Avenger Assembled

The bees, the ones who'd already taken a beating flying at a slightly canted angle, suddenly swarmed over Wander and Jack of all Blades in a near-deafening roar of gargantuan buzzing! The lead one, the one who'd given Erik the ride earlier, gave Erik an impenetrable look through faceted eyes and opened its flaming maw. And then, in a voice like a thousand synthesizers at once, the gargantuan insect spoke! "WWEEEEEE WEREEE ABBBANDONED BY THE MAZZZTER! HE ZAYZ WE ARE NO GOOD FOR HIZ ZCHEMEZ! AND NOW YOU INZULT UZ! YOU DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING! _I_ AM CURL-BEE! ZAT IZ BEATRIZ, AND ZAT IZ HENR-BEE! YOU ARE ZTUPID! WE PUNIZH YOU!"

What a wonderfully goofy concept! APPROVED

APPROVED

There are some typos you'll want to fix, but the math and backstory are both good. No reason not to give you an approval.

Hokay. No Notice?

Heh, I think there's a typo! Luna Moth ain't no hero. I like the way you've brought her into the new age of Freedom. Remember that Flight 3 is 50, not 100 MPH. Might want to mention the parts of her backstory that you took from her official bio. We don't want to get sued. A good sheet, all around.

A dark character! But the second Conqueror Worm certainly should be. I like the motivation, you've really given her reasons for going over the edge. The sort of character you can _almost_ sympathize with. You don't technically need to pay for Minions or Equipment for her, but I think it makes for a good shorthand for what she usually has on hand in any given moment. As an NPC, you can always give her more if she needs more. Has she made contact with the old Conqueror Worm's Harley Quinn-expy? You could always say she was the con that she met in prison. This character needs the Demolitions skill, I'd think.

Fusion's blink was visible through her costume. "What? I didn't send this! I've never seen you before in my life!" She hmmed for a moment, rubbing her chin absently with a long, suckered tentacle. "They must have been going after both of us...which means it must be someone who knows your identity! And MY identity!" She advanced on Lady Winter, tentacles lashing. "Who knows who you are?" she demanded, careful to keep the note from getting lost. "Who could have found out? If they could get you, they could target your friends...and my family!"

Looney Toon Abilities: 30 pp STR 10 (+0) DEX 18 (+4) CON 18 (+4) INT 14 (+2) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 20 (+5) Saves: 14 pp TOU +10 (+4 Con, +6 Protection) FORT +7 (+4 Con, +3) REF +11 (+4 Dex, +7) WILL +7 (+0 Wis, +7) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Toons) DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +4 Grapple: +6 Skills: 17 r=68 pp Acrobatics 7 (+10), Bluff 15 (+20), Knowledge (history) 3 (+5) Knowledge (popular culture) 3 (+5), Notice 10 (+10), Search 8 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+8), Sleight of Hand 7 (+10), Stealth 7 (+10) Feats: 16 pp Acrobatic Bluff, Challenge (Fast Taunt), Distract (Bluff), Dodge Focus 4, Evasion, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Quick Change 2, Takedown Attack, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 52 pp Toon Array [25+2=27 pp] Damage 10 (Extra: Ranged) (PFs: Accurate 2, Indirect 3) 'Comedic Violence' AP: Healing 10 (Extra: Total) (Flaw: Personal Only) (PFs: Persistent, Regrowth) 'Toon Healing AP: Teleport 8 (200 ft/2000 miles) (Extra: Portal (+2) ) (Flaw: Long-Range Only) 'Portable Hole' Immunity 3 (aging, disease, poison) [3 pp] Leaping 2 (x5) [2+1=3 pp] AP: Speed 2 (25 MPH) Protection 6 [6 pp] Regeneration 11 (Bruised/no action [3], Injured/no action [6], Resurrection/day [2]) (PFs: Persistent, Regrowth) [13 pp] Drawbacks: 5 pp Weakness [Turpentine; Uncommon Occurrence; -1 Constitution Per Minute; 5pp] DC Block Unarmed DC 15 TOU (bruised/injured) Blast DC 25 TOU (bruised/injured) - Design Notes: OK, here's a PL 10 'living cartoon, modeled after Marvel's Slapstick. He can inflict comedic violence via dropped pianos or swung mallets, shrug off almost all damage thanks to his regeneration and healing, step through portable holes, sweep his way through lots of silly mooks, and generally do almost all the things you'd expect a cartoon character to do. He's also got a really strong personality, he's a great trashtalker, and he's good at shrugging off most forms of harm. It's up to you whether or not he can pass for human. Despite his appearance, I'd say he can: that's why he's got Quick Change 2, so with a thought he can dress himself in any ridiculous outfit he wants. He can't quite shrug off as much damage as Bugs Bunny, but with his Regen and Healing you may not notice. Buying his Regen up with PP is definitely a good idea as you accumulate points. In an ideal situation, he'll jump around cackling, whacking people with his mallet or dropping pianos on them, and generally acting the manic clown he is. His big weakness is turpentine; i.e., the same Dip that so bedeviled Roger Rabbit and his kin in Who Framed Roger Rabbit. I've built him with the theory that he technically doesn't age: this sort of sheet is an interesting riff on Plastic Man style archetypes if you do want him to have been around since the Golden Age. Origin is up to you: a cartoon brought to life via magic or super-science? If so, a Fort immunity might not be a bad idea. A mutant with cartoony powers? He might have different feats and skills if that's the image you have in mind for him. Or the one I preferred; a Golden Age cartoonist who refused to be part of a mobster's protection racket, one who was shot and thrown into a vat containing radioactive ink that he absorbed into his body. This is not a bad build for a Golden Age hero still active today, and a good riff on the typical sedate old-timey hero.

Avenger blinked, staring at Nick in hastily-covered surprise. Did someone in this town just admit error? I...I think I like this guy! "Well, that's...good to hear. Very professional of you." He hmmed. "I'd be leery of any divine messengers finding out anything about the undead. We have our ways of shielding ourselves from that sort. You know there's an angel active in this city." He shrugged a little, then added, "I'll do investigation on my end and see what I can come up with...and I'll alert you if there's a problem. We police our own, but the draugr are definitely not ours. The monsters I've seen in this city would color your hair." Steepling his hands, he studied Nick. "And what are your intentions towards them, if we do catch them? I've known necromancers with all sorts of interest in the undead. None of them very pleasant. One of them used to work for my predecessor."

That's a DC 30 Bluff check to avoid believing that Medea totally did tongue-hockey with Travis. Enjoy that mental image, Midnight! OK, the mechanic here is that they're all PL 6 demons with Interpose and Speed. You all get one free hit! Is that quite a nice thing to get for free? Oh, it's not free. No, indeed. :twisted: Rift is up, and then the Cyber-Centurion.

Medea sighed, sounding at once very young and very old. "Fine. But I've seen what the real Centurion could do against the whole Crime League at once. This is going to end in blood. I...well, I do have something. This is going to be unpleasant for you to watch, darling. Just don't vomit on Sebastian." She hummed for a moment, then waved her hand. "Demons of air and darkness!" she called, her eyes rolling back in her head as her body convulsed. "I summon thee forth! Foul creatures of the Stygian Pit! Attend me and my followers in the name of Midnight!" Suddenly Medea's head pitched forward and she vomited forth a half-dozen fiends, each one exploding up to near-human size and scuttling over to take up protective positions nearby. "They're on your side, children! But when they're gone, they're gone!" With a sigh, she wiped her mouth. "Well that was unpleasant, and now my mouth tastes of magic. Do you kiss as well as you used to?"

Guy Fawkes Abilities: 46 pp STR 20 (+5) DEX 20 (+5) CON 20 (+5) INT 16 (+3) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 16 (+3) Combat: 32 pp ATK: +8 (+14 melee) DEF: +13 (+4 flat-footed) Init: +11 Grapple: +19 Saves: 10 pp TOU: +7 (+5 Con, +2 Shirt) FORT: +8 (+5 Con, +3) REF: +8 (+5 Ref, +3) WILL: +6 (+2 Wis, +4) Skills: 25 pp=100) r Acrobatics 10 (+15)* Bluff 10 (+13)* Climb 1 (+6) Demolitions 15 (+18) Intimidate 13 (+16)* Languages 4 (French, Latin, Greek, Spanish) (Base: English) Knowledge: History 10 (+13) Knowledge: Theology and Philosophy 6 (+9) Notice 10 (+12) Ride 1 (+6) Sense Motive 10 (+12) Stealth 10 (+15)* Feats: 37 pp Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus: Melee (6), Challenge (Fast Startle) Distract 2 (Bluff, Intimidate), Dodge Focus (5), Equipment (4), Evasion (2), Fascinate 2 (Bluff, Intimidate), Hide In Plain Sight Improved Crit (Knives), Improved Initiative (2), Luck, Master Plan, Move-By Action, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Bluff, Intimidate, Stealth) Startle, Takedown Attack (2), Taunt, Ultimate Skill (Demolitions), Uncanny Dodge (Auditory) equipment [20 ep] Grapple Line: (Super-Movement 1 (Swinging) )[2 ep] Night Museum: (as Sanctum Sanctorum) [9 ep] Knives (Strike 1 (PFs: Improved Crit, Mighty, Thrown 2) [5 ep] Undercover Shirt (Protection 2 (PF: Subtle) ) [3 ep] costs abilities 46 + combat 32 + saves 10 + skills 25/100 + feats 37 = 150 pts ---- Design Notes Guy Fawkes, ladies and gentlemen! The greatest terrorist of the early 17th century, ready to be dropped into your game as villain or newly-reformed good guy. He's pretty darn good at what he does, goonsweeping with his knives like they're chainsaws and retreating back to his garret to make lots of angsty speeches about Catholicism or how much he hates Norsefire, or whatever. He doesn't have plastic explosive on him: he's from 1606! You can probably have him acquire some in play if necessary. He can't exactly run around town with a barrel of powder strapped to his back, after all. He's a very, very good Demolitions guy, as the historical Guy Fawkes (a military engineer and sapper) was before the Gunpowder Plot. Demolitions is from the Mastermind's Manual; it's a merger of Craft Chemical and Structural, all the knowledge you need to blow up the Houses of Parliament without having to know boring stuff like where the gunpowder was mined and such. He was a European who traveled internationally, so I gave him some languages he might have picked up. This isn't an easy character to play heroically, especially in a game like this, but I think it could be done. Use explosives to take out the headquarters of bad guys _after_ you've cleared them out, make sure you're using the butt and flat of the knives, or well-placed stabs, when you're carving your way through gangsters and aliens, or anyone else who isn't an Acceptable Target. Don't be afraid to speechify in public, it's what you're there for! If you're lucky, maybe Hugo Weaving will play you in the movie about your life. - Freedom City Plot Hooks Vaporizable Villains and Vindictive Vigilantes [*:kryq4mm8]"Big Al" Driogano: He runs the Freedom City Mob. Won't he be surprised if you blow up his mansions and minions? Remember: you aren't the Punisher, you can't kill people because they're criminals. (Or kill people at all, really) But with the right scare tactics and right use of physical violence, you can make those mobsters wish they were dead. [*:kryq4mm8]Foreshadow: He has a reputation, and maybe he deserves it, as the world's greatest detective: he's certainly very, very good at what he does. (It helps that he's actually psychic). He targets mobsters, so the two of you are going to see a lot of each other. Just be careful you don't offend his heroic sensibilities. [*:kryq4mm8]Pinnacle Path: Helpful charitable organization or creepy Church of Happyology-style cult? It's up to you: their New Age practices may not make a lot of sense to your 17th century ways! [*:kryq4mm8]The Silencer: He's got sound-based weaponry; he hunts and kills mobsters. The Punisher with more scientific genius and a bigger budget. He's a potent ally, if you don't cross him. You'll probably be surprised to find out that he's actually the brother of one of Freedom City's biggest mobsters. [*:kryq4mm8]St. Georges' Cathedral: The biggest church in Freedom City, and it's Catholic! Yay! It's a nice place to visit, and who wouldn't want to live there? You may want to clear this with Archbishop Fairwell first. He may let you stay if you help him with the Repentent, the supervillain that keeps trying to break in.

Kid Hero Abilities: 14 pp STR: 30 (+10) DEX: 14 (+2) CON – – INT: 10 (+0) WIS: 10 (+0) CHA: 10 (+0) Saves: 10 pp TOU: +10 (+10 Protection) FORT: – REF: +6 (+2 Dex, +4) WILL: +6 (+0 Wis, +6) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Unarmed) DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +2 Grapple: +16 Skills: 11 pp=44 r Acrobatics 6 (+8) Intimidate 6 (+6) Investigate 4 (+4) Knowledge: History 4 (+4) Languages 2 (German, Russian) (Base: English) Notice 6 (+6) Search 6 (+6) Sense Motive 6 (+6) Feats: 15 pp Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Specialization: Unarmed (2), Dodge Focus (4), Equipment, Fearless, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Startle, Set-Up, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 76 pp Immunity 30 (Fortitude) [30 pp] Protection 10 [10 pp] Regeneration 32 (Recovery Bonus: +9 [14], Rec. Rate: Injured/no action [6], Disabled/no action [8], Resurrection/hour [4]) (PFs: Persistent, Regrowth) [34 pp] Super-Senses 2 (Darkvision) [2 pp] Equipment: 5 ep Flare Gun (1 ep) Flashlight (1 ep) Grapple Gun (Super-Movement 1 (Swinging) )(2 ep) Handcuffs (1 ep) DC Block Unarmed DC 25 TOU (bruised/injured) Totals: Abilities 14 + Skills 11 + Feats 15 + Powers 76 + Combat 24 + Saves 10 = Total 150 --- Design Notes: He’s from a more innocent age. The adopted ward of a costumed vigilante, he learned deduction, investigation, and acrobatics from one of the smartest, best men in the world. He was the flashy, shiny one, distracting and setting up the bad guys for a big hit from his boss, full of wisecracks. Maybe he was important to the community: heading his own team of groovy young heroes trying to make it on their own, or maybe he just stood there at the edge of the limelight. Then he died. Maybe his hero died with him in one last heroic stand against their enemies, or maybe that enemy killed the sidekick as a way of making the hero feel bad. (Shot with a freeze gun? Why not?) Maybe he just disappeared from the records, or maybe the world mourned his death as an innocent age of silver (or gold) was alloyed with grief to make a harder, sharper bronze. What matters is that he was gone, gone, gone. But now he’s back. Was he just ‘sleeping’? Did dark magic resurrect him, by accident or on purpose, or was it mad science? Did a bad guy raise dead superheroes to make the live heroes feel bad, or was it just a coincidence that this particular resurrected soul had a costumed past? The default assumption here is that he’s a revenant, not a zombie: I honestly think it’s creepier to have him as an unaging 16 year old, living in a body that never ages, never changes, and heals any injury with incredible speed. Whatever brought him back, he’s not going away any time soon. You’re Burt Ward playing the lead from The Crow. Go nuts. (Well, hopefully not literally)

Heroic Hippie PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 40 pp STR 10 (+0) DEX 14 (+2) CON 20 (+5) INT 10 (+0) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 30 (+10) Combat: 20 pp ATK: +4 DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +6 Grapple: +4 Saves: 10 pp TOU +10 (+5 Con, +5 Protection) FORT +6 (+5 Con, +1) REF +7 (+2 Dex, +5) WILL +7 (+3 Wis, +4) Skills: 14 pp=56 r Bluff 12 (+22) Diplomacy 12 (+22) Knowledge: History 4 (+4) Knowledge: Pop Culture 4 (+4) Notice 5 (+8) Perform: Singing 12 (+22) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Feats: 14 pp Distract (Bluff, Diplomacy) 2 Challenge 2 (Improved Feint, Improved Taunt) Dodge Focus 4 Fascinate (Perform) Improved Initiative Luck Taunt Set-Up Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 52 pp Hippie Array [45+1=46 pp] Illusion 10 (all senses) (Extra: Selective) (Flaw: Phantasms) (PFs: Precise, Progression 4 (100 ft) ) AP: Emotion Control 10 (Extra: Area [burst]) (Flaw: Sense-Dependent [Auditory]) and Stun 10 (Extra: Area [burst]) (Flaw: Sense-Dependent [Auditory]) (PF: Sedation) Immunity 1 (aging) [1 pp] Protection 5 [5 pp] costs abilities 40 + combat 20 + saves 10 + skills 14/56 + feats 14 + powers 52 = 150 pts ---- Design Notes: Jesus Christ, it's a hippie! Get in the car! Actually, with this lady, you probably won't want to. She's incredibly charismatic, she's got amazing illusion powers (usually of peaceful, happy scenes designed to help everyone mellow out), and is an amazing face-woman and trickster for the group. She's also a world-class singer, easily on par with such celebrities as Mama Cass and Joni Mitchell. She's an interesting character to play, either in her native late Silver Age or as a relic/modern day flower child in the modern period. When she tells you to mellow out, by God you mellow out, and when she tells you to fight the system, you go looking for a pig! I gave her Immunity to aging to reflect a flower child who really has been around since Woodstock, but you could easily drop that for a 1960s game or for a younger character who grew up on a commune somewhere. She may have got her powers from doing many, many drugs, or just meditative understanding that unlocked her deep inner chakras, depending on the tone of your game. Either way she's got low exotic saves: she's a hippie, what are you gonna do? She's probably got a lot of enemies in the 1960s, and maybe a few holdovers around today. If you're playing Super-Hippie (Captain Cool?), make sure to stay _mellow_. You're going to build a better world for the squares, even if they don't get it. You may be tempted by that charmer Tick-Tock Doc, but you've got a pretty good idea what HIS agenda is, and it involves your pants. Alternatively, maybe you're a violent revolutionary! Fight the power, ban the Bomb and smash the system! Either way, you'll make friends wherever you go, as well as some very determined enemies. Keep riding your VW Bus and listening to your eight-track tapes! - Freedom City Plot Hooks Groovies and Ghoulies: [*:3ua3bhaq]Black Avenger: Friend, ally, but a frustration. You and he share the same agenda about overcoming the bourgeois power structure and making a better world for everybody else. So what's all this talk about you being a privileged white girl? Doesn't he know that you're part of the Movement just as much as he is? That you're on the same side against the forces of the Man!? He's on your team, sure, but he's his own man, there's no getting around that. But that can be attractive, in its own way. [*:3ua3bhaq]The Man: Stick it to him! [*:3ua3bhaq]The Tick-Tock Doc: Hippie revolutionary with temporal powers and a time theme. He's a handsome genius with amazing power; even if you don't like That Way, you'll probably be at least a little tempted by his agenda. But his vision isn't really about choice: it's about taking away the order people have chosen to have in their lives and giving them chaos in the guise of freedom. It's tough to remember that, though, when you see all the squares he has to fight!

Tiny Titan Abilities: 24 pp STR: 10/1 (+0/-5) DEX: 14 (+2) CON: 10 (+0) INT: 20 (+5) WIS: 18 (+4) CHA: 14 (+2) Combat: 6 pp ATK: +3 (+15 w/Shrinking) DEF: +3 (+15 w/Shrinking) Init: +2 Grapple: +3 (full size)/-5 Shrinking Knockback: -2 (full size)/ Saves: 17 pp TOU: +5 FORT: +5 (+0 Con, +5) REF: +10 (+2 Ref, +8) WILL: +8 (+4 Wis, +4) Skills: 84 r=21 pp Concentration 10 (+14) Craft [Electronic] 10 (+15)* Disable Device 5 (+10) Knowledge [Life Sciences] 10 (+15)* Knowledge [Physical Sciences] 5 (+10) Knowledge [Technology] 10 (+15)* Languages 3 (German, Greek, Latin) Base: English Medicine 10 (+15)* Notice 8 (+12) Search 5 (+10) Stealth 8 (+10/+30) Feats: 11 pp Equipment, Evasion 2, Fearless, Hide in Plain Sight Improvised Tools Inventor Luck Power Attack Second Chance (Reflex Save to avoid being stepped on) Skill Mastery (Craft: [Electronic], Knowledge [Life Sciences], Knowledge: [Technology], Medicine) Powers: 71 pp Flight 2 (25 MPH) (PF: Subtle) [5 pp] Immunity 9 (Life Support) [9 pp] Protection 5 [5 pp] Shrinking 20 (PFs: Atomic Size, Microverse, Normal Movement, Normal Tougness) [24 pp] Super-Senses 7 (Darkvision, Microscopic Vision 3 [atomic], Tremorsense) [7 pp] Shrinking Array [20+1=21 pp] Teleport 9 (anywhere on Earth) (Extra: Accurate) (Flaw: Medium [telephone lines]) (PFs: Easy, Turnabout) AP: Damage 5 (Extras: Alt. Save [Fort], Autofire, Penetrating) Equipment: Binoculars (1 ep) Grapple Gun (Super-Movement 1 (Swinging) )(2 ep) Helmet Video Camera [PF: Subtle] (2 ep) -- Design Notes: How small are you? Very small: this character's primary superpower is her ability to make herself small enough to fall right out of the universe, and a few subsidiary abilities to go with it. A lady able to make herself small enough to fit inside an oxygen atom riding on the head of a virus shouldn't have to worry about breathing or getting sick, just as she should be able to take in her surroundings without having to make use of photons the size of her head. Her "faxing herself" trick is an old staple of tiny people in comics. She flies by riding atoms! Or air molecules, anyway. I figure her Strike is punching things with a fist smaller than an atom: nuclear eruptions thereof? Why not? It's your call what the microverse is like. Marvel's gone with it being a high-action sci-fi sort of place, but it may be a mundane reflection of our world, or something weirder entirely. As for being atomic size, it works a little like Insubstantial 4 (the costs are similar) with the caveat that she doesn't have any big weaknesses! It's a nice trick, all things considered. She has basically no Strength when you're at full-Shrinking: a heavy load for her is something like a coffee cup. (An empty one, at that!) She's a really, really good team sneak. She cannot fight, at all. She's a scientist, not a fighter! Fight small! Fight small! Fight small! She's actually got a decent Toughness when fully-grown, though her defense is crap. Stay small and stay mobile: most people can't hit a target with 25 Defense, especially when that target's flying at 2500 ft per round on the back of a passing cosmic ray. Keep that camera running as she journeys through inner space: who knows what she'll record? She's an adventurer-turned-hero, just like the pulp characters of old. She just does it a little...differently.

Zorro Abilities: 46 pp STR: 18 (+4) DEX: 20 (+5) CON: 20 (+5) INT: 12 (+1) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 22 (+6) Combat: 32 pp ATK: +8 (+13 melee) DEF: +13 (+4 flat-footed) Init: +17 Grapple: +17 Saves: 8 pp TOU +7/+5 (+5 Con, +2 Costume) FORT +7 (+5 Con, +2) REF +8 (+5 Ref, +3) WILL +5 (+2 Will, +3) Skills 25 pp=100 r Acrobatics 10 (+15) Bluff 10 (+16) Climb 6 (+10) Diplomacy 4 (+10) Drive 6 (+11) Intimidate 10 (+16) Languages 2 (French, Spanish) Notice 10 (+12) Ride 6 (+11) Search 4 (+5) Sense Motive 10 (+12) Sleight of Hand 10 (+15) Stealth 10 (+15) Feats: 32 pp Acrobatic Bluff, Attack Focus: Melee 5 Dodge Focus 5, Elusive Target, Equipment 2 Evasion 2, Improved Crit: Sword, Improved Initiative 3, Jack of All Trades, Luck 2, Move By Action, Power Attack, Quick Draw, Redirect, Stunning Attack, Takedown Attack 2, Taunt, Uncanny Dodge (auditory), Powers: 5 pp Device 1 (hard to lose) “Rapier” (PF: Indestructible) [5 pp] -Strike 3 (PFs: Improved Crit, Mighty) Equipment (10 ep) -Grapple Line (Super-Movement 1 (Swinging) ) [2 ep] -Swordcane (Strike 3) (PFs: Improved Crit, Mighty) [5 ep] -Undercover Shirt (Protection 2) PF: Subtle) [3 ep] ---- Design Notes Zorro! Or a modern, swashbuckling equivalent. With just a little skill shuffling, she can be both! (Zorro's never been a woman, you say? Pshaw: I am not responsible for your patriarchal WASP narratives about Latin American society, chums!) She's my first Badass Normal build, or close to it: hitting a little harder than the Instant Superheroes Swashbuckler and being able to take a hit a little bit better. I think that's a good thing: you only want to be tricked out with a big Attack tradeoffs if you've got something (like Autofire) to make you hit especially hard. I made her sword a Device so you don't worry about losing it or getting it broken so much. If the GM wants to disarm you in a fight, make him pay you an HP for the Complication (since it's a hard-to-lose device). How to play this character? Have you ever seen a Zorro movie? Stab and feint and bluff and taunt and do it all over again! With your high Charisma, Acrobatics, and grapple line, you should be able to get anywhere and stab anybody. She's a really effective goonsweeper, and really good in social situations. Pick up Set-Up if you're going to be on a team, so your hilarious remarks can set the bad guys up for a really solid hit by your powerhouse ally. It's up to you how much your character believes her own theatricality: are you chewing a rose to play on the expectations of your audience, or because it's awesome? (Note: both answers are acceptable!) One thing to keep in mind is that no one likes a bully: if you use your taunting on your allies too often, no one will like you or want to hang out with you. So be mindful of how you use it; save it for the people who deserve it...though some of them may be on your team. Just make sure it's all in good fun. This character should be about fun; the joy of physicality, the laughter of quick wit, and a sharp sword slashed across the belly of injustice! Make sure you've got a good initial so you can carve your name in something... Possible Character Names Queen of Hearts, Lady of the Blades, Swordslinger

Agent Green PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 32 pp STR: 14 (+2) DEX: 18 (+4) CON: 16 (+3) INT: 12 (+1) WIS: 18 (+4) CHA: 14 (+2) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Ranged, +11 Pistol) DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +7 Grapple: +8/+18 Saves: 10 pp TOU +10/+6 (+3 Con, +7 Protection/+3 Con, +3 Vest) FORT +6 (+3 Con, +3) REF +7 (+4 Dex, +3) WILL +8 (+4 Will, +4) Skills 17 pp=68 r Bluff 12 (+14) Disable Device 12 (+13) Gather Info 4 (+6) Intimidate 4 (+6) Knowledge: Streetwise 6 (+7) Languages 2 (English, Russian) (Base: Belorussian) Notice 6 (+10) Pilot 4 (+8) Search 6 (+7) Sense Motive 8 (+12) Stealth 4 (+8) Feats: 24 pp Attack Focus: Ranged (4) Benefit (Security Clearance), Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus (4), Elusive Target, Equipment (3), Evasion, Improved Initiative, Luck, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Shot, Quick Draw [draw], Sneak Attack, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 42 pp Device 10 ('Power Ring', 50 points, Hard to Lose; PFs: Restricted 2 [Only You]) (42) Cosmic Energy Control 8 [16+2=18 pp] AP: Create Object 5 (Extra: Moveable; PF: Progression (5 10 foot cubes) ) {16} AP: Telekinesis 8 (Str 40, Heavy Load: ~3 tons) {16} Enhanced Feat 1 [Quick Change] [1 pp] Flight 5 (250 MPH) [10 pp] Immunity 9 (life support) [9 pp] Protection 7 (PF:Subtle) [8 pp] Space Flight 1 (1c) [1 pp] Super-Senses 3 (Danger Sense [Radio], Darkvision) [3 pp] DC Block: Unarmed: DC 17 TOU (bruised/injured) Unarmed Sneak Attack: DC 19 TOU (bruised/injured) Light Pistol: DC 18 TOU (bruised/injured) Light Pistol Sneak Attack: DC 20 TOU (bruised, injured) Cosmic Energy Control: DC 23 TOU (bruised/injured) Cosmic Energy Control Sneak Attack: DC 25 TOU (bruised/injured) costs abilities 32 + combat 24 + saves 10 + skills 17/68 + feats 24 + powers 42 = 150 pts --- Design Notes: You were one of the deadliest men alive before you put the ring on. Now you're a badass capable of going toe-to-toe with any cape or cowl, ready to fight against, or alongside, the friends and enemies you used to watch from ground-level. You have a feeling you haven't tapped all the possible abilities your ring might give you (i.e.; power stunts), but with your new abilities you've got no complaints. Super-people don't really expect someone as powerful as you are to have a lot of skills, nor do they expect you to pull out a 9 mm and shoot the joker who just nullified your ring. (They're rubber bullets, of course: you know how capes are about killing!) A couple of ways to play this: Maybe you're off the reservation. You found, or were given the ring, and when you were testing it out you got up into space for the first time and saw the world with your own eyes. Just people, with no borders, no countries, all of whom need the same kind of saving and protection. Too bad your former masters want you, and what you've found, back. Or maybe you're still on the books; the black ones, anyway. You got this ring after the government took it off a dead alien (or the psycho test pilot he tried to give it to the first place), and now you're trying to balance your responsibilities to your employer with what you owe your superhuman allies. Season descriptors and powers to taste. Feel free to add the Weaksauce Weakness that most power ring wielders in comics seem to have: I've opted to omit it here. You're pretty darn good at what you do. Stay mobile in the air, make liberal use of Move-By Action, and pepper your enemies with Cosmic Energy Control. Only let your best friends see your true face, drink vodka martinis shaken, not stirred, get with beautiful foreign women, alien and otherwise, and don't be afraid to just occasionally show the man you are behind that shining mask your ring made for you. You've led a complicated life so far, and it's only gotten worse lately. You can play this archetype all the way from Silver Age cosmic martinis through Bronze Age moral dilemmas through nigh-Iron Age violence. (Though keep the last one to a minimum around here!) (A quick note: your vest does NOT stack with the Protection from your ring, it just makes you less helpless without it. You're PL 8 without the ring, so you can go undercover and still be quite formidable) - Freedom City Plot Hooks Employers and Antagonists: [*:ztg1ises]AEGIS: the US government's top super-agency. (American Elite Government Intervention Service). Usually nice people, but even they've got their bad apples or wicked mid-level bureaucrats who might serve as a decent antagonist. [*:ztg1ises]The Labyrinth: There's no such thing as the Labyrinth. Who would ever believe in a gigantic international cabal of crimelords and captains of industry, all working for an evil, horned mastermind with a sinister agenda? [*:ztg1ises]OVERTHROW: An international terrorist organization dedicated to the overthrow of all existing governmental structures. If you want fictional terrorists to do what terrorists do in-game, they're your go-to guys. Secretly bank-rolled by... [*:ztg1ises]SHADOW: A mysterious organization, headed by a Nazi arch-fiend with a taste for clothing and power armor. Think COBRA run by the Red Skull in Dr. Doom's armor. But they're gone now...aren't they? [*:ztg1ises]UNISON: the United Nations' super-agency. (The UN International Superhuman Oversight Network) Also usually good people, but with a dark side: one reason why there are no super-villain countries in the World of Freedom is that UNISON sends agents out to assassinate evil superpowered leaders. Friends and Enemies: [*:ztg1ises]Chalcedony Johnson: Head of the UNISON force in Freedom City. She's very, very good at what she does, despite of (or maybe because of) her family's secret past. [*:ztg1ises]Harry Powers: Long-time field agent turned Director of AEGIS. A tough, no-nonsense African-American gentleman with an eyepatch. [*:ztg1ises]Jennifer Ellis: Director of UNISON, works out of Switzerland. A nice lady. What? [*:ztg1ises]Jack Simmons: Former Golden Age superhero the Patriot, long-time director of AEGIS. Recently died of cancer, but had his brain secretly uploaded into an advanced robot so he could keep serving his country from the shadows. [*:ztg1ises]Stewart "Rock Star" Bonham: Son of the late Luke Bonham, an AEGIS field agent who died heroically in the Terminus Invasion, and director of the Freedom City AEGIS station. He's good at what he does, even if he's a little annoying.

Patriotic Hero PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 34 pp STR: 34 (+12) DEX: 18 (+4) CON: 26 (+8) INT: 10 (+0) WIS: 14 (+2) CHA: 10 (+0) Combat: 32 pp ATK: +8 (+7 w/size, +8 melee) DEF: +7 (+6 w/size, +1 Dodge) Init: +8 Saves: 10 pp TOU +13 (+8 Con, +5 Protection) FORT +10 (+8 Con, +2) REF +7 (+4 Ref, +3) WILL +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 12 pp=48 r Diplomacy 5 (+5) Intimidate 10 (+10) Knowledge: Civics 4 (+4) Perform: Patriotic Bluster 15 (+15) Notice 10 (+12) Search 4 (+4) Feats: 14 pp Attack Focus: Melee, Benefit (Fast Startle), Distract (Perform) Dodge Focus, Fascinate (Perform), Improved Grab, Improved Initiative, Improved Pin, Luck 2 Startle, Power Attack, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (olfactory) Powers: 48 pp Device 1 (easy to lose) “flaming sword” (PF: Restricted [Patriots]) [4 pp] -Add (PFs: Extended Reach 2, Improved Crit 2, Incurable) to Unarmed Damage {5}Flight 3 (50 MPH) [6 pp] Immunity 9 (life support) [9 pp] Growth 6 (Extra: Duration [Permanent] (+0)) (PF: Innate) [19 pp] Protection 5 (Extra: Impervious) [10 pp] costs abilities 34 + combat 32 + saves 10 + skills 12/48 + feats 14 + powers 48 = 150 pts --- Design Notes: The Patriotic Hero, an archetype as old as comics themselves! Presented now in a version suitable for your discerning fan of today. This guy's backstory is that he was once a patriotic TV show host before being badly mauled by a bear. His body broken, American doctors, representative of the finest medical system in the world, took him and made him better than he was: now he's a ten-foot-tall monster welded inside bulletproof all-American armor, wielding a flaming sword designed to cut through Commies like tinfoil! His name is Captain U.S. American. But you can tweak him for your country all you want: he'd make a fine Crimson Marine with a flaming hammer and sickle, or the Hammer of the SS if you're going bad guy with him. Nationalism in this kind of setting only has one real face... though I can't really see him as Captain EU! He's a tough archetype to make work as a PC in this cynical, anti-nationalist age, but I think he could do OK in the hands of the right player. He wouldn't be the first character who got his backing from weird places, or who got turned into a freakazoid by his abilities. For a real challenge, try and make him genuinely sympathetic, just misguided. Even if he's a bad guy, he should just be a tool of the real villains of the piece. He's surprisingly effective! Fly in, goonsweep with your flaming sword, and call out the big bad for a big fight. Make sure to make liberal use of your Distract, Startle, and other skills: you're so good at talking about America (or wherever) that everyone HAS to listen...even if they're just staring in awe at your total disregard for sanity, history, or the truth. But remember, you don't need the truth: you have patriotism!

Movie Detective PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 36 pp STR 20 (+5) DEX 18 (+4) CON 20 (+5) INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 14 (+2) Combat: 32 pp ATK: +8 (+9 Melee/+15 Unarmed) DEF: +15 (+4 flat-footed) Init: +4 Grapple: +14 Saves: 9 pp TOU +5 (+5 Con) FORT +7 (+5 Con, +2) REF +7 (+4 Dex, +3) WILL +7 (+2 Wis, +5) Skills: 80 r=20 pp Concentration 13 (+15) Investigate 15 (+15) Notice 13 (+15) Search 15 (+15) Sense Motive 13 (+15) Stealth 11 (+15) Feats: 18 pp Attack Focus: Melee 1 Attack Specialization: Unarmed 3 Dodge Focus 7 Evasion 2 Luck Power Attack Skill Mastery (Investigate, Notice, Search, Sense Motive) Takedown Attack Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 35 pp ESP 4 (1 mile) (visual and auditory) (Extras: Action [standard], Simultaneous, PF: Subtle) [21 pp] Quickness 20 (x2.5 million) (Flaw: Mental Only) [10 pp] Super-Senses 4 (Postcognition) [4 pp] costs abilities 36 + combat 32 + saves 9 + skills 20/80 + feats 18 + powers 35 = 150 pts --- Design Notes You ever wonder how that know-it-all detective on TV figured out the solution to the mystery from those BS clues that wouldn't hold water in real life? Maybe it's because he's actually a really, really powerful psychic. This character just barely meets his caps, but he should do his best to stay out of combat: he's not suited for full-fledged combat among superhumans. Rather he's a ridiculously good information-gatherer, able to find out all sorts of things about any crime just by following people around with his mind and figuring out what their motivations are. Note that he's actually got no Gather Info and is generally terrible with people: he's best with a sidekick to follow him around and do that kind of legwork/facework. A police version of this will hopefully have a younger, uniformed officer to follow him around; while a version of this with some wealth will have a powerful employee or two. Lacking that resource, make a friend on your superteam and go from there! Abuse the heck out of your ESP: if something's going anywher near you and you're paying attention, you know about it! With that mental quickness and Simultaneous and Subtle, you can search everywhere around you in between expounding on how the bad guy did it. Take 20 on Notice with Quickness, so you get a 45 as a free action. With any luck, as long as no one you're dealing with has Psychic Awareness or a high Notice score, no one will ever notice that you're not the world's greatest detective. Power-stunt a higher-level of ESP to search the entire city as a free action, something that shouldn't be any trouble given your massive powers. For real fun, power-stunt a Mind Control effect or a Drain Wisdom to make the bad guy break down into a sweaty, anxious, tearful confession at the end of the adventure. "I would have got away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling superheroes!"

Immortal PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 40 pp STR 30 [20] (+10/+5) DEX 14 (+2) CON 30 [20] (+10/+5) INT 12 (+1) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 18 (+4) Combat: 32 pp ATK: +8 (+10 Unarmed) DEF: +10 (+4 flat-footed) Init: +6 Grapple: +18 Saves: 8 pp TOU +10 (+10 Con) FORT +10 (+10 Con) REF +6 (+2 Dex, +4) WILL +7 (+3 Wis, +4) Skills: 13 pp=52 r Bluff 6 (+10) Diplomacy 6 (+10) Intimidate 6 (+10) Knowedge: Current Events 4 (+5) Knowledge: History 14 (+15) Notice 7 (+10) Sense Motive 12 (+15) Survival 2 (+5) Feats: 15 pp Attack Specialization: Unarmed, Beginner’s Luck, Dodge Focus 2, Eidetic Memory, Fearless, Improved Initiative, Inspire 3, Jack-of-all-Trades, Luck, Power Attack, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 42 pp Comprehend 3 (speak, read, and understand any one language at a time) [6 pp] Enhanced CON 10 [10 pp] Enhanced STR 10 [10 pp] Immunity 10 (Aging, Life Support) [10 pp] Leaping 1 (x2) [1 pp] Regeneration 2 (Resurrection 1/day [True]) (PFs: Persistent, Regrowth) [4 pp] Speed 1 (10 MPH) [1 pp] costs abilities 40 + combat 32 + saves 9 + skills 13/52 + feats 14 + powers 42 = 150 pts --- Design Notes: I’ve gone back to this well a few times, but I think I’ve got a satisfactory version of an immortal PC here. This lady’s gimmick is that she can’t be killed permanently: whatever you do to her, her body eventually recovers in a day or so. She doesn’t get sick and can’t be poisoned, and she can survive fine in hostile environments. (Still needs to eat and sleep, though) She’s also been around a very, very long time: long enough that she speaks every language, knows how to lead people in a fight, and remembers much more than maybe she’d like to. One possible complication for her is a fear of being buried alive: that may well have happened to her at least once, and digging herself out wasn’t a lot of fun. Why no Impervious? Well, it makes faking her previous ‘deaths’ a lot easier, depending on exactly how she’s got along over the years. Backstory? She’s immortal: who knows what backstory she’s had! It’s your call whether she’s a Scottish Highlander born with a mutant ability to regenerate, or a cavewoman who got her powers from a glowing meteor. Has she always been a champion of justice, or has she only recently put on a costume to operate successfully in the Modern Age? Or maybe she’s like Invincible’s Immortal, and she’s been several superheroes over the years, stretching all the way back to the 1930s when she first debuted. You can tweak the powers and such here wherever you want: I usually build characters fairly evenly balanced, but this could just easily be an even stronger demigod type or a badass immortal martial artist. Remember that the concept here isn’t just that she’s old: she’s effectively been around forever, with a history stretching back as long as you want it. That’s why she’s so competent in so many areas, and has such a strong force of personality. Why is she just PL 10? Maybe she’s been retired for a while, or in prison, or doing anything else. Maybe she took time out to raise a family...again.

What's the question? You can already talk to those things in-setting just by walking up to people and addressing them. Don't overdo it: stick to your various incorporeal creatures floating around and bedeviling you.

Jungle Lord PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 42 pp STR 24 (+7) DEX 16 (+3) CON 24 (+7) INT 10 (+0) WIS 16 (+3) CHA 12 (+1) Combat: 32 pp ATK: +8 (+13 melee) DEF: +10 (+4 flat-footed) INIT: +11 Grapple: +20 Saves: 10 pp TOU +10 (+7 Con, +3 Protection) FORT +10 (+7 Con, +3) REF +7 (+3 Dex, +4) WILL +6 (+3 Will, +3) Skills: 18 pp=92 ranks Acrobatics 7 (+10)* Climb 13 (+20)* Escape Artist 7 (+10) Handle Animal 9 (+10) Intimidate 8 (+8) Knowledge: Life Sciences 4 (+4) Notice 12 (+15)* Search 8 (+8) Sense Motive 7 (+10) Stealth 7 (+10) Survival 7 (+10)* Swim 3 (+10) Feats: 37 pp Acrobatic Bluff, All-Out Attack, Animal Empathy, Attack Focus: Melee 5, Challenge 2 (Accelerated Climb, Fast Acrobatic Bluff) Defensive Attack, Dodge Focus 2, Elusive Target Equipment, Evasion, Grappling Finesse, Improved Defense, Improved Grab, Improved Initiative 2 Improved Pin, Improved Throw, Improved Trip, Luck 2, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Rallying Cry, Skill Mastery (Acrobatics, Climb, Notice, Survival) Stunning Attack, Startle, Takedown Attack, Track, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) , Powers: 11 pp Leaping 1 (x2) [1 pp] Protection 3 [3 pp] Speed 1 (10 MPH) [1 pp] Super-Movement 3 (Slow Fall, Sure-Footed, Swinging) [6 pp] costs abilities 42 + combat 32 + saves 10 + skills 18/92 + feats 37 + powers 11 = 150 pts - Design Notes Ladies and gentlemen, the original Jungle Murder Machine. Not too much to say about this classic archetype. Jungle comics are old enough that there are a few Jungle Lords in most big comic universes, though they usually don't get a lot of airtime. I simplified things a bit with this one, dropping the Instant Superheroes archtype's pet lion and weapons: the character is more fun as a bare-handed jungle martial artist, and I've always been leery of bringing your animal companion to a fight. You can shuffle points around to add those things, but honestly I wouldn't. The most famous Jungle Lord could wrestle elephants into submission bare-handed. You can't _quite_ pull that off, but maybe if you saved up HP and the elephant rolled badly. A (slightly) gritty take on the archetype, without Comprehend. Make use of Handle Animal and Animal Empathy with gusto! You cannot talk to animals word-for-word, but you can probably get a pretty good hint of what they're trying to say. Remember the size penalties of interaction skills! No Wall-Crawling, but with that massive Climb score, Speed, and several different types of Super-Movement, you'll probably be OK. In combat against large creatures, go for wrestling: Tarzan wrestled bears and lions all the time! I left the Equipment spot blank: fill in whatever jungle-themed weapons you want. A knife or spear won't add to your damage, but it will increase your reach. I trust you know what that Rallying Cry is supposed to sound like! How do you feel about pollution and urban life? Probably not a fan, honestly. No languages on this one. If you want to get away from the Mighty Whitey implications of the Jungle Lord, add a local language and make clear that this is a native of whatever region of the world they're from. You're an animal lover and environmentalist who is also an enthusiastic omnivore. Is that costume made out of animal skins? Maybe! Enjoy getting hated on by big oil companies AND by PETA. Contrary to the usual stereotype, you probably don't fight crime in a bikini or a loincloth, because it's a lot colder in Campaign City than it is wherever you're from. Or maybe it isn't! Consider switching up your home environment for a different theme: Oona, Queen of the Arctic? Just keep in mind your niche as a normal person with a close connection to nature and supreme athleticism. Make the wilds of the city your new home! Possible Character Names Stalker, Demeter, Anarzat - Freedom City Plot Hooks People You Know, Places You Might Be From [*:13toal01]Dakana: An advanced African nation without the creepy subtext of recent Black Panther stories, ruled by a benevolent king: the superhero White Lion! A good place for Jungle Lords who are much more familiar with high-tech civilization than the usual run of the archetype. And hey, a heroine from Africa who's actually black? It's just crazy enough to work! [*:13toal01]Fantasy Freedom: A world of magic and sorcery, eerily like our own. Are you a barbarian warrior from the great forests that surround The City? But what happens when you meet your counterpart from this world, a warrior of the urban jungle with skills to match your own in every details? [*:13toal01]The Lost World: There's already a Jungle Lord living here, but who's to say you and Zandar aren't friendly rivals? You could swap the skills around a little to be the Travis Morgan to his Tarzan, or give yourself Latin or Quechua to be the champion of the local Roman or Inca civilizations. Buy some Ride if you're from here, so that you can go to Freedom City and say you've ridden on a dinosaur! [*:13toal01]The White Lion: King, Freedom League member, guardian of the terrible Beast of Kilimanjaro. He's a good man, and a good leader. If you were around in the Silver Age, you probably knew his father, who reigned and adventured under the same title.

Romance Novel Hero PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 44 pp STR 30 [20] (+10/+5) DEX 16 (+3) CON 30 [20] (+10/+5) INT 10 (+0) WIS 14 (+2) CHA 24 (+7) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+10 Melee) DEF: +10 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +7 Grapple: +23 Saves: 9 pp TOU +10 (+10 Con) FORT +10 (+10 Con) REF +7 (+3 Ref, +4) WILL +7 (+2 Will, +5) Skills: 15 pp=60 ranks Bluff 8 (+15/+19) Diplomacy 8 (+15/+19) Gather Info 3 (+10) Knowledge: History 5 (+5) Languages 4 (Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian) (Base: English) Notice 8 (+10) Ride 7 (+10) Perform (acting) 3 (+10) Perform (dance) 3 (+10) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Swim 1 (+11) Feats: 24 pp Attack Focus: Melee 4, Attractive, Beginner's Luck, Benefit 4 (Wealth 3, Status) Dodge Focus 4, Distract (Bluff), Fascinate 2 ([bluff], [Perform]) Improved Initiative, Interpose, Jack of All Trades, Luck, Power Attack, Takedown Attack, Uncanny Dodge (auditory) Powers: 34 pp Enhanced CON 10 (to CON 30/+10) [10 pp] Enhanced STR 10 (to STR 30/+10) [10 pp] Impervious TOU 6 [6 pp] Leaping 1 (x2) [1 pp] Speed 1 (10 MPH) [1 pp] Super-Strength 3 (Heavy Load: 6 tons) [6 pp] DC Block Unarmed DC 25 TOU (bruised/injured) costs abilities 40 + combat 24 + saves 9 + skills 15/60 + feats 24 + powers 34 = 150 pts --- Design Notes He is all things to all men, and maybe to some lucky ladies. Is he a wealthy sheik? A billionaire tycoon? A single father fireman? A male model? A soap opera star? A man who's lived his life by his good looks, and is now looking to give back to the community with superpowers? Yes. Yes, he is all these things and more. (Or at least has the points spent to fake it for the length of a novel) He's got Knowledge: History to reflect that time he was a Regency aristocrat; he speaks the various exotic languages of love, and of course the strength to throw a motorcycle or carry a lady away in his arms, pressed against his broad, muscular chest. Shuffle the powers and tradeoffs around as necessary, of course, but I think making him a powerhouse with OK mobility is a reasonable rough way to build a character like this. I deliberately did not give him emotion control/enhanced Charisma/or anything like that. He's simply a very beautiful man. Add Complication: Doorstep Baby to reflect the abandoned infant left at your hero's doorstep. It's more likely than you think, and it lets you have an adorable baby around without any Tragic Circumstances. The ladies dig that stuff! Honestly, I think he'd be a gas to play, whether you assume he's a fictional character brought to life or simply a man who happens to partake in every romance novel cliche that ever existed. (Though not the older ones, of course: no one likes that skirts-over-the-head stuff these days) Remember to believe in yourself and don't be afraid of tropes. Possible Character Names Prince Valiant, The Masked Shiek, Adonis

Vampire PL: 10 (150) Abilities: 32 pp STR 26 (+8) DEX 18 (+4) CON n/a INT 10 (+0) WIS 18 (+4) CHA 20 (+5) Combat: 24 pp ATK: +6 (+8 melee, +12 unarmed) DEF: +12 (+3 flat-footed) Init: +4 Grapple: +16 Saves: 6 pp TOU +8 (+8 Protection) FORT n/a REF +7 (+4 Dex, +3) WILL +7 (+4 Will, +3) Skills: 14 pp=56 r Bluff 6 (+11/+15) Diplomacy 6 (+11/+15) Intimidate 10 (+15) Knowledge: Arcane Lore 5 (+5) Knowledge: History 5 (+5) Languages 1 (Romanian) (Base: English) Notice 6 (+10) Sense Motive 6 (+10) Stealth 11 (+15) Feats: 16 pp Attack Focus: Melee (2) Attack Specialization: Unarmed (2) Attractive Dodge Focus (6) Fascinate (Bluff) Hide in Plain Sight Power Attack Takedown Attack Uncanny Dodge: Auditory Powers: 64 pp Drain Con 2 (Flaw: Requires Grapple) [1 pp] Flight 1 (PF: Subtle) (10 MPH) [3 pp] Immunity 30 (Fortitude Saves) [30 pp] Impervious TOU 8 (Not vs. Wood/Silver/Fire) [4 pp] Protection 8 [8 pp] Regeneration 6 (Rec. Bonus +0 [5], Rec. Rate: Resurrection 1/week [1]; Flaw: Source [blood]) [3 pp] Super-Senses 3 (Acute Scent, Darkvision) [3 pp] Vampire Array 5 (10pp; PFs: Alternate Power x2; Drawback: Not in Daylight) [11 pp] BE: Insubstantial 2 (mist) AP: Mind Control 10 (Flaw: Sense-Dependent [Auditory] ) AP: Strike 10 (Extra: Vampiric; Flaw: Requires Grapple) Drawbacks: -6 pp Vulnerable (silver) (uncommon, major) (-3) Vulnerable (wood [Piercing]) (uncommon, major) (-3) - Design Notes Season to taste. An older vampire will have more knowledges and skills, but maybe more drawbacks to go with it. This is your typical vampire, with some typical powers and weaknesses thereof. There's a lot of source material on vampires, of course, so you've got plenty of ground to make any kind of 'vampire' character you want; anything from the victim of a blood-destroying plague to a damned soul risen from the grave. Feel free to tweak those as necessary: note that this one is a bit more 'modern' style, compared to a character like Avenger who has more of a 'damned' feel to him. None of that 'die in 10 rounds' in sunlight drawback; what a horrible thing to put on a player character! He's weaker in daylight, though, because contrary to what certain infamous works of fiction would have you believe, vampires hate sunlight! Note that I didn't give him a massive Drain Con; things like that are best left to power-stunts. In a game with this tone, you're not going to be ripping bad guys' throats out on a regular basis. (though having the capacity is nice!) Contrary to what some vampire builds say, a Vampiric Drain Con does nothing for you, since you don't have any to begin with! So he's got a Strike to represent taking the blood of others and healing himself quickly. He's got a decent-sized vampire array you can use for power-stunts. Note that he can fly without being in his mist form. (Which is a really, really handy power, by the way!) He can do a lot of different things, acting as sneak, face, or what have you. Who needs Disable Device and equipment when you can just duck _under_ the door? Playing a vampire is tough to avoid being Iron Age. Be mindful of how you roll. The angsty, troubled-but-cute vampire is a good archetype..._especially_ if you just use the "Anne Rice crap" as a cover for your real personality. (Whatever that might happen to be.) If people want to make Twilight jokes, let 'em. If they think you're funny, they won't dwell on what you're doing when no one else is around. One way to do it is to play up your vampiric powers and abilities so much everyone thinks it's just an act. "Nightstrike isn't a REAL vampire, that's just an act he puts on to scare bad guys!" Another way is to keep it all under your hat, and just pretend your preternatural speed, strength, and other amazing abilities are the product of strong training. Possible Character Names Nightstalker, Street Hunter, Blackwing -- Freedom City Plot Hooks People You May Know: [*:1qkp48um]Nightrage, the Iron Age vigilante vampire who died helping save the city in the Terminus Invasion of 1993 [*:1qkp48um]Melinda, the beautiful, deadly queen of Freedom City's vampires recently killed in an internal power struggle [*:1qkp48um]Hades, the Greek God of Death, who may have some things to say about the undead in Freedom City [*:1qkp48um]Baron Samedi, voodoo loa of death turned superpowered drug lord, who may have a sinister agenda in mind for you too. [*:1qkp48um]Jack Faretti, head of Freedom City's vampires and superhero. Places You May Go: [*:1qkp48um]Ditko Street, the place to go in Freedom City for 'real' magic. If there is any such thing. [*:1qkp48um]The Fens, a desperately poor, crime-ridden area, where the people will be so grateful for a champion that they won't look too closely at your personal life [*:1qkp48um]Lincoln, an impoverished African-American neighborhood in similar dire straits. A good place to go if you're a William Marshall fan, otherwise the implications are unfortunate. [*:1qkp48um]North Bay, Jack Faretti, the king of Freedom City's vampires lives here. You'd better knock first. [*:1qkp48um]Lantern Hill, you usually can't go here. The various costumed protectors of the oldest part of Freedom City are empowered by the forces of holy righteousness, and don't take kindly to your kind around here.