Combine Overwatch Soldiers (d20: Half Life 2)

Note:  This was updated on 17 November 2020 to clarify a few points on autonomy.

Continuing on with the d20:  Half Life 2 material, here we will take a basic overview of the Combine's more dangerous humanoid assets - the Transhuman "Stabilization Teams".  We'll take a look at a general, basic type, and expand with some leadership and more elite varieties.

Combine Soldiers form mid-to-high tier opponents that, unlike Civil Protection, can operate a considerable distance away from Combine strongholds and field considerably more firepower - including organic air support.  Let's get on it!

Overwatch Transhuman Soldiers

While Civil Protection keeps the Combine's Cities, major transit routes, and populated outposts in check, the so-called "Stabilization Teams" allow the Combine overlords on Earth to project force away from their centers of power - including, as suggested by the Voice, Off-world.  Concerned mostly with suppressing anti-Citizens and hostile creatures dwelling in the wastes (or as it is implied, fighting the Combine's foes off of Earth), they are far more capable than ordinary Civil Protection, though far less human as a result.  Excepting the Elites, Soldiers do not appear to be associated with a particular city in the way that Civil Protection forces are - at least, not as clearly.

Overwatch Soldiers typically deploy in squads of four to six, and (in the video game title) usually carry the compact and lethal MP7 (Weapons Locker p.126) as their service weapon - but can also be seen wielding SPAS-12 shotguns (p.147) and the Pulse Rifles designed by the Combine when the situation demands (see notes section for details).  Soldiers also utilize a type hand grenade that appears to be unique to them - the so-called MK3A2, which appears to be a basic hand grenade (Core p.104) with an audio-visual alert that probably grants +4 to detect it.

Further, it was originally intended that they use the same RPG that the players can in the original game, however this was cut for whatever reason - I've provided that ability here since it makes sense they'd have some kind of area-effect launcher at their disposal (the Pulse Rifle's Orb not being an option for them) - in the short term I'd just use the general stats for the M72 LAW as seen on p.96 and p.102 of Core, with an added +2 to skill to represent the guidance feature.

Body armor is much heavier on these troops (as Special Response Vest, p.110 Core), as they are expected to face off against more serious firepower than the lowly Civil Protection.  They also appear to be issued a small utility pouch attached to their belt with probably no more than a 5lb capacity - which may or may not house a Combine Medkit or Health Vial.  Or, more often, more ammunition cells.  Radio is as Professional, p.115.

It isn't abundantly clear who exactly becomes an Overwatch soldier, though it would seem to be that they are recruited from some of the more capable Civil Protection personnel, voluntarily or otherwise.  It does not appear as if the Combine has a habit of randomly scooping up Citizens for this process, but it can't be ruled out completely.


Augmented to the point of dehumanization, the Overwatch's soldiers are unquestioning, unfeeling killing machines that cannot be persuaded, reasoned with, bought, or turned against their masters.  Capable of carrying heavier firepower than their true human counterparts, and often deployed and supported by air and armor assets (let alone Synths), they are a true nightmare for humans under Combine-occupied Earth.

Combine Overwatch Soldier

The bulk of the Transhuman rank-and-file consist of the basic Overwatch Soldier.  This stat block can also apply to Pilots for the Combine Hunter-Chopper by replacing Drive with Pilot (an Occupational Skill), and the Rocket Launcher Exotic Weapon with the Pulse Cannon.  Their Feat Plexus implant is also configured to include the "Aircraft Operation (Helicopter)" feat.  Pilots probably carry far less MP7 ammunition (3 total magazines) or perhaps only the USP Match Pistol (see p.28 of d20 Modern:  Weapons Locker) and three magazines for it (there does not appear to be a Combine version of these weapons).  For ground vehicle crewmen, the Drive skill comes into play but they probably have their Feat Plexus configured to additionally provide "Surface Vehicle Operation (Heavy Wheeled)".

It would also appear that the snipers that formed obstacles to overcome in the original game are themselves some form of Overwatch Soldier.  For these units, they are armed with one of the Combine Sniper Rifle variants and their Feat Plexus is configured to use the Weapon Focus feat for it.  We'll cover the specific statistics for the weapon in another article.

An Overwatch Soldier is usually of the Strong and Tough classes - they are blunt objects and not intended to be particularly curious agents of the Combine.  Carrying on with the assumption that many are scooped up from the Metrocops that choose (or have been chosen) for this process, I'll take the classes in that order.  That said, there are some differences between the two since I did most of the Metrocop stat blocks over a year before writing this one and I decided to do this one from scratch - and again, these are just some general guidelines, especially in the Skills department.  Maybe that Memory Replacement actively rewires some of their Skills, similar to a Skill Plexus from d20 Future.

A typical Soldier is akin to:

Combine Overwatch Soldier (Strong Ordinary 2 / Tough Ordinary 2)

CR 3; Medium-size Human; HD 2d8+6 + 2d10+6; hp 32 (16-48); Mas 16; Init +3; Spd 30ft (20ft, armor); Defense 21, Touch 14, Flatfooted 20 (+1 Dex, +3 Class, +7 Armor); BAB +3; Grap +5; Atk +5 Melee (1d4+2 lethal OR nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +5 Melee (1d4+2 lethal OR nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +5 (2d6 H&K MP7); FS 5ft by 5ft; Reach 5ft; AL Combine; SV Fort +7, Ref +1, Will +0; AP 0; Rep +0; Str 14 (+2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 16 (+3), Int 12 (+1), Wis 10 (0) , Cha 8 (-1).

Occupation:  Military (Knowledge (Tactics), Pilot)

Skills:  Climb (Str) +7(-6), Craft (Mechanical) (Int) +2, Craft (Structural) (Int) +2, Drive (Dex) +4, Jump (Str) +6(-6), Knowledge (Tactics) (Int) +8, Listen (Wis) +4, Profession (Wis) +1, Spot (Wis) +4, Survival (Wis) +1, Swim (Str) +3

Feats:  Alertness (Implant), Combat Martial Arts (Implant), Simple Weapons Proficiency (Class), Personal Firearms Proficiency (Occupation), Light Armor Proficiency (1st Level), Medium Armor Proficiency (1st Level), Advanced Firearms Proficiency (3rd Level), Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rocket Launcher) (Implant)

Cybernetics (3+1/4):  Advanced Artificial GI Tract, Feat Plexus ((3/4) Alertness, Combat Martial Arts, Exotic Firearms Proficiency), Initiative Implant, Memory Replacement Module

Possessions:  Gas mask, Special Response Vest, H&K MP7 (4.6mm PDW), 360 rounds of 4.6mm (9 magazines), MK3A2 Frag Grenade

Notes:

• Memory Implant is home-brew and has no apparent impact on the stats beyond being an Implant.  Damaging or destroying this implant takes the unit offline.
• Advanced Artificial GI Tract does not count towards the implant limit (Future, p.195).
• H&K USP Match on p.28 of d20 Modern:  Weapons Locker; MP7 on p.126; SPAS-12 on p.147.
• Gas Mask (d20 Modern p.119) features integrated radio headset (p.115), vocoder, and night vision (p.116).
• MK3A2 is as Fragmentation Grenade on p. 104 of D20 Modern with a audio-visual alert built in.
• For the Rocket Launcher, use the M72 LAW on p. 102 of d20 Modern with a +2 Equipment Bonus to represent the laser guidance module (presuming it's the same as the Resistance model).
• Overwatch Pulse Rifle is covered in an earlier article. It can also be used in melee by striking with the butt of the weapon for 1d6 bludgeoning (see Core p.107).

Combine Overwatch Combat Controller

We have very limited insight into the command structure of the Combine's "Stabilization" teams.  In actual battle we see some kind of leader figures directing things for their squads, but beyond the immediate on-field command structure appears very limited.

This, I present just a single Combat Controller for regular Combine Soldiers - a tougher, more capable and proven example that may have had some minor adjustments to their Memory Module to handle this instruction scheme.

Combine Overwatch Combat Controller (Strong Ordinary 3 / Tough Ordinary 3)

CR 5; Medium-size Human; HD 3d8+9 + 3d10+9; hp 48 (24-72); Mas 16; Init +3; Spd 30ft (20ft, armor); Defense 21, Touch 14, Flatfooted 20 (+1 Dex, +3 Class, +7 Armor); BAB +5; Grap +7; Atk +7 Melee (1d4+2 lethal OR nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +7 Melee (1d4+2 lethal OR nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +7 (2d6 H&K MP7); FS 5ft by 5ft; Reach 5ft; AL Combine; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +1; Str 14 (+2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 16 (+3), Int 12 (+1), Wis 10 (0) , Cha 8 (-1).

Occupation:  Military (Knowledge (Tactics), Pilot)

Skills:  Climb (Str) +7(-6), Craft (Mechanical) (Int) +2, Craft (Structural) (Int) +2, Drive (Dex) +4, Jump (Str) +6(-6), Knowledge (Tactics) (Int) +10, Listen (Wis) +5, Profession (Wis) +3, Spot (Wis) +5, Survival (Wis) +2, Swim (Str) +3

Feats:  Simple Weapons Proficiency (Class), Personal Firearms Proficiency (Occupation), Light Armor Proficiency (1st Level), Medium Armor Proficiency (1st Level), Advanced Firearms Proficiency (3rd Level),  Alertness (Implant), Combat Martial Arts (Implant), Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rocket Launcher) (Implant), Point-blank Shot (6th Level)

Cybernetics (3+1/4):  Advanced Artificial GI Tract, Feat Plexus ((3/4) Alertness, Combat Martial Arts, Exotic Firearms Proficiency), Initiative Implant, Memory Replacement Module

Possessions:  Gas mask, Special Response Vest, H&K MP7 (4.6mm PDW), 360 rounds of 4.6mm (9 magazines), MK3A2 Frag Grenade


Notes:

• Memory Implant is home-brew and has no apparent impact on the stats beyond being an Implant.  Damaging or destroying this implant takes the unit offline.
• Advanced Artificial GI Tract does not count towards the implant limit (Future, p.195).
• H&K MP7 on p.126 of  d20 Modern:  Weapons Locker; SPAS-12 on p.147.
• Gas Mask (d20 Modern p.119) features integrated radio headset (p.115), vocoder, and night vision (p.116).
• MK3A2 is as Fragmentation Grenade on p. 104 of D20 Modern with a audio-visual alert built in.
• For the Rocket Launcher, use the M72 LAW on p. 102 of d20 Modern with a +2 Equipment Bonus to represent the laser guidance module (presuming it's the same as the Resistance model).
• Overwatch Pulse Rifle is covered in an earlier article. It can also be used in melee by striking with the butt of the weapon for 1d6 bludgeoning (see Core p.107).

Combine Overwatch Elite

Serving as the Combines crack troops, the so-called "Overwatch Elite" are an even greater mystery than the standard Soldiers.  Featuring heavier armor and consistently stronger weapons than the grunts, the Elite appear to have even further augmentation done, specially to their heads.  They are certainly tougher than ordinary Soldiers, and more capable combatants - armed almost exclusively with the Combine pulse-rifle and making use of their devastating "dark energy orbs".

The Elite do not tend to deploy like ordinary Soldiers do.  They appear to form something more like a Palace Guard of sorts, as they are seen mostly in the City 17 Citadel and other highly sensitive areas such as the Nova Prospekt prison.  Like the Civil Protection "Metrocops", the arm-bands of these Elite bear the City number.  That ordinary Soldiers do not seems to imply that each (or at least a selection of) City would have a garrison of these elite forces.

While Elites may act as the guards of the Human representative of the City, they probably answer directly to one of the Combine Controllers (much as the Soldiers do).  How they do this is unknown, as interaction with them in the original game title reveals even less about a command structure.  It could be that they are all directly slaved to a control network at the City, with some form of quorum established between members of a unit should orders be interrupted or non-specific.

An Elite probably resembles thus:

Combine Overwatch Elite Trooper (Strong Ordinary 5 / Tough Ordinary 5)

CR 9; Medium-size Human; HD 5d8+15 + 5d10+15; hp 90 (40-120); Mas 17; Init +3; Spd 30ft (20ft, armor); Defense 27, Touch 17, Flatfooted 26 (+1 Dex, +6 Class, +10 Armor); BAB +8; Grap +10; Atk +10 Melee (1d4+2 lethal OR nonlethal, unarmed strike); Full Atk +10 Melee (1d4+2 lethal OR nonlethal, unarmed strike), or +10 (3d10 Combine Pulse Rifle); FS 5ft by 5ft; Reach 5ft; AL Combine; SV Fort +9, Ref +3, Will +2; AP 0; Rep +2; Str 14 (+2), Dex 13 (+1), Con 17 (+3), Int 12 (+1), Wis 10 (0) , Cha 8 (-1).

Occupation:  Military (Knowledge (Tactics), Pilot)

Skills:  Climb (Str) +8(-6), Craft (Mechanical) (Int) +2, Craft (Structural) (Int) +2, Drive (Dex) +4, Jump (Str) +6(-6), Knowledge (Tactics) (Int) +14, Listen (Wis) +8, Profession (Wis) +4, Spot (Wis) +8, Survival (Wis) +1, Swim (Str) +3

Feats:  Simple Weapons Proficiency (Class), Personal Firearms Proficiency (Occupation), Light Armor Proficiency (1st Level), Medium Armor Proficiency (1st Level), Advanced Firearms Proficiency (3rd Level),  Alertness (Implant), Combat Martial Arts (Implant), Exotic Firearms Proficiency (Rocket Launcher) (Implant), Point-blank Shot (6th Level), Heavy Armor Proficiency (9th Level)

Cybernetics (3+1/4):  Advanced Artificial GI Tract, Feat Plexus ((4/4) Alertness, Combat Martial Arts, Exotic Firearms Proficiency, Weapon Focus (OSIPR)), Initiative Implant, Memory Replacement Module

Possessions: Unisoldier Heavy Combat Armor with integrated HUD and Flashlight, Overwatch Pulse Rifle (Energy Rifle), 270 pulses (9 cells), 3 Energy Orbs




Notes:

• Memory Implant is home-brew and has no apparent impact on the stats beyond being an Implant.  Damaging or destroying this implant takes the unit offline.
• Advanced Artificial GI Tract does not count towards the implant limit (Future, p.195).
• Helmet features integrated radio headset ("Professional" walkie-talkie, d20 Modern p.115), Gas Mask (p.119), Flashlight (p.119), and night vision (p.116).
• Overwatch Pulse Rifle is covered in an earlier article. It can also be used in melee by striking with the butt of the weapon for 1d6 bludgeoning (see Core p.107).

Higher Leadership, Experienced Soldiers, and Support Staff

There is not much given in the original game universe to go on.  It is entirely possible that, because of their lobotomized and brainwashed nature, command leadership above the immediate squad (or perhaps platoon) tactical level is handled at a Combine stronghold, with orders beaming in for dispersal by the designated local leadership - essentially a drone soldier or Myrmidon.  Thus, unlike with the Metrocops, the long chain of leaders and over-leaders is replaced by some form of back-end hidden away from us and quite possibly being offloaded to a computer system overseen by a Combine Advisor of some form - something with range limits and maybe a need for repeater stations or mobile field headquarters.

This is also why I did not opt to use the Dedicated class as I did with the Metrocops - these rifle-things aren't leaders because they have a knack for it so much as they were chosen to be made one - decisions are made elsewhere, they simply bark them out with limited ability to make their own real decisions.  That said, the designated leadership does still need a degree of native tactical capability to act on said orders, and for assuming control of the situation when there are no specific orders for it.  These troopers aren't brain-dead, just self-less.  Macro-managed, not micro.

While they are fairly high level at the start, it's entirely possible that Combine Soldiers on Earth do not have much opportunity to gain a large amount of individual experience in the way many career soldiers we're familiar with might.  In a lot of areas, especially so after so many years of occupation, most actual outbreaks of violence involving the actual Soldiers are rare enough that little action outside of mopping-up behind Synths and air units is seen.  Particularly high-performance examples may also actually be shipped off-world for whatever it is the Combine are up to out there.

Further, we have little idea how long Combine soldiers live for - it's entirely possible that they have a very short lifespan with all of these manipulations they are subject to.  Maybe they cannot learn at all anymore.

Similar to how I extended the abilities of the Metrocops as a force with unit types not seen in the original game title (Tacticals), I may well spawn off variants for the Overwatch as well, at some later time.  While the Strong and Tough types often get rendered into ordinary rank-and-file, I have no doubt the Combine have some use for the Smart, Fast, and Dedicated types, so there may well be categories of Overwatch Soldiers set up to use them - for instance, some form of Fast/Tough Reconnaissance Team variant.  There's also the canonical Combine Sniper and (semi-canonical) Combine Assassin that can fit in there as well.

We have little insight into the support staff that helps run the Overwatch's field soldiers.  At times during the game, we see some individuals being subject to some form of medical manipulation as they are stripped of most of their uniform and some of their implants are exposed.  Someone has to be doing something there, and someone has to be in charge of the upkeep of their arms and other equipment, but little clues are given.  Stalkers certainly seem capable of gross mechanical work through their laser-arrays, but they are even less human than Overwatch Soldiers (even less thinking) so they are unlikely to be the case.  The Combine may well have a Technical staff of regular humans (loyalists or otherwise), implanted / lobotomized "serfs", or even a non-human race handling these tasks that we simply never have an opportunity to see in the original game title.  That could explain what they do with the Dedicated and Smart types, at least.

I suppose the Charismatic types need not apply - report to the Propaganda Morale Office for opportunities.

Players as Combine Soldiers

It is unlikely that Combine Soldiers - in any form - would be a viable player experience.  Being as they do not think for themselves (or have much "self" to begin with), player autonomy would be severely limited.  Perhaps a still-human support staff might be a way to integrate players into the Combine Overwatch structure, similar to those I speculated for the Civil Protection's support staff.  That seems unlikely as the basis for a campaign, but may inform a character backstory.

Earlier versions of the original Half Life 2 title featured a "Combine Conscript" army which seemed to be made of regular humans simply impressed into service.  This was abandoned for the game, but may yet be a reality in some parts of the Combine-controlled world.  Not everyone is suited for the processes that create the full-on Overwatch Soldiers, and Metrocops have a different job (even if they sometimes do support the Soldiers in combat).  This may be what they do with people they want to use for violence, but don't have the Constitution to survive enough of their augmentation.

Closing

Providing the Combine with an agile and adaptable force to support their powerful synths, the Soldiers of the Overwatch are a tougher threat than Metropolice, and likely in far larger numbers than the Tacticals supporting Civil Protection.  As they cannot be bought, reasoned with, or coerced in any way, they represent more of a force of nature than a manifestation of human cruelty.

On account of the augmentations, these troops are more capable than their level would otherwise seem to indicate - and their arms and equipment are no small thing.  Indeed I would expect to run encounters with the OSIPR more often than not, as I always thought it a little strange that the regular troops would use human weapons much at all, especially the MP7 and Shotgun - likely more to do with game-play than any world-building reason. 

Next up, we'll take a glance over at more specialized types of Combine Overwatch soldiers, varieties that are still victims of the Combine's manipulations, but less suited to undertake the heavy combat actions that these kind do.

Thanks for reading!

Cheers!