Col. Orange Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 A long time player in our group started playing a female blaster a while ago, and our GM was surprised that he’d only given her 12 COM. It wasn’t a command to spend more points or a criticism of how the character had been built, but it got me thinking. I could see why the GM raised an eyebrow – in comics just about all the heroines and villainesses are eye-candy. But is it like that in Champions? Our group gets by with BBB and FRED alone (well, Ultimate Marital Artist is in the post), so we really don’t know anything about the lasses who save the day, or the vixens making bids for world domination. Which supers grace the covers of GQ/FHM/LOADED? (Hell, who graces the cover of BIZARRE?!) Ladies and gentlemen of the board, who ARE the top ten beguiling women of the Champions Universe? Why? Straight Stats or attitude? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gargoyle Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 I usually give the girls some extra COM... but not all of them. They tend to look better in my head when I think about'em. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Depends on the campaign really. A high Com. could help with presents attacks or help with rolls based on other stats. It's really about what your GM and play group want to do. I have several villains with high Com. I have others with little to know change. I as a GM use Com to enhance and modify other factors in the game. My choice, other GM I'v played with in the past gave Com no interest at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkusDark Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 If you look at the illustrations in comparison to the comliness of the character, a 10 is quite stunning alone. I am not sure about current systems, but back with the first ed rules, there was an obvious difference between Howler (Com 20) and Icicle (Com 10) with Shrinker (Com 14 I believe) also nicley defined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDU Neil Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 In our game, we have the running joke as follows... New female PC or NPC shows up. Character description of clothes, hair, ethnicity, equipment, attitude (shy or forward, etc.) alll comes first, and then we end, usually the whole group in unison, saying, "And because this is a comic book... she's a KNOCKOUT!" So unless a female character is noticably unpleasant to look at, or is extraordinarily beautiful, we just assume she's good looking, and move on to what she is really about. It's kind of a reverse "lookism" issue, since "If everyone is beautiful, it's not an issue at all." Same goes for male characters, really. They are all perceived to be handsome, in their own way, unless determined to be otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 In reply to my fellow countryman, Col Orange, I did have a pic done up for Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition featuring Vanessa Upton who has graced the cover of Bizarre a couple of times. And in the Union Jack bikini in which she graced the cover of Front magazine, she could me a pretty good Britannia. Since getting hold opf Strike Force. I usually look at the pic of the character first and then decide how much COM to give the female characters, heroes or villains. And if theyare supposed to be Drop Dead Gorgeous, then people know about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Super Sex Appeal Well, the two ladies who play Champions with me almost always play high comeliness characters. It is in genre, and Role Playing is in part escapism. Most of us would like to be attractive... guys AND gals alike. So most of our PCs and NPCs are good looking to drop dead gorgeous. Originally posted by Col. Orange Ladies and gentlemen of the board, who ARE the top ten beguiling women of the Champions Universe? Why? Straight Stats or attitude? I think it's a mix... Stat, attitude, and the artist's drawing of said character. Others may disagree on who's 'most' beguiling... I'm undecided myself. Due to a mix of store troubles, and some financial troubles, I still haven't gotten CKC (And now, may be getting Millenium City before I get that), so I haven't seen the ladies in that book. 4th Edition, I always thought Soli had that 'shy lady' sexiness going. Howler, well, the drawing was uhm... very nice, and she had 'sultry voice' as a disad. Hard not to imagine her as having sex appeal. Out of 5th edition women, Talisman has quite the 'evil is sexy' thing going. Maybe I just have a weakness for high boots. Witchcraft is a redhead, and like many Marvel zombies of yesteryear, I've been trained to have a Pavlovian response to attractive redheaded super heroes. Most embarrasing. I know Sapphire is supposed to be THE Sex Symbol of the current Champions... but... *le shrug* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 If you think about it, this issue is not limited to women. Male characters, both in comics and in RPGs tend to fall within two categories: non-humans (i.e., the Thing, the Hulk, J'onn J'onzz) and super-studs (everyone else). Even with male characters who don't put any points into COM (and I'd say that was less than 5% of all characters) they still are drawn with He-Man physiques. But hey -- vanity is fun isn't it? What I've noticed that you almost never see, in comics or games, is a female character over the age of 17 with breasts smaller than a "C" cup. Never seen it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by Supreme If you think about it, this issue is not limited to women. Male characters, both in comics and in RPGs tend to fall within two categories: non-humans (i.e., the Thing, the Hulk, J'onn J'onzz) and super-studs (everyone else). Even with male characters who don't put any points into COM (and I'd say that was less than 5% of all characters) they still are drawn with He-Man physiques. But hey -- vanity is fun isn't it? What I've noticed that you almost never see, in comics or games, is a female character over the age of 17 with breasts smaller than a "C" cup. Never seen it. Yeah, good point. You don't often see "Super Dude" with a Pot belly for example. As for the ladies.. hmm.. not sure I've seen it either. At least not in comic books. Gaming supplements I think I've seen a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Re: Miss Universe. Literally. Originally posted by Col. Orange But is it like that in Champions? Ah, Colonel Orange! My arch-enemy from across the color wheel! Hot chicks? Absolutely. Roleplayers: Most of us are men. Ladies and gentlemen of the board, who ARE the top ten beguiling women of the Champions Universe? Why? Straight Stats or attitude? Wish I could remember them all, but I have a shakey relationship with names, unless I made the characters myself. Among characters I've made, Females tend to be 18-30 COM, averaging around 22, though I've made one go to 40 (But she was literally once a goddess). The men are more likley 8-26. Highest man had a 30. These figures are probably low compared to most people's campaigns and the cheapness of COM. Funny thing is, regardless of what their COM stat is for the women, I still tend to draw them as fairly good looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 For what it's worth, here are the COM scores for females from NINJA HERO: Torii Rinzo/Asano Nishi: 12 Tsukikage: 22 Alice Ono: 14 Midnite Maid: 18 Kayli the Destroyer: 14 Of these, Tsukikage did get a DF for "unearthly beauty." She's also an anime ninja, so you know that anything less than an 18 is unimaginable! Midnite Maid is a video fighting game female, so that means she's gotta look good as well. Kayli is an anime catgirl, so normally she should have COM out the wazo, but she's also scarred and has a nasty temper, so I dropped it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Checkmate Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 I've noticed a habit that if I play a Male character I usually have his COM at 10-12, and if I play a female character her COM is usually 14-18. Don't know why, but I don't want to play a plain looking female character, but have no problem playing a plain looking male. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 I think part of it is that 'masculine good looks' often stresses other physical stats like strength or Constitution. Not to say Athletic women aren't/can't be heart throbs, but it's not the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prometheus Posted March 12, 2003 Report Share Posted March 12, 2003 Originally posted by Checkmate I've noticed a habit that if I play a Male character I usually have his COM at 10-12, and if I play a female character her COM is usually 14-18. Don't know why, but I don't want to play a plain looking female character, but have no problem playing a plain looking male. The Pulp Hero game I play in is almost the opposite. Whether by chance or design, all of the male PC's (my own included) have a COM of 16 or above. Some of us even eclipse the leggy starlets and jungle queens we run into. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catacomb Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 It is roleplaying and we guys are pigs... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Catacomb It is roleplaying and we guys are pigs... I prefer the term 'Razorback'... sounds more muy macho! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemming Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 I've just started breaking the habit from the old down south games. Women tended to have +10 COM compared to men. The range for PCs could go up to 39. 40 was reserved for one particular villian in one particular campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stormraven Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 I honestly put the Com score where I think it should be, based on my view of the character. I play both males and females, and in both, the Com runs from 12 (As they say, you never see an 'average' hero) to 20+. The 20+ is really rare, though. One of my characters is a model, and has a 20 Com. She has a Pre of 25, though, so... And Supreme's right, with regard to all the comics I've seen. You won't see a woman over 17 - and not many between 13 and 17 - with less than a 'C' cup. I personally tend to play a little more realistically, and my female characters can be any size. One professional artist I hired to do one of my characters was almost cheesed that he didn't get to draw huge - tracts of land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yogzilla Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 {Posted by Supreme} What I've noticed that you almost never see, in comics or games, is a female character over the age of 17 with breasts smaller than a "C" cup. Never seen it. {...} Untrue; it's just not the norm. I think back to my college days (woo, feeling old) when I had a poster for "Excalibur" (the Marvel mutant group) on my wall done by the incomparable Alan Davis. The 3 female members of the original team were drawn with very distinct body types; to wit... Shadowcat (Kitty Pryde) - youngest member, dancer, very slim physique Pheonix (Rachel Summers) - probably late teens, very athletic figure, redhead (insert Homer-esque drool here) Meggan (Meggan) - VavavaVOOOM!!!! As a side note, I do recall my female friends of the time remarking that Davis had also drawn Nightcrawler and Captain Britian similarly *ahem* correct. Hmmm, funny how I never noticed that until it was pointed out to me... -Yogzilla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Checkmate Don't know why, but I don't want to play a plain looking female character, but have no problem playing a plain looking male. Because looks are more important for a woman than a man. With men it's strength, intelligence, power. Perhaps professional ability in the real world. Society values different attributes in females - affability, child rearing and, above all, beauty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Supreme What I've noticed that you almost never see, in comics or games, is a female character over the age of 17 with breasts smaller than a "C" cup. Never seen it. Raven of the New Teen Titans, drawn by George Perez. She's the exception that proves the rule, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doug McCrae Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Yogzilla I had a poster for "Excalibur" (the Marvel mutant group) on my wall done by the incomparable Alan Davis. He's a fantastic artist. The two double page spreads on his first issue of Avengers were awesome. Meggan (Meggan) - VavavaVOOOM!!!! Did you know she started out ugly? Like a female version of Man-Bat. She was transformed in something of a retrofit by a later writer. As a side note, I do recall my female friends of the time remarking that Davis had also drawn Nightcrawler and Captain Britian similarly *ahem* correct. Hmmm, funny how I never noticed that until it was pointed out to me... Are you talking about their packages? Who was bigger? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klytus Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Catacomb It is roleplaying and we guys are pigs... Our gaming group is one of those rare critters where women players actually outnumber the men. When we play Champions, the men tend to go for simple handsome. COM is where those extra few points that are left over after everythig else has been bought go. The exception being Moleculon, a shape-shifter who is an "All American Hero" template, so his default COM is 22. The women are the ones who have the arms-race to be the most beautiful one in the group (COM 18+). They have also gone out of their way to make appearance a major part of the character. Most noteworth is Anaba. She is a 7' tall Amerindian shaman with legs that won't quit, knockers that would make Dolly Parton jealous, and a costume that looks like a cat-suit what got all torn up in a fight and no one ever bothered to fix it. I'd post the drawing, only she isn't MY character. In another game, there is Winterstorm, a flashy attention-loving energy projector with a COM of 22, the Distinctive Feature: Gorgeous (Tough to hide, major reaction), and the Psych Lim: Annoyed by Sexist Remarks. The one female character I've ever seen where COM wasn;t cranked up was Jane Doe, an invisible mentalist who simply blended right into the background. Anaonymity was part of her schtick, so COM stayed at 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supreme Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Doug McCrae Raven of the New Teen Titans, drawn by George Perez. She's the exception that proves the rule, though. Good point. I forgot about her. Though she barely qualifies as an exception because her age is so close to the 17 year cut-off I mentioned. Maybe I should raise the cut-off age to 18 or 19. I should probably also put a ceiling on it to keep people from mentioning Aunt May and Martha Kent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hermit Posted March 13, 2003 Report Share Posted March 13, 2003 Originally posted by Doug McCrae Are you talking about their packages? Who was bigger? And the historic rivalry between England and Germany continues... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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