Riff, Rocker Grrl

[Sweeper]

This is my first honest attempt at making a Champions, (or any Hero, for that matter), character, I am using Sidekick as I don't have FRed at the moment, nor do I have HDv3 yet.

 

Here is what I have so far:

 

Riff, Rocker Grrl (in the raw, as it were)

 

Player:

 

Val Char Cost

14 STR 4

16 DEX 18

15 CON 10

15 BODY 10

13 INT 3

15 EGO 10

18 PRE 8

14 COM 2

 

5 PD 2

3 ED 0

3 SPD 0

7 REC 0

30 END 0

30 STUN 0

 

6" RUN 0

2" SWIM 0

2"/6" LEAP 0

Characteristics Cost: 73

 

Cost Power

(pending as I figure out how to build them)

 

 

Cost Skill

3 Acrobatics 11-

2 KS: SF Bay Area (straight KS) 11-

3 KS: Music Theory (Int based) 11-

3 Mimicry 11-

3 Oratory 11-

3 Paramedics 11-

3 Persuasion 13-

5 PS:Guitar Player(dex) 15-

3 Streetwise 13-

Skills Cost: 28

 

 

Cost Perk

2 Contact: Professor Sylas Reedbottom

9 Ambildexterity

3 Perfect Pitch

Perk cost: 14

 

(Origin notes so far)

Makenzie 'Mac' Marshall is a talented guitar player. Being a semi-Latchkey kid meant she spent a lot of time at the local community center at the insistence of her parents. It was here her talent for music caught the attention of Sylas Reedbottom, a retired Blues Player who know spends his retirement happily volunteering at the Community Center teaching music theory.

The two became fast friends as he mentored her in her guitar playing and being a sympathetic ear to woes of being a teenager.

Years later, as Makenzie was getting ready to head to college, she went on down to the Center to talk to Sylas, she came across a mugging. Not being the kind ignore such things, she jumped in the fray and managed to beat the would-be assailants off the victim. As she helped him up, Mac discovers it to be Sylas. She helps him up to his apartment where he asks for Ella Mae, his guitar.

 

As she touches it, the guitar begins to glow brightly. When the glow fades, another guitar appears beside Sylas's Gibson. It was a stylized Forest Green Fender Stratocaster with the word 'Seraphim' on the pickguard and the word 'Balladeer' on the strap.

 

Disbelieving what she sees, Mac turns to ask Sylas what is going on. Sylas tells her to sit down as he tells her to story of the Balladeers, mystical instruments that give their chosen players special powers. Sylas goes on to reveal the he was once the Hero known as "The Bluesman" long ago, (possible Pulp era character there ). He tells her that a Balladeer will only beget a new instrument for someone it believes in.

 

So Mackenzie takes the Hero name of Riff and starts her new life as super.

 

Designer Notes: I've been kicking around the idea of a music based super. Riff is inspired by the book The Gutbucket, numerous song titles(some of which will become power names), The picture of an avenging angel hammering on an Flying V and, of course, Guitar Heroes I&II.

 

Riff is somewhere between Teen Champions and Regular Champions. She is just discovering how to use Seraphim and it's powers which she has to play the guitar to activate. This makes for some interesting lessons given by Sylas in what he calls, "Combat Fife & Drum".

 

As to her powers, I haven't made a solid decision on what they will be. But so far I have 'Stairway to Heaven'(flight) "Iron Man" (PD and/or ED) 'Rockaby' (area affect sleep attack) 'Real Gone' (Teleport) 'Bring me to Life' (Healing) 'Life is a Bullet' (RA) 'Ace of Spades' (SPD boost) 'Smoke on the Water' (Obscuring Attack) and many others.

 

So, opinions?

[gojira]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

Cool idea. I love the back story. If you post up how her powers work, I'm sure someone will them stat out. One trap to avoid (if your concept allows) is to make sure she has some powers even if she has no equipment. She should have some acapella powers. And she probably needs some mash-ups (more than one power at a time), or at least some kind of base-line powers when using her powers. (PD, or Speed, or Flight, one at a time, isn't going to be all that useful.)

[assault]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

I would suggest taking another look at the Characteristic values you have chosen. Basically, they don't give you the most benefit for the points you have spent. I suggest you look at the various characters that people post here, plus those published in various Hero Games publications.

 

Also, take a close look at the breakpoints involved with characteristic rolls, combat values and figured characteristics. Certain values round up, while others round down.

 

Take a look at the combat rules too.

[Querysphinx]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

Player:

 

Val Char Cost

14 STR 4

16 DEX 18

15 CON 10

15 BODY 10

13 INT 3

15 EGO 10

18 PRE 8

14 COM 2

 

As to her powers, I haven't made a solid decision on what they will be. But so far I have 'Stairway to Heaven'(flight) "Iron Man" (PD and/or ED) 'Rockaby' (area affect sleep attack) 'Real Gone' (Teleport) 'Bring me to Life' (Healing) 'Life is a Bullet' (RA) 'Ace of Spades' (SPD boost) 'Smoke on the Water' (Obscuring Attack) and many others.

 

So, opinions?

 

I like the concept.

 

As assault said. Look to your stats. DEX 18 gives you CV 6 and DEX roll 13-. 15 EGO doesn't give you anything that EGO 14 doesn't etc.

 

Powers Wise. You might want to ask yourself how does this power really work. If she has to play her guitar to make her powers work, then she doesn't have any free hands or free time to attack while being defensive or defend while being aggressive. You might want to think about having some continuous effects (call them harmonics or something) that she can set up and having running in the background. It will be up to your GM how exactly this will work, but you might try something like this.

 

24 Harmonics Multipower: 60 pt reserve (OAF Guitar -1) (Full phase to switch slots -1/4) (Visible effects "Background music" -1/4)

2u Iron Man: 2 Levels DI (0 END), +10 STR (0 END, No figured Stats), +8PD/+8ED Armor (hardened)

2u Ace Of Spades: +9 DEX, +2 SPD, +11" Running

 

etc, etc.

 

Then you'd have another multipower for aggressive powers.

 

Just my 2 yen

[Sweeper]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

I like the concept.

 

As assault said. Look to your stats. DEX 18 gives you CV 6 and DEX roll 13-. 15 EGO doesn't give you anything that EGO 14 doesn't etc.

 

Yeah, I noticed that myself when looking over the rules last night.(How like D20 3.5) I was using one of the Execl based Character sheets mainly to keep my place. It looks like one or two of the formulas is wrong.

 

I also figure that if I can learn how to make powers on the fly without HD, my lacking Hero sklzz will no longer be.

[Cygnia]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

What kind of Disads are you looking at? A guitar from a pulp-era bluesman makes me think of Robert Johnson at the crossroads...will there be a Hellhound on your trail?

[Sweeper]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

What kind of Disads are you looking at? A guitar from a pulp-era bluesman makes me think of Robert Johnson at the crossroads...will there be a Hellhound on your trail?

 

Mr. Johnson did play quite a bit of inspiration for ol' Sylas, but there are no deals with the devil here. Sylas received Ella Mae in that same way Mac received Seraphim.

[Vestnik]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

What kind of Disads are you looking at? A guitar from a pulp-era bluesman makes me think of Robert Johnson at the crossroads...will there be a Hellhound on your trail?

 

.32-20 Blues: 2d6 RKA

Crossroads: Teleport

Hot Tamales: Growth, Usable as an Attack

 

Vulnerability: 2x Body from poisons served by jealous boyfriends

[Badger]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

Might be more appropriate for a villain. But one posible power would be Master of Puppets (Metallica), some kind of Mind Control. Could be used I guess to turn an enemy into fighting amongst themselves.

[Kortay Mirlor]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

Val Char Cost

14 STR 4

16 DEX 18

15 CON 10

15 BODY 10

13 INT 3

15 EGO 10

18 PRE 8

14 COM 2

5 PD 2

3 ED 0

3 SPD 0

7 REC 0

30 END 0

30 STUN 0

 

Cost Skill

3 Acrobatics 11-

2 KS: SF Bay Area (straight KS) 11-

3 KS: Music Theory (Int based) 11-

3 Mimicry 11-

3 Oratory 11-

3 Paramedics 11-

3 Persuasion 13-

5 PS:Guitar Player(dex) 15-

3 Streetwise 13-

Skills Cost: 28

 

With the Stats you've got, the Skills should be

3 Acrobatics 12-

2 KS: SF Bay Area (straight KS) 11-

3 KS: Music Theory (Int based) 12-

3 Mimicry 12-

3 Oratory 13-

3 Paramedics 12-

3 Persuasion 13-

5 PS:Guitar Player(dex) 14-

3 Streetwise 13-

Skills Cost: 28

 

Please do the history all in the past tense or (if you have to ) the present tense. Not flipping back and forth.

[Sweeper]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

Please do the history all in the past tense or (if you have to ) the present tense. Not flipping back and forth.

 

Worry not KM, that's why they call it a 'rough draft'

[Sweeper]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

I haven't given up on Riff, she's just taking a backseat for the moment. But I have given some thought to powers, (mainly because it's fun to find songs and associate powers to them )

 

Here's one:

 

Black Betty: Aid OCV 1D6 Ranged + 1/2, OAF(Seraphim) -1/2, RSR(Playing the guitar), -1/2 Cost: 5 (please let me know if this correct)

 

The song itself is usually played in movies during fight scenes,(TMNT was the last one I saw), so I thought an Aid power that raised the OCV of teamates would be what this song is all about.

[pinecone]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

One way to avoid the "I lost my instement, so I'll go get pizza" is to buy all her songs with a requires a skill roll "Song powers" and then buy the guitar as a bonis to her power skill..

 

"Long jack" +4 with ego based skills (Including your Power skill) OAF, 10 pts (You gotta use 5 pointers to limit 'em by the "book") Then you can sing your songs at reduced reliability after "Disarmed" but still be in the fight....

[pinecone]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

"I can't die till the last song is played" Regen from Death (Cut off both hands)...?

[Cygnia]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

"Communication Breakdown": Change environment (to jam radio frequencies)?

[braincraft]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

From a quick glance at my own playlist...

 

Jump: Leaping

 

Surrender: Mind Control, single command only: give up and turn yourself in to the police (it's kind of a cheap trick, though)

 

Slow Ride: Supress SPD

 

Sabotage: Dispel, any technological SFX

 

Six Blade Knife: HKA

 

The Chain: Entangle

 

Double Vision: Images, only to create duplicates of objects

 

Hot Blooded: Either an Aid to DEX or an NND attack

 

Sharp Dressed Man: Cosmetic Transform (clothes only)

 

Symphony of Destruction: Massive AoE attack

 

Paint It Black: Images, only to change the color of things to black

 

Stairway to Heaven: Naked Advantage - Running usable as Flight

 

Comfortably Numb: Dispel pain-based effects (side effect: supress DEX, INT, and EGO)

 

Beat on the Brat: Aid focus-based HA

 

Pinball Wizard: +10 skill levels with PS: Pinball, usable by others

 

Search and Destroy: Some sort of homing attack?

 

 

This sort of character seems like she should have a VPP.

[Sweeper]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

Well, I finally got HD v3. I'm putting in the info I've set up so far. I've made the decision to tone back that amount of CPs she has to start with to reflect the fact that's she's still young and still practicing with Seraphim. I'm thinking somewhere between 100-150 cps with 100 pts dis. (I guess I'm not the point munchkin I used to be, if I ever was.)

 

I'm still tweaking the stats and have yet to set up how Seraphim works, (ever the bane of games like this )

 

Can someone tell me the suggested starting cp for a Teen Hero?

[pinecone]

Re: Riff, Rocker Grrl

 

"Communication Breakdown": Change environment (to jam radio frequencies)?

 

"Whats the frequency Kenneth?!!" was what I was thinkin...