INTRODUCTION

This is a conversion of the Stormers from the excellent SLA Industries RPG (published by Hogshead Publishing/Nightfall Games) into the Transhuman Space PbG setting. They're basically bioroids, so I thought, why not try to convert them? It proved harder than I thought, since the SLA and GURPS strength scales and corresponding height and weight increments are very different. I think I got it about right in the end though.

It helps if you have access to the original SLA version so you can truly grok how terrifying Stormers are! Obviously I've had to change the background a lot to fit them in here (SLA Industries is just another small - albeit mysterious - biotech company in TS).

Right now only the 313 Stormer is presented here, but I hope to convert the Chagrin, Xeno and Low Wave from the Karma SLA Supplement.

Many thanks go to Harvey Mills, Kenneth Peters, Anthony Jackson, and everyone else who helped out and commented on the original draft I put up on Pyramid TS board.

SLA Industries (pronounced 'slay') is a mysterious company that specialises in producing unusual combat bioroids. Nobody is sure where the company is based, though presumably their headquarters are located on Earth. The company is run by the enigmatic and reclusive "Mr. Slayer", who has never been seen in person. What is clear that SLA Industries produce highly effective and specialised (not to mention exotic and expensive) combat bioroids. SLA Industries sells its products to anyone who can pay, and is fairly amoral in its business decisions.

SLA INDUSTRIES STORMER 313 "MALICE" HEAVY COMBAT BIOROID

"I scare you? Awwww, diddums. I'm supposed to scare the living bejeezus outta you. This face ain't just for show, mate. I'm built to kill in ways you can't even begin to imagine. Do you know what sound a human head makes when it's crushed between my fingers? It's like a coconut breaking, only squelchier. I've done it lotsa times, always makes a terrible mess. While I do miss a good mosh, you're much better off for having surrendered, believe me. Oh, you agree? What a surprise...

Background: The first Stormer 313 "Malice" bioroids (usually just referred to as "Stormers") received great critical acclaim when they were showcased at the HuGEX Tourney in 2082. They were next seen in the jungles in the Pacific War in 2084 as special commando units for the TSA. They proved frighteningly effective, but were deployed in too small numbers to make any kind of real difference.

Stormers can be quite intelligent, though they are usually a little slow-thinking at times. They possess an inherent 'animal cunning', and are ferociously lethal in close-combat. They are not built for stealth - they are built specifically for in-your-face brutal killing, and they relish the carnage that they create. They can also absorb a lot of punishment - in one famous incident in the Pacific War a group of four Stormer commandos were sent behind the Chinese front to extract a group of TSA troops who were trapped there. Despite heavy odds against them the Stormers waded through the Chinese line, causing much chaos and carnage in the process, and survived injuries that would have killed less hardy troops. Most of their targets were brought back alive (if not somewhat scarred by the experience!).

Stormers are excellent ground combat troops, but are not well-suited for zero-g and low-gravity actions. However, their great expense means that they are primarily used for special missions.

Appearance: A 313 Stormer is a hulking 8' tall mass of teeth, claws and thick, dense muscle, weighing in at 390 lbs (177 kg) - even their fingers are muscular! While generally humanoid in appearance, their heads resemble that of a skinned horse with wide staring eyes and a mouth full of sharp, ripping teeth. Stormer lips do not meet, so their teeth are always bared. Their appearance tends to make most people very uncomfortable - which works to their advantage when facing an unprepared enemy.

Design notes: Although Stormers in the SLA Industries RPG can rapidly regenerate their wounds, such rapid regeneration is not possible at TS tech levels. I threw in Very Rapid Healing instead (a Stormer is gonna make his healing rolls anyway, but the 'heals 2 HT instead of 1 HT' part of this advantage is useful).The GURPS Stormer is also a *lot* heavier than the SLA one - that's an artifact of how the GURPS height/weight system corresponds to Strength. Their very rapid metabolism is simulated by two levels of Increase Life Support - they need to eat a lot of keep themselves going. Their ST is calculated using the Natural Strength rules from GURPS Compendium I pg 8-9. I also threw in Hard to Kill/2, because they probably are :)! One last minute change - I also added one level of Short Lifespan (because of that metabolism) and upped the DR to give them some extra protection against small arms fire.