Nautika

“BLAST THOSE CORVETTES!!!”

“Never mind the corvettes! KILL THOSE OTHER THINGS!!! Several dozen just dropped next to the station! BLAST THEM BEFORE THEY CAN GET UNDER THE GUNS!!!”

“What the HELL are those things?! I just blasted one of them with the Demolisher Guns and it kept coming!”

“What things?! I can’t see them!!!”

“THAT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE ALREADY UNDER OUR TURRET ARCS!!!! THEY’RE -CRAWLING- ALONG THE OUTER HULL!!”

“##--##!!!##--##!!!Just lost Turret Eighteen!!!”

“That’s next to the main hangar hatch!!! Get me visuals on it!”

“We’ve got red lights across the board there! Breach imminent!”

“WHAT WAS THAT??!!”

“---ozen just came in! #@@-ring in the central ba---”

“That’s it, then! Attention!! All security troops, draw heavy weapons and converge on the main docking bay tunnel! Prepare to repel boarders!”

## Nautika Deep Space Warmount

The ‘Nautika’ is another strange Warmount, one meant for space operations, but also adapted for marine operations (it’s unclear which came first). It first appeared in the ranks of the DarkWaters.

### Description

The Nautika is a spinoff design of the ‘Octas’. Like the Octas, the Nautika Warmount is actually controlled from a cabin INSIDE the vehicle/roboid, rather than from an external saddle. Like the Octas, however, the Nautika is known to be possessed of an animalistic Ecotroz Entity essence.

The Nautika resembles a chambered nautilus mollusc, or perhaps a Murex Metzla (a known Minion species of the Shemarrian’s detested and racial enemies, the Splugorth). The main body is a heavily armored shell, with an armored cockpit buried in the front end. Immediately in front of the cockpit bulge are six retractable tentacles and four claw manipulators. Unlike the Octas, the Nautika is propelled by a contra-gravity engine, so it can actually fly in atmosphere, albeit somewhat awkwardly. In space, the Nautika is perfectly capable and highly maneuverable, and can serve as a fighter or light gunship.

### Use

Heavily armored and capable of carrying quite heavy armaments, the Nautika is however primarily used as a utility vehicle, asteroid mining craft, and hazardous environment exploration ‘mule’. Its combat capabilities allow it to conduct its work relatively unmolested. However, when called upon, the Nautika is a potent combatant, frequently used a gunboat picket, defense escort, and as a weapons platform in support of station assaults and boarding actions.

Thus far, the Nautika has appeared only among the DarkWaters and SilverMoons.

## Abilities

The Nautika is not designed for ground movement, but is able to crawl about using its tentacles, but generally uses its contra-grav propulsion system to fly about.

Can make atmospheric re-entry without assistance, but has difficulty climbing back OUT of a gravity well. It is possible, but will take a long time.

#### Radar

A radar with a range of 60 miles is standard on Nautikas

### Special Systems

#### Molecular Clamps

Used to attach the Warmount to a parent carrier spacecraft, asteroid, or enemy spacecraft/space station.

### Weapons Systems

#### Pulse Laser

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire

The main weaponry of the Nautika is a single medium (by starship standards) pulse laser mounted in the nose.

#### Claw Armatures (4)

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire

These powerful robotic claws can nip through a spacesuited arm or leg, or pry open an airlock or hull panel with ease. Each claw also mounts a small pulse laser in it, that can be used as a cutting tool.

#### Tentacles (6)

 Damage
 Damage2

Each of these extremely flexible tendrils can reach out 20 ft.

#### (Optional) Lateral Weapons Rings (2, 2 hardpoints each)

The Nautika sports two revolving axial ring-points, each fitted with two articulated hardpoints that can be used to mount weapons. Each hardpoint can hold ONE of the following:

##### Mini-Missile/Laser Launcher

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

These are mini-missile/laser weapons, similar to mini-missile rifles found on the Ironback, but are fixed weapons. Each carries 20 mini-missiles and a single laser. These launchers would become one of the more common point defense weapons on large warmounts and starships used by the Darkwaters and many of the other Tribes.

##### Rail Gun

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

A standard rail gun, based on the Shemarrian 6000 series. A common weapon on many warmounts and ships.

##### Pulse Laser

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire

A fairly common pulse laser design for warmounts and fighters. A common alternative to the rail gun mount. Many mount a mix of the laser and rail guns.

##### Ion Cannon

 Damage
 Rate of Fire

An ion cannon modified to operate underwater, and has a scatter shot mode, quite useful in affecting a large number of targets, especially useful during boarding operations.

Ion Scatter-Shot Mode: Reduce range to 2,000 ft, but does 5d6 MD to a 30 ft wide area.

##### Plasma Cannon

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire

A common plasma cannon design.

##### Particle Beam Cannon

 Range2
 Damage
 Damage2
 Rate of Fire

A particular favourite weapon among the Darkwaters, boasting decent range and able to fire double blasts.

##### Electronic Cloaking Pod

Integrates with the Nautika’s own aeroshield/forcefield to electronically mask the ‘steed from detection. A single ECP adds +20% chance of eluding detection (or -20% to enemy Read Sensory Instrument rolls). A second pod will only add an additional +15%

##### Plasma Torpedo Pod

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire

This weapon was acquired from the Blood Riders as a heavy weapon option for the Nautika for use against larger targets.

### Programming

The Ecotroz have installed robot AIs into the Nautikas then infected the matrix with a low-level Ecotroz sentience.

Typically has the following:

 Movement: Zero Gravity
 Math: Basic
 Radio: Basic
 Basic Maintenance
 Underwater Navigation
 Track and Hunt Sea Animals

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

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Knockout/Stun
 Full Punch
 Power Punch
 Bite

The Nautika uses its ranged weapons as it closes, then smashes, pries and squeezes its targets with its tentacles. It does have a small mouth with which it can make bite attacks.

## Ecotroz Fragment

The Ecotroz intelligence fragment inhabiting the ‘bot gives the Nautika an aura and behavior more befitting a sentient being than a robot.

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.

Susceptible to Exorcism and Banish spells, but are +6 to save against such spells, +1 at levels 4, 8, and 12 of experience, and becoming IMMUNE at level 14 and up. Such Banishment causes the ‘bot to revert to its default robot programming. (OPTION: Ecotroz may become IMMUNE to Exorcism and Banishment with experience)

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-26Dw2

Submarine version used by the DeepWatch. It has slightly better handling and speed underwater, acoustic stealth, better underwater sensors, and a range of specialized underwater weaponry. Moving underwater or hovering over the water, it is frequently mistaken for a Murex Metzla.

#### Improved Underwater Handling

Maximum speed of 60 MPH, depth limit of 10 miles

#### Magnetic Anomaly Detector

Used for detecting metallic objects or items that give off a magnetic field, such as powerful electrical sources, mines, etc.

#### Anechoic Stealth

Stealth systems for underwater. Similar to the ECP, but does not take up a hardpoint and works against sonar.

#### Blue Green Lasers

Any and all lasers are modified to the blue-green frequency.

#### Underwater Armaments

In addition to the aforementioned lateral array accessory weapons, the K-26Dw2 can mount the following:

* Mini-Torpedos 20 shot pod

* Short Range Torpedos 6 shot pod

* Medium Range Torpedos 3 shot pod

* Long Range Torpedos One per hardpoint

##### Sonic Cannon

 Range2
 Damage
 Rate of Fire

A heavy sonic weapon, proving to be quite deadly underwater.

Underwater the area damage is doubled as is the blast area.

### EcoS-K-26Sm

Silvermoons version with laser-reflective chrome plating (lasers do HALF damage), and laser systems have 25% more damage and range.