Lucha Libre HERO: Designing a wrestling ape...

[BigJackBrass]

I'm currently working on a Lucha Libre HERO character called "El Hombre Peludo" (which hopefully means "The Hairy Man"). In many ways he's a typical crimefighting luchador, but underneath the mask he's actually an orangutan; and nobody ever notices, because of the mask.

 

EL Hombre Peludo is of human intelligence and can talk. Without the mask he looks like an ordinary orangutan, but when he's wearing it everyone treats him as they would any other luchador. I'm working on a Standard Luchador build (so, 5th edition rules, 200 + 50 character points) and taking the Bestiary entries for Gorilla and Chimpanzee, along with the 5th edition build for Dr. Silverback, as starting points for how to deal with the orangutan side of things. Has there ever been a published description of an orangutan in Hero terms? Haven't found one anywhere as yet. Anyway, the tricky part for me is how to treat the fact that everyone thinks he's simply a particularly hairy person when he's masked; and of course it's Lucha Libre HERO so he'll be masked for almost the entire time.

 

I could make the actual mask a super item, altering perceptions so that onlookers see only what they expect to see, or I could simply handwave it as part of the genre: he's a luchador, so in a way he's simply a living embodiment of what the mask represents and nobody sees beyond that, just as a superhero in a domino mask is instantly unrecognisable. I'm not sure if making the mask an actually powerful object in its own right is terribly fair, since all of the abilities inherent in being an orangutan are going to be paid for as normal, it's simply telling the world who he is (and perpetuating a running gag).

 

Any thoughts on this? If someone brought the character to your table and simply argued that because he wears a luchador mask then nobody will spot he's actually a short, fat primate, with orange body hair and exceptionally long arms, would you accept that as being reasonable?

[Duke Bushido]

Yep. 

 

Secret ID. 

 

Don't overthink it. 

 

No one looking at Spideman sees puny Peter Parker.  They see Spideman. 

 

You could mistake Iron Man for a robot if you didn't know better. 

 

It's just part of the Lucha magic.  Buy a Secret ID and do _not_ buy Distinctive Features: orange monkey. 

 

Done.

[BigJackBrass]

Thanks Duke, that certainly follows my own instincts (and it's easier to write up 😁). 

[Duke Bushido]

The best advice I think anyone can give is to remember that just because something _can_  be cobbled into a complex build doesn't mean it _must_ be cobbled into a complex build. 

 

 

[Brian Stanfield]

I encourage you to at least look at the first paragraph about Kayfabe. Not only is it fascinating as a sociological study, it fits perfectly into a wrestling hero. The audience and fellow wrestlers actively suspend disbelief in the interest of better drama. They’re all participating in mutually gaming the game. 
 

Seems to fit into the spirit of your game here. 

[Ninja-Bear]

FWIW Bigjackbrass I believe in Bestiary 4th has an Orangutan write up. Iirc Orangutan means man of the hills. And DC: TAS has a villain named Missing Link. A man born so hairy and ape like he’s mistaken as an ape. 

[BigJackBrass]

6 hours ago, Ninja-Bear said:

FWIW Bigjackbrass I believe in Bestiary 4th has an Orangutan write up. 

 

So it does! The one bestiary I don't have a physical copy of and I forgot to check the PDF! Many thanks. 

[Ninja-Bear]

👍

[pinecone]

On 6/2/2020 at 3:45 AM, BigJackBrass said:

I'm currently working on a Lucha Libre HERO character called "El Hombre Peludo" (which hopefully means "The Hairy Man"). In many ways he's a typical crimefighting luchador, but underneath the mask he's actually an orangutan; and nobody ever notices, because of the mask.

 

EL Hombre Peludo is of human intelligence and can talk. Without the mask he looks like an ordinary orangutan, but when he's wearing it everyone treats him as they would any other luchador. I'm working on a Standard Luchador build (so, 5th edition rules, 200 + 50 character points) and taking the Bestiary entries for Gorilla and Chimpanzee, along with the 5th edition build for Dr. Silverback, as starting points for how to deal with the orangutan side of things. Has there ever been a published description of an orangutan in Hero terms? Haven't found one anywhere as yet. Anyway, the tricky part for me is how to treat the fact that everyone thinks he's simply a particularly hairy person when he's masked; and of course it's Lucha Libre HERO so he'll be masked for almost the entire time.

 

I could make the actual mask a super item, altering perceptions so that onlookers see only what they expect to see, or I could simply handwave it as part of the genre: he's a luchador, so in a way he's simply a living embodiment of what the mask represents and nobody sees beyond that, just as a superhero in a domino mask is instantly unrecognisable. I'm not sure if making the mask an actually powerful object in its own right is terribly fair, since all of the abilities inherent in being an orangutan are going to be paid for as normal, it's simply telling the world who he is (and perpetuating a running gag).

 

Any thoughts on this? If someone brought the character to your table and simply argued that because he wears a luchador mask then nobody will spot he's actually a short, fat primate, with orange body hair and exceptionally long arms, would you accept that as being reasonable?

I would have no problem with this. If you wanted buy a super disguise power into the mask, and make that part of the character. I don't think I've ever heard of a Lucha-master of disguise!

[BigJackBrass]

1 hour ago, pinecone said:

I would have no problem with this. If you wanted buy a super disguise power into the mask, and make that part of the character. I don't think I've ever heard of a Lucha-master of disguise!

There's Mil Máscaras, of course, but weirdly everyone knows who he is even when he changes masks. He's the master of disguising himself as Mil Máscaras! 

[CaptainCoulson]

I wouldn't even give orangutan the Secret ID complication. The whole point, from what you've said, seems to be that nobody will ever see through his disguise, even though it is paper thin. So there shouldn't be any complication. The fact that he actually is secretly an orangutan is simply an interesting special effect.

[pinecone]

On 6/29/2020 at 12:33 PM, PsiJudge McCabe said:

I wouldn't even give orangutan the Secret ID complication. The whole point, from what you've said, seems to be that nobody will ever see through his disguise, even though it is paper thin. So there shouldn't be any complication. The fact that he actually is secretly an orangutan is simply an interesting special effect.

It will certainly complicate his love life!

[Badger]

On 6/2/2020 at 10:31 AM, Duke Bushido said:

Yep. 

 

Secret ID. 

 

Don't overthink it. 

 

No one looking at Spideman sees puny Peter Parker.  They see Spideman. 

 

You could mistake Iron Man for a robot if you didn't know better. 

 

It's just part of the Lucha magic.  Buy a Secret ID and do _not_ buy Distinctive Features: orange monkey. 

 

Done.

They could have mistaken the orangutan for my late uncle though.😉