Statistics for the Sathar Laserblast:

The laserblast represents a new way for the Sathar to create slavebots quickly without the need of extensive surgery to remove parts of a victim’s brain and implanting robotic components. It quickly turns captured Frontiers beings into cheap cannon fodder while causing many a UPF soldier to hesitate firing at those who were once their friends and family members.

Initially tested by just prior to the Second Sathar War, Sathar Clan X seeded a few of the weapons on select areas of Frontier worlds where violence was common or weapons were needed to fend off wildlife – such as the Outer Reach in the Dramune system or New Pale (Truane’s Star) with its large dinosaurs on some continents. 

From its exterior, the device appears to be a large beam weapon, about the size of a Frontier laser rifle. Almost half of its length appears to be a clear plastic tube with black rings inside. This part is where the insidious Sathar cybernetic control system is. Once a victim places his forearm – or in the case of a Dralasite, an “arm” limb, or a tentacle in the case of a S’sessu – the weapon begins to bond to the user.

The victim must make a Stamina check each turn to avoid the bonding from starting. Once it does, the victim then needs to make a Logic check each turn to prevent the weapon from taking control, turning the character into a slavebot-like automaton. A character can make a Strength check each turn to remove the weapon. However, once the bonding starts (after the character fails the Stamina check, all Strength checks are at -20 percent).

The Sathar, of course, know that a character might be able to rip their arm out of the laserblast before the bonding takes place, so victims are often restrained.

Under the Laserblast's Control

A controlled character takes on slavebot-like looks –  for example, in the case of humans, the skin turns grey and the eyes take on a reddish hue; a Vrusk’s coloration will also begin to turn gray; Dralasites turn a charcoal gray; the fur on Yazarians lose their luster and color, rapidly turning white; etc.

Once under the laserblast’s control, the slavebot will fire upon any character or robot that hasn’t been designated as a Sathar or a friendly. The Sathar can apparently control the slavebots remotely, directing them to recognize Core Four and other beings who are Sathar agents and, thus, should not be attacked.

The weapon has the same range and firing characteristics of a Frontier laser, but it has a double capacity powerclip – 42 SEUs instead of 20. The weapons are typically set at 5 SEUs and the slavebot will keep firing until the powerclip is expended. The slavebot has a base 40 percent chance to hit regardless of the character’s dexterity or previous weapon’s skill. Note, the slavebot will never use the last 2 SEUs in the clip because that powers a self-destruct device.

Slavebot’s typically don’t take careful aim and will fire at the nearest enemy – unless remotely directed – so a character could be targeted by several laserblast controlled slaves at one time. If a target demonstrates that it has protection from laser fire – because of an albedo screen – the lasterblast slave would then fire on another target unless the protected character is the only one visible.

Once the power is expended on the laserblast, the slavebot will attempt to retreat to a place where it can get a new powerclip or recharge. It will use melee combat to try to escape any attempt at capture – again with a base chance to hit of 40, using the laserblast as a club (the weapon is very durable).

The laserblast powerclips are incompatible with Frontier weapons or traditional Sathar weapons, but they can plug into Frontier recharge stations. It will recharge at a rate of 5 SEU per turn. A slavebot is smart enough to seek out such recharge stations.

Remote Control/Removing the Laserblast

The Sathar control devices appear to be designed to command up to five laserblast slavebots within a five kilometer range. A Sathar brain robot, with the appropriate program and radio communications gear, can control up to five slavebots per level. For example, a level five brain can command up to 25 slavebots. A Sathar computer with the proper program and communications gear can command up to 20 slavebots per level.

Radio jamming can prevent a slavebot from being remotely controlled, but it will revert to the laserblast’s normal programming.

The laserblast can only be removed in one of four ways – a Sathar control device, the death of a character, surgery and limb amputation. It is theoretically possible to reprogram the laserblast, but no one has succeeded in this effort.

Only a remote control device that has been previously “keyed” to a particular laserblast can command the slavebot, including giving the code to release the weapon from the victim. Robot brains and computers can be reprogrammed to release those victims under its control.

When a character dies – drops below -30 Stamina – the device will release itself from a victim. It can only take control of someone if a forelimb is thrust into the “bonding portal” – i.e. the clear plastic tube. Beings below -30 Stamina are, of course, irretrievably dead. It may be possible to simulate such death, howevever, and fool the device.

Surgical removal is possible, though very dangerous to the victim and anyone within 2 meters. The last 2 SEU in the laserblast’s battery pack is used to trigger a self-destruct/antitamper device that is deep within the weapon. If the device is set off, it will cause 5d10 points of explosive damage to the laserblast victim, destroy the weapon’s internal workings, and cause 2d10 points of damage to all beings and objects within a 2 meter radius.

The laserblast self-destruct mechanism can be disarmed but a non-Sathar trained character suffers a -40 percent modifier.  It is easier to try to remove the powerpack – at a -30 percent modifier – without setting off the antitamper device.

If a slavebot is encountered when it is switching powerpacks, it is possible to stun the victim or, if one is close enough, prevent it from rearming the weapon. If this works, it negates the self-destruct device.

Once the anti-tamper device is disarmed, major surgery is needed to remove the laserblast, with a -20 percent modifier. A failure results in the need for a new attempted, though an automatic failure roll results in a limb amputation, though it will free the victim of the device’s control.

Limb amputation can, of course, remove the laserblast’s control of the victim, but if the wound is not cauterized and sutured, blood loss will kill the character. The victim will lose 1d10 points of Stamina per turn, representing blood loss from severed arteries/veins.

Attempts to reprogram the laserblast can be done, with a -40 percent modifier after the antitamper device has been disarmed.

Victims Conscious of Actions

The Sathar extensively used laserblast slavebots during the liberation of Outpost One during the Second Sathar War. The UPF Landfleet encountered thousands of prisoners who had been turned into slavebots, resulting in a great loss of life.

Victims rescued from the devices control reported being fully aware of what was going on around them, but were often unable to do anything or communicate with others. Strong-willed characters, though, were able to mitigate some of the weapons commands.

Some victims have been able to deliberately miss when the laserblast ordered them to fire at a target. To succeed, the victim needs to make a Logic roll with a -20 percent modifier. The effect lasts 1-4 turns only, requiring another Logic check after that time period expires.

Some have reportedly been able to retreat or not fire the weapon at all. To do this, the victim needs to make a Logic check with a -30 percent modifier. The effect lasts 1-4 turns only, requiring another Logic check after that time period expires.

Or, some laserblast slavebots were able to fire at Sathar, Sathar allies (including robots and cyber attack monsters) instead of their intended target, but this requires a Logic check with a -40 percent modifier. The effort lasts only one turn.

Mentalist characters who make a successful telepathic or empathic link with a laserblast victim can boost their resistance checks by +20 percent and double the length of time that they can resist the device’s/remote control.

The laserblast, with powerpack, weighs 6 kilograms.