Foxiekins Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 I'm recreating a villain character from an old campaign... He either could not read, or couldn't read very well... I thought for a moment about giving him Eidetic Memory, to allow him to cover for not being able to read, but now I wonder... Can anyone suggest other ways the character might conceal this...? He's a recent graduate from High School who didn't pay attention in class... The character dates back to when social promotion was a problem in large schools, but I'm not sure that applies any longer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanith Posted February 10, 2005 Report Share Posted February 10, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Give him an obscene skill in Deduction. He can "figure out" that the words next to the sign with the cigarette and the big red X means "No Smoking", or anything else similar. Or you can just be like my former GM, make it up it's not like the players are ever going to see the character sheets anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... limited Acting skill? This just reminded me of my first WW Vampire character... a 17th century pirate that woke up buried in a basement in Jamacia. I spent the better part of a years worth of playing before he FINALLY learned to read. Wasn't exactly the night school kind, and every time he ordered a copy of "Hooked on Phonics" his haven would get burned out before it'd arrive in the mail.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geekvoid Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... I've got an NPC in a cyberpunk campaign I've been running that has the same problem. I gave him a decent Deduction roll to work with and a bit of an obnoxious personality to cover up his lack of ability. For me, it's less of write up problem as a roleplaying issue on my part. I keep having to remind myself that he's not stupid, he just can't read. Hence, he tends to stay a bit quiet until he has a good grasp of what's going on before he speaks up. Then again, he's not a major villian... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxiekins Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... He's a small time villain because he needs money for something, and taking from banks is the only way he can think to get it... Hard to get a job if you can't fill out an application... He's fairly powerful, so he'd be a good person for an evil mastermind to enlist later on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Can anyone suggest other ways the character might conceal this...? Why would he have to conceal it? It's not like encounters with supers involve reading. It's not difficult to figure out what a bank, grocery store or fast food restaurant looks like; money has numbers on it. I mean, you don't expect the scene to go like this: Villain: Give me all your money! Clerk: But sir, our sign says 'closed.' Villain: Drats, you figured out my weakness. At most, you might have a scene such as: Villain: What's the letter on your shirt for: Stupid? Hero: It's a 'Z' actually. Villain: It's still a letter, stupid, what does it stand for: Z's to put me to sleep with your boring talk? Perhaps even: Villain: What's the 'Z' on your shirt stand for? Hero: It's an 'S' actually. Villain: Then you have your shirt turned inside out, 'cause it's backwards. Hero: :Looks down: What? Villain: :sucker punch: Stupid. Chances are, a villain that can't read isn't going to be a mastermind, so even if solo, why would this come up? If he's with a group, then he doesn't have to do the reading; he's just hired muscle. That's my thinking, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxiekins Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Why would he have to conceal it? It's not like encounters with supers involve reading. It's not difficult to figure out what a bank' date=' grocery store or fast food restaurant looks like; money has numbers on it.[/quote'] I'm talking about him concealing it in Regular Life... When he's not wearing a villain suit and such... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirby Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... I'm talking about him concealing it in Regular Life... When he's not wearing a villain suit and such... Oh. Well, janitor work and garbage pick up don't require you to read much. Heck, there was a time back in the 80's or 90's that it was discovered that older adults (50+) weren't able to read, but were "just now" going to night classes. Most people could wing it in a low-end job. Bagging groceries is easy. Fast food restaurants, (those not at the register). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxiekins Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Right, but he needs a *lot* of money... See he used to live in California, where the waves were tubular, and then his family moved to New York... He wants to move back to California, and live on the beach, but his parents are, like, totally uninterested in what he wants... And he's got, like, these powers, ya know...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyChaos Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... I tutored for Literacy Volunteers of America. You'd be surprised at how many people conceal their illiteracy. Nowadays, we have lots of signs with pictures. People can listen/watch news and be "informed." Most aren't completely illiterate, they just don't read/comprehend well at all. Almost all can sign their names. Also, just because they can't read doesn't mean that they're unable to handle math. One of LVA's big proponants in the city I lived in at the time was a well known, successful business man with a chain of restaurants who finally came out and admitted he was illiterate. He did eventually learn to read, but he succeeded in business without being able to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doppler Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... As an illiterate, I feel uniquely qualified to answer this. Persuasion, (I forgot my glasses. What does this say?) and Acting (I read it, I read it. Go ahead and let's talk about it.) are the key skills. Eidetic Memory is purely optional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxiekins Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... As an illiterate' date=' I feel uniquely qualified to answer this. Persuasion, (I forgot my glasses. What does this say?) and Acting (I read it, I read it. Go ahead and let's talk about it.) are the key skills. Eidetic Memory is purely optional.[/quote'] This is persuasive... Although both those skills are based off Presence, I can bump the skills up with points, and avoid having him have an ungodly Presence Attack, which seems innapropriate for the character... Resistant to Presence Attacks I can see... Anyone remember how much the "Only to Defend against PRE Attacks" Limitation is...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Battlestaff Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Resistant to Presence Attacks I can see... Anyone remember how much the "Only to Defend against PRE Attacks" Limitation is...? I've used (-1) for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxiekins Posted February 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Hmmm... With the cost to increase Acting and Persuasion, it works out better to pay the base costs, and then buy Presence, with "Cannot be used to make Presence Attacks" as a Limitation, which I rated at -1 & 1/2 Anything think that should be a different value...? Here's how the character turned out, by the way... Aquarius Player: NPC Val** Char*** Cost 10** STR 0 23** DEX 39 20** CON 20 15** BODY 10 18** INT 8 17** EGO 14 10/28** PRE 0 8** COM -1 * 3/15** PD 1 5/15** ED 1 6** SPD 27 10** REC 8 40** END 0 30** STUN 0 *9"**RUN62"/6"**SWIM02"**LEAP0Characteristics Cost: 133 Cost** Power END 7** +18 PRE (18 Active Points); Cannot be used for Presence Attacks (-1 1/2)* 10** Armor (12 PD/10 ED) (33 Active Points); Activation Roll 11- (-1), OIF: Body Vest (-1/2), 1/2 Mass (-1/2), Real Armor (-1/4)* 0 1** Swimming +4" (2"/6" total), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (7 Active Points); Only Upwards or to Remain on Surface (-1 1/2), OIF: Body Jacket (-1/2)* 6** Life Support (Eating: Character does not need water; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat)* 0 25** Water Teleportation: Elemental Control, 50-point powers* 25** 1) Energy Blast 8d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (50 Active Points)* 2 18** 2) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6+1, Armor Piercing (+1/2) (52 Active Points); No STR Bonus (-1/2)* 5 25** 3) Swimming 40", Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (50 Active Points)* 2 25** 4) Force Wall (7 PD/8 ED; 2" long and 1" tall) (Opaque Normal Hearing, Opaque Normal Sight) (50 Active Points)* 5 45** 5) Major Transform 4 1/2d6 (Create Water out of Nowhere) (70 Active Points)* 7 Powers Cost: 187 Cost** Skill 5** AK: California 15-* 3** Acting 11- (15-)* 3** CK: New York City 13-* 0** Native Language (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)* 3** Persuasion 11- (15-)* 1** TF: Surfing* 0** TF: Small Motorized Ground Vehicles * 3** Navigation (Land, Marine) 13-* 3** Security Systems 13-* 3** Stealth 14-* Skills Cost: 24 Cost** Perk 5** (Contact in Secret ID, Useful Skills, Very Good Relationship) 12-* 1** (Contact in Super ID, Useful resources) 8-* Perks Cost: 6 Total Character Cost: 350 Val** Disadvantages 15** DNPC: His Genius Friend 11- (Normal; Useful Noncombat Skills; Unaware of character's Secret ID)* 20** Hunted: The Police 14- (Less Pow, NCI, Capture)* 15** Physical Lim: Cannot Read (Frequently, Greatly Impairing)* 15** Psych Lim: Addicted to Surfing (Common, Strong)* 15** Psych Lim: Craves Attention (Common, Strong)* 15** Psych Lim: Distrusts Authority Figures (Common, Strong)* 5** Psych Lim: Hides his Illiteracy (Uncommon, Moderate)* 15** Social Lim: Secret Identity Frequently (11-), Major* 10** Social Lim: Seen as a Troublemaker (Frequently, Minor)* 5** Social Lim: Minor (17 years old) (Occasionally, Minor)* 20** Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Electricity (Common)* Disadvantage Points: 150 Base Points: 200 Experience Required: 0 Total Experience Available: 0 Experience Unspent: 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dino Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... My father never had more than a third grade education. He used to have me read intructions, had his taxes done by a service, got clerks to write checks that he would sign, etc. It's amazing what you can accomplish by appealing to people's good nature and knowing how to talk to people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vanguard00 Posted February 11, 2005 Report Share Posted February 11, 2005 Re: Illiteracy... Some people have even used bad eyesight (dyslexia, stigmatism, etc) as an excuse to not have to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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