Kaiju Character Creation

Creation of kaiju characters adheres to the rules laid out in Savage Worlds with adjustments to account for their unique traits. The customized process follows:


ORIGIN

To make your own giant monster, first consider its origin and appearance. Here are a few common origins derived from kaiju movie tropes, but feel free to come up with some additional ones. Perhaps your kaiju fell to the Earth in a meteor, or arrived at our world through a dimensional breach.

Bioweapon: Genetically engineered by lost civilizations (such as Atlantis or Lemuria), aliens, and even modern governments, bioweapons exhibit abilities extraordinary by even kaiju standards. Their bizarre features might include cybernetic augments such as buzz saws, jet thrusters, laser beams, and massive blades for hands or snouts. Most constructs fall into this category.

Mesozoic Superspecies: Frozen in ice or lying dormant at the bottom of the sea for millions of years, Mesozoic Superspecies awake to a world they don't know. Their rampages are motivated by animalistic needs such as hunting or protecting their offspring. Superspecies kaiju usually resemble gargantuan natural animals such as dinosaurs and insects.

Walking Natural Disaster: Whether birthed by atomic testing or industrial pollution, Walking Natural Disasters exist as Nature’s reminder of the folly of mankind. Driven by rage, such kaiju range in appearance from mutated dinosaurs to horrid grotesqueries.

Living God: Living Gods may be in all other respects Bioweapons, Superspecies, or Walking Natural Disasters, but they usually exhibit a level of intelligence — even empathy — rarely seen in other kaiju. Such creatures often grow into leaders of other kaiju and go-betweens between humanity and monsters.


MOTIVATION

What instinct drives the kaiju's actions? Here are some possibilities, but feel free to develop some new ones.

Destruction: Territoriality or wrath drives the kaiju toward a rampage. A hunger for destruction often motivates Bioweapons and Walking Natural Disasters; their packmates might try to contain their brethren or defend them as they run amok.

Hunger: Some kaiju are carnivores or herbivores, while others subsist on radiation, fire, or more bizarre diets. Even the simplest of kaiju-sized hungers might bring the monsters into conflict with farmers, fishermen, or ranchers. Exotic needs might impel kaiju to attack nuclear power plants or fuel refineries.

Nesting: Mesozoic Superspecies fall into torpor for years at a time. Finding a good nesting site protects them from rival kaiju while they sleep away the ages. Unfortunately, humanity has spread far and wide, so even inhospitable volcanoes and deserts host human settlements opposed to kaiju neighbors. Such a scenario resembles a classic monster movie in reverse, as the locals try to drive out a protagonist just looking to find a place to sleep or rear its young.

Protection: Living Gods are the most likely to be driven to protect something, though Bioweapons may retain enough of their programming to have complex relationships with a site or citizenry. Other kaiju may simply feel territorial and attack invasive threats. Kaiju with the Dependent Hindrance often find their wards stumbling into trouble.


COMMON RACIAL ABILITIES

All kaiju automatically start with the list of common abilities detailed here:

• Armor +30: All kaiju have scaly skin, viscous bodies, or dense flesh that acts as armor.

• Cannot Speak: Kaiju communicate through body language, infrasound, pheromones, roars, and trills, but cannot speak human languages (unless they have the Fully Sapient ability, below).

• Size 16 (Gargantuan): Racial abilities and Edges may not reduce the kaiju's Size below 12 or above 20. They have Heavy Armor, can take three additional Wounds, and their attacks (including powers) count as Heavy Weapons. Kaiju may perform Stomp attacks.

• Increased Damage: The creature's limbs cause Str+2d12, AP 24 damage. Claws and teeth actually pierce armor while blunt limbs or flailing tails negate it with overwhelming force, but both negate Armor in game terms.


ADDITIONAL RACIAL ABILITIES

Kaiju get an additional 15 points worth of Racial Abilities chosen by the player. These abilities may be selected from those listed starting on p. 18 of the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, or from the new additions listed below. Note that a few abilities are different or have different point values for kaiju. Where they differ, use the ones in this thread in place of the ones in the Adventure Edition.

Racial Abilities such as Big, Power, and Super Power are prohibited.




HINDRANCES

Select up to four points of Hindrances (Major Hindrances are worth 2, Minor are worth 1). Keep in mind that a majority of Hindrances may be considered inappropriate. No kaiju is typically going to have to worry about Poverty or being Illiterate, for example.

In addition to the Hindrances listed in the Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, some new Hindrances are featured further below.

For 2 points worth of Hindrances you can:
• Raise an attribute one die type, or
• Choose an Edge

For 1 point worth of Hindrances you can:
• Gain another skill point

Note that Hindrances don't have to adhere exactly to what's written in the description and can be narratively re-interpreted to better reflect a kaiju character. For instance, a monster with the Slow Hindrance doesn't literally need to have a disability or past injury; it could simply be slow because it's a gigantic, ponderous beast with a sluggish metabolism.


ATTRIBUTES

Kaiju start with d12+16 Strength with a maximum of d12+20. They also start with d10 Vigor with a maximum of d12+3. All other attributes start at d4. You have 5 points to distribute among them. Each step costs 1 point. Attributes other than Strength and Vigor may not be raised beyond d12 without the Attribute Increase Racial Ability (see Savage Worlds Adventure Edition).

Though most are incapable of speech, kaiju possess more than simple animal cognition. While they are often driven by powerful instincts, some kaiju also display surprising degrees of intelligence. They can forge emotional bonds with other species, problem solve, and strategize on a level not far below people. Kaiju intelligence is therefore NOT considered "animal intelligence" by Savage Worlds rules, but neither is it completely human.


SKILLS

Though semi-sapient, kaiju still possess skills more in keeping with animals than humans. Kaiju core skills are Athletics, Intimidation, Notice, Stealth, and Taunt. They start with a d4 in each.

You have 12 points to put into these or any other skills. Each die type costs 1 point (starting at d4) as long as the skill is equal to or less than the attribute it’s linked to (see the skill list in Savage Worlds). If you exceed the linked attribute, the cost becomes 2 points per die type.

Skill Maximums: Skills may not be increased above d12 during character creation unless the monster starts with a skill increase. Each die type granted there increases the skill maximum by 1 as well.


DERIVED STATS

Kaiju Scale: Due to their massive size, kaiju use a different scale for determining distance. For most Savage Worlds characters, 1" (1 inch) equals 2 yards. For kaiju, however, 1" equals 20 yards. Ranges for kaiju movement, powers, and templates are made at this larger kaiju scale, abbreviated "KS" in the text.

Basically, if you see an inch value with a "KS" next to it, multiply that value by 20 to get the distance in real world yards/meters.

Pace: Standard Pace for a kaiju is 6" KS (120 yards), but this may be changed by Racial Abilities, Edges, and/or Hindrances.

Parry: 2 plus half of Fighting.

Toughness: 2 plus half of Vigor, plus Size bonus and Armor.


EDGES

Kaiju may not take Arcane Backgrounds, Power Edges, or Professional Edges. They may select from Edges in the Adventure Edition, so long as they make sense in the campaign. New Edges are also featured further below. A majority of Edges are not appropriate for kaiju characters, especially among weapon-based Combat Edges, Social Edges, and Background Edges (no charismatc, filthy rich kaiju who double-tap their enemies with giant pistols... sorry). The Game Master may veto any Edge that he feels is inappropriate for a kaiju.


GEAR

Kaiju don't have gear and do not gain starting funds. If a giant monster wants something, it takes it!

This game will employ the following Setting Rules from Savage Worlds:

Fanatics: When a Wild Card enemy is hit by a successful attack, one of his lesser monsters can jump in front of his master and takes the attack instead.

Fast Healing: Kaiju make natural healing rolls once per day instead of every five days. They recover one level of Fatigue from Bumps & Bruises every four hours instead of the usual 24.

High Adventure: Characters may spend a Benny to gain the one-time use of a Combat Edge. The kaiju must meet the Rank and any Edge requirements as usual, but can ignore Trait requirements. Multiple Bennies may be spent in one round for multiple Edges, either for different effects or in order to meet a needed requirement to gain another Edge.

Unarmed Defender: Ignore this rule for kaiju.

Wound Cap: Kaiju can never suffer more than four Wounds in a single hit and therefore never have to Soak more than four wounds (this means kaiju can never be killed by a single attack).


STOMP

A kaiju may stomp, slam, or jump on Huge and smaller targets in an adjacent Small Burst Template KS as a Fighting attack.

It may only Stomp once per turn, though it may take other actions as usual. Stomping ignores Scale modifiers and is an opposed Athletics vs Athletics for beings, or Athletics vs Boating or Driving for vehicles. If successful, the kaiju rolls its Strength for damage (plus a bonus die if it succeeded with a raise). Armor doesn't protect against this kind of mass, which is the real danger for heavily armored tanks and other human war machines.


TOOL USER

Some monsters have the instinct, intelligence, and most importantly, manual dexterity or opposable thumbs to use weapons such as giant trees, girders, rocks, or even ships as weapons.

Finding such a weapon requires an area where such things might exist—a mighty forest, city, trainyard, industrial area, mountainside, etc., and a Notice roll. This takes an action, and if successful gives the creature a giant improvised weapon. Like all Improvised Weapons (see Savage Worlds Adventure Edition, p. 102), the attacker subtracts 2 from his Fighting rolls, but adds a d12 to his damage if he's successful (d12 + 2 if the Notice roll succeeded with a raise).

Materials like these aren't built for this kind of incredible strain, so roll a die after each use. If the result is odd, the weapon falls apart and offers no further benefit.


CRUSH, CRUMBLE, & DESTROY

Cities are destructible battlegrounds for kaiju. Most aren't actually bent on killing humans, they just want to destroy the trappings of civilization they see encroaching on nature. When a giant monster attacks a target next to a Building or Skyscraper (Houses are too small), it can subtract 2 from its Fighting roll (or rolls if making multiple attacks) to slam the foe into the building and add +d6 damage to its total—this stacks with bonus damage from a raise, Wild Attacks, and any other maneuvers, but must be declared before the attack is rolled.

If successful, apply the same damage to the building as well. If the building is destroyed in this way, the attacker gets a Benny for proving his dominance over civilization and his foe!


PROPERTY DAMAGE

Buildings are treated like vehicles rather than objects when it comes to kaiju — they have multiple Wounds to reflect various states of damage, and larger buildings can take more Wounds before they're considered rubbled. The Toughness of various buildings, their Size, and the total number Wounds each can take is listed on the table below.

BLOODLUST (MINOR OR MAJOR)

The kaiju tends to go berserk in combat situations. Unlike the Berserk Edge, however, the character gains no temporary benefits while frenzying; it simply loses control. The kaiju must make a successful Spirit roll when engaging or being engaged by an opponent. Failure indicates that the character must make Fighting or Shooting Attacks until the encounter is over. If the opponent is vanquished or escapes beyond the kaiju's reach, the character might attack allies, buildings, or go on a general rampage through the area. The character may regain control by spending an action and making a successful Spirit roll. If shaken off this way, the character does not need to roll for the rest of the combat. The major version of this Hindrance is as above, except the Spirit roll to either maintain or to regain control is at -2.


DEPENDENT (MINOR OR MAJOR)

Due to parentage, mystical bond, or cross-species empathy, your kaiju is attached to some being it will do anything to protect.

The Dependent is a Novice Rank Wild Card with a penchant for getting into trouble. As a Minor Hindrance, the dependent is a juvenile kaiju of Size 8; this is typically an offspring or relative, but the kaiju may also bond to a completely different species.

As a Major Hindrance, the Dependent is a human (or member of another human-sized race). Typical human Dependents include precocious children, psychics bonded to the kaiju, or eminent kaijuologists.

If the Dependent ever dies, your kaiju is grief-stricken until it exacts revenge against the being (or beings) that caused the Dependent’s death. Until then, the kaiju receives only one Benny at the beginning of each game session (though Luck and other bonuses apply normally). Once the Dependent is avenged, the player may choose to buy off the Hindrance or have the kaiju bond to a new Dependent.


VAINGLORIOUS (MINOR)

For whatever reason, the kaiju seems to welcome human praise and worship. This monster is a proud creature and gets easily distracted by offerings and displays of worship by local human populations. Suffers a –2 penalty to Notice rolls when around reverent or adoring humans.


WATER DEPENDENCY (MAJOR)

This kaiju is a creature of the sea. It lacks the physiology to function on land (at least for more than a few minutes). Thus, its movements are limited to oceans, large rivers, and other deep bodies water.

EMPATHIC CONNECTION
Requirements: Novice, Spirit d6+

The kaiju has a empathic connection with natural animal species that are superficially similar and perhaps genetically related. For example, a bat-like kaiju might display a strange connection with various chiropteran (bat) species, while a shark-like kaiju might share a connection to the many sharks in the oceans, etc. This empathic connection allows the character to feel and communicate basic emotions and desires to the animals up to Smarts x 10" KS in distance. The kaiju can cause local animals under its influence to flock to it, scatter, make noise, move or fly in a certain pattern or direction, and possibly more. The animals will often mirror the kaiju's emotional state. This is not direct mind control, but rather, and powerful form of emotional contagion. Empathically connected animals will not purposely sacrifice themselves for the kaiju, and experiencing the death or a large number of animals with which it's connected is uncomfortable, resulting in a level of fatigue. Empathic connections cannot be forged with humans or other sapient species.


MUTATION
Requirements: Novice, kaiju

Some kaiju develop strange new abilities over time. A giant toad might eventually develop a horn, for example, or a serpent might reach maturation and grow wings, giving it the Flight special ability.

Mutation grants a monster 2 points of positive racial abilities. It may be selected more than once, but only once per Rank. The additional points may be banked over several Ranks to buy Racial Abilities costing more than 2 points.


SWAT
Requirements: Seasoned, kaiju

The kaiju has learned how to deal with mankind’s pesky planes, tanks, and other contraptions. It ignores up to 4 points of Scale penalties when attacking with its Natural Attacks or powers.


HUMAN APPROVED
Requirements: Novice, kaiju

"So you want to make Godzilla our pet?"

"No. We will be his."

— Godzilla: King of the Monsters

The kaiju is beloved by a specific population of humans, such as the citizenry of a certain country or geographic area (often the area where the kaiju makes its home). Typically, this is because the kaiju has a history of acting as a guardian for the surrounding region, or because the monster has a cherished place in local folklore or religion as a benevolent deity. Perhaps it has even been adopted as a national mascot of sorts. Whatever the case, the kaiju has human advocates in the government and media - people that lobby the U.N.'s Kaiju Task Force to defend the creature's right to existence. Likewise, the military of that particular nation will usually stand down against the kaiju unless attacked first.

Note that the kaiju loses this Edge if it takes aggressive action against its human supporters, allows other kaiju to ravage them unchallenged, or causes tremendous amounts of unnecessary collateral damage.


TRACKER
Requirements: Novice, Notice d6+, Survival d8+

The kaiju's senses are so keen that it can track a target from almost half way across the world. Maybe it relies on a supremely powerful sense of smell, or perhaps its tracking ability is based on something more exotic like electroception or sensitivity to radiation. So long as the character still has a viable trail to follow, it gets a +2 to Notice rolls that involving tracking with your senses. This bonus stacks with other Notice-related Edges such as Alertness.