Swoop

F In 40

A Am 50

S Ex 20

E Mn 75

R Rm 30

I In 40

P In 40

Res Ex 20

Pop Gd +10 *

Health: Karma:

185 110

* Amongst humans, at least. Ex +20 to fellow Autobots, Ex -20 regarding Decepticons.

Origin:

Swoop is one of the Transformers, shape-changing electromechanical life forms hailing from the planet Cybertron. This strange world, a variable and unknown distance from our own, is the harsh crucible that birthed Swoop, and is responsible for his amazing abilities.

Known Powers:

Cybertronian Physique: unlike most beings skulking across the face of the world, Swoop is inorganic in nature. A silicon-based entity, Swoop is seemingly robotic in nature, and his various life functions combine to provide him these super-human capabilities:

* Body Armor: whether he formed naturally or was constructed by others, Swoop's very body is comprised of primarily metallic substances. As such, Swoop enjoys Good (10) protection from injury, a defense which breaks down as follows:

Gd 10 / Pr 4 / Sh 0 / Sh 0 / Sh 0

* Growth and Shrinking: size is something of a quandary where Transformers are concerned, seemingly changing on the fly as is needed. These abilities assist in showcasing this tendency, and in his basic, humanoid state, Swoop stands at around eighteen foot tall.

He thus possesses semi-permanent growth at Typical (6) rank. This gives him a +1 size factor, which inflicts a -1 CS penalty when trying to hit human-sized targets, but bolsters any damage he inflicts against them by +1 CS. Humans assaulting him reverse these combat modifiers.

When he transforms into his pteranodon form, Swoop doesn't seem to appreciably change volume any. However, like all Transformers, Swoop's size does occasionally seem to slide up and down depending on whether or not he's riding within someone like Jetfire or Omega Supreme.

* Microscopic / Telescopic Vision: like all Transformers, Swoop can adjust his visual sensitivity to account for extreme scales of distance. He has these abilities at Feeble (2) rank, letting him either spy objects miles away, or read microscopic print or etching, with ease.

* Radio Transceiver: helping him communicate with his fellows easily, Swoop has an inherent radio transceiver. This technology lets him send and receive radio signals with Excellent (20) ability, maintaining contact within one hundred miles of his location.

* Resistance / Invulnerability to Disease and Poison: Swoop is inorganic in nature, being a silicon-based entity. Immunizing him from carbon-based disease and poison, this trait only gives him Unearthly (100) resliiance against other varieties of these threats.

Flight: unlike many of the Autobots he originally served with on earth, Swoop has the ability to fly! When in his pteranodon form, he can careen through the air with Incredible (40) ability, having a top speed of 250 MPH - unless divebombing his targets, that is.

While Swoop is an expert aerial combatant and can run rings around his foes in the sky, it is important to note the limitations of his flight capabilities. His wings are relatively weak, being so thin, and if damaged can prevent him from remaining aloft in battle.

Missile Launchers: under each of his wings, regardless of his current configuration, Swoop has a built-in missile launcher. He can use these to fire projectiles that can strike foes within eight miles of his current location, projectiles which have these characteristics:

C In 40

S Sh X

B Ex 20

Damage Rm 30 Edged Attack (fragmentary)

Shape Change: like all of his fellow Transformers, Swoop has the ability to Transform! Thanks to this ability, Swoop can shift between a humanoid and a pteranodon mode at will. He does this often in battle, to maximize the use of his various weapons.

Limitations / Enhancements:

(none)

Equipment:

Thermal Blade: his primary weapon for dealing with intransigent foes, this blade can be heated over 7,000 degrees Fahrenheit. This allows Swoop to inflict +1 CS Armor Piercing Successively Decreasing Energy damage in melee, letting him cut through almost anything.

Quirks:

(none)

Talents:

Aerial Combat: since he's almost always in the air while battling Decepticons, Swoop has mastered the fine art of fighting while airborne. Whether attacking or defending in the air, Swoop may resolve any ACTION rolls required of him at a +1 CS to the applicable ability score.

Manipulation: while it wasn't initially his nature to pull others' strings, Swoop has adapted to how his fellow Transformers view his pteranodon mode. As such, he uses it to his full advantage, inflicting terror on other Transformers as if his Psyche was +1 CS in rank.

Contacts:

Swoop is an Autobot! Though his fellows find his beast mode particularly repellent, they nonetheless consider him a reliable ally, and would happily assist him if necessary. Furthermore, Swoop and his fellow Dinobots are almost inseperable, and are always hanging out together.

Likeness:

Swoop is a tall inorganic life form made from primarily uncolored, shiny metal regardless of his current form. He does add some color here and there, however, primarily red (though occasionally blue when animated), along with some black as well.

Personality:

Swoop is one of the most kind, good-natured Dinobots, much less one of the friendliest Autobots overall. It's often hard to notice this, however, for Transformers seem to find his beast mode particularly terrifying, and they tend to shy away from him altogether.

As such, Swoop has tried hard to adapt to his situation, exulting in the fear his pteranodon form inflicts on Decepticons when he divebombs them from above, numbing them with panic as he releases his air-to-air missiles at point blank range at the nadir of a maddening maneuver.

Luckily for Swoop, however, he's not entirely alone amongst the Autobots. His fellow Dinobots accept Swoop as he is, and cheerfully keep his company. There's a reason they're such a tight-knit team, after all, and it's not just that they all take the form of prehistoric beasts.

Real Name: Swoop
Occupation: bombardier
Legal Status: citizen of Cybertron with no known criminal record
Marital Status: inapplicable
Alias(es), if any: Divebomb, Ptero, Strafe
Group Affiliation: the Autobots, the Dinobots

Height: 18'
Hair: inapplicable
Eyes: blue
Weight: one ton
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: Swoop's is partially uncolored in either form, letting his alien metal's sheen speak for itself. His chest, upper legs, and fin are red, though, and his shoulders, feet, and cranium are black. His pteranodon head is, oddly, a translucent orange.

Design Notes:

I stuck to the letter of the law when building Swoop, as dictated by what I'd written for Transcribing Transformers. The only place I had trouble was with his thermal blade, in trying to codify that in CASE terms, but what I wrote ought to do the trick I think.

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