Dusty F A S E R I P Res Pop Gd 10 Gd 10 Ty 6 Ex 20 Gd 10 Ex 20 Rm 30 Ex 20 Sh 0 Health: 46 Karma: 60 Origin: As are the vast majority of his G.I. Joe teammates, Ronald is naught but a normal human, even if he seems to have amazing desert skills at times. No, he lacks ascendant powers of any stripe, having no abilities derived from an occult background, beneficial genetic mutations, or freak phenomenon. Known Powers: (none) Equipment: Desert Survival Gear: regardless of his current uniform, Ronald always has his desert survival gear with him on missions, stuff he can use to keep going in the hottest of climates. This includes an outfit that protects him from the sun, goggles to keep sand and grit out of his eyes, and plenty of water canteens. Grenades: while he didn't at first, Ronald eventually started carrying grenades with him on the job. He can use these fragmentary grenades to inflict Remarkable (30) Edged Attack damage to whatever he throws them at - and any other target in that area that isn't under cover. Knife: in addition to his other gear and weapons, Ronald always has a knife on him - for you never know when you'll need a handy, hand-held sharp implement. Made from Incredible (40) m.s. metals, this knife can be used to cut through items of like m.s., and allows Ronald to inflict Edged Attack damage in melee. Semi-Automatic Pistol: a back-up for his sub, should it run out of ammo or otherwise find itself indisposed, Ronald always has one of these while 'on the job'. He can fire this hand cannon to inflict Typical (6) Shooting damage with a single shot, or +1 CS Shooting damage in a semi-auto spread. Submachine Gun: Ronald usually carries one of these on all his missions. This universally useful firearm can be shot to inflict Typical (6) Shooting damage with a single round, Good (10) Shooting damage in a three-round burst, or Excellent (20) Shooting damage in a fully automatic hail of lead. Quirks: (none) Talents: Guns: one skill he picked up in Army basic, this talent describes Ronald's mastery of most ordinary firearms. Whether he's using a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol (or even oddball guns like a shotgun), Ronald may do so as though his Agy score was +1 CS in rank. Languages / Arabic, English, Hebrew, Kahlka, and Kazahk: since he works in the desert so much, Ronald has had to learn how to speak the various, major languages spoken in these regions. He is fluent in Arabic, English, and Hebrew, and conversant in Kahlka (Eastern Mongolian) and Kazahk. Martial Arts type B: a part of his essential, basic Army training, Ronald has learned how to defend himself if he should find himself totally unarmed. In weaponless melee, Ronald may attempt any punch, kick, head butt, knee smash, or anything else as though his Ftg score was +1 CS in rank. Military / United States: the source for most of his skills - save for his repair and tinkering - this 'background' talent has several handy functions. In addition to providing Ronald an inherent understanding of military protocols and procedures, it also offers him quite a few additional military contacts. Repair / Tinkering: Ronald was a fully trained refrigerator repairman before he even enlisted in the Army, much less hooked up with the G.I. Joe team. As such, he can repair and modify them, as well as most any other mechanical or electrical device, as though his Rsn score was +1 CS in rank. Survival: having a true love for the desert, Ronald is a student of desert biology as well as high temperature survival techniques. Whenever he should find himself with no gear in desert climes, Ronald can scrounge up enough food, water, and shelter to get by until he frees himself of that predicament. Contacts: As a long-standing member of the G.I. Joe team, Ronald can readily rely upon his fellows for assistance should it be required; after all, it's usually him that's pulling their collective fat out of the fire on desert operations. Furthermore, the man has additional, undocumented military contacts as well. Costume: Ronald's fourth field uniform is a variation on his third. This time around he changed the holsters, sheathes, and trousers to a camouflaged green pair, changed the vest to deep blue T-shirt, and his belt, boots, and webbing were changed back to a black coloration. Finally, he donned a bright red beret. Personality: Ronald loves the desert - he feels it's unforgiving, and full of challenges. He's quite an easy-going, cheerful fellow despite his inner toughness, and tries to see the best in any situation. This occasionally rankles his fellow Joes, but he's very good at what he does, and they respect him for that. Real Name: Ronald R. Tadur, grade E-4 (later E-5) Occupation: desert survival expert, refrigerator repair technician Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known criminal record Marital Status: single Alias(es), if any: Ronald Rudat Group Affiliation: G.I. Joe Height: 5' 11" Hair: brown Eyes: brown Weight: 170 lbs. Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none Story: Ronald was working as a refrigerator repair-man and studying desert ecologies when his pre-enlistment application for G.I. Joe membership was approved. As such, the man had to go to Army basic at Fort Bliss in Texas, and he loved every minute of the blistering heat - it's truly his element. He grew up in Vegas, after all, and grew accustomed to them as a child; they were his best friend by the time he was in high school. Breezing through the pressure cooker of his basic training, and passing the amazingly difficult G.I. Joe qualification exams, Ronald became a Joe operative faster than his other teammates. Don't let that fool you, though; he's the Joe team's best desert operative, and demonstrates good leadership qualities on the missions he leads and/or participates in. In fact, most Joes wouldn't dare brave the dust storms, the sheet lighting, or the scorpions unless Ronald's in on a mission. One of his first documented missions on the Joe team involved him infiltrating a Terror Drome in the Middle East with Mainframe, in order to get access to information about how the things worked. While it was a bumpy ride, the two Joes managed to succeed in their mission, and gained a potent ally. This young freedom fighter, Rashid, grew up to be an incredibly effective computer hacker in Destro's employ, and the youth helps the Joes out whenever he can (he worked for Destro during his 'retirement' years). On another mission, to Trucial Abysmia, Ronald led three other Joes on a training exercise. Their objective was to destroy a secret arms cache left by Americans when the previous regime was overthrown. They succeeded in their mission, but one of the Joe trainees, Mangler, had to sacrifice himself in order to help the others to get away. Naturally, this didn't sit well with any of these Joes. Another mission-gone-bad, this time in Benzheen, saw most of the Joe team in battle to save the country from Cobra's massive invasion. In this fight, Ronald's good buddy, Sneak Peek, got killed in the fighting. Since he promised Sneak Peek's mother he would Ronald risked his own life to retrieve his friend's body. When not on an active mission, Ronald tends to prowl around the Utah desert surrounding the G.I. Joe headquarters, the third Pit. He's claimed this stretch of desert as his own, and reacts negatively when anyone goes poking around in it. He thus combines leisure time and guard duty into one combined pastime. Somewhere along the line, Ronald picked up a side kick of sorts, a desert coyote that he nicknamed Sandstorm. This savage animal doesn't like anybody but Ronald, but gets along with him just fine. This works out well when Ronald runs into random Cobra agents in the desert... Anyway, this perfect job couldn't last forever, and Ronald found himself needing something else to do when the G.I. Joe team was deactivated in '94. He remained in the military, however, and was seen operating in Israel when called back onto the Joe team by General Hawk himself. Ronald's been with the Joes team ever since, helping to fight a renewed Cobra organization.