Necroman [450 pt] [GURPS 4e]

Necroman

Attributes [226]: ST 12 [20], DX 14 [80], IQ 14 [80], HT 12 [20], HP 13 [2], Will 14, Per 14, FP 20 [24]

Social Background: TL: 8 [0], Cultural Familiarities: Western (Native) [0], Languages: Arabic (Native) [4]; French (Accented) [2]; Greek (Accented) [2]; Hebrew (Accented) [2]; Latin (Native) [4]; Old English (Native) [4]; Spanish (Accented) [2].

Advantages [155]: Charisma (2) [10], Combat Reflexes [15], Empathy [15], Language Talent [10], Magery (3) [30], Magery 0 [5], Sage (3) [30], Single-Minded [5], Very Fit [15]

Perks [5]: Biting Mastery [1], Style Adaptation [1], Style Familiarity (Jeet Kune Do) [1], Technique Adaptation (Counterattack) [1], Technique Adaptation (Feint) [1]

Disadvantages [-80]: Bad Sight (Nearsighted) (Glasses) [-10], Code of Honor (Superhero) [-15], Curious (12 or less) [-5], Duty (Teaching) (9 or less (fairly often)) [-5], Enemy (The League of Necromancers) (medium-sized group, some formidable or super-human) (9 or less; Rival) [-15], Pacifism (Cannot Harm Innocents) [-10], Secret Identity (Utter Rejection) [-10], Sense of Duty (Society) (Large Group) [-10]

Quirks [-5]: Determinedly ‘normal’ sense of humor [-1]; Doesn’t drink [-1]; Tries not to laugh aloud where people can hear him [-1]; Mutters profanity in medieval languages [-1]; Scrupulously keeps office hours [-1]

Packages [0]: Jeet Kune Do (Martial Arts) [0], Mage (Basic Set) [0], Scholar (Fantasy) [0]

Skills [61]: Brawling DX/E – DX+1 15 [2], Counterattack (Karate) Tech/H –  11 [2], Ear Clap (Karate) Tech/A – 13 [1], Elbow Strike (Karate) Tech/A – 14 [1], Eye-Poke (Karate) Tech/H –  7 [2], Head Butt (Karate) Tech/H – 15 [2], Hidden Lore (Demon Lore) IQ/A – IQ+3 17 [2]*, History (Medieval) IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1]*, Judo DX/H – DX+1 15 [8], Karate DX/H – DX+1 15 [8], Knee Strike (Karate) Tech/A –  15 [1], Observation Per/A – Per-1 13 [1], Occultism IQ/A – IQ+7 21 [16]*, Public Speaking IQ/A – IQ+1 15 [1]**, Research/TL8 IQ/A – IQ+3 17 [2]*, Savoir-Faire (High Society) IQ/E – IQ+1 15 [2], Search Per/A – Per-1 13 [1], Staff DX/A – DX-1 13 [1], Stamp Kick (Karate) Tech/H –  13 [2], Teaching IQ/A – IQ-1 13 [1], Thaumatology IQ/VH – IQ+1 15 [2]***, Theology (Christian) IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1]*, Writing IQ/A – IQ-1 13 [1]

*Includes: +3 from ‘Sage’

**Includes: +2 from ‘Charisma’

***Includes: +3 from ‘Magery’

Spells [88]: Affect Spirits IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Analyze Magic IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Animation IQ/VH – IQ+1 15 [2], Apportation IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Astral Block IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Astral Vision IQ/VH – IQ+1 15 [2], Awaken Craft Spirit IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Banish IQ/H – IQ+6 20 [16], Bind Spirit (Specters) IQ/VH – IQ+1 15 [2], Bind Spirit (Sprites) IQ/VH – IQ+1 15 [2], Command Spirit (Specters) IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Command Spirit (Sprites) IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Control Zombie IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Counterspell IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Dark Vision IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Daze IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Death Vision IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Detect Magic IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Enchant IQ/VH – IQ+1 15 [2], Entrap Spirit IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Fear IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Foolishness IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Identify Spell IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Infravision IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Inspired Creation IQ/VH – IQ+0 14 [1], Keen Vision IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Lend Energy IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Lend Vitality IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Mass Daze IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Mass Sleep IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Mass Zombie IQ/VH – IQ+4 18 [12], Materialize IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Minor Healing IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Missile Shield IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Night Vision IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Repel Spirits IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], See Invisible IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Sense Emotion IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Sense Foes IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Sense Spirit IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Sleep IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Solidify IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Soul Jar IQ/VH – IQ+0 14 [1], Steal Energy IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Steal Vitality IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Summon Spirit IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Turn Spirit IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Turn Zombie IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1], Zombie IQ/H – IQ+4 18 [8], Zombie Summoning IQ/H – IQ+1 15 [1]

Stats [226] Ads [155] Disads [-80] Quirks [-5] Skills [61] Spells [88] = Total [450]

Aaron Washington, PhD.  A very new PhD:  he’s just started teaching at the local university, and he’s got a way to go before tenure.  Still, the ink may still be wet on the diploma, but at least Aaron managed to avoid running up any debt in the process.  Aaron’s also proud of the fact that he got his doctorate in medieval magic without actually using any of the medieval magic that he’s been soaking up since childhood.  That would have been cheating.

Not to mention, kind of gruesome.  The main issue is that Aaron’s got a prodigy-level talent for necromancy.  It’s not that he’s bad at other kinds of thaumaturgy — but he’s just instinctively good at that particular school of magic, and picked it up quickly as his (largely self-directed) studies continued.  Aaron’s not an evil necromancer, mind.  The man’s extremely ethical, in fact.  But if it got out that he was an actual necromancer, well, Aaron can kiss all hope of tenure good-bye.

That’s partially why Aaron goes out and fights street crime as Necroman, complete with tearaway cape and intimidating mask; it’s much easier to be an enticingly dangerous spooky superhero than it is to be an open ethical necromancer, frankly.  Plus, a lot of his spells are actually and depressingly useful in murder investigations, so the cops are getting to the point where they don’t mind it when Necroman shows up. There’s still the odd person out there with a problem with magic-users, but all in all it’s not too bad, really.

His Enemy requires some explanation.  The League of Necromancers is a shadowy group of individuals who, in fact, practice the dark arts of necromancy — including the bits that Aaron has no intention of ever learning.  The League is dubious of Aaron’s activities, and he is dubious of theirs right back. But, the League also self-regulates itself when it comes to would-be Lich Kings and Death Mages, and they grudgingly concede that it’s useful public relations to have a hero like Necroman around, so they don’t actively try to destroy him.  They just get in his way a lot, insist on trying to exercise some kind of control over his actions, and generally act overbearing and intrusive. Aaron keeps telling himself that this is better than the alternative: sometimes, he even manages to believe it.

In combat, Necroman typically starts off fights by tossing off Missile Shield and then Mass Daze or Mass Sleep.  Assuming that anybody’s still awake at that point, he’ll wade in with fists and kicks. Necroman is not a kung fu master, but he does have a solid knowledge of Jeet Kune Do, which means that he’s usually at a higher level of skill than the street gangs he typically faces.  So far, that’s been enough.

500 pt version: IQ to 16 [40]. Add Computer Programming/TL8 at IQ-2 [1], Computer Hacking at IQ [8], and Electronics Operation/TL8 (Security) at IQ-1 [1].  Above this point, start giving Necroman positive Reputation, Status, Social Regard, Allies (Police) or even Patron (the League) (whether or not to buy off the Rival first is up to the GM). Necroman’s future magical education will probably be more along the lines of becoming a better occult detective; this is not a character designed to have a skill level of 25 in any particular spell.  Aaron is a natural mage, not an obsessively-driven one.

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