The Addams Clan [Fantasy/Horror]

[gmillerd]

If I had to make a Addams family template, it would definitely be more social than depicted by the OP. "It's an Addams Family tradition!" is likely one of the phrases most uttered in the series by many characters and is the plot for most of the stories.

* Sense of Duty/ Imposed Duty is pretty huge (Mazurka!)

* If it is a setting of the story is the family itself, having a ranked status is definitely an option.

* Clearly if you are an Olde World Addams, enemy or hunted is in play. Or Secret is going to be something on your sheet.

But the phrase "it's in our blood" is on it's heels, but I think that is something that is going to be part of a secondary lens/template.

* If you are an Olde World Addams, likely you are likely a supernatural creature of some sort for some level. It's Gomez and Morticia's love, grandma's spells, and New Jersey that keeps them ... NORMAL. ("how vulgar"!).

* If you are an Addams by birth, likely there template is different than if you are married into the family.

* If your family was part of the same Clans as the Addams, then likely you have a similar template and a looser Addams one. This where some of the odd supernatural sidebar stuff comes in. "You don't know how easy you kids have it. Great-Grand-Mamma was a jackle, I can tell you she handled this much differently."

* Minimally, some "freak show" weirdness magnet stuff is likely.

* Clearly 'Death' is not a hindrance for some family members.

* As is being a stated "demon" and actually being on fire (switchable) is normal for them.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Something might be said for Hellcats and Hockeysticks. I think Wednesday Addams would fit right in at St Trinians.

She teach them her tricks and they'd teach her theirs. Be afraid, be very...

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by David Johansen

I think it's more a case of genre conventions than racial abilities. It's necessary for everyone to be a little indestructible and gullible for many of the gags to work, more like Bugs Bunny than Gormenghast.

The idea of blending Bugs Bunny and Gormenghast is delicious.

[Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2]

While a degree of durability is needed, the primary defining characteristic of the Addams Clan is their family culture. This could be defined as Odious Personal Habit: Macabre at -5 point level for those who can interact with normal society, and higher levels for those who are only names in stories.

As outliers in human society, they tend to interact with (and intermarry with) other outliers. This explains the more ... unusual physical types in the family.

[Plane]

Thing Addams immediately comes to mind as someone interesting as a character, what are ways one would go about defining an entire character as a severed hand?

Closest I can think of as a guideline is Independent Body Parts from GURPS Powers but that's more about defining allies you get if your limbs are severed, not the severed limb being the root character.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Plane

Thing Addams immediately comes to mind as someone interesting as a character, what are ways one would go about defining an entire character as a severed hand?

Thing is about SM -6. It appears to function as though it has normal human senses, but obviously only has One Fine Manipulator (which doubles as its feet) and is Mute. No Head, No Neck, No Brain, and No Vitals seem likely, but it probably has blood despite the apparent lack of a full circulatory system in general keeping with the macabre tone of the setting (ie: If you cut it, it probably bleeds). Its Move appears to be about human norm or possibly slightly higher, but it can leap several feet vertically to grasp doorknobs etc, suggesting a level or two of Super Jump. In typical society it would be reacted to along the lines of Social Stigma (Monster), but has Average Appearance (for a disembodied hand).

[Plane]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

One Fine Manipulator (which doubles as its feet)

It's kind of like having a hand WITHOUT an arm though, no?

Makes me wonder if "Cotton Stomach" might be more appropriate: it's like a hand attached to the torso?

w/ Temporary Limitation: Portable since he can't walk while grabbing something?

OTOH he could prob carry something small w/ 1 finger while using the other 3+thumb to walk so maybe we treat his fingers as being arms w/ NFM and he actually has 1 leg + Horizontal + Extra Arms (2) ?

His ability to do fine tasks (grip an object) seems like how someone w/o hands could still pinch stuff between forearms to lift them

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Plane

It's kind of like having a hand WITHOUT an arm though, no?

Well, on the one hand (haha), it is a hand without an arm, but as I recall in the movies we see it exert torque as though it was anchored at the wrist, but not the leverage it would have if it went up to the elbow. Making it a Short Arm is probably appropriate.

Originally Posted by Plane

w/ Temporary Limitation: Portable since he can't walk while grabbing something?

I think Foot Manipulator covers that. Thing can drop objects as a free action and is no more or less portable than any other SM -6 being.

Originally Posted by Plane

OTOH he could prob carry something small w/ 1 finger while using the other 3+thumb to walk so maybe we treat his fingers as being arms w/ NFM and he actually has 1 leg + Horizontal + Extra Arms (2) ?

His ability to do fine tasks (grip an object) seems like how someone w/o hands could still pinch stuff between forearms to lift them

Carrying something small with one finger while walking with the others is a little more granular than I would personally stat out. Maybe apply a DX and/or Move penalty if it's something light but awkward like a big piece of styrofoam, but something tiny enough to be completely encircled without sticking out a lot probably wouldn't affect it much unless it weighs enough for encumbrance.

[dcarson]

Originally Posted by Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2

As outliers in human society, they tend to interact with (and intermarry with) other outliers. This explains the more ... unusual physical types in the family.

There is a fanfic where Wednesday is going to Hogwarts. She gets asked if she is a pureblood and she says "oh no we're much more selective then that" while thinking to herself that cousin Lurch did get a bit too much troll in his ancestry.