The Master Chief In DFRPG

[MijRai]

How would you stat the Master Chief, or any Spartan, for that matter? Maybe the Covanent can be stated as well.

Spartan II
-2 Inhuman Strength
-2 Inhuman Speed
-2 Inhuman Toughness
-2 Inhuman Recovery
+2 Catch (Severe Trauma)
-_ Stunts
+2 IoP (Mjolnir Armor) (Pick and choose to fit Refresh, different models had different abilities)
   -2 Supernatural Strength
   -2 Supernatural Speed
   -2 Supernatural Sense Mod (Radar)
   It Is What It Is, Armor:3 vs. All
   -4 Modified Enchanted Item for Shields, +7 Block, 3 Uses Per Scene (Approximately 3 Refinement could afford this, plus another for not having Ritual or Thaumaturgy)

Skills*: (Sumberged [35], 12 [40], 14 [45], 18 [60, at +6])
+5 Guns, Athletics
+4 Fists, Alertness
+3 Endurance, Intimidation
+2 Presence, Conviction, Discipline
+1 Stealth, Rapport, Survival, Scholarship, Driving

+5 Guns, Athletics
+4 Fists, Alertness, Endurance
+3 Stealth, Discipline, Intimidation
+2 Presence, Conviction, Driving
+1 Survival, Scholarship, Rapport

+5 Guns, Athletics, Endurance
+4 Alertness, Discipline, Fists
+3 Conviction, Survival, Intimidation
+2 Driving, Presence, Craftsmanship
+1 Might, Scholarship, Survival

+6 Guns, Athletics
+5 Alertness, Fists, Endurance
+4 Discipline, Intimidation, Weapons
+3 Conviction, Presence, Intimidation
+2 Driving, Scholarship, Might
+1 Rapport, Contacts, Craftsmanship, Investigation, Empathy

*Besides Guns, Athletics, Fists, and Alertness, feel free to swap around a bit. Every Spartan was different. These examples vary a bit. Some drive, some will use Energy Swords, etc.

You could play as an unarmored Spartan for -6, although they would have a number of Stunts, so I'd say a Submerged could cover one with old armor and some Stunts.

Grunt
Refresh:
I Dunno, not much. Maybe a Suicide Stunt
Maybe -2 Inhuman Toughness, with a Catch of Headshots. The confetti popping out is a sign.
Skills:
Guns +3
Athletics +2
Alertness -1 (They suck, you catch them asleep in a warzone)
Discipline +1 (gotta give them some, a hundred of their buddies are killed in front of them, and they will still charge in some cases)

[zerogain]

I do have some problems with this on a few levels.  I am a fan of the games too, but this doesn't seem right to me.  Generally it feels grossly overpowered, but really the armor is the worst part.  I get where you're going with it, but I don't see John lifting warthogs off the ground and chucking them around.

First, though, the catch needs better definition.  I don't understand how it would work in a game session.

Next the item of power.  First it will require a high concept indicating Spartan, no one else but the one who it is designed for should be able to wear it and have it function.  Additionally, I do not recall the armor granting any additional physical acumen.  Keep the strength, and speed down at prior levels.  The toughness bit would be a better model for this that the shields.  I would suggest that the shields are better modeled as an exploit for someone wearing the armor, perhaps if they take any physical damage, or more likely if they suffer a physical attack more than once per turn the opponent may spend a fate point to gain an additional +2 on the effect.  Also I would suggest that the catch for the armor is Aimed and Surprise attacks.  It's pitifully easy to punch through that armor's weak spots with a sniper rifle in the game.

That said, ditch the shields entirely.  Consider them part of the armor.

The armor should only modify physical attacks, no social or mental, at all.

My read has the armor something like this:
* Inhuman Senses (UV, IR, Motion Tracker) (contributes -2)
* Superhuman Toughness (contributes -4)
* It is what it is: Armor 2 vs. all physical damage
* HUD - Sophisticated and very hardened tech grants the wearer a +1 to the Guns skill.
* Catch: Aimed and Suprise shots (+2) - anyone who uses the Aim action or manages to achieve a surprise attack against the wearer ignores the Toughness.  Also, pore enough damage into it and you can overwhelm the shields, thus the armor is vulnerable to a maneuver to apply the aspect "Shields Down" which is freely tagged by any attacker until the wearer can make a navel-gazing maneuver to "Restore shields"
* It's Big and freakin' Heavy (+2 for obviousness)
Musts: High Concept must indicate the character is a member of the Spartan II program from the UNSC.

All that I come out with I believe a -2 Refresh cost IoP for the base (I think...)  Additional powers might be Cloak of Shadows for the active camouflage, or a limited Wings for the new jump packs in Reach.

As far as the Chief's skills, John-117 isn't a scholarly man.  He follows the beck and call of a scary-godly-batcrap-insane a.i., and SHE knows bleep all about everything.  The endurance needs to be through the roof, and you don't have Might anywhere.  If you can find the points he should also have a few stunts, which are notably lacking.  All Spartans are scary-deadly in hand-to-hand combat and need that killer blow stunt, and probably various others too.

[MijRai]

Severe Trauma is a part of the Ghoul Catch. I'd say it is +2, since anyone can get a stick and bludgeon you to death with it, given enough time.

You don't need to write out the High Concept (or just aspect, seeing as it is an IoP). The Armor is only worn by Spartans (it would accidentally kill a normal person who tried), maybe I should put that under the It Is What It Is portion.
The armor does give physical and speed boosts. They flip cars, they need at least Supernatural with the armor. Mythic +1 would let you throw cars. Toughness doesn't cover shields, since it doesn't cover as much. The armor wouldn't give extra stress, it would prevent the stress in the first place, with a Block.
The shields are a distinct part of the armor. Work them out differently then I have, sure. You still need them. Or, run yourself as a Spartan using older armor, without shields. It costs -4 Refresh, I think many would go that route.
I didn't mean to imply the armor defends against mental or social attacks. Armor: 3 vs. All meant Armor: 3 vs. all physical, including fire, force, cold, electricity, etc.
They don't see ultraviolet or UV light, although a working motion tracker would probably rate -2 on its own.
Since an unarmored Spartan would have Inhuman Toughness, it'd be -2 to add it to Supernatural. Besides, that doesn't cover the shield.
The Mjolnir Armor is Armor: 3, hands down. It is good armor without the shields, if you read the books (which are canon).
HUD is a good stunt, I like it.
That is way too complex. A multi-use block is much simpler. Besides, how do you rule the shields were taken down? He takes stress?
The +2 IoP Rebate covers that.
If it is a character template, yeah the high concept needs to reflect. Doesn't have to be UNSC, however.

It'd be 5 without the Rebate, so it'd go to -3. Cloak of Sahdows is a good boost, and maybe wings if the GM is fine with it. It is more limited then that, however.

The Master Chief is an intelligent person. All Spartans are. They were chosen for intelligence, and were taught by the best. If anything, first aid is scholarship, and he knows that. Supernatural strength in armor gives a... +6 to Might rolls for picking stuff up (enough to flip a vehicle, I think), and his fists are a Weapon: 4 with it. That is strong enough, and deadly enough. Endurance could use a boost, sure, but like I said, vary the skills for your own Spartan, you choose how your Spartan specializes. I have a blank spot for Stunts, because there are plenty a Spartan could take, and you customize them for the player. Some may want the Explosives Training stunt, which is based off of craftsmanship.