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Player Name: Geez3r Character Name: Animal Man II Power Level: 10 - 150/153PP Trade-Offs: Variable Unspent Power Points: 3 Progress To Bronze Status: 3/30 In Brief: The next in line of a family of shapeshifters carries on the legacy to help the downtrodden. Alternate Identity: Markus Lupin Identity: Secret Birthplace: Freedom City Occupation: Private Detective Affiliations: Family: Animal Man I & She Wolf (parents), Emily Lupin (sister) Description: Age: 26 (June 7, 1988) Apparent Age: Same Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 6'2â" Weight: 180 lbs Eyes: Brown Hair: Light Brown The first word most people use to describe Markus would be burly. He is in tremendous physical health, and looks it, having a defined layer of muscle covering his whole frame. He looks like the type of person you could totally see moving out to the middle of nowhere in Alaska to live off the land, and only wander into town once every couple of months for supplies. He generally sports a full beard that he grooms just enough to not be scruffy. He doesn't really style the hair on top of his head, just keeps it relatively short and lets it fall where it may. This rest of his frame is similarly manicured, that is to say not at all, making him to be a pretty hairy guy. While on patrol, Animal Man is most commonly in the form of an animal, but he does have a costume that he dons all the same. It is in fact the same costume his father wore all those years ago, though tailored a bit to fit Marcus's frame. He wears the split head and pelt of a lion over his bear chest, it's mane forming a collar over his neck and shoulders. He wears a tribal necklace of teeth across his neck, with a family crest at the center, which appears similar in appearance to a small animal skull. He wears a set of brown trousers made out of a sturdy canvas material, held up by a rather thick belt. He completes the ensemble with a pair of heavy leather boots and leather bracelets at the end of each wrist. Markus has had to add a domino mask to the classic costume, as his father had more control of manipulating his physical features than Markus does. Power Descriptions: Animal Man is a shapeshifter. He can transform into any animal that has ever lived on planet earth. This also include extinct animals, like the ones that went extinct over 65 million years ago. Unlike many other shifters, there isn't a drawback or limitation on the colors of the shapes he changes into. However, when he changes form into another species, that is the only form of that species he has. When he transforms himself into a lion, it is always that specific lion. This is why he can technically transform into a human as well, but it won't make much difference as he always transforms into himself as he was born human, which is therefore the only human form he has. Animal Man's powers are magical in nature and can be detected as such when he's in an animal form. He's not detectable as magic in his base human form. Due to the magical nature of his powers, the forms he takes can sometimes exceed the base capabilities of the animals themselves, but they are still grounded by the capabilities of the animal in question. He can't give a bear a poisonous bite, but the bear's claws might be sharp enough to cut through steel, might being the operative word. History: Markus was destined to have an interesting life before he even took his first breath. Markus Lupin actually comes from a long line of sorcerers. Their magical talent is innate, and through study and practice, members of his family can refine their skills. The Lupin family has most commonly expressed these gifts through shapeshifting, though a few members of the family have had a different skill set, and varying degrees of power, as magic can be quite fickle. Markus' father, John Lupin and the first superhero to have the moniker Animal Man, is the source of the majority of the power that Markus has inherited, as John inherited the family's gifts as well. That being said, Markus's mother's bloodline had its own contribution. Markus's mother, Maria Natcheer is a full blooded lycanthrope, and was formerly the villainess She-Wolf. Markus's parents were enemies back in the early 80's, fighting brutal battles at every full moon. At the time, Maria could not control her transformations, and would go on a rampage, being contained only by John's heroic efforts. That was until John finally tracked down who Maria was during the day. He had devised a spell that would rid Maria of her curse, an act that would kindle a relationship between the two, eventually leading to their marriage some years later. It is due to his mother's blood in his veins that Markus is naturally so fit, and also why silvered weapons leave the mark as they do. The two would retire from the super-identities when they were married, which was shortly after the Moore laws were passed. The early years of his life, Markus led a pretty normal life, his parents keeping most of their history secret from him and his younger sister Emily. But when they reached their teenage years, Markus' parents told them the whole truth about who and what they were, and what that would mean for Markus and Emily. Soon after that Markus' magical talent revealed itself, and his father began instructing him in its use, as Markus expressed the desire to take up his father's mantle as the next Animal Man from an early age. In school, Markus also started down the path to being a hero, enrolling in criminal justice classes, and more than a few legal classes as well. After graduating from college, Markus has opened up his own private detective business. He knew of no better way to help people, and also to retain his autonomy on his day to day life. His sister, Emily is still in college, and has exhibited some of the family's natural talent, but has yet to refine it, instead focusing on her schooling. Personality & Motivation: Markus is at his core, a stubborn man who is just trying to do good, but may be just a bit to hot headed for his own good. He can never turn his back on people who need his help. He may certainly grumble about a particularly demanding case, but he'll do it all over again the next time he hears another sob story. He would be a much better detective if he had the patience for the skill, but he usually just gets enough information to find out which door he should be kicking down. His parents have instilled in him a sturdy set of morals, so he never goes off the deep end, even though he might really like thinking about it. The quickest way to set him off is to threaten his sister or parents, whom Markus is extremely protective of. Powers & Tactics: Animal Man's tactics are pretty straight forward at this point, he just transforms into an animal and wades in with claws, teeth and horns. He tends to favor larger animals over smaller ones at this point, his most common forms being that of a bear or a lion. When he does go into smaller forms, it's usually to get into or out of some place, or if it's a bird he's transforming into, it's basically just to get to point A to point B. He has also been known to take on the forms of smaller animals like cats and mice when stealth is important, often times used for trailing a person of interest. Complications: The beast within – Animal Man counts as human, any animal and a lycanthrope regardless of the form he's currently in for the purposes of determining what effects work on him. All those familiar faces: Animal Man can assume 1 and only 1 form per species, people may recognize him if they see him in the same form more than once. Alligators in the sewers: People generally react poorly when they see a wild animal running loose in the streets, and Animal Man can't really explain things in animal form, even less so if animal control shoots him with a tranquilizer in the mean time. Temper: Once he gets riled up, Markus can let his emotions get the better of him. Legacy: Both of Markus's parents led interesting lives back in the day, with their own allies and enemies, which now can be his problem. Lunacy: As Markus's mother is a werewolf, silvered weapons leave quite the impact on him, and coming into contact with silver can make him nauseous. He also acts more feral should he transform on a full moon, which is generally why he stays at home on those days. Abilities: 14 + 14 + 14 + 4 + 4 + 2 = 52PP Strength: 24 (+7) Dexterity: 24 (+7) Constitution: 24 (+7) Intelligence: 14 (+2) Wisdom: 14 (+2) Charisma: 12 (+1) Combat: 8 + 8 = 16PP Initiative: +7 Attack: +4, +7 Melee Grapple: +14 Defense: +7 (+4 Base, +3 Dodge Focus), +2 Flat-Footed Knockback: -3 Saving Throws: 0 + 0 + 2 = 2PP Toughness: +7 (+7 Con, +0 Other) Fortitude: +7 (+7 Con, +0) Reflex: +7 (+7 Dex, +0) Will: +4 (+2 Wis, +2) Skills: 96R = 24PP Acrobatics 3 (+10) Concentration 8 (+10) Diplomacy 9 (+10) Gather Information 9 (+10) Handle Animal 8 (+9) Intimidate 9 (+10) Investigate 8 (+10) Knowledge (Arcane) 8 (+10) Knowledge (Civics) 3 (+5) Knowledge (Life Sciences) 5 (+7) Notice 8 (+10) Search 4 (+6) Sense Motive 8 (+10) Stealth 3 (+10) Survival 3 (+5) Feats: 8PP Animal Empathy Attack Focus (Melee) 3 Dodge Focus 3 Ritualist Powers: 48 = 48PP Shapeshift 6 (30pp pool) Extras: Free Action; Flaws: Limited to Terrestrial Animals [48pp] Drawbacks: (-0) = -0PP DC Block ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Totals: Abilities (52) + Combat (16) + Saving Throws (02) + Skills (24) + Feats (08) + Powers (48) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/153 Power Points Sample Shapeshifting Forms