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View Full Version : Can YOU Stat out Carmin Sandiego?



Doctor Acula
2010-07-25, 07:59 AM
I was inspired by a recent thread and I was wondering if it was possible to stat out Carmen Sandiego. So I decided I would throw the gauntlet and challenge the playground. If you think you can I would also like too see an explanation for some of her more unusual heists

Such as
The bulls from Pamplona
The Ngorongoro Crater
Every anchovy from the Black Sea
K2
The entire city of Casablanca
All the goulash in hungary
A Geysir
The Nile River Delta
The Book of the Dead from Ancient Egypt
Leonardo Da Vinci's Notebooks


I can't even comprehend how to do some of these things, even with a Wizard 20. I am setting no limit on your level or gold, however I will determine the build that can emulate Carmen Sandiego in the fewest levels the winner

Morph Bark
2010-07-25, 08:06 AM
Looking upon such threads, I always get my interest piqued, then fall sad because the first page always has Pun-Pun on it.

So yeah, inb4 anyone else mentioning Pun-Pun.


Funny how Carmen would seem mainly acting like a Rogue of sorts but some of those heists definitely require some heavy magic abuse. :smalleek:

Doctor Acula
2010-07-25, 08:16 AM
I was thinking the same thing! It bothers me so much that I can't understand her methods

JeminiZero
2010-07-25, 08:20 AM
Try using M&M 2e instead of D&D. Make Carmen an Inventor with ludicruous ranks in Knowledge Technology, and Craft Electronics and Mechanics, as well as stupendous Intellitence modifier. That should cover most things.

Mr.Bookworm
2010-07-25, 08:21 AM
A Beguiler 21 with some (relatively) reasonable Epic magic.

That takes care of pretty much everything.

BobVosh
2010-07-25, 08:30 AM
Can someone list out 4 or so of her plots that would take various abilities to do. Just so some people (certainly not me >.>) know what it is we have to stat out.

KillianHawkeye
2010-07-25, 08:35 AM
Carmen Sandiego's special ability is that she can steal anything that has a name. The only thing you can do is give her wish as a spell-like ability, since abusing wish will make stealing all the anchovies in the Black Sea pretty easy to do.

Stompy
2010-07-25, 08:45 AM
Are we accounting for the "fact" that Carmen Sandiego can time travel? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carmen_Sandiego#Where_in_Time_Is_Carmen_Sandiego.3 F)

grarrrg
2010-07-25, 10:19 AM
If I'm not mistaken, Carmen has a lot of henchmen (cohorts?). Each of them could probably be a high-ish level wizard/caster specializing in something.

Statwise:
Str/Dex/Con probably all in the 8-12 area
Int 16+, she does plan out some pretty interesting heists
Wis 12, slight bonus for heist planning, but she does get caught quite often (and escapes but that's besides the point)
Cha 14-16, definite bonus, she's charming, and kinda hot.

Carmen must have some caster levels, and some levels in a 'rogue'-like class, she does have max ranks in Hide afterall.

ericgrau
2010-07-25, 12:42 PM
Amulet of proof against detection and location, for one, or the spells to do the same.

Ranos
2010-07-25, 12:46 PM
Yeah, I statted her. Here's her sheet :


Thanks for the sheet ! If you want it back, you'll find me somewhere on the moon.
Carmen Sandiego

The Glyphstone
2010-07-25, 12:50 PM
*sings*
Where in the Monster Manual is Carmen Sandiego...
*sings*

Admiral Squish
2010-07-25, 12:52 PM
I kinda want to play a carmen sandiego-esque game, now...

Akal Saris
2010-07-25, 12:53 PM
Yeah, I statted her. Here's her sheet :

Heh...I think it would read more like. "Thanks for the sheet! I'll read it while traveling across the maria on my Lunokhod I!"

Is she in...
A. The Moon
B. The Amazon
C. Pluto

As for statting her out, I made her a beguiler 14 in my Forgotten Realms game, and gave her Arcane Disciple: Travel to help her mobility. It took my players about 30 minutes to realize the joke behind Crimson Wyvernswatch, but they got it eventually :smalltongue:

Stompy
2010-07-25, 01:04 PM
Heh...I think it would read more like. "Thanks for the sheet! I'll read it while traveling across the maria on my Lunokhod I!"

"I heard she went to a country that has red stripes on its flag." That game made me break out the F encyclopedia for "flags".

(yes I know it doesn't fit exactly with the quote.)

KillianHawkeye
2010-07-25, 01:30 PM
"I heard she went to a country that has red stripes on its flag." That game made me break out the F encyclopedia for "flags".

(yes I know it doesn't fit exactly with the quote.)

This is why it's always good to have an atlas sitting around the house somewhere.



EDIT: Just remembered, I once statted her as a 20th level Rogue in 3.0 named Scarlet Morningstar. But I wasn't trying to accurately depict her more ridiculous abilities like you are, just trying to capture the spirit of "the world's greatest thief." Haven't gotten to use her yet.

Skaven
2010-07-25, 03:57 PM
Probably an epic Arcane Trickster with a custom epic spell.

erikun
2010-07-25, 05:33 PM
Um, you do realize that she has stolen stuff like the Mason–Dixon Line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason%E2%80%93Dixon_Line)? Not all records of the Mason–Dixon Line, or the existence of the Mason–Dixon Line, but the Mason–Dixon Line itself. Think about that for a moment.

If you're willing to allow good skill rolls to do such absurd things, then simply 100+ skill bonuses in relevant areas. Probably Bluff, Disguise, Slight of Hand, Hide, Forgery, and anything else that would be appropriate. I'm not sure how someone would palm the Louvre, but making a DC 150 check would account for something.

Ingus
2010-07-25, 05:40 PM
I lately call for a factotum. A badass one :smallbiggrin:

Bharg
2010-07-25, 05:50 PM
I would also recommend using M&M 2ed.

Prodan
2010-07-25, 05:59 PM
I lately call for a factotum. A badass one :smallbiggrin:

I concur. As a Factotum she would be able to sneak around the world from Kiev to Carolina, steal the Seoul in South Korea, and make Antarctica cry "Uncle."

From the Red Seat to Greenland, they'll be singing the blues because they never Arkansas her steal the Mekong from the jungle.

She'll go from Nashville to Norway, Bonaire to Zimbabwe,
Chicago, to Czech and Slovakia and back!

She'll ransack Pakistan, and run a scam in Scandinavia, then she'll stick 'em up down under and go pick-pocket Perth. She'll put the "Miss" in misdemeanor when she steals the beans from Lima.

She'll glide around the globe, and flim-flam every nation as a double-dealing diva with a taste for thievery. With her itinerary loaded up with moving violations we'll be asking "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?"

Tengu_temp
2010-07-25, 06:34 PM
Exalted: high essence Solar with focus on Larceny charms. That was easy.

Doctor Acula
2010-07-25, 07:02 PM
I like the factotum idea, plus it makes a TON of sense with her abilities

Stompy
2010-07-25, 07:37 PM
Exalted: high essence Solar with focus on Larceny charms. That was easy.

RISUS: Carmen Sandiego 6 (9 with items that give +3 dice, meaning that on average, she hits DC 30 "impossible" checks.)
:smallbiggrin:

The Glyphstone
2010-07-25, 08:40 PM
WoD: Mage with Space 6+, Time 6+.

Moff Chumley
2010-07-25, 08:55 PM
If memory serves, someone made a Terminator build on the old WotC forum that could acount for the time travel...

Jastermereel
2010-07-25, 11:37 PM
Can I really be the first to say "Max ranks in Knowledge (Geography)"? Sure, it may not do much for her mechanically but...can anyone deny it must be true?

cupkeyk
2010-07-26, 01:44 AM
In 4e, there is an epic destiny for rogues that allows them to steal something and take it to an pocket dimension with a touch as a level 26 utility. They can also steal concepts, memories and ideas. So maybe Carmin San Diego is that.

Doctor Acula
2010-07-26, 06:47 AM
In 4e, there is an epic destiny for rogues that allows them to steal something and take it to an pocket dimension with a touch as a level 26 utility. They can also steal concepts, memories and ideas. So maybe Carmin San Diego is that.

:smallbiggrin: What is it called?

Telonius
2010-07-26, 07:32 AM
Um, you do realize that she has stolen stuff like the Mason–Dixon Line (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mason%E2%80%93Dixon_Line)? Not all records of the Mason–Dixon Line, or the existence of the Mason–Dixon Line, but the Mason–Dixon Line itself. Think about that for a moment.

If you're willing to allow good skill rolls to do such absurd things, then simply 100+ skill bonuses in relevant areas. Probably Bluff, Disguise, Slight of Hand, Hide, Forgery, and anything else that would be appropriate. I'm not sure how someone would palm the Louvre, but making a DC 150 check would account for something.

She's clearly a female Elf with the Thief class.

Vantharion
2010-07-26, 12:33 PM
I can't exactly stat her but I do have some thoughts on how she does those things:
Waldo is in her party.
I think two epic level characters with enough practice could pull those things off...

JeenLeen
2010-07-26, 12:41 PM
WoD: Mage with Space 6+, Time 6+.

Or, in oWoD:

Correspondence 6+, although just level 5 might work, for stealing places by moving them or eliminating all connections to them. Also helps her evade detection and move around.
Time 6+ to cover the time travel.
Prime 6+ to dispel her probably millions of Paradox.

Maybe Matter or Life to help with teleporting those Patterns.

High Arcane background to aid in avoiding detection, probably high Ally or Contacts for her associates, as well as maxed or 6+ Streetwise, Stealth, Investigation, Law, and other applicable Abilities.

Draz74
2010-07-26, 02:13 PM
"Thanks for the sheet! I'll read it while traveling across the maria on my Lunokhod I!"

Is she in...
A. The Moon
B. The Amazon
C. Pluto

Threadwin. Though the RISUS stats deserve an honorable mention. :smallwink:

EDIT: Come to think of it, did anyone ever make a spacefaring game, a la Where in the Solar System is Carmen Sandiego? Sounds really fun.

Kythorian
2010-07-28, 11:04 AM
Or, in oWoD:

Correspondence 6+, although just level 5 might work, for stealing places by moving them or eliminating all connections to them. Also helps her evade detection and move around.
Time 6+ to cover the time travel.
Prime 6+ to dispel her probably millions of Paradox.

Maybe Matter or Life to help with teleporting those Patterns.

High Arcane background to aid in avoiding detection, probably high Ally or Contacts for her associates, as well as maxed or 6+ Streetwise, Stealth, Investigation, Law, and other applicable Abilities.

Don't see why you would need prime...Apparently in that world, people accept that someone can, at least in theory, steal cities and even ideas of locations(see Mason-Dixon line). If thats what the consensus is, it should be coincidental. And Correspondence 5, matter 2, life2 should do it, given a huge number of successes.

Also, these are mundane forces searching for her...and successfully catching her, at least sometimes, so we can assume she doesn't have MUCH arcane, if she does have any. Just high level contacts for control over a crime ring, high resources(or influence), and decent stealth/streetwise should do the trick.

Or, alternatively, entropy 5 alone could destroy any of these things. So its not exactly stealing them, but entropy 5 specifically states that it can remove ideas/concepts from general consciousness, as well as lower level entropy just destroying the actual city/people with enough successes.

Lysander
2010-07-28, 12:08 PM
Considering the magic it would take to steal landmarks on a daily basis it's obvious that Carmen Sandiego is a goddess of thievery, using reality revision to move monuments and bridges to new locations. However she is also a goddess of police investigation and childhood education, so she abides by a strict code where she allows anyone to catch her and return stolen items by correctly answering geographic trivia questions.

Ozymandias9
2010-07-28, 12:14 PM
I'm not sure, but clearly that red fedora is a major artifact.

Mikeavelli
2010-07-28, 02:16 PM
Where in the Multiverse is Carmen Sandiago?

An Epic-level plane-hopping campaign where someone steals the river Styx from the lower planes, the City of Brass from the Elemental Plane of Fire, a gear from Mechanus, and the winds from Pandemonium.

I want to DM this now.

I made a homebrew mechanic in a middle-eastern style campaign where wizards could steal ideas like "A man's courage" or "A child's laughter" - where the poor sap who got stolen from would lack those characteristics. The BBEG in that campaign stole "A hero's destiny," And then sold it to a stuck-up prince who wanted to go joyriding on destiny.

This'd fit in fantastic with it.



[hr]

As for Carmen Sandiago herself, An Epic form of the Shrink Item spell could work for buildings. Just shrink'em, and throw'em into a bag of holding.

Cities would be more difficult, but Mephistopheles apparently stole the entire Planet of Faerun in Neverwinter Nights, so it has to be at least a little bit possible.

Doctor Acula
2010-07-28, 02:20 PM
I want to DM this now.



If you do pbp then please link it to me :)

tbarrie
2010-07-28, 03:52 PM
I was thinking the same thing! It bothers me so much that I can't understand her methods

She's an epic Rogue. Of course you can't understand her methods!


EDIT: Come to think of it, did anyone ever make a spacefaring game, a la Where in the Solar System is Carmen Sandiego? Sounds really fun.

I never understood why they didn't do one teaching kids about Dante's Inferno.

chiasaur11
2010-07-28, 04:22 PM
But she can't be too epic.

I mean, she's routinely defeated by grade schoolers.

tbarrie
2010-07-28, 05:14 PM
But she can't be too epic.

I mean, she's routinely defeated by grade schoolers.

...epic grade schoolers.

Xefas
2010-07-28, 05:39 PM
...epic grade schoolers.

Win.



Exalted: high essence Solar with focus on Larceny charms. That was easy.

I was thinking something similar, but she time-travels, which is something Exalts can't do. It's one of the two things the setting explicitly states can't be done.

By which I mean she might have to get that Infernal version of Wyld-Shaping Technique that lets you use it in Creation...

Spamotron
2010-07-28, 10:03 PM
On another board I frequent a discussion on Carmen Sandiego ended with the consensus that the best way to explain her abilities and personality quirks was to make her a Time Lord. Does Dr. Who have an RPG?

cupkeyk
2010-07-28, 10:47 PM
:smallbiggrin: What is it called?

sorry for the misinformation. Its Thief of Legend, its from Dragon 388 and not from MP2.