From: Jim Ogle (Ks. Jim) <jogle@aoc.nrao.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
X-Gatemail-Version: 1.0b
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 19:35:28 GMT

Rick replies:

(Maintaining spoiler protection, just in case)


> > 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.....

Roughly; I figured out which characters were involved in adventures
that I had run my players through, then lost the list before I could
work out what to do with 'em.  8-/

> > 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.)

I would assume that from their level of experience they would have to
be Horrors by now; you can't be as evil as these characters obviously
are in Orrorsh for as long as they must have been without failing
those four Corruption checks and becoming a Horror.

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

The location information did come in slightly useful; I've got a
couple of NPCs lined up to meet my PCs now....

> 	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).

The most experienced characters are pushing the high 50's, but most of
them are down in the 20's or so.  Of course, most of my players swap
out their old characters for new ones about once a year so they don't
get much opportunity to reach the higher ends of experience.  I do
still need to dig out all the old PCs and figure out what level they
quit at.

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

Goes to show how bored I got at times over the holiday break.  I
didn't account for equipment or excessive cyberware or any of the
little perk-things, just skills, attributes, and Possibilities.  It's
actually quite easy to do; about the only trick is dealing with funky
skills like Honor (which you don't buy, you earn) and remembering to
check for pulp powers or enhancement packages.

> > Montgomery Hall: Beginner 
> > 	I knew there'd be at least one 'gamer transformed to his
> > favorite reality' character.
> 
> 	The picture's a scream, btw.

And of course, the joke I forgot to mention; his name can of course be
shortened to Monty Hall....

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

Yeah, I liked the writeup a lot - I didn't even notice the lack of
Cyberdeck skill until this morning while I was writing the review.
She does have a high Science (Computers) skill, so she can cyberdeck,
but at a penalty.  Doesn't make much sense....

> > 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?)

That was pretty much my reaction, but not knowing the situation of the
campaign the character is from I didn't want to make too many
conclusions.  If the GM is using the (apparently canon, unfortunately)
assumption that high-tech Kanawa armor is thin and lightweight (ie,
the artwork for the Samurai power suits in "City of Demons") then you
could theoretically disguise it as a business suit.  Me, I've always
assumed that the Kyoto armor was very Robocop-looking in appearance.

> > 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.

He's meaner than the "Ayslish dwarf transformed to NT axioms" NPC in
my own campaign (Brobo, who some of you may remember from the Rogue's
Gallery) so I'm thinking of setting up a corporate war between Tuttle
and Brobo instead of just using one or the other.

> > 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.)

I took my book home at lunchtime so I don't remember for sure, but
isn't his bow also an eternity shard?  Something like the bow of Robin
Hood or somesuch thing?  I don't remember the sword.

> > 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.

Just off of the events described in his accomplishements he should
have been sucked into Horror-dom by now!  This guy's eevil!  (But
you're right, he doesn't need to be a Horror.  Maybe he's just a weak
one; Power rating of 1, Fear rating of 1, something like that.)

> > 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)

The stats are probably the same as Bill Slav-whatever (I am not going
to try and do it from memory) is credited with her writeup, and he
wrote the Ravagons SB.

Reading her description here reminded me a lot of Lucy from Coppola's
Dracula movie....

> > 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.

Did she even have Focus?  I didn't check.  She probably does, but I
think she'd make a better character without miracles.

> 	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 will probably end up having to do that, as the current campaign is
too tied up in other things for the module to get worked in anytime
soon (say, before summer).  I may also let them build some experienced
characters to take through the module.

> 	I would have preferred more villains.

Maybe they should do a contest for GMs; send in your best/favorite
villain!  

Kansas Jim (jogle@aoc.nrao.edu)
Newsgroups: alt.games.torg