One of Moff Rulduk's success, the
Enhanced Stormtroopers are not nearly as effective as they appear.
However, they can be incredibly powerful in combat in optimum
circumstances, and Rulduk has used them only in such circumstances,
giving them a reputation as being the ultimate fighting machines.
Enhanced Stormtroopers are simply ordinary stormtroopers with
a drug delivery system built into their armor. The suit contains
a number of internal medical sensors, monitoring the effects of the
drugs as well as the natural chemicals present in the body. When
these sensors indicate that the soldier is in a fight or flight
situation, the performance enhancing drugs are administered. The
troopers can also induce the drug created arousal state by simply
pressing a button.
These drugs include Aren-B, Methalin, Cornic, and a host of
others. In addition to these, the system also enhances the body's
production of natural chemicals, such as enorphins and hormones,
and super-oxygenates the soldier's blood. This system produces an
enormous rush of power when the drugs are injected. In game terms,
the soldiers get a 2D+1 bonus to STR, and a 1D+2 bonus to DEX while
in the arousal state. In addition, the soldiers are immune to stun
damage, and show no reaction to wounds of any sort until 3 rounds
after they are hit. This includes killing damage, but not maiming
damage. However, they will continue to fight on as best they can
after being maimed, until blood loss renders them unconscious (if
that is the logical result of the type of maiming damage they
endured).
Despite these benefits, the system has a number of side
effects, and these detriments are so great that they render
Enhanced Stormtroopers less than cost effective as combat troops.
Repeated exposure to the drugs and hormones lead to unpleasant, and
often fatal withdrawal symptoms. The wear and tear that the drug
induced alertness puts on the system is very damaging, usually
causing the death of the users within 5 years of their induction to
the enhanced stormtrooper program. Methalin is injected to control
the trooper's emotions, but even that drug is not powerful enough
to completely damp down the rush produced by the arousal state, and
many Enhanced Stormtroopers have gone berserk in combat situations,
killing everything in range until the next effect took place:
Prolonged usage of the arousal state is invariably fatal, and if it
used for more than an hour out of five, the enhanced trooper will
die. Finally, neither the drugs or the system is cheap.
Still, even if less effective than ordinary troopers, Enhanced
Stormtroopers have proved an effective weapon of terror, and Moff
Rulduk has used the threat of their violence with far greater
effect than he could use the actuality of that violence. Work on
the project has not stopped, and a new version of the system, the
Enhanced Stormtrooper II is currently in testing. This version is
even more expensive, as it uses cybernetics to replace some of the
trooper's more fragile parts. However, while all the other
detriments are reduced somewhat, a soldier wearing this suit can
last for upward of twenty years, as long as the cybernetic parts
are replaced regularly. This increase in life span has allowed
some of the Enhanced Stormtroopers II to improve their skills with
experience. These individuals serve in Rulduk's special forces, or
as super-elite terror troops.
Enhanced Stormtroopers:
Dexterity: : 3D+1 (Dexterity attribute and skills
are improved by 1D+2 while in arousal state)
Maulers: Same as standard with no blaster, dodge, or missile
weapons skills, but with a +1D bonus to brawling parry, melee
combat, melee parry and brawling.
Heavy Gunners: Same as standard with blaster and missile
weapons skills at +1D, but with a -1D penalty to Brawling parry,
melee combat, melee parry and brawling.
Heavy Gunner Equipment: Enhanced
Stormtrooper Armor, light repeating blaster with power-cell
backpack, vibroblade, and blaster pistol or with an automatic
grenade launcher and ammunition instead of light repeating blaster.
Commando: Varies considerably from individual to individual,
with skills often in the 6-8 Dice range.