Delemental Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 Player Name: Delemental Power Level: 10 (150/154pp) Trade-Offs: None Unspent PP: 4 Character Name: Lady Iniquity Alternate Identity: Tabitha Connely Height: 5' 6" Weight: 151 lb Hair: Black Eyes: Yellow (Hazel in Normal Identity) Description In her normal identity, Tabitha looks like what you would expect of a high-priced, ruthless lawyer. She wears expensive suits (black or dark grey, usually with something red as an accent, such as a scarf or brooch). She wears a small pair of reading glasses, but these do not distract from her hazel eyes. Her skin is pale, and her build is average. She does have a tattoo on the small of her back - a fairly typical Celtic knot design she got on a drunken whim in college. She does not show it off to anyone and keeps it covered, as she feels it is unprofessional (she keeps it only to remind herself that some decisions have consequences). She is aware of her own good looks, but doesn't utilize them to gain professional advantage (she would rather her reputation were built on her other attributes). As Lady Iniquity, her eyes turn a malevolent, cat-slitted yellow. The business suits are replaced by a form-fitting, revealing red costume, with elbow-length gloves and thigh-high boots. Her skin seems to become even paler than before, and her nails become long and sharp, and turn a glossy black. In costume, the tattoo on her back becomes plainly visible (possibly a clue to her identity, though again the design is so commonplace that any one of hundreds of twenty-something women could have it). Unlike in her secret identity, Lady Iniquity uses her appearance to its maximum effect (especially when channeling Lust). History Tabitha Connely was a young and ambitious woman who used the money she inherited from her parent's death to get herself into a good law school. Going in with high-minded ideals about justice and punishing criminals, she was quickly disheartened when her experiences interning with the DA's office showed her that the bad guys often got away with their crimes. She also began to worry as her inheritance ran out. Finally, she realized that what she'd really wanted all this time was to be famous - to be the renowned mob-busting lawyer, or the one that brought the evil corporations down. Tabitha saw that her current path would lead only to toiling in anonymity and near poverty. She was being a fool, she decided, and switched to learning criminal and corporate defense. After graduation, she was recruited by the prestigious law firm of Cabot, Cunningham, and Crowley in Freedom City. Tabitha was no less determined and ruthless that anyone else at the firm, but she struggled to make a name for herself among that many powerful attorneys that worked for Lucius Cabot. She tried to break in on a major case, but kept getting assigned lesser work. Finally, Tabitha decided to take matters into her own hands. She broke into Lucius' office one night, looking for either information on a client that she could approach before the case was assigned to someone else, or something to blackmail Cabot with. Her search came up empty, but she did find a crystal vial containing a black liquid locked in a safe. Assuming it was some sort of high-priced liqueur, Tabitha decided that at the very least, she could enjoy a taste of the high life. When she woke up, Lucius Cabot was standing over her, smiling. She learned many things that night. The black elixir was not liquor, but was the distilled essence of evil itself, which Lucius had been collecting through magical rituals. Tabitha had infused that essence into herself, and could now manifest sins by force of will. Rather than punish Tabitha, Lucius was impressed by her ambition, and taught her to control her abilities. He also laid a magical ritual on her that would keep anyone from learning her connection to him, and then he encouraged her to go out and pursue the fame and notoriety she craved. Personality & Motivation Tabitha Connely was, at worst, someone who was willing to cross certain moral lines to get what she wanted. Lady Iniquity relishes and enbraces her identity as a purveyor of sin. Above all, she craves attention - anything to put herself above others, to be recognized as the best. She channels most of this ambition into her supervillain identity, though she is no less dedicated to fame and fortune as Tabitha. Now that she's gained the attention of the firm's founder, she is finally starting to get a crack at some of the big-name clients. Complications Indebted to Lucius Cabot: Lucius will not let Lady Iniquity forget who is responsible for her powers, or her newfound prominence in her professional life. This gives the immortal villain considerable leverage over her. As part of this, Lady Iniquity has agreed to subject herself to an arcane ritual that will activate if she is ever about to reveal her identity or anything else that would connect her to Lucius Cabot. The ritual will instantly erase her memory, giving her total amnesia (effectively, a Mental Transfrom X (all memories)). The amnesia can only be reversed by Lucius, a fact that woud put Lady Iniquity even more in his debt. Obsessed with Achieving Fame/Notoriety: Lady Iniquity wants nothing more that to be well-known, to be respected and feared wherever she goes. She will choose high-profile targets over more subtle plans, will sometimes pause at a caper long enough for the media to arrive, and will react poorly to anything that makes her look bad. ABILITIES: 33 pp Str: 14 (+2) Dex: 14 (+2) Con: 13 (+1) Int: 18 (+4) Wis: 16 (+3) Cha: 18 (+4) [Cha 26 (+8) when Lust power is active] COMBAT: 32 pp Attack: +7 Grapple: +9 Defense: +9 (+5 flat-footed) Knockback: -4 Initiative: +2 SAVES: 18 pp Toughness: +8 (+1 Con, +7 Protection) Fortitude: +6 (+1 Con, +5) Reflex: +7 (+2 Dex, +5) Will: +11 (+3 Wis, +8) SKILLS: 72r = 18 pp Bluff 8 (+12) (When Lust power is active, modifier is +16, +20 with Attractive) Computers 3 (+7) Concentration 6 (+9) Diplomacy 4 (+8) (When Lust power is active, modifier is +12, +16 with Attractive) Gather Information 7 (+11) (When Lust power is active, modifier is +15) Intimidate 3 (+7) (When Lust power is active, modifier is +11) Investigate 8 (+12) Knowledge: Civics 7 (+11) Knowledge: Streetwise 3 (+7) Language 2 (Italian, Japanese) Notice 4 (+7) Profession: Lawyer 5 (+8) Search 4 (+8) Sense Motive 8 (+11) FEATS: 8 pp Benefit 2 (Wealth) Connected Contacts Distract (Bluff) Fascinate (Diplomacy) Quick Change Well-Informed POWERS: 45pp Seven Deadly Sins - Array 10 (all powers have Evil and Magic descriptors; PFs: 6 Alternate Powers) [26] [*:geg2hqgu]Base Power: Lust – Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area (Burst) [+1], Insidious[+1], Linked [+0]; Flaws: Range (Touch) [-2], Limited to One Emotion (Lust – same effects as Love) [-1]; PF: Progression (Increase Area x2 to 100 ft. radius))Linked to Enhanced Trait 9 (Charisma +8, Attractive Feat; Extra: Linked [+0]) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Envy – Transfer 5 (Drain up to 25 pp any one power, Boost thematically similar version of same power; PFs: Extended Reach (5 ft); Drawback: Power Loss (cannot Transfer powers with a Descriptor of ‘Good’ or a similar concept, -1)) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Gluttony – Mind Control 10 (Extra: Conscious [+1]; Flaw: One Command (“Do nothing but eat everything and anything you can.â€Â)) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Greed – Create Object 6 (gold objects, up to 30 cu ft; Extras: Independent [+0], Total Fade [+1]; PF: Precise, Slow Fade 2 (5 min/PP); Drawback: Reduced Volume (1 cu ft/rank) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Pride – Mental Transform 10 (Target’s memories are altered so they believe they alone are capable of meeting some challenge or obstacle; PF: Subtle; Drawback: Reduced Range (5 range increments, -1)) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Sloth – Fatigue 8 (PFs: Sedation, Extended Reach 3 (15 ft)) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Wrath – Emotion Control 9 (Extra: Contagious; Flaw: Limited to One Emotion (Hate); PF: Mind Blank) Devil’s Caress – Device 4 (whip, Easy to Lose, Restricted to Evil beings, Magic and Evil) [13] Strike 8 (Extra: Penetrating 5 [+1 on 5 ranks only]; PFs: Accurate, Extended Reach 2, Mighty, 3 Alternate Powers) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Snare 10 (Flaw: Range (Touch) [-1]; PFs: Extended Reach 2 (10 ft), Tether) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Obscure 5 (brimstone cloud, visual and olfactory, 100 ft radius) [*:geg2hqgu]AP: Teleport 4 (up to 1 mile; Extra: Portal [+2]; Flaw: Long-Range [-1]; PFs: Change Direction, Change Velocity) Protection 7 (Magically-enhanced skin, Magic and Evil; Drawback: Power Loss (if attacked by the ‘faithful’; defined as a character who is an ordained or recognized official in their religion) [6] DRAWBACKS: -4 pp Normal Identity - Must recite the 7 Deadly Sins in Latin (full round) (Common, Major) DC BLOCK Unarmed Combat – DC 17/Toughness - Bruise Strike (whip) – DC 25/Toughness – Bruise Snare (whip) – DC 20/Reflex (Staged) – Other Envy (Transfer) - DC 15/Fortitude - Trait Effect Gluttony (Mind Control) – DC 20/Will – Mental Pride (Transform) – DC 20/Will – Mental Sloth (Fatigue) – DC 18/Fortitude (staged) – Other Wrath (Emotion Control) – DC 19/Will (staged) – Mental Lust (Emotion Control) – DC 20/Will (staged) - Mental Costs: Abilities (33) + Combat (32) + Saves (18) + Skills (18) + Feats (8) + Powers (45) - Drawbacks (4) = 150/154pp Notes Lady Iniquity’s whip, the Devil’s Caress, is a pure manifestation of her power, evil made solid. However, it takes her a considerable amount of time and effort to make, which is why it was bought as a Device. The use of the Independent and Total Fade extras on Greed may raise some eyebrows, as it’s similar to the idea of having a Continuous power in an Array (since you can switch to a new power and the gold will stay there). However, I wanted the gold she makes to be ‘real’, but not permanent (otherwise, I would have used Transform instead of Create Object) – making it Independent seemed the best way to represent that in the rules. The gold she creates lasts just under two minutes, and while it does a good job of evoking the Sin of Greed, it’s not all that practical in a combat situation (gold is heavy, soft, has a low melting point, etc…) The goal behind the Pride power is to convince people to do stupid things because they believe that they alone have a chance to succeed. Rather than compelling such acts (through Mind Control), this power alters memories enough to cause the target to overestimate or misremember his own abilities (“Of course I can jump that far!â€Â) and underestimate those of his allies (“Batman? He means well, but he’s just not up to the job – he just doesn’t have the skills.â€Â). Ultimately, it's meant to be used as a way to introduce a Complication to heroes opposing Lady Iniquity - suddenly they have to focus their efforts on stopping their teammate from doing something stupid, or have to intervene with a regular citizen who suddenly thinks that they can handle the situation themselves. The power may also be able to provide Lady Iniquity with a story-based advantage - bank guards who are afflicted with Pride may decide they don't need to hit the alarm - they can handle things without the police.
Dr Archeville Posted November 26, 2008 Posted November 26, 2008 I like. Then again, given what I play, I may be a tad biased. Background looks fine, stats look mostly fine. Protection is subtle by default, so it doesn't need the Subtle PF. (Perhaps that point can be used for the Restricted [only Evil beings] PF for her Whip?) I'm fine with allowing Independent on her Create Object, but I'm not so okay with allowing Duration/Sustained on her Mind Control (since it'd really be Sustained [lasting]). Conscious might be better (they know what they're doing, but they cannot stop themselves; without Conscious, they'll be in a zombie-like state as they gorge themselves). I'm also somewhat uncomfortable in allowing a Variable Power (i.e., Mimic) in her Array. At least one that big (can mimic up to 50pp worth of any one power). And the Tainted flaw doesn't seem to fit the concept; envy isn't just "take what they have," it's "take what they have that's superior to what you have, or at least deprive them of it". I'd be more comfortable with Mimic 5 (up to 25pp worth of any one power one at a time; Extras: Range 2/Perception; PF: Variable Descriptor [thematically similar to original power]; Drawback: Power Loss [cannot Mimic powers with a Descriptor of ‘Good’ or a similar concept, -1]). I'd be happiest with Transfer 5 (drain any power one at a time, boost self with thematically similar version of original power).
Delemental Posted November 26, 2008 Author Posted November 26, 2008 I like. Then again, given what I play, I may be a tad biased. Background looks fine, stats look mostly fine. Protection is subtle by default, so it doesn't need the Subtle PF. (Perhaps that point can be used for the Restricted [only Evil beings] PF for her Whip?) Doh! Originally I had the power as a Force Field, but forgot to take off Subtle when I changed it to Protection. I've made the change, and moved the point to a Restriction on the whip as suggested. I'm fine with allowing Independent on her Create Object, but I'm not so okay with allowing Duration/Sustained on her Mind Control (since it'd really be Sustained [lasting]). Conscious might be better (they know what they're doing, but they cannot stop themselves; without Conscious, they'll be in a zombie-like state as they gorge themselves). Changed Gluttony's Extra from Duration to Conscious. I'm also somewhat uncomfortable in allowing a Variable Power (i.e., Mimic) in her Array. At least one that big (can mimic up to 50pp worth of any one power). And the Tainted flaw doesn't seem to fit the concept; envy isn't just "take what they have," it's "take what they have that's superior to what you have, or at least deprive them of it". I'd be more comfortable with Mimic 5 (up to 25pp worth of any one power one at a time; Extras: Range 2/Perception; PF: Variable Descriptor [thematically similar to original power]; Drawback: Power Loss [cannot Mimic powers with a Descriptor of ‘Good’ or a similar concept, -1]). I'd be happiest with Transfer 5 (drain any power one at a time, boost self with thematically similar version of original power). I ended up going with... Transfer 4 (Drain up to 20 pp any one power, Boost thematically similar version of same power; PFs: Extended Reach (5 ft), Progression 4 (Save DC); Drawback: Power Loss (cannot Transfer powers with a Descriptor of ‘Good’ or a similar concept, -1)) I did 4 ranks of Transfer instead of 5 so I could have enough points to buy Progression to bump up the DC of the save - because most PL 10 heroes worthy of the name should be able to make a DC 14 Fort save without blinking, but a DC 18 is at least challenging.
Dr Archeville Posted November 27, 2008 Posted November 27, 2008 I'm not entirely certain the Progression PF can be used to bump DC. Let me look around on the ATT.
Delemental Posted November 28, 2008 Author Posted November 28, 2008 I'm not entirely certain the Progression PF can be used to bump DC. Let me look around on the ATT. I looked myself, and couldn't find it. In fact, I found a Official Rules post that indicated that raising ranks is the only way to raise a save DC. It was from a question submitted by a 'Dr Archeville'. So, obviously this must be a house rule I have that I thought was official but isn't. I've changed the Envy power to a plain old Transfer 5. But I also had an idea for her Greed power (the Create Object), which I wanted to float by you guys to see if it sounded okay. I mentioned in my writeup that I was expecting that objects made of gold wouldn't be that durable in combat - there's a reason they don't make tanks and body armor out of gold (unless you're Tony Stark, of course). I was thinking about applying the Ablative flaw to the power, to represent this property. In exchange, I would then bump the ranks up (to Create Object 8), and possibly add a rank of Slow Fade. So I can make more gold, and it lasts longer, but won't hold up under fire.
Dr Archeville Posted November 28, 2008 Posted November 28, 2008 I'd be less inclined to allow that. Largely because it doesn't seem to fit the concept (it seems she'd be more likely to use her power to create gold jewelry or bars or statues to tempt folks with, not gold statues or walls to hide behind or block pursuers). And in part because Ablative is a version of the Fades flaw. Also, with Create Object 6, it's not 30 cu. ft. (30 ft. x 1 ft. x 1 ft.), it's 6 5-ft. cubes (30 ft. x 5 ft. x 5 ft., which works out to 750 cu. ft., or about 905 pounds [assuming the gold she creates has the same density of real gold]). Also also, be aware that her Created Objects only last 12 rounds. You may want to drop some ranks to add some Slow Fade.
Delemental Posted November 29, 2008 Author Posted November 29, 2008 I'd be less inclined to allow that. Largely because it doesn't seem to fit the concept (it seems she'd be more likely to use her power to create gold jewelry or bars or statues to tempt folks with, not gold statues or walls to hide behind or block pursuers). And in part because Ablative is a version of the Fades flaw. Also, with Create Object 6, it's not 30 cu. ft. (30 ft. x 1 ft. x 1 ft.), it's 6 5-ft. cubes (30 ft. x 5 ft. x 5 ft., which works out to 750 cu. ft., or about 905 pounds [assuming the gold she creates has the same density of real gold]). Also also, be aware that her Created Objects only last 12 rounds. You may want to drop some ranks to add some Slow Fade. Understandable. It was just a thought. And you're right about the volume; I got the 30 cubic feet figure off of Hero Lab. Though 750 cubic feet of gold would weigh about 450 tons. Yikes. Okay, how about this - leave the ranks at 6, but add in a 2-point Drawback: Reduced Volume (1 cu ft/rank) - essentially the opposite of the Progression feat. Then add in 2 ranks of Slow Fade, which will give me an end result of being able to produce up to 6 cubic feet of gold (a little over 7200 pounds), which last 90 minutes. This puts it more in line with the concept (she can still make gold worth almost $86 million, but no gold walls or gold bubbles).
Delemental Posted December 3, 2008 Author Posted December 3, 2008 Okay then, I've made the changes to the character, and will await further review (and hopefully approval!) Now, to work on my PL 6 submission...
MBCE Posted December 7, 2008 Posted December 7, 2008 The numbers seem to add up, but I have a question about the pride power. Your write up of the power was very helpful but I still find it difficult to see how this will affect the game. How do you suggest the altered memories would affect others? Would it impose a penalty? Or increase the DCs on actions?
Delemental Posted December 7, 2008 Author Posted December 7, 2008 The numbers seem to add up, but I have a question about the pride power. Your write up of the power was very helpful but I still find it difficult to see how this will affect the game. How do you suggest the altered memories would affect others? Would it impose a penalty? Or increase the DCs on actions? I see it more as imposing a Complication on the heroes. Instead of focusing on taking out Lady Iniquity, they have to prevent their ally from biting off more than they can chew, or doing something stupid. Think of it as like how Wolverine acts - he rushes into situations because he thinks he's the only one capable of handling it, even if logically someone with a different set of powers would be better suited. The problem is, not everyone heals like Wolverine. Even better, hit a couple of civilians with the Pride power, and now they're telling the costumed heroes to stand aside while they rush into the burning building. Ultimately it's more of an escape-oriented power than a combat-oriented power, though it could be useful elsewhere. For example, hit the bank guards with Pride, who then decide "I don't need to push the alarm and call police! I can handle this myself!"
MBCE Posted December 11, 2008 Posted December 11, 2008 I see it more as imposing a Complication on the heroes. Instead of focusing on taking out Lady Iniquity, they have to prevent their ally from biting off more than they can chew, or doing something stupid. Think of it as like how Wolverine acts - he rushes into situations because he thinks he's the only one capable of handling it, even if logically someone with a different set of powers would be better suited. The problem is, not everyone heals like Wolverine. Even better, hit a couple of civilians with the Pride power, and now they're telling the costumed heroes to stand aside while they rush into the burning building. Ultimately it's more of an escape-oriented power than a combat-oriented power, though it could be useful elsewhere. For example, hit the bank guards with Pride, who then decide "I don't need to push the alarm and call police! I can handle this myself!" Okay I can see how that works. If you can put the above explination on the sheet, that would help.
MBCE Posted December 20, 2008 Posted December 20, 2008 Sorry for the delay. I didn't realize you added the material I asked for. Approved.
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