Woodclaw's 2E - Hercules, Iolaus, Xena, Gabrielle

[Woodclaw]

My last Bravestarr build for a while.


Double sweetwater comin'up, stranger.

Handlebar

Power Level: 6 (99pp)

Abilities: STR: 24 (+7), DEX: 12 (+1), CON: 20 (+5), INT: 12 (+1), WIS: 14 (+3), CHA: 12 (+1)

Skills: Bluff 5 (+6), Climb 5 (+5), Diplomacy 5 (+6), Gather information 7 (8), Intimidate 1 (8), Knowledge [buisness] 5 (+6), Knowledge [Current events] 7 (+8), Knowledge [streetwise] 5 (+7), Languages - (Native: Galactic standard), Notice 5 (+7), Pilot 4 (+5), Profession [bartender & cook] 5 (+7), Search 5 (+6), Sense motive 5 (+7), Survival 2 (+4)

Feats: Accurate attack, Attack focus 1 (Melee), Benefitr (Bruiser [Intimidate is based on Strength]), Contacts, Dodge focus 1, Equipment 1, Precise shot 1, Startle, Stunning attack, Teamwork 1, Throwing mastery 1, Well-informed

Powers:

Racial traits (template)
- Density 7 (+14 Str, +3 Impervious Toughness; FlaW: Permanent; 21pp)
-- Immovable 2/3 (1pp)
-- Super-strength 2/4 (Heavy load 5.6 tons; PF: Bracing; 5pp)

Equipment: Comlink (1ep), Fort Kerium (Shared HQ; 4ep), Serving tray (0ep)

Combat: Attack +4 (+5 melee); Damage +7 (Unarmed), +8 (throwed serving tray); Defense +4 (+2 Flat-footed); Initiative +1

Saves: Toughness +8 (Impervious 3), Fortitude +8, Reflex +3, Will +5

Abilities 20 + Skills 18 (72 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 27 + Combat 14 + Saves 8 – Drawbacks 0 = Total 99

Complications: Enemy (former space pirates crew), Reputation (Bravestarr friend)


the last member of Fort Kerium "law team", Handlebar was the least used of the main characters, so his traits are quite nebulous

his strength level was never defined properly, so I decided to gave him less impact strength than Bravestarr and 30-30, but more super-strength, making him the team powerlifter (hell, in the movie he actually punched a line of steel pillars in the ground without even breaking a sweat)

if 30-30 is the team main striker, Handlebar is the brick wall, he can withstand even a direct Neutra-laser blast and if properly preparred noting short of artillery shell can move him

considered his work as bartender and his past as space pirate seemed logical to me to give a fair share of information gathering skill and a good level of streetwise

Handlebar was portrayed using both a standard reinforced turbo-mule and a sort of treaded cycle, during one of the last episodes he befriended a mechaincal bull called Rampage thta became his standard trasport form that point on

[Woodclaw]

maniped from a illustartion by d1sk1ss on deviantart

Feuer und schrecken! (Fire and fear!)

Codename: Flammenwerfer
Heinrich Klein

Power Level: 6 (106pp)

Abilities: STR: 18 (+4), DEX: 14 (+2), CON: 18 (+4), INT: 16 (+3), WIS: 14 (+2), CHA: 16 (+3)

Skills: Acrobatics 3 (+5), Bluff 2 (+5), Climb 2 (+6), Craft [chemicals] 4 (+7), Demolitions 1 (+4), Diplomacy 2 (+5), Drive 2 (+4), Intimidate 5 (+8), Knowledge [behavioural science] 4 (+7), Knowledge [Current events] 3 (+6), Knowledge [tatctics] 4 (+7), Languages 3 (English [poor], French [fair], Russian [poor]; Native: German [good]), Medicine 2 (+4), Notice 4 (+6), Profession [soldier] 5 (+7), Search 2 (+5), Sense motive 4 (+6), Stealth 4 (+6), Survival 2 (+4), Swim 1 (+5)

Feats: Benefit 5 (Military rank [Major of the german army]), Defensive roll 1, Equipment 5, Fearsome presence 4, Improved critical 1 (Flamethrower), Leadership, Master plan, Startle

Challenges: Mass intimidation 3, Powerful intimidation 2

Equipment: Gasmask with polarized lens (as Gas mask + Flash googles; 2ep), Flashlight (1ep), Binoculars (1ep)

Uniform (Protection 1; 1ep)

Weapons (Array 18ep)
- MP-40 (+3 Ballistic Damage; crit 20; 30'; Autofire 1)
- P08 Luger (+3 Ballistic Damage; crit 20; 30')
- M-24 Stielhandgranate (+5 Explosive Damage; crit 20; Area [Explosion, targeted]; Indirect 2, Throw 2)
- Knife (+1 piercing damage; crit 19; Mighty, Throw 1)
- Customized Flammenwerfer 41
-- Direct shot (+6 fire damage; crit 20; Area [Line, targeted])
-- Area shot (+6 fire damage; crit 20; Area [Shapeable, targeted])

2ep in mission specific equipment

Combat: Attack +6; Damage +4 (Unarmed), or by weapon of choice; Defense +6 (+3 Flat-footed); Initiative +2

Saves: Toughness +6/+5 without uniform (+5/+4 Flat-footed), Fortitude +6, Reflex +5, Will +5

Abilities 36 + Skills 15 (60 ranks) + Feats 23 + Powers 0 + Combat 24 + Saves 8 – Drawbacks 0 = Total 106

Complications: Code of honor (Prussian military code), Enemy (various SS officiers), Responsbility (German army officier)


a simple build, no frills, no strange tricks, apart for the flamethrower. This is my first attempt to rebuild it, I'm not 100% satisfied so any hint or nitpicking will be appreciated. The idea is that the weapon can be used to fire a high pressure continuous stream of fire, or a more controlled area effect that can be more easily directed

this build didn't include the soldiers of the Flammenmeister platoon, consider them to be PL4-5 veterans armed with Mauser K-43 rifles or MP-40 SMG, one soldier every 5 carries a MG-42 machine-gun and one every 10 carries a flamethrower, some of them also packs a Panzerfaust

the flamethrowers of the Flammenmeister packs less fuel than a typical FmW 35, but the tanks on the back were armored to avoid unwanted explosions (this is 100% not historical, but is for the survival of the character)


Personal notes

The inspiration for Flammenwerfer (trad: Flamethrower), was twofold, on one hand I wanted to create a German non-superhuman villain for my Golden age campaign so I decided to go for a soldeir; on the other hnad a friend of mine challenged me to create a non-psycho character that used the same gimmicks of a Batman villain, in this case the Scarecrow. Clearly he isn't suited to go against the big guns of his age, but rather as a low level threat for soldiers and characters like War heroes and Two-fisted adventurers. His area attacks make him a very credible threat to these low PL opponents and keep in mind that eh rarely, if ever, works alone, usually being backed up by a full platoon of his men.

Background

Full name: Heinrich Klein
Nationality: German citizen with no criminal records
Birth: May 6th 1910, Magdeburg, Germany
Profession: German military officier (later researcher in neurological pharmaceutics)
Active as villain: December 1939 - May 1945

Personality

On the surface Heinrich is a very solid and reliable leader, skilled, brave and willing to share the risks of the first line along with his men. Under the surface he struggle to kept his problems at bay, he consider himself a man on the verge of madness, just one short step from the pit of insanity. The truth is that he is a lot more sane that he believes, but this mental disposition help him to kept his insticts in check.

Genetic factor

The Klein family carries no Gene-factor.

Generation factor

Heinrich is the grandfather of Heinrich Wolfgang Klein, the modern day member of Euroforce known as Blitzkrieg.

Origin

The third son of a university professor, called Rudolf Klein, Heinrich was born a few years before the beginning of the First World War, when his family moved temporarily to the state of Hesse. The memories of the French bombing raids on the nearby weapon factory engraved themselves in his young mind, causing him to develop over the years an obsession for fear. Attempting to find a way to control or cure his own obsession, Heinrich started getting intersted in psycology and, thanks to his father work, he was able to read a lot about it. After the war his family suffered a major financial breakdown and returned to the native Magdeburg, to ease the economic situation and continue his studies Heinrich decided to enlist to the army in 1929. The peculiar nature of his interests brought him under the attention of the OKW, which was very interested to the native field of psycological warfare. In 1940 he was put in charge of a special unit within the Bataillon Brandenburg and orderd to lead them as part of the Belgium invasion as an attached unit to Kurt Student's Fallschirmjäger (paracadutists) and later the same year as part of Erwin Rommel's 7.Panzer-Division during the invasion of France. The influence of these two offiecers, and many others later, shaped the final elements of Heinrich as an officier, he undertook risky duties far below his rank (like being his team flamethrower operator) always leading from the front. He fought throughout the whole war and received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for his part during the battles on the Gothic Line. His loyalty to the führer was somehow problematic, while he knew that he had to obbey to Hitler, since he was his commander in chief, but Heinrich politicals sympaties were more towards the Social Democratic Party of Germany, it was only his value as one the Reich finest soldiers and experts of psycological warfare that saved him from the SS, he went under scrutinize 6 times during the war and was only the influence of some friends (like Student and Rommel) that saved him. While he knew of the Rastenburg bomb (he had befriended von Stauffenberg and Oster in 1938) his position as front line officier kept him away from the bulk of the conspiration.

Final destiny

In 1945 Heinrich and the remains of his battalion surendered to the British forces near Buchenwald, since he spoke a decent English he was used as interpreter, after the opening of the camp he was horrified, he went to the SS officier in charge of the camp and bare-handed smashed his head against the camp main gate. After the war he served a period of 5 years detention in british prison, the he went back to Germany, he took him another 5 years before he was able to slip throught the iron curtain and rejoin his family in Wittenberg. He died of lung cancer, caused by his interest in chemistry, in 1977.

[Woodclaw]

This is not exactly how I envision the prof., but it's highly evocative

Why is this not working? Why?

Prof. Oberschelden
Rudolf Oberschelden

Power Level: 8 (92pp)

Abilities: STR: 10 (+0), DEX: 10 (+0), CON: 8 (-1), INT: 20 (+5), WIS: 16 (+3), CHA: 14 (+2)

Skills: Bluff 3 (+5), Craft [chemical] 7 (+12), Diplomacy 4 (+6), Drive 3 (+3), Knowledge [current events] 3 (+8), Knowledge [life science] 13 (+18), Knowledge [physical scince] 10 (+15), Knowledge [technology] 10 (+15), Languages 7 (English [good], French [good]; Native: German [complete]), Medicine 12 (+15), Notice 3 (+6), Profession [scientist] 8 (+11), Search 3 (+8), Sense motive 2 (+5)

Feats: Attack specialization 2 (Gas capsules), Benefit 5 (Hauptsturmführer of SS medical corps), Dodge focus 4, Equipment 3, Inventor, Sidekick 18 (Gustav), Skill mastery 1 (Craft [Chemical], Knowledge [Physical science, Life science, Technology])

Powers:

Gene-factor (Immunity 4 [Disease, Poison, Chemical effects]; PF: Innate; Flaw: Half-effect; 3pp)
Gas capsulses (Device 3 [easy to lose]; PF: Disguised; 10pp)

Devices:

Gas capsulses (15pp of effects, Choose 3 AP among the following)
- Sleeping gas (Fatigue 4; PF: Sedation; Extra: Range 1 [ranged], Sleep)
- Acid (Acid 4; Extra: Range 1 [ranged])
- Hallucinatory toxin (Dazzle 4 [Visual and Auditory])
- Feverish poison (Drain 4 [Strength]; PF: Slow fade; Extra: Poison, Range 1 [ranged])
- Paralyzing toxin (Paralyze 4; Extra: Alternate save [Fortitude], Range 1 [ranged])

Equipment: Gas mask (1ep)

HQ: Laboratory (Huge; Tou: +10; Features: Communications, Garage, Laboratory, Library, Living space, Security system 2, 11ep)

3 unspent ep

Combat: Attack +0 (+4 with Gas capsules); Damage +0 (Unarmed), or by Gas capsules configuration; Defense +4 (+0 Flat-footed); Initiative +0

Saves: Toughness -1, Fortitude +5, Reflex +2, Will +5

Abilities 18 + Skills 22 (88 ranks) + Feats 34 + Powers 12 + Combat 0 + Saves 6 – Drawbacks 0 = Total 92

Complications: Debt (to the Fuhrer), Inhuman appearence, Obsession (Recapturing Le Ange du Revanche)


a character I left pending for some time, prof. Oberschelden is the nemesis of my first posted Generationverse build, Le Ange du Vengeage. In the end he isn't very original at all, he is just my take on the classic nazi mad scientist trope

the gas capsules are my first attempt to build a weapon styled after the Penguin's umbrella, at the start of each encounter the GM can choose 3 AP from the list, the disguised power feat simulate both the stealthy nature of the gas launcher and the fact that, under normal circumstances is impossbile to determine which gas he packs

Gustav Stroheim was one of the two most successful experiments of the professor (the other was Isabeau Leferre aka Le Ange du Vengeage). The professor was able to reconstruct him almost from scraps using tissues based upon a lizard cellular structure making him stronger and midly regenerationg, but also causing him to fall prone to crisis of berserk rage. Considering himself in debt with the professor he served him as bodyguard and chaffeur

Image from Sterna gallery on Deviantart

Gustav Stroheim

Power Level: 6 (90pp)

Abilities: STR: 18 (+4), DEX: 18 (+4), CON: 18 (+4), INT: 14 (+2), WIS: 14 (+2), CHA: 14 (+2)

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+8), Climb 4 (+8) Drive 4 (+8), Knowledge [tactics] 6 (+8), Languages - (Native: German [good]), Notice 6 (+8), Swim 4 (+8)

Feats: Assessment, Benefit 1 (Rottenfuhrer of the SS); Dodge focus 2, Equipment 3, Interpose, Rage 2 (5 rounds), Uncanny dodge 1 (Visual)

Challenge: One hand on the wheel (Drive)

(Diehard)

Powers:

Regeneration 0 (PF: Diehard, Regrowth; 2pp)

Equipment: Lange pistol 08 "Artillery Luger" (+3 ballistic damage; crit 20; 30'; Masterwork weapon; 7ep)

Vehicle: Rolls-Royce Phantom III modified (Large; Str: 30; Tou: +10; Powers: Speed 4 [100 mph]; 8ep)

Combat: Attack +6 (+7 with pistol); Damage +4 (Unarmed), +3 (pistol); Defense +8 (+3 Flat-footed); Initiative +4

Saves: Toughness +4, Fortitude +7, Reflex +7, Will +5

Abilities 36 + Skills 7 (28 ranks) + Feats 12 + Powers 2 + Combat 24 + Saves 9 – Drawbacks 0 = Total 90

Complications: Obsession (repaying his debt to prof. Oberschelden)

Background

Full name: Rudolf Gerth Oberschelden
Nationality: German citizen with no criminal records, accused posthumously of crimes against humanity during the Nuremberg trials
Birth: June 9th 1903, Rotenburg, Germany
Profession: Scientist
Active as villain: 1936 - 1945

Personality

The difficult relationship with his father shaped much of Rudolf's personality, he was obsessed with the idea of perfecting his skills, hoping to achieve a measure of approval from him. After the death of his father he replaced this figure, with his superiors in the Nazi party, later SS, hierarchy.

Genetic factor

The Oberschelden family is highly resistant to toxins, disease and more genrally to effects based upon biochemical alterations.

Generation factor

Rudolf was obsessed by his work, and so he had no direct descendants, but his work formed the basics for the first successful skin transplants.

Origin

The fifth son of a family of long military tradition, Rudolf was unable to follow the footsteps of his relatives because he contracted a lung disease when he was 8. He survived but his health was definitly compromised. Eager to please his father, who always kept a very cold demeanor toward his children, he started studying medicine hoping to became a military surgeon, extremly skilled and intelligent he was capable of entering to Berlin university. During his university years he met another young man, a Navy cadet, called Reinhard Heydrich, the future number three of the SS hierarchy, despite the differences of upbringing and character the two became good friends. In 1933, two years after his introduction to the SS, Heydrich presented Rudolf to Hitler and Himmler, fascinated by the young doctor ideas about transplants and intrigued by their potential for the future of warfare, the fuhrer started making arrengements to secure Rudolf's collaboration, he became one of the many SS dctors along with Eduard Wirths, Josef Mengele, Horst Schumann and Carl Clauberg. After the first successes, and the death of his father in 1938, Rudolf behaviour became increasingly herratic and his experiments more extreme, he started testing the possibility to graft non-human appendages on a human body. All the subjects of his new experiments survived only for a short while or became insane after the procedure, except for two a young member of the SS that he almost reconstructed from scraps, after a british machine-gun almost cut him in half during the invasion of France, and a french resistance fighter called Isabeau Leferre. This last one was his greatest success and his worst mistake, after grafting her a pair of vat-grown eagle wings she escaped form the prison camp destroying much of it and seriously wounding the professor. Ironicly the same procedures he created couldn't help him, his inborn resistance to chemicals made him impossible to operate. Since that day he became obsessed wth the idea to recapture Isabeau to discover what factor made her capable of substain such an extensive procedure.

Final destiny

Rudolf was killed in 1945 shortly after the D-day, when the convoy moving his lab closer to Berlin was ambushed by a group of U.S. paratrooper led by Isabeau Leferre (Le Ange du Revanche) and Amelie Dutemps (La Renard Rouge).

[Woodclaw]

Something I was keeping for a special occasion, in this case to celebrate the Forum's new look.


"Sundered from us by gulfs of time and stranger dimensions dreams the ancient world of Nehwon with its towers and skulls and jewels, its swords and sorceries. Nehwon's known realms crowd about the Inner Sea: northward the green-forested fierce Land of the Eight Cities, eastward the steppe-dwelling Mingol horsemen and the desert where caravans creep from the rich Eastern Lands and the River Tilth. But southward, linked to the desert only by the Sinking Land and further warded by the Great Dike and the Mountains of Hunger, are the rich grain fields and walled cities of Lankhmar, eldest and chiefest of Nehwon's lands. Dominating the Land of Lankhmar and crouching at the silty mouth of the River Hlal in a secure corner between the grain fields, the Great Salt Marsh, and the Inner Sea is the massive-walled and mazy-alleyed metropolis of Lankhmar, thick with thieves and shaven priests, lean-framed magicians and fat-bellied merchants - Lankhmar the Imperishable, the City of the Black Toga."

—From "Induction" by Fritz Lieber


Fafhrd the Red

Even a duke must butter up a king, and demigods the gods. We butter no one. We go our own way, chasing our own adventures -- and our own follies. Better freedom and a chilly road than a warm hearth and servitude.

Power Level: 6 (91pp)

Abilities: STR: 18 (+4), DEX: 14 (+2), CON: 18 (+4), INT: 12 (+1), WIS: 16 (+3), CHA: 14 (+2)

Skills: Acrobatics 4 (+6), Bluff 2 (+4), Climb 4 (+8), Diplomacy 3 (+5), Disable device 4 (+5), Disguise 2 (+4), Escape artist 3 (+5), Gamble 2 (+5), Gather information 3 (+5), Handle animal 4 (+6), Intimidate 3 (+7), Knowledge [streetwise] 3 (+4), Knowledge [theology & phylosophy] 4 (+5), Languages 1 (Lankmar; Native: Northen), Medicine 2 (+5), Notice 3 (+6), Perform [singing] 5 (+7), Ride 4 (+6), Search 4 (+5), Sense motive 2 (+5), Sleight of hand 2 (+4), Stealth 4 (+6), Survival 4 (+7), Swim 4 (+8)

Feats: All-out attack, Benefit (Bruiser [Intimidate is based on Strength]), Chockehold, Defensive attack, Diehard, Distract (Intimidate), Endurance, Equipment 3, Fascinate (Perform), Fast overrun, Improved pin, Improved sunder, Startle, Stunning attack, Takedown attack 1, Track, Weapon break

Equipment: Rope (0ep), Chaimail (Protection 3; 3ep)

Weapons (Array; 8ep)
- Graywand (Longsword; +4 slashing damage; crit 19; Mighty, Two-handed)
- Heartseeker (Poignard; +1 piercing damage; crit 19; Mighty, Throw 1)
- Hand axe (+2 slashing damage; crit 20; mighty, Throw 2)

4ep in adventure equipment

Combat: Attack +4; Damage +4 (Unarmed), or by weapon of choice; Defense +5 (+3 Flat-footed); Initiative +2

Saves: Toughness +7/+4 without chainmail, Fortitude +5, Reflex +3, Will +4

Abilities 32 + Skills 19 (76 ranks) + Feats 19 + Powers 0 + Combat 18 + Saves 3 – Drawbacks 0 = Total 91

Complications: Debt (to Ningauble of the Seven Eyes), Enemies (many including the incarnation of Death), Reputation (Hero, Thief and Mercenary)



The Gray Mouser

Why did you have to turn up, you great lout? I was about to die heroically, or else slay in mass combat the seven greatest sword-rats in all of Lankhmar Below!

Power Level: 6 (91pp)

Abilities: STR: 14 (+2), DEX: 18 (+4), CON: 14 (+2), INT: 16 (+3), WIS: 16 (+3), CHA: 18 (+4)

Skills: Acrobatics 2 (+6), Bluff 4 (+8), Climb 3 (+5), Diplomacy 2 (+6), Disable device 3 (+6), Disguise 1 (+5), Escape artist 2 (+6), Gamble 4 (+7), Gather information 3 (+7), Intimidate 4 (8), Knowledge [arcane lore] 1 (+4), Knowledge [streetwise] 3 (+6), Languages 1 (Another Newhon dialect; Native: Lankmar), Medicine 1 (+4), Notice 2 (+5), Ride 1 (+5), Search 3 (+6), Sense motive 4 (+7), Sleight of hand 3 (+7), Stealth 4 (+8), Survival 2 (+5), Swim 3 (+5)

Feats: Ambidexterity, Attack specialization 1 (Scalpel), Defensive roll 1, Dodge focus 2, Equipment 3, Improved trick, Ritualist, Skill mastery 1 (Bluff, Disable device, Sleight of hand, Stealth), Sneak attack, Split attack (two weapons), Two weapon mastery 2

Equipment: Rope (0ep), Masterwork lockpicks (1ep), Leather armor (Protection 1; 1ep)

Scalpel (Rapier; +2 piercing damage; crit 18; Mighty; 5ep)
Cat's claw (Dirk; +1 piercing damage; crit 19; Mighty, Throw 2; 5ep)

3ep in adventure equipment

Combat: Attack +6 (+8 with Scalpel); Damage +2 (Unarmed), or by weapon of choice; Defense +8 (+3 Flat-footed); Initiative +4

Saves: Toughness +4/+3 without armor (+3/+2 Flat-footed), Fortitude +3, Reflex +5, Will +4

Abilities 36 + Skills 13 (52 ranks) + Feats 15 + Powers 0 + Combat 24 + Saves 3 – Drawbacks 0 = Total 91

Complications: Debt (to Sheelba of the Eyeless Face), Enemies (many including the incarnation of Death), Reputation (Hero, Thief and Mercenary)


the godfathers of every D&D thief, rogue and misfit, created by the awersome imagination of the late Fritz Leiber

this version is just a first draft I'm going to refine them using Warrior & Warlocks in a few days

contrary to my habits I tried to make them playable, rather than 100% accurate

the weapons of the Mouser aren't arrayed since he usually fight with two weapons, while Fafhrd prefers to use his longsword (which is not a D&D longsword)

I decided to leave Fafhrd's bow and the Mouser's sling aside, since they weren't iconic of the characters until the late adventures of the pair

[The Ilethryl Knight]

Oh cool, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser! I was actually thinking of building these guys one of these days. Very nice. I take it these builds represent the duo at the beginning of their adventures?

Fafhrd's intelligence seems a tiny bit low to me. He was described as being pretty smart in the books, able to learn every language in Newhon. And when he lost his hand in later adventures, he had the smarts to invent numerous attachments to his wrist so as to offset any disability he might have. I see him as having at least intelligence 14, but that's just my humble opinion.

...Fafhrd prefers to use his longsword (which is not a D&D longsword)

I'm glad you brought that up. The historical longsword used centuries ago was more like the D&D bastard sword than the D&D longsword. Also, Fafhrd often used Graywand in one hand, so I wouldn't limit his use with it to two hands. You might consider trying something like this...

Graywand
+3 damage; Improved Critical, Mighty; (5ep)
Additional +1 damage; [1 rank Penetrating]; Power Loss(when not used in 2 hands; -1pp); (1ep)
total 6ep

This way, he would have the option of using it as a one handed weapon (+3 damage; Improved Critical, Mighty) OR as a two-handed weapon (+4 damage; [1 rank penetrating]; Improved Critical, Mighty). Just a thought.

Also, you might want to recheck the skill bonuses. I noticed a few possible typos. Fafhrd's intimidate, Mouser's bluff and intimidate, possibly more I didn't notice. These bonuses seem higher than their Ability scores would suggest.

Aside from those little nitpicks of mine, I'd say you've definitely captured the essence of these characters. Good job.

[MorningKnight]

Two of my favorite characters, and well done.

Thanks, Woodclaw.

[JoshuaDunlow]

Ah i love this duo, i read some of those books. Had to say i was more of a fan of the Mouser than anything though . Good work.

[Woodclaw]

First of all thanks to all of you guys.

Oh cool, Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser! I was actually thinking of building these guys one of these days. Very nice. I take it these builds represent the duo at the beginning of their adventures?

Well, in my eyes this more the duo after their first adventures (I consider them to be PL5 when they first met during "Ill met in Lankhmar") but before "The Swords of Lankhmar" (possibly my favorite Leiber's work along with "The Mouser Goes Below"). After all they were good, but not superhumanly so like other Heroic fantasy characters, and being PL 6 in a world of PL 3-4 character already place you over the mass. One of Leiber's original motives was to have a couple of fantasy heroes closer to true human stature than the likes of Howard's Conan the Barbarian or Burroughs's Tarzan, and I tried to underline this by keeping their PL and stats comparativly low (at the apex of their career I consider them to be PL7-8 at best).

Fafhrd's intelligence seems a tiny bit low to me. He was described as being pretty smart in the books, able to learn every language in Newhon. And when he lost his hand in later adventures, he had the smarts to invent numerous attachments to his wrist so as to offset any disability he might have. I see him as having at least intelligence 14, but that's just my humble opinion.

Fafhrd INT score was one of the elements I sacrificed (along with the ranged weapons) to make the pair playable in terms of point cost, right now I'm revising the builds using W&W and I was thinking of removing his Improved sunder and Weapon break to increase his INT.

...Fafhrd prefers to use his longsword (which is not a D&D longsword)

I'm glad you brought that up. The historical longsword used centuries ago was more like the D&D bastard sword than the D&D longsword. Also, Fafhrd often used Graywand in one hand, so I wouldn't limit his use with it to two hands. You might consider trying something like this...

Graywand
+3 damage; Improved Critical, Mighty; (5ep)
Additional +1 damage; [1 rank Penetrating]; Power Loss(when not used in 2 hands; -1pp); (1ep)
total 6ep

This way, he would have the option of using it as a one handed weapon (+3 damage; Improved Critical, Mighty) OR as a two-handed weapon (+4 damage; [1 rank penetrating]; Improved Critical, Mighty). Just a thought.

One of my HR is a weapon option called Adaptable which works as follow

New Weapon options

Adaptable (1 ep)
Only melee weapons can select this option, the weapon can be used with one or two hands, if used with two hands the damage increase by +1.

Note: I know that this option is worth only 1/2 point (Strike 1; Flaw: Limited [Only when using the weapon with both hands]; 1/2pp), but since many equipment options are already overpriced (Masterwork weapon for example) I think that it can work.

I didn't used it since I wanted to keep the builds HR free.

Also, you might want to recheck the skill bonuses. I noticed a few possible typos. Fafhrd's intimidate, Mouser's bluff and intimidate, possibly more I didn't notice. These bonuses seem higher than their Ability scores would suggest.

Ouch, the Mouser's scores were wrong (I just corrected them), but Fafhrd Intimidate is correct since it's based on his strength rather than charisma (as per the Benefit [Bruiser] feat).

[The Ilethryl Knight]

Well, in my eyes this more the duo after their first adventures (I consider them to be PL5 when they first met during "Ill met in Lankhmar") but before "The Swords of Lankhmar" (possibly my favorite Leiber's work along with "The Mouser Goes Below"). After all they were good, but not superhumanly so like other Heroic fantasy characters, and being PL 6 in a world of PL 3-4 character already place you over the mass. One of Leiber's original motives was to have a couple of fantasy heroes closer to true human stature than the likes of Howard's Conan the Barbarian or Burroughs's Tarzan, and I tried to underline this by keeping their PL and stats comparativly low (at the apex of their career I consider them to be PL7-8 at best).

I've noticed a discrepancy in different sources concerning the duo's capabilities. As you said, one of Leiber's original motives was to have a couple of fantasy heroes closer to true human stature than the likes of Howard's Conan the Barbarian or Burroughs's Tarzan; and yet, in the very introduction of the first book, the duo is described as "The two greatest swordsmen ever to be in this or any other universe of fact or fiction, more skillful masters of the blade even than Cyrano de Bergerac, Scar Gordon, Conan, John Carter, D'Artagnan, Brandoch Daha, and Anra Devadoris." Sometimes they're portrayed as more down-to-earth, and at other times they are described as being the best ever. Oh well, go figure. (Personally, I think Conan would whup either one of them, but some may disagree.)

Fafhrd INT score was one of the elements I sacrificed (along with the ranged weapons) to make the pair playable in terms of point cost, right now I'm revising the builds using W&W and I was thinking of removing his Improved sunder and Weapon break to increase his INT..

Fair enough

Ouch, the Mouser's scores were wrong (I just corrected them), but Fafhrd Intimidate is correct since it's based on his strength rather than charisma (as per the Benefit [Bruiser] feat).

Ah, I missed Fafhrd's Benefit feat. Nice touch. Very fitting.

[Woodclaw]

I've noticed a discrepancy in different sources concerning the duo's capabilities. As you said, one of Leiber's original motives was to have a couple of fantasy heroes closer to true human stature than the likes of Howard's Conan the Barbarian or Burroughs's Tarzan; and yet, in the very introduction of the first book, the duo is described as "The two greatest swordsmen ever to be in this or any other universe of fact or fiction, more skillful masters of the blade even than Cyrano de Bergerac, Scar Gordon, Conan, John Carter, D'Artagnan, Brandoch Daha, and Anra Devadoris." Sometimes they're portrayed as more down-to-earth, and at other times they are described as being the best ever. Oh well, go figure. (Personally, I think Conan would whup either one of them, but some may disagree.)

Well, I don't remeber if the introduction was by Leiber himself or someone else, anyway I think that what maked the duo standing over all these famous swordmen was that they don't fight fair, they weren't above pulling out every dirty trick in the book (and even some which weren't in any book at all) in order to save their own skins, while the usual fighter in the heroic tradition is so highly skilled that he have no need to cheat.

[Woodclaw]

Well, it's quite a messy phase for me, so I neglected my work on builds for a while, but in the meantime I finally collected the bulk of my HR, and here they are. I hope you guy will gave me a good feedback

Revised feats

Assessment (General)
You’re able to size up someone’s capabilities respect to your own. Choose a target and make a Sense Motive check opposed by the target’s Bluff check result. If you succeed, the GM tells you the target’s attack bonus, defense bonus or a skill bonus relative to yours (lower, higher, or equal). You don’t know the target’s exact bonus unless it equals your own, only a rough estimate of relative ability.
It's possible to assess only those capabilities that the target clearly demonstrate. In combat assessing someone capabilities requires a move action.
If you lose the opposed roll, the GM should over- or under-estimate the target’s bonus.

NOTES: simply, I considered the scope and effects of Assessment too limited, so I decided to expand them a little.

Improved Initiative (Combat, Ranked)
You have a +4 bonus to your initiative checks when you acquire this feat. Each additional rank after the first add another +2 bonus to your initiative checks.

NOTES: I put this rul together after seeing the absurd amout of Initiative the speedster usually had, while this is consistent with the idea I didn't want a character to be absolutly unbeatable, the amount of initaiave is still high, but not as much as before.


Revised extras

Impervious
An Impervious saving throw make the character automaticly save to all appropriate effects with a DC modifier equal or less the Impervious rank.

NOTES: this is an idea spanwed from a convesation, an acquitance of mine considered the Impervious mechanics to be a little counter-intuitive, so he modified it, I don't know if I'll use this HR, but I included it for evaluation

Revised Flaws

Side effect (-1/-2)
Choose an effect that damages/hinders you, each time you use the power you suffer the effect. For a -1 modifier, if the effect is staged you automaticly suffer the lowest effect the first time you use the power, each successive use automaticly inflicts a condition one step higher, unless you have already recovered from the first condition. If the effect is not staged you get a normal saving throw based upon the original power rank. For a -2 modifier you automaticly suffer the worst condition from a staged effect or suffer the effect automaticly for a not staged one. For the purpose of this Flaw, Damage effect is considered not staged and can't be taken with the -2 version.

NOTES: this is my most recent attempt to make Side-effect in line with Tiring, it's still the first draft so I need a strong feedback on this

New feats

Alternate strike (Combat)
Choose an Ability other than Strength or Constitution, when calculating the damage deal by your unarmed attacks or with a mighty weapon you use this Ability modifier in place of your Strength's.

NOTES: the inspiration from this feat came from a spanish RPG "El Capitan Alatriste" where light weapons (rapier or daggers) based their damage on Dexterity rather than Strength and from the GoO "Game of Thrones" where you had to take a specific feat to actually add any Ability modifier to the Attack roll. Since M&M didn't add anything to the Attack roll, I tried to shift it to damage.

Counterattack (Combat, ranked)
Select an offensive manouver (like unarmed attack, grapple, trip etc.) when you block an opponent attack you can immediately execute the manouver as a reaction against the attacker. You can't counterattack more than once per round. You can acquire this feat multiple times each time selecting a new manuver or adding an extra counter attack up to a maximum of 3.

NOTES: this is an umbrella feat to use all the Opportunity effects under the same mechanic of Weapon bind. The limit on th number of counterattacks serves to avoid a character making dozens attack per round.

Heavy critical (combat, ranked)
Choose an attack when you acquire this feat, when you score critical with it the bonus damage is increased by +2 (for a total of +7). You can apply this feat to the same attack a second time increasing the bonus to +5 (total +10).

NOTES: simply, this is the infamous x3 critical of D&D, I'm not too pleased about how it works, it's the best I was able to put together


New Power feats

Autonomous power (only for linked powers)
Only a power that is part of a linked power set can use this PF. The power can be used outside the linked set. You must buy this PF once for each power that you want to be indipendently useable. (this replace the normal rules about indipendently useable linked powers)

NOTES: in my eyes the rules about Indipendently useable powers in linked sets are very poorply balanced, I mean in the Linked entry on UP it's stated that to make powers independently useable you have to pay a +1/rank extra or create an Alternate power. Considering this using hte extra option is highly cost-inefficient. So I decided to formalize the AP version creating this new feat

Dual area (Only for area powers)
A power with this feat can be used as a General Area or a Targeted Area according to the need of the moment. Obviously only powers that doesn't break the General Area damage cap can chose this Power Feat.

NOTES: another AP-based feat, this feat simply arrayed the chosen area with the other version.

Fast donning (ranked; only for a Device power)
Some of your devices are easier to don and activate, for each rank of this feat move the Normal identity drawback intensity down one rank only toward this device. You can't move the intesity under Uncommon.

NOTES: this feat is a bookeeping measure for those characters that used various devices with different donning times (like a suit of armor and a rifle)


New Flaws

Prolonged contact (-1 per rank)
Only a power that requires a standard action to use and with touch range can qualifies for this flaw. The power requires a longer time to operate and so you must keep a prolonged contact with the target in order to use it. In normal combat you have to use a full round action to operate the power, otherwise you can use it in a grapple like a "Requires Grapple" power.

NOTES: my Waterloo, this flaw was created ad-hoc for my Ratpack build, the idea was to simulate that she needed a prolonged contact to leave enough bacteria to infect the target, I'm quite doubtful that it can be considered rule-legal


New drawback

Slow reaload
Only equipment or devices with limited ammo (see Mastermind manual) can use this drawback. The device requires longer than the usual Standard action to reload, the intesity is based on the weapon ammo reserve, usually Moderate, while the frequency depends on how long it takes to reload the weapon Uncommon (1 full round), Common (1 minute), Very common (longer than 1 minute). The Quick draw (rapid reload) feat reduce the time one step down. Certain weapons, like the revolvers, can be equipped with a speed-loader to reduce the reloading time by an extra step, this cost 1ep.

NOTES: well the scope of this feta is quite evident, I really don't like the idea of a single shot slow realoding weapon costing as much as an automatic one


New Weapon options

Adaptable (1 ep)
Only melee weapons can select this option, the weapon can be used with one or two hands, if used with two hands the damage increase by +1.

NOTES: taken directly from the SIFRP. I know that mechanicly it's overpriced (Strike 1, Flaw: only while using two hands; 1/2pp), but so is "Masterwork weapon", so I think it's fine


Fist/claw weapon (0-1 ep)
This weapon is essentialy an enhancement to your unarmed attacks (lika a brass knuckle or an armored gauntlet), you can't be disarmed in any way short than severing the limb, breaking your fingers or something similar. If the weapon limits your manual dexterity in a significat way (like a brass knuckle or a pair of tekagi-shuko) this option costs 0, otherwise it costs 1, for weapons placed on legs and feet, consider if they hinder the ability to run and/or jump in any significat way.

NOTES: I think that the ability of being impossible to disarm should cost something


New HQ feature

Armoury/Arsenal (1ep)
The HQ contains one or more storage room for equipment and weapons. A character can reallocate his Equipment Points, except those used for HQs, each time he has access to the arsenal, the process of rearming took a time at GM discrection.

NOTES: nothing to say, just a way to simulate things like the pile of extra gadgets stached in the Bat-cave.

[MisterO]

Well, it's quite a messy phase for me, so I neglected my work on builds for a while, but in the meantime I finally collected the bulk of my HR, and here they are. I hope you guy will gave me a good feedback

Revised feats

Assessment (General)
You’re able to size up someone’s capabilities respect to your own. Choose a target and make a Sense Motive check opposed by the target’s Bluff check result. If you succeed, the GM tells you the target’s attack bonus, defense bonus or a skill bonus relative to yours (lower, higher, or equal). You don’t know the target’s exact bonus unless it equals your own, only a rough estimate of relative ability.
It's possible to assess only those capabilities that the target clearly demonstrate. In combat assessing someone capabilities requires a move action.
If you lose the opposed roll, the GM should over- or under-estimate the target’s bonus.

NOTES: simply, I considered the scope and effects of Assessment too limited, so I decided to expand them a little.

Would this perhaps be better as a ranked feat? So that each time you take it you can choose a different trait to be able to assess. So you could have MasterFighter have Assessment (Attack Bonus), and SuperScientist have Assessment (Intelligence).

Improved Initiative (Combat, Ranked)
You have a +4 bonus to your initiative checks when you acquire this feat. Each additional rank after the first add another +2 bonus to your initiative checks.

NOTES: I put this rul together after seeing the absurd amout of Initiative the speedster usually had, while this is consistent with the idea I didn't want a character to be absolutly unbeatable, the amount of initaiave is still high, but not as much as before.

This makes sense to me and it does get around the problem speedsters having god-like Initiative scores. Do you think Initiative scores should be capped like other traits? Perhaps limited to x2 PL?

Revised extras

Impervious
An Impervious saving throw make the character automaticly save to all appropriate effects with a DC modifier equal or less the Impervious rank.

NOTES: this is an idea spanwed from a convesation, an acquitance of mine considered the Impervious mechanics to be a little counter-intuitive, so he modified it, I don't know if I'll use this HR, but I included it for evaluation

I don't see how this is that different from normal Impervious. Also what is meant by "all appropriate effects"? Does this mean that I have to choose an effect to be Impervious to? I don't think this is a bad idea, I actually think it would work for some character concepts.

Revised Flaws

Side effect (-1/-2)
Choose an effect that damages/hinders you, each time you use the power you suffer the effect. For a -1 modifier, if the effect is staged you automaticly suffer the lowest effect the first time you use the power, each successive use automaticly inflicts a condition one step higher, unless you have already recovered from the first condition. If the effect is not staged you get a normal saving throw based upon the original power rank. For a -2 modifier you automaticly suffer the worst condition from a staged effect or suffer the effect automaticly for a not staged one. For the purpose of this Flaw, Damage effect is considered not staged and can't be taken with the -2 version.

NOTES: this is my most recent attempt to make Side-effect in line with Tiring, it's still the first draft so I need a strong feedback on this

I think I like this better than the book version of Side-Effect, but is it too punishing for the player to take?

New feats

Alternate strike (Combat)
Choose an Ability other than Strength or Constitution, when calculating the damage deal by your unarmed attacks or with a mighty weapon you use this Ability modifier in place of your Strength's.

I don't remember having to choose between Strength or Constitution for the mighty feat. Or is sort of a house rule within a house rule?

Counterattack (Combat, ranked)
Select an offensive manouver (like unarmed attack, grapple, trip etc.) when you block an opponent attack you can immediately execute the manouver as a free action against the attacker. You can't counterattack more than once per round. You can acquire this feat multiple times each time selecting a new manuver or adding an extra counter attack up to a maximum of 3.

NOTES: this is an umbrella feat to use all the Opportunity effects under the same mechanic of Weapon bind. The limit on th number of counterattacks serves to avoid a character making dozens attack per round.

I like this feat but I can see it being abused pretty badly. Perhaps if you made the action a Reaction instead of a Free action?

Heavy critical (combat, ranked)
Choose an attack when you acquire this feat, when you score critical with it the bonus damage is increased by +2 (for a total of +7). You can apply this feat to the same attack a second time increasing the bonus to +5 (total +10).

NOTES: simply, this is the infamous x3 critical of D&D, I'm not too pleased about how it works, it's the best I was able to put together

Huh, it does seem to be a little over powered, especially if you have more than say three ranks in Improved Critical.

New Power feats

Dual area (Only for area powers)
A power with this feat can be used as a General Area or a Targeted Area according to the need of the moment. Obviously only powers that doesn't break the General Area damage cap can chose this Power Feat.

NOTES: another AP-based feat, this feat simply arrayed the chosen area with the other version.

I'm not sure how useful this feat really is, could you maybe explain it a little more?

New HQ feature

Armoury/Arsenal (1ep)
The HQ contains one or more storage room for equipment and weapons. A character can reallocate his Equipment Points, except those used for HQs, each time he has access to the arsenal, the process of rearming took a time at GM discrection.

NOTES: nothing to say, just a way to simulate things like the pile of extra gadgets stached in the Bat-cave.

This is the best of the lot I'd say. I'm honestly surprised that something like this wasn't in Core.

[Arthur Eld]

I really like Alternate Strike, but I'd be careful about what abilities to let it use. I wouldn't let a super-smart guy pick up a sword with it and suddenly his damage is through the roof. Its better for characters with high Dexterity instead of Strength who still use weapons.

Ep by its nature, I thought, was always modular, but if GMs rule that once you spend ep on something, its fixed, than the Arsenal feature seems much more useful.

Impervious seems more or less the same as the core rule, except it shouldn't stop things with its rank, that might be too powerful. Because the way it works now, Impervious toughness of 1 stops attacks with a damage bonus of 0, i.e. regular punches and kicks. but now it would also stop characters with STR of 12, or a normal person with a knife or brass knuckles. In essence, you're getting the first level for free. In that case, why not just make it a +1 Feat of powers with the Impervious extra?

[Woodclaw]

Overall it seems that Arsenal is the most well written rul I was able to put together.

Would this perhaps be better as a ranked feat? So that each time you take it you can choose a different trait to be able to assess. So you could have MasterFighter have Assessment (Attack Bonus), and SuperScientist have Assessment (Intelligence).

Making it ranked, doesn't sound right to me, but I'll think about it.

This makes sense to me and it does get around the problem speedsters having god-like Initiative scores. Do you think Initiative scores should be capped like other traits? Perhaps limited to x2 PL?

As Taliesin pointed out in the Rules forum having more than 5 ranks of Improved Initiative, under core rules, is simply redundant, so maybe this modification isn't ass good as I thought. I don't know about caping the Initiative, but it sound wrong to me.

I don't see how this is that different from normal Impervious. Also what is meant by "all appropriate effects"? Does this mean that I have to choose an effect to be Impervious to? I don't think this is a bad idea, I actually think it would work for some character concepts.

Impervious seems more or less the same as the core rule, except it shouldn't stop things with its rank, that might be too powerful. Because the way it works now, Impervious toughness of 1 stops attacks with a damage bonus of 0, i.e. regular punches and kicks. but now it would also stop characters with STR of 12, or a normal person with a knife or brass knuckles. In essence, you're getting the first level for free. In that case, why not just make it a +1 Feat of powers with the Impervious extra?

As Arthur Eld correctly noted "appropriate" means that if you have an Impervious Will save, this won't do any good to you against an effect that attack your Fortitude. My problem with Impervious is that it's not so common to met a +0 effect on Toughness, and it's downright impossible with the other saves, so in my eyes the first level of Impervious is quite useless as it is, it almoist look like an entry fee to use a partcular extra.

I think I like this better than the book version of Side-Effect, but is it too punishing for the player to take?

Thanks, but this will probably undertake another revision.

I don't remember having to choose between Strength or Constitution for the mighty feat. Or is sort of a house rule within a house rule?

No, simply the CON score is already too vital, giving it the option of being used to modify the damage is too good in my eyes.

I really like Alternate Strike, but I'd be careful about what abilities to let it use. I wouldn't let a super-smart guy pick up a sword with it and suddenly his damage is through the roof. Its better for characters with high Dexterity instead of Strength who still use weapons.

Well, Dexterity is obviously the most likely score to use, and it was already poited out that it's a very exploitable feat, I'll revision it later.

I like this feat but I can see it being abused pretty badly. Perhaps if you made the action a Reaction instead of a Free action?

It's a typo ti should be a reaction.

Huh, it does seem to be a little over powered, especially if you have more than say three ranks in Improved Critical.

Heavy critical limited to 2 ranks per attack, bit it's considered overpowered by a lot of people, I'll probably drop it or change it radically.

I'm not sure how useful this feat really is, could you maybe explain it a little more?

Dual Area is conceived as way to simulate attacks that can be either aimed and fired directly with all the usual perks (power attack, conditional bonuses etc.) and drawbacks (Chance to miss etc.), or fired without much control hoping to trash as much people as possible.

[Severance]

I like the Arsenal feature, as whenever I'm GM of a game, the equipment is usually set in stone. This gives the players something to work for to add to their hideaway. (like an assassin's guild who has access to a store of weapons for different jobs.)

The Counterattack is pretty good too, though could you potentially counter blasts if you had a similar power? (If not, could that be added?)

Maybe you could change the Heavy Critical to something that has more of a drawback. (Like it could be a feat like the other combat modifier feats. You may increase your threat range up to +5, but you take an equal amount away from accuracy or initial damage.)