Boneflayer Creature 5

The incursion began with a series of probes detected by anacites on Aballon. Strange machines with blazing sensors and articulated tentacles appeared out of nowhere, ripping through infrastructure seemingly at random and collecting intelligence all around Pact Worlds space. Panic spread fast, but since the machines always vanished without a trace, or exploded when captured, the sightings couldn't be confirmed or identified. Rumors began to circulate that the machines were a form of biotech never encountered before. Soon the Stewards became formally involved, shuttering the incidents behind the adamantine partition of top security clearance.

In Sarenith of 325 AG, after dozens of military operations failed to engage the elusive probes, a wing of fighters dispatched from the Idari finally got lucky and disabled one of the machines before it could self-destruct. Coaxed into giving up some of its secrets by top Pact Worlds scientists, the biotech vessel became the prototype for the “home grown” remote war machines that are currently being tested for use in combat. The replicas aren't alive but are built using robotic construction templates since the core of the original biotech design has proven too complicated to reverse engineer with Pact technology.

Remote war machines are proxies that can be controlled from a great distance. The original biotech war machines connect to the pilot's mind through a psychic link or unknown radio frequency. Robotic remote war machines connect to a computer via data link, allowing the pilot to control their proxy using a keyboard, virtual reality rig, or even a vidgame controller.

Robotic War Machine Abilities

Many robotic remote war machines possess one of the following 2-action abilities and one reaction. If you give a war machine more abilities than these, you might want to increase its level and adjust its statistics.

Attack Pattern Alpha [two-actions] The remote war machine Steps or Strides, then makes two Strikes against the same target. Both Strikes count toward its multiple attack penalty, but its multiple attack penalty doesn't increase until after it makes both Strikes.

Attack Pattern Beta [two-actions] The remote war machine makes a Strikes against a target, then Steps or Strides and makes a Strike against another target within range. Both Strikes count toward its multiple attack penalty, but its multiple attack penalty doesn't increase until after it makes both Strikes.

Attack Pattern Delta [two-actions] The remote war machine Strides twice and then Strikes.

Attack Pattern Gamma [two-actions] The remote war machine makes three Strikes against any combination of targets. Each Strike gains the agile trait, and each Strike counts toward its multiple attack penalty.

BVR Engagement [two-actions] The remote war machine makes a ranged Strike at a target as though its weapon had double its normal range. This Strike ignores all forms of concealment and cover.

Ballistic Defense Matrix [reaction] Trigger A creature attempts a ranged Strike against the remote war machine; Requirements The war machine is currently outside the creature's reach; Effect The remote war machine makes a ranged Strike against the triggering creature. If the result of this Strike is equal to or greater than the result of the triggering Strike, the triggering Strike is treated as though it were a critical miss.

Notch Position [reaction] Trigger An enemy Strides; Requirements The remote war machine is outside the target's reach; Effect The remote war machine Strides up to its Speed in the same direction as the target until the target stops moving or the war machine has moved its full Speed.