Agent A - Anton Anderson - PL10 Hero

[Agent A]

Power Level: 10 (150/150pp)

Trade-Offs: None

Unspent pp: 0

Gold Status: 0/30

In Brief: A tax collection agent for the superpowered among us, his best weapon is information. Think Roger Moore's James Bond with a tiny hint of Men in Black, working for the IRS.

Character Name Anton Anderson Jr.

Identity: Public Record

Birthplace: Nashville, TN

Occupation: IRS Collections Agent

Affiliations: US Federal Government

Family: Father, Anton Anderson Sr, Alive. Mother, Jaliah Anderson, Alive

Age: 25 (Born Feb. 19, 1985)

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: African-American

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 175 lbs

Eyes: Brown

Hair: Black

Description: Anton looks more like a businessman than what one would expect from a federal agent that is regularly expected to face down irate superhumans and walk away the winner. His black hair is kept cropped close to his head, though not quite in a buzz cut. At first glance he seems a bit thin for his height, but he is deceptively wiry and quite athletic, and keeps himself in peak shape. He is rather handsome, though it is somehow in a non-descript way; he's hard to pick out of a crowd when he wants to blend in, and can stand out quite easily when it suits his purposes.

While he's working, he favors simple, yet well-tailored dark gray or black suit coats over a collared shirt, black tie, and slacks. Whether he wants to play up the "man in black" stereotype of a government agent, or simply is a snappy dresser, is a mystery. He usually has his pistol in a shoulder holster under his suit coat, though he attempts to keep it there as much as he can. Off duty, he prefers more casual clothes, usually t-shirts and jeans. Even still, he will often carry his pistol and gadgets with him or at least stash them in his truck; he's made a couple enemies in his line of work, and you never know when something might happen, especially in this town.

Speaking of his truck, it seems to simply be a battered old Dodge pickup, but again looks can be deceiving; along with the best civilian-grade navigation and alarm systems, it also hides hidden compartments, remote activation and control, and a caltrops dispenser. It is deceptively fast, equipped with a military-grade engine capable of moving the truck at speeds up to 250 MPH. All in all, it's an impressive piece of work for a dented old pickup.

History: Anton was born the son of a detective in Nashville, TN, and he watched his father associate with some of the most famous heroes of the American South. When he was younger, he was fascinated by the idea of superheroes, and often prayed that he would develop powers of his own, so that he could help people just like his favorite heroes did. However, as he grew older, he came to the realization that he was just a normal kid. His childhood was fairly normal, and he excelled in sports. He was a heavily recruited point guard going into college, and played for a top 25 team, where he has a successful college career, though he did not go into the NBA.

After 4 years of college, Anton held a BA in Criminal Justice. He was recruited by a group he did not expect; the FBI. After talking with his parents about it, he decided to accept the offer. He went to Quantico, VA, where he trained in the FBI Academy. He was near the top of his class in the Academy, and looked forward to entering service as an agent. However, another twist entered his life. A new nationwide team of agents were being formed, drawing from top recruits from the FBI, CIA, and military intelligence branches. However, these agents would be working under the supervision of a different organization entirely; the IRS.

Inspired by the famous takedown of Al Capone in the 20s, this group was designed to seek out metahuman criminals, who were almost universally guilty of one crime; tax evasion. Not only would they be able to arrest the criminals (a notoriously unreliable method), but also seize their assets to pay back taxes. After some training in specific metahuman tactics, they were sent to work. The agents were immediately successful, and Agent Anderson was no exception, distinguishing himself early. With information and the resources on the government on their side, they could do something even some superheroes couldn't; take down villains and keep them down for a long time.

Originally, Agent Anderson, known as "Agent A", had been assigned as the Metahuman Collections Agent for Atlanta, GA. However, due to his success, he has been transferred to the largest hotspot of superhuman activity in the world, Freedom City. Armed with charm, intelligence, and not a little bit of tenacity, Agent A has stumbled into his childhood dream; hobnobbing with heroes and saving the world, if in a different way than one might expect.

Personality & Motivation: Anton is, on the whole, very laid-back and mellow. One of his greatest strengths is the ability to keep a cool head even in the most stressful situations. This isn't to say he is completely passive, however. Much to the contrary, he can get pretty competitive and ambitious at times, though it's usually friendly. He has a bit of a sarcastic streak, and tends towards gallows humor to deal with stress. Despite this, and his own protestations to the contrary, he is rather caring and even has a bit of a hero complex; he can't stand by when something is going on. He is, however, extremely charming when he wants to be; a requirement for his job.

While he is like most successful members of his profession quite intelligent, Anton is particularly good at thinking on his feet, which has served him well over the years. He can quickly dissect a problem, formulate a plan for solving a problem, and execute it using the materials at hand. This makes him tend towards rashness at times, however, trusting his gut rather than taking a second look at a situation. He is both mentally and physically tough, and is the type to never know when to say quit, which has both served him well and gotten him in trouble in equal measure. He is skilled in several areas and fields, and what he does not know how to do himself, he is very good at finding someone who can and convincing them to help out.

Powers & Tactics: Agent A is a completely normal, if well-trained and equipped, human being in a world of super-heroes and villains. Whenever he can, he will try to find a diplomatic solution to his problems, using his security clearance, connections both high and low, and his own natural charm to cut through problems with words. If that fails, he will attempt to exploit any of his opponent's weaknesses to the fullest extent he can, once again using his connections and clearance to access classified information and requisition equipment if necessary.

However, one should not confuse his lack of super-powers and preference for diplomacy with incompetence in a straight-up fight. Even among his peers, Agent A is considered a crack shot, and his skill with a pistol is definitely nothing to sneeze at. He is also fairly well-trained in hand-to-hand techniques, allowing him to hold his own in a brawl against most non-powered foes. His greatest advantage is the fact that he is often underestimated; many of his opponents might simply write him off as an easily-handled nuisance until it's too late.

Complications:

Enemies: Agent A's identity and profession are a matter of public record, and he is required to give his identity during his work if asked. He can do something that might be worse than putting a super-villain in jail; he can seize their assets. Suffice to say, he's made a good number of enemies.

Reputation: No one likes the IRS, and Anton's fellow agents have had to go after heroes who have been negligent in their taxes as well as villains. While Anton himself has not had to do so yet, those who know his job might have a bad first opinion of him.

Responsibility: Anton is an agent of the federal government, and must act first and foremost as their representative. Red tape is something he must often deal with, and his own inclination towards heroics has gotten him into trouble with his superiors more than once.

Abilities: 4 + 6 + 4 + 4 + 4 + 8 = 30pp

Str 14 (+2)

Dex 16 (+3)

Con 14 (+2)

Int 14 (+2)

Wis 14 (+2)

Cha 18 (+4)

Combat: 20 + 20 = 40pp

Initiative: +7

Attack: +10, +14 ranged

Grapple: +12

Defense: +14 (+10 Base, +4 Dodge Focus), +5 Flat-Footed

Knockback: -3

Saving Throws: 3 + 5 + 5 = 13pp

Toughness: +6 (+2 Con, +4 Defensive Roll)

Fortitude: +5 (+2 Con, +3)

Reflex: +8 (+3 Dex, +5)

Will: +7 (+2 Wis, +5)

Skills: 128R = 32pp

Acrobatics 8 (+11)

Bluff 10 (+14, +18 with Attractive)

Climb 4 (+6)

Computers 8 (+10)

Concentration 8 (+10)

Diplomacy 10 (+14, +18 with Attractive)

Disable Device 8 (+10)

Drive 8 (+11)

Gather Information 12 (+16)

Intimidate 8 (+12)

Language 4 (English (Native), Spanish, American Sign Language, Cantonese, French)

Notice 8 (+10)

Search 8 (+10)

Sense Motive 8 (+10)

Sleight of Hand 4 (+7)

Stealth 8 (+11)

Survival 4 (+6)

Feats: 35pp

Attack Focus (ranged) 4

Attractive

Beginner’s Luck

Benefit (Security Clearance)

Connected

Defensive Roll 4

Diehard [free feat]

Dodge Focus 4

Equipment 6

Evasion

Fascinate (Bluff)

Improved Aim

Improved Initiative

Luck 3

Master Plan

Precise Shot

Quick Draw

Skill Mastery (Bluff, Disable Device, Notice, Stealth)

Uncanny Dodge (auditory)

Well-Informed

Heavy Pistol (Blast 4) [8 XEP]

Pickup Truck (Size: Huge; Strength: 40; Defense: 8; Toughness: 9; Powers: Speed 5 [250 MPH]; Features: Alarm, Caltrops, Hidden Compartment, Navigation System, Remote Control) [14 XEP]

Apartment (Size: Dimunative; Toughness: 10; Features: Living Space, Security System, Computer) [2 XEP]

Undercover Shirt (Protection 2; Power Feat: Subtle) [3 XEP]

Cell Phone [1 XEP]

Flashlight [1 XEP]

Mini-Tracer [1XEP]

30 equip points spent

Powers: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0pp

Drawbacks: 0 + 0 + 0 = 0pp

DC Block

ATTACK      RANGE     SAVE                        EFFECT

Unarmed     Melee     DC15 Toughness (Staged)     Bruise/Injury


H. Pistol   40 ft     DC19 Toughness              Bruise/Injury

Abilities (30) + Combat (40) + Saving Throws (13) + Skills (32) + Feats (35) + Powers (0) - Drawbacks (0) = 150pp

[Dr Archeville]

So... how is he a superhero, exactly? Because that's what we play here. A char like this sounds like a one-shot NPC.

[Agent A]

I'm kind of going for a Batman thing; a normal (at least physically) man who uses information, planning and equipment to fight supervillains. He just does it by working for the government instead of being independently wealthy.

If not having actual Powers is the problem, I could trade some of his points in towards giving him some Devices. If it's his government ties, I could rewrite the character to make him more independent.

[Ecalsneerg]

It's not the lack of superpowers, or where he gets his wealth. It's the fact he's a tax collector with a gun. Superheroes generally go after supervillains for theft, assault and arson, not tax evasion. Save the world/country, not save the finances.

[Agent A]

Oh, well, if that's the problem, I could change him to work for a more traditional agency; like I said, he was trained at the FBI Academy, so it wouldn't really change much. I was just trying to go for a more light-hearted take on the whole "secret agent" kind of thing. My thinking was something like this; like I mentioned, tax evasion was what they busted Al Capone on, and I figured it would be a pretty universal crime among villains. It's just another way to get superpowered criminals off the streets; if they're in jail, does it really matter on what crime? Plue, the government can legally seize assets and property including perhaps some kind of super-tech that they use, which is an extra bonus.

Plus, Anton is a bit of a loose cannon, and is quite willing to step outside his jurisdiction to help out. Of course, he gets in trouble for that constantly, but he gets results, so they keep him around.

I have to step out for work, but keep the comments and concerns coming. I'll

[Ecalsneerg]

I'm not sure you're getting this. We're a superhero game, and this PC isn't a superhero. Superhero who happens to work for the government is fine, but he's not. He just happens to be a very good tax collector. This is a setting where cops don Iron Man riot armour to fight criminals, merely fighting supervillains doesn't make you a superhero. What about a cape, or mask, or a costume, or some combination of the three?

[N/A]

This is a game based on Western superhero comic books. That is a very specific genre with a very specific flavor to it. And we want PC submissions to fit that flavor. This guy doesn't.

Not all superheroes have powers. Not all of them wear a mask, or a costume. Not all of them use a codename. Not all of them have a secret identity. Not all of them act as free agents instead of working under government sanction. But they generally have at least one of those factors going for them. This character doesn't play into any superhero tropes. He specifically averts them. He'd make an OK NPC, but he's not FCPBP PC material.

If you want to make a superhero who works as an IRS agent as his "day job" in his secret identity, that's fine. If you want to make a superhero on the government payroll, like Matthew Bright in Rising Stars, who wears a badge over his tights and gets sent to serve summons to potentially dangerous superpowered offenders among his many other duties, that's fine too. But what we see here right now isn't going to work, because it doesn't fit the setting or the game we're running.

And since there's a "No Killing" rule for PC heroes here (aside from the usual Acceptable Targets, like undead, demons, etc.), a character whose combat abilities are primarily dependent upon using a gun isn't going to fly, unless it's some kind of special magical or super-advanced gun that shoots something other than regular ol' killin' bullets.

[Agent A]

Sneaking on from work.

I've got you guys. I can rewright the character concept to conform more. Sorryabout the confusion on my end.

Beyond the weapon of choice, is the sheet ok mechanically? i'll tweak it for the new concept, but it'll probably be along the same lines.

[Agent A]

I posted another character idea in another thread. Could a mod or admin lock/delete this thread please? Thanks in advance.