need help with character ideas
- Thread starter Tellerve
- Start date
Oh ho ho! Interesting, although, hmm, probably...well no obviously it is a advanced class and so it wouldn't fit well with my starting character (especially since I couldn't be one starting at only 3rd). It also makes me wonder if I do make him military if I should just shy away from any special ops seeing as he's kinda low level and wouldn't quite have the training required to adequately portray/be a special ops person.
Tellerve
Tellerve
ledded
Herder of monkies
Samuel Jackson... gotta go Sam Jack baby. The Long Kiss Goodnight. Coolest "real" P.I. ever done in a movie. I've heard that it can make a fun core for a character conceptph34r said:If you play the PI you soooo have to look like Tom Selleck!
I personally like the EMT idea. I have a backup character for our d20 Modern campaign that I havent played yet who is an EMT. The concept was this: Israeli born, long history of Kaballist/Rabbinical tradition in his family (all manner of philosophy, religion, and arcane lore). Did his mandatory military service as a combat medic (getting trained with EMT techniques and guns/martial arts). Moved to the states and has a part time job working with the local Temple and as an EMT to pick up extra money. For our campaign, he would be practicing magic in the Kaballist tradition, have some driving and shooting skills, and could really patch folks up when they get taken apart.
Dont ignore the benefit of a few levels of dedicated; they get very good bonus feats (especially if you are going a gun-route), *great* saves, decent skills, decent BAB progression, and the 'faith' talent is definitely a *very* good thing to have. Multi class it with Tough or Strong for a little more "punch" (pun intended), and you are all set to work towards that bootay-kicking Spec Ops medic one day if you so choose.
Yeah, Sammy would be a good role-model, however, it'd feel kinda like cheating or something with regards to the Medallions story hour. I can't quite place it, just wrong somehow.
However, Tom Selleck is up for grabs
But, yeah, still tossing around mental images of the guy. I also like the idea of the Israeli and a lot of the background is similar to what I was thinking...minus the Israeli thing.
And finally, yes I agree completely, I love the dedicated class.
Tellerve
However, Tom Selleck is up for grabs
But, yeah, still tossing around mental images of the guy. I also like the idea of the Israeli and a lot of the background is similar to what I was thinking...minus the Israeli thing.And finally, yes I agree completely, I love the dedicated class.
Tellerve
HeapThaumaturgist
First Post
If it's a Dark*Matter game, drop all of the Military right out of it. I'll tell ya now, it isn't worth what it does to your character concept.
I've got six players. Two of them decided that they just Could Not Handle playing a character that "didn't have any combat ability". One of them decided he wanted to play a military guy who spent time in Rwanda or something like that. Low on flavor. Spent all his feats and abilities on sniping and gunning. He's not really all that much better than the other PCs, most of whom only have Personal Firearms Prof, as far as gunplay goes ... and here's the thing.
If it's a Dark*Matter game, combats are few and far between. Dark*Matter is a conspiracy game, foremost, with action being a secondary part installed to make it RPGish. You may play for several sessions where there's no combat at all, and everything is instead skill checks and investigation.
My, personal, suggestion is to run with the EMT character idea. Find a good picture, contemplate it for a while. Then build an EMT. Just an EMT. Guy-off-the-street EMT. Don't min-max your skills and feats. Give him some hobbies. Maybe he likes to use computers ... 2 ranks of Computer Use. Maybe he's pretty intelligent and has a couple ranks in a handfull of Knowledge skills (and is studying to become a doctor and has a level of Smart). Certainly give him ranks in Drive, maybe a driving feat from like Modern Player's Companion I or II if your DM will let you have them.
Give him Personal Firearms Prof. That's about all you need. Training from Hoffmann. If he's not part of Hoffmann and you find yourself trying to figure out a "reasonable" way for him to take it, then don't take it. Be bold. It's only a -4 penalty. If you have decent dex it'll probably even out to a +0 or -1, which isn't a HUGE deal unless the DM is throwing body-armored Spetznas soldiers at you ... and if that's the case your first few missions out (or in general) then chances are it's not quite as Dark*Matter as it could be.
Think of it this way. What if you end up investigating a ghost? Something you can't hurt with mundane weapons. Does it matter if you have a +4 or a +0 using a Glock if the only way to defeat it is a handful of Computer Use and Research checks in the library to find out that Mary-Ellen DuBois was murdered in the house a dozen years ago, and some Search rolls in the basement to find a place where the floor is hollowed down because the decomposing body took up less space? A Treat Injury roll to determine that the cause of death was stabbing ("look at these nicks on the bone, I'd say a single-bladed knife, serrated ...") and tracking down the knife and finding the murderer and putting Mary-Ellen DuBois to rest.
Fun game, no combat. You save the day with your Treat Injury and Search and Spot rolls.
Just an idea from a D20 Dark*Matter Game Master. Those are my favorite characters to run Dark*Matter for. The gun-bunny in my game has thus-far been bored out of his mind. The only skill check he made that was useful was a couple survival rolls to follow a trail. (Olie in my Story Hour. Not that he hasn't had fun, but he doesn't get to be involved in ways other than table RP because he tossed all his skill points into Demolitions and the like.)
--fje
Oh, yea. Check out the story hours below for some ideas how Dark*Matter games can go. Look over Jonrog's game, too. And Medallions, in Ledded's sig.
I've got six players. Two of them decided that they just Could Not Handle playing a character that "didn't have any combat ability". One of them decided he wanted to play a military guy who spent time in Rwanda or something like that. Low on flavor. Spent all his feats and abilities on sniping and gunning. He's not really all that much better than the other PCs, most of whom only have Personal Firearms Prof, as far as gunplay goes ... and here's the thing.
If it's a Dark*Matter game, combats are few and far between. Dark*Matter is a conspiracy game, foremost, with action being a secondary part installed to make it RPGish. You may play for several sessions where there's no combat at all, and everything is instead skill checks and investigation.
My, personal, suggestion is to run with the EMT character idea. Find a good picture, contemplate it for a while. Then build an EMT. Just an EMT. Guy-off-the-street EMT. Don't min-max your skills and feats. Give him some hobbies. Maybe he likes to use computers ... 2 ranks of Computer Use. Maybe he's pretty intelligent and has a couple ranks in a handfull of Knowledge skills (and is studying to become a doctor and has a level of Smart). Certainly give him ranks in Drive, maybe a driving feat from like Modern Player's Companion I or II if your DM will let you have them.
Give him Personal Firearms Prof. That's about all you need. Training from Hoffmann. If he's not part of Hoffmann and you find yourself trying to figure out a "reasonable" way for him to take it, then don't take it. Be bold. It's only a -4 penalty. If you have decent dex it'll probably even out to a +0 or -1, which isn't a HUGE deal unless the DM is throwing body-armored Spetznas soldiers at you ... and if that's the case your first few missions out (or in general) then chances are it's not quite as Dark*Matter as it could be.
Think of it this way. What if you end up investigating a ghost? Something you can't hurt with mundane weapons. Does it matter if you have a +4 or a +0 using a Glock if the only way to defeat it is a handful of Computer Use and Research checks in the library to find out that Mary-Ellen DuBois was murdered in the house a dozen years ago, and some Search rolls in the basement to find a place where the floor is hollowed down because the decomposing body took up less space? A Treat Injury roll to determine that the cause of death was stabbing ("look at these nicks on the bone, I'd say a single-bladed knife, serrated ...") and tracking down the knife and finding the murderer and putting Mary-Ellen DuBois to rest.
Fun game, no combat. You save the day with your Treat Injury and Search and Spot rolls.
Just an idea from a D20 Dark*Matter Game Master. Those are my favorite characters to run Dark*Matter for. The gun-bunny in my game has thus-far been bored out of his mind. The only skill check he made that was useful was a couple survival rolls to follow a trail. (Olie in my Story Hour. Not that he hasn't had fun, but he doesn't get to be involved in ways other than table RP because he tossed all his skill points into Demolitions and the like.)
--fje
Oh, yea. Check out the story hours below for some ideas how Dark*Matter games can go. Look over Jonrog's game, too. And Medallions, in Ledded's sig.
ledded
Herder of monkies
Best advice yet, right there.
Yeah, the military background in my suggestion was more of a flavor thing than an excuse to load up on a ton of bang-bang feats. Even in my character example, he only has personal firearms prof and the remainder of his feats mostly either add to or give him access to new skills.
Really, Heap hit it right on the head. It has been *so* much more fun for us to do a Dark*Matter-ish kinda game with 'normal' people than it ever was when we played min-max D&D. Each of our characters in the campaign has all kinds of flavor and side hobbies/interests/etc. We spend game time on them, and they tie into episodes we do sometimes. Joe, the comic shop owner, has spent a ton of in-game time putting on a huge comics convention. Brother Cooper started a PAC. Crystal is organizing a dig in Mississippi through her college. Willie has gotten involved with a local civil rights group of business and civic leaders. All of these things have nothing to do with our game but give it a really nice flavor. And give our GM lots of hooks to reach in and snag us with later, of course.
We have had quite a few sessions where there was tension, suspense, drama, skillful derring-do, great roleplaying, and not a bit of combat.
Yeah, the military background in my suggestion was more of a flavor thing than an excuse to load up on a ton of bang-bang feats. Even in my character example, he only has personal firearms prof and the remainder of his feats mostly either add to or give him access to new skills.
Really, Heap hit it right on the head. It has been *so* much more fun for us to do a Dark*Matter-ish kinda game with 'normal' people than it ever was when we played min-max D&D. Each of our characters in the campaign has all kinds of flavor and side hobbies/interests/etc. We spend game time on them, and they tie into episodes we do sometimes. Joe, the comic shop owner, has spent a ton of in-game time putting on a huge comics convention. Brother Cooper started a PAC. Crystal is organizing a dig in Mississippi through her college. Willie has gotten involved with a local civil rights group of business and civic leaders. All of these things have nothing to do with our game but give it a really nice flavor. And give our GM lots of hooks to reach in and snag us with later, of course.
We have had quite a few sessions where there was tension, suspense, drama, skillful derring-do, great roleplaying, and not a bit of combat.
Last edited:
Thanks Heap and Ledded. I think your right about the "normal" character feel. Thinking about trying to make the "gunbunny" character or whatever just doesn't seem to fit too well.
I still think I'll have him have some hand to hand skills, just 'cause, but I'll probably hold off on any personal firearms prof until Hoffman trains me.
I certainly like reading the medallions and seeing how regular they are in those situations. That and movies like Dawn of the Dead which I recently saw that just had people coping with totally outlandish scenarios. Those are more fun to role-play. A guy that hasn't been hardened by years of Spe Ops training has "better" reactions, IMO. And if anything, I'll have the opportunity to grow into a gun bunny if the need warrants later.
Thanks all,
Tellerve
p.s. I'm still debating about a "picture" for him. Any suggestions on mixed ethnicity (tending towards spanish/latino, or mixed asian blood?) Oh, just thought about Denzel..hmmm
I still think I'll have him have some hand to hand skills, just 'cause, but I'll probably hold off on any personal firearms prof until Hoffman trains me.
I certainly like reading the medallions and seeing how regular they are in those situations. That and movies like Dawn of the Dead which I recently saw that just had people coping with totally outlandish scenarios. Those are more fun to role-play. A guy that hasn't been hardened by years of Spe Ops training has "better" reactions, IMO. And if anything, I'll have the opportunity to grow into a gun bunny if the need warrants later.
Thanks all,
Tellerve
p.s. I'm still debating about a "picture" for him. Any suggestions on mixed ethnicity (tending towards spanish/latino, or mixed asian blood?) Oh, just thought about Denzel..hmmm
Last edited:
Old Drew Id
First Post
As a suggestion for a Hollywood picture to use for him, especially if you want ethnic and normal-looking instead of super-heroic, may I recommend Luis Guzmán. Check out www.imdb.com for some pics of him, or do a Google image search.
malladin
Explorer
Sorry to chip in with a plug, but I think our new D20 Modern product might have some interesting ideas for you.
If you want to go with your martial artist class you can go use our Lightning Fist instead of the standard Martial Artist (less hiting power but more speed).
If you want to go with your EMT idea then go for Fast and Smart and take some levels in our Transporter class (its a mixture of driving, particularly through traffic, and street level contacts, etc).
Cheerio,
Ben, Malladin's Gate Press
PS product is Modern Heroes: Martial Avengers, available from RPGNow.
If you want to go with your martial artist class you can go use our Lightning Fist instead of the standard Martial Artist (less hiting power but more speed).
If you want to go with your EMT idea then go for Fast and Smart and take some levels in our Transporter class (its a mixture of driving, particularly through traffic, and street level contacts, etc).
Cheerio,
Ben, Malladin's Gate Press
PS product is Modern Heroes: Martial Avengers, available from RPGNow.
Similar Threads
