TRANS SHUI: PLAYING TRANSFORMERS (G1 or BW) IN FENG SHUI By Christopher E. Meadows Introduction If you want to run a RPG session based on Transformers and have any hope at all of simulating the show, I'm betting that you'd like a quick, cinematic system where it's easy to convert your favorites into playable characters, then start playing them, right off the bat. I believe that the _Feng Shui_ RPG offers such a system. For those of you unfamiliar with it, _Feng Shui_ is an action movie game from Daedalus Games, based largely on Hong King films (John Woo, Jackie Chan, etc.) and sharing the same universe as the _Shadowfist_ card game. It comes with an interesting conspiracy-style background, into which you may use these rules add-ons to include Transformers, or you may simply want to play Transformers by themselves using the basic rules. Either way, _Feng Shui_ is well worth the investment. The game costs $30 in its first-printing, full-color printing, or $25 in its second-printing, black-and-white version. You'd probably better get it fast; Daedalus may not be around much longer. A brief note about the conversion system: Feng Shui is a simple enough game that you could probably convert TFs to it any way you wanted to. It has been suggested that it might be easier to create a set of Transformers archetypes and modify them based on the card stats...but it would be more complicated for me to write up. :) If you come up with such an alternate system, please email it to me, and I'll include it in this supplement and give you credit. I know that my system falls down in a few places as far as playability of characters is concerned; that's why I've included the option of statistic tweaking at the end. I designed this system solely for easy conversion of stat cards to FS stats; once you're role-playing in-character, the statistics don't tend to mean a lot anyway. If you playtest these rules, I'd appreciate hearing back from you. Let me know what you think! CONVERTING TRANSFORMERS TO FENG SHUI STATS If you've ever bought a Transformer toy, you know that they come with a set of statistics on the back of the package. These statistics include Strength, Intelligence, Speed, Endurance, Rank, Courage, Firepower, and Skill. Interestingly enough, they're on a 1 to 10 rating, the same as most statistics in Feng Shui. So I thought I'd have a go at coming up with a translation system for them. This is very much a first-draft attempt, but I figured I might as well try it. (Note: Even if you've never bought a TF toy in your life but you like the TV show or the comic book, don't despair--there _are_ stat card archival sites on the 'Web.) The following table should be easy to interpret. Take the number found under the statistic on the Transformers file card in the right hand column, and plug it into the location on the left. FENG SHUI TRANSFORMERS --------- ------------ Body [Mode(1) of below (Endurance +5)] Move Speed +5 (2) Strength Strength +5 Constitution Endurance +5 Toughness Endurance +5 Chi [0] Fortune [(3)] Kung-Fu [(4)] Magic [0] Mind [Mode of Below (Intelligence)] Charisma Intelligence Intelligence Intelligence Perception Intelligence Willpower Courage Reflexes [Mode of below (Skill)] Agility Skill Dexterity Skill Speed Speed (1) The mode is the mathmatical term for the number that appears most often in a list. I don't think there are any times when one checks against an overall attribute instead of a subattribute (though I could be wrong) so it just saves on writing the subattributes that are different. (2) Being larger and bulkier than humans and made out of metal, a +5 adjustment to physical stats is used to represent this. Likewise, all TF weapons have +5 damage added to them. (3) If the character's power level suggests, 1/2 Skill (rounded down). (4) If the character background suggests, Skill, but must buy Fu schticks, as below. Rank: The Rank number can be converted to the Wealth-equivalent of the 'bot (or at least the amount of resources he can call upon) as follows: 1-3 Poor 4-8 Middle Class 9-10 Wealthy "Gimmes": All Transformers characters receive the following for free: Driving +4 (Max 14) (emphasis on TF's non-robotic form(s)) Transformation Schtick x1 (see "Rank + Skill", below) Flight Creature Power (if character is flight-capable) If the character does not need one of the above (a non-self-mobile alternate mode, or does not transform), it may be dropped, but there will be no replacement provided. Any additional skills and schticks must be bought and paid for by the usual means (see "Rank + Skill", below). Firepower: Firepower, on a Transformer, seems to be sort of an amalgam of how many weapons a character carries and how well he is able to use them. Divide a Transformer's Firepower rating in half. Apply half (rounded up) to that character's Guns skill; the other half (rounded down) is the number of Gun schticks he may take, as well as the number of weapons he usually carries. Note that if a character's weapon is built in, or an integral part of himself (such as Rapido's cannon, which becomes his engine in sports car form), it must be bought as a Signature Weapon before he may buy any other schticks. Transformers don't usually have to worry about Concealability; their weapons (and other accessories; Prime's trailer, for instance) are usually stored in subspace or some other off-camera area until they are called for (treat this as drawing a gun in terms of shot cost). Optionally, the skill half may be split between Guns and Martial Arts, or put entirely on Martial Arts, if the character carries melee weapons (such as the Lazer Rods' swords or Rotor Force's spinning blades) or simply prefers martial arts to guns. This will be Brawling unless the character spends an additional skill slot (from Rank & Skill, below) to buy it up as per standard rules. (If the character puts nothing on Guns, he must either buy Fu Schticks instead or lose those Schticks altogether.) Note that some characters, such as Bludgeon from the comic books, have a background in Martial Arts. In such a case, they will have a Kung Fu stat equal to their Skill value, and they may trade as many of their Gun Schticks as they like for Fu Schticks at a rate of 1:1. (Anyone who's read more of the comic books than I have wanna come up with a Metallikata Fu path? :) Rank + Skill: Adding the Transformer's Rank and Skill ratings together provides the number of additional skill slots the Transformer receives. A Transformer may take any of the listed skills except Sorcery and Arcanowave Devices. He may buy Guns or Martial Arts up to their maximum level if he used Firepower slots to buy either of them, but may not buy levels in them if he does not already have them, nor may he buy levels in Arcanowave Devices or Sorcery (though it's vaguely possible he could learn them in the course of play). The higher (after Firepower skill adjustment; if both skills are tied then choose _one_) of either Guns or Martial Arts may be bought up to a total of the given character's Dexterity + 1/2 (rounded up) Firepower or AV 13, whichever is higher. The other may not be bought to higher than AV 12. "Fix-It" note: For the purposes of the game, Fix-It will be considered the Medic-equivalent for Transformers, and all healing rolls, death checks, etc. for these giant robots will use the Fix-It AV instead of Medic. Transformers may still take Medic; in fact, those Transformers who turn into ambulances and other rescue vehicles will have to take it if they want to be able to medicate humans or other organic life forms. These skill slots may also be exchanged for up to three Creature Ability schticks at a rate of 2 skill slots to 1 Creature Schtick. Transformation x1 is provided free for all characters; if the character is a triple-or-greater-changer, additional schticks must be purchased. (The Transformation schtick works as described on page 128, except that for Transformers, transforming is a *3* shot action, not *9* shot. However, the form must be one that can be mechanically, not magically, changed into and that would make sense for that type of Transformer to have.) Creature Abilities may be taken at the GM's discretion; the player should have justification for them. (For example, a heavily armored TF might buy a slot or two of Armor, or the GM might allow an oil slick to be bought as "Foul Spew: Slippery Slime".) 1/2 Skill: "Luck is part of skill." "In that case, I should trust skill even less." --Isamu Dyson & Yan Neumann, "Macross Plus" ep. 4 Transformers can be lucky or unlucky, like anyone else. In fact, in the case of TFs with low point totals, it's sometimes hard to see how they could survive _without_ luck. If a TF has fairly wimpy and otherwise unplayable stats, divide Skill by 1/2, rounding down, and apply that number to the character's Fortune stat. The GM is the final arbiter of whether this should be allowed in the case of any particular character. On Selection of Characters Characters with high point averages do tend to get large amounts of skills and schticks. Characters with extremely high point averages, such as Optimus Prime and Ultra Magnus, should probably be off-limits to players, and used as NPCs, if at all. A good player-character point average might range from 6.5 to 7.5. Scaling At character creation, a +5 bonus is added to the TF characters' Bod stats (Move, Strength, Constitution, Toughness) and to their weapons damage. This will make it harder for humans to get in a good (damaging) hit on them. This would make it just as easy for a human to take out Transformer mooks as it would be for them to take out human mooks; therefore, humans require a result of +10 instead of +5, or a weapon designed to negate that penalty (anti-tank rifle, bazooka, etc.) to take out a TF mook. It should nearly be automatic for a Transformer to take out human mooks. (Don't believe there are Transformer mooks? Look again...the Reflector clones and unnamed Seeker jets from the first two seasons and the Sweeps from the third season fill all the necessary functions of mooks; they just aren't seen to go down as often, due to the constraints of broadcast TV...) NOTE: Giant Robots in General These scaling suggestions may well be used to allow play of other giant robot characters, such as "Giant Robo", if you like. You will have to come up with the skills and stats in other ways, of course, and if the robots are substantially larger than the human norm, the scaling method may need to have the increment increased to 10 or higher. Example Character Let's take a Transformer character and convert it to a Feng Shui character, under the above process. This is Nightracer, the 1995 BotCon Convention Exclusive Transformer. DECEPTICON NIGHTRACER FUNCTION: GUNNER "A good shot is worth more than a big mouth." Nightracer is one of the best sharpshooters of all the Transformers. Her skills are almost legendary. She can hit a speeding target the size of a golf ball at a distance of over 10 miles, both from a stationary or a moving position. Her vision has a normal and a telescopic mode, with a computer-guided visual tracking function. She is cool and imperturbable in even the worst battle situations; almost nothing can rattle her composure. Other Decepticons admire her skill, but are put off by her aloof manner, which is often mistaken for arrogance. In fact, Nightracer disdains braggarts, and is equally unimpressed when someone raves over her skill. She knows she's the best gunner around, and neither promotes nor downplays that fact. She prefers to avoid the complexities of getting close to others, and tends to make cutting remarks that discourage friendly conversation. She is extremely fast as a ground vehicle, and is adept at lighning turns, though she is not designed for rough terrain. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STR XXXXXXXXXX 5 Average Stat =7.75 INT XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 SPD XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 9 END XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 RNK XXXXXXXXXXXX 6 CRG XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 9 FRP XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 9 SKL XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 10 Body 12 Move 14 Strength 10 Constitution 12 Toughness 12 Chi 0 Fortune 0 (Nightracer's good enough not to need luck.) Kung-Fu 0 (Nightracer isn't a Fu type.) Magic 0 Mind 7 Charisma 7 Intelligence 7 Perception 7 Willpower 9 Reflexes 10 Agility 10 Dexterity 10 Speed 9 Firepower 9 = 5 Skill slots; 4 Schticks I, as the player, decide I want Nightracer to have just a little Martial Art skill as well, so I give her Guns +4, Martial Arts +1. (NOTE: A more faithful-to-the-exact-letter-of-the-file-card conversion might put all 5 slots on Guns, but the point of this is also to tailor her for the player's tastes, or alternately, to surprise a player by making the Named character's writeup slightly different from what he would have expected.) For her gun schticks, I choose Eagle Eye (based on her stat card's estimate of her marksmanship ability), Both Guns Blazing, and Carnival of Carnage x2. (Note: BGB & CoC x2 are totally subjective, based on my ideas about the character; I could just as easily have given her Hair-Trigger Neck-Hairs and Lightning Reload x2, for instance.) Rank + Skill = 6 + 10 = 16 Skill slots I specify the free Transformation schtick as being Transformation: Sports Car (Pontiac Firebird) to take care of Nightracer's alternate form. I spend 1 Skill slot to buy Nightracer's Martial Arts up from Brawling, and call it Mechajitsu and decide it's the basic Cybertronian self-defense form. 16 Skill slots remain; I spend them on Deceit +4, Info/Decepticon Politics +4, Martial Arts +1, Guns +1 (bringing it up to Nightracer's Guns max, Dex (10) plus 1/2 Firepower (5), =15), Intrusion +3, and Fix-It +1 NIGHTRACER Quote: "A good shot is worth more than a big mouth." Hook: Just doing her job. (I could probably come up with something even more specific if I was looking for a way to work her into a campaign. Maybe she was jilted by an Autobot sometime in the distant past, which is why she joined the Decepticon cause, for example.) Wealth: Middle-class Attributes: Bod 12 (Mov 14, Str 10); Chi 0; Mnd 7 (Wil 9); Ref 10 (Spd 9) Skills: Guns 15 Martial Arts 12 Driving 14 Deceit 11 Info/Decepticon 11 Politics Intrusion 13 Fix-It 8 Schticks: Transformation (Pontiac Firebird), Eagle Eye, Both Guns Blazing, Carnival of Carnage x2 Guns: Two submachine guns (Uzi-equivalent; 15/4/40), assault rifle (M-16-equivalent; 18*/5/30), Laser sniper rifle (19**/6/10) Now let's see how a fairly low-powered character, such as the original Bumblebee, translates. AUTOBOT BUMBLEBEE FUNCTION: ESPIONAGE "The least likely can be the most dangerous." Small, eager, and brave, Bumblebee acts as messenger and spy. He idolizes the bigger Autobots, especially Optimus Prime and Prowl, and strives to be accepted. He is the most energy efficient and has the best vision of all the Autobots. He can go underwater for reconaissance and salvage missions. Although physically the weakest Autobot, his stealth more than compensates for this inadequacy. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STR XXXX 2 Average Stat: 5.825 INT XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 8 SPD XXXXXXXX 4 END XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 RNK XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 CRG XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 10 FRP XXXX 2 SKL XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 Quote: "The least likely can be the most dangerous." Hook: Overachiever; attempting to make up for his inadequate size by his deeds. Wealth: Middle-class Attributes: Bod 12 (Mov 9, Str 7); Chi 0 (For 3); Mnd 8 (Wil 10); Ref 7 (Spd 4) Skills: Guns 12 Driving 11 Intrusion 13 Info/Earth 10 Culture Schticks: Transformation (V.W. Bug), Amphibian (suggested by his file card), Hair-Trigger Neck Hairs Weapons: Laser pistol (15/4/10) AUTOBOT SIDESWIPE (G2-reissued original) FUNCTION: WARRIOR "I don't break the rules, I bend them--a lot." Sideswipe is nearly the equal of his twin brother Sunstreaker in the combat arts, but he's less cold-blooded despite enjoying a fight to the finish with any opponent. His arms act as powerful pile-drivers and he can fly for up to 2 minutes with a rocket backpack while firing flares that are visible for 18 miles! He uses underhanded tactics when necessary and his rash actions often lead to self-inflicted injuries...but he just takes them in stride. 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STR XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 Average Stat: 6.375 INT XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 SPD XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 END XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 RNK XXXXXXXXXX 5 CRG XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 9 FRP XXXXXX 3 SKL XXXXXXXXXXXX 6 Quote: "I don't break the rules, I bend them--a lot." Hook: Rowdy, raucas warrior who's better with his fists than with his weapons. More of an "Everyman Hero" sort than a real warrior. Wealth: Middle-class Attributes: Bod 12; Chi 0 (For 3); Mnd 7 (Wil 9); Ref 6 (Spd 7) Skills: Guns 11 Martial Arts 13 (Brawling) Driving 10 Schticks: Transformation (Lamborghini Countach), Flight, Lightning Reload x1 Weapons: Laser rifle (18*/5/30), Flaregun (5/5/1), Missile Launcher (Gen2 figure) (20**/8/1), piledriver arms (Str + 2 dam; use of the piledriver arms to shake the ground would count as a Stunt) OPTIONAL: Statistic Tweaking Obviously, the toy statistics don't necessarily reflect the appearance of a character in the TV show or comic continuity. If the character's translation is completely at odds with how he was seen in the TV show and comic (for example, the above translation of Sideswipe comes nowhere near "Sideswipe the bad-ass with fistfuls of guns and spiked tires" who was seen blowing Decepticons away left and right in TFGen2 issue #1), some statistic tweaking might be permitted, at the GM's discretion. For example, adding +5 to Sideswipe's Firepower stat (making it 8) and extrapolating from there would give us a new writeup of: Attributes: Bod 12; Chi 0 (For 3); Mnd 7 (Wil 9); Ref 6 (Spd 7) Skills: Guns 13 Martial Arts 12 (Brawling) Driving 10 Intimidation 9 Schticks: Transformation (Lamborghini Countach), Flight, Lightning Reload x2, Both Guns Blazing, Carnival of Carnage x1 Further, bringing his Skill up from 6 to 8 would change his For to 4 and his Ref to 8, provide two more skill points, and could thus allow his skills to be changed to: Guns 13 Martial Arts 12 (Brawling) Driving 12 Intimidation 11 Sabotage 10 which seems most in line with his appearance in the "Transformers Generation 2" comic book. Such tweaking should be done only sparingly, if at all, and no stat should be tweaked to higher than 8 without a _very_ good reason. It is up to the GM just how much tweaking should be allowed, if any, and the player should have some character-based justification for it. TRANSFORMERS IN FENG SHUI MODULE #1: BEAST WARS If you'd like to play in the universe of the Beast Wars TV show using these rules, you just need to make a few changes and additions. First of all, keep in mind that the toy tech specs may bear little to no resemblance to the characters from the TV show, so they may require some tweaking as per the example given above. Also, the weapons used in the TV show can be quite different from the toy versions. Second, note that Beast Wars 'bots are similarly-sized to humans, and as many of their components are organics (or simulated organics), the scaling factor should be smaller--say, +2 instead of +5. It may not even be necessary to scale their weapons at all, as long as you equip them with higher-end human-type weapons. ADDED SYSTEMS All Beast Wars 'bots have comlinks built in, usually activated by tapping something on their chest. These comlinks had only limited range in the first part of the first season, due to Energon interference, and can still be blocked by jamming devices used by the opposite side even during the second season. They usually transmit audio-only, but are apparently also capable of video broadcast. All Beast Wars 'bots have telephoto zoom scanning built into their optics, though scouts (Cheetor, Airrazor) tend to have better range and resolution. They may carry other specialized scanners, and may also have other systems (such as recording devices) built in (such as Optimus Primal's radar imager/datatrack recorder as seen in "Before the Storm") Beast Warriors usually carry Signature Weapons, either built in (Dinobot's eyebeams, Transmetal Cheetor's hand blasters) or as sidearms. Buying them _all_ as Signature Weapons would be somewhat excessive, but there is no really good way to decide which should and which should not be Signature. A possible suggestion would be that if the character _never_ uses any other weapon, and uses that particular weapon in some cool way, the one he uses most should be Signature (ie, Optimus's dual double-barrelled shotguns, Inferno's huge-mongous blaster cannon/flamethrower), whereas if they've been seen to use some other weapon (Rattrap's rifle, Dinobot's eyebeams), it should not be. It's up to personal whim, really. Beast Wars robots' weapons may not be used in beast mode (save for weapons inherent to their beast form--teeth, claws, pincers, stingers et cetera); oddly enough, this seems to hold true even for the Transmetals. However, in some cases certain systems are available _only_ in beast mode--such as flight for Transmetal Optimus Primal and Transmetal Cheetor. Beast Warriors have a built-in on-board computer that helps regulate their bodily functions. This computer usually has the same voice as the faction's base computer (male for Maximal, female for Predacon). It can respond to voice commands ("Maximize!" "Beast mode!" "Divert power from weapons array to field dampers. Maximum tolerance"), run diagnostics, and provide audible warnings of undesirable events ("Predacons detected." "Energon surge imminent. Convert to beast mode"). Transformation between beast and robot modes can be accomplished manually--by concentrating on the change--or automatically, by verbally cueing the computer ("Cheetor, Maximize!"). The advantage of verbal cuing is that it helps the 'bot direct his concentration, sort of like a "kiai!" yell, and provides a +1 bonus to his first action that sequence. It will also allow an injured 'bot to convert as his last act before losing consciousness if he lacks the strength to do so manually. Manual conversion is treated as "normal" above. BEAST MODE vs. ROBOT MODE Each of the two modes has its own advantages. In Beast Mode, a Transformer can regenerate one wound point per two minute period (provided he has not been damaged to stasis lock point), and can lower his Energon buildup; however, he cannot use any of his weapons save for natural ones (teeth, claws, stingers, etc.). In Robot Mode, a Transformer can use his weapons but will build up an Energon charge. Also, some Beast Wars Transformers have abilities in one mode that are not available in the other--pre-Transmetal Optimus Primal could fly in robot form only; Transmetal Optimus Primal can fly in beast form only. ENERGON BUILDUP During the first season, the Energon crystals scattered throughout the planet created a powerful Energon field that built up on the exposed metal parts of the Transformers when they were in robot mode. Given that the time required for this Energon buildup to reach critical levels was largely arbitrary, GMs might wish to impose it only in moments of dramatic necessity and decrease the amount of bookkeeping necessary. On the other hand, here are some optional rules to cover tracking it if the GM wants to take the responsibility onto himself. Each character receives a number of "Energon tokens" based on his exposure time. RATE CAUSE 0 per minute Shielded area (Maximal & Pred bases), zero-Energon area (season two) 1-2 per minute Low-level Energon exposure 3-5 per minute Mid-range Energon exposure (small Energon deposits in area) 6-10+ per minute High-level Energon exposure (large Energon deposit in vicinity; Energon storm) 10+ all at once Energon explosion 20+ all at once _Large_ Energon explosion Energon buildup may be lessened by up to four tokens per minute (though never into the negative range) by diverting power from weapons or sensor arrays; however, this means that the 'bot cannot use those systems until he redirects the power back (in both cases, a three-shot action). In beast mode, no Energon buildup is taken whatsoever, even from large explosions, and accumulated Energon tokens are dispersed at a rate of three per minute, or immediately if within a shielded environment (such as the Maximal or Predacon base). TRANSMETALS, FUZORS, AND ENERGON BUILDUP As seen in "Other Visits," Transmetals and Fuzors seem to have an increased resistance to Energon surges. They build up at half the rate that other TFs do, and can dissipate Energon even in their robot mode (assuming the absense of further Energon surge exposure). However, Transmetals will still build up Energon even in beast form, though Fuzors will not. ENERGON BUILDUP EFFECTS LEVEL 8 tokens Verbal warning (optional): "Energon surge imminent. Convert to beast mode." 10 tokens Energon surge. Energy plays over the 'bot's body, and he is at -3 to all actions until he converts to beast mode. 15 tokens Stasis lock. If without a locking chip, the 'bot starts to take physical damage at this point, 4 points per round per Energon token over 14. 30 tokens (If received while not in stasis lock--ie, received all at once, or this many points reached while without a locking chip.) Burnout; the 'bot goes _permanently_ offline. He's toast. STASIS LOCK Stasis lock occurs when a 'bot incurs severe damage (such as being blown to bits--in game terms, enough damage to "kill" a human character). All systems shut down and all energy is diverted to keeping the 'bot's Spark alive. A stasis locked 'bot takes on no further Energon tokens, but literally cannot do _anything_--he's comatose. If a 'bot's locking chip is damaged or removed and he incurs fatal damage from failing to go into stasis lock, he dies. Aside from that, actually _killing_ a TF can be tricky, and often requires completely destroying his body to the point where it can no longer sustain his Spark, or attacking his Spark directly with a virus. In game terms, this requires a Plot Device or damaging the character below negative thirty wound points (at which another death check is made; failing this means he's dead, Jim). Of course, in Transformers, characters return from the dead all the time... (Note: As seen in "Bad Spark," Rampage and (apparently) Starscream have Sparks That Will Not Die, even if their bodies do. This should be treated as a plot device, and the players should likely not be able to play characters with such a Spark.) REGENERATION AND REPAIR Unless critically damaged, a beast mode Transformer can regenerate one Wound Point per two minute period. Severe damage, however, necessitates use of an R-chamber. Though Maximal and Predacon chambers look different, they function similarly in that they restore damaged characters to full wound point levels and zero Energon buildup levels. This may take a few minutes, or it may take hours or days depending on the severity of the damage. "Field repairs" may also be performed by one 'bot upon another; the Fix-It skill should be used for this, as mentioned above. If a 'bot has been knocked off-line due to Energon damage or a stun blast, attaching a battery pack and activating it should bring him back on-line (if the roll is successful), repairing 1D6+X wound points, where X equals the difference between the character's roll and the target number. This can only be done once; after that, it's up to the character's regeneration systems and the R-chambers. SAMPLE CHARACTER Now we'll see about converting a Beast Wars character to Feng Shui stats. Keep in mind that Beast Wars characters' toys and stats often bear even less resemblance to their counterparts from the show than the G1 toys do, so a bit of tweaking may be necessary. Here's Inferno's writeup: INFERNO Function: Infantry Commander Although seemingly slow, this giant ant's abdomen splits into separate quadrants to reveal hyper-drive ion thrusters that propel him at speeds of up to 180 mph! If he can't catch a retreating Maximal, he detaches his rear leg meissiles and fires them from the secret launchers hidden within his power-pinching mandibles! The claw-like pinchers also detach so Inferno can put the bite on enemies even in robot mode, when his destructive powers are at their best! 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 STR XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 Average Stat: 6.325 INT XXXXXXXX 4 SPD XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 8 END XXXXXXXX 4 RNK XXXXXXXXXXXXXX 7 CRG XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 8 FRP XXXXXXXXXXXX 6 SKL XXXXXXXXXX 5 This really doesn't represent the "Inferno" seen in the show very well, for several reasons: 1) Different weapons. In the show, Inferno's cannon is a stylized blaster based on the merged form of Inferno's mandibles/claw and his missile launcher. In the toy, these can be two separate weapons. Also, the toy can fire the ant mode's rear leg segments as missiles, but this is never done in the show. 2) The given Endurance, Courage, and Firepower levels simply don't fit the version of Inferno as seen in the show. Inferno is an unstoppable robot warrior who will do _anything_ his "queen" orders; failure is not an option. He has even been seen to put his own head back on after it's been blown off. As for firepower...well, Inferno has been seen to carry two guns at once, for some classic both-guns-blazing action, and he hits more often than not.. For the purposes of the game, we'll tweak each of those stats by 2, raising them to Endurance 6, Courage 10, Firepower 8, Skill 7. This raises his average stat to 7.325. Quotes: "Fool! Pain is my friend! Allow me to introduce you to it!" "I don't rock and roll, I burrrrrn." Hook: Warrior devoted to the defense of the colony at all costs, and his "queen"'s desires above his own. Wealth: Middle Class Attributes: Bod 8 (Mov 10, Str 9), Chi 0, Mnd 4 (Wil 10), Ref 5 (Spd 8) Skills: Driving (Ant) 11 Fix-It 7 Guns 13 Martial Arts 10 Sabotage 8 Schticks: Transformation (Giant Ant), Flight (robot mode only), Signature Weapon x2: Multiguns, Both Guns Blazing, Fast Draw Weapons: Signature Multigun: Missile cannon (17/3/20), Flamethrower (18/-/10) Notes: - These are signature weapons; in someone else's hands the damage values are (14/3/20) and (15/-/10) respectively. (The multigun is based on a .50 automatic from the rulebook, with damage scaling factor of +2 applied.) - Switching from one weapon type to the other is a one-shot action. - The different weapon types do not use the same ammo pool. - Each Flamethrower "shot" is defined as a two-second spurt of flame. - Flamethrower range is limited to ten feet. - If the to-hit roll beats the target roll by 5, mooks go down and named targets are set on fire, taking 18 (15) more points of damage (modified by Tgh) per sequence until they go down, or until it's put out. (Not cumulative with other flamethrower hits.) - Inferno may carry one or two of these guns. Note that this is a strictly show-based interpretation of the character; a more toy-based writeup might well, for instance, define his claw and missile launcher as separate weapons, and include stats for them instead. MOOKS AND BEAST WARS Given the constraints as to the number of characters who can be animated, there are very few characters in the Beast Wars show...which means, no mooks. You can, of course, get around this in any number of ways; the easiest would be to use automated defense drones, such as the one seen in "Coming of the Fuzors" Part One, as mooks; this is apparently how the Playstation game does it. Or you could simply change the setting so that there are a lot more robots than just those six or seven from each side, and make some of them mooks. It's up to you. At any rate, this is really more of a rough framework for playing Beast Wars characters than a complete RPG sourcebook. I don't claim anything within it is "official" at any rate; it's just based on what I've seen in the show, and is subject to change if something revealed in future episodes renders anything in it invalid. The Feng Shui RPG and all associated terminology are trademarks of Daedalus Games. The Transformers, Beast Wars, Autobots, Decepticons, Maximals, Predacons, Bumblebee, Sideswipe, Inferno, etc. are registered trademarks of Hasbro and Takara, and Nightracer is a trademark of Raksha and Plumed Serpent Productions. Their unauthorized use here is not for profit, and not meant to infringe upon those trademarks. This is _not_ an official Hasbro-endorsed RPG supplement, please don't think I'm trying to pass it off as one. (There, that should make the Hasbro lawyers happy. :)