Octas

*“ARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!! I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT GET IT OFF MY SHHHIIIIIPPPPPP!!!!!!”*

*---Unidentified Exile Fighter Pilot, on a raid into suspected Shemarrian space, Inner Annach Gulf, Thundercloud Galaxy*

## Octas Deep Space Warmount

The ‘Octas’ is a bizarre Warmount that first appeared within the ranks of the Three Galaxies’ branch of the DarkWaters Tribe. The Octas resembles a cross between a Coalition States SpiderSkull Walker and a giant robotic octopus. The Octas is mainly used as a beast of burden during space mining, construction, and salvage operations, although it has also been used on occasion in support of space combat, especially boarding attacks.

The Octas was at first mistaken for a vehicle, but in fact it is an Ecotroz Warmount, with an embedded psionic sentience. The Octas is one of only a handful of Warmounts with internal cabins, where the rider(s) direct the warmount entity from INSIDE. Unusually, the Octas HAS been infected with an Ecotroz animal-intelligence, though what major benefit this confers to the operation of the construct (as opposed to a simple machine) remains to be discerned by outsiders.

The Octas is deployed in space, primarily, although it can operate on a planetary surface, and even underwater in limited fashion. The Octas is a favorite ride of choice of EShemar Tinkers/Spinsters for its utility functions.

The Octas first appeared in the ranks of the Darkwater clan, but has subsequently been seen in the stables of the Silvermoon and SkullCrushers. A number of marine-adapted Octas have reportedly appeared among the Horrorwoods forces.

## Abilities

Although the head is about 14 ft wide, the flukes extend another 3 ft on each side.

The tentacles of the Octas are 30 feet long, able to raise the body up 20 feet off the ground and still move, with 10 feet of tentacles on the ground.

### Special Systems

#### Molecular Adhesion Pads

The tentacles of the Octas are fitted with large molecular adhesion pads
to better attach itself to ships, structures, and other objects.

#### Anti-Laser Aerosol Cloud Sprayer

Imitating squid, the Octas can spray a defensive cloud of metal vapor and suspended micro-beads in its immediate proximity. The cloud acts like combined chaff and anti-laser aerosol, breaking up lasers and producing a confusing hash of radar returns, hopefully long enough for the Octas to escape behind its cover.

* Range: 60 ft; in air and water the resulting cloud will cover roughly 50 square feet, in space it can cover a 100 ft area.

* Duration: Depends on conditions. In air and water, the cloud will persist only for 1 melee. In space, the cloud will persist for 1d6+1 melees before dispersing.

* Damage: None. However, lasers firing through the cloud will do HALF damage, and radar is -75% to achieve a lock on the Octas. Radar- and laser-guided weaponry will be -7 to strike.

* Rate of Fire: Once per melee

* Payload: Enough for 15 deployments.

### Weapons Systems

#### Weapons Turrets (2)

The Octas mounts two small weapons turrets, one dorsal and one ventral. Each one can be fitted with ONE of the following:

##### Pulse Laser Cannon

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Damage3
 Rate of Fire

A fairly standard pulse laser cannon that is common among all the tribes on warmounts and fighter craft.

##### Ion Cannon

 Damage
 Damage2

Another common weapon among the Darkwaters.

* Ion Scatter-Shot Module: This is a barrel mod that turns the cannon into a short range shotgun with an area of effect blast. Reduce range to 2,000 ft, but does 5d6 MD to a 30 ft wide area.

* Ion Booster Module: Another mod that boosts the range of the ion bolts, albeit with a small reduction in damage capability. Reduce damage to 1d4x10 MD, but boost range to 7,000 ft.

##### Particle Beam Cannon

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire

A fairly common weapon among the Darkwaters, with the capacity of double blasts.

##### Rapid-Fire Rail Gun

 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

A common pattern rail gun design, not based the Shemarrian rail gun.

#### Beak Cutter

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire

Situated at the base of the main body/head, between all the tentacles, is a powerful robotic jaw and plasma cutter, behind which is situated a heavily armored hatch leading to the interior cabin. This allows the Octas to drill into a structure and provide direct access to its interior from inside the Octas.

#### Tentacular Weapons Hardpoints (8)

The tentacles of the Octas can each be fitted with a weapon or tool.

Tools

Similar to those fitted/available to Mining ‘Borgs

##### VibroSaw

 Damage
 Damage2

High-powered cutting tool, useful in both construction, salvage and combat situations.

##### Microwave Projector

 Damage
 Rate of Fire

Typically used for thermal-setting various materials, but can also be used as a weapon.

Damage: Does 4d6 SDC, 2d6 SDC through EBA, and 1d4 SDC through robot and spaceship hulls, per 30 seconds of exposure (2 melees).

##### Chemical Sprayer

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Typically used for applying primers, paints, anti-corrosion coatings, fire retardants, and other industrial chemicals, but can also be used to spray corrosives and chemical warfare agents.

Damage: Varies by chemical used; typically loaded with paint (blinding agent) or corrosives

##### Polymer Coccooner

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

This is a sprayer/spinneret used to exude polymer string that can be used as tough cord or as a wrapping. It was inspired by a Horrorwoods design and adapted with their permission.

Damage: None. A single 1-inch strand of the synthetic spider-web can hold up to 3 tons and has 1 MDC per 10 ft length; more if braided.

Used to coccoon-spray a target, the cannon can spray up to 50 MDC in one attack, so if the Octas uses four of its attacks on wrapping a single target, it can create a web shell with 200 MDC, or generate a 2,000 ft line in a single melee.

Payload: The Octa’s ready-reserve has 2,000 MDC worth of polymer matrix ready to go; once expended, it must restock from outside sources (the Octas lacks the onboard nanofac of the Aracha Warmount that inspired the system) or additional tanks must be carried.

### Programming

The Ecotroz have installed a robot brain roughly equivalent to a work drone then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience. The Octas intelligence has the I.Q. of a well-trained chimpanzee (I.Q. 12), and can be trusted with simple, routine tasks like replacing modular components, cleaning solar panels, and changing fuses.

Typically has the following:

 Movement: Zero Gravity
 Math: Basic
 Radio: Basic
 Basic Maintenance

The Ecotroz entity can also pick up one Secondary skill at levels 2, 6, and 12 of experience, though the nature of the Octas intelligence and design is such that it is limited to skill selections from Technical: Language (understanding) and Lore, Espionage (Detect Ambush, Detect Concealment), and Wilderness (Track Humanoids, Track Animals, Hunting, Identify Plants and Fruits).

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Disarm
 Power Punch
 Bite
 Crush w/ Tentacles

The Octas will attack with ranged weapons and its tentacles, preferring to smash then grapple and crush its targets.

## Ecotroz Fragment

The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Octas an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot. In general, the Octas tends to be extremely patient, loyal, and devout, and responds with aggression only when threatened, or its master is attacked. If left alone without anything to do, however, Octas may become twitchy, flexing their tentacles, playing with loose objects in their vicinity, and wandering around their stables/hangars (they have been known to pick up and play with smaller E-animals and robots, like Gekkers, much to the latters’ displeasure).

The Ecotroz fragment does occasionally need sleep/rest...though they only need 2 hours of rest/meditation per 24 hours...they can push this, going without for as many days as they have I.Q. points, but will have to go dormant for 4d6 hours after such exertion.

Note also that the Ecotroz-possessed ‘bot can infect other bots with the Ecotroz viral-entity, by bite or sustained touch (takes 3 attacks).

## Variants

### EcoS-K-25Sm

The Silvermoons use their Octas much as the Darkwaters do; for space mining and construction. The Silvermoon variant (nicknamed the ‘silver squid’) is plated in laser-reflective armor and can deploy solar collectors between its arms (at a very low efficiency this allows the Octas to solar sail, but it also allows it to reflect light in directed fashion). The solar collectors can be used to provide additional power to the laser systems when in direct sunlight.

#### Solar Collectors (8)

Each panel is relative fragile (30 MDC each) but if deployed, they give the Octas’ laser weaponry a 25% increase in damage power while the Warmount is in direct open sunlight

### EcoS-K-25Sc

The SkullCrushers also deploy a version of the Octas, optimized as a space combat monster with additional armor, more powerful armature armaments, and a greater crush strength

#### Additional Armor

The Main Body has 800 MDC, each arm 140 MDC

#### Enhanced Damage

* Pry 5d6 MD

* Crush 1d4x100 MD per a full melee (15 seconds) in a full tentacle clench.

#### Armature Armaments

Rather than tools, the SkullCrushers have fitted more powerful weaponry to their Octas:

* Plasma Burner: 0 ft range, does 4d6x10 MD per full melee burn

* Heavy Vibroblade: 6d6 MD damage

### EcoS-K-25Hw

The Horrorwoods variant has been optimized for terrestrial and submarine combat. A similar variant is also used by the Darkwaters’ DeepWatch.

#### Underwater Operations

Can swim at speeds up to 45 MPH, and depths down to 4 miles.

#### Blue-Green Lasers

Optimized for underwater penetration (no range penalty).

#### Chameleon-Camouflage

Based on the Naruni Nomad Scout Robot, this system. This system changes color in 1d4 melees and gives the 'bot a limited stealth ability (-20% to Detect Ambush and Detect Concealment roles to find the thing). Also masks the ‘bot's thermal and infrared emissions, making heat sensors useless.