Quickie fun contest: Sectile!

[Ron Edwards]

Over there on G+, Ralph posted* a word for the day: sectile, meaning "capable of being cut smoothly with a knife." Despite grim implications of naming a role-playing character as likely to be cut smoothly with a knife, I nevertheless realized that purely phonetically, it may be the coolest most bad-assed RPG character name I've run into for a while.

So! Let's have some fun. Make up a character named Sectile and post to this thread. The only requirements are that you ... (i) use only a game which you've really actually played, (ii) fully complete the character creation process as described in the book, and (iii) not be distracted by the definition of the actual word. Links to scanned character sheets are appreciated but not required, as long as all the relevant information is available to the reader.

I know I said "contest" but I have not yet decided upon what winning would be, what criteria should be used for it, and what you'll get if you win. For the criteria, I'm tempted to run all the concepts past my totally non-gamer wife and let her choose the winner, partly because it would probably work and partly so I could enjoy how weird she'll think it is, so that'll show you the state of mind I'm in.

Best, Ron

* Far be it from me to call it one of those "aren't I supposed to be working" posts, but decide as you will ...

[Charles Perez]

This character is what I make of Nikkia Bell, daughter of Jeannie Bell nee Vernita Green from Kill Bill Vol. 1, a little girl who saw her mother dead at the hands of Beatrix Kiddo; now she is grown up into an anti-superheroine modern. Her only superpower is the honorary superpower of bad-ass normality; Quinten Tarantino's continuity does have badass normals in it, so she could fit in as a sort of costumed dark avenger, possibly the only one of her kind. In many play circumstances, but not in all, I would file off the serial number and give her a new paint job, so to speak, but here she is merely an example.

Name Aspect: My True Name is Sectile   (Dramatic point total = 0)
Shadow Aspect: You're Waiting? I'm Ready    (Dramatic point total = 0)
Utility Aspect: Dark Knight, Dark Lady    (Dramatic point total = 0)

Total Potential: 180    Committed Potential: 177    Free Potential: 3

I Am Sectile (Specialty->Identity->Persona) 5 base + 1 bonus = 6 magnitude, 60 linear rating, 36 geometric rating

Daughter of Jeannie and Dr. Laurence Bell (Specialty->Lifestyle->Social Status) 4 base magnitude, 40 linear rating, 16 geometric rating

Nikkia Bell, Substitute Teacher (Specialty->Occupation->Hobby) 4 base magnitude, 40 linear rating, 16 geometric rating

Supernal Ability: Badass Normal (Resource->Power->Advantage) 5 base + 1 bonus = 6 magnitude, 60 linear rating

Mom's Money That Dad Didn't Want (Resource->Property->Livelihood) 6 base magnitude, 60 linear rating, 36 geometric rating

Mom (Relationship->Care->Person) 5 magnitude, 50 linear rating, 25 geometric rating

Laurence Bell, But I Call Him Dad (Relationship->Care->Person) 3 base magnitude, 30 linear rating, 9 geometric rating

Sectile Will Get You (Relationship->Reputation->Legend) 5 base + 1 bonus = 6 magnitude, 60 linear rating, 36 geometric rating


Sectile is especially good with knives, and if a bad guy warrants killing, she will cut him to death quickly and efficiently. The irony of her name is that she felt her own heart be cut out when she saw the knife with her mother's blood on it held by her mother's killer. In this light, she sees herself as cutter and the one cut at the same time, so that both her and her foes are truly sectile; this is her own grim, private joke.

The above is a character study for a primary character created according to the rules of my own system Dramatic Lives. The aspects are not dissimilar to Fate aspects; the shadow aspect specifically refers to when Beatrix Kiddo offered to "be waiting" if Nikkia wanted her revenge. Each aspect has its own drama point total, staring at 0 for new characters; these drama points are spent to make conflicts easier to win for the character, and spent to make them harder to win.

The abilities are purchased by committing potential points to them; Sectile started with 180, a good number in my opinion for someone a cut above ordinary. The base levels are bought; the bonus levels are granted by the setting and by the character's relationship to the setting. This character is a superhero, so she gets bonus levels for all abilities that make up her superhero identity. In the superhero genre, a normal character with no superpowers would get one bonus level each for all of that character's relationships - what I call the Rick Jones option.

The various skills for being a superhero can easily be bundles into one ability, in Sectile here's case, the Specialty->Identity->Persona "I am Sectile". If I was describing Spider-Man, his ability to brawl, dodge attacks, swing, shoot webs, and everything else he does as Spider-Man would be subsumed within a similar ability.

Rules for Dramatic Lives can be found at charlesperez.wordpress.com. These aren't the most up to date rules, but they should be a passable overview for the game.

[Jesse Burneko]

So Sectile sounded like a Technoir character to me.  This character is slightly cheating because the character creation process involve steps where other plays would create limitations I didn't have since there were no other players.

Name: Sectile
Description: SECurity repTILE.  Gets in, gets out, gets what you need.

Training Programs: Criminal, Engineer, Investigator
Coax   2
Detect   2
Fight   1
Hack   4
Move   1
Operate   2
Prowl   3
Shoot   2
Treat   1

Adjectives
Clever ++
Technical ++
Persistent ++

Connections
Killia Nine (Date, Deal) Lustful
Loren Truba (Ride, Shark (10 Kreds)) Respectful
Pi Larson (Splice) Loyal

Equipment
Stinger (a light, concealable pistol)
Tags: small, silencer
Cost: 2

Cybereye
Tags: cam, display, nerve-linked, infrared, thermal-imaging
Cost: 5

Cyberhand
Tags: nerve-linked, claws, strong, synthskin
Cost: 4

Specks
Augmented reality, interface glasses, earbuds, and motion trackers
Tags: display, gesture input, linked, sound, derma-linked, encryption, firewall
Cost: 7

Stealthsuit
A black body suit with coolant to fool thermal sensors
Tags: linked, thermal dampeners
Cost: 2

[Callan S.]

I was thinking of how conventional all the games I play are that I can't think of how to fit this in. But then I thought of the Undeground RPG, with it's genetically mutated corporate soldiers with super hero complexes and psychosis. It's not strictly part of the rules, but I'm thinking of an infiltrator character who appears to have no weapons when frisked, but as a variant of the claws power, his blades actually extend from under his skin all over his body, slicing him open to extend and become a human wall of boney blades and blood! After having walked in as a seeming mild manered stooge. Take the Wolverine quote of when he's asked if it hurts when he pops his blades and make it whole body! Also the character has the regeneration power. So he can return to normal slowly over time - lack of scars (but psychologically...well, take my 'marks' from my diary of a skull soldier RPG and you have more of a definition of them. I think I called them marks...or was it something else?). Thematically there's some question there of power Vs being human and feeling pain. Never mind the potential breakage of human ties when someone discovers what you are, deep down inside! I don't have the Underground books to make it so it doesn't qualify, but I thought it'd be fun to describe!

[Ron Edwards]

All very cool and definitely eligible, but everyone who's interested please remember: the definition of the word does not have to be involved in your character concept, not one bit. I like the way it sounds, that's all.

[Moreno R.]

@Ron: I know, but it's difficult to FORGET what does it mean, especially if it's the thing that give you the inspiration for the character... 

Game: ANNALISE

Setting: USA , East Coast, little town, now.

Introduction: rather late in the evening, very dark outside, we see a high school girl, in his room, walls full of posters of heavy metal bands or fantasy scenes with undeads (mostly vampires or ghouls). Shelves full of books, with a big selection of fantasy and horror novels but a rather solid presence of biographies and philosophy books too. The girl is about 18 years old, wear a out-of-style goth set of clothes, long sleeves, but when she undress a net of tiny scars is barely visible on her right arm.

My Name is: Katrina Sangiacomo, but I use the nickname "Sectile" when I write, I consider it my real name.
I am vulnerable because: I cut myself.
My connections to the others are (I don't know, I am still the only PG in this story)

Coins:
Vulnerability:  5 Coins
Secret: 8 coins
Reserve: 3 coins

Secret: you, the reader, will have to give me one. (rule variant that I used sometime, when I play with 2-3 players: everybody write a secret for every character, apart from one's own. Then every player read (silently) all the possible secrets for his own character and choose the one he/she prefer. So now for this character please tell me a few possible secrets and I will choose one)

This character come with a soundtrack, too:
http://youtu.be/UUz_I2f-7Ec

[Callan S.]

All very cool and definitely eligible, but everyone who's interested please remember: the definition of the word does not have to be involved in your character concept, not one bit. I like the way it sounds, that's all.

Nah, it has to be. You don't find a word attractive without either toying with what other thing it sounds like or it's own meaning. If there's some other word that sounds like it then its the temptation of hybridising the two meanings into one unstable concept. Is there any word that sounds like sectile (reptiles done already!)? I want to go sextile as a sound alike hybrid but that doesn't work (I mean, tiles?) - I feel there's something else, though, but I can't recall it.

None of that is required by the rules, of course. But other than that, it has to be!

[Ron Edwards]

Considering how interesting and totally fucked up the characters are so far, I see your point.

Best, Ron

[glandis]

I can't say the meaning of Sectile had NO influence on a character with iron skin, but - a Pathfinder character, created with the Hero Lab software:

Born to a temple prostitute in the Imperial capitol of Jadrikhor, Arvin's mother has insistently told him that, despite his low birth, the blood of Emperor's flows in his veins.  After a childhood in the rundown slums just outside the comparatively luxurious temple precinct, his mother was able to arrange a posting with the city guard.  Arvin has risen to the rank of "Sectile", responsible for maintaining order in one of the more unruly areas of Jadrikhor. His pride in this rank is immense - those who fail to address him as Sectile often leave with a sore jaw, and rarely repeat the error.

The current Emperor is old, and the tensions between the two co-founding peoples of the Empire (the goblin-kin Khay and the human Jadren) are high.  Many believe the future of the Empire rests on the ability of the Sectiles to maintain order in these difficult times.

Sectile Arvin Khay
Male Human Ironskin Monk 6
Racial Heritage (Hobgoblin)
Heart of the Streets trait
LN Medium Humanoid (human)
Init +4; Senses Perception +8
Traits Bullied, Nonchalant Thuggery
--------------------
Defense
--------------------
AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +4 natural)
hp 49 (6d8+13)
Fort +6, Ref +10, Will +7; +2 vs. enchantment spells and effects
DR 1/—; Immune disease
--------------------
Offense
--------------------
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Sectile Baton +6 (1d6+2/x2) and
   Unarmed strike +5 (1d10+1/x2)
Special Attacks flurry of blows +4/+4/-1, ki strike, magic, staggering blow (dc 15)
--------------------
Statistics
--------------------
Str 13, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 12, Wis 14, Cha 10
Base Atk +4; CMB +7 (+9 Tripping); CMD 19 (21 vs. Trip)
Feats Racial Heritage (Hobgoblin), Deflect Arrows (1/round), Improved Natural Armor, Improved Trip, Improved Unarmed Strike, Ironhide, Scorpion Style (DC 15), Stunning Fist (7/day) (DC 15), Toughness
Skills Acrobatics +8, Bluff +2, Escape Artist +8, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (engineering) +2, Knowledge (geography) +2, Knowledge (local) +3, Knowledge (nobility) +3, Knowledge (religion) +5, Perception +8, Profession (City Guard) +7, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +5, Stealth +9, Survival +3
Languages Common, Goblin
SQ heart of the streets, ki defense, ki pool, ki smash +3, maneuver training, purity of body, resilience, stunning fist (stun, fatigue), unarmed strike (1d10)
Other Gear Sectile Baton, Monk's robe, 3000 GP
--------------------
Special Abilities
--------------------
Bullied +1 to hit with unarmed AoEs.
Damage Reduction (1/-) You have Damage Reduction against all attacks.
Deflect Arrows (1/round) While have an empty hand, negate one ranged weapon hit you are aware of (unless from a massive weapon).
Flurry of Blows +4/+4/-1 (Ex) Make Flurry of Blows attack as a full rd action.
Heart of the Streets +1 AC while adjacent to at least two allies. Crowds do not count as difficult terrain.
Immunity to Disease You are immune to diseases.
Improved Trip You don't provoke attacks of opportunity when tripping.
Improved Unarmed Strike Unarmed strikes don't cause attacks of opportunity, and can be lethal.
Ironhide Your skin is thicker and more resilient than that of most of your people.

Ki Defense (Su) A monk can spend 1 point from his ki pool to give himself a +4 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round.
Ki Pool (Su) You have a ki pool equal to 1/2 your monk level + your Wisdom modifier.
Ki Smash +3 (Su) Spend 1 ki to gain damage bonus against objects & constructs for 1 round.
Ki Strike, Magic (Su) If you have ki remaining, unarmed strikes count as magic to overcome DR.
Maneuver Training (Ex) CMB = other BABs + Monk level
Nonchalant Thuggery You gain a +4 trait bonus on Bluff checks to keep others from noticing your aggressive actions.
Purity of Body (Ex) At 5th level, a monk gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.
Racial Heritage (Hobgoblin) You count as another race for the purpose of prerequisites.
Resilience (Ex) If you make a Fort save for reduced effect, it has no effect on you.
Scorpion Style (DC 15) As a standard action, unarmed strike reduces foe's land speed to 5 ft for 2 rds (Fort neg).
Staggering Blow (DC 15) (Ex) Spend 1 ki point after a successful critical hit to stagger opponent.
Stunning Fist (7/day) (DC 15) You can stun an opponent with an unarmed attack.
Stunning Fist (Stun, Fatigue) (Ex) At 1st level, the monk gains Stunning Fist as a bonus feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. At 4th level, and every 4 levels thereafter, the monk gains the ability to apply a new condition to the target of his Stunning Fist. This conditio
Unarmed Strike (1d10) The Monk does lethal damage with his unarmed strikes.

[Ron Edwards]

Setting: a human-only political space drama,  extended-today in 60s SF terms, with star systems more-or-less replacing nations. Close in genre to Asimov's Foundation trilogy, not as boring, but not as gaudy as Dune.

I'm thinking about as far a game from "Shadowrun smash-and-grab" as possible – where the political issues at stake are really important and violence merely augments the negotiations. Sectile's not much help in a fight, but if we were playing right, then oppositional characters would probably be scared of killing him.

Sectile: about 100 points (see note at end)

Strength   9   HP   9
Dexterity   11   Will   13
Intelligence   13   Perception   13
Health   10   FP   10
Basic Speed   5.25   Dodge   8
Basic Move   5      

Appearance:   Average
Wealth:   Comfortable

Balding, portly man, about 50, self-assured and authoritative, wearing Empire diplomatic regalia

Advantages:
Charisma 1, Status 1 (imperial representative), Fearlessness 2, Lucky, Voice, Reputation 2 (hard-line but imaginative back-channel negotiator)

Disadvantages:
Code of Honor (Moderate), Habit (over-calm in combat) Minor Delusion (the empire is benevolent), Intolerance (barbarian values, specific, minor), Obsession (current mission, short-term), Sense of Duty (Imperial citizenry, large group)
Quirks (5): Rubs head without knowing it; Imperial underwear, always; Clear level voice when passionate; Likes barbarian music; Slightly patronizing (you think?)

Skills:
Area Knowledge 14
Humanities 12
Influence (diplomacy) 13
Influence (fast-talk) 13
Influence (intimidation) 13
Influence (savoir-faire) 14
Languages: native spoken/written (free), Barbarian (spoken/accented)
Law 12
Missile Weapon (pistol) 12
Observation 13
Public Speaking 14

I used Brent Newhall's character sheet generator for GURPS 4th edition. It didn't include options for a few things, and I don't have my book handy, so I left a few points unspent to fill in with. If they don't add up just right, I'd tweak a few things, maybe take another disadvantage, to make the numbers work out.

[Joshua Bearden]

Sectile
I am myself. I am canny, brutal, experienced. I laugh at the gods. I delight in life. My foes meet death swiftly.
I am an escaped apprentice, defiant and scorned, but armed with the weapon I invented.
I slouch toward the horizon, the comfortingly cold weight of Sectilus slung from my side.

[Charles Perez]

Because I couldn't resist, here is another Dramatic Lives character, this one being from the continuity of My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. If we're held to 1 entry apiece, count the other one as my entry, please.

Name Aspect: Sectila, Surgeon of Equestria
Shadow Aspect: Where Bamfus Is Needed
Utility Aspect: No Place, No Friends to Call My Own

Total Potential: 150    Committed Potential: 147    Free Potential: 3

Unicorn (Specialty->Identity->Heritage) 4 base + 1 bonus = 5 magnitude, 50 linear rating, 25 geometric rating

Traveling Surgeon (Specialty->Lifestyle->Role) 3 base + 1 bonus = 4 magnitude, 40 linear rating, 16 geometric rating

Surgeon (Specialty->Occupation->Duty) 5 base + 1 bonus = 6 magnitude, 60 linear rating, 36 geometric rating

Supernal Ability: Cutie Mark: A Scalpel (Resource->Favor->Affinity) 6 base magnitude, 60 linear rating

Bamfus the Traveler (Resource->Property->Retinue) 6 base magnitude, 60 linear rating, 36 geometric rating

My Husband, Bamfus the Traveler (Relationship->Care->Person) 4 base magnitude, 40 linear rating, 16 geometric rating

A Surgeon When You Need One (Relationship->Reputation->Legend) 3 base + 1 bonus = 4 magnitude, 40 linear rating, 16 geometric rating

Sectila is an Equestrian pony and a surgeon by trade, such trade encouraged by the image of a scalpel on her flank. Her unicorn magic levitates and manipulates both scalpel and flesh and also heals injuries - especially the cuts she herself must make. Equestria is not a place where there is much danger of illness or injury that warrants surgery, so hardly any localities would warrant a full time surgeon; therefore, to stay busy, Sectila must travel from place to place. It's a good thing that her husband, Bamfus the Traveler, not only can teleport from place to place with or without others, but can do so with enhanced ease and much enhanced distance when going where he or somepony that he is transporting is needed; he has a sense for such need, so can orient by it. When he teleports, his coming and going are marked by a black smoky miasma that dissipates quickly. Sectila's shadow aspect means that she is not the only one that Bamfus transports; Bamfus is often elsewhere, and, when she needs him, may be rushed or in the company of somepony who needs him more than she does.

Bamfus has his own Shadow Aspect: Need Bows to Rule. This means that whoever rules Equestria can use magic to rearrange his traveling priorities - Celestia by day and Luna by night. If he is someplace without a magical ruler, such as the Everfree Forest, he is generally free from this. Celestia has used this privilege from time to time, but Luna never has, not even when she was Nightmare Moon.

Sectila is yellow, but not sickly yellow, with blood red mane and tail. Her cutie mark is a scalpel that a 20th century Terran surgeon might use. Bamfus is purple with black mane and tail. His cutie mark is a black cloud of smoke with a pony shaped hole in it.

=====

The above is the character study for Sectila of Equestria. In Equestria, each pony is a pegasus, a unicorn, or an earth pony; this is indicated by a Heritage ability. If a pony has no such ability, then that pony is an earth pony by default; I call this the Pinkie Pie rule. Rarely, a pony may be both pegasus and unicorn; this means that the pony has two Heritages, one for each breed, both of at least Extraordinary degree, meaning magnitude 6 or greater. If a pony has exactly one breed Heritage at base magnitude 2 or higher, that ability gets 1 bonus level of magnitude. Each ability at 2 or higher base magnitude that directly fulfills the promise of a pony's cutie mark also gets a bonus level; the cutie mark's ability itself however, does not.

[Ron Edwards]

I should really figure out what I meant by "contest." There will be a winner and someone will get something. Let's make the deadline ... midnight on Friday. I mean, I realize that the world is not exactly beating down the door to participate, but maybe we'll get lucky and see a few more.

[Charles Perez]

Will there be a one entry limit? I want to know whether Sectila of Equestria is in the running.

Charles