| If
you could pick any other time period to live in - including
the future - which would it be, and why? While
there are periods in the past I’d love to visit
and see, I’d rather stay in the here and now.
Failing that, the mid-1990s, prior to the tech bubble
bursting. We had money then and were doing pretty well
for ourselves.
You've
just purchased a small island off the coast of any continent
of your choosing, and you are preparing to start your
own country there. What does your flag look like?
Probably a quartering of mine and The Missus’
SCA heraldry. Mine: Per pale argent and gules, a Cross
of Toulouse upon a sun counterchanged. Hers: Gules,
a lion’s jamb within a bordure embattled or.
Or maybe
a black field with a pair of worn d20s. Pink and white,
like those hideous ones that came in the old TSR Box
Sets. I’ve still got a couple that are almost
worn round from the years they spend in my jeans pocket
in high school.
What
is one thing that you regret that you would go back
and change if you could? In 1984, I voted for
Ronald Reagan for President.
Tell
us about your favorite RPG character that you've ever
played. That would be Troubadour, for Champions
(HERO System 4th and 5th editions)
Background/History:
Many would say his business card puts it best:
TROUBADOUR
Warrior, Poet, Lover
While Troubadour
certainly cultivates a mysterious image, it's hard to
consider someone who lives his life in the glare of
the limelight truly secretive. Troubadour has been active
on the superheroic scene for over a dozen years. While
little actual information is publicly bandied about
regarding Troubadour's past, it's all there if someone
wants to look at it.
Born Geoffrey
Larrocque, of the Usher Heights Larrocques, Geoffrey
was raised in the lap of luxury. As a second son, there
were fewer expectations placed on him that his older
brother, Andrew, leaving Geoffrey to pursue whatever
interests struck his fancy.
Fascinated
by his family's history of piracy and derring-do, Geoffrey
developed an early flair for the dramatic and flamboyant,
a flair that served him well when he was cast as D'Artagnan
Junior., in the hit TV series "Young Musketeers".
The series ran for four seasons, giving Geoffrey free
rein to indulge all of his swashbuckling fantasies.
In his years on the show, he became a capable gymnast,
fencer, and martial artist.
At the end
of the show's run, Geoffrey went off to college, where
he majored in liberal arts and gaining his passion for
jazz. One year short of graduation, he left school to
travel the world. This trip, however, was cut short
by the tragic death of his parents in a plane crash,
leaving Andrew in charge of the family fortune.
Andrew, unlike
Geoffrey, saw little of value in Geoffrey's interests,
the family history or, in fact, anything he deemed "old
fashioned". Determined to take the Larrocque name
to new heights in business, he decided to sell the family
estate and use the funds for start-up venture capital.
Horrified at the thought of losing his home, Geoffrey
used the remainder of the money from his television
days and a goodly portion of his trust fund to buy out
his brother's half. Andrew agreed, with the agreement
that Geoffrey keep his distance from Andrew's business
interests and do nothing to besmirch the family name.
At the age
of twenty one, Geoffrey Larrocque found himself the
sole proprietor of a forty five room mansion and an
incredible case of boredom. His brother's stipulation
limited his social calendar; he missed basking in the
limelight; and even the mansion itself seemed less alive.
Apart from furtive forays to local jazz clubs, he became
more and more reclusive.
Until he
had his first taste of superheroics.
One night,
as he left his favorite club, Geoffrey found himself
in the middle of a superpowered firefight. Blue Beacon
was taking on Dumpster Diver and the self-proclaimed
"genius of junk" was getting the better of
the Sapphire Sentinel. Seeing an opening, he caught
Dumpster Diver unawares, knocking the piece of trash
out cold. At that moment, a new world opened up for
Geoffrey. It was exciting! No, it was exhilarating!
Actually,
it was all over the papers. "Geoffrey Larrocque,
millionaire and former TV star defeats noted supervillain".
Andrew was
livid. He threatened legal action. He threatened to
cut off Geoffrey's inheritance. He threatened physical
violence.
In the end,
Geoffrey apologized. It seemed the best thing to do.
After all, he hadn't intended to make a public splash.
If it weren't for those mask-wearing weirdoes, none
of this would have happened. Wait a minute – masks!
Of course! He could don a mask himself. After all, he'd
already defeated a supervillain, how hard could superheroics
be?
Taking inspiration
from his swashbuckling heroes and fashioning himself
a costume from old bits and pieces culled from the show's
library, he set forth to fight crime as The Bard. Using
a limited knowledge of pyrotechnics culled from the
stage, he crafted skull-shaped bombs to aid him against
particularly difficult opponents.
It may have
been a silly concept and a sillier costume, but it gave
him the freedom he craved. As The Bard, Geoffrey could
go forth and conquer, without bringing down the wrath
of Andrew. He served a short stint with the Sentinels,
(as do many fledgling heroes in the Vanguard Universe),
but left over "personality differences". Realizing
that The Bard identity was just ridiculous, he disappeared
from the scene for a few weeks, only to re-emerge as
Troubadour. A year later, he had his name legally changed
to Troubadour, in order to appease Andrew, whose business
flourishes in Empire City. Since that time, he has been
a constant, if not particularly diligent, thorn in the
side of evil.
Five years
ago purchased a jazz club in downtown Fair City, and
named it (appropriately enough) Troubadour's. He makes
the scene there a couple of times a week, unless he's
off saving the world. Troubadour's is one of the top
jazz clubs in the nation, attracting every major act
and a host of rising stars.
While he's
matched wits (and crossed blades, so to speak) with
many supercriminals, there are a few that stand out
in his rogues gallery. Cap'n Skulldugger has been a
perennial thorn in his side (their chosen motifs do
seem to attract one another don't you think?). Secondly
(and more dangerous) is the Troubadour Revenge Squad.
This is a group of women who, having been spurned by
Troubadour at one time or another, acquired superpowers
and banded together with the intent of making his life
miserable, or at least enlightening him to their feminist
agenda. The TRS membership currently includes Large
Marge (leader with growth powers), The Shrew, Dollface,
Digitalice, and Fury (as in Hell hath no...) due to
Troubadour's romantic nature, the group is always recruiting
new members.
Personality/Motivation:
Anyone with a business card like that can't possibly
have low-self esteem problems. And he doesn't. Troubadour
believes in living life in CAPITAL LETTERS. If there
are multiple ways to accomplish a task, he will inevitably
choose the one that shows his abilities off in the best
possible manner.
Still, it's
important to note that Troubadour has a strong altruistic
streak and a sense of noblesse oblige. He comes from
the old-money liberal school of politics and has no
problem devoting his time, energy, and money to worthy
causes. In some cases, this makes him seem like less
a superhero and more a garden variety celebrity since
he does spend so much time making appearances. In other
cases, his strong liberal politics fairly boil to the
surface; he excels at asking other superheroes the sort
of hard questions the costumed set confronted in the
"relevancy" period of the late '60s and early
'70s.
Quote:
"Forgive me, my dear, I just have to polish of
this ruffian and then we'll get back to this delicious...conversation."
Powers/Tactics:
Troubadour is a straightforward comic book martial artist.
He uses his Find Weakness against slower opponents before
leaping into battle and uses his high DCV to avoid damage.
If he does get hit, he'll probably go down rather quickly
and knows it.
History:
In the Fair City campaign, Troubadour started out as
a bit of a hero in need of redemption. He was somewhat
caught up in his own celebrity and had gotten away from
what brought him into the game in the first place, namely
the thrill of the chase and the chance to deal with
Society's ills head-on. As a member of Vanguard, he
slowly moved into a leadership role, and along the way
found what appears to be lasting love with his team-mate
Gorgon. After her secret identity was revealed and her
career as District Attorney ruined, the two of them
set out to "Find America, the Real America."
Appearance:
Troubadour stands 6'1" tall and weighs around 185
lbs. He has wavy blond hair, a mustache, and goatee.
His costume consists of a gold singlet, with a black
stylized "T" on the right breast. His boots
and gloves are black, along with his mask, which he
wears in all public appearances, even though he makes
no effort to hide his identity. |
