Golden Age Weaponsmiths Riverine Patrol Boat:

The "Improved" Patrol Boat: Riverine is based on the famous design for the PBR and PBR-II, both of which saw service in the Vietnam War, and were immortalized in numerous later war movies.

When Golden Age Weaponsmiths first got started as a company, they found the plans for the old PBR-II, and one innovative designer modified the design, while still retaining the qualities that made it famous.

This modified design quickly became popular, and in it's early days, Golden Age Weaponsmiths couldn't keep up with demand for the craft they designated the I-PBR-III, and simply referred to by most as the "PBR". Becoming exceptionally common in the lakes and rivers of North America, GAW soon licensed the design to Northern Gun, Iron Heart Industries, a small boat manufacturing company in Lazlo, and even Free Quebec. When Iron Heart Industries was seized by the Coalition States, the production lines for the I-PBR-III that they had were captured intact, and the boats are now also being built for the Coalition States Navy, for river and lake work, and are a common sight patrolling the Mississippi.

They can be found in the hands of virtually everyone, and are very popular on any of the river systems of America, and any major lake/marshland areas, especially in Canada. They've proven a terror in hit and run raids against Coalition positions by the Free Quebec Navy.

Though they don't have much of a punch, considering their size, their firepower is impressive, and when fighting lightly armored opponents, they don't have an equal.

Mounted two multi-purpose warhead launchers, each of which can carry two depth charges, or two short range missiles, or two mini-torpedoes, in addition to three 50 caliber machine guns and two 7.62 mm machine guns, along with banks of smoke grenade launchers, and using ramjet ammo for the guns, the I-PBR-III can be devastating especially in the anti-personnel role, and also as a raider against lightly defended shipping.

Though one drawback is the lack of anti-missile point defense, this is partially made up for, as the multi-purpose warhead launchers can carry short range missiles for anti-missile work, or Mini-torpedoes in an anti-torpedo role.

Additionally, two pintle-mounts are available for additional weapons, those these, if used at all, usually simply have another two .50 cal machine guns (One each).

Against small groups of enemies with little armor protection, the I-PBR-III can be devastating, and it's hull, made of the strongest of M.D.C. materials, can survive a surprising amount of punishment and stay afloat, meaning that the craft can outlast some more powerful opponents.

Finally, because of the optional nuclear reactor used for power, shallow draft, and the small crew requirement, the I-PBR-III is VERY popular among explorers and adventurers, as it allows them to operate up uncharted waterways without refueling with a relatively minimal crew.

There are many variants of these vessels and it would virtually impossible to list them all. Versions are available with diesel engines and electric engines. The nuclear reactors are not produced by Golden Age Weaponsmiths and are purchased from various other companies. These versions are much cheaper and are great for groups just starting up. Many companies and governments replace the weapon systems with systems more common in their production. Northern Gun, the Coalition, and Free Quebec all replace the machine guns with rail guns that they produce. As well, Wellington Industries' automatic grenade launchers are popular as replacement weapon systems.

Because of the sheer numbers of these craft that have been built, many have found their way into the Republic of Colombia's navy, various forces in Central America, and other forces, small and large, in South America.

Model Type: Small river patrol boat built by numerous companies.
Class Name: I-PBR-III
Class: Patrol Boat: Riverine.
Crew: 5 (1 officer)
Passengers: Up to four who are roughly humanoid in size and weight.

Vehicle Compliment: None.

M.D.C. by Location:

	12.7 mm (.50 cal) Twin turret (Forward):	75
	12.7 mm (.50 cal) single mount (Aft):	25
	7.62 mm MG Twin turret (Aft):	50
	Multi-purpose warhead launchers (2; Aft):	25 each
	Smoke Dispensers (2):	10 each
	Weaponry Pintle Mounts (2):	5 each
	[1] Bridge / Superstructure:	130
	[2] Main Engine:	100
	[3] "Jacuzzi" jet pumps (2):	50 each
	[4] Main Body:	350

Notes:
[1] Destroying the Bridge/superstructure will inflict 1D4 MD to the occupants inside and cause damage to the steering gear, reducing maximum speed to 20 knots and all piloting rolls will suffer a penalty of 30%.
[2] The main engine is located inside the hull and can only be targeted when the main body is depleted.
[3] These pumps are under the hull and cannot be targeted unless the person attempting to target them is submerged under the vessel or nearby it underwater. They require a called shot with -3 to strike. Destroying one pump takes out the maneuverability bonus and reduces piloting rolls to 50%, and speed to 15 knots. Taking out two will disable the I-PBR-III.
[4] Depleting the main body of the PBR reduces reducing all piloting rolls to 25% and reducing maximum speed to 5 knots, but the vehicle can still function, and the weapons are unimpaired. When the main body has been depleted to -100 M.D.C., the PBR will sink. There are enough flotation devices and a raft onboard for the entire crew.

Speed:
On Water: Maximum speed of 30 knots (34.5 mph / 55.6 kph), sustainable indefinitely.
Range: Diesel Engines: 400 miles at maximum speed before refueling is required (Quadruple range if traveling at 15 knots or less). Electric Engines: 800 miles at maximum speed before refueling is required (Quadruple range if traveling at 15 knots or less). Nuclear: Effectively unlimited due to fusion engines (needs to refuel every 5 years and requires maintenance as well). Ship carries a maximum of two weeks of supplies on board.

Statistical Data:
Draft: 2.5 feet (0.76 meters) Note: This means the I-PBR-III can operate in water as shallow as three feet/one meter.
Width: 13.2 feet (4 meters)
Length: 36.3 feet (11 meters)
Displacement: 10 tons.
Cargo: Can carry a maximum of 2 tons of cargo in various stowage spaces and on the deck. Most of the craft is taken up with ammo supplies and rations; There are no lockers for any of the crew, who sleep at their stations, or on hammocks or the deck, though there is space for each crew member and passenger to have a full suit of body armor, though not any powered armors.
Power System: 1 Mini Nuclear Fusion Reactor, average life span is 5 years, OR twin diesel engines, OR Electric power with fuel cells.
Availability: Excellent in North America, Fair in Central and South America.
Market Price: Varies immensely; 800,000 for a diesel powered version, 1.2 million for electrical, and 4 million for nuclear. Versions with heavy damage or missing features can go for as low as 50% less, and in areas of high demand the boats can cost up to double their normal cost. Refitting a craft for a different power source is possible, but the cost is usually more than simply buying one with that power source.

Weapon Systems:

1. 12.7 millimeter Machine guns (3): Two are located in a manual or electronic traverse (When electricity is not available, the turret automatically unlocks for manual targeting) turret mounted forward which provides good protection for the gunner, while a third is mounted aft on a swivel-mount with a minimal gun shield for protecting the gunner. Uses WI-20 Heavy Ramjet rounds.
   Maximum Effective Range: 3,000 feet (914.4 m)
   Mega Damage: Single shot does 1D4 and 40 round burst does 5D6. The forward turret can fire-link the two guns to do 1D6x10 damage for a 40 round burst from each.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
   Payload: 3000 rounds total, 1000 rounds per gun (25 bursts per gun; 25 fire-linked bursts total for the forward turret).
2. 7.62 mm Machine Guns (2): Mounted in an manual or electronic traverse (When electricity is not available, the turret automatically unlocks for manual targeting) turret aft, controlled by one gunner. Uses WI-10 Ramjet rounds to increase the weapons damage.
   Maximum Effective Range: 2,000 feet (609.6 m)
   Mega Damage: One round does 1 M.D.C. to M.D.C. targets or 3D6x10 S.D.C. to soft targets. Twenty round bursts do 2D4 M.D.C. Twenty round bursts from both guns, fire-linked, do 4D4 M.D.C.
   Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
   Payload: Carries 8,000 rounds total between both machine guns, 4,000 apiece. 200 full bursts from each gun, or 200 fire-linked bursts.
3. Multi-purpose warhead launchers (2): This weapon system is mounted on the aft of the ship. Each of these launchers can carry two warheads. These can either be mini-torpedoes, short range missiles, or depth charges. There are no limits to the combinations that can be made, though each launcher is limited to a total of 2 weapons, no matter the type. Short range missiles carried by these launchers can be used to intercept incoming missiles, while mini-torpedoes carried by these launchers can be used to intercept incoming torpedoes.
   Maximum Effective Range: As per short range missile type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table) OR for standard Depth Charges, OR for Mini-Torpedoes
   Mega Damage: As per Short Range Missile type, OR Depth Charge, OR Mini-torpedo (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
   Rate of Fire: Each launcher can fire one weapon per melee round, for a total of two.
   Payload: Two weapons per each launcher, for a total of four, of any of the three types listed above.
4. Smoke Dispensers (2): Mounted on either side of the PBR and launches smoke grenades.
   Maximum Effective Range: 1,200 feet (365 m)
   Effect: Creates a cloud of smoke 40 ft (12 m) in diameter:
   Rate of Fire: Two per melee
   Payload: Carries 12 smoke grenades per launcher.
5. Weaponry pintle mounts (2): One of these is on each side of the vessel. They're simple mounts with recoil strengthening to allow a weapon normally designed to be mounted on a bipod, tripod, quadrupod, or carried in the hands of a power armor or robot to mounted on the I-PBR-III and used by a normal human crew, though the crew of such a gun would be unprotected.
   A huge variety of weapons can be mounted here; The only limitation is that there are no feeds from the ship's power, meaning that the weapon must be self-contained in providing power or must use E-clips or portable generators carried onboard for power. The nature of the variety is quite diverse; Anything from a modified gun normally used by a SAMAS Power Armor to the WI-40M Single-Shot medium range missile launchers sold by Wellington Industries.
   However, the weapons and, if any, generators used to power them that are mounted here cut into the maximum carried tonnage of the I-PBR-III, which, being only two tons, limits the craft from carrying any really heavy weaponry on these mounts.

Sensors:
All standard Rifts Robot vehicle-sensors similar to in use in Coalition and are carried on the I-PBR-III attack craft. Each installation is more massive than those carried on more advanced vehicles, especially those of the New German Republic, but are still quite effective. These sensors are mounted inside the hull and virtually impossible to destroy without sinking the ship, and have the same ranges and capabilities as those standard Robot sensors.

Special Notes:
The I-PBR-III is famous for it's extreme maneuverability for a watercraft. +4 bonus to ALL piloting rolls for the I-PBR-III, as the craft, with it's twin water jets, is capable of maneuvers that some would say puts some Jet Skis to shame.

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths, Wellington Industries, and TRIAX are trademarks owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

Writeup by Marina O'Leary (LusankyaN@aol.com ).
Minor Revisions and Formatting by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 2000, Marina O'Leary. All rights reserved.