Lobopods of Mars Chapter 4: The Quartet of Mutch City

By Henry Edward Hardy with Cadence Boynton, Greg Boynton, John Kelly, Jeff Young, Joe Zapytowski, and Mark Zapytowski.

Copyright © 2025 Henry Edward Hardy.

The Quartet of Mutch City

1. ISA Colonel (Ret.) Lars Brecker
2. Dr. Jack Woolpit
3. Yajtoo Smith
4. ISA Colonel (Ret.) Dr. Joret

Each profile includes:

• Background & Personality
• Possible Stat Blocks (in Mongoose Traveller 2e style)
• Skills & Specialties
• Gear & Technology
• Role in a Lobopods of Mars Campaign

Use them as senior advisors, special consultants, or well-connected fixers. They can also serve as advanced PCs if your group wants deeper ties to the ISA and scientific circles.

---

1. ISA Colonel (Ret.) Lars Brecker

Col. Lars Brecker, ISA (ret.)
Copyright (C) 2025 Henry Edward Hardy

Background & Personality

• ISA Service Record: Colonel Brecker served in the International Space Agency’s Mars Division for about twenty years, specializing in expeditionary security and deep-cavern rescue operations. He rose to a leadership position after spearheading multiple outback search-and-rescue missions during catastrophic dust storms.
• Retirement & Current Life: After mustering out, Brecker settled near Mutch City, capitalizing on his experience to provide private security consulting. He has the know-how to operate advanced weaponry (including short-range railguns) and is known for his calm leadership in emergencies.
• Personality: Professional, stoic, but fair. He strictly upholds personal honor, even when the local “law” is ambiguous. His standoffish approach can make him seem harsh, yet he keeps an old-fashioned sense of duty to protect civilians.

Potential Stat Block (Traveller 2e)

Characteristic	Score	DM	Notes
STR	9	+1	Above-average fitness
DEX	10	+1	Keen reflexes, ex-soldier
END	10	+1	Trained stamina
INT	8	+0	Good practical sense
EDU	11	+1	Well-schooled in ISA docs
SOC	7	+0	Polite but direct

Other Abilities (Optional)

• Psi: 3 (Not psionically inclined)

Skills & Specialties

• Gun Combat (Slug Rifles) 2
• Vacc Suit 1 (ISA training)
• Leadership 1 (led squads in the outback)
• Tactics (Military) 1 (coordinated rescue operations)
• Recon 1 (dust-storm infiltration; scanning for hazards)
• Mechanic 1 (fixing minor crawler or rifle malfunctions)

Gear & Technology

• Combat Environment Suit (TL9/10): Rugged, protective in dust storms. +8 vs. normal/lasing attacks (and environment).
• Advanced Combat Rifle (TL10): 3D damage, ~40-round magazine, Auto 3, typically with scope.
• HUD Comm & Tactical Interface: Connects to local map overlays, sensor net in settlements.
• Survival Tools: Basic field kit, short-range comm beacons, flares, patch tape, and stims.

Role in the Campaign

• Security Consultant: Brecker can be employed by local towns or big domes for protective detail.
• Tactical Veteran: When high-stakes shootouts erupt (e.g. defending a water tank or facing cult raiders), Brecker is the calm eye of the storm.
• Moral Center or Drill Sergeant: He might keep trigger-happy allies in check, or he could instruct rookie colonists in basic firearms. If “the mission” conflicts with corporate or political pressures, Brecker’s sense of honor might cause friction.

---

2. Dr. Jack Woolpit

Dr. Jack Woolpit
Copyright (C) 2025 Henry Edward Hardy

Background & Personality

• Scientific Savant: Dr. Woolpit is a brilliant researcher with a broad education, rumored to hold multiple advanced degrees in geology, environmental science, and xenobiology. He first came to Mars for pure research—perhaps under an Earth-based university grant.
• Curiosity & Compassion: While methodical in the lab, Woolpit is empathic toward people. Often out of his depth in moral or physical confrontations, he tries to reason with would-be aggressors, sometimes to comedic effect.
• Professional Reputation: Even among the Martian science community, Dr. Woolpit is considered eccentric—some say naive. He invests himself fully in unraveling the mysteries of Martian ecology, with rumors that he’s especially intrigued by the possibility of Lobopod life.

Potential Stat Block (Traveller 2e)

Characteristic	Score	DM	Notes
STR	6	+0	Slight build
DEX	6	+0	Not a fighter
END	8	+0	Middle-of-the-road
INT	9	+1	Sharp academic mind
EDU	13	+2	Substantial formal study
SOC	7	+0	Polite, reserved manner

Other Abilities

• Psi: 5 (No special training)

Skills & Specialties

• Science (Planetology) 2 (expert on Martian terrain)
• Science (Xenobiology) 1 (looking for alien life or “Lobopods”)
• Medic 1 (basic field medical knowledge)
• Computers 1 (data analysis, controlling lab instruments)
• Investigate 1 (digging for field clues; analyzing bizarre rock samples)
• Diplomat or Persuade 0 or 1 (knows how to keep scientific partnerships stable)

Gear & Technology

• Light Environment Suit: Enough to protect from typical Martian hazards, not as combat-ready.
• Portable Science Lab (TL10): Sample containers, scanning devices, a small data-lab with micro-probe sensors.
• Hand Computer (TL9+): Contains advanced analysis software for soil analysis, microbe detection, or chemical forensics.
• Sidearm (Optional): Possibly a low-tech slug pistol or a stunner if forced to carry a weapon.

Role in the Campaign

• Academic Advisor: A neutral voice who can provide crucial analysis of environmental threats or weird life forms.
• Plot Catalyst: Might drag the group into hidden caverns or ongoing corporate feuds over new bio-samples.
• Conscience: Quick to question ethically dubious or lethal approaches, but also reliant on more “rough-and-tumble” allies for protection.

---

3. Yajtoo Smith

Yaztoo Smith
Copyright (C) 2025 Henry Edward Hardy

Background & Personality

• Mars-Born Technologist: Yajtoo Smith is a local of the Red Planet, rumored to have grown up in the under-levels of Mutch City. He taught himself advanced computing and remote ops with a knack for forging credentials and infiltration.
• Adept at Deception: Rumors swirl that he can hack both corporate and city-level networks to manipulate supply logs or even override airlock security. His moral compass is fluid; sometimes a helpful info-broker, sometimes a con artist.
• Smooth Operator: Yajtoo is socially adept, blending in or projecting confidence as needed. He weaves half-truths to keep various factions off his back, which occasionally lands him in hot water.

Potential Stat Block (Traveller 2e)

Characteristic	Score	DM	Notes
STR	7	+0	Physically slight
DEX	8	+0	Competent reflexes
END	9	+1	Surprising stamina
INT	12	+1	Quick-witted, cunning
EDU	15	+3	Extremely well-educated
SOC	8	+0	Street-level presence

Other Abilities

• Psi: 4 (Not a psion, possibly unknown or negligible)

Skills & Specialties

• Computers 3 (expert-level hacking & data infiltration)
• Deception 2 (lying, forging documents, infiltration)
• Remote Ops 1 (operating drones, turrets, or remote cameras)
• Carouse or Streetwise 1 (gathering info in local bars, back alleys)
• Mechanic (Electronics) 1 (jury-rigging or bypassing security devices)
• Recon 1 (watching for trouble in a crowded station)

Gear & Technology

• Customized “Stealth” Hand Computer: Encrypted for hacking, loaded with darkware.
• Compact Combat Environment Suit: Lightly armored but technology-laden. Often integrated with hidden compartments for hacking tools.
• Overloaded HUD Display: Possibly with a nerve-plug or specialized rig for direct mental command of drones.
• Holdout Pistol or Stun Gun (Optional): He rarely wants to be in direct firefights, but he carries something for close calls.

Role in the Campaign

• Information Broker: He can dig up corporate secrets, track rival smugglers, or re-route official supply shipments.
• Occasional Frenemy: If he needs money or data, he might sabotage an ally or cut side deals. The group must weigh trusting him.
• Mastermind Heist Missions: He orchestrates infiltration tasks and can feed the rest of the party crucial intel.

---

4. ISA Colonel (Ret.) Dr. Joret

Background & Personality

• Dual Expertise: Joret is both an experienced ISA officer and a credentialed scientist (PhD in a specialized field—possibly exobiology, geology, or medical). He served in the Mars Division as a science officer and rose to Colonel rank.
• Reason for Retirement: Possibly forced out due to internal politics or chosen to “retire” to direct civilian research. He maintains strong ties with the Secretariat, and some suspect he still does hush-hush missions.
• Pragmatic & Unflinching: Joret is measured, rarely emotive, and known to keep calm in dire crises. This, combined with his scientific training, makes him an ideal “problem-solver” whether dealing with sabotage, outbreak, or a newly discovered microbe.

Potential Stat Block (Traveller 2e)

Characteristic	Score	DM	Notes
STR	7	+0	Average fitness
DEX	9	+1	Adept with small arms
END	10	+1	Veteran’s endurance
INT	10	+1	Keen, disciplined mind
EDU	12	+2	Doctorate-level knowledge
SOC	7	+0	Minimal social pretense

Other Abilities

• Psi: 6 (Untrained, latent at best)

Skills & Specialties

• Science (choose one: Exobiology/Medicine/Geology) 2 or 3
• Leadership 1 (command experience)
• Vacc Suit 1 or 2 (ISA standard)
• Gun Combat (Energy) 1 (trained in high-tech sidearms)
• Medic 1 (if he is a medical doctor or general scientist)
• Mechanic or Engineer (Power) 1 (general technical proficiency from ISA missions)

Gear & Technology

• ISA-Grade Combat Environment Suit: Possibly a better version with advanced life support, near TL10.
• Energy Pistol (TL10+): 3D damage, short to medium range, includes a battery pack or micro-fusion cell.
• Portable Field Lab: If he’s on a research assignment, includes diagnostic scanners, sample tubes, or specialized instruments.
• Old ISA Credentials: Potentially grants “official” privileges in some areas, but Mars governance is messy—recognition depends on local politics.

Role in the Campaign

• Retired Commander Turned Scientist: Joret can leverage old ISA protocols for special clearances or to coordinate rescue ops. He might also have hidden missions from former superiors.
• Mentor or Patron: Younger explorers or scientists might see him as a revered figure. He can push them to tackle big discoveries—like investigating rumored Lobopods.
• Conflict of Loyalty: The Secretariat or certain Earth-based agencies might attempt to manipulate Joret. He must decide if he’ll remain loyal to the colonists or to his old chain of command.

---

Using These Four as a Team (or NPC Ensemble)

While each character can stand alone, the four can form a powerful “think tank” or investigative cadre:

1. Colonel Brecker ensures security and tactical prowess.
2. Dr. Woolpit supplies cutting-edge scientific expertise.
3. Yajtoo Smith handles infiltration, sabotage, or hacking.
4. Colonel Joret merges leadership, scientific knowledge, and lingering ISA authority.

Their combined backgrounds span multiple layers of Mars society—corporate, clandestine, and official. They could be pivotal in:

• High-Stakes Missions: The Secretariat hires them to quell a major outback threat or investigate an alarming new life form in the lava tubes.
• Internal Power Struggle: Their varied alliances create friction, as each might champion different sponsors or philosophies.
• Frontier Hubs: The group’s presence drastically alters the balance of power in Mutch City, especially if they choose sides between local administrators, corporate enclaves, or religious cults.

Whether used as advanced PCs or influential NPCs, these four add depth, nuance, and the potential for large-scale developments in your Lobopods of Mars campaign. Will they unify to protect the fragile Martian frontier, or tear it asunder with hidden agendas?

Enjoy weaving them into your cosmic frontier stories—on Mars, every choice can shape the future of humankind’s new frontier.

29 September, 2025 - Posted by scanlyze | scanlyze | campaign, cyberpunk, Lobopods, Mars, Mongoose Traveller, retrofuturism, role-playing, scanlyze, science, science fiction