Wednesday, February 29, 2012

WW I Era Mining & Engineering Mecha For Your Old School Post Apocalyptic Game







Engine: Mini Atomic Fusion Reactor 

Power/Fuel Source: Atomic Pellet Engine (300 year lifespan)

Body Style: Mecha Giant Bug , UnPaved Surfaces
Handling: Good, Dex +1 (+3 unpaved)
Frame: Basic, 50 HP
Structure: Sturdy, 5 AC
Modification Allotment: 1 Hardpoints Used For Extra Geo Sensor Suites 

Crew:2,500 men 
Addition Vehicles: Fully Stocked Ocean Liner  
Aeroplane Station on Thorax  - Aeroplane with 10,000 mile range fully fueled & ready to go
Communications: Complete Wireless Radio Station World Wide Communication 
Piloting Facilities: Director General's Office With Complete 20 man staff 
Assistant Director's Office On 200 yard Crane System. 23 Man Staff Full Sensor Suite For Observation 
33 mechanic crew  to service the Drill Assembly 
Fission Vibro Drill Combination 100 tons Of Material Mining & Processing A Day 
Dr. Luchy's Vision was not realized until after the apocalypse when resources were few & only the remotest parts of the world yielded the vast numbers of fuels, minerals, etc that were needed to put the world right. There are vast fleets of these steel, aluminum & composite behemoths moving across the face of the planet. They are even now reclaiming the burned out cities, the radioactive wastelands, & other areas. These mechanical monsters are crewed by only the very best men, mutants, & scientists that the world has to offer. 

Pirates & other scum who think that these are easy pickings are in for a surprise most often the outfits that run these beasts also have 1d30 X10 mercinaries on the pay roll as well in aeroplanes & scout areo piles 

 There are 3 of these mechanical monstrosities that are under the control of pirate lords who use them to not only raid reclaimed cities but to boost the economies of their own city states as well! There are those who claim that these monsters have been seen as far as the great unclaimed shores of Forgotten France & even Lost Russia! 
Other OSR Uses 
These mecha could show up in the annals of an inter dimensional campaign as those that have been talked about here or even a Post Apocalyptic Mars! The use of these on a space opera isn't out of the question as planets out in the Outer Rim of the Galaxy use low cost solutions to reclaiming lost resources. 
For a Labyrinth Lord or Crypts & Things game this mech provides a perfect fodder for something very different from the usual dragon's lair & its wrecked hide could provide the perfect topping for a mega dungeon! 
The Original Source 

The original source for this article was Io9 right Here with the following explanation 

Dr. Luchy, who has been collaborator with the Chevalier Pini, the inventor of astonishing machines for exploring the sea bottoms, asserts that if Captain Scott had been equipped with one of his mechanical mosquitoes he could have made his way to the South Pole within a few hours after leaving his base. He also claims that the machines will make impossible any repetition of the Scott tragedy, and will enable man to wrest from the Antarctic continent its mineral treasures without exposing their operators to the slightest danger [...]
Only small working models of the mechanical mosquitoes have as yet been made by the inventor, but these seem to be as practicable as the paper plans promised. A large working model forty feet high when the long, articulated legs are fully expended, is now in course of construction. In the body are the engines which, provide its motive power and the quarters for a crew of ten men.


I 'd like to thank IO9 for providing me with yet more fodder for my campaign!
However the original article from 1914 from a Utah newspaper goes into much, much greater detail! The article has a pdf function & I suggest you download it & read it! Its well worth it. Read it Here


A More Detailed Diagram of this mechanical monster can be seen Here

2 comments:

  1. Wow. Cool! I may have to use this at some point in my pulp space setting.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Trey! Go right ahead! This is a great piece of newspaper fun that I ran across. Stay tuned there will be more to come!

    ReplyDelete

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