I stumbled across this while I was digging around my computer
This is the Current Outline
I: Intro: What is a Brick:
Bend Steel in his bare hands, Able to leap Tall building in a single bound…”-Superman
The Brick, The Tank, or the Strongman, call him what you may but every team needs at least one. The Brick can walk through what his other team members could not dream of and come out swinging. His strength caries him through, because he is the toughest and strongest Hero on the block.
What makes a Brick a brick boils down to his strategy, it is not a strategy of fancy moves, he does not need finesse, that is for those Martial Artists, nor is it some sort of distance attack, the blasters can have those, The secret pathways of the mind are not his province either. A Brick simply goes toe to toe with his opponent and punches him into LaLa Land, high strategy for the Brick is to hit him with something other than his bare hands, like an I-Beam.
… A: Basic Traits: Bricks are the strongest characters you will find, with only other bricks truly being as strong as them. High Defenses are almost universal as well. The Bricks stats allow him to be the last one standing in any fights. Low Speed and Dexterity are at least as common as they are not.
II: Character Creation (Concept)
The single most important part of any characters is the concept of the character, in this section we will take a closer look at creating the concept
…A: Archetypes: The Archetype is a tool to easily some rise the basic qualities of the character. They should not be used as the total character idea but rather a general idea of what the character will be like, also mixed Archetypes are quite common.
… …1. Basic Brick: This is the simplest of all Archetypes. The Basic Brick Has huge amounts of Strength and High defenses.
… …2. Armored Brick: The Armored Brick has some form of obvious external armor, this might be a rocky hide, being made of metal, or a suit of armor
… …3. Heavy Bricks: These individuals get the majority of there strength from the ability to increase there size and density
… …4. Martial Brick: Not the strongest brick, but still strong enough to throw small cars around. To supplement his strength he has learned a specialized fighting art or has some other means to do vast damage, a weapon or claws is common.
… …5. Speeding Brick: He uses his great speed to offset his relatively low strength, he is a master of the move thru and move by.
… …6. Nimble Brick: A close relation to the speeding brick, he will have lower than normal defenses but have a considerably higher ability to avoid being hit. This might come from a higher dexterity, invisibility, or shrinking.
… …7. Styrofoam Brick: The Styrofoam brick is similar to the others, however he has very low to no Resistant defenses.
… …8. Psudo Brick: This individual looks and acts like a brick however there powers are slightly different, for instance they might have no-range telekinesis or Gravity control powers, but they can still throw cars around and shrug off the attacks of there enemies.
… …9. Part Time Bricks: These Bricks only spend some of there time as a brick, They might transform into a brick, or have an item that gifts them with there powers, This is more of a modifier to another type of brick than its own archetype. For example if you combine The Part Time Brick and the Armored Brick you might have someone who puts on a suit of armor for his powers.
…B: Basic Origins:: As important to the brick as his powers is his origin, while each character should have a unique origin there are certain themes that are seen often in the origin of bricks, the following is a guide of the most common of these origins.
… …1. Enhanced Human: Enhanced humans were once normal people much like you or me. Then, they became more! Maybe it was a super serum, a strange accident at the nuclear plant, a space launch with faulty shielding, or the car broke down and they knocked on the door of the wrong spooky house during the rainstorm.
Generally speaking, some people are happy about the change, and others are not. The former tend to be flashy glory hounds, thrill seekers, and devoted agents of justice. A lucky few received the powers due to a failed attempt on their life by their enemies; they're not just lucky to be alive, now they can fight back.
The unlucky ones are now set apart from humanity as they gain really nasty distinctive features and uncontrolled powers (always on ? can't control the power level ? no conscious control ?). They might become anti-social with fears they can never lead a normal life.
Oh, and a few of these enhanced humans have their heads screwed on wrong. They might not have had 50 points in psych lims before, but they sure do afterwards.
Enhanced Humans can be divided by what has changed them from there normal lives to there enhanced state.
… … …a. Technological: The Great abilities of this brick comes from the miracles of science. His powers are the direct result of someone’s, maybe his own, genius. There are many forms that this origin might take.
… … … …i. Armored Suit: Armored heroes have some interesting challenges and advantages. The biggest is simply that their powers are from there equipment, this allows for a great variety of abilities but comes at the cost of it being easily removed. Quite frankly, they almost have to have other abilities they can use when there armor is confiscated.
… … … …ii. Cybernetics: You are a cyborg, part machine, part human. Your life was probably saved by the operation. The change has most likely radically altered your appearance, but it is possible that you have human looking cybernetics. You might be thankful for the change but more likely you resent your new body.
… … … …iii. Chemical Enhancement: Your powers come from some kind of chemical, it might be a miraculous pill that gives you your powers for a period of time, or it might come from a process you had done years ago.
… … …b. Inborn: . Simply put you have always had the potential for power, even if you did not know it. Most likely you have some problems with normal society
… … … …i. Created: Someone made you what you are today, you were probably grown in a lab and have escaped. You might be a clone, or some kind of genetic hybrid or monster. It is equally possible that you are a robot or an AI computer.
… … … …ii. Mutants: To be or not to be a mutant; ah, that is the question. Whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous prejudice, or by a stroke of the pen, change your origin into something less angst-ridden and end it.
Being a mutant is a tremendously easy origin to select. You were born with the genetic potential to do more than the average man, and probably sometime around puberty you realized you were not like others.
Depending on your GM and his campaign world, that's all there is to it. In other worlds, being a mutant is something far more complicated, one can almost guarantee you will have distinctive features which makes your mutant nature detectable by high tech gadgets and you will be hunted both by giant killer robots and fanatical members of a huge grass-roots organization dedicated to cleansing the gene pool of pond scum like yourself. Rest assured, you'll still be expected to save people like these from bonafide villains and emergencies, while also battling aggressive and militant mutants who believe they should be masters of the world. But you know, if mutants are going to threaten the world's governments and the common man doesn't think they deserve human rights, the governments of the world will probably think they're great cat's paws, too. And the angst; oh, the angst.
Mutants in that vein just wouldn't be mutants unless they played it out against the backdrop of all the other comic book inter-character interactions like love affairs (with mutant babies who can barely control their excessive powers), love triangles, unknown origins (missing parents and amnesia are popular), and changing allegiances.
… … …c. Bearers of Enchantments: Your life was touched by the eldritch forces of the universe. It might have been a magical accident, a gift from the gods, a Mystic Relic, or just a spell that a benign wizard cast upon you. However after magic touched you, you were no longer a normal person, you had power. This is a very common type of henchmen for evil wizards.
… …2. Alien bricks: What kind of baggage comes with being an alien brick ? Alien bricks can have a wide variety of appearances and mind sets which can make for fun role-playing. There powers can come from either superior technology or from there alien heritage.
… … …a. Immigrant: You have come to this planet and made it your new home, you might have arrived as an infant and been adopted, growing up here and even thinking of yourself as human, however you come from someplace far, far away.
… … …b. Innocent: This alien is unfamiliar with Earth culture, and frequently is baffled by how we act. (Why don't we kill recidivist criminals ? Why is it illegal to steal food to feed your starving family but legal to kill in self defense ? Why doesn't the US have a monarchy ?) This combines well with any of the range of physical alien types.
… … …c. Noble protector: This character has come to earth believing that humans deserve his aid and protection.
… … …d. Crucible: This alien has come to Earth to test its inhabitants, whether for invasion, for the personal challenge, or to prepare them to battle an invader who is slowly approaching.
… … …e. Homesick alien: This alien is stuck on Earth until he can go home. He actively seeks a way back to where he came from.
… … …f. Refugee: This alien has wound up on Earth hiding from whatever is hunting him. He may be intergalactic nobility fleeing assassins or revolutionaries, or an escaped criminal or revolutionary himself. He could be the equivalent of a food animal who has fled his pen, or he could be the last survivor of a decimated world.
… … …g. Lost Civilization: You are actually from earth, however you come from someplace that is cut off from the rest of the planet, It might be Atlantis, a secret cave people living underground, or an island that dinosaurs still roam.
Alien appearances can vary tremendously. Most heroes are bipedal humanoids, though some have strange hair or skin color, or bumpy heads and noses (think most Sci-Fi shows). A few are amorphous blobs, insect-like, centauroid, tentacled horrors, etc.
… …3. Gods & Monsters: Gods and monsters are bricks with a mythological origin.
… … …a. Gods: You are a Mythological God, We all know them when we see them (or at least hear them). They tend to speak archaically ('I say thee NOT !'), and have classical mythological names (like Thor, Balder, Hercules, etc.). As origins go, it usually applies best to high-powered campaigns, since anyone with a pedigree like Son of Zeus shouldn't be getting his head handed to him by the Foxbat Five. However the power of a god can be toned down by curses or restrictions by pantheon heads (Thou mayeth travel to the realms of mortals but thou leaveth behind thy godly might”)
Still, with great power comes some pretty annoying disadvantages. Quite a few of these mythological beings adopt secret IDs which they must assume and maintain without their deific powers. In addition, many are watched or hunted by equally powerful members of the pantheon, who aren’t just sneaky, sly, or underhanded, but are the personification of Sneaky, Sly and Underhanded. You probably answer to the head of the pantheon, and those guys are notoriously arbitrary, stubborn and pigheaded
… … …b. Monsters: Many players who still want to be one of the big names without those problems choose to become mystical servants of a god or powerful mage. These are your golems, elementals, griffins, gargoyles and the like. These guys usually have a bit more independence because they don't warrant so much of the boss's attention. They are also correspondingly weaker (and better suited to most campaign power levels) but typically have some Achilles' Heel or weakness like a vulnerability or susceptibility to other laments, or magical summoning and binding.
… … …c. Elementals: You are a mystic creature that is made up of a single element. The classic Elements Earth, Fire, Wind and Water all can make good character, however, it is important to remember that an elemental could be made of something less common, such as plant life or insects
…C: Goals & Motivations
Exceptional strength has been one of the most desired, lauded and fantasized-about abilities in human history. Much legend and literature has been built around heroes and villains with this ability. Unlike the power to hurl bolts of energy or manipulate people's minds, extraordinary feats of strength are really extrapolations of common human abilities, thus are easier to imagine and relate to.
Because strength is a nearly universally-desired ability, characters with this power have embodied some of mankind's noblest ideals, as well as some of our basest desires. They are "larger than life" in their motivations more often than any other character type. They may also be "simpler" in their motivations than other types of characters. They're not necessarily stupid (although it is a common cliché; the term "brick" almost always has "big dumb" stuck in front of it), but they tend to prefer the most direct approach to dealing with problems. Since strength is their defining ability, that is their first recourse. Bricks also seem to be dominated by one trait - courage, anger, protectiveness, vengeance - more often than most.
While the above parameters are common in fictional bricks, they are by no means restrictions on their personalities. A brick may be as multifaceted as anyone: he may be intellectually brilliant, subtle or devious; he may have many hobbies and interests; he may be mild and easygoing, even nonviolent. It should be noted, though, that as characters with exceptional strength are often considered by the public to be larger than life in their personalities, they may be treated that way whether they are or not. The brick may resent being perceived stereotypically, causing him to periodically lash out - which may reinforce the public's view of him, or disillusion them, which almost always results in a negative backlash!
Some of the more common personalities for bricks:
… ...1. PARAGON: This character's courage, honor and idealism are as extraordinary as his strength. He views his power as a responsibility, a call from destiny to help his fellow man. He feels obligated to help and protect those weaker than him. The Paragon usually believes in the inherent rightness of the law and supports "the system", although he may defy it if it conflicts with a higher standard of right and wrong. While Paragons tend to be democratic in their behavior toward normal humans, they may be vain about their abilities, adopting a "noblesse oblige" toward helping others. Their idealism may also cross over into naiveté, especially in comic or satirical characters.
… ...2. CARETAKER: Similar in some ways to the Paragon, this character is driven by some trauma from his past. He has suffered some kind of tragedy or abuse that he was either unable to prevent, mistakenly chose not to, or even caused. Now he is driven to try to keep anyone else from suffering. In the case of bricks, it's particularly appropriate for the tragedy to have involved careless use of the character's strength, possibly having injured or killed someone. Such a brick would be cautious around normals lest he hurt them, and reluctant to use his full strength against opponents. He tries to keep from getting angry, fearing to lose control. He may come across as a "gentle giant" and could be teased by people, but if pushed too far his repressed anger can explode in violence (Berserk).
… ...3. REGULAR JOE: This character is by nature uncomplicated and not particularly ambitious. He would be content to hold a nine-to-five job, watch the ballgame on TV, take his girlfriend to a movie, or hoist a few with his pals at the local bar. Only circumstances - the emergence of his power, the demands of his friends or colleagues, need for protection from enemies, or just desire for companionship of others like himself - have caused him to take another path. The Regular Joe is the ultimate form of the big, tough guy in the neighborhood who doesn't look for trouble, but who nobody hassles if they're smart. He may have grown up in a tough neighborhood, but he's not mean or violent. He knows he can take care of himself, so he doesn't feel the need to throw his strength around.
… ...4. THRILLSEEKER: This character treats his strength like a kid with a new toy, or a bigger kid with a fast car. The Thrillseeker revels in his power. He loves punching through walls and leaping tall buildings at a single bound, and thinks bullets bouncing off his chest is really cool. He is often overconfident, because he believes that nothing can really hurt him. He may have other, more serious motivations for being a hero (or villain), but having fun is a big part of it. The character may also enjoy attention and like seeing his name in the news. This personality is very appropriate to a character who has recently acquired his powers, either naturally or through devices such as powered armor, particularly if he was previously physically weak or emotionally introverted.
… ...5. BULLY: Scarcely needs explanation. The Bully has always enjoyed lording his muscular superiority over others. With super strength, he figures he can push around anyone he wants. The cliché of the Bully being a physical coward may or may not be true in every case, but the Bully is usually compensating for some lack or weakness in his personality. This type of brick is commonly depicted as being too dumb or lazy to work for himself, and is usually "muscle" in some other villain's employ. The bully may have limits as to the harm he'll do (no killing, or not injuring children), or he may cross over into true lethal psychopathy. While this personality is best suited to villains, more than one bullying brick in the comics has had a change of heart and crossed to the side of the angels. This could make for a rich background for an heroic PC.
… ...6. WARRIOR: This type of brick sees battle against a worthy foe as the most noble occupation anyone can aspire to. He may not be interested exclusively in fighting, but when the opportunity to fight for a worthwhile cause presents itself, the Warrior throws himself into it with gusto. What sets the Warrior apart from a simple brawler, both in fact and in his own eyes, is his code of honor. The Warrior usually adheres to some more-or-less formal standards of behavior, such as the codes of chivalry or bushido. It is often more important to him that he fight "honorably" than that he win if winning would involve dishonorable tactics. Most codes of honor for bricks include fighting an opponent one on one and face to face, with no advantage that his opponent does not have. Because such codes are generally considered archaic in the modern world, the Warrior may be the butt of jokes even from his comrades. Obviously, this personality is most appropriate to bricks with an "alien" origin (extraterrestrial/dimensional, or from another time). Note that it's common for villains as well as heroes to be Warriors; the Warrior can still maintain a personal code of honor even if fighting for a cause that most people would consider evil.
… ...7. GENTLE GIANT: This character may or may not be an actual giant, but he almost always has an appearance that implies great strength, and is really intimidating. However, his real personality is quite the opposite. The Gentle Giant is almost always mild and friendly. He likes children and animals. He does not normally seek combat, in fact may go out of his way to avoid it. But he always ends up using his strength to fight, either out of a sense of obligation to use his power to protect others, or because circumstances leave him no other choice. The Gentle Giant may be intellectual and/or artistic in his attitudes and interests; alternatively, he may be mentally childlike and innocent. While the former is usually difficult to provoke to anger, and generally tries to use the minimum force necessary even when provoked, the latter is easily enraged and can be very destructive.
… ...8. Pawns: Many bricks be they robot, enhanced human, elemental, or monster are created by evil beings to act as flunkies. Others are summoned or discovered by wicked individuals who wish to control them. The enslaved brick may be neutral to the evil they are called upon to do or repulsed by it. In either case there evil master does not give them a choice. See the "Vengeful Monster" motivation below for how one of these bricks responds when it gets free.
… ... 9. Vengeful: This type of character wants to avenge a wrong or perceived wrong against them. The most common wrong is the crime of turning them into a monster. Other common grudges include imprisonment, enslavement, humiliation and the murder of loved ones. Vengeful monsters have been known to sometimes champion the cause of others that they perceive being victims similar to themselves
… ... 10. The Elect: This Brick revels in his powers. He believes that all true power is only given to a select few. He is one of those persons, chosen to be granted amazing power above normal mankind. Perhaps he is he beginning of a new kind of man; perhaps he destined to rule mankind; perhaps he is destined to protect them; or perhaps he is the harbinger of the end of days. Regardless of the underlying reason for his power, the mere fact that he has the power gives him the right to use it.
This person also believes that as a result of being a member of the ELECT, the "normal" rules of society no longer apply to him. He is above and apart from "normal" mankind.
He is not necessarily immoral and does not automatically challenge authority. He does, however, live by his own internal code of behavior. This code may be defined by others as "good" or "bad" but the ELECT is above such classifications. Most importantly the ELECT will not allow anyone to impose their will upon him. That is a terrible affront not only to the person of the elect, but also of the order of the universe.
This personality type can combine with most of the above personality types- representing the internal code of the elect. The elect, however will usually use his powers in any and every way possible as it is his god (or other appropriate being's) given right to do so.
… ...11. MONSTER: No character is so identified with a monstrous appearance as the brick. It's natural to associate exaggerated physical strength with an exaggerated appearance, even if it's only bulging muscles. In the case of superhuman bricks, however, the exaggeration can be truly grotesque. A monstrous appearance can profoundly affect a character's personality, either from how the brick perceives himself or from reacting to how others respond to him. It is also important to note that a character might only perceive himself as a monster. This is such a common character type for bricks that it can be divided into several sub-categories:
… ... …a. Resentful Monster: This character hates his altered form. His monstrous appearance is almost always the result of some involuntary circumstance, so the brick feels unfairly victimized. His appearance has to some extent ostracized him from normal society. He may have been rejected by (or has rejected his) friends or family, and usually believes that he can never have people really close to him again. The Resentful Monster feels sorry for himself and often complains bitterly about his lot, making it even harder for people to get close to him (which may or may not be intentional). He can be a hero at heart, but is also full of anger and ready to lash out, particularly if teased about his appearance.
… ... …b. Misunderstood Monster: Although he may have a grotesque or hideous appearance, this character's inner nature is very different from his outward form. He may be benevolent or even heroic. Problem is, those who see him assume that he must be dangerous, and may attack him the moment he shows his face. This type of brick may be either too dumb or "childlike" to reason with his attackers or react any way but violently, or may have been mistakenly implicated in some crime. The latter background can be good for a campaign where the heroes are being hunted by the authorities. Note that it's possible for the Misunderstood Monster to eventually clear up whatever misunderstanding put him on the wrong side of the law, which can be an ongoing character motivation.
… ... …c. Extroverted Monster: This type of brick has decided to accept his condition and make the best of it. Instead of being angry or morose, the character is the life of the party. He's always cracking jokes, particularly about his appearance. He will show apparent zest at using his powers, as much as the Thrill seeker. In reality the Extroverted Monster is usually compensating for the pain and loneliness that his condition causes him. While he may act friendly and helpful, he rarely allows his more serious feelings to show, or allows other people to get too close to him.
… ... …d. Rampaging Monster: Not suitable for anything but villains or NPCs, the Rampaging Monster is in many ways the opposite of the Paragon. This brick truly earns the title "monster". He embodies rage, violence and destruction. The Rampaging Brick may be in the throes of a temporary berserk rage; in this case the character is not fundamentally evil, and may or may not be murderous when in this state. On the other hand, the monster may be cruel and vicious, reveling in the devastation his strength causes. In either case, the Rampaging Monster cannot be reasoned with, only opposed.
… … …e. Intellectual: The intellect considers himself to be the ultimate in ironies. Gifted/trapped with a monstrous body, he is nonetheless a true genius far beyond his peers. It is possible that it is his intellect that led him to his current physical state (be it a lab accident or deliberate experiment). Regardless the intellect does sometimes use the brutish stereotype to his advantage by duping his victim into thinking that he is an imbecile early in combat only to spring some clever trap on him at the most inconvenient time. Along these same lines, the intellect is not always quick to fight, sometimes a well thought out plan works out better and he knows that......
A Few notes on role playing a Brick
When and how a brick's powers emerge can greatly affect how the brick relates to the rest of the world. A brick who has recently acquired his powers is likely to exhibit a fairly extreme change in his personality: some of his personality traits may be heightened, or he may display behavior contrary to his previous habits; he may welcome and enjoy his powers, or view them as a detriment, particularly if they are accompanied by a marked change in appearance. (See the various archetypes for details.) These changes in personality may be temporary, becoming more balanced over time. If the brick acquires his powers when relatively young, he will have more time to "grow into" and learn to live with them. On the other hand, behavior patterns related to great physical power that start in youth may become ingrained into adulthood and much more difficult to change, particularly if the change to superhuman was in some way traumatic.
It should be noted that some superhumans who acquired their powers early, would be encouraged to follow scientific studies as a way to understand their powers better. This would be an appropriate background for a "scientist-brick".
A person who has recently acquired superhuman strength could be expected to have difficulty adjusting to simple tasks using relatively fragile objects: cups and glasses will be crushed, furniture smashed, doors ripped off their hinges when the brick tries to open them. It would be appropriate for a beginning brick to take a Physical Disadvantage: Clumsy to reflect this. Physical intimacy is also likely to be somewhat risky. These problems may be played for laughs in a more humorous campaign, but they also have the potential to cause the brick considerable grief. Enough accidental damage could give the brick a negative or even dangerous Reputation with the public. There is also the potential for the brick to accidentally injure or kill someone, which can drastically alter his public image, his personality (see the "Caretaker" archetype), and his legal status. Of course, the more time a brick has to adjust to his strength, the less likely such accidents become.
Some other physical attributes of bricks may remain permanent problems, however. Invulnerability can make many common tasks difficult: shaving or cutting one's hair, getting an injection, or even surgery if the brick becomes badly injured in battle. Most of these should not be large or frequent enough to constitute actual Limitations, but they can add considerable color to role-playing the life of a brick.
On the other hand, the common brick powers of Growth or Density Increase, if large enough and bought Always On, can make life truly difficult. A true giant may be unable to fit into some rooms or vehicles. Especially heavy characters may break through floors, and thus be unable to use stairs or elevators. The potential for accidental damage described above becomes magnified for bricks with these powers. If the Growth or DI is extreme enough, the general public may start to view the brick as a true monster, which will almost inevitably affect his self-image and behavior (see the "Monster" archetypes).
…D: Not another brick in the wall (making your brick unique)
Every player should feel that there character is unique, this is especially hard for brick characters as they are often similar to every other bricks. Making Bricks is a challenge even for experienced players.
First there are the classic ways of a unique personality, unique costume, or just a new origin, all of these will make the character unique with out changing any thing on the character sheet. A strange special effect no one has thought of before can be as good as gold.
However for some people this is not enough, they want there character to truly be unique, to do this there are some easy ways to do it:
Skill selection: You might be able to pick up a car, but how well can you do magic tricks? It sounds a little silly but by choosing odd skills you can find yourself being called on for them, some good examples are stealth based or investigative. Entertainment skills can be used for the benefit of role playing.
Powers: Either the use of a lot of “Brick Stunts”, or powers that are abnormal (why yes I can generate a Darkness field) for a brick. A third choice is to get your GM’s permission to have extra levels
Limitations: If all your powers leave you after you touch raw iron, or you gain extra abilities at night it will help to distinguish you from that other Bullet Proof (Ford) Dart thrower. Also having powers that can only be used under certain circumstances (especially if your GM allows them to go over campaign limits) can make you stick out of the pack.
Dependence/ Susceptibilities/Vulnerabilities: Like Limitations if you take extra damage from something, or take damage for not having something can make you an original character. It might be part of why you have been cursed/blessed with these powers.
Physical Limitations & Distinctive Features: As a Brick is more Physical inclined than many other Archetypes it makes sense that physically they would be extreme as well
Psychological Limitations, Berserks, Enraged: Bricks represents the epitome of human perfection, it makes sense them that Psychologically they would be at the extremes as well.
Social Disadvantages such as Hunters and DNPC’s can both make you stand out. Sometimes it is not about you but the people you interact with.
Most of these ideas will be expanded later.
III: Character Creation (Rules)
While a characters Concept is important, how we represent a character is equally as important, The character sheet gives us a concrete idea on how powerful the character is and what he can and can not do.
…A: Characteristics: Unlike most characters we see that bricks are primarily defined heightened levels of the characteristics they share with all characters.
STRENGTH: Strength is the single most powerful characteristic in the game, and it is also the single most important characteristic to the brink. It will define him, as Magic defines a mage. Every ten points of strength grants the brick about twenty five points of abilities (see table).
+10 Strength grants:
A) Lift x4
B) Punch for 2D6, Haymaker for 3D6 (7 points)
C) 2 PD (2 points)
D) 2 Rec (4 points)
E) 5 Stun (5 points)
F) Leap 2" (2 points)
G) Improve your Str Roll by 2 (4 points)
DEXTERITY: This characteristic is dependant on the character concept, however the average brick is more capable of taking an attack than most of his team mates, as such he is a perfect target. For a normal brick it is recommended that they have low to average dex for the campaign, make up for any OCV deficit with combat skill levels in favorite maneuvers or HtH combat.
CONSTITUTION: Most bricks should have constitutions around 2.5 to 3.5 times the DCs of the average attack for the campaign. A high Constitution is another characteristic that you get more for than you have paid (this case a mild 20% savings) A High constitution combined with their PD and ED (see below) will insure that they are rarely stunned by a single blow. As Goodman says, (way back in Champions II for the second edition), if you've ever bought extras in two of ED, REC, END, and STUN, consider raising CON to save points. The extra END may prove it's worth later when you use increased END cost on powers to reduce the cost of your power moves.
+10 Constitution
A) Reduces chance of being stunned in combat
B) +2 to ED (2 points)
C) +2 to Rec (4 points)
D) +20 to End (10 points)
E) +5 to Stun (5 points)
F) +2 to Con Rolls (4 points)
BODY: This characteristic is really not as important as it might seem at first glance, With high resistant defenses most bricks will never see much Body damage. However it can be useful if you have any disadvantages that will increase or cause body damage.
INTELLIGENCE: This is truly up to the character concept and preference of the player. Both the dumb brick and genius brick are quite common. However you might consider having it high if you plan on having multiple Int Skills.
EGO: Like Intelligence, Ego should be dependant on the character concept. A few points of extra Ego is a good idea for all characters.
PRESENCE: Presence is another characteristic many players ignore, however a well placed Presence attack can turn a battle more than a twenty dice attack, also when added in the benefit with Presence based skills, and the fact most characters will have low Presence (making them more vulnerable to attacks) it is easy to see why a few points spent here can greatly influence campaign.
COMELINESS: While some character concepts (Monstrous or Attractive) will dictate this characteristic, for others it is the players choice. Most female bricks, especially heroic ones, seem to have a superhuman level of comeliness. If the concept does not require it then a few points can not hurt.
PD & ED: Bricks should have very high levels of both of these. A standard of about four to five times there DC combined is appropriate, with no more than three times there DC in either one.
SPEED: Similar to Dex, The average brick should be lower to average for the campaign. In example if a normal campaign has a range of 4-7 speed, with average at 5.5 then a brick should have 4 with a quicker than normal brick at about 5
RECOVERY: Most bricks take more damage than other characters, you will also be using a lot of END so a high recovery can help immensely.
ENDURANCE: This characteristic is important, however as probably have more than you need. Keep it, as you can save points on some abilities by increasing the Endurance requirement for them
STUN: a vital stat, expect to take more than most other characters, as such a high level of stun is more than worth its cost. However you should not need to spend many points on it as with a high Str and Con you will probably have quite a bit to begin with.
…B: Powers: In many ways a Brick will not need that much in powers, also almost universally there powers will lack the flash seen with many other types. In this section we will explore all the powers and how they interact with bricks.
… … 1: Density Increase & Growth
These two powers are almost exclusively taken by Bricks, however this does not mean that all bricks will take them. While both are package powers that give you more points in other abilities than you spend on it, they are not as profitable as plain strength.
In small amounts however they are some of the most favorable powers available to the bricks. They also make a great core power to link other abilities to. A small list would include extra Presence, Strength, Constitution, Body, or any secondary characteristics based on the above, also Damage Resistance, additional Knockback Resistance, and area affect for strength. There is also less concern with placing them into a framework.
Another alternative is to just construct the effects you want from other powers, for instance, buying a few inches of stretching with a limitation of “proportional growth”, recommended at -½, could give you the height and reach of a giant.
Additional Combat skill levels could also be bought linked to growth to indicate how easy it is to hit someone with a larger attack (The hand being considerably larger than normal)
Because of the increased weight it is suggested that you do not increase the max leap of individuals with these powers. Also as an optional rule figure out the Strength required to lift the character, convert to Damage Class, subtract the Def of the floor and apply the remaining to the body of the floor per turn. The easiest way to calculate the Strength required is to take what is given and add 10.
An Example: A character with 30 points in Density Increase, would weigh 1600 lbs, and require a Strength of 25, this is 5 DC. He is standing on a Def 6 floor so it is ignored, however later he is standing on only a Def 3, body 3 beam. The first post 12 he does 2 body to the beam and better move or else he will be falling through next turn.
… … 2: Powers
… … 3: Power Frameworks
…C: Advantages & Limitations
… …1: Only while, doesn’t work in Lims
…D: Power Tricks
… … 1. Pseudo Bricks (IE. TK Bricks)
…E: Disadvantages
…F: Talents, Perks, Skills, Etc…
… …1. Brick MA
IV: Brick Tactics
… A: How to deal with Low Speed, Low CV
… B: Throwing Things
… C: Team Work
… D: Strength Feats
V: GM’ing Bricks
… A: Brick Physics
… B: Throwing Things
… C: Dealing with Bricks
… D: Brick Campaigns
… E: “Fight Club”
VI: Examples
… A. Obsidian
… B. Bulldozer?
… C. Ogre?
… D. Grond?
… E. Micro Man
… F. Brick?
… G. Guido?
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It's good to see it again; I was proud of the result of our collective contribution to this project.
Thanks JimOz
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