At Whartson Hall's suggestion, I'm doing something a little different today - making the same character in different systems. Now, to be clear, I'm not trying to make exactly the same person with the same abilities. Rather, I want to make a character with the same themes, outlook and broad skillsets.
Since there's a LOT of variation in what different games permit, I want something that's generic enough to be very flexible. However, I also want something specific enough to make this a meaningful exercise! I decided to plump for this:
"A brave sun-themed investigator who brings light into dark places."
Those features might vary from being a solar-powered superhero to a priest of Ra to an explorer with a sun aesthetic who literally wanders around with a torch.
I'm starting with GURPS because I had it open at the time, okay?
GURPS: Ardent Helion
In a near-future setting, Ardent Helion is an agent of the Extrajudiciary, who travel between the worlds to deal with cold cases, legal mysteries and tricky situations.
This is a sci-fi setting, so I'm deliberately excluding magic.
Ardent begins with Expert Skill (Heliology), being deeply knowledgeable about suns: physics, mythology, roles in popular culture, he knows it all.
Let's throw in a bunch of investigative skills. He'll want high Perception for those, plus a little IQ. I'm also allocating some Strength, since sometimes he needs to roll up his sleeves to get the job done.
Most of those skills handily come under the Natural Copper talent, which I'll give him a couple of levels in.
Annoyingly, Ardent's Heliology is going to be expensive. I'd like him to have it at a good level, but don't want him to have particularly high IQ - he gets there by sharp eyes, guts and grit, not genius. There's probably a way to boost it, but I can't immediately think of one.
Disadvantages seem appropriate now as I'm starting to run low on points (I opted for the default GURPS Character Assistant values of 150pts, max 75pts of disadvantages). He needs a Duty (almost always), plus a Code of Honour (I used the Private Investigator one), and some Workaholic to fit the zealous detective mould. Let's also make him Overconfident, because those genre investigators are always getting into trouble, and he's always sure that justice and the Extrajudiciary will prevail. Since he's a law-upholding type, and importantly also not American, he's taking Pacifism (Cannot Kill). Finally, throw in some Flashbacks (Mild) for a bit of extra characterisation and to leaven his determination a little.
Now for some more skills. An investigator will definitely get into some brawls. Let's make Ardent a student of Space Jujutsu. He learns a reasonable amount of Judo, plus some Boxing, and refines his skills in tripping and arm-locking suspects. Uppercuts are necessary too, for the 'clean blow to the jaw' beloved of Dick Barton.
Perks time! I'm giving him an Accessory (Nanite Torch); he has 'solar nanites' in his body that he can activate to produce some light. Next, a custom variant: Sure-Footed (Low Gravity) for brawling on spacecraft and the like. This is just equivalent to the existing Naval Training perk, only for spaceships instead of ships. I'll follow that with Acceleration Tolerance for dealing with space travel, and Standard Operating Procedure (Sleeps With One Eye Open) so he's alert to possible danger.
I decide to boost his solar credentials by adding a blinding flash ability to his nanites. Once per hour, he can overcharge it to dazzle anyone nearby, though it's a big drain on his energy. I'd have liked a less drastic alternative than inflicting Blindness, but while there's probably something complicated I could have done with Obscure or penalties to Per, I can't be bothered...
OK, maybe I can. I steal the Flash power from Psionic Powers, removing the Environmental limitation and turning it into an Emanation (centred on him) with Dissipation (it's less overwhelming the further away you are). I also end up adding some Obscure Vision as an alternative ability, when he just wants to dazzle people without actually blinding them, perhaps as an intimidation tactic.
I like the idea of 'the cleaning power of daylight', so I'll throw in some Resistance against Disease and Poison, plus Healing (Disease and Afflictions, Contact Agent) - though the nanites require at least a minute to work, so it's not useful in combat. The healing ability is another Alternative Ability, but not the resistances - even if he's sending his nanites out to treat someone, he retains enough to protect himself.
I'd probably round him out with some actual Rank in an appropriate organization, a couple of hobby skills and another disadvantage, but I think I'm done for today.
Name: Ardent Helion
Race: Human
Attributes [70]
ST 12 [20]
DX 10
IQ 11 [20]
HT 10
HP 12
Will 14 [15]
Per 14 [15]
FP 10
Basic Lift 29
Damage 1d-1/1d+2
Basic Speed 5
Basic Move 5
Ground Move 5
Water Move 1
Advantages [49]
Natural Copper (2) [20]
Solar Nanites [29], which consists of:
--Affliction (Blinding) (1) (Area Effect (4 yd); Based On ST (Own Roll); Costs FP (+4); Blindness (+50) (Secondary, Variable); Dissipation; Emanation; Malediction (Receives -1/yd range); Nanotech; Reduced Duration (1/60 duration); Vision-Based (with Malediction) (One sense)) [17]
--Healing (Alternative Ability; Contact Agent; Cure Affliction; Disease Only; Nanotech; Takes Extra Time (x64)) [2]
--Obscure (Vision) (3) (Alternative Ability; Nanotech) [2]
--Resistant to Disease (+3 to resist) [3]
--Resistant to Poison (+3 to resist) [5]
Perks [4]
Acceleration Tolerance [1]
Sol Tattoo (Lantern) [1]
Standard Operating Procedure (One Eye Open) [1]
Sure-Footed (Low Gravity) [1]
Disadvantages [-60]
Code of Honor (Private Investigator) [-10]
Duty (Extrajudiciary Agent) (15 or less (almost always)) [-15]
Flashbacks (Mild) [-5]
Overconfidence (6 or less) [-10]
Pacifism (Cannot Kill) [-15]
Workaholic [-5]
Quirks [-2]
Delusion (I'm a Great Singer) [-1]
Responsive [-1]
Skills [86]
Arm Lock (Judo) Tech/A - 13 [2]
Body Language (Human) Per/A - Per+3 17 [4]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Boxing DX/A - DX+0 10 [2]
Breakfall (Judo) Tech/A - 13 [2]
Criminology/TL9 IQ/A - IQ+3 14 [4]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Detect Lies Per/H - Per+2 16 [4]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Diplomacy IQ/H - IQ+0 11 [4]
Escape DX/H - DX-2 8 [1]
Expert Skill (Heliology) IQ/H - IQ+4 15 [20]
Forced Entry DX/E - DX+0 10 [1]
Free Fall DX/A - DX+2 12 [8]
Holdout IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Interrogation IQ/A - IQ+3 14 [4]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Judo DX/H - DX+1 11 [8]
Judo Throw (Judo) Tech/H - 11 [2]
Law (Galactic) IQ/H - IQ-2 9 [1]
Lip Reading (Human) Per/A - Per+0 14 [2]
Observation Per/A - Per+2 16 [2]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Research/TL9 IQ/A - IQ-1 10 [1]
Search Per/A - Per+3 17 [4]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Shadowing IQ/A - IQ+2 13 [2]
---includes: +2 from 'Natural Copper'
Sweeping Kick (Judo) Tech/H - 11 [4]
Trip (Judo) Tech/H - 8 [2]
Uppercut (Boxing) Tech/A - 10 [1]
Stats [70]
Ads [49]
Disads [-60]
Quirks [-2]
Skills [86]
= Total [147]
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