|
Topside
Strength 6d |
Agility 5b |
Intellect 3d |
Willpower 8d |
Known Powers:
(none)
Equipment:
Helmet: this shiny black and gray helmet not only looks spiffy, but it helps to protect John from otherwise lethal wounds. It provides John his Strength +2 protection from physical attacks that strike him in the head - which definitely comes in handy when the bad guys actually have decent aim for a change.
Kevlar Vest: supplementing his helmet, this bright orange vest provides John additional protection from harm. It has the effect of giving him his Strength +2 protection from physical attacks that strike him in the torso - with an unverified 'drawing effect' towards his center of mass due to its impressive neon coloration.
Rocket Launcher: John's secondary weapon, this compact rocket launcher can hold up to two projectiles at once (for single or dual fire action). The rocket propelled grenades fired by this weapon inflict intensity 10 physical damage with line of sight range when fired singly, or intensity 12 damage when both are fired at once.
Submachine Gun: his primary combat weapon, this small semi-automatic hand cannon is useful for dispatching enemy combatants in a jiffy. It can be fired to inflict his Agility +4 damage in a single shot, or his Agility +5 damage in a semi-auto, clip-expending burst of leaden perforation.
Hindrances:
(none)
Skills:
Artillery: supplementing his talent with guns, this skill allows John to utilize line of sight weaponry when the need should arise, such as his 'backpack' rocket launcher, light anti tank R.P.G.s, and of course ship-based guns with immense caliber ratings. He uses these weapons at one difficulty level lower than normal.
Boating: being at sea most of the time he's on active duty, John has picked up the fine art of operating and maintaining most sea-based vessels. Aside from things like modifying a submarine's nuclear reactor and such, John may attempt actions to control and maintain sea vessels at a reduced difficulty level.
Boxing: while it's nice to say that John gained this skill via the Navy, the truth is he's always been a rough and tumble sort of guy - the military just honed his capability some. Whenever he makes unarmed melee attacks, John may divide his pre-cardplay action score between two attacks, the last of which occurs as a contingent action.
Electronics: as his secondary specialty involves working with telecommunications gear, it's likely that John has been trained in the fine art of building, modifying and repairing electronic circuits - those sort of things are usually the first to go in a fight. He can attempt actions in this area at a reduced difficulty.
Marksmanship: being a naval assault seaman, John naturally has this skill - and he is continually honing it to a razor sharp degree. When wielding standard, semi-automatic or fully automatic rifles or pistols, or even a harpoon gun, John may do so at one difficulty level lower than is usually required.
Military / United States: the source of most his other capabilities (save for his talent with flying fists), this skill describes John's intense training in the United States Navy. He understands military protocols and procedures in an instinctual manner, and naturally gains various benefits of government employ.
Calling:
Soldier, with a secondary calling of Thrill-Seeker: John fights the good fight in order to help his country against the scourge of international terrorists, to be sure, but he's also looking to prove a point - that he's the toughest sailor around. And he's looking for fun and excitement as he does so!
Costume:
When in action on the G.I. Joe team, John wears a simple uniform. It consists of a deep blue T-shirt beneath a bright orange kevlar vest (with NAVY written on it), gray trousers, an orange 'cord' belt, waterproof black leather boots, a gray wrist watch, and of course his black and gray helmet to protect him from head shots.
Personality:
John's an interesting guy. He's not particularly abrasive per se, but he's definitely assured of the fact that he's one tough customer - usually the toughest guy around. This tends to get him into trouble, as whenever someone demonstrates swagger in his vicinity he feels a compulsion to determine who's the 'baddest'... often by picking a fight!
Real Name: John Blanchet, Grade E-6
Occupation: Navy assault seaman, telecommunications specialist
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known (but a likely) criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: none
Group Affiliation: G.I. Joe
Height: 5' 10"
Hair: red
Eyes: hazel
Weight: 195 lbs.
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: John sometimes has a full red beard going, other times just a whole lot of stubble.
Story:
John was born and raised in a small Indiana farm town, and basically had a rather mundane childhood. When not in school he helped his dad raise pigs. After winning prizes for these pigs in many county and state fairs, John came to be known as Fort Wayne's 'hog master'. You can imagine how well this went over with a teenager.
By the time he was twenty, John had decided that he'd had enough of pigs to last a lifetime - if not several - and left the farm in a search for adventure and excitement... or at least anything else to do with his life. He ultimately enlisted in the Navy, thinking it a good way to get out of Indiana and to see the world.
As it happened, John was serving as a deck hand on a Navy vessel that was transporting a covert G.I. Joe team to one of their many classified 'special missions' when he heard - and quickly got tired of - the Joes mouthing off about just how tough they were. Thinking they weren't 'all that', John decided to put them in their place.
Normally this notion wouldn't occur to your standard swabbie, but John's just the kind of guy to ignore danger - and common sense - when he feels the need to prove a point. This is why he jumped the entire squad of Joes at once. The man didn't win this little scuffle, of course, but he sure gave as well as he got.
Typically, this would be a cause for some sort of disciplinary action you would think, but when the Joes told their buddies about how this fearless deck hand jumped them just to see how tough they were, this got him some attention from the powers that be. Looking at him and his background, they decided he'd make a good Joe.
This doesn't seem to make much sense at first glance, but over the years the people that choose potential recruits for the G.I. Joe team have managed to pick winners time and time again. Despite his occasional discipline issues, these folks recommended that he attempt the G.I. Joe entrance exam, a truly grueling, character defining experience.
Born tough, and having only improved his sheer indefatigability over a lifetime of proving just how 'bad' he is compared to everyone else, John managed to make his way through the exam, and became one of many Navy-trained Joes to grace the team's water-based operations. As salty as he is, John fit right in with the likes of Shipwreck and Wet-Suit.
Of course, the exact nature of John's missions with the G.I. Joe team are something of an unknown quantity. He joined up in 1990, but none of his adventures with the team been declassified yet; they primarily consisted of sea-based 'special missions', either of a ship-to-ship or beach-based operations - that's his specialty after all.
John remained a Joe until the team was deactivated - for the first time - in 1994. When it became necessary to reassemble, the G.I. Joe organization was a different animal, primarily consisting of several veterans of the original group in command of a large number of 'greenshirt' soldiers. John wasn't one of these veterans chosen.
It's not quite known what John did with himself after he left the G.I. Joe team. But after several years of intense, non-stop action, it's a sure bet he didn't head back home to raise pigs again. No, it's likely that John stayed with the Navy at the very least, continuing to serve his country to this very day!
Extra Goodies:
G.I. Joe directories featuring a version of Topside:
|