Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

[Susano]

The following collection of characters are based on various heroes, anti-heroes, and villains mentioned in assorted pop/rock/country/folk songs. I've tried to avoid adding to much to any one character, sticking mostly to what the song gives us, although I did give additional ideas in the character's Description section on things the GM might want to add.

 

Enjoy.

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

BIG JIM WALKER

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
20	STR	10	13-	Lift 400 kg; 4d6 HTH Damage [4]
15	DEX	15	12-	OCV:  5/DCV:  5
20	CON	20	13-
13	BODY	6	12-
8	INT	-2	11-	PER Roll 11-
10	EGO	0	11-	ECV:  3
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
10	COM	0	11-

7	PD	3		Total:  7 PD (0 rPD)
5	ED	1		Total:  5 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	5		Phases:  4, 8, 12
8	REC	0
40	END	0
33	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  68

Movement:[/b]	Running:	7"/14"
Leaping:	4"/8"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
2	[b]"Boppin' Off The Street":[/b]  Running +1" (7" total), END 1

[b]Perks[/b]
3	[b]"They All Call Big Jim Boss":[/b]  Fringe Benefit:  de-facto "leader" of the 42nd Street "mob"
5	[b]"Driving A Drop Top Cadillac":[/b]  Money:  Well Off
2	[b]"King Of 42nd Street":[/b]  Reputation:  "You Don't Mess Around With Jim" (42nd Street 
Underworld) 14-, +2/+2d6

[b]Skills[/b]
10	+2 with HTH Combat
3	[b]"Two-Piece Custom-Made Pool Cue":[/b]  +2 with PS:  Pool Player; OAF (pool cue; -1)

2	CK: New York City 11-
2	CK: New York City, 42nd Street 11-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
4	Gambling (Card Games, Dice Games) 11-
3	[b]"Stronger Than A Country Hoss":[/b]  Hoist 11-
3	[b]"King Of 42nd Street":[/b]  KS: 42nd Street Underworld 12-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
0	Paramedics 8-
5	[b]"Pool-Shootin' Son Of A Gun":[/b]  PS: Play Pool 14-
0	Shadowing 8-
5	[b]"Pool-Shootin' Son Of A Gun":[/b]  Sleight Of Hand 14-; Only To Perform Pool-Shooting 
Tricks (-1/2)
0	Stealth 8-
3	Streetwise 13-
2	[b]"Driving A Drop Top Cadillac":[/b]  TF:  Common Motorized Ground Vehicles
3	WF:  Small Arms, Fist-Loads, Knives
[b]57	Total Powers & Skills Cost
125	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages[/b]
15	Hunted:  Willie McCoy 11- (As Pow, Harshly Punish)
15	Psychological Limitation:  "Big And Dumb As A Man Can Come" (Common, Strong)
10	Psychological Limitation:  Overconfidence, Will Not Back Down From A Challenge 
(Common, Strong)
15	Reputation:  "You Don't Mess Around With Jim", 14- (Extreme;  Known Only To A 
Small Group)
[b]130	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Description:

"Big" Jim Walker is full-time pool hustler and smalltime crook who heads up a loose collection of assorted kneecappers, leg-breakers, and other thugs who call 42nd Street home. He's one of the bigger men you're likely to meet, and certainly one of the strongest, but apparently isn't very bright, his status more due to his physical size than any sort of street smarts. His pool-playing skills bring him enough money to allow his a fancy car and custom pool cue, but his hustling habits have gotten him into trouble in the form of one Willie McCoy. Willie, better known to some as "Slim" is another pool-shooter from Alabama who's looking to get the money he lost to Big Jim in a pool game back.

 

"Big" Jim Walker can be found in the Jim Croce song You Don't Mess Around With Jim, with the famous refrain of You don't tug on Superman's cape/You don't spit into the wind/You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger/And you don't mess around with Jim. He could be dropped into almost any Dark Champions or Pulp Hero game with ease, although GMs might want to beef him up a bit to make his power-level comparable to the average PC's. Suggestions include giving him Martial Arts in the form of Dirty Infighting, some sort of low-end "Brick Trick" from The Ultimate Brick (such as a Rapid Haymaker or just raw dice of Hand Attack), followers (the 42nd Street Gang), and general gangster/street thug skills.

 

(Big Jim Walker created by Jim Croce, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

BIG JOHN

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
25	STR	20	14-	Lift 800 kg; 5d6 HTH Damage [5]
13	DEX	9	12-	OCV:  4/DCV:  4
20	CON	20	13-
15	BODY	10	12-
10	INT	0	11-	PER Roll 11-
13	EGO	6	12-	ECV:  4
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
10	COM	0	11-

8	PD	3		Total:  8 PD (0 rPD)
6	ED	2		Total:  6 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	7		Phases:  4, 8, 12
9	REC	0
40	END	0
38	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  87

Movement:[/b]	Running:	6"/12"
Leaping:	5"/10"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
2	[b]"Gave A Mighty Shove":[/b]  +5 STR; Only To Lift (-1), Increased Endurance Cost 
(x2 END; -1/2), END 2
12	[b]"Huge Right Hand":[/b]  HA +4d6, Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Hand-To-Hand 
Attack (-1/2), Extra Time (Full Phase, -1/2), Side Effects, Side Effect occurs automatically 
whenever Power is used (-5 DCV; -1/2)

[b]Perks[/b]
3	[b]"You Didn't Give No Lip To Big John. ":[/b]  Reputation:  Not A Man To Be Trifled With 
(MineWorkers And Other Townsfolk) 14-, +3/+3d6

[b]Skills[/b]
10	[b]"Sent A Louisiana Fella To The Promise Land":[/b]  +2 with HTH Combat

2	CK: New Orleans 11-
3	Climbing 12-
0	Concealment 8-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
7	[b]"Grabbed A Sagging Timber":[/b]  Hoist 13-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
0	Paramedics 8-
2	PS: Coal Miner 11-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
2	TF:  Common Motorized Ground Vehicles
1	WF:  Axes, Maces, Hammers, and Picks
[b]44	Total Powers & Skills Cost
131	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages[/b]
15	Distinctive Features:  "A Giant Of A Man" (Not Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; 
Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
0	Normal Characteristic Maxima
20	Psychological Limitation:  Quiet And Shy (Very Common, Strong)
10	Reputation:  "sent a Louisiana fella to the promise land", 14- (Miners and Townsfolk)
10	Social Limitation:  "Nobody seemed to know where John called home" (unknown past is 
subject to rumors and speculation) (Frequently, Minor)
1	[b]Experience
131	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Description:

Big "Bad" John stands six foot six inches and weighs 245 pounds, none of it fat or flab. He just drifted into town one day and took a job in the coal mine, saying little to anyone and keeping mostly to himself. No one knows where he comes from, although there has been speculation -- the most popular of which having him come up out of New Orleans after killing a man in a fist fight of a woman. This story, coupled with his size, made John a man others gave a wide berth too and respectful (albeit fearful) treatment.

 

John met his end when the mine collapsed. He held up a cracking support timber long enough for 20 men to escape, but before they could return with jacks and more support timbers, John's strength gave away and the mine fully collapsed.

 

Big John is found in the song Big Bad John by Johnny Cash. He's another Dark Champions/Pulp Hero character who's origin makes him suitable for a wide range of settings. His origin and background is open-ended and GMs could fill it in with a wide range of options. He could come from New Orleans (as I have done here) and he could be Hunted by the police for the murder of a man in the Big Easy. Coming out of New Orleans he could be a longshoreman or a fisherman, or could have been involved in more shady occupations.

 

(Big Bad John created by Johnny Cash, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

LEROY BROWN

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
18	STR	8	13-	Lift 303.1 kg; 3 1/2d6 HTH Damage [4]
15	DEX	15	12-	OCV:  5/DCV:  5
18	CON	16	13-
13	BODY	6	12-
13	INT	3	12-	PER Roll 12-
10	EGO	0	11-	ECV:  3
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
14	COM	2	12-

6	PD	2		Total:  6 PD (0 rPD)
5	ED	1		Total:  5 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	5		Phases:  4, 8, 12
8	REC	0
36	END	0
31	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  68

Movement:[/b]	Running:	7"/14"
Leaping:	3"/6"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
[b]Martial Arts:[/b] [i] Dirty Infighting[/i]
[b]Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Notes[/b]
4	Block	+2	+2	Block, Abort
4	Kidney Blow	-2	+0	HKA 1d6 +1
4	Low Blow	-1	+1	2d6 NND
4	Punch/Backhand	+0	+2	5 1/2d6 Strike
5	Roundhouse	-2	+1	7 1/2d6 Strike
3	Weapon Element:  Clubs, Fist-Loads, Knives

2	[b]"He Stand Bout Six Foot Four":[/b]  Running +1" (7" total), END 1

[b]Perks[/b]
5	[b]"Mens Just Call Him Sir":[/b]  Fringe Benefit:  Organized crime group overall leader
10	[b]"Diamonds Rings... Custom Continental... El Dorado Too...":[/b]  Money:  Wealthy
6	[b]"Baddest Man In The Whole Damn Town":[/b]  Reputation:  Baddest Man In Chicago 
(Chicago Underworld) 14-, +3/+3d6

[b]Skills[/b]
6	[b]"Meaner Than A Junkyard Dog":[/b]  +2 with Dirty Infighting

2	CK: Chicago 11-
2	CK: South Side of Chicago 11-
0	Climbing 8-
3	[b]"Razor In His Shoe":[/b]  Concealment 12-
0	Deduction 8-
10	[b]"Now Leroy He A Gambler":[/b]  Gambling (Card Games, Dice Games, Sports Betting) 14-
3	KS: Chicago Underworld 12-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
0	Paramedics 8-
3	[b]"Now Leroy He A Gambler":[/b]  PS: Gambler 12-
3	[b]"All The Downtown Ladies Call Him Treetop Lover":[/b]  Seduction 13-
0	Shadowing 8-
3	[b]"Now Leroy He A Gambler":[/b]  Sleight Of Hand 12-
0	Stealth 8-
3	Streetwise 13-
0	[b]"Custom Continental... El Dorado Too...":[/b]  TF:  Small Motorized Ground Vehicles
3	[b]"32 Gun In His Pocket For Fun": [/b] WF:  Small Arms, Fist-Loads, Knives
[b]88	Total Powers & Skills Cost
156	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages[/b]
10	Hunted:  Jealous Man 8- (Mo Pow, Limited Geographical Area, Harshly Punish)
15	Psychological Limitation:  "Like To Wave His Diamond Rings Under Everybody's Nose" 
(Very Common, Moderate)
10	Psychological Limitation:  "He Cast His Eyes Upon Her" (an eye for the ladies) 
(Common, Strong)
20	Reputation:  "Badder Than Old King Kong", 14- (Extreme)
26	[b]Experience
156	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Description:

Leroy Brown stands six foot four inches and is generally considered to be the means, baddest, most dangerous man in South Side Chicago -- not to mention the rest of the town. He's a gambler -- a rich gambler -- known to dress in fine clothes, wear diamond rings on his fingers, drive luxury cars, and he wants everyone to know it. He likes to shoot dice, play cards, and pick up any women who attract his eye. When trouble starts, he's quick to reach for his .32 (kept in a coat pocket), or the hidden razor blade he keeps in one shoe. Useful tools when confronted by jealous boyfriends and husbands.

 

Leroy Brown is the "star" of Jim Croce's Bad, Bad Leroy Brown. In the song a jealous man finally catches up with Leroy and (for all intents and purposes) does him in, ending his career of crime, gambling, and carousing. In your Dark Champions game, Leroy could be a street-level contact, a smalltime mob-boss for the PCs to take down, or a long-term foe. At 156 points he's roughly equal to many starting Heroic-level characters but could easily be beefed up with Skill Levels, more Skills, Followers, and Contacts.

 

(Leroy Brown created by Jim Croce, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

MACHEATH

"Mack the Knife"

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
12	STR	2	11-	Lift 132 kg; 2d6 HTH Damage [2]
15	DEX	15	12-	OCV:  5/DCV:  5
13	CON	6	12-
10	BODY	0	11-
13	INT	3	12-	PER Roll 12-
11	EGO	2	11-	ECV:  4
15	PRE	5	12-	PRE Attack:  3d6
10	COM	0	11-

4	PD	2		Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
4	ED	1		Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	5		Phases:  4, 8, 12
5	REC	0
26	END	0
23	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  41

Movement:[/b]	Running:	7"/14"
Leaping:	2"/4"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
2	[b]Quick On His Feet:[/b]  Running +1" (7" total). END 1

[b]Perks[/b]
3	[b]"MacHeath Spends Just Like A Sailor":[/b]  Money:  Well Off
6	[b]"Look Out ... Old Macky Is Back!":[/b]  Reputation:  arsonist, murderer, rapist, thief 
(London Underworld) 14-, +3/+3d6

[b]Skills[/b]
6	+2 with Jackknife

3	[b]"Down By The River":[/b]  CK: London 12-
3	Climbing 12-
3	[b]"He Keeps It ... Out Of Sight":[/b]  Concealment 12-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
3	[b]"Fancy Gloves... Wears Old MacHeath":[/b]  Disguise 12-
3	[b]"Keeps It ... Out Of Sight":[/b]  Fast Draw (HTH) 12-
3	Interrogation 12-
3	KS: London Underworld 12-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
3	Lockpicking 12-
0	Paramedics 8-
2	PS: Professional Criminal 11-
3	Security Systems 12-
3	Shadowing 12-
3	[b]"Sneakin' ...Round The Corner":[/b]  Stealth 12-
3	Streetwise 12-
0	TF:  Small Motorized Ground Vehicles
1	[b]"A Jackknife Has Old MacHeath":[/b]  WF:  Blades
[b]56	Total Powers & Skills Cost
97	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages[/b]
15	Hunted:  London Police 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Limited Geographical Area, Capture)
5	Psychological Limitation:  Casual Killer (Common, Strong)
20	Psychological Limitation:  Sociopath (Very Common, Strong)
15	Reputation:  Mack The Knife, arsonist, murderer, rapist, thief, 14- (Extreme;  London 
Underworld Only)
[b]130	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Description:

MacHeath, better known in street circles as "Mack the Knife" is a petty crook and blade-for-hire who will take virtually any job, no matter how low. He's burned down homes, killed both men and women, raped a young widow, and stolen articles of every shape and size. He cares nothing for the law (since the law cares only for the wealthy and well-to-do), and is determined to get what he can while he can. Of course, it's only a matter of time until the police catch up with him, and when that happens, he'll hang for sure.

 

Mack the Knife, a.k.a. Mackie Messer, is first found in The Beggar's Opera by John Gay (1685-1732). He was then revised and rewritten into Mackie Messer for Die Dreigroschenoper ("The Three Penny Opera") by Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) and Kurt Weill (1900-1950). The rather polite, well-mannered MacHeath was turned into the Mackie the cutthroat gangster. The song, the "Ballad of Mack the Knife" (Die Moritat von Mackie Messer), was created to introduce the character, who was now a thief, murderer, arsonist, and rapist. The play (and the song) eventually was translated into English, as The Three Penny Opera. Soon after, Mack the Knife was edited (dropping the last two stanzas about him being an arsonist and rapist), and Louis Armstrong recorded the first version in 1955. In 1958 Bobby Darin recorded it, with his version reaching number 1 on the Billboard charts and willing Darin a Grammy. Since then, many others have recorded the song, usually omitting the missing last stanzas.

 

This character sheet is a rather "liberal" translation of the song. I've included a number of skills not mentioned in the song based on his presumed character in the opera. I gave Mackie the Catburglar package from Dark Champions, although he's probably better used as a Pulp Hero sneak thief and minor gangster than a modern-day thug. Game Masters can make Mackie more powerful by giving him a knife-fighting Martial Art, Contacts, Followers, and even a Pulp Hero Superskill to allow him to slip into homes undetected.

 

(Mack the Knife [Mackie Messer] created by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

MR. BAD EXAMPLE

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
10	STR	0	11-	Lift 100 kg; 2d6 HTH Damage [2]
13	DEX	9	12-	OCV:  4/DCV:  4
10	CON	0	11-
10	BODY	0	11-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
18	EGO	16	13-	ECV:  6
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
16	COM	3	12-

3	PD	1		Total:  3 PD (0 rPD)
3	ED	1		Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	7		Phases:  4, 8, 12
4	REC	0
20	END	0
20	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  55

Movement:[/b]	Running:	6"/12"
Leaping:	2"/4"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
10	[b]"None The Worse For Wear":[/b]  Luck 2d6

[b]Perks[/b]
1	[b]"Took A Law Degree":[/b]  Fringe Benefit:  License to practice law
1	[b]"I Stole Her Passport":[/b]  Fringe Benefit:  Passport
10	[b]"Attached Their Wages And Took A Whopping Cut":[/b]  Money:  Wealthy

[b]Skills[/b]
3	Acting 13-
0	Climbing 8-
3	[b]"Tuck The Bills Inside My Cummerbund":[/b]  Concealment 13-
3	Conversation 13-
0	Deduction 8-
3	[b]"I Stole Her Passport And Her Wig":[/b]  Disguise 13-
2	[b]"To Play Chemin De Fer":[/b]  Gambling (Card Games) 13-
1	[b]"I Started As an Altar Boy":[/b]  KS: Catholic Doctrine 8-
3	[b]"I Went To Law School":[/b]  KS: Criminal Law 13-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
0	Paramedics 8-
3	[b]"Counseled All My Clients To Plead Insanity":[/b]  Persuasion 13-
3	[b]"I Attached Their Wages And Took A Whopping Cut":[/b]  SS:  Accounting 13-
3	[b]"Housewives By The Score":[/b]  Seduction 13-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
3	[b]"Put My Last Few Francs Down On A Prostitute":[/b]  Streetwise 13-
2	TF:  Common Motorized Ground Vehicles
3	[b]"And Auctioned Off Every Last Naugahyde Divan":[/b]  Trading 13-
3	Jack of All Trades
1	1)  [b]"Opened Up An Agency Somewhere Down The Line":[/b]  PS: Business Management 11-
1	2)  [b]"Laying Tackless Stripping":[/b]  PS: Carpet Layer 11-
1	3)  [b]"Worked In Hair Replacement":[/b]  PS: Hair Replacement 11-
2	4)  [b]"I Went To Law School":[/b]  PS: Lawyer 13-
3	Traveler
1	1) [b] "I Was Down In Adelaide":[/b]  AK: Australia 11-
1	2)  [b]"On To Monte Carlo":[/b]  AK: Monte Carlo 11-
1	3)  [b]"Landed In Sri Lanka":[/b]  AK: Sri Lanka 11-
1	4)  [b]"I Was Down In Adelaide":[/b]  CK: Adelaide, Australia 11-
1	5)  [b]"Took It To Spokane":[/b]  CK: Spokane, Washington 11-
[b]73	Total Powers & Skills Cost
128	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages[/b]
20	Psychological Limitation:  "I'm Very Well Aquainted With The Seven Deadly Sins" (Very 
Common, Strong)
5	Psychological Limitation:  "I Like To Have A Good Time, And I Don't Care Who Gets 
Hurt" (Common, Total)
28	[b]Experience
128	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Description:

He's proud to be a glutton, doesn't have time for sloth, is greedy, angry, and totally amoral. He's Mr. Bad Example, the one of the most devious, low-down, self-centered grifters the world has ever seen. He's stolen from the rich and poor alike and ruined lives the world over. Much to his victim's anger and chagrin, he's never really paid for his crimes and usually lands on his feet even if a deal does bad. He's totally unrepentant, fully expects to live to be 100 years-old, and will almost certainly be remembered in infamy.

 

Found in the song Mr. Bad Example, by Warren Zevon and Jorge Calderon, Mr. Bad Example is never physically described (unlike the "heroes" of some other songs), but we can get an idea of what he's like based on his list of crimes. I used the Grifter package from Dark Champions to build him and then layered in multiple Skills and Perks based on things mentioned in the lyrics. He's perfect for Dark Champions games (he does live in the modern era after all), although you could adapt him for Pulp Hero settings with little effort. Naturally, this character sheet can be further developed by a GM. You might want to add Languages, some Skill Levels (with Interaction Skills), Contacts, and so on.

 

(Mr. Bad Example created by Warren Zevon & Jorge Calderon, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

RAPID ROY

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
13	STR	3	12-	Lift 151.6 kg; 2 1/2d6 HTH Damage [3]
18	DEX	24	13-	OCV:  6/DCV:  6
13	CON	6	12-
10	BODY	0	11-
10	INT	0	11-	PER Roll 11-
10	EGO	0	11-	ECV:  3
15	PRE	5	12-	PRE Attack:  3d6
16	COM	3	12-

4	PD	1		Total:  4 PD (0 rPD)
4	ED	1		Total:  4 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	2		Phases:  4, 8, 12
6	REC	0
26	END	0
24	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  45

Movement:[/b]	Running:	6"/12"
Leaping:	2"/4"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills
Perks[/b]
4	[b]"Best Driver In The Land":[/b]  Reputation:  Best Driver In The Land (Stock Car Circuit) 
14-, +2/+2d6
0	[b]'57 Chevrolet:[/b]  Vehicle

[b]Skills[/b]
2	[b]"Runnin' Shine Outta Alabam'":[/b]  AK 11-
2	[b]"Runnin' From The Man In Oklahoma City":[/b]  CK: Oklahoma City 11-
0	Climbing 8-
5	[b]"Dirt Track Demon":[/b]  Combat Driving 14-
3	Concealment 11-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
2	KS: Stock Car Circuit 11-
0	Language:  English (idiomatic; literate)
7	Mechanics 13-
0	Paramedics 8-
2	PS: Stock Car Racer 11-
3	[b]"He's Got Honeys All Along The Way":[/b]  Seduction 12-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
2	TF:  Common Motorized Ground Vehicles
[b]32	Total Powers & Skills Cost
77	Total Character Cost

50+	Disadvantages[/b]
5	Distinctive Features:  Tattoos ("Baby," "Hey") (Easily Concealed; Noticed and 
Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
10	DNPC:  Dixie Dawn 8- (Normal)
20	Psychological Limitation:  "Don't Know What Fear's About" (Common, Total)
[b]85	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Description:

Rapid Roy is a racer on the stock car circuit, running the dirt track on Sunday afternoons in his souped-up '57 Chevy. He's also driven the figure eight tracks and the demolition derby, and if rumors are to be believed, run moonshine out of Alabama and through Oklahoma City. He's quick with a smile, especially if a camera is near, and usually has a toothpick in his teeth, and extra pack of cigarettes rolled up in his sleeve, and a tattoo on one arm that says "Baby" and another that says "Hey."

 

Found in Jim Croce's song Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy), Rapid Roy is far more Pulp Hero than Dark Champions, even if he drives a '57 Chevy and is probably active in the early 1960s. Runnin' 'shine is a perfect 1930's plot hook for involvement in all sorts of adventures, and Roy's girlfriend Dixie Dawn is just asking to be kidnapped in order to force Roy to drive an important cargo somewhere. Game Masters may want to improve Roy's driving skills by upping his Combat Driving, giving him the Pulp Hero Superskill Working The Pedals, and adding a few more skills (like WF: Handguns or some racing Contacts).

 

(Rapid Roy (The Stock Car Boy) created by Jim Croce, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Gawain]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

(Big Bad John created by Johnny Cash' date=' character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)[/quote']

 

Minor quibble. It was originally written and recorded by Jimmy Dean in 1961. Johnny Cash covered it later.

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

Minor quibble. It was originally written and recorded by Jimmy Dean in 1961. Johnny Cash covered it later.

 

I'll make the correction.

[Lemurion]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

You've got Mr. Bad Example, but what about Roland?

 

We need Norway's bravest son

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

I have some rough notes for Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner and Killer Queen. I'll see what I can do with them.

 

Someone sent me Sammy Hagar's Iceman, so I'll see what I can do with that, while someone else mentioned Dylan's The Hurricane. That song, however, is about a real person, and I think I'll pass on that sort of subject.

[AmadanNaBriona]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

I have some rough notes for Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner and Killer Queen. I'll see what I can do with them.

 

Someone sent me Sammy Hagar's Iceman, so I'll see what I can do with that, while someone else mentioned Dylan's The Hurricane. That song, however, it about a real person, and I think I'll pass on that sort of subject.

 

Grrr... had a big post eaten by a bunch of popups locking up my computer.

 

To summarize. I generaly agree with avoiding "real" people for this one.

I had thought of a bunch of possible additional folk, but the "real Folk from song & story" might make for a different thread.

Jack Duggan, "The Wild Colonial Boy"

Willie Brennan, of "Brennan on the Moor" fame.

Jim Bridger, the famous mountain man and teller of tall tales himself.

Aiken Drum, scottish folk hero

 

Some interesting possbile additional characters

The Highwayman, of the Alfred Noyes poem and Lorenna McKennits song, possibly in ghost form

John "Johnny/Jock" O'Braidislee, a Scots Border "robin hood"-ish poacher who is a stone cold badass.

Yukon Pete... tho he's not likely to be board safe

[Lucius]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

Unfortunately, I must spread some reputation around before giving it to Susano again.

 

As it happens, "Mr. Bad Example" is another of Brianca's favorite songs, so I was sure to tell her someone had written up the character.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Maybe I should write a song about a palindromedary

[The Monster]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

Awesome. Simply awesome.

 

How about Jim Stafford's "Swamp Witch"?

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

People should feel free to send me lyrics of stuff they think might make a good character. I'll see what I can do.

[Squall]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

People should feel free to send me lyrics of stuff they think might make a good character. I'll see what I can do.

PM sent.

 

I mean, c'mon, man. How can you not come up with a cool tough guy from A Boy Named Sue?

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

KILLER QUEEN

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
8	STR	-2	11-	Lift 75.8 kg; 1 1/2d6 HTH Damage [2]
13	DEX	9	12-	OCV:  4/DCV:  4
9	CON	-2	11-
8	BODY	-4	11-
18	INT	8	13-	PER Roll 13-
18	EGO	16	13-	ECV:  6
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
20	COM	5	13-

3	PD	1		Total:  3 PD (0 rPD)
3	ED	1		Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
3	SPD	7		Phases:  4, 8, 12
4	REC	0
18	END	0
17	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  49

Movement:[/b]	Running:	6"/12"
Leaping:	1"/2"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills
Perks[/b]
2	[b]"To Avoid Complications She Never Kept The Same Address":[/b]  Deep Cover (probably 
`more than one)
1	[b]"To Avoid Complications She Never Kept The Same Address":[/b]  False Identity
10	[b]"Perfume Came Naturally From Paris":[/b]  Money:  Wealthy

[b]Skills[/b]
3	[b]"Well-Versed In Etiquette":[/b]  Acting 13-
0	Climbing 8-
0	Concealment 8-
3	[b]"In Conversation She Spoke...":[/b]  Conversation 13-
0	Deduction 8-
3	[b]"Gunpowder, Gelatine":[/b]  Demolitions 13-
3	[b]"Well-Versed In Etiquette":[/b]  High Society 13-
3	[b]"Fastidious And Precise":[/b]  KS: Current Fashions 13-
1	[b]"She Spoke Just Like A Baroness":[/b]  Language:  English (imitate dialects; literate)
4	[b]"Perfume  ... From Paris":[/b]  Language:  French (idiomatic; literate)
4	[b]"Spoke ... Like A Baroness":[/b]  Language:  German (idiomatic; literate)
0	Paramedics 8-
3	[b]"An Invitation You Can't Decline":[/b]  Persuasion 13-
3	PS: Intelligence Agent 13-
3	[b]"Playful As A Pussy Cat":[/b]  Seduction 13-
3	[b]"She's All Out To Get You...":[/b]  Shadowing 13-
0	Stealth 8-
4	[b]"Dynamite With A Laser Beam":[/b]  WF:  Beam Weapons, Small Arms
0	[b]"For Cars She Couldn't Care Less":[/b]  TF:  Small Motorized Ground Vehicles
3	[b]"To Avoid Complications She Never Kept The Same Address":[/b]  Traveler
2	1)  [b]"She Never Kept The Same Address":[/b]  AK: Europe 13-
2	2)  [b]"Went Down To Geisha Minor":[/b]  AK: Japan 13-
2	3)  [b]"Perfume ... From Paris":[/b]  CK: Paris 13-
2	4)  [b]"Went Down To Geisha Minor":[/b]  CK: Tokyo 13-
[b]64	Total Powers & Skills Cost
113	Total Character Cost

75+	Disadvantages[/b]
10	Psychological Limitation:  "'Let Them Eat Cake.' She Says Just Like Marie Antoinette" -- 
Aristocratic Arrogance (Very Common, Moderate)
15	Psychological Limitation:  "Fastidious And Precise" -- Must Maintain Her Image 
(Common, Strong)
15	Reputation:  "Guaranteed To Blow Your Mind", 14-
115	Total Disadvantage Points

 

Description:

Although Queen's Killer Queen doesn't say, exactly, who the song is about, it seems (to me) to describe a classic femme fatale, of the film noir or Bond-girl type. I added in various skills that seemed to be inferred by the song lyrics, building a "super-spy" type character, although she could easily be a rich and spoiled heiress, some sort of criminal mastermind, or even an information broker working both the heights and depths of society. The character, as stands, is open to a great deal of expansion, with additional languages, gadgets, bases, and so on.

 

(Killer Queen created by Queen, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[Flames]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

How can you not come up with a cool tough guy from A Boy Named Sue?

 

Actually, you know, A Boy Named Sue would make a pretty good example of game play.

 

GM: Okay, you've arrived in Gatlinburg, and it's mid-July. You're thirsty, and you want beer. The muddy street has a saloon on it.

 

Sue: Okay, I go in.

 

GM: All right, then. Make a Perception Roll, please, as you're entering the saloon.

 

Sue: Okay... um... rolled a nine.

 

GM: Good. As you look around the interior of the saloon, you see a big, bend, gray, old man dealing stud poker to a group of other men, and he looks very familiar to you.

 

Sue: Who is he?

 

GM: Make an INT roll to recognize him.

 

Sue: Um... ten. Is that enough?

 

GM: Well, you haven't seen him since he left home when you were three, but your penalty was offset by the worn-out picture that your mother had, plus the man has the Disad Distinctive Features: Scar on Cheek and Evil Eye, which is Difficult to Conceal, Noticeable and Recognizable.

 

Sue: Wait, is it my father?!

 

GM: Why, yes it is. Is your commitment to killing him Moderate or Strong?

 

Sue: Let me check... Strong.

 

GM: Well, your inclination is to attack him immediately, so you'll have to make an EGO roll to do anything except that.

 

Sue: Well, I don't even care, I'm going to attack him regardless. Do I have to make an EGO roll to make a PRE Attack first?

 

GM: Oh, no, I'll allow a PRE Attack.

 

Sue: Great. Let's see... I'll just walk right up to him and say, as menacingly as possible, "My name is Sue, how do you do? Now you're gonna die!"

 

GM: Okay, that's a pretty good soliloquy, I'll give you your base 4d6 attack plus two extra dice for making a deadly threat and for startling him.

 

Sue: Six dice, then. I rolled... let's see... 24 total.

 

GM: Well, you got him at his own PRE level and then some, so you get to act first regardless of DEX.

 

Sue: I can't shoot him just yet, we're indoors and he's not holding a gun. I punch him, hard as I can, calling Head Shot on the Hit Location Chart, hoping for Head, of course.

 

GM: Okay, he's just starting to get up, so I'm saying he's 1/2 DCV, so you've got to hit DCV 3. What's your OCV?

 

Sue: With the Head Shot penalty, it's 3. Do I get a bonus for surprise?

 

GM: No, you made your intentions known to him, he's looking right at you and fully expecting an attack. Eleven or less, give me a roll.

 

Sue: C'mon, don't miss, don't miss... ten!

 

GM: That's a hit; roll location, High Shot, that's 1d6+3, roll one or two to hit Head.

 

Sue: C'mon, Head Shot, Head Shot... yes! Rolled a two!

 

GM: You hit him hard right between the eyes, roll damage... he takes double STUN and BODY after defenses.

 

... and so on.

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

The Following Is Incomplete

 

Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner

 

[b]Val	Char	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
15	STR	5	12-	Lift 200.0kg; 3d6 [1]
18	DEX	24	13-	OCV:  6/DCV:  6
20	CON	20	13-
10	BODY	0	11-
10	INT	0	11-	PER Roll 11-
20	EGO	20	13-	ECV:  7
20	PRE	10	13-	PRE Attack:  4d6
4	COM	-3	10-

7	PD	4		Total:  7 PD (0 rPD)
7	ED	3		Total:  7 ED (0 rED)
4	SPD	12		Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
7	REC	0
40	END	0
28	STUN	0		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  95

Movement:[/b]	Running:	6"/12"
Leaping:	3"/6"
Swimming:	2"/4"

[b]Cost	Powers	END[/b]
50	[b]"The Eternal Thompson Gunner":[/b]  LS  (Eating: Character does not eat; Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character does not sleep)
5	[b]"Stalking Through The Night": [/b] Nightvision

[b]Talents[/b]
8	[b]"Fingers On Their Triggers":[/b]  Combat Shooting

[b]Skills[/b]
12	[b]"Roland Was The Best":[/b]  +4 with Thompson Gun

2	KS: Palestine 11-
0	[b]"Norway's Bravest Son":[/b]  Language:  Norwegian (idiomatic; literate)
3	Language:  English (completely fluent; literate)
2	[b]"They Killed To Earn Their Living":[/b]  PS: Mercenary 11-
2	[b]"They Fought The Congo War":[/b]  Survival (Tropical) 11-
3	[b]"Roland Searched The Continent":[/b]  Tracking 11-
5	[b]"They Fought The Congo War":[/b]  WF:  Small Arms, General Purpose/Heavy Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers, Knives
3	Traveler
1	1)  [b]"Battled The Bantu":[/b]  CuK: Bantu 11-
1	2)  [b]"He Found Him In Mombassa":[/b]  CK: Mombassa, Kenya 11-
1	3)  [b]"He Set Out For Biafra":[/b]  AK: Biafra 11-
1	4)  [b]"Norway's Bravest Son":[/b]  AK: Norway 11-
1	5)  [b]"Roland Searched The Continent":[/b]  AK: Africa 11-
1	6)  [b]"They Fought The Congo War":[/b]  AK: The Congo 11-
1	7)  AK: Ireland 11-
1	8)  AK: Lebanon 11-
1	9)  CK: Berkeley, California 11-

Total Powers & Skill Cost:  104
Total Cost:  199

200+	Disadvantages
20	Distinctive Features:  Headless (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20	Psychological Limitation:  Code Of Vengence (Common, Total)

Total Disadvantage Points:  40

 

Thoughts?

[Lemurion]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

The Following Is Incomplete

 

Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner

 

[b]Val    Char    Cost    Roll    Notes[/b]
15    STR    5    12-    Lift 200.0kg; 3d6 [1]
18    DEX    24    13-    OCV:  6/DCV:  6
20    CON    20    13-
10    BODY    0    11-
10    INT    0    11-    PER Roll 11-
20    EGO    20    13-    ECV:  7
20    PRE    10    13-    PRE Attack:  4d6
4    COM    -3    10-

7    PD    4        Total:  7 PD (0 rPD)
7    ED    3        Total:  7 ED (0 rED)
4    SPD    12        Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12
7    REC    0
40    END    0
28    STUN    0        [b]Total Characteristic Cost:  95

Movement:[/b]    Running:    6"/12"
   Leaping:    3"/6"
   Swimming:    2"/4"

[b]Cost    Powers    END[/b]
50    [b]"The Eternal Thompson Gunner":[/b]  LS  (Eating: Character does not eat; Immunity All terrestrial poisons and chemical warfare agents; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases and biowarfare agents; Longevity: Immortal; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum; Self-Contained Breathing; Sleeping: Character does not sleep)
5    [b]"Stalking Through The Night": [/b] Nightvision

   [b]Talents[/b]
8    [b]"Fingers On Their Triggers":[/b]  Combat Shooting

   [b]Skills[/b]
12    [b]"Roland Was The Best":[/b]  +4 with Thompson Gun

2    KS: Palestine 11-
0    [b]"Norway's Bravest Son":[/b]  Language:  Norwegian (idiomatic; literate)
3    Language:  English (completely fluent; literate)
2    [b]"They Killed To Earn Their Living":[/b]  PS: Mercenary 11-
2    [b]"They Fought The Congo War":[/b]  Survival (Tropical) 11-
3    [b]"Roland Searched The Continent":[/b]  Tracking 11-
5    [b]"They Fought The Congo War":[/b]  WF:  Small Arms, General Purpose/Heavy Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers, Knives
3    Traveler
1    1)  [b]"Battled The Bantu":[/b]  CuK: Bantu 11-
1    2)  [b]"He Found Him In Mombassa":[/b]  CK: Mombassa, Kenya 11-
1    3)  [b]"He Set Out For Biafra":[/b]  AK: Biafra 11-
1    4)  [b]"Norway's Bravest Son":[/b]  AK: Norway 11-
1    5)  [b]"Roland Searched The Continent":[/b]  AK: Africa 11-
1    6)  [b]"They Fought The Congo War":[/b]  AK: The Congo 11-
1    7)  AK: Ireland 11-
1    8)  AK: Lebanon 11-
1    9)  CK: Berkeley, California 11-

Total Powers & Skill Cost:  104
Total Cost:  199

200+    Disadvantages
20    Distinctive Features:  Headless (Not Concealable; Always Noticed and Causes Major Reaction; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
20    Psychological Limitation:  Code Of Vengence (Common, Total)

Total Disadvantage Points:  40

Thoughts?

 

Looks very good so far, however how's this for another Disad:

 

25 So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead Hunted CIA 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)

[Susano]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

Looks very good so far, however how's this for another Disad:

 

25 So the CIA decided they wanted Roland dead Hunted CIA 11- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish)

 

Did they still want him dead after his head was shot off?

[Lemurion]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

Good question, but seeing as he's still active after his head was shot off I would think they'd still be after him (or possibly the FBI with Berkeley).

[BNakagawa]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

KID CHARLEMAGNE - Steely Dan

 

While the music played you worked by candlelight

Those San Francisco nights

You were the best in town

Just by chance you crossed the diamond with the pearl

You turned it on the world

That's when you turned the world around

Did you feel like Jesus

Did you realize

That you were a champion in their eyes

On the hill the stuff was laced with kerosene

But yours was kitchen clean

Everyone stopped to stare at your technicolor motor home

Every A-Frame had your number on the wall

You must have had it all

You'd go to L.A. on a dare

And you'd go it alone

Could you live forever

Could you see the day

Could you feel your whole world fall apart and fade away

 

CHORUS:

Get along, get along Kid Charlemagne

Get along Kid Charlemagne

 

Now your patrons have all left you in the red

Your low rent friends are dead

This life can be very strange

All those dayglow freaks who used to paint the face

They've joined the human race

Some things will never change

Son you were mistaken

You are obsolete

Look at all the white men on the street

 

CHORUS

 

Clean this mess up else we'll all end up in jail

Those test tubes and the scale

Just get them all out of here

Is there gas in the car

Yes, there's gas in the car

I think the people down the hall

Know who you are

 

Careful what you carry

'Cause the man is wise

You are still an outlaw in their eyes

 

CHORUS

[BNakagawa]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

deacon blues - steely dan

 

This is the day

Of the expanding man

That shape is my shade

There where I used to stand

It seems like only yesterday

I gazed through the glass

At ramblers

Wild gamblers

Thats all in the past

 

You call me a fool

You say its a crazy scheme

This ones for real

I already bought the dream

So useless to ask me why

Throw a kiss and say goodbye

Ill make it this time

Im ready to cross that fine line

 

Chorus:

Ill learn to work the saxophone

Ill play just what I feel

Drink scotch whisky all night long

And die behind the wheel

They got a name for the winners in the world

I want a name when I lose

They call alabama the crimson tide

Call me deacon blues

 

My back to the wall

A victim of laughing chance

This is for me

The essence of true romance

Sharing the things we know and love

With those of my kind

Libations

Sensations

That stagger the mind

 

I crawl like a viper

Through these suburban streets

Make love to these women

Languid and bittersweet

Ill rise when the sun goes down

Cover every game in town

A world of my own

Ill make it my home sweet home

 

Chorus

 

This is the night

Of the expanding the man

I take one last drag

As I approach the stand

I cried when I wrote this song

Sue me if I play too long

This brother is free

Ill be what I want to be

[bigdamnhero]

Re: Susano's Song-Based DC NPCs

 

What, no requests for Minnie the Moocher?

 

Hey folks here's the story bout Minnie the Moocher

She was a lowdown hoochie coocher

She was the roughest toughest frail

But Minnie had a heart as big as a whale

 

Hidehidehidehi (hidehidehidehi)

Hodehodehodeho (hodehodehodeho)

Hedehedehedehe (hedehedehedehe)

Hidehidehideho (hidehidehideho)

 

She messed around with a bloke named Smokie

She loved him though he was cokey

He took her down to Shinatown

And showed her how to kick the gong around

 

Hidehidehidehi (hidehidehidehi)

Whoah (whoah)

Hedehedehedehe (hedehedehedehe)

A hidehidehideho (hidehidehideho)

 

She had a dream about the King of Sweden

He gave her things that she was needin

He gave her a home built of gold and steel

A diamond car with platinum wheels

 

A hidehidehidehidehidehidehi (hidehidehidehidehidehidehi)

Hodehodehodehodehodehodeho (hodehodehodehodehodehodeho)

... (...)

... (...)

 

He gave her his townhouse and his racing horses

Each meal she ate was a dozen courses

Had a million dollars worth of nickels and dimes

She sat around and counted them all a million times

 

Hidehidehidehi (hidehidehidehi)

Hodehodehodeho (hodehodehodeho)

Hedehedehedehe (hedehedehedehe)

Hidehidehideho (hidehidehideho)

 

Poor Min, poor Min, poor Minnie

 

I'm dying to see how you write up the whole "Had A Dream About the King Of Sweden" part.