Robomeck RPG: Robomeck Mecka-Space War I-The Zee

Robomeck RPG Index

Zee Forces

The typical Zee trooper was not so much of a “born warrior culture,” as they were a poorly-trained mob of giant thugs.  The full-sized Zee soldier coming out of the clone vat could expect to live 10 years the most at giant size before their bodies would break down.  This doesn’t include actual combat, of course.  Warriors were trained via hypnotic suggestion only in the minimal use of their powerful, but shoddy, equipment and a smattering of elementary battle tactics before being deployed in the field.  They were given no knowledge of how to repair their craft, much less how to design and build new craft.  Damaged equipment was simply replaced with new from an automated factory. 

Their aggression came from being essentially being a child in an adult body.  Strong discipline from the officer class would keep the troops in line (assuming the officer wasn’t just as bad).  The officers were cloned in a separate process with an increased mental capacity and advanced hypno-training in tactics.  The best ones (the ones that weren’t killed quickly and showed complete loyalty to the Overlords) were given treatments that would prolong their lives, allowing for acquired experience to make them better commanders.  

The Overlords made a force of female Zee, mostly as an experiment, before settling on a mostly male force.  (The men were bigger, stronger, and easier to control.)  The females were kept as a reserve force, but the Overlords forbade the two sexes from intermingling.  While the troops were completely immature on this subject (even the officers, regardless of age), they were completely physically developed.  If put together, they’d figure it out pretty quickly on their own, and then they’d all be uncontrollable. 

The Overlords didn’t want to totally suppress their unformed libidos, because it would make them too docile.  A little pent up sexual desire (in spite of them not understanding it) made the Zee more aggressive.  The Overlords’ emotionless society had virtually bred out their own sexual desires into courtly arrangements.  They didn’t understand passion and love themselves, so how could they defend their troops or themselves against it?  This turned out to be a lethal blindspot in the war.        

The Overlords viewed their Zee as being completely disposable.  Their only function was to expand their empire and defend it against the Hive and any other foes.  Confident of their conditioning, the Overlords simply let the Zee take care of all business of war.  They issued occasional commands (like “Go find the Proto-loom on Qor’s lost ship.”), but the Overlords knew that keeping themselves distant and mysterious would make their Zee fear and respect them more.  Zee senior leadership may have intellectually known that they were the real power in the empire and could seize it at any time, but their conditioning (and need for continuing life-extending treatments) was too strong to overcome as long as they only knew war and conquest.  When they were shown a different culture, one with emotions and love, that situation changed.      

The Overlords controlled the cloning at their own facility.  Zee were created human-sized and kept in stasis.  They were transported en mass as reinforcements, probably to the Zee Command Center.  They’d be kept small and in stasis until deployed for combat, when they were put in the Proto-Chamber and sized into 60’ tall giants.  Small Zee capital ships would have couple of chambers.  Large troop carriers would have banks of them.  Push button automation ran the operation.

Zee Soldier

The typical troops were mass-produced clones a few select series.  There was little physical variance between them.  You might have an odd one with a couple more or less MHP or slightly better or worse stats, but none of them would have a +3 or +4 (or -3 or -4) in any stat.  Far out-of-variance clones were immediately destroyed at the crèche facility.  What was different is the amount of combat experience they had, which was reflected in their combat capabilities. 

Troopers were usually shipboard personnel and foot soldiers and may be levels 1 to 4.  Mecka pilots were produced in a separate series.  Attack Pod pilots start at level 2.  Flight Pod pilots start at level 3.  Typical low-level officers were level 5.  Sixth level officers were high-level commanders.  Male and female troops were basically the same, except at the officer level.

Zee Soldiers

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save
1st	+1	+2	+0	+0
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+0
3rd	+3	+3	+1	+1
4th	+4	+4	+1	+1
5th	+5	+4	+1	+1
6th	+6	+5	+2	+2

Typical Soldier (Levels 1 to 4) +2 Str, Con

Typical Attack Pod Pilot (Levels 2 to 4) +2 Str, Con, +1 Dex

Typical Flight Pod Pilot (Levels 3 and 4) +2 Str, Con, Dex

Typical Male Officer (Level 5) +3 Str, +3 Con, +2 Dex, Int, +1 Wis, Cha

Typical Female Officer (Level 5) +3 Dex, +2 Str, Con, Wis, Cha, +1 Int

(Level 6 Officers were custom-made with advanced stats)

First/Fourth Level Troopers

Giant Zee MHP: 10 (no Con bonus for MHP, basically all non-officer Zee will have 10 MHP)

Giant Zee Armor Class:

Unarmored: 11 (Base 10 +1 ½ level)/12 (Base 10 +2 ½ level)

Armored: 12 (Base 10 +1 ½ level +1 Armor)/13 (Base 10 +2 ½ level +1 Armor)

Speed: M run

Melee to hit: +3 (+1 level, +2 Str)/+6 (+4 level, +2 Str)

Ranged to hit: +1 (+1 level)/+4 (+4 level)

Saves: Fort +4, Ref 0, Will 0/Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1 

Special (optional rule): When confronted with a sexual situation, even of the mildest sort, the Zee will be stunned for 1 rd unless they make a DC 18 Will Sv.  Those failing will have to make a DC 12 Will Sv next rd or they panic and will be unable to fight for 1 turn.  If they succeed at the first SV, they negate the effect entirely and are immune to displays in the future.   

HTH Trained M1d2+2 Str (Knockout personal combat rules do apply to giant Zee)

Club M1d4+2 Str

Blaster Rifle M1d6, S, 10 shots before needing recharge

Zee Officer

Officers were genetically crafted in at the Overlord’s main crèche facility.  Different officer series had different specialized functions in the Zee fleet and army.  There could be quite a bit a variation between series.  There were also individually crafted officers for high-level functions, such as fleet commanders and experimental projects.  The Overlords were skeptical of producing too many enhanced Zee officers lest they develop free will and turn on their masters.  Such special Zee were created with some sort of crippling flaw in their physique or psyche that could be quickly exploited to remove them from command. 

The example here is a typical fifth-level field combat officer, a ship captain, or an ace pilot.  Fleet commanders (sixth level) were individually engineered for their roles and would have better stats, but also may have some worse stats or some psychological issues.  Officers with a +4 in any stat, likely have a -3 in another stat or a functional psychological illness to give them a weakness.  There was only one Supreme Commander Zee, a truly monstrous creature of vast intellect and enormous size.  (30 MHP.  He required a special environment to live in and couldn’t even move outside his own command fortress.  He was also personally defended by several telekinetically controlled beam cannons.) 

Fifth Level Male/Female Officers

Giant Zee Officer HP: 15 (no Con bonus for MHP, basically all officer Zee will have 15 MHP)

Giant Zee Officer Armor Class:

Male Unarmored: 15 (Base 10 +2 Dex Bonus +3 ½ level)

Female Unarmored: 16 (Base 10 +3 Dex Bonus +3 ½ level)

Male Armored: 16 (Base 10 +2 Dex Bonus +3 ½ level +1 armor)

Female Armored: 17 (Base 10 +3 Dex Bonus +3 ½ level +1 armor)

Speed: M run

Ranged to hit: +7 (+5 level, +2 Dex)/+8 (+5 level, +3 Dex)

Melee to hit: +8 (+5 level, +3 Str)/+7 (+5 level, +2 Str)

Saves: Fort +6, Ref +3, Will +3/ Fort +6, Ref +4, Will +2 

Special: May have 1d2+3 FP, if an important NPC 

Special (optional rule): When confronted with a sexual situation, even of the mildest sort, the Zee will be stunned for 1 rd unless they make a DC 18 Will Sv.  Those failing will have to make a DC 12 Will Sv next rd or they panic and will be unable to fight for 1 turn.  If they succeed at the first SV, they negate the effect entirely and are immune to displays in the future.   

HTH Trained M1d2+3 Str/+2 Str (Knockout personal combat rules do apply to giant Zee)

Club M1d4+3 Str/+2 Str

Blaster Pistol M1d4, S, 5 shots before needing recharge (the pistol is usually just used to “motivate” or “discipline” their own troops rather than shooting at the enemy)

Blaster Rifle M1d6, S, 10 shots before needing recharge

Micro Zee Terrorist

After the war, many Zee went micro (human-sized) to try and fit into human society.  Going micro also probably doubled their lifespan to 20 years.  Unfortunately, many changed their minds about living a more peaceful life and joined a rebellion group.  Such groups may not have access to a sizing chamber to return to giant size.  Some individuals may have stayed micro to act as spies and saboteurs.  The examples are a standard terrorist (first level) and a cell leader (fourth level).  Officer Zee will typically not be micro-sized (unless really motivated by some strange force like love?).      

First/Fourth Level Zee Terrorist

Micro Zee HP: 16 (d12, +2 Con)/38 (d12, +2 Con) 

Micro Zee Armor Class: 11 (Base 10 +1 ½ level)/12 (Base 10 +2 ½ level)

Melee to hit: +3 (+1 level, +2 Str)/+6 (+4 level, +2 Str)

Ranged to hit: +1 (+1 level)/+4 (+4 level)

Saves: Fort +4, Ref 0, Will 0/Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1 

Special (optional rule): When confronted with a sexual situation, even of the mildest sort, the Zee will be stunned for 1 rd unless they make a DC 18 Will Sv.  Those failing will have to make a DC 12 Will Sv next rd or they panic and will be unable to fight for 1 turn.  If they succeed at the first SV, they negate the effect entirely and are immune to displays in the future.  If the Micro Zee has been living in human society or comingled with the opposite sex for a while after the war, they will be immune to this effect.   

Melee:

HTH Trained 1d2 + Str Bonus, possible KO on 18 and up attack roll

Shock Wand DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn, 10 charges

Club 1d6+2, possible KO on 18 and up attack roll

Sword 1d10+2

Knife or Rifle Bayonet 1d6+2, max damage on 18 and up attack roll

Ranged:

Stun Gun DC 12 Fort Sv or KO 1 turn, C, 10 shot clip,

.38 Revolver 2d4, 6 shot, S

Assault Rifle 30 rd clip, M

2d8 single shot

2d8 x 1d2 burst (DC 12 Ref Sv ½ damage), 3 bullets

2d8 x 1d2 spray (+0 to hit), up to 3 adjacent targets (DC 12 Ref Sv ½ damage), 6 bullets

Sawed Off Shotgun 2d10, spray up to two adjacent (DC 12 Ref Sv 1/2 damage) 2 shells, C

Sniper Rifle 3d6, 12 shots, L

Grenade 4d6, 10’ area (up to four targets grouped together, each target takes full damage, ½ damage with a DC 12 Ref Sv), S

Flamethrower 6d6, 10 bursts, S, will ignite flammables in area, 1d6 continuing damage until extinguished

Rocket Launcher M1d6, L, single use (cannot be used at S range without taking full damage)