Iron Chef ATOW edition: build a character with the secret ingredients!

[Cannonshop]

Objective: Impress your peers, do something goofy and strange, it has to work out clean.

Secret Ingredients:

1. Backwoods/poor background
2. Decorated Naval Officer among the elite.

Time Period: Any published time period you have sources for.  (Show your work)

[Maelwys]

2. Decorated Naval Officer among the elite.

Are you considering a Naval Office among the elite, or is that a suggestion for skill level?

[Cannonshop]

Are you considering a Naval Office among the elite, or is that a suggestion for skill level?

skill level and/or social position.

[Daryk]

I thought I had already done that, but will see what I can do before I have to fly on Sunday.  No guarantees of posts while I'm TDY next week...

[Atlas3060]

Objective: Impress your peers, do something goofy and strange, it has to work out clean.

Secret Ingredients:

1. Backwoods/poor background
2. Decorated Naval Officer among the elite.

Time Period: Any published time period you have sources for.  (Show your work)

Life Path and Point buy or is there a limitation?

[Cannonshop]

Life Path and Point buy or is there a limitation?

Use the method you feel works best.

[Daryk]

I think I'm just going to stick with McCoy (as posted in your other thread) for this one.

[Maelwys]

Code: [Select]

Name: Tadao
Age: 24
Birthplace: Elba, Finmark Province, RWR (2742)

Attributes Value Linked XP
STR   4 400
BOD   5 500
DEX   4 400
RFL   5 500
INT         7 +1 700
WIL   4 400
CHA   2 -1 200
EDG   2 -1 200

Traits Value XP
Compulsion/Distrust of the IS -1 -100
Equipped 1 100
Rank 4 400
Enemy -3 -300
In For Life -3 -300

Skills Lvl
Administration 2
Career/DropShip Pilot 2
Career/Pilot 2
Career/Soldier 2
Comms/Conventional 1
Computers 3
Gunnery/Spacecraft 4
Interest/AoW Spacecraft 2
Interest/Military History 2
Language/English 2
Language/Finish 1
Language/German 0
Language/Japanese 0
Language/Portuguese 0
Language/Simi 0
Leadership 5
Martial Arts 3
MedTech/General 2
Melee Weapons 2
Navigation/Ground 0
Navigation/K-F Jump 3
Navigation/Space 4
Negotiation 0
Perception 3
Piloting/Spacecraft 6
Protocol/RWR 5
Running 1
Sensor Operations 2
Small Arms 3
Strategy 2
Survival/Forests 1
Swimming 1
Tactics/Space 4
Technician/Aeronautics 0
Tracking/Wilds 0
Training 1
Zero-G Operations 4

Equipment – 1000 C-bills (C-B-C)

Well, that could've gone a bit better, but looks legible enough. It was built using the Era Report 2750 RWR/Finmark Province Affiliation, Back Woods, Military School (Basic Training Naval, Pilot DropShip, Pilot WarShip, OCS), and ToD: Periphery. Built with 5000 points, 300 for aging, and had 4 points left over technically.

The basic idea is that he was born in the backwoods of the planet Elba, but due to his intelligence, he was given a scholarship to an Amaris-sponsored military school which leads to military academy and naval training. A small ToD using the Periphery rules, and look at that, the character finishes up just in time for 2766. I wonder where I've seen that year before...

[Atlas3060]

Well I'm glad to see Maelwys had the same idea about using the SLDF.  :)
So many good ships and potential there.

Here's my take for funsies.

Code: [Select]

Affiliation         Draconis Combine
Sub Affilitation Rasalhague District
Age                 31
6000 Points, Point Buy

Attributes Score Link XP
STR         4         0 450
BOD         5         0 550
RFL         5         0 500
DEX         5         0 500
INT         4         0 450
WIL         4         0 450
CHA         4         0 450
EDG         3        -1 350

Compulsion/Hatred of Combine       1     -100
Enemy/Rival Officer                 2 -200
G-Tolerance                         1 100
Rank/Commander(O3)               3 300
Reputation                        2 200
Wealth                                -1 -100


Administration         4
Career/Ship's Crew 6
Computers         4
Gunnery/Spacecraft 5
Interrogation         3
Interest/Opera         1
Language/English 2
Language/Japanese 1
Language/Swedenese 3
Leadership         4
Martial Arts         4
MedTech/General         4
Melee Weapons         4
Navigation/Space 4
Perception        3
Piloting/Spacecraft 3
Protocol/Combine 2
Protocol/FWL (SLDF) 4
Security Systems/Electronics 3
Small Arms         4
Technician/Weapons 4
Training          4
Zero-G Operations 6

So even though I used point buy method, I really do try and go through the modules for inspiration. One particular part I kept was the compulsion against the House Kurita from the Era Report's module, because I figured it worked well for him.

How I would write out his biography is dirt poor kid from the Rasalhague District who aspired to own a ship, travel the stars, make money for his family. However dreams have to be adjusted in life so his family decided to help him sign up for the Star League. His posting was the FWL theatre, spotting bandits and smugglers. I put a lot of points into his skills to show that kind of character we know where they didn't have a solid education back home, but devoured learning when given a chance.

If I were to use him, no doubt he'd be a fun foil for smugglers or spies. He can work weapon systems but his good reputation in the FWL shows he will not suffer people trying to pull a fast one on him. For inspiration I sort of blended Odo from Deep Space 9 and Worf, all while giving him a Commander rank. So he's probably second in command of a Dropship or the head of a station on a Warship.

His rival would probably either be some other fellow officer in the same ship or maybe a different one. Either way if people use him, friend or foe, I wanted to create someone strong in his skills, but also fluid enough that if you file off some of the Affiliation stuff he could be used anywhere.

Also attaching the workbook I made for him if folks want the whole process.

[Cannonshop]

I'm really enjoying this, guys, keep it up. :) 

[theagent]

Ok, I wanted to give it a go as well.  I also picked the Star League era for my character:

Code: [Select]

Name: Simon Wilson
Age: 24
Birthplace: Orkney (Taurian Concordant), 27 March 2731
Height:  172cm
Mass:  81kg

Attributes Value Linked XP
STR   4 400
BOD   4 400
DEX   4 400
RFL   4 400
INT         6 +1 600
WIL   4 400
CHA   3 -1 300
EDG   1 -2 200

Traits Value XP
Compulsion/Hatred of House Davion -1 -100
Compulsion/Hatred of the Star League -1 -100
Connections 1 100
Equipped 1 100
Rank (Air Master, JG) 4 400

Skill Fields:  Basic Training (Naval), Pilot - DropShip, Pilot - WarShip, Officer Training

Skills Link TN/C Lvl XP
Administration INT+WIL 8/SA 2 50
Career/DropShip Pilot INT 7/SB 1 30
Career/Ship's Crew INT 7/SB 3 80
Comms/Conventional INT 7/SB 1 30
Computers INT 8/CB* 2 50
Interest/Military History INT 8/CB* 2 50
Language/English INT+CHA 8/SA 2 50
Language/French INT+CHA 8/SA 0 20
Language/Spanish INT+CHA 8/SA 1 30
Leadership WIL+CHA 8/SA 4 120
Martial Arts RFL 7/SB** 3 80
MedTech/General INT 7/SB 3 80
Melee Weapons DEX 7/SB* 2 50
Navigation/Ground INT 7/SB 0 20
Navigation/K-F Jump INT 7/SB 3 80
Navigation/Space INT 7/SB 3 80
Negotiation CHA 8/SB 3 80
Perception INT 7/SB 3 80
Piloting/Spacecraft RFL+DEX 8/SA 4 124
Protocol/Taurian Concordat CHA+WIL 9/CA 3 80
Running RFL 7/SB 0 20
Sensor Operations INT+WIL 8/SA 1 30
Small Arms DEX 7/SB 3 50
Stealth RFL+INT 8/SA 1 30
Strategy INT+WIL 9/CA 3 50
Streetwise/Taurian Concordat CHA 8/CB 0 20
Survival/Forests BOD+INT 9/CA 3 50
Swimming STR 7/SB 0 20
Tactics/Space INT+WIL 9/CA 3 50
Tracking/Wilds INT+WIL 8/SA 1 30
Training INT+CHA 9/CA 3 50
Zero-G Operations RFL 7/SB 3 50

It works out to 5,124 points because of the "refund" points from the skill fields (I'm assuming I did that correctly, it's been a while since I built a full character, & had to do it from scratch with an Excel spreadsheet).

Orkney is a planet way "east" of Taurus -- it's not quite in the region claimed by the Calderon Protectorate in the Dark Ages, & while no longer under Taurian control by then it's also not yet been snapped up by the Davions -- but for the pre-Amaris era it's squarely in Taurian control. With his compulsions making him your typical Taurian (hating both the Star League & House Davion), his lack of charm makes him come off a bit gruff.  However, he's worked hard to overcome his backwoods upbringing, and after spending some time as a DropShip pilot he currently serves as Chief Helmsman on board TCS Parin, a Concordat-class frigate in service with the TDF in 2755.  Despite his tendency to be overly gruff with others, his semi-meteoric rise at a relatively young age is due to his demonstrated piloting & leadership abilities.  As far as he's concerned, though, as long as he has the chance to someday take the fight to the Davions (or even the Star League), he's content to serve where he can.

Sidenote:  ironically, TCS Parin is the only TDF frigate technically not destroyed (official status is unknown, https://www.sarna.net/wiki/Parin).  While involved in the Periphery Uprising in 2765, Parin apparently survived (unlike the other 2 frigates that were supporting II Corps).  Later, during the Taurian-Canopian War of 2813-2814 (during 1SW), instead of taking part in the conflict it was stationed at Flanagan's Nebulea. 

Some notes on the creation of the character:

• I used the Taurian Concordat background from Era Report 2750.  Boy, if you think Taurians hate the Davions in the 3028/Clan Invasion era, whoo-doggy, those Compulsion/Hatred attributes for the Star League & Davions are unchanged from their Stage 0 values...
• Yes, I know that Pilot - WarShip is technically not on the list of approved Skill Fields for an Inner Sphere Military Academy...& that technically per AToW only Clan characters can receive WarShip training.  However...given that in the FASA era they had already reintroduced WarShip production for various Inner Sphere powers (DCMS, FWLM, AFFC, etc.), & this particular character is created for an era when the TDF still actually had real WarShips in service (not just the TCS Vandenberg floating in orbit somewhere), as noted above.  So I felt safe in letting the Pilot - WarShip skill field be available to an Inner Sphere military academy.
• The rest of it was mainly optimizing the XP costs. As I said, I had 5,144 XP after accounting for the "refunded" credits, so after balancing as much as possible I left the remaining 4 XP in his Piloting/Spacecraft skill (since he's primarily a WarShip & DropShip pilot).  Since he's a Navy guy, I didn't see any point in keeping the Career/Soldier skill either, so just dumped it into the Career/Ship's Crew skill instead.

[Daryk]

The Taurians still haven't forgotten the Reunification War, much less anything that came later...  8)