Bolt Thrall

"Bad enough there's Shemarrian controlled zombies.. Now they've gone and made cyborg zombies!"

## Bolt-Thrall

The Bolt-Thrall is a combat and heavy labour drone developed by Clan Shelley, although the Lost Eclipse has acquired the design and fields a large number themselves. Physically the Bolt-Thrall is similar in looks to the new Coalition States skele-bots, but with fake flesh, heavy large metal gauntlets on their hands with hoses running from them to the back, large bolts protruding at the knees, elbows and neck, and surrounding the end of the gauntlets. The bolts sometimes arc with electricity, hinting at the classic mad science origins, which fits perfectly with Clan Shelley. The large hands prevent the Bolt-Thrall from performing very delicate work, but are excellent for manual labour and combat. They have also been used to infiltrate areas where a lot of necromancers are active as a means of keeping track of their activities. Equipped with fake flesh that is mean to look like it is rotten and decaying, sometimes with fake bone showing, dressed in ragged clothing or battlefield salvaged armour.

Bolt-Thralls are in general simple (at least for Shemarrians, but show greater intelligence than Coalition skelebots and many 3 Galaxy combat drones except for Naruni) combat units programmed with a variety of tactics and able to recognize various enemy units and their threat level. They are programmed to act similar to 'regular' zombies for the most part, only with slightly more intelligence showing than typical zombies, moving slowly and attacking using their powerful fists. Alternatively they will drop the zombie pretense if it is discovered they are not undead, and use all their weapons.

### Use

Bolt-Thralls are strong melee combatants with powerful fists, plus their bolts arc with electricity, making their melee strikes all the more dangerous. These arcs can be directed in a more powerful bolt, striking opponents at a distance.

When the Bolt-Thrall doesn't have to pretend it is a zombie, it moves a full speed and can make use of a concealed vibro-blades in each arm and flamethrowers. Additionally, the eyes contain eye lasers that are nearly standard on most Shemarrian elites. The four hoses that link the gauntlets to the back actually detach from the gauntlets and are robotic tentacles that can be electrified for added damage as they smash or grab opponents. The Bolt-Thrall can erect an electrical field around itself that can reduce damage from energy attacks, and damage anything hitting it, or it strikes in melee, but this is weaker than electrifying its fists directly. The large bolts on its legs, arms and neck are actually concealed grenades that the Bolt-Thrall can either eject and let drop as it runs past, or fly into targets beside it, or just plain throw them. If the Bolt-Thrall detects its imminent destruction (has less than 10 M.D.C. left of the main body, and still in combat), it will move with all speed to the nearest enemy that is not within 30 feet of a Shemarrian unit, and initiates its self-destruct system. This is similar to the one used by A.R.C.H.I.E. 3.

## Abilities

The Bolt-Thrall is sometimes fitted with salvaged armour from battle fields to bolster it.

Salvaged Armour: 20-75

### Sensors

#### Secondary Sensors

The Bolt-Thrall has a back up set of sensors in its torso to allow it to keep fighting if the head is removed, however all bonuses are halved and it can not use the eye lasers. When the head is destroyed, it will immediately move as quickly as possible to the nearest enemy and engage its self-destruct system.

### Special Systems

#### Electrical Shielding

The Bolt-Thrall is shielded from EMP attacks due to needing to shield it from its own electric based powers.

#### Electric Field

When not needing to maintain the zombie disguise, the Bolt-Thrall can erect a field around itself that reduces energy based attacks by 10%. Electrical based attacks deal no damage, except magical ones deal half damage, and particle beam weapons suffer a -2 to strike the Bolt-Thrall. Anything striking the Bolt-Thrall, or it striking in melee suffers 2d4 MD electrical damage, in addition to any melee damage. While this field is active, the Bolt-Thrall can not energize its fists or use the lightning bolt attack.

#### Tentacles

The Bolt Thrall has four robotic tentacles designed to look like hoses connecting the gauntlets to the back, and are only used when not pretending to be a zombie. When used, they disconnect from the gauntlets and can extend up to 15 feet from the back. These can be used in combat, climbing or to aid in labour, giving the Bolt-Thrall more leverage and lifting capacity. When used for lifting and carrying, the Bolt-Thrall has an effective Robotic Strength of 35 for carrying and lifting capacity. Individually, the tentacles have a robotic PS 20. The Bolt-Thrall can use the tentacles to climb walls, hang from ceilings, moving at a maximum speed of 50 mph with just the tentacles in this manner.

#### Self-Destruct

The Bolt-Thrall is equipped with a self-destruct system that will engage when it is destroyed or if the bolt-thrall engages it as part of a suicide attack when it has less than 10 M.D.C. remaining of its main body. The self-destruct is the same as that originally used by ARCHIE 3, only with a slightly larger blast radius.

 Deals enough damage to turn the body to molten slag, and deals 3d6 MD to a 20 foot radius.

### Weapons Systems

#### Fists

 Damage

The fists of the Bolt-Thrall are designed for combat, larger than normal and reinforced for smashing targets to rubble.

Special: The Bolt-Thrall can energize the fists with electrical energy, adding 4d4 MD of electrical damage. If the Electric Field is active, the fists can not be energized and uses the added damage from the electric field.

Alternatively, the energized fists can be used to deliver a stunning attack with a restrained punch. Humanoids struck with this weapon must save vs. coma or be shocked unconscious for 1D6 minutes. Cyborgs have a 75% chance of having their cybernetics disrupted for 1D10 minutes, and a 30% chance of a non-vital system being permanently shorted out.

#### Electric Bolt

 Damage
 Rate of Fire

The Bolt-Thrall can release a bolt of electricity, similar to an ion weapon from its fists to strike far off opponents.

#### Concealed Vibro-Blade (2)

 Damage

Each arm conceals a vibro-blade for slashing attacks.

* Eye Lasers (2)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire

Lasers built into the eyes as back up weapons, stare and blast.

#### Flame-thrower (2)

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

Built into each gauntlet/hand is a concealed flame-thrower, useful in eliminating real zombies and other undead.

Damage

* Gasoline/Alcohol 1d4x10 SDC

* Napalm 1d6x10 SDC, plus does 5d6 SDC per melee for 1d4 minutes

* MD Fluid 1d4 MD per blast, 1d4 MD per melee for 2d4 minutes

* Incendi-Gel 2d6 MD, 2d6 MD per melee for 1d6 minutes

* WI Napalm-P 3d6 MD per blast, 1d4x10+10 MD per concentrated burst (counts as two attacks). 2d6 MD per melee for 1d4 minutes.

Note: The flame-thrower can also be used to cover an area with fluid: up to 10 ft per attack used. Used with Super-Napalm, this does 1d4 MD, Incendi-Gel does 1d6 MD, and with Napalm-P, this does 2d6 MD.

Payload

* Gasoline/Alcohol 10 blasts

* Napalm 30 blasts

* MD Fluid 50 blasts

* Incendi-Gel 60 blasts

* WI Napalm-P 100 blasts per tank (much more concentrated than the regular gasoline/alcohol).

#### Tentacles (4)

 Damage

Mounted on the back, but connect to the gauntlets to appear to be hoses, they can be used to strike opponents with slaps or deliver an electrical discharge.

##### Electric Discharge

Mounted in the ends of the tentacles are electrical discharge nodes, used for stunning or electrocuting targets.
Damage: 1d4 S.D.
plus stun, roll 15 save vs Death/Coma (is this the right save?), 1d6 S.D., 3d6
S.D., 1d4 M.D., 2d4 M.D.

#### Concealed Grenades

 Damage
 Rate of Fire
 Payload

The bolts on the Bolt-Thrall's neck, arms and legs actually are insulated housings that contain grenades. These can be launched to the sides or dropped, or it can throw them.

 Payload: 10 Grenades, 2 each leg, 2 each arm, 2 neck.

### Programming

The robot has an effective I.Q. of 12, and programmed to act as a typical zombie. Bolt-Thralls are never infected with the Ecotroz entity as they are expendable combat drones.

Typically has the following:

W.P. sword, W.P. Rifle, W.P. energy pistol, W.P. energy rifle, W.P. paired weapons

 Land Navigation
 Track
 Climb

Climbing with tentacles can hang upside down, climb up to 50 mph.

Languages: Dragonese, English, any 3 others, usually at least one common to the race the bolt-thrall is designed to emulate.

Speech: The Bolt-Thrall generally doesn't speak except to make moans, groans, growls and simple phrases such as "yes, no, intruders, stop," etc. When it does speak it is usually guttural and slow and with a faint electrical buzz.

Programmed to recognize most common types of undead, demons, deevils, Splugorth Minions, and other common enemies of the Shemarrians, plus common pieces of equipment or items used by magic users, such as necromancers, shifters, etc.

### Combat

 Dodge
 Parry
 Auto Dodge
 Roll
 Pull Punch
 Entangle
 Knockout/Stun

Bolt Thralls are fairly straight forward in combat while pretending to be zombies. When not pretending, or a Shemarrian 'necromancer' is present, it will use all of its abilities to maximum effect.