Traveling the oceans of Rifts Earth are a number of ships which have returned from the Grave. Some of these such as the USS Constitution, have become heroic forces while others have become malevolent forces. No one knows what brought these haunted ships back. Many suppose that it was the coming of the Rifts that brought them back but nobody really knows for sure. Those that have tried to investigate rarely return and most of those who have returned are never the same again.

There are tales told of a Ghostly pirate ship which sails the oceans in search of targets. It is known simply as "Nightmare." The whole ship is dull black as if it has been have burned to charcoal. Charring can be seen on the hull and decks of this haunted ship. Torn and burned sails flutter in the wind and half the lines are destroyed as well. It looks like the ship went through a horrible battle and then was burned. The ship's appearance has lead some scholars to believe that the ship was consumed in fire before it was sunk likely centuries before the coming of the Rifts. The figure head of the ship is an ebony horse head which appears to breath fire. That is where the ship gets its name "Nightmare."

Many scholars have tried to research the ship in Pre-Rifts records and nothing has even been found. Even though many Pre-Rifts records have been lost, there are some books which survive which tell of the times of sailing ships. Some has been discovered which indicates that the ship comes from the time soon after the Spanish Armada and the ship itself appears to be a race built galleon type vessel. These ships were a revolution, faster than previous vessels and helped propel the British. Still there is no sign that the ship is British and flies a burned flag showing a black horse breath fire echoing the ship's figure head. Those who have gotten near the ship have reported a charnel smell, the smell of burned flesh.

The ship seems to spend its time in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean, hunting for targets. One of the ship's favorite haunts appears to be the Bermuda Triangle where even the Splugorth Minions appear to avoid the ship. Most sightings have been at night but the pirate ship seems to attack both during the day and at night. Moonless nights are especially deadly times. A cargo ship may be slowly sailing to a destination and the charred ship will suddenly appear beside it and open fire. Few have survived being attacked by the ghost ship. The Coalition has a sink of sight order with the ghost vessel. There is a report that a Coalition frigate was almost sunk in an engagement with the pirate ship. Only due to running at maximum speed did the Coalition vessel manage to survive. That seems to be one of the weaknesses of the ghost ship, that it is far slower than most modern ships. Even most modern merchant ships are faster than the pirate ship. The ship appears to move faster along Ley Lines and seems to sail twice as fast as well when it is within the Bermuda Triangle. While it has been denied by the leadership of the Coalition, on of their frigates did return to port with sever damage which was never explained. The reality is that this may be one of many such incidents which the Coalition has tried to keep quiet. Stories do tell that the ghost ship has been damaged several times and even severely in a couple of cases. Unfortunately, the damage never seems to be permanent and the ship is seen later with the newest battle injuries.

One of the most interesting tales tells of the Nightmare taking an unsuspecting merchant ship but being stopped before it could finish the job. The pirate ship appeared and opened fire on the cargo vessel. The merchant ship was quickly disabled and the crew thought that they were dead. Suddenly, a second ship appeared. Also a wooden sailing ship, it was much larger than the first. It open fire and devastated the pirate ship which quickly faded from view. The second ship proudly displayed an American flag and when it turned, the name "Constitution" could be seen. It then faded from view as well. Unfortunately, it was not the last time that the pirate ship has been seen.

Some haunted ships appear to have a crew. Others appear to have no crew. Onboard some, the crew appear to be disembodied spirits. Others, the crew appears to be skeletal creatures often with rotting flesh. The Nightmare has such a crew. Like the ship itself, the bones and rotting flesh appears to have been badly burned. Puss still drips from charred flesh. More gruesome creatures are hard to imagine. Usually, the ship simply sinks by cannon any targets it finds under its broadside but sometimes it will close on a ship it has disabled. None of these captives have ever returned and some researchers think that the prisoners are sacrificed and their souls are taken by the ship itself.

Model Type: Sail Galleon
Vehicle Type: Ocean, Sail Galleon
Crew: Approx 280 (Supernatural)
Horror Factor: 18

M.D.C. by location:

	Demi-Cannons (4, 2 each side):	220 each
	Culverns (12, 6 each side)	160 each
	Sakers (16, 8 each side)	120 each
	[1] Foremast (Forward Mast):	300
	[1] Mainmast (Middle Mast):	400
	[1] Mizzenmast (Rear Mast):	300
	Sails (12)	100 each
	Rudder:	450
	[2] Main Body:	3,666

Notes:
[1] Destruction of a mast reduces speed (Both normal and on a ley line) by 1/3 for each mast lost.
[2] Destroying the main body causes the ship to lose structural integrity, causing the ship to sink if in the water. There are various predictions of what would occur. Some believe that the ship would simply come out of the water after a few days once it has restored itself.
Note: The ship will regenerate at 20% of the hit locations MDC per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being damaged. Even if a hit location is completely destroyed, it will slowly regenerate until completely restored.

Speed:
Ocean Surface:
Off Ley Line / Outside Bermuda Triangle: 10 knots or higher depending on the wind (approximately 11.5 miles per hour or 18.5 km per hour)
On Ley Line / Inside Bermuda Triangle: 20 knots (23.0 miles per hour or 37.1 km per hour.) Can sail at this speed anywhere within the Bermuda Triangle.
Bermuda Triangle Teleportation: The ship can teleport from anywhere in the world to the Bermuda Triangle. It can chose to appear anywhere within the triangle. It can also teleport from anywhere within the Triangle to any other point within the Triangle. Teleportations are limited to three times per day and take 1D6 minutes to perform.
Range: Effectively Unlimited. Ship is driven by sail and magical energies. The Undead Crew does not need provisions to survive.

Statistical Data:
Length: 96 feet at waterline (29.3 meters)
Beam: 33.5 feet (10.2 meters)
Draft: 16.7 feet (5.1 meters)
Displacement: 560 tons
Cargo: 40 tons of nonessential equipment and supplies. Most of the ships spaces are take up by extra ammo, armor, troops, weapons, sails, and other equipment.
Power System: Magic and sails
Market Cost: Not for Sale, due to the haunted nature of the ship it is doubtful anyone would want the ship and the ship is completely independent.

WEAPON SYSTEMS:

1. Four (4) "Balefire" Demi-Cannons: Two are mounted on each side and the forward two can fire forward. Original cannons but "Ghost" energies cause the cannon to fire rounds constructed from magical energy instead of standard projectiles. The undead crewing the ship will reload the cannon from the magazines each time it is fired and rounds never seem to run out. Rounds will effect both the target hit and any crew inside as if they are hit by the spell "Havoc."
   Maximum Effective Range: 4,000 feet (1,219 meters)
   Mega-Damage: 2D6x10 per round or 2D6x20 for a complete broadside. Round also inflicts 1D6 Direct to hit points per melee (Inflicts double MDC to Supernatural Creatures) to the crew and the target also needs to save vs magic or are -3 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge. (has no sense of direction or time.) Secondary effect goes direct through power armor and vehicles. Havoc effects a 20 foot (6.1 meter) radius area. Duration of secondary effect is ten melees.
   Rate of Fire: One shot per cannon per melee (all cannons can be fired at the same time). Cannon can be loaded and fired quickly due to not needing to load gunpowder.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited, cannon balls are created magically
   Notes: If the cannons are used against small targets (personnel, aircraft, missiles, ect) the cannons have a -4 penalty to strike) with no bonuses to strike to strike for hand to hand or physical prowess.
2. Twelve (12) "Balefire" Culverns: Six are mounted on each side. Original cannons but "Ghost" energies cause the cannon to fire rounds constructed from magical energy instead of standard projectiles. The undead crewing the ship will reload the cannon from the magazines each time it is fired and rounds never seem to run out. Rounds will effect both the target hit and any crew inside as if they are hit by the spell "Havoc."
   Maximum Effective Range: 5,250 feet (1,631 meters)
   Mega-Damage: 2D4x10 per round or 2D4x60 for a complete broadside. Round also inflicts 1D6 Direct to hit points per melee (Inflicts double MDC to Supernatural Creatures) to the crew and the target also needs to save vs magic or are -3 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge. (has no sense of direction or time.) Secondary effect goes direct through power armor and vehicles. Havoc effects a 20 foot (6.1 meter) radius area. Duration of secondary effect is ten melees.
   Rate of Fire: One shot per cannon per melee (all cannons can be fired at the same time). Cannon can be loaded and fired quickly due to not needing to load gunpowder.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited, cannon balls are created magically
   Notes: If the cannons are used against small targets (personnel, aircraft, missiles, ect) the cannons have a -4 penalty to strike) with no bonuses to strike to strike for hand to hand or physical prowess.
3. Sixteen (16) "Balefire" Sakers: Eight are mounted on each side. Original cannons but "Ghost" energies cause the cannon to fire rounds constructed from magical energy instead of standard projectiles. The undead crewing the ship will reload the cannon from the magazines each time it is fired and rounds never seem to run out. Rounds will effect both the target hit and any crew inside as if they are hit by the spell "Havoc."
   Maximum Effective Range: 3,500 feet (1,067 meters)
   Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 per round or 1D4x80 for a complete broadside. Round also inflicts 1D6 Direct to hit points per melee (Inflicts double MDC to Supernatural Creatures) to the crew and the target also needs to save vs magic or are -3 to initiative, strike, parry, and dodge. (has no sense of direction or time.) Secondary effect goes direct through power armor and vehicles. Havoc effects a 20 foot (6.1 meter) radius area. Duration of secondary effect is ten melees.
   Rate of Fire: One shot per cannon per melee (all cannons can be fired at the same time). Cannon can be loaded and fired quickly due to not needing to load gunpowder.
   Payload: Effectively Unlimited, cannon balls are created magically
   Notes: If the cannons are used against small targets (personnel, aircraft, missiles, ect) the cannons have a -4 penalty to strike) with no bonuses to strike to strike for hand to hand or physical prowess.

Special Abilities as a Haunted Vehicle:

• Will of Its Own: The ship has a will of its own (or it could be the undead crew) and operates completely independently. No one seems to be able to make sense of the course of the vessel and the ships motivations. The guns on the ship can fire at the usual rate of fire and ship can make course changes on its own. The motivation of the vessel appears to be pure evil and the boat will do practically anything to end the live of those living. Its alignment should be considered to be diabolic.
• Undead Crew: The Nightmare is crewed by around two-hundred and eighty undead crew members. They will sometimes attempt to board other ships and will also protect their haunted sailing. They appear mostly skeletal although have bits of flesh on them as well. Most are badly burned and are dressed in tattered clothing from around the time the boat is believed to originate from. They are extremely evil and should be considered of diabolic alignment. Similar to vampires, the undead crew only take damage from fire, silver, and enchanted weapons. They each have 125 Hit Points except the Captain, First Mate, and Second Mate who each have 200 Hit Points. Consider the crew to have supernatural strengths of 20 for damage purposes, supernatural endurance, and four attacks per melee. A variety of weapons are available for the crew including a variety of swords, muskets, and pistols. The weapons all glow with blue fire similar in nature to balefire and inflict mega-damage. All the crew are armed with swords, basically cutlasses, which inflict 2D6+2 MDC each. About half the crew are armed with muskets with each having unlimited ammunition although limited to one shot per melee. The muskets have a range of 300 feet (91.4 meters) and inflict 2D6 MDC each with each having a bayonet which inflicts 2D6 MDC each. The Other half of the crew are armed with pistols with each having unlimited ammunition although limited to one shot per melee like the muskets. The pistols inflict 2D4 each and have a maximum range of 50 feet (15.2 meters.) The Captain, First Mate, and Second Mate are all armed with four pistols in addition to swords.
• Inexhaustible Propulsive Force: Range and fuel are not a problem; the craft seems able to go on forever, powered by a magical power source. Various candles also burn inside the ship and never seem to get lower or burn out.
• Regenerates Damage: The ship will regenerate at 20% of the hit locations MDC per day, meaning all damage will be restored within 5 days of being damaged. Even if a hit location is completely destroyed, it will slowly regenerate until completely restored.
• Natural Invisibility: The ship is capable of assuming an invisible (Both Visually and on Radar) and perfectly silent state, even when running full out! The vehicle cannot engage in any sort of offensive action (such as firing a weapon) without dropping its invisibility. Can engage this ability 6 times per day with a duration of up to 60 minutes at a time. The ship can become invisible at any time within the Bermuda Triangle with no cost. This can be performed by the ship itself or maybe one of the undead, no one knows.
• Natural Intangibility: The vehicle has the ability to become immaterial and intangible, and ghost through solid objects. Although it cannot sail on dry land, can pass through other ships, the sides of locks, and other solid objects. The ship cannot be harmed by normal weapons while intangible but can be effected by magic weapons and psionics. Conventional weapons cannot be used while the ship is intangible. Speed does not change while intangible. The ship appears to be ghostlike when it goes intangible and cannot be detected on radar. When not on a Ley line, the ship can engage this ability 6 times per day for up to 30 minutes at a time. While in the Bermuda Triangle, this ability is unlimited and can be performed at will. One trick has been while on a ley line to become solid, fire the main guns and become intangible while reloading. This ability of becoming intangible can be performed by the ship itself or maybe by one of the undead, no one knows.

• Death Aura: The vehicle fairly glows of death energy; anyone who looks at it can instinctively sense its necromantic energies. The vehicle also exudes a sickly smell of death and of burned and rotting flesh.
• Rejects Modern Components: The ship will not accept the addition of modern components and components will seem to fail within a few days. This probably does not matter because the ship has no crew beyond that of ghosts.

[Golden Age Weaponsmiths is a trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc. ]
[ Rifts® is a registered trademark owned by Kevin Siembieda and Palladium Books Inc.]

By Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

Special Credit to Talis D. Merrill (taalismn@pop.tiac.net) for many of the concepts and enchantments / powers for Ghost / Haunted vehicles.

Copyright © 2006, Kitsune. All rights reserved.