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  MAR 2003 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  In this issue: 
  • Atoms 
  • Agents 
  • Aliens 
  • Anime 
  • Atlanteans 
  • Time 
  • Space 
  • History 
  
   
  the secret special page 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  1
  Table of Contents 
   
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  WHEN LAST WE LEFT OUR HEROES… 
   
   
  Keep up with the news from Hero Games. 
  This issue – Welcome to the future! See 
  what’s on the 2004 schedule for Hero Games. 2 
  HEROGLYPHS 
   
   
  See how Steve Long himself answers 
  rules questions. This issue – Stop all of time 
  throughout the entire universe! 
  3 
  YOU GOTTA HAVE CHARACTER 
   
   
  Bill “The Butcher” Poole lived and 
  fought in early New York City. 
  6 
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  LEFTOVER HERO 
   
   
  These alien species and psionic rules 
  were cut from The Terran Empire. 
  11 
  YOUR HOROSCOPE FOR: ARIES 
   
   
  Visit the space station that will orbit 
  Mars a hundred years from today. 
  22 
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  ATLANTEAN WATER ARTS 
   
   
  Come beneath the waves, learn of the 
  fighting style of Atlantis, and meet a mad 
  scientist, with the powers of many creatures. 30 
  ANIME AND THE HERO SYSTEM 
   
   
  Although a popular genre, there won’t be 
  an Anime Hero book, but here’s a great 
  overview of the conventions, with examples. 36 
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  DOCTOR ATOM 
   
   
  Gasp in awe at the superhero who has 
  harnessed both the power of the atom, and the 
  eye of the media. 
  57 
  IZZY EINSTEIN 
   
   
  Back in the days of Prohibition, there 
  lived this agent with a remarkable record of 
  arrests. 
  60 
   
  DIGITAL HERO 
   
   
  Publisher 
  Hero Games 
  Editor 
  Dave Mattingly 
  Authors 
  Charles Bikle 
  Steven S. Long 
  Mike Surbrook 
  Allen Thomas 
  Jason Walters 
  W. Ross Watson 
  Leah Watts 
  Artists 
  Erica Girotto 
  Lisa Hartjes 
  Don Mangan 
  Brad Parnell 
  Derrick Thomas 
  Jason Walters 
  Chris Watkins 
  Cover Artist 
  Brad Parnell 
  Online 
  herogames.com 
  To Subscribe 
  herogames.com/ 
  digitalhero 
   
   
  HERO SystemTM ® is DOJ, Inc.'s trademark for its roleplaying system. 
  HERO System Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All  rights reserved. 
  Champions Copyright © 1984, 1989, 2002 by DOJ, Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. 
  Justice Inc., Danger International, Dark Champions, Fantasy Hero, and Star Hero Copyright © 2002 by DOJ, 
  Inc. d/b/a Hero Games. All rights reserved. 
  No part of this electronic magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic 
  or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or computerization, or by any information storage and retrieval 
  system, without permission in writing from the Publisher:  DOJ, Inc., 1 Haight Street, Suite A, San Francisco, 
  California 94102. 
  Issue #8 (March 2003) 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  2 
  When We Last Left Our Heroes…  
  by Steven S. Long 
   
   
  Normally I’d fill this column with some 
  discussion about our next book – Millennium City, 
  to be precise. However, this month I have 
  something even more interesting to discuss:  the 
  Hero Games production schedule for 2004! 
   
  By the beginning of 2004, we expect to have 
  another person in the Creative Dept. here at Hero, 
  allowing us to expand our production a bit. 
  Instead of the 12 books we’re producing in 2003 
  (one per month), right now we’re planning 
  eighteen books (three every two months, 
  approximately) for 2004. We have to scale up 
  because we’ll have more product lines by that 
  point, and we want to make sure they all receive 
  sufficient support. 
   
  Our current lineup includes six Champions 
  products, three Dark Champions products, three 
  Fantasy Hero products, three Star Hero products, 
  and three rules/system-oriented books. Here they 
  are, listed in alphabetical order. To get an idea of 
  tentative page counts, prices, and publication 
  dates, check out the “2004 Schedule” page in the 
  “Our Products” part of the Hero website: 
   
  Champions:  DEMON; Gadgets And Gear; 
  Galactic Champions; The Mystic World; 
  Vibora Bay; Villainy Amok 
  Dark Champions:  Dark Champions; Hudson 
  City: The Urban Abyss; Predators 
  Fantasy Hero:  Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds; The 
  Turakian Age; The Valdorian Age 
  Star Hero:  Galactic Federation; Scourges Of The 
  Galaxy; Worlds Of Empire 
  System Books:  The HERO System Vehicle 
  Sourcebook; The Ultimate Brick; The 
  Ultimate Mystic 
   
   
  The Champions line for 2004 has a definite 
  “mystic” theme, though it’s not entirely oriented 
  that way – Gadgets And Gear, Galactic 
  Champions, and Villainy Amok aren’t about 
  supermages and their brethren. But that still 
  means half the books are devoted to matters 
  magical, and when you combine them with The 
  Ultimate Mystic, you have a year that’s full of 
  wizardly coolness. 
   
  The centerpiece of the 2004 releases is the re-
  launch of the Dark Champions line, which focuses 
  on modern-day action-adventure in all its aspects:  
  vigilante crimefighting, cop dramas, 
  technothrillers and special ops missions, military 
  gaming, espionage, and more. The genre book, 
  Dark Champions, will debut at GenCon 2004. A 
  setting book (Hudson City: The Urban Abyss) and 
  an enemies book (Predators) will follow shortly 
  thereafter. And believe me, I have lots of plans for 
  Dark Champions books beyond that. ;) 
   
  Fantasy Hero will be in its second year of 
  release in 2004, and since we’ll already have books 
   of monsters and spells available, we’re mostly 
  focusing on some pre-built settings for you to use. 
  The first, The Turakian Age, is a high fantasy setting 
  with powerful magic, fearsome monsters and foes, 
  fabulous treasures, epic quests, adventure, 
  excitement, and romance. It’s got a world-
  threatening Dark Lord, dozens of kingdoms ranging 
  from petty to mighty, a completely detailed 
  pantheon of gods, and a magic system that’s both 
  easy to learn and easy to use. The second, The 
  Valdorian Age, is a swords-and-sorcery setting with 
  a different feel. Magic isn’t nearly as common, nor 
  as easy to use, but it can be just as effective in the 
  right hands. Every warrior and rogue, no matter how 
  sneaky or strong, has the good sense to fear 
  spellcasters, not to mention the priests who serve the 
  strange Valdorian gods. To go along with both these 
  settings, Fantasy Hero Battlegrounds provides not 
  only several interlinked scenarios, but lots of maps 
  you can use in any campaign. 
   
  Star Hero has two books tied to our Terran 
  Empire setting – Scourges Of The Galaxy, an 
  enemies book; and Worlds Of Empire, a planets 
  book – plus an additional setting in our future 
  history. Galactic Federation details the period 
  2700 to 3000 AD, between the ending of the 
  Terran Empire and the beginning of the Galactic 
  Champions period (during which the Federation 
  continues to exist). It’s a time when Humanity 
  unites with numerous other species throughout the 
  Galaxy to create an enlightened government 
  devoted to security, exploration, and the 
  advancement of knowledge. But never fear – there 
  are plenty of opportunities for adventure stopping 
  Ackálian and Thorgon aggression, dealing with the 
  threat of Varanyi spies, and perhaps even preparing 
  for enemies far stranger, and far deadlier. 
   
  In addition to The Ultimate Mystic, the rules-
  oriented part of the year’s schedule contains 
  another Ultimate book, The Ultimate Brick, as well 
  as a resource book suitable for just about any 
  campaign, The HERO System Vehicle Sourcebook. 
  The latter builds on the 50 sample vehicles in The 
  Ultimate Vehicle to assemble a collection of Things 
  That Move ranging from horse-drawn carriages, to 
  cars and tanks, to planes, to the most advanced 
  starships. While TUV stuck to relatively common 
  vehicles, the HSVS has the room to go further 
  afield and look at wierder, more unusual, and/or 
  more experimental vehicles – pulp-era coupes, 
  volantors, enchanted flying ships, and lots more. 
   
  So, get your checklists ready and start saving 
  up your ducats, Hero fans! The HERO System is 
  going places in 2004, and we want you to come 
  along for the ride. ;) 
   
   
  – Steven S. Long 
  HERO System Line Developer 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #7 
   
  3
  HEROglyphs by Steven S. Long 
   
  Stop! In the Name of Time 
  BUILDING A “TIME STOP” POWER 
   
   
   
  A few months ago, someone on the Hero 
  message boards posted a question asking me 
  how to create the ability to stop time throughout 
  the Universe “accurately and elegantly.” Unable 
  to get the idea out of my head, I sat down and 
  spent a couple hours writing up a power that fit 
  the questioner’s carefully-defined parameters. I 
  posted the original version to the message 
  boards, but since then I’ve refined things a bit. 
  Here’s my take on the subject. I hope you have 
  lots of Character Points to spend…. 
  Assumptions 
   
  To keep this exercise as simple as possible, 
  I’m going to specify the following assumptions 
  and preconditions: 
  1. The exact size of the Universe, a.k.a. 
  “Reality,” is unknown, and possibly 
  unknowable. However, a MegaArea 
  effect at the +10 Advantage level is big 
  enough to encompass the entire 
  Universe, regardless of where the 
  character happens to be situated within 
  the Universe. 
   
  The Time Stop power, as designed, 
  assumes there’s just one dimension. If 
  there are multiple dimensions and a 
  character wants to affect all of them 
  with this power, he should apply 
  Transdimensional to all parts of it. 
   
  (Hereafter, I refer to the various 
  parts of the Time Stop power as “sub-
  powers.”) 
  2. Characters can use multiple-Power 
  attacks in the game. A character has to 
  activate the different time-stopping 
  effects at once – but he doesn’t always 
  need every effect. Thus, he must be able 
  to pick and choose the subparts he 
  wants to use, yet use all the sub-powers 
  he selects simultaneously. Using a 
  multiple-Power attack is much easier 
  than figuring out which sub-powers 
  should Link to which other sub-powers, 
  and possibly creating an arrangement 
  that won’t fit what some characters 
  want to do. 
  3. The levels of power chosen for the 
  various sub-powers are, by GM’s fiat, 
  sufficient to affect any being and thing 
  in the Universe, from the lowliest 
  microbe to the most powerful super-
  being or god. I’ve built with enough 
  points that I suspect well over 90% of 
  the beings and things in the Universe 
  would be affected anyway, but for the 
  sake of game play and having fun just 
  assume this monstrosity of a power can 
  affect Tyrannon or Zeus. 
  4. Two hundred doublings of mass (a 
  +50 Advantage) suffices to affect the 
  mass of any single object in the 
  Universe with a Usable As Attack 
  power. 
  5.  The sub-powers are constructed 
  using multiple Areas Of Effect so that 
  it’s easy for a character to hit everyone 
  in the Universe. While technically 1 in 
  216 people should be “missed” (since a 
  roll of 18 always misses), the GM 
  should just ignore such statistical 
  nonsense in favor of good old-fashioned 
  common sense and dramatic sense, and 
  assume everyone gets zapped. 
  6. Rules clarifications:  Be sure to 
  consult the Rules FAQ if a power 
  construct doesn’t make sense to you. 
  Creating the Time Stop power led to the 
  addition of several questions-and-
  answers to the FAQ. 
  Time Stop 
   
  Time to get chronal. 
  SUB-POWER 1:  STOP WHERE YOU ARE! 
   
   
   
  The first aspect of Time Stop to account for 
  is the fact that everyone and everything stops 
  moving. This requires a two-part sub-power. The 
  first part uses Entangle: 
  Stop Where You Are!:  Entangle 1d6, 1 
  DEF, NND (defense is time 
  manipulation powers; +1), Takes No 
  Damage From Attacks (+½), Area Of 
  Effect (1” Radius; +1), Selective (+¼), 
  Area Of Effect (One Hex Accurate; 
  +½), MegaArea (1” = the entire 
  Universe; +10), Reduced Endurance (0 
  END; +½), Personal Immunity (+¼) 
  (150 Active Points); No Range (-½). 
  Total cost:  100 points. 
   
  This power is, of course, a blatant violation 
  of the rule against applying NND to Entangle. 
  However, as noted in Captain Chronos’s 
  description on page 137 of Conquerors, Killers, 
  And Crooks, it’s all in the sake of fun. This is, 
  after all, an intellectual experiment. So, assume 
  for the sake of argument that the GM grants 
  permission. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #7 
   
  4 
   
  The second part of this sub-power is that 
  people and objects frozen in time don’t fall if 
  they’re in the air — gravity is time-stopped, too. 
  To take this into account, we apply some Flight 
  to everyone and everything in the Universe. For 
  the sake of this power, assume 100” Flight 
  suffices to withstand any pull of gravity. (See 
  Star Hero for more information on gravity and 
  its effects.) 
  Stop Where You Are!:  Flight 100”, 
  Area Of Effect (20” Radius; +1), 
  Selective (+¼), Area Of Effect (One 
  Hex Accurate; +½), MegaArea (1” = 
  the entire Universe; +10), Usable As 
  Attack (x200 doublings of mass; +51), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), 
  Personal Immunity (+¼) (12,900 Active 
  Points); No Range (-½). Total cost:  
  8,600 points. 
   
  So, due to this sub-power, when the 
  character stops time, no one can move. Flying 
  creatures and vehicles stay exactly where they 
  are, and falling objects are suddenly suspended 
  in mid-air. However, thanks to the Personal 
  Immunity, the character can move around freely, 
  and since the Entangle has the Takes No Damage 
  From Attacks Advantage, he can hurt or 
  otherwise affect the time-stopped people if he 
  chooses. He can take against them any action he 
  could normally take, and he pays END for those 
  actions at the usual rate. (Even though the 
  character is “outside time,” the GM should track 
  “phantom Phases” for purposes of END 
  expenditure and such.) 
   
  Technically speaking, there’s one thing the 
  character can’t do:  move the victims around. 
  They are, after all, Entangled in an Area Of 
  Effect – that means moving them would involve 
  “tearing” through part of the Entangle to reach 
  them, and then “tearing” them out of it. Given 
  the special effects involved, the GM could easily 
  rule that the character can move people and 
  objects around without paying for any additional 
  powers. But for GMs uncomfortable with that 
  solution, here’s the ability for a character to 
  move time-stopped people and objects from 
  place to place: 
  Cost 
  Power 
   83 Let’s Rearrange Things:  Multipower,  
   
   125-point reserve, all Extra Time (-¼), 
  Must Pass Through Intervening Space (-¼) 
   7u 1)  Let’s Rearrange Things (Small 
  Rearrangement):  Teleportation 1”, Usable 
  As Attack (x200 doublings of mass; +51), 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (105 
  Active Points); Extra Time (however long 
  it takes for the character to carry/drag the 
  object to the desired location; -¼), Must 
  Pass Through Intervening Space (-¼) (total 
  cost:  70 points) 
  0 
   8u 2)  Let’s Rearrange Things (Large 
  Rearrangement):  Teleportation 1”, 
  MegaScale (1” = the entire Universe; 
  +10), Usable As Attack (x200 doublings 
  of mass; +51), Reduced Endurance (0 
  END; +½) (125 Active Points); Extra 
  Time (however long it takes for the 
  character to carry/drag the object to the 
  desired location; -¼), Must Pass Through 
  Intervening Space (-¼) (total cost:  83 
  points) 
  0 
  Total cost:  98 points. 
  SUB-POWER 2:  HEY, WHAT HAPPENED? 
   
   
   
  The next aspect of Time Stop to account for 
  is that living beings aren’t aware of the fact 
  someone’s stopped time. As long as time 
  remains stopped, they remain oblivious; when 
  the character turns time back on, they don’t even 
  realize the merest picosecond has passed. 
   
  There are several ways to handle this 
  particular effect. The most thorough and accurate 
  would be Transform, but ensuring that any living 
  being regardless of BODY or Power Defense 
  could be completely and instantly Transformed 
  would cost in the hundreds of thousands of 
  Character Points. So instead, let’s try something 
  a bit simpler:  Change Environment. For 
  purposes of this power, “ability to sense the 
  passage of time” is defined as a single Sense 
  Group. Because the character is immune to the 
  effect, he senses the passage of time normally. 
  Hey, What Happened?:  Change 
  Environment 1” radius, -40 to Time 
  Group PER Rolls, NND (defense is 
  time manipulation powers; +1), 
  Selective (+½), Area Of Effect (One 
  Hex Accurate; +½), MegaArea (1” = 
  the entire Universe; +10), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½), Personal 
  Immunity (+¼) (1,677 Active Points); 
  No Range (-½). Total cost:  1,118 
  points. 
   
  GMs unwilling to accept “Time Sense 
  Group” as valid can simply buy this same power 
  multiple times, defining the Change 
  Environment as affecting a different Sense 
  Group each time. (The GM may, in his 
  discretion, simply allow the character building 
  the power to buy multiple combat effects for a 
  single Change Environment power, as discussed 
  in the Rules FAQ.) 
   
  Of course, 1 in 216 people will still make 
  their PER Rolls to realize what’s happening, 
  since a roll of 3 always succeeds. As with the 
  Attack Rolls discussed above, the GM should 
  apply common sense and dramatic sense and just 
  assume none of the affected persons ever 
  succeeds with a PER Roll. 
  TIME STOP AS 
  EXTRA-
  DIMENSIONAL 
  MOVEMENT 
   
   
   For true “elegance” 
  (meaning, in this 
  context, a simple but 
  satisfying power 
  construction), the best 
  method for creating 
  Time Stop is Extra-
  Dimensional 
  Movement. That 
  power allows a 
  character to simulate 
  “other states of 
  being,” and stopping 
  time certainly 
  qualifies. The 
  parameters and 
  conditions discussed 
  in this article set forth 
  the natural scientific 
  laws applying to the 
  new “dimension.” Of 
  course, this method 
  involves a lot of 
  “handwaving” by the 
  GM, and is, in the 
  hands of all but the 
  most mature and 
  responsible players, 
  grossly unbalancing 
  in game terms. Those 
  of you who want strict 
  mathematical 
  accuracy can stick 
  with the method 
  outlined in this article, 
  or create more limited 
  powers with the 
  special effect of 
  “stopping time” (see 
  Captain Chronos in 
  Conquerors, Killers, 
  And Crooks for plenty 
  of examples of the 
  latter). 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #7 
   
  5
  SUB-POWER 3:  SNUFFING OUT THE 
  STARS 
   
   
   
  The third aspect of Time Stop that this 
  power construct must account for relates to sub-
  power 1(b). Gravity isn’t the only form of energy 
  the power has to stop; as long as time remains 
  stopped, stars don’t burn, water doesn’t boil, and 
  other similar potentially damaging effects simply 
  lose their ability to harm the character. He could 
  walk on the surface of Rigel if he wanted and not 
  feel a thing. 
   
  Star Hero opines that the damage caused by 
  the core of Earth’s Sun would inflict 975d6 
  Killing Damage, Continuous, Armor Piercing 
  (x8), Penetrating (x16), per Segment. For 
  purposes of this power, I’ll assume all stars are 
  G2V ones like Sol. That’s 204,750 Active 
  Points’ worth of power to negate (or 210 points 
  per d6!). That requires a lot of dice of Drain 
  using the Standard Effect Rule: 
  Snuffing Out The Stars:  Drain Energy 
  68,250d6 (standard effect:  204,750 
  points), all Energy powers 
  simultaneously (+2), Area Of Effect (1” 
  Radius; +1), Selective (+¼), Area Of 
  Effect (One Hex Accurate; +½), 
  MegaArea (1” = the entire Universe; 
  +10), Continuous (+1), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½), Personal 
  Immunity (+¼) (11,261,250 Active 
  Points); All Drained Points Immediately 
  Return When Character Deactivates 
  Power (-½). Total cost:  7,507,500 
  points. 
   
  The Drain is bought as Continuous so that it 
  maintains its effect as long as the character wants 
  – neither the Sun nor any other energy 
  phenomena can recover the lost points quickly 
  enough to negate the ongoing effect. Defining 
  “Energy” as a special effect is somewhat 
  questionable, but forgiveable due to the scale of 
  the power; GMs concerned about this can buy 
  the power multiple times until the cover all the 
  energy-based special effects they can think of. 
  SUB-POWER 4:  I FEEL SO YOUNG 
   
   
   
  The last aspect of time-stopping to account 
  for is that affected beings and objects don’t age, 
  become hungry, catch diseases, or the like. That, 
  of course, requires Life Support. 
  I Feel So Young:  Life Support:  Total 
  (including Longevity:  Immortality), 
  Area Of Effect (1” Radius; +1), 
  Selective (+¼), Area Of Effect (One 
  Hex Accurate; +½), MegaArea (1” = 
  the entire Universe; +10), Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) (662 Active 
  Points); Does Not Affect Character (-
  ½). Total cost:  441 points. 
   
  Since the Life Support has a Limitation that 
  it doesn’t affect the character, he ages normally, 
  has to eat and sleep, and so on. The GM has to 
  keep track of the passage of “phantom time” 
  while the time stop effect exists. 
  Total Cost 
   
  So, what does this wonderful and amazing 
  power cost a character? 
  Power 
  Cost 
  Sub-Power 1(a) 
            100 
  Sub-Power 1(b) 
         8,600 
  Sub-Power 2 
         1,118 
  Sub-Power 3 
  7,507,500 
  Sub-Power 4 
            441 
  Total 
  7,517,759 
   
  Options 
  Cost 
  Moving things around 
  98 
   
  So, there you have it! For a bit over 7.5 
  million Character Points, you, too, can stop time. 
   
  In next month’s HEROglyphs, we’ll go one 
  step forward... or backward... as I discuss how to 
  create a time manipulation power. 
   
   
  UN-STOPPING 
  VICTIMS  
   
   
   The conditions 
  specified for Time 
  Stop by the original 
  questioner indicated 
  the character should 
  be able to un-stop 
  (and re-stop) 
  individual characters 
  at will. Presumably 
  this could also apply 
  to individual vehicles, 
  or worlds, or what 
  have you. Here’s the 
  best way to do that: 
  Snap Out Of It!:  
  Personal 
  Immunity (+¼) 
  for Time Stop 
  Power, Usable 
  As Attack (x200 
  doublings of 
  mass; +51), 
  Reduced 
  Endurance (0 
  END; +½). Total 
  cost:  
  389,270,000 
  points. 
   Given that cost, 
  maybe the character 
  would be better off 
  just letting his friends 
  remain time-stopped. 
  ☺ 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  6 
  You Gotta Have Character by Jason Walters 
   
  “Life is lived forwards, but understood 
  backwards.” — Kierkegaard 
   
  GANGSTA TALK FROM 1852 
   
  Bill the Butcher pads the hoof near 
  Paradise Square, searching furiously for 
  Jake, one of the Dead Rabbits’ sluggers. 
  After far too much heel to toe he spies 
  Jake coming out of some hackum 
  diving bell on Canal Street. Bill quickly 
  ducks into a nearby alley so as to catch 
  Jake unaware as he saunters down the 
  way. As he passes by the alley Bill 
  lunges out, grabs Jake by the shoulders, 
  and draws his lancet across Jake’s 
  gutter lane. Bill brings his mouth within 
  a mouse whisker of Jake’s ear.  
   
  “I heard you was mowing my 
  jomer.” He whispers sensually into the 
  side of the addle-cove’s idea pot, “She 
  said you buzzed that gold fawney I gave 
  her and fenced it!”  
   
  Bill pierces Jake’s skin slightly 
  with his shiv to punctuate the end of his 
  sentence. Drops of blood ooze down the 
  front of Jake’s chest, staining his 
  already discolored vest with the colors 
  of his own gizzard. Unfortunately for 
  Bill, at this very point Morrissey, a 
  slugger for Tammany Hall’s Boss 
  Tweed, happens upon the scene. 
  Morrissey pounces on Bill, fibbing his 
  pate unmercifully and causing Bill to 
  drop his Arkansas toothpick.  
   
  Slightly injured in body but much 
  in soul, Jake screams at Bill “Your 
  jomer works in a goosing slum and 
  picks up blokes from a flash panny!” 
   
  Now completely enraged, Bill 
  kicks Morrissey away before drawing 
  his barking irons from his talma. He 
  aims each of his roscoes at a different 
  hard case. “Have you both been swilling 
  nokum stiff? I’m gonna send you 
  straight to your ground sweat!” 
   
  All of the commotion on Canal 
  Street has attracted a crowd of 
  disreputable looking people of uncertain 
  professions – the kinds who make up 
  much of the population of the Five 
  Points District. Just as things are 
  beginning to look top rail, a crusher 
  walks up and orders the three sluggers 
  to break it up or he’ll send them all to 
  city college. 
   
   
  “I know your hamlet!” Bill snarls at 
  the crusher as Morrissey and Jake (who 
  is beginning to feel played out) begin to 
  backpedal into the crowd. “Let’s grab a 
  root.” One says to the other. But Bill 
  moves in to settle their accounts – until 
  a faker from a nearby shop warns Bill 
  that the crusher wears a Joseph’s coat. 
  Bill quickly backs off, stashes his 
  barking irons back inside of his talma, 
  and vacates the scene with much 
  promises of revenge most bloody upon 
  all assembled. Disappointed but toeing 
  the crusher’s mark, the crowd fades 
  quickly into the damp New York night, 
  heading out onto her grimy cobblestone 
  streets in search of more lively 
  entertainment…  
   
   
  The Gangs of New York: An Informal 
  History of the Underworld was penned by 
  controversial writer, newspaperman, and war 
  hero Herbert Asbury back in the 1930s. A lurid  
  tour through a now unrecognizable New York of 
  abysmal poverty, habitual violence, and seething 
  corruption it is cobbled together from urban 
  legend, fading memories, police records, the self-
  aggrandizements of aging crooks, yellow 
  journalism, and the odd bit solid historical 
  research. Although it is generally regarded as 
  both sensationalist and unreliable, Gangs of New 
  York makes for entertaining reading and was 
  used as the basis for a recently released popular 
  Martin Scorsese movie of the same name. 
   
  One of the central characters in Martin 
  Scorsese’s recently released film Gangs of New 
  York is a frightening mobster and murder known as 
  Bill “The Butcher” Cutting. While it is certainly 
  difficult to imagine anyone as dreadful as 
  renowned method actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ 
  character existing in real life, an actual Bill the 
  Butcher (born William Poole) did indeed live, 
  fight, and eventually die near the infamous Five 
  Points neighborhood of New York in the years 
  immediately preceding the outbreak of the 
  American Civil War. A study in opposites, Poole 
  was known both for his open generosity and 
  vicious racism, for his good nature and black 
  temper, and for womanizing while he openly 
  espoused family values. A compulsive gambler, 
  mercenary fireman, loving father, violent racketeer, 
  political enforcer, and actual family butcher, Poole 
  joins the great American rouge’s gallery as one of 
  New York’s best contributions to our proud 
  nation’s history of villainy! 
   
  GOOD GUYS, BAD 
  GUYS 
   
   
   “There is a heroism 
  in crime as well as in 
  virtue. Vice and 
  infamy have their 
  altars and their 
  religion.”  
  — William Hazlitt
   
   “I don’t care who 
  does the electing just 
  so long as I do the 
  nominating.”  
  — William Marcy
  Tweed
   
  WOW! EVEN 
  DICKENS 
  THOUGHT IT 
  WAS BAD! 
   
   
   “This is the place: 
  these narrow ways 
  diverging to the right 
  and left, and reeking 
  every where with dirt 
  and filth. Such lives 
  as are led here, bear 
  the same fruit here as 
  elsewhere. The coarse 
  and bloated faces at 
  the doors have 
  counterparts at home 
  and all the wide world 
  over. Debauchery has 
  made the very houses 
  prematurely old. See 
  how the rotten beams 
  are tumbling down, 
  and how the patched 
  and broken windows 
  seem to scowl dimly, 
  like eyes that have 
  been hurt in drunken 
  frays. Many of these 
  pigs live here. Do 
  they ever wonder why 
  their masters walk 
  upright in lieu of 
  going on all-fours? 
  and why they talk 
  instead of grunting?” 
  — Charles Dickens,
  during a visit to Five
  Points in 1842
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  7
  William “Bill the Butcher” Poole 
   Val Char Cost Roll Notes 
   15 STR 
  5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH [1] 
   20 DEX 
  30 13- OCV:  7/DCV:  7 
   20 CON 
  20 13- 
   17 BODY 
  14 12- 
   13 INT 
  3 12- PER Roll:  12- 
   13 EGO 
  6 12- ECV:  4 
   20 PRE 
  10 13- PRE Attack:  4d6 
   16 COM 
  3 12- 
   
   
  8 PD 
  5 
   Total:  8 PD (0 rPD) 
   
  6 ED 
  2 
   Total:  6 ED (0 rED) 
   
  4 SPD 
  10 
   Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12 
   10 REC 
  6 
   40 END 
  0 
   42 STUN 
  7 
   
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  128 
  Movement: Running: 
  8”/16” 
   
   
  Swimming: 5”/10” 
  Cost Powers 
   
   Martial Art:  Five Points Fisticuffs 
   
   Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 
   
  4 Backhand  
  +0 
  +2 
  5d6 Strike 
   
  4 Eye Gouge 
  -1 
  -1 
  Sight Group 
  Flash 
   
  4  Kidney Blow  -2 
  +0 
  HKA ½d6 
   
  5  Roundhouse -2  
  +1 
  7d6 Strike  
   
   
   Martial Art:  The Butcher’s Art 
   
   Maneuver 
  OCV DCV Rng Notes 
   
  4 Basic Throw 
  +0  +0 
  +2 +2 DC 
   
  4 Deadly Throw -1 
  -1 
  +0 +4 DC  
   
  3 Def. Throw 
  -1 
  +2 
  +0 Strike    
   
  4  Quick Throw 
  +1 
  +0 
  +0 +2 DC 
   
  1 Weapon Element: Blades 
   
  Perks 
   15  True Blue Americans 8- (extremely 
  useful Skills or resources, Contact has 
  significant Contacts, Organization) 
   
  Skills 
   
  9  +3 with The Butcher’s Art 
   
  6 +2 with Five Points Fisticuffs 
   
  2 +1 with Barking Irons 
   
   
  5 AK: New York City 14- 
   
  3  Breakfall 13-  
   
  3  Bribery 13-  
   
  5  Conversation 14-  
   
  5  Defense Maneuver II  
   
  7  Fast Draw 15- 
   
  8  Gambling (Craps, Faro, Cock 
  Fighting, Dog Fighting) 13-  
   
  5  KS: Gangs of New York 14-   
   
  5  Oratory 14-   
   
  3  Persuasion 13-  
   
  3  Streetwise 13-  
   
  3  Seduction 13-  
   
  2  WF: Blades, Early Percussion Firearms  
   
  Total Powers and Skills Cost:  122 
   
  Total Character Cost:  250 
   
   125+ Disadvantages 
   15 DNPC:  Charles Poole 8- (Incompetent) 
   15  Enraged:  When Insulted (Uncommon, Go 
  14-, Rec 14-) 
   25 Hunted:  Dead Rabbits 11- (Mo Pow, 
  NCI, PC is very easy to find) 
   20  Psychological Limitation:  Gangster’s 
  Code of Honor (Common, Total) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Racist 
  (Common, Strong) 
   10  Reputation:  Violent Racist 11- (Extreme) 
   15 Reputation:  Violent Gangster 11- 
  (Extreme) 
   10 Rivalry:  John Morrissey (Professional, 
  As Powerful, Seek to Harm or Kill, Rival 
  Aware of Rivalry) 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points: 125 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  “BOSS TWEED” 
  AND THE 
  TAMMANY HALL 
  MACHINE 
   
   
   For a time in the 
  middle of the 19th 
  Century, it seemed as 
  though nothing 
  happened in New 
  York City unless 
  “The Boss” (no, not 
  Bruce Springsteen) 
  wanted it to. William 
  M. “Boss” Tweed 
  squeezed the Big 
  Apple so shamelessly 
  in the years right after 
  the Civil War that his 
  name has become 
  synonymous with 
  corruption, fraud, and 
  graft. Chairman of the 
  New York county 
  Democratic Party and 
  the Grand Sachem of 
  the Tammany Club 
  (better known as 
  Tammany Hall), Boss 
  Tweed swindled an 
  estimated 75 to 200 
  million dollars from 
  ol’ Gotham between 
  1865 and 1871. 
  During his reign he 
  used illegal means to 
  force election of his 
  choice for New York 
  governor, New York 
  City mayor, and 
  speaker of the state 
  assembly. In the end 
  he was brought down 
  by political cartoonist 
  Thomas Nast, whose 
  untiring efforts 
  eventually brought 
  Tweed’s shameless 
  thievery into the 
  public spotlight. 
  Arrested, convicted, 
  and sentenced he 
  escaped from prison 
  and fled to Spain, 
  where he was 
  ironically identified 
  from one of Nast’s 
  political cartoons.  
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  8 
  Background/History:  William Poole was born 
  in 1821 to respectable New Jersey parents of 
  English descent. Seeking greater opportunity, the 
  Poole family moved to New York City in1832 
  where William’s father, a butcher by trade, 
  opened a shop in Washington Market. The 
  family soon became established in their 
  community and was well thought of by all of 
  their neighbors. William followed in his father’s 
  footsteps, served an apprenticeship, and 
  ultimately opened a butcher shop in the same 
  market. Bill took pride in his skills as a butcher, 
  enjoying a loyal following amongst both his rich 
  and poor clientele. He married well, purchased a 
  pleasant brick home on Christopher Street, and 
  was gifted with a much-loved son named 
  Charles. 
   
  Yet simple work and simple virtue were 
  never enough for William “Bill the Butcher” 
  Poole. A man of singular ambition and innately 
  criminal instincts, he became a member of the 
  Red Rover “Volunteer” Fire Engine Company 
  No. 34, at Hudson and Christopher Streets. 
  Before too long he was its chief. A far cry from 
  the valiant NYFD of today, the New York fire 
  departments of the time were private, mercenary 
  “companies,” often demanding cash up front 
  from a burning building’s owners in order to 
  save it from the flames. Thus, the Red Rovers 
  was little more than a gang with a fancy label, 
  frequently engaging in skirmishes with the North 
  River Engine Company No. 27 over territory 
  (and often at the scene of fires). This ongoing 
  quarrel began in earnest when the Red Rovers, 
  attending to a fire, pumped so much water into a 
  competing North River fire engine that the 
  expensive machine was badly damaged. 
  “Washing” another fire company’s engine was 
  considered the ultimate insult that a fireman 
  could inflict, so these contests quickly turned 
  from pumped water to knives, bats, and 
  revolvers. Often the two groups would simply 
  ignore the fire they had arrived to put out so that 
  they could engage in running street battles with 
  one another. 
   
  Inexplicably, Bill the Butcher thrived in this 
  sort of profitable criminal environment despite his 
  respectable middle class upbringing. It was 
  probably only a mater of time before he became 
  active in one or the other of the prominent New 
  York gangs. Although there were several different 
  criminal neighborhoods in Manhattan at the time, 
  including The Bowery and The Waterfront, the 
  most infamous was The Five Points. One of the 
  worst slums in American history, The Five Points 
  was an unspeakably rough, largely immigrant 
  neighborhood formed by the intersection of Cross 
  (now Park), Anthony (now Worth), and Orange 
  (now Baxter) streets. The families who lived there 
  were lucky to have one room to themselves and 
  buildings such as the Old Brewery, Jacob’s 
  Ladder, Gates of Hell, and Cow Bay were visions 
  of the most abject filth, vice, and misery which 
  human beings are capable of. Crime and harlotry 
  were frequently the only way in which the 
  inhabitants of Five Points could survive. The 
  gangs there “earned” their money through many 
  of the same activities that modern criminals do 
  today: gambling, prostitution, political fixing, 
  extortion, and robbery to name but a few. The 
  city’s major political power, the mighty and long-
  lived Democratic Party stronghold of Tammany 
  Hall, employed the Five Points gangs at election 
  time, bailing out their leaders whenever they were 
  arrested. The various Five Point gangs, with a 
  collective membership of around fifteen hundred 
  men, controlled the area between Broadway and 
  the Bowery, and Fourteenth street and City Hall 
  Park. 
   
  Poole's family were members of the 
  conservative Whig political faction which was 
  experiencing a sharp decline in America by the 
  late 1940s. The crumbling of this major party left 
  a vacuum which was quickly filled by a growing 
  anti-immigrant movement known as the Know-
  Nothing party or the Native Americans (also 
  known as the American party). The Know-
  Nothings became popular in New York amongst 
  the native-born populace due to the huge number 
  of immigrants flooding through a city that had 
  become, in effect, America’s front door. Bill 
  switched his membership to the Native Americans 
  by around 1851. Soon his Washington Street gang 
  had been renamed the True Blue Americans, 
  serving as “shoulder-hitters” for the Native 
  American party. A shoulder-hitter enforced the 
  will of a political boss (in this case Poole) by 
  using threats or violence to “persuade” voters to 
  choose their candidate at the polls… often more 
  than once! It was this rough-and-tumble political 
  process which led Poole into a series of conflicts 
  with John Morrissey, an Irishman working as a 
  “slugger” for Tammany Hall, which was to 
  ultimately lead to his death in 1855. 
   
  Bill humiliated Morrissey, a noted 
  prizefighter, by beating him in a fight in July of 
  1854. Both men agreed to the terms of the fight 
  and met at Amos Dock in the Waterfront District. 
  According to newspaper reports, Morrissey struck 
  the first blow, but the far more agile Poole 
  ducked, managed to grab Morrissey, and threw 
  him to the ground. Poole leapt on top, mercilessly 
  beating Morrissey for about five minutes until he 
  pleaded for grace. After the fight, Morrissey and 
  his friends set out to murder Bill and, on the foggy 
  evening of February 25, 1855, they accomplished 
  their goal. Bill was shot through the heart by 
  Louis Baker, one of Morrissey’s friends, while he 
  was drinking, gambling, and womanizing at the 
  True Blue American’s hangout at Stanwix Hall. 
  True to form, Bill the Butcher lived for fourteen 
  painful days after the shooting. With his last 
  THE GREEN-
  WOOD 
  CEMETERY  
   
   
   For almost two 
  hundred years 
  anybody who was 
  anybody in nineteenth 
  century New York 
  wanted to be buried in 
  Brooklyn’s Green-
  Wood Cemetery. As 
  The New York Times 
  succinctly put it in 
  1866, “It is the 
  ambition of the New 
  Yorker to live upon 
  Fifth Avenue, to take 
  his airings in the 
  [Central] Park, and to 
  sleep with his fathers 
  in Green-Wood.” 
  They came first by the 
  thousands and then by 
  the hundreds of 
  thousands, first as 
  tourists eating picnic 
  lunches on her well-
  groomed laws in the 
  shade of her trees and 
  stony mausoleums, 
  then as permanent 
  residents deep in the 
  comforting soil: Civil 
  War generals, murder 
  victims, gangsters, 
  inventors, artists, the 
  famous, and the 
  infamous. Bill the 
  Butcher is laid to rest 
  there, as is Indian 
  Princess Do-Hum-
  Me, Sara W. Kaims 
  (who lived to 117 
  years of age), 
  Confederate general 
  Robert Selden 
  Garnett, famous 
  newspaperman 
  Horace Greeley, the 
  infamous William 
  Marcy “Boss” Tweed, 
  and even President 
  Theodore Roosevelt. 
  To this day it remains 
  one of the finest 
  places in American to 
  be caught dead in. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  9
  breath Bill gasped, “Good-bye, boys – I die a true 
  American!” 
   
  The Native American political party gave a 
  huge, magnificent funeral for William Poole. 
  Five thousand men rode in carriages or walked 
  behind the hearse while thousands of spectators 
  filled the streets. His funeral was attended by 
  many of the city’s noteworthy conservative 
  political leaders as well as hundreds of the city’s 
  native-born poor, for whom he had become 
  something of a martyr. His remains were laid to 
  rest in Brooklyn’s infamous Green-Wood 
  Cemetery. 
   
  Personality/Motivation:  William Poole was a 
  man of unchanging, sometimes violent 
  conviction in a rapidly changing world. Both 
  fiercely patriotic and fervently small minded, he 
  perceived the waves of immigration that rocked 
  New York in the wake of the Irish Potato Famine 
  of the 1930s as a direct threat to the American 
  way of life. His unique world view, when 
  combined with his own loose character as well as 
  the volatile, opportunistic disposition of the time 
  in which he lived, served to transform him from 
  an ambitious middle-class businessman into a 
  violent gang leader with political aspirations. He 
  quickly developed a reputation as a rough and 
  tumble fighter who often inflicted horrendous 
  wounds upon his adversaries (although there are 
  no newspaper or crime reports that indicate he 
  ever murdered anyone.)  
   
  When Bill was not engaged at his butcher 
  shop, he was generally involved in his 
  Washington Street gang activities, hanging out at 
  the Red Rover volunteer fire department, or 
  working for the Native American political party. 
  Generally Poole’s turf was in Christopher St. 
  District, over by the West Village piers, a very 
  long way from the Five Points – but he was 
  known to go over to the predominantly Irish 
  neighborhood for “political” reasons. These 
  included gambling on “bull-baiting” (a sport in 
  which specially trained dogs battled a wounded 
  bull in a pit), “turning-out” young Irish women 
  (converting them into prostitutes), and beating 
  the daylights out of rival gang members (like 
  John Morrissey). Thus it can be fairly stated that 
  Bill the Butcher was not the best loved visitor to 
  the Five Points, though he may have been one of 
  the most feared. 
   
  Although he was a great proponent of the 
  family life, Bill generally kept one or two 
  girlfriends on the side. He was an extremely 
  jealous man, prone to incredible fits of rage 
  when her felt that his “territory” was being 
  trespassed upon. Yet he also had a reputation for 
  polite, even honorable behavior when it suited 
  him, giving out choice cuts of meat to 
  neighborhood widows and donating upon 
  occasion to charity. 
   
  According to New York urban legend, Bill 
  the Butcher’s favorite drink was a perfectly 
  horrible concoction known as a Blue Blazer. 
  This Victorian liver-killer was created when one 
  wineglass of Scotch whiskey was combined with 
  one wineglass of boiling water before being 
  poured into a pewter mug. The bartender then 
  ignited the mixture, blending it by tossing the 
  ingredients back and forth from one mug to 
  another in a series of dramatic passes. After 
  about five tosses, he poured the concoction into a 
  silver tumbler, sweetened it with one teaspoonful 
  of sugar, added a sliver of lemon peel, and 
  served it still burning to the customer. Little 
  wonder the average life expectancy of a man at 
  the time was about forty-five!   
   
  Quote:  “A damned Irishman will do work for a 
  nickel that a colored man will do for a dime – or 
  a native white man for a quarter!” 
   
  Powers/Tactics:  Bill’s ability to throw knives 
  was the stuff of legend. He was said to be deadly 
  accurate to distances of twenty feet even when 
  throwing something as unwieldy as a butcher’s 
  knife (treat as a full 1d6 RKA for game 
  purposes). This art of throwing unbalanced, non-
  aerodynamic cutlery can be considered 
  specialized enough to constitute a private martial 
  arts form, unique only the Bill the Butcher, 
  known simply as The Butcher’s Art. Given his 
  druthers, Poole would use knives over any other 
  sort of weapon in a violent confrontation, 
  typically hurling two quick throws in rapid 
  succession followed by a deadly throw for good 
  measure.  
   
  A capable hand-to-hand combatant, Poole 
  employed a ruthless urban fighting style known 
  as Five Points Fisticuffs which combined vicious 
  kidney blows and eye gouges with powerful 
  roundhouse blows. The point of this crude street 
  fighting method was to disable, then publically 
  humiliate, opponents during bar fights for the 
  entertainment of one’s friends. Bill was a well 
  known practitioner of this style, using it to great 
  (although ultimately tragic) effects against 
  larger, stronger opponents like John Morrissey. 
  He was also known to carry a couple of Paterson 
  Revolver “barking irons” under his vest as back 
  up weapons (RKA 1d6, 6 Shots). 
   
  Campaign Use:  Bill “The Butcher” Poole was 
  very much a creature of his time, easily dropped 
  into any Victorian or Western Hero adventure 
  which takes place in or around New York City. 
  As crooked, violent, and world-weary as the 
  place that spawned him, Poole was an 
  archetypical but non two-dimensional villain 
  who can be depicted as both despicable and 
  honorable (in an odd sort of way) at the same 
  time. In the frenzied, morally ambagious world 
  in which he lived Bill the Butcher might not 
  BIBLIOGRAPHY 
   
   
  Herbert Asbury, The 
  Gangs of New York 
  (1928) 
  Adrian Cook, The 
  Armies of the 
  Streets (1974)  
  George Matsell, The 
  Secret Language of 
  Crime: The 
  Rogue’s Lexicon 
  (1859) 
  Luc Sante, Low Life: 
  Lures and Snares of 
  Old New York 
  (1992) 
   
  CIVIL WAR 
  DRAFT RIOTS 
   
   
   Although they 
  occurred well after 
  Bill the Butcher’s 
  death in 1855, the 
  Draft Riots are an 
  important historical 
  event, which has 
  forever tainted both 
  the place and period 
  in which he lived… 
  with blood. It remains 
  the largest civil 
  disturbance in 
  American history. 
  Extending over four 
  ghastly days in 1863, 
  the disorder went 
  through daily changes 
  in focus as the riot 
  progressed. Parts of 
  the riots were pure 
  criminality:  looting, 
  robbing, rape, and 
  arson were all 
  common. Some 
  rioters tried to keep 
  the uprising’s focus 
  on the blatant 
  unfairness of 
  Lincoln’s draft law, 
  which allowed rich 
  men to get out of the 
  service by paying a 
  $300 fee 
  (interestingly, Boss 
  Tweed was one of the 
  few wealthy New 
  Yorkers who tried to 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  10 
  even be considered a total villain. He would very 
  likely help heroic player characters who were 
  combating a menace which truly threatened his 
  beloved city.  
   
  In many ways William Poole is typical of 
  the sorts of rascals one might find inhabiting 
  America’s greatest city during the early 
  Victorian Era. In the early 19th century criminal 
  gangs began to form in Manhattan as a result of 
  growing population, a bad economy, and an 
  increase in job competition. These gangs quickly 
  started to specialize in specific criminal 
  activities, splitting up the seedier parts of the city 
  into numerous territories. Records show that 
  Irish immigrants formed the first known modern 
  American criminal gangs in an area of New York 
  City known as The Five Points. They were 
  known to dress in a specific way, spoke in a 
  specialized slang, and used monikers or 
  nicknames to identify themselves. Irishman 
  Edward Coleman became the first recognized 
  American gang leader in 1826 when he formed a 
  crew called the Forty Thieves. In the Bowery 
  there was another group of native-born gangsters 
  known as the Bowery Boys. These two sets 
  battled so regularly and intensely that at one 
  point the army had to be called in to stop them.  
   
  By the outbreak of the Civil War, New York 
  City's government had become so corrupt that 
  there was little distinction between political 
  bosses, businessmen, and gang leaders. In this 
  environment the gangs plundered stores, 
  businesses, and private homes without fear of the 
  police, who were often on their payroll or even 
  members of their organizations. With no one to 
  protect them, the citizens of the city constantly 
  fell victim to the schemes of professional 
  criminal warlords, who ran its various 
  neighborhoods like private fiefdoms. An 
  enterprising mobster/ politician could expect a 
  cut of every hooker’s earnings, every 
  pickpocket’s loot, and every footpad’s take 
  within his territory.   
   
  Early Victorian New York could be an 
  absolutely wonderful setting for a group of very 
  powerful (250 point) Heroic level masked 
  vigilantes. The common people of New York 
  lived their daily lives almost completely at the 
  mercy of corrupt police, murderous gangs, 
  battling political factions, and unchecked vicious 
  criminals - they genuinely could have used the 
  protection of a masked avenger or two. To this 
  nasty stew of crime add Confederate spies, 
  scheming foreign diplomats (English, French, 
  Russian, etc.), mad Victorian scientists, evil 
  cultists, plus any other sort of steampunk 
  madness which a game master can contrive from 
  his darkest musings to create a completely 
  unique setting for heroic tales of daring do. All it 
  takes is a little imagination combined with a 
  dollop of audacity, liberally mixed with the sort 
  of poor, confused understanding of history you 
  commonly find in this column.     
   
  Appearance:  Bill was described by his peers as 
  tall, handsome, and dark haired with an 
  extraordinarily large mustache. Broad shouldered 
  with a muscular physique, he towered over his 
  fellow New Yorkers at (for the time) an 
  astounding six foot five inches. To accentuate his 
  height he wore tall black “top-hat,” shoes with 
  pronounced heels, and “high pocket” trousers, 
  which ended halfway up the torso. Bill generally 
  wore a specially designed coat which contained 
  hidden pockets for roughly a half dozen knives 
  and a gentlemen’s vest, or talma, which he used 
  to conceal a couple of revolvers.  
   
   
   
   
   
  raise money for poor 
  citizens to buy their 
  way out as well). 
  Other rioters saw a 
  Republican plot to 
  wreck the growing 
  trade union 
  movement. For yet 
  others, hatred of the 
  Irish and African 
  American minorities 
  was the primary 
  focus.  
   President Lincoln 
  ordered the army into 
  New York City in an 
  attempt to stop the 
  bloodshed. In the end, 
  105 rioters, 
  policemen, and 
  soldiers lay dead in 
  the city’s cobblestone 
  streets. Some 128 
  more lay injured, 
  while 18 African 
  Americans had been 
  sexually mutilated 
  before being hung or 
  beaten to death. In the 
  two weeks after the 
  riots, the bodies of ten 
  men, one woman, and 
  three children were 
  washed up on the 
  shores of Manhattan 
  and Brooklyn. With 
  the recovery of the 
  final body from the 
  Atlantic, one of the 
  most deplorable 
  incidents of urban 
  violence in American 
  history came to a 
  merciful close. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  11
  Leftover Hero: Terran Empire by Steven S. Long 
   
  Chapter One 
   
  Here are the full descriptions of the Osathri 
  (page 23), the Shiseki (page 26), the Jaruma 
  (page 34), and the Az’arc’a (page 43), all of 
  which I had to trim down considerably, as well 
  as more information about the Varanyi. 
  OSATHRI 
   
   
   
  A strange fish-like species, the Osathri do 
  not mingle much with Humans or other aliens. 
  Uncomfortable out of water, they prefer the 
  company of their own kind, or at best that of 
  other aquatic species. 
  Osathri Biology 
   
  The Osathri (singular Osath) are an ocean-
  dwelling species resembling catfish, with 
  specialized fins for manipulating objects. They 
  have six eyes – two on the sides of the head, two 
  on top forward, and two downward-looking just 
  in front of the mouth. Osathri have two genders 
  and lay eggs; well-fed females have daughters, 
  but hungry or stressed mothers have sons. At 
  present, males make up only 10 percent of the 
  Osathri population and live solitary wandering 
  lives in the oceans of the homeworld with almost 
  no technology; the interact with other Osathri 
  primarily to breed. 
  Soolasha, The Osathri Homeworld 
   
  The homeworld of the Osathri is a large 
  planet, some 15,000 kilometers in diameter with 
  a gravity of 1.2 standard gees. An ocean 
  averaging 10 kilometers deep covers the surface; 
  only one small group of islands breaks the 
  surface. The Osathri barely use the land, which 
  they cannot ambulate on without advanced 
  technology. Many islands house Imperial 
  facilities, vacation resorts for tourists who come 
  for the diving and other water  
  sports, and the like. 
  Osathri Society And Culture 
   
  The ancestral Osathri lived in shallow water, 
  feeding on creatures resembling shellfish, and 
  evolved the ability to use tools to break into their 
  food’s shells. Civilization developed on reefs 
  and in shallow lagoons, where the Osathri began 
  farming shellfish and herding fish. Osathri have 
  an extremely old civilization, as living in the 
  ocean slowed their technological and scientific 
  development. 
   
  Contact with Terrans and annexation by the 
  Empire has caused a great schism in Osathri 
  society. For some, access to air-breather science 
  and the chance to leave their ocean homes to 
  visit other worlds was worth becoming subject to 
  the Empire. For others, the disruption of 
  traditional society was intolerable. Over time, 
  several million Osathri have moved to other 
  worlds in the Empire, especially water planets; 
  they are typically Imperial loyalists and often 
  join the Imperial Army’s Sea Forces. The 
  Osathri homeworld remains a hotbed of rebellion 
  and discontent, requiring four full divisions of 
  soldiers (which do not include any Osathri 
  troops) to keep things quiet. 
   
  The total population of Osathri is hard to 
  determine. Off-world Osathri number about 125 
  million; the population of the homeworld is 
  thought to be approximately 1 billion, but it is 
  notoriously difficult to keep track and many 
  census-takers suffer fatal accidents. Rumors of 
  secret deep-ocean communities persist – several 
  million Osathri could be living in hiding, 
  preparing for an uprising against the Empire. An 
  Imperial governor has authority over the islands 
  and a few Army bases; otherwise Soolasha is 
  controlled by small local communities, usually 
  democracies. 
   
  Pre-Imperial Osathri technology was barely 
  ATRI 2. Osathri on colony worlds typically 
  maintain a technology rated at ATRI 8. On the 
  homeworld, a few enclaves around the Imperial  
  capital are ATRI 10, but the rest of the  
  world is ATRI 5 or below. Because they  
  can only live in water and have no  
  legs, Osathri require watersuits and  
  hover platforms when they visit  
  air-dwellers. On colony worlds  
  with significant Human  
  settlements  
  such things  
  are as common  
  as automobiles; Osathri  
  on the homeworld in  
  possession of such devices are  
  shunned and hated as “walker lovers.” 
                                                             
  artwork by Tom Miskey 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  12 
  SHISEKI 
   
   
   
  An unusual crab-like species conquered by 
  the Ackálians in the twenty-sixth century, the 
  Shiseki have proven invaluable to their masters 
  as traders and even soldiers. 
  Shiseki Biology 
   
  Individual Shisheki look, to Humans, 
  something like giant spiders or crabs, with long 
  spindly legs supporting a compact body. Specific 
  “castes” are biologically specialized for different 
  tasks – warriors have large fighting pincers, 
  breeders have immense bodies, and workers have 
  manipulator hands. 
   
  The Shiseki are a hive species. They 
  communicate among via what might be 
  considered a natural form of radio (they use 
  translator devices to talk to other species). Over 
  time, the network of individual minds gradually 
  evolved into sentient “meta-minds,” each “mind” 
  defining a single hive. The hives, in turn, “link” 
  together to form one overall Shiseki group mind. 
   
  A Shisheki hive is a sentient being, but the 
  members of the hive are barely smarter than cats. 
  The more Shisheki are linked together, the 
  smarter they get – a group of 100 has INT 3, 200 
  have INT 4, and so on up to INT 12 when a 
  thousand are connected. In hives larger than 
  1,000 individuals, the whole community does not 
  link together at once, except on special 
  occasions. 
  Sekra, The Shiseki Homeworld 
   
  Located in the rimward region of Ackálian 
  space, Sekra is an Earthlike planet of stark 
  beauty – towering mountains, wide tundras, deep 
  forests – and a biosphere carefully controlled and 
  farmed by the Shiseki. It has nine small 
  continents, three of which have isthmuses 
  linking them together. Commerce between the 
  various continents and islands has made the 
  Shiseki skilled mariners. 
   
  Sekra is the economic and industrial heart  
  of the Ackálian Empire. Ten billion Shisheki 
  work tirelessly in the planet’s factories and farms, 
  serving the Ackálians. Careful management has 
  prevented any severe environmental damage, but 
  with the Ackálians constantly pushing for  
  more production and bigger projects, the  
  Shiseki may soon have to start “cutting  
  corners.” 
  Shiseki Society And Culture 
   
  The Shisheki are the economic  
  mainstay of the Ackálian Empire for  
  two reasons. First, their hive mind  
  makes it easy for them to establish  
  smoothly-functioning planetary trade  
  networks and bureaucracies. The  
  Ackálians have transported groups of  
  Shiseki to many of the planets in their  
  Empire to improve the efficiency of the 
  government and the economy. Second, they’re 
  hard workers who don’t seem to object to being 
  pushed around by their Ackálian masters – to a 
  hive being, “freedom” is a difficult concept to 
  understand – so they end up performing a lot of 
  jobs the Ackálians don’t want to do themselves.  
   
  Shisheki hives are potentially immortal, 
  even though the lifespan of individuals is less 
  than 30 years. Some of the bigger hives, already 
  hundreds or thousands of years old, make plans 
  for very long terms – centuries or millennia. A 
  hive’s actions sometimes seem strange, or even 
  counter-productive, but what other species can’t 
  see is the long-range goal the hive is working 
  toward. 
   
  Thanks to their hive minds, the Shiseki have 
  a much higher degree of societal unity than most 
  species. They “talk” out and resolve serious 
  differences as soon as possible, to keep from 
  disrupting the orderly conduct of society. There’s 
  a lot of pressure to conform to “group opinion,” 
  which sometimes squelches originality, free 
  thinking, and innovation. As a result, despite the 
  age of their society, by themselves they only 
  achieved an ATRI 8 level of technology. (Since 
  their conquest they have improved to ATRI 10.) 
   
  At present, the Shisheki seem content to 
  serve as labor for the Ackálians; in exchange the 
  Ackálians have planted Shisheki colonies on 
  several worlds in their empire. If the hives ever 
  decide the Ackálians are no longer useful to the 
  Shisheki, the consequences could be astounding. 
  Shisheki Breeder 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  13
   
  SHISEKI PACKAGE DEAL 
   
   
  Ability 
  Cost 
  Shiseki Body Structure:  Extra  
   
  Limbs (4 – total of four arms,  
   
  four legs), Inherent (+¼);  
   
  Limited Manipulation (-¼) 
  5 
  Shiseki Skin:  Armor (1 PD/1 ED) 
  3 
  Shiseki Communication:  Mind  
   
  Link, any willing group of up  
   
  to 1,000 individuals; Only With  
   
  Others Who Have Mind Link  
   
  (-1), Affected As Radio Group,  
   
  Not Mental Group (-¼) 
  29 
  Shiseki Communication:  +10 INT;  
   
  Dependent On Mind Link (see  
   
  text; -½) 
  7 
  Wakefulness:  Life Support  
   
  (Diminished Sleep:  only needs  
   
  to sleep 8 hours per week) 
  1 
   
  Disadvantages 
  Value 
  -8 INT 
  -8 
  -4 EGO 
  -8 
  -2 PRE 
  -2 
  -2 DEX 
  -6 
  Psychological Limitation:  Loyalty To 
  The Hive (Very Common, Strong) 
  -20 
   
  Total Cost Of Package:  1 
   
  CASTE ADDITIONS 
   
   
  Breeder Caste 
  Value 
  +1 STR 
  1 
  +1 BODY 
  2 
  Total Cost Of Package:  4 
   
  Warrior Caste 
  Value 
  Pincers:  Multipower with two slots,  
   
  HKA 1d6 (up to 2d6 with STR)  
   
   
  and +15 STR, Only To Grab (-1) 17 
  Total Cost Of Package:  18 
   
  Worker Caste 
  Value 
  Remove penalty to DEX 
  6 
  Remove Limited Manipulation on  
   
  Extra Limbs 
  1 
  Total Cost Of Package:  8 
   
  Shisheki Warrior
  Shisheki
  Worker
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  14 
  JARUMA 
   
   
   
  One of the most unusual-looking known 
  species, the Jaruma have belonged to the 
  Conjoined Civilizations since first contact with 
  the Se’ecra. 
  Jaruma Biology 
   
  Powerfully-built creatures, the Jaruma (the 
  name is both singular and plural) have an 
  unusual body chemistry involving fluorosilicone 
  compounds. They come from a high-temperature 
  Venusian world and breathe a mix of carbon 
  dioxide and fluorine which is deadly to most 
  other species (and which requires them to use 
  special breathing gear when they need to interact 
  with other species). They stand more than two 
  meters tall on three stumpy legs. They have three 
  arms, each of which ends in a mouth/hand 
  surrounded by three eyes. 
  Umara, The Jaruma Homeworld 
   
  Umara is a Type 8 world (on the Terran 
  scale) with a high atmospheric density and high 
  temperatures. Few species can survive there 
  without protective gear. One of the reasons for 
  the Jaruma’s importance in the Conjoined 
  Civilizations is that they’ve been able to spread 
  out and colonize many similar planets that other 
  species have little or no use for. They prefer to 
  establish colonies in star systems with other 
  inhabited planets so they can develop a robust 
  intra-system economy quickly. 
  Jaruma Society And Culture 
   
  The Jaruma evolved on a world where life is 
  often harsh, and creatures that survive must be 
  tough and clever. Lacking natural weaponry, 
  they used their intelligence to create weapons 
  and band together in ku’la (“tribes”) to hunt and 
  defend themselves. After they advanced to a 
  stage of development where predators were no 
  longer a significant threat, they spread out and 
  established kingdoms and city-states based on 
  tribal alliances and rivalries. These gave way to 
  true nations in time, though not without 
  numerous wars, rebellions, and other conflicts 
  (much as on Earth). The Jaruma united in the 
  twenty-second century under an immensely 
  charismatic political leader named Damgu 
  Wa’neet, and have remained that way ever since, 
  though periodically some sentiment arises for a 
  return to balkanization. 
   
  Family and clan influence remains strong in 
  Jaruma society. Most Jaruma give their loyalty to 
  their large extended families first, their clans 
  second, their careers (usually in clan-owned 
  businesses) third, and to Jaruma society as a 
  whole fourth. The Jaruma educational and 
  apprenticeship system, used to train the young, is 
  widely admired for its high degree of success 
  and efficiency. 
   
  The Jaruma had developed a fairly advanced 
  technology on their own (ATRI 7), but never had 
  any interest in space exploration or interstellar 
  travel until they were contacted by the Se’ecra – 
  in fact, thanks to the nigh-perpetual cloud cover 
  over all of Umara, they had almost no 
  astronomical knowledge at all. On the other 
  hand, their geological, biological, and 
  mathematical sciences were well-developed; 
  they’re well-known even today for their skills in 
  the fields of prospecting, mining, and genetic 
  engineering. 
   
  JARUMA PACKAGE DEAL 
   
   
  Ability 
  Cost 
  +3 STR 
  3 
  +3 CON 
  6 
  Jaruma Toughness:  Damage  
   
  Resistance (1 PD/1 ED) 
  1 
  Jaruma Toughness:  Life Support  
   
  (Safe Environments:  High  
   
  Pressure, Intense Heat) 
  3 
  Jaruma Body Structure:  Extra  
   
  Limbs (2 – one extra arm  
   
  and leg), Inherent (+¼) 
  6 
  Three Sets Of Eyes:  Increased  
   
  Arc Of Perception (360o)  
   
  for Sight Group) 
  10 
   
  Disadvantages 
  Value 
  None 
   
  Total Cost Of Package:  29 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  15
  AZ’ARC’A 
   
   
   
  The Az’arc’a (the apostrophes represent 
  ultrasonic vowels Humans cannot perceive or 
  pronounce) are a species of energy beings, 
  composed of ions bound by electric fields. They 
  are native to the radiation belt surrounding a gas 
  giant world in the Galactic core, but have spread 
  to similar environments all through the central 
  parts of the Galaxy. 
  Az’arc’a Biology 
   
  To a solid being, an Az’arc’a appears as a 
  spherical or circular mass of pulsing rings and/or 
  loops of plasma occupying a volume about 10 
  meters across. Some have a symmetrical 
  appearance; some are asymmetrical collections 
  of energy pulses, some seem to change 
  appearance at will. They communciate by radio, 
  light pulses, or inducing vibrations in metal 
  structures to create sound. 
   
  Reproduction among Az’arc’a is asexual; 
  individuals rich in energy divide into two 
  offpsring, each with the parent’s memories. Over 
  time the older memories fade, but most Az’arc’a 
  can recall things that happened millennia ago. 
  Individuals who spend long periods traveling at 
  lightspeed may have even older memories. 
  Az’arc’a Society And Culture 
   
  Az’arc’a cannot live on planets, but can 
  interact with material beings in spaceships or 
  stations. They can move through normal space at 
  velocities up to the speed of light. Since they 
  have limited ability to manipulate physical 
  objects, they have no technology to speak of, but 
  their knowledge of mathematics, physics, 
  astrophysics, and cosmology is profound. 
   
  Material beings dealing with Az’arc’a can 
  only trade in energy and information. The things 
  Az’arc’a find interesting are mysterious – some 
  of them love to hear music (via radio), others 
  collect mathematical theorems, codes, detective 
  stories, or new prime numbers. In exchange they 
  give out knowledge of their own, typically 
  physics data, astrogational information, or 
  Galactic history. 
   
  AZ’ARC’A PACKAGE DEAL 
   
   
  Ability 
  Cost 
  Default environment is zero gravity 
  0 
  +5 INT 
  5 
  +8 REC 
  16 
  Az’arc’a Absorption:  Absorption  
   
  6d6 (energy, to END) 
  30 
  Az’arc’a Form:  Desolidification  
   
  (affected by energy attacks),  
   
  Reduced Endurance (0 END;  
   
  +½), Persistent (+½), Inherent  
   
  (+¼); Always On (-½), Cannot  
   
  Pass Through Metals (-½) 
  45 
  Az’arc’a Senses:  HRRP (Radio  
   
  Group) 
  12 
  Az’arc’a Senses:  Radar (Radio  
   
  Group), Increased Arc Of  
   
  Perception (360o),  
   
  Discriminatory, 
  25 
  Az’arc’a Movement (Space):  FTL  
   
  Travel (1 LY/year) 
  10 
  Az’arc’a Movement (Normal):   
   
  Flight 10” 
  20 
  Az’arc’a Energy Projection:   
   
  Multipower, 60-point reserve 
  60 
   1)  Energy Blast 4d6, Affects  
   
  Physical World (+2) 
  6 
   2)  Sight Group Flash 4d6,  
   
  Affects Physical World (+2) 
  6 
   3)  Radio Group Flash 4d6,  
   
  Affects Physical World (+2) 
  6 
   4)  Telekinesis (10 STR), Affects  
   
  Physical World (+2) 
  4 
  Az’arc’a Form:  Life Support (Self- 
   
  Contained Breathing; Longevity:   
   
  Immortality; Safe Environments:   
   
  High Radiation, Intense Cold,  
   
  Intense Heat, Low Pressure/  
   
  Vacuum; Diminished Eating:   
   
  no nead to eat)  
  26 
   
  Disadvantages 
  Value 
  -10 STR 
  -10 
  Physical Limitation:  no Hearing  
   
  Group or Touch Group Senses  
   
  (Frequently, Greatly Impairing) -15 
  Vulnerability:  2 x STUN from  
   
  Electrical Attacks (Common) 
  -20 
   
  Total Cost Of Package:  226 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  16 
  THE VARANYI 
   
   
   
  Here is more information about the Varanyi, 
  which I had to cut for space reasons. 
  Varanyi Architecture 
   
  Similarly, the prevalence of telekinetic 
  powers among crested Varanyi has affected their 
  society. Humans, who must pick up things with 
  their hands, have to store objects relatively close 
  to the ground. The Varanyi, however, can erect 
  shelves dozens of feet tall and experience no 
  difficulty reaching the stored items. They favor 
  enormously tall buildings, since they use 
  telekinetically activated “elevators” to reach the 
  higher floors. 
  T’illk 
   
  Two important divisions exist within 
  Varanyi society. The first is “caste,” or division 
  based on crests. The more crests a Varanyi has, 
  the higher his t’illk. T’illk combines some of the 
  meaning of the human terms “mental serenity,” 
  “class,” “status,” and “face.”  Due to their mental 
  powers, the Varanyi are easily able to judge 
  another Varanyi’s state of mind, psychological 
  “balance,” mental acuity, and mental power, and 
  all of these factors, as well as the more concrete 
  ones such as “status,” are implicit in the term. 
   
  T’illk marks a clear division between social 
  strata, but a Varanyi can “lose” it if he does 
  something particularly embarrassing or 
  detrimental to society. Still, it is very, very rare 
  for a Varanyi to lose so much t’illk that he falls 
  to a social level below the one dictated by his 
  caste. The Ks’lch, who have no crests and hence 
  no t’illk whatsoever, may act as they please 
  without suffering further social opprobrium, 
  which offers them a measure of social freedom 
  crested Varanyi sometimes envy. 
   
  A Varanyi’s position in society, job, and 
  opportunity for significant achievement 
  generally depend on his crests and t’illk (a Fringe 
  Benefit reflects this; Varanyi whose 
  accomplishments have earned them unusually hi 
  t’illk can represent this by paying more points for 
  the Fringe Benefit, or buying a Reputation Perk). 
  The lowest, dirtiest, most menial and dangerous 
  tasks are reserved for the Ks’lch. Varanyi of one 
  or two crests occupy mid-level positions. 
  Varanyi of three or more crests hold the highest 
  positions in society, though it is possible for a 
  lesser crested Varanyi to earn sufficient t’illk 
  (through valor in warfare, notable scientific 
  discoveries, and similar accomplishments) to 
  obtain a position normally reserved for Varanyi 
  of more crests. The Ks’lch have no such 
  opportunities for advancement; they are forever 
  trapped in their caste. 
   
  Non-Varanyi subjects of the Empire have no 
  t’illk whatsoever; they’re even lower on the 
  social ladder than Ks’lch. The Varanyi rarely 
  allow them to travel within the Empire, and 
  never outside it; the best they can hope for is a 
  mercifully short life of backbreaking slave labor. 
  Many species are simply exterminated because 
  the Varanyi find it more trouble to guard them 
  than to eradicate them. 
  Ey’vidra 
   
  The second important division in Varanyi 
  society is the ey’vidra, or “clan.”  Family ties are 
  very important to the Varanyi, and the clans form 
  one of the backbones of Varanyi society; a 
  Varanyi’s clan name is written first, before his 
  given name. As a result, nepotism runs rampant, 
  and large clans or alliances of clans wield 
  significant social and political power. The 
  Varanyi have a total of 357 Varanyi clans – one 
  for the entirety of the Ks’lch, and 356 for the 
  crested Varanyi. It is generally accepted that 
  male Varanyi may marry females who are 
  beneath them in number of crests, but females 
  only marry males who have as many or more 
  crests as they do (in any event, no crested 
  Varanyi would ever marry a Ks’lch.) 
   
  Each crested Varanyi clan has its own 
  unique “coat of arms” (nuva’lish); most are 
  centuries old. By tradition a coat of arms is 
  divided into from one to five “fields,” depending 
  upon the number of crests possessed by clan 
  members (thus, only the Al’gari have a five-field 
  coat of arms). The fields may be horizontal or 
  vertical; the basic shape of the heraldic device is 
  rectangular. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  17
  Chapter Five 
   
  Here are two Imperial Package Deals I had 
  to cut to save space: 
  IMPERIAL PSIONICS FOUNDATION 
  SEEKER 
   
   
   
  Employees of the Imperial Psionics 
  Foundation who specialize in locating young 
  psionics and bringing them to the IPF for 
  training are known as “seekers.” Equipped with 
  psionic powers, abilities and special sensors to 
  help them locate and evaluate people with psi 
  potential, and broad police powers relating to 
  this one subject, they ensure that people blessed 
  with the gift of psionics use that gift for the 
  betterment of Imperial society. 
   
  IPF SEEKER PACKAGE DEAL 
   
   
  Ability 
  Cost 
  Analyze Psi Powers 
  3 
  KS: The Psionic World 11- 
  2 
  Power:  Psionics 
  3 
  PS: Psionics Instructor 11- 
  2 
  SS: Psionics 11- 
  2 
  WF: one type of energy weapon 
   
  (player’s choice) 
  1 
  6 points’ worth of Skills from the  
   
  following list: Bribery, Bugging,  
   
  Computer Programming,  
   
  Persuasion, Seduction,  
   
  Shadowing, Streetwise, any  
   
  Background Skill 
  6 
  Fringe Benefit:  Psionics License 
  1 
  Fringe Benefit:  Psionic Police  
   
  Powers 
  3 
  20 points’ worth of psionic powers 
  20 
   
  Disadvantages 
  Value 
  Hunted:  Mind Police 14- (Mo  
   
  Pow, NCI, Watching) 
  -15 
  Social Limitation:  Minority (Very  
   
  Frequently, Minor) 
  -15 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To  
   
  Orders (Very Frequently,  
   
  Major) 
  -20 
   
  Total Cost Of Package:  -13 
  TERRAN INTELLIGENCE COMMAND 
  (ANALYST) 
   
   
   
  TIC analysts study information brought back 
  from the field by other agents. They rarely go on 
  missions themselves, but on those rare occasions 
  the operation has a vital importance for the 
  Empire. 
   
  Other civilizations have analysts of their 
  own, as do services like the TSS, military 
  intelligence, and the Mind Police. You can easily 
  use this same Package Deal for them with few or 
  no adjustments. 
   
  TIC ANALYST PACKAGE DEAL 
   
   
  Ability 
  Cost 
  Computer Programming 
  3 
  Deduction 
  3 
  KS: Alien Civilization (player’s  
   
  choice) 11- 
  2 
  KS: The Espionage World 11- 
  2 
  Language (one alien language,  
   
  fluent conversation) 
  3 
  6 points’ worth of Skills from the  
   
  following list: Bugging,  
   
  Conversation, Cryptography,  
   
  Interrogation, Persuasion,  
   
  Shadowing, Streetwise, any  
   
  Background Skill 
  6 
  Computer Link: TIC Database 
  9 
  Fringe Benefit:  Security Clearance 
  3 
   
  Disadvantages 
  Value  
  Hunted:  TSS 8- (Mo Pow, NCI,  
   
  Watching) 
  -10 
  Social Limitation:  Subject To  
   
  Orders (Very Frequently,  
   
  Major) 
  -20 
   
  Total Cost Of Package:  1 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  18 
  PAGE 129 – PSIONICS 
   
   
   
  I had to cut the entire section of sample 
  psionic powers. Here they are: 
   
  ESP POWERS 
   
   
   
  Extra-Sensory Perception includes all the 
  various forms of Clairsentience and Detect. 
  Gamemasters may wish to include the Talents 
  Absolute Range Sense, Combat Sense, and 
  Danger Sense as ESP abilities. A character could 
  define Luck as a form of unconscious 
  precognition that lets him avoid bad things. 
  Dowsing 
   
  One of the oldest and most common psi 
  abilities, dowsing allows a character to sense 
  water (and sometimes other substances) deep 
  underground. The IPF suspects the existence of a 
  great many unconscious dowsers in the Empire 
  who don’t know they have this power... and who 
  might have the potential for other psi abilities. 
   
  Beta I:  Detect Underground Water (INT 
  Roll) (Mental Sense Group) (3 Active 
  Points); Concentration (½ DCV throughout 
  use; -½). Total cost:  2 points. 
   
  Beta II:  Detect Underground Liquids (INT 
  Roll) (Mental Sense Group), Discriminatory 
  (10 Active Points); Concentration (½ DCV 
  throughout use; -½). Total cost:  7 points. 
   
  Gamma:  Detect Underground Substances 
  (INT Roll) (Mental Sense Group), 
  Discriminatory (15 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout use; -½). 
  Total cost:  10 points. 
  Finding 
   
  Finders can locate objects with a connection 
  to a certain individual. They must “attune” 
  themselves to the person, and then can locate 
  missing or stolen items which still carry that 
  person’s “psychic signature.” They often work in 
  law enforcement or investigation. 
   
  Beta I:  Detect Stolen Items (INT Roll) 
  (Mental Sense Group) (5 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout use; -½), 
  Can Only Detect A Single, Attuned, 
  Person’s Items At A Time (-½). Total cost:  
  2 points. 
   
  Beta II:  Detect Stolen Items (INT Roll) 
  (Mental Sense Group), Discriminatory (10 
  Active Points); Concentration (½ DCV 
  throughout use; -½), Can Only Detect A 
  Single, Attuned, Person’s Items At A Time 
  (-½). Total cost:  5 points. 
  Foresight 
   
  The IPF has only scientifically verified the 
  existence of Foresight, a disturbing and 
  unreliable power that provides glimpses of future 
  events, among Humans in the past few decades. 
  Highly sought after by the military, law 
  enforcement, rescue services, and businesses, 
  Foreseers cannot prevent future events (at least, 
  none has so far), though they can alert the 
  authorities in time to mitigate the effects of 
  disasters or harmful conduct. 
   
  Epsilon:  Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight 
  Group) (40 Active Points); No Conscious 
  Control (-2), Precognition Only (-1), Vague 
  And Unclear (-½). Total cost:  9 points. 
   
  Zeta:  Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight 
  Group), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) 
  (60 Active Points); No Conscious Control  
  (-2), Precognition Only (-1), Vague And 
  Unclear (-½). Total cost:  13 points. 
  Psychic Diagnosis 
   
  Another “folk power” proved real in the 
  modern age, Psychic Diagnosis allows a psi to 
  determine what illness(es) a person has. Of 
  course, unless the psi has some medical training, 
  he may not have the ability to express what he 
  detects in terms a doctor would find useful. For 
  this reason, the IPF tries to steer psis with this 
  ability into the medical professions. 
   
  Despite numerous reports of psis with the 
  ability to heal diseases or injuries, neither the 
  IFP nor any other agency or organization known 
  to it has ever verified the existence of such a psi 
  power. 
   
  Gamma:  Detect Disease (INT Roll) (Mental 
  Group), Discriminatory, Sense (17 Active 
  Points); Activation Roll 14- (-½), Costs 
  Endurance (-½), Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), 
  Requires An SS: Medicine Roll (-¼). Total 
  cost:  5 points. 
   
  Delta I:  Detect Disease (INT Roll) (Mental 
  Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, Sense (22 
  Active Points); Activation Roll 14- (-½), 
  Costs Endurance (-½), Requires An SS: 
  Medicine Roll (-¼). Total cost:  10 points. 
   
   Delta II:  Detect Disease (INT Roll +2) 
  (Mental Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, 
  Sense (24 Active Points); Requires An SS: 
  Medicine Roll (-¼). Total cost:  19 points. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  19
  Remote Viewing 
   
  The most basic ESP power, Remote 
  Viewing allows a psi to see events happening 
  elsewhere. It usually requires quiet and intense 
  concentration. Terran sensor technology reduces 
  the need for this ability, but Viewers still find 
  themselves in demand in some quarters 
  (including in elite military forces who want an 
  “edge” sensor tech cannot provide). The Imperial 
  Navy uses Theta-class Viewers (those with 
  “cosmic visualization,” in military parlance) to 
  spy on enemy fleet movements. 
   
  Gamma:  Clairsentience (Sight Group) (20 
  Active Points); Attack Roll Required (-¼), 
  Blackout (-½), Concentration (0 DCV 
  throughout; -1), Extra Time (1 Minute to 
  activate; -3/4). Total cost:  6 points. 
   
  Epsilon:  Clairsentience (Sight Group), 
  Megascale (1” = 100 km; +3/4), Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) (40 Active Points); 
  Attack Roll Required (-¼), Blackout (-½), 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout; -½), 
  Extra Time (1 Minute to activate; -3/4). 
  Total cost:  13 points. 
   
  Zeta:  Clairsentience (Sight Group), 
  Megascale (1” = 100 km, can scale down to 
  1” = 1 km; +1), Reduced Endurance (0 
  END; +½) (50 Active Points); Attack Roll 
  Required (-¼), Blackout (-½), Extra Time (1 
  Minute to activate; -3/4). Total cost:  20 
  points. 
   
  Theta (“Cosmic Visualization”):  
  Clairsentience (Sight Group), Megascale (1” 
  = 10 light-years, can scale down to 1” = 1 
  km; +4) (80 Active Points); Attack Roll 
  Required (-¼), Blackout (-½), Extra Time (1 
  Minute to activate; -3/4). Total cost:  32 
  points. 
  TELEPATHY POWERS 
   
   
   
  Telepathic abilities involve most forms of 
  Mind Scan, Mind Link, Telepathy, and Mental 
  Transform. Psionic forms of Universal 
  Translator qualify as a Telepathic power, and 
  some forms of Danger Sense could have 
  telepathic roots (the character unconsciously 
  picks up hostile intentions). 
  Empathy 
   
  This basic telepathic power allows a psi to 
  communicate with others empathically, both 
  reading their emotions and projecting his own 
  emotions into their minds. The IPF suspects the 
  existence of many unidentified Beta-grade 
  empaths in the Human population. 
   
  Beta:  Telepathy 2d6 (10 Active Points); 
  Communication Only (-¼), Empathy (-½), 
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Increased 
  Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½), Reduced By 
  Range (-¼). Total cost:  4 points. 
   
  Gamma:  Telepathy 4d6 (20 Active Points); 
  Communication Only (-¼), Empathy (-½), 
  Reduced By Range (-¼). Total cost:  10 
  points. 
   
  Delta:  Telepathy 6d6 (30 Active Points); 
  Communication Only (-¼), Empathy (-½), 
  Reduced By Range (-¼). Total cost:  15 
  points. 
  Mindseeking 
   
  A talent especially valued by the ISP and the 
  Mind Police, Mindseeking allows a telepath to 
  “scan” a defined area for a specific mind. The 
  smaller the area, and the more the psi knows 
  about the victim, the greater his chances of 
  success. Psis also find it easier to search for other 
  psionic minds (+1 to the ECV Attack Roll). 
   
  In the Terran Empire setting, this power 
  works throughout a single star system. Telepaths 
  who want to Mindseek in systems other than the 
  one they currently occupy should apply the 
  MegaScale Advantage. 
   
  Epsilon:  Mind Scan 8d6 (40 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout; -½), 
  Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½). 
  Total cost:  20 points. 
   
  Zeta:  Mind Scan 12d6 (60 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout; -½), 
  Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½). 
  Total cost:  30 points. 
   
  Theta:  Mind Scan 16d6 (80 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV throughout; -½), 
  Increased Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½). 
  Total cost:  40 points. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  20 
  Mind Shield 
   
  A psi with this common ability can resist 
  psychic assaults and mental intruders. Some 
  telepaths can even use “psionic jamming,” the 
  ability to protect others against similar attacks 
  (in game terms, they apply the Usable By Others 
  Advantage). 
   
  Beta I:  Mental Defense (10 points + base 
  points from EGO) (10 Active Points); Costs 
  Endurance (-½). Total cost:  7 points. 
   
  Beta II:  Mental Defense (10 points + base 
  points from EGO). Total cost:  10 points. 
   
  Gamma:  Mental Defense (20 points + base 
  points from EGO). Total cost:  20 points. 
  Thought Speech 
   
  This low-powered form of telepathy 
  provides a convenient means of communication. 
  The Imperial Army sometimes recruits 
  Thoughtspeakers (especially those with 
  Mindseeking) to provide hard-to-intercept 
  communication channels. 
   
  Gamma:  Telepathy 4d6 (20 Active Points); 
  Communication Only (-¼), Concentration 
  (½ DCV; -¼), Increased Endurance Cost (x2 
  END; -½). Total cost:  10 points. 
   
  Delta I:  Telepathy 4d6, Reduced Endurance 
  (½ END; +¼) (25 Active Points); 
  Communication Only (-¼), Concentration 
  (½ DCV; -¼). Total cost:  17 points. 
   
  Delta II:  Telepathy 4d6, Reduced 
  Endurance (0 END; +½) (30 Active Points); 
  Communication Only (-¼). Total cost:  24 
  points. 
  Telepathy 
   
  The standard form of telepathic psionics, 
  telepathy provides a psi with the ability to read 
  another person’s thoughts (even against his will) 
  or project his thoughts into another mind. 
  Characters with this power often learn other 
  applications like Deep Probe or Puppeteering. 
   
  Many psis have telepathy that doesn’t 
  always work properly. You can simulate this by 
  applying the Activation Roll Limitation. 
   
  Delta:  Telepathy 6d6 (30 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Increased 
  Endurance Cost (x2 END; -½). Total cost:  
  17 points. 
   
  Epsilon:  Telepathy 8d6 (40 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼). Total cost:  32 
  points. 
   
  Strong:  Telepathy 10d6, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END; +¼) (62 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼). Total cost:  50 
  points. 
  Telepathic Deep Probe 
   
  Psis who have telepathy can sometimes take 
  extra time and effort to reach even more deeply 
  into someone’s mind to root out hidden 
  memories or subconscious desires. Deep Probe 
  (“DP”) specialists generally work for intelligence 
  or law-enforcement agencies. 
   
  Zeta:  Telepathy 10d6 (50 Active Points); 
  Concentration (0 DCV throughout; -1), 
  Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), Reduced By 
  Range (-¼), Requires A Power: Psionics 
  Roll (-½). Total cost:  12 points. 
   
  Eta I:  Telepathy 10d6, Reduced Endurance 
  (½ END; +¼) (62 Active Points); 
  Concentration (0 DCV throughout; -1), 
  Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), Reduced By 
  Range (-¼), Requires A Power: Psionics 
  Roll (Active Point penalty -1 per 20 points;  
  -¼). Total cost:  15 points. 
   
  Eta II:  Telepathy 10d6, Reduced Endurance 
  (0 END; +½) (75 Active Points); 
  Concentration (0 DCV throughout; -1), 
  Extra Time (1 Minute; -1½), Reduced By 
  Range (-¼), Requires A Power: Psionics 
  Roll (Active Point penalty -1 per 20 points;  
  -¼). Total cost:  19 points. 
  Telepathic Link 
   
  Another common telepathic power, “TL” (as 
  psis usually refer to it) allows one person to 
  easily maintain telepathic contact with one or 
  more people (even over interstellar distances). In 
  the headquarters of the Mind Police much of the 
  conversation takes place over telepathic links to 
  foil surveillance by other security agencies. 
   
  Some psis can only establish and maintain a 
  Mind Link with other psis who have this power; 
  they apply the Only With Others Who Have Mind 
  Link Limitation. Some require LOS to establish a 
  Link; they remove the No LOS Needed Adder. 
   
  Gamma:  Mind Link, one specific mind, No 
  LOS Needed (works over interstellar 
  distances, to a maximum range of about 
  5,000 light-years) (15 Active Points); 
  Activation Roll 15- (-¼), Concentration  
  (½ DCV throughout; -¼), Costs Endurance 
  (-½). Total cost:  7 points. 
   
  Delta:  Mind Link, with up to any 8 
  individuals, No LOS Needed (works over 
  interstellar distances, to a maximum range of 
  about 5,000 light-years) (30 Active Points); 
  Costs Endurance (-½). Total cost:  20 points. 
   
  Epsilon:  Mind Link, with up to any 32 
  individuals, No LOS Needed (works over 
  interstellar distances, to a maximum range of 
  about 5,000 light-years) (40 Active Points); 
  Costs Endurance (-½). Total cost:  27 points. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  21
  Telepathic Assault 
   
  Also known as a “Telepathic Shriek,” this 
  ability simply allows a telepath to assault another 
  mind with a burst of psionic energy. Psis usually 
  discover they have this power by accident during 
  a crisis situation. 
   
  Some psis can Shriek so powerfully they 
  affect all the minds around them. You can buy 
  this by applying the Advantages Explosion and 
  Personal Immunity and the Limitation No Range. 
   
  Delta:  Ego Attack 3d6 (30 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Limited Range 
  (10”; -¼). Total cost:  20 points. 
   
  Epsilon:  Ego Attack 4d6 (40 Active 
  Points); Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), 
  Limited Range (15”; -¼). Total cost:  27 
  points. 
   
  Zeta I:  Ego Attack 6d6 (60 Active Points); 
  Concentration (½ DCV; -¼), Limited Range 
  (20”; -¼). Total cost:  40 points. 
   
  Zeta II:  Ego Attack 5d6 (50 Active Points); 
  Limited Range (20”; -¼). Total cost:  40 
  points. 
  Puppeteering 
   
  The IPF refers to telepaths who can actually 
  control a subject’s mind as “puppeteers.” Just 
  about everyone, even most Mind Police officers, 
  thinks they’re scary. The Mind Police and 
  Psionics Foundation do their best to identify all 
  puppeteers and keep them in structured settings 
  where officials can monitor them and ensure they 
  only use their powers for the greater good of the 
  Empire. 
   
  Zeta:  Mind Control 8d6, Telepathic (+¼) 
  (50 Active Points); Concentration (0 DCV 
  throughout; -1), Extra Time (Full Phase;  
  -½), Reduced By Range (-¼), Requires A 
  Power: Psionics Roll (-½). Total cost:  15 
  points. 
   
  Eta:  Mind Control 10d6, Telepathic (+¼), 
  Reduced Endurance (½ END; +¼) (75 
  Active Points); Concentration (½ DCV 
  throughout; -½), Extra Time (Full Phase;  
  -½), Reduced By Range (-¼), Requires A 
  Power: Psionics Roll (Active Point penalty  
  -1 per 20 points; -¼). Total cost:  30 points. 
   
  Theta:  Mind Control 12d6, Telepathic 
  (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (90 
  Active Points); Extra Time (Full Phase; -½), 
  Requires A Power: Psionics Roll (Active 
  Point penalty -1 per 20 points; -¼). Total 
  cost:  51 points. 
  TELEKINESIS POWERS 
   
   
   
  Telekinetic powers occur less frequently in 
  Humans than ESP or Telepathy, and usually at 
  lower levels of power as well. Most telekinetics 
  tend to have only telekinetic abilities; psis who 
  have both telekinetic and ESP or Telepathy 
  powers are rare... and valuable to many 
  organizations. 
  Standard Telekinesis 
   
  Most telekinetic psis in the Terran Empire 
  have this ability, and other half of them have it as 
  their only telekinetic ability. Telekinetics with 
  highly-developed “TK” powers often buy 
  Powers  as “tricks” reflecting their skill at 
  psychokinetic manipulation, such as RKA 
  (strangulation, squeezing someone’s heart) or 
  Sight Group Flash (holding eyelids shut). 
   
  Beta:  Telekinesis (4 STR), Invisible To 
  Sight Group (+½) (9 Active Points); Limited 
  Range (12”; -¼). Total cost:  7 points. 
   
  Delta:  Telekinesis (6 STR), Fine 
  Manipulation, Invisible To Sight Group 
  (+½) (28 Active Points); Limited Range 
  (18”; -¼). Total cost:  22 points. 
   
  Zeta:  Telekinesis (10 STR), Fine 
  Manipulation, Invisible To Sight Group 
  (+½), Reduced Endurance (½ END, +¼) (44 
  Active Points); Limited Range (30”; -¼). 
  Total cost:  35 points. 
   
  Eta:  Telekinesis (18 STR), Fine 
  Manipulation, Invisible To Sight Group 
  (+½), Reduced Endurance (½ END, +¼) (65 
  Active Points); Limited Range (54”; -¼). 
  Total cost:  52 points. 
  Telekinetic Deflection 
   
  A common application of basic telekinesis, 
  this power allows the telekinetic to protect 
  himself or others against missiles he can see, but 
  not bullets or energy beams. 
   
  Gamma II:  Missile Deflection (non-
  gunpowder projectiles), Ranged (adjacent 
  hexes, +½) (15 Active Points); Costs 
  Endurance (-½), Will Not Work Against 
  Heavy Missiles (-¼). Total cost:  9 points. 
   
  Gamma II:  Missile Deflection (non-
  gunpowder projectiles), Ranged (+1) (20 
  Active Points); Costs Endurance (-½), Will 
  Not Work Against Heavy Missiles (-¼). 
  Total cost:  11 points. 
   
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  22 
  Your Horoscope For: Aries by Allen Thomas 
   
  [Aries] is the first sign of the Zodiac 
  situated in the thirty degrees 
  immediately following the vernal 
  equinox. Nature wakes from the torpor 
  of Winter and this sign symbolizes first 
  and foremost the thrust of Spring and 
  hence impetus, virility (it is the chief 
  sign of Mars), energy, independence 
  and courage. 
  — The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, 
  Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant 
  (Tr. John Buchanan-Brown) 
   
   
  This installment of Your Horoscope For: 
  details an orbital habitat:  a near-future space 
  station orbiting 500 kilometers above the surface 
  of the planet, Mars. 
   
  At some point in the not-too-distant future, 
  mankind will begin to explore – to witness 
  firsthand, and not through intermediaries such as 
  unmanned probes – the other planets of our solar 
  system, and Mars is a likely starting point. 
  Whatever the details of such an endeavor, it will 
  involve bold and ambitious plans, which, to be 
  successful, will require the participation of 
  courageous men and women. Or, in the symbolic 
  terms of the zodiac, plans outlined by Arians and 
  carried out by Arians! 
   
  SPACE STATION ARIES 
   
   
   
  Circa 2100 AD, mankind makes an 
  important step in exploring the solar system, and 
  places a space station in Mars’ orbit. The space 
  station is intended to be a permanent habitat with 
  a maximum occupancy of forty people – 
  although, initially, its crew numbers only eleven. 
   
  The construction of Aries was the work of 
  nearly a decade. A fleet of ten space shuttles 
  cycled between Earth and Mars to transport 
  materials. Thirty personnel resided in stations 
  similar to the 20th Century’s MIR station. Upon 
  completion of Aries, the smaller stations were 
  sent crashing to Mars’s surface to prevent 
  potential “mid-space” collisions with Aries. 
   
  The primary mission of Aries is simply to 
  prove it possible for humans to reside far from 
  their terrestrial home, in an environment hostile to 
  life. While the technology of the time does not 
  allow the station to be entirely self-sufficient – 
  water and manufactured parts, at the very least, 
  must be supplied from terrestrial sources – Aries 
  personnel can survive, barring catastrophic events, 
  upwards of four years without terrestrial contact. 
   
  Once the primary mission is proven 
  successful, the Aries station will then serve as a 
  launching point for both the colonization of 
  Mars’ surface and the exploration of the outer 
  planets. 
   
                                                             
  artwork by Brad Parnell 
  cartography by Lisa Hartjes 
  ARIAN INSIGHT 
  #1 
   
   
   Aries is the first 
  sign of the Zodiac. Its 
  symbol, �, appears 
  as a vertical line with 
  two, downward 
  curving horns, and 
  traditionally, the sign 
  is depicted as a ram. 
   
  ARIAN INSIGHT 
  #2 
   
   
   Aries is the first of 
  the Fire Signs, which 
  also include Leo and 
  Sagittarius. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  23
  Aries 
  Description:  Aries is basically comprised of 
  two distinct parts:  a torus, which contains living 
  quarters and workspace for the crew, and a 
  cylinder, called the axis. Eight “spokes” link the 
  torus to the axis. To create gravity, the torus 
  rotates about the axis; the axis itself is stationary. 
   
  Design Notes:  To calculate the Size 
  Characteristic, the volume of the axis and the 
  surface area of the torus cross-section along its 
  center were used. The volume of the axis is 
  approximately 7854 cubic hexes. As per the rules 
  on page 209 of Star Hero, this is equivalent to a 
  Base with an area of 7854 hexes. The area of the 
  torus cross-section is approximately 1571 hexes. 
  (The surface created by the cross-section is 
  essentially a two-dimensional ring with a 
  constant width of 5”.) The sum of the two is 
  9425 hexes, yielding, a Size Characteristic 
  costing 32 points. 
   
  Aries has a total of four Solar Panels. Two 
  Solar Panels provide adequate power to maintain 
  normal conditions and operations aboard the 
  station. With only one Solar Panel, vital systems 
  can continue to operate, but no more than that. 
   
  Eight thrusters are located equidistant 
  around the outside edge of the torus, and 
  function primarily to maintain spin velocity. 
  Four equidistant thrusters are located around the 
  top of the axis, and function primarily to 
  eliminate any “wobble” caused by the rotation of 
  the torus, or movement of the station. The 
  thrusters can also serve to move the space station 
  to a different orbit. While Aries can descend into 
  Mars’ atmosphere, the thrusters cannot hold the 
  station aloft once it enters a macrogravity 
  environment. The Thrusters can rotate to change 
  the direction of thrust. Spinning would only be 
  stopped in a dire emergency, and damage inside 
  the torus is likely to be extensive. 
   
  The outside hull of the space station is 
  studded with multiple camera units, which 
  together comprise the External Camera System. 
  Despite the rotation of the torus, the cameras can 
  fix on a single point, and relay the image to an 
  internal monitor without a break in continuity. 
  Basically, the cameras are automated, so that one 
  camera shifts to the next as the torus rotates, 
  keeping the desired image in view. 
   
  The END cost of the Greenhouses is based 
  on the need for lighting to enable photosynthesis, 
  as well as the cycling system which provides 
  atmosphere for the entire torus. 
   
  Climate Control, Greenhouses, and Artificial 
  Gravity do not extend to the axis of the space 
  station; the axis is zero gravity and lacks an 
  atmosphere. 
  SPINNING AND ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY 
   
   
   
  Studies have shown that some sort of 
  artificial gravity is necessary for healthy, long-
  term life in a microgravity environment. 
  Detrimental effects of life without gravity 
  include (but aren’t limited to):  cardiovascular 
  changes, muscle atrophy, bone damage, and 
  changes in posture and stature. Additionally, any 
  sort of physical activity is more easily 
  accomplished in an Earth-normal environment. 
  For these reasons, the simulation of gravity was 
  considered all-important to the success of Aries’ 
  primary mission. 
   
  To simulate gravity, the torus of Aries 
  rotates clockwise about the axis at the rate of one 
  revolution per minute (for illustration, this is the 
  same direction and speed as the seconds hand of 
  a clock or wristwatch). While the gravity inside 
  the torus approximates 1 G, the rotation produces 
  additional effects. 
   
  Rotation of the torus creates two vectors of 
  force. One vector moves directly away from the 
  center; this vector simulates gravity. The second 
  vector, tangent to the rotation, moves in the 
  direction of the rotation (prograde), and results in 
  phenomena not experienced in Earth’s gravity. 
  For instance, a rubber ball dropped on Earth 
  bounces straight up. The same ball dropped on 
  Aries bounces in an arc, moving opposite the 
  rotation of the station (retrograde). 
   
  Described in more geometric terms… Any 
  individual’s position can be described with three 
  axes:  a vertical axis which represents up-down, 
  and two horizontal axes which represent left-
  right and front-back. On Earth, the vertical axis 
  is fixed – up-down is always the same, 
  regardless of a change in position; and the 
  horizontal axes are not fixed – left-right and 
  front-back can be changed simply by turning 
  around. In zero gravity, none of the axes are 
  fixed – each is dependent on the individual’s 
  position. On Aries, two of the three axes are 
  fixed – the vertical axis for up-down, and the 
  horizontal axis which represents prograde-
  retrograde. 
   
  Optional Rules: The artificial gravity on Aries 
  requires time to grow accustomed to. The effects 
  are not detrimental to health, but do interfere 
  with coordination. Effects include:  lurching 
  when one stands up, the effort required to move 
  retrograde is greater than that to move prograde, 
  and motion sickness. 
   
  At the GM’s option, a -2 penalty can be 
  applied to CV and Dexterity-based Skill Rolls, 
  until the PCs acclimate to Aries. Space station 
  personnel have the Talent, Environmental 
  Movement: Artificial Gravity (3 Character 
  Points), to reflect their long-term habitation of 
  Aries, and suffer no penalty. 
  DISTANCE FROM 
  MARS TO EARTH 
   
   
   The distance 
  between the two 
  planets is ½ AU 
  (Astronomical Unit), 
  or 75 million km, and 
  the equivalent of 32½ 
  billion hexes. With a 
  Megascale (+2) 
  Advantage, that is 
  equal to 7½ inches of 
  movement. 
   
  PLOT SEEDS 
   
   
   � Space station 
  Aries has begun to 
  explore the 
  possibilities of 
  colonizing Mars. To 
  gather data, 
  unmanned probes 
  have traveled to and 
  from the surface. The 
  scientist’s last report 
  indicated an 
  astonishing find, with 
  more details to 
  come… but the 
  details never came. 
  What happened 
  aboard Aries? What 
  did they find? Was it 
  a plague that has 
  turned the crew into 
  “space zombies?” Or, 
  more realistically, 
  bacteria that, once 
  introduced into a 
  habitable 
  environment, 
  activated and killed 
  the plants in the 
  station’s 
  greenhouses? 
  Whatever the case, 
  the PCs must journey 
  to the station and 
  discover what was 
  found on the surface 
  of the red planet.  
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  24 
  Aries 
   
  Val Char Cost 
  Notes 
   
  20 BODY 18 
   160”x80” Size 
  32 
  -14 DCV 
   
  10 DEF 
  21 
  Movement: Flight: 
  3”/24” 
  Cost Abilities & Equipment 
  END 
   25 Space Station:  Location:  In Space 
  0 
   
   Power Systems 
   
  6 Solar Panel:  Endurance Reserve (23 
  END/23 REC); OAF (Immobile 
  Breakable; -2¼), Only Powers 
  Electrical Devices (-¼), Requires 
  Solar Proximity (-½) 
  0 
   10 Solar Panel:  3 more Solar Panels 
  (total of 4) 
  0 
   
   Propulsion System 
   28 Thrusters:  Multipower, 42-point 
  reserve; Only Works in Space (-½), 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (difficult 
  to replace from sources outside the 
  ship, 4 Years; -0) 
   2m Repositioning Thrusters:  Flight 10”, 
  8x Noncombat; Only Works in Space 
  (-½), Limited Maneuverability (-¼), 1 
  Continuing Fuel Charge (-0) 
  [1cc] 
   2m Artificial Gravity:  Flight 3”, 8x 
  Noncombat, Rapid Noncombat 
  Movement (+¼); Only To Spin Torus 
  Around Axis (-2), Only Works in 
  Space (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel 
  Charge (-0) plus Telekinesis (5 STR); 
  Only to Pull Objects Straight Down 
  to “Floor” (-1), Only Works in Space 
  (-½), Linked (-½), 1 Continuing Fuel 
  Charge (-0) 
  [1cc] 
   
   Operations Systems 
   34 Sensor And Communication Systems:  
  Variable Power Pool, 30 base + 15 
  control cost; OIF (Bulky; -1), Only For 
  Senses And Communications (-1), 
  Costs Endurance (-½) 
  var 
   24 Long-Range Sensors:  Megascale (10 
  million km per Active Point, can scale 
  down to 1 km per Active Point; +2) for 
  any Sensor Pool Sense; OIF (Bulky; -1), 
  Lightspeed Delay (-½) 
  var 
   
  5 Radio Communications System:  HRRP 
  (Radio Group); OIF (Bulky; -1), Costs 
  Endurance (-½) 
  1 
   
  7 Long-Range Sensors:  +10 versus 
  Range for Radio Group; OAF (high-
  gain antenna; -1) 
  0 
   16 External Camera System:  
  Clairsentience (Sight Group); Limited 
  Range (Perception point can be placed 
  no further than outer edge of space 
  station; -¼) 
  2 
   
   Personnel Systems 
   
  4 Shielding:  Life Support (Safe 
  Environments:  High Radiation, Low 
  Pressure/Vacuum) 
  0 
   
  3 Climate Control:  Life Support (Safe 
  Environments:  Intense Cold, Intense 
  Heat); Costs Endurance (-½) 
  1 
   
  7 Greenhouses:  Life Support (Self-
  Contained Breathing); Costs Endurance 
  (-½) 
  1 
   
  3 Food Supplies:  Life Support 
  (Diminished Eating:  no need to eat); 
  1 Continuing Fuel Charge (difficult to 
  replace from sources outside the ship; 
  4 Years [i.e., 160 man-years]; -0) 
  [1cc] 
   
   Skills/Laboratories 
   5,5 SS: Astronomy 11-, SS: Chemistry 11- 
   5,5 SS: Medicine 11-, Physics 11- 
   
  Total Abilities & Equipment Cost:  196 
   
  Total Base Cost:  267 
   
   
  0+ Disadvantages 
   10 Physical Limitation:  Cannot Enter 
  Atmosphere (Infrequently, Greatly) 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points:  10 
   
  Total Cost:  257/5 = 51 
   
  EXAMPLE SENSOR AND 
  COMMUNICATION CONFIGURATIONS 
   
   
   
  Magnetometer:  Use of this sense can 
  generate of topographical map of Mars’ magnetic 
  field. The PER roll is based on the operator’s 
  Systems Operation (Star Hero, page 201). 
  Detect Magnetic Fields (no Sense 
  Group), Discriminatory, Analyze, 
  Increased Arc of Perception (360 
  degrees), Ranged (25 Active Points). 
  Total Cost: 25 points. 
   
   
  Spectroscope:  This configuration is used to 
  analyze light from celestial bodies. The PER roll 
  is based on the operator’s Systems Operation. It 
  does not have the Ranged Adder, since light 
  must travel to the Spectroscope, and if the light 
  is somehow blocked, it cannot be detected. 
  Detect Light (no Sense Group), 
  Discriminatory, Analyze (20 Active 
  Points). Total Cost:  20 points. 
   
   
  High-Gain Antenna:  This is used to 
  communicate with Earth or incoming shuttles 
  outside the range of the Radio Communications 
  System.  (Remember:  The Long-Range Sensors 
  are Megascaled.) There is approximately a four-
  minute lag when communicating with Earth. 
  HRRP (Radio Group) (12 Active Points) 
  plus +10 versus Range for Radio 
  Group (15 Active Points). Total Cost:  
  27 points. 
   � Aries mission 
  control reports that 
  the space station has 
  entered the planet’s 
  atmosphere, and 
  crashed on the 
  surface. How and why 
  did this happen? Has 
  any of the crew 
  survived? Those are 
  mysteries the PCs will 
  have to solve, when 
  mankind’s first 
  mission to Mars’s 
  surface becomes a 
  rescue mission. 
   
   � An astounding – 
  and disturbing – event 
  has occurred:  the 
  crew of Aries has 
  made first contact 
  with extraterrestrials. 
  They have promised 
  free-access to 
  advanced technology, 
  and changes that will 
  make the Earth a 
  paradise – and the 
  crew is convinced – 
  but The Powers That 
  Be know that nothing 
  is free. A special 
  mission group (the 
  PCs) is assembled and 
  ordered to journey to 
  the station. They are 
  to assess the threat-
  level posed to Earth’s 
  status quo by the 
  extraterrestrials, and, 
  if possible, neutralize 
  that threat. Will they 
  be swayed by the 
  promises of the 
  extraterrestrials, or 
  will they uncover a 
  darker plot? 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  25
  AXIS STATIONARY
  SPIN 
  Location Descriptions 
  The vast majority of space in Aries is 
  dedicated to storage: food, water, rocket fuel for 
  the thrusters, spare parts, and so on. The station 
  has enough supplies for the crew to survive four 
  years without terrestrial contact, although, for 
  safety’s sake, a shuttle from Earth arrives once 
  yearly. 
   
   
   
  THRUSTERS 
   
   
   The Thrusters can 
  rotate to change the 
  direction of thrust.  
  When Artificial 
  Gravity is in effect, 
  14 Active Points 
  remain the 
  Multipower’s reserve 
  for the Repositioning 
  Thrusters, so Aries 
  can move 2” with a 
  Noncombat 
  Movement Modifier 
  of x8 (a maximum of 
  48” a Turn). If the 
  spinning is stopped 
  for any reason, it 
  requires 1 Turn to 
  achieve full effect 
  thanks to the Rapid 
  Noncombat 
  Movement Advantage. 
  Spinning would only 
  be stopped in a dire 
  emergency, and 
  damage inside the 
  torus is likely to be 
  extensive. 
   
  CREW OF ARIES 
   
   
   As stated 
  elsewhere, eleven 
  personnel reside on 
  Aries. Crewmembers 
  were chosen not just 
  for their skills, but 
  also their ability to get 
  along with others. In 
  the enclosed 
  environment of Aries, 
  interpersonal skills 
  were deemed of the 
  utmost importance. 
  Five of these are as 
  follows: 
   
  Colonel Jonathan 
  Kilpatrick:  
  Kilpatrick has been 
  involved with the 
  project since its 
  inception. He had to 
  lobby hard to gain the 
  position of 
  commanding officer 
  aboard Aries, due to  
   AL AIRLOCK 
   LQ LIVING QUARTERS 
   GH GREENHOUSE 
   SL SCIENCE LAB 
   BR BRIDGE 
  40”
  20”
  50” 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  26 
  TORUS 
   
   
   
  While in the torus of the station, down is 
  directly way from the center – in other words, 
  when standing upright, one’s head points 
  toward the axis. 
   
  The single, most unusual feature of the 
  design of the torus is the hallway. A single 
  hallway inside the torus connects all the rooms. 
  The curvature of the hallway, as it curves 
  around the torus, is noticeable, and while 
  traveling the hallway, one seems to walk up a 
  gradual slope. However, all of the rooms have 
  level floors, to more closely replicate a normal 
  Earth environment. 
   
  Because of the curvature, visibility is 
  reduced.  Assuming a character is 6-foot 
  tall, he can see 18” until the ceiling cuts 
  off his view.  If prone, he can see 24”. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  his age (he is in his 
  mid-sixties). He has 
  been informed off-
  the-record once the 
  initial phase of the 
  Aries station is 
  completed, he will be 
  retired. Ever 
  pragmatic, Kilpatrick 
  will deal with it when 
  it happens, and is 
  confident he will 
  remain in command 
  of the station. 
   
  Lieutenant Colonel 
  Mary Doroschuk:  
  Doroschuk is second 
  in command aboard 
  Aries. She is the 
  perfect second, but 
  would make a poor 
  captain. While she is 
  excellent at 
  interpreting  and 
  enforcing her 
  superiors’ orders, she 
  has difficulty 
  enforcing her own 
  orders and tends to 
  give subordinates too 
  much slack. 
   
  Lieutenant Colonel 
  Edward Brown:  
  Chief of engineering 
  aboard Aries, he is 
  familiar with all 
  operations aboard the 
  station and can 
  substitute as a pilot in 
  a pinch. His main 
  fault is that he often 
  fails to explain a 
  problem in detail, 
  instead answering 
  “I’ll fix it.” Even if 
  pressed for details, he 
  tends to answer, “Too 
  long to explain.  
  Quicker if I just fix 
  it.” Though he has 
  always “fixed it” in 
  the past, it could 
  become an issue in an 
  unusual or 
  extraordinary crisis. 
   
   
  Living Quarters:  Privacy was deemed 
  essential to the psychological well-being of 
  station personnel, and each person on Aries 
  has his own living quarters, for a total of 
  forty. Living quarters are divided in ten 
  blocks of four, and spaced evenly around the 
  inside of the torus. The quarters are divided  
  into two rooms:  living 
  room/office and bedroom. Flat-
  screen monitors are hung on the 
  far wall of the room, and are 
  designed to resemble windows. 
  A selection of landscapes and 
  scenes are available for display 
  on these monitors. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  27
   
  The Bridge:  The 
  bridge has seats for five 
  crew members. The three 
  seats and control panels 
  against the wall opposite 
  the door are for the pilot, 
  commander, and co-pilot. 
  From here, Aries is 
  maneuvered for docking 
  with shuttles and 
  position/orbit changes are 
  performed. The seat to the 
  left of the door is the 
  docking station. Here, 
  communications with the 
  shuttles are carried on, the 
  docking port deployed, and 
  the axis monitored. The 
  two seats to the right of the 
  door are for mission 
  specialists, and the control panels can be re-
  configured to best suit the particular mission. 
  The central display monitors are keyed into the 
  External Camera System. 
   
  AXIS 
   
   
   
  The axis does not rotate and has no gravity. 
  This serves a dual purpose. First, rotation would 
  reduce the efficiency of the solar panels. Since 
  the axis is stationary, the panels are able to adjust 
  and take maximum advantage of solar exposure. 
  Second, ships can dock with the station. If the 
  entire station rotated, the difficulty of docking, as 
  well as the risk incurred by both ship and station, 
  would be prohibitively high. 
   
  Hatches, placed above and below where the 
  spokes join with the axis, provide access, and 
  there are sixteen in all. Hatches are DEF 8, 
  BODY 7. 
   
  The lower portion of the axis is dedicated to 
  batteries and generators, and produces power 
  which is distributed throughout the entire station. 
  The upper portion is dedicated to storage and the 
  docking bay. 
   
  Materials for immediate off-loading, such as 
  waste materials, and surplus supplies are kept in 
  the axis storage areas. The materials are lashed 
  down to prevent them from shifting. 
   
  The ceiling of the docking bay opens, to 
  allow the docking port to extend outwards to 
  meet with an arriving shuttle. A camera and 
  light, and rendezvous and arrival antenna, aid 
  operations on both the space station and the 
  shuttle. If either the camera or antenna is 
  damaged, docking operations are performed at a 
  -5 penalty. Those boarding or disembarking the 
  shuttle pass through the docking port (essentially 
  a thick tube), before passing through an air lock. 
  BRIDGE MAP 
  Doctor Igor 
  Kandinsky:  While 
  far from the most 
  gifted scientist in any 
  one field, Kandinsky 
  is likely the most 
  gifted scientist in the 
  most fields. He was 
  included among 
  personnel in the hope 
  that his broad skill set 
  would help in 
  unexplored areas of 
  science (in game 
  terms, SS:  
  Xenobiology and the 
  like). Any truly alien 
  incident is likely to 
  fall into his lap. 
   
  Doctor Lisa 
  Schmidt:  Schmidt is 
  not the world’s 
  foremost expert on 
  astrophysics and 
  astronomical 
  phenomena -- she was 
  chosen over the other 
  candidates for her 
  likeable personality 
  and easy-going 
  disposition -- and it is 
  a noticeable chip on 
  her shoulder. Despite 
  not being the best, 
  and regardless of her 
  personal opinion, she 
  is very talented. 
   
  The remainder of the 
  personnel is left for 
  the GM to flesh out.  
  Names and positions 
  are:  Captain James 
  Thornton (second 
  pilot under 
  Doroschuk), Captain 
  Alvin Washington 
  and Captain Susan 
  Witt (two engineers 
  under Brown), Dr. 
  Sheila O’Donnell 
  (geology/environment
  al science), and Dr. 
  Victor Fortune 
  (mathematics). 
   
  AXIS DOCKING RING 
  Thruster
  Door
  Docking Ring 
  Arrival 
  Antenna 
  Camera 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  28 
  MOVING FROM TORUS TO AXIS 
   
   
   
  One of the more dangerous routine duties 
  for Aries personnel is moving from the torus to 
  the axis. To do so requires leaving the relative 
  safety of the torus, and entering outer space, after 
  passing through an airlock. 
   
  There are a total of eight airlocks on the 
  torus. A trapdoor in the ceiling of the hallway 
  allows entry. The first room is a changing room, 
  where space suits are kept. Next to the changing 
  room is the airlock proper. Handholds and 
  footholds dot the walls and floor of the air lock. 
  The hatch to outside is in the ceiling, and opens 
  just above one of the spokes. Once outside, a 
  person must climb along the spoke toward the 
  axis. The effort required is the equivalent of 
  climbing a ladder on earth, with gravity lowering 
  on the climb “up.” 
   
  The dangerous part is moving from the 
  spoke to the axis, since the spoke rotates and the 
  axis is stationary. The person tethers himself to 
  the spoke, leaving himself plenty of slack. Once 
  he is securely tethered, he grabs hold of a rung 
  bolted to the axis. When he has a grip, he quickly 
  releases the tether before he is pulled from the 
  axis. 
   
  Moving supplies from axis to torus is done 
  in a similar manner and is more difficult; on 
  occasion, supplies have been lost when they 
  slipped and floated away from the space station. 
   
   
   
  CREW LINGO 
   
  Doing a lap:  To walk the entire 
  length of the hallway, a distance of 
  approximately 320 meters. 
   
  Down-down:  Down while inside 
  the torus is the direction away from the 
  axis. Down-down refers to down, where 
  the axis is the vertical. For example: 
  “The solar panels are down-down from 
  the spoke.” Up-up has a similar, but 
  opposite meaning – “The docking port 
  is up-up from the spoke.” 
   
  Hamster Wheel:  A nickname for 
  the hallway. 
   
  Inward:  Inward refers to the 
  direction towards the axis. So while 
  standing in a room in the torus, one’s 
  head points inward. 
   
  Outward:  Outward refers to the 
  direction away from the axis. 
   
  Space Ghost:  As the station 
  rotates, the spokes flex and creak. The 
  creaking is audible in sections of the 
  hallway nearest the spokes, and the 
  crew have taken to referring to the noise 
  as the space ghost. 
   
  Walking downhill:  Walking 
  prograde in the torus, because doing so 
  requires less effort. 
   
  Walking uphill:  Walking 
  retrograde in the torus, because doing so 
  requires more effort. 
   
   
   
  RULES FOR 
  MOVING TO AXIS 
   
   
   As described, 
  climbing along a 
  spoke to the axis is 
  not easily 
  accomplished. While 
  careful tethering has 
  prevented serious 
  incidents, during a 
  crisis situation (like 
  those that occur 
  during a game 
  session!) such care 
  might not be possible. 
  Suggested rules are as 
  follows: 
  • If the climber 
  doesn’t have 
  Environmental 
  Movement:  
  Artificial Gravity, 
  he must make a 
  Climbing Skill 
  Roll. (If he has the 
  Talent, he does not 
  need to make the 
  Skill Roll since 
  there are ample 
  handholds.) 
  • The climber must 
  make a STR Roll 
  every 10” after the 
  first 10” of 
  movement. (A total 
  of three rolls to 
  make it to the axis.) 
  • Since centripetal 
  force is inversely 
  proportional to the 
  radius, the force 
  acting on the 
  climber increases as 
  he moves toward 
  the axis. The GM 
  should apply a -1 
  penalty to his STR 
  Roll for every 10” 
  traveled after the 
  first 10”, for a total 
  of -3 during the last 
  7.5” of the climb. 
  • A failed STR Roll 
  means the climber 
  is flung free of the 
  spoke. He falls  
  AIRLOCK SIDE VIEW 
  AIRLOCK TOP VIEW 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  29
  toward the torus 
  and, for the sake of 
  simplicity, his 
  velocity is 5” per 
  Segment. He does 
  not accelerate as he 
  travels. 
  • For purposes of 
  grabbing hold of 
  the axis, it has a 
  DCV of 5. 
  • Once grabbed, the 
  climber must make 
  a successful STR 
  Roll or lose his 
  grip. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  AXIS CROSS-SECTION 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  30 
  Atlantean Water Arts by W. Ross Watson 
   
  Atlantean Water Arts 
   
  Possibly having the same roots as 
  Pankration, the Atlantean Water Arts were 
  developed for use in a fluid underwater 
  environment. The maneuvers are graceful, 
  almost dancelike, and were patterned after the 
  movements and abilities of undersea life. The 
  military forces of Atlantis practice this form 
  heavily, but many denizens of the deep have 
  begun learning and adapting this style for 
  themselves. 
                                                             
  Atlantean Water Arts originally created by Patrick E. 
  Bradley. 
  ATLANTEAN WATER ARTS NOTES 
   
   
  Optional Rules 
   
  All maneuvers except the Nautilus Block 
  and Eel’s Dance take a 3d6 Location roll. 
  Special Abilities 
   
  Swirling Maelstrom: True masters of the 
  Atlantean Water Arts are rumored to have the 
  ability to stir up the surrounding water so much 
  that bubbling wake conceals them from view. 
  You can simulate this by purchasing one hex 
  radius of Darkness versus the Sight Sense Group 
  and Sonar (because of the swirling bubbly 
  noise), with the No Range (-½) Limitation and 
  the Personal Immunity (+¼) Advantage. 
  Atlantean Water Arts Maneuvers 
   
  Shark’s Nudge:  This maneuver is designed 
  to be used with Swimming. Running, Swinging, 
  and Tunneling are too awkward, but Flight can 
  be used to get the extra momentum for this 
  attack. 
   
                                                             
  artwork by Derrick Thomas 
   
  Atlantean Water Arts
  Maneuver 
  Phs 
  Pts 
  OCV 
  DCV 
  Damage/Effect 
  Shark’s Nudge 
  ½ 
  5 
  +1 
  +0 
  STR +v/5; FMove 
  Dolphin Strike Punch 
  ½ 
  4 
  +2 
  +0 
  STR +2d6 Strike 
  Mako Tail Strike 
  ½ 
  5 
  -2 
  +1 
  STR +4d6 Strike 
  Nautilus Block 
  ½ 
  4 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort 
  Octopus Escape 
  ½ 
  4 
  +0 
  +0 
  +15 STR vs. Grabs 
  Eel’s Dance 
  ½ 
  5 
  — 
  +4 
  Dodge All Attacks, Abort: FMove 
  Embrace of the Squid 
  ½ 
  4 
  +0 
  +0 
  STR +4d6 Crush, Must Follow Grab 
  Skills 
  Acrobatics 
  Contortionist 
  KS: Atlantean Water Arts 
  PS: Dancer 
  WF: Staff 
  WF: Swords 
  Talents 
  Environmental Movement (no penalties underwater) 
  Elements 
  Weapons 
  +1  Use Art With Swords 
   
   
  +1  Use Art With Staff 
  EDITOR’S NOTE 
   
   
   The contents of 
  this article are not  
  “official” Champions  
  Universe material, 
  and as such have no 
  effect on the events 
  and characters 
  depicted in published 
  Hero Games 
  Champions products. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  31
  Professor Piscean 
  Background/History:  P’scann was once a 
  fairly ordinary citizen of a most extraordinary 
  nation:  Atlantis. Born an orphan, P’scann was a 
  ward of the state who grew up friendless and 
  alone. He made up for his lack of social graces 
  by excelling in his studies, and by the time he 
  had grown to adolescence, his interests turned to 
  athletics. 
   
  With a passion and fervor rarely seen among 
  youngsters his age, P’scann pushed himself to 
  become one of the best that Atlantis had to offer. 
  He drove himself to swim further and faster than 
  the rest. He strove to be the fastest, strongest, 
  and toughest Atlantean within the sunken realm. 
  Eventually this quest led him to learn from the 
  masters of the Water Arts, and for many years he 
  trained under their tutelage to learn the 
  intricacies of the underwater fighting style.  
   
  However, achieving acknowledgement for 
  his mastery of the Water Arts was not enough for 
  P’scann. His mind hungered for more, and his 
  ego demanded that he find another venue in 
  which to prove himself. It was then that P’scann 
  encountered his first failure… he found that he 
  had absolutely no talent for magic, and the spells 
  that most Atlanteans could utilize with ease 
  slipped through his fingers.  
   
  Atlantis’ Queen had some contact with the 
  surface world, and rumors of the “science” they 
  practiced there instead of magic intrigued 
  P’scann. He begged the Queen for a boon to 
  travel to the surface world and bring back some 
  of this “scientific knowledge”… for the 
  betterment of Atlantis, of course. The Queen 
  agreed, not without reservations, and P’scann 
  began a new course of study amongst the air-
  breathing cultures of the surface world.  
   
  P’scann’s impression of life above the 
  waves was not good. The surface worlders 
  appeared weak and foolish to him, and the smug 
  superiority that he affected among Atlanteans 
  only won him scorn when he was with the 
  surface-dwelling teachers P’scann went to for 
  scientific instruction. 
   
  Eventually, P’scann had enough. Bearing 
  with him an extensive library of scientific 
  knowledge, the arrogant Atlantean returned 
  home. He presented to the Queen some of his 
  achievements, and boasted of the research that he 
  would then engage in, expecting fame and 
  celebration at his return. 
   
  Such was not to be, for the Queen’s 
  misgivings were proven correct. P’scann 
  intended to use his knowledge to construct 
  terrible weapons of war, and he advocated 
  conquest of the “weaklings” on the surface 
  world. The Queen’s dismissal of P’scann’s plans 
  angered and frustrated the young Atlantean, and 
  his pride prodded him into unwise actions. 
  Proclaiming the Queen unfit to rule Atlantis, 
  P’scann insulted the royal family, and hinted that 
  someone else should sit upon the throne.  
   
  P’scann’s enraged taunts were more than the 
  Queen could take. She ordered P’scann exiled, 
  banished permanently from Atlantis. As the 
  Queen’s soldiers took him away, P’scann vowed 
  revenge. 
   
  Some years passed before P’scann re-
  appeared, but hideously changed. Now calling 
  himself Professor Piscean, the former Atlantean 
  scientist is bent on the destruction of Atlantis, 
  and placing everything under the sea into his 
  authority. He established a foreboding base of 
  operations known as the Coral Citadel several 
  miles from Atlantis, surrounding it with a 
  menagerie of genetically-tailored monsters based 
  on myth and legend. Sea serpents, giant lobsters, 
  and even stranger beasts prowl near his lair, 
  discouraging attack. 
   
  Some believe that P’scann encountered one 
  of the surface world “supervillains,” receiving 
  training and funding from a genius even more 
  deranged than his own. Whether this is true or 
  not, Professor Piscean remains a threat to the 
  security of Atlantis and all who venture beneath 
  the waves.  
   
  Personality/Motivation:  Professor Piscean is 
  motivated by hate and shame, twin scourges that 
  drive him on to subjugate everything he 
  considers worthwhile… which includes the 
  undersea world, but has little to do with normal 
  civilizations above the ocean.  
   
  His hate is reserved for Atlantis, the culture 
  that cast him out and has resisted his attempts to 
  conquer it over and over again. The shame he 
  feels stems from his lack of magical aptitude, the 
  only area of Atlantean culture he could not find a 
  way to excel in.  
   
  Professor Piscean believes the surface world 
  is composed of weak, incompetent fools who do 
  not deserve the wealth and resources they enjoy. 
  Although he rarely concerns himself with 
  thoughts of what lies above sea level, Professor 
  Piscean plans to crush the surface world under 
  his heel… eventually. Only after Atlantis and the 
  other undersea nations bow to him as their king 
  would he consider dealing with places like 
  America or Europe. 
   
  The Professor is very egotistical, a condition 
  which makes working with other underwater 
  villains difficult. As long as it is understood that 
  Professor Piscean is the smartest, strongest, and 
  overall “best” of the group, he could end up 
  leading a coalition of supervillains against 
  Atlantis. Fortunately for the Atlanteans, such 
  circumstances have not yet arisen. 
   
  PROFESSOR 
  PISCEAN PLOT 
  SEEDS 
   
   
   Professor Piscean 
  has finished 
  constructing his most 
  deadly device ever… 
  the Thermal Vent 
  Drilling Mechanism. 
  Fortunately, the Seers 
  of Atlantis discovered 
  the existence of the 
  Professor’s invention, 
  and contact a group of 
  heroes to find a way 
  to stop him from 
  using the machine to 
  wreak great 
  destruction. Of 
  course, the Professor 
  has many sea 
  monsters specially 
  created to guard his 
  machine and keep any 
  pesky would-be 
  heroes away from it. 
   
   Many believe that 
  Professor Piscean did 
  not achieve his 
  current condition 
  alone. Could Doctor 
  Destroyer or some 
  other evil genius be 
  behind the Professor’s 
  return? Perhaps clues 
  are found indicating 
  that Professor Piscean 
  does indeed have a 
  mentor with whom he 
  is on good terms. The 
  heroes must use these 
  clues to discover the 
  mentor’s identity and 
  break up a potentially 
  catastrophic 
  partnership before it’s 
  too late. 
   
   Shipping lanes have 
  recently come under 
  attack by huge, 
  vicious sea monsters, 
  resembling ancient 
  dinosaurs and other 
  mythical creatures 
  like the Kraken.  
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  32 
  Quote:  “You fools! All that exists below the 
  waves will soon belong to me!” 
   
  “You’ve breathed your last, surface-dweller. 
  I shall see to it personally!” 
   
  “Meddle in the affairs of the sea, and you 
  will find the ocean just as unforgiving as I am.” 
   
  Powers/Tactics:  Like all Atlanteans, Professor 
  Piscean is completely at home beneath the 
  waves. He moves and breathes through the water 
  with ease. He can swim at great speeds, see in 
  near-complete darkness, and tolerate the cold 
  temperatures of the deep. 
   
  Professor Piscean has blended the genetic 
  structure of many undersea-dwelling creatures 
  into his own, granting him some of their abilities. 
  His body is unnaturally tough and strong, easily 
  able to withstand the crushing pressure of the 
  depths. Like a shark, he can sense motion around 
  him and follow the scent of blood for miles if 
  need be. Also like a shark, his skin has multiple 
  layers of sharp scales that grip and cut at 
  anything it touches.  
   
  His skin has received another enhancement; 
  similar to some bottom-feeding fish, his flesh 
  can assume the colors of its surroundings. This 
  works best while the Professor remains still, as 
  movement can quickly spoil the illusion. 
  Additionally, the feared neurotoxic filaments of 
  the Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish can be 
  extruded from his face. These filaments “sting” 
  by injecting virulent poisons into his opponents, 
  rendering them helpless with the intense agony 
  such toxins cause. The filaments easily find ways 
  through most conventional armor. Force Fields 
  (or complete immunity to poisons) render this 
  attack harmless, however. 
   
  The evil professor has also added a massive 
  claw formed of hardened exo-skeletal cartilage, 
  similar to a lobster’s claw. The power of the 
  professor’s modified muscles allows his claw to 
  crush even hardened steel or rip open a 
  submarine’s hull with ease. He has also grafted 
  on a group of four powerful octopus tentacles 
  that obey his every command, and often swirl 
  around him ominously, even while he is 
  otherwise calm. 
   
  The Professor’s experiments upon himself 
  have also exacerbated his Atlantean physiology’s 
  weaknesses. In particular, he feels great pain if 
  he does not soak in water every so often, and 
  attacks based on heat can quickly dry out his 
  fish-like skin. 
   
  Professor Piscean is also a master of the 
  underwater fighting style known as the Atlantean 
  Water Arts. He seems to prefer hand-to-hand 
  combat, and will often close in with a grab, 
  intending to use the Embrace of the Squid 
  (enhanced by the properties of his sharklike skin) 
  to crush an enemy into paste. 
   
  Finally, Professor Piscean’s base at the 
  Coral Citadel gives him an extensive laboratory 
  to construct and test various strange and 
  dangerous devices. He will often bring several of 
  these clever inventions with him to assist his 
  efforts to rule the oceans. 
   
  Campaign Use:  Professor Piscean makes a 
  good low-level “master villain” for coastal or 
  underwater campaigns. Scenarios that focus on 
  or involve Atlantis could also prove a good place 
  for Professor Piscean to wreak some havoc. The 
  Professor rarely concerns himself with the 
  surface world, although there may be some 
  overlap with one of his plans for undersea 
  domination.  
   
  To scale down Professor Piscean, reduce his 
  Man-Of-War attack down to 2d6, lower his 
  strength to 30, and remove his Combat Skill 
  Levels. To raise his power level, increase his 
  Man-Of-War attack to 5d6, add other creature 
  powers, and increase the size of his VPP. 
   
  The Professor would only Hunt someone if 
  they were tied into Atlantean culture or were 
  otherwise linked to underwater nations. As a 
  Hunter, Professor Piscean prefers to test out his 
  inventions upon those who have earned his 
  wrath. Characters who are Hunted by Professor 
  Piscean should expect to encounter a wide 
  variety of freakish sea monsters and wickedly 
  deadly gadgets.  
   
  Appearance:  Professor Piscean stands an 
  impressive seven feet tall, and his build is what 
  can be charitably described as incredibly 
  muscular. Through his experiments he has 
  become a bizarre combination of creatures after 
  he introduced DNA from many of the undersea-
  dwelling animals into his own biological system. 
  As a result, he has scaly blue-green skin, and his 
  face is a hideous mess of human and animal 
  features. His hands and feet have grown out of 
  proportion to his body. He bears only three 
  fingers on either hand and his feet are little more 
  than webbed flippers. A sharkfin grows from his 
  back, octopus tentacles from his shoulders and 
  waist, and his left arm ends in a massive 
  lobsterlike claw. He commonly wears only a pair 
  of black shorts, choosing to flaunt the 
  questionable advantages of his bioengineering 
  expertise. 
   
   
  Heroes who 
  investigate will 
  discover that the 
  creatures are the 
  creations of Professor 
  Piscean, who is 
  attempting to train his 
  newest beasts to obey 
  his commands in 
  preparation for an 
  assault on Atlantis. If 
  the heroes interfere, 
  they will soon find 
  out that the most 
  powerful of the sea 
  monsters has gone 
  bezerk, refusing to 
  obey even its creator 
  in an rage of 
  destruction. Will the 
  heroes work together 
  with Professor 
  Piscean to end the 
  monster’s rampage? 
  Or will they find 
  some other solution to 
  the crisis? 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  33
  Professor Piscean 
   Val Char Cost Roll Notes 
   40  STR 
  30 17- 6½ tons; 8d6 HTH [4] 
   24 DEX 
  42 14- OCV:  8/DCV:  8 
   26  CON 
  32 14-  
   20 BODY 
  20 13- 
   25 INT 
  15 14- PER Roll:  14- 
   21 EGO 
  22 13- ECV:  7 
   25 PRE 
  15 14- PRE Attack:  5d6  
   
  0 COM 
  -5 
  9- 
   
   15  PD 
  7 
   Total:  25 PD (10rPD) 
   15  ED 
  10 
   Total:  25 ED (10rED) 
   
  5 SPD 
  14 
   Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12 
   12 REC 
  2 
   60 END 
  4 
   60 STUN 
  7 
   
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  215 
  Movement: Running: 
    6”/12” 
   
   
  Leaping: 
    8”/16” 
   
   
  Swimming: 20”/40” 
  Cost Powers  
  END 
   64 Fiendishly Clever Devices:  Variable 
  Power Pool, 50 points; Can Only Be 
  Changed in a Laboratory (-½), 
  Slightly Limited Class of Powers 
  (technology, -¼) 
  var 
   60 Man-Of-War Neural Sting:  EB 3d6, 
  NND (versus PD Force Field or 
  hardened rPD, +1), Does BODY (+1); 
  No Range (-½) plus Entangle 3d6, 3 
  DEF, Takes No Damage From Attack 
  (+½); No Range (-½), Works Against 
  CON, Not STR (-0), Only Works If 
  Target Takes BODY from NND Attack 
  (-0) 
  9 
   54 Lobster Claw:  HKA 2d6 (4d6 with 
  STR), Continuous (+1), +1 STUN 
  Multiplier (+¼); Limited Power (No 
  Knockback, -¼) 
  7 
   20 Swirling Maelstrom: Darkness to Sight 
  Group 1” radius, Personal Immunity 
  (+½); No Range (-½) 
  2 
   32 Sharkskin: HKA 1d6-1 (1½d6 with 
  STR), Damage Shield (Can be used 
  with HTH attacks, +¾), Continuous 
  (+1), Reduced END (0 END, +½) 
  0 
   30 Tough Hide: Armor (10 PD/10 ED) 
  0 
   20 Protective Coloration: Invisibility to 
  Sight group, Reduced END (0 END, 
  +½); Chameleon (-½) 
  0 
   10 Nictating Membrane: Sight Group 
  Flash Defense (10 points) 
  0 
   
  8 Atlantean Body: Life Support (Breathe 
  Underwater; Safe Environments: 
  Intense Cold, High Pressure) 
  0 
   
  5 Gene-tailored Physiology: Life 
  Support (Immunities: Neurotoxins 
  and Zootoxins) 
  0 
   18 Atlantean Travel: Swimming +18” 
  (20” total) 
  4 
   
  5 Atlantean Eyes: Nightvision 
  0 
   15 Atlantean Senses: Active Sonar 
  (Hearing Group) 
  0 
   
  8 Shark Senses:  Discriminatory 
  Tracking Perception (Smell/Taste 
  group); Only In Water (-1½) 
  0 
   15 Passive Sonar: Spatial Awareness, 
  Only In Water (-1½) 
  0 
   
  5 Octopus Tentacles: Extra Limbs 
  0 
   
   
   Martial Arts: Atlantean Water Arts 
   
   Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 
   
  5 Shark’s 
  +1 
  +0 
  STR +v/5;  
   
       Nudge 
   
   
      FMove 
   
  4 Dolphin 
  +2 
  +0 
  10d6 Strike 
   
       Strike Punch 
   
  5 Mako Tail 
  -2 
  +1 
  12d6 Strike 
   
       Strike 
   
  4 Nautilus 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort  
   
       Block 
   
  4 Octopus 
  +0 
  +0 
  55 STR vs.  
   
       Escape 
   
   
   Grabs 
   
  5 Eel’s Dance — 
  +4 
  Dodge All, 
  Abort, FMove 
   
  4 Embrace of 
  +0 
  +0 
  12d6 Crush,  
   
       the Squid  
   
   
      Must Follow  
   
    
   
   
   Grab 
   
   Perks 
   20 Coral Citadel: Base, 100 points plus 
  Disadvantages 
   
   20 Sea Monsters: 4 Followers, 50 points 
  plus Disadvantages 
   
   Talents 
   
  5 Eidetic Memory 
   
  3 Aquatic Movement: Environmental 
  Movement (no penalties while in water) 
   
   Skills 
   24 +3 with All Combat 
   
   
  3 Acrobatics 14- 
   
  2 Animal Handler (Aquatic Animals) 14- 
   
  3 AK: Atlantis 14- 
   
  3 AK: Oceans of the World 14- 
   
  3 Contortionist 14- 
   
  3 Inventor 14- 
   
  3 KS: Atlantean Culture 14- 
   
  3 KS: Atlantean Water Arts 14- 
   
  2 Language: English (fluent conversation, 
  Atlantean is native) 
   
  2 Navigation (Marine) 14- 
   
  3 Scientist 
   
  2 1) SS: Cloning 14- 
   
  3 2) SS: Genetics 15- 
   
  2 3) SS: Marine Biology 14- 
   
  2 4) SS: Organic Chemistry 14-  
   
  2 5) SS: Physics 14- 
   
  3 6) SS: Prosthetics 15- 
   
  2 7) SS: Theoretical Physics 14- 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  34 
   
  2 8) SS: Zoology 14-  
   
  3 Stealth 14- 
   
  3 Shadowing 14- 
   
  2 Survival (Undersea) 14- 
   
  3 Tactics 14- 
   
  Total Powers & Skills cost:  535 
   
  Total Cost:  750 
   
   150+ Disadvantages 
   10 Dependence:  Must be immersed in water 
  at least once per hour or suffer 2d6 
  damage (Very Common)  
   20 Distinctive Features:  Freakish 
  Combination of Man and Beast (Not 
  Concealable; Major Reaction) 
   10 Distinctive Features:  Atlantean Water 
  Arts Style (Not Concealable; Detectable 
  By Large Group) 
   20 Hunted:  Atlantis 14- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Watching) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Disdains the 
  Surface World (Common, Strong) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Driven to Rule 
  the Seas (Common, Strong) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Hates Atlantis 
  (Common, Strong) 
   
  5 Reputation:  would-be undersea 
  conqueror, 8- (Extreme, Limited Group) 
   10 Rivalry:  Other Underwater Villains 
  (Professional, For Prestige) 
   30 Vulnerability:  2x STUN from Heat 
  Attacks (Very Common) 
   450 Experience Points 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points:  750 
   
  SAMPLE FIENDISH DEVICES 
   
   
   
  Phase Inversion Belt:  Professor Piscean 
  uses this creative invention to bypass Atlantis’ 
  defenses, allowing him to spy upon the residents 
  of the sunken city. 
  Desolidification (affected by Force 
  Fields) (40 Active Points); OAF (-1). 
  Total Cost: 20 points. 
   
   
  Sonic Cannon:  A common weapon used by 
  Professor Piscean to target enemies at range, the 
  fearsome Sonic Cannon has an infamous 
  reputation amongst the forces of Atlantis. 
  Energy Blast 10d6 (50 Active Points); 
  OAF (-1). Total Cost: 25 points. 
   
   
  Thermal Vent Drilling Mechanism:  
  Professor Piscean plans to sneak his most deadly 
  creation into the heart of Atlantis and activate it. 
  The machine works by drilling a hole deep into 
  the earth’s crust and coaxing the white-hot lava 
  underneath into boiling up nearby. The process 
  takes some time, but the machine can become 
  very difficult to stop once begun. 
  Major Transform 1d6 (Ocean Floor 
  into Magma, heals back normally), 
  Area Effect (One Hex, +½), Continuos 
  (+1), Uncontrolled (+½) (50 Active 
  Points); OAF Bulky (-1½), 1 Continuing 
  Charge which never recovers lasting 1 
  Year (-3). Total Cost: 14 points. 
   
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  35
  Professor Piscean 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  36 
  Anime and the HERO System by Michael Surbrook 
   
  I Have Big Eyes, Long Legs, 
  and Speed Lines. Now 
  What? 
  Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon 
  Cause that cartoon has got the boom 
  anime babes 
  That make me think the wrong thing 
  — Barenaked Ladies, One Week  
   
  Like it or not, Japanese animation is here to 
  stay. Ever since entering into mainstream 
  American culture in the early 1990s, Japanese 
  animation (better known as “anime”) and manga 
  (Japanese comic books, literally “involuntary 
  pictures”) has spread rapidly, gaining popularity 
  and acceptance among a wide variety of people, 
  both young and old. Anime has also had a strong 
  impact on many forms of American 
  entertainment, most specifically within the comic 
  book and roleplaying game industries. Comic 
  books and roleplaying games have both tried to 
  adopt the look and feel of many popular forms of 
  anime, in an attempt to either simulate or cash in 
  on (or both) a sizable and diverse market. 
   
  The widespread popularity of anime, with its 
  exciting visuals and highly varied subject matter 
  has resulted in many roleplaying gamers 
  expressing a desire to play in an anime setting. 
  For HERO System fans, this has led to calls for 
  an Anime Hero sourcebook, detailing how to 
  game in an anime environment. However, this 
  request has one small problem...  
   
  Which anime? 
   
  You see, anime by definition isn’t a genre, 
  but a medium. You can't have an “anime 
  roleplaying game” any more than you can have a 
  “television roleplaying game.” Much like 
  television, the movies, and books (or comics 
  books for that matter), anime encompasses a 
  variety of genres, including:  fantasy, giant 
  robots, horror, martial arts, romance, science 
  fiction, and space opera. 
   
  So, this leads us to the next question, “What 
  is anime, anyway?” 
  MICKEY MOUSE IN THE LAND OF THE 
  RISING SUN:  THE ORIGINS OF ANIME 
   
   
   
  The origins of the Japanese animation 
  industry can be traced to two men – Osamu 
  Tezuka and Walt Disney. Osamu Tezuka is 
  considered by many to be the father of Japanese 
  animation, as well as the person responsible for 
  the stylistic look of both the anime and manga 
  medium. He in turn was influenced by the films 
  of Walt Disney, which Tezuka was first exposed 
  to during the American occupation of postwar 
  Japan. The creator of such well known series as 
  Tetsuwan Atom (a.k.a. Astro Boy) and Jungle 
  Emperor Leo (a.k.a. Kimba the White Lion), 
  Tezuka himself influenced an entire generation 
  of up-and-coming artists, and basically defined 
  the look of the medium for several decades. 
   
  Following Tezuka came a virtual horde of 
  animators and artists, all of whom slowly built 
  on Tezuka’s initial ideas, but it wasn’t until the 
  late 1960s that anime started to come into its 
  own. First came Tatsunoko Studios, who 
  introduced the idea of the superhero team with 
  anime such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman 
  (known in America as Battle of the Planets). 
  Then came Go Nagai, who introduced the 
  concept of the pilotable giant robot with such 
  shows as Grandizer and Great Mazinger. He 
  also brought a new level of sex (via nudity) and 
  violence to anime with his shows Cutey Honey 
  and Devilman. Finally, there was Leiji 
  Matsumoto, who defined the anime space opera 
  genre with shows like Galaxy Express 999, 
  Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and Uchuu 
  Senkan Yamato (a.k.a. Starblazers). 
   
  The 1980s saw introduction of Mobile Suit 
  Gundam, the first show to present a giant robot 
  as a mere machine and not some sort of all-
  powerful defender of justice. The 1980s also saw 
  the introduction of some of the biggest anime TV 
  shows ever, such as City Hunter, Dragonball and 
  Dragonball Z, Fist of the North Star, Lupin III, 
  Ranma ½, Urusei Yatsura, and St. Seiya. The 
  1980s also saw another new innovation in anime:  
  Original Video Animation (a.k.a. OVA or OAV). 
  OVAs allowed studios to make animated films 
  of higher than normal quality aimed at smaller 
  “niche” markets. In America, some of these 
  OVAs would end up with virtually fanatical 
  followings, with the series Bubblegum Crisis a 
  prime example. 
   
  The 1990s saw a drop in the amount of 
  anime made, at least when compared to the 
  1980s, but overall the quality of animation 
  (especially with the use of computer graphics) 
  went up. The 1990s also saw such release of 
  landmark shows like Cowboy Bebop, which 
  lived up to its own tagline by creating a new 
  genre of anime. 
   
  Currently, one of the biggest names in 
  modern anime is Hayao Miyazaki. Known for 
  such classic films as The Castle of Cagliostro, 
  Kiki's Delivery Service, Laputa:  Castle in the 
  Sky, My Neighbor Totoro, and Nausicaä, 
  Miyazaki’s 1997 film Princess Mononoke 
  became the highest grossing film of all time in 
  Japan (only to be eclipsed by the film Titanic). 
                                                             
  artwork by Erica Girotto 
  ALL AGES 
  ANIMATION  
   
   
   In Japan, unlike 
  America, animation 
  isn’t considered just 
  children’s 
  entertainment, and 
  television shows and 
  theatrical films are 
  made with all age 
  groups in mind. One 
  half of all movie 
  tickets sold in Japan 
  are for animated 
  films, while one third 
  of all books are 
  manga. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  37
  Undaunted, he then released Spirited Away in 
  2001, and promptly outdid Titanic to regain the 
  top spot in overall sales. 
   
  With regards to America, anime started to 
  make inroads into American culture in the 1960s, 
  when such shows as Astro Boy, Gigantor, 
  Marine Boy, and Speed Racer (known as Mach 
  Go Go Go in Japan) first appeared on American 
  television. However, anime’s big American 
  break didn’t come until early 1985, when an 
  American company combined three completely 
  unrelated series (Genesis Climber Mospeada, 
  Super Dimensional Cavalry Southern Cross, and 
  Super Dimensional Fortress Macross) into one 
  single, long-running show called Robotech. 
  Although a smash hit itself, Robotech found 
  serious competition in the form of Starblazers, 
  which was extremely popular at the time, almost 
  leading to a Star Trek versus Star Wars division 
  among the fan base. Regardless, both shows 
  sparked a slowly growing interest in Japanese 
  anime and manga, which eventually resulted in a 
  number of comic and video companies gaining 
  the rights to import, translate, and distribute 
  Japanese anime and manga in the United States. 
   
  The 1990s saw anime develop into a 
  massively popular art form, and now anime 
  videos, which were once only to be found in 
  mail-order catalogs and specialty comic shops, 
  can be found in any major video store. In 
  addition, anime has once again returned to 
  American television, with dubbed (and edited) 
  versions of such shows as Sailor Moon and 
  Dragonball Z (among others) becoming quite 
  popular. The Cartoon Network even went so far 
  as to specifically target one anime, Cowboy 
  Bebop, at adult viewers, making it part of its 
  Adult Swim segment. 
  BIG EYES AND SMALL MOUTHS:  
  COMMON ANIME CONVENTIONS 
   
   
   
  Although anime is a medium, and not a 
  genre, it does have a number of “genre” 
  conventions that tend to appear in a wide variety 
  of anime shows, regardless of content. Although 
  these conventions are not required to play an 
  anime-inspired game, they can help achieve the 
  proper “look-and-feel.” 
  The Anime Hero 
   
  Possibly the biggest difference between 
  anime and Western storytelling (specifically 
  Hollywood) is how anime handles its heroes. 
  The average anime hero isn’t strong, handsome, 
  self-assured, and so on, because to the Japanese 
  mind, how hard is it to be a hero if you already 
  have all these advantages? Instead, many heroes 
  start out a bit weak, uncertain about their skills, 
  or have terrible tempers and/or suffer from 
  hubris (i.e. a tendency to run off at the mouth). It 
  is by overcoming these faults they show their 
  true, heroic nature. 
   
  This evolution from unconfident novice to 
  skilled veteran is often central to the plot of 
  many anime stories. Through rigorous training, 
  self-sacrifice, and/or a simple refusal to give up, 
  the hero improves his skills and becomes more 
  capable. And this capability can be at anything:  
  piloting a mecha, playing sports, learning to 
  cook, casting spells, or the martial arts. Very few 
  characters in anime are innately super powerful, 
  and even those characters who command a great 
  deal of power (Son Goku from Dragonball or 
  Ifurita from El Hazard for example) often have 
  gained that power through constant training and 
  self-improvement (or didn’t ask for the power in 
  the first place). 
   
  There are various ways to work this effect 
  into the HERO System. For starters, the GM 
  could have his players start with characters built 
  at power levels below what the campaign might 
  actually call for (For example, starting with 250 
  to 300-point characters in a 350-point superhero 
  setting), and building the PCs up with small 
  allotments of experience points. Another way is 
  to determine what the player would like his PC 
  to do and make sure the PC receives specific 
  skills and powers as experience. For example, a 
  player in a fantasy setting wants his young 
  farmboy to grow into an experienced knight. 
  During play the GM makes sure the farmboy PC 
  encounters people who can teach him how to 
  fight, how to ride, and similar skills. When the 
  time comes for experience points to be handed 
  out, instead of giving the farmboy’s player a 
  lump of points to do with as he pleases, the GM 
  gives the PC some Combat Skill Levels, Martial 
  Arts maneuvers, Riding, and Weapon 
  Familiarities. 
   
  When dealing with PCs built on higher 
  power levels (for example, characters in the 
  typical anime martial arts setting), where they 
  are already competent heroes, then the GM needs 
  to make sure the PC have valid and character-
  defining Disadvantages. Appropriate character 
  Disadvantages include:  Enraged, Hunted, 
  Psychological Limitation, Rivalry, and Social 
  Limitation. As the saying goes, “With great 
  power comes great responsibility,” and anime 
  heroes, due to their often larger-than-life nature, 
  have more than most people. 
  Big Eyes and Small Mouths 
   
  The generic anime character (especially a 
  female one) has a heart-shaped face, small 
  mouth, small upturned nose, and exceedingly 
  large eyes. This art style is so prevalent and well 
  recognized there is even a roleplaying game 
  named after it (Guardians Of Order’s Big Eyes, 
  Small Mouth). The large eyes look is often given 
  as a reason why people don’t like anime, as it is 
  a visual turn off. Interestingly enough, many 
  Disney characters have the same look, although 
  THE MORE 
  THINGS 
  CHANGE… 
   
   
   An important fact 
  to keep in mind when 
  reading anime is one 
  of audience (and/or 
  author) identification. 
  The creator or an 
  anime or manga 
  usually wants to 
  present characters the 
  reader can identify 
  with, and then, in the 
  course of the story, 
  put the character 
  through the Japanese 
  equivalent of 
  adolescent male 
  power fantasy (of 
  course, girls get their 
  own version of a 
  “power fantasy” in 
  manga targeted at 
  female readers). This 
  set up is no different 
  than many American 
  superhero comic 
  books, and the 
  parallels between an 
  anime series where a 
  geeky high school 
  student ends up the 
  pilot of an impressive 
  combat mecha, and 
  the Marvel Comics 
  series Spider-Man 
  (where the nerdy high 
  school student ends 
  up with impressive 
  superpowers) should 
  be obvious. Simply 
  put, a great deal of 
  anime and manga is a 
  case of creator (and 
  reader) “wish-
  fulfillment.” 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  38 
  it is not quite so exaggerated. So, why are the 
  characters drawn that way? 
   
  The answer can be found in the origins of 
  anime and Osamu Tezuka. As stated before, 
  Tezuka was heavily influenced by the early films 
  of Walt Disney shown in post-World War II 
  Japan and drew his own animated characters 
  with the same style of large, expressive (and 
  round) eyes. His style of art pretty much set the 
  standard for others to follow, and even now, 
  nearly 40 years later, many artists draw their 
  characters in the same exaggerated style. 
  However, this style isn’t as widespread as it once 
  was, and there are artists and animators who 
  draw their characters far more realistically (for 
  example, Hiroaki Samura’s Blade of the 
  Immortal, Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, and 
  Mamoru Oshii’s Jin-Roh). 
   
  Eyes are also a way of expressing age, 
  innocence, personality, sexuality, and even 
  nationality. Youthful characters (especially girls) 
  will have large eyes, in order to make them look 
  younger and more vulnerable. Older characters, 
  villains, and Westerners (Americans especially) 
  will have narrow, “realistic” eyes, since narrow 
  eyes are less expressive and make the character 
  look less friendly (narrow eyes also indicate a 
  loss of humanity among villains and the like). 
  Females, even female villains, will usually have 
  larger eyes than males, the better to show 
  emotion. The rules tend to hold true for most 
  anime (even Disney animated films), although 
  there are a few exceptions, of course (such as 
  Yakumo, the hero of the anime/manga 3x3 Eyes, 
  whose eyes are rarely seen as more than mere 
  slits). 
   
  Unfortunately, such a convention is nearly 
  impossible to adopt for a face-to-face RPG 
  session, as RPGs tend to be verbal, while anime 
  and manga are visual. However, considering the 
  wealth of visual material available on the World 
  Wide Web, it’s probably not that hard for the 
  average GM to find pictures of anime characters 
  that match his desired needs, large and/or small 
  eyes and all. 
  Strange Hair Colors 
   
  Hair – everyone has it, although some have 
  more (or less) than others. However, no one 
  quite has hair like an anime character. Think 
  about it; blue, green, pink, purple... anime 
  characters often have hair colors that aren’t 
  found anywhere in nature, much less among the 
  population of Japan! 
   
  The rationale behind such odd hair colors is 
  simple once you think about it. In Japan, all 
  manga is printed in black and white, so artists 
  have three choices for hair color:  black, zip-a-
  tone, or white (i.e. “blond”). This often leads to a 
  large number of characters all with the same hair 
  color (the manga Ranma ½ is a perfect example 
  of this). However, from time to time, characters 
  who are normally printed in simple black and 
  white get to show up in color (Usually as a color 
  lead in to the rest of the comic pages in weekly 
  or monthly manga magazine.). At this point 
  someone (the artist or a third party colorist) will 
  then come in and assign hair colors to the 
  characters (if someone hasn’t done so already). 
  Thus, the different colors of hair make each 
  character stand out. This also helps explain some 
  of the wild anime hair styles one sees. An 
  unusual or dramatic hairstyle makes a character 
  distinctive and easier to pick out in a crowd. 
   
  Now, the important question becomes one 
  of, “Is the character’s hair really that color?” It’s 
  hard to say. In many cases, it’s understood the 
  character doesn’t really have pink, or blue, or 
  green, or whatever hair color they’ve been given 
  – but this only holds true for “normal” human 
  characters. Aliens, androids, elves, and other 
  “non-human” types often have the exact hair 
  colors they are drawn (or painted) with. 
   
  In a game situation, hair color can be used in 
  different ways. In a true anime game, no one 
  should get a Distinctive Features for having an 
  unusual hair color, no matter how strange it 
  might be (although fluorescent might count). The 
  same goes for length, as many characters (mostly 
  females) have hair to their waist (or longer). That 
  said, one can use hair color in a game as an 
  indicator of personality. In anime shows with 
  multiple characters in the main cast, the 
  following breakdown will be seen:  the hero of 
  the show will have dark hair (black, blue, or 
  green is common); the hot-tempered fighter is 
  red-haired (and has dark or tanned skin); the 
  mystic/intellectual has purple/lavender hair (and 
  often wears glasses); and the mechanic/sleuth 
  has brown or blond(e) hair. In cases like this, 
  hair color doesn’t always determine nationality, 
  although a lot of Americans are blond-haired and 
  Japanese characters tend to be black or brown-
  haired (the anime Silent Möbius is a perfect 
  example of this breakdown). 
  Super-Deformed Characters 
   
  Many anime characters are often drawn with 
  large heads and exceedingly tiny bodies. This 
  style of drawing is known as “SD,” meaning 
  “super-deformed” (or “chibi,” meaning “little”), 
  and is usually used for advertisements, side 
  illustrations, or parodies. In most cases the 
  artwork is done for its humor value, or, if in the 
  middle of an anime and/or manga story, to 
  emphasis some sort of humorous incident (an 
  anime version of mugging for the camera, so to 
  speak). In some cases an entire sequence will be 
  drawn in this styles, although that is almost 
  always reserved for parodies of the series the 
  characters belong to. Usually, however, a 
  character will go “super-deformed” only when 
  the mood and/or scene calls for it, although some 
  characters seem to do this at will. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  39
   
  As with many of the more visual aspects of 
  anime, implementing the concept of super-
  deformed characters can be difficult in a 
  roleplaying situation. Since it is normally used 
  for comic effect, players (and the GM) may to 
  verbally describe their character going “SD” for 
  a few moments in response to some sequence of 
  events. Of course, everyone should remember 
  that the SD effect should only be used in 
  comedic campaigns to being with, as a more 
  serious anime show normally won’t use such an 
  exaggerated visual image. 
  Weird Names 
   
  Belldandy, Bolt Crank, Chocolate Misu, 
  Cloud Strife, Compiler, Cranberry Jam, Dark 
  Schneider, Demon King Piccolo, Integral, Lebia 
  Maverlick, Nu Suoad Graphite, Sephiroth, South 
  Burning…. The list of names (and yes, these are 
  real character names in anime!) goes on and on. 
  Some make sense (sort of), while others sound 
  like totally random collections of syllables. 
   
  What’s up with that? 
   
  The reason is a simple one; for the most 
  part anime and manga names are picked based 
  on how they sound, not what they mean. To the 
  Japanese ear, “Lebia Maverlick” simply sounds 
  cool (Kia Asamiya has stated he named Lebia 
  after the Maverick air-to-air missile, since he 
  liked the sound of the name), never mind that it 
  isn’t a real name that anyone in the Western 
  world would ever have. Other names are picked 
  based on themes. For example, the manga 
  Dragonball featured many characters with 
  theme names. One set of villains were all 
  named after musical instruments (Cymbal, 
  Drum, Piccolo), another set were temperature 
  related (Cooler, Freezer, King Cold), and 
  another set of characters were all food related 
  (Bardock [burdock], Brolly [broccoli] Kakarott 
  [carrot], Nappa [a type of cabbage], Parsus 
  [parsley], Raditz [radish], and Vegita 
  [vegetable]). 
   
  A similar idea is to use “real” names but 
  assign them differently. The anime Trigun deals 
  with the adventures of an infamous gunfighter, 
  so gun-related names abound. Two major 
  characters work for the “Bernadelli Insurance 
  Society,” and these characters are named Meryl 
  Strife and Milly Thompson. Of these names, 
  Bernadelli is maker of shotguns, while 
  Thompson made the famous Thompson 
  submachine gun. In addition, there is another 
  layer of reference. “Meryl Strife” is an obvious 
  play on “Meryl Streep” and the idea of “strife” 
  or “conflict,” while “Milly Thompson” seems 
  to be a play on Lilly Tomlin (and it so happens 
  both Milly and Lilly are very tall women to 
  boot). 
   
  Of course, English speakers (and gamers) 
  can do the same sort of thing when naming their 
  Japanese characters. Imagine a team of five 
  characters named Anago, Ebi, Kappa, Maguro, 
  and Saba. Sound pretty normal, right? Maybe 
  not, since you’ve just named your team of 
  characters after different types of Japanese sushi! 
  (Anago = eel, ebi = sweet shrimp, kappa = 
  cucumber, maguro = tuna, saba = mackerel.) 
  Creative GMs can also use such naming 
  conventions with more “normal” English names, 
  picking some common theme and developing 
  names from that. Suggestions include cities 
  (Brooklyn, Dallas, Francisco, Louis, and 
  Washington), firearms (Berreta, Colt, Ruger, 
  Smith, and Wesson), or even planes (Draken, 
  Falcon, Mirage, Phantom, and Spitfire – This 
  group makes for a good set of superhero names.). 
   
  Naturally, not all names in anime are so 
  unusual. There are plenty of more “normal” 
  sounding names as well. Those writers and 
  artists who have a reasonable command of 
  English (or other languages) will usually create 
  names that sound perfectly normal to foreign 
  readers. On the other hand, it is certain that non-
  Japanese speakers create names that sound just 
  as odd and incorrect to a native Japanese 
  speaker. As a case in point, the novel Shogun 
  contains a character named “Yabu Kasigi.” Not 
  only is Kasigi not a proper Japanese surname (or 
  a name, period), but Yabu is a surname as well, 
  which means the character is named (to Japanese 
  ears) Smith Johnson. 
  IT’S BETTER TO LOOK GOOD THAN TO 
  FEEL GOOD:  ANIME AND STYLE 
   
   
   
  If there is one driving force behind anime, 
  it is a certain sense of style. It is a sense of form 
  over function. Reality is there only to provide 
  the most basic of groundwork for the setting. 
  The most important question in an anime show 
  usually isn’t, “Would this work?” but, “Does 
  this look cool?” 
   
  Consider mecha for instance. They are a 
  prime example of the anime rule of style above 
  realism. In reality, a giant humanoid-shaped 
  mecha would be clumsy, unbalanced (humans 
  walk by basically falling forward and then 
  catching themselves), inefficient, and slow. They 
  would be totally outclassed by your average 
  armored vehicle, and would be the prime prey of 
  jet fighter-bombers and tank-killer helicopters. 
  But an anime mecha is none of this. They are 
  fast, nimble, and powerful war machines that can 
  easily destroy anything but another mecha (as 
  long as the enemy mecha is piloted by a major 
  character, that is). Anime mecha can be any size 
  – from a realistic 7’-8’ in height to immense 
  constructs that can slice planets in two with their 
  energy swords. In anime, mecha look cool, and 
  that is all the reason needed to turn then from 
  clunky, lumbering hunks of metal to sleek and 
  efficient fighting machines. 
  FUN WITH 
  NAMES  
   
   
   The author’s 
  favorite example of a 
  character name which 
  is also a play on 
  someone else’s name 
  was a trio of pirates in 
  the anime Cowboy 
  Bebop named 
  “George,” “Herman,” 
  and “Ruth.” “George 
  Herman Ruth” is the 
  real name of famous 
  baseball great “Babe” 
  Ruth.  
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  40 
   
  To sum up, an anime game, no matter the 
  genre, system, or the setting, should define the 
  term “Cinematic Roleplaying.” Realism and 
  logic shouldn’t play much of a part when 
  deciding what a character (or mecha) can and 
  cannot do. Instead, such decisions should be 
  resolved by deciding what looks “cooler” or 
  makes for a more interesting story. As the 
  saying goes, don’t let the facts get in the way of 
  a good story. 
   
  Now, this does not mean a GM wishing to 
  run an anime game should disregard substance. 
  Although many anime and manga are sold on 
  the visual appeal of their art, it is the story that 
  usually wins over the most fans, and a good 
  story can make or break an anime, regardless of 
  the visual content. For example, the anime 
  Spriggan was touted as having state-of-the art 
  animation sequences, but its lackluster story 
  meant it fell flat with regards to reviewers. 
  Much the same thing happened with the anime 
  Ghost in the Shell. While it was (and is) 
  beautiful to look at, the story lacked the “meat” 
  of the original manga and it wasn’t the huge hit 
  it could have been. On the other hand, Gainax’s 
  initial success with Neon Genesis Evangelion 
  meant that when a lack of budget reduced 
  scenes late in the series to little more than 
  talking silhouettes and the like, it didn’t hurt the 
  show’s following one bit. The intriguing story 
  and the audience's identification with key 
  characters had already hooked the viewers. 
   
  Another way in which the anime sense of 
  style makes itself known is the manner in which 
  many anime films handle characters, 
  specifically main characters. The main hero of 
  an anime isn’t just some guy off the street; he’s 
  someone special. It may be a factor of his birth 
  (he’s the only son of a famous scientist [or 
  other notable]; he’s secretly a member of 
  royalty; he’s the heir to a great power), or 
  training (he’s a top fighter pilot; he’s one of, if 
  not the, best martial artists around; he’s 
  managed to master complex magics at a very 
  young age), or simply circumstance (the 
  character has a singular ability no one else has; 
  the character is the only one capable of piloting 
  the plot-important mecha; the character happens 
  to end up in the middle of a situation which will 
  decide the fate of the world). Even if the 
  character starts out as a total nobody, he will 
  quickly be caught up in events that will turn 
  him into someone important, whether he wants 
  it or not. 
   
  So... what does this all mean with regards to 
  a game, then? 
   
  For starters, the GM should encourage the 
  purchase of “cinematic” Skills, Talents, and 
  Powers, and give the players the chance to use 
  them in the course of the game. 
   
  Cinematic Skills would include:  all Autofire 
  Skills, Defense Maneuver, Rapid Attack, Two-
  Weapon Fighting, and the Power Skill. 
  Characters with these skills should also invest in 
  either Combat Skill Levels or Penalty Skill 
  Levels to counteract the negative penalties from 
  either stacking these skills or attempting 
  dramatic actions with them. 
   
  Cinematic Talents would include:  
  Ambidexterity, Combat Luck, Danger Sense, 
  Environmental Movement, and Lighting 
  Reflexes. Of these, Combat Luck is probably 
  the most important, as it is virtually designed 
  with many anime characters in mind. 
  Characters who otherwise wear practically no 
  armor should be allowed to buy one or more 
  levels of Combat Luck with the special effect 
  that attacks at the character just miss. Bullets 
  graze the cheek, scalp, or arm (resulting in a 
  dramatic flow of blood) but don’t actually 
  impact. Edged weapons and claws tear clothing, 
  cut off locks of hair, or leave long thin cuts on 
  the skin (which give off a trickle of blood), but 
  don’t hit the character solidly. 
   
  The primary Cinematic Power, at least with 
  regards to anime, is Leaping. In many anime, 
  and specifically martial arts anime, characters 
  are capable of impressive leaps. GMs should 
  make all leaps in an anime game “Accurate” 
  and may want to let characters leap vertically as 
  far as they can horizontally. GMs should also 
  consider letting anime characters leap their full 
  distance without having to make a running start. 
   
  A secondary Cinematic Power would be to 
  allow characters in an anime game to buy 
  additional movement with the Limitation of 
  Only To Make A Half Move (-1). Basically, 
  what this means is that a character with a base 
  6” of Running could buy another 6” for 6 
  points, giving him 12” of Running, but only for 
  the purposes of making a 6” Half Move. This 
  suits the highly mobile style of most anime 
  combats, in which characters move quickly 
  about the landscape while fighting. 
   
  Finally, GMs and players shouldn’t overlook 
  Damage Reduction, specifically STUN Only 
  Damage Reduction. Many anime characters 
  seem capable of withstanding large amounts of 
  abuse and remain standing, and Damage 
  Reduction is the perfect power with which to 
  simulate this effect. 
   
  With regards to Power Limitations, there are 
  a few the GM should consider not using when 
  running the average anime game. These 
  Limitations are:  Mass, Real Armor, Real 
  Weapon, Required Hands, and STR Minimum – 
  basically, all the Limitations that define weapons 
  and armor in real world terms. In most cases, 
  these Limitations are too restricting for the 
  highly cinematic nature of anime gaming. 
  HOW MUCH IS 
  TOO MUCH? 
   
   
    Although GMs 
  should allow 
  characters pull 
  cinematic stunts in an 
  anime game (like 
  running along the top 
  of a chain-link fence 
  or leaping twenty feet 
  straight up from a 
  standing start), they 
  shouldn’t allow 
  characters to do 
  obviously impossible 
  things. For example, 
  if the game is set in 
  the present day, and 
  the characters are all 
  bounty hunters, the 
  characters shouldn’t 
  be able to punch 
  through car doors or 
  fire heavy machine 
  guns with one hand 
  (unless the GM 
  decides that the 
  special ability of one 
  of the PCs is to be 
  really strong). And if 
  the game is set in the 
  near future, and the 
  characters are all crew 
  on a spaceship, no 
  one should be able to 
  breathe the vacuum of 
  space (surviving it for 
  short periods is one 
  thing, breathing it is 
  another). 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  41
  MAGICAL GIRLS AND MECHA PILOTS:  
  COMMON ANIME ARCHETYPES 
   
   
   
  Considering the vast amount of anime 
  available, it is only natural that various 
  characters will appear over and over. The anime 
  industry isn’t above copying last year’s success 
  story, or trying yet another new spin on a tried-
  and-true theme. This has lead to a number of 
  common anime character types, both archetypes 
  and stereotypes. When designing an anime 
  campaign, or even if looking for anime elements 
  to add to a game, one should look first at this list 
  of anime character types, and decide what will 
  (or will not) fit in the desired setting. 
  Alien 
   
  Alien characters, naturally enough, hail from 
  outer space. Almost always human-looking (apart 
  from unusual and exotic secondary characteristics 
  like horns, catlike ears, or a tail), alien characters 
  can either be male or female, and if the latter, are 
  usually incredibly beautiful (and a princess of 
  some powerful interstellar empire to boot!). In 
  either case, the character’s alien heritage is often 
  the rationale for all sorts of amazing powers and 
  abilities (such as Lum’s ability to fly and throw 
  lightning), as well as highly advanced technology 
  (such as Washu’s entire lab). 
   
  Examples:  Aisha Clan Clan (Outlaw Star), 
  Ayeka, Sasami, and Tenchi Masaki (Tenchi 
  Muyo!), Iczer-1 and Iczer-2 (Iczer-1), Kahm 
  (Outlanders), Lum (Urusei Yatsura), Son Goku 
  (Dragonball), Washu Hakubi (Tenchi Muyo!). 
  Android/Cyborg/Robot 
   
  This is a broad category, covering not only 
  cybernetically augmented humans, but also 
  humanoid machines and self-aware robots. It is a 
  common character type, and one of the first anime 
  characters was, in fact, a humanoid robot (Osamu 
  Tezuka’s Astro Boy). Such characters are the 
  “bricks” of anime, and are often capable of both 
  absorbing and dishing out a great deal of 
  punishment. All this power comes at a price, 
  however, and a common theme when dealing with 
  cyborg and robotic characters is one of humanity. 
  If the character is simply a brain in a robotic 
  frame, are they still human? Can an artificial 
  construct be human? And what is meant by 
  humanity? All of these questions (and more) have 
  been examined in different anime series, with one 
  of the more in-depth treatments found in 
  Masamune Shirow’s Ghost in the Shell manga. 
   
  Examples:  Alita/Gally (Battle Angel), 
  Armitage (Armitage III), Artificial Humans 16-
  20 (Dragonball), Atsuko “Nuku Nuku” Natsume 
  (All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku), 
  Briareos Hecatonchires (Appleseed), Jet Black 
  (Cowboy Bebop), Kiddy Phenil (Silent Möbius), 
  Major Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in the Shell), 
  Ross Sylibus (Armitage III), Sonnet Barjie (Blue 
  Sonnet). 
  Artificial Life Form 
   
  Similar to the android and robot character, 
  the artificial life form is just as often organic in 
  nature as it is robotic. Such characters are often 
  created as servants, guardians, or war machines, 
  and are expected to obey without question. The 
  problem comes when they exhibit a personality 
  or act against their creator’s wishes. As with 
  cyborgs, the question of humanity, as well as 
  whether an artificial being can have a soul, is a 
  common one. 
   
  Examples:  Anna and Uni Puma 
  (Dominion), Cyberdroids and Sexroids 
  (Bubblegum Crisis), Greenpeace Crolis 
  (Dominion), Ifurita (El-Hazard), M-66 (Black 
  Magic:  M-66), Melfina (Outlaw Star), Ryoko 
  (Tenchi Muyo!). 
  Bishonen 
   
  The world bishonen translates as “beautiful 
  boy” (bi = “beautiful” and shonen = “boy”). At 
  one point, the word referred to androgynous 
  young boys and men notable for their effeminate 
  qualities. They worked as servants (and lovers) 
  for samurai, temple abbots, and other powerful 
  men in Japanese society. Anime bishonen are a 
  little different. They retain the androgynous look, 
  but are quite often powerful warriors and 
  magicians. The stereotypical anime bishonen is 
  tall and very slender, with features more 
  beautiful than handsome, long hair, and a soft 
  voice. In many ways, they are the female wish-
  fulfillment answer to the busty and scantily clad 
  anime catgirl (see next entry). 
   
  Examples:  Allen (Vision of Escaflowne), 
  Ashram (Record of Lodoss War), Harry 
  MacDougall (Outlaw Star), Heero Yuo, Duo 
  Maxwell, and Zechs Marquis (Gundam Wing), 
  Sephiroth (Final Fantasy 7), Vicious (Cowboy 
  Bebop). 
  Catgirls 
   
  Although anime doesn’t have the same sort 
  of anthropomorphic characters as Western 
  animation and comics (there are very few talking 
  mice, dogs, and ducks, for example), it does have 
  what are commonly called “catgirls.” These 
  characters usually look like human females (and 
  yes, they are almost always female), with 
  secondary feline characteristics such as cat’s ears 
  and tails. The typical catgirl is young, highly 
  attractive, and scantily clad, usually serving as 
  the hero’s sidekick. Their powers (if any) vary, 
  ranging from virtually none to such traits as 
  super-strength and superior fighting ability. 
   
  Examples:  Aisha Clan Clan (Outlaw Star), 
  Anna and Uni Puma (Dominion), Atsuko “Nuku 
  Nuku” Natsume (All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl 
  Nuku Nuku), Cheshire (Miyuki-chan in 
  Wonderland), Eriya and Naria (Vision of 
  Escaflowne), Felicia (Darkstalkers), Pink 
  (Dragon Pink). 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  42 
  Esper 
   
  Espers are people with psychic powers, and 
  in some anime, these psychic powers are 
  frightening to behold! An esper character is 
  usually capable of a wide range of telekinetic 
  effects, ranging from simple telekinesis to 
  telekinetic fields and walls, flight, teleportation, 
  and even telepathy and mind control. Probably 
  the most famous esper is Tetsuo Shima, from the 
  anime/manga Akira. He also represents esper 
  powers at their most extreme, since he was 
  capable of teleporting from the Earth to the 
  Moon and could withstand direct hits from an 
  orbital laser weapon. 
   
  Examples:  Colonel MacDougal (Spriggan), 
  Koichi Moroha (Striker), Kyosuke Kasuga 
  (Kimagure Orange Road), Mai (Mai the Psychic 
  Girl), “Old Man” Cho (Domu), Sonnet Barjie 
  (Blue Sonnet), Sunao Oumi (Seraphic Feather), 
  Tetsuo Shima (Akira), Yuki Saiko (Silent 
  Möbius). 
  Five-Man Teams 
   
  The five-man team is just that – a team of 
  five men (or four men and one woman), who 
  have banded together to fight crime, evil, giant 
  monsters, or what have you. Five-man teams 
  have their origins in various elements of 
  Japanese culture, specifically the five Confucian 
  virtues of benevolence (jin), justice (gi), courtesy 
  (rei), wisdom (chi), and sincerity (shin). These 
  virtues have associated colors (red, yellow, 
  green, blue, and black, respectively), which will 
  be used to make each team member’s uniform. 
  Interestingly, women have no place on a five-
  man team, and if a woman is one of the five 
  characters she will wear pink and replace either 
  courtesy or sincerity. 
   
  The most basic form of the five-man team 
  will see little in the way of super powers, and the 
  characters will tend to get by with their skill in 
  the martial arts and various technological 
  gadgets of one sort of another. However, since 
  anime has an unlimited special effects budget, 
  it’s a common stunt to give the five-man team 
  highly advanced mecha and the like to pilot (as 
  well as giant monsters and such to fight). A 
  subset of the mecha five-man team is the mystic 
  mecha or mystic armor five-man team, in which 
  the characters can summon suits of armor and/or 
  giant robots from apparently nowhere, and fight 
  using that. 
   
  Most five-man teams are seen in live-action 
  sentai shows, although there are some anime 
  examples. As an interesting side note, the 
  cultural significance of the number five often 
  leads to other shows having five major 
  characters. Sailor Moon is a prime example, with 
  the primary characters being Sailors Jupiter, 
  Mars, Mercury, Moon, and Venus. This trend is 
  so pronounced that even otherwise nontraditional 
  shows will follow this pattern, with both Cowboy 
  Bebop and Outlaw Star having a five character 
  central cast (for Cowboy Bebop it was Ein, Faye 
  Valentine, Jet Black, Radical Edward, and Spike 
  Spiegel, while Outlaw Star had Aisha Clan Clan, 
  Gene Starwind, Jim Hawking, Melfina, and 
  Twilight Suzuka). GMs who wish to run an 
  anime campaign may want to limit the number of 
  players to five, to capture this effect. 
   
  Examples:  Golion/Voltron, Magic User’s 
  Club, Sailor Moon, Science Ninja Team 
  Gatchaman, Shinesman. 
  Idol Singer 
   
  Idol singers are Japanese pop music stars who 
  are virtually worshiped by their fans. They can be 
  either male or female, although most anime idol 
  singers are young women. The primary 
  requirements for being an idol singer is the ability 
  to look cute and sing well – nothing else really 
  matters. The company who owns the idol singer 
  will market them aggressively, getting their 
  thousands (or even millions) of fans to buy all 
  sorts of products related to the idol singer (as well 
  as packing the singer’s shows). Idol singers were 
  primarily a phenomena of 1980s Japan, and many 
  anime from that time period feature such 
  characters. The protoypical idol singer is Lin 
  Minmei, from the show Macross. 
   
  Examples:  Eve Tokimatsuri (Megazone 23), 
  Key (Key the Metal Idol), Lin Minmei 
  (Macross), Madoka Ayukawa (Kimagure 
  Orange Road), Sharon Apple (Macross Plus). 
  Magical Girls 
   
  The concept of the “magical girl” is 
  probably the one anime element most familiar to 
  the average reader. Simply put, a magical girl is 
  a teenaged girl who can undergo a magical 
  transformation from her “normal” self to a 
  version (usually more “adult” in size and 
  development) with super powers (usually of a 
  “magical” nature). For whatever reason, the 
  transformation often requires a lengthy warm-up 
  speech and the character’s clothing to vanish 
  momentarily in mid-transformation. Although 
  they sound a bit silly, magical girls are really no 
  different from many Western comic characters 
  with Only In Hero ID, such as DC Comics’ 
  Captain Marvel, or Marvel Comics’ Thor. 
   
  As a side note, magical girls are strictly a 
  female phenomena, limited to shojo (girl’s) 
  anime and manga. There are few males who can 
  undergo this form of transformation, and most of 
  the ones that do turn into girls when they 
  transform! 
   
  Examples:  Cutey Honey (Cutey Honey), 
  Hououji Fuu, Hikaru Shidou, and Ryuuzaki Umi 
  (Magical Knight Rayearth), Jiyu Nanohana 
  (Jubei-chan The Ninja Girl), Sailors Jupiter, 
  Mars, Mercury, Moon, and Venus et al (Sailor 
  Moon), Sasami (Pretty Girl Sammy), Yohko 
  Mano (Devil Hunter Yohko). 
  FIVE-PERSON 
  TEAMS  
   
   
    Although the 
  “rules” for a five-man 
  team hold true for the 
  most part, the 1980s 
  and 1990s saw some 
  sentai shows with two 
  female members. In 
  these cases, the 
  female members of 
  the team would often 
  wear blue, white, or 
  yellow instead of – or 
  in addition to – pink. 
  Further more, if a 
  five-man team ever 
  gains a sixth member, 
  that member will 
  wear white (if the 
  team has a full set of 
  colored heroes) or 
  wear the color the 
  female (i.e. pink) 
  team member 
  replaced. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  43
  Martial Artist 
   
  When one considers Japan’s martial arts 
  heritage and history, it is no surprise that anime 
  is rampant with martial artist characters. They 
  range from the fairly mundane to super-powered 
  warriors capable of devastating entire planets. 
  For the most part, martial artists are anime’s 
  answer to the Western superhero, with many of 
  them having distinctive costumes, fighting 
  styles, and weapons. In general, the average 
  anime martial artist is incredibly strong, can leap 
  vast distances, and can hurl blasts of chi energy. 
   
  The anime martial artist is probably the 
  easiest character to develop and write up. GMs 
  could even run an entire campaign involving 
  nothing but martial artist characters. Such 
  campaigns often work best if they follow the 
  video game convention of having some sort of 
  periodic worldwide tournament as an excuse to 
  bring large numbers of characters in contact with 
  each other at one time. When not at the 
  tournament, characters can train by traveling the 
  world, meeting other fighters, and participating 
  in lesser tournaments. Naturally, they will also 
  have various adventures and other encounters 
  along the way. 
   
  Examples:  Baiken, Jam Kuradoberi, and Sol 
  Badguy et al (Guilty Gear X), Chun Li Xiang, 
  Ken Masters, and Ryu et al (Street Fighter II), 
  Ken (Fist of the North Star), Kibagami Jubei 
  (Ninja Scroll), Manji (Blade of the Immortal), 
  Ranma Saotomi, Ryoga Hibiki et al (Ranma ½), 
  Ryoko Mitsurugi and Shizuma Kusanagi (Real 
  Bout High School), Son Goku, Trunks, and Vegita 
  et al (Dragonball), Spike Spiegel (Cowboy 
  Bebop), Twilight Suzuka (Outlaw Star). 
  Mecha Pilots 
   
  In Japan, “mecha” is used to describe 
  virtually anything mechanical, and refers to cars, 
  planes, spaceships, and giant robots. Naturally, 
  all these vehicles require someone to drive 
  and/or pilot them, and this is where the mecha 
  pilot comes in. The archetypical mecha pilot is 
  extremely skilled at handling his vehicle, and is 
  often a touch reckless as a result. Being the best 
  (or close to it), he gets handed all the really 
  difficult jobs, and it’s only due to his skill with 
  his vehicle (and often, the special enhancements 
  built into the same vehicle), that he can survive 
  the mission in one piece. 
   
  Mecha shows are often combined with the 
  idea of a five-man team to create shows where 
  the five main characters all pilot small single-
  man vehicles that can then combine into one 
  much larger vehicle. Other versions of the same 
  basic format have the five main characters all 
  part of an elite mecha combat unit (or a similar 
  group), each with their own individualized 
  machine. Normally, this latter concept treats both 
  the mecha and the combat situations in a more 
  serious and realistic manner. 
   
  The various subsets of the mecha pilot 
  archetype include:  characters who wear 
  formfitting suits of powered armor, fighter pilots, 
  race car drivers, submarine drivers, and just 
  about anyone else who specializes in flying, 
  driving, piloting, or otherwise operating mobile 
  machinery. 
   
  Examples:  Amuro Rei and Char Aznable 
  (Gundam), Bean Bandit (Gunsmith Cats/Riding 
  Bean), Isamu Dyson and Roy Fokker (Macross), 
  Gai Daigoji (Martian Successor Nadescio), Go 
  Mifune/Speed Racer (Mach Go Go Go/Speed 
  Racer), Linna Yamazaki, Nene Romanova, Priss 
  Asagiri, and Sylia Stingray (The Knightsabers, 
  Bubblegum Crisis and Bubblegum Crisis 2040), 
  Mayumi Kino and Tetsu Hayami (Blue 
  Submarine No. 6), Noa Izumi (Patlabor), Shin 
  Kazama (Area 88), Shinji Ikari (Neon Genesis 
  Evangelion). 
  Police Officer 
   
  Police officers are common characters in 
  anime for the one simple reason:  Cop shows are 
  exciting, regardless of the culture. Of course, just 
  like in America and American television, the 
  typical anime police action show has little to do 
  with how the police in Japan really work. The 
  typical anime police officer is honest, hard 
  working, and upholds the law. However, these 
  same individuals are often a bit of a maverick 
  when compared to their fellow officers and will 
  “go it alone” if needed (much like their 
  American counterparts). Of course, this being 
  anime, they can get away with such stunts as 
  well. 
   
  Examples:  Angel and Raiden (Angel Cop), 
  Deunan Knute (Appleseed), Jeena Malso (AD 
  Police), Jet Black (Cowboy Bebop), Leon 
  McNichol (Bubblegum Crisis), Leona Osaki 
  (Dominion), Major Motoko Kusanagi (Ghost in 
  the Shell), Mihoshi Kuramitsu (Tenchi Muyo!), 
  Noa Izumi (Patlabor), Ross Sylibus (Armitage 
  III), Roy DeVice (Silent Möbius). 
  Royalty 
   
  To be of royal blood in anime often means 
  the character in question will have special 
  powers and/or access to special equipment (such 
  as spaceships and combat mecha). Such 
  characters will also have some degree of status, 
  although for an anime princess, this often 
  translates to being the target of one kidnapping 
  scheme after another. Interestingly enough, a 
  large number of anime royalty are aliens, and of 
  those, most are beautiful females.  
   
  Examples:  Ashitaka (Princess Mononoke), 
  Ayeka, Sasami, and Tenchi Masaki (Tenchi 
  Muyo!), Kahm (Outlanders), Lum (Urusei 
  Yatsura), Rune Venus (El-Hazard), Shiko (C-ko) 
  Kotobuki (Project:  A-ko), Vegita (Dragonball). 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  44 
  Sorceress/Sorcerer 
   
  Pound for pound, magicians and their ilk 
  have to be some of the showiest people in anime. 
  They are one of the “big guns” of the anime 
  world, and rank up with espers for their ability to 
  wreak havoc on the landscape. Due to the visual 
  nature of anime, anime magic and magicians 
  rarely work in subtle ways, and cast spells using 
  loud verbal incantations, expressive gestures, and 
  impressive visual side effects. The spells 
  themselves are often quite destructive, capable of 
  destroying buildings and even entire cities when 
  they impact.  
   
  For the most part, anime magicians seem to 
  follow the traditions of Western European 
  “hermetic” magic, calling upon angels and 
  elemental spirits to power their magic. However, 
  there are also Buddhist Bukkyo, Shinto priests 
  and priestesses, and other types of magicians to 
  be found in anime.  
   
  GMs who wish to feature anime-styled 
  magicians in their games should consider the 
  following conventions: 
   
  1) Most anime magicians have specific 
  names for their spells and usually announce them 
  out loud when casting said spells (usually as part 
  of the incantations).  
   
  2) Many anime magicians are specialists, 
  and concentrate on specific areas of expertise. 
  GMs should consider having magicians who 
  only cast specific elemental spells (such as cold 
  or fire), or who only know a select set of spells. 
  Few anime characters have the sort of potpourri 
  spell selections often seen in many fantasy 
  roleplaying games. 
   
  3) Both GMs and players should consider 
  how spells look when cast. For example, 
  characters might cast blasts of water that look 
  like dragons or whales, create barriers by 
  producing an ever-expanding sheet of paper, or 
  summon flying birds and animals that detonate 
  on impact with a target (and so on). Although 
  this will probably have little effect on game play, 
  it certainly will help establish the idea this is an 
  anime magician and/or game. 
   
  4) Recommended Limitations for anime 
  magicians include: Concentrate, Extra Time, 
  Incantations, Increased Endurance, Gestures, 
  Requires A Skill Roll, and Side Effects. 
   
  Examples:  Dark Schneider (Bastard!!), 
  Kahm (Outlanders), Katsumi Liqueur, Mana 
  Isozaki, and Nami Yamigumo (Silent Möbius), 
  Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service), Lina Inverse 
  (Slayers), Urd (Oh My Goddess!). 
  Special Agent 
   
  The term “special agent” is a misnomer, and 
  a better one might be “special operative” or even 
  simply “specialist.” In any event, this is a sort of 
  catchall category for all those bounty hunters, 
  contract killers, ninja, private investigators, and 
  spies who inhabit anime. Almost always found in 
  modern or future settings, these characters are 
  usually as good with firearms as the anime 
  martial artist is with his fists.  
   
  In general, these characters are solo 
  operatives, although they might have a sidekick 
  or some friendly contacts to use as a source of 
  information and equipment. Naturally, their 
  skills and their profession get them into all sorts 
  of trouble, at which point they must use these 
  same skills to get them out safely. 
   
  Examples:  Goku (Midnight Eye Goku), 
  Golgo 13 (The Professional), Kei and Yuri (The 
  Dirty Pair), Lupin the 3rd and Daisuke Jigen 
  (Lupin III), Rally Vincent (Gunsmith Cats), Ryu 
  Saeba (City Hunter), Vash the Stampede 
  (Trigun). 
  Supernatural Monster 
   
  Japan’s religious beliefs are such that ghosts 
  and other spirits are readily accepted as a fact of 
  life. Naturally, this means that such elements are 
  common to anime as well. Although, in anime, 
  supernatural creatures are just as likely to be 
  heroic characters as monstrous villains. 
  Vampires seem to be the most popular character 
  type, followed quickly by ghosts. Regardless of 
  origin, all such characters have impressive 
  powers, such as enhanced strength, flight, 
  immunity to certain weapons (or damage in 
  general), and magic spells.  
   
  GMs who wish to let such characters into a 
  campaign have a lot of leeway as to what the 
  character can do, and shouldn’t feel constrained 
  by traditional sources and abilities – this is anime 
  after all, where one vampire lives off of 
  vegetable juice while another carries twin 
  automatic pistols and flies by turning into a 
  cloud of bats (not to mention the ghost who hurls 
  around bolts of fire!). 
   
  Examples:  Alucard and Seras Victoria 
  (Hellsing), D (Vampire Hunter D), Hsien-ko 
  (Darkstalkers), Jean Jaquemonde (Striker), Miyu 
  (Vampire Princess Miyu), Okinu (Ghost Sweeper 
  Mikami), Rally Cheyenne (Silent Möbius), 
  Yakumo Fuji (3x3 Eyes), Zenki (Zenki). 
  Supernatural Monster Hunter 
   
  Wherever there are supernatural monsters, 
  there are monster hunters. For some reason, the 
  average anime monster hunter is a young 
  attractive woman in a tight and/or skimpy outfit, 
  usually armed with a great big sword (or other 
  edged weapon). They are often trained in the 
  martial arts, and back up this skill with various 
  magical powers useful for slaying ghosts, 
  demons, and other monsters. Interestingly, in 
  some cases, the supernatural monster hunter is a 
  supernatural monster herself. 
   
  GMs wishing to run an anime-inspired 
  campaign might want to consider the “monster 
  hunter” framework. It often allows for a broad 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  45
  mix of anime elements, from five-man teams to 
  magicians, and usually contains more than 
  enough action, adventure, and character 
  development to keep everyone interested. Such 
  games can be run in a lighthearted vein, or be 
  deadly serious (or anywhere in between). 
   
  Examples:  Alucard and Seras Victoria 
  (Hellsing), Ayaka Kisaragi (Phantom Quest 
  Corp), D (Vampire Hunter D), Eiko Rando, 
  Maki Umezaki, Takami Sakuragi, Yoichi Taba, 
  Yu Himehagi, and Yuka Kikushima 
  (Geobreeders), Katsumi Liqueur, Kiddy Phenil, 
  Lebia Mavelick, Lum Cheng, Mana Isozaki, 
  Nami Yamigumo, Rally Cheyenne, and Yuki 
  Saiko (Silent Möbius), Ling Ling Li (3x3 Eyes), 
  Mikami (Ghost Sweeper Mikami), Miyu 
  (Vampire Princess Miyu), Yohko Manno (Devil 
  Hunter Yohko). 
  ELVES, ESPERS, AND NINJA:  ANIME 
  AND YOUR FAVORITE GENRE 
   
   
   
  There is an anime for every possible genre 
  from sports to cyberpunk, from modern-day 
  conspiracy to near-future post-holocaust. The 
  following list really only glosses over some of 
  the main “metagenres” of anime, talking a look 
  at common elements and characteristics.  
   
  One thing to remember when viewing any 
  anime is that the story is not written with 
  Western viewers in mind. Many elements will 
  seem strange or unusual, due to a difference in 
  culture. However, for the most part, the stories 
  carry over quite well, and are enjoyable 
  regardless of national origin. 
  COMEDY 
   
   
   
  All-Purpose Cultural Catgirl Nuku Nuku, 
  Devil Hunter Yohko, Dominion, Excel Saga, 
  FLCL, Geobreeders, Jubei-chan The Ninja 
  Girl, Project:  A-ko, Ranma ½, Slayers, Urusei 
  Yatsura. 
  Characteristics 
   
  Anime comedy is rarely of the American 
  “sit-com” type, tending more towards “theater of 
  the absurd” in which anything worth doing is 
  worth overdoing. The humor is often of a visual 
  nature, with sight gags, pratfalls, goofy magical 
  rituals, and wacky combat techniques. At times, 
  the stakes might be serious (rescuing a 
  kidnapped maiden, defeating an evil monster), 
  but the journey itself might be filled with silly 
  situations and bizarre characters. 
  Typical Conventions 
   
  Anything Worth Doing Is Worth 
  Overdoing:  This can also be termed 
  “exaggeration humor.” Basically, it means taking 
  a simple character element and magnifying to an 
  absurd degree. Manga writer and artist Rumiko 
  Takahashi is a master of this effect, as evidenced 
  by Ataru Moroboshi, who isn’t just girl-crazy, 
  but the most lecherous individual in the universe, 
  or Ryouga Hibiki, whose sense of direction is so 
  bad he can get lost inside a house. Other 
  examples are female characters so unable to cook 
  they can literally burn water. 
   
  Parody Can Be Fun:  Basically, this means 
  poking fun at anything and everything. Once 
  again, Rumiko Takahashi virtually elevated this 
  to an art form with her series Ranma ½, which 
  parodied the entire martial arts genre with such 
  things as martial arts figure skating, tea 
  ceremony, and cooking. Excel Saga does much 
  the same, with each episode poking fun at a 
  popular form of anime and/or genre (examples 
  include action movies, love stories, and sports 
  anime). 
   
  People Are Indestructible:  At times 
  characters in anime comedies reach an almost 
  Warner Brothers level of invulnerability, 
  withstanding all sorts of abuse only to come back 
  a few frames later in perfect health and condition 
  (although they may have been a blackened and 
  smoking silhouette a little while ago). This is 
  shown to great effect in Slayers, where spells 
  capable of flattening entire cities only singe most 
  characters. Excel Saga takes this effect one step 
  further, killing off the main character (Excel) 
  several times in the first episode alone, only to 
  have her brought back by the “Great Will of the 
  Universe.” 
   
  School Is Stranger Than You Can 
  Imagine:  If you’re a student at a Japanese 
  school in an anime comedy, you can guarantee 
  your fellow students (and teachers) are probably 
  certifiably insane. Odds are there are ghosts in 
  the backrooms, the Science Club is blowing stuff 
  up, and the beautiful exchange student is secretly 
  from another planet... and that’s just for starters. 
  However, if you survive, you’ll have the time of 
  your life. 
  The Universe 
   
  The world is usually tilted in favor of the 
  heroes, if only because Evil isn’t funny. 
  Alternately, Evil is portrayed as humorous 
  through basic stupidity, ineptitude, and simple 
  inability to spot the obvious. 
  CYBERPUNK 
   
   
   
  AD Police Files, A.D. Police, Akira, Angel 
  Cop, Appleseed, Armitage III, Battle Angel, 
  Black Magic M-66, Blue Sonnet, Bubblegum 
  Crisis, Bubblegum Crisis 2040, Crusher Police 
  Dominion, Dominion, GenoCyber, Ghost In The 
  Shell, Silent Möbius, Spriggan 
  Characteristics 
   
  The future is here and it is dark. There 
  maybe be advanced medical techniques, 
  powerful computers, three-dimensional 
  televisions, and fully interactive video games, 
  but there is also pollution, overcrowding, urban 
  violence, and monolithic corporations to worry 
  about. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  46 
  Typical Conventions 
   
  I Only Do Eyes:  “Future Shock” is a 
  common theme of cyberpunk, both American 
  and Japanese. It is defined as virtually 
  unrestricted technological development, which 
  results in people unable to keep up with, much 
  less fully comprehend, the world around them. In 
  anime cyberpunk, this theme is also represented 
  by scientists who create, build, and unleash new 
  technologies without any thought as to the long-
  term impact their creations will have on society. 
   
  Machines Are People Too:  If you build an 
  intelligent robot, eventually that robot will want 
  to be free. Several anime series (such as 
  Armitage III and Ghost In The Shell) have 
  looked at this sort of situation, in which humans 
  and their artificially created lifeforms struggle 
  over such ideas as freedom and equal rights 
  under the law. 
   
  The Matrix Has You:  Entering cyberspace 
  in anime usually means entering into a totally 
  different “dimension.” Characters do so by 
  donning feedback suits or by sitting in special 
  sensory stimulation tanks, both of which are 
  connected to the virtual world of cyberspace. 
  Although the character has access to almost 
  unlimited amounts of information and data, 
  combat encounters in this other world can be 
  quite dangerous – to both the character and his 
  equipment. 
   
  Will The Real Human Please Stand Up?:  
  Many anime cyberpunk series have a notable 
  preponderance of androids, cyborgs, robots, and 
  synthetic humans. This often becomes a major 
  theme of the series, in which the question of who 
  is a human and what it means to be human is 
  examined. A similar theme is one of identity and 
  sense of self. If you’ve replaced 90% of your 
  body with artificial parts, are you still “you?” 
  The Universe 
   
  Neutral. The world sometimes tilts a little in 
  the favor of the villains, usually because the 
  villains are part of the monolithic corporations 
  and have access to vast resources. 
  DRAMA 
   
   
   
  Grave of the Fireflies, Jin-Roh, Noir, 
  Perfect Blue, Wings of Honneamise. 
  Characteristics 
   
  This form of anime wants to tell a story pure 
  and simple. In most cases the story is one with 
  minimal visual effects, or with ones no different 
  than seen in your typical live-action film. These 
  anime also tend towards a “realistic” look, in 
  which many of the normal anime conventions 
  (large eyes, small mouths, strange hair colors) 
  are virtually nonexistent. 
  Typical Conventions 
   
  Life Is Pain:  This isn’t a Disney picture. 
  There is no guarantee the hero, heroine, or the 
  cute sidekick (if there is one) will make it 
  through the film just because the standard movie 
  conventions say so. Characters in dramatic anime 
  have tough choices to make and these choices 
  can – and will – have consequences. 
   
  Welcome To The Real World:  A dramatic 
  anime wants to be just that, dramatic. So, the 
  anime sense of style takes a backseat to real 
  world action. Vehicles look and act like real 
  vehicles, bullets hurt people, and people who are 
  hurt can and will die. 
  The Universe 
   
  Neutral. The world is tilted neither in favor 
  of the hero, or the villain. If someone wants 
  something done, they need to do it themselves, 
  and they better prepare properly, or else they will 
  probably fail. 
  FANTASY 
   
   
   
  Bastard!!, El-Hazard, Fushigi Yugi, Heroic 
  Record of Arslan, Magical Knight Rayearth, 
  Ninja Scroll, Princess Mononoke, Record of 
  Lodoss War, RG Veda, Slayers, Vision of 
  Escaflowne. 
  Characteristics 
   
  For the most part anime fantasy adventures 
  and fantasy worlds are epic in scale. The threat 
  the heroes must oppose is a great evil, and failure 
  will usually bring the destruction and/or 
  enslavement of the world. Depending on the 
  specific anime, some of the obstacles the heroes 
  encounter and over come may be familiar to the 
  Western viewer (such as dragons, goblins, and 
  trolls), while others will be rooted in various 
  Asian cultures and mythologies. 
  Typical Conventions 
   
  Don’t Meddle In The Affairs Of Dragons:  
  Anime dragons are huge. Really huge. As in 
  “What happened to the sun?” huge. They are also 
  really old, really powerful, intelligent, and 
  capable of wiping out entire armies. However, 
  they can be either good or bad in disposition, and 
  thus not necessarily an enemy. 
   
  Dungeons And Dragons:  The Anime?:  
  One of the first big anime fantasy series was 
  Record of Lodoss War, which was based off of a 
  series of novels, which were in turn based off of 
  a Dungeons & Dragons campaign run by a 
  Japanese college student. Record itself has many 
  recognizable elements of D&D, such as character 
  classes (fighters, thieves, magicians, and clerics), 
  races (elves and dwarves), and monsters 
  (dragons and goblins). A very popular anime, it 
  went a long way in influencing the look and feel 
  of other “Western-styled” fantasy series to 
  follow. 
   
  Elves:  Anime elves have a unique look all 
  their own. They come in two basic types, “light” 
  and “dark.” Light elves are fair skinned, with fair 
  hair, and usually live in trees and the like. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  47
  “Dark” elves have deeply tanned or light brown 
  skin, light or dark hair, and tend to avoid the 
  daytime. In either case, they are usually a bit 
  shorter than humans, with slender builds, and 
  very (Very!) long thin pointed ears. However, 
  elves only appear in anime with a “Western” 
  fantasy feel to them. 
   
  Magic Is Number One:  If the contest is 
  between a single swordsman and a lone 
  magician, the magician wins. If the contest is 
  between an army and a lone magician, I’d bet on 
  the magician if I were you. Anime magicians 
  tend to have a lot of power to throw around, and 
  in some anime (such as Bastard!! and Slayers) a 
  single magician is capable of casting spells 
  capable of destroying entire cities! On the other 
  hand, the lone swordsman probably has a 
  number of special fighting techniques of his 
  own, some of which may seem almost magical in 
  nature, so it all balances out (not to mention, 
  many anime heroes know both swordplay and 
  sorcery). 
   
  Weird Armor:  A lot of characters in anime 
  wear vaguely European suits of armor. This 
  armor is a suit of plate and has such features as 
  large (and I do mean large) pauldrons (shoulder 
  armor), a breastplate, forearm armor, tassets 
  (hanging plates that protect the waist, groin, and 
  thighs), and thigh armor. Quite often, there is no 
  helmet, no bicep armor, and minimal thigh 
  armor. Characters also tend to wear this armor 
  over bare skin, or simple clothing, not the thick 
  padded coats used in reality. When women wear 
  such armor, it can have such features as high 
  heels, a lack of thigh protection (to show off 
  their legs), and exposed cleavage. 
   
  You’re Not In Kansas Anymore:  A 
  popular form of anime fantasy involves dragging 
  a character (or characters) from Earth to another 
  world. Naturally, the characters find themselves 
  central to some prophecy, or possessing magical 
  powers, and are expected to save the kingdom 
  from the threat of evil.  
  The Universe 
   
  The world tends to be tilted in the favor of 
  the heroes, if only because the prophecies and 
  legends say evil will be defeated (provided the 
  heroes perform certain actions). That said, there 
  is no guarantee the heroes will all live through 
  the adventure, and odds are, one or two will die 
  before victory is assured. 
  HORROR/SUPERNATURAL 
   
   
   
  3x3 Eyes, Blue Seed, Demon City Shinjuku, 
  Ghost Sweeper Mikami, Hellsing, Legend of the 
  Overfiend, Phantom Quest Corp, Silent Möbius, 
  Spirited Away, Vampire Hunter D, Vampire 
  Princess Miyu, Wicked City. 
  Characteristics 
   
  The typical anime horror setting runs like 
  this:  In the shadows there live Things Man Was 
  Not Meant To See. They are the demons, ghosts, 
  goblins, vampires, and other fierce monsters of 
  the Underworld, who will quickly kill (or worse 
  yet, not kill) anyone they encounter. Standing 
  against this threat is a small number of 
  magicians, priestesses, and demon hunters who 
  have made it their job to defend humanity. It is a 
  dirty and dangerous job, but, as the saying goes, 
  someone has to do it. 
  Typical Conventions 
   
  Anyone Can Die At Anytime:  There is 
  nothing more expendable than the background 
  population of a horror anime. Although the 
  heroes will tend to survive the attacks of the 
  monsters, everyone else is fair game. While most 
  of the violence tends to be off-screen, or 
  generalized in nature (i.e. we see a building full 
  of people collapse without seeing the individual 
  suffering that goes with it), the body counts of 
  such anime can be staggering. 
   
  Land Of 1000 Ghosts:  As a rule, Japan has 
  always had a strong belief in ghosts and the like. 
  A lot of this is tied into both the Buddhist and 
  Shinto religions, which state that spirits stay 
  around after death before moving on to the land 
  of the dead, and that spirits can eventually be 
  reincarnated and returned to earth to try their 
  luck again. Naturally, anime capitalizes on this, 
  and anyone looking to run a horror type game 
  should read up on Japanese ghosts and spirits for 
  some ideas on their nature. This also means that 
  Japan is virtually crawling with ghosts, as seen 
  in Ghost Sweeper Mikami. 
   
  Magic Is Real:  Magic exists in virtually all 
  horror anime, although the ability for the heroes 
  to exploit this fact varies greatly. In many cases, 
  only the supernatural (i.e. ghosts and vampires) 
  have magical and/or supernatural powers, so 
  normal humans have to get by with their wits 
  and modern technology.  
   
  Naughty Tentacles:  A staple of hentai 
  (“adult”) anime, things with tentacles lurk 
  everywhere, just waiting for some poor 
  unfortunate (and beautiful) female to wander by. 
  Once they have a woman in their clutches, they... 
  well... I’ll let you use your imagination for the 
  rest. 
  The Universe 
   
  Neutral at best, weighted towards the 
  powers of darkness at worst. Even if the heroes 
  win their battles, they will usually take severe 
  wounds, and lose members. 
  ROMANCE 
   
   
   
  El-Hazard, Kimagure Orange Road, Maison 
  Ikkoku, Oh, My Goddess!, Please Save My Earth, 
  Ranma ½, Tenchi Muyo!, Windaria. 
  Characteristics 
   
  For the most part, romantic elements are 
  built into and around other forms of anime. Few 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  48 
  anime seem to be love stories for the story’s 
  sake; usually the romantic angle is worked in 
  among other plot threads. 
  Typical Conventions 
   
  Frustration Is Funny:  Pining after the 
  incredibly beautiful girl is one thing. Getting to 
  do anything other than kiss her is another. The 
  prime reason for this is simple:  the author is 
  telling a story, not an X-rated hentai series. It 
  also depends on the target market – romantic 
  stories aimed at younger readers will concentrate 
  more on the attempts of the main character to 
  actually win his (or her) love, not what comes 
  after (since usually a kiss is enough to seal the 
  relationship). Of course, in stories aimed at more 
  adult and mature audiences, the content will 
  follow suit. 
   
  One Guy, One Million Girlfriends:  This 
  is what you get when you combine comedy and 
  romance. In a more serious setting, love-triangles 
  are common anime elements, as it provides a 
  nice bit of conflict to motivate characters and 
  add tension to inter-character relationships. In a 
  comedy, however, a love-triangle can quickly get 
  out of control, and a single main character 
  (almost always male) will find himself with 
  upwards of a dozen (or more) would-be 
  girlfriends (or worse:  fiancés!). Naturally, our 
  hero is unable to pick between them all, or if he 
  has picked, no one (including his would-be 
  beloved) believes him. The Rumiko Takahashi 
  series’ Ranma ½ and Urusei Yatsura pretty much 
  defined this concept, although Tenchi Muyo! 
  doesn’t do a bad job either. 
  The Universe 
   
  For the most part the world is neutral, 
  although one can argue it is tilted in favor of 
  chaos, if only because the hero never seems to 
  get an even break. On the other hand, in most 
  romantic settings, everything does work out okay 
  in the end. 
  SPACE OPERA 
   
   
   
  Armored Trooper VOTOMS, Cowboy 
  Bebop, Five Star Stories, Outlaw Star, Legend of 
  the Galactic Heroes, Macross, Mobile Suit 
  Gundam, Space Battleship Yamato/Starblazers, 
  and anything else done by Leiji Matsumoto. 
  Characteristics 
   
  This genre is actually two settings in one. 
  The main setting is true Space Opera on the scale 
  of Star Wars and Star Trek, while the secondary 
  setting is far more restrained in sense of scale 
  and attention to realism. In Space Opera, the 
  setting is galactic in scale, with epic adventures 
  between huge fleets of space-faring empires. In 
  the more realistic Science Fiction settings, the 
  scale is restricted to a single system or even a 
  single planet. Science Fiction settings also have a 
  greater attention to realism and actual physics, 
  while Space Opera is more willing to ignore such 
  things in favor or impressive visual effects and 
  stunts. The best modern comparison between the 
  two styles would be to compare the plot elements 
  and adventures of the characters in Outlaw Star 
  to those in Cowboy Bebop.  
  Typical Conventions 
   
  Bigger Than Big Spaceships:  Ships in 
  Space Opera are big. Really big. They also have 
  an amazing tendency to look like water-based 
  battleships and destroyers, complete with upper 
  gun decks bristling with triple turrets and the 
  like. Others are modeled after sailing ships, with 
  masts, solar sails, and rows of guns along the 
  sides. Few ships in this genre have the blocky, 
  unaerodynamic look one expects “real” 
  spaceships to actually have.  
   
  Laser Swords:  Ever since Star Wars, it has 
  apparently been a requirement for characters to 
  haul around weapons with energy blades. Swords, 
  axes, spears, and so on – if it has an edge, odds 
  are you’ll find a laser version of it somewhere. 
  And like the lightsabers in Star Wars, such 
  weapons can, and will, cut through most anything. 
   
  Massed Missiles:  Apparently one reason 
  spaceships are so big is so they can carry 
  limitless supplies of missiles. For the most part, 
  anime missiles are visually spectacular and 
  incredibly inaccurate. The start of any anime 
  ship-to-ship battle (especially if it’s hordes of 
  smaller fighters) is usually marked by clouds of 
  missiles being fired off en masse to make pretty 
  smoke trails and a few explosions, followed by 
  an intense World War II-styled dogfight. Of 
  course, missiles fired by the hero tend to ignore 
  these rules and can hit anything. 
   
  Wave Motion Guns:  Initially seen in Space 
  Battleship Yamato, the Wave Motion Gun (a.k.a. 
  the Wave Bye-Bye Gun) is really just a general 
  term for any number of anime superweapons that 
  can wipe out even the toughest targets in a single 
  shot. Usually the entire ship is built around this 
  weapon, or it makes up the spine of the ship. Of 
  course, such a powerful weapon does have certain 
  drawbacks, and these weapons normally need 
  some time to warm up before they can be used 
  (which is why they are never used at the 
  beginning of the battle). Such weapons also tend 
  to use all of a ship’s available energy, making the 
  ship using them extremely vulnerable 
  immediately after firing. Other classic examples 
  of the Wave Motion Gun include the Macross 
  main gun and the Emaan Demolition Cannon 
  from the series Orguss. 
  The Universe 
   
  Mostly weighted in favor of the heroes. 
  However, war is hell, and many Space Opera 
  anime drive this home with scenes of death and 
  destruction, both among the enemy and the 
  heroes. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  49
  PLEASE WELCOME:  MR. AND MRS. 
  GENERIC ANIME! 
   
   
   
  That’s right, it’s Ken and Sakura! These two 
  combine a multitude of anime stereotypes and 
  clichés into their respective character sheets. 
  Although valid characters, one shouldn’t take 
  them all that seriously – they are deliberately 
  designed to be an exaggeration of an anime 
  mecha pilot and an anime magical girl after all. 
   
   
   
  Ken Tanaka 
   Val Char Cost Roll Notes 
   
  15 STR 
  5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH [1] 
  19/25 DEX 
  27 13- OCV:  6(8)/DCV:  6(8) 
   
  16 CON 
  12 12- 
   
  12 BODY 
  4 12- 
   
  14 INT 
  4 12- PER Roll:  12- 
   
  18 EGO 
  16 13- ECV:  6 
   
  20 PRE 
  10 13- PRE Attack:  4d6 
   
  18 COM 
  4 13- 
   
   
  5 PD 
  2 
   Total:  5 PD (0 rPD) 
   
  4 ED 
  1 
   Total:  4 ED (0 rED) 
   3/5 SPD 
  1 
   Phases:  4, 8, 12  
   
  6 REC 
  0 
      (3, 5, 8, 10, 12) 
   
  32 END 
  0 
   
  40 STUN 12 
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  98 
  Movement: Running: 
  7”/14” 
   
   
  Swimming: 2”/4” 
  Cost Powers  
  END 
   
  9 At Home In His Mecha:  DEX +6; 
  No Figured Characteristics (-½), 
  Only In Mecha (-½) 
  0 
   13 At Home In His Mecha:  SPD +2; 
  Only In Mecha (-½) 
  0 
   
  2 Swift Runner:  Running +1” (7” total) 
  1 
   
   
   Martial Arts:  Earth Defense Force 
  Hand-to-Hand Training 
   
   Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 
   
  4 Block 
  +2 
  +2 
  Block, Abort 
   
  4 Disarm 
  -1 
  +1 
  25 STR Disarm 
   
  4 Escape 
  +0 
  +0 
  30 STR Versus 
  Grabs 
   
  4 Strike 
  +0 
  +2 
  5d6 Strike 
   
  3 Throw 
  +0 
  +1 
  3d6 +v/5; Target 
  Falls 
   
   Perks 
   
  3 Membership:  Earth Defense Force Officer 
   
  4 Reputation:  Ace Pilot 11- (+2/+2d6) 
   
   Skills 
   15 +3 with Vehicle Weapons 
   
  3 +1 with Earth Defense Force Hand-to-
  Hand Training 
   
   
  3 Breakfall 13- 
   
  5 Combat Driving 14- 
   
  9 Combat Pilot 16- (17-) 
   
  3 Electronics 13- 
   
  2 Gambling (Card Games) 13- 
   
  4 KS: Aircraft And Aircraft Identification 14- 
   
  1 KS:  EDF Ceremonies And Drill 8- 
   
  2 KS:  EDF History And Customs 11- 
   
  3 KS:  Military World 13- 
   
  3 Mechanics 13- 
   
  3 Navigation 13- 
   
  1 Paramedics 8- 
   
  2 PS:  Pilot/Soldier 11- 
   
  3 Streetwise 13- 
   
  2 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 13- 
   
  3 Systems Operation 13- 
   
  5 Tactics 14- 
   11 TF:  Common Motorized Ground 
  Vehicles, Mecha, Two-Wheeled 
  Motorized Ground Vehicles, Combat 
  Aircraft, Large Planes, Parachuting 
  (Advanced and Basic), Small Planes 
   
  5 WF:  Small Arms, Grenade Launcher, 
  Knife, Vehicle Weapons 
   
  Total Powers and Skills Cost:  138 
   
  Total Character Cost:  236 
   
   125+ Disadvantages 
   20 Hunted:  Agents Of The Denzari 11- (Mo 
  Pow, Kill) 
   15 Hunted: The Earth Defense Force 8- (Mo 
  Pow, NCI, Ken is easy for the EDF to 
  find, Watching) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Attracted 
  To/Obsessed With Melita (Common, 
  Strong) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Emotionally 
  Distant (afraid to form permanent deep 
  relationships) (Common, Strong) 
   10 Psychological Limitation:  Tired Of The 
  Killing (Common, Moderate) 
   10 Reputation:  Ace pilot of the EDF, 14- 
  (Limited Group) 
   20 Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders 
  (Very Frequently, Major [character suffers 
  punishment for disobedience]) 
   
  6 Experience Points 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points:  236 
  SAY… WHAT IS 
  KEN’S MECHA 
  ANYWAY? 
   
   
   There is no 
  description for Ken’s 
  mecha in order to 
  make it easier to drop 
  Ken into any setting 
  the GM desires. The 
  basic description 
  would be for 
  something resembling 
  an F-15 Eagle with 
  the ability to 
  transform into a two-
  legged walking 
  machine. Known as a 
  Hussar, the mecha has 
  twin rotary cannons in 
  the wings, missiles on 
  racks under the wings, 
  and might even carry 
  a large and heavy 
  laser rifle (“gunpod”) 
  for use in walker 
  mode. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  50 
  Ken Tanaka 
   
  WHY KEN AND 
  SAKURA? 
   
   
   The names for the 
  two sample characters 
  were chosen with 
  some care. For 
  starters, their 
  surnames are 
  “Tanaka.” Tanaka is a 
  real Japanese 
  surname, and is 
  roughly the equivalent 
  of the American 
  “Smith,” a nod to the 
  characters’ generic 
  origins. As for their 
  personal names, 
  “Ken” was chosen as 
  it seems to be the 
  prototypical Japanese 
  name, easy for 
  Westerners to 
  pronounce, and the 
  root of many more 
  complex Japanese 
  names (such as 
  Kenjii, Kenjiro, 
  Kennosuke, and so 
  on). It also doesn’t 
  hurt that the character 
  for “ken” can be 
  written to mean 
  “sword,” “fist,” or 
  “technique.” 
   Sakura’s name was 
  selected because, to 
  be honest, you can’t 
  swing a dead cat in 
  anime without hitting 
  a character named 
  Sakura. A short list of 
  anime with a Sakura 
  character include:  
  Cardcaptor Sakura, 
  Hyper Police, Key the 
  Metal Idol, Sakura 
  Taisen, Street Fighter 
  Alpha, and Urusei 
  Yatsura. 
   
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  51
  Background/History:  For as long as he can 
  recall, Ken Tanaka wanted fly. When he was 
  little, he’d lay in the grass, watching the planes 
  and shuttles fly overhead. As he grew older, he 
  built a whole fleet of model planes, with 
  aerospace fighters as his favorite. After leaving 
  high school, he promptly joined the Earth 
  Defense Force, applying as a pilot in the hopes 
  they would teach him to fly. Fortunately for him, 
  he passed his exams with flying colors, and not 
  only was made a pilot, but was enlisted into the 
  combat arm of the EDF, and given the chance to 
  get behind the controls of the very same 
  aerospace fighters he’d built so many models of 
  when he was younger. 
   
  But Ken’s happiness was not to last. The 
  same day that his girlfriend Yuka tied his white 
  pilot’s scarf around his neck and accepted his 
  proposal for marriage, the alien Denzari dropped 
  asteroid chunks on several major Earth cities. 
  Millions were killed – among them Ken’s 
  parents and the love of his life, Yuka. 
   
  Now, with nothing much to live for, Ken has 
  found solace in the EDF, fighting to both protect 
  the Earth and to enact his vengeance on the 
  enemy who took everything dear from him. His 
  dedication has made him one of, if not the, top 
  pilots in the EDF, with an impressive number of 
  kills to his credit. But his experiences are 
  beginning to take their toll on Ken, and some of 
  his squadmates fear that it is only a matter of 
  time before he self-destructs. 
   
  Personality/Motivation:  For the most part, Ken 
  is a quiet loner who does his job simply and 
  efficiently. Although he occasionally joins his 
  fellow pilots in the mess for dinner and card 
  games, he isn’t much for frivolity, and most 
  pilots give him a wide berth. Newer pilots tend 
  to think his attitude is due to being arrogant and 
  stuck up over his kill record, while older pilots 
  know better and respect his privacy. As for Ken, 
  he’s found befriending his fellow pilots and 
  getting to know them better only seems to result 
  in heartache when they are inevitably killed in 
  action. 
   
  Recently, however, Ken has become almost 
  obsessed with a Denzari fighter pilot by the 
  name of Melita. She is an ace herself, and the 
  two have met several times in battle, each doing 
  their best to shoot the other down, but failing due 
  to their virtually equal skill as pilots. It doesn’t 
  help that Melita is very beautiful, and that Ken’s 
  obsession may be slowly turning into infatuation. 
   
  Quote:  “We go up, we fight, some die, we come 
  back. Tomorrow we do it again. What sort of life 
  is this?” 
   
  Powers/Tactics:  Simply put, Ken is one of the 
  best there is. He hand-eye coordination is already 
  better than most, but once in the cockpit he 
  almost becomes “one” with his machine, and can 
  push any vehicle to its limits. In combat, he 
  seeks quick, clean kills, and will try and down 
  his opponent as soon as possible, leaving 
  grandstanding and bold stunts for the foolish and 
  inexperienced (and the soon to be dead). He 
  favors cannons over missiles (he finds them 
  more precise), and prefers speed above all, and 
  will leave his mecha in flight mode for as long as 
  he can get away with it, only switching to walker 
  mode if he has no other options left. 
   
  Campaign Use:  Ken Tanaka combines 
  numerous common elements of the Mecha Pilot 
  Hero archetype, including:  a dead fiancé (or 
  girlfriend, or parents), being an ace pilot, falling 
  in love with a female enemy pilot, and being 
  weary of war and tired of killing. As a further 
  cliché, he should be very young, somewhere 
  between the ages of 16 and 19. This version is 
  nominally 21, so that he’d have been around 19 
  when Yuka was killed. Many mecha pilots are 
  very young, especially in shows targeted for 
  young teens, and one of the most famous mecha 
  pilots of them all, Shinji Ikari from the show 
  Neon Genesis Evangelion, is only 14 years old. 
   
  Ken can be used in a wide variety of 
  campaigns, and with a little work would be at 
  home in such diverse settings as the Second 
  World War or far-future Space Opera. 
  Regardless of the setting, however, Ken should 
  be the best pilot there is, or at least one of the 
  best. If the best, he shouldn’t be a regular part of 
  the campaign, but someone the PCs only 
  occasionally meet and interact with, so as not to 
  overshadow the PCs’ exploits. If the GM wants 
  to bring Ken into an adventure, he could do so 
  by having the PCs act as his wingmen for a 
  mission, or have the PCs mount a rescue mission 
  to retrieve Ken from enemy hands (even the best 
  pilots get shot down sometimes). To really test 
  the PCs’ loyalty and up the melodramatic angst 
  factor common to many mecha anime, they 
  could be called on to capture Melita, not 
  knowing of her relationship with Ken! 
   
  Appearance:  Ken stands just under six feet in 
  height, with a lean, muscular build. His dark blue 
  hair is cut short on the sides and back, but tends 
  to hang long in the front, falling across his brow 
  and into his eyes. When on duty, he will wear the 
  regulation uniform, which for him consists of a 
  one-piece flight suit, boots, gloves, and helmet. 
  Around his neck, Ken knots a long white scarf, a 
  non-regulation affectation that he refuses to 
  remove. Off-duty Ken dresses in the inexpensive 
  casual fashions of the day. 
   
  WHO ARE THE 
  DENZARI?  
   
   
    The alien invaders 
  can be anyone the 
  GM wants them to be, 
  but in true anime 
  fashion, they should 
  be virtually identical 
  to humans with only 
  some slight physical 
  differences (like blue 
  or green skin, or 
  minor differences in 
  facial features). For 
  purposes of this write-
  up, the Denzari are 
  virtually identical for 
  humans so that Ken 
  can fall in love with 
  one of them. 
   
  MELITA 
   
   
   A pilot for the 
  Denzari invasion 
  force, Melita should 
  have skills equal to 
  Ken’s and a COM of 
  18 or 20. For her part, 
  she should fall in love 
  with Ken as well, 
  possibly going so far 
  as to defect to the 
  EDF and end up 
  fighting against her 
  own people. 
  Naturally, this being 
  anime, it is Melita’s 
  defection and 
  relationship with Ken 
  that provides the 
  catalyst to end the 
  war. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  52 
  Sakura-Hime Sakura 
  (Cherry Princess Sakura) 
   
  Val Char 
  Cost Roll 
  Notes 
  10+15 STR 
  12* 11-(14-) Lift 100(800 kg); 
  2d6(5d6) [1(2)] 
  16+10 DEX 18+24* 12-(14-) OCV:  5 (9)/  
  12+11 CON 4+18* 11-(14-)  DCV:  5 (9) 
   
  9 BODY 
  -2 
  11- 
   
  10 INT 
  0 
  11- 
  PER Roll:  11- 
   
  10 EGO 
  0 
  11- 
  ECV:  3 
   12+8 PRE 
  2+6* 11-(13-) PRE Attack:  2d6  
   
  16 COM 
  3 
  12- 
   (4d6) 
   
   4+6 PD 
  2+2* 
   
  Total:  16 PD (6r) 
   2+8 ED 
  4* 
   
  Total:  16 ED (6r) 
   3+2 SPD 
  4+8* 
   
  Phases:  4, 8, 12  
   4+6 REC 
  0 
   
      (3, 5, 8, 10, 12) 
  24+22 END 
  0 
  20+15 STUN 
  1* 
   
  * OIHID (-¼) 
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  110 
  Movement: Running: 
  8”/16” 
   
   
  Leaping: 
  30”/60” 
   
   
  Swimming: 3”/6” 
  Cost Powers  
  END 
   48 Cherry Princess Powers:  Multipower, 
  60-point reserve; OIHID (-¼) 
   3u 1) Shining Sakura Strike:  EB 12d6; 
  Gestures (point at target with the Cherry 
  Blossom Scepter; -¼), Incantations (-¼), 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  6 
   3u 2) Sparkling Cherry Bomb:  EB 8d6, 
  Explosion (+½); Gestures (“throw” the 
  attack with the Cherry Blossom 
  Scepter; -¼), Incantations (-¼), OIHID 
  (-¼) 
  6 
   2u 3) Radiant Petal Flurry:  Change 
  Environment 16” radius, -4 to Sight 
  Group PER Rolls; Extra Time (Full 
  Phase; -¼), Gestures (swing the Cherry 
  Blossom Scepter around the head; -¼), 
  Incantations (-¼), No Range (-½), 
  OIHID (-¼) 
  4 
   
  1 4) Cherry Gentle Kiss:  Simplified 
  Healing 6d6; Extra Time (1 Turn; -1¼), 
  Gestures (Sakura must touch the target 
  with the Cherry Blossom Scepter; -¼), 
  Increased Endurance (x2 END; -½), 
  Others Only (-½), OIHID (-¼) 
  12 
   
  8 Cherry Blossom Scepter:  HA +2d6, 
  Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½); 
  Hand-to-Hand Attack (-½), OIHID (-¼) 0 
   24 Can Leap To The Horizon:  Leaping 
  +25” (30” forward, 15” upward), 
  Accurate; OIHID (-¼) 
  2 
   
  4 Running +2” (8” Total) 
  2 
   
  1 Swimming +1” (3” Total) 
  1 
   
  3 Transformation Sequence:  Cosmetic 
  Transform 2d6 (clothing into Cherry 
  Princess Sakura fuku and back); OAF 
  (Cherry Blossom Scepter; -1), Extra 
  Time (Full Phase; -½), Limited Target 
  (clothes; -½) 
  1 
   
   
   Martial Arts:  Judo 
   
   Maneuver OCV DCV Notes 
   
  5 Block 
  +1 
  +3 
  Block, Abort 
   
  4 Escape 
  +0 
  +0 
  25 (40) STR vs. 
  Grabs 
   
  3 Joint Lock 
  +0 
  -1 
  Grab One Limb, 
  20 (35) STR To 
  Hold On 
   
  4 Joint Lock/ 
  +1 
  +0 
  Grab One Limb;  
   
       Throw  
   
   
  1d6 NND (7); 
  Target Falls 
   
  3 Slam 
  +0 
  +1 
  2d6 (5d6) +v/5; 
  Target Falls 
   Perks 
   15 Follower:  Monster, a white ferret 
   
   Talents 
   10 Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED); OIHID (-¼) 
   
  3 Supreme Balance:  Environmental 
  Movement: no penalties on narrow surfaces 
   Skills 
   
  4 +2 OCV with Yumi 
   
  6 +2 with Judo 
   
  4 +1 with Hand-to-Hand Combat; OIHID (-¼) 
   
  4 +1 with DCV; OIHID (-¼) 
   
   
  5 Acrobatics 13- (15-) 
   
  3 Breakfall 12- (14-) 
   
  3 Climbing 12- (14-) 
   
  1 KS:  Judo 8- 
   
  1 KS:  Myconids 8- 
   
  1 KS:  Shinto Ritual 8- 
   
  1 Mechanics 8- 
   
  3 PS:  Softball 12- (14-) 
   
  0 PS:  Student 8- 
   
  3 PS:  Volleyball 12- (14-) 
   
  1 TF:  Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground 
  Vehicles, Two-Wheeled Muscle-Powered 
  Ground Vehicles 
   
  1 WF:  Yumi (Bow) 
   
  Total Powers & Skills Cost:  184 
   
  Total Cost:  294 
   
   150+ Disadvantages 
   10 Distinctive Features:  Absurd-Looking 
  Fuku (Concealable, Noticed And 
  Recognizable) 
   10 Distinctive Features:  Judo Style (Not 
  Concealable, Detectable By Large Group) 
   20 DNPC:  Hitomi Ishida (best friend and 
  monster bait) 14- (Normal) 
   15 DNPC:  Grandfather 8- (Normal, 
  Unaware of character’s Secret Identity) 
   20 Hunted:  Myconids 14- (As Pow, Kill) 
   10 Psychological Limitation:  A Touch 
  Scatterbrained (Common, Moderate) 
  STANDING IN 
  AWE OF 
  EXPLODING 
  CLOTHING  
   
   
   Technically, 
  Sakura’s 
  Transformation 
  Sequence should take 
  virtually no time at 
  all. This is not to say 
  it’s an instantaneous 
  effect (it’s not), but 
  that in virtually all 
  magical girl anime, 
  nothing happens to 
  the magical girl while 
  she changes forms, 
  regardless of how 
  long it seems to take 
  on screen. This same 
  effect is also seen in 
  many fantasy anime, 
  where spells with 
  long and complex 
  incantations are cast 
  without interruption 
  each and every time 
  they are used. GMs 
  may or may not want 
  to go this route, since 
  using the Extra Time 
  limitation does make 
  things a little more 
  dramatic for the 
  players, as they can 
  then never be sure of 
  getting their attacks 
  off in time in a game 
  (as opposed to in an 
  anime, where 
  everything is done 
  according to a 
  prewritten script). 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  53
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Impulsive And 
  Headstrong (Common, Strong) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Protective Of 
  Her Friends (Common, Strong) 
   10 Reputation:  tomboy 14- (Limited Group) 
   15 Social Limitation:  Secret ID (Frequently, 
  Major) (Sakura Tanaka) 
   
  5 Unluck:  1d6 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points: 295 
   
  Background/History:  When she was very 
  young, Sakura Tanaka’s parents were killed in a 
  car accident, leaving her in the care of her 
  grandfather. Although he raised her the best he 
  could, the ways of young girls were somewhat 
  beyond him, and Sakura grew up a touch “wild,” 
  with a tomboyish nature and love for many things 
  “non-feminine,” such as sports, the martial arts, 
  and anything to do with the outdoors. 
   
  One day, while looking through some of her 
  parents’ belongings, Sakura found an interesting 
  object tucked away in her mother’s storage chest. 
  It was a long stick, or wand, shaped to look like 
  the branch of a cherry tree in full bloom. 
  Curious, Sakura tapped the wand against the 
  chest in an effort to knock the dust off. 
   
  Once she recovered from the shock of being 
  lifted in the air while her clothes were torn from 
  her body, Sakura discovered she had become 
  someone else, someone far different, someone 
  with magical powers and abilities far beyond 
  those of normal school girls. She was, according 
  to Monster, her pet ferret, who now seemed to be 
  able to talk, Sakura-hime Sakura, the Cherry 
  Princess, and it was her mission to stand and 
  oppose the Myconids, those foul and loathsome 
  creatures of the dark. As for Sakura, she did what 
  any normal girl would do in a situation like this:  
  she fainted. 
   
  From such inauspicious beginnings, Sakura 
  has since gone on to take up the scepter of the 
  Cherry Princess, fighting evil in all its forms. 
  Her constant foes are the Myconids, ugly and 
  horrible fungus-like creatures who lurk in the 
  dark places of Tokyo, preying on the weak and 
  helpless. But, armed with her Cherry Blossom 
  Scepter, her Cherry Princess powers, the advice 
  of Monster the ferret, and her own courage, she 
  will see justice done! 
   
  Personality/Motivation:  Brought up by her 
  grandfather since she was very young, Sakura is 
  not what one normally expects from a Japanese 
  female high school student. Quite a bit of her 
  grandfather’s nature has rubbed off on her, and 
  Sakura is well known for being stubborn and 
  prone to act on impulse, as opposed to any sort 
  of careful planning. Unfortunately, this also 
  means she’s a problematic student and has 
  trouble concentrating on any one thing for long, 
  resulting in her having a reputation among her 
  teachers as being flighty and unable to apply 
  herself. To compound her problems, her love of 
  sports and archery, coupled with her total 
  inability to cook, has made her a bit of an 
  outcast, much to the dismay of her best friend 
  Hitomi, who constantly tries to set up Sakura on 
  dates, only to watch most of them fail miserably. 
   
  For her own part, Sakura is tries to rise 
  above it all. She knows she’s not the best 
  student, that she often oversleeps, that she has 
  trouble concentrating on any one thing for any 
  length of time, and that she can’t boil water to 
  save her life, but she also knows she has a higher 
  purpose in life, and as long as she holds to her 
  mission, all will work out all right in the end. 
   
  Quotes:  In the name of Peace, Love, and 
  Justice, Sakura-Hime Sakura has arrived! 
  Myconids beware!” 
   
  “Oh, teacakes!” (her answer to swearing) 
   
  “Shut up, Monster!” 
   
  Powers/Tactics:  By tapping her Cherry 
  Blossom Scepter against any handy surface, 
  Sakura can activate her Cherry Princess powers, 
  transforming from Sakura Tanaka, simple 
  schoolgirl, into Sakura-hime Sakura, warrior for 
  love and justice. The transformation lifts her off 
  the ground a few feet, shreds her clothing (much 
  to Sakura’s dismay), and then reforms the 
  fragments into her Sakura-hime Sakura uniform. 
  Aside from a change in clothing, she gains an 
  increase in physical strength, reflexes, and 
  durability, becoming faster, stronger, and 
  tougher. The Cherry Blossom Scepter transforms 
  as well, becoming a sturdier version of itself, and 
  is usable as both a hand-to-hand weapon and as a 
  focus for Sakura’s magic powers. 
   
  Sakura’s Cherry Princess Powers allow her 
  to hurl blasts of brilliant pink energy or to throw 
  explosive bombs. She can also summon a storm 
  of cherry blossom petals to hide her from her 
  enemies, heal the injured with a touch of her 
  scepter, leap great distances, and she shows a 
  marked resistance to injury (although her 
  uniform is never so lucky). 
   
  Campaign Use:  Sakura Tanaka is so ridden 
  with Magical Girl clichés it’s almost painful. For 
  starters, she’s a bit of a social misfit, being an 
  athletic tomboy as well as a problem student, and 
  she lives in a Shinto shrine to boot. In addition, 
  she has to deal with all the “rules” many Magical 
  Girls operate by:  she must transform into an 
  ornate or impractical-looking costume, her 
  weapon is an apparently useless wand, all her 
  powers require wordy attack names to use, she 
  has a cute animal sidekick, and she fights for (or 
  with) the power of “love.” At 17, she’s actually a 
  little old for the role, as many Magical Girls are 
  in their early teens (and some are even preteens). 
  MONSTER THE 
  FERRET?  
   
   
   It is a virtual 
  requirement for any 
  magical girl to have a 
  cute animal sidekick. 
  In Sakura’s case it is 
  her pet ferret Monster 
  (Sakura doesn’t know 
  much English you 
  see...). Monster 
  should use the 
  Domestic Cat write-
  up on page 143 of the 
  Hero Bestiary and 
  have the Smart 
  template added from 
  page 27. Monster 
  should also have a 10 
  EGO (or more) and be
  perfectly fluent in 
  Japanese. The 
  personality is up to 
  the GM, and it is 
  perfectly in genre for 
  Sakura and Monster 
  to argue constantly. It 
  is also perfectly in 
  genre for Monster to 
  inform Sakura of new 
  powers she never 
  knew she had – 
  usually right after she 
  really could have 
  used them.  
   
  MYCONIDS 
   
   
   Most magical girls 
  seem to have a 
  “theme” enemy they 
  are always fighting. 
  For Sakura it’s the 
  Myconids. They come 
  in many shapes and 
  sizes, and their ranks 
  include fungus 
  goblins, mushroom 
  ogres, and slime-mold 
  snakes. In general, a 
  Myconid isn’t very 
  smart, fairly immune 
  to physical attacks, 
  and very unpleasant 
  to deal with. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  54 
  Sakura-Hime Sakura 
   
  WHAT IS A FUKU? 
   
   
   A fuku is a 
  Japanese girl’s school 
  uniform, also known 
  as a se-ra-fuku 
  (Literally:  sailor 
  clothes, fuku itself just 
  means “clothes”). The 
  original fuku was 
  modeled after 
  uniforms of sailors in 
  the English Royal 
  Navy, and was a 
  popular form of 
  children’s clothing in 
  Victorian England. 
  The clothing style 
  was adopted in Japan 
  at the end of the 19th 
  Century, and soon 
  became the standard 
  uniform of 
  schoolgirls. Probably 
  the most famous fuku 
  in anime are the ones 
  worn by the cast of 
  Sailor Moon. 
   Boys have their 
  own school uniforms 
  as well. Based on 
  German school 
  uniforms from the 
  same era as the 
  original sailor suits, a 
  boy’s school fuku 
  consists of a high-
  collared jacket 
  (usually blue or black 
  in color), and 
  matching trousers. 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  55
   
  As a Magical Girl archetype, Sakura is best 
  used in such settings as modern day fantasy 
  (which most magical girl shows are) or 
  superhero games. In Sakura’s case, she is a bit of 
  a comedic character and would work well in 
  campaigns with a less-than-serious tone. In fact, 
  she’s a natural for the “superhero high school” 
  subgenre, and works well as either an NPC or as 
  a model for a possible Player Character. At 295 
  points she’s pretty much average for most 
  Magical Girls, although some certainly are far 
  more powerful.  
   
  Appearance:  Sakura Tanaka is 17 years old, 
  and finishing up her stay in high school. She is 
  tall for a girl, standing nearly 5’9” in height, with 
  a long-legged, athletic build. Sakura has long 
  pink hair (usually tied up in a ponytail), brown 
  eyes, and lightly tanned skin from spending a lot 
  of time outside. While at school, she wears the 
  regulation uniform, or fuku; while at home, she 
  dresses in casual western fashions (unless her 
  Grandfather forces her to wear a kimono). Her 
  Sakura-Hime costume looks vaguely like her 
  school uniform, in that both consist of a short-
  sleeved blouse and a skirt, but there, the 
  resemblance ends. The pleated skirt is a bright 
  cherry-red (and in Sakura’s opinion far too 
  short), while the blouse is white with cherry-red 
  trim, and leaves a disconcerting amount of her 
  midriff bare. Under the collar of her blouse is a 
  pink scarf, while around her waist (and forming a 
  belt, of sorts, for the skirt) is a long length of 
  pink cloth tied into a huge and impractical bow 
  behind her back. White gloves and short white 
  boots complete the outfit. Naturally, Sakura finds 
  the costume embarrassing to be seen in, 
  especially given the undue attention she receives 
  from boys while wearing it. 
  IN CLOSING 
   
   
   
  Anime Hero is something is something I’ve 
  wanted to write for a long time, and has been 
  though several previous incarnations as the scope 
  and intent of what I wanted to write changed. 
  Obviously, it is not possible to cover all of anime 
  in a single 17,000-word article. Although as 
  complete as I could make it, Anime Hero is 
  lacking in some areas. For example, I don’t go 
  into any detail on sports anime. However, what 
  is here should be sufficient to give even an anime 
  novice a good idea on how to set up and run an 
  anime-styled campaign. And I hope you’ve 
  enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed 
  putting it all together. 
   
  Finally, the author would like to thank Alex 
  “Mecha, mecha, and more mecha!” Fauth, 
  Charles Badger, Erick L. King, James Jandebeur, 
  Joe Rispoli, Max “What do I know about 
  magical girls?” Fauth, Michael “Otaku Burnout” 
  House, Nic “Studio Hybrid” Neidenbach, and 
  William “Fire the Wave Motion Gun!” Jordan 
  for their advice, corrections, and input. 
  ADDENDUM:  MICHAEL’S TOP PICKS 
   
   
   
  The best way to get a feel for anime is to 
  watch some. Most video rental stores stock 
  anime, and with the rise of the DVD, one can 
  even pick between dubbed or subtitled versions 
  of many titles. When looking for a good 
  introduction to anime in general the most 
  important question you can ask yourself is:  
  “What kinds of stories do you like?” No one 
  anime is the perfect introduction to the media as 
  a whole, although some do a good job of 
  appealing to a wide variety of viewers. Figure 
  out what you like to watch (or read), and find 
  anime set in those genres. 
   
  The following are anime the author either 
  owns or has seen himself (and is only a sampling 
  at that). If the list is slanted towards certain 
  genres, then that is the fault of the author, who, 
  naturally enough, only likes certain genres. 
   
   
  Akira:  Love it, hate it, or feel completely 
  confused by it, you can’t ignore it. Akira is 
  considered by some to be the “best” anime 
  movie yet made, and it certainly is visually and 
  technically impressive. A landmark film when 
  released in 1988, it can still hold its own against 
  modern animated films. Adapted from Katsuhiro 
  Otomo’s 2,000+ page manga, the film diverges 
  wildly from the plot of the manga (which was 
  still not complete when the film was made), and 
  the original dubbed version made it hard to 
  understand what was happening in the last third 
  of the film. The new subtitled (and dubbed) 
  version fixes many of those problems, and is just 
  beautiful to look at. A “must-see” for those 
  interested in the cyberpunk genre, as well as fans 
  of espers and esper powers. Needless to say, it 
  was a huge influence on the author’s Kazei 5 
  campaign (available as a Hero Plus e-book). 
   
   
  The Big O:  The title translates to “The 
  Great King” in Japanese, and is a reference to the 
  hero’s giant robot, which he uses to fight crime. 
  Very reminiscent of Batman:  The Animated 
  Series in style and execution (mainly due to the 
  fact the same production company worked on 
  both), this series has a strong film noir feel to it, 
  and is full of great game ideas.  
   
   
  Blue Submarine No. 6:  This post-holocaust 
  anime combines traditional cell animation with 
  computer-generated mecha. The result is visually 
  stunning, although the story suffers from the 
  problem of many anime adapted from a manga – 
  one only gets to see a small part of the whole 
  story and a great deal of presumably important 
  background details are lost. Still, it is worth 
  seeing if only for the visuals. 
   
  HAYAO 
  MIYAZAKI  
   
   
   Currently Japan’s 
  premiere anime 
  director, Miyazaki has 
  contributed to a 
  number of classic 
  films. Miyazaki loves 
  flying machines, and 
  many of his films 
  include scenes of 
  characters flying. A 
  quick rundown on 
  some of his films 
  includes: 
   The Castle of 
  Cagliostro:  A 
  homage of sorts to 
  1960’s crime caper 
  films, this anime pits 
  world-renowned thief 
  Lupin III against the 
  evil Count of 
  Cagliostro. A fun film 
  for fans of spy films. 
   Laputa:  Castle in 
  the Sky:  Borrowing 
  the immense floating 
  city from the novel 
  Gulliver’s Travels, 
  this movie shows 
  Miyazaki’s 
  fascination with 
  flying machines at its 
  finest. Set in an 
  alternate “steam 
  punk” world, the film 
  is a must see for fans 
  of the Pulp era. 
   Princess 
  Mononoke:  At one 
  point Japan’s highest-
  grossing film of all 
  time, this fantasy 
  mixes gods and guns 
  in a fight over the fate 
  of the natural world in 
  the face of man’s 
  expansion. 
   Spirited Away:  
  This film can best be 
  described as a sort of 
  Japanese Alice in 
  Wonderland. When 
  the heroine of the film 
  discovers her parents 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  56 
   
  Bubblegum Crisis:  This anime series from 
  the mid-1980s was one of the first to come to 
  America and it quickly achieved cult status 
  among fans. Obviously inspired by the film 
  Blade Runner, as well as Streets of Fire, 
  Bubblegum Crisis is best known for its music. 
  Although it suffers from being only the initial 
  eight episodes of a 13 episode series (the rest 
  were never made), as well as so-so animation (at 
  least, by today's standards), it should be seen if 
  only so you'll understand the hype. It is also a 
  “must see” for fans of the cyberpunk genre and 
  anyone looking powered armor ideas. Naturally, 
  it was a big influence on Kazei 5. 
   
  A follow-up to Bubblegum Crisis was made 
  titled Bubblegum Crash, but most fans find it to 
  be vastly inferior to the original. Two “prequels” 
  have been made as well. There was a three-
  episode series titled AD Police Files, and then a 
  longer, 12-episode show (titled A.D. Police). 
  Finally, there is a more recent version of 
  Bubblegum Crisis called Bubblegum Crisis 2040. 
  A 26-episode TV series, it is a complete 
  reworking of the original story.  
   
   
  Cowboy Bebop:  There are few movies, TV 
  shows, or anime capable of living up to the hype 
  generated about them (Star Wars Episode 1 for 
  example.). Then there’s Cowboy Bebop. 
  Combining elements of Hong Kong “heroic 
  bloodshed” cinema, American Westerns, and 
  film noir hard-boiled detective stories, along 
  with high-quality animation and an absolutely 
  fantastic soundtrack, Cowboy Bebop lives up to 
  its claim of “becoming a new genre itself.” This 
  series is highly recommended for fans of 
  cyberpunk, science fiction, and Hong Kong 
  gangster films. 
   
   
  El Hazard:  Loosely modeled after Edgar 
  Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars stories, El 
  Hazard is probably the best example of the 
  “strangers in a strange land” genre you’ll find. 
  The animation is reasonably good, while the fun 
  characters really make the story work well. I 
  recommend you only watch the original series 
  (El-Hazard:  The Magnificent World), as the 
  sequels and remakes are all of pretty low quality. 
   
   
  Outlaw Star:  What do you get when you 
  have a space adventure with everything? You get 
  Outlaw Star. This 26-episode TV series has been 
  compared (often unfavorably) to Cowboy Bebop, 
  but really the two have almost nothing in 
  common. Unlike Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star 
  discards the realistic nature of the former series 
  in favor of strange aliens, chi-powered martial 
  artists, spell-throwing Taoist sorcerers, and fast-
  paced high adventure. It is a fun series, with 
  some great character ideas, decent music, but 
  only average animation. Science fiction/fantasy 
  fans should enjoy it. 
   
  Project: A-ko:  Although dated animation-
  wise, this stand-alone film is just packed with 
  nonstop laughs as it parodies nearly everything. 
  Nothing is sacred, as alien invasions, giant 
  robots, Jackie Chan, and even American 
  superheroes all get targeted. There is really no 
  plot to speak of, but you won’t really care as 
  since the film is such plain fun. Interested 
  viewers can also look for the five follow-up 
  films. 
   
   
  Record of Lodoss War:  An epic tale of 
  fantasy done Dungeons and Dragons style with 
  all the trimmings. It has everything – a young 
  and inexperienced warrior, a beautiful elf-
  maiden (two actually), a dour dwarf, an 
  untrustworthy rogue, evil magicians, an 
  honorable black night, dragons, monsters, 
  magic... Lodoss has recently been remade and 
  sequel-ized, so try and see the original first. 
  Fantasy Hero fans should definitely check this 
  series out. 
   
   
  Silent Möbius:  This long-running manga 
  series has been made into two theatrical films (of 
  which only the first was ever available in the 
  United States) and a 26-episode TV series. It is 
  the story of the Attacked Mystification Police 
  and their efforts to defend Tokyo from the 
  decidedly Lovecraftian “Lucifer Hawks.” As 
  with many TV series, the animation is decidedly 
  average, but it has some great music. The series 
  is a great source of character and game ideas, 
  and does present a viable campaign set up for 
  interested GMs. 
   
   
  Tenchi Muyo!:  Also known as “No Need 
  For Tenchi!” this 13-episode series is almost 
  certainly the best of the “guy with too many 
  girlfriends” genre. Massively popular, it features 
  excellent animation, and episodes 1-6 have one 
  of the best opening themes ever. The series is 
  well written, and is a great source of character 
  and game ideas. Avoid the sequels, however, as 
  they pretty much retell the same story but get 
  worse and worse as they go. 
   
   
   
  have been turned to 
  pigs, she must 
  summon up every 
  ounce of her courage 
  to attempt to rescue 
  them. 
   
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  57
  Doctor Atom by Charles Bikle 
   
  Background/History:  Edison Hamilton was a 
  gifted but arrogant research physicist/engineer 
  who had been working on the RadWear project, 
  an experimental containment suit program for 
  the Pentagon. 
   
  Late one night, Edison was testing out the 
  RadWear suit in a reactor cage when, you 
  guessed it, a VIPER assault team broke in, stole 
  the blueprints, and caused a small radiation 
  accident which led to the death of his intern. 
   
  Edison woke up later and, to his amazement, 
  discovered he now possessed the ability to 
  generate and control radiation.  Returning to the 
  remains of his lab, Edison retrieved and donned 
  the RadWear suit and successfully located and 
  defeated the VIPER agents who had assaulted 
  him earlier. 
   
  The next day the morning headline of The 
  Metro-Gazette read, “Dr. Atom Foils VIPER 
  Raid!” Edison grimaced at the garish alias he’d 
  been given, but felt a secret, addictive thrill in 
  the previous night’s activities…. 
   
  Fast forward a few years later – Doctor 
  Atom has become one of the city’s most well-
  known heroes, and through careful lobbying, has 
  established Visionary Force, a prominent and 
  formidable hero team. 
   
  Personality:  Although Edison enjoyed being a 
  scientist, he now knows that that was just a 
  precursor to his becoming a superhero. He loves 
  everything about the lifestyle:  the attention, the 
  respect, the unbelievable experiences and secrets, 
  flying through the city with a famous 
  actress/model in his arms. 
   
  He’d even grown to enjoy the combat.   
   
  In his heart-of-hearts, Edison is secretly glad 
  this all happened (even with the regrettable death 
  of his intern, whose name he’d never bothered to 
  learn) and enjoys the fame, wealth, power, and 
  opportunities that being a famous superhero has 
  provided him, and does not look kindly upon 
  anyone or anything that might jeopardize his 
  position. He is ambitious and reasonably skilled 
  at “superhero politics.” 
   
  To others, Dr. Atom comes across as a little 
  tightly wound and controlling, except in matters 
  of scientific mysteries and phenomena. 
  Strangely, his territoriality doesn’t extend to 
  matters of science, and he will tend to get along 
  better with science-related heroes. 
   
  Quote:  “I’d be more than willing to entertain 
  any intelligent conversation of this matter at a 
  later date.” 
   
  Powers/Tactics:  When fighting with a group, 
  Doctor Atom likes to position himself at the edge 
  of the battlefield, high above the ground so he 
  can blast from afar while directing his teammates 
  (whether they want him to or not). Often he’ll 
  hold a half-phase action so he can assist a 
  teammate if necessary. 
   
  If fighting alone against a single opponent, 
  Edison will fly in and blast from close-range. In 
  either case, Doctor Atom usually avoids hand-to-
  hand combat, because it irritates him. 
   
  Campaign Use:  Doctor Atom can be used as a 
  rival hero who subtly undermines the PCs at any 
  opportunity. The degree of that rivalry could just 
  be a consistent tension or could escalate to 
  violence and sabotage.  Dr. Atom could also be 
  an occasional source of information relating to 
  physics or radiation phenomena. 
   
  Appearance:  Doctor Atom:  The colors of his 
  modified RadWear armor are metallic red and 
  blue with golden highlights and trim, and the 
  hydrogen atom as an insignia. The style of his 
  costume changes a bit, partially to accommodate 
  improvements, but mostly to spark interest with 
  the public and the media. The current design is a 
  streamlined metallic blue bodysuit with metallic 
  red gloves, boots, and belt, and gold visor and 
  insignia. Naturally, his powers give off a faint 
  red glow, but often his style of armor will change 
  the hues so that his powers will be brighter and 
  more varied in color. 
   
  Edison Hamilton:  In contrast, Edison’s style 
  of dress is more standardized and predictable.  
  He wears typical college professor garb and a lab 
  coat over it when working in the lab. 
   
                                                             
  artwork by Don Mangan 
  BOOTCAMP 
   
   
   Periodically, Hero 
  Games artist Storn 
  Cook uses his 
  experience in the 
  gaming industry to 
  help out new artists. 
  Storn ran an artist 
  bootcamp contest 
  with Doctor Atom’s 
  appearance 
  description as the test. 
  Many artists put forth 
  some excellent 
  renditions of Doctor 
  Atom, and Don 
  Mangan was chosen 
  as the bootcamp 
  winner. Out of the 
  deal, as well, many 
  talented artists 
  brought themselves to 
  Hero Games’ 
  attention, so you may 
  be seeing some new 
  names on the credits 
  pages of future books.
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  58 
  Doctor Atom 
   Val Char Cost Roll Notes 
   15 STR 
  5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH [1] 
   20 DEX 
  30 13- OCV:  7/DCV:  7 
   28 CON 
  36 15- 
   13 BODY 
  6 11- 
   18 INT 
  8 13- PER Roll:  13- 
   14 EGO 
  8 12- ECV:  5 
   15 PRE 
  5 12- PRE Attack:  3d6 
   12 COM 
  1 11- 
   
   
  3 PD 
  0 
   Total:  25 PD (22 rPD) 
   
  6 ED 
  0 
   Total:  30 ED (24 rED) 
   
  4 SPD 
  10 
   Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12 
   
  9 REC 
  0 
   50 END 
  -3 
   35 STUN 
  0 
   
   
  Total Characteristics Cost:  106 
  Movement: Running: 
  6”/12” 
   
   
  Swimming: 2”/4” 
   
   
  Flight: 
  18”/36” 
  Cost Powers  
  END 
   16 RadWear Protective System:  Armor (8 
  PD/8 ED); OIF (armor; -½) 
  0 
   
  3 Radiation-Insulators:  Power Defense, 
  5 points; OIF (armor; -½) 
  0 
   22 Life Systems: Life Support: Self-
  contained breathing, safe in high 
  radiation, all terrestrial diseases, 
  chemical, and biowarfare agents and 
  poisons; OIF (armor; -½) 
  0 
   17 Radiation Sensors: Detect Radiation, 
  Analyze, Ranged, Rapid x100; OIF 
  (armor, -½) 
  0 
   
  8 Communications Array:  High Range 
  Radio Perception (Hearing); OIF 
  (armor, -½) 
  0 
   10 Radar:  Radar 
   23 Atomic Elemental Control:  46-point 
  reserve 
   23 1)  Atomic Shield:  Force Field (14 
  PD/16 ED), Reduced Endurance (0 
  END, +½) 
  0  
   37 2)  Atomic Blast:  EB 12d6 
  6 
   23 3)  Atomic Flight:  Flight 18”, Reduced 
  Endurance (½ END, +¼) 
  2 
   60 Atomic Regulators: Variable Power 
  Pool, 45 points; OIF (armor, -½) 
   
   Sample Powers 
   (23) Molecular Dispersion:  Teleport 15” 
  with Position Shift 
  3 
   (30) Reactor-Field:  Absorb Energy 9d6, 
  Divided Between END and STUN; 
  Costs END (-½) 
  4 
   
   Perks 
   
  2 Reputation:  renown in the scientific 
  community 14- 
   
  2 Reputation:  famous superhero 11- 
  (worldwide)  
   
  3 Federal Police Powers 
   
  6 Money 
   10 Base/Vehicle Contribution, or other 
   
   Skills 
   
  2 Atomic Applications:  Power (INT-
  based) 14-; OIF (armor, -½) 
   
  3 Analyze Radiation 13- 
   
  3 Bureaucratics 12- 
   
  3 Computer Programming 13- 
   
  3 Electronics 13- 
   
  1 High Society 8- 
   
  1 Mechanics 8- 
   
  2 PS: Research Scientist 11- 
   
  3 Scientist 
   
  2 1)  SS: Physics 13- 
   
  1 2)  SS: Powered Armor Engineering 11- 
   
  3 3)  SS: Radiation Physics 14- 
   
  1 4)  SS: Robotics 11- 
   
  1 5)  SS: Theoretical Physics 11- 
   
  Total Powers and Skills Cost:  294 
   
  Total Character Cost:  400 
   
   200+ Disadvantages 
   10 Distinctive Features:  Sets Off 
  Radiation-Detectors (Not Concealable, 
  Major Reaction, Requires Special 
  Senses) 
   10 Hunted:  PRIMUS 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Character is Easy to Find, Mildly 
  Punish) 
   25 Hunted:  VIPER 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, 
  Character is Easy to Find) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Arrogant 
  (Common, Strong) 
   10 Psychological Limitation:  Aversion to 
  Killing (Common, Moderate) 
   10 Psychological Limitation:  Scientific 
  Curiosity (Uncommon, Strong) 
   15 Psychological Limitation:  Territorial/ 
  Sense of Entitlement (Common, Strong) 
   10 Rivalry:  all popular superheroes, 
  including PCs (Professional, Outdo/ 
  Embarrass) 
   10 Social Limitation:  Accessible, Spends 
  Most of Time in Hero ID and Can 
  Usually Be Located at Visionary Force 
  HQ 
   15 Unluck: 3d6 
   10 Vulnerability: 1½x STUN from Magic 
  (Common) 
   10 Vulnerability: 1½x Effect from Magic 
  (Common) 
   50 Experience Points 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points:  400 
   
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  59
  Doctor Atom 
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  60 
  Isidor “Izzy” Einstein by Leah Watts 
   
   
  In the days of the prohibition era 
  when New York State enforced the 
  Volstead Act, a short, fat man, smoking 
  a huge cigar, leaned over the bar. 
   
  “Have you heard the latest story?” 
  he whispered to the aproned bartender. 
   
  “No,” said the bartender, “go 
  ahead.” 
   
  “You’re pinched,” said the short, 
  fat man. 
  — New York Times, February 18, 1938 
   
  On January 17, 1920, the Eighteenth 
  Amendment to the US Constitution went into 
  effect. It was now illegal to make, sell, or import 
  alcohol for beverage use anywhere in the United 
  States. Prohibition was not a popular law, and 
  many people immediately began to break it. 
   
  The man who became known as 
  “Prohibition Agent #1” though, almost managed 
  to make Prohibition popular. In fact, in 1924, 
  when a newspaper writer wanted to compliment 
  the newly appointed chief inspector of Scotland 
  Yard, what he typed was, “He’s a veritable Izzy 
  Einstein.” 
   
  Background/History: Isidor Einstein was born 
  in Tarnow, Austria, on August 8, 1880. He 
  emigrated to the United States when he was 15, 
  and became a US citizen a few years later. 
   
  His father, who had also come to the US, 
  wanted his son to become a rabbi, but he wasn’t 
  interested. Instead “Izzy” (as he became known) 
  worked as a salesman. He married Esther Sattler 
  in 1906, and settled down to raising a family. 
   
  When Prohibition started, Einstein was 
  working as a postal clerk, making $40 a week. 
  With a wife and four sons to support (not to 
  mention his father), he thought the slightly better 
  paying job of Prohibition Agent would be a good 
  move. 
   
  Einstein almost wasn’t hired, though. The 
  short, fat, and almost 40 year old man didn’t fit 
  the interviewer’s idea of a detective. Einstein 
  pointed out that if no one thought he looked like 
  a detective, he’d be able to get in places where 
  other agents couldn’t. Finally, the interviewer 
  was persuaded and hired him. 
   
  (One author, in a retrospective article, 
  suggested that Einstein got the job by mentioning 
  some politician friends. Appointments to the 
  Prohibition Bureau were controlled by political 
  patronage, and his work for the post office would 
  have given him the necessary contacts. However, 
  most sources agree that Einstein simply talked the 
  interviewer into a job.) 
                                                             
  artwork by Chris Watkins 
   
   
  Izzy Einstein’s first assignment was to close 
  down a Brooklyn speakeasy that some other 
  agents had failed to close. He spent some time 
  observing the clientele, and then went home to 
  change into clothes that were a closer match for 
  what they were wearing. He walked in to the 
  speakeasy unsuspected, and ordered a near beer1 
  from the bartender. After the bartender and 
  customers finished laughing, Izzy said good-
  naturedly that he was new in town and didn’t 
  know New York ways, but he’d be willing to 
  buy a pint of whiskey if it didn’t cost too much. 
  The bartender sold him the whiskey, and Izzy 
  had his first arrest. 
   
  That first case set a pattern Izzy would 
  follow for the next five years. His specialty 
  became blending in with the customers to get 
  proof of illegal alcohol sales. 
   
  Soon after his first arrest, Izzy is credited by 
  some with inventing an evidence-collection 
  device that many other agents used. It consisted 
  of a small bottle hidden in an inside pocket, with 
  a rubber tube leading to it from a funnel. To get a 
  conviction under the Volstead Act, walking out 
  of a place with liquor on your breath wasn’t 
  enough, the agent needed to bring in some booze 
  to be analyzed. Buying a bottle to go, as Izzy did 
  in his first case, would serve, but not all 
  speakeasies sold bottled alcohol. Therefore, the 
  bottle and funnel arrangement – Izzy would 
  order a drink, distract the bartender (often by 
  handing him a bill to change), and send the drink 
  down the funnel instead of down the hatch. The 
  bottle could then be corked, labeled, and turned 
  in with the arrest paperwork. 
   
  After a few more cases, Izzy decided he 
  could use some help and talked his friend Moe 
  Smith into joining the Prohibition Bureau. The 
  two shared a common approach to catching 
  lawbreakers, though Moe wasn’t anywhere near 
  the publicity hound Izzy was. Both men were 
  Freemasons, but once they started working for 
  the government, one can wonder if they ever had 
  time to get to lodge meetings. 
   
  Their list of disguises is almost too long to 
  print. When the Democratic Party held their 
  national convention in New York, Izzy and Moe 
  were there passing as delegates. A soft-drink 
  parlor near Van Courtlandt Park was visited by 
  eleven men in muddy football uniforms, who 
  delightedly announced that the season was over 
  and they could break training. When the owner 
  pulled out some booze, the team leaders were 
  revealed as Izzy and Moe. (The rest of the 
  “football team” were also agents.) As Italian fruit 
                                                             
  1 “Near Beer” contained less than ½ of 1 percent alcohol, and 
  was legal under Prohibition. 
  OPINIONS OF 
  IZZY 
   
   
   “The only 
  prohibition agent of 
  prudence and 
  caution.” 
  — William Howard
  Taft, Chief Justice of
  the Supreme Court.
   
   “If every agent had 
  been as industrious, as 
  capable and as 
  intelligent as Izzy, 
  this country would be 
  dry today.” 
  — Stanley Walker,
  city editor of the New
  York Herald Tribune.
   
   “The bootlegger 
  who gets away from 
  you has to get up 
  early in the morning.” 
  — letter to Izzy
  Einstein from Wayne
  Wheeler, chief legal
  counsel for the Anti-
  Saloon League.
   
   “It’s getting so now 
  that a saloon-keeper 
  hesitates in serving 
  the wants of his oldest 
  and best-known 
  customer, for fear that 
  he may suddenly 
  develop into Izzy.” 
  — The Brooklyn
  Eagle.
   
   “THIS MAN IS 
  POISON” 
  — warning notice,
  posted with a press
  photograph of Izzy, in
  too many speakeasies
  to count.
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  61
  peddlers whose wagon had broken down, they 
  caught a livery stable owner who was carting 
  barrels of wine. 
   
  Izzy raided speakeasies as a musician (he 
  described his violin playing as “I ain’t no 
  Heifetz, but I could earn a living,”), as an ice 
  deliveryman, as a dockworker, as a Polish mill 
  worker, and as an opera singer. He passed 
  himself off as a judge to get the goods on a 
  private club limited to lawyers. He was a Texas 
  rancher, a college student, a street cleaner, 
  assorted salesmen, a gravedigger, and an anti-
  Prohibition protester. Sometimes he could even 
  get liquor by telling the truth – “Care to sell a 
  pint to a deserving Prohibition agent?” 
   
  There were several times Izzy (with or 
  without Moe) was sent to other parts of the 
  country by his superiors. He kept track of how 
  long it took him to find illegal booze in each 
  city. New Orleans held the speed record with 35 
  seconds; it seems the cabdriver who picked Izzy 
  up at the train depot was selling bootleg out of 
  his taxi. 
   
  Corruption was rampant in the Prohibition 
  Bureau, but Izzy was never even accused of 
  taking a bribe. There is only one occasion on 
  record where he was offered a bribe; after he 
  confiscated ten barrels of whiskey, the 
  bootlegger offered to give Izzy his wife if Izzy 
  left the whiskey behind. (Izzy passed on the 
  offer; the lady’s reaction is unrecorded.) 
   
  I have been unable to find any evidence that 
  Izzy faced discrimination in his work despite his 
  being both an immigrant and a Jew. Granted, a 
  lot of the time he was working in immigrant 
  neighborhoods. However, the Protestant and 
  nativist organizations that would have 
  discriminated against him were also in favor of 
  Prohibition. After Izzy staged a major raid in 
  Detroit, Henry Ford put his anti-Semitism aside 
  in favor of his anti-alcohol beliefs and 
  congratulated Izzy. 
   
  Izzy was reprimanded several times for his 
  publicity seeking. His superiors objected to a 
  subordinate getting all the positive press when 
  they were hardly ever mentioned. Finally, on 
  November 13, 1925, Izzy Einstein and Moe 
  Smith were fired. The official reason was “for 
  the good of the service,” and in fact, their names 
  had simply been added to a list of approximately 
  150 other agents who were scheduled for firing. 
  The real reason, as stated by a supervisor who 
  refused to be identified, was, “The service must 
  be dignified. Izzy and Moe belong on the 
  vaudeville stage.”  
   
  Wayne Wheeler, legal counsel (and 
  unofficial boss) of the Anti-Saloon League, tried 
  pulling strings to get them rehired, but with no 
  success. Ironically, Wheeler had insisted that 
  Prohibition agents not be covered by Civil 
  Service rules. Had he not used the offer of 
  patronage to get the Volstead Act enacted, the 
  most successful agents the Prohibition bureau 
  ever had could not have been fired out of hand. 
   
  Izzy’s bosses weren’t the only ones who 
  thought he belonged on a stage. The day the 
  firing was announced, a telegram arrived at his 
  house from vaudeville promoter Charles 
  Dillingham, offering him a six-figure contract. 
  Izzy declined, instead choosing to become a life 
  insurance salesman, a job that let him spend 
  more time at home with his family. 
   
  Izzy Einstein left the Prohibition Bureau 
  with an impressive record. Alone or with Moe 
  Smith, he had arrested 4,932 people, with a 
  conviction rating of 95 percent, and confiscated 
  over 15 million dollars (1920s’ currency) worth 
  of illegal alcohol. Twenty percent of the 
  Prohibition cases dealt with by the New York 
  City courts before 1926 were brought in by Izzy. 
   
  In 1932, Izzy Einstein published his 
  memoirs, titled Prohibition Agent #1, and 
  dedicated to the people he had arrested “hoping 
  they bear me no grudge.” Several of them bought 
  life insurance from Einstein, so it would seem 
  they didn’t. He proved his talents didn’t include 
  foretelling the future, when in his book he stated, 
  “The day when Prohibition is repealed will not 
  be in our lifetime.” One year later, the Twenty-
  First Amendment brought Prohibition to an end. 
   
  The physical strains of his prohibition work 
  apparently caught up with Einstein. In February 
  of 1938, he went into Manhattan General 
  Hospital, where his right leg was amputated. 
  Post-surgical infection set in, and Izzy Einstein 
  died on February 17, only 57 years old. He was 
  buried the next day in Mount Zion Cemetery in 
  Brooklyn. 
   
  Personality/Motivation:  Izzy Einstein was not 
  a committed “dry,” as those who were opposed 
  to the use of alcohol were termed. In fact, as a 
  Jew he was allowed to buy 1 gallon of wine per 
  year for religious use, and he always bought it 
  and used it. He thought Prohibition should be 
  enforced because it was the law, not out of any 
  deep feelings. His son Albie Einstein believed 
  catching criminals became a game to his father. 
   
  Einstein brought a great deal of courage to 
  his work. On one occasion, the bartender he’d 
  just arrested pulled out a revolver and shoved the 
  barrel against Einstein’s stomach. Einstein 
  looked at the man, then brushed the gun aside. 
  “Put that up, son,” he said, “murdering me won’t 
  help your family.” The bartender put the gun 
  down and went in quietly. 
   
  Einstein was never formally trained in 
  psychology, but he knew how people thought 
  and acted. Whether he was getting evidence on a 
  saloon in an immigrant neighborhood or raiding 
  a fancy restaurant that still offered a wine cellar, 
  he could match the expected behavior of the 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  62 
  clientele (right up to the point when he pulled 
  out his badge). 
   
  Quote:  “There’s sad news here. You’re under 
  arrest.” 
   
  Powers/Tactics:  The government issued guns to 
  prohibition agents, but Einstein never carried his. 
  It’s possible he didn’t know how to use it – the 
  Prohibition Bureau didn’t start providing any 
  training to agents until 1927, and Einstein left 
  Austria at too young an age to have served in the 
  Hapsburg military. 
   
  Einstein usually credited his success to 
  greed and stupidity on the part of the speakeasy 
  operators, with a little luck on his part as well. 
  It’s hard to challenge the stupidity, not when 
  Einstein could stand next to a picture of himself 
  posted by a speakeasy owner as a warning and 
  still buy liquor. The luck is also hard to argue. 
  On one occasion, Einstein was on his way to 
  work when a truck driver tapped him on the 
  shoulder and asked if he was the person the 
  driver was supposed to deliver to. (Einstein took 
  the whiskey, Bacardi, and driver downtown with 
  him.) 
   
  On the other hand, Einstein put in a lot of 
  effort on his job. He was willing to spend days or 
  weeks working his way into the status of “trusted 
  customer” if necessary. While he belittled his use 
  of disguise, any Caucasian who could pass as 
  Negro in 1920s’ Harlem (there was a deli selling 
  liquor on the side) was talented at stage makeup. 
   
  One note that needs to be made – Einstein’s 
  Everyman TF is for horse-drawn vehicles. He 
  never learned to drive an automobile. 
   
  Campaign Use:  Between 1920 and 1925, Izzy 
  Einstein would be an effective Contact for a law 
  enforcement PC. He should be bought with the 
  adders for “very useful skills” and “significant 
  contacts of his own,” but should have a low 
  Contact roll because of the bureau’s habit of 
  sending him all over the country on short notice. 
  If the PCs are on the other side of the Volstead 
  Act, they’ll likely have at least one run-in with 
  Izzy. 
   
  After 1925, Einstein could still be used as a 
  Contact. For some reason, his New York Times 
  obituary states that he was an active agent until 
  1928. While this is probably a simple mistake 
  (the writer also goofs on the year Prohibition 
  ended), it’s certainly possible that he was 
  offering advice to active agents for the first few 
  years after he was fired. The longer it’s been 
  since he was fired, the less he should cost as a 
  Contact, since attrition in the Prohibition Bureau 
  and changes in bootlegger tactics will gradually 
  eliminate his adders. At repeal, his knowledge of 
  illegal alcohol smuggling becomes mostly 
  irrelevant. There is little point in buying him as a 
  Contact post-repeal unless a character wants a 
  link to the Jewish or immigrant communities in 
  New York City. 
   
  Of course, if the PCs are looking for 
  insurance after 1925, you can always send 
  Einstein over to sell them some. 
   
  Appearance: Izzy Einstein was 5’3” tall, and 
  weighed 235 pounds. He had black hair (but is 
  going bald) and dark eyes. He wore whatever 
  was needed for the current job – from white tie 
  and tails to battered overalls. 
   
  FOR FURTHER 
  READING 
   
   
   Most general 
  histories of 
  Prohibition will have 
  at least a few Izzy 
  stories. Ardent 
  Spirits: The Rise and 
  Fall of Prohibition by 
  John Kobler would be 
  a good start, as it 
  includes an interview 
  with Einstein’s son 
  Albie. 
   Izzy Einstein’s 
  book Prohibition 
  Agent #1 is long out 
  of print, but should be 
  findable through 
  inter-library loan. It 
  concentrates on his 
  experiences as a 
  prohibition agent. 
   A check of the 
  Reader’s Guides to 
  Periodical Literature 
  for the time period 
  1920-1925 can 
  identify articles on 
  Prohibition and Izzy, 
  though you would 
  need access to the 
  magazines (paper or 
  microfilm) to get 
  much use from this. 
   Jackie Gleason and 
  Art Carney teamed up 
  for a TV movie titled 
  Izzy and Moe. While 
  their acting is quite 
  good, the script is not 
  on speaking terms 
  with the facts. Do not 
  use this movie as a 
  reference unless you 
  can confirm any 
  information from 
  other sources. 
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  63
   Isidor “Izzy” Einstein 
   Val Char Cost Roll Notes 
   10 STR 
  0 11- Lift 100 kg; 2d6 HTH [1] 
   13 DEX 
  9 12- OCV:  4/DCV:  4 
   11 CON 
  2 11- 
   10 BODY 
  0 11- 
   15 INT 
  5 12- PER Roll:  12- 
   18 EGO 
  16 13- ECV:  6 
   18 PRE 
  8 13- PRE Attack:  3 1/2d6 
   14 COM 
  2 12- 
   
   
  3 PD 
  1 
   Total:  3 PD (0 rPD) 
   
  3 ED 
  1 
   Total:  3 ED (0 rED) 
   
  3 SPD 
  7 
   Phases:  4, 8, 12 
   
  4 REC 
  0 
   22 END 
  0 
   21 STUN 
  0 
   
   
  Total Characteristics Cost: 51 
  Movement: Running: 
  6”/12” 
   
   
  Swimming: 2”/4” 
  Cost Powers  
  END 
   
  6 Sharp:  Enhanced Perception (+2 to all 
  PER Rolls) 
  0 
   
  5 Lucky:  Luck 1d6 
  0 
   
   Perks 
   12 Contact:  Assorted friends and other 
  Prohibition Agents (12-, useful 
  skills/resources, group) 
   
  2 Perk:  Concealed Weapon Permit 
   
  2 Perk:  Limited Federal Police Powers 
   
  3 Perk:  Membership: Freemasons 
   
  6 Reputation:  Honest and Effective 
  Prohibition Agent (large group, 14-) 
  +2/+2d6 
   
   Skills 
   
  3 Acting 13- 
   10 Cramming (x2) 
   
  5 Concealment 13- 
   
  5 Conversation 14- 
   
  9 Deduction 15- 
   
  7 Disguise 14- 
   
  3 High Society 13- 
   
  3 Linguist 
   
  0 Language: German (native) 
   
  4 Language: English (imitate dialects) 
   
  3 Language: Hungarian (native accent) 
   
  3 Language: Polish (native accent) 
   
  3 Language: Yiddish (native accent) 
   
  1 Language: Russian (fluent 
  conversation) 
   
  1 Language: Spanish (fluent 
  conversation) 
   
  1 Language: Italian (fluent conversation) 
   
  1 Language: French (fluent conversation) 
   
  1 Language: Chinese (basic conversation) 
   
  5 Persuasion 14- 
   
  4 PS: Salesman 13- 
   
  4 PS: Prohibition Agent 13- 
   
  3 PS: Play Harmonica 12- 
   
  4 PS: Play Trombone 13- 
   
  4 PS: Play Violin 13- 
   
  5 SS: Psychology 14- 
   
  7 Sleight of Hand 14- 
   
  7 Streetwise 15- 
   
  Total Powers and Skills Cost:  142 
   
  Total Character Cost:  193 
   
   75+ Disadvantages 
   25 DNPC:  Family (Wife, 4 sons, father; 
  normal, 8-, group) 
   10 Psychological Limitation:  Loves The 
  Spotlight (Common, Moderate) 
   10 Social Limitation:  Famous (Frequent, 
  Minor) 
   15 Social Limitation:  Subject to Orders 
  (Frequent, Major) 
   10 Reputation:  “This Man Is Poison” 14- 
  (speakeasy owners/operators only) 
   48 Experience Points 
   
  Total Disadvantage Points:  193 
   
   
  
  DIGITAL HERO #8 
   
  64 
  Isidor “Izzy” Einstein 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Hero System/DIGITAL_HERO/Hero System - Digital Hero 08.pdf