Elementary, My Dear Watson

[Vestnik]

I've been rereading A Study in Scarlet and keep trying to write up Holmes and Watson in my mind. Has anybody ever tried writing up these two fine Victorian fellows? Holmes must be built on at least 300 points. He is Mister Detective Super-Skill.

 

(I almost put this in Other Genres, but then decided Conan Doyle is pulpish even if his work precedes the Pulp Era by a few decades.)

[st barbara]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

If you do this you would HAVE to write up Professor Moriarty and possibly Irene Adler as well !

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

I've never done Holmes and Watson myself, nor do I know of anyone who has, but I do have a couple of thoughts:

 

1) As you say, Holmes would be the Master Detective, with plenty of PER and plenty of Deduction. At the beginning of his career those would be his main abilities, plus copious Disguise and Mimicry and a few Science Skills, appropriate Contacts, and so forth.

 

2) In contrast with the familiar Nigel Bruce portrayal, Watson is not a stupid person. He's quite intelligent -- the man's an M.D., for crying out loud! He only seems dim when compared to Holmes.

[BobGreenwade]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

I've never done Holmes and Watson myself, nor do I know of anyone who has, but I do have a couple of thoughts:

 

1) As you say, Holmes would be the Master Detective, with plenty of PER and plenty of Deduction. At the beginning of his career those would be his main abilities, plus copious Disguise and Mimicry and a few Science Skills, appropriate Contacts, and so forth.

 

2) In contrast with the familiar Nigel Bruce portrayal, Watson is not a stupid person. He's quite intelligent -- the man's an M.D., for crying out loud! He only seems dim when compared to Holmes.

[clsage]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

I've been rereading A Study in Scarlet and keep trying to write up Holmes and Watson in my mind. Has anybody ever tried writing up these two fine Victorian fellows? Holmes must be built on at least 300 points. He is Mister Detective Super-Skill.

 

I might suggest an 'uber-skill' of this sort:

 

20 Superior Psychology: Telepathy 6d6, Invisible Power Effects: Full

(+1/2), 0 END (+1/2), Extra Time: 1 Turn (-1), Must observe subject closely

(-1/4), Reveals only broad details (-1/4), Requires a SC: Psychology roll

(-1/2)

 

Which I stole from the build of The Shadow that is found here:

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsassorted/theshadow.html

 

And for a Disad, don't forget "the addiction"......

 

-Carl-

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Marking this thread for later.

 

Writing up Holmes & Watson properly would require taking a week or two to read through the old Strand stories, but a quick version could be done with Pulp Hero package deals.

 

I wouldn't bother with Super Skills; 23 INT, 18- in Deduction and Criminology, Analyze: Body Language 14-, the rest of the detective type skills at 14-, a good selection of KS and SS at 14-, and 3 Overall Levels, plus the Extraordinary Skill Rules should do it.

[cleireac]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

2) In contrast with the familiar Nigel Bruce portrayal' date=' Watson is not a stupid person. He's quite intelligent -- the man's an M.D., for crying out loud! He only [i']seems[/i] dim when compared to Holmes.

 

Thank you for echoing what I have said within my circle of friends for a number of years.

 

Too many times, we have seen the Nigel Bruce interpretation of Watson portrayed. I for one would love to see a confident, intelligent, competent assistant to the great Consulting Detective....

[Basil]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Considering the number of times Holmes displayed a very, very high level of knowledge in an extremely recondite subject, only to never refer to the matter again, I think he'd need a VPP, only for knowledge skills.

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Considering the number of times Holmes displayed a very' date=' very high level of knowledge in an extremely recondite subject, only to never refer to the matter again, I think he'd need a VPP, only for knowledge skills.[/quote']

 

He is a good candidate for Universal Scholar from TUS.

[Narratio]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

He's written as brilliant, but oddly erratic. The way he can drop into conversations things he had seen only fleetingly, but then spend days without noticing that an extra room had been added in a building... with a window for crying out loud.

 

As for Watson, I fully agree. The man was an MD, he'd been a miltary man serving in India and the Afghan border, he was certainly not a fool or weakling. Just outclassed by shear wild talent genius.

 

Hmmm... 300 pts for Holmes seems really high. I'd go VPP for Knowledge skills as a cover for everything. He's not very fit and has minimal martial arts skills. Bet you could bring him in for 150pts.

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

He's written as brilliant, but oddly erratic. The way he can drop into conversations things he had seen only fleetingly, but then spend days without noticing that an extra room had been added in a building... with a window for crying out loud.

 

As for Watson, I fully agree. The man was an MD, he'd been a miltary man serving in India and the Afghan border, he was certainly not a fool or weakling. Just outclassed by shear wild talent genius.

 

Hmmm... 300 pts for Holmes seems really high. I'd go VPP for Knowledge skills as a cover for everything. He's not very fit and has minimal martial arts skills. Bet you could bring him in for 150pts.

 

I remember one story where he unbends a fireplace poker (it was bent by someone trying to intimidate him), so he's not that unfit. One approach, as used in a write up in Digital Hero, might be to give him Find Weakness and then rule that he could use it to halve or quarter the DEF of the poker before bending it.

 

If Holmes had to pay for every skill, talent, perk and contact he ever displayed in the full Conan Doyle run, I'd bet that 400+ points wouldn't quite cover it. Using various Universal options might cut things down, but not that far.

 

I agree that a Holmes-like character could be built on 150 or fewer points, maybe as few as 50, but it wouldn't be Holmes.

[Basil]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Hmmm... 300 pts for Holmes seems really high. I'd go VPP for Knowledge skills as a cover for everything. He's not very fit and has minimal martial arts skills. Bet you could bring him in for 150pts.

 

He once straightened out a fireplace poker someone had bent (in an attempt to intimidate Holmes), he spent days in a cave on a moor, he's shown astonishing levels of endurance --- no, he's quite fit (and fairly strong). He's said to have studied baritsu (IIRC), but we're shown very little of it. He also knows singlestick, boxing, and fencing.

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

He once straightened out a fireplace poker someone had bent (in an attempt to intimidate Holmes)' date=' he spent days in a cave on a moor, he's shown astonishing levels of endurance --- no, he's quite fit (and fairly strong). He's said to have studied baritsu (IIRC), but we're shown very little of it. He also knows singlestick, boxing, and fencing.[/quote']

 

And being Holmes, he should be at least competent at all of them.

[Vestnik]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

He is a good candidate for Universal Scholar from TUS.

 

However, in Scarlet, his first appearance, he has never heard of the Copernican Theory of the Solar System. He's only interested in knowledge that help's him fight Britain's master criminals and throws everything else out of his "brain attic."

 

He's also a master swordsman and pugilist.

[Vestnik]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

 

Hmmm... 300 pts for Holmes seems really high. I'd go VPP for Knowledge skills as a cover for everything. He's not very fit and has minimal martial arts skills. Bet you could bring him in for 150pts.

 

Master swordman and pugilist in Scarlet, my friend, master swordman and pugilist. Maybe he let himself go slack later.

 

I thought skills in VPPs were verboten?

[lensman]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Working on a HD version of Holmes now. Will post soon. Then others can pick it apart and refine the build

[Vestnik]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Sweet! Holmes at what point in his career?

 

PS. Pleeeeeeease post as text too -- I don't have HD and I really want to see it!

[lensman]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Sherlock Holmes

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6kg; 2 1/2d6 [3]

14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5

13 CON 6 12-

12 BODY 4 11-

18 INT 8 13- PER Roll 13-/17-

18 EGO 16 13- ECV: 6

15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6

12 COM 1 11-

 

3 PD 0 Total: 3 PD (0 rPD)

3 ED 0 Total: 3 ED (0 rED)

3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12

6 REC 0

30 END 2

30 STUN 4

 

Movement:

Running: 6"/12"

Leaping: 2"/4"

Swimming: 2"/4"

 

Cost Powers END

8 +4 PER with Sight Group

 

Perks

1 Fringe Benefit: Published author

 

5 Contact: Baker street Irregulars 12-

(Contact has useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact)

2 Contact: Scotland Yard Dectectives 8-

(Contact has access to major institutions)

Notes: Inspector Lestrade, Tobias Gregson, Stanley Hopkins, Alec MacDonald, and Athelney (or Peter) Jones

 

9 Base: 221 B Baker Street

3 Bases: various Safe Houses

5 Money: Well Off

 

2 Reputation: brilliant consulting detective

(A small to medium sized group) 14-, +2/+2d6

 

Skills

3 Scholar

2 PS: Violinist 11-

3 KS: Instrument: Violin 12-

2 PS: Chemist 11-

6 SS: Chermistry 15-

3 KS: Poisons 12-

3 KS: Opiates and other psychoactive drugs 12-

5 KS: Tabacco 14-

3 KS: Classic literature: Bible, Shakespeare 12-

3 KS: Politics: European notables, 19th century 12-

 

3 Analyze: Interaction Skills 13-

3 Acting 12-

3 Disguise 13-

6 +2 with any three related Skills Analyze / Acting / Disguise

 

5 PS: Consulting Detective 15-

5 KS: Trained Observer 15-

9 Deduction 16-

3 Forensic Medicine 13-

3 Criminology 13-

6 KS: History: Crime, 19th century 15-

3 KS: Law: British, 19th century 12-

4 SS: Geology: Soils 13-

 

5 Shadowing 14-

3 Stealth 12-

3 Streetwise 12-

3 +1 with any three related Skills: Shadow / Streetwse / Stealth

7 AK: City: London, 19th century 16-

 

3 Sleight Of Hand 12-

 

0 WF: Clubs

1 WF: Blades

1 WF: Handguns

15 +3 CSL: HTH Combat

 

Boxing: open hand

Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Martial Block +2 +2 Block, Abort

5 Offensive Strike -2 +1 6 1/2d6 Strike

4 Counterstrike +2 +2 4 1/2d6 Strike, Must Follow Block

4 Shove +0 +0 28 STR to Shove

1 Weapon Element: Blades

Singlestick / Fencing: weapon

Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Weapon Bind +1 +0 Bind, 23 STR

4 Martial Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; 23 STR to Disarm roll

4 Killing Strike -2 +0 HKA 2 DC

 

 

-9 Scholar Offset

 

Total Characteristic Cost: 67

Total Powers & Skill Cost: 183

Total Cost: 250

 

75+ Disadvantages

20 Psychological Limitation: Fascination with the macabre

(Very Common, Strong)

10 Psychological Limitation: Hunts Professor James Moriarty

(Uncommon, Strong)

5 Psychological Limitation: Believes Irene Adler is a woman of character (Uncommon, Moderate)

15 Dependent NPC: Dr. James H. Watson 11-

(Competent; Useful Noncombat Position or Skills)

10 Rivalry: Professional (brother: Mycroft Holmes; Rival is More Powerful; Seek to Outdo; Rival Aware of Rivalry)

5 Physical Limitation: 7% Solution Addiction (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing)

 

110 Experience Points

 

Total Disadvantage Points: 65

[Vestnik]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

He's a polyglot too. Knows a lot of languages.

 

(Come to think of it, every educated Victorian Englishman should have LNG: Greek and LNG: Latin, at the very least.)

 

Also, the feats of deduction he is capable of definitely require some sort of superskills in my opinion -- no player with Holmes as a character would ever figure this stuff out on their own.

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

He's a polyglot too. Knows a lot of languages.

 

(Come to think of it, every educated Victorian Englishman should have LNG: Greek and LNG: Latin, at the very least.)

 

Also, the feats of deduction he is capable of definitely require some sort of superskills in my opinion -- no player with Holmes as a character would ever figure this stuff out on their own.

 

As I've said elsewhere, what's the point of letting Characters pay points for Deduction if you're then going to demand that the Player figure things out on his own?

 

As GM, if you let points be spent on a skill, you owe the player some utility from it.

[Vestnik]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

As I've said elsewhere, what's the point of letting Characters pay points for Deduction if you're then going to demand that the Player figure things out on his own?

 

As GM, if you let points be spent on a skill, you owe the player some utility from it.

 

NO ONE in a game would figure out the stuff Holmes does. Partly because very very very few GMs would think of all the details Doyle does.

 

GM: You see a man coming up the road.

Player: What is his gate like? And his age and complexion? Any tatoos I can see?

GM: (why the hell is he asking that? I'd better make some stuff up): Umm, he has a purposeful stride. He's middle-aged and with a tan. And, uh, there's a tatoo of, um, an anchor on his left hand.

Player: EUREKA! This man was a major in the Queen's Fifth Regiment in Afghanistan!

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

NO ONE in a game would figure out the stuff Holmes does. Partly because very very very few GMs would think of all the details Doyle does.

 

GM: You see a man coming up the road.

Player: What is his gate like? And his age and complexion? Any tatoos I can see?

GM: (why the hell is he asking that? I'd better make some stuff up): Umm, he has a purposeful stride. He's middle-aged and with a tan. And, uh, there's a tatoo of, um, an anchor on his left hand.

Player: EUREKA! This man was a major in the Queen's Fifth Regiment in Afghanistan!

 

That's just Schroedinger's History in action.

 

Every NPC both has and does not have every possible past history, until such time as that past history is clearly described in game, at which point the history resolves itself.

 

So, as soon as the player comes up with his Holmes-Think explanation, the GM accepts or rejects it. If he accepts it, the NPC was always a major.

[Vestnik]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Trippy, man.

[clsage]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

I would rep you for this:

 

Schroedinger's Gaming Corollary

 

Every NPC both has and does not have every possible past history, until such time as that past history is clearly described in game, at which point the history resolves itself.

 

but I must spread some around first.....

 

An awesome truth sir. An awesome truth.

 

-Carl-

[OddHat]

Re: Elementary, My Dear Watson

 

Trippy' date=' man.[/quote']

 

Bat Logic is also fun.

 

The player is allowed to ask any single plot related question, once per game session, with a short, specific answer.

 

He then makes his deduction roll.

 

If he has a deduction of 18- or better, and he makes it by 10, the GM gives the player the short, specific answer to the question. But, for the Character to be able to use that answer, the Player must explain, in character, how the clues available led him to that conclusion.

 

Player: "OK, where is Birdface hiding? I'm using Bat Logic."

 

(Rolls his deduction skill: 12 on a 23-)

 

GM: "He's hiding in the abandoned lighthouse near Northpoint bay. Now, how did your character figure it out?"

 

Player (to the other players): "Birdface is obsessed with birds, and has been since his tragic plastic surgery accident! Birds like high places, places that let them see as much of the surrounding area as possible! See is a homonym of Sea, and birds fly North in the summer! It's July now! Northpoint bay has a tall old abandoned lighthouse, where you can see the city from the sea! That's where Birdface must be hiding!"

 

Other Player: "I need more beer."