Special Infantry Soldier
Special Infantry Soldiers (SIS) are most commonly found within the armies of governments that have extensive space operations or maintain colonies on other planets. Trained in the traditional infantry skills of personal assault weapons, battle tactics, hand to hand combat, and tougher than nails attitude, the SIS also receives zero gravity training and close quarters instruction. This combination of skills forms the fighter into an infantry and frontal assault soldier who can perform his duties on either terrestrial battlefields, in weightless combat, or within the close quarters of a space vessel or station. In short, the special infantry soldier is an elite infantry soldier trained to operate in both planetary and outer space conditions.
Despite their similarity to and common training with both normal infantry units and some special forces units, the SIS operate independently of either, except on rare occasions. They also combine tactics and organizational elements borrowed from both of those military unit types. SIS units are much smaller than infantry platoons, but larger than the squads commonly found in special forces units. They operate separately on most occasions, though acting as support for special forces and scouts for infantry are not unheard of tasks for the SIS. The core of their distinction, is the fact that they are specially trained for multi-environmental roles and serve much of their tours traveling the spaceways from one trouble spot to another.
SIS units are not exclusive to the military, however. The Tagoniglomerate, Thissera-Micean Cooperative and numerous other corporate and non-military organizations have similar types of operatives. Most of these soldiers, regardless of employers, have the same duties: security, defense and if necessary, reclamation of the employer's property and personnel. Some criminal organizations, primarily highly organized pirate enclaves, train SIS type operatives for raiding, boarding and infiltration. Such dedicated groups strike hard and fast with military precision and lethality. Their goals will usually be the command areas, though the larger pirate organizations can field multiple teams which each have separate objectives when boarding a craft. Using such tactics, targets as large as super-liner transport craft can be successfully captured and looted with speed and safety (for the pirates, anyway). In areas where the pirates rely on this kind of training and tactics, the local authorities will often employ their own SIS teams specially trained in counter skills for their training.
Attribute Requirements: Physical attributes of no less than 10 are necessary to pass the rigorous training, but high I.Q and M.E. scores are often just as important.
O.C.C. skills
Detect Ambush (+20%)
Climbing (+20%)
Prowl (+15%)
Depressurization Training
W.P. Energy Rifle
W.P. Energy Pistol
W.P. Knife
W.P. Blunt
Hand to Hand: Martial Arts
Other Skills: Choose five other skills from the following list. At least one of these must be an additional espionage skill and one must be a military skill.
Communications: Optic Systems and Radio: Basic only.
Domestic: Any
Electrical: Basic Electronics only
Espionage: Any (+15%)
Mechanical: Automotive and Basic Mechanics only
Medical: First aid and Paramedic only
Military: Any (+15%)
Physical: Any (+10% where applicable)
Pilot: Basic: Any
Pilot: Advanced: Any, but count as two selections each.
Pilot Related: Any
Rogue: None
Science: Mathematics only
Technical: Any
Weapon Proficiencies: Any
Wilderness: Any (+10%)
Secondary Skills: In addition to the above skills, the character can select four secondary skills from the secondary skill list on page 47 of Heroes Unlimited, second edition. As usual, these skills receive none of the bonuses listed above. the character can select three additional secondary skills at levels 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15.
Standard Equipment: Helmet with low light visor, sidearm of choice (usually something with punch, like a plasma pistol), quality infantry pulse laser rifle (+1 to strike), medium body armor for most operations (A.R. 13, S.D.C. 120), heavy body armor for full scale battles (A.R. 16, S.D.C. 250), short range radio headset with throat microphone (can pick up the users whispers clearly and transmit them; range: 6 miles/7.2 km), refrigerated canteen, dehydrated rations (1 months worth, but could be stretched to three with the right survival skills), energy knife (a tool, but still does 2D6 damage), camouflaging gear (both clothes and for other equipment), water purifier, palm sized electric "Hot box" stove, UV protected sunglasses, a hat with a brim, and 2D6 grenades if the demolitions skill is known.
Optional Cybernetics: One arm (matches character's stats in P.S. and P.P. (If possible, usual bionic limits apply; may or may not look cybernetic), one optic system (ultraviolet and nightvision are common), radio reciever/transmitter and one hand weapon (a single finger gun or a chemical spray is common).
Average Salary: 2000 credits per month. Officers can make more.
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