This article originally appeared in Pyramid #10
The Electronic Surveillance Platform
by Michael Phyillaier, Jr.
Editor's Note: The ESP was designed using GURPS Vehicles, First Edition. Readers are encouraged to convert the ESP to Second Edition rules if they so desire. Gabe looked over his shoulder again -- he could swear something was there. The off-world buyer snorted and took his time inspecting the stolen implant chips. "I'll give you 3K for the lot."
Gabe nearly choked. They were worth ten times that, but he had no choice. "Okay, quick, gimme the stones and let's scat."
"Sure, sure, don't know why you're worried, there's no one around." At that moment, a flare of blood erupted from the off-worlder's chest. Gabe slowly raised his hands and turned around. He knew what it was. A damned ESP. They were everywhere recently. So much for his big break. If only he could get that teleport off . . .
No, it's not psionics, it's high technology. The Electronic Surveillance Platform (fondly called ESP) is the most recent development of Goliath Weaponry in privacy invasion. The ESP is a small, compact and inexpensive platform that could show up anywhere starting at TL 8. The version listed below is TL 10.
Structure: Built on a 5 c.f. body with very good streamlining.
Propulsion: Rotary wings with a NOTAR powertrain with 30KW motive power.
Power: A TL 10 rechargeable power cell of 40 KW-hours for 24 hours.
Accommodations: None.
Crew Requirement: None.
Accessories: Ghost Surface, Laser Sensor, Radar Locator, Light Radar Jammer, Sound Baffling, Mini Multi-Scanner, Mini Sound Baffling, ALLTV, Minicam, Midget Computer, Optical, Emergency Light and Siren, Tactical Radio, Terrain Following Radar. The computer has the following programs: Datalink, Sensor Ops, Tracking, Shadowing, Stealth, Tactical Vehicle Ops, Targeting, and usually a database on appropriate laws.
Weaponry: Lt. Gauss Gun with 1000 rounds of ammunition.
Cargo: .546 c.f. and 44 lbs.
Armor: 200 points expensive DR. F55, B30, R20, L20, U20, and RO25.
Statistics: Cost $111,100, Design Mass of 266 lbs., max payload of 300 lbs. Size Modifier 0, Radar Signature 0, IR Signature 0, Acoustic Signature -1.
Air Performance: Air Speed Factor 48, Top Speed 480 mph, MR 3.75, SR 6, acceleration 20 mph, deceleration 10 mph, ceiling 1,440 yds.
Adventure Seeds
A new corporate security toy! It is introduced with lots of fanfare, promising permanent reductions in crime with only minor infractions on personal privacy. But unbeknownst to everyone, the corporate suits stole the ESP from its inventor, and the inventor has cooked up a little revenge. The first new ESPs, once in service, will go on a corporate headhunt to ice the suits who stole the invention. The PCs can be hired to stop the ESPs, or to find the murdering inventor. Or the PCs can be friends of one of the targeted suits (possibly a Patron or Contact), and the platform attacks while the PCs are nearby.
A rival corporation wants to do a bit of reverse engineering. The PCs are hired to capture and deliver an ESP, or they can be hired to stop the rival company from snatching one.
An ESP records the PCs breaking the law, and the PCs must stop it before it relays their dirty deeds. The only problem is that the ESP isn't a police-owned model, it's being used by a shadowy figure to gather blackmail information . . .
The PCs stumble upon a destroyed ESP, but some of its memory survives. Someone might pay handsomely for the data. Or, perhaps the data shows some plotters assassinating a VIP. Or planning an assassination . . .
Article publication date: December 1, 1994
Copyright © 1994 by Steve Jackson Games. All rights reserved. Pyramid subscribers are permitted to read this article online, or download it and print out a single hardcopy for personal use. Copying this text to any other online system or BBS, or making more than one hardcopy, is strictly prohibited. So please don't. And if you encounter copies of this article elsewhere on the web, please report it to webmaster@sjgames.com.
