Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 40 STR 30 17- Lift 6400 kg; 8d6 HTH Damage [4] 14 DEX 8 12- 30 CON 20 15- 8 INT -2 11- PER Roll 14- 5 EGO -5 10- 30 PRE 20 15- PRE Attack: 6d6 7 OCV 20 5 DCV 10 2 OMCV -3 2 DMCV -3 3 SPD 10 Phases: 4, 8, 12 8 PD 6 Total: 8 PD (0 rPD) 8 ED 6 Total: 8 ED (0 rED) 15 REC 11 60 END 8 38 BODY 28 70 STUN 25 Total Characteristic Cost: 189 Movement: Running: 14m/28m Leaping: 4m/8m Swimming: 4m/8m Tunneling: 1m/1m Cost Powers & Skills 40 Huge, Powerful Fists: Area Of Effect Accurate (1m Radius; +½), Double Knockback (+½) applied to STR 20 Huge, Powerful Fists: Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) for Area Of Effect Accurate (1m Radius) and Double Knockback 22 Rips Up Concrete To Throw: Blast 8d6, Area Of Effect (1 x 2m Areas; chunk of concrete varies with each use; +¼); Extra Time (Full Phase, -½), OIF (must have reasonably solid surface to pull material from [asphalt, concrete, rock, and so on]; -½), Range Based On STR (-¼), Side Effects (destroys the ground around the Tank; -0), END 5 120 Virtually Invulnerable: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 75% 4 Massive Size: Knockback Resistance -4m 14 Super Strength Smash Through: Tunneling 1m through 8 PD material; No Noncombat Movement (-¼), END 2 9 Sensitive To Light, Noise, Touch: +3 PER with all Sense Groups 5 Hiding In The Dark Won't Save You: Nightvision 6 "They Don't Eat, They Don't Sleep, What Keeps Them Going?": LS (Eating: Character does not eat; Sleeping: Character does not sleep) 1 Long Arms: Reach +1m Talents 6 Grotesque Mutations: +2/+2d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters) Skills 3 Acrobatics 12- 3 Breakfall 12- 3 Climbing 12- Total Powers & Skill Cost: 256 Total Cost: 445 175+ Matching Complications (50) 15 Distinctive Features: loud grunting, pounding of fists on the ground, unmistakable size (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 30 Enraged: upon sighting non-Infected (Common), go 14-, recover 8- 15 Physical Complication: Large (roughly 8 feet/2.5m tall, +2 OCV to Hit, +2 PER to others PER Rolls to perceive) (Frequently; Slightly Impairing) 20 Physical Complication: Reduced Level Of Intelligence/No Sense Of Self-Preservation (see text) (Frequently; Greatly Impairing) 20 Psychological Complication: Incredibly Hostile To Non-Infected (Common; Total) 10 Susceptibility: if set on fire, 1d6 Drain DEX, Instant (Uncommon) 10 Susceptibility: if set on fire, 1d6 Drain SPD, Instant (Uncommon) Total Complications Points: 50 Experience Points: 270
Background/History: A Tank is the largest and most powerful of the Special Infected. They roam aimlessly and seem to be in a state of perpetual rage, as they can be heard crashing and smashing about long before they’re seen. They rarely stand idle for long, and will immediately do all they can to attack any non-infected they sight, going so far as to smash their way through crowds of Common Infected to reach their targets.
Personality/Motivation: As mentioned above, a Tank never seems to enter the listless and lethargic state seen among the Common Infected. They roam constantly and will bellow loudly upon sighting non-Infected (a possible PRE Attack) before attacking. Once they do attack, they’re relentless and will attempt to pound into the ground anyone within reach.
Quote: Heavy breathing when idle or moving, deep bellowing roars when non-Infected or sighted.
Powers/Tactics: A Tank’s initial attack(s) depends on its environment. If on open ground, the Tank will close as quickly as possible and start punching. However, if in an area littered with debris (such as fallen tree trunks, abandoned cars, or loose wreckage), the Tank will punch that instead, trying to send it flying into (and over) his foes. If he can, the Tank will try and rip up a chunk of ground and hurl that as well. Once they do close, the Tank will lash out with it’s massive fists, seeking to punch its victim(s) either into damaging debris, off of tall structures, or straight into the ground, where it will them strike them repeatedly until they’re dead.
Due to their sheer size and power, Tanks seem to be immune to most damage and only concentrated firepower from multiple points can hope to bring one down quickly. Setting a Tank alight helps, as a burning Tank is noticeably slower. Another suggestion is to try and cover it with a CEDA bottle of Boom Bile, which hopefully will attract a Horde, forcing the Tank to deal with that distracting while the PCs move back to a better defensive position.
Aside from punching cars into the air, Tanks are also quite capable of punching right through doors and walls. Their fists are too large to dodge, so anyone wanting to engage in hand-to-hand with a Tank better do it from the sides or rear, and try to do so in tight quarters, where the Tank is unable to turn around.
Appearance: Heavily mutated, a Tank’s body exhibits massive muscle growth, with a chest, shoulders, and arms so large, the head has almost vanished from view. The upper body is so large, the Tank is unable to walk upright, and instead must “knuckle-walk” in the same manner as a gorilla. Their legs retain normal human proportions, but apparently possess denser muscle tissue and bones, allowing them to support the Tank’s weight for short periods. The typical Tank is dressed in jeans and shoes, but this can vary.
Designer's Notes: A Tank is a boss-level encounter found in Valve Software’s Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. This character sheet presents the basic abilities of the Tank, although GMs could easily adjust them to meet a desired power level. Suggestions include making it stronger, applying Indirect to its STR so it can punch targets through walls and doors, removing or reducing the Damage Reduction and replacing it with Resistant PD and ED, giving the Tank Damage Negation to make it immune to pistols and the like, increasing the Tank’s Running, or turning its Rips Up Concrete To Throw power into a Multipower with a Blast slot and an RKA slot (depending on material tripped up), and so on.
Much of the information here was taken from direct game play, as well as the Left 4 Dead wiki. The stats given here are a mix of conjecture, game play descriptions, and an attempt to present in-game concepts in a manner consistent with the HERO System. Thus, some original game elements have been simplified in order to make them playable with regards to a tabletop RPG and/or to simulate real world gear, and thus make the Infected useful in various campaign settings.
(Tank created by Valve Software, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
SURVIVORS
Coach | Ellis | Francis | Louis | Nick | Rochelle | William "Bill" Overbeck | Zoey
INFECTED
Common/Uncommon Infected | Boomer | Charger | Hunter | Jockey | Smoker | Spitter | Tank | Witch
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