Masquerade

[Zoilus]

Masquerade
Power Level: 8/10 (150/150PP)
Unspent Power Points: 0

Spent PP: 0
Trade-Offs: +3 Defense / -3 Toughness 

 

In Brief: Al is a transfer student from abroad, a young man coming into powers that require refinement, at the very least. A shapeshifting swashbuckler, he’s come to the Claremont Academy for just that, to hone his abilities and prepare to strike at the future.

Catchphrase: En garde!

Theme:

 

Alternate Identity: Al Costas (Secret)
Birthplace: Cyprus

Residence: Freedom City, New Jersey
Base of Operations: Freedom City, New Jersey
Occupation: Student
Affiliations: Claremont Academy
Family: Mother and grandfather, Cypriot immigrants

 

Description:
Age: 16 

Apparent Age: 
Gender: Generally male
Ethnicity: Greek/Turkish Cypriot mix
Height: Variable, generally 6’1’’
Weight: 175 lbs
Eyes: Variable, generally grey
Hair: Variable, generally golden-brown.

 

Appearance:

Al Costas is, generally, an athletic young man with striking features- though for a shapeshifter, he’s only made the basest of tweaks to the face he was born with. He generally prefers relaxed wear, sweaters and cardigans with jeans and khakis, but is all too willing to dress up when the situation requires it.

 

As Masquerade, he wears a sort of modern musketeer uniform- no old timey frills, but a surcoat with a slashed M over tight, lightly armored pants and a shirt, with fencing gloves and a good pair of boots- designed with both protection and movement in mind. He wears a stylized Venetian half-mask over his face, topped with a musketeer cap with a jaunty feather.

 

History:
Alexander Ejder Costas was born on Cyprus, to a Turkish mother and Greek father, an aspiring academic and journalist, respectively. They moved to the United States when Al was very young, pursuing opportunity abroad, both of them eventually finding work in New York where their occupations brought occasional run-ins with the local super-community. The young family hit a snag when Al began to occasionally…melt. For a moment, anyway, before fixing himself, sometimes with an extra nose or purple eyes. That he was a mutant was clear, but the next steps weren’t.

 

Al, for his part, took the emergence of his powers in stride and with pride. As his parents searched for powered tutors with similar abilities, Al experimented with his powers and began to push himself academically and physically in school. To just be born with this kind of power was incredible, but to be able to use it to its fullest, he believed, he couldn’t just rest on his laurels. Besides, a new face couldn’t exactly go toe-toe with an energy blast, could it?

 

Al was surprised when his parents announced a sudden move from New York to Freedom City, especially his transfer to a private school he’d never heard of, ‘Claremont Academy.’ It wasn’t too far from home, but it all became very clear during orientation. The school was full of people like him: driven, accomplished, and, of course, powered. Al is eager but nervous to move past the scattered tutoring of the last few years and join an open community of students like himself, but he is still determined to excel.

 

 

Personality & Motivation:
Al has suddenly found himself part of community of superpowered students, after several years of hiding and training himself in secret, and is not quite adjusted to the change yet. It’s relaxing, certainly, but part of him misses the secrecy. The other, dominant, part of him is too busy immersing himself in school life and classes to really think about it. Life is easier to enjoy once you have the tools to do so and peers to enjoy it with, and he expects he’ll find both at Claremont.

 

The most freedom he finds in life is through the use of his powers- humanoid shapeshifting. The ability to change his face, his voice, even his gender at times- it is a power of pure expression, he feels, and it is liberating. And if he can use it help liberate others from more pressing issues? All the better.

 

Powers & Tactics:
Al is a shapeshifter, and uses that power not just change his physical appearance, but adjust and maximize the performance of his body, leaving him capable of amazing feats of dexterity. For self-defense, he utilizes that dexterity and an energy rapier gifted by an associate of his parents. Al also uses his skills as an infiltrator and information gatherer, and has received some training on how to do so.

 

He has received some training from a hero operating out of New York, Joyeuse.

Power Descriptions:
Morphing (Mutation)-Al can alter the physical appearance of his body at will, as long as he maintains the same amount of biomass.

Enhanced Abilities (Mutation)-He has used his ability to alter his body to make himself more dexterous, and socially, adjusts his attractiveness, voice, et cetera as needed for an edge in infiltration and negotiation.

Energy Rapier (Tech)-This is a classical rapier with a modern twist- a thread of hot blue plasma running down the edge of the blade that can be turned off or on as needed.

 

Complications:
Flourish-Al appreciates any opportunity to show off his fencing and acrobatic skills. During a fight, if he gives up a move to show off, earn a hero point.

 

Honor Roll-Al must keep his grades up for parental approval and support. Anything that might prevent him from studying or missing class can earn a hero point.
 

My Mom’s a Telepath-Al’s mother is a mid-level telepath, able to detect attempts at lying or deception.

 

Firebrand-Al’s father is a known firebrand journalist in Freedom City, making interactions with powerful figures complicated is the connection between Al and his father is made.

Abilities: 0 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 4+ 12 = 46PP
Strength: 10 (+0)
Dexterity: 20 (+5)/24 (+7)
Constitution: 20 (+5)
Intelligence: 20 (+5)
Wisdom: 14 (+2)
Charisma: 22 (+6)/26(+8)

 

Combat: 4 (2PP / Base Attack) + 5 (2PP / Base Defense) = 18PP
Initiative: +5/+7
Attack: +8 Melee (swords), +4 Ranged 
Defense: +11 (+5 Base, +6 Dodge Focus), +3 Flat-Footed

Grapple: +4
Knockback: -2


Saving Throws: 4 (1PP / Fortitude) + 4 (1PP / Reflex) + 8 (1PP / Will) = 16PP
Toughness: +5 (+5 Con)
Fortitude: +9 (+5 Con, +4)
Reflex: +11 (+7 Dex, +4)
Will: +10 (+2 Wis, +8)


Skills: 64R = 16PP (1PP = 4 Skill ranks)
Acrobatics 7(+14)

Bluff 7(+15)

Computers 4 (+9)

Diplomacy 4 (+12)

Disguise 7(+14/+54)

Escape Artist 7(+14)

Gather Information 7(+15)

Investigate 2(+7)

Notice 8(+10)

Search 2(+7)

Sense Motive 8(+10)

Language 1 (English, Greek)

Feats: 17PP
Attack Specialization 2 (Sword)
Evasion 2
Benefit 1 (Joyeuse, a hero and mentor in New York)

Distract 1 (Bluff)

Elusive Target 1

Dodge Focus 6

Challenge-Fast Feint

Luck 2

Takedown Attack 1

  
Powers: 4 + 4 + 17 + 12 = 37PP

 

Enhanced Charisma 4 [4 PP]

 

Enhanced Dexterity 4 [4 PP]

 

Morph Array 8 (16PP Array; Feats: Alternate Power 1) [17PP]

BP: Morph 8 (Humanoid forms) {16/16PP}

AP: Heal 7 (Rebuild Damage; Extras: Total; Flaws: Personal; Feats: Persistent, Regrowth) {16/16PP}

 

Device 3 (Energy Rapier, 15PP Container; Flaws: Hard to Lose) [12 PP]

            Damage 8 (Extras: Penetrating 5, Power Feats: Restricted 2 [Only Masquerade]) [15 DP]

           
Drawbacks: (-0) + (-0) = -0PP

DC Block

ATTACK              RANGE      SAVE                           EFFECT
Unarmed             Touch      DC 15 Toughness         Damage

Rapier                  Touch      DC 23 Toughness         Damage

 

Totals: Abilities (46) + Combat (18) + Saving Throws (16) + Skills (16) + Feats (17) + Powers (37) - Drawbacks (0) = 150/150 Power Points

 

Not quite a complete build here, looking for recommendations and streamlining while I readjust his lore for the site's setting. Happy to be here!

 

Edit 2 up.

Edited July 4, 2020 by Zoilus