Making the same character work in different systems

[wingsandsword]

Thinking about Edition Wars, and arguing over which edition/system of any game with wildly different versions is best, has had me thinking about the implications of it all.

So often, we create a character with the stats & splats in mind first. "I want to play an Elf Wizard." or "I want to play an assassin droid." or "I want to play a Lancea Sanctum Mekhet"

However, outside gaming, the characters we know and love from books and movies and TV don't have stats. You could make that character in any one of many games that caters to that genre, or a universal system.

Myself I've grumbled that I couldn't translate a favorite character from one edition to another, or a concept from one system to another, because the "crunch" wasn't there to make it work.

To help us transcend issues of system and edition, what if we write up well known fictional non-gaming characters in a variety of systems to show the way the same concept and skill set can be portrayed with various toolkits. Try to make the character to standard for that game (i.e. made through normal rules for a PC, and advanced as appropriate given the guidelines in the system for how experienced/powerful the character should be).

For those characters that already have a licensed game depicting them, let's try them with other systems. For example: I remember an old Traveller rulebook, Citizens of the Imperium, had examples of various famous Sci Fi characters written up in Traveler (with Traveller stats for Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader circa Episode IV in it).

So, as an example:

Special Agent Dana K. Scully, M.D.

Summary: FBI Special Agent assigned to the semi-secret "X-Files" Branch devoted to investigation of paranormal events. Licensed medical doctor and qualified forensic pathologist with B.A. in Physics. Practicing Catholic and generally skeptical, but at least somewhat knowledgeable about and experienced with the paranormal.

d20 Modern:
Race: Human
Class: Smart Hero 5/Dedicated Hero 5
Occupation: Doctor (Permanent Class Skills: Knowledge: Earth and Life Sciences, Treat Injury)

Ability Scores:
Strength 10 +0
Dexterity 10 +0
Constitution 10 +0
Intelligence 15 +2
Wisdom 16 +2
Charisma 13 +1

Skills:
Computer Use +10, Diplomacy +9, Drive +6, Investigate +20, Knowledge (Arcane Lore) +15, Knowledge (Physical Sciences) +15, Knowledge (Earth and Life Sciences) +20, Knowledge (Theology and Philosophy) +15, Research +15, Search +10, Treat Injury +20

Feats:
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Personal Firearms Proficiency, Brawl, Iron Will, Trustworthy, Educated, Vehicle Expert, Weapon Focus (Glock 17), Surgery, Medical Expert

Talents
Savant (Earth and Life Sciences), Savant (Investigate), Savant (Research), Skill Emphasis (Treat Injury), Healing Knack, Healing Touch 1

Base Attack Bonus: +5
Attacks:
Melee (unarmed) +5, 1d6 (Nonlethal)
Ranged (Glock 17) +7, 2d6

Saving Throws:
Fortitude: +4
Reflex: +2
Will: +8

Hit Points: 37 (6+9d6)
Defense: 15 (+5 Class)
Reputation: +4
Wealth: +7
Allegiances: Good, Law, United States

Equipment:
Glock 17, Cell Phone, Flashlight (standard), First Aid Kit, Clothing (Business)

10th level heroic character, 25 point buy ability scores, roughly equal to the generic FBI agents given in the Menace Manual suppliment.
-------------

World of Darkness:
Intelligence ****
Wits ***
Resolve ***

Strength **
Dexterity **
Stamina **

Presence **
Manipulation **
Composure ****

Skills:
Academics *** (Specialty: Religion)
Computer *
Investigation ***
Medicine **** (Specialty: Forensics)
Occult *
Science *** (Specialty: Physics)

Athletics **
Brawl *
Drive **
Firearms **

Empathy *
Expression *
Persuasion **
Socialize *

Merits:
Resources **
Status (Medical) ** (Licensed Physician)
Status (Police) *** (Federal Agent)

Morality: 7
Willpower: 7
Health: 7

Flaws: None

Virtue: Faith
Vice: Pride

Equipment: Flashlight, First Aid Kit, Pistol (Light)

Total Experience: 100 (typical for a fairly advanced "heroic" character that's highly trained and has a fair bit of real-world experience)

(I'd try to write her up in GURPS, but I'm not that good with the system and would probably mess it up)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Interesting idea for a thread...I hope you'll find some takers. Personally, I've done something like this- not with any well known characters from fiction, but just with certain PC concepts so I could have something ready to go. You know...just in case.

For example, I have a PC named Slapstick, the Killer Clown. He's a mercenary who has a thing for clown makeup, and I've got him statted out in Torg, RIFTS, HERO, GURPS and a few others. Even so, I recognize that there are some systems he just wouldn't work in; some genres or settings he's just ill-suited to be a part of. So I have other cross-systemic PCs in my stable for those systems.

And yet I have PCs that don't convert well across editions of the same game.

The lesson: sometimes its actually easier to convert across RPG systems than it is to do the same across edition changes.

Why? Because when you change across editions of a game, you have certain expectations about how the PC should play within that game. When you convert across systems, you know ahead of time that you'll have to change things in the PC because the systems are simply different or nonexistent. (Its hard to be an Elf in a FRPG that doesn't have them; you can't throw fireballs when none exist.)