I know It is a bit of a stretch, but, would it be possible through either LUA or ODF to switch the mesh of a trooper upon its death?

Example: Trooper dies, Mesh switches instantaneously.

Example 2 (This one is REALLY a stretch): Thermal Det explodes right next to trooper, all physics infromation (AKA the direction he is going to fly) is kept following the mesh transformation.

Is it possible?

Nope.

I don't think there are any physics in BF2.

There are actually. Any time you see somebody flying through the air its considered physics. Any motion that is not done by animation is "physics"

Thanks for the answer Mav.

Nope -- that's a canned animation along with a push from the explosion. No ragdoll there.

What about a grenade bouncing off and rolling around things?

It works about the same. There's a difference between an actuall physics engine and the moving of an object.

you could give it a chunks like a droid, but it would only be one chunk and it would have to be shaped like a dead trooper