Other Universes: Heavy Gear Traveller: The Mordred Shocktrooper

In Heavy Gear, the Mordred is a type of genetically-modified clone soldier (known in-setting as a GREL) intended for use as infantry. As such, they provide a good example of a "combat beast" when converted to Traveller.




As usual, let's see what we're starting with:

Those are some big physical stat bonuses, and they mean our Mordred starts out in MegaTraveller with a UPP of FCA665 per the conversion system. Life Force is 37, Determination is 16, and Experience is 12. The character will break Experience limits. I'd allow it, but GRELs shouldn't be allowed to take any career paths after their initial creation. They're programmed more than they're taught.

For skills, Athletics will provide us with a Physical boost, Combat Sense provides the Tactics skill, Dodge and Hand-to-Hand both provide Hand Combat, First Aid becomes Medical, Heavy Weapons is Heavy Weapons, Intimidate becomes Interrogation, Melee provides Blade Combat, Notice becomes Recon, Small Arms provides Gun Combat, Survival can be Recon, Survival, or Stealth, and Throwing provides Archaic Weapons.

For the Physical boost, I'll take +1 STR. All of the Hand Combat will go to Brawling. Blade Combat will be Small Blade, for daggers and knives. Gun Combat is Laser Weapons for fluff purposes (the faction that Mordreds come from use a battle laser as their primary small arm), and for Archaic Weapons I'm going to cheat and take another level of Small Blade. I forgot Archaic Weapons didn't actually have a throwing skill (and there's not really any skill directly applicable to throwing grenades). For Survival, since Notice already gave us Recon, I'll take Stealth.

That means our character is now GCA665, with Life Force 38, and skills of Brawling 4, Heavy Weapons 2, Interrogation 1, Laser Weapons 2, Medical 1, Recon 1, Small Blade 3, Stealth 1, and Tactics 2.

In TNE, again, all stats drop by one level, to FB9554. Wound thresholds are 18/72/48. All canon Mordred are male and would weigh 96 kilograms, but a female Mordred would be 81 kilograms. They can carry 72 kilograms as their normal load, and throw distance is 60 meters, so they can throw grenades better than most people can shoot. The Tactics 2 becomes a 1d6 Initiative.

Converting the Mordred's other skills, Brawling becomes Unarmed Martial Arts, Heavy Weapons has to be split among Grenade Launcher, Tac Missile, and Autogun, Interrogation remains Interrogation, Laser Weapons is split between Energy Weapons (Energy Pistol) and Energy Weapons (Energy Rifle), Medical has to have a specialty chosen from Diagnosis, Surgery, or Trauma Aid, Recon can be Stealth or Tracking, Small Blade becomes Armed Martial Arts (Small Blade), and Stealth remains Stealth. Based on the Heavy Gear fluff, I'll go with Tac Missile, Energy Rifle, Trauma Aid, and Tracking for the four that have choices. Also, I'm going to remove one level's worth of Small Blade and add it to Throwing Weapons to match the original Throwing skill, giving us a skill list of:
Armed Martial Arts (Small Blade) 4
Energy Weapon (Energy Rifle) 4
Interrogation 2
Medical (Trauma Aid) 2
Stealth 2
Tac Missile 4
Throwing Weapons 2
Tracking 2
Unarmed Martial Arts 8

Their unarmed damage is 12 (15 x 8, divided by 10). 30 skill levels is high, but they're very combat-oriented and can't provide much aid to a group outside of combat, and this is a complete character that cannot learn more skills.

The most common weapon for a Mordred is the BIL (Battlefield Infantry Laser), which is designed for power and reliability over penetration. It masses 3 kilos plus a 4 kilogram capacitor backpack and has ROF SA, Dam 8, Pen 2-2-3, BR 400, and Ammo 15. It also provides a +1 bonus to the shooter's Energy Rifle combat asset because the shot has effectively no travel time at battlefield ranges. GREL units typically have power generators right behind their lines to recharge the backpack capacitors. A GREL on their own will quickly run out of ammo.

Some Mordred will be programmed to use a machinegun (Autogun), anti-materiel rifle (Slug Rifle), infantry mortar (Heavy Artillery), or anti-armor rocket launcher (Tac Missile), but all are programmed to use the BIL.