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The first character for COTW this week is something a little
different: a mutant turtle, rolled up (randomly) using the
"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" game, and then converted to
GURPS.
Tarr Goodwrench; mutant turtle mechanic, fugitive slave
(c) copyright 2000 andi jones
Total Points: 289.5 Points
Age about 30; 3'6" (when upright); 340 pounds; a
semi-humanoid turtle with stubby legs, short arms with
human-like three-fingered hands, and a grotesque toothless
head on a skinny neck, all protected by a battered and
chipped shell covered by scars, marks and gouges.
ST 13 [30] - thrust 1d, swing 2d-1
DX 11 [10] - basic speed 5, move 3*#, dodge
9**
IQ 16 [80]
HT 9 [-10] - hit points 14
WL 13 [-]
*modified for permanent Medium Encumbrance
#when on all fours, and reduced to 1 when
standing upright
**includes bonuses from Passive Defence
ADVANTAGES: Breath Holding x4 [8]; Damage Resistance
2 [6]; Damage Resistance 10 (Shell always but limbs
and head only when retracted, -30%) [21]; Damage
Resistance 15 (Ablative, -15%; Shell always but limbs and
head only when retracted, -30%) [25]; Extra
Encumbrance [5]; Extra Hit Points +5 [25];
Mathematical Ability [10]; Passive Defence +6
[150].
DISADVANTAGES: Appearance (Hideous) [-20];
Cold-Blooded [-5]; Disturbing Voice [-10];
Enemy (Empire of Humanity bounty hunters, 6-) [-10];
Extra Weight [-10]; Paranoid [-5];
Semi-Upright [-5]; Unfit [-5]; Weak Will -3
[-24].
QUIRKS: Doesn't want to get involved; Proud of his name,
despite its origins; Doesn't talk unless it's necessary;
Uneasy with all humans; Always on the look-out for good
tools. [-5]
SKILLS: Area Knowledge (Contested Lands)-15 [.5];
Electronics/TL7 (Sensors)-15 [2]; Electronics
Operation/TL7 (Sensors)-12* [0]; Engineer/TL7
(Electrical)-17** [2]; Engineer/TL7 (Vehicles)-17**
[2]; Guns/TL7 (Pistol)-11*** [.5];
Lockpicking/TL7-16 [2]; Mathematics-19# [4];
Mechanic/TL7 (Gasoline Engine)-18 [6]; Mechanic/TL7
(Electric Motors)-16 [2]; Mechanic/TL7 (Prop
Plane)-17 [4]; Photography-14 [.5]; Survival
(Swampland)-13 [.5]; Survival (Woodlands)-14
[.5]; Swimming-13## [2].
*default from Electronics (Sensors)
**includes +2 for Mathematical Ability
***includes +2 for IQ
#includes +3 for Mathematical Ability
##includes +2 for Extra Weight
LANGUAGES: English (native)-16 [0].
EQUIPMENT
Goodwrench has only recently settled down, and so far
doesn't have many possessions. He has a camera - an old
Pentax K1000 35mm SLR, which he loves. He also has a motley
assortment of tools - carried in a leather doctor's bag -
which usually includes lock-picks, a crowbar, a swiss army
knife (with a couple of its blades missing) and basic
mechanics' tools. (This set of tools is as per the item on
p.B213, but the set is incomplete; the effects are up to the
GM.) Finally, he has brand-new TVA .357 revolver (treat as
Colt Python .357, p.B208 and p.HT124) which he stole from a
Slaver officer during his escape.
BIOGRAPHY
Tarr Goodwrench was born into slavery in the Empire of
Humanity, and knew a terrible existence as a labourer until
he was old enough to display his gift for mathematics. He
received training, and was ultimately put to work as a
mechanic, servicing the Empire's small fleet of planes on an
air-field in the southwest corner of their territory,
bordering New Kennel. Tarr's masters were a mix of humans
and mutated canines, and it was the Mastiff in command of
the air-field who - unable to remember the turtle's real
name - called him "Good Wrench" instead. The name stuck, and
Tarr was eventually the best mechanic - human or animal - in
the region. He was treated better than most of the slaves,
but didn't like being singled out, even if it meant fewer
discomforts. Tarr actually hid the extent of his skills and
expertise, for fear that he'd be given more preferential
treatment and greater responsibilities if his masters knew
exactly how much he'd learned.
In about his 25th season (he doesn't know precisely how old
he is, except by reading his shell), Tarr became aware of a
plot being hatched by a group of raccoons to escape. Tarr
was desperate to get out, but they wouldn't involve him in
their planning, since he was too slow, and would hamper
their escape. But when Tarr explained that he had access to
the tools they'd need to breach the gates, they happily
brought him on board. They planned extensively, and made
their break late one summer night during a powerful
thunderstorm. Despite the cover of the rain, their attempt
was noticed, and the Mastiff and his deputies gave chase. In
the hours before dawn, Tarr and his companions endured a
harrowing ordeal of chase and panic. Of the two dozen
animals that made it through the fence, only a handful were
alive when the sun rose, and Tarr survived only because he
was able to get into a stream engorged by run-off from the
storm.
Alone, Tarr slowly made his away south along the western
border of New Kennel, travelling in the river that the
canines called Ella Ware. When he reached the Contested
Lands, he reached freedom, and found himself nearly
paralysed - psychologically speaking. He was terrified of
being caught, trusted no one, and had never been on his own;
he had no idea how to live independently, especially on such
a rough-and-tumble frontier. So he kept moving, seeing such
settlements as Camden, Great Egg and the Atlantic Citystate.
Before long, Tarr realised something: everyone had something
that was broken, and everyone had use for a gifted mechanic.
He was proud to have skills that were in demand, as the next
couple years past, he has officially adopted his canine
nickname of Goodwrench. He is still concerned about being
captured, however, so he only shows as much skill as the job
needs, and is careful not to linger anywhere long enough to
develop a reputation (or any friends). Now, Tarr Goodwrench
is in the outskirts of Filly - the largest (and most intact)
city on the east coast, and dangerously close to the New
Kennel stronghold of Trent.
ENCOUNTERED
Goodwrench is not very good with people. He is ugly, even by
mutant turtle standards, and his ponderous and sibilant
speech is punctuated by the clicking of his beak. This lack
of social grace was only worsened by his life in the slaving
camp, and he grew into adulthood as a loner. It is with
regret that he looks back on his days in the camp, and
recalls that he knew some of his masters better than the
other slaves...
Since his escape, Goodwrench has continued his solitary
ways, trying to keep his rampant paranoia about spies and
bounty hunters in check. He keeps to himself, doesn't make
conversation, and most of all he doesn't want to get
involved. But these things are not always so easy,
especially with so many potential people interested in his
skills...
And it is this conflict that has brought Tarr Goodwrench to
Filly. On the one hand, he's uncomfortable with all the
people, and would prefer to stick to himself. But on the
other hand, he recognises that Filly offers the promise of
security, that the kind of people who want his skills could
provide him with shelter, since the Empire of Humanity lacks
the strength to attack Filly, and few Empire bounty hunters
are dumb enough to hunt their prey in the Rodent Cartel's
territory. Even so, Goodwrench is leery of committing to any
long-term agreements, and ultimately fears trading one kind
of captivity for another.
PCs meeting Goodwrench will find him brusque and
tight-mouthed, but not in an unkind way. He is even-tempered
and nonjudgemental, and only has issues with humans. (But
this he realises is irrational, and that not all humans
subscribe to the philosophy of the Empire.) With enough
time, he might learn to let his guard down around certain
people...
CANONICALITY
Tarr Goodwrench's character employs a few tricks to model a
humanoid turtle. First and foremost, he is intended to use
the "Quad ST" rules; for purposes of encumbrance, use
(ST^2/10) instead of straight ST. This was done to make him
strong enough to carry his shell, while keeping his "combat
ST" relatively low to reflect his short arms. The weight of
his shell is modelled with the Extra Weight disadvantage,
which is a combination of Fat (p.B28) and Overweight (p.B29)
with a dash of Inconvenient Size (p.CI102); his weight is
doubled, normal clothes and armour will not fit, he is -3 to
Disguise and Shadowing (and anything else the GM deems
logical) but +2 to Swimming, and there is no reaction
penalty.
Tarr's shell is DR, with a GULLIVER-inspired limitation: the
DR normally covers only the body (hit locations 9-11, 17-18)
but will also cover the limbs and head (all other hit
locations) if they are withdrawn into the shell. Tarr's DR
is in several layers, which should be used in the following
order: first is DR 2 over his entire body (so the scales on
his limbs offer some protection), second is DR 10 for the
shell (to deflect weak blows) and third is ablative DR 15
(so that sufficient damage might eventually crack the
shell). Ablative DR loses 1 point of DR for every 10 points
of damage it takes. In Tarr's case, lost DR heals like lost
hit points, one HT roll per day.
Example: A bounty hunter hits Tarr Goodwrench's shell with a
4-round burst with his AK-47. The first bullet does 24
points of damage. The base DR of the shell is 12 (2 overall,
plus 10 for shell only), which leaves 12 points left. Those
12 points don't get through the ablative DR 15, but they
reduce it to DR 14. The second bullet does only 15 damage,
which neither penetrates nor reduces DR. The third bullet
does 22 points, which does just enough damage to the
ablative DR to reduce it to DR 13. And the final bullet does
27 points, which is reduced by 12 points by the base DR,
leaving 15 points to be applied to the ablative DR; not only
does this reduce ablative DR to 12, but 2 points get through
and Tarr suffers a minor injury...
Note also that Goodwrench's Paranoia disadvantage is only
worth -5 points, and not the normal -10; this represents his
recognition that his fear is largely irrational, and his
attempts to keep it under control. The GM might decide that
he is in the process of "buying it off", and he could
eventually reduce it to quirk level (or lose it entirely) if
he becomes a long-term NPC.
WHAT IF?
Tarr Goodwrench was designed for "After the Bomb", a
supplement adventure setting for Palladium's "Teenage Mutant
Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness" role-playing game.
The "After the Bomb" setting is a future Earth - late in the
21st century - roughly one-hundred years after the world is
levelled by nuclear holocaust. In the fallout, animals of
all kinds mutated and evolved into sentient creatures, and
quickly clashed with surviving humans, competing for
resources and territory. Now, the animals have formed their
own nations (and armies) to fight the insidious Empire of
Humanity which aims to cleanse the world of the talking
beasts. The Empire controls the land north of what was once
New York City (now a pile of mutant-infested ruins called
N'Yak), where they control the world's only working fusion
reactor. Surrounding the Empire of Humanity are Bird Island
(an offshore avian kingdom), New Kennel (a nation of mutated
dogs, a vassal of the Empire), the Free City of Filly (run
by the Rodent Cartel), the Contested Lands (what was once
southern New Jersey), Cardania (the largest nation of
mutated animals) and the Plains of Free Cattle.
But Tarr Goodwrench can easily be added to any campaign that
accommodates intelligent, mutated animals, post-apocalyptic
or otherwise:
Gamma World: TSR's "Gammma World" science fantasy
role-playing game is also filled with sentient mutant
animals, and Tarr would need virtually no changes to make
the switch. Only his political associations would be
different. He might have been born into slavery in the
service of one of the Cryptic Alliances, such as the Knights
of Genetic Purity, or the Iron Society. After his escape,
Tarr could end up on his own, or affiliated with one of the
pseudo-military organisations such as the Ranks of the Fit
or the Zoopremacists. Tarr's skills focus on common TL7
vehicles, which might not be so common in the Black Years,
so the GM may want to find him a different niche, especially
if this corner of Gamma World has Black Ray Guns, Flit Cars
and Warbots.
Supers: There are anthropomorphised animal-men in many comic
books, and Tarr Goodwrench could be adapted to be a
"reluctant hero". Maybe a natural mutant, or maybe bred in
some super-villain's advanced biotech facilities, Goodwrench
has escaped, and now must survive on his own. He'd prefer to
be alone, of course, but perhaps he needs to strike a
bargain with some PC super-heroes; he'll look after their
Super-Plane, if they'll protect him from the thugs sent to
take him back to the lab...
ADVENTURE SEEDS
Mechanic for Hire: The PCs are a no friends of the Empire,
and are in Filly to do some trading. They've found some
valuable machines in the ruins, and can finally afford their
own motorised vehicle, an old truck. The mutant rat that
owns the truck admits it won't run, but swears it can be
repaired, by someone with the right skills. So the PCs begin
their search, and soon hear rumours about Goodwrench. Can
they find him, given that he doesn't want to be found? If
they can find him, can they convince him to help them get
their new truck up and running? What might he want in
return, and what sort of business might the PCs end up in?
Just Another Job: Life after the bomb is tough, and in the
Contested Lands south of New Kennel, it's (often literally)
a dog-eat-dog world. So when the PCs - a motley bunch who
take odd jobs as they come along - are hired by the Owl,
they're surprised when their job is to track down and
retrieve a fugitive turtle called "Goodwrench". Will the PCs
do the job, and be responsible for Tarr being returned to
his captors? Do they do this work without knowing what's
really going on, or looking the other way? And could this
socially inept and rather pathetic turtle make them a better
offer?
- written by andi jones (andi@angelwerks.com)
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