Arcturus Edits

[GranspearZX]

Arcturus:

Complications: Added several. God knows he needed better ones.

Powers: Overhauled Arc's alternate form to bring him up to caps (moreso than he had been, anyway); upgraded his Alternate Form to rank 11, and I dropped everything other than his Alt form out of the array.

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Player Name: GranspearZX

Character Name: Arcturus

Power Level: PL11 | 162/163 PP

Trade-Offs: None

Unspent PP: 0

Progress To Bronze Status: 13/30

In Brief: A typical teenager with an atypical beast living inside him.

Alternate Identities: Marcus Irons

Identity: Public

Birthplace: Chicago, IL

Occupation: High School Student

Affiliations: Claremont Academy, Parkhurst Mystics

Family: Richard Irons (father, 43. Also known as the supervillain "Khimera";), Lyrica Irons (mother, 40, also known as the supervillainess "Runic"). Married for 20 years.

Age: 17 (DoB: March 1994)

Apparent Age: N/A

Gender: Male

Ethnicity: African American

Height: 6' (8' 4" in bear form)

Weight: 225 lbs (475lbs. in bear form)

Eyes: Brown (red in bear form)

Hair: Black

Description: In his normal form, Marcus seems like a normal kid. Tall and broad-shouldered, he's a bit on the heavy side, and looks like he was built for sports. His head is usually shaved bald, and his facial hair is trimmed into a nice, even goatee. Despite his size, Marcus is deceptively agile--he's no gymnast, but he's actually capable of more mobility than a tank. His brown eyes are often half-closed, and he always looks a little worn out--not that there's anything wrong with him. He simply looks disengaged from everything around him unless he's specifically focused on a person or a conversation... or even his studies. He has a notably brighter look about him when he's busy. Someone might actually catch him smiling on occasion.

In his 'beast' form, he's a lot more intimidating. Standing well over eight feet tall, Marcus--or Arcturus, as he prefers--is a particularly grim-looking beast of a man. Largely resembling a brown bear, Arcturus's fingertips ending in vicious claws. Covered in black fur, his most notable marking is the white, crescent-shaped patch across his upper chest.

History: Marcus Irons lead somewhat of a sheltered life. Being an only child, he couldn't remember a time when he wasn't in the company of at least one of his parents, and he never wanted for anything. That certainly wasn't to say that he was spoiled; Richard Irons was a gruff disciplinarian, almost military in his imposition of order on his only son. While both parents often had to go away on business from time to time, he more often than not spent that time with his father. Richard taught him all sorts of things--fishing, hunting, and even how to fight when he started getting bullied at school. His mother was a lot less heavy handed; she wouldn't let Marcus get away with just anything, of course, but she gave him considerably more freedom. It gave him plenty of chance to wonder why his parents had so many books on occult subjects, but he rarely acted on the impulse to read any of them. He had enough problems with just algebra.

Marcus and his father had just come from celebrating his 15th birthday a few weeks early, watching a Blades game. He thought it would be an unforgettable night; the two of them stuck around the stadium and he managed to get Andre Leroux to sign his jersey. It was, in fact, a night he'd always remember, but not for the reasons that Marcus thought. They went home, and hours later he was awakened by the breaking of glass and a lot of yelling. Marcus arrived in the living room just in time to see a group of men tackle his father. Without thinking he rushed to try and help, leaping uselessly on one of their backs, only to get thrown off. The landing hurt, but something else in him snapped... Everyone was especially surprised when the 15 year-old boy came back at the SWAT-geared man, grabbing him by the collar with a clawed hand and slinging him across the room.

The next few moments were a blur. The room flooded with more people and he remembered something giving him a nasty shock. He remembered his father's voice, sounding uncharacteristically desperate, and then... nothing. He woke up several days later in the hospital, with a strange man in his room, introducing himself as Duncan Summers. That was when he learned the truth--his parents were wanted supervillains. At first, he didn't believe it. His parents, as far as he knew, hadn't even had so much as a speeding ticket. Sure, his dad was over six and a half feet tall and intimidating as all hell, but imagining his father as a monster? No way.

Seeing the evidence, however, was sobering. His father could transform, just as he had that night, only his form was... far less friendly on the eyes. He had a body count well into the triple digits, most before he was born. He wasn't sure he'd be able to cope with the reality that his father was even capable of the destruction of which he'd been accused.

His mother's involvement was considerably more obscure. As the sorceress Runic, she had managed to suppress his father's transformation through the use of her knowledge and research on magical artifacts and symbols, allowing them to lead normal lives. She was wanted for hiding him, among other things... and Marcus was almost certain that it contributed to her not showing up when his father was carted off to jail. He wasn't stupid--he realized that his father never fought back, and that he'd plead guilty, skipping a trial entirely. Marcus wasn't sure what to do next... Summers provided him with an option.

Personality & Motivation: Marcus is surprisingly mature for his age, often coming off as stand-offish, humorless, and far more serious than necessary. He's actually notoriously big-hearted and loyal to the people who actually earn his trust, and something of a pacifist at heart--contrary to the look and overall aggressive nature of the Beast Rune on his back. It's certainly not that he isn't capable; on the contrary, it's knowing that he could potentially lose control and seriously hurt someone that keeps him from doing anyone serious, crippling harm. Seeking largely to guard against the stigma of his parents' pasts, Marcus makes it a point to know as much as he can about both the magical and physical world and how they interact with one another.

Powers & Tactics: Marcus is a brawler, plain and simple. Being especially good at it, his fists are often the first course of action for him. When he can actually plan ahead, he does so--more with a working knowledge of the situation than any real magical backup, other than his animal form. When especially pressed for a solution, he's been known to use the Beast Rune in its rawest form, able to transform into something other than his 'default' bear form.

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Complications:

Aspect of the Beast: Marcus is exceptionally aggressive and blunt in his bear form, and finds it difficult to back out of a fight.

Colorblind: In his bear form, Arcturus can't really distinguish colors; everything looks grayscale.

Phobia: Marcus can't swim. It's less of a problem in his human form, but his fear of drowning causes him to avoid large bodies of water whenever possible.

Secret: Marcus's mother, Runic, is an international thief and forger, and has crossed and double-crossed numerous heroes and villains in her career. His father, the previous holder of the Beast Rune, destroyed an entire town before the power was stripped from him. If anyone did a little digging, it would cause Marcus a colossal headache and earn him a lot of enemies and unwanted attention.

Temper: Marcus has full control over his transformation... usually. Typically, however, pain causes his usually strict control to slip--whether it's physical, or seeing a friend get hurt.

Wardrobe Malfunction: Typically, Marcus wears something of a uniform underneath his clothes--his normal clothes typically don't survive his transformations.

Abilities: 0 + 2 + 12 + 2 + 2 + 0 = 18 PP

Strength: [28] 10 (+9/+0)

Dexterity: 12 (+1)

Constitution: [26] 22 (+8/+6)

Intelligence: 12 (+1)

Wisdom: 12 (+1)

Charisma: 10 (+0)

Combat: 18 + 18 = 36PP

Initiative: +5

Attack: +9 [+10 melee] / +8 [+9 melee, +14 unarmed]

Grapple: +10 (+23 in bear form)

Defense: +11 (+9 Base, +2 Dodge Focus), +5 flat-footed / +10 (+9 base, +2 Dodge Focus, -1 Size), +5 flat-footed

Knockback: -3 (-9 in bear form)

Saving Throws: 5 + 8 + 8 = 21PP

Toughness: +6 (+6 Con) / +11 (+8 Con. +3 Protection)

Fortitude: +11 (+6 Con, +5) / +13 (+8 Con, +5)

Reflex: +9 (+1 Dex, +8)

Will: +9 (+1 Wis, +8)

Skills: 76R = 19PP

Acrobatics 9 (+10)

Climb 3 (+3, +8 in bear form)

Craft [Artistic] 9 (+10)

Intimidate 7 (+7, +17 in bear form)

Knowledge [arcane lore] 9 (+10)

Knowledge [earth sciences] 3 (+4)

Knowledge [life sciences] 3 (+4)

Knowledge [physical sciences] 4 (+5)

Languages 2 [English (base), Greek, Latin]

Notice 4 (+5)

Search 4 (+5)

Sense Motive 5 (+6)

Stealth 9 (+10, +6 in bear form)

Survival 5 (+6)

Feats: 13PP

Artificer

Attack Focus [Melee] 1

Attack Specialization [unarmed] 2*

Challenge - Forceful Intimidation*

Dodge Focus 2

Fearless

Fearsome Presence 8*

Improved Grab

Improved Grapple

Improved Initiative

Improved Pin

Luck 1

Ritualist

Skill Mastery [Acrobatics, Intimidate, Craft (artistic), Knowledge (arcane lore)]

Takedown Attack 1

*Bear Form

Powers: 55PP

Alternate Form 11 (Duration: Sustained; Source: Magic) (Beast Rune Bear form, Magic) [55PP]

• Enhanced Feats 11 (Attack Specialization [unarmed] 2; Challenge [Powerful Intimidation]; Fearsome Presence 8 [DC18, 40 ft]) [11PP]
  Enhanced Skill 2 (Intimidate +8) [2PP]
  Enhanced STR 10 [10PP]
  AP: Super Strength 4 (19.2 ton heavy load; PFs: Bracing, Groundstrike) [1PP]
  Features 1 (fur-covered hide [cold/sunburn immunity]) [1PP]
  Growth 4 (Large; +8 Str, +4 Con, -1 Attack/Defense, +4 Grapple, -4 Stealth, +2 Intimidate) [12 PP]
  Leaping 4 (x25; running jump: 475 ft., standing long jump: 237 ft., vertical jump: 118 ft.) [3PP]
  Protection 3 [3PP]
  Strike 1 (claws; PF: Mighty) [2PP]
  Super-Senses 9 (Danger Sense [Olfactory], Detect Lies [Olfactory], Low Light Vision, Extended Smell 2 [x100], Scent, Tracking 2 [normal speed]) [9PP]

DC Block:

ATTACK            RANGE     SAVE                     EFFECT

Unarmed           Touch     DC15/24 TOU (Staged)     Damage (Physical)

Strike 1 (claws)  Touch     DC25 TOU (Staged)        Damage (Physical)

Abilities (18) + Combat (36) + Saving Throws (21) + Skills (19) + Feats (13) + Powers (55) - Drawbacks (0) = 162/163 Power Points

[N/A]

[...]

[GranspearZX]

I'd been playing it as Sustained all this time, but it wouldn't hurt for it to actually be in the sheet. I also added the fact that his device--all his devices, really--are applying effort to the device itself, not Arcturus.