RDF MBR-08 MASAMUNE 

(Version 1.00 - Last updated: 6/15/98)

Concept and Background by Kenneth Olson

Background Information derived from Robotech Technical Files

HTML form provided by Dave Deitrich

BACKGROUND

See Robotech Technical Files - UNDF Mecha Masamune

RPG STATS

Vehicle Type: One/two man, all weather heavy main battle Destroid mecha

Class: Destroid
Manufacturer: Robotech Defense Forces
Crew: One/Two pilot(s) wearing Tactical Life Support System.

 

MDC BY LOCATION:

Optional Weapons Pack

NOTES:

1. Destroying the head of the Masamune will knock out the mecha's major sensor systems, including all of the optics systems (infrared, nightvision, thermal). Radar and communications will be unaffected.
2. Depleting the MDC of the main body will destroy the mecha.

SPEEDS:

RUNNING:

96 kph

LEAPING:

20 meters without thrusters.

FLYING:

281 kph for two minutes

MAX ENGINE THRUST:

2 x AST-06 dual thruster banks on back: total thrust 15 kN

 

STATISTICAL DATA:

HEIGHT:

14.9m 

DEPTH:

5.0m

BREADTH:

8.2m

WEIGHT:

26.7 metric tons (fully loaded)

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:

Equal to a P.S. of 60

CARGO:

Small compartment behind pilot's seat for personal belongings

POWER PLANT:

1 x RT/PS-2a Tirolian mecha protoculuture-generator.  Maximum generator endurace:   12 years of operational use.

GE EM9G hydrogen/oxygen fuel cell, 450 kW for twelve hours.

Delta V:

50kps

COMPATIBLE FAST PACKS:

Masamune Weapons Pack - see below

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. 4x COLT M-89 12.7mm MACHINE GUN: Four 12.7mm machine guns are located in the head.  The weapons can fire standard, tracer ruonds at 600 rounds/minute.   Ammunition supply is 1000 rounds per gun
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault-personnel
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Missile
   • RANGE: 600 m
   • DAMAGE:  1d4 for a short burst, 2d4 for a medium bursts, or 4d4 for a full melee burst for each gun.
   • RATE OF FIRE: Equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: 1000 rounds for each gun or 100 short bursts, 50 long bursts, or 30 full melee bursts
   • NOTES:  Tracers add +2 to strike

    

2. 1x VICKERS 120mm DIRECT-FIRE MORTOR:  The Masamune has a 120mm mortor located in the center torso.  The mortor fires shells of 34kg up to a maximum range of 1590 meters.  The shells are laser guided.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-personnel
   • RANGE: 1590 m
   • DAMAGE: 5d6 for each mortor
   • RATE OF FIRE: Up to 5 time per melee
   • PAYLOAD:  35 rounds

    

3. Optional Detachable Weapons Pack - 2 x BOFORS MRL-3 MISSILE LAUNCHERS: Two short range missile launchers are mounted on either shoulder.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Varies with missile type.
   • DAMAGE: Varies with missile type.
   • RATE OF FIRE: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or all 20
   • PAYLOAD: 10 short range missile in each shoulder for a total of 20 missiles

    

4. Optional Detachable Weapons Pack - 2 x  MML-1 MISSILE LAUNCHERS: Two long range missile launchers aer mounted to the sides of the Masamune.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: Varies with missile type
   • DAMAGE: Varies with missile type
   • RATE OF FIRE: One at a time or in volleys of 2, 3, or all 6
   • PAYLOAD: six long range missiles

    

    

5. OPTIONAL HAND HELD: 1 x HUGHES GU-10 55mm THREE BARRELED SMOOTHBORE ROTARY GUN POD: The earlier version of the GU-11.  Cannon fires APSSDS (Armor Piercing Spin Stablized Discarding Sabot) and HESH (High Explosive Squash Head) rounds at 300 rounds/minue
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault/Defense
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-mecha
   • RANGE: APSSDS (1600 m) and HESH (1200)
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 1d6 short burst, 2d6 medium burst, 3d6 full melee burst.   HESH 2d6 short burst, 3d6 medium burst, and 4d6 full melee burst.  Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%. 
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD:  600 round capacity for 60 short bursts, 30 medium, or 15 full melee bursts.
   • NOTES:  APSSDS crits on 17,18,19,20. Tracers add +2 to strike.

    

6. OPTIONAL HAND HELD: 1 x GU-11 THREE-BARRELED 55mm SMOOTHBORE ROTARY GUN POD: The common weapon used on the VF-1 series of Veritech fighters.  The cannon fires rounds at 600 rounds per minute
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: APSSDS (1600 m) and HESH (1200)
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 2d6 short burst, 4d6 medium burst, 6d6 full melee burst.   HESH 3d6 short burst, 6d6 medium burst, 1d6*10 full melee burst.  Tracer rounds reduce damage by 25%. 
   • RATE OF FIRE: Single shots or bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: 500 round capacity for 50 short bursts, 25 medium, or 12 full melee bursts.
   • NOTES:  APSSDS crits on 17,18,19,20.  Tracers add +2 to strike.

    

7. OPTIONAL HAND HELD: 1 x GU-12 SINGLE SMOOTHBORE BARREL GUN POD: This is a heavy caliber weapon that fires a substantially larger projectile than the GU-11; however the rate of fire is limited to short bursts.  The rate of fire is 110 rounds per minute.
   • PRIMARY PURPOSE: Assault
   • SECONDARY PURPOSE: Anti-Mecha
   • RANGE: APSSDS (2500 m) and HESH (1800)
   • DAMAGE: APSSDS 6d6 short burst, HESH 1d4*10 short burst
   • RATE OF FIRE: Short bursts equal to the combined attacks of the pilot.
   • PAYLOAD: 60 rounds or 20 short bursts
   • NOTES:  APSSDS crits on 17,18,19,20.  Tracers add +2 to strike.

    

8. HAND TO HAND COMBAT: If necessary, the Masamune can engage in melee combat rather than use a weapon. The Masamune is extremely agile and can execute most typical hand to hand combat moves, such as punches, jump kicks, leap attacks, rolling with impacts, etc.

   DAMAGE:  

   • Punch in Battloid:  1D6*3
   • Punch in Guardian:  1D4*3
   • Kick: 1D6*3
   • Leap Kick: 2D6*3
   • Body Flip/Throw: 1D6*3
   • Body Block/Tackle: 1D6*3
   • Stomp: 1D4*3 . (only effective against small objects)
     

STANDARD EQUIPMENT FOR THE MASAMUNE:

• COMBAT COMPUTER: The Masamune is equipped with a combat computer that can store and analyze data during combat with hostile forces. The combat computer tracks and identifies specific enemy targets, and has a database of over 500 images stored in memory. The computer can identify and track up to 20 targets simultaneously. 
• EXTERNAL AUDIO PICKUP: Range: 300 ft (91.5 m). A sound amplification system that can pick up normal conversation up to 300 feet away.
• HEAT AND RADIATION SHIELDS: Special shielding prevents the penetration of life threatening head and radiation. A radiation detection and alarm system are linked with the shields and will sound an alarm if there is a rupture in the shields and what the levels of radiation are.
• HOMING SIGNAL: The Masamune is equipped with a homing device that enables rescue teams to locate a disabled craft or ejected life pod. The range of the signal is 50 miles (640 km). Most RDF ships and veritechs can locate and track a homing signal, and the onboard computers will automatically notify their pilots if such a signal is detected.
• THOMSON LT-3 MULTI-FREQUENCY LASER RANGER AND DESIGNATOR: Range: 10 miles (160 km). Used for increased accuracy in the striking of enemy targets and is partly responsible for the mecha's strike bonus.
• LOUDSPEAKER: A loudspeaker system is built into the craft, which can be used to amplify the pilot's voice up to 90 decibels.
• OPTICS: INFRARED: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). This optical system projects a beam of infrared light that is invisible to the normal eye, but detectable by the mecha's sensors. The system allows the pilot to detect hidden/concealed objects by their IR reflectiveness. The beam will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics, however.
• OPTICS: NIGHTVISION: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive light image intensifier that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient light which is electronically amplified to produce a visible picture.
• OPTICS: THERMAL IMAGER: Range: 2000 feet (610 m). A passive optical heat sensor that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects and converts that data into a false-color visible image. The system enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows, and through smoke, and also adds a +10% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill.
• RADAR: Hughes APG-198 short range (45 km) X band pulse Doppler phased array UWB radar.
• RADIO/VIDEO COMMUNICATION: Long range, directional communications system with satellite relay capabilities. Range: 100 miles (960 km) or can be boosted indefinitely via satellite relay.
• SELF-DESTRUCT: To prevent capture of an advance variable fighter by the enemy, the pilot can activate the Masamune elf-destruct system, which will cause the fighter to explode after a delay of up to 60 minutes (time is set by the pilot). The explosive damage is contained within a 20 foot (6 m) area and inflicts 1D6x10 M.D. to everything within the radius of the explosion. All internal systems are obliterated.
• STANDARD SURVIVAL KIT: All RDFs mecha come equipped with a portable survival kit. Inside the small reinforced box is a medium-sized flashlight, two hand flares, one rocket flare, a compass, infrared distancing binoculars, a small mirror, a pocket knife, dehydrated and concentrated food (can be stretched into a five day supply for one person) and basic first aid items (aspirin, bandages, disinfectants, etc.)
• TACTICAL LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM: The Masamune's cockpit is pressurized, and also provides additional air feeds to the pilot's flight suit that provides him with pressurized breathing.
• ELETTRONICA RADAR WARNING RECEIVER (RWR)
• OLDEFT INFRA-RED WARNING RECEIVER (IRWR)
• WESTINGHOUSE ALQ-198(V) ACTIVE SENSOR JAMMER
• CHAFF AND FLARE DISPENSERS: 24 chaff and 24 flares are stored in the lower legs
• ACTIVE MISSILE JAMMERS
  

COMBAT BONUSES FOR MASAMUNE TRAINING:

• 2 attacks per melee (plus those of the pilot).
• Add one additional action/attack at levels six and eleven.
• +1 to strike
• +2 to parry
• +1 to dodge
• +2 to roll with a punch or fall with an impact, reducing damage by half.
• Critical strike same as pilot's hand-to-hand.

REFERENCES USED IN THIS DESIGN

• Robotech Technical Files: Main Battle Robot MBR-08 Masamune
• Palladium Books:  Robotech The Roll Playing Game

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