TheQuestionMan Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 World's Greatest Detective https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Greatest_Detective I have struggled trying to build the Champions and Dark Champions version of the World's Greatest Detective or on Hero System parlance The Ultimate Detective. Obviously it is easier high point levels, but how do you work it into a 200 to 250 5E Dark Champions game or a 250 to 350 5E Champions campaign. I have looked at Batman, but he does not really strike me as The Ultimate Detective. Help Please. QM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 World's Greatest Detective https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Greatest_Detective I have struggled trying to build the Champions and Dark Champions version of the World's Greatest Detective or on Hero System parlance The Ultimate Detective. Obviously it is easier high point levels, but how do you work it into a 200 to 250 5E Dark Champions game or a 250 to 350 5E Champions campaign. I have looked at Batman, but he does not really strike me as The Ultimate Detective. Help Please. QM What about a narrower version of Harbinger's super-skill power pool? The Ultimate Detective: VPP 40.20, 0 Phase, "PS: World's Greatest Detective" Skill Roll, Detective Themed Super-skills and Like-abilities Only. Then you can grab all of the investigation / interrogation / streetwise super-skills from DC, etc. I used a version of this with the FX "action hero stunts" for a two-fisted hero type character. It worked really nicely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beast Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 why not define the character w/ universal detective using the universal scientist rules from APG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 DELETE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 I agree with Vondy. Have you looked into "Expert" from the APG1? It would make sence if you told us exactly what type of 'detective' your looking for, Sherlock Homes/Hercul Poral, or Sam Spade (or even, shock, Dexter Morgan)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba smith Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 vondy has a point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Critias Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Depending on how certain you want it to be, you could maybe buy a Clairsentience (with retrocognition), requiring a skill or Perception roll, or maybe even requiring a Focus (OIF, 'clues,' requiring you to find two or three). The same way you sometimes see Ninjas done up with "invisibility (requires a Stealth roll)," you could do kind of...the opposite of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Depending on how certain you want it to be, you could maybe buy a Clairsentience (with retrocognition), requiring a skill or Perception roll, or maybe even requiring a Focus (OIF, 'clues,' requiring you to find two or three). The same way you sometimes see Ninjas done up with "invisibility (requires a Stealth roll)," you could do kind of...the opposite of that. I like this,though it might be a little over the top. Recognition,R S R,Deduction,requires "clues"(interviews,crime lab results etc ),Extra time, " one episode ....? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 LOL, I was thinking something along the lines of a one man version of NCIS or CSI. With a hint of Batman/Sherlock Holmes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 When I did a superdetective retrocognition power, I gave it the alternate name "CSI Flashback" Lucius Alexander Superpalindromedary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 why not define the character w/ universal detective using the universal scientist rules from APG I also use universals a lot, and its a good choice if you just want "skills" and not powers and talents defined as "super-skills." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted December 19, 2014 Report Share Posted December 19, 2014 Anyone checked out the Genous Tricks thread yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted December 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Got a link steriaca? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. MID-Nite Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Um...couldn't you just buy the relevant skills at high levels? I mean...a detective generally has a set group of applicable skills right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steriaca Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Sorry...I can't post links with my 3DS. But I did bump the thread in the Hero System Disgusion section. Enjoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted December 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Buying all the Skills Batman/Sherlock posses to be the Ultimate Detective at a high level is more expensive than most Powers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vondy Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 Buying all the Skills Batman/Sherlock posses to be the Ultimate Detective at a high level is more expensive than most Powers. Let alone the encyclopedic laundry-list of relevant background skills Batgod has to augment those skills. There comes a point when powers-as-skills or universals aren't just cheaper, but also more elegant. And there is something to be said for brevity on a character sheet-- it being the soul of wit. I find the extremely granular "list everything or be caught out" philosophy of character design off-putting, as well. In addition to driving point-inflation, it also tends to psychologically inhibit players from being creative problem solvers and trying new things when the game is afoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheQuestionMan Posted December 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Don't forget the Science Skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nothere Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 Powers as skills. Retrocognition. Mike Banner makes his clarsentiance roll Mike Banner stood in the corner of the room silently. "Where could he have gone?" George asked. "You'd think he'd at least left a note" Jane said. "He would have if he had left voluntarily. But he was grabbed by three men. One was 5 foot 8 180 pounds and well mussled. One was 6'1 230 pounds and a bit out of shape. The third was 5 foot 9 300 pounds and directed the other two." George and Jane stared at him. "How could you possibly know that?" George asked. "Well I would say it was obvious. But I wasn't sure about the third's weight till I saw that scuff mark by the window." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alverant Posted December 29, 2014 Report Share Posted December 29, 2014 I think "ultimate detective" would have more to do with suggestions for the player rather than the mechanics. You can't use your energy blast to solve a mystery (usually), it requires a whole different set of mental muscles. The best thing I can think of (but there are probably better ideas) would be to have a checklist of questions to ask and things to do in different senerios like a kidnapping, murder, robbery, fraud, smear campaign, etc. Items would be "follow the money", "who benefits", "how did the victims react to the news", "what are around the windows/doors of the crime scene", "who would want to hurt the victim and why", etc. Perhaps watching some cop dramas would help, at least how crimes in a narrative universe works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassandra Posted January 2, 2015 Report Share Posted January 2, 2015 There are a few skills a Detective must have Bugging Deduction Criminology Concealment Forensic Medicine Interrogation Conversation Lockpicking Persuasion Security Systems Shadowing Stealth Streetwise Eidetic Memory and Cramming would also be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywind Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Eidetic Memory can be bought as cameras and recorders. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comic Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 I can't understand how a detective cannot be a scientist and a scholar, at least enough to understand when a clue in a field of science or scholarship looks 'off' or warrants investigation. The stars don't look right in a picture? Be handy to have a background in astronomy enough to notice, so as to take it up with a real expert to find out exactly what isn't right. Chemical trace evidence? Biology trace? Knowing enough about horse racing to suspect the motives of the jockey or trainer? Cramming, at the least, though Scientist, Scholar or Jack of All Trades could not hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pinecone Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Yeah, I often try to have two slots of Cramming on a super detective, so I can bee 'up" on whatever material is involved. "I read several book on astrophysics last night, and I now perceive..." If you have Ultimate Skill, take a close look at Expert...I posted a bundle of pages about that one a long while ago... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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