A.S. Epitome
Prototype Airship
Description
Artifact 3
Enhancements: Defense +2 (+2 Enhancements); Handling +2 (+4 Enhancements); Cloaking 2 (+4 Enhancements); Crew Req. -50% (+2 Enhancements)
Limitations: Passengers -50% (-2 Enhancements); Requires Special Fuel (-2 Enhancements); Requires Maintenance (-4 Enhancement+)
+ = Craft: Mechanics (Difficulty 3) after each flight to keep the vehicle operational.
| Vehicle | Size | Def | Strc | Spd | Han | Crew | Pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epitome | 8 | 6 | 16 | 60 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
Machinegun Turret: Damage 8L (full autofire); Range 100 ft.
Cloaking: With the flip of a switch, fog generators pump out a thick mist that surrounds the airship and obscures it from view for the duration of the scene. Simultaneously, a periscope rises above the cloud to allow the pilot to see normally. It cannot move faster than its base move or it will lose its concealment “cloud.” Perception rolls to spot the airship suffer a -4 penalty. Cloaking can be used five times before the generators need to be replenished with “fog juice.”
Backstory
The Air-Ship Epitome is a highly experimental design, which consists of a shining, veined, tear-drop, gas-shell composed of Beryllium, surrounded by the fuselage of the ship (see rendering above). It was conceived of by Hephaetus Hix and designed with input from Howard Hughes, Buckminster Fuller, and the occasional off-hand remark from Nicola Tesla (whose promised “disintegration ray” has yet to be delivered…)
Although its engines are very temperamental and its fuel is rare and difficult to refine, it provides a number of advantages over regular airship travel, and features the ability to produce a smokescreen for camouflage for short periods of time.
