Rogues' Gallery

[The Venomous Pao]

Here's my hillman barbarian. He was built with the "heroic" stat option (2d6+6), but with normal skill point levels. I used the "complex" Skill Category Bonuses, too. I also used Step Six.

This is the first character I've made in any form of BRP since about 1983, so any input on how he looks mechanics-wise would be appreciated.

I'll be posting other characters to this thread as I make them, and would love to see others do the same.

And now, without further ado, I give you Kinan the Barbarian!

Name Kinan
Race Human     Gender Male     Age 18
Handedness Right     Height 6'    Weight 200 lbs.
Profession Tribesman
"Pulp" Personality Type Physical


STR  17       Effort Roll  85%          Hit Points 15 
CON  17       Stamina Roll  85%         Major Wound 8
SIZ  13       Damage Bonus  1d6         Power Points 12
INT  11       Idea Roll  55%            Exp Bonus 6
POW  12       Luck Roll  60%            Move 10
DEX  15       Agility Roll  75%
APP  10       Charisma Roll  50%


Skills
Appraise 27%
Brawling 75%
Climb 71%
Club/Mace 75%
Craft: Blacksmith 33%
Dagger 43%
Dodge 75%
Fine Manipulation 23%
Grapple 75%
Hide 51%
Insight 30%
Jump 66%
Knowledge: Natural History 23%
Listen 40%
Persuade 22%
Ride 46%
Sense 35%
Shield 75%
Spot 75%
Stealth 46%
Swim 56%
Throw 75%
Track 51%


Items
Light Mace (75%/75%) 1d6+2
Heater Shield (75%)
Hide Armor (1d3-1)

[badcat]

This looks most playable. You are using separate attack/parry skills; are you also intending to use over 100% skill levels?

[The Venomous Pao]

Originally Posted by badcat

This looks most playable.

Well thank goodness for that! Splitting up the various skill points was mildly nerve-wracking.

Originally Posted by badcat

You are using separate attack/parry skills; are you also intending to use over 100% skill levels?

Most likely, yes. It seems that's the best (only?) way to get to multiple attacks in a round. And if the folks I hope to get playing with eventually don't get a chance to make multiple attacks per round they'll start crying. And I can't have that!

Thanks for the feedback, badcat.

[drohem]

Looks great!

Now, we just need a short write-up about Kinan the Barbarian describing his personality and previous history.

[The Venomous Pao]

Next up, two conflicting wuxia heroines. Built with the heroic stats option (2d6+6), but with normal skill point levels. I used the "complex" Skill Category Bonuses, too. I also used Step Six.

For these two, the highest level of Super Powers was used as well, with the highest stat (modified) serving as the budget. Super Movement and Unarmed Combat are expensive.

Name Zhang Jen, The Thief of Destiny
Race Human     Gender Female     Age 16
Handedness Right     Height  5'5"   Weight 109 lbs.
Distinctive Features Graceful bearing, High Cheekbones, Lithe
Pulp Personality Type #2 (Crafty!)
Profession Noble


STR  10       Effort Roll  50%          Hit Points 12 
CON  14       Stamina Roll  70%         Major Wound 6
SIZ  10       Damage Bonus  none        Power Points 59
INT  14       Idea Roll  70%            Exp Bonus 7
POW  17       Luck Roll  85%            Move 10
DEX  19       Agility Roll  90%
APP  16       Charisma Roll  80%


Skills
Appraise 42%
Bargain 25%
Brawling 65%
Craft: 32%
Disguise 31%
Dodge 75%
Drive: Wagon 11%
Etiquette 45%
Fine Manipulation 50%
First Aid 57%
Grapple 50%
Hide 30%
Jump 50%
Knowledge: Martial Arts History 52%
Language: Mandarin 50%
Language: Cantonese 20%
Listen 34%
Literacy 41%
Martial Arts 51%
Navigate 39%
Pilot: Boat 31%
Ride: Horse 25%
Sleight of Hand 41%
Status 75%
Stealth 60%
Sword 65%
Throw 35%


Powers
Unarmed Combat 1 (20)
Super Movement: Lightfoot 1 (10)
Leaping 2 (2)
Extra Energy 4 (4)


Items
Longsword (65%/65%) 1d8
Cloth Armor (1d2-1)

Name Yeoh Shu, Friend of Wudang
Race Human     Gender Female     Age 30
Handedness Ambidextrous     Height  5'4"   Weight 104 lbs.
Distinctive Features Bright Eyes
Pulp Personality Type #3 (Outsmarter!)


STR  13       Effort Roll  65%          Hit Points 13
CON  15       Stamina Roll  75%         Major Wound 7
SIZ  10       Damage Bonus  none        Power Points 24
INT  16       Idea Roll  80%            Exp Bonus 8
POW  14       Luck Roll  70%            Move 10
DEX  16       Agility Roll  80%
APP  14       Charisma Roll  70%


Skills
Appraise 43%
Bargain 35%
Brawling 75%
Climb 59%
Club/Mace 45%
Disguise 31%
Dodge 75%
Grapple 67%
Insight 35%
Jump 54%
Knowledge: Accounting 53%
Knowledge: Business 53%
Listen 75%
Martial Arts 45%
Research 55%
Sense 50%
Spear 55%
Spot 75%
Stealth 59%
Technical: Traps 33%
Status 45%
Sword 75%
Throw 64%


Powers
Super Movement: Lightfoot 1 (10)
Leaping 1 (1)
Extra Energy 1 (1)
Unarmed Combat 1 (20)


Items
2 X Shortsword (75%/75%) 1d6+1
Cloth Armor (1d2-1)

[The Tweaker]

Great work, Pao!

It's nice to see someone actually doing something with the new BRP. I did not understand your references to "step 6" until I went back to the BRP preview images thread and read it - straining my eyes - in the two-page character creation spread. Very cool idea, and one which will probably find some use in my games.

These character write-ups also remind me of one of the things which I find most appealing in BRP: clearly readable, hassle-and-unnecesary-clutter-free stat blocks.

[The Venomous Pao]

Originally Posted by The Tweaker

Great work, Pao!

It's nice to see someone actually doing something with the new BRP. I did not understand your references to "step 6" until I went back to the BRP preview images thread and read it - straining my eyes - in the two-page character creation spread. Very cool idea, and one which will probably find some use in my games.

These character write-ups also remind me of one of the things which I find most appealing in BRP: clearly readable, hassle-and-unnecesary-clutter-free stat blocks.

Thanks, Tweaker. It's been a long time since I've had this much fun playing with a new (to me) system. BRP is a joy to work with. And I know what you mean about the stat blocks. I've played too many games that were, shall we say, overgrown of late.

It's too bad that Step 6 is so easy to miss. It's a great concept and it really gives characters a nice little nudge in the right direction without forcing them into some straight jacket of a path. So far I've found that using it in conjunction with the "normal" level of skill points/caps allows characters to be competent in their core concepts but still have that nice little stretching out that non-class-based games allow. I'm certain my eventual players will appreciate that.

Now I just have to decide what kind of character I want to make next. I think it's time to move on to a more modern era. We'll see what falls onto the page next.

[juhanfg]

If you don't mind me asking... what is step 6?

I don't have the book so I'm quite curious.

J

[Trifletraxor]

You got me curious too! Come on, tell us!

SGL.

[The Venomous Pao]

Step Six comes just before you get into "real" skill selection. the gist of it is that you choose a (my words here) personality type for your character that addresses the way he/she approaches problems and get 13 skills at 20% for "free." In the book there are four types listed: physical/combat, craft/technique, outsmart others, and persuade others. One could easily come up with additional setting-specific options, of course, but those are the canned options.

So, if you're building a straightforward martial sort, you might opt for #1 and get a couple of weapons, dodge, climb, jump, ride and so on. Or if you're thinking con man, #4 is the way to go. And so on. This frees up some of your skill points (260 points, actually!) to allow you to focus on broadening your character. Or to allow you to excel at some stuff that you might not otherwise due to limited points and skill caps at the lower power levels.

The book clearly lists this as an optional item and suggests it be applied to (paraphrased) those stalwart heroes of pulp action, space opera and high fantasy. So if you feel Step Six is overpowering you're not stuck with it being "on."