Character: Gil the ARM

[Susano]

GILBERT GILGAMESH HAMILTON

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
10	STR	0	11-	Lift 100 kg; 2d6 HTH Damage
13	DEX	9	12-	OCV: 4 / DCV: 4
11	CON	2	11-
10	BODY	0	11-
12	INT	2	11-	PER Roll 11-
15	EGO	10	12-	ECV: 5
15	PRE	5	12-	PRE Attack: 3d6
10	COM	0	11-
3	PD	1		Total: 3 PD
3	ED	1		Total: 3 ED
3	SPD	7		Phases: 4, 8, 12
4	REC	0
22	END	0
21	STUN	0
Total Characteristics Cost: 37

Movement:	Running: 6" / 12"
Swimming: 2" / 4"

Cost	Powers & Skills
3	Imaginary Arm: TK (2 STR), Fine Manipulation, Indirect (+1/4), Invisible
To Sight Group (+1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), Transdimensional 
(Video Screens; +1/4); No Range (-1/2), TK Limited To Very Small Amounts (i.e. only a 
few ounces) (-1/2)
27	Imaginary Arm: HKA 1d6, NND (DEF: Depends on setting, see below; +1), 
Does BODY (+1), Continuous (+1), Invisible To Sight Group (+1/2); 
Must Follow Grab (-1/2), Only Versus Living Things (-1/2), STR Does Not Add (-1/2), 
END 7
16	Imaginary Arm: Clairsentience (Touch Group), 256x Range (25,600" or 32 miles), 
Concentrate (1/2 DCV, must Concentrate throughout; -1/2), OAF, Immobile (video 
projection unit; -2), Requires Clear Image Projection (-1/4), END 6
15	Imaginary Arm: N-Ray Perception (Touch), Discriminatory

Perks:
5	Fringe Benefit: ARM Agent
2	Fringe Benefit: Weapon permit

Skills:
2	AK: Los Angeles 11-
3	Bureaucratics 12-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
3	Criminology 11-
3	Deduction 11-
3	Electronics 12-
5	KS: Belter Customs 14-
3	KS: Law 12-
5	KS: Organlegging 14-
0	Language: English (native)
1	Mechanics 8-
0	Paramedic 8-
1	PS: Belter 8-
2	PS: ARM officer 11-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
1	TF: Industrial and Exploratory Spaceship, Grav Vehicles
1	WF: Needle pistol
101	Total Powers & Skills Cost
138	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages
15	Hunted: ARM (MoPow, NCI, Watching) 11-
15	Psychological Limitation: Can't Leave A Mystery Alone (C, S)
10	(15) Psychological Limitation: Dislikes/Despises Organleggers (C, S)
10	Reputation: Gil the Arm/ARM agent 11-
13	Experience
138	Total Disadvantage Points

Background/History:

Gil Hamilton is Larry Niven's fictional detective created as part of Niven's "Known Space" setting. He lives in the 22nd Century, working as an agent of ARM (Amalgamated Regional Militia), the police force of the United Nations. His main job is pursuing organleggers, criminals who kidnap and breakup innocent people for black market body parts.

 

Gil got his start as a Kansas farmboy, although his parent's farm was a mere 10 square miles (and was still the second largest farm in the state). He ended up as a Belter, cruising the asteroid belt looking for mineral rich chunks of rock. He lost is arm during one of these trips. A small fragment of rock punched through the hull of the ship, blowing Gil's arm off at the shoulder. After he recovered and what was left of his arm healed, Gil discovered that he still had his arm. Or, more accurately, he has a telekinetic impression of his arm.

 

Eventually, Gil returned to Earth, mainly so he could get a replacement arm free of cost. He also joined the ARM, and turned his attentions to pursuing criminals such as organleggers and women who have children without a license. There are 18 billion people living on the Earth in Gil's time, someone has to keep the peace...

 

Personality/Motivation:

Gil is an amazingly stable individual. He doesn't get angry, sad, depressed or otherwise out of sorts easily and tends to remain somewhat relaxed. He does not like organleggers at all, however, and will do his utmost to bring one to justice. He also can't leave a good mystery alone and will poke around one, until he is satisfied he has an answer.

 

Powers/Tactics:

Gil is a psi with a fairly limited, but useful power. He has a telekinetic third "arm" that acts just like a real arm. The only real problem is that his arm can only support about 5 ounces or so. On Earth, he can lift a full shot glass or a lit cigarette, on the moon he can handle a mug of beer. On the other hand, his third arm is not stopped by physical barriers, and Gil can (and has) reached through the hull of his spaceship to feel around outside. He can also feel inside objects, and has traced wiring, cracks, scars, and welds to objects in walls and other machines. Interestingly enough, Gil can also use his power through a video screen, reaching "into" the image to pick up an object he sees (such as a pencil). This requires a *very* clear video image, however. Gil has also used this aspect of his power to "feel around" in a real-time holographic projection, reaching *into* the image to feel the actual ground the image depicts. Depending on the scale of the projection, Gil's "hand" can cover a great deal (but then, his sense of touch will also be affected). Finally, Gil's ability to reach inside of objects has allowed him to crush a man's heart inside his body. He reached into the target's chest, grabbed the heart and squeezed. There are several ways to do this, and I felt the NND HKA worked best. The Defense versus this NND will depend greatly on the setting. In Gil's world, there really is no common defense. One presumes that another psi might be able to fight off the effects, but other than that, there are no force screens or other devices to block Gil's esper arm. Naturally, in a more fantastical SF setting, or a superheroic setting, defenses vs Gil's esper arm will be far easier to come by.

 

There is no visual effect of Gil's power (like a ghostly arm for example), an object Gil touches looks to move on is own. On the other hand, if he touches you with his esper arm, you will feel it.

 

Appearance:

Since all of Gil's stories are in the first person, Niven never gives as a description of what Gil looks like, and Gil never comments on what he looks like.

 

(Gil Hamilton created by Larry Niven, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Lowly Uhlan]

Nice work. Gil is definetely a great character, right up there with Beowolf Schaefer and good ole' Louis WU. Are you running a Known Space campaign?

[Susano]

Originally posted by Lowly Uhlan

Nice work. Gil is definetely a great character, right up there with Beowolf Schaefer and good ole' Louis WU. Are you running a Known Space campaign?

 

Nope. he caught my eye and I decided to add him to my archive. I've debated Beowulf Schaffer and Louis as well, but I'd need to get my books out of storage.

 

And I wish I'd never gotten rid of my Ringworld RPG...

[Lowly Uhlan]

Some Ringworld RPing definetely sounds cool.