"Let's crack the egg and say hello!"
—Rattrap, "Coming of the Fuzors, Part One"
The fetal form of a modern Cybertron is a partially organic, partially robotic pre-body called the Protoform. Protoforms are neither manufactured nor born, but something in between. The exact process which creates a protoform is kept secret by the higherups of Maximal and Predacon government (as is the process which creates a Spark, though it's been rumored that a few couples have figured this one out through their own experimentation...). However, most Cybertrons know that Protoforms originate from one of two places: the Matrix and the Pit.
The Matrix that provides a Protoform is not that same Matrix where lost Sparks go, although there are some similarities. It is rather a place named for that same Matrix, where Maximal protoforms originate. A Maximal protoform is a silvery form shaped like a humanoid robot. They are angular humanoid forms coated in a kind of blue, glowing gel. A spark is placed in the central torso cavity.
Predacon protoforms originate from a complex known as the Pit—alternately called the Inferno due to the fiery red glow of the gels that congregate there. Predacon protoforms are typically golden, and with a red sheen, but otherwise resemble Maximal protoforms in every way. Maximals tend to view the Inferno as the Matrix's direct opposite—as a place where unworthy sparks go to be tortured in the afterlife. True Predacons, however, view their Pit with a sense of pride.
Protoforms are usually fitted with sparks upon their formation, although some are not. A protoform without a spark is called a "blank." Blank protoforms are kept on hand for emergency situations, as it is sometimes possible to transfer a spark from a dead body into a fresh protoform.
A protoform which has received a spark is ready for the second stage of formation. This involves choosing the Cybertron's secondary form and installing her personality and memory files. Memory files typically include information on the race and alliance of the new protoform as well as information about Cybertron itself. Cybertrons are, in effect, born full-grown, though sparks and protoforms differ in their capabilities. A Cybertron may seem young if fitted with "a young spark," or may seem very old the minute she emerges.
Protoforms, whether they are blank or fertilized, are rarely completed in the complex itself. Protoforms are stored in Cybertronian-sized "stasis pods," which are airtight shells fitted with scanning equipment and central processing units. Stasis pods are loaded in great numbers onto exploration ships, which are sent into the galaxy searching for worlds to colonize. When a suitable world is found, the protoforms within the pods are activated.
Errors in stasis pods have resulted in fascinating amounts of difficulties, ranging from Cybertrons who protoform without any sight, to Cybertrons who emerge with no concept of who they are and what they are doing. It was a spectacular error in protoformation which resulted in the first of the Fuzors—life-scanners which were meant to choose only one beast form accidentally chose and fused two of them. Cybertrons with protoformation errors who are created on Cybertron itself are typically destroyed, especially by the Predacons, who believe handicap has no place in their society. However, colonization ships have very little choice in what their protoforms become.
Protoforms are nearly always Maximal or Predacon in nature. However, a Cybertron who had his ancestry in the days of Autobots and Decepticons was built rather than formed, and therefore is not of the Matrix or Pit. There are rumors that a third type of protoform does exist: the type which spawned the Tripredicus Council. These protoforms have descended from Unicron himself, and are a greater fear to Cybertron than any Predacon or Maximal war.
"Scanning for lifeforms..."
—Maximal Stasis Pod, routine procedure
Beast modes were first chosen in order to dull the effects of raw energon damage to robotic bodies. Cybertrons discovered other advantages to being part animal, as well, and many prefer it to the archaic notion of having only a vehicle for a secondary mode.
Predacons and Maximals retain their differences as groups. Maximals nearly always choose mammals, birds, or fish for their beast modes. Predacons, on the other hand, choose from the creatures that creep and crawl: reptiles, arachnids, insects, and crustaceans. This difference in choice is nothing spoken of or written in stone; it is only a matter of personal preference. Plenty of Cybertrons have gone against the grain in their alliance without much retribution, but, for the most part, this unwritten rule is followed.
Cybertrons are not sure if it is beast mode which reflects the personality of the individual, or personality which reflects the choice of beast. However, Cybertrons always seem to choose a beast which compliments their spirit. A Cybertron's beast is typically evident in his robot mode appearance: perhaps the tiger's stripes still decorate the arms, or the bee's wings still grace the back.
The beast mode for a Cybertron is typically chosen right before he emerges from his stasis pod. The pod does a quick scan for lifeforms in the area, chooses the most appropriate one, then protoforms the Cybertron. Fuzor stasis pods combine two animals from the scan. Some Cybertrons are fortunate enough to choose their beast mode on their own; they inspect a scan, then choose the form they like best. This is a method used when native Cybertrons explore a new planet for the first time. Cybertrons often change even their names to reflect a change in alternate mode. Each Cybertron has a name immediately upon emerging from his stasis pod, and after altering the body to a new form, the act of choosing a name for oneself to reflect this change is common and well-understood.
Cybertrons only die when death overtakes them by force. Cybertrons do not die of old age, so, in effect, they may live forever. The Autobots and Decepticons who finished the Great War were millions of years of age, so, among any given group of Cybertrons, it is easily assumed that there can be an age range of any type—from the newly protoformed to the ancient.
In practice, the ancient are few, having left the near galaxies at the end of the Great War in search of a final respite. The newly protoformed are many, as Cybertron tries to reclaim the galaxies it once knew. Some of Cybertron's greatest warriors are less than a few hundred stellars of age. They are old by human standards, but a far cry from the age of the warriors who fought in Cybertron throughout time. Many of Cybertron's newer leaders are young indeed.
Cybertrons, like humans, have two definite sexes: male and female. During the Great War, females nearly died out entirely. A small faction of Autobot females hid themselves from the warring around them, and though they learned to take an active part in ending the fighting, they were never at the front line of combat. Females were considered a resource that was to be protected. Few female frames were built during the Great War, as builders automatically chose male frames for combat purposes.
Now that Protoformation as opposed to direct construction is the method of Cybertron procreation, females have again begun to populate Cybertron. Their numbers are swiftly rising to catch up with the males of the planet, although there are never as many as the males would like. It is estimated that the ratio is still flawed: there is perhaps a woman on Cybertron for every three men. Maximals claim equality for all females of their race, and, for the most part, this is practiced, as women are given mostly the same opportunities as males. However, there are those males that still see them as a rarity that should be sheltered, and would keep them from having an active part in the war. Predacons do not sublimate their women.
Cybertrons of all newer factions, being partially organic, enjoy the benefits of having two distinct sexes. This includes gawking, flirting, topless bars, anatomical correctness... The Autobot "interface" procedure is said to have been fairly stale; the Cyberorganic type is anything but. (Perhaps that's why there were millions of years of fighting in those days, say some of the young Predacon females.) There is no sanctioned marriage "ceremony" on Cybertron, but there is the occasional couple who decides to become mates for life. Cybertrons who decide to become official lifemates must be of the same Alliance; otherwise, the mating will not be recognized by others. Lifemates are registered with their Alliance's government. Lifemating is much more common among Maximals than Predacons.
As there are things that make Cybertrons like humans, there are things which make them like robots. One of these traits is the need for "repair" as opposed to medicine. Maximal doctors operate with screwdrivers and wrenches. Most Maximal exploration or battle ships are equipped with standard Critical Recovery Chambers (CR Chambers for short, or "R Chambers," Recovery Chambers) which will automatically take care of repair and refueling for the injured. A more Predacon invention is the Recovery Bath, which combines leisure with repair work.
Being robots, Cybertrons tend to be loud during movement. Cybertrons, especially the larger variety, have servos that move their larger joints, and the heavier Cybertrons can have very loud footsteps. Luckily, fur, feathers, and other flesh mute these noises completely in a Cyberorganic beast mode, and the lighter and smaller a Cybertron is, the less likely she is to have joints that sing every time she bends her arms or legs.
Cybertrons typically "sleep" during the night, as humans do, to recover energy. This is accomplished by going into a mode called "Stasis Lock," where all but the most vital functions are shut down and the body begins recharging energy and doing simple repair work. Cybertrons in stasis lock may experience dreams, which are a function of the data being passed back and forth through their circuits. A Cybertron who is injured to the Incapacitated level will go into Stasis Lock immediately. He is not dead, but will require repairs before he is functional again. (This can be counteracted with Spark; see below.)
Cybertrons all have an internal repair function which can heal minor injuries. Internal repairs function at a variable rate; see Chapter Four for more information. Cybertrons also have an internal computer that will give them occasional warnings when they have reached critical damage. Strangely, the computer for those of Maximal alliance is most often male in nature, the Predacon computer female.
The ability to adapt to new situations by choosing a secondary form is one of the prides of the Cybertron species. Transformation is in the very core of being of every robot on the planet.
Transformation is assumed to be automatic for any uninjured character. That character need only inwardly articulate his activation code. For Maximals, the code to shift to robot mode is most typically the Maximal's name, followed by the word, "Maximize!" Predacons use the activation word "Terrorize!" A shift downward into beast mode is accomplished with just those words: "Beast mode!" Shouting the code for transformation is used in heavy battle situations or any other situation where alliance is openly declared. Sometimes, there just isn't time to yell.
If a character is injured greatly, he may lose his ability to transform. A Cybertron who has reached the Wounded health level or below must make a Stamina plus Primal-Urge roll to transform to or from his beast mode. Penalties to the pool incurred by injury still apply, but only one success is required to transform successfully. Once a successful transformation is made, it is readily assumed that that character is capable of transforming to either form until he is injured again. An Incapacitated character will go into Stasis Lock in whichever mode he was in before taking the final health level of damage; he does not transform into his "native mode." (Injured characters who would like to alter modes before going into Stasis Lock may spend a Willpower to do so.)
Transforming uses up an entire round of combat. If a character would like to, for example, transform and attack in the same round, he must spend a point of Energon for the extra action.
"When a spark goes on-line, there is great joy..."
—Rhinox, "The Spark"
A Cybertron's Spark is his soul—the essence of his personality and life force. It is an actual physical object, a perfect sphere about the size of a human fist, which is made of a gel-like material and pulsates with a blue glow. It is typically located in the torso of a Cybertron, in a cavity at either the stomach or chest level. Chest-level sparks can be centered, or off-set either to the left or right. The spark cavity is usually well-armored.
The spark has energy of its own, measured as a character's Spark power. The power of the spark's life force can be converted into useable energy two ways. First of all, it can be used to prevent stasis lock in emergency situations. A character falling to the Incapacitated health level can expend a point of temporary Spark to remain conscious (see Expending Spark, Chapter Four, for complete details). He can also tap into the spark's energy by converting Spark energy into usable Energon (Spend one temporary Spark point, recover one Energon). Such practices are risky because using up life force brings Cybertronians closer to death. If at any time a Cybertron's entire Spark pool is depleted, he will die.
The power of a character's spark can also be accessed for certain supernatural abilities. Spark is rolled in situations involving spark power—most commonly used by Transmetal IIs. See Chapter Five for more information on Spark Powers.
Stories are told of Cybertrons who purposely removed their sparks before entering dangerous situations. For every round that the spark is outside the body without a secondary energy source, remove one point of temporary Spark power. Naturally, the spark cannot survive for very long in this situation. It is also possible for one Cybertron to "incubate" the spark of another for a short period of time: the process which creates an Optimal.
The power of a character's spark is directly related to his commitment toward his beliefs. If a Maximal is true to the ways of his Pax, his spark will grow because of it; similarly, if a Predacon follows his Code, he gains in life force.
Characters who wish to recover lost Spark energy must make a roll of Wits plus Matrix. This roll can only be made once per story, and recovers as many points of temporary Spark as successes made. This roll has a difficulty based largely on the character's conviction as portrayed during gameplay. The base is only 5, but it is modified every time the character strays from his Alliance's Code. Add difficulty as below if the character strays from his code. This is not meant to prevent characters from straying from their codes if it is dramatically appropriate, but is designed as a check against these Alliances' primary programming directives. Difficulties are cumulative, so if a character commits two "+1" actions, their roll difficulty is modified to +2. Use these lists as guidelines to decide where other types of actions may fit onto the Alliance chart.
Difficulty modifiers for Maximal Pax
+1: Verbally insulting a past hero or member of the Autobot race; Believing Maximals to be intrinsically superior to Predacons
+2: Racist (but non-lethal) actions against Predacons or other forms of life; Firing the first shot in a pre-combat situation
+3: Escalating an attack when the problem can be solved without violence; Failing to cooperate with Maximal allies to promote unity among the race
+4: Robbing a sentient lifeform of its basic right to freedom; Destroying or damaging any ancient artifact
+5: Failing to show mercy to a surrendered opponent; Destroying a sentient being outright ("sparking" during combat); Destroying or damaging an Autobot artifact
Difficulty modifiers for Predacon Code
+1: Verbally renouncing competition of any type; Publicly (and obviously) denouncing one's own leader
+2: Failing a duty assigned to one by one's Commander; Failing to take an opportunity in a combat of wits (treachery)
+3: Cowardice in the face of death; "Going easy" on one's own followers or underlings after a failure; Relying too much on one's allies
+4: Cowardice in the face of a fair challenge; Refusal to fight against continuing oppression; Fear of attacking/destroying a fairly matched or stronger opponent
+5: Destroying an opponent while he is down; Taking an unfair advantage in physical combat
If the character ever commits an act marked in the +4 or +5 sections of the above chart, that character may actually lose a point of permanent spark for his digression. Have the player roll the character's Willpower, at a difficulty of 8 for "+4" acts, or 9 for "+5" acts. If the roll fails, that character loses a permanent point of Spark. Obviously, accumulation of actions against one's primary programming is not wise, and if a character finds himself constantly checking to preserve his Spark, a change of Alliance may be in order.
Barring this method, there is also a Procedure which can be used to revive a spark to its full capacity, though it has its risks. At Storyteller's discretion, the experiencing of powerful emotions related to life force (such as love), can be used to recover Spark.
"Yes! The planet has energon."
"Too much energon. Field readings are off the scale. Continued exposure to robotic forms could cause permanent damage."
—Megatron and Predacon computer, "Beast Wars, Part One"
Energon is the main fuel of all Cybertrons. It comes in two forms: refined, usable energon, and unrefined, unstable energon.
Unstable energon appears as a blue, glowing crystalline structure. The crystals may be tall and thin, or clustered as the inside of a geode, and sparkle and flash at random. Stable energon appears in a cubical form, also glowing and usually ranging from clear-blue to clear-purple in color. Unstable energon can be refined into stable fuel through a carefully orchestrated procedure. Stable, processed energon is what keeps Cybertronians running. It is used to power certain abilities related to Weapons and Mechanisms.
When energon is raw, exposure to it is actually detrimental to the health of Cybertrons. During any prolonged exposure to raw energon, Cybertrons take damage. This damage is dependent on the proximity and amount of energon, but is typically one health level per round. The damage is aggravated, but purely internal, so that Cybertrons damaged by energon exposure will not be dented or scratched. If a Cybertron falls into Stasis Lock in proximity to raw energon, the damage he next takes will be to his spark, so he should be moved to a secure area immediately.
Raw energon is highly unstable, and when struck by an energy-based weapon (photon blasters, bombs, missiles, etc.), it will explode. This explosion is immensely powerful; energon explosion damage is always aggravated.
Because raw energon is so potentially dangerous, it is often used by the more violent and crafty Cybertrons to make weaponry. An Energon Blade is a small knife the size of a surgical tool, which can be used to cut enemies or to pierce sparks. Larger blades can be fashioned, but are extremely rare because of their danger to the wielder and their difficulty of concealment. Darts, bullets, or venom can also be laced with raw energon, and raw energon can be used to create powerful explosives.
Weapons made of raw energon are considered to do aggravated damage. However, any Cybertron carrying an energon weapon must subtract a point of temporary Spark off his total rating so long as he carries the weapon, due to the proximity of the dangerous material. Cybertrons must be at a Generation of Transmetal or higher to consider carrying any energon weapon-otherwise, they will not be able to soak the energon damage. A small blade or bag of bullets is not enough raw energon on the person of a Transmetal to warrant a soak roll every round. However, a large piece of energon, such as an energon-fashioned broadsword, would be. (See below for the specifics about Generations.)
The other type of energon is fully processed energon which is used as fuel. Ironically, the Cybertrons are dependent on this type of energon to function. The Energon rating on a character sheet is the maximum amount of fuel a character's body can handle; it is also an indication of how much fuel the Cybertron needs to operate at his peak. Energon ratings fluctuate frequently as energon is accessed to power Mechanisms and Weapons.
If a character's Energon pool is completely depleted, he no longer has the energy to function. He will be sluggish and unresponsive, and, if overworked, will collapse into stasis lock out of weariness. Consider a character out of Energon to be at a -5 to all dice pools. A character with only one point of energon left is at -4, two points at -3, three at -2, and four points, -1; he is running out of energy at a steady rate, and debilitating himself because of it. Starting Energon pools are at 10; the utter maximum size for any energon pool for a protoformed character is 20.
Lost energon can be easily recovered through repair and refueling. Any generation of Cybertron can also process natural fuels, such as food, into useable fuel. Granted, all prefer "the real thing," but the body of a Cyberorganic Beast is more than used to processing meat, grains, etc., into fuel. A Cybertron, regardless of generation, can only process that type of food which their beast mode would be comfortable with. Hence, a Cybertron with a lion beast mode must eat meat; a horse would eat grass; a rat would eat almost anything. Cybertrons like the Autobots of old, who chose vehicles as secondary forms, were more than comfortable with gasoline! All Cybertrons can also fuel themselves with processed energon, which is given "intravenously," or readily consumed.
During a game, a Cybertron may spend a point of Energon to gain an extra action in a round. A Cybertron can have no more full-roll actions per turn than he has dice in his Dexterity pool.
Willpower is a character's strength of purpose. It is spent to gain one extra success on an important roll. It can also be spent to resist instinctual actions or to resist mental control from outside. Like the Energon pool, the Willpower pool can fluctuate a great deal over the course of the story.
Maximal protoforms have a starting Willpower of three, and Predacon protoforms have a starting Willpower of four. A character who spends all his Willpower will be tired and listless, unable to summon the strength to care much anymore about anything.
Characters can recover Willpower through frequent rest—one point after a night of sleep. They recover Willpower at the Storyteller's whim at the end of each story. Willpower is also recovered when a character fulfills part of his Nature; see Chapter Three for more information.
"This is a dumb plan, web-face. I don't HAVE any real blood! Just mech-fluid!"
"Oh, my circuits will adjust. It's the act I enjoy more than the nourishment."
—Cheetor and Tarantulas, "The Web"
A word or two about spiders. Spiders of the giant variety such that Cybertronian Protoformation would produce are not able to substantiate themselves on ordinary bugs. Cybertrons who choose a spider for a beast mode are automatically able to create a web in proportion to their size (this web seems far from natural, rather, it glows blue with the strength of the energon used to create it). The spiders can capture larger animals and survive off of their blood. In general, animals can eat food to survive, and the Cybertron that protoforms an animal can eat whichever kind of food is natural to his beast form, to regain Energon levels.
"Vampirism" among Cybertrons is possible, though it is considered a deviant behavior at best. A spider or other blood-sucker can get nourishment from the mech-fluid of other Cybertrons, but at half potency (where two energon points taken from the victim results in a gain of one point for the recipient). Consider the Energon pool of Cybertron spiders to be much like the Blood Pool of White Wolf vampires, but keep in mind that to a Cybertron, food is food and blood is blood, with no issue as to "vitae" or blood potency. Cybertrons have no actual blood of their own, only mech-fluids which are internally processed. As such, they are incapable of being blood-bound, ghouled, or Embraced. (Really, what would be the point?)
Cybertrons are machines, albeit of the most complex type imaginable. Therefore, spells and affects which are aimed at technology can affect them. However, because of their sparks, these effects are difficult to use or predict. For example, a Control Complex Machine roll on a Cybertron would be contested against his Willpower, and though it would control the bodily actions of the Cybertron, it would not control his thoughts. (See Mechanisms for more information on controlling the Cybertron frame.) In a way, Cybertrons have this as a special racial disadvantage: they are machine as well as living creature, and subject to the rules of machines.
A Jam Technology roll or other such effect used on a Cybertron would indeed work, causing this Cybertron to instantly enter Stasis Lock. However, after one turn, a temporary Willpower may be paid to counteract this effect, and with no health penalties. Sparks themselves are the seat of Cybertron consciousness. They are supernatural and are not subject to mechanical logic.
"I HATE water."
—Cheetor, "Deep Metal"
Cybertrons are made of metal and are typically poor swimmers. Unless a Cybertron has purchased an underwater beast mode as a Mechanism, assume that the Cybertron cannot swim. Rather, they are dense, and sink like lead to the bottom of any pool of water. They can act as they do on land, but Dexterity is at one third due to their weight. (Round up.)
Winged "flight" underwater, swimming, is possible, but the same restrictions apply. Jet engines will not function unless they are specifically designed to do so. See Chapter Five for more information on Mechanisms.
A Cyberorganic Beast must drink water like any beast of its natural type would. Transmetals and above do not find it necessary, though some enjoy it. Oddly enough, Cybertrons do not have to breathe air, even in beast mode, and may thus remain submerged for extended periods of time, as well as speak as soon as their vocal receptors have adapted to the new surroundings. However, vocal receptors require some circulation, either of water or air, to function; Cybertrons cannot speak in a vacuum, and their voices may still be "cut off" by injuries to the throat and neck.
Contrary to what a beginner might assume, water is not "the secret weakness" of a robotic race. Exposure to water does not cause Cybertrons to short out. However, acid rain has been known to cause problems, as have certain types of fire-retardant foams.
There are only two ways for a Cybertron to die completely. Both of them involve the Spark.
The first way is for the Cybertron's spark to be destroyed in a violent manner: stabbing it, explosion, etcetera. A spark's nature is such that it is not easily crushed (it tends to bounce back into its original, rounded shape after pressure is applied). In extreme circumstances if the spark is exposed to high pressure for a very long time, this may destroy it as well, but, typically, only piercing or energy damage will destroy a spark.
A spark will also die if it simply fades away due to lack of energy. The spark inside the body of a Cybertron will remain energized so long as it remains inside this (or any) energon-charged body. However, if the spark is removed or tapped for power, it will begin to drain. When a Cybertron's spark has been completely depleted, and the body it resides in is destroyed, the spark fades away into the Matrix, and the Cybertron dies.
"So...you're a big, bad, Transmetal now..."
—Blackarachnia to Tarantulas, "Coming of the Fuzors, Part Two"
At one time, all Cybertrons were metallic. Then, later, they became partially organic, until having organic parts was the norm. The concept of "Generation" refers to a Cybertron's advancement on this scale. It is a reflection of his model type, a reflection of what is strong and what is weak about his construction.
Shorthanded "Organic," this is what any Transformer in the Beast Wars will start out as if no points are spent to alter the form. This form, like any form, has its advantages as well as disadvantages.
Generation One Beasts are allowed only two forms. The Beast Mode is a single, common animal of any type, any animal for which DNA is available to scan. A Cyberorganic may choose a now-extinct animal, such as a dinosaur or saber-tooth tiger, for his beast mode, but may not have as a beast mode any supernatural animal such as a unicorn or griffin. The "original" form, or robot form, is a humanoid robot of any appearance, typically incorporating elements of the beast form into its overall design.
The Cyberorganic has fully functional organic parts in beast mode, and therefore must eat food as well as deriving energy from energon. The advantages to the fully organic beast mode are many: first of all, the animals are not effected by the presence of raw energon. In beast mode, a Cyberorganic can approach and handle raw energon at will without damage to body or spark. Also, a Cyberorganic who chooses a common animal of comparable size to himself can blend in with natural animals of the same type without looking conspicuous.
Because there are immense internal variations in Cybertronian height, fitting all of a Cybertron's mass into a corresponding realistic animal form may not always be feasible. For example, a character who has an insectoid beast mode will not be able to fit all of his mass into the size of an average insect under normal circumstances. However, Cybertrons who choose larger mammals as forms blend in well.
Starting Spark: Three
These Cyberorganic-classifed "Fuzors" behave exactly like the Cyberorganic Beast, but with one extra ability: they may choose two animals as opposed to one for their beast mode. This is still one single mode; however, the two animals are blended together into a supernatural animal. Being a Fuzor makes creatures like griffins suddenly completely possible, giving the character both the wings of the eagle and back claws of the lion. However, fuzors have a much more difficult time blending in with animals in the "real" world, since the combinations that fuzors form typically do not exist. Creativity and variety is encouraged while choosing animals; try to find two creatures that support each other in interesting ways.
Starting Spark: Four
A Transmetal Cybertron is one whose beast and robot modes are both metallic in construction. Where a Cyberorganic would form an animal that was real for all intents and purposes, a Transmetal only forms a robotic version of that animal. This makes blending in with nature impossible.
Transmetals have a special advantage in that they can choose for themselves a third form, the vehicle form. The vehicle form is nearly always a logical extension of the beast mode, though sometimes a simple change can produce an entirely new function. For example, a racecar is made from a beetle simply by adding wheels.
Transmetals have another advantage in that they can soak the damage related to exposure to raw energon. For each round of damaging exposure, roll soak to ignore the potentially aggravated damage. This soak roll is not necessarily standard, and its difficulty can fluctuate depending on the proximity and amount of raw energon nearby. However, because Transmetals have no organic form, they must make this roll whenever they are exposed, regardless of form.
Starting Spark: Three
A Transmetal Fuzor behaves exactly like a combination of the two forms above. He gains all the benefits and weaknesses of a Transmetal (soak energon damage; choose vehicle form) as well as the ability to create a beast mode of two different animals combined together.
Starting Spark: Four
A new class of Transmetal created by melding Cybertron technology with that of the Vok, the Transmetal II Cybertrons are able gain supernatural power directly from their own sparks.
A Transmetal II chooses one beast form, which like the Transmetal beast form is a robotic version of the animal she mimics. She keeps the Transmetal ability to soak raw energon damage, but loses the third, "vehicle," form.
The ultimate benefit of becoming a Transmetal II are their innate "Spark Powers," which are mental and magical in nature.
Because Cybertronians in the know dislike Vok technology, and because Cybertronian scientists have little or no explanation for the Spark Powers gained by Transmetal IIs, TIIs are often feared or disliked by others, particularly Cyberorganic Beasts who believe advancement should have stopped with their class.
Starting Spark: Three
The final edge of Cybertron evolution. It was discovered by accident, and it probably shouldn't have happened, but it was found that, when a Cybertron attempted to incubate the spark of another, he would change. The body would grow to accommodate the new energy, and would gain special powers and abilities.
An Optimal Cybertron is any Cybertron whose body has, at some time, contained two sparks. These sparks are generally highly compatible: a Cybertron with an amount of Pure Design or Past Spark seeks out their original ancestor, and places their spark inside his own spark cavity, or, two Cybertrons with affection for each other can make the decision to become one entity. The Optimal's body may still contain two sparks, or, the secondary spark can be removed and placed in its original body. For more information on the process that creates an Optimal, see Optimization, under Procedures.
The advantages to being Optimized are many. Optimals can soak damage from raw energon like Transmetals. They can, if they desire, choose to be Fuzors with more than one animal feature to their beast modes, Chimera with as many animal features as they desire, or mythological beasts such as dragons. They can also choose up to three alternate vehicle forms if they so desire by spending five freebie points per alternate form, and can have Transmetal II Spark Powers, though they pay twice as much for them. Unlike Transmetal IIs, Optimals are generally well-respected, and often feared and awed for their ability. Optimals are typically large and of a high size Class. Optimals can access their secondary sparks for help in solving problems they cannot understand: decide on abilities for the secondary spark, and use this like the Past Spark background.
However, there is an important disadvantage to being an Optimal: Optimals can often pick up difficulty in distinguishing their current spark with their secondary spark. Botches on rolls for the Spark bring an Optimal closer to insanity as he wars with his other self... Any Optimal who botches a Spark roll becomes overwhelmed by the power of his secondary spark. He may be possessed by the other personality, or flooded with memories from the Matrix. This other Spark will likely challenge the Optimal for control of the body unless he can somehow be subdued. Particularly frightening encounters will cause the Optimal to gain a Derangement, the most common being "Flashbacks," "Nightmares," and "Split Personality."
Optimals are rare, and no Cybertron is Protoformed as an Optimal. For starting characters who are Optimals, decide how the character was Optimized and when.
Starting Spark: Five
Unlike human beings, Cybertrons as a race have a great variation in height. Though the majority of the Beast Wars Transformers are a lot smaller than their Autobot and Decepticon ancestors, which conserves their fuel output, some of these robots are still giants among the others. Players can spend Background points in the Size Background to determine their character's initial height and mass. For every dot spent in this manner, the Cybertron gains one extra die to his soak pool, along with some advantages in intimidating and overpowering members of smaller Classes. However, he also may gain difficulty in tasks that require fine manipulation, stealth, three-hundred-sixty-degree perception, and in some cases subtracts from opponent's difficulties to hit him. A character's Size Class should be noted on his character sheet. Changes in Size Class are common during changes of Generation.
A Normal-sized protoformed Cybertron is an ordinary human-sized robot. Most range from four to six feet in height, though certain extremes (three or seven feet) are still within the range of the class. For Beast Wars purposes, robots smaller than four feet are still considered Normal size protoforms. These robots typically weigh between one and three hundred pounds.
A Deluxe Transformer ranges in height from about six to eight feet, with females smaller than males. They typically have an even distribution of mass, and weigh between two and six hundred pounds.
Mega-sized Cybertrons are not usually very much taller than their Deluxe counterparts, but are a good deal more massive due to a lower or sometimes back-heavy weight distribution. This is the Size Class with the greatest height ranges between males and females, as male Megas can be up to nine feet tall, but female Megas barely reach seven. Female Cybertrons above this size class are extremely rare. Mega Cybertrons can weigh from five-hundred pounds to a few tons, though females have been known to weigh less and still belong to this class.
An Ultra-sized Cybertron is a good deal larger than a Mega-sized robot, and can be anywhere from nine to fifteen feet in height. Cybertrons protoformed from stasis pods at this Size Class are rare though not impossible; characters of this Class are more likely to be formed from the Matrix or Pit complexes directly. This is the largest possible size class for any stasis-pod originated character.
Super-sized robots are considered Autobot or Decepticon-sized robots, and can range from fifteen to twenty-five feet in height. Robots of this size must come from the Matrix or Pit complexes directly, or else have gained this size through a drastic change such as achieiving Optimal Generation. Cybertrons of this size are very rarely protoformed.
Giga-sized robots, which can be from twenty-five feet to the size of a starship, are enormous robots who are just as often interacted with as used as vehicles for smaller Cybertron passengers. For a Cybertron of this size, simply allowing information to pass freely from one joint to another across the great distance of his frame can often be a hassle. All Wits roll difficulties for Giga-sized Transformers are increased by one. However, all Strength-related difficulties are decreased by one to account for this Cybertron's massive size. Due to their general lack of mobility and difficulty getting into tight places, Giga-sized Transformers are generally not suitable as player-characters.
"Constructicons form Devistator, the most powerful robot!"
—Scavenger, "Transformers: The Movie"
Legends tell of groups of Autobots and Decpticons who could join together into one mind to create even more powerful warriors. This technology is all but lost on the current crop of Cybertrons, though there are some who still understand and practice it.
If a player would like to generate a character that is a Combiner (sometimes called a Gestalt), he must declare this during character generation. He must then spend as many points in the Allies background as people he wishes to combine with. He or the Storyteller must then generate these other characters, whether they are PCs or NPCs. All of the aspects of one Combiner must be of the same Generation, same Protoformation, and Alliance. Finally, the final form of the combination must be generated. Its Protoformation and Alliance are the same as its components. For gaming purposes, consider this character to be an Optimal (place the background points there automatically), although it is not Optimized in the traditional manner. The final form of a Combiner has only one mode—that of a giant robot or, in some cases, a giant beast—but does not take the "No Transformation" flaw. It is automatically considered to be of a size in proportion with what it actually is: a combination of many other forms.
Because of this size, a Combiner is often much stronger than its component parts. However, there are tales of Combiners who had other exaggerated attributes. When creating the final form of a Combiner, place a "x 3" next to its Strength Attribute (as the "x 2" effective robot mode Strength; see Chapter Three). Also, place a "x 2" next to another Attribute. The most logical Attribute for this rating is Stamina, to account for the large size, but a Combiner may be instead super-fast, super-smart, or even super-beautiful!
If more than one aspect of a Combiner is run by a player, when the Cybertrons have combined form, have the designated "leader" of the group run the combined form. A Combiner's final form may take the flaw "Split Personality," if more than one of its aspects is fighting to control it.
A Combiner's final form may never have a higher rating in any Ability or Mechanism than those who make up its components. It may have more powerful weapons, but these should be a logical extension of its components' weaponry. Freebie points for the final forms of Combiners are typically placed directly into Attributes.
If one of a Combiner's components should be destroyed, the Combiner's final form cannot again be made. All of the components for a Combiner must be present to join forms. A Combiner's final form does not have its own Spark or Energon, but, rather, relies on the energy of those present within its structure. Thus, the main advantage to Combining is that Cybertrons joined in such a manner can pool resources to access more abilities. However, the resources used must come from one component originally. When the single Cybertrons transform down to their native forms, divide the combined form's expenditure among them equally.
Being a Combiner is difficult and complex, and, thus, Combiners are very rare now, much rarer than they were at the time of the Great War. Rumor has it that Tripredicus is a Combiner.
Organizations, Neutrals, and Other Unaligned
"Isn't there a way not to be either...?"
—Uriah Jackson, White Wolf Storyteller, after overlooking early Beast Wars RPG notes
Having an entire planet populated by only two races is harsh on some people's logic circuits. There are those on Cybertron who do not choose an alliance, but they are rare indeed.
All Cyberorganics on the planet today are protoformed as either a Maximal or Predacon. This is the only way approved by the rulers of Cybertron, but, in any tightly controlled system, there are those who slip through the cracks. During the Great War, Cybertrons were generated "the old fashioned way:" built from scratch. This may be possible if, for example, a spark was accidentally created and needed a non-government-approved housing, or a spark was without a body and without a blank protoform to be inserted into. Any Cybertron created in this manner would have no organic parts, and would thus be of a generation of Transmetal or above. The new creation would most likely have a name reflecting its origin. A Maximal dedicated to her cause would call her new creation an Autobot, and only the most apathetic of Predacons would not refer to her creation as a Decepticon. However, some more peaceful Cybertrons would not want such a connotation to befall their creations, and would not call the new Cybertron anything at all.
There are a handful of individuals who refer to themselves as Unicron protoforms. However, they do not do this referring out loud, for revealing their origins would mean nothing less than immediate deactivation. These are true protoforms that have descended from a Pit worse than the Pit: the mouth of Unicron himself. Unicronian protoforms, should one be found intact and unawakened, are platinum in color and coated with a blackish-purple gel. A Unicron's starting Willpower is five. (See disclaimer.)
Once a Cybertron has been protoformed, the choice of alliance is typically simple. Cybertrons are forced from their beginning to follow the alliance they were protoformed into. Changing alliances willingly is difficult, and a change typically only happens to the strongest-willed among Cybertrons, or those that are forced to change due to circumstances beyond their control. Most actually neutral Cybertrons simply stay with the alliance they were protoformed into, then stay as far as they can away from the war. Not all aligned are soldiers.
However, certain smaller factions have decided on different causes than the two main alliances offer. These factions, called Organizations, sometimes go as far as to create for themselves their own activation code to signify their lack of allegiance. Usually, an Organization has a common bond tying its members together, such as protoforming the same type of beast.
Organizations are difficult to recruit for, have a difficult time gaining power, and are usually crushed by the larger war. However, players may create Organizations, making them as simple or complex as they desire. Organizations may have their own rules for recruiting, and their own special requirements of their members. Most importantly, any player-created Organization must have a clear mission and code so that the Storyteller knows when to require members of this Organization to roll to preserve Spark. It is important to create Organizations with real methods and purposes, and not to use them simply as an excuse to stray from roleplaying the other "standard" Codes. Ask your Storyteller before using your Organization.