Lament

[Supercape]

Lament (a.k.a. "The Duke of Despair" a.k.a. "The Sultan of Sorrow")

 

Power Level: 10 (239/239 PP)
Unspent Power Points: 10
Trade-Offs:
In Brief: Voodoo Showman housing Psychic Horror
Alternate Identity: Luther Earl LeGrasse
Birthplace: New Orleans
Residence: New Orleans, but frequent traveller (e.g. Las Vegas, Freedom City)
Occupation: Magician, Entertainer.
Affiliations: Various shows and entertainments.
Family: Ella LeGrasse (Older sister, New Orleans Politician), Violet LeGrasse (Younger Sister, Jazz Singer), Vincent LeGrasse (Father, retired whiskey distiller), Macy LeGrasse (Mother, Cook)

Age: 30
Apparent Age: 30
Gender: Male
Ethnicity: Mixed
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 60 Kgs
Eyes: Brown
Hair: Bald

Luther is a thin man of sleight build. He lost his hair in his early twenties, and is clean shaven. When he appears as the great Voodoo magician "Zombo!" he dressed up in some deliberately torn black tie dinner jacket and with white eye make up.

His super hero identity, Lament, is just a bold and magnified version of his stage costume. He wears a ridiculously tall purple top hat, purple suit, orange shirt, and a face shrouded in shadow with (at times), glowing eyes.

However, he is an expert on disguise, so if undercover can often look like pretty much anyone! His mixed ethnicity and mastery of make-up means he can change his apparent skin tone from almost jet black to pallid white.

 

History:
Luther grew up on the streets of New Orleans in a loving family who were neither rich nor poor, but had a certain artistic flair to them. He remembers well the laughter, music, and smell of home cooked food.

A small kid, Luther was inclined to be bullied, but soon found he had a knack for entertainment and grew in confidence and charm. As a teenager he did street magic, and became progressively more skilled and famous, until, as a young man, he took up a career as a stage magician, progressing further and further under the stage name "Zombo! Voodoo Master of the undead!", until he was a national figure, doing shows in Las Vegas and even around the world.

And doing a triumphant return to New Orleans show, he attracted a horrifically powerful, near mindless, psychic creature who bonded with him, attracted by the delight he caused in his shows. The void.

The void feeds on hope and laughter. Not in a malign way, no more than bacteria feeds on a wound. It is virtually mindless (INT 0), just a hunger. It loves being happy, and the way it gets happy is to feed off happiness.

For Luther, this was awful. His shows became a feeding ground for the Void, and his reviews were awful. However, he did find that the Void gave him super powers. And he devised a way to feed the void in a more useful way, as the superhero, Lament, aiming the hunger of the creature to the cruel and sadistic.

 

Personality & Motivation:

 

Dramatic, Gregarious, Vengeful

Luther loves entertaining people, and all forms of entertainment. Which is why the Void chose him.

On the surface he is extrovert, melodramatic, the centre of attention – although he does need his time alone too. He is generous and kind to his friends, and at the very least civil to the man on the street – but he has a mean streak. He does not react particularly well to criticism, and bullies bring out a dark vengeful aspect to his character. He has little hesitation in psychically inflicting pain on bullies (and it keeps the Void sated).

 
Powers & Tactics:
The void normally resides purely psychologically, gnawing at Luther for "food". Luther can bring forth the Void from his mind.

 

Firstly: Into his body (the Void can feed Lament's organs, providing sustenance and fortitude), making his breath and eyes dak/misty. 

Secondly: Into his skin (Making him shadowy and hard to see)

Lastly: Projecting out into the environment in the shape of oily black tentacles.

The Void has some psychic powers that Luther can use; projecting disturbing images, causing despair, or hypnosis.

 

The symbiote itself provides Luther with exceptional resilience to physical attack and immunity to emotional powers. In addition, it can, reach out and such the physical energy from living creatures (it prefers psychic energy, but when hungry anything will do).

Aside from the powers of the Void, Luther is a skilled showman, highly charismatic, and well versed in many social and performance skills. Lament has a certain dramatic tactical style. He prefers a touch of stealth, then an explosion of presence. Ideally, to keep the Void best fed, he would catch villains laughing and revelling, enjoying themselves, and strike them with a despair emotion (i.e sucking all their happiness out).

 

Tactically, whilst Lament has a wide array of powers and skills, he prefers guile and stealth. He is aware of his limitations: He has limited effect over unthinking or unliving enemies, and has no super movement powers; he needs to use his wit and skills to overcome these problems.
 
Power Descriptions:

If the void manifests, it has an oily dark quality, but does not obscure light. In its most dramatic form, when Lament pushes the force out of his skin (albeit still symbiotically connected and living within him), the Void has up to dozens of thick tentacles and tendrils.

 

When using the life sucking array, Laments hands will be a wobbly black, or he a shifting mist of black tendrils will suck the life of things around him. Finally, he may breathe out a black mist that robs the target of their breath.

 

His psychic array is more subtle (as a mental effect), although when using hypnotic gaze his eyes will glow orange.

Complications:

Empty Void: Put simply, the Void must feed. Its preferred meal is positive emotions such as happiness. If it cannot feed on others, it will feed on Luther himself, causing a deep depression. If even that food source dies, it will feed on physical vitality, causing fatigue and somnolence (ideally in others, but then Luther).

Full Void: Feeding on happiness will make the Void happy in its own mindless way. That said, it can only stomach so much before being bloated. Too much happiness, and it will refuse to feed further.

Possessed: Manifesting the Void in the real world is progressively dangerous as it may take over Lament (particularly if extended). From gnawing broodiness ("Void Inside"), to a bleak and broody streak ("Void 'Betwixt") to the possibility of complete possession and temporarily losing his will ("Void Unleashed). The Void is not malign itself, but it is hungry and virtually mindless.

Showman: Luther is a natural showman, and cannot help wanting to be adored and admired. He will prefer tactics and activities that are dramatic and impressive, and feed his own sense of self importance (whist internally of course he frets about his skills and worth).

Doop de doo doo: Luther loves music, particularly jazz. He is often tapping his foot or humming a tune, actvities that could give him away or make noise. This is virtually irrsistable when there is music playing. He would sing a long to a tune even if it would reveal himself; it is practically an unconscious tic.

 

Abilities: 0 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 6 + 12 = 32
Strength: 10 (+0)
Dexterity: 16 (+3)
Constitution: 14 (+2)
Intelligence: 14 (+2)
Wisdom: 16 (+3)
Charisma: 22 (+6)

 

Combat: 20 + 20 = 40
Initiative: +7
Attack: +10
Defense: +10, +5 Flat Footed
Grapple: +10 (up to +10 with “Void Manifest” active)
Knockback: -5

 

Saving Throws: 4 + 9 + 9 = 22
Toughness: +10 (+2 Con, +8 Protection)
Fortitude: +6 (+2 Con, +4)
Reflex: +12 (+3 Dex, +9)
Will: +12 (+3 Wis, +9)

 

Skills: 120 Ranks = 30 PP

Bluff 12 (+18)
Concentration 14 (+17)
Diplomacy 4 (+10)
Disguise 10 (+16) ^{Skill Mastery}
Intimidate 12 (+18) ^{Skill Mastery}
Knowledge [Arcane] 4 (+5)
Knowledge [Art] 4 (+5)
Language 2 (English [Native], French, Spanish)
Notice 4 (+7)
Perform (Acting) 14 (+20) ^{Skill Mastery}
Perform (Dance) 4 (+10)
Perform (Wind Instruments) 12 (+18)
Sense Motive 4 (+7)
Sleight of Hand 15 (+17) ^{Skill Mastery}
Stealth 8 (+11)

 

Feats: 17 PP
Benefit 2 (Wealth)

Distract (Intimidate)

Equipment 1
Favored Environment [The Stage]

Fascinate (Perform)
Improved Initiative 1

Inspire 5

Luck 2
Skill Mastery 1 (Disguise, Intimidate, Perform [Acting], Sleight of Hand)

Sneak Attack

Startle

 

Equipment  1 = 5 EP

Masterwork Trumpet [1 EP]

Masterwork Sap (Strike 2, Mighty) [4 EP]

 

 

Powers: 15 + 2 + 1 + 5 + 28 + 8 + 32 +2  = 98 PP

Powers all have the psychic descriptor

Alternate Form 4 (15 PP Container, Feats: 2 Additional Alt Forms) [17 EP] "Void symbiote" [Psychic]

Alt Form: Void Within (Void in lungs and organs, black mist from mouth, nose, ears, eyes)

Immunity 15 (Life Support, Starvation and Thirst, Fatigue Effects) [15 PP]

Alt Form: Void Betwixt (Void covers skin)

Concealment 4 (All Visual senses, Feats: Close Range, Flaws: Permanent [+0], Limited Only Partial in Full Light [Sunlight, lighted room, etc]) [7  PP]

Impervious Protection 6 (Drawback: No additional knockback protection) [5 PP]

Enhanced Trait 3 (+12 to Escape Artist Checks, Total +15) [3 PP]

Alt Form: Void Manifest!

Additional Limbs 4 (up to 10 oily tentacles, Extras: Sustained Duration [+0], Impervious, Feats: Instant up) [9 PP]

Elongation 3 (up to 25’, Drawbacks: Additional Limbs only [-1]) [2 PP]

Supermovement 2 (Wall Crawling 2, full speed) [4 PP]

 

Enhanced Trait 2 (Quick Change 2) [2 PP]

 

Feature: Shadowed Face (As free action can cover face in darkness, concealing it) [1 PP]

 

Immunity 5 (Emotion Effects) [5 PP]

 

Life Sucking Array (26 PP Array, Feats: Alt Form 2) [28 PP]

BP: Fatigue 10 (Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Improved Crit 2, Sedation) [25/25 PP] “Touch”

AP: Fatigue 7 (Extras: Burst, Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Sedation) [24/25 PP] “Cloud”

AP: Suffocate 10 (Feats: Affects Insubstantial 2, Extended Reach 2, Sedation) [25/25 PP] “Breath”

 

Protection 8 [8 PP]

 

Psychic Array (30 PP Array, Feats: Alt Power 2) [32 PP]

BP: Emotion Control 10 (Extras: Area-Burst, Selective, Flaws: Limited to Despair) [30/30 PP] “Feed on Joy/Hope”

AP: Illusion 10 (All Sense Types, Extras: Duration [Sustained], Flaws: Phantasm, Limited to disturbing or frightening illusions) [30/30 PP] “Project horror”

AP: Stun 6 (Extras: Action-Reaction to meeting gaze [+3], Alt Save-Will [+0], Range-Perception [+2], Flaws: Limited to Daze, Sense Dependent [Sight]) [30 PP] “Hypnotic eyes”
 

Supersenses 2 (Visual Counters Concealment) [2 PP] "Void Vision"

DC Block
ATTACK              RANGE      SAVE                   EFFECT
Unarmed             Touch      DC 15 Toughness        Damage

Sap                 Touch      DC 17 Toughness        Damage

Sucking Touch       Touch      DC 20 Fortitude        Fatigue

Sucking Burst       Touch/Area DC 17 Fortitude        Fatigue

Sucking Breath      Touch+10’  DC 20 Fortitude        Suffocate

Emotion Control     Perc/Area  DC 20 Will             Emotion-Despair

Hypnotic Eyes       Perc       DC 16 Will             Daze
 
Totals: Abilities 32 + Combat 40 + Saving Throws 22 + Skills 30 + Feats 17 + Powers 98 = 239/239 Power Points

 

Edited September 12 by Supercape

[Avenger Assembled]

I don't know about the Enhanced Fort Save in an Array - was that on the original version of the character? (I don't want to tell you no if it was what you had before.) 

[Supercape]

Its a fair point. 

 

Reduced Alt Form to 15 PP instead of 20 PP (Freeing up 5 PP)

Pumping 3 of those PP into boosting Saves (+6 Fort, +12 Reflex, +12 Will now)

Adding Power: Super senses 2 (Visual Counters Concealment) [2 PP]

 

Edited September 12 by Supercape

[Avenger Assembled]

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