5th character blues - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

5th character blues

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
thinkhard
May 10, 2008 16:55:45 So I'm running a one-shot for some coworkers. It's a 1930's pulp detective one-shot, and the players are members of a detective agency. They asked me to pre-make characters for a 4 person party, but then another coworker who's never played before wants to give it a whirl.

She's pretty cool so I don't want to exclude her. I need a 5th character that fits into this already well-oiled machine of a party. Suggestions are appreaciated!

The cast so far (names and back stories subject to change):

Johnny Boy is a man who gave up his life of crime to work the other side, wanting to expose the underworld to society. His two vices are he's still got a soft spot for scotch and quite a temper.
Strengths: Johnny can lay down some cover fire with a tommy gun, and has an excellent right hook. He knows the streets and isn't a half bad driver. (strong 3, fast 1, soldier 2 weapon spec. tommy gun)

Maurice Larenton is a life-long detective. He's never had much luck bringing down the big bosses on his own, so he was happy to join an agency of like-minded individuals. He's well tempered, and a great shot.
Strengths: Maurice can do some damage when two-fisting revolvers. He's a much better shot than Johnny, and knows a lie when he hears it. He's actually incredibly stealthy, which helps for stakeouts. (fast 4 gunslinger 2)

Marcus Barelli has always been a bit of a golden child. He's a genius who's spent his life making money through strategy and charm, until he had a bad run in with organized crime trying to shut him down. To fight back he started his detective agency.
Strengths: Marcus is ingenious, well off, and charming. His attention to detail is impeccable and helps when investigating a crime scene. He can tell a lie or two, but isn't always good at knowing when he's being tricked. He thinks on his feet and can improvise. He's a decent shot with a tranter pistol. (smart 4 field scientist 2)

Jerome Hathaway is the oddest of the bunch. He spent his time exploring jungles and temples, coming back to America expecting to retire. A friend of Marcus' family, he was recruited for the Agency because of his unusual talents.
Strengths: Jerome is tough. VERY tough. He's been shot and stabbed so many times he barely remembers. He can survive with barely any resources, and is an eagle eye. His most useful skill is as the chop doc; he knows how to patch someone up because of treating his own injuries so many times.

THERE YOU HAVE IT! A unique cast of characters that work well together. Who should I add as the 5th character? What's a skill set that could be useful but doesn't step on the abilities of the other detectives? HELP!
#2
eldermount
May 10, 2008 17:29:23 Dorothy Burke was originally hired as the "secretary" to the detective agency, but has taken it upon herself to prove that she's more than just another pretty face. Her keen eye of observation, and her tenacity for seeking the truth may cause her to take a dangerous risk now and again, but she's been useful more often than she's been a nuisance, and the boys have begun to treat her with respect, if not quite as an equal yet. (Dedicated 5/Charismatic1 with Skill Emphasis in Investigation and the Faith talent.)
#3
thinkhard
May 10, 2008 18:18:44 hmmmm, not bad. Worried though that she'll step on the investigation skills of Marcus and the sense motive of Maurice....I guess I shot myself in the foot by making 4 very diverse characters!
#4
thinkhard
May 10, 2008 22:12:44 any other suggestions?
#5
nemafow
May 11, 2008 1:32:29 It's missing someone who doesn't rely on their gut feeling, like maybe a more scientific view on things?

Some kind of early crime scene guru? Finds the small clues that could lead to their wrong doers?

Like not nessecarily a CSI type, but someone who interprets clues and science into working out knowledge. Not nessecarily nerdy, but knowledgeful.

Eh, I hope that makes sense, I can't really explain it.
#6
thinkhard
May 11, 2008 10:30:40 I guess I should be more clear. Marcus is the super genius—he has levels in field scientist and huge bonuses in search and investigate, some knowledge, and research.

One character that came to mind was a still active criminal element who's decided to help the detective out of obligation. Say, a Bookie who got his skin saved more than once by Marcus' detective agency.

This bookie would be charismatic 4 gangster 2, basically have a huge intimidate bonus, gamble skills, fast talk, dazzle, frightful presence, an underworld contact, gather information, urban tracking—basically know his way around the underworld much better than the other players.

Sound OK?
#7
type2demon
May 11, 2008 14:40:44 The bookie type is not bad. Kind of like Leo Goetz from the Lethal Weapon series of movies.

Also you might consider a female character for the female player, especially if she is new to role playing games. She may be more comfortable with that.

That said, you are in need of a character with medical skills (face it, some one is gonna get shot! ;) )
A dedicated hero is not a bad idea, maybe something like
Father Flannaghan (Expert boxer and clergy. He's tired of seeing the gangsters hurt his flock and has decided to weigh in with the good guys and beat the fear of God into the criminals).
#8
brokenoakleys
May 11, 2008 20:09:09 Does you party need a 'face'? Unless I missed it, I don't see any dedicated/charismatic levels. Might not be bad to have a beautiful gal with contacts, access and that can make NPC's eat out of her hand.

Maybe a couple levels of charismatic for the interaction skills, a level of celebrity to get the access ability, and a couple of levels of dedication to get backup medical skills and/or information gathering skills.

How about a silver screen starlet who wants revenge on the organized crime types for some past wrong?
#9
thinkhard
May 12, 2008 18:03:06 we don't NEED a face, per se. that's the issue is i built the characters to cover multiple roles. sure they don't do an excellent job, but they do a pretty darn good one (marcus has a +16 or so diplomacy and he's a smart hero). I think i'm going with the bookie type---i'll have to finaggle a way for a female character in one of the original guys...
#10
bringbackfarscape
May 12, 2008 19:07:53 How 'bout a wheel-man, er, -woman? Think Danica Patrick as an ex-freebooter from the good ol' days of Prohibition. Maybe some levels of Charismatic/Fast and try to squeeze in some Daredevil for the Action Point perks (I don't have my books in front of me, but I know that the DD was supposed to be a Tough-build Adv. Class). I mention Charismatic, since this seems to be the only basic class missing from the set (I'm assuming that Hathaway is a Tough/Dedicated/Explorer combo).

Anyways, just a thought....
#11
jekolmy
May 17, 2008 2:30:23 Thing is here it looks like you have a well balanced party of 4 that can do just about whatever they need. Its like in D&D you have your "core" party of a fighter, cleric, wizard, and rogue. Right there you have your bases covered.. and other classes can cover the same territory, but fill a slightly smaller niche, or overlap, neither of these is that bad of a thing.

Though I suppose by this point you have this issue settled...

How about fast/infiltrator for a sort of cat burglar character?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 thinkhard May 10, 2008 16:55:45	So I'm running a one-shot for some coworkers. It's a 1930's pulp detective one-shot, and the players are members of a detective agency. They asked me to pre-make characters for a 4 person party, but then another coworker who's never played before wants to give it a whirl. She's pretty cool so I don't want to exclude her. I need a 5th character that fits into this already well-oiled machine of a party. Suggestions are appreaciated! The cast so far (names and back stories subject to change): Johnny Boy is a man who gave up his life of crime to work the other side, wanting to expose the underworld to society. His two vices are he's still got a soft spot for scotch and quite a temper. Strengths: Johnny can lay down some cover fire with a tommy gun, and has an excellent right hook. He knows the streets and isn't a half bad driver. (strong 3, fast 1, soldier 2 weapon spec. tommy gun) Maurice Larenton is a life-long detective. He's never had much luck bringing down the big bosses on his own, so he was happy to join an agency of like-minded individuals. He's well tempered, and a great shot. Strengths: Maurice can do some damage when two-fisting revolvers. He's a much better shot than Johnny, and knows a lie when he hears it. He's actually incredibly stealthy, which helps for stakeouts. (fast 4 gunslinger 2) Marcus Barelli has always been a bit of a golden child. He's a genius who's spent his life making money through strategy and charm, until he had a bad run in with organized crime trying to shut him down. To fight back he started his detective agency. Strengths: Marcus is ingenious, well off, and charming. His attention to detail is impeccable and helps when investigating a crime scene. He can tell a lie or two, but isn't always good at knowing when he's being tricked. He thinks on his feet and can improvise. He's a decent shot with a tranter pistol. (smart 4 field scientist 2) Jerome Hathaway is the oddest of the bunch. He spent his time exploring jungles and temples, coming back to America expecting to retire. A friend of Marcus' family, he was recruited for the Agency because of his unusual talents. Strengths: Jerome is tough. VERY tough. He's been shot and stabbed so many times he barely remembers. He can survive with barely any resources, and is an eagle eye. His most useful skill is as the chop doc; he knows how to patch someone up because of treating his own injuries so many times. THERE YOU HAVE IT! A unique cast of characters that work well together. Who should I add as the 5th character? What's a skill set that could be useful but doesn't step on the abilities of the other detectives? HELP!
#2 eldermount May 10, 2008 17:29:23	Dorothy Burke was originally hired as the "secretary" to the detective agency, but has taken it upon herself to prove that she's more than just another pretty face. Her keen eye of observation, and her tenacity for seeking the truth may cause her to take a dangerous risk now and again, but she's been useful more often than she's been a nuisance, and the boys have begun to treat her with respect, if not quite as an equal yet. (Dedicated 5/Charismatic1 with Skill Emphasis in Investigation and the Faith talent.)
#3 thinkhard May 10, 2008 18:18:44	hmmmm, not bad. Worried though that she'll step on the investigation skills of Marcus and the sense motive of Maurice....I guess I shot myself in the foot by making 4 very diverse characters!
#4 thinkhard May 10, 2008 22:12:44	any other suggestions?
#5 nemafow May 11, 2008 1:32:29	It's missing someone who doesn't rely on their gut feeling, like maybe a more scientific view on things? Some kind of early crime scene guru? Finds the small clues that could lead to their wrong doers? Like not nessecarily a CSI type, but someone who interprets clues and science into working out knowledge. Not nessecarily nerdy, but knowledgeful. Eh, I hope that makes sense, I can't really explain it.
#6 thinkhard May 11, 2008 10:30:40	I guess I should be more clear. Marcus is the super genius—he has levels in field scientist and huge bonuses in search and investigate, some knowledge, and research. One character that came to mind was a still active criminal element who's decided to help the detective out of obligation. Say, a Bookie who got his skin saved more than once by Marcus' detective agency. This bookie would be charismatic 4 gangster 2, basically have a huge intimidate bonus, gamble skills, fast talk, dazzle, frightful presence, an underworld contact, gather information, urban tracking—basically know his way around the underworld much better than the other players. Sound OK?
#7 type2demon May 11, 2008 14:40:44	The bookie type is not bad. Kind of like Leo Goetz from the Lethal Weapon series of movies. Also you might consider a female character for the female player, especially if she is new to role playing games. She may be more comfortable with that. That said, you are in need of a character with medical skills (face it, some one is gonna get shot! ;) ) A dedicated hero is not a bad idea, maybe something like Father Flannaghan (Expert boxer and clergy. He's tired of seeing the gangsters hurt his flock and has decided to weigh in with the good guys and beat the fear of God into the criminals).
#8 brokenoakleys May 11, 2008 20:09:09	Does you party need a 'face'? Unless I missed it, I don't see any dedicated/charismatic levels. Might not be bad to have a beautiful gal with contacts, access and that can make NPC's eat out of her hand. Maybe a couple levels of charismatic for the interaction skills, a level of celebrity to get the access ability, and a couple of levels of dedication to get backup medical skills and/or information gathering skills. How about a silver screen starlet who wants revenge on the organized crime types for some past wrong?
#9 thinkhard May 12, 2008 18:03:06	we don't NEED a face, per se. that's the issue is i built the characters to cover multiple roles. sure they don't do an excellent job, but they do a pretty darn good one (marcus has a +16 or so diplomacy and he's a smart hero). I think i'm going with the bookie type---i'll have to finaggle a way for a female character in one of the original guys...
#10 bringbackfarscape May 12, 2008 19:07:53	How 'bout a wheel-man, er, -woman? Think Danica Patrick as an ex-freebooter from the good ol' days of Prohibition. Maybe some levels of Charismatic/Fast and try to squeeze in some Daredevil for the Action Point perks (I don't have my books in front of me, but I know that the DD was supposed to be a Tough-build Adv. Class). I mention Charismatic, since this seems to be the only basic class missing from the set (I'm assuming that Hathaway is a Tough/Dedicated/Explorer combo). Anyways, just a thought....
#11 jekolmy May 17, 2008 2:30:23	Thing is here it looks like you have a well balanced party of 4 that can do just about whatever they need. Its like in D&D you have your "core" party of a fighter, cleric, wizard, and rogue. Right there you have your bases covered.. and other classes can cover the same territory, but fill a slightly smaller niche, or overlap, neither of these is that bad of a thing. Though I suppose by this point you have this issue settled... How about fast/infiltrator for a sort of cat burglar character?