Character: Captain Jack Sparrow

Susano · January 26, 2004

You have heard of him, right?

CAPTAIN JACK SPARROW

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
15	STR	5	12-	Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage
18	DEX	24	13-	OCV: 6 / DCV: 6
16	CON	12	12-
12	BODY	4	12-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
17	EGO	14	12-	ECV: 6
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack: 4d6
16	COM	3	12-
6	PD	3		Total: 6 PD (0 rPD)
5	ED	2		Total: 5 ED (0 rED)
4	SPD	12		Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12
6	REC	0
32	END	0
30	STUN	2
Total Characteristics Cost: 99

Movement:	Running: 6" / 12"
	Swimming: 2" / 4"

Cost	Powers & Skills
Martial Arts: Cinematic Swordfighting
Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Damage
3	Cut/Thrust	+2	+1	Weapon Strike
5	Lunge		+1	-2	Weapon +4 DC Strike
4	Parry		+2	+2	Block, Abort
4	Riposte		+2	+2	Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block
5	Slash		-2	+1	Weapon +4 DC Strike
4	Void		--	+5	Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

2	"Will You Be Saving Her Then?": Swimming +2" (4" total)
10	"You're Supposed To Be Dead!": Luck 2d6

Perks:
4	"But You Have Heard Of Me.": Reputation: Pirate Captain (throughout the Caribbean, 
14-) +2/+2d6

Talents:
6	Ambidexterity (-1 with Off Hand)
3	Sure Footed: Environmental Movement: Supreme Balance

Skills:
3	Acrobatics 13-
3	"Impersonating An Officer...": Acting 13-
3	"Welcome To The Caribbean!": AK: Caribbean 13-
3	"Obviously You've Never Been To Singapore.": AK: The World's Oceans 13-
3	"But How's Your Footwork?": Analyze Fighting Style 13-
3	"What Say You To Three Shillings And We Forget The Name?": Bribery 13-
3	CK: Tortuga 13-
3	Climbing 13-
3	Combat Sailing 13-
0	Concealment 8-
3	Well Then, I Confess...": Conversation 13-
0	Deduction 8-
2	KS: Pirate History And Tales 11-
0	Language: English (native)
2	" Now... Bring Me That Horizon.": Navigation (Marine) 13-
3	"And Then They Made Me Their Chief...": Oratory 13-
0	Paramedic 8-
3	"And I'll Buy You A Hat! A Really BIG One... Commodore.": Persuasion 13-
2	PS: Knot Tying 11-
3	PS: Pirate Captain 13-
2	PS: Sailor 11-
3	"What Do You Have To Lose?": Seduction 13-
0	Shadowing 8-
3	"I Couldn't Resist Mate.": Sleight of Hand 13-
3	Stealth 13-
3	Streetwise 13-
4	Survival (Marine Surface, Tropical Coasts) 13-
3	"Savvy?": Tactics 13-
4	TF: Rafts, Small Rowed Boats, Small/Large Wind-Powered Boats
3	WF: Blades, Early Emplaced Weapons, Early Firearms
123	Total Powers & Skills Cost
222	Total Character Cost

100+	Disadvantages
10	Distinctive Features: Assorted brands, scars, and tattoos (C)
0	Psychological Limitation: "I see no profit in it for me..." (C, S)
15	Psychological Limitation: Man Of His Word (C., S)
10	Psychological Limitation: Pirate's Code (C, S)
15	Reputation: pirate and a scoundrel, 14-
15	Rivalry: Barbossa (Prof, Mo Pow, Kill)
20	Social Limitation: Wanted Criminal (F, S)
10	Unluck: 2d6
27	He's A Pirate!
222	Total Disadvantage Points

Background/History:

Not much is known about Captain Jack Sparrow. There are stories, of course, stories about how he vanished from under the noses of seven agents of the East India Company, how he sacked Nassau Port without ever firing a shot, how he recruited a crew of find the legendary Isle de Muerte and was marooned for his efforts, and how he escaped from abandonment by roping several sea turtles together to make a raft.

In any case, its been ten years since Jack was forced to watch Firstmate (and now Captain) Barbossa sail away with is beloved ship, the Black Pearl. He's been wandering about the Caribbean (and possibly the world) ever since, looking for Barbossa and the chance to recover this ship. He's also heard of the curse (and isn't sure if it's true or not) and knows recovering his ship won't be easy -- others have heard of the curse as well, and aren't too keen on going up against a band of unkillable, undead pirates who are so ruthless as to make other pirates shudder t even think about it.

Personality/Motivation:

Jack is an enigma. One can never tell exactly what he's thinking or planning, or even if he's speaking the truth. In truth, he does seem a man of his word, and sticks to it, even if circumstances lead one to believe otherwise. Of course, he does have his priorities, and staying alive tops the list. To be honest, much of what he does is driven by how his actions can best benefit Jack. A prime example of this is his conversation with Will in the jail. He has no interest in being freed until he knows who Will really is, and in him sees a way to take his revenge on Barbossa. Some of this self-centeredness can be attributed to Jack's devotion to the Code of the Brethren (a.k.a. the Pirate's Code), in which it is stated (among other things)"any man who falls behind is left behind".

Quote: "When you marooned me on that god forsaken spit of land, you forgot one very important thing, mate: I'm Captain Jack Sparrow."

Powers/Tactics:

A a pirate (and a flamboyantly cinematic one, at that), Captain Jack has all the abilities one would expect. He's a capable swordsman, a skilled sailor, and has more luck than any man has a right to. He's at home both in the rigging and on-deck, can handle a variety boats and ships, and certainly knows his way around the Caribbean (and the rest of the world). Jack's greatest asset, however, isn't his skill with the sword, pistol, or ship's wheel, but with words. He's quite capable of taking just about anyone into doing whatever it is Jack needs done. For example, he is able to get Will to help him steal a ship, Commodore Norrington to set up an ambush for Barbossa's crew, and to get Barbossa to send him men into said ambush. Of course, as Jack is also (at times) cursed with "no luck at all," not all of his plans work out quite the way he intends.

Appearance:

Jack stands 5'10", with a lean build and deeply tanned skin. His black hair is worn in an amazing variety of dreadlocks and braids, and strung with an assortment of beads, baubles, and what look like bones. On his right arm is branded the letter "P", marking him as a pirate by the East India Company. Above that is the tattoo of a sparrow. His left arm looks to have been badly burned at one point, and he bears the scars of two musket balls on his right breast.

Jack's clothing consist of tall boots, trousers, a loose white shirt, and several scarves worn around his waist. Over his he often wears a long coat and what looks like a leather tri-cornered hat.

Designer's Notes:

I think that if Jack has been played by just about anyone else, Pirates of the Caribbean would have been nearly as big a hit as it was. Johnny Depp's basing Jack off of Keith Richards (with a little Pepe Le Pew thrown in for good measure) made the character who he is, and made the movie. Jack has so many good lines, I couldn't help but using them as SFX for as many powers, skills, and talents as possible.

Jack carries a flintlock pistol with a single shot. It should be (roughly) a 1d6 to 1d6+1 RKA, and might have +1 STUN (flintlocks fired fairly large-caliber balls). It has no OCV bonus and a RMod of -2 (very much a short range weapon). Of course, this being Hollywood, you might want to make it a 1 1/d6 RKA with a RMod of 0. His sword is best classified as a small sword, a fairly short fencing weapon. It's a 1d6-1 to 1d6 HKA.

You can remove some of Jack's Interaction skills if you want, or simply drop his PRE and give him a level with all Interaction skills. Speaking of PRE, he might have some defensive PRE, as Jack seemed unfazed by just about everything. He might also have some additional fencing skills, specifically a disarm and a bind. Otherwise, he makes an excellent cinematic pirate.

(Captain Jack Sparrow created by Gore Verbinski, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert and Johnny Depp, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

"Savvy?"

Killer Shrike · January 26, 2004

Great character, and a great write up.

A few suggestions: Up his luck and Unluck to 5 each. It seemed to me he had the potential to affect the luck of those around him for good or ill.

Also, with that many skills and fighty stuff too a few Overall Levels would be well advised -- it would make him much more solid all around, and allow him to pull off some of the "Not impossible, merely improbable" feats he manages (that could even be the flavor name for the Overalls )

FInally, Id give him a Psychological limitation regarding the Black Pearl. Its not enough for him to get the gold -- he wants the Black Pearl too -- obsessively. "Stop shooting holes in my ship!!!!!".

Killer Shrike · January 26, 2004

One more thing, he might have greater than 18 INT. He was pretty damn crafty in the movie, and very quick on the uptake. But a minor quibble.

Susano · January 26, 2004

Oooohhh! Good suggestions! I'll include them after others have had their say and I can decide how the final (website) version will look.

Killer Shrike · January 26, 2004

Originally posted by Susano
Oooohhh! Good suggestions! I'll include them after others have had their say and I can decide how the final (website) version will look.

Thanx for the write up! Loved that movie.

keithcurtis · January 26, 2004

Excellent write-up! I think using quotes for SFX flavor was an excellent idea. It makes the character sheet far more interesting to read. It would be an excellent way to write up other quotable larger-than-life heroes such as Jack Burton, Ash or Buckaroo Bonzai.

Keith "Arrr, matey" Curtis

Susano · January 26, 2004

Originally posted by keithcurtis
Excellent write-up! I think using quotes for SFX flavor was an excellent idea. It makes the character sheet far more interesting to read. It would be an excellent way to write up other quotable larger-than-life heroes such as Jack Burton, Ash or Buckaroo Bonzai.

Keith "Arrr, matey" Curtis

I did a little of that for Jack. If I redid him (at least) he'd use this style of SFX.

Fitz · January 26, 2004

Do you think his constant drunken mincing would qualify for a Distinctive Features disad?

Susano · January 26, 2004

Originally posted by Fitz
Do you think his constant drunken mincing would qualify for a Distinctive Features disad?

Hmm.... interesting idea.

Killer Shrike · January 26, 2004

I didnt take it for drunken mincing so much as he never quite got his land legs sorted out. He did it much less when at sea.

Still, it was certainly distinctive.

yamamura · January 27, 2004

I have to agree with Killer Shrike on the luck bit. But otherwise really good.

G

Ghost who Walks · January 29, 2004

Originally posted by Fitz
Do you think his constant drunken mincing would qualify for a Distinctive Features disad?

I assumed this was part of his acting, actually. Notice how no one regarded him asa threat?

Also, in the final scene, he starts shouting out orders, dropping the drunken bit completely.

Possible notes:

~A higher Acting, see notes abovew (assumes he was acting the entire time, a performance within a performance)

~Hunted: British Navy (He is a a pirate!)

Susano · January 29, 2004

Originally posted by Ghost who Walks
I assumed this was part of his acting, actually. Notice how no one regarded him asa threat?

Also, in the final scene, he starts shouting out orders, dropping the drunken bit completely.

Possible notes:

~A higher Acting, see notes abovew (assumes he was acting the entire time, a performance within a performance)

~Hunted: British Navy (He is a a pirate!)

Hmm.. I might add these in as options. I thought about the Hunted and dropped it. I don't think the Navy is after him per se... more like he's subject to hanging if they ever find him (his Social Lim.).

Dragonfly · January 29, 2004

What a fantastic write-up this is! The only suggestion I would make is lowering his STR, maybe to a 13. There are several scenes where he tries to perform feats of STR, and seems somewhat frustrated.

Best,

Dragonfly

Kevin Scrivner · January 29, 2004

But what about a write-up for Captain Barbossa, the undying pirate leader? The scene where his crew walked across the sea floor to attack a ship... brrrr!

Susano · January 29, 2004

I will probably do a generic "undead pirate" write-up. I was thinking one for Will Turner as well.

Maelstrom · August 27, 2004