'Killer' Kane Native of suburban Losangelorg 19th level Terran rocketjock

Again, these upgraded stats reflect my personal belief that "the greatest pilot in the solar system" just isn't level 8! Of course, he was the greatest before Buck showed up, but he should be quite a lot more fearsome in combat ("deadly adversary in hand-to-hand combat) in this version than in the boxed set one.

Strength	15	Dexterity	17	Constitution	12
Intelligence	14	Wisdom	10	Charisma	17
Tech	14

AC -3 (Lunarian smart suit+Dex), hp 69, THAC0 7 (inc. Dex)
Hand to hand combat: Killer Kane is a deadly adversary in hand to hand combat, capable of attacking twice with a damage of 1d6 (like the Warrior special ability).

Background:

A survivor from the mean streets of ruined Los Angeles, young Killer (if Kane has any other name, very few have ever heard it) rapidly learned that power was the best route to success. Now the greatest turncoat of the 25th Century, Kane has learned to revel in his power and abuse it. Proud and haughty, he is not beyond lying to advance his career, or leaking information to the enemy in order to put rivals away. As the best pilot in the solar system, he felt that he was above the law, and when any irregularities were detected, he used his power and reputation to suppress them.

Rapidly rising in the NEO forces, he made a name for himself as the top rocketjock in the organization. His considerable charisma he turned toward making friends for himself on the NEO Council. Among these new friends was Wilma Deering. The pair were a torrid item before Buck's arrival, during the time when Kane's self-interest and Wilma's fury about RAM domination turned the pair into a dynamite team that captured the imagniation of the populace of Earth. Although she was sometimes swept away by his charming manner, Kane's underlying ruthlessness made Wilma usually keep her distance, and their romance became a series of short, clandestine meetings instead of the marriage Kane hoped for. Even now, Kane still truly loves Wilma, so much that he is driven to act rashly where she is concerned.

This combination of his love for Wilma and his own pride led to Kane's eventual downfall. Captured with Wilma by RAM, Kane bargained for Wilma's life, trading her "escape" from Mars in exchange for his agreement to work on behalf of the Martians. (Wilma doesn't know about Kane's deal with RAM that enabled her to escape, but if she ever thinks about it hard enough to put the facts together, she might come up with the correct assumption.) Whether his original intentions were to betray his new masters and escape himself or no, Kane soon found himself enjoying being on the "winning side" and went entirely freelance, turning on his former comrades of Earth.

Wilma is Kane's one visible weakness. His other, less obvious, one is his overweening pride. At first, Kane betrayed NEO only to free Wilma. But soon he realized just how much power a clever man could wrest from RAM's hands, and he set out to do just that. He told himself that by working from the inside, he would be able to one day convince RAM to turn Regentship of Earth over to him. With Wilma at his side, Kane the Regent would then lead his people to freedom (under his enlightened guidance, of course). Like many men motivated by pride, Kane is oblivious to the pain and suffering his "dream" will cause for others - he truly believes that the end justifies the means.

Description:

Killer Kane is tall and athletic, a deadly opponent in hand-to-hand combat. While not as muscular as Buck Rogers, he is powerfully built, with handsome features, black hair, and piercing green eyes. Kane has a few affectations: A small pencil mustache adorns his sardonic lips, and he prefers to have his personal vehicles painted in dark colors. "Just playing the villain again," as he might say.

With the arrival of Buck Rogers, Kane was faced with a challenger for the title of the best pilot in the solar system. The idea of being displaced by some relic from the past became too much for the arrogant Kane to bear, and soon led him to become Rogers' greatest adversary. Even in this, however, Kane has maintained his own twisted version of honor - in order to prove he is really the best, he has become driven to challenge Buck in direct combat, rather than relying on indirect methods that might be less dangerous to him personally. For Killer Kane is a bitter man: a man who believes that he really is doing the right thing, and that history has unfairly branded him the villain.

Traits: Sardonic, arrogant, cool.

Locations: Luna (in his fortress, the "Mark of Kane"), Coprates, deep space.

Trademarks: Small waxed mustache and a curl of hair falling into his eyes. When on a mission, prefers to wear gray and black. His normal ship is a scout cruiser, the Rogue, operating out of Luna.

Equipment: Lunarian smart suit with full military attachments, Lunarian laser pistol (+4 to hit and +4 to damage), whatever equipment he wants, needs, or believes he needs within reason (no battlers except in very unusual circumstances, but a medium or heavy cruiser is perfectly acceptable).