The 'TGF-01' (The Roc)

Built primarily out of the parts of a VB-01 and an RD44 Cutlass, this Frankenstein aircraft is quite a feat of chaos engineering. Although it lacks any of the performance advantages from either vehicle, this junkyard variant is great for transportation and hauling cargo safely across the Dust Bowl. Named by its chief architect, Rattlesnake Jim, his absurd declaration was shortened into an acronym to make it sound technical rather than just crude.

An oversized frame and an undersized engine, it struggles to gain altitude as compared to its counterparts designed both before and after the war. The 'TGF-01' gives the pilot the feeling of flying a cinder block with a desk fan, causing the poor operator to have to wrestle the archaic controls to even keep it in a stable hover. On top of all that, the few computer components that still remain have nothing to do with targeting acquisition or assistance, leaving the weapons in a free-fire state dependent on the eyes of the gunner.

Despite all these flaws, the bones of this vertibird are solid. With a good deal of engineering, ingenuity, and caps, it could one day be something special. A spacious interior provides a mobile base to anyone in possession of it. Bunks line the seam where the aircraft were joined, and a makeshift toilet provides an easy place to dispose of waste without having to land. Some of the heat vented from the engines has even been rerouted to form a makeshift stove, allowing the crew to take advantage of the excess exhaust to get a hot meal on the go.

by Felivans

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• Hardware

  
  
  • Insulation
    
    
    Adds a layer of internal insulation to help protect the crew from the elements. It also provides a small amount of energy resistance as an added benefit, and fully seals the vehicle from the air outside.
    
    ~ Lower the Difficulty Survival checks by one that are made to resist weather conditions or temperatures from higher altitudes.
    
    ~ Increase the vehicle's Energy DR by 2.
  
  
  
  • Nuclear Deterrent
    
    
    Wired into the fission engine of the vertibird, this was originally intended to be Rattlesnake Jim's last trump card. It was salvaged from an ICBM in a military base nearby the Sarsaparilla Plant, however only a small section of the important stuff remains intact and fully active. Potentially a good haul for salvage, keeping this thing around might invite more trouble than it is worth..
    
    ~ can be activated for one hell of a plot twist
    
    ~ roll Difficulty 3 Science or Difficulty 4 Repair check to salvage junk. The bomb counts for 100 raw junk, +25 for each rank of Scrapper the roller has. Count roll for breaking down raw junk into componenets as if the player had both ranks of the Scrapper perk.

• Software

  
  
  • Navigational Computer
    
    
    With an active GPS tracking system and a coded autopilot, this upgrade allows the pilot to sit back and watch the aircraft land itself or fly in a straight line without needing manual assistance.
    
    ~ Lower Survival checks to navigate by one, and you may reroll one die at your discretion.
    
    ~ Reduce all Piloting Difficulties by one to a minimum of zero.
  
  
  
  • Built-In Co-Pilot
    
    
    Salvaging a Colonel Gutsy during The Hunt for Rattlesnake Jim, this automaton is now permanently interned inside of the TGF-01 to provide assistant to the pilot. It takes up the co-pilot's seat and allows for much better control over the auto-pilot and the complexity of plans it can interpret.
    
    ~ The operator gains one autosuccess on Piloting attempts.
    
    ~ Allows the TGF-01 to be remotely controlled at + 2 Difficulty to any task more complicated than flying to a destination or landing in a specific spot.
  
  

• Customizations

  
  
  • Desert Camouflage:
    
    
    Painted on for a fistful of caps, this small alteration to the Roc has proved very useful in avoiding danger when the aircraft is at its most vulnerable.
    
    ~ +1 Difficulty to spot when landed on open desert for each range increment away.
  
  
  
  • Water Filter
    
    
    This device pulls not only physical contaminants from liquids placed inside it, but also radioactive ones. A system of reverse osmosis, ion-exchange, and activated carbon are used to accomplish this, and must receive maintenance after sufficient use to avoid damage to the purifier. Can be moved around at will with a suction-based mount.
    
    ~ Can convert Dirty Water directly into Purified Water at a 1:1 ratio.
    
    ~ The process takes ten minutes per bottle, requires the Survival skill, and has a Complexity of 1. For every five bottles processed this way, raise the Complication Range and Complexity by one unless a Repair check is made at a Difficulty equal to one plus the current Complexity.
    
    ~ Can be moved around manually, and weighs twenty pounds.
  
  
  
  • Food Extruder
    
    
    Much like the machines on the Vault Crawler used to make 'Hard Pudding', this device can be loaded with all manner of raw ingredients in order to make an edible bar. The most popular protein base is the abundant insect larvae that can be dug up all over the Dust Bowl, however this processor will take any form of meat or vegetation and combine them to provide the crew with a meal when time are hard.
    
    ~ Unlocks several new recipes that can be crafted inside the Food Extruder at a Complexity of 0. Each Recipe takes ten minutes to craft but does not require anyone to actively attend to the device.
    
    ~ Meat Paste - Combine any two meats to receive a portion of Meat Paste. Heals 5 HP when consumed, reroll one die on an Endurance based check in the next Scene at your discretion, removes any radiation from the product, weighs less than 1 lb, costs 5 caps, and has a rarity of 0.
    
    ~ Vegie Paste - Combine any two fruits or vegetables to receive a portion of Veggie Paste. Heals 5 HP when consumed, reroll one die on an Agility based check in the next Scene at your discretion, removes any radiation from the product, weighs less than 1 lb, costs 5 caps, and has a rarity of 0.
    
    ~ Mash Paste - Combine a portion of any meat and any fruit or vegetable to receive a portion of Mash Paste. Heals 5 HP when consumed, reroll one die on an Endurance or Agility based check in the next Scene at your discretion, removes any radiation from the product, weighs less than 1 lb, costs 5 caps, and has a rarity of 0.
    
    ~ The process takes ten minutes per Recipe, requires the Survival skill, and has a Complexity of 1. For every five meals processed this way, raise the Complication Range and Complexity by one unless a Repair check is made at a Difficulty equal to one plus the current Complexity.
    
    ~ Can be moved around manually, and weighs fifty pounds.

• HP: 35 Physical DR: 3 Energy DR: 5

• Coolant Cost: 1 per hour of operation

• Maximum Speed: 125/mph

• Max Altitude: 20,000 feet

• Climb Speed: 1,500 feet per minute

• Crew: 1 pilot, 1 co-pilot, 1 gunner, 4 extra passengers

• Armaments: Two wing-mounted Laser RCWs (counts as gatling laser, pilot operated), One nose-mounted broomhandle painted black to scare people (gunner operated)

• Damage: Driven much like a shopping cart under its most recent owner, a good overhaul will be needed in the near future to keep this machine airborne and diagnose any immediate dangers.

• Hardware Slots: 1/3 Open

• Software Slots: 1/3 Open

• Weapon Mounts: Right and Left Wing (full), Nose (placeholder), and Belly (empty)

• Extras:
  
  crude stove (counts as Cooking Station but increase the Complexity of all recipes by 1)
  
  6 hammock-style rope beds, (cannot sleep more than six hours at a time)
  
  crude latrine with a 'book repository' for sanitation
  
  dim spotlight (reduces penalties from darkenss by 1, must be within Long range)
  
  rusty winch (noisey and slow, +2 Stealth Difficulties when in use)
  
  mysterious statues of the Lady (left by the previous owner, this human-sized carving looks to have been one of the Dunwich figures that adorn many pre-war buildings)