Stating Jack Parsons

Astromancer · 10-12-2018, 04:07 PM

The only black magician with a lunar crater named for him, Jack Parsons. I know the man was highly intelligent, had some kind of engineering talent or non-cinematic gagetteering knack, seemed to bounce back and forth between Handsome and Unattractive (health issue), was talented at sports, and had massive impulse control issues. But can we stat the man?

Note: although I will make him into a Path/Book Magician, let's stat him as a real world guy. Just a real world guy with a high Ritual Magic score and Rocket Engineering TL7.

David Johnston2 · 10-12-2018, 05:53 PM

Well he was a chemist. He probably qualifies as Lecherous. He was good at convincing cops that he was a respectable Cal Tech scientist every time they came by to answer the complaints about his nigh-orgiastic parties. His incestuous relationship with his mother and his relationship with his wife's underage sister would be a Secret. Despite these issues he had a high Security Clearance until 1947.

Astromancer · 10-12-2018, 11:38 PM

I intend the group to travel to LA in 1946. Thus Parsons would still have his security status.

whswhs · 10-13-2018, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Well he was a chemist. He probably qualifies as Lecherous. He was good at convincing cops that he was a respectable Cal Tech scientist every time they came by to answer the complaints about his nigh-orgiastic parties. His incestuous relationship with his mother and his relationship with his wife's underage sister would be a Secret. Despite these issues he had a high Security Clearance until 1947.

What's your source for the relationship with his mother? Wikipedia has the rest, but not that.

David Johnston2 · 10-13-2018, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whswhs

What's your source for the relationship with his mother? Wikipedia has the rest, but not that.

http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/a...ult-roots-jpl/

whswhs · 10-13-2018, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

http://www.spacesafetymagazine.com/a...ult-roots-jpl/

Not very detailed, is it? But it certainly would have been something to keep secret, especially back then; these days we might categorize it as child abuse and count Parsons as blameless. What's weird is the reference to a film; does this imply that some third person was on the scene watching?

Polydamas · 10-13-2018, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whswhs

Not very detailed, is it? But it certainly would have been something to keep secret, especially back then; these days we might categorize it as child abuse and count Parsons as blameless. What's weird is the reference to a film; does this imply that some third person was on the scene watching?

It is not a detail I have heard in several recent interviews with Parsons' biographers, but I can't afford any of the actual books.

johndallman · 10-14-2018, 03:45 AM

Name: John Whiteside "Jack" Parsons, as of 1st Jan 1945
Race: Human

Attributes [60]
ST 10
DX 10
IQ 13 [60]
HT 12 [20]

HP 10
Will 11 [-10]
Per 11 [-10]
FP 12

Basic Lift 20
Damage 1d-2/1d

Basic Speed 5.5
Basic Move 5

Ground Move 5
Water Move 1

Social Background
TL: 6 [0]
Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0].
Languages: English (Native) [0].

Advantages [38]
Appearance (Attractive) [4]
Charisma (1) [5]
Contact (Aleister Crowley) (Effective Skill 18) (6 or less; Unreliable) [1]
Contact (Theodore von Kármán) (Effective Skill 15) (9 or less; Usually Reliable) [4]
Contact (Wernher von Braun) (Effective Skill 15) (6 or less; Somewhat Reliable) [1]
Reputation (Gifted rocket inventor) (2) (All the time; Small class) [3]
Rocket Man (3) [15]
Single-Minded [5]

Disadvantages [-39]
Compulsive Carousing (9 or less) [-7]
Gullibility (15 or less) [-5]
Lecherousness (12 or less) [-15]
Reputation (Black magician and dissolute) (-3) (All the time; Large class) [-7]
Secret (Incestuous relationship) (Serious Embarrassment) [-5]

Quirks [-5]
Congenial [-1]
Likes to freak mundanes [-1]
Religious (Thelema) [-1]
Shocking Affectation (free love) [-1]
Somewhat maniac-depressive [-1]

Skills [46]
Administration IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Biology/TL6 (Earthlike) IQ/VH - IQ-3 10 [1]
Bow Sport DX/A - DX-1 9 [1]
Chemistry/TL6 IQ/H - IQ+3 16 [4]
includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man'
Diplomacy IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Engineer/TL6 (Rockets) IQ/H - IQ+2 15 [2]
includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man'
Guns/TL6 (Pistol) DX/E - DX+0 10 [1]
Guns/TL6 (Rifle) DX/E - DX+1 11 [2]
Hazardous Materials/TL6 (Chemical) IQ/A - IQ+2 15 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man'
Housekeeping IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1]
Literature (Mythology and science fiction) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Mathematics/TL6 (Applied) IQ/H - IQ+1 14 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man'
Mechanic/TL6 (Rockets) IQ/A - IQ+2 15 [1]
includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man'
Occultism IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [4]
Philosophy (Libertarianism) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1]
Physics/TL6 (Classical mechanics) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2]
Poetry IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Public Speaking IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [2]
includes: +1 from 'Charisma'
Research/TL6 IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Ritual Magic (Thelema) IQ/VH - IQ-1 12 [4]
Sex Appeal (Human) HT/A - HT+2 14 [4]
includes: +1 from 'Appearance'
Smallsword Sport DX/A - DX-1 9 [1]
Teaching IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1]
Theology (Thelema) IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [4]
Writing IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2]

Stats [60] Ads [38] Disads [-39] Quirks [-5] Skills [46] = Total [100]

This is Parsons at the peak of his success, before his expulsion from JPL and Aerojet, and his meeting with Hubbard.

He's shown up in the occult WWII campaign I play in, but we haven't seen him for some time, and we gather he's unwilling to cooperate with the FBI's magical investigations team.

Astromancer · 10-14-2018, 12:50 PM

Is "Rocket Man" a talent for working on Rockets? If it is it needs to be defined. I see it used in the Skills section, but it needs to be stated.

Also, Jack Parsons was wanted by the scientific community in spite of his wildness for a long time. I think they liked his brainpower. To impress the scientific community of the day, I think Parsons needs a little more Brainpower. An IQ of 14 or 15 seems right.

As long as the scientific community hoped Jack would one day conform, they wanted him. When they gave up, it was goodbye.

whswhs · 10-15-2018, 06:46 AM

Parsons seems to have grown up privileged, and ought to have positive Status; it clearly insulated him from police attention despite some notable eccentricities. And at least for part of his life he seems to have had the wealth to support that Status.

An incestuous relationship was probably worth more than -5 points as a Secret. A -10 seems likely; a -20 isn't impossible, though he might have been able to avoid that if it only happened when he was under age.

Shouldn't there be some form of Explosives skill on that character sheet?

10-12-2018, 04:07 PM	#1
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Stating Jack Parsons The only black magician with a lunar crater named for him, Jack Parsons. I know the man was highly intelligent, had some kind of engineering talent or non-cinematic gagetteering knack, seemed to bounce back and forth between Handsome and Unattractive (health issue), was talented at sports, and had massive impulse control issues. But can we stat the man? Note: although I will make him into a Path/Book Magician, let's stat him as a real world guy. Just a real world guy with a high Ritual Magic score and Rocket Engineering TL7. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo Last edited by Astromancer; 10-12-2018 at 04:15 PM.

10-12-2018, 05:53 PM	#2
David Johnston2 Join Date: Dec 2007	Re: Stating Jack Parsons Well he was a chemist. He probably qualifies as Lecherous. He was good at convincing cops that he was a respectable Cal Tech scientist every time they came by to answer the complaints about his nigh-orgiastic parties. His incestuous relationship with his mother and his relationship with his wife's underage sister would be a Secret. Despite these issues he had a high Security Clearance until 1947.

10-12-2018, 11:38 PM	#3
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: Stating Jack Parsons I intend the group to travel to LA in 1946. Thus Parsons would still have his security status. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo

10-14-2018, 03:45 AM	#8
johndallman Night Watchman Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Cambridge, UK	Re: Stating Jack Parsons Name: John Whiteside "Jack" Parsons, as of 1st Jan 1945 Race: Human Attributes [60] ST 10 DX 10 IQ 13 [60] HT 12 [20] HP 10 Will 11 [-10] Per 11 [-10] FP 12 Basic Lift 20 Damage 1d-2/1d Basic Speed 5.5 Basic Move 5 Ground Move 5 Water Move 1 Social Background TL: 6 [0] Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0]. Languages: English (Native) [0]. Advantages [38] Appearance (Attractive) [4] Charisma (1) [5] Contact (Aleister Crowley) (Effective Skill 18) (6 or less; Unreliable) [1] Contact (Theodore von Kármán) (Effective Skill 15) (9 or less; Usually Reliable) [4] Contact (Wernher von Braun) (Effective Skill 15) (6 or less; Somewhat Reliable) [1] Reputation (Gifted rocket inventor) (2) (All the time; Small class) [3] Rocket Man (3) [15] Single-Minded [5] Disadvantages [-39] Compulsive Carousing (9 or less) [-7] Gullibility (15 or less) [-5] Lecherousness (12 or less) [-15] Reputation (Black magician and dissolute) (-3) (All the time; Large class) [-7] Secret (Incestuous relationship) (Serious Embarrassment) [-5] Quirks [-5] Congenial [-1] Likes to freak mundanes [-1] Religious (Thelema) [-1] Shocking Affectation (free love) [-1] Somewhat maniac-depressive [-1] Skills [46] Administration IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1] Biology/TL6 (Earthlike) IQ/VH - IQ-3 10 [1] Bow Sport DX/A - DX-1 9 [1] Chemistry/TL6 IQ/H - IQ+3 16 [4] includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man' Diplomacy IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2] Engineer/TL6 (Rockets) IQ/H - IQ+2 15 [2] includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man' Guns/TL6 (Pistol) DX/E - DX+0 10 [1] Guns/TL6 (Rifle) DX/E - DX+1 11 [2] Hazardous Materials/TL6 (Chemical) IQ/A - IQ+2 15 [1] includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man' Housekeeping IQ/E - IQ+0 13 [1] Literature (Mythology and science fiction) IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1] Mathematics/TL6 (Applied) IQ/H - IQ+1 14 [1] includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man' Mechanic/TL6 (Rockets) IQ/A - IQ+2 15 [1] includes: +3 from 'Rocket Man' Occultism IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [4] Philosophy (Libertarianism) IQ/H - IQ-2 11 [1] Physics/TL6 (Classical mechanics) IQ/H - IQ-1 12 [2] Poetry IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1] Public Speaking IQ/A - IQ+1 14 [2] includes: +1 from 'Charisma' Research/TL6 IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1] Ritual Magic (Thelema) IQ/VH - IQ-1 12 [4] Sex Appeal (Human) HT/A - HT+2 14 [4] includes: +1 from 'Appearance' Smallsword Sport DX/A - DX-1 9 [1] Teaching IQ/A - IQ-1 12 [1] Theology (Thelema) IQ/H - IQ+0 13 [4] Writing IQ/A - IQ+0 13 [2] Stats [60] Ads [38] Disads [-39] Quirks [-5] Skills [46] = Total [100] This is Parsons at the peak of his success, before his expulsion from JPL and Aerojet, and his meeting with Hubbard. He's shown up in the occult WWII campaign I play in, but we haven't seen him for some time, and we gather he's unwilling to cooperate with the FBI's magical investigations team. __________________ The Path of Cunning. Indexes: DFRPG Characters, Advantage of the Week, Disadvantage of the Week, Skill of the Week, Techniques.

10-14-2018, 12:50 PM	#9
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: Stating Jack Parsons Is "Rocket Man" a talent for working on Rockets? If it is it needs to be defined. I see it used in the Skills section, but it needs to be stated. Also, Jack Parsons was wanted by the scientific community in spite of his wildness for a long time. I think they liked his brainpower. To impress the scientific community of the day, I think Parsons needs a little more Brainpower. An IQ of 14 or 15 seems right. As long as the scientific community hoped Jack would one day conform, they wanted him. When they gave up, it was goodbye. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo

10-15-2018, 06:46 AM	#10
whswhs Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Lawrence, KS	Re: Stating Jack Parsons Parsons seems to have grown up privileged, and ought to have positive Status; it clearly insulated him from police attention despite some notable eccentricities. And at least for part of his life he seems to have had the wealth to support that Status. An incestuous relationship was probably worth more than -5 points as a Secret. A -10 seems likely; a -20 isn't impossible, though he might have been able to avoid that if it only happened when he was under age. Shouldn't there be some form of Explosives skill on that character sheet? __________________ Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more.