Character Build for Critiquing

[SableWyvern]

Quite some time ago, I posted a build here involving an intelligent sword (the PC) with a possessed wielder. At the time, I was trying to build the sword as the PC, with the wielder as a follower. The general consensus from those who responded that the concept should be built as a single, combined character.

 

While I still feel that the wielder-as-follower is, in principle, a better solution, the combined character is a far less complex approach, and ultimately more workable within the constraints of the system.

 

So, here's the remodelled character. Your input greatly appreciated.

 

Built on 250+75. I should probably also mention at this point that this is essentially just a sample character to present to the player in my group whose concept it is. His final design may be very close to what I present him with, or may differ in any number of respects.

 

STR: 20

DEX: 17

CON: 22

BOD: 18

INT: 18

EGO: 20

PRE: 10

COM: 10

 

PD: 8

ED: 5

SPD: 4

REC: 13

END: 60

STUN: 54

 

Sword Multipower

Multipower Pool 52 (OIF)

3u HKA I

3u HKA II

3u Dispel I

3u Dispel II

3u Dispel III

3u Mind Control

3u Mind Blast

 

HKA I

HKA 3d6+1 (OIF)

 

HKA II

HKA 2d6

Variable Advantage +1/2 (Armour Piercing, Affects Desol, Pentrating)

OIF

 

Dispel I

Dispel 8d6

Cumulative

END Based Magic (one at a time)

OIF

 

Dispel II and III as I, but vs Activation Roll and Charge Based Magic respectively. The game is a fantasy one, but with a huge, wide-open range of possible magics. "Magic" by itself is not any kind of limitation, while specific schools of magic would be far too narrow. Thus, I settled on mechanical definitions.

 

Mind Control

Mind Control 10d6

Telepathic

OIF

 

This is not the means by which the wielder is controlled (that means is part of the backstory, and is not actually modelled, but is presupposed by the combined character)

 

Mind Blast

EGO Attack 5d6

OIF

 

The Focus might get adjusted to OAF. For the moment, the wielder cannot be disarmed. In any case, the Focus is really the wielder, as the sword itself is both the character and the source of the power; the game effect is basically identical -- if sword and wielder are seperated, the sword multipower doesn't function.

 

Other Powers

Mental Defence 5

 

Mind Link

Anyone

Up to 8 simultaneous

Extra Time (5 Minutes)

 

This exists primarily as the means by which the sword exerts its control on wielder. The extra people were added in because Mind Link is nifty.

 

Telepathy 8d6

Communication Only

 

Kinda redundant, but allows the sword to communicate directly with non-mind linked individuals.

 

Armour

Average of 12 ED + PD, using sectional defences. I won't go into the details here.

 

Detect Magic

As sense, discriminatory, increased arc (360), range

 

Skills

3 x 3pt CSL, Sword Multipower

 

Weapon Familiarity, Common Melee

 

4 3pt skills, to be determined. A few more skills possibly to be added, depending on the ability to shuffle points around.

 

Disads

Distinctive Features - sword, armour, not concealable

Psych Lim - evil homicidal maniac (wielder's true nature), uncommon, strong

Psych Lim - dispassionate urge for justice, common, moderate

Enraged - on suffering BODY damage, common, go 11-, recover 11-

Dependance - Blood, very common, 1 day, activation 11- + 2d6 STUN

[Diamond Spear]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

Is this for a fantasy game? Superhero? My only real comment is that a 250 point base for a 325 point character is very high. Is there a reason you chosse to only go wtih 75 points in disadvantages?

[SableWyvern]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

Yeah, fantasy. Probably should have made that clear.

 

I originally started with lower base points and more disadvantages (200 + 125, IIRC). The more I messed around with things, the less happy I was with that, however.

 

The system seems clearly to be written on the assumption that PCs will take disads up to the available limit, and I found that putting together large disad "pools" (for fantasy characters, at least, I can see how it might be easier for supers) can quickly become difficult and/or silly. Add to this that I have an outright dislike of some disads (like Hunted, which really affect everyone in the group, not just the character taking the disad), and the range of options becomes severely limited.

 

The end result is that I slowly whittled away the disad pool, and incrementally increased the base points to compensate. 250 + 75 is where I finally settled.

[Diamond Spear]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

I was wondering because 325 points for a fantasy character is a LOT. 75+75 is a more usual limit. Once you get much past 150 total points in a normal fantasy game you get into levels way beyond normal people (at least for standard settings).

[Silbeg]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

Also note that for Heroic level games (such as the 75+75) equipment comes for free. So, a standard sword (note that a 3d6 HKA is extremely potent for a fantasy game.

 

The power levels you are using seem more appropriate to a super-hero game, than a heroic fantasy.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

He said the genre was Fantasy. He didn't say it was necessarily Heroic.

 

It is totally possible to play the genre at any point level. It's not how many points a character has, its how many points they have relative to the mainstream and their primary opposition.

[SableWyvern]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

Yeah, I'm aware its on the very high end of the scale for a fantasy game. The PCs are a select group of renowned heros chosen as defenders of a fledgling empire, assailed by powerful forces from both within and without.

 

While 3d6KA is pretty potent for a more typical fantasy game, I'd say it's reasonable for a high-point game. No point throwing huge amounts of points at the PCs and limiting them to mundane attacks.

 

As to gear-for-points, mundane gear will essentially be free for the PCs, if they want it (given their status, even monetary cost will be of little relevance). The world is one where magic items are generally attuned to specific wielders (although, you could feasibly build a character that can use whatever magic item he picks up; probably simulated with a VPP in that case). Given that all the PCs will have magical ability of some kind or another as central to their concept, it would be unfair to give the equipment based characters a free ride. Especially given that money isn't much of an obstacle.

 

So, with all that cleared up, any comments on the actual character? Does it look pretty much playable as is? Any obvious inefficiencies or problems? Important things I've missed out?

[Diamond Spear]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

It’s hard to make very specific suggestions without knowing the averages for your game but here goes.

 

I’d bump his presence up to a 15 or so. If he’s supposed to be one of the foremost heroes of the age he should be impressive.

 

The Mind Control and Ego attack is available to be used on the character’s enemies are very powerful unless mental defense is common in your campaign. An average roll with the Mind Control will be able to force just about anyone to do almost anything and an average attack with the Ego Blast will stun anyone with a CON of less than 17.

 

The 12 PD/ED armor is on the high side unless most of the attacks are above thirty active points.

 

It looks like the character will end up with only five total skills (and those only at the base level) which is very low. Generally most fantasy characters will have two to three times that many skills and those skills will be higher than the base score. WIth so few skills that character doesn't seem to have much of a personallity or be suitable for anything except combat.

 

The two psych lims listed: Evil Homicidal Maniac and Dispassionate Urge for Justice are completely incompatible.

 

I’m not sure if the Enraged should be common as your character has 12 points of resistant defense. Again it’s hard to tell without knowing your campaign averages.

 

Why is the character dependent on blood? Also with it being a very common substance and only needed once a day I’m not sure it would be worth any points (you don’t have the value listed).

 

Does all that help? Did you have questions about my responses?

[SableWyvern]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

Thanks, DS.

 

I'll take a closer look at those mental abilities. A quick glance over some of the generic antagonists I've been working on shows CON in the range of 15 - 22, with the lower end more common. I'm not expecting mental defences to be common, although they should turn up with some regularity. I didn't think the mind control was all that powerful, and I'd be happy to peg it back if it is.

 

I have been struggling to sort out the DEF vs Damage balance. There should certainly going to be attacks capable of penetrating 12 rPD/rED (or ignoring normal defences completely). It's something I'll continue to keep an eye on, however.

 

You're certainly right about the skills. Quite possibly, given your comments on the efficacy of the character's mental powers, we can steal some points from those for more skills.

 

The psych lims make sense in the context of the character -- the justice part represents the sword's fundamental attitude, while the homicidal part represents the wielder briefly breaking free of his psychological imprisonment on rare occasions (the sword is actually a device of justice which was bound to the wielder and given domination over him, as punishment for the wielder's crimes).

 

The blood thing was just something I threw together when I was struggling to fill out the last few points of disads. Note that it is technically the sword that is dependent, not the character. The activation penalty represents the impact on the sword, while the STUN represents the damage feedback suffered by the wielder. I think it worked out to a 10 point disad, and I agree that's generous (I also skirted the edges of the official rules on the limitation by including two consequences). The player in question didn't like the idea at first, but it seems to have grown on him. Anyway, to be honest, as I kind of alluded to upthread, I'm not too concerned about players getting a few generous deals on disads.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, that certainly does help.

[Diamond Spear]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

I'm glad I could be helpful. I hope your game is going well.

[SableWyvern]

Re: Character Build for Critiquing

 

I hope your game is going well.

 

Heh. I started planning this campaign over 12 months ago. Ended up burning out on GMing before I actually started my HERO game, and became a regular player for the first time in ... well, pretty much ever. I'm just starting to get back into the GM groove and am back in the planning stages. Probably won't actually be running anything until much later this year.