Mutants & Masterminds - Time Traveller's Codex

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greycrusader
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Location: Pittsburgh, PA

Re: Mutants & Masterminds - Time Traveller's Codex

Post by greycrusader »

Yet another public domain NPC for M&M campaigns set in the Wilder West, as presented in the [Time Traveler's Codex-O'Neil, the Six-GunGorilla! Drawn from the pages of a 1939 British pulp magazine, Weird, the Six-Gun Gorilla is the titular hero of a fifteen part serial adventure. Originally intended as a circus ape, O'Neil was instead adopted by a Colorado prospector named Masters, who raised the young gorilla as a beloved pet and even friend. O'Neil was an exceptionally alert, clever, and imitative creature, and Masters taught him many tips and tricks-including how to load and use a pair of revolvers!

Tragically, shortly after a particularly rich haul of gold, Masters was robbed and murdered by a band of desperadoes led by bandit Tuft Strawhan; O'Neil was wounded but survived-and determined to avenge the death of his adopted father! Taking up Master's pair of well-tended firearms and a bandolier of ammunition, the Six-Gun Gorilla set out on the Strawhan Gang's trail, employing his ape agility, strength, keen senses, and blazing guns to deliver vigilante justice!

While the serial was entirely self-contained, a GM could have Wild West heroes encounter O'Neil during his search for the Strawhan Gang, perhaps expanding the outlaws numbers to make them more of a challenge, or giving them a weapon which the avenging ape cannot overcome on his own, such as a Gatling gun. Alternately, the player characters might meet up with the gun-toting gorilla after the chronicled events-maybe O'Neil is a captive in a sinister circus, or being used as a pawn by a cattlepunk villain, with the potential to meet as friend or foe.

The Saga of the Six-Gun Gorilla would likely have remained utterly forgotten (the author's name is lost to time) if not for pop-culture and literary annotator extraordinaire Jess Nevins. Adapted loosely for comics in recent years, the original can be found at the link below. However, please note the tale is decidedly of its time, NOT politically-correct, and the depiction of Native Americans and Mexicans is offensive by modern standards, particularly in the case of the former group.

http://jessnevins.com/sixgungorilla/tab ... tents.html

O'Neil, The Six-Gun Gorilla

PL 7

STR 6 STA 5 FGH 5 AGL 4 DEX 3 INT -2 AWE 3 PRE-1

Powers:

Bestial Senses: Senses 4 (Acute and Extended Olfactory, Low-Light Vision, Tracking)

Fit of Rage: Enhanced Advantages: Fearless, Takedown, Ultimate Effort (STR checks): Immunity 1 (pain), Regeneration 1; Quirk: Only when enraged (-1), Unreliable (fails on 10 or less)

Gorilla Size and Strength: Feature 2: Massive (6' 3”, 600 lbs), Str Damage +1 (Extra: Reach 1)

Just Keeps Coming: Protection 3

Powerful Legs: Leaping 1 (15 feet), Speed 1 (4 mph)

Prehensile Feet: Feature 1 (use feet to manipulate objects)

Through the Trees: Movement 1: Swinging

Advantages: All-Out Attack, Benefit 1 (Understands simple English words, common gestures), Chokehold, Close Attack 2, Diehard, Equipment 3 (two six guns: ranged damage 3, bandolier of ammunition, anything else O'Neil might grab), Fast Draw, Favored Enemy (the Strawhan Gang), Fearless, Improved Grab, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 1, Startle, Takedown, Ultimate Effort

Skills: Athletics 4 (+10), Acrobatics 4 (+8), Expertise: Ape Tricks (Dex-based) 3 (+7), Expertise: Firearms 4 (+2), Intimidation 7 (+6), Perception 3 (+6), Stealth 3 (+6), Ranged Combat (revolvers) 4 (+8), Ranged Combat (thrown rocks) 2 (+6)

Defenses: Dodge 6 Parry 5 Fortitude 5 Toughness 8 Will 4

Offense:
Initiative: +4

Unarmed Close + 7, bludgeoning damage 7

Revolvers Ranged +8, piercing damage 3

Abilities 44 +Powers 16 + Advantages 18 + Skills 14+Defenses 3 =95 Total

Complications: Beast-understands little of human society; Mute-communicates through grunts and gestures; Obsession-tracking down the Strawhan Gang

Design Notes: The Six-Gun Gorilla is an under-pointed PL 7 NPC/ally for a Weird Wild West campaign, light on skill points for a character of his power level (befitting O'Neil's status as an animal raised in the Colorado hinterlands); the “Ape Tricks” skill represents the various stunts he pulls off during the course of the serial which do not easily fit into standard skill frameworks. Like many pulp-era protagonists, the Six-Gun Gorilla boasts quite a few advantages, being an all-around exceptional member of his species. While not really super-powered, his simian strength, agility, and ferocity make him a terror to ordinary human opponents.

The Six-Gun Gorilla's “Fit of Rage” ability is triggered by such events as O'Neil seeing people he cares about harmed, suffering a painful wound (2 or more degrees of effect from an attack), or being thwarted from pursuing the Strawhan gang; while enraged, O'Neil can tear through hordes of minions, overcome his fear of drowning or fire, and perform phenomenal feats of tenacity. The “Only when enraged” is only a Quirk, since O'Neil is easily provoked into the state.

I chose to represent the Six-Gun Gorilla's size through Increased Mass and Reach rather than giving him ranks of Growth, which deviates from the approach taken in most official M&M products. I feel this better represents his status as a great ape-O'Neil is massive, but not really giant-sized in stature. This is mostly a cosmetic choice-a RAW (rules as written) build would give him Growth 4 (Innate and Permanent), but this would only change his point totals, not his actual traits.

If a Gamemaster wishes to beef-up the Six-Gun Gorilla for a somewhat higher-PL Wild West campaign, consider giving him the Ambidexterity and Benefit-Paired Guns advantages, along with allowing him to “fan the hammer” on his revolvers (adding the AE: Ranged Damage 4, Dex check required vs. DC 10, Inaccurate), and a bit more equipment-O'Neil might have picked up anything from a lockpick set to sticks of dynamite during his travels. Add the Impervious extra to his Protection, letting him ignore minor attack, or more ranks of Regeneration to his Fit of Rage power. As a pulp magazine protagonist, the Luck advantage could also be tacked on as well.
Darrin Kelley
Posts: 110
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:47 pm

Re: Mutants & Masterminds - Time Traveller's Codex

Post by Darrin Kelley »

I just sent for this. Finally they have a hardback version for sale. So I grabbed it.
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