Character Ideas

So you guys have any ideas of what kind of characters you want to play? Just updated the rules for character creation. First thing you want to do is use the base stats everyone is going to start with and then roll a die to find your rank. This will give you your military background and your pre-powered character set up.

From there, you decide how you got your powers and what they are. You choose your own hero name unless you really want a political committee to name your character.

The military and politicians are obviously hoping that their new super-soldiers take on superhero names that either reflect their military background or a patriotic name. But there is only one Captain America and only one character who can use their rank with the name America - Pvt America, Seaman America, Sgt America, etc.

Public Domain character names from the Golden Age are opened up if you want one of their names, since by now they are either dead or long retired. You could even be the grandkid or great-grandkid of that GA hero. The Patriot, Super-American, the Great Defender, Captain Flag, Fighting Yank, Uncle Sam, Liberator, American Crusader, etc.

Was thinking about this earlier.

Do we go for a spread of different characters? Mental? Mystical? Brick? Blaster? Speedster? With 450HP base + 50 from background etc power levels will range from 4-10APs (with 10 being for the cheaper stuff like senses I expect?) also GM (David) has requested a max of around that level. I've been making characters for this game since whenever 1e came out so know the ways to min max and how to spot a player trying to do that! Been guilty of it myself when I figure out a way to give Superman a hard time with a 450HP character...

For me I'd like an 'Ultimates' style campaign where things are kinda gritty. For those not familiar it was a take on the Marvel Universe that changed Nick Fury into a Samuel L Jackson knock off (and maybe paved the way for the MCU to cast Jackson as Fury). Captain America was a no nonsense superhuman (none of this max human stuff - he kicked ass), the Hulk was a horrible monster, Thor was borderline crazy and Tony Stark was a genius alcoholic womaniser so not much changed in any universe really. Costumes were less flashy so some wore bullet proof vests/body armour and secret identities weren't a big deal. They were also not adverse to going 'off piste' being less of superheroes and more in the way of super soldiers who kicked ass in the Middle East and so on.

Of course I'll go with the flow and as per the campaign guidelines. I was thinking of a Captain America style athletic bruiser with Density Increase to boost strength and durability. Major Massive or something as daft. Able to fight, jump about and so on but when required he could become super dense and be a shield for others from bullets and bombs etc.

Anyway, happy to go with whatever works and looking forwards to seeing where the stories go!

This is a blur of military/superheroes. It is actually more golden age than Silver age in feel. The Silver Age had the Comics Code Authority with strict limitations on what a hero can do and what kinds of stories could be printed and a very strong limit on the supernatural and the Golden Age didn't. So Golden Age heroes killed but usually only against troops we were at war against though they did kill some other foes as well but much more limited in that.

Actually, there was a practical reason because if you kill off a good villain, you can't make him a reoccurring foe. Joker was originally a one shot foe but then the powers that be said "Kids like this guy. Bring him back and don't kill him again!"

So Advent foes, you can kill or capture them. Supervillains? They got rights and stuff so you should try to beat them up and bring them in to face Justice but if you kill them, you may have to do some counseling classes, coursework on due process and the law and such, written in your military record that you may be a wildcard or potentially dangerous against civilians when you leave service and other such stuff..

Legally, in the US, the military cannot fire upon US citizens on American soil without the direct approval of the President. I think Congress also has to weigh in on this too. And since most of these supervillains are Americans ....
National Guard is a bit different in that they are usually under the control of the Governors of the states that they are in. They can be "Federalized" putting them under control of the President but again, I think Congress has to approve if they are being used for more than 90 days that way. One of the Emergency Powers Acts that was passed decades ago in the Cold War where the President could do military actions for 90 days without Congress' direct approval. No time to convene Congress when USSR has launched a slew of nuclear missiles at us, to get approval to respond, was the thinking back then.

Any good for your GI Joe game? I haven't spent the 50HP (is it 50 or 45? Can't remember) for Background, Description, Costume and figured to get a skill (maybe detective) or a couple of superhuman senses or something. Or possibly reduce that rage to Minor otherwise he'll be trying to kill Villains if he sees someone cut down.

Anyway, your classic flying brick. Density Increase with the 'does not reduce Dex' option (in Blood of Heroes) allows him to boost Strength and Resistance value from already low superhuman to reasonable superhuman levels, probably enough to withstand a .50 cal machine gun I guess. Hold his breath for an hour, fly at 1000mph and blast energy but that is hit n miss because of my favourite Serious Burnout (which would be on a 5 or less as using 2D12 bumps those weaknesses up by 1). He recovers quicker than a human but nowhere near Wolverine and has no trouble passing the Army eyesight test.

He's a young soldier and would hope to advance in the army but comes across as somewhat naive as a superhero. Despite his power he's a small fish in a very big pond. Probably Teen Titans level I guess though some of those guys are stronger or tougher or hit harder. Mind you the Teen Titans I remember are from the 80s so who knows in that team now?

Anyway, happy to tweak/ditch/go with as required just say the word.

Hmm got a few typos to correct!

Have to sit down with a calculator and re-read my own creation rules but at first glance it looks fine.  Just make sure nothing can go over 10 APs.  

Timely had a Patriot character, who was later retconned to be one of the Captain America replacements after Steve disappeared.  No superpowers though.  Going to claim to be his great-grandson or no relation?  

Sometimes he wore shorts instead of long pants.  I figure since he was wearing his costume under his regular clothes, he wore the short pants version during the summer so as to not get heat stroke.    

Now I just need to see if Dave and Andy are interested in trying this adventure out.

Much prefer that costume! Heromachine (at least the version I used) is somewhat dated I must admit!

I can cook up other characters if you like (I'm on a roll, prowling about looking for posts to update). I went with 76 for base stats of 3 physical 2 across the board, those two skills (Mil Science and Weaponry) at level 2 and 450HP for powers and skills. I'll print off a version of the character sheet to include the costs, hang on a sec...



I love Density Increase. Great bang per buck especially with the 'does not reduce Dex' option. Downside is weighing a ton and a half so it would no good in a lift, rope bridge and so on. I'd also assume a reduced flight speed as he's not just flying himself (2APs) but extra weight (4APS bump weight up to 6APs) when using density increase. Can't use Flight as OV or Link Flight would have been same cost so just went with OV no go as Flight can get much faster very cheaply being only FC1.

Energy Blast I thought for the times when he can't reach the lever on the death ray cause he's strapped down or something but it doesn't do anything his fists can't do save at range. Telescopic Vision to reduce the range penalty, would have liked a few more senses but costs... Saying that with 50HP from Background (not spent) that Rage could be toned down and maybe a few cheap senses paid for.

The too long didn't read version is that Base stats (Physical 3, all others 2) are 76hp, Skills (Mil science and Weaponry 2) are 30 so 106 + 450 base + 50 from personal data/history/background/description/picture then anything else from weaknesses. I'll fill in those other bits if you are ok to go ahead with it.

In the meantime if you have any other requirements for characters it's very easy to knock them out with the character creation program I use. Unfortunately it needs Windows 7 to run Windows Emulator XP to actually work, so it's not worth the hassle if you are on 10 or 11.

Got all those NPC heroes in the NPC heroes posts section that need to be stated that I've listed. I haven't bothered because most of them wouldn't be adventuring with our heroes. But if you are bored or want to be distracted, go for it.

Admin wrote:The too long didn't read version is that Base stats (Physical 3, all others 2) are 76hp, Skills (Mil science and Weaponry 2) are 30 so 106 + 450 base + 50 from personal data/history/background/description/picture then anything else from weaknesses.  I'll fill in those other bits if you are ok to go ahead with it.

In the meantime if you have any other requirements for characters it's very easy to knock them out with the character creation program I use. Unfortunately it needs Windows 7 to run Windows Emulator XP to actually work, so it's not worth the hassle if you are on 10 or 11.

I'm thinking of being a descendant of The Fin who is in the navy.
https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Peter_Noble_(Earth-616)



Powers
The Fin has twenty times normal human strength and is able to survive the crushing pressures of the ocean's depths. He can breathe air or water, and can swim as fast as a torpedo.

Abilities
The Fin is an able seaman

Paraphernalia
Weapons
The Fin is armed with a magical cutlass, able to cut through nearly anything. The cutlass's magic also prevents him from aging.

I was always sad that the Fin wasn't more popular. I think he got that sword on his last published adventure. Have to ask Paul about how to make a sword for the game. Gadget rules are very confusing to me in this system.

I'll look at Chapter 7 in The Blood of Heroes "Gadgetry".

Do you want us to start out with all our powers or as the basic military person and get the powers in game?

You start with the powers, you just haven't really used them in public yet.  You also start with a couple of listed skills and stats that are explained in the character creation section I wrote.


From the Ultra Top Secret History of Project GI Joe [for character creation]:

everyone starts off as so:

Dex/Str/Body: 3
All other stats are 2.

Skills;
Military Science 2
Weaponry 2

Then 3 pts, actual not HP, to spend on rank and/or subskills that reflect what MOS [Military Occupational Skills] they had. So if a player wanted their character to be an Air Force Pilot or Space Force Pilot/Astronaut, they would buy the rank/advantage Officer for one point and then two points to spend on their appropriate pilot subskill. Helicopter pilot needs to be either a Warrant Officer or Officer, so they would have to buy that rank/advantage for one point and then two points into their specialty - rotary craft. Using the optional Vehicle/Weapons Specialization rule from BOH page 118.

For non-specialized MOS's, the player would roll 1d6, ignore a six and re-roll, and whatever number that comes up, that's their rank, E-1 to E-5. Also toying with the idea that if you roll a six, you could get Warrant Officer 1 or 2 or Officer rank O-1 or O-2. That would be rolling 1d4 to determine which rank.

This may need work, but so far I have the following. I couldn't find any rules on slow aging or able to cut through anything without something just having a ridiculously high EV. I hope it is okay to give the magic cutlass a Body of 12. I don't know another way to make it invulnerable due to magic.

The Fin (Lieutenant Dan Noble)
Hero
Seeking Justice
Hero Points: 518 (493 Spent)

DEX 7 (42 HP)
STR 7 (36 HP)
BODY 7/7 (36 HP)
INT 6 (35 HP)
WILL 6 (30 HP)
MIND 6/6 (30 HP)
INFL 5 (21 HP)
AURA 5 (18 HP)
SPIRIT 5/5 (18 HP)
Initiative 18

Powers:
Water Freedom 7* (13 HP)
Swimming 7* (13 HP)
Telepathy 6* (32 HP)

Skills:
Military Science 6* (33 HP)
Weaponry 7* (26 HP)
Vehicles (Water) 7* (13 HP)

Advantages:
Gadget (Magic Cutlass)
[Body: 12 Hardened, EV: 10, Cost: 84 HP]

GADGET (WETSUIT)
[Body: 3, Ice/Water Production 1, Cost: 37]

Drawbacks:
Gradual Loss Vulnerability (Physical Attributes) 18 HP
If not immersed in water or in his wetsuit, The Fin's strength gradually weakens.

Height: 6’ 1”
Weight: 190 lbs
Age: 32
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Wealth: 7 (16 HP)
Group: GI JOE
Base:
Occupation: Navy Lieutenant
Marital Status: Single
Relatives: The Fin (Peter Noble) father, Nia Noble mother, U-Man maternal grandfather, Lady Lotus maternal grandmother

This is what the character creation program comes up with:



The only things I'd probably suggest are: some kind of faster healing (maybe in water) and some way of getting about out of water, like jumping (a few aps maybe). Perhaps Ultra vision or Active sonar to 'see' underwater/in the dark too.

Telepathy has a nice bonus where you can attack mind to mind so not just for chatting without words.

On the outside of it His AV7/EV10 is slightly weaker than the Patriots 10/10 but Weaponry really gives a boost with 4 extra dice (assuming we're running with the house rules we run in the other games) and levels the playing field with much better roll results.

I'm learning some stuff anyway. So many obscure (non marvel/dc) characters out there!

To counteract the effects of ageing in a game sense the Invulnerability Power does this. It's a bit of a fudge though. In game terms add APs of invulnerability to body/mind/spirit against effects or attacks that age but the GM makes a call on extending the lifespan or slowing the ageing of the character. I'd just handwave it or say pay 5 Base Cost and state 'the sword extends your lifespan by slowing down your ageing' and have done. The only real issue I guess is where to hid the sword. Did Fin summon it up or did it shrink or (eek!) did he stuff it down his pants?

I think you want Systemic Antidote with its +1 cost, Old Age Defense.

Though it would be better if you went with the your original idea that he is the great-grandson of the original Fin since the idea here is that everyone in the group has been victims/volunteers of various government Super Soldier programs or descended from such folks. Otherwise, if you were the original Fin everyone would be asking you why you weren't in the huge fight that we just got done doing over in the main adventure Paul's running.

Aha! Systemic Antidote! Another way of getting around ageing! I knew there was something else out there but couldn't put my finger on it. Or just an advantage I suppose of the sword. 'Wielder does not age (or ages much slower) whilst they are the recognised owner of the magic cutlass' sort of thing.

DavidMcMahon wrote:I think you want Systemic Antidote with its +1 cost, Old Age Defense.

Though it would be better if you went with the your original idea that he is the great-grandson of the original Fin since the idea here is that everyone in the group has been victims/volunteers of various government Super Soldier programs or descended from such folks.  Otherwise, if you were the original Fin everyone would be asking you why you weren't in the huge fight that we just got done doing over in the main adventure Paul's running.

My character is the original Fin's son. The Fin doesn't age, so there is no need to be his great grandson. Since Dan is taking up the mantle of The Fin, Dan either has his father's old sword or a very good replica (most likely). Let's say at this point Dan has a replica that doesn't have the anti-aging mojo. (He doesn't want his pops to die after all.) So I'll skip the anti-aging thing.

I'm trying to keep Dan's powers consistent with his parents power sets. (The Fin and Nia Noble, daughter of U-Man and Lady Lotus.)

Tweaked character. Reduced Sealed Systems added low (trained but no better than normal human) aps Martial Artist and Detective and reduced rage more in keeping with 4 colour heroics. Applied the 50Hp from Background/description/Details/Picture and changed name to fit in keeping with Jeffrey Mace the original Patriot.



Any changes required?

Concerning the Fin's weakness of losing strength unless immersed in water.  A few question to get answered so we are all on the same page.

We are talking totally immersion, right? Not taking a shower or having a fire hose turned on him in order to get his strength back?  You didn't limit it to seawater so any water.  So he would at least need a large hot tub-sized body of water to get his strength back, yes?  Modern bathtubs are too small for immersion.  So hot tubs, pools, ponds, lakes, rivers and creeks deep enough to go totally underwater and the sea.  Anything I missed?  Some creeks, also depending on time of year, are less than knee high and wouldn't work for immersion.

Slowly fading strength.  
1 hour is 10 APs.  The Fin currently has an 8 Str and it goes down to 3 in an hour.  So basically 5 time shifts in the first hour or every 12 minutes you lose a point of Strength.  Or did you mean that after an hour has gone by out of water he will then start to lose his strength?  So first hour, he is fine but start of second hour, every 12 minutes he loses a point of Strength until he is down to 3.  I think that's what you meant.  

Actually, I'm not sure if having both an 8 in Str and Martial Arts violates the "nothing over 10" rule when it comes to combat at the start of this game.  That just hit me while I was typing this.  Also, the same may be said of the Cutlass.

Paul will have to step in on that as he is the dice roller and knows his combat system best.  I don't remember if he combines Strength and Martial Arts or Martial Arts and Weaponry or Strength and Weaponry when doing combat.  If he does and it goes over 10, we are going to have to make some changes there.

Sorry, didn't catch it until now. Not a rule expert for our home modified game.

Anyway, the NPCs are done introducing themselves, so you two can introduce yourselves when you have time to post.

You two will team-up for this first mission.  So who do you want as your third member of your super fire team?  I tried to make enough variety that they didn't overlap your heroes' power sets so you can pick someone who might help balance what you are missing power or skill-wise.

Martial Artist adds extra dice when rolling to hit or can be used (instead) to boost strength by +1 AP. Back in the day (I think in 1st edition and probably 2nd. Heck maybe 3rd too?) Martial Artist could substitute for Effect Value and give Batman the same power (9APs) with his punches as a .50 cal machine gun or more, which is crazy. The way we use skills these days means that a bunch of dice are rolled, pick the best and ditch the rest. Hopefully that higher roll will add a few APs to your effect value.

Using that method Batman would roll 6D12 (picking the best 2D12 and discarding the rest. He's pretty much guaranteed a result in the teens and quite often a double) with every attack and any extra would add to his 5APs of Strength. Whilst that is still crazy (5APs is Superhuman with a lifting weight of 751 - 1500lbs to my mind) it's not as patently bonkers as him being able to punch through brick walls and make a dent in a tank and so on.

I'd say the weakness for Fin starts to affect him an hour out of some kind of water immersion. Even a shower would sustain him and in rain he'd have his full strength. Perhaps (in time) some kind of wetsuit to retain water and extend that range so long as its not punctured and leaks out? If I were GMing Fin I'd say he's at full strength for an hour then loses 1 AP every 15 minutes (8APs) afterwards as the weakness grants not much in the way of HP so doesn't warrant crippling the character. That's your call though, and maybe some nice roleplaying opportunities as Fin crashes through someones bathroom window to stand under the shower and then out again back into the fight, leaving a gaping man or woman in a comic code authority approved towel in his wake...

So yeah, Skills add extra dice, not APs. Martial Artist was way overpowered in 1st edition though. It substituted for Dex AND Str in combat and was an easy way to get huge bang/buck out of characters! Still had plenty of fun with the game though!

So OK we are good with the way the Fin is currently written I guess.

Have you guys decided who you want as your teammate among the other 10?

Yes, I see a shower as being okay. And rain. Basically he just needs to be fully wet. Putting his hand in a glass of water won't do it. And there is no affect until after an hour. I'm expecting this to be when special cases arise, like capture. He also only goes down to 3 for strength which is still pretty strong. So he may decided to go to a 2 hour movie and just hope he doesn't need to be superstrong before he can go get himself good an wet.

I added the Martial arts for the +1 advantages per the Blood of Hero's write up. Since his strength and Dex are 8, that shouldn't put him above a 10. Since the cutlass is a melee weapon, he uses Martial Arts when fighting with it.

I have not looked at the NPCs and was not aware we could chose who would go with us.