Second Sphere Supersoldier Rules

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Still experimental!

The Basics

'Supersoldiers' generally brings to mind the concept of heavily-augmented soldiers, more machine than man. However, in practice it is broader than this. In addition to high-conversion cyborgs, supersoldiers also includes (for game purposes, anyhow) particularly exceptional aces and aftermarket genetic upgrades such as Alephs. There are three main categories of Supersoldier modifications; Upgrades, Skills and Powers.

In general, supersoldier effects have poor cost-effectiveness for an entire national military. They are intended for the elite. Doctrines and Transgenics cover broad-based effects.

Upgrades

Upgrades are the most common form of supersoldier modification. They are normally cybernetic in nature, though steroids and cultured bio-implants are not uncommon. In practice, upgrades work like transgenics. The advantage is that upgrades can be installed at (essentially) any time and in whatever combination is desired, as opposed to being fixed at nation creation like transgenics. Upgrades can also go to greater levels of ability than transgenics, though this is mostly limited to physical upgrades. Cognitive upgrades tend to be substantially more complex and difficult to integrate into a mature brain and thus have a correspondingly higher price point.

Skills

Skills cross over to doctrines and affect them in one of two ways. While archetypically being exceptionally rigous training regimes, implants that hardwire various useful improvements are also possible. Most skills are gained by impressive performance in battle.

Skill Improvements increase the effective Doctrine rating, stacking with the national doctrine level.

Skill Mastery does not improve any values in and of itself, but provides rerolls so long as the opponent is of a lower Mastery level (normal troops are Mastery 0).

Powers

Powers are special effects or actions with defined effects such as unneringly sniping a target, blocking beams with your melee weapon, wirelessly hacking drones, etc. Just what makes each up is at least slightly unique.