Kavonde Posted January 9, 2011 Posted January 9, 2011 [floatr][/floatr] Player Name: Kavonde Character Name: Gravestone Power Level: 7 (105/105pp) Unspent PP: 0 Progress to Bronze Status: 0/30 In Brief: Young college student inherits his family's supernatural legacy, becomes ghostly cowboy protector of Freedom City. Identity: Alex Young Birthplace: Flagstaff, Arizona Occupation: Freshman at Freedom City University Affiliations: FCU Student Body Family: Clara Young (mother); Michael Young (grandfather, deceased); Nathaniel Graves (ancestor, semi-deceased) Age: 18 (DoB: September 3rd, 1992) Gender: Male Ethnicity: Caucasian Height: 6'4" Weight: 150 lbs. Eyes: Brown (in costume: glowing purple, mixed with black smoke) Hair: Straw blond (in costume: black) Description: Gravestone wears a black shirt under a dark gray vest, dark blue jeans over black cowboy boots, two revolvers holstered on a wide, black belt with a purple buckle engraved with a skull, a navy blue cowboy hat with a purple band, and a matching, calf-length duster. Tendrils of black-purple smoke rise from his hat and duster. He conceals his face with a black handkerchief wrapped around his nose and mouth. While uniformed, his eyes glow with a swirling, smoky purple, his skin turns a corpse-like shade of gray, and his hair becomes jet black. His voice becomes deep and bassy, and when he attempts to impress or intimidate others, it takes on a bone-rattling, hollow resonance. Out of costume, Alex Thompson is a tall, skinny teenager with straw-blond hair and metal-framed glasses covering his light brown eyes. He wears video game-related T-shirts, hoodies, and jeans, and he's trying to grow a goatee with little success. Power Descriptions: Gravestone's revolvers, Stetson hat, and duster all grant him different supernatural abilities. By themselves, Gravestone's revolvers appear to be a pair of antique, ivory-handled six shooters. When wielded, however, they become translucent and ghostly, with tendrils of mist floating off of them. They fire bullet-shaped blasts of purple energy, which disperse the impact over the target's body (unless Grave decides otherwise). The sound made by the revolvers is somewhat muffled, as if they were coming from inside a closed room. Gravestone's Stetson grants superhuman vision and hearing, enhancing those senses and granting him improved accuracy. It also causes the unnerving, smoky glow in his eyes, and the corpse-like pigmentation of his skin. Gravestone's duster is by far his most versatile tool; it is infused with mystical darkness, which he can manipulate in a variety of ways. He can become ghost-like and insubstantial, expand the darkness to obscure all sources of light in an area or into a shape of his choice, use it to turn himself completely invisible, create a spherical shield of shadowy energy to protect him from harm, and create gateways that allow him and others to teleport hundreds of feet. History: In 1869, Sheriff Nathaniel Graves of Needle Springs, Arizona, was framed for the murder of his wife, hanged, and buried. A week later, he rode into town with the real killer slung over his saddle, and the man was all too happy to confess his crimes. The townsfolk apologized to the sheriff and begged him not to hurt them. He let them say their piece, and then rode off without a word. Graves became a legend of the Old West, avenging the wrongfully accused and meteing out justice to the unlawful and the depraved. He would disappear into the wilderness for months at a time with nary a trace left behind, only to ride into some town in California or Kansas, right a few wrongs, and then vanish again. So it continued until 1923, when his descendant, Albrook Graves, received a package from the First National Bank of Peoria. Inside were an old, battered cowboy hat, a trail-worn duster, and a pair of ivory-handled six shooters. Albrook set them aside, having no real use for them. In 1927, his twenty-year-old son, Michael, found the package. He'd just had a friend murdered by the Chicago Mob, and, inspired by the masked men starting to appear around the country, decided to use the outfit and the weapons to strike back. He was immensely surprised to realize that the old clothes gave him remarkable supernatural powers, but he wasted no time in employing them against his enemies as the "Ghost Ranger." Years later, as the power of the Mob began to wane, did Michael start looking into the items' history. He discovered his connection with the fabled Sheriff Graves, and concluded that the clothing must have absorbed the ghostly cowboy's essence. He learned all he could of the suit, testing its powers and abilities to their limits. Sadly, he didn't have the suit on when a drunk driver ended his life. The costume passed through several hands before coming to Eric Young, Michael's grandson, in 1967. Eric discovered the outfit's powers and used them to fight the rampant street crime in his New York neighborhood, taking the name "Shadow Shot." He won a degree of fame among the superhuman community over his near decade in the suit, but finally retired in 1976 when his wife gave birth to their first child, Clara. Thirty-four years later, following Eric's death, the suit came into the possession of Clara's son, Alex, just as he was preparing to leave his Arizona home town to attend Freedom City University. With the suit was a notebook detailing everything Eric had learned about it during his time with it, including what he had found of Michael Grave's study into its history. Alex, a bright boy with an eidetic memory that gave him plenty of time to daydream about superheroes and living in the Old West, saw it as a huge stroke of luck. He was getting superpowers, and just as he was moving to the superhero capital of the world! He started experimenting with the powers immediately, and by the time he arrived at FCU, he felt he had the basics down. He bought what he needed to finish out the costume, and decided to announce his heritage by calling himself "Gravestone." Now it was just a matter of balancing school with his new hobby. And, though he didn't know it, keeping a bloodthirsty demon from enslaving his mind. The day that Nathaniel Graves was hanged, he made a deal with the devil. As his body kicked and fought for air, he bargained with dark spirits for the power to seek revenge on the men who murdered his wife and framed him for it. As the folk of Needle Springs shoveled dirt upon his body, he settled on the terms: he would share his body with a demon, and together, they would hunt the men who wronged him. For twenty years, he roamed the West, hunting down each and every member of the gang responsible. Each man he killed increased Nathaniel's powers, giving him new abilities and faster reflexes. And with each kill, he hungered just a little bit more for the next one. Finally, after hunting down his last target and fighting a bloody, out-of-control shootout in which more than fifty men died at his hands, a moment of clarity struck him. He was drenched in the blood of dead men, and could hardly think of anything but who he would get to kill next. He realized that the demon was turning him into a monster. He let the last man escape, and began looking for a way out. A Cherokee mystic gave him his answer: he would bind the demon into a series of inanimate objects, and seal them away forever. All he owned were his guns and the clothes on his back, so those would have to do. Midway through the ritual, the demon realized what was going on; it fought back with everything it had, initiating a contest of wills. When the mystic came to see what all the commotion was about, he found only Grave's Stetson hat, his duster, and his two pistols. The mystic carefully gathered the items, and then sealed them away in the safest place he could find: a safe deposit box in the First National Bank of Peoria. There they remained until 1923, when the bank, clearing out old inventory, tracked down Nathaniel Graves' closest living descendant and shipped him the box. The three men to wear the costume since its return have, unbeknownst to them, been the epicenter of a struggle between the demon, constantly pushing them to kill and give it greater power over them, and the soul of Nathaniel Graves, trying to protect them from the demon's influence. Nathaniel has succeeded twice, now, but the demon sees a prime opportunity: a naive, disconnected computer geek who has no idea what he's getting into. Personality & Motivation: Gravestone is very new at the superheroing game, but he has a lifetime of comic book and movie experience to draw upon. Being a scrawny kid all his life, he loves transforming into his gravelly-voiced alter ego and putting the fear of God in petty criminals. He's heroic, in his way, but he sees this as more of a hobby or a game and doesn't quite realize the life-and-death stakes he may be playing for. In-character, Gravestone does his best to project a stoic seriousness when dealing with bad guys, but he relaxes a bit with civilians and other heroes, adopting a Texan drawl and a sardonic, polite manner of speaking. He comes across as very down-to-earth and practical, always willing to explain his logic. In reality, Alex loves every second he spends in costume, and loves pulling off stunts that make him look badass or impressive. He considers each scenario with efficiency playing a close second to how cool he can make himself look. Powers & Tactics: Gravestone can fight toe-to-gun if need be, but he prefers to use stealth, misdirection, and psychological warfare against his enemies. He usually scouts an area thoroughly before engaging in combat, using his Invisibility, Insubstantialness, and Teleportation to infiltrate areas and his Super-Senses to pick out all his potential targets. He loves making a grand entrance, using Shadow Control to either blanket a room in total darkness or to form a giant silhouette of himself and then attack from a different direction. Once the fight's on, Gravestone activates his Shield ability and tries to stick to cover, keeping out of melee range. He's not above teleporting to a safe distance (or opening a Portal in a dark corner to dispatch unobservant goons via falling damage). If a fight seems unwinnable, he has a variety of options for escaping, though Teleport is by far the quickest and easiest. Complications: A Mild-Mannered Computer Science Declaree: Gravestone wants keep his life as Alex Young separate from his life as a vigilante, mainly so he'll be able to sleep in relative peace. He's also got to keep his grades up so he doesn't flunk out of college; the minute he does, it's back to Flagstaff with him. Just Like in Foreshadow #572...: Alex's deep love of comic books leads him to consider his actions in the context of how cool they would look on the printed page. He sets up ambushes with dramatic lighting in mind, and spends hours thinking of good one-liners to drop before he starts shooting. This flair for the dramatic can make it difficult for him to think tactically or take things seriously, and he instinctively looks for the coolest thing to do, rather than the smartest. There is a War Going On for Your Mind: Unknown to Alex, there's a battle for his mind and soul raging inside his enchanted gear. The soul of his ancestor, Nathaniel Graves, struggles to keep the dark spirit providing Alex with his power in check. The spirit wants Alex to kill, and constantly tries to edge him towards anger or tries to tamper with his powers to cause an accidental death. As Alex grows more attuned to his suit, the impulse to kill will get stronger and stronger. If he ever does take a human life, he'll start to slide down a slippery slope, with the spirit gaining more and more influence over his actions; when he's killed enough, Alex Young will essentially be gone, a mere puppet under the control of his dark benefactor. I Sense Something...a Presence I Have Not Felt Since...: Gravestone's power comes from dark sources. Anyone attuned to mystical energy or able to recognize demonic influence immediately notices the air of wrongness that hovers about Gravestone while he's in uniform. It can make introductions...awkward. Big Scary Dead Man: While wearing his enchanted Stetson, Gravestone's eyes glow with smoky purple energy and his skin takes on a gray, corpse-like pallor. This isn't particularly comforting to citizens, officers, or anyone not already aware that he's a good guy. Abilities: 0 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 0 = 14PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 18/14 (+4/+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 10 (+0) Combat: 6 + 6 = 12PP Initiative: +8/+2 Attack: +3 (Gravestone's Revolvers +7) Grapple: +3 Defense: +3/+7 (+3 Base, +4 with Shield), +1 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2, -0 flat-footed Saving Throws: 4 + 3 + 3 = 10PP Toughness: +1/+7 (+1 Con, +6 [Defensive Roll]) Fortitude: +5 (+1 Con, +4) Reflex: +9/+7 (+4 Dex, +2 [Gravestone's Duster], +3) Will: +6/+4 (+1 Wis, +2 [Gravestone's Stetson], +3) Skills: 40R = 10PP Climb 4 (+4) Computers 12 (+15) Intimidate 0 (+8) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 10 (+13) Knowledge (Technology) 12 (+15) Notice 0 (+13/+1) Sense Motive 2 (+3) Stealth 0 (+12/+4) Survival 0 (+9/+1) Feats: 1PP Eidetic Memory Powers: 21 + 28 + 16 = 65PP Gravestone's Revolvers (Device 7) (Magic, Shadow; easy to lose) (21pp; 35pp container) Enhanced feats: (Accurate Attack, Improved Critical [Grave's Revolvers] 2, Ranged Pin, Quick Draw) (5pp)Ghost Bullets (Blast 7): (DC: 22; Power Feats: Precise, Split Attack 1; Extra: Autofire 2 [interval -2]) (30 pp) Gravestone's Duster (Device 7): (Magic, Shadow; hard to lose) (28pp; 35pp container) Enhanced Skills: (Stealth +8) (2pp)Enhanced Saves: (Reflex +2) (2pp)Enhanced Feats: (Defensive Roll 3, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative, Luck) (7 pp)Insubstantial 4: (incorporeal; affected by Light; Alternate Power 4) (24pp)Alternate Power: Darkness Control 5: (Range: 500ft; Radius: 100 ft.) (10pp)Alternate Power: Invisibility 4: (total concealment vs. all visual senses) (8pp)Alternate Power: Shield 4 (4pp)Alternate Power: Teleport 6: (Range: 600ft.; Extra: Portal; Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity; Flaw: Short-Range) (20pp) Gravestone's Stetson (Device 4): (Magic, Shadow; hard to lose) (16pp; 20pp container) Enhanced Abilities: (Dexterity +4) (4pp)Enhanced Skills: (Notice +12, Intimidate +8, Survival +8) (7pp)Enhanced Saves: (Will +2) (2pp)Enhanced Feats: (Attack Specialization 2 (Grave's Revolvers), Uncanny Dodge [Hearing]) (3pp)Super-Senses 4: (Danger Sense [Audio], Darkvision, Direction Sense) (4pp) Drawbacks: -7PP Normal Identity (Frequency: Common (1 Full Round), Intensity: Major) (-4PP) Vulnerability (Light, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5 DMG]; does not affect Normal Identity) (-3PP) DC Block: ATTACK RANGE SAVE EFFECT Unarmed Touch DC15 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Physical) Ghost Bullets 70 ft. DC22 Toughness (Staged) Damage (Shadow, Magic) Fearsome Presence 10 ft. Burst DC12 Will Fear Abilities (14) + Combat (12) + Saving Throws (10) + Skills (10) + Feats (1) + Powers (65) - Drawbacks (-7) = 105 Power Points
Kavonde Posted January 9, 2011 Author Posted January 9, 2011 Thanks to some very helpful advice from Raveled, I've changed the sheet around a bit. I added the Normal Identity drawback, put 1 point from it into a feat, and the other 3 into Skills. Also, I've changed his name to Gravestone, because, well, it sounds cooler.
Ecalsneerg Posted January 14, 2011 Posted January 14, 2011 History and powers look VERY good. Kudos! Abilities: 0 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 0 = 14PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 18/14 (+4/+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 10 (+0) Adds up. Combat: 6 + 6 = 12PP Initiative: +8/+2 Attack: +3 (Gravestone's Revolvers +7) Grapple: +3 Defense: +3/+7 (+3 Base, +4 with Shield), +1 Flat-Footed (+3 with Shield) Knockback: -2 Adds up, but Shield doesn't affect flat-footed Defence, sadly. Saving Throws: 4 + 3 + 3 = 10PP Toughness: +1/+5 (+1 Con, +4 [Defensive Roll]) Fortitude: +5 (+1 Con, +4) Reflex: +9/+7 (+4 Dex, +2 [Gravestone's Duster], +3) Will: +6/+4 (+1 Wis, +2 [Gravestone's Stetson], +3) Adds up. Skills: 28R = 7PP Climb 4 (+4) Computers 12 (+15) Intimidate 0 (+8) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 10 (+13) Knowledge (Technology) 12 (+15) Notice 0 (+12/+1) Sense Motive 2 (+3) Stealth 0 (+12/+4) Adds up. Feats: 1PP Eidetic Memory Adds up, but I hope you'll put more in as you accrue pp. Powers: 21 + 28 + 16 = 65PP Ok, let's break it down! Gravestone's Revolvers (Device 7) (Magic, Shadow; easy to lose) (21pp; 35pp container) Enhanced feats: (Ambidexterity, Improved Critical [Grave's Revolvers], Precise Shot) (3pp)Ghost Bullets (Blast 7): (DC: 22; Power Feats: Precise, Ricochet 2, Split Attack; Extra: Autofire 2 [interval -2]) Looks good, but a couple of things: you really won't need Ambidexterity. We don't care if you dual wield without it, it's a kind of useless feat. Precise on a Blast makes Precise Shot redundant. And Ricochet, I'm not saying don't have it, but I'm saying, how often do you need it and could you HP it up? It's up to you, really. Gravestone's Duster (Device 7): (Magic, Shadow; hard to lose) (28pp; 35pp container) Enhanced Skills: (Stealth +8) (2pp)Enhanced Saves: (Reflex +2) (2pp)Enhanced Feats: (Defensive Roll 4, Evasion 2, Improved Initiative) (7 pp)Insubstantial 4: (incorporeal; affected by Light; Alternate Power 4) (24pp)Alternate Power: Darkness Control 5: (Range: 50ft; Radius: 100 ft.) (10pp)Alternate Power: Invisibility 4: (total concealment vs. all visual senses) (8pp)Alternate Power: Shield 4: (affects insubstantial for 1/2 ranks) (5pp)Alternate Power: Teleport 6: (Range: 600ft.; Action: Move; Extra: Portal; Feats: Change Direction, Change Velocity; Flaw: Short-Range) (20pp) Adds up, but I'd strongly advise not having your defence in your array. Admittedly, the Invisibility makes up for it somewhat, but the Teleport'd make you vulnerable. Again, not a no, but a suggestion. (Also: I love dusters ) Gravestone's Stetson (Device 4): (Magic, Shadow; hard to lose) (16pp; 20pp container) Enhanced Abilities: (Dexterity +4) (4pp)Enhanced Skills: (Notice +12, Intimidate +8) (5pp)Enhanced Saves: (Will +2) (2pp)Enhanced Feats: (Attack Specialization 2 (Grave's Revolvers), Quick Draw) (3pp)Super-Senses 6: (Danger Sense, Darkvision, Direction Sense; Tracking 2 [sight] (6pp) Adds up.Note that Tracking'd not work off Notice, iirc, but Survival or Search. Drawbacks: -7PP Normal Identity (Frequency: Common (1 Full Round), Intensity: Major) (-4PP) Vulnerability (Light, Frequency: Common, Intensity: Moderate [x1.5 DMG]) (-3PP) Note that, if the Vulnerability to Light doesn't affect the Normal Identity, it should be noted as such.
Kavonde Posted January 14, 2011 Author Posted January 14, 2011 Adds up, but I hope you'll put more in as you accrue pp. I plan to, as Alex gets more practical experience. Right now he's just a computer geek with an awesome memory and he relies on his suit for combat skills. Ok, let's break it down! Looks good, but a couple of things: you really won't need Ambidexterity. We don't care if you dual wield without it, it's a kind of useless feat. Precise on a Blast makes Precise Shot redundant. And Ricochet, I'm not saying don't have it, but I'm saying, how often do you need it and could you HP it up? It's up to you, really. Followed all of that advice. I ditched Ricochet, Ambidexterity, and Precise Shot, and grabbed Critical Strike, Quick Draw 2, and added a second rank of Improved Critical. Adds up, but I'd strongly advise not having your defence in your array. Admittedly, the Invisibility makes up for it somewhat, but the Teleport'd make you vulnerable. Again, not a no, but a suggestion. That's something I'll probably change as Gravestone levels, but for right now I like that he has to actively switch "forms," so he's got to rely on cover, stealth, and awareness. Adds up.Note that Tracking'd not work off Notice, iirc, but Survival or Search. Ah, the wording of Super-Sense (Tracking) made me think it ran off Notice, but it doesn't actually say which skill it uses. Nothing in the errata or FAQ, either, but I know it's Survival in the regular 2d20 system, so...yeah. I dropped it for now and took two ranks of Fearsome Presence instead, because apparently all my characters have to have that. Also, since I put Quick Draw with the pistols where it made more sense, I replaced it here with Uncanny Dodge [Hearing]. Note that, if the Vulnerability to Light doesn't affect the Normal Identity, it should be noted as such. Fixed!
Ecalsneerg Posted January 16, 2011 Posted January 16, 2011 Ok, round two. DRAW! Abilities: 0 + 4 + 2 + 6 + 2 + 0 = 14PP Strength: 10 (+0) Dexterity: 18/14 (+4/+2) Constitution: 12 (+1) Intelligence: 16 (+3) Wisdom: 12 (+1) Charisma: 10 (+0) Adds up. Combat: 6 + 6 = 12PP Initiative: +8/+2 Attack: +3 (Gravestone's Revolvers +7) Grapple: +3 Defense: +3/+7 (+3 Base, +4 with Shield), +1 Flat-Footed Knockback: -2 Adds up. Saving Throws: 4 + 3 + 3 = 10PP Toughness: +1/+5 (+1 Con, +4 [Defensive Roll]) Fortitude: +5 (+1 Con, +4) Reflex: +9/+7 (+4 Dex, +2 [Gravestone's Duster], +3) Will: +6/+4 (+1 Wis, +2 [Gravestone's Stetson], +3) Adds up. Skills: 28R = 7PP Climb 4 (+4) Computers 12 (+15) Intimidate 0 (+8) Knowledge (Popular Culture) 10 (+13) Knowledge (Technology) 12 (+15) Notice 0 (+12/+1) Sense Motive 2 (+3) Stealth 0 (+12/+4) Adds up. Feats: 1PP Eidetic Memory Adds up. Powers: 21 + 28 + 16 = 65PP Gravestone's Revolvers (Device 7) (Magic, Shadow; easy to lose) (21pp; 35pp container) Enhanced feats: (Accurate Attack, Improved Critical [Grave's Revolvers] 2, Quick Draw) (5pp)Ghost Bullets (Blast 7): (DC: 22; Power Feats: Precise, Split Attack 2; Extra: Autofire 2 [interval -2]) (30 pp) Ack, bad news. You're 1pp over within the Device. Drop it to Split Attack 1'd be my suggestion. The rest works fine, although I'd note Fearsome Presence 2 likely won't do much.
Kavonde Posted January 16, 2011 Author Posted January 16, 2011 Fixed. And I changed the Fearsome Presence 2 to a +8 bonus to Survival.
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