True20: a modern Adept

To celebrate the recent change from Green Ronin to open up the True20 system for 3rd party publishers, I felt it was time to post something I've had brewing for a while. Sorry I couldn't wait until May, Mr. Pramas.

One of my favourite parts in the True20 Companion is the discussion of how Adepts can work in a realistic or gritty modern setting. One of the options I discuss is running an Adept character as a type of modern savant, whose powers represent extraordinary abilities rather than supernatural ones. Of course, such a character would have a limited range of powers; basically, he could use only those that could conceivably be portrayed as merely extraordinary.

To demonstrate this concept, I have designed a modern Adept character. For the sake of simplicity, I am not assigning him a Background; all I'll provide is a quick 'n dirty stat block and a character backstory. The stats for this character are open game content under the terms of the OGL.

Samuel Sprinter, Adept 1

STR +1 DEX +1 CON -1

INT +3 WIS +4 CHA -2

Attack: +1
Dodge: +1
Parry: +1

Fort Save: -1
Ref Save: +1
Will Save: +6
Toughness: -1

Reputation: +1
Conviction: 3
Power Rank: +4

Skills: Acrobatics +5, Concentration +8, Notice +8, Search +7, Sense Motive +8, Stealth +5, Swim +5.

Feats: Empower

Powers: Body Control, Enhance Ability, Truth-Reading

The Character
Sam Sprinter is a young adult who just doesn't get along with others. Diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome in 1998, Sam has always had an excuse for his anti-social behaviour, but that hasn't others from ostracizing him anyways. Sam is a geek: he has a calculus joke tattooed on his left shoulder, he collects plastic figures from his favourite animes, and spends the majority of his free time posting in internet discussions. How he became an agent of Department 7 is a mystery to everyone except the department Director. It's not uncommon for teams to request reassignment when they discover Sam on the mission roster. He just doesn't get along well with others, a character flaw that he doesn't seem to mind.

While Sam's peers may not respect him as a person, they cannot deny his benefit as an asset to Department 7 Operations. His uncanny ability to push his body beyond its limits in critical situations earns him a grudging admiration among his fellow agents. He also has a knack for detecting lies, a knack which often forces him into investigation work, where his lack of interpersonal skills and empathy sometimes run the risk of compromising important missions.

My Thoughts
Sam is an excellent demonstration of the True20 power system representing nonmagical strength. All of Sam's abilities are conceivably within the mortal ken - they're simply extraordinary. Using his The Talent core ability, Sam could call upon Extraordinary Speed by spending a Conviction point. This would probably be the next power he would select when he levels up, followed by Combat Focus. Depending on the campaign, Sam's player might want to multiclass him into Warrior when he's exhausted his available powers and Adept feats.

So there you have it. Thoughts?