Character for review: Grifter [Archive] - HERO Games Discussion Boards

JmOz

Apr 3rd, '05, 05:51 PM

Okay, new player in the game, his character is my characters brother. He is a profesional thief who has been experimented on, our team's mysterious benefactor aranged for his release and told him he would serve on our hero team...

Powers is that he can create energy blades and throw them, he is also extrmly fast, and a thief some skill.

Grifter

Player:

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Char   </td><td>Cost</td></tr><tr><td align="right">15  </td><td>STR</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td align="right">29  </td><td>DEX</td><td>57</td></tr><tr><td align="right">20  </td><td>CON</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td align="right">12  </td><td>BODY</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td align="right">23  </td><td>INT</td><td>13</td></tr><tr><td align="right">11  </td><td>EGO</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td align="right">30  </td><td>PRE</td><td>20</td></tr><tr><td align="right">18  </td><td>COM</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">10/20  </td><td>PD</td><td>4</td></tr><tr><td align="right">10/20  </td><td>ED</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td align="right">6  </td><td>SPD</td><td>21</td></tr><tr><td align="right">7  </td><td>REC</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">40  </td><td>END</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">30  </td><td>STUN</td><td>0</td></tr><td></td><td> </td><td></td></tr><tr><td align="right">6"  </td><td>RUN</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">2"  </td><td>SWIM</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td align="right">3"  </td><td>LEAP</td><td>0</td></tr></table>Characteristics Cost: 153

<table border="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Power</td><td align="right">END</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">40  </td><td>Find Weakness 15- with Multi Power </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3  </td><td>+1 PER with all Sense Groups </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">3  </td><td>Mental Defense (5 points total) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">20  </td><td>Armor (10 PD/10 ED) (30 Active Points); OIF (-1/2) </td><td valign="top" align="right">0</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">43  </td><td>Multipower, 75-point reserve, (75 Active Points); all slots Restrainable (-1/2), Beam (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right"></td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>1) Knife: HKA 2 1/2d6 (3d6+1 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (70 Active Points) </td><td valign="top" align="right">3</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>2) Thrown Dagger: RKA 5d6 (75 Active Points); Range Based On STR (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right">7</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>3) Thrown Dagger II: EB 12d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (75 Active Points); Range Based On STR (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right">3</td></tr><tr><td align="right" valign="top">4u  </td><td>4) Bombs: EB 10d6, Explosion (+1/2) (75 Active Points); Range Based On STR (-1/4) </td><td valign="top" align="right">7</td></tr></table>Powers Cost: 125

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Skill</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">6  </td><td>+2 with Multipower </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Acrobatics 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Acting (Everyman) 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Breakfall 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Bribery 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">0  </td><td>CK: Campeign City 8- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Climbing (Everyman) 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Combat Driving (Everyman) 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Concealment (Everyman) 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Contortionist 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Conversation 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Criminology 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Deduction (Everyman) 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Disguise 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Forgery (Art Objects) 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">1  </td><td>High Society 8- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>KS: Campeign City Criminals 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Trading 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">0  </td><td>Language: English (idiomatic; Everyman) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Lockpicking 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">0  </td><td>PS: Appraise (Everyman) 11- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">0  </td><td>Paramedics 8- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">0  </td><td>Persuasion 8- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Security Systems 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Seduction 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Shadowing (Everyman) 14- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Sleight Of Hand 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">2  </td><td>Stealth (Everyman) 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">3  </td><td>Streetwise 15- </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">1  </td><td>TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles, Two-Wheeled Motorized Ground Vehicles </td></tr></table>Skills Cost: 66

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Cost  </td><td>Talent</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">6  </td><td>Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) </td></tr></table>Talents Cost: 6

Total Character Cost: 350

<table cellpadding="0" border="0"><tr><td align="right">Val  </td><td>Disadvantages</td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>DNPC: Girlfriend of the week 8- (Normal) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>DNPC: Kevin, Brother 8- (Normal; Useful noncombat position or skills) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Hunted: Viper 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Hunted: Mysterious Benefactor 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Hunted: Police 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Watching) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Hunted: Defender of the Champions 8- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Thrillseeker (Common, Moderate) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Common, Total) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Code vs Killing (Common, Moderate) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Psychological Limitation: Lady's Man (Common, Moderate) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">5  </td><td>Reputation: Skilled Thief, 11- (Known Only To A Small Group) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">20  </td><td>Rivalry: Professional and Romantic (; Rival is More Powerful; Rival is a Player Character; Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry) </td></tr><tr><td valign="top" align="right">10  </td><td>Social Limitation: Convicted Criminal (Occasionally, Major) </td></tr></table>
Disadvantage Points: 150

Base Points: 200
Experience Required: 0
Total Experience Available: 0
Experience Unspent: 0

Superskrull

Apr 4th, '05, 01:59 AM

This guy needs movement capability. Get that dude a motorbike or superleap or something. Other than that, 5d RKA + FW 15- =Owie! So, he's a character in the style of Gambit or Grifter, eh? Least he's got skills. He's also gonna have to dodge like a madman or he's taking a nap pretty quick with that 20 Con & 30 Stun.

Agent333

Apr 4th, '05, 02:19 AM

Having played a version of Gambit on 350 points, I'd say Grifter could hold his own in a group quite nicely. Alone he's gonna have a tough time. For me, I'd drop 8 of his PRE points into his Running (10" total), and use another 2 points from the PRE to buy DEX roll levels thus:

DEX roll +2, Only with Dive for Cover (-1)
Real Cost = 2 points

guys built like Grifter need to be able to get away from AE and Explosions if they can (my Gambit got KO'd a lot B4 I used the DFC Dex levels)

JmOz

Apr 4th, '05, 04:03 AM

This guy needs movement capability. Get that dude a motorbike or superleap or something. Other than that, 5d RKA + FW 15- =Owie! So, he's a character in the style of Gambit or Grifter, eh? Least he's got skills. He's also gonna have to dodge like a madman or he's taking a nap pretty quick with that 20 Con & 30 Stun.

The GM allows for free "Plot Vehicles", in this case a motorcycle to get him to point a to point b, as long as it will not be anything more than that, we also have a team transport vehicle

Yes, but this was partialy intended, the character is tied for highest base CV in the group. The other character has about 50 xp on him, so it is to be expected...

I will talk to the player and mention the on the low side defences, however...

JmOz

Apr 4th, '05, 04:05 AM

Having played a version of Gambit on 350 points, I'd say Grifter could hold his own in a group quite nicely. Alone he's gonna have a tough time. For me, I'd drop 8 of his PRE points into his Running (10" total), and use another 2 points from the PRE to buy DEX roll levels thus:

DEX roll +2, Only with Dive for Cover (-1)
Real Cost = 2 points

guys built like Grifter need to be able to get away from AE and Explosions if they can (my Gambit got KO'd a lot B4 I used the DFC Dex levels)

I doubt he will want to dip that low on his PRE, but he might be willing to drop one point of FW and find three points elsewhere to buy more running...

Ki-rin

Apr 4th, '05, 05:35 AM

Not sure why the character concept of a thief/rogue leads to needing such a high Pre? I'm not sure I've ever seen a 30 Pre on a 350 CP base...

The 29 Dex fits well with the concept, but having only average movement powers (6" of Running, etc) doesn't seem to. Depending on the campaign, 6 SPD may not be enough to model this character concept either.

Resistant Def of 20 and a reasonably high CV imply your opponents will have avg attacks in the 10-13 DC range? If the avg DC of attack is greater than this (since higher Def seem contrary to character concept), you will need to be harder to hit or take damage better.

Hope this is useful feedback.

JmOz

Apr 4th, '05, 05:44 AM

Not sure why the character concept of a thief/rogue leads to needing such a high Pre? I'm not sure I've ever seen a 30 Pre on a 350 CP base...

The 29 Dex fits well with the concept, but having only average movement powers (6" of Running, etc) doesn't seem to. Depending on the campaign, 6 SPD may not be enough to model this character concept either.

Resistant Def of 20 and a reasonably high CV imply your opponents will have avg attacks in the 10-13 DC range? If the avg DC of attack is greater than this (since higher Def seem contrary to character concept), you will need to be harder to hit or take damage better.

Hope this is useful feedback.

It is VERY USEFUL,

Damage is about 10-15 DC range
PRE: He wants to be a "Gentleman Thief", that is to say something of a charmer as well, It IS VERY HIGH, but only ties with two other members of the group
Movement Does seem low, I'll definatly mention it to him (The Player that is)
The highest Dex/Speed so far in the group is Dex 30/6 (That character is a Martial Artist). He is tied in second place with his brother (My Archer character Marksman)

Vigil

Apr 4th, '05, 08:51 AM

I agree with the PRE being way too high. For a thief a PRE 30 would be mighty conspicuous. I'd drop it to 15 and maybe give him some PRE Defense then buy up his running.

The 5d6 RKA also seems way extreme. Is it supposed to a thrown dagger? That can penetrate a battleship's armor? Is it an energy blade? I'd lower it to around 3d6 max and maybe add it cool stuff like Increased STUN x and Penetrating to give that 5d6 RKA feel without smearing everything all over the landscape. Or make it Only Usable vs Inanimate Objects (-1/2) to represent the fact that he doesn't hold back if he knows it isn't human or alive. Plus the fact that he has a CVK should make using such an attack an iffy proposition anyway. Moreover, given the fact that the entire MP uses "beam", he's going to be throwing up to 30 BODY attacks at thugs? It seems to me that, in this case, the beam disad is a cheap way to circumvent his CVK by saying that he can't "control" his powers. I'd disallow either the CVK or the "beam" disad.

Hope that's not too harsh.

Vigil

JmOz

Apr 4th, '05, 03:30 PM

I doubt he will be using the RKA against normals all that often (I see it as the two working against each other, not a way to avoid it)

It is energy in the shape of a dagger