Golden Age Characters by Darren

[Darren Watts]

Hey all! An exchange with a board member led me to post Black Owl, a sample of the heroes likely to turn up in Golden Age Champions when I finally get that done. Any interest in seeing more of these periodically from Herodom Assembled? dw

 

"This version is just the stats- the quick description is he's Robert Ramsey, up-and-coming prosecutor in the Philadelphia DA's office, who became sickened by the number of mobsters who managed to get off thanks to crooked judges and lawyers in that city. He adopted two different secret identities- "Lefty" LeGrand, who's become quite well known as a local thug and "professional" henchman, and the dark-cloaked Black Owl who busts up the crimes and criminals Lefty finds out about. Obviously, this is a tenuous situation- not only is Ramsey becoming exhausted from his triple life, but Lefty's picking up a reputation as "bad luck" since so many of his crimes get thwarted. Also, Robert's girlfriend, reporter Alice Jackson, is starting to nose around in the Black Owl's affairs as well."

 

[cs]BLACK OWL

Val Char Cost Roll Notes

15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH damage [1]

20 DEX 20 13-

21 CON 11 13-

14 INT 4 12- PER Roll 12-

13 EGO 3 12-

20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6

 

8 OCV 25

8 DCV 25

3 OMCV 0

3 DMCV 0

5 SPD 30 Phases: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12

 

8 PD 6 Total: 16 PD (8 rPD)

8 ED 6 Total: 16 ED (8 rED)

8 REC 4

50 END 6

11 BODY 1

32 STUN 6 Total Characteristics Cost: 162

 

Movement: Running: 16m/32m

Swinging: 40m/80m

Gliding: 16m/32m

 

Cost Powers END

10 Padded Costume: Resistant Protection (5 PD/ 5 ED);OIF (-1/2)

10 Swingline: Swinging 40m; OAF (-1) 2

5 Glider Cape: Flight 16m; OAF (-1), Gliding (-1) 1

4 Swift: Running +4m 1

 

Perks

10 Contacts: Various in the Philadelphia Legal System (As Robert Ramsey)

10 Contacts: Various in the Philadelphia Underworld (As Lefty LeGrand)

2 Deep Cover: Lefty LeGrand

1 Fringe Benefit: Law License

4 Money: Well Off ($35,000/year)

 

Talents

6 Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)

3 Lightsleep

 

Skills

10 +2 Combat Levels with Brawling

3 Acrobatics 13-

5 Acting 14-

3 Breakfall 13-

3 CK: Philadelphia 12-

3 Climbing 13-

3 Combat Driving 13-

3 Concealment 12-

3 Conversation 13-

5 Criminology 13-

3 Deduction 12-

3 Disguise 12-

3 Interrogation 13-

5 KS: Criminal Law 14-

2 KS: Philadelphia’s City Government 11-

4 KS: Philadelphia Underworld 13-

3 Lipreading 12-

3 Lockpicking 13-

2 Lockpick Set: +2 to Lockpicking (OAF -1)

3 Paramedics 12-

5 PS: Attorney 14-

3 Security Systems 12-

3 Shadowing 12-

3 Stealth 13-

3 Streetwise 13-

Martial Arts: Comicbook Martial Arts

Maneuver OCV DCV Notes

4 Martial Disarm -1 +1 Disarm; 30 STR to Disarm

4 Martial Dodge -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort

4 Martial Escape +0 +0 35 STR vs. Grabs

4 Martial Strike +0 +2 6d6 Strike

3 Martial Throw +0 +1 4d6 +v/5, Target Falls

4 +1 HTH Damage Classes

 

Total Powers & Skills Cost: 153

Total Cost: 315

 

300 Matching Complications (60)

10 DNPC (Alice Jackson, reporter; Normal, Useful, Unaware, Infreq)

10 Hunted (Philadelphia Mob, Less Pow, Freq)

15 Psychological Complication (Driven to pursue criminals who have escaped justice; Com, Str)

15 Social Limitation (Secret ID: Robert Ramsey; Freq, Major)

10 Social Limitation (Secret ID: Lefty LeGrand; Infreq, Major)

 

Total Complications Points: 60

Experience Points: 15

[MisterVimes]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

I love the Golden Age and I love this character. My only thought is that GA characters tended to have a strong wills and often faced mind controllers. Maybe bump up the EGO/DMCV.

[Darren Watts]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Black Owl was never a GA team member and rarely if ever encountered superhumans at all. I find your idea interesting, though- IME, GA heroes rarely successfully avoid being hypnotized/illusioned or whatnot, unless they themselves are pretty skilled at magic. Is your experience different? dw

[MisterVimes]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Black Owl was never a GA team member and rarely if ever encountered superhumans at all. I find your idea interesting' date=' though- IME, GA heroes rarely successfully avoid being hypnotized/illusioned or whatnot, unless they themselves are pretty skilled at magic. Is your experience different? dw[/quote']

 

Your point is well taken. I think I have pulp heroes in my mind here: The Shadow, the Spider, Doc Savage. Batman and Superman were mesmerized too often for public safety. However, the usually shook it off with the help of the DNPC or Sidekick.

[Enforcer84]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Your point is well taken. I think I have pulp heroes in my mind here: The Shadow' date=' the Spider, Doc Savage. Batman and Superman were mesmerized too often for public safety. However, the usually shook it off with the help of the DNPC or Sidekick.[/quote']

 

EGO Defense 10 Pts, Independent, Physical Manifestation: Spot the Wonder Dog.

 

"Good Boy, Spot!"

 

Looks good Darren would love to see more.

[MisterVimes]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

EGO Defense 10 Pts, Independent, Physical Manifestation: Spot the Wonder Dog.

 

"Good Boy, Spot!"

 

Looks good Darren would love to see more.

 

Firstly, please share some more of these Darren.

 

Secondly, to threadjack (in context), how would you best simulate the Golden Age hypnotism/brain washing/mind control? Is it a continuing mind control effect or is it (cop out, I know) a transformation with a recovery trigger related to "trusted ally shakes you out of it"?

[Lord Liaden]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

I'd like to see more sample GAC characters too, Darren. I've waited for this book for years. But for those who haven't IMO this would be a good way to stir up interest.

[Lawnmower Boy]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Oh no! Golden Age CU characters set in Philadelphia will complicate my fan fiction! I'm complaining to ...someone, if only because it wouldn't be fanfic without an air of entitlement and narcissism.

 

Also, more pls.

[Darren Watts]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Tuesday is now my day of the week to work on GA, so look for more characters and other highlights every Tuesday! dw

[Enforcer84]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Woot!

I just hope we don't take this thread over like we did with the Gaming quotes

[Beast]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

More please

[RexMundi]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Yes, More.

 

~Rex...says Yes More, oh wait, already did......

[Laundry Knight]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

I also would like to see more GA write-up.

[Zen Archer]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Tuesday is now my day of the week to work on GA' date=' so look for more characters and other highlights every Tuesday! dw[/quote']

 

 

Thanks much for the advance looks!

[Steve Long]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

"Golden Age Characters by Darren" -- sounds like a really cool boutique store in a world that is far more awesome than our own.

[Susano]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Tuesday is now my day of the week to work on GA' date=' so look for more characters and other highlights every Tuesday! dw[/quote']

 

I was going to ask if I could host these on my site, but if this is all for an upcoming book I figure you'll want to keep it low key. That said, I'd love to see more.

[Darren Watts]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Firstly, please share some more of these Darren.

 

Secondly, to threadjack (in context), how would you best simulate the Golden Age hypnotism/brain washing/mind control? Is it a continuing mind control effect or is it (cop out, I know) a transformation with a recovery trigger related to "trusted ally shakes you out of it"?

 

I think you have to separate out "character is mind controlled because that's what the bad guy does" incidents from "character is mind controlled because that's what the plot demands." The first situation is usually best handled with the standard mind control rules, while the second borders on being a plot device and perhaps a Transform is the best way to build it if building is necessary at all. If somebody's been mind controlled simply as an excuse for a hero fight, the details of mental combat rules can be superfluous. But they work pretty well RAW I think for most situations. dw

[Balabanto]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

Hmm. "Transform into Target obeys my Every Command?" I think it's a great idea, but I think the 6th edition rules may be your enemy here as far as that's concerned. The issues are the cheapness of area effect vs. the amount of power (and power defense) available to Golden Age characters. My only worry is that this is too cheap. 2d6 of 8m area transform runs 45 points. 16m runs 52. In half a turn, most Golden Age characters are done. A 16m area is pretty large, and if you're running things on a battlemap, that's a sizable portion of it.

 

If you consider that most Golden Age characters might have SPD in the 3-5 range, however, you may be able to prolong combat enough to get people to put a stop to a nasty power like that, but I don't know the ranges you selected or what the collective active costs are.

 

The other issue with the power is NOT an issue in the Golden Age, but more with Golden Age Updates to the more modern world of superheroes. I'm far more concerned with "Shield of Normals" in the modern world of superheroes than I would be in the Golden Age. In this case, Genre is your friend. You won't find a lot of Golden Age villains creating an army of brainwashed slaves, although in the pulps, this was standard practice. (The Shadow vs. The Voodoo Master stands out in particular)

 

This leads to another question that I can't answer, which is "How much 'out of the pulps?' IS Golden Age Champions?" If it's more rather than less, you have less of a design problem. If it's less rather than more, you have more of a design problem. The easiest way out of this is just to assume that you can't build a machine of any size that works on more than one guy at once. (It's the Golden Age, they should have to strap the target to a table and shoot him with a weird ray for a few hours to achieve the effect. At the end of the plot, you can have the guy try and climb a radio tower and hook a massive device into it if that's the resolution.)

 

Another question is "How sanitized is the Golden Age you're creating?" Again, I don't know. If it's more 40's than 30's, you face one set of obstacles, that of "sanitizing war." If it's not as sanitized, you face a different problem of "How did Superheroes deal with the consequences of what Hitler did, and what was the end result?"

 

I am not positing any solutions here, or trying to rain on Darren's parade, but it occurs me that these issues might need to be thought about, regardless of the end result.

[Susano]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

"How did Superheroes deal with the consequences of what Hitler did' date='...?" [/quote']

 

Punch him square in the jaw?

[Balabanto]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

As much as punching Hitler in the face is an immediate consequence, I'm more thinking about Golden Age characters getting their first look at a Concentration Camp and the "Oh, my god" moment where they just don't know what to do.

 

If you've read the accounts of the liberation of Concentration Camps, there should never be a moment in any Golden Age campaign that equals this for the sheer audacity of evil. This stuff stays with people.

[Susano]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

As much as punching Hitler in the face is an immediate consequence, I'm more thinking about Golden Age characters getting their first look at a Concentration Camp and the "Oh, my god" moment where they just don't know what to do.

 

If you've read the accounts of the liberation of Concentration Camps, there should never be a moment in any Golden Age campaign that equals this for the sheer audacity of evil. This stuff stays with people.

 

Yes, but for the most part, GA heroes stayed on the home front. So the question is, are you going to go with the traditional themes of fighting mobsters, 5th columnists, and Nazi/Nipponese agents in the US, or are you going to play Godlike?

[Balabanto]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

That depends on the power level of the game. If the power level of the superbeings hasn't changed between "Then and Now", then superheroes can probably stop a tank shell with ease.

[Susano]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

That depends on the power level of the game. If the power level of the superbeings hasn't changed between "Then and Now"' date=' then superheroes can probably stop a tank shell with ease.[/quote']

 

So? It was stated that 'nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin' but for the most part Superman didn't fight in Europe. Captain America did (IIRC) and Dave Sim mentions him killing something like 1 million Japanese in one comic. But still, comic writers of the time realized the disconnect of having a fictional hero clear up the war in a single issue while the service men who read said comics were taking years of fighting to do the same. So regardless of their immunity, most war-era supers stayed on the home front.

 

Which gets back to the initial point. Will this be a domestic game or will the PCs go overseas and fight there? My impression is that the typical comic of the era (and most games set in the era) do the former. Certainly the initial GAC volumes stressed that approach. That said, yes, there are comics (Marvels for one) where the characters fight the Axis directly and there is Godlike, where the supers are just another form of soldier.

[Darren Watts]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

GAC addresses that problem in one way by having the plot device of the "anti-powers" field in Axis territory, meaning that adventures abroad are largely limited to mystery men while the powered heroes stay home and defend the home front against saboteurs and ubermenschen. There's no requirement that GMs follow this, of course, but we've found in years of playtests it handles the disconnect very well. dw

[MisterVimes]

Re: Golden Age Characters by Darren

 

I think you have to separate out "character is mind controlled because that's what the bad guy does" incidents from "character is mind controlled because that's what the plot demands." The first situation is usually best handled with the standard mind control rules' date=' while the second borders on being a plot device and perhaps a Transform is the best way to build it if building is necessary at all. If somebody's been mind controlled simply as an excuse for a hero fight, the details of mental combat rules can be superfluous. But they work pretty well RAW I think for most situations. dw[/quote']

 

Thanks Darren. My Mind-controlled-Batman-on-a-mysterious-crime-spree images are now banished.