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Aberrant: Quantum Zero - The Bat-Belt


archer

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Or Stranger-Belt, in this case. I was looking through my copy of the Guide to the Dark Knight, and perusing his list of toys. Some were very very cool, though I imagine a bit unrealistic in Aberrant terms.

So I'm asking for help. I'd really like to have a concrete list of things The Stranger is likely to carry around every time he's in costume. Now, I have done such lists before in PM's with Prof, but I always have the nagging feeling that I've forgotten some vital thing that will end up biting me in the ass later.

I'm asking for your help, my fellow geeks. ::biggrin If you could make the perfect Bat-Belt for Aberrant, what would it contain?

Here's some easy stuff I always think of, and which matches some items in the traditional Bat-Belt.

Flashlight

Lockpicks

Pepper Spray

Handcuffs

Multitool or tool kit

Recording devices(audio and video)

Grapple line or cord.

Extra grapples.

Throwing spikes(Stranger don't do Bat-a-rangs)

Firestarter(matches, lighter, etc)

Smoke grenades

Kinda tired, so that's all that's coming to mind right now. If anyone's got more suggestions, I'd love to hear them. ::happy

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The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to the Dark Knight from DK Press also list Batman's utility belt to include winch in the buckle for attaching grapple lines, a rebreather, Tear and other gas pellet dispenser, a micro touch pad computer and communicator, first aid kit...in additon to everything on your list. Oh, but instead of matched he carries a micro-acetylene torch.

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Unless he's got Adaptability, get a set of micro-filters that he can just insert into his nose - and then keep his mouth closed.

Instead of (or in addition to) pepper spray, have little packets of pepper and salt. Similar effect on the eyes, but sneezing, coughing fits, and (I think) less likely to have an allergic reaction. Plus you can use them for seasoning if you run low. ::biggrin

A paperclip somewhere not on the tool belt. Just in case you lose the belt and need to MacGuyver something.

A GPS signal/locator that is normally off. So you can plant it on somebody and track them.

Thread, in white and black. Useful for marking locations, and if it's strong enough, you can improvise a garrotte.

A small piece of chalk. Also useful for marking locations. Or you can grind it up and blow it in someone's eyes when you run out of pepper spray and used the salt and pepper packets on your lunch. ::laugh

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The fan write up I saw for Bats said his last pouch was always left unspecified. Once per mission Bats can spend insperation, make a foresight roll, and retroactively decide what he put in there.

Thus he always seems to have Kryptonite if a clone of Superman shows up, etc.

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Okay...so now we have:

Flashlight

Lockpicks

Pepper Spray

Handcuffs

Multitool or tool kit

Recording devices(audio and video)

Grapple line or cord.

Extra grapples.

Throwing spikes(Stranger don't do Bat-a-rangs)

Firestarter(matches, lighter, possibly Acetylene torch)

Smoke grenades

First Aid Kit(wonderful suggestion)

Rebreather(of some kind)

Particulate mask(possibly)

MicroComputer(already has one, a PDA, I just forgot to include it)

Thread(kinda covered by the cord above, but a small sewing kit is a good idea)

Seasonings(I like this one, can't say how useful it is for crime fighting tho! ::biggrin )

GPS tracking device

Chalk(a cool and unique suggestion)

How about communication? Stranger already has an encrypted cell phone that uses an earpiece built into his mask.

Any other ideas for this list? Forensic equipment, chemicals? More light sources?

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This is a totally cool thead; I am so stealing some of these ideas for Stalwart in my comic ::tongue

If you're going for chalk, I would pick multiple colors, and possibly make them flourescent - put it where someone will step, then follow their prints with a black light.

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buy spare handcuff keys and sew one inside the back of your pants (not everything should be on your belt).

Carry an oversized handcuff key on your belt.

Mox injectors (for rogue novas)

A rubber-coated space pen (writes upside down).

A glass cutter for cutting glass.

A window punch for breaking it.

One of those flat pack of duct tape (very useful).

Superglue in a tube (quick repairs).

Spy Camera finder

Unless you have doubts about the local crime lab, I don't know if you should be collecting forensic evidence - and definitely there's not much you could pack descretely on a belt. If you have a vehicle, you could have a small portable crime lab in it or at least a series of kits you can carry in.

Do you work alone or with others? What does your costume look like?

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buy spare handcuff keys and sew one inside the back of your pants (not everything should be on your belt).

Carry an oversized handcuff key on your belt.

Mox injectors (for rogue novas)

A rubber-coated space pen (writes upside down).

A glass cutter for cutting glass.

A window punch for breaking it.

One of those flat pack of duct tape (very useful).

Superglue in a tube (quick repairs).

Spy Camera finder

Unless you have doubts about the local crime lab, I don't know if you should be collecting forensic evidence - and definitely there's not much you could pack descretely on a belt. If you have a vehicle, you could have a small portable crime lab in it or at least a series of kits you can carry in.

Do you work alone or with others? What does your costume look like?

Some good stuff there, Expendable, thanks! Those are all things Stranger should definitely have. Not sure if the mox injectors would be allowed by Prof though...I know such things are available, but whether they're available IC to my character is a different story.

Collecting forensic evidence is kinda part of what he does; I agree about not necessarily having a portable lab with him, but baggies and swabs would work to get evidence back to a lab. As for the vehicle...well, that's coming along. ::devil

Originally, The Stranger was supposed to work alone...but, just like his inspiration(Batman), he's ended up picking up some friends and associates along the way. As far as actual crime-fighting though, he's usually by himself. Hmm...his costume right now is pretty basic, but I've been considering re-designing it. It's eufiber, so it can adapt a bit for different situations, but it usually stays the same.

The main costume is all one piece, kind of traditional comic book style. Colors are a very dark blue and dark grey. Gloves and boots are part of the eufiber, allowing him to change his boot tread and glove grips on the move. The main carrying ability he has is his belt and harness system, which I previously described as being similar to the old military LBE(Load Bearing Equipment) harness. LINK Most of his weapons(such as his pistols) are attached to the harness.

The belt is a separate piece that sits on the hips, under the harness. I may update the LBE harness to something more modern, like the LBV(Load Bearing Vest) used today. If you've ever watched Stargate Atlantis, they wear them all the time. Of course, Stranger can make his own, much more streamlined version, but that's the basic idea.

He also wears a mask, on top of his eufiber. The mask is its own unit, and houses multiple viewing lenses. Thermal, low-light, and magnifying lenses(binoculars). It also has its own transmitter/receiver that works with his cellphone. He occasionally wears a fedora and long coat over his costume, giving him sort of a Shadow-like appearance.

That's about all I can think of for now. I mean, I have the same book Skylion referenced earlier, The Ultimate Illustrated Guide to the Dark Knight,, and it is simply amazing the amount of detail and individual items that are laid out just in Batman's costume and belt. I'd like to get to that degree eventually with The Stranger, but take a different approach in costume design and appearance. Besides, Bats has had decades to pick out his gear and customize it...The Stranger's a relative newcomer to the crime-fighting scene.

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Sometimes you scare me Ex! ::unsure

,,,,

::tongue ::wink ::happy

,,

You reminded me of a funny (yet true) allegory about our governments approach to problems. NASA spent hundreds of thousands or millions (cant remember) inventing a pen that would write in zero gravity. The Russian space program didnt spend a penny...they used pencils! ::laugh

,,

Amzing what budget constraints will do for your creativity! I have found this true for Nova points as well...

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Sometimes you scare me Ex! ::unsure

,,,,

::tongue ::wink ::happy

,,

You reminded me of a funny (yet true) allegory about our governments approach to problems. NASA spent hundreds of thousands or millions (cant remember) inventing a pen that would write in zero gravity. The Russian space program didnt spend a penny...they used pencils! ::laugh

,,

Amzing what budget constraints will do for your creativity! I have found this true for Nova points as well...

That reminds me...please keep in mind that the Stranger has access to ridiculous amounts of money, and so his gear can and will reflect that. However, as SkyLion pointed out, and Expendable demonstrated, sometimes its the simple things that work the best.

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Thanks guys. Sometimes the more elaborate the gear, the easier it is to trace. Duct tape is a lot harder to track down than the batmobile - and doesn't stick out as much. Plus I've always loved that CSI where Grisom's in some little town and has to improvise when his crime kit gets stolen. Jackpot, Season 4, Ep.7.

I had for some reason pictured the Stranger in a three peice suit, fedora and trenchcoat, with one of those little eye masks, carrying a briefcase. Now he's looking more like The Punisher wearing Spawn's armor. You might want to keep the trenchcoat and make it reversable, to help blend into a crowd and throw off followers.

You don't need a first aid kit - you need a small trauma kit. With what you're going to be doing, you're not going to worry about putting a bandaid on a papercut. To start with, Dermabond in a spray for sealing wounds, some Epipens and atropine autoinjectors. If there's room, trauma shears, tweezers, handiwipes (2-3 max), space blanket. (good thing you're well off - those blankets are impossible to fold back up small.) You can use the duct tape to improvise splints and bandages.

If you're paramedic trained, you can keep a larger jump kit in your vehicle, lair or safehouse.

For your forensic kit, you're going to need a fingerprint kit(and access to both federal and local fingerprint databases), photomacrographic scales (I'd suggest the credit-card and the roll of tape), sharpie, evidence bags and swabs. You already have a camera. You will have to do some repackaging to make it the smallest possible kit. Only a handful of swabs and bags. You could use regular freezer ziploc bags in gallon and quart sizes. Harder to trace. Don't forget to take notes.

If you get some hollow coins, you could put in a small tracker. Someone finding a quarter or a Susan B. Anthony dollar coin in their back pocket might not think anything about it.

I'd suggest setting up some safe houses around town. They should look like normal houses or apartments but with a hidden panic room that doubles as a small secondary crime lab and supply drop - this way you don't always have to drag someone back to your secret lair. You may have to get creative to come up with a panic room that doesn't stick out like a sour thumb. Some crime lab gear/supplies could be hidden inside the walls or furniture if you have a crunch for space. Or at least set up some small supply drops. It's amazing what you can have in a locker at the local bus station or a locked storage closet (with a steel-core door).

Make it easy on yourself, have one master key (and a spare) for all the safe houses.

If you have weave skill, you can do some tricks with your suit. Like hiding a small diamond under the tip of a glove finger that 'comes out' when you want to cut glass. Or put that spare handcuff key in a hidden pocket in the back of your glove. Of course, you could use weave skill to weave yourself a handcuff key too. Or make a hard spike to break windows.

You may want to cultivate a few friendships. A doctor who won't report he just patched a bullet hole on The Stranger. A trusty mechanic who won't reveal he does all the maintenance on The Strangermobile. Stuff like that.

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Multiple safehouses is a great idea; in my comic, Grimalkin rents out a number of rooms at transient hotels throughout the city under a variety of different identities. Each room is stocked with some fake ID and about $1000 in small bills, all kept in small locked boxes stuck down inside the air vents with magnets. A few turns of a screwdriver and judicious use of shapeshifting, and she is ready to disappear!

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Multiple safehouses is a great idea; in my comic, Grimalkin rents out a number of rooms at transient hotels throughout the city under a variety of different identities. Each room is stocked with some fake ID and about $1000 in small bills, all kept in small locked boxes stuck down inside the air vents with magnets. A few turns of a screwdriver and judicious use of shapeshifting, and she is ready to disappear!

I like that!

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Multiple safehouses is a great idea; in my comic, Grimalkin rents out a number of rooms at transient hotels throughout the city under a variety of different identities. Each room is stocked with some fake ID and about $1000 in small bills, all kept in small locked boxes stuck down inside the air vents with magnets. A few turns of a screwdriver and judicious use of shapeshifting, and she is ready to disappear!

This trick can be done in other ways too. Any locale where you can have a few minutes privacy and access to an air vent works. So, anything on down to restrooms can work ( especially the one man kind ).

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You reminded me of a funny (yet true) allegory about our governments approach to problems. NASA spent hundreds of thousands or millions (cant remember) inventing a pen that would write in zero gravity. The Russian space program didnt spend a penny...they used pencils!

Ah - one of my favourite funny stories, but unfortunately it's not actually true... does make the point well though. ::wink

If you're paramedic trained, you can keep a larger jump kit in your vehicle, lair or safehouse.

Having seen The Stranger's character sheet this is kinda' funny - The Stranger is basically trained in everything - jack of all trades, master of... well, a few... ::cool

Multiple safehouses is a great idea...

Those who've followed the entire QZ thread will probably have spotted that The Stranger already has this well covered... ::unsure ::sly

As for the Stranger Belt, the only suggestion I'd add off the top of my head would be zip / cable ties for makeshift handcuffs ('cos you can carry a whole lot more of 'em).

Of course, if he ever gets any downtime The Stranger can start whipping up some real super hi-tech stuff too (he's smart)... once he gets the damned car finished that is... ::laugh

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Ah - one of my favourite funny stories, but unfortunately it's not actually true... does make the point well though. ::wink

Having seen The Stranger's character sheet this is kinda' funny - The Stranger is basically trained in everything - jack of all trades, master of... well, a few... ::cool

Those who've followed the entire QZ thread will probably have spotted that The Stranger already has this well covered... ::unsure ::sly

As for the Stranger Belt, the only suggestion I'd add off the top of my head would be zip / cable ties for makeshift handcuffs ('cos you can carry a whole lot more of 'em).

Of course, if he ever gets any downtime The Stranger can start whipping up some real super hi-tech stuff too (he's smart)... once he gets the damned car finished that is... ::laugh

I know I know...stupid car! Why does building something entirely from scratch have to take so bloody long!? ::brick ::glare ::wink

Prof, what do you think about the mox injector idea? Is that something The Stranger would have access to, or be able to make on his own?

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Prof, what do you think about the mox injector idea? Is that something The Stranger would have access to, or be able to make on his own?

Well, most Novas can get mox pretty easily from their nearest Rashoud clinic if they need it for 'medical' or 'training' reasons - but then PU would know all about it. On the other hand I hadn't thought about The Stranger brewing his own... with the right equipment (& enough Resources) I don't see why not - after all, I doubt the formula's enough of a secret to stop a guy like him getting his hands on it.

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Well, most Novas can get mox pretty easily from their nearest Rashoud clinic if they need it for 'medical' or 'training' reasons - but then PU would know all about it. On the other hand I hadn't thought about The Stranger brewing his own... with the right equipment (& enough Resources) I don't see why not - after all, I doubt the formula's enough of a secret to stop a guy like him getting his hands on it.

Cooooool. Thanks Prof. Stranger having mox in his arsenal will really help him keep things less-than-lethal.

And for everyone else(especially Expendable), I tweaked The Stranger's costume a little bit. It's not quite perfect, due to the limitations of the program I'm using, but I like it. Tell me what you think.

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Cooooool. Thanks Prof. Stranger having mox in his arsenal will really help him keep things less-than-lethal.

And for everyone else(especially Expendable), I tweaked The Stranger's costume a little bit. It's not quite perfect, due to the limitations of the program I'm using, but I like it. Tell me what you think.

I like it. The straps. chest armor and arm bands look great. Oh! I was thinking, maybe you could do some mox in darts and shoot them from like a tranquilizer gun? If you could figure out how to make that magazine fed it could be interesting.

A small makeup compact with a small brush would be perfect for dusting for prints - small, enough for several applications. A biometric usb drive could plug into a pda to collect fingerprints easily and wirelessly send to base. A small businesscard scanner that plugs into the pda (or built in?) could be used for feeding in prints.

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I like it. The straps. chest armor and arm bands look great. Oh! I was thinking, maybe you could do some mox in darts and shoot them from like a tranquilizer gun? If you could figure out how to make that magazine fed it could be interesting.

A small makeup compact with a small brush would be perfect for dusting for prints - small, enough for several applications. A biometric usb drive could plug into a pda to collect fingerprints easily and wirelessly send to base. A small businesscard scanner that plugs into the pda (or built in?) could be used for feeding in prints.

Thanks Ex! I really like this newer look too. I don't quite understand your first question; do you mean making mox darts and have them shoot out of the gauntlets(armbands)? Or do you mean just making mox darts and shooting them from a regular tranquilizer gun?

Your other ideas for scanning fingerprints are very cool, I'll have to see if there's a way I can figure to do that. Stranger's already got a pretty kickin' PDA that he uses all the time, I don't see why uploading fingerprints would be too difficult.

I've got some ideas for the gauntlets, BTW, tell me what you think. Do-able, too weird, or just right?

Shield: Some kind of expanding metal disc or other shield shape that grows out of the back of the gauntlets. (This one seems a bit wonky to me, but I think that's just because I can't figure a way to make it work. But hey, eufiber-woven shields are possible, so why not?)

Launcher: Compressed air or gas for propelling different objects. Could be used for mox or tranquilizer darts, shooting self-adhering tracing devices at people or vehicles, or even used with a grapple and line for swinging around.

Claws: Pretty self-explanatory. Retractable claws in fingertips to aid in climbing, or pop-out blades on the side, similar to Batman's spikes/fins on his gloves.

Injector: An advanced hypo-syringe similar to the one described in the Abb: Year One book for the big tranq-rifle. Upon contact, uses a highly compressed stream of air to inject tranquilizers, mox, or other drugs/poisons.

Compartments: Again, self-explanatory. Small hidden compartments for important or useful items. Compartment space could also be utilized as a magazine for darts, as per Ex's suggestion.

These are just some things I've been considering for the gauntlets themselves. If anyone else has ideas, I'd love to hear them. ::smile

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Updated list for the belt itself.

Flashlight

Lockpicks

Handcuffs

Multitool or tool kit

Recording devices(audio and video)

Grapple line or cord.

Extra grapples.

Firestarter(matches, lighter, etc)

Rebreather

Chalk

PSK(Personal survival kit)

FAK(Small first-aid kit)

PDA

Particulate Mask

Tracking devices

Forensic kit(fingerprint dust, tape, baggies, swabs)

Ultraviolet pen and light(normal flashlight may also have UV beamcover)

Handcuff key

Glass cutter

Window punch

Duct tape

Superglue

Bug or camera locator

Space Pen

Sharpie

I'm pretty happy with this list so far, thanks to all the help. Am I missing anything obvious? Oh, no weapons yet, that will be a separate list.

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Thanks Ex! I really like this newer look too. I don't quite understand your first question; do you mean making mox darts and have them shoot out of the gauntlets(armbands)? Or do you mean just making mox darts and shooting them from a regular tranquilizer gun?

Mox darts that shoot from a regular tranq gun or from your gauntlet launchers.
Your other ideas for scanning fingerprints are very cool, I'll have to see if there's a way I can figure to do that. Stranger's already got a pretty kickin' PDA that he uses all the time, I don't see why uploading fingerprints would be too difficult.
IBM laptops have this tiny slit that reads fingerprints, you just drag your finger down the groove and the slit reads your fingerprint - I so want one of those. If you're making a custom pda, you can build in a fingerprint reader and a small card scanner for fingerprinting. Add a camera and an sd slot and you can leave digital pictures and scanned prints for the police.
I've got some ideas for the gauntlets, BTW, tell me what you think. Do-able, too weird, or just right?

Shield: Some kind of expanding metal disc or other shield shape that grows out of the back of the gauntlets. (This one seems a bit wonky to me, but I think that's just because I can't figure a way to make it work. But hey, eufiber-woven shields are possible, so why not?)

I don't see why you couldn't have an expandable eufiber shield, especially if you've got weave skill. Your guantlets in the pic should be just like a tonfa, allowing you to block blows with your forearms.
Launcher: Compressed air or gas for propelling different objects. Could be used for mox or tranquilizer darts, shooting self-adhering tracing devices at people or vehicles, or even used with a grapple and line for swinging around.
or a mini-gauss gun. If the launcher tube barrels each contain 5-6 shots, you could select and shoot tranqs, mox darts, smoke or tear gas pellets.
Claws: Pretty self-explanatory. Retractable claws in fingertips to aid in climbing, or pop-out blades on the side, similar to Batman's spikes/fins on his gloves.
Sure. Very possible with eufiber and weave skill.
Injector: An advanced hypo-syringe similar to the one described in the Abb: Year One book for the big tranq-rifle. Upon contact, uses a highly compressed stream of air to inject tranquilizers, mox, or other drugs/poisons.
Yes.
Compartments: Again, self-explanatory. Small hidden compartments for important or useful items. Compartment space could also be utilized as a magazine for darts, as per Ex's suggestion.

These are just some things I've been considering for the gauntlets themselves. If anyone else has ideas, I'd love to hear them. ::smile

it all sounds good.
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Mox darts that shoot from a regular tranq gun or from your gauntlet launchers.

Gotcha.

IBM laptops have this tiny slit that reads fingerprints, you just drag your finger down the groove and the slit reads your fingerprint - I so want one of those. If you're making a custom pda, you can build in a fingerprint reader and a small card scanner for fingerprinting. Add a camera and an sd slot and you can leave digital pictures and scanned prints for the police.

Very slick. I can see that working well.

I don't see why you couldn't have an expandable eufiber shield, especially if you've got weave skill. Your guantlets in the pic should be just like a tonfa, allowing you to block blows with your forearms.

No weave. Trying to do this without it. Learning Weave is supposed to be a very rare skill, while building gizmos is pretty commonplace. Building an expanding shield I think I have to give up on, but the tonfa idea came to me too. I'm thinking of something like Nightwing's setup, where he has slots to hold his batons on the outside of his forearms, like you suggested. The batons themselves could have a lot of different uses as well, I think. Hollow, they could be used for storage of more gear or weapons; they could also expand or screw together to form a short staff.

or a mini-gauss gun. If the launcher tube barrels each contain 5-6 shots, you could select and shoot tranqs, mox darts, smoke or tear gas pellets.

Now that is definitely a cool possibility. The batons I was just mentioning could actually be used as the launching tubes themselves, at least for better range or accuracy. Like maybe some kind of range bonus or bonus to hit. As for capacity, I think it should definitely be more than five or six shots.

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No weave. Trying to do this without it. Learning Weave is supposed to be a very rare skill, while building gizmos is pretty commonplace. Building an expanding shield I think I have to give up on, but the tonfa idea came to me too. I'm thinking of something like Nightwing's setup, where he has slots to hold his batons on the outside of his forearms, like you suggested. The batons themselves could have a lot of different uses as well, I think. Hollow, they could be used for storage of more gear or weapons; they could also expand or screw together to form a short staff.

Could you pm me your character sheet?

Remember that you'll have to carry all this. I hope that's not a problem.

Something that might appeal to the multimillionare side of you is your own private spy satellite in geosync orbit.

Something else would be a flying camera that can hover quietly outside a window and record conversations, etc.

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The shield could be a fan style configuration, made out of something stong but lightweight, say titanium. How big would depend on how large you want it to expand to but if it's about the diameter of the characters forearm or alittle smaller it could be used to block the ocasional blow, blast, etc, just don't expect it to survive.

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Oh! What about an inflatable shield? Sort of like an airbag in a car, only made from a mesh of steel and kevlar fibers? Maybe add some nomex fibers for protection against flame? Packs up small, inflates in a fraction of a second. It could be built into your left gauntlet so it's already mounted on your forearm, ready to use. If you filled it with some sort of quick-setting expanding foam, you might have something a little less flimsy but might take a little longer to fill, but should be quieter when it goes off.

Of course, I should point out that something like this is not going to be reusable and could be tracable if simply discarded. I give them 50/50 chance between winding up in some police forensic lab or listed on eBay. Or would that be opBay? ;)

Another choice would be to make a shield out of polycarbonate, the same stuff they use to make safety goggles and harrier windshields. Lightweight and strong, you can have it on a strap and drape it over your shoulder.

What also works well is body armor.

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The shield could be a fan style configuration, made out of something stong but lightweight, say titanium. How big would depend on how large you want it to expand to but if it's about the diameter of the characters forearm or alittle smaller it could be used to block the ocasional blow, blast, etc, just don't expect it to survive.

I like that fan idea...maybe a last ditch kinda thing.

Oh! What about an inflatable shield? Sort of like an airbag in a car, only made from a mesh of steel and kevlar fibers? Maybe add some nomex fibers for protection against flame? Packs up small, inflates in a fraction of a second. It could be built into your left gauntlet so it's already mounted on your forearm, ready to use. If you filled it with some sort of quick-setting expanding foam, you might have something a little less flimsy but might take a little longer to fill, but should be quieter when it goes off.

Y'know...though I'm not sure I like it as a traditional shield, that idea would work reallllllly well as a temporary protective shelter during a fire or explosion. Like a canister that explodes outwards in a cocoon. I can see it working similarly to Batman's cape when Two-Face set off the gas explosion in the Batman(3?) movie. I can also see this being used as a very strong trap; take that cocoon idea and use it against others, maybe make a different version that is more liquid based, like the fibers of steel and kevlar are mixed in with adhesive foam and then hardens very quickly. Sorta like the Foamthrower listed in AB: Year One, but

tougher and stronger.

Of course, I should point out that something like this is not going to be reusable and could be tracable if simply discarded. I give them 50/50 chance between winding up in some police forensic lab or listed on eBay. Or would that be opBay? ;) Another choice would be to make a shield out of polycarbonate, the same stuff they use to make safety goggles and harrier windshields. Lightweight and strong, you can have it on a strap and drape it over your shoulder.

What also works well is body armor.

A very good point on the traceability(is that a word?). But...if it's based on the Foamthrower, then not too bad. That's just taking a existing chemical formula and modifying it...harder to backtrack that. Polycarbonate is an excellent suggestion; that stuff comes in a variety of different strengths and is easily molded.

Now, I had kind of a wacky idea about combining body armor with a shield, and I mean in a modular fashion. The idea is to have protective armor on the upper body(polycarbonate plating, like a breastplate), that, when removed, can be re-assembled into a larger shield. Essentially, removing the personal armor, then slapping it back together(maybe with locking hinges or something) to create a much larger protective cover. Actually, that idea could work for multiple armor components, like taking the cuirass, forearm braces and shinguards to all come together and make a riot shield.

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Shield-wise I'm a long-time fan of the energy shield used by Ulysses 31 in the old cartoon series of the same name. Of course, you'd need to be Mega-Intelligent to build a Quantum Gadget like that... ::wink

Matrials-wise remember that there are several Aberrant-universe-specific materials available - such as vitrium (strong as steel, light as glass), & valamid fibres (tougher than kevlar & more comfortable to wear). I kinda' like the hardening-foam-as-a-cape-lining idea you guys worked out too: a valamid fibre cape with an internal layer which hardens at the touch of a button; in fact, instead of the hardening foam, you could have a material which hardens when subjected to an electrical charge, but is flexible otherwise (that's from Batman Begins :batlogo: , right?) - if designed well it could be used to glide with, as well in the form of a protective shield - with razor edges or tips it could even function as a weapon or cutting tool. Again, it'd take someone who's Mega-Intelligent to figure it all out but I'd imagine it'd fall under the Aberrant: Year One category of 'advancements based on real-world theories' rather than needing to be an actual Quantum Gadget.

Foamthrower foam I always thought would be great for grenades - a single grenade may not be able to hold much, but it's a lot handier to lug around than a back-mounted canister & gun.

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Shield-wise I'm a long-time fan of the energy shield used by Ulysses 31 in the old cartoon series of the same name. Of course, you'd need to be Mega-Intelligent to build a Quantum Gadget like that... ::wink

Matrials-wise remember that there are several Aberrant-universe-specific materials available - such as vitrium (strong as steel, light as glass), & valamid fibres (tougher than kevlar & more comfortable to wear). I kinda' like the hardening-foam-as-a-cape-lining idea you guys worked out too: a valamid fibre cape with an internal layer which hardens at the touch of a button; in fact, instead of the hardening foam, you could have a material which hardens when subjected to an electrical charge, but is flexible otherwise (that's from Batman Begins :batlogo: , right?) - if designed well it could be used to glide with, as well in the form of a protective shield - with razor edges or tips it could even function as a weapon or cutting tool. Again, it'd take someone who's Mega-Intelligent to figure it all out but I'd imagine it'd fall under the Aberrant: Year One category of 'advancements based on real-world theories' rather than needing to be an actual Quantum Gadget.

Foamthrower foam I always thought would be great for grenades - a single grenade may not be able to hold much, but it's a lot handier to lug around than a back-mounted canister & gun.

Something I read about in an Andre Norton book is a 'sticky gernade' where you get a sticky quick-hardening goo that holds everyone in place until someone shows up with a bottle of solvent.

An energy shield sounds good but carrying around the batteries...? OR can you generate electricity?

Body armor is suppose to remain on the body, a shield is suppose to add to it. Removing bits of your armor to make a larger shield exposes you.

Now, if you're going the cape route (watch out for rocket fins and jet intakes re: The Incredibles) Valamid sounds great. How is it against flame attacks?

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