I once had a strange idea for something to cover in HERO system. GTR shows (like Transformers). So, I had a few quick notes for ideas.
Giant Transforming Robots in HERO System.
Note: This material uses stuff from Star Hero (SH) and Champions © along with the Hero System core rulebook (H5). None of these are revised editions, so the page counts may be off compared to more recent revisions.
CHARACTER CREATION NOTES:
When creating a Giant Transforming Robot, it is important to keep the following things in mind:
1) Size: Morphing robots tend to be larger than most humans. If you want to select a size for your character, it will do you well to use SH pages 30-32 to get all the information that is pertinent to your robot’s size.
2) Point Base: Giant Transforming robots tend to have a lot of power to them, so it’s a good idea to create them like super-heroic characters with 200 base points and up to 150 points in disadvantages. Remember, actual disadvantages count towards the disadvantage total while simple reductions in characteristics do not.
3) Everyman Skills: If you are playing a human character, you should use the Modern list of Everyman skills (H5 page 31). Robots get the following list of Everyman Skills.
Acting
Climbing
Computer Programming
Concealment
Conversation
Deduction
Mechanics
Native Language (4 points worth, includes literacy)
Persuasion
One PS at 11- (job or hobby or primary function)
Shadowing
Stealth
TF: one group of vehicles
AK: Home planet
4) Special skill considerations: Mechanics can be used just like the Paramedic skill on a robot.
5) All robots have the following, costing 48 points total.
Robot form: Armor (6 PD/6 ED) (18 points)
Robot form: Total Life Support (45 points)
Distinctive Features: Robot (Easily Concealed, Causes Major Reaction) (-10 points)
6) Alternate Form Rules: One of the defining features of a giant transforming robot is the transforming bit. To reflect this, there will have to be some variants on Multiform. Keep in mind that when you are buying a vehicle or base as a multiform, you only divide be five once.:
Animal-based forms: For this, the robot should buy multiform like normal. This is like Beast Wars or the Dinobots from the classic Transformers.
Building Forms: For some reason, there may be robots built to transform into buildings. If you want to do this in your game (I am not going to stop you), you take a Multiform and design a base as that multiform, using the base rules provided on the Vehicles and Bases section (H5 pages 314-326). Be sure to include a computer to represent the robot’s brain.
Object and Weapon forms: Megatron turned into a gun, and the Rock Lords turned into rocks. (Don’t ask.) To handle object and weapon forms, I created a special multiform template just for this kind of campaign. It will be discussed later.
Vehicle Forms: This is purely classic. Buy a Multiform and use a vehicle (H5 pages 314-326). Be sure to include a computer to represent the robot’s brain.
Gestalt: Some robots (like Devastator from Transformers) were made up of other robots. What you do there is to have the whole team pay for part of the Gestalt Multiform, just like how some teams pay for a base as an entire group in Champions.
7) Scaling Weapons and Foci: When buying weapons and similar powers for a robot, it helps to adjust the effects of the power to suit the size of the wielder. For attacks, just add one DC for each size above medium and take one DC away for each size below medium.
WEAPON/OBJECT FORM TEMPLATE:
To create an object or weapon multiform, you design the form with the following base characteristics:
Characteristic Base Cost
Intelligence (INT) 10 1
Ego (EGO) 10 2
Defense (DEF) 2 3
Body (BODY) 10 2
Then buy powers to represent the form’s function and disadvantages that pertain to the form as well.