The Post-Apocalyptic Role Playing Sourcebook for the HERO System

By Ronald A. Miller

The Wastelands are a harsh place. When a player is developing a character concept, he or she should remember the following:

• The thesis of this game is bent on survival. Even the most moral character will have a deep-rooted sense of "every man for himself" because nothing is permanent. Characters should be created to be quite self-sufficient (starting characters should have more familiarities than specific knowledge skills; see Package Deals).

• Characters can choose between starting out as a ‘towner’ or as a ‘wanderer’ (see below). In terms of origins and background, the odds are very slim that an entire family will be found together, and even when it is, it’s within the perimeters of a community (see below).

• Mature civilized characters, or ‘towners’, must be highly useful in order to be allowed to stay in a community. The player must decide if the character is of general usefulness (a high strength for laboring, a good hunter/marksman, someone who is good with animals, a peacemaker, etc.), or specific usefulness (someone who is good with numbers, a healer, a merchant, a teacher, a mechanic, etc.) to the community (see "Package Deals" below). Civilization has been whittled down to almost nothing, and only a few settlements exist that the character can come from.

• The low population makes it harder to ‘hide’ within a crowd. Dishonest or thieving types will be easily rooted out (although these types could hide their true talents behind legitimate "fronts"). Criminals will be forced out to the Wastelands, without survival gear, to die in it’s harsh embrace. These character types are better off starting out as outlaw wanderers.

• Nomadic characters should have some physical testimony to surviving so long in the rugged wilds of the decimated Earth. Leathery faces, scars, missing teeth, even missing limbs, fingers or eyes, little fat from run-ins with malnutrition, maybe hair loss from background radiation, sores, that kind of thing. This will set them apart from ‘towners’. There are some who will regard the bravery of wanderers as honorable, but those few are severely outweighed by the suspicious.

• Nomadic characters will have reasons for not being a ‘towner’, the nomadic life is not a desirable status to hold. Nomads are the truest of survivors. ‘Towner’ leaders will seek them out in order to hire them for specific tasks that need to be done outside of the community (fetch an item, explore a ruin for goods, defend the community, intercept a threat, gather information, communicate with another community, etc.). One reward for consistent good work is the offer of membership to the community, and all the benefits that it implies.

• There is a residual enmity between nomads and towners, it’s not always evident, but it’s there.

Since Wasteland HERO has a heroic setting, the maximum points allowed should be a 75 point base with the possibility of up to 75 points in disadvantages. The maximum allowed in any single category for disadvantages should be 25 points.

Refer to the HERO Systems rules book for the definitions. Not all characteristics have additional notes below.

Much of what remains of society has returned to the addage of "might makes right". A high strength is always a good characteristic to possess, not only for combat reasons, but also for general purposes such as being hired into a base as a laboror. Strength can also determine how far one gets in survival since, most of the time, you carry all your worldly possessions. Many traps and pitfalls can only be solved by using brute strength to help out in a jam.

Agility is a survival skill only in specific situations. It defines the character’s ability to move the body where and how one would like to. Jumping, targeting, throwing, dodging and striking all fall under this characteristic. When combat is the option of choice, the character’s dexterity score is usually the determining factor in a successful outcome. A high DEX is also important in many of the skills requiring finesse, it’s a good characteristic to build up if the character wants to be a noted marksman or craftsman.

Constitution is probably the most important characteristic to have for surviving in the Wastelands. A high CON may provide the necessary means of survival in terms of natural onslaughts like disease and venoms as well as protection from scouring radiation and biogenic residues. It is the underlying characteristic that defines the character’s ruggedness. Since CON is so important in the theme of this genre, it is rare that any character will possess a CON lower than 10 and live long enough to pass it on. The aspect of CON may be permenantly lowered artificially by illness, poisoning or exposure.

Since survival is a thinking man’s game, a high score in this characteristic may be irreplacable. In addition, there are many things left behind by the Elders that require figuring out in order to make use of. Any foreign item found can be analyzed with a high INT and then the decision to toss, keep or sell will be easier to assess. INT is a fundamental factor for many skills requiring analyzing, decision making and appreciating.

Sanity in and of itself is important to survive. EGO not only allows proof against mental assaults, but also dictates a character’s resolve and will to live in dire situations. Keeping a cool head in times of panic may mean the difference between life and death in the Wastelands.

Comeliness, or physical beauty, is both a blessing and a curse in the Wastelands. A high COM, or great beauty, is so rare that the character will stick out like the proverbial sore thumb, making it hard to hide without a disguise. On the other hand, since physical beauty is so rare to behold, it will almost assuredly sway the immediate reactions of anyone whom the character is transacting with, thus possibly providing them a slight edge (i.e. a roll bonus) in such things as trading, persuasion and conversation.

Proof against radiation, beam weaponry and fire, which are the common forms of energy attacks in the Wastelands. Several uncommon forms of energy may also be encountered.

Recovery is essential to get the character back on his feet after a grueling encounter. REC also provides rejuvination after poisoning and illness, and will be the determining factor as to how long a character can suffer exposure.

The ‘True Humans’ are more robust than their forefathers. In addition, they have somehow retained the legendary "Tomes of Knowledge", libraries of books which have allowed them to survive in a world that no longer wants them. They have had to reinvent most useful items from scratch. They have successfully reproduced many things from explosives to steam driven motors to crude electronics. The ultimate goal for some is to totally restore civilization as it once was. Humans lead the races (for now) in population size, but they are represented only as a wide-spread handful.

Living alongside humans the following sub-species:

• Human Mutants, victims of the unforgiving environment while still in the womb. Their powers are seen as a curse to their human brothers, and they are shunned out of fear and disrespect.
• Cybernetically Enhanced Life Forms (CELFs) were once humans, before the Androids
• The sinister Psychers who were human abnormalities with advanced mental abilities that the government hoarded like pennies to study and organize into a force of mental warriors.
• The fierce Reptilians, products of the United States Marine Corps scientific staff. The idea was simple: amphibious soldiers with natural protection and weaponry, the results were both more and less than the Government expected. Now they’re a tribal breed among the survivors of the Apocalypse.
• The enigmatic Thin Men who are as elusive as they are elastic. The Thin Men are experts at exploiting nature and what it has to offer. They have had success in the development of ‘organotechnology’ which give them an unpredictable edge.
• The Trolls have come down from the great mountains. Originally they were a cult of secret super-mercenaries who where given experimental body expanding drugs. Further subjected to radiation and biological weaponry, they have grown larger, stronger, uglier and less intelligent than their predecessors. Secluded for generations, they have erupted as a new dangerous race which has only a hint of human origin.
• The clever Underworlders, an entire race possessing a special mechanical aptitude. They are shorter than their human predecessors and, after generations of living underground, have become paler and more highly adapted to surviving in dark and damp environments. Only one in every dozen can withstand total sunlight without harm, making them mostly nocturnal in their quests into the "Overworld".

More information of each race will be found in their own section below.

*These will be explained in the "Essentials" Section

* As per human, but may be enhanced to a higher maximum via a mutation.

** Effects from Growth

1. HUMAN (True Human)

The "True" Human comes from untainted human forerunners. They are noticeably more robust than their ancestors, due to the quality of the representatives chosen to go into stasis. The humans are the keepers of historical information. Only they can recognize and interpret the great Tomes of Knowledge. It is the duty of each human generation to teach the next how to appreciate and respect technology and to analyze potential threats prior to judgment. True Humans cannot be mutated by Radiation, although they may take damage normally from it. Their know-how is the envy of all the new races, and it is their most coveted secret.

*See ‘Everyman Skills’ below

**True Humans desire the maintenance and integrity of the species (i.e. the Human Pride disadvantage) and will very rarely attempt to breed with a mutant or sub-species. Experimentation has enjoyed only very limited success, with the chance of viable offspring decreasing functionally with the points of difference between the mutant and the human genotypes. The Human Pride Disadvantage reflects the stubbornness of humans, especially towards those different from themselves.

Talents are usually indicators of "special" humans, giving them a Heroic status in their community. Player Characters should consider buying at least one Talent, but not more than three Talents, in order to avoid separating them from the "common" stock. This shouldn’t be seen as a requirement for every Human character, and therefore is not given in the package deal. GMs should be careful as to not overdo this, as some Human players could be seen as "superhuman" and possibly ostracized as mutants if given too many of these edges.

Many Humans will know some form of hand-to-hand combat (see Packages below). 

Arms: Pipeguns, Dynamite, Crude Grenades, Crossbows, Hunting Knives, Throwing Knives, Slingshots, Bola, Batons, Brass Knuckles, Hatchets, Hand-to-hand Training, Restraining Shackles, Chemicals

Protection: Padded Cloth, Leather, Plastics, Sectional Plate (light weight metal alloys), Chain, Helmets, Shields, Bracers

Diet: Omnivore (Prepared)

Locomotion: Steam (Turbine) Cars, Steam (Turbine) Bikes, Alcohol Motorbikes, Bicycles, War Horses, Beasts, Drawn Wagons, Boats (Power or Unpowered), Balloons, Gyrocopters and Light Aircraft possible

Habitation: Concrete Houses, Wood Plank Houses, Ruins, Tents

Tools: Extensive List, Crude Electronics and Mechanical Gear

Survival Gear: Extensive List (Compact kits) (Prepare for unseen circumstances)

Lifestyle Items: As before the Apocalypse: Sports, Cleaning Products, Hygiene Products, Tools, Crude Electronics, Chemicals, Medicines and Oils, Alcohol, Greenhouses

Treasures: Electronics, Literature, Art, Remnants of the "Old Civilization", Gemstones and Precious Metals, Plastics, Construction goods 

Human mutants are an aberration from the true human stock. They are the result of subjecting one or both parents to dangerous conditions (very common in the Wastelands), especially to radioactivity and biological hazards. The fetal viability ratio is appreciably low for human mutants, only about 15% by current estimations. Of those, only about 10% (1.5% overall) gain beneficial mutations. A curious fact is that a human mutant will not resemble the human stock completely, some small or great physical change will allow them to be recognized for what they truly are. Mental-based mutations are also possible, but human mutants with such mental abilities are the most feared, and these will typically be destroyed, or else kidnapped by the Psychers (see below).

These mutations are mostly seen as a threat to human communities, and human mutants will usually be ostracized or taught to suppress their "curses" in order not to harm another human. There are a few occasions where the humans have relied on these "curses" to save entire villages from enemies. Human mutants are purposely kept from the Tomes of Knowledge because the humans want to avoid too much power from falling in their hands. They are restricted to middle level technologies within Human societies.

*See ‘Everyman Skills’ below

**Necessary for survival in a anti-mutant setting, may be substituted for another familiarity with GM approval

(also see http://www.darkrealms.com/~antcrusher/rmg.html)

As per the Package Deal guidelines, abilities over the Maximum Value (based on Human maxima) costs DOUBLE per point over (example: DEX=21 would cost 30 pts for the first +10 and 6 pts (3 x 2) for the +1 over the allowed 20). In this way, mutants don’t really have CHAR Maxima, it is up to the GM to use good judgment.

The familiarity with "mutant safe zones" takes into consideration the rumor milling that goes around about where a mutant can run to for sanctuary. These should be at least two distinctive places where a mutant can find other sympathetic mutants. These zones are naturally very dangerous places for Humans to go. The rumors surrounding MSZ’s give the mutant a source of protection and a place to turn to if he or she ever needs to get out of a town fast. The problem is finding them, they are VERY secretive.

When constructing a mutation in game terms, the following format should be used to help standardize these descriptions.

DESCRIPTION: including special effects and anatomical area that it originates from.

The maximum Active Points allowed per mutation should be 50.

Multipowers may be used with GM permission (recommended), ECs and VPPs are NOT allowed.

OFFENSIVE: 5-6 DC average, Max. = 8 (40 pts), not including Advantages

DEFENSIVE: 5 - 10 DEF average, 20 (10 resistant) Max.

All powers must have at least a -1 in Limitations, either from one or multiple categories

(Examples: Concentrate, Activation, Recoverable Charges, Increased Endurance).

Several examples are listed below.

The GM should give as much freedom as possible to the player. This is essential for coming up with the right "feel" for the mutation, which should be original in terms of special effects. Hopefully this very partial list of techno-mystical names will inspire the idea for making a mutated human. If the power is generated first using a random method (recommended), then that power could be given "life" by considering the following examples for a generic power’s manifestation:

and the list goes on...

The Mutation need not be earth shattering (ex. Communicate, Decipher, Ultraviolet Vision). The player would do right by himself to keep in mind that he is paying the points, and if he spreads his points to heavily in the Mutation(s), then other aspects like Characteristics and Skills will suffer.

It is important to realize that Mutants will gain expertise in their powers with experience, and can thus "buy down" limitations and increase mutation effectiveness over time.

DESCRIPTION: This offensive power allows the mutant to expel massive energies at a target with up to five different strikes in an instant. Due to it’s massive endurance expenditure, this is best used as a last ditch sure-fire offense.

DESCRIPTION: This mental power allows a character to influence a target’s perceptions. It can be used specifically to show the mutant to be something that he or she isn’t or it can be used to cause the target to be thrown into a relaxing daze. It’s effectiveness lessens for targets with higher willpower (EGO). The mutant must initially speak softly to the target, but not for the duration.

DESCRIPTION: This ability allows the mutant to understand any language spoken to him or her. The character must concentrate on what he or she is doing, which is mentally tiring (the END cost is only paid once to "start" the power). The character should consider buying the "Linguist" enhancer and fluency level in at least one language skill other than their native tongue.

DESCRIPTION: This defensive mutation allows the character to cover the immediate area with an shroud of impenetrable darkness. The caster is able to see through it, leaving the defender (and any allies) at a tremendous disadvantage. (The exact mechanism can be supplied by the player.)

DESCRIPTION: This power allows the character to analyze a target, and in so doing, time his or her strikes perfectly. This results in inflicting more damage than a normal strike would do. The character must assess the situation with the target in motion, which may be a major drawback if the character is trying to fight for his or her life.

These augmented humans are part man and part machine. They originate ultimately from Android slave camps where experiments on humans are commonplace. CELFs are depersonalized by the slavers and, once augumented, may be used to infiltrate human bases, perform dangerous missions, or do routine physical labor for the Androids. In this way are humans turned into a living tool for the exploitation of their Android masters.

Only humans may be cybernetically enhanced since Androids know nothing about the physiology of the other humanoid races. This section cannot possibly go into the many aspects of cybernetics, it is recommended that the GM gains access to a copy of Cyber HERO^® for a comprehensive overview of the possibilities. PCs who wish to be cybernetically enhanced must have his or her origins as a brainwashed Android slave who has regained "consciousness" in one way or another in order to begin life as a free man or woman. The CELF will possess many exterior markings as to the specific Android camp to which it once belonged and there may be disadvantages by means of cybernetic implants which act as homing beacons to Android slavers.

2. PSYCHER

The Psychers are one of the most curious of all the Wasteland races. They originate from yet another experiment from the age of Ethical Scientific Breakdown. They were one of the Pentagon’s best kept secrets. Humans with minor mental abilities were tested for their limitations. Some were given "enhancers", some were cybernetically altered. In thier rush for advancement, ultimately some were tortured in order to test the boundaries of the human mind. When not "performing", they were all sedated to avoid unpleasant fallout from the course that the program had taken. When the threat of global war was real enough to put the pentagon into action, these individuals (rumored to be in the hundreds) were "sequestered" (actually imprisoned), because their hatred for the scientific staff had grown into a state of rebellion.

The government didn’t want to be beaten from the inside, so they locked them away. After the devastation, the Psychers broke free and put their talents to survival. Generations of interbreeding have produced some very interesting results. One thing has been passed from generation to generation: Hatred of the "humans" that treated them as animals. Currently, Psychers are the human’s worst enemy. A small minority possess a burden for becoming peacemakers.

A Psycher’s arrogance and egotism make him less apt to learn as quickly or as thoroughly as a human. They possess a strong will, but their intelligence tends to be lower than that of true humans. Almost all Psychers share the same base mental abilities, but some have enhanced forms of these abilities, and some have even developed new mental powers. Those with advanced powers are referred to as "Kindred", and they are given leadership over the clans.

Physiology: A Psycher mostly resembles a True Human except their craniums are slightly taller. In addition their ears tend to be fused to the sides of their heads, making the outer ear a narrow semi-circle which is nearly lobeless. They are generally taller, but have a slighter morpology (less muscle) than Humans. For some reason Psycher’s teeth are sharper than those of humans.

Psycher Package Deal: (See above for CHAR adjustments for the race)

• Professional Package Deal Optional
• Everyman Skills
• Any Skill within technical rank can be purchased normally, Individual Talents are limited to Cramming, Danger Sense, Eidetic Memory or Lightning Calculator, and a Psycher can only possess one.

MENTAL MUTATIONS (Must have justifiable "Mental" Special Effects):

(Suggested to be acquired through a random mutant generator as for Human Mutants)

40 PT maximum active points per mutation

OFFENSIVE: 5-6 DC average, Max. = 8 (40 pts), not including Advantages

DEFENSIVE: 4 - 8 DEF average, 10 (3 resistant) Max.

All powers must have at least a -1/2 in Limitations, either from one or multiple categories.

The same format should be followed as for the "Mutation" template under the "Mutant Human" character section.

Arms: Fist Daggers, Whips, Pikes, Chains, Poisons, Snares, Ropes, Nets

Protection: Heavy Cloaks, Leather, Chain Mail

Locomotion: Beast, Drawn Wagons

Diet: Omnivore (Prepared), they love fruit

Habitation: Ruins, Wood Structures, Tents

Tools: Bought, found or stolen

Survival Gear: Natural products, bought, found or stolen (Prepare for unseen circumstances)

Lifestyle Items: Psychic Competition (Sports), Hallucinogens, Performing Arts, Comfort, Music

Treasures: Crystal and glassware, Gemstones and Precious Metals, Intricate Mechanisms, Plastics

Reptilians come from an experiment in gengeneering that successfully created amphibious soldiers for the United States Marine Corps.

Physiology: Reptilians have a classic serpentine morphology, bipedal in nature. They have two slightly webbed fingers and one opposable thumb. Their snouts may range from very short to rather long like that of an alligator. Their teeth are short and sharp and their tongues are long, some tongues may reach as far as arm’s length. The reptilian’s body is covered with scales which allow them fair protection from sharp objects. The marine types have gills on either side of their necks that must remain open to air, and they are amphibious. They can stay underwater indefinitely. The desert types are well adapted to scorching heat and move swiftly over ground.

Their coloration goes from grey to green and everywhere inbetween. They are hairless. Their eyes possess a membrane that allows them to keep bright light out and moisture in.

Reptilians sometimes give off a smell that resembles a sewer, this is avoidable to a certain point, but at least once every six hours they must "vent" the gaseous waste that builds up in their lungs.

Reptilian Package Deal: (See above for CHAR adjustments for the race)

• Professional Package Deal Optional
• Everyman Skills
• Any Skill within technical rank can be purchased normally (no additional Talents)

Arms: Clubs, Flint Spears, Blowguns, Shanks, Long Bows, Ropes, Nets, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Poison

Protection: Natural or Hides

Diet: Insectivore/Herbivore/Carnivore

Locomotion: Giant Lizards, Swimming, Walking

Habitation: Caves, Mud or Adobe Huts

Tools: Crude

Survival Gear: Natural Products (Immediate need, environmental response)

Lifestyle Items: Low Maintenance Survivalists

Treasures: Gemstones and Precious Metals

The Thin Men are a fantastic development in terms of physiology. They have a very pliable structure that allows them to stretch and contort to more than twice their length. Their densities are low as a result of the porous cartilage that allows them to perform their elastic abilities. Theirs is the only race that comes from unknown origins.

Thin Men have a knack for organic processing. This has resulted in an organic technology that has been somehow overlooked throughout Human history. Nuts, berries, plants of all kinds, roots, microorganisms, animal by-products and the like have been used to make such things as weaponry, armor, tools and the like, but it has also been exploited to yield affects that boggle logic. Invisibility lotions, acid bombs, mind control pheromones and the like have all been discovered by Thin Man witchdoctors.

Physiology: Thin men average five feet in height, and they are thin as their namesake implies. Their faces are more gaunt than their human forerunners. Their low density makes them lighter than they look. Their skin tends to be dark to light blue in hue, and the light blue can be so faint that they may look snow white in complexion. The thin man population has mostly wavy bleach blonde hair, as they grow older they start to grow light blonde to white beards that they never shave. In this way the age of a thin man may be known. Once a thin man begins to "sprout", as they call it, the aging thin man is the subject of many light-hearted jokes among his peers.

Thin men don’t have noses, but their sense of touch is so highly developed that they may "feel" pheromones when they concentrate, giving them an elevated sense of what humans call "smell" along with increased "touch" capabilities. Their ears peak at the upper edge. 

Thin Man Package Deal: (See above for CHAR adjustments for the race)

• Professional Package Deal Optional
• Everyman Skills
• Any Skill within technical rank can be purchased normally (no additional Talents) 

Thin Men appreciate their vulnerability to temperature extremes, but they don’t fear these things. In all circumstances they have a healthy respect for the forces of nature. They have developed salves to help them protect against such attacks, but the major drawback is that they must know before-hand that they will be subject to either fire or cold in order to prepare themselves.

Arms: Staffs, Clubs, Maces, Fist Loads, Thorn Rods, Bows, Throwing Needles, Blinding Dust, Hand-To-Hand Combat, Venoms and Acids

Protection: Crafted from natural materials including plant fibers, bark, chiton and furs, loose fitting for free movement

Diet: Omnivore (Raw)

Locomotion: Walking, Beast, Drawn Wagons, Boats

Habitation: Tents

Tools: Crafted from natural materials

Survival Gear: Crafted from natural materials (Prepare for unseen circumstances)

Lifestyle Items: Skin Products and Decorations, Riddles, Curious Architecture

Treasures: Gemstones and Precious Metals, Fragrances, Tactile Oddities, Rope, Cloth

The Trolls are descendants of militaristic mountain survivalists. The United States government assisted them in their experimental survival rituals. They were scientifically enhanced by super-steroid like compounds and given the job of secretly reporting any progress in the area of bare knuckle survival. Whatever progress was made was lost during the long nuclear winter. The Trolls have mutated so radically from the original human stock that they no longer need a steroid supplement, now they possess the chemical information and production ingrained within their DNA. Their intelligence has suffered as a by product of the effects.

Oddly enough, they had very little contact with Underworlders (below) prior to the Great Thaw. There are some tribes that would prefer the smaller race enslaved or destroyed, others look to their fellow mountain dwellers as remote cousins and treat them with the same respect as they would their own kind (which can appear pretty brutal to an outsider).

Physiology: Trolls are huge in both height and breadth. They average 8 feet tall by 5 feet wide, and they possess very large hands and feet. Their skin is very dense and mottled. They tend to smell bad. Their hides range in color from dark purple to green to grey to brown (rarely). They are ugly and hairy which makes them even more formidable opponents. Body hair can be nonexistent to very generous being black, brown, white, or orange, it mostly grows in tufts about a male troll’s person.

Some trolls are born with one eye (cyclopses) or, rarely, multiple eyes (multopses), the former occurring in about 1 in 20, the latter only about 1 in every 100. Multopses may have from three to eight eyes and they all are on the frontal plane of the troll’s face, giving only a small visual advantage. These eyes may have certain powers that accompany them (laser beams, pre- or retro- cognition, clairvoyance, sleep inducing, and mind control have all been reported, with many more abilities the subject of traveler tales). Trolls may possess fangs in place of one to all of their incisors.

Troll Package Deal: (See above for CHAR adjustments for the race)

• Professional Package Deal Optional
• Everyman Skills
• Any Skill within technical rank can be purchased normally (no additional Talents)

If a Troll character is a Cyclops or a Multiclops, then mutations related to the different eyes should be rolled with the same guidelines as for a Mutant Human. The only special effect that must be included is that the advantage involves the eye(s). All Trolls share an unconscious sympathetic link with wild life giving all Trolls Familiarity with the Animal Handler skill. STR, BOD and STN Maxima are affected by the modifiers from Growth (+10 STR, +2 BOD and +2 STN).

The same format should be followed as for the "Mutation" template under the "Mutant Human" character section.

Remember that Trolls are fairly primitive in their intelligence, so any name that you call the Mutation should have a crude and "mystic" feel to it.

Arms: Raw Strength, Great Clubs, Great Axes, Javelins, Great Spears, Rocks

Protection: Furs, Heavy Clothing, Leather

Diet: Carnivore

Locomotion: Walking, Beasts

Habitation: Crude Huts, Baked Clay, Wood, Caves

Tools: Bought, found or stolen

Survival Gear: Bought, found or stolen (Immediate need, environmental response)

Lifestyle Items: Non-demanding

Treasures: Gemstones and Precious Metals

The Underworlder stock is a product of those who fled to the mountains once the Creation Wars started. They are the lineage of neo-hippies who have become rather self-sufficient over the extended time of the Nuclear Winter. Being underground for generations have given them a distinct pale complexion and only one out of about every dozen can walk out into broad daylight without harm (this would be a PC). They possess a highly developed mechanical intuition which is both natural and learned. Underworlders are surrounded by devices from the day they are born.

The Underworlders and humans have enjoyed a strong alliance. What the humans dream up, the Underworlders can usually tinker it together.

Physiology: Underworlders are typically short averaging three to four feet in height, but they suffer no penalties from their lack of stature, and are quite stocky and strong. Underworlders don’t have facial hair. To make up for this, they take great pride in the silky hair of their heads. This is manifested by mottling their hair and cutting it in wild ways that are neither even nor symmetrical. The human’s deem this as a strange way to portray a race’s most prized feature. Their hair color is usually dirty white, grey or silver.

Underworlders are pale and their eyes are almost entirely taken up by their pupils, which leave them with very little white. This effect is both unsettling and beautiful since their eye color ranges from black, jade, ruby, sapphire or amber in color. When Underworlders are in full darkness, their eyes give off a glow the color of their pupils. This can be concealed with relatively little effort (as one’s breathing may be subdued to avoid detection). Underworlders have three fingers and an a relatively large opposable thumb, which is the same length of the other fingers.

Underworlder Package Deal: (See above for CHAR adjustments for the race)

• Professional Package Deal Optional
• Everyman Skills
• Any Talent, any Skill within technical rank can be purchased normally

Player Character Underworlders have the SUSC, NPC Underworlders will have an additional PHYS: Blind in Daylight (Common, Great), and are nocturnal by nature.

Arms: War Hammers, Screw Blades, Fire Brands, Fire Bombs, Torches, Awls, Slingshots, Spiked Gloves, Blowguns, Throwing Spikes, Cinder Bombs

Protection: Plate, Metal Band, Chain, Shields, Helmets, Bracers, Heavy Cloth

Diet: Herbivore

Locomotion: Steam Machines, Beast Driven Carts, Rafts

Habitation: Underground Caves, Stone Huts

Tools: Extensive List, Crude Mechanical Repair

Survival Gear: Underground Oriented (Prepare for unseen circumstances)

Lifestyle Items: Gadgets, Stories, Artificial Light, Cloth for Furniture, Clothing and Decoration, Mining Tools, Forging and Smithing, Pyrotechnics

Tools: Semi-advanced tools of the mechanics and metal working trade (not as advanced as Humans)

Treasures: Machinery Parts, Information, Glass, Plastics, Natural beauty (flowers, etc.)

Powers can manifest themselves in the form of natural abilities (claws, wings, tough skin), supernatural abilities (or mutations, such as telepathy, fire projection, super strength) or technological manifestations (laser pulse rifles, medi-packs, teleportation units). Some of the mutation suggestions have been listed above under Human Mutants, Psychers and Trolls. There really is no limitation on what powers can be made into mutations, the true limitation is in optimizing the points allowed for a 150 point character. Certain Limitations are suggested such as Charges, Costs END, Increased END, Side Effects and No Concious Control, especially if the GM wishes to inject some unpredictability into his or her mutant characters.

Like Powers, almost all Disadvantages can be used for Wasteland HERO characters. The following list gives creation notes as to the availability, probability and applicability of certain Disadvantages from the HERO System Rules Book.

A starting character will have been influenced in his or her life by at least one of the below factions. When creating a character, the player may want to select one of the Factions below as a "parent Faction" and select one or two skills as outlined in that Faction's write-up. As the player progresses, he or she can continue selecting new skills as per the "parent Faction" (with the GM's approval) reflecting growth towards possible membership in that Faction. When the character meets the minimum requirements (obtaining all the skills in the package deal), he or she may approach the Faction's leader(s) with a bid for membership. This membership will carry a 5 point PERK along with it and gives the character access to shelter, services and resources within that community (where applicable). The character doesn't need to be considered a "towner" to belong to a community.

The extent of social order in the Wastelands are categorized by the following, although this list is not all-inclusive, it represents the majority of the political and social structures existing in Newmerica (Except where indicated, these are mostly humans)

Anti-Mutant League (true humans bent on mutant and extra-racial genocide)

Cyber-Men (artificially enhanced victims of the androids who used them as slaves, they are unstable mentally, but may be a true ally. They pass down parts when they "retire" and are somewhat modular so they can battle each other for "parts" and programs.)

Defenders (outpost populations, usually less than 50 individuals who have found some intact installation or ruins worth occupying and defending)

The Cursed (mutant faction bent on destroying true humans for spurning them)

New Patriots (U.S.ers) (reestablishing the Old Establishment, preserving the history of the Americans, holders of the Tomes of Knowledge)

Ravagers (organized destroyers of order and the New Establishment, violent terrorists)

Road Clans (nomadic clans, gypsies, merchants, sometimes violent - usually loosely affiliated with some town or area)

Sons of Sound (wandering entertainers)

Peacemakers (against reestablishment under old laws, works to unify all races in peace)

Outcasts (radical social misfits who may be Outlaws or Hermits by nature - may exist in small communities or may be loners, usually unstable and dangerous)

Warders (Tech worshippers who are the self-styled defenders of keeping intact installations free of raiders and would-be looters. They believe that technology has a magical basis. Regularly battling with Loonies, so they rarely take prisoners.)