Sinbad the Sailor

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by cbower

I'm being serious: this seems low.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Phil is working from original Arabic sources. Precious little swashbuckling be it
Acrobatics or Swordplay in them. This Sinbad resembles no one named Fairbanks at all.

Actually, he could be a perfectly average guy with a Destiny (Kismet) to survive fantastic adventures and tell the tales. Arabic folklore is very big on inescapable destiny and sometimes appears passive or at least fatalistic to most Western traditions of storytelling.

I was just thinking that a favorable Destiny might be at least a partial replacement for Luck.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by cbower

I'm being serious: this seems low.

I know what you mean. But giving him decent scores in the things he repeatedly uses successfully, and enough Luck to patch over the occasional failure, seemed aesthetically preferable to 10 in everything and Cosmic Ridiculous Luck.

Originally Posted by Fred Brackin

Phil is working from original Arabic sources.

Honesty would compel me to add "...in translation."

Originally Posted by Not another shrubbery

I was just thinking that a favorable Destiny might be at least a partial replacement for Luck.

I considered that, but all he accomplishes in the end is ... being Sinbad. Big Destinies should shape the world; he just observes it.

[Phil Masters]

As promised, here's my treatment of the Hollywood version of Sinbad (who receives a little discussion in the book).

Hollywood Sinbad (314 points)

ST 12 [20]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 12 [40]; HT 12 [20].
Damage 1d-1/1d+2; BL 29*lb; HP 12 [0]; Will 14 [10]; Per 12 [0]; FP 12 [0].
Basic Speed 6.50 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 10*.
6'1"; 175 lbs..

Social Background
TL: 4 [0].
CF: Islamic (Native) [0].
Languages: Arabic (Native) [0].

Advantages
Appearance (Handsome) [12]; Combat Reflexes [15]; Luck [15]; Patrons (Good Prince/Caliph/etc.; 9 or less) [25]; Reputation +2 (Great Sailor, in his homeland's court and among Arabian sailors; 10 or less; Large class) [2]; Serendipity 1 [15]; Status +2 [10]; Wealth (Comfortable) [10].
Perks: Sure-Footed (Naval Training). [1]

Disadvantages
Code of Honor (Gentleman's) [-10]; Dependent (High-Status Beloved; No more than 50%; 12 or less; Loved one) [-20]; Impulsiveness (15 or less) [-5]; Sense of Duty (Friends and Home Nation; Large Group) [-10].
Quirks: Broad-Minded; Congenial; Loves Travel; Romantic. [-4]

Skills
Acrobatics (H) DX [4]-14; Area Knowledge (The Seven Seas) (E) IQ+1 [2]-13; Brawling (E) DX [1]-14; Carousing (E) HT [1]-12; Climbing (A) DX [2]-14; First Aid/TL4 (Human) (E) IQ [1]-12; Jumping (E) DX [1]-14; Merchant (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Sailor! (WC) IQ+2 [48]-14; Savoir-Faire (High Society) (E) IQ [1]-12; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-13; Streetwise (A) IQ-1 [1]-11; Sword! (WC) DX [24]-14.

**Includes +1 from 'Combat Reflexes'.

Sailor! replaces Meteorology, Navigation (Sea), Seamanship, and Shiphandling (Ship), and also Carpentry when working on water craft, Cartography when interpreting nautical charts, Engineer when assessing designs of or required repairs on water craft, Freight Handling when working on them, Leadership when commanding a ship's crew, and Tactics in naval actions. Make a DX-based roll in place of Boating or Knot-Tying, and of Acrobatics or Climbing when climbing in or swinging from a ship's rigging, a HT-based roll in place of Swimming, or a Per-based roll in place of Fishing or Survival (Island/Beach). This wildcard skill isn't recommended for use at higher Tech Levels, but should work okay up to TL 4.

This character sheet isn't based on any specific movie, but is more of a composite of the treatments of Sinbad throughout cinema history. Hollywood Sinbad is an expert swordsman, and seems to be rated as his land's best sailor and sea captain, which sometimes leads to him being asked to perform services for a grateful ruler.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Phil Masters

Hollywood Sinbad is an expert swordsman, and seems to be rated as his land's best sailor and sea captain, which sometimes leads to him being asked to perform services for a grateful ruler.

If skill 12 is the minimum for a professional, is skill 14 really 'the best in the land'?

That seems to flatten the curve for notable people in the field almost down to uselessness.

What's wrong with giving him Sailor! 16+?

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Icelander

If skill 12 is the minimum for a professional, is skill 14 really 'the best in the land'?

Don't equivocate between actual skills and Bang! skills.

What's wrong with giving him Sailor! 16+?

96 character points worth of skill inflation. It would give him a 16 in about a dozen abilities.

Versatility is an excellence of its own.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

Don't equivocate between actual skills and Bang! skills.

In the Basic Set, Bang! skills are not worth taking. When you add on rules as in Monster Hunters, that might change, but as is, having skill 14 in a bunch of skills of varying utility is not better than having skill 18+ in Seamanship and having skill 15+ in Shiphandling, Tactics, Navigation and Leadership.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

96 character points worth of skill inflation. It would give him a 16 in about a dozen abilities.

Versatility is an excellence of its own.

Yes, but only if taking a Bang! skill is the cheapest way to get there. And someone famous for being the best at all aspects of a profession probably ought have higher skill level than an average veteran of that profession does.

It feels extremely disconcerting if a PC, taking note of what a minimum professional competence in a given skill is, gives his PC slightly higher skill than that, but accidentally ends up better at Seamanship or Navigation than the memetic badass of the entire setting.

[Agemegos]

Originally Posted by Icelander

In the Basic Set, Bang! skills are not worth taking.

That's not a problem you fix by buying even more levels of them.

Yes, but only if taking a Bang! skill is the cheapest way to get there.

No. It is. Versatility is an excellence whether a Bang! skill is the cheap way to get it or a list of fourteen skills and optional specialisations is the cheap way to get it.

[Icelander]

Originally Posted by Agemegos

That's not a problem you fix by buying even more levels of them.

In-setting characters don't see point values. They do notice legendary sailors being worse at their job skills than ordinary people who have no distinction other than having gone to sea for several years.

You can't set the bar for 'best ever' at two levels beyond 'basic competence', unless you want to have no way to distinguish between 'ordinary seaman', 'someone qualified as able seaman' and 'someone who is a genuine expert onboard a ship', either.

Originally Posted by Agemegos

No. It is. Versatility is an excellence whether a Bang! skill is the cheap way to get it or a list of fourteen skills and optional specialisations is the cheap way to get it.

Sure, but you don't get legendary status because you can save a couple of dinars by not having to hire someone to keep your cabin clean. If your Navigation and Shiphandling skills are several levels below what is possible for dedicated shipcaptains, it's implausible for you to be the benchmark for legendary skill among that fraternity.

[Phil Masters]

Originally Posted by Icelander

If skill 12 is the minimum for a professional, is skill 14 really 'the best in the land'?

(1) He's a great all-rounder, thanks to this being a wildcard skill. Even if other people can occasionally out-compete him in specific areas, he never does badly at anything. Plus, he always gets back from all those dangerous adventures. He's "obviously" very good at his job.

(2) He has looks and charm. People are suckers for that. It probably inflates his rep.

(3) Most importantly, he's the hero of Hollywood movies with relatively restricted FX budgets, most of which go on the monsters and fight scenes. His sailing skills aren't that severely tested.

[Anders]

Shouldn't he have more Luck?