BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
CORDELIA CHASE
(season 3 BtVS)
Val CHA Cost Roll Notes 10 STR 0 11- Lift 100 kg; 2d6 HTH Damage 14 DEX 12 12- OCV: 5/DCV: 5 13 CON 6 12- 10 BODY 0 11- 13 INT 3 12- PER Roll 12- 11 EGO 2 11- ECV: 4 15 PRE 5 12- PRE Attack: 3d6 20 COM 5 13- 3 PD 1 Total: 6 PD (3 rPD) 3 ED 0 Total: 6 ED (3 rED) 3 SPD 6 Phases: 4, 8, 12 5 REC 0 26 END 0 22 STUN 0 Total Characteristics Cost: 40 Movement: Running: 7"/14" Swimming: 2"/4" Cost Powers & Skills 2 Running +1" (7" total), END 1 Perks 1 Money (FatherÕs) Talents 6 Combat Luck (Armor 3 PD/ED) Skills 5 Combat Skill Levels: +1 with HTH 3 Acrobatics 12- 3 Breakfall 12- 3 Combat Driving 12- 3 Conversation 12- 2 KS: Fashion 11- 2 KS: Sarcastic Banter 11- 3 Persuasion 12- 2 PS: Cheerleader 11- 3 Stealth 12- 2 WF: Common Melee Weapons 40 Total Powers & Skills Cost 80 Total Character Cost 50+ Disadvantages 15 Hunted: By Jealous Or Lustful Monsters (More Powerful, Hurt/Kill) 8- 15 Psychological Limitation: Vain And Superficial (VC) 80 Total Disadvantage Points
Background/History: Cordelia Chase was the queen of Sunnydale High—both in her mind and the minds of her pals—and when a new girl named Buffy Summers came to school, Cordy generously invited her to be part of her little clique. But for some strange reason, Buffy started hanging out with the two loser kids, Xander and Willow, and Buffy's generally bizarre behavior meant that she herself was obviously too geeky to be tolerated. Nevertheless, Buffy and her friends also seemed to know something about the strange goings-on in town, and Cordelia ended up getting caught in their paths more than once, sometimes having to be rescued from some of the local weirdoes. As such, Cordelia actually got somewhat acquainted with Buffy's "Scooby Gang" and once even confessed to Buffy that she knew just how vapid her circle of friends was, and that she didnÕt feel like she had anything in common with them.
At this point Buffy asked why Cordelia still hung out with those people, and Cordelia basically responded, "Because itÕs better to be alone with a group than to be alone by yourself."
Eventually Cordelia had gone through enough threats from the supernatural to realize that monsters were real, and thus had a connection to the Scooby Gang whether she wanted it or not. This didn't make her relationship with Xander and Willow any easier, and she continued to taunt them mercilessly. The situation with Xander escalated to the point where, in true romantic-comedy fashion, the two of them spontaneously started making out. They ended up dating, a situation complicated by Willow (cofounder with Xander of the "I Hate Cordelia" Club, membership of two) who had her own feelings for Xander, and by Cordy's own clique, which pressured her into dumping Xander. But once she realized that Xander had real feelings for her, Cordelia was able to stand up to her pals and tell them to back off. Things went well enough after that, especially after Willow started dating a guy called Oz and there was no more competition in that department.
However, Cordy didn't realize that Xander was finally starting to return Willow's feelings, and at one point when Willow and Xander were kidnapped, a worried Oz had Cordelia help him search. They came to an abandoned, rotted-out warehouse, and climbed down stairs only to see that Willow and Xander were starting to make out after thinking they'd been left to die. Totally unable to deal with this, Cordy went straight back up the stairs—which collapsed on her, causing severe injury as a rebar punctured her torso. After this, Cordelia not only broke up with Xander but refused to have anything to do with the Scooby Gang while she rehabilitated. Then once she came back to school, Cordelia had to face the added pain of knowing that her social status was ruined by her association with Xander and Buffy. In fact, Cordelia became so mad over the situation that she almost fell prey to a Vengeance Demon that tried to make her destroy Xander's life, but Cordelia managed to avoid that happening.
Actually, Cordelia ended up having a much worse problem during her senior year: Her father turned out to have gotten much of his wealth through embezzlement, and he ended up in jail with his assets frozen. Cordelia had to take a sales job just to pay for things, and this also meant that even though she had the grades to go to any school she wanted, she still wouldn't have enough money to enroll there. In the short term, Cordelia put her life problems behind her long enough to help Buffy and the gang defeat the evil Mayor of Sunnydale on Graduation Day, and afterwards decided to move to Los Angeles and put her beauty-queen looks and dazzling smile to work as a fashion model and actress. That didn't quite work out like sheÕd planned.
Personality/Motivation: Cordelia is usually full of catty comments and superior attitude. During the early version of BUFFY (especially Season 1), she served as Buffy's social rival, and Xander and Willow's bully. (Being both glamorous and 'normal,' she also served as the show's Damsel-in-Distress/Scream Queen, a role to which neither Buffy nor Willow were well suited.) Generally, she enjoyed the wealth, status, and privilege she had. Because of her position, she felt perfectly justified in expressing her opinion, not realizing that others might react negatively to her attitude. (As Cordy put it, 'Tact? That's just not saying true stuff. IÕll pass.')
It's not that Cordelia didnÕt have "layers," but she usually preferred not to acknowledge them. She liked the big-fish-in-a-small-pond life she had in Sunnydale, and once actually blamed Buffy for wrecking what she had by introducing her to the reality of supernatural threats. Indeed, for most of her time on the series, Cordelia usually had to choose between maintaining her social status and doing the right thing. And while she usually chose to do the right thing in the end, she never stopped complaining about it. Nevertheless, either due to love of adventure, love of Xander, or a well-hidden conscience, Cordelia kept getting involved with the Scooby Gang's cases.
Quote: "Willow! Nice dress. Good to know you've seen the softer side of Sears."
Powers/Tactics: Cordelia is in above-average shape, which makes it easier for her to run away from monsters, but she really isnÕt a fighter (although she spent enough time in combat with the Scooby Gang to have staked at least one vampire). In a group, Cordelia's looks, status and social abilities make her an effective 'face'—i.e. a character that uses non-combat skills to gather information or sway others to do favors. Because of her dad's money, Cordelia was also one of BuffyÕs few friends with a car, which in itself made her pretty useful.
NOTE: This write-up is based solely on Cordelia as she appeared on the BUFFY series and does not reflect the serious changes in personality and character concept she underwent in the cast of ANGEL. Cordelia, unlike Angel, never made a return appearance to the BtVS series after Season 3.
Appearance: Cordelia was acknowledged by most as the most beautiful girl in Sunnydale High, tall, (about 5'8") trim and well-built, with long, chestnut-brown hair, brown eyes and angular features. Much of her Comeliness stems from her fashion skill and her ability to make anything look good. Frequently Cordelia has worn velvet outfits that were just bordering 'slutty', but in any case achieved the goal of getting her noticed.
(BUFFY characters created by Joss Whedon, HERO System write-up by James Gillen)
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