A weird idea struck me for Greater Than Games' Sentinel Comics the Roleplaying Game. I`ll go through the same steps as the last two times, using the directed method that I used with Ringette.
For fiction purposes, the character may or may not be the real Ada Lovelace. The real Ada was the first programmer, creating programs for Charles Babbage's difference engine and a mathematical whiz. I'm going to exaggerate a bit and give her the ability to create a steam-powered time machine that uses a difference engine for navigation. She's stuck in the modern era after a slight problem and some wear and tear, but today is more intriguing to her. She gets to play with the silicon chip.
1) Background
There is one that fits the character perfectly - Anachronistic. Time Travelling Ada gets a d10 and a d8 for qualities. The d10 goes into Technology; sure, her ideas are formed around steam-powered everything, but the basics haven't changed that much. The d8 gets placed into History; she has gone to the past. Ada will get a d10, d8, and d6 for use in the next step. She also gets to choose an Esoteric principle, taking Principle of the Time Traveller.
2) Power Source
Once again, there is one that fits perfectly, Genius. That does sum up thetype of person who can read over the design of the difference engine and work out how to program it, all without having a working model. Genius. I'll place the dice from Background as follows: d10 into Lightning Calculator, d8 into Inventions, and d6 into Deduction. Ada gets two Yellow abilities. First is Expanded Mind, and I'll link it to Inventions; I'll change the name to Rapid Prototyping. The second will be A Plan for Everything, linking it to Lightning Calculator and renaming it to Eye for Detail. Finally, Ada gets an extra Information or Mental quality at d10 and takes Creativity. For the next section, Ada gets a d10 and two d6s for the next section.
3) Archetype
The archetype isn't as cut-and-dried as the previous two steps, but there is one that works with the way I've been going with Time Travelling Ada - Gadgeteer. I can skip the first instruction; Ada already has Intellectual powers and there wouldn't be a change in die type by swapping. I need to assign at least one die to a power; I'll put the d6s into Gadgets and Signature Weapon, the latter being called the steam-powered light cannon. That leaves two dice for Information and Mental qualities. The d10 is placed into Investigation. Ada gets two Green abilities and one Yellow. For the Green, I'll take Equip, linking it to Inventions, and Analyze Weakness, linking it to Deduction. I'll leave the names as they are; they suit Ada. With the Yellow, I'll take Snap Decision, link it to Lightning Calculator, and rename it to Mathematical Precision. Finally, Ada get an Identity principle, taking Principle of the Detective. It's not perfect, but it's close enough.
4) Personality
There are two possible entries that could work, Analytical and Inquisitive. After a bit of thought, I'll take Inquisitive. No one builds a steam-powered time machine just to analyze it; they want to go see events found in text books. Ada gets a d8 for her background. I'll take a phrase she used about herself, Poetical Scientist Her status dice are Green d6, Yellow d8, and Red d10; she pulls from deeper when things get tougher. Her Out ability allows a chosen ally to reroll their dice as a reaction. Ada also gets two Red abilities, which will be done below.
5) Red Abilities
The first Red ability will come from the Intellectual Powers category. With the direction I've been going - having Ada being able to calculate mutiple factors of a chaotic situation in her head - the best one there is Calculated Dodge, which doesn't even need a new name. This allows her, at a cost, to force an attacker to reroll dice. Perfect for when the numbers are far too high. The other Red ability will come from the Mental Qualities category, Considered Planning. I'll link this to Creativity and call it On the Fly. This will let Ada give herself a massive boost while defending herself and possibly slowing down an attacker.
6) Retcon
There`s a nice list on page 112. On the list is swapping out a principle for a new one. I want to replace Principle of the Detective with Principle of the Gearhead, which fits Time Travelling Ada far better.
7) Health
Health is the sum of 8 plus the maximum value of Ada's Red status die (10), the maximum value of any one of Ada's Atheltics powers or Mental qualities (10), and the roll of a d8 (1). With a total of 29, Ada is in her personal Green zone from health 29-23, her Yellow zone from 22-11, and her Red from 10-1. Getting to her Red zone means she's hurting, but she's also fighting harder.
8) Finishing Touches
I covered most of this before starting, with some notes about the real Ada Lovelace and how I've modified her. The real Ada never created a time machine. She passed away in her mid-30s of uterine cancer, something treatable today that medicine of 1852 couldn't. Her mother had become her gatekeeper while she was ill, so there is that sliver of potential where Ada could build a time machine to find treatment, then kept exploring. Assuming that the character is really Ada Lovelace and not someone who is both delusional and a genius and believes she is Time Travelling Ada Lovelace.
Time Travelling Ada Lovelace
Alias: Ada
Physical Attributes
- Gender: Female
- Age: Mid-30s
- Height: Average
- Eyes: . Hair: Brunette Skin: Fair
- Build: Average
- Costume/Equipment: Ada still has the clothes of her home time which she wears to fight crime. She also as a wardrobe that was fashionable at the time of her visit to the different eras. Her main piece of equipment is the Steam-Powered Laser Cannon, something she devised after meeting with Marie Curie, but Ada also can improvise new gear as needed.
Characteristics
- Background: Anachronistic
- Power Source: Genius
- Archetype: Gadgeteer
- Personality: Inqusitive
Principle of the Gearhead
- During Roleplaying: You always know the general state of repair or function of an item of technology, whether it's a simple toaster or an alien orbital defense system.
- Minor Twist: What mechanical device just shorted out?
- Major Twist: What machine just went off the rails?
Principle of the Time Traveller
- During Roleplaying: You are far from your own time and are often unsure how to act in this time.
- You have an innate sense for when time is not quite right in the era you’re in.
- Minor Twist: What detail of this era did you not previously know about?
- Major Twist: What effects are happening as you discorporate in time?
Powers
- Deduction d6
- Gadgets d6
- Inventions d8
- Lightning Calculator d10
- Steam-powered Light Cannon d6
Qualities
- Creativity: d10
- Poetical Scientist d8
- History d8
- Investigation d10
- Technology d10
Status Dice Health Range
- Green: d6 29-23
- Yellow: d8 22-11
- Red: d10 10-1
- Current Health: 29
Abilities
Green
- Analyze Weakness (A): Hinder using Lightning Calculator. Use your Max die, or use your Mid die and make it persistent and exclusive
- Equip (A): Boost using Inventions. Make one bonus for one ally using your Mid die and another for another ally using your Min die.
- Principle of the Gearhead (A): Overcome a technological challenge and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
- Principle of the Time Traveller (A): Overcome a problem using knowledge of your home era and use your Max die. You and each of your allies gain a hero point.
Yellow
- Eye for Detail (A): Boost yourself using Lightning Calculator. Use your Max die. That bonus is persistent and exclusive. Then Attack using your Min die.
- Mathematical Precision (A): Boost yourself using Lightning Calculator. Use your Max+Min dice. Then Attack using your Mid die with that bonus.
- Rapid Prototyping (R): When you are attacked, first roll your single Inventions die. Defend yourself with that roll. Then, Boost yourself using that roll.
Red
- Calculated Dodge (R): You may take 1 irreducible damage to reroll the dice pool of a target that is Attacking or Hindering you.
- On the Fly (A): Boost using Creativity and use your Max die. Defend against all Attacks against you using your Mid die until your next turn. Note your Min die result: as a Reaction, until your next turn, you may Hinder an attacker using that result.
Out
- Choose an ally. Until your next turn, that ally may reroll one of their dice by using a Reaction.
As always, feel free to use this character in your own game, but please let me know how it goes.
 |
| Not a time traveller, but Jewel doesn't mind that, (Model: Jewel. Photo by author.) |
Friday, Lost in Translation continues at Psycho Drive-In.
Saturday, Lost in Translation can be found at The Seventh Sanctum.
No comments:
Post a Comment