the shape of things to come

BATTLE ARMOR SPECIAL
ENHANCEMENTS TABLE
Enhancement Type Tech Base Weight (kg) Slots
Jump Booster Clan / IS 125 2
Partial Wing IS 200 1
Because his Tunnel Rat has no Jumping
MP, Keith may not mount any of the Jumping
MP enhancements available to it as an
Inner Sphere battle armor.
Lou’s Sylph does not have jump jets and
so cannot use the jump booster, and its
Clan Tech Base means it may not install a
partial wing even if it did carry jump jets.
As Inner Sphere battle armor with jump
jets, Max’s Purifi er may use either the jump
booster or the partial wing, and attain a
Jumping MP of 4 into the bargain. He
decides not to employ enhancements at
this time, saving the weight for other components.
Because Peter’s Fenrir battle armor uses
an Inner Sphere Tech Base and is a quadruped
design, it cannot have non-Ground
MP and is incompatible with both of the
Jumping MP enhancements. Pete proceeds
to the next step.
STEP 3: ADD MANIPULATORS
Of more utility to battle armor (including power armor and exoskeletons)
than the hand actuators on BattleMechs or ProtoMechs,
manipulators can determine much of a battle armor’s capabilities
in combat, including its ability to engage in anti-’Mech attacks,
to ride on OmniMechs (and OmniVehicles) as mechanized battle
armor, to handle conventional infantry weapons or to carry cargo.
Designers may install no manipulators at all, or up to two manipulators
per humanoid battle armor design. Only one manipulator
may be installed per arm.
Manipulators vary by weight and function, and some must be
mounted in pairs, but none of the manipulators featured in these
rules occupy weapon slots in the battle armor’s inventory. (The
modular equipment adaptor, which allows for the quick swapping
of manipulators, does not count as a manipulator, and so is
exempt from this rule.)
The Battle Armor Manipulator Weight Table at right provides
data on the weight of each manipulator type and adaptor (appli-
cable to battle armor of Clan and Inner Sphere design). Also listed
is whether or not a chosen manipulator or adaptor type must be
mounted in pairs. Manipulator or adaptor types that need not be
mounted in pairs may be combined with other manipulator types,
so long as these other types also need not be installed in pairs.
Some manipulator types may add special adaptations to increase
their functionality as well (such as vibro-claws and magnets).
Limited to one such adaptation per manipulator, these enhanced
manipulators are also presented on the table.
Technology Base: The manipulator systems featured in the
Battle Armor Manipulator Weight Table are equally available to
battle armor (including power armor and exoskeletons) made
using and Inner Sphere or Clan technology base.
Quads: Quad battle armor may not use manipulators.
Space: The manipulators featured in these rules occupy no
weapon slots in the battle armor’s design by themselves. The
modular equipment adaptor—which is not technically a manipulator
in itself—is the only exception, and occupies 2 slots in each
arm where it is mounted, regardless of the battle armor’s technology
base (see below).
Modular Technology: At the designer’s option, modular equipment
adaptors may be installed instead of a built-in manipulator,
allowing battle armor to change manipulator types between
missions. Manipulators subsequently mounted in these adaptors
BATTLE ARMOR MANIPULATOR
WEIGHT TABLE
Manipulator or Adaptor Type
Mass per
Manipulator
(kg)
Must
Mount in
Pairs
None 0 No
Modular Equipment Adaptor 10* No*
Armored Glove 0 No
Basic Manipulator 0 No
Basic Manipulator (w/ Mine
Clearance)
15 Yes
Battle Claw 15 No
Battle Claw (w/ Magnets) 35 Yes
Battle Claw (w/ Vibro-Claws) 50 No
Cargo Lifter 30** Yes
Heavy Battle Claw 20 No
Heavy Battle Claw (w/ Magnets) 40 Yes
Heavy Battle Claw (w/ Vibro-Claws) 60 No
Industrial Drill 30 No
Salvage Arm 30 No
*Modular equipment adaptors occupy 2 slots in each arm of the suit in which they are
mounted; they need not be mounted in pairs unless a manipulator type they are
intended to use has such a requirement.
**Cargo lifter manipulators weigh 30 kilograms each for every half-ton (rounded up) of
desired lifting capability.