Val Char Cost Roll Notes 13 STR 3 12- Lift 151.6 kg; 2 1/2d6 HTH Damage [3] 14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5 13 CON 6 12- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 9 EGO -2 11- ECV: 3 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 10 COM 0 11- 4 PD 1 Total: 4 PD (0 rPD) 4 ED 1 Total: 4 ED (0 rED) 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 6 REC 0 26 END 0 25 STUN 1 Total Characteristics Cost: 36 Movement: Running: 7"/14" Leaping: 2"/4" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills 2 Movie Soldier!: Running +1" (7" total), END 1 Perks 15 "I Take The Seed From Colombia And Mexico": Contact: Assorted people involved in the drug trade (Contact has very useful Skills or resources, Good relationship with Contact), Organization Contact (x3) 11- 0 Fringe Benefit: Military Rank (Discharged) Skills 2 "You Better Stay Away From Copperhead Road": AK: Copperhead Road 11- 3 Climbing 12- 7 "I Learned A Thing Or Two From Ol' Charlie": Concealment 14- 2 "It's Before My Time But I've Been Told": KS: History Of The Pettimore Family 11- 1 KS: The Military/Mercenary/Terrorist World 8- 2 "I Done Two Tours Of Duty": KS: US Army History And Customs 11- 2 "I Done Two Tours... In Vietnam": KS: Vietnam And The Vietnam War 11- 5 Language: English (idiomatic; literate) 1 Language: Vietnamese (basic conversation) 1 Navigation (Land) 8- 2 "I Take The Seed... I Plant It Up The Holler": PS: "Farming" 11- 1 "I Volunteered For The Army": PS: Soldier 8- 7 "I Learned A Thing Or Two From Ol' Charlie": Security Systems 14- 3 Stealth 12- 3 Streetwise 12- 2 "I Done Two Tours... In Vietnam": Survival (Tropical Forests) 12- 3 "A Brand New Plan": Trading 12- 5 "I Done Two Tours Of Duty": WF: Small Arms, Blades, General Purpose/Heavy Machine Guns, Grenade Launchers Total Powers & Skill Cost: 69 Total Cost: 105 75+ Disadvantages 20 Hunted: The DEA's Got A Chopper In The Air 8- (Mo Pow, NCI, Harshly Punish) 0 Normal Characteristic Maxima 5 Physical Limitation: "I Wake Up Screaming Like I'm Back Over There" (Infrequently, Slightly Impairing) 15 Psychological Limitation: "You Better Stay Away From Copperhead Road" (Common, Strong) 10 Reputation: "White Trash", 11- Total Disadvantage Points: 55
Description: John Lee Pettimore is the third to bear the name, and like his father and grandfather, is engaged in the illicit drug trade. However, unlike his predecessors, Pettimore III doesn’t run ‘shine, he grows marijuana, having seeded “The Holler Down Copperhead Road.”
The Pettimores apparently have quite a history. John Lee Pettimore I made moonshine out on Copperhead Road (located in Tennessee), and if the stories are true, killed a US Government revenue agent who came to raid the place. John Lee Pettimore II and his brother tore down a “Big Block Dodge” (apparently an ex-county sheriff's car) and made weekly whiskey runs down to Knoxville until he died in a car wreck. John Lee Pettimore III joined the Army when he was 18 and ended up serving two tours in Vietnam. Once he returned, he decided on a new plan—he’d get seeds from south of the border, plant them, and start growing grass. Oh, and in case you’re thinking of snooping around Copperhead Road, you’d better beware, John Lee Pettimore III fought the North Vietnamese in the jungle and brought more than a few of their tricks and traps back with him.
John Lee Pettimore III appears in the Steve Earle song Copperhead Road from the album of the same name. Built using the Military Package Deal from Dark Champions, he’s perfect as a Dark Champions character and serves as a low-level target for PCs just starting out. He can be used in campaigns set in the mid-70s to mid-80s or so, while his father and grandfather can be used in Pulp Hero games. In fact, you could even link Pettimore II to Rapid Roy the Stock Car Boy, since the latter character also ran ‘shine (although in his case it was down in Alabama).
To make John Lee Pettimore III more powerful, give him a better STR, DEX, CON, SPD, and some Combat Levels with guns. You could also combine him with his father and grandfather, and add in a souped-up car, Combat Driving, Mechanics, and similar skills.
John Lee Pettimore III's Hero Designer File
(John Lee Pettimore III created by Steve Earle, character sheet created by Michael Surbrook)
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