[VILLAIN] The Dealer - please critique

[Ben Seeman]

Hey gang, I was just thinking about about villain team concept which lead to many character concepts, one of which I've complete and put here for your review. Let me know what you think, how he can be improved, etc. I'm wanting to stay at the 350 point level. Thanks!
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The Dealer

Val Char Cost Roll Notes
15 STR 5 12- Lift 200.0kg; 3d6 HTH damage
19 DEX 27 13- OCV: 6/DCV: 6
15 CON 10 12-
14 BODY 8 12-
19 INT 9 13- PER Roll 13-
13 EGO 6 12- ECV: 4
18 PRE 8 13- PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6
14 COM 2 12-
4 PD 1 Total: 4/16 PD (0/12 rPD)
4 ED 1 Total: 4/16 ED (0/12 rED)
4 SPD 11 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12
10 REC 8
31 END 1
31 STUN 1 Total Characteristics Cost: 98
Movement: Run: 6"/NC"
Swim: 2"/NC"

Cost Powers END

35 Deck of Cards: Multipower, 70-point reserve, all slots: (70 Active Points); OAF (-1)
2u 1) Jokers: RKA 5d6 - 1 (70 Active Points); 2 Charges (-1 1/2)
2u 2) Kings: EB 7d6, Penetrating (+1/2), Explosion (Cone; -1 DC/2"; +1/2) (70 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1)
2u 3) Queens: (Total: 70 Active Cost, 23 Real Cost) Entangle 4d6, 4 DEF (40 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1) (Real Cost: 20) plus Suppress: STR 6d6 (30 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1) (Real Cost: 15)
2u 4) Jacks: EB 7d6, AP x1 (+1/2), AOE (One Hex; +1/2) (70 Active Points); 4 Charges (-1)
3u 5) Numbers: EB 5 1/2d6, 36 Charges (+1/2), Variable Advantage (+1/2 Advantages +1) (70 Active Points)

25 Stack of Chips: Multipower, 50-point reserve, all slots: (50 Active Points); OAF (-1)
2u 1) Green Chips: Sight Group Flash 5d6, AOE (3" Radius; +1) (50 Active Points); 5 Charges (-3/4)
1u 2) Blue Chips: Drain FORCEFIELD 5d6 (50 Active Points); 5 Charges (-2)
2u 3) Red Chips: FW (9 PD/9 ED; 3" long and 1" tall) (49 Active Points); 8 Charges (-1/2)
2u 4) Yellow Chips: EB 5d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1) (50 Active Points); 10 Charges (-1/4)
2u 5) White Chips: RKA 1d6, 32 Charges (+1/4), Autofire (5 shots; +1), Penetrating (x2; +1) (49 Active Points)

Suit
24 1) Protective Suit: Armor (12 PD/12 ED) (36 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)
13 2) Protective Suit: Energy Damage Reduction, 50% (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)
13 3) Protective Suit: Physical Damage Reduction, 50% (20 Active Points); OIF (-1/2)

5 Shades: Sight Group Flash Defense (10 points) (10 Active Points); OAF (-1)

Martial Arts: Cane Maneuvers
Maneuver OCV DCV Notes
4 Choke Hold -2 +0 Grab One Limb; 3d6 NND
5 Defensive Block +1 +3 Block, Abort
3 Takedown +1 +1 5d6 Strike; Target Falls
5 Offensive Strike -2 +1 9d6 Strike
4 Killing Strike -2 +0 HKA 1d6 +1

Perks
5 Money: Well Off
3 Anonymity

Talents
3 Ambidexterity (-2 Off Hand penalty)
5 Eidetic Memory
4 Speed Reading (x10)

Skills
3 Acting 13-
3 Bribery 13-
7 Concealment 15-
3 Conversation 13-
5 Cryptography 14-
7 Deduction 15-
10 Gambling (Card Games) 17-
3 Persuasion 13-
6 PS: Card Dealer 16-
5 Seduction 14-
9 +3 with Deck of Cards Multipower
6 +2 with Stack of Chips Multipower

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 253
Total Cost: 350

200+ Disadvantages
15 Dependence: Alcohol Incompetence: -1 to Skill Rolls and related rolls per time increment (Easy To Obtain; Addiction)
15 Enraged: Cards or Chips are taken away (Uncommon), go 11-, recover 11-
15 Hunted: Local Crimefighters 11- (As Pow; Harshly Punish)
15 Psych. Lim.: Greedy (Common; Strong)
15 Psych. Lim.: Over Confidence (Common; Strong)
25 Psych. Lim.: Sexist (Very Common; Total)
10 Reputation: Member of Casino Crime Syndicate 11-
20 Soc. Lim.: Subject to Orders (Very Frequently; Major)
20 Vulnerability: 2 x Effect All Mental Attacks (Common)

Total Disadvantage Points: 350

[Captain Super]

Gotta love reasonable stats. Fun Villian. Would enjoy him in theme group with PIT BOSS, Cocktail or Hooker, A lounge singer type, and rain man type mentalist (definitely blackjack, yeah, definitely blackjack) led by LCN boss.

Only few questions/notes:

Chips/cards - magic or tech?

Mechanics of dealing cards in combat while holding a cane.

How does he hold all of those chips, a belt dispenser?

Also Precog- only to determine cards or limited telepathy, only to determine other players cards to simulate superhuman poker palying/reading skills.

But what do I know, I haven't visited the boards for over a year.

[Ben Seeman]

Thanks for the response...

-- Chips/cards - magic or tech?
They are tech, provided by the scientists that Pit Boss (the ringleader) has working for him. His write-up is forthcoming.

-- Mechanics of dealing cards in combat while holding a cane.
He's ableto simply reach into his 'cardholster' and automatically pull out the card(s) that he we desires. He's cool like that. ;)

-- How does he hold all of those chips, a belt dispenser?
Exactly. :)

-- Also Precog- only to determine cards or limited telepathy, only to determine other players cards to simulate superhuman poker palying/reading skills.
That's an interesting concept, but since that is more of a roleplaying type of thing (something a PC would do) I'm not going to include it.

Still to come:
Pit Boss - Crime Lord
Roulette - Pistol Packing Hottie
Black Jack - Knife Fighter
Pai Gow - Martial Artist
Slot - Brick
... and more!

[Kevin Scrivner]

Looks like a versatile energy projector with reasonable stats, good foe for Batman or Green Hornet type heroes. But what's his background, his story? That's what makes a villain interesting. How does his poker schtick work out during play -- actions, speech, attitudes?

[Ben Seeman]

I'm currently working on the team's background as well as individual backgrounds for each character. In time, though.

[Killer Shrike]

ahem...I dont think anyone would call you out if you downloaded a copy of Hero Designer for your personal use, oh mighty web czar :D

[Killer Shrike]

Is he planning to do Multiple Power Attacks with that doubled up MPP?

[Killer Shrike]

He Exceeds 50 points in Psy Lims, which is only relevant if your GM holds you to max 50 per category of Disads (I dont FTR)

[Killer Shrike]

Shouldnt there be an ace slot?

[Killer Shrike]

Also, consider Suicide King, Black Queen, Jack of Spades, and what have you as additional slots, perhaps w/ 1 charge each.

[Rune]

With regard to the Dealer, you may want to consider getting some levels that deal with Range mods. A couple dice in luck might also be appropriate.

[Ben Seeman]

KS: ahem...I dont think anyone would call you out if you downloaded a copy of Hero Designer for your personal use, oh mighty web czar.
-- I don't understand what you mean. Are there math errors?

KS: Is he planning to do Multiple Power Attacks with that doubled up MPP?
-- Hmmm... that's a good idea.

KS: He Exceeds 50 points in Psy Lims, which is only relevant if your GM holds you to max 50 per category of Disads (I dont FTR).
-- You're absolutely right. I'll change that.

KS: Shouldnt there be an ace slot?
-- Again, you're absolutely right. The King slot should be the Ace, the Queen the King, etc... Now I need a new Jack slot. :)

KS: Also, consider Suicide King, Black Queen, Jack of Spades, and what have you as additional slots, perhaps w/ 1 charge each.
-- I just may do that. I'd have to reduce the charges of the other face cards depending upon how many "special" face cards I put in. That's a great idea. I was also considering doing things like "Royal Flush", where he fires off a 10-J-Q-K-A combo, but tracking the charges would then get REALLY tedious... you'd literally have to track each individual card.

Rune: With regard to the Dealer, you may want to consider getting some levels that deal with Range mods. A couple dice in luck might also be appropriate.
-- Range mods! Of course! I'm also going to put Range Based on STR Lim on them as well. As some Luck is definitely in order.

Thanks for all of the input guys. I'll have a new version of him up after this weekend for more input. You guys rock.

[wcw43921]

I'd definitely hate to play 52-Pick Up with him.

And the lounge-singer would be a bipedal reptile--called, of course, Lounge Lizard.

The female character would be called Showgirl--your option as to whether she's played by Elizabeth Berkley.

[steriaca]

Reminds me of my own gambling theamed assasion, Deathdealer. He wields raizor sharp playing cards (4 clips of 52 charges), and special sets of exploding d6 dice (he tosses two at a time, if the faces show up two ones, two sixes, or any combo which adds to seven or eleven, thay explode...if not, thay automatly 'dud out' so thay can't be used agenst him).

[Ben Seeman]

Originally posted by wcw43921
I'd definitely hate to play 52-Pick Up with him.

And the lounge-singer would be a bipedal reptile--called, of course, Lounge Lizard.

The female character would be called Showgirl--your option as to whether she's played by Elizabeth Berkley.

Lounge Lizard and Showgirl are SO on my list! :D Thanks!

[Killer Shrike]

RE: Hero Designer: RE: Math Errors:

The math checking aspect of HD is a very cool thing, but I just meant that it looks odd for an employee of HERO Games to post a character and not use the HERO Games character creation software in the process ;)

Plus the output is so much better looking from HERO Designer. Easier to read, easier on the eyes, and more consistently formatted.

[Crimson Arrow]

Nice ideas there.

How about (yes, over-used I know), Snake Eyes. You could go down the Oculon type villain route, but I see him more as a cold-hearted gunsel, with PRE Defence up to his squinty eyeballs. Maybe some of the ranged martial arts moves from UMA. This overlaps with Roulette, but see below.

The other dice game name I came up with was "Hard Way", which smacks of brick/tough guy martial artist to me. "You've got two choices, my way or the hard way," (ie exactly the same thing).

Another casino based name is Railroad, which sounds like an armoured villain to me. This is based on "chemin de fer" (railroad/railway) which is the game you see James Bond playing in "Dr. No", I believe. Perhaps he has a rail gun, or his armour is a little like a rail engine (or both).

Have you considered having Roulette throw small wheels (like shuriken), or project wheel-shaped energy bolts? The name means "little wheel". You might tread on The Dealer's toes a little, but in a way, shouldn't all the villains based on games have chips?

Perhaps The Dealer has a "buck" (as in "pass the buck", to show who is the current dealer in a card game). This could even be a buck knife (but don't step on Black Jack's toes), or maybe a thrown gadget producing some of the effects currently showing as chips. It might free up a few points for those other card effects. You could also put a weapon into his cane (like the Kingpin's laser stick, although maybe something with a little more flair, like a single shot gun, or a spike projector).

As for an effect for the Jacks, how about an Indirect EB or RKA (Jumping Jacks)?

[Mark Rand]

Ben, I love the characters and concept. Keep up the good work.

[eepjr24]

Originally posted by wcw43921
And the lounge-singer would be a bipedal reptile--called, of course, Lounge Lizard.


heh. My brothers wifes dart league team name: Lazy Lesbian Lounge Lizards. They had an odd name, but they always had fun.

- E