Technical readout 2866 Rise of the Scavengers

Fortunes are won and lost on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere. With the price of single medium laser able to support a typical family for at least
two years, the lure of huge windfalls has proven irresistible to many. These men and women scour the war torn worlds of the Inner Sphere is hopes
of making that one big find. They don’t fight for honor, they don’t fight for some House Lord, in fact they rarely even work under contract. They are
not mercenaries. They are scavengers.
Like the vultures that descended upon the battlefields of old, they pick the carcasses of military machines clean leaving nothing of value behind.
They care nothing for who is fighting or why. Constantly lurking in the shadows of the war, they venture out only to claim the fallen of victor and
loser alike. For them the prize is possession of the battlefield and even then only for as long asit takes to salvage the remnants and depart.
They have been known to attack both sides of a conflict, openly or in disguise. Whatever it takes to ensure greater destruction thereby increasing
their chance to reclaim valuable parts. They have been known to make a temporary alliance with one side guaranteeing victory in exchange for the
rights to salvage the loser’s equipment from the battlefield. They have been known to visit worlds killed by nuclear radiation, deadly biological
plagues, or caustic chemical weapons. They have even attempted to locate lost worlds in hopes of finding ancient factories, supply depots, or even
just forgotten battlefields.
But above all, they dream of finding one of the legendary lostech caches, cleverly hidden Star League era facilities filled with advanced BattleMech
technology and left behind by General Kerensky’s forces when they departed the Inner Sphere forever. Technology spoken of in hushed whispers
and sidelong glances. Weapons far more destructive than the ones made today. Weapons with range in excess of anything currently in
production. Superior armor, structure, and heat dissipating materials. Advanced fire control systems, lightweight engines, and specialized
munitions. And, of course, the greatest prize of all. The scavenger’s Holy Grail. A functional Star League BattleMech.
An AWS-8Q under fire.
Such a find, like winning the lottery, would set them up, and whomever else they chose, for the rest of their lives. Life is cheap, BattleMechs aren’t.
Expanded Engine/Gyro Criticals
The standard record sheet provides six engine critical slots and four gyro slots. Each of these slots are treated the same in terms of critical effects. However, a more nuanced representation
of the engine and gyro is possible by further detailing each slot.
1. Reactor Core
2. Magnetohydrodynamics Generator
3. Regenerative Cooling System
4. Engine Shielding
5. Reaction Wheels
6. Reaction Wheels
1. Reaction Wheels
2. Gyro Housing
3. Engine Shielding
4. Engine Shielding
5. Roll Again
6. Roll Again
The effects of critical hits on these components are as follows:
Reactor Core – The superheated plasma that circulates in the heart of the fusion engine is bounded by a series of extremely powerful electromagnets. This is where the actual fusion
process is taking place. These magnets are arranged in such a way as to create a doughnut shaped pathway along which the plasma flows. Toroidal and poloidal arrangements of
electromagnets are by far the most common. A critical hit to this sub-system results in a dangerously unstable path for the plasma current. If the pathway deforms too abruptly, too much, or
becomes too weak to contain the plasma, a catastrophic breach can occur. For this reason, when the containment field is damaged the fusion reactor is immediately and automatically shut
down rendering the BattleMech inoperable.
However, when the reactor core is damaged there is a chance of a catastrophic breach occurring. A second critical hit roll is immediately made to determine if the core was actually
breached. If the chamber is breached, air will be sucked into the superheated core where it will violently expand, resulting in a catastrophic explosion. This explosive thermal expansion
causes the BattleMech to take one point of damage for every 5 points of the engine rating. This damage is applied first to the internal structure of the center torso where the engine in
located.
Therefore, a Vox 280 fusion engine that took a critical hit directly to the reactor core and then rolled a second critical would take 56 points of damage, first to the center torso internal structure
than to any remaining armor. This virtually guarantees the complete destruction of the BattleMech although the MechWarrior may still be able to safely eject. For purposes of determining
any possible salvage, excess damage is applied first to structure and then to armor, to the right/left torso, then head, left/right leg, and finally right/left arm. Units within 30 meters of the
explosion take half damage applied in 5-point clusters. At 60 meters the damage is reduced to one quarter, and at 90 meters damage is 1/8 of the original.
Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) Generator – The MHD generator converts thermal energy into the electrical energy required to power the BattleMech and its energy intensive weaponry. It
generally consists of a series of conductor loops wrapped around the reactor. The conductive plasma racing around in the reactor core passes repeatedly through these conductor loops
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