Taliesin's builds: 3E moved to sister thread

[Taliesin]

Yeah, thinking it over, probably need to give him moderate ranks in Bluff. My Batman isn't a Charisma-machine at all, and I think of him as strong-arming his way towards his ends, even as Bruce Wayne.

[Taliesin]

Why the surfboard? It was all I could afford on my salary!

Silver Surfer

Power Level: 15 (255pp)

Abilities: STR: 10 [40] (+15), DEX: 10 [20] (+5), CON: 10 [40] (+15), INT: 16 (+3), WIS: 14 [20] (+5), CHA: 14 (+2)

Skills: Concentration 8 (+13), Diplomacy 8 (+10), Knowledge [Physical Sciences] 12 (+15), Notice 4 (+9), Pilot 4 (+9), Sense Motive 4 (+9)

Feats: Assessment, Environmental Adaptation [zero gravity], Evasion, Fast Overrun, Luck, Move-By Action

Powers:
Communication 2 (mental; Extra: Two-Way [+1]; 4pp)
Cosmic Energy Control 15 (30pp)
AP: Boost 10 (any trait, one at a time; Extra: Total Fade [+1]; 1pp)
AP: Boost 10 (all ability scores; Extra: Total Fade [+1]; Flaw: Limited [to physical scores; -1]; 1pp)
AP: {ESP 18 (mental) and Super-Senses 12 (Detect Energy 7 [mental, Ranged, Accurate, Acute, Analytical, Tracking], Detect Life 5 [mental, Ranged, Accurate, Acute]); 1pp}
AP: Healing 10 (Extra: Total [+1]; 1pp)
AP: Transform 5 (any element to any element; Extra: Duration [+1]; 1pp)
Device 6 “Surfboard” [Easy to Lose] (Power Feats: Indestructible, Remote Control, Restricted 2; 22pp)
Enhanced Strength 30 (30pp)
Enhanced Dexterity 10 (10pp)
Enhanced Constitution 30 (30pp)
Enhanced Wisdom 6 (6pp)
AP: Comprehend 3 (Languages 3 [speak all, understand]; 1pp)
AP: Super-Senses 6 (Cosmic Awareness, Benefit [Directed Inspiration], Postcognition; 1pp)
Flight 6 (500 MPH; 12pp)
AP: Super-Strength 6 (Heavy Load: 200 tons; 1pp)
Immunity 12 (Aging, Life Support, Need for Sleep, Starvation and Thirst; 12pp)
Impervious Toughness 15 (15pp)
Space Travel 1 (1c; 1pp)

Devices:

Surfboard (30pp total)
Flight 14 (near light-speed; Flaw: Platform [-1]; 14pp)
Space Travel 10 (1,000c; 10pp)
Super-Movement 3 (Permeate 3; 6pp)

Combat: Attack +10; Damage +15 (Unarmed) / +15 (Cosmic Energy Control) // +5 (Boost); Defense +10 (+5 flat-footed); Initiative +5

Saves: Toughness +15 (Impervious) // +5 (Boost), Fortitude +15, Reflex +10, Will +10

Drawbacks: Vulnerable (Interaction skills; Very Common, Major; -5pp)

Abilities 14 + Skills 10 (40 ranks) + Feats 6 + Powers 180 + Combat 40 + Saves 10 – Drawbacks 5 = 255

Norrin’s Cosmic Energy Control can do practically anything he wishes to, especially with power stunts. He can Transform any pure element into any other pure element, which can be a highly flexible power. The Surfer’s most important power from Galactus’ standpoint is the ability to Detect Life and Detect Energy, which he can do at galactic distances in conjunction with his ESP. He can stunt nearly any power off of this array, or simply use Boost to bestow a new ability upon himself or another or to improve an existing trait, for instance Strength to rival an enraged Hulk or Toughness to rival Juggernaut’s. In the Marvel Universe, the Power Cosmic is an almost universal descriptor and should be able to simulate nearly any power via power stunts.

The Surfer has one glaring weakness; he’s incredibly naïve despite his high Wisdom score and people can and have tricked him with regularity. I’ve modeled this with a Vulnerable Drawback to interaction effects, which includes feints, trickery, etc. that are often opposed with Sense Motive. Norrin still has a respectable bonus in Sense Motive, used mostly for Assessment, but Norrin will be caught flat-footed quite often and is a prime candidate for Sneak Attack.

Update 7/23/07 Guess I need to update the Surfer, as well. Just a couple minor things, including replacing Super-Senses with ESP and a straight-up Detect and letting his Boost do a lot of the dirty work for his Power Cosmic.

Update to Silver Surfer, as well as some quick corrections to Firelord and Morg to bring the Heralds in line with one another.

[Captain Liberty]

Thanks for the updates.

[BARON]

Yeah, thinking it over, probably need to give him moderate ranks in Bluff. My Batman isn't a Charisma-machine at all, and I think of him as strong-arming his way towards his ends, even as Bruce Wayne.

neither is mine. my advice? either give him lots of *training* (technique) or give him a benefit that bases bluff on intelligence.

[Taliesin]

Yeah, thinking it over, probably need to give him moderate ranks in Bluff. My Batman isn't a Charisma-machine at all, and I think of him as strong-arming his way towards his ends, even as Bruce Wayne.

neither is mine. my advice? either give him lots of *training* (technique) or give him a benefit that bases bluff on intelligence.

Well, I'm fine with Batman being less than stellar in the Charisma department. I gave him a 14, which is still pretty good; people just don't gravitate towards him the way they would towards Superman. It's a running theme in the Modern Age that Batman is a paranoiac who doesn't trust easily and who doesn't inspire trust, either.

Any Charisma-based skills would just have to be purchased with skill ranks. I'm okay with that, since with 16 ranks in Intimidate and a +2 Charisma bonus, Batman is still getting a +18 Intimidate bonus, which is darned good. His other Charisma-based skills, such as Bluff and Gather Information, don't need to be too terribly high. I think maybe 8 ranks in each is good. My Batman doesn't twinkle-toe his way through things; he likes using his Intimidate. Likewise, he runs to Oracle as often as not, instead of relying on his own Gather Info skill.

As Bruce Wayne, I believe his Wealth opens as many doors as his Charisma-based skills. When his charming response, "They're European," has no effect on "Sir, the pool is for decoration, and your friends do not have swimwear," Bruce can always fall back on: "You see, I'm buying this hotel, and uh, setting new rules about the pool area."

With Intimidate being the only Charisma-based skill in which Batman is exceptional, I'm satisfied keeping his Charisma at 14.

[Wordmaker]

I kind of disagree on Batman not being charismatic. At least in his own titles and in the DCAU, he's often portrayed as having a very forceful and powerful personality, which is what I interpret Charisma to be. Not how likeable you are, but how strong your presence is among others.

[Doctor Vile]

I kind of disagree on Batman not being charismatic. At least in his own titles and in the DCAU, he's often portrayed as having a very forceful and powerful personality, which is what I interpret Charisma to be. Not how likeable you are, but how strong your presence is among others.

I see were Taliesin is coming from with the 14 Charisma. Batman is fairly charismatic but usually isn't very friendly and tends to rub people the wrong way as Batman. This is why I think he would have some ranks in Bluff for when he's convincing people that he is friendly as Bruce Wayne....lol

I'd think 8 ranks in Bluff would be plenty, that would give him a +10 overall. One example of him using Bluff would come from Batman Begins when he's pretending to be drunk to run off his quests. Sure, he probably wasn't lying for the most part about what he was saying but he still had to pull off the whole drunken bit and I think he was relying on some bluff rather than straight Charisma. He fooled most everyone there except for Rha's.

[Wordmaker]

I would still argue that too much attention is paid to Charisma's role as the "how much people like and trust you" Ability. The first term used to describe it is "force of personality." I would consider a character with a low Charisma to not necessarily be unlikeable or untrustworthy, but shy and withdrawn, a quiet and unassuming character.

[James the True]

Wow, these are awesome. Now I can jump right into the game without having to convert everthing from my old Marvel Superheroes RPG (except for the PCs of course). We haven't played superheroes in about a decade and are dying to get back into those colourful costumes.

Being new to the game I have a quick question. I've noticed that some of these characters have stats higher than the PL given for them (Superman has a Str mod of +18 and a PL of 15). How is this played? If he were to punch another character would that character's Toughness save have a base DC of 18 or 15? Or is this just because he's an NPC and can ignore the PL?

We're trying to convert our old characters and I would appreciate any advice you can offer.

Thanks,
James the True

[Doctor Vile]

I would still argue that too much attention is paid to Charisma's role as the "how much people like and trust you" Ability. The first term used to describe it is "force of personality." I would consider a character with a low Charisma to not necessarily be unlikeable or untrustworthy, but shy and withdrawn, a quiet and unassuming character.

Yeah....I can see Batman either way....14 Charisma with 8 Bluff ranks and 14-16 Intimidate ranks or a higher Charisma (maybe 18-20) and 5-6 Bluff ranks and 12-13 Intimidate ranks. The last one comes out more costly.

[Wordmaker]

True, if you're working to a points limit, focusing on one strong point for Batman (like INT), is a good way to go.

[Doctor Vile]

Wow, these are awesome. Now I can jump right into the game without having to convert everthing from my old Marvel Superheroes RPG (except for the PCs of course). We haven't played superheroes in about a decade and are dying to get back into those colourful costumes.

Being new to the game I have a quick question. I've noticed that some of these characters have stats higher than the PL given for them (Superman has a Str mod of +18 and a PL of 15). How is this played? If he were to punch another character would that character's Toughness save have a base DC of 18 or 15? Or is this just because he's an NPC and can ignore the PL?

We're trying to convert our old characters and I would appreciate any advice you can offer.

Thanks,
James the True

His damage is higher than his PL because he's made a trade off to deal more damage but be less accurate on his attack bonus. So if his PL is 15 and his damage bonus from strength is +18 then his max attack roll unarmed should be +12.

[James the True]

Thank you. When you do this trade off during character creation does it cost any power points or do you just note it on the character sheet? I'm sure some of my players would be interested in this.

James the True

[Taliesin]

Thank you. When you do this trade off during character creation does it cost any power points or do you just note it on the character sheet? I'm sure some of my players would be interested in this.

James the True

Just make a note. You can have varying tradeoffs by attack as well. For example:

PL10: Attack +8 / +10 (Ranged); Damage +10 (Blast) / +12 (Unarmed)

Here, you have no tradeoff to your ranged attack (the Blast), and a +2 Damage/-2 Attack tradeoff for your other attacks (in this case, unarmed damage). Pages 24-25 in the core book have more information on tradeoffs.

[Taliesin]

True, if you're working to a points limit, focusing on one strong point for Batman (like INT), is a good way to go.

Technically, there is no difference between skill bonuses from an ability score and skill bonuses from ranks, but it is easier to think of ability scores as natural talent and skill ranks as training.

Charisma may be force of personality (and persuasiveness, leadership ability, and attractiveness), but buying straight Charisma represents being good in all those aspects, not just one. Batman isn't charismatic all around.

Batman isn't great at all Charisma-based skills, as I noted in my reply to Baron. He's a master at Intimidate and Disguise, and just good at Bluff and Gather Information. Modern Age Batman especially relies on Intimidate to do all the dirty work for him. Need information? Why use Gather Info when you can Intimidate or beat it out of someone?

My Kingdom Come Batman does have a slightly higher Charisma, but he's out of the mask, for the most part, has reconciled the two aspects of his personality, and is in fact very charismatic. A Silver Age Batman would likely have a higher Charisma (16-18) as well.