Hardware: Optional Character Creation Rules

CHARACTER CREATION by Severus Snape

Step One: The Usual

This step has not changed at all. You will still determine the 8 attributes, Hit Points, SDC, alignments, and other “rounding out” things about your character as you have always done. And the same original exception is still valid: If your character has an IQ score below 9, raise it up to 9.

Step Two: Education and Skill Selection

This step has changed a little. You will still roll for the education level of the character, but then disregard two entire skill programs (and not one as per the core rules) to reflect the specialized training the character has in his or her chosen field. The reasoning for dropping two skill programs is that the new areas of expertise are more focused than the originals, and as such they start with more area-related skills than before. Analytical Geniuses still do not roll for education.

Step Three: Area of Expertise

This is where we start to deviate from the original character creation rules. There used to be four areas of expertise for the Hardware character: Electrical Genius, Mechanical Genius, Analytical Genius, and Weapons Expert/Engineer. If you take a look at the following table, you’ll see that Electrical and Mechanical Genius are now expanded into several new areas. Roll once on the following table to determine what area the character is, or choose the one that fits the concept you have in mind.

01-12 Aerospace Genius

13-25 Analytical Genius

26-37 Automotive Genius

38-50 Bionics Genius

51-63 Electro-Mechanical Genius

64-75 Marine/Oceanic Genius

76-87 Robotics Genius

88-00 Weapons Expert/Engineer

Once you have determined what the area of expertise is for the character, go to that section to create the character. The abilities, skills, budgets, and other important information will be listed therein. For Analytical Genius and Weapons Expert/Engineer, please see the appropriate section in the Heroes Unlimited core rule book as these two areas have not changed.

Step Four: The Sponsoring Organization

Someone has to pay for all of this, right? Roll once on the following table to determine who the financial backer is. Again, you can always just pick one that suits the concept of the character.

01-10 Criminal Enterprise. A large criminal organization saw the character’s genius and decided to use any means necessary to funnel enough cash to the character so he/she could build them some super toys to wreak havoc on the general public with.

11-20 Foreign Government. A government other than the character’s own has contracted with the character to help them catch up to and bypass the rest of the world as far as their air force is concerned.

21-30 Investment Group, Private. A group of silent investors has contracted with the character to see what he/she is capable of creating, with the promise that the character will receive all the credit for doing so.

31-40 Investment Group, Public. Much like the private investment group, except that the group is out in the open and has contacted the media with promises of what the character is/was developing. This can go badly for the character depending on his/her status with the organization.

41-50 Military. The character was enlisted in the military, and was part of a team of researchers attempting to build super vehicles for use in combat.

51-60 Private Company. The character was an employee of an aviation or aeronautics company, such as Boeing, where he/she was working on aircraft. The character could have been working on any facet of aircraft, from safety to designing new ones.

61-70 Self, Inheritance. Someone wealthy in the character’s family, or a wealthy friend, died and left the character all kinds of money. Alternatively, the character ended up winning the lottery.

71-80 Self, Savings. Through hard work and frugality, the character somehow was able to scratch and save enough money to put his dream into reality.

81-90 Wealthy Individual, Private. Much like the private investment group, but this is a single individual who has decided to fund the endeavor.

91-00 Wealthy Individual, Public. Much like the public investment group, but this is a single individual who has decided to fund the endeavor.

Status with the Sponsoring Organization

Only roll on the following table if the financier of the project is not the character.

01-12 The character is still employed by the organization, either publicly or privately, and is drawing a salary of 1d6 x $50,000 annually.

13-25 The character’s contract with the organization ended, and the character was allowed to leave on friendly terms. More projects may be in the works, and the character could be hired again. The organization views the character as an asset, and the character may call upon the organization for equipment and supplies (but he/she should be wary of over-using this contact).

26-38 The character’s contract with the organization ended, and the character left on neutral terms. More projects may be in the works, and the character may or may not be hired again. The organization holds no animosity towards the character, but the character cannot call upon this organization for any more help or support.

39-50 The character’s contract with the organization was terminated, either due to a lack in additional funding or a lack of qualified results. The organization has severe animosity towards the character, and will not help in any way. Additionally, the organization may be trying to retrieve their property and/or harm the character.

51-62 The character up and ran off with the product, and is now considered to be AWOL. The organization has contacted law enforcement, bounty hunters, and the media in an attempt to have the character tracked down, arrested, and have their property returned to them.

63-75 The character up and ran off with the product, and is now considered to be AWOL. Fearing public backlash, or because the project was funded by a criminal enterprise, the organization is taking matters into their own hands and are secretly hunting the character.

76-88 The program that the character was contracted with was dissolved, and all ties have been severed. The organization may want their product back, but it is possible (01%-20%) that they have forgotten about the character and anything he or she may have created.

89-00 For one reason or another, the character angered the executives and was thrown out of program. All ties are severed, and the organization definitely wants to know if the character finished and/or kept anything that doesn’t belong to him or her.