TW-P38W "Wildstorm" Lightning Techno-Wizard Fighter:

The original P-38 Lightning was one of the most interesting aircraft of World War Two and was one of the least conventional appearing fighters. The Lockheed fighter was extremely fast, long ranged, and heavily armed with one 20-mm Hispano AN-M2C cannon and four Browning .50 Caliber Machine-guns. The Lightning was used as night fighter and high speed bomber in a similar fashion to the British Mosquito. The P-38 fought in both the European and Asian theaters of the War.

Techno-Wizards love old designs in general including many of the aircraft from years past. Techno-Wizard Aviators look for ways of making aircraft from bygone days be able to compete with fighters which are capable of speeds over Mach One. The Mustang from World War Two is one such aircraft design which has been modified in this fashion. Surprisingly, even conventional versions of the Mustang have been found to be effective against sky cycles and Golden Age Weaponsmiths actually started manufacturing the old fighter as an inexpensive means of combating sky cycles. The Lightning is loved by almost as many techno-wizards as the Mustang but few of the twin tailed fighters survived the coming of the Rifts and no large manufacturing companies were interested in manufacturing the larger fighter. Several techno-wizards, with some regular operators assisting, banded together to work on a techno-wizard version of the lightning. One of the techno-wizards had assisted the designer of the Techno-Wizard "Wildstorm" Mustang and he became the chief designer of the Lightning. He used many of the ideas from the Mustang and gave it the name "Wildstorm" as well. Like the Mustang, it is not the only techno-wizard version of the Lightning but many consider it to be the best design. The heavy fighter has become very popular with some Techno-Wizards operating them in support of Techno-Wizard Mustangs.

The planes are designed to look exactly like the original Lightning and there has been extensive research on the paint schemes of the original aircraft. As well, several of the remaining World War Two P-38 Lightning have been studied to build the replicas as close as possible to the original aircraft. The aircraft are constructed from the ground up and it is believed it takes almost a month to build one of the fine twin tailed fighters.

Like the "Wildstorm" Mustang, the Techno-Wizard Lightning uses fusion reactors adapted from power armors as its main power system with the TW-P38W carrying two engines instead of the one engine on the TW-P51W. This increases the speed by just over ten percent compared to the fastest P-38 fighters produced. While not as fast as the similar Mustang, the magical Lightning can still do 468 miles per hour. The Lightning is mainly limited by the pilots endurance. The Techno-Wizard Lightning has a full environmental system to allow the pilot to fly in comfort and stretch his or her endurance. Like the Mustang, the Lightning has a Techno-Wizard Ley Line Flight system similar to what is carried in TW Flyers and allows the fighter to fly along ley lines with the main engines off. This flight system is virtually silent and is great for surprise attacks.

One advantage of the Lightning over the Mustang is the fact that it carries heavier armor and can withstand more punishment. Conventional high tech armor was used instead of enchanted materials due to it being cheaper, easier to repair, and in many cases lighter weight than enchanted materials. As an additional factor, the twin engines mean that the fighter can still fly even with the loss of one of the engines. The stronger frame and more powerful engines allow the Techno-Wizard Lightning to carry a heavier payload than the World War Two version. The "Wildstorm" Lightning, like its Mustang cousin, uses modern electronics. The cockpit electronics are designed to look like the old gauges in the original Lightning but are in reality modern multi configuration holographic plasma displays. In general the Lightning's electronics are equal to that of a light robot vehicle but the fighter carries a longer ranged radar system although still fairly short ranged compared to most modern fighters. An interesting feature is that while the flight systems are advanced fly by wire system, the aircraft uses a control yoke like the original Lightning.

The main weaponry of the Lightning are four lightning blasters and one Techno-Wizard machine-gun. The machine-gun is similar to the weapon carried on the Techno-Wizard Merlin and fires telekinetic bolts. The main advantage of the weapon is that it can be used against targets which are impervious to energy weapons. It has an effectively unlimited payload like the lightning blasters and all weapons can be fired simultaneously. The heavy fighter has four hard points on each wing for a total of eight hard points. Each hard point can carry a variety of different ordnance including mini-missile pods, missiles, and bombs. Mini-Missile pods are popular due to having a large payload.

The most important feature of the "Wildstorm" Lightning is copied straight from the "Wildstorm" Mustang. The fighter uses elemental magic in the form of a minor air spirit which has been persuaded to merge with the aircraft. If the aircraft is destroyed, the elemental will simply go back to its home plane and not attack anyone in the area. Like it does for the Mustang, the air spirit gives the fighter an incredible responsiveness and makes the fighter incredible to fly. The fighter also can activate magical ball lightning similar to the Lightning Knight light tank. This ball lightning can be used to form a protective field around the aircraft which inflicts damage on missiles and other projectiles fired at the fighter. The fighter cannot launch missiles or drop bombs while the electrical field is active due to the fact the electrical field would detonate them but while attached to the fighter, the ordnance is not effected. The telekinetic force bolts fire from the fighter are not effected. The elemental magic protects the mustang from all forms of electricity including magical and ion weapons when the electrical field is activated. Unlike the electrical field on the light tank, the electrical field is not considered an effective weapon for ramming although it has been used for that role by some ace pilots in mustangs. Along with the ability to generate a protective field, the ball lightning can be fired in any direction by the pilot.

Model Number: P-38W "Wildstorm" Lightning
Vehicle Type: Dual Engine Techno-Wizard Fighter
Crew: One

M.D.C. by Location:
[1] Wings (2):180 each
[2] Central Tail Elevator120
[2] Rudders (2):80 each
Reinforced Pilots Cockpit140
[3] Engines:100 each
[3] Propellers:40
Landing Gear (3):30 each
[4] Cockpit Section (Main Body):200
[4] Twin Booms (2, Main Body):350 each

Notes:
[1] Destroying a Wing will cause the plane to crash.
[2] Destruction of rudders will still allow the fighter to be controlled by the varying of power levels of the engines but the fighter has a penalty of -10 to dodge, and a -30% penalty to all piloting rolls. Destruction of the elevator will leave the plane uncontrollable and pilot must eject to survive.
[3] The destruction of one engine or propeller will reduce the fighters top speed by half and give the pilot a -2 penalty to dodge as well as giving a 10% penalty to piloting. Destruction of both engines or propellers will cause the aircraft to crash. Pilot may attempt an emergency landing or pilot can choose to eject. If on a Ley Line, the aircraft can continue flying even if both engines or propellers are destroyed.
[4] All Three sections are considered part of the Main Body. Depleting the MDC of either of the boom sections or the cockpit section will put the fighter out of commission and causing it to crash if in flight.

Speed:
Driving on Ground (Taxiing): Only possible for take offs and landings as well as for parking and storage. Speed is 40 mph (64 kph) when traveling and not on take off or landing.
Flying: 468 mph (753.2 kph) with an altitude of 45,500 feet (13868.4 meters) using conventional propeller driven flight. 200 mph (320 kph) on Telekinetic flight system but aircraft must remain on a ley line for flight system to operate.
Range: The Lightning will overheat after twelve hours of operation at above 300 mph (482.8 kph) on propeller driven flight. Effectively unlimited on Telekinetic flight system.

Statistical Data:
Height: 12 feet. 10 inches. (3.91 meters)
Wingspan: 52 feet. 0 inches. (15.84 meters)
Length: 37 feet. 10 inches. (11.53 meters)
Weight: 14,500 pounds (6,577.1 kilograms) empty, 17,800 pounds (8,073.9 kilograms) fully loaded
Power System: Dual Flight System, Fusion Reactor with five year lifespan and Telekinetic flight system for flight on ley lines.
Cargo: Minimal (Storage for small equipment), does not include hard points
Black Market Cost: 18.8 million credits.

Weapon Systems:

  1. TK Machine-Gun: Carried in the position of the original 20 mm Hispano AN-M2C cannon. It is enchanted by a series of spells so the cannon acts as a more powerful version of the TK Machine-gun. This increases the weapon's damage and instead of being reloaded, the cannon must be recharged by the spell Telekinesis and 100 PPE once per month. The cannon does full damage to targets that are impervious to energy and can be fired through the electrical field. Weapon can be combined with the Lightning Blasters.
    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
    Mega Damage: 12D6 (Combined with Lightning Blasters for a Maximum Total of 5D4x10+10)
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Unlimited, although the spells must be renewed every month whether the cannon have been used or not.
  2. Four (4) Heavy Lightning Blasters: Mounted in the fighter's nose in the same position as the Browning .50 Caliber Machine-Guns. All of the lightning blasters can be fired together and inflict incredible damage when all four are fired together. No matter how many cannons are fired together, it counts as one attack. They can also be combined with the TK Machine-Gun. The lightning blasters have a slightly better range and have an unlimited payload compared to hand held lightning blasters. The weapon pulls its energy from the air elemental and does not need to be recharged. Lightning blasters can be fired while the electrical field is active.
    Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters).
    Mega Damage: 1D4x10+10 per electrical blaster and 4D4x10+40 for all four blasters firing simultaneously (Counts as one attack - Combined with TK Machine-Gun for a Maximum Total of 5D4x10+10))
    Rate of Fire: Equal to the combined hand to hand attacks of the pilot (usually 4 or 5).
    Payload: Effectively Unlimited.
  3. Wing Hard Points (8): The "Wildstorm" Lightning can carry a variety of ordnance on its hard points. The fighter has four hard points on each wing for a total of eight hard points. With the addition of modern sensor systems, the fighter can control missiles instead of just bombs and unguided rockets. Mini-Missile pods are very popular. There is no provision for jamming pods or towed decoys. External ordnance cannot be launched while the electrical field is active but is protected from the magical field while attached to the fighter.
    1. Bombs and Missiles: The only restriction is that a hard point must carry all the same type of missiles or bombs. Both unguided and guided bombs can be carried.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies by missile type for missile and varies by altitude that bombs are dropped at (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Mega Damage: Varies by missile or bomb type (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Rate of Fire: Missiles can be fired and bombs can be dropped one at a time per hard point. Multiple hard points can be linked as one attack but must be the same size (light, medium, or heavy) and style of ordnance (all missiles or bombs in a volley)
      Payload: 4 short range missile or light bombs, 2 medium range missiles or medium bombs, or 1 long range missile or heavy bomb (all ordnance on a hard point must be the same size and type of ordnance)
    2. Mini-Missile Pod: Large capacity mini-missile pod. The aircraft normally carries missile pods for ground strafing, anti-troop, and anti-emplacement attacks. Normal missile used are armor piercing, plasma, or fragmentation mini-missiles.
      Maximum Effective Range: Varies with missile types, mini-missiles only (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Mega Damage: Varies with mini missile types (Go to Revised bomb and missile table).
      Rate of fire: Each pod can fire one at a time or in volleys of 2, 4, 8, or 16 and can be linked with other mini missile pods for greater number of missiles (Counts as one attack no matter how many missiles in volley)
      Payload: Each pod carries 16 mini-missiles.
  4. Ball Lightning Bolts: The fighter can generate up to five ball lightning bolts. They normally orbit around the fighter and create an electrical field around the fighter. While this field is active, the fighter glows a bright blue and cannot be concealed using the spells of Chameleon or Invisibility. While the field is active, the fighter is immune to all forms of electrical attack including ion weapons. As well, any missile or projectile must pass through the electrical field before striking the fighter. Assume an object will make it about half way through the energy field before detonating to calculate to see if the blast radius will still affect the fighter (reduce damage by half in that case). The electrical field may be used as a weapon to attack targets by edging close to a target but piloting rolls are at -30% and is considered stunt flying. The ball lightning may be fired at a greater range than the electrical field but reduces the power of the electrical field for each ball lightning that is fired. If more than two ball lightning are fired in a melee (less than three remaining around the fighter) then the electrical field will drop until the balls come back in the beginning of next melee.
    Maximum Effective Range: Electrical Field: 30 to 50 feet (9.1 to 15.2 meters) globe around fighter. Reduce by 10 feet / 3 meters from 50 feet /15.2 meters for every ball lightning fired. Ball Lightning Bolt: 300 feet (91.4 meters)
    Mega Damage: Electrical Field: 1D6x10+20 to anything within the electrical field (not including the fighter). Ball Lightning Bolt: 3D6+6 each
    Rate of Fire: Electrical Field: Active as long as three or more ball lightning are around fighter Ball Lightning Bolt: One per melee attack of gunner or pilot
    Payload: Five Ball Lightning Balls per melee.
  5. Techno-Wizard Modifications: The "Wildstorm" Lightning has the following Techno-Wizard Modifications built into the Fighter. These require P.P.E. or I.S.P. from the pilot.
    Special Features:

Special Equipment:
The fighter has all the standard features of a standard fighter (same as standard robot minus loudspeaker and microphone) plus these special features listed. The special equipment is a combination of both magic and technology:

Combat Bonuses:

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths is a trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
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By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune ).

Copyright © 2002, Kitsune. All rights reserved.

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