DRAGON BALL Z HERO

RACES

Although there area whole host of aliens seen in Dragon Ball Z, only three are really worth describing in detail, as they are the only ones to appear in any great numbers. There races are; humans, Namecks and Saiyans. If you want to know more about cyborgs, look at the Character Types chapter.

HUMANS

Humans aren't really aliens, as they live on Earth, where all the action is. Still, humans (at least, certain humans) demonstrate impressive physical powers far beyond those of "normal" people. Basically, any Player Character in a Dragon Ball campaign should not have to take the "Normal Characteristic Maxima" disadvantage. They also don't seem to age very quickly. Kame-sennin is over 400 years old, and Kulilin doesn't change all that much (at least, physically) in the 25-30 years that pass during the manga run.

The reason for this is simple: chi. Being able to manipulate chi is very important in Dragon Ball. For example, chi is what allows Beedel to fly, Gohan to fire energy blasts, and Kame-sennin to live as long as he does. Chi is like the Force from Star Wars (or, more appropriately, the Force is derived from Asian concepts of chi)—once mastered, the user can do most anything. For more on chi, and what it can be used to do, see the section on Powers.

NAMECKJINS

Namecks are greenish humanoids that look vaguely reptilian. They also seem to have a great deal in common with amphibians and/or slugs (based on Nappa's comments). Namecks have a wide variety of strange powers, which results in their having a reputation for "sorcery." In general, Namecks are not to be trifled with, and can make powerful allies, or powerful foes.

What little I know (at the moment) about Namecks runs like this --

The Namecks are a single-sexed race (or, maybe even a neuter race) that reproduce via spitting up eggs (How? Don't ask silly questions). They are green-skinned, bald, and have two small antenna on their foreheads. The Namecks don't eat (or, at least Piccolo doesn't) and don't sleep (well, at least Piccolo doesn't). They come in all shapes and sizes, from fat to thin and tall to short. They seem to be much like insects in that a Nameck is born into an occupation. I know of two: healers and warriors (there may be more—teachers, farmers, and builders seem likely). Piccolo, Kami-sama, and Nail are fighters. Dende is a healer. Naturally, healers and warriors each have specific powers.

As a race, the Namecks all probably share the same following power set:

Now, it is possible that only warriors have claws and thick skin. Healers certainly wouldn't need such things.

Healers have one main power, which is Simplified Healing on a massive scale. This is close to 10d6 (or more) of Healing, has the Advantage of Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2), and will restore virtually anyone to full health almost instantly. Unfortunately, a healer cannot heal himself.

Warriors, on the other hand, are strong, fast, and powerful. They are capable of firing chi energy blasts, flying, and feats of great physical strength. Three Nameck warriors tear through Freezer's henchmen in a matter of seconds. Nail, possibly the most powerful Nameck on the plant (aside from Piccolo) actually survives fighting Freezer—for a short time (he had a power rating of 42,000, Freezer's was 540,000...). Piccolo himself has become a "Super-Nameckjin," transcending the normal power levels of Nameck warriors.

There is at least one power of the Namecks that really can't be defined in HERO System terms. This is the ability for one Nameck to absorb another. Piccolo absorbs what is left of Nail into himself, becoming faster and more powerful. Later, he absorbs Kami-sama the same way. Granted, this last absorption can be defined as the rejoining of a pair of Duplicates (since, game mechanics wise, that's what Kami-sama and Piccolo are). Still, the absorbing Nail stunt looks to simply be an excuse to spend a large amount of experience points all at once. If this is done, I recommend the Game Master assign the new points, and spread them around, boosting STR, DEX, CON, SPD, defenses, and powers equally.

The standard disadvantages of a Warrior Nameckjin are as follows:

For more information on these disadvantages see the Typical Nameck character sheet.

Greg Sasaki writes

An interesting hypothesis on Namecks. My friend and I were talking about them and we came to the conclusion that they are possibly a plant-based life form.

Consider this --

SAIYAJINS

The Saiyajins, who hale from the now destroyed planet of Vegita, are possibly the most powerful race in existence. Their life-style is one of violence and constant battle, where peaceful pursuits are scorned. There power is such that Freezer ended up destroying the Saiyajin home world in an attempt to eliminate the Saiyajins as a possible threat.

As with the Namecks, I don't profess to know everything about the Saiyajin as a whole. But, what I do know runs as follows --

Saiyajins are a powerful race of humanoids. The gravity of their planet (Vegita) is 10 times that of Earths, meaning the average Saiyajin has a STR of at least 28 (or more). They are also very tough physically, and can survive a great deal of punishment. Saiyans (in general) have black hair and brown monkey-like tails.

During a full moon, a Saiyan can transform into a huge 60' tall were-monkey, a form capable of demolishing a city with ease. Several of these were-monkeys can easily wipe out the population of a continent or even a whole world. Cutting off this tail will cause the Saiyajin to return to his (or her) normal form. Tearing this tail out (by the roots) will eliminate the chance of a Saiyajin becoming a were-monkey as well as allowing the Saiyajin to assume Super-Saiyajin form.

The racial powers of a Saiyajin are as follows:

It has been stated (somewhere) that a Saiyajin can live in excess of 1000 years. I don't know about that, but they seem to be a very long lived race. Vegita also makes the comment that after a Saiyajin matures, his hair stops growing, remaining in same way for the rest of the Saiyajin's life. Other powers are possible. Both Vegita and Goku showed extreme resistance to bullets for example.

Saiyajins also get the following Disadvantages standard:

The tail is a Saiyajin's one real weakness. If grabbed, the Saiyajin will collapse, unable to stand. Once let go, the Saiyajin will almost instantly regain their lost prowess. Note—certain Saiyajins have trained themselves to ignore this effect and don't have this Disadvantage! For more information on these disadvantages see the Typical Saiyajin character sheet.

Super-Saiyajin

A note to readers: I have seen may definitions of what each of the Super-Saiyajin levels are like, as well as who assumed what level when. For the purposes of this supplement (and playability), I have simplified the Super-Saiyajin levels and their game effects.

If a Saiyajin has their tail removed (torn out by the roots, not just cut), then that Saiyajin can assume a high-energy state called "Super-Saiyajin." The requirements for becoming Super-Saiyajin (a.k.a. SSJ) is the Saiyajin in question must get angry—very angry (or, very emotionally distressed). Goku is able to reach this state after seeing Freezer vaporize Kulilin, while Future Trunks assumes SSJ by concentrating on his anger at the death of his father and Gohan. Vegita goes SSJ by training in the 100 G room for over six months.

As with many things in Dragon Ball, the Super-Saiyajin form has several stages, each more powerful than the last.

Super-Saiyajin (a.k.a. Stage or Grade 1)
This form of Super-Saiyajin is marked by the Saiyajin in question assuming an aura of yellow energy flames about the body. The hair goes yellow-gold, the eyes go bright blue, and the body bulks out a bit. The Saiyajin assuming this form becomes more aggressive then usual. This form is written up like this:

A great deal of variation can be gotten out of this Stage by using different amounts of dice for the Aid, the maximum number of points, and varying fade rates. The Fades per 5 Minutes Advantage could be bumped up a bit for a more authentic recreation of the power levels of Goku, Vegita, and the others. They can maintain the SSJ form for hours if needed.

Super-Saiyajin 2nd Grade/Ascended Super Saiyan
The next step in Super-Saiyajin, this form can be reached one the Saiyajin in question reached their maximum SSJ energy level (i.e. received full value from the Aid dice). The hair becomes longer and finer, while the muscle mass is noticeably bulkier. The aura becomes a raging torrent and the Saiyajin becomes even more aggressive (and angry). This form is otherwise virtually identical to the basic Super-Saiyajin form, and looks as follows:

This is the most powerful form Vegita and Future Trunks are seen to take.

Super-Saiyajin 3rd Grade/Ultra Super Saiyan
This form was discovered and used by Vegita and Trunks after they finished their stint of training for a year in the Room of Spirit and Time. A Saiyajin must have reached their maximum SSJ 2nd Grade energy level (i.e. received full value from the Aid dice) before assuming SSJ 3rd Grade. Upon reaching SSJ 3rd Grade, the Saiyajin's hair gets even longer and more spiky, the aura is accompanied by electrical discharges, and the body gains an immense amount of muscle mass.

The main problem with SSJ 3rd Grade is the body ends up with so much bulk that one's agility is shot. Vegita was unable to so much as touch Perfect Cell, much less harm him. Trunks suffered the same problem. Goku assumed SSJ 3rd Grade in the Room of Spirit and Time, but recognized the limitations of that form instantly, and discarded it, concentrating more on increasing the amount of time he could spend in SSJ and SSJ Grade 2.

While several characters are seen to assume this form (Goku, Vegita, Trunks, and even Cell), none of them ever bother to use it, so I haven't put it on their character sheets.

Full-Power Super Saiyajin
This form was assumed by Goku and Gohan while training in the Room of Spirit and Time. Per the Wikipedia article, it allows the Saiyajin to by pass Grades 1 through 3 and can be assumed almost effortlessly. It uses less overall energy than the previous grade, allowing the Saiyajin to remain in this form for longer and also to put more energy into their attacks with less effort. Based on this description, I'd define it as follows:

Anyone who can master this form might also have a lot of Reduced Endurance on their powers—representing the reduced strain to channel such enormous energies. As far as is know, only Goku and Gohan ever assumed this form.

Super-Saiyajin 3
According to Goku, this from was only reachable by him after he had died. But, Gotenks (the Son Goten/Trunks fusion) is also able to assume the Stage 3 form. It is accompanied by massive electrical discharges and bolts of lightning playing across the body. The face becomes very lean and feral, while the hair falls down past the waist in a thick mass of golden-yellow strands. This form is very, very powerful (but only useable for a very short time). I have not attempted to write it up, as it goes beyond the scale of what I am attempting to cover in this supplement. Suffice to say that is should be defined as an Aid to STR, CON, PD, ED, END, STUN, and any Chi Powers Multipower that fades per Minute (or even longer). The Aid itself should be in the neighborhood of 15d6 to 20d6 (or more). This Stage can be assumed straight from Grade 1, but the user needs to be especially driven. An Ego Roll and Extra Time (around a Full Turn) would be highly appropriate disadvantages.

Super-Saiyajin 4
This form is assumed by Son Goku and Vegita in Dragon Ball GT. As this series is beyond the scope of Dragon Ball Hero, I am going to not bother about trying to define it. Suffice to say that at Stage 4, Goku is capable of shattering planets with ease and can probably wipe out a whole solar system single-handedly.

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