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Old 02-22-2014, 03:42 PM   #431
johndallman
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Originally Posted by Goloman View Post
In case a brawl starts, he always has a double-barreled shotgun loaded with rock salt under the counter. He chose salt not only due to it's nonlethality, but because it is as good a discouragement for spirits as it is for humans. He uses it suprisingly often, because the pub attracts all sorts of beings.
If this is a superficially realistic post-1980 London (obviously it has spirits behind the scenes) discharging a shotgun to keep order in a bar would happen once, followed by jail time. Even if nobody was hurt. This is entirely outside the range of acceptable behaviour.
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Old 02-22-2014, 03:48 PM   #432
Goloman
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Originally Posted by johndallman View Post
If this is a superficially realistic post-1980 London (obviously it has spirits behind the scenes) discharging a shotgun to keep order in a bar would happen once, followed by jail time. Even if nobody was hurt. This is entirely outside the range of acceptable behaviour.
True, I somehow missed that. This could be explained with magical wards that make the pub appear normal from outside, even if there's a full sized dragon inside. The supernatural world has its ways of hiding from normal people.
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Old 02-22-2014, 07:28 PM   #433
Gold & Appel Inc
 
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This thread made me register. Hope it was worth it.
Welcome to the hive-mind. The Low-Balla Thread is always worth it. ;]

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Originally Posted by Goloman View Post
Benny, a weak mage and beer connoisseur, has been acting weird lately. Isaac is pretty sure it's a changeling and wants the heroes to find out what happened to the real Benny.
This echoes a plotline I always wanted to see on Cheers: Norm's been abducted, tab-unsettled. What lengths will Sam go to to get him back? :]

ETA: Benny's weird behavior should be something semi-obscure and beer-related. EG: All of a sudden he's crazy about Belgian whites, but the real Benny can't eat cilantro because it tastes like soap to him (this is a real thing; I have it) and thus also hates coriander...

Also, HT 8 with 9 HP is pretty fragile for an NPC you want to keep around. Assuming he doesn't have an Arbitrary GM Character Shield, of course, you might want to twiddle the points to give him some Hard to Kill, so he's less likely to accidentally get offed by a bit of flying glassware, a single punch in the head in a bar brawl, or the constant illnesses from working with the public in a wet climate, but can still easily land in the hospital for those sorts of things, if that's what you're going for.

Suggestion: You could pick up 4 points for that by trading in the Quirk CoH for a real [-5] Professional CoH that includes the same provisions plus more like: "Always obey all laws pertaining to your liquor license, regardless of how honest you otherwise are or what goes on in your pub. Never knowingly over-serve anybody, and if somebody's had too much, make sure they get to a taxi and over-pay for it yourself. Also throw the cab driver a few bucks for coming out if you call a taxi for somebody who wanders away and can't be found. Always tip out the back of the house."

Last edited by Gold & Appel Inc; 02-23-2014 at 06:11 AM.
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Old 02-23-2014, 06:36 AM   #434
Goloman
 
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Found the Formatting Guide, so I made some slight changes to the layout. Also mentioned the wards and did what Gold & Appel suggested. It is important to keep the guy alive, since I see him as a quest giver.
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Old 02-23-2014, 09:21 AM   #435
Keiko
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Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc View Post
This echoes a plotline I always wanted to see on Cheers: Norm's been abducted, tab-unsettled. What lengths will Sam go to to get him back? :]
LOL!

If there is ever a Cheers movie this has to be the plot.
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Old 06-10-2016, 12:42 PM   #436
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L.A.W., the Beautiful, Talented, and Utterly Mad Woman I Just Broke Up With [0 Points]:

Image: A pretty young woman, with shoulder-length red hair, big blue eyes, and freckles. She stands about 5'1" and weighs about 120#, about 20# of which, to put it in a PG manner, exist entirely in the northern portion of her feminine assets. She's usually dressed like she works as a bartender in a fairly upscale establishment, or for riding her bicycle. When she's worked up about something, she gets the Crazy Eyes.

Culture: TL 8 [0]; Familiarity: Western [0]; Languages: English (Native / Native) [0];

Attributes: ST 8 [-20]; DX 10 [0]; IQ 11 [20]; HT 10 [0];

Secondary: Speed: 5.0 [0]; Move: 5 [0]; HP: 8 [0]; FP: 10 [0]; Perception: 11 [0]; Willpower: 12 [5];

Advantages: Appearance (Beautiful) [12]; Contact Group (Barflies of the Central Business District: 12, Available 12-, Somewhat Reliable) [10]; Double-Jointed (Flexible) [5]; Talent +3 (Gifted Artist) [15];

Perks: Classic Features (Redhead Who is Unrealistically Top-Heavy for a Petite, Skinny Girl - Especially Effective During ComiCon) [1];

Disadvantages: Bad Temper (6-) (Mitigator: Meds -60%) [-8]; Compulsion (15-) (Binge-Drinker) [-7]; Delusion (Thinks She's a Genius) [-5]; Enemy (Watcher: Court-Ordered to Check in with Rocky Mountain Mental Health, a Large Group, on 9- or Else Possibly Get a Probation Violation and Probably Spend a Day or More at the Hospital's Psych Ward When the Cops Find Her) [-5]; Impulsiveness (12-) (Mitigator: Meds -60%) [-4]; Lecherousness (9-) [-22]; Skinny [-5]; Social Stigma (Criminal Record) [-5]; Stubbornness [-5]

Quirks: Mild Delusion (Men Only Want One Thing, but Letting Them Have it is a Form of Infallible Mind Control) [-1]; Mild Delusion (Most Conspiracy Theories are Factual, Especially the stuff about 9/11) [-1]; Mild Overconfidence [-1]; Mild Paranoia [-1]; Staid [-1];

Skills: Artistry (H) (Chalk/Charcoal) IQ+2g [2]-13, Artistry (H) (Cocktail Presentation) IQ+1g [1]-12, Artistry (H) (Pencil) IQ+3g [4]-14; Bicycling/TL8 (E) DX [1]-10; Climbing (A) DX-2f [0]-8; Connoisseur (A) (Beer; Op Spec: IPAs) IQ-1 [1]-10; Cooking (E) (Op Spec: Mixology) IQ+1 [2]-12; Current Affairs/TL8 (E) (Local) IQ [1]-11; Erotic Art (A) DX-2f [0]-8; Escape (H) DX-3f [0]-7; Expert Skill (H) (Conspiracy Theories; Op Spec: 9/11) IQ-2 [1]-9; Fast Talk (A) IQ-1 [1]-10; Intimidation (A) Will-1 [1]-11; Professional Skill (A) (Bartender) IQ [2]-11; Savoir-Faire (E) (Servant) IQ+1 [2]-12; Sex Appeal (A) HT+1 [4]-11;

f = +3 for Flexible
g = +3 for Gifted Artist

Notes: Part of our continuing series, "Wacky People from the Streets of Real Life Denver." I literally met her walking down the street, and we dated for a few months.

To make her an actually-dangerous volatile genius suitable as a 75-Point Enemy instead of a nutty nuisance who's only a little too smart for her own good, simply add +4 IQ, subtract the Willpower bonus and Artistic Talent, and sink [15] into something that makes her more dangerous, like an Ally on the Police force or some points in Poisons and Sleight of Hand or something. Get creative. Finally, change the "I Am a Genius!" Delusion to some more severe Conspiracy stuff or whatever else tickles your fancy (eg: "Enemy PC Loves Me, No Matter What He Says! That So-Called 'Fiance' of His is Gonna Pay For Stealing the Man Who Broke Up With Me Before He Met Her!") and you're cooking with gas.

For a howling Mad Murdoch-type unstable PC or NPC in an Action! game, any of the normal 250-point templates are suitable and snap right on, particularly Face (Wo)Man or Demolition (Wo)Man. Or maybe Wire Rat or Infiltrator, for the super-creepy stalker options.

Background: Name abbreviated to protect... me, mostly. Her father left early, probably explaining her love/hate relationships with men. She started drinking a lot when she was about twelve. She's been in trouble with the law for things like stalking and disturbing the peace, and isn't allowed to drive anymore for some reason. In short, something about her isn't quite right. Also, for additional fun times, alcohol interferes with her psych meds, and she pours the stuff for a living in an upscale place in the central business district. She's good enough at it, but that's not exactly why she makes as much money as she does (note Appearance Bonuses to Sex Appeal as applicable). She dreams of being a famous artist, and she's really good at that, but due to native talent more than hard work. She's never found financial success in it on the scale of what she makes bartending downtown, she thinks she's obviously too good already to waste time trying to improve, and she drinks too much to spend much time on it anyway.

Presented here for your amusement that I was actually dumb enough to date this woman, and for your convenience when your campaign needs a ready-made crazy, volatile ex-girlfriend. Easily gender-flipped to a classic crazy, volatile ex-boyfriend if you change the Classic Features a little and maybe make him an unsigned rock musician instead of an aspiring illustrator if it seems appropriate.

Last edited by Gold & Appel Inc; 06-10-2016 at 01:49 PM.
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Old 06-10-2016, 09:36 PM   #437
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Originally Posted by Gold & Appel Inc View Post
Presented here for your amusement that I was actually dumb enough to date this woman, and for your convenience when your campaign needs a ready-made crazy, volatile ex-girlfriend. Easily gender-flipped to a classic crazy, volatile ex-boyfriend if you change the Classic Features a little and maybe make him an unsigned rock musician instead of an aspiring illustrator if it seems appropriate.
... now, just imagine her with about 50 points of ESP and/or Telepathy abilities (and maybe some weak PK, for Lockpicking).

Honestly, though, you're probably not dumb for starting to date her, since it sounds like her issues are all things you wouldn't have known about if you hadn't dated her for a while.

EDIT: OK, you could also have found out by just being friends with her for a while, first (or for the paranoid, hire a PI), but most people don't require that level of caution.
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Five Earths, All in a Row. Updated 12/17/2022: Apocrypha: Bridges out of Time, Part I has been posted.

Last edited by Prince Charon; 06-10-2016 at 09:46 PM.
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Old 06-11-2016, 06:27 AM   #438
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... now, just imagine her with about 50 points of ESP and/or Telepathy abilities (and maybe some weak PK, for Lockpicking).
Oh yeah, you could totally go that route, too. Pretty much anything scary and/or invasive works here, depending on campaign genre and flavor.

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Honestly, though, you're probably not dumb for starting to date her, since it sounds like her issues are all things you wouldn't have known about if you hadn't dated her for a while.
That's true. Thanks for reminding me.

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Originally Posted by Prince Charon View Post
EDIT: OK, you could also have found out by just being friends with her for a while, first (or for the paranoid, hire a PI), but most people don't require that level of caution.
Yeah, we did kind of rush things a little, to put it mildly. I blame it on that ultra-rare immediate *ZAP!* chemistry shorting out our brains.
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Old 06-11-2016, 08:54 AM   #439
Drop Bear
 
Join Date: May 2012
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Donna Elisabeth Esperanza (3e character 50 pts)
That cute checkout chick that also works at the cafe/ University drop-out

19 y/o Anglo-Celtic (with a bit of Spanish a few generations back), Blond or Redhead, occasionally Black Hair (in truth a Ginger)

ST 10 [0]
DX 12 [20]
IQ 12 [20]
HT 10 [0]

Advantages
Attractive (Cute & Kind of Hot) [5]
Charisma L1[5]

Disadvantages
Sense of Duty (Friends & Family) [-5]
Code of Honor (Personal, includes Sports(wo)man, Higher Ideals, Good Lapsed Catholic) [-5]
Secret (Kind of Bi but not really, more so when tipsy, it's a bit more than experimental) serious embarrassment, possible utter rejection [-5]
Enemy Group, (3-5 25-50 pt characters 6 or less) Nudge Alumni Fencing Club classes of '13-'15 [-5]

Quirks
1. Although she doesn't "Do Mass", though she drops by the local church for a pray from time to time
2. Leaves something in the collection box (even when she can't afford it)
3. Always good for a free Baby-chino for the munchkins when working the cafe
4. Flourishes her Salutes at the end of a bout
5. Openly pro LGBTI

Martial Arts: La Destreza Verdadera, "Olympic" Fencing, Self Defense

Skills
Combat: Fencing (Combat) 12 [2], Fencing (Sport) 13 [4], Body Language 10 [1], Cloak 10 [.5], Main-Gauche 10 [.5], Karate 9 [.5], Judo 9 [.5]


Other: Profession: Bartender 10 [.5], Profession: Barista 10 [.5], Profession: Courtesan 10 [.5], Cooking 11 [.5], Board games 11 [.5], Occultism 10 [.5], Philosophy 10 [1], Psychology 9 [.5], Mathematics 9 [.5], Literature 10 [1], Savoir-Faire (Salle) 11 [.5], Tournament Law (Fencing) 12 [1], Dance 11 [1], Streetwise 10 [.5], Sex Appeal 10 (12 with mods) [2]

Languages: English (Native) 12 [0], French 10 [.5], Spanish [.5], Japanese 9 [0]

Maneuvers: Bind (Fencing) 14/13 [1], Counter Attack (Fencing) 9/8 [1], Disarming (Fencing) 14/13 [1], Feint (Fencing) 14/13 [1], Glide (Fencing) 10/9 [1], Hit Location (Fencing) 12/11 [2]

Defaults & Out of Practice Skills: Computer Opps 10 [0], Area Knowledge 10 [0], Driving (Car) 9 [0], Motorcycle (Scooter really) 10 [0], Running 6 [0], Hiking 7 [0], Stage Combat (Fencing) 10/9 [0], Carousing 8 [0], Performance 7 [0], Acrobatics 8 [0], Video Production 9 [0], Profession: Seamstress 9 [0], Teaching 9 [0], First aid 10 [0]

Donna is that cute girl from your suburb that works the checkouts part time at a major supermarket chain, she also picks up shifts at the corner store and the attached "Cafe" and a little bar or pub in the city. She's all but dropped out of her B.A. (Bachelors of Attendance), officially she's deferring for a year (that's almost up) but doesn't know what focus she wants to take when (/if) she goes back.

Donna comes from a conservative Roman Catholic family with money, not a whole lot but enough to have sent her to Girls Grammar (she has relatives with a lot more money than her folks) for high school, where she was on the Fencing team. Being part of the Fencing Circuit she had contact with the Nudge (Elite faith based boys school with boarders) Fencing team that was rife with performance enhancing and recreational drugs, she had proof of the drugs but was pressured in to keeping quite until she witnessed one the seniors get all rough & grabby with a friend from the A/V Club that was recording a Comp she was participating in for YouTube, so they both went to the cops, the team got good behavior bonds except for the sleaze bag who got five years for drugs and the assault and since it happened weeks after his 18th it was in big boy jail for him. The Nudge fencing team has taken real issue with her and continue to make life difficult for her even after graduation.

As a first year at Uni she boarded on campus, her roommate was working her way through Uni as a Call-Girl and wile Donna was procrastinating about her studies they would talk about her romies work, she skated by her first year taking a grab bag of prerequisites from the Bachelors of Arts program planing to pick her Focus (Major) before she started 2nd year, but instead deferred.

taking a year off she moved in to a sherehouse, where she meet the normal ever changing collection of Slackers, Druggies, Strippers, Whores, Students and people with Issues (or sometimes entire subscriptions), it was a regular John Birmingham novel, her own Faluffal as it where, right up to and including finding a dead junky in the bathtub.

That's when her parents forced her to move home and really think about her focus for when she goes back to Uni when the new school year rolls around.

Donna has bean fencing since she was twelve and joined a Live Blade Salle when she was fifteen, she is highly competitive at "Olympic" fencing and enjoys La Destreza Verdadera, in high school she had a bit of a YouTube following to do with her fencing, and helped the drama department with their stage fights. she has bean through a number of phases, Gamer (RPG, Console & Computer), Goth, Artsy, Gymnast, Theater Nerd, Dance, Anime (she kind of keeps up with that), Cosplay, but her "One True Thing" is and likely always be Fencing.

She used to be a lot fitter (ST11, HT 12 Fit Advantage, Points in sporty skills) but eighteen months of Uni & Sherhouse Food (Fish Fingers, Instant Noodles ect.) and cheep Booze, along with bad sleep patterns and a broken exercise regime has taken a toll on her fitness and when she was at the top of her game she was just more confidant and looked better.

Her Grate Grandfather came out from Spain after the First World War and married an Anglo-Celtic girl, his descendants have married Anglo-Celtics and Northern Europeans ever since
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Old 06-12-2016, 05:17 AM   #440
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Originally Posted by Drop Bear View Post
Donna Elisabeth Esperanza (3e character 50 pts)
Take another look at the thread title. ;]
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