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 Post subject: Character Creation
PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:59 am 
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Joined: Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:37 am
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Location: Raccoon City
Over on RPGNet I was posting in the Rotted Capes thread. I was doing a "Let's create a character!" step-by-step example of chargen. Those are fun and tend to drum up a lot of interest in the game being used. However, I ran into a bit of trouble.

Here is what I have so far. What I guess I'm wondering is if Spider-Man in his earliest days would have been closer to an A-lister or a B-lister. Basically, 150 XP doesn't go real far, especially with its limitation on how many you can spend in specific areas. As you can see below, my attempts to make someone even close to rookie Spider-Man's level are hitting a wall. Can anyone help me out here?

And by the way, love the game so far. I love zombie stuff (obviously) and superheroes, so I'd love to play a PBP game of this over on RPOL.
______________________

Let's create a character! I'll use MANTIS, my heroine who fits in anywhere. Her powers are similar to Spider-Man's, except based off of a mantid, rather than a spider.

Usually she's closer to an A-lister, but this is her as a rookie hero, so we'll build her at the standard B-lister level.

Step 1: Choose Power Source
Mantis is a result of genetic alteration from unethical experiments, so she counts as the Super-Human source. They gain +1 to Vigor as their bonus. As a unique Advantage, I also gain an additional rank to any one power of my choice. It must be an inborn power; one that is personal, in other words. They can't rely on an outside source. As a unique Limitation, Super-Humans may only improve such powers, too, without gaining them from magic, technology or some story-based events. Sounds fair enough.

Step 2: Choose an Archetype
Supers gamers will be familiar with these. They're a general theme: Blaster, Controller, Heavy (Brick), etc. These give you a list of Primary Powers, which are cheaper to raise with XP, appropriate to that Archetype. They also give you a bonus to one of two Attributes.

While I like Blasters a lot, Mantis is very fast, agile and has superhuman strength. She's most likely a Brawler, which gives the following Primary Powers: Armor, Bestial Transformation, Enhanced Attack, Enhanced Attribute (Prowess or Vigor), Enhanced Sense, Regeneration and Super-Sense. The other close one would be Infiltrator, which gives Quickness or Insight and the following Primary Powers: Adoptive Muscle Memory, Enhanced Sense, Illusion, Incorporeal, Invisibility, luck, Wall Crawl, Wireless.

Mantis does have wall-crawling as a power, and enhanced senses. Either one would fit the latter. She doesn't regenerate. She can leap and wall-crawl, has low-level flight, superhuman strength (roughly around Spider-Man's at the beginning of his career), superhuman speed and agility (not running speed, but mantids can strike at a speed of 30 to 50 thousandths of a second; her reflexes are even faster than Spidey's), and a host of enhanced senses. Mantids also have really good senses. She fights unarmed. Let's go with Brawler for now. I can always change it if need be. We'll bump up Prowess.

Step 3: Choose Disadvantages, if any
Disadvantages give you a bonus to XP and provide those fun flaws that round out characters. They are separate from Personality Flaws, of which every hero must choose at least one. I'll come back to Disadvantages after I look over Flaws.

Step 4: Choose your Character Flaw and Tagline
Looking them over, I think Ruthless is the way to go. It's not so much that Mantis is ruthless as it is that she battles alien urges and cold, savage instincts. Since she was experimented upon, she's lost touch with her humanity and taken on the cold instincts of an insect. So she struggles to find humanity, maybe see if the woman she once was even still exists.

Tagline (which can help you reroll when you spend a Plot Die, once per scene): "Pray all you want, I'm still faster."

Step 4: Purchase Attributes
Attributes generally range from 3-9 for B-listers. Each Attribute has both a value and an associated die, as well as a Passive Modifier (which is a really nifty idea) for various things.

Briefly:
Might is raw strength.
Prowess is coordination and dexterity.
Quickness is reflexes and foot speed.
Vigor is health and vitality.
Charisma is force of personality.
Insight is intuition and instincts.
Logic is reason and raw smarts.
Resolve is mental toughness.

You then have different defenses: Avoidance for dodging, Fortitude for withstanding trauma and toxins, Discipline for mental attacks and hardships. Health is likewise divided: Stamina is a measure of endurance and how many powers you can use during a scene. Wounds are your ability to take physical damage. Also important, your Burnout Threshold is equal to either Discipline or Fortitude (your choice), which is a permanent choice.

There's a pretty cool Master Values Table for Attributes and Powers. It's open-ended. The score determines your base dice rolled and passive modifier (and maximum lift, throw range, push/drag, top speed). All Attributes start at 3, which gives a base die type of D6 and a Passive Modifier of 2. The scale can go all the way up to Superman strength and beyond, so that's always a plus.

Step 6: Purchase Skills
Buying Skills is done with XP (of which B-listers start with 150), but you can buy "skill sets," which are groupings of related skills purchased for cheaper. You also have a few universal skills everyone starts with.

Skills have Passive Values, too, and those are based on the corresponding Attribute's PV and a base number.

Step 7: Purchase Advantages
Feats, Talents, Merits, Advantages, that's what these things represent.

Step 8: Purchase Powers
Ignored by Skill Heroes, favored by everyone else, it's Powers time! :D

NOTE! Now that I have the basics done, I'm going to spend my XP all at once. Since you spend it on Attributes, Skills, Advantages and Powers, I'm going to do it all together here.

First thing I want to do is get the right Attributes. Mantis has superhuman strength, speed and agility. For Might, we're wanting about 14-16. But how do we get there? That'd be really expensive! You buy each level of something individually, and the cost is equal to the next rank purchased. I don't see how I can do that and have anything else on just 150 XP.

If I bought it as Enhanced Attribute, though, which is a Primary Power, it'd look something like this for a total of 13 ranks: 1+1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9+10+11+12+13 = 92 points. Ouch! Powers can also be modified by Perks and Flaws, each of which grants an effect and either raises the power's effective rank or reduces it.

There is a problem, however: you can't spend more than half your starting XP in any given area (Attributes, Skills, Powers) during character creation. Unfortunately, this means I'd have to split my XP between buying high Might as both an Attribute and a power, and it wouldn't leave much room left to get the other stuff I need.

58 XP left

_______________________

Step 9: Calculate Derivative Attributes

Step 10: Choose your Gear

Step 11: Add the Personal Touches

_________________
Onyx Path Freelancer
Developing:
City of the Dead, an inclusive zombie survival horror RPG!
___________
Magus of Zeal: If history is to change, let it change! If the world is to be destroyed, so be it! If my fate is to die ... I must simply laugh!


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 Post subject: Re: Character Creation
PostPosted: Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:49 am 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 11:55 pm
Posts: 297
Looks and sounds interesting!

Although this suggestion doesn't help reduce the pts spent on Enhanced Attribute: Mi, making that the power that gets the +1 boost from the Super Human power source helps a lot. I too went through something similar when I was building Echo. I had to come to terms and just start him with powers at ranks lower than originally envisioned just to stat him correctly.

I am excited to see your final results :)

_________________
Talendos, the Shadow Raven
3.0 Expert, Soldier of Retribution, Assassin
"When you do something right, it's as if you didn't do it at all ..."

Echo
B-lister, Super Human, Brawler
"Bringing the noise!"


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 Post subject: Re: Character Creation
PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 5:39 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:23 am
Posts: 1026
Location: Miami Florida
Claire,

Welcome to the group!

First off, let me apologize for not responding sooner.. I have been quite sick over the last three days and have just gotten back on my feet.

....

So, your hero.

before we go on, I think we need to discuss the power level of a B lister, to help lower expectations.

B-Listers are more along the lines of Batman's Robin & Captain America's Becky...

we can make the mantis fit in your vision for the character but, don't expect your hero to be equal to Spider Man who is differently an A lister.

There are several ways you can "tweak" things here and there to fit your character concept...

I'm working on how to build your character as close to what you envisioned.. I should have something for you later tonight...

:)

_________________
Pedro Barrenechea
Stat Monkey
Minor Deity of Typos

Paradigm Concepts
Miami, Florida


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 Post subject: Re: Character Creation
PostPosted: Tue Feb 11, 2014 10:25 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:23 am
Posts: 1026
Location: Miami Florida
So here is my build for Mantis, not quite as strong as you may have envisioned but lets see what we can do.

Delta level hero: 150 points
Super-Human / Brawler

Attributes (51 Points)

Might: 6 (9, able to lift a ATV)
Prowess: 5 (7)
Quickness: 6 (8)
Vigor: 4
Charisma: 4
Insight: 4
Logic: 4
Resolve: 3

I know they seem low, but note the attribute in (X) above, that's you'r final score thanks to your......

Powers (48 Points)
Enhanced Attribute: Might: 4 (5*)
Enhanced Attribute: Prowess: 4 (5*)
Enhanced Attribute: Quickness: 1 (2*)
Celerity 2 (3*) - Lighting fast attacks
Surge (Jumping) 4 (5*) - Able to leap on your pray...
Wall Crawling 4 (5*) - You did say "Spider Man"
Enhanced Attack (Melee, Claws): 4 - This just fits

The value shown in (x*) are linked powers, I would link all three Enhanced Attributes, then link all three movement themed powers linked together.

Talents (15 Points)
Acrobatic
Combat intuition << Think spider sense, maybe develop this into the danger sense power later with the editor approval>>>
Skill Focus: Acrobatics {Parkour}

Skills (36 Points)
Skill Sets
Academic/Student & Survivalist
Additional Skill
Acrobatics: 3 {Parkour}

_________________
Pedro Barrenechea
Stat Monkey
Minor Deity of Typos

Paradigm Concepts
Miami, Florida


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