From: Rick Jones <albert@crick.ssctr.bcm.tmc.edu>
Subject: Re: REVIEW: Character Collection (long!) [not really]
X-Gated-By: The Black Marble Wombat@morticia.cnns.unt.edu
X-Gated-From: torg mailing list
Organization: University of North Texas
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Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 18:46:29 GMT

> Quick, spoilerless review: if you want some colorful NPCs for your

> Some of the material I cover below may be considered spoilers so
> players are warned to proceed further at their own risk.
> 
> WARNING: its a really, really long post!
> 

> 
> The accomplishments section for the characters runs into a minor
> problem; you sometimes end up with characters who have apparently
> never met working on the same mission.  For example, nine of the
> characters in this book (including my entry) took part in the Destiny
> Map/Possibility Chalice/Forever City trilogy of adventures, but I
> don't remember any of them except for Tom being there in my game....

	Yeah, I did something along those lines, figuring out what
groups and such have done what.  I can post my findings, but I bet
Ks Jim has something along those lines with him.....

> players) there's no excuse for being incomplete.  The most glaring
> examples are the complete lack of Corruption values for the evil
> Orrorshan NPCs.

	That did steam me (where is that quote from?).  However, 
we should assume that the characters are corrupt, but not Horrors
yet.  (Though by their descriptions, they should be close by now.)

> through the accomplishments and background material) Storm Knights who
> have worked together in the past (something as simple as a line on the
> character sheet called "Has Worked With: ".)  Something else that
> seems strange is that the characters who are parts of a team have
> different "Last Known Locations".  I can accept that groups break up

	Yah, a "worked with" line is more useful, IMHO, than a 
"last known locations".

> the good guys and looks more like a GM saying "I'll give him what he
> needs in skills" instead of a player saying "This is what I've built
> him up to" (unless the WEG in-house games are really overpowered or
> something.)  

	Well, I forget the numbers, not having the books handy, but my
groups is pushing the high end, if not the envelope.  McCoy has 60-something
points in skills (not counting Honor), and a +1 to his dex that he saved up
for, and 20-something Possibilties.   Hammer, our Tharkhold Cop, has 74 
skill points, at around 10 possibilities.  Those are the two high end 
with Vladimir, the Soviet Psi a close third with lots of possibilities and 
60 points of skills (most of them psi disciplines).


> Quick comment on the experience system: looks like it works pretty

	I'm very impressed with Ks Jim for actually tallying the 
character's points.  (round of appluase everyone)

> Aysle
> -----
> Hieronymus: Veteran
> 	Court jester kind of guy, perceptive but not too bright or
> able to comprehend things.  Perfect pain-in-the-ass NPC to have tag
> along with a party.

	Hmm, I'd like to see the amazing battle between him and the Fool
of the Tarot Gang.

> Montgomery Hall: Beginner 
> 	I knew there'd be at least one 'gamer transformed to his
> favorite reality' character.

	The picture's a scream, btw.


> Cyberpapacy
> -----------
> Marcel Berge: Experienced
> 	The only thing that makes Marcel an Experienced character
> instead of a Beginner is that he's got 45 Possibilities!

	(p'raps it's a typo?) 

> Andre' Duchard: Veteran - Adept
> 	Contest winner; see comments above.

	(good character.  Deserves to have won.)

> Anne-marie LePage: Veteran
> 	A cyberdecker with no Cyberdeck skill?
	
	(those boogerheads)  The writeup was interesting. 

> Space Gods
> ----------
> Stekter: Adept - Stud (~95)
> 	Lorbaat playing both sides of the Possibility Wars, to his own
> best advantage of course.

	If only they didn't look like space cockroaches.  Cool character
tho.

> Nippon Tech
> -----------
> Daremo: Eperienced
> 	Ninja.  Won't believe in magic.  (With a Magic axiom of 2,
> would you?)

	(also a memeber of the "Cry, Havoc" team)

> Kenjii Nado: Adept - Stud (~100)
> 	Where can I get a business suit that is really Kyoto Police
> RKD armor (Tech 24, Tou+7)?  Sheesh.

	(At Munchkins-B-We. Where else?)
	
> Tuttle: Stud 
> 	Yet another WEG 'ringer'.  Tuttle is a corrupt Ayslish dwarf
> transformed to Nippon Tech reality.  Certainly is a mean little runt
> too.  

	YAH!  I like him.  I'm saving him for a rainy day.  He's great.

> Orrorsh
> -------
> Lucian Bain: Stud (or two Veteran - Adept characters)
> This is I think the only character that also lists what Group Powers
> from Eternity Shards he has bought into.

	(In fact, he's carrying a shard [his sword], but they don't have
the stats on it.)

> Sherringford Bascombe: Stud (~150)
> 	Evil WEG character.  Cross Sherlock Holmes with a Horror.

	Another Keeper! He needs a corruption value.  Don't make him
a horror, though.  He doesn't need it.

> Cynthia Cornwallis: Studette (~180)
> 	Leader of the ravagon cult in Orrorsh (obviously an evil WEG
> character).  The perfect character to mess with Victorian mens minds.

	She was briefly mentioned in the Ravagons SB.  I wonder if the 
stats are the same between the two.   Again, she shouldn't be a Horror
yet.  (Though via True Sight, she should look like a Ravagon, I'd guess)
	
> Lesley White: Adept
> 	Another WEG character, but actually not outside the experience
> system rules.  A 'sister of mercy' from Gaea.

	An interesting character.  She'd be an interesting character
to play, since she's totally a-offensive.  I wouldn't even give her 
the nasty Sacellum miracles.  She's a nun, for Bog's sake.

	My players are moaning that they don't want to play Gaunt Man
Returns, and so I'm offering them the choice of playing different
characters.  I may offer them the chance to play some of these fellows.
(though I'll naturally tone down the power levels of the Studs in there)
	I would have preferred more villains.

	Also, I like the advanced character generation system.  I'm
testing it by building the NPCs for my next adventure with it, and it
seems to be a good rule of thumb.  I used to just "give 'em what they 
need", but this gives me a spending limit, to keep me from going nuts.
-- 
Rick Jones		"People come back from the dead all the time.  I mean,
albert@bcm.tmc.edu	 I've come back from the dead.  I bet you have to!"
Systems Support Center	"Well... Yes, I have.  But I AM a professional."
Voice: 713-798-7352	       -Rick Jones and Dr Strange, Incredible Hulk #399
Newsgroups: alt.games.torg