Harrison Inquiries of London

[gwb83]

In anticipation of playing Victorious in the months ahead, I am creating some "pre-gen" characters. These characters are tied together under the organization of Harrison Inquiries. The proprietor of this unusual business is an unusual woman, who is also a potential PC. I created her at 1st level here, but if she turns out to be an NPC then I will add a few levels to make her more of a mentor/boss.

DARCIE JANE "DJ" HARRISON 1st Level Inquiry Agent
AC 11 [normal clothing, +1 DEX]
HP 18

STR 9
DEX 13 +1 (Prime)
CON 9
INT 16 +2 (Prime)
WIS 19 +3 (Prime)
CHA 13 +1 (Prime)

Powers :
Keen Senses [Hearing +3, Sight +2]

Skills:
Profession I: Investigator (WIS)
Etiquette I (CHA)
Firearms I (DEX)
Prime III (INT, DEX, CHA)
Attribute II (+2 WIS, +3 INT, +3 DEX, +2 CHA)

Shortcoming:
Enemy - The Orchestra. One of DJ's investigations inadvertantly exposed one of their operations in London. They have her pegged as an enemy spy.

Equipment:
Derringer (Pistol) 1d4, 2 shots
Handbag, Private Eye badge, detective badge (fake), investigation kit (magnification glasses with multiple lenses, forceps, gloves, vials)

Description: DJ is a spindly blonde, taller-than-average English woman. Her street attire is respectable upper middle class, usually including her trademark low-profile felt English topper with various headbands and adornments. A subset of independent-minded London women aspire to be like her, but many others despise her. Of course, most men in the profession loathe her as well and Scotland Yard dismisses her efforts as a joke - for now. She has quickly become sharp-witted and feisty.

[DMMike]

Looks good so far! Ah yes, the infamous Orchestra....full of duplicitous foreigners! I assume "Perception" is a house rule skill? +3 for 1st rank?

Michael, watching the halls for those pestiferous Belgians!

[gwb83]

Looks good so far! Ah yes, the infamous Orchestra....full of duplicitous foreigners! I assume "Perception" is a house rule skill? +3 for 1st rank

Thanks for checking-in Mike! Actually, I got the Perception skill from the Inquiry Agent class on page 26. But now that you mentioned it, I looked back at the core skill list and it's not there. So I changed it to Profession instead. I hope to post more of these PC "starter kits" as I get deeper into the game. Victorious is definitely on my short list of games I want to run in the year ahead. We shall see what my players are interested in...

[DMMike]

Or you could use Knack to cover it with the limit that it covers perception-style checks only. Just a thought!

Mike

[gwb83]

Knack, of course! Good idea. Thanks for the tip. With her keen senses, I may leave her as is for now, because the Profession skill accounts for the ins-and-outs of her business. Next up, I plan to do a Vigilante archetype.

[Lurker]

I am no expert so may be off base on this, but couldn't :

Of course, most men in the profession loathe her as well and Scotland Yard dismisses her efforts as a joke

be a shortcoming?

Admittedly, it would be a minor one, but still it would have an impact on 'role playing' and the effect on average NPCs she will have to deal with.

Of course, the DM would have to run it as such to justify it as a short coming. If not then it is just a bit of flavor narrative (which is good too)

[DMMike]

Excellent point, Lurker. Generally its safe to say that any minority (women, African-Americans, Indians, etc.) should give themselves the "Notorious" shortcoming because they will be viewed poorly by the society at large; even if individuals come to recognize their worth and expertise.


Mike, looking forward to the rest of the firm!

[gwb83]

Hey Lurker, that's a good point! Based on Mike's reply, I'll have to add the Notorious shortcoming to DJ as well. Then I can broaden her skills a bit further.

[gwb83]

Here's a possible vigilante for the firm.

DOLOMEDES aka Oliver Prescott 1st Level Vigilante
AC 20 [body suit +8, +2 DEX]
HP 22

STR 10
DEX 17 +2 (Prime)
CON 11
INT 9
WIS 14 +1
CHA 9

Powers :
High Tensile Filament Mesh Body Suit [Armor I]
Prosthetic Left Hand [Gadget Package II: Super-Movement II -Swinging, Entrap I - Bolos, Might I, 1d6 melee]

Skills:
Martial Arts [DEX, BTH +3, +2 damage]
Roguery [DEX]
Target [WIS]

Shortcomings:
Handicap - Birth defective left hand has only 2 fingers and a thumb on shortened forearm.
Secret Identity

Equipment:
Caped overcoat, mesh body suit (above) including full cowl, one glove, spyglass, lockpick set.

Description: Prescott learned just how cruel the world could be at an early age. Life was not easy for the deformed child. He spent many dreadful days surrounded by bullies. This planted the seed for vengeance. Some of those bad boys of his youth went on to become bad men and now he relishes finding them on dark streets. He took the name dolomedes from a species of fishing spider that inspired his predatory style. His cowl features six false eye lenses along with two real ones giving him an eery spider-like visage.

[Lurker]

Excellent point, Lurker. Generally its safe to say that any minority (women, African-Americans, Indians, etc.) should give themselves the "Notorious" shortcoming because they will be viewed poorly by the society at large; even if individuals come to recognize their worth and expertise.


Mike, looking forward to the rest of the firm!

Glad I got something right (still suffering from frustration from last week's work)

I would have never thought of it unless it was narrated that way. However, once you point out any minority would have that short coming it makes sense.

I wonder, could it automatically be extended to other not so obvious 'minorities' ... An American frontiersman -in civilized America & England - An Englishman born abroad - even the son of an aristocrat because he wouldn't know the invisible social clues he would be expected to - Hmmmm my brain is finally kicking off the cob webs and the creative imaginative juices are flowing ....

[DMMike]

Well yes, depending on the GM's chronicle and how alternative the world is from our history. You would be correct though in those English born outside the isles being considered "poor Cousins"; better than Americans but still not quite up to London society. Anyone who made their careers in india (esp. military) were viewed as not quite as good either.

Curiously enough, Americans (esp. frontiersmen) were given a pass in European society...figuring they were from a rough life and so didn't know any better. The novelty of a "rough and ready" cowboy or cowgirl (Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley) overcomes most social faux pas.

Annie Oakley was performing around the turn of the century with Buffalo Bill's Wild West show, and in Germany she asked for a volunteer to hold a cigar in his mouth while she shot it away. To her consternation, Kaiser Wilhelm II volunteered and held the cigar in his teeth while Annie (having drunk 2 whiskeys before the show) swallowed her nervousness made the shot.

After World War I broke out, she sent a telegram to Kaiser Wilhelm offering to do the shot again. he never replied.

Mike

[gwb83]

GWENDOLEN, Daughter of Albion, 1st Level Strongarm
AC 14 [Reinforced leather outfit, +1 DEX]
HP 42

STR 21 +4 (Prime, 1500 lbs)
DEX 13 +1
CON 21 +4 (Prime)
INT 12
WIS 13 +1
CHA 8 -1 [-6 w. Notorious]

Powers :
Attribute II [+5 Str, +5 Con]
Might I [hand damage 1d6+4]
Invulnerability I [+3 DR temporal]

Skills:
Prime I (CON)
Melee I (STR)
Thespian (WIS)

Shortcomings:
Notorious (A big, tough woman?)
Odd Appearance (unusually tall and thick-boned)
Fame (former stage "freak show" performer)

Equipment: Thick red leather pants and vest, matching gloves and heavy knee-high boots.

Description: At 6-4, 230 lbs, she is a giant, athletic red-head. Gwendolen's persona is based on the legendary queen who usurped the throne from her husband. Gwendolen was 12 years old when she went into a cave on a dare. According to local legend, the bones of a titan were excavated from the site over a hundred years prior. Tales say the thick human skeleton measured 8 feet in length. The poor nervous girl slipped on the wet flowstone and fell into a pool of icy water. She bolted from the water and clawed up the bare stone in an inexplicable rush of adrenaline. The incident seemed laughable until young Gwen outgrew and outperformed all the boys in her school within a couple years...

[gwb83]

BRINLEY ETHERIDGE 1st Level Magician
AC 12 [+1 DEX, long overcoat]
HP 14

STR 8 -1
DEX 14 +1
CON 7 -1
INT 15 +1 (Prime)
WIS 15 +1
CHA 15 +1

Powers :
Magick IV [package; -2 cost in liabilities]
>Psycho-paralysis [Entrap II, -3 INT save. Liability: Psychic loop. If the target makes the save, then the caster must also make a save or be entrapped himself per the power description.]

>Dimension Walking [Etherealness I, Liability: Cannot pass through igneous stone, but other common construction, i.e. wood, metal are OK]

>Invisible Shield [Force Screen I, +5 AC self, +2 AC for two.]

>Psycho-Kinesis II [effective STR 15 at line of sight range]

Skills:
Profession II: Steam-powered machinery (INT)
Occult II (INT)

Shortcomings:
Handicap: Shortness of breath/low stamina.

Equipment: Long overcoat, book of arcana

Description: Brinley is a retired factory worker. Coal dust and harsh working conditions have taken their toll and he couldn't go on. At the age of 59, he gave up his supervisor's position and dedicated his days to pursuing his lifelong fascination with the arcane. His interest dated back to the wild imaginings of his childhood. Later it was stoked by an encounter Heinrich Basch, who seemed to sense something peculiar about Brinley and hinted at some magick truths for his consideration.
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This character may need some tweaking. I applied a couple of specific liabilities above, but reduced the cost of the overall package. So essential he has 6 power slots for the price of four. Obviously, if he dropped either of the liability powers, then new liabilities would have to be applied to whatever power replaced it. I also thought about applying one liability to the whole package, but that didn't fit my concept as well. What do you think?

[DMMike]

Looking good so far, though the above Magician is a bit fragile. But then again, that's kinda the point isn't it?

I do like the woman Strongarm...and good in noting the circus/sideshow origin. I'm in the middle of writing an article that covers the Victorian "Dime Museums" of the USA; of which PT Barnum's was the most famous.

Mike

[gwb83]

Looking good so far, though the above Magician is a bit fragile. But then again, that's kinda the point isn't it?

Yeah, my rolls for him were weird, but that's part of the fun of making a somewhat random character. The two really low stats indicated he was physically limited so... there ya go! I figured beaten down factory workers were commonplace...

Dime Museums, huh? That sounds like good background material for this era. Is it true that this form of entertainment morphed into Vaudeville? Is there actually a difference?

[DMMike]

Looking good so far, though the above Magician is a bit fragile. But then again, that's kinda the point isn't it?

Yeah, my rolls for him were weird, but that's part of the fun of making a somewhat random character. The two really low stats indicated he was physically limited so... there ya go! I figured beaten down factory workers were commonplace...

Dime Museums, huh? That sounds like good background material for this era. Is it true that this form of entertainment morphed into Vaudeville? Is there actually a difference?

Not really, though the Dime Museums purported to be "educational." In reality they were the origin points of what we consider sideshow freaks and displays limited to carnivals and circuses in the 20th century. For instance, Barnum only took his show on the road after his museum was destroyed by fire in the 1864 draft riots of NYC.

Believe it or not, "Vaudville" as a term was coined in order to make the shows sound more sophisticated. Vaudville was obviously a French word, and all French things were artistic and cultured....so...!

Mike