Characters thread

[arcady]

So, as per the thread discussing the idea, here's a thread to actually post characters, and maybe even talk about them as well (but lets try to get a bunch of them up there so the thread actually looks like what it claims).

I've got three on the way, for my next post.

[arcady]

Ok, one of these three will be my next PC for a 150 point fantasy game that doesn't allow cinematic rules. I just haven't been able to pick yet. That game allows non humans, but in 4e they cost so much they're not worth it unless you really really really want to stick to the stereotype of them.

Campaign norms:
150 point as per GURPS default, with the defaul 75 limit on disads + Quirks.
TL 3, and the magic system got replaced by a set of house rules last session (and so I'm swapping my mage out for one of these three).

Nelani
Shapeshifting catgirl-felinoid.

12	ST	20
13	DX	60
10	IQ	0
12	HT	20
[80 pts]

Sub-stats
10	+2 PER {12}
15	+0.75 Basic Speed
[25 pts]

Advantages
31	Alternate Forms: Felanoid and Cat.
	(Uncontrollable, Unreliable 11-, can only revert under moonlight)
16	Very Beautiful
05	Pitiable (cat-girls are cute...)
05	Flexibility
10	Voice
[67 pts]

Disadvantages
-1	Unatural Features: even in 'human' form she has cat ears,
	whiskers, and a tail. Only -1 as she can tuck them away.
-10	Squeamish
-7	Compulsive Carousing 9-
-22	Lecherous (meow) 9-
-5	Indecisive 15-
-10	Lunacy
-5	Chumy
-5	Social Status: Second-Class
-10	Gullibility 12-
-3	Illiterate
[-78 pts]

Theme:
Nelani is a shapeshifter, able to assume a 'cat-girl' form, or the form of a 
pure cat. When under stress, she will invuluntarily shift out of human form,
otherwise it is a difficult matter for her to change, including to change back
to human.

Quirks - subject to revision in play
-1	Constantly grooming
-1	Asks a lot of questions
-1	Follower mentality
-1	Forgets details
-1	worry-wort
[-5 pts]

Talents
10	Outdoorsman 1 (Camouflage, Fishing, Mimicry, Naturalist,
	Survival, Tracking, nature freak reaction bonus)
05	Allure 1 (Dancing, Erotic Art, Makeup, Sex Appeal, Singing)
[15 pts]

Skills
1	??? Unspent ???
1	Acrobatics		11	d
2	Bow			13	d
4	Brawling		15	d
0	Camouflage		11+1	I
1	Carousing		12	h
1	Climbing		12+3	d
0	Dancing			8+1	d
1	Detect Lies		10	p
1	Diplomacy		8+2
0	Disguise		5-1	I
1	Escape			11+3	d
1	Erotic Art		12+1+3	d
1	Fast Talk		9+2	I
0	Fishing			8+1	p
0	Makeup			6+1	I
0	Mimicry			4+1+2	I
1	Naturalist		8+1	I
1	Observation		11	p
0	Performance		7+2
0	Politics		5+2
1	Public Speaking		9+2
1	Search			11	p
0	Sex Appeal		9+1+2+(6m/2f)
0	Singing			8+1+2	h
1	Shadowing		10-1	I
1	Shortsword		12
1	Stealth			12
1	Survival		11+1	p
1	Tracking		11+1	p
1	Urban Survival		11	p
1	Broadsword		12
1	Streetwise		9	I
[23 pts]


Reactions:
+2 voice
+2f/+5m Beauty
-1 Social Status
+1 Pitiable


Mvmt
Basic Speed 7.0
Move 7
Swim 1

Encumbrance
None 13
Light 26
Med 39
Hvy 78
X-Hvy 130

1 Active Defenses
Dodge 10 (11 as Felinoid)
parry 10 (11 as Felinoid)
parry 7 (8 as Felinoid) v non thrusting weapons)

Age: 17
Height: 5'4"
Weight: 109 lbs
Appearance: Nelani is a short curvy young girl with cat ears and tail. Her 
hair is orange, matching her color when she 'shifts' into one of her two cat 
forms.


Felanoid Form (b.261) [35 pts]:
ST 10 [-1] DX 14 [+1] IQ 10 HT 12
Claw: 1d cutting (kick 1d+3 cut)
Bite: 1d-1 cutting
Accute Hearing, Accute Tastes and Smell, Catfall, Claws (Sharp), Combat
Reflexes, DR 1, Teeth (Sharp), Temperature Tolerance 1
Impulsive, Sleepy 1/2 time.

Cat Form (b. 456) [-38 pts]:
ST 5 [-6], DX 15 [+2], IQ 10, HT 12
SM -3, Move 10, Dodge 10
Catfall, Claws (Sharp), Combat Reflexes, Teeth (Sharp), Night Vision 5.
Quadruped, Cannot Speak, Social Stigma (property).
Brawling 16, Jumping 15, Stealth 14


Loose Background:
Perhaps there are a race of people like her, or perhaps Nelani is the result 
of some faerie curse put on her mother. Born under the light of a full moon,
Nelani is gifted or cursed with a semi controllble form of lycanthropcy -
able to become a felanoid or cat, a condition which also triggers on her
when under stress, with the final form she assumes varying by situation
and what some strange instinct or cosmic sense of humor deems the best
form to get her out of trouble. Once in another form, by choice or by
accident, Nelani is stuck there until she can be under the light of the moon
- which can be rather inconvenient if she gets stuck as a cat.

Biera

11	ST	10
14	DX	80
11	IQ	20
11	HT	10
[120 pts]

Sub-stats
10	+2 Perception {13}
[10 pts]

Advantages

04	Attractive (+1 reaction)
05	Fit
05	Flexibility
05	Animal Empathy
15	Peripheral Vision
06	Ally: Tiger (15-)
[40 pts]

Disadvantages
-10	Bloodlust (she's a killer)
-10	Easy To Read (lacks subtitly)
-10	Lunacy
-15	Claustrophobia
-5	Peasant Class
-5	OPH: Wild Nature
-5	Low TL: 2
-5	Truthfulness
-5	Sense of Duty: Compatriots - loyalty of the unit/mission
-5	Oblivious
-3	Illiterate
[-78 pts]

Theme:
She's a feral creature, raised in the wilds, with little understanding of 
people and social dynamics. But she gets loyalty, and will push it on others,
demanding it of them as well. When she hunts, she hunts to kill, like a
predator.

Quirks
-1	Expects others to match her standards or exceed them
-1	Disdains social complexity
-1	Trusts an animal over a human
-1	Disdainful of greed and ideas of property
-1	Prefers small groups in social situations - not fond of crowds
[-5 pts]

Talents
5	Animal Friend (Animal Handling, Falconry, Packing,
	Riding, Teamster, Veterinary, Reaction Bonus-animals)
10	Outdoorsman (Camouflage, Fishing, Mimicry, Naturalist,
	Navigation, Survival, Tracking, Reaction Bonus-exp, nature)
[15 pts]

Skills	
1	Acrobatics		12	D
1	Animal Handling (b.cats)10+1	I
1	Armoury/2 (missile)	10	I

1	Area Knowledge (Woods)	11	I
1	Body Language		12	p

24	Bow			20	D

1	Brawling		14	D
1	Broadsword		13	D
0	Camouflage		10+1	I
1	Climbing		13+3	D
1	Disguise		10	I
0	Erotic Art		9+3	D
1	Escape			12+3	D
1	Fast Draw (Arrow)	14	D
0	Fishing			9+1	p
1	Hiking			10	H
1	Knife			14	D
0	Mimicry			5+1	I
1	Observation		12	p
2	Naturalist		10+1	I
1	Navigation/2 (land)	10+1	I
1	Running			10	H
1	Search			12	p
1	Stealth			13	D
1	Survival (Woodlands)	12+1	p
1	Swimming		11	H
1	Tracking		12+1	p
1	Veterinary/TL2		9+1 (+5 w/my Tiger)	I

[49 pts]


Mvmt
Basic Speed 6.25
Move 6
Swim 1

Encumbrance
None 24
Light 48
Med 72
Hvy 144
X-Hvy 240

1 Active Defenses
Dodge 9

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 126 lbs
Appearance: 
http://www.i-kore.com/acatalog/info_12309.html

Composite Bow:	1d+2 th imp range 240/300 Acc +3


Loose Background:
Raised in the woods as the child of a forester and a witch. Grew up wild 
and around small social groups. Tiger companion 'found' her. No rational
explaination for it's presense in this northern climate.

Tiger [Enhanced] Companion - [72 pts]
17	ST	70
13	DX	60
05	IQ	-100
11	HT	10
[40 pts]

Sub-stats
25	+5 Will {12}
40	+8 Perception {15}
[55 pts]

Advantages:
15	Combat Reflexes
05	Damage Resistance 1
05	Night Vision 5
05	Sharp Claws
01	Sharp Teeth
01	Temperature Tolerance 1
[32 pts]

Disadvantages:
-35	Quadruped
-30	Wild Animal
[-65 pts]

Ciere

12	ST	20
14	DX	80
10	IQ	00
12	HT	20
[120 pts]

Sub-stats
05	+1 Perception {11}
25	+1.5 Basic Speed
[30 pts]

Advantages
04	Attractive (+1 reaction)
15	Extra Attack (Polearm Only, -20%; Only to Ready/Rebalance, -20%)
15	Combat Reflexes
05	Flexibility
[39 pts]

Disadvantages
-5	Chummy
-5	Compulsive Carousing
-5	Compulsive Spending
-10	Code of Honor: Soldier's
-10	Duty: Soldier/Mercenary company (9-)
-15	Greed
-10	Honesty
-10	Obsession with perfection
-5	Sense of Duty: Bound to contract
[-75 pts]

Theme:

Quirks
-1	Loves to dance
-1	Generous with her money - collects wealth, but cares not to keep it
-1	Considers the 'hired sword' a morally superior option.
-1	
-1	
[-5 pts]

Talents
[0 pts]

Skills
1	Acrobatics		12
1	Carousing		12	ht
1	Climbing		13+3
1	Cloak			13
1	Dancing			13
0	Erotic Art		9+3
1	Escape			12+3
1	Fast Draw (Polearm)	14+1
1	Gambling		9
1	Judo			12
1	Knife			14
1	Observation		10	p
1	Parry Missile Weapons	12
24	Polearm			20
0	Running			7	ht
1	Search			10	p
1	Sex Appeal		11+1	ht
0	Shadowing		10
0	Staff			16	d
1	Stealth			13
0	swimming		8	ht
1	Thrown Knife		14
1	Urban Survival		10	p
[41 pts]

Techniques
0	Arm Lock		12
0	Choke Hold		10
0	Disarming		20
0	Finger Lock		9
0	Ground Fighting		16
0	Retain Weapon		20
0	Sweep (Staff)		17
[0 pts]

Mvmt
Basic Speed 8.00
Move 8
Swim 1

Encumbrance
None 20
Light 40
Med 60
Hvy 120
X-Hvy 200

1 Active Defenses
Dodge 12
Parry 14 10 6 2

Naginata:
As Polearm (20):
	sw: 1d+4 cut (1,2*) U on parry, th 1d+2 imp (2)
As Staff (16):
	sw: 1d+4 cr (1,2) U on parry, th 1d+1 cr (1,2)

Height: 5'6"
Weight: 126 lbs

Appearance: 
http://www.reapermini.com/gallery/2800s/2808_G
Likely red or reddish blonde hair and a 'California tan' tone.


Loose Background:
Something along the lines of a career mercenary.

[cccwebs]

While I'm not looking to hijack this thread too far, I will say that there have been many threads already on characters, even to the extent of different threads for different types of characters. Each time one of these threads starts, it runs for a week or so, then falls off the radar into obscurity.

[arcady]

So don't hijack this thread. Have the decency to post that comment in the -OTHER- current thread that is about whether or not we should have this thread.

My signature is my own creation.

And since nobody else is posting characters yet and I want to keep it on topic, here's another one:

The ultimate weaponmaster, but built for a game that doesn't allow cinematic options (even those falsely labeled as such by SJG...):

WigmÊr
Sword master mercenary

14	ST	40
14	DX	80
10	IQ	00
12	HT	20
[140 pts]

Sub-stats
10	+0.5 Basic Speed
10	+2 Perception
[15 pts]

Advantages
04	Attractive (+1 reaction)
15	Combat Reflexes
[19 pts]

Disadvantages
-5	Incurious
-20	Low Empathy
-10	No Sense of Humor
-15	Obsession: Be the best swordsman there is. 9-
-10	Code of Honor: Soldier's
-5	Loner
-5	Truthfulness
-5	Workaholic
[-75 pts]

Theme:
WigmÊr is not overconfident, but is in fact a very good judge of his 
capability. When he says he is one of the best he knows he is right, and he
will not act in a foolish or reckless manner, though he will accept any
challenge - even from those he could kill with ease, merely to prove the
point.

Quirks
-1	Constantly practicing his art
-1	No compunctions against killing
-1	Looks down on the overconfident, brash, or headstrong
-1	Non concern for wealth
-1	won't admit to any choice made out of morality
[-5 pts]

Talents
[0 pts]

Skills	
48	Two-Handed Sword	26
1	Bow			13

1	Blind Fighting		9
1	Fast-Draw (2HS)		14
1	Cloak			13
1	Escape			12
1	Observation		11
1	Parry Missile Weapons	12 {9}
1	Search			11
1	Survival		11
1	Soldier			9
1	Savoir-Faire (Military)	10
2	Tactics			9
[61 pts]

Techniques
0	tech:Disarming		26
0	tech:Ground Fighting	22
0	tech:Retain Weapon	26
[0 pts]

Mvmt
Basic Speed 7.00
Move 6
Swim 1

Attack:
Greatsword 26
swing: 2d+3 cutting
thrust 1d+2 crush
half penalty on rapid strike and multiple parry.

Encumbrance
None 29
Light 58
Med 87
Hvy 174
X-Hvy 290

1 Active Defenses
Dodge 11
Parry 17, 13, 9, 5

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 143 lbs

Appearance: 
http://www.reapermini.com/gallery/exalted/61020_G
WigmÊr has piercing blue eyes and a pale northern tone. His pose is 
distant, and his look is always focused.


Loose Background:
WigmÊr has spent his entire life in the pursuit of one goal - mastery of 
the sword. Nothing else matters. He wanders the land in seek of challenges
merely to improve his skill. Nothing else matters, not the cause, the
hardship, the wealth, the poverty, none of it. He lives and dies merely by
the credit of his skill.


Inspiration:
WigmÊr is based on Kyuzo played by Seiji Miyaguchi from the movie Seven
Samurai, and the idea of making him into a character has rumaged around in
my head for years. The movie Seven Samurai is the sort of movie any fan of
heroic adventure should watch, and it has been the inspiration for many of
today's leading directors.

Kyuzo is the guy third from the right, with the pony tail, in this image:
http://www.lovehkfilm.com/panasia/seven_samurai.htm

Now lets hope the next post by anyone is another character...

[Andrew Hackard]

Originally Posted by arcady

The ultimate weaponmaster, but built for a game that doesn't allow cinematic options (even those falsely labeled as such by SJG...):

If you disagree that certain options are cinematic, that's entirely your opinion and you're welcome to it, but don't say they are "falsely" labeled. That makes it sound like we intentionally mislabeled some items, rather than that we just marked some things cinematic which you don't think should have been.

[cccwebs]

Originally Posted by Andrew Hackard

If you disagree that certain options are cinematic, that's entirely your opinion and you're welcome to it, but don't say they are "falsely" labeled. That makes it sound like we intentionally mislabeled some items, rather than that we just marked some things cinematic which you don't think should have been.

Now Andrew, your post wasn't a character........ ;)

>>>The Phenominal Dot....
ST 0; DX 0; IQ 10; HT 10; SM -10; HP +10; Basic Speed 2.5; Move 2; Unkillable 3; Flight; Doesn't Eat; Doesn't Sleep; Doesn't Breathe; Mimicry; Terror (-1 to Fright Check). The Dot likes to follow people around repeating everything they say and then trying to scare them just for kicks.<<<<

[Rasputin]

Due to twists of fate, I have only been the GM for GURPS 4e so far. The once chance I had to play fell apart, and I just kept on GMing. However, I am proud of the character I made. It was a Swashbuckler's game where the characters were to be privateers for the French crown. I think we were playing with too many points, however.

Sebastian St. Germain 175 points

Sebastian St. Germain was a son of a minor nobleman, who was studying liberal arts, hoping to become an advocate, at the Université de Paris when his father's fortunes hit hard times. His father was able to secure young Sebastian a job as a boatswain on a privateer ship. Sebastian does not mind the chance to see the world, though he avoids fighting and the crow's nest and hopes to return to his studies soon.
Sebastian is of fairly modest appearance, with slicked back blond hair and light skin. He does not understand seagoing culture in the slightest, and this lack of understanding causes him to look down on it.

ST 10 [0]; DX 13 [60]; IQ 15 [100]; HT 12 [20].
Damage 1d-2/1d; BL 20 lbs.; HP 10 [0]; Will 13 [-10]; Per 12 [-15]; FP 12 [0].
Basic Speed 6.25 [0], Basic Move 6 [0]; Dodge 9; Parry 9 (rapier).
5' 9"; 150 lbs. (SM 0)

Social Background
TL: 4
CF: Western [0]
Languages: French (Native) [0], Ancient Greek (Broken) [2]; Latin (Broken) [2].

Advantages
Common Sense [10]; Patron (Baron Jacques St. Germain, 12 or less) [20]; Patron (King of France, 9 or less) [10]; Wealth (Comfortable) [10].

Disadvantages
Code of Honor (Gentleman's) [-10]; Extremely Hazardous Duty (15 or less) [-20]; Honesty (15) [-5]; Light Sleeper [-5]; Loner (12) [-5]; Odious Personal Habit (Snob) [-5]; Post-Combat Shakes (12) [-5]; Reluctant Killer [-5].
Quirks: Dislikes heights; Insists on keeping his books on board; Uses layman's French instead of pirate slang. [-3]

Skills
Area Knowledge (Atlantic Ocean)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Area Knowledge (France)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Cartography-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Connoisseur (Literature)-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Connoisseur (Music)-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Connoisseur (Poetry)-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Current Affairs (High Culture)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Diplomacy-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Games (Chess)-16 (IQ+1) [2]; Guns (Pistol)-13 (DX+0) [1]; History (Europe)-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Law (French Criminal)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Leadership-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Literature-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Navigation (Sea)-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Philosophy (Stoicism)-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Politics-14 (IQ-1) [1]; Public Speaking-14 (IQ-1) [2]; Rapier-13 (DX+0) [2]; Savoir-Faire (High Society)-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Seamanship-15 (IQ+0) [1]; Shiphandling (Ship)-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Swimming-13 (HT+1) [2]; Tactics-13 (IQ-2) [1]; Theology (Christian)-13 (IQ-2); Weather Sense-15 (IQ+0) [2]; Writing-14 (IQ-1) [1].

[Stephane_Theriault]

Originally Posted by cccwebs

While I'm not looking to hijack this thread too far, I will say that there have been many threads already on characters, even to the extent of different threads for different types of characters. Each time one of these threads starts, it runs for a week or so, then falls off the radar into obscurity.

Exactly. If there is a need for a Character forum, then this thread should be able to sustain itself for a long time.

If it lasts a full month, with many people contributing intelligently, we'll talk again about this new forum.

[jkelly]

The ultimate weaponmaster, but built for a game that doesn't allow cinematic options (even those falsely labeled as such by SJG...):

Advantages
04 Attractive (+1 reaction)
15 Combat Reflexes
[19 pts]

If I were to design a character with the expectation of that character being in a lot of combat, I wouldn't leave out High Pain Threshold and Fit. Trying to be a fighter without them is really asking for it.

Quirks
-1 Constantly practicing his art
-1 No compunctions against killing
-1 Looks down on the overconfident, brash, or headstrong
-1 Non concern for wealth
-1 won't admit to any choice made out of morality
[-5 pts]

Your GM may be a lot more lenient than I am, but these look like quirks I would write back for 3e, when you could get disadvantage points for things that weren't disadvantages. If "Constantly practicing" means he really loses an hour a day every day, I'd allow it (with the comment that it's a bigger handicap than that 1 point is worth). "No compunctions about killing" seems like he is getting a point for NOT taking Pacifism (Reluctant Killer), which strikes me as very odd. "Looks down on..." would have to come with a reaction penalty (does he make a point of offending everyone with Overconfident?). "Not concerned about wealth" is probably either a Perk (he doesn't suffer from anxiety when out of work), or another thing that is a bigger handicap than one point is worth, if it makes him muff his job rolls (and isn't he also a Workaholic?!?). The last one just seems like character flavour to me, unless he gets a -1 reaction from moralists, or something.

Skills
48 Two-Handed Sword 26

I wouldn't allow this in a non-cinematic campaign. That aside, his "Spends time practicing" quirk is definitely not worth a point -- he has to practice to maintain this skill level (or is that an optional rule not used in your campaign?).

[arcady]

Quirk != Disadvantage.

I put down things that define a character's personality, actions, likes, dislikes, and other concerns. That's what they did in 1e, 2e, 3e, and now in 4e.

As for 'practices' - the character spends all his spare time going through sword forms. If he's not on camera in some other action, he's the guy seen off camera going through the motions - constantly, every minute of his spare time. It could easily have been bought as a compulsive behavior if I were to truly model the character off the source that inspired it. As for the killing issue, all human beings have a normal compunction against violence and killing. It's a part of our normal social makeup. This is an individual who will just casually kill someone over nothing more than a bet of who can draw their sword faster, or an annoyance as minor as what most will kill a fly for - like swatting away something bothering their field of vision. That isn't bloodlust or even sociopath as he doesn't seek to enjoy killing - it just holds no value to him.

This guy is a certain kind of samurai genre cliche copied over to western fantasy (as that is what the game the GM proposed was).

Also, I don't build characters for optional rules unless I'm told those optional rules will be in use.

26 might seem extreme, but in terms of game play it's the same as a 16 save for on special techniques and parrying. The character is focused, built as a weapon master (which should not be listed as cinematic, but is). Is it unbalanced? Not really, as all those points came from other options that could have been taken. This particular genre cliche is the ultimate expression of the one trick pony.