Rifts®: Megaversal Highway™
Crank Clarion
Quirky Junk Crab
Description:
Archetype:
Alignment: Scrupulous
Motivation: To return to his village a hero with new technologies and a shell rivaling anything seen in generations is his end-goal, but for now he just wants to learn about interesting technology and help people in need.
Disposition:
Race/R.C.C.: Junk Crab
Sex: Male
Age: 15
Height: 5’2”
Weight: 120lbs
Appearance:
O.C.C.: —
Level of Experience: 04
Current Experience:
Affiliations/Factions:
Attributes: I.Q. 10, M.E. 11, M.A. 19, P.S. 32 (Robotic), P.P. 17, P.E. 19, P.B. 08, Spd. 20 (40; without shell).
Attribute Bonuses/Penalties: P.S. is considered Robotic. Suffers penalties when outside of shell.
Hit Points:
S.D.C.:
M.D.C.:
Head & Neck: 40
Hands (2): 30 each
Arms (2): 55 each
Legs (4): 115 each
Main Body: 51
Shell Housing: 265
Horror Factor: None.
P.P.E.: 82
I.S.P.: 53
Attacks/Actions per Melee: 3 (6 if technology is being used).
Combat Bonuses: + 4 on Perception Rolls ( + 6 to detect a surprise attack or attack from behind, and to find salvage or when working with scrap and machines), + 2 on Initiative, + 2 to strike, + 1 to disarm, + 3 to pull punch, + 2 to parry, + 2 to dodge (+ 3; when flying with shell), + 4 to roll with impact.
Resistance/Saving Throw Bonuses: + 2 save vs. disease, + 2 save vs. magic, + 2 save vs. poison, + 8% save vs. coma/death.
Natural Abilities:
Amphibious.
Chemoreceptors. Base Skill: 74% + 2%; -20% to smell scents other than toxins, pollutants, or technological byproducts.
Climbing. Base Skill: 76%/56%
Create Armored Defensive Shell
Depth Tolerance: 5 miles (8 km).
Feelers: Junk Crabs are only at – 3 to all combat rolls when blinded or functioning in total darkness.
Limited Bio-Regeneration.
Nightvision 400 feet (122 m)
Prehensile Neck and Eye Stalks
Resistant to Cold (half damage, even magic cold does half damage).
Swimming (88%).
Legacy Power: Super-Sense Blind Sight
R.C.C. Skills
Language (Native): Oceanic at 92%
Language (Other): American 79% + 3%
Barter 48% + 4%
Boat Building 60% + 5%
Carpentry 50% + 5%
Electrical: Basic 60% + 5%
Field Armorer & Munitions Expert 70% + 5%
General Repair and Maintenance 70% + 5%
Jury-Rig 60% + 5%
Mathematics: Basic 80% + 5%
Mechanical: Basic 65% + 5%
Optic Systems 55% + 5%
Pick Locks 55% + 5%
Pilot: Water Scooters 77% + 5%
Pilot: Water Skiing and Surfing 72% + 4%
Radio: Basic 80% + 5%
Recognize Weapon Quality 55% + 5%
Recycle 70% + 5%
Salvage 70% + 5%
Sensory Equipment 55% + 5%
Undersea Salvage 70% + 5%
Weapon Systems 65% + 5%
Wilderness Survival 65% + 5%
W.P. Blunt
W.P. Sword
W.P. Energy Rifle
W.P. Net
W.P. Heavy M.D. Weapons
Hand to Hand: Junkcrabian/Crab-Fu
Additional Skills:
Level 2:
Electricity Generation 70% + 5%
Automotive Mechanics 45% + 5%
Ropeworks 50% + 5%
Magical Knowledge: Extinguish Fire (4), Frequency Jamming (15), Mend the Broken (10+), Mystic Fulcrum (5), and Negate Mechanics (20).
Spell Strength: 13.
Psionic Powers: Meditation (0), Object Read (6), Telemechanics (10) and Telemechanic: Mental Operation (12). Considered a Major Psychic.
Vulnerabilities: Needs to be in an aquatic/semi-aquatic environment or will die within 1D4 + 4 days.
Armor: Armored techno-shell.
Weapons: 1 Knockout Gas Canister, 7 Smoke Canisters, 5 Taser Guns, 2 Wilks 227 Pulse Laser Pistols and 7 Wilks 320 Laser Pistols. See Armored Techno-Shell weapons systems.
Ammo: 13 charged E-clips.
Equipment: Armored Techno Shell.
Money: 40 credit sticks containing 10 credits each. Crank doesn’t understand money so he just uses these to pay for food and tells them to keep the change.
Armored Techno Shell Mk 2.
Crew: One. The shell also has 2 sidecar-like seats on the outer sections of the shell for passengers, however they offer little protection.
M.D.C.: 265. Depleting the M.D.C. of the shell shuts it’s systems down completely, making it useless and only good for salvaging.
Speed:
Ground: The Techno Shell has no ground propulsion, except for the Junk Crab which carries it around.
Flying: With its hover jet systems; the Techno Shell is capable of sustained flight and VTOL capabilities. 60 mph (96 km) maximum. Maximum Height: 3,000 feet (914 m). Bonus: 1 to dodge when flying. +Power Supply: One standard EClip provides 48 hours of flight before it needs to be recharged. A long E-Clip provides 60 hours of use.
Aquatic: With the underwater turbo-jet systems installed in the shell, the Techno Shell is capable of on-surface cruising and underwater movement at a speed of 50 mph (80 km or 43 knots) maximum. Power Supply: One standard E-Clip provides 50 hours of propulsion before it needs to be recharged.
Statistical Data:
Height: 10 feet (3 m).
Width: 8 feet (2.4 m).
Length: 8 feet (2.4 m).
Weight: 18 tons.
Cargo: A lockable and watertight container the size of a steamer trunk to store spare E-clips, weapons and miscellaneous gear. There are plenty of places to hang sacks and bags onto the shell.
Weapon Systems:
Concealed Neural Mace:
Concealed NG-SE20 Laser Rifle:
Mini Missile Launcher Tubes (2):
Additional Systems of Note:
Concealed Extendable & Retractable Laser Torch:
E-clip Charging Unit: Recharges 1 E-clip at a time. Has a 15 year nuclear life.
Radio, Long-Range and Directional: 500 mile range.
Cost: There is no market value for an armored shell as a whole (not that a Junk Crab would ever consider selling their shell). However the components within the shell alone can sell for a considerable amount.
Bio:
Crank Clarion is a junk crab from the Clarion tribe (which derives their name from the Clarion trench where they first settled after coming to Rifts Earth) and was one of the Children of Iméra. Crank’s parents were part of a nomadic village and they through him out when he was 8 and told to only return when he had found a unique technology as well as building and impressive shell and finding a mate from another Junk Crab family; as was their tradition. He wandered around before he was found by another Junk Crab group who were under the employ of a Dr. Shore and they took him in to help him get a start on his mission. What Crank didn’t realise was that this would lead to him being put into the Zenith Day Project; succeeding Timothy Byron who was rejected and kicked from the project after it was uncovered that he was terminally ill.
After the events that occurred both on the island and on Tritonia years later, Crank needed answers. He was sick and he was not sure why; his body was changing and it all seemed to be linked to the medication he stopped taking and the people he used to work for. Crank went back to his former employers and in doing so, he discovered a great deal about the Children of Iméra and the Zenith Day Project. He learned what had happened to him but Crank no didn’t seek vengeance or justice; he just wanted no more part of it. A deal was struck that day between Crank and the researchers; in return for Crank’s silence about what had happened and a promise to not compromise their work, Crank would return to them only once per year to receive a year’s worth of the suppression medication. This arrangement was a win-win for both parties, as Crank got freedom and safety back into his life while the researchers no longer had to worry about Crank derailing their plans or bringing what he knew to authorities who could shut them down. There was another benefit though for the researchers; they were also able to viably see the long-term side effects of the suppression drugs on a non-humanoid. Now with Crank free of that section of his life, he was able to do this own thing and live his life how he wanted.
Unfortunately for Crank, he had trouble of letting go of the past. The other children and the horrible things that happened did bring them all together and they were so much of his life for so long. But to Crank’s dismay, almost all of this children were ‘growing up’ and growing apart and not many seemed to really have time for Crank anymore.To Crank’s dismay, he once again had no idea what to actually do with this new freedom. He could go find work at a scrap yard or repair shop, but that would never get him any closer to achieving his goals. For the next year he just spent it travelling; trying to find something to bring excitement and happiness back to his life. He realise that what he really missed was adventure and danger; sure he and his friends almost died quite a few times but those were times he looks back on as some of his favourite memories.
A few days before the first anniversary of achieving his ‘freedom’, Crank found the excitement and adventure he was looking for, although he never imagined it turning out the way it did. Crank awoke from his sleep to the sound of someone moving around near him outside his shell. He heard a soft voice say ‘What the hell is this; a pile of junk just lying here by the beach? Oh well I think I could hide here…’ followed by the noise of the door of his shell open up. To this day, neither of them really know who was more surprised as to what they found that day. From Crank’s perspective he saw the silhouette of a petite young woman cascading in from the searing morning sun. The sound of two screams echoed out on that beach that morning. It was obvious that she was running from someone so Crank stretched out of his shell, allowing this young girl to climb in and hide.
As it turned out, this young girl was running from a group of thugs who attacked her.
Her story: She was jumped by a bunch of creeps and she fought them off valiantly and ran 2 miles under laser fire to this beach to hide from them before they found her.
What actually happened: It was one guy who tried to mug her a block away from the beach, she kicked him in the crotch, took his laser pistol and ran a block away not realising that this way only led to the ocean.
Regardless of the less than heroic truth of her story, Crank instantly took a liking to her.
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