Stating Nicky Holroyd

[Astromancer]

What it says on the tin. I'm doing a time travel campaign with a mystery linking Medieval France and 1950s New York. The PCs might meet Nicky Holroyd, a mischievous and playful Warlock.

Nicky Holroyd is a major supporting character in both the Stage and Screen versions of Bell, Book, and Candle. He's the brother of Gillian Holroyd and soon after the end of the story, Shep's brother-in-law.

The author of the play says that Nicky was always meant to be bisexual. But that was pretty much censored in both stage and screen versions. Although Jack Lemmon claims to have played Nicky Holroyd as Bi.

Sidney Redlitch the author whose book Gillian hexes in the film, becomes a friend of Nicky's, and possibly something more.

Nicky looks like Jack Lemmon, so he's either Attractive with Charisma or Handsome with Charisma.

Nicky makes his living as a jazz musician in 1950s New York. That requires skill, even for a Warlock.

I assume that Nicky as both a very rare functional Warlock and a professional musician must be fairly intelligent. Also, anyone reading the play will be impressed with Nicky's quick wit and sly word play. High intelligence is indicated.

I assume that Nicky has the same physical stats as Jack Lemmon.

I am assuming Nicky Holroyd is Path/Book magician. But I'll figure those details for myself.

Thanks to the Hive mind.

[Astromancer]

Is anyone going to comment?

[TGLS]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Nicky looks like Jack Lemmon, so he's either Attractive with Charisma or Handsome with Charisma.

Well you could take the Hollywood reality interpretation and go with, "Everyone looks like a movie star, but the only people with exceptional appearance are the ones called out for it."

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Nicky makes his living as a jazz musician in 1950s New York. That requires skill, even for a Warlock.

Musical Instrument (Whichever) at 12-14. The appearance/charisma probably helps. Add an agent as a perk/ally/contact (though contacts are graphically expensive) or add skills to handle getting gigs (hm... Administration, Connoisseur, Current Affairs, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Law)

Originally Posted by Astromancer

I assume that Nicky as both a very rare functional Warlock and a professional musician must be fairly intelligent.

Probably the more point efficient route though plausibly the answer could be that he's merely very industrious/talented at two things.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by TGLS

Well you could take the Hollywood reality interpretation and go with, "Everyone looks like a movie star, but the only people with exceptional appearance are the ones called out for it."

I'm going to go with positive appearance and Charisma.

Musical Instrument (Whichever) at 12-14. The appearance/charisma probably helps. Add an agent as a perk/ally/contact (though contacts are graphically expensive) or add skills to handle getting gigs (hm... Administration, Connoisseur, Current Affairs, Diplomacy, Fast-Talk, Law)

Agent ally makes sense. But New York was a very competitive market. Do you think 14s in musical skills would cut it?

Probably the more point efficient route though plausibly the answer could be that he's merely very industrious/talented at two things.

Nicky Holroyd probably has the Lazy disadvantage. I think very high IQ and waste of potential to be far more likely.

What do you think of giving Nicky Holroyd at least a perk level of Callous. He's good at reading people and very social, but he's very irresponsible.

[Pursuivant]

I'm not familiar with the character, but obviously both being bisexual and being a warlock count as serious Secrets in the 1950s.

In a relatively close magical community, he's likely to have a Reputation (good and/or bad) and possibly the usual run of Allies, Contacts, and Favors.

[Astromancer]

Playing around.

As I am giving Nicky Jack Lemmon's appearance and physical stats, and Lemmon was a working actor in a period when the studios demanded sixty to eighty hour weeks, and seems to have had no health problems, I feel safe in giving Nicky 12 in HT. This makes sense for Nicky as well as Jack because Nicky works the hours of a period New York jazz musician without notable stress.

Given the physical demands of the film studios in this period, and the fact that Lemmon could do good slapstick, ST 11 and DX 12 seem like minimums. Remember film stars are an elite group.

For my money Jack Lemmon was Handsome and had at least Charisma +2.

Nicky unlike Jack seems to have the Lazy and Callous disadvantages. However Nicky consistently reads people well. The Sensitive advantage would cover this well.

I assume that given the fact that Nicky is a working Muscian in 1950s New York as well as a functional Warlock, I'm saying he has IQ 14. He is wasting his potential.

I agree that both being a Warlock and being Bisexual would have some level of secrecy attached to them. But Nicky isn't that secretive. Nicky's secrets would be open ones. Rare areas of discretion.

Nicky would have some level of Playful. Nicky wouldn't have the Trickster disadvantage as written. But he is a kind of Trickster. Would a Odious Personal Habit be the better way to describe it?

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Playing around.

As I am giving Nicky Jack Lemmon's appearance and physical stats, and Lemmon was a working actor in a period when the studios demanded sixty to eighty hour weeks, and seems to have had no health problems, I feel safe in giving Nicky 12 in HT. This makes sense for Nicky as well as Jack because Nicky works the hours of a period New York jazz musician without notable stress.

Given the physical demands of the film studios in this period, and the fact that Lemmon could do good slapstick, ST 11 and DX 12 seem like minimums. Remember film stars are an elite group.

For my money Jack Lemmon was Handsome and had at least Charisma +2.

I think your approach conflates some things that ought to be kept separate. The traits of the character must not be conflated with those of the actor.

This applies in a really basic way to appearance. There is a well-known concept called "Hollywood Ugly": the character who is played by an actor with the exceptional looks typical of movie actors, but who has been put in glasses, or made up, or given an unbecoming hairstyle, and who is understood by the audience to be unattractive or outright ugly—even though if you met that person face to face you would almost surely find them attractive. A lesser parallel is that nearly all the characters are played by professional actors, who are at least above average, but in the imagined world of the film as "average." You have to downgrade appearance from how the actor looks in real world terms.

An actor who is in robust good health can certainly play a character who is not, or even an invalid.

You make the broader point that film stars are an elite group. But film characters are not an elite group; they include people who are average and even below average. If the traits of the actor carried over to those of the character than it would be impossible to make movies about average people. Since it isn't, you have to refrain from basing the traits of the character on those of the actor.

(Consider a converse: Heroes of action movies regularly do impressive physical feats. But in fact most of those feats are done by stunt doubles; the stars of action movies aren't all Jackie Chan or Michelle Pfeiffer. So would you lower the physical stats of the characters to the more limited stats of the stars who play them?)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by whswhs

I think your approach conflates some things that ought to be kept separate. The traits of the character must not be conflated with those of the actor.

I get your argument, your points are sound. But to simplfy coming up with Nicky Holroyd's stats, I specifically chose to conflate Nicky and Jack. Were I had information beyond Jack Lemmon's performance I used it. I'm not naive, I'm using a short cut.

What's your opinion within my stated choice of conflating the two.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

What's your opinion within my stated choice of conflating the two.

I know so little about Jack Lemmon that I can't have an informed opinion. I believe I have seen the movie, but it was so long ago that I really can't have an informed opinion about it, either.

[Astromancer]

Trying to stat Nicky.

ST 11

DX 12

IQ 14

HT 12

Per 15

Advantages Charisma +2, Handsome(Charming, built like impressive, but simply denoting pleasant looks), Musical Talent+2, Ritual Adept, Ritual Aptitude, Sensitive.

Disadvantages Callous, Lazy, O.P.H. (pranks and Tricks), Playful, Secret (Bisexual), Secret (Warlock).


Skills Area Knowledge(Manhattan)-14, Area Knowledge(Greenwich Village)-14, Area Knowledge(U.S.)-13, Connoisseur(Jazz)-16, Connoisseur(Modern Art)-13, Musical Instrument (Bongo Drums)-16, Musical instrument (Drum Set)-15, Musical Instrument (Piano)-15, Savior Faire(Jazzmen)-15, Savior Faire(Music Business and Agents)-14


Other details later.