Queen's Rules

Tau

Battlesuits

Battlesuits(XV8"Crisis", XV88"Broadside", XV15"Stealth" and all other, all their modifications, possible patterns etc.) are vehicles and their use is governed by Pilot(Personal) Skill. Should it become relevant, they are classed as both Walker and Skimmer/Hoverer and have corresponding traits. The following exceptions are applied to the general rules of operating a vehicle when piloting a Battlesuit.

General

• The pilot makes all Skill Tests(except Pilot(Personal) obviously), tests his Characteristics and uses Talents&Traits as if his Battlesuit was a suit of armor and not a vehicle. This means that skills, talents and traits usable in normal combat(say Swift&Lightning Attack, Hard Target, Shadowing, Acrobatics) have the same effect with added benefit of Battlesuit's protection, armament and sensors.

Characteristics

• Armor of the battlesuit is also it's pilot armor for the purpose of Called Shots and other circumstances when it may become relevant.
• Battlesuits do not have Front, Rear or Sides. They have Head, Body, Arms and Legs instead.
• Damage of any hit that bypasses armor and structural integrity is immediately applied to the pilot to the same Hit Location.

Example: A shot from lascannon(Pen 10) hits a XV15"Stealth" Battlesuit in the body(Armor 8, Structural Integrity 8). It deals 45 damage, completely depleting Structural Integrity. Same 45 damage are now applied to the pilot, which surely means that both the heretechnical blasphemy and foul xenos operating it are now a smoldering ruin, as it should be.

• Crew is always "1 Pilot".
• Carrying Capacity is always "---", representing that battlesuit already carries all that it can - in the form of pilot, weaponry and various combat systems.
• Size: Hulking. This also confers "Size: Hulking(Trait)" to the pilot for the purpose of movement rates only. Due to advanced techno-heresy Battlesuit pilots never suffer any penalties to Move Silently and Concealment Skill Test due to the size of their Battlesuit.
• Battlesuits do not have Maneuverability Score, though any condition or circumstance that would affect the pilot's Agility Test, Strength Test or Movement Rates(Difficult Terrain, strong winds etc.) will also affect his Pilot(Personal) Skill Tests.
• Battlesuit also confers the following traits to the pilot: Unnatural Toughness(x2), Unnatural Strength(x2)

Movement

• In Walker mode, the Battlesuit's Tactical Speed is it's pilot's Half Move(modified by his new Size). The Battlesuit's Cruising Speed is it's pilot's Narrative Time Move Rating(modified by his new Size).
• In Skimmer/Hoverer mode, the Battlesuit uses it's own movement rates, as shown in it's statistics block.
• Battlesuits can engage in "Evasive Maneuvering" only while in Skimmer/Hoverer mode. While it is in Walker mode, this action is replaced by Tactical Advance(See "Playing the Game" section of any core rules book).
• Battlesuits can't "Floor It!". This action is replaced by Run(See "Playing the Game" section of any core rules book).
• Battlesuits can't "Ram". This action is replaced by Charge, using the pilot's Weapon Skill(See "Playing the Game" section of any core rules book). Attempting to Charge in Skimmer/Hoverer mode calls for a Challenging(+0) Pilot(Personal) Skill Test.
• Battlesuits have two modes - Walker and Skimmer/Hoverer and are always in one of the two. Pilot can switch between them as Free Action. If Battlesuit becomes unpowered for any reason(Haywire grenades, Tech-Scorn for example) while in Skimmer/Hoverer mode - it Crashes.

Combat

• Specific Weapon Proficiencies are required to fire weapons mounted on the Battlesuit.
• Battlesuit pilots do not suffer penalties to Pilot(Personal) Skill when attempting to dodge due to the size of their Battlesuit. Battlesuit still Crashes if this Pilot(Personal) Test is failed by five or more degrees.
• All Battlesuit weapons and systems count as having "Facing: All".
• If the pilot has any Talents or Abilities for use with Jump Pack or simply wishes so, he can treat his Battlesuit as Jump Pack and use it accordingly

All Battlesuits have the following profile format.

 


|Type: Tau Battlesuit(Walker or Skimmer/Hoverer)  |
|Tactical Speed: Walker #, S/H #                  |
|Cruising Speed: Walker #, S/H #                  |
|Structural Integrity: #                          |
|Size: Hulking                                    |
|Armor: Head #, Body #, Arms #, Legs #            |
|Crew: 1 Pilot                                    |
|Armaments:   Weapon    Range   RoF   Dam   Pen   | 
|           1st Weapon                            |
|           2nd Weapon                            |
|           3rd Weapon                            |
|Systems:                                         |
|                                                 |
|                                                 |

Armory

Battlesuit Gear

• Airbursting Fragmentation Projector: Treat as a Frag Grenade explosion with Blast(8) centered on the Battlesuit, that affects everyone in the blast zone except the Battlesuit that launched it. Activating this system requires either Reaction or Half-Action.

• Advanced Stabilization System: Confers the Auto-Stabilized Trait to the pilot.

• Blacksun Filter: Confers the Dark Sight Trait to the pilot.

• Bonding Knife: Meaningless bauble, that is not even a true weapon, somehow boosts the arrogance of foul xenos, giving them +10 bonus on Willpower Tests to resist Fear and Pinning.

• Command&Control Node: Confers the Disciplined(Horde) Trait to Tau combatants(but not Drones or Kroot beasts) under the pilot's command(if they are combined in a Horde). If said combatants are required to Test versus Fear or Pinning, the pilot can Test his Command Skill instead, with same modifiers. If said combatants are already Pinned or panicking, the pilot can attempt Command Skill Test to negate these conditions, but not if he already failed to prevent them in previous round; This is a Full Action. Also counts as encrypted Vox-Caster. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. C&C Node has Armor 4 and Structural Integrity 2.

• Drone Controller: Allows the pilot to issue direct commands to nearby Drones via encrypted transmissions or directly control a number of Drones equal to his Intelligence Modifier, using his Ballistic Skill in place of that of the Drones and Tech-Use in place of their Dodge. Directly controlling the drones is a Full Action and issuing commands is a Free Action. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. Drone Controller has Armor 4 and Structural Integrity 2.

• Ejection System: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 366

• Failsafe Detonator: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 366

• Iridium Armor: Adds +3 to the Battlesuit overall Armor.

• Multi-Tracker: Enables the pilot to independently target and fire two of his Battlesuit's weapons without any penalties as if he had all required Abilities and Talents(meaning BS 40+, Ag 40+, Independent Targeting, TWW(Ballistic) etc.). If he does in fact has them, he can fire one additional weapon(but not the same weapon twice) mounted on his Battlesuit at -10 penalty to his BS. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. Multi-Tracker has Armor 4 and Structural Integrity 2.

• Shield Generator: Counts as a Power Field with a Protection Rating 55 and an Overload Roll 01-10, covering entire Battlesuit. Also adds +2 Armor to the Body and Hand it is mounted on. Shield Generator forbids the use of a weapon in the same hand. It can be used in close combat to Parry incoming melee attacks(treat as a weapon with Defensive and Power Field special qualities) but not to attack.

• Sensor Array: Counts as Auspex, Magnoculars and IR-visor. This component is usually mounted outside the hull(most likely on the shoulder) and therefore can be targeted separately(with a Called Shot) if attacker can determine it for what it is. Sensor Array has Armor 4 and Structural Integrity 2.

• Stealth Field Generator: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 367

• Stimulant Injector: Counts as Bio-Monitor And Injector(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 161). Can also administer other xeno-drugs as determined by GM. Obviously affects the pilot and not the Battlesuit.

• Target Lock: Counts as Astartes Targeter and Motion Predictor(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 174 and pg. 157 respectively ). Also confers Target Selection Talent to the pilot.

• Targeting Array: Counts as Astartes Signum(See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 173) affecting the pilot and those under his command(including Drones but not Kroot beasts)

• Vectored Retro-thrusters: Allows the pilot to Disengage his Battlesuit from close combat as a Half-Action. Alternatively the pilot can attempt to Disengage as Reaction with Hard(-20) Pilot(Personal) Skill Test. Battlesuit Crashes if this Pilot(Personal) Test is failed by five or more degrees.

Infantry Gear

• Bonding Knife: Meaningless bauble, that is not even a true weapon, somehow boosts the arrogance of foul xenos, giving them +10 bonus on Willpower Tests to resist Fear and Pinning. If a xenos wearing it becomes a part of the Horde, the benefit is extended to the whole Horde and also affects Willpower Test to resist Breaking.

• EMP Grenade: See Deathwatch Core Rules book, pg. 151

• Hard-wired Systems: Blacksun Filter, Drone-controller, Multi-tracker, Target Lock - chosen separately. Incorporated in the helm are various systems, enabling a xenos foot-soldier to pick-up feeds from parenting systems on his superior's vehicle. Every component, except Multi-tracker functions exactly as written in Battlesuit Gear section. Multi-tracker enables the user to fire his main weapon(single shots only) as a Reaction in addition to standard attacks made this round; if a Horde is equipped witch such devices - it gains two additional degrees of success on all it's ranged attacks. Kroot and their beasts can't be equipped with any of Hard-wired Systems.

• Markerlight: Markelight is a weapon-like device with the following profile.

Type   Range     RoF      Dam      Clip     Rld    Special
-----------------------------------------------------------
Basic  200 m    S/-/-   Special  Infinite   ---    See text

Any target that was hit with the Markerligh is subject to the following effects: any further shots(not strikes) at it are Easy(+10), Seeker Missiles and Smart Missiles(see below) will strike it unerringly, it receives -10 penalty on the Willpower Tests to resist Pinning. If a member of a Kill-team in Squad Mode was targeted and hit by Markerlight, all of it's members(that are in Squad Mode at the moment) are subject to the above conditions. Additionally, any Heavy or Mounted Weapon that hits Kill-Team in a Squad Mode while under the effects of Markelight counts as having the Devastating special weapon quality or inflict one additional point of Cohesion damage if it already possess that quality . The effects of Markerlight last for one full turn. Tau foot-soldier(or Drone for that matter) equipped with the Markerlight can't benefit from it. Markerlight will not function in a Horde.

• Networked Markerlight: Same as Markerlight, but also counts as Astartes Signum and Astartes Signum Link for the wearer and his squad-mates(in the case that "squad" is not a Horde). A Hoard can only be equipped with Networked Markerlight(standard Markerlight will not do, as written above) and only one such device will have any impact on it's performance. The Horde equipped with Networked Markelight gains one additional attack, which must be made prior to all other ranged attacks, and can be used only in attempt to place a markerlight on one(and only one) of it's targets. It still can target the entire Kill-team if it is in Squad Mode.

Drones

• Shield Drone

WS  BS  S   T   Ag  Int  Per  Wp  Fel
-------------------------------------
20  25  20  40  40  15   25   20  10
-------------------------------------
Movement:---               Wounds: 15
Skills: Acrobatics, Awareness, Dodge
Talents: Fearless, Step Aside
Traits: Flier(12), Machine(5)
Weapons: None
Gear: Drone Shield Generator,
In-built micro-bead(receiving only)
-------------------------------------

Special: Shield Drone can and will use it's Dodge Reactions to place himself between danger and cowardly xenos it is programmed to protect, effectively becoming the target of attacks.

• Drone Shield Generator: Treat as Power Field with Protection Rating 30 and Overload Roll 01-10, covering everything in 10 metre radius around the drone or the Horde(with Magnitude of up to 30) it is assigned to. If there is noone around to protect the Drone will switch the Power Field to personal mode, in which it's Protection Rating becomes 55. The Drone will also turn off it's Force Field if it is adjacent to a Battlesuit with Shield Generator, or switch it personal mode if it is within 10 meters of such Battlesuit as safety protocols disallow the collision of force fields.

• Sniper Drone

• Marker Drone