Duncan was my first character in Steve Creech’s mixed-rules d20 campaign. Any published d20 system was permitted, and so I created a character based on the d20 Modern system.
Duncan (Thomas James Duncan) trained throughout his teen-aged years to become a Hollywood stuntman and stunt combat expert who saw the demand for such specialists in the years just after the first “Lord of the Rings” movie was released. Instead, Duncan became a Taken: that was the term used on the fantasy world he found himself upon for strangers from other worlds similarly and strangely transported to the campaign world. There he joined up with other Taken who became the protectors of Nigel Talansaltos, prince and heir to his kingdom. Over the following year, helped establish Nigel as king and himself as a noble of the Realm.
In game terms, Duncan was a Fast and Tough character who later would also attain levels in Martial Arts Master. Because of his skill path, he had familiarity with archaic weapons (his favored weapon was a katana although he usually wielded a claymore as shown above) and several acrobatic and evasion skills. The armor he wears in the image is something he found in his travels, being constructed of beryllium, a very light metal, resulting in a set of full plate armor that counted as light armor. The symbol on the front of the armor is reminiscent of the Chaosium dragon logo and is deliberate.
Characteristics
| STR | 17 | DEX | 18 | CON | 15 | INT | 13 | WIS | 13 | CHA | 10 |
Duncan is a level 7 Fast, level 2 Tough and level 2 Martial Arts Master.
His primary skills are:
| Skill | Stat | Total | Mod | Ranks | Misc | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balance | DEX | 17 | 4 | 13 | ||
| Escape Artist | DEX | 9 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Hide | DEX | 14 | 4 | 11 | ||
| Jump | STR | 10 | 3 | 7 | ||
| Knowledge | INT | 2 | 1 | 1 | Popular Culture | |
| Move Silently | DEX | 17 | 4 | 13 | ||
| Ride | DEX | 6 | 4 | 2 | ||
| Sleight of Hand | DEX | 9 | 4 | 5 | ||
| Survival | WIS | 5 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Tumble | DEX | 17 | 4 | 13 |
Duncan possessed a number of special abilities from the d20 Modern track, including:
- Defensive Roll
- Evasion
- Ki Focus
- Uncanny Dodge I and II
Duncan has several feats, including:
- Archaic Weapon Proficiency
- Armor Proficiency
- Combat Martial Arts
- Combat Throw
- Defensive Martial Arts
- Dodge
- Mobility
- Toughness
Physical Description
Height: 6′ 1″
Weight: 185 lbs
Build: Wiry
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Dark blond, long, kept in a ponytail
Skin: Tanned
Hand: He favors his right hand.
Duncan’s Story
He didn’t have the looks to be an action hero, but he had the moves, and that was enough for him.
Growing up in Hollywood, it was natural for Duncan to want to be in the movies. He didn’t have the looks, but he had everything he needed for his dream profession: stuntman. All through his teenaged years he worked to develop his strength and quickness. He won a scholarship to one of the most prestigious martial arts dojos in Los Angeles by winning an endurance contest and studied there for several years, where he quickly made connections with many professionals in the business. By the time he graduated from UCLA with a degree in acting, he already had his Screen Extras Guild card and finished his apprenticeship as a stuntman and stage combat specialist. His four years fighting in the SCA trained him in several different archaic weapons, especially various forms of swords, just when the new interest in fantasy movies was starting.
In five years, he had a reputation as a dependable stuntman who could make a fake punch look realistic and take a real one without flinching. He worked his way up to appearing in a number of Grade B action flicks as “the villain’s chief flunky who gets killed two-thirds through the movie” or “that guy the hero takes out to avenge his slain brother” as Duncan once said. A couple of times, he actually even was the slain brother, killed halfway through the movie to provide the hero with the incentive to defeat the villain. His goal was to be the main villain in a major box office action movie, where he takes on the hero in a fight to the death in the finale.
Instead, he wound up becoming the hero himself, one hero among many.
It was a storm unlike any other he could remember, and living near the Pacific Ocean he saw many. But when the storm was over, the ocean was gone, along with the rest of the world. Or, in actuality, he was gone, Taken somewhere to a fantasy world where his skills and experience allowed him to fit in easily. There he met Danira, whom he thought was from a Renn Faire from her clothing, and who thought he was “brain damaged” because he spoke of strange things, and Dexter, a college professor from his own world who turned out to have psychic powers. Together, they and others wound up in the care and service of Nigel prince and heir to his kingdom, and whom they aided in claiming the throne.
