Freefall

Strength 7d

Agility 5c

Intellect 7d

Willpower 8c

Hand Size: Edge:

4 (25) 2

Origin:

As are most members of the GI Joe team, Freefall is a normal human. He has no powers as a result of Science gone awry other reality-dubious phenomenon, much less the high tech toys most of his friend wield in battle - just conventional weapons and a lot of drive.

Powers:

(none)

Hindrances / Augmentations:

(none)

Equipment:

Helmet (s): when in combat, Freefall wears a helmet that provides him intensity 8, or +2, protection from physical attacks striking him in the cranium. It also features a breathing mask, hooked up to a 15 minute supply of oxygen stored in his backpack when jumping.

Knife (s): utilitarian in the extreme, Freefall always carries a knife on his person; they're useful for cutting parachute straps or enemies. Made from m.s. 12 metals, Freefall can use this knife to cut through objects of up to like m.s., or to inflict his Strength +2 damage in melee.

Machine Gun (a): Freefall carries plenty of ammo for this, his primary combat implement. He can discharge one round from it to inflict his Agility +4 in damage, a three-round burst to inflict his Agility +5 in damage, or fire it continously to inflict his Agility +6 in damage.

Parachute (a): naturally useful when leaping out of an airplane, Freefall obviously needs one of these when doing the whole Airborne Ranger thing. This item allows him to exit a flying vehicle from extreme heights and easily land on the ground without flattening himself.

Sidearm (a): a backup for his machine gun, Freefall keeps this weapon in a handy chest holster for quick access. It can either discharge a single round to inflict his Agility +4 in damage, or a three-round burst to inflict his Agility +5 in damage.

Skills:

Aerial Combat (a): a trained Airborne Ranger, Freefall can use the sky as a battlefield. While he's no pilot, he can nonetheless fight and maneuver with proficiency while in the air (if in a downward direction), and may resolve combat actions while in the air at a reduced difficulty.

Boxing (s): along with his gunplay talent, this skill describes much of Freefall's 'basic training'. He can fight unarmed, using naught but his body as a weapon, and may divide his pre-card play action score between two unarmed attacks, the last of which occurs as a contingent action.

Guns (a): essential military training, Freefall has been educated in the fine art of killing things with high velocity projectiles. Whether he's firing a standard, semi-automatic, or fully automatic rifle or pistol, Freefall may do so at one difficulty level lower than would otherwise be required.

Military / United States (w): the fount of most his talents, this skill makes for a handy 'origin' skill for Freefall. It allows him an instinctive understanding of military protocols and procedures, and grants him several additional, as of yet unstated military contacts.

Philosophy (i): supplementing his impressive martial background, Freefall also has a Master's degree in Eastern Philosophy. In addition to giving him a reduced difficulty on Intellect actions in this area of knowledge, this skill also gives Freefall a... unique outlook on the Army Way.

Survival (w): as an Airborne Ranger, Freefall can function almost indefinitely without support. As such, he can almost always scrounge up enough food, water, and shelter to get by in the field - at least long enough to complete his current mission and get back to base.

Contacts:

As a member of the GI Joe team, Freefall can rely upon his teammates for assistance without fail should he need it, for the Joes are a very tight-knit group. They all know what their fellows are capable of, as well as what they've all been through at the hands of groups such as Cobra.

Calling:

Soldier, with a secondary calling of Gloryhound: Freefall loves the life he leads, whether he's jumping out of an airplane with a knife between his teeth or subsisting for months on snakes and bugs. He's very good at what he does, and has the habit of reminding people of it - constantly.

Costume:

When diving into action with the Joes, Freefall wears a brown and green camouflaged jacket over a light brown T-shirt, brown and green camouflaged trousers, gray leather belts, boots, gloves, and web gear, and a dark green helmet with a breathing mask attached (when jumping).

Personality:

Phillip is an odd duck in that, while most people suffer through Airborne Ranger training, he loved every single torturous minute of it. But then he's a nigh-limitless fount of energy with a limitless drive for pushing past his own limitations - none of which he ever acknowledges.

He may sport one of the biggest egos on the GI Joe team, but at least it's earned!

Real Name: Phillip W. Arndt, Grade E-5
Occupation: paratrooper, infantry
Legal Status: citizen of the United States with no known criminal record
Marital Status: single
Alias(es), if any: Spc. Altitude
Group Affiliation: GI Joe

Height: 6'
Hair: blonde
Eyes: brown
Weight: 180 lbs
Other Distinguishing Characteristics: none

Story:

Freefall is one sick puppy.

While most people consider the Airborne Ranger training program to be 'hellish', Freefall enjoyed every minute of it. It didn't matter if he was jumping out of airplanes or out in the woods eating whatever he could manage to find and kill, he had a blast the whole time.

Most of this stems from his almost unlimited drive to succeed and sheer indefatigable gumption. He's got an ego the size of the Grand Canyon, but it's hard to fault the man when you know he's not really boasting about his prowess so much as keenly aware of what he's capable of.

Freefall can run faster, jump higher, and do more push-ups than anyone else who survived Ranger School. Furthermore, he sports a Master's in Eastern Philosophy, demonstrating a mental acuity you wouldn't expect from someone who enjoys sitting in the woods eating bugs all day.

This combination of disciplines and martial prowess made Freefall a true standout, which earned him membership to the GI Joe team - assuming he didn't wash out in the grueling Joe entry exam. Not that this was even a possibility, as far as he was concerned.

Sure enough, he made it on to the Joe team as expected, and proceeded to work for the team in various highly classified 'special missions', the nature of which have yet to be revealed to this very day. Freefall nonetheless served with distinction until the GI Joe team was mothballed in 1994.

(Historical Divergence)

As it turned out, the team was needed but a few years after it was dismantled by the government. When it came back into being, the GI Joe organization was a lot more public than before, however, and consisted of several veteran Joes leading a small company of 'greenshirt' troops.

Freefall wasn't selected to be a member of this new Joe team, at least not at first. When Cobra shenanigans became too severe for even this streamlined group of Joes to handle, though, they called in all the old guard. And who could turn down the Joes when they ask you back?

And they did, whenever events instigated by Cobra spiraled way, way out of control. But Freefall doesn't mind this; he just makes a point of reminding the brass that things would've been less catastrophic if he was kept on the team to start with!

2009 Variations

Costume:

Freefall's second GI Joe field uniform is similar to his first. It includes a two-toned green camouflaged jacket over a black T-shirt, two-toned green camouflaged trousers, black leather belts, boots, gloves, and web gear, and a dark green helmet with a black breathing mask attached.

2016 Variations

Costume:

Freefall's third GI Joe field uniform is comprised of a tan and green camouflaged jacket over a white T-shirt, tan and green camouflaged trousers, gray leather belts, boots, and gloves, and a grass green helmet with a breathing mask attached (when jumping).

Extra Goodies:

GI Joe directories featuring a version of Freefall:

1990

2009

2016

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