Subject: Transformers: A MSH Classic Sourcebook Date: Tue, 12 Oct 1999 19:26:12 EDT From: EmarZero@aol.com THE TRANSFORMERS: A MSH Sourcebook By EmarZero@aol.com "It is a world transformed, where things are not as they seem..." With those words, in 1984, the Hasbro corporation unleashed the Transformers on an unsuspecting world. Within two years, it was a phenomenon. Spawning a three-season TV program, a feature film, countless imitators, and raking in millions of dollars in the US alone, Transformers was HUGE. As such, it is only appropriate to deal with them in the MSH game universe. *Section One: Size. "We got a weird, ginormous lookin' planet just showed up in the suburbs of Cybertron!" -Jazz Transformers come in all shapes and sizes, ranging from cassette tapes, to slightly larger than human, to entire transforming cities and planets! For all practical purposes, use the following chart as a size comparison between Transformers: 1 in.-2 ft. Tapes, Tape decks, or small animals. (GD10 Shrinking) 2-5 ft. Children, TVS, small appliances (TY6-FE2 Shrinking) 5-7 ft. Human adults, *masters, Micromasters, tf sized guns. 8-12 ft. Tape sized robots, Minibots, and TF sized rifles. (FE2-TY6 Growth) 12-15 ft. Average sized robots, cars, and boats. (TY6-GD10 Growth) 16-20 ft. Seekers, small aircraft, vans, gestalt members. (EX20-IN40 Growth) 21-25 ft. Leaders, large air craft, tanks, robot Dinos. (AM50 Growth) 26-30 ft. Semi-trucks, Skyfire, Ultra Magnus, Shockwave. (MN75 Growth) 31-40 ft. Small transports, Dinomodes, and spacecraft (UN100 Growth) 41-50 ft. Shuttles, brontos, and submarines. (SHX Growth) 51-60 ft. Sky Lynx in separate modes. (SHY Growth) 70-80 ft. Sky Lynx merged. (SHY Growth) 90-100 ft. Gestalts (merged) (SHZ Growth) 110-130 ft. Omega Supreme and other Guardians. (OFF CHART, +4CS to hit!) 200-500 ft. Flagships, fleet vessels, Ark and Nemesis. 600-1000 ft. Bases, cities, Trypticon, and Metroplex. 1100-2000 ft. Large asteroids (average asteroid in Asteriod Belt) Off Scale Small moons. Off Scale Small planets and Unicron. (Cybertron) Off Scale Medium sized planets to large sized. (Earth) Given that humans are at Shift 0 Size, a Transformer's stats are adjusted according to the size of it's target. A 15 foot TF with TY (6) Strength would actually do EX (20) damage to a human, due to his size. (+1CS for each two columns above Shift 0.) *Section Two: Statistics "Collect and save for your Tech Spec collection!" -TF Packaging. Transformers, by their very nature, are high powered characters. The average Transformer has one or two stats at the AM-MN range, with most others around RM-IN. However, some characters, espescially high ranking leaders, citybots, and gestalts, are not held to this rule. SIMPLE CONVERSION: This is the "Quick and Dirty" format for tech spec / MSH conversion. However, remember the column shift bonuses given as a result of size. Weenietron's TY(6) Strength would seem like EX (20) to a human, because he is fifteen feet tall. (GD 10 size, +1CS each two levels above human.). Tech Spec #: MSH Power Rank: Tech Spec Stat: MSH Stat: 1 FE(2) Strength Strength 2 PR(4) Endurance Endurance 3 TY(6) Intelligence Reason 4 GD(10) Speed Agility 5 EX(20) Rank Popularity (?) 6 RM(30) Courage Psyche 7 IN(40) Firepower SPECIAL 8 AM(50) Skill See Below 9 MN(75) 10 UN(100) Skill correlates to SEVERAL MSH stats. Intelligence and Fighting are both taken from the Skill stat, as are Powers. Firepower is used to determine the Power Rank of a TF's weapons. Note: Intuition is derived by acquiring a 'tech spec' average of intelligence, skill and speed. *Section 3: Powers "My power is everything... Defeat is absurd!" -Galvatron TFs are robots, and as such, have the Robotic Construction Power. They are immune to all organic diseases. However, there ARE diseases which affect TF life, and these will be discussed in Appendix " ." Also, TF armor ("skin") is *extremely* tough, ranging from GD(10) on Minibots and Micromasters, all the way to MN(75) or more on heavy hitters like the Dinobots. The *average* TF has EX(20) Armor Skin as a free Power. The average TF can magnify their sight many times over, giving an effective +2CS on all Intuition FEATs involving sight. Of course, the most celebrated Power of the Cybertronians is... *Section 4: Transforming! "Autobots... Transform, and ROLL OUT!" -Optimus Prime All TFs transform. In general, Autobots change into land-bound vehicles and useful tools, while Decepticons change into aircraft and weaponry. Both factions have a roughly equal claim on animal transformations, though. To select a transformation for a TF, be creative. Autobots, as land vehicles, most often take on the forms of the swiftest and most maneuverable land craft, i.e., sports cars. However, disguise is the name of the game, so an Autobot could just as well transform into a pickup truck, or an old station wagon. Size is only moderately important, as Blaster, Soundwave, and the Dinobots will gladly show. VEHICLE MODE STATISTICS: The Speed stat is calculated from the Tech Spec Speed stat, using the chart. Body stat is equal to the TF's Armor Skin rating. Control is equal to the TF's Agility stat. Health in vehicle mode is the same as Health in Robot mode. *Section 5: Weaponry. "Sideswipe's flare gun should dry off your circuits, and Bluestreak's bolts will give you all an instant recharge!" -Wheeljack Transformers, at its core, is about war. Warriors need weapons. The average TF carries at least one weapon, often with several other backup pieces. Most often, these are ranged attacks, but some TFs have a flair for the dramatic, and prefer edged or blunt weapons. As far as statting the weapons, the primary weapon does damage as per the FRP stat, converted. The lesser weapons are FRP-3 and FRP-5, respectively. Use the Tech Specs to determine the weapon's type and damage class. Also, some of the older Autobots and Decepticons incorporated "talent" technology into their systems. This would include such things as Soundwave's telepathy, Hound's holograms, Mirage's invisibility, etc. These "talents" are powers at SKL rank. Once again, consult the Tech Specs for details. *Section Six: Gestalts "The Constructicons form DEVASTATOR, the most powerful robot! We should rule!" -Hook A campaign set in the Transformer universe will eventually have to involve some form of a gestalt unit. A gestalt is any Transformer made up of two or more distinct parts. This runs the gamut from the DuoCons, two vehicles that form one robot, to combiner teams such as the Predacons and Protectobots, to some of the more esoteric teams shown in the Japanese continuity. *Two-Member Gestalts: This is usually done with vehicles, as seen with Dreadwind and Darkwing, who combine to form the super-jet Dreadwing, or the Autobot Sky Lynx, who is comprised of a space shuttle/pterosaur and a crawler unit/lynx. The combined form has a whole new set of stats, gained by averaging out the stats of the individual members. (In Sky Lynx's case, the joined form is the "robot" mode, and this is not necessary.) *Three-Member Gestalts: Generally , the combined form of a three-man gestalt is a robot, although there are, as always, exceptions. Reflector is three robots who form a camera, and the Japanese "Big Powered" is a three-man *city* gestalt!) Usually, one member will become a torso , and the other two will become one set of limbs each. (arms/legs, or, alternately, left side/right side.) Stats are as follows: F: Highest Member's. A: Lowest Member's S: Highest Member's, +1CS E: Highest Member's, +2CS R: Lowest Member's, -1CS I: Lowest Member's P: Lowest Member's Health is calculated normally. *Larger Groups: Any group larger than four members must become a robot. No exceptions have ever been noted. Deal with these gestalt's stats as per a three man gestalt, but add +2 CS to all FASE. *Special Cases: As always, with Transformers, there are unique cases. The cassettes Grand Slam (a tank) and Raindance (a jet) combine to form Slamdance, a robot. Ginrai and Godbomber form God Ginrai. Special cases like these are up to the GM's discretion. *Section Seven: *-Masters "GOD ON!" -Battle cry, Godmasters. As the Transformer race progressed, they harnessed many new technologies, most of which produced what are commonly known as the "masters," various Transformers with special abilities beyond those of the average Cybertronian. Here are optional rules for playing these sorts of characters. *Actionmasters: Actionmasters are those Cybertronians who have exposed themselves to a chemical called Nucleon. Nucleon boosts the power levels of a Cybertronian rapidly, but removes their ability to transform. To play an Actionmaster, drop the Transformation Power, and all related Powers. Add +1CS to Body Armor and all weapons. Boost FASERIP as follows: F: +2CS A: +1CS S: +2CS E: + 2CS R: +1CS I: +1CS P: No change. Note that many Cybertronians look down on Actionmasters, viewing them as "cripples" or "addicts." To turn an existing Transformer into an ActionMaster, the Energon in said TF's system must be drained and replaced with Nucleon, an AM Reason FEAT. This FEAT must be performed in a lab designed for Transformer life. It has been theorized that the Actionmaster process can be reversed, but so far, no cure has been found. *Breast Force: (don't laugh!) Breast Force are a group of Japanese Decepticons with a unique power: Their chestplates become their weapons. In addition to this, the weapons can transform again, becoming semi-sentient animal partners. TYPICAL BREASTFORCE PARTNER: F: GD A: EX S: TY E: GD R:PR I: PR P: PR Transformation: animal, Sh0 size. (5 - 7') GD damage Physical attacks. Transformation: weapon, Sh0 size, AM (50) Power rank Energy blasts. Note: Traditionally, the animal form of the weapon is reflected in the name of the host robot, as well as his helmet design. (LeoZack, DeathCobra, KillBison) *Binary Bonding: "Binary bonding" is a process by which organic life (usually human) can be joined with Transformer life in a symbiotic relationship. This can occur in one of two ways. Originally, the binary-bond was accomplished via an exo-suit, which the human was soft-wired into . (I.E., the suit was removable, but there are access ports jacked into the human's body.) These suits transform into the accessory in question for the robot partner. The second route, much more advanced, is the Transtector method. In Transtech, the smaller partner has a pair of gauntlets, that, when clasped together, summon the body armor from subspace. This eases storage of the armor. The transformation then undergoes as normal. In either respect, the stats for the armor are the same: BINARY-BOND ARMOR: +1CS to Fighting, Agility, Reason, and Psyche. +2CS to Intuition. The armor is often fitted with a laser that does GD (10) Energy damage. The armor also provides EX (20) Body Armor Becoming a Binary Partner requires two things: Time, and a willing partner. Most Cybertronians are at least apprehensive about having an organic as a partner. After all, they get old, they die, they smell funny... Actually bonding is a AM Reason FEAT for someone with the Transformer Repair talent, and a MN Reason FEAT for someone with a non-Transformer Engineering talent. The process takes several hours, and involves mounting datajacks in the organic partner, and modifying the necessary parts of the Cybertronian partner. Note that there are Transtector pairs where the smaller partner is the only sentient one. In effect, the human/Cybertronian is "driving" the larger body, as more of a piloted armor. This is ALWAYS the case with the inhabitants of Planet Master, who otherwise, are human-level robots. *Headmasters: Binary bond where the smaller partner forms the head of the larger robot. In the case of a HeadMaster, there are few special rules to follow, and the bond is moderately popular. In a Headmaster bond, should the head become detached, the larger partner MUST transform to Mode 2. The combined unit has access to the memories and Talents of both partners, and this allows for Talent stacking. (i.e., if both partners have Detective, then combined, they have Detective +2CS) *MicroMasters: Not true *-Masters, per se, the MicroMasters are Cybertronians who downgraded their bodies to conserve energy. As a MicroMaster by itself is relatively low-powered, most MicroMasters either travel in patrols, or operate large transforming vehicles. Rumor has it that some MicroMasters have been fitted with Gestalt technology, which would readily make them a fair opponent for any regular Cybertronian. *PowerMasters: *Pretenders: Not true *-Masters either, but definitely worth mentioning. A Pretender is any Cybertronian who has taken on a removable organic shell. In a way, Pretenders are precursors to the Beast Warriors. For this sourcebook, the Pretenders will be a fusion of the American comic and Japanese cartoon. A Pretender's shell can disguise as a Shift 0 organic being, relatively indistinguishable from other humans. This shell can grow to the size of the inner robot, to release the inner robot. When the inner robot is released, the shell is stored in a compartment on the robot's chest. Autobot Pretenders generally look human, and most Decepticon Pretenders do as well, although some take on the appearance of nightmarish creatures, for scare effects. The legendary Decepticon commanders Bludgeon and Thunderwing are two of these. Humanesque Pretenders wear Transtech bracelets, much like *-Masters (see above) and summon their Pretender Armor via clasping the bracelets. The armor must be in place for a Pretender to grow/remove his shell. PRETENDER: HUMAN-SIZE SHELL: -1CS to Agility, -3CS to Endurance, and Strength is ALWAYS GD (10). When a Pretender is "armored up," said Pretender has EX (20) Body Armor. PRETENDER: ROBOT-SIZE SHELL: No Bonuses. Growth to robot size is a free action, but removing the shell takes one turn. *TargetMasters: By far the least intrusive of the Binary bonds, a Targetmaster turns into his partner's weapon. TARGETMASTER BONUSES (combined form) +1CS to Intuition, +2CS to Agility, +1CS to all Ranged attacks with the Bonded weapon/partner. * Section Eight: Energon