"... a man barely alive. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him."
Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage [1] 18 DEX 24 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6 23 CON 26 14- 15 BODY 10 12- 15 INT 5 12- PER Roll 12- 20 EGO 20 13- ECV: 7 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 18 COM 4 13- 9 PD 6 Total: 9 PD (0 rPD) 7 ED 2 Total: 7 ED (0 rED) 4 SPD 12 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 8 REC 0 50 END 2 35 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 121 Movement: Running: 9"/18" Leaping: 3"/6" Swimming: 6"/12"" Cost Powers & Skills 13 Bionic Arm: +18 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only With Left Arm (-1/2) 15 Bionic Legs: +18 STR, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only With Legs (-1/4) 13 Steel-Laced Fist: HKA 1d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4); Restrainable (left hand only; -1/2) 1 5 Dart Gun: RKA 1/2d6; Restrainable (left hand only; -1/2), 12 Charges (-1/4), Limited Range (2"; -1/4), [12] 150 Dart Gun Venom: Drain CON 4d6, Ranged (+1/2), Delayed Return Rate (points return at the rate of 5 per Hour; +1), NND (defense is appropriate LS [Immunity]; +1); Dart Must Do BODY (-1/2), 12 Charges (-1/4), Gradual Effect (4 Segments; 1d6/1 Segment; -1/4) plus RKA 4d6, NND (defense is appropriate LS [Immunity]; +1), Does BODY (+1); Dart Must Do BODY (-1/2), 12 Charges (-1/4), Gradual Effect (4 Segments; 1d6/1 Segment; -1/4), Linked (Drain; -1/4), [12] 27 Bionic Limbs: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75%; Activation Roll 13- (Only Affects Locations 6-8 [Left Arm] & 14-18 [Legs]; -3/4), STUN Only (-1/2) 24 Bionic Legs: Running +3" (9" total), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2) 7 Swim Fins: Swimming +4" (6" total), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) 12 Internal Radio: HRRP (Radio Group) 8 Internal Air Supply: LS (Self-Contained Breathing); 1 Continuing Fuel Charge lasting 20 Minutes (-1/4), [1 cc] 2 Eye Camera: Eidetic Memory, 20 Charges (+0); Visual Images Only (-1) Martial Arts: Aikido, Boxing, Judo, Wrestling Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 4 Block +2 +2 Block, Abort 4 Cross +0 +2 5d6 Strike 4 Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; 25 STR to Disarm 4 Dodge -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort 4 Escape +0 +0 30 STR vs. Grabs 3 Hold/Joint Lock -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 25 STR for holding on 3 Jab +2 +1 3d6 Strike 3 Legsweep +2 -1 4d6 Strike, Target Falls 5 Redirect +1 +3 Block, Abort 3 Sacrifice Throw +2 +1 3d6 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls 3 Slam/Throw +0 +1 3d6 +v/5, Target Falls 3 Takedown +1 +1 3d6 Strike; Target Falls Perks 6 Contact: Oscar Goldman, OSO (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has very useful Skills or resources) 11- 4 Fringe Benefit: Colonel Skills 10 +2 with HTH Combat 3 Acrobatics 13- 3 Breakfall 13- 5 Combat Piloting 14- 2 KS: Aikido & Judo 11- 5 KS: History 14- 5 KS: Military Aircraft 14- 4 KS: Zero-G Operations 13- 0 Language: English (idiomatic; literate) 4 Language: Russian (idiomatic; literate) 3 Language: Spanish (completely fluent; literate) 3 Mechanics 12- 5 Navigation (Air, Land) 13- 3 PS: Assorted Sports 13- 2 PS: Air Force Officer/Test Pilot 11- 2 PS: Astronaut 11- 5 SS: Aerodynamics 14- 5 SS: Astronautical Engineering 14- 5 SS: Mechanical Engineering 14- 2 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 12- 2 Systems Operation (Radar, Radio) 12- 6 TF: Common Motorized Ground Vehicles, Combat Aircraft, Early Spacecraft, Helicopters, SCUBA, Small Planes 4 WF: Small Arms, Blades, Combat Helicopter Weapons Total Powers & Skill Cost: 417 Total Cost: 538 200+ Disadvantages 0 Distinctive Features: Cybernetic Body Parts (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable Only By Technology Or Major Effort) 15 Hunted: US Government/OSO 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) 10 Physical Limitation: One Eye (Infrequently, Greatly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: Driven To Prove Himself (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Fears He's No Longer Human (Common, Moderate) 15 Social Limitation: Secret ID (Frequently, Major) 20 Social Limitation: Subject To Orders (Very Frequently, Major) 253 6 Million Dollar Man Bonus 538 Total Disadvantage Points
Background/History: Most people recognize the name 'Steve Austin' from the TV show The Six Million Dollar Man (which starred Lee Majors in the title role). In fact, the character was created for Martin Caidin's novel Cyborg which first came out in 1972.
Caidin's Austin is pretty much the same character as the one in the TV show. He is an astronaut, the youngest man to walk on the moon, and a test pilot. While test flying the M3F5 lifting body, Austin looses control of the vehicle while attempting to land and the plane cartwheels across the desert floor, destroying itself and Austin at the same time. In the process, Austin's legs are ruined, his left arm is severed, a fragment blinds his left eye and... well, you get the idea. Interestingly enough, the footage used in the TV show is of an actual crash of a NASA experimental lifting body (the M2F3 I think), which also smeared itself all over the desert during an attempted landing. The major difference was that in this crash, the pilot was able to walk away with minor injuries (the crash also led to a redesign of the control surfaces, namely the vertical stabilizers).
Due to the extent of his injuries and Austin's rather unique status (single, little family, very healthy and physically fit), Austin was brought to a highly secret bionics/cybernetics research facility in order to undergo an experimental procedure to replace his missing limbs with cybernetic implants. In effect, Austin was to become the first fictional cyborg (that I know of)."
Following a period of readjustment and training with his new limbs, Austin was made a part of the Office of Special Operations (i.e. OSO) under the direction of Oscar Goldman. OSO then made Austin into a special operative, outfitting him with specialized equipment and cybernetics in order for him to complete his current mission. Two such missions are described in the book. One is to gain photographic evidence of a secret Russian sub pen in South America, the other is to fly a MiG-27 out of Egypt and into Israel.
Personality/Motivation: Austin spends a lot of time wondering if he is still a human. He won't go near women (for example) and at times is afraid to touch people for fear of breaking them. On the other hand, he is also driven to prove himself and feels he can overcome his body's problems and once again act as a 'normal' human. For the most part, the character comes across as very strong willed, with few debilitating psychological quirks.
Powers/Tactics: Steve Austin is, simply put, a wunderkind. Even before the accident and his reconstruction, he was a remarkable athlete, with black belts in aikido and judo. He wrestled, fenced, boxed, participated in various sports, and practiced acrobatics. He flew combat choppers for the Army in Vietnam, and joined the Air Force in order to get into the space program. He has five degrees, including a masters in aerodynamics, astronautical engineering and history. He also speaks (at least) Spanish and Russian.
Austin's bionics are very much the work of science fiction. They are very strong, run of tiny nuclear batteries, highly durable, and capable of allowing Austin to greatly exceed the human normal. His left arm has 10 times the gripping and crushing strength of his original limb. His legs can propel him at a steady 5.3 mph forever, and once put in motion can (and do) keep moving regardless of his mental state. At one point, he walks out of a desert, literally unconscious on his feet. Although he can feel pain in his limbs, it is greatly reduced. A small dart gun is built into the middle finger of his left hand. It fires tiny darts that dissolve on impact with the skin and will take effect in 6 seconds (and will kill very quickly). Austin's left hand is also laced with steel strips, allowing him to punch through a wooden door or thin sheet metal with ease. Naturally, he can also kill someone with a single well directed blow to the head or neck. His left eye is now a miniature camera, good for 20 exposures. In his right thigh is an air tank that will last for 30 minutes. Pop-out swim fins are built into his feet, and last (but not least) a radio has been built into his body.
Due to his smaller body size, Austin's heart is now much more efficient. It has less blood to oxygenate, meaning that it takes less time for the blood to get distributed through what is left of the body. Thus, Austin can maintain a higher level of exertion for longer, and bounces back from exhaustion quicker. He rebuilt body has also been reinforced with various metals in his ribs and skull, making his body physically tougher as well.
Appearance: A good description of Steve Austin is as follows: "... the youngest of the astronauts ... who stood six feet, one inch tall, with eyes deep blue; a lean, muscled frame, almost rangy; a laugh filled with warmth; and an animal attraction about him." Interestingly enough, Lee Majors does fit the description pretty well.
Designer's Notes: Austin's cybernetics are concealed under a layer of artificial skin and are not readily apparent. However, they could be detected in a number of ways: by feel, x-ray scan, weight, density and so on. Unlike the TV Steve Austin, Caidin's character has only one eye, meaning his depth perception suffers quite a bit. He is also blind to his left side.
Colonel Steve Austin's Hero Designer File
(Colonel Steve Austin created by Martin Caidin, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook, with help from Nestor Rodriguez.)