Saturday, January 9, 2021

Day 9 of the Character Creation Challenge - Batman Role-Playing Game

 

Day 9 is Batman Role-Playing Game by Jack A Baker based on the DC Heroes Role-Playing Game designed by Greg Gordon. It was published by Mayfair Games.

For the #31dayCharacterCreationChallenge I will be following the rule books as written. For this character I will perform a character build where I chose the Stats.

To do this I need to have a character in mind. This is the opposite which is a blank sheet and then after rolling take of the pieces to create something with. This is the opposite, you need a character concept then you fill it in. So I need to figure out my concept for me to play.

I looked at my DC graphic novel collection. The majority is Batman and Elseworlds reimagings of Batman. The original Manhunter Special Edition, JSA Liberty Files, Doctor Mid-Nite, the Golden Age, Gotham Central series and Watchman are there as well. On my Kindle is the Challengers of the Unknown. I have fond memories of the Original Suicide Squad, Vigilante, The Question, and Task Force X. I do have other graphic novels of Superman and Teen Titans but my favorite characters are the low level characters. I won’t call them ‘Street Level” characters because DC does a wonderful job of not having all of them be street level crime stories.

So it will be a lower level physical ability DC character like Batman, Nightwing, Robin, The Question, Rick Flag Jr., Bronze Tiger, Manhunter (Mark Shaw), Vigilante, Judomaster, Peacekeeper, Comedian, Nite Owl, and Rorschach.

I will use a character I had made and played before as the concept. He is the Machinist. I played him in a PBEM V&V 2.1 game. That game had a house rule for skills. I later used Machinist as a NPC which I GM. In that one I had a ready list of gadgets he uses. Here is that current character sheet.

 

This will be my second attempt at the concept.

I decide that Mac Gaunt will be slightly better in Attributes as a being character than NPCs for U.S. Army Ranger and Spy. So start with their Attributes. I decide to increase his Dex as Mac Gaunt is at the top of human dexterity. I spend exactly half of my Hero Points on Attributes.

Mac Gaunt had super powers in that game. He won’t in this one. I will be changing his name as I am only using his character concept. This is not a character translation exercise; I will be making a new character from an old concept.

My character will start with 450 Hero Points.

I decide that I will start from where Mac Gaunt was in the DC Heroes Role Playing Game (see Day 8) which is than NPCs for U.S. Army Ranger and Spy. So start with their Attributes. Taking the same attributes as Day 8’s the Hero Points required drop from 132 to 103

I increase Dex from 4 to 6, Body from 3 to 5, and Int from 3 to 4. This is 134 Hero Points. I decide this time I won’t spend half my Hero Points on Attributes Points as I want to get Gadgets as well as Skills.

Here is my updated skills list from Day 8. There is not mention of linking in these rules so that is gone. Acrobatics and Spy aren’t listed so they are gone too. I increase Thief to match his Dex increase to 6.

·         Charisma: 3

·         Gadgetry: 3

·         Martial Artist: 4

·         Military Science: 3

·         Thief: 6

·         Vehicles: 4

·         Weaponry:4

I updated the Hero Points to the rules. In DC Heroes I spend 123 on skills, now they are over 200 Hero Points. I will need to pick sub skills out of the skills for Mac to have to lower costs. I narrow in on the original character concept. This lowers it to 174 Hero Points.

·         Charisma (Interrogation): 3

·         Gadgetry: 3

·         Martial Artist: 4

·         Military Science (Tracking): 3

·         Thief: 6

·         Vehicles (Air, Land): 4

·         Weaponry (Firearms, Melee):4

Next is to select Advantages. Connections are included. The Hero Points have gone up so instead of 25 Hero Points it will cost 45 Hero Points. I don’t want to change them so I will pay the increase.

Since his Disadvantage will be Irrational Attraction to secrets and mysteries Mac will work for the NSA, I add it at high level. My background for Mac is he worked as a spy for Checkmate before quitting so he could go to work for the NSA. So I add Checkmate as a low level connection. I also add Amanda Waller as a low level connection. The connection occurred when she was one of the leaders of Checkmate but I added her as a shout out for my love of Task Force X. Finally I need a Batman connection. I decide to add Ra’s al Ghul as low level connection. This is from the time period that Ra’s was being shown as a Character doing the wrong things for the right reason. This was when he was an environmental activist borderline terrorist.

Connections

·         NSA (High)

·         Checkmate (Low)

·         Amanda Waller (Low)

·         Ra’s al Ghul (Low)

 Scholar is now an Advantage instead of a skill. I consider the Mechanics and Electronics skill I had to drop on Day 8. I am about to add it for 20 Hero Points when I read Genius. For 25 Hero Points Mac can use his Gadgetry skill to create items of technology which could not normally be built in the “real world”. Well, I have to add this.

Gadgets are listed as advantages. Instead of listing them in the Advantages I will list as Equipment but I will use the Gadgets rules to determine the Hero Points that they have.

First is Wrist Rockets (28 Hero Points). These function in a manner similar to a grappling hook. When fired, it shoots out a steel arrowhead which tows a long thin line behind it. The arrowhead is designed to embed itself into the target object, allowing Mac to climb or swing on the line, which is 5 APs long.

Infrared Goggles for 26 Hero Points

Stun Bombs for 18 Hero Points

Tranquilizer Gun for 52 Hero Points

Shock Stick for 42 Hero Points

This puts Mac over the 450 Hero Points. I look see how many Drawbacks Hero Points I need. I need 940 Hero Points in Drawbacks.

I like how they gave Batman the Catastrophic Irrational Attraction: Seeks Justice. That is a something I can work with. Mac Gaunt believes that secrets are what destroy the world. Crimes are done in secret; The Elite keep their power through secrets; and the down trodden are keep down by secret.

Drawback: Catastrophic Irrational Attraction: Revealing the secrets which prevent justice

Next Drawback is Secret Identity. Mac can’t be a Superhero and work for the NSA, especially a Superhero who reveals the secrets of the Elite when they used to carry out injustice.

If figure that Guilt and Traumatic Flashback fits with his Irrational Attraction. His guilt is from his participating in a cover up and his flashback deal with the pain and suffering caused from it. I decide it occurred while he was with Checkmate. That explains his connection to both the organization and Ms Waller and why he is with the NSA now.

Adding these covers gives me an additional 110 in Hero Points. This leaves 16 Hero Points for Wealth.

Motivation is not in this rule book

Catch Phrase / Descriptor: “I will remove the mask of Injustice”

Wealth is now an AP number. To maintain his affluent status I will choose 7 which is $150K in annual income.

Job is not in this rule book.

I can tell the Batman Role-Playing is based on a latter version of the DC Heroes Role-Playing Game than I used for Day 8. There have been improvements in the rules. I really like the change in order from DC Heroes Role-Playing Game version I have. Doing Limitations first I was reluctant to add more even when I ran out of Hero Points. In Batman RPG building everything else first then adding Drawbacks I was willing to take on more then to reduce that Mac could do or the equipment he would start with. I still can’t tie out how Nightwing’s Hero Points for his Attributes are calculated (see Day 8 entry)

I bounce a few different names. This is a Batman themed game, so I decide I needed something more than just an adjective. I discover that the Urban Dictionary has an entry for Data Hound in it. The entry describes what I wanted for Mac and how I played in the previous game. Having Hound in the name is definitely on theme for Batman Universe.

So the Data Hound is born. Don’t commit any crimes in secret for he will track you down.


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