US Archer

Man, looking back, the 80s were frickin’ weird.  Ignore for a moment Glam Rock, Parachute Pants, New Coke, and Flock of Seagulls haircuts and think about the how the Decade of Excess gave birth to some of the most iconic and enduring pop culture icons of all time: Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, He-Man, Thundercats, and the list goes on and on.

The character I’m going to talk about today is not on that list.

Anywhere.

And for good reason.

Ulysses Solomon Archer was the product of a merchandising tie-in between Tyco Toys and Marvel Comics.  The series lasted for 12 issues before being cancelled and while the character himself has cropped up a handful of times, most notably with She-Hulk, a team-up Deadpool, and when he applied for a job as the nanny to Luke Cage and Jessica Jones’s daughter, he is one of those characters that … well, could have only existed in the 80s.

But, like Turbo Teen, Condiment King, Perry the Platypus, and Man-Thing who have come before, I have a soft spot for “weird NPCs” so let’s dive in and see how we could turn this bizarre character into someone who could appear in your campaigns.

Without going into a lot of detail, Ulysses is a truck driver from a family of truck drivers.  Orphaned at a young age, he and his brother Jefferson were unofficially “adopted” by Ed “Poppa” Wheelie and “Wide Load” Annie who owned and operated a truck stop diner.  After attending college where he graduated with honors in Engineering, he returned home and took to the road with his brother.  An encounter with “the Highwayman” resulted in Jefferson’s apparent death and sent Ulysses to the hospital where he received a cybernetic plate that replaced the top of his skull.  He soon discovered that the plate would allow him to “tune in” and listen to CB radio signals.  After making serious “James Bond” modifications to his truck, US-1, he embarked on a quest to bring his brother’s killer to justice.

Along the way, he fought or raced a variety of bizarre foes and discovered (SPOILER ALERT) that his brother was the Highwayman (trust me; the story is convoluted as hell).  In a final confrontation with Jefferson, aliens revealed that they had selected Ulysses to be a long-range space courier but had approached his brother by mistake.  Jefferson, long jealous of Ulysses, was afraid that the aliens would take back the technologically advanced truck they had provided him and had tried to drive (pardon the pun) Ulysses away.

In the end, the Aliens modified both brothers’ trucks so they could compete in one final, winner-take-all race.  Jefferson tried to ram the US-1 but ended up crashing and Ulysses was proclaimed the winner.

With all of that in mind, HOW could we possibly incorporate this character into a D&D campaign?

I’m glad you asked.

First, we change the semi-truck into a horse-drawn wagon, preferably one that is completely enclosed.  A magical skullcap gives him the ability to use Clairaudience (instead of Radio Hearing) and to mentally control the horses that pull the wagon.  Maybe, it turns out that this skullcap is some form of Spelljamming Helm that allows Ulysses’ wagon to fly - whatever works for you and your story.

US ARCHER (a.k.a. Ulysses Solomon Archer, a.k.a. US Ace)

CR: 8
Male Human (Cyborg) Gadgeteer 6
NG Medium Humanoid
Init: +3, Senses: Listen +1, Spot +1, Hears CB Radio signals
Languages: Read/Write and Speak English
AC: 12 (+2 Dex); t: 12, ff: 10
Hp: 34 (6HD)
Energy: 19
Immune: - -
Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +6

Spd: 30’ (6 squares)
Melee +7 Head-Butt: 1d6+1
Melee +7 Unarmed Strike: 1d3+1 nonlethal

Combat Gear: US-1 (see below)

Str: 13, Dex: 16, Con: 13, Int: 13, Wis: 13, Cha: 13

SA: Cybernetics
SQ: Cybernetics

Feats: Aircraft Operation (Heavy), Drive-By Attack, Educated (Knowledge – Engineering and Knowledge – Technology) (b), Vehicular Combat (b), Vehicle Dodge, Vehicle Expert (b)
Skills: Appraise +3 w/ computers or mechanical devices, Craft (Computer Programming) +8, Craft (Gadgetry) +10, Craft (Mechanical) +10, Drive +14, Gather Information +4, Pilot +9, Profession (Teamster) +6

• Racial Abilities: Bonus Feat at 1st level; +4 bonus skill points at 1st level; +1 bonus skill point/level after 1st; Class with highest level is preferred class for multiclass purposes.
                (Cyborg): Augmentations: When a Cyborg is first created; it receives three advantages from the list, below. Furthermore, Cyborgs are allowed to take the Metahuman class, and any Power Enhancement they gain from it can be used, instead, to pick another Augmentation from this list (including new Powers, as long as they can be rationalized).
• +3 Strength (can be taken only once at 1st level and no more than twice total)
• +4 Strength but –1 Dexterity (can be taken only once at 1st level and no more than twice total)
• +2 Dexterity (can be taken only once at 1st level and no more than twice total)
• +3 Constitution (can be taken only once at 1st level and no more than twice total)
• +2 Intelligence (can be taken only once at 1st level and no more than twice total)
• +3 Natural Armor (can be taken up to four times)
• +10-foot base speed and increase running multiple by 1, i.e. from x4 to x5 or from x5 to x6 (can be taken twice)
• Natural-Looking Parts: +2 Charisma (cancels penalty, below) and can pass as a normal human being (at least until metal detectors and the like are used).
• Darkvision up to 60 feet.
• Any one of the following feats: Alertness, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quick Draw, Resist Dis ease, Resist Poison, or Toughness. Prerequisites are ignored for this purpose (also, I tweaked this list so I can select something more “in-line” with the character concept).
• Any one Standard Power that could logically be placed in a cybernetic device. This augmentation can be taken only once at 1st level; however, it can be taken again, with later Power Enhancements, at the DM’s discretion (which would require that actual physical changes be made to the character’s body).
• Reduced Charisma, -2. Cyborgs tend to be ugly and a bit frightening. Furthermore, the change from an organic being to a mechanical one tends to have a detrimental effect on the human psyche, making the cyborg somewhat cold and aloof. Note that this penalty can be cancelled out with the appropriate Augmentation (see above).
• Gadgeteer becomes the preferred class for multiclass purposes.
• Class Abilities: Proficient with all simple and martial weapons and light and medium armor.

Gadgeteer: Free Weapon Proficiency (Vehicular Combat), Tinkering, Gadgeteering (2, Standard)               


Possessions: US-1

Height: 6’1”Weight: 200 lbs.Hair: BlondEyes: Blue              
Appearance: Ulysses is a fairly tall and handsome man with wavy blond hair and blue eyes.He typically wears a blue denim jeans and a red windbreaker over a plain white T-shirt and sometimes, a red head band.He has a belt buckle with a “US” logo emblazoned on it.   

Cybernetics: Archer gains three augmentations as a cyborg.He has a +2 Dex bonus, Natural-Looking Parts (negates -2 Cha penalty for cyborgs), and Vehicle Expert as a bonus feat (replaces the list of bonus feats for Cyborgs given above) 
Powers:
• Standard Natural Weaponry: After a crash, most of U.S. Archer's cranium was replaced with highly-durable metal to protect his brain.  He head-butts with this plate for 1d6 damage.
• Standard Meta-Sense: Radio Hearing: Archer is able to tune into radio waves to listen to CB Radio transmissions, changing the channels by touching the fillings in his teeth with his tongue.  Note that, despite the name, this Power does not rely on his sense of hearing but on a unique exotic sense that translates the radio waves into sound-like perceptions.  He can “hear” transmissions ranging from 26.9650 MHz to 27.4050 MHz with a range of 10 miles.
• Standard Telekinesis: Energy Cost: 1; Duration: Concentration, (up to 1 round/level); Ulysses can control the US-1 Rig using this power.
                • Amplifier: Increased range (100’ + 10’ per level)
                • Reducer: US-1 only, if Ulysses spends double energy, he can attempt to control other technological devices that are within close range (25’ +5’ per 2 levels).  If the device is in someone else’s possession, he must make an opposed Will save to take control of the device.
• Weakness: The metal plate in Ulysses’ head is susceptible to magnetism and electronic scrambling devices, impairing his cognitive function (-4 circumstance penalty to all Int- and Wis-based skill checks) for as long as he is exposed to them.

Archer uses a highly self-modified truck that contains various weapons, gadgets and defensive measures that can all be activated from his dashboard, or remotely with his telekinesis.
US-1 Rig
Craft: Customized Kenworth Semi-TruckClass: Civilian Ground     Size: Colossal (61’ long w/ trailer)     Initiative: -8 (-8 size)

Crew: 1     Passengers: 3     Cargo Capacity: 40 tonsManeuver: -6 (-8 size, +2 equipment)     Top Speed: 360 (36)
Defense: 2 (-8 size)     Hardness: 10     Hit Points: 47The US-1 rig is a specially modified sleeper cab with a king-sized bed in the rear area for U.S. to rest in as well as a radar tracking device, the ability to generate an oil slick, tire-shredding shrapnel bombs (biodegradable to prevent injury to noncombatant motorists), smoke screens and is equipped with homing devices, weather satellite hook-ups, and an ejection seat.  The rig has minor AI capabilities and should be considered to have Int 10 for purposes of problem solving.
Additional modifications by "Al the Alien" have given the truck the ability to fly (top speed 1,100) with average maneuverability.  It is even capable of breaking free of Earth's atmosphere and flying into space for long periods of time and even has a dimensional drive that enables it to "jump" across vast distances in the void.