The Guardians Project - Lets build the original Champions

[Christopher R Taylor]

I would love to get the original PC info together with some maps, a thumbnail sketch of the scenarios and character story arcs George MacDonald ran, and that combined with the old champions universe would be a pretty easy to put together campaign.  Even if it was just on here and not an official product.

[steriaca]

Any chances of putting up some of the Guardians Rouge Gallery. Anyone not in the current Champions Universe. Thanks.

[steriaca]

I'm thinking Giant was a sort of 'martial brick' with an extremely limited energy blast (Lighting of Zeus). He is only strong when grown.

[assault]

Nothing was ever done with Gargoyle, since he was Mark Williams' character and it was said he had plans for Gargoyle. So, whatever the character is capable of is mostly conjecture.

 

It would be a pretty safe bet to base him on the character Gremlin in Classic Enemies. She first appeared in a magazine article (Space Gamer, iirc), where her origin was that she got a sample of the potion that gave Gargoyle his powers. The Classic Enemies version was a rewrite.

[PhantomGM2602]

I would like to resurrect this thread and post some 6th edition updated versions more closely aligned to their character sheets in the original champions books but I can't seem to find my old copies anywhere.  The Enforcer84 versions are good (even if the new format mangled them) but really really powerful and advanced for introductory sheets.  I might just build them on starting points for superheroes as given in the rules (400/75) which shouldn't be too tough.  Just have to trim back some of the extras.

Don't forget That the Guardians were called the League Of Champions in the comics whose membership included the 3rd Giant[Goliath's son], Doctor Arcane, Sparkplug[Flare's sister] and Icicle [icestar's sibling].

[TheQuestionMan]

Flare 

Gargoyle 

Giant

Goliath

Giant III (Goliath's son) 

Huntsman/Marksman 

Icestar 

Icicle 

Rose/Psych 

Sparkplug 

 

 

Just for Reference

 

 

QM

[Tasha]

Don't forget That the Guardians were called the League Of Champions in the comics whose membership included the 3rd Giant[Goliath's son], Doctor Arcane, Sparkplug[Flare's sister] and Icicle [icestar's sibling].

That's because the comic lost the licence to all of the Guardians ex Dennis Mallonee's characters. The Comics are in their own universe that only slightly intersects with the original Guardians Universe.

[Christopher R Taylor]

Yeah I'm not going to do the comic, its essentially a different world from the First Champions Campaign©

[Christopher R Taylor]

OK this one is a major guesstimate, based on the suggestion of using Gremlin as a template for Gargoyle.  I based the build on Gremlin, on the character's appearance, and on his role as flying team brick.  We know he has a normal human form, we know he has spikes and claws and wings.  I presumed that the serum gave him a small level of power outside his hero form.  With 400 points he's very hard to hurt.

Forgive me if I did you injustice, Mark Williams, wherever you are.

 

Gargoyle

 

Player: Mark Williams

 

                         Gargoyle

Val Char Cost    Form

 15  STR    5          35      Lift: 200kg/3200 kg   Damage: 3d6/7d6 (10d6 w/HTA)

 13  DEX    6          18

 18  CON    8         28

 11  BOD    1         16

 13  INT      3         13       Perception Roll 12-

 10  EGO    0         10

 10  PRE     0         25      Presence Attack: 2d6/5d6

  8   PD       6       28/38 (hardened rPD)

  8   ED       6       28/38 (hardened rED)

  3   SPD    10        4

  6   REC    2         14

 25  END    1         45  

 20  STN     0        45

 

14m  RUN    2

4m    SWIM  0

14m  LEAP  1

Characteristics Cost: 87

 

Cost Power

  3     Serum Enhanced Senses: +1 PER with all Sense Groups

  5     Serum Enhanced Senses: Nightvision

  9     Serum Willpower: Mental Defense (10 points total), Hardened (+1/4), Resistant (+1/2) (9 Active Points)

  6     Magical Serum: Power Defense (5 points), Hardened (+1/4) (6 Active Points)

 10    Magic Serum: Damage Negation (-1 DCs Physical, -1 DCs Energy)

  6     Magic Serum: Resistant Protection (2 PD/2 ED)

 

         --Gargoyle Form, all slots Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)--

 18    Hardy: Life Support  (Extended Breathing: 1 END per 5 Minutes; Immunity All terrestrial poisons; Immunity: All terrestrial diseases; Safe in High Pressure; Safe in High Radiation; Safe in Intense Cold; Safe in Intense Heat; Safe in Low Pressure/Vacuum) (22 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 14    Wings: Flight 20m, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (25 Active Points); Restrainable (-1/2), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 16    Rock Hard Skin: Damage Negation (-2 DCs Physical, -2 DCs Energy -- total 3DC each) (20 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 24    Tough Skin: <i>Tough Skin:</i>  Resistant Protection (8 PD/8 ED -- total 10 each), Hardened (+1/4) (37 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  5     Tough: Power Defense (5 points -- total 10), Hardened (+1/4) (6 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  7     Strong Will: <i>Strong Will:</i>  Mental Defense (5 points -- total 10) (9 active points); Resistant (+1/2), Hardened (+1/4) 

 10    Strong Eyes: Sight Group Flash Defense (10 points), Hardened (+1/4) (12 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 12    Claws: Killing Attack - Hand-To-Hand 1d6 (3d6+1 w/STR) (15 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 10    Stony Fists: Hand-To-Hand Attack +3d6 (15 Active Points); Hand-To-Hand Attack (-1/4), Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 20    Gargoyle Form: +20 STR, Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4) (29 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4) (Modifiers affect Base Characteristic)

  8     Gargoyle Form: +10 CON (10 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  8     Gargoyle Form: +5 DEX (10 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 12    Gargoyle Form: +15 PRE (15 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  8     Gargoyle Form: +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 16    Gargoyle Form: +20 PD (20 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 16    Gargoyle Form: +20 ED (20 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  6     Gargoyle Form: +8 REC (8 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  3     Gargoyle Form: +20 END (4 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  4     Gargoyle Form: +5 BODY (5 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

 10    Gargoyle Form: +25 STUN (13 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  3     Gargoyle Legs: Leaping +8m (14m forward, 7m upward) (4 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

  6     Serum Healing: Regeneration (1 BODY per Hour) (8 Active Points); Only In Alternate Identity (-1/4)

Powers Cost: 274

 

Cost Skill

  3     Conversation 14-

  2     AK: New York City 11-

  3     Deduction 12-

  3     High Society 14-

  1     Language:  Aztec (basic conversation - Aztec was the team's secret code language)

  3     Paramedics 12-

  3     Persuasion 14-

  2     PS 11-

  3     Stealth 13-

 16    +2 with HTH Combat

Skills Cost: 39

 

Total Character Cost: 400

 

Pts. Disadvantage

 15   Hunted:  WITCH Infrequently (Mo Pow; Harshly Punish)

 20   Hunted:  Viper Infrequently (Mo Pow; NCI; Harshly Punish)

 15   Psychological Complication:  Code vs Killing (Common; Strong)

 15   Social Complication:  Secret Identity Frequently, Major

 15   Susceptibility:  Temperatures under freezing 1d6 drain to stun and dex per Turn (Uncommon)

 10   Vulnerability:  Cold damage (Common)

Disadvantage Points: 90

 

[steriaca]

Great work on Gargoyle. But you forgot to fill in a Physical Skill.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I'm not sure what his regular day job was, so I left it blank.  Professional Skill (whatever he did for a living)

[Steve]

Cool thread, but it makes me wonder if any of that original group of Champions players still plays Champions.

[Christopher R Taylor]

The guy that played Rose still does, at least.  I have her built based on some notes he shared but I'm hoping he'll do a rebuild so it will be official.  That leaves Icestar whose personality and background I know nothing about (save that he's not the womanizing frat boy he was portrayed as in the comics).

[Ninja-Bear]

Cool thread, but it makes me wonder if any of that original group of Champions players still plays Champions.

I agree with the cool thread too. I wonder though how the originals would have been built if they had some of the options we have now?

[bubba smith]

that is an excellent question

[BTTUMEY]

    That is a very interesting take on Gargoyle.  I do see some obvious differences, from the Gargoyle Mark created and ran. The most glaring one is "Code vs Killing".  Those spikes on his knees and elbows were a killing attack, which he had little or no compulsion against using.  It was a frequent point of conflict with several of the other members of the team.

 

     It was a presence attack from Gargoyle, during a full military attack on The Guardians (George wanted to test a war game rules extension to HERO) that led to Rose breaking her “Code vs Killing” as a gunner in a main battle tank.  George did a very masterful job using a “Shattered Rose” story arc which pitted Rose against the Guardians and eventually herself to bring the character back to some sense of normality.

 

     I should also point out, that while I have followed the Hero System as a personal interest; I have not actively “Played.”  I think the last time I actually did any role-playing I was GMing a Hero “Shadow Punk” type of campaign back in 2000. In 2001 I moved to Reno, NV and fell out of gaming.

 

     I will look over the other Guardians you have posted here and let you know my thoughts.  I have finished my conversion of Rose’s last played write up to 6E. This weekend I will make some time and work up a Rose reboot.

 

     I am also taking the liberty to contact the original players that I still have contact info for and will try and coax some info out of them. Tragically guesses and memories are all we will have to go on for Gargoyle, as Mark passed away in 1998.

[steriaca]

I believe Gargoyle's other identity was that of a reporter. Or so I've been told. (Seems reporting is a crouded second job for superheros)

[Christopher R Taylor]

I think you're right, actually.  I seem to recall at least one little comic in the Champions books depicting him in that capacity.  Or was it he that ate the microphone from Gyro Jim?

[TheQuestionMan]

He ate Gyro Jim's microphone.

 

Needed salt was his only comment.

 

QM

[Greywind]

Gyro Jim also had a penchant for taking his gyro up into the sky battles and trying to interview during said battle.

[Christopher R Taylor]

I'm getting in touch with the original first GM and co-creator of Champions George MacDonald for campaign notes and info on the characters :)  So hopefully I'll be able to hook you up with good authorized editions and information soon.

[bubba smith]

good

[Christopher R Taylor]

Oh, and BTTUMEY up there is the player of the mentalist Rose from the first Champions campaign, ever.  Thanks for the info on Gargoyle, when I get more info I'll tweak him a little.

[Tigereye]

I played 1st Edition back in the day...wow, was it really that long ago (30+ years)? I agree that Gargoyle should have no CvK and if possible should have a higher PRE; I had a friend at the Naval base I was stationed at who decided to play him and, because there was no visible write-up for the character, decided to make him (among other things) an alien PRE monster. He kind of anticipated the movie "Predator" by a few years (it was 1983). No "severing the head and spinal column from the rest of the body to keep as a trophy", although if he'd heard of that. he probably would have done it...

[pinecone]

I don't know how helpful it might be, but many of the originals were written up in the old Champions comic books...