Henry’s Hardcore Heroics

Earlier in the week, some friends and I managed to catch Hardcore Henry on the last night of its theatrical run. No one else was in the theater with us, giving us free reign to whoop and holler while the movie was playing. This turned out to be fortunate, because this movie was so over-the-top, so absolutely insane in its first-person action scenes, that keeping quiet would have been an exercise in futility anyway.

Needless to say, we absolutely loved it.

Of course, being a nerd of considerable proportions, I can’t think of impressive or interesting characters from fiction without wanting to quantify what they can do. Since role-playing games in general – and Eclipse: The Codex Persona in particular – are the best ways of doing that, I naturally wrote up stats for the movie’s titular protagonist. (Some mild spoilers for the film are below.)

Hardcore Henry, ECL 5 Implacable Hero

Cyber-Soldier (63 CP/+1 ECL race)

• +4 Str (24 CP).
• +4 Dex (24 CP).
• +4 Con (24 CP).
• Bonus Feat (6 CP).
• Fast Learner, specialized for half-cost/skills only (3 CP).
• Speak Language and Read/Write Language (2 CP).
• Immunity/Endurance (common/minor/major) (2 CP).
• +1 BAB (6 CP).
• Proficient with all simple and martial weapons (9 CP) and small arms (6 CP).
• Martial Arts (3 CP).
• +1 AC (dodge bonus) (6 CP).
• 1d10 Hit Die (14 CP).

This entire race is specialized for one-halt cost/need to have a charged power cell without which they can only function for a half-hour before dying, can have their brain hacked to block or implant memories as well as upload malware into systems they connect to, have their cyborg nature revealed on mechanical scans or if they take sufficient damage (e.g. half their hit points or more).

The use of Speak Language and Read/Write Language here is to explain why, when the characters speak Russian, we see subtitles in a movie that’s entirely from Henry’s point of view – he’s actually seeing those subtitles! If not using the d20 Modern skills, go ahead and remove the Read/Write Language listing; it won’t actually change the net CP total for this race.

Available Character Points: 120 (level 4 base) + 12 (levels 1 and 3 feats) + 6 (bonus feat) + 10 (disadvantages) = 148 CP.

Henry’s disadvantages are Accursed (Henry cannot speak, never having received his voice modulator), History (presumably there’s a backstory for how Henry ended up where he was at the beginning of the movie), and Hunted (the course of events in the film pretty much define this disadvantage).

Ability Scores (32-point buy)

Ability Score	Base	Racial Bonus	Level Bonus	Total
Strength	14 (6 points)	+4	—	18 (+4)
Dexterity	16 (10 points)	+4	—	20 (+5)
Constitution	15 (8 points)	+4	+1 (4th level)	20 (+5)
Intelligence	12 (4 points)	—	—	12 (+1)
Wisdom	10 (2 points)	—	—	10 (+0)
Charisma	10 (2 points)	—	—	10 (+0)

Unlike most d20 Modern characters, Henry receives a 32-point buy instead of the usual 25. This is because he’s just that hardcore, going through a very tough adventure solo (save for a recurring NPC helping out).

Basic Abilities (99 CP)

• 4d10 Hit Dice (24 CP).
• +4 BAB (24 CP).
• Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +1 (27 CP).
• 24 skill points (24 CP).

Superhuman Determination (15 CP)

• Acrobatics (6 CP).
• Action Hero/Stunts (6 CP).
• Reflex Training/when a ranged weapon runs out of ammunition, specialized for one-half cost/may only take a move action, only to reload (3 CP).

The use of Action Points over the course of the film is likely to be extremely high. Henry is doubtlessly buying multiple instances of Luck, Grant of Aid, Block, etc.

Hardcore to the Extreme (34 CP)

• Stoic with Ferocity (9 CP).
• Berserker with Enduring and +8 Bonus Uses and Controlled (21 CP). Odinpower and Odinmight, corrupted for two-thirds cost/requires adrenaline injections (4 CP).

Henry’s use of Berserker will normally grant +2 Str, +2 Dex, +4 Con. When using a surge of adrenaline, these will rise to +6 Str, +6 Dex, +6 Con.

Derived Stats

• Hit points: 20 (2d10 at 1^st level) + 16 (3d10) + 25 (Con bonus) = 61 hp.
• Speed: 30 ft.
• Init: +5 (Dex bonus).
• Saving Throws:
  • Fort: +4 (base) +5 (Con bonus) = +9.
  • Ref: +4 (base) +5 (Dex bonus) = +9.
  • Will: +1 (base) +0 (Wis bonus) = +1.
• Armor Class: 10 (base) +1 (dodge) +5 (Dex bonus) = AC 16, touch 16, flat-footed 10.
• Attacks:
  • Melee: +5 (BAB) +4 (Str bonus) = +9.
  • Ranged: +5 (BAB) +5 (Dex) = +10.
• Total skill points: 24 (24 CP) + 7 (Int bonus) + 7 (racial bonus) = 38 skill points.

Skills	Ranks	Ability Score Bonuses	Total
Balance	2 ranks	+5 Dex	+7
Climb	2 ranks	+4 Str	+6
Demolitions	2 ranks	+1 Int	+3
Disable Device	2 ranks	+1 Int	+3
Drive	2 ranks	+5 Dex	+7
Escape Artist	2 ranks	+5 Dex	+7
Hide	1 rank (2 points)	+5 Dex	+6
Intimidate	1 rank (2 points)	+0 Cha	+1
Jump	2 ranks	+4 Str	+6
Knowledge (tactics)	2 ranks	+1 Int	+3
Listen	1 rank (2 points)	+0 Wis	+1
Move Silently	1 rank (2 points)	+5 Dex	+6
Navigate	1 rank (2 points)	+1 Int	+2
Search	1 rank (2 points)	+1 Int	+2
Spot	1 rank (2 points)	+0 Wis	+1
Survival	2 ranks	+0 Wis	+2
Swim	2 ranks	+4 Str	+6
Treat Injury	2 ranks	+0 Wis	+2
Tumble	2 ranks	+5 Dex	+7

Henry’s class skills are the twelve skills on the above table which have their ranks bought at a 1:1 skill points. The others are cross-class skills.

Other than noting his racial ability to strike for 1d4 + Str bonus points of lethal damage, the above listing doesn’t go into what weapons Henry typically uses. That’s because he changes them quite rapidly over the course of the film, using pistols, automatic rifles, shotguns, a katana, a grenade launcher, and quite a bit more over the course of the movie!

Further Development

Henry’s stats match his depiction in the movie, being a character with incredible physical abilities but very little else. Given that he actually managed to survive the film, and utterly annihilate the bad guys who were gunning for him, Henry might be able to focus on some non-combat abilities going forward.

…unless, of course, there’s a sequel.