The Thruster Raiden Tactical, also known as the T-RIDEN-T or the Trident, is a Superheavy mechanised unit developed by the Thruster Unity. It was designed in 2013 and the first functional prototypes were developed in mid-2015. Production models were later fielded by the end of 2015. The Trident was originally conceived as a solution to the "Evangelion Problem"- the lack of reliable, non-excessive methods to disable to destroy an Evangelion unit other than another Evangelion. The designs were stolen by the Liberated Nations when it was revealed that many Thruster scientists and engineers were actually LN agents or sympathisers. The UN subsequently devoted most of its war resources to maintaining the Evangelions. Thus, for the remainder of the LN War, the Trident was mostly associated with the LN, especially its elite NeoSpartan Attack Corps.
The Trident is a strange construct. Whereas most Superheavy units- the Solace, the Destroyer, the Titan- are bipedal in reaction to the Evangelion, the Trident has a hunchbacked sauropod frame. This design had problems and benefits quite different to that of the Eva or other Superheavies. The Trident Mark 1 was riddled with design problems- it was designed to be able to achieve flight, yet required massive fuel canisters that could only maintain flight for minutes. However, in order to achieve weight levels low enough for flight, the Trident ended up sacrificing much of its armoured capabilities without actually being that maneuverable.
The Trident Mark 2 saw marked improvements in practically every way over the Mark 1. New machining methods allowed for a thicker armoured shell with negligible weight increases; advances in portable positron technology allowed the Mark 2 to be outfitted with a reliable positron reactor, reducing its weight and allowing the bulky, volatile fuel tanks to be removed. Advanced weapon design techniques permitted the Trident to be outfitted with heavier 'calibre' weaponry than ever before. The Mark 2 design was so successful that it was adapted into two distinct variants- the Interceptor and the Artillery variants, with the Interceptor type designed on close-range combat with the Artillery type designed for devastating long-range combat. In combat, the Mark 2 performed well enough, although even with the improvements, match ups against Evangelion units were typically in the Evangelions' favour. A notable engagement between Tridents and Evas was the Battle of Almeria, a pitched battle between the LN's First Superheavy Regiment and the Paris and Eden Eva Detachments. The Evas carried the day, but not without suffering heavy damage in the process. The legendary Grendel, the Trident piloted by Raphael Guillory, was a Mark 2 Artillery Type.
The Trident Mark 3 is the latest model, although it is not the revolutionary upgrade that the Mark 2 was over the Mark 1. Instead, it would be fairer to call the Mark 3 a 'Mark 2.5'; it is an updated model, designed so that existing Mark 2s could be retrofitted with enough modern technology to be useful on the battlefield without requiring their owners to have to resort to making more of them.
The Mark 3 doesn't have the durability of the D-Titan, nor does it have the agility of the E-Destroyer. What it does have is a stocky frame capable of mounting weapons that even an Evangelion would struggle to carry.
Special Rules and Notes
The T-RIDEN-T requires the Operate (Superheavy) skill.
When a characteristic is noted with a plus or minus, such as "+5" or "+10" it uses the pilot's corresponding characteristic value and adds the modifier to it. If a characteristic is not listed, use the pilot's flat.
Templates
T-RIDEN-T Mark 3
Default Characteristics
Characteristic | Rating | Bonus |
---|---|---|
Weapon Skill | +5 | - |
Ballistic Skill | +5 | - |
Strength | 30 | 3 |
Toughness | 30 | 3 |
Agility | 40 | 4 |
Perception | +5 | - |
Starting Wounds and Armour
Location | Hit | AP | Wounds |
---|---|---|---|
Head | 1-10 | 6 | 10 |
Right Arm | 11-20 | 8 | 12 |
Left Arm | 21-30 | 8 | 12 |
Body | 31-70 | 10 | 16 |
Right Leg | 71-85 | 8 | 12 |
Left Leg | 86-100 | 8 | 12 |
Traits
Name | Effect |
---|---|
Body Cockpit | The Trident's cockpit is buried within the body, whilst the head is the primary sensor point. This has multiple effects. If the Trident's head is destroyed, the Trident does not shut down but rather is treated as blind. It may test Awareness once per round to remove blindness penalties against enemies and attacks within 3dm. |
Booster Module | The Trident is equipped with a Booster Module, giving it the Flight(AB*2) and the Hoverer traits. |
Broadside Interface | After making a Full Aim Action with the Trident, instead of gaining the hit bonus you may instead fire all of your weapons at once on single shot, rolling for each weapon individually. Talents and qualities that rely on Aim, such as Accurate, are not triggered. |
Integrated Weaponry | The Trident's weapons are attached to the hull permanently, and installing or replacing weapons takes hours of work. As a result, the Trident cannot drop any of its weapons. However, its weapons may not be removed or Disarmed by enemy action, and weapons' ammo clips are doubled automatically, unless they're Energy type, in which case they have unlimited ammo. Furthermore, it ignores any penalties associated with the Mounted weapon quality. |
Machine | The Trident is a Machine, rendering it susceptible to EMP attacks and the like, but immune to toxic-based or similar attacks. It uses the Machine Critical Damage table. |
Size (Hulking) | The Trident is size: Hulking. |
Weapon Hardpoints and Loadouts
The Trident's integrated weapon scheme means weapons must be attached to one of several hard points located on its body parts. Below are listed the four Weapon Hardpoints, where they are located, and what weapon they may equip. If the body part a weapon is attached to is destroyed, then that weapon is also destroyed.
Weapon Hardpoints | |||
---|---|---|---|
Name | Location | Loadout Type | Special |
Body Point | Body | One Basic or Heavy Weapon of any type except Great Positron Cannons. | Weapon gains the Twin-Linked quality. |
Chin Point | Head | One Pistol or Basic Weapon of any type. | May be fired as a Reaction. |
Left Arm Point | Left Arm | One Pistol, Basic or One-Handed Melee Weapon of any type. | Arm may not be used to pick up objects or grapple. |
Right Arm Point | Right Arm | One Pistol, Basic or One-Handed Melee Weapon of any type. | Arm may not be used to pick up objects or grapple. |
Special Equipment
The Trident comes free with some special equipment unique to it. Details are below.
Body Shield
The Body Shield is a special armour frame that can be attached to the Trident to provide it with extra protection. However, such is its placement that it removes the Trident's ability to carry weapons on the body hardpoints.
The Body Shield adds +2 AP to the Trident's Body and Head locations, but takes up the Body Point Weapon Hardpoint. You may increase this amount by +1 by spending 2 SUP, to a total of +8.
GPC Frame
The GPC Frame remodels the Trident's body in order to allow it to carry a massive Great Positron Cannon.
The GPC Frame allows the Trident to equip a Great Positron Cannon on the Body Point. However, the Body Point loses the Twin-Linked Quality.
Manipulators
These are the basic claws that the Trident uses to manipulate objects.
If the Trident does not have any weapon placed in either the Left or Right Arm Slot, that arm slot will be occupied with a Manipulator instead. The Manipulator can pick up objects and grapple, and has the following weapon profile:
Name | Class | Range | Dam. | Pen. | Special | WUP |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Manipulator | Melee | - | 1d10+2 I | 1 | '- | '- |
Segregated Weapons Systems
This modifies the Trident's heavy weapons hardpoints so that they may be fired separately. This allows for a greater diversity of armament, but also requires more concentration to use.
The Segregated Weapons System creates a second Body Point Hardpoint. However, both Body Point Hardpoints lose the Twin-Linked quality.
Advancements
Advancements are generic stacking purchases made to improve facets of your unit. You purchase them one at a time. They come in three qualities: Durability, Strength and Agility.
Durability
Durability increases the survivability of your unit through extra AP and wounds.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Ablative Shell | Body gains a single Ablative shell that is depleted after a single hit that deals damage after TB and AP. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Durability 1 | +1 AP and +1 Wounds to all areas. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Durability 2 | +1 AP and +1 Wounds to all areas. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Durability 3 | +1 AP and +1 Wounds to all areas. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Durability 4 | +1 AP and +1 Wounds to all areas. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Strength
Strength boosts your unit's Strength characteristic.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Strength 1 | +5 Strength. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Strength 2 | +5 Strength. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Strength 3 | +5 Strength. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Strength 4 | +5 Strength. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Agility
Agility boosts your unit's Agility characteristic.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Agility 1 | +5 Agility. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Agility 2 | +5 Agility. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Agility 3 | +5 Agility. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Agility 4 | +5 Agility. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Upgrades
Every body part of the Trident is capable of being upgraded. Each upgrade has a cost in SUP. Furthermore, every body part is divided into a number of 'slots' that can only hold specific components, and can only hold one component each.
Head
Slots: 1 (Sensor Package)
Sensor Package
Sensor Package Slot. Sensors work on upgrading the Trident's ability to perceive its surroundings.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Autotargeting System | Chin Point Weapons may be fired as a Free Action instead. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Raven Sensors | Extra +5 to Perception, +2 to Initiative, reduces penalty to hit smaller targets by -10 | 1 SUP | Yes |
Reticule Acquisition System | If the Chin Point Weapon is fired and hits a target, you take a +10 BS bonus to hit that target until the start of your next turn. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Targeting Satellite Uplink Network | Extra +5 to BS, +10 to Awareness | 1 SUP | Yes |
True Sight System | Not affected by darkness, fog, and can see through up to 20dm of obstacles | 1 SUP | Yes |
Body
Slots: 5 (Tertiary Weapons, Conventional Defense, Esoteric Defense, Pilot Computer, AI)
Tertiary Weapons
Tertiary Weapon Slot. Tertiary Weapons are very limited in their ability and will mostly prove ineffectual in damaging serious foes, but have their uses.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Bakelite Sprayer | Gives the Trident two cartridges that fire bakelite at nearby enemies. Can be fired as a half action, has a range of 5dm and only fired twice (once for each cartridge), but the enemy must test agility or lose 1d5 agility for 1d10 rounds. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Harken Blades | Gives the Trident a pair of Harken Blades. Harken Blades are hooked grappling blades attached to cables (10dm long) that react to electric impulses. On a half action Called Shot WS test, a Harken Blade can be used to ensnare a limb (arm or leg) which may be dodged like normal. Entangled arms are unable to be used. Entangled legs apply a -10 penalty to dodges (-20 for both legs), and force the user to make a Strength or Toughness test to move more than 10dm away from the wielder. Harken entanglements can be broken with a Strength or Toughness test, or automatically as a half action if an arm is free. Each pair of Harken Blades comes with 1 spare for each hook that loads automatically on the breaking of the first one. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Flash Cannon | Gives the Trident a specially-designed array that can be deployed as a half action. It emits a 10dm cone; all enemies that possess electronics and sensors must test Toughness or be struck blind and deaf for 1d5 rounds. One use only. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Mega Vulcan Cannons | Gives the Trident a 2d5+2I attack with range 10dm and -/-/10 RoF. Can by fired as a free action, can be fired in melee, has the Storm quality and has effectively unlimited ammunition. Does not Fury. | 0 SUP | Yes |
Smoke Launcher | Gives the Trident two cartridges that create smoke around it. Can be deployed as a half action, and creates smoke as per the 'smoke grenade' in a 5dm radius around the Trident for 1d5 rounds. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Striker Missiles | Gives the Trident a 1d10+3x Pen 2 attack with range 80dm and -/-/10 RoF. Can be fired as a half action, but cannot be fired in melee and only has five uses. If user has 2 or more uses left, user may perform a Missile Dump, which gives the attack the Storm quality as well as +1 damage per use remaining, and the Blast (X) quality, where X is equal to uses remaining, but all uses are immediately expended. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Conventional Defense
Conventional Defense Slot. Conventional Defenses are things such as heavier armour plating that use tried and true methods to improve a Trident's survivability. Expect nothing flashy.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Athena-Pattern Superheavy Plating | +3 AP and Wounds to all areas; body gains +6 wounds instead. Reduce Agility by 10. | 6 SUP | Yes |
Hermes-Pattern Light Mesh Plating | -3 AP to all areas, +10 Agility, and gain an extra reaction which may only be used to dodge. | 6 SUP | Yes |
Esoteric Defense
Esoteric Defense Slot. These involve defenses that work on bleeding edge technology. They are exotic and sophisticated methods that may nevertheless possess significant drawbacks.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Kinetic Dispersal Energy Barriers | You gain a Deflection Rating of 40% for all attacks against Blast attacks. As a Full Action, you may increase it to 80% until the start of your next turn, or expand it to cover all adjacent squares- either method means it now affects Blast attacks. Disruption, AT Penetration and Positron weapons operate as normal, although Positron Weapons double their Penetration for the purposes of breaching deflection. However, unlike AT Field Deflection, you may test Deflection against all attacks automatically; you do not need to sacrifice your chance to dodge or parry to use this field. | 5 SUP | Yes |
Shimmer Barriers | All Attacks that hit the Trident reduce their Degrees of Success by 2. If this would reduce the amount below 0, the attack fails. | 5 SUP | Yes |
Pilot Computer
Pilot Computer slot. Pilot Computers upgrade the Trident's WS and BS bonuses.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Advanced System | +5 to WS and BS. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Fully Mapped Physical Pilot System | +10 to WS | 1 SUP | Yes |
Trident Artillery Module System | +15 to BS, -10 to WS. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Trident Sniper Module System | +10 to BS | 1 SUP | Yes |
AI
AI Slot. Grants the Trident an emergency AI that takes over if the pilot is stunned, knocked unconscious, becomes helpless, is killed or dissolved- or in any other circumstance in which the pilot is mentally or physically unable to control the Trident. Activated remotely and can be given simple orders ('attack', 'retreat', 'defend' and so on).Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Basic Thruster AI | AI with 40/40 WS/BS. Possesses only weapon skill talents, is trained in Athletics, Awareness, Parry, Dodge. | 0 SUP | Yes |
Enhanced Thruster AI | AI with 45/45 WS/BS. Possesses the Rapid Reload and Combat Master talents, is trained in Athletics, Awareness, Parry+10, Dodge+10. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Fencer AI | AI with 50/40 WS/BS. Possesses the Swift Attack and Wall of Steel talents, is trained in Athletics, Awareness, Parry+20, Dodge. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Sniper AI | AI with 40/50 WS/BS. Possesses the Marksman and Deadeye Shot talents, is trained in Athletics, Awareness, Parry, Dodge+20. | 1 SUP | Yes |
Arms
Slots: 2 (Actuators, Arm)
A note on arms: You need only purchase an upgrade once and it will apply to both arms, but they do not need to be enforced on both arms. You may if you so wish equip one arm with one upgrade and the other arm with a different upgrade.
Actuators
Actuator Slot. Actuators apply special upgrades modifying the Trident's hand-to-hand combat variables.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Blitz Actuators | You increase the Degrees of Success of all melee attacks by 1. You also increase the maximum number of attacks dealt with Swift and Lightning Attack by 1. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Lion-Class Actuators | Twice per battle, you may use Lion Actuators. Until the start of your next turn, you count as having Unnatural Strength (4). | 5 SUP | Yes |
Rapid Guidance Actuators | Twice per battle, you may use Rapid Guidance Actuators. You instantly make the Feint action against a single target as a Free Action. | 3 SUP | Yes |
Arm
Arm Slot. Arms deal with a different slew of upgrades, from utility upgrades such as ammo docks to auxiliary cannons.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Ablative Gauntlet | Arm gains a single Ablative shell that is depleted after a single hit that deals damage after TB and AP. | 3 SUP | Yes |
Arm Shield | Models the arm with a small shield that gives the arm +2 AP and the Defensive quality. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Legs
Slots: 2 (Actuators, Leg)
Actuators
Actuator Slot. Actuators apply special upgrades modifying the Trident's speed.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Anaheim Actuators | Twice per battle, you may use Anaheim Actuators. Until the start of your next turn, you count as having Unnatural Agility (4). | 5 SUP | Yes |
Nimbus Actuators | Twice per battle, in response to an enemy attacking you, you may use Nimbus Actuators to grant yourself a free Dodge attempt against the attack. | 4 SUP | Yes |
Shock Resistant Actuators | You gain +10 Toughness but lose -10 Agility. | 4 SUP | Yes |
Legs
Leg Slot. Legs deal with special upgrades that improve the Trident's maneuverability or agility-related abilities.Upgrade Name | Effect | SUP Cost | Unlocked? |
---|---|---|---|
Aqua Solace Fin Jets | You gain a free reaction per round when fighting in or under water. | 3 SUP | Yes |
Auto-Stabilizers | You gain the Auto-stabilised trait. | 5 SUP | Yes |
Emergency Boosters | Emergency Boosters possess 3 units of fuel. You may expend 1 fuel to gain +20 to a single dodge test. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Enhanced Latency Facilitators | Enemies no longer gain bonuses to hit you due to size, and you reduce Difficult Terrain Values by 2. On any turn where you charged or ran, enemy BS tests to hit you take a -10 penalty, which stacks with any other penalty caused by you charging or running. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Entrenchment Artillery System | You entrench (or unentrench) as a full action. you cannot move or dodge, but gain a +20 to all Toughness tests, and may test Toughness against any effect that might knock or push you down in place of any other roll- if there is no roll allowed, then you can use Toughness to negate it anyway (with GM permission). Also grants a +10 bonus to BS, may Aim as a reaction and increases the range of all weapons by 50%. | 2 SUP | Yes |
Jackhammer System | You gain the Gravity Kick, Drop Trained, Leap Up and Catfall talents, always land on your feet and add +4 damage to Gravity Kicks. | 4 SUP | Yes |
Stealth Enhancements | You reduce the penalty to Stealth due to high AP by 10, and gain a +10 to Stealth. | 2 SUP | Yes |