The Ensemble - Character Creation

[SunlessNick]

I'm using the 7th Edition for the game, apart from some house rules below. It's up to you whether your Investigators start out acquainted or strangers (the first scenario begins at a rent party where you can meet, or which you can go to together). Feel free to nominate loved ones and contacts to your heart's content.


There are a couple of new skills. Administration covers the searching of bureaucratic records, passing yourself off as a member of an organisation, or competently running an organisation. Field (specialisation) is for humanities skills such as History that aren't covered on the regular character sheet, such as Bibliography or Theology.
Own Language is getting dropped – you don't need to roll for it.
This means that some Occupations have their lineups altered a bit – let me know what you want to play, and I'll let you know if that applies.

You can choose any of the occupations from the Keeper's Rulebook, Investigator's Handbook, or Harlem Unbound.

Each occupation comes with a range of Credit Rating values. You get the lower end of this range free as a base value. However, interacting with white society will carry a penalty.

The Harlem Lore skill starts at an average of INT and APP.

Choose one of your characteristics that best encapsulates your character's nature and make a note of it (if you have Pulp Cthulhu, you can use the archetypes as a guide). Instead of INT x2 for your personal interest skill points, use INT + this characteristic.

The optional skill packages are all available, except for Mythos Experience. However you can have Occult Experience instead. Choose a starting age of 30 or over. Deduct D10+5 SAN. Choose a phobia or a mania. And divide 70 skill points between Anthropology, Appraise, Fast Talk, Field (Theology), History, Library Use, Occult, Other Language, and Science (Cryptography).

Last, and not about character creation, I'm not using pushed rolls – since an action may average a day, depending on how often people can post, I don't want to double that. In return, I'm not using fumbles either, so even an 00 roll will just be a failure.

[HoneyDog]

I’m thinking of a high school teacher, maybe maths or chemistry.

[SunlessNick]

That sounds perfect!

[Mr. Handy]

I didn't have time to create my character this weekend, as on Saturday morning I didn't get enough sleep to think straight, and I was too busy today. I should have time Wednesday or Thursday, however.

I'm thinking of playing a jazz singer.

[SunlessNick]

A jazz singer is great.

[HoneyDog]

What's the starting score for the Administration skill?

[SunlessNick]

What's the starting score for the Administration skill?

10%.

[HoneyDog]

Here's my character. I'll update him with a bit more detail later, but I think I have the basics.

Ellis Lammons

Ellis.jpg (5.17 KiB) Viewed 675 times

Age: 27
Sex: Male
Occupation: Math Teacher, Mott Hall High School, West Harlem.
Birthplace: Little Rock, Arkansas

STR 50
CON 70
SIZ 50
DEX 40
APP 60
INT 80
POW 50
EDU 60

Sanity: 50
Current Sanity: 50
Phobias/Mental Disorders: None
Luck: 40
Current Luck: 40

Hit Points: 12
Current Hit Points: 12
Magic Points: 8
Current Magic Points: 8
Move:
Damage Bonus: 0
Build: 0

Appearance & Personality:

Born in Arkansas, Ellis moved with his parents to New York as a young child. They saved and earned enough money to send him to Bowie State University where he studied Mathematics. Returning to Harlem, he became a high school teacher, with ambitions to enter post-graduate study and teach at the university level. Ellis has lived in Harlem nearly his whole life and knows the area and its inhabitants well. He is a relatively clean-cut young man, who takes his studies and work seriously, and sings in the church choir on Sundays. He has always preferred to stay out of trouble, but will not hesitate to stand up for himself and his friends if necessary. He was an excellent students and a quick learner with a keen, rational mind; qualities which he works hard to engender in his students.



Skills: (professional ones in italics, .private preceded by a dot)

Accounting (05%):
Administration (10%):
Animal Handling (10%):
Anthropology (01%):
Appraise (05%):
Archaeology (01%):
Art/Craft (05%):
Bargain (05%): 40 50
Charm (15%): 50 60
.Climb (20%): 40
Credit Rating (00%): 40
Cthulhu Mythos (00%): 2
Demolitions (01%):
Disguise (05%):
.Dodge: (25%): 45
.Drive Automobile (20%): 40
Electrical Repair (10%):
Fast Talk (05%): 40
.Fighting (Brawl) (25%): 45
Firearms (Handgun) (20%):
Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) (25%):
First Aid (30%):
Geology (01%):
Harlem Lore: 10
Hide (10%):
History (05%):
Hypnosis (01%):
Intimidate (15%):
Jump (20%): 50
Language (English)
Law (05%):
Library Use (20%): 60
Listen (20%):
Literature History:
Locksmith (01%):
Mechanical Repair (10%):
Medicine (01%):
Natural World (10%):
Navigate (10%):
Occult (10%):
Operate Heavy Machine (01%):
Persuade (10%): 50
Pilot (01%):
Psychoanalysis (01%):
Psychology (10%):
Read Lips (01%):
Ride (05%):
Science (01%):
Mathematics 80
Physics 60
Biology 50

Sleight of Hand (10%):
Spot Hidden (25%):
Stealth (20%)
Survival (10%):
Swim (20%):
Throw (20%):
Track (10%):

Equipment:

Notebook
Pencils

[SunlessNick]

Great character!

[Mr. Handy]

STR:
0
CON:
1
DEX:
2
APP:
3
POW:
4
SIZ:
5
INT:
6
EDU:
7
Luck:
8
Some of those are awful rolls. Am I allowed to reroll the whole set and try again? Am I allowed to swap stats around?

[HoneyDog]

You don't have to roll for 7th edition, only for Luck. Just assign the scores.

[SunlessNick]

Rerolling or assigning is fine.

[Mr. Handy]

Thank you. Let's try that again:
STR:
0
CON:
1
DEX:
2
APP:
3
POW:
4
SIZ:
5
INT:
6
EDU:
7
Luck:
8
That's much better!

EDU (85) improvement check:
9

Name: Jacqueline Johnson
Player: Mr. Handy
Age: 23
Sex: Female
Occupation: Entertainer (Jazz Singer)
College, Degrees: none
Birthplace: New York, New York, USA



Characteristics:
STR 40
CON 45
SIZ 65
DEX 65
APP 85
INT 60
POW 65
EDU 85

Sanity: 65
Current Sanity: 65
Phobias/Mental Disorders: None
Luck: 55
Current Luck: 55

Hit Points: 11
Current Hit Points: 11
Magic Points: 13
Current Magic Points: 13
Move: 8
Damage Bonus: 0
Build: 0

Appearance & Personality: Jacqueline Johnson, also known as Jackie or JJ to her friends, is a beautiful and highly talented jazz singer and dancer. She is tall and slim, with smooth cafe au lait skin, short black hair and long legs. She is very outgoing and enjoys meeting new people and making friends. She also has a strong sense of justice, and it grates on her to see the way her people are treated sometimes, but she is skilled enough at hiding her true feelings toward their oppressors.

Background: Jacqueline was born and raised in Harlem, and she is very familiar with it. She has always had a gift for singing and dancing, starting with her church's choir. She has always liked ragtime, her favorite musician being Scott Joplin. When jazz came on the scene, it was an instant fit for her. She makes a living by performing at various nightclubs, though she is still early in her career and is not very famous yet. Her parents are proud of what she has accomplished, and while her grandmother calls jazz "devil music," she still loves Jackie.

Skills: (professional ones in italics, .private preceded by a dot; non-base scores bolded)

Accounting (05%):
Administration (10%):
Animal Handling (10%):
Anthropology (01%):
Appraise (05%):
Archaeology (01%):
Art/Craft(Dancing) (05%): 55%
Art/Craft(Singing) (05%): 65%
Charm (15%): 65%
Climb (20%):
Credit Rating (09%): 25%
Cthulhu Mythos (00%):
Demolitions (01%):
Disguise (05%): 55%
Dodge (1/2 DEX): 32%
Drive Auto (20%):
Electrical Repair (10%):
Fast Talk (05%):
Field (01%):
Fighting (Brawl) (25%):
.Firearms (Handgun) (20%): 55%
Firearms (Rifle/Shotgun) (25%):
.First Aid (30%): 55%
Geology (01%):
Harlem Lore ((INT + APP) / 2): 72%
Hide (10%):
History (05%):
Hypnosis (01%):
Intimidate (15%):
Jump (20%):
Language (French) (01%): 20%
Law (05%):
Library Use (20%):
Listen (20%): 55%
Locksmith (01%):
Mechanical Repair (10%):
Medicine (01%):
Natural World (10%):
Navigate (10%):
Occult (10%):
Operate Heavy Machine (01%):
Persuade (10%): 25%
Pilot (01%):
Psychoanalysis (01%):
Psychology (10%): 55%
Read Lips (01%):
Ride (05%):
Science (01%):
Sleight of Hand (10%):
.Spot Hidden (25%): 55%
.Stealth (20%): 55%
Survival (10%):
.Swim (20%): 40%
Throw (20%):
Track (10%):

Equipment:
.38 revolver

[SunlessNick]

Fantastic! First scenario starts tomorrow .