John Smith from Last Man Standing

[oldstar]

I'm trying to figure out Smith and his guns from the movie Last Man Standing and how to build the attacks. The GM wants attacks capped at 70 active points.

 

For the update from the 30's to the present, the guns will still be based on the full frame 1911 Colt. It would have tritium dots (to help reduce penalties from firing in the dark), ambidextrous magazine releases and flat black finish. No laser sights or stuff like that.

 

In the first gunfight, the bullets seem to cause a terrific amount of knockback. The gangster is knocked backwards 5 or 6 meters, out into the middle of the street.

 

In that fight, the bullets go through a pane of glass when Smith shoots into the office, but they don't penetrate the far walls (or windows) of the office.

 

For the remaining gunfights, the bullets seem to never cause knockback. Knockdown, but it's easy enough to say that's from the damage, not from knockback.

 

In most of the fights, the bad guys seem to be incapacitated after being hit once and dead after being hit twice. I think that means that most of the clips are firing 2d6 bullets.

 

When he does single fire, he's much more deadly. I'd like to do that buy using a "higher powered bullet" than with targeting specific body areas.

 

At one point, he's cleaning and reloading and it shows that he has more than a couple of dozen clips.

 

Generally speaking, a bullet would be a beam attack, not something that he could spread or push.

 

I started with a 70 point MP with the following common limitations:

* OAF (Handgun) -1

* Restrainable -0.5

* Unified Power (Bullets) -0.25

* Full Power Only/Can't Be Pushed -0.25

 

First slot has the increased knockback:

* Ranged 2d6k - Double Knockback +0.5, 8 clips of 6 charges -0

 

Second the more powerful bullets:

* Ranged 4d6k - 2 clips of 6 charges -0.5

 

What I'm having trouble getting my mind around is his rate of fire and how to handle two pistols. Neither of the pistols are full auto-fire, so he's squeezing a trigger for each round. But he's capable of firing off three rounds with each pistol for every one of the gangsters. With both pistols, he's pushing six shots.

 

Autofire x5 requiring multiple foci? Would that allow each gun's clip to be tracked separately?

 

I'd give him some skill levels with the autofire and probably spray fire, too. Would he need a skill to do a speed-reload of clips?

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

My first impulse was to point you to Surbrook's Stuff, which is chock full o' writeups. In fact I thought I'd seen a writeup for Smith there, which I hadn't. However, there are lots of writeups of movie gunmen there that you can look at for ideas.

 

http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsmovie/moviechar.html

[dmjalund]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Not to be confused with John Smith from Pocahontas

[Brother Jim]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Which Edition of HERO? I don't know if this can be done in 6th, but for 5th (or 5ER) give him a Naked Advantage of Autofire for up to 2D6RKA. You buy it like a power, just put a Limitation of Pistols Only on it. You could also use the Deadly Shot power to add to the damage when firing single shot.

[Hida Tsuzua]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Are you playing with equipment rules or not? It sounds like you're not due to AP caps and the like, but I thought I'll check. If you are, I'll change my advice a great deal especially if you're using the HSEG (Hero System Equipment Guide).

 

I wouldn't actually think you'll need a double knockback slot in the MP. Even a 2d6 RKA can do 6m of KB some of the time (for example a 10 body hit and a 7 on the 3d6 roll KB reduction roll). If you view the first scene as a fluke, then you don't need the KB slot.

 

I'll also look into the Beam limitation for the MP. +1 stun multiple is an advantage you might want. It helps a killing attack to incapacitate but not kill on the first hit. The HSEG gives the Colt M1911 the advantage as well.

 

I would buy 1 slot with Autofire 5 to represent rapid fire or dual wielding pistols. Another slot can do more base damage.

[oldstar]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

It's 6th edition and we're not using the equipment rules, we're paying points for everything.

 

I've looked at Subrook's site. It's really nice - and a great way to lose a few hours surfing I liked the idea of Area of Effect to cover the quick burst.

 

Maybe I should look at this a different way and say that the OAF is the pair of pistols? Especially since he's rarely firing just one. How would that work with restrainable, though? Someone grabs his left arm, he should still be able to squeeze off three shots with the right.

 

* 2d6k Autofire x3 (one hand, charges (clips of 8))

* 2d6k Autofire x5 (two hands, charges (clips of 16))

 

But I thought the rules don't allow buying the same power twice in a multipower?

[JmOz]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Actualy Focus (Espesialy xAF's) should not take restrainable

[Lucius]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Generally speaking you can't use Restrainable wtih an Obvious Accessible Focus. An OAF is automatically restrainable since you can grab the object.

 

Fast Draw is the Skill for rapid reload of clips.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Obvious Inaccessible Palindromedary

[oldstar]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Okay, dropping the word "restrainable."

 

Maybe I should look at this a different way and say that the OAF is the pair of pistols? Especially since he's rarely firing just one. How would that work when someone grabs one of the pair, though? Someone grabs his left arm, he should still be able to squeeze off three shots with the right.

 

* 2d6k Autofire x3 (one hand, charges (clips of 8))

* 2d6k Autofire x5 (two hands, charges (clips of 16))

 

But I thought the rules don't allow buying the same power twice in a multipower?

[Lucius]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

If I'm not mistaken, in 6th edition it is possible to take a Focus Limitation with Multiple Foci, and "Power at reduced effectiveness if some foci are missing."

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary goes blurry and fuzzy when out of focus

[oldstar]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Good suggestion. The book uses two rings as an example. 12d6 if they're together, 6d6 by themselves. Can I buy a limitation like that just on the Autofire advantage?

[Lucius]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

Good suggestion. The book uses two rings as an example. 12d6 if they're together' date=' 6d6 by themselves. Can I buy a limitation like that just on the Autofire advantage?[/quote']

 

It's not its own Limitation. It reduces the value of the Focus Limitation.

 

I've been fiddling with Hero Designer. Take a look.

 

How about

 

Gunslinging: Multipower, 47-point reserve, all slots 16 clips of 8 Recoverable (is carrying more clips somewhere on his person) Charges (+1/2) (70 Active Points); all slots OAF (Requires Multiple Foci or functions at reduced effectiveness; -3/4), Limited Power Full Power; cannot Push, cannot Spread, etc (-1/2) Real Cost:31

 

1st Fixed slot Accurate Shot: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6, Area Of Effect Accurate (1m Radius; +1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF (Requires Multiple Foci or functions at reduced effectiveness; -3/4), Limited Power Full Power; cannot Push, cannot Spread, etc (-1/2) Cost 2

 

2nd Fixed slot Lethal Shot: Killing Attack - Ranged 3d6 (45 Active Points); OAF (Requires Multiple Foci or functions at reduced effectiveness; -3/4), Limited Power Full Power; cannot Push, cannot Spread, etc (-1/2) Cost 2

 

3rd Fixed slot Multi Shot: Killing Attack - Ranged 2d6, Autofire (5 shots; +1/2) (45 Active Points); OAF (Requires Multiple Foci or functions at reduced effectiveness; -3/4), Limited Power Full Power; cannot Push, cannot Spread, etc (-1/2) Cost 2

 

 

Fast Draw cuts the time to change clips down to a half phase. I wrote this up with a Trigger; this makes it zero phase (if roll is made) (I think. Run it by whoever is running your game.)

 

Change Clips: Fast Draw 14-, Trigger (Activating the Trigger requires a Zero Phase Action, Trigger resets automatically, immediately after it activates; +3/4) (23 Active Points); OAF (Requires Multiple Foci or functions at reduced effectiveness; -3/4) Real Cost 13

 

 

 

You could also consider buying one gun, spending +5 pts to double it, and using lots of Multiple Attacks.

 

 

Lucius Alexander

 

Palindromedary Enterprises

[Susano]

Re: John Smith from Last Man Standing

 

I'm not sure I'd use OAF. I'd instead consider OIF (pistols of opportunity). John Smith does use twin M1911s, but he might be able to pull his shooting tricks with any handgun. That said, he's good both with one gun and two, so I recommend looking at Revy (from Black Lagoon) as an example: http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsanime/bl/revy.html

 

She has a lot of the Powers, Talents, and Skills I'd associate characters like John Smith, Tequila (Hard Boiled) and John Preston (Equilibrium).

 

That said, here's some more characters to consider:

Chow Yun-Fat: http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsasianaction/chowyunfat.html

Roland Deschain: http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsbook/dt/gunslinger.html

John Preston: http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsmovie/asstd_movie/johnpreston.html

The Man With No Name: http://surbrook.devermore.net/adaptationsmovie/asstd_movie/man.html