Carrion Fly Swarm

As Clan Vespa expands it's manufacturing capabilities and nanotech, they have come out with more insect robots, some as weapons or defensive items, such as the Carrion Fly Swarm. The Carrion Fly Swarm is a large group of two inch long robotic flies that resembles a swarm, which usually fly about their assigned controller, or contained within a container to recharge their power cells. Once in flight, they have several uses, including using some or all as a means of distracting foes by flying and buzzing around, even nipping and climbing on faces, arms, hands, etc. In groups they can emit a buzzing drone sonic effect that can disorient, or even be used to emulate sounds of other creatures. Individual carrion flies can be used as surveillance bugs to record a few hours of audio and video. When surrounding their controller, they can absorb incoming damage by creating a low level force field, and even sacrificing themselves.

The robotic intelligence of the Carrion Flies is about equivalent of fairly intelligent animals, but are connected together as a hive intelligence, increasing the intelligence when grouped together in large swarms.

Carrion Fly drones are completely AI robots and are never Awakened, seen as tools. After Clan Vespa demonstrated the use of the swarm, the Lost Eclipse quickly sought the design for use with their Necromancer, using the Carrion Fly drones to simulate spells that summon insects. The helmets and communications of the Necromancer can easily control and give instructions to the swarm, especially when grouped together for a higher hive intelligence, allowing the swarm to act independently for a few hours, reporting surveillance intelligence the swarm gathers.

The swarm is usually kept in a specially designed container that looks like a wicker basket, about 1.5 ft diameter by 2 feet deep, holding 100 Carrion Flies. This container can recharge the flies and gets power via induction with the Shemarrian carrying it, or power hook up from a vehicle or war mount. An e-clip can be inserted near the bottom, recharging a full swarm in about an hour, but completely drains the e-clip. The container has 15 MDC and weighs 30 lbs. empty.

## Abilities

Carrion Flies are incredibly small and difficult to notice, attacks suffer -3 to strike, if the opponent is even aware of it.

Each Carrion Fly has an effective IQ of 6, but when in groups of 20 or more, gain +1 IQ for the group per 20 additional flies, allowing a large swarm to operate independently quite effectively with missions of spying. The flies must be within 30 feet for this additional boost in IQ.

### Systems of Note

* Multi-Optics
* Thermo-Optics (100 ft range)
* Camera/Video Eye w/ live transmission
* Basic Audio
* Radio, range: 20 miles
* Motion Detector (500 ft range)
* Recording Chip---Stores up to 8 hours of recorded observations.
* Modulating Voice Synthesizer Chip---Allows the Carrion Fly to imitate a variety of natural sounds, such as animal calls.

### Special Systems

#### Buzzing Drone

A group of 10 or more Carrion Flies, with the use of their audio systems and the buzzing of their wings creates a buzzing drone that is highly distracting. With the use of the radio system, it can even affect targets within armour, flooding radio systems with the drone. All within 15 feet, +5 feet for each additional 5 Carrion Flies, of the group must save vs insanity 13 (+1 per ever 10 Carrion flies over the initial 10 to a maximum of +5, bringing the save to 18) or suffer -1 attack/melee, -2 to all perception and -15% to all skills requiring any concentration for as long as the Carrion flies maintain the drone +1d4 melees afterwards. The target must make a new save every two melee rounds (30 seconds) they are within range of the droning. The buzzing drone can be used while the force field is operational, with the effects focused outside of the protective field, keeping those inside the force field immune to the effects.

Distraction

A group of 10 or more Carrion Flies will fly about and on a target causing as must of a distraction as possible, getting in the way of optics, nipping at bare skin, buzzing, getting in the way of triggers, etc. The target must make a save vs insanity 12 (+1 for every 10 carrion flies over the initial 10 to maximum save of 18) or suffer -1 attack, -2 to strike, dodge and parry, and can not make use of auto dodge.

Force Field

A group of 50 or more Carrion Flies can create a force field with a strength of 30 MDC, +5 MDC for every 10 over the initial 50,that can regenerate at a rate of 5 MDC per minute. The Carrion Fly swarm can maintain the field for 5 minutes +1 minute per 10 flies over the initial 50. The force field covers a 10 food diameter area, which is usually centered on the controller or an ally the controller designates. The flies fly around the perimeter of the area with the force field energy flowing between and around them. The constant movement of the Carrion Flies makes it difficult for anyone to get a clear shot shooting into the area, suffering a -1 to strike. Anyone inside the field can fire to strike targets outside the field, the flies, especially while protecting the controller easily move out of the way so they don't get hit.

Protective Armour

The Carrion Flies can crawl onto the controller, or an ally forming a set of protective, if squirming, armour, with a low level version of the force field to reinforce their structure. 50 Carrion flies are required to cover the main body of a humanoid up to 8 feet tall, with another 15 for each limb and 10 for the head, granting 60 MDC to the main body and 30 MDC to limbs or the head. Each additional 5 flies adds 5 MDC to any location they cling to. This armour can be maintained for 10 minutes and can only regenerate with the addition of more flies as the MDC is depleted, the robotic flies are being destroyed.

### Weapons Systems

#### Bite

 Damage

The heads are equipped with little mandibles, which can be used to hold wires or very small objects, but generally used in their distraction ability.

Damage: 1 S.D.C.  Technically ineffective against MDC creatures, but due to the design of the mandibles, when used as part of the distraction ability, they irritate the skin of MDC creatures, including creatures with scales, such as reptiles and even dragons.

### Options

#### Extended Abdomen

Carrion Flies can be fitted with an extend abdomen/thorax which can contain extra systems. The mini-pod adds extra drag (reduce maximum speed to 26 MPH) but allows the microrobot to carry extra systems such as the following based on the Vespina, although smaller:

##### Drug Needle and Injector

Stinger needle does 1 SDC damage, plus chemical effects. Can carry enough chemical for 3 doses.

##### Acid Sprayer

Can spray an area (3 ft wide) with a corrosive that, depending on the specific agent involved, does 1d6 SDC for 1d4 melees, or 1 MD per melee for 1d4 melees. Has enough for 2 applications.

##### Tracer Chip Dispenser

The Carrion Fly can attach (via adhesive or injection under the skin) a small micro-tracer to a target. The chip can act as a passive transponder or as an active ‘pinger’ (3,000 ft range, 48 hour battery life). Can carry up to 5 chips.

##### Micro-Explosive(s)

The Carrion Fly can deposit a small explosive device, ranging from a detonator chip (does 1 SDC and useful for destroying circuitry or setting off larger explosives....up to 10 can be carried) to larger explosive devices. Also consult the following for other micro-explosives:

Weight:

* (.22) 1.9 grams
* (5.56mm/.22 ‘long’) 2.8 grams
* (7.62mm) 8 grams
* (9mm) 115 grams
* (15mm) 120 grams
* (20mm) 130 grams

Damage:

* (.22) 2d6 SDC to eight inch ft blast radius
* (5.56mm/.22 ‘long’) 6d6 SDC to 1 ft blast radius
* (7.62mm) 1d6x10 SDC to 1.5 ft blast radius
* (9mm) 9d6 SDC to a 2 ft blast radius
* (15mm) 2d4x10 SDC to a 2 ft blast radius
* (20mm) 4d6x10 SDC to a 3 ft blast radius

(MD)

* (.22) 1d4 MD to six inch ft blast radius
* (5.56mm/.22 ‘long’) 1d4 MD to 1 ft blast radius
* (7.62mm) 1d4 MD to 1.5 ft blast radius
* (9mm) 1d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius
* (15mm) 3d6 MD to 2 ft blast radius (\*uses more recent chemical technology)
* (20mm) 4d4 MD to 2 ft blast radius

Features:

Exploder Chip---A multi-mode detonator that be set for as little as a fifteen second count to as long as five minutes, or can be radio detonated.

Payload: The Carrion Fly can carry up to 90 grams of micro-explosives

##### Neural Stinger

Improved version of the Neural Stinger described in the Rifts Bionics Sourcebook(pg. 47). Targets are -8 to strike, parry, and dodge, plus reduce Speed and APMs by HALF. Four or more stings means that the victim must roll to save versus unconsciousness, a failed save meaning the victim is knocked out for 2d4 melees. The neural-stinger has enough power for 4 stings, then recharges at a rate of 1 sting per hour.

##### Flash-Blinder

The extended abdomen is actually a high-powered illumination source that can light up a 30 ft area, but can also produce a strobing effect similar to a Blinding Flash spell 6 (has enough battery power for 12 such flashes, recharges at a rate of 12 flashes an hour).

##### Ignitor

A modified soldering iron, that can be used to inflict a severe burn (1d6 SDC) or set materials on fire.

##### Extra Battery

This extends the operational time of the Carrion Fly to 14 hours. The battery can be used to power the force field, increasing the recharge rate to 5 MDC per melee round, and the swarm and maintain the field for 10 minutes, +2 minutes per 10 flies,  if at least 50 flies are fitted with the extra battery.

### Programming

* Detect Ambush 60%
* Detect Concealment 60%
* Intelligence 80%
* Basic Math 98%
* Radio: Basic 98%
* Prowl 85%
* Tracking 90%
* Navigation 86%
* Wilderness Survival 80%
* Computer Operation 80%
* Language: Can understand 5 different languages 80%

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Strike
 Roll
 Pull Punch

Carrion flies are not very effective as an offensive weapon, used more for distraction and defense, aiding the user or allies.