Sovereignty characters

[whswhs]

Since Douglas specifically requested it, here's at least one example character from my Sovereignty campaign. He was originally built on 1500 points. I decided to post the mentalist first, because there has been some discussion of how cheap Mind Control is and how much of a generalist a mind controller is going to be.

Morpheus

ST 12 [20]; DX 14 [80]; IQ 18 [160]; HT 12 [20]
Damage 1d-1/1d+2; Basic Lift 29 lbs.; HP 12 [0]; Per 18 [0]; Will 20 [10]; FP 14 [6]; Basic Speed 6.5 [0]; Basic Move 6 [0]

Social Background
TL: 8 —
CF: Western —
Languages: German (Native) —

Advantages
Allies (one-sixth share) [3]
Ally (thaumatologist/occultist; built on 375 points; 15 or less) [3]
Attractive [4]
Combat Reflexes [15]
Contact Group (Intelligence skills; effective skill 18; somewhat reliable; 9 or less) [15]
Courtesy Military Rank 5 [5]
Cultural Adaptability [10]
Eidetic Memory [5]
Fit [5]
Higher Purpose (Oppose genocide and racial violence) [5]
Independent Income 5 [5]: $5,000/month
Language Talent [10]
Legal Enforcement Powers 2 [10]
Longevity [2]
Omnilingual [40]
Patron (one-sixth share; NATO; 15 or less; extensive social or political power, +50%) [23]
Reputation +4 (Anti-racist crusader; racially oppressed people; 10 or less) [5]
Security Clearance 2 [10]
Single-Minded [5]
Status 1 [0]: Cost of living $600/month*
Unusual Background (Superhero) [10]
Wealthy [20]: Starting wealth $100,000

* Includes +1 Status from Wealthy.

Perks
Headquarters Perks (one-sixth share) [3]
Illusory Costume [1]
Style Familiarity (Bayonet) [1]
Style Familiarity (Boxing) [1]
Style Familiarity (Fairbairn Close Combat Systems) [1]
Style Familiarity (Foil Fencing) [1]
Style Familiarity (Jujutsu) [1]
Unusual Training (Blind Fighting) [1]
Unusual Training (Invisibility Art) [1]

Powers
Mentalist Power (Savant, -10%)
Compartmentalized Mind (Savant, -10%; Switchable, +10%) [50]

Psychokinesis Power (Psionic, -10%): Psychokinesis Talent 1 [5]
•Enhanced Dodge 2 (Psionic, -10%) [27]
•Telekinesis 9/70 (Super Effort [Costs +2 FP/use, -10%; Emergencies Only, -30%], +180%; Psionic, -10%) [122]: Power Parry-11

Telepathy Power (Psionic, -10%): Telepathy Talent 2 [10]
•Affliction 6 (Based on Will, +20%; Daze, +50%; Malediction, Long-Distance Modifiers, +200%; No Signature, +20%; Psionic, -10%; Secondary Unconsciousness, +40%) [252]: Power Parry-14
•Alternative Ability: Affliction 4 (Area Effect 8 yards, +150%; Based on Will, +20%; Malediction, -1/yard, +100%; No Signature, +20%; Paralysis, +150%; Psionic, -10%; Requires Ready, -10%) [42]: Power Parry-14
•Detect Minds (Long-Range, Long-Distance Modifiers, +50%; Precise, +100%; Psionic, -10%; Reflexive, +40%) [84]: Sensory Power Dodge-12
•Empathy (Detect-Based, Reversed, One Sense, -20%; Psionic, -10%; Remote, +50%) [18]
•Illusion (Area Effect, 8 yards, +150%, Mental, +100%; Psionic, -10%; Stigmata, +100%) [110]
•Mind Control (Conditioning, +50%; Detect-Based, Reversed, One Sense, -20%; Extended Duration, ×10, +40%; No Memory, +10%; Psionic, -10%) [85]
•Mind Probe (Invasive, +75%; Memory Bank, equal to IQ, +100%; Psionic, -10%; Requires Will Roll, -5%; Short-Range, -1/yard, -10%) [50]
•Mind Reading (Detect-Based, Reversed, One Sense, -20%; Long Range, No Penalties, +100%; Multiple Contacts, +50%; Psionic, -10%, Sensory, +20%) [72]
•Mind Shield 5 (Psionic, -10%) [18]: Power Block-14
•Telesend (Broadcast, +50%; Psionic, -10%) [42]
•Alternative Ability: Telesend (Long-Range, No range penalties, +50%; Psionic, -10%) [9]

Disadvantages
Addiction (tobacco) [-5]
Code of Honor (Soldier) [-10]
Compulsive Planning (12) [-5]
Duty (NATO special force; extremely hazardous; 12 or less) [-15]
Flashbacks (to Nazi Germany; mild) [-5]
Honesty (12) [-10]
Pacifism (Reluctant Killer) [-5]
Reputation –4 (Anti-racist crusader; racists; 10 or less) [-5]
Secret (Former Thule Gesellschaft member; utter rejection) [-10]
Secret (Knows the true name of God; possible death) [-30]
Secret Identity (Karl Dietrich Reiniger; imprisonment or exile) [-20]
Workaholic [-5]
Xenophilia (12) [-10]

Quirks
Carefully formal speech when on duty [-1]
Proud [-1]
Responsive [-1]
Vow (Never let Holocaust happen again) [-1]

Wildcard Skills
Fake!-16 [6]
Psychologist!-17 [12]

Ordinary Skills
Administration-17 [1]
Area Knowledge (Berlin)-18 [1]
Area Knowledge (Brussels)-18 [1]
Autohypnosis-16 [1]
Blind Fighting-15 [1]
Boxing-15 [4]
Boxing Sport-14 [2]
Carousing-12 [1]
Computer Operation-18 [1]
Connoisseur (Music)-17 [1]
Connoisseur (Wine)-17 [1]
Cryptography-18 [4]
Current Affairs (Politics)-18 [1]
Current Affairs (Supers)-18 [1]
Dancing-13 [1]
Diplomacy-16 [1]
Driving (Automobile)-14 [1]
Electronics Operation (Communications)-18 [2]
Electronics Operation (Security)-17 [1]
Electronics Operation (Sensors)-17 [1]
Electronics Operation (Surveillance)-17 [1]
Escape-12 [1]
Games (Chess)-18 [1]
Guns (Pistol)-14 [1]
Guns (Rifle)-14 [1]
Guns Sport (Pistol)-14 [1]
Hiking-11 [1]
History (World War II)-16 [1]
Holdout-17 [1]
Intelligence Analysis-18 [4]
Intimidation-17 [1]
Invisibility Art-18 [8]
Judo-14 [4]
Karate-14 [4]
Knife-14 [1]
Law (International)-16 [1]
Linguistics-16 [1]
Lockpicking-17 [1]
Meditation-16 [1]
Observation-18 [2]
Occultism-17 [1]
Psionics-16 [1]
Research-18 [2]
Savoir-Faire (Military)-14 —
Sex Appeal-12 [1]
Singing-12 [1]
Skiing-10 [1]
Sleight of Hand-12 [1]
Smallsword Sport-14 [2]
Soldier-17 [1]
Spear-14 [2]
Speed-Reading-17 [1]
Stealth-14 [1]
Strategy (Land)-16 [1]
Swimming-12 [1]
Writing-17 [1]

Techniques
(Guns Sport (Pistol)) Precision Aiming-12 —; Quick Shot-8 —
(Judo) Arm Lock-12 —; Low Fighting-10 —
(Psychologist!) Camouflaged Mind Block-17 [5]; No-Mind-13 [2]
(Smallsword Sport) Feint-13 —

Defenses
Dodge-10
Knife Parry-10
Smallsword Sport Parry-11
Unarmed Parry-11

Attributes 280 + Secondary Characteristics 16 + Advantages 210 + Perks 11 + Powers 996 – Disadvantages 135 – Quirks 4 + Skills 101 + Techniques 7 + Unspent 16 = Base 1,500+ Earned 28 - New Disadvantages 30

Bill Stoddard

[Refplace]

Nice build. I like to see the use of Power Parry and such in there as well.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by Refplace

Nice build. I like to see the use of Power Parry and such in there as well.

I made sure to note that explicitly because I wanted the players to use those defenses. It gives a more comic-booky feel.

Bill Stoddard

[aesir23]

Morpheus is awesome--I especially like the redemptive nature of his back story.

You've mentioned in the past that you prefer a very collaborative approach to character generation.

Did you have to take an even more hands-on approach with High-Point total supers? Or were your players able to use the Power design system pretty effectively on their own?


One major hurdle I've had running GURPS Supers games is when I have players who are unwilling to let me just build their abilities for them. They're stuck in a certain adversarial mindset and can't see that building powers is a skill that takes some practice. Then they end up with abilities that don't do what they think they do...sigh.

[Kalzazz]

Why is that? Some of my favorite characters (in multiple systems) have been built for me

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Why is that? Some of my favorite characters (in multiple systems) have been built for me

I think it's a pretty natural desire to feel in control.

Misplaced in this case because I can build a character that's, mechanically, closer to what they have in mind than they can.

[Mailanka]

Originally Posted by Kalzazz

Why is that? Some of my favorite characters (in multiple systems) have been built for me

I prefer it when players make their own characters. I feel like it adds to the world, and it gives me a glimpse of how they see the world, how they see the genre, and what they want out of the game. Plus it always surprises me.

But my most popular games are inevitably those where I make the characters for the players. This has set off a spate of people making characters for their players here, which I fear means I've sent the wrong message with my pre-gens.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by aesir23

Did you have to take an even more hands-on approach with High-Point total supers? Or were your players able to use the Power design system pretty effectively on their own?

I actually had one player who tried to do the complete build on his own. He got stuck, and came to see me, and I went over his designs and discussed ways to make them work . . . and he went away and got stuck again. We ended up putting off the first session for a month because he didn't have a character ready for approval on time. And he still didn't manage to build a character; we started the campaign without him.

I mostly regard this as a conflict of player cultures. I assume a very collaborative approach; he's used to Champions campaigns where the players go away and build their own and surprise the GM. And GURPS Supers wasn't as easy to do on your own, for him, perhaps because he hadn't spent years mastering its tricks, or perhaps because it's an inherently trickier system, I don't know.

I don't think I'd say that this campaign was a lot more collaborative than my others; I always spend a lot of time going over character sheets, not only checking arithmetic and rules legality, but looking for optimizations and for builds that better fit the character concept and for traits that make sense given the defined background. But the power creation was a bit intensive; the modifiers aren't transparent.

Bill Stoddard