Creating a Daredevils Character (part II)

Last week, we left Danny Sweet when he was considering a new career in 1925.  However, before proceeding, I should calculate Danny's Cash, Income and Material Benefits from prior careers.

He was an 'Athlete/Sportsman' for eight years.  So, for Cash, I roll 1d100 and add 8.  On the 'Reaction Table,' I obtain a value of -2.  This means Danny is in debt for $20.  For Income, the same process is applied (1d100 + years; check Reaction Table).  Again, I obtain a negative value; Danny does not receive a continuing Income from his years as a boxer and barnstormer.  As for 'Material Benefits,' there is a fixed 18% chance than Danny will receive 2d3 Attribute points.  This does not come to pass.  The military offers no continuing Income or Material Benefits, but Danny gets $60.

What to do now?  Well, I'm getting a Tales of the Gold Monkey vibe (I mean more so than usual).  Whether due to mounting debts, a failed romance, or simple wanderlust, I have Danny set out for the South Pacific.  The 'Explorer' career seems to be the best fit for what I have in mind.  There are no Requirements.  I roll an 8 in determining the length of this career term, so Danny is an Explorer for the rest of his pre-adventure career.  For Automatic Skills, Danny gets one Foreign Language and one Culture Skill.  So, Danny learns French after all.  As for Culture, I choose Polynesian.  For the seven remaining years of the career, I select from the Available Skills:  Navigation (this is Danny's second Navigation), Survival (twice), Rifle, and a score in Foreign Language – Tahitian.  Lastly, I choose 2d3 more points for Attributes.  For Cash, I roll 1d100 and consult the Reaction Table.  With a -4 result, Danny is $1,000 in debt (really only $960 considering the Cash from his other careers.  For Income, however, the rules states to roll 1d6, add the number of years, and multiply by $50.  With a roll of two, that's an Income of $500.  This is supposed to “represent dividends, royalties, business profits or whatever the player and Gamemaster agree on.”  With regard to Material Benefits, Danny has a 10% chance of obtaining a pistol; he doesn't get it.

Danny has accumulated 5d3 additional points to allocate among his Attributes.  Unfortunately, the scores for his Skills are calculated before his Attributes are improved.  (This is bogus, but the rules are clear on this point.)  The score for a Skill is determined by adding together a specific combination of Attributes and Talents.  In the Advanced Character Set-Up rules, whenever a Skill is 'taken' more than once, the “Governing Attribute” is added to the score.  (The “Governing Attribute” is the first Attribute listed in the Skill's calculation formula.)

Danny's Skills are as follows:

American Culture – an automatic Skill (Wit + Esthetic + Communicative) = 15
American History (Wit + Natural + Scientific) (×2 due to background) = 30
English (Wit + Communicative + Esthetic) (×2 due to background) = 30
Brawling (Strength + Deftness + Combative) (+ Strength) = 55
Pilot (Deftness + Wit + Mechanical) (+ Deftness ×3) = 71
Navigation (Wit + Natural + Scientific) (+ Wit) = 25
Pistol (Deftness + Wit + Combative) = 35
Mechanic (Deftness + Wit + Mechanical) = 26
Foreign Language – French (Wit + Communicative + Esthetic) = 15
Polynesian Culture (Wit + Esthetic + Communicative) = 15
Survival (Health + Wit + Natural) (+ Health) = 44
Rifle (Deftness + Wit + Combative) = 35
Foreign Language – Tahitian (Wit + Communicative + Esthetic) = 15

I roll 5d3 for Danny's additional Attribute points and obtain 10 points.  I put five into Will, three into Wit, and two into Speed. The final ratings are:

Wit = 13 (AST = 6; CST = 4)
Will = 15 (AST = 7; CST = 5)
Strength = 15 (AST = 7; CST = 5)
Deftness = 15 (AST = 7; CST = 5)
Speed = 12 (AST = 6; CST = 4)
Health = 15 (AST = 7; CST = 5)

AST means 'Attribute Saving Throw' and CST means 'Critical Saving Throw.'  For a Saving Throw to be successful, the indicated number or less must be rolled on a d20.

Danny's Combat Dodge Ability (CDA) is 2.5.  CDA equals half of the sum of a character's Deftness Group Number (3) and his Speed Group Number (2).

Danny's Damage Resistance Total (DRT) is 29.  DRT equals a character's Health plus half of Strength and half of Will.

Lastly, Danny's Encumbrance Capacity (ENC CAP) is 12 kg.  ENC CAP equals 7 plus a character's Strength AST.  The rules say that 'Lifting Capacity' is ENC CAP × 4.  This is certainly an error because 'Fully Encumbered' is also ENC CAP × 4, but the penalties are less severe.  My guess is that 'Lifting Capacity' should be ENC CAP × 8.

Other than “Acquire any gear or equipment that is desired and available,” only three steps remain in 'Advanced Character Set-Up.'  First:

Integrate this information into a plausable [sic] extrapolation of the character's current situation, financial status, standing in the community, etc.  Work out his basic personality if you have not already done so.

The last two steps are “Inform the Gamemaster that you are ready to play” and “Role play your character.”  How many games have been delayed or forsaken because the Gamemaster didn't realize a character was ready to play?  Is this really necessary?  On the other hand, the instruction to “Role play your character” would be useful to certain players if only taken to heart.

Curiously, the 'Advanced Character Set-Up' has one less step than regular 'Character Set-Up.'