ex3lev3n Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Character: Melancholy Real Name: Donovan Varda Identity: Secret Age: 21 Height: 5'11" Weight: 170 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Black (dyed with red streaks) PL: 6 (90/90 pp) Appearance: Donovan Varda looks like your model disenfranchised young man of the day: black cut-off shorts, black heavy metal band t-shirt, black combat boots, black hair, black fingernail polish, tattoos, facial piercings, etc. Background: Donovan Varda's life turned upside down when his family went to celebrate his mother's 39th birthday. The roads of Freedom City were covered with a thin sheathe of ice that night that caused his father to lose control of the vehicle. When Donovan, only eleven years old at the time, woke from the tragic accident, he found himself the lone survivor of the crash. His mother, father, and older sister were all dead. When the officials arrived, they tried to pry the boy out of the twisted wreckage with machines, but his thoughts never left the lasting images of what was left of his family. He would always remember this day as the day his new life began, when his supernatural ability manifested. The EMT and police units were overcome by a wave of despair, each feeling the boy's unbridled pain of loss for his family. When Star Squad was sent in to investigate the loss of communication with the emergency services, they found a scene of carnage. It looked as if each officer and medic spontaneously erupted in a suicidal frenzy. The only survivor was a young boy still trapped within the wreckage of a car. After many years of transferring between adoptive families to psych wards to juvenile halls and back Donovan reached eighteen years of age, became his own man, and fell off the grid. During his time away from the quacks, hacks, and medications, he realized that he could tap into a dark and painful place that resided within himself to cause others to fall deeply into misery and despair. Practicing his new-found talents, he found that he could also communicate with others via their emotional state as well as he could by speaking to them. This would lead Donovan into a new age of self-discovery. Presently, Donovan believes that he could put his powers to good use, but is unable to find the "inner hero" within himself. In the last few years he has formed a band with a group of other young misfits, and they have gathered a large fan base and prestige in the underground bars and music halls of Freedom City. Powers: Melancholy is a low-level psychic with the ability to read minds and communicate with others mentally, as well as projecting an aura of despair that is fueled by the loss of his family. Abilities (2+2+2+2+2+10 = 20 pp) Str 12 (+1) Dex 12 (+1) Con 12 (+1) Int 12 (+1) Wis 12 (+1) Cha 20 (+5) Combat (10+10 = 20 pp) Attack: +5 Grapple: +6 Defense: +5 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback: -0 Initiative: +1 Saves (5+5+5 = 15 pp) Toughness +1 Fortitude +6 (+1 Con, +5) Reflex +6 (+1 Dex, +5) Will +6 (+1 Wis, +5) Feats (5 pp) Attractive 1 Fearless Fearsome Presence 3 (15 feet, DC 13) Skills (60r = 15 pp) Bluff 4 (+9, +13 w/ Attractive) Concentration 4 (+5) Craft (artistic) 8 (+9) Diplomacy 0 (+5, +9 w/ Attractive) Intimidate 4 (+9) Knowledge (arcane lore) 4 (+5) Knowledge (popular culture) 4 (+5) Notice 4 (+5) Perform (singing) 8 (+13) Perform (stringed instruments) 8 (+13) Sense Motive 8 (+9) Stealth 4 (+5) Powers (5+10 = 15 pp) Emotion Control 5 (Flaws: Limited to Despair only) Telepathy 5
Dr Archeville Posted July 7, 2009 Posted July 7, 2009 Welcome to FC PbP! Stats-wise, I see a few problems. (I edited the format to match the board's preferred form; I'm feeling generous today.) In terms of Defense/Toughness, he's PL 3 -- he won't be able to last long in a fight (and fights do happen here, to everyone) even against other PL 6 combatants. There's also nothing in his background indicating why he'd have a +5 to Attack and Defense, as those are the levels of a professional soldier. But that brings me to the biggest issue I see with this character: his background. Now, tragic loss is certainly not rare in comic book characters, nor are powers reflecting the circumstances in which a person's powers first manifested. But it's the "still hasn't found his inner hero" bit that is not going to fly here -- characters should be starting already knowing full well that they'll be a hero (or villain), and acting accordingly such that others should be able to point at them and say "he's a hero!" (or "run, it's that villain!"). This char isn't Spider-Man in his early days, it's Peter Parker the split second after seeing his dead Uncle Ben, but he's still stuck in that moment.
ex3lev3n Posted July 7, 2009 Author Posted July 7, 2009 Alright, I can work with that. Thank you for the constructive criticism =] I just recently got into MnM and this char is my first attempt at building a PC. I'll check the main book out again and see what I can do about to level him out a bit.
ex3lev3n Posted July 8, 2009 Author Posted July 8, 2009 Melancholy - PL 6 Hero - ex3lev3n Character: Melancholy Real Name: Donovan Varda Identity: Secret Age: 21 Height: 5'11" Weight: 170 lbs. Eyes: Blue Hair: Black (dyed with red streaks) PL: 6 (90/90 pp) Appearance: Donovan Varda typically wears clothing and jewelry that is fashionable in the metal/goth/industrial music scene. He has a number of tattoos that depict images of death as well as multiple piercings. As Melancholy he wears combat boots, black BDU pants, a black long sleeve shirt under a black leather long coat, a pair of black weighted gloves, and he covers his face with a black stylized domino mask. Background: Donovan Varda's life turned upside down when his family went out one night to celebrate his mother's 39th birthday. The roads of Lantern Hill were frosted over with black ice that caused his father to lose control of the vehicle. When eleven year old Donovan woke up, he was horrified to find that he was the only survivor. His mother, father, and older sister were all killed in the accident. In his delirium the young boy thought he could see his family in the darkness outside of the vehicle, their ethereal forms wandering around the site of the accident seemingly oblivious. When the EMTs and police officers arrived on the scene, emergency workers tried to reassure Donovan that they would get him out and that everything would be alright. Then he felt something dreadful form in the core of his being. The combination of the negative empathic projections sent out by the emergency workers and the spirits of his dead family built up until he felt as if he was going to explode. As they set up a machine to pry the boy out of the twisted wreckage the EMTs and police officers were overcome by a wave of supernatural despair, each feeling the boy's amplified grief and pain of loss. When Star Squad was sent in to investigate the loss of communication with the emergency services, they found that all of the men and women on the scene were lost in the throes of woe and despair, curled into the fetal position and weeping pitifully. After seven years of transferring between foster homes, psych wards, and juvenile hall, Donovan became a legal adult and set out into Freedom City. He had always been a good artist and a competent musician, so he hit the music venues in search for work. It wasn't long before he joined "Deadboy", a talented local band, and used his cut from the gigs to help pay his tuition to the Freedom School for the Arts. And it was at FreeSA that he met and fell in love with a smoking hot goth princess, Jade. On their two-year anniversary Donovan popped the question to her and she accepted, but they both agreed to wait until they graduated. A few months ago while "Deadboy" was playing a particularly awesome set at the Eclipse, Raven interrupted the show by smashing through the stained glass windows of the club in search of the Fear-Master. Falling right into his trap, Raven was blindsided by attacks from all sides and captured. Fear-Master took the opportunity to test his upgraded fear-weaponry on the helpless Raven, her terrified howls echoing along the walls of the club. The scene evoked repressed memories inside of Donovan, and he felt that terrible sense of despair welling up within him once more. He could feel the presence of hundreds of ghosts, each of them a battery of misery and sorrow so powerful that it shackled the spirit to the world of the living, and used his own grief as a conduit to unleash the negative spectral emotions upon Fear-Master and his goons. Fear-Master escaped while Donovan traded punches with the thugs. Raven freed herself from her restraints and made short work of Fear-Master's lackeys. Sparing a moment to thank Donovan for his assistance, Raven left the Eclipse in pursuit of her quarry. Later that night after telling his fiancee Jade about what transpired and with her full support, Donovan began to explore his powers by hanging out at Lantern Hill Cemetery. After a number of twilight meetings with Lantern Jack, one of Freedom City's most famous luminaries, he learned what makes ghosts linger on after death and began to understand the nature of his supernatural abilities. He decided he would use his gifts to avenge the restless souls of the departed so that they might find peace. After a few weeks of "on the job training", word of a dark avenger patrolling the haunts of Freedom City surfaced and the name "Melancholy" has been used when referring to this mysterious hero. Powers: Melancholy is an empath and a medium. He is able to siphon the powerful negative emotions from the spirits of the dead and channel it through his own aura. Complications:Enemy (Fear-Master), Responsibility (fiancee, his band, school), Secret (Identity),Struggling Abilities (2+3+2+2+3+5 = 17 pp) Str 12 (+1) Dex 13 (+1) Con 12 (+1) Int 12 (+1) Wis 13 (+1) Cha 15 (+2) Combat (8+8 = 16 pp) Attack: +4 Grapple: +5 Damage: +2 (weighted gloves) Defense: +4 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback: -0 Initiative: +1 Saves (3+3+5 = 11 pp) Toughness +5 (+1 Con, +3 Defensive Roll, +1 leather coat) Fortitude +4 (+1 Con, +3) Reflex +4 (+1 Dex, +3) Will +6 (+1 Wis, +5) Feats (9 pp) Chokehold Defensive Roll 3 Equipment 1 Fearless Improved Grab Improved Pin Instant Up Skills (36r = 9 pp) Acrobatics 4 (+5) Concentration 2 (+3) Craft (artistic) 4 (+5) Intimidate 4 (+6) Knowledge (arcane lore) 2 (+3) Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+5) Notice 4 (+5) Perform (stringed instruments) 4 (+6) Sense Motive 4 (+5) Stealth 4 (+5) Powers (14+8+6 = 28 pp) Emotion Control 6 (Extras: Area [burst], Flaws: Limited to Despair only, Power Feats: Selective) -Alternate Powers: Emotion Control 6 (Flaws: Limited to Despair only) Mind Reading 6 (Extras: Area [burst], Flaws: Limited to Emotions only, Power Feats: Selective) -Alternate Powers: Mind Reading 6 (Flaws: Limited to Emotions only) Super-Senses 6 (Detect Ghosts [Accurate, Acute, Extended, Normal Range]) Equipment Haunted Townhouse Size: Tiny, Toughness: 10, Features: Defense Systems (ghosts), Living Space Cost: 2 EP Leather Coat (+1 Defense) Cost: 1 EP Weighted Gloves (+1 Damage) Cost: 2 EP
Dr Archeville Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 Much better background/motive His Super-Sense will need a sense type associated with it. I would suggest Mental. And speaking of Super-Senses, I'd think his "Emotional Mind Reading" could be better done as a Super-Sense, since you can't get nearly as much from reading emotions as you can from reading thoughts. The Selective Power Feat is not appropriate for either Area Emotion Control or Area Mind Reading, since both effects call for saving throws. If you want to be able to affect an area, but not everyone in the area, you'll need the Selective Attack extra. You may wish to look up Comprehend (Spirits).
Dr Archeville Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 And as for Alternate Powers, each Alt can be built on up to as many points as the base power. So for Emotion Control 6 (Extra: Burst Area; Flaw: Limited to Despair only) [12pp] you could have any of the following as an Alt Emotion Control 6 (he focuses on one person, he can evoke any emotion; reminding someone of the love they felt for a deceased partner, or filling them with rage at the memories of friends they have lost, or the calm finality of Death itself) Emotion Control 6 (Extra: Penetrating; Flaw: Limited to Despair) (he can make even people with Mind Shields feel despair) Emotion Control 4 (Extras: Burst Area, Selective Attack; Flaw: Limited to Despair) (with some effort -- reflected by the reduced ranks -- he can affect only some of the people in a group)
ex3lev3n Posted July 9, 2009 Author Posted July 9, 2009 Right on. I felt much better about this backstory than the last one. How would I go about making Empathy into a Super-Sense?
angrydurf Posted July 9, 2009 Posted July 9, 2009 So Ultimate Power has a build of a super sense that is Aura reading. Its built as a mental sense (which is what i think you want) Detect (Mood), Ranged Detect (Physical Condition), Ranged Psychic awareness So for just detecting Moods (emotions) it would be a Detect (mood) Ranged for 2 ranks for 1 rank more you can make it a radius sense as well if you wanted it to be all moods within range instead of directional. So 2-3 ranks for 2-3 PP
ex3lev3n Posted July 9, 2009 Author Posted July 9, 2009 Thank you, angrydurf. I was just perusing that book for an answer, but I haven't wrapped my head around the minutia of Power buidling, so your explanation really helped me out there =]
ex3lev3n Posted July 9, 2009 Author Posted July 9, 2009 Players Name: ex3lev3n Power Level: 9 Trade-Offs: none Unspent PP: 0 Characters Name: Melancholy Alternate Identity: Donovan Varda Height: 5'11" Weight: 170 lbs. Hair: Black (dyed with red streaks) Eyes: Blue Description: Donovan Varda typically wears clothing and jewelry that is fashionable in the metal/goth/industrial music scene. He has a number of tattoos that depict images of death as well as multiple piercings. As Melancholy he wears combat boots, black BDU pants, a black long sleeve shirt under a black leather long coat, a pair of black weighted gloves, and he covers his face with a black stylized domino mask. History: Donovan Varda's life turned upside down when his family went out one night to celebrate his mother's 39th birthday. The roads of Lantern Hill were frosted over with black ice that caused his father to lose control of the vehicle. When eleven year old Donovan woke up, he was horrified to find that he was the only survivor. His mother, father, and older sister were all killed in the accident. In his delirium the young boy thought he could see his family in the darkness outside of the vehicle, their ethereal forms wandering around the site of the accident seemingly oblivious. When the EMTs and police officers arrived on the scene, emergency workers tried to reassure Donovan that they would get him out and that everything would be alright. Then he felt something dreadful form in the core of his being. The combination of the negative empathic projections sent out by the emergency workers and the spirits of his dead family built up until he felt as if he was going to explode. As they set up a machine to pry the boy out of the twisted wreckage the EMTs and police officers were overcome by a wave of supernatural despair, each feeling the boy's amplified grief and pain of loss. When Star Squad was sent in to investigate the loss of communication with the emergency services, they found that all of the men and women on the scene were lost in the throes of woe and despair, curled into the fetal position and weeping pitifully. After seven years of transferring between foster homes, psych wards, and juvenile hall, Donovan became a legal adult and set out into Freedom City. He had always been a good artist and a competent musician, so he hit the music venues in search for work. It wasn't long before he joined "Deadboy", a talented local band, and used his cut from the gigs to help pay his tuition to the Freedom School for the Arts. And it was at FreeSA that he met and fell in love with a smoking hot goth princess, Jade. On their two-year anniversary Donovan popped the question to her and she accepted, but they both agreed to wait until they graduated. A few months ago while "Deadboy" was playing a particularly awesome set at the Eclipse, Raven interrupted the show by smashing through the stained glass windows of the club in search of the Fear-Master. Falling right into his trap, Raven was blindsided by attacks from all sides and captured. Fear-Master took the opportunity to test his upgraded fear-weaponry on the helpless Raven, her terrified howls echoing along the walls of the club. The scene evoked repressed memories inside of Donovan, and he felt that terrible sense of despair welling up within him once more. He could feel the presence of hundreds of ghosts, each of them a battery of misery and sorrow so powerful that it shackled the spirit to the world of the living, and used his own grief as a conduit to unleash the negative spectral emotions upon Fear-Master and his goons. Fear-Master escaped while Donovan traded punches with the thugs. Raven freed herself from her restraints and made short work of Fear-Master's lackeys. Sparing a moment to thank Donovan for his assistance, Raven left the Eclipse in pursuit of her quarry. Later that night after telling his fiancee Jade about what transpired and with her full support, Donovan began to explore his powers by hanging out at Lantern Hill Cemetery. After a number of twilight meetings with Lantern Jack, one of Freedom City's most famous luminaries, he learned what makes ghosts linger on after death and began to understand the nature of his supernatural abilities. He decided he would use his gifts to avenge the restless souls of the departed so that they might find peace. After a few weeks of "on the job training", word of a dark avenger patrolling the haunts of Freedom City surfaced and the name "Melancholy" has been used when referring to this mysterious hero. Personality & Motivation: Donovan is a charismatic young man with a heart of gold, though he often finds that his thoughts darker than he'd like. As Melancholy, he is stern and unflexible in his mission, capable of inflicting pain and permanent injury upon his enemies. Powers & Tactics: Melancholy is an empath and a medium. He is able to siphon the powerful negative emotions from the spirits of the dead and channel it through his own aura. Complications: Enemy (Fear-Master), Responsibility (fiancee, his band, school), Secret (Identity), Struggling Abilities (2+3+2+2+3+5 = 17 pp) Str 12 (+1) Dex 13 (+1) Con 12 (+1) Int 12 (+1) Wis 13 (+1) Cha 15 (+2) Combat (8+8 = 16 pp) Attack: +4 Grapple: +5 Damage: +2 (weighted gloves) Defense: +4 (+2 flat-footed) Knockback: -0 Initiative: +1 Saves (3+3+5 = 11 pp) Toughness +5 (+1 Con, +3 Defensive Roll, +1 leather coat) Fortitude +4 (+1 Con, +3) Reflex +4 (+1 Dex, +3) Will +6 (+1 Wis, +5) Skills (36r = 9 pp) Acrobatics 4 (+5) Concentration 2 (+3) Craft (artistic) 4 (+5) Intimidate 4 (+6) Knowledge (arcane lore) 2 (+3) Knowledge (streetwise) 4 (+5) Notice 4 (+5) Perform (stringed instruments) 4 (+6) Sense Motive 4 (+5) Stealth 4 (+5) Feats (9 pp) Chokehold Defensive Roll 3 Equipment 1 Fearless Improved Grab Improved Pin Instant Up Powers (1+15+12 = 28 pp) Comprehend 1 (Spirits [Flaws: Limited to Ghosts only]) Emotion Control 6 (Extras: Area [burst]; Flaws: Limited to Despair only) -Alternate Power: Emotion Control 6 (Extras: Penetrating; Flaws: Limited to Despair only) -Alternate Power: Emotion Control 6 (Extras: Area [burst]; Flaws: Limited to Fear only) -Alternate Power: Emotion Control 6 (Extras: Penetrating; Flaws: Limited to Fear only) Super-Senses 12 (Detect Ghosts [Mental; Accurate, Acute, Radius, Ranged], Detect Emotions [Mental; Accurate, Acute, Radius, Ranged]) Drawbacks: none Equipment Haunted Townhouse Size: Tiny, Toughness: 10, Features: Defense Systems (ghosts), Living Space Cost: 2 EP Leather Coat (+1 Defense) Cost: 1 EP Weighted Gloves (+1 Damage) Cost: 2 EP DC Block ATTACKS: SAVE/DC: DAMAGE TYPE: Weighted Gloves 12/Toughness Bludgeoning Costs: Abilities 17 + Combat 16 + Saves 11 + Skills 9 + Feats 9 + Powers 28 - Drawbacks 0 = 90
Dr Archeville Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Um, one of your Emotion Contorl Alt Powers is exactly the same as base power, and another alt is the same as another alt.
Avenger Assembled Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 Also, ex, you probably want to put your corrected sheet in your first post in the thread. (Just cut and paste) It'll make later processing a lot faster and easier.
Dr Archeville Posted July 10, 2009 Posted July 10, 2009 You may want to look into taking a more direct attack effect as one of the APs. As it stands now, your best attack is your Despair, which calls for a DC 16 Will save. On an average roll, a Bystander (getting a 10) will fail that by 6, which makes them shaken (-2 to attack rolls, defense, and checks). Other PL 6 chars will probably get better results on their saves. I could see something like Dazzle 6 (visual [extreme crying]; Extra: Alt Save [Will instead of Fort to shake off]) Mental Blast 4 (grieve yourself to death; Flaw: Action/Full round) Paralyze 6 (depression; Extra: Range/Ranged; Flaw: Slow only) Or expand it to give him more ghost-like powers, like Telekinesis 5 (Str 25; PFs: Indirect, Subtle) or Telekinesis 3 (Str 15; Extra: Range/Perception; PFs: Indirect, Subtle).
ex3lev3n Posted July 10, 2009 Author Posted July 10, 2009 Hello, refs. May I ask that you archive this character for use at a later time? I fear I've bitten off more than I can chew and would like to familiarize myself with the game rules just a bit more before I try to get in on a game. Thank you for your time and services.
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