Ordinary People: Characters [0] to [-50]

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

Hm. I'd differ, I think, on the basis of 4e 'it costs what it costs' philosophy.

ICWIC applies if the comb-over is a component of his negative Appearance, in which case it should be [-8] total. If the comb-over has "a life of its own," and influences his behavior in other ways (for example, if he refuses to abandon it for a Disguise) then I could see an additional [-1].

[Figleaf23]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

ICWIC applies if the comb-over is a component of his negative Appearance, in which case it should be [-8] total. If the comb-over has "a life of its own," and influences his behavior in other ways (for example, if he refuses to abandon it for a Disguise) then I could see an additional [-1].

As I see it, if Fat etc. isn't part of appearance anymore, then neither should hairstyle inherently be.

I have a more originalist take on quirks too. They don't have to have any real impairments associated with them, they're just role-play hooks.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

As I see it, if Fat etc. isn't part of appearance anymore, then neither should hairstyle inherently be.

Yes, but Fat has game effects separate from reaction mods and some people find it attractive. More importantly from the business perspective, there are a whole lot of fat people in this hobby who didn't appreciate the previous method. Comb-Over doesn't function on those levels or even as an RP hook IMHO.

Now Delusion: "Comb-Overs Are Attractive" [-1] would function as an RP hook Quirk IMO, without imposing mechanical penalties if that's what you're looking for, because it defines the manner in which he relates to his comb-over: the way he would respond if somebody suggested that he change it, the nature of his complaints if he is forced to change it to effect a disguise, the advice he would give an aging man on grooming, etc.

[combatmedic]

Originally Posted by pnewman

Forest Farmington - low class racist child killer with a demonic patron

0 points

ST 11 [10], DX 11 [20], IQ 9 [-20], HT 10 [0]
HP 11 [0], Will 9 [0], Per 10 [5], FP 10 [0]
Speed 5.25 [0], Move 5 [0]
Subtotal [15]

Attractive [4], English (n/a) [-1], Wealth - Struggling [-10], Status -1 [-5], Debt 3 (child support) [-3]
Subtotal [-15]

Fearlessness/1 [2], Hard to Subdue/1 [2], Patron - (hate demon) (ultra powerful, special abilities (+100%)) 9- [40], Perk - Honest Face [1] Social Chameleon [5].
Subtotal 50

Code of Honor (Pirates) [-5], Incurious [-5], Intolerance - Ethnicity (all others) [-10], Lecherousness (only with white women -30%) [-10], Secret (murders a non white child every year to keep his demonic patron) [-30], Sense of Duty (his mother) [-2], Social Stigma - Criminal Record [-5], Quirks - Dull [-1], Intolerant of homosexuals [-1], Proud [-1], sold his soul to a demon [-1], Uncongenial [-1],
Subtotal [-72]

Skills : Area Knowledge (home town) - 9 [1], Brawling - 11 [2], Driving/TL 7 (automobile) - 10 [1], Expert Skill - Serial Killer - 10 [8], Fast Talk - 8 [1], Intimidation - 9 [1], Professional Skill - Janitor - 10 [4], Scrounging - 10 [1], Sex Appeal - 9 [1], Wrestling - 11 [2]
Subtotal 22

Nobody ever liked Forest but his Mama, he was a 9th grade dropout with a bad attitude. Even the Klan kicked him out for hitting on their wives. Then a VOICE called out to him and offered him power, in exchange for a soul he wasn't really using anyway and murdering a child a year. With demonic magic to wash away forensic evidence even Forest can kill uncaught....

What a piece of human trash. Great job! He is a very nice low power villian for a ''modern weirdness'' kind of game. I yearn to kill him and [maybe] take his stuff.

[Jive Turkey]

Originally Posted by pnewman

No religious rank? Deacon sounds like Religious Rank/1 to me. My father is an Orthodox Deacon and he had to learn a bunch of stuff, be selected for the postion, undergo a ritual to be given the position, etc. Much of what he does is probably covered by the 'Religious Ritual' skill in GURPS terms, I'd give your Deacon a point in Religious Ritual/Orthodox and assume that most of the time he's got a +4 or so because he's not doing the whole ritual himself, just helping a priest do it.

D'oh! I meant to put Religious Ritual on the sheet, I just forgot.

I wasn't sure whether or not to put on religious rank, since the religion in question wasn't the majority one.

Add on:

Religious Rank/1 [5]
Religious Ritual (Oriental Rite Christianity)-9 [1]

That'll bring his total to -17 points.
Thanks for the advice.

And great job on Forest. That is one scary 0 point dude!

[pnewman]

Originally Posted by Mgellis

What a charming individual. :) Some minor quibbles/suggestions...

I'd drop the Code of Honor; I don't see anything about his back story that would suggest he has any kind of honor. I'd also drop the quirk about homosexuals - - just treat it as part of Intolerant.

Code of Honor - Pirate is specifically suggested as suitable for brigands & bikers. Why isn't it right for a violent redneck excon?

Originally Posted by Mgellis

Debt? Child support? Someone married this guy? (I'd keep the Debt and drop the explanation--the guy is just living beyond his means, probably because he thinks with his demon friend he can get away with it.)

Child support doesn't mean married or divorced. I see Forest as the kind of guy who er, 'tries to use his Sex Apppeal skill until he rolls a success' and isn't responsible about birth control (or at least wasn't before he got those darn child support bills). A kid is pretty much inevitable, but notice that it's not a Dependant. Forest doesn't care and might well have murdered the kid entirely to get out of the continuing bills, but even he's smart enough to know that he'd be the prime suspect.

Originally Posted by Mgellis

"Sold his soul to a demon" isn't a quirk. "Creepy (because he is always thinking about how he sold his soul to a demon)" is okay, though. The difference is that the latter guides role-playing and future choices.

I see 'Sold your soul to a demon' as a _physical_ quirk_ not a psychological one. It is a valid quirk in the same way that 'Bumb knee' is. Both give you the occassional small penalty to skills. Not having a soul counts as an Unnatural Feature to anyone who can see it, limits his abilty to be helped by superpowers with the divine limitation, stops him from being raised from the dead, etc.

Originally Posted by Mgellis

I'd say "white women only" is -20%, the standard limitation for "something that's pretty common but not most of the time, like 'only at night'." That makes his Lecherousness worth -12 points.

I suppose that depends on just how 'white' his home town is but -20% might be better. I figured he was pretty picky about his definition of 'white'.

Originally Posted by Mgellis

I'm not sure Serial Killers should be an expert skill. Is this guy a specialist in very focused areas of Forenics, Criminology, Psychology, etc.? Or is he just someone who knows a lot of trivia, often very grotesque trivia, about serial killers? If the latter, it's Hobby (Serial Killers), which drops the cost to 2 points.

I was defining Expert Skill: Serial Killer as the skill he rolls against to get away with murder. I suppose you could go with Profession: Serial Killer instead, if so keep the point cost the same and bump the skill level up a point. I figure that when he fails his roll he has a much better chance of failing or getting caught, but usually asks his demonic patron for help.

Originally Posted by Mgellis

Professional Skill (Janitor) is simply Housekeeping. It's an Easy skill, so it's only 2 points, too.

I see _House_keeping as covering only that ammount of cleaning that is necessary for a _house_. I don't see it as covering spending every night cleaning up offices and stores, so I created a Professional Skill for it. It is harder than Housekeeping because it covers more. If you want to go with Housekeeping I'd keep the point cost the same and bump the skill level up a point.

[PK]

Originally Posted by Figleaf23

I'm still curious about the rationale for that. If someone has high DX and sells back a level of Move, why is that considered against the limit?

That's rather off-topic for this thread, I'm afraid.

I'd suggest starting a new one, but given that there have already been a number of threads on the subject, I'd instead suggest searching for it and seeing if they answer your question adequately.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

John Walker, Shoe Heckler [-40 Points]:

Culture: TL 8 [0]; Languages: English (Native / Broken) [-2];

Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 9 [-20]; HT 10 [0];

Secondary: Speed: 5.0 [0]; Move: 5 [0]; HP: 10 [0]; FP: 10 [0]; Perception: 11 [10]; Willpower: 10 [5];

Advantages: Independent Income X5 [5]; Penetrating Voice [1];

Disadvantages: Chummy [-5]; Delusion ("Shoe-Heckling is important and valuable work that genuinely helps people. I deserve a salary and praise for it.") [-10]; Honest (12-) [-10]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Status -2 [-10]; Wealth (Poor) [-15];

Quirks: Attentive [-1]; Incompetence (Panhandling) [-1]; Mildly Stubborn [-1]; Obsession (Shoes) [-1]; Proud [-1];

Skills: Area Knowledge (E) (Downtown Neighborhood) IQ+2 [4]-11; Connoisseur (A) (Footwear) IQ+1 [4]-10; Detect Lies (H) Per-2 [1]-9; Fast Talk (A) IQ+1 [4]-10; Intimidation (A) Will-1 [1]-9; Public Speaking (A) IQ [2]-9; Scrounging (E) Per+2 [4]-13; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-9;

Notes: A game write-up extrapolating from a person encountered in real life, but very suitable for a recurring Contact or Enemy for a character with Weirdness Magnet in a realistic setting IMHO.

Background: John sits on a busy corner downtown every day (except for the 1st when his welfare check comes), telling people what's wrong with their shoes. The thermos full of soup at his side makes it clear that he plans to be there all day. He enunciates and projects quite well, clearly audible two blocks away. Asking people for money isn't part of his routine, but he matter-of-factly accepts cash from people who think he's some kind of Dadaist street performer or who would like him to move to the area in front of a different business. He is tenacious and committed, berating the same person repeatedly no matter how many times they pass him, and carries himself in the manner of a man who is engaged in volunteer community service. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he knows a thing or two about shoes and could probably sell them for a living if he was at all inclined. His own shoes are in a tasteful but inexpensive style and well-kept but otherwise unremarkable.

Sample Dialogue: "Girl, how can you stand to walk down the street with him with his shoes looking like that? Aren't you afraid somebody might see you!?" "If you wear flip-flops, you are a shoe player-hater!"

[archie]

Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc

John Walker, Shoe Heckler [-40 Points]:

Culture: TL 8 [0]; Languages: English (Native / Broken) [-2];

Attributes: ST 10 [0]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 9 [-20]; HT 10 [0];

Secondary: Speed: 5.0 [0]; Move: 5 [0]; HP: 10 [0]; FP: 10 [0]; Perception: 11 [10]; Willpower: 10 [5];

Advantages: Independent Income X5 [5]; Penetrating Voice [1];

Disadvantages: Chummy [-5]; Delusion ("Shoe-Heckling is important and valuable work that genuinely helps people. I deserve a salary and praise for it.") [-10]; Honest (12-) [-10]; Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]; Status -2 [-10]; Wealth (Poor) [-15];

Quirks: Attentive [-1]; Incompetence (Panhandling) [-1]; Mildly Stubborn [-1]; Obsession (Shoes) [-1]; Proud [-1];

Skills: Area Knowledge (E) (Downtown Neighborhood) IQ+2 [4]-11; Connoisseur (A) (Footwear) IQ+1 [4]-10; Detect Lies (H) Per-2 [1]-9; Fast Talk (A) IQ+1 [4]-10; Intimidation (A) Will-1 [1]-9; Public Speaking (A) IQ [2]-9; Scrounging (E) Per+2 [4]-13; Stealth (A) DX-1 [1]-9;

Notes: A game write-up extrapolating from a person encountered in real life, but very suitable for a recurring Contact or Enemy for a character with Weirdness Magnet in a realistic setting IMHO.

Background: John sits on a busy corner downtown every day (except for the 1st when his welfare check comes), telling people what's wrong with their shoes. The thermos full of soup at his side makes it clear that he plans to be there all day. He enunciates and projects quite well, clearly audible two blocks away. Asking people for money isn't part of his routine, but he matter-of-factly accepts cash from people who think he's some kind of Dadaist street performer or who would like him to move to the area in front of a different business. He is tenacious and committed, berating the same person repeatedly no matter how many times they pass him, and carries himself in the manner of a man who is engaged in volunteer community service. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he knows a thing or two about shoes and could probably sell them for a living if he was at all inclined. His own shoes are in a tasteful but inexpensive style and well-kept but otherwise unremarkable.

Sample Dialogue: "Girl, how can you stand to walk down the street with him with his shoes looking like that? Aren't you afraid somebody might see you!?" "If you wear flip-flops, you are a shoe player-hater!"

WHOA.

That is awesome. :)

[Gold & Appel Inc]

Originally Posted by archie

WHOA.

That is awesome. :)

Thanks! :) I love this thread.