Character Creation: Demon Hunters: A Comedy of Terrors

Some time ago, I made a character for the first version of this game and noted that it was weird that I didn't plump for the printed version of the reboot when I backed the Kickstarter. Anyway, that's still the case, but here's a character for the new version anyway.

The Game: Demon Hunters: A Comedy of Terrors
The Publisher: Dead Gentlemen
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one

So, I thought that this new version was a Fate game, but it really isn't. It's a weird Fate/Cortex hybrid, and it looks playable enough, but I'm a little confused as to why if you're converting a game and not adding much to the setting (that I can see, though I freely admit I haven't done a deep dive) you wouldn't just go full Fate Core and call it a day. 

But whatever. The book is fun to read, and it feels like there's a more over-the-top vibe this time? Like, the example of character is Ned, a totally normal guy who died during basic Brotherhood training and was returned to life as a zombie who can swap out body parts. 

Anyway, I actually have something of a concept. I saw this in the game timeline:

This gets me thinking about "Fun on a Bun," one of my favorite episodes of Futurama, and things getting frozen in glaciers and so on. So I want to make an un-frozen Neanderthal, someone who didn't quite make it to the Hollow Earth with the rest of his people. I want to say that he's very much assimilated into modern culture, though - he never really fit in with his own people, and so he's gotten some cosmetic surgery to look a little more modern, wears designer clothes, and fully embraces a modern aesthetic. (Yes, Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer might be playing a role here, too.) 

So the first thing I need is a Concept Aspect (this game borrowed Aspects from Fate, but not Fate points; instead we have faith dice). His Concept Aspect is Unfrozen Cave-Man About Town. Next up I need a Trouble Aspect. What's gonna cause my Neanderthal consistent problems? I don't want to do a "fish out of water" thing - he's very comfortable in his new life. If anything, something from his Neanderthal nature should get in his way. Let's say that sometimes his instincts betray him and he gets violent, loud, or just a little too ape-like. It's all terribly embarrassing, but he's just A Little Less Evolved. 

There are three more Aspects, but they connect to disciplines, which I haven't picked yet (ugh). Let's move on. 

Six Approaches! Like, from Fate Accelerated. Cool. Except that instead of using the Fate ladder, we're using different die types like this is Cortex. I get one d10, two d8s, two d6s, and one d4. 

OK, well, Careful gets the d4, obviously. Flashy gets the d10. Forceful and Quick get the d8s, Clever and Sneaky get the d6s. That was easy. 

Disciplines! These are kinda like skills, I guess. We've got five of them: Combat & Tactics, Covert Ops, Mystic Arts, Research & Development, and Social Engineering. I get one at d10, one at d8, and one at d6. However, I can also choose to omit one entirely and take a "Fringe" discipline, which is what I would use if I wanted to be a vampire or something. So the question is, does "unfrozen caveman" rise to the level of Fringe? 

I kinda don't think it does, actually? There's a character who's literally an unkillable engine of death and he's not Fringe. I think my caveman's special abilities can be simulated easily enough with stunts. So with that in mind, let's put the d10 into Combat & Tactics. It's not that he's super-trained in weapons, but he's a born hunter and he's hella strong by modern standards. I'll put the d8 into Social Engineering and the d6 into Research & Development, because those are what he's made a point to study. The other two get d4s.

Right, stunts and discipline Aspects. Let's go back and do the Aspects first. For the combat one, I'll say he's a Born Hunter & Warrior. For Social Engineering, I want to showcase all of the work that he's put into assimilating and learning the culture. You'd Barely Know He's a Neanderthal is damning with faint praise enough to be an Aspect, I think? Finally, I need an Aspect for R&D. Passionate Tool-User, I think, keeps with my ape-like theme.

Stunts! I get three for free, and then I can take more if I wish to spend Refresh devotion. I want one (maybe two) reflecting my super-caveman-strength. Let's say he gets a +2 to Forcefully attack when he screams a war cry and rips open his shirt. Likewise, his senses are keen (even after the surgery) so he gets a +2 to Cleverly Create an Advantage by sniffing or tasting something in the environment. 

And then I want something a little more modern, so I'll make a stunt called Sharp-Dressed Man. Once per session he can bypass a human obstacle by bribing or charming it. 

That's it, really (if I were playing this with a group we'd create a Chapter, but y'know). My caveman's original name is pretty much impossible to pronounce for a modern human, so he doesn't really use it anymore. He searched for a long time for a name that would encapsulate his desire to become part of the modern world and leave his big-browed past behind, and finally hit on Chester Asimov Darwin. He goes by "Chuck". He's pretty short, but stocky and muscular. He has thick, luxurious black hair, a handsome face with fierce green eyes, and if he's not paying attention, sometimes he still hunches over a little. 

And that's it!

Character Creation: Demon Hunters RPG

It's Monday! Let's do a character!

The Game: Demon Hunters RPG
The Publisher: Dead Gentlemen
Degree of Familiarity: None
Books Required: Just the one

So, there was a Kickstarter for a new version of this game, and for whatever reason I didn't back for the physical version like I usually do, but I must have picked up a hard copy of the original game at some point. The original version works on a system that is or is very much like Cortex, while the new one is Fate. Today's the original version; I'll do the Fate version in like a year or something, if you want to mark your calendars.

Demon Hunters' setting is pretty standard "shadowy organization hunts down monsters in modern day", but the tone is comedic or dark comedy. The book is fun to read, the game itself is treated as an in-universe artifact (Tabletop Combat Simulations), which is cute and all. You can play monsters who are working for the Brotherhood (oh, that's the Brotherhood of the Celestial Torch, the PC organization - it's definitely got some religious overtones, including that the reward for people who sign up is salvation, no questions asked, which has some interesting roleplaying possibilities). 

I asked my friends for a theme song, and Megan gave this: 

Which is actually goddamn perfect. 

OK, so first I need a game level - Recruit, Veteran, or Seasoned Veteran. I think I'll keep it simple and go Recruit. That gives me 42 Attribute Points, 62 Skill Points, and no Trait Points. 

A concept, they say, is next. Well, falling back on the song, and the fast aggressive nature of the music and lyrics, I think I want to play a character who's very into the leather subculture. I think he was in a punk band when he was young (he's maybe in his late 40s now), and he actually learned that supernatural shit was real back then, but he spent his 20s doing a lot of drugs and his 30s wondering what the hell happened during his 20s. It wasn't until he was involved in a big brouhaha involving a pack of werewolves, a motorcycle gang, a team of Brotherhood folks, and a flamethrower that he realized that all the shit he saw while he was playing drums in Fistula was real. 

His name is Jasper Flood (it's a stage name, but he had it legally changed - at least he thinks he did). He's in pretty good shape considering everything he put his body through. He's been working as a thrower at the local airport for years now, and, like, it sucks, but there are worse jobs. He's very into the local leather scene and is presented without a partner - he and Bryan split up just before the unpleasantness with the werewolves, and Jasper is secretly glad. 

OK, solid start. Attributes! I've got 42 points to throw around and six Attributes to worry about. I figure the physical ones are going to be Jasper's forte. I'll put Alertness at d4 (he's lost some hearing from his years in the music scene) and a d6 in Intelligence (he's not stupid, but he's not especially smart, either). 

32 points left. I'll put a d10 into Strength. Jasper lifts heavy things for a living and he weight trains, too. I'll stick a d8 in Vitality and Willpower, and that leaves me a d6 in Agility, which is fine. 

Traits! These are Asset & Complications, so I don't really see what the word "Traits" brings to the party, but whatever, I'm not a game designer. I don't get any Assets to start, so I want to take Complications. Let's see what's appropriate for ol' Jasper. I can take a max of 30 points in Complications, but that sounds like a lot. 

I kinda like Amorous, but I do worry that's a bit cliche. Eh, we'll chalk it up to Jasper being recently back on the market and just put it at d4. Oh, Dull Sense, I think that's good. I'll take hearing and call it d2. Rebellious, good for a former punk. Oh, So Damn Macho, yes please. I'll take that at d8. And I'll take Wise Ass, just for good measure. That gives me 22 points of Assets. Nice! 

Well, I want Allure, but just at d4. Jasper is attractive within the right scene. I'll take Athlete (it represents stamina and Jasper's got that) at d6. 12 points left. Ooh, I'll take Focused Hunter and focus it on lycanthropes. It's not so much that Jasper has studied them extensively, but that he saw shit when he was younger and sometimes it just comes back to him. A d6 should do it, so 6 points left. Friends in Strange Places is too good to pass up, but I don't know what level. Let's see if anything else jumps out. Oh, I do like Stubborn SOB, so I'll take that at d2 and Friends at d4, and that's that!

Skills! I get 62 Skill points, and they work like most other Cortex games (older ones, at least). I pay for the base general skill up to d6, and then I can pay for Specialties on top of that. So if I want Pistol d10, I buy Guns d6 and then spend four more points for a total of 10. Easy-peasy. 

So, obviously I want Athletics, Craft, Performance, and Influence, so those can all go to d6 (24 points spent, 38 remaining). I want to specialize Performance in Drums, so I'll pump 4 more points there and bump it to d10. I also want some rating in Discipline, Drive, Guns, Unarmed Combat, and Mechanic. Putting them all a d6 would cost 30 points, leaving me at only 4, and I don't think I want that. I'll put Discipline and Mechanic at d4 and the other three at d6, which leaves me 8 points. That's better. Wait, no, Drive can be d4, too. 10 points remaining. 

I want Leatherworking d8, so 2 more into Craft. 2 into Unarmed for a Brawling Specialty (6 left). 2 into Influence for an Intimidation Specialty and then 2 more for a Conversation Specialty (the best sex starts with conversation). Two points remaining. I'll put them into Athletics for Weight Lifting.

Derived Traits, and the equations are right there on the sheet, thanks very much. I'm not gonna bother buying gear because I hate shopping. The front of the sheet also lists "tattoo location," but if that's a specific Brotherhood tattoo, I sure can't find any mention of it in the book. So I'm just gonna say "numerous" and call it a day.

Jasper is just shy of six feet tall and he's meaty - he's a large dude, but it's mostly muscle. He almost always wears a leather jacket when out and about, but he doesn't plump for vests or pants unless it's the right occasion (that shit is expensive). He's got piercing blue eyes and close-cut black hair (greying a bit). I actually picture him as a somewhere more muscular, dirtier Paul Hollywood. 

That'll do it!