The Proto-Overlord
Forces
The
Overlords were unparalleled in their Proto-fueled genetic and cloning knowledge
and ability. Technology-wise, their
forces spanned the stars with a mighty empire.
Then they lost their progenitor Qor’s greatest creation, the Proto-Loom,
which provided them an unlimited, and exclusive, supply of Proto-fuel. At that point, it all unraveled. The Hive, from whom they’d stolen the secrets
of the Proto-flowers, came at them with a vengeance. The bulk of their mighty Zee military forces
were inexplicably destroyed attempting to recover Qor’s ship which had
crash-landed on earth.
The
Overlords and their civilization ended up fleeing for their lives in a fleet of
mammoth Homeships before the Hive got to their homeworld of Zirol. The Overlords’ destination was earth to
finish the job of recovering the Proto-Loom and regenerating their empire. Without even enough Proto-Fuel to fold their
giant ships, the Overlords had to take the long way to get there using
super-spatial drives. Twenty years
later, they would find a woefully unprepared earth ripe for quick
invasion. Of course, that’s what their
Zee warriors thought as well when they arrived.
The Overlords might have had some trepidation because of that, but their
fear of the Hive and their entire society being destroyed was far greater.
For
all their power and knowledge, the Overlords were simply not great military
tacticians. War was a messy exercise
that the Overlords’ refined society kept itself distant from. As detailed, their Zee forces were poorly
equipped and led. They simply relied on
numbers and strength. The Overlords
feared giving them better intelligence or more advanced mecka. For their own personal security forces, the
Overlords designed very technologically advanced mecka, but with truly
questionable capabilities, as though they were made more for a high school
science experiment than for war. Even
the troops they created in their society, while very skilled, did not look the
part of a warrior and were utterly lost without strong leadership.
Militarily,
the Overlords had the two worst aspects a command structure could have:
arrogance and cowardice. Regardless of
the initial superiority of their forces, they did not press that advantage as
they could not bring themselves to commit their troops to a decisive
battle. Over and over, the Overlords
allowed the Armies of the North Star to attack them, content that the humans
would eventually exhaust themselves and their resources. They did not calculate the resilience of the
North Star, nor their capacity to greatly improve their forces as the war went
on. All that happened was the Overlords’
own irreplaceable resources dwindled. As
their Proto-fuel ran out, the Overlords’ advantage disappeared and desperation
set in, but too late to save themselves.
They
knew about where the Proto-Loom was, but recovering it would be a sensitive
operation. They dared not risk mass
combat around its internment (until they had no choice). Moreover, the humans had not already
recovered it. They were clearly too
“primitive” to understand what was in their possession. The Overlords did not wish to alert them,
lest the humans figure it out and then turn that against them.
Overlord
Troops
Level
|
Base Attack Bonus
|
Fort Save
|
Ref Save
|
Will Save
|
1st
|
+1
|
+0
|
+2
|
+0
|
2nd
|
+2
|
+0
|
+3
|
+0
|
3rd
|
+3
|
+1
|
+3
|
+1
|
4th
|
+4
|
+1
|
+4
|
+1
|
5th
|
+5
|
+1
|
+4
|
+1
|
6th
|
+6
|
+2
|
+5
|
+2
|
Typical Soldier (Levels 1 to 3) +2
Dex +1 Str, Int, Cha
Typical Officer (Levels 4 to 6) +3
Dex, Cha, +2 Str, Int, Wis, +1 Con
HD: D8
Combat Biomeck (Blue)
While
the Biomeck was a non-transformable humanoid mecka, it was a considerable
advancement in technology. The pilot
literally plugged into his Biomeck and became one with it. Their abilities translated directly to their
mecka. The average Overlord security
clone was quite skilled indeed . . . for an automaton possessing little emotion
and less imagination. They followed
their Overlords in displaying arrogance and contempt for their enemies, but the
clones ultimately only did what they were told by their betters. They had little to no initiative.
Unfortunately,
the Biomecks were what they were, a heavy duty security mecka, not a war
mecka. They required a hoversled for
flight and had no long or even medium range weapon systems. At best, they could intimidate a poorly armed
mob riot. If they’d run into EMDF or EEF
forces at full strength, the Overlords would have been forced into a real fight
right off the bat and might not have won.
Against the cash-strapped ANS forces run by cost-cutting bureaucrats,
suddenly the Biomecks became very formidable.
While
efforts were made at bolstering their forces in transit from Zirol, only so
much could be done. They did not have
the resources or ability to redesign their armed forces for mass warfare. They could only focus on producing more of
what they had. Lack of troops were
another issue. Zirolian society did not
have a true warrior class to start with.
Instead, they focused on training a very elite corps of pilots for their
mecka, hoping quality would win over quantity.
The
earth commanders in the war never realized that the Overlords were nominally
committing the bulk of their military forces to any major engagement. This made the Overlords far more timid than
their arrogance would suggest. All of
their losses were being keenly felt.
Losses of their Overlord field commanders (who directly controlled the
troops) were nearly unbearable, resulting in hasty retreats whenever
threatened.
Proto-fuel
starvation during the war affected the Overlords’ cloning facilities
first. Shortly after engaging in the
war, the Overlords were forced into mass abductions and brainwashing captured
humans to fill their ranks, which only diminished their effectiveness. In spite of statements by the Overlords to
contrary, I believe they desired a subject human population, rather than
destroying them. They would have made
good cannon fodder versus the Hive and could help replenish their own race’s
genetic material.
Note:
Destruction of the Biomeck will kill the pilot every time. There isn’t a separate cockpit. The pilot is integrated into the mecka like
wearing a suit.
Mecka HP: 20, Hoversled 10
(Called Shot to hit sled)
Mecka Armor Class: 15 Clone/13 Abducted
Human (Base 10 +3/+1 Dex Bonus +2 ½ level)
Speed: F run, F flight
with sled
Sensors: S Range Radar
Clone Warrior Pilot
(fourth level)
Melee to hit: +6 (+4 level, +2
Str)
Ranged to hit: +7 (+4 level, +3
Dex)
Pilot Check: +4 (+2 ½ level, +2
(+3 Dex, +1 Wis)/2)
Abducted Human Pilot
(third level)
Melee to hit: +5 (+3 level, +2
Str)
Ranged to hit: +4 (+3 level, +1
Dex)
Pilot Check: +3 (+2 ½ level, +1
(+1 Dex, 0 Wis)/2)
(Note:
Abducted humans used for this purpose were tested to have superior reflexes and
an ability to accept advanced hypno-training and conditioning for combat.)
Battle Axe M1d4+2
Drum Cannon M1d10, S
Hoversled Dual
Cannons
M2d6, S
Clones
may fire their Drum and Sled Cannons together at a single target, but without
their attack bonus. Abducted Human
pilots will only fire one or the other.
Note: I’m making a lot
of notes on this otherwise bland, weird mecka.
I think my interpretation here breaks from the series and other
material. I’d rather have actual pilots
in all of the Biomecks than lumps of protoplasm for gaming purposes. It allows more differentiation in forces,
which the Overlords do not really have.
Admittedly, the Axe weapon was never in the series, but I seem to recall
seeing it on a toy. So, in the interests
of giving this mecka some HTH capabilities, I added it.
Internal Guard
Biomeck
(Green)
More
elite pilots (fifth level) were used to protect sensitive internal areas of the
Overlords’ Homeships or even the ship’s surface against invasion. They typically do not use hoversleds. As with a Blue, destruction of the Biomeck
will kill the pilot.
Mecka HP: 20
Mecka Armor Class: 16 (Base 10 +3 Dex
Bonus + 3 ½ level)
Speed: F run
Sensors: S Range Radar
Melee to hit: +7 (+5 level, +2
Str)
Ranged to hit: +8 (+5 level, +3
Dex)
Pilot Check: +5 (+3 ½ level, +2
(+3 Dex, +1 Wis)/2)
Battle Axe M1d4+2
Blaster Cannon M2d8, S
Combat Leader Biomeck (Red)
The
best of the best clones were reserved as combat leaders. While a triad of field commander Overlords
usually directed combat from a distance, the Reds did so in the thick of the
battle. However tactically efficient
though, the Reds still only did what they were ordered to do with little
imagination. They were simply automatons
of the Overlords as much as any of the rest of their troops. Figure one Red for every squad of 11 Blues. The Red Biomecks do have a separate cockpit,
which allows the pilot a chance of survival in the event of the destruction of
the craft. The cockpit features an
advanced telepathic system to control the craft.
(Note:
the Overlords did attempt to clone Qor from his genetic material in their clone
banks to rebuild his Proto-Loom, but the sample was from before his invention
and the clone could not duplicate it.
The Qor clone was repurposed into a combat leader.)
Mecka HP: 20, Hoversled 10
(Called Shot to hit sled)
Mecka Armor Class: 17 (Base 11 +3 Dex
Bonus +3 ½ level)
Speed: F run, F flight
with sled
Sensors: S Range Radar
Melee to hit: +8 (+6 level, +2
Str)
Ranged to hit: +9 (+6 level, +3
Dex)
Pilot Check: +6 (+3 ½ level, +3
(+3 Dex, +2 Wis)/2)
Special: May have 1d2+3 FP
available for every encounter, if an important NPC. They are also Aces and may take two actions
in a rd, once per encounter, including a double move.
Battle Axe M1d4+2
Blaster Cannon M2d8, S
Hoversled Dual
Cannons
M2d6, S
Note:
A Red may fire their Blaster and Sled Cannons together, though without any
attack bonus.
Hive Fighter (HF) Biomeck (Red)
The
Hive Fighter was originally conceived as an autonomous drone craft to be used
against the Hive, as the name implies.
With the loss of their Zee warriors, the Overlords needed a cheap,
disposable army with which to combat their swarms. This system was designed during their voyage
to earth, but not perfected until late in the war. (Their armaments designers were too staid to
do anything quickly.) The drones would
have been deployed by the tens of thousands had the Overlords the Proto-fuel,
the materials, and the time to produce them.
As
it was, their only option was to use what they had, clones and Biomecks. Late in the war, the system was finally ready
and the modified Biomecks went into combat.
The innovation of the HF was a telepathic com system that allowed three
mecks to nearly instantaneously coordinate their attacks as a unit. How well this particular unit would have done
against the Hive is debatable, but against the North Star it would have been
devastating had it come earlier in the war.
Unfortunately,
the HF had issues due to its panicked induction into the Overlords’
forces. The largest problem was the lack
of high-level pilots. Had the clone
banks been active, Aces would have been in the pilot pods. (The HF had a separate cockpit like the Red
Biomeck.) As it was, the Overlords
distributed the last of their regular clone pilots into the HF’s. They were good, but likely the least combat
experienced and could not fully utilize the system.
Mechanically,
Red Biomecks were hastily modified to accommodate the psi system, which
required it to be larger and more armored.
This actually reduced its effectiveness by making it a good deal slower. The system also had an exploitable design
flaw. Direct hits to its vulnerable
faceplate, which was part of their psi receptor, would shutdown the system and
the mecka.
Mecka HP: 25, Called Shots:
Faceplace 4, Hoversled 10
Mecka Armor Class: 17 (Base 12 +3 Dex
Bonus +2 ½ level)
Special
Vulnerability:
A Called Shot to the faceplate and its destruction will shutdown the craft and
kill the pilot.
Speed: M run, M flight
with sled
Sensors: S Range Radar
Melee to hit: +7 (+4 level, +3
Str)
Ranged to hit: +7 (+4 level, +3
Dex)
Pilot Check: +4 (+2 ½ level, +2
(+3 Dex, +1 Wis)/2)
Special Tactics: HF’s were always
deployed in groups of three. They will
normally all fire at same target, especially if it’s isolated. However, they’ll shoot at separate targets as
necessary. The three will cover for each
other when damaged as well.
Battle Axe M1d4+3
Blaster Cannon M2d8, S
Hoversled Dual
Cannons
M2d8, S
Note:
An HF may fire their Blaster and Sled Cannons together, though without any
attack bonus.
Hive Fighter Drone
Prototype
Note:
Yet another note. I just realized I
didn’t make stats for the drone HF. It
wasn’t properly part of the series in terms of a vehicle used in combat. The scene they were in may have just been a
“proof of concept” of having mecka attack in a tightly coordinated manner. In any case, as small craft, they would have
only been useful in swarms, which would probably be difficult to account for in
RPG combat. But, there could be a few
floating around the Homeships as prototype guards.
Mecka HP: 10
Mecka Armor Class: Base 12
Speed: M atmospheric
flight, F space flight
Sensors: S Range Radar
Ranged to hit: +4 (automated)
Pilot Check: +2 (automated)
Special Tactics: HF Drones were
always deployed in groups of three. They
will normally all fire at same target, especially if it’s isolated. However, they’ll shoot at separate targets as
necessary.
Triple-Blaster
Cannon
M3, S (The craft is actually studded with triple cannons, but can only fire one
set at a time.)
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