Pulp Krieg: Heroes - Stage Magician
$Revision: 1.8 $
Stage Magician template
This character concept has been influenced by the "fictional"
Houdini. Note that he was so famous that his fictional adventures
were used for short stories and movies even while he was still
alive.
Another strong influence comes from the short-lived
"The Magician" TV series starring Bill Bixby. In it a
modern-day stage magician helps works as a sort of free-lance
investigator and trouble-shooter investigating on various
crimes.
The main character used tricks, evasion, fast talk and his brain to
triumph over his enemies. Violence was usually reduced to a
modicum, and supernatural was not part of the story.
As usual, see below for modifications.
Tools of the Trade
Stage Magician "KIT"
| Item |
Notes |
| Gas Bombs |
Range 0/5 |
| Lockpicks |
Simple locks only |
| Micro-bolas |
Range: 2m max.
Difficulty 6+ |
OOO
|
Here is a "standard" toolkit for a combination Magician/Adventurer
character. The various items are listed below. I suggest requiring
a 1 pt. character expenditure before allowing the character to use
these items.
Spending the experience point grants the PC the ability to use this
stuff, the ability to hide it on his person (-3 to search rolls)
and some method to replace lost or spent items.
- Gas Bombs
- Small spheres containing a special chemical substance that, on
impact, produces a bright flash and releases a thick cloud of white
smoke immediately after.
It works as a sort of combination flash/smoke grenade, but without
the loud bang. Game effects are:
- To use one of these, either throw it where you want (using
Throwing skill and rules) or do a Moderate (4) Sleight-of-Hand roll
to drop one near your feet without alerting anyone in the
vicinity.
- Anyone looking in the general direction of the explosion will
have to roll a Difficult (6) Combat Sense or remain confused for
the rest of the round.
At the GM's discretion, the difficulty could be reduced if the
targets already know this trick.
- Immediately after the explosion, the secondary area of effect
will be obscured by the aforementioned smoke, imposing a -2 to any
ranged skill use. This smoke lasts only 1 round after the one in
which the explosion took place.
Please resist any attempt to abuse this. Be especially wary of
players asking to pack more than the stated 3 grenades, or asking
to mix tear-gas, acid or incendiary stuff in the original mix.
- Lockpicks
- An extremely inconspicuous set of small metal implements used
to pick simple key-based locks. They are usually little more than
pieces of metallic wire, usually hidden in belt buckles, hat bands
and shoe heels. They do not grant any bonus, but allow someone to
at least try to pick a lock using the Mechanical skill. Good for
house doors, manacles, but pretty ineffective against safe locks or
good quality padlocks.
- Micro Bolas
- A micro-version of bolas, where the "rope" is made of thin and
strong silk (dyed to a light gray for maximum invisibility) and a
small, lead-weighted hook. Used to "grab" small items up to 2
meters away. Use Throwing skill, but consider that difficulty
should never be less than Difficult (6), due to the fact that even
a good throw may not guarantee a good "catch" on the target.
Good for grabbing the keys of the cell you are in from the peg on
the wall while the sheriff is sleeping...
Stats:
| AGI: 1 |
APP: 0 |
BUI: 0 |
CRE: 1 |
FIT: 1 |
| INF: 2 |
KNO: 0 |
PER: 1 |
PSY: 1 |
WIL: 1 |
| STR: 0 |
HEA: 1 |
STA: 30 |
UD: 3 |
AD:3 |
| Skill levels |
| Skill | Level | Attr |
| Acrobatics | 1 | +1 |
| Athletics | 1 | +1 |
| Craft [Mechanical tricks] | 2 | +1 |
| Disguise | 1 | +1 |
| Dodge | 1 | +1 |
| Forgery | 1 | +1 |
|
| Skill | Level | Attr |
| Skill | Level | Attr |
| Gambling | 2 | +1 |
| Grooming | 1 | 0 |
| Human Perception | 2 | +1 |
| Mechanics | 1 | 0 |
| Notice | 2 | +1 |
|
| Skill | Level | Attr |
| Sleight of Hand | 2 | +1 |
| Stealth | 1 | +1 |
| Swimming | 1 | +1 |
| Theatrics | 2 | +2 |
| Throwing | 1 | +1 |
|
Cost: (Attribute 36)/(Skills 34)
Typical Equipment: Stage tricks. Stage costume (could be a
Tuxedo)
Typical Perks: Alter Ego, Ambidextrous, Contacts, Famous, Feign Death, Photographic
Memory.
Typical Flaws: Belief, Debt, Liar, Poor, Quirk.
Variations
A darker, more sinister version of the Stage Magician is possible,
give him a Circus background, some combat abilities and shadier
contacts and you may end up with
THE Cat.
Real magic will require specific rules, and the same goes for
Hypnotism, Ventriloquism and other stage feats.