Moira - Miss Martian - PL12 Villain (NPC Tier 2)

[Moira Morley]

Characters Name: Nyra Gazz

Alternate Identity: Miss Martian

Age: 100 earth years, though Walorans are ageless

Gender: Walorans can assume both

Height: 5'3"

Weight: 130 lbs

Eyes: black

Hair: black

Description: Nyra has a strangely seductive look about her; she has a healthy build with an hourglass figure, though that's not the only thing that draws people in like a moth to a flame. Her skin is a dark blue tone that feels slightly damp to the touch, and her eyes are inhuman inky black orbs. Her shoulder length hair is as dark as her eyes, with two small fleshy antennas protruding from the top of her forehead. She’s always seen in some sort of figure-hugging mini dress and not much else, not even footwear!

History: Nyra was born on the world of Walor, home to a race of ageless free thinking philosophers that encourage their young to study whatever they want. Nyra fell into psychology; learning how people ticked instantly hooked her, though after a while she found out that most people were boring no matter how ‘special’ they were supposed to be. Out of sheer perversity, she began plotting multiple crimes, using her own unfortunate patients as dupes; of course they were not crimes to her, just a way for her to test her own abilities and the frailty of Waloran will. Most of these crimes saw her driving people to the brink of madness, until they committed the most horrible atrocities; this pleased Nyra greatly.

Eventually she was discovered to be the mastermind behind these terrible crimes, and a suitable punishment was required; since isolation is considered the greatest punishment a Waloran can receive, it was decided to place her on a vessel and launch her into space. A few years later, the ship’s systems were almost completely corroded, but luckily for Nyra, it was above a planet that could sustain life: Earth. When the ship made an emergency landing, she found herself amongst a crowd of... weird people with pink skin and flashing contraptions!

Nyra's landing on Earth in 1955 was treated as a media spectacle. The people were expecting something new and different, and they sure got it: a blue-skinned human, and a very hot one at that! Most folks chalked it up to a Hollywood publicity stunt, and even though that wasn't true, Hollywood DID jump all over the opportunity. Nyra made friends with the pink-skinned people, especially the ones who offered her everything she wanted as long as she’d act in their movies; these people were very convincing. She lived a life of decadence over the next few years as the humans ate it up and she raked in the profits. No one on this backwater planet knew anything about her past; it was great!

Then it all came crashing down in an instant; five years after her debut, her past finally caught up with her when the Star Knights finally made contact with Walor. The Knights mentioned the mysterious 'Miss Martian' of Earth and her curious resemblance to the Walorans; recognizing Nyra from their description, the Walor told them the horrible truth. Stunned by this revelation, the Star Knights quickly rushed back to Earth to apprehend the criminal, only to find her on location shooting her latest movie, where they told her to stand down and come along peacefully, leaving Earth forever. Nyra refused; why should she have to leave this wonderful life behind? The Knights insisted, but then something horrible happened: their eyes turned into inky black orbs just like the fugitive Waloran’s, and they viciously attacked each other! Based on the witnesses’ description of the tragic event, there could be no doubt that the Knights had been brutally mind-controlled by the alien starlet; her show business career was over.

Years passed; every now and then Miss Martian’s name would be mentioned when a particularly brutal ‘crime of passion’ seized the nation’s headlines, but it was always quickly dismissed as sensationalist bunk. Recently, however, a series of bizarre and violent crimes have occurred in Freedom City; witnesses swear that the killer’s eyes went ‘all black’ before they struck. The FCPD doesn’t want to jump to any conclusions, but the Star Knights’ memories are long; they watch the city with apprehension, fearful that Nyra may be back and no one is safe.

Personality & Motivation: Nyra is a student and teacher of the mind game. She'll gladly play with a set few people for a while to show off their weaknesses. Though she hasn't forgotten the pleasures she's experienced on this backwater planet. It's infinitely more fun than Walor. With the Star Knights on her back, she can't make appearances much. Though when the coast is clear she'll go out into society to either get more play things or just relax amongst the earthlings.

Powers & Tactics: Walorans are known for many things, but the first thing you hear about them are their force of personality and their beauty beyond compare. It's almost godlike. Nyra has a few pieces of technology at her disposal. Several rings float around her wrists, they do two things for her. First and foremost, they protect her from harm and as a secondary bonus they translate languages. The second device is a jetpack, it lets her fly. Finally there are the "pheromones" as the humans call them. Walorans used these as a biological process, but apparently it drives the humans wild. They'll feel however you want them to feel, do whatever you want them to do and believe whatever you want them to believe. Nyra hasn't figured out why, but it's in the air. Earth's air is different than Walor's air, there is a much higher concentration of Krypton in it which normally neutralizes some of the pheromones potency. As for tactics, she's not a front line fighter. If she can't subdue the enemies by breaking their will or using her pheromones, she'll find someone who can obey her and use them for 'negotiations'. If all else fails, she'll fly off, remembering the slight.

Power Descriptions: The rings are Waloran technology, they use the latent psychic ability of every living being and amplify it. They are made of some mysterious crystal. They float around her wrists. The jetpack looks like something out of the Rocketeer. It is Earth technology, using antigravity technology. She got the rings as a parting present from Walor. One of her unwitting followers snuck them aboard before she lifted off. She never thought she'd use them, but it did give her some dark hope that she would escape one day. The jetpack was a gift from a human she was playing with when she first got to Earth.

Her enhanced pheromones are a bit harder to describe. In their base form they taste and smell sweet. These are the ones that she uses to control emotions. Though if you can't smell or taste them, she's doing one of two things. Trying to control a mind or trying to alter a mind. The control is noticeable, people get inky black orbs for eyes, just like Nyra herself. Though the alteration is much more insidious. All three pheromones work like a psychoactive. Not on a biological level, but a mental level.

Stats: 0+0+2+4+8+34 = 48pp

Str: 10 (+0)

Dex: 10 (+0)

Con: 12 (+1)

Int: 14 (+2)

Wis: 18 (+4)

Cha: 44 (+17)

Combat: 16+16 = 32pp

Attack: +8

Grapple: +8

Defense: +8 (+4 flat-footed)

Knockback: -13

Initiative: +8

Saves: 9+0+6 = 15pp

Toughness: +14 (+1 Con, +13 Protection; Impervious 12)

Fortitude: +10 (+1 Con, +9)

Reflex: +0 (+0 Dex, +0)

Will: +10 (+4 Wis, +6)

Skills: 76r = 19pp

Bluff 17 (+34)

Diplomacy 17 (+34)

Knowledge (current events) 3 (+5)

Knowledge (behavioral sciences) 13 (+15)

Knowledge (popular culture) 3 (+5)

Knowledge (theology and philosophy) 3 (+5)

Language 0 (Waloran [base])

Notice 1 (+5)

Perform (acting) 3 (+20)

Sense Motive 16 (+20)

Feats: 7pp

Challenge 1 (Fast Taunt)

Connected

Fearless

Improved Initiative 2

Skill Mastery (Bluff, Diplomacy, Knowledge [behavioral sciences], Sense Motive)

Taunt

Powers: 8+8+20+38 = 74pp

Device 2 (jetpack; technology; hard to lose) [8pp]

Flight 5 (250 MPH)

Device 2 (language ring; technology; hard to lose) [4pp]

Comprehend 4 (speak all languages, understand all languages, speak to animals, understand animals)

Device 5 (protective rings; technology; hard to lose) [20pp]

Protection 13 (Extra: Impervious 12)

Mental Pheromones Array 18 (36pp effects; Power Feats: Alternate Power 2)

BE: Emotion Control 12 (Extras: Area/Burst [General, Attached], Aura; Flaws: Range/Touch, Sense Dependant/Olfactory)

AP: Mind Control 12 (Extras: Area/Burst [General, Attached], Aura, Duration/Sustained, Instant Command; Flaws: Distracting, Range/Touch, Sense Dependant/Olfactory; Power Feat: Mental Link; Drawback: Noticeable)

AP: Mental Transform 12 (memory alteration [2/rank]; Extras: Area/Burst [General, Attached], Aura, Duration/Continuous; Flaws: Range/Touch, Sense Dependant/Olfactory)

DC Block:

Emotion Control -- 22/Will -- Varied Emotions

Mind Control -- 22/Will -- Mind Controlled

Mental Transform -- 22/Will -- Memory Alteration

Costs: Abilities (48) + Combat (32) + Saves (15) + Skills (19) + Feats (7) + Powers (74) - Drawbacks (0) = 195pp

[Moira Morley]

This is Miss Martian from Crooks! And boy did she need it

Stats: Changed nothing

Combat: Changed nothing

Saves: bumped up her Fortitude, bumped down her Will. Yes, they're both 10, as I've been taught if you have anything in exotic saves, it should be at least 10

Skills: Bumped up her Bluff and Diplomacy to represent her attractiveness. She can breed on both sides, why limit the sexy? Well that and she uses more than her looks. This is why I bumped up Knowledge (behavioral sciences), dropped Intimidate and gave her some Sense Motive. She's a criminal, but she's not a brute! :twisted: Got rid of Computers, Knowledge (technology) and Pilot. They felt tacked on because of the whole "space alien" deal.

Feats: Got rid of Attractive as explained above. Got rid of Second Chance (will saves) and Trance as she's not a practicing psychic anymore (and she never had Concentration to begin with ). Gave her Taunt to represent mind games she is wont to play. Powerful Taunt is Powerful Intimidation (Mastermind's Manual, page 13) with approriate change Fearless is her knowing how to mitigate fear. Improved Intiative is something to get her out on to the field first

Powers:

Jetpack: No change

Language Ring: Too off the ability to be understood by all, seemed trifle.

Protective Rings: Evened out defensive caps.

Mind Control: It's still there, but now it has friends

Super Senses: Got rid of it.

Also, I've been told that since Miss Martian is not FC canon, that she would be a Tier 2 NPC and that I would have to come up with fluff for her. Fluff coming soon! :D

[angrydurf]

Well until I get the fluff I can't really say if all of those choices make sense.

However a few quick points based off of her crooks representation. She is into high tech crime to a fair degree, her computers pilot and knowledge (tech) all were there due to the alien thing but because she came from a more advanced society where that baseline understanding was common.

Attractive VS. Standard Bluff/Diplomacy. Yes it's not the best feat out there but if her bluff and diplomacy is based on her "sexy" it should be attractive not the skills, if its not sex appeal that's fine but sex appeal is limited to those interested in the person

Trance is bad so ditching it makes sense especially with no concentration. Second chance will saves did make a bit of sense with her stronger than average mind but if you're moving her away from psychic phenomenon that works.

Challenge feats are on a case by case basis and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with ranking the feat like that. That's a pretty big stack of minuses she can unleash particularly with her bluff stacked to such absurd levels.

If she doesn't have the ring and is still extra-terrestrial she'll need at least 1 rank of language to represent learning an earthly language. Really with her focus on interaction skills she was well served by a cheap device that guaranteed her target would be vulnerable.

On to the stacking of absurd levels of Charisma and bluff/diplomacy. I don't like it particularly not as "natural" charisma though it is possible that her species is just has an exceptional force of personality normally even if she is an exceptional example the average charisma of her race would be higher than the human max.

If her charisma isn't natural (coming from latent psychic phenomenon or pheromones or some such) then it would need to be at least partially enhanced not just all natural.

Similarly the skills are really at such a level as to be out of sync with any background that doesn't pretty specifically detail that she has trained extensively in these areas and how and why she did so. As I said above "the sexy" isn't a good enough reason if its not tied to attraction as it is in the feat.

[Moira Morley]

Yeah, I'm pretty much going with an alternate character interpretation. She's got a bit more of a Hannibal Lecter mind games attitude now. Though I promise she won't eat anyone :twisted: I took the high tech crimes and learned psychic things from her for this reason.

The Bluff and Diplomacy are part of that too. It's more than just sexy now. Though she is attractive on a god-like level, she knows how to use her skills for her mind games.

The language ring is still there and it's still a universal translator, just not as powerful as before. She can speak one language at a time.

[angrydurf]

Most of these crimes saw her driving people to the brink of madness, until they committed the most horrible atrocities; this pleased Nyra greatly.

I think changing this up to something like 'until they broke to her will' or 'until they lost themselves to her machinations.' Might be more in keeping with the rest of the flavor you present.

[Moira Morley]

Actually that's what I was going for. Her mind games go deep. Deep enough that Very Bad Things happen. She hasn't used them in a while, but it doesn't mean she hasn't done them, or won't do them again :twisted:

I've said it in chat before, so I guess I'll put it here. Miss Martian is the Leader to Moira's Hulk.

[angrydurf]

Alright its an NPC villain so that's fine if that's the way you want it to go.

Stats: Still need an explanation for the ultra high un-enhanced Charisma but numbers are good.

Combat: good

Saves: No reflex?

Skills: Exhaustive study of her chosen field makes sense for the really high numbers here but her lack of other skills seems odd. Why has she not kept abreast of Current events or Pop Culture, Why no Theology and philosophy if her people are "Free Thinking Philosophers"?

Feats: I'll invite other refs to chip in their opinions but I'm not comfortable with powerful taunt especially on a character with such a maxed bluff. Skill mastery is for four skills.

Powers: The devices need descriptors. Mental Transform is allowed but be aware that as it renders effectively permanent changes excessive use (Particularly on PC's) is frowned upon.

To be frank this is a horrid match up for Divine as she literally can not resist any of Mrs. Martians powers. One use of mind control and its all over.

[Moira Morley]

Stats: Still need an explanation for the ultra high un-enhanced Charisma but numbers are good.

It's part attractiveness, part force of personality, part being non-human.

Saves: No reflex?

Yup

Skills: Exhaustive study of her chosen field makes sense for the really high numbers here but her lack of other skills seems odd. Why has she not kept abreast of Current events or Pop Culture' date=' Why no Theology and philosophy if her people are "Free Thinking Philosophers"?[/quote']fixedalright and fixedUnderstood and fixedMoira has 10-15 Will (depending if she's raging or not)

[angrydurf]

Alright I missed the edit where Moira finally got a will save not so bad a match up then.

Charisma: If its part of being non-human it should be mentioned either in her history or her powers and tactics section that the Walorans have significantly higher than average force of personality/charisma and that she is exceptional even by that high standard.

One more thing I noticed. Why is emotion control sense dependent (olfactory) and mind-control isn't if they are both based on the psychic pheromones?

[Moira Morley]

The mind control pheromones don't work through smell, they work into your skin and eyes.

The story, personality/motivation and powers/tactics section are being reworked.

[angrydurf]

Background looks ok overall. I'd like the description of her powers to be included in her description (Mind control victims eyes turning black, what her devices look like when in use if anything, flight needs a descriptor like rockets or jetsons style antigrav rings) the tech needs descriptions of what tech makes them work (antigrav forcefields or what not)

All the powers need descriptors. From what it sounds like her 'Psychic pheromones" would be Psychic, gas(Skin contact or inhaled), Poison, not sure about mental transform as its not really described at all.

I like the atmospheric differences explaining the potency of her powers here but I think rather than "a vast amount of Krypton" you should say that it has "A much higher concentration of Krypton in it which normally neutralizes some of the pheromones potency." A vast amount sounds like it would be an active part of Waloran respiration which since she breaths earth air fine doesn't sound like the case.

Numbers add up but a couple concerns;

Bluff, diplomacy, and Sense motive are too high in comparison with her professional skills (Primarily knowledge (Behavorial sciences) but also the lack of an actual profession skill related to being a therapist which her background denotes is where she started) being somewhat higher as she has been more about the manipulation of people in the more recent time frame is fine but more than double is too much.

I'm gonna say no to powerful taunt as a challenge feat since no other refs have spoken up in favor of it.

[Moira Morley]

Background looks ok overall. I'd like the description of her powers to be included in her description (Mind control victims eyes turning black, what her devices look like when in use if anything, flight needs a descriptor like rockets or jetsons style antigrav rings) the tech needs descriptions of what tech makes them work (antigrav forcefields or what not)

All the powers need descriptors. From what it sounds like her 'Psychic pheromones" would be Psychic, gas(Skin contact or inhaled), Poison, not sure about mental transform as its not really described at all.

Done

I like the atmospheric differences explaining the potency of her powers here but I think rather than "a vast amount of Krypton" you should say that it has "A much higher concentration of Krypton in it which normally neutralizes some of the pheromones potency." A vast amount sounds like it would be an active part of Waloran respiration which since she breaths earth air fine doesn't sound like the case.

Done

Numbers add up but a couple concerns;

Bluff, diplomacy, and Sense motive are too high in comparison with her professional skills (Primarily knowledge (Behavorial sciences) but also the lack of an actual profession skill related to being a therapist which her background denotes is where she started) being somewhat higher as she has been more about the manipulation of people in the more recent time frame is fine but more than double is too much.

Fixed. Hopefully.

I'm gonna say no to powerful taunt as a challenge feat since no other refs have spoken up in favor of it.

Done.

[angrydurf]

Her enhanced pheromones are a bit harder to describe. In their base form they taste and smell sweet. These are the ones that she uses to control emotions. Though if you can't smell or taste them, she's doing one of two things. Trying to control a mind or trying to alter a mind. The control is noticeable, people get inky black orbs for eyes, just like Nyra herself. Though the alteration is much more insidious. All three pheromones work like a psychoactive. Not on a biological level, but a mental level.

Ok good starting point. but a few things. First while the additional detail you have here is very nice, particularly in how they are noticeable, I would still like the couple word descriptors with the powers.

Secondly I'm having trouble figuring out what exactly you consider these pheromones to be. Pheromones are biological, they could be psychically active but they still need to enter the system biologically meaning they need to be absorbed somehow and be able to integrate with/infect the target, effectively making them a poison in M&M terms.

So what you described to me earlier was that the emotion control pheromones had to be inhaled but the mind control and mental transform powers can be absorbed through the skin/eyes etc. That sounds like biological reactions to me. The main use of descriptors is to detect how the powers may be countered, in this case it seems like the emotion control would be countered by a respirator/air tanks, the others by a sealed suit, and all of them by resistance to poisons. Additionally you describe the end result as being psychic, hence she is able to mentally command those under her sway.

So the short form descriptors sound to me like they would be Pheromones(airborne, poison) and Psychic.

[angrydurf]

Looks good Approved

[Geez3r]

Checks out to me. Approved.