BORROWED TIME VERSION 1
AN UNOFFICIAL IMPERIAL COMMANDER 2 SUPPLEMENT
Original material by Don Clarke. Illustrations copyright various sources.
Introduction Borrowed Time is an unofficial Imperial Commander 2 supplement designed to allow gamers to battle with the armies and personalities introduced by Don Clarke’s sf novel, Borrowed Time. The setting is fully compatible with the established Laserburn/ Imperial Commander history, and provides a rationale and environment allowing players to develop LB/IC compatible civilisations and campaigns spanning a time period of some 1015 years. Original material copyright © Don Clarke 2006. Other material and inspiration © Richard Halliwell, Bryan Ansell, Tony Ackland, Neil Cooper (particularly for IC2 and the bugs!). No breach of copyright is intended in the use of found artwork.
A Brief History of Time
13.7 billion years BC – the Big Bang… 1969AD – On 20th July Armstrong sets foot on the moon. With “one small step…” humanity is no longer confined to Earth. 2003AD – Cancun. The year two thousand and three, by old Earth reckoning. A conference of the World Trade Organisation ends in turmoil. The conference intends to implement fair trade policies for the world’s poorest countries, but the USA doesn’t want to play. Instead, laws are passed that make it easier to protect the interests of the rich and to exploit the poor. 2010AD – The Segregation. The working classes are confined to ghettos throughout much of Europe. 2090AD – By now, regime-change has been forced by the USA on the whole of Asia and Africa over refusals to allow trade involving genetically modified seeds and crops. 2095AD – The USA does the same to Europe, for the same reason. 2459AD – After centuries of oppression, the segregated lower classes rise up. They are supported by the less developed nations and Europe, and they destroy the USA, starting and bringing to an end the Third World War within the space of a year. A golden age of cooperation, good will, and enlightenment follows. 2531AD – The Ark becomes the first generation-ship to colonise and terraform a star system other than the Sun’s. Space is rapidly colonised following the invention of the Immelmann jump drive. 2900AD – The Imperium is founded. 3560AD – The Imperium finds unrest on Earth in the shape of the Afro-Asian Revolutionary Force (AARF) under the inspired leadership of the prophet Zandrig. 3600AD – Knowledege of the AARF spreads to the frontier colonies, known as the Dark Worlds. The idea that the Imperium could be defied takes hold, and inspires the outcasts, exiles, and convicts there to take up arms against their persecutors. The AARF movement, now made up of disparate groups and motivations, aquires a common identity, adopting the religious and ideological basis promoted by Zandrig. 3612AD – Zandrig declares a jihad against the Imperium. The AARF becomes known as the Red Redemption (Early Redemptionist Dynasty). 3862AD – Discovery of the Kastor Artifacts, consisting of thousands of archives, teachings, and histories detailing the creation, progression, and fortold end of the universe. Subsequent reorganisation of the Red Redemption into the Late Redemptionist Dynasty. 4220AD – Over-expansion, costly wars with alien races, and growing religious fundamentalism leads to a breakdown in order. The Imperium is dissolved, and the Nine (the major trading organisations) assume control of portions of the old Empire. A new dark age of greed and corruption begins. Aeons of divisiveness, war, and suffering are to follow. 4480AD – Sickened by the human race’s slide into high-tech barbarism, a powerful, mysterious elite calling themselves the Shepherds retire to the recently re-terraformed Earth and isolate themselves. Not wishing to be threatened or discovered by those they see as barbarians and animals, they intelligence-cap and arrest the evolution of the rest of humanity and of the known intelligent alien races. This is achieved through a vast, secret programme of genetic alteration, achieved through a purpose built, self-replicating virus carried via the food chain. Knowledge of Earth becomes obscured. Many feel the story of Earth is simply a creation myth. Knowledge is lost, and the origin of the species becomes unclear. The dark age continues. 10764AD – The human race, by its actions, reveals itself to be the most collectively aggressive, expansionist species in the universe, and thus the Great Ten Thousand Year War begins; a coalition of alien races pitting their will and military might against humanity. The prize: mastery of the universe. 13330AD – With the human race on the brink of extinction, the Red Redemption puts aside its grievances and internal squabbling and joins forces with the armies of the Nine, now fighting for humanity’s very existence. 20843AD – After millennia of exterminations and atrocities, the final battle is won by humans. The other races, though not extinguished, are ghettoised. They are forbidden and ruthlessly prevented from possessing heavy military assets.
20980AD –
27682AD – 1015AD –
UCH1 –
UCH473 –
UCH566 –
The human and economic cost of the War takes its toll, and, in the face of disorder and rebellion, the Nine lose their power. The military bases keeping watch on the defeated alien races are maintained to try to quell the constant uprisings, but elsewhere the universe is fractured into many smaller, squabbling empires, and the dark age deepens. Emancipation of the alien races. By now, humanity has such a stranglehold on the universe that even another alien alliance couldn’t seriously threaten human interests. About this time, human intelligence-capping is partially circumvented by the creation of ‘constructs’. Colloquially known as ‘toasties’, constructs are living, sentient beings, usually in humanoid form, constructed using organic sampling and nano-technology. A group of hyper-intelligent constructs are created to work on the problem of proton decay, a natural process slowly killing the universe. The constructs discover a method to arrest the decay of the universe, and four galaxies are protected from the ravages of proton decay, quantum-tunnelling, and the like, whilst the rest of the universe begins to evaporate. But the solution, whilst stable for aeons, is ultimately only temporary. Approximately 6,500,000 years prior to the founding of the UCH (see below) Earth is rediscovered by the Fifth Galaxy expedition. The Shepherds have evolved into the Spheres. In contrast, in evolutionary and technological terms, the rest of humanity has almost stood still since 6010. The expedition’s startling findings, not all of which are understood by the expedition at the time, are kept secret. An office is created by the Order called the Voice of the Order of the Wheel, and the secret of the Shepherds and the Spheres is entrusted to that one person. The information is handed down through the generations by the Voice choosing their successor before they die. Soon no other being alive remembers the expedition. The Engaged Order of the Wheel, an engaged Buddhist order, forces unification of the Four Galaxies, outlaws private enterprise and profit, oversees the latest ratification of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, establish the Universal Council of Humanity, and sets up the Sacred Band, an elite military unit of 150 pairs of lovers in dreadnought armour, to finally enforce liberty and equality of outcome throughout the universe. The other intelligent races, hitherto oppressed and ghettoised, are emancipated and given the same rights as humans. Every intelligent being is provided with an ‘aide’, which is essentially a small, badge-sized link to the yoodee (the Universal Database) combined with a personal nano-factory. Each aide controls a small but powerful cloud of microscopic nanobot assemblers which can convert organic matter to food, and can convert other raw materials to any other items desired, provided the pattern for the item is present as a plug-in for the aide. Every aide is inbuilt with precisely the same limits on use of raw materials, These limits are generous and allow for a luxurious standard of living for everyone. There are few unattainable objects of desire, for if the user becomes bored with one thing, he or she can simply disassemble it and assemble something else. A new beginning is made with regard to marking the passage of time – years are now preceded by the initials UCH (Universal Council of Humanity). This is the beginning of the time period covered by the Borrowed Time supplement. The Order of the Wheel is victorious in the bloody and brutal Persephonid Campaign. Persephony was a star system controlled by a ruthless local dictator called Agerak Terlaw Issmos, who built a private army and declared independence from the UCH. He confiscated and outlawed the aides of all of the people of Persephony except those of his most trusted henchmen. He reverted to the old ways of advantage and profiteering, building his own fortune and power through punishing taxes, and conquering neighbouring systems. There were several uprisings against Issmos, but all were mercilessly quelled by his elite Terror Guard units. Many atrocities and massacres were committed during Issmos’ rule. The UCH watched the developing Persephonid crisis keenly, this being it’s first real test. Would it have the stomach and the consensus to enforce the new universal order? After several years of debate and deliberation, and after having its diplomatic efforts rebuffed by Issmos’ government, the UCH resolved to enforce compliance. The entire Sacred Band, supported by a large Order of the Wheel expeditionary force, after months of hard fighting, finally overcame Issmos’ army at the climactic Battle of Anees, Persephony’s main world. Issmos himself was never captured. Unfortunately, there are still many that admire his infamous achievements. The Order of the Wheel is in crisis due to the Schism; some within the Order support an ‘Interventionist’ policy, supporting research designed to save the four galaxies from the ravages of proton decay. Others support a ‘Continuationist’ policy, in opposition to said research, preferring instead to let the universe die as nature intended, thus preserving the eternal cycle of life and death. The two factions are being driven farther apart all the time, and there have been skirmishes and murders. Don Clarke’s novel Borrowed Time details the heroic struggle of Sof, a young female monk of the Order of the Wheel, to bring permanent salvation to the Four Galaxies in the face of violent Continuationist opposition.
Army Lists There follows Army Lists based on the forces described in the novel Borrowed Time. The lists are based on 1000pt armies; halve the given maximums, rounding up, for 500pt armies. The morale strength point value of 1 figure of the relevant element is given in brackets at the end of the ‘details’ section of that element’s entry, e.g. ‘(13)’. This is to facilitate calculation of an army’s current moral strength.
The Engaged Order of the Wheel Army List Element
Details
Elder (Continuationist or Interventionist)
Guard, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +4, leadership, ambidextrous, initiative, nerves of steel. Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x support bolter, power glove. Left arm pack: sun gun. Act independently. (13) The elders are the secretive leaders of the Order. They are rarely encountered, and some say they have powers hitherto unseen. A number of elders are named in Borrowed Time. Veteran, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +6, leadership, ambidextrous, sharpshooter, sniper. Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x support bolter. Left arm pack: heavy laser, power glove. Act independently. (13) Sof is a halfway of the Order, nineteen years old. She was vivacious and carefree, but unwittingly became a key player in the struggle to save humanity from the ravages of proton decay. Upon Korlan’s death Sof becomes the new Voice of the Order of the Wheel. Her weakness is her need for physical closeness, and on the battlefield also her abhorance of violence. Ironically, she is the Order’s most gifted battlesuit pilot. Guard, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +4, leadership, ambidextrous, initiative, swordsman. Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x support bolter. Left arm pack: gauss rifle, power glove. Act independently. (13) Korlan is a leading light in the interventionist camp and is the current Voice of the Order of the Wheel. He is the mastermind of the plan to protect Minaxee, a key component in the fight to defeat proton decay, using the unknown but talented Sof as her bodyguard. His weakness is his integrity. Veteran, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +3, constitution, medical skill, luck, dodge. Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x support bolter. Left arm pack: heavy laser, power glove. Act independently. (8) The rotund, camp, jovial Komai is another veteran of the Persephonid campaign, but there’s nothing camp or jovial about his battlefield skills. He is liberal minded, and is Sof’s confidante. His weakness is any combination of the seven deadly sins… Guard, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +4, leadership, ambidextrous, aggressive, nerves of steel. Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x support bolter. Left arm pack: sun gun, power glove. Act independently. (13) Yarrow is truculant, coarse, intelligent, unkempt, and a demon on the battlefield. He fought with Korlan at the savage Battle of Anees. He is the best battlesuit instructor in the Four Galaxies. Sof was lucky and priviledged to have him as part of her sangha, though she doesn’t see it that way. His weakness is apathy. Veteran, DA, jump pack, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +4, rapid fire, initiative, accuracy, grenadier. Back-mounted missile launcher, autoranger.2 Right arm pack: 2 x support bolter with autoranger. Left arm pack: heavy laser, power glove. Act independently. (8) Ritter was once Sof’s lover. He is young, brash, and ambitious. He is converted to the continuationist side of the schism, and this led to a breaking of his relationship with Sof. He is a talented battlesuit pilot, second only to Sof in Yarrow’s experience. He is jealous of Sof’s friendship with Korlan, and ultimately his bitterness consumes him – he allows himself to be recruited by Continuationist elders to try to assassinate Sof. His weakness is his jealousy and bitterness.
Sof (Interventionist Halfway)
Korlan (Interventionist Monk)
Komai (Interventionist Monk)
Yarrow (Interventionist Monk)
Ritter (Continuationist Halfway)
Points Cost 114
Min-Max Number 0-1
106
0-1
109
0-1
103
0-1
116
0-1
102
0-1
Element
Details
Monk
Veteran, DA, leadership, jump pack, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Back-mounted missile launcher2 with support autoranger. Right arm pack: 2 x heavy bolter. Left arm pack: gauss rifle, power glove. Act independently. (8) 4 x Elite, AI, fanatic, rapid-fire bolter, advanced grenades, force sword. 1 of the 4 has designator. (1)
‘Cherished One’ Halfway Squad Halfway Squad Neophyte Squad Neophyte Combat Medic Allied Planetary Defense Squad Allied Planetary Defense Support Squad Allied Planetary Defense Vehicles Allied Rebel Squad Dropship Off-Table Fire Support 1 2
Points Cost 93 each
Min-Max Number 1-10
97 per squad
0-4 squads
77 per squad 57 per squad 19 each
0-10 squads 0-10 squads 0-3
68 per squad 108 per squad
0-6 squads
Vehicles may be fielded from tables 1, 2, and 4 on P.53/4 of the IC2 rules, or the additional vehicles in this supplement, keeping within the restrictions given on P.47.
variable
0-variable
3 x raw, LI, laser pistol, force sword. (1)
21 per squad 86 each 15 each
0-4 squads
4 x regular, AI, rapid-fire bolter, advanced grenades, force sword. 1 of the 4 has designator. (1) 4 x regular, LI, rapid-fire bolter, standard grenades, force sword. 1 of the 4 has designator. (1) Regular, LI, medic, jump pack, rapid-fire bolter, standard grenades, force sword. Act independently. (1) 4 x conscript, AI, jump pack, laser rifle, force sword. (1) 1 x tripod mounted laser cannon with autoranger, 1 x tripod mounted missile salvo with autoranger. 4 x crew: regular, AI, bolt pistol, force sword. (1)
See ‘Enterprise’ dropship in vehicles section. Off table fire support modules.
0-2 squads
0-2 0-8
The invisibility cloak forceshield represents the chameleon armour and electronic confusion patterns featured in the novel. The back-mounted missile launcher has unlimited shots. The firer decides the type of advanced grenade warhead at the time of firing. Nano-assemblers contained within the launcher housing ensure no ammunition type ever runs out. The launcher functions exactly as in the rules and has the same costs and stats.
Order of the Wheel Briefing Notes The Order of the Wheel army list can be used to construct both Continuationist and Interventionist armies. If the army is Continuationist you can have Ritter as a hero, if Interventionist you can have Korlan, Komai, Yarrow, and/or Sof. From ‘Monk’ onwards the elements can be part of either a Continuationist or Interventionist army. The Order of the Wheel is an ‘engaged Buddhist’ order that believes killing is defensible if there is a just cause. Both sides of the Schism believe that advancement of their stance over proton decay is just cause. Elders and monks are highly trained in battlesuit combat, and there are many veterans of the Persephonid campaign still at the peak of their fitness – thanks to medical advancements life expectancy runs into hundreds of years. Elders, the leaders of the Order, are powerful but rarely seen. Halfways are effectively apprentice monks. Most of them are in their late teens or early twenties. The ‘Cherished One Hundred’ were a group of halfways that distinguished themselves in the Persephonid campaign. Neophytes are children and orphans that have been taken in to be educated by the Order. Not all of them go on to be halfways. The neophytes that might see combat would mostly be mid to late teenage, with maybe some mature ones coming late to the Order. The Order might fight alongside planetary defense forces in situations where the PDF is still resisting an invasion, e.g. by expansionist Profiteers. It might fight alongside rebel forces on planets that have already been conquered by hostile forces. It might also fight alongside both where a planet has been partially conquered. Continuationist Order of the Wheel forces might find themselves fighting against Interventionist Order of the Wheel forces. Either might find themselves fighting Profiteer, Redemption, or Isolate armies. Only a Continuationist Order of the Wheel army would ever find itself in conflict with the Sacred band. In its time, the Order of the Wheel has also fought campaigns against aggressive incursions into human administered sectors by alien armies and bug colonies. The Order has also come up against alien mercenary armies hired by rebel Profiteer empires to do their dirtywork.
The Sacred Band Army List Element
Details
Salin
Veteran, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Hero: hit bonus +4, leadership, ambidextrous, nerves of steel. Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x heavy bolter. Left arm pack: sun gun, power glove. Act independently.(13) Salin is an experienced, stoic, lonely squad leader. After rescuing Sof from Arclight he becomes her lover. He fights alongside her in the decisive battle with the Continuationists at the end of Borrowed Time. His weakness is his loneliness. Veteran, DA, leadership, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x heavy bolter. Left arm pack: sun gun, power glove. Act independently. May not be used if Salin is present.(8) Veteran, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Back-mounted missile launcher.2 Right arm pack: 2 x heavy bolter. Left arm pack: heavy laser, power glove. Act independently. 4 x conscript, AI, jump pack, laser rifle, force sword. (1)
Squad Leader
Trooper
Allied Planetary Defense Squad Allied Planetary Defense Support Squad Allied Planetary Defense Vehicles Allied Rebel Squad Dropship Off-Table Fire Support 1 2
Points Cost 102
Min-Max Number 0-1
95
0-2
80 each
1-10
68 per squad
0-6 squads
1 x tripod mounted laser cannon with autoranger, 1 x tripod mounted missile salvo with autoranger. 4 x crew: regular, AI, bolt pistol, force sword. (1)
108 per squad
0-2 squads
Vehicles may be fielded from tables 1, 2, and 4 on P.53/4 of the IC2 rules, or the additional vehicles in this supplement, keeping within the restrictions given on P.47.
variable
0-variable
3 x raw, LI, laser pistol, force sword. (1)
21 per squad 86 each 15 each
0-4 squads
See ‘Enterprise’ dropship in vehicles section. Off table fire support modules.
0-2 0-10
The invisibility cloak forceshield represents the chameleon armour and electronic confusion patterns featured in the novel. The back-mounted missile launcher has unlimited shots. The firer decides the type of advanced grenade warhead at the time of firing. Nano-assemblers contained within the launcher housing ensure no ammunition type ever runs out. The launcher functions exactly as in the rules and has the same costs and stats.
Sacred Band Briefing Notes Consisting of 150 pairs of lovers, echoing the Theban Sacred Band of far-ancient times, the Sacred Band are the military enforcement wing of the Universal Council of Humanity. Wherever Profiteer dictators rebel against the ‘equal outcome’ principle of the UCH, i.e. every intelligent being should have an equal share of the universe’s resouces, the Sacred Band are sent in to restore equality and the rule of UCH law. Often they fight alongside allied planetary defense forces or alongside rebels against Profiteer forces. They also hunt down criminals and renegades like Arclight, and keep watch on isolate worlds in partnership with the Order of the Wheel. The Sacred Band might fight alongside planetary defense forces in situations where the PDF is still resisting an invasion, e.g. by expansionist Profiteers, aliens, or a bug colony. It might fight alongside rebel forces on planets that have already been conquered by hostile alien or Profiteer forces. It might fight alongside both where a planet has been only partially conquered. The Sacred band also finds itself fighting Isolate armies where major Isolate escapes have occurred, helping Interventionist Order forces fight Continuationist Order forces, and fighting Red Redemption armies on the offensive trying to reclaim systems the Redemption considers to be their own.
Isolate Army List Element
Details
Arclight
Veteran, LI. AT launcher, bolt pistol, laser pistol, advanced grenade pack, force sword. Hero: hit bonus +4, leadership, ambidextrous, aggressive, luck. *If Arclight is part of the army then Nuna must be bought too.(11) Arclight is very angry. Society imprisoned him for nothing more than being himself. So what if being himself meant he felt compelled to slice and dice all of those inane, smiling idiots? Freedom is freedom, unconditional. Arclight is highly intelliegent, cruel, sadistic, and quite, quite, mad. His weakness is that he is often wracked with powerful feelings of guilt for the brutal things he does. Raw, civilian, slug pistol. *If Nuna is part of the army then Arclight must be bought too.(0) Nuna loves shoes, clothes, jewellery, and more pretty things than even the generous individual resource allowance would enable an aide to build her. So she came up with the plan to get foolish admirers to assign limited control of their aides to her. The admirers were then superfluous to requirements. She got a thrill out of despatching them in a variety of interesting ways. She’d collected thirty eight aides before the planetary police caught up with her. She is spiteful, petty, loudmouthed, and malicious. Her weakness is her constant desire for beautiful clothes. Trike with bike cannon. Rider: conscript, LI, enforcer pistol, force sword.(1) Gunner: conscript, LI, enforcer pistol, force sword. (1) Trikes act independently. Rider and gunner are a squad if dismounted. Conscript, PA, jump pack, automedic. Back-mounted AT launcher (1 shot). Right arm pack: 2 x gauss rifles with autoranger. Left arm pack: heavy laser. Act independently.(2)
Nuna
Trikes
Battlesuit Trooper
Isolate Squad
6 x conscript, civilian, assault rifle, force sword.(0)
Psychopath Squad Grav-Fighter
3 x civilian, raw, fanatic, sun gun.(0) Hull class 3, aircraft, troops capacity 0, 2 x support bolter in the same fixed mount (can both fire at the same target).
Points Cost 49
Min-Max Number 0-1*
2
0-1*
40 each
0-6
59 each
0-4
54 per squad 57 per squad 40 each
1-12 squads 0-4 squads 0-4
Special Army Notes If Nuna is killed, the whole army becomes fanatic. Isolates may not kill Nuna! The PA battlesuits are actually DA, but the isolates are untrained in their operation. They function exactly as PA in the rules, but look like DA and have DA weapon limits. Isolate Briefing Notes Isolates are the most desperate and dangerous criminals in the Borrowed Time universe. They are placed on frontier worlds and given access to just enough technology to survive. Sometimes they escape, and when they do they invariably choose piracy to obtain essential supplies, and to wreak their revenge upon society. Arclight, a manic serial killer, and his partner Nuna, a callous, avericious murderer, together with a large group of isolate followers, made such an escape. They eventually ended up on an obscure backwater planet. They may have thrived there for years undetected were it not for the wreck of the starship Tolerance. The Tolerance’s disasterous mis-jump led to Sof arriving on the planet in one of the ship’s escape pods. Evading detection, Sof managed to get herself into one of the isolates’ stolen dreadnought suits, and general carnage ensued. This was Sof’s first combat outside of a simulator. Isolates and psychopaths would wear tattered civilian clothing, or a mish-mash of space-pirate booty. Suits and heavy equipment could be from any other army, since it is all ill-gotten. Arclight himself has managed to hack into an aide with a nanostylist plug-in, and its team of microscopic nanobots can build him any hairstyle or set clothes he desires. In the book, he’s introduced wearing a fluorescent orange string vest, an ultra-tight, bright green, plastic mini-skirt, battered pioneer boots, and his blonde hair is in the shape of a massive wedge with the thin end hanging over his eyes. Nuna is a young woman, tattered and dishevelled, with blonde hair in a ponytail. She loves beautiful clothes, but as an isolate one’s exposure to such things is limited. Being a thorn in the side to most intelligent beings, and constantly engaged in crime, Isolate forces may find themselves in conflict with the Order of the Wheel, the Sacred Band, police, Redemption, alien, bug, and Profiteer forces. They may also come into conflict with other Isolate groups over lucrative pirating systems, or other resources.
Profiteer Battlegroup Army List Element
Details
Agerak Terlaw Issmos
Guard, DA, jump pack, designator, automedic. Hero: hit bonus +3, leadership, ambidextrous, aggressive, nerves of steel. Imperial type 3-shot grenade launcher. Right arm pack: 2 x heavy bolter with autoranger. Left arm pack: heavy laser, power glove. Act independently.(13) Agerak Terlaw Issmos imposed an oppressive military dictatorship on his home world in the Persephony system. He then proceeded to conquer many of his neighbouring systems, confiscating aides and returning to a free market economy. He styled himself as an Emperor. His forces were eventually defeated by the combined might of the Sacred Band and the Order of the Wheel, but Issmos himself was never found. Some say he was preserved in some way like the Red Redemption’s Zandrig... Issmos is a great and persuasive orator, charismatic, and proud. He is ambitious and ruthless. His weakness is his pride. Veteran, AI, jump pack, rapid fire bolter with autoranger, bolt pistol. Hero: leadership, aggressive, nerves of steel, constitution. Act independently.(11) Lan was the leader of a typical Profiteer outfit exploiting several star systems. He was executed by Salin of the Sacred Band, but some say salin only executed a clone of the feared man. Lan is arrogant, cynical, volatile, feared, and domineering. His weakness is avarice. Elite, DA, jump pack, designator, invisibility cloak forceshield.1 Imperial type back-mounted 3 shot grenade launcher. Right arm pack: autoranger, 2 x heavy bolter with autoranger. Left arm pack: Heavy laser, power glove. Act independently.(3) 4 x Regular, AI, jump pack, support autoranger, grenade launcher, laser pistol. 1 x Regular, AI, jump pack, leadership, designator, laser pistol, force sword. (1)
President Lan
Battlesuit Trooper Command Squad Combat Squad Terror Guard Squad Scout Squad Mercenary Trooper Support Squad Sniper Heavy Battle Robot ‘Thatcher’ AT Robot Alien Mercenaries Vehicles Dropship Off-Table Fire Support
1
4 x Regular, AI, jump pack, bolt rifle, advanced grenade pack. 1 x as above but with heavy bolter instead of bolt rifle. (1) 3 x Guard, AI, fanatic, jump pack, advanced grenade pack, bolt rifle, ramjet pistol, force sword. 1 x as above plus leadership and designator.(3) 4 x Regular, LI, scout jump pack, auto-laser, advanced grenade pack, force sword. (1) Regular, LI, standard grenade pack, bolt rifle. Must be organised in squads of 3-6 troops. (1) 1 x tripod mounted laser cannon with autoranger, 1 x tripod mounted missile salvo with autoranger. 4 x crew: regular, AI, bolt pistol, force sword. (1) Elite, LI, sniper, sniper rifle with autoranger, bolt pistol, act independently. (1) Robot, elite, fanatic, PA armour, DA move, 2 x missile launchers, ‘near miss’ results have no effect. Weapons are linked and may both fire at the same target. Act independently.(2) Robot, elite, fanatic, PA armour, DA move, missile launcher, 75mm tank gun, ‘near miss’ results have no effect. Weapons are linked and may both fire at the same target. Act independently.(2) Any mixture of squads or captains to a maximum of 4 squads and 2 captains can be chosen from the Alien Battlegroup Army List. Alien mercenary captains may lead human troops. Vehicles may be fielded from tables 1, 2, and 4 on P.53/4 of the IC2 rules, or the additional vehicles in this supplement, keeping within the restrictions given on P.47. See ‘Enterprise’ dropship in vehicles section. Off table fire support modules.
Points Cost 90
Min-Max Number 0-1
42
0-1
77 each
0-2
124 per squad 92 per squad 149 per squad
1-2 squads
80 per squad 10 each
0-3 squads
108 per squad
0-3 squads
22 each 26 each
0-3 0-6
50 each
0-2
variable variable
0-4 squads, and 0-2 captains 0-variable
86 each 15 each
0-2 0-12
1-6 squads 0-2 squads
0-54
The invisibility cloak forceshield represents the chameleon armour and electronic confusion patterns featured in the novel.
Profiteer Briefing Notes Not everybody in the universe likes a good standard of living, especially if it means everybody else has an equally good standard of living. Some people just want it all for themselves, this being the essence of the Profiteer, and making a profit is the worst crime in the book as far the UCH is concerned. The usual pattern is for a particularly charismatic and controlling individual to convince a hard core of admirers that the UCH is trying to hold them back, using the aide as an instrument of oppression. Using violence and intimidation the Profiteers then take over a city, forcing the populace to pay them tribute in the form of a proportion of their resource share. The Profiteers may then confiscate the citizen’s aides, and pay them a subsistence wage in return for their hard labour. Those prepared to join an army are paid more. Neighbouring cities are then conquered, and the Profiteers’ sphere of influence grows. Ultimately whole star systems are bought to heel, by which time the UDH and the Order of the Wheel have become aware of the situation. Profiteer governments tend to look to far ancient Imperial equipment and organisation as a blueprint for their forces, due to the easy availability of information about Imperium forces and military successes, and the easy availability of the nano-patterns required by the nanofactories to build the weapons. Profiteers will come into conflict with the Sacred Band, often aided by the Order of the Wheel, who will try to return Profiteer controlled systems to UCH rule. They will fight planetary police, other Profiteer empires, aliens, or Red Redemption when invading new systems, or when the Redemption decides to try to forcibly convert them. They will also find themselves in conflict with Isolates acting as pirates, and rioting rabble unimpressed with having to work for a living having had an aide to do all of the work for them before. They will also at times have to defend against colonising bugs.
Alien Battlegroup Army List Element
Details
Froog Captain
Elite, DA (looks like PA), leadership, jump pack, designator, automedic. Right arm pack: 2 x heavy laser with autoranger. Left arm pack: 2 x heavy laser, force sword. Act independently.(8) 4 x regular, AI, jump pack, heavy laser with autoranger, laser pistol. (1)
Froog Combat Squad Froog Support Squad Froog Sniper Froog Energy Ball Squad F’Nuklaa, Szithk Hero
Szithk Captain Szithk Combat Squad Szithk AT Squad Szithk Warbird Rider Squad Centulon Scout Squad Mrurz Captain Mrurz Combat Squad Thulg Warband Squad Human Mercenaries Off-Table Fire Support
2 x tripod mounted laser cannon with autoranger. 4 x crew: regular, AI, laser pistol. (1) Elite, AI, sniper, sniper laser with autoranger, laser pistol, act independently. (1) Energy ball projector (must be deployed before firing). 2 x crew: regular, AI, laser pistol. (1) Guard, AI, leadership, designator, automedic. Hero: hit bonus +4, leadership, ambidextrous, aggressive, constitution. 2 x bolt pistols, bolt rifle, power glove.(13) F’Nuklaa was a legendary freedom fighter of the Great Uprising, a co-ordinated attempt by the intelligent alien races to throw off the yolk of human oppression in 23452AD. He was reported killed in an assault on a human fort, but some say he was still alive when carried from the field of battle… F’Nuklaa is proud, determined, tenacious, and ferocious. His weakness is his pig-headedness. Veteran, AI, leadership, fanatic, designator, automedic, bolt pistol, power glove. (6) 4 x Regular, AI, fanatic, bolt rifle, advanced grenade pack, force sword(1) 2 x regular, AI, fanatic, AT launcher, bolt pistol, force sword. (1) 2 x elite, AI, fanatic, plasma gun, force sword, warbird. (1)
3 x regular, LI, augmented laser rifle, augmented standard grenade pack, augmented force sword. (1) Veteran, LI, leadership, designator, automedic, augmented laser pistol, anti-matter shield. (6) 3 x regular, LI, augmented laser rifle, augmented standard grenade pack, augmented force sword, anti-matter shield. 1 x regular, LI, augmented grenade launcher firing advanced grenades, augmented laser pistol, augmented force sword, anti-matter shield. (1) 3 x regular, AI, fanatic, heavy bolt pistol, heavy advanced grenade pack, heavy power axe. (1) 4 x Regular, LI, jump pack, bolt rifle, advanced grenade pack. 1 x as above but with heavy bolter instead of bolt rifle. The whole squad may be made AI at a cost of 15pts. (1) Off table fire support modules.
Points Cost 86 each
Min-Max Number 1-2
96 per squad 100 per squad 25 each 50
0-4
60
0-1
37 each 80 per squad 48 per squad 104 per squad
0-2 0-6
0-2 0-2 0-1
0-2 0-2 squads
63 per squad 34
0-3 squads
76 per squad
0-3
99 per squad
0-2
77 per squad
0-2 squads
15 each
0-4
0-1
Special Army Notes If using Froog, at least 1 squad of Szithk must be used, and vice-versa. Alien Battlegroup Briefing Notes This list may be used to create alien armies from the time of the Imperium, the Great Ten Thousand Years War, or later in the Borrowed Time universe. Aliens are often used as mercenaries, can be expansionist aggressors, or can be victims of aggression. Therefore it is not uncommon for alien armies to battle with other alien armies, or any of the other army lists in the IC2 and Borrowed Time Universes including bugs. They will even battle rioting rabble, representing human demonstrations or attempted uprisings against oppressive alien conquerors. For more information about aliens, see the official TTG Laserburn supplement Advanced Laserburn and Aliens, and the unofficial Adventurers - Laserburn Companion supplement by Neil Cooper.
Bug Colony Army List Element
Details
Queen
Same stats as Terror bug except: guard, leadership, act independently. Move: 15 road, 12 open, 12 difficult.(8)
Cerebral
Elite, DA carapace, leadership, no claws (-3 H/H), barb shooter (=SMG for hit and damage stats, template 2). Act independently. Move: 4 road, 4 open, 3 difficult. OR tunnel 15cm per move phase. Clarification: when tunnelling, the direction of the tunnelling doesn’t have to be declared, just the distance.(8) 6 x regular, LI carapace, fanatic, claws (+0 H/H). Move: 18 road, 14 open, 12 difficult. (1) Includes face-huggers and swarm aliens. 5 x elite, PA carapace, fanatic, claws jaws and tail (+3 H/H, roll twice and choose highest), spit venom/acid (10cm range, template 2, 7+ to hit, standard impact). Ignores near misses. Move: 15 road, 12 open, 12 difficult. (2) 3 x same stats as Terror bug. Air target (+3 penalty to score needed to hit it). Move: 35 road, 30 open, 30 difficult.(2) Elite, AI carapace, fanatic, aggressive, jaws and claws (+3 H/H). Ignores near misses. Cover level one higher than normal. Concealment range half that of humans. Act independently. Move: 14 road, 12 open, 10 difficult. (1) Veteran, DA carapace, fanatic, aggressive, massive claws jaws and tail (+5 H/H), 2 x poison barb shooter (=rapid fire bolters for hit and damage stats, can be fired at different targets). Walker (-3 bonus to score needed to hit it). Ignores near miss. Act independently. Move: 22 road, 16 open, 12 difficult.(3)
Runner Pack Terror Pack
Flyer Pack Hunter
Colossus
Points Cost 28
Min-Max Number 1
24 each
0-2
42 per pack
0-4 packs
100 per pack
1-6 packs
75 per pack
0-3 packs
14 each
0-10
35 each
0-10
Bug Colony Briefing Notes Bugs are cunning and ruthless. They have a hive mentality powered by the instinct to hunt and kill, and some varieties are starfaring. Starfaring colonisation works through the psionic capabilities of the Cerebral bug. Towards the end of its days a typical Cerebral will ingest anything up to 100 of the eggs laid by the queen. Inside, the eggs will be bound together by a secretion similar to concrete, and the Cerebral’s internal pressure begins to rise. Meanwhile, the Cerebral’s psionic ability allows it to reach with its mind to identify, and precisely locate, a suitable planet for colonisation in a nearby star system. Struggling to the surface, it calculates the exact velocity and direction that is required to launch the egg cluster towards the found planet, taking into account relative movement and gravity. Using the massive internal pressure build-up, the egg cluster is then, with Herculean effort, is fired from the Cerebral’s body towards the planet in question. The Cerebral explodes and dies in the process. On the new host world the eggs hatch and the Runners are born. They then find warm blooded creatures within which to deposit an embryonic Terror bug. They paralyse the creature and deposit the embryo through any convenient orifice. The creature remembers nothing of the process due to the secretion of a rohypnol like drug by the Runner during the impregnation. The embryo continues to develop inside the living creature, until eventually it bursts from the host in an explosion of blood and bone. The newly born Terror bug keeps a low profile and grows to full size within a few standard days. As they grow, some Terror bugs mutate and develop into Queens, Cerebrals, Flyers, Hunters, or Colossuses. The queen will begin to lay eggs almost immediately, and a planet can be overrun within a few months. The Cerebrals sense when the planet has been pushed to its limits in terms of supporting a bug colony, and the whole process begins again. Bugs live in tunnel complexes centred around one queen. One bug colony never goes to war against another, recognising fellow links in a chain of higher consciousness and purpose. There is still much to learn about the bugs. Bugs are likely to come into conflict with, and eat, any of the other sentient races. They are unlikely to face rioting rabble, since the rabble will likely be running the other way, nor will they ever fight other bug colonies.
Additional Sample Vehicles Vehicle
Type
Hull Class
Shield
Move Type
Main Gun
Aux Gun Points
Model Avail.
Pts. Cost
0
GZG: V15-08A
165
0
GZG: V15-09A
103
Troop Capacity
‘Issmos’ Heavy Gravtank
HEV
5
ED
grav
100mm
‘Freedom’ Light Gravtank ‘Freedom’ Light Recce Gravtank ‘Liberator’ Missile Launcher ‘Enterprise’ Dropship ‘Lan’ APC ‘Lan’ Command APC ‘Friedman’ Medium Hover Tank
LT
3
ED
fast grav
50mm
1 x hvy laser roboturret, 1 x forward pintle-mount hvy laser, 1x rear pintle mount hvy laser 1 x hvy laser roboturret
LT
3
ED
fast grav
40mm
Sensor array
0
GZG: V15-09A
95
HW
4
ED
legged
missile salvo
2 x forward pintle-mount hvy laser
0
GZG: V15-06B
113
-
3
AM
aircraft
-
2 x hvy laser roboturrets
12
OC: Crow lander
86
APC APC
2 2
-
hover hover
-
1 x hvy laser roboturret
10 10
MED
4
ED
hover
75mm
1 x hvy laser roboturret, 1 x forward fixed mount flamethrower
Command array.
0
48 45 GZG: V15-15A
108
Any vehicle may be given smoke tubes at the cost of 3pts. The above types are all named as common Profiteer vehicles, though they may also be used by planetary defence forces. In such cases they will be given different designation names.
Imperial Commander 2 Army Lists For battles in the Great Ten Thousand Years War and Borrowed Time epochs, all army lists from Imperial Commander 2 are permitted except those dealing with the Imperial forces. In any case, you will see that Profiteer armies are modelled fairly closely on the Imperium lists, since Profiteers use cheap and plentiful Imperial weapon patterns to equip their troops. For battles in the Imperial epoch, all army lists from Imperial Commander 2 are permitted plus the Alien Battlegroup and Bug army lists presented in this supplement.
‘Historical’ Matchups Where there is a number in the relevant matchup box in the table above, that matchup is ‘historically’ feasible. After the publication of this unofficial Borrowed Time supplement there are three distinct epochs covered by Imperial Commander. Most of the matchups only work in one epoch. Of course, you can just completely ignore this table and pit anyone against anyone!
Army
Imp.
Red
Police
Rab.
Order
Band
Isolate
Profit
Alien
Bug
Imperium
1*
1
-
1
-
-
-
-
1
1
1*, 2*, 3*
1, 2
-
3
3
3
3
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
-
1, 2
-
-
3
3
1, 2, 3
1, 2, 3
1, 2*1
-
-
-
3
1, 2, 3
-
3*2
3*3
3
3
3
3
-
3
3
3
3
3*
3
3
3
3*
3
3
3*
3
Red Redemption
Planetary/Colonial Police Rioting Rabble Order of the Wheel
Sacred Band Isolate Profiteer Alien Battlegroup Bug Colony
-
Key: 1 = the Imperial epoch 2900AD – 4220AD 2 = the Great Ten Thousand Year War epoch 10764AD – 20843AD 3 = the Borrowed Time epoch UCH1 – UCH600 * = civil war, inter-faction conflict, or rival groups *1 = gang warfare *2 = Continuationist faction v. Interventionist faction *3 = Continuationist faction v. Sacred Band
Notes on Weapons and Technology Human and alien intelligence, evolution, and technological development was secretly capped by the Shepherds around the time of the Laserburn/Imperial Commander universe. Whilst there has been some development in the effectiveness and deployment of weapons since that time, the basic types have not changed. Hence weapons patterns from that time are still the most common in the Borrowed Time universe. There is awareness amongst the intelligent races that the obvious lack of evolution is problematical, and a large number of religious and scientific theories have been propounded to explain the phenomenon.
Borrowed Time The novel Borrowed Time by Don Clarke is available from: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/YANGTZE-MUSE
