Sollum/Military

Sollum
**Military**
All citizens of Sollum are conscripted into the military at age 19, but the state itself maintains only a modest active military force. Instead, the majority of adult citizens were placed in reserve duty, and instead worked jobs and performed roles crucial to other elements of the city, generally maintenance and production, but sometimes more abstract "needs" such as entertainment. During their first five years of military duty (from 19 to 24), they are trained in the arts of war and presented with several paths that they can go down, which adjusts what class they will have experience in (such as psychic warrior, soulknife or aegis). Usually this training occurs once every weekend, but when soldiers need to be readied quickly (or someone is being paranoid), the training regime will adjust accordingly, sometimes taking up a full work-week or even an entire week. The state itself has never been part of a war, despite its heavily militarized economy and government, which is the reason why its number of active service personnel is correspondingly low. Primarily, it maintains a strong national guard and police force using its personnel, and in the event it needs soldiers for its warfare, someone high up in the chain of command such as Nikuiko who is the "general of the armies", will activate the Replica program.

Sollum diverts around 20% of its production assets towards military equipment. This includes armor and uniform, weaponry, communications technology, vehicle manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. Due to the relatively small size of their city, and thus, their manufacturing power, they frequently employ principles of maintenance and recycling; it is common for the years before and after a major equipment change that some soldiers will still be using old gear.

In worlds where Sollum is not hidden to other governments or organizations, Choko will often barter for resources by sending troops as mercenary forces.

## Equipment

Sollum employs weapons that are, at a conceptual level, very similar to that of modern day armies. They still utilize firearms and ballistic armor, but the *design* of their equipment is fundamentally different from the designs developed by the Outside World. For the operative ends of their weapons, they employ extensive psitech, which is essentially a fundamental of their weapons. They also employ a bizarre mixture of metal, ceramic and kevlar in their armor contruction, although lightly armored infantry will generally just go with the kevlar; the heavier armors are favored by juggernauts and shock troopers.

The primary weakness of these weapons are their power consumption, and their vulnerability to *antitech fields* and *null psionics fields*. The armor, on the other hand, is more mundane other than its design, however some of the more wacky armors (namely the ballistic full plate) is held together with psionic enchantments, in which case they are also vulnerable to *null psionics fields.*

Ammo for Sollum firearms are in fact, a special kind of psionic battery. They can be readily found in supply caches and can be recharged quickly by submerging them in the ambient energy of the psiodrome (regaining 1 charge per round) or a more concentrated source, such as a power charger. Alternatively, a psionic character that possesses the battery can charge it to full capacity by spending 1 power point as a standard action. In fact, a psionic character can charge a weapon directly to reload it in the same way they can recharge the batteries, although replacing the battery for the gun takes a move action and so is generally faster if you keep some on hand. Batteries weigh a single pound.

The following are rules text for Sollum-designed firearms and armor. Characters who were raised or otherwise trained in Sollum can, with the GM's permission, treat these exotic weapons as martial weapons.

Equipment
### Standard Issue Pulse Carbine

**Price** 5,000 gp; **Type**: One-handed ranged; **Proficiency**: Exotic (firearms); **Dmg (M)**: 1d6; **Dmg (S)**: 1d4; **Critical**: x2; **Range**: 70 ft.; **Capacity**: 15; **Usage**: 1; **Special**: Automatic, touch; **Weight** 2lbs.

**Description**: This tiny sub-machine gun fits in one hand. The psi-core at the front of the "barrel" gets tapped on by a massive pin, releasing bolts of psionic energy. When you make an attack, you can choose to charge the attack with your active energy type, turning the damage of that attack into energy damage; otherwise, the damage is bludgeoning and piercing damage.

### Standard Issue Pulse Rifle

**Price** 7,500 gp; **Type**: Two-handed ranged; **Proficiency**: Exotic (firearms); **Dmg (M)**: 2d6; **Dmg (S)**: 2d4; **Critical**: x2; **Range**: 120 ft.; **Capacity**: 30; **Usage**: 1; **Special**: Automatic, touch, scatter; **Weight** 2lbs.

**Description**: Essentially a larger version of the carbine, the rifle functions the same and can be charged elementally in the same way as the pulse carbine. However, these weapons are usually given to more elite soldiers, squad leaders, and more important units than mere foot soldiers. They are armed with an underslung "shotgun" which draws from the same psi-core, but releases the energy as a burst, firing in a 30 ft cone, taking 3 charges instead of 1. This is typically used for close-ranged lethality, busting down doors, and punishing over-extending foes.

Purportedly, there are ancient varieties of the pulse rifle and carbine which do not take batteries, and instead can only be charged by a psionic user or with the psiodrome or power charger. Presumably, the design change was to preserve the manifesting power of psychic warriors equipped with the weapons on the field.

## Ranks

The hierarchy of Sollum is split into two factors: Administrative rank, and unit class. These two factors are linked, but it is possible to break away: for instance, one can eschew advanced training but still have an increased administrative rank, being a "lower level" soldier with permissions common to higher ranks, and an advanced soldier can be stripped of their administrative rank if they demonstrate gross incompetence, acting as a lower-level soldier in missions but with the skills and powers of a normally higher-ranked soldier.

### **Unit Classes & Default Administrative Ranks**

##### Variable Rank

* **Specialist**: A rank that refers to any soldier whose abilities diverge from the usual training. Their administrative rank can be improved through advancement in their abilities and a good track record, just as with other soldiers.
* **Mission Commander**: Usually: high level psychic warrior (pathwalker)//soulknife; These veteran soldiers are appointed temporarily to take control of a single mission. Their administrative rank is listed as 3, but varies depending on the size of the forces assigned to the mission. If their rank would rival a 4 or higher though, they usually just employ a higher ranking officer as the mission commander.

##### Rank 1

Rank 1 is equivalent to the enlisted ranks. It comprises basic soldiers and warriors who have no authority, although they may be eligible for temporary promotions if the situation demands it (for instance, command cannot supply higher ranked officers).

* **Private**: Psychic warrior//soulknife; These expendable infantry are armed with rifles and small arms, and receive the most basic "specialized" training to learn how to form a mind blade and use physically oriented psychic powers. These are further divided into private I, II and III classes. IIs can command Is in the same way rank 2s can command rank 1s, and same with IIIs to IIs and Is. However, the command of a III is overruled by a rank 2, and within sections, they answer to the rank 2s.
* **Gunner**: Marksman//soulbolt or soulgunner; Frequently deployed at range or in areas where supplies aren't readily accessible, due to their infinite ammo mind gun. Like the private, these are further divided into gunner I, II and III.

##### Rank 2

Rank 2 has the same nuances as Rank 1, with the caveat that rank 2 units can direct rank 1s in minor ways while on duty.

* **Sniper**: Marksman//soulknife/soul archer; Specialized in long-range weaponry, deployed at bases where they can take advantage of a stable post with cover.
* **Bombardier**: Kineticist (gambler or roil dancer)//psychic warrior (pathwalker) or wilder; They are the start of the advanced line of warriors, with training adhering to special traditions and disciplines, and possessed of the skill to initiate martial maneuvers. Gambler/wilders aren't bombardiers, they're rank 1 specialists.
* **Corporal**: Psychic warrior//tactician; More of a 2.5 in rank, these unit classes supersede the other rank 2s, but are inferior in command to rank 3s. These section leaders eschew the ability to produce a mind blade, so they are a little more vulnerable when deprived of weapons, In exchange, they get more powerful manifesting abilities, and the power to bind squads that they take charge of into a collective, greatly increasing their tactical ability.
* **Combat Medic**: Vitalist//psychic warrior; although they bear an insignia, they are combatants in Sollum's army, and are equipped with heavy armor and an H-V Penetrator. They can bind others into a collective like corporals, but distribute healing psionic energy across the network instead of directing tactical movement.

##### Rank 3

Rank 3 is equivalent to non-commissioned officers, and consists of platoon organization roles.

* **Sergeant**: Higher level psychic warrior//tacticians, or sometimes psychic warrior//tactician (commander); These officers command whole platoons. They use their collective abilities to direct section leaders.

##### Rank 4

Rank 4 is equivalent to junior commissioned officers, and has many of the same names.

work in progress