Author Topic: Character Design Challenge - Dexter  (Read 2189 times)

Offline Thanatos

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Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« on: October 06, 2012, 03:01:35 PM »
This is something of a game but also an exercise in creating game content.  The idea is to create a character, either one from a fairly well-known source outside of the 'Dresdenverse', or new one that doesn't appear in the books, but has a High Concept and description that fits.  Include names, aspects, skills, powers, etc. - everything that would be needed for someone to play the character or for a GM to 'borrow' and use as an NPC.  Use the refresh level necessary to represent the character, without going overboard (in other words, try not to jump straight in to 'Submerged' - Ha!).  If you have an idea for a new Character Design Challenge, copy this introductory text and paste it into a new thread.

Let's start things off with someone that would have a Pure Mortal template:
Dexter Morgan, from the Showtime series that shares his first name.

Happy Hacking!
Thanatos

Offline Ophidimancer

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2012, 04:19:46 PM »
I've been meaning to actually watch Dexter in sequential order, but haven't managed it yet, so my input will be limited.  I'm going to suggest The Art and Science of Gore as one of his Aspects, to cover his work as a blood spatter specialist as well as his particular style of murder.

Offline JDK002

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2012, 06:23:00 PM »
Doing this via phone so I can to a perfect write up, but here goes:

Dexter Morgan
HC: Blood Splatter Analyst by Day, Serial Killer by Night
Trouble: My Dark Passenger
Other: The Blood Talks to Me; Rule Number One: Dont Get Caught; My Father is my Guiding Light; Forever Stained by my Mothers Death; Miami Police Forensics Expert

Skills:

Great: Stealth, Deceit, Investigation
Good: Alertness, Fists, Athletics
Fair: Contacts, Burglary, Discipline
Average: Endurance, Conviction, Might

Stunts:

Art of Gore: +2 to Investigation rolls when blood is part of the scene.

Predators Instincts: +2 to Alertness rolls against other predatory type people.

Thrill of the Hunt: +2 to Stealth rolls when stalking your kill target.

I'm a Sociopath, but People Still Like Me: Uses Deceit for social defense rolls when trying to hide your own actions.

On the Force: +2 to Contact rolls when the Police would have useful information.

Total Refresh cost: -3 (Pure Mortal)



Offline JDK002

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2012, 06:45:11 PM »
Broke this into two posts for ease of reading.  I framed it for a "Chest Deep" game, but like most Pure Mortal characters by scaling the skill points you could play him at pretty much any level.

Alternatvely, you could play into the "dark passenger" as an actual entity, and give some sort of power involving sponsor debt with an agenda of pushing him to kill more and to drive him away from friends and family.  Nothing huge, a -1 or -2 cost maybe.

Offline AstronaughtAndy

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #4 on: October 07, 2012, 03:53:14 AM »
Why not go all the way and make Dexter some sort of emissary/servant of the Erlking? It would definately fit into the hunter theme.

Offline Thanatos

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2012, 04:27:58 AM »
Why not go all the way and make Dexter some sort of emissary/servant of the Erlking? It would definitely fit into the hunter theme.
Alternatively, you could play into the "dark passenger" as an actual entity, and give some sort of power involving sponsor debt with an agenda of pushing him to kill more and to drive him away from friends and family.  Nothing huge, a -1 or -2 cost maybe.
Actually, that's what the original author did with the character in the third novel, after which I stopped reading them.  I think the character works better as a psychologically damaged human than a case of demon possession.  You can wonder what it is about the human mind that breaks in that way, leaving it to develop without empathy, and you can consider just how far the average person is from becoming like that.  Saying, essentially, "um... it's magic!" is a rather unsatisfying non-answer.  The show isn't perfect, but it's the one case I can think of in which the show is more interesting than the books.
Still, if you prefer the demon-possession or hunter emissary ideas, more similar to the character in the books, write one up!  I'm trying to start these CDC threads as a way of collecting content for DFRPG games. 

Offline YPU

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2012, 12:32:21 PM »
Actually, that's what the original author did with the character in the third novel, after which I stopped reading them.  I think the character works better as a psychologically damaged human than a case of demon possession.  You can wonder what it is about the human mind that breaks in that way, leaving it to develop without empathy, and you can consider just how far the average person is from becoming like that.  Saying, essentially, "um... it's magic!" is a rather unsatisfying non-answer.  The show isn't perfect, but it's the one case I can think of in which the show is more interesting than the books.
Still, if you prefer the demon-possession or hunter emissary ideas, more similar to the character in the books, write one up!  I'm trying to start these CDC threads as a way of collecting content for DFRPG games.

I have no idea why, but I find this little factoid rather amusing.

In the end I guess it really depends what theme you want for your game. Sometimes being able to blame it all on magic really is the escape we need. On the other hand you might really start exploring dark places if the biggest monster in town is not a creature of the night but a human. For some reason that reminds me of Marcone.
Your Personal Undead

Offline JDK002

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #7 on: October 07, 2012, 05:29:32 PM »
Actually, that's what the original author did with the character in the third novel, after which I stopped reading them.  I think the character works better as a psychologically damaged human than a case of demon possession.  You can wonder what it is about the human mind that breaks in that way, leaving it to develop without empathy, and you can consider just how far the average person is from becoming like that.  Saying, essentially, "um... it's magic!" is a rather unsatisfying non-answer.  The show isn't perfect, but it's the one case I can think of in which the show is more interesting than the books.
Still, if you prefer the demon-possession or hunter emissary ideas, more similar to the character in the books, write one up!  I'm trying to start these CDC threads as a way of collecting content for DFRPG games.
That's why I mentioned the alternate concept actually haha.  I've yet to read the books, but I know after season 2/book 2 the TV and the books diverge quite a lot, but both concept work quite well in the Dresdenverse.

I do agree though that the pure mortal concept is more interesting.  Making some big supernatural big bad for the players to beat down is easy in this game.  Making your players question if it's right to kill someone like that, or if they even should in the case of a character who only kills bad people, can make for very interesting situations.

Offline Thanatos

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Re: Character Design Challenge - Dexter
« Reply #8 on: October 07, 2012, 06:05:13 PM »
I have no idea why, but I find this little factoid rather amusing.

In the end I guess it really depends what theme you want for your game. Sometimes being able to blame it all on magic really is the escape we need. On the other hand you might really start exploring dark places if the biggest monster in town is not a creature of the night but a human. For some reason that reminds me of Marcone.
That's why I mentioned the alternate concept actually haha.  I've yet to read the books, but I know after season 2/book 2 the TV and the books diverge quite a lot, but both concept work quite well in the Dresdenverse.

I do agree though that the pure mortal concept is more interesting.  Making some big supernatural big bad for the players to beat down is easy in this game.  Making your players question if it's right to kill someone like that, or if they even should in the case of a character who only kills bad people, can make for very interesting situations.

Yep.  Comparing him to Marcone, as a sort of 'monster' that you don't quite know how to interpret, is what got me thinking about this idea.  Are they villains?  Anti-heroes?  Some new category of "useful evil"?

Anyway, I like your version, JDK, but I'd like to see more... unless everyone thinks that first one nailed it outta the park?
What other characters would you like to see for a future CDC?