Chester Alsworth; "Chess"

[crimsonjoe]

Character Name: Chess Alternate Identities: Chester Alsworth Player Name: Crimsonjoe
CHARACTERISTICS Val Char Base Points Total Roll Notes 10 STR 10 0 10 11- HTH Damage 2d6 END [2] 18 DEX 10 16 18 13-   13 CON 10 3 13 12-   10 BODY 10 0 10     23 INT 10 13 23 14- PER Roll 14- 13 EGO 10 3 13 12-   18 PRE 10 8 18 13- PRE Attack: 3 1/2d6                             2 PD 2 0 2/22   2/22 PD (0/20 rPD) 2 ED 2 0 2/22   2/22 ED (0/20 rED) 4 SPD 2.0 20 4   Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 4 REC 4 0 4     20 END 20 0 20     20 STUN 20 0 20     12" Running 12 0 12m     4" Swimming 4 0 4m     4" Leaping 4 0 4m 68 Total Characteristics Points CHARACTER IMAGE   EXPERIENCE POINTS Total earned: 0 Spent: 0 Unspent: 0 Base Points: 300 Disad Points: 60 Total Points: 300 MOVEMENT Type Total Run (12) 12m [24m NC] Swim (4) 4m [8m NC] H. Leap (4m) 4m V. Leap (2m) 2m Swinging 10m [20m NC] DEFENSES Type Amount Physical Defense 2/22 Res. Phys. Defense 0/20 Energy Defense 2/22 Res. Energy Defense 0/20 Mental Defense 20 Power Defense 5

 

Character Name: Chess Alternate Identities: Chester Alsworth Player Name: Crimsonjoe
SKILLS Cost  Name 48 +4 Overall 3 Disguise 14- 3 Bureaucratics 13- 3 Breakfall 13- 3 Criminology 14- 3 Cryptography 14- 3 Lockpicking 13- 3 Paramedics 14- 3 Streetwise 13- 2 WF: Small Arms 3 Stealth 13- 3 Shadowing 14- 3 Forgery 14- 3 Deduction 14- 3 Security Systems 14- 89 Total Skills Cost PERKS Cost  Name 1 Private Investigator's License: Fringe Benefit: License to practice a profession 2 Sgt. Danielle Lockley (ex-partner): Contact: Sgt. Danielle Lockley (Contact has useful Skills or resources) 8- 3 Total Perks Cost TALENTS Cost  Name 15 Something is wrong here...: Danger Sense (self only, in combat) 14- 15 Total Talents Cost		POWERS Cost  Power END 60 Fate Smiles upon Chess: Multipower, 40-point reserve, Variable Special Effects (Any SFX; +1/2) (60 Active Points)   3f 1) Funny feeling about that person...: Mind Scan 4d6 (Human class of minds), Custom Adder, Custom Adder, Invisible Power Effects (Invisible to Mental Group; +1/4), Uncontrolled (+1/2) (35 Active Points) 3 2v 2) Getting from Here to There: Swinging 10m, Usable [As Second Mode Of Movement] (Running; +1/4), Usable [As Second Mode Of Movement] (Swimming; +1/4), Usable [As Second Mode Of Movement] (Gliding (Flight); +1/4), Usable [As Second Mode Of Movement] (Leaping; +1/4) (10 Active Points) 1 8v 3) Something Blocked the Blow: Resistant Protection (20 PD/5 Power Defense) (39 Active Points) 0 4f 4) Something Blocked the Blow 2.0: Resistant Protection (20 ED/5 Flash Defense: Sight Group) (39 Active Points) 0 6v 5) You don't want to read my mind...: Resistant Protection (20 Mental Defense) (30 Active Points) 0 4f 6) Power was shorted out: Dispel 13d6 (39 Active Points) 4 8v 7) Something fell and landed on their head: Blast 6d6, Indirect (45 Active Points) 4       30 Just Lucky, I guess: Luck 6d6 0 125 Total Powers Cost

 

Character Name: Chess Alternate Identities: Chester Alsworth Player Name: Crimsonjoe
DISADVANTAGES
Cost	Disadvantage
10	Dependent NPC: Ex-Wife #1 (Amanada Collins) Infrequently (Normal)
10	Dependent NPC (Ex-Wife #2): Deborah Kissinger Infrequently (Normal)
15	Psychological Complication: Code vs. Killing (Common; Strong)
10	Psychological Complication: Obsessed with Solving Puzzles (Common; Moderate)
5	Rivalry: Professional, Sgt. Jack Wilson, Rival is As Powerful, Seek to Outdo, Embarrass, or Humiliate Rival, Rival Aware of Rivalry
10	Hunted: Amuk-Sakan Frequently (Mo Pow; Watching)
60	Total Disadvantages Cost

Edited May 8 by crimsonjoe
Updated with new point totals (see edit history)

[crimsonjoe]

Name:

Chess (real name: Chester Alsworth)

 

Appearance:

Chess is a 38 year old male. Average height, lanky (5'10", 160 lbs). He has a pale complexion that makes it seems like he never sees the sun, and has a habit of dressing in either black or white without any other colors, often with a black fedora hat. His face is a little weathered from years of hard living.

 

Picture:

 

 

Background:

Until three years ago, any luck that Chess possessed would be considered 'bad'. Two failed marriages. A drinking issue that was borderline problematic. He was a police detective for Sovereign City- and a good one; Chess was always good at solving puzzles- until a political struggle forced him to choose between two superior officers, and he chose the 'wrong' one, costing him his job. He became a private detective.

A case involving missing Egyptian artifacts led him to a warehouse, where he found... a Sphinx. The real deal, who called herself Anuk-Sakan, though she looked less like a giant desert lion and more like Patricia Velasquez. She offered him a game of riddles in exchange for his life.

And... Chess won. The twelve coins puzzle had won him many drinks at the bar, and now saved his life. She looked on him, impressed. "Very well," she intoned. "You've won my boon. Fate will smile upon you. And I'll be watching..."

With that, she disappeared. And ever since then, Chess has been lucky. Phenomenally lucky. Guns pointed right at his head misfired. Cars that tried to run him over would break down. A punch from a giant that should have broken him in two instead sent him flying where he landed feet first without a scratch on him. It's allowed him to stay a detective, even as the supers have gotten into the criminal game.

Chess is still a detective; it's all he knows, and he's good at it. He knows his luck is the only reason that he's still alive. And every once in a while, he swears he sees Anuk-Sakan out of the corner of his eye...

 

Personality:

Chess is almost a cliche of a hard-bitten ex-cop... he still talks to his two ex-wives (not always on the friendliest terms), he knows (and has drunk whiskey at) every dive bar in the city, and just about every criminal by name or face. There's a soft spot underneath (especially for kids or animals), but it's under a cynical shell.

He does love his puzzles, though. Give him a riddle or a problem and he'll get obsessed trying to solve it. It's made him a great detective. It's also made cost him in the psat.

 

 

Powers:

Fate smiles upon Chess. He manages to find himself in the right place at the right time. Actions that should kill him don't, for all sorts of reasons. People trying to hurt Chess suddenly find themselves at the wrong end of a series of unfortunate events. Chess doesn't control them- but he's learned to rely on them.

Even without his powers, Chess is a very good detective. He knows the city inside and out. He does carry a gun, but almost never uses it. And yet, when he does use it, he's able to make the most amazing impossible shots...

Edited April 2 by crimsonjoe (see edit history)

[crimsonjoe]

Crimsonjoe's Application

 

1. What is your experience with the Hero System Rules?
The good news is that I've played Champions since the 1980's. The less good news is that I haven't played it in decades. I'm familiar with the concepts and should be able to pick up the current edition rules, but I will be rusty.

2. What is your experience with PbP?

I've played quite a bit- I was in a free-form X-Men PbP game for over a decade. I'm currently in one game here at MythWeavers.

3. What is your Role-playing Experience (overall, PbP and otherwise)? And, what makes a game "good"?
I've been playing on and off since discovering DnD in the 1980's, though I've gone through spells when I didn't play at all. I've played tabletop, PbP, and (since COVID) over Google Chat. My preferred systems have been 1st edition 7th Sea and DnD (5e). I loved the Hero System because while it is complicated, I found it to be the most free-form Supers System.

What makes a game good is a game that everyone is having fun. I have my preferences (for instance, I hate horror), but as long as everyone at the table agrees to the themes beforehand, and respect each other as players, you can have a fun game.

4. Please link me a couple examples of your Roleplaying here at the Weave (preferred). If no examples, be sure to post an "RP" in the open RP thread (when I get one up) I'd like to see a sample of your game-style writing.

 

https://www.myth-weavers.com/index.php?/topic/16297-team-nameless-ic/&do=findComment&comment=248395

https://www.myth-weavers.com/index.php?/topic/16297-team-nameless-ic/&do=findComment&comment=267941
 

I will admit that I'm still learning the tricks to Myth Weavers


5. Tell me about a couple of your favorite characters you've actually played (in PBP or even in TT) and why you enjoyed those characters so much.

Rumble- my primary X-Men character. Could create a sonic explosion around him- and it destroyed his hearing. Really grew as a character, making friends with the other students, and slowly turned angrier about anti-mutant sentiments until he ended up betraying the team and forming a villain group. A year later, the villain group attacked him and left him for dead, starting a redemption arc as the X-Men brought him back into the fold.

Timeshare- Not a character... four characters. The storyline was that all four characters (with different looks, personlaities, and pwoers)alternated sharing the same body, and none of them knew what was happening when one of the other characters took over. They also had no idea WHY this happened- some vent happened two years ago, and suddenly they were all sharing the same body. The GM and I worked out a deal where the GM could switch which character was in control at his whim. Would love to try that concept again, but I understand it's difficult to pull off.

6. Name (do not use the "mention" function) one or more players 'applying' for this game ("Shadows of the City") whom you would like to be accepted 

7. Describe your desired character for me
Update: I'm thinking Chess is my first choice. Hard-boiled Noir detective type who won some luck-based powers...

 

I have a few concepts running through my head, and am open to any of them:

Chess: A Private Investigator (former cop) who won a contest of riddles against an actual Sphinx. And ever since then, he's been lucky. Very, very lucky....

 

Paul Wong: In the city of TwoTownsOver (tm), the crimelord was Simon O'Neal, and Paul Wong was his brick henchman. Simon gets arrested, but the heroes can't get anything on Wong. Between the heros and the villains (taking over) putting pressure, Wong decides the prudent thing to do is to stay in Sovereign City. Only now he's found himself on the side of the angels...

Madame V: Tech Expert who uses drones. Mother trying to raise two kids, and wasn't above using her drones for industrial espionage- until finding the wrong thing led to some villains trying to find and hunt her down.

 

 

 

Edited April 1 by crimsonjoe (see edit history)

[crimsonjoe]

Have posted a description. Still working on putting a character sheet together.

As for powers, thinking not only luck and overall skills, but was thinking having a luck based VPP, where any power would require a roll. The idea is that Chess's form of fate can take any form, but he still requires some sort of chance to determines if it activates...

[crimsonjoe]

Updated with first pass of character sheet

[Papa Bear]

sweet

[crimsonjoe]

Updated with 300 point limit...

[Papa Bear]

Love the build, btw. I believe you said you were away this week so the good thing is that I don't really see anything we need to work on for the build itself. I'm assuming he just works whatever case comes his way but how does he get involved in Vigilante Justice? I'm sure with his 'lucky streak', it makes that kind of thing a lot easier (and safer) to get involved in. Does he pursue it at all? Is he becoming like the Equalizer? Where is his office and does he live in said office like the typical PI Trope?

[crimsonjoe]

A couple of thoughts:

* I figure his office is in the East Havens, and in my mind I see him as a near cliche of a private eye (small office with piles of papers everywhere, along with a trash bag of empty bottles of alcohol

* Even though he's gotten really lucky, that hasn't translated to being 'rich'. He's still a private eye to pay the bills (strangely, the superhero business isn't nearly as lucrative as you'd think)

* I know at least three of the other heroes (Geist, The Shriek, The Rescuer) wanted to know Chess in the past. That works- he fell into the Supers business. In his mind, he's still a private eye; it's just now the people involved are capable of throwing trucks at him

 

[crimsonjoe]

Chess (Chester Alsworth)
OCV: 7 | DCV: 7 | Stun: 20/20 | Body: 10/10 | End: 20/20 | Conditions: none | Skill Levels: none applied

 

 

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