BIOROID INTERCEPTOR

(Version 1.0 - Last updated:  01/03/06)  

Background and RPG Statistics by Kenneth Olson

Based on an original mecha design by Tommy Yune, Jason Waltrip, John Waltrip, and Omar Dogan

Published in Wildstorm Comics "Robotech Prelude to the Shadow Chronicles" Volumes 2 and 3

BACKGROUND

After the liberation of Tirol in 2024, the Robotech Expeditionary Forces found itself with a large number of trained clones left behind by the Robotech Masters.  Eager to put these troops into combat against their traditional adversaries, the REF repaired nearly 1,000 old model Bioroids.  These allied Tiresian forces performed admirably during the Sentinel campaigns; however, by 2035 most of the units had been attrited through combat loses.  REF high command had to either restart production on the older Bioroid models or retrain the Tirolian clones to pilot the newer standard REF designs.  Nearly concurrently with this desision, the older REF Zentraedi pod designs were also in need of upgrading with nearly 60% of the original Pioneer mission compliment either destroyed or worn out.  After much consultation with their Zentraedi and Tiresian allies, the REF high command decided to design an upgraded system which would be used by both Zentraedi and Tiresian alike.  The newly created unit would use the basic Bioroid Invid Fighter design with an REF style cockpit and missile launcher.   Designers felt that by taking features familiar to both allied pilots the overall retaining could be minimized.  Although the allied Zentraedi forces quickly adapted the mecha as their own, retraining of the Tiresian clones proved difficult as they had trouble adjusting to the standard REF control systems and the use of an onboard missile system.

Like all Bioroids, the Interceptor can make use of Bioroids Sleds; however, the unit possesses considerable maneuverability on its own and mostly operates  without the use of the sled.  The Bioroid Interceptor mounts two Nakajima MBS-1A fusion plasma-ramjets in the rear of the unit. In addition to the booster mounted engines, two Pratt and Whitney JG94 fusion plasma-air/reaction mass intermix turbines are placed in the lower legs of the unit which can provide atmospheric breaking for the mecha even if the primary Nakajima engines are disabled.  The Bioroid Interceptor is extremely agile in space borne operations and is capable of maneuvering with the more conventional VFA-6 fighter squadrons.  However, in the atmosphere the Interceptor looses  most of this agility because of the aerodynamic drag and has performance similar to that of the Male Power Armor.

The Bioroid Interceptor was based on the standard Bioroid Invid fighter; however the two mecha only share approximately 40% common components.  The Interceptor is armored with a 4th generation Chobham ceramic composite armor which provides nearly 25% greater armor protection over the older Bioroid models.  The armor provides immunity from all light anti-mecha weaponry and moderate protection from medium class (55mm or less).  However, repeated strikes from heavy anti-mecha can penetrate the armor and thus disable the unit.

The primary weapon on the Bioroid Interceptor is an advanced version of the Bioroid Laser Drum.  The weapon is powered directly from its own Protoculture cell which provides for 30 MJ bursts up to 16 times per minute out to an effective combat range of 2,500 meters.  Long range fire support is provided by two PL-7 triple barrel laser cannons.  Each cannon is placed in a retractable mount on either shoulder and can fire 10 MJ bursts of energy out to an effective combat range of nearly 20 km.  To augment the Bioroid Interceptor's considerable direct attack weaponry, the unit mounts a MM-32 multi-missile system in both legs.  The weapon system is identical to that mounted on the lower legs of the VFA-6 with the exception that the four missile block in the upper inner leg mounts missiles instead of smoke dischargers on the standard VFA-6.

Nearly 1,000 Bioroid Interceptors were built from 2036 until 2044.  Allied Zentraedi units quickly formed and by 2038 nearly all of the older Z-1 Standard Pod and Z-2 Officer Pod designs had been replaced in front line units with the Bioroid Interceptor; although the older models would soldier on in reserve units for another decade.  As mentioned previously, allied Tiresian units took nearly 14 months before the first combat battalions began to form in 2039; however, Tiresian units were still using old model Bioroids as late as 2044.  The Bioroid Interceptor proved to be an extremely effective combat unit and although allied Zentraedi and Tiresian combat units took much higher losses than other REF units they had higher kill ratios than REF units armed with standard VFA-6.   During the Sentinel campaigns, units with Bioroid Interceptors would deploy after the fleet had positioned themselves around the Invid target planet.  The Interceptors would then engage any Armored Scouts or Shock Troopers in low orbit and then re-enter the atmosphere clearing the landing zones for the REF Destroid units.  By 2042, the design was beginning to show its age as the mecha proved incapable of allowing the introduction of the newly created shadow cloaking device.  Instead of building another version of an allied REF Bioroid, REF high command decided to place all the remaining units into strategic reserve and finally allow allied Zentraedi and Tiresian forces the use of veritech fighters.

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type:  Bioroid Interceptor

Class:  Bioroid

Manufacturer:  Robotech Expeditionary Forces
Crew:  One  Humanoid

Service History:  Served with the Robotech Expeditionary Forces from 2036 until 2044

		 
NOTES: 

1. Destruction of the Head will not disable the unit as with the Bioroid Invid Fighter, the Reinforced Pilot's Compartment will be exposed to attacks however
2. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha; however, because the Bioroids have multiple redundant systems only natural 20's will result in critical shots. Any critical shots which are not natural 20's will still result in double damage but no additional effects. 

SPEEDS:

RUNNING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

95 kph

LEAPING, SOLDIER CONFIGURATION:

50 ft (15 m) high or 197 ft (60 m) long without thruster

FLYING:

Max level speed :  500 kph (Mach 0.41) at sea level / 650 kph at 10,000 m (Mach 0.59) / 750 kph at 30,000 m (Mach 0.71)
Stall speed : None (VTOL rectification possible)
Initial climb rate :  15,000 meters per minute with boosters
Service ceiling : 20 km (unboosted).

DESIGNED G LIMITS:

+12.0/-6.5 (Computer overrides at 9.5 G)

MAX ACCELERATION:  SPACE

3.5  G

DELTA V:

10.9 kps with 4,500 kg of D₂0

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT

7.0 m

BREADTH:

2.8 m

DEPTH:

2.7 m

WEIGHT:

18 metric tons

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:

Equal to a P.S. of 60

CARGO:

Small compartment in pilot's compartment for personal weapons and equipment

POWER PLANT:

2x RRL-2R miniaturized Protoculture-cell energizers each providing a total of 850 MW of power

MAX ENGINE THRUST:

[Main] 2 x NAKAJIMI MBS-1A FUSION PLASMA SHOCK EXPANSION ENGINES:  Each engine is mounted in its own dedicated thruster pack on the rear of the mecha.  Each thruster can provide a maximum thrust of 165 kN (200 kN augmented) in the atmosphere or 85 kN (120 kN) using internal reaction mass in space (specific impulse of 5000 sec).

[Auxiliary] 2 x  PRATT & WHITNEY JG94 FUSION PLASMA-AIR/REACTION MASS INTERMIX TURBINES:  Each engine is mounted in the lower legs of the unit and can provide atmospheric breaking for the mecha even if the main engines are disabled.  Each thruster can provide a maximum thrust of 45 kN (70 kN augmented) in the atmosphere or 90 kN (110 kN augmented) using internal reaction mass in space (specific impulse 4500 sec)

FUEL CAPACITY

16 standard canisters of Protoculture

4500 liters of D₂0 for reaction mass

COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS:

Tirolian Skysled  

 

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. 1 x ADVANCED BIOROID BLASTER:  A derivative of the standard Bioroid Blaster, the advance model fires particle beam blasts in full automatic mode out to an effective combat range of nearly 2.5 km before the beam looses coherence.  The weapon is powered directly from its own dedicated Protoculture energizer which can provide energy for 30 MJ burst up to 16 times per minute or a 15 MJ burst at over twice the firing rate.
   
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: 8200 ft (2500m)
   • DAMAGE: 1D6*10 for each 15 MJ short burst or 2D6*10 for each long
     
   • RATE OF FIRE:  Up to ten short bursts or four long bursts per melee
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively unlimited

    

2. (Optional) 1 x DISRUPTOR BIOROID BLASTER:  The Disruptor Bioroid Blaster was designed to replace the standard hand weapon with one which could punch holes through Invid force fields.  Several hundred disruptor based Bioroid blasters were produced during the early months of 2042.  The design proved sound, however, as the Bioroid Interceptor could not be retrofitted with the newly introduced shadow cloaking technology, REF high command decided to shelve the project and place the remaining Interceptors into strategic reserve and hence the project was shelved.
   
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Force Field Disruption
   • RANGE: 6500 ft (2000m)
   • DAMAGE: 2D4*10 per blast
     
   • RATE OF FIRE:  Up to six times per melee
   • PAYLOAD: 60 blasts
   • NOTES:  Against Invid hive's forces fields, one blast has an 80% chance of creating a 1D4*10 ft hole for 2D4 minutes.  One blast will obliterate the force field used to block exterior hive entrances for a duration of 4D6 minutes.  Similar effects will result when used against Zentraedi or other types of force fields

    

3. 2 x PL-7 TRIPLE BARREL LASER CANNONS:  The PL-7 triple barrel pulse laser are the Bioroid Interceptor's primary long range weapon system.  Each cannon can fire three rapid fire laser bursts with a combined output of nearly 10 MJ to an effective combat range of 20 km.  The weapon is usually retracted inside armored mounts to prevent damage once combat occurs within the weapon's minimum range, typically 1,000 meters.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: 20.0 km
     
   • DAMAGE:  1D4*10 per triple shot from each cannon or 2D4*10 for both cannons firing simultaneously
     
   • RATE OF FIRE: Up to six times per melee
   • PAYLOAD: Effectively unlimited
   • NOTES:  These weapons have difficulty tracking targets at ranges of less than 1,000 meters.  Targets within this range are -2 to strike and targets are missed on die rolls of 1-7

    

4. MM-32 MULTI-MISSILE:   The MM-32 multi-missile system is largely derived from the lower leg hammerhead missile launchers found on the VFA-6 "Alpha" fighter.  However the largely ineffective smoke dispensers mounted in the upper inside leg launcher have been replaced with four additional short range missiles.  This gives the Interceptor over 50% the missile loadout of the standard VFA-6 while retaining a considerable long range direct attack arsenal.
   
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: Varies with short range missile type, (typically 1D4*10 for high explosive or 1D6*10 for plasma)
     
   • DAMAGE: Varies with short range missile type (typically 5.2 km for short range hammerhead)
   • RATE OF FIRE: In volleys of 1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 16, or all 32
     
   • PAYLOAD: 32 short range missiles

    

5. HAND TO HAND COMBAT:.  Like all Invid mecha the Overlord possesses a considerable ability to engage in hand to hand combat.
   • Punch:  6D6
   • Crush with Hand:  5D6
   • Tear or Pry:  4D6
   • Kick:  6D6
   • Body Block/Tackle:   4D6
   • Stomp: 1D4*10  MDC (only effective against small objects)

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE BIOROID INTERCEPTOR:

• ACTIVE SENSOR JAMMER WESTINGHOUSE ALQ-250(V): Internal ECM providing broadband protection.  Estimated system effective radiative power 40 dBW.
• AUTO-PILOT: The Bioroid Interceptor is equipped with a computerized auto-pilot, allowing the pilot to relax or even sleep during long voyages. The auto- pilot can be programmed with a single destination or a complex flight plan involving multiple speeds, directions, and destinations. The onboard computer will alert the pilot when the fighter is near its destination, and can also be set to automatically signal when sensors detect objects near the mecha. The auto-pilot was designed with long intra-system space journeys in mind.
• CHAFF AND FLARE DISPENSERS AN/ALE-50: 24 chaff and 24 flares are stored in each of the lower legs
• COMBAT COMPUTER IBM-200: The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets, and has a database of over 1,000 images stored in memory. The computer can identify and track up to 100 targets simultaneously. 
• EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
• INFRA-RED WARNING RECEIVER OLDELFT (IRWR):    Providing rear aspect protection from IR guided missiles
• HEAT AND RADIATION SHIELDS: Special shielding prevents the penetration of life threatening head and radiation. A radiation detection and alarm system are linked with the shields and will sound an alarm if there is a rupture in the shields and what the levels of radiation are.
• HOMING SIGNAL: The ejection seat of the Bioroid Interceptor is equipped with a homing device that enables rescue teams to locate a disabled craft or ejected life pod. The range of the signal is 400 miles (640 km). Most REF ships and mecha can locate and track a homing signal, and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
• LASER TARGETING SYSTEM: Range: 100 miles (160 km). Used for increased accuracy in the striking of enemy targets and is partly responsible for the mecha's strike bonus.
• LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
• OPTICS (INFRARED): Range: 2000 feet (610 m). This optical system projects a beam of infrared light that is invisible to the normal eye, but detectable by the mecha's sensors. The system allows the pilot to detect hidden/concealed objects by their IR reflectiveness. The beam will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics, however.
• OPTICS (NIGHTVISION): Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive light image intensifier that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient light which is electronically amplified to produce a visible picture.
• OPTICS (THERMAL IMAGER): Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive optical heat sensor that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects and converts that data into a false-color visible image. The system enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows, and through smoke, and also adds a +10% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill.
• RADAR AN/APG-91: X-band pulse Doppler radar.  Detection range against 0 dBsm target 140 km.  System consists of conformally mounted arrays in the main body, arms, and legs. 
• RADIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATION: Long range, directional communications system with satellite relay capabilities. Range: 600 miles (960 km) or can be boosted indefinitely via satellite relay.
• RADAR WARNING RECEIVER AN/ALR-80 (RWR):  Providing all aspect broadband protection from RF guided missiles. 
• SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture by the enemy, the pilot can activate the Bioroid Interceptor self-destruct system, which will cause the fighter to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time is set by the pilot). The explosive damage is contained within a 20 foot (6 m) area and inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated. The escape pod will be automatically ejected prior to the explosion unless the pilot overrides the ejection sequence.
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All REF mecha come equipped with a portable survival kit. Inside the small reinforced box is a medium-sized flashlight, two hand flares, one rocket flare, a compass, infrared distancing binoculars, a small mirror, a pocket knife, dehydrated and concentrated food (can be stretched into a five day supply for one person) and basic first aid items (aspirin, bandages, disinfectants, etc.)
• TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM: The Bioroid Interceptor is pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that provides him with pressurized breathing. The REF flight suit also contains an upper and lower g-suit that promotes blood circulation even during high-g turns, thus decreasing the possibility of pilot's blacking out in combat.

COMBAT BONUSES FOR BIOROID INTERCEPTOR:

• 4 attacks per melee plus those of the pilot
• additional attacks at levels 5 and 10
• +4 to roll with the punch
• +2 to strike
• +2 to parry
• +3 to dodge