Ulcerman, the Cavalier, and the Movie Martial Artist

[Short Shot]

Ulcerman is the geeky guy who is afraid of just about everything, but is even more afraid of being frozen by fear. With that in mind, since he fears getting beaten up he takes self defense classes (hating every minute of it). Since he is afraid of heights, he takes climbing classes. Afraid of not being able to deal with an accident, takes classes to become an EMT and rides does the ride/along in ambulances and police cars until he can deal with it to the point he doesn't puke until AFTER the emergency is over.

QUESTION: Part of what I want is tunnel vision under stress. If he is about to get in a fight with 3 bikers, I want him to not hear the cop say "Everyone freeze" but instead go in for the attack when the bikers blink. How would you define that in particular in and Ulcerman's general condition in terms of disadvantage?

I'm thinking of having Ulcerman's alter ego as a Cavalier, triggerred by being over stressed. By that I mean Errol Flynn style, the kind of guy who looks at a fight with 6 people with a gleam in his eye, and (important part) will toss his oponent a sword to fight with if he is disarmed. I figure to give him a couple levels of luck, a boosted presence/ego, and an inability to resist an honorable challenge.

QUESTION: Can anyone think of a contemporary character from the movies that would be a good role model as a Cavalier? James Bond was mentioned, as was the Saint, but I just can't see either one of them giving an oponent an even break. I really have a hard time envisioning that attitude without swords involved.

This leads to the final issue. I'm sure if I go home and read UNTIL I'll find it, but here goes: Van Damme does it, Mel Gibson does it, Bruce Willis does it, and, the best example, the Hulk does it, i.e. takes a beating that should have killed him, and keeps getting up and and ending up even better than before. Now, on any of them, if you manage to drop them in one shot, your good to go, but if all you do is hurt them a lot, you better start running because even if you were initially a better fighter your going to be toast if you stick around for long. So, how do you build it? Strength, healing and combat levels that goes up on how much body you take? I have no idea how to do that with my limited knowledge of the rules.

[Old Man]

Sounds like a lot of the extra powers would be Only in Hero ID. With that in mind you could add Instant Change, Normal ID -> Hero ID, Activation or Only After Taking BODY or some such.

If you're looking for contemporaries, instead of thinking about guys that arm their oponents, think about guys that drop their guns to "fight fair".

The tunnel vision thing sounds like a Psych Lim, Uncommon, Strong.

[Short Shot]

Sounds like a lot of the extra powers would be Only in Hero ID. With that in mind you could add Instant Change, Normal ID -> Hero ID, Activation or Only After Taking BODY or some such.

If you're looking for contemporaries, instead of thinking about guys that arm their oponents, think about guys that drop their guns to "fight fair".

The tunnel vision thing sounds like a Psych Lim, Uncommon, Strong.

Well, the movie martial artist is actually a seperate thing, and I really hadn't intended to use that aspect. I and a couple friends were trying to come up with characters that fit the Cavalier attitude, and my brain sort of tagged that for a different question.

The Cavalier is more of an alternate personality. Ulcerman stops being able funtion normally because of his fear, and Cavalier takes over. Doesn't matter if the fear is due to guns coming out or talking to a good looking woman. The skill set doesn't change for them, its just that Cavalier is more much more alert because he isn't paralysed by fear and so is a better fighter. The presense is not going to be anything outrageous, just the difference between someone who as always fearful and hunched vs. someone who stands up straight, wears a smile and seems to enjoy life.

I should also note that Ulcerman doesn't LIKE when Cavalier takes over. Remember, Ulcerman is a worrier, and cautious. He figures the Cavalier is just going to get him killed in combat or humiliated, or get girls mad at him, etc.

[ghost-angel]

this guy has Psych Lim Disadvantages coming out the Watootsie. And maybe a few Physical Limitations.

You could, if you wanted to make it interesting, link Cavalier to Enraged... change the name from Enraged to "Scared Into Action"; Go 14-, Recover 11- (or 8- up to you) and now you have the mix of sometimes he just Freezes and Sometimes he goes Cavalier on their butts.

Psych Lims could range from any number of Phobia's. Also "Fear/Hatred of Cavalier Personality (Common, Total)" might work.

Physical Limitations: If not Scared Into Action he is unable to take actions at all until he does become Scared Into Action (whatever level you think is appropriate). Bascially if he fails the SIA roll he burns the next phase standing there shaking and then makes another SIA roll at the end of the segment.

That'd be an interesting, and slightly off kilter, type of hero to play.

Also, Reputation: Just Plain Crazy.

[Short Shot]

Sounds like a good setup. Now, I'm not sure I'd have the courage to actually *play* him in a campaign, but I'll definitely build him out. I'm thinking his main role would be coordinator the rest of the team would stay in radio contact with. Having someone paranoid watching out for you while your in the field might be appriciated, even if you really have a hard time being in the same room with him otherwise.

Everyone is still stumped on a cavalier character set in a contemporary setting, I take it. All the contemporary heroes on screen seem to take the attitude of "Don't give a sucker an even break".

[ghost-angel]

Sounds like a good setup. Now, I'm not sure I'd have the courage to actually *play* him in a campaign, but I'll definitely build him out. I'm thinking his main role would be coordinator the rest of the team would stay in radio contact with. Having someone paranoid watching out for you while your in the field might be appriciated, even if you really have a hard time being in the same room with him otherwise.

Everyone is still stumped on a cavalier character set in a contemporary setting, I take it. All the contemporary heroes on screen seem to take the attitude of "Don't give a sucker an even break".

possibly Nicholas Cage, in just about everything he's done. Maybe the Lethal Weapon guys, a bit.

As for the "Final Issue" of your first post.. Absorption (Physical) feeding STUN and END should do the trick nicely. Even if the attack doesn't get through the defenses (which should be higher than normal as well) they'll just get tougher in the long run.

And also keep in mind, on the High Defense point, that just because nothing gets through doesn't mean they don't LOOK beat to hell - the SFX of those Defenses are "Every punch hurts, not all of them register" you basically "ignore" the damage away instead of just not taking it. (+6PD as "Ignores 6 points of damage")

hope that helps on the construct side.

[Black Rose]

You realize that, if Cavalier is built with enough "mad fightin' skillz" to be able to hand a pack of 'bangers their asses with little worry, the fact that he goes out of his way to hand them a weapon after they were disarmed is going to give him some serious Rep. "This little geeky guy, he kicks your ass, then he gives you back your knife, so he can kick your ass some more! Screw this, I got better things to do than deal with psychos."

Out of curiosity, does UlcerMan know what Cavalier does when he's in charge?

[Short Shot]

You realize that, if Cavalier is built with enough "mad fightin' skillz" to be able to hand a pack of 'bangers their asses with little worry, the fact that he goes out of his way to hand them a weapon after they were disarmed is going to give him some serious Rep. "This little geeky guy, he kicks your ass, then he gives you back your knife, so he can kick your ass some more! Screw this, I got better things to do than deal with psychos."

Out of curiosity, does UlcerMan know what Cavalier does when he's in charge?

Yes. Part of the reason he hates the guy. It's HIS body that gets damaged in the fight, and its him the girls would look to for smooth remarks and romance after an encounter with the Cavalier.

"er.. It wasn't me! I never said we would go have wine on the beach under a full moon in the Caribbean! It was my evil twin, Skippy!"

Um... which, come to think of it, would be another reason I would have a hard time role playing him. I can't even fake a good line with the ladies.