HITMarks: The Chaingunning

Basics

HITMarks are generally autonomous, unenlightened magical cyborgs used by Iteration X. The current known varieties of HITMark and their statistics are given below. This assumes using the armor rules from Magical Gun Porn. If not, 'H' armors give automatic successes, so double them and roll them as dice instead.

Models and Variants

Mark I

The Mark I is a large (2 meter tall), slow machine resembling an armored knight which is (according to the Technocracy at least) the first semi-autonomous Iteration X HITMark. Capable of following orders in a limited fashion without supervision, it is strong, tough, and incredibly stupid. It's only seen in decommissioned caches dating back to the Victorian era now, or used for very special purposes.

Introduced: 1790

Obsolete: 1880

Power Source: Hypertensile primium spring driving multiple cam shafts (Mechanical)

Musculature: High-precision clockwork

Armor: Solid-cast Primium Plating

Cognitive Core: Miniaturized Difference Engine.

Special Rules:

Slow-Witted: The Mark I's initiative is Dexterity (1) + Wits (1) + 1 (for a total of 3), not +1d10. It may not take multiple actions.

Steady Grasp: The Mark I has +1 Dexterity for melee and ranged attacks.

No Self Will: The Mark I is immune to all Mind effects unless the caster has valid Technocratic passcodes, at which point the Mark I automatically obeys orders if the Mind effect is successful. Both Etherites and Virtual Adepts do, in fact, have valid Mark I passcodes, as both left long after they were obsoleted.

Strength 4/Dexterity 1/Stamina 3
Charisma 0/Manipulation 0/Appearance N/A
Perception 1/Intelligence 0/Wits 1
Important Abilities

Alertness 1

Archery 3

Brawl 3

Melee 3

Firearms 3

Armor 4d (7d total soak), 2d Primium Countermagic
Health Levels: -0/-0/-1/-1/-2/Disabled/Destroyed
Inbuilt Weapons: Retractable Blade (Str + 3L damage), Volleygun (6L damage, Range 50, RoF 5 [fires bursts/full-auto], Magazine 20)
Paradox: 0

Mark I Upgrade

Taking old concepts and renewing them with cutting-edge technology, the Mark I upgrade (Mark IU) is designed for environments with persistent high-grade electromagnetic interference or other forms of interference with the more complex systems of advanced HITMarks. Replacing the original clockwork with precision nanoscale engineering, the Mark IU is faster, stronger, and significantly tougher, with attributes comparable to a Mark V. Standard armament includes a segmented monoblade (a "Progressive Blade") that is hypersharp and easily cuts through armor and flesh that breaks after multiple uses, retractable claws, and a diamondoid flechette dispenser.

Introduced: 1930

Obsolete: Never

Power Source: Nanoscale flywheel array

Musculature: Micromechanical pulleys

Armor: Primium Nanocomposite Sheathing with Reactive Gel Backing

Cognitive Core: Nanomechanical Computer

Special Rules:

Hyperhardened: The Mark IU's simple and multiple-redundant construction counts as coincidental under almost all paradigms (even inside Chantry Realms normally hostile to technological paradigms). Furthermore, all attempts to shut it down via magic require double the normal amount of successes.

Strength 5/Dexterity 2/Stamina 5
Charisma 0/Manipulation 0/Appearance N/A
Perception 2/Intelligence 2/Wits 2
Important Abilities

Alertness 2

Brawl 4

Dodge 2

Melee 4

Firearms 4

Strategy 1

Armor 3H/6d (5d [3]/11d total soak), 4d Primium Countermagic
Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-5/Disabled/Destroyed
Inbuilt Weapons: Progressive Blade (Str + 5L damage, enemies soak at +3 difficulty, breaks after 10 uses), Claws (Str + 2L damage), Flechette Launcher (6L damage w/AP 4, Range 50, RoF 5 [Bursts/FA], Magazine 200)
Paradox: 2

Mark II

The first fully electrically powered HITMark, the Mark II was a significant leap in capability and complexity. Mark IIs without the primium are still more than within the means of Virtual Adepts and Etherites to build, meaning that you can still see some of them in Etherite constructs, especially as they often fit the steampunk/electropunk aesthetic of old-school Etherites. These Mark IIs are almost always aftermarket customized designs capable of taking on Mark Vs in single combat.

Introduced: 1860

Obsolete: 1925

Power Source: High-density lead-acid battery

Musculature: Electrical servomotors

Armor: Solid-cast Primium Plating

Cognitive Core: Analog Computer

Special Rules:

Steady Grasp: The Mark II has +2 Dexterity for melee and ranged attacks.

Strength 5/Dexterity 1/Stamina 4
Charisma 0/Manipulation 0/Appearance N/A
Perception 1/Intelligence 1/Wits 2
Important Abilities

Alertness 2

Brawl 3

Melee 3

Firearms 3

Armor 4d (8d total soak), 2d Primium Countermagic
Health Levels: -0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/Disabled/Destroyed
Inbuilt Weapons: Rotary Saw (Str + 3L damage), Electrical Gatling Gun (8L damage, Range 100, RoF 3 (Burst/FA), Magazine 500)
Paradox: 1

Mark II Upgrades

Mark II upgrades are generally installed after the base chassis is built. Old-style Technocratic Mark IIs will generally have at most 1 or 2 upgrades, while Etherite versions, although they lack the Primium, can have multiple upgrades. Higher-tech versions of the Mark II's upgrade modules can be employed on all later marks as well, save the Mark VI, which possesses most of them innately.

Mark III

The Mark III is the first of the 'modern' HITMarks. Still fully robotic and unconcealable, IIIs are still used as low-priority security units, and the IIIB upgrade variants are still employed on operations today. Mark IIIs look like sci-fi combat robots, and because of the success of sci-fi videogames and the Terminator movies are mostly Coincidental in Western countries.

Introduced: 1915

Obsolete: never

Power Source: Hydrogen Fuel Cell

Musculature: High-Strength Servomotors

Armor: Composite Armor + Primium Backing

Cognitive Core: Electro-Optical Computer

Special Rules:

Steady Grasp: The Mark III has +1 Dexterity for melee and ranged attacks.

Strength 5/Dexterity 2/Stamina 5
Charisma 1/Manipulation 1/Appearance N/A
Perception 2/Intelligence 2/Wits 3
Important Abilities

Alertness 3

Athletics 2

Brawl 3

Computers 3

Drive 1

Melee 3

Firearms 3

Armor 4d (9d total soak), 3d Primium Countermagic
Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-2/-2/-5/Disabled/Destroyed
Inbuilt Weapons: Piston Fists (Str + 5B damage), Electrical Gatling Gun (8L damage, Range 100, RoF 3 (Burst/FA), Magazine 500)
Paradox: 2

Mark III Upgrades

Mark IIIs still see use in the Union as cheap, non-disguised security units inside Constructs, especially since they don't need any Life to build. Various Mark III upgrade systems can be used to enhance them from factory stock for various combat situations.

Mark IV

Many people confuse Mark IVs and Mark Vs. The difference is, the Mark IV is built on a (generally) willing human donor, while the Mark V is a fully artificial construct. This gives Mark IVs a much broader range of attributes, makes them much better-suited for infiltration missions and long-term operations, and means that they're often more skilled and more capable. On the flipside they're also much rarer. Often a unenlightened HITMark assault is a few Mark Vs led by a Mark IV.

Introduced: 1940

Obsolete: Never

Power Source: Bioelectrical

Musculature: Human muscle tissue + joint motors

Armor: Subdermal primium plating

Cognitive Core: Augmented Human Brain

Special Rules:

All Too Human: Mark IVs behave just like human beings, which makes them vulnerable to things like 'mind control', 'defecting', and 'being possessed by horrible alien spirits'. On the flipside it gives them a level of lateral thinking and unpredictability all other HITMarks lack.

Mark V

The most well-known HITMark version, the Mark V is by far the most common HITmark design currently used, with a balance of lethality, subtlety, maintenance requirements, and cost.

Introduced: 1960

Obsolete: Never

Power Source: Hydrogen fuel cell

Musculature: Silicone artificial actuators

Armor: Primium endoskeleton w/subdermal polymer plates

Cognitive Core: Neural Network

Special Rules:

Run Robot Run: The Mark V, although not particularly dextrous or agile, can make extremely high ground speeds and chase down cars. Mark Vs can run at easily 60 km/h.

Modular Weapon: The Mark V uses a modular weapons system that can be swapped in or out either in a dedicated cradle or in the field. Dedicated maintenance creches allow the use of Intelligence + Hypertech or Intelligence + Science (Cybernetics) to swap out the systems. Field-swaps require Life and Matter 3 (and, obviously, the weapon itself). The Modular Weapons System can be installed into an Enlightened Cyborg for the 8-point background cost as the Implant Chain Gun, with 2 choices of weapon. Additional choices cost 2 background points each.

Strength 6/Dexterity 3/Stamina 6
Charisma 2/Manipulation 2/Appearance 3-5
Perception 2/Intelligence 2/Wits 3
Important Abilities

Alertness 3

Athletics 3

Awareness 1

Brawl 4

Drive 2

Melee 3

Firearms 4

Stealth 2

Armor 3H/6d (6d [3] or 12d total soak), 3d Primium Countermagic
Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/Disabled/Destroyed
Inbuilt Weapons: Retractable Blade/Claws (Str + 3L damage), Modular Armaments Subsystem
Paradox: 5

Mark V Security Variant

The exponentially increasing cost of the Mark V program led to Syndicate Financiers going to the Biotechnicians and asking for a low-cost alternative to the full-up Mark V, as there were a lot of Technocratic operations which rated a bit more protection than sleepers but didn't rate full-spec Mark Vs. As a bonus, they wanted a design that was lower-maintenance and significantly more subtle.

The MkV (S) uses the core book HITMark rules and either use an automatic shotgun (as a shotgun but RoF 5A, Magazine 200) or a Multistack Rifle. Mark V (S) designs have a 'mere' Paradox of 3.

Mark V Armament Submodules

20mm Chain Gun-the IX-22 chaingun is a high-velocity short-barrel 20mm autocannon using electrothermal-chemical rounds. Although innately not magical, fitting it into a human body is.

12L Damage, AP 4, RoF 5A, Range 200, Magazine 200

Anti-Armor Railgun-trading off close-range effectiveness and automatic fire for incredible lethal force, railguns are an increasingly common HITMark weapon.

16L damage, AP 8, RoF 1, Range 300, Magazine 20. Attacks at Difficulty 8 if character does not 'brace'

Grenade Launcher-it shoots grenades.

12L damage (frag) or grenade damage, RoF 3B, Range 100, Magazine 50

Hypervelocity Gauss Rifle-the HGR is the cutting-edge of coincidental firepower. Firing an inert projectile at enormous velocities the railgun is capable of taking on werewolves, tanks, and other hard targets.

Arete 5, Forces 3/Matter 3 armor-piercing damage. RoF 1, Range 300. Quintessence 15, uses 1Q/shot. Coincidental in the developed world.

Multistack Rifle-the MSR can spray out hundreds of small-caliber rounds a second. Although not quite true magick it does cause paradox backlashes if it botches. A man-portable version with 'only' 600 rounds exists.

6L Damage, RoF 10A (full-automatic only), Range 100, Magazine 1800

Smartgun-Smartguns are medium or heavy machine guns with self-aiming and gyrostabilization.

8L Damage, AP 1, RoF 5A (bursts/full-auto only), Range 200, Magazine 500. Attacks at difficulty 4.

Plasma Caster-the last word in high-power weapons. It's like a miniature nuclear bomb in your arm! Normally, plasmacasters are only used in Constructs as defenses or for Chantry assaults.

Arete 6, Forces 3/Prime 2 Aggravated damage. RoF 1, Range 200. Vulgar. Quintessence 30, uses 1Q/shot.

Rocket Launcher-A semi-automatic rocket launcher firing 60mm laser-guided HEDP rockets.

20L damage, AP 10, RoF 1, Range 400, Magazine 12

Scatter Laser-the scatter laser has limited hitting power but is often coincidental in high-tech areas and is exceptionally accurate.

Arete 4, Forces 3/Prime 2 Lethal damage. RoF 3B, Range 100. Quintessence 20, uses 1Q/shot. Attacks at Difficulty 3.

Mark VI

Yeah that's about right. With various Etherite mad science projects running around, the Garou still as nasty as ever, and the Ascension War in full swing, Iteration X got together and decided to make themselves a weapon to reassert dominance in the Umbra by kicking in the face of everything inside it. A single Mark VI costs almost as much as a small Void Engineer battleship or Spirit Nuke but is undeniably at least as effective as either, and causes slightly less collateral damage. Slightly.

Introduced: 1998

Obsolete: None

Power Source: Antimatter Reactor

Musculature: Carbon Nanotube

Armor: Primium-Infused Reactive Ceramic Armor

Cognitive Core: Acausal Hypercomputer

Special Rules:

Finicky: The Mark VI requires a significant and dedicated support bay to deploy, and requires several hours to warm up. Not exactly a weapon you can use without significant preparation.

MAXIMUM STRENGTH: The Mark VI gains 5 automatic successes on all Strength rolls (like a vampire with Potence 5).

MAXIMUM SPEED: The Mark VI has an additional 5 extra actions. Like a vampire with Celerity... yeah, okay look it can murder a minmaxed combat monkey vampire. Just deal with it.

Self-Destruct: Because of how powerful a Mark VI is, when killed they immediately self-destruct in a very small nuclear blast, vaporizing their bodies and dealing 10A damage to everyone in the area. This damage may not be soaked without Forces 4.

Strength 6 [5]/Dexterity 8/Stamina 7
Charisma 2/Manipulation 2/Appearance 3-5
Perception 4/Intelligence 2/Wits 6
Important Abilities

Alertness 3

Awareness 2

Athletics 4

Brawl 4

Dodge 3

Melee 4

Firearms/Energy Weapons/Heavy Weapons 4

Armor 4H/8d (7d [4]/15d total soak), 5d Primium Countermagic
Health Levels: -0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/-0/Disabled/Destroyed
Inbuilt Weapons: RAPTOR Mk II Vibroblades (Str + 4A damage, enemy soaks at +3 difficulty), Fusion Lance (Arete 7 Forces 3/Prime 2 aggravated damage)
Paradox: 10
Prime Energy Battery: 50 (uses 1 Prime Energy per round while active, spends 1 Prime Energy per vulgar action it takes or per botch it makes to mitigate Paradox gains, spends 1 Prime Energy per Fusion Lance shot)
Special Effects: (Submodules roll at Arete 5)

Anti-Deviance Shielding (Attempts to harm the Mark VI with magic, static or dynamic, are at +2 difficulty)

Emergency Retrieval System (Corr 3 emergency teleport. Automatically activates if the Mark VI runs out of Prime Energy)

Multispectral Sensors (Forces/Mind/Life 1 sensing)

Phase Generator (Dsci 2, can touch spirits)

Psi-Suppression Systems (may attempt to use its 'arete' to countermagic with one of its actions)

Improved Combat Subroutines (-3 difficulty for all attack and defense rolls)

Mark VI Submodules

Mark VIs are sometimes deployed clean, but often are deployed with submodules added on. A Technocratic operator with Life 4, Matter 4, and Correspondence 4 can hot-swap these submodules with a standard rote. Oftentimes these submodules are extraordinarily expensive and require external input as well, which is why they're Mark VI-specific ones.

Acausal Hypercomputation (Time 2)

A Mark VI with this submodule is given the ability to reroll any single failed or botched roll it makes in a turn.

Combat Teleportation Module (Correspondence 3/Time 3)

A Mark VI with this submodule can reflexively and rapidly teleport across the battlefield. This can be used to make surprise attacks or close distances rapidly.

Fault-Tolerant Predictive Analysis

A Mark VI with this Primal Utility 5 'submodule', taking the form of a complex set of maintenance instructions (costing a total of 4 Quintessence), may roll the submodule's Arete of 5 at difficulty 5. Each success allows it to ignore 1 paradox backlash roll for the scene due to having had potential malfunctions removed and replaced.

HITMark Upgrades

These upgrades are applicable to all HITMarks unless they mention their compatibilities specifically. Most HITMarks in low-priority areas and many security versions will be 'clean' (or at most have Multispectral Senses) but ones used for offensive operations will often have 1-5 upgrade packages dependent on the priority, resources, and just how much the Technocracy hates you and you particularly.

• Agility Enhancement: +2 Dexterity, +1 Athletics, ignores up to 2 points of difficulty penalty from unsteady ground or other obstacles. Generally coincidental, especially since parkour is the big thing.
• Backup Systems: +2 -0 HLs. Can be taken up to 3 times.
• Battle Claws: Melee attacks now do Str + 3A damage and roll 2d to unweave mystical protection (roll it as 'Arete' to unweave force fields, bans, or the like, or just subtract it from soak from active spells).
• Child Frame (Mk5 only): The Neotenic Infiltrator Package, also known as the KIDMark, rebuilds a HITMark V to a childlike proportion. The KIDMark has -1 Strength and Stamina, +1 Dexterity, and 2 fewer health levels. Its armor is also reduced by 3d (giving it "only" 8d soak). This is almost always paired with the Stealth System and Infiltration Programming, as otherwise it's fairly easy to detect said HITMark. KIDMarks cannot mount normal size weapons internally and must make use of external weapons.
• CQB Optimization Programming: -2 difficulty for Brawl attacks, -1 difficulty to dodge melee or unarmed attacks.
• Digital Computer Upgrade (Mk2 only): Refitting the Mark II with a superior processor gives it +1 Paradox, +1 Perception, +1 Intelligence, and +1 Dexterity.
• Electrical Discharge: The Electrical Discharge submodule reactively harms any enemy which touches the HITMark. This system has an "Arete" of 4 and deal Forces 3 Bashing damage. They are mostly coincidental as long as it's possible that the HITMark is wearing something that can discharge electric shocks.
• Electromagnetic Rams (Arms): +2 Strength for damage and feats of strength. Mostly coincidental.
• Electromagnetic Rams (Legs): Double ground movement speed and jump height. Mostly coincidental.
• Exoskeleton (Mk4/Mk5): +2 Strength, +2 Stamina, +3d Armor, +3 -0 HLs. Can no longer pass for human, +1 Paradox.
• Heavy Armor: Can only walk or jog without Secondary Movement, +3d armor, +1d countermagic. +2 difficulty to dodge.
• Heavy Machine Gun (Mk2/Mk3): The HITMark can deploy a HMG dealing 10L damage, Range 150, RoF 5, Magazine 200.
• Improved Musculature: +[1] automatic success on Strength rolls, 1 extra -0 HL. Can be upgraded twice. Vulgar.
• Infiltration Programming: +1 Manipulation, +3 Subterfuge, +2 Streetwise.
• Mimetic Paneling: +2 to the HITMark's Stealth dice pools, +1 difficulty to Alertness rolls to detect the HITMark. Attacks made at longer than point-blank range are at +1 difficulty. Generally coincidental.
• Move-By-Wire System: The HITMark gains 1 extra Time 3 action and +2 Initiative. Borderline coincidental. Can be stacked twice, which is definitely Vulgar.
• Multi-Core processor: Improved multitasking gives the combat synthetic +1 Wits and +1 Dexterity.
• Multispectral Sensors: The HITMark gains Awareness 3 and the equivalent of Forces/Life/Mind 1 sensory effects.
• Optimized Software: +8 ability dots total, no ability may go over 4. May be taken multiple times.
• Primium Countermeasures: +2d extra Primium protection.
• Reactive Armor: The HITMark has an extra +4d soak and ignores armor-piercing modifiers. However, roll this soak pool separately from its other soak. If this extra soak pool rolls more 1s than successes, the reactive armor is expended and no longer provides its extra soak or any protection from armor-piercing weapons. Anyone foolish enough to attempt to attack the combat synth in melee automatically takes 8L damage if they hit and deal more than 3 levels of Bashing or Lethal damage pre-soak. This is coincidental on the Mark III, but vulgar on the Mark IV or V unless they have an Exoskeleton.
• Rocket Launcher: one arm of the HITMark is replaced with a rocket launcher dealing 20L damage, Range 150, RoF 1, Magazine 5. For a HITMark IV or V, this can be disguised as a prosthetic limb, which will have no more functionality than a middling-end Sleeper prosthetic.
• Secondary Movement System: Wheels in the machine's feet give it the ability to move at 60 km/h with no paradox cost. While using the SMS, the Mark III is less agile and dodging or other difficult maneuvering is done at +1 difficulty. Deploying or undeploying the wheels takes 1 unrolled action. This is coincidental on the Mark III, but vulgar on the Mark IV or V unless they have an Exoskeleton.
• Self-Destruct System: The HITMark, when disabled or destroyed, explodes and deals 15L to all people within 15 yards. The HITMark may also self-destruct at will. This may be taken twice, giving the HITMark a 20L explosion that maims or kills everyone within 30 yards. The self-destruct system takes 1 full turn to activate, giving people time to get out of the radius or otherwise figure out a way to survive.
• Self-Repair System: The HITMark may reflexively roll its Stamina + Computers once a turn. Success allows it to heal 1 Bashing or Lethal health level.
• Stealth System (MkIV/MkV): The HITMark's core systems are compressed into its primium endoskeleton, which is fitted with a 'cloaking device' to hide it from scans. Gives the equivalent of 3 successes to mask the HITMark's true nature from magic, and the HITMark is nearly impossible to out as inhuman without a medical examination (at Difficulty 9) or taking more than 5 HLs of Lethal/Aggravated damage, at which point the exposed skeleton moving around is kind of to ignore. HITMarks with Stealth Systems cannot mount any internal weapons.
• Targeting System: -2 difficulty to Firearms attacks. Coincidental.
• Thermo-Optical Camouflage: +3 to the HITMark's Stealth, +3 difficulty to Alertness rolls to detect the HITMark. Ranged attacks against the HITMark are made at +2 difficulty. Borderline.
• Vibroblade: Arm-deployable vibroblade deals Str + 5L damage. Vibroblades add +2 difficulty to enemy soak rolls. Semi-coincidental: Cutting a guy in half is no more vulgar than a regular HITMark, cutting a tank in half is super vulgar.

Non-HITMark Combat Units

CRABs

Combat Robot-Advanced Biomimetics. Yes, Iteration X likes making their incredibly bad cute acronyms. It is a spider tank. With a heavy plasma cannon on it.

Structure

Reinforced Hull (20 successes, 40 HLs)

Propulsion Systems

Ground Movement (10 successes)

Armor

Basic Hull (20 successes)

30d Armor (30 successes)

6d Countermagic (6 successes)

Armament

2 x Assault Rams (16 successes)

Uses Wits + Drive, deals 16A damage

Heavy Plasma Cannon (20 successes)

deals 12 levels of aggravated Forces damage. Aimed with Perception + Heavy Weapons

4 x HEX Missiles (40 successes)

10d attack pool, 7 levels of Forces damage

Secondary Weapons Mounts (3 successes)

2 x independently targeting heavy machine guns (10L, fire full-auto), Grenade Launcher (12L frag grenades)

Additional Features

Active Camouflage (10 successes)

AI Unit (50 successes)

Perception 6, Intelligence 1, Wits 6

Alertness 3, Drive 5, Firearms 5, Heavy Weapons 5, Stealth 3, Technology 3

Aquatic Capability (10 successes)

Jump Jets (5 successes)

Total Costs

240 successes, 13 background dots

MiniCRAB

Totally not a direct ripoff of something from anime. Totally.

Structure

Reinforced Hull (10 successes, 20 HLs)

Propulsion Systems

Ground Movement (10 successes)

Can drive on any surface, even walls and ceilings. Forces magic is awesome like that.

Armor

Basic Hull (10 successes)

12d Armor (6 successes)

4d Countermagic (4 successes)

Armament

Railgun w/ 5 bursts (25 successes)

Perception + Drive, deals 9 levels of Forces damage + additional to-hit successes, +10d from full-auto fire, can attack multiple targets.

10 x HEX Micromissiles(20 successes)

10d attack pool, 3 levels of Forces damage + additional to-hit successes

Secondary Weapons Mounts (2 successes)

2 x heavy machine guns (10L, fire full-auto)

Additional Features

Active Camouflage (5 successes)

AI Unit (75 successes)

Charisma 4 [Moe], Manipulation 2, Appearance 3

Perception 6 , Intelligence 3, Wits 6

Alertness 3, Drive 5, Etiquette 3, Firearms 5, Heavy Weapons 5, Stealth 3, Technology 3

Aquatic Capability (5 successes)

Jump Jets (3 successes)

Total Costs

175 successes, 10 background dots

Variant with the ability to carry 1 passenger/driver costs an additional 8 successes, and 11 background dots.