Recruiting for a Golden Age Bash! Game

[Harrigan]

Let me spill just a few beans here to help people mentally get where I'm already going at high speed...

It's late 1943, and the Germans have secretly taken to attacking US installations, factories, plants, shipyards, etc. This is commando-type stuff, and with the US war machine stretched thin in preparations for offensives in both the Pacific and European theaters, the homefront is vulnerable. The nation's super-soldiers are deployed, so Washington turns to the nation's best non-government defenders for help in tracking and squashing the * menace. So expect military briefings, staying in barracks, military transport planes, etc. This is why I'm not super-keen on the rocket-ship -- want everyone in C-47s.

Big League, you can also see a connection here -- as maybe the lone "military guy" that the brass will add to the team so they'll have a member they can really trust...

Now, in terms of the composition of the team, and roles...

In like Flynn:

The Unknown Soldier - Possessor / Weird Presence
Lady Paramount - Archer / Fire Support
Cauchemar - Stealth / Investigation
American Ape - Brawler / Tactics / Diplomacy (!)

Still needing a touch of work:

Big League - Giant Brick / Brawler
The Fighting Devil Dog - Scrapper / Veteran
Sky Marshall - Blaster / Flyer / Techie

No *huge* holes. Speedster? Another brick? Armor dude? Psychic? (Minute Man sort of covers this...) Weapon master?

[BeardedDork]

Here's a Prototype for Cauchemar

Cauchemar (Jacob C. Kearney)
B1 A2 M3

Gases Multipower [10pts]
-Nightmare Gas
Daze (Repelling), Med Range, Med Burst, Link
Confusion 2 Med Range, Med Burst
Ammo Gadget
-Sleeping Gas
Daze, Med Range, Med Burst
Ammo Gadget
-Smoke
Confusion 1, large Burst

Line Gun Multipower [4pts]
-Immobilize 20, Medium Range
Ammo Gadget
-Swinging
Same Source

Gas Mask [1pt]
-Immunity to inhaled toxins

Reinforced Coat & Helmet [1pt]
-Armor 1

-Skillful 2 [2pts]

Stealth/Evading Security Cameras and Alarms x3
Deception/Manipulation x3
Domestic/Cooking x3
Investigation/Analysis x3
Science/Biology/Chemistry x3

Frightening Presence
Quick Thinking

Age
Normal (Without the suporting braces in his costume Cauchemar's Agility is 0)

Stats 12 + powers 18 =30

I was thinking at 30 points he feels a little bloaty, and I'd like to trim him down closer to the 25 mark.

I was also thinking of maybe adding a sidekick, The American Dream or something.

Questions, comments, suggestions?

EDIT: ok, I'm thinking swap Quick Thinking for Versatile Remove the Armor, the Immobilize from the Line Gun, and the second level of skillful that I apparently forgot to actually use and that brings him down to 25, which is what I was shooting for.

[urbwar]

I just responded to Sakers PM. Being this is just an online game, I have no problems with Saker making whatever changes he wants to the concept. I'm planning on making changes to American Ape, so I don't see why doing an alternate version of sky Marshal would be an issue.

Oh and BD, like the character writeup. Reading his powers and such, I thought how he's similar in some ways to The Wraith, but a bit better designed

[AslanC]

Still needing a touch of work:

The Fighting Devil Dog - Scrapper / Veteran

What do you need sir?

[Harrigan]

Let's have a look at our man Cauchemar...

Here's a Prototype for Cauchemar

Cauchemar (Jacob C. Kearney)
B1 A2 M3

Gases Multipower [10pts]
-Nightmare Gas
Daze (Repelling), Med Range, Med Burst, Link
Confusion 2 Med Range, Med Burst
Ammo Gadget
-Sleeping Gas
Daze, Med Range, Med Burst
Ammo Gadget
-Smoke
Confusion 1, large Burst

So help me come along in learning to build Bash! characters. If I break this down, it's 2pts for Daze, 1pt for Repelling, 2pts for the range, 2pts for the burst, 2pts for the link, 1pt *back* for the Ammo Gadget, then 1pt each for the extra powers in the multipower, Sleeping Gas and Smoke. Correct? So Confusion is "free," paid for by the Link?

Sorry if this is remedial, but it's part of what I'm trying to accomplish here, learning the system rapidly and in a real context.

For what it's worth, cool gasses.

Line Gun Multipower [4pts]
-Immobilize 20, Medium Range
Ammo Gadget
-Swinging
Same Source

That's two ranks of Immobilize for the difficulty of 20. 20 is a number that an average Joe will have a really hard time beating, but someone with Brawn 3 will break out about half of the time. Sounds about right.

I get the Same Source here, but how exactly does Ammo Gadget work? How many uses of the line does that equate to?

(Points-wise, I see Immobilize 2pts, Range 2pts, Ammo Gadget Limit -1pt, Swinging Power 1pt. Ja?)

Gas Mask [1pt]
-Immunity to inhaled toxins

Reinforced Coat & Helmet [1pt]
-Armor 1

-Skillful 2 [2pts]

Stealth/Evading Security Cameras and Alarms x3
Deception/Manipulation x3
Domestic/Cooking x3
Investigation/Analysis x3
Science/Biology/Chemistry x3

Frightening Presence
Quick Thinking

All good.

Age
Normal (Without the suporting braces in his costume Cauchemar's Agility is 0)

So instead of having 80 hits, he has 100 but also this dependence on his costume?

Stats 12 + powers 18 =30

I was thinking at 30 points he feels a little bloaty, and I'd like to trim him down closer to the 25 mark.

Fair enough. That'll result in some hero points if I'm not mistaken. Which refresh, so it's not a one-time gain. Correct?

I was also thinking of maybe adding a sidekick, The American Dream or something.

I've got an idea or two there. Want to PM me about this, or discuss here? Were you thinking of a similarly-themed hero/heroine, or perhaps a bit of a counterpoint? I have an idea for a bright-eyed prodigy of sorts that has since gone off and been quite successful in the war...

Questions, comments, suggestions?

See above.

EDIT: ok, I'm thinking swap Quick Thinking for Versatile Remove the Armor, the Immobilize from the Line Gun, and the second level of skillful that I apparently forgot to actually use and that brings him down to 25, which is what I was shooting for.

I kind of like Quick Thinking for him more, but hey -- he's your character. Both are good at modeling that Je ne sais quoi.

Your call on the Immobilize and skills -- 25 is a good number for Mystery Men types, but nothing looks out of line one way or the other. But the result will be yummy HP.

[Harrigan]

What do you need sir?

A sanity check, it seems.

Nothing! Fighting Devil Dog, welcome aboard. I think it's safe to say we've got a complete crew now. Sorry to those of you who didn't even get a chance to see thread, but seven is more than I originally wanted. I'll give some thought to splitting the team, but I'm not worried: these are a bunch of bloody cool characters -- thanks for giving me the opportunity to run the game. I'm excited!

See if I'm missing anyone...

Unknown Soldier
Fighting Devil Dog
Cauchemar
Lady Paragon
American Ape
Sky Marshall
Big League

Look good? Y'all pumped about gaming together?

If yes, next steps are finishing the builds and trying together any background threads.

[Saker]

This is where my Sky Marshall concept is. Urbwar has graciously donated his picture and concept to the cause. Please feel free to offer comments and suggestions, especially on the Disadvantages. Yes, much Couchemar's build I feel that he is a 25 pt character with 5 points of gravy/muscle/wild on top.

Sky Marshall II
(30 pts = Stats 12 + Powers 18)

ORIGIN
Jesse Dumont is the second to don the Sky Marshall persona. His cousin discovered the mysterious rocket pack and Venusian gun is an abandoned railcar in 1938. With a helmet and padded outfit, the Sky Marshall began to fight organized crime and spies. His cousin brought Jesse into the family secret when he needed to repair his damaged gear, because Jesse had graduated with double doctorates in Physics and Mechanical Engineering from MIT. After his cousin was mortally wounded defending the Manhattan Project from spies, Jesse quit the Project to assume the mantle of Sky Marshall, in order to protect his cousin’s secret identity.

STATS
Brawn – 1
Agility – 2
Mind – 3

POWERS
Padded suit & stabilizers Boost Brawn 2 (soak & knockback) 2 pts
Helmet Resistance 1 (blinding attacks & suffocation) 1 pt
Horizon view Super Sense (telescopic sight) 1 pt
Rocket Pack Flight 4, 4 pts
Venusian Anti-gravity Hovering 1 pt
Venusian Ray Gun Special Attack 5 (Variable, Gadget – Easily Taken) 5 pts
Shooting incoming! Deflect 3 (Same Source – Gun) 2 pt
Laser precise! Attack Weak Point (Same Source – Gun) 1 pt
Drop your weapons! Disarm Expert (Same Source – Gun) 1 pt

SKILLS
Athletics x3/ Aerobatics, Science/ Physics, Technology x4/ Repair

ADVANTAGES Never Surrender, Gadgeteer

DISADVANTAGES Normal, Duty (US patriot) or Secret (really doesn’t know source of gear)

EQUIPMENT Radio built into helmet

[AslanC]

Actually with some family stuff going on and starting a new job next week, maybe I should sit this one out.

I appreciate the in, but I think it would be best if I did, I don't want to disappoint later.

That said I will be following this one

Cheers and thanks!

[BeardedDork]

Your math matches mine on all points.

I get the Same Source here, but how exactly does Ammo Gadget work? How many uses of the line does that equate to?

When choosing Ammo as a gadget type I choose between Burn-Out, Charges, or Finite, and get an additional use on top of what I would normally get with those limitations. or i could choose Single Use, but I wouldn't typically.

If I choose Burn-Out, I will roll a d6 every time I use the power in question and if I roll under the point cost, I'll have the one use from the ammo limitation before I will be unable to use the power again, I might choose this for the line gun having to roll, I think four or better to keep using the power.

If I choose Finite, I will again roll a d6 and this time try to get over the power level if I fail three times, I will have the one use from the ammo limitation left before the power becomes unavailable.

If I choose Charges I must select whether I want the charges to be per day or per scene If it's per day I will have functionally 10 charges per day if it's per scene I will have functionally 4 charges before running out.

Since i was not fully set on anything in the build, I didn't determine which versions of the ammo limitation I would be using yet.

[BeardedDork]

Age
Normal (Without the suporting braces in his costume Cauchemar's Agility is 0)

So instead of having 80 hits, he has 100 but also this dependence on his costume?

I forgot to address that, typically a hero has 100 hits, because Cauchemar is past his prime he has only 80. Due to his wounds in the war I decided he was functionally crippled without the supporting infrastructure of his costume. There's no mechanical basis for it it was a flavor choice. A character with the normal disadvantage, when not supered up has a maximum of 2 for his Brawn and Agility and is limited to gadget and intense training powers.
I suppose I could have said that his costume gives him Boost: Agility, but that felt abusive, and was not really what I was going for.

EDIT: PMed you about the Side Kick

[BeardedDork]

Here is a slightly slimmed down and redesigned version of Cauchemar.

[Heroglyph]

Lady Paramount
30 Pts (8 Stats, 22 Powers)

Brawn 1 Agility 2 Mind 1

Priority x4
Defense x4
Soak x1

Skills:
Athletics/Acrobatics, Stealth/Moving Silently/Shadowing
Outdoor +1/Tracking, Security +1 /Surveillance

Advantages:
Versatile

Disadvantages
Social Stigma (Half Breed)

Powers:
"Eagle-Eye"
Boost 2: Agility- when firing a bow (x4) 2pts
Boost 2: Mind- for bow attacks 2pts

Bow and Arrows Multipower 7 pts
* Normal Arrows: Special Attack 2 (+1 to hit/ +1 DM) , Med Range 15, (x5 to hit/ X4 DM total) [ Limitation: Gadget Easily Taken] (3 pts)
* Blunt Arrows: Daze. Medium Range [Limitation: Easily Taken (3pts)
* Swing-Line Arrow: Swinging (8 squares) [Limitation: Easily Taken] (1pt)

"Rapid Reloader" (Double Taps) 1 pts

"Bull's Eye!" : Attack Weak Point (Only with Bow) 1 pt

"Not so Fast" Disarm Expert (only with Bow) 1 pt

"Be in the Now" Danger Sense (+2 Defense/Priority) 2pts

Skillful 2 (4 extra skill slots) 2 pts

"My Daddy taught me a thing or two"
Unarmed Technique: +2DM (x3 Dmg total ) 2pts
Judo Throw: Push 2 (x6 Knock-back) 2pts

[Saker]

Heroglyph

A couple suggestions:
Replace

"My Daddy taught me a thing or two"
Unarmed Technique: +2DM (x3 Dmg total ) 2pts
Judo Throw: Push 2 (x6 Knock-back) 2pts

With
Weapon Technique +2 DM (unarmed & bows) 3 pts
Martial Arts (grappling) 1 pt

For the same points, you now can fire regular arrows at x5 Damage with Range 20 without paying any points. M'arts Grappling is so much better to stay ungrabbed and in control of an enemy than push.

Now if you increase your Boost Agility to 3 (Attack with bows) 3 pts, you have x5 Hit and x5 Damage with normal arrows.

Pull your Swinging out of your Multipower, because it's only 2 points anyway. Maybe put Concentration to simulate the fire then setup time to swing. So 1 pt

Now you've spent 2 pts out of your 7 pt Multipower. So you can spend the remaining 5 pts on spiffy arrows that's 6 active points with the Gadget Easily Taken limitation. I would suggest:
- Immobilize Brawn 30, mid range
- Weaken Agility -3, mid range
For these reasons:
1. Daze and Confusion will be Couchemar's schtick
2. Daze & Confusion need good Mind to hit
3. Immobilize is hellish when all else fails
4. If you start with the Weaken Agility arrow, then your normal arrow should activate your Attack Weak Point making a normal arrow x10 Damage

my two cents

cheers

[Heroglyph]

Thanks for the tips:
I considered weapon technique, but I wasn't sure if that or Boost would be better.

I also originally had her with Martial Arts: Grappling, but with her low strength I didn't think it would be effective.

The reason I left Swinging in the multipower, is because I thought it would be impossible for her to fire any arrows while swinging anyway.

I hadn't thought about weaken. Makes sense, I could see her pin cushioning someone, and messing with their agility.

Not sure about immobilize. That's a little more high tech then I imagine her.

I might consider an explosive arrow. If we are going to be working with the military , then I don't think that would be difficult for them to rig up.

I'll take another look at her writeup.

thanks, again.

[Saker]

Fair enough.

I also originally had her with Martial Arts: Grappling, but with her low strength I didn't think it would be effective.

Reread it. You use your opponent's Brawn +1, so it's perfect for low Brawn characters.

cheers