Yautja Encyclopedia: Armor

	"A true hunter must know what weapon to use for each creature. A hunter doesn't go after a small bird with a tree stump. Or attack a running buffalo with only his fists. But even with the correct weapon, the ultimate outcome always turns on the ability of the hunter to out-think his prey." (Predator: Big Game TPB)

Summary

The equipment used by the Yautja is primarily of their own design and manufactured under ritualistic conditions. They take great pride in their level of technology, and guard its secrets well. It is considered extremely bad form (although not a punishable offense) to leave anything behind on a hunt that might give any intelligent prey a greater advantage.

Also, note that hunting amongst star-faring societies that have relations with the Yautja is not advised. The chance that it could start some sort of conflict is often too great a risk. The Yautja are not afraid of it, but war always takes time from the hunt, which is their preferred pastime. Hunting at distant colonies or member worlds distant from the core of a region is allowed, however.

As with the weapons, most of the equipment is given to a hunter at their coming of age ceremonies. Some equipment, such as battle armor, is only assigned during periods of war or bug harvesting.

HUNTER PADDING

This is basic armor, given to new warriors trying to attain a position in the upper castes. The padding is a basic mesh that does not offer much more protection to the thick hide of the Hunters already. Most are designed as armored jump suits meant for casual wear in the corridors of their dark vessels. This is the closest they get to flight suits. This keeps the Yautja warm even at -50 degrees Celsius.

ARMOR

Hunter armor is the equivalent to the Marine M3 body armor, which offers protection where you need it the most. The armor is light and maneuverable but it is still vulnerable to heavy strikes.

The armor used for the tradition of the ritual hunt has been in use for thousands of years amongst the Yautja. In this time, its form and function has undergone very little modification. All Hunters will be bestowed this gift at their coming of age ceremony.

• The pieces of the Light Hunting armor are forearm bracers, lower leg bracers, shoulder plates, belt, armored briefs with groin-cup, belt and sandals. There are six hangers on the basic belt for other assorted items.
• Medium Hunting Armor is the standard suit, but includes an integral heater, chest and back plates (light grade), the knees are better protected, and quadricep (thigh) plates.
• Heavy War Armor is not used for traditional hunts, but has found strong popularity for harvesting bug queens and bringing down massive trophies. Almost fully environmental, this armor was also designed during the period of antiquity that spawned the Hunter standard armor. During this time, the Yautja were less concerned with running into more powerful societies, so when they did encounter one, they were ill prepared.
• Built for the open battlefield, the Shift field on this model is not as effective. The suit has mounting positions on both shoulders, which can support heavy weapons. The pieces on this suit includes all those listed for the standard, but the shoulder plates extend almost to the elbow, and it includes torso plates, heavy quadricep covers, and a light exoframe. The mesh is also replaced with an airtight cloth, which covers the joints and areas not covered by the hard plates. In fact, the only uncovered area of this suit is the Hunter's hair, hands (which always have a partial glove in any suit), and sandals.
• Usually only reserved for the upper castes and the elders, Ceremonial Armor is only found on one hunter per combat team usually, always the leader. He stands out from the group as a proud symbol of honor and leadership. This interchanging plate armor is somewhat clunky, offering more dazzle than heavy-duty defense. However, the ceramic plating is composed of a foreign compound, which seem immune to the Kiande Amedha acidic blood. This makes the armor very efficient when fighting the hostile species.

Light Hunting armor weighs 15 pounds. Medium Hunting armor (recommended for hunting bugs) weighs 20 pounds. Heavy Hunting Armor weighs 35 pounds.

KNEE PAD

One of the most flexible of all the padding used by the predator is the kneepad. Made up of special metals more advanced than any other metal the predator uses. The padding is six inches thick on the shin area, and eight inches thick on the knee area. There is a holster on the outer edge of each kneepad. This holster can carry the Net Projectile Launcher, an unattached and/or spare wrist blade, or the combi-stick. The kneepads are very flexible, but very durable and strong. They improve the predator's running abilities, and form its posture for better bone structure.

BACK PACK

The body armor consists of 2 parts, mainly the front, which holds extra protection, and the back, which holds a mainframe battery. The mainframe battery feeds energy to the shoulder cannon rounds, reloads it, powers up the wrist computer, and energizes the cloaking device. The Predator's armor, computer system, and external batteries are linked to the backpack by the mainframe computer. The mainframe battery can last up to 40 years, and even then can be easily recharged in minutes. The mainframe battery acts as a heart for the armor, and recharges durability to the armor when the predator chooses. The backpack is protected by a 4-inch thick metal unknown on the periodic table. This metal is undoubtedly the strongest metal ever encountered by man. It is believed that it would take radiation to make it rust and only then could it be punctured. The predator uses the backpack not only as a source for energy to the armor, but it is also used as a spinal protector. The predator's spinal cord is severely brittle, and can be broken easily. Thus, the invention of the backpack.

HUNTER MASKS or HELMETS

This is the basic mask worn by lower caste warriors. It does not offer the radical spectrum viewing seen from upper caste warrior helmets but only head protection and atmospheric support (gas filter to adjust atmosphere gases to a breathable buffer substance). This respirator is also capable of being used underwater similar to scuba gear.

The Yautja's home world was very similar to earth conditions, The primary exception is the high levels of methane in the air. This breather provides the hunter with a trace supply of the gas, filtered in with the air from earth like worlds. This pressurized system also keeps the mask firmly attached to the hunter's head. The system provides a one-month supply of methane.

They can change their vision, using the buttons on their left gauntlet. A Yautja operates the mask by pressing buttons with its tusks. The controls are customized by the individual hunter, and can be changed in a few minutes.

The helmet records all events in a 360-degree view, enabling the predator to see playback video in all directions. When the predator is under water, it can use its helmet with Sonar technology, seeking all sound events tracked, and directing itself to the point of origin.

The mask is not only a functional piece of protection, but also a personal identifier. Each mask is customized by its owner in some way, and is presented with their first set of armor. The helmet has several integral functions.

AUDIO WAVEFORM ANALYZER

A function of the bio-helmet that is usually separate, the Waveform Analyzer reacts to changes in the audio environment. A flux in the displayed waveform indicates the presence of an enemy that may or may not be in a Warriors line of sight.

Sound analyzer - can break down sounds into a raw phonetic pattern, allowing the Hunter to learn how to speak any language, even if it takes him longer to understand it.

Audio booster: can pick up a whisper at 500 feet.

BIO HELMET

This helmet can filter through five settings: Infrared, Ultraviolet, Thermal Imaging, Low-Light Amplification, and Air Density Pressure (movement). It can also have switches for X-rays and Microwaves. It has a built it Magnetometer and a Geiger Counter. These offer almost unlimited viewing scale to see anything in almost any environment. It also works with the Laser Sight to lock onto targets. The Helmet also offers more protection than the basic and is acid resistant.

Some hunters occasionally use ultrasound, but the audio buffers need to be kicked up to full or the sound will injure the Yautja's hearing. Note that the Yautja cannot see in the visual spectrum at all.

LASER SIGHT

The tri-beamed laser sight is an advanced tracking and aiming sight. It works in conjunction with any weapon but is primarily designed with the Plasma Caster. The laser will lock onto any target within visual range, to a distance of 3000 feet. It also affords the hunter a 3-D analysis of the opponents' shape. This beam can also be used to heat things up to the temperature equal to a small bonfire.

CAMOUFLAGE DEVICE (a.k.a. shift suit)

To hunt successfully, the perfect camouflage is needed. Every Warrior is given these techniques. Perfectly mirrored with his surroundings, he becomes invisible.

This arm-mounted mechanism is the source of the unique capabilities of the hunter to render him virtually invisible. It works by creating a strong field, which bends light around the Hunter-only the distortion of the bend causes a slight visual apparition. If spotted, the target is still hard to see. Only mounted weapons are effected by the cloak. This includes only concealed weapons like retracted claws and collapsed spears or other weapons kept hidden by pack-sacks and so forth. Once extended or revealed, the weapon is visible.

This only affects vision, in no way dampening sound or reducing the smell of the predator. Creatures whose "sight" is not based on reflected light will not suffer (i.e. the Kainde Amedha have no eyes). The special lenses in their helmets also allow the Yautja to see each other when they have enabled their shift suits.

The suit is notoriously unstable in water, and getting one wet will shut it down. It is also conceivable that the suit would be ineffective in environments saturated with particulate material surrounding the wearer such as fog, rain, or dust.

The armor is not heat insulated, so anyone with thermoptics will be able to spot the hunter unless the surrounding environment is of equal temperature. The suit is totally visible using any form of ultrasound based vision (which also hurts the Yautja's hearing), ultraviolet beam radar, or personal radar. It is 90% effective if motionless.

If one kills while cloaked it is a great dishonor. It ignores all laws of fair and honorable hunting, and gives the prey a fighting chance. A Yautja who is discovered doing this is usually banished from the Clan, and is considered fair game for other hunters. The only exception to this is to "remove" anything standing between the hunter and his prey, or if the hunter is attacked by a creature he is not hunting.

GAUNTLETS

The gauntlet houses controls for the self-destruct, Shift suit and their Shoulder burner auto-targeting override. It also housed a small weapon that shot a wishbone-shaped projectile (Model II). The computer is tied in with his landing ship, and can locate, pilot, and destroy the ship.

WRIST COMPUTER

Run by the mainframe battery in the backpack, the arm bracer computer (integral to the bracer of the Yautja's offhand) is the control unit for many of the functions of the suit. It is designed with efficient use of space in mind, and the bracer will always be a little larger to accommodate this. From it, the hunter can control optics, sound analysis, temperature control (if heated mesh is in use), weapon power, and the holographic shift functions.

This is also the countdown device for the self-destruct function of the micro-power plant, housed inside the armband. The wrist computer can also set off a self-destruct device that makes an electrically charged light bomb explode, and its destruction leaves a crater with a diameter of 200 feet.

Also, note that if the armband is destroyed, the nuclear plant becomes inert, and all power to the suit is gone. Also contains small homing beacon for retrieval after a hunt.

This weapon of last resort is used by warriors to keep the honor when they die. After the arm mounted device is set, there is a one minute countdown until a micro nuclear weapon is detonated, destroying everything in a 200 acre radius. The device becomes part of the armor suit and can be disabled.

MEDKIT

Vital to anyone who lives on combat, the medical kits of the Yautja includes bladed instruments, fire sources, drugs, powders, and various other items. With these, they are able to cauterize wounds and stop bleeding. They can even extract bullets from their own bodies, albeit painfully. A Yautja with a med-kit and a little time can stop the most serious aspects of their wounds.

One of their technologies is the ability to grow skin back in minutes where the skin is broken, by speeding up the white cell duplication. Another technology is the ability to make pain stop, using a drug that magnifies "mind over matter" in the brain as well as sending powerful drugs to the effected area. A clean way of "stoning".

The predator is very strong, so the use of the med-kit is limited to close combat. The med-kit is carried in a holster on the belt. It carries within itself, several tools that are very durable, and portable, looking the size of a spoon, then growing into a dish. The med-kit is normally used once each hunt, and is not relied upon very often.

What's in the MediKit:

• Medkit, Light Duty: One shrapnel extractor, two wound clamps, one stimulant shot, one tube antiseptic.
• Medkit, Medium Duty: One shrapnel extractor, six wound clamps, four stimulant shots, one tube antiseptic, and Wound stapler.
• Medkit, Heavy Duty Deluxe: 1 Deluxe lighted case, 1 shrapnel extractor, auto burner dish, 4 wound clamps, spatula, 2 vials super antiseptic (acidic enzyme, which when combined with silicon (glass/sand),and limestone (chalk/tile/etc.), forms a form of biological mortar that can patch any hole from a bullet hole to a severed limb), Super-stimulant (acts as a berserker drug) Case has 12 hour rechargeable battery.

Emergency Methane Breather

Provides an additional eight hours methane for the hunter (in the event the mask is lost/destroyed). System is only active when pressed firmly against the face.

Trophy Preparation Kit

Bone scrubber, flesh dissolving enzyme (12 uses), drain tube with vacuum, catch bag, skull piercer, bone polish and preserver, 12 dressing hooks, 300 ft cord.