Day 6 of the Character Creation Challenge - ICONS

 

Today’s game is a game created by Steve Kenson. It is ICONS by Ad Infinitum Adventures.

ICONS is a great Con Game. It was originally designed to be a roll up a character and play tonight game. With its popularity campaign features were later added.

I have played it multiple times over the years at North Texas RPG Con with different GMs including Steve Perrin. Steve has written several modules for ICONS with different publishing companies for ICONS product content. His work is top notch and among the best. I highly recommend getting his work.

For the #31dayCharacterCreationChallenge I will be following the rule books as written. For this character I will be generating completely random. I will be using the ICONS Quick Hero Creation method published by Ad Infinitum Adventures and their Character Sheet too. I am referencing the Assembled Edition rulebook for optional rules and finalizing the character details.

Phase 1 is Origin. Rolling 2d6 I roll snake eyes (2) which is a Trained. My hero is a highly skilled hero. I gain 2 additional specialties and can trade 1 power for 2 more specialties.

Phase 2 is Attributes. Rolling 2d6 for each attribute I get.

Prowess (11) – Incredible 7

Coordination (10) – Great 6

Strength (3) – Poor 2

Intellect (11) – Incredible 7

Awareness (8) – Good 5

Willpower (7) – Good 5

I have a total score of 32 to exceed 20 so the character is a keeper. I can swap 2 scores at this time. I don’t think I will, having a Trained human whose Strength is Poor in the world of Superhero reinforces the concept he is a hero who relies of skill and ability not physical power.

Phase 3 is Powers which for the Trained Origin will be equipment. Rolling 2d6 to determine the number of powers, I roll a 5 with is which is 3 powers.

Now I roll 2d6 three times for the power types

Roll 1 is 8 which is Movement Power

Roll 2 is 4 which is Control Power

Roll 3 is 7 which is Offensive Power

Power is d6 rolled 2 times

Movement (5, 1) – Spinning suit

Level roll is 8 – Good 5

Control (1, 2) – Alteration Ray (Group)

Level roll is 4 – Average 3

Offensive (5, 3) – Dazzle: Sound attack Sonic Boom from suit.

Level roll is 8 – Good 5

Now is the review of Extras that can be added to the any of the Powers. I would drop a power to add an Extra. So I decide to drop Alteration Ray to add Burst to Spinning. I have always thought Whirling Dervish was a fun name for a character. So let’s build on the Spinning Power.

Equipment: Spinning suit. Spinning allow me to spin at superhuman speed along my axis, and still speak, hear, and see normally while doing so. This power provides three benefits

1.      Binding Resistance (Including Wresting Attacks) Good 5

2.      Wind Screen that substitutes Good 5 for Coordination to defend against physical and air-based attacks.

3.      Use Good 5 power level instead of Strength for damage and grabbing in close combat

Extra: Burst: Spinning power can affect everyone with close distance simultaneously. Roll one test for the power; the different opposing abilities of the targets provide different difficulties (and outcomes)

Reviewing the other power of Dazzle, it ties is well with Spinning. He can create a Sonic Boom to knockout his opponents hearing. I could make it an attack on the opponent equilibrium so he loses his sense of balance. If I make Dazzle as a Secondary Effect also known as a Carrier Attack, I would increase Spinning by +1 to great. I like that idea especially combined with Burst. Whirling Dervish could be played like the Looney Tones Tasmanian Devil as the attacks a group of minions and leave them dizzy (Dazzle) barely able to stand or walk. I love that image. So a second extra it will be.

Equipment: Spinning suit. Spinning allow me to spin at superhuman speed along my axis, and still speak, hear, and see normally while doing so. This power provides three benefits

1. Binding Resistance (Including Wresting Attacks) Great 6
2. Wind Screen that substitutes Great 6 for Coordination to defend against physical and air-based attacks.
3. Use Great 6 power level instead of Strength for damage and grabbing in close combat

Extra: Burst: Spinning power can affect everyone with close distance simultaneously. Roll one test for the power; the different opposing abilities of the targets provide different difficulties (and outcomes)

Extra: Secondary Effect: Dazzle is a secondary attack to overwhelm the target’s sense of balance. Based on the success the target losses equilibrium and has a +2 difficulty when relying on Coordination and automatically fail Awareness checks that use Coordination. I am not sure if a GM would rule this is too powerful or not but for this exercise I will call it good enough.

Phase 4 Specialties. Roll 2d6 for Trained Origin to get the number. I take 6 and subtract of the number of powers for 3 Specialties with the +2 for Origin, I have 5 Specialties.

Roll 1 (2, 2) - Investigation

Roll 2 (4, 2) – Performance - Dancing

Roll 3 (3, 4) - Mental Resistance

Roll 4 (3, 5) – Mental Resistance – bumps to Expert

Roll 5 (5, 1) - Psychiatry

Phase 5 Stamina. It is calculated by adding Strength (2) plus Willpower (5) for 7.

Phase 6 Qualities

(This is one of the key distinguishing features of ICONS. I struggle with making qualities and using them for advantages or troubles to gain determination. I have played with other players that do this well. It is a memorable game experience when done well and sometimes it can even become legendary: queue quote: “Because secretly I am a robot!”)

It is all about the Dance!

 (This is a reference to the Islamic Mysticism of Sufism that is part of the Sema Ceremony dance that the Whirling Dervish Dancers are famous for)

Warrior Mystic of the Order of Mevlevi

(This is a reference to who he is as a Warrior Mystic seeking to enlighten those around him with either teaching or force.)

Seeker of the Embodiment of Perfection

(This is a reference to a history leader of the Order being distracted from his mission by a wandering mystic who the leader viewed as the embodiment of perfection and the true likeness of the “Devine Beloved”. I don’t believe this is only physical beauty or perfection. Hopefully this would be open ended enough to use and GM the adventure seeds to use)

Phase 7 Determination which is 6 minus each level 6 for attributes and powers, minimum of 1.

6 – Attributes (3) – Powers (2) = 1

That finishes off the character creation. Here is the Whirling Dervish!