ZamuelNow's Build Zone 3E - Longarm, Bulletproof, Mace

[ZamuelNow]

A mix of builds for my personal characters, basic NPCs, and characters from various media. In a lot of ways I'm using it to teach myself the system so I won't be taking character requests and a lot of these will probably be released slowly. I am contemplating some things though. Somewhat high on my list is doing builds for the C.O.P.S. characters. While I see both Avatar: The Last Airbender and Captain Planet & the Planeteers have been done, I might do an alternate Ma-Ti build. Oh, and certainly let me know if the math is off since I don't have Hero Lab.


NPCS

• Paramedic
• Combat Medic

Personal characters

Various Media

COPS

• Longarm
• Bulletproof
• Mace

[ZamuelNow]

Paramedic
PL3

Abilities
Strength 1, Stamina 2, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 1, Intellect 1, Awareness 1, Presence 1

Powers


Equipment
"Ambulance [Huge, Strength 8, Speed, 5, Defense 6, Toughness 9, Infirmary, Alarm, Communications, Navigation System]
Vehicle (10 points)

Standard Equipment
Medical Kit (1 ep), Cellphone (1 ep)"

Advantages
Equipment 3

Skills
Athletics 2 (+3), Deception (+1), Expertise: Medical Personnel 4 (+5), Expertise: Current Events 2 (+3), Insight 4 (+5), Intimidation (+1), Perception 4 (+5), Persuasion 2 (+3), Stealth (+1), Technology 2 (+3), Treatment 6 (+7), Vehicles 4 (+5)

Offense
Initiative +1


Defense
Dodge 4, Parry 2
Toughness 2 (Def Roll 0), Fortitude 4, Will 2

Power Points
Abilities 18 + Powers 0 + Advantages 3 + Skills 15 + Defenses 7 = Total 43

Complications


Design Notes
I based this off of the Police Officer in the book. Lowered strength due to the lack of a combat emphasis but left it at 1 for a small bit of use in lifting or restraining a hysterical patient. Consequently, the Fighting score was reduced. Added the requisite Treatment skill and also a small bit of Technology and Persuasion to represent the computer usage and calming a patient respectively. You could potentially add the Improvised Weapons advantage to represent a small amount of self defense with any on-hand equipment like scalpels. I went ahead and added in a fully equiped Ambulance though the equipment points could be split among multiple EMTs or removed outright. Adding Infirmary directly to the Ambulance should cover need for IVs or any specific drugs for a patient.

[ZamuelNow]

Combat Medic
PL5

Abilities
Strength 1, Stamina 2, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 4, Intellect 0, Awareness 1, Presence 0

Powers


Equipment
Body Armor Protection 3
Assault Rifle Ranged Damage 5 [Multiattack]
Knife Damage 1 [Strength based slashing; Improved Critical 1]

Standard Equipment Medical Kit (1 ep), Headset (1 ep), Camoflage Clothing (1 ep)

Advantages
Equipment 5, Ranged Attack 4

Skills
Athletics 4 (+5), Deception (+0), Expertise: Soldier 4 (+4), Expertise: Tactics 4 (+4), Insight (+1), Intimidation 2 (+2), Perception 2 (+3), Persuasion (+0), Stealth (+1), Treatment 4 (+4), Vehicles 2 (+3)

Offense
Initiative +1
Assault Rifle +5, Damage 5, Multiattack
Knife +4, Damage 2, Critical 1

Defense
Dodge 5, Parry 5
Toughness 5 (Def Roll 0), Fortitude 5, Will 1

Power Points
Abilities 20 + Powers 0 + Advantages 9 + Skills 11 + Defenses 8 = Total 48

Complications


Design Notes
This is based off of the Soldier stat block from the book with tweaks here and there to squeeze in the Treatment skill and the Medical Equipment. PP matches the Soldier though it's perfectly reasonable to add more equipment points for weaponry (a small sidearm, grenades) or reasonable utilities like night vision goggles since there's plenty of room before hitting the power level limit and a few stats are lower than the standard Police Officer.

[ZamuelNow]

C.O.P.S.
Central Organisation of Police Specialists.
Fighting crime in a future time.
Protecting Empire City from Big Boss and his gang of crooks.



It's crime fighting time!



The series as a whole is interesting in that it seems like the show no one remembers yet a lot of people remember. It's not at the top of their mind but they recognize it if shown the intro, outro, or specific clip. This technically included me since it was pushed to the back of my mind until the past few years. The show is rather interesting in that it's pretty blatantly a goofy 80's cartoon yet some episodes show off a bit of heart. The camaraderie among the team is what really works for the show. While it already had a fair bit of style, there's also a few glimpses of how it could have been if it were released just a few years later when you see some episodes with a bit more edge to the pacing and animation. It's also got a few interesting quirks like using real guns despite being in the future while GI Joe used lasers.

While I was a little slow in getting started (and admittedly these won't be posted at a breakneck pace), I'll be doing builds for practically all of the men and women of the 647th precinct along with their allies and adversaries. Outside of personal bias, I have a few guidelines in who will and won't get builds. The builds will mainly be based on the show with occasional tidbits from outside material only when it makes sense to fill a gap. The character will also need to show up in at least two episodes. I think I'll base things around PL7 since these are mostly "normal" people with an enhanced trait or two. Most actually won't hit caps with the cap mainly there for rather specific things in the universe. These will mostly be designed with play in mind but I'll be aiming for these for "accurate" builds. Thus some characters may not get things that make sense that they didn't use in the series. Currently own the complete animated series so some characters will have a fair bit of material to go off of. Inspire will be on most of the COPS to represent the "It's crime fighting time!" battle call that's used almost once an episode. No set order of characters planned though NPCs like Whitney Morgan and Squeaky Kleen (yes, they'll be getting builds) will probably be last.

[ZamuelNow]

Longarm
PL7
Real Name: PJ O'Malley

Abilities
Strength 2, Stamina 2, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 3, Intellect 0, Awareness 2, Presence 1

Powers
Power Cuffs: Easily Removable (-4 points)
Move Object 5 [Limited Direction (Towards); Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Trip] (9 points)

• Alt: Movement 2 [Swinging, Wall Crawling 1; Increased Mass 3] (1 point)

Child Interaction: Enhanced Awareness 2 [Limited to Children], Enhanced Presence 2 [Limited to Children] (4 points)

Equipment
Light Pistol: Ranged Damage 3 [Improved Critical]
Nightstick: Damage 1 [Strength-based]
Bulletproof Vest: Protection 4 [Limited to Balistic; Subtle 1]
Standard Equipment
Police Radio (1 ep), Handcuffs (1 ep), Emercency Tracking Signal (1 ep)

Advantages
Assessment, Defensive Attack, Defensive Roll 1, Equipment 3, Inspire 2, Leadership, Quick Draw, Set-up 1, Skill Mastery [Parenting], Skill Mastery [Power Cuffs], Teamwork, Ultimate Effort [Power Cuffs]

Skills
Athletics 6 (+8)
Close Combat: Unarmed 4 (+7)
Close Combat: Nightstick 4 (+7)
Deception (+1)
Expertise: Current Events 2 (+2)
Expertise: Police Officer 6 (+6)
Expertise: Parenting 4 (+6) AWE based
Expertise: Empire City Layout and History 4 (+4)
Insight 6 (+8)
Intimidation 2 (+3)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Perception 10 (+12)
Persuasion 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat: Pistols 8 (+9)
Ranged Combat: Power Cuffs 8 (+9)
Stealth (+1)
Vehicles 6 (+7)

Offense
Initiative +1
Unarmed +7, Damage 2
Nightstick +7, Damage 3
Power Cuffs +9, Damage 5
Light Pistol +9, Damage 3

Defense
Dodge 5, Parry 5
Toughness 7 (Def Roll 1, Bulletproof Vest 4), Fortitude 6, Will 8

Power Points
Abilities 24 + Powers 10 + Advantages 15 + Skills 40 + Defenses 16 = Total 105

Complications
Doing Good: Longarm is dedicated to his job as a police officer in Empire City and a member of C.O.P.S. who defends the city against Big Boss and his crooks.
By the Book: Longarm is very straight laced and rarely breaks the rules.
Relationship: Longarm is married to Linda O'Malley.
Relationship: Longarm is father to Brian O'Malley.
Relationship: Longarm is the son of Michael Patrick O'Malley.

Notes
When you think of the COPS, it's generally either Bulletproof or Longarm as the main representative of the group. Longarm is arguably the baseline for the group in having good skills as a police officer and a unique gimmick. In his case that's the Power Cuffs, a combination of grappling hook and handcuff. However, he's defined far less than his gadgetry and more by his personality. He is the most well defined of the C.O.P.S. team by far and surprisingly stands out despite seeming the most "generic". He's the only member of the named team members that has a spouse and child and that family unit adds a lot to the show when they're used in a story. While Linda does sort of only get used as a generic housewife, all of the family work well as individual characters and arguably have more defined personalities than some of the C.O.P.S. The family interaction plays into Longarm being good with kids and he's usually shows up in episodes with children. From a purely stats based perspective, some of his points could probably be obtained cheaper be taking Favored Foe and applying it to children but the name of the Advantage sort of didn't feel right for that usage. He also, has a decent amount of knowledge about Empire City itself since he's native to the city (unlike most of the others who come from other states) and his family has a long line of police officers.

With Longarm's role as the unofficial second in command, his levelheaded approach to things was good to the team and it arguably felt right to bump Inspire up a rank. It was also well displayed that while he preferred to do things by the book, he wasn't clueless like most with that trait. This is best demonstrated in the episode "The Case of The Big Frame Up" where he has to arrest his own father (who is a former cop BTW) due to being the prime suspect of a fur theft. However, he knows full well it was a setup and goes out to find the evidence, grappling onto a blimp in midair, landing it before it crashes, and immediately requesting his father be set free once he had a full criminal confession.

Overall, Longarm is good for when you want a level headed character in a campaign who's not a fool and willing to be hands on.

[ZamuelNow]

Well...that took longer than intended. Got a little sidetracked but I managed to work out the problems I was having with Bulletproof's build. Also beefed up Longarm slightly so that he's more fitting for the Power Level.

[ZamuelNow]

Bulletproof
PL7
Real Name: Baldwin P. Vess

Abilities
Strength 4, Stamina 3, Agility 0, Dexterity 0, Fighting 3, Intellect 1, Awareness 2, Presence 2

Powers
Cybernetic Torso:
Protection 7, Impervious 10 [Limited to ballistics]
Computer Input Jack: Affliction 6 [Resisted by Will (Compelled, Controlled); Limited Degree, Limited to computers/electronics, Distracting] (14 points)

Trenchcoat [Removable]:
Feature 1 [Acts as Subtle 1 for his Cybernetic Torso's Protection] (1 points)

Equipment
Light Pistol Ranged Damage 3 [Improved Critical]
Torso Inner Compartment
Miniature Explosive: Damage 5 [Features: Delayed explosion. Small explosion due to size.]

• Alt: Throwing Discs: Ranged Affliction 5 [Resisted by Strength (Hindered, Immobile); Limited Degree]
  
• Alt: Lightning Bug: Ranged Affliction 5 [Resisted by Fortitude (Dazed, Stunned); Limited Degree]

Standard Equipment
Police Radio (1 ep), Handcuffs (1 ep), Emergency Tracking Signal (1 ep)

Advantages
Assessment, Benefit [Empire City Police Chief], Equipment 4, Inspire 3, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork, Ultimate Effort [Toughness]

Skills
Athletics 8 (+12)
Close Combat: Unarmed 6 (+9)
Deception (+2)
Expertise: Current Events 2 (+3)
Expertise: Police Officer 6 (+7)
Insight 8 (+10)
Intimidation 8 (+10)
Investigation 10 (+11)
Perception 6 (+8)
Persuasion 4 (+6)
Ranged Combat: Pistols 6 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+4)

Offense
Initiative +0
Unarmed +9, Damage 4
Light Pistol +8, Damage 3
Computer Input Jack +3, Damage 7, Limited to computers/electronics
Throwing Discs/Lightning Bug +3, Damage 5

Defense
Dodge 4, Parry 4
Toughness 10 (Def Roll 0), Fortitude 3, Will 8

Power Points
Abilities 30 + Powers 15 + Advantages 15 + Skills 34 + Defenses 11 = Total 105

Complications
Doing Good: Bulletproof gave up his prior job as a Federal Investigator in order to help rid Empire City of crime.
Responsibility: The esteemed position of Empire City's Chief of Police carries a lot of respect. However, the blame for various problems is generally laid on Bulletproof's shoulders requiring a mix of diplomacy and politics with the mayor and police commissioner.
Power Loss: While his cybernetic torso saved his life and gives him superhuman strength and durability, it also causes him to be vulnerable to attacks usually reserved for computers. Any damage or affliction that usually only works on computers and electronics can be used to their full strength on Bulletproof. This includes electromagnets which can hold him in place or system wiping computer viruses that would be considered lethal if they get enough ranks of success.

Design Notes
While Longarm is very much an old school cop with a simple gimmick, Bulletproof really does fit the concept of a policeman who's "Fighting crime in a future time". After a near fatal accident (car crash and building collapse in the show; walking into the police evidence room as the crooks were blowing it up in the comic) he is given a cybernetic torso and a renewed determination to stop the Big Boss. It's interesting that it's always played as a desire to bring criminals to justice as opposed to being a revenge motivation. Bulletproof as a whole does a good job of keeping cool and levelheaded in most situations to the point of him raising his voice at his team being pretty a specific circumstance or an obvious tell that he's acting out of character.

There were some interesting quirks that slowed down my initial release of his build. While him being "bulletproof" was easy to build, other quirks like being able to interface with computers, his compartment of explosives and throwing discs, and just his raw Skills and Advantages took a little thinking to get right. As is, it feels like everything he needs is in the build without him feeling underpowered or overpowered. Of particular note, his Impervious has limits since he can be punched out and even he took cover from fighter jets firing at him.

[Jabroniville]

Oh cool, I didn't even see that you'd started this. "COPS" was pretty cool from my recollection- I vaguely remember it from when I was a kid (ie. I thought it was awesome, but likely only saw a single episode and focused on that because I was too young to read TV Guide), but when YTV started re-airing it in Canada during the reign of "Cops" on Fox, I saw a lot more of it. Getting the DVD of the first season was pretty cool, as it held up better than I thought it would, thanks to a colourful cast of crooks (who were really much more entertaining than the heroes) and some good humor.

I love the Edward G. Robinson impression done by Big Boss's voice actor (maahhhh...), and Ms. DeMeanor is the greatest name for a supervillainess in history. And Buttons McBoomBoom was ridiculously awesome- a trigger-happy psychopathic crook with machine gun nipples.

[ZamuelNow]

Yeah, sadly some of the cops don't get a ton of characterization though some of them get better episodes later on in the series. Then again, this being an 80s cartoon allows the crooks to do crazy antics you wouldn't see in a more serious show.

Doing a few small tweaks and then getting a screenshot and Mace is up next. It's interesting that I started him before Bulletproof. I figured he would be more point heavy due to the laser cannon so I did a rough build to figure out PL but I didn't take into account how much of a discount Easily Removable gives.

[ZamuelNow]

Mace
PL7
Real Name: Colt Howard

Abilities
Strength 2, Stamina 3, Agility 1, Dexterity 1, Fighting 3, Intellect 0, Awareness 1, Presence 1

Powers
Padded Bodysuit [Removable]: Protection 4 (4 points)

Laser Cannon:
Easily Removable (-16 points)
Targeting Scope: Senses 3 [Distance Sense, Extended 2] (3 points)
Cutting Beam: Ranged Damage 7 [Laser; Area (Line 2); Penetrating 7, Precise, Ricochet 4 (Requires reflective surfaces, Ricochet only possible by Mace)] (40 points)

• Alt: Laser Burst: Ranged Damage 7 [Laser; Multiattack; Extended Range 2, Improved Critical 2, Penetrating 6, Precise] (1 point)

Equipment
Light Pistol
Ranged Damage 3 [Improved Critical]
Standard Equipment
Police Radio (1 ep), Handcuffs (1 ep), Emergency Tracking Signal (1 ep)

Advantages
All-out Attack, Defensive Roll 1, Equipment 2, Fascinate [Intimidation], Improved Aim, Inspire 1, Power Attack, Startle

Skills
Athletics 4 (+6)
Deception (+1)
Expertise: Current Events 2 (+2)
Expertise: Police Officer 6 (+6)
Expertise: Tactics 4 (+4)
Expertise: Angles and Trajectories 6 (+6)
Insight (+1)
Intimidation 8 (+9)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Perception 4 (+5)
Persuasion (+1)
Ranged Combat: Pistols 6 (+7)
Ranged Combat: Laser 6 (+7)
Stealth (+1)
Vehicles 4 (+5)

Offense
Initiative +1
Unarmed +3, Damage 2
Laser Burst +7, Damage 7
Light Pistol +7, Damage 3

Defense
Dodge 5, Parry 4
Toughness 8 (Def Roll 1, Bodysuit 4), Fortitude 6, Will 6

Power Points
Abilities 24 + Powers 32 + Advantages 9 + Skills 27 + Defenses 13 = Total 105

Complications
Doing Good: Mace is dedicated to his job of protecting Empire City from crime.
Hot Blooded: While well meaning, Mace's aggressive enthusiasm towards stopping criminals often gets him and his allies in trouble.
Stubborn: Mace often feels he knows best. While sometimes this leads to an innovative idea, it often leads to him getting in over his head.

Design Notes
Every team's gotta have one. That one guy who shoots first and asks questions later. Mace is the COPS main reckless, loose cannon but he differs from most of the archetype both from the fact that he actually will ask questions later and from the fact he respects the consequences of his actions. He's shown a lot of remorse from times he's disobeyed orders and other team mates have been put in danger. It's often interesting to see how he works with teammates, either clashing or working pretty well. Also, he winds up being the only member of the team with an actual storyarc due to his romance with the criminal Nightshade.

Mace's main gimmick is his laser cannon, a weapon that seems ridiculously overpowered compared to most others on the team. His secondary skill, and what makes the laser more interesting, is an impressive ability to judge angles and distances similar to Cyclops and Captain America. While only used so much, it allows him to do things ranging from simply shooting down ceiling fixtures without directly looking at them to Rube Goldberg-esque laser reflections to cut a fountain in half so he can flood two gunmen during a police standoff.