Spartan Soldier (300)

[Susano]

“The Finest Soldiers The World Has Ever Seen.”

 

SPARTAN SOLDIER

 

[b]Val	CHA	Cost	Roll	Notes[/b]
18	STR	8	13-	Lift 303.1 kg; 3 ½d6 HTH Damage [4]
14	DEX	8	12-
17	CON	7	12-
10	INT	0	11-	PER Roll 11-
13	EGO	3	12-
15	PRE	5	12-	PRE Attack:  3d6

6	OCV	15	
6	DCV	15	
3	OMCV	0	
4	DMCV	3	
4	SPD	20		Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12

5	PD	3		Total:  5 PD (0 rPD)
3	ED	1		Total:  3 ED (0 rED)
6	REC	2
36	END	4
12	BODY	2
28	STUN	4		[b]Total Characteristic Cost:  100

Movement:[/b]	Running:	14m/28m 
	Leaping:	8m/16m
	Swimming:	4m/8m

[b]Cost	Powers & Skills[/b]
2	[b]"Spartan Reserve":[/b]  +5 PRE; Only To Resist Presence Attacks (-1)
2	[b]Athletic Leaping:[/b]  Leaping +4m (8m forward, 4m upward), END 1
2	[b]"We March":[/b]  Running +2m (14m total), END 1

[b]Martial Arts:[/b] [i]Spartan Phalanx Training[/i]
[b]Maneuver	OCV	DCV	Damage[/b]
4	Block	+2	+2	Block, Abort
4	Disarm	-1	+1	Disarm; 28 STR to Disarm
4	Dodge	--	+5	Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort
4	Root	+0	+0	33 STR to resist Shove; Block, Abort
4	Shove	+0	+0	33 STR to Shove
4	Weapon Element:  Blades, Polearms and Spears, Shield, Staffs

Talents
6	[b]"Taught To Show No Pain":[/b]  Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
1	[b]Well-Trained:[/b]  Lightning Reflexes (+2 DEX to act first with All HTH 
Attacks)
3	[b]"Taught To Show No Pain":[/b]  Resistance (+3 to roll)
3	+1/+1d6 Striking Appearance (vs. all characters)
20	[b]"This! Is! Sparta!":[/b]  Weapon Master:  +1d6 (Spartan Weapons (sword 
and spear))

[b]Skills[/b]
16	[b]"Baptized In The Fire Of Combat":[/b]  +2 with HTH Combat
8	+4 versus Hit Location Modifiers with Spartan Weapons (sword and 
spear)

3	Acrobatics 12-
3	Breakfall 12-
3	Climbing 12-
3	[b]"The Agoge":[/b]  Concealment 11-
3	Defense Maneuver I
2	[b]"Never Retreat, Never Surrender":[/b]  KS: Spartan Law And Customs 11-
5	Language:  Greek (Koine) (idiomatic; literate)
3	Paramedics 11-
2	[b]"Spartans! What Is Your Profession?":[/b]  PS: Soldier 11-
3	[b]"The Agoge":[/b]  Sleight Of Hand 12-
3	[b]"The Agoge":[/b]  Stealth 12-
2	Survival (Temperate/Subtropical) 11-
3	Tactics 11-
3	Teamwork 12-
3	[b]"These Footprints...":[/b]  Tracking 11-
6	WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Javelins and Thrown Spears, Shield, 
Staffs, Thrown Sword
2	Weaponsmith (Muscle-Powered HTH) 11-
[b]
Total Powers & Skill Cost:  140
Total Cost:  239

225+	Matching Complications[/b]
5	Distinctive Features:  Scarlet Cloaks, Long Hair, Beards (Concealable; 
Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses; Not 
Distinctive In Some Cultures)
20	Psychological Complication:  "Death On The Battlefield, In Service To 
Sparta, Was The Greatest Glory He Could Achieve In His 
Life" (Common; Total)
[b]Notes:[/b]  Also, "No Retreat, No Surrender, No Mercy"
20	Social Limitation:  Subject To Orders (Very Frequently; Major)
[b]Notes:[/b]  From the king on down, all in Sparta were subject to the 
tenets of Spartan Law, no exceptions.
14	[b]Experience

239	Total Disadvantage Points[/b]

 

Background/History: Inspected at birth, and discarded if found lacking, Spartan men trained in the arts of war from the moment then can stand. At the age of seven they are sent off to join the agoge, where they learn to survive through cunning and theft (and beatings if they are caught at it). Once they come of age, they are given armor, shield, and spear, and fight in Sparta’s various wars, where they show uncommon valor and skill, thinking nothing of themselves, but only Sparta. They don’t even fear death, knowing there is no greater honor then to fall in service to Sparta. The only thing a Spartan solider fears is to be thought a coward. Thus, they will never retreat or surrender, as per Spartan Law.

 

Spartans fight in a phalanx, armed with a long spear and a short-bladed broadsword. For armor they wear a bronze helmet, with bronze greaves and vambraces. Each man also bears a large circular shield, which can guard him from chin to knee. When in formation, each man also guards the man to his left, covering his unshielded side. Technically, the Spartans should never break ranks and will fight as a unit. The cinematic Spartans, on the other hand, perform a lot of combat maneuvers and stunts that would have gotten them slaughtered (such as rotating their shields up over their heads in order to make a spear thrust...).

 

Designers Notes: These Spartans are a synthesis of real Sparta and the cinematic Sparta seen in the film 300. Just about everything seen on this character sheet a Spartan solider was seen to do or was added to the character sheet to allow one to recreate Spartan combat effectiveness. The characteristics were determined by simply adding the Warrior Culture template to the Heavy Fighter Professional template. I gave them a CV of 6 to represent their extreme fighting skill, a SPD of 4 to allow them to react as quickly as they do to multiple attackers, and the rest to match. As for Powers, the Spartans in 300 are obviously quick on their feet and Stelios is any example, as fantastic leapers.

 

Their martial arts package doesn’t have any strikes as I felt all of the wild attacks they made were simply special effects for their +2 with HTH (and their 6 OCVs) as well as their Weapons Master Talent (which allows them to practically kill a foe with a single blow). Combat Luck lets them fight nearly naked, while I added Striking Appearance in recognition of the sheer amount of beefcake the Spartan army represented. Skills are based around what the Spartans are show to do, as well as some quick readings on the agoge. The Complications sum up the Spartan mindset rather nicely (and the DF is a historical plot point!)

 

(Spartan Soldiers created by Frank Miller and Zack Snyder, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)

 

Molôn Labé!

(Come and take them!)

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

I'll also point out that this is an average soldier. The Captain and Leonidas have STR of 20, CONs of 20, more CSL, and more points in Defense Maneuver.

[bubba smith]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

excelent template susano

[LordGhee]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Just a note doing a little read on the thermaploye battle and came across a fact,

 

The Spartan Army marched 140 mile s in three days to get to Marathon (still late).

 

that is at least 46 + miles a day (they coverd most of the ground on the first two days.

 

This hast to be a record.

 

Lord Ghee

[azato]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

I thought Koine (Greek) was a much later development.

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

It's the only Greek that fit. The other choices in HD were Byzantium and Modern.

[Hierax]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Doric/Laconic is more what you'd want.

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Doric/Laconic is more what you'd want.

 

I'll see about making some edits. I figured Hero Designer would at least have Greek, Ancient in there somewhere....

[Brett]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Cool character design, as always!

[DusterBoy]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Good write-up, Susano, even though I hated the movie.

 

PS: Read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" for a much better treatment of the battle.

[Teflon Billy]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Good write-up, Susano, even though I hated the movie.

 

PS: Read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" for a much better treatment of the battle.

You do realize the movie and the graphic novel were never meant to be taken as actual history.

 

They are meant to be read/seen as a representation of a Spartan oral retelling of the legendary battle. With all the entailing fishtale embellishments, digs against local rivals (the Athenians), and making the enemy out to be monsters.

 

I just can't figure out how people could go into that movie and expect Gettysburg or Gods & Generals style historiography. It never was presented as such and anyone confused by this wasn't paying attention.

 

TB

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Good write-up, Susano, even though I hated the movie.

 

PS: Read Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire" for a much better treatment of the battle.

 

I've downloaded a file that gives the Commandant of the US Marine Corps' Reading List, which contains that book.I intend to look for it. (I've also read and/or own several books on said list!)

 

As for the film, I treat it like 13th Warrior -- it's an historical fantasy film not a documentary. Also, it helps that Faramir is spinning a tall tale about how bad-ass the Spartans were as a mere 300 of them curb-stop Xerxes's army of 2 million. He's not about to let the truth get in the way of a good story (even if the truth is dramatic enough!)

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

You do realize the movie and the graphic novel were never meant to be taken as actual history.

 

They are meant to be read/seen as a representation of a Spartan oral retelling of the legendary battle. With all the entailing fishtale embellishments, digs against local rivals (the Athenians), and making the enemy out to be monsters.

 

I just can't figure out how people could go into that movie and expect Gettysburg or Gods & Generals style historiography. It never was presented as such and anyone confused by this wasn't paying attention.

 

TB

 

As TV Tropes puts it, you're dealing with a case of "Unreliable Narrator."

[DusterBoy]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

And I realise that, Susano. And Steven Pressfield's book is written mostly from the POV of said unrealiable narrator. I didn't hate it for it's historical inaccuracy, but because the Persian court looked like something out of the orgy scene in Conan the Barbarian, minus the cannibalism mixed with Bob Guccione's version of Caligula.

 

I enjoyed seeing the combat scenes, even if they were nothing like the real tactics employed by the Spartans and everything was filmed live agaisnt CGI backgrounds.

[LordGhee]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Try the orginal 300 Spartans

 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055719/

 

this came out in 1962 and seeing as a kid a few years later on late night tv got me into minatures, wargaming then rgs.

 

still to spread out but the wedge attk and the final arrow storm.

 

kewl

 

Lord Ghee

[Ragnarok]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Fantastic writeup Susano. Mad props.

 

 

You do realize the movie and the graphic novel were never meant to be taken as actual history.

 

They are meant to be read/seen as a representation of a Spartan oral retelling of the legendary battle. With all the entailing fishtale embellishments, digs against local rivals (the Athenians), and making the enemy out to be monsters.

 

I just can't figure out how people could go into that movie and expect Gettysburg or Gods & Generals style historiography. It never was presented as such and anyone confused by this wasn't paying attention.

 

TB

 

I couldn't agree more. Some people out there just can't grasp the concept of cinematic license. Enjoy the movie for its intended purpose! And this is coming from a History major!

 

Also, you'd be surprised how many people weren't paying attention. I've heard my fair share of people who think it's supposed to be a portrayal of America vs. the Middle East, and that Leonidas is supposed to be George Bush.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Also' date=' you'd be surprised how many people weren't paying attention. I've heard my fair share of people who think it's supposed to be a portrayal of America vs. the Middle East, and that Leonidas is supposed to be George Bush. [/quote']

 

Among them the Iranian government, who thought it was a government-sponsored propaganda film advocating their utter extermination.

 

A few years before the North Koreans had a similar problem with one of the James Bond movies (I believe it was Die Another Day). They wanted the US Government to stop the movie's release -- the idea of movie production being independent of government propaganda needs had never occurred to them as even something conceivable.

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Among them the Iranian government, who thought it was a government-sponsored propaganda film advocating their utter extermination.

 

A few years before the North Koreans had a similar problem with one of the James Bond movies (I believe it was Die Another Day). They wanted the US Government to stop the movie's release -- the idea of movie production being independent of government propaganda needs had never occurred to them as even something conceivable.

 

Yeah, Iran's reaction was rather interesting. Although to be fair, if you're of Persian descent, you're probably not going to be too happy with how your ancestors are being depicted. On the other hand, its so over the top you can't really take it seriously (although I do wonder at the bizarre court scenes and the executioner.) Miller just had really hot nearly-naked dancing girls, not something out of /d/ from 4chan.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Yeah' date=' Iran's reaction was rather interesting. Although to be fair, if you're of Persian descent, you're probably not going to be too happy with how your ancestors are being depicted. On the other hand, its so over the top you can't really take it seriously (although I do wonder at the bizarre court scenes and the executioner.) Miller just had really hot nearly-naked dancing girls, not something out of /d/ from 4chan.[/quote']

 

4chan!

 

Slowly I turned, step by step by step....

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

4chan!

 

Slowly I turned, step by step by step....

 

Yeah, I visit 4chan. 'tis a silly place....

[greenbriar]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

The best line in 300 IMO was, "You don't know our women." after reading The Spartans and Thermopylae by Bruce Cartledge, I LOLed at that line.

[Susano]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

The best line in 300 IMO was' date=' "You don't know our women." after reading The Spartans and Thermopylae by Bruce Cartledge, I LOLed at that line.[/quote']

 

Care to explain?

[Markdoc]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

Care to explain?

 

Cartledge is a big Spartan fan and takes exception to the idea that Spartan women were chattel. I've only read one of his books (the warrior heroes one) but in that he argues that Spartan women actually ran the country.

 

cheers, Mark

[greenbriar]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

He had the premise that spartan women had more freedom and rights than Athenian women. property owenership Etc..

[greenbriar]

Re: Spartan Soldier (300)

 

When Xerxes tells Leonidas Think about what would happen to your women. Leonidas gives him that reply. Czrtledge thinks that without Thermopylae there would be no western democracy.