Druss

[Eosin]

Every once in awhile I get the itch to write up some uber god-aweful powerful fantasy character. It keeps me same. Today I tweaked out Druss the Legend from David Gimmell.

Yes, he is grossly disgusting Dorthery.


[EDITED TO INCLUDE ALL COMMENTS 9/14/2006]
__________________________________________________ _______________

THE IRON CODE OF DRUSS
"Never violate a woman, nor harm a child. Do not lie, cheat or steal.
These things are for lesser men.
Protect the weak against the evil strong.
And never allow thoughts of gain to lead you into the pursuit of evil.
Never back away from an enemy. Either fight or surrender.
It is not enough to say I will not be evil. Evil must be fought wherever it is found."

DRUSS
DRUSS

Val Char Cost Roll Notes
26 .... STR .... 22 .... 14- .... Lift 919.0kg; 5d6 [5]
14 .... DEX .... 12 .... 12- .... OCV: 5/DCV: 5
25 .... CON .... 40 .... 14- ....
15 .... BODY ... 10 .... 12-
10 .... INT .... 0 .... 11- .... PER Roll 14-
18 .... EGO .... 16 .... 13- .... ECV: 6
20 .... PRE .... 10 .... 13- .... PRE Attack: 6d6
8 .... COM .... -1 .... 11-

10 .... PD .... 7 .... Total: 10/16 PD (0/6 rPD)
10 .... ED .... 7 .... Total: 10/16 ED (0/6 rED)
4 .... SPD .... 16 .... Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12
10 .... REC .... 0 ....
50 .... END .... 0
50 .... STUN .... 9 .... Total Characteristic Cost: 148


Cost .... Powers .... END
17 .... I am Druss and this...is death: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 4d6-1 (5d6 w/STR), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger requires a Turn or more to reset, Character does not control activation of personal Trigger; Death of Druss in HTH Combat; +¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (96 Active Points); 1 Charge which Never Recovers (-4), OAF (-1), Axe of Opportunity (+¼) [1 nr]
20 .... Tough as nails: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Requires A CON Roll (-½) 0
5 .... Iron Will: Mental Defense (10 points total) (6 Active Points); Not versus EGO BLAST (-¼) 0
11 .... Unstoppable: +10 BODY; Only to prevent Death or Disablement (-½), Not Versus Poisons; (-¼)
5 .... Fearsome Visage: +10 PRE; Only in Combat (-1)
9 .... Battle Sight: +3 PER with all Sense Groups 0
6 .... Fast Healing: Healing 1 BODY (Regeneration), Reduced END (0 END; +½), Persistent (+½), Invisible Power Effects, SFX Only (Fully Invisible; +½); Extra Time (Regeneration-Only) 1 BODY Per 6 Hours (-2 ½), Self Only (-½) 0

.... Captain of the Axe
Maneuver OCV DCV Notes
4 Fast Strike +2 +0 9d6 Strike
3 Legsweep +2 -1 8d6 Strike, Target Falls
4 Martial Block +2 +2 Block, Abort
3 Martial Grab -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 46 STR for holding on
5 Sacrifice Strike +1 -2 11d6 Strike
4 Root +0 +0 51 STR to resist Shove; Block, Abort
4 Shove +0 +0 51 STR to Shove
4 Weapon Bind +1 +0 Bind, 46 STR
8 +2 HTH Damage Class(es)
3 Weapon Element: Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks, Clubs, Empty Hand

Perks
20 Well Known, if not loved: Contacts and Favors
8 Deathwalker: Reputation (A large group) 11-, +4/+4d6
15 The Demon Spirit of Snagga the Sender: Follower

Talents
14 Fearless
11 Inspire
5 Latent Mystic

Skills
4 PS: Soldier 13-
3 PS: Farmer 11-
2 AK: Drenai 11-
4 AK: Skoda Mountains 13-
2 AK: Ventria 11-
2 KS: Heraldry 11-
5 KS: Warrior Cultures 14-
5 KS: Military & Mercenary World 14-

9 Analyze: Combat 14-
9 Analyze: Style 14-
3 Breakfall 12-
3 Climbing 12-
3 Concealment 11-
4 Gambling (Card Games, Dice Games) 11-
5 Oratory 16-
1 Paramedics 8-
3 Stealth 12-
3 Streetwise 15-
4 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical, Mountain) 11-
7 Tactics 13-
5 Tracking 12-

Combat Abilities
10 .... 1) Defense Maneuver I-IV
5 .... 2) Fast Draw 13-
5 .... 3) Rapid Attack (HTH)
10 .... 4) Veteran: +1 Overall
16 .... 5) The Blood of Butchers: +2 with All Combat
15 .... 6) Captain of the Axe: +3 with HTH Combat
20 .... 7) You Afraid to Die?: +5 with Axe Fighting (25 Active Points); (Only versus opponents who strike Druss in HTH; -¼)

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 355
Total Cost: 503

50+ Disadvantages
0 .... Normal Characteristic Maxima
5 .... Distinctive Features: Towering Battle scarred veteran (Easily Concealed; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
15 .... Dependent NPC: Soldiers 8- (Normal; Group DNPC: x2 DNPCs)
25 .... Psychological Limitation: The Iron Code (Very Common, Total)
0 .... Psychological Limitation: Afraid of dying old and broken (Uncommon, Strong)
5 .... Rivalry: Professional (Those who would make a name for themselves; Rival is Less Powerful; Seek to Harm or Kill Rival; Rival Aware of Rivalry)
403 .... Experience Points

Total Disadvantage Points: 503

EQUIPMENT CARRIED

Equipment END
Snaga the Sender: HKA 2d6+1 (+1 OCV, +2 Resistant Piercing), Affects Desolidified Astral & Supernatural Desolid (+¼), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½), Transdimensional [The Realm of Spirits] (Single Dimension; +½) (85 Active Points); OAF (-1), Required Hands Two-Handed (-½), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically whenever Power is used (Side Effect always occurs whenever the character does some specific act; Psych Lim: Prone to Violence (C,M); -½), Real Weapon (-¼), STR Minimum 11 (-¼) 0

Chain Habergeon: Armor (6 PD/6 ED) (18 Active Points); Protects Locations 8-14 (-1 ¼), OIF (-½), Real Armor (-¼) 0

Background/History: Druss descends from Bardan the Butcher, keeper of the Axe Snaga. The blood of a monster runs through his veins.

Grief haunts the heirs of Bardan. The father of Druss died defending their families while Druss was away from the farm. Snaga the Sender and armor were the only tools Druss needed to track down those who had taken his wife. It took eight years of blood and violence before the two were reunited but Druss was not able to return to the life of a farmer.

Quote: I am Druss and this is death!

Powers/Tactics: Druss has skill with the axe that is unmatched by men which coupled with his fearlessness makes him invincible in battle unless he meets someone willing to die. He is so skilled that any who seek to slay him know that they will perish in turn (his triggered HKA). He isn't a great leader but the legends surrounding him bolster morale of those who he fights with as well as any silver tongued general could hope to match.

Appearance: Druss is a towering man in his late fifties, scarred by innumerable battles and grief.

[Eosin]

I have started posting some of the PDFs of famous fantasy characters on Call of the Horn. They are built using the same "intuition" as characters who are designed for The Last Dominion and should be usable in that setting.

Character Archives (http://pencil-pushers.net/?page_id=11)

[Killer Shrike]

Good stuff. Gemmel is one of my faves.

Personally Id give him some Combat Luck and some Deadly Blow and at least one damage class on his MA. Also Id give him Weapon Element Axe, and a few more manuevers such as Grab, Shove, and Root at the very least.

I might give him a signature ability called "Cheat Death" or "Not Fated To Die Just Yet" bought as Extra Body. He regularly survived (and even fought thru) things that would have killed a normal mortal man. It also has the side effect of protecting him from limb severing.

18 EGO is probably sufficient, particularly in conjunction with the Fearless ability, but Druss had an absolutely iron will; so much so that he was effective on the Astral plane. Some Mental defense definitely seems in line, and if youve given any thought as to how the Drenai world's magic / psionics work he should be capable of kicking *** in the Astral even though he doesnt have a way to get there unaided.

I dont know about him not being a good leader per se; he did a bang up job whipping the lads into line for Dros Delnoch.

But all just nit picks; all in all a very interesting write up, and thanks!

[Eosin]

Ack... This version snapped off Snagga the Sender.

I considered Combat Luck but since I game him a flat out 50% Resistant Damage Reduction, I figured it might be overkill. Ditto with the Deadly Blow - with the missing Snagga he generates 4d6 without converting any skill levels to damage.

Good points on the missing martial arts, mental def, and the "not fated to die, yet" abilities (BTW - Axe is the default element with his martial arts).

I am gonna need to think about the astral stuff. It has been many moons since I read Druss or anything with the Drenai Astral stuff going on.

Thanks for the crit. I may see about updating tomorrow.

[Eosin]

Druss the Leader.

I wanted to handle this in a seperate post. Man, I noodled on that one. It is well within reason to consider Druss a stunning leader. Without him, Dros Drenloc would have fallen though dispair. His speech and his presence gave the men hope and courage. In other books he performs similar feats of leadership but mostly they seemed limited to giving a rousing speech (Oratory) and a demonstration of his physical prowess (PRE Attack). With his REP a base PRE attack is gonna be 8d6 but usually it will come in the 10d6 range.

That seems fairly inspiring to me, especially for a non-leader, leader. Still, I waffled about here and there wondering what else I could do to enhance that natural ability to inspire men without going along a "my name is Subedai and I have never lost a battle" route. Any sugestions on improving his ability to inspire common soldiers to extraordinary courage are welcome.

Maybe PRE unable by others? Only to inspire courage...

[Killer Shrike]

Ack... This version snapped off Snagga the Sender.

I considered Combat Luck but since I game him a flat out 50% Resistant Damage Reduction, I figured it might be overkill. Ditto with the Deadly Blow - with the missing Snagga he generates 4d6 without converting any skill levels to damage.
He eventually got rid of Snagga though, and was just as deadly without it except that Snagga could hurt supernatural creatures more.


Good points on the missing martial arts, mental def, and the "not fated to die, yet" abilities (BTW - Axe is the default element with his martial arts).
Dont forget that Druss was also a champion boxer; he'll need barehanded as an element then.

I am gonna need to think about the astral stuff. It has been many moons since I read Druss or anything with the Drenai Astral stuff going on.

Yeah, the Drenai Astral and magic in general works more like psionics and super tech. Also, its kept pretty sparse and mysterious so it's difficult to pin down.


Thanks for the crit. I may see about updating tomorrow. No problem. Ive actually considered going thru and stating out Gemmel characters for the HERO System on several occassions, I've just had to skip it due to having too many other things on my plate.

[Killer Shrike]

Read the revised version -- looking good. Id give Snagga Affects Desolid and maybe Transdimensional as well, but the main thing that is missing is its ability to influence its weilder to do evil / brutal things.

A small but Cumulative Mind Control would be a good way to model that, and now that Druss has Mental Defense its a good way to show how he was able to resist it.

[OddHat]

Just finished re-reading two of Gemmell's Druss books (First Chronicles and Deathwalker). Nice to bump into this thread, and a good write up. :)

I'd have fidled the stats differently, but not enough to worry about.

The Astral stuff is interesting in Gemmell. Tough to get it to work just right in a campaign. Last time I used a straight EDM leaves body behind, with EGOx3 resource points worth of equipment and EGO substituting for STR in the Void. Also, EGO rolls are effectively a Power skill in the Void.The wizards he met in the Void were more powerful than in the "real" world, but I handled that with x3 END cost for non mental attack powers in the material world. One Nadir shaman and one posessing spirit were able to throw lightning bolts, but it exhausted them, and the Chiatze wizard on the ship managed a fire ball.

If you go outside of Druss' direct arc there are some more and less out and out magic effects in Gemmell, especially in the Stones of Power books, but it's hard to draw a clear line on what fits where.

[Eosin]

I'd have fidled the stats differently, but not enough to worry about.

How so... Like I said, I am shooting from the hip. It has been years since I read the books.

If you go outside of Druss' direct arc there are some more and less out and out magic effects in Gemmell, especially in the Stones of Power books, but it's hard to draw a clear line on what fits where.

Yeah, I like his astral stuff, which is a theme that runs through the majority of his books (he says in interviews that they are all connected and Iron Hands Daughter -- Skillganon the Damned pretty much shows you how.). I am just being lazy and wanting to avoid the write up of the magic system.

[Eosin]

Read the revised version -- looking good. Id give Snagga Affects Desolid and maybe Transdimensional as well, but the main thing that is missing is its ability to influence its weilder to do evil / brutal things.

A small but Cumulative Mind Control would be a good way to model that, and now that Druss has Mental Defense its a good way to show how he was able to resist it.

Back to the drawing board... :smoke: Good points.

[OddHat]

How so... Like I said, I am shooting from the hip. It has been years since I read the books.

Druss meets a few people who are (probably) stronger than he is at various stages of his career, even though he himself is extremely strong into his sixties. I'd say that at his strongest, around age 30, he was a STR 25, and encountered a STR 28 character (the Gothir champion; name escapes me right now, but he was in Legend of Deathwalker). Alternatively, he may have been STR 28 himself and the champion may have been a STR 30 character. Or the champ may have just had loads more DEX and a good reputation. By the time he's in his 40s and standing at the pass, he's feeling his loss of raw STR, though he's still exceptionally powerful.

I'd place his BODY at 20 and still have the extra 10 only to prevent death or crippling injuries. He beat many foes not by having more raw power, but by keeping going after the foe was exhausted. I'd place his CON at 28 at its best.

He had Fast Healing, and mentioned it several times. After terrible beatings he'd recover in a few days. OTOH, the festering crossbow wound in First Chronicles had him weak and sick for months; I'd say the poisoning incident was a long term Drain CON or similar.

He had something like +5 PRE only in combat. Several times in First Chronicles people remark that when fighting he seems like a giant, but that out of combat he's just a very powerful young man. His EGO may have been 23 considering some of the EGO rolls he made, but that could have just been overal levels.

Snaga was an intelligent weapon, and once pulled off a Missile Deflection on its own. It also tried to kill a priest, fed Druss energy (probably a Heal STUN and END), spoke to Druss in the Void and basically acted like a bargain basement Stormbringer. Druss didn't control or even know about these powers, and Snaga didn't use the more obvious ones often. A few ways to build it, but he gets rid of the demon in his late twenties anyway. After that, it's just an axe.

Yeah, I like his astral stuff, which is a theme that runs through the majority of his books (he says in interviews that they are all connected and Iron Hands Daughter -- Skillganon the Damned pretty much shows you how.). I am just being lazy and wanting to avoid the write up of the magic system.

The full collection is on my shelves. The various series remain my favorites in the Fantasy genre, but I think some work better as alternate rather than linked parallel worlds.

[Killer Shrike]

Its been a number of years since I read the books myself, but OddHat brings up some very good points.

As I recall the Gothir champion was more of a Bruce Lee style kind of guy, though bigger / burlier. He definitely had more DEX and SPD than Druss and maybe instinctual danger sense, but I'd say his CON and BODY were lower. His extra strength could be represented by the Hoist Skill -- he had a better / more studied understanding of leverage than the raw strength oriented Druss perhaps.

[Eosin]

Man, I love you guys :drink:

Thanks for the tips. I don't know if I can get to it tonight but I will tweak him and repost when I am done. Gonna have to think about Snaga.

We (Edsel, BGliechman, and myself) run lower BODY compaigns to increase leathality - some of that bleeds through on my write-ups. About the highest BODY character I ever built was an Arnold clone who had 13 BODY....

[Eosin]

Here is the first stab at Waylander the Slayer. Again, these are from memory of the books and will need some tweaking much like the Druss writeup.


WAYLANDER

Va.... Char.... Cost.... Roll.... Notes
13...... STR...... 3...... 12-...... Lift 151.6kg; 2 ½d6 [3]
24...... DEX...... 54...... 14-...... OCV: 8/DCV: 8
15...... CON...... 10...... 12-......
13...... BODY..... 6...... 12-
15...... INT...... 5...... 12-...... PER Roll 12-
18...... EGO...... 16...... 13-...... ECV: 6
25...... PRE...... 20...... 14-...... PRE Attack: 5d6
14...... COM..... 2...... 12-

6...... PD...... 3...... Total: 6/9 PD (0/3 rPD)
6...... ED...... 3...... Total: 6/9 ED (0/3 rED)
5...... SPD...... 26...... Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12
6...... REC...... 0
30...... END...... 0
35...... STUN...... 7...... Total Characteristic Cost: 159

Movement: Running: 7"/14"

Cost Powers END
30...... Deadly Aim: Find Weakness 15- with Crossbow

...... Ventrian Legion Tricks
...... Maneuver OCV DCV Notes
5 Flying Dodge -- +4 Dodge All Attacks, Abort; FMove
4 Martial Block +2 +2 Block, Abort
4 Counterstrike +2 +2 4 ½d6 Strike, Must Follow Block
4 Fast Strike +2 +0 4 ½d6 Strike
5 Sacrifice Strike +1 -2 6 ½d6 Strike
5 Passing Strike +1 +0 2 ½d6 +v/5; FMove
5 Takeaway +0 +0 Grab Weapon, 23 STR to take weapon away
5 Weapon Element: Blades, Clubs, Empty Hand, Fist-Loads, Off Hand

...... Assassins Art
Maneuver OCV DCV Notes
4 Basic Shot +0 +0 Strike, +4 DC
5 Distance Shot +0 -2 Strike +2 DC , +1 Segment
5 Offensive Ranged Disarm +1 -1 Disarm, +4 DC to Disarm
5 Offensive Trip +1 -1 Strike +2 DC +v/5, Target Falls
8 +2 Ranged Damage Class(es)
3 Weapon Element: Crossbows, Thrown Knives, Axes, and Darts, Thrown Sword

Perks
30 ...... Friends of War and Circumstance: Contact: Varies 8-
2 ...... Dakeyras: Deep Cover
4 ...... Waylander the Slayer: Reputation: Supernaturally good assassin (A small to medium sized group) 8-, +4/+4d6

Talents
9 ...... Intensive Training: Ambidexterity (no Off Hand penalty)
8 ...... Perfect Shot: Combat Archery
12 ...... Uncanny Defenses: Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED)
15 ...... Intuitional Fighter: Combat Sense 12-
40 ...... Preternatural Awareness: Danger Sense (general area, any danger, Function as a Sense) 15-
14 ...... Dead Inside: Fearless
3 ...... Weary: Lightsleep
4 ...... Quick Shot: Rapid Throwing
2 ...... Supernatural Hunter: Trackless Stride

...... Skills
3 Jack of All Trades
5 1) PS: Assassin 15-
1 2) PS: Farmer 11-
2 3) PS: Legionare 12-
4 4) PS: Woodsman 14-

3 Scholar
3 1) KS: Criminal Underworld 13-
2 2) KS: Flora & Fauna 12-
2 3) KS: Heraldry 12-
1 4) KS: Martial Styles 8-
4 5) KS: Poisons 14-
2 6) KS: Regional Powers 12-
2 7) KS: Royality & Nobility 12-

3 Acrobatics 14-
3 Acting 14-
3 Breakfall 14-
3 Bribery 14-
3 Eavesdropping: Bugging 12-
3 Climbing 14-
3 Concealment 12-
3 Fast Draw 14-
6 Gambling (Board Games, Card Games, Dice Games) 12-
3 High Society 14-
3 Interrogation 14-
3 Lipreading 12-
3 Lockpicking 14-
2 Navigation (Land) 12-
3 Paramedics 12-
3 Riding 14-
3 Security Systems 12-
3 Seduction 14-
3 Shadowing 12-
3 Sleight Of Hand 14-
3 Stealth 14-
3 Streetwise 14-
6 Survival (Temperate/Subtropical, Mountain, Urban) 12-
3 Tactics 12-
3 Tracking 12-
3 Trading 14-
12 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Chain & Rope Weapons, Garrote, Ninja Weapons, Off Hand, Staffs, Thrown Chain & Rope Weapons, Thrown Sword, Whips

8 ...... Thread a Needle: Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Hit Location modifiers with Ranged
8 ...... Marksmen: Penalty Skill Levels: +4 vs. Range Modifier with a tight group of attacks
10 ...... Few Better: +1 Overall
8 ...... One of the Best: +1 with All Combat
10 ...... Even Better with Daggers: +2 with Daggers
8 ...... The Best: +4 with Crossbow

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 421
Total Cost: 580

50+ Disadvantages
0 Normal Characteristic Maxima
15 Hunted: Past Enemies and Heads of State 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)
10 Psychological Limitation: Vengeful (Uncommon, Strong)
10 Reputation: The Slayer, 8- (Extreme)
20 Social Limitation: Wanted Man in most countries (Frequently, Severe)
475 Experience Points

Total Disadvantage Points: 580

EQUIPMENT CARRIED
Equipment ...... ...... END
Two-Shot Crossbow: RKA 2d6 (Resistant Piercing: +2 Pips), 8 Recoverable Charges (+0), Autofire (2 shots; +¼) (45 Active Points); OAF (-1), Extra Time (1 Turn (Post-Segment 12), Only to Activate, -¾), Required Hands Two-Handed (-½), Real Weapon (-¼), STR Minimum 8 (-¼), Beam (-¼), Limited Range: 100" (-¼)Notes: 3 BODY, 4 DEF [8 rc]

Footman's Blade: HKA 1d6+1, Required Hands One-Handed (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (30 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-¼), STR Minimum 7 1-5 (-¼)Notes: 5 BODY, 5 DEF 0

Side Sword: HKA 2d6-1 (+1 OCV), Required Hands One-Handed (+0), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +½) (42 Active Points); OAF (-1), Real Weapon (-¼), STR Minimum 8 1-5 (-¼)Notes: 5 BODY, 6 DEF 0

Thrown Knife: RKA 1d6 (15 Active Points); 4 Recoverable Charges (-½), Beam (-¼), Limited Range: 32" (Range Based On STR) (-¼), STR Minimum 4 1-5 (-¼), Real Weapon (-¼) [4 rc]

Leather Jac: Armor (3 PD/3 ED) (9 Active Points); Protects Locations 10-13 (-1 ¼), OIF (-½), Real Armor (-¼) 0

Background/History:
Nineteen men took a farmer named Dakeyrs and forged him into one of the most feared agents of death. It took several years and in that time he crossed several countries making friends and enemies alike, but Dakeyrs found the men who butchered his family. He killed them. All. In the process he became Waylander the Slayer. A cold and ruthless killer for whom no job was too vile. That is until he slew his own king and doomed his countrymen to invasion and annihilation.

The actions of a simple but pious Source Priest steered the Slayer back, revealing the man who came before the killer. Now, Waylander is charaged with an impossible task to stop a war that he made possible.

Personality/Motivation:
Waylander is the archtypical anti-hero; brooding, dark, and angry most of the time yet still capable of astounding feats of greatness. The Wolverine of fantasy.

Quote: All men hace certain skills.... It so happens that I excel in killing.


ADDED: Whooops, already figured out that he needs Defensive Maneuver.

[Eosin]

I need to see about finishing the tweek of Druss to bring Snaga into line with the books and give Druss the Barehanded element. Once I finish Waylander, I'll get them both up in the archives.

[OddHat]

Very good. :)

Campaign and build style differences aside:

1) Waylander has at least the basic Disguise skill; he's not a master, but he gets into a Nadir chief's tent by disguising himself as a Nadir tribesman well enough to fool the real guards and the chief, evades guards and gets into the private chambers of a Chiatze sorcerer through a spur of the moment disguise, disguises the corpse of a guard as his own body well enough to pass casual inspection, and gets into a merchant's home (again) disguised as a guard. It's one of his favorite tricks.

2) He's an animal handler with canines and probably equines; we see him tame a fighting dog well enough to turn it into a follower in the second book, and he's a skilled horeseman.

3) He has Luck. Arguably all fictional characters have Luck, but the conversations he has about the Source and Dardelion's meditations on the issue suggest that the Source is taking an interest in Waylander. The Chaos Spirit may be as well. At any rate, 2-3 d6 of luck would do well to explain some of the lucky breaks that allow him to get through (finding the ferry, the changes of heart that two major characters experience leading them to rescue him when all seems lost, one antagonist just happens to be the Chosen One, probably more I'm forgetting).

Good work. :)

[Eosin]

Very good. :)

Campaign and build style differences aside:

1) Waylander has at least the basic Disguise skill; he's not a master, but he gets into a Nadir chief's tent by disguising himself as a Nadir tribesman well enough to fool the real guards and the chief, evades guards and gets into the private chambers of a Chiatze sorcerer through a spur of the moment disguise, disguises the corpse of a guard as his own body well enough to pass casual inspection, and gets into a merchant's home (again) disguised as a guard. It's one of his favorite tricks.

2) He's an animal handler with canines and probably equines; we see him tame a fighting dog well enough to turn it into a follower in the second book, and he's a skilled horeseman.

3) He has Luck. Arguably all fictional characters have Luck, but the conversations he has about the Source and Dardelion's meditations on the issue suggest that the Source is taking an interest in Waylander. The Chaos Spirit may be as well. At any rate, 2-3 d6 of luck would do well to explain some of the lucky breaks that allow him to get through (finding the ferry, the changes of heart that two major characters experience leading them to rescue him when all seems lost, one antagonist just happens to be the Chosen One, probably more I'm forgetting).

Good work. :)

All good points. I was hoping that you would peak back in and point out my lapses. :drink:

I had actrually meant to put a few die of luck on him... slipped me mind. I concur 100% that there is a bit of the Source looking after him.

[OddHat]

All good points. I was hoping that you would peak back in and point out my lapses. :drink:

I had actrually meant to put a few die of luck on him... slipped me mind. I concur 100% that there is a bit of the Source looking after him.

Glad to see you're taking him on. Druss, Waylander and Decado are the three characters I think of most often when designing Fantasy heroes, and it's great to see write ups of Gemmell characters.

[Eosin]

Glad to see you're taking him on. Druss, Waylander and Decado are the three characters I think of most often when designing Fantasy heroes, and it's great to see write ups of Gemmell characters.


It's my way of dealing with Gemmel Depression. All of my DG books were loanded out about 6 months ago and I really don't expect them back anytime soon so I am sorta stuck. Lord of the Silver Bow had me stoked because I felt that it would put Gemmell on that ever elusive "A-List" with the top dogs in the industry.

I liked Kalin and Jaim in the Rigante. Druss and Waylander go without saying. :D

[OddHat]

It's my way of dealing with Gemmel Depression. All of my DG books were loanded out about 6 months ago and I really don't expect them back anytime soon so I am sorta stuck. Lord of the Silver Bow had me stoked because I felt that it would put Gemmell on that ever elusive "A-List" with the top dogs in the industry.

I liked Kalin and Jaim in the Rigante. Druss and Waylander go without saying. :D

Shannow was my favorite Gemmell character, probably my favorite fictional character. However, all of Gemmell's books are treasures on one level or another, even the one or two that fell short.

I've said it elsewhere, but I was expecting another twenty years of books from him. For largely selfish reasons, I mourn his loss.

[Lemurion]

I liked the characters, though it's been a while since I read any Gemmell. Druss is definitely my favorite of his characters, and I think you did a very good job.

Nice work and I look forwards to reading more.

repped.

[Killer Shrike]

We should start a club, Gemmel Mourners Anonymous

Anyway, Im at the office now and just skimmed the writeup, but after the weird mutant healed him, he also had Longevity and a bit of a healing factor.

I also might give him some of the "Resistance" style Talents, particularly vs Seduction as he was really good at making it hard to be friends with him.

Also, his Chiatze moneyhandler was probably a follower, or a seperate Contact with a very high relationship modifier, as he would not betray Waylander even under duress.

His crossbow was basically unique; I would write it up as a Power, since it was essentially not something you could buy in a store or easily replace and it was decidedly better than a normal piece of Equipment. Even after his "death" it was something of a venerated relic IIRC.

Of course, as with all fictional characters with a good body of work under them, timing is everything -- what point along the storyline you are modeling.

You could probably tack on the extras for later versions of Waylander as little Package Deals at the bottom of the write up.

[OddHat]

We should start a club, Gemmel Mourners Anonymous

Anyway, Im at the office now and just skimmed the writeup, but after the weird mutant healed him, he also had Longevity and a bit of a healing factor.

I also might give him some of the "Resistance" style Talents, particularly vs Seduction as he was really good at making it hard to be friends with him.

Also, his Chiatze moneyhandler was probably a follower, or a seperate Contact with a very high relationship modifier, as he would not betray Waylander even under duress.

His crossbow was basically unique; I would write it up as a Power, since it was essentially not something you could buy in a store or easily replace and it was decidedly better than a normal piece of Equipment. Even after his "death" it was something of a venerated relic IIRC.

Of course, as with all fictional characters with a good body of work under them, timing is everything -- what point along the storyline you are modeling.

You could probably tack on the extras for later versions of Waylander as little Package Deals at the bottom of the write up.

Good calls all.

What was the Chiatze's name? Matse Chai? Great character. When he first showed up, I'd say he was a Contact - Good Relationship. In the final book he was a Contact - Very Good Relationship. I could see going the follower route as well.

The Mutant was "Kai", iirc. Added a point or two of Longevity and the Fast Healing talent.

[Eosin]

We should start a club, Gemmel Mourners Anonymous

Good call on the various points. I will get him & Druss polished up tonight.

[Eosin]

I think the final versions are done.

I posted them in PDF at my character archive (http://pencil-pushers.net/?page_id=11). Here are the hot links directly to the files [PDF Druss (http://www.pencil-pushers.net/Downloads/Druss.pdf)] [PDF Waylander (http://www.pencil-pushers.net/Downloads/Waylander.pdf)] in case you want to skip all the other yummy goodness.

These were done in HDv3 if anyone wants the file?

[OddHat]

I think the final versions are done.

I posted them in PDF at my character archive (http://pencil-pushers.net/?page_id=11). Here are the hot links directly to the files [PDF Druss (http://www.pencil-pushers.net/Downloads/Druss.pdf)] [PDF Waylander (http://www.pencil-pushers.net/Downloads/Waylander.pdf)] in case you want to skip all the other yummy goodness.

These were done in HDv3 if anyone wants the file?

Both look good. :)

[Kristopher]

And here I worried when I wrote up some of the characters from my fantasy work-in-progress and a few came out in the 250-350 range.

[OddHat]

And here I worried when I wrote up some of the characters from my fantasy work-in-progress and a few came out in the 250-350 range.

It's that breadth versus height thing. Most fictional characters have a long list of skills, powers, talents, and perks, even if their raw power isn't all that high (and often it is). It makes converting fictional characters who've been through more than a book or two worth of adventures expensive as hell, as well as pointing out the limits in the existing suggested point levels and active point limits in all genres.

The fact that RPGs are geared to 4-6 member group play rather than 1-2 character adventures also stilts our standard a bit. Notice how the members of the Justice League and Justice Society all get powered down compared to their solo title appearances.

[Kristopher]

It's that breadth versus height thing. Most fictional characters have a long list of skills, powers, talents, and perks, even if their raw power isn't all that high (and often it is). It makes converting fictional characters who've been through more than a book or two worth of adventures expensive as hell, as well as pointing out the limits in the existing suggested point levels and active point limits in all genres.

The fact that RPGs are geared to 4-6 member group play rather than 1-2 character adventures also stilts our standard a bit. Notice how the members of the Justice League and Justice Society all get powered down compared to their solo title appearances.

(All but one of them, that is. :D )

I hadn't thought of it that way. Thanks.

In the case of my characters in particular, part of it also comes from the fact that most of the major characters have inherent powers (aura sight, visions, teleportation, etc) of some kind, and that's hardly typical of fantasy games.

[WilyQuixote]

Hello Guys and Gals,

Ive been off line for a little over a year now (don't ask) but am back, though I usually just lurk on these boards and never really have anything useful to contribute. This however is a topic I love to discuss, anything by Gemmell! He is my all time favorite writer and Jon Shannow is my favorite of his many heroes. I think your interpretations of Druss and Waylander are interesting. I myself would have built them at the end of their long and legendary careers. In fact one night when I had nothing better to do I sat down and plotted out that Waylander died right around the time Druss would have been born (roughly mind you my math coulda been off a little). Never mind the fact that Waylander actually went back in time to save his wife and kids from their horrible fates and thus setting Dakeras on the path to becoming the most feared assassin in all the known world. Also IRC Waylander's friend ol "Hard-To-Kill" though it was never confirmed was Druss's great grandfather I think. I don't remember off hand, its been years since I read the books.

Anyways personally I wouldn't have even worried about how many points any of Gemmell's heroes come out too. ALL of his main heroes were exceptionally hypercompetent in combat and their chosen trades respectively. Druss knew soldiering like nobodies buisiness, Waylander could be argued to know all practical skills and languages plus having IMHO 4-5 OLs and varying CLs. He admitted he was good with swords (short swords in particular) over other standard weapons and he was best with knives and his crossbow period. I think buying the crossbow as a power is the way to go, and Druss kept Snaga through all his days till he died. Even after the demon was exorcised from the Axe it was still highly regarded as a weapon of exceptional craftsmanship and never needed sharpening so I'd say buy it as a power too.

Also neither character would be out of line to be given atleast IMHO 3-5 lvls of Deadly Blow of varying degrees depending on who its for. I know this may seem excessive and depending on the campaign it just might be but consider that neither character ever had to hit someone more then once before they died. Even the dreaded Joinings who shrugged off most blows easily went down after one or two hits from these deadly warriors and IRC neither ever really took time to find weakness on an opponent. IME its better and faster to just do gobs more damage then they can take rather then waste an action on FW. The lethality is the same. I know it depends on campaign rules.

As far as CHARs go again I wouldn't count the points or worry about it. Yes they considered themselves "just men" but they were more then that. Id give Druss a STR, CON, EGO, & PRE of 30 easy, and a BOD of 20 with the +10 BOD ability left on too. Druss was one of the strongest men around and that Boxer that was "bigger" could still have a 30 STR too. IMO his combat prowess in the ring came from DCs in his martial art which at that time Druss had not yet learned. Druss had never needed to learn how to throw a punch properly, his immense STR was always enough to carry the day. IRC that same boxer taught Druss how to box after the fight too. Now of course we would need to take in the age penalties too so at the end of it Druss might have onlyhad a STR of 25 but still.

Waylander I would have given a CON & BOD of 20, a DEX of 23ish or so with lotsa lightning reflex lvls, EGO 30, and to make him so fearsome he gets PRE bonus just buy 7-10 lvls of REP. He was never very impressive to people who didn't know who he was but when it was known everybody feared him. His real strength as an assassin was only a very few select individuals knew what he looked like in the first place. Waylander interacted with tons of people and they not being any wiser about who he was treated him just like any other person. I remember one scene where he actually walked up to the manor of his victim and applied for a job as a guard to "protect" the victim from himself no less and was hired on gleefully with all the rest seeking the exhorbant paycheck being offered. Then when he killed the guy he just hung out at the manor with all the rest of the guards no one knowing who he was. It didn't even take a disguise roll on his part!

Anyways I think all the previous suggestions were all good ones and should be kept or atleast seriously considered before dismissing, this was just my own two cents worth free of charge. I sincerely miss David Gemmell and mourn his passing.

[Eosin]

And here I worried when I wrote up some of the characters from my fantasy work-in-progress and a few came out in the 250-350 range.


Some of the folks have already mentioned the hypercompetence of characters from other media as the root cause and I am not inclined to disagree. Nearly all the "Protagonist" characters that I have written up over the years top at least 300 points and many are considerably higher (I think Jack Bauer has the most points other than Batman). I find it very hard to shave points when modeling a known character but admittedly some are easier than others. An interesting sidebar, Knights of the Round Table aren't all that expensive ~ floating between the 200-250 mark in most cases.

Anyway, yeah - I know the point totals are high but the characters are built in a manner that falls within "standard fantasy conventions" and emulate the writings to the best of my ability. The trick is keeping everyone balanced against all the other builds.... i.e. Should Druss, Conan, or Aragorn win in a fight? Those are the real ugly questions and there isn't a right answer.

[Eosin]

Thanks for the comments. I know that even when we don't 100% agree on a build, we all share a fondness for the source material that inspires us.

Also neither character would be out of line to be given at least IMHO 3-5 lvls of Deadly Blow of varying degrees depending on who its for.

I balance each write up against a standard for my own campaign and I have found that, for me, Deadly Blow is an overbalancing aspect of the game. Druss can smack down with a 5d6 kill against foes who have at most 10 rPD... around 9 BODY through on an average roll versus the most heavily armored opponent. That is about as leathal as you can get. As always, in your own game feel free to tack whatever it might be that you feel gets him "closer" to the Druss you read about.

[TheQuestionMan]

Another great job.

Thanks

QM

[TheQuestionMan]

Druss the Legend, the Silver Slayer, and Deathwalker
http://www.dodgenet.com/~moonblossom/legendof.htm