Carl Denham, Obsessed Film Maker

OddHat · December 20, 2005

CARL DENHAM, OBSESSED FILM MAKER

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

10 STR 0 11- Lift 100.0kg; 2d6 [1]

11 DEX 3 11- OCV: 4/DCV: 4

13 CON 6 12-

10 BODY 0 11-

18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13-

14 EGO 8 12- ECV: 5

20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6

10 COM 0 11-

2/8 PD 0 Total: 2/8 PD (0/6 rPD)

3/9 ED 0 Total: 3/9 ED (0/6 rED)

3 SPD 9 Phases: 4, 8, 12

5 REC 0

26 END 0

22 STUN 0 Total Characteristic Cost: 44

Movement: Running: 6"/12"

Leaping: 2"/4"

Swimming: 2"/4"

Cost Powers END

12 Takes a Licking: Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED)

Notes: Carl got knocked around quite a bit with no long term ill effects, and despite having the grace of a thirty something fat man.

16 We're going to make this movie!: +2 Overall (20 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (Only to overcome challenges that might stop him from getting his film made.; -1/4)

Notes: When it came to anything that would otherwise stop him from making his film, the physically unimpressive Denham was able to perform far above what might be expected.

3 Conman's Gold: Money: Well Off (5 Active Points); Limited Power Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (Eventually, the victims of the scam will wise up.; -1/2)

Notes: Carl seems adept at conning people into believing he has the wealth for whatever he needs to make his picture. Eventually this gets a warrant issued for his arrest, though he is then able to use Kong as a bargaining chip to gain real wealth. At least until the probable post escape law suits and criminal charges.

10 It was always going to be you: Precognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group) (40 Active Points); No Conscious Control (-2), Precognition Only (-1) 4

Notes: When he meets Ann, Carl knows that she's the one who is destined to star in his movie. When the bridge falls, Carl knows that Jack will bring Ann back, and that Kong will follow. It may be part of his obsession, but Carl seems to know exactly how several key events will play out.

Obsessed Mad Man Style

Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Packs Quite A Punch For A Little Man +2 +0 4d6 Strike

Notes: Carl was able to punch out larger, younger men who spent their lives doing manual labor.

4 Struggle Free +0 +0 25 STR vs. Grabs

Notes: It took multiple savages to hold Carl and drag him to the stone.

4 Martial Dodge -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

Notes: Despite his bulk, Carl was adept at avoiding being trampled or becoming dino chow.

Perks

2 Fringe Benefit: Established Film Producer, Passport

Skills

3 Acting 13-

Notes: Carl is good at masking his real feelings to get what he wants, though his close associates may learn to see through it.

3 Bribery 13-

Notes: "I'll give you two thousand dollars if you leave now." Carl's attempts at bribery can actually be more subtle than this. Once he has an idea of what someone wants, he's good at finding a way to offer it to them.

3 Bureaucratics 13-

Notes: Confusing paper trails to hide his activities seems like a natural for Denham.

3 Conversation 13-

Notes: Carl is good at getting people to reveal more than they want him to know.

2 Forgery (Documents) 13-

Notes: Writing bad checks is all we see for sure, but it seems likely that faking whatever papers he needs to is part of Carl's bag of tricks.

3 High Society 13-

Notes: Carl can be very charming when he needs to be, even when interacting with the upper crust.

3 Oratory 13-

Notes: He's comfortable when speaking in front of a crowd, or when making a presentation.

3 Persuasion 13-

Notes: The man could sell ice to Eskimos.

3 Traveler

Notes: Carl is an international documentary film maker. Well traveled for the time barely begins to cover it.

2 1) AK: Africa (3 Active Points) 13-

2 2) AK: Asia (3 Active Points) 13-

2 3) AK: South America (3 Active Points) 13-

3 Scholar

2 1) KS: Legends and Lore (3 Active Points) 13-

Notes: Carl clearly knows something about Skull Island, and it would make sense if he knew quite a few other tidbits as well.

1 2) KS: Movies and Theater (2 Active Points) 11-

2 3) KS: The Entertainment World (3 Active Points) 13-

3 Jack of All Trades

2 1) PS: Camera Man (3 Active Points) 13-

2 2) PS: Director (3 Active Points) 13-

4 3) PS: Movie Producer (5 Active Points) 15-

Notes: He's obviously good at what he does, even if he is on the outs with the money men when we first meet him.

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 106

Total Cost: 150

100+ Disadvantages

10 Unluck: 2d6

Notes: Always destroys what he loves. Eventually, despite his talent, all of Carl's schemes come crashing down.

20 Psychological Limitation: Defeat is only temporary! (Common, Total)

Notes: Carl does not give up, and if he backs down it's only to strike again from a better position. While this is sometimes an admirable trait, it leads to Carl risking his life repeatedly in pursuit of his goals.

10 Psychological Limitation: Will Do Whatever It Takes (Common, Moderate)

Notes: If men have to die, even friends, to get his film made, well that's sad, but it's worth it. Lying, stealing, borderline kidnapping, and becoming a fugitive are nothing. Related to his Defeat is Only Temporary disad, Carl has no moral qualms about anything he needs to do to get his movie made.

10 Psychological Limitation: I'll Share it With All of You! (Common, Moderate)

Notes: Carl does have his good side. His offers to donate money to the families of the dead and to share the money from the exploitation of Kong may be manipulative, but he does try to do right by Ann and (implicitly) Jack. Carl may be obsessed, but he tries to do what he can for the people who help him along the way.

Total Disadvantage Points: 150

Background/History: Carl Denham is a moderately successful documentary film maker who dreams of creating a truly great film. He has obviously been up and down and around the block more than once. His reputation for making quality films and his personal charisma can only go so far to counter his tendency to go wildly over budget, and at the start of Jackson's King Kong Carl has lost his funding and is trying to get out to Skull Island one step ahead of his former backers. It is not clear what will happen to this version of Denham after Kong's fall.

Personality/Motivation: Carl is an obsessed film maker, and to a lesser extent an obsessed profiteer. He is not actually an evil man, but everything comes second to his desire to seize victory from the jaws of defeat and make his mark. Carl is determined to show people that there is still wonder in the world. As Jack Driscoll says, Carl's curse is that he always destroys that which he loves.

Quote: Defeat is always temporary!

Powers/Tactics: Carl has an overwhelming force of personality. People who should know better repeatedly find themselves doing as he asks, and doing it again even after they suspect he's cheating them. Only when faced with proof that his word is not good do people stop following Carl, and even then he can sometimes win them back.

Carl is absolutely unafraid when pursuing his goals, and quite good at performing tasks that directly relate to them. He is also tougher and more physically competent than he looks. Carl has wealth of a sort, or at least he can often convince people he's wealthy, which is almost the same thing until the con falls apart.

Carl is a believer in destiny, and the fact that he sometimes seems to know what is going to happen before it does likely contributes to this.

Campaign Use: Unreliable patron or employer, carrier of treasure maps, model character, or odd adversary.

Appearance: A short, heavy set man with a surprising intensity about him. Brown hair and brown eyes.

Carl Denham by Marian C. Cooper, Peter S. Jackson et al. Character sheet by Robert Dorf.

OddHat · December 20, 2005