New playbook for #Stonetop: the Heavy.
I struggled a bit choosing its name its exact space in the fiction and the town. I mean, obviously this guy is the fighter analog, but I didn’t want to just call it “the Fighter.” I wanted a name that said something more about normal folk saw them: as a particularly violent and dangerous individual. As our particularly violent and dangerous individual. I think the Heavy gets at that.
The backgrounds were also tricky. If you’ve been following these, you might have noticed that the Stonetop playbooks all have one background that implies you grew up there and always had this job, another background that implies you came to Stonetop from someplace else, and a third that could be used to justify a local suddenly stepping into the role of adventurer. The last two options are there to allow for new characters coming into the game mid-stream.
History of Violence and Storm-Touched worked for the last two, but I really swirled a lot around the “always been here” background. How do you justify this total badass living in a podunk village like Stonetop? I eventually came around to “sheriff” after something made me think of Bigby Wolf from Fables. And I think that’s just right.
As always: feedback welcome, especially if you see something wrong or that could be better.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0lFq3ECDQDQS2lYMnVmUWJKSDA/view?usp=sharing
very cool!
I’m with you about good evocative names being surprisingly important and difficult to find.
My own project is a space opera-ish game, and after a lot of bad ideas I settled on The Bruiser for that same niche.
It brings up images of Jayne from firefly, Wrex from Mass Effect, Worf from Star Trek etc.
Anyway, I like The Heavy. :)
I feel like History of Violence should make you roll with STR…
sorry I don’t have anything more productive.
Sub
Stonetop looks more and more interesting.
Tim, I was leaning that way, but didn’t want to step on the toes of the Imposing move. I think any of these three backgrounds could be Imposing, but the History of Violence comes with the reputation to be even more so.
Also, it’s intended to be more evocative than effective. I expect that many who take this background will try to avoid using this feature as long as possible. The +1d4 damage is the real bennie for this background.
ah I see. Sorry.
No worries! Design choices aren’t always obvious. At all.
Love the layout of your character sheet,
This playbook is nicely evocative. I love seeing these new posts.
Minor editing time!
“ _ would be horrified if they new of my past deeds.” –> ‘new’ should be ‘knew’
“When you your current HP are” should be “When your current HP is” (I think)
+1 for you can never have too many knives.
I see you share my affinity for Joe Abercrombie.
Yeah, there’s more than a little of the Bloody Nine in here.
In the vein, why not call it “The Named Man?”
Or Named One if you feel the need to be politically correct.
Too much baggage from Abercrombie’s world, and it wouldn’t make sense for the other two backgrounds. I’m happy with the Heavy.
Nice. Typo: “mucslebound”
Was this inspired by Lucas Hood in Banshee? Or is it literally just a perfect coincidence?
Jon Landers never read (?) it, so I’m thinking coincidence. Do you recommend it?
Jeremy Strandberg It’s a tv show. Season three just started the other day.
With the character background of Sheriff there, and the Defiance and Vengeance Drives. But ESPECIALLY the description
“These are good people. Hard-working. Honest. They look out for each other, try to do the right thing. And in tough times, times like these, well that’s saying something. But sometimes, looking out for each other doesn’t cut it. Sometimes, good people need someone to stick up for them. Someone who ain’t afraid to get a little bloody. To get heavy. Yeah, someone like you.”
That’s absolutely describing Lucas Hood and his small-town Sheriffy-ness.