Professor Challenger

[quarkstomper]

I just finished a series of pieces on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World over at the Great Orange Satan, as we like to call it; and it inspired me to try statting up that belligerant biologist, Professor George Edward Challenger.

Professor George Edward Challenger (252 points)

Attributes: [180]
ST: 15
DX: 11
IQ: 14
HT: 13
HP: 15
Will: 14
Per: 14
Fat: 13
Speed: 6
Move: 6
Dodge: 9
(Although short, Challenger is a powerfully-built man with exceptional upper-body strength. I put his Dex at slightly above average due to his athleticism, but could easily knock it down a level. I put his Intelligence at a tentative 14. He is highly intelligent, but I didn't want to make him too competent. I might raise his IQ by a level, though, to reduce the cost of some of his skills)

Languages: [13 points]
English (native)
German (native)
French (native)
Latin (accent)
Greek (accent)
Lingoa Geral (accent, spoken only)
(Cost reflects discount from Language Talent. We know he speaks fluent German because he can argue Darwinist Evolution in it. French, Latin and Greek are languages that a scientist of his era would be expected to have at least a passing familiarity with. Lingoa Geral, according to the book, is the patois of Portugese and Indian dialects spoken throughout much of the Amazon basin. He more likely would have it at "broken", but thanks to the Language Talent, putting one point into it give it to him at "accented".)

Advantages: [65 points]
Charisma 2 (he largely negates this by offending everyone he meets, but he does have a forceful personality)
Fearlessness 2
Fit
Higher Purpose: Advance the Cause of Science (Okay, this one might be iffy. I could be talked out of it)
Language Talent
Penetrating Voice
Status 2 (One level from Wealth; one by virtue of his social position as a professor of science)
Tenure
Wealth: Wealthy (Not sure about this, but the way his home is described suggests a better-than-comfortable income. Come to think of it, I probably should give him Independent Income as well)

Disadvantages: [-88 points]
Appearance: Ugly, (-2 reaction) (This I am not happy with. His appearence is striking, and unusual, but is it ugly? I'm tempted to go with Impressive, but I'm not sure if his appearance should be a positive)
Bad Temper
Bully
Callous
Code of Honor: Professional (Scientist) (He feels a deep sense of responsibility to use his superior intellect for the advancement of knowledge)
Dependent: Wife (loved one, appears rarely, 25%)
Intolerance: Journalists (well, everyone, really, but especially journalists)
Odious Personal Habits: Condescending (-2 reaction) (In most people this would be a quirk, but most people aren't G.E.C.)
Overconfidece
Reputation: Crank (-4 reaction, scientific academics; large class)
Selfish (not that he is greedy, of course, but in the GURPS sense of being self-important and self-centered)
Stubbronness (hoo-boy, yes)

Quirks [-3]
Distinctive Features: Bushy beard, broad shoulders, barrel chest, etc. (Yes, this is me still trying to quantify his Appearance)
Incompetence: Diplomacy
Likes to refer to himself my his initials ("G.E.C.")


Skills [85 points]
Anthropology -16
Biology: Zoology -17 (his main specialty)
Brawling -13 (he has a hobby of assaulting impertinent reporters who intrude upon him)
Climbing -13 (he demonstrates skill at rock-climbing)
Detect Lies -12 (I gave him this because of line from another bombastic professor, Doctor Gideon Fell, who once told a police inspector that being a former schoolteacher he had more experience in dealing with habitual liars)
First Aid -14 (I always give my characters First Aid, whether they want it or not)
Geology -14 (not a primary specialty, I might knock it down a level or two; but he comes out of old tradition of the Naturalist familiar with wide areas of Natural History)
Guns: Rifle -11 (we don't see him shoot in the book, but I assume that he would have some familiarity with firearms. I could be persuaded to drop it, though)
Intimidation -14
Linguistics -14
Mathematics: Applied -14
Paleontology -15
Physics -15 (I gave him this mainly on the strength of the sequel to The Lost World, The Poison Belt, in which he discovers a current in the ether inimicable to life on earth But thinking about it some more, I might drop this and Mathematics as well)
Public Speaking -16
Research -14
Survival: Jungle -14
Teaching -11 (reflects -3 from Callous)

Well, this is what I have. Any thoughts? Comments?

[Purple Haze]

I know nothing about Professor Challenger but....

15 is a high strength. I would be reluctant to give it to somebody that was not defined by athleticism. Given your description, perhaps 13 plus 2 points of arm strength?

14 is a very high IQ, as you are already worried about what it does to his lessor skills, knock it down a point and add a point or two to a "life sceince" or a "natural history" talent?

13 is also a lot of health, is really such a defining characteristic?

I wouldn't allow a PC any of those as quirks.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by quarkstomper

First Aid -14 (I always give my characters First Aid, whether they want it or not)

Technically, he's Doyle's character, not yours... <g>

I don't know the source well enough to know whether he should or should not have First Aid, but I suspect an adventurer would probably have picked up at least the basics of the skill. Would he have it at IQ, though?

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by robkelk

I don't know the source well enough to know whether he should or should not have First Aid, but I suspect an adventurer would probably have picked up at least the basics of the skill. Would he have it at IQ, though?

That's only a point's worth - it's IQ/E. I think he would have it, since it fits his self-image of general competence.

[whswhs]

Professor Challenger strikes me as one of the early poster boys for Science! skill.

Bill Stoddard

[whswhs]

Some other points:

With only five non-native languages, giving him Language Talent is at best breakeven: It saves him 2 points per language, or 10 points, but it costs 10 points. And you've already noted that he really ought not to have Lingoa Geral at higher than Broken. I would drop Language Talent (saving 10 points) and put the extra points into French, German, Greek, and Latin—but not Linguoa Geral (8 points).

Does Fearlessness 2 accomplish anything? His IQ and Will are both 14 already, and Fearlessness 2 raises his Will to 16 for Fright Checks; but on a Fright Check, a Will of 14 or higher is reduced to 13—a rolled 14+ always fails. The benefit of Fearlessness seems pretty marginal.

If his appearance is striking and memorable, but not repulsive, take a look at Distinctive Features.

Does his wife actually ever go along on his adventures? If not, I suggest dropping Dependent and taking Sense of Duty [Wife] for -2 points.

You refer to his coming out of the old tradition of the naturalist, but you seem not to have given him Naturalist skill. But I think that has to be what he was relying on to survive in The Lost World.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Purple Haze

I know nothing about Professor Challenger but....

15 is a high strength. I would be reluctant to give it to somebody that was not defined by athleticism. Given your description, perhaps 13 plus 2 points of arm strength?
.

15 is probably already stat normalizing Challenge. His physical description is virtually gorilla-like. People who see him don't pick him out as "just" obviously strong.

He's generally a very physical person leading expeditions all over the world and tamping through the thickest of jungles in an indefatigable manner.

As a further testament to his physical and mental ability he usually ends up in the Wold Newton genealogy.

I don't think the OP has exaggerated anything including his forceful but beligerent and abrasive personality.

His wife gets mentioned more than once and I think passes out genteelly from comet gas in one story. Dependent might be borderline but is not out of the question.