Rover Technology
Rover is a small three-person aircraft designed and built by Dr. Henry Pym in his spare time in order to assist him and Janet van Dyne in their careers as Ant-Man and Wasp. Roughly the size of an electric sub-compact car, Rover incorporates a number of highly advanced technologies within its chassis, including the recent addition of a friendly and helpful artificial intelligence.
Pym originally designed Rover as a means of rapid transport, both through the Chicago area (where Pym is based) and when shrunk to extremely small size. After nearly being destroyed during an adventure involving the giant insect Scarlet Beetle and the robotic Ultron, Pym decided to create a safer AI. Pym placed the AI inside the rebuilt Rover in order to better contain the AI in case it also went rogue, as Ultron had done previously. Pym has described Rover's AI as possessing the intelligence and personality of a faithful ant, although others have likened Rover to a faithful dog. Since then, Rover has established itself as a valuable ally of both Ant-Man and Wasp, approaching the world with a childlike sense of wonder.
Rover has been destroyed on a number of occasions, but Pym always rebuilds it.
Overall, Rover resembles a giant ant head; it's occasionally been called "the Antmobile", much to Pym's chagrin and van Dyne's amusement. It is ten feet long, resting on a number of landing struts which double as steering vanes; five feet high, not counting the struts, which add another foot; and roughly seven feet wide at its widest, with the landing struts/steering vanes adding another foot. It has a pair of six foot long insect-like antennae above the cockpit canopies.
Rover is powered by a series of experimental high-density rechargeable batteries; under normal circumstances, Rover can travel for close to four thousand miles before needing to be recharged. A pair of canopy windows open upward, revealing three seats with two sets of steering controls; the rear seat is considered cramped by most people. The earliest versions of Rover used vectored thrust to provide lift; this has been replaced by a Stark Industries experimental contragravity generator. The rear quarter of the craft is composed of the engine, which is fed from an air intake situated in front. Being an entirely electric vehicle, Rover does not require fuel; for thrust, it super-heats the air it pulls in to use as thrust, enabling it to fly at speeds approaching 400 mph. The antennae above the canopies tie into its communications and sensor suite. Rover is able to send and receive in all AM, FM, CB, and TV frequencies; its sensor suite includes regular and ground-penetrating radar, infrared optics, and a chemical analyzer. Situated in the rear are a pair of extendable magnetic grapples.
Finally, Rover has its own supply of Pym particles, enabling it to shrink to roughly two inches long.
First Post-Reboot Appearance: (chassis) ASTONISHING ANT-MAN #3; (AI) ASTONISHING ANT-MAN ANNUAL #2.
737 points
| ST: 59 [147*†] | HP: 59 [0] | Speed: 6.00 [0] |
| DX: 13 [36†] | Will: 12 [20] | Ground Move: 0 [-30] |
| IQ: 8 [-40] | Per: 12 [20] | Air Move: 6/192 [-12] |
| HT: 11 [10] | FP: 0 [0] | SM: +3 |
| Dmg: 7d-1/9d | BL: 696 lbs. | |
| Dodge: 10 | Parry: n/a | DR: 8 |
Languages: English (Native) (Native Language) [0].
Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].
Advantages: Absolute Direction (Requires Signal, -20%) [4]; Active IR (Extended Arc: 240°, +75%) [35]; AI [32]; Binding (Magnetic Grapnels) 40 (Increased 1/2D Range ×10, +15%; Reduced Range ×1/5, -20%) [76]; Circuit Sense 4 [20]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Compartmentalized Mind 1 (Controls, ×1/2; No Mental Separation, -20%) [20]; Damage Resistance 8 (Semi-Ablative, -20%) [32]; Discriminatory Smell (Profiling, +50%) [23]; Enhanced Move (Air) 5 (Air Move 192/384 mph; Handling Bonus +2, +10%) [110]; Enhanced Tracking 10 [50]; Enhanced Vehicular Dodge (Piloting (Light Airplane)) 2 [10]; Flight (Planetary, -5%; Small Wings, -10%) [34]; Infravision [10]; Ladar (Extended Arc, 240°, +75%) [35]; Machine [25]; Radar (Extended Arc, 240°, +75%; Multi-Mode, +50%; Penetrating, +50%) [55]; Reduced Consumption 2 [4]; Sealed [15]; Shrinking 13 (Superscience, -10%) [59]; Telecommunications (Cable Jack) [5]; Telecommunications (Infrared Comm) (Secure, +20%; Video, +40%) [16]; Telecommunications (Laser Comm) (Secure, +20%; Video, +40%) [24]; Telecommunications (Radio) (Secure, +20%; Video, +40%) [16].
Perks: Acceleration Tolerance [1]; Full Tank [1]; Generator [1]; Illumination [1].
Disadvantages: Electrical [-20]; Horizontal [-10]; Maintenance (Electrician/Electronics Repair/Mechanic; 2 People, Monthly) [-4]; No Legs (Aerial) [0]; No Manipulators [-50]; Numb [-20]; Oblivious [-5]; Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10]; Restricted Diet (Electrical Power) [-10]; Selfless (12) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Pym and Allies) [-5]; Social Stigma (Valuable Property) [-10]; Wealth (Dead Broke) [-25].
Quirks: Affected by Magnetism [-1]; Cannot Float [-1]; Hero Worship (Pym) [-1]; Impatient [-1]; Sincere [-1].
Skills: Computer Operation/TL8 (E) IQ+2 [4] – 10; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Communications) (A) IQ+4 [2] – 12‡; Electronics Operation/TL8 (Sensors) (A) IQ+4 [2] – 12‡; Geography/TL8 (Political) (H) IQ+0 [4] – 8; Innate Attack (Projectile) (E) DX+1 [2] – 14; Lip Reading (A) Per+0 [2] – 12; Navigation/TL8 (Air) (A) IQ+4 [4] – 12§; Piloting/TL8 (Light Aircraft) (A) DX+1 [4] – 14; Piloting/TL8 (Vertol) (A) DX+1 [4] – 14; Tracking (A) Per+2 [8] – 14.
Features: Sterile [0].
Starting Spending Money: $0.
* Adjusted with Size, -30%"
† Adjusted with No Fine Manipulators, -40%
‡ Includes +4 from Circuit Sense.
§ Includes +3 from Absolute Direction.
Role-Playing Notes:
Rover possesses a cheerful and helpful personality, and gets bored easily when sitting in a hangar or parking spot.
| PILOTING (LIGHT AIRPLANE) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TL | Vehicle | ST/HP | Hnd/SR | HT | Move | LWt | Load | SM | Occ | DR | Range | Cost | Notes |
| 8^ | Rover | 59 | +2/3 | 11 | 6/192 | 1.9 | 0.3 | +3 | 2+1 | 8 | 4,000 | $1.5M | |
Design Notes:
1. Rover is unique, from my point of view; I normally don't make vehicles as characters, preferring to list just the vehicle stat block, but Rover is both a vehicle and an AI.
2. Cost is an estimate, based off the TL9 Air Car in the Basic Set and adjusting for a one-of-a-kind prototype with AI.