Quick Character Feedback

[kjpowers]

Hey folks,

I've seen previous threads talking about just how capable a vanilla mortal can be in a high-level game. I took a shot at making a character that would be both fun to play and fairly well rounded. Please feel free to give feedback. As a side-note, I know that Fists maybe isn't the best high-skill for a mortal, but I decided to roll with it.

Story-wise, the character is an Assistant Professor of English at the University of Washington. A fairly young guy (33-34), he enlisted in the Army Reserve in the mid-90s while in college to help pay for his studies at an expensive private university in California. He was called to active duty for tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, and decided to stay on active duty because of the scarcity of soldiers with his skill set (Arabic and Farsi speaker, intelligence specialist)...a decision that ultimately cost him his marriage. His last billet was with the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he served in the Headquarters Company as the Senior Intelligence NCO.

After receiving his honorable discharge in 2009, O'Brien searched around for teaching opportunities in the Seattle Area. He spent a semester as a Lecturer before being offered a tenure-track position in Fall of 2009. He has a good rapport with his students, and gets suspicious when some of them start displaying odd behavior...

Name: William C. O’Brien, III
High Aspect: Inquisitive English Professor
Trouble: Wait, This Stuff is Real?
Other Aspects: Too Smart for My Own Good; 75th Ranger’s Resident Ph.D; I Got the House, She Got my Heart; Everyone’s Favorite Professor, Uncle Jim's Got My Back

Stats
Superb: Fists,
Great: Endurance, Scholarship,
Good: Conviction, Guns, Presence,
Fair: Alertness, Athletics, Investigation, Rapport
Average: Discipline, Lore, Performance, Resources, Survival,

Stunts
Paranoid? Probably (Alertness): Gain +2 to Alertness when rolling against surprise.
Hard Boiled (Discipline): +2 when defending against a mental attack
Find the Gap (Fists): when using Fists you can hit vulnerable or exposed points; treat armor as 2 points lower.
Footwork (Fists): Allows fists to be used in the place of Athletics when unarmed
Redirect Force (Fists): May treat successful fists Defense as an Attack, place Temporary Aspect
Well, Actually… (Rapport): +2 when defending against a social attack

Total: -4 Refresh (Pure Mortal)

Notes: A highly capable character, Bill O’Brien boasts Great Initiative, Good Gun Skill, Fair General Defense, and Superb unarmed combat Offense and Defense. A 5th Degree Black Belt in Kajukenbo, Bill can very effectively break through his opponent's defenses and redirect attacks.

Bill has Good Defenses for Mental and Social attacks, respectively, though he really shines with his Great research skill. Other Social and Mental skills are Fair-Average, with some at Mediocre, and a Good Conviction Score.


Mental: OOOO
Physical: OOOO
Social: OOOO
Armor: Usually None.

Note: Modified 5 Aug, reflecting comments.

[Papa Gruff]

Looks fun and has six fate to spend at the beginning of every session. That can kick serious ass!

I would note it down as -6 refresh though. +2 for pure vanilla mortal goes go on top of everything and isn't substracted from the spent stuff in my opinion.

[JosephKell]

Looks fun and has six fate to spend at the beginning of every session. That can kick serious ass!

I would note it down as -6 refresh though. +2 for pure vanilla mortal goes go on top of everything and isn't substracted from the spent stuff in my opinion.

Well, Actually... if this guy were in one of the books, his refresh would be displayed as "Total Refresh Cost: -4 (Pure Mortal)"

The "(Pure Mortal)" communicates that there is a +2 factored in.

[Papa Gruff]

Well, Actually... if this guy were in one of the books, his refresh would be displayed as "Total Refresh Cost: -4 (Pure Mortal)"

The "(Pure Mortal)" communicates that there is a +2 factored in.

Still wouldn't be like I would note it down ... shesh ...

[Belial666]

It is better to take brass knuckles (weapon 1) or even spiked brass knuckles (nasty weapon 2) and instead of "armed arts" take some sort of custom stunt. Options include:

My (non)Belief is My Shield: +1 armor vs supernatural attacks (as Tough Stuff but vs magic)
Find the Gap: when using fists you can hit vulnerable or exposed points; treat armor as 2 points lower.

[kjpowers]

Wow, I really like that "find the gap" stunt. The character is a Professor, so I don't envision him walking around with brass knuckles or anything like that. That said, I don't see him as the kind of person to use weapons either...for him, it's fists or guns. I'm going to retool the stunts a bit more to reflect these changes. Thanks, everyone, for your feedback!

[kjpowers]

Okay, I've got one more character in my "Mortals are solid" case study, sort of a companion character to William - his Uncle Jim. Another mortal that I tried to make highly capable, especially in a supporting role.

Name: James Theodore O’Brien
High Concept: Merchant Marine Miracle Worker
Trouble: My Past Haunts Me
Other Aspects: World Traveler, Victim of the Siren’s Song, Seattle Maritime Academy Professor, Venatori’s Mr. Fix-it, William’s Got my Back

Skills
Superb: Craftsmanship
Great: Endurance, Rapport
Good: Fists, Presence, Might,
Fair: Alertness, Athletics, Conviction, Guns,
Average: Contacts, Discipline, Investigation, Lore, Scholarship

Stunts
Yes We Can (Craftsmanship): Gain 2 extra shifts of success to any successful Craftsmanship roll to make repairs.
Hard Boiled (Discipline): +2 when defending against a Mental Attack.
No Pain, No Gain (Endurance): One additional mild physical consequence.
Killer Blow (Fists): Use one Fate Point to gain 3 damage (once per scene).
Nautical Occultist (Lore): +1 to Sea Stories, +2 for Sea Monsters

Mental: OOO
Physical: OOOO (+1 Mild Consequence)
Social: OOOO

Total: –3 Refresh (Pure Mortal)

Notes
The resident Miracle Worker. James can basically fix anything, and Heaven forbid you get into an argument with the man – he can either talk or beat you into the ground.