Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

[Black Omega]

Feel free to look it over and see if I've missed anything. The character is an amalgam of the movies and books, mostly using the books to fill in the blanks left by the movies. I'll post the full write up with background and other notes once this is debugged. Comments welcome.

 

Murray: Is it true what they're sayin', he's some kinda vampire?

Clarice Starling: They don't have a name for what he is.

 

Dr. Hannibal Lecter (AKA Hannibal the Cannibal)

 

Str: 15 - 5

Dex: 15 - 15

Con: 13 - 6

Body: 15 - 10

Int: 23 - 13

Ego: 20 - 20

Pre: 25 - 15

Com: 12 - 1

PD: 5 - 2

ED: 3 - 0

Spd: 4 - 15

Rec: 6 - 0

End: 26 - 0

Stun: 30 - 0

 

Powers/Talents:

Hannibal Lecter: You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes?

Acute Observation: 8d6 Telepathy, 0 end (+1/2), Concentration (0 DCV –1), Does not provide mental awareness (-1/4), Extra Time 1 Minute (-1), Can only tell surface thoughts and general facts (-1/4), Must Observe subject during activation (-1/2), Limited Range 5” (-1/2), Plus +6d6 Telepathy, 0 End (+1/2), Same other limitations as above plus Only To achieve Target Cannot Detect Telepathy modifier (-1/2) 23 pts total.

Deadly Blow: +1d6 HKA (OIF: Blades of opportunity -1/2, Only v. targets with known physiology –1/2) 7 pts.

Eidetic Memory: 5pts.

Light Sleep 16- 3pts.

Resistance: +10 10pts.

Smell/Hearing: Discriminatory 10pts.

Terrifying Presence: +15 to Presence, only to intimidate and inspire fear (-1). 7pts.

Lloyd Bowman: What about sweating Lecter?

Will Graham: We tried sodium amatol on him three years ago to find where he buried a Princeton student; he gave us a recipe for dip.

Unbreakable Will: Mental Defense (19pts) Only v. Mind-Affecting Drugs (-1) 7pts.

 

WF: Blades 1pt.

+3 with Bladed Weapons 9pts.

+4 to hit locations w/ Bladed weapons 6pts.

+2 to All Perception Rolls 6pts.

 

Perks:

Deep Cover (Dr. Fell, or current identity) 2pt.

Reputation 14-, Med. Group (Medical Community), Brilliant Psychiatrist. 2pts.

Wealth: Well Off 5pts. (Maybe more)

 

Skills:

3 Acting 14-

3 Concealment 14-

3 Conversation 14-

3 Criminology (?) 14-

1 Cryptography 8-

3 Deduction 14-

1 Demolitions 8-

3 Forensics (?) 14-

3 High Society 14-

3 Interrogation 14-

3 Lock Picking 12-

3 Oratory 14-

3 Persuasion 14-

3 Seduction 14-

9 Shadowing 15-

3 Sleight of Hand 12-

11 Stealth 16-

3 Streetwise 14-

1 AK: Baltimore 11-

1 AK: Paris 11-

1 AK: Florence 11-

2 KS: Classic Art and Literature 14-

2 KS: Cuisine 14-

2 KS: Connoisseur 14-

4 KS: Criminal Psychology 16-

2 KS: Scents 14-

2 KS: Philosophy 14-

- LS: Lithuanian (native)

3 LS: Italian (Idiomatic)

2 LS: German (Fluent)

1 LS: Russian (Fluent)

1 LS: Polish (Fluent)

3 LS: French (Idiomatic)

3 LS: English (Idiomatic)

2 LS: Spanish (Fluent)

2 LS: Japanese (Conversational)

2 PS: Artist 14-

2 PS: Psychiatrist 14-

2 PS: Chef 14-

2 SS: Criminology 14-

4 SS: Psychology 16-

2 SS: Medicine 14-

2 SS: Pharmacology 14-

 

Skill Enhancers:

3 Linguist

3 Scholar

3 Scientist

3 Traveller

 

Skills with a ? I’m not sure about. Forensics I think makes sense with his medical and criminal knowledge. “There, see this stab wound? This is very precise. I killed a man in Paris once with a wound very much like this. The blade scraped the rib ever so slightly. There is a saying in Japan that sometimes a very minor flaw can be used to call attention to the perfection of the rest of a whole. I don’t think the Paris coroner understood it, though.” His knowledge of Criminology would mostly be for cleaning up crime scenes. He seems to have left very little physical evidence at crime scenes.

 

Hannibal Lecter: Mason Verger doesn't want to kill me any more than I want to kill him. He just wants to see me suffer in some unimaginable way. He is rather twisted, you know.

 

Disadvantages:

Reputation: Hannibal the Cannibal (14-) Extreme Reaction, 20pts.

Hunted: Police, AsPow, Harshly Punish, 11-, NCI, 20pts.

Hunted: Past Victims, AsPow, Harshly Torture/Kill, NCI 15pts. (?)

Psych: Casual killer. 15pts.

Psych: Despises rude, bullying, and corrupt people. 15pts.

Psych: Intellectual Arrogance 10pts.

Phys: Age 40+ 5pts.

Phys: Criminally Insane 10pts.

Dist Features: Evil Aura: Not Concealable, Causes Extreme Reaction, Only Detectable by people with special senses. Psychic sensitive, aura readers, ect. 15pts.

 

Most of these should be pretty obvious. Lecter’s insanity means he has a few things he can’t make an ego roll to resist. Playing mind games, for example. He likes to get into the minds of people. Find out what makes them tick. Hannibal would not have been caught if he could have resisted the temptation to work with Will Graham in trying to catch himself. He would have had a better chance of escaping from the asylum sooner if he had not attacked the nurse. I’ll get into the mind of Lecter more in the full write up.

 

Addition: And of course I mistyped the name in the subject line. Doh!

[SSgt Baloo]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

Powers/Talents:

Hannibal Lecter: You know what you look like to me, with your good bag and your cheap shoes?

Acute Observation: 8d6 Telepathy, 0 end (+1/2), Concentration (0 DCV –1), Does not provide mental awareness (-1/4), Extra Time 1 Minute (-1), Can only tell surface thoughts and general facts (-1/4), Must Observe subject during activation (-1/2), Limited Range 5” (-1/2), Plus +6d6 Telepathy, 0 End (+1/2), Same other limitations as above plus Only To achieve Target Cannot Detect Telepathy modifier (-1/2) 23 pts total.

 

Emphasis added.

 

Why not just buy his telepathy with the Invisible advantage?

 

Also, my knowledge of Hannibal Lector lore is very superficial. Is he truly psychic* or is he just really, really good at figuring people out?

 

*I would've asked if he was really mental but that would only obscure the issue.

[BlackSword]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

Emphasis added.

 

Why not just buy his telepathy with the Invisible advantage?

 

Also, my knowledge of Hannibal Lector lore is very superficial. Is he truly psychic* or is he just really, really good at figuring people out?

 

*I would've asked if he was really mental but that would only obscure the issue.

My limited understanding is he is just very good at understanding people. Perhaps make the telepathy power require a roll.

[Black Omega]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

The Observation power is almost straight from Dark Champions. Invisbility would not prevent someone from knowing there mind was being read, anymore than somoene would not notice they were getting hit by an energy blast. Though it would mean other people with awareness would not see it in action. For games with real psychic abilties, it's worth adding.

 

I can add a skill roll, probably linking it to Psychology.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

Mechanially speaking, I think his STR is too high. It's a minor quibble though. I generally use the Charactersistics Benchmark table from 5th Edition Revised when I create a character.

 

There is something to be said about the strength of a madman though.

[Black Omega]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

Mechanially speaking, I think his STR is too high. It's a minor quibble though. I generally use the Charactersistics Benchmark table from 5th Edition Revised when I create a character.

 

There is something to be said about the strength of a madman though.

I tried to keep his physical stats reasonable. He's not a killing machine, he's someone who takes people out by ambush and surprise. The books describe him as having a wiry strength out of place for his age. During the attack on the nurse it took several orderlies to pull him off. Presumably he was pushing at this time. He's also shown beating policemen with his bare hands, though the initial attack probably stunned the officer, and the cell door might have given a bonus on that attack.

 

I considered the speed questionable as well, but speed is not just physical speed. It's how fast someone thinks and acts. Assuming the officers in Silence of the Lambs were 3 speed, Hannibal was clearly a 4.

 

It's also tempting to add a Change Environment scary aura against ego, DCV and Dex based on that same battle, but that might be overboard.

[Nolgroth]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

The extra Presence for Fear Only is probably enough. Remember that there are bonuses to Presence Attacks based on appropriate conditions and use of force. That should be enough to tip the balance in his favor.

 

Regarding Strength, you may try some variant of berserk that would give him a little extra when "in the zone." It's not real important anyway. I just generally nitpick things like that.

 

I would probably not describe your average cop with a Speed of 3, but I would still agree that he is fast, both physically and mentally. I could see a speed 4 or a Speed 3 with Lightning Reflexes or something similar.

 

Overall a pretty good write-up. I can't wait for the follow-up posts.

[Eosin]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

I built a HL character in 4th ED years ago (actully, an amalgam of several RW killers and HL).

 

I think the telepathy is fine and needed. I'd consider a ditty about detecting psych or social limitations --- he can smell those a mile away. Maybe some extra PRE for those who know of his "work" which would allow him much greater sway with the other freaks and some trepidation among those who might try to capture him.

 

You might consider a KS of "Criminal Investigations" or "Crime Scene Techniques."

 

The ol' 12d6 Luck only to escape could be handy for this character since he is unlikely to survive a single encounter with a group of roleplayers.

 

But then, you could run with Lector into the 1,000 point range if you really wanted to try.

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

I built a HL character in 4th ED years ago (actully, an amalgam of several RW killers and HL).

 

I think the telepathy is fine and needed. I'd consider a ditty about detecting psych or social limitations --- he can smell those a mile away. Maybe some extra PRE for those who know of his "work" which would allow him much greater sway with the other freaks and some trepidation among those who might try to capture him.

 

You might consider a KS of "Criminal Investigations" or "Crime Scene Techniques."

 

The ol' 12d6 Luck only to escape could be handy for this character since he is unlikely to survive a single encounter with a group of roleplayers.

 

But then, you could run with Lector into the 1,000 point range if you really wanted to try.

I'd love to see someone have a go at making a 1,000+ point Hannibal Lector/Monster/Immortal Slasher. A serial killer of supers, or worse.

 

TB

[OddHat]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

I like the write up.

 

However, personal preference: I'd use the guidelines in The Ultimate Skill and just give him Deduction 24-, Conversation 20-, Persuasion 20-, Psychology 20-, rather than go with Powers. He can tell huge amounts about a person just by looking, get you to reveal things you never thought you would, and talk a man into suicide. All of those are things you can do with skills if you're willing to use the optional rules that allow it. If I had to use powers, I'd add some Mind Control with Extra Time and Requires a Skill (Psychology) roll.

[Eosin]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

I'd love to see someone have a go at making a 1,000+ point Hannibal Lector/Monster/Immortal Slasher. A serial killer of supers, or worse.

 

TB

 

He was a maker of villains. Brainwashed them and then subjected them to terrible enhancing effects that killed most but those who survived his week long training camp were .... feared.

 

I have him around somewhere on an excel scpreadsheet. Mind you, I think his only real power was to mentally transform people into loyal slaves but it took a week long indoctrination.

 

I like the super skills version and like the use of powers as skill effects but there are + & - to going either route.

[Black Omega]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

Random thought. How did I leave out positive reputation with serial killers and people who idolize them?? That's so clearly represented in Red Dragon.

 

Regarding Strength' date=' you may try some variant of berserk that would give him a little extra when "in the zone." It's not real important anyway. I just generally nitpick things like that.[/quote']I may well add this.

 

I would probably not describe your average cop with a Speed of 3' date=' but I would still agree that he is fast, both physically and mentally. I could see a speed 4 or a Speed 3 with Lightning Reflexes or something similar.[/quote']I am also assuming the cops put in charge of watching the most famous serial killer in the US were better than average. I'd hope so at least. Not that it helped them much.

 

However' date=' personal preference: I'd use the guidelines in The Ultimate Skill and just give him Deduction 24-, Conversation 20-, Persuasion 20-, Psychology 20-, rather than go with Powers. He can tell huge amounts about a person just by looking, get you to reveal things you never thought you would, and talk a man into suicide. All of those are things you can do with skills if you're willing to use the optional rules that allow it. If I had to use powers, I'd add some Mind Control with Extra Time and Requires a Skill (Psychology) roll.[/quote']I'll add this in as an option. I myself do not have Ultimate Skill, so I can't use it for write ups. But this is a simpler and perfectly valid choice.

 

I'd love to see someone have a go at making a 1' date='000+ point Hannibal Lector/Monster/Immortal Slasher. A serial killer of supers, or worse.[/quote']I would be tempted to take the Menton write up, change some skills, change all psyches to match Hannibal. I always figured if Hannibal had super powers, he'd be a mentalist. Though him as a brick would be fascinating.

 

I think the telepathy is fine and needed. I'd consider a ditty about detecting psych or social limitations --- he can smell those a mile away. Maybe some extra PRE for those who know of his "work" which would allow him much greater sway with the other freaks and some trepidation among those who might try to capture him.

Detecting Psychers/Socials will be added, you are right. As indicated above at the very least he needs a positive rep with freaks. and clearly in Hannibal when he's interrogating the detective he's using his hideous reputation to frighten Pazzi. Ir's unlikely he ever intended to eat the man's wife.

 

You might consider a KS of "Criminal Investigations" or "Crime Scene Techniques."

This is pretty much why I gave him criminology and forensics.

 

The ol' 12d6 Luck only to escape could be handy for this character since he is unlikely to survive a single encounter with a group of roleplayers.

Optional powers and campaign use will cover this. But yes, villains tend to die when they run into PCs. And Hannibal is not great in a straight up fight. Though if you want a Lecter with more muscle, Riddick from Pitch Black would work. It's basically Vin Diesel doing Hannibal Lecter except he's more bad ass and less refined. But the same calmness, the same sharp senses and mind games.

 

Hmm..so adding Mind control as well. I'll start refining the sheet.

[Black Omega]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

I'm done with background, powers, ect. Now comes the fun part. Editing it into something usable. I expect to be done this weekend. So I'll possibly post it after watching Hannibal Rising.

[bcholmes]

Re: Dr. Hannibal Lector (Preliminary write up)

 

Nice first draft.

 

In the books, until Hannibal, Lecter had DF: Polydactyly (he had a sixth finger on one of his hands).

 

Also, he had an almost-inhuman calm. (Dr. Chilton refers, in two movies, to an incident in which Lecter attacked a nurse and "His pulse never got above 85, even when he ate her tongue.") I don't know if that's increased CON. Hmmm.

 

Also, your entry for Eidetic Memory is screaming out for the quotation, "Memory, Agent Starling, is what I have instead of a view".