Marcus Holloway
8th Level Smart Hero; Archetype Hacker
Background Poor Family (+1 Intelligence); Profession Information Technology (+1 Intelligence)
Wealth Level 4 (6 when using Cha-Ching)
Speed 30 Feet
Hit Points 50 (8d6+8); Defense 15 (10 + 1 + Intelligence modifier) or 18 (Expect the Unexpected); Genius 7 (Plan DC 15, use Engineer plans as 5th level Smart Hero)
Strength 10 (+0) Dexterity 14 (+2) Constitution 14 (+2) Intelligence 18 (+4) Wisdom 10 (+0) Charisma 10 (+0)
Saving Throws Intelligence +7, Wisdom +3
Skills Acrobatics +5, Computers +10, Deception +3, Investigation +7, Mechanics +10, Security +5, Stealth +5, Streetwise +3
Languages English
Equipment Proficiencies Basic Equipment, Advanced Equipment
Passive Perception 10
Proficiency Bonus +3
Special Feature, Making Do: Ignore disadvantage from not having the correct professional tools on hand when performing an ability check.
Special Feature, Tech Support: Advantage on Computer checks to fix a broken computer system or to understand how to operate a computer system correctly.
Talents
Digital Ghost: real name, address, and other vital data is impossible for any person or organization to discover.
Advanced Engineer Training/Electronic Expertise: Double proficiency in Computers and Mechanics.
It’s For You: bonus action to make someone’s cell phone ring at max volume, making them Distracted until the end of their next turn on a failed Wisdom save.
Mental Refresh: Once per long rest regain 1 Genius point when finishing a short rest.
Feats
Ability Score Training (2nd level, Minor): +1 Intelligence
Free Running (2nd level, Minor): ignore movement requirement for jumps, climbing is not difficult movement, can jump down up to 15 feet without taking damage, advantage on Acrobatics checks made during a foot chase.
Engineer Training (4th level, Major): proficiency in Acrobatics (already proficient in Mechanics), gain Flying Drone Mechanical Companion, gain 1 plan from Engineer Plan list.
Ability Score Training (6th level, Minor): +1 Constitution.
Equipment Training (6th level, Minor): Gain Advanced Equipment proficiency.
Advanced Engineer Training (8th level, Major): Expertise in Mechanics, +1 Genius point, 2 additional Engineer plans
Equipment: bag stuff, pocket stuff, car stuff, old photograph of where you grew up, laptop computer, mobile hotspot, hacking kit, energy drink, protein bar, common car, Thunder Ball (treat as small metal club but with finesse property), TASER.
Attacks
Thunder Ball +5: 1d6+2 bludgeoning damage. RTFM changes attack and damage bonuses to +7/1d6+4.
TASER +5: 1d4+2 electrical, Range 15 feet, 2 rounds, 0 PV, Properties Light, Stunning. RTFM changes attack and damage bonuses to +7/1d4+4.
Plans
Brick It: use an action to affect computer-controlled devices within 100 feet
for a variety of effects.
Cha-Ching: Treat Wealth Level as 6 for 24 hours.
Cut the Power (Engineer): spend bonus action to cut power to three individual machines you can see or an entire building. Lasts until repaired, held or operated machines have the owner make an Intelligence save against the Plan DC to ignore the effect, outages can be fixed by you spending a bonus action or someone making a Mechanics check against your Plan DC. Robots are Paralyzed until the end of your next turn on a failed save.
Dirty Little Secrets: Advantage on Charisma checks made against a person for the next week.
Expect the Unexpected: spend an action to gain Defense bonus of +4 for the next hour. Can use this bonus in place of Strength or Dexterity saving throw.
I’m In: take control of a single computer system, save with disadvantage against plan DC if it’s a robot or being actively operated by someone, access cannot be traced back to you and others have disadvantage on Computers checks to detect and kick you out.
My Robot Can Do That (Engineer): spend an action to grant up to 3 perks to mechanical companion for the next hour: make opportunity attacks and add proficiency bonus to damage, gain 10 temporary hit points, plan lasts for 4 hours or 8 if taken twice as a perk, mechanical companion can use your Computers bonus instead of its own bonus when using one skill, or double movement speed.
Overload (Engineer): spend an action to cause an electronic device you can see within 120 feet or you have access to via a network to short out, dealing 6d6 electricity damage (PV 4) to combatants within 10 feet, can save for half damage and they cannot dive for cover.
RTFM: spend reaction before making an ability check or skill, as a bonus action, or any time outside combat. Gain proficiency and expertise in a skill or an equipment proficiency until the next short or long rest, also use Intelligence modifier for weapon attack and damage rolls in which you are proficient.
Sucks To Be You: spend an action to choose up to four ways to inconvenience someone (scramble their passwords, stop their credit and debit cards from working, put on a no-fly list or arrest warrant, fill hard drives with embarrassing and salacious media files), takes at least 24 hours and Persuasion against Plan DC to sort out.
We Interrupt This Program: spend an action to broadcast an audio/video message up to 3 minutes long in real time to all media devices nationwide. Can limit the number and/or types of devices to which it’s sent.
Mechanical Companion, Flying Drone
Tiny robot (autonomous)
Defense 15
Hit Points 27
Speed fly 60 feet
Str 5 (-3) Dex 14 (+2) Con 12 (+1) Int 5 (-3) Wis 11 (0) Cha 1 (-5)
Hover: doesn’t fall prone when diving for cover as long as it’s flying.
Mechanical Nature: immune to frightened, paralyzed, sickened, stunned, exhaustion, intoxication, poison damage.
Multiattack: attack twice.
Nudge +7: 1 bludgeoning damage, PV 0.
Firearm +7: 1d6+2 ballistic damage, range 50/100 feet, PV 2. Doesn’t need to track ammo or reload.
Conversion Details: The Smart Hero Hacker fits the Watch Dogs franchise to a T, to the point that a huge amount of hacking skills you can do in the games can be replicated by existing Plans in Everyday Heroes. For this build I chose the hero of the game regarded by fans as the best in the series.
In addition to being a superb computer whiz, Marcus is also an agile parkour expert, which I emulated with the Free Running feat and choosing Acrobatics when taking Engineer Training on account I already chose Mechanics as a class skill. While Marcus has a variety of remote-controlled gadgets in the game, for the Engineer mechanical companion I chose the flying drone given that his quadcopter can enter almost anywhere. With My Robot Can Do That, he can have it do skill checks on his behalf. Which, like in the video game, is a tactic you can use to infiltrate buildings and beat entire levels without having to set foot into personal danger yourself.
While not exactly canon, the mood and feel of Watch Dogs 2 doesn’t lend itself to the idea of Marcus being a killer, so I gave him non-lethal weapons. For those who want to give him a more lethal arsenal, he can use pretty much any non-military firearm, and even then RTFM can give him temporary proficiency if the need arises. The Thunder Ball was a subversion in the rules, being an eight ball attached to an elastic rope that Marcus uses as his primary melee weapon. While I could count it as an improvised Tiny Ouchie Thing, I was a bit feat-starved and unlike Agent 47 he didn’t strike me as being “best in the world” on power scale to try and make up for it with a 10th level feat.