Hello again, and welcome to the next episode of this Let's Read. Today we'll be covering the topic of Character Conception, as well as learning what the basic character is like in a Champions game. Sounds like fun? Well, too bad; we're doing it anyway.
Since Champions is a point-buy system with no random element in character creation, Character Conception is vital to making a workable character. There are three suggested starting points for a character concept: Abilities, Name, and Costume. All three are briefly described as follows: For Abilities, the player may have an idea of what kinds of powers and skills he wants the character to have, like super-strength or powerful energy bolts. If your starting point is a Name, then that name might suggest certain powers and abilities (two examples are given: Ogre, with super-strength, and Starburst, who uses energy blasts). Finally, the Costume outline on the character sheet can be inspiring for artistically-minded players, who might doodle out a costume that suggests something about the character, such as a shield or gun.
The best character concepts are the ones in which the character's powers, skills, characteristics, limitations, and disadvantages all fit together in a logical way to give a well-rounded character. But there are other factors that need to be considered when putting together a 'well-rounded' character.
For example, how will your character get from place to place? Can you fly? Run fast? Teleport? Catch a cab? That last one would be rather embarrassing, wouldn't it? Make sure your character has a way to get around that fits the concept. Maybe you've got boot-jets on your powered armor. Maybe you have wings. There are plenty of options for movement in the game, so make sure you have that covered.
Next, you need to have a way to actually stop a villain. Few of them will surrender just because a super-hero shows up. So, offensive capability needs to be considered. There are lots of options for attack powers in the game: Energy blasts, killing attacks, mental attacks, punching, martial arts, etc. A superhero who can't fight is just a clown in a costume.
Defense is also important; as the text puts it, it's embarrassing to show up to the scene, blast the villain with a 20-dice attack, then get taken out by a child throwing a small rock. Again, there are many options for defense, such as a high DCV, high defenses, force fields, etc.
The final consideration is Flavor. I like that this is here; it's an important part of superhero gaming and comics in general. How does your character stand out in the crowd? Do you have a secret power that you bust out in emergencies? Do you have a special advantage on your energy blast that sets it apart from everyone else's? How about the special effect of your power? What does it look like? An energy blast that shoots off harmless sparks as a side effect is cool, and makes you look different.
I lied; there's one more consideration: Your character's Origin. There are some suggestions here that cover the main archetypes (alien, exposed to radiation of some sort, training, gadgetry, magic, etc.). It also suggests the possibility of tying in the origin with a supervillain, thus giving them a reason to Hunt you, or during some sort of accident that caused psychological trauma. Origins can be useful not only to define the character, but also give the GM ideas for scenarios involving the character's past. Every loves a good origin story, after all.
What about a character's secret identity? Does he even have one? Most heroes do, but not all; the Fantastic Four are an example of a team without Secret Identities. How does the character's secret (or public) identity affect them when they aren't in costume? What does your character do in his off-time? More things to consider to make a character as well-rounded as possible, and to help the GM fit them into the setting of the game.
So, this is a very useful section, especially for players who are new to the genre. Mobility, offense and defense need to be paramount in a player's mind to make his character useful in the game; you don't want to end up playing a character who is basically a supporting cast member. So, there's lots to consider for players when building a character. Think it over.
Alright, to finish off the page we will now be introduced to the Basic Character. This is simply the baseline characteristics for each and every character. All the primary characteristics (of which there are eight) have a base value of 10. Each characteristic has a point cost from 1 pt. for Strength to 3 points for Dexterity. To increase a primary characteristic, just pay the cost in power points to get the number you want. The eight characteristics are Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Body Pips, Intelligence, Ego, Presence, and Comeliness. Note that this is four years before D&D introduced Comeliness as a stat in Unearthed Arcana in 1985. And in Champions, Comeliness only costs half a point per pip, so to get a Comeliness of 20 would cost 5 points.
Next are the figured characteristics. These are based on the primary characteristics, so they are initially set based on the values of certain primary characteristics. They are Physical Defense, Energy Defense, Speed, Recovery, Endurance Pips, and Stun Pips. PD, ED and SPD in the basic character all start at a value of 2; REC starts at 4, END and STUN start at 20. Again, they are modified based on the different primary characteristics, and can be further added with the expenditure of Power Points. Endurance, like Comeliness, costs 1/2 a point to improve by one Pip. Speed costs 10 points per Pip. Speed is expensive in this game.
So, we don't yet know how the figured characteristics are derived from the primary ones, but that will be on the next page. And we will get to that as soon as possible. Until then, stay hydrated and enjoy your day.
If you're interested in another project that I'm working on, I've got an in-depth retrospective look at 3rd edition, which was originally released exactly 25 years ago on August 10th, 2000. You can look at what I'm doing at 25 Years Ago... and follow along as I take a look at a game I never got into until years later.
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