strike, unless otherwise directed, targets plotted as heading towards the center of its designated protected area first.

It is less effective against rapid-fire burst solid projectiles; the system can make a single roll to strike an incoming railgun burst of 20 rds, but burns up all its ten attacks vaporizing ten of the slugs, reducing the burst’s damage by HALF, but the remaining ten kinetic slugs will still come in and strike.

### Laser Reflective Finish

The Staff is finished in the same laser-reflective chrome as covers Silvermoon armor; lasers do HALF damage.

### Automated Fire Mode

Can be set to fire automatically on targets entering range.

Extendable Laser Anchor Pylon

Copied directly from the Chromium Guardsman (aka ‘Glitterboy’) power armor, this feature telescopes fro the shaft up to 4.5 ft and can do 1d6 MD on an impalement attack.

Nuclear Power Pack

A portable fusion mini-power pack can be clipped to the Staff (+46 lbs
for the pack, 10 year energy life).

Exclusively produced by the Silvermoon Tribe, though they have been known to grant or award ADL Staffs to deserving allied Tribe units (most commonly the Horrorwoods, Darkwaters, and, increasingly, the Skullcrushers). May have been the inspiration behind the Horrorwoods’ Laser Sky-Sweeper Trees.