Vic Mackey (Tank 6): HD 7d12+28; HP 73; Init +1; Spd 35 ft (30 ft. in armor); Defense 15, flatfooted 14 (+1 Dex, +4 Class); BAB +4; Atk +6 melee (1d4+3 pistol whip), or +6 ranged (2d6+6 Glock 20); SQ Resilience, 6 DR/piercing; AL Family, Strike Team; SV Fort +9, Ref +4, Will +1, Rec +9; Rep +7; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 18, Int 12, Wis 8, Cha 10.
Background: Law Enforcement
Occupation: Police Officer: Perks 2 (Called Shot, Professional Reputation)
Hobby: Crime
Skills: Athletics 6 (+8/+3 in armor), Crime 9 (+10), Firearms 9 (+10), Influence 9 (+15), Legal 9 (+10), Streetwise 9 (+8), Vehicles 6 (+7), Weapons 4 (+6)
Feats: Attack Focus (Glock 20), Defensive Driving, Diesel, Endurance Training, Intimidating Presence, Moonlighting (Mobster), Point Blank Shot, Soldier On, Teamwork (Strike Team)
Access/Contacts/Followers: Carry Concealed Weapon, Local Police Powers, Medium Rank+, Skill Contact: Medicine 10 ranks (from medium rank- police forensics specialist), Supply Contact: LAPD 21 Wealth restricted equipment (from medium rank)
Wealth: 22
Possessions: Glock 20, 45 rounds 10x25 mm ammunition (3 clips), Tactical Vest
Character Disadvantages: Explosive Secret: Killed Terry Crowley (DSR 5)
Background: The Shield Seasons 1-7
Quote: “Good cop, bad cop- I’m a different kind of cop.”
Monday, June 22, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Life on the Streets
Continuing a look at great TV shows through Modern20.
Detective Frank Pembleton (Star 4): HD 4d8+4; HP 22; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, flatfooted 12 (-1 Dex, +3 Class); BAB +3; Atk +4 melee (1d4+1 pistol whip), or +2 ranged (2d4+2 S&W M10); SQ Friends in High Places; AL Protect and Serve; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +5, Rec +2; Rep +13; Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 16.
Background: Law Enforcement
Occupation: Police Officer: Perks 5 (Called Shot, Professional Reputation x2, Professional Salary, Stealth- Urban)
Hobby:
Skills: Academics (Forensics) 7 (+9), Athletics 4 (+5), Computers 7 (+9), Crime 7 (+9), Firearms 4 (+2), Influence 7 (+23), Leadership 7 (+10), Legal 7 (+9), Perception 7 (+8), Streetwise 7 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+2)
Feats: Career Advancement, Dedicated (Protect and Serve), Defensive Driving, Expert In Your Field (Influence), Fascinate, Loner, Suggestion
Access/Contacts/Followers: 13 points favors (mostly skill contacts in various areas and political contacts in the police department)
Wealth: 15
Possessions: S&W M10
Character Disadvantages: Code: Seeks Justice (DSR 2), Disability: -1 Dexterity based skills after stroke (DSR 1)
Background: Homicide Seasons 1-6
Quote: What you will be privileged to witness will not be an interrogation- but an act of salesmanship. As silver-tongued and thieving as ever moved used cars, floated swampland or bibles. But what I am selling is a long prison term, to a client who has no genuine use for the product.
Detective Frank Pembleton (Star 4): HD 4d8+4; HP 22; Init -1; Spd 30 ft; Defense 12, flatfooted 12 (-1 Dex, +3 Class); BAB +3; Atk +4 melee (1d4+1 pistol whip), or +2 ranged (2d4+2 S&W M10); SQ Friends in High Places; AL Protect and Serve; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +5, Rec +2; Rep +13; Str 10, Dex 8, Con 12, Int 14, Wis 13, Cha 16.
Background: Law Enforcement
Occupation: Police Officer: Perks 5 (Called Shot, Professional Reputation x2, Professional Salary, Stealth- Urban)
Hobby:
Skills: Academics (Forensics) 7 (+9), Athletics 4 (+5), Computers 7 (+9), Crime 7 (+9), Firearms 4 (+2), Influence 7 (+23), Leadership 7 (+10), Legal 7 (+9), Perception 7 (+8), Streetwise 7 (+8), Vehicles 4 (+2)
Feats: Career Advancement, Dedicated (Protect and Serve), Defensive Driving, Expert In Your Field (Influence), Fascinate, Loner, Suggestion
Access/Contacts/Followers: 13 points favors (mostly skill contacts in various areas and political contacts in the police department)
Wealth: 15
Possessions: S&W M10
Character Disadvantages: Code: Seeks Justice (DSR 2), Disability: -1 Dexterity based skills after stroke (DSR 1)
Background: Homicide Seasons 1-6
Quote: What you will be privileged to witness will not be an interrogation- but an act of salesmanship. As silver-tongued and thieving as ever moved used cars, floated swampland or bibles. But what I am selling is a long prison term, to a client who has no genuine use for the product.
My name is Michael Westen. I used to be spy.
Edited: Meet the new, improved Michael Westen, now with infiltration skills he should rightly have.
For those curious: I swapped out Uncanny Dodge 1 for Career Advancement, then gave him the Disguise perk.
I also swapped out 7 ranks of Outdoorsman for 7 ranks of Influence.
He's less of a commando but more of an infiltrator.
Michael Westen (Brainiac 8): HD 8d8+16; HP 52; Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 21, flatfooted 16 (+2 Dex, +3 Int, +6 Class); BAB +6; Atk +7 melee (1d10+1 martial arts), or +8 ranged (2d6+4 Browning Hi-Power); SQ Thinker; AL Sam, Fiona and Mom; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +6, Rec +4; Rep +5; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8.
Background: Criminal
Occupation: Spy: Perks 2 (Disguise, Precision Strike, Security Systems)
Hobby: Firearms
Skills: Academics (Intelligence Analysis) 11 (+14), Athletics 11 (+12), Crime 11 (+14), Engineering 11 (+14), Firearms 11 (+13), Influence 11 (+10), Outdoorsman 4 (+4), Perception 11 (+11), Read/Write Language (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Russian, Spanish), Speak Language (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Russian, Spanish), Stealth 11 (+13), Unarmed 11 (+12), Vehicles 11 (+13), Weapons 11 (+12)
Feats: Brains Over Brawn, Career Advancement, Combat Martial Arts, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Intelligence Analyst, Master Plan, Scientific Improvisation, Smart Defense, Sneak Attack x2: +2 damage against flat-footed targets, Teamwork (Sam and Fi), Trick
Access/Contacts/Followers: 4 points favors
Wealth: 4
Possessions: Browning Hi-Power, The Charger
Character Disadvantages: Burn Notice: no Wealth bonus from occupation Influence DCs with intelligence and law enforcement agencies increased by +10 (DSR 5), Dependent: Mom (DSR 3), Enemy: The Management (DSR 2)
Background: Just watch the show.
Quote: My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy.
For those curious: I swapped out Uncanny Dodge 1 for Career Advancement, then gave him the Disguise perk.
I also swapped out 7 ranks of Outdoorsman for 7 ranks of Influence.
He's less of a commando but more of an infiltrator.
Michael Westen (Brainiac 8): HD 8d8+16; HP 52; Init +2; Spd 35 ft; Defense 21, flatfooted 16 (+2 Dex, +3 Int, +6 Class); BAB +6; Atk +7 melee (1d10+1 martial arts), or +8 ranged (2d6+4 Browning Hi-Power); SQ Thinker; AL Sam, Fiona and Mom; SV Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +6, Rec +4; Rep +5; Str 12, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 16, Wis 10, Cha 8.
Background: Criminal
Occupation: Spy: Perks 2 (Disguise, Precision Strike, Security Systems)
Hobby: Firearms
Skills: Academics (Intelligence Analysis) 11 (+14), Athletics 11 (+12), Crime 11 (+14), Engineering 11 (+14), Firearms 11 (+13), Influence 11 (+10), Outdoorsman 4 (+4), Perception 11 (+11), Read/Write Language (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Russian, Spanish), Speak Language (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, Hindi, Russian, Spanish), Stealth 11 (+13), Unarmed 11 (+12), Vehicles 11 (+13), Weapons 11 (+12)
Feats: Brains Over Brawn, Career Advancement, Combat Martial Arts, Improved Disarm, Improved Grab, Intelligence Analyst, Master Plan, Scientific Improvisation, Smart Defense, Sneak Attack x2: +2 damage against flat-footed targets, Teamwork (Sam and Fi), Trick
Access/Contacts/Followers: 4 points favors
Wealth: 4
Possessions: Browning Hi-Power, The Charger
Character Disadvantages: Burn Notice: no Wealth bonus from occupation Influence DCs with intelligence and law enforcement agencies increased by +10 (DSR 5), Dependent: Mom (DSR 3), Enemy: The Management (DSR 2)
Background: Just watch the show.
Quote: My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Born Great
I spend a fair amount of time cruising various internet fora, one of which is devoted to Star Trek.
I'm a huge Trek fan, with DS9 and TOS being my favorites and I also love the new JJ Abrams movie.
In this movie, we see Kirk take a meteoric rise through the ranks. He starts as a cadet who shouldn't even BE on the Enterprise.
About 15 mintues later, Pike names him acting first officer.
About an hour later, he has relieved Spock of command and is sitting in the Captain's chair.
At the end of the movie, he is confirmed as permanent captain of the Enterprise at 25, after 3 total years in Starfleet.
A lot of people have a *real* problem with this.
They talk about chain of command, tenure, resentment by officers Kirk has leapfrogged, etc etc.
In the course of these conversations, and the way the same points keep being raised again and again about tenure and how older, more seasoned officers would react to Kirk, it occurs to me that modern society in many ways WORSHIPS age and experience over talent.
Is this just a product of our aging society?
Perhaps, or maybe something deeper is at work here. Most people are ordinary. Most people NEED experience.
But some people, some people are just born great.
This is a concept very much a part of the ancient world where divine origin was often used as the reason. But being born great still happens.
And people resent the hell out of it. They hate it. HATE. IT.
In thinking about this subject, I've come up with a Born Great Hall of Fame.
Here's my picks (these are in no particular order- they are all awesome):
1. Mozart.
Child prodigy, one of the greatest composers who ever lived, was a touring musician by age 7. Dead by 35.
2. Alexander the Great.
While serving as regent for his father, who was on campaign, Alexander crushed a revolt at the age of 16. Four years later he was king and 12 years after that, around age 33, he had conquered most of the known world.
3. Bill Gates
Just two years out of high school, Gates had dropped out of Harvard and started a software company. I think it's safe to say the company he founded, Microsoft, has changed the entire world and made Gates fabulously wealthy.
4. Caesar Augustus
Posthumously named the heir of Julius Caesar, he was one of three rulers of Rome at the age of 19, along with Lepidus and Marc Anthony. Even at this age he was outmaneuvering his co-triumvirs politically, maneuvering Marc Anthony out of any compromise with the Senate.
Soon, he would maneuver them out of the picture completely and by age 36 he was sole ruler of the Roman Empire.
His adopted father famously wept because Alexander had accomplished so much more, so much earlier than him. Augustus on the other hand probably felt he measured up to Alexander. And unlike Alexander, Augustus lived a good long time.
5. Scipio Africanus
At the age of 24 his father and uncle were killed in battle against Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal in Spain. Scipio offered to take command, despite being too young to legally do so and the Roman Senate agreed (mostly because no one else wanted the job).
Eventually Scipio would conquer Spain, then take the war to North Africa and defeat Hannibal himself.
6. Horatio Nelson
Passed his Lieutenant's exam in April at the age of 19. By December he had been promoted to Master and Commander. By June the following year, at the age of 20, he had been promoted to Post Captain.
I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting equally worthy of my hall of fame but I think I've shown that what Kirk does in Star Trek isn't 100% bunk. Especially not for the big damn hero (TM) of a space opera.
I'm a huge Trek fan, with DS9 and TOS being my favorites and I also love the new JJ Abrams movie.
In this movie, we see Kirk take a meteoric rise through the ranks. He starts as a cadet who shouldn't even BE on the Enterprise.
About 15 mintues later, Pike names him acting first officer.
About an hour later, he has relieved Spock of command and is sitting in the Captain's chair.
At the end of the movie, he is confirmed as permanent captain of the Enterprise at 25, after 3 total years in Starfleet.
A lot of people have a *real* problem with this.
They talk about chain of command, tenure, resentment by officers Kirk has leapfrogged, etc etc.
In the course of these conversations, and the way the same points keep being raised again and again about tenure and how older, more seasoned officers would react to Kirk, it occurs to me that modern society in many ways WORSHIPS age and experience over talent.
Is this just a product of our aging society?
Perhaps, or maybe something deeper is at work here. Most people are ordinary. Most people NEED experience.
But some people, some people are just born great.
This is a concept very much a part of the ancient world where divine origin was often used as the reason. But being born great still happens.
And people resent the hell out of it. They hate it. HATE. IT.
In thinking about this subject, I've come up with a Born Great Hall of Fame.
Here's my picks (these are in no particular order- they are all awesome):
1. Mozart.
Child prodigy, one of the greatest composers who ever lived, was a touring musician by age 7. Dead by 35.
2. Alexander the Great.
While serving as regent for his father, who was on campaign, Alexander crushed a revolt at the age of 16. Four years later he was king and 12 years after that, around age 33, he had conquered most of the known world.
3. Bill Gates
Just two years out of high school, Gates had dropped out of Harvard and started a software company. I think it's safe to say the company he founded, Microsoft, has changed the entire world and made Gates fabulously wealthy.
4. Caesar Augustus
Posthumously named the heir of Julius Caesar, he was one of three rulers of Rome at the age of 19, along with Lepidus and Marc Anthony. Even at this age he was outmaneuvering his co-triumvirs politically, maneuvering Marc Anthony out of any compromise with the Senate.
Soon, he would maneuver them out of the picture completely and by age 36 he was sole ruler of the Roman Empire.
His adopted father famously wept because Alexander had accomplished so much more, so much earlier than him. Augustus on the other hand probably felt he measured up to Alexander. And unlike Alexander, Augustus lived a good long time.
5. Scipio Africanus
At the age of 24 his father and uncle were killed in battle against Hannibal's brother, Hasdrubal in Spain. Scipio offered to take command, despite being too young to legally do so and the Roman Senate agreed (mostly because no one else wanted the job).
Eventually Scipio would conquer Spain, then take the war to North Africa and defeat Hannibal himself.
6. Horatio Nelson
Passed his Lieutenant's exam in April at the age of 19. By December he had been promoted to Master and Commander. By June the following year, at the age of 20, he had been promoted to Post Captain.
I'm sure there are others that I'm forgetting equally worthy of my hall of fame but I think I've shown that what Kirk does in Star Trek isn't 100% bunk. Especially not for the big damn hero (TM) of a space opera.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Touching on TSR again
I really am not trying to pick on TSR, but I often find myself looking at companies and examining business decisions they made, and playing monday morning quarterback.
And make no mistake, that's what I'm doing. It's a lot easier for me to make these calls and I'm probably wrong anyway ;)
And in a way, this is another appendage to my "Thoughts on TSR" post in which I remarked that TSR seemed to purposely try NOT to give their customers what they wanted.
Does anyone remember when TSR had the Conan license?
To my mind, of all the inexplicable decisions TSR made in NOT exploiting its game engine, the most successful game engine on the market at the time, and maybe of ALL time, nothing is more glaring than the fact that they had the Conan license, at the HEIGHT of the popularity of the Arnold Swarzenegger movies and released a box set game for it using...
A percentile dice system, no character classes. The rules amounted to 32 pages. The rest of the box set was information about Hyboria.
The game failed miserably, at which point TSR produced some modules based on Robert E Howard books, containing D&D versions of Conan characters, at which point they allowed the license to lapse.
There are many reasons to make a Conan game non-D&D if you are TSR.
Those that spring to mind:
1. David Cook, who Monte Cook described as "the rock star of TSR" just wanted to create his own game. And had enough mojo internally to get it done.
2. The powers that be at TSR were afraid their IP D&D worlds would be overshadowed by Hyboria and would no longer be the default world for D&D games.
I call this the "let's kill Greyhawk because we don't entirely own it" theory of TSR management.
3. They really felt D&D was bad game engine for Conan.
I call this the "we couldn't find our asses with both hands and the Hubble Telescope" theory of TSR management.
4. The RE Howard estate would not allow TSR to release a full-fledged Conan game for the D&D engine.
I call this the "no one fucking understands the insane demands of Cthulhoid Cultists who own IP rights and TSR should never have signed this crazy deal" theory of TSR management.
Regardless of which of these theories you subscribe to, nowhere will you find "our customers were clamoring for a Conan game that had a system incompatible with the TRUCKLOAD of sword and sorcery stuff we'd already bought from you".
In other words, while I don't know why they DID release Conan as a completely new game system, I know why they didn't.
They didn't have the interests and desires of their customers foremost on their minds.
And make no mistake, that's what I'm doing. It's a lot easier for me to make these calls and I'm probably wrong anyway ;)
And in a way, this is another appendage to my "Thoughts on TSR" post in which I remarked that TSR seemed to purposely try NOT to give their customers what they wanted.
Does anyone remember when TSR had the Conan license?
To my mind, of all the inexplicable decisions TSR made in NOT exploiting its game engine, the most successful game engine on the market at the time, and maybe of ALL time, nothing is more glaring than the fact that they had the Conan license, at the HEIGHT of the popularity of the Arnold Swarzenegger movies and released a box set game for it using...
A percentile dice system, no character classes. The rules amounted to 32 pages. The rest of the box set was information about Hyboria.
The game failed miserably, at which point TSR produced some modules based on Robert E Howard books, containing D&D versions of Conan characters, at which point they allowed the license to lapse.
There are many reasons to make a Conan game non-D&D if you are TSR.
Those that spring to mind:
1. David Cook, who Monte Cook described as "the rock star of TSR" just wanted to create his own game. And had enough mojo internally to get it done.
2. The powers that be at TSR were afraid their IP D&D worlds would be overshadowed by Hyboria and would no longer be the default world for D&D games.
I call this the "let's kill Greyhawk because we don't entirely own it" theory of TSR management.
3. They really felt D&D was bad game engine for Conan.
I call this the "we couldn't find our asses with both hands and the Hubble Telescope" theory of TSR management.
4. The RE Howard estate would not allow TSR to release a full-fledged Conan game for the D&D engine.
I call this the "no one fucking understands the insane demands of Cthulhoid Cultists who own IP rights and TSR should never have signed this crazy deal" theory of TSR management.
Regardless of which of these theories you subscribe to, nowhere will you find "our customers were clamoring for a Conan game that had a system incompatible with the TRUCKLOAD of sword and sorcery stuff we'd already bought from you".
In other words, while I don't know why they DID release Conan as a completely new game system, I know why they didn't.
They didn't have the interests and desires of their customers foremost on their minds.
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