The Domino Lady

[ArmlessTigerMan]

Character sheet uploaded to:

https://www.herogames.com/files/file/636-dominopdf/

 

I had very low expectations going into this, mostly because of the trashy Domino Lady comics put out by Moonstone and Eros. I know, a pulp snob calling comic books trashy.  The hypocrisy!!!  But I was pleasantly surprised by the original stories from Saucy Romantic Adventures.  They are quick reads, about 20 pages each.  A typical plot breakdown:

•     someone being blackmailed asks The Domino Lady for help, or
•     The Domino Lady is casing a big score.
•     She will meet with one of her contacts.
•     If the contact is tall and handsome, a make-out session may occur.
•     She sneaks in somewhere, gets the jewels/blackmail letters/loot/important papers.
•     She may or may not knock someone out with her syringe or knockout bomb
•     she escapes triumphantly, leaving behind a black calling card inscribed with the following in white text: "Compliments of The Domino Lady"
•     Donates much of her appropriated wealth to charity, but keeps enough to sustain her lifestyle.

 

There were only six original stories, printed in 1936, and she was featured on the cover a few times.  It isn't clear to me who the audience was meant to be.  There isn't enough pulpy action or suspense to attract fans of Doc Savage or The Shadow, but I don't think those folks would be reading Saucy Romantic Stories.  There certainly is melodrama here, but maybe the romance fans didn't like the intrusion of elements from the Hero pulps?  In any case, after this short run the character faded into relative obscurity.

 

Background: Ellen Patrick, freshly graduated from Berkeley, is spending a year in the far east when she learns her father Owen Patrick had been killed.  Owen Patrick had been one of the most feared politicians in California, until he was murdered.  Some believe the gunman to be an assassin hired by the state political machine.  Ellen swore eternal vengeance on the vulpine politicians that had robbed her of her father, and created the alter ego of The Domino Lady!

 

Appearance:  Blonde.  Beautiful.  Also 'kissable shoulders,' described in detail on every other page.  As the Domino Lady she wears a white backless gown, a black silk cape, and a black domino mask.  

 

Motivation:  The Domino Lady would do anything for a friend, which usually means stealing back incriminating letters that are being used as blackmail material.  (According to these stories, it was very common for young ladies to write romantic, steamy letters to men, and then these cads would sell the letters to professional blackmailers.)  As can be seen by her choice of vocation, the Domino Lady is a thrill seeker, and not likely to turn down a challenge.  She also likes to 'stick it to the man' by stealing from, and embarrassing the corrupt political interests that control California politics.  Ellen Patrick was accustomed to a certain quality of life while her father was alive.  Her criminal activities allow Ellen to continue fund her lifestyle.  She carries a gun, but is averse to taking a life.

 

Equipment: As the Domino Lady, Ellen carries a small automatic pistol.  She may also carry a syringe full of 'knockout drops', and occasionally a small knockout bomb.

 

Skills:  Through long practice, Ellen has become very familiar with the pistol she carries.  She can be quite stealthy, and is an accomplished burglar.  She is very skilled at charming others to elicit information, and knowledgable about the upper class, especially those involved in politics.

 

Campaign use:  This could be a fun player character, with the emphasis on interaction skills and skulking about.  As an npc she could make a decent Hunting target for pc.

 

A few possibilities suggested by the stories:

 

Gunslinger Option: In regards to her "tiny automatic", "Ellen could jerk that weapon into crackling use, plunk six slugs into a man-sized target at twelve feet, all within an interval of less than four seconds."  This is what the narrator tells us.  In the original stories she fires her weapon once hitting a thug in the leg so he'll stop chasing her.  Its also worth noting that often she will hold someone at gunpoint, order them to turn around, and then administer her syringe of tranquilizer.  But for the sake of argument let's say we want her to be as accomplished with her weapon as the narrator says she is, we could add the following:

 

Rapid Fire: Naked Advantage: Autofire (3 shots; +1/4) for up to 15 Active Points (4 Active Points); OAF (Only with her pistol; -1)

Quick on the Trigger: Lightning Reflexes (+6 Dex to act first with her pistol)

 

Chemist Option:  In the last story, the Domino Lady utilizes a fake flower pinned to her dress to administer tranquilizer to the antagonist.  Did not include this in the character sheet as functionally this is a bit too similar to the syringe that she carries.

 

Flower Squirt Gun: Blast 8d6, No Normal Defense (Life Support (Self-Contained Breathing); target holds his breath; +1) (80 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), OAF (Ornamental Carnation; -1), No Range (-1/2)

 

The origin of this, along with her other gadgets is not explained.  Maybe she majored in chemistry at Berkeley?  We could upgrade the character with the following skills, and perhaps a Chemistry based Gadget pool:

3 Science Skill: Chemistry 13-
3 Knowledge Skill : Tranquilizers and Sedatives 13-
3 Inventor 13-

 

Martial Artist Option: There is no hand-to-hand combat in these stories.  However Ellen does spend a year in 'the far east,' its possible she may have had the opportunity to learn some form of martial art.

Edited August 2, 2023 by ArmlessTigerMan