Name: Flipper the Ork Val Char Cost 15 STR 5 20 DEX 30 18 CON 16 10 BODY 13 INT 3 10 EGO 15 PRE 5 10 COM 6 PD 3 4 ED 4 SPD 10 7 REC 36 END 27 STUN Characteristic Rolls: STR: 12-, DEX: 13-, CON: 13-, INT: 12-, EGO: 11-, PER: 12- Run: 6", Swim: 5", Jump: 3", Lift: 200 kg Cost Powers END/Roll 5 Extra Limbs 36 Flight 18" 3 Swimming +3" (Total 5") 12 +8 Telescopic Vision 8 +4 with Sight Perception 9 +3D6 HA with Peck 12 1D6 HKA Bite, -1/4 limit Reduced Penetration 2x 1/2D6 (2x 1D6 with STR) 6 Armor 2 PD, 2 ED, Leathery Hide Cost Skills, Talents, Perks Roll 3 Concealment 12- 3 Navigation 12- 3 Stealth 13- 7 Survival 13- 3 Traveler 2 AK: Orkland 12- 1 AK: Mo 11- 1 AK: Oz 11- 1 AK: California 11- 6 +2 Levels with Flight 100+ Disadvantages 15 Hairless Bird-Thing with a Propeller on its Tail, not concealable 15 Wanderer, common, strong 15 Unfamiliar with Human Culture, common, strong 5 Professional Rivalry: Birds 10 Limited Reach with Claws 5 Reputation 8-: That Crazy Fledgling Who Left Orkland 20 Hunted 11-: Racial Enemies 10 Non-Bird Bonus OCV: 7; DCV: 7; ECV: 3; Mental Def.: 0; Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 PD/rPD: 6/2; ED/rED: 4/2 Costs: Char.: 72 Disad.: 85 Powers: + 121 Base: + 100 Exp.: + 10 Total: = 193 Total: = 193 Source: L. Frank Baum, "The Scarecrow of Oz," 1915 Background: The heroes of Oz are an odd bunch, but Flipper the Ork is one of the oddest. An adventerous member of an isolated non-human civilization, Flipper left Orkland to see what lay beyond and was unable to find his way back. While exploring the coast of southern California, he fell in with Captain Bill and his young protege Trot, shipwrecked humans who had been sucked into a submerged grotto. Flipper helped them reach the surface and escorted them through several bizarre lands. The trio reached the remote Oz province of Jinxland, whose Princess Gloria had been usurped by the crafty King Krewl, just as the Scarecrow arrived to depose the despot. While the others confronted the evil king, Flipper explored the region by air and was delighted to discover that he was near Orkland at last. He and a squadron of fellow Orks raided Krewl's fortress in time to prevent the Scarecrow from being burned at the stake. With order and rightful rule restored in Jinxland, Flipper left to visit his relatives. However, he promised the Scarecrow and his other new friends that he would stay in touch. Flipper is polite, well-spoken, and generally eager to please. He's a loyal comrade; he stayed with Trot and Captain Bill when he could easily have flown away at any time. However, he's very touchy about being considered merely an animal or, worse, some kind of pet. Flipper is quick to remind disrespectful humans that orks are the dominant species where he comes from, and they haven't driven other creatures extinct to get there. Powers and Abilities: Despite his ungainly appearance, Flipper is a powerful flier able to outmaneuver and outdistance most other fabulous animals (a trait to which the orks owe their survival). His eyesight is keen, indicating that his species may have at one time been omnivorous. His feet have claws, but they aren't sharp talons such as a bird of prey would have. Flipper's bite is more dangerous; his beak, built for crushing nuts and shellfish, can easily break human bones. During his adventures in Jinxland, Flipper was able to carry two humans on his back for short distances and a single rider for much longer distances. He was also able to hover, helicopter-style, using only his tail. Flipper used this latter ability to lift Captain Bill and Trot out of a vertical crevice too narrow to permit him to flap his stubby wings. Disadvantages: While Flipper can easily grasp objects with his claws, their placement makes it difficult for him to do some things that human find routine. For instance, he can't reach behind his neck to fasten a necklace, wrap a scarf, or pull an article of clothing over his head (if he were ever to wear clothes). He also tends to be restless, always eager to take off and explore his environment by air. The ork is distainful of birds, whom he considers inferior, and wary of other flying creatures. He has an instinctive dislike of potential predators. Height: cm ( ' "), Weight: kg ( lbs), Sex: Male, Race: Ork Appearance: Flipper is a young adult ork. He is leathery creature shaped roughly like an ostrich with two pairs of long, thin legs and two pairs of small, paddle-shaped wings. A small topnot of feathers adorns his head. His large eyes face forward, providing binocular vision. His beak is short and heavy like a parrot's, and he is able to grasp objects with his forward claws much as a parrot would. Flipper's tail is a complicated arrangement of muscle and bone that functions as a pusher propeller. =============== Hero System write-up by Kevin Scrivner