Post by Silverback on Nov 29, 2004 9:51:46 GMT
When creating your Amazing Adventurer it's highly recommended that you choose one of the following archetypes as the main 'profession' for your character.
Concept
Before committing anything to paper, you should of course think about what kind of character you want to create, and the vital first step of this process is to find out what sort of characters are appropriate to the campaign.
The typical pulp hero is a male of Northern European extraction, and the attitudes of the pulp era are not favorable toward any other sort of character being both action-oriented and good. On the other hand, there were certainly plenty of real people who overcame or disregarded those attitudes, so there is no reason your character cannot do the same. Probably the best way to handle this is to have some unsympathetic NPCs make an issue of a hero's race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or whatever, to show how despicable they are, but otherwise to not worry about it. This is not overwhelmingly realistic, but is probably more fun than strict realism.
Archetypes
Pulp heros, or at least their abilities, can almost universally be described in terms of a fairly small set of archetypes. Any particular hero will partake of the attributes of several archetypes, to a greater or lesser extent. The one archetype that best describes you is your primary archetype; the others are your secondary archetypes. Needless to say, you will be best at skills covered by your primary archetype.
You then need to select one archetype as your primary one, and one as your secondary. In theory, you could diversify your primary archetype rather than select a secondary archetypes, but this tends to produce characters with no outstanding strengths, who get relegated to background roles.
Stat & Skill Generation -
Use the following guidelines for creating your MSH Pulp character Normal Human Character Generation. Please 'right-click' and 'Save As' rather than viewing the document online. Those who have registered an interest will be e-mailed a Zip file containing quidelines on Quirks, Talents and running Psionically based individuals.
As a rule you will have very few powers (unless OK'd by the GM) and the highest die rolls should be allocated to obtaining Talents and Contacts above anything else. As a background bonus, depending upon your Archetype choice, you will automatically possess three talents directly related to your chosen 'class' as well as any additional Talents obtained during character generation.
Final decision on Powers, Talents, etc. remains with the GM.
Athlete - Famous football star, baseball player, basketball player, track athlete, or swimmer.
Big Game Hunter - Fearless huntsman always on the look out for the next big challenge, having already faced lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and rhinos.
Butler - Cultured, educated, and surprisingly skilled aide and chauffeur.
Cat Burglar - Daring and stylish Upper Class thief.
Child Prodigy - Child genius with skills in a single field of expertise that surpass those of most adult experts.
Detective - The hardboiled private thingy, police detective, consulting detective, or agency detective.
Dilettante - A member of the idle rich, such as an aristocratic playboy, member of royalty, in exile or otherwise, millionaire entrepreneur, or the offspring of same.
Doctor - Physician of skill, either working in the city, or as part of an expedition or aid effort with missionaries, or researching native remedies.
Entertainer - An individual such as a sultry torch singer, laid back jazz musician, famous movie star, or circus performer.
Everyman Hero - The feisty heroine or bewildered working class hero drawn from any mundane walk of life into unusual circumstances.
Explorer - Intrepid pioneer, unearthing the secrets of the unexplored regions of darkest Africa, the teeming jungles of South America, and the mysterious East.
Femme Fatale - Alluring but dangerous woman, fully prepared to use her seductive appeal to her advantage.
Flying Ace - The daredevil barnstormer, capable of astounding feats of flying skill, and probably the owner of own plane or flying boat.
Gangster - Hard-bitten member of the Mob.
G-Man - A dedicated and incorruptible agent of the FBI.
Grease Monkey - Rough and ready mechanic, a genius at repairing automotives or aircraft.
Grifter - Slick con man, gambler, and schmoozer.
Inventor - Brilliant, bumbling, two-fisted, or mad creator of gadgetry and super-science marvels.
Magician - Deft master of the astounding arts of the stage magician.
Martial Artist - Wide-eyed and enthusiastic young oriental, venerable old master, or westerner raised in an isolated eastern monastery.
Masked Avenger - Masked and caped vigilante, usually a wealthy dilettante in normal life, bringing justice and fear to the criminal underworld.
Mystic - Native or western master of the esoteric powers of the mind, learned amid the hidden monasteries of the Naer or Far East, or from ancient tomes of occult lore.
Native Guide - Semi-civilized member of a native tribe, a skilled scout, less prone to superstition and fear.
Native Shaman - Tribal healer, magician, and/or mystic, possibly possessed of strange powers.
Noble Savage - Proud, skilled, fearless and honorable tribal warrior, hunter, or guardian of That Which Should Not Be Found.
Preacher - The well-meaning priest, nun, or missionary.
Professor - The brilliant, bumbling, two-fisted, or mad scholar of such fields as archaeology, anthropology, or the occult.
Pugilist - Skilled boxer, wrestler, street fighter, or fairground fighter making his way through the world, both fists flying.
Reporter - Inquisitive or crusading journalist, photographer, or writer.
Sailor - Member of the Navy, retired or otherwise, or captain of own ship, such as steam-driven riverboat used for smuggling, or small merchant vessel.
Scientist - The brilliant, bumbling, two-fisted or mad scholar of such fields as chemistry, biology, and physics.
Scrappy Kid - Western or native kid with an overdeveloped sense of curiosity and courage, and an incredible amount of luck.
Soldier - Member of the armed forces, such as a retired officer, grizzled veteran, soldier of fortune, or courageous marine.
Spy - Astute and suave espionage agent, probably armed with a number of gadgets, and working in the national interests.
Wildman - A feral individual lost in the wilds, and raised by such animals as wolves, bears, or apes, or a member of a truly primitive society, such as a caveman.
Heroic Flaw
Every hero needs a flaw in her character, to create emotional tension and give her something to overcome. The stereotypical flaw is "Unable to resist a challenge", but "Sucker for a pretty (or handsome) face", "Unstoppably curious", and "An American (or English (wo)man) can overcome anything" are also common. Having a unique, individual flaw can help establish your character, but so can having a stereotypically heroic flaw.
Before going too far afield in your search for a uniquely individual flaw, keep in mind that a heroic flaw is part of the hero's personality; being diabetic or black or hunted by demon worshippers from Tibet can provide lots of opportunities to display your heroic nature by overcoming hardship, but none of them is a heroic flaw.
Concept
Before committing anything to paper, you should of course think about what kind of character you want to create, and the vital first step of this process is to find out what sort of characters are appropriate to the campaign.
The typical pulp hero is a male of Northern European extraction, and the attitudes of the pulp era are not favorable toward any other sort of character being both action-oriented and good. On the other hand, there were certainly plenty of real people who overcame or disregarded those attitudes, so there is no reason your character cannot do the same. Probably the best way to handle this is to have some unsympathetic NPCs make an issue of a hero's race, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or whatever, to show how despicable they are, but otherwise to not worry about it. This is not overwhelmingly realistic, but is probably more fun than strict realism.
Archetypes
Pulp heros, or at least their abilities, can almost universally be described in terms of a fairly small set of archetypes. Any particular hero will partake of the attributes of several archetypes, to a greater or lesser extent. The one archetype that best describes you is your primary archetype; the others are your secondary archetypes. Needless to say, you will be best at skills covered by your primary archetype.
You then need to select one archetype as your primary one, and one as your secondary. In theory, you could diversify your primary archetype rather than select a secondary archetypes, but this tends to produce characters with no outstanding strengths, who get relegated to background roles.
Stat & Skill Generation -
Use the following guidelines for creating your MSH Pulp character Normal Human Character Generation. Please 'right-click' and 'Save As' rather than viewing the document online. Those who have registered an interest will be e-mailed a Zip file containing quidelines on Quirks, Talents and running Psionically based individuals.
As a rule you will have very few powers (unless OK'd by the GM) and the highest die rolls should be allocated to obtaining Talents and Contacts above anything else. As a background bonus, depending upon your Archetype choice, you will automatically possess three talents directly related to your chosen 'class' as well as any additional Talents obtained during character generation.
Final decision on Powers, Talents, etc. remains with the GM.
Athlete - Famous football star, baseball player, basketball player, track athlete, or swimmer.
Big Game Hunter - Fearless huntsman always on the look out for the next big challenge, having already faced lions, tigers, bears, elephants, and rhinos.
Butler - Cultured, educated, and surprisingly skilled aide and chauffeur.
Cat Burglar - Daring and stylish Upper Class thief.
Child Prodigy - Child genius with skills in a single field of expertise that surpass those of most adult experts.
Detective - The hardboiled private thingy, police detective, consulting detective, or agency detective.
Dilettante - A member of the idle rich, such as an aristocratic playboy, member of royalty, in exile or otherwise, millionaire entrepreneur, or the offspring of same.
Doctor - Physician of skill, either working in the city, or as part of an expedition or aid effort with missionaries, or researching native remedies.
Entertainer - An individual such as a sultry torch singer, laid back jazz musician, famous movie star, or circus performer.
Everyman Hero - The feisty heroine or bewildered working class hero drawn from any mundane walk of life into unusual circumstances.
Explorer - Intrepid pioneer, unearthing the secrets of the unexplored regions of darkest Africa, the teeming jungles of South America, and the mysterious East.
Femme Fatale - Alluring but dangerous woman, fully prepared to use her seductive appeal to her advantage.
Flying Ace - The daredevil barnstormer, capable of astounding feats of flying skill, and probably the owner of own plane or flying boat.
Gangster - Hard-bitten member of the Mob.
G-Man - A dedicated and incorruptible agent of the FBI.
Grease Monkey - Rough and ready mechanic, a genius at repairing automotives or aircraft.
Grifter - Slick con man, gambler, and schmoozer.
Inventor - Brilliant, bumbling, two-fisted, or mad creator of gadgetry and super-science marvels.
Magician - Deft master of the astounding arts of the stage magician.
Martial Artist - Wide-eyed and enthusiastic young oriental, venerable old master, or westerner raised in an isolated eastern monastery.
Masked Avenger - Masked and caped vigilante, usually a wealthy dilettante in normal life, bringing justice and fear to the criminal underworld.
Mystic - Native or western master of the esoteric powers of the mind, learned amid the hidden monasteries of the Naer or Far East, or from ancient tomes of occult lore.
Native Guide - Semi-civilized member of a native tribe, a skilled scout, less prone to superstition and fear.
Native Shaman - Tribal healer, magician, and/or mystic, possibly possessed of strange powers.
Noble Savage - Proud, skilled, fearless and honorable tribal warrior, hunter, or guardian of That Which Should Not Be Found.
Preacher - The well-meaning priest, nun, or missionary.
Professor - The brilliant, bumbling, two-fisted, or mad scholar of such fields as archaeology, anthropology, or the occult.
Pugilist - Skilled boxer, wrestler, street fighter, or fairground fighter making his way through the world, both fists flying.
Reporter - Inquisitive or crusading journalist, photographer, or writer.
Sailor - Member of the Navy, retired or otherwise, or captain of own ship, such as steam-driven riverboat used for smuggling, or small merchant vessel.
Scientist - The brilliant, bumbling, two-fisted or mad scholar of such fields as chemistry, biology, and physics.
Scrappy Kid - Western or native kid with an overdeveloped sense of curiosity and courage, and an incredible amount of luck.
Soldier - Member of the armed forces, such as a retired officer, grizzled veteran, soldier of fortune, or courageous marine.
Spy - Astute and suave espionage agent, probably armed with a number of gadgets, and working in the national interests.
Wildman - A feral individual lost in the wilds, and raised by such animals as wolves, bears, or apes, or a member of a truly primitive society, such as a caveman.
Heroic Flaw
Every hero needs a flaw in her character, to create emotional tension and give her something to overcome. The stereotypical flaw is "Unable to resist a challenge", but "Sucker for a pretty (or handsome) face", "Unstoppably curious", and "An American (or English (wo)man) can overcome anything" are also common. Having a unique, individual flaw can help establish your character, but so can having a stereotypically heroic flaw.
Before going too far afield in your search for a uniquely individual flaw, keep in mind that a heroic flaw is part of the hero's personality; being diabetic or black or hunted by demon worshippers from Tibet can provide lots of opportunities to display your heroic nature by overcoming hardship, but none of them is a heroic flaw.