Steve

Re: Mythology and Superhumanity

Speaking of archetypes, what is the current status of Scott Bennie's Gestalt campaign? I haven't agitated for it in a number of months. It seems it is time to do so again.

Re: The Fan Boy Brigade

Actually, in Champions Battlegrounds there are writeups for not one but two fans of Foxbat: Foxbatboy and Foxbatgirl.

Re: Mythology and Superhumanity

Growing as a person sounds a bit modern to me. I don't recall Beowulf doing that. Just kicking ass. And then dying.

Well, not every myth is going to use this theme. It was just one given as an example. The Power of Myth and other works by Joseph Campbell are good resources for others.

Re: Mythology and Superhumanity

So what would that involve then? Other than the usual bad guy whomping action.

Well, one theme from mythology is that a hero discovers something about himself in the course of the adventure/journey and grows as a person. A player who enjoys plumbing their character's personality and background would watch for elements in the adventures that relate to their character, especially those that cause them to question why they do what they do.

Peter Parker is an example of a heroic myth along these lines. Through a great tragedy in his life brought about by a choice he made, he learned that "With great power, there comes an equally great responsibility." So the boy became a man, became the hero Spider-Man, instead of using his gifts selfishly.

The life and adventures of superheroes are, in a sense, modern mythology, larger-than-life characters in fantastic situations. In roleplaying we tell stories together as a group, sometimes even learning something about ourselves and our friends in the process. I was wondering if anyone has ever explored that mythological element at all in a campaign. I don't mean using the outward trappings of mythology, like a superhero based on Thor or Apollo, but using myth to deepen a campaign and enrich it for everyone who participates.

Re: Relinking Figured Characteristics

Not to deny the validity of your opinion' date=' Steve - it's a reasonable argument and worth exploring - but I don't think that increasing the cost of Strength to 2 Char. Pts./ STR Point is really a system kludge when used in the proper context, and actually has precedent to support it.[/quote']

 

Well, my main problem with doubling the cost of Strength has to do with the Active Point issue that arises because of it. A 60 STR costs 100 points (or 120 Active Points if you take the Base 10 into account), which is a pretty darned high active cost for a power.

 

Taking Ironclad for example, he costs 50 points more than he does now if I just double the cost of Strength.

 

If I use Gary's approach that he listed, Ironclad's cost increases by 58 points (assuming I did the math right in recalculating), which is pretty close to the effect of just doubling Strength's cost and avoids the issue of Active Points for Strength.

 

If I follow just the Strength related calculations I suggested above, the cost increases by only 34 points (assuming I did the math right). If I borrow Gary's reduced cost for Stun, it gets closer (24 points).

 

The Dex/Spd issue I see does get complicated by Aids/Drains/Transfers, so leaving it as is makes more sense to me now. That was just something that occurred to me as I was looking at the relationships of primary and figured characteristics.

 

I believe I'm on the right track in my methodology, and my goal is simply to modify the figured characteristics structure while keeping from deviating too far from the present point costs for a brick-type as they work now, which is what happens with the first two methods. Personally, I think Strength costs the right amount for being able to do damage and affecting lifting capacity. The difficulty I am having is with its effects on figured characteristics.

 

I'll continue to refine and see what I come up with. I'm an accountant by profession, so jiggering with character creation numbers as a hobby is fun for me. I've actually been playing Hero system since first picking up Champions in 1983. I'm one of those types of Hero players who enjoys the art of character construction, so working with the toolkitting aspects of the present system I find enjoyable.

Re: Relinking Figured Characteristics

Perhaps I wasn't clear enough: my little group has long believed there is a problem' date=' and we've tried to rework the formulas before. However, everyone is having too much fun with the current campaign to start a different one so we could test a new suggestion...[/quote']

 

What have you come up with for different formulae? I'm curious.

Re: Relinking Figured Characteristics

Thanks for the comments all. I've never really participated in the Great Figured Characteristic Debate before, but I had the idea for relinking strike me, and I didn't find this particular option discussed before (and I did look). You know how it is. Sometimes you have an idea for the system that you have to toss out and see how the wolves savage it.

It sounds like I need to go back to the drawing board and study the numbers a bit more on spreadsheets. I didn't mention changing any of the figured characteristics cost multipliers, since I wasn't sure what might be a good adjustment to them. Stun costing 1/2 a point per point maybe? Recovery at one point per point?

Re: The Stormtrooper Effect

Well, while I called it the Stormtrooper Effect, I wasn't intending to lock it into a Star Wars line of thinking. Good comments from everyone though.

Heresy time here...

Strength has long been argued as being too cheap for what it costs compared to what it provides. Some have proposed that it be upped in cost to 2 points. The reason why I believe this is unworkable is because it is a system kuldge that flies in the face of the 5pts/DC costing method that attack powers generally work on in Hero (with Ego Attacks and Drains working against limited forms of defense, so 10 pts/DC).

So, what to do?

It was while I was thinking about this that I came to the conclusion that tinkering with figured characteristics was a better answer. If you drop Strength from affecting any figured characteristics, then it functions like a no-range energy blast that also affects lifting capacity. It can't be spread, but a strong character can pick up a large object and wield their strength as an area effect attack.

I can already hear the gasps of outrage from some. What about Hand-To-Hand Attack? What about Leaping distance? What would you link to the figured characteristics instead of Strength?

Let's walk through the questions, leaving the last one as the heart of my analysis.

1) What about Hand-To-Hand Attack? Well, it is a power that increases a character's non-killing damage in HTH combat. It functions as a non-lethal form of Hand-To-Hand Killing Attack and currently has a rather kludgy limitation applied to it. I would propose changing it to something more like an Energy Blast, a straight 5 pts/DC, maybe with a -1/4 Limitation on it at most to reflect that it doesn't affect lifting ability but better a -0.

2) What about Leaping? Well, let's look at a bodybuilder, say Arnold in his Mr. Universe days. He's very strong, but I don't see him as being able to jump as high as his Strength score would indicate. Since Leaping is pretty cheap already as a movement power, cutting the link from Strength is not illogical.

3) Well, okay smart guy, what would you link to the figured characteristics instead? Here's where I run some numbers and options.

PD: Currently uses Strength/5 as a base. I would propose using Body/5 as a base, since it reflects a certain toughness and physical durability already. Plus, Body currently only affects one figured characteristic, which makes it seem a bit costly for a damage tracking characteristic. Alternately, Constitution could be used, but that would load a lot of figured characteristics on one primary, so I would propose raising the cost of Constitution to x3 in this case.

REC: Currently uses Strength/5 plus Constitution/5 as a base. If we drop Strength from the calculation, an easy formula substitution would be to use Constitution/2 as the new base. With Endurance calculated as Constitution x2, it would take four Recoveries to return to full, so there is a slight boost here, since an alternative formula would be Constitution/5 and then doubled, which is a bit kludgy to me.

STUN: Currently uses one of the most complex formulae for a figured characteristic, with Body+Strength/2+Constitution/2. I came up with two viable options here. The first would be to use Bodyx2, and the second would be to use Bodyx1.5 plus Constitution/2.

Now, I would also propose one more link breakage, to have Dexterity no longer affect Speed.

The torches are probably lighting up now.

Consider this, a character buys a 15 Dexterity and a Speed of 3. Or a character buys a 24 Dexterity and a 4 Speed. In both cases, Speed is not left at the base amounts but upped to the next point since it only costs a few character points. If that first point of Speed isn't bought, then a player has left a slight innefficiency in the design, which is all right. But why does it have to be that way? If Dexterity is lowered to 2 points per point and Speed starts with a base of 2, then the cost of the DEX/SPD purchase is the same as it is now. If I buy a 15 Dexterity and a 3 Speed, I spend 20 points. Under the suggested alternative costing, it is still 20 points.

Well, I'm off to don my flame-retardant suit now.

Sometimes known as Inverse Artillery Accuracy or the Mook Factor, the more bad guys that are shooting at a character, the less likely they are to hit him. And even if shot, it doesn't seem to hit an area that significantly handicaps him. This is not as big a problem in superhero games, since agents tend to be much lower in CV than the PCs, but it becomes more of an issue in Heroic-level games.

How have you dealt with protraying this in your campaigns?

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman

I'm glad you didn't take the clcihe way out and make her powers dependent in some way on her avoiding men. if i were to use her in a campaign, I would play her as someone who is renowned for her beauty as well as her deadliness, someone who would take a lover for a short time before moving on to other adventures.

 

She might well have left a string of broken hearts in her wake as she has adventured. Of course, she will never use her body to get an advantage. Her favors would be given to men who have, in her eyes, earned them by being brave, honorable and skilled.

I'm glad you liked the character write-up. This is pretty much how I tried to portray her. She is no man-hater, and she has left a string of ex-lovers behind her due to her lack of desire for long-term relationships, such as the Valdorian smith who forged the sword she carries in her experienced version. I agree that she would not use her body to gain advantage, a side-effect of her moral code, since she sees herself as a warrior first and a woman second. Also, while she is a mercenary who sells her skills with a sword for coin, her moral code also tends to put her at odds with villainous sorts such as black sorcerers, vicious bullies who prey on the weak, and so on. She is a woman who is content to make her way alone in the world, but she does enjoy the company of men of good character, which are likely rarer in the Valdorian Age.

Re: Valdorian Age

Okay I was told but I forgot. How do you make your hero with the program and start with stats of 8? I tried just selling them back but that did not work so well.

You have to make up a custom template to do it. This is a quickie one I did that starts all primaries at 8. I also added in the Disengage maneuver from the sword martial arts in the book, since it was not a standard maneuver.

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman

Heroes in Valdorian Age are 75+75 characters, but they start with 8s in their primary characteristics instead of 10s.

Re: Building Powers based of skill?

You might want to check out The Valdorian Age for ideas on how to construct these powers. There is a section on fighting tricks that seems tailor-made for what you are looking for. Two common limitations would be OIF (sword of opportunity) and Requires A Skill Roll (something like Fighting Tricks). That's a -1 in Limitations total right there.

Re: Valdorian Age

I think you're on to something, dude. The Prince of Elweir's palace is called the Palace of the Pearl, and he sits on the Pearl Throne...

 

Makes you wonder if Foom's Sinking Tower is buried under Hudson City somewhere.

Now that is an interesting idea for a linkage to the past. Continents may rise and fall, and the face of the Earth may change, but Elweir lives forever, a sinkhole of depravity and crime that the gods avoid due to its wickedness. In this case, the new gods of the Earth, superhumans, subconsciously avoid Hudson City, the current incarnation of Elweir.

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman

Actually, it was the 'Manslayer' bit I was referring to, and the stereotyped man-hating warrior woman it brought to my mind, not any character in particular. I know little of this Xena of whom you speak - though I do recall watching an episode four or five years ago.

 

What impressed me was that you had quite deliberately gone for the stereotype, and exceeded its limitations to produce an interesting character with some well-thought-out abilities.

Ah, I see what you mean now. Yes, Marna is a manslayer, but she is not a man-hating warrior woman. She's actually a cross among three archetypes from the Valdorian Age book: The Barbarian, The Deadliest Man Alive, and The Woman In A Man's World. She's the Deadliest Barbarian Woman In A Man's World, so to speak.

I'm glad you liked the character. I have ideas for a few others that I will be posting in the future.

Re: Valdorian Age

Because VA is DC only with swords?

You know, the funny thing is that I can sort of see that. Imagine some sword-wielding vigilante haunting the streets of Elweir, killing evildoers. I wonder what a Valdorian Age version of Harbinger would be like?

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman

I must confess that I thought' date=' "Oh no, not again," when I saw the character name. But having read the character, I'm impressed - especially when I realised you where you were coming from.[/quote']

 

I wasn't sure what you meant by this, so I googled 'Marna' and came across some Xena fanfic references, which I assume is what you meant. Heh. Marna is actually the name of a reformed Norse villainess from a magic-heavy solo superhero campaign I am running for a friend, but after reading Valdorian Age, I came up with the name 'Marna the Manslayer' and totally redid her as a heroic-level character.

 

I love the 'She-demon with a sword' power. Reminds me very much of Madmardigan from Willow.

 

Excellent character.

Thanks. I got the idea for it from the Marvel Comics character Red Sonja and a Dark Champions super-skill. They have a power called "Lightning-Swift Warrior" in the book, and I combined that idea with some limitations taken from the "Berserker" power in Fantasy Hero. When Marna has a sword in hand, she is like a figure out of legend, almost an unstoppable killing machine. She can't use the extra phase to take a recovery or use a non-combat skill, just attack with lethal skill. I'm thinking of doing a male counterpart for her, maybe a barbarian from Khor or a Valdorian nobleman of some kind.

Re: Marna the Manslayer - Valdorian Age Warrior Woman

Thanks. She was partially inspired by the picture I used. Makes me wonder how many other characters are inspired by peices of artwork.

Marna the Manslayer - Beginning Version

[b]Marna Alone - Starting Version[/b]

[b][u]VAL[/u]   [u]CHA[/u]   [u]Cost[/u]   [u]Total[/u]   [u]Roll[/u]      [u]Notes[/u][/b]
13    STR      5   13      12-       HTH Damage 2 1/2d6  END [3]
15    DEX     21   15/17   12-       OCV 5/6 DCV 5/6
13    CON     10   13      12-
12    BODY     8   12      11-
8     INT      0   8       11-       PER Roll 11-
8     EGO      0   8       11-       ECV: 3
13    PRE      5   13      12-       PRE Attack: 2 1/2d6
18    COM      5   18      13-
6     PD       3   6                 6 PD (0 rPD)
5     ED       2   5                 5 ED (0 rED)
3     SPD      5   3/4               Phases:  4, 8, 12/3, 6, 9, 12
6     REC      0   6
30    END      2   30
30    STUN     4   30
6     RUN      0   6"                END [1]
2     SWIM     0   2"                END [1]
3     LEAP     0   2 1/2"            2 1/2" forward, 1" upward

[b]CHA Cost: 70[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]POWERS[/u][/b]
7      [b][i]She-Demon With A Sword[/i][/b]: (Total: 16 Active Cost, 7 Real Cost) +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2) (Real Cost: 5) [b]plus[/b] +2 DEX (6 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2), Linked (SPD; -1/2), Only Affects Her DEX with Swords (-1/4) (Real Cost: 2) - END=0

[b]POWERS Cost: 7[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]MARTIAL ARTS[/u][/b]
      Sword Skill
4      1)  Counterstrike:  1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block
4      2)  Disarm:  1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 23 STR to Disarm roll
4      3)  Disengage:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 28 STR vs. Binds
4      4)  Parry:  1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort
4      5)  Trap:  1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Bind, 23 STR

[b]MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 20[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]SKILLS[/u][/b]
4      +2 with swords
1      Gambling (Dice Games) 8-
0      Language:  Elothian (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)
2      Navigation (Land) 11-
2      PS: Soldier 11-
3      Riding 12-
2      Survival (Arctic/Subarctic) 11-
9      Sword Tricks 14-
3      Tracking 11-
3      Traveler
4      1)  AK: Amyklai (5 Active Points) 13-
1      2)  AK: The Crumble (2 Active Points) 11-
5      WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Staffs

[b]SKILLS Cost: 39[/b]


[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]TALENTS[/u][/b]
10     Divine Favor
4      Rapid Healing

[b]TALENTS Cost: 14[/b]

[b][u]Value[/u]  [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b]
0      Normal Characteristic Maxima No Age Restriction
10     Distinctive Features:  Tall, Athletic, Beautiful Woman (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Lust; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
15     Enraged:  When abilities or skills questioned because she is a woman (Common), go 11-, recover 14-
10     Psychological Limitation:  Loner (Common, Moderate)
15     Psychological Limitation:  Moral Code (Common, Strong)
15     Social Limitation:  Barbarian (Very Frequently, Minor)
10     Social Limitation:  Woman In A Man's World (Very Frequently, Minor)

[b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 75[/b]

Base Pts: 75
Exp Required: 0
Total Exp Available: 0
Exp Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 150

This is the version of her when she started out at sixteen, young and eager to see the world.

[b]Marna the Manslayer - Marna Alone[/b]

[b][u]VAL[/u]   [u]CHA[/u]   [u]Cost[/u]   [u]Total[/u]   [u]Roll[/u]      [u]Notes[/u][/b]
18    STR     10   18      13-       HTH Damage 3 1/2d6  END [4]
18    DEX     30   18/21   13-       OCV 6/7 DCV 6/7
18    CON     20   18      13-
15    BODY    14   15      12-
13    INT      5   13      12-       PER Roll 12-
14    EGO     12   14      12-       ECV: 5
20    PRE     12   20      13-       PRE Attack: 4d6
20    COM      6   20      13-
7     PD       3   7/10              7/10 PD (0/3 rPD)
6     ED       2   6/9               6/9 ED (0/3 rED)
4     SPD     12   4/5               Phases:  3, 6, 9, 12/3, 5, 8, 10, 12
8     REC      0   8
40    END      2   40
40    STUN     7   40
7     RUN      0   7"                END [2]
2     SWIM     0   2"                END [1]
4     LEAP     0   4"                4" forward, 2" upward

[b]CHA Cost: 135[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]  [u]POWERS[/u][/b]
8     [b][i]She-Demon With A Sword[/i][/b]: (Total: 19 Active Cost, 8 Real Cost) +1 SPD (10 Active Points); Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2) (Real Cost: 5) [b]plus[/b] +3 DEX (9 Active Points); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), Only When Fighting (-1/2), OIF (weapon of opportunity; -1/2), Linked (SPD; -1/2), Only Affects Her DEX with Swords (-1/4) (Real Cost: 3) - END=0
7     [b][i]Shrug It Off[/i][/b]: Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 25% (15 Active Points); Only When Fighting (-1/2), Requires A CON Roll  (No Active Point penalty to Skill Roll; -1/4), Character Must Be Aware Of Attack (-1/4) - END=0
3     [b][i]Eyes In The Back Of Her Head[/i][/b]: Increased Arc Of Perception (360 Degrees) with Normal Sight (5 Active Points); Requires An INT Roll  (-3/4) - END=0
2     [b][i]Fast On Her Feet[/i][/b]: Running +1" (7" total) - END=1

[b]POWERS Cost: 20[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]  [u]MARTIAL ARTS[/u][/b]
     Brawling Skill
4      1)  Eye Gouge:  1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, -1 DCV, Flash 4d6
4      2)  Kidney Blow:  1/2 Phase, -2 OCV, +0 DCV, HKA 1d6 +1
4      3)  Punch/Knee/Kick:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +2 DCV, 5 1/2d6 Strike
3      4)  Tackle:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, -1 DCV, 3 1/2d6 +v/5 Strike; You Fall, Target Falls; FMove
     Sword Skill
4      1)  Counterstrike:  1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block
4      2)  Disarm:  1/2 Phase, -1 OCV, +1 DCV, Disarm; 28 STR to Disarm roll
4      3)  Disengage:  1/2 Phase, +0 OCV, +0 DCV, 33 STR vs. Binds
5      4)  Lunge:  1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, -2 DCV, Weapon +4 DC Strike
4      5)  Parry:  1/2 Phase, +2 OCV, +2 DCV, Block, Abort
4      6)  Trap:  1/2 Phase, +1 OCV, +0 DCV, Bind, 28 STR

[b]MARTIAL ARTS Cost: 40[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]SKILLS[/u][/b]
16     +2 with All Combat
3      +1 with DCV (5 Active Points); Not While Wearing Heavy Armor (-1/2)
3      +1 with Swords
6      Penalty Skill Levels:  +3 vs. Hit Location modifiers with Swords
9      Analyze:  Combat Technique 14-
3      Brawling Tricks 13-
3      Climbing 13-
3      Concealment 12-
8      Defense Maneuver I-III 
3      Fast Draw 13-
2      Gambling (Dice Games) 12-
0      Language:  Elothian (idiomatic) (4 Active Points)
3      Language:  Valdorian (completely fluent)
3      Navigation (Land, Marine) 12-
2      PS: Mercenary 11-
2      PS: Soldier 11-
5      Rapid Attack (HTH) 
3      Riding 13-
3      Stealth 13-
10     Survival (Arctic/Subarctic, Temperate/Subtropical, Desert, Mountain, Urban) 12-
11     Sword Tricks 15-
3      Tactics 12-
3      Tracking 12-
3      Traveler
3      1)  AK: Amyklai (4 Active Points) 13-
1      2)  AK: Blowing Wastes (2 Active Points) 11-
1      3)  AK: Cynthian Plains (2 Active Points) 11-
1      4)  AK: The Crumble (2 Active Points) 11-
1      5)  AK: Valdorian Frontier (2 Active Points) 11-
1      6)  CK: Elweir (2 Active Points) 11-
10     Two-Weapon Fighting (HTH) 
7      WF:  Common Melee Weapons, Common Missile Weapons, Siege Engines, Staffs

[b]SKILLS Cost: 135[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]PERKS[/u][/b]
4      Reputation:  skilled mercenary swordswoman (many lands around Valdoria) 11-, +2/+2d6

[b]PERKS Cost: 4[/b]

[b][u]Cost[/u]   [u]TALENTS[/u][/b]
5      Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED)
4      Desperation Blow
10     Divine Favor
11     Evasive
5      Follow-Through Attack
3      Force Back
5      Hard To Hit
7      Mistress Of Her Fate
7      Not The Face!
4      Rapid Healing
5      She-Demon With A Sword: Deadly Blow +1d6 ([only usable with swords]) (7 Active Points); Requires A Sword Tricks Roll  (-1/2)

[b]TALENTS Cost: 66[/b]

[b][u]Value[/u]  [u]DISADVANTAGES[/u][/b]
0      Normal Characteristic Maxima No Age Restriction
10     Distinctive Features:  Tall, Athletic, Beautiful Woman (Easily Concealed; Always Noticed and Causes Lust; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses)
10     Psychological Limitation:  Loner (Common, Moderate)
15     Psychological Limitation:  Moral Code (Common, Strong)
15     Reputation:  Marna the Manslayer, the deadliest woman alive, 11- (Extreme)
15     Social Limitation:  Barbarian (Very Frequently, Minor)
10     Social Limitation:  Woman In A Man's World (Very Frequently, Minor)

[b]DISADVANTAGES Points: 75[/b]

Base Pts: 75
Exp Required: 250
Total Exp Available: 250
Exp Unspent: 0
Total Character Cost: 400

Background/History: Marna was born on a battlefield, the daughter of an Amyklai warrior woman, and her maternal forebears have served as Amyklai warriors for generations. So it was expected of her to join their ranks as well, which she did as a child. She excelled at absorbing the skills of warfare, her body growing tall and strong as the years went on and she became a woman herself. She became blooded in battle against the savage barbarians of the Crumble, killing her first man when she was only fifteen when her training cadre was ambushed while in the wilderness. While heavily wounded, she survived when many in her cadre did not. When she was sixteen, she chose to leave and wander the world, taking the name Alone as her own. Since then, she has travelled north, exploring the Cynthian Plains, the sands of the Blowing Wastes, the Nylsen Forest, and even the frontier regions of mighty Valdoria before eventually making her home in Elweir for now. In the process, her legend has grown as a fearsome warrior, a woman that men have taken to calling 'The Manslayer' out of fear and respect for her awesome skills with a blade. It is rumored that she carries the blessing of Anyu, and that is the reason for her great prowess in battle.

Personality/Motivation: Marna is a warrior at heart, battle her meat and drink, but while she enjoys the passions roused within herself during combat, she is no berserker. She trains daily to keep herself as sharp as her prized possession, a blade forged by a Valdorian swordsmith she once was involved with. While she is proud of her heritage and skills as an Amyklai warrior-trained woman, she is not boastful. She follows a simple code of morality instilled within her from her youth, making her way in the world looking at each new day as an opportunity for adventure, and a chance to test herself in battle. Despite her fearsome reputation as a brutal killer, she does enjoy the company of men of good character. And while she has been involved with several lovers during her career, she does not seek the comforts of marriage or family, fearing it would dull the edge on her skills she has worked so hard to have. Someday she would like to have a girl child to train and pass on her skills to, but for now her life is good.

Quote: If it bleeds, I can kill it.

Powers/Tactics: Marna adjusts her tactics to suit the situation, relying on her legendary skills with a sword to deal with any situation. If she outclasses her opponents, she almost verges on berserkerhood, hacking her way through her enemies almost with abandon, blood spraying everywhere her sword bites flesh. Against more capable foes, she is more cautious, weighing her opponent's skills and striking with lethal accuracy at the smallest openings in their defenses. Against the supernatural, she is a bit more cautious, but experience has shown her that she can kill anything she sets her mind on killing.

Campaign Use: Marna is intended to be the quintessential warrior woman of the Valdorian Age, the one that men sing of in taverns, much like Red Sonja is treated in Conan's world as shown in Marvel Comics she appears in.

Appearance: Standing almost six feet in height, Marna is a statuesque figure of a woman, broad-shouldered, well-endowed and athletic in build. She is dressed in heavy leather boots that rise above her knees, and fine steel armor pieces that she has acquired during her travels. They display her femininity to good effect, yet still retain a practical coverage of her body. In battle, she smiles, and that smile is often the last thing that any man who has faced her seriously in combat has ever seen.

Re: Narcolepsy

for the game mechanics' date=' I'd just model it after the "Berserk/Enraged" disad, with the initial roll determining how easy it is for the character to fall asleep under the condition(s) in question. The second roll would (obviously) be for the character to wake up.[/quote']

 

That's an interesting approach I had not thought of. Rep for you.

If a character is using a shield and has the WF: Off Hand, do they get the added +1 DCV bonus for the WF: Off Hand, since the shield can also be used to bash as well as simply defend?

Re: Quote of the Week from my gaming group...

This is from an old Call of Cthulhu game set in the 30s.

One of the players owned a plane, but using it during a certain adventure was not allowed. So the GM, as the players were walking across the airfield, says, "You see twelve disreputable-looking men with shotguns standing near the plane."

That became a tagline whenever something the players were about to do was not allowed, "You see twelve disreputable-looking men with shotguns."