Cassandra Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 I've created a template for the Martial Artist/Gadgeteer superhero, but I was wondering is other heroes should have some minimum skills as well.For Example, my Martial Artist/Gadgeteer have AcrobaticsBreakfallCriminologyDeductionDisguiseLockpickingMartial BlockMartial DodgeMartial StrikeMartial ThrowOffensive StrikeSecurity SystemsShadowingStealthStreetwiseThis is 50 Points worth of skills, plus 98 points in Characteristics and 2 points of Running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted July 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I'll add more to this thread when I'm at a better computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted July 22, 2008 Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills It prety much depends entirely on concept. For example, it sounds good to say that all martial artists should have Breakfall. But then there's boxers - trips and throws are not allowed, so breakfall isn't taught. Gadgeteers and Inventor sounds just as good - but what about the guy whose concept is that he uses someone else's inventions? It gets even harder with other archetypes, where often times individuals are even more diverse than the martial artists and gadgeteers. In my opinion, there really isn't any such thing as a generic skills package for any hero. A GM might enforce a 'minimum number of noncombat skills' rule, but that is hardly the same as saying that characters of a given type must have these skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted July 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I was thinking about things like Megascale flight. One level and you can travel the world. Should a hero have to have Navigation to keep from getting lost? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted July 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills Of course, that's more a DC problem then a Marvel problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I was thinking about things like Megascale flight. One level and you can travel the world. Should a hero have to have Navigation to keep from getting lost? Yes. It's not essential, but if the purpose of a template is to make character building easy, it's useful to be reminded of that fact that the character should consider buying it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills In my opinion' date=' there really isn't any such thing as a generic skills package for any hero. A GM might enforce a 'minimum number of noncombat skills' rule, but that is hardly the same as saying that characters of a given type [i']must [/i]have these skills. I agree that "must haves" are inappropriate, however, that's not an arguement against templates per se. Templates are useful as a guide - a skeleton that can be fleshed out. They allow you to build a character of a certain power level quickly and easily. They can also help you define requirements. I personally don't use them much for this. In a sense, a template is the same as a Package, except that it is laid out in the form of a skeleton character that you can edit, rather than as a "list of things". Combining the two is a quick and easy way of fleshing out a character. A key mistake, by the way, is to make a template too complex and expensive, which squeezes the number of points available to make a character an individual. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I usually consider Stealth as a must have for MA's... Streetwise, ...and Acrobatics. Yeah a boxer would likely Not be trained in those but a Super boxer? That fights crime? Of course he/she'd have those! Stealth Shadowing Lock picking Security Systems Compi-sci Acrobatics Breakfall Streetwise Conversation...maybe, but most likely... Several KS's and Contacts say 5 to 8 points worth... I'd pretty much put those down on a martial artist char sheet on auto-pilot, then decide where to spend points.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vulcan Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I usually consider Stealth as a must have for MA's... Streetwise, ...and Acrobatics. Yeah a boxer would likely Not be trained in those but a Super boxer? That fights crime? Of course he/she'd have those! Stealth Shadowing Lock picking Security Systems Compi-sci Acrobatics Breakfall Streetwise Conversation...maybe, but most likely... Several KS's and Contacts say 5 to 8 points worth... I'd pretty much put those down on a martial artist char sheet on auto-pilot, then decide where to spend points.... I don't know... some of those don't sound horribly appropriate for, say, a Shoulin Monk... Seriously. If you have a concept in mind for the character, then the skills pretty much take care of themselves. If they don't, maybe you should be putting a little more thought into the concept rather than just automatically throwing skills onto the character. I'm gathering a set of characters for the Archetypes thread (it's taking a while to get them all into Hero Designer, and upgraded to 5E to boot!), my point might be a little more clear once I put them up. Although I do note that a fair number of my characters have had a lot of the skills listed... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
assault Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills Seriously. If you have a concept in mind for the character' date=' then the skills pretty much take care of themselves. If they don't, maybe you should be putting a little more thought into the concept rather than just automatically throwing skills onto the character.[/quote'] Unfortunately, there are game viability factors to consider. Basically, some archetypes and power sets need certain skills to work properly. These are the skills we are considering here. Then there are the skills particular professions have, often represented as packages, plus the specific things that makes a character an individual. Each of these operates at a different level of abstraction: "My character uses his skills to fight crime". "My character is a wealthy playboy who uses his skills to fight crime". "My character is a wealthy playboy raised by Bengal tigers who uses his skills to fight crime". At the moment we are mainly looking at the first of these levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted July 23, 2008 Report Share Posted July 23, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I was thinking about things like Megascale flight. One level and you can travel the world. Should a hero have to have Navigation to keep from getting lost? a lttle bit of navigation would make sense even super-heroes make a wrong turn on the highway at times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted July 24, 2008 Report Share Posted July 24, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills a lttle bit of navigation would make sense even super-heroes make a wrong turn on the highway at times Bump of direction:RSR; Conversation (asking directions) Lim: Req Ego roll to stop and ask... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Agenda Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills I think here we need to separate archetype from concept a bit. So you're a Gadgeteer. Do you build your own stuff? Do you have a patron or team that builds this stuff for you and you just use it? Did you find some kind of omnigadget in a dumpster? Do you draw your gadgets and your imagination makes them real? Are you a mage crafter who imbues handy objects with magical powers? From the above options your Gadgeteer could be a scientist, an engineer, a mission specialist, a homeless person, an artist, or a sorceror and that is where the skill list will come from. Packages for these concepts could be very useful, if only to help come up with skills that should be included in the concept. Another interesting idea from Cassandra! Must spread, etc., etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wakshaani Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills Well, to help out new players, I was putting together a few "Kits" of stats, powers, and so on, including skills. As such, to make your life easier, here's my "Skill Kits", each of which cost 15 points. Acrobat Acrobatics at +1 Breakfall Climbing PS: Circus Acrobat: 11- KS: The Circus: 11- Actor Acting +1 Disguise Persuasion Seduction Perk: Actor Union Membership Bon Vivant High Society +1 Conversation Seduction KS: The Rich and Famous 11- 2 pts of Wealth Detective Criminology +1 Deduction +1 Conversation KS: City of Operations 11- Doctor Paramedics +1 Bureaucratics PS: Medicine KS: Speciality: 11- Perk: Liscense to Practice Medicine Patriot Oratory +1 Persuasion Tactics KS: National History 11- KS: Home Nation 11- Scientist Inventor Scientist Science A +1 Science B Science C Science X 11- Science Y 11- Technician Computer Programming Electronics Mechanics Security Systems Systems Operations Thief Concealment Contortionist Lockpicking Sleight of Hand Stealth Traveller Navigation Survival Trading AK: Country of choice 11- Language: Fluent in one language AK: Secondary country 8- Language: Basic conversation in one language Ten basic skill packages to pick from that can be easily combined (For example, Acrobat and Theif gives a cat burglar, while Doctor and Traveller can give a 30's-era explorer, and so on. Obviously, each has plenty of room for tweaking, but, they work as a starting point for new players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doctor Agenda Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills What, no Homeless? Well, then: Homeless Person Concealment Stealth Streetwise Survival (Urban) AK: City of Operations 11- KS: The Poor and Obscure 11- 15 Points of Poverty Sadly, only adds up to zero points. Thanks for the packages, I saved them for future use! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted August 2, 2008 Report Share Posted August 2, 2008 Re: Superhero Skills What, no Homeless? Well, then: Homeless Person Concealment Stealth Streetwise Survival (Urban) AK: City of Operations 11- KS: The Poor and Obscure 11- 15 Points of Poverty Sadly, only adds up to zero points. Thanks for the packages, I saved them for future use! You can also look at my "Trust me, I'm an Expert" thread...I have a lot of "Expert" packages of skills that might spark some ideas... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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