Gladiatrix: Character for review.

[Alibear]

Gladiatrix

 

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Val Char Base Cost

15/25 STR 10 5

20/26 DEX 10 30

20/25 CON 10 20

10/15 BODY 10 0

15 INT 10 5

15 EGO 10 10

15 PRE 10 5

20 COM 10 5

8/17 PD 5 3

8/17 ED 5 3

4/6 SPD 3.0 10

7/10 REC 10 0

40/50 END 50 0

28/41 STUN 41 0

6" RUN 6" 0

2" SWIM 2" 0

5" LEAP 5" 0

 

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STR Roll: 12/14- Run: 6"

DEX Roll: 13/14- Swim: 2"

CON Roll: 13/14- Leap: 5"

INT Roll: 12-

EGO Roll: 12-

Perception Roll: 12-

 

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Disadvantages Pts

Social Limitation: Subject to orders from F.I.S.T., Frequently (11-), Minor 10

Hunted by F.I.S.T., More Powerful, 8- (Occasionally), Watching, Extensive Non-Combat Influence, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find 15

Reputation: The dead only.: Helena always helps the dead....help me!, Almost Always (14-), Known Only To A Small Group 10

Dependent NPC: Flavour of the week., Normal, 11- (Occasionally) 15

Dependent NPC: Thorsten & Eva Lindahl, Normal, 11- (Occasionally), Useful noncombat position or skills, Group DNPC (x2 DNPCs) 15

Psychological Limitation: Can't resist the challenge of combat., Common, Strong 15

Psychological Limitation: Peoples champion: Must protect the weak and innocent., Very Common, Strong 20

Vulnerability: Mind Control , Uncommon, Vulnerability Multiplier (2x Effect) 10

Hunted: Demon, As Powerful, 8- (Occasionally), Harshly Punish, Extensive Non-Combat Influence, PC has a Public ID or is otherwise very easy to find 20

Mystery Disadvantage 20

 

XP

0 Base Points : 200

Disads Total + 150

Experience Spent + 0

Total Cost = 350

 

 

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Pts. Skill/Perk/Talent/Power END

18 Ghost Lorica: Armor (9 PD / 9 ED) (27 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4) (added to Primary Value)

 

13 Ghost Scotum: Multipower, 20-point reserve, all slots: (20 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4)

1u 1) +3 with DCV (15 Active Points)

1u 2) Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack) (20 Active Points); Will Not Work Against Heavy Missiles (-1/4)

 

30 Ghost Gladius: Multipower, 45-point reserve, all slots: (45 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4)

3u 2) Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR) (vs. ED), Affects Desolidified (Any form of Desolidification; +1/2) (45 Active Points) 4

2u 3) Ghost Gladius: Hand-To-Hand Attack +6d6, Affects Desolidified (Any form of Desolidification; +1/2) (45 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/2) 4

 

7 Strength of the Lion: +10 STR (10 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4) (added to Primary Value) 1

7 Strength of the Lion: +5 BODY (10 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4) (added to Primary Value)

7 Strength of the Lion: +5 CON (10 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4) (added to Primary Value)

 

9 Speed of the Cobra: +6 DEX (18 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4) (added to Primary Value)

13 Speed of the Cobra: +2 SPD (20 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4) (added to Primary Value)

 

25 Advanced Mathematics: Teleportation 10" (Improved Noncombat Movement (x4)) 2

 

13 Look out Helena: Danger Sense (14-) (Function as a Sense) (19 Active Points); Only In Heroic Identity (-1/4), Not on consecrated ground (Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness; -1/4)

 

5 Passing Strike: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Weapon +v/5; FMove

4 Martial Block: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort

4 Counterstrike: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block

4 Martial Strike: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike

5 Takeaway: 1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, Grab Weapon, +10 STR to take weapon away

0 Weapon Element Swords: Default Element

1 Weapon Element: Empty Hand

1 Weapon Element Shield: Off Hand

 

3 Acrobatics 14-

3 Analyze Style: Combat 12-

3 Breakfall 14-

3 Climbing 14-

10 Defense Maneuver: I-IV

3 Fast Draw 14-

3 KS: History (INT-based) 12-

3 KS: Roman Empire (INT-based) 12-

2 KS: Water Dancer Martial Art 11-

4 Language: English (Swedish is Native): Idiomatic, native accent

2 Language: Latin: Fluent Conversation

3 Paramedics 12-

3 Power: Martial Arts Tricks (DEX-based) 14-

2 PS: Writer 11-

3 Stealth 14-

3 Sleight Of Hand 14-

5 Rapid Attack (HTH)

3 Tactics 12-

3 Teamwork 14-

5 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Nets, Small Arms

 

9 Waking the Dead Contact (12-), Organization Contact (+2) (9 Active Points)

 

3 Lightsleep

 

 

149 : Powers Cost

105 + Skills Cost

96 + Characteristics Cost

350 = Total Cost Base OCV: 9 Base DCV: 9

Adjustment+ Adjustment+

Final OCV: Final DCV:

 

Levels: +3 with DCV (15 Active Points)

 

----

Height: 5' 9" Hair: Blond

Weight: 125 lbs Eyes: Green

Appearance: Helena has the classic Amazon physique. Tall, blond, lythe and beautiful.

She has a body molded by thousands and thousands of hours of Martial training.

Her body is a patchwork of scars that she has collected from so much sword work.

 

When she bonds with Illyia she becomes stronger, faster and tougher.

She also dons a suit of Spirit Armour and fights with a Shield and Gladius of the same material.

 

 

Background: Helena had a normal childhood or so her parents thought. Her parents were too busy to notice Helena much anyway...

 

When her parents finally noticed that she had several 'imaginary freinds' they put it down to her being an only child.

Coupled with that the fact that the family was constantly on the move because of her fathers job in the Swedish Diplomatic Service, they understood that she might find it difficult to make real freinds. Or so they thought..

 

That was not the case at all.

Helena had lots of freinds, she made freinds everywhere she went, she was and still is very popular with some.

The fact of the matter is that she is a medium, a true medium.

 

She can interact with the spirits of the dead.

Not only verbally like some but physically as well.

Indeed she has built up a network of spirits & ghosts whom she has befreinded over the years.

 

Powers.

 

She has one basic power, she is a true medium.

She has bought Affects Desolid on her Str and her attacks.

She can also bond with Illyria, a Gladiatrix from the Arena in Londinium who died over 1700 years ago.

This bond does not work on holy ground as Ghosts cannot enter consecrated places.

 

Apart from Illyia she also recieves help from Sir Arthur Wellsley aka The Duke of Wellington and from Englands most prominent Mathematician Sir Isaac Newton.

[David Blue]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Hi.

 

I am a former player of a character called Gladiatrix, who was really, really, really into her job, and I am cheering for you to make a big hit with your character and carry on the name with pride.

 

Overall, broad first impression without attempting to crunch the numbers: Gladiatrix looks good, really good. Solid concept, sensible execution.

 

Still, you posted your writeup to be picked on, right?

 

First point: I think Gladiatrix should have a professional skill in being a gladiator. She's got everything she needs for it, with presence, comeliness, agility and combat abilities. (Later, with experience, you might strongly consider buying up Gladiatrix's presence to match her comeliness.) But she still needs to be able to, well, gladiate.

 

A good fighter is not yet a gladiator. Elite troops sent to the arena still needed extensive gladiatorial training before they could perform. Killing is not enough, and by itself it does not earn you rewards or even survival. A real gladiator can wow the crowd, like a professional wrestler - and a real gladiator wants to do so. As long as your skill holds up, you always look good, you will get the "thumbs up" if there's any way you can, you can cheat and make it look fair (though your morality may prevent you from doing it yourself, you at least know all about the tricks that your rivals get up to), and you will be on track for the gladiator's ultimate reward: the wooden sword, retirement with fame and riches.

 

Note that this is a grace and favor thing - if people don't like you, they can decide you should fight a dozen lions with only a dagger, every morning and every afternoon, if need be, till you fall. The gladiator skill does not make what happens in the arena fair. What happens in the arena has nothing to do with fairness. Assuming you can fight (without which: nothing), the gladiator skill enables you survive and thrive in an environment that is fundamentally unfair, where a sweet smile (and the ability to hold it like a stone mask even when wounded) or the ability to present yourself as an exemplar of Roman virtues (when you may well be no such thing) can mean life or death.

 

And of course it includes the tactics that go with the unusual weapons (which you have the skills for - bravo!) and armour, mock naval battles, fighting with animals, making fights that are essentially executions seen fair (as opposed to letting them be seen to be unfair and thus turning the audience against you) and so on.

 

I love your other skills and that you've taken

3 Analyze Style: Combat 12-

Good for you! That's thoughtfulness and thoroughness!

 

Psychological Limitation: Can't resist the challenge of combat., Common, Strong 15 Psychological Limitation: Peoples champion: Must protect the weak and innocent., Very Common, Strong 20

 

Both excellent limitations, very appropriate for the character. I think you should keep them as the are - let's not over-complexificate things - but talk to the gamemaster a little about what they mean. What's a "challenge"? A born gladiator is someone who loves the crowd. (And who is likely to be loved by the crowd, even beyond what their characteristics and skills might indicate. If she shouts "I'm fighting for you!" it's obviously true, and even if she doesn't say it, she radiates it.) Even though it might be smart to say: "let's get all the civilians out of here," and even though your character would (rightly!) never want the crowd to be hurt, a challenge to fight is going to be much, much harder for the Gladiatrix to turn down if people are and will be watching.

 

With experience (because let's not muck around too much with an initial writeup that already looks good), I think some levels linked to audience reaction are very viable.

Gamemaster: "They love you, they really love you. They're cheering now. +2 (or more) to your combat values."

Of course that depends on a gamemaster who pays attention to such things - wait and see how that looks.

 

Dependent NPC: Flavour of the week., Normal, 11- (Occasionally) 15

 

I think you should at least ask if you can take "the crowd" or "the audience" or even "the people" (the mob?) as your dependent non-player character. The answer will likely be "no," but it's worth trying because it's appropriate.

 

Vulnerability: Mind Control , Uncommon, Vulnerability Multiplier (2x Effect) 10

 

This is a huge disadvantage for your character. I can see the rationale, in your openness to mediumistic influences. It's good roleplaying design - but it's so easy to make you do things that will make you look terrible, and it's only 10 points. I would take this disadvantage only if you have a lot of confidence that you have the kind of gamemaster who gives you credit for a non-twinked, non-uber-optimised character.

 

I think in dealing with Illyria, you should emphasise the positive side of the relationship any time it becomes an issue (if it ever does). After all, she has an audience of at least one: Helena. Love your audience, right? Sir Arthur Wellsley should be fine too: his main regret later in life was that he should have given more praise. This is not a spirit that should be hard on someone like Helena. He'll do his job with an absolute minimum of fuss: that's what he always did. But I think Sir Isaac Newton should never appear without an air of intellectual superiority, which he can back up, to Helana's advantage.

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Great reply David, thanks.

 

I mulled over the PS Galdiator and decided to pass as Helena has never been in an Arena to fight. She has been trained by Illyria who has so maybe I should buy it? Perhaps acting as well? Extra presence is a future shopping list thing.

 

I just realised she needs the Science Skill Mathematics to fully explain her reality manipulation powers. Granted she only has Teleport at the moment but that'll change with XP's I'm sure.

 

Other things to consider with XP's is to buy another slot for her shield to give her bonuses to block with it.

 

I'm a firm believer in every character having a weakness so I think the mind control stays.

 

BTW I'm the GM I only made the character to get the name out of my head. :wink:

[David Blue]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

"Great reply David, thanks."

 

You're most welcome. It did my heart good to see that name being upheld with pride.

 

"I mulled over the PS Galdiator and decided to pass as Helena has never been in an Arena to fight."

 

Not even against Bone Saw McGraw, in an amateur cage match? OK, you might lose without your weapons, depending on what Bone Saw has, but until you remedy the defect in your education with experience points, there'll always be a little voice in your head whispering: "Go on, you know you want to!"

 

I agree that if you've never tried it, you don't have the skill. KS: Rock and Roll is one thing, performing in front of tens of thousands of wild, screaming fans is something else entirely.

 

"She has been trained by Illyria who has so maybe I should buy it? Perhaps acting as well? Extra presence is a future shopping list thing."

 

Future shopping lists are endless, or what's experience for?

 

"I just realised she needs the Science Skill Mathematics to fully explain her reality manipulation powers. Granted she only has Teleport at the moment but that'll change with XP's I'm sure."

 

I missed that.

 

"Other things to consider with XP's is to buy another slot for her shield to give her bonuses to block with it."

 

Tick.

 

"I'm a firm believer in every character having a weakness so I think the mind control stays."

 

Okey-doke. It's certainly not the worst disadvantage you could have. Any kind of Enraged or Berserk would instantly blow the character conception.

 

"BTW I'm the GM I only made the character to get the name out of my head. :wink:"

 

You're being haunted!

[Lightray]

Just a quick comment on your power names:

 

Since you've already got "Ghost Gladius", why not also go with "Ghost Scutum" and "Ghost Lorica", as well?

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Just a quick comment on your power names:

 

Since you've already got "Ghost Gladius", why not also go with "Ghost Scutum" and "Ghost Lorica", as well?

 

Well I would have to know what they mean first. Care to enlighten me?

[David Blue]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Source material: the novel Far Arena, by Richard Sapir (one of the original authors of the Destroyer series).

 

Far Arena was also meant to set up a series with a virtually superhuman character - a supreme quality gladiator from Ancient Rome, frozen and revived in our day. It didn't, because it didn't sell well enough. The plot has a suspect point, in my opinion, the story's pacing is an issue, and the gladiator just isn't a terribly nice person by our standards (or even by the standards of the people who condemned him to death, resulting in his being frozen). But I thought Richard Sapir's picture of the gladiator as a man out of his time, and how scary the world's best gladiator might be, was great. It wasn't exactly the take I went with myself, but it has stuck in my memory and I considered it seriously before making my decision.

 

Scutum = the excellent Roman military shield.

Lorica = lorica segmentata - Roman military armor based on bands of steel, also very good.

Either might be used by a gladiator (especially for naval battles) but neither necessarily would be. Your call, not a given.

[Legatus]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

 

Her body is a patchwork of scars that she has collected from so much sword work.

 

And COM 20? Doesn't fit or needs lots of explanation.

Maybe COM 20 (only in the eyes of certain ...; -1/2)

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Halt die Klappe!

[Legatus]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Oh oh,

[bubba smith]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

not too bad

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Just realised I didn't actually buy affects desold for her strength... need to rejig her.

[Egyptoid]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

here's a wag:

[bubba smith]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

good work egyptoid

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Much appreciated, that's almost exactly how I envision her.

 

Make the sword, shield and armour glow and lose the bob and you're there. Top stuff.

[Egyptoid]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

lose the bob and you're there.

 

what hairstyle could it be then?

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Long and wavy I think. She could stick it in a ponytail and stick it under a helmet (useful for extra padding) in combat and have it down and free when she's at book signings or in her leisure time.

 

More like the blond one from Charlie's Angels (original series not movie)

 

edit: I really like the fact that she isn't a typical hollywood 'red roman'. House Bruuti was it if I remember Rome: Total war correctly?

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Like this

 

[lloydmperrin]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Sounds like the hero from the wildcards novel "inside straight", did you read it?

[Greywind]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Cop a pic of Sophitia or Cassandra from Soul Caliber.

 

Who's F.I.S.T.?

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Sounds like the hero from the wildcards novel "inside straight"' date=' did you read it?[/quote']

 

I don't think so. I only read the first two compilations nearly 20 years ago.

 

Cop a pic of Sophitia or Cassandra from Soul Caliber.

 

Who's F.I.S.T.?

 

My campaign world's non US version of SHIELD. THE US has it's own orginisation called EAGLE.

[Nagisawa Takumi]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

And COM 20? Doesn't fit or needs lots of explanation.

Maybe COM 20 (only in the eyes of certain ...; -1/2)

Yeah, this is suspect. I think she wouldn't have any scars if she's that hot.

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

Well if the scars are only on hre body not her face she could pull it off, surely?

[bubba smith]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

may i ask what the acronym F.I.S.T.stands for?

[Alibear]

Re: Gladiatrix: Character for review.

 

First Internatinal Strategy & Tactics.

 

What about the scene in Leathal Weapon III where they show each other their scars? Didnae detract from her hotness in the slightest