BIG DAMN HEROES - a d20 Firefly Campaign [OOC]

Charismatic 2/Tough 2/Field Officer 2

That's the class plan... now to get on to stats, name, etc.

Watus, is material from the Player's Companion fair game? I've got my eye on the designer outfits and (not that it applies right now) the Guns Akimbo feat and was curious as to your stance on them.

I think we're far enough in the process that opening up new source material at this point would do a disservice to the people who have already completed their characters.

I don't own the Player's Companion, and don't have anything against it, but, at least for character creation, I'm going to have to disallow it.

Below is my completed character sheet.

Bastian can link up with the group using any of the following methods in order of preference;
1) Bastian pays off a debt* relating to the ship, which makes him a part owner, Bastian then travels aboard the ship, looking after his investment and pursuing his art.
2) Bastian pays for a berth on the ship and agrees to travel with them and aid the crew where possible as long as he is given time to pursue his art, where practicable.
3) Bastian joins as one of the crew, with the following roles; a) backup pilot, b) animal handler, c) negotiator and bureaucracy facilitator, d) morale officer .

* If this option is chosen, Bastian doesn't really care if he has a voting interest in the ship or not, and is happy to follow the lead of the Captain, he's more interested in having a semi-permanent home which allows him to explore the stars and pursue his art.

Character Sheet
[sblock]Bastian (aka Sebastian or Bast)
Charismatic 6 - Dilettante

Str 10 +0
Dex 14 +2
Con 12 +1
Int 16 +3
Wis 10 +0
Cha 17 +3 [lvl4 +1]
[Grid]

Init +2 (+2 Dex)
HD 6 + 5d6 + 6 = 34
Def 14 (+2 Dex, +2 Charaismatic); Flat-footed 12; Touch 14
Spd 30

BAB +3 (+3 Charismatic)
Melee +3
Ranged +5

Attacks
Med Autoloader +5 ranged (2d6, 30 ft., 9 box)
-- +7 (2d6) w/i 30 ft. (Point Blank Shot)

Fort +4 (+1 Con, +3 Charismatic)
Refl +5 (+2 Dex, +3 Charismatic)
Will +2 (+0 Wis, +2 Charismatic)

Occupation - Dilettante (Intimidate(+1), +1 rep, +6 wealth)
Home World - Ariel (Diplomacy(+1), Ride, Windfall)
Allegiance -
Reputation +4
Action Points 9

Traits

Skills 90
Bluff 12 (9 ranks, +3 Cha, +2 Deceptive)
Craft (Visual Art) 13 (9 ranks, +2 Int, +2 Creative)
Diplomacy 12 (9 ranks, +3 Cha, +1 Home World, + 2 Trustworthy)
Disguise 5 (0 ranks, +3 Cha, +2 Deceptive)
Gather Information 12 (9 ranks, +3 Cha, + 2 Trustworthy)
Handle Animal 8 (5 ranks, +3 Cha)
Intimidate 12 (9 ranks, +3 Cha, +1 Occupation)
Perform(Sing) 10 (5 ranks, +3 Cha, +2 Creative)
Pilot 6 (4 ranks, +2 Dex)*
Profession 11 (9 ranks, +0 Wis +2 Windfall)
Read/Write (2)
Ride 7 (5 ranks, +2 Dex)
Speak Languages (2)
Use Psi 12 (9 ranks +3 Cha)
* Cross-class skill

Feats
1 Personal Firearms, Natural Reader, Simple Weap Prof, Windfall(Homeworld)
2 Trustworthy (+2 to Diplomacy and Gather Info checks)
3 Creative (+2 to Craft[Visual Arts] & Perform[Sing])
4 Point Blank Shot
6 Deceptive, Windfall

Abilities
Psychic Power: Access to 'Use Psi' skill
Psychic Emphasis: +3 Comp bonus when using Psychometry & Telepathy skills

Wealth - 20 (5 + 6 Occupation + 6 Windfall +3 Profession Checks)

Equipment
Medium Autoloader (.50 cal, 4 lbs) w/ Hip Holster -Voice Activated, Alternate Weapon (Taser)
Leather Coat
(2)Casual Clothing
Formal Clothing
Multi-function watch
Large Dog (Rover)
Licence (Licensed & Restricted)
Digital Camera
Art Supplies

Description
Sebastion is six feet tall, slimly built with curly dark brown hair and light green eyes. Sebastion is 28 and has the tanned complexion of a man who spends alot of time outdoors.

History
Sebastian comes from a wealthy family from Ariel, following in his fathers footsteps the patriotic Sebastian volunteered to join the Alliance, during basic testing it was discovered that Sebastian was a natural 'Reader', and was thus transferred to the Alliances military intelligence division to train and hone his valuable psychic skills. Sebastian quickly began to doubt his patriotic beliefs after being forced to question and detain many 'suspected' independent spies, who's only real crime was to disagree with the Alliances heavy handed tyrannical tactics.

Following the death of his father near the end of the war, and haunted by the atrocities he and his fellow Alliance Soldiers committed, Sebastian sought and attained an honourable discharge. Throughly disgusted with the invasive Alliance, Sebastian headed towards the outer rim worlds, where people were still 'relatively' free to live how they pleased.

Sebastian has spent the last few years running from his past, roaming the stars and now pursues his childhood passion for the arts and has become both an accomplished and sought-after artist. Well provided for via his trust fund Sebastian typically buys a temporary berth on a ship which allows him to visit a variety of locations, which in turn inspires his artist temperament.

Realising most peoples reactions towards Readers and Alliance Intelligence operatives Sebastian is very secretive about his past and is trying to both make amends and forget his actions while he was with the Alliance.
[/sblock]

Here is a rough Jon Baxter without any equipment yet. He was made with the grid on invisible castle.


Appearance: Jon Baxter is a tall, trim man in his early 30s. He has short black hair, green eyes, and a pale complexion. Jon is very handsome in a traditional sense, with chiseled features and a charming smile. He usually wears dark coveralls and a packed equipment belt. He somehow keeps his clothes unusually neat and clean. Jon has a low, deep voice and he speaks with an educated, Central accent.

OK. A slightly reworked Helsinki. *This time* I think I have got all the skills and feats correct. I switched her occupation to Blue Collar and reordered the feats. I went with Advanced Firearms Prof & Burst Fire at 6th. The alternative was Far Shot & Precise Shot leading to Dead Aim. I like the Damage potential of the former, but the latter might be a better choice. Any thoughts?

[sblock=Helsinki]Fast Hero 3 Gunslinger 3

Str 10 (02)
Dex 18 (16)
Con 12 (04)
Int 12 (04)
Wis 13 (04, L4 increase)
Cha 10 (02)

BAB: +4 [fast +2, gunslinger +2]
DEF: +10 [fast +4, gunslinger +2, +4 dex]
HD: 3d8 + 3d10 +6 = 39
* HP (2d8=9, 3d10=16)

FORT: +3 [base +2, +1 con]
REFL: +8 [base +4, +4 dex]
WILL: +4 [base +3, +1 wis]

Feats, Talents and Abilities
Class Feat - Simple Weapon Prof - Class
Homeworld Feat - Surface Vehicle Operation (Light Wheeled) - Homeworld Feat
1. Bonus Feat - Armour Prof (Light)
1. Bonus Feat - Personal Firearms Prof
1. Fast Talent - Evasion 1
2. Fast Bonus Feat - Point Blank Shot
3. Fast Talent - Uncanny Dodge 1
3. Bonus Feat - Double Tap
4. Gunslinger Ability - Close Combat
5. Gunslinger Ability - Weapon Focus (Longarms)
6. Gunslinger Bonus Feat - Advanced Firearms Prof
6. Bonus Feat - Burst Fire

Skills points (5+1)*9 = 54
** Craft Mechanical +11 [8 ranks, +1 int, +2 comp]
** Drive +10 [5 ranks, +4 dex, +1 comp]
** Repair +11 [9 ranks, +1 int, +1 comp]
* Hide +13 [7 ranks, +4 dex]
* Move Silently +13 [7 ranks, +4 dex]
* Sleight of Hand +13 [9 ranks, +4 dex]
* Tumble +13 [9 ranks, +4 dex]

Action Points 9
Reputation: +2 [+1 fast, +1 gunslinger]
Wealth 7 [5 starting +2 occupation]

Equipment
* Assault Carbine or SMG.
* 9 mm Auto Pistol.
* Light Armour.
* Tool Kit

Helsinki is a gun for hire. That's what she will tell you if you ask. And not much more. If you push, she might add that she spent some time in the military. And has done a little work here and there since then.

What Helsinki is not telling is not that mysterious. She grew up on Truimph in a blue collar family. Her family ran a small repair shop fixing anything from toasters to vehicles. Helsinki loved the workshop, and spent much of her time there. Her father still insists that she could be a great mechanic if she put her mind to it.

After graduation Helsinki enlisted. She spent a term in the armed forces before being drawn into the world of the gun for hire. She never really intended it as a career move. But a couple of lucrative jobs early on saw her being drawn further and further away from the path she had originally intended to take.

Helsinki stands around 5'8. She tends to favour high boots and clothes that emphasis her slender build. She is fairly quiet, and has a tendency to directness when speaking her mind. When in one place long enough, Helsinki keeps herself busy tinkering with bits and pieces. Its been a while now since she has had the time, or the place however, to do much.[/sblock]

Was Helsinki more an up closer gunner, or a sniper? That will really determine the feat choice to optimize. With what you have now, you can target groups of close targets and a specific close target for good damage.

Here's my character:

[sblock]Seth Cross

2nd lvl Dedicated/ 4th lvl Charismatic - Investigative

Str 10 +1
Dex 14 +2
Con 12 +1
Int 14 +2
Wis 16 +3 [lvl 4 +1]
Cha 14 +2
[point buy]

Init +2 (+2)
HD 7 + 5d6 + 5 = 35
Def 18 (+2 dex, +1 dedicated, +2 charismatic, +3 armor); Flat-footed 13; Touch 15
Spd 30

BAB +3 (+1 dedicated, +2 charismatic)
Melee +3
Ranged +5

Attacks
medium autoloader +6 ranged (2d6, 20/x2, 45', 9 box)
-- +7 (2d6+1) w/i 30'

2 medium autoloaders +4/+4 ranged (2d6, 20/x2, 45', 9 box & 9 box)
-- +5/+5 (2d6+1) w/i 30'

Fort +5 (+1 con, +2 charismatic, +2 dedicated)
Refl +3 (+2 dex, +2 charismatic, -1 trait)
Will +7 (+3 wis, +1 charismatic, +2 dedicated, +1 trait)

Occupation - Investigative (research, search, personal firearms proficiency)
Home World - Osiris (diplomacy, profession, windfall)
Reputation +4
Action Points 9

Traits
absent minded (+1 knowledge, -1 spot & listen)
cortex spectre (-8 find information, -4 bluff, diplomacy & intimidate with bureaucracy)
detached (+1 will, -1 reflex)

Skills 71 (35 dedicated + 36 charismatic)
bluff +10/8 ranks, 2 cha
diplomacy +11/8 ranks, 2 cha, 1 home
intimidate +10/8 ranks, 2 cha
gamble +6/3 ranks, 3 wis
gather information +10/8 ranks, 2 cha
investigate +7/5 ranks, 2 int
knowledge (behavioural sciences) +8/5 ranks, 2 int, 1 trait
knowledge (current events) +5/2 ranks, 2 int, 1 trait
knowledge (streetwise) +5/2 ranks, 2 int, 1 trait
listen +4/2 ranks, 3 wis, -1 trait
profession (investigation) +9/5 ranks, 3 wis, 1 home
research +5/3 ranks, 2 int
search +5/3 ranks, 2 int
sense motive +8/5 ranks, 3 wis
spot +4/2 ranks, 3 wis, -1 trait

Feats
advanced firearm prof.
dodge
far shot
lgt. armour prof.
mobility
personal firearm prof.
point blank shot
precise shot
simple weapon prof.
windfall

Abilities
empathy +2 (bonus on interaction skills [bluff, diplomacy, handle animal, intimidate, perform, sense motive] after observing target for 1 min)
charm (women) +4 (bonus equal to level on all Cha based checks with chosen gender)
fast-talk +4 (bonus equal to level on bluff, diplomacy or gamble checks when lying, cheating or bending truth)

Wealth - 7 (originally 12, took 10 on wealth checks)

Exp 15000/21000
Age 32
Weight 164lb
Height 5'10"

Languages
English
Mandarin

Equipment
firearm license
2 mc medium autoloaders +1
undercover vest
3 business outfits

Description
Thel is of fairly average height and lean build. He dresses well and is blessed with better than average looks but not to the degree that he would stand out in a crowd. Short brown fair and grey-brown eyes complete a pleasant but easily forgettable picture. He keeps his pistols in a shoulder holsters underneath his overcoat. As a man in his line of employment earns many enemies his machine pistol is supplemented by an undercover vest which he makes a habit of wearing. In regards to his clothing he favours conservative business suits (formal if he can afford them) in earthy tones. On that note, considering he makes a habit of wearing a suit with a bulletproof vest underneath, it comes as no surprise that he seems ignorant of heat.

A common impression of Seth is that he is a slightly goofy but kind-natured gentleman. This is true, and he uses it in combination with his good looks to win over the ladies on a regular basis. He is highly analytical and deeply thoughtful, and strongly believes in keeping his personal feelings separate from his work. This translates into him being absent-minded and detached from what is happening around him. When Seth has to he is capable of making his absent-mindedness work in his favour, and is not beyond speaking his jumbled thoughts while trying to convince someone of something. It can be quite distracting.

History
Seth had a fairly uneventful childhood on the planet of Osiris. An exceptional level of performance during his education and a number of other special qualities led to invitations from government intelligence organisations. Seth hadn't given much thought to the intelligence industry before, it had been his intention to involve himself in politics as his parents had. He decided to go the way of counterintelligence however, as he thought it could provide an interesting basis for a political career and give him a keen insight into interplanetary relations.

Young Seth Cross had talent for intelligence work. This didn't surprise him as they had sought him out to employ him. Seth didn't expect to actually enjoy what he was doing. This was quite surprising for him. As he gathered exerience and showed real skill he was given more intense work. It was unpleasant business, but he had a knack for it that was not shared by many of his peers. His domain became not just counterintelligence, but internal affairs within the planetary intelligence industry and interrogation (read: torture). He got into the work like a duck to water, and he enjoyed every moment of it. It horrified him, and yet he felt compelled to do it, as though it was what he was born to do.

His conscience was fighting a losing battle against a new instinct he had unlocked, and it was being ebbed away with each day spent lying, betraying and torturing. He felt no regret in how the regret for his actions shrunk and shrunk until he barely felt it anymore. Then came the Baxter case. Jon Baxter was a multitalented individual of an engineering orientation, and operated a private firm which specialised in security systems. As he was ex-military, and had a positive service record, he was contracted by various intelligence organisations for many important projects involving the various agencies' own databases and security systems. He was well trusted and had earned a good name in Osiris' intelligence circles. Which made it all the more unexpected when he slipped through defense systems he had erected to lift volumes of critical intelligence which had taken years to accumulate. The information was sold and when Jon received a cut of the profits he became a target of Seth's agency.

Baxter fled offworld to the rim, covering his tracks impeccably. The agency did not underestimate the man, and with the information he held about the intelligence agencies' security systems he was considered a serious threat. It would take a lot of time and effort to track him down so the agency put Seth, one of their most ruthless, on Baxter's tracks. Months passed, as they expected, and they waited for Special Agent Cross to return. Alone or with Cross, it didn't quite matter, as long as Cross was no longer a threat to planetary security.

While Seth was away however their was an attack on the Osiris' core stock market registry system, utilising critical pieces of information was made available by Baxter's intrusion into protected databases. The planet's economy was brought to it's knees and networks worldwide were fried during fatal crashes of many supercomputers. During the incident, as a safety precaution, many records within certain intelligence agencies were erased. One unfortunate bungle led to the erasure of a few too many records, some of which were not backed up. This included a handful of personnel and suspect files. Due to the commotion following the economic crash, and the natural secrecy of the intelligence industry, the bungle wasn't noticed straight away. By the time it was corrected there were only a scattered handful of documents which spoke vaguely of either Seth or Jon left in the system. They were forgotten during the post-crash wave of optimistic attempts to breach system security in a time crisis recovery.

Meanwhile, on the fringes of humanity, Seth finally tracked down Baxter after a year-long game of cat and mouse. Baxter did not resist capture, which was relieving and disappointing at the same time for Seth. Jon was a cooperative prisoner so there was no need to keep him cuffed. There was a considerably long wait for the quickest ship back to Osiris (which was still quicker than taking a round-about route and leaving straight away) and so they sat around on one of the rim worlds talking about various things. The two became pretty good friends, which made Seth somewhat sad that Jon would probably end up dying from torture, even though it didn't take much work to confirm the man's innocense. When the ship from Osiris arrived it came bearing news of the crash, which alarmed Seth and Jon. Further inquiry revealed their erasure from the Cortex. There was a tense couple of days in which Seth debated with himself about whether to take Jon back to Osiris anyway. Seth eventually came to the conclusion that although leaving his job now wouldn't change who he was, or what he had become, it would save Jon. A symbolic act of defiance against the monster that was his true self. The people back at the agency may assume Seth was killed, but that wouldn't mean they'd stop trying. One day Baxter and/or Seth would have to deal with someone else from Osiris looking for one, if not both of them.[/sblock]

stonegod said:

Was Helsinki more an up closer gunner, or a sniper? That will really determine the feat choice to optimize. With what you have now, you can target groups of close targets and a specific close target for good damage.

Click to expand...

I was originally thinking she would be more of a close up specialist (rather than a sniper). But both approaches can support that. Far Shot improves your chance of hitting at any range by reducing range penalties, and Precise shot can be really useful if having to try and help out companions in melee. Dead Eye, I agree, is more useful for the sniper type. I suppose I was wondering whether the auto fire/heavy damage type would be a little over the top.

Watus, how likely is it that the characters will be able to get there hands on automatic weapons? I get the feeling that the setting is like the wild west, carrying a pistol is fairly accepted. A rifle even. But how about a SMG? Or an Assault Rifle? Cutting loose on full auto is fairly heavy duty. I've not seen the series of the movie, but I'm wondering if it is a little over the top.

thotd

Meet Jayne Cobb and the love of his life.

Full auto is a semi regular experience on the Rim. Illegal as hell, but pretty common all the same.