Character: Longshot

[Susano]

Thoughts?

 

LONGSHOT

Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes
15	STR	5	12-	Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage
30	DEX	60	15-	OCV: 10 / DCV: 10
20	CON	20	13-
14	BODY	8	12-
14	INT	4	12-	PER Roll 12-
16	EGO	12	12-	ECV: 5
15	PRE	5	12-	PRE Attack: 3d6
22	COM	6	13-
8	PD	5		Total: 10 PD (2 rPD)
8	ED	4		Total: 10 ED (2 rED)
6	SPD	20		Phases: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12
8	REC	2
40	END	0
32	STUN	0
Total Characteristics Cost: 151

Movement:	Leaping: 6"/12"
Running: 9"/18"
Swimming: 2"/4"

Cost	Powers & Skills
72	Probability Manipulation: Luck 6d6; Side Effects (3d6 Unluck if his motives aren't 
"pure"; -1/4) plus +6 Overall Levels; Linked (+1 Level per point of Luck; -1/4)

Martial Arts: Hand-To-Hand Training
Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Damage
4	Block	+2	+2	Block, Abort
5	Flying Dodge	--	+4	Dodge All Attacks, Abort; Full Move
5	Flying Kick	+1	-2	7d6 Strike
5	Kick	-2	+1	7d6 Strike
4	Punch	+0	+2	5d6 Strike

8	Long Knife: HKA 1d6-1 (1d6+1 with STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); 
OAF (-1) plus Ranged (+1/2) for HKA 1d6-1; OAF (-1), 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), 
Range Based On STR (-1/4)
8	Short Knife: HKA 1/2d6 (1d6+1 with STR), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); 
OAF (-1) plus Ranged (+1/2) for HKA 1/26; OAF (-1), 1 Recoverable Charge (-1 1/4), 
Range Based On STR (-1/4)
17	Throwing Blades: RKA 1/2d6, Autofire (4 shots; +1/2), 45 Recoverable Charges (+1); 
OIF (bandolier; -1/2)
3	Leather Costume: Armor (2 PD/2 ED); Activation Roll 15- or Locations 7-18 (-1/4), 
OIF (-1/2)
3	Acrobatic: Leaping +3" (6" forward, 3" upward), END 2
6	Fast On His Feet: Running +3" (Total 9"), END 2
20	Psychic Awareness: Precognitive and Retrocognitive Clairsentience (Sight Group), 
Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); OIF (object to be read; -1/2), No Range (-1/2), 
Precognitive/Rretrocognitive Only (-1)
7	Regeneration: Healing 1d6 (1 BODY per Minute), Reduced Endurance 
(0 END; +1/2), Persistent (+1/2); Self Only (-1/2), Extra Time + Increased Time 
Increment (1 BODY/Minute; -1 1/2)

Perks:
5	Contact: Dr. Strange (extremely useful skills) 11-

Talents:
3	Supreme Balance (no penalties on narrow surfaces)

Skills:
16	Combat Skill Levels: +2 with Combat
5	Accurate Sprayfire
3	Acrobatics 15-
0	AK: Home Area 8-
3	Breakfall 15-
3	Climbing 15-
3	Combat Pilot (Jetpack) 15-
3	Concealment 12-
0	Conversation 8-
0	Deduction 8-
3	Fast Draw (Throwing Blades) 15-
0	Language: English (native)
0	Paramedic 8-
3	PS: Actor 12-
3	PS: Stuntman 15-
3	Riding 15-
0	Shadowing 8-
0	Stealth 8-
3	TF: Jetpack, Hang-glider, Horse
4	WF: Small Arms, Improvised Weapons, Knife, Thrown Knife
230	Total Powers & Skills Cost
381	Total Character Cost

150+	Disadvantages
15	Distinctive Features: Alien (sandpapery skin, three fingers, two hearts, incredibly 
handsome) (C, Major)
15	DNPC: Ricochet Rita (normal, useful skills) 14-
30	Hunted: Mojo, Spiral, And Assorted Demons (Mo Pow) 14-
15	Physical Limitation: Amnesia (I, F)
5	Physical Limitation: Hollow Bones (+3" Knockback) (I, S)
5	Physical Limitation: Requires Specialized Medical Attention (I, S)
10	Physical Limitation: Unused To Earth Culture And Customs (F, S)
15	Psychological Limitation: Code Versus Killing (C, S)
15	Psychological Limitation: Eternally Optimistic (VC, M)
20	Psychological Limitation: Messiah Complex (VC, S)
86	Experience
381	Total Disadvantage Points

Background/History:

An extradimensional world saw the rise of a race of sentient, spineless semi-humanoid beings. They could do little but crawl until one of them, a man by the name of Arize, created an exoskeleton that allowed him to walk upright. He then used this new technology to (as he put it) raise his race out of the mud and bogs. But some of his people refused to use the new technology, and for reasons that are never fully explained, eventually became the rulers of Arize's world.

 

The Spineless Ones eventually asked Arize to create for them a race of slaves. Arize complied, genetically engineering is creations to look like the Spineless One's worst nightmares -- his slaves had humanoid form and spines, allowing them to walk upright. He also instilled within them a desire to be free, thus make a rebellion among his creations virtually inevitable.

 

Longshot is one of these slaves. Created to serve as an actor, stuntman, and warrior for the Spineless One known as Mojo, Longshot starred in several of Mojo's ultra-violent films before rebelling to join the resistance. He then went off in search of his creator, and found Arize, who has been outcast for refusing to develop super-weapons for the Spineless Ones. Arize told Longshot of his true purpose, to lead his people in a rebellion against the Spineless Ones, and sent him on his way.

 

At some point, Longshot ended up falling into a dimensional portal and landed on Earth. There he wandered about, not knowing who he was or what he was there for, eventually meeting up with B-movie stuntwoman Ricochet Rita and working with her as a stuntman for a while. Unfortunately, although he was enjoying his new lie, Mojo had sent agents out to find him, and they were getting closer and closer...

 

This sort of sums up the prehistory to Longshot's original appearance in his self-titled 6-issue mini-series. The series introduces us to Longshot, Ricochet Rita, a fellow freedom fighter named Quark, the utterly insane and thoroughly evil Mojo, and Mojo's right-hand henchwoman, the six-armed Spiral. Unfortunately, although Longshot returned to his dimension at the end of the series, his popularity meant he was due to return at some point, and so he did -- as a member of the highly popular X-Men. Chris Claremont promptly made hash of Longshot's origins, and helped wreck what was otherwise a fine character.

 

Personality/Motivation:

Longshot, as a rule, is a genuinely nice guy. He also has an almost unrelenting positive outlook on life, and is an eternal optimist. As Dr. Strange puts it; "You have your eye on an ideal, you believe in the best thing can be." Thus, he tends to give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and tries not to hurt anyone, unless he 's given reason to believe someone is out to hurt him or others. However, Longshot won't, or at least tries not to kill, and will look for non-lethal ways to achieve victory before resorting to his various blades. On the other hand, this isn't to say Longshot hasn't killed. Flashbacks show that he has, and quite willingly, too. It's just he'd rather not these days, if he can help it.

 

The desire to be free and to free his people (as well as anyone else he sees enslaved) drives Longshot to the utmost. He was (and is) willing to tackle Mojo (who controls an entire world, if not an entire dimension) all by himself. His powers made him a natural leader, and Longshot cannot deny that aspect of himself.

 

Quotes:

"Why am I so happy? I don't even know who I am!"

"I'm a man in search of my past -- a past that seems violently in search of me!"

 

Powers/Tactics:

Aside from his genetically engineered body (which is strong, fit, agile, and very durable), Longshot (and others of his race, it seems) has been gifted with the ability to alter the laws of probability in his favor, allowing him to make the impossible possible. His use of this power is indicated by his left eye glowing yellow. This power is not absolute, however, and over use, or misuse can cause it to backfire, bringing misfortune to Longshot as opposed to unearthly levels of good luck.

 

Along with his luck power, Longshot is accomplished at hand-to-hand combat and is an excellent acrobat, is skilled with a wide variety of weapons, and carries a belt of throwing blades slung over one shoulder. He has a long knife on his belt, and a second, smaller blade attached to one boot.

 

Appearance:

Longshot stands about 6' in height with a lean muscular build. His blond hair is shoulder length, cut short on the sides and long in the back. He wears boots and a jumpsuit of black leather, with a utility belt at his waist and a bandolier of throwing blades over his left shoulder. A large yellow star-shape in on the right breast of his jacket.

 

Longshot's skin is said to be like leather (which I presume means it's hard and/or rough, as leather is simply cured skin...), he has only three fingers and a thumb, and two hearts.

 

Designer's Notes:

I rather liked Longshot's original appearance and was rather irritated to see Ricochet Rita vanish when he was brought back. I recently read that Rita was turned into Spiral by Mojo, which makes a twisted sort of sense when you read the original Longshot series, but also utterly destroys a really nice character. And who did Longshot end up with when he came back? Dazzler...

 

(Longshot created by Ann Nocenti and Arthur Adams, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

[OddHat]

Very cool write up of an interesting character.

 

Luck based is worth -1/2 according to the USPDB; maybe you got the -1/4 value you used elsewhere?

 

(Insert obligatory praise of your incredibly useful web site here).

[Susano]

Originally posted by OddHat

Very cool write up of an interesting character.

 

Luck based is worth -1/2 according to the USPDB; maybe you got the -1/4 value you used elsewhere?

 

Yes. The Luck-Based you are speaking of is for the Armor power. Here, I'm using a form of Linked. I figure with 6d6 you'regoing to get at least one Overall Level everytime you roll.

 

(Insert obligatory praise of your incredibly useful web site here).

 

Thank you.

 

Oh, and check out the cast of Hellsing in Other Genres for the 3nd most expensive adpation I've ever done (#1 being Perfect Cell from DBZ and #2 being the Dhole from Lovecraft).

[MisterD]

A long Knife.

A short Knife.

Throwing Blades.

 

And a code vs killing.

 

Just an observation.

 

No desire to restart a CVK argument.

[Susano]

Originally posted by MisterD

A long Knife.

A short Knife.

Throwing Blades.

 

And a code vs killing.

 

Just an observation.

 

No desire to restart a CVK argument.

 

*Shrug* That's the way he's presented in the comic. Blame them, not me.

[Crimson Arrow]

Combat Luck's "luck based" Limitation isn't the same as the version of "Requires a Skill Roll" which is based on Luck. Confused? I was until Steve Long set me straight.

 

The Combat Luck Limitation is a summary of the things detailed in the Talent, eg you must be conscious and aware of the attack for it to work.

 

I haven't got the USPD with me, so sorry if I'm barking up the wrong tree hee. Or just plain barking.

 

CvK. Didn't Seeker have a big sword and an Autofire RKA, but a Code vs. Killing?

 

It's awkward because some characters regularly use attacks (even EB or HA ones) at levels which could seriously harm ordinary people, but in the comics never seem to matter. Throwing blades that never seem to do more than stick in someone's hand are a classic example.

[CrosshairCollie]

Longshot tends to use his blades indirectly, anyways ... for disarming, wedging them in the barrels of guns, and the like. I don't recall him ever actually attacking anybody with them directly ... well, once, in the Mojo Mayhem graphic novel, where he stuck it in the foot of a 30'+ tiger-guy, who merely hopped around clutching his foot and shouting 'ow ow ow oh ANDROCLES ow', but that's about it.

[Shanester]

Longshot's blades

 

Longshot's CVK should be pretty lax IMO. He was engineered as a fighter/actor by Mojo to perform in an environment where the action, bullets and wounds are real - not special effects. Longshot even once skewered said blob with his longsword. (Or at least tried to - I think Spiral stopped the sword from actually doing anything.)

 

In the limited series he regularly flung his throwing daggers into the demons chasing him. His luck powers were working at the time so he obviously didn't have a motivational problem with it. One could argue that he knew that doing so only made the demons disappear, but I'm sure he didn't know that the first time he threw a knife into one.

 

When confronted with a man bent on suicide, his responce to the man was "life is fun!" and wondered why he'd try killing himself. "Life is sacred" sounds more like a CVK answer.

 

Longshot is one of my favorites. All said, you should be willing to play him as your character as you will. If you think he GAINED a CVK then more power to you. But it's not in the books.

[Susano]

Re: Longshot's blades

 

Originally posted by Shanester

Longshot is one of my favorites. All said, you should be willing to play him as your character as you will. If you think he GAINED a CVK then more power to you. But it's not in the books.

 

I was trying to represent the attitude he had where he couldn't kill Mojo, and didn't want to kill Pup. He seemed to waver, actually, from willing to fight with no quarter asked, and then saying things like "Let's sort this out before someone gets killed."

 

It was hard to quantify exactly.

[Killer Shrike]

hmm.....Id take a slightly different approach.

 

Really, his luck was always on unless his motives werent pure.

 

What Im getting at, is Longshot was so "lucky" I dont think its modeled with the actual "Luck" Power so much as its just a SFX for his other abilities. Overall Levels is a great way to show that; I would just decouple it from the luck and have them on unless his motives werent "pure" (whatever that means ).

 

You can keep at least some of the Luck seperately for flavor and the occasional get-out-of-jail-free roll I suppose, but I cant recall at any point thinking "wow, that was really lucky" -- all of his exploits that I can recall could come down to an very high Acrobatics and Breakfall roll, and lots of OCV levels.

 

His thrown blades should prolly be Penetrating IMO.

 

Alternately (or perhaps in addition to); I think he should have Find Weakness, with the SFX being he "just gets lucky".

 

Id also give him a little more leap on a Requires Acrobatics roll (or alternately some Swinging Requires Acrobatics Roll).

 

As for his ridge running ability, I might give him some inches of Flight, only in Contact w/ surface. In fact, a small multipower of Movements (Run, Leap, Swing, Contact Flight) in multislots might work.

 

 

But other than all that, looks good to me!

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Re: Longshot's blades

 

Originally posted by Susano

I was trying to represent the attitude he had where he couldn't kill Mojo, and didn't want to kill Pup. He seemed to waver, actually, from willing to fight with no quarter asked, and then saying things like "Let's sort this out before someone gets killed."

 

It was hard to quantify exactly.

{Grunts} Thats standard comic book "dont kill the main villains so we can reuse them" contrivance. Almost every comic book character has that hangup

[Susano]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

hmm.....Id take a slightly different approach.

 

Really, his luck was always on unless his motives werent pure.

 

What Im getting at, is Longshot was so "lucky" I dont think its modeled with the actual "Luck" Power so much as its just a SFX for his other abilities. Overall Levels is a great way to show that; I would just decouple it from the luck and have them on unless his motives werent "pure" (whatever that means ).

 

Yeah, but Quark did mention overdoing and/or pushing the power too much. And at times he did some crazy stuff on the series -- like entangling She-Hulk with just knives and a powercord, or his fight with Spiderman.

 

You can keep at least some of the Luck seperately for flavor and the occasional get-out-of-jail-free roll I suppose, but I cant recall at any point thinking "wow, that was really lucky" -- all of his exploits that I can recall could come down to an very high Acrobatics and Breakfall roll, and lots of OCV levels.

 

True. It was hard to decide what he was doing in the series at time. I mean, his eye was usually glowing *anytime* he went into action. I do think this version is a tad more balanced for playability.

 

His thrown blades should prolly be Penetrating IMO.

 

Alternately (or perhaps in addition to); I think he should have Find Weakness, with the SFX being he "just gets lucky".

 

Hmm... based on what scenes? Or is this from his first appearence with the X-Men?

 

Id also give him a little more leap on a Requires Acrobatics roll (or alternately some Swinging Requires Acrobatics Roll).

 

As for his ridge running ability, I might give him some inches of Flight, only in Contact w/ surface. In fact, a small multipower of Movements (Run, Leap, Swing, Contact Flight) in multislots might work.

 

Hmm... maybe. I'll have to think about it.

 

Argh... more rewriting!

 

But other than all that, looks good to me!

 

Thanks.

[Susano]

Re: Re: Re: Longshot's blades

 

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

{Grunts} Thats standard comic book "dont kill the main villains so we can reuse them" contrivance. Almost every comic book character has that hangup

 

*shrug* They can't all be Wolverine or the Punisher.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Longshot's blades

 

Originally posted by Susano

*shrug* They can't all be Wolverine or the Punisher.

Notice that when they "fight", they dont kill each other?

[Killer Shrike]

Find Weakness:

 

Its been years, so my memory is fuzzy getting old:mad: , but I seem to recall him being able to get his throwing blades into just about any chink, crevice, or weakspot. In other words, he just always seemed to be able to hit an opponent where it would actually hurt them. This could either be Find Weakness, or the SFX of something like Double Penetrating.

[Susano]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Longshot's blades

 

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

Notice that when they "fight", they dont kill each other?

 

Pity that.

 

(Actually, I liked the older version of Wolverine. The mid-90s fanboy wetdream Wolverine (who killed what? 160 guys in his first issue?) was pretty sad)

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Longshot's blades

 

Originally posted by Susano

Pity that.

 

(Actually, I liked the older version of Wolverine. The mid-90s fanboy wetdream Wolverine (who killed what? 160 guys in his first issue?) was pretty sad)

I know exactly what you mean. Although, Im pretty happy with how they portray him in the movies lately

[Shanester]

Originally posted by Killer Shrike

Find Weakness:

 

I seem to recall him being able to get his throwing blades into just about any chink, crevice, or weakspot. In other words, he just always seemed to be able to hit an opponent where it would actually hurt them. This could either be Find Weakness, or the SFX of something like Double Penetrating.

 

The Juggernaught battle with him, Rogue and Psylocke showed the knives going in the only place where they would help the situation - under the behemoth's helmet so it could be removed, so on and so forth till the end of the battle. Once again, Longshot was portrayed as wildly flinging them, seemingly letting his Luck (an actual power attributed him in the Marvel Universe write-ups) determine where they connect. This sounds like Find Weaknes to me, with a lot of color that wouldn't necessarily need to be worked into the cost one way or the other.

 

Speaking of that write-up, I'll try to find it tonight and let you know of anything that may contribute. Like Iceman, this character could probably best use a small VPP to keep up with all the power stunts - like the She-Hulk entangle.

[Chuk]

Originally posted by Susano

Yes. The Luck-Based you are speaking of is for the Armor power. Here, I'm using a form of Linked. I figure with 6d6 you'regoing to get at least one Overall Level everytime you roll.

 

Actually, only about 60% of the time. And he'll almost NEVER be able to use all 6 levels (1 time in 46656). I think it should definitely be worth more than -1/4. Otherwise, the fifth and sixth levels are really expensive for powers he'll almost never get to use.

 

It's not really quite the same as Linked -- he has to roll well on his Luck, not just hit with a standard power.

[Susano]

Originally posted by Chuk

Actually, only about 60% of the time. And he'll almost NEVER be able to use all 6 levels (1 time in 46656). I think it should definitely be worth more than -1/4. Otherwise, the fifth and sixth levels are really expensive for powers he'll almost never get to use.

 

It's not really quite the same as Linked -- he has to roll well on his Luck, not just hit with a standard power.

 

Hmm.... any suggestions for how to make it more viable? It does seem that when he's on, he's really one and can do some serious stuff. Seperate the Overall Levels out and simply slap the same "Pure Motives" lim on them as well?

[Killer Shrike]

Originally posted by Susano

Hmm.... any suggestions for how to make it more viable? It does seem that when he's on, he's really one and can do some serious stuff. Seperate the Overall Levels out and simply slap the same "Pure Motives" lim on them as well?

Thats what Im saying.

[Killer Shrike]

RE: the Marvel reference:

 

IIRC in the Marvel RPG the Longshot power was a gamism. The game was percentile based, usually resolved by rolling 1 10 sided die as the 10s and another as the 1s and declaring which will be the 10s before you roll (which Im sure you all know). Longshots ability was to not declare, and instead pick which die was the 10s after he rolled, thus allowing him to almost never fail completely.

 

Overall Levels accomplish much the same thing in the HERO System -- favorably influencing his percentage of success.

[OddHat]

Overall Levels with the Pure Motives -1/4 limit sounds about right.

[Susano]

Originally posted by OddHat

Overall Levels with the Pure Motives -1/4 limit sounds about right.

 

Will do.

[Armitage]

I seem to recall the original limited series also mentioning that his Luck Power worked by shifting existing probability, so creating good luck for himself would create bad luck for someone else nearby. So you might want to add an affects environment aspect to the Side Effect.