Jab’s Builds! (Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef! Sweetums! Gonzo!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Leonardo (NES)

Post by Jabroniville »

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LEONARDO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Leads
Other Roles: The Responsible One, The Straight Man, The Normal One, Shotoclone
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (140)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Deception 1 (+4)
Expertise (Ninja) 7 (+9)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 2 (+4)
Insight 4 (+7)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 6 (+9)
Persuasion 3 (+6)
Ranged Attack (Ground Swell) 2 (+9)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Vehicles 4 (+6)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Improved Critical (Sword), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Leadership, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Leads the Team)- The safety of the team is Leo's responsibility.
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Responsibility (Human Life)- Leonardo will never, and HAS never, used his swords against a living being. It's always inanimate objects, like flying playground equipment or robots.
Addiction (Pizza)
Weakness (Predictability)- These Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 58--29 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 14 (140)

-Leonardo here is the brightest-colored of the brothers, and uses typical stuff like a jump kick, shoulder throw, and more.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:04 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Donatello (NES)

Post by Jabroniville »

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DONATELLO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Does Machines
Other Roles: The Smart Guy
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (149)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 9 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+11)
Athletics 5 (+8)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Close Combat (Bo) 1 (+11)
Deception 3 (+5)
Expertise (Ninja) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 1 (+10)
Expertise (Science) 8 (+17)
Insight 3 (+6)
Perception 2 (+5)
Persuasion 3 (+5)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 9 (+18)
Vehicles 5 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Improved Critical (Bo), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Inventor, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Teamwork

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"Kicks Things To Make Them Work" Healing 8 (Flaws: Limited to Others, Limited to Machines) [4]

"Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +9

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Addiction (Pizza)
Accident (Explosions)- Donnie may be brilliant, but his Rube Goldberg-esque contraptions also have a tendency to blow up in his face.
Weakness (Predictability)- These Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 78 / Skills: 56--28 / Advantages: 17 / Powers: 13 / Defenses: 13 (149)

-Donatello is typically the most brown of the Turtles in adaptations that bother to differentiate their skin tones- the toy and 2002 cartoon both featured him as a virtually-chocolate brown. The NES version of TMNT: Tournament Fighters features him as a more olive green- green/brown but very pale. He has the same attacks as his brothers, mostly, though one is a "Rolling Ball Kick" that sends him diagonally downwards.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Michaelangelo (NES)

Post by Jabroniville »

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MICHAELANGELO
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Party Dude
Other Roles: Comic Relief, Team Goof-Off
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (138)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 5

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 1 (+13)
Deception 1 (+6)
Expertise (Ninja) 3 (+5)
Expertise (Cooking) 4 (+6)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 8 (+10)
Perception 3 (+6)
Persuasion 3 (+8)
Sleight of Hand 6 (+8)
Stealth 1 (+7)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Improved Critical (Nunchucks), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Taunt, Teamwork

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"PARTYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
Enhanced Skills 4: Athletics 4 (+17) (Flaws: Limited to Surfing & Skateboarding) [1]

"Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +8

Bummer Complications:
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Addiction (Pizza)
Responsibility (Poor Judgement)- Michaelangelo has a tendency to rush off headlong into situations without considering his options first.
Weakness (Predictability)- These Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 74 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 20 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 12 (138)

-Michaelangelo is the lightest of the brothers in the NES version of TMNT: Tournament Fighters- very pale, in fact. This is in contrast to the toys, where he's usually the richest, darkest green. In the game, he uses a variety of jumping stomp "Kangaroo Kicks".
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Raphael (NES)

Post by Jabroniville »

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RAPHAEL
Created By:
Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird
First Appearance: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 (May 1984)
Role: Cool, But Rude
Other Roles: The Snarkiest One
Group Affiliations: The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
PL 8 (137)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+13)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+13)
Deception 4 (+6)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+7)
Expertise (Pop Culture) 5 (+6)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 5 (+7)
Perception 5 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 4 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, All-Out Attack, Equipment 3 (Sais, Trenchcoat), Improved Critical (Sais), Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Defense, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Takedown 2, Taunt, Teamwork

Radical Equipment:
"Twin Sais" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split, Improved Critical) (3)
"Thrown Sais" Blast 4 (Diminished Range -1) (7)
"Trenchcoat" Morph 1 (Looks Human To Everyone, Despite Being Barefoot and Having a Green Face) (5)

Tubular Powers:
"Turtle Physiology"
Movement 1 (Environmental Adaptation- Aquatic) [2]
Swimming 2 (2 mph) [2]

"Half-Shell"
Enhanced Dodge & Parry 1 [2]
Features 1: May Stick Limbs Inside of Shell [1]
Power-Lifting 1 (800 lbs.) [1]

"Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) [1]

Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +13 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Special Moves +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +11 (DC 21), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Reputation (Cool, But Rude)- Raph is pretty quick with the quips, and tends to insult people upon meeting them, or inform the audience how little he respects them. He often replies "a mind like a steel trap" when someone states the obvious.
Responsibility (Master Splinter)- The Turtles deeply respect their sensei, though often disregard his advice.
Secret (Must Remain Hidden From Public View)
Prejudice (Monster)
Responsibility (Human Life)- Raphael does not use his Sais to stab human beings.
Addiction (Pizza)
Relationship (Mona Lisa)- Furries will write TALES of this, let me tell you.
Weakness (Predictability)- These Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 66 / Skills: 52--26 / Advantages: 23 / Powers: 9 / Defenses: 13 (137)

-Raphael in this game is a bit of a more blueish green compared to his brothers- Leo is more standard. In this case, he looks virtually entirely blue/green, especially with his dark shadow (all the Turtles are only two shades of green in this game). Curiously, one of his moves is named a "Power Drill", just like the SNES version.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Casey Jones (NES)

Post by Jabroniville »

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CASEY JONES
Role:
The Greatest Character in the History of the Universe, Ax-Crazy Vigilante, Psychopath
Group Affiliations: None
PL 8 (108)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 11 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE -1

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 2 (+6)
Athletics 6 (+10)
Deception 6 (+5)
Expertise (Psychotic Vigilante) 9 (+9)
Intimidation 9 (+8)
Investigation 4 (+4)
Perception 6 (+6)
Stealth 2 (+6)
Ranged Combat (Thrown Objects) 2 (+9)

Gnarly Advantages:
All-Out Attack, Chokehold, Diehard, Equipment 1 (Golf Bag, Sports Equipment), Fast Grab, Favored Foe (Scuzz-Buckets), Improved Critical (Sports Equipment), Improved Grab, Improved Hold, Improved Smash, Improved Trip, Improvised Weapon, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown

Radical Equipment:
"Hockey Stick/Golf Club" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: Reach) (3)
"Baseball Bat" Strength-Damage +2 (2)

Tubular Powers:
"BREAK Something!" Weaken Toughness 4 (Flaws: Affects Objects Only, Requires Sports Equipment) [1]

Features 1: May Add Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]

"Roto Hockey Stick Swing" Strength-Damage +2 (Feats: +2 to Hit Jumping Opponents) (Inaccurate -1) (2) -- [3]
  • AE: "Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +11 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sports Equipment +11 (+5 Damage, DC 20)
Special Moves +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Initiative +4

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 10), Parry +12 (DC 22), Toughness +4, Fortitude +6, Will +6

Bummer Complications:
Obsession (Punishing Lawbreakers)- Casey is devoted to cleaning up his "fair city" from vicious "SCUZZ-buckets" and other lawbreakers. This consists of violently-assaulting anyone who engages in any sort of crime- from kidnapping to jaywalking.
Obsession ("When do I get to BREAK something?")- Casey is afflicted with a near-constant desire to "break something". He claims that resisting this urge will give him an ulcer.
Reputation (Crazy)- Even the Turtles, vigilantes themselves, consider Casey to be a dangerous lunatic.
Temper- Casey tends to run headlong into battle against any kind of odds. Twice, he's gone against all four Turtles at once, and he once tried to grapple Chrome Dome by himself. Despite that, he stills sees himself as "a mild-mannered public-minded citizen".
Weakness (Predictability)- These Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 44--22 / Advantages: 18 / Powers: 5 / Defenses: 15 (108)

-The only time you can play Casey Jones on the NES, TMNT: Tournament Fighters features Casey as the first non-Turtle opponent you face in Story Mode. He is the only member of the cast who actually uses his weapon, doing a spinning stick attack that's an Anti-Air of sorts. In the game, he's got a simplified, but still recognizable sprite, with a black shirt and tan pants. One of his key other moves is a German Suplex, wrestling-style.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Hothead

Post by Jabroniville »

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HOTHEAD (Chu Hsi)
Role:
Giant Dragon
Played By: N/A
Group Affiliations: The New York Fire Department
PL 8 (134)
STRENGTH
7 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 2
INTELLIGENCE 2 AWARENESS 2 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Close Combat (Unarmed) 2 (+9)
Expertise (Firefighter) 6 (+8)
Insight 2 (+4)
Intimidation 7 (+9)
Perception 3 (+5)

Gnarly Advantages:
Improved Critical (Unarmed), Fast Grab, Power Attack, Startle

Tubular Powers:
"Long Neck" Reach 1 [1]
"Flame Breath" Damage 8 (Feats: Reach) (9) -- [10]
  • AE: "Special Move" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Special Moves +7 (+9 Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +3

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +7, Fortitude +8, Will +5

Bummer Complications:
Prejudice (Freak)

Total: Abilities: 64 / Skills: 20--10 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 11 / Defenses: 8 (134)

-Yes, on a game with a roster of seven freaking people, here's HOTHEAD. Hothead was a 1992 toy release who never showed up in the cartoon, but shows up in the Archie Comics as a GIGANTIC yellow dragon, as opposed to the red one seen in the toys. There, he had a human form that was the love interest for April O'Neil, but it was kind of late in the game and I think never went anywhere. But yeah, the NES game featured this GIGANTIC yellow sprite, double the size of anyone else's, and he had both Fire Breath (which only goes a little bit forward, but in a game where movement is at a premium that's a big deal) and a charging attack. His sprite was so big that they didn't allow Player (vs) Player fights featuring each player using him, but you can trick the game into doing this as a Player (vs) Computer fight- the "Player Two" version is orange instead of yellow, and the screen will flicker a lot due to the pressure these two sprites will put on the 8-bit game.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

The Shredder (NES)

Post by Jabroniville »

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THE SHREDDER (Oroku Saki)
Role:
Final Boss
Group Affiliations: The Foot Clan
PL 9 (163)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 6
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 6
INTELLIGENCE 6 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 2

Bodacious Skills:
Acrobatics 6 (+12)
Athletics 7 (+10)
Close Combat (Unarmed) 3 (+15)
Close Combat (Spikes) 2 (+14)
Deception 5 (+7)
Expertise (Ninja) 6 (+12)
Expertise (Science) 6 (+12)
Expertise (Magic) 4 (+10)
Intimidation 4 (+6)
Investigation 3 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 2 (+8)
Stealth 2 (+8)
Technology 8 (+14)
Vehicles 2 (+8)

Gnarly Advantages:
Accurate Attack, Agile Feint, Assessment, Equipment 2 (Spikes), Evasion, Fast Grab, Grab Finesse, Improved Critical (Unarmed), Improved Critical (Claws), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Inventor, Languages (a few), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 4, Startle, Takedown, Tracking

Radical Equipment:
"Spiked Costume" Strength-Damage +1 (Feats: Split) (2)

Tubular Powers:
Features: May Add Weapon Damage to Special Moves [1]

"SNK Floor Blast" Blast 6 (Reduced Defenses -2, Diminished Range -1) (7) -- [9]
  • AE: "Gautlet Blur Attack" Strength-Damage +0 (Extras: Multiattack 4) (Flaws: Distracting) Linked to Affliction 4 (Toughness; Dazed & Vulnerable/Stunned & Defenseless) (Extras: Extra Condition) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (6)
  • AE: "Special Moves" Strength-Damage +2 (Inaccurate -1) (1)
Righteous Offense:
Unarmed +15 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Spikes +14 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Floor Blast +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Gauntlet Blur Attack +14 (+4 Damage & Affliction, DC 19 & 14)
Special Moves +12 (+6 Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +10

Awesome Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4, Fortitude +5, Will +7

Bummer Complications:
Motivation (Power)- Shredders wants nothing more than to rule the world.
Enemy (Splinter, The Turtles)- Shredder despises those meddling mutants, and has hated and been jealous of Hamato "Splinter" Yoshi for decades.
Rivalry (Krang)- Though the two are partners in crime, they bicker on a constant basis.
Rivalry (Rocksteady & Bebop)- Shredder cannot stand his two comrades. One wonders why he tolerates them.
Relationship (Miyoko Saki)- Shredder's mom is just as villainous as her son, and very bossy. He eventually teleports her back to her retirement home on Earth.
Relationship (Kazuo Saki)- Shredder's brother is a police lieutenant in Tokyo, and teamed up with the Turtles to stop one of his bro's schemes.
Weakness (Predictability)- These Characters cannot simply "spam" out the same attack over and over again, as the opponent will expect the attacks, and be ready for them (and a counterattack). The third time they try the same technique (or same combo of techniques) in a short span, they will be at -2 to Accuracy, AND to his Active Defenses in that round. All will decrease by 2 every successive round the same move is done.

Total: Abilities: 84 / Skills: 68--34 / Advantages: 22 / Powers: 10 / Defenses: 13 (163)

-And now we have the Final Boss of the NES version of TMNT: Tournament Fighters... and it's The Shredder! I mean, that's kind of what I expected of EVERY game, so it's weird that one has him as a regularly-selectable character and another doesn't feature him AT ALL. But here, he's a true beast- the only guy with a regular Blast (the other characters can do Blasts by grabbing the floating power-up only) AND he has a Multiattack move, making him very versatile and devastating. And so, ironically, the 8-bit version of the game is the only one that has a PL 9 Shredder.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (Aska! Karai! TMNT on the NES- Hothead!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And that's it for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters! The only game where they made three versions completely separate from each other, for no reason at all! It's interesting modifying the characters around to fit "Fighting Game Statlines", though that's not something I would typically enjoy doing except in cases where it's fairly simple, like here, and makes the base characters a little more interesting by varying up their powers (compare it to Marvel (vs) Capcom, wherer you'd actually be LOWERING comic characters' capabilities).

Next up... something I'm REALLY curious about how well it'll do in terms of interest (if only because it's going to be a very long set)- Shining Force!
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Shining Force

Post by Jabroniville »

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SHINING FORCE:
-So for about a thousand years, I've been thinking of doing stats for Shining Force, the first of which had a Game Boy Advance remake that ended up being one of my favorite games. I've only played that one, but I've gained some familiarity with the rest of the series, so I can stat another game or two. The things keeping me from doing so were largely concern over it being too big a project and too obscure at the same time, but it looks like there's some interest for it, so why not?

The first game came out in 1992, but the Shining series started with a first-person "Dungeon Crawler" called Shining in the Darkness that is largely forgotten. What the series is most well-known for is a pair of successful RPGs for the Sega Genesis in the early 1990s- Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention and Shining Force II. These games were unlike others, in that they were Tactical Role-Playing Games- positioning and movement became important, as you moved your characters across the battlefield. You couldn't abandon your troops at random, had to place them correctly, and more. You can attack the people next to you only, but Archers can fire one step past that. Knights eventually get javelins that can do the same, as Archers can further ranged weapons. Mages can shoot close or ranged, and even learn TEMPLATE SPELLS that can wipe out multiple foes- but watch out, because their health sucks and they're slow as hell to gain Experience.

The game received a sequel with Shining Force Gaiden ("side story") for the Game Gear, but this one never released outside of Japan- the next year saw a sequel to THAT, which was. Both were combined together as Shining Force CD in 1994, and another Japan-only game came out in 1995, called Final Conflict. Shining Force II came out in 1994 to outstanding ratings- I remember GamePlayers Magazine giving it over 90%, and it was held up as an idea Genesis RPG, along with Phantasy Star- Nintendo had the iconic SquareSoft games.

However, this large span of games was largely the end of it. The Sega Saturn came out in the mid-90s to a wet fart, and 1997's Shining Force III only got a few releases- it was meant to be a single "story" released from three different points of view (a bit too bold for the time, though Fire Emblem would use more or less the same idea later, but release the games simultaneously), though only "Scenario 1" came out in English. This, plus the demise of Sega as a hardware developer, kind of put the kibosh on the whole thing.

(For the Record, I am only going to build Shining Force I-II and the Gaiden games, though those will probably have simpler notes and maybe a "Template")

The Shining Force series largely died with the Saturn, though other Shining games were released- none of the same continuity, however. Shining Soul I-II for the Game Boy Advance came out five years later. A remake of Shining Force I came out for the same system in 2004, which is the one I played. The PlayStation 2 saw Shining Tears and its sequel Shining Wind- Action RPGs I've never heard of. Plus Shining Force Neo (which re-used parts of Shining Force I, like Max, but got pretty weak reviews) and its sequel EXA, and then a series of mobile phone remakes of the series came out. Most of these games are said to have "mixed" reviews, but in the 7-8/10 range (which is apparently not so great in the era when companies openly bribe reviewers for positive reviews, but whatever).

SF Feather was a DS game, and actually another Tactical RPG. Plus Shining Hearts, Shining Blade and oh my god so many other games, all of which have "Tony Taka" on character design, and it gives them all the same kind of "Generic Anime Look"- very non-distinct. Wispy boys, wispy girls, and wispy hair- you know the look. It doesn't really match with the '90s RPGs and their long-faced cartoon warriors, nor the distinctive style of Fire Emblem. Some don't even have reviews mentioned on Wikipedia, while others are said to be "mixed".

STATTING UP AN RPG:
-Statting up a Role-Playing Game, especially one where the bonuses are random and a human-level fighter can become unrealistically powerful as time goes on is a tricky process. Your heroes struggle against Goblins at first, but are eventually treating Dragons & Chimerae as simply speed-bumps in your battles. It doesn't really make any kind of sense in M&M, where stats for human-level characters don't upgrade quite that way (a fighter would get more accurate; not one-off Dragons with ease). Never mind that Swords upgrade from "slightly increase your damage" to "will one-hit-kill Dragons" and still be easily-bought at the local corner store in every village. A Short Sword will do +5 ATK (damage), for example, while a Steel or Broad Sword will do +18-25- four times as much! So I just kind of do a roundabout thing where it gives you some good upgrades and that's it.

CLASSES:
* As in most Tactical RPGs, your team is made up of different Classes, each of which is very different. In Shining Force, you typically have a Hero, a ton of Knights, duplicates of most other types (Healer, Mage, Warrior, Archer)... and then a bunch of unique troop types.

Hero: The Main Character.
Knight: Represented in the game by Centaurs, these are your assault force- the front-line soldiers who charge the enemy. They are tough, strong, and have great movement speed, with almost zero downsides.
Warrior: Dwarves who are on foot, and both strong & tough. Meant to be front-line tanks, they match Knights on attack, but are even tougher. I rarely find a use for these, though.
Archer: Elves with low toughness but ranged firepower. Typically overshadowed as the game goes on, but it's very good in a Tactical RPG to have someone who can attack from a square or two away.
Bird Warrior: "Birdmen" who are your first fliers- a huge advantage tactically, though they aren't the strongest fighters.
Vicar: Healers. Terrible fighters and low Toughness, but the only ones who can heal your party. Keep them hanging back and protect them.
Mage: Powerful Spellcasters who strike from range or up close, but have horrible Toughness and little combat ability otherwise. Keep them hanging back and protect them like Vicars. And you have to work on their XP- they will suck forever if you don't keep at it, so try to have them finish off weakened foes. Eventually they will gain devastating Area Attacks that can shred multiple enemies at once.
Monk: A combination Healer/Front-Line Fighter, rarely excelling at either. Typically only one per game.
Unique Classes: These come from all over the place. An "Assault Knight" is a Knight with a ranged weapon. Kokichi is a "Sky Knight" in a flying contraption. There are Ninjas & Samurai kicking about. Shining Force sees a Werewolf, a Dragon, an armadillo "Steam Knight" and a flying alien join your team, while Shining Force II has Gamera and a Phoenix. These can get a little nutty.

WEAPONS:
Swords:
Short Sword +2, Middle Sword +2, Long Sword +3, Steel Sword +3, Broad Sword +4, Doom Blade +5, Katana +5, Sword of Light +8, Sword of Darkness +9, Chaos Breaker +9
-Swords may be carried by Max, Musashi, Hanzou, Dwarves, and the Birdmen, though Dwarves lose out above "Long Sword", and Max is the only one who can carry the final three. Typically you will always give Max your best one. The Sword of Darkness is a "Cursed" weapon, which may hurt you over the course of the battle.

Axes:
Hand Axe +2, Middle Axe +3, Battle Axe +3, Heat Axe +4, Great Axe +5, Atlas +7 (+ Blaze III)
-Axes are the typical weapons for your Dwarves, Luke & Gort, and the only ones who may use them. Eventually they will outstrip the use of Swords at all and only use Axes, the latter of which can be very devastating.

Spears & Lances:
Spear +2, Bronze Lance +2, Power Spear +3, Steel Lance +3, Chrome Lance +4, Halberd +5, Devil Lance +7, Valkyrie +7
-Spears & Lances are the polearms used exclusively by the "Cavalry" Classes- Knights & Kokichi (in his flying contraption). As these guys make up the glut of your assault force, especially early on, expect to use a lot of them. They start out same-old, but gather steam VERY quickly in the end (probably because you end up needing so many). The Devil Lance is "Cursed" and may hurt you over the course of the battle.

Staves:
Wooden Staff +1, Power Staff +3, Guardian Staff +3, Holy Staff +5, Demon Rod +8
-Staves are pretty weak weapons, and typically used as a last resort by your Healers & Mages, both of whom lack attack value and should NOT be put in a position to be counter-attacked. Both classes can wield the first three, while the Vicar has the Holy Staff, and the Wizard grasps the Demon Rod (which, obviously, is "Cursed" and may hurt you over the course of the battle).

Arrows:
Wooden Arrow (Blast 2), Steel Arrow (Blast 3), Elven Arrow (Blast 4), Assault Shell (Blast 6), Buster Shot (Blast 8)
-Arrows are the ranged weapons for your Archers, and later Lyle the Assault Knight can use them. They actually gain remarkable power over time, hitting as hard as your toughest guys.

The Template I Used To Determine Weapon Damage:
+5 (+2)
+8 (+2)
+12 (+3)
+18 (+3)
+20 (+4)
+25 (+5)
+30 (+6)
+36 (+8)
+40 (+9)

RINGS:
* Rings are very useful additions to your army, as equipping one can give you great bonuses. However, you have a very limited supply over the course of the game- only one of each! It's tricky for my builds, as I don't want to just throw them onto whichever guy was my favorite and penalize the others, so these will probably be ignored.

Black Ring (ST +1)
Power Ring (ST +1)
Evil Ring (ST +2)- A "Cursed" item that may hurt you over the course of the battle.
Mobility Ring (Speed +2)- useful for either turning your Knights into hyper-mobile death machines, helping a foot troop keep up with Knights... or removing the key weakness of Guntz, the slowest guy in your group.
Shield Ring (Toughness +1)
Speed Ring (Defenses +1)
White Ring (Toughness +2)- Equippable only to the Hero or the Vicar (your Healers), which either maxes out Max or makes your Healers less of a liability.

CHURCHES:
-Every village you encounter will have a Church, where the local Priest (a very Christian-looking one, too), will heal your entire party, and raise fallen members. So yes, every single religious scholar in the world of Shining Force can cast Healing with the Resurrection & Restorative Extras, lol.

MAGIC SPELLS:
* The game offers a number of Magic Spells, usable only by your Spellcasting Classes, though a few random characters learn other things. Spellcasters are typically very wimpy, fragile creatures, but a Knight or alien that learns some spells would be much tougher, if less versatile.

DAMAGING SPELLS:
-Early Spellcasters use "Blaze" spells, which are pretty cheap and do some good damage. "Bolt" spells can be wider-ranged and are moroe damaging, but are much more expensive to cast. Magic ignores the "Defense" stat (Toughness), meaning you don't reduce the damage against high-toughness troops in Shining Force- this is explained via small Flaws on the last few ranks of the upper-tier spells.

"Blaze 1" Blast 3 (6)
"Blaze 2" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (15)
"Blaze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18)
"Blaze 4" Blast 11 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (Ranks 10-11 Limited to Toughness 8+ Troops) (16)
-Blast spells are very cheap and do a lot of quick damage- many are available early.

"Freeze 1" Blast 3 (6)
"Freeze 2" Blast 6 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (15)
"Freeze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18)
"Freeze 4" Blast 11 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (Ranks 10-11 Limited to Toughness 8+ Troops) (16)
-Freeze is just the icy version of "Blaze", and does nothing really cold-related.

"Bolt 1" Blast 4 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (8)
"Bolt 2" Blast 7 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (14)
"Bolt 3" Blast 10 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (20)
"Bolt 4" Blast 12 (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (Ranks 11-12 Limited to Toughness 8+ troops) (11)
-Bolt are seem a bit pricier for similar effects, but are said to be the most powerful spells in the game- you tend to recruit "Bolt-Themed" Wizards much later than others. Most of the spells are Area Attacks.

"Desoul" Blast 11 (Feats: Improved Critical 3) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) Linked to Weaken Stamina 10 (Extras: Ranged) (Inaccurate -2) (22)
-Desoul is a hit-or-miss attack that instantly kills or doesn't kill at all- a tough effect to replicate in an RPG where "Instant Kill" is not a thing- I went with Blast/Weaken.

HEALING SPELLS:
* Vicars and Monks can accomplish these, as well as Buffs.

"Heal 1" Healing 4 (8)
"Heal 2" Healing 6 (12)
"Heal 3" Healing 8 (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (12)
"Heal 4" Healing 12 (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (12)
-Heal spells are the generic healing known to most Vicars, though the weakest ones will ONLY know Heal, which can only ever heal one ally at a time.

"Aura 1" Healing 4 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2, Selective) (14)
"Aura 2" Healing 4 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (14)
"Aura 3" Healing 8 (Extras: Area- 30ft. Burst, Selective) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (24)
"Aura 4" Healing 12 (Extras: Area- 250ft. Burst +4, Selective) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (72)
-Aura Spells are like Healing, but cover a wider area- a spectacular advantage in an RPG. Characters with Aura will quickly outstrip those without them. "Aura 4" is a godly power, but expensive and rare (only found VERY late-game).

"Detox" Healing 10 (Extras: Restorative Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Poisons) (10)
"Shield" Immunity 10 (Magical Effects) (Extras: Affects Others, Ranged) (30)

"Quick 1" Enhanced Defenses 2 & Advantages 2 (Improved Initiative 2) (Extras: Ranged, Affects Others) (14)
"Quick 2" Enhanced Defenses 3 & Advantages 4 (Improved Initiative 4) (Extras: Ranged, Affects Others, Selective, Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (28)
-Quick spells enable your allies to become both better at avoiding enemy attacks, and faster in the initiative order- the later version affects an entire group!

"Boost" Enhanced Strength 2 & Ranged Damage 2 (Extras: Affects Others, Ranged) (Flaws: Unreliable- 5/day) (10)
-Boost makes your allies stronger fighters.

DEBUFFS:
-These afflict your enemies with status problems. I literally never use these in games, though some players swear by them.

"Slow 1" Affliction 8 (Defenses; Vulnerable/Defenseless) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (16)
"Slow 2" Affliction 12 (Defenses; Vulnerable/Defenseless) (Extras: Ranged, Cumulative, Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Limited Degree) (30)

"Dispel" Nullify 10 (Extras: Broad & Simultaneous- Magical Powers) (30)
-The ability to completely neutralize the Magical Spells of enemies!

"Muddle" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Paralyzed) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
"Sleep" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed/Stunned/Incapacitated) (Extras: Ranged) (16)
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Apr 21, 2020 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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KorokoMystia
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Re: Jab’s Builds! (Aska! Karai! TMNT on the NES- Hothead!)

Post by KorokoMystia »

Shining Force and Fire Emblem are two of my favourite Strategy RPG series to this day.
It's still intersting how similar, yet different the two series are.
-Fire Emblem did not allow you to replay maps (until later games introduced a World Map with optional missions to allow for grinding), while Shining Force allowed you to exit a map midway (via the hero's "Egress" spell) and start it over in order to gain more experience.
-FIre Emblem had dead characters lost forever (until later games introduced the option to turn permadeath off), while Shining Force allowed ressurection through the churches.

And for simlarities, there's some similar classes, and they both featured the class promotion system which even worked similarly in both (characters can promote at level 10-20)
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Shining Force I

Post by Jabroniville »

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SHINING FORCE I- THE LEGACY OF GREAT INTENTION:
-The first Shining Force came out in 1992, and is one of those games that even people who didn't like RPGs enjoyed- I've heard tell of people who were into all kinds of gaming who loved it. It's easy enough and simple enough that it's a fantastic introduction to the genre, and not as up its own ass with grand, "deep" storytelling with the depth of a Philosophy 101 class, too.

What I like about the original Shining Force is that the story is more or less drawn 100% from the List of Fantasy Cliches. You play an amnesiac, heroic boy who grows into a great leader and warrior, suffers through the death of his mentor-figure, fights alongside childhood friends and new ones, gains a Magic Sword, has an enemy that's a long-lost relative, and has to kill an Evil Sorceress, a Dark Lord, a Black Knight and a Dragon. Almost none of this is original, and yet all those cliches work for a reason- it's old-school as hell.

The main classes are pretty typical, and some are divided along racial lines- Dwarves Using Axes, Elven Archers, Knights, Wizards & Healers. But each Wizard has a unique element of expertise, there's a ton of "one-off" classes, and all your Knights are actually CENTAURS! This unique addition gives the world a bit of focus and helps it stand out from the more typical games- you instantly become "The One with the _____" if you specialize in a rarely-done major species. And other things sprouted up, too- your enemies got increasingly scarier, you learned that the "Ancients" who'd long since passed had weapons the player would recognize as LASERS, and more!

So you start out as Max (you can change the name, like in most games of this era), a humble, amnesiac soldier boy in the army. Quickly, however, the kingdom is overrun by a Black Knight (known as Kane) and the army of Runefaust, who kill all of the established soldiers, as well as Max's mentor. Left with his small group of friends (a Cleric, Dwarf, Knight, Archer & Mage), our hero is forced to take off on his own. You make new recruits quickly (a Monk named Gong and another Dwarf, named Gort), and finally your mentor's daughter, then the orphaned Princess join your quest. And as time goes on, things get more and more crazy- you add a member or two of each class, a ton of Knights (your main "assault troops"), and then a bunch of weird rand-os show up.

The Bird Warriors are useful fliers, and soon you add a crazy inventor in a flying machine. One Knight uses Magic, a WEREWOLF joins the party, and then you start finding weirdo secret troops like Hanzo the Ninja and Musashi the Samurai. There's also a Steam-Powered Armadillo-Man, a Knight using a cannon, an alien jellyfish, and a rodent wearing a hat. Then a young Dragon God joins the party and learns to become a warrior while Max's old assitant, a friggin' ROBOT, adds himself to the roster! You end up with dozens of potential characters to choose from, any one of which is fine in the long run (though others naturally end up better, sometimes).

What typically happens is the battles escalate- the Main Boss of each battle typically becomes a Mook in the next one, as you defeat a Goblin first, then Goblins are enemies in later stages. Later you find enemies like Pegasus Knights, Dullahans, Chimeras & Dragons appear as Bosses, then routine foes. You escalate in experience (often using the "Egress" spell to leave the field of battle, then return, as your XP was now built up). Enemies can surround you (and often divebomb Max, as if he falls, the game ends), some shoot out magic, and more.

The villains are truly memorable- despite my horrible memory for things I did in my 20s, I still remember Balbazak, the Hobgoblin Sub-Boss because of his weird scar. DarkSol is a dark-skinned, horned "Dark Lord" type of guy who has a stand-out design. His Sorceress ally/girl is Mishaela, a blue-skinned Dark Elf who fights you with an army of marionettes. Kane is a true Black Knight with a tragic secret. And of course DarkSol both feels justified in his evil actions (he had his soul erased by the Ancients so he could empower the Dark Dragon), and dies bringing for the ultimate evil. The final battle against Dark Dragon features all of your allies talking shit to the creature, building themselves up before the final push- it's Fantasy 101, but it WORKS.
Last edited by Jabroniville on Tue Sep 06, 2022 9:07 am, edited 1 time in total.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Max

Post by Jabroniville »

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MAX
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Swordsman/Hero
Role: The Main Hero, Amnesiac Fighter
Weapons: Swords
PL 12 (186)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 4
FIGHTING 12 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 5 (+8)
Deception 2 (+5)
Expertise (Soldier) 10 (+11)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+5)
Perception 4 (+7)
Persuasion 8 (+11)

Advantages:
Diehard, Equipment 2 (Sword +3-5, Armor +2), Fearless, Improved Critical (Swords) 2, Improved Defense, Improved Initiative, Inspire, Last Stand, Leadership, Power Attack, Ranged Attack 2, Teamwork

Powers:
"Egress!" Teleport 10 (Extras: Area- 500ft. +5, Selective, Extended Only +0) (Flaws: Limited to Last Town Visited, Tiring) [60]

"Chaos Breaker" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [12]
Strength-Damage +9 (Extras: Penetrating 10) (19) -- (20 points)
  • AE: "Freeze 3" Blast 9 (Extras: Area- 15ft. Burst +1/2) (Flaws: Unreliable -1/2- 8/day) (18)
"White Ring" (Flaws: Removable) [8]
Protection 2 (Extras: Impervious 8) (10 points)

Equipment:
"Swords" Strength-Damage +3-5

Offense:
Unarmed +12 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Sword +12 (+6-8 Damage, DC 21-23)
Chaos Breaker +12 (+12 Damage, DC 27)
Freeze 3 +9 Area (+9 Ranged Damage, DC 24)
Initiative +9

Defenses:
Dodge +12 (DC 22), Parry +14 (DC 24), Toughness +4 (+6 Armor, +8 White Ring), Fortitude +6, Will +11

Complications:
Responsibility (Amnesiac)- Max remembers little of his past.
Responsibility (Guardiana)- Max was taken in by the people of Guardiana, and seeks to avenge the kingdom after the invasion of Runefaust.
Enemy (Kane, DarkSol)- Kane killed Max's mentor-figure, Lord Varios, and DarkSol leads the legions of Runefaust, which Max has sworn to fight.
Relationship (The Shining Force)- Max leads the Shining Force- the last defenders of Guardiana. His closest friends are the first people on the team, but soon many more join.
Power Loss (Egress- Unable to Speak)- Max suffers an injury that renders him unable to speak near the end of the Legacy of Great Intention. This de-powers his "Egress" spell.
Responsibility (Shining Force's Leader)- As the leader of the Shining Force and someone important to many other characters, Max is always targetted first by the enemy. Creatures that may choose any opponent will nearly always choose to attack Max.

Total: Abilities: 62 / Skills: 34--17 / Advantages: 15 / Powers: 80 / Defenses: 12 (186)

-Max is the Main Character of Shining Force I, and a necessary part of every battle. All enemies are trained to go after him first (as if he falls, you lose), but his experience and leveled-up capabilities will make him one of your best fighters. He has standard-issue speed, but gains skill & toughness, and has regular access to the best swords (which are only rarely shared, as most other troops have various weapons). Finally, he gains the legendary sword "Chaos Breaker", which can prevent the resurrection of the Dark Dragon. Most of the time he just uses good swords that provide solid bonuses to attack.

-Max is defined early on by his all-around fighting style- not too fast, nor too slow. He falls behind the Knights, and generally isn't as strong, but is more skilled and harder to hit. And he has the all-important "Egress!" spell, which teleports your entire party off of the battlefield no matter where they are on it, and brings you back to the town, where you can heal up and try again. Wise players do the "Fight Fight Fight/Egress" trick repeatedly to mine XP for their spellcasters, Bleu and other "Late Bloomer" characters, though I believe the enemies "scale up" so you can never quite overwhelm them by level-grinding. "Egress" is EXTREMELY expensive in M&M terms, as Mass Teleports often are, so Max overall is very pricey. Naturaly, as the game ends if Max is killed, the enemies are programmed to divebomb him as soon as they get a chance.

-This build presumes both the use of "Chaos Breaker" (his other Swords include basic stuff, and the +11 Sword of Light, which allows "Bolt 2"- Burst Area Damage 7) and the White Ring- a singular Magical Ring that boosts your Defenses by a lot. You either give it to Max or one of your Healers (to buff up a fragile class). Chaos Breaker is so powerful, it boosts him to the level of a Powerhouse in Marvel or DC Comics- hitting for +12 Damage! And then it can also cast "Freeze 3"- a PL 9 Area Attack! This turns Max into the god-tier Powerhouse of the Shining Force, though at many other stages of the game, he'll fall behind other troops.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24690
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Lug/Luke

Post by Jabroniville »

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"Listen, dragon! I'm Lug, the dwarf warrior! You better watch out, 'cause I'll split that head open with this axe!"

LUG (aka "Luke")
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Warrior/Gladiator
Role: Front-Line Fighter, The Tank
Weapons: Swords, Axes
PL 9 (81)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 8 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 5 (+5)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 2 (+3)

Advantages:
Close Attack 1, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Axe +3-4, Armor +2, Shield +1), Fearless, Improved Critical (Axes), Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Teamwork, Ultimate Toughness Save

Powers:
"Dwarf Physiology" Movement 1 (Mountainous Terrain) [2]

Equipment:
"Swords" Strength-Damage +3
"Great Axe" Strength-Damage +5

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Great Axe +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (+6 Shield, DC 16), Parry +8 (+9 Shield, DC 19), Toughness +7 (+9 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Guardiana)- Lug is of Guardiana, and seeks to avenge the kingdom after the invasion of Runefaust.
Relationship (Gort)- Lug was rescued as a young child by a dwarven warrior, and longs to be like the strong Gort.

Total: Abilities: 52 / Skills: 14--7 / Advantages: 11 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 9 (81)

-Lug ("Luke" in most translations, though Shining Force II also has a Luke) & Gort are two of your earliest fighters, and the least "Special"- they are simple front-line fighters who operate as Tanks- guys with loads of HP and strong hitting power. Nothing fancy at all to them, but some people swear by these guys. Lug is part of the very first incarnation of the Shining Force, thus becoming very useful immediately, but I found the two Dwarf characters so boring I dumped them first chance I could. The other issue I have with Warriors is that they're terribly slow compared to Knights, so I often drop them over time for the cooler-looking bad-asses you recruit, like Musashi the Samurai.

-Lug reappears in Shining Force Gaiden, having helped Queen Anri rebuild Guardiana over 20 years. His son Ruce joins the new Shining Force in that game, as does Lug himself, making him one of very few characters to appear across two games as a playable fighter! Alas, here he is recruited so late (he carries the Sword of Hajya that gives the game its nickname, and has an obscolete weapon) that building him up from his low stat beginnings is rather pointless, as you'll already have solid fighters by that point. You even have to bring a spare Great Axe to give him, lest he be too powerless!

-Lug is your first Warrior, and is generally the better of the two according to an old review I read ages ago. Warriors are your tough front-line Tanks, with good defenses, HP and even hitting power- I made Lug a PL 8.5 fighter with remarkable Toughness for a humanoid (+9 overall is nearly unheard of). Lug & Gort are able to use most of the early versions of Swords, but soon switch to Axes. If given the lengedary Axe "Atlas", he or Gort will be PL 9 fighters offensively and have Area Attacks (Blaze 3).
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Gort

Post by Jabroniville »

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"There's too much suffering in this world...and I can't take it anymore!
I'll defeat you and bring peace to the world!"
-Gort, in the final battle.


GORT
First Appearance:
Shining Force I
Class: Warrior/Gladiator
Role: Front-Line Fighter, The Tank, First Recruit
Weapons: Swords, Axes
PL 8 (82)
STRENGTH
4 STAMINA 7 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 7 DEXTERITY 1
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 2 (+6)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+8)
Intimidation 5 (+6)
Perception 3 (+4)

Advantages:
Close Attack 2, Diehard, Equipment 2 (Axe +3-4, Armor +2, Shield +1), Fearless, Improved Critical (Axes), Interpose, Last Stand, Power Attack, Teamwork, Ultimate Toughness Save

Powers:
"Dwarf Physiology" Movement 1 (Mountainous Terrain) [2]

Equipment:
"Swords" Strength-Damage +3
"Great Axe" Strength-Damage +5

Offense:
Unarmed +9 (+4 Damage, DC 19)
Sword +9 (+7 Damage, DC 22)
Great Axe +9 (+8 Damage, DC 23)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +5 (+6 Shield, DC 16), Parry +7 (+8 Shield, DC 18), Toughness +7 (+9 Armor), Fortitude +7, Will +7

Complications:
Responsibility (Old Soldier)- Gort was looking forward to giving up battle, and was a bit of a drunk. Shamed over his inaction during the invasion of Guardiana, he joins the Shining Force to redeem himself.

Total: Abilities: 50 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 12 / Powers: 2 / Defenses: 10 (82)

-Gort is actually the very first "New Recruit" to your party- he's a wisened old Dwarf you meet at the pub before the battle at Guardiana- he's at first two drunk to do anything, but following the disastrous battle, he sobers up and joins you to re-live his old days of fighting. He's apparently tougher than Lug according to a GameFAQs page, but an old DieHard GameFan review from ages ago said that "Lug was a million times better than Gort". Overall I left him as a PL 8.5 fighter with a PL 8.5 Parry.
sirjolt
Posts: 35
Joined: Mon Sep 11, 2017 10:50 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds! (TMNT on the NES- Hothead! Shining Force! Max!)

Post by sirjolt »

If there were two different people in a class in Shining Force, the first one could always be trained up better than the second one. While you can eventually get a Monk straight up (for example), advancing your Mentor's daughter to Monk would be a stronger character than the Monk you get later even if they're bpth the same level.. I agree about the dwarves; they seem slow even at the beginning. Another rough part of the first game is that, when you advance to your advanced class, your abilities took a big initial hit
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