EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS CHARACTERS
JOHN CARTER OF MARS
Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 15 STR 5 12- Lift 200 kg; 3d6 HTH Damage 20 DEX 30 13- OCV: 7/DCV: 7 20 CON 20 13- 14 BODY 8 12- 10 INT 0 11- PER Roll 11- 20 EGO 20 13- ECV: 7 20 PRE 10 13- PRE Attack: 4d6 16 COM 3 12- 8 PD 5 Total: 14 PD (6 rPD) 8 ED 4 Total: 14 ED (6 rED) 4 SPD 10 Phases: 3, 6, 9, 12 7 REC 0 40 END 0 32 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 115 Movement: Running: 6"/12" Leaping: 15"/30" Swimming: 4"/8" Cost Powers & Skills Martial Arts: Brawling 3 Armlock -1 -1 Grab Two Limbs, 25 STR/35 STR for holding on 4 Choke Hold -2 +0 Grab One Limb; 2d6 NND 4 Duck/Sidestep -- +5 Dodge, Affects All Attacks, Abort Notes: Also, Swordsmanship Void 5 Good, Old American [Punch] -2 +1 7d6/9d6 Strike Notes: Also, Swordsmanship Slash (Weapon +4 DC Strike) Martial Arts: Swordsmanship; Use Art With Blades Maneuver OCV DCV Damage 3 Cut +2 +1 Weapon Strike 4 Ceduto +0 +0 30 STR to escape Bind 4 Froissement -1 +1 Disarm; 25 STR / 35 STR to Disarm roll 5 Leaping Strike +1 +0 Weapon +v/5; FMove 5 Lunge +1 -2 Weapon +4 DC Strike 4 Parry +2 +2 Block, Abort 4 Prise de Fer +1 +0 Bind, 25 STR / 35 STR 4 Riposte +2 +2 Weapon +2 DC Strike, Must Follow Block 5 Thrust +1 +3 Weapon Strike 7 Earthman's Muscles: +10 STR, Only On Mars (+0); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2), END 1 10 Earthman's Muscles: +5 DEX, Only On Mars (+0); No Figured Characteristics (-1/2) 15 "Took Heart At The Sound Of My Voice": +30 PRE; Only To Inspire Friends And Allies (-1) 10 Earthman's Muscles: +1 SPD, Only On Mars (+0) 5 Earthman's Muscles: +10 END, Only On Mars (+0) 82 Martian Telepathy: Telepathy 6d6, Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Normal Range (-1/4) plus Telepathy 6d6, Invisible Power Effects (Fully Invisible; +1/2), Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2); Only to Achieve +20 "Target Cannot Detect Telepathy" (-1/2), Normal Range (-1/4) 21 Unreadable Mind: Mental Defense (20 points total), Hardened (+1/4) 5 "My Own Blade Caught The Flying Weapon": Missile Deflection (Thrown Objects) 12 Reduced Gravity Leaping: Leaping +10" (3"/15" forward, 1 1/2"/7 1/2" upward), Only On Mars (+0), Reduced Endurance (1/2 END; +1/4), END 1 2 Strong Swimmer: Swimming +2" (4" total), END 1 5 "Not Aged Apparently A Moment": LS (Longevity: Immortal) 15 "Almost Coincidentally...": Luck 3d6 Perks 10 Contact: Kantos Kan, Commander of the Helium Navy (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has very useful Skills or resources, Contact is slavishly loyal to character) 12- 11 Contact: Tars Tarkas, Jeddak of the Tharks (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has very useful Skills or resources, Contact has a very good relationship with character) 14- 8 Contact: Thuvan Dihn, Jeddak of Ptarth (Contact has access to major institutions, Contact has significant Contacts of his own, Contact has very useful Skills or resources, Contact has a very good relationship with character) 11- 15 Follower: Woola the Calot (75-point base) 15 Fringe Benefit: Jeddak of Jeddaks; Warlord of Mars 5 Fringe Benefit: Thark Chieftain 12 Reputation: Greatest Swordsman on Mars (+4/+4d6), 14- Talents 20 "I Was Ever A Good Hand With Animals": Animal Friend (Animal Handler [all categories], PRE +3) 16- 4 "His Weapon Grazed My Side": Combat Luck (3 PD/3 ED); Always Lets First BODY Through (-1/2) 29 Martian Telepathy: Danger Sense (immediate vicinity, out of combat, Function as a Sense) 13- 10 Swordmaster: Deadly Blow: +1d6 (any circumstances, any HTH weapon) Skills 10 "Trained Fighting Man": +2 with HTH Combat 9 "Finishing My Man With No Effort": +3 with Swordsmanship 4 "Terrific Right [Cross]": +2 OCV with Good, Old American [Punch] 4 "With A Single Cut Struck Down Two": +2 OCV with Sweep 10 "Excellent Reasoning Facilities": +2 with Intellect Skills 3 Acting 13- 3 Climbing 13- (14-) 3 Combat Piloting 13- (14-) 10 Defense Maneuver I-IV 3 "My Disguise Was... Complete": Disguise 11- 3 "Manners Are Perfect": High Society 13- 2 KS: Animals of Barsoom 11- 2 KS: Myths And Legends Of Barsoom 11- 0 Language: English (idiomatic; literate) 1 Language: Marentina (basic conversation; literate, literate only) 4 Language: Martian (completely fluent; literate) 3 "Lived And Fought For Years Among The Sioux": Language: Souix (completely fluent) 3 Navigation (Air, Land) 11- 3 Oratory 13- 2 PS: Prospector 11- 2 PS: Confederate Calvary Officer 11- 2 PS: Jeddak 11- 5 "Horsemanship... Was A Marvel And A Delight": Riding 14- (15-) 3 Stealth 13- (14-) 10 "All The Years I Have Roamed The Five Continents And Their Encircling Seas": Survival (Marine, Temperate/Subtropical, Tropical, Desert, Mountain) 11- 3 Tactics 11- 3 TF: Riding Animals, Small Rowed Boats, Thoat 3 "Thoroughly Familiar With The Mechanism Of Every Known Make Of Flier On Barsoom": TF: Martian Air Vehicles 3 Tracking 11- 9 WF: Common Melee Weapons, Early Firearms, Martian Common Melee Weapons, Martian Small Arms, Off Hand 3 Traveler 1 1) AK: Barsoom 11- 1 2) AK: Virginia 11- 1 3) CK: Helium 11- 1 4) CuK: Barsoom Customs And Culture 11- 1 5) "Lived And Fought For Years Among The Sioux": CuK: Sioux Culture And History 11- 1 6) CuK: Thark Customs 11- 516 Total Powers & Skills Cost 631 Total Character Cost 200+ Disadvantages 10 Distinctive Features: 'White' Skin, Black Hair, Gray Eyes (Concealable; Noticed and Recognizable; Detectable By Commonly-Used Senses) 10 DNPC: Carthoris 11- (Slightly Less Powerful than the PC) 20 DNPC: Dejah Thoris 14- (Normal) 15 Hunted: Assorted Enemies 11- (As Pow, Harshly Punish) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code Of Honor: Gentleman's (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: Code Of Honor: Martian (Common, Strong) 15 Psychological Limitation: "I Cannot Stand The Sight Of Cowardly Injustice And Persecution" (Common, Strong) 5 Psychological Limitation: "I Love A Good Fight Too Well" (Common, Strong) 0 Psychological Limitation: Loves Dejah Thoris (Common, Total) 0 Psychological Limitation: "Never Have I Been Much Of A Ladies' Man" (Uncommon, Moderate) 0 Psychological Limitation: Writer-Induced Obliviousness (Common, Strong) 10 Unluck: 2d6 316 Gentleman of Virginia Bonus 631 Total Disadvantage Points OPTIONS - Fringe Benefit: Military Rank (Confederate Officer) var Money: Well-Off (Earth), Filthy Rich (Barsoom) 35 "May Traverse The Trackless Voids At My Will": Extradimensional Movement (any location in the Solar System)
Background/History: "I am a very old man; how old I do not know. Possibly I am a hundred, possibly more; but I cannot tell because I have never aged as other men, nor do I remember any childhood. So far as I can recollect I have always been a man, a man of about thirty. I appear today as I did forty years and more ago, and yet I feel that I cannot go on living forever"—So does John Carter, Gentleman of Virginia, describe himself. Aside from this scant information, we know next to nothing about his origins, where he comes from, how old he is, or where he was born. He has lived in Virginia for some time, and has been a member of the Carter family for well over 150 years. He fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, as a captain of a unit of calvary, afterwards heading west with an old friend to look for gold in the Arizona mountains.
Running afoul of Indians, Carter's friend is killed and Carter himself is forced to seek refuge in a small cave. While there, John is overcome by strange fumes and collapses, to awaken naked and defenseless on the moss-covered floor of a dead sea on the planet Barsoom, better known to the people of Earth as Mars!
Captured by the ferocious six-limbed green men of Barsoom, who stand nearly 15 feet tall, John quickly wins their respect by killing a chieftain with a single punch to the jaw. Still later he kills a second green man in a duel over who will claim the beautiful Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium. Eventually winning free of the the green men, John returns Dejah Thoris, the most beautiful woman on all of Barsoom, to Helium, becoming a prince of that city as well as Dejah Thoris's husband.
John will stay on Barsoom for ten years, before being forcibly returned to Earth. He will remain on Earth for another decade, finally returning to Barsoom by apparently willing himself there. He will only return to Earth once more, to pass on some of his story to a relative, before returning to Barsoom forever.
As you may guess, this is a highly condensed summary of the first three John Carter of Mars novels. In true Pulp-Era fashion, John Carter's life on Mars is one of constant adventure, with duels, fights, captures, escapes, chases, and full-scale pitched battles. He travels all over the planet, meeting with just about every race still left on Mars, befriending some and fighting many more.
Personality/Motivation: Carter is very much the image of a proper Southern Gentleman. He does not lie, not even to save himself from certain death, will not see a woman harmed (for the most part), has no liking for cowards, liars, braggarts, or fools, will not abandoned a friend, and has a strong sense of right and wrong. He also adheres to the Martian Code, which means a man does not lie (instead he says nothing), that a man does not kill a woman (women may fight and kill women, while men fight and kill men), and that one must meet a foe with matched weapons (i.e. if a man springs at you barehanded, can't simply shoot him with the revolver in your hand). Of course, there come times when some of these "rules" are overlooked, and Carter has not so much as lied, as not told the exact truth, and has used firearms to kill men armed with hand-to-hand weapons.
John Carter is also very much a man of action. He cannot stand to sit idle, and has a great deal of wanderlust in him. He enjoys traveling the world of Barsoom, especially as it is a dangerous place, with both men and monsters to fight at any time. Naturally, since John loves a good fight, and is hard pressed to stay out of one he sees occurring (especially if the odds aren't even), he can often be found in the thick of any conflict.
There is one important note about John, however—he is not the sharpest tool in the shed. This is not to say he's idiot (he's not), but that he suffers from writer-induced obliviousness at times. He can be amazingly dense, especially if women are involved. He also seems to be unable to recognize painfully obvious disguises, as well as plot points that just about scream "this is important!" Thus, his INT of 10 (some have said he should have an 8), but to reflect his ability to think in a pinch, I have given him two Levels with Intellect skills.
Quote: "I do not believe that I am made of the stuff which constitutes heroes, because, in all of the hundreds of instances that my voluntary acts have placed me face to face with death, I cannot recall a single one where any alternative step to that I took occurred to me until many hours later. My mind is evidently so constituted that I am subconsciously forced into the path of duty without recourse to tiresome mental processes. However that may be, I have never regretted that cowardice is not optional with me."
Powers/Tactics: "Quick have I always been to decide and act"—This sentence pretty much sums up John Carter in a fight. He tends not to think too much about what he needs to do, he simply does it. Often this means drawing his sword and leaping into the thick of things, a plan, when coupled with his impressive physical skills, is usually enough to see things through. John also feels that the best defense is a good offense, and will often go on the attack at times when others might considerer waiting.
Due to his origins as an Earthman, John Carter's physical abilities on Barsoom are nothing short of astounding. He states he can make leaps of 150' in length (and 30' in height), and is stronger, more agile, and has more endurance than any (humanoid) native of Barsoom, up to and including the green men. He has killed a green man with a single blow to the head, stunned a 15' tall white ape with a punch, fought off upwards of four (or more) armed men at once (this number will grow in later books), and will eventually become the greatest swordsman of two worlds (Earth and Barsoom).
Not only is John Carter physically skilled, but he has gained a number of unique talents during his stay on Barsoom. First of this is the ability of Martian Telepathy. John (and everyone else on Barsoom) is telepathic, although in most people this power is limited to communication purposes only. However, John can read thoughts (mostly surface ones), and has used this power occasionally to pick up important clues. This power also has alerted him to danger, although the threat must have a mind behind it. He is also utterly immune to any telepathic probes from his fellow Martians.
His skill with animals extends to the native life of Barsoom, allowing John to tame both savage thoats and make a permanent friend and ally of Woola the calot, who is utterly devoted to John and has literally traveled halfway around the world to carry out his commands. At the same time, he is also able to inspire great devotion in his friends and allies, and his simple arrival on the battlefield is often enough to hearten allied forces to fight that much harder.
This character sheet does not include any of John's weapons. He normally carried a long sword, a short sword, and at least one dagger. He may also carry a radium pistol (or two), a radium rifle, and a hatchet.
Appearance: "...yet I well remember the tall, dark, smooth-faced, athletic man whom I called Uncle Jack. [...] He was a splendid specimen of manhood, standing a good two inches over six feet, broad of shoulder and narrow of hip, with the carriage of the trained fighting man. His features were regular and clear cut, his hair black and closely cropped, while his eyes were of a steel gray, reflecting a strong and loyal character, filled with fire and initiative. His manners were perfect, and his courtliness was that of a typical southern gentleman of the highest type."
According to Burroughs, everyone on Mars goes about "naked" wearing only a heavily decorated weapon's harness of leather with metal fittings. Seeing as Burroughs was writing in the early 20th Century, his definition of "naked" may not have been the same as ours, but you never can tell.
Designer's Notes: Here he is, John Carter of Mars, one of the first (and greatest) Pulp heroes. This character sheet is taken from the first three novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Mars novels: A Princess Of Mars, The Gods Of Mars, and The Warlord Of Mars. I've tried to include as much as I could, based on any comments or hints dropped in the course of the stories. Of course, I must admit that Edgar Rice Burroughs was not the world's most consistent writer. There are many points where it seems John forgets powers he's used before, or offhandedly mentions a skill he's never used before (or seems to ever use again). Still, the books are a rollicking ride though a world that gets more and more fantastic with each page—Edgar Rice Burroughs may not be the greatest storyteller in the world, but he sure is inventive, with a vivid imagination. Oh, and let's give credit where credit is due, love or hate the John Carter stories, and/or Edgar Rice Burroughs' skill as a writer, it can be argued that Superman's roots lie in John's exploits on Mars, meaning John Carter is the distant father of the entire superhero genre!
John Carter's Hero Designer File
(Captain John Carter created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)