Bruce Banner: Adventurer

Alright, so this appears on Saturday instead of Thursday because Eric told me we weren't going to do Iron Man this week, then posted the Hulk on Wednesday while I was working. Anyways.

My understanding of the Hulk is that Bruce Banner got hit with some gamma rays and now his anger is a living thing inside of him that he has to control. So there are two routes you can go, the Barbarian route or the Alchemist route. I am choosing Alchemist because when Bruce hulks out, in most representations, he becomes a completely different individual. I know there are smart Hulk versions and that sort of thing, but I am going with this version. When Bruce gets mad or injured, if he can't control himself, he physically and mentally changes to become the Hulk. There is an Alchemist based prestige class called the Master Chymist that utilizes the mutagen in the same way, even going so far as to give the mutagenic form a completely different alignment from the Alchemist's normal form. It is meant as more of Jekyll/Hyde thing, but so is the Hulk. At least in my opinion. Who knows what Stan Lee was thinking when he made the character (he created the Hulk, right?). I've seen an interview with Stan Lee where he says his brother came up with the name Mjolnir for Thor's hammer.

So the big problem initially is the whole alchemy aspect of the Alchemist class. I guess we can say that Bruce Banner is a scientist, so he can make things? I dunno, that's the best I've got. Sorry. Class based rpgs are rigid and really hard to do this kind of thing with. Additionally, the bombs are a problem too, and here I don't even have a thin justification for their presence. ::shrug::

I was initially thinking of using the Ragechemist archetype of the Alchemist, but that version of the mutagen can end up raging itself into a coma. Instead, I think I'll just go with Alchemist 10/Master Chymist 10. The Master Chymist is a neat class, it allows you to mutagen out a few times per day without using a mutagen, it can also force you into a mutagen form if you're injured and fail a Will save. I feel like that is a very Hulk-like mechanic that fits this concept well.

Anyway. As human scientist, Bruce's stats wouldn't be terribly impressive. High Intelligence and Wisdom, fairly average everything else. Maybe above average Constitution, as he did survive the fallout from a gamma bomb test or some such.

Bruce will end up with eleven feats at 20th level. My thoughts on what he should take are as follows: Great Fortitude (because the Hulk is fucking tough), Greater Unarmored Combatant (because the Hulk doesn't wear armor), Improved Unarmored Combatant (because the Hulk doesn't wear armor), Ironhide (I know he doesn't fit the race requirement, but come on, the Hulk's skin is tough), Power Attack (because the Hulk hits hard), Toughness (because the Hulk should have a lot of hit points), and Unarmored Combatant (because the Hulk doesn't wear armor). I'm not sure what to take for the next four feats, but stuff that improves his ability to bull rush or overrun opponents, as the Hulk has a tendency to charge in and run down his opponents. Iron Will also might be appropriate, as the Master Chymist prestige class can force a character to enter into the mutagen state against his will and Bruce Banner might have practiced resisting that. 

As a level 10 Alchemist, Bruce will end up with 5 discoveries. My thoughts on which discoveries he'd have are as follows: Feral Mutagen (to simulate the Hulk's punching and smashing and whatnot, and to qualify for Master Chymist), Preserve Organs (to simulate the Hulk's toughness and to simulate Bruce's ability to Hulk out when injured and shrug off said injury), and Spontaneous Healing (to simulate the Hulk's toughness and general unkillability). There are two more discoveries to take, but I can't think of what they should be. I wonder if the one that makes the Alchemist's skin toxic would be appropriate? I mean, the Hulk probably tastes like gamma radiation, and I imagine that doesn't exactly taste stellar.

Additionally, as a level 10 Master Chymist, Bruce will end up with 5 advanced mutagen abilities. My thoughts on which ones he'd have are as follows: Extended Mutagen (so Bruce can Hulk out for long periods of time), Furious Mutagen (to further increase the natural attack damage of the Hulk), Grand Mutagen (to further increase the physical bonuses of the mutagen form), and Growth Mutagen (so the Hulk is Large size when Bruce enters the form, which will up has fist damage to 2d6 and that is impressive).

As far as gear, pants, the Hulk should have stretchy pants.

I think that is about the best I can do with creating the Hulk. The bomb aspect still bugs me, but there isn't an archetype that trades it away for anything relevant to the Hulk. There's one that grants sneak attack in its place, but I don't really think Bruce Banner is prone to hacking up bodies and such the way a Vivisectionist would be. Oh well, like I said, this is the best I've got.