[Character] Maverick

[Fedifensor]

I'm doing more work on villains for my campaign, and I ran across an old one that needed updating to 5th edition. Because the game mechanics are a bit unusual, I thought I would post it for review. Let me know what you think.

 

[b]Maverick - Edmond ("Lucky Ed") Preston III[/b]

[b][u]VAL[/u]   [u]CHA[/u]   [u]Cost[/u]   [u]Total[/u]   [u]Roll[/u]      [u]Notes[/u][/b]
13    STR      3   13      12-       HTH Damage 2 1/2d6  END [1]
23    DEX     39   23      14-       OCV 8 DCV 8
18    CON     16   18      13-
13    BODY     6   13      12-
18    INT      8   18      13-       PER Roll 13-
14    EGO      8   14      12-       ECV: 5
15    PRE      5   15      12-       PRE Attack: 3d6
18    COM      4   18      13-
11    PD       2   11/25             11/25 PD (6/20 rPD)
11    ED       1   11/25             11/25 ED (6/20 rED)
5     SPD     17   5                 Phases:  3, 5, 8, 10, 12
8     REC      2   8
36    END      0   36
30    STUN     1   30
6     RUN      0   6"                END [1]
2     SWIM     0   2"                END [1]
3     LEAP     0   2 1/2"            2 1/2" forward, 1" upward

[b]CHA Cost: 112[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]POWERS[/u][/b]
25     [b][i]Gambler's Luck[/i][/b]: Luck 5d6 
40     [b][i]Deck of Cards[/i][/b]: Multipower, 50-point reserve,  (50 Active Points); all slots Random Selection: See Powers/Tactics (-1/4) 
4u     1)  [b][i]Clubs[/i][/b]: Energy Blast 10d6 (vs. PD), 13 (plus Jokers) Charges (+0) (50 Active Points); Random Selection: See Powers/Tactics (-1/4) 
4u     2)  [b][i]Hearts[/i][/b]: Ego Attack 5d6, 13 (plus Jokers) Charges (+0) (50 Active Points); Random Selection: See Powers/Tactics (-1/4) 
4u     3)  [b][i]Diamonds[/i][/b]: Sight Group Flash 5d6, 13 (plus Jokers) Charges (+0), Area Of Effect (3" Any Area; +1) (50 Active Points); Random Selection: See Powers/Tactics (-1/4) 
4u     4)  [b][i]Spades[/i][/b]: Killing Attack - Ranged 3d6+1 (vs. PD), 13 (plus Jokers) Charges (+0) (50 Active Points); Random Selection: See Powers/Tactics (-1/4) 
12     [b][i]Card Tricks[/i][/b]: Elemental Control, 30-point powers,  (15 Active Points); all slots Must have at least 1 charge left in Multipower (-1/4) 
15     1)  [b][i]High Cards[/i][/b]: Succor  Multipower (gives +2 DC for face cards and aces) 3d6+1 (standard effect: 10 points), 16 Charges (+0), Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates; +1) (34 Active Points); Must have at least 1 charge left in Multipower (-1/4) 
16     2)  [b][i]Shuffle[/i][/b]: Teleportation 10", No Relative Velocity, Position Shift (35 Active Points); Must have at least 1 charge left in Multipower (-1/4) - END=3
16     3)  [b][i]Hole Card[/i][/b]: Force Field (14 PD/14 ED), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (35 Active Points); Must have at least 1 charge left in Multipower (-1/4) - END=1
      52 Card Pickup, all slots Trigger (Activating the Trigger is an Action that takes no time, Trigger requires a Turn or more to reset; Activates when incapicated (unconscious or below 0 BODY); +1/4); all slots 1 Charge (-2), Drains all remaining charges in Multipower (-1) - END=
22     1)  [b][i]House of Cards[/i][/b]: Energy Blast 7d6 (vs. PD), Double Knockback (+3/4), Area Of Effect (7" Radius; +1) (105 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), Drains all remaining charges in Multipower (-1), Knockback only (-3/4) 
11     2)  [b][i]The House Wins[/i][/b]: Teleportation 5", No Relative Velocity, MegaScale (1" = 10,000 km; +1 1/4), Can Be Scaled Down 1" = 1km (+1/4) (55 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), Drains all remaining charges in Multipower (-1), Linked (House of Cards; -1/2), Random Destination (see Fixed Locations) (-1/2) 
12     3)  [b][i]Know When to Fold 'Em[/i][/b]: Healing 4d6, Can Heal Limbs (56 Active Points); 1 Charge (-2), Drains all remaining charges in Multipower (-1), Linked (House of Cards; -1/2) 
4     Teleportation: Fixed Locations (Atlantic City, Deadwood, Las Vegas, or Monte Carlo) (4 Locations) 

[b]POWERS Cost: 189[/b]


[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]SKILLS[/u][/b]
20     +2 Overall
4      Penalty Skill Levels:  +2 vs. Range Modifier with Multipower
3      Power (DEX-based) 14-
3      Acting 12-
3      Analyze:  Gambling Skill 13-
3      Bribery 12-
3      Concealment 13-
3      Conversation 12-
3      Disguise 13-
3      Forgery 13-
3      Gambling 13-
3      High Society 12-
3      Lipreading 13-
3      Lockpicking 14-
3      Oratory 12-
3      Persuasion 12-
3      Riding 14-
3      Security Systems 13-
3      Seduction 12-
3      Sleight Of Hand 14-
3      Stealth 14-
3      Streetwise 12-
3      KS: Gambling (INT-based) 13-

[b]SKILLS Cost: 87[/b]


[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]TALENTS[/u][/b]
12      Combat Luck (6 PD/6 ED)

[b]TALENTS Cost: 12[/b]
[b][u]Value[/u]  [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b]
15     Social Limitation:  Secret Identity Frequently (11-), Major
10     Social Limitation:  Chain-Smoker (Frequently, Minor)
5      Reputation:  Gambling Supervillain, 8-
10     Dependent NPC:  Lady of the Week 8- (Normal)
15     Psychological Limitation:  Compulsive Gambler (Common, Strong)
15     Psychological Limitation:  Thrillseeker (Common, Strong)
10     Psychological Limitation:  Showoff (Common, Moderate)
10     Psychological Limitation:  Fears return of "the stranger" (Uncommon, Strong)
20     Hunted:  Federal, State, and Local Law Enforcement 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Capture)
15     Hunted:  The Third Eye 8- (Mo Pow, Harshly Punish)
15     Hunted:  Middleton Defenders 8- (Mo Pow, Capture)
10     Unluck: 2d6

[b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 150[/b]

Base Pts: 200
Exp Required: 50
Total Exp Available: 50
Exp Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 400

Background/History: Edmond ("Lucky Ed") Preston III is the son of a famous poker player, who always had trouble coming out from under his dad's shadow. After a big argument that resulted in him leaving the house with $50 in his pocket, he made his way across America, gambling to support himself. After getting lucky on a hand, he make a pilgrimage to the Old Style Saloon in Deadwood, South Dakota. Intending to look upon the "death chair" of Wild Bill Hickok, he saw a man in a dark corner shuffling cards. The stranger offered to play poker with him, and on a whim, Edmond accepted. To make a long story short, Edmond ended up betting his soul...and won. In return, the stranger handed over a deck of cards. Edmond said he wanted something of equal value, at which point the stranger said, "Trust me, it is. I'm looking forward to our next game..." Glasses clinked up at the bar, Edmond glanced away for just a moment...and the stranger was gone.

 

Over the next few months, Edmond discovered the amazing powers of the deck. After a bad streak of luck at the poker table cleaned him out, he decided to use the deck to rob a bank. It gave him an immense adrenaline rush, and he decided that maybe there was more to life than looking for suckers to fleece at the poker table. He nearly got caught twice, but the deck protected him, transporting back to locations of importance to his profession. Seeing that he couldn't count on his luck lasting forever, he was quite willing to join the Riders when the Marshal offered him membership.

Personality/Motivation: Maverick loves to show off (especially for the ladies), make lots of money, and push things to the edge. He is a compulsive gambler who has been given the tools to gamble with his life on a regular basis, by crossing paths with superheroes. Maverick loves the thrill of combat, and the opportunity to outshine people with nothing more than a deck of cards. However, he knows that the stranger who gave him the cards will be back eventually, wanting to play for his soul again...a bet that Maverick won't be able to refuse.

 

Quote: "I never go looking for a sucker. I look for a hero and make a sucker out of him."

Powers/Tactics: Maverick's powers all come from extraordinary luck and his mystical deck of cards (which cannot be permanently taken from him, so it is not a focus). When he attacks, a card from the deck flies towards the target. He can also use the cards to block attacks, teleport by dissolving into a swirl of cards that reappear at a new location, or even disappear in an explosion of cards likely to knock people back.

 

Maverick's Multipower is represented by an actual deck of cards - whenever it is used, draw one card from the deck to determine the effect. It is possible for Maverick to "cheat" - for every point by which he makes a Card Tricks roll, he may draw one additional card and choose between them. The card selected goes into a discard pile (using the charge), while the other cards are shuffled back into the deck. Face cards and aces automatically receive the Succor from the EC, gaining +2 DC (12d6 EB for Clubs, 6d6 Ego Attack for Hearts, 6d6 Flash for Diamonds, and 4d6 RKA for Spades). Jokers are not boosted, but allow Maverick to choose any of the four multipower slots. Maverick recovers charges by winning at a game of cards, defined as being the winner of the table stakes (not a single hand). Furthermore, there must be actual stakes - he must risk something for the mystical deck to return.

 

Campaign Use: Maverick is an interesting foe for either a single superhero or a supergroup. He's an effective combatant, though the semi-random nature of his attacks makes it hard to follow a specific strategy. He is also nearly impossible to capture, as the deck transports him to safety whenever he is knocked out or mortally wounded. He is an excellent foe to use against a character with Killing Attacks, as his high resistant defenses and instant escape power make him nearly impossible to kill. When teamed with the rest of the Riders, he is an important part of the group both in and out of combat.

 

Appearance: Maverick dresses like a classic Old West gambler, using his Disguise skills to alter his hair color and facial features for his superpowered persona. A deck of cards glowing with eldritch energy floats nearby him, waiting for cards to be drawn (either physically or by his mental command). Discarded cards (or the card from the bottom of the deck, if no Multipower charges have been used) spin around him, shielding him from attack. When teleporting, the entire deck spins around him in a vortex, before he disappears and reappears in a swirl of cards somewhere else.

[Chronosnight]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

I like him, can you post the HD file? Off to work but will give some of my ideas on him later.

[Darkfire]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

Just glancing over it the build seems fine. I got a definite Deadlands vibe from using a deck of cards to designate affects.

 

the random nature of his offensive powers could easily result in the death of a normal 4D6 RKA vs 8 BODY = dead NPC. that may or may not be a problem for your campaign, however his card tricks role somewhat mitigates this problem.

 

I really liked the background, and personality.

[Fedifensor]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

Chronosnight: Here's the Hero Designer file.

 

Darkfire: The character was written up in 4E before Deadlands came out, though I admit the card mechanic I'm currently using took some inspiration from it. As I only gave a -1/4 limitation for the random effect, I allow a Card Tricks roll to partially bypass it, and let the power be chosen before I make Maverick declare a target - though once he draws, he's committed to using that power even if it would be wasted.

 

Maverick generally doesn't attack normals unless he's attacked first. As he has teleport and a good force field, he can ignore your standard cop with a gun.

[Comic]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

I always liked this name.

 

Though there was the one player of a character with this name who was responsible for coining the term 'mav'.

[JmOz]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

well first of all charges 13 is a +1/4 advantage

 

Also and this is just me, but chain smoker being worth 10 points seems high to me, maybe 5 points as a dependence or distinctive Feature, I can see an argument for another 5 points for a social, but I don't think I would allow it

[Fedifensor]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

well first of all charges 13 is a +1/4 advantage

My book says 13-16 charges is +0. Am I missing something?

 

Also and this is just me, but chain smoker being worth 10 points seems high to me, maybe 5 points as a dependence or distinctive Feature, I can see an argument for another 5 points for a social, but I don't think I would allow it

You're right - it is debatable. Since he's a villain, I'm not going to worry too much about tweaking out another 5 points...

[JmOz]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

My book says 13-16 charges is +0. Am I missing something?

 

You're right - it is debatable. Since he's a villain, I'm not going to worry too much about tweaking out another 5 points...

 

yah, your missing that I was almost asleep when I posted and did not double check my facts, you are indeed correct, my mistake an I appoligise for it.

 

I do have a question for you however, you make a mention in your initial post that he can not loose the deck permanatly, but can he loose it temperarily (say for the length of a combat?) If so Foci is still an appropriate lim.

[Fedifensor]

Re: [Character] Maverick

 

yah' date=' your missing that I was almost asleep when I posted and did not double check my facts, you are indeed correct, my mistake an I appoligise for it.[/quote']

Ah, the mistakes I have made from lack of sleep could fill a book...

 

I do have a question for you however, you make a mention in your initial post that he can not loose the deck permanatly, but can he loose it temperarily (say for the length of a combat?) If so Foci is still an appropriate lim.

Maverick can summon the deck to him instantly, even if it is snagged in combat, so it's not worth a limitation. I haven't decided how to handle the deck if he runs out of charges...but my gut instinct is that he earned the deck by betting his life. It's not something that he can be deprived of unless he loses it in a bet.