Creative Characters (Starfinder): Treadz, Vesk Mechanic

Welcome back to Creative Characters. This time around, our group will focus on a number of crossblooded denizens of the outlying Evervale region, somewhat unique in the acceptance and integration of their community. In this case, all of our characters will be interesting hybrid races, presenting fun new options for dynamic characters.

For the sake of reference, and consistency, all characters here are created with the Elite stat array (15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8) and all hit points are rolled as averages. They are also written so that they can be used as either NPCs or PCs. First up, Yamyra, the kestrel (half harpy/ half Halfling) bard.

*No quarterling jokes allowed.

Welcome space plungers to another edition of Creative Characters. Not only that, but it’s my third last issue. Yes, I’m sorry, but I’m leaving you at the end of this year. I’m a writer by trade, and next year I’m beginning my novel in earnest (that’s not the title. Who’s Earnest?). So this is my third last article. Next week we’ll meet the boss of The Charmers, Clayton [Powercore], and for the final week of the year? You’ll just have to wait. Here’s a clue though: “’twas brillig, and the slithy toves. did gyre and gimble in the wabe…” And I promise that’s not gibberish. Just as Alice.

Creative Characters is designed to give you NPCs you can drag and drop into your game, easy. Need a filler in? Check. Need a baddy all of a sudden? Check check. Don’t feel like making your own character for that one-shot party session coming up? Check check check! This group is the Charmers, and they’re all charismatic builds of the Core classes besides Envoy and Solarians. You know, the classes who need Charisma. Go figure.

Today in Creative Characters meet the brother of Boom-box, Treadz (real name Slinky Krink). The brothers named one another once they realized their parents were gone, but keep their real names a secret from most people they meet. Treadz is the manager of his brother’s burgeoning music career, as well as the technician for his stage shows, performances, lighting, dance-assist robots, ticket machine, etc. Having an exocortex really helps Treadz to be a one Vesk engineering team too. He’s simple when it comes to the rough streets though, preferring his hands for close up combat, and a Sonic gun (what else? Brothers gotta match). Here’s his sheet:

Treadz

Vesk mechanic 6 (corporate agent)
CG Medium Humanoid (vesk)
Init +3; Perception +8, low-light vision

DEFENSE SP 42 HP 42 RP 6

EAC 22; KAC 25
Fort +6; Ref +8; Will +2; +4 vs. fear

OFFENSE

Speed 20 ft
Melee unarmed strike +6 (1d3+11 B)
Ranged thunderstrike streetsweeper +6 (1d10+6 So, charge 1d6)

STATISTICS

Str 14; Dex 12; Con 12; Int 17; Wis 10; Cha 18
Feats Barricade, Skill Focus (Diplomacy), Spellbane, Weapon Focus (long arm)
Skills Athletics +6, Bluff +6, Computers +13, Diplomacy +7, Engineering +13, Medicine +11, Physical Science +11, Piloting +9, Profession (manager) +12
Languages Common, Vesk, Ysoki, binary
Gear personal upgrade mk I, computer tier 1, thunderstrike streetsweeper, elite defiance series, 2x serum of healing mk I

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Custom Rig

“Cool goggles man!” the crowd shouts. Treadz’ pair of goggles, that look purely for show, is his custom rig. He’ll often be slumped over in a corner, feigning sleep, while he hacks a local sound system to begin an impromptu show for Boom-box.

Mechanic Tricks:

Distracting hack, energy shield (9), overclocking.

Remote Hack

Treadz can interact with Computers and use Engineering at a range of 20 ft.

Combat Tracking

Treadz is proficient with long arms and heavy armor. Additionally, he can select a target in combat and gets a BAB bonus equal to his Mechanic level, (so attacks become +8 to hit.)

Memory Module

Treadz can reroll 1 recall knowledge check per day and gains the Skill focus feat

Wireless Hack

Treadz custom rig can hack at the same time as he can, speeding up hacking attempts or hacking a second computer for him.

ABOUT

Treadz got into the group the exact same moment his brother did. Clayton Mastercore found the brothers most impressive when the cops stopped a gang fight they were involved in. They stepped off to the side quietly, and when the time came for questions Treadz put on the best Manager voice he could muster, falling about the brave heroic authority figure, and expressing avidly how upset he and his client, Boom-box, were. On cue, Boom-box started up his music, did a little dance, and hoped for the best. The cop wasn’t totally sold yet, but a quick white lie from Boom-box (“And we’re on the way to record Vesk-church music, officer!”) saw the duo let go scot free. Their own gang kept quiet because it always helps to have allies on the outside, and the enemy gang kept quiet because they couldn’t believe 1) they had tried such a sketch and 2) that it genuinely worked.

Treadz gets along well with Clayton, as most of the members too, and obviously loves his brother Vesk. Their favorite game is Headbutt tips, where you can only headbutt the other players if they’re asleep. The other members of the group chose not to join the game, though they offered the game to Glitterskull. The next morning they both woke up, bound hand and foot to a train track, with Glitterskull kneeling motionless across the tracks from them, a red-line sniper gun aimed at them. “T-T-Tip, you’re dead,” she growled in electronic mock synth music before shooting both of them in the forehead with knock out darts. They never asked her again.

Treadz has become the machine person of the group, looking after computers, weapons, armor and dance music aplenty. He really isn’t interested in items to own himself, beyond a bed and food and is far more interested in broken items to repair or upgrade. As soon as one job is fixed he’s after the next item and can get so frenzied about it that he offers to repair the enemies items, but a bonk on the head with Boomhammer will often fix that.

As for Suzetta Biretta, Treadz has no real feelings one way or the other. The Goblin matron was heavily offended when they met when he compared fixing machines to looking after children (“Children are a far harder business!” she said), but that’s for her to stay angry about. “Shame I can’t fix your face,” the youth said, but it was under his breath, and as he was running away from a hail of boots and pans and teacups. Treadz ultimate dream is to one-day repairs mechs for a large company, but he always sees them with large sound dishes on their shoulder mounts, maybe guns but probably not, so he can stomp around town sharing awesome tunes with everyone – and damn anyone who disagrees on what’s “awesome”.

And that’s Treadz! Join us next week when we meet Clayton Forcecore, and the week after that… well, there is perhaps a sixth member of this final group… and one that Clayton Forcecore swears doesn’t exist…

Moriarty.



About jtmoriarty

Moriarty, resident evil genius, has a Bachelor of Communications and a Masters of Writing - how better to write your players dooms? He was a penniless writer but has since turned into a paid but still bad one. And yes that's real blood!

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