Freebie: "Trooper Armjoe" (Gear)

Gleysian engineers understood all too well that they could not match the towering gigaframes and bio-titans of their rivals during the 3rd Aeon. While puretech had advantages in terms of practicality and efficiency, creating such staggeringly large machines without the assistance of magic proved to be impossible. This does not mean they didn't try.

"Troopers" were initially devised as a step between the mechanical-motion armor that the technocracy's infantry utilized and their own gigantic challenger to he gigaframe's supremacy on the battlefield. While this final step was never quite realized, numerous troopers were designed and produced in the latter part of the era. Most famously, a legion of them were destroyed by the wrath of the First Hero and the Sun-Machine in the first days of the 3rd Cataclysm.

While most of these weapons met a similar fate on the battlefield, a few have survived into the 4th Aeon: utilized by would-be overlords, maintained by collectors, or simply rusting away in some ancient, forgotten hanger. Trooper Armjoe is one of these, bearing a nickname given to it by junker who noted that unlike its closest equivalent (the Walker machines utilized throughout Outer World) it had arms.

TROOPER ARMJOE (Vehicle) 

Armjoe is a vaguely humanoid machine typical in size to a cart or other more common vehicle. Rather than a canopy or window, Armjoe's "head" contains a set of lenses that functions a bit like a scanner, transmitting images to a crystal pane inside its cockpit. Its metal arms and hands are quite sophisticated, not only able to make a fist and deliver devastating blows but also utilize tools and weapons. 

 

One could wax for quite some time about the specifics (and you can be certain at least half a dozen Helical Archive agents would, given the chance) but the important things to note is that troopers are humanoid vehicles that encase their pilot entirely. While currently being used for salvaging puretech from dangerous sites, even the humble Armjoe is unmistakably intended for combat.

 

Vehicle Use

• Crewing: 1 Pilot
• Fuel: Troopers include a Large Spell Engine. 2 Charges powers the machine for one day.
• Traversable Terrain: Any overland terrain. Troopers are not slowed by Difficult Terrain, as their humanoid limbs allow them to travel over a variety of surfaces.
• Inventory Slots: 20 Slots 
• Cost: 9 Gems
• Repairing or installing new things onto a trooper requires the ability to work with advanced gadgeteering items.

All the Vehicle Rules from the BREAK!! rulebook (including the notes on fighting with Vehicles) apply, though Troopers have some additional considerations if used in battle

•  Troopers... 
•  Move around a battlefield as if it had Supernatural Leaping.
•  Can fight as Massive Creatures and have a Sweep and Focus Attack based how they strike with their powerful mechanical limbs. They also benefit from Massive Might.
•  Have an Edge when making sunder attempts against structures or other vehicles. They are specifically designed for this sort of thing.
  
•  Have a Might and Grit of 12. They utilize their pilot's Deftness, Insight, and Aura.
•  Use the Pilot's Attack, though with an upper limit of +4 thanks to the controls simply not being able to keep up with those above a certain skill level. This cap is removed if an ATS (see below) is installed.

Damaging a Trooper is done via Sundering. They are made of a strong but non-magical alloy so they have an Object Defense Rating of Very Hard (18) and have 12 Hearts due to their size. It should be noted that the entire Trooper does not need to be destroyed - doing at least 6 Hearts of damage to the cockpit area exposes the pilot to attack. 

In addition, GM's may allow individuals with the ability to work with Advanced Gadgeteering Crafts to find ways to force the hatch open by succeeding in a set of linked contests with the pilot (Usually Insight versus Deftness, and then a straight Deftness Contest for the second) or allow for other, creative ways to work around the Trooper's defenses.

Trooper Customization

The Armjoe is a rather plain model bereft of bells and whistles, but other Troopers might include a variety of different features or have them added on later. Examples of these include but are not limited to:

• Anti-Infantry Sidearm: While about the size of a small pistol to the trooper itself, this gun is a large mechanical missile weapon with the rapid fire ability. They utilize special three-bullet clips for reloading. These are designed for troopers to use with one hand, any creature smaller than massive sized cannot use them properly. 
• Cost: 250 Coins
• Hover Thrusters: A series of mana-jets on the legs and back of the trooper allow it to float just above the ground, much like a skimmer. Traversable terrain now includes both the land and sea.
• Cost: 1 Gem
• ATS: Short for "Active Targeting System", this is a unique set of additional controls in a trooper's cockpit that allows for a pilot with an Attack of +5 or above to fully benefit from their Attack score, rather than be capped at +4. Troopers equipped with an ATS are usually marked in some special way, such as with a helmet crest, extravagant gilding, red colored shoulder, etc.
• Cost: 3 Gems