Zed-F Posted July 17, 2006 Report Share Posted July 17, 2006 Here is another mid-high end pulp character, that could with some modification fit in a lower-end pulp or Golden Age superhero game. Under the right circumstances, he might well find himself working alongside Der Schattenmann; under the wrong circumstances, opposing him. http://www.herocentral.net/herocentral/get/files/premium/Lumiere_v0.01.html [b]Lumiere - Philippe Bourguignon[/b] [b][u]VAL[/u] [u]CHA[/u] [u]Cost[/u] [u]Total[/u] [u]Roll[/u] [u]Notes[/u][/b] 15 STR 5 15 12- HTH Damage 3d6 END [3] 20 DEX 30 20 13- OCV 7 DCV 7 18 CON 16 18 13- 12 BODY 4 12 11- 13 INT 3 13 12- PER Roll 12-/15- 11 EGO 2 11 11- ECV: 4 18 PRE 8 18 13- PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6 14 COM 2 14 12- 5 PD 2 5/8 5/8 PD (0/3 rPD) 4 ED 0 4/7 4/7 ED (0/3 rED) 4 SPD 10 4 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 7 REC 0 7 36 END 0 36 30 STUN 1 30 7 RUN 2 7" END [1] 2 SWIM 0 2" END [1] 3 LEAP 0 3" 3" forward, 1 1/2" upward [b]CHA Cost: 85[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]POWERS[/u][/b] 3 [b][i]Eagle Eyes[/i][/b]: +3 PER with Normal Sight - END=0 2 [b][i]Excellent Peripheral Vision[/i][/b]: Increased Arc Of Perception (240 Degrees) with Normal Sight - END=0 4 [b][i]Stare Into the Sun[/i][/b]: Sight Group Flash Defense (4 points) - END=0 - END= 28 [b][i]Light Powers[/i][/b]: Multipower, 50-point reserve, (50 Active Points); all slots OIF Mirror of Opportunity (-1/2), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) [Notes: Often uses a highly polished blade as a mirror.] - END= 2u 1) [b][i]Reflet d'Acier Majeure[/i][/b]: Sight Group Flash 10d6 (50 Active Points); OIF Mirror of Opportunity (-1/2), Activation Roll 15- (-1/4), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) [Notes: A glint of light in the eyes; act. fail means the angle is wrong. Often spread for OCV or area.] - END=5 1u 2) [b][i]Reflet d'Acier Rapide[/i][/b]: Sight Group Flash 5d6, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (31 Active Points); OIF Mirror of Opportunity (-1/2), Activation Roll 15- (-1/4), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) - END=1 1u 3) [b][i]Reflet d'Acier Douce[/i][/b]: Sight Group Images 1" radius, +/-3 to PER Rolls, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (28 Active Points); Only To Create Light (-1), OIF Mirror of Opportunity (-1/2), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) [Notes: Gathers ambient light into a spotlight.] - END=0 2u 4) [b][i]Riposte Lumineux[/i][/b]: Missile Deflection (Any Ranged Attack), Missile Reflection, Reflect At Any Target (50 Active Points); OIF Mirror of Opportunity (-1/2), Will Not Work Against Heavy Missiles (-1/4), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) [Notes: Fragile mirrors may break upon deflection.] - END=0 2u 5) [b][i]Epee Ardente de Lumiere[/i][/b]: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1 1/2d6 (2d6 w/STR), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), +1 Increased STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Armor Piercing (+1/2) (50 Active Points); OIF Mirror of Opportunity (-1/2), No Knockback (-1/4), Requires Light To Use (-1/4) [Notes: Laseredged swordstroke, requires a blade.] - END=2 - END= [b]POWERS Cost: 45[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]MARTIAL ARTS[/u][/b] Fencing (Escrime) 3 1) Coupe: 1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike 4 2) Riposte: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block 4 3) Parade: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort 4 4) Desarmer: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, -2 DCV, Disarm, 25 STR to Disarm roll 4 5) Fleche: 1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, -2 DCV, Weapon +v/5; FMove 1 Weapon Element: Blades, Empty Hand [b]MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 20[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]SKILLS[/u][/b] Everyman 0 1) Climbing 8- 0 2) Concealment 8- 0 3) Deduction 8- 0 4) AK: Campaign City 8- 0 5) Paramedics 8- 0 6) Persuasion 8- 0 7) PS: Intelligence Operative 11- 0 8) Shadowing 8- 0 9) TF: Equines, Small Motorized Ground Vehicles 0 10) WF: Clubs, Fist-Loads, Thrown Rocks, Unarmed Combat 3 Acting 13- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Combat Driving 13- 6 +2 with Fencing 3 Conversation 13- 3 High Society 13- 3 Linguist 1 1) Language: English (fluent conversation) (2 Active Points) 0 2) Language: French (idiomatic) (4 Active Points) 1 3) Language: German (fluent conversation) (2 Active Points) 1 4) Language: Spanish (fluent conversation) (2 Active Points) 3 Seduction 13- 3 Sleight Of Hand 13- 3 Stealth 13- 1 TF: Small Wind-Powered Boats 3 WF: Small Arms, Blades [b]SKILLS Cost: 40[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]PERKS[/u][/b] 2 Money: Well Off [Notes: Lumiere's family was once part of the French aristocracy, and retains some measure of their former wealth. Though he doesn't control the family fortune, Lumiere can nonetheless live quite comfortably without having to work for a living.] 1 Reputation: French Extraordinary Operative (A medium-sized group) 11-, +1/+1d6 [b]PERKS Cost: 3[/b] [b][u]Cost[/u] [u]TALENTS[/u][/b] 6 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED) 1 Lightning Reflexes: +1 DEX to act first with Fleche [b]TALENTS Cost: 7[/b] [b][u]Value[/u] [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b] 10 Dependent NPC: Female Companion of the Week 8- (Normal) 15 Hunted: Helmut von Schmidt 8- (As Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima 15 Psychological Limitation: Overconfident (Very Common, Moderate) 15 Psychological Limitation: Noblesse Oblige - Protective of Innocents (Common, Strong) 10 Psychological Limitation: Unabashed Womanizer (Common, Moderate) 10 Psychological Limitation: Superpatriot (Uncommon, Strong) 15 Social Limitation: Subject to Orders (Occasionally, Severe) [Notes: The French 3rd Republic still has a hold over Philippe. It is rarely exercised, and only for the most dangerous of missions.] 10 Vulnerability: 2 x STUN Darkness Attacks (Uncommon) [b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 100[/b] Base Pts: 100 Exp Required: 0 Total Exp Available: 0 Exp Unspent: 0 Total Character Cost: 200 Height: 1.75 m Hair: Blonde Weight: 80.00 kg Eyes: Brown Appearance: A rakish French gentleman with a vaguely arisotcratic air about him, Philippe typically exemplifies style and grace in his choice of attire. His cleanshaven and deceptively youthful countenance is almost always graced with a smile that reveals his joie de vivre. As a consequence, ladies of all sorts tend to find him handsome and attractive. Personality: Think James Bond, only French, and set in the pulp era. During the war, he was in the espionage business as much for the thrill, and the women, as he was to serve his country. The same holds true now that he's more of an adventurer than a spy. Quote: "Sacre bleu!" Background: Philippe Bourguignon was born into a privelaged family and has always led the life of a dilettante. His liberal arts education at University comprised a smattering of what interested him, and what interested him was mostly foreign languages -- the better to seduce foreign women with. Of course, a number of other non-scholastic pursuits attracted his attention as well, such as motorcars and especially fencing, at which he turned out to be quite gifted. No doubt Philippe would have been quite content to continue in this manner if it were not for the outbreak of the Great War. Many of his fellow students soon found themselves conscripted to fight on the front lines or designing and building weapons of war. But fate had other plans for Philippe, and he was instead recruited by French Intelligence. The missions he undertook were diverse, often dangerous, and frequently behind enemy lines; he worked chiefly as an intelligence gatherer in a variety of German cities, usually posing as a neutral Swiss businessman. By gaining access to the houses of the wealthy and powerful of German society, frequently by virtue (or lack thereof) of the lady of the house, he was often able to overhear, peruse, or pilfer a variety of useful tidbits of information for his country. One of those missions, however, went terribly wrong. Assigned to infiltrate the residence of a German aristocrat much involved in the war by the name of Helmut von Schmidt, Philippe went about it in his customary fashion. His briefing officer had assured him that Helmut was at the front, and not at his home in Frankfurt, so Philippe proceeded to attempt to seduce the man's wife to gain access to his house. Unfortunately, Helmut was in fact on leave in Frankfurt at the time, and caught Philippe in the act. Philippe attempted to escape through a bedroom window, and made it as far as the railway station before being apprehended. Helmut was of course furious; however, while he suspected Philippe of being a spy, there was no proof of it, and his embarrassment at the circumstances of Philippe's discovery, combined with the very public location of Philippe's capture, led him to wish to dispose of the troublesome Swiss as quickly as possible. Philippe found himself bound, summarily deported, and set on the first train out of the station, along with a pair of armed guards. The train did not go to Switzerland. Rather, it turned south, through Austria-Hungary, to the port of Vienna. Helmut von Schmidt had planned to use the delay of the train trip to decide what fate would await the troublesome Swiss when he arrived. However, Philippe had other plans. He managed to escape, and stowed away on a ship that was about to leave port. Unfortunately for him, the ship turned out to be bound for Aftica, more specifically Douala in German Kamerun (or Cameroon.) Trying to make his way from German-held Kamerun south to French-held Gabon was a nightmare. Recognizing the threat of disease in the tropical nation, Philippe managed to pilfer some of the ship's supply of quinine to ward against malaria. However, he was no doctor, and as he was certain that by now, Helmut would have sent a message ahead by telegraph or radio concerning his escape and likely whereabouts, he didn't dare to so much as speak to any of the locals, let alone trust anyone to administer a proper dosage. He also, not being an experienced pathfinder, didn't dare travel through the rainforest proper. Instead, he stole a small launch and, dosing himself as heavily as he dared with the quinine, set off to sail southward along the coast. Three days, it took him. Three days of hell, of salt and dessicating wind and scorching heat and quinine poisoning and the occasional creature of the sea to eat and nothing to drink. Three days of sunlight blasting down from above, reflected from the water, filling the air with brilliance until he could no longer bear it... but somehow he did. Whether it was the quinine, or the heat and sun, or the strange seafood of those waters, or some combination of them, he never knew. He was raving by the end of it. He nearly died. But on the third night, his little sailboat floated into the harbour at Libreville. After being found and rushed to a hospital, it took him the better part of a month to recover his faculties and convince the Libreville authorities of his identity. As soon as they received confirmation of his tale from the Ministry in France, however, things progressed more rapidly. Philippe was hustled aboard a ship bound for Nice, and soon was on his way back to his homeland for a debriefing. On the return journey, Philippe fenced against his shadow, and occasionally against the ship's captain, to regain his strength. As he did, he discovered new abilities he could not easily explain. Somehow during his ordeal at sea, during his 3-day communion with the sun, he had learned or captured or been imbued with something of the nature of light itself. It was not science, nor art, but some heady blend between the two, and one he wielded instinctively. He found while fencing he could catch a glint of light on a blade just so, and send it unerringly into his opponent's eyes, dazzling him momentarily. His parries, always quick, were now quick enough that he could block thrown objects readily; he sensed he could even deflect a bullet, if only he could see it coming. And so he could, for his eyesight had improved to the point where he could see people approaching from his sides easily, or even stare directly into the sun with no ill effects. Most spectacularily, he could capture the essence of light on the edge of a bladestroke, and with it shear even through metal pipe. Philippe arrived in Nice, and from there travelled to Paris, where he met with his superiors at French Intelligence. At his debriefing he demonstrated his newfound abilities, and was immediately inducted into a newly-devised cadre of elite agents, Extraordinary Operatives all. From there, he continued his efforts against the Germans, occasionally working with his British equivalents to push the Germans back, and ultimately to win the war. Like many other such Extraordinary Operatives, after the war he found himself somewhat at loose ends, and has embarked on a career of adventuring. More than once he has crossed swords and wits with Helmut von Schmidt, as the latter's intelligence and political skill have left his social position relatively undiminished even in the post-war Weimar Republic of Germany. Nevertheless, he continues to travel the world, sometimes at the behest of his country, but mostly simply to enjoy the various pleasures -- and women -- life in different places has to offer. Powers/Tactics: A hand-to-hand specialist, Lumiere will generally use his light powers to disorient opponents or defend himself as he closes to melee range. However, he's not unwilling to use firearms or explosives if the situation seems to call for it; for instance, he may fight with a sword in one hand and a pistol in the other. This is especially true if the battle takes place outdoors at night, or in other circumstances where there is insufficient ambient light for him to use his powers. Lumiere will usually reserve his Epee Ardente for non-living targets or for the genuinely evil. It is powerful enough to slice through concrete walls and even up to 30mm of tank armour. Campaign Use: High end pulp adventurer or low end Golden Age-era superhuman. Design notes: Use heroic template. NCM is required. Normal equipment does not cost points by default. Powers or fantastic equipment of up to 50 AP are allowed. No more than 50 real points of powers. Characters should be competent heroic-level adventurers (75+75) prior to acquiring their powers. Powers should not be overwhelmingly powerful, especially in combat. To increase Lumiere's power, increase his MP Reserve and add more useful attack/defense/movement slots, and/or add martial arts DCs and skill levels. To decrease his power, reduce his stats or eliminate his powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zed-F Posted July 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Re: Character: Lumiere I guess no-one felt particularily inspired by this one... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OddHat Posted July 21, 2006 Report Share Posted July 21, 2006 Re: Character: Lumiere Just read him, and quite liked him. I may borrow him at some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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