VIPER Heavy Weaponry

During the 1980's and early 1990's, VIPER wasn't totally useless against high-powered or competently-led teams like TASK FORCE. This is a sample of what was developed for the DFW Nest during Clayton Stiles' leadership by researchers in the Dayton, OH Nest.

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HEAVY METAL RIFLE

Developed to take on virtually-impregnable superhumans in the TASK FORCE universe such as Starforce, Tetsuronin, Lady Blue, Warlord, or Doctor Destroyer

Arm a squad with these puppies and use the agent rules that treat a squad as a n-shot autofire (n = number of agents in the squad) with an aggregate OCV of (highest individual OCV) + n - 1. Target a hex or two in front of the target, and watch the BODY accumulate on your target. On Starforce, for instance, you can count on 2 BODY and 0-10 STUN per shot hitting him before Damage Reduction

Example: A 4-man VIPER squad 8 meters from Starforce with heavy rifles attacks him in his Mark IV armor during the attack on Dormyer Manor. They all target in front of him and fire. Top agent OCV is 5, add 3 for the other members of the squad, and you have a squad at OCV 8 attacking a DCV 3 hex. The GM rolls an 11, so treating the squad as a 4-shot autofire means they hit on an 11, 13, and 15. Starforce takes a total of 3 BODY and 3 STUN from the squad's attack after his Damage Reduction kicks in, and is now bleeding. The GM had better hope that the agents were taught to spread out -- because Starforce is now pissed off enough to be using the nearest VIPER APC as a giant area-effect club with his suit's TK. There's a reason he's the Son of Doctor Destroyer...

Additional Note 1: Used against a power-armor wearer, this rifle assumes VIPER is not interested in recovering the armor's tech intact.

Additional Note 2: This attack would be useful against Minuteman or Diamond as well.

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SUPER ENERVATOR

Developed to knock out superhumans whom VIPER might be interested in 'researching'. And when we say 'researching', we mean 'vivisection' or 'experimentation'...

Example: A 4-man VIPER squad with Super Enervators 8 meters from Ranger attacks him as he drops out of the Speed Zone. Ranger has 10 Power Defense. They all target in front of him and fire. Top agent OCV is 5, add 3 for the other members of the squad, and you have a squad at OCV 8 attacking a DCV 3 hex. The GM rolls a 10, so treating the squad as a 4-shot autofire means they hit on a 10, 12, 14, and 16. After his remaining Power Defense, Ranger loses 22, 8, 10, and 20 END for a total of 60 END. Since he JUST dropped back out of the Speed Zone, he's got only 12 END left. -48 END means he takes 24d6 NND STUN. G'night, Ranger...

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SONIC FEEDBACK GENERATOR

Developed to use sonic-based superhuman's attacks against themselves.

Example: Mr. Bassman hits a VIPER agent equipped with a sonic feedback generator with an 18d6 Infrasonic Blast. The agent succeeds with his Block attempt, and reflects the attack back to Mr. Bassman. Mr. Bassman absorbs his own attack between -10 DC sonic attacks only and his forcefield. Mr. Bassman takes 3 STUN after defenses from his own attack and is now annoyed.

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FLECHETTE GRENADE

When you absolutely, positively, HAVE to hit the time-elemental or martial artist.

Example: It's the attack on Dormyer Manor in late 1992. A VIPER agent throws a flechette grenade 1 meter away from Ladyhawk. It detonates, filling a circular space 16 meters in diameter with nasty, sharp, pointy death. What she cannot avoid through her artful dodging or her combat luck gets absorbed via her armor. Ladyhawk takes only 6 STUN, and is not happy. Oh, by the way, Starforce saw this and has just made his roll to be enraged over Ladyhawk being threatened or hurt...

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Final note: The examples use the higher-powered versions of all these characters. These attacks are devastating against the lower-powered versions, such as in 'Escalation'