Incompetent characters

[tusaboss]

How would you make up a characters who is utterly incompetent in the field it should be an ace? Like a mage that always miscasts spells or a superhero wannabe that is an hindrance for the other supers more often than not?

Yes, you can make a stupid wizard or a weak fighter, but by doing so you just have an impaired character...I was thinking of a way to make incompetent characters a playable source, that is a character that despite being incompetent manages to be as powerful as the other characters (perhaps by sheer luck...)

[ghost-angel]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

Try using Side Effects that Always Occur. No matter how useful the spell there's always something about it that reeks of "Bad Caster" and something befalls the character or his surroundings.

 

Or perhaps the Super that can shoot AoE blasts - he just has horrible aim and can't hit the target area to save his life. Always missing by just enough to cause as many problems as he solves.

[Badger]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

Could give them a hunk of Unluck, too. Though that might be too much of a cop out for what you are looking for though.

 

Course you might have to give them a hunk of Luck too. To show how things "work out" every once in a while.

[Mike W]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

I think Unluck and Side Effects are good. Give them low CVs too. No levels just raw DEX, like a rookie that has some talent but no real clue what they're doing. Things might work out from time to time, but everything is unreliable. Activation/Skill Rolls work well too. "I know HOW to do it, I just can't always remember".

 

Combine it with personality quirks that enhance the effect. Make them absent-minded. Or give them a speech impediment. People tend to equate eloquence with intelligence. If you sound stupid, people will assume you are stupid.

[ghost-angel]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

I think Unluck and Side Effects are good. Give them low CVs too. No levels just raw DEX, like a rookie that has some talent but no real clue what they're doing. Things might work out from time to time, but everything is unreliable. Activation/Skill Rolls work well too. "I know HOW to do it, I just can't always remember".

 

Combine it with personality quirks that enhance the effect. Make them absent-minded. Or give them a speech impediment. People tend to equate eloquence with intelligence. If you sound stupid, people will assume you are stupid.

Activation Rolls .. excellent idea. Forgot about those.

[Guest HeroPink!]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

IGive them low CVs too.

 

Can't you give yourself negative CSL's? Always On and so forth? That'd do it.

[Foxx!]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

Tusaboss!

 

Here are a few other ideas.

 

No Conscious Control. "Sorry, wrong spell." Also, sometimes powers activate accidentally or the player cannot turn them off. Like when you are bowing before the queen or other bad timing.

 

No Conscious Control: Can Turn On At Will But Cannot Control Effects.

 

No Conscious Control and Variable Advantages and Varibale Limitations. The GM chooses the Advantages and Limitations each time the power is used but doesn't tell the player. "Sorry, I didn't mean to Area Of Effect that." "Did the spell fail, was it Invisible, is it going to occur one minute from now, or did it just go off in another dimension and upset someone?"

 

Put all the powers in an MP or VPP which only allows using one power at a time, and take a Psych Limit 'never remembers that shifting points will turn off the current power'. This is good when the mage tries to attack while flying or cast a spell while holding up a Force Wall to protect her friends.

 

Cheers!

[SKJAM!]

Re: Incompetent characters

 

Perhaps the Psych Lim: Ignorant of Own Incompetence would be appropriate.