[3e] Brave New Era (reboot • recruiting closed)

[Jameson]

OK, we're a go. First post has been updated for recruiting and the title changed accordingly. Please feel free to ask questions if needed.

[EnigmaticOne]

Archibald Davis



He is a gentleman, kind to the ladies, polite, vocal supporter of cleanliness and good behavior. He is a well-educated man out of the good American schools, who has put his keen mind to use finding criminals and aiding the police out of his good heart and the love of mysteries.

He put the great industrial abuses of the Massachusetts mills in public view by exposing the truth behind the suicides of poor laboring children. The Vanderbilt case was solved by his persistence and intellect. HE IS Archibald Davis, the great detective!

And he has been contacted by Mr. Andrew Murphy for some extended services...

Complications:
Motivation: Thrills Archibald lives for the challenge of seeing new places, cracking mysteries, and flexing his intellectual prowess.
Rivalry: Archibald has a competitive streak when it comes to his old schoolmate Saxton Matthews, the great adventurer (think Great White Hunter).
Fame: Archibald Davis is a well known consulting detective, which has led to many a new acquaintance or client come to call on him for aid in a mystery.

PL 6, 90 PP

STR 0, STA 0, AGL 0, DEX 0, INT 5, FGT 0, AW 5, PRE 3 [26 PP]

Dodge 4, Parry 4, Fortitude 4, Will 7, Toughness 0 [12 PP]

Close Combat: Cane 6 (+6), Deception 7 (+10), Expertise: Current Events 6 (+11), Expertise: Science 6 (+11), Expertise: Streetwise 6 (+11), Insight 10 (+15), Investigation 10 (+15), Perception 10 (+15), Persuasion 7 (+10) [34 PP]

Eidetic Memory, Well-Informed, Skill Mastery (Insight), Skill Mastery (Perception), Skill Mastery (Investigation), Equipment 1, Fascinate (Persuasion), Taunt, Benefit 1 (Independently Wealthy), Languages 3 (Native: English, French, Spanish, Latin, Greek), Master Plan [13 PP]

Equipment: Cane (Damage 3, Reach 1, Feature: Does Not Look Like A Weapon)

Linguist: Comprehend 3 (Speak, Understand & Read all Languages; Requires Int Check DC 14 -4 pp)
Master Detective: Senses 4: Postcognition (Quirk: Requires Observable Evidence -1 pp) [5 PP]

[Bombaatu]

Redoing Yoseph's build:

Yoseph Clay, The Golem of Prague



Prague, 1739. Its first memory was the tinkling of bells and a low, sonorous chanting. The Golem opened its eyes to see its maker, the Rabbi Mordechai, looking at it with a smile of satisfaction. Outside, the ghetto was burning, torched by those who feared and hated the Jewish residents. With a word from the Rabbi, the Golem strode forth… to slay.

In August of 1748, the Rabbi lay dying. Years past, to aid him in his research, the Rabbi had imbued his creature with intellect, perfect memory and the ability to understand all the tongues of man. Mordechai taught it the ways of mysticism, hoping that together he could transcend death. They studied for years, poring over scrolls, tablets and books, searching for the secret of immortality. The golem became his only friend as his obsession grew.

Ultimately, the Rabbi was unsuccessful in his search. Fearing what could happen should the wrong people gain control of his creation, he destroyed the tomes that contained the secrets of creating and controlling the golem. Finally, he gave the golem one last gift: will. The gift was bittersweet, for with it came grief… and remorse. When first created, the golem had been used again and again to kill the enemies of the Rabbi's people and its clay hands were stained red with their blood. Deciding that it had taken enough from this world, it gave itself the name Yoseph, meaning "he will add".

Over the next century and a half, Yoseph travelled the world, learning and teaching all that it could. On rare occasions it was forced into violence to correct an injustice or to defend someone who would otherwise be helpless. These instances would force Yoseph to move on once its true nature had been found out.

Yoseph Clay - PL 6

Strength 8, Stamina -, Agility -2, Dexterity -2, Fighting 3, Intellect 5, Awareness 3, Presence 2

Advantages
Beginner's Luck, Close Attack, Eidetic Memory, Fast Grab, Improved Hold, Jack-of-all-trades, Ritualist, Second Chance: Toughness saves vs. Bludgeoning, Well-informed

Skills
Expertise: Magic 4 (+9), Insight 2 (+5), Perception 2 (+5)

Powers
Magical Construct (Advantages: Eidetic Memory)
. . Comprehend: Comprehend 3 (Languages - Read All, Languages - Speak All, Languages - Understand All)
. . Enormous: Growth 3 (+3 STR, +3 Tough, +1 Intimidate, -3 Stealth, -1 active defenses; Innate; Permanent)
. . Immortality: Immortality 3 (Return after 4 days; Limited: Not if Stone Heart is enclosed, Limited: Only when Stone Heart is buried in true earth. [2 ranks only])
. . Immunity: Immunity 32 (Critical Hits, Fortitude Effects)
. . Regeneration: Regeneration 1 (Every 10 rounds)
. . Tough: Protection 5 (+5 Toughness)

Offense
Initiative -2
Grab, +4 (DC Spec 18)
Throw, -2 (DC 23)
Unarmed, +4 (DC 23)

Complications
Disability: No sense of smell or taste
Motivation: Atonement: Yoseph is trying to atone for his past actions.
Prejudice: Yoseph has a very unusual appearance: its 'skin' is greyish and uniform in color and it is very large. In addition, when not actively moving, Yoseph is preternaturally still. These combine to make people unfamiliar with it uncomfortable.
Weakness: Subject to Magical control: If someone learns the ritual the Rabbi used to animate the golem, they could seize control of Yoseph
Weakness: Water: Impaired saves vs. Water; Affliction (Impaired, Disabled, Dying) if Immersed/Saturated

Languages
Hebrew

Defense
Dodge 2, Parry 2, Fortitude Immune, Toughness 8, Will 5

Power Points
Abilities 18 + Powers 54 + Advantages 8 + Skills 4 (8 ranks) + Defenses 6 = 90

[Jameson]

Archibald Davis
Linguist: Comprehend 3 (Speak, Understand & Read all Languages; Requires Int Check -1)
Master Detective: Senses 4: Postcognition (Requires Investigation Check -1) [5 PP]

Check Required is a flat flaw now, so you need to indicate where you allocated the 5 points of flaw. That said, even if you applied it 3 times for a DC 13 check on Postcognition that would not qualify as flaw since you have no chance to fail with a +15 Investigation. Check required should still follow the rule for flaws and pose a roughly 50% chance of failure.

[EnigmaticOne]

Archibald Davis
Linguist: Comprehend 3 (Speak, Understand & Read all Languages; Requires Int Check -1)
Master Detective: Senses 4: Postcognition (Requires Investigation Check -1) [5 PP]

Check Required is a flat flaw now, so you need to indicate where you allocated the 5 points of flaw. That said, even if you applied it 3 times for a DC 13 check on Postcognition that would not qualify as flaw since you have no chance to fail with a +15 Investigation. Check required should still follow the rule for flaws and pose a roughly 50% chance of failure.

Would Quirk: Requires observable evidence be more appropriate then for the Postcognition?

[Jameson]

Would Quirk: Requires observable evidence be more appropriate then for the Postcognition?

I think that would be a very reasonable quirk for that power, and one that would fit the flavor well.

[EnigmaticOne]

Right, edited the powers. I hope that's better now.

[Malagant]

There goes my Sherlock Holmes concept. Ah well, have fun guys.

[Jameson]

Right, edited the powers. I hope that's better now.

Check your skills and defenses, they aren't adding up right by my count. I count 66 skill ranks (33 points) and only 10 points invested in saves (not 14).

[EnigmaticOne]

My math must be shoddy tonight. Ok, NOW I hope that is correct math. (The Will includes the bonus from half Presence rounded up)

[Jameson]

Yoseph looks a-ok this time as last time.

[Jameson]

My math must be shoddy tonight. Ok, NOW I hope that is correct math. (The Will includes the bonus from half Presence rounded up)

Looks all square now.

[Arthur Eld]

I'm just gonna re-use Horace. I liked that guy, though I think I'll modify his build. He didn't feel like a good enough hunter to me.

However, in regards to Check Required, I agree it wouldn't be much of a flaw for that particular combination of Effect and Skill bonus, but remember, its not a roll for success. By every one you beat the DC, you get one rank of the effect. So for Postcognition, you'd need to hit 14 to use the power (since its an all or nothing type effect). Again, doesn't matter when you have a +15 bonus, but its worth pointing out.

[Arthur Eld]

Horace Edgar Robinson
PL 6 90

Abilities
Strength 2, Stamina 4, Agility 2, Dexterity 1, Fighting 5, Intellect 0, Awareness 2, Presence 1

Powers:
Undying Immortality 7 (8 hours, Limited, not if heart removed), Immunity 1( Aging) 8
Quick Healing Regeneration 5 5

Advantages Equipment 3, Improved Aim, Languages 2 (Afrikaans, Zulu, base-English), Precise Attack (Ranged, Cover), Ranged Attack 4, Tracking, Ultimate Expertise (hunting)

Equipment Elephant Gun (Blast 5, Extended Range, Improved Critical) Big Knife (Strength-based Damage 2, Improved Critical), camo clothing

Skills: Athletics 5 (+7), Expertise (current events) 1 (+2), Expertise (history) 2 (+3), Expertise (hunting, AWE based) 7 (+9), Expertise (Riding) 2 (+4), Insight 3 (+5), Intimidation 5 (+6), Ranged Combat (Guns) 2 (+7), Perception 8 (+10), Stealth 5 (+7), Investigation 2 (+2)

Offense
Initiative +2
Unarmed +5 Damage 2
Elephant Gun +7 Damage 5

Defense
Dodge 5 (3), Parry 6 (1)
Toughness 4, Fortitude 6 (3), Will 5 (2)

Abilities 34+Powers 13+Advantages 13+Skills 21+Defenses 9=90

Complications:
Thrills Horace always wanted adventure and excitement in his life, and while once he was satisfied, the knowledge that he cannot die forces him to take risks again.
Power Loss If Horace were ever to be reunited with the spring water that blessed him with immortality, he would become mortal once more, and age rapidly.
Addiction: Alcohol. Horace has a bad history with the demon rum and even when he's not actively partaking, the thought weighs heavy on his mind.

Horace Robinson was born in Boston Massacheusets, August 8th, 1860. His father died two years later, at the second battle of Bull Run. Raised alone by his mother, Horace grew up to be a longshoreman, but yearned for an escape from his dreary life. The labor was hard, but that wasn't what bothered him. It was boring. There was no adventure, and while many men in Horace's position would have joined the army and many of Horace's childhood friends did just that, joining up to go fight the natives in the west.

But Horace had promised his mother, who had lived through the death of her husband in war time, that he would never join the army. But he still felt the urge to travel, to do something, anything exciting. So one day he took all the meager money he had saved up and traveled abroad to the Dark Continent with a boat full of veteran soldiers and hunters, determined to learn their ways. He left America in 1878, and stayed in Africa for two years, writing to his mother intermittently until her death in 1880. To this day, he regrets not being there in her final days. After returning to Boston to bury his mother, he traveled back to Africa, the only place he felt where he was truly living his life.

While he was abroad, he learned to hunt from the greats, men who seemed like they could walk into the jungle with naught but a revolver and return dragging a dead elephant behind them. He stayed in South Africa for a time, but left when the Boer War broke out. By this time, he was twenty years old, and a skilled hunter. He traveled further into Africa and stayed there for many years. It was a simple life, killing what he needed to eat and selling the rest to settlers (both English and the Boers) to earn enough to live. His was a nomadic existence, and for a time, he was happy with it, content to travel as he would, to stay in no one place for two long. He served as a mercenary when it was necessary, but never willingly took part in armed conflicts, always signing up as a caravan guard or hunting guide.

Then in 1887, he happened upon a small village near a profitable diamond mine that had been abandoned for years. The natives told him that white settlers had come in and put them to work at the mines years ago, before all had been killed mysteriously. The natives told Horace that the village was not to be disturbed, which eh assumed meant regional warlords were protecting the mines, without using them, for whatever reason. Probably just some mystical nonsense, he told himself.

Then a great force of Boer and native troops came into the village, killing all in their path. Horace, who had found a simple kind of peace in the village, took up arms against the invaders, but ended up dead and rolled down a hill into a shallow stream.

Then he woke up, soaking wet and colder than he'd ever been before-the cold of the grave. The mines had been gutted and the villagers were all dead. Both the invaders and Horace (initially) had missed the true wealth of the village-the small spring. Horace didn't quite understand how, but it had saved him. He moved to Cape Town and stayed there for some time, drinking himself into a happy catatonia. The faces of his dead friends from the village, and the haunting feeling of his own death haunted him.

One day, nearly too drunk to stand, Horace was on a hunt and died again, gored by a rhino. When he awoke again, he made to leave Africa as soon as possible. The continent was too dangerous, and he had no desire to taste death ever again. It frightened him to his very soul.

Ever since his return to the States in 1889, he has lived quietly, trying to reign in his drinking. He had a variety of odd jobs, but nothing too exciting. Which was fine by him. Dying was excitement enough for a lifetime.

Time passed, people and places changed, but he didn't. Eternal, undying, unaging, when his old friends from his youth were men of bearded gray, he still looked the hale and hearty youth who had killed an elephant and a tiger in one day, thousands of miles away and two lifetimes ago.

[Jameson]

Horace looks good.